Chapter 11
The mantle clock in the study was striking 5 o'clock when Jack finally finished his preparations and made his way back upstairs. He walked gingerly into the bedroom making sure to avoid the floorboards that creaked if he stepped on them. He looked down at his beautiful Michelle. She was all curled up as if she was cold. He silently cursed himself for not putting an extra blanket on her when he left the bed. He hated to think that she had been cold. She was a strong woman and he knew that and liked it, but by the same token, she was as delicate as a flower and he wanted to protect her. He stepped out of his slippers, stripped off his robe and got back into bed with her. Michelle stirred as he pressed his body against hers and put his arm around her.
"Jack?" she said sleepily.
"I'm here, Sweetheart," he told her as he kissed her.
"Did you get up for something?"
"I thought I heard a noise downstairs," he lied, "but it must have been the wind. Go back to sleep, Honey."
"Okay," she whispered and without another word she went back to sleep.
Jack smiled. He hadn't slept at all yet and he wasn't even sleepy. This was just like Christmas when he was a little boy. He, like most children, would lay awake all night listening for Santa Claus. Tonight he couldn't wait for morning, not because he wondered what was waiting for him under the Christmas tree, but because he knew what he had put under the tree for Michelle.
When Jack first got out of bed a few hours earlier he headed straight for the kitchen. He had been hatching the plan since he knew that they were stranded in Washington and he had finally perfected it over the last five or six hours. Once in the kitchen, he pulled out his mother's old cookbook. The book was over 50 years old now. She had gotten it as a wedding present and had used it until the pages were dog-eared and faded. Over the years he had gone back and found some of her favorite recipes and had started making them himself. But there was one that he couldn't bring himself to make.
It was a recipe for a raisin and nut roll that Ellen Bauer made every year for Christmas. When Jack was small he would help her knead the dough and then he would sit in the kitchen and wait for it to rise. She would let him mix the raisins and nuts and cinnamon and sugar. They would roll it out together and Jack would sprinkle the nut mixture on top. He would watch anxiously as his mother rolled it up and shaped it into a crescent. After baking she would drizzle it with a light icing. Jack thought it was the most wonderful treat in the world. Most children loved chocolate, but Jack's favorite treat was the Christmas nut roll.
Jack opened the cookbook to the recipe without ever looking at the table on contents; he still remembered the page it was on. He hadn't had that nut roll since his mother died. He had wanted to make it once for Christmas, but couldn't do it. After all those years, the memories attached to it were too strong and too painful. Tonight he pushed aside the pain as he got out the ingredients. He could see his mother as he carefully measured out the flour and the sugar.
Ellen had always made Christmas special for her three sons. She scrimped and saved all year long to make sure that they got something that they really wanted. Jack knew that the other kids at school got a pile of presents for Christmas and he listened to them for the weeks before listing all of the things that they wanted. And, in the back of his mind, he wanted those things, too, but it was pointless to ask. He knew his family couldn't afford them. He didn't resent that; he was pragmatic. It was a fact of life that he just had to live with. He also knew that somehow his mother would figure out what he wanted most and it would be under the tree on Christmas morning. When he was eleven, it was a baseball glove. When he was sixteen and his mother was already suffering with advanced cancer, he found a pair of track shoes waiting for him.
Jack stood in the kitchen kneading the dough as he remembered that Christmas. He was a track star at his high school and the coach wanted all of the track team members to have those shoes. Most of the parents just went out and bought them. Jack was saving money from his after school job to buy the shoes himself; he never even told his parents. He had started dating Teri around the beginning of the school year. She was on the junior varsity cheerleading squad and her pretty legs beneath the short cheerleaders skirt had not gone unnoticed by Jack.
His mother liked Teri, but she had warned him that she thought he was getting a little too serious about her. After all, they were still in high school and, well, Teri came from a different neighborhood. Her family was by no means rich, but they were more than comfortable. Her parents were educated and Ellen suspected that they weren't interested in having their daughter seriously dating the son of an uneducated alcoholic who could barely make ends meet. Jack needed to go to college and make a name for himself before he started thinking seriously about girls from Teri's neighborhood. Ellen also knew that Jack's relationship with Teri had a lot to do with her own illness. He needed someone to feel close to, to bond with. He certainly didn't have that relationship with his father and his older brothers had lives of their own now. Charlie was 26 and married and had two children. Jason was 22 and in the Air Force. They loved their younger brother, but they weren't there for him at the moment. So Ellen, knowing that Jack needed someone to love, turned a bit of a blind eye to the growing relationship.
