Allay Me

Chapter 25

xXGemini13Xx: Thank you! And I always try my best, I know that there are many people that don't like OC fics, which is why it always reassures me when I hear that my fic seems to be one of the good ones :D

Vermiculo Umbra: *smiles brightly* thank you!

Angel of Misery: Yes, please continue to do so, thanks for reviewing! And do you know anything specifically that seems unclear, that way I know what to edit? Though there are many things I leave purposefully vague so that they can be answered along the way. Because revelations will be coming soon xD, so I hope that the next couple of chapters clear up anything you may be unsure of.

akagami hime chan: LOL this had me laughing. The image was very amusing. Don't worry your secret is safe with me, we all have our guilty pleasures. And I meant to actually post it this update as a Christmas present on the 25th, so just consider it a late one since I was unable to before.

Oenix: Okay, I'm glad I do have that equilibrium, now I can rest a bit easier. Since I must say, there is nothing I fear more than having a Mary Sue, ever since I went to an anime convention a while back. But yes don't worry there will be much more bold Amina coming up. The angst was just a necessity, since my biggest thing is plausibility.

Ayz283: Maybe she might...*wink wink nudge nudge* xD

dfang773373: Hmm, I see your point. For me I decided to put that shift in the tone in the middle, since I always see that's the way it occurs. That though the character may be experiencing something, all the other uninvolved ones continue on seamlessly in their lives. Of course, there will be more moments when Amina feels the void, I'll just highlight them as they matter as to not appear redundant. But thank you though for that, and I'll be sure to pay attention, as well as your overall thoughtfulness. And don't worry about the typos, I understood what you meant, I make them all the time on my mobile device haha. I must tell you, that the punishment you had for Leviathan was by far one of most creative ones I've read lol. For that I give you kudos, it was highly entertaining.

LaughterGirl: Oh I do speed reading all the time, I know how it feels. I find myself sometimes going back as well to make sure i fully comprehended something. Hahaha. Thanks for reviewing!

kid23jk7: Oh things will happen I can assure you. Later on you will decide if it's crazy or not, or maybe there is just logic to Amina's madness. I hope you are well though since you said that Sandy hit you too. As for the romance, it will occur later which is why I made sure to put in the eventual part in my story description. Because I need to build up to it, since XanXan is so complicated. *dodges shot glass*

"Just because something isn't a lie does not mean that it isn't deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction."

― Criss Jami

Carpe Diem

There were two things that stood out, it was dark. A permeating darkness that didn't change how many times she blinked. Second, it was hot, scalding hot. It seeped through her pores and she had the overpowering sense that any second she would melt.

It panicked her, the thought of perishing alone in darkness and of the heat assaulting her that was born from no flame. The fact that she could not see only added more to her terror, since her other senses began to work overtime. Making her much more sensitive to her sense of touch.

She screamed, calling out of help, for anyone or anything that could hear her. Until finally a light appeared, an incandescent sort of light that startled her so much that it made her look away.

It was small but it did not like that she did that, it said no words but she knew. So she turned back to look straight at it. The flame floated, suspended in the dark space like a beacon.

It beckoned her and as she moved attempted to move towards it she stopped. Simply stopped and found herself unable to move forward. She felt it's disapproval and saw it shrink in size.

It seems you are not ready yet

The words entered her mind, no voice spoke them but she knew to what it belonged. Her eyes saw it begin to move away and they followed it's trajectory, as it made it's way higher above her reach.

No, no it could not leave her yet. She needed it, it was the only thing she had.

"Please help me I beg of you."

All the answers you seek are inside of you.

"Oh really? Well, gee thanks, that's a great help!" Her voice dripped sarcasm, she didn't need a riddle. What she needed were concrete answers. It was a matter of life and death. "A hint would help you know? After all I can't remember anything."

Can't or won't?

Her retort died on her lips. She feared that question, because there was no clear answer for that.

Look inside of you, you are more than what you have become.

Then the shadows began to swarm in, and behind her a wall of fire erupted. This fire was unlike that of which she was trying to reach, no this was the origin of her discomfort. Both the shadows and the flames were coming for her, she had no escape. Her eyes widened in fear.

"N-no." She whimpered. The echoes of the shrill scream of the shadows were coming from the left, while to her right the blaze advanced towards her. They were encircling her, demanding she chose while all at once giving her no choice.

She didn't know what to do.

She had no answers.

