Chapter 13: I Believe In You

After finishing my dinner, I returned to the washroom to do battle with Sephiroth's clothes. His trench coat was leather and would have to be hand washed, but the rest could be thrown in the washing machine, and that's exactly what I did.

Upon completing the task of riding his trench coat of dirt, I found myself cleaning his boots. They were absolutely caked in mud, not to mention marred with millions of scratches. The task proved to be more tedious that I'd first expected, and very time consuming. I did eventually finish though and I was quite proud of my achievement. They were almost as good as new…almost.

With a sigh of satisfaction I set the boots down neatly beside the couch and sought out the brush that I'd taken from the bathroom earlier. As I pulled the tangles through my hair, I sat quietly, staring blankly out the window. It would be at least another 3 hours till Cid and the others got here. That was a lot of time to waste with nothing much to do.

I stood up, my hair thoroughly brushed, and started up the stairs to my room. A cold draft met me in the door way and I realized that the window was still open from earlier. I walked casually across the room and took a moment to look outside. One more battle left, I thought. Funny how the first time we faced Jenova and Sephiroth I'd been terrified of the possible consequences, but not now. I felt confident now, I wasn't afraid of anything.

A smile crept onto my face and I shut the window, feeling another gust of cool air seize me. I turned around and my gaze drifted cautiously to the dust covered piano in the corner of my room. It seemed almost as if it were calling me, beckoning me to come. It'd been a while since I'd played and I had time to spare.

I crossed the room in three long strides and took a seat on the piano stool. My fingers ran lightly across the dusty surface of the piano cover before grabbing hold of the lower edge and lifting it up.

The black and white keys gleamed up at me, pleading to be played again. I hesitated briefly before slowly setting my hands down in position to play. The first song that came to mind happened to be a favorite of my mothers.

It didn't take me long to realize, as my fingers moved sluggishly from key to key, that I was horribly rusty. Every missed note caused me to wince, and I would have to restart. My patience was beginning to thin when finally I played through the entire song without a mistake. Now all I had to do was play it about twice as fast.

My hands were loosening up by now though and moved smoothly without error, making the music much more pleasant. It brought a smile to my face to hear the song that my mom used to play. She'd loved the piano and had always hoped that I'd take it up, which I obviously did.

A sigh escaped my lips as the tune ended and my hands slipped off the keys, and into my lap. If only I'd really dedicated myself, I might have been a famous pianist. There weren't many around, that was for sure and…it would have made my mother happy.

I shook my head sadly and stood up, nearly knocking the wooden stool over in the process. An odd sort of chill caressed my skin as I stumbled away from the instrument. My fingers sought out the small blanket that lay on the foot of my bed as I passed by on my way to the window. It offered very little comfort from the strange cold surrounding me though. Sometimes I wondered if it was just this house.

I'd have to live somewhere else, I decided in my mind. I had faced my fears for long enough.

My thoughts wandered to the other inhabitant in my house and I scowled slightly. What would we do after this? Would my plan even work? And if it doesn't, what then? I bit my lip in frustration, my teeth sinking in a little too hard and drawing a miniscule amount of blood.

"You shouldn't do that."

My heart skipped a beat and I spun around in terror, instinctively jumping back, only to drive my elbow into the windowsill. Immense pain followed afterwards and a short, muffled cry escaped my bleeding lips.

Sephiroth starting laughing at my clumsy folly, and barely had the composure to ask if I was all right.

His forced words offered little comfort and only brought out an angry glower from me, as I rubbed my aching elbow. "I'm fine, no thanks to you." I answered and mistakenly let my gaze fall to his muscular torso. My cheeks flushed red and I nearly collapsed right there, but my hand saved me from the fall as it caught the desk sitting near the window.

"What is the matter with you?" He asked, appearing baffled by my sudden lack of sense.

I chewed my lips vigorously and shifted my eyes to the floor in embarrassment. This was ridiculous! "N-nothing." I stammered and tried to look into his eyes again. Again, I blushed at the sight of his skin and I was forced to look elsewhere. Oh what I'd give to just melt into his arms right now.

"Oh." He stated suddenly, realization ringing in his voice.

I glared up at him in annoyance, having suddenly discovered my manners and sanity, at least for a moment. An arrogant smirk was plastered onto his face as he looked down at me, everything having become clear to him.