Teri liked Ellen, too. Ellen was warmer than her own mother; in many ways, Ellen seemed to care more about her. Teri stopped by after school frequently to see Ellen and to help her with tasks that she was beginning to have difficulty completing. One day she happened to mention that Jack was working some overtime to buy the track shoes that the team members were supposed to have. It was near Christmas, a Christmas that Ellen suspected would be her last, and she had no idea of what Jack wanted for Christmas. She asked Teri to find out exactly which shoes Jack needed and how much they cost.
Teri came back a few days later with the information. It was more money than Ellen had to spend on Jack's gift, but she gave it to Teri and asked her to buy the shoes for Jack. On Christmas morning, Ellen proudly gave the perfectly wrapped box to Jack. Tears came to his eyes as he opened them.
"Ma, this is too much!" he told her. "I'm taking them back. You can't afford these."
"Jack, you need those shoes. How can you expect to win the 440 at the state championship this year without the right shoes?"
"Where did you get the money for these, Ma?" he asked her. He had noticed over the last few weeks that she wasn't taking pain medicine as often as she had been but he knew that her pain hadn't lessened any. He was suspicious that she had used the money that Charlie and Jason were giving her to pay for medicine.
"I saved up the extra household money," she said without looking at him.
"Ma, you used the money Charlie and Jay gave you for pain medicine, didn't you?"
"Where I got the money isn't your concern, Jack. I gave you a present. Can't you just say 'thank you' and leave it at that?" Ellen struggled to get out of the chair and went to the oven and checked on the nut roll that was almost finished baking.
Jack came up behind her and put his arms around her. He was crying. "Ma, I love you so much," he told her. He was at the pharmacy the next day when it opened, using his own money, to get a refill of Ellen's pain medication. Four months later Jack won the 440 at the state championships with Ellen looking on. He had been a stride behind the leader, a senior from Santa Clara who was favored to win, with about 20 yards to go. He wasn't sure where the strength came from, but somehow he was able to push himself just a little bit harder, hard enough to break the tape less than half a stride ahead of his stunned opponent. He was so proud when they put the medal around his neck. He ran immediately to Ellen and gave her the medal. Less than a month later she was buried.
As Jack put the dough in a bowl and covered it with a towel to rise, he realized that tears were dripping rapidly down his cheeks. He wiped them away and forced himself to think about something else, to think about Michelle and the special Christmas that awaited them.
While the dough was rising, Jack made a citrus fruit salad and set the table for breakfast so it would be ready when Michelle came downstairs. Next he retrieved the present he had for Michelle. He opened the box and peaked in. He hoped that she liked it. She had seen it in Annapolis when they were there last summer. She had even tried it on and commented on how pretty it was. He called the shop the next day and asked them to hold it for him. He picked it up later in the week and kept it tucked away ever since.
He carefully wrapped the box and put a bow on top. Then he found a much larger box, partially filled it with tissue paper and gently laid the present in the tissue paper nest. He finished filling the box, taped it closed and wrapped it. He finished by putting a large bow on the top and setting it in front of the tree. By now the dough had risen and Jack was able to finish making the nut roll. It would only take about a half hour to bake, so he would do that in the morning.
Now he was back in bed beside Michelle, savoring the warmth of her body against his. This was a dream come true. He was snowed in on Christmas with the person he loved most in the world. He went to sleep wondering if it could possibly get any better than this.
Christmas morning dawned cold and clear. Michelle woke first and decided that Jack should be awake, too. She had no idea that he had been up most of the night. She propped herself up on her elbow and began planting soft kisses on his face. Jack groaned quietly and began returning her kisses. They snuggled beneath the covers.
"I could get used to this," Michelle said.
"You mean being snowed in?" Jack asked.
"No, but that's been fun. I mean I could get used to waking up next to you. I'm going to hate it when I have to wake up alone in LA and you're here."
"This has been nice. Maybe we should start thinking about our long term plans, Sweetheart," Jack suggested.
"Maybe we should, but let's save that for next week when we get back to LA. I don't want to have to talk about anything that serious this morning."
