Disclaimer: All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.
Warnings: Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye – as if that wasn't already obvious since I swapped a few genders), angst, drama, some mild character bashing, and who knows what else.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
Chapter Forty-Five: Briefings x Meetings x and Emotional Outbursts
Azalea wearily put one foot in front of the other as she was led back out into the antechamber by the Prime Minister now that her four and a half hour interrogation had finally ended. And yes, it had been a full blown interrogation and not just a debriefing. Oh, the Queen had been polite enough throughout the entire process but she had also been ruthless as she methodically questioned every single little detail of Azalea's report, the decisions she'd made over the past six months, and the actions she'd taken since she'd first entered the wizarding world.
The Queen had even managed to drag Azalea's true name and life's story from her with just a few words; including the fact that she was pregnant with twins. The only thing that hadn't been brought up was the Deathly Hallows and the fact that Azalea now owned all three of the artifacts.
It made her wonder if the Queen had someone with Mizuken's ability to manipulate people on her staff. Then again, the Queen was a force to be reckoned with all on her own with decades of experience in dealing with politicians, diplomats, military personnel, and foreign dignitaries. A seventeen year old witch with an unfinished magical and muggle education with absolutely no training in politics or diplomacy hadn't stood a chance against the full force of the Queen's presence.
At least it was over now and she could go home… or at least she could once she finished reporting to Kingsley. A tired sigh escaped from Azalea's lips as she thought about the inevitable briefing with the Interim Minister; she just knew it was going to be a long afternoon. She'd much rather go home and take a nice long soak in the tub before laying down for a nap. A soft trill of inquiry from her shoulder had the witch reaching up to pet the phoenix that was perched on her shoulder.
"I'm alright, Fawkes; just not looking forward to my next meeting," Azalea murmured as the phoenix nuzzled her cheek in turn while the Prime Minister glanced back over his shoulder at her as he opened the door so that she could exit the room first.
The moment she stepped through the door into the antechamber, Kurapika jumped to his feet and hurried to her side (much to the amusement of the Prime Minister who was now aware of the relationship Kurapika and Azalea shared). Azalea gave her fiancé a wane smile as he gave her a brief inspection to make certain she'd come to no harm before the two of them fell into step behind the Prime Minister as he led the way back to his office. Ten minutes later, the two rookie Hunters were once again standing in front of the Prime Minister's desk as he addressed them one last time.
"I'd like to thank you once more for your cooperation today, Miss Potter; you've painted us a much clearer picture of what has been happening within the wizarding world these past three decades than what we'd previously learned through the official channels."
"You're welcome, I think, sir," Azalea replied with more than a little uncertainty as she wondered just how much trouble she would be getting into with Kingsley because of the information she'd given to the Queen; not that there was anything he could legally do to her thanks to her status as a Hunter.
The Prime Minister smiled in response as he continued, "I doubt that we will need to meet with you again before June but I can't make any promises. You can also expect to hear from my office sometime within the next three weeks in regards to the other matter that Her Majesty brought up towards the end of our meeting; after the Queen's proposal has been reviewed by parliament. In the mean time, please take care of yourself and don't hesitate to contact me if your position within the wizarding world turns untenable."
"Yes, sir," Azalea replied as she shook the man's hand a final time before she returned to Kurapika's side as Fawkes launched himself from her shoulder and offered the two of them his tail feathers.
A swirl of flames briefly engulfed the pair at that point and the two of them were once more standing in the middle of Minister Shacklebolt's office. Azalea sighed and let her shoulders slump as the long morning and emotionally draining conversation with the Queen caught up with her. Kurapika bustled her into a chair just seconds later; a concerned look on his face as he took in her slightly pale complexion.
"I'm fine, Kura; just a little tired," Azalea assured the blond.
"Shall I have my secretary fetch you a cup of tea?" Kingsley inquired as he half rose out of his chair.
"Actually, would you mind if I called one of James's house elves and asked them to bring lunch instead? It's been hours since breakfast and James is under strict orders not to miss any meals," Kurapika countered as he glanced up at the taller man; the Blacklist Hunter using Azalea's alias in order to reinforce the need to keep Azalea's wizarding identity separate from her Hunter identity – even though she'd apparently told the truth to the Prime Minister and the Queen during her audience.
