I've spent far too much time this week watching NUMB3RS. In retrospect, today's quote is as follows: "Children are wormholes." Larry, Sniper Zero. That scene never fails to crack me up.
Disclaimer: If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: I don't own the show. I don't own the characters. I don't even know if I completely own the plotline. /Shrugs/
Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to the end of school. /Raises glass/ I'd like to propose a toast. To long summer days, to lots of Don/Terry fluff, and to Ollie's mongoose, though I don't quite know why.
Chapter 11Ups and Downs
"Well, would you look at that." Why was someone talking? She knew she was dreaming, she had to be. But in her dream, it was only she and Don; curled up together in a soft, warm bed, caught in each other's embrace, the March sun warming the room to a comfortable temperature. David wasn't in her dream, but his voice was, and she was very annoyed with it.
"Never thought I'd see the day." What, now Charlie was here, too? Next thing she knew, she'd be hearing her mother's voice all the way from Miami. Why couldn't they just leave her alone and let her dream? She'd like to hold onto this moment for as long as she could, thankyouverymuch.
"Shh, she's waking up."
With a small gasp, her eyes snapped open. She was in Don's bed, curled up against his chest, one arm wrapped loosely around his ribs. He was still fast asleep, a small smile on his lips and his left arm settled protectively about her waist.
"Morning, beautiful. Having a good time?" David's voice, now certainly not in her dream, was soft but carrying. She buried her face in Don's chest, trying to hide her flaming cheeks.
"Ah, shut up, Sinclair." Don's tone was cheerful, teasing, and fully awake; he obviously wasn't as asleep as she'd thought, because he suddenly pulled her close to him and planted a quick kiss on her lips without ever opening his eyes.
Charlie laughed and turned to his companion. "Think we should come back?"
David smirked, "I don't know; I think they might want to see this. But if they're busy…"
"No, no." Don extracted himself from his partner and forced himself to prop up on his elbow, "What's up?"
"I finished what I've been working on." Charlie offered proudly.
"Really? What've you been working on?"
"Mapping out the likeliness of the reported sightings of Johnnie." The map that Charlie had been using for the past week was rolled up and tucked under his arm. Now he tacked it to the wall, proudly displaying the map's apparently new red, blue, green, and yellow acne problem.
"Red dots are confirmed and certain sightings." Charlie pointed out the four red dots that marked security cameras that had recorded Johnnie's car. So far, however, the film had provided very little in the way of identification…No one had gotten into or out of the car at any of the locations. All they had to go on was the license plates that had been caught on tape. "Blue are the highly likely ones…based on location and number of reported sightings." There were nine or ten of these dots. "Green are the less likely ones, and yellow are the sightings that have less than a 5 chance of being accurate."
Terry, who had climbed from the bed when Don sat up and was now trying to pull her hair back one-handed, moved closer to the map. "Last night, Johnnie's roommate gave me Johnnie's cell phone—said he'd found it in the couch cushions. There were over twenty missed calls on it. Several were from his parents, of course, a couple from us, and a few from friends. The only thing I could find of any real interest was an unknown call from a payphone along the Ohio turnpike." She pointed to the sliver of Ohio that was visible on Charlie's map
"Hm…" Don studied the map from the foot of his bed. "Do those dots look like anything to you?"
Charlie nodded. "It's a line. Johnnie and his kidnapper are moving west."
"Can you tell us where he should be going next?"
"Give me a little while, but I ought to—"
"Food!" Alan announced cheerfully, bursting through the door with two bags, one with two boxes of doughnuts inside and one with two bottles of orange juice.
"Doughnuts, Dad?" Don chuckled, but gratefully took the chocolate-iced doughnut Terry held out to him.
"Figured you kids could use the extra energy." He shrugged.
"Well, thanks, Mr. Eppes." Terry smiled at him.
"Any time." He bit into a cream filled pastry.
Charlie was busy already on the probability of the route Johnnie's kidnapper might take. Alan set a napkin with a doughnut on top down beside his youngest son and caught his arm. "Charlie, make sure you eat something, okay?"
The mathematician nodded distractedly. "I will."
Alan sighed, shook his head, and turned back to the rest of the room. "How are you coming with the case?"
"Slowly." Don sighed. "Too slowly."
His father patted the young agent's shoulder. "I know you can do it, don't worry."
Don smiled gratefully, but before he could answer, his cell phone rang. "Eppes." He answered.
