Author's Note
Whoo! Once again, it feels good to be writing, especially now that I have the incentive. Now, onto what to expect with this chapter: Simba and Nala will enact their plan to lose Zazu and reach the elephant graveyard (in iconic song form). At the same time, Connor receives a visit from someone who he believes despises him. Oh yeah, before I begin, I should mention this from what I saw in the comments: The poachers who took Connor's family away from him died in that same explosion at the end of chapter 2. With that out of the way, let it be known once again that all characters, OCs excluded, and all songs of The Lion King belong to Disney. Anyways, without further ado, I give you:
Chapter 14: Unexpected Expectations
"Step lively! The sooner we get to the watering hole, the sooner we can leave."
That had to be the umpteenth time Simba and Nala heard Zazu say something regarding their pace and destination. Sadly, what was supposed to be an awesome outing and adventure with Simba's brother turned into a temporary cub-sitting job for the majordomo. Not that it could be helped though; Connor had just gone through a dangerous ordeal of his own, having fought off hyenas with the hunting party and taken down Janga, which left him badly injured. So as much as they wanted him to come, he was stuck at Pride Rock resting up from his injuries. Still, anyone else would've been better than the annoying hornbill at this point. If it weren't for the fact that he was flying overhead, Simba probably would've smacked him upside the beak by now.
"So where are we really going?" Thankfully, Nala's question snapped the young prince out of his thoughts of avian assault and onto the real reason they were heading towards the water hole.
"An elephant graveyard." Simba made sure he was discreet in telling his friend their actual destination, so as not to alert their caretaker. Unfortunately, Nala was not as quick to catch on.
"WOW!"
"Shhhhh!" Simba quickly silenced her outburst, glancing up at the hornbill to make sure he heard nothing, which, thankfully, he did not. "Zazu…"
"Right…" Nala caught on right away, making sure to keep her voice down as she brought up a rather important question: "So, how are we gonna ditch the dodo?"
As the cubs whispered to themselves quietly about possible ideas to get away from Zazu, the bird in question glanced back to make sure they were still following him. Now, while he wasn't able to hear what they were saying, he DID however misinterpret the whisperings in a rather…unusual way. One unfamiliar to cubs their age.
"Oh, just look at you two." Zazu addressed both cubs as he swooped to land before them, letting his thoughts speak for themselves. "Little seeds of romance, blossoming in the Savannah. Your parents will be thrilled," though that would hardly describe how the cubs felt. "What with your being…betrothed and all."
Now, there was a word the cubs had never heard before. Sure, Connor has expanded their vocabulary with many unique terms of his choosing, but this one was pretty new to them. "Be-what?"
"Betrothed…Intended…Affianced." Zazu could've used every word in a thesaurus, and it still wouldn't have made sense to the cubs, which Nala addressed after sharing a confused look with Simba.
"Meaning…"
"One day, you two are going to be married." While Zazu was rather jovial about sharing this news with the cubs, their reaction was the opposite: retching, sticking their tongues out, and just outright voicing their disgust.
"Yuck!"
"Eww!"
"I can't marry her. She's my friend." Simba was first to voice his opinion to the majordomo, who simply looked away with crossed wings and was soon followed by Nala with a similar mindset. "Yeah. It'd be too weird."
Weird as it may have been to the cubs, Zazu did not budge on stating the facts to them, whether they liked it or not. "Well sorry to bust your bubble, but you two turtle doves have no choice." Had he not been so enthralled by his explanation, he would've seen Simba silently mimicking the hornbill behind his back, yet on he went. "It's a tradition, going back generations."
When he assumed the hornbill finished his "lecture," Simba decided to give his rebuttal on the matter. "Well, when I'm king, that'll be the second thing to go."
"Oh?" Zazu looked back at the young prince curiously, yet sternly regarding his behavior revolving around his future status. "And what, pray tell, would the first thing be, hm?" As much as he was amused to hear whatever childish idea the cub had in mind, Zazu was NOT expecting the following words to leave Simba's lips:
"I'm gonna have Connor rule the kingdom with me." He was proud to state it and wouldn't take it back, even with the stares of surprise and intrigue; the surprise being Zazu and the intrigue being Nala.
"But Simba, I thought you wanted to be king all by yourself." Nala looked at him questioningly. While it was thoughtful, she also wasn't sure it was even possible.
