In the kitchen, he opened the cabinets searching for something to eat, for he'd prefer not to go down to the cafeteria until things were more settled. He wasn't looking for a fight, but he sensed that should he show his face there, the scene would not be friendly. No, a fight was the last thing he wanted.
He found a box of pancake mix in the cabinet and looked at the directions. He remembered this stuff. Once upon a time, he'd made pancakes every Saturday morning for two friends with names he could not recall. A girl with an eye patch, and a big man with dark skin. His posse. Somewhere, he had friends . . . and what were their names? Try as he might, he couldn't remember their names, though their faces were clear enough. He'd have to ask Quistis if she knew anyone he might have hung out with before Ultimecia had taken over his life.
Quistis appeared in the doorway of her room, her robe wrapped tightly around her body. Seifer noted that she appeared as though she'd slept little, and her eyes were red rimmed and puffy from crying. "Hey," he said. "I'm making breakfast. You hungry?"
She gave him a weak smile and nodded. "I'm going to take a shower," she said and yawned. "Save me a few."
"Sure thing," he said, and he returned his attention to the small stove.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door, and Seifer called for the person to come in.
Squall entered and stood in front of the closed door without speaking.
"You just going to stand there, or did you need something?" Seifer asked.
"I need to talk to Quistis."
Seifer jerked his head towards the bathroom door as he expertly flipped a pancake. "She's in the shower."
Squall eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" Seifer replied, amused. "You hungry? I've made plenty."
"No thanks," Squall said. He still stood at the door, looking uncomfortable.
"Well, have a seat or something. Help yourself to the coffee."
Squall hesitated for a second, then he poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. Again, he said nothing, but he seemed to be studying Seifer with a deep interest that Seifer found disturbing. "What?" he asked, annoyed.
"This amnesia thing is for real?" Squall asked.
"Would I have a reason for lying?"
"Maybe."
Seifer turned to him and glared. "Hey, it wasn't my idea to come here, so if you want me gone, just say the word."
"Quistis would have my head if I did that," Squall replied. "Cid too. So whatever I may think is irrelevant."
"Who is Cid?" Seifer asked as he poured pancake batter into the hot pan before him. "I don't think I know him."
"Headmaster Cid?" Squall asked in disbelief.
"I don't remember a Cid. But then, there's a lot of things about this place I don't remember, so that's not saying much," Seifer said and he glanced at the young man beside him. "I don't even remember how we scarred each other."
Squall reached up and ran his finger along said scar and chuckled to himself. "We were training."
"Seifer, do NOT injure your partner while training."
For a second, Seifer wasn't sure if Quistis had spoken these words aloud or if he merely heard them inside his head. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that she had not yet emerged from the bathroom. From behind the door, he heard the sound of a blow dryer and shook his head. Must have been his memory teasing him again. "I read somewhere once, that if two people spill each other's blood and live, they're bound together for life. Either in friendship or hatred."
Squall stared at him and crossed his arms against his chest. "Your point?"
"Well," Seifer began as he turned to face the shorter man, "I don't really want to be your enemy. I know we have been in the past, but things are different now. I'm different. So, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to let the past stay the past."
"I don't have friends I don't trust."
"Didn't say I want to be your friend. I just said I don't want to be your enemy," Seifer replied. "Speaking of friends. Would you happen to know the whereabouts of a couple friends of mine? A girl with an eye patch and a big guy?"
"You mean Raijin and Fujin?"
Seifer smiled as he heard their names. His posse. "That's
it," he said and nodded. "Where can I find them?"
"Don't know. They left SeeD a while ago," Squall said.
"You might ask Selphie, though. She keeps track of those things."
Seifer searched his memory for someone named Selphie. He recalled a girl from the orphanage gang with that name. She was the girl who'd always wanted to play war with the boys. Seifer found he couldn't picture what she looked like now, however and he shook his head at Squall. "Don't remember Selphie."
"Don't worry. If I know Selphie, she'll find you before you find her."
Quistis chose that moment to exit the bathroom. She was in her SeeD uniform and a pair of heels, which made her appear even taller than she was. The short skirt revealed a lot of leg, and he hid a smile as she approached the table and began to sift through the stacks of paper for something. "Hi, Squall," she said, though she didn't even look at him. She was distracted by her task.
