Anathema's Abode
Chapter 4
Return
Sam sighed, her body abused and fatigued by the events of the past twenty four hours. The ghost hunter navigated her way through the familiar hallways of the brotherhood's underground headquarters with leaden, yet purposeful strides. She had to get to Maddie as soon as possible; the information she had gained from her encounter with Phantom the previous night was undoubtedly the most important she had ever gathered in her short year on the field.
Sam inhaled deeply, as her senses were assaulted by the familiar smell of sweat and crash mattresses as she passed the training room. She grinned, warmth spreading across her chest as she recognised her friend's voices amidst the clatter of training equipment. Perhaps reporting to Maddie could wait five minutes. Her friends deserved to know that she was alive.
"What's the point in this?" she heard Paulina query forlornly, as the pretty Latina slumped to the ground. "Sam's dead, and no amount of training is going to bring her back."
"She wouldn't have wanted us to give up," Star insisted, attempting to pull Paulina to her feet.
"Sam's left us with big shoes to fill," Kwan asserted. "We're going to make sure we don't disappoint her."
"She's never going to find out," Paulina maintained, shifting her weight to the balls of her feet in a half hearted attempt at a battle stance. "There's no way Sam's going to become a ghost."
"Your stance needs to be lower," Sam commented, grinning as she peered into the training room.
Kwan started, turning back towards the door as he was forced to do a double take, a broad grin spreading across his features. "When did you get back?"
"Not too long ago," the ghost hunter informed. "You're the first people I've seen."
"Sam?" Paulina raised a pink laquered hand to her lips, voicing her disbelief.
"Is it really you?" Star questioned, as though afraid that their friend was an apparition that would disappear.
"I expected more of a reception," Sam commented dryly, stepping into plain view. "Did you miss me?"
"Sam!" Paulina and Star cried, as her friends threw themselves into her embrace.
"How are you doing?" Kwan queried, his brow furrowed in concern. "You gave us quite a scare."
"Sorry about that," Sam laughed. "I would have returned to headquarters sooner if I had any choice in the matter."
"Maddie had the brotherhood looking for you all night," The pretty Latina informed, as her grip around Sam's torso tightened, drawing her into a bone crushing hug.
"We thought we'd never see you again," Star breathed, tears of relief welling in her blue eyes.
"It's great to see you too," the Goth grinned, returning their hugs. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you guys again."
"I'm so glad you're back safely," Kwan slumped in relief, as though a great weight had just been lifted from his shoulders. "We all thought you were dead."
"Where's Tucker and Dash?" Sam queried.
"The techno geek was with Lancer, the last time we checked," Paulina informed. "Dash is probably resting in his quarters. This is the first time he's slept since you were attacked."
"Is Val okay?" Sam asked, fervently hoping that her partner had escaped unharmed.
The other ghost hunters exchanged worried glances.
"Valerie's exhausted, but unhurt," Paulina began, unsure how to continue. "She was the last to stop searching for you. Maddie had to literally drag her off the streets at the end of the night. She's refused to leave her quarters since."
"She blames herself," Star added solemnly. "Val thinks she abandoned you."
"We tried to see her, but she wouldn't let us in," Kwan added. "You should probably let her know that you're okay."
Sam nodded, accordant, concern for her best friend etched on her features. But seeing Valerie would have to wait until she had reported her findings to their leader. Sam was determined to turn her next encounter with Phantom to their advantage. Knowledge of his existence had opened a narrow window of opportunity for the brotherhood that Sam refused to miss.
"Woah. What happened here?" a familiar voice questioned, as its speaker entered the training room.
"Tucker!" the Goth spun on her heels, a huge smile spreading across her face as she turned to face her tech operative.
"Is there something you're not telling us?" Tucker joked, his expression wry as he surveyed her attire. Sam supposed the last thing they had expected was for her to turn up almost a day later completely unharmed, clad in the clothes of an unknown male. She wished that Phantom had spared her stealth suit. It was probably difficult for anyone to take her seriously, dressed as she was.
"Very funny Tucker," Sam returned the grin, despite the fact that the innuendo was altogether unappreciated. Short hours ago, the ghost hunter had thought that she would never see her best friend again. She would suffer the worst of his jokes without exception. For now.
"I believe these are yours," Her team member quipped, handing Sam twin silver bracelets. "When we found them at the alleyway where you had been attacked, we feared the worst," Tucker's expression sobered, as he recalled the unpleasant events of the previous night. "I mean, I tested the blood smeared all over the alleyway, but I refused to believe you were dead until I saw your gauntlets."