"Indeed young master. After all, the title of king is solely yours by birthright. Why would you ever want to give that up?" It's true that since Simba is Mufasa and Sarabi's firstborn, the throne would be his by default. To the young prince however, as eager as he was to become king, he also knew someone else deserved it as much as he did.
"I know, and I don't!" Simba would paw at the ground as he thought of his brother, and what he has done not just for him, but for the kingdom as well. "I just think Connor deserves to be king just as much as I do, that's all."
"As noble as that is Simba, I'm afraid it's not that simple." Zazu tried a calmer approach this time, knowing how sensitive this topic had become. "Being king is something you must be born into, and because your parents took Connor in before he became a prince…well…" Zazu would sigh on the matter, seeing the sorrowful look on Simba's face…at least until it was replaced by one of confidence and determination.
"Well, I don't care! When I finally become king, I'll make it so Connor can rule alongside me. After all he's done, I know he deserves it!" Simba quite literally put his paw down on the matter. As determined as he was stubborn, this matter would never change, no matter how old he got.
"In that case, all I can say is I hope it works out for the both of you in the end." Zazu complies with a sigh, knowing there is nothing more he can say about it before resuming their trek to the watering hole.
"Yeah, well, I still say that "betrothal" thing has to go."
And just like that, Simba was back to his mischievous self, much to Zazu's displeasure.
"Not so long as I'm around."
"Well, in that case, you're fired." Nothing like exerting your power and authority to liven one's spirits, which Simba took full advantage of, even if it earned him a feathered tap on the nose.
"Hmhm, nice try, but only the king can do that."
"Well, he's the future king." Cue Nala adding in her two cents to inflate Simba's ego, who responds to the nose tap with a prod of his own at the hornbill. "Yeah, so you have to do what I tell you."
"Not yet I don't!" Now, this was just going too far. He could handle verbal shenanigans from the cubs, but making things physical was something the majordomo would NOT tolerate, even as the cubs walked off, not wanting to bother with his rant. "And with an attitude like that, I'm afraid you're shaping up to be a pretty pathetic king, indeed."
A pathetic king, huh? Well, if that was how Zazu saw him, then maybe it was time for Simba to let his words, and his imagination, do the talking.
"Hmph, not the way I see it."
I'm gonna be a MIGHTY king, so enemies beware
With a pounce at the majordomo, Simba's world was taken over by his vibrant and colorful imagination. His focus, however, was on the retreating hornbill, backing him up to the point where Zazu was sent behind a fallen tree, his posterior now stuck within a knothole.
Well, I've never seen a king or beast
With quite so little hair
Fortunately, it doesn't take long for the hornbill to free himself of his predicament, then go right back to criticizing the young prince on his ideas of being king, even going as far as grabbing a hair from Simba's "mane" and plucking it right off his head. But did that stop the eager young cub? DEFINITELY not. After all, he knew his mane would be a true symbol of his royal status when he was older. Even now he could picture it as he poked his head through a branch full of red leaves, causing the birds occupying it to fly away as he made it sway with the motions of his head.
I'm gonna be the "mane" event
Like no king was before
Of course, he knew there was more to being king than looking the part. He also had to show that he could present himself like a king, as well as sound like one. So, by climbing up to the raised roots of the fallen tree, losing his leaf mane in the process, he would stand regally before his people, or in this case Zazu, who was right in front of him.
I'm brushing up on looking down
I'm workin' on my ROOOOAAAARR!
And roar he did. Granted, it wasn't as powerful as his father's, but it did manage to knock the majordomo off the tree and right into a muddy puddle.
Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing
Zazu certainly didn't hesitate to voice his sarcasm as he emerged from the puddle, the dirty water all over his feathers, eyes, and up his beak. So when he blindly reached for something to clear his nasal cavities, he'd notice too late that he was using the ear flap of an unamused African elephant, who'd express their displeasure by swatting him in the direction of the watering hole with their trunk.
Oh, I just can't wait to be king
Much like a skipping stone, Zazu bounced along the shallows of the watering hole, Simba and Nala following close behind while spooking a flock of flamingos as they slid along the water. It's true their plan involved getting away from the hornbill, but that didn't mean they couldn't ruffle his feathers a bit in the process.
