Author's Note: Wow, it's been such a long time since I last uploaded! I truly am grateful to you all for keeping up with me all this time! Seriously!

Had to cuz this chapter cuz it was getting out of hand. Really, 10000+ words (I'm not kidding! 10 freaking thousand!). So I'll just add two more chappies, even though I feel I kinda dragged it on with this wedding. I just hope you guys won't mind it too much.

Also, I wish to mention the following chapter is purely fictional, I didn't add anything from my past experiences. Hubby was never married before me, but he did had a girlfriend who tricked him by saying she was pregnant just to push him into a wedding. Didn't work out for her, since their relationship was already unstable, and thing was the last straw for hubby. But it happened ages before he met me, he was about 19-20 at the time.

AyaEisen , always glad to see new names! yes, fluff will be present! Thank you!

Guest , it was a problem at first, but, as time passed, hubby and me became indifferent to this difference. we keep forgetting about it.

Highwind , fairypaige98 , Guest , thank you!

LadyKeyes , I love reading small things like these! those sweet moments that give you butterflies!

Sketcher , yeah, I was (and still am) socially awkward. and it's kinda strange for me cuz I gotta interact with parents... and I hate every moment of it, even though they're so nice to me... but I like kids better. kids are easier to interact with and give you unconditional love. i feel in my element when i'm with the kids. As for your dad, just tell him it will grow back. plus, you did it for a noble cause in the first place. the cosplay was just a personal bonus. hugs!

xxrisxx , i know all of you want updates sooner, but i just can't...

Dvel , oh, believe me, i'm a big embarrassed egg. still getting flustered when i perform with the kids in front of their parents...

Lexie , hehe, thank you! trying to get the abs even more lickable AHEM! viewable. too much snuggling, eh? gotta give you guys enough sweet tooth to last till the next chappie XD

All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)

Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!

Chapter 17: The wedding

Levy was woken up with sweet kisses, Gajeel taking his time to taste her exposed neck.

"Mmm, that tickles…" She said in a dreamy voice, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed a few short pecks on her lips, then pulled her closer to his chest and exhaled contently in her hair. A few moments later, he released her quickly, then jumped out of bed.

"Okay, that's enough, back to business! Get that pretty little ass out of bed, make-up will be here soon. Levy groaned.

"I hate putting stuff on my face… You think they'll let me off the hook if I ask them nicely?" She headed for the bathroom, hoping for a quick shower.

"You should try, I like you better without that crap the girls put on their faces." He smoothed his tuxedo after removing the transport bag.

As Levy relaxed herself in the shower, Gajeel knocked on the door.

"Your dress is here!" Levy froze mid-soap.

"What dress? I didn't pack a dress!" She said confused.

"Uhm… You'd better come on out…" Levy started panicking. She knew she packed a dinner skirt and a very office shirt, so there was no way she'd have a dress packed. She cleaned herself fast, wrapped a big enough towel over her chest, then yanked the door open and ran quickly in the bedroom. Gajeel snapped his eyes to the bathroom door, his eyes gluing themselves to Levy in a towel, her blue curly hair still dripping with water, cheeks flushed from the warm water.

"Aw, man…" Levy groaned out loud once she pushed the transport bag zipper down and revealed a pink, fluffy dress. She felt like gagging, yanking the zipper back and turning to a very silent Gajeel. She wanted to say something about the dress, but noticed Gajeel's gapping expression. "What?" Levy felt like a cornered mouse under his stare.

"Do you mind…" Gajeel cleared his throat loudly, then turned his eyes away. "Y'know… Getting dressed before you come out of the shower? I haven't gotten laid in more than 3 years and I don't think you'd like me walking around with constant boner… Not very comfortable, either…" Levy's face reddened, scurrying off back to the bathroom, squeaking a Sorry! as she passed him.

"Still not accustomed with the attention, sorry! Didn't realize I was so… appealing to you." Gajeel could hear Levy's muffled voice, getting closer to the bathroom door to hear better.

"Shrimp, you're more than just appealing, but I don't wanna push you. True, you're giving me blue balls, but I can handle it. Just… consider Junior when you decide waltzing in front of me like that. Not that I'm complaining…" He said with a smirk, knowing he'd activate another blush wave. Levy yanked the door open, almost bumping into a grinning Gajeel.

