Chapter 12

Blaring music seeped out of the brick walls of the Salvatore Boarding House as Gwen walked from the driveway to the front door. Damon was having another drunken, bury-his-feelings episode. Gwen only hoped she wasn't about to walk in on him feeding from a group of sorority girls again. That had been a distressing encounter, for many reasons. When she reached the door, she let herself in, too angry to bother being polite.

"Damon!" she yelled, slamming the door behind her. "I told you to stop compelling my boss to give me days off! I actually do need the money."

She'd reached the open living room, but saw no sign of him or, thankfully, any bleeding college students. With a huff, she dropped her bag to the floor and folded her arms, taking in the state of the room. The open liquor bottles on the coffee table told her he was probably still here. Plus, cancelling her work shift had become his way of saying, "meet me at the boarding house." She knew he was here; she just had to find him.

"Don't worry," a voice drawled. Gwen's eyes were drawn upward to the second floor, where Damon was casually standing on the banister, black shirt half-unbuttoned and a glass of amber liquid in one hand. Gwen ignored how attractive he was in his disheveled state, focusing on her anger, instead.

"Why not?" she demanded. "This is the third time I've shown up for work and been told I had the day off. You can't keep doing this."

Damon rolled his eyes, bored by her good girl act. She didn't have to be responsible all the time.

"You'll get paid. Now," he said, pausing mid-sentence and suddenly appearing in front of her. Startled, Gwen took a step back and relaxed her stance. "Let's do something fun."

He took her hands and pulled her to him, swaying slowly and then picking up the pace. Gwen protested at first, but quickly fell into embarrassed laughter. She was so absorbed in their ridiculous dancing that she didn't notice Stefan was there until Damon spun her around while muttering something about "Buzzkill Bob." Stefan turned down the music until it reached a level that would have been acceptable for a coffeehouse. Damon hadn't released her, so they stood there with her back pressed into his back and his hand on her waist. She was thankful her face was already flushed from the dancing, or else her embarrassed blush would have been very noticeable.

"Another surprise day off?" Stefan asked, eyebrow raised. Though Gwen had allowed herself to be caught up in the moment, she and Stefan were concerned about Damon's self-destructive way of dealing with the Katherine situation. His façade of nonchalance fooled no one. Stefan was also concerned about who else he hurt in his spiral. Finding Gwen at the house didn't make him happy.

"Apparently," she said breathily. Then pointedly added, "Hoping it will be the last time this week."

Damon hummed in her ear. "We'll see."

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you about the history project. Do you mind if I borrow you for a moment?" he asked her, though he looked at Damon when he spoke. He was too casual, Gwen thought. The last two times he'd found her in the house, he'd practically pushed her out the door to get here away from Damon's ruinous ways. His relaxed response was too out of character.

"I guess I could use a drink," Damon replied, releasing her. "But don't talk about me too long. I didn't give her the day off to talk you."

Damon was oddly smug about his deduction as he practically sauntered over to his stockpile of alcohol. Gwen rolled her eyes and followed Stefan outside, far enough away from the house that Damon couldn't overhear them.

"What is it?" she asked when they came to a stop. Now that they were away from Damon, she couldn't help but notice his concerned expression.

"I was wondering," Stefan started, slightly hesitant, "how much does Damon know about your aunt?"

Gwen's brows furrowed. "Not much, I never gave him a name or showed him a picture. I figured the who wouldn't matter much to him. All I told him was that my uncle was pretty sure he killed my aunt and was out for revenge. I promised to help him with Katherine if he left him alone, even if Ric figured it out. Why?"

"I don't think she's told many people, but the Gilberts were Elena's adoptive parents. For a while now, she's been trying to find out about her birth parents. Jenna just tracked down her mother: A woman named Isobel who grew up about an hour from Mystic Falls," he explained, careful to keep his voice low.

Gwen felt as though she'd been punched in the gut. Shaking, she slowly lowered herself to sit on a nearby stone bench. The cold from the stone seeped through her jeans, but she ignored it.

"You think Elena's mother was my aunt? That's —"

"Crazy? I know, but Ric confirmed it when Jenna showed him the picture she found of Isobel from high school. It's true."

