Disclaimer: I don't even have the ice cream cake anymore. Q_Q
AN: Finally the center conflict of the story is revealed! Tada, yey me. Kept you waiting long enough didn't I?
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Nadia was sitting alone in the cafeteria while Sam and Reggie were in the line finding their own food. It had been days since the incident in Timber and the Headmaster was still considering her situation. Cooper hadn't spoken to her since the infirmary. She saw him sometimes staring at her from the distance. He was even doing it now.
She glanced at him across the cafeteria. He was sitting with a few SeeDs also in uniform. As if sensing her eyes on him, he looked up. Meeting her stare, he froze. She longed for him to smile, wave, maybe even wink. Anything to show he hadn't taken personal offense to what she had said, though she knew he had. She had not realized how much energy he had forced into her life since Irvine's death. He even went so far as to try to convince her Irvine was still alive. He had brought her gifts and showered her in smiles and being deprived of them for mere days was upsetting her.
He broke eye contact with her briefly speaking to his friends, before standing up. She started to panic when he began walking in her direction. What would he say? Would he yell at her like Reggie so often did when she did something wrong? Maybe he would just tell her to stop talking to him. "Hey." He said coolly taking a seat next to her. "You hear from the headmaster yet?"
"No, I wanted to apologize!" She stared down at her grilled cheese sandwich in interest.
He gave a soft chuckle. "I wasn't going to bring that up, but since you did… did you really mean it?" She gave a confused mumble contemplating drowning herself with the orange juice. Was there enough in the bottle to constrict breathing, all she would have to do it not swallow. "Did you mean it when you said just go," He paused considering his words, "get some relief elsewhere?"
She blanched as the bottle of juice rolled across the table. He reached for it before it slipped off the edge. "I- well yes, but no. It was really mean of me to say it. I find the idea of bed buddies like that gross. Haven't you ever done it for love? Men are just too free with sex. It leads to women who encourage heartless men to repeat the cycle."
His frown had her worried was he preparing to berate her? "You know that works both ways. There are women who also have sex for pleasure, not love. But no I haven't ever had sex for love. I'm ashamed that I did what I did to you. When I saw you I thought, she's pretty, I wouldn't mind doing that. If I could go back in time and stop myself I would. You are an interesting person despite what the rest of the school thinks." She blushed. "Maybe when I saw you, I saw the SeeD potential which is what drew me to you. Everyone else here, they have the SeeD potential… but not as bright as yours."
She shook her head. No way did he really think that. "Nonsense, you probably only saw my parents and thought there was no way that I couldn't make SeeD."
He took her small hands in his. He didn't touch her often, but his warmth forced away her distress. He was talking to her, that was a plus. He didn't seem angry he was even comforting her, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand. "Well yes, that was a bit of it. I thought with parents like those you could handle what being a SeeD meant. We turn down a lot of people with the skills and expertise to be a SeeD because they simply can't handle it. The Headmaster has a list upstairs that no one sees. Those destined for the Galbadian Army, those on the fast track to stations around the world to help causes and promote peace. And finally those that will either be SeeD or die trying, that's the smallest list. Why do you think he screens people that come in? You're file has notes all over it. The Headmaster doesn't think you have what it takes."
"Why is that?" She said focusing on his massaging hands to keep from weeping. If the Headmaster didn't think she had what it took, surely she would never become a SeeD.
"You look too delicate. When I look at you I see what he saw. A small frame in a cute body meant to make others happy with a smile. Kind of like Edea Kramer, neither of you is built for heavy labor or the battle front. If," He paused again, his hands stilled, "if I hadn't come when I had in Timber, you might have died. Natalia was keeping the three men attacking her busy. She's couldn't take on three men and win but she could hold them off. She had already let me know you guys needed help. If you had just stayed quiet you wouldn't have gotten hurt like you had."
"Did you see what I did though? I wasn't going to get killed if that's what you think." Nadia snapped. Mentally she flung her mind across the garden searching for her weapon. She could see it in her mind's eye among all the other presences. It was the only infinitely angry thought pattern.
"Kina," He said his eyes pained, "You barely managed to take out one man on your own. The other man you forgot about was knocked out when his head hit the pavement. If he had managed to keep consciousness the story would have played out a bit different." She didn't want to imagine the situation differently. She had done her duty and had held her own even if Natalia didn't need the protection.