"Is this fine?" She asked sheepishly, letting her boyfriend see her outfit. His eyes sparkled as he took the bluenette in. Her small breasts were pushed up and brought together by a very nice bra. Gajeel took her hand to twirl her a bit, not saying a word. He noticed her top was bare-back, the only thin line covering her back was the one that concealed the bra, and in the front it complimented her not-so-well-endowed chest with a deep V-line. The black dinner skirt accentuated her nice hips, the square form waving softly both in the front and back and on the sides, leaving half of her thigh visible.

"Hmm…" He said in a deep thought, making Levy believe her outfit wasn't what he expected. She was right. "Never thought you'd look like this in a skirt."

"It's bad, isn't it?" Levy didn't take Gajeel's tone like a compliment. "I told you I have nothing to wear and now I'm gonna make you look bad and…"

"Hey, stop, stop. Did I say it was bad? Geez, woman, you gotta stop bringing yourself down so much! I meant it as a huge compliment! You usually wear pants and shorts, so I never expected you to look this good!" Gajeel bore his red eyes into Levy's, activating a blush. "And now I get the feeling you took it the wrong way… It's not that you don't look good in pants, and I don't even have preferences…" He said fast, trying to excuse himself, but Levy smiled and placed a quick peck on his lips to get him to shut up.

"I get it, thank you. You can stop hyperventilating now."

"I'm not..!" Gajeel started, but was cut off by Levy's laughter.

"I know, silly, I was making all sorts of stupid ideas, which none of them included you liking my outfit. So… thanks." She smiled warmly, taking him by the hand.

"Did I tell you how hot you ass looks in this?" Gajeel tried to lighten the mood, earning a slap on his chest. "Ow! Well, it's true! All I wanna do is rub my hands all over that sexy piece of meat." He smirked and moved his hands to Levy's rear, her cheeks exploding as she backed away, then dodged him under his left arm.

"Stop it!"

"Well, to be frank, your ass looks good in… well… practically everything I've seen you wear so far." Levy couldn't stop blushing.

"Enough with how good my ass looks, really!"

"And those short jeans you wore when we became official…" He sucked his breath through his lips, his eyes full of mischief. "How much seduction can a man handle before he snaps?" Levy shook her head, enjoying his play, even though she was really embarrassed, especially from the way he looked at her as he approached her with a seductive grin.

"Okay, can we… concentrate on Laxus' wedding for a moment? Go… take a cold shower or someth…" Gajeel cut her rambling with a scorching kiss, melting her knees. He easily held her weight as he ravaged her mouth, Levy not being able to think straight. The bluenette wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him for dear life, her head spinning.

"Now I can go take a shower." Gajeel released Levy with a grin, enjoying her foggy-eyes. She placed a hand on the wall to steady herself, Gajeel's smug laughter filling her head. A knock brought her back to reality as make-up was finally here.

"You're gonna pay for that!" She threatened with a smile before Gajeel closed the bathroom door. He opened it a bit to look incredulous at her.

"I can't wait!" He said as half a dozen people came in with metal-looking boxes of different shapes and sizes. Levy puffed in indignation as Gajeel took her last words, laughing despite herself. Then she turned around for the torture group, cringing on the inside. I can make it out of here alive and 100% natural. She thought with confidence as she sat on a chair when one of the girls beckoned her to a chair.

Ten minutes later, Gajeel finished his shower. He expected to find the make-up team bustling around his girl, but everyone was packing their stuff and getting ready to vacate the room.

"What happened?"

"I'm done." Levy turned around to face him, Gajeel expecting to see some heavy stuff on her face. "You were right, asking nicely worked wonders. Plus they said I have a 'wonderful complex'…" She quoted with her fingers. "…so they just covered the dark lines under my eyes and added a lip gloss."

"I like what they did. Especially your hair. Wildly gorgeous." Levy blushed. "I think your head's gonna explode if you keep blushing like that." Gajeel joked, earning a glare that made him laugh heartedly. "I'm gonna go change."

"You're like a walking contradiction! You compliment me, then you laugh at me. Make up your mind!"

