A/N… I know it's been a minute. And I know that most everyone is also waiting on a Mercward update too. However, writer's block is a very real, very fickle bitch, and this is the story that my muse decided to pursue.

See me at the bottom for a few things. I'll let you get on with it.

~oOo~

Chapter 3 – Encircled by Demons, I Fight

EDWARD

Cyrus didn't return that same night. We were closing in on a week since my arrival in Forks, and there had been no sign of him, which made me think that my assessment was correct; he would build a new pack of lycans before he returned. And that return would most likely be the next full moon.

Charlie Swan kept us on constant watch. My family and I were split up to different shifts in order to cover as much time and space that the human population of Forks couldn't cover. The Quileute wolves did the same, so most of the area was watched around the clock.

There had been no sign of Alice yet, though I was certain she knew I had rejoined the family. It had been over five years since the last time all of us were under the same roof. I missed Alice and Jasper. I missed the dynamic that all of us together brought to the table. Since hearing the trouble Jasper had endured, I worried for the two of them. I was concerned with Jasper's mental state and with Alice handling him alone. Major Jasper Whitlock had been quite the fighter when he'd originally joined the family. It had taken both Alice and me to keep him on the "vegetarian" diet, not to mention Emmett's strength.

The night was quiet and breezy as I walked the main street of Forks. Every star glowed brightly above, and I shook my head at the peacefulness of it, considering the world had come to a complete stop thanks to those stars. I passed by what looked like it had once been a restaurant or diner. It was splintered and burned, with an enormous hole in the middle.

I could hear just about everyone, including the dreamy minds of the sleeping humans. Carlisle and Esme were distant, but I could see they were on the outskirts of town near our old home. They were hunting and checking on the family home. Emmett and Rosalie were in the woods just south of the Swan home. A handful of wolves were running the perimeter between La Push and Forks, a constant drone of chatter and instruction between them.

As I passed a small church and cemetery, I caught the staticky sound of Nessa's mind from the bell tower. From what I could see, she was lost in memories of some of the people buried in that cemetery – friends, neighbors and, lastly, her mother. I decided to leave her to her memories.

Although, the blurry memory of Renee Swan was intriguing. Both Bella and Nessa looked like their mother. Brunette, fair skin, and sweet smiles. Nessa had her mother's eyes; Bella had her father's. Both of them had their mother's wicked wit and sarcasm and their father's loyalty and bravery.

The thought of Bella had me turning toward the water tower. She pulled me to her like a magnet. She was beautiful and calm, at ease in a time when we were drowning in chaos. And it seemed she knew me, which was a strange feeling not having to hide who or what I was. Since 1918, I'd hidden the monster inside, but with the changes in the world, it felt strange to be open, real.

As I neared the water tower, I smiled up when I heard her soft voice tease, "Well, hey, stranger."

Once I was on the catwalk, I said, "Hey, Bella. Anything?"

"Wouldn't you know before me?" she bantered with a wry smile.

Chuckling, I nodded. "I suppose, but I've been known to make mistakes before."

She smiled but shook her head. "No, it's quiet."

I leaned back against the tower, facing out over Forks and listening to the minds of the other guards on tonight, but nothing was out of the ordinary. Bella paced, walking slowly around the tower a few times. Her heartbeat picked up, skipping a beat or two when she'd pass me by.

"Do I make you nervous?" I asked as she made one more pass around the tower, but she came to a stop in front of me.

"No." She shook her head, her heartbeat picking up a bit again, which made me think she was lying a little. "Have you really been fighting monsters for five years?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes. It wasn't my big plan in life. It just sort of…happened." I pushed my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. Her soft laugh made me smile. "It was one thing when the meteors fell. I was trying to get by just like everyone else. But when no government took over or military set out to help, it seemed every evil creature ever created started stalking the humans who were just simply trying to survive and pick up whatever pieces they had left."

"And you have the means to help."

"I did. I do." I tapped my temple to remind her of my mind reading. "I wasn't always so noble when it came to humans, Bella. There was a time in my life that my eyes weren't golden."

"I know." She smiled when I gaped her way.

Raking a hand through my hair, I asked laughingly, "Christ, how much has my family told you?"

"Everything." She giggled adorably, shaking her head. "No, not everything, but a lot. They missed you. They talked about you so much. Especially Alice."