"Agent, this is Kylie Jackson. We just got a call from Alexei Trent. She told us that today is Chrissie's funeral, and that it would mean a lot to Mr. and Mrs. Baxter if your team was there."
"When?"
"At noon."
"We'll be there." He promised. "Would you like to join us?"
"Sure, if it's okay with my superior. I'll meet you there if it is."
"Sounds great, I'll see you then. Thank you, Agent Jackson."
"You're welcome, Agent. Have a nice day."
"You too." And with that, he hung up. "That was Agent Jackson. Today is Chrissie's funeral. They want us to be there."
"That's okay with you?" David offered gently.
"I want to go. Alexei Trent said that the Baxters would really appreciate all of us coming." He said meaningfully, glancing from one to the other.
"I'm in." Terry and David said at the same time.
"I'll go too." Charlie said.
Alan shrugged. "I didn't ever really get to meet her, but I'm coming too."
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Terry followed Alan—pushing Don's chair—through the door. She hadn't packed anything black in her luggage, so she was wearing a navy blue skirt and blazer over an ivory-colored silk blouse, and she was feeling strangely out-of-place. The chapel was small and tastefully decorated with iridescent bows and blue-tipped white carnations. The casket, open for now, sat at the front. It was polished mahogany wood with gleaming brass handles lined with a soft powder-blue silk lining, and there was something about it that was so beautiful and serene that it stopped her heart. Next to it sat an easel with a gold-framed senior photograph of Chrissie, stretched casually out on a white-draped table with her arms latched around an unhappy-looking fat black-and-white cat.
But while her brown eyes darkened with tears and her chin began to tremble, Terry squared her shoulders firmly and followed Alan and Don to the front, where Mr. and Mrs. Baxter, who both looked as though they hadn't slept at all in the last week, were standing at the head of a receiving line.
Alan pushed Don through first and introduced himself. When Terry reached Donna Baxter, the woman pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "Hello, honey. I'm so glad you all came." She whispered into the uncomfortable agent's hair. "My word, what happened to your cheek and hand?" She asked, then, without waiting for an answer, "Any news on my Johnnie?"
Terry hadn't the heart to tell her their suspicions of another kidnapping. "Nothing definitive," She said, extracting herself from the woman's grasp, "But I'll let you know as soon as I can."
"Thank you, darling." With that, Donna ushered the young blonde agent through.
When Terry reached the casket, her heart stopped again. The girl in the box was too young. It always felt like this when a victim died, of course, she just usually didn't have to actually deal with it. Usually, there wasn't a funeral she had to attend. Still, she kept her emotions in check and studied the petite redhead. Chrissie's eyes were closed, a small smile danced on her lips. Her nails had been painted a soft baby blue to match the pin-striped dress shirt she wore, and a bouquet of small white roses flowers were pinned beneath her resting hands. A black-covered Bible lay in the crook of her left arm. She looked peaceful and content, and Terry felt a prayer lift in her heart…God, please take good care of her…she needs it now. She deserves to be happy.
A gentle nudge from behind told Terry that she'd been holding up the line for long enough. With a last glance at the girl inside the coffin, she allowed David to gently lead her back to their pew, Agent Jackson at their heels.
The church was filled to standing-room-only before the service had even begun. When the preacher took the pulpit and began to speak, several girls in the front row broke down and began to cry softly. It was like a scene from a movie, surreal and dream-like. Terry found herself both hating and loving it. The organist, a hunched-over old woman with a nose that looked like a hawk's beak and a gaudy black dress printed with orange and hot pink hibiscus flowers, had a gift for music, and Terry couldn't remember anything quite as touching as the hymns the eccentric woman was playing. A pretty, very young girl introduced herself as Chrissie's cousin and sang a sweet rendition of "Amazing Grace" with a child-like innocence that broke her heart.
By the end of the service, emotion was making the preacher's voice jagged and even David's eyes were cloudy with tears by the time the last strains of the final hymn, "Nearer My God To Thee", faded away into nothingness. Terry wrapped her arms around herself and avoided looking at Don, afraid that seeing his expression would make her lose it for good.
Four men, none of them recognizable to the FBI crew in the second-to-last row, took the handles of the casket, Donna flipped the lid closed and latched it, and the party began to file out the door. They waited until everyone else had left the building before leaving their seats in silence and making their way to the lonely cars parked in the small chapel lot.
