Reporting to you live with a Superbowl XLI post-game update, I'm back with another chapter! And guess what? It's more than two months later than it was supposed to be! But that's okay, because at least my story is finally MOVING again! This one took a really long time because I had a lot of "literary ironing" to do before it was smooth enough for me to publish, but now it's finally done and I can post it! This sucker took a long time to write since it's a "transitional phase chapter," meaning that I had to move from one phase in the story to the next while trying to keep the ride smooth. Hopefully the next one will be out a lot faster, but please keep in mind that between work and school, I had to give up A LOT of sleep to get this chapter out, so I hope you like it!

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My mother's cello

By GeekViking86

Chapter 5: Meet the Langleys

Shinji jumped a little when he heard a swift thump from the apartment complex hallway, followed with some Asuka's muffled cussing. Shinji knew that she was stressed about something, and part of it was likely that she wasn't finished packing and they'd be leaving soon. Asuka was, after all, a notorious over packer, and on trips like this she'd often whine about forgetting something ten minutes after they left. This time it was obviously enough to make her put her fists into the wall, though.

Asuka stormed through the front door looking more than a tinge irate, holding a newspaper and a fistful of junk mail.

"I was expecting a package three days ago and it still hasn't come!" Asuka growled furiously. "And to think I paid for second-day shipping!"

"If it comes while we're gone then we'll just get it when we come back." Shinji said calmly in an attempt to cool Asuka down.

"But it's important!" Asuka whined, even though there was really nothing either of them could do about it.

"Well it's not like we can wait around another three days for it, we've got a plane to catch!"

"Fine." Asuka sighed, but her face told that she was extremely disappointed. "But are you sure you're bringing enough warm clothes?"

"Yes, considering I had to buy them just for this trip." Shinji drolly responded.

"Good, because Munich is pretty freakin' cold this time of year compared to what you're used to." Asuka reminded him for the ten-thousandth time.

"So, um… Is there anything I can do to help you get ready?" Shinji asked, trying to make himself useful in attempt to put Asuka in a better mood.

"I'm not sure anyone can." Asuka muttered beneath her breath.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! Now just give me ten minutes and I'll be finished!"

Asuka flew into her room, and Shinji began watching the clock. After five minutes had passed, she came tumbling out with three bags slung over her shoulders and her violin case in her hand.

"Well, are you going to help carry any of this?" She said as she dropped her cargo load to the floor. Shinji sighed and rolled his eyes as he slung the heaviest of the bags over his shoulder dutifully, then picked up his single travel bag and Cello case.

"Asuka, are you feeling alright?"

"I told you it's nothing! Now let's get all of this crap out to the car so we can go!"

With that, Asuka grabbed her violin, the remaining bag, and her backpack and huffed out the door.

Something is definitely eating at Asuka, and it's not just the usual holiday stress. I just wish she would tell me so we could sort it out. Shinji's grumbled to himself.

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Their four-hour flight felt a lot longer than either Shinji or Asuka had hoped it would, and thanks to the in-flight movie, Asuka was not able to sleep at all, and she doubted that she'd ever be able to sit through "Meet the Parents" again. But at least they didn't have much trouble finding their way out of the airport and to the auto rental, where Asuka's father had a white SUV on reserve for them. Once their luggage had been loaded inside, Asuka took the driver's seat, and they headed onto the road.

"So Asuka… About how far away is your place?" Shinji asked.

"About twenty minutes. Why?"

"It's just that I didn't see you sleep at all on the plane, so I just want to make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard."

"I do have a nasty habit of that, I guess." Asuka sighed. "But don't worry, I told you I'm fine. I just haven't had much time for sleep, and I had some trouble with my Christmas shopping." She said half-truthfully. "I just need a good nap and a long, hot bath." Why does it seem like every time I have a good idea, it turns into some dumb-ass scheme that bites me later? She moped inwardly. Maybe I should have just shown Shinji the lockbox instead of leaving him hanging with this stupid fiasco… And I still don't know what's going to happen when he meets Papa.

"Just remember, if you need to lean on someone, I'm going to be right next to you." Shinji said to her compassionately. Asuka wanted so badly to lean over right that moment and start pashing, but she knew that it wasn't worth getting into an accident over, so her common sense fortunately got the better of her.