"Okay," Jack said as he kissed her. "Tell you what, I'll run downstairs and start the coffee. Then we can snuggle here where it's warm until the coffee's ready."
Jack got out of bed and went downstairs. He set the oven to preheat and then started on the coffee. By the time he ground the coffee beans and measured the water, the oven was hot enough to put in the nut roll. He set the timer and went back upstairs.
Jack got back into bed and he and Michelle wrapped themselves in each other's arms. Neither wanted to talk; they didn't even want to make love right now. They just wanted to be close. They wanted to enjoy the warmth and the love they felt. They finally decided to get out of bed and go downstairs for coffee.
They put on robes and descended the stairs. As they did, the aroma of coffee and the pastry baking in the oven filled the air. Michelle smiled at Jack.
"What do I smell?" she asked him.
"Coffee," he answered.
"I think I smell more than coffee. What are you baking?" They were in the kitchen now and the smells were overwhelming. "Oh, it smells wonderful, Jack!"
Jack took the coffee pot and began pouring two cups of coffee. "It's just something my mother used to make. I thought you might enjoy it. It'll be finished in a few minutes. Why don't take your coffee in the study? If I'm not mistaken, I heard some noise on the roof during the night. I think Santa Claus might have left something," he said with a mischievous smile.
Michelle took the cup of coffee and walked through the dining room, toward the study. The dining room table was covered with a tablecloth and perfectly set with two place settings. "Jack, when did you find time to do this?"
"While you were sleeping."
"You must have been up all night," she said as she entered the study and saw the large box sitting next to the Christmas tree.
"Not quite all night, but part of it," he said. "Why don't you open your present?"
"I feel guilty," she said. "Your presents are in LA. I thought we'd be there for Christmas."
"Don't feel guilty. Just open your present and enjoy it," Jack told her.
Michelle sat down on the floor next to the tree. She took the wrapping paper off the box and opened it. She found herself digging through layers of tissue paper.
"Gee, Jack, I've always wanted a box of tissue paper!" she teased as she wadded up a handful of tissue paper and threw it at him.
She finally found the second box and as she started to open it, Jack came over and sat next to her. She recognized the name on the box. It was from the upscale jewelry store that they had browsed through in Annapolis last summer. Michelle opened the box and gasped. Inside laid the beautiful diamond and sapphire ring that she had tried on that day. She fell in love with the ring the moment she saw it. It had a large round diamond in the middle surrounded by two slightly smaller deep blue sapphires set in white gold. It sparkled in the sunlight that came through the bay window.
Jack reached into the box and took the ring. Michelle sat staring at him; her hands shaking. He took the box and set it down and then took her left hand in his.
"Michelle, I love you with all of my heart. I'm only happy and complete when we're together. I guess I'm not making myself clear," he said nervously. He cleared his throat softly and looked into her eyes, "Will you marry me?"
Michelle was taken completely by surprise. "Oh, Jack!" she exclaimed as she stared at the ring. "I don't know what to say."
"I was hoping that you'd say 'yes'," he told her.
"Jack, this is so sudden. We've never really talked about marriage."
"What's there to talk about, Michelle? We love each other. We're only happy when we're together. Look how happy we've been for the last few days. Just this morning you said that you could get used to waking up together every morning. This is our chance, Sweetheart."
"There are so many important things we haven't discussed. Where would we live? What about children? You have grandchildren and I haven't even had a chance to have children yet. I can't imagine that you want to start over again."
"The only reason I have grandchildren is because I was so damn young when Kim was born. Teri and I didn't raise Kim as much as we grew up with her. We're lucky she grew up to be such a good person. I'd like to have a second chance at being a father. We can have a house full of kids if that's what you want. As far as where we live is concerned, I've told you before, I don't care where we live. I'll quit my job tomorrow and come to LA with you if that's what you want, Honey."
"I love you, Jack, but I'm not sure that I'm ready for this," she whispered as she took the ring off.
"No," he said as he put it back on her hand. "I don't need an answer right now. Take all the time you want, but if you take the ring off, then you're telling me 'no'. So please, just wear it until you decide."