Seifer noticed her face was a bit flushed, and there were dark circles under her eyes. He felt guilty for keeping her up, and he hoped that there would be no further night terrors. Well, at least not ones that might wake her in the dead of night.
"You're late," Squall said and tapped his watch.
"Sue me," she retorted and Seifer couldn't help but laugh at her response.
"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Squall commented, and he ducked in time to miss the paperweight Quistis hurled at him in frustration. "Maybe you should take the day off."
"I'll be fine once I have some coffee," she fired back and she poured most of the pot into a large soup mug. Then, she placed her hand against her forehead and closed her eyes as if she had a headache. "Seifer, I'm going to have to take those pancakes with me. Can you fix me a plate to go?"
Seifer nodded and began to prepare her plate.
"You look like hell," Squall told her as she continued to sort through a stack of file folders. "Go back to bed. I don't want you pitching things at me all day."
"Squall, I'm already dressed and I have a lot of work to catch up on," she protested, and then stifled a yawn.
"I got Xu to do it while you were gone," Squall said. "There's not much for you to do. Besides, it snowed all night long, so we're pretty much stuck here. All missions are postponed."
"I'm sure I have phone calls to return," she said indignantly.
"Phone lines are down," he said. "The weather knocked service out some time last night."
Quistis burst into tears and sat down in her chair at the table. Seifer wondered what was going on with her and decided it could have been any number of things. Lack of sleep, any part of last night, PMS, sexual frustration, caffeine depravation or any combination of those. As far as Seifer knew, any reason was a good enough reason for a woman to cry.
Seifer felt bad, so he left the counter and knelt on the carpet before her. "Quistis, I think you should listen to him. You look like a train wreck."
"But . . ." she protested.
Seifer looked up at Squall for help, but realized he'd get none. Squall merely shrugged his shoulders and said, "Whatever."
"Thanks for your support, man," he told Squall, who looked a bit amused by the situation. Reluctantly, he scooped Quistis up and carried her to her room, and tried in vain to dodge her slaps of protest.
"Put me down!" she cried and she dug her fingernails into his arm.
"OW!" he cried and he dropped her onto the bed. "What did you do that for?"
"I am perfectly capable of walking, Seifer Almasy!" she cried.
"Fine, I'll remember that next time," he said dryly. "Now, quit acting like Rinoa and go to sleep."
Quistis picked up a pillow and hurled it at him.
It missed him, and he shook his head. "Stop it!" he growled. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but I think you need some sleep, so lay down!"
"You are not in charge of me," she replied, "and you can not boss me around."
Seifer crossed his arms and looked down at her. "I can when it's for your own good."
"How would you know what's best for me?"
"I don't, Quis," Seifer said, "But I can tell by looking at you, you need some rest."
Quistis got to her feet and pointed her finger in his face. "Listen here! I can do whatever it is that I please . . ." Her voice grew weak, and her face drained of color.
Seifer thought she was about to faint, so he grabbed her around the waist. He noticed a intense heat radiating from her body, as if from fever, and he grew concerned. "Quis, you'd better sit down."
"I'm . . . fine . . ." she said, and her words were thick. She tried to fight away from his grip, but then she leaned into him heavily, as if all the strength had left her.
There was something about her color that bothered him. Her cheeks were bright pink, as was what little exposed skin he could see. He lay his hand against her forehead and was startled to feel how warm she really was.
Seifer glanced into the living room, where Squall stood watching the scene with a smirk on his face. "I'm glad you find this so amusing," he said to Squall, as Quistis practically collapsed into his arms, "but would you mind giving me a hand?"
Squall's smile faded and he entered, looking alarmed. "What's wrong?"
"Feel her head," Seifer commanded.
Squall touched his hand to her cheek and recoiled as if her skin had burned him. "Better get her to Dr. Kadowaki," he said with a sigh.
Seifer picked her up and followed Squall to the infirmary, where he placed her gently on the examining table.
"What's the trouble?" Dr. Kadowaki asked as she placed the stethoscope in her ears.
"Fever," Squall said.
"Alright, I'll take it from here. You boys wait outside," she said and nearly pushed them out the door.
Seifer wanted to protest, but he knew better than to interfere. All he could do was sit on the bench outside and worry about her. Squall was kind enough to wait with him.
"That explains the tantrum," Squall said as he sat down beside Seifer.
