The Power to Save Her
Chapter 15
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
Important Note: I will not follow comics/legends characters or concepts closely, if at all. My knowledge is strictly on the that of the movies and a more mainstream knowledge of Star Wars. Though I may reference events and things outside of the movies, I do not claim to know the material on a deeper level.
Luke stared into the blue haze of hyperspace, waiting for their destination to appear, though he knew it'd be hours before they'd get there. Numerous buttons around him glowed and blinked, giving warnings of various faulty components of the ship. Han was at the front with Chewie while they quietly discussed the state of the Falcon. Luke sat in the chair behind, arms crossed, silently pondering over the state of events that had happened before and after their escape.
Just a few hours ago, they'd received a message from the Rebellion, and it turned out that something had went wrong over Naboo. It'd been no accident that both the X-Wing fighters and ground troops were drawn out to fight. Someone from the inside had told them to move in, but that had not been authorized. Clearly, the Alliance had been compromised, as only members of a higher-ranking status could've given that command. So many had lost their lives and only when an order for retreat finally made it through, did a few escape the massacre. Mon Mothma had contacted them herself with this information. She'd warned them away from returning to the fleet, instead urging them to hide somewhere while they weeded out the Womp rat.
After they'd been informed, Han suggested Tatooine first, as he explained his need to repay his debts to Jabba. They'd all concurred with this location for the time being. Luke agreed, mostly in the hopes that he might find kyber crystals to construct a new lightsaber. His encounter with the Sith Emperor had left him shaken, and without the weapon next time he'd surely lose. Regardless of his need, Tatooine seemed the safest option, though Luke suggested that they stay away from Jabba until a proper plan could be in place. If he knew the Hutts, they were deceitful.
Sighing Luke rose out of his seat and turned away from the cockpit, letting Han know that he wanted to get some rest. The smuggler nodded and went back to talking with the Wookiee. Though his excuse had been needing some sleep, Luke knew deep down that he couldn't. Not when he'd been bombarded with a so much. He couldn't rest knowing his father had been so close to death. Though Luke believed that Vader was an adversary, he couldn't ignore the familial connection. Especially not when his mother was alive and seemingly willing to defy the Sith while also standing by his side. Something about her example spoke to him and caused even more conflict in the young Jedi's mind. Luke walked into the communal room, so lost in his thoughts, that he barely noticed one of the girls they'd rescued. She jumped as did he, and they both smiled briefly.
"Sorry Ryoo.", Luke muttered, taking a seat at the table. She shook her head, glancing down to her datapad.
"It's okay Luke.", she replied, drawing the blanket closer to herself. The Falcon, undergoing repairs, had its heating units neglected.
When there was a fair bit of silence, Luke closed his eyes. It'd been too long since he'd meditated on everything, and he knew it would help relieve some of the worries he had. However, Ryoo spoke again.
"You know, you do look like your father.", she stated, tilting her head. Luke felt some strange feeling rising within him, though she clearly took his discomfort for a questioning gaze. "I met him, when I was young."
"Oh…", was all he replied, not knowing what else to say. Luckily, he didn't have to think of anything for a door hissed open.
Artoo came rolling in followed by Leia. She had a triumphant look on her face, and Luke grew curious. Threepio, who'd Luke quite forgotten about, shuffled in, stating his usual displeasure with the astromech droid.
"Luke, Artoo's allowed to show holos of her.", announced Leia, motioning to the astromech. Luke felt something in him sink at the information, though Leia didn't catch on right away. "I don't know what's changed but he's allowed permission now."
"That's great news.", Luke replied, trying to force a smile.
"Don't you want to see it?", Leia asked furrowing her eyebrows, and Luke lost his attempts at remaining neutral.
"Later Leia… please.", Luke replied, his expression wary, glancing at Ryoo. He'd known of course, of Artoo's permissions being updated by his father, but he wasn't quite ready for anyone else to know… whatever it was that the astromech held.
"What's wrong Luke?", Leia asked, taking a step forward, and he tried once more to be casual about it.
"Nothing.", he said, letting out a sigh.
"Don't hide the truth.", she responded, her face growing worried. "You seem distracted."
"I'm tired is all.", he replied, not making eye contact. Leia glanced to Ryoo, who was watching this unfold silently. She excused herself without being asked, and the door hissed shut behind her.
