Alright, let's get right into it. This'll be the last chapter for this story.
Amit: Macarthur, whether it's this story, or TDL, is my favorite character to write for. I'm glad you enjoy her as much as I do.
In jail, there are very few things that are certain. Nothing ever goes your way unless you have one of two things. A crew to back you up, or a reputation that makes you seem like the baddest person on the planet. Duncan had neither of these.
Or so he thought.
It was a typical day at the cafeteria. Murmurs of inmates, old and new, were the only thing to hear. The food was mediocre, but it was better than starving. Barely any light and the tables were cramped with criminals.
Duncan was lucky enough to find a spot away from everyone else. However his mood didn't reflect it.
"Salutations, Duncan." Came a voice. "How does the day find you?"
The young convict sighed in annoyance. "What do you want, Duke?"
A man sat in front of him, with a happy expression. He was relatively fit, with shaved black hair and a scar along his left cheek. Had a thick black mustache and part of his right ear was missing. "Has the food proven to be adequate this time?" Duke joked. However, the inmate immediately noticed his comrade's dower mood. "Does the day...not find you well?"
Duncan rolled his eyes. "I was fine until you showed up, Shakespeare." His tough act quickly faded and he looked down at his tray.
Duke frowned. He knew Duncan tried to keep his tough guy persona to not seem intimidated. So for it to quickly change, something obviously must've happened. So the overly dramatic convict took it into his own hands. "It looks like I will have to take a more...analytical approach." He got out of his seat and went to Duncan's side.
He studied his movements and how he ate his food. It was very focused and quick. He took a forkful of meatloaf, took a few bites and repeated. It was obvious he was deep in thought. Duke then turned his attention to the tray itself. It was the usual grub, but there was something different. Most inmates agreed the food wasn't anything to write home about, but one thing was certain. Every meal, during lunch and dinner, they were given a small brownie. It was the only thing that was good. Some fights had actually broken out because of it.
Duke noticed that the area, which normally contained the delicious treat, was empty. He first figured Duncan had already eaten it, but judging by his solemn expression and lack of crumbs, he realized that wasn't the case. He checked under the table to see if he dropped it, but didn't find anything. That only left one other option.
He got out from under the table and leaned towards Duncan's ear. "Who has committed such an indecency?"
Duncan was about to take another bite, when he froze. His hand started shaking. He tried to focus on his meal, but his eyes betrayed him. They darted to somewhere in front of him, before quickly looking back at his meatloaf.
Duke, of course, saw this and looked where Duncan had indicated. He could see a fairly large group sitting at a table. Some laughing loudly while eating their lunch. Duke knew who they were and how notorious they were for intimidating younger inmates. The Shakespearean inmate's eyes narrowed. He slowly got out of his seat and walked towards them. "I shall return." He said ominously.
Duncan didn't say anything. But he was immensely terrified. Daylight Duke was the only person who treated him with respect. He is so dead. Duncan panicked, in his mind. Duke is going to die and they're probably going to get around to me at some point, and then I'll be dead. Why didn't I just tell him I threw it out, or dropped it somewhere else? Can they technically count this as a homicide? Does that make me an accomplice? Will I ever see the light of-
Duncan's thoughts were interrupted at the sound of two brownies dropping onto his tray. The convict was surprised and looked up, only to be flabbergasted. Duke was standing in front of him, his head and knuckles dripping in blood. He had cuts along his jumpsuit, but aside from that, didn't seem worse for wear.
Duncan turned and realized that all the other inmates were staring at them. He then noticed the table where Duke had gone. It was now covered in either unconscious or groaning convicts. One was completely draped over the table, while another had his eyes closed and his head resting against the metal seat.
The young inmate looked back at Duke, who had wiped off the blood from his hand. Duncan then realized that the blood wasn't his. "Let it be known," Duke's voice boomed, as he stepped onto the table. "That if anyone wishes to mess with my friend, Duncan…" He paused dramatically, pointing at the bodies of inmates. "...they will meet a fate similar to these gentlemen. They call me Daylight Duke for a reason," Again, he paused, bringing up his bloody knuckle. "I'm the last thing you see, before your lights get knocked out."
The cafeteria had fallen completely silent. Even the guards were speechless. Slowly, Duke sat back down, still glaring at the other inmates. Duncan was both relieved, but insanely terrified. His protector smiled at him. "Enjoy, my friend."
