WARNING! See all the exclamation points! I'm serious. If you're sensitive about rape, PLEASE skip the scene marked off by the lines. Please.

This is a heavy chap: RATED M

AN to follow.

DISCLAIMER: S. Meyer owns all Twilight-ish stuff.

When we last left the Whitlocks:

"Bella, can I speak to you for a minute? Darlin', there's somethin' I've been meanin' to ask ya." When she came to a stop before me, I took a deep breath and just asked, "Would you accompany me on a date the day after tomorrow?"

Her instant joy and excitement gave me hope, until they shifted just as quickly to less positive emotions as tears filled her big brown eyes and she said, "I'm sorry. I can't -." And took off into the bedroom, shatterin' my heart as the door slammed closed with a horrible feelin' of finality.

Chap 25: The Truth

My shoulders slumped and I felt like wallowin' in the horrible rejection that now filled me, as the sound of the slammed door echoed around the otherwise silent room. For about half a fuckin' second. Then I got pissed. She was gonna tell me why at least. I felt what raced through her when I asked her out, and none of her gut reaction showed anything that would have led to this. If I was gonna fuckin' ask again, and I'm man enough to admit I damn sure was, again and again and again until she said yes; then I wanted -no, needed - to know why she refused me.

As the others exchanged what I guessed were supposed to be covert fuckin' glances to decide who should go on damage control, I squared my shoulders and locked my jaw. By the time they'd decided and Charlotte made her move toward the door, I was ready. "No, Char, I got this."

"Jasper, don't you think I should -" I let loose a low growl to convey exactly what the fuck I was thinkin' right now, and that they'd do best to mind their own damn business for the time bein'.

Without further ado, I marched my ass right to that fuckin' closed door, the sight of which made my nostrils flare in irritation, and instead of announcin' my presence with a knock, I barged right on in with, "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Nothing. I just can't -" She had her back to me but I'll be damned if it was gonna stay like that.

"You can't what? Let yourself be happy? I felt your excitement, your thrill. What exactly is it that you just can't do?" I'll admit I was bein' a dick, but I was gonna get my fuckin' answers this time. No backin' down. No pussy-footin' around. I wanted the fuckin' truth.

"I can't go out with you!" She yelled, turnin' to face me and wavin' her hands up and down, motioning to me like that proved some grand point, or maybe she was just hysterical, who the fuck knows. "I can't be who you want me to be! I'm not perfectly perky with perfect fashion sense and a perfect, teeny body. I'm just a weak human, remember?"

"That's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard, Isabella, and keep in mind I've known Peter for a long time. I've never once asked you to be anything other than who you are. How about the fuckin' truth, hmm? Let's try that for a change." I said in a scathing tone.

She heaved a weary sigh as she dropped her arms and her head, closin' her eyes, and whispered, "You don't want me, Jasper. You deserve better."

"Who the hell are you to tell me what I deserve?" I took a deep breath to calm myself as I heard the two dicks and Char outside the door discussin' whether or not to intervene. After a near silent hiss from me they made the wise choice to just shut the fuck up, and I calmed myself because regardless of the path this conversation took, I never wanted to give her cause to fear me - aside from the fact that I was a fuckin' vampire of course. I continued in a more subdued voice, made somber by the truth of what I was fixin' to admit, "I deserve nothin' after the kind of life I've led, but I'm a selfish enough bastard to go after what I want, and what I want is you."

"No!" She yelled, plugging her ears and shakin' her head back and forth.

"Just tell me the truth, Isabella." Her name fell from my tongue like a prayer to the Highest of the High. "Just tell me why. Please?" I'd beg if it was what she wanted, I had nothin' to lose here and everything to gain.

"You don't understand! I'm damaged! There is no 'me' only this! Only him." She screeched out with her eyes squeezed shut. "On my body and etched in my skin, it's all him!" She clawed at her chest through her clothes as she cried out the words in a bitter wail that tore at my soul, and I stood helpless to do anything but watch the scene unfold before me through the venom poolin' in my eyes.

"I couldn't escape then and I still can't now. In my dreams, he's there! And in my mind, in every cell of my being, he's there! Not a day goes by or a fleeting moment passes when I can't feel his presence. You'll leave too when you know; when you see that he made me his." Her crazed, spat-out confession came to a close as she stilled suddenly with her hands knotted in her hair, and finished in a broken whisper "You'll finally see how not worth it I truly am."

