The pool game continued in silence, besides the men murmuring amongst themselves about the sports game going on. I focused only on the game or on Peter, who seemed to be watching my every move, like I was going to turn into a werewolf or something. The thought was nice though; if I turned into something, I hoped that I'd kill the Joker first.

The Joker made his moves with serious concentration, his brow frowning when he was calculating a shot in his head. For a man who laughed and smiled and acted like a clown, he could be quite serious when he put his mind to it. I caught him glancing in my direction, but I never made eye contact, knowing I'd lose the small amount of control I had.

We reached the end quickly, making the call shot several times and missing each time. Even in my numbed state, I could tell that the Joker was missing on purpose so that I had a chance to win against him.

After I had missed a few times, the Joker tried sneaking behind me and helping position my cue stick, but I elbowed him hard in the chest, making him grunt and move away. He kept trying though, and finally, I let him guide me.

He didn't seem to be aware of it, but I was. He was pressed so close behind me that it seemed like his body fit me. I heard his breathing near my ear, felt his arm as he grabbed my hand and positioned it. With his arms around me to guide me, I lost track of my emotions. As he leaned over, pressing against me, I leaned over with him, letting his hand wander to mine to be an enforcer.

He and I jingled our cue stick back and forth several times, preparing for the shot before using our combined force to hit the cue ball, sending it into the eight ball. We went still as the black ball fell into the destined pocket.

I felt like the world had stopped. I didn't feel like myself, like I didn't have any control over my body. I heard myself breathing heavily, as it accelerated. My heart pounded rhythmically in my chest. I felt the Joker's body heat radiating from him. He was breathing on my neck, his head turned slightly so that his lips touched my cheek. I felt numb everywhere, except for where he had his lips.

It lasted only a second, and then, the Joker pulled away.

"Ten o'clock!" he exclaimed. "Someone change the channel! I want-ah to see the ten o'clock news!"

I blinked and upon finding that I was still leaning over, straightened. The Joker had tossed his cue stick onto the table to bound around the couches to see the news. I glanced at Peter, to see that his attention was on the TV, same as the other guys in the room.

"Turn it up!" the Joker ordered at the person with the remote. "Turn it way up!" As the volume increased, I took the Joker's cue stick and mine and put them away in the holding rack before finding an empty chair and placing it backwards facing the TV where I straddled it, resting my chin on my arms.

"…We have just received news of the discovery of a body floating in Gotham Harbor," the newscaster said. "Police believe it to be the work of the Joker, or someone who works for him. A smile has been carved into the man's face along with what looks like a Yin and Yang symbol on his forehead. The man found has been identified as Tyler Samson, a member of the Ghost Dragons gang…"

I caught the Joker's head jerking in my direction so I quickly buried my face in my arms. It had only been five or six hours ago, and I still couldn't believe what I had done. It had all come on the spur of the moment; I had needed a symbol to use as a shadow, and Yin and Yang happened to be the first thing that had come to mind.

Tyler had a dagger on him at the time, and I had used it to make his smile…something for the Joker. I had made sure that Dean hadn't seen me when I did it, but if he was watching the news right now, he'd know what I did when I had told him to make sure that Tyler's friends were gone.

I felt a hand drop on my head, but I didn't raise it. Leather stroked my hair as the Joker said, "Go back to, ah, to your game, boys." His hands slipped under my arms, and he lifted me from the chair. I didn't raise my head as the Joker led me gingerly out of the room, closing the door behind him.

We walked a ways from the room, and then the Joker released me. I leaned my back against the wall, thumping my head against it as I closed my eyes.

"The Yin and Yang was…creative," the Joker remarked.

"Don't talk to me about that," I said, quietly, pained. "I don't know why I did it, and I regret it. I've never left anything behind that would lead back to me."

"I'm rubbing off on yah." The Joker chuckled, but I slid down along the wall, collapsing on the floor.

I had a sudden urge to cry, a lump forming in my throat. I didn't want to feel like this. It made me angry, and my anger showed. I ducked my head forward and then threw it back, hitting it hard against the wall.

"Whoa!" the Joker exclaimed as I did it again. He lunged forward, grabbing my head before I could hit it a third time, and for extra measure, he placed his arm behind me. "None of that-ah, Shadow," he ordered, sternly.

"You can't stop me," I said, my voice cold, my eyes lifeless. He seemed taken aback by how cold I had become, but he recovered a moment later.

