A Gilded Cage: Sequel to Broken Wings, Part II of the Fallen Sparrows Trilogy
A Pirates of the Caribbean story by Merrie
Disclaimer: Jack, Norry, Liz, Kruler, Kiquan, Lorelac, Jack and all others own me. I would never attempt to claim otherwise.
Summary: Lorelac is seemingly gone, Jack remains as one of the most wanted men in the known world, Elizabeth's still pregnant, Will still doesn't know, Norrington's still without a job, and Jack's still got more of his grisly past to share.
Characters: Captain Jack Sparrow, Chief James Norrington, Elizabeth Swann, Captain Zachariah Kruler, Lorelac, Will Turner and various others.
Author's Note: I have no excuses whatsoever for the length of time it took to get this chapter posted. I can only hope you'll enjoy the chapter and forgive me for the delay.
Rating: R for violence and language.
Chapter 10: Murder and Malady
It had been over two hours since they had found Will's body on the beach and still Jack hadn't said a word. He wouldn't have even moved from Will's side had Norrington not forced him to come back to the village. Elizabeth was beside herself with grief and had likewise said nothing to anyone. But unlike Jack who didn't make a sound, the whole village could hear her sobs even thought she tried to keep them quiet.
"We should bury your friend, my chief. The hot sun is unkind to those the gods seem fit to take," Kiquan said softly at Norrington's side. "And I have done all I could for the pirate. I have cleaned his wounds and bandaged them, but I fear his soul has been lost. He said not a word while I did so."
"I think Elizabeth would want to take Will's body back to Port Royal," Norrington said and turned to look in Elizabeth's direction. While she had been trying to quiet her sobs, she hadn't yet tried to remove herself from the presence of others; something Norrington was thankful for. It showed that she may recover from this in time. He had begun to believe that Jack wouldn't, however. The man simply sat where Norrington had placed him, and stared vacantly ahead, not moving or speaking at all. Kiquan was right. It was as if whatever it was that made Jack, Jack, had been taken away.
"No," Elizabeth said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Bury Will at sea. Port Royal might have been his home, but his soul belonged out there among the waves. It was where he was truly alive."
A shudder that may have been imagined seemed to move throughout Jack's lean frame at her whispered words. Had it been Norrington's imagination or had Jack paled dramatically under his deep tan? Norrington had begun to doubt his own eyes after watching Jack those two hours. He thought he had seen the pirate move more than once, and yet when he took a second look and attempted to talk to him, Jack remained just as he had been when they had found him with Will.
"If that's what you want, Elizabeth," Norrington said softly. He had refrained from calling her Miss Swann during those two hours, not wanting to remind her that among other things, she and Will had never been married. They had planned a life together, and now all of that was gone. He couldn't imagine what she must be going through right now. It was unthinkable that his had happened. He still couldn't fully believe it.
"I think it's what Will would want. I hope it is," she said softly, looking in the direction of Will's body outside the small hut. They had wrapped it in brightly coloured scarves made by the women of the village and placed it on a stone alter that seemed to have been created for the very purpose. Elizabeth didn't really like the scarves. They were too pretty; too garish for such an occasion as this. She had as much to Norrington earlier, but he had gently reminded her that there was nothing else. They could have gone out to the Pearl too look for something suitable, but Elizabeth didn't want to associate herself with anything of Jack's so soon. She didn't blame him for Will's death though. She couldn't. Not now. Not after losing Will. It was a twisted kind of logic, but she couldn't stand to lose another of the men in her life. It would surely break her.
"I'm sure it is, Elizabeth. He never truly belonged in Port Royal. I sometimes wondered when I was younger if he hadn't been born of the sea in which we found him. He never talked about that time. At least, not with me."
"Whenever I asked him about his past, about his mother and father, he always said he didn't want to talk about it. That it was in the past and that was where it belonged. Even after Jack first showed up and claimed he knew Will's father; still he didn't talk about it. I think he was ashamed, despite everything."
"I'm sure I played some part in that," Norrington said softly. "I was always reminding him of the fact that he was a blacksmith, nothing more. I was quite horrible to him. It's a wonder he ever decided to be my friend. I'm not sure I would have done the same were our positions reversed."
