Blades of Resolve

Written by Scarredbyshallowness

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Devil May Cry or anything else that I use in my story.

Author Notes: Been a little while, huh? Get a snack and get comfy. It's gonna be a sweet read. Enjoy!

Note: This story takes place after the Bounto Arc.

Chapter 8

Hold Fast

-Bleach World-

5 days until Armageddon

Urahara's Shop, Karakura Town

"HELLO! HELLO!" Urahara sang harmoniously with a spring in his step to a groggy audience just outside his shop. Dark blue coated the sky with minuscule chirps remaining from the night before. But Kisuke loved this hour. So quiet. So peaceful. Yup. He was a morning person. Unlike 80 percent of the world…

"The sun isn't even up yet…" Ishida complained drowsily. It was as if the sun refused to even hint at rising. With two bright white suitcases, that had a blue rim to match his Quincy suit quite perfectly, in hand, thoughts of inadequate preparation entered his waking mind. Especially when you compared his supplies to the silent giant's beside him.

Chad wore a tight black silk dress shirt with white pants and matching dress shoes. As his all important coin necklace danced around his solid neck, it seemed as if he were planning to go clubbing rather than train for three hundred and sixty grueling days straight. He did bring, however, an over stuffed olive green duffel bag the size of an average refrigerator. Despite the impressive size, Sado simply slung it across his burly shoulders with ease.

"I do hope that you both have slept well." Urahara spoke with a spin of his cane and a finger slide across on the brim of his lime bucket hat. "I can guarantee you're about to have the longest day of your life."

Downtown, Karakura Town

There's something to be said about karma. Like how several months of dead ends, prank calls, fake locations, false accusations, and family trauma can end up in such a blessing as this. Normally hearing that the world is going to be thrown into utter chaos by thousands of cold blooded demonic murderers isn't taken well.

But then again…

"BRING IT !" the devil hunter roared with delight as twenty liquid-like warping portals ripped apart the space around the lightly populated street around him. Screams of the masses filled the air as confused civilians stumbled out of their vehicles to run. No. Desperately run for their endangered lives as they cried unanswered questions.

Through the tears stepped through not only the mucky winged surveillance demons fought previously, but four bulky monstrosities with rock-like gray skin (think the Thing for Fantastic Four) to beef up their sought victory.

The anticipation alone put the professional slayer through a short lived adrenaline-fueled ecstasy. Spinning around to drink in his answered craving once more, an ablaze sneer grew across his face.

"Let's see if you losers can entertain me!"

…most people are definitely not like Dante.

Chaotic shrieks and hair-raising screeches filled his ears to the point of physical pain.

Out numbered.

Underestimated.

Solo.

The idiots even gave him a distance advantage with the group moving toward him with a heedless charge.

This was just too perfect.

(A/N: Playing a hardcore rock song or anything high energy right now really makes this next part come alive.)

Crushing a steel boot into the face of an oncoming winged demon, cracking nearly every bloody bone in the beast's face, Dante stomped his victim's body to the ground with a bone-shattering CRACK! Drawing Ebony (his black handgun for those who don't know DMC) with a twirl, he shoved it's luster barrel into the mouth, via cracking through the teeth, of another mucky demon's approach; ending it's existence with several pulls of the trigger.

Whipping out his second firearm, Ivory (the silver handgun), with satisfaction abound, he shot multiple holes into the wings of another victim with extreme accuracy using nothing but blind shots from behind his back. Twisting his body in the air, his blood soaked metal boot met with the dropping demon's spine with a deadly spin crescent, crushing it's remains into, and through, an abandoned car with a cringing CRUNKASH! Blood and glass spewed in an surge of his raw unearthly power.

"It's been too long." Dante loudly spoke to himself, thoughtlessly leaping out of the path of a vicious slash from razor sharp claws. Landing on the attacker's slimy back with duel steel boots, he announced: "I've been dieing to do some skateboarding."

With a ferocious push off the ground, Dante sped across the street atop the howling demon's unfortunate, grinding, position. Shooting at an angle with each gun, the devil hunter kept the momentum up whilst sending lead through the skulls of five well-placed others.