Seifer nodded and crossed his arms. "Hope she's ok."
Squall looked at him and studied him with an intensity that unnerved Seifer. After a few moments, Squall finally spoke. "Quistis is . . . fragile, emotionally speaking. Don't do anything to hurt her."
"Who said I planned to hurt her?" Seifer's ears stared to burn, and his cheeks warmed despite his best intentions.
"Nobody," Squall said. "But if you do, you're dead."
As they waited for news on Quists' condition, Seifer and Squall discussed the orphanage and Garden to pass the time. Despite what Squall had said earlier, Seifer could tell his companion was warming to him considerably. Perhaps, they could be friends after all. Maybe not the best of friends, but at least friendly enough to carry on a conversation. Seifer found this promising, and he hoped it was the first step toward being accepted again. If the commander accepted and forgave his crimes, perhaps everyone else would too.
But Seifer knew he'd never really been accepted, rather he'd been feared, even before the whole mess began. Well, some things hadn't changed. As they sat on the bench outside the infirmary, Seifer noticed the way people looked at him. Nearly every one that passed gave him a look of either loathing, or of fear. It made him a little uncomfortable, but he guessed it was something that couldn't be helped.
Squall sat beside him in silence for a while, and he stared blankly at the wall in front of them. He seemed to be contemplating something, but whatever it was, he didn't share. If Seifer remembered nothing else about Squall Leonhart, he would still know him for his lack of forthrightness. When he spoke, he was blunt, but that was only when he cared to talk. Seifer wondered what went on inside the man's head and what it was he was thinking about.
Then, he remembered, Squall often had to be prompted, or else he'd lose himself in thought.
"What?" Seifer asked.
"I was just wondering what you remembered of Ultimecia."
A sharp, searing pain ripped through Seifer's head and he groaned. He placed his hands on his head and took several long, deep breaths. The pain subsided, and he closed his eyes. "She's the one thing wish I had forgotten."
"You have nightmares about her?"
Seifer nodded and felt a stab of pain behind his eyes. This was not a conversation he wished to have, but, he guessed he'd eventually have to talk about it, despite the physical pain it brought him.
"Rinoa does too," Squall admitted. "Even now, they're as bad as they were when it was all over."
Against Seifer's will, his thoughts turned to Ultimecia, and his head
felt as if it might explode.
As it turned out, Quistis had pneumonia and a middle ear infection, which had caused her to run a fever of 104.4 degrees. She spent a week in the infirmary and three days following that on the couch in her room. She'd never been sick like that in her life, and she blamed it on spending so long out in the cold. All of her friends visited daily in the infirmary, but Seifer had visited her the most. Once she'd returned to her room, he'd made sure she was comfortable, brought her things and even cooked for her. It was easy to become annoyed with him, for he was there every second, and he wouldn't go away.
Quistis spent what time alone she'd had in the infirmary confused about her feelings for Seifer. She didn't understand why she suddenly felt so enamored of him, yet his very presence irritated her to no end. She deeply regretted letting him get so close, and she'd never meant to spill her guts to him. All she'd intended to do was stay and comfort him. The funny thing was, once she'd needed the comfort and he'd offered it, she ran like a scared child. He'd hinted at having feelings for her, and that had made it all the more frightening. How was it even possible for him to feel that way about her?
Unless....he'd always felt that way.
But then, what of his fling with Rinoa? Had that merely been a summer crush? Rinoa had though herself in love, but somehow, Quistis doubted that Seifer had felt the same way. But, Seifer had given Rinoa his ring . . .however, it had been three years now since they'd even been a couple. And their romance had only lasted the duration of a summer.
It was winter now, and things were different.
Quistis was so confused. She didn't know what it was that she
wanted, especially when it came to matters of the heart. What
exactly was this that she felt? She had no way of knowing one way
or the other, but she knew she'd enjoyed the way he'd kissed her, even
if she'd enjoyed it for all the wrong reasons.
On the eleventh day, she felt well enough to report to work, but Squall insisted she take the rest of the week off to get better. "Just take it easy for a few more days. I've got everything under control," he'd told her. "Xu's handling things just fine."
"Squall, I'm going to go crazy with nothing to do," she told him.
"Seifer will keep you company," he replied with a wave of his hand. There was something in his eyes that irked her, as if he knew something she didn't.