The announcement bells chimed stopping their conversation. The entire cafeteria paused awaiting the news. "SeeD Candidate Patil please report to the Headmaster's office." Dread filled her, what if the Headmaster told her she had failed? She didn't want to get up and answer the call, but Cooper had other ideas. He pulled her from her seat Sam and Reggie leaving their position in the lunch line as they dashed towards her.
There was a snicker as the four of them headed towards the doors. It was the teen with the sword that often said impolite things. "The slut's at it again." Nadia paused just as Cooper and Sam did, ready to start a verbal argument with him. However, Reggie still walking briskly took the teen by his head and slammed his face into his table. The boy gave a staggered shout of protest before slipping off the table and out of his chair.
"What are you guys waiting for?" Reggie beamed as he continued his moderate pace towards the door. Nadia burst out laughing before chasing after Reggie. Cooper and Sam were hot on her heels repressing snickers.
"Ah there you are! I see you have brought your cheering team." Headmaster Martine chuckled. Nadia blushed wishing she could make them disappear. She didn't want them to be with her when the Headmaster told her she had failed.
"Headmaster, am I a SeeD?" She asked not sure she could take anymore suspense.
The headmaster took a seat on his desk hands clasped together. She wanted to scream, he was taking a position of bad news, she had failed! "It took a lot of deliberation. I even had to call on Headmaster Cid of Balamb Garden on his opinion. We then went to Sorceress Rinoa and President Loire." She was in shock her eyes wide. Why had they called such important people over her, in fact why had they called her mother and grandfather at all over this?
"I read over your report. You are no SeeD of our normal caliber that is for certain, however, you posses all other traits of a SeeD. That leads me to overlook your lack of physical strength and battle prowess. When I read Instructor Natalia and Seed Elite Dunlay's reports I was distressed. You know as well as I do that we don't teach an ounce of magic at this school. Our soldiers that are sent to the military must take a short course to be able to even cast basic spells.
"Both Natalia and Mister Dunlay here," he said waving to Cooper, "have written of an interesting incident with a man's arm catching fire. The dagger or athame that you used during the exam was not the garden issue blade. Mister Dunlay here had already informed me you were using the dagger he gave you. He sent me a copy of the craftsmanship orders as well as helped me get in contact with the dagger's creator.
"We believed the incident was caused by magic crafted into the dagger. I was informed by its maker, that at special request of Mister Dunley, he forged the dagger with fragments and shards of fallen fire creatures from Ifrit's Cavern. This in itself has no magic, it only makes any cuts or wounds made with the dagger burn from the acidic residue of the remains. So the only thing I am left to assume is that you set that man on fire. And for those with the Witch Embodiment special training is required. We cannot make this public knowledge just yet. Our Deling City native Rinoa has not returned to the city since her wedding, Galbadia isn't ready for Sorceresses just yet.
"So while I will graduate you to SeeD Rank, you are not a real SeeD. You will not go on missions until we are sure of your battle readiness. Perhaps the Lady Rinoa will take you on as an apprentice and your days as a 'SeeD' will end." Headmaster Martine said rising to get back on his feet.
Nadia realized something was amiss when the Headmaster stopped moving. He was locked in an awkward position that normally could not be sustained. She turned to see Reggie, Sam, and Cooper unmoving. All three of them looked at her with wild eyes; they tried to speak but could only manage grunting at her. She turned again a dark portal shimmering into existence next to the Headmaster's desk.
"Ah yes, finally the right time." A voice cooed moments before a wild looking woman slipped out of the portal. She had gravity defying hair and purple tattoos on her face. "Oh yes! There you are! Come with me Sorceress Nadia." The lady said her gold eyes mirthful.
"Who are you?" She panicked stepping back. She bumped into Reggie's still form. He was so warm and alive feeling, his immobility terrified Nadia. Why wasn't she frozen too?
"Oh that's right. Your time has no pictures of me. I will tell you come along now." The lady mused as her purple claws toyed with her necklace.
"What makes you think I'll follow?" She said feeling her will to defy washed away by fear.
"You will because you already have. Now come on before I get mean." Nadia felt the woman's threat to be true. She fought against her fear and took steps towards the woman's portal. She tuned out all the grunting and muffled shouts inching towards the portal. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and jumped into the portal after the lady.
