I'm back, everyone! lol, I can't BELIEVE I'm actually updating after such a short period of time... anyway, I guess don't have much to say right here, except that I'm having the BEST summer. And oh yeah, I don't own anything in Dynasty Warriors, and speaking of which, I just bought Dynasty Warriors 6, and even though I HATE Koei for removing those seven characters out of the game, especially Da Qiao, who was practically my FAVORITE, I still think the game's alright, though not as good as its predecessors. I really hope they bring ALL those characters back in Dynasty Warriors 7, or I don't think I'll buy it. And is anyone apart from me PISSED AS HELL that they took away Sun Ce's tonfas? Because I've always thought they KICKED ASS, and now that he fights with a crappy PIKE, he just isn't fun anymore. Not to mention that many of the guys look like Dragonball Z characters now, what with their stupid spiky hairstyles.

Another thing, I've been watching the Olympics, and I think China's done an amazing job with their opening for it, it was just phenomenal, so hats off to them. Oh yeah, and I think I'm in love with Michael Phelps for breaking all those records:P. I'm rooting for everyone, because I don't think it matters whoever wins gold, it's all the same to me!

And I'd also like to thank everyone for reviewing my last chapter, as I've got 99 of those now, and with just ONE more, I'm gonna make a century! So hurry and be the HUNDREDTH PERSON TO REVIEW, because you'll be remembered by me FOREVER! lol, like I said, I don't have much to say at all:P...

So, here's Chapter 20! Wow, this story's REALLY growing, isn't it?:P

Enjoy!

Qiao Xuan was peering at Sun Ce fixedly through the crowd surrounding him. Something told Ce that this man knew exactly who he was, and Ce didn't avert his eyes from Xuan's. He could just make out the resemblence the man shared with his daughters. The rest of the people followed Xuan's gaze and spotted Ce standing there. They all fell silent. About every important official of the Wu Kingdom, except for Zhou Yu, was present.

Sun Shang Xiang suddenly let go of her brother's palm and ran towards Gan Ning. When she reached him, he slipped his arm about her shoulders.

Ce hesitated, but then made his way towards the mob. He was aware that all eyes were on him, as he could feel them burning into his skin. But he took no notice of anyone. He walked defiantly through all the people, and stopped for none of them, except once for Sun Jian. Before passing him, he turned to give his father a fierce, blazing glance. Then he went on his way as though nothing had happened.

He walked into the palace doors and kept going, through all the halls, past the chambers, up the spiraling staircase, and finally, into the bedroom he'd been seeking.

Da Qiao leapt to her feet when he entered her room, clearly shocked to see him there. But she composed herself within seconds, and stared up at him with indifference, her hands by her sides. She was wearing what she had worn when she first arrived. Her clothes had, of course, been tattered and torn then, but they had been cleaned and carefully mended by the royal seamstresses.

This was it. This was when she had to be bravest. She prayed to gods to keep her from losing control.

Ce drew up to her in silence. None of them said a word for what seemed like ages.

"What are you doing?"

It was Ce who had finally broken the quietude.

Da's mouth was a thin line, her eyes were like tunnels.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this."

And he strode over to her window and pulled back the curtain, revealing the mob below, her father in its midst.

She didn't reply.

"Well?"

"You know, don't you?"

"I wanted to hear it from you before believing anything."

Da straightened up.

"It's true."

Ce expression remained unchanged. His face was impassive. But it was just the opposite as to how he felt.

"It is?"

"Yes. I've always known this could never last. My father's here. We're back going with him now."

Again, there was silence. Neither of them made a move, but they didn't stop staring into each other's eyes.

"And then?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"What'll happen to you then?"

Da lowered her eyes for the first time.

"That doesn't matter, does it? Not to you, anyway. I don't have to tell you."

Her voice was barely above a whisper. It sounded like she didn't even believe what she was saying.

"Don't you?"

Ce's voice had remained calm through the entire conversation, betraying none of his pain. His tone was matter-of-fact. He was forcing Da to think before she answered.

"No, I don't," she said, a bit too fast. "Why should I?"

"Ask yourself that question."

Da blinked. She could feel the heat creeping up her face.

"Well, I have already," she shot at him, "and I've no idea why it's any of your business. You've no right to know anything about my future."

Ce's well-tanned face paled.

"And why's that?"

"Because you have nothing to do with me!"

