Just another quick and last note that on, around Xmas or on Boxing day I uploaded three chapters of 17,18,19 all at once so make sure to flick back, as the views jump over them completely but for a few peeps. Will update Grift soon, too. On with the chapter! :D

Chapter Twenty One

"It's not fair." Ivy mumbled to herself. She laid flat out on the bed in her sleeping clothes clutching a pillow to herself and staring at her ceiling sadly.

She sniffed to herself, upset.

"Sis! I-I… Um, I like this girl… Help!"

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" She sat up, depressed at the thought. "No way!"

Her boys were growing up, going through puberty and becoming… becoming… becoming men!

It was horrible.

Her precious little baby boys! Wanting bitchy, crazy, inconsistent women!

They wanted titties and goo-goo eyes and silky hair!

Her eyes watered and she sniffled again, a low whine coming out of her throat as she flopped back down to her bed again, eyes watering. She didn't want to deal with them growing up and getting hairy and deepening voices. Still, they were coming up to thirteen. It was about time, she supposed grumpily. She put the pillow to her face and sighed, doing her best to wipe away her tear tracks. It sounded stupid to be crying over something so simple and inevitable, but she just didn't expect it this soon. She'd become a mummy figure to them and had started to feel more that then sibling. They were attached to her now they didn't have the rest of their huge sprawling amounts of family and she was attached to them.

She ignored the tap at her window, until it became so insistent she flipped off the pillow and scowled fiercely at a surprised Jimmy. She stomped over, ripped open the window and grabbed the guy, pulling him in. "Dude! Didn't you get the hint?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Her anger immediately washed out and her bottom lip wobbled, eyes becoming glassy. "The twiiiins!"

Jimmy cursed in his head. Why was he always around when she cried about her twins? But did the best friend thing and inquired dutifully, "Did they drop you out for the Greasers or something?"

"No! Worse!"

Jimmy looked at her warily, taking in her dishevelled look. "Are, uh, you pms-ing?"

"Yes!" She blubbered unhappily. "It hurts! But, the twins! They're growing up! Liking females!"

"Huh?" He replied, sitting on the end of the bed, "Did they get a crush?"

"Matt has a crush on some girl in his year," She admitted to him.

"Nice. Might have to give him some tips."

Ivy thwacked him with her pillow and pointing at him when he glared at her. "No it isn't and no you won't! They won't be my babies anymore! They'll want boobs that I can't and won't give them!"

Jimmy burst out laughing, slapping his knee, having been in a jovial mood since his birthday passed not so long ago, having received a stash of booze, some new clothes and money from his closest friends, as well as a cake from Ivy that Petey confidentially told him he helped her with, like, a lot, causing the broad male to deflate in relief from making sure his best female friend didn't catch him in the act. Ivy sucked at cooking, though this cake was delicious. He'd consumed the whole damn thing in two days. And that was a shit ton of cake. It caused Ivy to bitch for not sharing, but hey, it was his cake, damnit.

Ivy ignored him, pouting to herself. "They won't need me anymore," Ivy mumbled, grabbing her cover and huddling under it.

He rolled his eyes, crouched down on the floor beside her and lifted the cover, taking in the once more bruised legs of Ivy and feeling a bit more sympathetic at her folded up, knees to chest form. She was kinda short and a little squat because of the muscles. Nicest ass he'd seen though. Probably firm as fuck. Gary was lucky as hell to have her crush on him and Jimmy wasn't even an ass man. He shook those thoughts from his head. "Don't be stupid. You should put those shin guards on, too."

"I do. Sifu has it out for me ever since I beat him in that first lesson with my martial arts over his." She smirked to herself before sighing again. "Why can't they stay the terrible twins forever and not the terrible teens? They're my boooys!"

"You'll be fine. They'll still love you," He mocked, poking one of her bruises hard, and snickering at the glare she gave him. "Look, I came around to ask about that fiancé of yours."

Ivy grimaced.

John had arrived that day, a week after his intended date. She'd had to hide all day or just stick in the corner of the two classes on Monday she still had, making sure the three lads surrounded her so he couldn't sit in her vicinity, though he did sit on the other side of the uncomfortable Petey both lessons. She hid in her room, dashing away from classes during breaks and blessed herself for freeing up Physics. Still, she was exhausted and little sleep, much physical and mental activity for the past multiple weeks had left her drained. What she wanted was to chill in the time period leading up to Christmas.