"Will was always able to see the good in people and look past the rest," Elizabeth said softly, looking down at her feet. Tears had begun to collect in the corners of her eyes again, but they didn't fall. "He knew you were a good man, James. That's why he was your friend." She sniffed. "I can't believe he's gone."
"He's not," Jack spoke up hoarsely, startling them all. "He was never there. He couldn't be gone now."
"What? What do you mean? Jack, tell us what happened, please," Elizabeth pleaded to him. "This doesn't make any sense. Why did he have to die? Why him?"
"And not me?" Jack murmured in a slow dull voice.
"That's not what I meant," Elizabeth answered.
"Yes, it is. Your heart knows it. If you were given the choice, you would choose the man you loved and who loved you in return over the man who wronged you. I don't blame you for that. I would have chosen Will too."
"Tell us what happened, Jack. How did Will die?" Norrington asked.
Jack shook his head.
"Please, Jack. Tell me how he died," Elizabeth pleaded softly when Jack wouldn't answer.
"I don't know," Jack said after a few long minutes of silence.
"What? What do you mean you don't know? You were there, Jack. His blood was on your sword. You killed him," Norrington responded.
Jack shook his head again. "No, I didn't. I wouldn't have. He was trying to kill me and I thought he was going to. He could have. But then…"
"Then what, Jack? What happened?" Elizabeth asked before Norrington could.
"I don't bloody know, alright? One minute he was coming after me with his sword, bent on spilling my blood in defense of your honour, and the next I'm here."
"What do you mean, you're here? You don't remember anything after fighting with Will? You don't remember us bringing you back here?" Norrington asked incredulously.
"I didn't even know where here was up until a few minutes ago. Look, you're not bloody well listening to what I'm trying to tell you. When I left, Will was still alive. I didn't kill him."
"If you didn't kill him, then who did?" Elizabeth asked. No one had an answer for her, least of all Jack. He just hoped that he hadn't simply forgotten that he had killed his best friend. That wasn't the sort of thing one forgot easily, was it?
WWW
The following has been translated into King's English.
"I pledge myself to thee, of god of mischief and storms, of death and destruction. I am ever your faithful servant. Look upon me with favour, god Lorelac as I bear your sigil proudly. I do not attempt to hide it as my cowardly brothers do. They are weak, my lord. I strive to be strong in your sight. I do not deny my heritage as a child of the fallen as they do. I embrace it. I embrace you. My ancestors have followed your name since your power shook the very halls of Oonid on the Kourikan Plane. They were right to fear you my lord, for you would rule them all."
The figure lay prostrate on the ground before rising up to face an idol of stone and ivory on a bloodied alter. "I offer up this blood sacrifice to you, my dark lord. The blood is of a warrior killed in an act of hate and will strengthen you and your power." The figure poured the wooden bowl full of still warm blood onto the alter and moved back to pray. "This offering was given with an impure heart, my lord. Grant your loyal servant power beyond my wildest dreams. Let me serve at your left hand and together we will bring destruction and chaos to this world. I remain as always, Lorelac, your dark servant. May your name bring terror and sorrow to all that hear it."
WWW
Off the west coast of Africa, in the pirate ship The Hangman's Knuckles, Captain Zachariah Kruler, 1675
"I know what you're trying to do, you bastard, and it's not going to work. This ship is mine," Captain Kruler hissed as he and Sparrow circled each other like two dogs fighting over the same bone.
"You're weak, Kruler; blind. This ship is already mine. I've killed all of your allies and you were too caught up in pride at your precious Sparrow's accomplishments to see it. There is no one left for you now. They all belong to me."
Kruler shook his head. "You're wrong. The men know who their captain is. They would never follow you. You're a madman, and madmen are weak."
"I may be mad, but I have never been weak," Sparrow growled.
Kruler laughed at that, causing Sparrow to scowl and grab the hilt of his sword before ordering himself to let it go. Death by the sword was far too good for this man. "How quickly you have forgotten, little sparrow. You begged us to kill you after we put your cousin to death with the belief that you had betrayed him. And that was only the first time. You are weak. You've always been weak. You're a small pathetic man with small pathetic dreams. You could never hope to lead the men of this ship. They will never follow you. They will see your weakness as easily as I can."
Sparrow grew very still, his eyes going cold. "They are already following me. Your time is over. Your ship is lost; your crew has abandoned you. No one will stand beside you now."
"You'll have to kill me before I let a pathetic weakling civilian like you take over my ship."