While Asuka made sure to keep her eyes on the road before them as they drove, Shinji looked out the window to observe the pleasant snow-capped Bavarian scenery roll past his window. The sight of it made him feel curious, wanting to take a step out of the vehicle and examine it.

"I've never actually seen snow up close before. What's it like?" Shinji asked.

"Well, sometimes it's like a thick powder, but other times it'll be more wet, so it packs down when you step on it. Honestly though, I'd prefer a warm sunny day at the beach."

"You're saying snow is overrated?"

"Well, maybe not overrated, but I don't really understand why so many people get excited over it."

Shinji shrugged his shoulders a little bit.

"Where I'm from, I don't think there's been a snowy day since before I was born. Misato said that the climate started changing again after third impact, but even before second impact we had pretty mild winters."

Asuka didn't really have anything to add, because frankly snow wasn't a particularly interesting topic to her, nor were the climate-altering effects of a global catastrophe. Asuka had always been a summer girl, with light sundresses and skimpy swimsuits being her attire of choice. However, it's true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and a part of her did miss seeing the snow on the ground every now and then. But even though this was the place she once called home, spending the last decade bouncing around the globe made it difficult for Asuka to appreciate sometimes.

As Asuka came to a familiar looking street, she took a turn and went on it. There were houses on this road, but they were relatively far apart, with lots of trees separating them for privacy. Shinji couldn't help but notice how large they were, so obviously they were in a very expensive neighborhood.

"We're almost there." Asuka said. "This is the street."

Shinji felt a little nervous. He'd always known that Asuka's father had money, but was never sure as to what extent. Clearly, when you are one of the top biological engineers on the planet, you get paid pretty well. And being married to a reputable psychiatrist probably didn't hurt, either. Shinji had never been interested in that kind of thing anyway, but knowing that you're fiancée comes from a rich family does imply that some serious expectations might be awaiting you from the parents. His nervousness started to increase when Asuka pulled into a private driveway and drove some ways further, through some lightly wooded area and away from the other houses.

And finally, there it was—one of the biggest houses in the entire neighborhood, which was saying something. Shinji wasn't completely unfamiliar with big houses seeing as his buddy Kensuke came from one, but that was different, because Shinji wasn't marrying him. It was a very beautifully built home, he couldn't deny. It had a fairly contemporary design to it with lots of angled roof panels and large, decorative windows taking up lots of space, but it still had some traditional style thrown in to keep it from looking too out of place with the scenery, like the rich brown wood siding and the intricate stone walkways. White Christmas lights were strung off of the roofing, and two festive looking wreaths were hanging from the double doors that looked like the main entrance. At last, Asuka parked the car in on the blacktop in front of the three-door garage, and shut off the engine.

"We're here." She said in a slightly uneasy tone. Oddly enough though, she didn't make a move to open her door, and instead just sat there, as if waiting for something to happen.

"Well… Are we going to go in?" Shinji asked in a half-joking manner. Asuka snapped to her senses, and reached for her car door handle.

"Sure. But first, let's go over a few last minute things." Shinji groaned, knowing that it was going to be the same things Asuka had been going over with him for the last month. "Papa and Marie can speak Japanese, but my cousins don't so remember to speak English when you talk to them. And if you hear anyone slipping into German, it's probably nothing you need to hear, anyway. And if Langley men start talking sports, don't mention baseball, because my dad is a Yankees fan and my uncle is a Red Sox fan, and you know how that is… Football is okay though, because they both …"

"We've been over this a million times!" Shinji said in attempt to stop Asuka's rambling. "Let's just get inside before we freeze to death."

Geez, I feel like a nut. Asuka grumbled. I spend all this time trying to educate Shinji on the petty nuances of my family, and yet I still feel like I've completely left him in the dark when it comes to the big picture… God, I hope this all turns out okay…

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Shinji and Asuka climbed out of the SUV and popped open the hatchback, each of them taking a duffle bag over their shoulder, and finally Asuka led them over to the main door. She took in a deep breath, and pressed the doorbell button.