"Why do you do that?" He asked suddenly.

"Do what?" I echoed uncertainly.

"Blush every time you look at me." He answered, a flicker of a amusement shining clearly in his eyes.

My eyes narrowed instantly. "What sort of question is that? You know why!" I cried.

He grinned. "Do I?"

"You-you…you…snake!" I shouted.

"Snake?" He repeated with a chuckle. "It's a simple question, isn't it? Is it so hard to answer?"

"Because." I started while tracing the line of his six-pack with my index finger. "You're by far the most handsome man I've ever seen." I replied and looked away quickly. "Why else wouldn't I give you a shirt?" I added and giggled.

His hands closed around my wrists and pulled me against him. "Good."

A tingling sensation erupted through out my body as I rested my head against his chest. I eagerly welcomed the warmth and comfort of his skin as I rested in his arms, my eyes closing in a moment of peace. "I don't want to live here anymore." I said quietly. "I hate it here."

"We can live in my house." He replied quietly.

I looked up in surprise. "You have a house?"

He scowled. "Of course I do. Just because I worked for Shin-Ra doesn't mean I didn't have some free time, and I certainly had no intention of staying there on my off days. I had plenty of funds to buy my own place, isolated from the rest of the world and unknown to my employers."

"Unknown to your employers?" I repeated curiously.

His eyes narrowed. "Yes." He said dryly. "One has to be careful when working for slime like them. It was to ensure my privacy and the safety of my servants."

I frowned. "Servants?"

"They came to me asking for a job." He assured me. "Otherwise I wouldn't have had them at all. I prefer to live alone. They have probably left by now though. It has been quite a long time."

"I see. And what sort of house is this that can use the employment of servants?" I prodded, my eyes seeking out his.

"An old mansion from around 400 years ago." He answered.

My eyes widened. "A mansion? Where is it?"

Sephiroth eyed me suspiciously. "I don't know if you're trustworthy."

"Oh quit it!" I cried.

He chuckled softly. "It's on the edge of the sea up north, hidden by a forest that grows just beyond the beach." He replied. "I happened to come across it during one of my assignments."

For a moment I thought my heart had stopped. "That sounds wonderful." I breathed. "Is there a garden?"

He nodded. "Yes, there is a garden. I never did anything with it though since I've no interest in gardening, but one of my servants took care of it."

"What's it like?" I asked excitedly.

He frowned. "I don't know. I've never actually been inside it. The stonewall that encircles it prevents any view of the inside and the ivy trees prove to be a suitable persuasion from going in. I know that it's quite large though, since the wall seems to go forever."

A bright smile pulled at my lips and my eyes glistened dreamily as I tried to paint a picture of it in my mind. What more could I want? This was like a childhood dream come true! An old mansion by the sea with a garden out back, enclosed by a stone. "How could you not possibly go inside?"

"I never had time. You could almost say that the house really belonged to the servants since they were the ones who lived there. I myself spent most of my time in my quarters at Shin-Ra HQ." He explained. "I've never been a fan of flowers anyway."

My jaw dropped. "That's just wrong!" I exclaimed. "I love flowers!"

"Then you can have the garden." He answered. "It's all yours."

"But!" I protested. "It won't be as…romantic if you aren't there too."

His brow rose curiously. "Oh?"

"You'd come in sometimes, wouldn't you?" I asked hopefully.

He sighed. "Very well."

I grinned happily and threw my arms around his neck. "You're the best."

"I know." He answered smugly and kissed me lightly on the lips before I could reply. "You play the piano well, you know." He said, changing the subject.

"Thank you." I smiled shyly and hid my face in embarrassment. "I haven't played for a while though." I found myself lost in thought for a moment. "My mom used to play for me."

"Did she?" Sephiroth asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I miss hearing her play. After she died, I was the only one who ever used her piano. I like playing and all, but sometimes I wish she were here to play for me like she used to."

A long silenced passed as Sephiroth watched me curiously, his eyes giving nothing away as to what he was thinking.

"I'll play for you." He said suddenly.

My head snapped up in disbelief. "You play?" I gasped.

"A little, yes. It's been a while though." He answered. "Hojo had insisted that it was necessary to know music to improve my intelligence or something or other, which is how I ended up learning."

I took his hand eagerly and lead him to the piano, where he took a seat.