Maybe she needed a holiday or something.

In fact, that sounded good.

Really good.

Hawaii sounded fabulous.

Or Cancun!

It'd be way cheaper to get a flight from New England rather than original U.K. England! She could go do salsa lessons or something. Yeah, that was it. She needed a holiday. She was wound up. This shit wouldn't usually get to her! She stood up and grinned at Jimmy. "A holiday. I think I'll go on a holiday, a vacation I mean, after the Choi boxing thing!"

"If that's what makes you happy."

"Come with me!" She exclaimed with a grin. "Wanna go Cancun?"

"With what money?"

"Well, isn't your mum with that new step-dad who's rich?"

Jimmy eyed her wondering if she was aiming to offend him by using his mother against him. "Yeah…"

"Well, you've not done anything wrong, right? You've been passing all your classes?"

"Yeah…"

"Can't you ask for some money? Suck up a little?"

"I could." Jimmy hummed to himself because a vacation did sound really good. "Well, I do have some saved up, like three hundred bucks. Just didn't want to spend it ya know? But a holiday sounds great. Dunno if it'll be enough. I'm sure I can pick up some extra money from tasks." He mused causing her grin to widen.

She clapped her hands together in excitement. "Well, think of it like this, you get tasks, your saved money, some money from your parents and I'll pay for part of it as a Christmas gift and we'll be golden!"

"What about the other two?"

"We can ask and if not, we could always pretend to be a runaway couple and get some freebies from the hotel." Her eyes glimmered cheekily and her happiness was palpable. "Oh man I can't wait! Oh, you could get a weekend job too, right? Christmas temping?"

"I think I could." Jimmy nodded, starting to really like the idea.

"Hey, guys." Petey knocked at the window, jumping in and yelping when Ivy suddenly jumped him, cover and all, and automatically hugged back. "I-Ivy?"

"Petey!" She moved back, holding onto his shoulders. "Come on holiday with me and Jimmy!"

"I don't have any money though…" He frowned.

Ivy rolled her eyes good-naturedly, giving his shoulder a shove. "Get a job! I'll help you get one if you want. Or, uh, oh!" She snapped her fingers and pointed at him. "Diego! We can ask him to get you guys a jobs at the ice cream parlour!"

"I could. Where we headed?"

"Cancun for some hot weather! Let me get me a tan going on too." Ivy nodded in agreement with herself, having missed her sweet Spanish based tan. "We all could."

He perked up. "That sounds awesome."

"Think Gary will want to go, Petey?" Jimmy asked curiously, coming up to them and then looking out the window, nearly cracking skull with said male. "Damn. Whoa. Sup, Gary?"

"Moron. Where would I want to go?"

"Cancun," Petey said cheerfully.

Gary raised a brow at him. They wouldn't be going. Much too much to do. "What? No. There's too many plans over the free time to go through."

Ivy felt a little of her excitement wane but then shrugged; she would have loved to go on holiday with him. "Aw, that's a shame."

Gary nodded at her immediate agreement not to go, satisfied this was done and dusted so quickly and they didn't argue so much against it. He didn't realise that they thought he meant he wouldn't be going and not for them all not to be going.

Petey did actually get it and sighed in disappointment.

Ivy and Jimmy?

Not so much.

They just shrugged at each other. Up to him, really, though all of them going would have been awesome.

"Each year each of the groups have their own little ways to celebrate Christmas. The Preps have someone famous in to fight at the Glass Jaw, the Nerds go for ConSumo Championship events things; you get the point. We can use that. After Damon screwed himself over by drunkenly admitting his want for Mandy in front of Ted (nice spiking by the way Petey. Certainly getting more guts after screwing, aren't you femme-boy?) and getting demoted in the hierarchy, we're pretty much on good track. We could either further demote the Nerds by screwing over their little 'hideout', and I use that word very lightly, at Dragon Wing comic store, mess with the Greasers by clamping all their bikes and lock them in the garages or even fuck the Jocks over even more and steal all their equipment for the hell of it."

This guy had way too many ideas off the top of his head.

They didn't even want to think about when he was going deep into plans and operations.

Scary bastard.