I made my way toward her slowly, and gently pried her hands away from their vice-grip on her head then enclosed them completely in one of mine. I then lifted her tear-streaked face back up, and though she wouldn't open her eyes and look at me, her head was lifted as it always should be. She had no need to feel the shame and pure guilt pourin' off of her; I had just wanted to know why, that's all. And I told her so, as I worked on lessening the horrible hold this shame/guilt combo had on her and replacin' it with some pure love and acceptance, I told her so until her bloodshot eyes opened a tiny fraction and she answered "Because if I had said yes, I'd have to tell you. And -". Her thick voice caught here and her eyes clamped shut once more. Her head tried to drop but my finger was holdin' it up steadfastly as I rushed to assure her.

"No, no, no, no, Darlin', shhhh. You don't have to tell me a damn thing. Ever if you don't want to." She stopped fighting to bow her head and my finger ghosted slowly along her jaw line to the side of her face, where I opened my hand and laid it gently against her cheek. She instantly leaned in, even if a little tentatively, still wary about any skin-to-skin contact, and I let out a sigh of relief as just this seemingly small moment acted as a balm to my troubled soul.

Her eyes opened and met mine as she pleaded for my understanding. "Yes, I would, Jazz. It wouldn't be fair to you, to either of us really, to go into this ignorant. This would never feel complete till there's nothing between; everything exposed. And I just can't -".

"Think about it, Darlin' and when you can," I reiterated as she began shakin' her head, " When you can, because I know you can, I'll be here ready to listen and every fuckin' day until and after that one as well. You're stuck with us; this doesn't change a damn thing." She slowly nodded her head, her body was stiff as a board and I reluctantly, regrettably, took my hand away from her face and turned to leave her with her thoughts.

I could hear her arguin' with herself as mumbled thoughts escaped her lips in her stressed-out state; I continued my trek across the floor and just when my hand closed around the brass knob, she called out "Jasper, wait!" I turned around slowly until we were face-to-face, separated only by a few lengths of floor board under our feet and the heavy silence lingering in the air.

Bella's POV

On his command, thousands of thoughts, memories, flooded my mind in the seconds it took him to walk away from me, across the small room. I thought about how every night the last thing I saw were his crimson eyes framed by his golden locks. I thought about the day he let me cry, but let me know he was there for me all the same. Games and building snow forts and meals, all made better by just his presence. About the night he held me close, kept me safe in his arms till dawn's light. His smile, his smirk, his thoughtfulness, his ass-ish moments, and his strength.

That last one brought with it the memory of him telling me of the atrocious sins of his past and the horrors entailed within.

It couldn't have been easy for him to tell me all of that.

I'm sure it wasn't. Anymore than it was for G-Red to cough up his past or Char to play show-and-tell with her scars.

But it's different…it's just not the same.

Yeah, things that are different are often not the same.

Not what I meant!

You mean your suffering is worse than theirs?

Yes, wait. I mean, no! Of course not. But they are strong. I'm just -

Just what? You're a member of this coven now. Time to start acting like it.

I just -

I swear if you say 'can't' one more time, I'm packing my bags and crashing in someone else's psyche for a few days. That little engine's looking mighty fine right now.

But -

No buts; no more delays. You can do this and you will.

What if I can't make it through? I swore I'd never go back; I'd never remember.

You'll never know if you don't at least try. If you want to have that chance at the happiness that they've all found, the peace,then you will. This is that first step. And you shouldn't make vows you can't keep.

He reached the door as I made my choice, "Jasper, wait!"

Jasper's POV

I waited for whatever would come out of her mouth, hoping the determination she was givin' off was for a good decision; preferably one that worked in my favor.

"It was the day the newborns came." I could tell she instantly had more than just my full attention, and I blocked out everyone else and steeled myself for what I knew was comin', more thankful than I could possibly express that she'd decided to trust me enough to tell me this; yet at the same time, dreadin' listening to what would follow. She spoke assumin' that Peter had filled me in on her cliffs notes version of what had led up to this point and he had, which was good. I could feel how difficult this was for her and I didn't want to interrupt her once she got goin', "I had passed out on First Beach after Sam and half of the pack had died protecting me."

I stayed still as she spoke, even restrictin' my breathin', lest I break her new-found determination and concentration. In my mind, I chanted, "I'm here for her. I'm here for her. Bella needs me now, and I'm here for her." Because in a second it would take every bit of willpower I had not to flip my shit and go kill somethin', hell, everything. But I'd had my time to deal with this and retribution was on its way; today was all for Bella.

