A/N: My computer is a piece of…poop. The contents of my entire hard drive – gone. Chapters 12 through 18 – gone. Grr. Stupid 'dread machines.' *end rant*

As always, thanks to everyone who has emailed me or reviewed – it totally makes my day. There's been lots of questions/requests about pairings: I'm keeping quiet for now, so please don't email me asking me to tell you. Just remember – anything is possible at this stage. *grin*

Disclaimer: If I were making money out of this, I would get a computer that DOESN'T refuse to type the letter 'e' at random intervals. Obviously, I'm not. Why? Because they're not mine.

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Chapter 12: Trust Issues

#Hogwarts#

The Slytherin common room was silent and cold, lit only by the flickering tongues of the subdued fire. It was well past midnight, and the members of Slytherin house had long since retreated to their dormitories, on strict orders from their Head of House. Despite the casual indifference for school rules that the students clad in green and silver radiated to the other Hogwarts pupils, disobedience was not something that one practiced in the vicinity of Snape. He was, after all, a high ranking Death Eater, knew most of their parents, and had parental consent to use whatever means necessary to school their offspring in preparation for taking the Mark.

Of course, if there was ever an exception to the rule, Draco Malfoy was it.

The Slytherin Prince lounged in front of the inadequate fire, staring sightlessly into its depths as though he could see something hidden within the flames. Without the arrogance that seemed to be permanently etched into his features, he was almost unrecognizable. Certainly none of his housemates had seen thoughtful-Malfoy-face.

Despite the concentration required for the task at hand, he couldn't help seeing huge hazel eyes and a mass of shining blonde hair swimming in his mind. Curse as he might, the image kept intruding at the worst of times. The Malfoy blood coursing through his veins was screaming. A Slytherin – a Malfoy no less – having decidedly lusty thoughts about a Gryffindor?

It was unheard of. He was Draco Malfoy, prefect and Quidditch captain of Slytherin house, Chief Scorner of Mudbloods and Gryffindors. Primed since childhood for an illustrious career tormenting Muggles, serving his Dark Lord, and whatever else it was Death Eaters did with their time.

The only problem was, Draco was no longer certain that his father's life was what he truly wanted. In fact, he didn't know *what* he wanted for his future. For the present, his only wish was to have –

His musing was interrupted by a sudden surge of flames. In an instant, his mask of cold indifference had returned – just in time to see his expression mirrored by the face that had appeared in the fire.

"Hello Father."

Lucius gave no indication that he had heard his son's greeting, his icy eyes sweeping every inch of his heir's form. Draco fought to suppress a shiver.

" Son. Have you done as I instructed?"

^I will never follow your orders like a blind Basilisk, Father.^

 It was only through years of practice that Draco managed to keep his face neutral, betraying none of his internal thoughts.

" Of course, Father. Unfortunately, there have been no signs that anything more powerful than the weakest of Muggles has arrived at Hogwarts. I request our Lord's permission to continue searching."

Draco waited in feigned anticipation for his fathers reply. ^ Our Lord? The day I pander to Voldemort will be the day I allow my skin to tan.^

Lucius's head radiated displeasure so intense, Draco could almost see it crackling in the fire. After a moment, he nodded in silent assent.

" I need not remind you how important this weapon is to our cause, Son. To fail the Dark Lord would be most foolish."

" You have my word that I will use every method available to unearth this weapon, Father. Our Lord's anger is not something I am eager to receive."

Lucius raised a sculpted eyebrow in what Draco hoped was acceptance. "Very well. I shall be in contact should we learn any more information."

^ Only then, Father? Suits me.^

Draco had a sudden thought. " Send my greetings to Mother."

Lucius did not respond, merely narrowed his eyes. The fire gave a sudden crackle, the flames receding until the grate was empty and dark. Draco felt every muscle in his body relax. His mind was blissfully empty for a moment.

Seconds later, Lily Asher was back in his thoughts.

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#Sunnydale#

Night time in Sunnydale was a dangerous place for the average citizen. In true Sunnydale fashion, the townspeople chose to ignore the whispers of strange deaths and sometimes disappearances. Parents told bedtime stories about monsters and the bogeyman to their kindergarteners; drove their middle school sons and daughters to and from sleepovers and campouts in someone else's backyard.