The young convict didn't have the words, but slowly found his voice. "T-t-t-thanks…" He said meekly. With that, he plopped one of the brownies into his mouth, which only widened the grin of Daylight Duke.
Back in the present, Duncan and Sanders still had their hands raised. Both were shocked by what was going on. Duke was too.
"Well, I never…" He started to break out into a smile. "My old cellmate, Duncan. What wonderful tidings this day brings." He turned to Sanders. "And I see you found someone. Brilliant. That is absolutely wonderful!"
"Good...good to see you too, Duke." Duncan grinned nervously. "So I take it you're the guy everyone's searching for?"
Duke nodded. "Alas, my endeavour has been met with great resistance. Ever since I was a child, I've been met with challenges to face. It's part of what makes me so resilient and cunning. Once when I was five, my mother forbade me from eating out of the cookie jar. But I showed her by…" Suddenly, the hostage situation had turned into a monologue. Sanders and Duncan might've moved had Duke still not had the gun pointed at them.
Slowly, the cadet moved towards her boyfriend. "So, who exactly is this guy?" She whispered.
"I knew him back in jail. He called himself Daylight Duke and he kinda latched onto me. He's probably the main reason I didn't get shanked."
"Where did he come up with a name like that?"
"I think he said he once spent six months memorizing all these plays and barely saw any sunlight. Or maybe it's based off of a character he likes. He didn't make any friends and only found solace with his Shakespeare crap."
"It was eight months actually," Duke interrupted. "But I'm glad you were paying attention. Anyways, my journey continued into middle school, where I discovered my first non-written love, Mildred…" Now he was back to monologuing.
"Honestly, out of all the guys we could've run into," Duncan whispered. "This was probably the best case scenario." He couldn't help but chuckle.
Upon hearing this, Sanders didn't find any humor in the situation. She had come to a huge realization. The whole reason they were being held at gunpoint was because she had forced herself, and Duncan, into the alleyway. Ironically, in her desperate attempt to make sure nothing went wrong on their date, she had never considered that she would play a factor.
It was all her fault and she knew it.
The cadet felt like she was going to burst into tears. Her hands started shaking and her breaths were becoming rapid.
Duncan noticed this. "Hey, are you alright?" He stepped towards her. "What's-"
"Uh-uh-uh," Duke turned his gun towards his former cellmate, who immediately stopped. "Don't make any sudden movements, my friend. We have a past, but I'm not about to let you squander my chances at freedom."
Duncan didn't make any more sudden moves, but cast a glance at his girlfriend. She looked terrified. He had never seen her this scared (which wasn't saying much, but still), which he found unusual for a cop. He knew he had to get them out soon. Suddenly, a small black bag dropped in front of him. Duncan looked down at it, then to Duke.
"I need you to take that bag," Duke explained. "I put a small amount of money in it to fool the cops." With his free hand, he pointed towards the alleyway exit. "When I give the signal you'll become the dastardly neerdowell that these cops have painted you as. In a sense, you'll be acting. Run out and capture the attention of your audience. Make them believe you're hiding something valuable." He turned to Sanders. "As I stated before, I detest the idea of the 'damsel in distress' but, unfortunately, Duncan's role is too valid. So, sorry tell you, my dear, you'll be playing the part as my hostage."
Sanders didn't respond. She was too distraught over what she had done. Duke walked towards her.
Duncan needed an idea and he needed it fast. Damnit, if he gets away with this, I may never see my girlfriend again. And knowing Corbin, he's gonna try to put me away forever...wait a minute...
"Hold it!" Duke was just about to grab Sanders' wrist, when he looked up.
"Duncan, I don't know what you're doing, but-"
"I know, I know, I just...seeing you again reminded me of something." He smirked. "And it's something that I think you might want to see."
Duke frowned. "I appreciate the thought, but I don't have time to-"
Before he could finish, the ex-con started humming. Shortly after, despite his best efforts not to do it, he started dancing. Not wildly, just shimmying around and moving his arms up and down.
Duke was very confused. Even Sanders had broken out of her trance to see what was going on. "What are you doing?" she asked.
Duncan didn't answer. He just continued humming and dancing. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and… "If there's...anything you need...all you have to do is saaay…"
Sanders' mouth nearly fell to the ground. A minute ago, an escaped inmate had a gun pointed at them and now, Duncan was...singing.