"Well, you're not used to compliments, so I keep them to a low level, even though… Mrow!"He winked at her before he closed the door. "And your sarcasm is the best I've heard in years. Your jokes actually make me laugh, so I though balancing those two would make you more at ease, ya know?"

"Point taken." She said to the bathroom door, waiting for Gajeel to get out. A few minutes later, a gorgeous hunk came out, fumbling with his tie. The bluenette placed her hands over Gajeel's, making a perfect knot.

"Thanks!" He said impressed.

"No problem." She answered, avoiding his eyes.

"Cat got your tongue?"

"I might drool all over the carpet if I open my mouth."

"Ah, I was afraid you wouldn't like this." He gestured to his outfit, then checked his watch. " 'Nough wasting time, let's check the bride and groom." The two left their room in search for the others, quickly finding a frantic Laxus.

"Good mornin'!" Gajeel greeted the blond man, snapping him from whatever troubled him.

"If only it were good…" The bulky man said with concern in his voice.

"What happened? Can we help with anything?" Levy asked, wanting to help.

"The ice sculptures aren't here yet and the flower arrangements are wilted. Sting and Rogue have a team of 30 cooks to lead and no food to prepare, since the ones who bring the ice are the same who're bringing the food. I'm busting my ass to get a hold of them assholes and, of course, they're not answering the fucking phone!" He huffed, Gajeel placing a hand on Laxus' shoulder.

"Should I call Mira and tell her you need someone to get those pants out of your tight spot?" Laxus' mouth twitched, slapping Gajeel playfully on the arm.

"You're such an asshole! I'm in a pinch here and you're cracking jokes!"

"I'd be cracking your wedgie, but you won't let me." Levy shook her head, smiling at their rant, knowing Gajeel wanted to relax his friend.

"That sounded wrong on so many levels..." Laxus cringed, Gajeel stopping to digest his joke, then cringed as well, but quickly composed himself.

"Don't worry, Laxus, everything will be fine. I'm sure the food will be here any moment." Levy said calmly, then passed the two men after she saw Lucy in the mess hall.

"Well, if my girl says they'll be here, you should open your doors. Trust me." Gajeel winked at Laxus, then followed his girlfriend.

Everything went smoothly after that, Laxus breathing relieved a few minutes after Levy told him to calm down, when the food came. Sting and Rogue started preparing it, the flower arrangements were replaced, the ice sculptures placed, soon it was time for the ceremony.

Gajeel excused himself, placing Levy in the front seats, then hurrying to take his place as best man. An hour later, the priest said the magic words (You may kiss the bride) and the church exploded into cheers. Mira giggled like a teenager when she turned to face the crowd and Laxus beamed proudly, holding a large palm over his wife's belly.

Next, the photo session started, everything happening in a blur. The next thing they knew, Levy was being hauled by a grinning Gajeel, placed in a female crowd, then disappeared lightning fast. She looked puzzled around, not really understanding what was happening, until the bride threw her bouquet and all the girls started squealing loudly. The bluenette tried her best to get out of the way, the flowers landing lightly on her head, then bouncing in her arms. She blushed hotly as the girls started whining, so she grabbed the flowers and shoved them in Lucy's chest, stomping away from all the girls.

"What the hell was that?" She demanded once she reached an innocent looking Gajeel.

"You've never been to an American wedding before, have you? I want you to experience it fully before your own, ya know?" His grin made Levy blush even more.

"Don't decide that by yourself! I never said I'd marry you! Sheesh, we're barely a week old and you say things like that!"

"Thought I was joking, huh?" He asked her smugly. "I told ya, you'll see. You may have that 6th sense of yours, but I know you're my last one. I know you don't believe me, but you'll see." Gajeel took her hand and placed it on the crook of his elbow, leading her to the mess hall. "By the way, it's said that whoever catches the bouquet marries within the next year." He smiled serenely as Levy sputtered.

The banquet started without flaws, all of the guests having a great time. Gajeel was sipping a whiskey and chatting animatedly with his date, when a voice made him choke on his drink.

"Never expected to see you this gorgeous again." Gajeel turned stiffly when he heard her voice, Levy looking curiously at the stunning brunette behind Gajeel.

