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...

Andrew and I finally sit down and start to map out what we're going to do. We're coming up with a simple rough idea and just playing it by ear; I think we've realized that you can't simply plan for these things, especially one of this magnitude. It isn't that black and white.

I'm jittery with adrenaline coursing through my veins. I'm finally about to start doing what I was sent here to do; to serve and save Lorien. It's what I was born to do, destined to do, what I've been training and preparing for my whole life. And even more than that, I'm going to avenge Katarina's death. She lived for me and died for me, and it won't be in vain. I will make her proud.

Andrew finally comes and sits next to me on the couch, where I'm nearly bouncing. He chuckles lightly. "Calm down, kiddo," he says good naturedly, patting my back. "Let's get to it."

"What first?" I ask him, almost too quickly. I can't help but be eager. Scared, but eager.

He nods his head towards me in a consideration. "I think you're a better person to answer that question," he says plainly.

I frown and look up at him. "What do you mean?" I ask. "You're supposed to be helping me."

"Oh, I'm going to help you, Maren," he says assuredly. "But we have to start with you."

Start with me? "How?" I ask him. He was right before; I need help with this. My first instinct was to go charging head-on into battle, but that's not going to work. If I don't know what to do, how are we going to start with me? "I want your guidance, Andrew."

"But I need something from you before I can guide you," he says. He looks at me solemnly, the way he does when he tries to get through to me, for me to seriously listen and understand him. "Maren, I'm only human. You were right; this isn't my fight. I only know what you've told me about the war. You know the ins and outs of what you are, what you need, and what's expected. I need you so we can make this war ours."

I look at my lap and consider it, biting my lip. It isn't his war, and truly, it isn't my war either. It's just been forced upon me. But together, we can make this our war; WE can have the leg up. "What do you need?" I ask.

"A starting point," he answers. "What do YOU think we need to do first?"

Well, since we can't go charging into battle... "Find the others," I answer immediately.

He nods slowly, considering. He purses his lips in thought, and I can tell that wasn't quite the answer he was looking for. "That was too quick of an answer," he says analytically. "That was impulse. Try again."

I sigh, frustrated. "That's what I think," I tell him flatly. What else does he want?

He sighs. "Maren, please, work with me here," he says. "Think it over again. I know you can."

I bite my lip. I know he wants me to try, but I don't know what's expected of me in this situation. I've never been through this before, not with Katarina or by myself. Katarina was never ready to do this with me. When I was on my own, my only instinct was to run, to get away. I was lost. I still feel lost now. It's stressful, trying to think this way...am I really ready for this?

Andrew sees my distress. "Let me try to make this easier," he says, nodding his head slowly to assure me. I nod as well, following along, focusing on him to avoid the stress. "If you could have one thing to help you in the war...what would it be?" he asks. His words are slow and meticulous, chosen carefully not to overwhelm me. He sees that I'm on the brink of it now. Neither of us want that. "Whether it be somewhere to go, gathering intelligence...what would it be?"

I try to think now. What could help me? I have my training, I'm ready there. I have my Legacies. I have my ally. Finding the others would be helpful; I'd have more allies, more support...but is there something that I could do before that? There must...what do I need?

And then it hits me.

"My chest," I say slowly, as if assessing the thought out loud. I look up at Andrew. "My Loric chest."

His mouth quirks up at the corners for a second, pleased that I came up with something. "Okay. We have a start," he says. "Now, what is your Loric chest?"

I brief him quickly about my Loric inheritance, how it contains artifacts and objects from Lorien that are intended to help me win the war and restore Lorien once we do. I explain how Katarina and I buried it while we were on the run to keep it safe because we were afraid it would be taken.

As I explain, Andrew's eyes seem to light up and he smiles. "That's brilliant, Maren. That's exactly what we need," he says enthusiastically. I can tell he's pleased with it, and I feel good about that too, almost relieved. "Where is your chest buried?"

"In Arkansas," I answer. "Somewhere in the north."

He frowns slightly. "That covers a large area..." he muses. His face relaxes. "But it's a lead if nothing else." He smiles again and wraps his arms around me. I can feel his relief with my own. "That's great, Maren. That's exactly what we're looking for."

I smile and hug him back, feeling truly accomplished. "I'm glad I thought of something..." Hearing the words, the idea, I understand what Andrew means. A leg up, a strategy. Something that will help us get ahead, and my Loric chest is the first step to that. We have a starting point now. We can go from there.

He kisses my forehead. "I'm so proud of you, Maren," he says quietly. "I'm so, so proud..."

My heart swells when he says that. He's proud... "Thank you, Andrew..."

It's as if he reads my mind with his next thought. "And I know Katarina would be proud of you too," he whispers. He strokes back my hair and holds me a little closer, almost protectively.

I breathe out slowly, relaxed in his embrace. "You are the only two who have ever cared about me," I whisper, my heart warmed and aching at the same time. "If I don't do anything else in my life, if I die at the hands of Mogadorians, I want to be able to say I made you proud."

"You have, sweetheart," he tells me, his voice soft and soothing, as if to comfort the pain he knows I feel. "You've made us both so proud."

I breathe out again, seeing as it relaxes me. "I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

We sit like that for a while, embracing each other. We both realize that we need each other now more than ever. It took me a long time to trust Andrew. I've been here for almost two years now, and I can't imagine life without him. The thought of him coming with me is joyous and terrifying, seeing that I'm putting on the line the one good thing in my life. But he's set and he promised. There's no going back now.

Two years. Two years I've been here. Time has seemed to stop and fly all at the same time. My days here roll on, similar each day, but always full of something new. Every day I've grown closer to Andrew. Every day I've learned from him. And every day I've grown with him. He's raised me, just as Katarina did. He means as much to me as she did. He cared about me when no one else did, and he gave me a life despite my impossible circumstances.

And we'll keep living together now. We'll still grow closer, still learn from each other, and still grow together. Because despite everything, that's what we do. And that's what we'll keep doing.

After a while, Andrew gently pats my back. "Go pack your stuff, kiddo. We'll leave for Arkansas tomorrow."