Smoke drifted over a burned out landscape, hot and dry and ashen beneath a bloody sunrise. The tall mountains loomed like jagged teeth in the west and as she looked up she saw the clouds fly swiftly over the crimson sky. Her limbs ached and throbbed for every stumbling step, feet catching on rocks and roots that lay strewn across the ground. When her gaze fell on a smoldering, charred log a violent nausea came over her, so strong that she doubled over and retched, the contents of her stomach leaving a sour taste in the mouth. Why logs and rocks would make her feel ill was more than she knew, only a vague sense of unease urging her forward, ever forward. The sooty, searing ground flew beneath her bare feet and scorched the soles for every step, yet while the scenery flew by as though she was running for her life the horizon never came closer. Suddenly something big and scarlet and horribly familiar tumbled from the sky and landed with a force that made the ground heave and groaned. Knowing that she had to hurry, that something bad would happen if she didn't get there in time, she began to run, the legs so very heavy as she pressed on, step after step after step.
Yet the horizon still didn't come any closer and she was running out of time. Fear like sour biles burned the back of her throat, but just as the world began to move around her again something caught on to her foot and made her stumble, fall, air rushing from her lungs in a painful whoosh. Turning to see what it was that had tripped her a mounting terror blinded her as the logs on the ground turned into burned corpses, the rocks all blackened skulls where swollen eyes stared pale and accusing at her. A branch around her ankle turned into gnarled, twisted fingers that dug into her skin, the charred surface cracking and bleeding crimson tears onto her leg.
More and more and more it bled and the stains spread up along her naked leg, dying her in the colors of blood and pain and death and all the while the eyes kept staring at her. Screaming she felt searing hot corpse hands crawl all over her, the dead fingers poking and prodding until she wanted to retch again, and as she fought the grip on her shoulders leering skulls kept whispering her name, over and over again.
Lucy, Lucy, LucyLucyLucyLucyLucyLucyLucyLucyLucyLucy!
"Lucy! Wake up!"
With a half-choked scream Lucy bolted up from the ground so quickly that Natsu was knocked back, landing on his rear with a huffing grunt. Her hands quivered violently as the girl quickly patted herself over, examining her body and legs - especially the legs! - in a fevered frenzy until she was absolutely sure that the blood and hands and prodding fingers were completely gone. Only then did she allow the shuddering sigh to leave her lungs, the whole body drenched in cold sweat.
"Lucy?" She flinched violently when a warm hand carefully nudged her shoulder and without knowing what she was doing the blonde jerked back and scrambled away, still caught up in the hysteria of the dream to see clearly.
"Hey! Lucy it's me, Natsu. You're safe, it was only a dream!" There was a deep frown on the dragon's face as he came after her, but even though he hunched down by her side he didn't try to touch her again. Concern glowed in his charcoal eyes as he leaned in, finding her eyes and holding them captive until recognition slowly returned their gleam. On the other side of the campfire's glowing embers Gray pushed up on an elbow and rubbed his eyes, frowning as he squinted their way. Lucy hardly noticed, just stared into the serious black eyes of her best friend.
"Na-Natsu..." Teeth clattered so violently in her mouth that speaking was nearly impossible. "Sorry... I'm so sorry Natsu, I let you die. I knew there was no time and I tried to hurry but the hands, they held me back and I couldn't save you, I couldn't..!"
He stared at her as tears welled up in her eyes and began rolling down the cheeks, leaving streaks that glistened over bruised and swollen skin. A deep, painful sob made Lucy clap her hands over her face as her slender frame shook, the fear that clenched around her heart much too real to shrug off.
"Lucy... It was a dream."
The man's voice was quiet and soothing, his words so slow that Lucy wanted to shake him and scream with impatience. No! He had died, it couldn't be...
"I'm alright. Really; see for yourself."
Natsu held out his hands and slowly, fearing it just might prove him wrong, the girl place shaking fingertips against a palm. A warm, strong, slightly rough palm whose skin did not blacken and crumble at her touch, did not bleed or grab or spread its deadly plague onto herself. Then, was he really..?
"See? I'm alive, very real. It's alright Lucy, you're alright." Warm fingers closed around her icy hand, strong and comforting and safe.
