Part 3
Chapter Twenty-Five
Warning Character Death Mentioned : Ron.
Santana:
Santana approached the waterfall cautiously. The idea of getting her hair and clothes wet wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she pictured reuniting with Brittany. She took a deep breath as her thick snow boots stepped into the icy cold pond before her.
"Are you coming or what?" Jayde snapped from the edge of the falls just before passing through. There was an odd shimmering light just out of sight behind the falls, which gave Santana the sinking suspicion she was walking into a trap. However this was no time for doubts, she had already come so far and she wasn't going to give up until she saw Brittany and her son again.
Santana waded through the water, which came up to her waist. As expected the water rained down from above on her. She could feel the magical properties washing away any and all enchantments. 'The Thieves Downfall' was the name the goblins had given this spell, but it quickly became apparent to Santana that the spell had been altered in someway as her left arm began to scald and burn.
"Argh. What the fuck-" She howled as she pushed through the rest of the falls stepping into an odd beam of light that opened once she was through. Santana began ripping off her top black robe which covered her slick black death eater garments beneath. Unaware of her surroundings Santana finally freed her left arm to see the flesh which held her dark mark practically melting way. The snake was now skewed and faded as though time had worn it away. The flesh of her arm began to scar over. At her wrist the black snake tattoo which she had bonded Brittany to her with also melted and burned away.
"Ouch. That looks painful." Jayde mocked snidely, but Santana didn't hear any of her taunts. They older Death Eater's thoughts were racing to fast putting the pieces together. She knew despite the pain that she was no longer bound to the Dark Lord, but how had this magic been accomplished. The Dark Mark was forever, yet here it had been washed—or more exactly-burned away. Santana clenched her jaw. Had Brittany suffered the same agonizing feeling when she arrived here?
"Who's down there?" Yelled a deep male voice from the top of a winding stone staircase,which Santana hand not noticed until the.
"It's Jayde, but I have a prisoner so we're going to need some help." Yelled the small girl, brushing wet black hair out of her face. "Here give me your hands" She commanded.
Santana resisted by protecting her left side. Her arm still hurt and knowing this kid, she'd probably rub salt in it or something equally painful.
"Stop being a baby and give me your hands." with a flick of her wand Santana's hands were out in front and with a second her hands were completely bound.
"I'm starting to get why this whole prisoner thing really sucks." Santana said coolly, trying to sound more confident than she actually felt.
The door at the top of the steps opened once again and several wizards rushed down with their wands drawn on the two black-haired women. Jayde slowly raised her hands above her head with both wands where the wizards could see them.
"Jayde Pierce. You were suppose to return with your troop three days ago. Where have you been?" a thick looking man with an ugly gash down the side of his face growled impatiently.
"I ran into some trouble, but I've captured a prisoner who I think could be very useful to our cause."
"We don't take prisoners, you know that !" He spat. "You've brought a Death Eater into this camp, do you even realize what you've done? I told Potter you weren't ready for this kind of responsibility. If he has any sense he'll put you on kitchen duty and feed her to the dragons."
Santana's eyebrows shot up. 'Dragons?! Potter has dragons?' This was not going the way she had intended at all. 'Damn you and your irrational choices, Lopez. You were never this reckless before!' she cursed herself.
"Take them both." Ordered the scarred man. The wizard guards grabbed them roughly, wands drawn, and began shoving them up the staircase.
Ten minutes later Santana found herself in awe of the thriving community which the homeless refugees had built for themselves. Rows upon rows of enchanted tents filled an enormous dragon cavern. Light from the opening at the cliff poured into the camp. The sight was utterly breath-taking. Santana watched neighbors chatting with each other in the morning light.. She could see children playing with bewitched toys of simple craftsmanship, old men smoking their pipes while their wives cooked breakfast, and Hogwarts aged student practiced their spells just outside their family tent. It was a rough existence, but these people had seemed to find some happiness after such heart ache. Santana could only pray that Brittany had found the same.
It wasn't long before witches and wizards of all kinds were soon popping up left and right to watch the procession Santana's arrival had warranted. Word seemed to ghost through the encampment and it wasn't long until crowds started to form. Santana kept her eye peeled for Brittany, but finding her in this mess of people was like trying to find a single knut in the Lastrange vault.
