- Author's Note - Hey, guys! Thanks so much to NicoleR85, MedievalWarriorPrincess, loveficition2017, AwesomeFangirlOtaku01, and lostfeather1 for reviewing! I'm glad you all love the addition of Phil Coulson into the story. He's defiantly one of my favorite characters in the MCU! And he won't be the last from there to join us. ;)
Rest assured, Eric will be back, and I do plan on following some of the show canon, such as the Dallas/Godric storyline, though a few things will obviously change about it. ;)
Also, I didn't get any feedback about doing flashbacks to Elena's time on the railroad with Cullen, but I still plan to write that, most likely as an entire Chapter every few Chapters, because Elena has to major, important parts of her life: what's going on in the present, and what happened when she was on the railroad with Cullen. So, if any of you are Hell On Wheels fans, get excited for those Chapters! If you're not, I highly recommend you go watch some Hell On Wheels. All seasons are available on Netflix, and it's an amazing show, with one sinfully sexy and badass man as its lead. ;)
With that, here's the next Chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, and PLEASE review!
That evening, Elena sat in the living room with Destiny and Emma, the three each enjoying an ice cold beer, while Phil was in the kitchen, making dinner, having insisted on doing so, as a way to repay them, at least Elena and Emma, since it's their home, for inviting him to stay at the house while he's in town.
"I must say," spoke Emma, from her position in the old brown leather recliner to the left of the couch, that faced the entrance to the room, while Destiny was in a chair opposite the sofa, back to the windows of this side of the front of house, and Elena sat sideways on the item of furniture, her legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles. "It's nice having a man around. One that doesn't come and go all the time, like the rest of the males in our lives."
"And one that's currently cooking a meal, the amazing smells of which we haven't had the likes of in the house since Adele was alive," tacked on Elena.
Destiny nodded in agreement, it especially being nice for her, since she was the only one of the three that had had a shift at Merlotte's today, so she was being served, after hours of doing so for others.
"Have you heard from Peter?" Emma asked her and her cousin's friend, flicking a questioning gaze over at the brunette.
"No," sighed Destiny, her phone, as well as Elena and the aforementioned question's speaker, currently forgotten on the coffee table, which she had her feet resting on, while Emma was curled up in the recliner, her legs brought up, and tucked beside her body, before she offered her two friends a reassuring, soft smile. "He'll be here though. One he's done at the shop, and he finally untangles his panties."
Elena and her blond cousin giggled sweetly, as the Gypsy lifted her beer to her lips for a drink.
"To be fair, his reaction was understandable," said Elena, going on when Destiny quirked her dark brow in slight disbelief over at her. "I'm not saying he needed to be rude, Lynda defiantly taught him better than that, but, after everything we've been through, it makes since that not everyone who's something other than Human isn't thrilled with a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent showing up." It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Remember how Peter reacted to Bill?"
"Oh, yeah," Destiny sighed once more.
"I thought his head was going to explode," laughed Emma, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Speaking of Bill," said Destiny. "Does Phil know about him yet?"
"No," answered Elena. "Agent Coulson and I barely scratched the surface with things today, and I can tell the poor man's brain is already on overload, despite the fact that he deals with these kinds of things for a living, without me telling him Emma and I are over 165 years old, and my Father is a Vampire who lives across the cemetary in our family's old house."
"Well, Uncle Bill will be here any moment," Emma said. "The sun's all the way down now. So, Phil had better prepare for another shock."
"I'm surprised he hasn't called for back-up," spoke Destiny.
"What do you mean?" Elena inquired, her dark brow furrowing.
"I mean, the man shows up expecting to just ask a few questions about some possible Dragon rumors, and instead he finds a house containing two Fairies, a Werewolf, a Witch, three Dragons the size of 747s, and a living, breathing, talking tree creature the size of an action figure," Destiny explained. "If it were me, I'd have called S.H.I.E.L.D. first thing, and asked for at least one other Agent. Especially since he let Elena take his gun."
"He willingly gave up his weapon," Elena argued. "And only for the time being. We don't need him popping off rounds every time he hears a floorboard creak in the middle of the night." She flicked a glance over at Emma. "We're trying to fix the house up, after all."
