Presenting … Lucas Danes?
By GilmoreGirl1979 (the Reigning Quote Queen)
Provider of Quality FAN FICTION
R/R: yes please I love reviews, I wanna marry them (as previously stated, I have strange passions.)
friendly disclaimer: I REJECT ASP's REALITY AND SUBSTITUTE MY OWN! NO HARM NO SUE!
A/N: dialogue borrowed from 2.14 - It Should've Been...
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No, It's Not The Way I Planned It
Saturday night
After their tour of Stars Hollow, complete with the improvements around the town and the new stop light pointed out, Chris was waiting in the living room for Rory to finish getting ready so that they could go to the video store for a father-daughter movie fest. He was looking around the living, noticing that not much changed from his last visit, when he caught sight of the snow globe.
"Sorry, Dad… I can't find my left shoe…" Rory grumbled.
"I thought that was My Left Foot. That's a good movie, maybe we could rent that."
"I know where my left foot is, it's the shoe that is proving to be a bit difficult…and it is a great movie."
Chris was about to reach for the snow globe on the mantle when his daughter startled him, "Stop!"
"Why?" he asked.
"Don't touch the snow globe…please, it's for your own good," Rory warned, thinking of all the other Luke things in the house Chris had inadvertently stumbled upon all day.
"What?"
"Just please don't. If you don't want the rage of a thousands suns upon you, don't touch the snow globe."
"What's so special about it?" Chris asked as he put his hands innocently in his pockets.
Damn curiosity, Rory tried for the vague explanation, "It's mom's favorite and she's the only one who can touch it. I have to ask her permission to shake it if I want to see the snow dance around."
"Okay," Chris nodded.
"Maybe my shoe is upstairs, I'll be right back."
Once Rory was out of sight Chris' hands were out of his pockets, like a defiant child, and on the globe. He shook it in retaliation of Lorelai being unable to be in the same room with him for longer than five minutes. It was immature and no one would know he had done it but Chris was immature.
After his immature act Chris took in the intricate detail of the base and scene inside, Lorelai's beloved town, her beloved diner, and the unmistakable pair in the sleigh. Chris knew it was from that past Christmas, from the date on the base, but also Rory's description of the sleigh ride at the Bracebridge dinner Lorelai threw.
Chris knew who it was probably from. One guess and I bet he wears a ball cap. Chris's arms fell and then he saw something on the bottom of the base and held it up to examine it. He read the inscription and an inexplicable knot formed in his stomach at the words from Luke to Lorelai.
Chris didn't know why he was feeling like that, a combination of jealousy, anger, and sadness. Lorelai was happy, that's all that mattered. Rory liked this Luke guy, so he couldn't be that bad. Chris had Sherry anyway, so why was he coveting something he had little interest in before. Maybe it was just the fact that he couldn't have Lorelai anymore that bothered him or the fact that she didn't even want to see him. After all, just last year they were friendly with their estranged parental banter and teasing. They had slept together, just like old times. Only now, there was Luke in the picture. Lorelai had Luke, Chris had Sherry, and that's just the way it had to be.
Chris gingerly moved the globe from hand to hand and seriously debated about breaking it, but that would hardly redeem him in Lorelai's eyes. Destroying the globe she loved so much wouldn't destroy the offensive man or the way Lorelai felt about Luke. Besides Rory was just upstairs and would be an eyewitness, anyway.
Speaking of whom, the stairs began to creak so Chris put the globe back on the mantle and returned his hands to his pockets.
"Okay, I don't know how my one shoe got way upstairs under her bed, but knowing mom," Rory thought for a second, " she was going to use my shoe to squash a bug and not tell me."
"That sounds like her."
"Okay, so to Stars Hollow video?"
"Do they have a good selection?"
"Yes, it's much better now," Rory said confidently, sparing her father the embarrassing tale of the Rory curtain.
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Lorelai came into her room at the inn, lucky number 7, smiling to see Luke reading the paper, relaxing on the bed, "Hi."
"Hey, you done for the day?" Luke asked.
Lorelai began to unbutton her blazer and kick off her heels, "Yeah, I was done about an hour ago, but Sookie wanted to talk wedding ideas and details. Oh, and she loved my idea to use your chuppah with the ceremony."
