The day had come and gone all too quickly.

With nightfall having overtaken the sky, Rae laid on her side staring at the dusty box she had placed on the dining table that was to be opened in the morning. She knew she should have just left it under her bed until then, but at the time she figured seeing it would serve as a reminder for her; not that she could forget something that rode much too close to her heart.

Now, as it stole sleep from her did she realize that it had been a horrible mistake. So instead of closing her eyes and thinking about something else, she laid there, alone in the dark with nothing but her circulating thoughts, her gaze frozen on the object that held her demons.

The curiosity that had started this had long passed and swiftly turned to regret and guilt. Her chest suddenly felt too small for her heart, the throbbing pain was threatening to undo her. A shaky sigh wisped past her lips as her eyes began to swell with hot angry tears.

Stop it!

In a stiff, jerking motion she rolled over, hitching the blanket up higher over her shoulder. She had foolishly hoped that doing this would help, but her mind was far too gone now. Images were now overflowing from her head.

She rolled back over and glared at the box. Forced with nothing else to do, she flung her cover off of her suddenly overheated body and sat up tautly. Placing her bare feet flat on the floor, her arms anchored her to her makeshift bed. She squeezed her eyes shut demanding that she calm down and breathe. She clenched her teeth tighter, her masseter locking up as she attempted to withhold her inner turmoil.

Wait until morning, she told herself, now getting up from the couch. Wait until you've had a good night's rest, she warned, pulling out a chair, careful not to let the legs screech across the hardwood floor. The last thing she wanted was to wake the big guy in the middle of the night. What time was it anyway? She peered upward at the kitchen clock. Two in the morning. Just wonderful.

She might as well get it over with since she knew she wasn't going back to sleep, at least not tonight, not when she was like this.

Pulling her readied laptop closer to where she was seated, she felt along the side of the device until she located the small opening where the headphone jack could be inserted. After a minute of fumbling in the dark, she connected them and placed the earbuds in either of her ears.

With her laptop booted up, she looked towards the old tattered box and reached for it. Lightly touching the surface of the cardboard structure she felt the presence of four years worth of thick dust that had managed to settle even from under the confines of her bed. She wiped it off, while simultaneously making an internal note to clean the table later.

After dragging it closer she wiped her hands on her plaid pajama bottoms, removing as much of the dead skin cells as she could. She couldn't believe it had been so long since she tried to face her past. So long since she last saw him in person. All the video clips that likely had him included, to her knowledge, were destroyed in the fire. This was all that remained from her old home.

It had been a complete surprise when after she escaped her prison that she was given this, almost like a parting gift from the two most important men in her life. It was tucked behind the locker she had made a promise to visit, along with keys to possible locations for her to hide out in.

Being almost at the age of sixteen, she was desperate for any trace of her father's existence, feeling more than vulnerable at the time. But aside from the box, she wanted more; more than these USB drives. She should have never even chanced going back to search through the wreckage, knowing how dangerous that could have been, but she couldn't bear the thought of not having anything familiar to remind herself of him. The aftermath however, was disappointing. All the blankets that held his scent so strongly were ash, his unusual collection of antiques were gone, and even the teddy bear he gifted her when she was three years old was completely and utterly destroyed. She had nothing.

The only remanence she had of him was a small fireproof safe. She remembered him explaining how it was also bullet proof and could withstand anything thrown at it. Had he still been with her, she would have joked that he needed to get a refund for such false advertising, especially when in her haste and desperation it took less than a minute for the heat of her hand to melt through the tungsten casting.

At the time, all she was told was that it was a work thing for Daddy to hold his most valuable possessions, but that day, all she cared about was that it was merely touched by his fingertips. Upon breaking through, she found two things inside. A bag full of wads of money that would be used well over the next few years of her life, and the most precious possession she had now: the framed picture of her father and herself, visiting the ocean.

A sad smile pulled at her lips, suddenly feeling the urge to glance up at the picture frame hanging on the wall.

She had gotten so sick at that point that neither her arms nor her legs functioned, making her incapable of most things an eight-year old enjoyed doing, so her father obliged her and pushed her around in a wheelchair, he would bathe her, help her eat, entertain her the best he could.

It was difficult.