In a quick switch of weaponry he pulled his sword (Force Edge for the fans) from his back with a crackle of joy. Using the hurdling spin from his eroding ride to slash three more creatures in half with a clean cut thorough their muscle bound waists, his speed shot down significantly. After a torturous 60 meters of flesh-burning-upon-concrete fun, Dante's ride sadly came to an end.

"Well…" the devil hunter grinned to himself, curb stomping the skull of his ride against the sidewalk that had ended his fun. "…that makes 11 down. Whatcha gonna do about that, big guys?" he taunted with open arms.

A pool of demonic blood oozed its way to the still feet of the four silent stone giants. Huddling into a circle around the puddle of vital liquid, rage exploded from their savage eyes. Who was this guy? Was this that -

"Too SLOW!" Dante screamed from the air with guns drawn. Landing a top the shoulders of one of the giants with eerie ease, the demon desperately flailed it's arms to reach the mounted devil hunter. Too bad Dante's inhumanly strong legs prevented it's limbs from being anywhere near him. With Ebony and Ivory's barrels upon the thrashing creature's tough skull, it surprisingly only took five shots a piece to pierce through the rocky hide. With the bloody openings screaming his name, Dante stabbed all of Force Edge's massive blade through the vulnerable wounds; clear from temple to temple. With a quick torque of the hilt, the beast's entire skull twisted a deadly 180 degrees. With a grunt, the head popped off with a grating, yet satisfying, SKRUNCK!

Leaping off of the falling remains, Dante landed masterfully before the fresh corpse crashed to the ground. With the demon's head stuck on his sword like a stick through a marshmallow, he raised it defiantly to their eye level shouting only one word:

"Next !"

(A/N: Go ahead and pause that music.)

Kurosaki Household

" ICHI-NII!" Yuzu cried aloud at the site of her torn up brother coming through the doorway slung over Orihime. With a small, yet quite painful, hug given to his side, tears formed on her cute little face. "Did you see who did this to you?"

"AH! H-hey, Yuzu. Wait. What did you say?" Ichigo asked through the hopefully misunderstood words. Did she know about Sephiroth? Did she see him fight? COULD she him fight?

"Yeah. Did you get the license plate number or something?" Karin calmly asked beside her babbling sister. Though she wouldn't admit it, her eyes told of her unspoken relief to see her brother ok. Well, relatively anyway.

With puzzlement abound, Ichigo finally caught on to what was going on. It was written ALL over Inoue's face.

"Your sisters are so sweet, Ichigo! They took the news of you getting hit by that speeding mac truck so well! Especially when I told them that you were in critical condition at a hospital that didn't allow visitors." Orihime recalled her tale with slight cringe. Ichigo acquired a twitch.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to have our idiot father look at you under the knife, but I still don't get it. What kind of hospital doesn't allow visitors?" Karin sternly questioned. A fool she was not.

"I…uh…well…" Ichigo verbally fumbled. There had to be a reasonable excuse…

"I-I'm sorry! But that 'no visitor' part was a little lie from me." Inoue laughed nervously. " The truth is that Ichigo was over at the Ishida hospital (Uryuu's dad owns it). I didn't want to make your family business look bad…"

"Is that all? Idiot…" the little dark haired girl cringed. Is this ridiculously developed girl for real? "Well, whatever. He's alive. That's what matters. Thanks Tatsuki's friend." Karin muttered as she hesitantly walked back to her work.

"Her name is Orihime Inoue, Karin. She's not just Tatsuki's friend." Ichigo said in her defense with a certain sternness that suit him so well. "She's mine as well."

A giddy feeling of joy sudden came over Inoue.

"Daddy! Look who is finally home!" Yuzu smiled brilliantly toward her beloved father appearing from his closed off office.

"IIICCHHHIIIGO!" Issen Kurosaki, the so called 'head' of the house hold, screamed joyously as he skillfully swept his injured son to the ground with a THUD!

"AAHHA! What the HELL is WRONG WITH YOU?!?" Ichigo growled from the ground as his sisters tried to help the infuriated teen up. Orihime, completely speechless, was beginning to questioning what her own father was like.

"Your guard was down, moron! How will you ever get stronger if I let golden moments like these slide?" Issen defended his action from several looks of ridicule. Sweat began form on his brow.