They warned their teenagers about the dangers of alcohol, sex, drugs, and cutting through the cemetery on their way home from the Bronze – in typical rebellion, the quiet in any of the many cemeteries was often disturbed by groups of frightened girls and strutting boys with something to prove.

Tonight was no different. Eyes gleamed among the trees as an unassuming couple strolled through the sea of marble and granite, the girl giggling nervously as her boyfriend released her hand to pluck a fresh flower from a fallen graveside arrangement. Presenting it to her with a flourish, their lips met for a moment in a chaste kiss which quickly turned into something more passionate. Silently, figures began to creep towards the oblivious pair, golden glints flashing in their eyes. One of these night creatures tapped the dark-skinned boyfriend on the shoulder politely.

"Scuse me sir. Sorry to bother you, but we're new here, and we were wondering if you know where we can find something to eat?"

A scream pierced the air, and the man smiled, pointed teeth glinting in the moonlight as the fragile-looking girl struggled against the two men who held her captive.

"Well, look at that boys. Meals on Wheels."

Her boyfriend, pinned in a similar fashion, struggled weakly, pleading desperately.

" You're hurtin' her! We got money, if that's what you're after. Take it, man. Just let her go. I'm beggin' ya."

Their eyes widened as the men before them turned into something worthy of a late-night horror movie. The girl began to sob, going limp in her captors arms. Her long brown hair fell from her face, revealing a smooth, creamy neck. The vampire holding her ran his tongue over his fangs in anticipation.

" Can I eat her now, boss? Bet she'll be sweet as sugar…."

The leader of the group eyed the boyfriend, who was staring in horror. He leaned close to his frightened meal.

 " Hey, don't be scared. It'll be over in no time. Won't hurt a bit." There was a sickening crunch of bone as the boyfriend shook off his captors and put his fist through the lead vampire's nose, borrowed blood spurting from the wound. The vampire was dust before the blood had a chance to hit the ground.

Gunn grinned, wiping his fist on another vamp's shirt an instant before he drove a second stake home.

" You're dead wrong, man. It's gonna hurt a helluva lot." There was silence for a moment, before all hell broke loose.

***

Two figures perched on a marble headstone a short distance away, keeping a careful eye on the fighting. Armed with stakes, a crossbow, and a razor sharp sword, they were ready to jump into the fray at a moments notice. Fortunately, their co-workers appeared to be holding their own rather nicely, Gunn's hubcap axe glinting in the moonlight as yet another vampire lost his head. Cordelia raised an eyebrow in scorn.

 " They actually fell for the helpless-couple act? Is it just me, or is the undead population of this town dumbing down?"

Angel nodded his head automatically before considering her statement. " Hey! How about some respect for the undead?"

Eyeing a vampire who had just managed to spear himself  through the stomach on a broken tree branch, and was now struggling to get free, Cordy grinned. "You want me to respect Impale-o Boy over there? Puh-lease." Angel just looked at her with injured-puppy eyes. Fighting back laughter, the Seer imitated his expression, pouting for added effect. In the background, the sound of fists on flesh continued, occasionally punctuated with a growl from a member of the undead party. Seeing that Angel was about to launch into full brood mode, Cordelia changed the subject hastily.

" So where's Wes tonight?"

" Researching with Giles and the others. Giles thinks he has a lead on the prophecy." Angel replied, flinching in sympathy as Fred drove her foot into an unsuspecting vampire's crotch. His eyes caught Cordelia's for a split second, before the Seer looked away somewhat guiltily. It was well known among her friends that hiding the truth was not one of her best features – and yet, they had managed to keep her vision of Buffy from Angel so far. From the suspicious look she was getting, it looked like he was about to ask –

" Cordelia, is there something you're not telling me?"

Damnit. Angel was looking expectantly at her, waiting for a response, and she couldn't lie to him anymore. She opened her mouth, dreading the reaction – in the cemetery, while a fight was going on was not the setting she'd imagined. Stalling, she peered past Angel toward the battleground, only to see a fresh group of vampires arrive on the scene. Her eyes widened as the largest of all approached Fred, who had lost her stake.

"Angel...." Following her gaze, he was on his feet in an instant, sword drawn. Cordelia couldn't help sighing in relief as she picked out a vampire and dove into the fight. Crisis averted once again.

