A/N:

A. Patient

B. Worthy of Gratitude

C. Reading this story despite its faults, that you should be on the Guinness World Records for 'Most Considerate People'

You're D! All of the above.


Chapter 10

Intensity 7


A high rise office building camouflaged with the rest of the structures at Konoha downtown. Revolving doors marked the main entrance and exit, while an ornamental chandelier welcomed and bode farewell to occupants.

The glass crystals that hung from the high ceiling boasted elegance and extravagance, all reflected on the floor finish. The marble at his feet could pass as a peaceful lake. This grand lobby could cover an Olympic sized swimming pool. And the people he came across with were the fishes in a giant aquarium.

Regardless of gender, the people's jaws fell as soon as they look at him. The women's lipsticks suddenly weren't the only red on their faces, while most men raised a lazy brow and gave him the once over.

All the attention was only disregarded as he continued striding to the office he now knew very well. People's reactions were reasonable. It wasn't everyday that you see a man wearing shades inside an office building. And he was also well aware of how women behave around him.

It was a great risk to have removed his baseball cap, but wearing so indoors would raise more suspicion.

He stopped at a door with a 'Distributions Manager' name plate and knocked. Without waiting for a response, he turned the knob, stepped inside the room, and removed the sunglasses.

A man in business suit was sitting behind the office desk. Charcoal eyes met another pair of black.

"Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes and stretched a hand to one of the chairs in front. "You may take a seat."

As soon as he was seated, Orochimaru spoke once again.

"Any news at the mansion?"

"Other guards were still uptight. It's more difficult to move around now, because more CCTV cameras were installed at the perimeter. The security has been on high alert since after the previous car chase."

"We'll let the Harunos think they're in good hands for now. Knowing Kizashi, he'll lessen the security once the threats had ceased, until his daughter was only left in the safety of her personal bodyguard." He flashed a menacing grin. "Just watch your actions and remain inconspicuous."

"I will."

"Very well…" Orochimaru leaned back on the leather back rest. "I called you here to let you inform the others that we would lie low for a while. We had attracted some unwanted attentions recently. Tell them to be prepared at all times, because we'd still keep an eye on our dear Sakura-chan, or more appropriately… you will. Any opportunity could arise, and we have to take that to our advantage. We will strike when they least expect it.

"You see, I couldn't afford to call any of our men at the moment. The police received a prompt that this company was involved in a scam, so all the communication systems were tapped. Exactly why I messaged you."

"What about Kabuto?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Kabuto is an ambitious individual. I could tell he wants to take my place and he's hungry for power, but I won't grant him an ounce of it. I don't trust him. I know you're busy, but one call to the others won't hurt. Go and rely my orders to them. Is that clear?"

"Yes." Very clear.

"Good. You're dismissed."

He stood up and walked to the door, assuring himself that all these were for his parents. Because even though the plane bombing incident had happened years ago, the culprit hadn't been arrested yet. And this organization was the only way to get to that person… to that criminal.

"One more thing."

Orochimaru's voice made him pause directly in front of the door and turn to look back.

"This conversation never happened."

"Hn." He reached for the sunglasses at his collar, put them over his eyes, and walked out of the door.

From the start, he had known that this group of people worked against the law. An organization that dealt drugs and used the retailer business as a front… An organization that operated kidnappings to generate 'funds' for its illegal transactions…

No matter how twisted this job appeared to be, it would help him fulfill the revenge he sought. If the person he chased after was covered with filth, then he would dive into mud.


The fitness room in the Haruno mansion was the bodyguards' most used area aside from the indoor shooting range. It was fortunate enough that his charge also came here for her weekend workouts, giving him the chance to train as well.

Now, he stood on a recently set-up boxing ring, having a spar with Naruto. Sasuke wouldn't admit it aloud, but Naruto was a tough opponent. The dobe did have great fighting skills… but an Uchiha wouldn't accept defeat.

Sasuke regulated his breathing and didn't pay heed to the beads of sweat on his forehead, eyes glued on Naruto. The dobe leaped forward with a right hook, which Sasuke swayed away from with ease. Naruto followed with the left, then an uppercut, and a series of punches; but all came in contact with nothing.

