Chapter 9: Bring Back What Once Was Mine

(A/N) I've had to split this chapter into two parts as it got waaaaay too long.

Warnings: Major character death (temporary) and the character is a child at the time. This is where the story gets a wee bit dark.

Nine years ago...

It was an accident. A silly mistake. Her mother had warned her not to touch the apples on the window sill, but Evie - nine years old and filled with curiosity and hunger - ignored her mother's warning. All it took was one bite... and she was dead. Her thread of life had been snipped.

Deep in The Underworld, a place of darkness, death, stone and bones, two demons found themselves scurrying about the banks of The River Styx. They frantically searched every nook and cranny of the underground cavern, searching desperately for what they had lost.

"Oh, my Gods! Where is he? Where is he?" one of the demons whispered fervently. He was a scrawny little thing, with pale mint coloured skin, long pointed ears, a fork-tipped tail and tiny, bat-like wings. He flitted about like a jittery hummingbird, anxious adrenaline tittering him on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

"Will you shut up, Panic! You're getting me... well... panicked!"

The second of the demons was similar to the first, but instead of being tall and lanky, he was short and plump with reddish skin. Unlike his fittingly named companion Panic, this demon was known as Pain, not because of the pain he could inflict - which truthfully was very little - but due to his unfortunate danger proneness that brought a world of daily hurt upon himself. He was more relaxed than Panic, but no less afraid of the consequences that would befall them should they anger Hades again.

"Hades is gonna kill us when he finds out we lost Hayden again!" Panic worried, twisting his clawed fingers.

"You mean if... he finds out," Pain pointed out.

"What do you mean if he finds out? Of course, he's gonna find-" Panic stilled, smiling eagerly like the rays of salvation had just dawned on him. "If... if is good. I can work with-"

In his excitement, Panic whirled around, accidentally bumping into Pain and sending the demon tumbling off the pile of bones they had been standing on. Pain let out a yelp, wincing and crying out with every bump he took until he reached the river bank, bones scattered all around him. Panic cringed, peering down at his fallen comrade. By the time he reached Pain his opinion on the matter had changed - his mind racing through all the possibilities that could befall them and doing nothing to soothe his fears.

"Oh, who are we kidding? We can't work with if! If we don't want something to happen it always happens! We have to find the kid and we have to find him now! Before Hades gets back from his meeting with Hermes!"

"He has to be around here somewhere!" Pain groaned, dragging himself onto his feet. "Not like he knows the way out."

Hiding behind a broken pillar, Hayden - only nine year olds and already as devious as he was mischevious - watched as the demons clambered out of sight. Absentemidnly, he reached for his ear, feeling for the white lily that his mother had dotingly placed there earlier in the day before she busied herself with her godly obligations. Hayden tiptoed from his hiding place and stood beside the river, letting out a sigh of relief.

Pain and Panic had been told to play babysitter for him - as usual - and although he was fond of the demons they were terribly boring. Panic wouldn't let him do anything fun, too worried he might hurt himself. The moment he so much as moved the little demon was fretting over him, taking his temperature and checking for injuries. Pain, although not as worrisome as his companion, was just as bad. He was as strict as he was dull, refusing to play any games other than Scrabble - the safest game he could think of which would lead to zero pain for himself.

Hayden flopped down by the river, it's ethereal green glow bathing his pale skin and softening his features.

It was boring playing by himself all the time, with no one his own age to play games and talk to. The only other 'living' creatures down here were his parents (who were busy with adult things like ruling The Underworld), his father's monsters (who did not make good playmates as they were more intent on eating him), and The Fates (who were weird and never had time for so-called silly, childish games). The Ferryman occasionally indulged him in a few board games, but he was usually far to busy with ferrying the dead. The only real enjoyment Hayden got was when he slipped away from Pain and Panic and got to watch them tare apart The Underworld looking for him. It was even funnier seeing his father explode at them, his blue body engulfed in flames and eyes glowing a fiery red!

With a sigh, Hayden tossed a pebble into the river, watching the ghoulish spirits floating through its waters as they travelled to their judgement.

"What I wouldn't give for a friend," Hayden whispered.

It was an all too familiar prayer that had left Hayden's lips countless times, whenever that pit of loneliness threatened to consume him. What the child hadn't known was that his prayer had not gone unheard, for high up on Mount Olympus... someone had heard every single time he had whispered those words, aloud and unspoken. And this time, his prayer would not go unanswered.