You've rather a long way to go,
Young master, if you think…
Now that that whole fiasco was over, Zazu could focus on setting the cubs straight, with Simba moving to his right and Nala to his left. Too bad they wouldn't allow him to speak as they took turns messing with him.
No one sayin' "Do this"
"Now, when I said that…" Zazu began, unaware that Nala was sticking her tongue out at him, at least until he turned to look at her and saw the young lioness singing along with her friend.
No one sayin' "Be there"
"What I meant was…" He tried again, now feeling like Simba was making faces at him this time and trying to be quick to catch him in the act, only to fail a second time.
No one sayin' "Stop that!"
"Wha-What you don't realize…" With one last, desperate attempt, Zazu did manage to catch both cubs making faces, much to his misfortune as they ran off once again.
No one sayin' "See here!"
"Now see here!" was all Zazu could get out before he was knocked into the water once more by a couple of ostriches running by…which just so happened to have the cubs riding on them.
Free to run around all day
Not one to go back on his word, Zazu quickly took to the air to follow after the two mischief makers. "Well, that's definitely out."
Free to do it all my way
Now let it be known that while ostriches are the largest bird species in the world, they were also relatively fast runners. So it was no surprise that Zazu was struggling to keep up with the two runaway youths, even while in flight, bobbing and weaving his way between any trees in his path. It wasn't until he started flapping his wings even harder, that he'd finally catch up to them.
I think it's time that you and I
Arranged a heart-to-heart
As Zazu once again tried to speak to the cubs, he made the grievous mistake of taking his eyes off his flight path. Had he taken the time to notice, he wouldn't have flown smack dab into the oversized rear end of a grazing rhinoceros.
Kings don't need advice,
From little hornbills for a start.
After taking a minute to comment once again on how he wasn't needed, Simba and Nala rode off toward where many of the herds were gathered. On the other hand, Zazu was finally starting to get fed up with their antics as he was freed from his uncomfortable predicament and perched on the branch of a log.
If this is where the Monarchy is headed,
COUNT ME OUT!
So lost was Zazu in his ranting and whining, that he failed to notice the log he was perched on was slowly moving…and picking up speed, which he should have taken note of along with the fact that his temporary perch was floating down a river towards a waterfall.
Out of service, out of Africa,
I wouldn't hang about!
A statement that would be taken literally as the log went over the waterfall and Zazu let out a startled scream from the sudden drop, once again thankful for his gift of flight as he ascended back upwards to once again continue his unexpected ordeal of locating the two to mischievous cubs.
This child is getting
Wildly out of wing
Speaking of a wild child, Simba had made his way to a herd of zebras who, like the royal subjects they were, formed a path for him and Nala to make their way through with ease.
Oh, I just can't wait to be king
By the time he and Nala reached the end, Zazu had managed to somewhat catch up to them, only to be halted once more as the zebras, by a subtle wink from the young prince, turned in place and raised their tails high into the air, much to the embarrassment of the majordomo as he hid under his wings.
With the hornbill distracted once more, the two cubs decided to make things more interesting, if not daring, as they bobbed and weaved between the thundering footfalls of a passing elephant herd. As they skipped and bounced with the beat of each stomp, Zazu would be seen overhead trying to pinpoint the location of the two ruffians who were avoiding his watchful eye. So focused was he on searching the surrounding herds, even swooping down to the ground level for a change in perception, that he failed to notice Simba sitting atop the head of a giraffe, ready to once again make things difficult for the impromptu cub sitter.
Everybody look left
As if on cue a small group of animals ranging from an elephant and a rhino to a hippo and even a gorilla, shimmied and shuffled themselves to the left, rushing over Zazu and leaving him all sorts of dizzy.
Everybody look right
Following the command, the same group of animals shimmied and shuffled to the right, only this time, they ended up trampling over Zazu, leaving him in a crumpled heap.
Everywhere you look, I'm
Simba, on the other hand, felt like he was on top of the world, or at least the closest thing to it as he hopped along the heads of other Giraffes in a neat little row before sliding down the neck of the last one and standing proudly on its back as an imaginary spotlight shined down upon his glory.
Standing in the spotlight
"NOT YET!" Zazu exclaimed loudly from his squished spot between a giraffe and a zebra, struggling to free himself before said animals pushed him back in. This served as a perfect opportunity for Simba and Nala to put the final touches on their plan. While Nala gathered up the surrounding animals for something big, Simba decided to do a little "pass-it-on" to further keep the hornbill out of their fur.