***

Gunn felt, rather than saw Angel and Cordelia enter the fight. The tension in the air increased suddenly as the vampires recognized him. Murmurs began to permeate the fighting.

"Angelus."    "Scourge of Europe."    "The Ensouled One."    "Companion of the Slayer and defeater of our kind."

" Y'know, he's just going by Angel now." Cordelia piped up helpfully from behind a cloud of dust. The mention of Buffy seemed to fuel Angel's fury, his sword slashing viciously at the vampire who had spoken. Gunn and Cordelia exchanged a swift glance which was cut off by a salivating vampire trying to bite the Seer's neck.

Cordelia spun away from him, dodging as he tried to grab her.

"Hey! This isn't a snack bar! Wait your turn!"

With Cordelia distracted, Gunn turned toward Fred, who had just raked long nails across the face of a particularly beefy specimen. Clutching his cheek, the vamp howled in fury, one powerful fist lashing out. Before Gunn could go to her aid, he found himself surrounded by the remainder of the original vampire group, three vampires livid at the loss of their leader.

The fight had been hard, and Gunn was tiring. These vampires, obviously smarter than your common garden variety creatures of the night, had retired from the fray to a crypt nearby to wait out the fight. They fought at full strength, although without a great deal of skill, and the odds of three on one weren't helping matters.

A savage right hook to Gunn's jaw had him seeing stars, and his precious axe was wrenched from his grasp. All three of his friends were fighting for their lives, and even through the haze Gunn could see that Fred was quickly losing ground. Her small build meant she could duck and weave around her bulkier opponent, but her movements were slowing, allowing the vampire to connect his blows.

Drawing from his years of street fighting experience, Gunn delivered a powerful round-house kick into the gut of the smallest vampire, sending him flying into the path of the vampire who was swinging his hubcap axe experimentally. Unfortunately for the smaller vampire, the axe was outstretched at exactly the right angle to sever his head from his body. One down.

 Startled, the surviving vampire threw up his hands and the axe went flying, sending shards of granite from a nearby gravestone ricocheting through the air. Gunn dove toward it, the vamps close on his heels. To his relief, his fingers grasped it firmly, and he rolled quickly away from the headstone, just in time to see one of the remaining vampires crash headfirst into it.

His stake was poised. Two down.

In front of him, he could see Cordelia and Fred fighting back to back, neither really advancing on their opponents. Gunn knew Angel had been teaching Cordelia how to fight, and he supposed she had picked up at least something from Buffy during her years in Sunnydale. Fred; forced to defend herself in Pylea from God knows what, had some decent basic fighting skills but nothing spectacular. Neither had the strength needed to fight for extended periods of time.

 Had they had a supernatural advantage the two would have been a formidable team – but, like Gunn, they were only human, and therefore had to do the best they could with what they had. For now, that was simply defending their lives and protecting each other until they had an opportunity to kill.

He focused his attention on the remaining vampire, who appeared older and more experienced than his companions. He also liked the sound of his own rasping voice.

" The seal has been broken. A great power will be unleashed  upon the land. Mortals will suffer and die, and we shall be crowned the superior race for all eternity. The Dark Lord is coming, and you shall bow down before him and call him your Master…."

Gunn held up a hand. "Y'know what? As much as I like havin' your spit spray all over me, I got other stuff to do. Can we just fight now?"

The vampire growled, and began moving. Circling each other, Gunn noticed a peculiar amulet hanging from a heavy chain around the vampire's neck. It was a dark metal symbol of some kind, with a faint greenish sheen. Squinting in the darkness even as he cursed cemeteries for not having better lighting, Gunn could faintly make out a snake, and some kind of…skull?

"Nice bauble you got there. Where'd you get it, the city dump?"

Obviously offended, the vamp sprang toward Gunn, a cold fist catching him on the side of the head. Blinking, Gunn's vision cleared in time to see a grimy boot heading straight for his face. Not wanting his nose knocked through the back of his head, he ducked, feeling the edge of the boot graze across the top of his head. Before the vampire could react, Gunn clamped his hands around the still-swinging leg and pushed up with all his might.