"The fuck are you doing here?" He said coldly, squeezing his glass.

"Now, now, is that the way to talk to me?" The dazzling woman said with a pout.

"You're right, I shouldn't even bother to talk to you. Maybe just shoving my foot up your insolent ass would calm me."

"Oh, Gajeel, baby, you're scaring me…"

"Shut the fuck up. You've never been afraid of anything in your life, why should you start now?" Levy noticed his hands were trembling.

"Can't we have a normal conversation after all this time?" She faked interest.

"Didn't I make myself clear I don't want to know you exist? You're lucky I don't wanna spend the rest of my life in jail, I would've fucked you up ages ago."

"We both know you fucked me for a loooong time. I see you got yourself a new whore." She grinned seductively, Gajeel dropping his glass and Levy's hand to take a couple of menacing steps towards the woman. Laxus came in the nick of time and shoved a heavy hand in Gajeel's shoulder before he could get closer to the woman and slap her silly. "Oooh, never thought you had it in you, baby." She flashed her white teeth, then glanced to the bluenette behind Gajeel. "Kinda flat for your taste, from what I see."

"You have two seconds to get the fuck out of my sight, Deanna, before I shove my way out of him…" He nodded towards Laxus. "… and slap you. Never before have I hurt a woman, but you're asking for it." Levy bulged her eyes, realizing who the woman was.

"Gajeel, calm down. She's not worth it." She said calmly, placing a hand on his chest. The woman's eyes turned dangerous as she opened her mouth to speak, but Laxus cut her.

"I don't have to tolerate your shrieks, Deanna, so I suggest you shut your trap and make yourself invisible for the rest of the night or I will kick you out. Bickslow or not." Gajeel snapped his eyes to the blonde man, looking hurt. The busty brunette turned on the spot and disappeared through the dancing croud.

"You knew?" Gajeel demanded as soon as his ex was out of hearing range. Laxus looked guilty at his friend. "You knew she'd be here and you didn't tell me."

"She's been dating Bickslow for a while now, he refused to come without her. I told him to keep her out of your sight, but I guess he's too busy doing something else."

"You know what? Fuck you, Laxus." Gajeel turned on the spot and left before he gave in the urge to punch the larger man.

"Come on, man, don't be like that! Shit…" The blonde man racked a heavy palm over his face, noticing the bluenette looking worried after Gajeel. "Sorry for ruining your night." Levy turned stunned to him.

"My night? I'm not the one who got married today."

"Yeah, but I fucked up… I should've told him abou…"

"Laxus, stop. He'll be fine. Sure, he's a little upset right now…"

"A little? Lady, you really have no idea what happened between those two. He's a lot upset. Trust me."

"He got over it. He got over her. He'll get over this, too. I'm gonna go to him, see if he needs anything." Levy motioned to leave, but Laxus' voice stopped her.

"Hey." He waited for her to turn around. "If you're not serious about him, like 100% serious, then don't bother and leave him right now." He bore his blue eyes into hers, Levy bringing her brows together in indignation.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life. I just hope he won't break my heart. I've had enough pain for one life."

"He's had enough pain for a hundred lives. I won't say anything more. If and when he decides to tell ya what happened, it's his choice."

"Anything else? Gajeel needs me." Laxus' mouth twitched, relaxing slightly. He shook his head, Levy hurrying after Gajeel. She didn't have to look for long, finding the raven haired man on the balcony.

"Hey you." Levy approached him slowly. "Are you OK?" Gajeel was leaning on the edge, looking at the clear night sky.

"Why does everybody ask that? I obviously am not fucking fine." Gajeel said between clenched teeth, lowering his head.

"Sorry, didn't mean to upset you more. I was worried. Can I sit with you?" The bluenette moved next to him, watching him intently.

"Whatever." He said stiffly, not looking her way. Levy leaned her head on his arm, not saying a word. They stayed like that until Gajeel moved his arm to place it around Levy's shoulders. She smiled softly and wrapped her hands around his waist, feeling him leaning on her. "Sorry…" He said after a while, feeling ashamed.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"I should've slapped her for insulting you." Levy burst into giggles.

"Would it have made you feel better?"

"Yes." He said in a heartbeat. "No… I don't know. My conscience would've probably slapped me back."