"Good," Luke said still engrossed in the sports page.
"We may need your truck to move it to the grounds, is that okay?"
"Sure, sure," Luke said still reading.
He is so whipped, she smiled, "I feel kind of bad; you sitting around here, doing nothing." Lorelai went to his side of the bed and started playing with his hair.
"Well, you couldn't take off work," he said, "and frankly I'm enjoying the privacy."
"Really? Would you like me to leave?" she joked.
"I meant from Jess and I think I've gotten my fill of not seeing you for the day," Luke said as he pulled her on the bed with him and kissed her.
Lorelai giggled, "Yeah, well at the very least you two needed a break from each other. It seems like tight quarters up there."
"You have no idea," he said, thinking of how long Jess took in the bathroom in the morning for his hair alone. There were other reasons Luke was happy that Lorelai was done with her inn duties and Sookie's wedding plans for the moment, so he rolled her in his arms, so they were both lying on the bed and he kissed her again.
"Hello," Lorelai enjoyed the greeting and her new vantage of looking up at Luke.
"Hi," he smiled down at her.
"So what did you do with your day?" she asked, enjoying being cradled in his arms and lovingly pinned to the mattress.
"Well, I checked up on Jess first thing, then I went to see what the lighting problem was on the second floor since I'm such good friends with the executive manager of this Inn." Lorelai giggled at how she had to beg him to take a look to save her the time and expense of calling an electrician. "Then I called Jess before I had lunch with my girlfriend, who remarkably looks like my friend the executive manager."
"Really?"
"Uncanny resemblance. Then I called Jess again after lunch, which I could tell was starting to irritate him, then my girlfriend suggested I use my time wisely, enjoy the advantage of doing nothing, go to the library and read a book, do something you don't normally do, or just look for light maintenance projects around the Inn, if you don't mind. Then I got a paper, and now you're here…"
"So a nice day?"
"Much better now that you're free," Luke leaned down to kiss her again.
"Luke?" Lorelai looked up at him, hopefully.
"Yeah?"
"I never really formally asked you," she shyly played with his collar. "I mean I know you hate dressing up and all but well, I thought since I'm the maid of honor and you are my boyfriend, that well, you could be my escort… for Sookie's wedding." Lorelai anticipated an argument, "I mean I know going to a wedding together is a big deal, but I mean, well, Sookie is a friend to both of us and I have it on good authority that we will both be invited, so, we will most likely see each other there and it would only make the most sense if we go together…"
Without a fight Luke nodded, "Okay."
"Really?"
It's not like I haven't done that before, I mean, I dressed up for the ball right."
"Luke, are you sure? I mean the whole town will know…" Lorelai droned in a tease.
"Well, hopefully by then maybe they will be used to us as a couple and stop talking about us… so, yes I'll be your date for Sookie's wedding."
"You sorely underestimate Miss Patty's interest in us."
"Yeah, I know, so you hungry yet?"
"Actually, if you still want to finish your sports page, you could just hand me the style section, we can read for a bit together."
Luke smiled at her, pulling away to lean back against the headboard while finding Lorelai's desired page. Lorelai accepted the section of the paper from Luke and adjusted herself into a comfortable position on the bed. Lorelai was lying beside Luke, resting her head on his chest; they were tangled together, but their heads were facing perpendicular angles as they each read their respective sections of interest. Lorelai was facing towards Luke's right shoulder as she hugged up against him, scanning an article about the new style and size trend of handbags plus both of their horoscopes, Aries and Scorpio, while Luke was reading beyond her left shoulder, committing new stats and scores to memory from recent games.
Lorelai contently sighed as Luke held her and listened to the comforting rhythm of his heart. She loved how Luke always absently started playing with her hair and rubbing her back, breathing out contently himself. Their position reminded her of Love Story, how Oliver and Jenny cuddled up to study together, focused on their separate subjects but still needing to be close to each other. Lorelai was thinking back to all their times in lucky number 7, especially to the Bracebridge Dinner and Luke's fireside confession. I love you, Lorelai.
