A/N: Sorry for the delay, life, work, school and responsibility gave me a double serving! So relax and enjoy!

The Last Christmas

By JDWrites101

Chapter Six: The Truth Behind Christmas

By the time Ethan had returned home the dark clouds had dissipated and the sun was high in the early morning sky. Citizens had begun to wake up and return to their daily lives unaware of the events that had just transpired; unaware that their city had been on the verge of total and complete destruction. Even the large poinsettia vines had begun to wilt, and just as Nicholas had foretold the damage to the buildings rapidly vanished along with them. In another few hours there would be no evidence that the Heralds of Winters, let alone Santa Claus, had fought for the future of Christmas in Whitechapel. For the moment the city seemed at rest or perhaps the better word was peace.

When Ethan opened his front door he was greeted with the open arms of Sarah and Rory, both of who were mumbling something about how the city was safe and it was all thanks to him. Off to the side Benny and Erica stood against the wall trying to act calm and cool and despite their best attempts he could sense their excitement with his telepathy. He ushered them into the living room, casted a quick glance outside then pulled the curtains close. He gently placed his backpack on the center table and sat in front of the fireplace. He inhaled and enjoyed the simple embrace of warmth.

"So how much of everything do you recall?" Asked Ethan at long last. A moment of awkward silence fell over the group; the vampires look among themselves unsure of the answer and Benny said:

"Sarah and Erica were tracking down the two monsters that were heading for the power plant, and Rory and I wanted to go and help them. After that everything is a blur, a dark empty blur. The next thing I remember is waking up in my room and the rest of the day and night had gone by."

"What really happened?" Asked Sarah. "The vines are dying, the cold is gone, and the power is out. Obviously we're missing some really important memories."

Ethan sighed and recounted the story for them. He left no detail out, everything from the wonder of the North Pole to the disgust he felt for the death of Gabriel by the hands of his brother. Once he finished he looked down ashamed with everything that had happened and added:

"I'm sorry I hurt any of you. I didn't want to but there wasn't anything else I could do."

"I'd expect nothing less," said Sarah. She got up and gave him a hug. When she pulled away it was with a grin. "You did what you had to do to keep everyone safe. Luckily we can't really remember much of anything at all."

"What about me?" Asked Benny with a faux frown. "All you did was shove her out a window after soaking her in holy water. You dropped a chandelier and a metal globe on me." He shifted his hair to the side. "Even with Nicholas healing us I look like Harry Potter with this bruise."

"Oh poor baby," mocked Erica with a grin. She poked his bruise and laughed when he flinched. "I'd like to think if any of us had been given that choice we would've done the same. Good on Ethan for not only fighting the two of you but winning in a way that didn't kill or seriously hurt any of us."

"I have so many questions," mumbled Rory. He clicked his tongue and crossed his legs. "The first obviously being how will Anastasia act up when she realizes we all missed the annual vampire winter festival? The second how did we all fell under the control of the Heralds of Winter?"

"He's got a point. There are plans we've got in place in case any sort of possession happens," said Benny. He summoned a ball of light and bounced it around his hands as he thought it over. It began to glow bright red and he sat up in shock. "My detection spell is picking up high levels of magic right now."

"I'd figured as much," said Ethan. He shook his head and watched as several flakes of snow fell to the ground around him. They sparked for moment then vanished in a puff of blue light. "It's time for the truth. You weren't possessed, you chose to shut off the power, and you willingly went with the Heralds."

"What?" Exclaimed the group. They leaned forward in shock and Erica asked: "How could you possibly know that?"

Ethan took in a deep breath and said: "When I first arrived in Whitechapel my powers began to go insane, it was like someone was putting a veil on top of my visions. At the time Nicholas told me it was because of the sudden influx of energy in the city, but after the fact I began to notice a pattern. The strange pull on my power only occurred when I was in contact with either the Heralds or any of you." He ruffled his hair and more snowflakes fell to the ground. "Do you see what I'm getting at?"

"Oh…" whispered Rory. He snapped his fingers and nodded. "The snowflakes on your head aren't natural, and if Benny's picking up on someone else's magic then it's safe to say that they were not only magically but artificially created."

"Exactly. When I arrived in town snow wasn't falling, snow hasn't fallen since before I left. If this snow was created to interfere with my power then we have to ask: 'where it did it come from and how did I come into regular contact with it?'"