Stefan sat down next to her, letting his words sink in. This was insane. Though, the longer she thought about it, the less insane it became. The whole reason she and Ric were in Mystic Falls was so he could avenge her death. The fact that she had a secret child was surprising, definitely not something Gwen would have pictured, but not weird that said child lived in the same town.

"Ok, so what?" Gwen said, trying to make this revelation seem like nothing. "Isobel's still dead. Maybe when Ric is over the initial shock of finding out she kept something else from him, he'll talk to Elena about her. Honestly though, Elena's better off not knowing anything. This doesn't have to be a life-destroying thing."

"Ric doesn't suspect Damon. He knows it was Damon that killed Isobel. He's known since he met Damon at the dance," Stefan said, dropping another bomb.

This time, Gwen felt like she was going to be sick. All of this Isobel stuff was only going to spin up her uncle. He'd probably do something stupid, like go after a vampire and get killed. And with Damon being more of a wildcard than usual, she couldn't count on him not to attack or even goad Ric into doing something stupid. Taking a deep breath to reign in her panic, she stood and faced Stefan.

"Does Elena know about Damon's connection to Isobel?"

"No," Stefan answered, ducking his head. "I don't know how to tell her. She'd be devastated."

Gwen rolled her eyes. He'd had no problem running off to update Ric, who actually knew Isobel, but lets only worry about Elena's feelings. She signed, putting aside how irritating Stefan was when it came to Elena.

"Good. Don't let her or Damon learn anything else," she directed. Stefan's eyes widened in surprise at her sudden businesslike manner, but he didn't comment on it. "I will go home and deal with my uncle. I'll try to talk him out of whatever he might be planning to do."

"All right," Stefan said, though his voiced lacked conviction. Gwen gritted her teeth. All he had to do was keep quiet. It wasn't that hard. "What are you going to tell Damon?"

"That I have to go home because Ric wants the car to drive over to the auction-fundraiser-thing," she said with a shrug. Once again, her uncle served as the perfect excuse. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

Her confidence ebbed slightly. There were too many factors to control. Her voice much softer than a moment before, she asked, "Can I count on you Stefan? I can't lose my uncle over this."

"You won't," Stefan promised, though his tone was more determined than certain.

As they walked back to the house, both of them secretly thought that maybe they were overreacting. Gwen reasoned that Damon would keep his word; she hadn't broken their deal. Stefan was sure that Gwen meant more to Damon than he claimed, and didn't think he'd risk his one good relationship. Maybe, just maybe, they were worrying over nothing.


The door slammed shut louder than she had ended. Dropping her bag, Gwen waited for a response. When Ric didn't call out, she climbed the stairs to the second floor where he was probably getting ready. As she walked, she took deep, calming breaths. She couldn't understand why he hadn't told her that he knew about Damon and Isobel the other night. They'd said they would be honest. Given that she had deduced most of it for herself, he could have told her he knew. Gwen found him in his room, standing in front of his dresser mirror and attempting to put on his tie.

Spotting her in the reflection, he said, "You'd better get ready fast if you want a ride over to the fundraiser. Jenna's saving you a seat. From what she says, you'll get a great view of my public humiliation."

When she failed to laugh along at his joke, he let the ends of his fail on his shoulders and turned to face her. Gwen leaned against the doorframe, arms folded and an expression on her face that told him she was preparing for something unpleasant.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Instead of answering, she responded with her own question.

"When were you going to tell me that you knew Damon was the vampire responsible for Isobel's death?" she asked, her tone hostile.

Ric blinked dumbly as he processed her question, and that she was still keeping secrets. Turning back to the mirror, he resumed fixing his tie.

"I could ask you the same," he said between gritted teeth. His anger probably matched hers in that moment, and he was fighting it to try to be the mature adult. "And I didn't tell you because I didn't want you involved. He's dangerous, unhinged."

Gwen rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe he was calling someone else unhinged when he was out here plotting revenge.

"How do you even know it's him?" she challenged.

"I came home and saw him that night," Ric explained, fumbling with tie. "I recognized him. How did you figure this out? And why didn't you come to me?"

"From yours and Isobel's research," she said matter-of-factly, though the intense anger in her eyes didn't lessen. "I didn't want you to do something like, I don't know, try to kill a vampire, so I made a deal with Damon: He leaves you alone no matter what, and I help him with his goal to get his girlfriend out of the tomb."