Lorelai couldn't help but analyze how she entered the room minutes before, 'coming home' from work, seeing Luke comfortable and relaxed in his socked feet waiting for her. Had they been living together at Lorelai's house, Luke might have been in the kitchen with dinner ready, waiting to hear about her day, while Lorelai might have brought home a video for them to watch as they cuddled on the couch.
Lorelai got little flashes about the future ever since Emily suggested 'are you and the diner man going to get married'. She would think of her dream from November, married to Luke, pregnant with his baby. Lorelai would daydream about what their life together would be like and smile. It was nice to think about.
Lorelai loved moments like this. They each could just exist with each other, because they were comfortable, at ease, and in love. When they came to the Inn after the debate the night before there was no pressure to perform. All night, they were both satisfied to just to cuddle in their PJs, both exhausted from their workweek and trying not to think about Christopher being in town with Rory. With Lorelai having to work at the Inn the following day, they settled on the bed with a short movie and just held each other all night.
That is what made their relationship special. There was no work when it came to being with Luke. No dazzling facades to up hold, no secrets to keep, Lorelai could relax and just be. Lorelai recalled Luke's words from their conversation days before her planned wedding to Max Medina; I guess if you can find that one person, you know, who's willing to put up with all your crap, and doesn't want to change you or dress you or you know, make you eat French food, then marriage can be all right. But that's only if you find that person.
Lying on Luke's chest, Lorelai sighed as she did that past summer evening, Yeah, if you find that person she smiled to herself, burrowing closer to Luke's heart.
"You're not dozing off on me, are you?" Luke whispered.
"Hmm? Aw no, just thinking about stuff?"
They had been reading their papers and holding each other for a little over a half an hour. "Would one of those things be what you want for dinner?" he mumbled against her forehead.
Lorelai savored the contact his lips were making on her brow. "Room service?" Lorelai suggested, wanting to keep Luke all to herself.
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Unfortunately, My Left Foot was already rented, but Rory was excited when she found Captain Blood and Four's A Crowd available to rent at the video store. Rory had gotten into Errol Flynn when she watched those old movies with Luke. She thought maybe she could recreate those bonding moments she had had with Luke with her actual father. However, when she showed her father the videos he winced, "I'm not exactly the swashbuckler type."
"We'll Four's A Crowd is a comedy. Olivia De Havilland does this really funny voice, so not what you'd expect from Melanie of Gone With The Wind."
"Well, umm…"
"Or how about A Letter To Three Wives, I mean it is kind of soap opera-ish, but the cinematography is really artsy and symbolic and ahead of it's time. And hello two for one, Linda Darnell and Jean Crane in the same movie."
"I don't know Rory, I mean… they're black and white."
"So?" Rory didn't see anything wrong with her selections.
"Well, it's kinda boring… you know… I mean one stationary camera, especially with the effects they can do today …in Technicolor no less."
"But that doesn't mean they aren't still good stories…"
"Can we just please pick something else…say made in your life time. Hey Mission Impossible!"
Rory tried to hide her lame smile; Tom Cruise… ruining Jim Phelps and a classic TV show! Awww!
Rory knew it wasn't the same watching movies with Chris. She missed her mom's rules and Luke's dry comments on the sly. Chris just seemed to enjoy watching the explosions and had no desire to talk about the movie or the actors in them.
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Sunday
Before Chris left he was having a cup of coffee with Rory at Weston's, refusing to give Luke's any more business as a matter of principal.
"Hey Rory…"
"Yeah," she said, sipping her coffee.
"Can I ask you something about your mom and Luke?"
"Dad," Rory's tone changed. "I really don't want to be your spy," using Lorelai's words, "I'm sorry about his stuff around the house, but he is part of our lives…"
"You're not a spy. I'm just… well I'm curious… please…"
"Fine what?" Rory sighed, determined to be as vague as possible as she crossed her arms, not at all pleased about having to have this conversation.
"Well it's just… when you've thought about me and your mom – what have you been thinking all these years?"
"Um, what do you mean?" Rory asked, confused about what this had to do with her Mom and Luke.
"I mean, did you ever picture your mom and me… potentially together, like 'we are family' together?"
"Well, not really," Rory dismissed, uncomfortable with the subject.
