Hrm, no notes here, just a thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! Holy explanations batman! Take it away, boys! It's time for Ran and Ken to join the dark side! Mwahahahahahaha:coughcough: I've been here way too long…..
OOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOO
"A pile of leeks lie
Newly washed white:
How cold it is!"
Matsuo Basho
Edo
Chapter 13
Omi squirmed uncomfortably beneath Ken's suddenly intense gaze. Ran was no help. Neither was Yohji. The tall brunet seemed amused by the redhead's fiery gaze, and he reached into his sleeve, pulling out his tobacco pipe. Dammit. Why the hell was this all on his shoulders? Yohji was the one who'd started all this.
"Yohji-kun, I think you should probably tell Ken how you know him." the blonde youth prompted gently, expression stern. He wasn't letting Yohji slide out of this one. When Yohji frowned at him, he mouthed 'you owe me', which was true, considering all the times Omi had faced Manx's wrath to get Yohji out of trouble. Namely the day Yohji had rescued Ken.
With a heavy sigh, the brunet straightened himself, casually stuffing his pipe and then lighting it with a flint. After he inhaled deeply, he stepped more fully into the room, letting the smoke flow from his mouth slowly. It encircled his head hazily, giving the lanky playboy an almost ethereal look. Ken stared at him resolutely, grimacing in distaste at the tobacco, still wrapped within Ran's iron grip. It looked like the ronin wasn't planning on letting him go any time soon. Ken bore the hold stoically, however. Although Omi suspected the ink in his clothing and on his skin was doubtless starting to itch. The youth winced as he took in the blood and the ink stains around the room. Kritiker was not going to like this clean-up. But at least Ken looked whole and relatively stable. And Kase was definitely dead.
Yohji sighed dramatically, and tossed an errant lock of hair out of his eyes. It fell back into his face almost immediately as the man gave Ken a leer.
"I found you, you know, and dragged you to safety that night. Took care of you until you decided you could do well enough on your own and wandered off." Ran's glare turned subzero at the remark as Ken frowned confusedly, clearly struggling to put the memories together. He seemed rather hesitant to do so and Omi couldn't blame him.
"He did not have the mental capacity, at the time, to decide he'd do better on his own. You left him and he wandered off because he was delirious with fever." Ran accused menacingly, his grasp on Ken tightening in reflexive anger. Ken made a squelching noise and Ran loosened his hold, blushing a bit.
"It's fine to be angry Ran, but can you please not take it out on me? I like breathing. It's nice." the ninja quipped, glancing up at the redhead for a moment. Ran scowled at him, but before he could say anything, Ken's attention was already on Yohji again.
"Wait, so you found me and took care of me? When? How? How long? Why?" Ken was beginning to wonder at the number of people on hand that were caring for him or had cared for him at some point. It was starting to get creepy. A thought repeated itself in his head and Ken voiced it out loud once more. "Okay, what am I missing here? Cause I know I'm missing something important." This time the tone had a slight accusation in it. Yohji had lost his smirk and was still glaring at Ran. But at the sound of Ken's voice he turned serious emerald eyes onto the ninja's slightly shorter form.
"Ken, the night you were injured I found you, and took you off to a friend of mine. I needed a good place to hide you, for now obvious reasons, and she knew of such a place. Unfortunately, I had other serious business to attend to that could not be avoided, and so I had to leave you there. The woman I left you with also could not stay with you constantly. When you woke, you set off on your own. I'm sorry I left you alone like that. I had no choice." the lanky brunet's voice was somber; his gaze on both Ran and Ken, and Ken frowned.
"Well, first of all, don't apologize. You didn't have to do anything at all. You could have just left me there. I know a lot of people that would have. It's a lot of trouble to go through for a stranger. So don't blame yourself for that. You did more than was your duty, I think." Here the ninja was interrupted by a snort from Ran.
"Kudo could have at least finished through with his responsibility." the ronin muttered. Ken turned to look up at the redhead again with serious, sober eyes.
"Ran, whatever you may think, Yohji wasn't obligated to do anything for me. I was a stranger. For all he knew, I was a murder, or a bandit. I could have tried to stab him in the back when I woke up. He took a big risk taking care of me. Would you have done the same if you had just seen me lying in the woods?"