"Speaking of which," Emma spoke up. "The air conditioning guys called today to set up a time to come out and install it all. I told them tomorrow's fine. So, they'll be here first thing in the morning. I have a shift at Merlotte's."
Elena nodded in agreement and understanding. "Okay. Phil and I will be here. At least until you get home, then I have to take him on a tour of our glorious Bon Temps."
"I can't believe he'd want to see more of this little hick town," said Destiny. "There's only so much to see, and it all becomes a blur after about five minutes."
"It's really more for me," Elena sighed. "I want to get him introduced to everyone, even though it'll be under the guise that he's a friend of ours come to visit, so we don't have to worry about constant repeats of Jason this morning."
"You don't think people will find out on their own he's with S.H.I.E.L.D.?" inquired Emma.
"Hopefully not," replied Elena. "It's a secret government organization for a reason. So, as long as we don't go broadcasting it, people should buy whatever story we spin them. As far as I'm concerned, only two more people in this town need to know Agent Coulson's true identity, and that's Bill and Sam, who are thankfully the last of the Mystical and Supernatural Beings in Bon Temps."
"For now," Destiny pointed out, lifting her beer to her lips for another drink, while her brunette friend and Emma both sighed and nodded in agreement to her words.
"What about Eric?" Emma asked next, immediately regretting bringing up the 1,000 year old Vampire, when the room went dead silent at her doing so.
"What about him?" responded Elena, it now being her turned to sigh.
"What if he comes to town?" went on Emma. "I know he said he'd honor your wishes, sweetie, but he's still the Vampire Sheriff of this Area, so, if he gets a whiff that something is going on, he'll have to investigate, on job principle."
"If it comes to start," Elena started, pausing for a few seconds, during which she sighed softly once more. "Then we'll tell him the truth too. And, hopefully, he'll respect that as well. But Eric's just another reason we need to keep Phil and S.H.I.E.L.D. to as few of us as possible. If we've learned anything over the past month, it's that this town loves to gossip. Anyone gets the slightest hint that a newcomer isn't what he says he is, it'll spread like wildfire."
"You may want to get the Agent to ditch his suit then," said Destiny, going on when her words earned curious looks from her friends. "I'm just saying, it's summer now, and a man walking around in an expensive, perfectly tailored suit all the time is going to raise some eyebrows."
"I get the feeling he doesn't own many "civilian" clothes, D," Elena replied. "Besides, he wears that suit far too damn well."
Emma giggled sweetly, she knew how much her cousin loved attractive older men, especially ones in nice clothing. Dr. Hannibal Lecter was a perfect example of that, and even Destiny laughed softly, as it was a fact she was well aware of too.
Before the three could say more though, there was a knock on the front door, and the trio of ladies all knew who it was, as there was only one person in their lives who didn't just come right in, like they resided here all the time.
"I love that Uncle Bill still knocks, even though he's been invented in," said Emma, smiling gently. "He's still such a Southern Gentleman."
Elena returned her cousin's expression of joy, as she swung her legs off of the sofa, then took a sip of her beer, before placing it on the coffee table, and rising to her black ankle sock clad feet, heading out of the living room to let her Father in, soon holding up a reassuring hand to Phil, when she entered the foyer, and saw the man, who'd taken off his suit jacket, as well as rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt to almost his elbows, so that he could cook, looking out, curious as to who was knocking.
Elena couldn't help but smile at the sight of Groot sitting on the counter, by the cutting board, holding a salt shaker, as he acted as Phil's assistant in the kitchen, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent relaxed at her comforting gesture, then went back to preparing dinner, currently chopping up fresh, washed vegitables for the salad.
Turning to face the door, Elena reached out, and grasped the handle, pulling the entrance open, where, sure enough, her dark brown eyes fell upon Bill standing on the porch.
"Dad!" she exclaimed, quickly stepping over the threshold, and lifting her mostly bare slender arms to wrap them around his neck, hugging him tightly, while she pressed several kisses to his cool, pale, cheek.
Bill's brow furrowed at his daughter's actions, not that she was never unhappy to see him, but he'd never quite been the recepient of a greeting like this before, and he nonetheless lifted his large hands to her delicate back, hugging her in return. Despite his confusion, it filled him with joy and warmth to see her like this, especially after the previous day's events. "Hello, sweetheart."