At the furthest end of the camp they came upon a tent three times larger than any Santana had seen. It stood much taller and wider then the other's with its back to the cavern wall. It wasn't grand or fancy like her own tent, but it stood strong with a purpose. She knew right away who she was about to meet and a sense of dread began to take root.
Fear was not something Santana had grown accustom to in the last five-years nor did she think she ever would, but it was certainly one of those few emotions she would happily do away with once again. She swallowed thickly as the grunt who guided her shoved her inside the grand tent. As she suspected it was filled with maps , charts, books, letters, and a number of other important magical items that flew about on invisible strings.
"Pierce has returned Sir and she's brought us a prisoner." The scarred general growled.
Santana narrowed her eyes to see a young, but tiered looking man sitting behind a rather large looking desk. With all the busy work fluttering about she had missed seeing him all together, but now his bright green eyes and long black shaggy hair stood out among the chaos. It had been a long time since she had last seen Harry. He was a few years older than her, but she could recall seeing him around school and watching Puck play against him in quidditch. She, like so many other slytherins, had taken a stance of hating him and all his stuck up little friends. It was an odd thing now standing before his as she recalled all the suffering she had put him through personally.
He looked much older now. The years and stress of war had worn away his handsome boyhood and left a hardened man. His hair was shaggy and unkempt, held by a single ponytail. It hid the iconic lightning shaped scar underneath, but Santana was sure he was still recognized no matter where he went.
Harry stood from his chair and walked toward the entrance to where they stood. His eyes narrowed on Santana's face before looking to Jayde. The young girl stood tall with a blank expression though it wasn't hard for Santana to tell it was just an act. She was fearful of him, but not for the same reason people feared the Dark Lord. Jayde cared very much what Potter thought. It was in the way she held herself and the way she shrunk in his shadow. It was clear that Potter cared for her just as much. Santana watched as Harry's jaw tightened while he looked for words to say.
"Are you hurt?" He asked softly at first, looking over Jayde carefully for any sign that she had been mistreated. Jayde held her composure trying to act as though nothing in the world could harm her. It was a trait Santana was all to familiar with. She shook her head no.
"Good. Now, explain yourself." He ordered in a much harsher tone. Santana felt bad for the young girl, though Harry had every right to be upset.
"I-I don't have an explanation sir." She managed to say. His eyes seemed to light up with anger and disbelief.
" I sent you on a simple mission to collect food and medical supplies. Not only do you deviate from the plan, you put your teammates in harm's way, and you got yourself captured. To make it worse you bring a damn Death Eater to our doors, but not just any Death Eater. You brought Santana Lopez here. You've put the lives of thousands of people in jeopardy and to top it all off I have no way of knowing if you've been compromised or not!" Harry was all but shouting at the small girl. " I expected so much more from you Jayde and I will not accept the fact that you don't have an explanation, because I know you and I know that you would never do something completely selfish and stupid without a good reason, so you better start talking."
Santana could see the proud girl fighting off her tears as she struggled to find an answer that would satisfy Potter, but no words seemed to come out.
"I—I just wanted to help. I thought she could help us find a weakness in the Dark Lord's defenses and-"
"-And I didn't give her a choice. I told her to bring me here. "
Harry spun around to face Santana as she interrupted.
"You do not get to speak. I will deal with you accordingly. Take her to the old goblin cells." He barked. Santana was jostled out of the large tent and ushered through a narrow passage carved into the rock face. As she left she could see Jayde's confused eyes watching her curiously. It was the least Santana could do after putting the girl in such a rough spot.
The caves were filled with twists and turns which the goblins had cleverly made to deceive any wizard who might find themselves trapped. Santana had to hand it to them. She was lost with in the first two minutes of walking.
"So...is there anyway I could get some new clothes? I'm kind of soaking wet and my arm bloody hurts." Santana asked sarcastically when they stopped in front of a stone wall. There was a faint gold outline in the shape of a narrow door decorated with various gemstones. The ugly scarred man dug around in his pocket and pulled out a rather elegant looking stone which he pressed to the door. Right away there was a shifting sound as the stones which made up the door and wall began to slide against each other.