Michelle couldn't take her eyes off of the ring. All through breakfast she stared at it not sure how she felt. She knew that she loved Jack. It had taken months for her to admit it to herself. She was so happy to be in a loving relationship again that she hadn't really thought it through to the next obvious step: marriage. She wasn't sure why she was hesitating. Jack brought so much joy to her life. She knew that he loved her and would spend a lifetime trying to make her happy. Look what he did for her today. He spent half of the night making breakfast and wrapping a present for her.
Jack sensed the turmoil going on in her mind. "Why don't we get dressed and take a walk in the snow," Jack suggested. "Maybe that will clear your mind."
Michelle agreed. They cleared the dishes and went upstairs to dress. Soon they were wrapped in layers of clothes and ready for the cold. Michelle hadn't brought enough warm clothes so she put on her turtleneck and covered it with one of Jack's wool sweaters. It was a little big, but it would keep her warm.
"Jack," Michelle said as they were getting ready to leave the house, "I'm taking the ring off because I don't want to wear it under my gloves. I just want you to know that I'm not saying 'no' by taking it off." She put the ring back in its box and set it on the coffee table in front of the fireplace.
Jack agreed that that was a good idea. He watched her put the ring on the table. Then she slipped her hands into a warm pair of gloves.
"Ready?" he asked.
Michelle nodded and off they went. It was a perfect day. The air was cold and dry. The sun was brilliant and the snow crunched beneath their feet. They walked up Jack's street and across the next. They could hear the shouts of children playing at a park not far away. As they approached they saw dozens of children apparently trying out sleds they received earlier in the day on the rolling hills at the park. Small children were sledding for the first time with the help of parents on some of the more gentle slopes. Older kids and teenagers were flying down the big hills that led to a skating rink near the middle of the park. The rink was crowded, too. Everyone seemed to be laughing and having a good time.
"That looks like fun," Michelle commented as she watched some teenaged boys sledding down a steep slope. "I've never gone sled riding."
"You've never been sled riding?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"Except for the summer I spent here in Washington during the anthrax attacks, I've lived my entire life in southern California. When would I have gone sled riding?"
"Well, it's time you tried it," Jack said matter of factly. "Hey, Jeremy," he said recognizing one of the boys from down the street, "my girlfriend has never been sled riding. Could she borrow your sled for a run?"
"Hi, Mr. Bauer," the boy said in return, "sure, give it a try." He handed the rope on the front of the sled to her.
"Okay," she said, "what do I do now?"
"Jeremy, maybe you better take a run and show her how to do it."
Jeremy handed the sled to Jack. "Why don't you show her?" he suggested.
"Yeah, Jack," Michelle giggled. "Why don't you show me?"
"You don't think I can do it, do you? Well, just watch." Jack held the sled upright in front of him, ran several steps toward the hill and then fell forward with the sled onto the snow. He sailed down the hill, a cloud of white powder trailing behind him.
The teenagers whooped and cheered. To them Jack was old like their parents and they couldn't imagine their parents sled riding.
Jack dusted himself off at the bottom of the hill and pulled the sled back up. "Your turn, Miss Smarty Pants," he told her.
Michelle took the sled and did exactly as Jack had done. She did almost as well and the teenagers gave her a cheer, too. The boys resumed their sledding making sure to give Jack and Michelle turns. After taking a couple more runs, they thanked the kids and continued on toward the ice rink.
"I bet you've never skated either," Jack said.
"As a matter of fact, you would be right about that. Do you plan to steal skates from some little girl out there so I can learn to skate, too?" she asked in an amused tone.
"No, I thought we would go over and rent skates for both of us and I'll teach you how to skate." Without waiting for a response, Jack started toward the hut near the rink where they sold concessions and rented skates. There was a fire in a big stone fireplace crowded with skaters who were taking a break and trying to get warm.
The next think she knew, Michelle was trying to negotiate the crowded ice rink on thin silver blades. Jack was no expert, but he could at least stay upright and skate forward and backward. He held her hands and led her across the ice. He patiently helped her up a dozen times before she began to get the hang of it. They held hands and skated tentatively along the edge of the rink. Most of the young people cleared the ice when a "couples skate" was announced over the loud speakers. That gave Jack and Michelle more room to skate. Jack stood in front of Michelle. He put one hand behind her back and held her hand with the other. He skated backwards basically pulling her along. At first it took all of her concentration to keep up with him but eventually she felt comfortable and began to relax. She looked deeply in his eyes that shone in the bright sunshine. At that moment she wasn't quite sure but she thought perhaps they were the only two people in the world. "The Skater's Waltz" blared through gravelly speakers and Michelle leaned against Jack who kissed her gently.