"How is this different from other murders you've committed, under the Mob's orders?" the Joker demanded, his voice turning hard to match mine.

"You never ordered me to kill him. I did it of my own free will."

"That's right, Shadow." The Joker shifted, grabbing my chin roughly. "This is only the be-gin-ning."

"But I chose to kill him," I protested, my anger fading into hysteria. "I've only done that once in my life…" The Joker, who had opened his mouth to say more, closed it, listening. "At the time," I said, quietly, "It was a relief to kill him, to get away from him…" I stopped, realizing that the Joker didn't know who I was talking about.

"Go on, Shadow," he pressed, his voice soft as he pushed me to tell him.

It seemed like the right moment. I had never told anyone about my past, keeping that a secret hidden with only myself so it wasn't really a secret. It takes two to make a secret, but it only takes one person to hide something.

That moment, I was so feeble, so vulnerable. I feared speaking, but I had a forbidden sense that if I spoke about my past, it would make me feel better; despite how much I feared my past. There are some things that people do not wish to remember.

I decided to tell the Joker. If anyone would understand, it would be him. The scar stories he has told me revealed pieces of his past, and it seemed enough, to me, that I could trust him with something as awful as my own past.

I took a hesitating breath. "Okay," I said quietly, like I was testing my voice. "I suppose I was a normal girl, living with a caring family. I had a mother, a stepfather, and even a little stepbrother. I lived a relatively unchanged life, going to school, studying, making…friends…" I swallowed hard. "It only took the arrival of my birthfather to change everything…

"My mother fell in love with a Mobster and dropped out of high school to be with him. She was only seventeen, but when she found she was pregnant, she ran off, knowing that my father, Michael would come after her. She married a man named Dane who offered protection and love.

"Michael found us, having his men hold down Dane, my brother Scotty, and me while he raped my mother." I hugged my knees, closing my eyes tightly against the memory of her screams. "He gave her the quick way out, shooting her in the head and ending her life." I cringed, hearing the fatal gunshot echo in my head, hiding my face in my arms. "He stabbed Dane to death. My brother…Scotty was tied to a chair and soaked with gasoline. One of Michael's men dropped a match and lit Scotty."

I was shaking madly, choking on sobs. The tears ran down my cheeks against my will. Curled tightly into my chest, I couldn't breathe. Noticing this, the Joker drew me away from the wall, grabbing my arms and pulling them out. I didn't resist him, my sobs becoming uncontrollable but still quiet. Without a word, the Joker slipped his arms underneath me and lifted me into his arms, cradling me against his chest.

I buried my face into his shoulder, hugging his neck. My sobs were muffled by his leather jacket as he carried me down the hall toward his bedroom.

With minor adjustments, the Joker balanced me as he turned the doorknob, pushing the door open with his foot. He kicked it closed before bringing me to the bed, laying me on it. Free from his grasp, I turned onto my side and curled into myself, grabbing a handful of the blanket. I was vaguely aware of the Joker pulled off my shoes, kicking off his own before he climbed onto the bed beside me, lying on his back with his hands clasped behind his head; head turned toward me.

I didn't speak as I let the tears run, burying my face into the blanket and wiping my eyes. When the sobs had subsides a bit, I said in a choked voice, "I tried to save Scotty, but Michael grabbed me and locked me into his car. He drove me away, screaming and fighting, watching my home burn.

"He took me back to his place and locked me in a small room." I looked up at him with bleary eyes and said, "Worse that any of the rooms you've put me in…" I dropped my gaze to the blanket. "It was a place where I was alone, alone to think over what had happened. I was scared, I cried, I was alone. It did nothing to save me from those memories that kept flashing in my mind."

I closed my eyes as a tear slid from one. "Five years…that's how long I remained with Michael, unable to get away from him. No matter what, if I wasn't in that small room, I was with him. I pretended to be mute, only looking at the floor. He hit me; I felt the bite of a cane that Michael fancied. I was even present while he was…" I bit my lip hard, keeping it there until it started to bleed.