Just as the small party reached their vehicles, an upbeat tune interrupted their brooding silence. Kylie blushed furiously, angry with herself for not remembering to shut her phone off and grateful that it hadn't rung during the service. She flipped it open, "This is Kylie."
She listened for a few moments, and then her eyes darkened. "Okay, I'll tell him. Thanks, Jess." She flipped the phone closed and turned back to them. "Highway patrol in Ohio just called in an unidentified body. Says he pulled it from a lake. He thinks it matches Johnnie's description."
Don cursed under his breath, then tipped his head back with a sigh. "Wonderful. Well, I can tell you where we're going this afternoon."
"Taken care of. They've already flown the body by chopper to the morgue…forensics is already running some tests. If the blood has a sibling's match to Chrissie's, we'll panic. Until then…"
"Until then, we do the best we can. Charlie, waht are you thinking?"
Charlie's eyes had closed and he was leaning back against the Tahoe with a thoughtful look. "Did Agent Smith tell you exactly where the body was found, Agent Jackson?"
"Please, call me Kylie. She said…at a rest stop along the turnpike, in a pond."
He chewed thoughtfully on his lower lip, his mind scrambling with numbers, equations, and variables. "It would fit." He said finally, a hint of dejection seeping into the words. "But I've been wrong before, it might not be him…"
"It's okay, Charlie." Don assured his brother. "We don't know anything yet, we have to wait for the DNA to come in. This isn't a TV show, these things take time." He sounded as though he were trying to convince himself as much as anyone else.
"Right. For now…" David shrugged.
"We head back to the hotel and keep plugging away. We're missing something, I know it, I just don't know what it is." The frustration in Don's voice was obvious.
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It was nearly eleven-thirty that night before the phone call came in. Don and his team were sitting in their hotel room, pouring over the files once again, hoping to come across anything they might have missed that would give them answers.
"Yeah?" Kylie answered her phone as it beeped cheerily. "Wow, that was fast, Jess…yeah, I'm sure Agent Eppes will appreciate that. Really? Really? That's great! That's great news. Okay, thanks, Jessie. I will. Bye." She hung up and whirled around, a dazzling smile on her face. "DNA just came back. No matches. It's not Johnnie."
A grin split Don's tired face. "That's great. Telling Mr. and Mrs. Baxter that we had found their dead son was one conversation I was not looking forward to."
The chocolate-skinned agent chuckled. "I bet not." She said, leaning back in her chair so that it balanced on two legs.
"The bad thing is, we're back to square one. And, even with Charlie's help, if our kidnapper gets to an airport with Johnnie, he's long gone. They've already been gone three days."
"So we're back to the drawing board." David mumbled, watching amusedly as Kylie tipped farther and farther back in her chair. If she keeps that up, she's going to end up on the floor. He mused. The idea in itself was a hilarious one.
"There's nothing to do about it tonight." Don sighed, his eyes following Kylie's progress as she tipped impossibly far backwards, but somehow managed to right the chair before crashing to the floor. She was definitely her own character. "Kylie, we could use your help tomorrow. Could you be here about eight?"
"Sure." She set the chair back on the floor and stood, gathering together her work and taking up a pen. She took Don's hand and wrote a series of numbers on the back. "Here, this is my cell number. Call me if you need anything at anytime, okay?" She was serious now, her dark eyes studying him.
He nodded and granted her a genuine smile. "Thank you, Kylie. I can tell that you're going to be a valuable asset to our team."
She beamed, "Thank you, Agent Eppes."
"You can call me Don. Now get home before you fall asleep standing up."
With a final wave in their direction, she disappeared, closing the door behind her with a slight snap. David scowled at the pink-painted door for several moments before standing up. "I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late, Don."
"Hey, David. Is something bothering you?" Don caught his arm.
David shrugged. "No."
Don just gazed at him, waiting patiently for an answer.
"Don't you hate it when he does that?" Terry asked over her shoulder as she disappeared into the bathroom to shower. Don threw an affectionate glare after her, then turned his attention back to the situation.
David sighed, "Kylie and I…we don't really get along…that well." He finally confessed.
Don blinked, "Really? I mean, she might be a bit of a handful, but she's a good kid."
"We have…contrasting viewpoints."
"Big words, David. What aren't you seeing eye-to-eye on?"
He sighed, "Do I have to go into detail?"
Don raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I want to know, now. Okay," He sighed, "We'll switch you and Terry for a few days; I'll work with Kylie and you go with Terry."