Somehow, impossibly so, The Anemoi's winds reached the vast deepness of The Underworld for the first time. Hayden shivered, startled by the strange sensation of the cold air brushing against him and musing his hair. The lily in his hair dislodged and fluttered away, causing the boy to gasp as he jumped into the air, trying to grasp it. The flower wafted out of reach before floating down onto The River Styx, a few feet away from him.

"No!" Hayden cried.

He fell to his knees and reached into the river to retrieve the flower. Instantly, he regretted it. The river was so cold it burned, searing his flesh. Hayden sharply withdrew his hands, letting out a horrified sob at the pain and sight of his hands having withered and wrinkled. As he had only touched the enchanted waters briefly, his hands quickly returned to their former smoothness and youth.

His father had warned him about the seven rivers that ran through his kingdom and the dangers they brought. Each one represented an important emotional aspect of death, and their waters had capabilities that reflected these feelings. The River Lethe was the river of forgetfulness and its water would fog and block one's memory the longer they remained in contact with it. Acheron, the river of pain, caused immense physical suffering. The River Cocytus was known as the river of wailing, and should anyone touch its water they would be filled with a grief so dire that cries would be pried from their lips and tears from their eyes.

The River Styx was no different. It was the most dominant of all the rivers, protectively encircling The Underworld seven times. It was the main passage for the dead and thus drew its power from that. Anyone who touched it would begin to rapidly age until they too joined the undead of the river. Only Gods could survive it. And a God Hayden was not - not until he earned it.

Hayden watched bitterly as the flower drifting down the river, just out of reach.

That's when he saw her.

A young girl - who looked to be the same age as him - gliding silently through the waters. Like most of the other spirits, the waters had lulled her to sleep, easing her passage. Seldom were any of the spirits were awake for this part of their journey, only those who felt cheated of life still clung to their consciousness, desperately searching for a means of escape or retribution to those responsible for their demise.

The lily hovered above the girl, following her slowly down the river like a gentle guardian.

There was something about the girl... something... strange. She looked no different from any of the other spirits, her spirit like a green wisp, translucent and glowing. Yet something about her tugged at his very soul, something far beyond his comprehension at such a tender age.

Before he realised what he was doing - as though walking through a dream, unable to stop himself - Hayden was moving, following the girl down the river. He spotted a stone slab jutting out of the river bank, hanging over the waters, and he instantly stumbled over to it. Instead of grabbing the lily, he snatched the girl's wrist. With a heave and a grunt, he pulled her through the river, wincing when water splashed on his arms and face, burning him. Restless spirits watched with wide, unfeeling eyes and began drifting towards him, arms outstretched and grim wails on their lips. Hayden pulled with all his might, shouting at the spirits to let the girl go as they tried to grab her - for it they could not escape, why should anyone else? It took all his strength but finally, he pulled the young spirit from the waters, safely out of reach from the dark spirits clamouring among the slumbering souls.

He didn't know what had possessed him to do it, it was something that he knew was strictly forbidden, something that could only end with his father's wrath and punishments. When he looked back on this moment, he would put it down to a whim prompted by a desire to finally have a friend his age, someone he could laugh with, play with and confide in. Never would he have guessed that the agents of fate were orchestrating it all to grant him his most heartfelt wish.

Hayden panted, breathless from the strain of freeing the girl from the river. Spirits or not, the restless were stronger than one would imagine. It was always best to stay clear of the waters - even his father sometimes had a difficult time dealing with them. Biting his lip, Hayden glanced down at the spirit he had saved. She was rather pretty, wearing a frilly dress fit for a princess, a tiara adorning her head. He wondered who she was and how she came to be here at so young an age?

"Hey there, can you hear me?" Hayden whispered, timidly tapping her nose. "I'm-"

"Hayden! There you are! What have I told you about running away from-"

Hayden's heart jolted, realizing just how much trouble he was going to be in. He jumped to his feet and turned to find his mother standing behind him, a hand covering her mouth as she stared at her son in shock.