A roar echoed among the trees as the vamp spun heels over head in mid air, landing with a bone-rattling thud on the ground. He lay still. Gunn hesitated to slice through his neck, instead ripping the amulet and chain from the unconscious vampire's neck and fastening cold hands securely behind his back.

Rising stiffly, he looked up to see his three friends watching him silently. Cordelia and Fred were either side of Angel, who appeared to be holding them upright. All three were smeared with blood and covered in vamp dust. Gunn supposed he didn't look much better. He nudged the vampire's body with his boot.

" Lets see if we can get some answers to our questions, *my* way."

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#Hogwarts#

Inside Dumbledore's office, there was plenty to gawk at.

The room seemed immeasurably cluttered, and yet there was the sense that each object had its rightful place. Mysterious objects of all shapes and sizes buzzed and whirred, and every now and then one would emit a high-pitched whistle.

Fawkes the phoenix perched in his usual place, keeping a watchful eye over the room and occasionally shedding  red and gold feathers that floated lazily to the floor.

Faint whispers could be heard from the portraits hanging on the wall, past Headmasters discussing everything from the weather to the current price of dragon eggs on the Chinese black-market.

With all the commotion around him, Dumbledore could have easily been distracted from his task. Fortunately, spending decades as the occupant of the office had much improved his concentration skills. Never once had he considered moving anything to another room.

Deep in thought, the Headmaster sat at his desk, the Pensieve beside him a whirl of silver liquid. Occasionally his wand would go to his temple and another silvery strand would be added to the glimmering mass. Beside him, Fawkes tucked his head securely under his wing, preparing for sleep. Dumbledore let the final strand drop from his wand and with a gentle flick the Pensieve returned to its place against the wall. Without looking up from his desk, he spoke, his voice resonating through the room.

"Something on your mind, Severus? Have a seat."

From the doorway, Snape stiffened in surprise, then entered. A squashy armchair appeared in front of the Headmasters desk, and Snape settled into it rather awkwardly, sinking into the overstuffed cushions. Briefly, he wondered how he would extract himself from it, before his mind returned to the issues at hand. Dumbledore beat him to it.

" You're here about Miss Asher." It was more a statement than a question – Snape was well aware of Dumbledore's perceptive nature.

" Among other things, Albus." There was a comfortable silence in the room for a beat, before he continued. " I have been observing her for some time since her arrival at Hogwarts, and it strikes me that she is far more than she appears. For a student her size, she is remarkably strong. She also possesses fighting skills far more advanced than any of the Magical Combat League; and within two days of the Boggart attack, her injuries – which were rather severe – had healed entirely."

A smile creased Dumbledore's wise face. " Something for which we are all thankful, yes? Certainly Miss Asher would agree that these skills are quite useful, even if she does not yet know what they truly mean. Is there anything more that you have noticed?"

Indecision fluttered across Snape's face, before he spoke again in a halting voice.

" From the moment she entered my classroom, I could sense a great deal of power within her, unlike any I have seen in a Hogwarts student. The other students, even the most powerful, pale in comparison. Yet their power is different in some way. There was something within Miss Asher that I…"

Dumbledore fixed his eyes on Snape's. " That you recognized, and perhaps identified with. Severus, you saw dark power within Lily, did you not?"

" There is immense darkness within her, yes. It is something that she seems completely unaware of – almost as though it has been pushed into submission by another force. The puzzling thing is that her power splits into two distinct parts. One is enshrined in her very heart and soul, is a large part of who she is. The other I believe is new. It is similar to that of wizarding folk, but at the same time slightly different. Strangely, she was not born with either of these powers – they were merely given to her. Combined, they are a force to be reckoned with."

The Headmasters gaze was unwavering, and slightly disconcerting. Snape had to resist the urge to look anywhere but into Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes.

"You came here tonight to ask whether Miss Asher is a danger to our school, Severus. You are an excellent judge of character, and so the question I ask you is, what do you believe?"

There was a pause as Snape appeared to consider this, although he already knew the answer. Finally, he spoke.

"She is not dangerous. Not at present. But for someone so young to have so much dark power, and to be untrained – she would make a formidable enemy should Voldemort learn of her presence." Something suddenly occurred to him. " You indicated at the staff meeting that she was in need of our protection. Even then, you sensed it within her. Yet you did not think to warn the staff?"