The spell broke the moment the black hole swallowed Nadia up. Cooper fell to his knees while Reggie toppled backwards. Sam had been the only one with sense not to fight spell and was on his feet while the Headmaster recovered from colliding into one of the chairs. He reached into his pocket for his digital display dialing straight to Squall's office. The commander flickered into view distress on his features. "Why are you calling me? Where is Nadia?"
Sam well aware his phone call had already set off red flags in Squall's mind he tried to gather himself to deliver the bad news. He idly wondered when the last time Nadia had portal called her father. "A sorceress just ran off with Nadia."
"A sorceress? Not possible, what did she look like?" Squall frowned waving off screen at someone to come near. Rinoa popped into view as well as Headmaster Cid.
"She had gray hair, looked like horns. She was in a dark red dress and her hands were claws. Purple tattoos on her face and she had gold eyes. She told Nadia to come with her and she did."
Sam hadn't seen fear on Squall's face before and Rinoa looked as though she would faint. "That's not possible." Headmaster Cid frowned.
"Why ever not? The lady just popped into the office here. She came in through a portal." Sam said. Reggie regained his balance and took a stand next to his partner.
"It's not possible because we killed Ultimecia three years ago!" Squall snapped throwing his display down. Sam hardly noticed the display's view vibrating. There was no way to get Nadia back now. She had gone to the future where Sam and Reggie wouldn't be able to find her. They had ultimately failed and they were as good Nadia could get.
"Will she come for Rinoa?" Reggie asked worried.
"I don't know what she's plotting now. It shouldn't be possible! We killed her!" Squall hissed again.
"I assure you I am very alive! See this bruise on me knee- alive I say!" Ultimecia hissed glaring at Nadia. Ultimecia had already berated her for jumping through a perfectly level portal. She had sent them both crashing into a table on the other side.
"But you aren't- my father killed you." Nadia insisted again.
"Oh you people in the past are so dense. Just because he has killed me doesn't mean he wiped me from history. I am very much alive right now, that isn't to say I will be alive five years from now. Perhaps you should just go into the future and ask myself or my grave, whichever is there." Ultimecia said pouring herself a cup of tea.
Nadia was beyond confused. She was staring right at the evil sorceress that had nearly brought their world to war three years ago. The lady was very proper and polite for a woman who killed without question. "So you mean to tell me that the Ultimecia that my father killed is… the older you?" Ultimecia nodded reaching for a small chocolate tart. "Oh wow, I had always studied time theory, but to actually experience it… why did you do those things Ultimecia? You can still choose not to do those things."
Ultimecia shook her head. "Nonsense, I will do those things, because I already have done those things."
Nadia blanched spurred on by theory she had read about. "That's not true. For sorceresses in control of time and space you have the power to change history. You can simply choose not to go back into the past and do those things."
Ultimecia gave a nod. "Yes perhaps I could, sorceress Adel was so blind in her studies of the Witch Embodiment. The fact that I can do it doesn't mean I have the will or the mindset to deem it worth my time. What if I am happy with the way history turns out?" Nadia couldn't see how. "Imagine if you will- being a child born after what people called the Ultimecia Incident, and your crazy prophet of a mother names you after the infamous sorceress.
"You come into your Witch Embodiment at the age of fifteen and people know. So you think I can change this for the longest time by not doing what the history books say you will. This decision alone should change them and all prior history of the incident forgotten. But it isn't, so you can only surmise that the incident still happens and something will drive you towards that destiny." Nadia felt grief for Ultimecia's plight. "But then you think- maybe there is a reason to do what you do."
"But why! You killed so many people in the war you started. You ruined countless people's lives. You even thinned out the entities of the Witch Embodiment!" Nadia shouted slamming her hands on the fine oak table. She could see from the castle and the room they had entered Ultimecia was rich. Why would a woman clearly well off want anything to do world domination, let alone godhood?
"I thinned it out yes, but your time still has so many sorceresses. A good twenty or so and you and your mother." Ultimecia said calmly taking another drink of tea, "However in my time… I am the only one. I thinned it out nothing in your time compared to what I am going to do. And because I am the only means I have found a reason to make it so."
"Why- what reason could want to force all the power of generations of sorceress into a single vessel."
