Author's Soundtrack:
So Far (feat. Arnor Dan) by Olafur Arnalds
Ameksa (The Shepherd) by Taalbi Brothers (line break)

Chapter Seventeen

There was too much to look at.

Blood.

Ashes.

Blood.

Burns.

Scorch marks.

Water.

Blood.

And it all smelled of her, hints and traces of her soft sweet scent tainted with misery, pain, and death. Ichigo's legs shook and he nearly fell to his knees in despair. They were too late. Aizen had wasted no time and done the unimaginable. Except he could. There was enough evidence to allow his mind to grasp at the possibilities, and in the end, he had failed to save her from it.

In the center of the room stood a pile of dying embers, the remnants of Aizen's latest trial. Ichigo stared at it, knowing Rukia had been there - stood there, suffered there - alone and stubbornly challenging Aizen to the end. And where had he been? Dealing with fucking politics. In the center of the room was a dimly glowing reminder of his failure.

What did he do now? Where did he go from here? Where did they start?

Orihime rushed to the remains of the fire and began digging furiously. He stared, transfixed with horrified curiosity. What was she looking for? What would she find in the remains that would help them pick up Rukia's trail?

And then he saw it. A flash of pale olive. A hint of skin.

She was thin and small, the smooth edges of her bone pressing against her soft flesh. It was as if she had been starved for weeks, a skeleton of skin and nothing more. But she was there, buried in the ashes like the corpse she was. Except she was breathing, though the rhythm was shallow and unsteady. Rukia was here, alive, and whole.

"Ashido, your jacket!"

The desperation in Orihime's voice broke through the silent relief of having her within reach. They'd found her, but she was far from safe, far from okay. Ashido hurried forward, removing his rain jacket as Orihime pulled Rukia from the cinders. Her bare flesh was dirtied and partially marred from the still cooling embers. Metal scraped on the stone floor and the thick links of chains emerged from the ashes, revealing heavy bracelets clasped around her wrists.

Yasutura attacked the plating where the chains were attached to the floor, breaking them free from the anchor point. Ichigo snarled at their offensive presence. Orihime wrapped Rukia in Ashido's jacket and Ashdio found a way to tie the chains up so they wouldn't drag, and Ichigo just watched. Caught between the enclosing walls of joy and devastation he suddenly realized how useless he was. Orihime had been the one to discover her, Ashido was the one to clothe her, and Yasutura the one to free her. Even in their moment of being reunited, he had failed her.

"-igo! Ichigo!"

Snapping his eyes to Orihime, she watched him with concern, though her jaw was set in determination.

"She's alive, but her body is recovering from - she needs blood. Whatever happened, her body doesn't have enough blood to fully recover. If we don't get her blood soon, she'll die."

She wouldn't.

She couldn't.

That was the curse of being a true immortal. Instead, she would continue to suffer, caught between the edge of death and life. He refused to let her stay in that purgatory any longer. This wasn't the time for him to feel broken or lost. Rukia needed him. He could worry about the rest later.

Ichigo approached Orihime as she stood, and took Rukia from her. She was light - too light - like a ghost barely existing in their world. Immediately he pressed her close to him and relished in the feeling of her.

"I can give her some of my blood, sustain her until we get back," he offered, staring at her face and silently begging for her to open her eyes.

"Don't be stupid," Ashido snapped. "In her current state, she wouldn't be able to stop. She'll drain you of your energy and then you'll be useless to us and her. The only way to help her now is to get her back to the consulate."

Ichigo wanted to snarl and yell at Ashido for his insult, but the misery in his eyes was like a punch to the gut. This wasn't out of jealousy or pride. Seeing Rukia in such a state was just as painful to Ashido as it was him. Without a doubt, Ashido would have given her all of his blood, but he was right, it wouldn't help them. They needed all of their strength to escape.

"There is still one more job to do," Yasutura reminded them, his tone almost unhappy as he stood in the doorway and kept an eye on the hall.

The thought of remaining in this building for one more second curdled his insides, but Rukia needed blood. If they crossed the CAC now, there was a chance they would refuse to help her entirely. If they were lucky enough to be released, they would have to find a way to get her blood, and the options without the assistance of a council did not sit well with him.

"Lead the way," Ashido told Yasutura. His knuckles were white as they wrapped around the hilt of his sword. Like Ichigo, he was itching to be done with this place. The sooner they found what Reyes wanted, the sooner they could help Rukia.