"Come!" Elena said, when she pulled back a few seconds later, immediately taking up one of her Father's cool pale limbs, then turning to lead him inside.
"What is it, my darling?" inquired Bill, even as he was unable to help but smile brightly at seeing her so excited about whatever it was.
"There's someone," began Elena, pausing once over the threshold to close the front door, before she renewed her urgency on his hand, now guiding him into the kitchen. "That I want you to meet."
Bill's smile faltered, when he lifted his gaze to the room his daughter had brought him to, and he found himself looking at a handsome, well dressed, older man, who appeared to be right at home in the kitchen, where he looked to be currently preparing a meal.
"Uh, hello," Bill said, maintaining his manners, despite his confusion at the sight of the stranger causing his brow to furrow.
"Hello," Phil replied, nodding his head at the man, whom he also offered a smile, while grabbing a nearby dish towel, and using it to begin wiping off his hands.
"Phil, this is my Father, William Compton," introduced Elena, it now being the Agent's turn to have a furrowed brow, as the man she was indicating didn't look old enough to have a daughter her age, unless he'd had her extremely young. "Dad, this is Phil Coulson."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Compton," said Phil, offering Bill one of his now dry hands, in addition to a renewed smile.
"The pleasure is mine," replied Bill, smiling, as he shook the man's offered limb with one of his own cool, pale ones, before flicking a glance at Elena. "How do you know my daughter, Mr. Coulson? Are you an old friend of hers?"
"No, Sir, I'm not," answered Phil. "We only met this morning."
"Dad," Elena began, preparing herself for the backlash she expected, while Bill's brow furrowed afresh, and his smile faltered, as he turned questioning, confused eyes onto her. "Phil works for S.H.I.E.L.D."
Bill's brow smoothed out, while he and the well dressed man released their holds on one another's hands. "S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"Have you heard of us, Mr. Comtpon?" Phil asked, gazing questioningly at him, while his now free limb resumed holding the dish towel his other was still grasping.
"I have," Bill replied, returning his blue eyes to the man. "But only stories, rumors." Scoffing softly, he went on. "I'm afraid our Sheriff in this area isn't exactly keen on keeping those under his authority in the know."
Phil nodded in understanding, then spoke himself. "Eric Northman is the Vampire Sheriff of Area 5, correct?"
"He is," Bill all but growled in response, causing Elena to roll her rich dark chocolate hued orbs. "If S.H.I.E.L.D. is real, then may I ask what an Agent of it is doing here in Bon Temps?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to pick up the Dragons on their satelites, when they came to Sam and I's rescue yesterday," Elena explained, saving Phil from having to do so. "Whatever René drugged me with made me unable to use my magic, which is what keeps the Dragons hidden from the World."
"Our Director, Nick Fury, is naturally curious about them, Mr. Compton," added in Phil. "But, I promise, we mean no harm."
"I'm sure you don't, Agent Coulson," replied Bill. "And, if I've learned one thing in light of recent events, it's that I trust my daughter's judgement. So, while I'll always worry about her, if she vouches for you, then you don't need to explain yourself to me."
Elena's eyes widened in surprise at her Father's words, causing her brow to quirk so high that it tugged painfully on the stitched up wound near her hairline, but her shock was more than enough to override the jolt from the injury.
"Well, I feel sheepish," she said with a sigh. "Here I was expecting a bitch fit twice the size of the one Peter threw earlier."
Both men chuckled softly at Elena's words, before Bill flicked a glance between the other man and his daughter, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "I can't say I'm surprised to hear that."
"Mr. Compton, will you join us for dinner?" Phil asked, gesturing around at the kitchen, which was when the Vampire noticed Groot next to the cutting board, and he sent the tiny creature a smile. "There's plenty to go around."
"Yes, please," answered Bill, even as a question of his own was given a response, that the man didn't yet know he was a Vampire. "That would be great. Thank you, Agent Coulson."
Phil nodded, then went back to the task of preparing the meal, while Elena moved a slender hand to her Father's back, and used the hold to guide him from the kitchen, turning to face him once they were in the foyer.
"Really? That was it?" she said incredulously. "Your head nearly exploded when I met Eric, but you're perfectly acceptable when it comes to finding out an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is here?"
