Hey, guys, here's chapter two. By the way, I want to mention to those who are curious that I will explain later in the story how Alice managed to stay alive and youthful for so long.
I don't OUAT, only my Oc's. Enjoy
"But it's no use now," thought poor Alice, "to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!" —Chapter 1, Down the Rabbit-Hole
After driving for a couple of hours, I finally came to the outskirts of Storybrooke. It wasn't easy to find this place by any means, but it was well worth the ordeal. Sadly, I had to resort to some of Emma's tricks to find this place (tracing her phone, for example). However, with the welcome sign to the town greeting me as I pass it, I know it was the right thing to do for my best friend's sanity. The only problem is how far the trace on Emma's new phone will lead me.
By no means am I an expert in finding people. Obviously, that's Emma's thing, not mine. Apparently, I must have jinxed myself when I thought of this since the moment I pass the welcome sign, I lose the signal to Emma's phone. Having nothing to lose, I keep driving until I pass a diner that Emma told me about, Granny's. Across the street, I notice a road leading down to a hotel, Granny's B&B. Considering how late it is, the best course of action is to stay there until morning before continuing my search for the blonde.
Riding down the cobblestone road, I find myself at a cozy inn. Silently, I thank the heavens as I grab my few meager possessions (two duffle bags with our belongings inside) as I walk to the door. Honestly, I didn't want to sleep out in the open since I keep getting an odd sickly feeling ever since I rode past the welcome sign. However, upon opening the door to the inn, I realize that the outdoors may be a better location than this. As soon as I entered, I see two women arguing at the front desk of the hotel.
"Well, what if her problems cause us problems?"
"Seriously, granny?"
"Yes, Ruby! The mayor is out for that poor girl, and I don't want to get hit in the crossfire. Didn't you hear what blondie did to Madam Mayor's prized apple tree?"
"Yeah, and I gave her a cup of coffee on the house!"
"RUBY!"
"What?! Someone needs to stand up to that woman."
As the argument continued, it became increasingly apparent who the two women were speaking of, Emma Swan. Lord only knows how much damage my best friend could have done if the law wasn't a factor. Since I wasn't in the mood to hear anyone arguing, let alone about my best friend, I decided to make my presence known. "Excuse me."
"Oh," The older of the two, granny, exclaims. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Of course not," I replied with a bite to my words, clearly irritated at the woman. Stepping up to the counter, I smack down a hundred-dollar bill. "For the coffee; your granddaughter gave, Em, and for any trouble; Emma seems to have caused you."
"Are you a friend of Emma's?" Ruby asked, handing her grandmother the bill.
"Yes, ma'am," I answer more politely. "I'll be needing a place to stay for the night. I plan on leaving at 9 am."
"Of course! Just sign this paper, and I'll grab you a key."
"Ruby!"
"What, granny? She's a paying customer. Do you want me to throw her out?"
"I- well-"
"I've never been to jail, let alone prison," I cut into the conversation. "So you can't deny me service."
Pursing her lips, the older woman understands my reference to the other day when she kicked Emma out of her hotel room. Snatching a key from the shelf, she gives it to me, albeit hesitantly.
"Welcome to Storybrooke."
Without a reply, I grab the key and walk to my room. I don't bother calling Emma as I place my phone to charge and get ready for bed.
The following morning, I quickly ready myself for the day. Sadly, when I grasped my phone, I realized it never charged. Checking the outlet, I take note everything is intact since my laptop replenished perfectly fine. I must have damaged the charger to my phone during the drive up here.
"Guess I'll have to do this the old fashion way," I mutter to myself. Grabbing my belonging, I walk down the stairs until I find the same young woman from last night, Ruby. "Hey, I'm checking out."
"Oh, okay," she mutters with a pouted lip. As she rings me up, Ruby begins to speak again. "Please don't mind what granny said. I know it was awful, but she's like everyone in town-"
"Afraid of the Mayor?"
"Pretty much..."
"Look, I don't mind, but l if she bashes Emma, then I'll have to have a word with her. I can't let anyone get away with disrespecting my best friend."
"Alice, right? Emma has told me about you whenever she's in the diner."
Smiling to myself at the comment Ruby made, I bring out my card and hand it to the woman. After she returns my card and gives me my receipt, Ruby walks me to my bike. "Hey, Ruby, do you happen to know where Emma is staying by chance?"