It was Sarah's turn to answer. "Well according to what you said your powers were acting up before you crashed landed. So it would be safe to assume that it wasn't the Heralds who created the flakes. But you also said it was acting up when you saw Benny and Gabriel in the clouds so it would have to been planted on you before you crashed, but after you went to the North Pole. That only leaves one person with magic…. You don't think Nicholas did it do you?"

Ethan nodded. "He rubbed my head when we were preparing to take off from the North Pole, and did it again to heal me after we crashed, and then once more before he left. It's safe to assume he was trying to mess with my memories. He is after all he is a master of memory based magic."

"Whoa when did we establish that?" Asked Benny. "And how do you even know that his magic was trying to interfere with your memory?"

"Because on two separate occasions he mentioned tampering with a person's memory. The first was when Rory flew after his sleigh on Christmas Eve last year. Do you recall ever catching up with him?"

"No," said the blonde. He looked down at his hands. "I chased whatever was in the sky and it got away… I think… it's all sort of blurry."

"And what was the second time?" Asked Erica. "You said there were two different times."

"Isn't that obvious?" He motioned to the room. "There's no reason anyone should be missing their memory. During and after possession you're typically aware of your actions, even if it's not a hundred percent clear you have some idea of what you've done. You and Sarah retained information following your possessions, and so did Rory when he put on that mask. Why should this time be any different?"

The group seemed at a loss for words and he continued on. "You said it earlier Benny, we have plans in place should any of us fall under enemy control. I tried to use the anti-Evil Benny app and it didn't work. When you and Sarah attacked me you didn't try to hurt me, you were trying to incapacitate me. If Nicholas created snow to tamper with what I was seeing and I was fighting against you it would make sense you'd try to stop me without causing physical pain."

"Santa Claus is evil," mumbled Sarah. "But… no… that can't be right. Maybe we're looking at this at the complete wrong angle. He can't be evil, he brings gifts to the children of the world, how can that be evil?"

"He does it using the powers of the Heralds as his own personal battery. He didn't only come to Whitechapel to return them to their prison; there was an ulterior motive to his plans. He was after something else, something important and if I had guess I'd say it was dangerous."

"So what was it?"

Ethan opened his backpack, shifted around its contents and pulled out a small blue orb. It fit in the palm of his hand and he placed it gently on the table. The group leaned in and after a moment Benny said:

"It reminds me of the Lucifractor but I can sense a lot more power inside... What is this thing and how did you find it?"

"This is the Belief in Christmas." The orb pulsed and filled the room with its blue light. "While we were fighting our way through Whitechapel Nicholas headed in the direction of the clock tower and I called him out on it. He tried to cover up the fact as though it was mistake but with my telepathy I sensed that it might have been something else. There's no way someone as prepared as Nicholas would make such a simple mistake. Not only that but the book opened when the bell rang, the poinsettia grew in abundance around the clock tower, and when I woke up the first night it appeared it was to ringing in the distance. Gabriel told me to see the truth within the lies, and I think we found it. This is the true source and power of Christmas and it was hidden within the clapper of our bell."

Erica leaned forward and ran a hand over her mouth. "Why? Why would he do all this?"

"Because he's addicted to the Belief in Christmas and not only that but his own magic is weakening. I saw the North Pole, and I saw how much he depended on excess energy. That's why he came here, he wanted to get both this and the Claustrum at once. If I had to guess I'd say Christmas is dying and he wanted to make sure that when it finally did he'd still have his power."

"Christmas is dying?" Asked Benny. "How can a holiday die?"

Ethan looked down at the orb. "People have materialized what was meant not only to be a religious holiday but a day to be with friends and family. Without the proper belief it suffers and every year a little bit more its magic fades. Gabriel said it best: 'Can't you feel the magic vanishing as you get older?' It's not us it's Christmas. Without the Heralds and under Nicholas guidance it's lost its purpose. Christmas has become a day dedicated to the worship of Santa and the gifts he brings, and not to people we love."

"And now he has the Claustrum," said Rory. He leaned back with a defeated sigh. "We gave him one of the things he wanted and we didn't even know it."

"No," said Ethan. He reached into his backpack and took out the book. With a smile he placed it next to the Belief in Christmas and took a step back when energy seemed to fill every corner of the room. "I gave him the copy I had Benny make. We have a little less than a day until he finds out I tricked him."