The corner of David's mouth turned up in a small smile. "But you and Terry—"
"I'm sure she'll be fine with it." Don smiled. "Besides, you'll have to get over this eventually, and then I can go back to working with her."
David chuckled good-naturedly. "I appreciate it, Don, I really do, but I think we can work it out."
"Okay, then…" Don studied him for a few moments. "If you're sure."
"I'm sure. Get some sleep, tomorrow's going to be a long day."
"Don't be so pessimistic, David! We could have Johnnie home safe and his kidnapper behind bars in twelve hours. How do you know that?" Don smirked.
David chuckled, but there was little mirth in the sound. "Trust me, I just do. 'Night, Don." With that, he let himself into the other room. Through the doorframe, Don could see his father trying to persuade Charlie to put his work aside and get some rest. He shook his head, glad to have one less thing to worry about, as the door latched behind David.
By the time Terry emerged from the bathroom, Don was attempting to roll his chair across the room one-handed. She leaned against the wall, watching with undisguised amusement.
"You want to help me or laugh at me?" He asked, tossing a pad of paper at her.
"I'd rather laugh at you." She caught it easily and chucked it back.
He scowled, but she saw right through it to the amusement that he was trying to hide. Still, she took pity on him and helped him limp his way to the bathroom. "You sure you don't want help?" She asked him as she set clean clothes, his toothbrush and toothpaste, and shampoo and soap in their proper places. "I mean, it's not going to be an easy task, taking a bath with an arm and a leg in a cast, you know."
"Well, I wouldn't turn down help from you, but—"
"Oh, you." She rolled her eyes. "You're on your own." He stuck his tongue out at her as she retreated, then sat on the closed toilet to watch the tub fill with water. As it foamed into the white porcelain tup, the scent of roses danced on the steam.
"TERRY!" He yelped indignantly. "DID YOU PUT BUBBLES IN MY BATHWATER?"
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Well, I didn't get as much into that chapter as I'd wanted to, but right now it's looking like we've got two chapters left and an epilogue…just to give you a short timeline.
Now, onto the review replies. I'd like to take a brief moment and say that I was absolutely floored by the response I got from the last chapter…you all were just wonderful; I felt like I should be preparing an acceptance speech for some award or something. I just wanted to take a second to thank all of you together before I thank all of you separately. So thank you all. The review replies for last chapter are taking up FIVE pages in Word. Honestly, I'm so thrilled I'm speechless right now.
Denaliyasha: Awe, cliffhangers aren't all bad, are they? Okay, yeah, they are. :) Hey, you're very welcome for the fluff, I hope you don't get sick of it. It's fun to write and I hope it's fun to read. Thanks for the review, I love it.
CityGirl928: I did look over your story, and I think it's great. It's very well detailed and seems to be flowing well. You're doing well, hon, even if it isn't Don/Terry. ;) Keep working and you'll do just fine, I promise. As for ideas, I really don't have any idea where you were planning on going, so I'm hesitant to hand out ideas, because I don't want to screw with your plot. But if you'd like, when I get a better idea, I'd be more than willing to help. And don't worry, you're doing great. Thanks for your review.
ollie-xox: calm down, darling, it will all be okay in the end. I promise. Just sit there with your nice little mongoose and it'll all work out. LOL, I'm teasing, darlin'. Your review cracked me up, it was just terrific. Thanks for the smiles.
P.S. Funky. Socks. Rule!
Anon: Honey, if you think those questions are going to offend me, you've got a lot to learn about me. :) It takes a lot more than that to upset me. But here are the answers to each of your questions:
You were right on this one. David's and Kylie's leaving was a last-second addition of mine, and in my haste, I got sloppy and forgot to re-read. My humblest apologies on this one…/Blushes/ My bad. :)
Yes, that was supposed to be the point on that one. I've noticed, in watching the series, that Charlie often goes into his own world in a snap. It would only make sense, then, that he would be that way here, as well. But maybe I didn't make that point clear enough—I had wanted it to be that he was there one minute and had disappeared the next.
This was another one I didn't really think through, because I didn't really see its importance. In my mind, I had pictured a normal steakhouse—one that served many entrees on its menu. Maybe I should have been clearer on this, as well—I just figured that Don would be smart enough not to order something he couldn't eat. Or maybe he had Terry cut the steak for him—that provides an interesting picture for the mind's eye, doesn't it:)
Thanks for the review and for your interest in my story…and I promise, I'm not offended by anything you asked.