So when he had come up with the idea to visit the ocean, she thought she would only be able to see it from a distance, but to her surprise, he lifted out of her wheelchair and carried her down to the seashore and helped her sit in the warm sand, close enough that the water would lap at her feet. Feeling him sit behind her, supporting her, while she got to experience the seabreeze was perfect. It was the best thing that ever happened to her, a memory that she could never forget. Later that afternoon, after enjoying ice cream together, a stranger had kindly taken that picture of them.

Despite the pain she knew she was enduring, Rae couldn't help but notice how she was beaming in the photo. Even now, she loved the ocean. It was where she could find peace and feel the closest to her father. So when she was given the choice on where her new home would be located, she didn't hesitate. Home was where her heart was.

Breaking out of her contemplation, she proceeded to try and quietly undo the tape holding down the wings of the box. She scratched at the edges, hoping to get a firm grip on it, but after a minute of struggling to strip it off quietly she sighed and looked towards the bedroom door then drew in her bottom lip, biting it as she focused on her task. Holding the tapered edge carefully she gave it a sharp tug and ripped it off all in one go, her head snapping back up to stare at the door. She waited for a solid two minutes before she was certain he hadn't heard.

Silently she fished her hand around inside the box, randomly grabbing a USB. She held the small compartment up to the bright screen of her laptop and read what was written on the old tape encircling its circumference. The number five was written neatly in permanent marker. She recognized that it was in her father's handwriting. Placing it to the side, she grabbed another, finding it to be numbered: two. It took a few minutes, but she managed to line them up on the table in order.

There were, however, some drives that were not numbered, making her wonder if they were unused. To test it, she picked one up at random and inserted it into the side of her USB port. Once it was accepted, she pulled up the tab on her desktop and expanded it to fill the screen. Her finger slid across the smooth surface of her touchpad, moving her arrow to the files section of her drive. Finding what she was looking for she opened it with a double-tap. She was surprised to find that there was only one clip on this one.

Widening the image further, the muscles in her back tightened as she moved to hover directly over the 'play' button. She stopped herself, wondering if maybe she should wait. She could always push it off until morning, when she would likely be better prepared emotionally for what she might witness. It sounded like a good idea, until her own words came back to haunt her. What a coward I've been. Her hands formed fists at her side as she heard it replayed again over and over. I'm not a coward.

Before she could change her mind, she snapped her eyes shut and played the video, waiting, listening for anything that might convince her to stop it.

At first she heard nothing but the fuzzy static, then there was uneven movement as if someone were moving the camera. Carefully, Rae cracked her eyes open, letting the light of the display screen filter through her lashes. When they were fully opened, she was immediately gifted with the sight of her father trying to balance the camera on an object.

"Daddy?" her ears greeted her with the sound of a small very young voice.

"Hold on honey," he frowned, adjusting the camera until it was straightened. A relieved smile brightened his face. "There you go," he was grinning into the camera. Then he raised a finger, "Now don't you move," he warned, backing away carefully. "You stay right there."

Rae let out a sad breathy laugh, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she tearfully took in every detail of his face. It had been six years since she last saw him. Six years since she heard his happy voice. And it was as if he was talking right to her, as if knowing she was just on the verge of exiting out of the video and pushing off the rest of the recordings to another day.

His voice had her glued to every second of the recording, like a lifeline.

"What bedtime story would you like me to read tonight?" he gathered a couple books in his arms and presented them to his little girl. "We have 'Bear Snores On,' or how about the 'Ugly Duckling?'" His eyes scanned over the cover, "We haven't read that one in a while."

"New stowy Daddy," she had pleaded with her chocolate brown eyes.

"A new story," he mused with a growing smile. "Alright, well who should it be about?"

"A pwincess!"

Rae sniffed, wiping her nose with the side of her sleeve, effectively smothering her small laugh as she witnessed the exuberance of her younger self. So small, so innocent, and despite how sick she knew she was then, Rae was struck by the happiness she saw. Was this really how she was? Cheerful? Trusting? Positive? How could she be so different now? Rae knew the answer to that. Imprison any child and see what it does. Isolate them in a lab, have them beaten, bruised, and tortured and see what sort of monster they create. A cheerful nature can be plunged into depression; a trusting spirit, twisted into cynicism; and a positive heart can be filled with hopelessness.