At one particular swing of Naruto's fist, Sasuke slid to the side and caught the dobe's forearm, twisting it with just enough pressure against Naruto's back. With the both of them facing the same direction, Sasuke tipped Naruto forward onto the canvas flooring. Sasuke pinned Naruto's hand with one arm, while the other was bent under the dobe's chin.

Give up.

He increased the pressure on Naruto's throat, until the dobe's free hand was rising… rising… and struck the floor repeatedly in surrender.

Sasuke let go of him and managed to stand up in methodical knee and elbow bending due to fatigue. Once he was on his feet, Sasuke looked down at Naruto and smirked.

"Hn."

"Man, you got me there, teme!"

Naruto sat on the floor, legs stretched in front and both hands on the knees to support his torso from tumbling forward.

"One more!... I'll definitely beat you… this time." He said, panting.

"You can't even stand up."

"Fuck!... Fine then!... Next time! I swear I'll win next time!"

"Hn."

Naruto extended a hand to Sasuke and showed a puppy pout face. With the thought of how childish and unprofessional the dobe was, Sasuke helped him stand up nonetheless. As they stood alongside each other, Sasuke's shin was kicked from the back, tipping him off balance and making him fall back on the floor. With Naruto in control, he placed a leg perpendicular to Sasuke's neck, with the back of his knee on top of the throat. Then he pulled Sasuke's arm to his direction, pushing his other leg against Sasuke's torso.

Because of the unexpected action, Sasuke strangled to breathe and tried to think of a counter attack. But two treacherous lungs protested for air, so he gave them a favor and tapped his free hand on the floor. Naruto freed him, before standing up and shouting for victory.

"I told you I'll win, teme!"

"Dobe." Sasuke shuffled to a sitting position. How could he have forgotten that Naruto had an inhuman stamina? He couldn't believe he fell for that trick.

"So, how does it feel to be the loser now, huh teme? I finally took you down!"

"That didn't count."

"Says you! I know it's hard for you to say how phenomenal I truly am. Don't worry; I'll help you pronounce those words, teme."

"You cheated."

"And you let your guard down!"

Sasuke couldn't argue with that. He knew he had to keep his walls up, and Naruto's previous action would serve as a reminder for that. It was the case outside this boxing ring after all. He should be cautious of his actions and surroundings. Always.

The two males maneuvered their way through the horizontal ropes and out of the ring.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran to the long bench against one far wall, to where the charge sat.

The brat had finished one of her 'work out routines' with the punching bag and had been watching them spar. Sasuke took a seat to her right, while a blabbering Naruto situated himself to her left.

"Have you seen my moves back there?! I totally beat up Sasuke-teme's ass! Aren't I great or what?!"

Sakura raised a brow. "You mean, that last grappling was included? Hadn't the match ended when you tapped?"

"No Sakura-chan, you've seen it all wrong. Another match started just after teme let go of me, and that's when I brought him down!"

"But you tricked him. That's cheating."

"Not you too! Teme said the exact same thing!"

Sakura grasped for the water bottle at the side. "H-he did?"

It must be the play of lights, because Sakura's cheeks appeared to be of the same color as her hair. Sasuke shrugged it off. He knew the brat. No way would that be the same pink he saw in other women, who giggled at the sight of him.

"Yeah! Let me tell you, Sakura-chan! It's called strategy, and it's the best resort in actual combat. Calling it cheating just make it sound… wrong. When in reality, it never is! In battle, there's no such thing as cheating, because everything's possible. Believe it!"

"Well, you have a point."

"Don't I always?! Oh hey! Your bottle's empty. Want me to refill it? I could really grab some snack in the kitchen right now."

"Sure…"

"How 'bout you, teme?! Want some more H2O?"

"Hn."

"Then, stay here with Sakura-chan, wait 'til I return, and get some yourself! Be right back Sakura-chan!"

Naruto swiped the two empty bottles – his and Sakura's – and bounced off the room.

"Dobe." Sasuke restrained himself from lifting one of the barbells and throwing it at the blonde. He wouldn't stoop down Naruto's level of immaturity. So, he distracted himself by focusing on the two bodyguards who now occupied the boxing ring.

"You had a good fight with Naruto. Although, he excelled in taking offence with his punching power, you make up for it with speed."

Sasuke glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. Like him, Sakura's eyes were also on the sparring bodyguards.

"I know."

"Oh… That's good then. Knowing your strength is good."