"In." He growled unbinding her hands and shoving Santana inside the softly lit room. She immediately felt weak and tired as entered. Inside there was a bed cut from the grant walls, small orbs of light kept the room lit, the walls were lined with various colored crystals which seemed to pulsate light. Other than a small bucket , which Santana didn't want to think of its purpose, there was nothing else. Santana let out a low sigh. Now all that was left was to wait.
Brittany:
Brittany moved along the rows of tan tents. It had taken a year for her to memorize her way through the bustling community, but now she knew all the short cuts to all the major centers. She could hear Quinn calling to her from behind, but the thrumming in her chest urged her on word. Santana was close, she could feel it.
"Britt, is this really a good idea?" Quinn asked anxiously as she jogged to keep up. "I mean it's been five years. I don't think she's going to be the same. Think about Max and how hard it's going to be on him."
Brittany brushed away her friend's warnings.
"Of course she's changed Quinn, we all have. I just need to see her. I need to know that she's alive and happy." Brittany said breathlessly as she moved closer and closer to Potter's tent. It seemed as though the entire den was up and buzzing with news of Santana's arrival. There were rumors flying left and right. Some said that it was the beginning of the end, others suspected Santana was there as a deserter, and still some thought she might have been a spy for Harry all along. Brittany did her best to ignore everything she heard because none of it mattered.
It had been so long that Brittany could hardly remember the girl's face, but she remembered each feeling that passed between them like a photograph on her own heart. She counted the days wondering if she would ever see Santana again. She worried and cried herself to sleep wondering if the girl she had come to care for so deeply had been hurt or killed. There was no way to know. The Den was cut off completely from the outside world. Only scouts and The Order brought news of the darkness which had over taken the world, yet still no news of the infamous death eater came. Santana had promised to come for them, but when she didn't, Brittany feared the worst. She might have left to go in search of her love had Quinn not reminded her of a bigger responsibility. She had a son now. No matter how much she wanted to set out to save Santana the way she had saved Brittany, their son came first.
For five years Brittany poured everything she had into the beautiful little boy, ignoring her own selfish desires. Sam had arrived in her life and provided a distraction. He knew how Brittany felt to be such a young parent. After the death of his own parents at the hands of a faceless death eater, he was forced to raise his twin bother and sister alone. The shared responsibility made things just a little more bearable. However she never once forgot the woman who she cared for so deeply, but life needed to go on.
"Jayde!" Brittany shouted over the heads of several witches and wizards who stood in her way. The dark-haired veela looked up at the sound of her name. Brittany pushed her way through jogging over to her sister and pulling her into a big hug. "You're back! I was so worried when you didn't return with the rest of the scouts. Are you alright? What's the matter. You seem really upset."
"I'm not upset and I'm fine." Jayde huffed impatiently taking a step back from her sister. "Just not in the mood to talk. Where's Max. I could a little nephew play time."
"He's back at my tent with Sam, Stacy and Stevie probably watching them play exploding Snape again." Brittany rolled her eyes.
"J, I saw you come in with a dark-haired woman with a really bitchy looking face. Do you know where they took her." Quinn folded her arms.
Jayde's features grew dark and upset.
"Forget it. I'm not telling you anything." Jayde grunted and tried to push her way past the two older girls. Brittany grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Jayde Lynn. You need to tell me where Santana is right now." Her bright eyes focused on her sisters, letting her know she was serious. Jayde yanked her arm away in frustration. Brittany knew how much her sister hated being treated like a kid, but sometimes she could be so stubborn.
"I was out on my mission and I heard those low lives talking about 'Lopez'. I assumed it was Max's father, so I went after him. Unfortunately, it was only her. She asked me to bring her here. I didn't think it through and I put everyone in danger, including you. " Jayde said angrily, but Brittany could sense it was directed at herself. "She wants you Britt. I don't know why, but you can't go there. I'm worried it might have something to do with Max..." She broke away from Brittany's stare and glanced at the ground. There were fragments of broken pride and shame handing around the young witches head.
"Hey, look at me." Brittany said softly. "There is more going on here then you know. You did the right thing by bringing her here. Santana did more for me back then, than anyone could ask for. She's the reason Quinn, Max and I made it here safely. We can talk more about it later, but I promise you that we're going to be perfectly safe around her. " Brittany said kissing her sister's head. " Now go on. Max misses you. He's been asking for his tata."
Brittany watched as her sister rolled her eyes at her sappiness, but knew that the young girl appreciated it. Jayde gave a small smirk and sulked off toward Brittany's tent.