"That," Sparrow said coldly, still keeping his hands free of his sword, "can be arranged."
"I don't see your so called crewmates," Kruler said with a snort. "I don't see anyone at your side as you claimed. Perhaps you're not so sure of yourself after all, little sparrow."
"I told them that I would be able to take care of one frail old man on my own. They had no reason to doubt me," Sparrow answered coolly.
Kruler snarled at that and lunged at his former protégé, a wickedly sharp looking dagger in one hand, and his short sword in the other. There would be no pistols in this fight. Death would be far too quick that way.
Sparrow smirked and easily sidestepped Kruler's lunge. He didn't bother getting his own sword out; he knew he wouldn't need them. "Why are you even trying? I'm younger than you, more ruthless than you, and many times more determined than you could ever be. This ship is already mine. In fact, I really don't even have to kill you. I could just maroon you somewhere and leave you to die. I'll admit, the thought of you starving to death does have its appeal. I like slow deaths. But then, the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I'd rather kill you myself. Besides, I'm having fun. Are you having fun? You don't look like you're having fun. That is very disappointing," Sparrow sighed with a frown. "Oh well. One can't have everything, I suppose."
"You're insane," Kruler said incredulously. He had been fighting with Sparrow during his entire little speech, and still the man didn't take out his sword. He simply avoided every move Kruler made as he talked as if they were performing some dance rather than fighting to the death. And the look on his face…he truly thought that Kruler would want to die. That he would enjoy dying. Utter insanity. It had been a mistake to bring him aboard. He saw that now. A pity he hadn't seen it earlier.
"Sticks and stones," Sparrow murmured with a shrug. "Are you finished yet?"
"Finished with what? What is wrong with you?" Kruler asked, not believing what he was hearing. How could he have misjudged Sparrow so incredibly? He had thought that he knew him; thought that he knew how to manipulate him, but it was obvious that he had never really known him at all.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance," Sparrow said calmly, as if he told people such things every day.
"Maybe this is my chance," Kruler answered him and the two of them began circling each other, each bent on murder of the other, but neither making a move against each other for the moment.
"You're deluding yourself," Sparrow said with a snort. "These are your last moments on this earth. Is there anything you wish to say? I'm listening."
Kruler opened his mouth to say something, and Sparrow made his move. With lightening-quick fingers, he plucked out Kruler's obsidian black eye and shoved it into his mouth, forcing his former captain's head back with a vicious jerk and causing the false eye to roll back and lodge itself in Kruler's throat.
Sparrow simply watched as Kruler's weapons clattered to the deck and his hands went to claw at his throat, desperately trying to get to the thing that was cutting off his air. His face was already beginning to turn colours, and Sparrow only laughed at the display. He kept laughing as Kruler fell to his knees and slumped over onto the deck, still clutching at his throat as his tongue bulged out of his mouth, but as Kruler's struggles ceased, as did Sparrow's laughter, filling the cabin with the silence of death.
WWW
"I killed him," Jack spoke up suddenly, sitting upright from his position on the sandy beach where Will had fallen.
Norrington frowned and turned slightly towards him. "But I thought you said you couldn't remember what happened to Will."
"What? No. Not Will. Kruler. I killed him. I just remembered."
"You killed Captain Zachariah Kruler," Norrington repeated, sounding as if he didn't quite believe it. "How? Why? I thought you told me he taught you everything you know about being a pirate?"
"How? I choked him with his own glass eye. Why? I wanted his bloody ship. And I got it. As a matter of fact, I still have it now."
Norrington cast his eyes out to sea towards the Black Pearl, watching as its black sails billowed as if it had known it was being looked upon. Norrington sometimes wondered in the middle of the night when rational thought didn't seem so rational anymore that that might be the case. The Pearl still held an eerie quality to it even after its curse had been broken. As if it were somehow aware of its surroundings. "The Back Pearl? It was Kruler's ship before yours?"
Jack followed Norrington's gaze to his beloved ship and shook his head slowly back and forth. "No, the Pearl's always been mine. She knows who her master is," he said with a smile that quickly faded as he came back to their topic of conversation. "No, I have the Hangman's Knuckles moored in a cove only I know about. It hasn't seen the open ocean in years. Too many memories. I'd burn it, but it's still a fine ship despite its heritage. And one should never blame the ship for the actions of its masters. It's bad form. The reputation of the ship always outshines its captain that way, and that, my dear commodore, is never a good thing."