The incandescent flame kept on floating away higher and higher. Further away from her, leaving her all alone to her thing that breezed through her mind before she could not see it all was fire will never harm the dragon.It was too overwhelming. The darkness, the howls of the shadows, the heat, she fell, crying to her knees covering her face with her hands. Not wanting to face it, not wanting anything but an escape, which no one seemed willing to provide her.

At one point, between her fear and insecurity, she screamed.

"VOII wake up!"

Amina opened her eyes and was startled to find herself behind bars, on the floor of a murky stone cell. Her heart pounded in her chest and she realized she had been dreaming. Her fingers padded through her hair in anguish, trying to soothe her mind to no avail.

She was never going to sleep again that was for sure. The teenage girl looked at the man who had awoken her, and realized it was not infact Squalo. She had presumed so when she heard the tell-tale Voi.

"Wait why did you say Voi?" Amina inquired, not so much an accusation but the amusement a scientist would have towards a lab monkey. As far as she knew that was Squalo signature.

The man's cheeks redden and he gave an apologetic smile. "Yeah sorry about that, after being so long with the commander, I guess I just got used to it."

"You were screaming, so I wanted to get your attention. Bad dream eh?"

Now it was her turn to give him a chagrined smile. She felt embarrassed having a total stranger hearing her scream, her lungs could be impressive if she didn't watch herself.

"Sorry, about that and yeah you could say that. Things, haven't been exactly sugar, spice and everything nice for me lately..." It was certainly the understatement of the year but she didn't want to go into a sob story. Amina wasn't sure she could maintain her composure if she actually began to divulge her feelings, she was still feeling raw from her dream.

"Well that's the Varia for you. Though why is someone as young as you here?"

"Honestly, it seemed like the best bad choice amongst all the other bad choices available to me."

The older man laughed from the cell next to her. She wasn't a dead one that was for sure. "The name's Giovanni, I'm the second-in-command."

Automatically, she extended her hand through the adjoining cell and tilted her head slightly to the side smiling at him pleasantly. "Amina." Well, that was weird, it was a born reflex she didn't even think about and her body just moved on it's own.

Giovanni blinked and grasped her hand in a handshake. "Piacere." He was struck by her manners and politeness, two things that were often found lacking in the Varia. Though he was not put off by it, in fact he welcomed it. When he had seen the lightning squad bring her in, she seemed aloof and filled with an innate sense of indignation.

Yet, when he heard her screaming, he remembered his first days after an especially gory mission. Unable to sleep and when he finally did he was screaming, wanting to escape his nightmare. Knowing how it feels, he wanted to awaken her from whatever she was experiencing. Once he had awakened her, he had expected her to be haughty and unapproachable, not this amiable and mature girl that sat across from him in the adjoining cell.

"Wait, you're the second-in command to the second-in command?" She asked with an upturned grin.

"Yup, though it's not as glamorous as it sounds. It's a lot more running around checking in with every other Rain subordinate and filling out vast amounts of paperwork than it is consistent fights of glory."

Amina looked at him in understanding. "And quite a bit of paperwork you have on your hands, I feel for you guys. It's impressive, especially that treatise with the Coppola." She chuckled ruefully, remembering how long it took her to get that mess organized. "I thought I was going to drown under the sheer multitude of papers. I never would've expected that an amalgamation of land could be so complicated."

She saw his jaw drop slightly and him come closer to her. "Wait, you are the one that was helping out with the paperwork this morning?"

Amina nodded and misunderstood his incredulity as displeasure. "I'm sorry, Squalo said I could. I tried the best I could, he told me what to do but I certainly hope I didn't mess anything up that all of you had established. I certainly apologize."

"What for? From what I gather from the squad reports while I've been in this cell, you've practically saved a sinking ship. If anything I should be thanking you."

She blushed modestly. "It was nothing really. Glad I could help." It really did help her more though, she needed it.

"How come?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows.

It was then she noticed she had spoken the last part aloud. Amina thought her words carefully before she spoke. "I'm a bit of a drifter you see. After a series of unfortunate events I've lost my place at the kitchen. The paperwork made me feel...useful."

Not the complete truth, but really there was no need to divulge unless asked. Which she sincerely hoped it didn't come to it. Giovanni seemed to understand, and took her word for it.

"Well, seeing as you are still in one piece, it means Capitano gave his approval. God knows we are horribly understaffed and if you have no place in the kitchen, feel free to stay with us. I'll be exploiting your help to the point you have nightmares of filing in your sleep."