Gary looked at her and sneered when he saw the redness of her eyes, inwardly hiding his boiling emotions at someone making her cry. "What's wrong with your face?"

Ivy twitched, knowing she wasn't one of those girls that looked okay crying. "Excuse you, wanker? How about we take in that scar of yours, huh?"

"Someone ordered a side of bitch with their main course of fiancé."

Her face screwed up at that. "Oh, don't get me started on that bastard. Holy shit on a flaming stick." She grumbled some unnecessary insults at that guy, huddling in her covers as she went back to her bed and sat at the end of it, looking at her laptop and looking for a new client that could give her a quickie job for a few hundred bucks. "Stupid John."

Gary shook his head at her inane mumblings and turned back to the guys. "So what do you want to do first?"

They argued over each idea between themselves as Ivy found a new job and put in a quoted price and referring to her previous happy customers, quickly getting an affirmation on the job of JavaScript for an app. She wondered if she should get a part time programming job at a company on her days off? Might be useful and one year, even a six month contract would pay off her degree, hopefully. If she used her Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and maybe even Sunday while keeping Friday off, she'd be able to gain enough money by the end of the school year and enjoy her whole summer holiday at her… 'obtained' home. She just had to finish Home Economics, Music and Biology.

Okay… so she was never gonna use Music ever, so she'd cheat off of Jimmy, who really liked Miss Peter's, and the same for Home Economics but Biology she'd have to get Petey or Gary in on it to help her. It was possible. She was simply changing lessons for work, really. She'd keep her martial arts cut down to a minimum and she didn't have to think about keeping her room that clean or anything, only homework and herself and these boys of hers. She could do it if she really didn't want to go through the Student Loans process. Ivy blinked up at the quiet in her room and stared at the three who stared back.

"What?"

"We called your name like five times," Jimmy stated and then smirked. "You still upset about your boys?"

"Shut up, Hopkins."

He turned to the other two as Ivy snapped her head around and glowered at him, with him saying, slyly, "I caught her crying about her boys growing up and getting crushes. Seriously. Tears and everything. Ack!" He nearly toppled as Ivy caught him in a headlock, legs wrapped around his waist like she was getting a piggyback. "Get off me! Damn, take a joke!" He squeaked through her tough hold and she let go of his neck but stayed on his back and he held onto her under the knees, not looking that bothered at an extra person on him. "Fuck, like the strength of Russell or something…"

"Darn tootin'. Hey, you're pretty strong, Jim. It's like I'm barely anything. That's hot, man," She joked and Jimmy waggled his brows causing them both to snigger at each other. "Eh?" She blinked when Gary picked her up off Jimmy's back and placed her down in front of him and she gave a sheepish grin at his unhappy look. "What?"

His eyes narrowed, communicating a 'you know what' very easily. "We're going to-"

A knock at the door interrupted him. "Ivy!"

She had to think about who's voice it was. It was annoying and squeaky. Also familiar.

"Uh, yeah… um, you?"

Petey covered a smile as Gary rolled his eyes and Jimmy snickered. "It's Christy." The Polish male confirmed.

"You would know, wouldn't you?" She mumbled teasingly before speaking up, "Oh, Christy! What's up?"

"It's John! He asked me to tell you he wants to see you. He's waiting outside the Girls Dorm." She sounded excited at the gossip and Ivy grimaced at the girl. Was she ever that bad at wanting gossip? She sure as hell hoped not. "Are you two really engaged?"

"What?! Oh my goodness… No! No engagements have been made!"

"Not yet."

Ivy blinked. "...John?"

"Eeee! You can't be in here!" Christy really did sound way too happy at this happening.

The Brit wondered why Petey had liked Christy so much.

Gary wondered why he'd ever stooped to screwing the redhead the previous school year's first semester. He looked at Ivy's irritable yet bemused face in curiosity. Maybe having the best highlighted the worst?

"It's ridiculous we don't have a meeting place for both genders that isn't a cafeteria or closes at seven." John huffed. "Harrington's House just isn't the same. Ivy! Let's go to the cinema. We can get to know each other better?"

She rubbed her eyes and shooed them to the window. "I'll get dressed properly." She turned back to the door. "I'm busy, John."

"Alright," Gary said as Petey went out first.