"Because I have and I will, I need to make a sorceress strong enough in the past to kill me. And I need you to do that." She said flatly golden eyes staring intently.
"Why would you think I would help you do this?"
"Because you have, or I wouldn't have learned how to force a junction of anyone or thing."
Nadia was so confused. She stood up knocking her chair over. "I don't understand. Why could you want to end the sorceress line! If you do what you have done you die and send you power to the past meaning it will no longer exist in the present because you receive it from yourself. Why do you need to do this? Just end it all now by deciding you truly want to not do what you have done."
Ultimecia laughed. She grasped the arms of her chair her head thrown back howling. "Now you are seeing the issue."
Nadia stopped. She did. "Because you are going to do what you have already done… there will be no more Witch Embodiment. Can the world survive without its Sorceresses?"
She watched the elder sorceress stand up. She conjured her wings- full black and radiant in their dark glory. In a deep resounding voice she spoke. "Daughters of Hyne and Sons of Shiva I call you." She raised her hand and on it Nadia saw her teleport ring; the red ruby twinkling at her. A portal appeared semi-transparent the other side a glittering blue room. A boy with white hair slipped through the portal followed by a girl with long golden hair.
"Yes my lady?" The boy said kneeling in front of Ultimecia. The girl bowed her head in respect.
"Turn to your maker, the first- let her see you." The sorceress said a sly grin lighting her face. The girl and the boy turned to Nadia heads bowed. She didn't understand what she was looking for, they looked like normal people. Perhaps Ultimecia meant her to look with her magic eye. She closed her eyes focusing on the pair. "You see the potential do you not?"
"How can a man have the potential to house the Witch Embodiment?" She could see the spark clear as day on him. It matched the girl beside him though all history and lineage pointed to Hyne being the only male able to channel the force.
"I wish to hold audience with the Great Hyne himself and address the dilemma of being the last Sorceress. I cannot leave the children without a leader. The world would scorn them and hunt them down and all of work done throughout the ages would be for not. You may be an accident but the world embraced it."
"What do the gardens have to say about you," Nadia said her eyes looking over the girl. She had a similar presence to the boy, but oddly more alien. Her core looked frozen and lifeless but at the same time human.
"The Garden my dear. They are a unified entity in this day and age, the work of the Garden, the Sons of Shiva, and Daughter of Hyne is never done. I cannot tell you why, but it is imperative that the sorceress line does not end with me. I must beseech Hyne to fix this great folly of mine." Ultimecia said pain written on her face.
"That you caused so you could beseech him."
Now she lost her patience. "I understand! If you must blame someone blame the fates, gods of chance, destiny, and fate!" Nadia didn't even need to ask her to explain she was ranting now. "Great people like your parents, your husband, and me all are dealt cards. We can be chanced with a strong body or strong will, very rarely both. Chance never rolls quiet right for anyone, your father got lucky. We are all fated to die it is merely a chance that we can meet our destiny. I am taking the chance regardless of who will die in the process, if I can only ask a single moment to plead with our Lord above.
"I want to shout from the heavens until the end of time. 'Help your people! Help your Descendents, Hyne. Give life to a new sorceress.' That is all I need a single moment of eternity in hopes he will hear me." She looked defeated suddenly the boy who was in front of her turning to her in distress. She waved him off regaining her composure.
"And you two would help her in her Time Compression?" Nadia said her mind reeling and at the same time processing.
"We will because we have." The girl intoned her blue eyes gazing back emotionless.
"And what happens if you fail?" Nadia said almost not waiting to hear it.
"The next time the Lunatic Pandora starts the Lunar Cry it will be over." She said her eyes empty.
"But everyone knows what the Lunar Cry is no one will start another one!" Nadia insisted remembering the books. The death tolls, the damage done, the increase in monsters, all of these pointed to pain and suffering that made wars look like children's games.
"No human has since me. There is much about our time you can't and will never know. It's time for you to give in to me and tell me how to junction with other people." She said her voice cold and angry.
"Even if I wanted to help you I don't know how."
The boy spoke up this time. "My Lady, perhaps it is not that she knows how, but her body does. She is the first, the information residents in her, even if it does not in us."