The brunette actually managed to laugh at that, something she wasn't sure she was capable of since Camilla's death. "Trust me, that would be a welcomed change." Because compared to her current nightmares, dreaming that she was filled with paperwork was something she could handle.

"So do tell Giovanni, what brings you down here to this 5 star room?"

Said man snorted in mirth. "I had a run in with one of the storm lackeys, one thing led to another and my knife accidentallyhit him 3 times." He grinned at that. "Damn prick deserved it, saying that the storm commander is better than il Capitano. Like hell that spoiled maniac prince is."

"So this is just typical punishment?"

"Nah, usually that sort of thing isn't frowned upon in this place. Yet, this whole Cinquemani thing has sent everyone on edge. Lightning squad saw it as insubordination so here I am." Amina rolled her eyes. "More like Leviathan saw it as insubordination, right?" She asked and Giovanni scoffed. "That's right, him and his guard dogs. They don't even have names, they go by numbers." Even as he said it, he could tell already that the girl had her run ins with the lightning officer. The older man was willing to make a bet, even with the mist subordinates that Leviathan probably had something against her. Judging from the brusque manner in which his guard dogs brought her in here.

"The only reason Paris isn't in here with me is because he had a mission with the storm commander. Which is in my opinion a worser fate."

Undoubtedly Amina agreed. Especially considering that she knew Belphegor hadn't gone on a mission in a while and would be even more bloodthirsty than usual. The fact that the guy had a wound probably didn't alleviate matters.

"Well, well Giovanni. Here we are thinking, poor you all alone in a cell and yet while we are gone you start cozying up to a bambina? No luck with the older ones that you want to get them while they are young and don't know better?" The last remark sent the other men who appeared with the one who spoke into guffaws of laughter.

Amina tensed when she saw people she didn't know enter the room, she kept her silence. Analyzing them warily until she knew who they were. However, Giovanni on the other hand seemed to know the four men that entered the room. "Shut the fuck up all of you. You won't be laughing when I get out of here and kick all your sorry asses." He glared at them.

"Well, if you put it that way, might as well as not get you out..." One of the men began to play around with a key in his hand and began to turn around.

"You get the fuck back here, or I swear to god I will give all of you paperwork duty non-stop for a month."

All the men visibly paled and immediately scurried to the cell. Giovanni had a self-satisfied smirk on his face while the guy who had spoken first scowled.

"Relax, secondo pioggia, relax. No need for threats, we were just joking. We weren't going to leave one of our own inside a cell."

"Yeah, yeah just hurry up." When finally they broke down all the locks, the iron bar creaked open and Giovanni stretched, massaging his neck. "About time, what took you guys so long? I was in there all night."

"Security was intense this time around, there were more lightning squad members than usual guarding outside, even Leviathan was there for a couple of hours before he left to go to dinner."

Wow, does that Mary Poppins wannabe really having better to do than be outside making sure she didn't escape? Christ on a cracker, if she didn't know any better she would say he was more obsessed with making her life miserable than he is trying to get into Xanxus' bed.

In her mental tirade she didn't notice that there were a few seconds of silence before all the guys in the dungeon were clutching their stomachs from laughter. It took her many more seconds to realize that she had not infact had a mental tirade, but a well spoken one.

Her cheeks became really hot, she really needed to stop doing that. It was going to be the death of her one day.

"I like this one. Hey come si chiama la ragazza?"

Before Giovanni could answer the rain subordinate, Amina interjected. "La ragazza's nome e Amina." She could speak for herself, she didn't need a man to speak for her as if she were some property. If they had a question about her, they could address her.

The other guys snickered. "My aren't we a fiesty one."

As Giovanni stepped out of the cell, he grabbed the key from one of the guys and began undoing her locks. Amina looked at him in confusion. "What are you doing, won't you get in trouble?"

"Think of it as a favor for helping out with the paperwork earlier. Because if security was so tight earlier, god only knows when you will get let out."

In that moment the rest of the guys also turned to stare at Amina in a whole new light, one of them actually came closer and she recognized him immediately. "Leto? Is that you?" She hadn't been able to see them clearly before because they were in the more darker part of the dungeon. Now that they were closer and near the rays of light that somehow managed to shine down here, she noticed the rain emblem on their jackets. "Are you feeling any better? Did you take some vitamin D pills?" There was a sincere note of worry in her voice that none of them missed.