Persephone was a woman of great beauty, her skin the colour of freshly blossomed violets. She wore an intricate, white dress of the finest silks, gleaming golden flowers and vines stitched throughout it. Upon her head was a crown of pink flowers, that stood out vibrantly against her hair which fell behind her knees in waves of gold. Everywhere she walked a trail of small flowers blossomed - but down in The Underworld those flowers were quick to wilt.

"Hayden... what are you doing?" Persephone asked, her voice as sweet as it was soft.

"Mother! I can explain!" Hayden said quickly. "I just... I just wanted a friend to play with. And I thought-"

"You can't remove spirits from the river, Hayden," Persephone cut in gently, kneeling down to place her hands on her son's shoulders. "It's forbidden, you know that. Once people have died they need to move on."

"But... she's just a child, like me. Please, mother, don't make me put her back. Just let me keep this one, please!"

Persephone's heart ached at the sight of her son looking so distraught, so desperate for a friend. She knew he was lonely down in The Underworld - oh, it was a feeling she knew far too well. She was never one to deny her son, and so, with a flick of her hand, she summoned her husband. In a blaze of blue flames, Hades appeared, ill-tempered as always to be summoned - something he felt was beneath him.

"And just who do you think you are summoning-" Hade's heated threat dyed on his lips when he realised it was his wife who had summoned him. Instantly, the flames engulfing his body cooled down and a forced smile graced his face. "Persephone - Honey - there you are! How can I help you?"

"Hayden wants a friend," Persephone said, getting straight to the point. "And he's chosen this girl."

"What girl?" Hades frowned and glanced down, noticing the soul lying by his son's feet. His eye's widened and an irritable scowl appeared on his face. "A spirit? You let him pull a spirit from the river?"

"I did no such thing, he pulled her out himself," Persephone said, crossing her arms. "He's lonely, Hades. He would like to keep her as a friend. That's alright, isn't it?"

"Eh, no, it's not," Hades said, shaking his head in disbelief, bewildered by the very notion. "She's a spirit, he can't play with a spirit! I'd need to bring her back to life for him to be able to do that! Which, may I remind you is against the rules! And I can't bend the rules, no matter who asks me - and trust me, plenty of people have begged and prayed for it since the creation of man."

"Let me rephrase that, I wasn't asking your permission," Persephone said sharply, giving her husband a scathing glare. "Hayden wants to keep her as a friend and I'm letting him. Don't give me that look, Hades. You're the one who insists he stays down here, you won't even let him come to The Land of the Living while I'm away in the Summer and Spring. He hadn't had a chance to interact with children his own age - he needs this."

Hades looked ready to retort but his wife cut him off pointedly.

"You owe me this, at the very least."

"Please, Father, I promise I'll take good care of her!" Hayden chimed in pleadingly.

"Hayden, dear, she isn't a puppy," Persephone said softly. "Hades, just let him-"

"No! I forbid it!" Hades snapped, the flames of body flaring dangerously. "I can't just bring people back from the dead willy-nilly! There is a natural order to things. Once you die you stay dead, you move and that's it."

"But-" Hayden began.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah!" Hades cut in, raising a finger to silence his son. "I don't wanna hear it. No one gets brought back to life without my permission."

"But you gave all those villains a second shot at life! Maleficent, Captain Hook, Jafar... why not this girl?" Hayden asked with a frown, his amber eyes glowing brightly - a clear challenge to his father.

Hayden had not been born when the villains had been resurrected, but he was more than aware of the event. To this day it was still the gossip of The Underworld. Resurrections were forbidden, exceptions a rarity of the highest kind. And yet, not only had one villain been brought back, but dozens upon dozens. It was unprecedented to think about!

"Don't you shine those eyes at me, mister!" Hades gritted out, bristling at the reminder of what he had been forced to do. "And as for those idiots, I didn't have a choice! They never should have been brought back!"

"Then why did you?" Hayden asked, tilting his head.

"It was either bring back the villains per Auradon's request or the other Gods turn on me and throw me into Tarturus," Hades muttered, scowling upwards towards The Land of The Living and Olympus.

Why would they want villains brought back to life? Hayden wondered, thinking the idea silly. Once an enemy was defeated, surely the wisest course of action was to let them stay dead? It seemed dangerous and stupid bringing them back to life and giving them the chance to start all kinds of trouble again. Auradon clearly weren't the brightest bunch.

"What did you do that would make them want to throw you in Tartarus?"