"Way to go," said Erica with a grin. "We have both sources of his power, so what happens next? I say we head over to the North Pole and give him a good old fashion season beating."

"First we release the Heralds of Winter." Without another thought he placed his hand on the cover and pulled it open. Light white and blue colors swirled around them and then took the form of each of the Heralds. Ethan bowed his head and said: "I'm sorry for trapping you inside the book, but I had to be sure that you'd be safe from Nicholas and that he'd be far away from here when I finally put my own plan into action."

"Whoa," said Rory as he got up with a huge smile. He moved between them and let out a squeal of excitement. "This is so cool. So so cool!"

"This is the second time you've said that," mumbled Jack Frost. He floated through the air, and stopped in front of Erica. He gave her a wink. "'Sup cutie, we meet again."

"Thanks but no thanks," mumbled the blonde. She pushed him away. "First of all I'm glad I don't remember the first time we met and second I don't date supernatural beings who both look younger than me and have near cosmic powers. It's one my rules."

"I can't believe it," said Sarah. Krampus gave her a smile and held out his hand. She shook it and muttered: "You're the guys who control winter and founded Christmas..."

"We didn't found Christmas," corrected the Toymaker. "We helped bring out it's potential, and used it as a stepping stone to usher in winter. We made it a time that everyone could enjoy."

"Rory's right this is…" Benny shook his head and laughed. "Can I have your signatures? I mean if you wanted to of course."

"Just as Gabriel told us," said Krampus. He took in a deep breath and placed his club on the floor. It created a resounding thud and the great beast nodded. "Of all the children in the world he sensed something in you, and knew no matter how dark things would get you would be able to see truth. He laid his life on the line with the sole belief that you could help us Ethan. So from the bottom of all of our hearts we want to thank you."

"No need," said Ethan. "You're free, and never again will you be forced into that god forsaken book. As of now we're going to take Christmas back from Nicholas. It's time to set things right."

The Toymaker twirled his hammer; Jack Frost gave a hoot, Krampus beat a hand against his chest and the Belsnickel simply nodded.

"We're going to-" The window exploded and several orbs fell to the ground only to burst into dark red clouds. Ethan grabbed the Belief in Christmas and watched as another hand appeared. Through the smoke he saw Blixen and then felt something slam against his chest. "The Icicle Guard has the Belief in Christmas!"

Jack Frost exhaled while Benny waved his hand and together they forced the smoke out through the window. Ethan slid on his gloves, then the brass knuckles and jumped out after them. He landed in the snow with a thump and rose. On the far side of his lawn stood Comet, Donner and Blixen. His friends and the Heralds landed behind him and together awaited the actions of the Elves.

Blixen held up the Belief in Christmas in one hand and the Claustrum in the other. With a smile he stated: "You betrayed our trust, released the Heralds and tried to keep our leader's power for yourself." He tossed both artifacts into the air and several copies came down. "Head for the town line, once we are free of Whitechapel we should be able to contact Mr. Claus. And if you need to, kill any one who get in your way and that includes the Heralds."

"Don't let them escape!" Screamed Ethan. Comet and Donner darted off with Erica, Rory, Jack Frost, and the Belsnickel in pursuit. Blixen slid the orb and book into his small pouch on his belt. "You really want to fight the four of us?"

"Of course." He drew his sword and pointed it at them. "It would be unfair otherwise."

"We're not afraid," said Sarah as she bared her fangs. "If anything you should fear us."

"Here," said the Toymaker. His hammer began to glow and he tossed a single button to the vampire. When it made contact with her skin it began to shine and took the form of a dark emerald sword. It shimmered in the light and she looked at him confused. "You'll need that if you want to take on Blixen. I'm off to help the others."

The Toymaker vanished down the street and Krampus moved forward with his club held high. "Do not underestimate this one children, he is the sole reason Nicholas was able to defeat me the first time."

Blixen charged.

"He doesn't waste a single movement," thought Ethan. Blixen sliced through both Benny and Sarah's attacks only to blast Krampus backwards with an unknown spell. It was as if he could see everything before it happened, no that wasn't it there had to be something else. He watched the elf charged forward and spin only to counteract the onslaught of strikes with a single swing. "Everything he does is either a spell or an attack. Even with my abilities I can't do anything to get close to him. How is he doing it?"