Lime: You make me smile…your enthusiasm is so contagious and endearing. Thanks for the great review, it made me laugh.
SD: I'm glad you liked it so well, and that you continue to write long reviews…whenever I see one, I know immediately that you wrote it, and it makes me smile. I finally did decide on a tentative title for the story that has sprung from your idea. I've called it Second Shot, but I'm not sure if it will stick. Thanks for the encouragement on that, I could really use it. It's proving to be a difficult little piece of work. I have started, but it's on hiatus until I get NSF and parts of Her Secret finished so that I don't become overwhelmed. But it is coming, don't worry. Thanks for the great review and for all of your encouragement.
SD: Hi again/Waves/ I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I know this chapter is long too, but I think the beginning pretty much filled the "fluff meter" for this chapter. Wow, lots and lots of fluff on that one….hee hee
InAMoment: Hey, there, hon! I've updated again, I bet you're shocked. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about our story, but between everything that's been going on over the last two days (I got to go see Star Wars yesterday!) things have been a bit crazy. I miss talking to you, though. Kylie is pretty fun to write, I'm really enjoying it. I hope she goes over well, though all responses so far have been pretty positive. That's encouraging. And Charlie/Amita stuff? Get ready for it, it's coming, as is a few other…fun things. /Evil Laughter:) Thanks for the review, hon, and I'll talk to you soon, okay?
Piccolo Chic: I'm so glad you liked it! And trust me, I love Don/Terry too…and there's more Charlie this chapter. Plus, next two chapters have lots of Charlie, though don't get too excited, because it might not all be good Charlie stuff…./Insert Evil Music Here/ I'm glad you're liking Kylie so far, and I know I didn't give you much to go on for the first chapter, but there's a bit more of her this time. And I'm thrilled that you took the time to print out my chapter and make comments…I feel really flattered. You're sweet…thanks so much for the awesome review.
KarateMom: Oh, I love your reviews. You always know exactly what to say to make me grin and blush like an absolute idiot. All those things you pointed out were things I almost took out at the last-minute revision stage, but your review made me really glad that I didn't. And, as you can see, things aren't all sunshine and roses for David and Kylie, and what she does to our beloved ship in future chapters, you'll just have to wait and see. /Insert diabolical dun-dun-dun/ Isn't Amityville Horror something else/Shudders/ That movie scares me to death. I won't go see the new one; the old one is quite enough for me, thankyouverymuch! Reviews that long are not only allowed, they are cherished. Thank you so much, your wonderful review completely reversed a very sucky day the day I received it.
MissCongeniality: Breathe, hon, breathe! Oxygen is your friend, remember? Well, I'm glad I helped to pull you out of your depression. /hugs/ Glad you liked Kylie, but as to throwing our 'ship off course…./whistles innocently/ what would give you such an idea? I wouldn't ever do such a thing. /Angelic face/ STAR WARS RULES! (Yeah, I finally got to go see that movie yesterday…) I could so have been a Jedi in another life. I worship Yoda! (I think I have a keychain somewhere that says that…) AI…I gave up on that show about halfway through. I really don't think it went well this time at all. NUMB3RS FOREVER/Hands over MissCongeniality's jacket and cool socks/ Don and Terry RULE! Thanks for the great review.
Miss Congeniality: I want you to be the first one I break the news to—I am definitely continuing Her Secret, though I don't know for sure when the next chapter will be up, as it seems to be in a rebellious stage, believing it has a mind of its own. But soon, my friend, there will be much more Don/Terry fluff from that corner.
Jill: Ah, Renaissance fairs. Fun, aren't they? I'm glad you liked that last chapter, I knew you would. (Well, I'd hoped, anyway…) Yeah, I know, was down for like three days and I wanted to post my new story…/Pouts/ but it's back now. I'm very glad. Hey, if Pup does look like Charlie, I know exactly where I'd go to get my hugs. Those girls at the fair aren't stupid…(Don't tell him I said that, I'm really not this forward in RL…/ducks head in shame/) Annnnnnnnnnyway, I hope you had a good time at your fair, hon, and I hope you like this chapter. Thanks for the great review!
