Okay, to answer Faylinn; yes, Thomas is Nre's father, sorry for the confusion.

Nixie and Swatter; yup, it's coming to an end. There are 40 total chapters, and these last five are just basically excerpts from Carvin and Nre's life set at various points – probably all a few weeks or months apart. This chapter I imagine to be at least two months after Chapter 35.

And please remember that I'm vanishing from fanfic soon. I originally said 6 months as soon as this fic was done. Well, I have some good news and some bad news:

Bad news – I'm leaving for nine months.

Good news – I'm not vanishing until after I finish writing my other story: "Revenge of the Wolf" (it's a Redwall fanfic on the account Blades on a Stick. I'm co-writing it with 'Pename here') I'm very very close, but not totally done with it. In the meantime, after Nasap is done and before Revenge is, I'm going to post a little ficlet called "Odds and Endings"which will more thoroughly END Nasap. I've got several ideas for random wrap-up chapters with other characters, but they would only slow down the ending, so I'm going to shove them into a sort of Epilogue. Probably no more than five chapters.

Other piece of news – remember the people who guessed the riddles, a LONG time ago? Their prize was they got to pick the story I would do next. greenmaiden never replied, but the other two agreed, so my next story will be:

"Not All Stories Should Be Read", "Judging a Book", or "Misplaced Curiosity" (haven't decided on the title yet...)

Summary: Lilliana (Nre's daughter) is an avid reader who loves to escape her stuffy routine by freeing her mind in tales of lands far away. One day, she finds a book too good to put down, and gets perhaps more than she bargained for.

That will come out 9 months after I finish Revenge and Odds and Endings. I'll have a countdown on my profile (counting months) and if you want me to send you a PM when I post the first chapter, just tell me along with your review.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Nre asked, flopping onto her back among the irises.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Carvin chuckled, propping himself on one elbow and looking at her.

"If you did have a choice," she amended. "What would you be?"

"A hunter, probably," Carvin said after a moment's pause. "What would you be?"

"A bookkeeper," Nre sighed happily.

Carvin made a face. "Bookkeeper?"

"Yes," she said decisively. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, I suppose, if you like books."

"You don't?" Nre asked, looking over at him with an I-should-have-known expression on her face.

"No, not at all," he said vehemently.

They lapsed into comfortable silence for a few minutes before Carvin spoke.

"Nre, what did Cameron wish for?"

Nre looked sharply over at him.

"What?" she said, voice a little choked.

"What did Cameron wish for?" Carvin repeated, his jaw set.

He's obviously realized this would be an odd question, but was determined to know the answer.

Oh botheration! Nre thought desperately to herself.

"W—why?" Nre asked.

"Well, when I count, I only come up to three, and you say there's four. Cameron wouldn't have wasted a wish," Carvin said slowly.

"He – uh – Cameron, he – uh." Nre stumbled, unsure of how to say it.

"Yes?"

"He – uh," Nre said, biting her lip and refusing to meet his eyes. "He – he wished that – you wold love me. Like he did."

Carvin blinked.

"Come again?"

"He wished that you would love me like he did," Nre repeated quickly, still not meeting his eyes.

They were silent for a moment, both contemplating this, before Nre smoothly segued off the topic.

"Oh, I made my last wish," she said.

"Really? What did you wish for?" he asked, relieved for something else to talk about.

Nre opened her mouth, then shut it again, her cheeks pinking slightly as she realized what she was about to say and how awkward it could be.

"What?" Carvin asked, mentally rehashing the conversation to see if he'd gone wrong.

"Nothing," Nre said, cheeks pinker now, "It's just – I wished for my second daughter to have a beautiful singing voice."

"Well, that's great," Carvin said with a smile, still trying to decipher the reasoning behind her flush. "I like singing," he added as an afterthought.

"You do?" Nre said in mild surprise, her embarrassment starting to fade now that Carvin had turned the subject away from their future children.

"Yes," he said, looking around.

"Well, are you any good?" Nre prompted.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe," he said noncommittally.

"I'll bet you are; you have a melodious voice," Nre said.

"Do I? I hadn't noticed," Carvin said, raising his eyebrows.

"You wouldn't."

"What's the supposed to mean?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, but smiling a little.

"Just that you aren't the most observant person, especially when it comes to observing yourself."

"Is that... good or bad?" he asked slowly.

"It means you don't tend to be arrogant, but you also tend to over-criticize yourself."

"What have you been reading?!"

"Personality Types and How to Get Along with Them," she said defensively.

"I should've guessed," he groaned, rubbing his temple.

"Stop it," she muttered, giving him a look. "I'll make you sing for me."

"You want me to?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes!" she said, smiling broadly – she hadn't expected him to comply willingly.

"But I – don't know any songs."

"Pish tush," Nre said scathingly. "Of course you know songs. Everybody knows songs. Just a simple folk song. Like... 'Scarborough Fair' or... 'She's Like a Swallow' or..."

"I like that one," Carvin interrupted. "'She's like a Swallow', I mean."

"Very well," Nre said, settling down more comfortably on the ground and facing him expectantly. "Go on."

He cleared his throat nervously and began the well known tune.

"She's like the swallow that flies so high,

She's like the river that never runs dry,

She's like the sunshine on the lee shore,

I love my love, but love is no more.

-

Out of wild roses she made a bed,

A stony pillow for her head,

She lay her down no more she spoke,

Until this fair maid's heart was broke.

-

She's like the swallow that flies so high,

She's like the river that never runs dry,

She's like the sunshine on the lee shore,

I love my love, but love is no more."

"That was lovely, Carvin," Nre said quietly as he trailed off, unsure.

"Thanks," he said awkwardly.

She smiled genuinely.

"Thank you."

REVIEW!

--holds out large sack of chocolate bunnies--

Final word count: 750