A moment later, the door opened, and Asuka was greeted by a pretty German woman, who looked to be in her late 30's, had hazel eyes and medium-length dark brown hair.

"Asuka, it's so good to see you again!" The woman said excitedly as she embraced Asuka and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You've grown so much, I almost didn't recognize you!"

"Nice to see you too, Marie." Asuka said as she hugged and kissed back.

"And you must be Shinji!" 'Marie' said cheerfully as she turned to the boy, and then pulled him in for a quick hug as well, much to his surprise.

"Good afternoon Mrs… I mean, Dr… er…" Shinji embarrassingly stammered after being released.

"Please, just call me Marie." Marie laughed as she opened the door to let them in. "By the way Shinji, your voice has gotten a lot deeper since the last time I spoke to you."

Shinji thought back for a moment, and vaguely recalled speaking to Marie very briefly on the phone a few years back. How she could remember him from such an obscure event was beyond Shinji, but then again Marie was a shrink, so he assumed that having a good memory must have been part of her job.

As they stepped inside the house, Shinji felt even more anxious of it than he did from the outside. The entrance room alone had a ceiling that went all the way up to the second floor, with light shining in from the giant window over the entrance doors. Two ornately curved staircases came down from the second floor in front of them, and there were two large paintings on the walls to the left and right of the stairs. A plush rug lay on top of the reddish-brown stone tile floor, and the overall color of the room had a warm tan feel, which was complimented nicely by the red and green Christmas décor. Marie then looked to Asuka and began to speak.

"Asuka, your cousins arrived in town yesterday. They'll be having dinner with us tonight since their parents are going out."

"Oh… Do I have time for a nap? I'm having some mega jet-lag." Asuka asked as she dropped her bag on the floor.

"You should have about an hour and a half. We made up your room just as you left it, and one of the guest rooms is set for Shinji."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine with the couch." Asuka said with a yawn. "Come on Shinji, I'll try to show you around a little before I crash."

As Asuka took Shinji by the wrist through the halls of her house, pointing to various doors and explaining which led where, Shinji couldn't help but keep feeling a sense of awe for the beautiful architecture and interior design, if not slightly daunted. As they came around a corner, Shinji found himself in the massive great room, which had yet another high ceiling, multiple couches amongst other lavish furnishings, which included finely crafted wooden coffee and end tables, and one of those legendary 60" flat panel TVs hanging on the wall across from the seating area.

Asuka let out a relaxed moan as she allowed herself to fall over onto one of the sofas in the most elegant looking manner she could, quickly shut her eyes and seemed to lose consciousness almost immediately. Shinji sat down on the adjacent loveseat and began to contently gaze at his sleeping girlfriend, when Marie walked into the room carrying a hot drink of some sort, and offered it to him.

"I thought you might like some hot chocolate, Shinji." Marie said as she held out the steaming beverage. "My guess was that Asuka would be asleep by now, and it looks like I was right…"

"We did get up pretty early today, but I don't think she's been sleeping well." Shinji said regretfully. "I don't know what set her off, but I wish there was more I could do…"

"She's always had her little moods." Marie sighed. "I have a few ideas of what she's going through, but I don't really think it's my place to tell you."

"I've gotten used to it by now. I know she'll talk about it when she's good and ready." Shinji then took a sip of the hot chocolate, and found it to be a lot richer and creamier than he expected. "Wow, this is good."

"Asuka told me she wanted you to try some German chocolate while you were here. She kept talking about weaning you off of something called 'pocky.'" Shinji laughed a bit at that comment. While he wasn't about to denounce his preferred crunchy snack, he had to agree that Marie's cocoa had it beaten when it came to chocolate.

There were a lot of questions Shinji would have liked to ask Marie during their conversation, but many of them just seemed too uncomfortable, either because they were things he should be asking Asuka herself, or because they just wouldn't have been proper to ask one's future mother-in-law… Like why Asuka always seemed reluctant when talking about her father. Once he'd finished his cocoa, Marie left him alone to get some rest, and then he pulled from his pocket the manga that he'd been catching up on during the flight. He only managed to read a few pages though, before he found himself getting sleepy.