As a unit, they moved down the hall towards the old offices. Yasutura and Ashido took the lead, moving cautiously down the hall and around a corner. Orihime brought up the rear, listening for any signs of them being followed. Ichigo struggled to keep his steps even to prevent the chains from rattling, but no one came. Every minute they weren't attacked or they went without seeing any sign of Aizen's people, the more they worried.

Yasutura made quick work of the door that separated him from his mission. The others watched the halls. Ichigo took the moment to check on Rukia. She was still, her sleeping face serene. Despite her emaciated appearance, there were no other marks on her, no sign or indication of what had been done to her. But he knew that meant nothing. He had seen her with her chest ripped open and heart crushed, only for it to heal with no trace of scarring. Other vampires took time to heal, but even without blood, her body was able to repair most of the damage, though now it left her with barely enough energy to breath.

His grip on her tightened and he pulled her face to his. Pressing his forehead to hers, he silently begged for her to be all right.

He needed her to be awake.

He needed her to open those eyes, to glare and scorn and mock him.

He needed her to stand on her feet and kick his ass when he got out of line.

He needed her to smile softly at him when things were going wrong.

He needed her to . . .

He needed her.

"Got it," Yasutura stated, stepping into the hall. He held in his hand a small flash drive. "Let's go."

They were running down the hall in an instant, Ichigo nearly leading the way. The labyrinth of halls couldn't end soon enough, and his chest nearly burst in relief when Orihime called out that the exit was just ahead. They pulled up short and waited, listening for any signs of movement on the other side.

Ichigo's impatience demanded he sprint through the door and outrun whatever danger was waiting for him, but he didn't dare risk Rukia. He would follow the instructions the others gave him.

"Once we're outside, head directly east," Yasutura told them. "Go as fast as you can. We need to reach the road where the other teams will be waiting for us. Until then, we're on our own."

He waited for all of them to indicate they understood him and then he threw the door open. They burst the doorway and kept running. He should have known something was wrong when they didn't hear anything. There was no shouting, no hurried footsteps of patrols racing to catch up to them. There was nothing.

"Where are they?" Orihime demanded. None of them stopped to look behind them, continuing to press forward.

"Aizen was very specific that we wait until you were outside the facility."

Ichigo slid to a stop and glowered at Kaien who now stood in front of him. The others stopped as well and drew in close to him and Rukia. Kaien only grinned.

"He didn't want to risk the fighting destroying his work, you see."

Ichigo snarled when Kaien's eyes fell on Rukia, turning his body so she was hidden from Kaien's view. Something in Kaien's eyes darkened, but he continued to smile.

"I told him I wasn't keen on using her for bait, but he guaranteed I wouldn't lose track of her." His grin widened, curling into something more sinister as he tapped his chest. "Her heart will never be lost to me again."

"A tracking device?" Ashido snarled.

"The timing was a bit tricky. After the last test, there wasn't much of her left. We've found that if foreign objects are inserted too early in the healing process the body forces them out."

Ichigo's body went numb with outrage. Hadn't this man done enough? How could he pretend to love and care about her, and yet still be a part of tormenting her? How can he look at her in her current state and smile? Ichigo longed to beat sense into him, but he wouldn't put her down. He wouldn't choose his anger over his desire to protect her. He would leave that to Ashido.

Ashido appeared to Kaien's left, the hilt of his sword striking Kaien across the jaw and sending him stumbling. Kaien stared at Ashido in shock, rubbing his jaw tenderly.

"I'm impressed. Normally I'm the fast one-"

Ashido was behind him, jamming the heel of his shoe into Kaien's spine. Kaien fell forward but managed to keep his footing. Before Ashido could land another blow, Kaien evaded and pulled out his own sword. The smile was gone from his face, his dark brows furrowed in frustration.

"It's rude to interrupt someone."

"I don't give a shit. Like hell I'm going to let you get your hands on her again."

"She's my wife. I can put my hands where I want." Kaien spat.

"You're not Kaien," Ashido declared, preparing for another attack. "You might look like him, but you're just some failed copy."

"The fuck did you just say?"

"You heard me," Ashido growled, grinning in satisfaction at seeing Kaien rattled. He'd found a weak point, and he was going to hammer it in. "The real Kaien wouldn't have let this happen to her. He would have died before letting Aizen anywhere near her."