"What would you like me to play?" He asked.

My nose wrinkled thoughtfully. "I know!" I announced and began digging through a pile of old music. After a great deal of searching, I finally found the folder of my favorite pieces. I carefully pulled it out and handed it to him. "These are my favorite songs."

"Alright." He answered and opened the folder, taking the first piece off the top and setting it on the music stand.

As I listened to him start, I was practically waiting for him to make a mistake, not because I wanted him to, but because it had been years since he'd played. To my complete amazement he played it perfectly, without error, and the music was quite simply lovely.

He played it just as well as my mother did, if not better. I sat down on the bed and stretched my legs out, the music relaxing my muscles and mind. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the singing of the notes.

Never would I've thought Sephiroth played music, and what was even more astonishing was how good he was. He was very skilled in general though, far greater than the average human being do to Hojo's testing.

When the last piece of music was finished, Sephiroth stood up and set the cover down over the keys.

"You're very good." I commented. "Very, very good."

He turned and spared me a small smile. "Yes, I suppose so. There's nothing in this world that I cannot do better than all the rest."

I sighed and curled up into a ball. "Thank you for playing for me. It's been so long since I've heard those tunes." My eyelids drooped down over my eyes, threatening sleep.

"It was my pleasure." He said. "Tired?"

I nodded slowly and curled up beneath the covers. "A little."

"I'll be downstairs." He called on his way out.

The last thing I remember was hearing the door close with a click before falling asleep.

An hour later the insistent yelling of a high-pitched female startled me awake. My eyes shot open in astonishment, and there sat Yuffie on the edge of my bed, her eyes urgent and alert.

"Finally!" She breathed. "You sleep like the dead!"

I sat up with a groan. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

Yuffie scowled. "What do ya mean, what am I doing here?" She cried. "You called Cid, remember?"

"Yeah." I answered. "Has it really been that long?"

"Sephiroth said you've been sleeping for 3 hours." Yuffie replied and grabbed me by the wrist. "Come on, we gotta get going. Everyone is waiting for you."

I looked around in bewilderment. "Why?"

"Jenova!" Yuffie shouted and proceeded dragging me off the bed. "You better hurry up or else Seph's gonna come get you and that won't be pretty."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I growled.

Yuffie shuddered. "Dude, that guy's scary when you're not on time." She answered. "Besides, we've got to save the world again, remember? Seems like Reeve's little squads of soldiers got smeared all over the crater's floor."

My stomach churned uncomfortably as Yuffie's words formed a rather grotesque scene in my mind. "Thank you for that lovely description Yuffie." I mumbled. I attempted to separate Yuffie's hand from my wrist as she dragged me to the door. "Ok, I'm up. Let me get out a pair of boots real quick, my other ones are covered in mud."

"Hurry up then." Yuffie answered and jumped onto the bed.

I headed for my closet to get my extra pair of fighting boots, which I'd only worn once. These had steal toes like my old ones, but were all black and a little less clunky. I found them without very much looking thankfully and pulled them on. After putting them on I was surprised to find them quite comfortable. I had always been under the impression they were too small, but it had been 5 years. My memory was getting a little hazy I guess.

"Ready?" Yuffe inquired.

"Yep." I answered and headed out the door.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs I came to a halt before all of my friends, which were spread through out the living room. Half of them appeared to be sleeping on their feet. The other half were in deep conversation, or rather quarrel. Sephiroth, in full dress, and Barret had come to an obvious disagreement over something, and were not about to let it rest.

I froze still as I spotted Vincent standing on his own and sharing a quite word with Lucrecia in a dark corner of the room.

I gave Yuffie a questioning glance as she landed beside me with a loud thump.

"Oh, it was Chaos." Yuffie said in response to my puzzled look. "He needed a new host cause his old one was kinda dying or something, so he went back into Vincent and healed him."

"Healed him?" I echoed. "Chaos?"

Yuffie shrugged. "That demon's a little weird, you know? But he and Vincent seem to have some sort of strange bond, if that makes any sense. Scared the crap out of Barret and Nanaki though." She giggled. "They didn't know what to do when Chaos ran them down on their way here."

"Yo, took you two long enough." Barret bellowed.

We both whirled around, slightly startled by Barret's sudden outburst.

Nanaki stepped forward. "Are you ready to leave? We must make haste, I rather not take any chances."