The question was an honest one, and Ran frowned at it. "Idiot. What kind of question is that? Of course. You don't just walk past an injured man lying in the woods or on the road. That's inhuman." Ken sighed, shaking his head.
"Then you've got better morals than most. Kudo-san, thank you for saving me. I doubtless owe you my life. Please don't feel guilty about having to leave me. It was understandable.---" here Yohji cut off Ken's formal thanks.
"Ahh, KenKen, it's not that simple you know. You see, I knew who you were. And where you had come from. I'd been watching you nearly the whole evening. I saw the fight with Takatori's bodyguards…" Ran's arms tightened in anger again and this time Ken squelched and turned his head to the side, spitting out a bit more blood. He forced the ronin's arms into a loose hold.
"Ran, you're going to break something." he murmured before turning a calculating, even gaze onto Yohji. The playboy bore up beneath it unflinchingly, a smile curving up one side of his mouth as he took a drag from his long-forgotten pipe. Omi stepped up beside the man supportively and Ken felt Ran tense beside him in readiness, one hand leaving the embrace and resting on his sword hilt in a casually threatening gesture. But the ninja was still trying to process all that information.
"Wait….You what?" he asked eloquently, both eyebrows arching towards his hairline.
"Explain, Kudo." Ran growled, "Because that's not what you told me." Ken looked at the redhead in confusion for a moment before looking back towards Yohji.
"Wait, you know him?" the jyonin asked the redhead incredulously. How much had he missed when he was incapacitated? Too much, apparently. Nothing was making any sense.
"Yes." Ran replied evenly. "After I had found you and was taking care of you, Kudo came and tried to take you back beneath his care. After the way you'd stumbled upon me unattended, I refused him." Ken judged by the way Ran's jaw had tensed that the ronin was grinding his teeth. At least he'd stopped squeezing the life out of the ninja. Ran had really, really strong arms. But he wasn't going to think about that now. Nor was he going to think about Kase's rapidly cooling corpse behind them.
Omi sighed heavily, drawing all attention to himself.
"Yohji-kun was working as a double-spy until recently for the same organization that I told you about before, Ran-kun. When he saw Ken, he felt obligated to rescue him. However, as a spy, he could not afford to miss meeting with his contacts, and so had to leave Ken behind." the youth explained patiently. Ken frowned thoughtfully, but Ran only tensed further behind him.
"What kind of spy?" the ronin growled. Ken put a hand up to silence him briefly.
"Hold on Ran. A spy for who?" the ninja asked carefully. Inwardly, Omi and Yohji both breathed a sigh of relief. At least Ken, it seemed, was going to take this thoughtfully instead of irrationally. Omi had expected that Ken's nature as a ninja would not let him react in any other way.
"Kritiker. The organization I work for. The same one that housed us in safety at the inn." Omi said evenly.
"You said double-spy. Who else?" Ken crossed his arms and turned in Ran's one-arm embrace to face Yohji and Omi completely, his stance straightforward and confrontational.
Omi smirked slightly. Trust nothing to get past Ken.
"Takatori, Reiji. Yohji's job was to pull himself into Takatori's confidences and gather information to use against him in an assassination." the youth said simply. At the mention of Takatori's name, Ran went rigid, but Ken ducked out of the man's embrace before he got any broken ribs. The ronin's fist clenched instead, knuckles white, and his lips pressed into a thin line. To his credit, however, the redhead said nothing. Ken crossed his arms in front of him again, legs apart, stance casual yet wary.
"You said was. He was a spy. Isn't he one now? How can he be trusted?" the ninja's tone was controlled and calculated. Prying, but not defensive. Clearly, Ken did not feel Omi and Yohji were a direct threat. The ninja seemed more interested in piecing the puzzle together. Ran, apparently, had the same idea, only with a different reaction.
"Aren't you even the slightest bit concerned Ken? Kudo just admitted to watching you fight and suffer alone, knowing who you were and what had happened to you. He's a double spy for Takatori; the man who's responsible for the destruction of your clan. Why aren't you more upset about all this?" the ronin demanded. Ken only shook his head slowly, body visibly tenser, his face suddenly shadowed beneath his brown fringe.