I certainly have no place to complain about Asuka's behavior lately… He thought as his eyes shut. After all, I got pretty testy too after that mess with the Performing Arts Center a few weeks ago…maybe we both just need a good rest.

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Shinji stirred awake to the sound of excited chatter coming from nearby, and judging from the unfamiliar voices and English language being used, it was most likely Asuka's cousins. He quickly jumped up and looked for the closest reflective object he could find, which happened to be the TV screen. He ran his fingers through his displaced hair, trying his best to make himself presentable, and had just enough time to before they came into the room.

Shinji saw that one of the voices belonged was a young man, who was about five foot ten, putting him two inches taller than Shinji's five foot eight. He had a lanky, slightly athletic physique with a boyish looking face, and his hair was of a brownish black color and cut close to his head. Obviously, he was Patrick. The girl, Kate, was around Asuka's height of five foot six, and the two girls shared a passing family resemblance. The most obvious differences were hair color and body-type—Kate had shoulder-length blonde hair and had a thin build, versus Asuka's waist-length auburn-red hair and slender curves. Both the boy and the girl shared Asuka's sapphire blue eyes, a feature that was now looking to be common in the Langley family.

"Ah, you're awake!" Asuka said happily as she wrapped her arms around Shinji's torso and kissed him. "Guys, this is Shinji."

"Oh my God, he is so cute!" Kate exclaimed as she held out her hand. "I'm Kate!"

"Hi, it's nice to finally meet you." A blushing Shinji said as he gave Kate's hand a gentle shake. "And you must be Patrick." He said to Kate's brother.

"Call me Rick." Patrick instructed, and held up an open hand facing towards Shinji, who then remembered that his was his cue to give Patrick a high five.

"No, call him Pat, he loves it!" Kate teased, to which her brother gave her an irritated glare.

"I told you not to do that! I hate it!" Patrick fumed.

"But what else am I supposed to call my favorite little brother?" Kate asked with a tone of mock affection in her voice.

"Little brother? Hah, only by eight minutes!"

"Nine minutes." Kate reminded him habitually.

Shinji did his best to ignore the inter-sibling teasing unfolding before him, and turned his attention back to Asuka.

"So how long have you been up?" Shinji asked her.

"Only a few minutes, actually. These two just got here." Answered Asuka while gesturing to her cousins with her thumb.

"So Shinji, you're 18, right?" Patrick asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"Well you're one brave dude! I mean, a teenage boy giving up his freedom already? That takes guts!" Patrick said in amazement, much to Shinji's embarrassment.

"Oh shut it Rick. Just because you're like, a man slut doesn't mean every guy wants to be one." Kate said as she jabbed Patrick with her elbow.

"For the last time, Tina broke up with me! When I started seeing Roxy it was totally legit! How does that make me a…"

"Will you two please behave? Did you come here to hang out with me and Shinji, or to taunt each other?" Asuka asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, we'll behave." Patrick said while putting his hands up in joking fashion. "So, what did you want to do? It's only four."

Asuka put her finger on her chin, not quite sure. She was technically their hostess, so the final say was ultimately hers.

"Well, I can't help but notice you don't have a tree yet." Kate noted. "And Christmas is three days away."

"Ooh, good idea! And we just so happen to have two strapping young men to carry one!" Asuka said with delight, ignoring the protesting groans from Shinji and Patrick.

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The tree farm was a magnificent sight, with just about any kind of tree one could desire being available in many sizes, bearing just a little bit of white from the last snowfall on their branches. Patrick was off in one corner bombarding Shinji with questions about the new Gundam show that had just come out in Japan, which Shinji knew almost nothing about since he hated Gundam. Fortunately Asuka didn't have to hear it though, because the boys were over by the 'easy to carry' trees of about five to six feet while Asuka and Kate looked at ones that would compliment the great room's high ceiling.

"So Asuka, have you and Shinji thought at all about the big day? Like, when it's gonna be?" Kate asked.

In truth, when Asuka was younger she didn't really see herself as being the marrying type—unless of course, it was to Kaji. And even those little fantasies didn't usually involve fairytale weddings, but rather cheap 24-hour chapels in Las Vegas. However, Shinji was far more to her than a foolish, immature crush… She loved Shinji, and her opinion now was that a love like theirs deserved a proper wedding.