"Violence isn't the answer." She said calmly, tightening her grip on him.

"I know…" He exhaled heavily. "I honestly thought I'd never see her face again after what happened…"

"May I ask what happened? I'd like to understand you a little better. I mean, I see some things, but I might be wrong. There was a baby involved?" Gajeel stared at her head for such a long time Levy though her hair would catch fire. "Are you still alive?" She joked, trying to bring him back.

"I forget how… special you are." He exhaled heavily. "We were talking about a kid, yeah… I mean, I was talking, apparently she was just listening. For a while she "tried" to get pregnant, nothing happened, so we went to a few doctors, they said she couldn't conceive. We tried different treatments for a few years and it happened. She got pregnant with my kid." Gajeel gulped. "The next thing I know, she gets an abortion. When I asked her why she did it, she said she doesn't want to be tied with a kid to me. She wants a free life, she doesn't have time for a baby. She starts yelling at me, saying I never help her, I was never there for her… You don't understand how much I pampered her. Her every whim, her every desire. So I decided to do a little investigating. Found out our money was being transferred to multiple overseas accounts ever since we got married. That wasn't so bad, I mean, I could afford some leaking. But I found out she was cheating on me. Even before we got married. Remember those doctors that said she couldn't conceive? Yeah, she was getting down with them. My gut told me something was off, but I got jaded by her words… I was young and stupid. I gave her my heart and she put a knife through it. Oh, and, by the way, she was 5 months pregnant when she "took care of it"." He motioned his fingers as he quoted his ex. "Never wanted anything more in my life than that child… Well, I wanted her to be the one I'd spend my life with… If wishes were a penny, I'd buy myself a new solar system."

"I'm sorry…" Levy said with a knot in her throat. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"You didn't bring them back, she did when she had the guts to come and speak to me. The day we officially divorced, she came in with the asshole I trusted to be my friend. The same asshole that fucked my wife on our wedding day. Lovely, eh? They laughed in my face as he told that lovely piece of information. Got myself a night in jail, a restraining order and a huge fine for breaking that fucker's nose in front of the judge." Levy laughed, imagining the whole scene. "Yanked a fistful of hair from her head before the cops tackled me."

"Good. She deserved more, though."

"Karma's a bitch. She hooked up with a hustler a few months after we divorced. She got a pretty penny from me, too. So this guy comes along, sweeps her off her feet, promises her the moon and runs away with everything she owned. Can you imagine the nerve she had to come by my office and demand I give her some money? Didn't even bother with her, had the security drop her ass outside the building."

"Ouch… I can't really feel good about someone being in such a situation…"

"You're too kind for your own good, ya know? Come on, let's go inside. I bet I made Laxus feel like a dick…"

"I'm sure he's over it already." She smiled sweetly at him, Gajeel feeling his chest lighter.

The bride and groom were dancing their first dance as a married couple when Gajeel and Levy got back, the raven haired man smirking wickedly before pulling Levy to the dance floor.

"W…wait!" Levy realized what he was trying, an embarrassing blush covering her cheeks. "I can't dance!"

"Nonsense! Anyone can dance with the right partner!" Gajeel said with confidence, securing Levy's right hand in his left and placing his other hand on her waist. Levy hung with her left hand in the air, afraid to touch him. "Ya gotta hold my shoulder." He said in a smooth voice, a playful light in his eyes. Levy moved slowly as the music continued and the married couple called everyone out for a dance just before the main course. A few dances later and Levy was smiling widely, her fear of dancing long forgotten. The band called out to the dancers to switch partners, so Gajeel smirked before releasing a stunned Levy to the bulky blonde man.

"Take care of my woman, ya hear?" Gajeel yelled through the loud music, Mirajane swirling towards Gajeel.

"That's my family you're dancing with!" Laxus smirked, securing Levy in his huge arms. Next thing she knew, Natsu was spinning her with a wide grin, then she passed through more partners, ending up dancing with Lucy and Mirajane and a few more strangers. The last stranger, however, ended the whole fun when he grabbed a handful of ass, making Levy stiffen and enter defense mode. So she quickly grabbed the smirking man's hand, twisted it until she heard a pop and a painful groan, then, with another blurring move, she twisted his arm and shoved him facing the wall.