"Nope. We're the only hotel in town, but you might want to ask Mary Margaret."
"Right, the school teacher..."
Sensing my uncertainty, Ruby quickly speaks up. "The school is up the road and around the corner."
Thanks," I replied, waving goodbye as I drove off. Nevertheless, After driving through the street Ruby mentioned, I arrived at a different location with no school within sight. "Up the street around the corner, my butt!"
Getting off my bike, I look around and try to find anything that can point me in the location of the school where this Mary person works.
"Jolene's arts & crafts, Storybrooke dental, blah blah blah, and... Gold's pawnshop?" I mutter to myself. "I always did like pawnshops."
After locking up my bike, I walk inside the store. At first, no one greets me when I enter until suddenly, a man walks out from the back room.
"Hello, can I help you with something?" the old man asked. He's wearing a three-piece suit with a cane in one hand. His hair is a light brown, his skin as tan as mine, but his eyes are a cunning brown. A part of me feels as if I've seen someone like him before, but I can't place when or where.
Shrugging to myself, I walk until I'm standing in front of the counter of his shop. "I'm looking for the school. Do you know what direction that's in?"
"There are quite a few schools here, so you might want to be specific," the man replies, walking until he stands in front of me. The only thing separating us is the cash register and a few knickknacks. "Which one, in particular, are you looking for?"
Crap, I think to myself as the man stares me down. What school would it be? Henry is 10-years-old, so he can either be in middle school or elementary. I should've asked Ruby before coming up here! Which school it is?
"Ma'am?"
"Yeah, look, I'm sorry, but I'm not too sure."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Well, I don't know where this woman works. You see, I'm looking for Mary Margaret."
"May I know why you are looking for Miss Blanchard."
"Well, M&M might know where my best friend is. She's new in town, and not that many people know her."
"Ah, you're referring to Miss Swann."
"Holy crap, you know, Em," I breathe a sigh of relief. "Great, do you know where I can find her."
"Yes, and no."
"What?"
"I can point you in the direction of Miss Blanchard, but not Miss Swann. I have no idea where that woman is."
"Good enough for me."
"Very well," the man responds, grabbing a map from under the table. He starts pointing to it while explaining to me where certain things are. "We are here. Go up three blocks in this direction and turn to your left. The school will be two blocks up on your right."
"Thank you, Mister... I'm sorry, what is your name?"
"Gold."
"Thanks, Mr. Gold. By the way, I'm Alice Thorn. Nice to meet you."
"A pleasure Miss Thorn," Mr. Gold nods. I wave goodbye as I walk out of the shop. Before I hop back onto my bike, I grab a quick bite to eat at a local restaurant before going on my way.
Wonderland Pre-Curse
As I watch my husband pace back and forth between the living room and kitchen, my anxiety begins to grow. Jefferson has been like this for a couple of hours since I told him the truth about my past. Not sure how else I should handle this, I totter over to him and place my hands on his shoulders to stop him. "Jefferson, my love, please stop."
"How can I after what you just told me," he panics, throwing his hands into the air. His pacing continues as he begins to fidget with his hands. "I've known the dark one for years, and if he finds out that not only do I know his daughter, but I've also married and impregnated her, then what?"
"Nothing- ah!"
"Alice? Alice, what's wrong?!" Jefferson inquires as he runs back to me. I grab his outstretched hand and hold it close to me, smiling gently at him.
"Nothing, it's just our little Grace is kicking quite a stir in my belly."
Jefferson looks over me from head to toe before shaking his head in shame. "Here I am making you and our child anxious with all of my pacing. Forgive me; I lost myself for a moment."
"Do not fear, my love. I understand the shock, and I don't blame you."
"Come now, let's sit down so we may speak properly."
After leading me to our bedroom, Jefferson sits me down on our bed, and he pulls a chair for himself. Once we're seated comfortably, Jefferson places a hand on my stomach and speaks gentle words to my stomach until the child ceases her antics.
"Alice, why did you never mention being the dark one's daughter."
"Well, I thought the man I knew as my papa died long ago. Never thought he would live this long with the power of the dark one."
"What do you mean with the power?"