"Don't lecture me on my relationship with her," Kaien hissed. "I know about the two of you. But you were nothing to her. It's me she loves. It's me she married. It's me she vowed to be with. She's mine! If you think you can-"

Kaien flew back, blowing through several trees. They fell with a thunderous crack, sending birds and other animals scattering. Yasutura straightened, shaking his fist as if to shake off the sting of the pain.

"We need to leave before he recovers."

Ichigo didn't hesitate and raced through the forest, gunning for the base of the mountain where backup was waiting for them. The others flanked him as they maneuvered around the trees and through the undergrowth, intent on putting as much distance between themselves and Kaien. As much as Ichigo and Ashido wanted to end him, they didn't dare risk losing her to him.

Ichigo heard him before he saw him. It wasn't difficult, his crazed cackles filling the forest like a crazed maniac. Then he appeared on the right, aiming for Orihime as he swung his sword wildly. She easily ducked and shot him point blank in the forehead with her pistol. His body dropped into the brush with a heavy thud.

"Not as good as cutting off the head," she remarked. "Depending on his breeding, he might be on his feet in another 15 minutes."

"Rukia's husband was a human she transformed," Ichigo told her.

If she was shocked, she managed to conceal it tactfully with a nod. "It should take about 10-15 minutes then. Brain damage takes a little longer to heal since it's a complicated organ."

"Unless you have an extra advantage."

Ichigo and Orihime halted as Kaien came up from behind them, bullet hole gone. He pulled ahead and turned, forcing Ichigo to a stop. Yasutura and Ashido flanked him, but Kaien didn't seem panicked by his situation.

"How-" Orihime stared at him in shock. "Even if you were a pureblood, it should have taken at least five minutes for a wound like that to heal."

Snickering, Kaien held up a small pill bottle and shook its contents. "Super healing in a bottle. One of Rukia's gifts to Aizen."

Ichigo's stomach dropped and he felt the color drain from his face. "What do you mean?"

"Well, not that he tells me everything, but he's been looking for a way to bottle her healing ability."

"Why?" Ichigo asked, confused. What reason did Aizen need to create pills for healing when he was just like her?

Kaien raised an eyebrow, dumbfounded. "So he can use it? Really, I know you're young, but to be such an idiot. . . What was Rukia thinking? Are you that good in bed?"

Ichigo was quick to dismiss the suggestion. "But he doesn't need it. He has the same abilities. I saw him recover from a full decapitation."

"Had."

Realization slowly sunk in at Kaien's insinuation. Aizen was no longer the same as Rukia. He wasn't a true immortal anymore. True immortality wasn't permanent, the effects temporary. They'd been exposed at the same time, and yet Rukia could still heal impossible wounds at an accelerated rate. Was her's permanent or was it just longer lasting? Aizen needed Rukia to find out what was different about her.

"Looks like your brain is finally working," Kaien said with a mocking smirk. "He needed to confirm whether or not she still maintained the benefits of the blood. Turns out, she got all the bonuses without the time limit. No matter how he killed her, she always came back. No matter how he sliced, burned, drowned her, everything healed."

Each word was like a knife wound, cutting and twisting, digging deeper with every revelation. How many times had Aizen taken her life? How many different ways? Ichigo's eyes gazed down at her soft features and he dreaded the thought of seeing them twisted in anguish, marred by unspeakable pain. His fingers dug into her body as he held her close, and he swore he would make that bastard pay.

"Kaien."

A man stepped out of the darkness, ghostly pale with vibrant green eyes that studied all of them with disinterest before landing on Kaien.

"You talk too much. Master Aizen would be very displeased to hear you've been eavesdropping and snooping around. Especially after you previous mistake."

The smile on Kaien's face fell, his playful demeanor vanishing. He shifted nervously, snarling like a cornered animal at the threat this new man posed. "It was his own fault for trying to keep me away from her to begin with. She isn't yours. You had no right to meddle. I should have been the one he sent after her. Fate even brought her to me."

"Fate means nothing to Master Aizen if he cannot control it. You, however, are under his control, and it would do you well to listen to him."

Kaien hissed. "Shut the fuck up. You might be Aizen's favorite, but don't think you're better than me."

"Of course I don't think I'm better than you," the man looked at Kaien pointedly. "I know I'm better than you."

"And I know you're both idiots."