"Well, we were hoping to have it in June, here in Germany." Asuka responded. "There are some old churches around here I've been eying for the ceremony, too."

"Hmm, a June would be really nice." Kate's eyes began to wander into space, as if she was daydreaming, but then her face started to become a little more serious. "So, Patrick sort of mentioned this already, but… Are sure that you're ready to get married? I mean, I'm not saying you're making a mistake, but you are really young…"

"I kind of asked myself that question when Shinji proposed. But when I thought about just how committed he was to me, and how much I loved him, it really did seem like the next step in our relationship. And that made me happy."

"Well then I'm happy for you. But I am kind of surprised that you'd want to have such a short engagement."

"Well there's a reason for that, too. You see, we've been dating for almost two years, and we liked each other since we first met, ages ago. But…" Asuka found the oncoming subject a little embarrassing to talk about, but then again, she had known Kate for a very long time. Why do I always hate explaining this part so much? "…we haven't done it yet."

"You haven't?" Kate asked, astonished.

"No. And when Shinji proposed, we agreed that we were going to save it for our wedding night." Just the thought of that made Asuka instantly start crunching numbers in her brain, trying to figure out exactly how many days were left till June. "I mean, what's the point of a long engagement if we've already waited this long?" Kate looked over to where Shinji was standing, and let out a sigh.

"Well, I can certainly understand now. I don't think I'd want to wait either."

"Hey, you'd better not forget that he's mine." Asuka jokingly warned with a snicker. She started to run her gloved fingers through the branches of a douglas fir tree that must have been at least 10 feet tall, and her face lit up as she looked to the top of it. She began walking circles around it to look for imperfections, of which she could see none.

"Boys, get over here! I found us a tree!" She called. As Patrick and Shinji came over to where the girls were, they looked up not in awe, but in dread.

"How are we gonna carry that thing?" Patrick muttered. "It's like a monster."

"Um… It looks nice…" Shinji said, ever the diplomat. When they lived with Misato, the biggest tree that they'd ever brought in was just over 5 feet tall, and even those were overpriced in Shinji's opinion, but that was largely because none of the trees Asuka liked were native to Japan. Fortunately, the roll of euros that Marie had given her was apparently enough to cover the cost.

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Shinji and Asuka stepped back to look at the massive monument of green standing in the great room of the house, and let out a collective huff of exhaustion. It was finally fully decorated, save for the star on top. Shinji knew the Langley family tradition quite well, because Asuka had been shoving it down his and Misato's throats for the past four years… The man of the house puts it up on Christmas eve, which back in Japan had always been Shinji's job, but would obviously now revert to Dr. Langley… Which made both Shinji and Asuka wonder, when would they be seeing him? Despite all that had happened in the past few hours, it was still only six forty-five, but it wasn't long before the sound of a door opening and shutting could be heard, and when Asuka heard it, she sprinted for the entrance room.

Asuka held her breath before she left the safety of the hall, the feeling of her recent anxiety coursing through her veins. She knew exactly who had just come in, because Marie had already gotten back with a stack of pizzas a few minutes prior, so that really left only one possibility. Asuka let the spent air out of her lungs, and then tried her best to stride confidently into plain sight.

He was a man of about six feet tall in his mid 40's, wearing a dark gray suit and a striped tie. His hair was red, but unlike Asuka's it was of a much darker shade, almost the color of drying blood. His face was handsome looking with chiseled features and a strong, square jaw line, but the focal point was the gaze of his blue eyes. Asuka wasn't sure what she wanted from him, but right now, she thought that a simple "hello" might be enough.

"Papa… You're back." A wide-eyed Asuka said.

"Asuka! Nice to see you back home." Asuka's father put down his briefcase before walking up to Asuka, at which point he tilted his head down and kissed her briefly on the forehead. It wasn't really the kind of kiss that said 'How's my little girl been?' or 'I missed you,' but rather it said something along the lines of 'What's up, kid?' While Asuka wasn't sure what she wanted from him, she knew that she wanted more than that. She'd settle for what she could get though, which was most certainly unlike her usual personality. "So why don't you introduce me to Shinji? I'm interested in meeting the legendary Third Child."