"Go right ahead, Mr. Evans," Kingsley allowed as he returned to his seat and shifted the piles of paperwork on his desk around so that there was a clear section on the desk that could be used as a table.
Dobby appeared just seconds later with a tray piled high with fresh fruit, raw vegetables, and tuna sandwiches that he set down on the desk (before Kurapika could call on one of the elves). Minky popped in next with a tea service that held a fresh pot of tea, a pitcher of cranberry juice, and Azalea's after meal potion. Tanker was the last one to arrive and he had brought a platter of freshly baked biscuits and enough plates, cups, and glasses for all three occupants. The three elves vanished a heartbeat later, leaving behind a bewildered Minister, a bemused Hunter, and a slightly exasperated witch.
"The efficiency of those elves never ceases to amaze me," Kurapika remarked with more than a little fondness as he dished up Azalea's plate for her before pouring her a glass of juice.
"Stubborn, devious, and altogether far too intuitive for my health," Azalea grouched halfheartedly as she curled up in the chair and nibbled on a carrot stick. "I couldn't have made it through the last year without them, though; especially these past five months. At least I managed to avoid being saddled with additional elves during the raids."
"Funny you should mention those displaced elves," Kingsley interjected with open amusement. "Amos Diggory, the new Department Head for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, has requested to meet with you at your earliest convenience in order to discuss the fate of sixteen house elves that have apparently been demanding to bond with you in light of the role you played in freeing them from their former families."
"Please tell me you are joking," Azalea begged as she paused with a sandwich halfway to her mouth.
"I'm afraid not."
"Do you know how difficult it was to find work for the four elves I already have?" Azalea demanded as she shook her sandwich at the Minister.
"No where near as difficult as it has been to find work for the one hundred and twenty-seven house elves that you displaced during your raids," Kingsley countered dryly. "You should be thankful that Amos talked the other one hundred and eleven elves into bonding with the Ministry, St. Mungo's, Hogwarts, and a handful of wizarding families. That's not even taking into consideration all of the other displaced creatures; such as the white peacocks from the Malfoys, the herd of stolen winged racehorses that the Notts had smuggled into the country, or the trio of kelpies that Mulciber had kept as watch guards."
"Dobby is going to cry, Kreacher is going to glare, Minky is going to pout, Tanker is going to scowl, and when all four of them inevitably blame me for their reduced workload, I'm going to blame you and give them permission to duplicate your paperwork for the rest of your term in office."
"My paperwork already propagates on its own without you taking out your frustrations over the results of your altruistic crusades on my workload," Kingsley retorted as he gave Azalea a stern glare.
"We can deal with the elves and threaten the Minister with embarrassing pranks later, James," Kurapika interjected before she could come up with a response. "Right now you need to eat."
"Yes, mother," Azalea grumbled before complying with the order.
"The Lead Unspeakable would also like to speak with you at some point," Kingsley stated after ten minutes had passed in near complete silence as Azalea finished her sandwich and most of the fruit on her plate. "They have several questions that they wished to ask you about the wooden swords that were found in the Dark Lord's body and have also asked to view the memory of your duel with You-Know-Who."
"Is that your way of telling me that they want to interrogate me in regards to the prophecy?"
"No, but I'm certain they'll ask you about that as well."
"Joy… I don't know when I'll have the time to see them; my week is still pretty full. I suppose I could leave them a copy of my memory to tide them over for a year or two though."
Kingsley laughed at that before he offered, "I can draw a copy of the memory for you before you leave and send it down to the Department of Mysteries and advise them to contact you about setting up an appointment for an interview with you after the wedding."
"I can live with that. Any other departments looking to exploit… er talk with me?"
"Yes; Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror Office, asked me to collect the names of the individuals that were part of the Order of the Phoenix under your leadership so their names can be included on the monument fountain and their deputy auror badges can be commissioned. The Department of International Magical Cooperation will need the names of all non-British magicals that have been invited to attend your wedding so they can coordinate any private security measures for high profile individuals with the security measures we will be implementing. And lastly, the Department of Magical Transportation will need numbers and the countries of origin so proper precautions can be taken to manage the increase in incoming and outgoing traffic before and after the event."