"I did nothing wrong-" Hades started to say indignantly, but his wife wasn't about to let him forget his crimes so easily.

"Kidnapping and attempting to kill his nephew Hercules, overthrowing his brother Zeus, imprisoning the Olympians - myself, included - unleashing the Titans and reigning havoc on all of Greece which resulted in thousands of mortals injured and dead," Persephone listed off with her fingers. She spoke casually, like she was naming flowers in a garden, but there was a sharp edge to her voice that betrayed her resentment over her husband's transgressions, her glare furthering the point. "Among other things."

Hades winced with every sin. "Oh, give me a break, it was over two thousand years ago!"

"There's also kidnapping and tricking me into staying here," Persephone leaned over to her husband as she spoke, making sure he was the only one who heard. "If you don't let him keep the girl I'll be having a few words with my mother. I'm sure you remember how much she... likes you."

Demeter despised her daughter's husband and had every reason for it. Persephone was her beloved daughter and to have her stolen away from her for six months of every year tormented her so much that the flowers above would wilt, the trees become barren and her grief would coat the Earth in ice and snow. It would remain that way - bitter, cold and harsh - until her daughter was in her arms again, warming her heart and the very lands above, melting away the winter.

How Persephone came to be in The Underworld was rife with controversy. She had been tricked into staying there by Hades who had whisked her away after falling in love with her. He had manipulated her into eating the seeds of a pomegranate, and once someone consumed food from The Underworld, they were never allowed to leave. In Persephone's case, a compromise was made to appease Demeter's wrath upon the world, allowing Persephone to visit the above world for half the year and be with her mother, while she spent the rest of the year in The Underworld with her husband.

Demeter had never forgiven Hades for his what he had done.

Hades cringed at the thought of his mother-in-law. If there was one thing he didn't want a repeat of, it was irking the Goddess of The Harvest again. That was a lesson learned the hard way.

"Please, father," Hayden said, glancing up at him.

"Don't give me those puppy dog eyes! You know I hate the... oh fine!" Hades snapped. "But only this once!"

With a wave of his hand, the girl's body materialised from The Land of The Living. Hayden ran over to his father, wrapping his arms around his knees as he thanked him. Hades rolled his eyes, but there was a fondness in his gaze and touch as he patted his son's head.

"Remember, Hayden, you have to be gentle with her," Persephone said. "It'll be a lot for her to take in."

Hayden nodded, making a promise that he would always make sure the girl was well cared for. So long as he was around, he would always protect her.

When Evie awoke, she found herself in a bedroom that was not her own. She was lying on a large, canopied bed, in a room carved from stone. Everything was so grey and dark but grand and massive. Evie shivered, pulling the thick blankets up to her chin as she took in her surroundings. Where on The Isle was she?

"And the sleeping princess finally awakes-"

Evie screamed at the sound of a boy's voice beside her. Startled, the boy yelped before he fell off the bed, crashing to the floor. Evie threw aside her blankets and scrambled over to the other side of the room, hiding in the corner. She crouched down, making herself as small as possible, and wrapped her arms protectively around her knees. She eyed the boy as he rose to his feet, rubbing his nose. He was a strange boy, with vibrant blue hair, deathly pale skin and dressed in all black, a grey skull necklace dangling around his neck.

"I was just saying hi," the boy mumbled, clearly off-put. "I'm Hayden. What's your name?"

"I... I..." Evie cleared her throat, finding it dry and raw. "I'm Evie. Where... where am I? Is this... is this a dream?"

"No, this is real," Hayden said, staying where he was behind the bed. He looked cautious, wary of her as she was of him. "This is my home - my room to be exact."

Evie frowned, not understanding how she could have ended up here. What had she been doing before? She had been in the kitchen looking for something to eat. The next thing she knew... darkness. But not before she had felt excoriating pain, so much pain it felt like her insides had been on fire. What had that been? Had she been hurt? Perhaps that was why she was in this unfamiliar place? Her mother must have taken her somewhere to get help.

"Where's my mother?" Evie asked quietly. "Is she here? Is this... the doctors?"

"I don't know if she's here. Who is she?" Hayden asked.

"She's The Evil Queen."

"Evil Queen, Evil Queen." Hayden's brow scrunched as he tried to place the name. "Oh! The Evil Queen... like... Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs? She's still alive if I remember right, so she's not here. Oh! Wait a minute, if you're her daughter that means your from The Isle of The Lost?"