" I have known since the moment she was found that she could be in great danger. I trust my staff unquestionably, Severus, but there are some things they do not need to know. Lily herself is unaware of her destiny at present, and you cannot deny that my telling the staff would have made her situation even more difficult for her to handle."

"So you thought it best to allow someone with her power to remain among the students, when she has no knowledge that it exists, and furthermore no control? Albus - "

Dumbledore raised a hand, effectively silencing Snape's protests. His voice was calm.

" The night of the Boggart attack," Snape flinched at the memory, but the Headmaster continued, " did you notice anything…change…when Miss Asher began to defend herself?"

Unsure of where this was leading, Snape answered slowly, deep in thought. " At first, her – I will call it wizarding power – was dominant, then as the skill with which she fought increased…" He looked at Dumbledore with widened eyes. " The other power seemed to take over."

The Headmaster looked as though all his birthdays had come at once, his eyes twinkling. "Then it is safe to assume Miss Asher does indeed know how to use her power – she is just unaware that she *has* it. Which, unfortunately, is something she will have to learn for herself – provided Miss Granger does not get there first."

" Albus, this does not change the fact that - "

" Miss Asher is a Slayer." Snape blinked, mouth gaping. Chuckling, Dumbledore continued. " Severus, I advise you close your mouth, this room does tend to attract small flying creatures and swallowing one would not do much for your health. Yes, you heard correctly. Frankly, I am surprised that no-one save myself has figured it out yet."

Silence. Snape seemed incapable of forming a sentence. Of all the things he'd considered, that was the last thing he'd expected.

"B-but Slayers are a myth."

"In the wizarding world, yes. There has not been a Slayer capable of doing magic for over a thousand years. The Slayer – essence, if you like – has a tendency to choose Muggles for it's own reasons, which the wizarding community saw as a great insult at the time. As a result, the legend of the Slayer has become that – a legend. Until now. Severus, despite what you have read; the legend is all too real, and currently asleep in Gryffindor house."

Even in his flustered state, Snape couldn't help but scowl at the mention of Gryffindor. If the Headmaster noticed, he chose to ignore it.

" It is said that the origin of the Slayer essence stems from a dark power – but the Slayer herself is a force fighting *against* evil. She is trained from the moment she is called to maintain the balance and protect the innocent. It does not matter where her power comes from, but how she uses it. In this case, Miss Asher has spent a measurable part of her former life fighting against evil – and even now when she cannot remember having that power, she can still access it when the need arises."

Suddenly, Snape thought back to the fight with the Boggart. The moment Lily had begun fighting, her Slayer power had flourished, becoming more prominent as the fight progressed. She had seen the Boggart as a threat, and as such her untapped power had reacted accordingly to protect whatever was necessary. New understanding dawned in his eyes, closely followed by confusion.

" Can we not just tell her that she is this Slayer?"

Dumbledore's reply was instantaneous. " I believe there is a reason why she was sent to Hogwarts, and part of that reason is that she was slowly losing herself - losing sight of what it means to live, to fight for a cause rather than fighting because one is required to. Losing her spark, as one might say. Would you deny her the chance of regaining that spark in order to feel more secure? Trust me when I say I would not allow her to remain if there were any chance of her becoming dangerous."

Snape nodded slowly, trying to process what he had just been told.

" I don't need to remind you that this must be kept quiet from everyone – staff and students alike. When she is ready, she will remember."

There was a pause as Dumbledore seemed to search for words.

"Now, Severus, about this Death Eater issue…."

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All the things weighing me down inside are gone. The doubt, the pain, the hopelessness. The need to be wanted, to be trusted. To be loved.

I don't need that stuff now, cos I got Him. Surrogate father number two. He's not like the Mayor – like Dick – and I don't want him to be.

Dick had this killer smile that made you want to trust him right away. He was the kind of father that all the Boston kids wanted, and no-one ever got. The rich kids had their lawyer daddies, the kids in between had their sugar daddies, and us? We had our unemployed, blind-drunk-by-nine-AM daddies.

Better still, none at all.

Back in junior high, we had this teacher – I think her name was Gladys - who said we were flowers waitin' to open at the first sign of the sun, share all our beauty with the rest of the world.