Forcing cool night air into her lungs Lucy looked around the camp and slowly nodded when the trees, the grass, the starry sky and Gray's worried expression indeed seemed real enough. When Natsu pulled her into his arms she didn't resist, the satly tears still falling as she buried her nose into the nape of his neck and breathed in the familiar scent. Smoke and pine and sweat and something else that was at once sweet and spicy, like the exotic fruits she had once tasted that filled her with a warm, heady glow reminiscent of liquor.
He held her tightly until her tremors subsided, exchanging puzzled looks with the ice-mage all the while. When the girl eventually took a deep breath and began wiping her face with a sleeve the man loosened his grip slightly, just enough that he could lean back and see her face properly. A slow breeze wafted through the trees and made the leaves whisper and sigh; Gray threw a few twigs on the embers and blew slowly until yellow flames appeared, spreading much needed light and warmth as they consumed the fuel.
"What's this about, Lucy?" The frown was still there, tugging at the broad forehead beneath the perpetual scarf. "Did something happen to make you dream like this?"
She shook her head, but the motion was too jerky, too rapid to warrant any trust. Natsu grasped her shoulders and tried to catch her gaze, but it only made the girl look away, lips pressed so tightly that all trace of color drained away.
"You know anything about this?" He turned to Gray, who shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze.
"If she doesn't want to talk about it..."
"Lucy? Please..."
He was so kind, so gentle, but the blonde woman just couldn't bring herself to look at him. Swallowing thickly she let her head fall forward until it rested against Natsu's shoulder, savoring the comforts of his warmth as she dragged the depths of her soul for courage. Lucy had a pretty good idea what this dream was about, but even the thought of groping hands, the stinking breath and her own helplessness made her break out in cold sweat.
"One of the thugs.. the last one. I dropped my talismans and couldn't... when he caught up, he did.. he... touched..." A powerful wave of nausea made her clamp her teeth shut, fearing that the convulsion might make her actually retch. Natsu's grip hardened on her shoulders, eyes quickly snapping over to Gray, who nodded with a frown.
"I kicked him off before he could do more than grope, but... I guess that's plenty bad already."
"Yeah."
How could a single word be so filled to the brim with cold fury? Suddenly the man wasn't just warm, he was burning and made the air shimmer and stir around him. The motions were so tense and hefty when he pulled Lucy in tighter against the chest, keept from crushing her completely only by sheer force of will.
"I'm sorry for not noticing" he whispered against her ear, so quiet that only she could hear him. His lips brushed against her skin and made hot air send shivers down her spine, light and tingling - almost pleasant. "I would have come to help..."
"Mmh, I know" she said quietly. "You were fighting too though, it couldn't be helped."
"I won't let anything like that happen again. Not ever."
And she wouldn't let him die, not ever. "Yeah. It's a promise."
The last of the tension seeped from her limbs. Exhaling a soft sigh Lucy shifted until she sat comfortably in the dragon's arms, eyes closed and quite oblivious to the amused smirk of the ice-mage as he regarded the pair. Natsu shot him a sharp glare that threatened with more than words if the other dared to say anything, looking much too content with the situation. Gray let out a quiet snort and thumped back onto the ground, refraining not so much from the dragon's stare as from a reluctance to upset the girl any further. It had only been a few days since the battle and this wasn't the first time she'd had nightmares - though never any so intense as this one, that'd made her thrash and whimper until Natsu felt compelled to wake her up. He understood her half sleeping reaction to his touch better now, but his mouth still thinned into a hard, grim line whenever he thought about it.
"What did you do to the scum?" he asked, eying the dark-haired man as he rolled over, turning a coated back on the fire.
"Knocked him out cold" the human answered, muttering under breath. "Might have cracked a few ribs and frozen his balls too..."
"Still alive then."
The voice was so cold and blood-thirsty that Gray actually sat up again, a muscle working in his jaw as he eyed the dragon warily.
"Hey, calm down, idiot. What's the point of getting riled up over trash like that?"
"What's the point of letting trash live?"
Lucy had listened quietly until now, but when a tone of dark hatred reached Natsu's voice she sat up a bit straighter, more worried than she wanted to admit even to herself.
"I wish you wouldn't be so quick to kill" she whispered, voice pained. She closed her fingers around the cloth of his shirt, throat tight with sadness and unease. "Does human lives mean so little to you?"
She felt the dragon flinch before going still, to the point where she couldn't even feel him breathe for several long minutes.
"Then, are you saying you forgive him for what he did to you?" Natsu sounded angry, his back rigid.