He smiled sheepishly at her. "Yeah, I did I managed to rest a bit too so that helped. Thanks for asking."

Amina smiled at him in relief. "I'm glad, but don't push yourself so much. A ghost had more color in his countenance than you did." Though her tone had a bit of doctoral reprimand in it.

Leto looked at the other two men and they came to some sort of silent agreement before crouching near her cell and helping Giovanni with her locks. Because apparently she had more than one. Looks like Leviathan locked her up as if she were nothing less than rabid animal. These guys however seemed used to breaking locks, because in a matter of minutes they broke through them, even with only one of them holding a key.

As Amina stepped out of her murky cell, she looked at them, very impressed. "Now that was cool." She looked at them in gratitude. "Thank you boys, where did you learn to do that?"

"Oh you would be surprised the things you manage to learn while you are in the darkest places of society." Giovanni answered as the other rain subordinates nodded.

It was true she was in a dark place, and it would be wise if she kept that in mind as she went along. If these guys knew how to pick locks so effortlessly, who knows what else they knew?

After all knowledge was power. She had no one to rely on but herself.

She flashed Giovanni one of her brightest and amiable smiles she could manage. Exercising muscles she had not used since she had come here. "How about we make a deal? You're probably hungry, so if I make you breakfast can you show me a few pointers in lock picking?"

Giovanni grinned and nodded. "Deal."

As she walked away, her brown eyes were already envisioning a chess board, and one thing came to mind. Carpe Diem.

Amina had calculated well, she had assumed she had spent the night in that accursed place (her back did feel sore from a horrible position on the stone floor) and it was now day time, more specifically well after the first shift. Which meant there was bound to be a vacant kitchen near the west wing of the mansion. After spending time with Coach, she memorized the schedule of rotations, since she was always bound to get punished if she was late going to the wrong place.

The brunette girl ended up cooking not only for Giovanni but for Leto and the other two rain subordinates as well. She thought it would be awkward if she just cooked for one of them, and she wanted to thank them anyways for helping pick the locks.

Luckily, after cooking so much in the kitchens and for the picky tastes of the elite members of the Varia, she mastered how to cook tastefully and efficiently.

They managed to find some remote seating, but even then they knew time was of the essence. It was important that they get back in time before Squalo could cut them into pieces for dinner. Amina would get her lessons later, she would be sure of it.

Nonetheless, even with the time restraint there was conversation amongst them. While she ate, she realized it had been a while since she actually felt so comfortable eating around people. Usually she was running and eating or cooking and eating.

It was a nice change of pace, at one point they began to talk about something very interesting, the cloud squad.

It had been one of the other men, who she came to identify as Mengani. It was in a passing remark to Leto in how they make paperwork so much more complicated with their vagueness. They constantly had to fill in the blanks, because some things were filled out more than others.

She hadn't been doing paperwork enough to realize this but it was interesting nonetheless. "I never do see them around, doesn't the vagueness have to do with the amount of missions they get?" She asked offhandedly, immediately showing more interest in her food. No need for them to know just how much this conversation mattered to her.

"Maybe. They are still crafty bastards, leaving enough blanks that it screws us over, but never enough to raise a complaint that we can take with the superior." He scowled, furiously biting on his food.

Amina turned to look at Giovanni. "You don't like the cloud subordinates?"

It was Leto this time who answered for her. "Who does is the better question?" They all laughed at that, and Amina chuckled to let the flow of the conversation continue. She just had to wait, there was no way they could talk about the subordinates without mentioning their captain.

"It's probably not even them that's the majority of the problem. I'd bet that the root is probably that commander of theirs, Alphonse. He's one twisted fucker."

Amina willed her eyes to widen as if this was news to her, and let her mouth open in an oh really? gestured.
Must've been convincing enough because they moved closer to her in a movement that foretold they were going to explain their reasoning.

"I don't trust them, not one bit. They are even more elusive than the mist subordinates, and that's saying a lot. Since their job is to be evasive. Yet, there is something that's just so..." Mengani trailed off trying to find the right word when the other man whose name she missed ended for him. "Slimy."

"Oh, I see." So Amina wasn't the only one. Good to know, she felt a part of herself relax slightly. They weren't working for Alphonse and didn't fall for his pretenses.

"I don't see how Tyr put up with it."

"Tyr?" She asked, who was Tyr?