The mention of my sister made me smile. "Alice and I were once very close. I miss her too. In fact, I'd hoped to find her and Jasper here once you'd told me my family was here."

"Alice visits. I've never met Jasper."

I frowned at that but nodded. "And you probably shouldn't right now."

"So she says."

We were quiet for a few minutes. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. In fact, it was calm and peaceful. It was a nice change from the constant chatter both verbally and mentally that I experienced.

"When was the last time you saw her?" I asked, pushing off the tower to lean my elbows on the railing.

"Oh… Hmm… I think before the summer? She said she didn't see herself coming back until there was snow on the ground."

We were approaching the middle of autumn, so if Alice's visions stayed true, then it would be a few more months before she made another appearance in Forks.

Bella leaned on the railing next to me. "So what was your big plan in life?"

"Which life?" I huffed a humorless laugh, shrugging a shoulder.

Bella grinned. "This one? Your human one? Whichever."

"I don't know. I mean, I've been around a long time. I'm a doctor twice over. I've been to high school countless times." I glanced over to her, and she nodded, which meant someone in my family had explained how we would attend high school in order to live a normal life. "It sounds ridiculous when you think about it, but the ruse worked," I explained, wrinkling my nose at it. "Time for me stretches out endlessly. It can be overwhelming and daunting. I'm not sure I had a purpose…until now."

I grimaced at how awkward that sounded, because I honestly didn't feel a purpose until Bella. I was making my way through the old life and this new one, just trying to survive, to give help where I could, but gazing over at the mentally silent girl in front of me, I knew that my purpose was now her, Forks, this small town.

"And what about when you were human?"

My brow furrowed. "A soldier. That's it. That's all I wanted before I was turned. My parents, specifically my mother, hated the idea, but it was World War I. All my friends had joined, and as soon as I turned eighteen, I was going to join, too. But I never turned eighteen."

Bella's eyes met mine, and I wished I could read her mind. She looked confused or sad. I wasn't sure which it was. There was a major part of me that wished – more than once – that I could hear her mind. However, the reality was better. With Bella's mental silence came a peace I'd never known in a century of my being on this earth.

"I suppose you're a type of soldier now," she muttered softly, almost to herself, but smiled when I chuckled a bit.

"True," I agreed easily. "My mortality rate is at least better than it would've been in 1917."

Her giggle was glorious, and the blush to her cheeks was stunning. I felt myself drawn even more to her. Knowing that Alice had foreseen Bella as my mate made me wish to see my sister, talk to her, sort out all that I was feeling with her help. There were constant questions. Was I doing the right thing? Was I saying the wrong thing? Would this work, this relationship? Was it fair to Bella? All of it swirled continuously in my head. And I didn't have the answers to any of them.

To listen to my family, it was all normal – the nerves, the doubts, the worry. To them, her humanity was simply a necessity to meet her. Where Bella and I went from here was truly up to us – and natural. The frightening part was that it happened so fast. I was all in, though completely able to go at Bella's pace. She'd known me a week, so I couldn't exactly lay down my heart to her, despite the fact that it was hers.

Occasionally, I would wonder what it would've been like to meet this beautiful young woman another way before the sky fell. Would the pull have been the same? Perhaps we'd have met at a high school my family would've attended.

I snorted to myself at the absurdity of that notion, shaking my head.

Bella glanced my way. "What?"

I opened my mouth to say something – what? I didn't know. But two things happened.

My mind caught the panic of one of the Forks's residents, and the other was a howl. My head turned in the direction of the gate on the far side of town. That gate was being guarded by Bella's friends – Angela and Ben Cheney.

"What was that? That wasn't a wolf – or werewolf." Bella whispered.

I shook my head. "No, it—"

The eerie sound let loose again, cutting me off. I'd only encountered one since the sky fell.

"Wendigo." I turned to Bella, taking her gently by the shoulders. "Stay here. I've got to get to Angela and Ben."

"I can help."

"I know you can, but I've got to be fast."

"Okay. Go. And be careful."

"I will."

Instead of using the water tower's ladder, I leaped down to the ground, running at full speed.

Passing by Nessa at the church tower, I yelled, "Sound the bell! Far side gate!"

"On it, Edward!" she replied, and the bell started slowly, building up a bit more due to the weight of it.