Ric lost it then. Forgetting about the tie, he spun around to face her again. His face was contorted from rage and his fists clenched and unclenched as he tried to reign himself in.

"What the hell, Gwen?" he yelled, unable to control his anger. "That might be the dumbest thing you've ever done! He killed your aunt. He could kill you! What the fuck were thinking?"

"I was thinking I didn't want to lose the only family I had left," she yelled, pushing herself off of the doorframe as angry tears spilled from her eyes. She hated herself from crying, but it happened every time she got this mad.

Ric's stance softened immediately. He closed the space between them, wrapping her in a comforting embrace. As she cried into his shoulder, Gwen noticed she actually felt better. Fighting with Ric was never fun, but at least it was all out there now.

Sniffling, she pulled away and asked, "Did you really think you could kill him? Did you even think about what would happen if you couldn't?"

Sighing, Ric pushed back a strand of wet hair that was sticking to her face. Softly, he said, "No, I didn't. I am still so angry about it. I want answers and, yeah, I want to kill him. But I guess, I forgot to account for a few things. Like how I should be taking care of you."

"Or how you're nowhere never fast enough to take on a vampire," Gwen added, pointedly.

Ric chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Gwen blurted, realizing she'd been just as bad. "I just — "

"I get it," Ric said with an understanding smile. "Why don't you stay home? I'll leave you money for pizza, and tell Jenna you're sick or something. You don't have to go to this thing."

Gwen shook her head. "No, I want to. We promised Jenna. I just need fifteen minutes. Besides," she added, a wicked smile playing on her lips, "I was promised public humiliation."


"You both look nice," Caroline greeted as they stood at the check-in count, waiting on Ric to fill out paperwork for the auction.

"Thanks," Gwen said, nervously tugging on the green sweater she'd chosen to go with her charcoal skirt and black boots. She was definitely underdressed compared to some of the women participating the auction, but she seemed to match the rest of the girls her own age, who were here for support or because they were forced to come. "We miss anything interesting?"

"Only Matt's mom calling me fake and saying she doesn't like me," Caroline pouted, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she slumped against the table. Gwen made a 'what the hell?' face.

"What a bitch," she commented, momentarily forgetting Ric was there.

He cleared his throat and shot her a warning glance. Handing his paperwork back to Caroline, he said, "If I'm unlucky enough to be won by this woman, I'll be sure to talk you up to her."

Caroline smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly from embarrassment. "Thanks, Mr. Saltzman. You better head back stage, they'll be starting soon. Gwen, Jenna's just around the corner."

"See you later," Gwen said, waving to them both as they went in different directions.

She rounded the corner and immediately spotted Jenna and Elena sitting at a small circular table in perfect view of the stage. Carefully, she navigated her way between the narrow space between tables. Gwen tripped over a chair leg just as she reached the table but, thankfully, it was barely noticeable and she was able to catch herself by grabbing onto the back of the empty chair in front of her.

"Sorry we're late," she said, pulling out the chair and taking a seat. Both Jenna and Elena smiled in greeting. Gwen was surprised to see how genuine Elena's seemed. They hadn't really talked since the night of the tomb, and even those communications had been short. Gwen had thought Elena didn't trust her since she'd been helping Damon, but maybe she was over that. Or maybe she was just really good at pretending.

"Oh, don't worry," Jenna reassured her with a dismissive wave of her hand. "These things never start on time. I'm just happy you guys actually showed. Carol Lockwood would never let it go if I had the bachelor that bailed."

"Sheriff Forbes is the one who has to worry about that," Elena chimed in, pausing to take a sip of her soda. "Stefan says she asked Damon to be one of the bachelors."

"Really?" Gwen asked, her tone a mix of surprise and skepticism. Surely unleashing Damon on some unsuspecting woman hoping for a nice date wasn't the best idea. Elena hummed and gave Gwen a knowing look.

"Just as long as I don't get him," Jenna sighed, oblivious to the silent conversation between the two teen girls.

Gwen smirked, suddenly amused. "I'm sure Ric is hoping the same thing. Can you imagine him actually going a date from this, except with Jenna," Gwen added. "He'd be so awkward."