"...you know you...satisfy...everything in me…"
The cadet turned to Duke, who was wide-eyed. "N-no. Duncan, you can't do this to me. I've worked too hard to…" His lip was quivering and his arm was shaking.
"...so don't stop me falling, it's destiny calling…"
Duke stepped forward, with a tear in his eye. "You...you remembered my favorite song?"
"...a power...I just can't dennyyyy...It's never changing, that you hear me I'm saying…" Duncan suddenly stopped both singing and dancing. He pointed at his old cellmate, raising his unibrow suggestively.
Duke was practically bawling. He put his gun wielding arm down and stared at Duncan. Silence followed. But Duke suddenly shot his hands into the sky. "...I want you for the rest of my liiiiiffffe!"
Sanders' initial guilt had suddenly changed to absolute shock as she watched her boyfriend and a theatre obsessed criminal sing, as well as dance, to the tune of a Rick Astley song.
"Together forever and never to part. Together forever we twooooo…" Duke and Duncan stepped right in front of each other, moving their feet and arms to the rhythm. "...And don't you know I would move heaven and earth, to be together forever with youuuuuuu…"
The ex-convict stepped back, allowing his former cellmate to continue. He clapped and smiled as he watched Duke dance. "If they...ever get you down…"
Duke was entranced in the song, he forgot about his leverage. Without thinking, he turned his back against the two.
Duncan quickly looked towards his girlfriend, feigning a smile. Sanders snapped out of her daze, long enough, to realize what he was doing. He was nodding his head towards Duke. His back was turned, his gun wasn't aimed at them and he was fully in trance with singing the song.
"It's never changing, that you hear me, I'm saying…"
It suddenly clicked with Sanders. She nodded and sprinted forwards. Duncan followed alongside and the two tackled Duke to the ground.
"...I want you for the rest of my liiiiiiiiIIIIIII…"
The sudden impact caused Duke's hand to loosen and his gun went flying, landing in a pile of snow. Duncan and Sanders held him down as the cadet reached into her jacket pocket.
"You're not going anywhere except back to prison." She instructed Duncan to hold his arms, while she pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
Duncan went wide eyed and his cheeks flushed. "Why...why do you have cuffs on you?"
Sanders placed the shackles on Duke's wrists. "Well, you never know. If I want to be a cop, I gotta be prepared for anything, right? Why?"
The ex-con nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Uh...no reason."
From the ground, Duke started chuckling. "My, my. I didn't expect little Duncan to have such a creative imagination."
Duncan's face went bright red. "S-Shut up, Duke."
They both pulled him slightly and sat him against a wall. Sanders pointed at him. "I am arresting you for robbery, as well as escaping prison. It is my duty to inform you that you have the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay. You may call any lawyer you…" She trailed off, as her face blushed. She jerked her head towards her boyfriend. "Oh my g- That's why you thought I had handcuffs?! Where did you think I was going to use them?! You're so gross!"
Duncan looked away in embarrassment, as Duke continued to snigger.
Soon, once the awkwardness had settled, Duncan and Sanders picked Duke up by the arms and started taking him out of the alley. No one said anything for a while.
"You know," Duke finally spoke up. "I should be furious. I should be livid. I've been planning this for two months and I know this is only going to extend my sentence." Sanders and Duncan shared a nervous glance, until Duke sighed. "But I simply can't. It's...it's too perfect."
Duncan raised an eyebrow. "What is?"
Duke turned to him. "The entire situation. Think about it. You're a former criminal." He then looked at Sanders. "And you're a police cadet. And you both worked together to take down a dastardly villain. Enemies to lovers, two polar opposites working together to take down a much greater threat." He started tearing up. "It's...it's such a beautiful story. I-I need to get back to my cell immediately. You've given me the inspiration to write my first play. A beautiful story of trust, love, sorrow, betrayal, heroism and heartbreak. I can only thank the both of you for giving me this tremendous opportunity."
Duncan and Sanders didn't know what to say, but shrugged knowing that Duke wasn't out for vengeance. The three of them were soon out of the alleyway and saw the group of cops nearby. And, to Duncan's delight, there was Officer Corbin at the front of it. He was talking to two other officers, before he noticed the trio heading towards him. At first, he didn't react, but Duncan saw the gears start to turn. Slowly, Corbin met their gaze and they could both see his jaw practically fall onto the ground. The cadet and the ex-convict, who he had previously talked down to, were now in possession of the criminal they were looking for. And the 'punk' who he admitted to not liking or trusting, now had the biggest grin plastered on his face.