Ultimecia nodded in agreement. "You are right. Why would the first ever need to do something like that? It's only something meant for me to know and use." She looked up at Nadia her eyes hard once more. "Think of this before you deny me again. If I do not do what I have done and you do not help me as you have- nothing will come to pass. History will unravel and Rinoa will not meet Squall. Edea will stay a sorceress of no renowned and the children will forever stay in the orphanage. They will grow up the best of friends, the Gardens a myth for Edea and Cid will find no need to make them.
"With no Gardens war will rage. When Galbadia is happy with its domination it will stop it's march and enforce it's teachings and ways of life onto the other nations. Those who do not submit will die. Meaning Rinoa would surely die as a resist member of Timber. With your mother dead you wouldn't even have a chance at existing. Not to mention, you would be born human, age like humans, and your lovers would be old and gray before you were ready for them. The life you have is thanks to me, now submit to my will and give me what I need to do what I have done."
Nadia was crying. How could this woman be so mean? She was so utterly driven that as she had said she would do any harm or injustice to achieve her goal. She wondered what her life would be like without Irvine for what little time she had had him. What Utimecia implied was that she would even have a different father. She liked the one she had now and the fact that as her life had played out she had met people like Sam and Reggie. Even Cooper was something she didn't want to give up. She liked her life the way it was. If that meant helping this mad woman get what she wanted then she would give it to her.
"Fine, do what you need." Nadia sighed defeated. She was surprised when instead of a physical assault or exam, she felt Ultimecia in her head. She was being careful, but thorough. She was flipping through memories and random data Nadia had memorized. She was remembering with her as the focused woman shuffled through memories.
She remembered Irvine laughing, Selphie looking sickly, her mother crying when she thought she wasn't looking, her father's frowns when she hurt herself, and she even remembered clinging to Zell's leg laughing while he stomped around. Suddenly a memory she couldn't recall flickered through. 'Stop!' She shouted. Ultimecia paused wondering if it was a protest or a request. Sensing the request she flooded Nadia's mind with the memory and moved on.
She was on the beach with Cooper. Her mind numbly sensed Ultimecia searching in the background, but the memory was too important to ignore.
"How did you get rid of Reggie?" She giggled. He was smiling down at her clearly amused at her constant giggling.
"I slipped something into his drink when he wasn't looking. I hope the guy passed out in a good position or he'll hurt in the morning." Cooper said looking up at the moon. She stumbled on the flat sand grabbing Cooper for support. "You are so sloshed my dear."
"I know- it's funny… I know. You are handsome. Why are you with me? There are tons of hot girls. I mean pretty, yes, plenty of pretty girls at the party." She snickered burying her face into his arm.
"Too many pretty girls in one place for me to find one to have fun with. I picked you because there is something about you. I saw you and," He stopped talking for a moment. She continued on in a drunken stagger falling to the floor without Cooper to support her. She found herself face first in the sand laughing madly. He gave a soft chuckle and helped her up. "you made me believe in love at first sight. I won't let anyone else hurt you I promise."
She cackled rocking back into his arms. "You're just saying that because I'm drunk! I'm not going to sleep with you! I'm not that easy."
"You don't feel the same way?" He asked pain flashing for a moment on his face before he smiled again.
"Of course not! I am in love with Irvine!" She stopped laughing for a moment. "He's dead- I'm all alone." She began to wail. She felt Cooper's arms wrap tighter around her.
"I will stay by your side. I won't ask you to stop loving him- in fact I'll help you keep loving him… but I will try to steal you. I want you as my own-" He said harshly. Her tears stopped when he squeezed too tight.
"You're hurting me." She whined trying to wiggle out of his grip. He relaxed his grip instantly cooing soft words of forgiveness to her. "Better!" She started laughing again. "Why can't I stop laughing? I'm so sad. I miss Irvine, but I keep laughing."
She could feel him kissing her tears, even licking them quickly with a deft tongue. "It's the liquor. Don't doubt your sorrow. Just keep crying it will make you feel better in the long run. I'll hold you tonight if it will make you feel better." He whispered. She continued to laugh, her body on fire with the effort and the booze. Together they knelt in the sand under the moonlight. She continued to weep and he continued to kiss and lick away her tears.
When the tears stopped she started calling him Irvine. His warm smile never faltered as they stumbled back to the hotel. She pushed the memory away unable to watch Cooper smiling down at her, his smile never quiet reaching his eyes.