Let every creature
Go for broke and sing
With a message stating that Zazu could use a good grooming, Simba passed it along to a hippo, who passed it along to a giraffe, who finally passed it to a monkey hanging from a branch. With the message received, the monkeys quickly grabbed the hornbill, who was too distracted from brushing the dirt off his feathers to notice, and began tossing him up the tree.
Let's hear it in the herd
And on the wing
While this was taking place, the other animals could be seen coming together in a vast pile, seemingly in the middle of making what could only be described as a tower of some sort, yet joining in on the positivity of the moment. Even the crocodiles lounging in the water and the birds that cleaned their teeth were smiling and fluttering about at how joyous the mood was.
It's gonna be
King Simba's finest fling
With the tower just about finished, Simba and Nala got ready to head to the top of it in a way that was fun for them, which of course, was a group of giraffes using their heads to toss them into the air. The first toss was of course to see if it could be done, but on the second, both cubs were successfully thrown high enough to reach their destination, even as poor Zazu watched on from his spot in the arms of a couple of monkeys grooming him against his will. That was when the "tower" started to rise, and everyone began to sing.
Oh, I just can't wait to be king
With the elephants dancing around a rhino, a group of hippos standing on top of it formed the base of the rotating, singing animal structure.
Oh, I just can't wait to be king
Standing atop the hippos were the giraffes moving their necks to the beat, then anteaters who did the same with their tongues, followed by gemsbok moving their horns out of the way for the ostrich on top, who was carrying Simba and Nala on their back. Indeed, it was a one-of-a-kind sight to behold.
Oh, I just can't wait
Like most wonderful things, though, it was not meant to last. Whether from the strain of holding all that weight in place or some unexpected, outside interference, the tower started to topple, with the two cubs treating it like a ride the whole time. Seeing the cubs in danger, and now free of the monkeys who made their escape, Zazu flew into what could only be described as an absolute mess of animal bodies.
TO BE KING
The ostrich fell on the anteaters, spitting out their tongues from the impact. A couple of said anteaters were sent flying as some giraffes got their necks twisted and tangled. One unfortunate elephant landed on the horns of a gemsbok, trumpeting loudly in pain. Lastly, at the center of it all was Zazu, who realized too late that instead of catching one of the cubs, he was holding up the rhinoceros who ultimately crushed him under her weight.
Just like that, the world returned to normal; animals were seen roaming about, either enjoying the day or grazing from the trees or grass, almost as if what happened a few minutes ago was nothing more than the product of a child's active imagination. One thing that didn't change, however, was that Zazu was still stuck under the sitting form of the female rhinoceros, and he didn't like it.
"I beg your pardon, madam, but…GET…OFF!" The hornbill's shouts were muffled from his current position as he tried to free himself…only to then realize something important…
"Simba? Nala!?"
They were gone. They managed to distract him long enough to give him the slip. Now they were running off to who knows where, and there was nothing Zazu could do to stop them.
"Oh, I just KNOW Prince Connor won't be happy about this." Zazu said with a weak groan as he started the long process of freeing himself.
Back at Pride Rock
"Ah ah…...ACHOO!"
"Is everything Alright Connor?" I heard Mom ask me as she took a moment to stop cleaning my head while I rubbed at my nose after letting loose that rather loud sneeze. Aunt Fina had left to join the hunting parties for the afternoon, while Mom decided to stay with me while I continued to rest, using it as an opportunity to finish cleaning me since we were interrupted earlier by my little brother. In the time since her departure, Afya decided to join us, wanting to rest her muscles after such an eventful morning, followed by none other than Neema and her cubs. Neema was nice enough to even bring along my backpack in case I might need something out of it, which I didn't, thankfully.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom." I rub my nose once more before looking up at her from her spot on the raised stone I was resting against. "Some dust must have flown up there or something." With a smile and a nod, she returned to cleaning, her tongue gliding up my neck as I focused on my pack. Since I couldn't do much in my current condition, and I needed a reason to go through it, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
"I must say, you humans certainly aren't in short supply when it comes to your variety of tools." Afya pointed out from her spot, which was now shared by Neema who was currently grooming her son, while Kula was in the one place she enjoyed almost as much as her mother's paws: my lap. I honestly wasn't too surprised by it. After all, I did save her from being eaten by Janga, and then there's the fact that I'm the one other person or creature in this case, she saw when she first opened her eyes, the other being her mother, of course. Still, just like the other cubs, I've developed a special bond with her. One that is reciprocated in kind with them all.