"You're probably new so you don't know but before Xanxus was boss, Tyr, the Sword emperor was the Varia Boss."

"But I thought Squalo was the sword emperor." Amina was stumped, how come the old hags in the kitchen never talked about something as interesting as this? All they talked about was who was doing who or clothes and other trivial things.

Why not about the politics of the damned place they were in?

Giovanni grinned pridefully at her. "He's the second sword emperor. He defeated Tyr after a two day battle and killed him. Although he defeated the previous leader, il Capitano didn't become the boss. Because the only way to become the Boss is to kill the previous Boss."

Holy swiss chocolates. No wonder these people were so battle gung-ho. The social mobility of this place depend on battle prowess. What a horrifying prospect.

"So Squalo killed Tyr, but if Xanxus became Boss instead, how did that occur? Did he just cede his position as Boss to him?" When they nodded, it was her turn to be slack-jawed. He turned down such an opportunity of power? She had heard passing rumours about Squalo's devotion to Xanxus but never did she imagine something of this level.

Screw Leviathan, she would dare say Squalo was the most devoted.

"Wow, talk about loyalty." She mumbled, though they heard her words. It seems it was the right thing to say, because they all grinned in affirmation.

"That's why I tell you Paris was wrong. Squalo is the best commander there is, which is why he is the second-in-command."

"Hear, hear." All of the other men said in unison.

"But I don't understand, if Tyr was the old boss and you say he's dead, what does that have to do with Alphonse?"

"Alphonse was also the cloud guardian under Tyr." Now thatwas news to her. She didn't even have to put on a show for them to see her surprise.

Amina had yet to know why this was vital, but her gut was telling her that this was something elemental in the grand scheme of things. For now, she had to put on a facade of nonchalance, she couldn't have them ask her why she is so curious about Alphonse.

"So you never did say why you were down there in the first place." Giovanni inquired as an afterthought. All of them turned to stare at her intrigued while ruminating on their pancakes.

Amina had expected this. "I had a fight with the other servant girls." Like before though this was actually one of the best breakfasts she had in awhile, actually peaceful and enjoyable she was still not forthcoming on how much to divulge. So she knew her best bet was to say the truth in as minimal words as possible. If they decided to ask more, well she would cross that bridge if it happened to appear.

The assembled rain squadron raised an eyebrow at her. "That was you that did a number on Adriana?" They burst out laughing. "I saw bite and nail marks as well as some hair missing." Amina couldn't say the old hag didn't deserve it but she still felt embarrassed at her complete lack of decorum. It wasn't like her to physically lash out. "For all your naive little looks there seems to be a fighter in you after all."

Giovanni grinned at her. "You may just have more Varia in you than you think."

Though she knew they meant no harm by it, the comment didn't reassure her one bit. It left her very troubled indeed.

But then again, when in Rome do as the Romans do. With that she finished her drink, made sure to wash all the dishes and left to follow them to continue with paperwork.

They scurried over and before she knew it, Amina lost herself in a flurry of motion. Juggling papers, making electronic copies or sending reports. It seemed that Squalo had also left on a mission with Belphegor, yet that didn't mean the paperwork stopped.

If anything she would say it increased.

She didn't mind though. Since her breakfast earlier with the other rain subordinates, she had good chemistry with the others she hadn't met yet. They were all excellent team players and it wasn't complicated to coordinate with them. As long as she didn't mess up it was all okay, and from the looks of it she seemed to be doing a good job.

Soon enough it seemed as if she had been a piece of the puzzle all along. To the point that Giovanni came up to her to ask for a favor.

"Sure secondo pioggia, what is it?" Amina asked referring him to the accolade they give him as the next in power after Squalo in the squad. Though she didn't look at him as she was scribbling quickly with one hand and using her other to interact with the other members.

"The medical practitioner is here. You were doing the report earlier from what I can tell of the notes here. I need you to go there and get his side to seal the report. I would but I can't since I need to finish this report on the Cinquemani from the last mission."

Amina didn't like the idea of having to revisit such an awful memory, but there wasn't much of a choice. Giovanni wasn't really the type you said no to, much less when he was asking nicely. She had to go along while things were amiable.

She nodded and grabbed the papers from him. The young girl walked out quickly, wanting to get this over with.