I nodded in understanding. "I'm ready."

"Yeah, yeah." Yuffie shrugged.

"Good, let's get to the Highwind. We've a long night ahead of us." Nanaki replied and headed for the door with the others following at his heels.

As I started for the door I whirled around, realizing that my hair ribbon was still in the bathroom, and I hurried down the hall. To my relief it still lay on the sink with the small black materia wrapped inside it. I snatched it off the table and tied it around my hair before heading out.

Yuffie was waiting at the door when I emerged from the bathroom, her hands waving at me to hurry up.

"I'm coming." I assured her and the two of us hurried after the others.

Once on the ship I sought out Vincent and gave him a friendly hug.

Despite being slightly alarmed at first, he returned the gesture and gave me a polite greeting. "Hello Tifa."

"Hi." I grinned. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

He nodded stoically. "I am too." He replied. "It's good to be back."

"What about Chaos?" I questioned.

"He sleeps." Vincent answered simply. "His energy was wasted healing me."

"I see." I said. So it was, as always, the end of our extremely short and blunt conversation. No matter how hard I tried, I simply could not lengthen our talks further. He was far too good at ending them. "Well, it looks like Nanaki is holding a meeting." I pointed out, as everyone was collecting together to converse in the center of the bridge. "We better go join them."

"Thank you Tifa." Vincent said suddenly. "For taking my son to his mother."

I smiled in surprise. "I was happy to do it." I answered and went to join the huddle.

A good hour had gone by since we'd all collected on the bridge and conversed over the current situation. Jenova was definitely lurking about in the crater according to Reeve, and we had no time to waste. Our coarse was set for the Northern Crater, a good days flight from Nibelheim. We'd have to fly through the night and into morning before reaching our destination, which meant sleeping on the Highwind.

The majority of us were too tired to care where they slept, but Yuffie was a bit more hostile about it. Barret suggested that Cid install personal sleeping quarters for each of us after this was over for future use. It wasn't a bad idea, but the chances of us needing the Highwind again were pretty low, at least we hoped they were.

After being forced to listen to Cid and Barret complain about how old they were getting, I found sanctuary in the chocobo stables where Blade was. He was just as tired as anyone else, having ridden for most of the day, carrying both Sephiroth and myself.

I gave him a pat on the chest and kissed his beak. His eyes closed peacefully as he curled up on his straw bed. Well, at least he was tired enough to sleep, I thought. My 3 hour nap seemed to have restored me to the point where trying to sleep on a ship with no mattress was impossible. I'd have to be exhausted to sleep in these conditions, and that I was not.

I opened the door and slipped out of the stall, only to run into Barret. "Oh, hello!" I said cheerily.

"Hey, just who I was lookin for." Barret said.

"Really?" I asked in surprise. "What is it?"

Barret scratched the back of his head nervously and let out a heavy sigh. "I wanna talk to you bout somethin."

My brows knitted in confusion. "Oh, ok then."

"Ya know, ever since I met you in Midgar I sorda took ya under my wing, if ya know what mean?" He started.

I nodded in understanding. "Go on."

"I know I ain't yer father, but me an' Cid have done our best ta fill in and watch over you." He stated gruffly, his hands rubbing together as he spoke. "Now, we all be playin around with what's been goin on between you and Sephiroth, but I'm serious now."

"Oh." I stated bluntly and bit my lip. "That."

"Yeah." Barret answered. "That. Ya know, I've been tryin to figure out just what to think about all this an' I honestly don't know. I was so prepared ta hate him, but for some reason I don't."

I sucked in a quick, hopeful breath. "Why not?"

Barret sighed. "I dunno. Every time I see him, he looks so damn lost an'… almost afraid. Like he ain't know his head from his ass any more. It just don't seem like the Sephiroth we knew."

I giggled softly. "I see."

"But, I have a bit a respect for him too." Barret added. "I ain't never thought he'd have the guts to approach me an' Cid like he did yesterday. We was so surprised, we couldn't say nothin at first."

"What do you mean he approached you? About what?" I asked.

"He asked me an' Cid, as yer friends and guardians, if he could marry you." Barret replied bluntly.

I nearly collapsed due to the overwhelming astonishment and surprise that consumed me. "He didn't!" I gasped, finding the thought impossible and unthinkable, but never the less, wonderful.