"What do you mean? Are you saying we're not on theIsle anymore?" Evie whispered, disbelieving. She shouldn't be off The Isle, it wasn't possible - her mother had said so. They were all trapped on the island, a magical barrier preventing anyone from leaving. How could she have ended up outside it?

"No, you're not on The Isle. You're in The Underworld," Hayden said softly as he made his way over to her. He knelt down in front of her and reached out, drawing back his hand when Evie flinched. He could see how afraid and confused she was, her eyes were wide open in terror and her body was shivering. "You... died. But I asked my father - Hades - to bring you back to life. Do you know who he is?"

Hades, The God of The Underworld, ruler of the dead. He was one of the more powerful and well known of the Greek Gods. Her mother had told her stories about him and his evil deeds. She claimed to have met him once when he had been brought her back to life after the horrible Snow White, her Prince and the seven dwarfs had led to her death.

Evie stiffed, overcome by a terrifying realization. If she was in The Underworld - the kingdom of the Lord of The Dead - then that meant... she wasn't alive anymore.

"I'm... dead?" Evie asked, tears now streaming down her face. She sniffled, her grip tightening around her knees. "The apple... it was the apple. I shouldn't have eaten it. I didn't think they were..."

Evie began sobbing so harshly that she found herself struggling to breathe. She buried her head into her knees, her whole body shaking with every violent sob. Hayden watched her in alarm, unsure how to comfort her but desperate to do so. He sat down beside her, unsurely placing an arm over her shoulder and tugging her closer to him.

"No, you're not dead anymore! I got you brought back," Hayden explained quickly, eager to ease her fears. "So we could be friends!"

"I'm sorry... but... but I want to go home. I want... my mommy. I... I can't stay here," Evie said between sobs, shaking her head. "I just want to go home!"

Hayden's entire being shuddered at the thought of her leaving. He shook his head, wanting to protest loudly but he stilled himself, not wanting to frighten the girl any more than she already was. Remember, Hayden, you must be gentle, his mother's words whispered in his head. Hayden took in a deep breath and loosed his grip on the girl, afraid he might hurt her.

"This is your home now. You'll like it here, I promise," Hayden said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can have lots of fun! I can show you all of The Underworld - most people never get to see it! I can show you all the different places people get sent to when they pass. I can show you the rivers. Oh! I can introduce you to my pet dog, Cerberus! You'll love her! She's adorable!"

Despite his best efforts, Evie continued to weep.

"Oh, please, don't cry, Evie," Hayden said, finding himself getting upset at the girl's tears.

"Please, just... just leave me... alone," Evie whispered, clenching her eyes shut. "I wanna be alone."

Hayden didn't want to leave her in such distress but he knew she would not relent. She needed time to take everything in. He would just have to be patient.

Hayden surrendered his room to Evie, not wanting to cause the girl any more distress by moving her into another unfamiliar room. Every day he knocked on her door and tried to coax her out, but she remained hidden behind the door. A few occasions he braved going in, finding Evie buried under the quilts of his bed or sitting in the corner, staring into nothing. She had stopped crying after her third day here and had entered an unsettling silence. Hayden didn't like seeing her so depressed and quiet, and each failed attempt to make her smile only fueled his determination.

Three times a day he brought her food, which had been delivered from the above world. Giving her food from The Underworld would mean she would be stuck down here forever, and that was something he did not want - not when his father was still plotting to take over Olympus. He wanted Evie to go there with him when his father succeeded, and to get the chance to explore all the world above had to offer.

"Evie, do you wanna come out now?" Hayden asked after knocking on her door on the seventh day. "Come on let's go and play. I have lots of things to show you."

Hayden sighed, saddened when no reply came.

"I have something for you," Hayden called out. "I'll leave it by the door."

Hayden placed a beautiful white lily by the door and crept away. When he came back to give her dinner, he found the lily gone. He smiled, seeing it as a good sign. From that day onwards, he left a plant outside her door every morning, always a different kind, ones that were vibrant and bright. He hoped she was surrounding herself with them, brightening up the dark room she was staying in. His room and style had always been quite dark and grim, but Evie didn't seem like the kind of person to like that sort of thing. He imagined she prefered things being colourful, glittery and full of life, and he hoped the flowers that he gave her offered her some sense of comfort.