They skated for a little more than an hour before deciding that it was time to go home. They returned their skates and bought hot chocolate with marshmallows and walked slowly back to Jack's brownstone.
"I'm glad to be inside," Michelle said as they walked into the house. "I'm freezing."
"I'll build a fire in the fireplace and we can warm up," Jack told her. "Then I'm going to start dinner."
"What's for dinner?" Michelle asked.
"My specialty: chili. I bet you've never had chili for Christmas dinner before."
"No, but it sounds great. Maybe we can start a new tradition."
Jack built a fire and then the two went to the kitchen. Jack was clearly in charge, but Michelle chopped onion and jalapeƱo peppers and garlic. They finally had it all in the pot simmering.
"This has to simmer for a couple of hours. Let's go in the study and enjoy the fire."
Michelle took a blanket that was on the back of the sofa and spread it on the hardwood floor in front of the fire. "This is nice and warm," she said. "I don't even need a sweater." She stripped off the sweater and pushed up the sleeves on her turtleneck before sitting down on the blanket.
Jack walked into the study carrying a bottle of champagne in one hand and two champagne flutes in the other. "Champagne?" he asked.
"I'd love it," Michelle answered.
Jack poured two glasses and sat down beside her. He held up his glass and Michelle followed suit. "To us," he said, "and to many more white Christmases."
"Here, here," Michelle answered as she touched her glass to his. She raised it to her lips and took a deep drink from it. "Mmm, good champagne. I love it. And I love you, Jack."
Jack set down his glass and leaned forward to kiss her. After a long kiss, he took her glass from her and set it down beside his. Then he gently pushed her down on the blanket.
"It's getting awfully warm in front of this fire," she said seductively.
"I think you'd be more comfortable without the turtleneck," he responded.
"Do you think so?"
"I'm sure of it. Here, let me take it off and you'll see." Jack put his hands under the shirt and lifted it over her head.
"Oh, yes, that's much better," she told him. "Maybe you should take yours off, too."
Jack sat up and took off the pullover sweater he was wearing. "How's that?"
Michelle ran her fingernails lightly up his back making him shudder. "Much better," she told him between kisses. "But I'm still a little too warm."
Jack unbuttoned her pants and started to push them down. "Maybe you'd feel better without these." Michelle helped him take them off. "And these definitely need to come off," he said as he took her socks off.
They kissed passionately and Michelle helped Jack finish undressing. They finally lay naked in front of the fire kissing and caressing. Jack climbed carefully on top of her and penetrated her slowly. Michelle groaned and arched her back. She was a more vocal lover than he had had in the past and he liked it. She wasn't loud, but quiet noises seemed to constantly escape from her throat and it excited him. He covered her mouth with his and increased the rhythm.
Michelle turned her head to the side, panting wildly. "Oh, God! Jack!" she groaned as they both climaxed. They lay unmoving for a long time before Jack withdrew slowly and slid off of her body. Michelle shivered from the loss of Jack's body heat.
"Just lie still," Jack whispered. "I'll get another blanket."
Jack came back a minute or so later with a quilted blanket and pillows from his bed. "I thought this might be more comfortable," he told her as he handed her a pillow and covered her with the blanket. Jack tossed the other pillow next to her and crawled under the blanket with her. He pulled Michelle tightly to him, his front to her back, and put his arm around her. Their fingers entwined lightly. Jack pressed his lips against the nape of her neck. He inhaled the sweet aroma that seemed to emanate from her skin and hair. He felt himself relax against her. And, exhausted from being up much of the night and playing outside and making love in front of the fire, Jack drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Michelle lay quietly under Jack's protective arm. She liked listening to his slow, steady breathing. Her mind wandered over the events of the day. Every moment of it had been special; from the last passionate half hour, to the quiet moments in the kitchen, to learning to ice skate and sled riding, to Jack's proposal of marriage. She tried to push that last thought to the back of her mind, but found that she couldn't. She wasn't sure why she didn't want to think about it. Jack had been so sweet and she loved him so much.