"Luke, I think that these people are your family… and I suspect you already know too.", Leia stated in a low voice, sitting down next to him. He made eye contact with her, playing with his hands, but didn't deny it. "So why hide it? Are you ashamed?"
"No. I'm not ashamed of them.", Luke replied, lowering his gaze, hoping she'd hear his plea for her to drop the holos. "How did you know?"
"It was Mon Mothma that helped me piece it together.", Leia admitted, her gaze watching him worriedly. She raised an eyebrow, explaining her reasoning, listing off the points on her fingers. "Anakin Skywalker owned this droid, with her holos and she told me that he and Senator Amidala were friends. Also, she told me that Padmé Amidala was pregnant at the time. How long have you known?"
"From the moment I saw her, I felt something… different.", he replied, shaking his head. "It's strange. There was something familiar about her presence."
Leia looked pensive but didn't voice her thoughts.
"How long have you knownfor sure?", she asked again, and Luke sighed at the prodding.
"Since Artoo told us of his original owner.", he admitted, tracing the table with a finger. "It wasn't too hard to piece together afterwards."
"That's awfully fast a conclusion to draw.", she remarked, tilting her head.
"Well it's the truth.", Luke replied defensively, some tenseness to his voice.
"There's more to this you're not telling me.", Leia accused, but her voice was gentle. "There's something that happened on Bespin isn't there? Something you're not telling me."
"I'm not—"
"I know you're not ready, but this is important." Leia stated, furrowing her brows. She gestured in the general direction of the quarters. "You have a family, right there in the other room, and you're not willing to tell them?"
"You don't understand.", Luke started, knowing his familial ties to Vader. They didn't deserve that. Not after just losing their home to the Empire.
"Then try to explain this to me.", she asked, feeling some emotion coming to her, but she knew not why.
"Leia… I—", Luke uttered, closing his eyes, then opened them.
Silently he rose to his feet and paced to the other side of the room, while she remained sitting, watching him with growing worry. He raised a hand to his face and sighed. So many things about this situation was hard to explain.
"Luke, whatever it is, you can tell me.", she empathized, Luke turned, seeing the truth in her eyes, and the claim was validated by the Force. He was numb for a moment, trying to find the words, before he heard himself speaking.
"I'm not who you think I am.", he stated simply.
"Then who are you?", she asked, imploring him to continue.
"I am… I am proud to have a mother like her.", Luke began, his voice in wonderment at being able to admit it aloud for the first time. "She's the embodiment of everything that's right and just."
"But?"
"I have more than one parent.", Luke uttered, his expression growing dark.
"Anakin Skywalker.", Leia nodded, though felt some confusion, which the Jedi anticipated. "But Luke, you've always idolized him. He was a great Jedi hero."
There was silence, and Leia sensed the weight of it.
"What if I told you, that Anakin Skywalker never died in the purges.", Luke replied, his expression pained. "That he wasn't just a Jedi during that trial, nor a victim of the slaughter. That he was the one that hunted down and destroyed the Jedi Order."
Realization dawned on her face and Luke could sense the emotions rolling off her.
"You don't mean…"
"Yes Leia.", Luke replied, swallowing. Something heavy filled his chest, as well as a resolve to get this out in the open. "Anakin Skywalker wasn't murdered by Darth Vader… he is him."
Luke watched her face carefully, as it ranged from shock to horror, and then back to a mix of both. Feeling unwanted, the young Jedi quietly turned away from her. Her reaction was burned into his mind, and a sense of shame was creeping over him. At this confession, Luke began reliving the same horror had happened on Bespin. Even now, his hand ached from where it'd been mercilessly burned off. His thoughts returned to when the Sith was revealing the truth to him. The dark side had temped the Jedi to take the life of an unarmed man, his own father. He'd been so close to doing it, which hardly made him better than the Sith. Luke knew his lineage, one filled with evil and suffering. Suffering which had been inflicted on his own friends.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
He was turned back towards Leia, only to see compassion on her face. Quietly, she guided him to take a seat by the table, a comforting hand on his arm. He willingly sat down, not knowing what to do or say. She didn't know either, but rested there in quiet, just deciding on being there with him.
"Luke, I'm sorry… ", she stated, and he nodded, feeling a strange heat behind his eyes. "But you're not alone in this. No matter who you're related to, I know who you are."
