A/N: So this is probably one of the quickest updates I've done, like ever. You definitely have yourselves to thank for that. The amazing response to the last chapter and all the reviews from readers new and old definitely kept my creative juices flowing. I also just wanted to give you all a shout out for pushing this story over the 500 review mark WOW, so amazing.
Judging by the reviews, I guess teacher Klaus was a hit? Heh. Perhaps we'll be seeing him again...
As has been the norm lately, the ending of this chapter isn't where I originally intended to end it, but it works. I wanted to give you another quick update and I knew if I carried on it would be a while. I also started to draw a bit of a blank (I'll explain at the end of the chapter).
Please read, enjoy, and then review. :D
She felt bad for snapping the hybrid's neck, but he didn't give her any other option. He would have never let her leave on her own on a mission that ran contrary to his plan to take her to Klaus, as Klaus had requested. More than that, if she had refused to go with him, she would have been responsible for his self-inflicted kidney removal.
By snapping his neck she bought herself some time. Moreover, she never directly refused him, meaning he wouldn't have to torture himself with some amateur surgery; that was if siring compulsion worked the same as regular vampire compulsion; there was always a loophole.
Although, she wasn't quite sure what Klaus would make his hybrid do if he found out that she had ditched him to go look into the hunter. She would have to make this quick so that Klaus would be none the wiser and she wouldn't have to clean up Dean's kidney or any other body parts off her front step before her mom came home from work.
She pulled up in the resort parking lot.
The Sycamore Spa and Resort was far from expansive. While it boasted its own private golf course, the actual resort building itself was intimate and very exclusive. It catered mainly to the elite from the larger neighbouring towns and cities. It was an escape for them, offering guest suites, a swimming pool and gym, spa facilities, conference rooms, and a swanky restaurant.
The Lockwoods had been the only family from Mystic Falls whom she knew attended regularly. Tyler's mom made weekly trips to the spa and restaurant, while Tyler's dad had a golf membership when he was still alive. There was also rumour that the Council and other local government officials held meetings here on occasion; no wonder they had exceeded their budget this year, she thought.
If the hunter really was staying here, she wouldn't be surprised if it was with the Council's backing, unless of course he was a rich vampire hunter, she thought. Perhaps he was just that good. That realization made her slightly nervous, but she quickly shrugged the thought off. She wasn't going to scare herself out of this.
While it was a bit late, it was still an appropriate time for dinner - particularly for the wealthy who were not confined by time and an early start to the work day tomorrow - so she suspected most of the cars in the parking lot were here for the restaurant.
She used her car's sun visor mirror to the best of her ability to inspect her appearance self consciously. She could only hope that she would fit into the semi-formal atmosphere and not look out of place.
As she approached the building, she admired it. Outdoor lighting and heavy green trees accentuated grand facade which consisted of a combination of stone, wood, stucco, and glass.
She'd never seen it up close; in fact, she'd barely seen it all. It was barely noticeable from the highway, hidden down a long driveway and a dense tree line.
When she realized she had been staring a bit longer than any regular would have, she headed for the large wood and glass double doors.
It wasn't much of a surprise to her when a doorman opened one of them for her.
Apparently the rich couldn't open their own doors, she mused.
She gave a friendly smile to the doorman who regarded her with a polite 'good evening.' He was dressed in a simple black and white suit. His name tag read 'Adam.' She was almost certain he had been a senior at Mystic Falls High when she and her friends had been freshmen, but she couldn't be sure, and she wasn't about to ask. Her questions would surely raise his suspicions. If he remembered her at all, he'd know that she was definitely too young to be here; and that as a single mother and sheriff of Mystic Falls, there was no way her mother could afford this place either.
Once through the vestibule, she entered the lobby, trying to maintain her casual composure despite her amazement with the interior of the building.
The lobby boasted raised ceilings that extended to the second story, a wall of windows to her right, with a tall stack stone fireplace in the centre. Modern and traditional furniture were intermixed and placed around it, with large rugs protecting the aged dark wood floors. The whole room was given an intimate touch with dimly lit candle like chandeliers, lamps, and the light from the fire.
Directly across from her on the other side of the lobby were the elevators and a grand solid-wood staircase that she assumed led up to the guest rooms.