I tried to mentally prepare myself for it, but I was unsuccessful. It was the stench that hit me first – like death and decay and rot. The temperature drop was another. It seemed to carry with it an icy aura. The sound of the scream echoed around me, coupled with the fierce voices of Angela's and Ben's gunfire and yells. The sheer size of it dwarfed the couple, its massive form looming over Ben as he tried to get off another shot. It was gaunt, skin stretched tight over bone with angular limbs.

"Get back!" I instructed, grimacing at the walking nightmare in front of me. "Bullets won't work. Not even silver."

"What the hell is it?!" Ben asked, trying to avoid the creature's long reach.

"Wendigo," Angela and I answered at the same time.

She turned to me. "We need fire."

I nodded her way and rushed to step between Ben and the wendigo. The creature let out its howl again. I grimaced at the thought process I was picking up – need, hunger, hatred. It wanted human flesh, and I was not human. How it knew, I wasn't sure, but it tried to remove me from its path. I was too fast for it, slicing its arm with my knife.

My silver blade would help, but Angela had been correct. This thing had to be killed with fire. I could essentially incapacitate it, but fire would end it – much like a vampire. I could hear my family drawing closer. I could fight it off, but anything I did would simply regenerate until I could light it aflame.

I glanced back to see Ben and Angela were working as quickly as they could to get a fire going with the wood they could find, but the breeze was making it difficult. A heavy punch landed against the side of my head, catching me off guard. It caused me to stumble off to the side of the road, and the wendigo took advantage, moving in on Ben and Angela. Scrambling up, I launched myself at its torso and took it to the ground before it could reach them. Claws and teeth came at me frantically, shredding my jacket and shirt. Using all the strength I could muster, I fought his arms, which landed me on my back with this foul-smelling beast looming over me. The wendigo's desire for human flesh was giving it way more strength than I'd expected.

It was desperation, pure and simple. The thoughts were centered around just how long it had been since it had last fed. I couldn't quite get my knife in position to do any harm, and when I tried, it was knocked out of my hand, sent skidding a few feet away from me. It was taking everything I had just to keep the thing at bay and away from Angela and Ben.

Suddenly, the weight was lifted off me and the creature was slammed down onto its back next to me. I was on my feet, running for my knife and joining Emmett.

"Hold it, hold it!" I grunted, dodging snapping jaws.

"I got it," he growled out through gritted teeth. "God, Ed, it stinks!"

Seeing Emmett – the strongest of us all – struggle to hold the wendigo shocked me. However, spinning the knife in my hand, I jabbed it down with all I had into the middle of its chest. The creature let loose a high-pitched howl, finally coming to a standstill.

Emmett collapsed onto his back, but I knew better. I needed that fire.

"We're not done, Emmett," I told my brother, grasping the creature's arm and dragging it along the ground toward the fire that Angela and Ben had built up to a nice roar.

"Dude, seriously?" Emmett asked, almost laughing. "But you—"

"Seriously. We have to burn it, or it'll regenerate." I gazed up at my brother. "I learned this the hard way."

Emmett flashed a grin. "Haven't we all learned shit the hard way?"

"Indeed." I sighed, jerking my chin toward Emmett for him to grab the wendigo's feet.

We lifted it up and set it down onto the fire. For a moment, the fire dimmed, but then it strengthened back, engulfing the creature entirely.

Finally, I relaxed, stepping back from the blaze as everyone in town it seemed started to join us. However, there was only one I was interested in, and I finally caught sight of Bella with her father and sister coming up the street.

~oOo~

BELLA

The stench made me gag the closer we got to the fire. It smelled like something had died days ago and was left to sit in the sun. It was eye-wateringly awful.

Following my dad, Nessa and I weaved through the residents of Forks and stopped by the fire that was burning in the middle of the street just inside the gate.

Ben and Angela looked shaken and worn out but otherwise seemed fine. Once again, my brave vampire was standing there in shredded clothes. He, too, seemed unharmed.

My vampire. My brow wrinkled at my own thoughts, but I'd come to see Edward that way. While he was friendly with most everyone in our town, he seemed to only have a smile for me. My draw to him was more than the fact that he'd saved my sister – and now two friends. He was breathtakingly handsome, but it went deeper than that.

I'd heard so many stories about him from Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, and Aliceit felt like I knew Edward already. Esme had luckily had the forethought to save photos of her family, of their travels and lives before the sky fell. And she spoke of Edward with such motherly love and respect. Carlisle always wore a sad smile when he'd talk about his "first son." It was Alice and Rose who loved to tell the most stories about him. Silly sibling stories, heroic ones, and even sad ones filled with loneliness and worry.