Curiosity barged into Sasuke's mind. He had expected her to come up with another one of her smart ass comments.

The brat was losing her touch. "Hn."

"So, what training have you gone through to improve your speed?"

Sakura had been asking him personal questions lately. What happened to the snob brat he had come to know? In silence, Sasuke thanked the heavens that he wasn't as talkative as the dobe. He could only give a limited amount of information. Any more than that could blow his cover.

"You can't do it."

Sakura's jaw almost touched the silver necklace she always wore. "Why not?!"

"Aikido requires a lot of discipline. Just stay with your fitness workouts."

Sakura's face contorted into a scowl. There… the brat quality's resurfacing… Any second now…

"I can do it if I want to!"

"No, you can't."

"Is that a challenge?... How about let's settle this with a spar? If I win, you get to teach me aikido."

"What if you lose?"

Sakura's eyes flickered to the wall. "Then… you get to prove yourself right and confirm your self-proclaimed psychic abilities."

Charcoal eyes stayed on green. What psychic abilities?

"And… I won't talk to you for a week?"

Why not? Though that's quite convincing, since the dobe's making too much noise on his own. I'll think about it.

A pink brow twitched. "For… a month?"

"Deal."

Scowl. Sakura sport that pestering expression quite often, and Sasuke wanted to tell her to stop doing that. But who was he to dictate her actions? He wasn't a fan of positive expressions either. An image of a smiling Sakura in the library flashed in mind. She should never do that again as well. It made his stomach a little uncomfortable, it was unhealthy, it was…

"Annoying."

Sakura stood up and put on her black leather gloves. "Okay! One month it is. Let's do this."

This brat's serious. "What sport?"

"Anything but grappling."

"Hn."

Other guards had surrounded the square platform, finding the bodyguard versus charge battle interesting. As soon as the dobe had come back, he volunteered and insisted to be the referee. It was Sasuke against the world. But that set-up wasn't new to him.

Sasuke adjusted his gloves. "The first one, who drops three times to the ground, loses."

Sakura nodded, steel green eyes fixed at him.

"Ready or not! Let's get ready to rumble!" Naruto stepped backwards to allow more space.

At first, they just moved in circles with basic footwork, measuring each other's movements for possible attacks. Then they started exchanging punches and hand blocks, getting used to one another's fighting tactics.

Sasuke knew he could end this match in an instant, but he wanted to see what the brat was capable of. After a few rounds of taking and throwing hits, he decided to take control and executive more attacks. He was going easy on her, of course. He didn't plan to get fired just because of incapacitating this brat.

When Sasuke released a particular straight punch, Sakura drifted to the side and pushed his arm away. She pulled his right shoulder down and raised a knee to his abdomen, then stepped on his right foot and kicked the back of his knee, bringing him down to the floor.

Sakura smirked down at him. "That's Hizza geri – Karate."

"Way to go, Sakura-chan! Current score's one-zero!" Naruto cheered at the side, joining the applauses of the rest of the bodyguards.

Sasuke rose back to his feet. She just got lucky.

They engaged in another offense-defense movement. Then Sakura threw a right hook, and Sasuke took advantage of the extended arm by gripping her wrist with two hands. He lifted his left elbow up and over her arm, turning his body so that she was right behind him. With the action, Sakura's arm was twisted inward; forcing her to bend forward at Sasuke's left side. Sasuke twisted his torso further to the right, causing Sakura to roll forward over his left leg and to the ground.

Sasuke bent down and stared at upside-down green eyes. "Hn. Waki gatame – Judo."

Sakura's face turned red and she scrambled to stand up.

She's getting tired. Makes it easier for me.

The audience made another applauding noise with Naruto. "Score's one all!"

The spar resumed, and this time, Sakura appeared to be more serious than before. Sasuke raised a leg in an attempt to land a kick at her side with his shin, but Sakura avoided the hit, stepped forward, and kicked the inside part of his supporting leg's knee. The sudden attack drew him off balance, effectively making him drop onto the floor.

Sakura wiped the sweat off her forehead with one arm and met his eyes. "Tae pub nai – Muay thai."

"Score's two-one!"

Sasuke wouldn't lose to the brat. He had underestimated her, indeed. Now, it was his turn to be serious. Sasuke did a series of jabs, which Sakura barely deflected. But he gave her credit for keeping up with the fight. Maybe there was more behind the fitness workouts after all. What if she had been doing it to improve her fighting skills?