On her left, the large lobby desk was centred upon the wall, with large wooden framed glass doors on either side, which she could conclude, judging by the pleasant aromas of food coming from that direction, led to the restaurant.
Perhaps she should compel herself a reservation first, she thought. It was okay to indulge every once in awhile. It's not like this resort needed her money. They were doing well enough without her business. The smells of red meat and chocolate desserts were driving her heightened sense of smell crazy. The only smell putting her more on edge was the scent of wealthy human blood.
She closed her eyes briefly, shaking her head and reasserting her focus. The hunter was why she was here, not food - of any kind.
As she approached the lobby desk, the middle-aged woman, with her hair curled too tightly in a bun, was already giving her a judgemental stare; a stare that said you shouldn't be here; you're not old enough; you're not rich enough; you're not dressed well enough.
Still, the woman named 'Nancy' flashed an affable smile.
"Hello, welcome to the Sycamore Spa and Resort, how can I help you?" she asked her expectantly. "Do you have a reservation with our restaurant or hotel?" she inquired further, as though she was trying to embarrass her.
She maintained an equally friendly smile as she mentally prepped herself to compel the woman for information. Compulsion was not something she did regularly, nor in such a public place, so it tended to take a bit of effort.
Leaning over the desk she stared at the woman, concentrating her eyes and capturing the woman's attention.
"I need some information about someone who might be staying here," she said pleasantly, so that any passersby would assume they were having a polite exchange.
The woman nodded.
"Certainly, how can I help?" she offered.
First hurdle overcome, she thought to herself in lieu of the successful compulsion.
She smiled brightly at the woman.
"I only have a physical description of him, but I need to know if he's staying here," she started, before outlining the details of his physical appearance to the woman.
The hotel wasn't that big. There weren't many rooms, and she was certain not all of them were occupied at the moment. It was through the week, no special holidays or events were taking place, and the golf course had just opened for the spring season. If this hunter was staying here, this lady had to know.
"I'm not sure," the woman replied.
She frowned.
"There has to be a way you can find out for me," she urged the woman pleadingly, determined not to give up. "Don't you keep records?" she suggested.
The woman's eyes seem to light up as she sought after a solution that would please her.
Sometimes compulsion was such a handy tool.
"We take photocopies of each guest's driver's licence. Let me take a look through the folder of recent check-ins," she explained, walking over to a filing cabinet and unlocking it.
Her progress was exciting, even if she didn't even know yet if the hunter was a guest here or not. Her confidence was growing, nonetheless. What would Klaus have to say when she presented him with all this new information? Better yet, what would he say if she captured or killed the hunter all on her own?
As she waited for the woman to find the appropriate file and documents, she began to grow anxious. The hunter knew what she looked like from their brief encounter in the alley the night previous. Maybe he knew she was here? Maybe he was watching her. She felt like she was being watched.
Instinctively, she looked back over her shoulder and scanned the relatively small lobby. She didn't see him. A few people were coming and going from the restaurant, while a middle-aged man was at the far end of the lobby desk being helped by a balding man who appeared to be a similar age. No sign of the hunter.
"Is this who you mean?" the woman asked as she approached the desk again with a single piece of paper.
The photocopy of the driver's licence was a bit grainy so it made the photograph hard to decipher, but without a question, the photo on the driver's licence definitely featured a photo of the hunter she saw in the alley.
She studied the information.
It was a New York licence. The name read 'Connor Jordan.'
"This is exactly who I mean," she exclaimed, almost surprised that her plan was coming together. "I'm going to keep this piece of information," she told the woman, folding the piece of paper neatly before slipping it into her purse.
"Of course, go ahead," the woman obliged readily.
"Can you tell me what room he's staying in? Is he still checked in?" she asked.
After confirming his name, the woman began typing on the computer at the desk.
"It says he checked in a few days ago. He should still be here. He's not due to check out until tomorrow," the woman informed her. "He's staying in room three-twelve," she added.
She smiled widely at the newfound information.
"Do you think it would be possible for you to give me a key card to the room?" she inquired hopefully, knowing the compulsion would give her what she wanted.
The woman nodded.
"Yes of course," she replied.
When the woman returned with a key card for three-twelve she thanked her and quickly compelled her to forget everything about their conversation.
The edges of the key card dug into the skin of her palm as she griped it tightly while walking towards the elevators.
She was still trying to figure out how she would go about this.