"Thanks, Tuck," Sam pulled her tech operative into a hug. She slipped the weapons over her hands, an irrational feeling of security overtaking her at the familiarity of their weight on her wrists. It wasn't as though her ghost gauntlets had been any help against the Night Police.
Sam hadn't expected Phantom to spare her tracking devices, yet more unexpected kindness on his part. If he had intended to scare her off, he had certainly made a poor job of it.
"You have to tell me everything that happened," Tucker gushed excitedly. "How did you manage to fight them off?"
"Later," Sam asserted firmly. "I have important information to relay to Maddie."
"Our leader can carry on thinking you're dead for a couple more minutes," Her tech operative shrugged, grinning.
"It's not every day a squad member miraculously survives a high level ghost attack," Kwan added.
"Stop being selfish, both of you," Star teased. "Maddie deserves to know that her apprentice is alive."
"The information isn't the fact that I'm alive," Sam scowled, exasperated. "I have information that could help us win the war."
She was met with disbelieving faces. Her tech operative in particular had abandoned all dignity and was staring at her with his mouth wide open, as though she was delusional.
"Win the war?" Tucker echoed, openly skeptical. "Did you hit your head last night?"
"A lot harder than you think," the ghost hunter replied darkly, as she recalled how she had nearly died.
"How many fingers?" her best friend questioned, holding up his hand. The poor attempt at a joke raised a chuckle from Kwan.
"I don't have time for this, Tucker," Sam protested, pushing past him. "I need to see Maddie. Now."
"Very well. Send word to our esteemed leader that the Goth girl has returned," Tucker declared, favouring Paulina with a flourish which earned him a dirty look.
"Why don't you go, you-"
"I'll go to her," Sam cut in, before an argument could occur. "She's probably really busy anyway."
"Promise that you'll tell us what happened," Star requested. "We have to know how you survived."
"No problem," the Goth grinned. "But this discussion might take a while."
-
Madeline Fenton returned to the insufficiently distracting task of recharging her husband's ecto blasters, as she hastened to wipe away the salty tears that had once again managed to escape her notice. She should have known that there was no way so mundane a task would be adequate to distract her from recalling the events of the previous night, if even for a moment.
It greatly pained her that she had not been able to join her subordinates on the streets to search for her own apprentice. Maddie inability to control what little wretched power she had unwillingly obtained rendered her completely useless on the field. The enemy would sense her in a heartbeat. She would not damn them to discovery due to her own incompetence. Past mistakes had taught her that risks that involved gambling with the lives of others were never worth it.
Now Sam, who she had come to regard as a daughter, was gone. Maddie had known that it would happen eventually; the lifespans of those who chose to join the brotherhood were known to be short. However, she had always hoped that her apprentice would manage to outlive her. It didn't seem fair that she could not afford the luxury of properly grieving for Sam, given her position as the brotherhood's leader. Maddie knew she had to remain strong, and lead by example.
Nearly two decades ago, Maddie's actions had cost the brotherhood her services as a ghost hunter, and more severely, her recklessness had cost Jack a son. Her husband had attempted to convince her on many occasions that she was not to be blamed, but it pained Maddie that she and Jack could never have more children, for fear of condemning their offspring with the same curse that she possessed.
The brotherhood had been too optimistic about Maddie's survival to consider the implications of the possession on her son. But Maddie's worst fears were soon realised; the child had not been human. Daniel had exuded an eerie, ethereal glow from the moment he had entered the mortal world. It had taken all of the brotherhood leader's will to even complete the birth, all the while knowing that her wretched hero complex had created a monster.
The night of his birth, even as his birth blood dried on Maddie's hands, Daniel was stolen from them. Maddie did not know what had happened to her son. She did not want to know. The only conceivable good thing that had resulted from Daniel's death was that Maddie was forced to learn caution.
The brotherhood's leader had to admit that she was far less reckless than she once was. The traits that had rendered her the ghost hunting prodigy of her generation seemed to have appeared in both Valerie and Sam, although the pair had yet to learn to differentiate between caution and cowardice. It had been this same recklessness between them that had cost her apprentice her life. Maddie scrubbed a tear from her cheeks. It was her fault for not training Sam adequately.
Maddie was broken out of her reverie by familiar, yet hesitant knocking before the door to her quarters swung open, revealing the last person the brotherhood's leader had expected to see.
"Sam?" her mentor rose to her feet, unable to believe that her apprentice had somehow survived.