"Sweetheart," Bill responded, after emitting a soft chuckle at her words, and reaching out to gently grasped her bruised limbs with his own cool, pale ones. "As I said in the kitchen, I trust your judgement."
Elena didn't completely believe her Father. Even if she was at her full strength once more, which she wasn't, she still wouldn't be able to read his mind, but she didn't need to to know he wasn't being entirely truthful. However, after the events of the past few days, nay the entire last month, she didn't have the energy to argue any further. Though this also wasn't the end of it.
"Okay," Elena merely said, causing Bill to smile, then lean forward, and press a sweet, loving, Fatherly kiss to her forehead.
It was a good thing that the subject was closed, at least for now, because, as soon as Bill pulled back from Elena, the front door opened, and in came Peter, which drew the attention of the occupants in both the kitchen and the living room, while an uncomfortable silence fell over the house, broken only when Casper, who'd been eating his dinner on the small screen in area off to the side of the former, came running through in to pur, meow, and rub on the young man's legs.
"Hey, Pete," Elena smiled at her friend.
"Peter," said Bill, nodding his dark head at the Werewolf, the two of them having had a rocky start when the Vampire first returned to town, as they seemingly fueled the steriotype of Vampires and Werewolves hating each other, but now they get along relatively well, since both have an understanding of the other, that they only want to protect those they love.
Destiny and Emma sent smiles and greetings from the living room, while Elena turned away from her Father, and reached past Peter to shut the front door after him.
"Agent Coulson's making us dinner," she said, as she placed her hands on her friend's shoulders from behind, snapping him out of his state of looking around at everyone, particularly the man of whom she spoke in the kitchen, enough to shrug out of his dirty mechanic's jacket for her. "But I believe there's still some time before it's ready, if you'd like to have a shower, or just sit down and enjoy a beer."
"All right," Peter replied, sending Elena a soft smile, before looking over at Phil once more, his grin turning more into a smirk, while his blue eyes began to sparkle. "A Gypsy's never one to turn down a free meal."
Elena rolled her eyes at his words, even as she smiled, as did everyone else, while the Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. moved over to the fridge, and fetched a beer from it, twisting the cap off, then offering the drink to the young man, who took it, and the brunette's smile widened, when she saw the two exchange a nod.
That night, after dinner had been eaten, and everything had been cleaned up, the house's occupants were preparing for bed.
Bill was downstairs, talking to Peter, who'd still be up for another few hours, while Destiny was in the shower, and Emma was curling up with a book, to read for a bit, before going to sleep.
Elena knocked lightly on the partially open guest bedroom door, then stepped in, when no one called out to stop her, and smiled softly, as her eyes fell upon Phil getting ready for bed himself, wearing a black t-shirt, and navy sweatpants. It was so odd to see him out of his suit, after not only a day of seeing him mostly buttoned up, but having the feeling he was always so, even when back at S.H.I.E.L.D.
"You settling in okay, A.C.?" Elena asked, while she rested a slender hand on the door knob.
"Yeah," replied Phil, sending her a smile in response, as he unpacked a piece of luggage he had on the bed. "Thank you."
Elena moved away from the door, and padded further into the room, her footsteps silent, as she did so, already delicate feet still clad in black ankle socks. "Do you need anything?"
"No," answered Phil, while she came to a halt a few feet from her stood. "Thank you, Elena."
Silence fell over the room for a moment, before the Agent spoke once more, lifting a questioning gaze, but also one that held a look of certainty, to the brunette.
"Your Father's a Vampire, isn't he?" Phil inquired.
"Yes," Elena couldn't help but respond with a soft laugh. "I didn't think it'd take you long to figure that out. It's what S.H.I.E.L.D. was created for, right?"
"That, and he didn't eat a single bite at dinner," Phil explained. "Plus he's cold to the touch, far too pale for someone who lives in the South, and his eyes have that red rim around them that all Vampires do."
"Well, I'm sure he'll be disappointed to know all of that pushing around of food on his plate that he did wasn't convincing," said Elena, and it was the Agent's turn to laugh.
"May I ask-?" Phil began, but Elena cut him off, as she sat down on the edge of the bed he was standing by, unpacking his suitcase on.