All three burst into laughter, drawing some looks from neighboring tables. The quieted quickly, however, as Mrs. Lockwood ascended the chairs to the stage and called for everyone's attention. The first ten minutes were extremely boring. It was all about what the money would go to and thanking all the people who had helped put on this event. Finally, it was time for the drawing.

Mrs. Lockwood began with bachelor number one, some blond man who was a local plumber. Gwen thought she read his bio in a way that much too flirty for the wife of the mayor. By the whispers around them, she wasn't the only one who thought so. She even caught Elena and Jenna exchange a look. The first man matched with Kelly Donovan. As she passed by their table, already unsteady from too much alcohol, Gwen felt a surge of anger toward her. She had an unexpected desire to lash out and hurt the woman who had been so cruel to her friend. The feeling passed quickly, leaving her ashamed of her reaction, which had gone unnoticed by her companions.

Jenna rolled her eyes when Mrs. Lockwood turned her attention to Ric. When he blanked on a fun history fact to share, they couldn't help but giggle. While Gwen's and Elena's laughter was a mix of amusement and pity, Gwen could tell Jenna's was different. Her was were soft as she watched him onstage; clearly thinking his fumble was adorable. Gwen turned her attention back to the stage before Jenna caught her watchful stare. She was glad Ric had found Jenna; she was so much better for him than Isobel.

Mrs. Lockwood had moved onto to Damon now, and something about his smug expression made chills run down Gwen's spine. She sat up straighter, alert and waiting. She caught the smirk before his first taunt to Ric, and her heart sank. She was so focused on watching Damon goad Ric that she missed Elena's reaction. It wasn't until she was excusing herself from the table that Gwen clued into the fact that Stefan had told her everything. Jenna stared after her niece, equally confused and concerned.

"I'll go check on her," Gwen offered, standing up from the table. "Um, will you make sure Ric is ok? He's still pretty sensitive about all this Isobel stuff."

Jenna nodded. "I'll meet you both by the entrance."

Gwen nodded and headed off in the direction that Elena had gone. However, she had no intention of finding or checking on Elena. She'd notice Stefan run out after her; Elena would be fine. Damon, not so much.

She found him behind the makeshift stage, downing yet another glass of alcohol. He had to be well into the double digits when it came to drinks today. Making sure there was no one around, she closed the distance between them.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded, snatching the glass from his hands.

"It was just a joke," he said, amusement and condescension all in one breath. "He's still alive. I kept my promise."

"Actually, the deal was that you leave him alone no matter," Gwen said, folding her arms in front of her. Her body tensed from the effort it took to contain her rage. She even had to clench her teeth to keep herself from yelling at him. Afraid she may break the glass, Gwen set it down on the nearest hightop.

Damon rolled his eyes, no longer entertained by her frustration. "Relax, she's not worth all of this drama, trust me."

"Just because you're hurting, doesn't mean you get to make everyone else miserable," Gwen snapped, losing a little of her control. Suddenly, the glass on the hightop shattered, pieces flying in different directions, but Gwen didn't even notice. Instead she continued on her rage-fueled rant. "You know, I don't think you ever really loved Katherine. If you did, you'd understand what it's like to lose someone, and you wouldn't treat people like this."

She spun around before he could respond or see an angry tear fall, leaving a stunned Damon standing in the shadows of the stage. Recovering from force of her outburst, Damon focused his attention on something that wasn't him, unwilling to examine his feelings at that moment. The glass exploding hadn't gone unnoticed by him, and that was something he could handle. Damon picked up a shard of the shattered glass, thinking he may have underestimated Gwen after all.


Jenna was waiting at the front of the restaurant like they'd agreed. Her worried eyes searched the crowed, but for who Gwen couldn't be sure. When she spotted Gwen walking toward her, Jenna's worry increased, though now there was a tinge of confusion mixed in.

"Where's my uncle?" she asked, her voice unexpectedly hoarse.

"He had to leave," Jenna said slowly. "I thought he went to get …."

There was a heavy, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was Ric going to go after Damon, even after he'd promised not to? She pulled out her phone and tried to call him while Jenna watched, her concern growing. There was no answer. Thinking quickly, Gwen came up with a story to explain his absence. She needed to find Stefan.

"He's probably just out clearing his head," she said, affecting a manner that implied she thought he was being ridiculous. "He's still figuring out how to deal with the Isobel situation. I can walk home."