His family had missed him, but they always carried an air of hope and expectancy. They knew he'd come. For them, the waiting had been the hardest part. They loved him for his fierce loyalty, his brilliant mind, and his unwavering love. They worried about him, both while he wasn't with them and when he had been. He'd always been alone in a sea of couples.

I could tell they all had leaned on him, and each member of the family had their reasons.

"What the hell was that thing?" Dad asked, glancing between Edward, Emmett, Angela, and Ben.

"Wendigo," Angela and Edward said at the same time, and they chuckled a little.

Edward turned to her. "How'd you know?"

Angela, who had been a brilliant student at one time, blushed. "The library. There's a whole section on myths and legends."

Edward flashed a grin. "I would very much like to see that some time."

"Yeah, sure," she answered with a light laugh.

"I thought those were just Native American legends," Dad muttered, breaking into a laugh when Emmett wrapped his arm around Edward.

"Yeah? Like vampires and werewolves and shapeshifters?" he asked tauntingly. "Face it, Chief, you're surrounded by every damn fairy tale out there."

"Fair enough."

I couldn't help but laugh, and Edward caught my eye, wearing an adorable smirk. When he walked toward me, I stepped back.

"Wow!" I groaned, putting my hand to my nose. He smelled like the thing that was burning.

"Yeah." Edward grimaced, coming to a stop. "It's pretty bad, I know."

I gestured to his ruined clothes. "You could use some things from the trade store…again."

He flashed a quick smile. "Yes, ma'am. Please."

Carlisle and Esme rushed to us, their eyes sharp and assessing. Edward explained quickly, with Emmett helping. Esme ordered both her sons home and to the showers as soon as possible. We laughed when she told them not to touch a thing, not even the doorknobs.

After telling Dad that I was going to the trade store, I made my way down the sidewalk. Nessa went with me. I unlocked the door, and we stepped in. Nessa walked to the counter, pulling herself up to sit on top.

"You like him." The way she kind of sang that at me made me narrow my eyes on her.

"Who?" I asked, deciding to play dumb.

"Edward," she said with a boy-crazy giggle.

"Ness." I sighed, thumbing through the clothes on the racks for something that would fit the man in question. "He's only been here a week. He's polite and clearly brave. Of course I like him."

"No, no, no. You like him."

I found a few shirts that looked like they'd fit Edward and Emmett, because they both looked a little wrecked. I wasn't even sure the smell could be washed out of the clothes they were wearing. I took a slow glance around the shop, noting that we were starting to run low on a few items, which meant I'd have to let Dad know so he could assign someone to go out on a scout and scrounge trip. My thoughts trailed off when I saw my sister's expectant gaze.

"Ness, a week. That's it."

"So? Sometimes, that's all someone needs. They mate for life, you know. Like the Quileute."

"There's another point. He's…he's… immortal." I frowned at that truth, grabbing a few pairs of pants and socks and putting them in a box to carry over to Carlisle's home.

"So? I think it's sweet the way he looks at you. And you're the only one he looks at that way. It reminds me of how Jake looks at me. How Carlisle looks at Esme. How Dad used to look at Mom."

That stung a little, and I looked over to her. The teasing was gone from her eyes. We missed our mother every day.

"I don't know, Bella. It's a new world. Maybe shit is supposed to be…I dunno…this? Weird and crazy and something out of an old scary movie. Maybe we're all suppose to learn to coexist with beings that aren't exactly normal."

"Maybe that's how we survive?" I suggested. "Aligning ourselves with allies that can protect us?"

"That sounds like we're using them." Nessa wrinkled her nose at that. "Though if they didn't want to be here, they could totally leave."

I picked up the box of clothes for Edward and Emmett, and Nessa and I locked up the store.

Before we took another step, I whispered, "I do like him. And it scares me a little."

Nessa smiled. "Because it's damned scary putting your heart out there. Scarier than any fucking monster."

Grinning, I nodded. "Okay, I'm going to the doc's."

"Awesome. I need reports back if you see your vampire naked."

"Nessa!" I squeaked, shaking my head and leaving my insane sister to laugh like a loon in the middle of the sidewalk.