"I will have Dobby bring you a copy of the guest list before the end of the day and if you have a quill and parchment I can borrow, I can give you the names of the new Order right now… er, right after lunch," Azalea corrected after receiving a nudge and pointed look from Kurapika. "Was that everything…?"
"Only one last thing; I will need a brief report on your audience with the Queen so I know what to expect if they should approach me with additional questions."
"That's simple," Azalea quipped as she ate a cube of pineapple before she leaned back in her chair and pinned Kingsley with tired emeralds eyes that reflected the lamplight in the office, much like the eyes of her animagus form. "I told them everything."
"What do you mean you told them everything?" Kingsley demanded with a slight frown.
"It means that I held nothing back… I told them about Tom's childhood, the horcruxes, the things that happened during my five years at Hogwarts, Sirius's lack of a proper trial and his innocence, all of the Death Eaters I killed, and Fudge's corrupt administration. They now know about Umbridge's illegal prosecution of the muggleborns after Scrimgeour's death, Dumbledore skirting the corners of a few laws, the prejudices that run rampant in the wizarding world, and the slanderous articles that were printed about a number of individuals over the past few years."
"I also told them the truth about the current state of the wizarding world; the economic crisis that is barely being staved off with the money the Order claimed, the fact that the Ministry is still floundering, that Hogwarts has been temporarily closed for a number of reasons, and that the wizarding public is still terrified even if they have been celebrating the Dark Lord's demise. I left nothing out… and while I didn't have all of the answers, I certainly gave them far more information in far greater detail than they originally expected."
"That was mostly due to the fact that Dumbledore had left me a good number of personal journals that he'd written throughout his lifetime along with quite a few very informative memories that he'd collected through the years. I had spent quite a bit of time pouring over all of that information during the weeks between Dumbledore's death and my return to the wizarding world. To say that Her Majesty was less than pleased to learn that a number of your predecessors had outright lied to their muggle counterparts over the past four or five decades would be an understatement."
"Do you have any idea just how many laws you've broken?" Kingsley demanded in a hard tone that was laced with both fear and anger.
"None," Azalea flatly retorted with a frown as she unflinchingly held his gaze. "I am no longer bound by your laws."
"Are you trying to destroy us!?"
"Please, you and I both know that I don't have to destroy the wizarding world; you've been bloody well destroying it yourselves for the past century. There have been sixteen dark lords in the past century and two of them have nearly exposed the entire magical world to the muggles during their bids for power. If something is not done to change things now, then you can expect the next dark lord to crop up within the next five to ten years."
"I will agree that some magical traditions are important and worth protecting in most cases but many of the traditions of the wizarding world are killing it because it forces us to kill each other or it chases the greatest talent back into the muggle world because of the rampant prejudice. As it stands right now, you can bet your ass my children will never set foot in the wizarding world if things go back to the way it was before Voldemort's return."
"How can you say that?"
"Very easily; it was the wizarding world that held me up as a savior simply because my parents died protecting me and it was the wizarding world that beat me down time and time again for not being the person that they expected me to be from the moment that I first set foot in Diagon Alley on my eleventh birthday. The very same wizarding world that had left me with my magic hating muggle relatives for ten horrible years while it used my name and face to paint glorious lies about my life."
"I entered this world filled with hope and not only did it attempt to break me, this world expected me to clean up their problems because I was the Girl-Who-Lived. The entire wizarding world looked at me and saw me as their scapegoat, their savior, and their scourge. Hell, the wizarding world wasn't even willing to see that I was properly trained before it demanded that I take care of Voldemort and then dared to accuse me of going dark because I chose to end the war on my terms to insure that it ended quickly so as to spare as many innocents as possible."
"Kitten, you need to calm down," Kurapika softly instructed as he deftly inserted himself between Azalea and the Minister.
"No, we need to leave," Azalea countered as she stood up and grabbed hold of Kurapika's arm. While she waited for Fawkes to transport them back to Grimmauld Place, she directed a final parting shot at the interim Minister. "I had thought you would be different from both of your predecessors but you didn't even consider the fact that you threw me to the wolves when you sent me to meet with the Queen alone and yet you had the audacity to take me to task because I answered their questions? And you still wonder why I've grown to dislike, if not outright hate, the wizarding world?"