Sasuke saw an opening on Sakura's straight right punch. He grabbed her wrist with both hands and twisted it with enough pressure to make her bend forward. With him at the side and both of them facing the same direction, Sasuke wrapped his left arm around her neck, while the other slid under her right arm and onto her nape, connecting with his left bicep and locking her head in place.

With the head lock still on, Sasuke turned around in counter-clockwise, so that Sakura would have to follow the movement backwards and lose her balance. While turning, Sasuke supported her upper weight and crouched down to guide her fall until she hit the flooring, face up.

He smirked. "Kubishime – Aikido."

Sakura scowled and her face turned red again in anger. Yes, Sasuke was sure it was from anger. What else could be the cause?

"Score's two all!" Naruto jogged to their side. "Sakura-chan! Are you okay? How could you do that to her, teme?!"

"Hn." Sasuke stood up and extended a hand to Sakura, who was still on the ground.

"I'm okay, Naruto." Sakura stared at the offered hand, and in slow motion, she raised her own hand and placed it over his. She stood up and shifted her eyes to Sasuke's. "Thanks."

Sakura's free hand landed on his shoulder at the next second. And all Sasuke was aware of was the sharp pain at the area in between his legs, before his knee was pushed forward, rendering him off-balance and bringing him to the floor.

Sakura gave a dark smirk, so dark, Sasuke wondered if this was the same brat a while ago. "That one's called strategy."

Naruto appeared in his field of vision. "You're a fast learner Sakura-chan! That was bad-ass! Score's three-two! Sakura-chan wins!"

Whistles and cheers followed the dobe's noise. And Sasuke tried to ignore them as he sat up, struggling not to let agony reflect on his face.

He threw a glare at Sakura. "That's hitting below the belt."

She shrugged. "You never ruled that out."

Smart-ass brat.

"You still think I couldn't learn a few more tricks? Am I worthy enough to be taught aikido now?"

Do I have a choice? You won, didn't you?

Sakura grinned. "Aa… Silence means yes."

Why was she so interested in learning to fight? Was it related to the threats she was getting? If so, then he couldn't blame her for having trust issues. If he were in her position, Sasuke would have suspected anyone as well… including your own personal bodyguard.


Sakura was on her way to the clothing store, where she and her friends were supposed to meet. Like always, the ex-temporary was in tow. Naruto was left at the basement parking area, since he had to guard the car personally; some precaution to avoid what had happened before.

She had asked her dad last night over dinner if he wanted to go shopping with her. He said he had a weekend appointment so he couldn't make it, and suggested that she could ask her friends instead. Yes, she should get used to her dad's work excuses by now, but she only wanted to make up for the times they hadn't spent together. They barely see each other nowadays, and yet they live under one roof.

So, Sakura had considered her father's suggestion and decided to hang out with her friends today. They were supposed to meet in this mall, and in her haste to get away from that old, boring, waste of space that was an excuse of a mansion, she had arrived here forty minutes earlier than the decided time. But knowing her friends, they would show up late again. Well, Hinata could be on time, but Sakura would have to wait for thirty-five more minutes.

Might as well look around first.

Sakura glanced at one glass window and spotted the ex-temporary's reflection behind hers. The events of their previous spar came to mind, and heat rose to her cheeks.

She didn't know what had gotten into her when she hit his… you know. But she had been desperate, since she badly wanted to be more familiar with aikido. Her Kakashi-sensei hadn't taught her much about that sport.

All she knew was that it means 'the way of harmony,' and that it has less emphasis on strength, hence aikido hadn't much appealed to her back then.

The notion of not talking to Sasuke for a month had also bothered her. Why? It just did… maybe because it would've been awkward if she wouldn't say a word to the person who always accompanied her around. And because she had finally realized that 'torturing' Sasuke to quit wasn't going to work at all.

Even if he did quit, it wasn't certain that Kakashi would take his place. What if her dad would hire another personal bodyguard? She definitely disliked the idea of adjusting with another stranger.

Sakura passed by a number of stalls that showcased dresses, shoes, make-ups, and jewelries; but she only stopped at one. At the stuffed toys store.