The elevator was empty when she stepped inside and she tried hard to relax against the rail inside as she waited to arrive at the third floor.
On the way up, she decided she would first use her heightened hearing to determine if there was anyone in the room. If she heard nothing, she would knock, using her speed to hide behind a corner and wait for him to answer. If he was there, she would leave to enlist Stefan or Rebekah for help. If he wasn't, she would let herself in to snoop around.
Butterflies rose in her stomach as the motion of the elevator stopped at floor she wanted.
She stepped out of the elevator cautiously, her guard up as she anticipated the presence of the hunter at any moment.
Deciding to do an inspection of the entire third floor, she walked past three-twelve to the end of the hall. Another hall ran perpendicularly at the end with a few rooms on either side. There was an emergency exit at one end of the hall, and a set of large windows at the other end. Without using her strength to bust into a guest room, she had two means of escape at this end of the floor if she needed them. The stairs and elevators from the hall she just came from provided additional routes for escape.
When a guest room door opened, she jumped slightly and spun around on her foot to inspect. It was another middle-aged man and woman.
They eyed her curiously before turning down the hall she had come from for the elevators.
She took a moment to steady her breathing before following them down the same hall, back for three-twelve.
Stopping at the door she leaned into it and concentrated her hearing.
There was no sound.
Inhaling sharply, she knocked her knuckles against the door before bolting down the hall and around the corner.
She could only hope that security wasn't paying attention to the third floor cameras at this point.
Waiting behind the wall, she listened for a door to open.
She remained hidden with the wall for a good three minutes before concluding that there was probably nobody in the room.
Probably didn't mean that Connor Jordan the vampire hunter wasn't still in the room waiting for her to make her move though.
She had to be careful.
Returning to the door, she opened the palm of her hand and directed the key card to the slot above the door handle.
The light went green and a clicking noise sounded.
There was no going back now.
Resting her hand on the handle, she opened the door slowly.
She was slightly relieved, yet unnerved to find the room pitch black with the curtains on the windows completely closed.
Her chest was heaving at this point from her out of control nerves as she stood in the doorway and extended her hand to search for a light switch.
Just as her fingers found the panel, an unexpected force grabbed her from behind and pushed her inside the darkened room. She screamed but her cry was muffled by the assailant's hand; a male hand.
The door clicked behind them and she reacted on adrenaline, slipping out of his arms with a punch to the groin. This elicited a low groan from the attacker she could only assume was the hunter. With the tables briefly turned she lunged at the shadow knocking both of them to the ground as she pinned him to the ground and wrapped one of her hands around his throat while the other punched him hard in the jaw. She followed that up with another forceful punch.
She took a few seconds to catch her breath, believing her attacker to be unconscious.
Needless to say, she was more than surprised when he grabbed her tightly by the waist and flung her effortlessly back against the solid door of the room. Hitting it with a loud thud, she winced as she clung to the handle to sturdy herself on her feet so she didn't collapse. Her head and spine felt like they were on fire.
That kind of force didn't come from a human or even a human vampire hunter. She was dealing with something else; another supernatural force; another vampire maybe.
Quickly recalling the placement of the light switch, she reached for it hurriedly as the male shadow approached.
Her jaw quickly fell open and her eyes went wide when she was confronted not with a vampire hunter, or even a vampire, but a hybrid; a very familiar hybrid at that.
"Klaus...oh my god..." she said as a whirlwind of emotions hit her; surprise; fear; worry; confusion; guilt; concern; relief; anger.
"In the flesh, sweetheart," he said, wiping some blood from the side of his face, likely from a now healed wound she had inflicted with her punch.
She suddenly became conscious of the ring she was wearing on her middle finger; on the hand she had punched him with.
While there were a million things racing through her mind, she couldn't believe that she had somehow managed to overpower Klaus if even for a second. Maybe he had let her gain the upper hand?
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she straightened her dress and brushed her strewn hair away from her face.
He shrugged with a smirk.
"I could ask you the same thing..." he trailed off.
Despite the playful grin, she could tell by the tone of his voice that he was angry with her. She knew how he sounded when he was angry.
She stood firmly against the door as he approached her stoically.
"Your friend Matt told me everything. I had him in my second block of American History during last period," he explained. "He told me how he was worried you might take things into your own hands," he mused.