Fawkes picked that moment to flame them both out of Kingsley's office without waiting for Azalea to grab his tail feathers; the phoenix latching his talons into Azalea's dragon hide cloak and whisking them away while leaving behind a poleaxed Kingsley. Kreacher made a brief appearance immediately after they'd left; the crotchety old elf collecting the left over food along with the tea service and dishes (going so far as to take the Minister's unfinished lunch as well). The moment they landed in their shared bedroom… Sirius's old bedroom… Azalea let out a frustrated scream before bursting into tears.
Strong arms encircled her a moment later and Azalea buried her face against Kurapika's shoulder as she continued to bawl; a small part of her wondering what the hell was wrong with her because she wasn't usually this emotional. The storm eventually passed and Azalea found herself being lifted up and carried into the bathroom where a warm tub of water piled high with bubbles was waiting for her. Kurapika then helped her get undressed and held her steady as she stepped into the tub before he disappeared after promising that he'd be back in a little while.
The pleasantly warm water and soothing bath oils that Minky had added to the water felt wonderful and Azalea felt most of her tension melting, though she was still rather hurt and offended over Kingsley's accusations. Eventually, her long, exhausting, and overly emotional morning coupled with the soothing bath lulled Azalea to sleep as she propped her arms on the side of the tub to pillow her head. Kurapika woke her up roughly a half hour later when he drained the water from the tub and rinsed the suds from her body before wrapping her up in a warm, fluffy robe and carrying her back to the bedroom.
She was a bit surprised to find the room dimly lit with just a handful of scented candles and a stereotypical bearskin rug along with a scattering of rose petals spread out in front of the suspiciously new fireplace that now sat against the north wall. Azalea blinked at the rather romantic setting before glancing up at Kurapika with a questioning gaze. Her fiancé was grinning down at her with a borderline smirk that told her that he was pleased with himself.
"I thought a little pampering was in order after your rough morning," Kurapika explained as he knelt down and gently deposited her in the middle of the rug. "We also haven't really had anything resembling a date since our birthdays and I figured a romantic winter afternoon spent in front of the fireplace would be just the ticket to help you relax."
Words failed the pregnant witch as she smiled tenderly at the teen that had captured her attention almost from the moment she'd officially met him. Most certainly from the moment they'd shared a bit of their personally history on top of Trick Tower and without a doubt from the moment she'd first seen his eyes alight with scarlet fire. Her feelings had quickly snowballed from that point forward and they'd rolled right over the doubts and insecurities that had plagued her from the moment she realized she was drawn to him.
It was almost hard to believe that this time last year she'd been desperately trying to repress her feelings for the blond because of the prophecy and the belief that he wouldn't want her if he'd known she was a girl.
And now here she was carrying Kurapika's children and planning their wedding; it was surreal.
Azalea was pulled from her woolgathering as she felt Kurapika settling beside her before he gently pulled her backwards so that she was propped up against his thighs and facing him as he lay on half his side propped up against a few pillows that she hadn't noticed earlier. He then snagged a crystal bowl filled with an assortment of cubed fresh fruit and another bowl filled with chocolate fondue (the bowl charmed to keep the melted chocolate at the perfect temperature). The two of them would then spend the next hour feeding each other bites of chocolate smothered fruit as they talked about the future.
Specifically, they talked about the boys; offering up potential names, wondering which one of them the twins would take after, and how they each imagined raising the boys. Azalea even timidly spoke about some of the little daydreams she'd had about the babies since she'd first learned she was pregnant. Speaking about how she'd imagined a pair of mischievous four year olds stealing daddy's swords, the inevitable lessons to teach their sons how to properly use the swords, enchanting tea parties with daddy dressed in a flowery apron while he was instructed on how to be a proper lady, and of course, the tender moment of watching him reading bedtime stories to the little ones.
Kurapika had reciprocated as he told her that he could picture her curled up in a rocking chair humming to one or both of the boys while Hedwig watched over them from the back of the chair, watching her give the boys a bubble bath and looking like a drowned rat soaked to the bone and covered with suds, and seeing her entertain the children by playing tag with them in one of her animagus forms. He also confessed that he'd tried to imagine what it would be like to train his sons once they were old enough but that he never seemed to know how to start.
Azalea could commiserate with her lover; there were times when she was almost terrified of the twins because she'd never before seen a baby up close, let alone held one or cared for one.