Rae paused the footage, stopping it from going any further as she forcefully massaged her dampening eyes with her palms. She would still be there in that cursed cell if it wasn't for the actions of one man, a man she would forever be indebted to. His willing sacrifice paved the way for her freedom. Without him, she could very well be dead by now. They were just beginning to upscale the tests when he decided to step in.

Looking back up at the screen, she stared at her mini-me. She acknowledged that she may not be what she once was, but there were worse circumstances. Since her escape she tried to heal what they thought they had shattered inside of her. Desperate, she clung to obtain that positivity her father displayed and the selflessness her savior expressed.

She allowed the video to resume.

"A princess?" her father's soothing chuckle washed over her, "Why of course!" He sat against the headboard with her smaller self placed snugly in his lap. He scratched his scruffy chin as he thought of how to start.

"There once was a kingdom full of good, kind-hearted people. Around the world they were known for their peace and wealth, but unlike other kingdoms they loved to share what they had with others." He peered down at her seeing that he had her full unwavering attention. With a smile he continued, "And that kingdom was ruled by the most breath-taking princess. Everyone was jealous of her beauty. But she always gave of herself to others. So she was not only beautiful on the outside, but also within. Then one day, the Creator decided to bless her, a sign of his approval. So she was given two wonderful gifts!"

"Pwesents?" she had asked, her tone hopeful.

"Yes. Her dream was to use these… presents, " he grinned, "and to bring the same wealth and peace found in her kingdom to the rest of the world. But a dark King thought to keep their treasures all to themselves. He wanted to use their power and might to control all kingdoms and take whatever they wanted."

"He's bad!"

Her father chuckled seeing how enraptured she was in the story. He nodded in agreement, "The princess thought the same thing. She disagreed and fought with the King. Soon the kingdom was at war with itself. People who wanted power fought with people who wanted peace."

Clutching the blanket tighter, Rae's small forehead creased as her frown deepened.

"The princess managed to fight the King off, but not before he stole one of her most treasured gifts."

"Noo!" she cried out.

Rae took note of the way he hugged her tighter. "Yes. But the bad people left one behind, thinking they had the better of the two. Little did they know that this gift was just as beautiful and just as bright as the one taken. So the princess decided to hide her last gift to protect its power and her heart from the darkness of the King. In time she gathered her people together and stopped the king for good. And from that point further, she was no longer viewed as a young princess, but a beautiful queen. The end."

"I wanna be a pwincess!" she beamed up at him with such exuberant energy. Energy he probably hoped would be extinguished before bed.

Her father chuckled. "Do you now? Well, you will always be my little princess." He leaned down, placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Always."

Rae watched the brightened display as her father tucked her younger self into bed and picked up the camera, his hands jostling it before it turned off. She leaned back in her chair and sighed, running her hand across her cheek only to realize they were wet from her tears.

She didn't remember this day, not specifically, but she remembered the story, it was repeated again and again, even as she got older. It was one of her top favorites and likely due to her demands, her father never forgot it, on occasion he would add a new detail or new character, but the story stayed much the same. And thanks to her father's willingness, the story would forever be seated in her heart.

Safely unplugging the drive, Rae moved to the next one, the first of the flashdrive series that were numbered.

The first was very slow, mostly her father naming off different elements of the periodic table and other scientific words and procedures that she struggled to follow. These, she realized, likely involved his work, being a medical scientist, he was always focused on the healing aspects of natural elements, especially as his work became more and more involved in the renewal of her diminishing health.

As far as she was aware, she was always sick, her father never delved into it and she knew why. Fear and anxiety was not something he let her experience, and he was always there to extinguish any worries she did have.

Wondering if she was ever going to get any answers from these, she moved on to the second drive.

"This is log number sixty-three," he sighed tiredly into the camera. "Her congenital disease is only worsening and I fear that it will only be a matter of time before I bury the love of my life."

Rae paused the footage. Swallowing a growing lump forming in her throat, her eyes itchy with the threat of tears, she took in the image of her father; the face she used to peer up at in her youth. His face was always clean shaven, from what she remembered. Everything about him was orderly and clean, his office was much the same. But the man of her past was completely different from the version she was seeing now. Her father looked so tired and worn down, his blonde hair a mess, and his desk cluttered with papers. It broke her heart to see him so dejected and lost.

This was just the beginning of the flash drives and there were three more. Was she strong enough to handle this?