Her eyebrows furrowed at the thought of Matt telling Klaus everything. Why couldn't he have just left things alone? She was fine, save for Klaus attacking her.
"He seems to know you well...sure enough, here you are," Klaus said bitterly tossing a hand in her direction before turning to walk into the main room of the guest suite.
As he past the hallway he stumbled, hitting a nearly invisible trip wire.
She looked at him curiously as he looked down and scanned the room quickly for an explanation.
A popping noise sounded suddenly and in a blink of an eye, a slender stake was lodged in Klaus's chest, rapidly followed by one in the stomach, and then one in his left thigh. He growled at the intrusions as he fell to his knees in response.
She let out a horrified shriek at the sight and went to rush towards him, but he halted her with his hand.
"Stop, don't move," he demanded. "There could be more traps," he warned as he stood back up carefully.
He winced quietly as he limped back towards the foyer of the room where she waited.
"Are you okay?" she panicked, meeting him half-way hastily.
He grunted and shrugged her away, leaning up against the wall.
She frowned.
"I'll be fine when I get these bloody pieces of wood out of my body," he hissed.
"Let me help," she offered, extending her hand towards the stake in his leg.
He pushed her hand away.
"I'll do it myself," he grumbled through gritted teeth.
She could only assume his cold demeanour towards her was brought on by a combination of her secrecy and his hurt male ego.
Stepping back, she gave him space as she watched him grab a hold of the stake buried just under his heart.
He ripped it out in one swift motion, barely making so much as a painful scowl as he did it.
The stake had left a large tear in the button up shirt he was wearing under a black collared jacket, but the blood that had been drawn by the wound was disguised by the shirt's deep red colour.
"Wolf venom," he mumbled as he looked over the stake briefly before tucking it inside his jacket and focusing his attention on the other two stakes that were still inside of him.
She closed her eyes partially as he treated the stake in his stomach and the one dug into his thigh as abruptly as he had the first, tearing them out and then tossing them both to the ground.
He eyed her intently as she struggled to find something to say that would remedy the situation.
She followed his eyes as he looked back into the room.
Noting briefly how luxurious the rooms really were, it wasn't long before her eyes caught sight of the weapon that had launched the stakes fitted in the corner of the room.
She gasped when Klaus stepped over the trip wire and back into the room.
"What are you doing!?" she scolded in a whisper.
He shrugged as he moved about the room cautiously, stepping over a few more wires he detected.
"We're here now. Might as well see if the hunter left any clues," he said.
"The hunter could be back any second," she warned.
He glared at her incredulously.
"This so-called 'hunter' doesn't frighten me," he stated. "Besides, you were all ready to play Sherlock five minutes ago," he chastised.
Inspecting a desk against the far wall in between two large covered windows, he opened the drawers after he ensured it wasn't rigged.
He removed a few papers and slipped them inside his jacket before carrying on with his impromptu investigation.
At the nightstand, he opened those drawers cautiously as well, removing a few hotel brochures, laughing when he found a Bible.
There was a suitcase on the upholstered bed end bench and that caught Klaus's attention next.
He unzipped the black bag and took a few moments to rifle through it.
As she stood there waiting, she realized her body was still shaking from shock; the shock of the surprise attack; the shock of seeing Klaus; the shock of Klaus being staked.
Focusing on her breathing, her thoughts drifted towards Dean. Had he regained consciousness and called Klaus to tell him what had happened? Was his kidney still intact or had Klaus made him follow through?
With half of the contents of the suit case spilled out around it, Klaus let out an exasperated sigh at having found nothing more.
He looked under the bed and even under the mattress and then looked over a few other pieces of furniture before he returned to the hallway of the room where she stood.
Moving past her, he entered the bathroom. She listened as he heard him rummaging through the vanity drawers and the contents on the counter.
"We're leaving," he stated sternly as he re-emerged from the room.
She took a final glance around the guest suite. There were drawers left open and articles of the hunter's belongings scattered about from Klaus's unannounced inquisition.
"He'll know we were here," she pointed out as she nodded towards the state of room.
A look of annoyance spread across her face.
"Of course he'll know we were here!" he spat, kicking violently at the bloodied stakes on the ground.
She shuddered as he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door.
As they stumbled out into the hallway, he quickly released her arm and softened his composure upon noticing one of the hotel staff down at one end of the hall, and a laughing couple at the other – near the elevators.