It was another week before she finally opened the door.

"You know, Evie, if you want I can take you to where I get the flowers," Hayden called out. He was sitting with his back to her door, legs stretched out and his breakfast half-eaten beside him. He liked to do this, eat his meal with her - even if it was with a door between them and her silence as his only reply. "They come from my mother's garden. It's amazing! There are millions upon millions of flowers there, all different shapes, colours and sizes! I think you'd like it there. There's even a waterfall with fish! Real fish, not like the skeleton ones in the rivers."

Hayden took a bite out of his sandwich, contently munching away.

His back slowly fell backwards as the door began to open. Hayden glanced up, noticing Evie peeking out from the crack, watching him cautiously. She looked so timid and afraid, like a scared rabbit ready to sprint at the first sign of danger. Hayden leapt to his feet, brushing off the crumbs from his clothes.

"Would you like to go there?" he asked, smiling gently.

Evie nodded, her hands clutching onto the door tightly.

"Then come with me," Hayden said, offering her his hand.

After a moment's hesitation, she took it. Hayden's smile lit up the room.

(A/N) Since I had to split this chapter into two parts, not everything I wanted to reveal has been revealed. The next chapter we'll find out why it was Hayden felt drawn to Evie's spirit - there's a big reason! We'll also get to see how Evie gets back to The Isle and why she's forgotten all about knowing Hayden as a child, likewise for Hayden.

This chapter also raised a few questions. Why was Hades not on The Isle? Why did he get sent there later on and why did Hayden get sent there too, especially since we know Persephone and Demeter aren't forced to live on The Isle? (This is a major plot point).

References:

The title 'bring back what once was mine,' is another reference to The Healing Song in Tangled.

The Anemoi - Greek Gods of the Winds.

"You mean if... he finds out," and "if... if is good," is a reference to Hercules, a running joke between Panic and Pain.

The restless spirits are like the ones in Hercules that try to grab Hade's boat and later pull him into The River Styx.

"Come on let's go and play," is a reference to Frozen. I tried so hard to slip in something close to 'do you wanna build a snowman' but couldn't quite get it to work.

"And the sleeping princess finally awakes," is a call back to chapter 8, when Evie wakes up in Hayden's base.

Reviews:

Thunderfiredragon: I'm so glad you liked this chapter! I re-wrote it so many times, I just could not settle on how I wanted the first part to play out. I was super excited to write Persephone in this chapter, sadly, there's practically zero information about Disney's version, she only makes cameos which is pretty depressing. We'll definitely get to see Evie's witch side when/if the barrier gets brought down, it's a side of Evie I wish the movies touched on more. There's also gonna be some conflict between Mal and Evie... if they get to meet again ^_- And no problem! I love getting your reviews, they always put a smile on my face! :D I especially love how long and detailed they are, seriously, you have eternal thanks. Fanfic authors loooooooove long reviews!

Baddestofthemall: I'm so glad you liked the chapter! :D It drove me up the wall trying to get it the way I wanted lol. It took sooooooo many rewrites T-T Possibly, possibly not. I can't say too much as its a major spoiler but I'm hoping it'll be unexpected. Whether or not Hayden and Evie join the others on Auradon we'll have to wait and see. I would love to write a scene like that though! We may see something similar ^_- Thank you for your lovely review!

Momobear1: Good guess with hearing from Persephone :D I couldn't wait to write her! (Sadly, there wasn't much info on the Disney version, she apparently only makes cameos. Much sadness.) Couldn't resist writing Hades - he was a really hard character to write though. His overall role isn't going to be major, but he will play some important parts in the next chapter. Thank you so much for your lovely review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

TwinsConspiracy: It was quite a busy chapter lol XD And yipe, Hayden's got free reign once again. Evie knows she's lost power and control over any part of The Isle, so she might as well drag everyone else down with her. The VKs fate is yet to be decided, I'm torn between two routes for them so we'll have to wait and see. Dizzy didn't make an appearance as I don't really consider her a full VK, but we'll definitely see her in future chapters. Even though she's more of an honorary VK people on The Isle may still target her since she was close friends with the VKs and helped them out. Thank you so much for the review, and for the other reviews on the previous chapters! It was such a treat to wake up to them all! :D