"Hey Maddie." Sam grinned, her fingers subconsciously furling around the hem of the grey t-shirt as she surveyed the familiar surroundings.
Maddie's quarters were no more extravagant than those of her subordinates. The brotherhood's leader saw no reason why she was any more deserving of better accommodation, especially since she no longer took part in field missions. If anything, Maddie always claimed that it was the ghost hunters who deserved the extra comfort after long nights of risking their lives in the field.
"Thank god you're alright," Maddie pulled her into a bone crushing hug that left Sam feeling comforted and safe for the first time since the ambush. "You are never to scare me like that ever again."
"I'm fine," the ghost hunter assured, returning her mentor's embrace. "I survived the Night Police."
"What happened to you last night?" Maddie questioned, thin lines of worry visible on her forehead. "When Valerie led us to where you were ambushed, all that remained was your equipment and signs of struggle. We were worried sick."
"It's a long story," Sam began, sudden weariness overcoming her at the prospect of having to recount the events of the previous night.
Now that the ghost hunter was past her initial joy and relief at being reunited with the brotherhood, the magnitude of her failures the previous night was beginning to sink in. It was disgraceful that the apprentice of the brotherhood's leader had allowed herself to be captured and tortured by the Night Police. To add to Sam's humiliation, she had been forced to accept help from a ghost, the enemy
Worst of all, would Maddie be disappointed that she had not managed to capture Phantom? There was no conceivable way she could have managed the task without Valerie, but Sam knew that such an opportunity might never present itself to the brotherhood ever again. The past twenty four hours certainly seemed to be playing host to her inadequacies.
Her mentor looked on expectantly, awaiting her answer.
"A ghost saved me," Sam conceded, readying herself for the flurry of questions she knew would soon follow. She could never bring herself to disappoint Maddie.
"But- how?" the brotherhood's leader managed out, stunned by her apprentice's answer.
The ghost hunter wasn't surprised by her mentor's reaction. As far as Sam knew, she was the only field agent ever to have encountered Phantom, a previously unknown entity. Sam absently fiddled with her twin silver bracelets, organising her memories of the ambush. She intended to relay as much information to Maddie as she could possibly remember regarding her rescuer. Any crucial detail of her encounter could very well help the brotherhood win the war.
After a period of augmented silence, Maddie finally spoke. "Are you absolutely certain?" her mentor queried, wary of the implications.
"Yes," Sam affirmed, straightening. "I woke up in his lair this morning. I was fatally wounded by the Night Police," she continued, eager to dispel the expression of disbelief on her mentor's face. "But I think he healed me."
"You were in the ghost zone?" Maddie's eyes widened in concern as she placed a hand on Sam's cheek. Her mentor's touch brought a slight, tingling warmth, despite the ghostly chill of Maddie's fingers. "Have you been contaminated?"
"No," Sam shook her head. "Funnily enough, he has an apartment. Here, in Amity Park," the ghost hunter flushed, suddenly aware of how ridiculous the concept seemed.
If she hadn't met Phantom this morning, Sam would have been prepared to dismiss the occurrences of the previous night as mere hallucinations on her part. Maddie, however, did you appear to be doubting her word.
"How powerful is he?" her leader questioned sharply, eager for the information her apprentice had managed to gather.
"I was unable to gauge his true strength," Sam continued, "But Phantom's definitely old. Perhaps older than the brotherhood."
"That is a tall claim to make," Maddie asserted, pushing mahogany hair out of her face. "What makes you so certain of his strength?"
"Phantom was completely unaffected by the defense mechanisms Tucker calibrated," the ghost hunter informed. "The ghost had no problems disarming me while I slept. He even removed my ghost gauntlets."
"Was it possible that he compelled a human slave to remove them?" Maddie questioned, refusing to voice the single, unspoken fear that both mentor and apprentice shared. If the brotherhood had failed to detect the existence of one supernatural entity of such strength, what was to say that there were no others rampaging Amity Park, unaccounted for?
"No," Sam shook her head. "There were no others, living or otherwise, in his lair. Even if he hadn't been able to remove them himself, the mere fact that he managed to take down four members of the Night Police with no apparent difficulty speaks for itself."
"I can't believe this," Maddie massaged her temples, swamped by the implications. "How were we not aware of his existence?"
"Phantom is extremely cautious despite his power," Sam explained, playing with the hem of her savior's grey t-shirt. "He's fought the Fright Knight in the past," the ghost hunter straightened under her mentor's gaze. If Maddie hadn't been giving Sam her full attention prior to the statement, she certainly was now. "Phantom claimed that the Fright Knight is one of the last remaining midians, but refused acknowledge if he was one of their number."