"No, Ran." he began quietly, "Kase destroyed his own clan. Takatori didn't force him into betrayal. He only offered Kase the means, I'm sure. Kase had enough greed and traitorous blood in his body to agree to whatever it was he agreed to. Therefore, Kase is the monster that killed my clan, not Takatori. Takatori was only a tool." Ken's voice had sank into a whisper and his shoulders curled in on themselves as if beneath a sudden weight. Ran felt a twinge of regret for speaking as abruptly as he had. In the anger of Ken's bit of 'acting', the ronin had forgotten exactly who it was that Ken had just murdered. Viciously.
"I was the one who was responsible. We all were in a way. Too proud and stupid to see it…None of us wanted to…" there was a hoarse quality to the ninja's voice as he turned mournful eyes to where Kase's corpse lay. Ran laid a tentative hand on his shoulder.
"Ken…" he said softly. Anything to bring the brunet's attention away from the monster on the floor; away from sins real or imagined. Ken turned abruptly, with a soft sigh, and gave Ran a smile that didn't reach his eyes. When he spoke, there was a false lightness in his tone.
"But I want to hear Kudo-san and Omi out. If they'd wanted to kill us, they could have, at any time. Instead they put in a lot of effort to help, and I want to know why." the ninja finished, turning a sharp gaze back on the two men who had fallen into silence.
Yohji favored him with a lazy smirk and Omi a small smile.
" 'At's cause we're the good guys." Yohji drawled. Omi elbowed him, rolling his eyes.
"No, that's because we want their help." the youth growled in exasperation. And maybe now I'll get a breather from working with an ass like you all the time." Yohji grabbed his chest with his free hand and staggered back dramatically, as if shot through the chest.
"Omittchi, you wound me!" the lanky man accused. Omi rolled his eyes again.
"Save it for when you really need it, Yohji-kun." he grumped. Yohji just sighed and shook his head, a look of mock-sadness on his face.
"Oh, the suffering I endure…" he replied dramatically. Ran snorted but refrained from comment, and Ken was giving them his bizarre, puzzled frown again.
"So wait…" he began slowly, arms unfolding to gesture from first Yohji then to Omi. "You guys work together? For this organization called Kritker? And you want my—our help? With what? How are we supposed to trust you? What is Kritiker? And what do they do?" this time, the suspicion in Ken's voice was a bit heavier. Omi gave Ken his most sincere smile, but before he could begin to explain, Yohji slung an arm around the youth's shoulders casually and took a deep drag of his pipe, exhaling the smoke upwards towards the ceiling. It simply bounced back and enveloped Omi and Yohji in a haze, and the blond youth coughed, waving his hand before his face and wrinkling his nose in disgust.
"Yohji-kun!" he admonished, but Yohji was already focused on the two across the room.
"I already told you. We're the good guys. We take from the rich and give to the poor, and yadda yadda." The playboy replied with a casual grin, gesturing with his pipe. Omi extracted himself from Yohji's grip carefully, and once he was in a bit of clear air, he took a deep breath and sent the lanky brunet a sharp glare.
"Kritiker is an organization that has set itself out to control the corruption that is unreachable to the law." he said, fixing Ran and Ken with an even gaze, although a bit of his irritation with the playboy showed in the downward curve of his mouth.
"Way to make it sound exciting, kiddo." Yohji quipped sarcastically. Omi glared at him, azure eyes hardened into stones.
"It's the truth, Yohji-kun." he shot back angrily.
"Wait, wait. So let me get this straight. You guys are—vigilantes? Vigilantes have an organization now?" Ken asked, his hands on his hips. Ran merely continued to scowl at Yohji, remaining close to Ken. Omi shook his head mirthfully, smiling at Ken.
"I guess you could say that." he replied easily.
"And you want us to what?" Ken quipped flatly, crossing his arms once more and raising his eyebrows. Ran's gaze focused on him intensely as well, and Omi fought the urge to squirm. This was the hard part. He really didn't want to have to kill the two if they refused. Assuming he and Yohji even could. After the display he'd just witnessed between Ken and Kase, Omi wasn't so sure they'd be able to do it. He'd seen both men at practice. Both were powerful and lethal. All the more reason to work hard to convince them.
"Well," Omi began tentatively, choosing his words carefully.