Da's voice reverberated off the walls, echoing a hundred times.

Her lips suddenly trembled, and for a second, it seemed as though she herself regretted her words. But then she gave her head a little shake, and at once her eyes were just as cold and foreboding as ever.

Ce's mouth had gone very dry.

"Is that really what you think?"

His voice was as calm as ever, but his eyes were empty.

Da clenched her fists.

"Yes it is."

Then she suddenly burst into peals of derisive laughter.

"Oh, Ce, I can't believe how naive you are! Did you really think I meant everything I said to you? Sometimes I just wondered if you were playing along, too. I was just passing the time while I waited for my father to get me! After all, what do you even have that could tempt any girl? What do you think appealed to me? You've got an overprotective father, a paranoid brother, a sister who can't make up her mind as to whether she's a boy or a girl, and a sworn brother who can't even voice his thoughts to save his life! No girl would ever want to be stuck with you even for a bit, let alone for life!"

She paused for a moment, surveying him. He stood utterly still. He didn't move a muscle. He could have been a statue.

Had anyone else told Ce all this at any other point of time, he would have drawn his tonfas on them. His family was his crowning glory, a part of his pride. He would never forgive a soul who spoke against it in such a manner, and Da had.

He walked up to her slowly. He seemed so large and menacing, that for the first time in her life, Da was frightened of him. Not of what he might do to her, but of him.

He stopped when she was right under his nose. He was positively alarming. His massive chest was rising and falling with the deep breaths he was taking. She could see the shadow of the warrior upon his face, and it was all she could do to stand her ground.

Was he going to hurt her? Kill her? He looked as though he could. He could do it easily. But-

"I see," he said finally. "I see it all now. This was you all along."

Da didn't speak.

"I was a real ass, wasn't I? I should have figured it out way back. You were nothing but a selfish player the whole time, weren't you?"

Da still made no reply.

"You must have had a great time," he went on, "I guess you and Xiao had a hell lot of fun laughing over all the things I said to you in private."

"That's right," Da managed to get out. "Caught on at last, have you?"

Ce folded his arms and whistled, his brows raised.

"And here I was thinking you weren't any good at lying."

Da nodded vigorously.

"Real stupid of you."

Ce laughed, but there was no humor in it.

"So what are you still doing here? Your dad's waiting for you down there."

"Yes, he is. Thank you. I was just leaving."

Before she passed him, she stopped, and stared into his green eyes with her own identical ones. All the unsaid things passed from his eyes to hers, and she had to blink to stop them from sinking in.

"We never had anything, Sun Ce," she said clearly. "And we never will."

"Xiao, please. Xiao, open the door."

Yu had been standing near Xiao Qiao's bedroom door for ten minutes, trying to persuade her to let him in. She was adamant on staying shut up alone, though. She actually hadn't made a sound the whole time. Yu was beginning to seriously worry about her.

"Xiao, come on! That's enough," he declared, pounding the door exasperatedly. "Quit being such a kid!"

Silence. There was no sound of movement from inside the room whatsoever.

"Xiao, your father and sister are waiting for you out there, and it is my duty to..."

He trailed off, knowing she didn't give a damn about what he was saying.

He threw up his hands in defeat.

"Oh, the hell with it!" he muttered angrily.

He stood there for a while, with his arms crossed and his back against the door for a while, trying to think of his next move.

Then, in a last desperate attempt, he turned back to the door again, pressing his forehead and hand against it.

"Xiao," he murmured, his eyes closed. "Xiao, I know you're upset. So am I. I just want to talk to you, Xiao. I need to see you. I don't want you to leave either. Let me in, Xiao."

There was still no answer, but he thought he heard a tiny sniff.

Encouraged, he continued talking.

"Come on, Xiao. You can't be mad at me. Why won't you let me in? I'm your best friend, remember?"

Still nothing, but the sniffs went on.

Yu exhaled. There was only one thing left for him to do, and he knew it. There was no other way.

I can't believe I'm saying this.

"Pretty please, Xiao?"

The sniffs stopped. A second or two passed, and the door swung open straight away, followed by Xiao falling right into his arms. Immediately, she started sobbing loudly.

"Oh, Xiao," he murmured, petting her head comfortingly.

He looked around to see if there was anyone coming. There wasn't. Quickly, he ushered her back into her room, taking care to lock the door behind him.