"How is he my Father?" Elena finished for him, gazing up at the handsome man with a soft smile, which brightened a bit when he nodded. "Well, like every other Vampire, Bill was Human once, and, when he was, he fell in love with my Mother, and they made me."
"How old was he when you were born?" Phil asked, abandoning his packing for now, in favor of taking a seat beside Elena, whom he gazed questioningly at.
"Uh, 15," answered Elena, laughing softly at the surprised look that came across the Agent's face. "Yes." Taking in a deep breath, she shrugged her slender shoulders. "But that's when you had children back then."
"'Back then'?" inquired Phil, chuckling himself, mostly in confusion. "What, the 90s?"
Elena giggled sweetly at Phil's words. "No, the 1800s."
Phil's handsome visage fell into an expression of complete shock and disbelief. "I'm-I'm sorry?"
Elena nodded. "I was born on December 1st, 1850."
"H-How is that possible?" Phil managed to gasp out, even as he found himself looking Elena up and down, without even realizing what he was doing. She looked 20 years old, at the most, and yet here she was telling him she was born before the Civil War.
"Fairies, we're Immortal," Elena explained. "Or, at least, we can be, provided nothing kills us."
"So, you're telling me that you're-?" Phil began, but Elena interjected once more.
"Over 165 years old, yes," she finished for him with a reassuring nod.
"Wow," breathed Phil, facing forward, his mind awhirl, as he tried to process the latest bit of information. He know felt rather silly for some of his earlier thoughts, that he shouldn't be "checking her out", given he's close to 30 years old than her, but now, it turns out, she's incredibly older than him. But the fact that she was still physically only 20 years old at the most continued to give him pause, and create a "dirty old man" feeling within him. "So, how did your Father become a Vampire?"
"Uh," Elena began, while Phil's gaze returned to her. "He went off to fight in the Civil War, and, on his way home, years later, he was killed by a Vampire, turned into one himself."
"But he still came back into your life?" Phil inquired, his brow furrowing, as he looked at the beautiful young woman next to him.
"No," Elena replied, offering the Agent the strongest smile she could muster, while her mind filled with memories of that time in her life. "No, the last time I saw him was before he went off to war. I never saw him again, not until about a month ago. I turned him away at first, Fairies are raised to fear and hate Vampires above all other races, because our blood is so intoxicating to them, but then he earned his way back into my life."
"What happened to your Mother?" Phil asked. "Was she a Fae too?"
"She was," nodded Elena. "And she died quite a while back. Like I said, being Immortal doesn't guarantee living forever."
"I'm so sorry, Elena," replied Phil, it being all he could do not to reach out, and touch her, at least lay his hand over hers. "But at least you have your Father again. And your cousin."
"Yes," Elena said, her smile now genuine, as the man brought up Emma. "Em and I have been through it all together. We've rarely left each other's side in over 165 years. And, there was a time not too long ago, where we were all each other had, but it was enough to keep us alive, keep us going, keep us trying."
"Why's that?" Phil couldn't help but inquire next, with a gentle shake of his head. "What happened to the two of you, Elena?"
Elena's vision went slightly blurry, as a stinging, light sheen of tears filled her rich dark brown eyes, caused by Phil's words, which filled her mind with memories of the love of her life, Cullen Bohannon, that she'd lost in the worst possible way far too recently, in her opinion.
"I'm sorry, Elena," repeated Phil, sighing softly when he saw the reaction she had to his question, the so obvious signs of her being in pain by them making his heart physical ache with his chest. He already knew, despite knowing her only one day, the absolute last thing he'd ever intend to do was hurt her. "I shouldn't have-."
"No, it's all right, A.C.," Elena quickly spoke up, offering him a fresh soft smile. "It's only natural for you to be curious." She shrugged her slender shoulders. "It's what you came here for, after all, to learn. But, I think that's enough for one night."
Phil nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think it is too."
Getting to her feet, Elena turned to face the man. "If you need anything, I'm just across the hall."
"Thank you," Phil said, looking up at her with his still apologetic eyes. "Goodnight, Elena."
"Goodnight, A.C.," she replied, smiling softly to him once more, before leaving the room, pausing once in the doorway to flick a last look back at him, then continuing on, leaving the entrance open a crack, as she headed to her room.