"You should have told her the truth from the start." Quinn's voice echoed Brittany's thoughts.
"I know, but I was scared and confused at the time. I let her believe what she wanted about the baby. Plus I couldn't help worrying about what people might do to Max if they found out that he was Santana's son and not mine. There's nothing a person wouldn't do for their child and I wont ever let Max be used as a tool like that." Brittany's eyes drifted to Quinn's sadly.
"What do you think she'll do when she finds out that Santana doesn't have a brother?" Quinn questioned cautiously.
" She's going to do everything in her power to protect Max, just like she always has because he's just as much my son as he is Santana's. Nothing is going to change that, not even Santana." Brittany said firmly as she turned and started marching toward Harry's tent.
It took only a few more moments before Brittany reached Harry's tent with Quinn following close behind. The flaps were tossed open as Ginny Weasley stormed out in a fit of rage. Both girl's jumped out of the woman's way.
"Wonder what's wrong with her now." Quinn mused. Brittany tossed her a side glance which read 'don't go there'. Since the war things between Ginny and Harry had been rough to say the least. The two had very different ideas on the way things should be run and everyone knew to stay well away from them if they shared a room together. It was Brittany's opinion that there was still a lot of untapped passion there, but she knew better than to expose another's true feelings.
The girls entered as Harry ran his fingers through his dark shaggy hair in frustration. Harmonie cradled herself tightly, avoiding his gaze. His eyes darted up expecting Ginny to come back with several more well picked words for him, but they softened when he spotted the veela and his best mediwitch.
"I'm sorry ladies, but I'm afraid I can't speak with you today. We have something of a crisis on our hands that needs my immediate attention." Harry spoke kindly though his insides where still fraught with anger and frustration.
"We're here about Santana." Brittany said flatly. She had never been one to dance around with pretty words. Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.
"What about Ms. Lopez?" He asked roughly.
"I'd like your permission to go see her." Harry's eyes opened and darted to Brittany's face as did Hermione.
"That's out of the question and what could you possibly want with her anyway?"
"Sir, I know it's sounds strange, but I need to see her. We have history together and there's no one who knows her better than I do." Brittany said confidently. " Charlie can back me up, she's known Santana since childhood." Quinn nodded in agreement, though the look on her face was not a pleasant one.
"If there is no one who knows her better than tell me why she coaxed your sister into bringing her here?" Harry asked incredulously. She could see Harry had many doubts. " Santana Lopez is a killer and I have half this camp, clamoring for me to hang her out as dragon feed, and I've got to tell you it sounds like a pretty good idea to me."
"Harry, you don't mean that." Harmonie hushed from her corner. The older woman was teeming with pain and confusion. It filled the room causing Brittany's heart to break for her.
"Don't I? She's the reason Ron is dead!" Harry snapped back at his old friend. "If she hadn't been there that day Ron would still be here and we might have ended this war a long time ago. Ginny is right about that much, at the very least. That woman is a heartless monster."
"It's not true!" Brittany couldn't help herself. Quinn's hand-held her shoulder. "I am very sorry about what happen to your friend, but please believe me when I say that she's a different person now. She's here because she wants to help." Brittany pleaded. "Just let me talk to her for a few minutes. I'm sure I can prove it to you. She can't bring back your friend, but at least give her a chance to prove she means well."
Harry refused to look at Brittany any longer. His attention was on some magical device that seemed a more interesting at the moment. From what she could tell he was giving her proposal serious thought.
"What do you think, Harmonie?" He muttered quietly.
"I think it's worth a shot. It's better than more bloodshed." the mousey brown-haired woman said.
"Follow the cavern wall down several feet and you'll find a crack in the wall. Give this to Podrick" Harry scribbled out a note and passed it to Brittany. " You aren't to stay longer than five minutes, clear? Let her know that if she refuses, it's the dragons."
"Thank you Harry. Really, you don't know what this means to me. " Brittany couldn't hide her smile as she turned back to Quinn and headed for the door.
Brittany followed Harry's directions and handing the note to a brutish looking guard.
"I think I'm going to go back to the tent and check on things." Quinn said quietly, avoiding Brittany's gaze. "I'm sorry, but I'm just not ready to see her again. I still haven't forgiven her after what happened that night. I'm not ready."