"Is someone there with you?" Jimmy snickered as he went next and Gary helped her quickly undress, skimming his hands all over her possessively and kissing and nipping at her bared skin with a smug smirk, hand dipping down to under her skirt as the other man called in. "Ivy O'Donohue! Don't ignore me!"

"What?" Both of their heads snapped to the door and Gary looked particularly vicious at the thought of her legally bound to another man, his mind whirling furiously. She quickly grabbed her uniform and put it back on, taking the extra time to find her teal only jumper (no argyle at all) and put that on as well. "John, I'm not interested. Go away." Ivy found her set of winter gloves, woollen beanie hat and scarf in white and matching suede boots (which she'd put better traction pads on the bottom of because something so cute would not be so impractical, damnit) and put them on. The old her also had a knee length white suede jacket lined with fur she grabbed and put on and she had to snort at Gary frowning at the lack of teal.

It was surprising no one had figured them as getting it on and going out yet.

"Please, Ivy! I won't have you pay for anything! This is all on me, of course. At least let me see you."

"And check no guys are in here," Gary muttered darkly, not liking this at all. It was bad enough the girls wanting to hang out from time to time, taking her from him, and they could work around that, but some jumped up upstart paying closer attention and trying to get in between his woman's legs was beyond pushing it. But how to work it so he could use this angle? Either way he'd have to go. "Still, we don't want to give away our entrance to your room. Or us. Have fun getting rid of him, but not too much. Or else." His eyes narrowed, trusting her loyalty but not so much the trouble she got herself into.

"Alrighty." She was kissed hard before Gary left out the window giving her a powerfully heated look before he disappeared and she locked it behind him. Making her way to the door, she took a breath and unlocked it, grabbing her key as she did so, slinging it around her neck. John looked about ready to burst in, she so stepped forward and closed the door behind her, locking it and walking down the corridor with him following. "Seriously, John, you shouldn't be in here. Sacred female ground and all."

"Ivy, what was that about? You were acting weird, with the whole room thing and quickly closing the door?"

"She always does that," Christy remarked as she entered her own room, flinching at Ivy's annoyed look. "Sorry!" She called, shutting the door quickly.

Ivy disregarded her as they went down the stairs and also ignored Mrs Peabody as they exited. "It's true. My room is mine. Only the closest enter it. My boys, mainly."

"Tom and Matt?"

"Yup." Ivy nodded to him, surprised he knew the names. "So don't even bother trying to get in. Seriously. You seemed pretty cool when knowing Eun Choi and all, but now you're not. Don't ever just tag your surname onto the end of mine. It's stalkerish and just plain creepy."

John looked a bit confused, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck and looking unbelievably hot while doing so and seriously she wanted him far, far away from her. "Girls do it to me all the time?"

"What?"

"I sing, you know?"

"Do you?"

"Have you really not heard of me?"

Ivy shook her head, zipping up the hoodie as they got to the middle of the area between both Dorms. "Nah. Look, if you're a singer don't you go on tours instead of getting educated at one institute? Wouldn't you just have tutors for that side of things and just go to examination places to take exams or something? Why're you here?"

"You. I want you to be my wife. I told you this."

Stupid question, really. "You don't know me. You've talked to me all of two times. Get real, man."

"We would have been married for business anyway." John grinned optimistically and grabbed onto her hands, holding them against his chest. "This time it can be for love!"

Ivy shook her head, tugging her hands away impatiently. "No. Go back to your singing, John. Friends, yeah. More? No."

"I can build on that!" He cheered, putting hands to hips. "Just one thing." He reached to her ear and undid one of the simple silver swirl earrings she always wore and then stabbed his own ear. "There! Look good?"

Ivy blinked at him, eyes wide and unsure what to do with him. She'd never had to deal with a man like this. Gary was crazy in a subtle tyrannical way. This was full on stalker mode. She shook her head from the surprise. "Are you crazy? Give that back!" She held her hand out insistently and frowning as he jumped back with a playful grin, thinking this some kind of game. "John."

"Catch me if you can, girl." He dashed off out he premises and she instantly chased him, simply keeping up until he became exhausted. They went across the bridge and she wondered where he was making her go and she had to smirk when she saw the ice cream shop they were going to. Diego raised his head when he saw them, blinking in confusion at her companion. "Here we are! Have you been here before?"

"Many times."