"Why am I so reluctant to marry him? What am I so afraid of?" she asked herself. "There must be a dozen reasons why Jack and I shouldn't get married," she thought. But hard as she tried, she couldn't think of one. Not a single reason why they shouldn't get married would come into her mind, but all of the reasons that they should marry flooded her brain. Michelle found herself smiling as she gazed into the fire and imagined a life with Jack.
Michelle propped herself up on her elbow carefully so as not to disturb Jack. She reached over to the coffee table to where the engagement ring sat nestled in its box. She opened the box and laid back down looking at the sparkling gems. She put the ring back on her finger and admired it. Her decision was made. They belonged together. This wasn't a whim or a fairy tale desire to live happily ever after, they simply belonged together.
While Jack slept, Michelle started formulating some plans. She knew that she and Jack would have to discuss them at length, but at least she could say that she had thought them out before they discussed them together.
She wanted to live here on the east coast. LA had too many bad memories for both of them. They both had family in LA and that would be the hardest part of leaving for Michelle, but she knew now that she didn't want to spend the rest of her life there. As soon as she got back to work she would put in for a transfer to Langley. If they couldn't accommodate her within a few months, she would resign. There were other jobs for someone with her qualifications. She had often considered teaching math or computer science. Maybe it was time for a whole career change. Working for the CIA wasn't usually conducive to a good family life and she wanted to start her family soon.
A family, she thought. It was a thought that brought a smile to her face. She had wanted children for a long time. She and Tony were going to start trying to have a baby right around the time he was arrested. She had always imagined herself holding babies with light olive skin and dark eyes and hair. Now she saw herself with blond haired, blue eyed babies.
Jack stretched and started to stir. He yawned and opened his eyes. His gaze almost instantly came to rest on the ring on Michelle's hand. He smiled and lifted her hand.
"What's this?" he asked in a bemused tone.
Michelle rolled over and smiled at him. They kissed softly and Jack caressed her face. Michelle sat up pulling the blanket up to cover her. Her features were highlighted in the firelight.
"Here," she said as she took off the engagement ring and handed it to Jack, "ask me that question again."
Jack sat up holding the ring. He took her hand and carefully slipped the ring back onto her finger. "Michelle, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"It would be a privilege to be your wife, Jack," she told him.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "What made you change your mind?"
"I didn't really change my mind. I just took some time and thought about it. When I did that, I realized that I couldn't think of a good reason to say 'no' and I could think of lots of good reasons to say 'yes'. So, yes, Jack, I would love to be your wife. I love you."
They fell back onto the blanket kissing and laughing. They spent the night eating chili and drinking champagne and talking about their future. They planned a small, intimate wedding in late March after which Michelle would move to Washington either with or without a job. They would wait until later in the spring or summer to honeymoon.
Jack would stay in his current position until the end of this administration. The president would be up for reelection in November and Jim Heller had told Jack that even if the president was reelected that he planned to resign as Secretary of Defense. He asked Jack to stay with him at least until November and Jack had agreed. After that, Jack was interested in a job that had been offered him by a defense contractor in Maryland. He and Michelle loved Annapolis and could settle down there, hopefully in a house on the water. That would be a great location to raise their family, a family they decided that should include either two or three children. They even started picking out names: Michael Antonio for a son and Jacqueline Theresa for a daughter. They both wanted to honor their late spouses, recognizing that this relationship probably wouldn't be as good as it was had it not been for the losses they had suffered in the past.
They both found that they approached this marriage differently than either of them had approached their first marriage. Not that they took the relationship lightly, but they took life in general less seriously. They knew how precious life was and how it could be taken away without warning; they had experienced it first hand. It took them both time, but they were finally able to put painful pasts behind them and find pure happiness. It was a happiness that neither of them would take for granted, a happiness that they hoped to pass on to their children and their grandchildren and that one day, long into the future, it would live on in their memory.
Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed. If you haven't reviewed, it means a lot to me to know that you are out there, so please click the submit review button and say hi.
I've been writing 24 (and mostly T/M) fanfiction for almost a year now and I think I'm a little burnt out. I have a couple of ideas for stories but nothing that is jumping out at me and begging to be written. I might try and develop one of those, or I might just take a break. If I take a break, I hope you guys will still be here when I come back.
Thanks for all of your reviews and all of the support you've given me. Hope to get past some writers block and put another story together soon.