Once inside, he lifted her face to his. She could have been a real mess, but she wasn't. He hair was mussed up, her eyes and nose pink, and her face tear-streaked and slightly swollen. But still, much like her sister before her, she was beautiful.

"Yu!" she cried out, then burst into fresh sobs once again.

"It's alright," Yu whispered, holding her tight,"It's okay, I'm here now. Don't. Stop crying, Xiao. C'mon, stop it. I'm here, don't cry anymore."

He held her away to wipe the tears from her face, while she tried to compose herself, holding onto his arms.

"I don't wanna go, Yu! I'm staying here! I don't care if Sis wants to go, tell her that! Tell Papa to leave me alone! Tell them to go away, I don't like them anymore!" she wailed between sobs.

Yu didn't say anything, but continued to stroke her hair.

He waited for a while, and she began to calm down. Soon, she was just shuddering a little in his arms, but no longer crying.

"Yu, does Sis hate me?"

It was spoken in a whisper. A frightened one. One that was fearful of the answer, and one that was on her mind for a long time.

"Of course she doesn't," he said. "Who told you that?"

She sighed.

"She- she never hit me before."

Yu smiled down at her.

"There's always a first time, isn't there?"

"But why did she do it?"

Yu took a deep breath. Xiao did ask some hard questions at times.

"Because she had no other choice. And she thought it was the only way to make you listen."

"What, by hurting me?" she asked incredulously.

"No, her slapping you was just an attempt to get through to you. You weren't listening to her, and she got frustrated by it," Yu explained.

"Oh."

Xiao paused, her cheek against his chest, and lowered her eyes for a moment, digesting this information. The sight was so endearing, all Yu wanted to do was kiss her. But he knew it just wasn't the time.

"But why does she want to go all of a sudden? I thought she was happy here with Ce! What's the matter with her?"

Yu forced himself to lie.

"I'm not sure."

Xiao frowned.

"Well, I'm never going back with her. I'm staying here and that's final. If she wants to go, let her. See if I care!"

"Xiao," said Yu a little roughly. "None of that. You know you can't just leave her."

"But she's the one who wants to leave!" Xiao persisted. "I wanted us to stay here forever. But now she's gone all funny, and she wants to go back. She doesn't care about me!"

"That's not true, and you know it."

"She slapped me!"

"She'd never hurt you on purpose."

"How do you know? I've known her my whole life!"

"Exactly," said Yu, his eyes suddenly flashing. "You have known her your whole life. And within that time, she's looked after you like a mother. She's been everything to you. She's never let you get hurt, and she's never done anything without thinking of you first. And she's just two years older than you are. How can you say she doesn't care about you? Don't you remember any of it? Because I know she does!"

Xiao looked crushed. She lowered her eyes again, which were much wider now. She did remember. Of course she did. How could she not?

"I don't think I've ever met a more selfish girl than you."

Her eyes snapped back to him.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked, fearful again. She clutched onto the front of his robes fiercely, waiting on tenterhooks.

Yu looked into her large, honey-brown eyes once more, and found himself melting.

He drew her into himself, holding her tight, his arms around her waist, his lips at her head.

"Of course I don't," he murmured soothingly.

Xiao held onto him even tighter.

"I do remember," she said breathlessly. "She's always loved me. She was never mean to me at all. And now when she's so sad, sad enough to hurt me, I'm being a nasty little pig. She and Ce aren't talking, and all she's got is me, and I'm not even supporting her. I'm so mean, Yu! I actually told her I hated her. I'm such a liar! She must feel so bad. I deserved that slap. Didn't I?"

Yu laughed softly.

"Yes, you sure did."

She giggled a bit herself, then pulled away and touched her cheek.

"Still, though," she said as if only just realizing it, "that really hurt!"

Yu laughed again.

He moved her hand out of the way, cupped her cheek, and kissed it tenderly.

"How about now?"

If Xiao's cheek had been red when Da had slapped her, that was nothing to what it was now. Her whole face flushed, and her dimples danced in and out of her cheeks.

"It doesn't hurt at all anymore!" she exclaimed, then buried her face in his chest again.

Yu squeezed her for a bit longer, then lifted her up so that her face was in level with his.

Xiao bent forward and kissed his nose, then threw her arms about his neck.

For a long time, neither of them said anything. Then-

"Yu," she whispered, "Yu, I really have to go, don't I?"