Krampus jumped up from above and brought his club down with more force than Ethan thought possible. Blixen raised his blade with both hands and sunk into the snow from the impact. Benny and Sarah charged from the sides and the elf blasted them with a shockwave from his left hand.

"A little help would be appreciated E," groaned Benny. He got to his feet and let out a squeak when Blixen charged for him. "I lied a lot of help would be great too!"

"I'm with Benny on this one," said Sarah. She flew forward and tried to stop the elf's charge only to be knocked aside by a kick to the face. When she crashed to the floor she let out a groan and struggled to get up. "Less watching more fighting."

"Give me just a moment," yelled Ethan. He inhaled and watched as Benny attacked from the left, Sarah from the right and Krampus again from above. They were all deflected and within the confines of his mind time slowed. He saw every movement, every twitch, and then the truth dawned on him. Yes Blixen was fast, but there was a method to his madness, there was a pattern. Flinch strike right; twitch magic left, both hands block. "I know how to beat him. His left hand is for magic, right is for his sword and he can't block Krampus's attack unless he's got both hands on his blade."

Sarah made to move and was slashed across her stomach. With a small moan she clutched her side and fell to the ground. Ethan ran for her but felt his body thrown backwards by a sudden spell. Krampus charged with his horns forward. He and Blixen exchanged a series of blows before even the great beast himself was knocked casually aside.

"No!" Yelled Benny. He struggled to get out of the bush and fell backwards with a moan. "I twisted my ankle I can't move!"

"But I can," yelled Blixen. He ran forward and jumped ready to skewer the Spellmaster. Ethan moved and blocked his blades with his own brass knuckles. He saw the sword aim for the heart, felt it miss him but shred the corner of his shirt, and felt his knuckles hit their mark. Everything happened as Ethan's vision foretold it until he threw his punch. The future changed. The elf would block, would force Ethan backwards against the vine, and then would kill him. Blixen caught it with his fist and smiled. "You are not the only with the gift of sight."

He threw Ethan backwards against one of the large vines and approached him. He could dodge to the left and be decapitated. "From the first moment I first saw you I knew you would be nothing but trouble. Nicholas will be glad to hear of your imminent demise." Move to the right and lose an arm in an attempt to flee."

Ethan grabbed onto the vine and struggled to get up. Dive forward and have the sword go through his head or…. "Do you remember what I told you last time you fought against my friends?" He took hold of the poinsettia flower behind him and held onto it tightly.

"The pathetic attempt at a threat? Yes I recall."

"I said if you ever hurt my friends I'd kill you." Ethan shoved it into Blixen's face. The elf let out a scream and stumbled backwards in a vain attempt to remove the flower. The bruenette watched in horror, as it seemed to latch to the man's face. Little by little the elf withered before nothing was left save for a pile of clothes, weapons and dust.

"A death that was long over due," whispered Krampus. He picked up the bag and empties it onto the ground. Both the Claustrum and the orb vanished and he let out a deafening roar. "He did not have the artifacts."

"I didn't think so," said Ethan. He pulled Benny out from the bushes and watched as the brunette healed his ankle. "Think you can walk?"

"Yeah, hang on Sarah we're coming." Together Benny and Ethan rushed over to her side. She gave them a weak smile and the Spellmaster muttered several incantations in Latin. Her wounds began to bind themselves and after a moment they completely faded. "You should be glad you're a vampire or that wouldn't have worked."

"All I wanted for Christmas was to be happy with what I was," laughed Sarah. Ethan helped her up. "Thanks, good job on uh… ending him."

"You can say that I killed him," whispered Ethan. "Because I did. Right now we can only hope that the others had the same luck in their fights that we did."

"So here we are," said Erica. She twirled the sword the Toymaker had given her and then stabbed it into the ground. Next to her floated Jack Frost and on the other side of the small snowy field stood Comet. "I don't like using this, doesn't give me the same satisfaction as ripping an enemy apart as my hands do."

Comet looked at her and mimicked her action. "Very well from this moment out neither of us will use our swords."

"Are you serious?" Asked Jack Frost. He floated around her and held out his hands. "These guys are no joke. They'll do whatever they can to win against you. He wants a fight."

"I know, but swords were never my thing." She ran forward and so did Comet. Erica dodged his punch and struck him with as much force as she could muster. The elf coughed up blood and stumbled backwards clutching his stomach. "I like raw strength it gives me a much better satisfaction."