"I suggest you don't try that stunt on me, boy, or I will break it." The man bulged his eyes, his usual wide smile fading for a moment. "Either you ask permission or you lose it."

"OK. Can I touch your ass?" He grinned seductively.

"No. I bet you have you have your own date, harass her all you want." Levy pushed his arm a little bit higher just to hear him groan in pain and make him lose his creepy grin. She released him with too much force, the man stumbling for a moment before composing himself and smooth his tux.

"Bickslow's the name, by the way. Just so you know what to yell when you're in my bed." He winked at a fuming Levy, the bluenette turning on the spot, fearing she would not hold herself and hurt the man badly.

At the same time, Gajeel's final partner made him stop in the middle of the dance floor, clenching his fists. The stunning woman approached him slowly with a sexy smile, caressing his chest before placing her hands on his shoulders.

"You look like an idiot standing in the middle of the dance floor like that." Gajeel placed a hand on her waist, his face grave. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She swiped his cheek slowly with a finger, looking into his eyes. "Are you gonna stay silent for the rest of the night, Gajeel?"

"I have nothing to say to you." He said stiffly, continuing to swirl his ex-wife.

"Oh, come now, honey, I thought we put the past behind us. I made a few mistakes, you made a few mistakes… You more so than me, but who's counting, right?" She flashed her white teeth, pressing her breasts to his chest.

"I did a few mistakes?" He snorted incredulous, motioning to stop, but Deanna took the lead, continuing the dance. She got closer to his ear to blow softly on his neck.

"I've forgiven you, you know…" She used the tip of her tongue to lick the underside of his ear, Gajeel stiffing.

"Are you seriously trying to seduce me, Deanna?" Gajeel's tone was amused. This made Deanna bold, thinking she got his attention.

"And what if I am?" She asked with a husky tone, a meaningful smirk playing on her lips. "Whacha gonna do about it, big boy?" She racked her eyes up and down his body, letting him see her desire. Gajeel grinned and got closer to her mouth. Just as she thought he was about to kiss her, Gajeel moved his mouth to her ear and whispered in a bored voice.

"Absolutely nothing. You're worth less than dirt to me. You're nothing but a materialistic whore." Deanna flashed angrily as Gajeel pulled back with an evil grin. The woman tried to slap him, but he easily caught her hand.

"You son of a bitch!" Gajeel kept holding her with that smirk planted on his face. "At least I don't cry after you like a pussy!"

"I don't know who lied to you, but I am relieved I dumped your ass. I got a woman who cherishes me for who I am, not for my bank account, ya vampire! You got what ya deserved and still ya won't learn the lesson! I just hope you'll open your eyes soon and see what you did! Cuz conscience has a voice and you can't deny it forever! And when she screams in your head… Well, then, good luck. Cuz I don't think you'll be able to face your inner self." He turned on the spot, leaving Deanna in the middle of the dancing floor, spotting his bluenette. He frowned seeing her fuming, so he headed to her.

"Hey!" He grabbed her waist, pulling a defense-mode bluenette towards him. She snapped her eyes to him, then relaxed once she saw who it was holding her. "What's up?"

"A guy grabbed my ass during the dance! Can you believe his nerve?"

"Where is he?" Gajeel got angry, wanting to pummel something.

"Somewhere licking his wounds, I guess. I almost broke his arm off."

"Good." He kissed her cheek, calming slightly.

"Oh my God… I almost broke his arm…" Levy said in a strained voice, Gajeel chuckling.

"He got what he deserved, stop stressing about it." Levy looked away, feeling ashamed for hurting another soul.

"Yeah, but…"

"No buts, you did great." He grabbed her hand and led her to the table to get a drink.

"I think he was your friend. Before I left, he said his name was Bickslow." Gajeel groaned.

"Great… I should've know… Sorry about him, he's an idiot. He's always like that, hitting on girls… I should go kick his ass for trying something like that with you."

"It's fine, Gajeel. As you said, he got what he deserved." Levy smiled at him sweetly. Gajeel scowled, but then kissed her forehead, twining their fingers together. The rest of the night flew by fast, cake being served just before dawn.

TBC

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