"Kiddo, if you're going to be blunt about the truth, then don't flower this part with pretty words." Yohji's voice had gone dead serious, and he turned sharp, somber eyes onto Ran and Ken. "Kritker is an assasins' organization. Information gathering goes with that kind of occupation, but our main thrust is enforcing the lack of corruption. Which of course, is best done by removing the problem from the system entirely. We're murders. And that's what Kritiker wants from you too." The room fell into a serious silence, Ran and Ken staring hard at the two men across the room. Finally, it was Ran who spoke.
"And you want to eliminate Takatori?" he asked coldly. Omi and Yohji nodded.
"That's the plan." Yohji quipped, although his face remained stone serious. His pipe smoked in one hand, forgotten.
"Who, exactly, heads this organization?" Ken asked cautiously, angling his head in consideration.
"The emperor." Omi said evenly. Ken gasped and Ran tensed.
"And you expect us to believe that this isn't some ploy to overthrow the new government?" the ronin growled in a low voice.
"If it was, would you be objecting to that? You like the new government?" Yohji replied flatly, the corners of his mouth turning down. Ran balked.
"I didn't say that. I want to be clear as to what sort of pawns this Kritker expects us to become." he replied icily. Ken, however, looked thoughtful.
"Kritiker. I remember hearing about you guys from Tomo-sama in passing." the ninja remarked, bringing a hand to his chin. He looked up at Omi and managed a shrug.
"The Kouichirou clan was doing that sort of thing anyways, so 'murdering' isn't really a shock. I've been killing since I was twelve. My concern would be Ran's ; what this organization expects, and what, exactly, we'd be getting ourselves into." the brunet said easily.
Ran turned to look at Ken in surprise. He'd remembered hearing that the Kouichirou clan had been destroyed for it's open and unyielding loyalty to the emperor, but somehow, he'd neglected to think of what Ken's position had meant. The man was young still, perhaps not yet twenty, and to have been accelerated into such a high position so quickly meant Ken had begun taking heavier jobs at a young age. The ronin suppressed a shudder. At twelve he hadn't even graduated into using his katana yet. Ken had committed his first murder. What had it felt like? Still a boy…Omi's voice cut through his thoughts sharply.
"In order to run this kind of organization and keep it from the public eye; in order to keep the government from discovering the truth, Kritiker demands unyielding loyalty and obedience. In return, you will be given the opportunity to make a difference in this world."
"In a warped sort of way, anyways. Not exactly something you'll want to go down in history with, but something that's going to keep bad shit from happening to people who don't deserve it." Yohji cut in, smirk back in place, although not reaching his eyes. He puffed casually at his pipe, realized it had gone out, and relit it with a soft curse.
"Ken-kun." Omi turned soft, mournful eyes towards the ninja suddenly. "We found out about the ambush, but not in enough time to do anything about it; we-we didn't even have time to get a warning out it happened so fast…" the youth began apologetically. Yohji's face pulled into a severe frown.
"Yeah. By the time I found out, it was too late already. I couldn't get word out fast enough. Although not for lack of trying. Shit." The playboy scrubbed roughly at his face and ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it. Ken's smile was sad and bitter.
"I already told you. We were the ones foremost responsible for our fate. Even if you had warned us, we may not have listened. So just shut up about it already." the ninja looked away for a moment, and when he turned back the haunted look still hovered in the back of his face. But he smiled.
"And the requirements?" Ran pushed tonelessly, one eyebrow raised. Omi jumped gratefully onto the change of subject.
"That's just it. Obedience and loyalty. We have to be able to have 100 trust in our agents." the youth replied in a business-like manner.
"And in exchange?" the redhead replied.
"A big, fat purse, and a means to extract revenge without being questioned." Yohji stated bluntly, taking another drag from his pipe and smirking genuinely. "And of course, the women, but I don't think that's going to be much of a highlight for you, somehow." he quipped, eyeing Ken up and down appraisingly. Ken blushed and Ran growled again. Before any damage could be done, Omi stepped between the two, filling Ran's line of sight.
"You will be paid. And as Yohji said, you will have means for your revenge on Takatori, as well as the unquestioned authority to carry it out. So long as you obey Kritiker's rules. Which you already know. If you like, You can talk to Manx, and Persia, who head the organization, and make your decision then. In the mean time, we should stick together. Kritiker will clean up this mess, but we should lay low for awhile just as we have been. Takatori is still looking for Ken, remember. " Yohji suddenly lost a bit of color.