"I see," Norrington said slowly. "Dare I ask how you're the only one who knows where the ship is?"
"I once considered Kruler like a father to me and yet I had no qualms whatsoever about taking his life and his ship. You bloody figure it out," Jack muttered with a scowl.
"Don't get your feathers ruffled, Sparrow," Norrington said wryly.
Jack rolled his eyes. "That wasn't funny, mate."
"Oh I don't know. I thought it had potential," Norrington said with a smile.
"I think I liked you better without a sense of humour."
"I was trying to hang you then. I dare say you didn't like me at all," Norrington pointed out.
"Not true. I knew you weren't going to let me drop. Even when you were trying to," Jack said with a nod.
"And pray tell how did you know that exactly, Jack?"
"Because I'm Captain—"
"—Jack Sparrow," Norrington finished for him. "Is that going to be your answer for everything?"
Jack shrugged. "Why should I need any other, mate?" he asked seriously.
Norrington sat on the sand for almost a full minute, shaking his head back and forth slowly at Jack's response. "You're incredible."
Jack's expression grew stony and the levity of their conversation died in agony. "No. I'm a rapist and a murderer. It's best you remember that, mate."
"I haven't forgotten," Norrington answered evenly. "I know what you've done, Jack. I may not know all the bloody details of your past, and I know what you say you are."
"What I say I am? It's not in doubt. I've killed. I've dishonoured. I'm not just saying that I've done these things, Norrington, I'm acknowledging that I have."
"You say you knew that I wouldn't hang you a year ago. You say it's because you're Captain Jack Sparrow and that you have this unnatural ability to be able to get yourself out of as much trouble as you put yourself into. That's not the reason."
"Oh really?" Jack asked dryly. "Do tell me then since you seem to know me so well. What were you thinking? And how did I know that you wouldn't hang me even as the executioner was putting the noose around my neck?"
"I was damning the law and my position for forcing me to hang a good man."
"I'm not a—"
"Yes, you are," Norrington interrupted. "I know it."
"Have you gone daft? Have you been listening to anything I've bloody been telling you? Do you have any idea how many people I've killed? Well, I don't either and that's the problem! I am anything but a good man, Norrington. Don't say that again."
"You're a good man, Jack. In spite of everything that you've been taught by Kruler, you've retained your sense of honour and your sense of guilt. If you hadn't, I would kill you right now."
Jack looked across the beach that separated them at the former military officer, trying to gauge his seriousness. "You would, wouldn't you?"
"Without hesitation," Norrington answered calmly.
"Good. Because someday, you may need to."
"Do you honestly think so?" Norrington asked with a frown.
Jack nodded. "Why don't you? I-I killed my best friend," Jack said slowly, turning away from Norrington and looking out to sea. "I killed Will."
Norrington wanted to say something like, 'you don't know that,' but he could see in Jack's expression that Jack did indeed know what had happened now. "Tell me how Will died. Tell me what happened, Jack."
Jack shook his head. "I can't. Not without Elizabeth—"
"I'm here," a voice from behind them interrupted softly, startling both men into turning around, hands on their swords.
"How long have you been there?" Jack asked her once he had calmed down a bit and let the hilt of his sword go.
"Long enough," was Elizabeth's only answer. "You don't have any more excuses, Jack. Tell me how my fiancé died."
Jack frowned at her insinuation but nodded. It was no less than he deserved. "I did it."
WWW
A few hours earlier…
"You don't get to talk about my father. He was a good man. Unlike you. You tricked him someone. You had to have or else he wouldn't have been your friend. Did you kill him?"
Will's question had nearly cost Jack his life. Perhaps it sill will, he thought as he narrowly avoided Will's blade once more. His side throbbed, and he knew that unless he ended this soon, things would get dangerous for him very quickly. As if they're not dangerous enough already."No, I didn't kill your father. I loved him like a brother. Why would I have killed him?"
"Liar!" Will hissed, lunging at him. The battle was very nearly over then but somehow Jack managed to keep his skin intact for a few minutes longer.
"You're going to enjoy killing me, Will. That will make you just like me. That will lower you to my level. Don't do that to yourself," Jack pleaded with him.