"How did you manage to escape?" Maddie breathed.
"I didn't," the ghost hunter replied. "He let me go."
"What does he want with us?" her mentor's eyes narrowed in distrust. "What were the terms of your release?"
"He didn't demand anything from me," Sam shrugged. "In fact, he seemed eager to be left alone."
"Are you certain he didn't follow you?" Maddie questioned. "He could have used you to learn of our whereabouts."
"If he did, Lancer would have detected him by now," Sam affirmed, with false confidence as a chill settled in the pit of her stomach. Even if he had been unable to enter, nothing would have stopped Phantom from tailing her back to the brotherhood's headquarters.
"I suppose it's for the best," Maddie sighed, drawing her apprentice into another embrace. "I do not have to understand his mercy to be grateful for it."
Sam started in her mentor's grasp, as a previously unconsidered concept suddenly dawned on her. All this time, she had been thinking of ways in which Phantom could be compelled into the brotherhood's service. Capturing him was completely of the question. Sam highly doubted the brotherhood would survive if Phantom decided to retaliate. Her encounter with Phantom had presented the brotherhood with countless opportunities to level the playing field against the ghosts.
There was, however, a far simpler option. What if she could persuade Phantom to ally himself with the brotherhood?
The ghost had been lying when he had claimed that he had only saved her in an effort to defend his territory. He could have just as easily left her to die. Phantom had chosen to reveal himself to her, perhaps against his better judgment. They both knew there was no way that Sam would not choose reveal his existence to the brotherhood. Sam paused, her brow furrowing as she considered the logical significance of Phantom's actions.
It seemed impossible that Sam had been subjected to the fortune of crossing path with a ghost that would easily be able to aid the brotherhood at their time of need. Phantom simply had to be an anomaly. There was no way that there were other supernatural entities like him, capable of subjecting humans to kindness. Sam didn't believe in fate, but she knew this opportunity was far too good to pass up.
Either that, or Phantom was so powerful that he did not consider the brotherhood a threat. Given the abilities he had displayed the previous night, Sam knew she couldn't disregard that possibility just yet. The ghost hunter suppressed a shudder. It was best not to dwell on such matters.
"Maddie," her apprentice began, conscious of how delicately she had to phrase her proposition in order for their leader to even seriously consider the notion. "Have you ever considered alternative methods of combating the enemy?"
"All the time," Maddie sighed. "The council certainly isn't doing me any favours."
"Encountering Phantom got me thinking-"
"Forget it," her mentor immediately cut in. "If this ghost is half as powerful as you say, the brotherhood has neither the technology nor the resources to capture him. I'm just glad my apprentice is home safely."
Sam opened her mouth, about to argue her point when her mentor raised her hand, gesturing for her apprentice to remain silent. "If his stance in the war is as impassive as you claim, it is best that we leave him be. We cannot risk aggravating a ghost that could be the destruction of us all."
"What if he can be persuaded to join our cause?" the ghost hunter spoke, clarifying her true intentions regarding the ghost. "Phantom could return the brotherhood to its former greatness. Imagine having him on our side."
Her proposition was met with a second bout of stunned silence. Sam shifted in her seat, eyeing Maddie warily as she waited for her mentor's reaction. Would her mentor be disgusted by the mere suggestion? Short hours ago, Sam knew that she probably would have reacted similarly. However, now that she had met Phantom, Sam knew that her views regarding the enemy had been drastically altered, for better or for worse. Perhaps maleficence was a trait that not all ghosts shared.
"He has no incentive to fight for us," Maddie's reluctantly replied. "Forcing him to pick a side will probably result in him joining the empire. Having to deal with the Fright Knight is bad enough."
"He'll never join the empire," Sam insisted. "Not while the Fright Knight remains at the head of Pariah's elite. Phantom despises him."
"How do you know that all this is nothing more than an elaborate machination on the ghost king's part?" her mentor questioned, suspicion evident by the narrowing of her eyes. "The entire attack could have been staged. Phantom could have fabricated his affiliations to gain your trust."
"He didn't seem to want my trust," the ghost hunter maintained, frustrated that Maddie seemed to be missing the point of their discussion entirely. "In fact, Phantom wanted as little to do with me as possible. He's not like other ghosts. Phantom can be talked to, reasoned with."