"Well, what we humans lack in strength, claws, and fangs," I begin as I set out a couple more things: a flashlight, a lighter, a pocketknife, a couple of water bottles, and some spare clothes "we make up for with our smarts and our ingenuity."
As I was giving my explanation to the elder lioness, Kula took the opportunity to look into my bag from her resting spot, after letting out a quiet yawn, to satisfy her curiosity. One thing that stood out from within it was a small object made of wood with a lot of black bristles sticking out one end of it. Wanting to get a better look at it, she stretched herself closer to the pack and dug her muzzle into it, pulling it out with her mouth once she had a good hold of it.
"What's this thing Connor?"
I glanced down at Kula in response to her muffled question to see that she had my brush in her mouth. "That, Kula, is called a hairbrush." I start to explain as I take it from her to show to the others, who look on with intrigue. "You see, since humans can't exactly bath and groom themselves like lions do, we use things like this to make it easier for us." I then proceed to run the brush through my hair, showing how it works in the process. "It may not help in getting me clean like you girls do, but at least it helps me look nice." I finish by running my hand through my before feeling mom's tongue glide over it.
"Well, I think you look handsome no matter what, Connor." She compliments as she presses her muzzle into my face, earning a chuckle from me.
"That's because you're my mom, mom."
"And your point is?" She asks as she pulls away, looking at me with a sly smirk. Yeah, she knew I had nothing to counter that.
"... Fair enough…"
At this, we all share a laugh, enjoying the silliness of the moment before Kula speaks up once again.
"Do you think I can try it Connor?"
She was of course referring to the brush in my hand, pawing at it for emphasis.
"Well, I don't see why not. So long as your mother's okay with it, right Neema?" The lioness in question takes a moment from cleaning Chumvi to acknowledge the request.
"Of course, Connor. Just know this won't get you out of any future baths, understand little missy?"
"Yes mom, I know." Kula responded with a roll of her eyes before she laid back down on my lap and got comfortable. "Doesn't mean I can't enjoy it though."
I chuckle softly at her muttering before pressing the brush into her fur and slowly gliding it along her body. "Your mom's not wrong Kula. Like I said, this can't exactly get you clean like her tongue can."
All I got in response was the sound of a content lion cub purring as she enjoyed this little brushing session, which also happened to grab the attention of her brother.
"Oooooh! Hey, I want a turn!" Chumvi called out as he tried to approach, only for his mom to pull him back in. "Awe mom!"
"Don't 'Awe mom' me. You're still not done with your bath, so you're not going anywhere until you're nice and clean."
I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched Chumvi pout while Neema finished bathing him. However, something my pride sister said did make me realize something.
"Speaking of going anywhere, I'm gonna have to head back out there to get my machete back. I'm pretty sure it's…well…you know…"
We were all silent in that moment, for it was still fresh in everyone's minds: My machete was still embedded within the carcass of what was once Janga; the hyena who terrorized the Pridelands for months, and nearly killed me on two separate occasions, with the most recent being this morning when he and his pack ambushed us. It would prove to be his last however, when I attacked him and three other hyenas in a fit of rage, resulting in his death at my hand. I could tell Kula was just as upset about it as I was, feeling her lick my hand before nuzzling into it for comfort to which I caressed her cheek with my thumb. She didn't want to go through something like that again…and neither did I…
"Let's not worry about that now sweetheart." Mom finally spoke up again as she rested a paw on my shoulder and eased me back down to relax. "It's still a beautiful day today, so I say we enjoy it…"
She was right…it was a beautiful day today, and while I couldn't do much at the moment, that didn't mean I couldn't find other ways to enjoy it. A perfect example was relaxing with my mom and pride sisters as we soak up some of the sun's rays.