Elena fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows. She was still recovering from the final showdown with René, and now she had the events of Agent Coulson's arrival added onto that. Needless to say, she was exhausted.
But she awoke just as quickly as she'd fallen asleep, when a sudden feeling of pain and fear enveloped her like several arms snaking around her, then locking tight.
Gasping, Elena sat bolt upright in bed, where she remained, panting for breath, as her brown eyes flicked wildly around the room, searching for the source of the overwhelming sensations. She didn't have to search long, however, as, from through the space she'd left her bedroom door opened, she heard it. A cry of horror.
Throwing the covers off of herself, Elena all but jumped from the bed, then bolted across, and out, of her room, pausing once in the hallway to listen for the sound again, so she could find where it was coming from, before she continued across to the guest room, when she realized, with her heart sinking deep within her chest, that it was Phil screaming.
Pushing open the door, her eyes fell upon the room, expecting to see the man being attacked by something, though she knows her Dragons would never let a threat get that far, especially after current events, but thinking about Cullen earlier, particularly the manner in which he'd died, had clouded her mind.
Thankfully, no one was in the room, aside from Phil, whom she found thrashing around on his bed, eyes squeezed shut, while a layer of sweat coated his entire body, as well as the sheets he laid on, and the clothes he wore, causing Elena to realize he was having a nightmare, one Hell of one, if his agonized cries were anything to go by.
Quickly shutting the door, since his screams had yet to wake anyone else, and she wanted to keep it that way, Elena swiftly crossed the room, then climbed into the bed with the man, reaching out to grasp him, gently, but firmly, with her slender limbs, then use the hold to shake him.
"Coulson?" she said, her brows knitted firmly together, as she desperately tried to wake him. "Coulson? Coulson, it's all right. Wake up. It's just a bad dream. It's okay. Coulson! It's all right. You're safe. Come on. Coulson, come on. It's okay. Come back. Come back. Come back to me."
"Please," Phil sobbed in his sleep. "Please, just let me die. Just let me die. Make it stop, please."
Elena's heart ached within her chest at his words, at his pleads to let whoever, or whatever, was tormenting him in his mind to merely end his suffering with death, and she couldn't help the light sheen of tears that rose up in her dark brown eyes from seeing the man so deeply entrenched in his pain, but she kept at it.
Slowly, her touch, as well as the comforting, reassuring words of mostly nothingness that she continued to speak to him, seemed to bring the man out of his nightmare. His cries subsided after only a few seconds, but his trashing lasted longer, though soon died down as well, and, after a moment, he was merely whimpering in pain, kicking out with his legs, while his hands clutched at the sheet so tightly his knuckles had gone white.
Moving her own limbs from merely resting on his chest, Elena laid them overtop his on the cover, and somehow managed to pry them free, which was when she gently wrapped her slender fingers around his wrists, while her gaze returned to his face, his expression remaining slightly contorted, but showing signs of relaxing.
"Shh," Elena spoke sweetly. "Shh, it's all right, Phil. It's all right. It's just a nightmare. You're safe. You're safe. I've got you."
Releasing her hold on one of his wrists, she moved the hand up to gently cup one side of his face, stroking his sweaty cheek with her slender thumb, before she leaned down, and pressed a kiss to his forehead, which seemed to be the final piece of the puzzle that had been bringing him out of his dream.
Though he didn't wake up, the last remains of the nightmare faded away, and his body, as well as his face, completely relaxed, causing his breathing to go back to normal.
Sighing in relief, Elena continued to stroke his cheek with her thumb, doing the same with her other hand around his wrist, flicking her eyes, which no longer bore tears, over his handsome older visage, for a moment, before she maneuvered in her position on the bed, so that she laying down beside him, and, after watching him for another moment, she found herself drifting back off to sleep herself, one of her arms curled against her body, while the other remained on top of his on his chest, which was rising and falling, as he once more took calm, deep, slumbering breaths, now fully free of his nightmare, unaware Elena's presence at his side guaranteed it wouldn't be back, at least not tonight.
- Author's Note - Once more, I was going to make this Chapter longer, but I wanted to get something posted, so, here you go!
Again, I hope you enjoyed it, don't forget to review, and we'll see where we end up next Chapter, still in the present, or back in the past for a visit. ;)