EclecticTrekker: Hobbits/Gollum Voice/ Hobbits is good, precious…Sorry, it's 2:30 a.m. here…I'm a bit sleep deprived. :D You KISSED Ollie's mongoose? Ooh, I'm telling on you…no, I'm teasing. I'm so glad you enjoyed it that much. It was so, so much fun to write. Funny, the response you described from your sister is pretty much the response I get from my brother whenever I try to explain the Don/Terry chemistry to him, as well: "Whatever. They're TV characters. They don't exist!" Of course, this is usually the time I throw something at him. Siblings, they're such a pain. You have no idea how much your review rocked. It totally made my day. I walked around with this really wild grin on my face all day because of it. I know, the server thing was driving me crazy! I'm so glad they got it fixed. And your review is just awesome—and so are cannolis. Mmm…I love cannolis. /Drools/ Thanks for the review and for the cannolis…
SEAL2FBI: I'm so glad you like it, and I'm glad the characterizations have come across well, they're one of the things I fret over the most. NUMB3RS rules! And so does the Don and Terry ship. Have a jacket and a pair of cool socks, they're from our Don/Terry support group. Thanks for the great review!Sqully: Yes, unfortunately, I had to leave of somewhere, you know. :) Be glad you didn't come in on a real cliffhanger chapter, those are the worst. I know, because I write them. Hee hee…BTW, I checked out your bio page because your name seemed familiar but I couldn't place it. I loved your quotes, especially the "Boys are like lava lamps, fun to watch but not too bright" one. Pretty great. Don't worry, there's only 2 chapters left, then you'll have the wholestory. Thanks for your review, it was great.
SD: I've updated, and I'm working hard on the next chapter, I promise/Smiles/
Stephanie519: Now I'll have to get used to your new SN, too:) Glad to see you've finally registered! I'm so glad you like my stories, and don't worry, there's many more floating around in my brain…eek! And don't you worry about not posting a notice on Her Secret, I've figured it all out now. :) Thanks, hon
mizukimarr910: Well, as I told Ollie at one point, you can't kill me, because then you'd never know how this all turns out! LOL! I'm glad you decided against killing me, though, because I've grown rather attached to living. It's a thing I have. I'm glad you like it, because its' been a lot of fun to write, and it always makes me happy to see that people are enjoying it. Thanks for the great review, you made me laugh.
P.S. I'm working that Charlie/Amita ship in there, don't worry. That one, at least, is certain, it's just slow in developing…
Nix707: I'm so glad you liked it…yeah, it's my first piece of posted fanfiction ever. I've been writing since I was 8, but this is the first real stuff I've ever done. I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the reviews.
Nix707: The finale sucked royally, didn't it? At least from a Don/Terry shipper's POV. /Pouts./ I'm still trying to get over it. Glad you're enjoying it so far.
Nix 707: I'm so glad you liked that scene. It was hard to write, but I enjoyed it so much. Man, have you ever seen Amityville Horror? That movie will scare you lifeless! I'd curl up pretty close to Don watching that too! (Of course, I wouldn't need an excuse to curl up pretty close to him…) ;) Thanks for the reviews, hon, and I hope you liked this chapter as well, even though it was a little sadder.
deichtine: You say 'pop' in Canada? Huh, I didn't know that! Since I've posted this story, many people from all over the place have mentioned using that word, so I guess I was wrong about it, but it is pretty neat to know I'm not the only one. And I totally agree with you, pop just sounds so much better than soda! Thanks for the review, by the way!
deichtine: I'm really glad you're enjoying it, and you're right about the work put into it—this story's pretty much been my brain baby and my favorite pastime since March. I don't know what I'm going to do when it's all over. It's always been supposed to turn over into a more Don-centric story…the Charlie-centric summary is pretty much to keep people from guessing about the little plot twist (okay, plot-throw-out-the-window-and-become-something-completely-different) in the third chapter.
I'm actually really glad you brought that thread thing up, as I've been wondering about stating myself. I know that it seems at times that the plot is directionless or changes so quickly that I can't possibly have any idea what I'm doing, but I actually do. All those little loose ends, those little questions that have been nagging at the back of your mind, will be answered and tied together by the end. I'm working for one of those shocking little "Oh, so that's the significance of that little piece" things, and I really really hope I can pull it off. It's coming, I promise. In the meantime, thanks for your interest, and I really hope it comes out the way it's supposed to in the end—with a bang, of course. I never do anything subtly, it's not really my forte. ;) Thanks for the great review, and thanks for the questions, you did an excellent job of broaching the subject without making me feel attacked. You have quite a gift for that.
And now, since it is 2:45 in the morning and I have to be up in four hours, I am going to bed. Take care of yourselves and behave! Love to all, Sila.