"Ken." he said evenly, meeting the ninja's gaze. "Those men you fought. The foreigners. They'll be back. Takatori has them hunting you down, and you're gonna have to be very careful. You won't be able to hide from them for long. And this time, their mission is to kill you. They're going to do their damnest to carry it out."
Ken blanched slightly, remembering the fight. Ran tensed beside him, eyes narrowing. He remembered those wounds. How could he forget? The scars were still newly-formed on the ninja's body."
"Takatori's bodyguards?" he asked coldly. Yohji and Omi nodded. Ran turned to look at Ken. The ninja met his gaze with determination.
"What have we got to lose?" Ken asked.
Each other. Ran thought, but didn't voice it. He simply nodded, turning towards Yohji and Omi.
"We will not be separated." he said simply. Omi nodded. Yohji smirked.
"Doubt we could even if we tried." he quipped. This time his appraising gaze swept the two of them. "The sex must be really good." He finished, grinning. Omi squeaked beside him, turning a shade paler before growing green. Chaos broke out across the room as Ken tackled a livid Ran to the tatami before he could start a the makings of an epic battle.
"I'm going to murder him." Ran growled, thrashing and bucking beneath Ken. The ninja tried very hard to ignore the feeling of Ran's back thrusting up beneath him as he gripped one arm behind the man.
"Ran, calm down! You can't kill him!" Ken growled.
"Whose side are you on Ken? Let me the hell up!" the redhead yelled back. Ken didn't reply. He sent Yohji a glare across the room where Omi had pulled a fan out and was beating the older man over the head with it.
"Can't you wait five minutes Yohji-kun? How're we supposed to convince them to work with us if you're acting like a pervert?"
"Ow, Omi, cut it out! I'm sorry ok? I was just stating the obvious!" Omi's eye brow twitched dangerously and Ran thrashed harder, growling promises of death intermingled with bellows that Ken release him, and whose side was the ninja on anyway?
"If he tries to kill you, I won't stand in his way, you know." the blond youth stated casually. "I'll cheer him on." Yohji rubbed his head, wincing, and shot Omi a wounded look.
"Whatever happened to loyalty!" he whined.
"It has its limits, Yohji-kun; it has its limits."
"Look", Ken grunted, from his place atop the thrashing ronin. "You said Kritker is going to take care of this place, right? Let's go back to the safehouse and have a few drinks. I think we all could use a little sake right now." Omi nodded and Yohji sighed in relief.
"Finally, someone with the right attitude." the playboy quipped. Ken glared at him.
"You two go on first and we'll catch up. I doubt Ran is going to be able to reign in his temper and we don't want any public displays. I'll try and calm him down on the way there." the ninja muttered, glaring daggers at Yohji.
"Don't think I'm gonna be able to keep my temper in check either…" he finished under his breath. Yohji only chuckled.
"Very well then. To the inn, for some much needed and more deserved sake!" he said, bowing with a flourish and then exiting the room. Omi rolled his eyes in a why me gesture, and moved to follow.
"I'd better catch him before he does something entirely stupid." the youth said exasperatedly. Ken nodded. Ran had stopped thrashing and was panting beneath him.
"Will you two be ok?" the blond youth asked carefully, standing in the doorway.
"Yeah, we'll be fine. I think we need to talk it over. I'm sure there will be plenty of Kritker agents around in case something goes amiss." the ninja replied easily, and edge to his gaze. Omi flushed, embarrassed and looked away. It's only a precaution, he reminded himself. Licking his lips, he swallowed heavily and nodded. "Un." But Ken's smile was genuine and sunny.
"Then stop worrying. We'll be fine." and Omi was relived to hear the lack of accusation in that voice. Nodding and smiling in return, he raised his head in a wave.
"Ok. The agents should be along soon to clean-up so don't take too much longer here, ok?" Ken nodded, shuddering, and cast a brief glance over his shoulder.
"Just get that idiot Kudo out of my hair and we'll be right behind you." Ran growled. "And Ken, get the hell off me. You're heavy."
Ken pouted and crossed his arms, glaring at the top of Ran's head.
"That's not a very nice thing to say." the ninja muttered. Ran snorted, and Omi backed out of the room hastily, closing the door behind him. He did not want to hang around for another argument to ensue. With a sigh, the youth took himself off to find Yohji.
OOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOO
Ken sighed once Omi was gone and lifted himself off of Ran, forcing himself to keep his mind blank. The feeling of Ran's backside thrashing beneath him had been quite nice, and Ken was thankful he'd controlled the reaction thus-far. The brief reminder of the corpse behind him had taken care of the rest. No sooner had he sank to the tatami beside where Ran had lain than the ronin was hauling him up into another embrace, one hand stroking his hair gently.
"You gonna be ok?" he asked softly. Ken nodded against Ran's chest.
"Yeah. Just give me a while, ok?" he replied.
"Take all the time you need. Just remember I'm here." Ran's deep voice was soothing to Ken's agitated nerves. He nodded again.
"I'm sorry I put you through that. I was hoping to keep everything less complicated by just killing Kase in a surprise attack. I didn't want anyone to get hurt." Ran's grip tightened.
"I'll forgive you if you don't remind me about it anymore." he replied tersely. Ken chuckled sadly.
"Deal." he replied softly. He frowned suddenly, wondering why Ran's haori felt damp. Pulling his head back he groaned as he caught sight of a thick black stain from their earlier embrace. Ran' soft chuckle had him turning to stare up at the ronin.
"Mmm?" he inquired. Ran traced pale fingers along Ken's cheek tenderly.
"You've got a big black spot on your face now." the redhead replied mirthfully. Ken scowled.
"Damn it." he muttered. "Now I'm gonna look like an ass the whole way back." Ran leaned in close, guiding them towards the doorway.
"Not at all…" the redhead murmured softly, lipping a bit of Ken's disheveled brown locks. He moved down to tongue behind Ken's ear, effectively distracting the ninja from their surroundings and luring him out the door. They clumsily slid into their shoes and opened the door.
"How's that?" Ken asked, dazed and tilting his head slightly with a sigh. Ran steered them out and slammed the door shut behind them with finality.
"I think it looks sexy." the ronin mumbled, shoving the brunet against the opposite wall forcefully and nudging Ken's lips apart with his own before sliding his tongue inside and exploring that slick, hot mouth. Ken moaned into the kiss, effectively distracted, and Ran pulled away after a moment with a soft 'smak'
"Gods, you find the weirdest things to be a turn-on…" the brunet muttered, turning his head into Ran's lips and thrusting his hips against the ronin's.
"Everything about you is a turn-on." Ran growled softly, pinning Ken's hips to the wall with his own. Ken moaned again and pressed his hips into Ran's, seeking to create a delicious friction. He wasn't disappointed, and they both moaned this time.
"…'at so?" the ninja managed breathily.
"Hn." was the redhead's reply. After a moment longer, Ran pulled away. "Let's go." When Ken looked ready to protest, the redhead shot him a look smoldering with promise. "The things I'm going to do to you require a bit more privacy…" the ronin trailed off, reinforcing the promise with a nip along the brunet's earlobe. Ken sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.
"'Kay…" he conceded finally. Ran forced himself to move away with a great draw of willpower, and Ken was soon walking beside him.
"I'm still covered in ink. And blood." the ninja mumbled self-consciously.
"Good thing you're wearing dark colors then." Ran replied casually as they walked out of the izakaya and into the light of early-evening. "Wish I could say the same for me." he finished wryly. Ken chuckled, shaking his head.
As the chill December air hit his face, Ran felt a wave of gratitude.
Gratitude that Ken was alive.
That they had found each other.
And that they weren't going to be alone, anymore.
Ran's soft smile met Ken's earsplitting grin as they walked off into the setting sun.
Together.
OOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOO
Ok, so not the end, but maybe a bit longer on the next update, as I have to decide where things are going next.
Man, the 100 review mark is coming up, and I want to do a little something special for all you guys. I know I've already got the Ken recovery side story on my 'to do' list, as well as a Saiyuki crossover (full of dry humor….), but is there anything perhaps shorter that I could do for the reviewers? Any short scenes or situations someone would like to see written? Let me know, I wanna do something special for the 100 mark!
Thanks again, your reviews, as always, are wonderful, and make me blush, and I read them like five times every time I write the next chapter….they really do inspire me.
And off I go!
Ja na!
OOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOO