Chapter Sixteen: Cross the Line. 

Plans for the wedding had commenced.  There were talks of an autumn wedding or perhaps waiting until the spring.  A traditional church ceremony or something different, invitations, food and, of course, the bride's dress.

Early each morning Andromeda was to be seen pouring over beautiful photos and dress designs while she ate her breakfast, sketching out ideas for her dress - only to hide them when Richard entered the room, who teasingly made to spy on her.

'Oh, no, you don't,' laughed Andromeda, playfully slapping Richard's hand away as it inched towards her sketches.  'It's bad luck!'

'Well, we don't want any of that, do we?' Richard chuckled, before cunningly reaching around her back.

'Mum!'

Andromeda smacked her hand down on Richard's, inches from the papers.

'What did I say?' She smiled.

Richard pointed a finger at Ursa.  She giggled, peeking round the kitchen door.

'Squealer,' he said, flashing a grin.

Ursa just smiled and disappeared into the hallway.

Sirius watched her go, quietly eating his own breakfast on the other side of the kitchen.  Despite her fears about Richard, Ursa was nevertheless following Sirius' advice; don't behave like you know what he's done.  She still presented a cheerful face, speaking politely with Richard and chatting with her mother about possible dress designs.

For his part, Sirius was sticking to his original plan of keeping his distance from Richard.  Whilst finally giving up on solitary confinement, Sirius was glad of Richard's preoccupation with the wedding plans.  He didn't feel quite so vulnerable and Richard seemed more tolerant of his presence.  Richard had not voiced any objection to Sirius' return to the family fold, something that Sirius felt distinctly unsettled about but he certainly didn't complain.

But the peculiar acceptance still had its price.  Sirius had been trying, and failing, to dispel the sickening sensation in his stomach at the constant talk of 'the big day' as Richard kept calling it.  There seemed to be no words to describe the sheer dread Sirius felt at the thought of having Richard as his stepfather.

The only thing that was sustaining Sirius' sanity was the blissful realisation that the summer was nearing its end; September was barely three weeks away.  With it would come Hogwarts, and more importantly, his friends.

However, Sirius had no intention of breaking his promise to Ursa.  He was not going to allow Richard the opportunity of harming his sister.  Not if he could help it.

*

Later that morning, Andromeda went over the road to speak with Mrs. Fennel, mentioning something about bridesmaids.  Sirius returned to his room, picking up Cosmic on the way.  The cat lay peacefully on Sirius' lap, purring as Sirius ran a comb through the fur.  Finding the activity pleasantly therapeutic, Sirius leaned back against the bed, allowing his mind to wander aimlessly.

Three more weeks, that was all it was, just three more weeks.  But how many until the wedding?  Sirius frowned and sighed.  There was a pause in Cosmic's purring, but the cat carried on after a few moments, Sirius stroking him behind the ears.  A specific date hadn't been set, but it was coming too quickly for Sirius' liking.

Try not to think about it, he told himself firmly, running his hand over Cosmic's back.  The cat shifted uncomfortably.   But no matter how hard Sirius tried to forget about it, the more the thought plagued him. 

What was going to happen when Richard became his stepfather?  It couldn't go on like this forever, could it?  Constantly working to avoid him and keeping the beatings a secret?  Sirius was still at school; there was no way he could get a job to support himself if he moved out.  And that would leave Ursa on her own.  He couldn't do that; he'd sworn to protect her.  Besides, moving out would be like giving up, allowing Richard to win. 

Sirius sighed ruefully.  Why didn't anything in life ever have a straightforward solution? 

Removing Cosmic from his lap, Sirius headed off to the bathroom.  Cosmic stayed where he was, calmly licking a paw and washing his face. 

Walking back across the landing a few minutes later, lost in his thoughts, Sirius abruptly drew up short, right outside his sister's bedroom.   The door was ajar.  His sister's voice came from within, sounding muffled – and frightened.  Reaching out, Sirius pushed the door open.

Richard was sat on Ursa's bed, his back to Sirius.  Ursa was seated beside him, wriggling frantically with a sweater stuck over her head.  She gave a muffled cry as Richard took hold of her.

Without a moment's hesitation, Sirius dove forward.  Moving swiftly up behind Richard, he seized the older man by his shoulders and shoved him with all his strength.  Richard went flying off the bed, yelling as he hit the floor with a crash.  There was a sickening thud as his head smacked against the wall.  Vaulting over the bed, Sirius moved to stand between Richard and his sister.  Shaking slightly out of fear, he met Richard's enraged stare unflinchingly.

'You keep your filthy hands off of my sister,' he growled, clenching his fists.

'What the devil do you think you're playing at?' Richard shouted.  Breathing heavily, he clambered to his feet, taking a step towards them.

'Don't – touch – her.' Sirius' pale eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously.  Richard paused, his face contorting with a look almost like confusion and anger, staring incredulously at the sudden boldness of the teenager. 

Half turning to his sister, Sirius asked, 'Are you alright, Ursa?'

Ursa managed to yank the sweater off her head, her hair a frizzy mess.  Her cheeks were flushed pink.  She nodded, breathing in short gasps.  Eyes wide, she edged away from them both.

'Of course, she's alright,' Richard snarled.  'She got tangled up putting her sweater on and needed some help.'  A cold kind of smile swam across his face as he turned his gaze to Ursa.  'Isn't that right, Ursa?'

Looking over his shoulder at Ursa, Sirius took note of his sister's wide blue eyes, darting from him to Richard and back again.  Trembling slightly, she nodded. 

'You see?' said Richard coldly, drawing Sirius' gaze once more.  'She's fine.'  His expression hardened.  'Now, what – '

'I'm home!'

The front door banged shut.  Andromeda's voice called from the hallway.  'Richard?  Where are you?'

'I'm upstairs, honey,' Richard called back, a smile plastering itself over his face.  His grey eyes flashed ominously at Sirius.  'I'll deal with you later,' he hissed.  His eyes flicked over to Ursa, and he left the room.

Wordlessly, Sirius turned to Ursa.  Clutching the sweater to her, she mouthed, 'Thank you'.  She was trembling.  Sinking onto the bed beside her, Sirius wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.  Resting her head on his shoulder, Ursa soon calmed down enough to whisper fearfully, 'He's going to be really mad at you.'

'I know,' said Sirius, his voice firm, masking the fear.

'What are you going to do?'

Sirius thought fast, but no answer came to mind.

'I'll think of something,' he said.  'You stay with Mum, okay?'

Ursa nodded, slowly pulling back from him.

After a while, Ursa plucked up the courage to go downstairs.  From the upstairs landing, Sirius could hear her and their mother in the living room discussing possible colours for the bridesmaids' dresses.  Richard was busy in the kitchen, starting work on the evening meal.  Certain that Ursa was okay for the time being, Sirius returned to his room.

*

'Sirius, dinner's ready!'

Andromeda stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting for a response.  When she got none, she tried again.

'Sirius!' she shouted a bit louder.

When Sirius didn't reply, Andromeda marched up the stairs and rapped on the bedroom door.

'Sirius?  Come on, dinner's on the table,' she said, opening the door.

On the threshold, she drew up short.  Sirius was lying on the bed, half curled up on his side.  His long hair fell over his face.  He slowly looked up with half-open eyes. 

'Oh, Star, are you alright?' she asked, her voice full of concern.

Sirius made a soft noise by way of reply.  His mother knelt down beside him, putting a hand to his forehead.  He felt a little warm.

'Do you feel sick?'

Sirius nodded and closed his eyes.

'Stomach hurts,' he mumbled, 'and my head hurts.'

His mother made some sympathetic noises, brushing his hair off his face.  Quickly, she headed back downstairs, and returned a few minutes later with a glass of water and some tablets.  Sirius slowly sat up and swallowed the tablets without protest.

'That should help,' said Andromeda soothingly, taking the glass back.  She leaned over the bed to pull the curtains closed.  'Try and get some sleep … I'll come back and check on you in a little while, okay?'

Sirius nodded.  He lay back down and closed his eyes.  His mother quietly left the room, easing the door shut behind her.

Sirius' eyes snapped open the moment she'd gone.  He shifted about to find a more comfortable position.  He felt a bit guilty putting on an act like this, but it provided a good excuse to miss dinner.   Ursa would be fine; she'd understand.  She'd probably know that he wasn't really feeling sick.

Of course, being 'ill' meant going without proper meals for a while.  However …

Sirius got up and retrieved his hidden stash from the bottom of his wardrobe.  It had been there for a while, but most of it was fine.  Choosing some crackers and doughy biscuits, Sirius went back to bed, tucking them out of sight under his pillow, just in case his mother came back again. 