"No, I don't. I'm saying I don't want to carry the burden of his death on top of everything else." Lucy lifted her head until she could look up at the rosy-haired man with a tired expression that went deeper than just physically. "Natsu, please? I thought we had a deal..."
"Sometimes there's no other choice!" he snapped, blazing eyes baring down on her. "This..."
"Is not one of them. The guy is long gone by now and we have more important things to do than chase after him. Right?" Lucy stared back just as intensely, not even flinching when sharp teeth bared in a frustrated growl. "Right?!"
"Alright, alright! Fine! Have it your way." But rather than calming down Natsu let go of the girl quite abruptly and got up, stomping off into the darkness while scorching the air with bursts of flame and foul curses.
Lucy rubbed her arms and averted her eyes, wishing she didn't feel so pathetic. "Why is he so eager to kill people?" she winced. "This isn't the first time... Does he really hate humans that much?"
Gray shifted where he sat, scratching a cheek with a reluctant expression. "There's a reason" he said slowly, "but I don't think I'm the one who should tell you about it."
The girl sighed and pulled a hand tiredly through her hair, combing long golden strands away from the face. "Then I won't prod. It's just..."
"I know" Gray muttered, not very comfortable either. He threw another log on the fire and watched with a deep frown as sparks rose high against the sky, dancing and winking like red stars until they went out.
"Do you think I should...?" Lucy glanced in the direction Natsu had disappeared, fighting against desire to go after him and fear that he might not take her presence well right now.
"Eh, just leave the idiot alone. His stupidity might be contagious, no need to concern yourself. Get some rest instead."
She stared into the night for several long minutes, but when no sign of fire or dragon hinted at where she should go the girl nodded with a sigh and settled down on the ground. "Sorry for waking you" she mumbled, more miserable than she could remember being in a long while.
"Meh, just go to sleep." Gray was already back in his old spot, hands behind the head as he stared up into the sky. "Quit that habit of apologizing for everything - it's damn annoying."
"Sorr... Ah, yeah." She shifted uncomfortably, especially when he laughed silently at her and turned away.
She lay awake for a long time that night in wait for her friend to return. When he finally did Lucy made a big deal of pretending to be asleep, an act that grew very hard to maintain when quiet footsteps approached her curled up form and stopped only inches away. Natsu just stood there for a while, then surprised her completely by hunching down to brush gentle fingers across her purple and greenish bruises, from jaw to cheek to the week old cut on her lip. Lucy felt her heart skip a beat, thoughts reeling from shock and the tickling trail that lingered on her skin where he had touched it.
Then, just as suddenly he was off again, though only went to lay down where he had settled before, wrapped in heavy silence that she didn't quite understand. Tempting as it was to try and talk to him about it, the girl had a feeling that this wasn't the right time or place. So she relented and allowed herself to drift off, vowing to be happy and alert the next morning regardless of whether she was feeling up for it or not. They had a ways to go yet - the road was dangerous enough as it was without adding whining or gloomy faces to it all.
"Ah, there it is! The border station!"
Lucy held a hand over her eyes to shade from the bright sunlight and peered up ahead along the broad, cobbled road. It was scorching hot, not a breeze passed through the trees and the girl felt that she probably looked quite scandalous where she went. Over the course of the past days she had peeled off layer after layer of clothing until nothing remained but the blouse whose sleeves had been rolled back, buttons unfastened to expose a portion of her chest, and the leather trousers had quickly been replaced by the long blue skirt where the hem now only reached her knees, tied up as it had been to relieve her from the heat. She was aware of the eyes that followed her whenever strangers passed by, something that happened more and more often now that the border to Isval was within sight, but this particular time she chose to ignore them in favor for the building that straddled the road up ahead.
Adjusting the strap of the shoulder bag Lucy glanced between the men and offered a slight smile at Natsu, who's excited face seemed fit to burst as he pointed at the wooden structure. "Almost there now!" he grinned as he caught her eye. "Just another hour or two, and then you'll be safe."
"Yeah..." Nodding quietly the girl couldn't help the nervous coiling in her gut.