"Are you sure?" Jenna asked, already moving to put on her coat. "I'm happy to drop you off as soon as I find Elena."

"No, it's ok," Gwen said, hoping her carefree smile was believable. She could hear her pulse in her ears as goosebumps rose on her skin from a sensation that was both warm and cool. If she didn't find Stefan soon, she was going to lose it. "I'll be fine."

Not giving Jenna a chance to argue, Gwen slipped past her and out the door. The freezing night air did little to calm her, as her mind raced trying to figure out how to find Stefan. Miraculously, all she had to do was look around. Stefan and Elena were about twenty feet from her. Their heads bowed together in a private conversation. Attempting to maintain a calm exterior, Gwen took measured steps over them.

"Hey," she greeted, sounding almost too cheery. They broke a part, looking at her expectantly. Turning to Elena, she said, "Jenna's waiting for you just inside."

"Oh, um," Elena mumbled, throwing a look at Stefan. Gwen wasn't quite sure what she was trying to communicate, but she hoped he missed it.

"You better go. I'll call you in a bit."

Elena looked a little disappointed, but nodded in agreement. She kissed Stefan on the cheek and left to go find her aunt. Gwen rounded on Stefan the second she was out of sight.

"We need to go to the Boardinghouse. Now."

Stefan's brows furrowed. Her racing pulse had been enough to tell him she was upset. The urgency in her voice, however, only added to his confusion and set him on edge. Surely, she couldn't be worried about Damon after what he'd just done.

"Ric's gone after Damon," she explained. Eyes widening in comprehension, he nodded and led her behind the building where he'd parked.

Fifteen minutes later, they were flying down the deserted country road at speed that was at least thirty miles over the posted limit. Gwen had never been more thankful for living in a small town with a lax police department. The last thing they needed was to be pulled over, even if Stefan could have compelled his way out of it. Every second mattered.

Gwen sighed as she hung up the phone for the hundredth time. Ric either didn't have his phone or he was ignoring her or …. She shook her head, banishing the thought. He didn't have that much of a head start on them. They could get there and deescalate the situation before either man took it too far. Gwen couldn't help but think it was futile to expect Damon to keep his word, especially after her outburst.

"We're almost there," Stefan said, breaking the silence.

His voice was too calm for her. She supposed he wasn't too worried about losing Damon. A vampire against a human was far from a fair match after all. Still, she wished he'd at least feign concern for Ric. Knowing she'd only say something hurtful, Gwen remained silent. She kept her focus on the road, looking for the Boardinghouse. A couple of minutes later, it peaked through the trees, looking as welcoming as ever with all the external lights on. Yet, Gwen's feeling of foreboding only increased

Gwen had unbuckled her seatbelt and was opening the door before Stefan had even put the car in park. He sprang out of the car, running to catch up to her. If things hadn't been so dire, Stefan would have been impressed by how well she ran in her heeled boots. With ease, he was able to get in front and stop her sprint, though he had to hold her in place.

"Listen," he said sternly, drawing her attention from the door to him. "Stay behind me. If … just stay behind me, ok?"

Gwen hesitated for half a second, annoyed that he thought she couldn't take care of herself. Still, she knew he wouldn't let her in if she din't agree. She gave a curt nod and hereleased her. She caught the grim set of his lips before he turned around and led her to the door at pace that could have made her scream. Taking a breath he didn't need, he opened the heavy wooden door and let them inside to the dimly lit hall.

Immediately, Gwen noticed how quiet the house was. If Ric was here, there would be yelling. Maybe, she thought hopefully, maybe she had overreacted and Ric wasn't here. Stefan didn't bother with any lights as they walked down the dark hallway to main room. Rounding the corner, Gwen saw Damon lounging on the couch with a drink in hand and looking pensively down at ….

She screamed and rushed past Stefan to the center of the room where the unmoving body of her uncle lay. Gwen fell to the ground and began trying to find a pulse. The bloodstain in the center of his chest and glassy eyes should have told her it was too late. But she couldn't see them in her panic.

"No, no," she whispered through her tears as she slowly began to realize it was too late. "Please wake up!"

Stefan kneeled next to her, but didn't try to help. He knew it was too late. His eyes travelled up to Damon, who had stood up from the couch but remained frozen in place a foot away from it. Stefan was surprised to see conflict in his brother's eyes. He'd never known Damon to regret killing someone. He was usually quite proud of his kills. But now, Stefan was sure he saw remorse.