As she walked into the white room, she noticed the old man, probably in his late 60's putting the clear sheet on the body and jotting down some notes on his clipboard. Amina let out a sigh of relief, she came in just in the nick of time; she wouldn't have to witness the dead body all over again.
"Hello, pleasure to meet you. My name is Amina, I am here on behalf of Giovanni to finish the report."

The man stared at her through his frames before shaking her hand. "I'm the resident medical practitioner, you said your name is Amina?"

"Yes."

"Surely not the same one who filled out the earlier account?"

"I am the one and only, sir."

He looked at her with renewed interest. "Well, well a girl with manners and a brain. I must say this has been one of the most professional and detailed reports in years. Are you by any chance in medical school?"

She shook her head. "No, I am not." At least she didn't she was. After all wasn't that only reserved for people who were older than her, at least in college? When she had looked in a mirror, she placed herself as a teenager. Not old enough to be such high education.

The practitioner seemed to come to this conclusion as well. "I suppose not. As I look at you closely you seem quite young. Though there is just something about you that makes you seem older, most likely the frames." He gave her a small smile. "The same thing happens to me. Not even if yours are more fashionable than mine."

Amina giggled at that, despite herself.

"The Varia is lucky to have you, though most likely they fail to see it. Try not to squander your talents here, it is wasted on chauvinistic men who are in the business of misery. Especially considering that this poor girl here isn't the only one."

Her earlier placid mood immediately shifted to something much starker.

"What do you mean she's not the only one?"

"Yeah the Cinquemani have been brutal this time around, they must be getting desperate attacking servant girls."

She looked suspiciously at the man, not doubting his words but that something didn't make sense here. Those girls were low risk kills; they don't represent anything and don't matter. As if they would even make a dent of an impression in the authority of the Varia.

"When did these killings start?"

The man looked pensive and it was like a light bulb went over his head. "You know it's actually kind of weird signorina, they began a while ago, just as soon as tensions began getting thick. No one has been able to associate the Cinquemani with those early deaths.."

"But you more than know they were behind it. All you lack is evidence because they covered their tracks well." She finished for him.

"Yes, I knew some of these girls. Young, full of life and a future ahead of them. The first ones were passed off as accidental deaths or suicide. That's when I began to get suspicious; I know those girls wouldn't have committed suicide."

"Do you mind if I look at the files of the dead girls over the last 5 months?"

"Certainly not. Just make sure not to mention to anyone that I did, especially not the Leviathan. The commander seems to have something against you." Amina snorted, that's a light way of putting it she supposed. The Leviathan wanted her to disappear from the face of the earth. The fact she always made him look like an idiot didn't help either, it wasn't her fault he was one. "I see you mean no harm, bambina. Besides you have an intellect and maturity which I have not seen in someone your age for some time. Pity, if you do not continue on a medical or scientific track, truly a loss for the world. "

Amina gave him a genuine smile at his praise.

Amina looked through the files and noticed all these girls were startlingly young. She had expected them to be older. All were around her age give or take 2-3 years. Not to mention they all were brunettes. Either olive skinned or a caramel colored. The only one who was of different build had been Camila, with her honey tresses and fair skin.
Why the sudden change in victimology?

She couldn't stay long pondering what this could all mean because she knew she was running on a time limit. Giovanni was probably waiting for her report. Amina committed all the information to memory, there was no way she was bound to forget something this crucial any time soon.

Something was going on here.

Amina could not shake off the feeling that there was evil afoot.

An evil that most likely had to do with Camilla.

She was going to find that connection, no matter what.

End of Chapter 25

Thanks to all of you who asked for my well-being. I'm doing much better now that many crisis have been resolved, things are back in full swing now. :)

I know that you guys have heard me practically say this every chapter, but thank you so much reviewing. Especially this month, it's been really tough on me and it's been your wonderful comments that have kept me going. Not only was it such a great turnout of people who actively gave reviews for my last chapter, but I could tell that many of you put in the time and effort to give a thoughtful review.

I was touched beyond words. *Makes a heart with hands* :D

I had planned to post this earlier, but was unable to. So consider this chapter a late xmas gift (Or just a gift if you are an atheist, I don't judge) Whatever your religious affiliation or lack thereof, hope you enjoyed the chapter! And if you would please review I would consider it my gift and would be overjoyed.

Newly added to the List of Awesome: xXGemini13Xx, Vermiculo Umbra, Angel of Misery, TimeIsRunningOut999, angelmariela, , Pixiecropse

Thank you and welcome to the list!

~TMM