She ran inside and scanned the adorable cotton-stuffed animals, touching their soft furs as she did so. One monkey, about two feet in height, caught her interest. Sakura grabbed it from the shelf and wrapped her arms around its light brown torso, before turning to the ex-temporary.

"Isn't this cute?!"

Sasuke stared at her, impassive. "It's childish."

"Hey, these aren't just for kids. Stuffed toys offer comfort, they're huggable, and I like to hug stuff."

"So I've noticed."

Was he talking about what happened at the Root District?

Humiliation set Sakura in flames. There was that sudden desire to get away from him again. She tossed the monkey back on the shelf and strode out of the shop. She paused before a hallway to the left, where the fire exit and restrooms were located, and glanced back at Sasuke.

"I'll just go to the ladies' room. Wait here." Then she dashed off without waiting for a reply.

The females' restroom in this mall always contained more users compared with that of the males', especially now that lunch hour was near. Sakura didn't really need to use any of the cubicles though, so she stood before the long counter and faced her reflection, thankful for the great distance away from the ex-temporary.

What is wrong with me? It's just Sasuke. Stop feeling stupid, Sakura.

The floor started shaking sideways. Sakura thought it was just her, but then the rest of the women in the room stood in place and looked at one another's eyes with shock. The floor continued shaking, getting stronger at every second, that Sakura had to hold onto the countertop for support.

If there was one thing Japan was well-known for, geology wise, it was the occasional earthquakes. These tremors were a normal occurrence in Konoha's everyday life, but not as strong as this one.

The pendulum type lighting fixtures above them swayed with the invisible force. Some women were shouting, others also held onto the counter and the cubicle doors.

A few seconds have passed, but the ground-shaking continued. Many took upon them to run toward the emergency exit. The contagious panic from everyone touched Sakura, so she shuffled her way to the door like the rest.

A stampede of people in the hallway blocked her path. The few women at the doorway squeezed past her and joined the herd of people that was running to the emergency exit. Sakura was about to do the same, when the ex-temporary trespassed her head.

Sasuke! Where's Sasuke?!

With all the adrenaline in her system, Sakura dove into the hallway and struggled against the rapids of people. She scanned the crowd, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Sasuke!"

Sakura squeezed her way through, avoiding those who were running in hysteria. The movement of the floor made it more difficult to balance. A man, who was pushing his way past everyone, shoved her to the side, and she could only take a few steps backward to refrain from stumbling.

"SASUKE!"

The current kept on pushing her backwards, and it was becoming a great effort to even stay on her feet. It wouldn't be good if she fall right here. She was losing her balance… Her feet were starting to give away… Sakura mustered all the air her lungs could accommodate.

"SASUKEEEE!"

She stepped forward and managed to get her balance back. She started squeezing through the crowd once again, heading to where she had last seen the ex-temporary.

Then someone grabbed her shoulders from behind, spun her around, and dragged her to the exit.

"Hold on to me."

The familiar low voice made Sakura sigh in relief. She did as she was told; she clutched onto the side of Sasuke's jacket, while his hands remained on her shoulders. And they maneuvered their way through all the shoving and pushing within the stampede.

The floor's shaking calmed down a bit when they reached the stairwell, until they emerged to an open field where another crowd had settled. Many children were crying, some people were on their mobiles, and most were conversing about the previous experience, still in shock.

Even Sakura was at a loss with what just happened. Her eyes kept on roaming the area, letting it all sink in, letting her pulse resume to its normal pace. She gripped onto her necklace's pendant: the thing that always reminded her to be strong… because that was what she needed to do at this moment.

They stood with the others at the open field.

"You should've run to the exit right away." Sasuke growled.

She turned to him; the scent of wood after a rainstorm distracted her thoughts, easing her to recover from the quake incident. It was then when she noticed that he was still holding her close, and her other hand was clutching onto his jacket. Sakura stepped away from him, uneasy. Then his last statement made sense.

Wait. What? "I was going to go back for you."

"I was at the fire exit."

"Well, I didn't know that. I told you to stay at the main hallway, so I thought you'd still be there."

"An earthquake occurred. It's instinct to save yourself."

So, he had attempted to escape on his own? "Oh, I'm so sorry for worrying about my bodyguard, who – without my knowledge – had already saved his own ass. Then why did you come back for me? Isn't that considered turning against the survival instinct?"