"You'd say anything to save your own skin," Will said coldly. "You're a pirate. And all pirates are liars."
"I'm not lying to you, Will. And I didn't kill your father. Barbossa did."
"And you killed him before I could ask him about it. How convenient," Will said coldly.
"I killed him because he was going to kill your precious Elizabeth," Jack reminded Will with a scowl. "Would you rather I had let her die?"
"If she had died then you wouldn't have been able to put your filthy hands on her later, you bastard," Will hissed, managing to cut another line across Jack's forearm with the edge of his sword.
"Damn it, Will. Don't make me hurt you," Jack warned. "You're my friend. I don't want to do this."
"I am not your friend, Jack. And you're not mine. A pirate is no one's friend."
"Is that so?" Jack asked with a stormy expression on his face. "Well, let me tell you something, boy. If I'm not your friend, then I'm your enemy, and you don't want me as your enemy. This, I promise you."
"Oh yeah? Or what? It seems to me that you're growing tired, Jack. You're going to lose. I'm going to kill you and reclaim Elizabeth's honour."
"This stopped being about her a long time ago, William. This is about you. But you're right, I am getting tired. You're half my age and a skilled swordsman, no doubt. But you forget one thing, lad."
"Oh? And what's that? That you're Captain Jack Sparrow? Spare me," Will said with a derisive sneer.
Jack shook his head. "No, whelp, not that." With lightening-quick movements, Jack had a wickedly sharp dagger from his boot to his hand and in-between Will's ribs before the young blacksmith could block it. "I cheat," Jack said slowly, his eyes black and full of hate as he twisted the blade he had planted in Will's side. Blood spilled over Jack's hand and Will's sword hit the sand with a soft thud as he gasped in pain.
"You bastard," Will gasped, clawing at Jack's shirtfront as he sank to his knees. "You cheating, lying bastard. I thought you were my friend."
"I'm a pirate, remember? I'm no one's friend but my own," Jack said with calm detachment as he watched Will die.
A sad, disbelieving frown marred Will's features. "You were never my friend? It was all a lie?"
"I needed you, pure and simple. You were bait," Jack said with a shrug, crouching down beside Will's prone body and wiping the blood off of his hand onto Will's shirt.
"I refuse to believe that," Will said suddenly, his mind now completely clear and free of any rage or blame towards Jack. "I'm sorry. The things I said to you…none of it was your fault. You didn't ask for any of this to happen. I know you're my friend, and I know you're Elizabeth's. I know you would never consciously hurt her. I couldn't see that before but my eyes are clear now. You're a good man, Jack. Despite," he was cut off by a series of painful coughs, but he strove on, "Despite this," he said, gesturing to the dagger still sticking out of his chest.
"No, I'm not," Jack said evenly, gripping the dagger tightly and pulling it out of Will's chest with a grunt of effort. Will screamed in pain and blood spurted from the wound, staining the sand beneath his body a vibrant red. Jack took a step back to avoid the arterial fount.
"Yes," Will's voice was growing weak now. "You are. You didn't do this. You didn't kill me. It wasn't you. It wasn't your fault."
"There's no one else, Will. Only me, your dear friend Jack Sparrow," Jack said with a shake of his head.
"Yes. Friend. You are my friend, Jack. The best friend I've ever had."
"Don't say that! I've killed you, you bleeding moron! Friends don't do that!"
"This one has," Will said with a small smile, utterly free of blame or pain. It was the last thing he ever said.
"No, no. It wasn't me. I didn't—oh god," Jack moaned to himself, taking a few steps back from Will's body in fear. "He's not dead, he can't be dead. What did I do? What have I done? I've killed him. Oh god. Why did I kill him? He was my friend, my friend, my friend…" He trailed off into silence, not saying a word as Norrington and Elizabeth passed by him to view the body of the recently departed from this earth: Will Turner; friend through to the end
WWW
Jack stared out across the waves, squinting to see the form of the Pearl silhouetted against the growing twilight. If he was going to be killed for what he had done, the last sight he wanted to look upon was his beloved ship.