It was quiet on the street as I headed toward the Cullen house. Most everyone had gone back to their homes, though I could still see a few shadows around the fire down the road. I passed the clinic, taking the sidewalk up to Carlisle's front door.

Before I could knock, the door was opened. Rose stood there, wearing a small smile. "Hey, Bella."

"Hey. I brought Edward and Emmett some fresh clothes. They looked a little worse for wear."

Rose laughed lightly. "No kidding. Come on in."

The living room sat empty. Candles were lit on the mantle, as well as a fire in the fireplace. Most residents of Forks used solar power during the day and candles and lamps at night. Generators – and the fuel for them – were hard to come by, not to mention noisy, which tended to attract attention from the monsters out there. Batteries were also in short supply, so it felt like we'd slipped back into the 19th century again. Considering the state of things, it felt like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the world of Edgar Allen Poe all rolled into everyday events.

"The guys are showering. They'll be down soon. I'm sure they'll want to thank you," Rose said, silently offering me a seat on the sofa.

"I don't need to stay. I just wanted to make sure they had something. My watch was over, so I was heading home."

Rose smiled and nodded, taking the box from me and setting it down onto the coffee table nearby. "I'm sure both of them will appreciate it, Bella."

"No problem."

Rose opened the door for me, and I was back onto the sidewalk when I heard a commotion inside the house.

"And you just let her go?!" Edward bellowed.

"Edward, I'm not holding her hostage. She was tired and was going home!" Rose countered with a laugh lacing her words.

I turned when the front door opened again, with Edward in just dark jeans leaping down the steps and pulling on one of the shirts I'd brought him at the same time.

"Bella, wait!"

I came to a stop, catching sight of a still laughing Rose closing the door again. However, it was the glimpse of Edward's skin, his bare chest as he pulled the shirt on in front of me, that made my brow break out in sweat. He was lean without being skinny but muscular without being bulky. It took all I had to force my eyes up to meet golden and sincere eyes.

"Thank you for the clothes. You didn't need to be a delivery service too," Edward said, briefly glaring back at the house before turning back to me. "Please, let me walk you home."

"I'm just—"

"Please?"

Smiling, I nodded.

"Thank you. Let me grab my shoes."

Edward was gone in a flash and back out onto the porch before I could even register what he was doing. He sat down on the top step to put on some sneakers.

I chuckled a little, and Edward glanced up.

"Must be convenient to be so fast."

Edward's smile was crooked and a little embarrassed. "Sorry. I forget myself around you. If it's too much," he said, standing up, "just tell me to slow down."

"No, you're good." I smiled sadly. "I'm kinda jealous, to be honest," I admitted softly, patting my leg.

He offered me his arm, and I took it. We were quiet for a few paces.

"Are you in pain?" he asked softly.

I shook my head. "No, not really. According to Carlisle, my muscles and tendons were mostly intact after the accident, but the skin..." I trailed off a bit, frowning at the memory of the bus and fire and my mother. "I'm just never going to win any races. As I grew…"

"The skin graphs stretched," he finished for me, nodding in understanding. "In another time, that would've been a solvable problem." He seemed lost for a moment in his own thoughts as we turned up my street.

"Yeah, that's what the doc says."

He smiled at that. "The doc," he repeated with a slight chuckle to his voice. "I'm glad he was there when he was."

"Me, too. He was there when the sky fell, and he kept the few of us who had survived safe. He kept me from falling apart over my mother and from losing my leg. He got us home safe." I jerked a thumb back behind us. "Angela and Ben were two of them."

We stopped in front of my house, and Edward's head tilted a little in a way I'd quickly learned was his way of absorbing everything. He was reading minds, listening for footsteps, and smelling the air for something or someone that didn't belong. He did it a lot when we were on the water tower.

"Your sister is home," he said, smiling a little.

I glanced behind me, nodding a little and turning back to Edward. "Do I want to know what she's thinking?"

He grinned. "Jake."

"Ugh," I groaned, leaning my rifle against the porch railing and holding up my hand. "Say no more. I'm good."

Edward laughed lightly. "Yes, ma'am."

"For the record, I wouldn't want that extra sense." I smirked up at his chuckle.

"For the record, I didn't ask for it," he countered sarcastically. He turned his head toward the street. "Your father is coming."

"Okay, good. I need to let him know that he needs to send out a scouting trip for some supplies."

Edward seemed to think about that for a moment. "Bella, you make a list of what you need. I'll see that it's done. I'll tell Charlie that I can lead the scouting trip."