"Thank you.", was all he managed before glancing down, placing his hands over his face.
For a long time, he just sat there, pain rolling off of him in waves, while she was just there for him.
Anakin walked through the crumbling ruins of the Temple after carrying out the annihilation of all the Jedi there. All around him, was a darkness his eyes could not pierce. Strewed at his feet were the bodies of the fallen. On the edge of the darkness, he witnessed the Clones as they chattered amongst each other about clearing rooms. Their words almost echoed as they spoke.
Anakin glanced down at the bodies.
Utter fear, pain, and death had surrounded him and in the heat of the moment, it had even fueled him, propelling him towards one goal: saving his wife. He remembered, even as they begged him to stop, that he'd cut them down in her name. Horrifying was the fact that he had watched himself, outside his own body as he brutally murdered even the young initiates.
Now as he was standing in a hall of the Temple, his blade switched off, the echoes of their pain continued rising in the Force. Their voices were mixed with the disembodied voices of the Clones. He raised his eyes, trying to see where his troops had gone, but they had disappeared altogether. No one was there but he and the dead.
The voices of everyone only continued to fill the air.
Something in him grew panicked, pushing him to get out, so he decided to walk past the fallen. He looked every which way, down dark corridors of the Temple, hoping to escape. He knew not how he was to move on from this nightmare, but he knew he needed to keep pushing forward.
While exploring the labyrinth, he came across the darkest void of all. At first, he hesitated, repulsed by this corner of his mind, but he knew he needed to see where it would go. It was something he needed to confront. Something he needed to admit. He pressed through the void, passing through some sort of black fog, and he suddenly found himself in the Council room. The windows were completely dark, even the city completely cast under shadow.
Feeling sickened, he looked down on the bodies of younglings. They were cloaked in shadow, small forms curled on the cold floor. Then, he spotted something in the furthest corner of the room. This one was one older than the rest, laying with his back turned to him. Something cold sparked in him, but he knew that he'd been led to this place for a reason. Anakin slowly approached the body, feeling something pulling him, a sensation of dread and curiosity.
He was closer now, and he could see that the body was stiff and only now did he notice lighter hair on this boy's head. Silently, Anakin reached out his flesh hand, shaking. He turned the boy towards him and was met with the face of his son.
Anakin sucked in a breath, feeling horror.
The boy's face was turned up towards him, eyes accusing, though lifeless. Anakin fell to his knees, gathering the limp form in his arms. Something heavy and claustrophobic was pressing on him from all directions. To combat this, he hugged his son closer, trying to suppress the guilt. Even when he closed his eyes, he knew there was no escape. Something warm was leaking from between his eyelids, while his hand was gripping the robes of the boy. His son, like the others, dead by his own hands.
Suddenly, he remembered in clarity exactly what he'd done to these people. These children. He had embraced the dark side, knowing of its destructive power, all while justifying it to serve his selfish purpose. The guilt closed in around him, their screams only growing louder now. Then there was something quiet, something sinister among them. He kept his eyes closed, but the dark voice grew louder amongst their cries.
Embrace the darkness, it said. Turn their fear into your power.
Anakin gripped the body of his son, shaking his head.
"No, not when it leads to this.", he uttered, turning his gaze to the children around him. A spark of remorse had been kindled and only now was it consuming the edges of his mind. Luke was so cold. "I did such evil things."
"Evil? Trying to your loved ones?", came the voice, verbally this time. It was familiar, though Anakin couldn't place it.
"Padmé was right.", Anakin said, trying to ignore the voice. "I had a choice, and I always will."
"You would see them die? When you can stop it?"
"I realized too late that I can never stop death.", Anakin said, eyes roaming the corpses around him. "And in my selfishness, I brought more."
"You're stronger this time.", the deep voice argued. "You will not kill them."
"I'm done listening to your false promises.", Anakin said, shaking his head. "Depart from me."
"Without me, you will become nothing but an outcast.", came the deep voice, some mechanical breathing heard now.
"And without me, you will hold no power.", Anakin stated, turning to the dark corner. In the dim light, he could just make out the metal suit of Vader. He narrowed his eyes at the form. "All your life you wished to be free, and now, you're more a slave than you've ever been before."
With finality, Anakin turned away from Darth Vader, go back to mourning over his son, only to find that the body was gone.
He whirled around, only to find the Sith missing as well as the bodies of the fallen.