"It only took a few months. I couldn't brave it out, being too scared to protect myself from such things. At the age of thirteen, I had seen all types of crimes committed, have been part of some of them. Michael used me, hurt me, bent me to his will. He always used the word 'train', like I was his pet, someone he could 'train' to obey his every order. Unable to fight back, I did learn to obey, and gradually, I accepted what my life had become. I became one of them, being the obedient one to my father. I did everything I could to make him happy with me, but I still received beatings, gaining a tolerance to pain…

"I was seventeen, high on the excitement of the latest crime, an armed robbery when I accidentally shot Michael's right-hand man, a guy named Todd. He died instantly from a shot in the chest. Michael was very angry with me. I told him I was sorry, pleaded for his forgiveness, begged at his feet, broken like a beaten dog…"

I licked my lower lip, tasting the blood, and my eyes lifted, catching the Joker's. His tongue slid out over his bottom lip like mine, and I begged for him, my eyes softening to the point I almost cried. Some sense hidden deep inside him alerted him subconsciously of my need, and he rolled onto his side, placed a gloved hand on the bed between us. I immediately reached for it, squeezing it tightly for comfort. His scarred mouth twitched at the corners as he squeezed back, his eyes intent on mine.

"He called me in later after yelling at me for killing his right-hand. The moment I walked into the room, a trap was triggered, and I found myself hanging by my ankle, upside down. The floor opened underneath me." My grip tightened. "Several floors, I couldn't count how many, separated me from the dark water. I was fine…until he dropped me."

I whimpered, burying my face in the blanket as my stomach lurched like the memory was real. "I must've dropped a floor or two. The sudden stop hurt. It wasn't even a gradual stop. I hung there for several moments before he dropped me two floors more. He stopped me and left me there for a minute before bringing my back up to the top.

"I remember him yelling at me, but his words were a jumble in my head. I was afraid, trembling all over. My state made him angrier, and he dropped me with unpredictable numbers of floors. He hung me there for a few moments and then raised me, only to drop me again.

"He asked me questions that I couldn't answer. I was so…terrified; I couldn't speak. Seizures…I remember having a seizure before he dropped me. Every time…I had a seizure until I simply became…paralyzed with my fear.

"It was torture; the drop, the stop, the hanging, the rising, and the next drop. Paralyzed with fear, there was nothing I could do. I couldn't move, couldn't speak…I don't know how long it went on. It seemed endless.

"The last rise…I couldn't see anything, the blood pressure in my head too great. He rose me to the top, and I hung there, limp, listening to his last words…'I've trained you to obey my every order. I've taught you how to live. You repay me by killing Todd…I believe in revenge, Sara, and I will have it.'…"

I stopped, fighting back tears. I felt so small, so scared; the memory of the endless drops fresh in my mind. My hand clenched the Joker's tightly, and noticing it, I let go, drawing my hand away. He reached out and pulled my hand back, and I watched his thumb as he rubbed the back of my hand.

"What-ah happened then?" he asked, his voice low, cautious, like he knew I was on the edge of breaking.

I took a shaky breath and said, "I found a gun in my hand, like it had appeared out of thin air. Before he dropped me, I shot him in the chest, just like Todd." I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them, meeting the Joker's. "He was the only thing keeping me from falling into the water. With him down, I fell…"

Tears choked me, and I shifted, bringing myself up against the Joker, burying my face into his chest as the sobs overtook me. He hesitated, unsure of what to do, and then put his arms around me.

I didn't cry as long as the first time. I fell into a hiccupping-sniffing state after a few minutes. I stroked the collar of the Joker's jacket, needing something to focus on, to distract me.

Then, the Joker pulled away from me gently, and I let him go; I had no strength to keep him with me. He didn't intend to leave me there, getting off the bed and turning back to face me. "C'mon, Sha-dow," he said, his voice low. He held out a hand in my direction and motioned for me to come to him. I propped myself up on my hands, sliding to a sitting position, but I stared at his hand, uncomprehending.

"It's a, ah, a hand, Shadow. Only difference is that-ah it's my hand. C'mon, I won't-ah hurt you. I wanna show you something." I looked up at him and shook my head slowly. His tender expression hardened as his anger surfaced. The Joker walked around the bed toward my side, and he leaned over, grabbing me around the waist.

Despite my swirl of emotions, I protested as he effortlessly heaved me off the bed and onto my feet where he held me against his chest. He shifted his hold on me to my upper arm before stepping back, turning, and leading me into the bathroom.