For every step she took towards the station the more crowded the street became. A small makeshift village of tents sprawled across the green meadows on either side, stretching along the banks of a narrow but torrentous river that marked the border. The bridge leading across to the other side had been incorporated into a kind of gate-house that sat firmly on either bank, a tall and hefty stone structure with shingled roof and narrow windows that breathed officialism and no-nonsense seriousness. While it was quite easy to overlook the heads that turned in the direction of the long-legged blonde and the gazes trailed in appreciation across her voluptuous figure, sweat-glistening skin and tied-back hair that tickled the back of her neck for each step, she found it much harder to stomach the sight of guards uniformed in the colors of Galunar. Their eyes seemed to narrow and intensify when she passed; Lucy imagined snakes crawling across the skin, cold and deadly, and swallowed hard.
"Are you sure there won't be a problem?" she asked quietly and hurried up her steps until she walked closer to the men, more glad for their presence than ever. "Those guards..."
"It's their job to be suspicious" Gray pointed out with an amused grin. "They have no reason to create a fuss, just relax."
Relax? Easier said than done. By the time they reached the open gate that led through the over-hanging structure the girl was a trembling wreck, barely able to appreciate the cool of the shade as they slipped inside, nor the gusts of sweet, moist air that rose from the nearby river. The guards had plenty of reason to stop her, or should have at least seeing as the news of her presence in Galunar must have reached the government by now. Regardless of whether they were interested in handing her back to her father or not, she couldn't shake the feeling that they OUGHT to be interested in a foreign princess that might bring benefits to the nation that caught her - Firoe was just that big a force to be reckoned with, as most of the grain in the northern countries was produced there. Get on their good side and...
"Hey, you three! Come here for a second!"
A very tall, skinny woman approached them with long efficient steps, dressed in guard uniform that sported the insignia of a ranked officer and with more gray than black in her short hair. She was waving a hand imperiously towards the travelers, indicating for them to follow. Natsu and Gray exchanged a look of surprise but altered their course willingly enough, Lucy hot on their heels with a tongue prodding the suddenly very dry insides of her mouth.
"What's it about?" The ice-mage seemed almost bored as he ducked in first through the small door that led into the building itself, followed by Lucy, then Natsu.
Compared to the sweltering heat outside the stone-walled room felt almost cold. The girl rubbed her exposed arms with a soft shudder as her gaze traveled across the space - there wasn't much to see, just a small office with a desk, several chairs and a few shelves containing folders with paper.
"Some routine questions" the woman said efficiently as she stepped up to the desk, rummaging hastily through piles of papers that lay scattered across the surface. "You", she said and shot a glance at Lucy, "match a description we received from a Trackers guild of a wanted person. I have to ask... ah, there it is." Pulling a slightly crumpled sheet of paper from the pile she smoothed out the corners and turned around, holding it up for the three to see. Lucy threw a nervous look at it, then eyed the door behind her back only to find that it had been firmly closed with two burly guards standing on either side.
"Is this you?"
The drawing, for what it was worth, was very good. Whoever made it must have either gotten a very good painting to go by or seen Lucy with their own eyes, because it was her face down to the last mole. The only thing that seemed odd was the fashionable dress and the elegant hairdo, so very far removed from her current sloppy garb and sweaty, unwashed locks. Biting her lip uncertainly she looked from the poster to the woman and then to her two friends who had begun to frown. The quick nod was decidedly anxious, an expression that only intensified when the uniformed woman sighed.
"Then I'm afraid I cannot let you leave. Wanted person Lucy Heartfilia, you are hereby arrested for..."
"Wait a moment!" Natsu interrupted and took a step forward, fists clenching as he scowled at the official. "Lucy has done nothing wrong!"
"That's not for me to decide" the woman replied quite calmly - quite a feat considering the intense pressure she must feel beneath the dragon's intense stare. "I have orders from my superiors to apprehend this person if she appears, and that's..."
"The request came from a Tracker Guild, right?" Gray confirmed, the coated arms folded firmly across his chest - how he didn't melt in the heat was more than Lucy could understand. Personally she felt suffocated just by looking at his heavy clothes. "I'd like to hear the exact request, if you please."
"Very well." The woman began to rummage on the desk again. Lucy sucked in deep breaths and tried to stay calm, but no matter how she tried to make the lump in her throat go away it lingered like a hot coal, preventing her from speaking even though she ought to.
"Ah yes. 'Galunar Trackers Guild hereby request assistance from all border stations in apprehending the wanted criminal Lucy Heartfilia, on the charge of espionage and treason against the realm. She is believed to be headed..."