He buttoned his jacket to cover the rips and stains from the stakes that had entered his torso while they approached the elevators.
She looked down at the tear in his pants from the final stake. It was noticeable, but would probably be glanced over by anyone not intentionally looking for it.
Klaus stood off to the side as she positioned herself in between him and the anonymous couple in hopes they wouldn't notice his appearance.
Extending her hand, she pressed the 'down' button a little too enthusiastically, even though the red light around the button had indicated the couple had already done so.
"These elevators take forever," the man chuckled.
She flashed them a friendly smile, hoping they couldn't sense her fear or notice how disheveled her hair was.
The couple was younger. She surmised they would probably be around Alaric and Jenna's ages. The man was tall with short brown hair, while the woman was about her height with hair that resembled Elena's.
She leaned in and pressed the 'down' button a little more impatiently.
"In a hurry?" the woman laughed.
Fighting the urge to say something rude, she shook her head.
"Just starving," she lied, as she rubbed her stomach.
They both gave knowing grins.
"The food here is delicious," the woman explained.
"What brings you here?" the man asked.
She groaned and rolled her eyes on the inside. Why the hell did these people care why they were here?
"Just passing through," Klaus murmured almost rudely slipping his arm around her waist possessively, nearly pushing her inside the elevator as the doors opened.
Her guilty conscience stepped in and she felt the need to cover over the misstep in the conversation.
"You?" she asked the couple as nicely and politely as she could as they too stepped inside the elevator.
The woman's smile practically exploded as she raised her hand and flashed a shiny rock.
"Engagement party," she squealed.
"Oh, congratulations," she replied, mustering the best fake smile she could.
They nodded in acknowledgement before a stifling silence filled the small box they descended to the ground floor in.
When the doors opened, Klaus held her back so the couple exited first and they proceeded behind into the lobby.
He guided her determinedly towards the doors.
"Mr. Mikaelson!" a man's voice called from behind them.
Klaus paused briefly and they turned around.
The balding man who had been at the lobby desk earlier was approaching them.
"Your table and room three-eleven are both ready," he announced.
She looked between the two of them utterly confused.
Klaus scowled.
"Both the dinner reservation and the room are no longer needed, charge an appropriate amount to my account for any inconvenience," he hissed at the man, before spinning around back towards the exit without her.
She apologized to the hotel employee and then scurried after Klaus hoping she would get an explanation.
"What was that about?" she asked as she struggled to keep up with him in her heels down the walkway to the parking lot.
"What do you think?" he grumbled sarcastically as he approached a sleek red Ferrari...the same Ferrari she had been dying to drive.
She stopped a few feet away as her car was a few spots away from his.
He said nothing to her.
So what, he was giving her the silent treatment now?
She sighed. Despite the overwhelming guilt she felt as she tried to put the pieces of the night together, she was too prideful and annoyed to run after him anymore, so she turned for her car.
Before she could take five steps in its direction, Klaus flashed in front of her.
"Where do you think you're going?" he confronted.
She scoffed.
"Home, where else?" she remarked sardonically as she tried to push past him.
He shook his head.
"I don't think so," he stated.
"Why not?" she protested angrily.
"Somewhere out there, there's a hunter who possesses stakes and wolf venom, who I'd be willing to bet will be extremely pissed off when he returns to his room," he remarked. "You're coming with me," he concluded flatly, pulling her – a little more gently this time – towards his car.
She didn't protest this time. Despite her stubbornness she knew he was right, and while they hadn't confronted the hunter tonight, the events in his room had shaken her up to the point where she didn't want to be alone.
He opened the passenger door for her and she climbed inside the black leather interior while he followed suit.
Before she even had a chance to put on her seatbelt he was ripping out of the parking lot at top speed.
She clenched the edges of the seat as he sped down the drive to the main road that led back to Mystic Falls.
If her adrenaline had not already been put into overdrive once tonight she might have found the fast ride more enjoyable; had she and Klaus not been passively aggressively fighting at the moment, she might have even convinced him to let her drive, but she stayed quiet and tried not to focus on her stomach. If she did, she'd feel it doing somersaults.
More than usual, Klaus was driving recklessly and as much as she wanted to chide him for it, she didn't. It would just make things worse. She knew he was taking his anger for her out on the gas pedal.