"When will there be a room available for him?" she asked.
"We're working on it. Garden's at full capacity right now," he said and patted her on the shoulder.
Quistis returned to her room with great reluctance, for she knew he'd be waiting there for her. She liked him well enough, but the constant doting on her was really starting to get on her nerves. It was sweet of him to be so kind, but there was only so much of it she could handle. He didn't understand that she needed to be alone, and he wouldn't let her do a thing by herself.
He was definitely not the Seifer he used to be. That Seifer would have cared less if she were dying, and he probably wouldn't have helped her if she'd been bleeding to death. Quistis had to admit, she almost liked him better that way.
Almost.
When she opened the door, she was surprised to find that the rooms were empty. On the coffee table was a note.
After a while, though, she discovered that she was lonely without him there. She'd gotten used to the company, and now that it was gone, she missed it a little. Despite how irritating it was to have him around all the time, she couldn't help but feel alone all of a sudden. A month ago, she wouldn't even have noticed that her room was empty.
As she lay down on the couch, she was still felt confused about her feelings, and she wished she could talk to someone about it. She doubted that her friends would understand, though. Rinoa was still leery of Seifer, and even a bit afraid of him, and Selphie, well, she'd start planning a wedding or something. Squall was the one she needed to talk to about these feelings, since he was the most like her, and he'd already been through it, but she didn't want to go to him. Squall had never been accessible in that department, and she doubted he'd be able to articulate what he wanted to say. And Zell? She might as well write him off. Everyone had pretty much made nice with Seifer during her illness, except for Zell. There was no way she'd even get him to listen to her.
Her only other option was Irvine. At least he'd listen and try to understand. Of all of them, Irvine was the one everyone trusted to give them sound advice concerning love. He was the most experienced and the most wise when it came to relationships, and he almost always made sense. Still, she was a bit reluctant to go to him, since she'd never done so before. She just knew everyone else did, and that if anyone would remain neutral, it would be him.
She shook her head and picked up the phone to call Irvine.
Irvine arrived with a bowl of home made chicken soup that Selphie had sent to help her get better. "Hey darlin'" he greeted and gave her a friendly hug as she let him in. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thanks," she said and smiled.
"Glad to hear it. You had everyone worried there for a while," he said as he took a seat on the couch and tipped his hat back. "You said on the phone you needed to talk. I'm guessing it's about a guy."
Quistis blushed. She didn't know what to say, or even how to start. Finally, she nodded and sat down, still not able to say what was on her mind. This must be how Squall feels, she thought.
"Seifer?" Irvine guessed.
Quistis felt her ears burn, and she stared down at the carpet. "Seifer," she confirmed.
Irvine cleared his throat. "I know you and I have never talked about this stuff before," he said, "and frankly, I'm a bit surprised that you came to me."
"Why?"
"I just didn't think you'd want to."
Quistis favored him with a weak smile. "You're the only one I can trust not to laugh at me, tell me what I want to hear, or try to make my decisions for me."
"I wouldn't do any of that," he promised. "Now, tell me what's going on, and I'll see what I can do to help you."
She told him everything, even about the kiss and her reaction to it. Irvine listened intently, never daring to interrupt or voice his opinion. Talking to him was different than talking to her girlfriends. He actually listened, and Quistis found the more she talked, the more able she was to express herself. "So, what do you think? Am I crazy?" she asked when she finished.
"No, I wouldn't say you're crazy," he said and he patted her hand.
"Well? What should I do?"
"This is a tough one, Quis," Irvine said and he leaned back into the couch. "I'm guessing you're afraid to let him get too close, because if he gets too close, he might break your heart. Am I right?"
Reluctantly, she nodded. He had her pegged. Was she so easy to read?
"Like I told Squall once, you're just going to have to risk it. If it doesn't work, you cry for a few days, pick yourself up and move on."
Quistis thought on that a moment. It made sense, but likely, it would be easier said than done should she try and fail. Rejection was something she found hard to deal with, and with good reason. She'd never quite gotten over being taken in by a foster family when she was a child, only to be rejected and sent to Garden after a few months with them. "And what about these feelings I have? Is it a matter of convenience, or something more?"
Irvine flashed her a secretive smile. "Well, whatever it is, it goes both ways."
"What do you mean?"