Cosmic lay stretched out on the end of the bed, his tail flicking about restlessly.  Mewing plaintively, the cat got up and paced underneath the window.

'Yeah, yeah, hang on,' Sirius murmured.  He sat up again and opened the window.  Cosmic sprang up onto the sill, allowing Sirius to stroke him a little, before stepping out onto the roof.  'See you later,' said Sirius, and Cosmic trotted away, disappearing into the garden.

About half an hour later, Andromeda tapped on the door and stuck her head inside. 

'How are you feeling, Star?' she whispered.

Sirius raised his head slightly off the pillow, rubbing his eyes.

'Had a nice sleep?'

Sirius nodded.

'How's your stomach?' 

'A bit better,' said Sirius softly.  'Still hurts though.'

'Do you want to try eating something?'

Sirius closed his eyes in thought, or maybe it was tiredness.  Andromeda sat on the bed next to him. 

'I could make some soup if you like,' she offered.

A frown fell over his face.  He shook his head.

'I don't want anything hot,' he murmured.  'Can I have some ice cream?' he added hopefully.

Andromeda smiled.

'I'll see if we have any.  But it'll only be a little bit, okay?  I don't want you upsetting your stomach.'

Sirius smiled gratefully and closed his eyes once more.

'Are you okay with that window open?'

He nodded, mumbling a yes.

'Sure?  You're not too cold?'

'I'm fine,' he breathed, shifting slightly to adjust the pillow.

His mother got up and went back downstairs, saying she'd be back soon. Sirius was tempted to really go to sleep this time, but his grumbling stomach urged him to stay awake a while longer; the biscuits and crackers hadn't exactly been a filling meal.

Sirius was just on the verge of falling asleep when a soft tapping sounded on the door.  Propping himself up on his elbows, Sirius was glad to see Ursa enter the room.  She was carrying a small bowl of strawberry ice cream and a glass of orange juice.

'Hi,' she spoke just above a whisper.  'You feeling okay?'

Sirius smiled.

'Yeah, I'm okay.'

Ursa set the ice cream down on the bedside table, sticking the spoon into it.

'Mum and Richard were talking about having the wedding at Christmas,' she said.  'I guess that means we'll have to come home over the holiday.'

Sirius' face darkened but he refined from saying anything.  He'd probably use a few inappropriate words.

Ursa stood there for a moment, her large blue eyes watching him in the semi-darkness.  Slowly, she held out the orange juice.  Sirius took hold of the glass, but she kept hold of it for a moment.

'I'll keep an ear out … just in case,' she said.

Giving her brother a pointed look, Ursa let go. 

'Drink it – Mum says it's good for you.'

Sirius nodded his thanks and took a gulp of the juice. 

'I'll see you tomorrow,' said Ursa, backing up towards the door.

'Yeah, see you, Ursa.'

With a brief smile and a nod, she left the room.

*

It was almost an hour later when Sirius stirred from his sleep.  After devouring the ice cream he'd dropped off.  For a moment he lay there with his eyes shut, wishing he'd fall back to sleep again when faint noises reached his ears.  He opened his eyes, peering into the darkened room.  The sounds came from the kitchen below.  Rolling over, Sirius was on the verge of dismissing the noise, when it occurred to him who the voices belonged to.  Sitting up, he listened again.

His mother's voice sounded excited.  She was speaking almost too quickly to make out the words.  Richard was with her, speaking in a pleasant tone.

Straining to hear, Sirius slowly got out of bed and tiptoed across the floor.  Grasping the door handle, he eased it open.  It made little difference.  The kitchen door was shut; the voices inaudible.  Sirius didn't dare go downstairs.  He was supposed to be sick.  Ursa's bedroom door was shut.  It was getting late so she was probably in bed already.

Closing the door, Sirius turned.  His gaze fell upon the glass of orange juice.  A smirk flashed across his face.  Seizing the glass, Sirius murmured, 'Thanks Ursa,' and quickly drained the rest of the juice.

Flipping the empty glass upside down, Sirius knelt on the floor and set it on the carpet.   Crouching over it, Sirius pressed his ear to the underside of the glass.  The voices from the kitchen became slightly louder and clearer.  The carpet still muffled the sounds, but now most of the words were audible.