Orihime tossed two grenades at both of them and shouted for the others to run as they exploded near their enemies. Ichigo pushed himself to move as fast as he possibly could, ignoring the biting leaves and branches as they scratched at his face and limbs.

"You and Yasutura keep going," Orihime shouted to him. "Ashido and I are going to deal with those two."

Ichigo stared at her, nearly stopping to ask what she was thinking, but she was gone, with Ashido right behind her. Ashido might have gotten in a few lucky strikes, but Kaien wasn't going to be easy to deal with. And now there was this second guy, who was clearly ranked higher than Kaien. It didn't bode well. It would be better if they just kept running until they reached the others.

Ichigo slid to a stop and almost gave chase, but Yasutura blocked his path.

"You heard her."

"But they can't face them, not without more help!"

"They're trained fighters, have been for decades, if not more. You insult them by having so little faith in them and their abilities. Trust in them." Yasutura nodded his head towards Ichigo's arms, drawing his attention back to Rukia. "And have you forgotten the reason you came here?"

The words were like an arrow to his heart, striking true and nearly causing him to stagger with the power of it. If he stayed, Rukia would be in danger of falling into Aizen's hands again. He couldn't risk that, no matter how much he wanted to help the others. Clenching his jaw in determination, Ichigo sprinted towards the road.

The sight of the escort vehicles was a welcome one. While they were gone, Reyes had mobilized more forces, and they were armed to the teeth with blades, guns, and other weapons. If Ashido and Orihime failed, Kaien and the pale vampire wouldn't make it far.

"Agent Yasutura," greeted one of the other agents."Good to see you made it back. The councilor is waiting for news of the data."

"There's a battle going on in the forest," Ichigo cut in. "You should send some people to help."

The agent narrowed his eyes at him and nearly sneered. "We have strict orders from the councilor to remain here."

"Why the hell-" Ichigo began to rage, ready to rip Reyes a new one. There were people who needed help and she was just going to let her people stand by and do nothing? Kaien had a whole bottle full of pills that would make him impossible to kill. If that other vampire had the same, Ashido and Orihime's escape would be impossible.

"Captain," Yasutura began, giving Ichigo a warning look. Ichigo returned it with equal fervor. "We need blood for the British councilor and a medic to take a look at her."

Ichigo knew what Yasutura was doing and was mixed about whether or not to be grateful. With his commanding tone, the other agent listened to Yasutura with no hesitation. A medic was called for immediately. He urged Ichigo to lay Rukia in the back of a van turned mobile hospital and leave her for inspection. When Ichigo refused, Yasutura stepped in and pulled him away with a stern grip.

If not for the two figures hobbling their way through the trees, Ichigo might have laid into Yasutura for meddling. Ashido leaned on Orihime, both covered in blood and mud. Ichigo and other agents hurried forward to help them out of the forest.

"What happened?" Ichigo asked, assisting Orihime down the hill.

"Those damn pills are a pain in the ass," Ashido cursed, spitting blood on the grass. Glancing at Orihime, he gave her a small smile. "Remind me of this moment the next time we're in an armory."

Orihime chuckled and then flinched. "Gladly."

"Looks like the two of you put up a pretty good fight," Yasutura remarked, a pleased smile playing on his lips.

"I wouldn't call it 'good'. Those regenerative powers are beastly. We would have been in big trouble if two of Starrk's people hadn't shown."

Ichigo stopped, looking between Ashido and Orihime. "Starrk's people are here?"

Orihime nodded. "Some scowling man with blue hair and that woman, Nelliel."

When Orihime stiffened, Ichigo asked if she was alright, but she ignored him and faced Yasutura.

"Do you still have that flash drive?" She asked, nearly panicked.

"Yes."

"Destroy it," she ordered. "It has a tracker in it. Not only that, it has a virus. You stick that into a computer and you open up the whole CAC network to Aizen."

Yasutura was silent, considering her words. "How do you know this?"

"Nelliel told us," Ashido replied. "Where's Rukia? We have to get that tracker out of her before we leave the area."

"We have a doctor looking at her now."

"Good. Do you have a medical van? Does it have supplies for surgery?" Orihime demanded, pulling away from Ichigo and hobbling after Yasutura.

"Yes." Yasutura led them back to the van where the doctor was inspecting Rukia.

The doors to the van were closed, the windows blocked with a dark tint and a curtain. Ichigo was grateful for the discretion, remembering there wasn't a single piece of clothing on her except for Ashido's jacket and the chains.