"But sort of, it crossed your mind?"
"Dad!"
"Rory, come on. Just be straight with me."
Rory shrugged and squirmed in her seat, "Well, I'll admit that when I was younger I have pictured the three of us living together, but in the way that all kids picture their estranged parents living together or the way they maybe should be together."
Should be together. The words gnawed at Chris and he felt even more like an ass, especially now that the girl he thought he was supposed to be with had moved on already.
"If it makes you feel better I pictured her married to Pee Wee Herman too," Rory dismissed.
Chris ignored the pun, trying to be serious for once. "And umm well, how well do you know Luke?"
"Very well, I've known him since I was eleven."
"Huh… and he and your mom…how… did they meet?"
"Dad," Rory said in a warning tone, "we are heading into spying."
"Well it's just…I'm concerned all right… believe it or not I do care. Your mom… well she was my best friend for a long time… and I just want to know she is taken care of. I mean I see it… why they are together but… Are you sure she is happy?"
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Yes, Luke makes her very happy," Rory said firmly.
"Well, do you really think your mom, maybe, someday will marry Luke?" Chris was quick to argue his point. "I mean after last year with Max…"
It was the question of the month, Rory had wanted an answer to that same question and frankly had the same concern for Luke's heart, but knew that Luke was different for Lorelai. "Dad, Mom has already admitted that she didn't love Max. That is why she didn't marry him…"
"She promises to marry one man and breaks up with him, then less than a month later she finds someone new and boom she's in love with Luke?" I'm starting to think she doesn't know what she wants, "It seems a little fishy…"
"Yes. She does love Luke," Rory said confidently, "She's always loved him. Since I was 13 years old and mom got the flu, she's loved him. Luke was checking up on her every day… making her chicken soup from scratch, he was making sure I was fed and okay and that I didn't catch it. After that … that is when they really became friends, she stopped calling him 'Duke' just to piss him off, and she started asking him to come over to fix stuff, because she liked seeing him outside of the diner. The whole town has been talking about them for years…and now it's finally here."
"All right I get it… but," Chris didn't know what compelled him to ask, "…should it have been me?"
"What?"
"Should it have been me, taking care of your mom and you?"
"Dad…" Rory shook her head feeling the willies go up and down her spine.
"I know, I know, it should have been me but…"
"But it wasn't!" Rory cried. "Dad, where is this coming from? You have Sherry and Mom has Luke…everything worked out the way it was supposed too." Rory was being protective of the love between Luke and Lorelai, a love that was as fragile as her mother's snow globe on the mantle. Rory didn't know what Chris' intentions were with his unsettling, jealous thoughts and questioning but she wasn't going to help him.
"Yeah, yeah, it's just… well… I don't know…" Chris stammered.
"Dad, you may not have been around before, but you can make up for it now," Rory said in all seriousness, "by remembering that you have Sherry, and Mom is really, really happy with Luke, for the first time…in a long time. Don't mess it up…" she reminded him again.
"Rory, I have no intention of messing things up…"
"You might not intent to but… some times it just happens."
"Rory you can't put you're mother's past relationships on me…"
"I'm not, I'm putting this one on you," Rory pointed to the table. "This one is real Dad."
"Come on kid…" Chris said, feeling guilty and upset that Rory seemed to care more about Luke then she did about him. "Let's not weigh down this weekend with all this heavy talk…"
"You brought it up," Rory charged. "You're the one asking all the uncomfortable questions. You're the one not here with their significant other… Mom is happy, Dad. It's the first time I have seen her happy since I got into Chilton."
"I just want things how they used to be…you know your mom and me pals again."
"She doesn't want to talk to you, I tried to be your advocate, but now… the way you're sounding… maybe it's a good idea if you two don't be so palsy anymore…"
"Rory…"
"Just please leave her alone," Rory said before getting up and leaving Weston's alfresco table.
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Luke and Lorelai were going to spend a lazy Sunday in bed. However, all the close quarters over the weekend had Lorelai wishing for more of the homey moments like with Luke and she gave Luke a verbal invitation to spend the night with her.
"Lorelai, I can't sleep over…" he replied.