I smiled, shaking my head a little. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Where did you come from? And how did we get so lucky?" It was meant to be teasing, but it was mostly truth.

Edward smiled contritely, shoving his hands into his pockets and glancing down to his shoes for a moment. It seemed he was slightly uncomfortable at the praise.

"I dunno about luck, Bella," he started softly, looking away from me. "I'm a monster that hunts monsters. You know, a Judas among my own kind."

"Well, then, I guess that makes your whole family Judases." My voice was a little harsh, but I went on. "Carlisle wasn't a monster when he saved my life and the lives of my friends the day the sky fell. Rosalie wasn't a monster when she protected an entire nursery full of children from the scariest thing I've ever seen. You weren't a monster when you stopped Cyrus from killing my sister or this thing tonight from killing Angela and Ben. I see no monsters here, Edward."

I was a little upset, and Edward flinched when I started toward my porch steps.

"Bella, please."

He touched my sleeve lightly, and when I turned around to face him, he reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. The simple gesture was sweet and made me shiver a little.

"My sincerest apologies. I meant no offense." He took a deep breath and let it out, raking a hand through his still damp hair. "I've lived a long time, and for the most part, I hated what I was, what I'd become. I didn't like being different. I was turned into something that by design is a predator, Bella. We are – and we'll always be – killers. And we fight it daily."

"Humans are killers too, Edward."

He smiled sadly. "Yes, ma'am, I'm aware, but I fear every day that my being here, my family being here is dangerous, that we'll draw more monsters in—"

"Or fight them alongside us," I interrupted him.

Edward nodded. "Please understand, it's an old habit for me to look upon myself, my kind with disdain. It wasn't so long ago that we were hidden in the shadows along with the rest of the demons that are now free to hunt out in the open."

"Well, I don't see you that way. Any of you."

"Thank you. Please have patience, Bella. It's hard to teach an old vampire new tricks."

His face was too adorable with that said, and the giggle left me instantly. He smiled my way, but he took a step back when my father rounded the corner and made his way up the drive.

"Chief," Edward greeted.

"Edward, thanks for what you did tonight."

"No problem, sir," he replied. "I was just making sure Bella made it home okay. And she was telling me she needed a scouting supply run."

My dad wrinkled his nose. "I had a feeling we were due. Perhaps it would be best to wait until after the next full moon. Just in case our werewolf decides to make an appearance. Those scouting trips can last several days, depending on how far we go."

"I agree," Edward said, turning back to me. "I'd still like a list if you can."

"Okay, I'll take an inventory tomorrow."

He nodded, giving a wave. "Good night, Bella. Charlie."

"Night, Edward."

He turned and walked away, and I glanced up to my dad as I reached for my rifle.

Dad's brow was furrowed, and then he looked back to me. "I believe he's kinda sweet on you."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "So a shapeshifter for your youngest daughter and a vampire for your oldest?"

Dad snorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm not gonna lie, Isabella. This new world is strange and sometimes I hate it. But the truth of the matter is those two things have the ability to keep those daughters safe, and that is something I can appreciate. Both men have proven brave and trustworthy. Carlisle has the utmost confidence in Edward, so…" He trailed off, shrugging a little.

I wasn't really sure what answer or reply I was expecting, but that answer surprised me. Dad opened the door for me. We were met by Nessa rumbling down the stairs.

"Well?!" she asked me, wearing a ridiculous grin.

"Uh, no." I brushed by her to head upstairs to my room, and deciding to simply egg her on, I added, "Not completely naked," in a whisper on my way by.

Her laugh was slightly evil, and as I closed my bedroom door, I heard her cheer, "Well, hot damn!"

~oOo~

A/N… Okay, so I'll be putting up a playlist for this fic soon over on YouTube. Just watch for it in the next day or so under deb rotuno. Or if you follow me on Twitter or FB, I'll post the links soon.

I wish I could tell you that I'm writing normally, but I can't. And I can't make any sort of promises on an updating schedule. I could blame RL work, writer's block, stress, and probably a touch of depression at all of that fuckery combined, but it is what is. I'm still pushing through, and happily surprised when words come.

What I need to do, is thank everyone for their encouragement, reviews, and checking in. I see you. And I thank all of you for hanging in there with amazing patience.

Okay, so until next time… Mooches, Deb