"Y'know Connor, since we do have the day to ourselves, I have no problem going with you to get your machete back. Once you're done with your bath of course." Afya willingly offered as she took a moment to stretch in place and clean her paws. Just as I was about to respond…
"That won't be necessary…"
We all look towards the slope leading down to the open savannah and spot something I'm sure none of us expected:
Zira, sporting a very stoic expression, was making her way up to us, with my machete in her mouth. As she got closer, I noticed that the blade didn't have as much blood on it as I thought it'd have, given where it was. Could she have cleaned it before she brought it here? It wasn't until she was standing right in front of me that Zira was staring me down with that expressionless gaze. Before, I could easily tell how she felt about me whenever she looked at me, but now…now she was unreadable. I couldn't tell what was on her mind, and that alone was concerning. I could feel mom pull me closer to her with her paw while Kula pressed herself into my body. I would continue to stare back at Zira in uncertainty until she did something else unexpected:
She slowly lowered her head and dropped the tool into my lap, then looked back at me to speak in a neutral tone.
"I've expressed my dislike, and distrust of you time and time again. I had shown on many occasions that I wanted nothing to do with you. I've given you more than enough reasons to leave me to my fate earlier today…Yet you still came to my aid…You still saved my life…Why?"
I could understand her confusion. Why would I go out of my way to save her during the attack, after all the grief and distance she put between us? I could've easily ignored her…left her to be torn apart by those hyenas…but I didn't…for I already knew the answer.
"Because you're one of us…We may not see eye to eye…You may hate my guts…You may not want anything to do with me. But you're still part of this pride…MY pride…and I'm not about to let anything bad happen to you…Not while I'm still around anyway."
Hearing my answer, a soft hum escaped Zira's muzzle as she closed her eyes for a moment, as if contemplating something, before speaking once again. "So be it…"
She would then look towards my mother as they locked eyes, Zira speaking first.
"Sarabi, with your permission, I would like to personally oversee Connor's training to become a hunter once he has recovered."
I honestly don't know which was more surprising at that very moment: Zira wanting to train me herself, or that for the first time since I came here, she actually used my name. Either way, we all stared at her like she had grown a second head, and yet she stood firm in her request as she kept her gaze on my mother.
"Before I make a decision Zira, tell me why you wish to do this. You've already stated prior that you harbor ill will against my son, so why should I trust you to train him?"
"I may have shown my disdain for his presence in the past, Sarabi, but the boy saved my life today, and for that, I am in his debt. As of now, I feel the best way to repay that debt is to assist him in his training, and whether you all believe me or not, I am a lioness of my word."
I glance up at my mom to see her take all of this in, curious as to what her decision will be, before she lets out a long sigh.
"Very well. I will allow you to train my son Zira, but only under the supervision of another lioness until I feel it is no longer necessary." She then rested her head on top of mine as she held me close. "If I find out you've done ANYTHING to harm him, I'll make sure you regret every single moment of it." She spoke with a growl at the lioness in question, who stood her ground even when the threat was made.
"I give you my word, no harm will befall him. Once he's able to move about normally, we will begin." Zira then directed her gaze back at me. "I expect you to be ready when that time comes, Connor."
After answering her with a nod, Zira would take her leave without another word spoken. She wouldn't make it very far however, for I still had one last question for her.
"Hey, Zira?" I watched her stop and turn her head in my direction, indicating she was listening. "Not that I'm not grateful but…Why are you choosing to help me now?"
"Because in the moment you came to my aid, and the moment you fought off Janga and his hyenas by yourself, I saw something in you that I haven't in a long…long time. Something that I'm sure you've yet to see yourself." Zira's answer was cryptic, making me want to know more if she was willing to share.
"And what would that be?"
Zira would direct her gaze at me one last time this day, sporting a knowing smirk as she looked me over.
"The potential for greatness."
And just like that, she took her leave.
AN2: Ah?! AHHHH?! Bet you guys didn't see that coming at the end, did ya? Yeah, Zira's role in this story is gonna be a WHOLE lot different from the canon, and much more positive too, so don't expect her to do anything evil. I will however try to keep her change in character steady so that she isn't altered too much from the aesthetic that is set for her. Anyways, chapter 14 is done! WHOO HOO! At least it didn't take as long this time, lol. Now onto the next chapter, in which Simba and Nala reach the elephant graveyard, are chased by the hyena trio, and have someone come to their rescue. In the meantime, this is Hunter1231, hoping you enjoy this chapter and make sure to like and leave a review.