Sadly, this was a near daily affair. Issen fighting with Ichigo over the littlest, and sometimes nonexistent, thing. Yuzu trying to keep the peace as Karin's apathy to the whole mess grew. That was the normal way of things. The way it always went.

Until today…

"You're right. I am weak." Ichigo frowned. He failed. Sephiroth completely overpowered him. Even when the hollow took over, he STILL couldn't kill him. He had to saved by Cloud. Chad and Uryuu both got injured. Rukia almost died. Complete failure. "I'm nothing but a useless weakling."

"Ichigo?" Issen gasped with returned seriousness. Something was up with his son. "W-what's wrong with you?"

"I'll tell you guys later. C'mon Orihime. I left it in my room." Ichigo spoke with steady words. Most unlike his horribly wrecked body. He didn't even know his soul's wounds COULD carry over to his body.

"O-ok. Let me help you. " Inoue offered lightly, kneeling before Ichigo and his shocked sisters.

"I'm fine. My legs can finally support me." Ichigo declined. He hated needed help. He hated being dependant. He didn't want to spend his last days as a burden over someone's shoulders.

Watching Orihime follow the limping boy, the Kurosaki family held an odd, and very rare, moment of silence. Yuzu and Karin gave their father a final look of disgust before going their separate ways. Home offices don't run themselves. With everyone's leave the not-so-idiotic Issen finally had a chance to relax and actually be himself for once.

"I guess it has been awhile since I've talked to good ol' hat and clogs. I'm sure he can reveal some light about this odd restriction I'm feeling from that idiot's spirit energy." Issen muttered to himself. "This whole town seems to be erupting with odd activity. Heh. It's dangerous. This old man might even get drafted."

Downtown, Karakura Town

(A/N: Optional music area!)

As the final stone giant fell in defeat from the hundred or so slashes that Dante delivered to it's abdomen, the one more surveillance demon was all the remained. Sprinting for the last, quivering, beast with a jolt of inhuman speed equal to that of one of his own bullets, a change in technique was definitely in order.

Grasping his trusty, and very bloody, blade from his back with a roaring grin, Dante tore the weapon through the air that dividing him from his prey. With deadly precision the sword pierced through the wings of the once airborne beast with a shrieking rip of flesh. Then, within half a second, he drew his favorite pair of firearms from their holsters toward the sky with duel cocks of the chamber as he leaped toward the demon whilst it plummeted further toward the surface. Dante, now occupying the air directly above the agonizing beast, made several twists in the air to unleash a deadly rain of piercing bullets into and through the torso of his victim (Bullet Rain for the DMC3 players). Blood and chunks of putrid tissue savagely ripped away from the massacred demon as it collided on the rock hard pavement with a SCRUNCH!

Landing upon his knees with a tiny grunt, Dante reached for the hilt of his blade that stuck out from the festering mound of pulp that remained of his play toy. With a heavy pull, he chucked the broken being into the unforgiving sky once more, his grin was suddenly killed. Murdered by the one that fired the perfectly aimed rocket that struck his prey dead center with a deafening KOOM!

The only remaining evidence of the beast's existence was obliterated in fire. Minus a sliver of jerky flesh here and there.

"I told you to STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" Dante growled, utterly insulted by the assistance. He told the brat to keep her distance! He NEEDED this time to vent!

"Don't forget that I'm a devil hunter too!" Lady screamed back, replacing her rocket launcher so it comfortably nestled beside her. "I can't let you have all the fun."

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT FUN!" he bellowed from his soul with wild eyes and teeth bared. "This…this is all caused from my past. These rumors are about my family. This is MY FIGHT! This isn't recess for a chick with a good shot." This wasn't just about fun or the thrill of the kill anymore. This was something that he, and ONLY he, could correct.

"Dante…" Lady gasped with slight awe. It's amazing. Who would of thought that he would actually grow up. That selfish punk that she had met in the tower nine months ago was finally understanding what really matters. "You shouldn't bear this weight by yourself. You aren't the only one who has suffered from demons. They killed my mother, possessed my father, murdered my friends, and destroyed my life! Let me get my revenge! Let me help you!"

"I don't need your help! I DON'T NEED ANYONE'S - "

He was silenced.

Not by words.

Not by force.

But by a pair of unbelievably soft lips.

Lips that completely blocked any of his rejections.