"You're a beast," whispered the Herald in awe. "A total beast."

"I'm a vampire and don't you ever forget it." Jack Frost nodded and shoved her out of the way from the incoming fireball. The two of them slid across the slush and looked up at Comet who moved his hands around in another complex motion. "This isn't good."

Several phoenixes flew forward after them and then separated into dozens of smaller ones. Frost exhaled and several walls of ice rose around them. One by one the birds exploded in a series of fire and magma.

"We fought these guys before?" Asked Erica. The duo scattered when several new fire creations rushed for them. "And we lost?"

"Actually Krampus is the one who fought them with you, Toymaker and Rory last time. You were doing good but Ethan's inference with the sealing spell was greatly appreciated."

The monsters detonated in a rush of hot air turning the entire area into nothing more than cracked dry mud. Comet approached his eyes growing bright red. "I'm going to enjoy watching the two of you burn."

"I thought Nicholas wanted us alive," said Frost.

"He's not here is he?" Asked Comet. He grinned and his arms burst into flames. "If you ask me Christmas has always been too cold."

Jack Frost pointed his staff. Ice and fire met as both beings struggled to overpower the other. Erica watched in awe as nature clashed with itself, never before had she seen such raw magic at work. There was a strange burst of light and the blue skinned boy fell backwards panting. To her great dismay he began to age before her eyes.

Comet began to laugh. "It seems as though even the personification of winter itself cannot withstand my mastery of fire."

"Why don't you try me on for size?" Yelled Erica. She stood in front of the Herald and held up her arms. "Bring it on."

"Why should I bother? You have no magic and your nothing more than human with a curse on their soul. Why even bother fighting?"

"Because of what Christmas means to me. Every year I would wait for December, wait for the day I knew my family could be together. I went to all the parties and I watched all the specials, and I was happy. Then I became a vampire and a horrible truth dawned on me. I would outlive my family, I would be spending Christmas by myself, and I began to feel hollow and scared. The average human will have anywhere from sixty to eighty Christmases during their lifetime but for a vampire it's impossible to know let alone guess. I lost faith in the holiday and then I lost faith in my family."

She clenched her fists. "But my friends pulled me out of it. They told me I should cherish the time I had, that it was a gift, especially if I knew what the future held. They promised they would go to the ends of the Earth, and if need be of time itself to find a cure. They reminded me of the love I used to have for not only them, but for my family as well. I'm still scared, but I'm also ready to embrace that fear. It reminds me of how precious people are, of how valuable connections with my own humanity is. I won't let you or your master ruin any time I may have with my family. I believe in my friends, and I believe in the Heralds."

Comet clapped his hands and multiple pillars of fire rushed forward. Erica slid to the side and moved faster than she ever thought possible. One instant she was in front of a tree and the next she was slamming her fist into the elf's face. With a sickening crack the figure flew backwards and landed against the ground with a thud.

"Damn… it…" gasped Comet. Several of his teeth were missing, and his nose was clearly broken.

Erica struck him again and gasped when the elf suddenly exploded. Several rings of fire wrapped around her and from behind she felt an arm go across her neck.

Comet cleared his throat and pointed his gun at the blue skinned man. "I needed a diversion. Now Frost get up and walk over here, so I can seal you once again. If you don't then the girl dies, if you do anything stupid then this girl dies, if you so much as attempt to attack me then the girls dies. Did you really think you could beat me? We were trained to take down all manner of supernatural creatures. You're nothing special."

"Then you should know the one thing about vampires," whispered Erica. Her fangs appeared and she bit down with as much force as possible. He let out a scream and released his hold on her before stumbling backwards. "Is that you never want to be near their teeth."

Comet tried to aim the gun but couldn't. He began to convulse then fell to the ground writhing about. After a moment he was still.

Jack Frost slowly approached the body and looked up. "How did you know that your venom would kill him?"

"I didn't." Erica reached into the small pouch at the elf's side. "Huh it's bigger on the inside." With a grin she removed the Claustrum. "No Belief in Christmas but this is just as good."

Rory let out a sigh, gave a disappointed tut and easily sidestepped the two tornadoes that raced towards him. With unnatural grace he rushed forward and placed his own blade at the elf's neck. "Your swords can turn into two. You told us your powers and names are related, and then your proceed to tell us every technique you know, did you really expect to beat us? This isn't some cartoon now just stop fighting it's embarrassing."