"Why not? The town already knows about us now and we are currently sharing a room at the inn?"
"It's too soon in our public relationship for that… besides what about Jess?"
"Well to quote you, he's not two," Lorelai shot back.
"But if I spend the night the town, the gossips, are going to think that we are…" Luke trailed off.
"We are?" Lorelai didn't follow at first.
"You know…" he shrugged.
"Luke, we are!" she had to laugh. "Come on, we've been doing that for months, we just did not ten minutes ago," holding up the sheet around her as she argued with him.
"I know that, you know that, but they don't need to know that."
Lorelai decided to level with her boyfriend, "Luke…half the town thinks that happened when we went off for our picnic lunch. Well, actually that is what happened during our picnic lunch…"
"What? Everyone knows? About the picnic?" Luke stuttered.
"Man, you really close your ears when the gossip flies in your place, don't ya?"
"I'm a busy man. Well, did you correct them?"
"Luke, what's to correct, we did it…" Lorelai insinuated, "during our picnic. Would you really want me to correct them? Frankly that would be a complete admission, where as now its just speculation, and what would I say? 'Oh no, actually our first night together was after Rory's coming out ball you know the one in November? Oh but, you didn't know Luke went to that did you because we hid it from you for months and months. Yeah, we've been dating all that time."
Luke saw clearly the rock and hard place they were between; keeping it quiet for so long was definitely complicating the situation.
Lorelai leaned over to him and put her arms around his neck, "If anything, the rumors have improved your reputation, believe me."
"I don't want a reputation."
"Then I can tell everyone how talented you are…" she teased, kissing his cheek.
"Lorelai…"
"I'm kidding," Lorelai kept her arms around him to keep him close as they talked, "I just don't confirm or deny to anyone…not even to Miss Patty…"
"Especially Miss Patty…" Luke stressed.
"I say nothing to anyone about when or where our first time was. I don't kiss and tell about technique or stamina or…" she kissed his shoulder.
"Stop… please."
"Okay, so we are out and about to the town, I'm just saying you can stay over if you want…"
Luke did trust Jess now to be by himself in fact, Jess almost preferred it. "It's just… I don't know… everyone knows what we are doing…"
"Luke we're dating… now granted this isn't like The Quiet Man where we have to wait months and months for the walking out together and stuff. I thought you didn't care what people thought…"
"Well, it's just it's my private business, our private business."
"I know," Lorelai eased, "But, this was nice right?"
"Yeah, pretty nice."
"Almost like a weekend away," Lorelai enticed.
Luke commented, "Except for you sneaking away to work."
"Well, not all of us own our own businesses, I couldn't just take off, but I'm here aren't I, with you," she kissed him again, "naked with you." Lorelai snuggled close with him again and didn't want to spoil their moment, but had to ask, "Do you think he's gone yet?"
"Well, Rory said she'd give an all clear."
As if on cue, the room's phone rang.
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Rory decided it was in everyone's best interest not to mention Chris' weird musings on "Should it have been me?" no good would come of it. Once he was back with Sherry, and away from the perfect relationship between Luke and Lorelai, everything would be back to normal.
When Luke brought Lorelai home, Rory was pleased that they hadn't killed each other, sharing a room for 48 hours, and they seemed even more in love than ever. Luke and Lorelai had a long good bye by the door, similar to their mistletoe hellos over Christmas. Lorelai was so happy and giddy that Rory couldn't help but smile that her mother had such a good weekend with Luke.
When Luke finally left, Lorelai's giddiness slightly diminished, thinking of warm homey moments with Luke, simple pleasures of him playing with her hair, his body heat to keep her warm and that he wouldn't be around to do that for awhile. Lorelai sighed, "So, did you have fun?" knowing Rory wouldn't want to hear the intimate details of her weekend.
Rory began to wonder that herself. "Umm Yeah."
"What?" Lorelai's shoulders slumped as if to ask: what did he do?
"Nothing. I had fun."
"Rory, I know that look, come on…"
"Well, it's just… I don't know; he and I don't have a lot in common."
"Still not clicking, huh?"