As they drove towards the other side of town, Klaus's cell phone began to sound in his pants pocket. He answered it readily as they pulled up to a stop light.
"Dean, where've you been mate?" Klaus asked casually into the phone, hitting the gas when the light turned green.
She looked at him and listened worriedly to the conversation.
"She did, did she?" he mused as he glanced in her direction.
Dropping her head, she looked down at the floor of the car apologetically.
"Well not to worry. She's with me now," he informed Dean. "Oh and Dean," he said as though he had forgotten something.
Her head shot up as she eyed him once more.
"You can still rip out that kidney. Try not to make a mess," Klaus said simply before ending the call.
She sighed remorsefully and turned away, opting to gaze aimlessly out the window as they reached their destination and Klaus turned down the drive.
"You didn't have to do that," she said to him quietly as they pulled up in front of his mansion house and he drove the car into the expansive garage.
"And you didn't have to snap his neck," he hissed finally, killing the car engine before climbing out.
She scoffed and trudged behind him into the house.
"Sorry if I didn't feel like being babysat by one of your hybrid minions!" she exclaimed.
Her heels clicked down the hallway as he walked swiftly in front of her towards the front foyer.
"Clearly you need to be," he grumbled, his back still to her.
"Klaus, stop," she demanded, brushing her hands over the back of his jacket in an attempt to stop him. "Are you just going to ignore me?" she pleaded.
He spun around with a vicious look on his face.
"What do you want me to say?" he shouted.
She shook at the tone of his voice as she noticed Elijah appear behind Klaus from one of the living rooms; he'd obviously heard their battling voices.
"I'm sorry, okay?" she relented. "What I did tonight was naive, but you're suffocating me. I was angry about your teacher stunt. I wanted to do this on my own. I wanted to prove myself," she explained.
"Prove what?" he retorted. "Prove that you're unbelievably stupid?" he snapped.
Her jaw fell open and her heart stung a little as her eyes filled with tears.
"Niklaus," Elijah interrupted with a warning tone, clearly trying to mediate the situation.
Klaus turned and glared unappreciatively at his brother.
"Stay out of this Elijah," he barked before turning back to her. "It's true," he maintained. "What would have happened had I not been there? Hmm? You would have walked into the hunter's room, tripped over that wire, and you'd be dead! That stake would have pierced you right in the heart!" he exclaimed furiously. "And even if the stake missed, you'd be too poisoned with wolf venom to move. The hunter would have surely returned before you had a chance to escape and then he would have killed you. Either way, you'd be dead right now," he spat, his face red with rage. "Indeed, you proved nothing tonight save for your own stupidity," he scowled.
She winced, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment as a few tears were pushed out despite her resistance.
"Truth be told, after this afternoon I was feeling a little regretful. I wanted to redeem myself. So, I bought you the dress; the flowers; made the reservations. Like you, I could have gone after the hunter by myself, but I thought perhaps you might appreciate being included," he spoke with a raised and bitter voice as he pointed at her with a spiteful glare. "Never again will I go against my instincts; never again will I allow you to make me feel criminal for trying to protect you," he finished.
He tore past Elijah up the stairs as she wiped her wet cheeks. Both she and Elijah flinched when the doors to Klaus's bedroom slammed shut.
A/N: Hey so what'd you think? I'm sure a lot of you were expecting a hunter surprise. Sorry for tricking you with a sort of false alarm and giving you Klaus instead, heh.
Klaus was a little harsh in the chapter, but Caroline wasn't completely innocent either.
I apologize for ending it here, but like I said, I wanted to give you another speedy update. Beyond that, I wanted to take some time to determine where to go from here. I usually have trouble planning my story long-term, but I'm actually drawing a blank in terms of where to take things in the chapter immediately following this one.
Surely I've set the stage for a Caroline/Elijah heart to heart, but should Caroline put her pride aside and go to Klaus? Or should she stand her ground a bit longer? Ultimately, I think both of them have some apologizing to do. If you have an opinion or a preference, feel free to share with me.
Also, since the last two chapters have been purely from Caroline's POV, I'd like to get back into Klaus's mind – at least in part – as soon as possible, in case any of you were wondering where his POV went, lol.
Okay, I'm rambling now. I apologize. Don't let me discourage you from sending a review :D