Yu felt his heart break.

No, he wanted to say. No, you don't. You can stay here. You can be with me forever and ever and ever, just as you wanted. I'll never have to let you go, never.

"Yes," he said. "You do. Your sister needs you."

He could have kicked- no, killed himself for saying that. But he forced himself to hold his tongue.

Xiao pulled away and gazed at him, her face miserable.

"Then I guess there's just one problem left," she whispered.

"Oh? What's that?" Yu asked softly, fighting the impulse to run away with her.

"How much I'm going to miss you!"

And she burst into tears again, burying her face in his shoulder.

Yu kissed her head and her cheek, and ran his hand up and down her back, trying to stay collected himself.

"Sssh, it's okay," he whispered, even though it wasn't. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

"Really?" she breathed. She wished she could believe that. Would it really be alright?

"Yes."

She faced him again, looking more upset then ever.

"But Yu, we'd be so far apart," she whispered.

He stared into her tear-filled eyes.

"It wouldn't change a thing," he promised, before leaning forward and kissing her for the last time.

Da watched as her sister made her way out of the palace doors and into the grounds towards her, Yu holding her by the shoulders. Xiao was walking slowly and unsteadily, as if she was in two minds, which of course, she was. When Yu let go of her shoulders and took a step away from her, she stopped and looked back at him, a strangely pained, imploring look on her face. But he nodded at her to go on.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao turned back and continued on walking, her steps becoming slowly more pronounced, more sure of themselves. When she finally reached Da, she looked up at her with dry, but full eyes.

She tried a few times to speak, but nothing came out. Then finally, she shut her eyes bent her head down, and whispered,

"I'm sorry, Sis."

Everyone watched as Da stepped towards her and enfolded her in her arms. Xiao hugged her sister back as hard as she could, trying to let her know how much she regretted what had happened, dissolving into silent tears.

"I didn't mean it," she said shakily. "I didn't mean what I said, I'm sorry. I- I d-don't hate you. I never did. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Da whispered, rubbing her sister's back. "That must have hurt you alot."

Xiao hiccupped, laughing.

"It sure did. I didn't know you were that strong."

Both sisters laughed softly together. Then Xiao pulled away from Da and said,

"I'm coming. I'm coming back with you. Whatever- whatever happens, I won't abandon you again, the way I did that day."

They both stared at each other, remembering that awful night when Dong Zhuo's men had them captured, that night which had led them to here. They remembered the horror, the tears, and the possibility of never escaping.

"No," Da said, "No, it doesn't have to be this way. You want to stay here, don't you? You can. You can stay here with Yu if you want, I wont make you come. I'll be alright. You can be happy here, I promise; and I can visit you every day."

Xiao was shaking her head violently.

"I said I'm coming with you, Sis. I'm not staying, I- I don't want to."

Xiao's face almost crumpled at her last words, but she kept it from falling. She had to be strong for Da's sake. Her sister needed her. And no matter how badly she wanted the two of them to stay, she knew it couldn't be.

"Really? You will?"

Xiao smiled.

"I promise. And I promise that no matter what happens to us, we'll go through it together. Isn't that what you always promised me, Sis?"

Da hugged Xiao again, thanking the gods for giving her such a darling sister.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Da Qiao. Xiao Qiao."

The two sisters jumped at their father's icy voice.

Qiao Xuan had been watching them without emotion. He didn't seem impatient, but he didn't seem interested either.

"Come," he continued. "We do not have much time."

Da and Xiao clasped hands, but before they could take a step towards Xuan, he suddenly said,

"Wait."

All eyes turned to Qiao Xuan now.

"Before leaving," he said slowly, "I would like to have a word with Lords Sun Ce and Zhou Yu."

Da and Xiao exchanged nervous looks. What was on their father's mind now?

Qiao Xuan turned to Sun Jian, who was standing tall with his hands gripping the hilt of his magnificent sword.

"Is my request granted, my lord?"

Sun Jian inclined his head.

"Of course."

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu stood before Qiao Xuan a little way off, away from the rest of the people, out of their earshot. He was a tall man, and looked more young than old. There was something in the character of his face which linked it to his daughters. He surveyed them silently through his large eyes.

"I understand," he said finally, "how my daughters come to be here. It was the the two of you who rescued them from the dominion of Dong Zhuo, I presume?"