Her eyes flickered back to the closed bedroom door, the only barrier between herself and the sleeping giant. She thought about the challenge she had faced a little over a month ago, meeting such a ferocious being that threatened her very existence. And to her own disbelief, not only had she been successful in surviving his wrath, but she had created peace between them. Acknowledging this she settled her gaze on the bright screen in front of her. Setting her jaw, she tapped the spacebar on her keyboard, which began playing the footage.

"Her odds were very slim. She should have died at birth as we both know, but she made it. She is a survivor, I know she is. I didn't think she would see her fifth birthday, but she proved me wrong. She is now seven years old, and despite her growing weakness, her highness," he chuckled, smiling fondly at the usage of his little nickname for her, "she is just incredible. The only reason she is alive is because of the Creator's doing, I swear. I just need to pray for more time."

Rae barely managed to swallow, her throat was constricted and uncomfortably so. She was seven when this was recorded, which meant this was the time frame when her disease had plateaued for a bit. At the age of eight she remembered being bedridden and always tired. Her father had convinced her that this was what every child went through when they were growing. It was a good lie, but now she knew better. That was what people who were dying experienced. First, it's a lack of desire to do much of anything, even watching her favorite tv shows, then as the mind slows down, so does the body. Hunger, thirst, sensations, they dwindled down until the only desire she truly had was to sleep.

Very much like her hopeless state, the steady recordings of her father, she noticed, began to become less and less.

She played the next one.

"Log seventy-six. Price has allowed our team to work with vial #371, but with all the testing we have done, it is far too unstable to be a viable antidote. I promise I will have more news for you soon, but I'm afraid there is only one option left and I know you will not like it, but we have no choice."

Just hearing his expression of faith meant so much. Her father never gave up on her even on the most hopeless nights, he knew she would pull through and he would tell her such. His words always carried her through as she endured the trials and tests in Price's lab. Those nights when she was surrounded by darkness, wishing for death, she recalled her father's encouragement. It was thanks to him that she was here. Without him, she likely would not have made it after that first night, and the consecutive years after.

She smiled remembering one time when he told her she was his light in this darkened world. But really, the simple truth of it was, he was hers.

"Log seventy-seven! I don't even know if I'll be able to send you this file with how grim things are getting over there, but if you're receiving this, I want you to know it's worked! I know it's against our code, but it's actually working!" he spoke with a renewed excitement. "I managed to take its blood and break it down to the point of being basic molecular structures that can no longer be classified as blood, rather all that's left is its unique healing components. I gave her the first dose last night, and when I checked her blood count this morning I found her cells healing themselves, replacing the genetically damaged ones with healthy rejuvenated red and white blood cells. I can only assume it is happening to the rest of her body. I am unsure if the full damage can be reversed, but she is going to be the closest thing to what she was supposed to be. I will have more updates soon."

"The antidote," she whispered, rewinding to the words she cared for most.

"-managed to take the blood and break it down to the point of it being basic molecular structures that can no longer be classified as blood, rather all that's left is its unique healing compon-"

A deeper frown creased her forehead. What kind of blood can do that? Not human blood. An animal, perhaps? She was aware of animals that had regenerative abilities like the zebrafish or even lizards, but the thought of an animal's blood being used as an antidote kinda creeped her out. He may have found a way to dissolve the basic building blocks, but it was still an unnatural substance inside her body. And that line of thought transitioned to another baffling question. Her power originated with this serum. What kind of animal can utilize a raw form of energy like she could?

Instead of turning into something like Spider-man by being bitten by a radioactive spider, she was injected with the dissolved blood of what, a thousand fireflies? Firefly-girl. Just the implication of such a thing was absurd, a fantasy.

For all she knew, this could have come from an otherworldly creature, she doubted Tomak was the sole alien kind out there in the vast universe. That in itself brought on a whole new set of chills.

Removing the USB and trying the next one, she sat back and waited, hoping to gain more knowledge to fill in the gaps.

"Log 73, we've done it Aurora! She is almost completely healed, I'm just waiting-"

Rae sat up and rewound the footage, playing it back.

"-we've done it Aurora."

She did it again.

"-73, we've done it Aurora."

"Aurora," she whispered under her breath. She didn't know any Aurora, maybe that was someone from his work. She let it play out a bit longer.

"She is almost completely healed, I'm just waiting to see if the Sitorim kicks in, but even if it doesn't-"

Rae rewound it again.