The Joker flicked on the light and pulled me in after him, kicking the door closed behind me. I jumped at the sound, and I started struggling as he stepped behind me, his arms trapping mine to my sides as he held me in a bear hug. I fought until I looked into the mirror and saw the anger in his white face that appeared slightly behind mine. Seeing his unpredictable rage, I stopped, almost falling limp as the Joker slid his hands to my shoulders, his grip tight.

"Look at the mirror, Shadow," the Joker told me, and I turned my head toward him. He growled angrily and grabbed my chin, roughly forcing me to look at the mirror. A cold arrow of fear shot through me when I met my own eyes, seeing a flicker of color besides the blue. The Joker's grip relaxed on me, and I leaned over the sink, gripping the edge of the counter tightly.

Before my eyes, images of my parents' bodies flashed, burning into my retinas. The smell of death stung inside my nose, and the echo of a sob and scream rung in my ears, all coming from my memories.

"Take it-ah into strive," the Joker said, his voice sounding distant.

"Why…" I said in a strangled voice.

"It makes you…stronger." It could have been me in my struggling state that the Joker's voice didn't sound like his; it was higher by an octave, less husky. "You're a broken woman, Shadow. Your father has seen to that-ah. I suppose my original idea isn't-ah going to work so I'll go by something else." He grabbed me and turned me to face him, holding me still. "I al-ready have you as my Sha-dow. Now, all that needs to be done is…completing your education." He licked his lips and then grinned at me, leaning forward.

I whimpered as I bent backward over the sink until my head hit the mirror. I gripped handfuls of his leather jacket to keep myself from falling, and he giggled as he encircled his arms around me to hold me. "I can't, Joker," I said, watching his dark eyes. "I'm not meant to kill people like that…my only problem is that I can't escape my past, those terrible memories."

"There is a way, Shadow," the Joker said, confidently. "I've been there, have done that-ah."

"We're not the same, Joker."

"We are too very ah-like." He straightened, pulling me with him, and we were face-to-face. "I can help you, Shadow," he said, his tone soft, his expression eager. "Through weakness comes strength." He suddenly giggled. "I sound like some ol' wise guy on drugs!"

In spite of myself, I smiled as the Joker laughed at himself. My grin was short-lived though. "Why would you help someone like me? How can you help me if you need help yourself?"

The Joker turned his head, giving me his sidelook as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Ya know, Shadow, that's a good ques-tion, but-ah it doesn't mat-ter." He pulled me close, his hot breath warming my face. "At this point in our re-lat-ion-ship, we know the bas-ic grounds of what-ah made us who we are."

I lowered my eyes to his necktie, and I reached with a hand, pushing my hair out of my face. "I'll admit that you're the only person I've told my past."

"I feel spec-ial," he remarked, and I cracked a smile. "Shadow," he said, and I raised my gaze, meeting his. "You've sunken to my level before I found you. It seems only right that-ah I watch out for you."

"I don't need protection," I said, pushing away.

He tightened his hold and brought his face next to mine, pressing his cheek to mine. I struggled to free myself from his grasp. "Don't forget-ah your family, Shadow," the Joker whispered into my ear.

Almost as soon as he had said that, it started all over again. I crumbled, my emotional walls disintegrating under the Joker's words. I would've collapsed to the floor if the Joker hadn't been holding me, my knees buckling with the sudden weakness.

The Joker swept me up into his arms and carried me out of the bathroom and into bed. He had installed blinds to the windows while I had been away on his "mission" so he closed them, taking all the care to make the room as dark as it would be at night before he joined me.

Neither of us received much sleep. My sleep was tormented by nightmares of my past, and I awoke screaming and writhing against some invisible enemy. Being awoken by my yells, the Joker got up with me, holding me to him, stroking my hair, and speaking to me softly, telling me it was all right even though the moment I fell back to sleep, the nightmares returned. I felt like a child, clinging to the Joker like he would protect me. Only twice did he shake me awake because I couldn't seem to surface from the nightmares. I remember him placing something on me as I tried to fall asleep again before he draped an arm over my body, keeping me close to him as I drifted off.

When I awoke for the last time, I found myself alone in the bed, yet I was sure I could still sense his presence. Exhausted, I remained lying in the bed under the covers, burying my face in one of my covers. The familiar feel of leather had me checking what I had on me.

The Joker had draped his jacket over me the last time. I breathed in his scent from the jacket, finding that it helped me relax, calming my high-strung nerves. Inhaling the smell of explosives made the night seem so distant. And it made me restless.

I climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, pulling on the Joker's jacket for the heck of it. Splashing cold water on my face, I felt refreshed, cleared of the nightmare of earlier today. Glancing at my watch, it was only 9:27 PM. Despite having little sleep, I felt energetic all of a sudden.

There was a loud bang, and I jumped, whipping my head around. The Joker burst into the bedroom, exclaiming, "Wake up, beautiful!" Then, he realized that I wasn't in the bed, and he looked confused as he glanced in the direction of the bathroom. He saw me standing in the doorway, and a grin replaced his perplexed look. "You're looking better," he remarked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

"I feel better," I told him, and he giggled, moving his arms. The movement drew my eyes to the long box he was carrying. "What's in that?"

"Something for ya," the Joker exclaimed, excitedly. He bounded toward me and stopped before me, his eyes wandering down my form for a second.

"Eyes up here," I said, irritably, and he instantly raised his eyes to my face, grinning sheepishly.

"Did I ever tell you that-ah you look damn good in purple?" the Joker asked, smirking.

I gave him a look, but I smiled anyway. "Give me the box," I said, holding out my arms. He seemed happy enough to hand it over, but not to let go.

"It's a good thing I got-ah you something pur-ple," he giggled. I tore the box out of his hands and placed it on the counter, turning to close the door. "Wait!" he cried, and I did, watching him as he ran over to where he had thrown my shoes the night before and returned, tossing them at me, both at the same time.

I scrambled to catch them, missing both of them and the Joker howled with laughter. "Jerk," I growled before closing the bathroom door, only making him laugh even harder.

I feared the worst as I slowly lifted the lid of the box. I expected a handmade bomb to blow up in my face. Or knives to come flying out, cutting my face to bits. The Joker was unpredictable, who knew what he could have thought up to put in the box. A criminal outfit was not what I had expected from the Joker.

The Joker had somehow found clothing that fit me perfectly. A pair of black pants that clung to my hips and upper thighs but hung loosely at the bottom so I could hide knives; a long-sleeved red shirt with a black leather vest zipped up over it; black leather gloves; a purple jacket like the Joker's but of a lighter shade; a black studded belt; a choker that was a very dark purple. With my Skechers, the outfit looked complete.

I turned myself, getting side views of how I looked. I had to admit that it was an amazing outfit. I posed, grinning with satisfaction as the leather moved with me like a second skin. I flexed my hands, loving the creak of the leather.

I smiled at the mirror as I pulled my hair back but stopped. Cold fear shot through me as I lunged closer to the mirror, almost hitting it with my head. I stared, blinked, and continued staring. I couldn't believe it; I had to be seeing things!

My eyes, which were always blue and have been since I was born, were no longer blue. Instead, they were exactly the same shade of purple as the Joker's jacket.

"All right-ah in there, Shadow?" the clown called.

I closed my eyes and hung my head as I gripped the edge of the counter. "Just a minute," I said. I lifted my head and looked into my reflection. Without much thought, I knew that the change of eye color was because of my shadow abilities. I did see the purple haze creeping into my vision and gravity's pull lessen. I forced myself out of that state before it finished, and I saw that my eyes had returned to their original color.

Good riddance!

I checked myself again and found the smile creeping back onto my lips. I let it and opened the bathroom door.

The Joker had been standing in the middle of the bedroom, his back facing the door, but when it opened, he half-turned, his head cocked to the side. His eyes widened slightly as he smiled, turning the rest of the way.

I couldn't help but show off for him. I posed in the doorway, placing a hand higher up on the doorframe while my other hand rested on my hip. All of my weight transferred to one foot as I crossed the other over my ankle.

"For a man who's technically known me for five days, you understand my personality well," I commented.

"I believe…it's real-ly eight days," the Joker said. He shrugged and motioned me forward. "But-ah I suppose it would be four days with you being un-con-scious for three and one night out-ah on your own."

I sauntered forward until he motioned me to halt. The Joker eyed me up and down, moving around me slowly, taking me in. I didn't turn my head to watch him, sensing where his eyes were with my shadow. He didn't linger on anything, acting as though the whole outfit and I needed equal attention. For a man, he had quite an amount of self-control.

When he stopped in front of me, the Joker had a wide, satisfied grin on his scarred mouth.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

"What-ah do you think?"