"Quistis, that boy is half in love with you, if not already completely so. Are you so blind that you can't see it?"
"No," she said in a quiet voice, though her heart pounded in her chest. Then she looked up at him, serious as could be, she asked. "Do you think we could last?"
For a moment, Irvine thought, and he rubbed his chin as he contemplated her question. "Two years ago, I would have said absolutely not. But it does make sense now. He's grown up a lot. And look at the couples around you, Quis. I'm laid back, while Selphie's high strung. Squall's an introvert, while Rinoa's Little Miss Outgoing. Seifer, he'd be the brawn to your brains, if you know what I mean. He's your polar opposite, the yang to your yin, so to speak."
"So you're telling me to go for it."
"Nope," he said. "I think you should hold off for a bit. Seifer's the kind of guy who likes a challenge. I say you give him one."
Quistis smiled a little, and then laughed. "Because if I'm a pushover, he'll get bored."
"Exactly."
Quistis never got the chance to employ her new tactics. That evening, before Seifer had returned, Squall arrived with Nida and Xu in his wake. His face was grim as he entered her room, and he looked at her with sad blue eyes. "Where's Seifer?"
"At work," she said. "He should be back soon. Why? What's wrong?"
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to arrest him," Squall said, and Quistis saw that there was regret in his eyes.
"For what?"
Squall sighed and looked at the wall behind her, rather than at her. "The World Treaty Organization got wind of his presence here. He's wanted for high treason for his role in the Second Sorceress War. They want .... to execute him, Quistis."
Quistis felt all the blood drain from her face, and she was forced to sit down on the floor at Squall's feet. This was shocking news and she wanted to scream at him for going along with it, but she could not manage to get a single word out. She was having trouble enough breathing. Silently, she hugged herself and rocked back and forth as tears began to roll down her face.
Executed? Had he already been judged? Would there be no trial? Quistis found it hard that the WTO would execute Seifer, or anyone for that matter, without giving them the opportunity to explain their actions. She thought about this, but she didn't say anything because she was too stunned to speak.
"Quistis, I'm sorry," Squall said. "You and I both know what he did, and he has to pay the price."
She looked up at him, not able to believe what he'd said. "You know he acted against his will," she whispered. "Did you tell them that?"
"Nothing I say matters. I harbored a fugitive. They won't listen to anything I say," he said and he crouched down beside her. "I'm sorry about this, but maybe it's for the best."
Quistis stared at him through her tears. "How can you say that?"
"Because, Quistis," Squall whispered so that the others wouldn't hear,
"he'd only hurt you."
When Seifer walked through the door, he knew something was up judging by everyone's long faces. "Did someone die?" he asked as he set his keys on the table and looked around at the small gathering in the living room. Quistis' face was tear stained, and her eyes refused to meet his. "Quistis? What's wrong?"
"Seifer," Squall began as he got to his feet. His face was apologetic, and Seifer knew before he said a word what was going on. They were going to arrest him. He could see it in Squall's eyes.
Seifer stared not at Squall, but at Quistis, who sat unmoving on the couch. "Quistis?" he asked, but she would not meet his eyes. "Damn it, Quis, look at me!"
"Seifer," Squall said again and he approached slowly. "We're going to have to take you into custody. You're wanted for treason."
Quistis closed her eyes and put her face in her hands, but she didn't say a word of protest on his behalf. Seifer didn't understand why she would be party to this, and it infuriated him that she'd sit silently by and let them do this. "You knew about this, didn't you Quistis?" he spat out as he took a step towards her. "You brought me here so that they could arrest me!"
She looked up at him then with wounded eyes. "No," she whispered and she shook her head.
Seifer wanted to believe her, but he couldn't. "You tricked me into coming back!"
"Seifer, I never wanted this to happen!" she screamed at him.
"Almasy, we can do this the easy way," Xu said as she unsheathed a pair of nunchaku, "or we can do it the hard way. It's your choice."
Seifer felt trapped. If he ran for the door, they'd strike him down. He hadn't trained in two years, except for the monsters he'd killed the day he returned, and he was certain he didn't stand a chance against them. But, he'd sooner die than go to prison. He would have preferred to stay on the streets than be caged. As he contemplated what to do, he stared hard at Quistis who pleaded silently with her eyes for him to understand.
"What's it going to be, Almasy?"