A muscle worked in Sasuke's jaw. "Idiot."

Sakura was about to retort, but a thought struck her first. Her friends were also headed to the mall. Or worse, what if they were already in there during the quake? She searched her body bag for her mobile and took it out.

Sasuke cut her off before she could dial any number. "You shouldn't use that. Calls for rescue operations are the priority. You'll only make communication lines busier."

"But I have to call my friends –"

The concrete ground started swaying. More screaming and crying followed, while Sakura held onto Sasuke's arm.

"It's the aftershock." His voice was calm, and it helped Sakura not to fall in the same panic as the rest.

They stood there for minutes. A number of ambulance and media reporters arrived, informing them that it was now safe to proceed to their respective houses. Sasuke held her shoulders as they walked away, directing her out of the mall's compound.

This wasn't the way to the basement. "Where are we going?"

His eyes remained in front, face devoid of emotion. "We have to walk home. Using cars is also prohibited. The roads should be clear for all emergency vehicles."

"But… what about Naruto?"

"He could take care of himself." His eyes shifted to hers. "I have to bring you to safety."

They continued walking along the sidewalk in complete silence.

"Sasuke-teme! Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned behind for a jogging and waving Naruto. He caught up with them and fell in step beside her.

"I've been looking all over for you two! Thank goodness you're okay!... You are, aren't you?"

Sasuke's hold on her shoulders tightened. Sakura glanced at him; it looked like he did it unconsciously since his eyes were also narrowed.

He must be pissed off by Naruto's loud voice. "Yes Naruto, we're fine. I'm glad you are as well."

"What happened back there was plain scary, Sakura-chan! See, I was leaning against the car when…"

The walk home was filled with Naruto's exaggerated stories. Despite Mother Nature's tantrum, Sakura was surprisingly calm. At first, fear had latched onto her. But when Sasuke had showed up and she realized someone wanted to accompany her in a life or death situation, fear started stepping back. Because she knew that she wasn't alone. Because she knew that she was safe.

They arrived at the Haruno mansion without any more trouble, and the communication lines came back during the night. Sakura phoned her friends right away and discovered that they were in good condition as well.

Most channels on TV featured the latest earthquake: the cause of minor injuries or even deaths of a few people, the force that had moved some heavy furniture, the one that almost took down the simplest residential dwellings, and the culprit for the cracks on the walls of ordinary office buildings. The earthquake that measured 5.9 in magnitude and an impact of intensity 7…


The bodyguards' locker room beside the fitness area didn't have any other occupants aside from him. He was facing his designated locker, changing into the usual black suit. Sasuke had just finished teaching the brat about the basics of aikido. Naruto had been right, she was a fast learner.

How could such a smart brat be an idiot at the same time?

During the earthquake the other day, Sasuke had run to the emergency exit and had waited for her by the door. When he had lectured Sakura about survival instincts, he was referring to her.

Sasuke had expected her to dash off to the exit. But no, the brat had yet again surprised him by running to the opposite way. If it weren't for her loud mouth, accompanied with that ridiculous hair color, he wouldn't have located her.

Idiot.

Sasuke was buttoning down his shirt when the sound of footsteps entered the locker room. He brought his attention to the new comer for less than a second, before turning back to his previous task.

The person paused at the locker opposite his. And Sasuke ignored the presence behind him as he reached for the necktie in his locker. He fixed the black tie around his shirt's collar, betting with his life that this someone had been glaring at the back of his head.

"I know you have a brother. I'm certain Obito had told me about him."

Hn. Expect Kakashi to be the nosy type. "My records say otherwise."

"I don't know how you do it Sasuke, but I'll leave you a warning… If what you're hiding would harm Sakura in any way, I won't hesitate to make you pay with your life."

Sasuke grabbed his jacket and slid his arms into the sleeves. "You have no proof."

"I'm working on it… And when I do find one, I don't think your secret would be safe with me."

Sasuke slammed the metal locker door and turned on his heel. Two pairs of black engaged into a glaring battle, before Sasuke looked away and headed for the door.

"Hn." Good luck with that.


A/N:

Writing fighting scenes can be pretty tiring sometimes. *shakes head from side to side* Nope, make that all the time. Hope I'm improving though.

Sooo... did you 'feel' the earthquake?