They had all vanished.
Instead of being distracted by this he felt an intense need to look to his right. The Council room was dark, but there, outside the east window, was the spark of some light. Only now, did he realize that this was the rising sun, its warmth piercing the darkness of the room. The golden radiance caused the surfaces in the room to glisten. Something about this comforted him, though he knew not why. After speaking with the dark side, the light drew him to the window. From the Council room he could finally see the 500 Republica, as well as the rest of Coruscant. A sense of peace fell over him now.
"Hello Anakin.", came a voice, quiet but clear.
Anakin turned at the sound, not quite believing it, and found the form of his master standing behind him. He was older, but not like he'd seen him on the Death Star. Here, in the context of the Temple, his old master was the man he remembered from all those years ago.
"Obi-Wan.", he replied, not quite believing the sight. "Is it really you?"
"In a way, yes.", he replied, approaching Anakin. "I am speaking through your memories of me, but in the present world I am but an apparition in the Force."
"Why are you here?", Anakin asked, drawing his eyebrows together. The man just gave an unconcerned smile and walked past him. His dark robes were wrapped around him.
"I am here, only because you've allowed me to be.", came the cryptic response, and Anakin drew short. "I am here because you have cast aside the lie."
"I don't understand.", Anakin stated, but approached his old master. "I've destroyed so many lives. I—I murdered you."
"You did, but you're clearly forgetting something.", came the casual response of Obi-Wan. "Think about it Anakin. What have you done now that you've not in the last twenty years?"
"I recognized that the dark side only leads to suffering.", he replied, and Obi-Wan nodded.
"It does, but more than that, you realized something that even I didn't know in my last days alive.", came the voice of his master. The sun cast its warm light on his bearded face. "That love does not just lead to the dark side. It has the ability to conquer it."
"It does not change who I am or what I've done."
"I partially disagree.", replied his master, his eyes glinting good naturedly towards Anakin. "It does not change what you've done, certainly, but it has changed who you are now."
"Does it erase the fact that I killed my wife? Maimed my son?", Anakin challenged, suddenly hearing the whispers of the dead again.
"No, but it has saved both your wife and your son, mere hours ago.", came the response, and Obi-Wan gave him a half smile. "Oh Anakin, forever breaking the rules, but never learning the lessons that come with it."
"What should've I have learned?", he demanded.
"That you cannot do this alone, nor should you.", Obi-Wan stated, a sureness in his voice. "Your family is bringing you back from the Dark side."
"Only for a time. I don't know if I'm strong enough not to fall again. To let fear control me.", Anakin admitted, stepping back.
"It is not a matter of strength Anakin, it's will.", Obi-Wan stated. "Your focus determines your reality."
"Qui-Gon said that.", Anakin uttered, some melancholy filling him. "Clearly my focus lead to the destruction of everything I ever loved."
"Not everything.", Obi-Wan argued. "You still have your family and a choice to make things right."
"What choice?", Anakin asked, though he already knew.
"To destroy the Emperor and free the galaxy from its bondage, or to live for power and greed."
"You sound like Padmé.", Anakin uttered quietly.
"Good. She's wise in what she says.", Obi-Wan stated, letting out a long-suffering sigh. His voice was almost scolding, but it was tinged with humor. "Try to heed her words."
"She's given me far too many chances.", Anakin smiled bitterly, not understanding it. "Even after knowing what I've done and seeing the monster underneath."
"You've gone through much turmoil.", Obi-Wan nodded, giving him an expression that conveyed pity. "I'm sorry for the pain you've endured."
"You were right to confine me.", replied Anakin, directing his hatred inwards. "I tried to kill you and I destroyed the Jedi Order. You did what was necessary."
"While that may have been true, it is not now. You must focus on the here and now.", pressed his master. "Right now, your body is being overseen by medics on your ship. They will wake you soon, and when they do, you must send for the specialists on Kamino."
"I deserve to die.", Anakin replied shaking his head.
"Death is not a consequence, nor an atonement for your past deeds Anakin.", came his master's response. "You cannot die when there is so much good you can do. You were born to help people."
"You still believe in the Chosen One prophecy?", asked Anakin, not sure what strange feeling was rising up in him.
"I do, and I believe in you.", replied Obi-Wan, pride emanating from his face. Then it shifted into something else. Something thoughtful. "Your family does too."