The way that she pressed them so forcefully against his, let alone the way she forced him down to her; she must of been wanting to do this for a while.

"Feel better now?" Lady asked with little hesitation as she pulled back from the embrace with a curled, confident smile. She really wasn't one to get flustered. Besides, it was the only way to calm him down and really get him to really listen to her. It's not like she could shoot him. Well, technically she could. But it still wouldn't do anything.

"Uh huh." Dante nodded in a daze. What the hell just happened? For whatever reason it happened, he liked it. He liked it A LOT. And here he thought he had no luck with women…

"Let me get my hands a little dirty and I promise…" Lady spoke in a voluptuous voice that remedied the ear with satisfying pleasantry. "I will make it worth your while."

"That's so cheating, babe." Dante laughed with his cocky, confident smile. His mind was successfully diverted. "I love it!"

-Final Fantasy VIII World-

Balamba

"No…" Leon cried lightly as his eyes drank in what had become of his beloved world. Fire. It was all he could see. Watching it burn virtually everything in sight pained his heart. Sulfur filled his lungs. The once lush green landscape had been twisted and tortured into a barren wasteland of brimstone. Desperately searching the land around the anchored Ragnarok, he saw nothing. Leon prayed for a patch of something, ANYTHING, to give him hope.

"This is what happens…" Cloud spoke regretfully from the open hanger door. "…to the planets that lose."

"How could you NOT know about this, Cloud! I thought you could tell where Sephiroth would appear!" Leon yelled with a clenched fist. He failed his own world. Again...

"Because Sephiroth didn't led this attack!" Cloud roared back. "The fate of this world hasn't been decided yet!"

"What?"

"Cid has scanned the planet with the Ragnarok. They are still fighting, Leon! Your world hasn't given in yet! So get your butt back in the ship and let's go!" Cloud commanded the stunned Leon. Wasting no time on a response, the homesick hero dashed back into the humming-to-life airship.

"Cloud. Do me a favor." Leon asked with a renewed vigor in his voice as the two ran down the thin corridors.

"Sure. What?"

"Don't call me 'Leon' anymore. It's something I made to forget the pain of my failure. Besides, she wouldn't know it was me if you called me that."

"Then what should I and this 'she' call you?" Cloud asked with a short breath. Of all the times to have a revelation…

"My real name. Squall. Squall Leonhart."

"Alright then, Squall. Let's give'em hell!"

I'm not going to fail. Not this time Rinoa…

-Bleach World-

Kurosaki Household, Karakura Town

"WHERE IS IT?" Ichigo angrily roared to the world as he tore his bedroom apart in search of the lost note. Overturned bed, opened drawers, a rarely open closet. It wasn't anywhere! " I know I left it in this desk! I know I did!" he continued right up until his search led to a dead silent little stuffed lion.

"Oh! Hi Kon! It's been awhile since I've seen you!" Orihime happily smiled to the not-so-silent stuffed animal.

"INOU--SQEEK!" Kon leaped with unbridled joy … until Ichigo's fist slammed him to the floor.

"Where is IT, Kon?" Ichigo desperately questioned the sweating little mod soul he clenched in his hand. He would NEVER hear the end of this if his sisters, or father, or ANYONE he knew got their hands on that note.

"I-I don't know what your talking about, dumba--! How the hell am I supposed to know what 'it' is?" Kon barked back, sweat rolling down his flat little face.

"I'll be right back, Inoue." Ichigo stated with a hint of malice. Walking back into the hallway, Ichigo held Kon's body up high and yelled: "YUZU! Come here real quick!"

"'kay!" the little girl responded quickly. Her footsteps could be heard fast approaching.

"GAH!! NO! NNOOO!! Do you have ANY IDEA what that brat DOES to ME?" Kon screamed as he desperately tried to break out of Ichigo's vice grip upon his head.

"Then you better talk fast. Where is IT ?"

"Alright! Alright! Alright! Nee-san took it! I don't know anything past that! Now LET ME GO ! "

(A/N: Kon calls Rukia 'Nee-san' or 'Sister' in the Japanese version.)

With a little loosen of the grip, Kon snapped his plushy head from Ichigo's clasp and scampered into his room in a flash. A single moment before little Yuzu turned the corner.