Bella's POV

And I did what I swore I'd never do; I brought the memory to the front of my mind and soon, I could see it all; feel it all. The spring digging into my ass, the tap-tap-tap of the rain against the tin roof, the smell of motor oil, dirt, and musk. "When I came to, I was on the broken-down couch in his garage." I shook my head slightly to rid myself of the image before explaining, "I hadn't been there in a while, but it had become my haven after you all left, at least until I couldn't ignore his flirting and borderline groping anymore. I'd grown close to Sam and Emily, and when Sam realized he was obsessed with me to beyond the unhealthy, using his Alpha timbre, Sam placed an edict prohibiting him from coming near me unaccompanied by another wolf, and he wasn't allowed to touch me.

"You know, it's actually painful for the wolves to disobey an Alpha's direct order. He kissed me once, after Sam had issued it, and ended up howling on the ground a second after contact. I should've kicked his sac in then and saved us all the drama, but no-one thought - I never thought…."

Agreed.

I paused for a minute, attempting to summon the courage to finish now that I had started. I felt a bit of foreign bravado make its way into my system, and though I shot him some gratitude, and I truly was grateful for the assist, I said "Thanks, J-Mo, but I need to get through this on my own." He nodded his understanding and I closed my eyes, returning to the last place I ever wanted to be again.

"I stretch; my foot makes contact with something – someone - and I jump. It's so dark and I can hear heavy breathing. I'm squinting my eyes trying to get them to adjust more quickly but it's a lost cause. "Who's there?" I ask and from right by my foot comes a gruff voice that's so familiar but not, at the same time.

"Who else would it be, Bella?" The way he sneers my name sends a shiver up my spine, and I wonder if it's just a by-product of the horrible scene I just left, or if he's always given me this creepy oompa-loompa vibe and I'd just ignored it.

"Thinking about all the blood and gore from the battle makes my stomach roll, and I sit up hugging my knees to my chest, grateful for my lack of appetite this morning, as image after gruesome image bombards my mind: Sam - bare and bloody at my feet. Quil - screaming in agony as he crawls from the tree-line on his elbows because his legs aren't where they're supposed to be. Collin and Brady - just boys, really, now in too many pieces to count scattered all along the shore.

"Until he speaks and I know this…this person - this thing, is not my best friend. "Are you happy now?" He says evenly, almost as if none of this has affected him, which is the biggest sign something is really wrong here. I don't know what he thinks it is about any of this would make me happy, but I don't have to wait long before he clues me in.

"You knew I was next in line to be Alpha; you probably thought you could go on about your business now that I'm tied here forever, but -" And he switches to a sing-song tone. "You're wrong." His voice turns manic and with every change in his tone my heart speeds, anticipating what may come if I don't get out of here soon, but this is my sunshine. He wouldn't hurt me. "I may be Alpha and all that comes with it, including Emily, but you, you are mine."

"I'm not processing all of his remark; I mean he's just upset, but because of my damn curiosity and our friendship I have to know. "Wait, what about Emily?" As her name falls from my mouth I hear a low growl and for the first time since I'd learned of their secret, and that they weren't killing random hikers, I'm officially scared of a werewolf.

"He continues in his creepy, unaffected voice even as the cushion beneath me rattles from his effort to control his shift. "Everything in the Alpha role is a mantle passed down from one and taken up by another. She's the Alpha's imprint and that's me now. As soon as I see her, she will have a hold over me only second to the spirits of our tribe and there's not a damn thing I can do about it." He pauses for a minute, and though I still can't make out more than his outline, I can feel his black eyes on me causing me to shiver, "So I'm going to make today count."

"Scrambling up, I can see moonlight trying to break through the grimy window pane of the back door. If only I can get there - around the fuckin' car; the car that he'd rebuilt while I watched and passed him the wrong tools. That light is my salvation, if I can just - but my foot catches on something solid and I go down. Hard.

"But I can't stay down because I can hear his dark chuckle accompanying the footsteps getting closer. I scramble to my knees, crawling; reaching with one arm toward the light that's my guiding beacon and my last hope for escape, though from what, I don't really know.

"I don't want to know until a foot in the center of my back pushes me back down. My face meeting the concrete and blood gushing from my nose as well as my throbbing lip.