"-the Sitorim kicks in."

"Sitorim," she echoed, leaning back in her chair as she ran her fingers through her hair thoughtfully. Now what could that possibly be? She ended up pulling up a google page and typing the foreign word in the search. Entering it in, she stared at the monitor a moment as it generated zero results. Is this some sort of codename for the vial he gave me?

Rae went back to the video and watched the rest.

"...but even if it doesn't, she is perfect just the way she is. She started her first day in public school along with the other children her age. The interaction appears to be doing her some good, but I'm worried about Price." His eyes dropped down to his desk, "I think he might be onto me. If you are still there, please reach out to me. I know things have not been easy on your side, but it might be time to relocate permanently, no matter how unsafe you think it is."

Relocate? That could definitely be a work friend. It was plausible, especially if Price was catching wind of what he was doing at work. It's not typically standard to smuggle cartridges of an expensive lab-made serum home to then illegally inject into your daughter. Maybe he was trying to relocate his team somewhere off site.

The worry in her father's voice pulled her back into the video. "If Price finds out about Rae I fear it may destroy everything we hoped to achieve. I… I can't let that happen. I will die before they get to her." The recording went black.

That last statement just about did it for her.

Roughly disconnecting her earphones from the laptop. Rae took a moment to blink back some of her tears. Now as she looked back at the monitor, all she could see was her own reflection staring back at her. "It was my fault," she knew. "You did everything you could to protect me, dad. It was me. My mistake," her voice was fragile and weak, on the cusp of cracking. "I should have listened to you, then you'd still be here," she swallowed a lump that had gathered in the back of her throat, trying to stay strong through the steady flow of her tears. "I was so proud of how smart I was in school, but how could I have been so stupid!" she shoved the box away, letting it topple to the floor. She sighed deeply, only some of the tension released.

Just when she thought that was the end, the video's darkened image was brightened once more. Now her father was bundled up in a coat and his eyes filled with determination. "This message is for Rae."

Her heart clenched fearfully, so many raw emotions running wild within her system, as she stared wide eyed at her father.

"Sweetheart, my princess," he paused, "in case something happens to me in the next few minutes, I want you to understand something." His blue eyes cut right into her heart. "I love you. Don't view yourself less than the way I see you, honey. Whatever lies Price says about me, you, all of it, they are not true." A loud crash in the background of the footage made her wince, her father's neutral response to it scared her. "If I don't see you again, I want to apologize for not being a better father."

The tears in her fathers eyes instigated her own as she shook her head at her father's statement.

"Rae, you are stronger than you realize. You may not understand it right now, but you are very special. Don't let the corrupt people of this world take advantage of your gift." A whirring sound caused him to look briefly behind him, and in response he spoke with more urgency. "It's who you are. Never forget what I taught you." Another loud bang sounded.

Her eyes widened suddenly as she realized all too late what was happening.

The door in the background of the footage caved in and instantly men in dark clothing and machine guns flooded the room. Their movements alone told her they came with the intention to kill and yet her father didn't move.

"I love you so much. Good-bye princess."

At that a blinding light filled the camera lens and the video went dark.

She had clung to his every word, her knuckles turning white on the grip she had on the table. With just a tad more pressure, she knew it's integrity would not hold. It was as if she were in a daze, her mind unable to register that the video had stopped. It felt like she was stabbed in the heart, she couldn't describe what she was feeling any other way. The image that was stuck in her head were the armed men that had broken through the door behind him. Her breathing had stopped altogether. Those men, they… he…

Rae did not know she had an audience. She didn't have time to cry when a giant, clawed hand landed roughly on her shoulder.

Instantaneously a startled scream filled her ears as her whole body jolted as if being struck by lightning. Then as she heard the big beast's chuckling laughter her pounding heart and spiking adrenaline converted from fear to rage.

Getting off her chair she whirled on him in anger, "Tomak!"

Clearly not realizing he had overstepped his boundaries, he crossed his impressive arms and aimed an amused look at her from his towering height.

Outraged by his expression and not willing to give him the satisfaction of tilting her head back, she glared up at him from under her eyelashes, "What the hell is so funny?!" her voice was shaky, but she hoped her anger was still evident.

Tomak was so entertained by his new finding, he had missed the venom laced in her voice. "You make it far too easy to scare… princess," he chuckled the last word, enjoying her surprised expression.