He looked at Xu then, and he saw the perverse pleasure that she didn't even try to mask in her cold brown eyes. "You're getting off on this, aren't you Kushimura? I bet you've been waiting for a long time for another chance to humiliate me."
Xu gave him a cool smile.
"Seifer, no one's enjoying this," Squall said and he sent Xu a seething look of reproach. "Believe me, I don't want to arrest you, but I've got no choice."
"Bullshit!" he roared and he turned his angry face towards Quistis, who's face was streaked with tears.
She got to her feet and moved toward him, not afraid of his anger. "Seifer," she said softly. "Go with them. Please."
Maybe it was because of the look in her eyes as she spoke to him, that Seifer's will to fight suddenly drained from him. As much as he didn't want to be locked behind bars, he knew he was defeated and that there was no way he could get out of this. He stared down at her and saw all her regrets in her tear-filled eyes, and he felt like crying a little himself, but what little pride he had would not allow it.
Seifer had regrets of his own, and Quistis was one of them. Never should he have allowed himself to care about her. He should have known that she would betray him like this. Her kindness was too good to be true, and some part of him had known that from the start. All the signs were there. She had been the one to persuade him from his sidewalk home. She had been so insistent that they return to Garden. Her overwhelming generosity was just a means to get him back in their clutches. And her reluctance to let him get close, that was a sign too. Why let him into her heart if they were just going to put him in a cage? The worst part about it, was that he'd bought into it, and he'd hoped that maybe his life would change for the better. But it had all been a joke at his expense.
What he didn't understand was why they'd waited so long to arrest him. Why had they let him think he was their friend? Why had they acted as if they'd forgiven him his sins? They had let him get comfortable. They'd let him start to care again. Was this their way of getting back at him? If so, it seemed a cruel thing to do to a man who'd been broken in half, hollowed out and in dire need of help. He imagined that they'd all laughed behind his back as they watched him appreciate every little guesture and suck up every bit of attention they gave him.
Defeated, he held his hands out to Squall, though his accusing eyes never left Quistis' face. He felt the cold metal against his wrists and he heard the snap as the cuffs were fastened, but he didn't look down. He saw only her beautiful face and the tears that flowed down her pale cheeks. Even as he was lead away, he turned his head so that he could see her eyes that expressed every emotion with such clarity now, when before she'd masked her real feelings behind cool professionalism. He didn't understand what that meant, but he didn't care anymore.
Quistis had betrayed him. And he'd thought he was in love with her. What a fool he'd been to think she'd actually love him back. What a silly, sad, pathetic fool he was.
What he didn't know, was that the second the door closed behind him,
Quistis Trepe collapsed to the floor and sobbed harder than she ever had
in her life.
***Notes***
Thank you so much for your reviews! I wasn't expecting such a response, especially since there hasn't been much reviewing lately! *Hugs reviewers*
Sooooo.....the story continues. You didn't think they'd get together so easily did you?! They must be put through hell first, as in any good love story. This is my answer to the reviewer who called this 'fluff'! *L* Actually, this was planned out, and is in no way a response to said review.
I do have a dilemma in writing this, however. Before, I was considering a set of side tales relating to "the Devil's Playground," but I realized that it might be easier to do that here. The problem is, there is soooo much ground to cover between this point and the events described in that story. Like, twenty some odd years......so what I was considering was that this become a two part thing eventually. I have the next several chapters for this planned out, but at a certain point, there's this mundane period of time in which I think it's best I skip over. Part two would be marked by several points of view, rather than just that of Quistis and Seifer, and some of the events will overlap. Basically, part two will start just before the events in DP and tell that story from different points of view. I don't know yet how far into it I will go.....IF I go that far at all. I may end it just before DP starts so as to avoid any spoilers to that story for those of you who wish to wait. *sighs* Writing is a curse! BAH!
On a completely unrelated note....what the hell happened to my story 'Broken Wings?!" The quotation marks have been replaced by some weird ass symbols, as have all the apostrophes! FUCK! Now I'm going to have to repost every single chapter I wrote! Hmph....stupid computers...... and if I have to repost, that means I'm going to have to re-write......*mutters curse words under her breath*
Oh well.......
Again, THANK YOU for your reviews! If you keep reviewing at this
pace, I will be one happy writer! (my notes are getting far too long....)