"What is it, Ichigo?" the little sister asked with heartfelt concern.

"Oh, uh, I have a real bad headache. Would you mind getting me some aspirin?" Ichigo told smoothly. It wasn't a lie. His head was throbbing.

"Sure! I'll be right back!" Yuzu exclaimed with a smile, running to grab the medication. She was just happy that her brother wasn't dead.

"Why would Rukia take the note?" Ichigo thick headedly thought to himself as he reentered his room with a cringe.

"Any luck, Ichigo?" Orihime asked with a little nervous smile. Just the thought of him reading it right in front of her made her face become beet red.

"Uh, you know what? Why don't we just head off to school? I promise we'll hang out afterward." Ichigo suggested with an oddly happy attitude. A forced optimism.

"Sure! C'mon! Let's go!" Orihime nearly screamed to the suggestion. Thank GOD he didn't find it! She would of died of embarrassment.

-Final Fantasy VIII World-

Deling City

"Oh my God…" Yuffie gasped in horror at the site below. Demons. Demons of every size and shape swarmed every square inch of the area below like a blanket of death. The vicious slaughter of several survivors by bulky creatures covered in blood-red armor made the little ninja gag. Fire-breathing demons the size of skyscrapers with bright yellow eyes, horns bursting from it's back with armored crimson skin continuously torched the horribly damaged city mercilessly. To make matters worse, dragon-like demons with t-rex like jaws, black wings the size of trucks, and a thorny, snake-like, ebony body hovered in the sky above, acting as a murderous vulture for the weak in the battlefield.

"There! Cid! Take us over to that giant ship!" Leo- er Squall commanded hastily. Balamba Garden. Amazing that the school could actually keep airborne.

Barely dodging a punch from one of the massive demons, the Ragnarok pulled up above the grainy foggy sky. Flying artistically around the chaos that filled the sky, the ship came face to face with the searing teeth of a demon dragon.

"Ha ha! I thought I would never get to use these!" Cid laughed almost manically. Everyone stared in question as the airship captain slammed a hidden button under the main console.

With a loud SHINK the ship grew two massive red metallic javelins on it's sides. A electrical crackle erupted from the newly formed weapons as two intense beams of light tore through the approaching demon like a butter. Bloody, screaming, plummeting butter.

"Gotta love 22 million volts of electricity!" Cid called out in personal victory.

Through the beast's gapping hole Balamba Garden could be seen crystal clear. But for Squall, his full attention was on what was happening on the school's rooftop.

"RINOA!" Squall screamed from the window toward the horrific scene.

It was definitely his girl. She even wore the exact same outfit when he saw her last. But what made his heart fill with fret was what she was doing on the roof.

She was fighting.

Fighting someone dressed in a blue trench coat and a sword.

And she was losing.

Badly.

"Cloud, come with me! Cid! Get that hatch open!" Squall yelled, snatching the blonde warrior by his cloak and dashing toward the back of the ship. At the speed they were traveling you could barely even make out Yuffie's complaining.

"What are you planning Squall?"Cloud asked from his release. Squall needed to arm his gunblade if he had any hope of saving his love.

"I need you to toss me."

"You're crazy! From up here? You'll die!" Cloud shouted with reason. But from the look on Squall's face, logic did little good.

"It doesn't matter. If Rinoa dies, I die." Squall told with painful eyes.

"… Alright. But I'll jump out right after you do. I can fly you know."

"And the moment you land I want you to get Rinoa out of there and into the Ragnarok."

"But -"

"Cloud! Have I ever interfered with your fights with Sephiroth? Please… just get her OUT OF THERE!"

"…" Cloud couldn't say a thing. He asked Squall once to back off from his fight against his worse self and not once did the guy break that promise.

Not once…

"Ready?" Squall grinned brightly. It was time to shine.

"Yeah. Yeah." Cloud sighed. Being kicked out of the spotlight sucks.

With his weapon gripped firmly in both hands as a vacuum of air gushed into the blaring red room from the slow opening, crying, hatch Squall mounted Cloud's bandaged, over-sized, blade with a steady kneel. With a heavy grunt the blonde warrior spun with all of his might, pulling every bit of strength from his entire body into one pin-point slash. With a force of pressure strong enough to easily pierce through the harsh winds, Squall was launched; rocketing toward the burning school with an aura of blue energy surrounding his body.