None of them answered, but Ce nodded once stiffly.

"They do look well," Xuan remarked. "I suppose I should thank you for caring for them all this while. I do hope they have not been a burden. I know that my younger daughter can grow to be quite-"

"They haven't been." Ce had cut him across.

Qiao Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is," said Yu.

"Well," said Xuan straightening himself up, "I am thankful to you. If there is any way I can repay you-?"

"No, there isn't," said Ce at once.

"No?"

"No."

Qiao Xuan seemed slightly puzzled.

"Very well. I shall be going on my way now. Thank you for your time."

As Qiao Xuan turned to leave, Yu suddenly said,

"What will you do with them?"

Qiao Xuan stopped and stared at him, bewildered.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," said Yu, most astonishingly unlike himself. "What'll happen to your daughters?"

Ce was stunned. This was something one might expect from Ce, but now Yu looked like he didn't care about niceties even a bit at the moment.

Xuan raised his eyebrows. For a moment, it seemed as if he was going to tell Yu to mind his own business. But then he replied,

"I will get them married as soon as possible, of course. I have a suitable match lined up for the both of them."

"And suppose they refused? Suppose they didn't like their 'suitable match'?" Yu demanded, refusing to stay quiet.

Qiao Xuan narrowed his eyes.

"Then I would force them into obeying me, the way I have done all these years."

Ce suddenly felt heat clouding around him. His hands clenched themselves into fists.

"How?" he almost hissed.

Xuan looked from Ce to Yu, then suddenly burst into cold, mocking laughter.

"Can it be true?" he sneered. "Are two young men who barely know my daughters actually fearing for their lives?"

Qiao Xuan laughed as though he never found anything more amusing in his whole life. It was a harsh, unpleasant sound, as though laughter did not suit him.

"My daughters have been courted by countless suitors, many of them almost noble as yourselves. Why should the two of you be anything special to any of them?"

He paused waiting for a reaction. He received none. He went on,

"What is the matter, my lords? Did you not believe everything you heard about me from Da and Xiao? Did you really believe that I was in fact a sweet little man with a fondness for dogs and young children?"

"No," said Yu, in a low voice. "But we felt that maybe, you might be sweet and fond of your only daughters, since they're all you have. We thought you might actually be a real father to your girls."

Qiao Xuan's sneer was replaced by an ugly snarl.

"I guess we were wrong about that," said Ce between gritted teeth.

"That's right," Qiao Xuan almost growled. "You were very wrong indeed."

And he turned on his heel and marched back to the onlooking crowd.

Xiao held onto Yu's neck as though she would never let him go. She cried freely into his shoulder, just as she had done a few hours earlier. Her heart was heavy with sorrow, and she wished she would just wake up from this nightmare, and in Yu's arms, the way they had been this morning. She could hardly believe it had really only been some hours ago that she had experienced such perfect contentment. And now she was going to have to let it all go... to leave it all behind!

"Will I ever see you again?" she breathed.

Yu cuddled her closer, taking in her scent and sharing her warmth.

"I don't know," he whispered to her for the first time. What should he do? Say? Should he tell her? Tell her what he really felt for her, what he'd been feeling for days now? He could. He knew he was able to now.

No.

That would just make it harder for her. Harder for her to move on. Harder for her to forget about him.

Xiao... I...

"I'll never forget you, Xiao," he murmured. "Never."

"And... and I'll always- think of you," Xiao promised, between sobs.

She pulled away to face him, and he cupped her face, kissing her forehead. He wiped tears of her face, and kissed her cheeks, too. He didn't care if everyone was watching him. He didn't care if Qiao Xuan was waiting in the carriage, appalled at his behavior with his daughter. All he wanted was to hold Xiao forever. Would he be able to live happily without her? Would he be able to live at all?

He finally let go of her more reluctantly than he'd ever done in his life, and said,

"Go. Go on, they're waiting."

Xiao took a step back from him and gazed at him tearfully for what seemed like an hour, then covered her face with her hands. Ducking her head, she walked quickly towards Ce.

Right behind where she was had been Da Qiao. There were no tears on her face, but Yu looked into her eyes and saw that she was anguished, remorseful.

She threw her arms about Yu and hugged him tight.

"I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm so sorry, Yu. This is all my fault. Please forgive me."

Yu held her away and took her face in her hands gently, giving her a sad smile.