Brittany's smile faded a little as she leaned in to give Quinn a hug.
"I know sweetie. It's okay. I've got it from here." Although she reassured Quinn, a part of her wanted her best friend there to hold her hand. Brittany wasn't entirely sure she could handle what waited for her in the depths of the goblin's caves. She turned back to Podrick "Please take me to Santana."
Santana:
Santana sat in her cell staring up at the stone walls and the shimmering lights which reflected off the crystals creating a mini light show. Her damp clothes and stone bed made it impossible to get comfortable. She had half a mind to strip down to her underwear, but she thought the guard might enjoy that too much. It didn't help that the room she was locked in seemed to drain her of any strength or will she had to move. She simply laid there waiting.
She didn't have to wait long when she heard faint voices outside her door. She sat up and faced the way she had come in, anxious to see who her first visitor would be. The stones began to grind against one another. It was an incredibly irritating sound, but pushed those feelings away.
As the door opened Santana raised an eyebrow as a dark smirk crossed her lips.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before you found me, but I've got to say I'm impressed y how fast you got here." Santana's dark glare focused on Ginny Weasley. To say Santana detested the girl was an understatement of the century. " How are your brothers—the living ones of course?" Santana couldn't help but taunt. Ginny didn't waste a moment advancing on the dark slytherin, punching her square in the jaw.
" That's for Ron" she hissed. Santana knew she had it coming, since she set foot in the camp and didn't bother to fight back. "I'm going to see you get exactly what you deserve Lopez." Without wasting another word Ginny spun back around and marched out, the door sealing once again behind her.
Santana let out a long sigh as she gingerly touched her jaw. Today just wasn't her day. First her arm and now her jaw. A few more days of this and there would be nothing left to feed to the hungry Welsh-Greens outside.
Only a few moments more had passed when the grinding of the door began again.
"Jeeze, I'm popular today." Santana muttered under her breath right before it was stolen from her.
In the doorway stood the most beautiful pair of sapphire eyes Santana had ever seen. They seemed to suck the life right from her, envelop her, consume her in every way. Her own eyes dropped down the length of Brittany's body, tracing over every detail as if she were experiencing a fantasy come to life. In five years Brittany had grown into a stunning woman who, with a bat of an eyelash, wiped away all the memories of they young girl Santana once knew.
"Santana, you're hurt." Brittany's voice floated to her ears, though her brain was far too fuzzy to fully process them. She couldn't believe that Brittany had become far more beautiful than she remembered.
"I'm—er—fine. H-how are you?" Santana struggled to say as Brittany stepped closer into the cell. The door shut behind her, leaving Santana with Brittany's intoxicating aroma and a sudden rush of emotions she was unaccustomed to. It was though she could feel and see her own heart before her. The though was more terrifying than any dragon, but more exciting than her first flight on a broom. Being next to Brittany was a rush, plain and simple.
"You're not fine. Your lip is bleeding, I can see purple already beginning to form on your jaw, and your drenched to the bone. Does Harry know about this?" The girl questioned impatiently with the same look that had always made Santana feel like a foolish child.
Brittany cupped ether side of Santana's face as she licked her lips. Sure enough the salty taste of her own blood hung there. Santana couldn't tare her eyes way from Brittany nor could she ignore the way her body hummed happily to have her near.
"It's nothing. I ran into a few old friends. Our hellos get a little rough sometimes." Should couldn't help her cockiness. She wanted to be strong for Brittany, though she couldn't explain why. The blonde veela shook her head and guided Santana back to the stone bed. Her nimble fingers danced around the hem of Santana's black top, making the death eater's mouth go dry. Brittany ripped the length of the bottom exposing Santana's mid-drift.
She watched as Brittany bawled the material up quietly. It amazed Santana how much Brittany could say without saying a word at all.
"Hold still." the blonde whispered so softly that Santana could feel her breath run down her neck. With one hand Brittany held Santana's chin up while gently bringing the wet cloth to dab at Santana's split lip.
"Brittany..." Santana tried, but was met with a look that stole her words.
"Shhh." Brittany hushed delicately. " There's a lot we need to talk about, but lets enjoy the quiet while it lasts." Her blue eyes held Santana's own warm brown ones for a moment telling Santana everything she needed to know for that moment.