By that time they'd filled up on fruit and Azalea took her afternoon dose of Mother's Helpmate as the conversation veered towards more mundane, if important, topics such as; where they would live, whether one or both of them would work, if they should hire a nanny (or just rely upon the house elves), and who they would trust to raise the twins if, heaven forbid, something happened to both of them (they were both Hunters whose soul focus was bringing dangerous criminals to heel, after all).
They also discussed their financial situation and Kurapika was more than a little shocked to learn that Azalea could be considered a millionaire many times over and that she was one of the richest witches in all of Europe (partially due to all of the vaults she'd claimed since she'd returned to the wizarding world but mostly because of what was left to her by both her parents and godfather).
Over the course of the afternoon, they both learned quite a bit about one another as their previous conversations had mostly been about training, duties, unpleasant pasts, and their uncertain futures while this time they'd focused on their hopes, dreams, fears, and still uncertain futures. More importantly, they'd focused on working to create a life together; one of the harder aspects of forging a permanent relationship – compromise doesn't always come easy; especially not for a pair of highly stubborn individuals used to running the whole show on their own.
Supper would be eaten on the rug in much the same fashion as their combination late lunch slash after lunch snack of fruit and chocolate; one bite at a time as they fed each other. After the meal, Kurapika produced a bottle of scented lotion and gave Azalea a massage; starting with her feet and working his way up. He paid quite a bit of attention to her belly as the twins kicked and shifted inside of her. Azalea was half asleep by the time he finished and all of her earlier frustration had long since been forgotten as he gently collected her from the rug and tucked her into their bed.
The last thing she registered before sleep claimed her completely was the warmth of Kurapika's naked body pressing close to her as he slid beneath the covers and spooned up against her before he rested one hand over distended belly.
Azalea sighed as she wearily climbed to her feet with Kurapika's help after her standard morning ritual of emptying her stomach. She was sick and tired of throwing up; no pun intended. The only positive thing about her morning sickness was that it was now strictly confined to the morning thanks to the Mother's Helpmate potion the goblins were providing for her. She supposed it also helped that she was no longer running about all over the country hunting down Death Eaters day in and day out; though, truth be told she'd stopped hunting Voldemort's minions months ago.
"Did you want me to fetch you some peppermint tea and toast?"
"Not right now… I'd much rather curl back up in bed and sleep for another day or two."
"I'd love to let you but you have your appointment with Healer Beestung and Dr. Mackle this morning and Chairman Netero agreed to meet with you later this afternoon," Kurapika reminded her gently. "I'm certainly not opposed to you sleeping for a few more hours in the mean time though. I can go through any mail you received yesterday and set aside anything that needs your immediate attention as well as check on the status of our wedding plans with Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Lupin while you rest."
"You do know that they are going to start hexing you in tender places soon if you don't start calling them by their first names soon, right? Or maiden name in Tonks's case as she'd hex you if you even thought about speaking her first name out loud. "
"You'd let them flirt with me?"
"Prat," Azalea retorted with a soft laugh as she crawled back into bed. "You're still the only one I know that considers a proper hexing to be flirting."
"Hmm, no, Mr. Lupin agrees with me and he even told me that your mother regularly flirted with your father from the moment they met and that that was why your father never gave up on your mother."
"Figures… once a Marauder always a Marauder," Azalea groused even as a smile played about her lips.
"Go back to sleep, kitten," Kurapika instructed through his chuckles as he brushed a tender kiss to her lips. "I'll wake you up a half an hour before Healer Beestung is due to arrive."
When Kurapika woke her up at eight-thirty, Azalea felt like she hadn't slept at all and would have rolled over and gone back to sleep if not for the fact that she knew she had things to do today. Sighing, she reluctantly dragged herself out of bed, took a quick shower, and got dressed in a set of the maternity clothes that Minky had either purchased or made for her (this outfit comprised of black slacks and a Gryffindor red peasant's blouse with a golden lion on the front). She then took a moment to braid her hair before she allowed Kurapika to carry her down to the kitchen so she could eat breakfast before the healer arrived.
At five minutes to nine, Azalea was sitting in the only chair in the parlor waiting for everyone to arrive.