"Damn right he did, and me bein the fool I am was thinking o sayin no." He said gruffly. "But, didn't take long ta get my head straight. Ain't never woulda believed he'd care bout what we thought. He's always been an arrogant sort, but he proved somethen then and it made me think, maybe he's not so bad. Ya can tell he thinks about da past and I really think dat he regrets it." Barret took a breath and cleared his throat. "I just got one question an' it probably ain't necessary, but I'm gonna ask for the sake of askin."

"Alright." I answered. "Ask away."

Barret turned to face me and took my shoulders in his hands. "Ya know, I always thought that stinkin foo Cloud wasn't good enough for you. I don't wanna see you unhappy, ya been lost fer far too long." He said. "Alls Cid and I want to know is, does he make you happy?"

"He makes me very happy." I replied and smiled.

Barret grinned. "Good then. Guess dat means we gotta go tell him that now."

In the next instant I was engulfed in a giant bear hug that came perilously close to crushing my ribcage. I ignored the fact that I couldn't breath and embraced my friend happily.

Upon finally being released I was able to catch my breath again.

"Well, then, I best get some sleepin time if I'm gonna fight tomorrow." Barret said quickly and turned to go.

He'd never been good at things like this. It was a little too personal for his tastes and too…mushy as he would put it. Still, every once and a while Barret would show the softer side of him, like now.

"Oh, and don't ya go tellin him what I just told you, ok?" He added.

I smiled. "I won't! And…thank you."

Barret smiled through his beard. "No problem, that's what we friends are here for. Ya better get some sleep yourself now."

"I will. Night!" I shouted as he left, my hand waving frantically. The moment he disappeared I twirled around in my excitement and nearly fell over. I felt this sudden, overwhelming urge to laugh out loud and never stop. How could I ever sleep like this?

After I'd thoroughly wasted all of my energy on dancing around like a lovesick child, I finally decided to head back to the bridge and try to sleep. I strained my ears to the distant sound of murmuring voices as I stepped inside. Then I noticed Sephiroth and his mother standing at the very front of the bridge with Vincent a few feet away.

Rather then make myself known I tip toed inside and made my way to the blanket pile, being careful not to trip over the sleeping lump in the middle of the floor, at the same time. Of course, Sephiroth noticed immediately that I was there and gave me a short nod before returning to the conversation with his mother. I pulled a blanket and pillow out of the pile and searched for a place to sleep.

A descent looking corner caught my attention and I started off in that direction. As I made my way there I looked about me, noticing several sleeping bodies, Barret being one of them. Nanaki was out like a light and Yuffie, I came to realize, was the person sacked out in the middle of the floor. Cait Sith was sitting motionlessly beside the door, and Cid was mumbling curses under his breath as he rolled back and forth trying, without success, to find a comfortable sleeping position.

I smirked and flopped down in my corner. For quite some time I just sat there, leaning against my pillow, listening to the soft droning of voices. The sound was almost mesmerizing and eventually it put me to sleep, for a short while at least.

When I awoke an hour or so later, I lifted my head to find Sephiroth leaning idly against the railing at the front. His eyes seemed preoccupied with something, and from the look on his face it wasn't pleasant. I got up soundlessly, letting the warm comfort of my blanket fall to the floor as I crept over to where he stood. A twinge of worry hung in the back of my mind when he made no acknowledgement of my approach. That was simply not Sephiroth like. He always knew when someone was creeping up behind him.

He didn't even turn when I placed my hands on the railing beside him. I tilted my head, studying his face closely and noticing the obvious distress that resided in his usually calm features.

Something closely resembling terror reflected in his eyes for a moment. The emotion was so strong and disturbing, coming from one such as him, that I physically jumped and my grip on the railing tightened.

His gaze turned sharply to me and immediately softened. "Tifa, you should be asleep." He said quietly and quickly turned away.

"You should be too." I answered and brushed aside a lock of silver hair that hid his left eye. He looked run down and exhausted. "Sephiroth, what is the matter?" I asked, noticing that he was shaking.

"N-nothing." He answered sharply and turned away abruptly.

"Liar." I accused ruefully. "You look like you're barely standing, why?"