"Sam, I understand that you feel obligated to defend your savior," Maddie chided, tucking a stray lock of raven hair behind her apprentice's ear in an affectionate gesture. "But you seem to be forgetting that he is not human. Ghosts do not listen to reason."
"It's not just that," Sam protested. "Phantom will make a powerful ally. With him on our side, we'll never have to worry about the Fright Knight again."
"We might end up having to worry about a being far worse," their leader favoured Sam with a pointed look.
"The brotherhood could always attempt compulsion if we cannot persuade him to join our cause," Sam insisted. "At the moment, we lack methods of defending ourselves against the Night Police."
"You should know better than most never to trust ghosts," Maddie shook her head, as though appalled by the mere concept. "Allowing such monstrous creatures into our employ will ultimately lead to our destruction."
"Even if you do not trust him enough to use him in combat, Phantom will be an invaluable source of information," the ghost hunter implored, placing a hand over her mentor's. "His origins are ancient. Just consider the knowledge he must possess," she continued, encouraged by the faint, unreadable flicker in her mentor's eye. "He might even know of Pariah's weaknesses."
"Yet more reason to keep out of his way," the brotherhood's leader maintained, finality evident in her voice. "If he is capable of betraying his own kin, what will stop him from betraying us?"
"Ghost suffer disputes among themselves. Phantom admitted that many are dissatisfied with Pariah's ruling. At the moment, he doesn't appear to be on anyone's side but his own."
"Consider this," Maddie allowed herself an intake of breath. "If this Phantom is easily capable of removing your ghost gauntlets, what would stop him from wrenching apart the ghost shield surrounding our headquarters, should he ever learn of our location?"
"Phantom is at least the Fright Knight's equal in strength, yet he is not of Pariah's elite," Sam argued. "He obviously has no interest in the destruction of the brotherhood."
"I forbid you from attempting to locate him," Maddie ordered, her gaze hardening. "This discussion is over."
Sam scowled, yet nodded in compliance. She would make Maddie see reason, despite the fact that convincing her mentor that Phantom was an asset seemed to be harder than she had initially thought. It was undisputed fact that the brotherhood's leader had a will of steel. But Sam was determined to prove that her stubbornness was a match for her mentor's. Phantom could help them win the war. Sam knew it. She just had to prove it to the rest of the brotherhood.
"Now go find Jazz," her mentor smiled, expression softening. "You and Valerie both need new earpieces. And afterwards, I'll bake you two some cookies."
-
"Be careful!" Valerie yelped, leaping from her seat as she clutched at her ear.
"Stop being such a wuss," Jazz admonished. "If you can handle whatever the ghosts decide to throw at you, you can handle this."
"At least when I'm in combat, I'm too caught up in the moment to feel any pain," Sam's partner glared, as she settled herself back on the cold steel chair. "There's nothing to distract me when I'm willingly having my own ear butchered by some second rate surgeon."
"Stop being difficult," Lancer's former apprentice chided distractedly, as she gingerly pulled back a square flap of skin from the shell Valerie's ear. "I swear, the only thing Vlad's trained you to be proficient in is complaining."
Sam chortled, unable to restrain her laughter despite being subjected to a dirty look from her partner. At times, when the ghost hunter couldn't help but feel that the brotherhood's resistance attempts were nothing more than futile, her friends always managed to make their cause seem worth it.
"Very funny, guys," Vlad's apprentice glowered. "But we all know neither of you can best me in combat."
"I don't know about Sam," Jazz challenged, as she brandished the suturing needle. "But there's no way a greenhorn like you can beat me on the field."
"Greenhorn?" Sam echoed with mock outrage. "You haven't been on the field so long, I'll be surprised if you could still hold your own out there."
"I'm with the Goth girl," Valerie agreed, grinning. "Tech with Lancer dulls the reflexes."
"I'd be nice to me if I were you," Jazz laughed, favouring Sam with a pointed look. "You're next."
"Do your worst," Maddie's apprentice joked, as she watched Jazz drive the suture once more through her partner's ear with minuscule, precise stitches. After the pain she had been forced to endure the night before, a few pricks were insignificant. She had far more pressing matters to attend to.
Sam was far more concerned over how she was going to manage to win over Maddie that her encounter with Phantom could be turned to their advantage. Her mentor's decision had been resolute. If Maddie refused to yield on the matter, then the seemingly impossible task of persuading Phantom to fight for them would only be half the battle won.
She frowned, unsure why she was going to such great lengths to defend a ghost from her mentor. Perhaps Tucker was right about her not having fully recovered from that blow to her head the previous night. How could she be so certain that approaching Phantom would be the best course of action?