"It all seems so forced;" Rory complained. "Just because he happens to share chromosomes with me I have to have a relationship with him. I mean, all the movies I wanted to rent he winced and scoffed at because they were old or black and white…"
"Yeah, he was a bit of a selfish movie goer. One time when we were dating in high school, I wanted to see Flashdance again, but he just kept whining and complaining to see Octupussy, I know, he was big into James Bond. Anyway, I agreed to go, figuring I could see Flashdance again with my friends later, and besides, we made out all through James Bond, so technically I've still never seen Octupussy." She laughed lightly at the memory, "Funny how you remember random things like that."
Rory was a little nervous about her mother reminiscing the good ole days too, since she had an ear full of her father's what ifs all weekend. "Yeah, I guess, he wouldn't even give Errol Flynn a chance. At least Luke…" Rory squirreled away to her room, but Lorelai followed.
"What about Luke?"
Rory turned back to her mother, "Well, he's a gentlemen, he lets us pick the movies most of the time. It seems that I have more in common with Luke. Technically, we grew up in the same small town, for a period of time we each went to Stars Hollow high, we each had to learn to live without our dads…we have similar life experiences as a result, we …relate to each other better. With Luke it's easy! I mean, I don't know where dad has been, what he's done, or been through over the years. Luke on the other hand, I get."
Lorelai found it funny that she and her daughter would have the same revelation the same weekend, "Well, that is why you're giving Chris this chance, right? This is what you wanted?"
I thought it's what I wanted, "It's harder then I expected."
Lorelai tried to remain objective and encouraging, "Well, Luke would say 'anything worthwhile is hard'."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Look at his relationship with me? I'm so high maintenance and yet he sticks it out, because I'm worth it!"
Rory sighed, "I kinda wish, well you and dad could be friends again…but I understand," especially over Chris' wistful confessions over the weekend.
"Thank you for respecting that and who knows maybe one day he'll be used to Luke and Luke will be used to him…" but Lorelai thought back to her memories from high school. She started comparing her past to her future and the people that were in them. She knew her avoidance of Chris was in the right; despite her former friendship with Chris, sometimes you have to leave people behind. She had a wonderful weekend and was so happy with Luke. She felt guilty in their close quarters, returning to the scene of his confession, knowing she felt the same but still was unable to say anything, but it was a lovely weekend just the same.
"Mom, you okay?"
"Um yeah, just you know, Octupussy," she covered, "It's a funny word, it sounds dirty…" recalling that was the reason that Chris wanted to see it in the first place. "Like eight…"
"Stop!" Rory raised her hand to stop the joke, and she got up to get a soda from the fridge.
Lorelai then observed, "James Bond makes me think of Luke in his tux again." She sat at the table, smiling over her secret agent man and the events that finally brought them together, while Rory continued to talk about her weekend.
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A/N: okay folks REVIEW WHAT CAN I SAY by LOCALIZY, it's her last fic send her off in style! and then bug her about all her free time to beta now... okay thank you!
A/N: the way it is ain't always easy, the way it is ain't always fair, now just because the way things are don't mean that I don't care, now I found someone who loves me and is wonderful with kids, no it's not the way I planned it, I hope you understand it, that's just the way it is.
A/N:
Localizy: but what if when he started to pick up the snow globe
Localizy: and maybe Rory was like don't touch that
GG1979: yeah Lorelai already scolded rich
GG1979: Maybe Rory is protective of the love as fragile as the snow globe
Localizy: nice metaphor
GG1979: thank you
GG1979: I try
Localizy sounds off: debating breaking the snow globe? What an ass!
A/N: I want you to know … that Localizy was kind enough to hold my hair as I was retching while writing Christopher eeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww shutters. Anyone read book 6 of Harry Potter? It was like that one scene with Dumbledore and Harry!
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"That was all God given talent..." why thank you NON POD Luke!
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R/R: PLEASE, I like to better myself. To quote The Princess Bride,
"...Remember this is for posterity, ... so be honest."
Please be specific with R/R; name one (or as many as you can think of or want to mention..…) At least one specific thing you liked
Please! It makes me feel good...inside (Dirty!)
Hence the Rant option below.
Insert Rant here V
A/N: if not completely satisfied with this chapter, please return unused portion for a full refund...