"Is this the man you're looking for?" Duncan said slyly.
Officer Corbin didn't have a response. He just stared at them, slack jawed. The other officers were equally surprised. Except one.
Click
Corbin blinked and looked at where the sound came from. Macarthur was standing directly next to him, with her phone pointed at the uptight cop. She was chuckling as she stared at the picture she had just taken.
"This is going in the office Christmas card." She laughed and proceeded to show Corbin's look of shock to the other officers.
Corbin just grumbled quietly to himself.
Duncan and Sanders handed Duke to the cops, who promptly put him in one of their cars. Not only did he not resist, he gleefully offered to put himself in the backseat, much to the confusion of the other officers.
The couple watched and couldn't help but laugh. But Sanders was still noticeably upset.
"How are you feeling?" Duncan asked.
Sanders rubbed her arm nervously. "I'm...I'm alright."
The ex-con shook his head. "Nope. No lies. I can't help you if you aren't honest with me." He stood in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You taught me not to hide my feelings to you, especially when I didn't feel right. Now, tell me what's going on, right now."
The cadet was surprised. She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm-"
"Don't move a muscle!"
Duncan and Sanders turned. Heading towards them was a pissed off Corbin, with a few other cops behind him. He stomped up to the pair and pointed at Duncan. "You aren't going anywhere! That criminal that you two caught says he knew you from prison. Now I have to question how he got here the same time you arrived."
The delinquent pushed the uptight cop's hand away. "What? You think I helped him?"
"I don't make assumptions, but with your reputation, it's more than a possibility! You are staying here because I have a lot of questions to ask!"
It had been a few hours until Corbin allowed Duncan and Sanders to leave. And to Duncan, it was easily the biggest waste of time he'd ever experienced. Corbin repeated questions multiple times, tried goading the ex-con into getting angry and went on long tangents on 'the proper behavior for a former convict.' But Duncan didn't say anything he wanted to hear. He told the truth and didn't react much when Corbin tried to provoke him. In the ex-con's mind, Corbin had only done it out of spite.
Sanders wasn't questioned much, but couldn't do anything. But watching her boyfriend get hounded on by Corbin and his cronies was not a pleasant sight. The hours ticked by and she got more and more upset. She wanted to shout and tell Corbin how ridiculous he was being, but knew he was still her superior and didn't want to take any risks.
When Corbin finally, and begrudgingly, let them go, Sanders took her boyfriend's hand and pulled him away. They walked a bit of distance, far away from the other cops. Duncan tried to lighten the mood. "So you still got those handcuffs, right?" No response. She just kept walking forward with Duncan in tow. The ex-con knew she was upset, but decided to wait for the right moment to say something.
They had walked a few more blocks, before they stopped to sit at a bench. Sanders was facing away from him, so he couldn't see her face.
There was an awkward silence between them. Duncan didn't know what to say. She was definitely mad, but why? It probably had to do with Corbin or maybe she was still in shock over the whole Daylight Duke encounter.
I can't just tell a joke. He thought. I need to get her to talk to me. It's not my fault...I hope.
The ex-con nervously couched into his fish. "Look, babe. I know you're not feeling well, but-"
"I'm sorry."
Duncan was surprised. He leaned forward to look at his girlfriend. She was now shaking and trying to hold back tears. "Babe, are you alright?" He put his hand to her shoulder.
"No…" She pushed him away. "Ever since we got to the cafe, nothing has gone right. I should've told everyone not to make a big deal out of you coming, I should've walked away as soon as I saw Macarthur and I should've kept walking, instead of taking you down an alleyway, where…" She choked. "Where we were held at gunpoint and I nearly got you sent to jail." She brought her knees up to her chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry and I understand if you never want to come back here again. I wanted this date to be perfect, but I completely messed it up and I...I got everything wrong and I'm sorry." She sighed. "I had a bunch of other things planned, but...I'll understand if you want to go home right now. I'm a bad girlfriend and I'm sorry you had to suffer to make me realize it."
Duncan wasn't sure what to say. He knew Sanders was upset, but didn't think it was this bad. He wanted to hug her, but didn't know if it was appropriate. He thought about the intense amount of pressure she was putting on herself. That probably explained why she didn't want him buying anything for her. He wanted to tell her she was being ridiculous, but needed to find a way to word it better.