"Right, you don't know. Makes sense, I figure most people don't-"
"Wait, you mean to tell me the power is passed down from person to person?" Jefferson asked, fear shining in his eyes. "Will you or our child acquire this accursed power?"
"No, don't worry about our health or sanity, my love. This power is different than most. No one can teach it or pass it down. To be honest, I'm not sure of the specifics."
"I don't understand."
"Would it help if I explained again?"
"Yes, but please explain slowly and in great detail. Honestly, this is mind-boggling. I still don't understand how someone who looks younger than me is actually centuries older."
"Now you're being dramatic. I'm not that old."
"Then how old are you?"
"...I'm not exactly sure…?"
Present Time: Storybrooke
Arriving at the middle school, I walk inside and make my way to the front office. Well, that was the plan until a child smacks straight into me, causing us to lose balance. Looking at the child who also fell, my mouth nearly drops open as I come to look at the most beautiful set of dark brown eyes I've ever seen.
"I'm so sorry!" the child cries, jumping to her feet to help me to my own. "I was trying to hurry to Mr. Oswald's classroom, and I didn't see you!"
"Huh?" is the only thing I can say. I must look angry since the little girl begins to fidget with her hands, and for some reason, the small action pulls on my heartstrings. Snapping out of my stupor, I acknowledge the girl. "No, sweetie, it's okay. See no harm done!" I said, pointing to myself. "Here, let me help you pick up your stuff."
Smiling in relief, the little girl nods her head. Together, we pick up the books, and I help her to the empty classroom she was heading to before bumping into me.
"So, is everyone at lunch right now?"
"Huh? Oh, the 7th graders are, which is why I was rushing to put my things away."
"Then you're in the 7th grade?"
"Yup! I'm Paige! What's your name?"
"Alice," I reply, even as something within me nags about the child's name. As if her name itself doesn't belong to the girl. "Alice Thorn."
"Like, Alice in Wonderland?"
"Yeah," I laugh. "That's me."
"Cool, that's my favorite Disney movie."
"Really? Mine is Winnie the Pooh. Rabbit happens to be my favorite character."
"I like bunnies too. My favorite character from Alice in Wonderland, well other than Alice, is the white rabbit."
"No kidding."
"Paige?" an older woman interrupts the conversation. She has black hair in a pixie cut fashion, wearing modest clothing befitting a school teacher. "Who is this?" she inquires, crossing her arms. "You know better than to speak to strangers."
"Oh, no, Ms. Blanchard! She isn't a stranger, this is Alice Thorn."
"Alice Thorn?"
"M&M?!" I shout over the two. "So you're the chick Emma became friends with."
Instead of answering me, M&M turns to Paige to speak to her. "Sweetie, lunch is going to be over soon. Go ahead; I need to speak to Ms. Thorn."
"Okay, bye, Ms. Thorn."
"Bye," I whisper, feeling sad to see the little girl leave. Before I can think over the sentiment, Ms. Blanchard begins to speak, more at ease now that she knows who I am.
"So, you're Alice. Emma mentioned you before, but she didn't tell me that you were coming to Storybrooke."
"Eh, she didn't know I was coming."
"Oh! That explains your presence at the school."
"Yeah, sorry about this, but I didn't know how to find Em. My phone charger broke, and I don't know her new number by heart. Mind telling me where I can locate her?"
"Of course not," the petite raven beamed. "I'll do you one better, so follow me."
"Uh, sure."
The two of us walk down the hall as the teacher continues to speak. "I'm on break since I don't have class right now. I was heading to Mrs. Tweed's classroom to pick up some paperwork for one of our shared students. That's when I saw you and Paige."
"Guess my luck finally kicked in today."
"I agree," she said, leading me into her classroom. Quickly, she grabs a sticky note and pencil before scribbling her address. "I'm not sure if she's there right now, but this is where I live. You might want to check there."
"Thanks."
"No problem!"
As I turn around, I hear a quick set of steps until Ms. Blanchard is back in front of me. "Alice, I hope you don't mind if I ask how long you'll be in Storybrooke?"
"Huh? Um, I'm not sure," I shrug. Knowing how Emma and I usually hope from place to place, it's not safe to say. "Why?"
"Well, I'm hoping you would like to grab a cup of coffee with Emma and me."