'I can't believe it!' came Andromeda's voice.  'They … they've worked it out!'

'That's fantastic,' said Richard, the beaming smile evident in his voice.  'How did … do it?'

'Oh, all those failed … I did … results weren't useless … did a few … their own and discovered …' Andromeda's voice rose shrilly in her excitement.  'I think we've … this time!'

Pressing the glass harder into the carpet, Sirius strained to catch what they were saying, silently cursing the thickness of the carpet.

'Amelia called … wants me … help analyse the results … make sure.'

'That's to be expected.  Need … be sure that it works.'

'I think I'm … faint,' Andromeda laughed giddily.  '… taken so long to get this far.  I've got to go … they'll need me there.'   Her voice took on a nervous edge, like she was unsure.  'Richard, I'm sorry but I don't … this can't wait …'

Sirius grimaced in frustration as his mother moved to another part of the kitchen, her voice incoherent for a few moments.

'They're both … bed; they should be fine,' she said, clearer once more.  'I'll be … by morning, I promise.'

'You go and do whatever it is you need to,' said Richard, reassuringly.   Sirius had the impression that Richard was holding her in his arms as he said this.  'Go and make your medical discovery … have a bottle of champagne ready … you get back.'

Then came the distinct sound of kissing.  Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Sirius sat back up, rubbing his ear.  After a moment, he listened again.  Too late; his mother went out into the hallway to get her coat, Richard still mumbling something about everything being taken care of.  Bidding her fiancé goodbye, another kiss was shared and Andromeda departed, the front door closing behind her.

Getting up off the floor, Sirius set the glass on the bedside table and climbed back into bed.  He may as well go back to sleep.  Rolling over to face the wall, Sirius found a comfortable position and closed his eyes.  He could find out tomorrow what his mother was making such a fuss about.

*

A nagging voice at the back of his mind seemed to be whispering urgently to him.  Sirius ignored it for as long as he could, clutching to the edge of sleep, wanting to return to the dreamless state he'd been in.  But the voice continued to whisper, a sense of unease growing in the pit of his stomach. 

His eyes snapped open.  Staring blankly at the wall, Sirius blinked hard, trying to make his eyes focus.  The room was dark and silent.  And yet … Sirius felt a cold chill run up his spine, sensing that something was wrong.

Rolling over, Sirius' eyes managed to adjust to the darkness.  As they did so, they widened in alarm.  Opening his mouth to shout, Sirius froze as a large hand was clapped over his face, silencing him.

Shrouded in shadow, Richard's cold eyes glinted from his darkened face.

'Sleep well?' he asked, a venomous smile on his lips.

Breathing heavily through his nose, Sirius lay still, desperately trying not to panic.  His heart was pounding against his ribcage so hard he feared it was going to break right through his chest.

'Ann informed me that you weren't feeling well,' he said slowly.  'I'm sorry to hear that.'  He didn't sound it.  'Now, I have a little matter I'd like to discuss with you.  I do recall that I informed you of a certain penalty if you dared to cross the line again …'

His fear suddenly taking a backseat in his mind, Sirius grabbed hold of Richard's hand, forced his mouth open and bit down – hard.  Richard jerked back with a shout of pain, clutching his hand.  Breathing in short gasps, Sirius pushed himself up.

'You warned me, but you hurt her anyway,' he snarled angrily.  'I don't call that playing by the rules.'

Clenching his fist, Richard raised it threateningly.

'What would you know of rules?' he spat.  'Little brat … always breaking rules … and you enjoy it, don't you?  No discipline …'

Sirius made to get off the bed, but Richard stepped forward and seized a fistful of Sirius' hair.  Yelping in pain, Sirius staggered as Richard forced his head back.

'I'm growing very weary of this continuous rebellion,' said Richard dangerously.  'I won't have you interfering!'

'Keep your filthy hands off my sister and I might consider it,' Sirius growled.

He grabbed hold of Richard's huge hand and dug his nails in, hoping to make him let go.  A blur of movement – without really thinking about it, Sirius slammed his forearm down on Richard's wrist, blocking the punch, mere inches from connecting with his stomach.  Growling deep in his throat, Richard drew his fist back to try again but Sirius brought his knee up hard and fast.  Richard cried out in agony and rage, releasing his hold on Sirius' hair.  He stumbled back a pace.