I grinned. "I love it."

"Hm, I do too." He chuckled softly. "Almost-ah finished."

My smile faltered. "Almost?" I repeated.

The Joker bounded toward the bathroom and opened a drawer. When he pulled out a tube of paint, I said, "No…I'll do the outfit, but not facepaint."

"I believe…you said that-ah I could do everything else, as long as I let you keep your shoes." The Joker faced me, holding the tube in his hand, an amused expression on his painted face. "You haven't-ah got the choice," he giggled, approaching me.

I moved backward to get away, but he lunged forward, knocking me down to the floor. I hit my head and winced as he straddled my waist to keep me from trying to escape. After he had tossed his gloves onto the bed, the Joker opened the tube.

"No facepaint!" I growled as I squirmed.

The Joker, paint in one hand, grabbed my chin roughly with his other hand. "Hold still," he ordered. "Don't-ah want this is your eyes now, do yah?" I still squirmed until he touched my face with the paint.

"Oh geez," I gasped, "That's cold!"

"Yeah, yeah," the Joker replied distractedly as he applied the paint around my eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Painting…"

"What's the design?"

"Quiet-ah. I'm con-centrating." I shut my mouth and focused on his expression, following his fingers as they traced under my eyes and over them. The Joker painted on the bridge of my nose, filling in the spot between my eyes. He rubbed the paint around my eyes and up to my eyebrows. I wondered if he was giving me panda eyes to match him, but I doubted it if he had painted my nose too.

"What color is it?" I asked, unable to stop myself.

"Sh-sh-sh," he hushed me as his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Close your eyes." I obeyed, and he gently rubbed some paint on my eyelids.

"There," the Joker said, sitting up, still straddling me. I opened my eyes as the Joker produced a handheld mirror.

"Did you have that in your pocket?" I asked as he held it up.

"No, I pulled it-ah out of thin air," he chuckled, positioning the mirror. "Have a, ah, a look and tell me what-ah you think."

The Joker had used purple paint, and he had drawn an eyemask on my face. I raised an eyebrow, and it was difficult toe even see it move under the purple. At least he didn't repeat what he usually does to himself on me. I'd be a Shadow Clown; as if a clown like the Joker wasn't scary enough.

"Why purple?" I asked, looking at him curiously.

The Joker giggled as he tossed the mirror across the room and then fell forward. I flinched, raising my hands, expecting him to fall on me, but he caught himself on his hands. Mine caught him in his chest, but I instantly dropped them when I realized that he had stopped. He didn't miss my reaction, and he chuckled softly as he licked his lips.

"I told look good in pur-ple," he drawled, in a charming tone. "Be-sides, you said it's your fav-orite color."

I blinked, trying to remember when I had told him, but the Joker didn't expect a response. He pushed himself up and climbed to his feet. The Joker positioned himself by my feet before extending his hands toward me to assist me. Even though I could've done it myself, I grabbed his offered hands, expecting him to drop me when I got halfway, but he pulled me to my feet without even the threat of releasing me.

The Joker pulled me into him, placing an arm around my waist while he looked at me intensively, a hand under my chin. He grinned, looking excited, and for a moment, I worried about what was running through his mind.

"C'mon, Shadow," the Joker exclaimed as he shifted his grasp to my wrist. "Time for you to, ah, to meet your first – tech-nically second – criminal mastermind of Gotham Ci-ty!" He laughed out loud and yanked me out of the room.

Lordlink13: Ooo! Who is Shadow going to meet? Who are the other criminal masterminds in Gotham City? Guess, readers, it will all be revealed in the next chapter! And I'm sorry about your dog, Sinario. Joker's been busy helping me with this story so he hasn't made contact with your cat lately; he's too busy being a jerk to Shadow. Sometimes I wonder why he wasn't named the Jerk, rather than the Joker…he didn't like that so I'll take that back. So, anyway, keep up the reviews! They make me happy!

P.S. Let me apologize beforehand in case chapter 16 is uploaded late. I've been having trouble trying to figure out how to progress in the story, and chapter 16 is what I call the "pushing" chapter because it's going to push the story ahead in time so I can get on with the better stuff. And I haven't been able to focus cause I'm ending school, and graduation will be around the corner for me. But I'll try my best to upload ASAP! Because I love my readers, and I don't want to disappoint you. *smiles* So forgive me ahead of time.