Orihime opened the door to the van and closed it immediately behind her. Ichigo reached for the handle, but Ashido grabbed hold of his hand.

"You don't want to be in there."

Ichigo frowned. "Why the hell not?"

"Kaien wasn't kidding about it being in her heart," Ashido explained with grimly. "It's placed just outside one of the walls, surrounded by tissue. They'll have to break her ribcage and then cut it out."

"They can give her anesthesia," Ichigo told him, trying to keep himself calm.

Ashdio's jaw tightened. "Orihime said without knowing what Aizen did to her - gave to her - she doesn't want to risk introducing another drug into her system."

As if she hadn't been through enough, now they had to hurt her more? Ichigo clenched his hands into tight fists, the frustrated energy building until it felt like it would explode. He slammed his fist into one of the cars. The metal sheet dented, and the car rocked onto two of its wheels before falling back into place. How much more did she have to suffer?

"Agent Yasutura," Ashido began, giving Ichigo time to calm down, "the flash drive."

Yasutura pulled the small device from his pocket and stared at it a few moments. It was a difficult decision. He would be going against his orders, but if he didn't destroy it now, he risked endangering his entire council.

An agonized scream punctured the night and then immediately stopped. Ichigo's blood ran cold and his body felt heavy. Ashido didn't look much better.

Yasutura dropped the flash drive on the ground and stomped on it.

It was another twenty minutes before Orihime came out of the van. She was pale, her easy smile gone.

"The tracker is out and dealt with. The doctor has her set up with some blood, but we'll want to do a full examination and blood work when we get to the medical facility." Ichigo began to argue, wanting to take her home as soon as she looked better, but Orihime cut him off. "I know you want to get her away from here, but we have no idea what happened to her. She needs to be somewhere with the proper equipment. It's a council-run facility. She'll be safe there."

Ichigo gave her a challenging glare. "Can you guarantee that?"

She started to reply and then hesitated before responding in Japanese. "You know I can't."

"She's right," Ashido added, continuing in Japanese. "We have a better chance of protecting her here than if we're traveling."

They were right. He knew it, but he couldn't help but worry. And what if Reyes tried to blackmail them further? What if she decided to take her anger out on them? What if she found about Rukia's true immortality and chose to use it to her own advantage? There were so many things that could go wrong, but what choice did he have?

"Fine," Ichigo finally conceded, "but you take the lead. I don't trust these people."

Orihime smiled warmly, though it didn't have near the same shine as it usually did. "I don't think that will be a problem."

Ichigo climbed into the back of the medical van with Rukia. The medic had wrapped her in a thick fleece blanket and secured her to a gurney. Slipping his hand beneath the blanket, he wrapped his fingers around her hand, giving it a tender squeeze and praying she would wake up soon. But he couldn't help but wonder if, when she did finally wake up, she would still be the same Rukia he knew.

Ulquiorra stared up at the stars through the waving canopy of the forest. It was difficult to remember, but he was certain he had once enjoyed the sight of starlight, something beautiful, awesome, and out of reach. Now, they were just twinkly specks of light in the night sky.

It had been like that since he awakened, since he began following Aizen. Hints of who he used to be would resurface, only to flounder and fade away. He didn't mind. He preferred the calm serenity of his mind over the anxious clamorings of his memories. It helped him deal with idiots like Kaien.

"What's your problem?"

Shifting his gaze from the stars, Ulquiorra glanced at Kaien with disinterest.

"I had everything under control until you stepped in. Now she's gone. "

"She's gone because of your inability to keep your mouth shut.

"What?"

Sighing, Ulquiorra stood, brushing the debris of the forest from his clothes. They were burnt beyond repair, exposing the pale skin beneath. He would have to find something new to replace them with. Kaien was still recovering, his arms slowly stitching themselves back together. It was taking longer than it should have, an indication the pills were wearing off.

"Simply put, if you had just grabbed her instead of babbling, she would still be in our possession. And, thanks to you and the interlopers, they know about the trackers. Aizen will be rather angry when he returns."

Kaien paled. An interesting reaction. It had been some time since he'd known the feeling of fear himself and wondered what it would be like to feel it again.

"He needs me."

"He needs no one. We are all dispensable to him, except her. Even then, one day her usefulness with wane."

Kaien was blessedly silent, reflecting on his next steps. Would he stay and receive his punishment or would he run? Where to? How far would he get? The curiosity was fleeting. It didn't matter what he decided. The end results would be the same.