I feel my eyebrow twitch at the comment, and this time I know why I feel a certain way. Mary Margaret has only known Emma for a handful of days, and she's referring to the blonde as if they're lifelong friends. She's even inviting me, the actual best friend, to coffee. Maybe I'm just being overly possessive for no reason, but the jealousy I feel is like an angry pit in my stomach.
"Sure," I grinned at the shorter female, concealing my true feelings. "I would love to."
"Great," she smiles stupidly once again, clapping her hands. "I'll see you soon."
"For sure," I beam right back at her, moving my hand in a "gee, that's swell" motion before walking away.
I conceal my irritation until I reach my motorcycle and place my helmet on my head. I hope I end up liking that woman, for Emma's sake, because this jealousy thing is not a good look for me.
Five minutes into my drive, I spot a yellow bug in the distance. It doesn't matter where in the country we may be; I'll always recognize that ugly yellow Beatle. I rev my engine, bypassing cars as I weave down the street to catch up to Emma. Once we hit a stop sign that leads to M&M's apartment complex, I swerve the bike to stop in front of Emma. It's only thanks to God she doesn't run over me.
Not even a moment passes before she realizes who I am before she hops out of the car. "Alice!"
"Emma, how you been?" I asked, taking the helmet off as I received the blond in a tight embrace. "I know it hasn't been long, but I seriously hate not having you around."
"I understand the feeling," she agrees, letting me go when we hear beeping in the background. Looking over the bug, we notice a line of cars waiting for us to move. "We should probably move the reunion to another location?"
"Where to?"
"Are you hungry?"
"Always!"
"Alright, follow me."
Nodding my head, I move the motorcycle to allow Emma some room to pass me. As we drive to the infamous diner whose owner I still don't like, I can't help but finally feel at ease. Sure, the people I've met thus far have given me some strange feelings, and this town has a depressing vibe to it I can't place a finger on, but I'm finally with Emma again.
Emma is the only friend I've had since waking up in the Hospital. The two of us went through our own versions of hell before finding each other, so we tend to stick together. It's odd to see us far from one another for more than a day or two. Honestly, we become very anxious when we're apart. I mean, given our track record, it makes sense.
Emma has been abandoned and betrayed since birth, while I was left in a ditch to die with no memories of who I am. Why in the world would we be okay being alone or separated?
My reflections come to a halt when we finally park in front of Granny's diner. However, another thought soon hits me as I rush to meet Emma.
"Dude, you mean to tell me I was so close this entire time!"
"What do you mean, Al?"
"I was staying at Granny's B&B last night! You were at the shorty's apartment. You were only around the corner, and I never knew!"
Emma gives me a deadpan look as we walk into the diner and towards the back booth. "Speaking of ridiculous things, why didn't you call me? I've been getting your voicemail all morning."
"Oh, my phone is dead. I somehow broke the charger on my way over here, and I didn't realize until this morning."
"Really, Alice, you can't go one day without breaking something?"
"Listen here, Emma, I didn't come all this way to get nagged. I came for love and appreciation."
"Pfft," is the only noise Emma can make as Ruby approaches us with a broad smile on her red lips.
"It seems you two found each other!"
"Yeah, no thanks to you! What the hell, Ruby? You sent me to the other side of town."
"Really? Man, granny was right. I'm bad at directions."
"Next time, don't hand out directions, Ru! Emma, stop laughing!"
The older woman doesn't listen as she orders our food through fits of laughter. I shake my head with a smirk as my friend imagines the run around I went through all morning trying to find her. Truthfully, in hindsight, it is comical. I probably looked like a chicken without a head as I searched for Emma.
"Will that be all, ladies?"
"Yeah, thanks, doll," I tell Ruby as I hand her our menus. The brunette walks away as Emma finally gathers enough air to speak.
"Geeze, I haven't laughed like that in a while."
"Yeah, a week!"
"Sorry, I know I should've... wait a minute, Al, what are you doing here? I was so happy to see you that I didn't even think about you being here. Alice, you have a lot of orders to complete! This is the busy season for you."
"And you expect me to do all of that while you're having an internal crisis. Em, there is no way I'm going to allow you to go through this alone."
"I'm-"
"Emma, don't lie to me. I know you better than I know myself, literally," I announce as Ruby serves us our drinks and pies. Once we're alone again, I continue, "Emma, be honest with yourself now. Do you even want to leave Henry? Can you ever move back to Boston or another location with peace at mind about leaving Henry behind"
I watch as my friend wilts before answering the question. "No, but I don't know what I should do."