Fawkes, who had been sent to the Association's Headquarters, was the first to arrive with an extra two passengers in tow. Azalea barely had time to greet Chairman Netero (who wasn't supposed to be there until four), Dr. Mackle, and Mizuken (who hadn't been expected at all) before Healer Beestung and an older goblin that she briefly recalled seeing at her most recent meeting with Bonerage arrived via portkey. Healer Beestung made a beeline for Azalea in order to eye the young witch critically even as Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall stepped out of the fireplace.
Azalea sighed as she eyed the small crowd standing in the parlor of the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix before she cleared her throat and introduced the arrivals to one another (only omitting the goblin names as custom dictated – as only a goblin could name another goblin without insulting the beings). She then directed the group to the drawing room and asked Kreacher to provide tea and refreshments for her guests (Healer Beestung giving a grunt of disapproval when Azalea insisted on walking the short distance).
Kurapika deflected the glare he was given by the stern healer when he calmly informed her that he consistently carried Azalea up and down the stairs (his comments promptly being translated into gobbledygook for the healer by the older goblin). It only took a few minutes after that short exchange for everyone to seat themselves and for Kreacher to provide them each with a cup of freshly brewed tea and an assortment of snacks.
"So, was there a memo regarding a meeting that I missed or something?" Azalea inquired as she tore the raspberry, almond, and white chocolate scone she'd been served into bite sized pieces and stacked them up in a pyramid on her plate (the witch still rather full from breakfast). "I wasn't expecting quite this many people to show up this morning."
"I thought I would save your friend from needing to make an extra trip by tagging along with Dr. Mackle since we were both coming to the same destination," Chairman Netero replied with a chuckle.
"I needed to discuss your upcoming N.E.W.T.s with you and clarify a few things in regards to the wedding; I thought it would be easiest to meet with you in person instead of trying to get everything ironed out in a series of letters." Professor McGonagall casually answered the moment he'd finished speaking.
"What, can't I visit my two favorite pupils?" Mizuken asked with feigned innocence when Azalea expectantly turned her gaze to him next.
Azalea snorted in disbelief before she retorted, "Your two favorite guinea pigs, you mean."
"No time tiny talk, time check babies," Healer Beestung interjected before anyone else could make a comment.
"Professor McGonagall, Fleur and Tonks are in the War Room right now; they've been helping Kurapika and I to plan the wedding and they should be able to answer most of the question you have about what plans have been made to date," Azalea stated as all three medical professionals plus the goblin translator rose to their feet.
"Chairman Netero, if you'd like; I can have one of my elves track down Remus and he can give you a bit of background information. He can also provide the magic necessary for you to view my memories of the major battles and key events that took place after I returned to the wizarding world. The only one missing is the final battle against Riddle but I can draw that one out for you later."
"That would be appreciated," Chairman Netero readily agreed.
"Dobby!"
"Mistress Azalea called for Dobby?" the excitable elf inquired as he popped into the room before Azalea even finished calling his name.
"Yes; could you please fetch my pensieve, the box holding my stored memories, and ask Remus to entertain Chairman Netero and Hunter Mizuken for a couple of hours?"
"Right away, Mistress Azalea," Dobby replied with an eager head bob before he popped away to fulfill the request.
"I suppose that covers everything… if you need anything, you can ask one of the elves," Azalea murmured before she turned to Kurapika and asked, "Did you want to stay and view the memories or did you want to sit in on my exam?"
"I'll come with you, kitten," Kurapika answered as he scooped her up into his arms. "I can always watch the memories another time but our boys will only be babies once and I'd rather not miss out on anything else."
"I'm sorry…"
"Shush, I wasn't blaming you for anything; I was merely making an observation. Now, which room did you want me to carry you to?"
"First floor, second door to the right; it's already pretty much set up as an examination room for the times when Madam Pomfrey was called to Headquarters to deal with any injuries that we couldn't treat ourselves."
AN: Sorry I couldn't get this up last weekend but Unbound Soul was hogging all of my attention as I wrapped up the current arc there. The good news is that I've finally finished that and can give my attention to a few others stories now. So, you can expect another chapter or two on this story to be posted this weekend and I'm also updating Have Fox this weekend alongside of another two chapters of Unbound Soul. Not sure which story I'll be moving onto after that though; since there's a few that could really use a little of my attention. ~ Jenn