She lasted a whole week before she got packed off to some fancy private school. Gotta love the public school system – she wasn't even supposed to teach us in the first place. Another screw-up in a queue of failures that stretched longer than the line at the local bar on a Tuesday afternoon.

After that, classes and homework and all that junk kinda lost their appeal, y'know? I still went, if only to avoid the old bag at the truancy office, but I kept hearing those words, remembering how we felt for that instant – like suddenly the smog had cleared and we could see the stars.

Remembering walking through that door the next day thinking I could do whatever I wanted to with my life….and seeing some nasty, grey-haired fossil writing grammar rules on the board like we were five again.

I'm getting off track. Things get all cloudy in my head these days –  lots of new stuff.

Dick had his faults. The wicked freaky germ thing, his zero tolerance for leather and cigarettes and piercing *anywhere*. His choice of ties. The fact that his major career goal was to become a big honkin' demon and munch on the entire population of Sunnydale.

Despite all this, I think I loved him. I know he loved me.

There was this one time - he'd sent me out to kill a Vortach demon that was dripping slime all over the 'Dale Civic Centre. I got back real late, covered in goop, and he was still in his office - plastic spread on the floor for easy clean up - waiting to hand me a towel. He said it then.

"Faith, sometimes I just love you."

I swear, the rush that went through my body – un-frickin-believable. Made me feel like I *mattered* to somebody for the first time in forever.

That was then.

With Dick, it was like the world outside kinda dimmed. Everything I saw, everything I did – it was all still there in my head.

Meeting Tom made everything disappear. Before Tom, there was pain, and hunger, and torture. Someone in a freaky black cloak told me that Tom saved me – kicked the ass of whoever had me, and brought me here – the Manor.

This guy who works for Tom is letting me crash here. Didn't catch his name, but he has these icy grey-blue eyes, and this is his house – no, mansion. The first day, I slept, they said. Recovering from whatever those bastards did to me in the cell.

Ice Eyes has a wife – I think he called her Narky. When I was up and out, wandering the halls, I saw her in the library. Her eyes are blue, and equally as unreadable as her hubby's.

That night was the only night I got to eat in their big dining hall. Narky sat at the other end of an incredibly long table, so far away I was tempted to yodel down at her. I'm not great with table manners. I don't see the point in eating with four different forks when one works just fine.

 I guess I did something wrong, cos Ice Eyes brings me my meals himself now. He said it's for the same reason he locks the doors to my wing – in case the people who captured me try to come back. I feel safe here. I don't want to leave.

Something in me is all edgy – maybe because of the mini-demons with big bat ears running around. I'm not allowed to kill them, Ice Eyes says.

It *is* kinda trippy the way they do everything I say though. There are two that Ice Eyes said are *mine*. Nobody ever let me have a pet before, not even a fish, let alone a  mini-demon who can talk and float stuff and disappear.

Tom comes a lot, appears out of nowhere as if by magic. There must be a secret door somewhere. He tells me how well I'm doing. Doing what? All I do is sit around all day, and sleep all night.

Barely even that. I don't think I've been sleeping well lately – I always wake up more tired than I started. Tom says it will pass, it's a side effect of something the bad guys were giving me. If I ever find those rat-bastards, I swear I'll… I dunno.

Now that I'm safe, and protected, and loved, I have all I'll ever need. Who needs the outside world? They're the ones that dragged me down. Didn't trust me. But I gotta let go of that.

I can't help thinking about Gladys, standing in front of a class of bored fourteen year olds, so eager to make us see that we could *be* someone. Kinda like the movie – can't remember the name - with Whoopi Goldberg as a nun, except without the singing. Makes me hum off-key just thinking about it.

See, what she didn't realize was that there *was* no chance for sunshine. We all had our own little clouds around us that blocked out the sun. Our flowers never even got a chance to poke their heads out from the concrete and rubbish – we were doomed before we had begun.

Jeez, I'm waxing all poetic.

This life, the one I got now, is all that matters. Tom's nothing like Dick – as far as I can tell he has no world domination intentions, for a start. He's *better.*

With Tom to guide me I just know I'm gonna blossom.

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A/N: Faith muse, stay down! *grin*

 I'm just going with the flow here really. Did it work? As always, feedback is very much appreciated, and flames are bad karma that will come back and bite you in the ass.

Ciao!