John looked a bit sad at that, but perked up anyway when he saw her eyes look at the ice cream. "Well, let me get you some anyway, for stealing your earring you'll never get back."

"It was only a cheap thing anyway and I did get a show of you stabbing yourself. Surprised it even worked. Sorbet, then." John ordered and sitting at the bar he went on about his tours and backstage stuff, and she admittedly found it interesting. Knowing what singers did before, during and after shows and setting up for it was kind of fun to know. Like an insiders' perspective one didn't usually get. Grudgingly, she could admit he was a fun guy. If only she could knock that marriage idea from his head.

Eventually he went to the toilet and Diego had to ask, "What happened to your other man?"

"Nothing. There's nothing going on here apart from his warped sense of marrying me. He literally stole my earring and stabbed a new hole in his ear and then daring me to get it back he led me here. What the hell am I supposed to do with such a man?"

"Get out while you can?" Diego chuckled at her glare. "Can't you?"

"He goes to my school. What am I supposed to do, Diego? He won't leave off this idea of me being his wife. Gary and I have an unsaid agreement that for our plans of taking the school over, we'd keep us a secret."

Diego seemed curious, cocking his head to the side. "Rule the school?"

"Gary knows his grandfather wants him and eventually he wants to join a gang. At least I think so." She frowned, putting sorbet in her mouth. "But he wants to try out the playground before he hits the big leagues, you know? To do that, we keep us a secret so I'm not incriminated with what he does, and I can help on the sly without being linked to him if he does get caught."

"Makes sense. Do you want to be a gang person?"

"It's… hard to decide." Ivy admitted and Diego nodded in understanding. "How did you choose?"

"Someone touched and killed my little sister. I wanted revenge."

Ivy felt for him and her face reflected it. She wanted to reach out and hug him but she'd already kind of denied him anything like that. She'd previously chosen a man and it wasn't him so to touch him would be unfair. "Diego… I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "It was about six or seven years ago. When I was your age. It's fine now but then... I needed a closure. Quetzalcoatl's helped me. That's how I started." He put some more sorbet in her emptying cup absently. "You should join us. We would be very happy to have you. With your talent you'd be right up at the top. Boss likes you and your men."

John popped out of the toilet, looking just as J-Pop and K-Pop sexy as before and her libido inwardly sang happy songs and she cursed them.

Where was Gary to bang when you needed him?

"He is very good looking." Diego noted with a nod and turned to her with a serious look. "You should have him maybe once."

She nearly choked on her sorbet, wanting to laugh. "No thanks! Plus my boyfriend would end up killing us both. I don't want to watch my back for the rest of my life. That guy's like a crocodile waiting for the right time to chomp you. Nah, you'd best be on his good side. The amount of ideas he has to wreck things up is amazing." She shuddered at the thought, already wanting to go see him. One kiss was just not enough for her sex drive. John sat down and she smiled at him. "Still it could be fun. See if he's better than you."

Diego shook his head, grinning. "Bitch."

John raised a brow at the known Spanish swear word.

"This is Diego. Diego, this is John." They greeted each other, looking at each other guardedly. "Okay, so… have fun you two." She got up, putting down some dollar bills.

"What?" The two said in unison.

"Maybe I have stuff to do? Before you wanted me to chase you here, I had work to do."

John sighed forlornly. "It was a nice date."

"Dude, not a date."

"Yes it was." He stated adamantly.

"No." She turned to Diego, who pushed her money back. "The same as the restaurant?"

"Yep."

Ivy took her money, feeling very happy with that. "So you own the place?"

"Not myself, no, but yes."

"Ah. I get'cha."

John looked confused but shrugged and put a hand on the small of her back, making her frown but not noticing it. "Let's go back then."

Diego was stony faced at his actions. "If the lady doesn't want it…"

Ivy merely stepped out of it, causing John to look sad. "I can deal with this type of thing. Thanks, Diego."

He gave her a small smile and nodded to the door. "Be well, fighter girl."

"Yeah. You too, friend. C'mon, mate."

"Fiancé, Ivy." John corrected, making her turn on him with a glare as they walked back. "What?"