Santana allowed Brittany to fuss over the rest of her injuries quietly. The silence between them was so comforting and natural. She had been so worried about what she would say to Brittany when she finally found her, but Brittany seemed to melt all her worries away.
"You speak English now. I've got to say I'm a little disappointed. I kind of miss you thick accent, though the one you have now is just as sexy. " Brittany's eyes shot up to meet Santana's from the arm she had wrapped. Brittany pursed her lips trying to hide a blush and smile with little success. The sight made Santana's heart flutter with joy, which in turn seemed to effect Brittany even more.
"Well when everyone you know is suddenly British you don't have much of a choice, but to learn." Brittany shot back with a playful smile toying at her lips.
"It's a shame because it means I learned all that French for nothing..." It was Santana's turn to blush and look away. She could feel Brittany's eyes on her. .
"It doesn't have to. Lets hear some." Brittany teased giving Santana a small nudge and a giggle.
Santana felt her face grow red and very warm. She shook her head no, but Brittany continued to insist.
"Okay! okay! Fine. " Santana smiled. " Tu Me Monk."
Brittany tilted her head to the side for a moment trying to decipher Santana's French, causing the fiery girl more embarrassment.
"You're sweet." Brittany whispered. "Tu me manques aussi"
Santana felt her heart flutter again, she could hardly believe that Brittany missed her too.
"Santana, I can't stay much longer and there's something important we need to talk about. Santana was quickly pulled from her day dreams and back to reality. Her smile slipped away as she focused on Brittany's stern expression. "Harry says that you've done horrible things to people he cares about. He's considering—" She paused looking for a better way to say what she meant "-you need to give them a reason not to hurt you. You need to convince them that you're here to help."
Brittany's eyes bore into Santana's rich chocolate ones. She knew this was coming though she thought she might have a day or two to come up with some kind of plan.
"Britt, I've done a lot of really bad things. Most of which I wish I could take back. You opened my eyes to the person I've been and I was serious when I said I wanted to change. I knew what I would have to do, when I came here and I'm prepared to see it through. You can tell Potter that I will tell him anything and everything I know, but you have to convince them that I'm sincere. We don't have the best history and I don't think anything I say will change his mind." Santana said firmly. Brittany cupped her cheek, using her thumb to brush over the soft flesh.
"I'll make sure he understands. That's a promise." Brittany vowed. Lightly she leaned forward and placed a perfect kiss on Santana's forehead, that made her heart dance. "I have to go, but I'll be back to see you again as soon as I can. With any luck I might be able to get you out of here. I'll also have someone bring you new clothes."Santana glanced down to find that nearly her whole top had been ripped apart to form bandages for her arm.
"That'd be nice. Maybe a pillow too." Santana smirked and Brittany returned the smile. Brittany tapped the door and it slid open.
"Britt!" Santana called standing up once again. She was afraid to ask what she really wanted to know. "I-is he alright?" for the first time her voice was weak and insecure. She had never sounded so unsure of herself in her life,but she could only hope that the blonde veela understood. Brittany watched her closely for a moment before licking her lips and letting them fall into a large smile.
"He's more than alright. He's amazing and beautiful. I'll bring you a picture next time."
Santana took a sharp inhale of breath. She was sure her chest was about to combust as a few tears found their way to her eyes, though her pride refused to let Brittany see. She cleared her throat and nodded as though it were no big deal.
"G-good. I'm glad. Ah—name...I mean does he have a name?" Santana stuttered to ask.
Brittany giggled. "Yes. He has a name. It's Maximilian Santiago Lopez-Pierce, but we just call him Max."
Santana couldn't hide her smile or her few tears any longer.
"Brilliant. That's brilliant. Come back soon with that picture okay?" Santana said taking a seat once more on her stone bed, unable to feel her legs anymore.
"Bye San." Brittany gave a small wave and slipped out with the door sliding shut.
Santana laid down no longer caring about her own discomfort. She had a son and his name was Max. It was a good name; a strong name. It was a name her son could be proud to have. Brittany was happy and safe. Even better she had missed Santana. Sitting in that cell, Santana couldn't help laughing to herself. She was sure that she looked like a total fool, but she was certain that there wasn't a single person more happy to be locked up in a prison cell than she was at that very moment.
*A/N- Hope you liked this chapter.