A fierce pride shone on Sirius' face.  He planted his feet firmly, regaining his balance.  Through gritted teeth, Richard swore, a murderous light in his cold grey eyes.

'You like rules?' Sirius asked quietly.  'You leave my sister out of this and I don't cause any trouble … you lay so much as lay a finger on Ursa and I will 'forget' about keeping my mouth shut. Got it, Dick?'

Sirius' reckless courage faltered as Richard's face hardened alarmingly at that last comment.  With a bellow of enraged fury, he lunged.

Sirius didn't have more than a second to react.  But fear took control and he froze for that vital second, terrified.

Richard lashed out, striking Sirius around the head with his forearm.  Sirius ducked, making a vain attempt to get out from between the bed and Richard – he had no room to manoeuvre – but found himself in a headlock as the powerful arm was wrapped round his throat. 

'Ursa!' Sirius yelled before his throat could be trapped.  'URSA!'

'Scream all you want,' Richard snarled, tightening his grip.  Sirius choked, coughing weakly.  'She's sound asleep; she won't hear you.'

Wriggling frantically, Sirius struggled to get out.  A fist flew past his face, hitting his stomach a split second later.  All the wind knocked out of him, Sirius gasped in pain, and for air.  Another blow caught him in the stomach.  Falling to his knees, Sirius felt like he was going to black out.  He was choking.

Abruptly, Richard let go and Sirius slumped to the floor, his chest heaving.  His stomach lurched. Throwing up what remained of his last meal, Sirius fought for air, trying to breathe …

A foot swung into his field of vision.  It hit him in the chest.  Gritting his teeth against the pain, Sirius forced himself to roll, moving out of range of the next blow.  Scrambling to find his feet, a hand seized him by the neck of his pyjamas, jerking him up roughly.

Once more, the thick arm snaked its way around his neck, the other arm wrapping tightly around his body from behind, pinning his arms.  With no breath to shout, and barely room enough to breathe, Sirius wriggled, kicking out with his feet.

Catching Richard's legs with a few sharp kicks, Sirius felt the arms lose their grip.  Fighting harder against them, Sirius twisted and, pulling one arm free, jabbed his elbow sharply into Richard's ribs. 

The arm around his throat let go – but then a vicious blow struck his head, knocking Sirius to the floor once more.  His strength fading, Sirius tried to get up but his shaking limbs refused to respond.  He weakly raised his head, blinking hard to clear his vision.  Darkness was gathering at the edges, threatening to engulf him.

The blurry image of Richard leaned over him, swimming in and out of focus.  For a horrible moment, there appeared to be several Richards looming over him.  Sirius felt his aching lungs working frantically, air getting through in painful gasps. 

A low voice hissed in his ear, alight with malice.

'You're a plucky kid; I'll give you that.  But don't think you can get away with that kind of behaviour … you will learn to submit eventually, I'm sure.  Just remember I won't be so gentle next time …'

Those words were all Sirius heard before the darkness clouded his vision and he passed out.

*

When Sirius regained consciousness, it was to find that he was alone once more.   His body aching, Sirius lay still.  A shaft of silvery light fell across the floor and into his face.  Blinking hard, Sirius slowly raised his head, squinting against the light.

The curtains fluttered in the breeze.  It was a perfectly clear night and the velvety sky was alight with stars.  His mind hazy, Sirius' gaze moved slowly over each of the stars, their names floating up out of his memory.  The Hunter constellation seemed to jump out at him, the stars gleaming and winking down on him. 

Eyes drooping, Sirius looked to the constellation just below it.

Canis Major.

The stars there shone brightly, just like all the others.  And yet … Sirius frowned.  Blinking his eyes hard a couple of times he looked again. 

The star that should have been the brightest of them all, looked pale … weak.  Its light appeared hazy, not the strong beacon of light that Sirius had so often looked for in the sky; his namesake and guiding star.  Ever since his father had taught him the origin of his name, Sirius had taken such pride in that star, always looking for it in the night sky; it's light brighter and stronger than those around it.

Though he'd never really shared this information with anyone, whenever he felt down, Sirius had only needed to look to the star and remind himself of the qualities of it – the light was the strongest of all the stars, as though it were a reminder of how he ought to be; strong inside … to shine better than those around him …  It never failed to inspire him to stop feeling sorry for himself and to do what needed to be done.

But tonight the star shone weakly … like its strength was fading. 