They sat in awkward silence before he got an idea. He leaned back on the bench and looked away from her. "You want to know how my first date with Courtney went?" No response, but he continued anyway. "She took me to a museum, and not like one of those cool museums where you can see dead bodies, but like...an art museum." He paused, trying to determine if she was listening. "And it was...soooo boring. She literally thought a good idea for a first date was to look at pictures of art."
Sanders didn't say anything immediately. "It doesn't sound that bad…" she mumbled.
Duncan smirked. His plan was working. "Yeah, but the worst part of it was, she didn't even want to make out in front of the priceless works of art."
The cadet picked her head up slightly. "Well, why would she-" She stopped herself, realizing what she was doing and went back to moping.
"Anyways," Duncan continued. "My first date with Gwen didn't go any better. She took me to a rock concert."
He paused intentionally and watched what his girlfriend would do. She didn't react at first, but Duncan saw her look of confusion. "Wait, how does going to a rock concert equal a bad date?"
"Yeah, well it was her friend's concert and there were like fifteen people there."
Sanders found herself easing up. "Were...were they any good?"
The delinquent groaned at the memory. "I didn't have the guts to tell her they absolutely sucked."
The cadet couldn't help but laugh, which made Duncan smile. However it only lasted a few seconds, as Sanders returned to looking upset. "I bet this date ranks at the bottom. At least you didn't have to worry about being shot."
To Sanders' surprise, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Duncan pressed his chest against her, engulfing her in a tight hug. The cadet felt herself blushing. "Here's the thing," Duncan said. "If I had the choice, I'd probably not want 'being held at gunpoint' to be on my first date list. But, you know what? I'm fine, you're fine and I got to embarrass a stuck-up windbag today. Not only that, but I got to take down a criminal with you and got to see the face of a stuck-up windbag when I did."
Sanders chuckled. "You said 'stuck-up windbag' twice."
"Because it was too good not to mention a second time." They both laughed, as Duncan released his grip slightly. He looked her in the eye. "Honestly, this was a first date that I'm never going to forget. And, for that, I consider it to be the best."
Sanders went wide eyed at this. She didn't have the words. She met her boyfriend's gaze and could tell he was not just trying to make her feel better. He actually meant it. A smirk developed across her face. "All I got from that is that this was a great date because you didn't want to make out with me."
Duncan blinked. "D-do you want to make out? Like, right now?"
The cadet burst into laughter. Duncan wasn't sure if that was a yes, but couldn't help but join in. Once it subsided, Sanders leaned in to kiss him. "Thanks."
"No prob." The ex-con smiled and returned it. "And, for the record, you're not a bad girlfriend. Just...just try not to worry about having a schedule, or whatever. I honestly don't care what we do or when we do it, I'm…" Duncan flushed and scratched the back of his head.
Sanders smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're just happy to do it with me?" The ex-con didn't respond, but judging by his embarrassed expressions, Sanders knew his answer. She hugged his arm. "That's sweet."
"Yeah, yeah, don't go telling people that." The two laughed, followed by another kiss.
"Oh my god, you guys!"
Duncan and Sanders turned to see someone running towards them. And much to the cadet's annoyance, it was Emily. "Are you guys ok? I heard about what happened and wanted to see if anything happened."
This surprised the cadet as she was sure the over enthusiastic blonde was more concerned how their date was going. Before she could answer, Duncan spoke first. "We're good. Nobody got hurt and I got to embarrass an uptight cop."
"Oh, you mean that Corbin guy?" Emily scoffed. "He's a jerk. He actually said he preferred Reggie's coffee over mine." Duncan chuckled, as did his girlfriend. "But seriously, is there anything I can do for you guys? I'll talk to my boss and maybe I can get you a free cookie."
The cadet looked at her boyfriend and they shared a knowing look. Sanders turned back to her friend. "Thanks, Em. But I think we're gonna continue our date."
"Yup," Duncan added, before pointing at the cadet. "And before we do anything, we're going back to the music store so I can buy you that CD you wanted."
Sanders rolled her eyes. "You don't have to-"
"Yes. I. Do." Duncan interrupted. "Because, after saving us from Duke. I. Owe. You."
Sanders was not expecting that, but couldn't stop herself from snickering. "Alright, that's fair enough."