"Don't act so clueless, O'Donohue. I'm not your woman, never have been and nor do I intend to. At most, friends. You are hot, I know that, you know that, millions of Asian girls seem to know that if what you're telling me is true. I really don't know. But what I do know is that you're trying to make me something I won't ever be. You're fun. You've no problem picking up chicks. I'm glad for you. You won't ever get me. Understand? I don't want to be with you - don't look like that." She groaned on seeing his broken-hearted look. "What am I supposed to do? I can't go against my own emotions and be with someone I don't want to."

He looked down at the ground. "What am I supposed to do?" He mumbled, kicking the floor as they slowly walked to the school.

"What?"

"I do these things to make my parents happy. To make them proud."

Ivy looked utterly bemused by this. "Why? You have a career in singing, you're gorgeous and you're fun. You have a life from them. You don't need to be them to make them happy."

"I have to eventually take over the business when I've had my 'fun'. You're stronger than me. I could tell instantly. I need someone like that to guide me."

"And you think a wife would be my role?" Her voice was mocking, but not intentionally to antagonise the guy. "Don't be silly."

He put his hands together and stood in front of her. "Don't you get it? I'm so flimsy and… and head in the clouds! I can't do anything like run a business, but you've had martial training, much more appropriate for business running than singing! You could help me with my fathers' business! Please marry me! We could be so happy! I'd do everything I could for you! The business is worth billions, Ivy! You'd have it all! You could manage it and do whatever you wanted with it! As long as I get to sing you could blow it all away and I wouldn't care because I could support us easily! Marry me, love me and you will have everything I'm to inherit! I swear it! I'll make it part of the pre-nups!"

Ivy chuckled at his pleading look and walked around him. "Hun, you don't need a wife. You need a manager. Or ten. And possibly an office full of accountants."

"Can't you be all of them?" John asked, brushing hair out of his sight as he caught up again.

"Why?"

"Because you're what I'd look for in a wife! Strong, cute, vivid and bucket loads of common sense! I know within minutes what would make me happy and that's you."

Ivy giggled at his earnest look. Girls loved to be complimented and she was no different but she'd chosen and given her loyalty. "Aw, shucks. You know, if there wasn't someone else, you'd be very tempting."

"So that's it? There's another man, so you won't?"

"Nope. Well…" She then frowned thoughtfully. Actually, yes. If she wasn't attached and utterly hung up on Gary, then wouldn't she be very swayed by this gorgeous male, despite wanting to go against her parents' initial wants? "Yeah. Gotta say. That's true. Of course, I'd be patient and wait to see but… yeah, I could honestly say it would have been a yes I'd give you a go. How can a girl resist billions, hm?" She teased.

"So if I wasn't in South Korea at the time when our parents wanted to betroth us and both of us didn't say no…" John sighed in disappointment.

"You said no as well?"

John looked amused. "Of course. As if I'd throw away my freedom like that." He preened at her look of approval. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just… declared intentions like that. It's my imagination, flights of fancy and impulsive nature. It guides me in everything I do. I couldn't just marry… and to just expect you to go along with my ideas? It's wrong of me, but I can't help it. You're very attractive to me. I bet I probably came off as some kind of pansy mama's boy."

Ivy chuckled, neither confirming nor denying.

There was a minute of quiet as they walked back to the school.

"You know, you're forthright, and I admire that. You have a freshness about you. A bright intenseness I rarely see. There are some very typical people around me, but you… You're alive. I'm really happy to have had this talk. You know, apart from marriage, if you need something, come find me, no matter where. I do like you, you know." Ivy nodded to herself.

He waggled his brows and put an arm around her shoulders. "What about a civil partnership?"

"Shut up, John."

He burst out laughing as they entered the school. "Aw, but Ivy!"

"Get out of it, you." She pushed him away and it was then she noticed her friends hanging around the entrance to the Boys Dorm. "Look, I see my buddies so-"

"Introduce me?" He gave pouting eyes and she couldn't help the grin on her face. "Yeah, I got you."

Ivy scoffed with a smirk. "Please. Only one does, and it ain't you."

"Damn that loyalty, maybe I should get you to marry me." John sighed dramatically and snickered at her rolled eyes. "At least I still have my adoring fans!"

"About all you have, really."

"Hey!"

She never lost her smirk as she came up to the other three who watched them curiously. "Guys, meet John O'Donohue…"

.I.

A/N: Ah, John, I do have a soft spot for you, deary.

A bit of character building here as well as an end to the John-Arc, if you would.

From your lovely lady,

LaRS.