"You are my sister," he declared. "And there's nothing to forgive."

She tried to smile back at him without letting her face crumple. Leaving someone as wonderful as Yu wasn't going to be easy.

He hugged her again, consolingly, and let his hand rest on top of her head.

"You'll be fine."

Xiao stood before Ce, her eyes cast down.

He went down on his knees, being almost a foot taller than her to begin with, so that his face was a bit lower than hers.

Ce had been rather surprised to see Yu bid Da farewell so warmly, even after knowing that it was she who'd insisted on leaving. But that was probably because he felt about the same way about her as Ce felt about Xiao.

"Hey, squirt," he said, making her smile. "I want you to know," he went on slowly, "If I've hurt you... it's... well, it's not what I meant."

Xiao did her best to answer.

"I'm not mad at you anymore," she whispered, then stepped in forwards and squeezed him tight. "I'll miss you so much," she said.

"So will I," he answered, and patted her small back. Xiao could really make him smile when he couldn't do it himself.

When the two girls reached Sun Shang Xiang, her lips trembled, and she flung herself at both of them, embracing them hard. The three of them had grown so close during the past couple of months that Shang Xiang couldn't bear to hold her tears back, and so she just couldn't help crying.

"I hate you guys for leaving," she choked out, not releasing them for quite some time.

When they walked up to Sun Quan, he avoided looking into their eyes. He was more uncomfortable than they'd ever seen him, and shifted from side to side.

"I wish you the best," was all he said, still not making eye contact with them.

Da and Xiao bid farewell to all the rest of the officials, and when Da began to walk to the carriage, she caught sight of Sun Jian smiling at her, peacefully.

"Thank you," he mouthed.

Da lowered her eyes. She wished she could end this right now. But she knew she had no choice.

She turned, and almost gasped, as Sun Ce was standing right in front of her, between the carriage and herself.

She became aware that the moon had clearly risen into the sky. There was darkness all around her, and just enough light for her to discern everyone. Ce's expression was unfathomable. Behind him, Yu was helping Xiao into the carriage.

Da fought to keep control of herself. She tried to forget all the times he'd held her in his arms, tried to stop the rush of emotions and feelings that were flowing from her heart, tried to remind herself of her promise, and, most of all, tried to prevent herself from flying at him, and telling him how sorry she was, and how badly she wanted to stay with him forever.

"May I help you into your carriage?"

His voice was so polite and formal, Da almost cried to hear it.

"Yes," she replied flatly. "Yes, you may."

Ce took hold of her waist, cupped her hip and lifted her into her open carriage, beside her sister. His hand reached for the door, and just before shutting it, he looked into her eyes for the last time. Nothing passed between them now. He had blocked out all his emotions from her. As though he no longer trusted her. Neither of them blinked, or made a move.

"Goodbye, Lord Sun Ce. I shall never forget your kindness to us."

"It was our pleasure. Goodbye, Lady Da Qiao."

He smiled at her, but there was no humor in that either, just as his laugh had been when she'd uttered those awful words to him in her bedroom. He stood there a while longer, staring down at her.

"Thank you for everything."

Her voice was constricted now.

Ce gave her a nod, and with that, he shut the carriage door, blocking out her face, which had been so close to his. He knew that the sight of those green eyes staring at him from inside the carriage would haunt him for all eternity. He stepped back from the carriage, and saw Yu, whose face was pale and whose eyes appeared steel-gray, staring down at the door he'd just closed.

The two men were more hollow than they'd ever been.

The coachman whipped the reins of the four enormous white horses, and a second later, The Two Qiaos of Jiang Dong were sped away from Jian Ye Palace, far across the Chang Jiang River and into the distance.

Okay, okay, I know that was terrible, but I couldn't help it, it was just SO HARD TO WRITE! Fitting in the emotions of all the characters was the hardest part, I REALLY don't know what to do with myself... I really hope no one out there hates me enough to not review, because this was ONE LONG CHAPTER... and I've also updated as soon as I could, it's actually been exactly a whole month. That isn't really long, if you think about all my other tardy updates...

So, what's gonna happen NOW? This was one of the saddest things I've ever written! Please, PLEASE review to find out, I notice I've got about eight for the last chapter, which was why I managed to find the time to update so soon, please keep the reviews coming, and I might do it even faster next time!

Thanks!