The two smiled as they gazed into each other's eyes. "Awww…" The couple groaned, then turned to the blonde barista. "That really is your couple motto."
Sanders sighed and Duncan rolled his eyes, but they still smirked.
The sun was close to setting by the time Sanders and Duncan had decided to head back. The ex-con was carrying his girlfriend, piggyback style, and they were both laughing loudly. The rest of their date had gone without a hitch, aside from a few nosy fanboys. As Duncan promised, he bought Sanders the CD. They had gone to a few other places, but not as many as they wanted to because of the delay with Corbin, who they also hadn't run into. Though Duncan wished they had to see his face again.
"That was so much fun." Sanders said, resting her head against his. "As long as I don't accidentally headbutt you in the end, this'll be the best first date I ever had."
Duncan chuckled. "Night's not over yet. You might kick me in the nuts before we get to your home." Sanders gave him a kiss on the cheek. Soon enough, they arrived at her house. Duncan put her down and sighed. "It's too bad it has to end though."
Sanders raised an eyebrow. "Who says it has to end?"
"I mean," Duncan pointed. "We're at your house…"
"Do you not want to spend the night? I kinda assumed you did." Duncan didn't immediately answer. Seeing the house reminded him that her dad was still inside. The thought of spending a night in the same house as a sergeant was not a pleasant one. Before he could speak, Sanders interrupted. "Ok, let me give you your choices. Either spend the night in a warm bed, or go home on a dark, cold train and go to sleep alone."
The ex-con was surprised by her bluntness, but realized what she was saying and figured she had a point. He took a deep breath and swallowed his fear. "A-alright, I'll stay the night."
Sanders smiled as they headed inside.
"Hey, dad. We're home." Sanders called once they opened the door.
They found Michael inside the kitchen. He turned his head and smirked. "Did you have a good time?"
"We'll tell you at dinner. Can you get an extra plate?"
Michael then noticed Duncan was in the house. "Oh, are you staying the night, Duncan?"
The ex-con froze up. A part of him was confused why he wasn't asking about the whole 'Daylight Duke' situation. Maybe he didn't know about it, or maybe he was waiting to ask about it later. This played on Duncan's mind and he stumbled to give a response. "I- uh, yes...y-yes, sir...sergeant...um...Sanders- Michael. Michael! Yes I am, Michael."
The sergeant chuckled. "Great to hear. I hope you like lasagna because I'm about to make a mean batch of it."
Sanders tapped her boyfriend on his shoulder. "I'll show you to your room." She took his hand and they went upstairs. She opened a door, revealing a room with a queen size bed and a small TV. "The bathroom's right across the hall and I'll be next door if you need anything."
Duncan raised an eyebrow. "Are you not sleeping in this room too?"
His girlfriend gave him a disapproving look. "Am I sleeping in the same bed as you while my dad is still in the house?"
"Good point." Duncan stepped inside and sat on the bed. Sanders took a seat next to him.
"But, seriously." She said. "Thanks for this amazing day. I'm so glad I got to spend it with you." She took his hand in hers. "I'm honestly going to be upset when you have to go home tomorrow."
"Yeah," Duncan exhaled. "I'm definitely talking to my boss into giving me more days off." The two stared at each other. Duncan thought to himself. "Hey, I'm assuming a make out sesh, in your dad's house, is off the table, so...can you just lay down on the bed with me?"
Sanders smiled and nodded. Duncan leaned back and his girlfriend snuggled next to him.
The cadet was happy as she could be. She almost wished the moment could last forever.
The ex-con was, no doubt, feeling the same way, but was also deathly terrified of her dad walking in on them.
Regardless, the two happily enjoyed the time they had together. And, in that moment, they vowed to make sure their first date would not be their last.
And so ends the first story of this sequel series. I loved writing this one. And, before anyone asks, Macarthur is still my favorite character to write for. I guess my only issue is that I felt the climax was a little too rushed because Duncan almost immediately figures out a way to stop Duke. Yet again, I was able to put in a Rick Astley song, so I can't get too bummed.
I guess now, I'll ask: What does everyone think of Danders as a couple? Did I convince you that it's a truly outstanding couple?
The next story will be significantly shorter, but should still be good. It should be fun. Plenty more stories to come after that.
In the meantime, hope y'all enjoyed the story. I'll see you next time. Take care and have a good one.