"I whimper and he laughs. I get up and he pushes me back down." And I started hyperventilating.

I can't breathe! Oh God! I can't breathe!

"Shhh. Darlin', I'm here."

What? No one's here. Just me and Him. And I'm a no one and he's evil incarnate. No one's here.

Remember Bella. Just keep talking. You're doing so good; no one could ask for better. Just keep talking. Keep remembering.

"What do you see now, Isabella? What's goin' on?" A quiet voice whispered from somewhere close by.

I felt a cool breeze blowing across my face and it helped me draw in not only a breath I desperately needed, but the will to keep going. The memory that something good may come from the telling; relief, maybe, for the cavity this dark shame has been boring into my soul.

"I'm trying to turn over. I keep pushing away, trying to get some distance but I can't; he pulls me back by my ankle. My arms are above my head now, held by one of his hands; the weight of his elbow driving my face onto the bloody concrete. Litter used to sop up the oil is grating my cheek with every move, but I can't stop moving; I can't stop screaming. Pleading."

"No! Jacob! Please! You don't have to do this! No! Please! Jacob!" I could taste the tears wetting my lips now but I wasn't sure when they'd begun. Or why they were there.

He's got no more power; no more control. Just a little further now -

"It did about as much good as the fighting, which was none at all. Pinned between his body and the concrete, his weight on my back is suffocating but when he lifts and his knee forces my legs to spread, I feel no relief. My screams morph into sobs and I just keep saying his name, hoping when I wake from this nightmare my Jacob will be back and this will all be nothing more than a delusion brought on by late-night enchiladas and chocolate milk.

"The knee in the center of my back knocks the breath from me once again, and in that second of silence, the sound of the teeth of his zipper being pulled down seems to echo like a siren. Warning of what's to come. Tooth by tooth.

"I gasp but I can't scream. Panic blocks any noise except the rustle of his denim and the rip of my own. The blood from my nose is flowing, freely mingled with my tears and some grease, into my mouth that's still opened in a petrified mute scream as he runs his hot hand up my thighs with bruising strength and then -"

He's inside me and I'm going to split in half, I'm sure.
Blood running down my legs.
Tears running down my filthy face.
But no more filthy than the rest of me.
And I find my voice just once more before his full weight is against my back once more.

"God! Please NO!"

My eyes refuse to close.
His hands are everywhere.
No gentleness; no exploration.
Just possession; marking his territory.

Thrust after thrust drives me into the concrete and closer to the brink of unconsciousness.
Unconsciousness and hopefully death.
But I'm not even granted that privilege, that mercy.

He releases my arms so he can wrench my head around for a kiss.
To claim anything he's been denied all at once.
He growls, "Mine,"as I try to turn my head away.
Just pushing harder on the next thrust.

My legs are numb.
My shoulder must be dislocated because my arm is useless.
But all else pales in comparison to the excruciating torture between my legs.

And I realize I'm not fighting anymore.

There's nothing left to save.

"Then what, Bella?" This question from far away resounds as he thrusts violently one last time and becomes rigid above me, moaning my name before falling on top of me.

His rancid breath hot on the back of my neck as he rests his head above my shoulder.
The taste of bile in my mouth while the chunks are only held down by his weight still pressing me into the ground.
The crushing realization that this just happened.

And it happened to me.

I, Isabella Marie Swan, was -

"Darlin?" Somehow my eyes found his venom-filled ones immediately. "Then what, Darlin'?" He prods gently.

"J-Ja-Jacob. H-he raped me, Jasper." I whispered.

And I could no longer hold anything back.

Jasper's POV

If I had ever doubted the existence of my unbeatin' heart, I never would again; though the fucker had survived her monotone telling of this fuckin' horror only to wish it hadn't as I drowned in anguish as she screamed and cried, once again tearing wildly at anything her hands found. For the first time in my life I wished that I still had the ability to produce tears. Such a simple thing that people take for granted every day; however, my eyes would never shed them for her like my heart wanted to but I'd damn sure make certain his did. Tears of water and of blood, he'd definitely shed.

Bella collapsed in a heap in the middle of the room from her exhaustion and the heavy shame she carried around her neck; and I made my way to her slowly, though every fiber of my being wanted to rush to her, hold her close, and never let her go.