"I..! I believe there has been some mistake." The woman looked up as Natsu and Gray turned to give her a glance. Lucy swallowed and cleared her voice, making up for the initial squawk by straightening her back and returning the official's gaze, quite firmly. "I am not a citizen of Galunar and as such I cannot be charged with treason. As for the accusation of espionage, that's outrageous! I am simply passing through on my way from Firoe to Isval."
"Is that so. Do you have any proof to back up this statement?" There was a slight crease along her forehead now, and as the woman gazed between the three her fingers reached up unconsciously to tug at the short bangs.
"I can confirm that this is true" Gray quickly said, regaining his initial composure. "As can he." There was a nudge towards Natsu, who nodded firmly, still scowling.
"And you are?" Things clearly weren't going the way the woman had planned. The way she eyed the young men was almost wary, an expression that deepened when Gray pulled something from his pocket and tossed it over to her with a casual flip.
"Gray Fullbuster, Natsu Dragneel, registered mages under the Isval Guild League Association, members of the Dreyar branch guild. We are currently escorting this person from Firoe to Isval."
"She's under our protection" Natsu added in, the lopsided grin that spread over his face a stark contrast to the tense, battle-ready stance.
when bewildered gray eyes turned to her Lucy nodded hastily and tried to look as though this sudden flood of information wasn't new to her at all. She hadn't heard of this Guild League before but by the look of the woman it was a name with impact in the magical realms, because she suddenly seemed much less confident. The guards by the door shifted almost imperceptibly and exchanged a quick glance - the girl made a mental note to interrogate the boys thoroughly once this was over. Sure they had talked of jobs and work and a Master, but she had NOT been informed of any guilds or international reputations...
"W-well I'm sorry, but I have orders to..."
"You appear to have been misinformed" Lucy said and donned a slight, sympathetic smile, a mask of innocent stupidity she hadn't worn for so long that it felt rather uncomfortable on her features. Natsu looked slightly non-plussed as she slipped past him to place a light-fingered hand on the woman's sleeve, all softness and kindness and understanding. "That is undoubtedly me on your poster and it is quite correct that the Trackers Guild have been pursuing me and my companions, but it is for reasons that have no connection to the nation of Galunar at all. As there is clearly something awry with the request, why don't you let the matter rest until you have received proper confirmation? I am simply on my way to a new home in Isval. If after double checking with the Guild, your information is confirmed to be correct, I am sure that the government of Isval will be most helpful. I would not resist an order to be released into your custody..."
The middle-aged woman swallowed and leaned back from the smiling girl as though Lucy held a knife in her hand, looking quite nervous. Eyes darted from Natsu to Gray and over at the guards as though searching for a way out... Only to grit her teeth and push away the slender hand from her sleeve as she straightened up, adjusting her short-coat with snappish gestures.
"Very well, I see your point. It does indeed appear that there is a mis-match in my information" she muttered, avoiding to meet any of their eyes. "I will have to take a statement from all of you in order to double-check, but after that you may leave.
Bloody Trackers, making a mess of things and getting us all in trouble..." She kept muttering under breath as she rounded the table to sit down, a grimace like toothache appearing every now and then.
The boys kept their faces quite straight during the interviews and somehow held themselves together all the way across the bridge. But as soon as the border-station disappeared behind a bend in the road they burst out in such loud and rambunctious laughter that a flock of birds alighted from a nearby grove.
"Great, that was great!" Gray cackled as he slapped his thighs, doubled over from mirth. "Good job Lucy, that was impressive! 'Something awry with..' Oh ouch, can't breathe..."
"'Won't resist release into..' Awh man that was brilliant!" Natsu gasped, looking like he was about to topple over entirely. "You're more terrifying than an army of mages, that jerk was ready to run for her life!"
Lips twitched as Lucy watched the men cheer and laugh, trying to remain calm in face of their obvious amusement. "I don't see what's so funny" she said quite coolly, a brow raised. "I didn't utter a word that wasn't true..."
"That's not exactly... Isval NEVER hand over their citizens to other nations, not even criminals", Gray spluttered, an evil grin on his face. "They can request that someone be put to trial in Isval itself but the whole process is such a pain in the ass that no one ever bothers!"
"Huh. Come to think of it, Natsu did say..." Lucy tilted her head to the side as she thought back, a hand on the chin. He had indeed, and it had been at the back of her mind when she spoke, but...