Donner re summoned his swords and then struck at him. The Belsnickel blocked them with its scythe and the blonde shook his head once more. "Give up the Claustrum and Belief in Christmas and we'll let you leave. Or you can join us, but that's the only-"

"Never." The elf jumped backwards and placed his blades together. His eyes began to glow white and the wind began to pick up. "If it means that I die then you will you too. I will not give in and I will not-"

Rory reared back his arm and drove the sword through the man's heart. The elf leaned forward gasping for air and the vampire whispered: "My friends are always the ones who take everything seriously and when I'm with them I try my best to remind them of the good in the world, of the laughter." He pulled the sword free and the gentle breeze faded until there was nothing left. "But when it's my turn to protect what's important, there is no room for kindness and there is certainly no room for mercy."

Donner fell to the ground and the vampire cleaned the blade on the grass. The Belsnickel nodded in silent agreement and the Toymaker gave him a confused look. He sighed then added: "Christmas is at stake. Not just mine, or Whitechapel's but the entire worlds. I'm always the joker in the group but when it comes to someone else's happiness I can't afford even the slightest possibility of error. If it means being brutal, then so be it."

He pulled the Claustrum free from the small bag and frowned when it turned to dust. He reached into it once more and grinned when he felt the cool orb against his fingers. He held up the Belief in Christmas and then said:

"We should see how the others are doing but if my hunch is right and it usually is then their fights are already over as well."

When the group returned it wasn't to the Morgan house but the Weir residence instead. Benny waved them in and motioned to the fireplace where a dark blue flame burned brightly. Ethan sat in front of it with his legs crossed and his laptop situated in front of him. He typed away at his computer and grinned when his friends returned.

"I knew you guys could do it."

"Sure enough you didn't send back up?" Asked Erica with a smile. She handed him the book. "Not that I needed it."

"Grandma and I used magic to see how your fights were going," said Benny. He pointed at the flames. "Besides we needed time to prepare this for when you guys came back."

"What is it?" Asked Rory. He handed the Seer the Belief in Christmas. "It looks... dangerous."

"You'll see," said Ethan. He pointed to his screen where a red dot flashed. "I put my phone in the sleigh so we could track Claus, he's just gotten back to the North Pole. I should've said something about the elves sooner. They didn't leave any prints when they left so I figured they had stayed behind but I didn't think they'd try to kill us."

"It's fine," said Sarah with a grin. "What's a holiday in Whitechapel without the fear of death every now and again? We did what we had to do, now what's next leader?"

"How about you tell me why you choose to betray me? " The shadows in the room all rushed forward and into the mirror above the fireplace. In the reflection made of darkness Nicholas glared back at them a furious anger burning within his eyes. To Ethan he looked more haggard than the night before. "You lied to me. You saw what happened to my brother, how far he fell trying to purse this corrupt ideal of his. You don't have to do this, you don't have to be like them."

"I know the truth Nicholas. You betrayed the Heralds and you were going to let Christmas die." He held up the Claustrum then tossed in into the fire. The blue consumed it and turned dark black before fading away. The fire sparked to life once more and he held up the orb. "You will never imprison the Heralds of Winter again. And as of right now the Belief of Christmas is in our control and the first chance we get to safely destroy it we will. Your on our time now."

Nicholas bellow in anger and the mirror exploded. His voice filled not just in the room or the house but the entire city. They rushed outside and stopped. The sky was illuminated not by the midday sun but instead by a giant reflection of Nicholas.

"Whitechapel you have been betrayed by one of your own. In less than six hours I will return to collect the Belief in Christmas. If it is not returned to me then the city will and all of you along with it will burn. I will spare no one. You have until sundown."

Ethan clenched his fists and looked over at his friends. Without a somber expression he said: "It looks like we're at war."

A/N: A few of you picked up on the breadcrumbs I left in the past few chapters, well congrats you were right things were not as they appeared in fact things are a lot darker than they look. I had mentioned previously working on another story but I think I'm going to pass. I want to get my book out sometime next year and working on another big fic isn't appealing as it used to be, and if anything this last week had shown me how hard it is to keep regular update schedules (there were supposed to be two but that didn't happen). As much as I love fanfiction it's more of a hobby, I hope you all don't hate me too much. See you for the next chapter!