"It's a good thing you have me then."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I packed our essentials and called in the moving company. I only need to tell them where to send our belongings. I also informed my customers of the latest news, so we are good to go. Em, we are back at square one, so the only question is, where to go from here."
Emma doesn't say anything for a moment before a soft look crosses her face. That's the only confirmation I need as we continue our typical procedure of setting up locations in a new city, or in this case, town.
As time passed, neither one of us noticed how late it became as we caught each other up on the latest events. At one point, we even allowed Ruby to sit and tell us the gossip around town. Well, more like I allowed Ruby to gossip. Emma always mentioned my bad habit with the rumor mill, but I can't help it. The topics are so juicy even in a small town like Storybrooke! The only reason our chat came to an end is due to the call from a nosy teacher.
"Sorry, that was Mary Margaret," Emma informed me when she put the phone away. "I didn't recognize how late it got until she called me. We should- what's with the face?"
"...nothing..." I muttered, looking away from my friend. I was hoping she would drop the subject but she doesn't.
"Al?"
"I don't like her, Em!" I whined to the other woman without hesitation. "She's so chirpy!"
"...Maybe a little"
"And nosy-"
"So are you."
"And, and, ugh!"
"I don't even know what that means," Emma groans into her hands. "Come on, Alice. She's been so helpful ever since I came to Storybrooke. If it wasn't for her, I would still be sleeping in my car."
"I guess..."
"Okay, what's the real reason for not liking her? Don't lie now."
"She invited me to coffee."
"And?"
"With the two of you."
It took Emma all of two seconds to understand what I meant before grinning at me again. "Al, are you jealous."
"Me? Always Em, 'cause who the hell is she to invite me! I should invite her!"
"Where to? Your motorcycle? Alice, she was just being nice. Don't get carried away just because she said it in an odd way."
"Whatever, of course, you would defend your new best friend."
Rolling her eyes, Emma rises from her seat to leave. I follow Emma out of the diner once I put the money on the table. As we near her bug, she continues the conversation. "Don't be dramatic. Give her a chance."
"Fine, but I'm not gonna like it."
The two of us get in our separate vehicles to drive over to Emma's temporary residence. When we arrived, the nun was already inside, ready to greet us.
"Hey, you two," M&M simpers. "I didn't realize you would be out all day."
"Sorry," Emma said. "We lost track of time."
"Something we don't need to apologize for."
"Alice!"
"No, she's right, Emma," Mary Margaret tells the blonde. "There is no need to apologize. I'm happy the two of you are together again. I was hoping Alice would swoop in soon before I had to drive to Boston to kidnap her myself. It was obvious you need her support."
"RIGHT!" I exclaimed, sitting across from the raven-haired beauty in her lovely living room. "What's the point of having a best friend if you aren't there to back each other up!"
"That's what I told Emma the other day when she claimed she didn't want to worry you."
"Wait, when did this backfire on me?" Emma asked as she sits next to me.
"Hush you! Can't you see the adults are talking?"
"Alice I'm older than you!"
"Eh, details."
"Well, I'm glad you're here, Alice," M&M cuts back into the conversation. "I'm not sure you have a place to stay, but you're welcome to stay here if you want. Emma mentioned how you two shared an apartment in Boston, so I'm assuming you would prefer to be near her like before. There isn't another bed, but I'm sure we can make do."
"Are you sure?" Emma asked. "We don't wanna be a bother."
"Nonsense! You are both more than welcome here."
Emma and I share a look when we hear this from the petite raven-haired woman. Soon we're nodding to each other, coming to a silent agreement. "We can share a bed," I informed Mary Margaret. "Emma and I have lived in cramped places before, so it won't matter to us to share a bed in the meantime."
"Great! Why don't we have a cup of coco to celebrate and get to know each other? Coco is always better than coffee, in my opinion."
"I agree," I mentioned, slapping my knee in delight. As M&M moves to the kitchen, I lean in and whisper to Emma. "I take back everything I said earlier."
"I noticed."
The rest of the night, the three of us stayed up talking until the early hours of the morning. Around 4 o'clock in the morning, we decide to call it a night. I was hoping to get a couple of hours of sleep until Emma wakes me up around 7 am.