He seemed to have permitted one more meeting between them, having requested that she returned his shirt. However, Sam had her doubts if Phantom would choose to reveal himself in front of Valerie, given how wary of the brotherhood he had seemed. If Phantom were to approach her, it would be when she was completely alone. Unfortunately for Sam, members of field teams rarely separated.
"I heard that you had returned," Vlad Masters greeted as he entered the ward. "You gave us quite a scare, young lady." Valerie's mentor raised an elegant eyebrow as he helped himself to their supplies.
"Sorry," Sam grinned sheepishly. "I didn't mean for any of it to happen. What are the supplies for?"
"Jack's managed knock himself out calibrating the ecto skeleton," Vlad rolled his eyes in an indication of unreserved frustration. "Again."
"We've tried to persuade him to stop, but Dad's convinced that he's on the verge of a breakthrough," Jazz sighed.
"I'm sure he'll get there eventually," Maddie's apprentice shrugged noncommittally. It wasn't that she doubted Jack's abilities as an inventor. It was just that Sam doubted if it was possible to create a machine that would allow humans to rival their enemy in terms of physical strength. Short of dying, the idea seemed ludicrous.
"Your mentor worked me to the ground last night searching for you," the billionaire wrinkled his nose as he faced Sam. "It was most unappreciated."
"Like you wouldn't have searched for Sam even if Mom hadn't asked you to," Jazz snorted.
"I wouldn't have," Vlad deadpanned, his arms loaded with medical supplies. "I'm already two days behind on my beauty sleep."
"It's not like you need it," Jazz grinned, but there was no malice in the retort.
"Is it so hard to admit you care?" Valerie teased.
"You're certainly not making it easy," her mentor replied dryly, hoisting the packages as he took his leave.
"Val, promise me you won't turn out like him," Jazz joked as they observed Vlad's retreating form, her teasing eliciting no more than a half hearted shrug from the ghost hunter.
"What's wrong, Valerie?" Sam queried, sensing Valerie's change in mood as her mentor left the room.
"Being on the field didn't seem real until last night," her best friend admitted quietly. "I'd never thought that we could actually die out there."
"What did you think it was before?" Sam raised an eyebrow, her tone light. "Fun and games?"
"No." Her partner scowled. "I knew we were putting ourselves in danger, but I didn't think that I'd ever lose you. I was so scared."
"I know what you mean," Sam conceded. "I always thought that if we got killed in action, it would be together, protecting defenseless civilians. I didn't feel ready to die."
Sam was finding it increasingly difficult on her part to banish all feelings of gratitude towards Phantom. If he hadn't chosen to intervene, she would have suffered greatly at the hands of the Night Police before they finally decided to kill her. Perhaps it was fortunate that she had not managed to make it out of that alleyway. If Sam had unknowingly left Phantom's territory, she would not be alive.
It was pathetic, how the fact that her life had been spared the previous night had been subject to mere whimsical fancy on Phantom's part. Dull discomfort crept into the pit of her stomach at the thought. She owed her life to a ghost. As unlikely as it was that Phantom would ever require anything from her, Sam fervently hoped that he did not consider his rescuing her as a blood debt. She shuddered to think how she would ever be able to repay a ghost of his strength.
"Sam?" Valerie uttered quietly, snapping her out of her reverie.
"Yeah Val?" Sam replied. She hugged her knees to her chest, feeling an upsurge of affection for Valerie.
"Nothing," her best friend shrugged, as though embarrassed, as she allowed a slight smile to grace her features. "I'm just glad you survived."
Author's Notes: Whew. Sorry about how long it took me to update. My muse just refused to work with me. Although in my defense, I've written a lot more for later chapters than I thought I would. Hope you enjoy the slightly longer chapter!:D
Many thanks to the amazing: Koccinelle, Writer's-BlockDP, Musicallity, yuuki, b4k4 ch4n, Manyara, Marie9, Acoustic Maiden, Chaos Dragon, Angelic Kittens, Grumbles, vanalivi, Sweeteen19, EmeraldCalling, Alchemistress, pearl 84, HikaruOfDreams, Nobody Famous, bloodmoon13, Denarius, Black January, soaring-bright-flame, The Big Red Fish, Elanor Pam and Funkyfish1991 for their wonderfully encouraging reviews that got my butt in gear to update.
Metanoia chapter 15's finally going to be posted tomorrow, so please stick around for that!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the installment. If you want to totally make my day, please hit that review button;)
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Twisted Creampuff