Sephiroth let out a long, distressful sigh. "Jenova gives me no rest. Her presence continues to linger in the back of my mind enforcing her will upon me. I grow more tired with each hour, but I cannot rest for she is always there. The moment I close my eyes I feel her voice bellowing inside my head."

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "Is there anything that I can do?"

"No." He answered gruffly. "Go to sleep."

"But-" My voice was cut off as Sephiroth suddenly began to collapse. I threw my arms out and tried to support him the best I could, but his weight brought us both to the floor. "Sephiroth!" I gasped as he slumped to the floor, his eyes closed.

I waited for a reply, but none came. His body trembled violently as I cradled him in my arms, begging that he wake up. Fear clenched at my heart as I witnessed his expression twist into pain. "No." I whispered lamely. "This can't happen."

Minutes passed and still Sephiroth remained in his trance like state. Sweat dribbled blanketed his forehead, his muscles were completely flexed, and a grimace was etched permanently on his face. The trembling was worsening.

He was losing…

The thought hit me harshly and brought me back to my senses. I tightened my grip and brought my lips to his ear. "I love you, Sephiroth" The words were barely a whisper, but I put all of my heart and soul into them as they left my lips. "And I believe in you. So please, please come back." I clutched at the collar of his over coat desperately, tears streaking down my face. Would this ever end?

My eyes closed tightly, as once again his body shuddered in pain. There was nothing else that I could do but hope. By now my own body trembled with his, and tears soaked my clothes. I couldn't think or speak. I was paralyzed by fear and angry with myself for not being able to help.

The shivering suddenly stopped and his breathing softened to the point where it was barely detectable. The next 5 minutes felt like an eternity as I looked down at him, waiting for the worst. What if he woke up as Jenova and killed me?

I nearly suffered a heart attack when my ears detected a groan that I knew had not come from me. I held my breath as Sephiroth shifted in my arms and grasped my wrist in his hand.

"Tifa." He forced my name with great effort and attempted to sit up on his own.

His voice was pure relief to my ears, and threw my self into his arms. "I'm so glad you're ok."

Sephiroth let out a strangled cry and his eyes opened wide. "Careful!" He growled. "I'm in a bit of pain right now if you hadn't noticed."

"Oh!" I exclaimed and let him go. "I'm so sorry, it just I-I was really worried!"

He gazed at my face curiously and lifted a hand to wipe away the tears that still streamed down my face. "You were crying." He stated softly, his voice etched with sadness. "I heard your voice while battling with Jenova."

I took a deep breath and tried to speak through my tears. "I was afraid that I'd lose you. I didn't know what else to do."

Sephiroth placed his hand on the side of my face and kissed me gently. "You don't have to cry anymore. I'm alright, thanks to you." He said quietly.

"But I can't help it." I sobbed happily and buried my face in his hair.

He chuckled. "All right then. But I do wish you'd stop in the near future. You're soaking my clothes."

"Oh." I stated blankly. I lifted my head immediately and started to frantically wipe the tears away. "I'm sorry."

He smirked and intercepted my hand. "That isn't necessary. You can cry all you want if you must."

"N-no, I'm finished I-I think." I said. "I'm kind of tired though."

"I wouldn't mind sleeping myself." He said groggily and grimaced as he shifted in my lap. Without another word he rested his head against my shoulder and closed his eyes.

I gently kissed his hair and laced my fingers through his. "Goodnight."

Sephiroth mumbled something in return, but I couldn't understand a word of it for he was already asleep. He must have set a record, he'd only closed his eyes 10 seconds ago and he was already completely out of it.

I wondered briefly if I'd be able to feel my legs in the morning, being that Sephiroth was currently cutting off my circulation, but I was far too tired to give it much thought. Tomorrow was a big day and I had to get as much rest as possible.

Author's Notes: You've probably all realized by now that I love author's notes for some reason. Oh well, I like to communicate. Anyway, another chapter finally finished. I'm really sorry…again…for taking so long to get this out. I'm hoping that the next two will come much quicker, but I can't make any guarantees. So, is it any good? Drums fingernails against keyboard nervously Anyone there?

Oh, and I've had several people mention my hideous punctuation in earlier chapters, and I appreciate your comments. After going back and looking over the first few chapters I've come to realize that my punctuation was definitely bad. I just wanted to let those of you who brought it to my attention know that I took it to heart. I'd also like to thank all of you who have been sending me e-mails - I love hearing from everyone.