Sinking pain filled her chest, her eyes stinging with the threat of tears. "What did you call me?"

Again, not correctly reading her body language he leaned over her with gleaming mischief in his glowing eyes, "Princess."

Her pain was too great to fight, she didn't even think of the consequences when she took an aggressive step forward, her eyes burning like an untamed flame. "Don't you ever call me that again. Do you understand me, yautja?"

Tomak was taken back by her sudden hostility. And like his mood, his amusement swiftly turned sour. As if she had struck him, his whole body hardened into a large, rigid, mass of muscle, looking much larger, both in bulk and height.

Never had Rae yelled at him like this, not in uncontrollable anger. She would never dare to. But all that changed in an instant. She couldn't stop herself. She was in pain. She was grieving. She needed to release this awful tension that was unraveling her from the inside.

Ignoring the fact that he took a menacing step closer, his abdomen now directly in her face, almost brushing her nose, she went further, "What the hell is wrong with you?! If you ever invade my privacy like this again," she gestured to her home with outstretched arms, "all this is gone!"

The air around them became thick with tension.

His eyes were practically glowing in unholy rage. Tomak's powerful breaths quickened, his scowl scathing as he growled threateningly. The thought of killing her for her disrespect flashed across his mind. But before he did something they would both regret, he turned his back on her and stormed out of the dining area.

At first, he went straight to his room, but upon entering he knew it was not nearly far enough away from her for him to cool off properly. So with a crackling snarl of anger he adorned his mask and thrusted his hand out to seize his ki'cti-pa. Gripping it firmly, he stalked out of the female's dwelling and into the dark morning air, making a point to slam the door behind him.

He was in such a rage, he threw himself off her wooden deck that was a few stories up and landed in a crouch on the sandy shoreline. There he released a ferocious roar and activated his weapon with a lethal, sweeping arc.

How dare she speak to him as such! And for what? Teasing her? He had heard the small commotion outside his room and went to check on her. Why, he still did not know. Then he had caught the last few words of an older male, who he assumed was her sire. What he called her he found greatly amusing. And yet she responded as if he had done her the greatest dishonor!

In her own anger she went as far as to call him yautja!

Yautja.

Just the thought of it had his blood boiling, causing him to leap and swipe his staff with deadly accuracy towards his invisible opponent.

If that's how she wanted it, for him to play the yautja and her the prey, As it should be, he reminded himself. Then that is exactly as it would be. He had tried to honor her. And this was what he got in return.

With a snarl, his dreads whipped to the side as he focused his strength and vigor on his greatest opponent.

—

It was the loud commotion of her front door slamming shut that managed to jar her out of her blinding anger. With him gone, her heavy breathing was now overwhelming and with her head less foggy she quickly came to a clear comprehension of the exact words that had come out of her mouth.

Then it clicked, like a popped soap bubble, her anger vanished. Overcome with an onslaught of hateful remorse towards herself, she dropped to her knees and wept.

How could she have said those things?! Even if his amusement was not at all appropriate for what she had just witnessed, how could she stoop as low as she did? She didn't even know if he understood or saw anything at all. Wrongly, she let her anger take control and made all the assumptions herself. Tomak wasn't one to make fun of the death of another, right? He claimed he had honor, so surely not.

A whirlwind of emotions were carrying her down into her abyss of pity. What if Tomak is that sort of person? the self loathing portion of her mind cruelly brought to the surface. That question only added to the base of all her fears. Then I'm all alone again.

Slowly her arms curled around herself as she laid there on the floor, staring at the ceiling through her tears. Her father was wrong in his assessment of her.

She wasn't strong.

She wasn't special.

And now thanks to her stupidity, she is back to being what she was before.

Alone.

Author's Note

Alright! So a lot of important content in this one. We're kind of exploring more about Rae, but as always, I'm not putting all my cards up on the table yet. We will get there, though. As for the budding relationship between Tomak and Rae. I wanted to create a bit of a falling-out between them, (nothing that can't be patched up), to create a bit more realness to their relationship since no couple is perfect and there is always those moments where you feel like you took two steps forward, one step back. I hope I captured that in this chapter. Let me know if I did or didn't.

Also, I really enjoy reading your thoughts and theories about where you might think this will go! So please don't hold back! ;)