"My family is broken."
"I don't think that's true. In truth, I believe it's finally healing.", replied Obi-Wan. "Luke has not rejected you fully and Padmé works to save your life even now."
"I want to hope, but I can't.", was all he said.
"You've been hiding Anakin Skywalker for far too long.", Obi-Wan continued, his face saddened. "I thought he was dead, but he must come back."
"Obi-Wan…", Anakin began, and his old master turned to him. Anakin couldn't continue.
"I know Anakin.", he replied, seeming to guess. "You're still my brother."
The world around them seemed to shift, some haze forming, and Obi-Wan glanced up and around the environment.
"You're waking up.", he said, his voice growing distant. "Remember what I said."
"I will… Obi-Wan."
Suddenly Vader awoke, his face bare, seeing a bright light in his eyes.
The Falcon landed outside Obi-Wan's hut at twilight. Han and Chewie opted to stay on the ship, as did the Naberries. Luke, not quite ready to search Ben's home just yet, stood at the bottom of the ramp on the Falcon. He simply observed the stars of the familiar desert, his arms crossed. Artoo was with him, content to just be there.
The desert was quiet, but the colors of the night allowed for such a beautiful view of the galaxy. Luke glanced over to the hut for the hundredth time, sighing to himself quietly. He was anxious about entering the place. Something about it was just too final. Like opening that door would solidify the fact that his mentor had been murdered by his father. He knew he was being irrational of course, but his resolve not to enter until morning still stood.
Morning was a long way off however, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. Not knowing what else to do, he decided to observe the desert of his home planet, finding some form of comfort in the familiarity. Even as he heard sand people in the distance, he felt lulled into a state of peace.
That peace was disturbed when he heard footsteps come down the ramp.
It was Leia, holding two cups of caf. She handed one to him, which he gratefully accepted, and she stood opposite to him, simply observing the stars. She said nothing, for which he knew she was doing on purpose. He could sense the million questions in her mind, one of which was whether or not he'd accessed the holos of Padmé Amidala.
"Alright Leia, I'll watch them.", he sighed, and she glanced over surprised.
"You don't have to.", she quickly stated. "I'm sorry Luke… for earlier."
"You have nothing to be sorry for.", Luke responded and made to motion to Artoo.
"Do you want me to leave?", Leia asked, making to go back up the ramp, but Luke shook his head.
"No, you can stay."
Artoo beeped in question.
"Artoo, show us holos of her.", Luke requested.
The astromech droid positioned himself to obey and the projection light was cast down on the desert ground. The very first holo displayed the image of the woman younger than what she looked like now, dressed in a regal white gown. Across from her was a man, strangely familiar to Luke, and instantly he made the connection that this was his father. Leia glanced over to him, and he nodded at her silent question. To their utter astonishment, these two were getting married. There was nothing but joy in their eyes. The ceremony was short but lovely, and something in this filled Luke with a sense of relief.
"They looked happy.", Leia remarked briefly, and Luke nodded not knowing what else to say.
The next set of holos showed scattered moments where'd they'd been together. Most of the time it was someplace quiet. They usually spoke of inconsequential things and moments with lost context in history. In their conversations, there were mentions of Separatist events that Luke had only heard of in history. Anakin grew older in each holo, as did she, though they never seemed to lose any love for the other. Something in this caused Luke to begin hoping, despite the fact that he knew she had died at some point. A small part of him thought maybe, she hadn't suffered something horrible.
For a couple hours they watched clips of her but mostly when Anakin was with her, as Artoo had been his droid. The time gaps between them were far greater, as it seemed his father was kept away by the war for months at a time.
Then there came another holo of her, and there was no mistaking it now. She was pregnant and very much so by this point. Artoo had very little in the way of these records but they were able to gather that there was something going on in the Senate, due to worries expressed by her.
Then a time skip happened and this time she was laying down on the ground, her form unconscious as Artoo approached her. A protocol droid, looking much like Threepio, came into frame, and picked her up. Both Luke and Leia looked at each other, wondering what had happened to her. Some sick feeling settled in Luke. What had rendered her unconscious?
Again, the holo shifted to a different time, and now she was in some sort of ship unconscious. There was a Jedi with her.
"Ben.", Luke uttered, instantly recognizing the younger man.