"Gwen," Damon started, searching for what to say.

Gwen's head snapped up upon hearing her name. Despite her red, tear-streaked face, she managed a look that made both brothers flinch. Slowly, she stood, her body shaking with rage.

Damon tried again, though it was obvious he still had no idea what to say. "Gwen, I'm —"

"No!"

The word came out as a heartbroken screech as she lunged at Damon. Stefan intercepted her. He knew she couldn't hurt his brother with her human strength, but he'd also been the only one to notice all the glass in room shaking. In her current emotional state, Stefan speculated that she was capable of some serious damage.

"Get out of here," he said to Damon, as he kept Gwen restrained in the an awkward embrace.

Despite being a human, Stefan was having to work to keep a hold on her. Damon didn't move; his eyes still locked on Gwen. He still seemed to be trying to find a way to spin this, opening and closing his mouth several times. The rattling glass broke through his stupor, though that only served to make him move forward.

"No! Go!" Stefan yelled.

Gwen was clearly losing over her magic. If Damon didn't leave, she might kill them both. Finally, Damon understood and left, though it seemed like a Herculean effort for him to do so. A slamming door told Stefan that Damon had gone out the back. As soon as he was gone, the glass stopped rattling and Gwen fell against him. She recovered quickly from her moment of exhaustion and pulled away from Stefan, stumbling back over to Ric's body.

Gwen stared helplessly at what had been her uncle. She hadn't seen her mother after she died. She had been at school, and then her mother's body had cremated. At the time, Gwen had been upset that she hadn't been able to see her one last time. Now, however, she was grateful she didn't have to live with the image of her mother's lifeless body. The vision of Ric's death would stay with her forever.

She saw Stefan kneel down on the other side of Ric. He assessed the body; cold, analytical, and distant. He was figuring out how to cover up the death. She ignored him, unable to focus on anything. Her heart ached with such grief that she could barely breath. It was as if she had her own gaping wound in her chest. She was all alone now. The last of her family killed by someone she thought she could trust.

Tears streamed down her face, her sobs and the crackling fire the only sounds in the room. At least Stefan was letting her be. She didn't want to be comforted right now. She wanted to be left to wallow in her grief. His open, glassy stare began to bother her, so Gwen made to close Ric's eyelids. Her hand was less than an inch from his face when Ric jerked up, gasping for air.

Gwen jumped back, an unintelligible yell of surprise escaping her. Stefan acted faster, moving to help the struggling Ric into a sitting position. His shocked expression was enough to tell Gwen that he was just as lost as she was by her uncle's resurrection.

"How?" Stefan asked, completely dumbstruck.

Ric shook his head, just as bewildered. He and Stefan both inspected the stab wound, but it was gone. Somehow it had healed. Gwen had been frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening. Finally understanding that this was real, she wrapped her arms around Ric's neck and sobbed into his chest.

"I'm so sorry," Ric said soothingly, squeezing her tightly. "My temper got the best of me. I'm so sorry, I put you through that."

Gwen couldn't say anything. She was so relieved to have him back. Taking deep breaths, she pulled away. She needed to get her crying under control. Ric was alive. Everything was all right. Calmer now, she felt her own curiosity about how he was alive.

"You're not a vampire are you?" she asked, trying to observe a physical change.

Ric shook his head. "No, my heart's still beating. I think …." He glanced down at his hand at the gaudy blue ring Isobel had given him. "I think it was the ring. Isobel said it would protect me. She made me promise to never take it off."

Gwen and Ric both glanced at Stefan, as if they expected him to be able to confirm this. He simply shrugged and shook his head.

"I've never heard of such a thing," Stefan said. "A daylight to walk in the sun is one thing, but a ring that brings you back from death? That's impossible."

Sighing, Ric said, "I know. But what other explanation is there?"

Gwen, however, stayed silent. It wasn't impossible. It was magic. From her research, she was certain it was very dark and very old magic.


AN: Two updates in two weeks! Don't get used to this though, school starts in 10 days and then I go back to sporadic updates. Thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed this story. A special thanks to Wordspin, PrincessMagic, and Demona Evernight for their reviews!