"Sly dog. Using that protection spell to take the brunt of landing just might save your can." Cloud admired with a wipe of his chin.

Leaping out of the closing gate seconds before it's hydraulics locked shut, the cloaked hero began his breath taking freefall. The wind howling over his entire body; savagely tearing away at his loose clothing. If not for the set of jaws heading his direction the dive might of actually been enjoyable…

Directly Below

"What has our planet ever done to you? Why do you slaughter all of these innocent people!?" Rinoa screamed for reason as the commander of the chaos crept toward her. Stumbling over the unsteady metal top of the airborne academy, her left calf was deeply cut by a slash so fast from the skilled swordsman that is was nigh visible to the naked eye.

"Innocent? There is no such thing, my dear. There is only the strong and worthless weak." the spiky, silver haired man lectured with the slow draw of his katana. "I am simply restoring order."

"I'm not a fool." Rinoa spoke defiantly with a weary stand. Blood leaked profusely from her injured leg. There was no way to run. There was no escape this time. "I already told you that our strongest fighter was lost long ago! What do you want with me?"

"That is where you are wrong, woman." The commander stated with closed eyes. Hearing his expected target incoming, at quite a ludicrous speed, he pulled his sheath in ready. In a perfectly timed instant, the swordsman drew his sword to clash against the soaring blue orb that specifically targeted him. Sparks of friction flew from the struggle as the swordsman was forced back several feet. Inhuman strength easily repelled the powerful strike with a single, unwavering, arm. "He is right here."

Pushing away from the deadly man, Squall repositioned himself directly in front of the injured girl. As his light blue shield dissipated into the crimson sky the girl's eyes widened. Could it be? After three years of waiting and praying could it really be…

"It's been too long, Rinoa." Squall stated with a light smile. The stunned look of awe on her face was more than a welcome greeting.

"Squall…" She breathed. Forgetting her pain, her disposition, her plight, she embraced him. "SQUALL! It's you! It's really you…" Her vision become blurred from the tears that appeared in them. "I thought I -"

"I missed you, too." Squall hugged the sobbing girl with one arm, lifting his gunblade (Called Lionheart, fittingly. For the FFVIII fans; that's the final and most powerful gunblade in the game.) toward the offender in the other.

"Squall Leonhart." the man quoted his name from memory. "You are the one who saved this planet three years ago, correct?"

The only answer the hero gave was a nod. He didn't feel like wasting his energy with words.

"How sad that something as weak as the 'heartless' overcame you." the swordsman insulted with a look of pity. "I am Vergil; the Dark Slayer. Son of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda. I have come to take this territory…and slay you."

!!!! Free Zone !!!!

Scar: Welcome back to the Free Zone! Sorry for the horribly late update. Several exams strung together seem to have a horrible habit of wrecking time spent on my projects.

Kon: Ooohhhhh…..

Scar: Oh! I almost forgot about you, Kon. The new, uh, fur looks good!

Kon: ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I'm half wool. HALF WOOL YOU LOSER! YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS A PSYCHO! At least I was in this chapter...

Scar: Yeah, I know. That's why I never touch unless I'm given permission. (Rubs an old wound from previous attempts).

Kon: Whatever, freak-lover. Who are we interviewing today?

Scar: Uh… (flips through pages on a random clipboard)… looks like Dante.

Kon: Wait isn't that the guy that slaughtered those demons earlier?

Scar: Yup. (snaps fingers. In a heavy blast of smoke, Dante is suddenly tossed into the room.)

POOF!

Dante: -cough- -cough- The hell…? Where am I?

Scar: A room. Not the point. See the freaky little lion thing next to me?

Dante: The butt-ugly stuffed animal? What about it?

Kon: Don't tell him I -

Scar: He called you a 'gay vampire'.

Dante: 'CLICK' 'CLICK' (Went the duel handguns that pressed against the plushy's head as a twitch over took his left eye).

Kon: SCAR!!!

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Scar: Ouchie… Anyway, next chapter is going to be insane! And please: Don't forget to REVIEW ! It is the fuel we writer's crave to perform well! So please... Feed me... (Puppy Dog eyes don't fail me now...)