Time passed, the sun disappeared and the stars came out, but no killing blow was dealt. He began to wonder if Elizabeth and Norrington were even still behind him, but he didn't dare turn his head to look. He simply kept looking over at the Pearl, curiously thankful for the light of the seemingly full moon. He could see her almost as clearly as he could in the daylight, and she was magnificent. Wait…was it his imagination or were there holes in her sails? He took a second look with a frown, sure that his eyes surely must be playing tricks on him. She was whole again, after the curse. He had seen to it. But…where was that fog that now reached out to embrace her coming from? Surely it couldn't simply appear out of nowhere, could it? It wasn't possible.
"Dear me, Jack," Norrington's voice came quavering from Jack's side. Jack couldn't help it, something in the way Norrington had said his name made him turn. The expression on the man's face shocked him.
"What? You don't need to be frightened of me, mate. I'm not going to kill you. Not like I did Will," Jack said bitterly, casting his eyes out to look upon his ship once more. Still, it retained its ghostly figure from a year ago. What was happening?
"That's not--that's not what's wrong, Jack," Norrington said again, sounding even more worrisome than he did before. "The curse."
"What about it?" Jack asked with a confused frown. "Wait, which curse? Barbosssa's or mine?"
"I'd have to say both," Elizabeth spoke up softly. "Look at yourself, Jack."
Jack did. He held up a hand into the light of the moon, growing very still when he saw that he could see straight through to the bones of his hand and beyond. He checked himself over, frantically, not wanting to believe his eyes. Skeletal fingers came into contact with rotting flesh and bone. He was cursed as surely as he had been when he had stolen that godforsaken gold coin. "No, it's not possible. It's broken, the curse is broken. This is a nightmare."
"The curse was broken by Will, Jack," Elizabeth spoke up gently, her voice breaking on her dead fiancé's name.
"When you killed Will, the curse was unbroken," Norrington said solemnly.
Jack couldn't help it. He screamed.
TBC
A/N: Well that was fun, wasn't it? Right? –nervous laugh- Don't hate me if I tell you it was fun to write, ok? Ok. Please review!
Reviewer Responses
Puss…etc etc-I'm very glad you loved it. Sorry I didn't get this up any sooner.
JackFan2-Very very sorry. As of now, Will remains dead. But not all is lost. Not necessarily.
BraveSymbol-I did not invent the word angst, I don't think, but it is certainly a good word. ;-)
Mistress of Destruction-hoped this chapter was a little darker for you.
OpraNoodlemantra-I really hope you haven't lost your sanity by now. Sorry! Jack's change from evil sob to not so evil guy, is going to be an interesting one. I hope. Stay tuned. ;-)
FalconWing-I hope you were satisfied with what happened. I debated on who I wanted to have kill Will for awhile until I simply decided to flip a coin. This is the option that I ended up with. And it was a fun one to write. :-)
Ellenar-I really hope the Orly/Will fans don't come after me. –crosses fingers- Would it make things worse if I said I had fun writing his death scene? Eep, it probably will.
Arenas-I hope I can turn Rabid Sparrow into Jack too. We'll see. And feel free to egg me on all you like. :-)
Marvel-Yes, there will be no killing of the author because then the story wouldn't get finished. ;-) And we couldn't have that.
Holliday1081-I definitely appreciated your insights into my fic. Thank you for those. You made some very good points, rambling aside. Jack is definitely a survivalist at heart, and wouldn't simply just lie down and die. But I hope you liked the added twist I gave this chapter as well. :-)
Otherhawk-I'll pass the buck on your question and be evasive by saying neither. Or possibly both. Was that cryptic enough for you? ;-)
Lynx Ryder-speed reader, you are. I'm glad you liked my story. :-D Yes, I killed Will. No, -looks for rabid Will fans- I am not really sorry that I did. The whelp simply had to die. And yes, I've turned Jack into one rather evil sob. How about that? D
The Phantom's Christine-Yes, I killed Will. And yes, I'm not sorry I did it. Jack's just better, pure and simple. ;-) Sorry you had a headache. Hope you feel better to read this chapter.
BlueTrinity- From Lorelac-you dare to say something as petty and simply as "hi" to a god? Who are you? Bow before my feet, you puny mortal. And do not bother me again unless you have something or someone of value or importance to sacrifice for me.
Hmm, he's a meanie sometimes, sorry about that. Thank you for the review though!
Cheetah Princess-Thank you so much for reviewing! Sorry this couldn't be up sooner!
Thank you sooo much you guys! You really do keep this story going with all your kind comments and threats. ;-) See you next chapter!
-Merrie