Kaien cursed, coming to the same realization.

"If you're that worried about it, perhaps you shouldn't have failed."

Kaien scowled at his advice. "Hey, you lost her too."

"No," he corrected him, "I simply failed in assisting you when you were overwhelmed."

Kaien's pale pallor was replaced with vivid red as he let his anger take control of him. "You ass hole! You're throwing me under the bus?"

"Hardly. Your failings are simply your own."

"Son of a bitch!"

It was easy enough to read Kaien's movements. His wounds slowed him considerably, almost to that of a human. His swings were broad and rough, easy to dodge. In his current state, there was no way he would be able to fight on the same level, and he knew it. Still, he charged. The futile swings quickly grew wearisome. Grabbing his arm, Ulquiorra struck the side of his leg, popping his knee to the side. The man screamed and collapsed on the cushion of brush.

"Are you finished?"

"I'll be done when one of us is dead." Kaien staggered to his feet, cringing as he reset his leg and allowed it time to begin healing. His body was struggling with all of the damage.

His declaration confused Ulquiorra, who tilted his head to the side, trying to see if the new angle would enlighten him as to why Kaien would bother with such a ridiculous challenge.

Kaien snorted. "You don't get it, do you? You always were a little fucked up in the head after what they did to you."

"I understand, I simply don't see the point in such a bizarre choice. I can just as easily bring you back without killing you."

Kaien sneered. "No. You'll kill me or I'll kill you."

"You're wasting my time."

Kaien lunged at him again. Ulquiorra swept his sword away, leveling his own weapon at Kaien's neck. Smirking, Kaien leaned into the sharpened edge. Blood ran down the blade. Ulquiorra debated if it was worth the headache of explaining Kaien's death. Aizen seemed fairly amused with him, and despite disobeying orders, he had been of use when fetching the woman. But that trick wouldn't work a second time. Clearly, he was growing feral and would only pose to be an issue in the future.

However, that wasn't his call.

Pulling his blade away, Kaien scowled. "I refuse to go back to being his lab rat!"

"You certainly didn't mind when it was others he was experimenting on." A strange thought nagged at him and nearly burst from his mouth. It was an unfamiliar sensation he thought to ignore but decided to allow it to bubble forth. "Is she truly your wife?"

Something changed in Kaien's eyes, but he didn't know what it was. Grief? Regret? Perhaps it was nothing and he was simply projecting his own imaginings on the man.

"It doesn't matter either way."

"No, I suppose it doesn't."

Ulquiorra turned away and began heading back to the facility.

But Kaien seemed resigned to his fate. A shuffling behind him drew his attention. The grenade nearly struck his face, and on reflex, he batted it away with his sheath. Kaien smiled, catching the grenade as it exploded. When the smoke cleared, nothing but bits and pieces remained. The pills had worn off a few minutes ago. He would not recover.

Ulquiorra stared at the scorched earth where Kaien had stood. Several thoughts ran through his head, but in the end, all were dismissed in favor of returning and informing Aizen of what happened.

"You know, she said it would be a waste of time, waiting to see if you two survived." Ulquiorra turned to see the man from their earlier fight sitting on the branch of a tree. His smile was wide, his eyes wild. "Looks like I was right."

Ulquiorra debated how to respond to this man. Fighting him was difficult. His techniques were seemingly uncontrolled, shifting easily from melee to hand-to-hand to ranged. Whatever the situation called for, this man adapted. All the while, he laughed and mocked. It was tiresome.

"Not gonna ask what I want?"

Ulquiorra debated about whether or not he cared. All that mattered was that this man got in his way and that was a problem.

Ulquiorra drew his sword.

The man chuckled merrily and hopped down from the tree, his hands in his pockets. "Just the answer I was hoping for."

Author's note: Poor Rukia. Things aren't going to get any easier now that she's been rescued…

Thanks to all of those who favorited, followed, continue to read and enjoy this story! Thanks to my reviews from the last chapter. I'm so sorry I didn't reply! Work last week was fairly brutal. I was working 10-12 hour days DX.

Thanks to NieveDrop (I hope you're happy ;)), Haru, Yesmin (I think that's cheating, but I'll allow it ;). I'm so glad you love the story!), IchiRuki 4vr, and the anonymous guests for their reviews! Please continue to R&R! I love hearing from you guys!