"What?!"
"Good morning to you too, precious," Emma snarked. "Get up!"
"Huh? Why?" I asked, getting out of bed. "You can't find the clothes I brought you from Boston? I told you last night the green duffle bag is yours."
"No, I'm going to grab breakfast and buy the morning paper."
"What's your point?"
"Remember what we discussed yesterday?" She asked me, but when I didn't automatically respond, Emma groans instead. "Remember, you need a new shop for your clothes, and I need a job in order to pay rent. I know we have money saved up, but if we're going to stay, then we need to get to work."
"Ugh!" I try to jump back into bed and cover myself in the warmth of the blankets, but Emma yanks them from me. "Up, or no pancakes."
"FINE! I'm up!"
The two of us get ready for the day and head over to Granny's. We decide to walk since it isn't too far from our current location. On the way over there, we manage to grab a newspaper from the paperboy for a dollar.
"Sweet," I mentioned as I opened the door to the diner. "A buck."
"At least you didn't steal it."
"I only did that once, miss con-artist."
"Fair enough," Emma grinned as we sat at the bar. "Hey, Ruby, two breakfast platters with orange juice and coffee."
"Make it to go," a small voice joined in. Henry pops up between us with a grin of his own. "Hey, Alice, nice to see you again."
"Where the hell did you come from?"
"Don't ask; he just does that," Emma mentions before turning to the kid. "Walk to the bus?"
"Yup!"
"Alright, you coming, Al?"
"Sure," I shrugged. "Ru! Put that platter on hold."
"On it, chief!" the brunette yells back to us.
As we make our way to the bus stop, Henry begins his daily 21 inquiries. "So, Alice, are you officially a part of operation cobra?"
Without missing a beat, thanks to Emma's run down last week, I answer. "Sure am, little man."
"Great! I'll fill you in on what character you are later."
"Wait, Alice is in the book?"
"Convenient," I mutter. "Now, I don't have to wonder about my past."
"Well, I wasn't sure if you were ready," Henry informs Emma. "But now that you brought Alice in, I know you're serious about operation cobra."
"Cool, so who am I?" I ask the kid. "Jasmine? Nah, she Arabic, and I'm clearly white."
"No, you're Alice from Alice in Wonderland."
"Of course she is..."
"Hush, Emma!"
"Al, it doesn't make sense. You have black curly hair, not puffy blond hair."
"Actually," Henry begins to say. "In the storybook, I showed you, Emma, Alice has black hair."
"See! I am Alice."
"Alright, alright, I give!"
Henry and I high-fived as Emma continued to speak to the kid. I keep silent at first as I listen to the two go back and forth. I'm not sure if I agree with this whole going along with the delusion thing, but it's not my place to interfere. The last thing I want is to crush the kid.
Emma already explained how bad he has it, and I don't want to be the needle that breaks the camel's back. The first thing to do is settle down in the area and slowly help Henry. Find out why and how he's gotten this far in his delusion of fairytales, and then snap him back to reality.
Just as I was about to speak up, I observed another blonde in the distance. However, this one is different than the one walking with me. A child about 12-years-old with dark blonde hair, brown eyes, and a smile that can brighten up an entire room; stands with her friends at the bus stop. Just like yesterday, a certain fondness creeps on me, and I can't help but freeze when I see her.
"Al? Alice!"
"Huh? What happened?" I asked, looking at a confused and slightly concerned Emma.
"Henry is saying goodbye," Emma tells me, pointing to her kid. Noticing Henry staring at me with an unrecognizable look, I shake myself out of my train of thought.
"Right, see you later, kid."
Henry waves goodbye as he hops over to the bus stop, but my eyes remain on the little girl next to him instead. As if noticing my presence, Paige turns to see me. She smiles at me and waves ecstatically, causing me to return the smile.
"Who is that?" I hear my best friend ask as she turns to walk away. I remain there for a moment longer to watch the girl disappear into the school bus before following Emma back to the diner.
"I don't know."
So, that's the end of this chapter. The next one will lead into The Price of Gold episode. Just a warning I will be skipping episodes every now and then if it has nothing to do with my story. I'll usually leave a warning before doing this, but I apologize if I forget. Anyhow, let me know if you like the chapter. Until next time, bye!