Asuka did her best to appear bright and chipper while they walked to the dining room, but on the inside she almost wanted to cry. Would it really have been so hard for her father to greet her with a hug, or for that matter, to refer to Shinji as her fiancée rather than her former teammate? And what's with him calling Shinji "legendary?" Am I chopped liver or something? Once they made it into the dining room, they found everyone waiting for them.

"Hi Uncle Alex!" Kate said as she and Patrick waved.

"Hi kids." Asuka's father answered back before giving Marie a quick peck. Then, his immediate attention went to Shinji. He held out his hand, which Shinji accepted and shook.

"You must be Shinji Ikari. I've been told many great things about you." Though his words were sent as a compliment, to Asuka, the look in her father's eye seemed to be telling Shinji 'We're going to talk later,' which made her a bit uncomfortable.

"So… Is it Dr. Langley then?" Shinji asked carefully, to which the older man seemed to think on for a moment.

"Alex will be fine." He said in acknowledgment, and they all sat down to eat. The conversations during dinner ranged from a wide variety of subjects, from important things like the timetable for Shinji and Asuka's wedding, to the subject of their battles, victories, and misadventures during the Angel war. All the while, Asuka's father seemed to be somewhat quiet, merely nodding in acknowledgement and letting out an intrigued "Hmm…" sound every here and there. In all though, the meal seemed to go smoothly, which left Asuka feeling a bit more at ease than she had been earlier, even if her father was keeping himself somewhat unreadable.

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Since they were still both wired on Japanese time, Shinji and Asuka decided it best that they go to bed early that night, so Patrick and Kate went back to their hotel shortly after supper. As they they made their way up the stairs, Shinji took Asuka's hand in his and gave her a calm, easy-going look.

"So, your dad seems pretty cool." Shinji said.

"I guess that's easy enough to say after just one day…" Asuka mumbled "But let's just not get too ahead of ourselves. My dad is obviously going to want a one-on-one conversation with you at some point, and I have no idea where that's going to go." Shinji nodded solemnly, because he knew that some tough questions might be waiting for him, and he still didn't know much about Alex Langley other than what Asuka had told him—which was really quite miniscule. "Both Papa and Marie are working tomorrow, so we'll have this whole place to ourselves. We should try to get in some music practice."As they came to Shinji's door, Asuka stopped with him for a moment. "Just so you know, your room doesn't have a bathroom, but you can use mine in the morning if you want." Asuka said as she pointed towards a door on the far wall. "It's got a much bigger tub than the one in the hall."

"Thanks, but I've always preferred showers anyway."

"Why's that? Baths are way more fun!"

"Well I guess it's because… Whenever I used to get in the bath, my bad memories would come back." Shinji said with a sigh as he looked away briefly. "I know, it probably sounds silly… But it still happens sometimes." Asuka moved her head close to Shinji's, gave him a tender look and began whispering into his ear.

"After we're married, we can take one together and give you some happy memories to think about." Asuka started to playfully walk her fingers across Shinji's shoulder, and she could tell by the embarrassed blush on his face that she was making him excited.

Oh, I'm sure that next time I take one I'll have plenty to think about now… Shinji thought mischievously, but he tried not to get too wound up. "That'd be… nice…" he mumbled sheepishly.

"Well, we should probably get some sleep." Asuka yawned, and Shinji nodded while visibly showing his own signs of tiredness. "Tomorrow, let's just try to chill out and find something fun to do." She added in a relaxed fashion.

"Sure." Before Asuka left for her room though, Shinji wrapped his arms around Asuka's waist and gave her a lasting kiss on the lips. "Sleep well."

"You too." Asuka said sweetly as they separated.

End Chapter

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I'll see you all next time! Hopefully I'll be able to get my student loan approved soon, because I'm looking to get a sweet laptop which could really help increase my productivity, both for school and my writing. (Well, some studies say using laptops too long can result in reduced 'productivity' in men, so I'll make sure to be careful) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and I'll try to have the next one out as soon as I can!

Thanks for reading, please send your reviews, keep an eye out for the next chapter, and God bless!