"Right, but if she had arrested you on false accusations Isval would soon be on the case for interfering with official business", Natsu laughed. "That woman would be in a world of trouble from her bosses either way, so the best she could do was blame it on the Trackers Guild and let us go."
"Oh, so that's why she was so nervous!" Lucy exclaimed, finally realizing why they were so amused. Oh, she had been fully aware that the situation would be sticky for the captain, but now it sunk in just how massive of a threat she had delivered. She clapped a hand to the mouth to stifle the sudden giggle, torn between elation at her own success - more substantial than she had aimed for, indeed - and guilt for doing something so underhanded to the poor woman. The boys laughed even harder and eventually Lucy gave up and joined in, elation gradually taking over until it felt as though she was floating inches off the ground.
They had done it. They had reached Isval, the haven she had been longing for ever since Natsu first mentioned it. She was safe, whole, healthy and protected by laws and kind people and it was such a relief that she felt lightheaded when she suddenly made a pirouette on the side of the road. Natsu ducked to avoid getting the swinging bag smacked into his face and chuckled as he reached in and caught her hand, grinning madly.
"Come on Lucy, let's keep going!"
He dragged her along as he hurried off along the road, forcing the girl to half-run to keep up. Gray rolled his eyes and fell back behind them, leaving her mostly alone with the dragon as they scaled the hill that rose up before them. It was a steep bit of road surrounded by dense forest, but when they reached the crest all trees broke away and lent an unhindered view of the scenery below.
Lucy drew for breath and stared open mouthed at the landscape that spread out before her, wild and beautiful with rolling hills, deep forests and lush meadows where flowers bloomed in mad abandon. The Teeth rose like a jagged blue line to the west and extended north and east all the way to the horizon. In the distance the ground flattened out into a vast plain sloping eastwards, coursed through by rivers and lakes that glittered and glowed under the sun. Even from this distance she could see a few villages huddle by the forest edge, not too different from those she had seen until now but somehow neater, more planned without becoming strict. The road beneath her feet extended onwards like a flattened snake, winding its way among the hills until it disappeared between trees.
Fingers clenching around her hand brought the girl back from her awed study. With a wide smile she turned to Natsu who had been watching her a bit nervously, awaiting a verdict, her eyes glittering in the bright light.
"It's beautiful" she breathed, positively exalted with delight. "I really get to stay here? Feels like a dream..."
"You're very awake!" the man laughed and squeezed her fingers until Lucy winced and nodded, quite convinced. "Yes you can stay, I know you'll love it - the country, the guild, the town..." He pushed a lock of hair from her forehead with the free hand, creases forming around the dark eyes as he smiled down at her. Lucy blushed but smiled back, telling herself that the sudden giddy feeling in her stomach didn't have anything to do with the gesture, or how close the man was.
"You'll have to tell me about all that, I was so surprised when you both began to talk of guilds and..."
"Yeah, sure. No need to hurry, we've got all the time in the world now."
Her breath caught in the throat as he suddenly leaned in close, calloused fingers light against her skin as they slipped back through her hair. Chocolate eyes widened in a face that was growing quite red, staring bewildered into Natsu's as his forehead came to rest against her own. Close, so very close. His breath was hot against her skin, a scent of smoke and spice and the apple cider he'd had during lunch rising in a heady combination that made her head spin.
"Welcome to Isval, Lucy", Natsu said softly as he held her gaze, stroking her over the head affectionately. "Welcome home."
Tears welled up unbidden in her eyes in the wake of the swell of emotion that washed through her, but Lucy quickly blinked them away and just smiled back. There were no words for what she felt right then, no name for all the thoughts that paraded across her mind. All she knew was that everything felt so right and complete and perfect at this very moment, the swell in her chest a result of pure, blissful happiness unmarred by anything. When she spoke it was with breathless joy, pure and bright and as dazzling as the summer sun.
"Mmh. I'm home!"
Hi guys, thank you for reading this far! I hope you enjoy the story!
Due to some personal reasons I might have to take some time off of writing. I have no idea how long I will be away; might be anything from a few days to all of December. I hope you can be patient with me, trust me when I say that I am as eager as any of you to continue with this story.
Thank you for all the lovely reviews and comments I have received so far, they truly mean a lot to me. Please look forward to the next chapter! I will post it as soon as humanly possible!
/Chan