I sat in front of her, cross-legged, and opened my arms in invitation; expectin' nothing, but hopin' she'd accept whatever comfort I had to give. I couldn't manipulate her right now between the strength of her real emotions, her shield, and the stress of holdin' in my own that were at a breaking point, so this - my arms - was all I had to offer.

Her eyes widened when she noticed my presence and though I understood, it still hurt like a son-of-a-bitch as she shook her head frantically and more tears cascaded down her red cheeks; her shame and guilt once again risin' to epic proportions.

"I'm dirty. Don't you get it? I stopped fighting! I tried at first; I really did, but - OH GOD! I STOPPED FIGHTING! I-I-" She cried out.

And I couldn't wait anymore. I scooped her up swiftly, and though she swung at me and she continued to scream bloody murder till her voice gave way, I held her; whispering over and over that it was not her fault. I compensated easily enough to minimize the force of her blows, more for the sake of her hands than my body; I saved her a few broken bones, but she'd damn sure be sportin' some bruises in the mornin'. Eventually, she quieted again and settled into my arms, clingin' like she was sure this was the last time she'd ever be welcome here and I just relished in the feelin' of her here, safe and whole, while continuin' my steady stream of quiet assurances, tryin' to get the truth to penetrate that pretty little head of hers.

"None of that was your fault. You didn't ask to be raped. And this is not your shame to bear; it's his and his alone, Darlin'. Jacob is the dirty one here, not you." After a while of silence besides her snifflin' and her ragged breath, I decided to ask for the rest of the story; assumin' the worst was over and ready to have it all laid out. I could feel the devestatin' toll this had taken on her, but she was strong and this step would go a long way toward her healing; a release of all the pressure that had built up from corkin' this shit up too long. A lesser person wouldn't have survived, much less told the tale, but Bella did and I was mighty damn proud of her right now.

"What happened next, Bella? The scars?"

She tried to pull away as her guilt and shame were joined by her ever-hoverin' worthlessness but I was havin' none of that shit. I'd finally got her in my arms and I wasn't ready to let her go yet for anything less than urgent need, and definitely not for her false feelin's of inadequacy. Comprehending that I wasn't lettin' her go, she curled back into my embrace, hidin' her face in my shirt and speakin' in a muffled tone.

" J-Ja-Jacob threw my torn pants at me and ordered me to get dressed and though I wanted to do anything other than what he said, I wanted to cover up as quickly as I could but it hurt to move. I…" I felt her embarrassment but I was havin' none of that; not now.

"You what, Isabella? No shame, no embarrassment - got that? You're just tellin' me a story; reportin' a crime, that's all." I felt her draw a deep breath and try to center her emotions before answerin', still speakin' only to my chest.

"I-I couldn't close my legs. Bruises were already covering every inch of me that I could see, my arm still wouldn't move, and no matter how much he yelled at me I couldn't quit sobbing. He had to dress me himself." She finished in a choked whisper.

I didn't want to hear more because I wasn't sure I could keep my beast from breakin' loose as the venom pooled in my mouth and pure, unadulterated rage flowed through my body, but I refused to let her think this was her shameful crime; her disgrace to be kept secret and hidden from the eyes of others. "What then?" I asked raisin' her chin till her eyes met mine. I was proud of her and she needed to know it, damn it. If she didn't want my gift used on her right now then I'd just have to show her through my actions that she had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

"When he tried to pick me up, I freaked out. I don't know where I got the energy or even the ability to move, but I did and he dropped me and I scooted back on my ass till my back hit the wall and stood on my achy legs. I think I was pretty much past hysterical at that point, because even though I was still in his musty-ass garage and very much alone, I couldn't help the screams from flying out of my mouth.

"I told him that I was going to tell. I was going to scream it from every rooftop in Forks and everyone would know what the future Chief of the proud Quileute nation had done. I was going to tell Emily and anyone else who'd listen that he hurt me. I screamed at him as I slid closer to the door, but when I opened it and began backing out, he grabbed me again; shaking me. Shaking me because he was losing control and as I pulled away from him, he phased while reaching for my arms. The next purposeful swipe down my body knocked me to the ground where he dug his claws in once more before walking away. Leaving me exposed in my shredded shirt, torn pants; covered in grime and my own gushing blood."

I couldn't flinch because she needed me to be strong for her right now, but I'd burn for an eternity before I'd ever let him anywhere near her again. It disgusted me that this bitch was still breathing air for fuck's sake and once more, I was just so damn awed by Bella's strength of mind and spirit. I'd broken thousands with much, much less.