She shook the dizziness out of her mind and found Ultimecia sitting at the table again. The boy and the girl were gone. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but the elder lady had cleared off the table of food. It was now littered with papers and biographies. "What are you planning now?" Nadia said.
"You remember your father had to kill eleven sorceresses?" She said focused on her work. Nadia hummed a response back. "Well I'm still not sure exactly who they all are. I am doing my research to find how which ones your father must kill."
"And your possession of the sorceress also had a double reasoning?" Nadia questioned finding it no damage to learn why something happened that was already part of her past.
"But of course. I will need them to achieve Time Compression, but I need Rinoa as the vessel for their powers. Myself, Spera and all her collective of weaker sorceresses, as well as the powerful Adel." She said a smile creeping across her face as she plucked a paper from the pile.
"Do you need me for anything else?"
Ultimecia stood up sharply. "Yes I had almost forgotten. Here," She pushed a book into Nadia's hand. Where she had conjured it from, she still wasn't sure. She leaned in taking Nadia by the head. She gave a sharp squeak when Ultimecia kissed her. The older woman tasted like ash and smoke. She wanted to pull away when she used tongue but the woman's grip unbreakable.
Pulling away the woman licked her lips, "It's not one of your skills. You'll thank me later when you use that. I'm done with you now, are you ready to go home? You'll have been gone one month, I may be able to use Time travel but I'm not good at it. It took me four tries to find you when I was supposed to."
Nadia still in shock nodded. Ultimecia waved her arm and another portal appeared. Nodding mutely at the lady she walked through the portal.
It had been day when she left. Now as she stepped into the cafeteria it was night. She wanted to laugh at Ultimecia's lack of skill. Not only did the woman fail to send her back just after she left, she didn't even send her back to the same place.
She held the book close to her as she padded over to the double doors. They were locked and no amount of shaking them would open them. She wanted to use her magic to open them, but she wasn't sure what she could do. She had only had time to practice with elements and illusions. She knew she had some skill in the force but other than basic testing training Adel's book had covered, she could do little else.
Throwing out her mind to the garden she found most of its inhabitants asleep. She wondered if she could sense Reggie, Sam, or Cooper. A swipe proved nothing so she reached for her dagger. It was still angry and furious as always. She mused that perhaps she would be too if parts of her soul weren't laid to rest in sacred fire areas. She fed her power to her dagger to catch fire as it had during her exam.
Instantly she saw a mental light blaze to life. She threw the image of the cafeteria to the mental spark. Someone would be coming for her shortly she was certain.
Ten minutes later she was rewarded with the clamoring sounds of an irate lunch lady and a restless Reggie.
"Nadie! You're back!" He was weeping. She didn't think Reggie even had tear ducts. "We thought you were gone! You're father will want to know. Let's go home." The lunch lady grumbled shuffling over to a chair and passing out quickly. Nadia nodded agreeing with Reggie. She had been gone a month's time for them. She had done enough disappearing acts on her parents it was time to check up on them.
Together they slipped out into the hallway where Nadia conjured a portal. It was her parent's dorm. She hadn't been there in a while. The light was still on oddly enough. Taking Reggie's hand they stepped through the portal. She blinked back the change of lighting and turned to look at the living area.
"Nadia!" Came a voice she had never thought to hear again. Squall and Irvine were standing together leaned over the table. She blinked taking in the sight of him. He was in his trademark Cowboy hat and trench coat.
She squeaked. He was dead! She cried out rushing towards him. "You're supposed to be dead!" He wrapped his arms around her as she collided into him. He smelled like leather and gunpowder, she was thankful that much hadn't changed.
"Hello to you too." Squall said hotly. She winced realizing how it must feel to Squall. His missing daughter pops out of nowhere and runs into the arms of someone else who mattered less in his eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me Irvine was alive!" She hissed back matching his anger. She reluctantly pulled away from Irvine to hug her father.
"I'll get your mother on the display. She has been worried about you." Squall wrapped his arms around her. She felt comfortable and at home in her father's arms.
"Nadia you should know," Reggie said breaking the moment, "that while you were gone Galbadia has gone on the move again. You mother is in Timber helping the resistance effort." Ultimecia's book burned in her hand. She was almost certain she would be up all night reading.