Closing his eyes, Sirius shivered.  What should I do, he thought miserably.  Where do I go from here?

As though in answer, his star faded from sight, and the darkness claimed him.

*

To Be Continued. 

*

Author's Notes. 

~ Sorry for the late post, but I was unable to access the Internet earlier.  I'd also like to note that I have started my new job this week and as a result I may not always get home early enough to post the next chapter.  So I can't guarantee that it'll show up on the site until Saturday morning.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

Voltora

Sweet A.K – Orion will turn up soon, I promise!  Glad you love the story so far!

WallyTheWhale – I know it was short!  Normally I don't like having chapters that are that short, but the scene just wouldn't sit comfortably with the chapters on either side of it, so that had to be on its own.  I did try to make it a bit longer but you can't really drag something like that on for too long, otherwise it loses its impact.  But if you're waiting for a lengthy chapter then you'll love the last few – took me so long the write the final chapter I thought I'd never finish it!  ^_^

Ah, that mysterious scent.  Okay, I was tempted to drop a big hint last time, but decided not to.  However, since you're still determined to figure it out, I'll just say this – every living thing has a scent so everything that is touched by you will leave a residue of that smell on it.  Door handles, keyboard, cutlery, clothes, other people – your shoes will leave a trail on the ground that a dog could follow, and scent particles may be present on the air.  Those are day-to-day, almost 'accidental' scent trails, so in Richard's case, try not to think too much about 'how' it got there, but 'where' it is.  (Chapter 11 may help a little here.)  Sorry, if that's not particularly clear, but I can't say too much!  (I may get into trouble with my Beta!  And I'll be miffed if anyone manages to figure everything out before the last chapter.)

And no, Richard is not a house-elf!  The poltergeist theory was more plausible than that! ^_^

Don't worry about the suicide references.  I know plenty of people will make flippant or casual comments about death without meaning for it to be nasty.  I can take it as a joke, but I just tend to think twice about it that's all.

Um, this may sound like a stupid question, but does SAT stand for?   Standard something Test?  I'm just guessing.  Still, good luck with them.  ^_^

NightSpear – I got the idea of having them talk at their windows because my brother and I used to do it for fun some years ago.  There are actually quite a lot of bits and pieces of my life slipped into this fic.  Those pale orange roses Richard bought Andromeda in the second chapter?  A reference to the flowers my first (now ex) boyfriend bought me on our first date. And Sirius' comments about Ursa's birth apply to me as well.  It's just a lot of silly little things, but they're all over the place.  ^_^

Prongs4 – Thanks for reading!

Aqua-Hime – Lots of questions, and I regret to say that I won't give any answers.  Hopefully by the end everything will be explained; if not, I'll be in trouble. ^_^  I don't really write very fast.  Although the first ten chapters were scribbled down in a rough draft within the space of two weeks, typing them up and writing the rest took absolutely ages.  I've been writing Heart of a Star since last September, and the remaining chapters are still being amended and Beta-ed for the second or third time!  I didn't start posting until I was absolutely sure of the ending.  It drives me crackers when authors don't finish a really good fic because they have no idea how it's going to end.  Plan ahead people!

Christy – Yeah, I'm glad too that Sirius has the moral support of his sister, though he is indeed very protective of her.  And I'm sorry to hear about your uncle.  I don't think some people realise just how often suicides occur and the effect they have on the families and friends.

Lil Lupin – Hi Lily! Hey, you've given my 100th review! *leaps up and does the manic happy dance!*  I can only image how I'd react if I ever hit the 200 barrier.  ^_^   Think there's any chance of that happening with this fic?  There are still five chapters left.  Nah, bit too hopeful, methinks.

No, I would never have Sirius commit suicide.  Nor Remus.  I can't say that I'd never write a suicide-based fic, but I just don't have the heart to do it to those characters.  I'll torture them both if it suits me, but never kill them.  ^_^

Additional. 

Oero – Hi there, Oero.  I know you may not have read this fic, but I'll leave a note for you as well anyway, since you kindly reviewed several other pieces of mine.  ^_^  Thank you so much for reading and reviewing Tell No Lies, !  And I'll certainly have a look at that website for lyrics – that'll come in really useful, I'm sure.   My next big project won't be up for a long time, so I'll probably be posting some short pieces in the meantime, mainly songfics, so thanks for your assistance!