For the first time since she'd started talkin', I registered somethin' else outside of us. The growlin' from outside of the cabin was from some very pissed-off vampires, and I was sure as fuck glad they'd taken a walk because I was havin' a hard enough time wadin' through my own shit here; her eyes were the only thing preventin' the red haze from settlin' completely over my vision. I didn't know if I was gonna be able to do this, but no sooner had that thought crossed my mind then I heard my brother speak, "It's almost over, Major. You be there for her right now, enough for all of us and while she sleeps, we'll take care of your escalatin' need to slaughter some shit."

"Unfortunately, he came back." I growled slightly at his presence again in the story and her implication that she'd rather have died there. It was the truth for her and unbearable for me. I pulled her closer as she continued, still starin' back into my unrelenting gaze. "He carried me, while I spasmed and heaved, blinking in and out of consciousness, all the way to the hospital. Telling me that if I said a word that he'd kill Charlie and my mom. That I was his, and I'd do as I was told if I wanted my family to live. He knew me well enough from after your family left to know that I wasn't above taking my own life, so he added that stipulation as well. He and Victoria had made a bargain though, so my hope that she'd still kill me was completely dashed. My life utterly destroyed in payment for the debt of James' death. A mate for a mate. Jacob convinced her that living this way was much worse than any death she'd planned, and I guess she agreed because the next thing I know I'm in the hospital, the day after the surgery, and he's telling me about my role in all of this; in case I missed the gist as I was bleeding out in his arms. And the rest you know."

I held her as she cried more bitter tears while clingin' to me and I tried to hold back my anger and rage, my helpless frustration at this whole fuckin' situation. Staring into her beautiful brown eyes, I broke down sobbin'; I couldn't stop it anymore than I could hold back the thunderstorm blowin' in from the coast and honestly, I didn't want to. I am a real homegrown, fuckin' man but if her pain didn't warrant my tearless cries, I had no clue what the fuck ever would. And as I heard the clouds release their bounty just outside these walls, it seemed like God himself wept for her loss of innocence right alongside me. Both of us had failed her.

Her astonishment drew my attention back to her as both of us quieted, and with tear-filled eyes of wonder, she asked, "You're still here. You can't…possibly still want -" And it's official. This woman is crazy. Crazy like a fuckin' moose.

I arched one of my brows at her before I sent her every ounce of every feeling that coursed through my dried-out veins for her and her alone; and as she gasped in shock and disbelief, I laid it all out for her once more, "I want to be there when you wake up every mornin' and when you close your beautiful eyes each night. I want to watch you choke down burnt cookies just so Char won't feel bad about her shitty domestic skills. I want to listen to you curse Pete for his cheatin' and tease Garrett about whatever random fuckin' idea pops into your head in the spur of the moment. Darlin', there's abso-fuckin'-lutely no doubt about it; you're the love I want to be in." After a few minutes of deafening silence, I asked," And what do you want, Darlin'? I've told you what I want, I've shown you; now it's your turn. What do ya want, Bella?" And I prayed like hell to whoever was listenin' that she answered with -

"You. I want you, Jasper."

Hot damn. Looks like I got my fuckin' date after all.

AN: To my beta, stitchcat, a heap of mushy-gushy love and, of course, a little grope of your ass. Any mistakes in here belong to me because I can't leave shit alone after she does her thing. My beta is AMAZING; trust me. And skilial, you know you kick ass. You've just got that Midas touch, bb. Thank you both SO much. This was an extremely hard chapter for me and wouldn't have happened without y'all. Or at least it wouldn't have been seen by anyone else.

And to you amazing people who left me so much love and well wishes, all I can say is thank you SOOOOOO much. So very much.

I squeed and happy danced and giggled like I was all hopped up on the nitrous oxide cuz we broke 100 reviews last chap thus making it my most reviewed chapter to date! Due to the amazing reviews, an incredible beta and pre-reader, AND a few MIL-less moments, I'm getting this to y'all way early. Now, I didn't have a chance to do a teaser or even respond to y'all fuck-awesome people this time (I know. I suck.) and technically I'm still on vacation for a couple of weeks but hopefully y'all will forgive me for my ubber fail. If not, bitch to the inbox and I'll get back to ya. Just don't tell the hubs ya saw me here; I've been workin' with my super ninja stealth.

Now push the button please;-)