The clip was cut short, and then opened to another showing her in some foreign place, medical equipment surrounding her. She was laying on a table, a troubled expression on her sleeping face, and Ben was there also. Somewhere, off the holo there was speaking, and Ben was cut out of the holo when he walked towards the source. They along with him, listened as a droid outside the holo, explained that they were losing her for some unknown reason.
"We must act quickly if we are to save the babies."
"Babies?", came a voice that seemed familiar to Leia. Luke could sense her surprise.
"She's carrying twins."
Luke felt some overwhelming sense of shock at the knowledge of a sibling. A twin!
The holo stayed on his mother, still in that medical facility, and then cut to when she was giving birth. Ben was there again. They watched as Luke was born first, and the young Jedi took some comfort in the knowledge that he had been named by his mother. Though dying, she looked on him fondly, her fingers brushing the edges of his face. Shortly thereafter, came the birth of the twin, and both he and Leia listened and watched closely. Who was the other Skywalker?
"It's a girl.", said the droid, and Luke was in wonderment. A sister!
Then a name neither expected to hear, was spoken.
"Leia.", came the voice of his mother, instantly causing both of them to stiffen.
Artoo continued the holo even as they both grew quiet. The desert winds were all they heard, and Luke slowly turned to Leia, his expression one of utter astonishment. She looked back, just as shocked and then there was something unsaid between them. The holo continued, and they watched as the woman died, having said something very quietly to Obi-Wan before passing on. Ben was holding them, while they cried, seeming to sense her death. This was the last they saw of her, before the holo blinked out of existence.
"Artoo, what happened after this?", Luke asked, his voice unsteady, and the droid whistled and beeped, prompting Luke to retrieve Threepio from the ship. Once there, Luke directed the same question.
"He says that the girl was taken to Alderaan with Bail Organa and the boy with Obi-Wan Kenobi to some family on Tatooine."
There was some silence and then Luke turned to look a Leia, who felt shock at the revelations.
"Leia, you're my sister?", Luke uttered, knowing it was redundant, but since he felt numb to all else, it was all he could manage.
"I am…", she said, quietly, her eyes pensive. "I've always known, somehow."
"For so long, I thought I was the only one.", Luke muttered, feeling as if some of the burden could be shared. "You have the same power as I… Leia?"
Luke glanced over to see her, wrapping her arms around herself. She was quiet now, some sorrow coming to her eyes, as she stared into the middle distance.
"I knew she was important.", she whispered, leveling her gaze with his. "And you."
"You're distressed.", he stated, immediately sensing her emotions. She choked out a laugh but wiped her eyes.
"Not for those reasons.", she stated, and immediately Luke sensed thoughts of Vader passing through her mind.
"I'm sorry.", he uttered, and she shook her head.
"For many years I knew my father hid the truth from me.", Leia stated, leveling a watery gaze with him. "I understand now."
"My uncle hid it from me too.", Luke stated, hoping to empathize with her. "I guess it was their way of protecting us."
"I'm not sad because of this, but I…", she trailed off, and Luke could feel her emotions. Unprompted, he gathered her into his arms.
"I know, Leia. I know.", he said, trying put understanding in his voice. She was trembling. He drew her away from him, putting both hands on her shoulders. "You're not alone in this."
"What does this mean?", she wondered aloud, looking lost for someone who was normally very confident.
"It means," Luke began, meeting her gaze. "That we're family, even during these trying times. I can think of no one better to have gained as a sister."
She gave him a weak smile, which he echoed, and they sat with each other until dawn broke over the starry skies.
A/N: Jeez, this was a hard chapter to write. It's so introspective! I know a few chapters ago I said I wouldn't be including our Rebel heroes in a whole lot, but honestly, Luke and Leia are critical to the story, just as much as Padmé, and I'm finding I enjoy writing them. Hope you can forgive the lack of action!
You guys continue to wow me with your support of the story! Honestly, I can't thank you all enough for all the support and love you're showing my work! It truly does mean a lot to me :)
Special shoutout to RyanSquad, xxx (Guest), The God of Perverts, ichigo urahara Shihoin, Jeda31, MMM73181, and Reconzilla117 for reviewing the last chapter! I appreciate all of your continued feedback! And a big thank you to those who've favorited and followed my story, as well as me as an author. If you enjoyed, please don't hesitate to let me know! Thank you all for reading :)