A/N: Hello, hello, and welcome back! I have survived finals, horrendous traffic in a large city, and a flight cross-country. Am I exhausted? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Eh, about half of the ordeals were, and the other half wound up making no difference whatsoever. Ah well. I'll sleep after this is posted.

Now that the update on me is done, time for the story update. Henry has some stories to tell.

As always - enjoy!

Chapter Seven: SO MANY QUESTIONS

HENRY

Audrey stirred.

Henry tightened his grip on her just a little, staring up at the glowing stars on the ceiling, and felt another tear roll down his cheek. He smiled to himself. Look at you now. Where's the man who took on this whole place single-handedly?

Audrey moved again, her head turning slightly. The stars brightened above them, and Henry chuckled. All the gold writing in the room, and in the hallways they'd passed through on their way back up to the Hideout, had flickered to life as their little party had passed through, no Seeing Tool needed. Now the gold in the room glowed with a soft light, filling their little alcove with a soft luminescence.

For that matter, so did Henry himself.

He sat up gently and laid one hand on her forehead, watching golden ink twist up his arm. It had always been a struggle to hold to one shape, though he'd gotten used to it by now. His body - his ink - was also constantly frigid. He'd learned to ignore the cold.

Now, though. Henry closed his eyes and relaxed into the feeling. His body felt warm and calm, actually tuned to his needs for the first time since- the studio, he thought. All those years ago.

He didn't have to fight it. He didn't have to force the ink still, keeping his body from melting away. He didn't have to battle in the back of his mind just to move. He felt lighter, freer than he had in years. He grinned. Linda will be thrilled.

Linda. Henry saw her smile, her laugh, the way she spun from stove to cutting board to him and back, her hair flying into her face and the exasperated puff to it back into place. Linda. He brushed Audrey's cheek, his artist's eye catching the echo of her mother: the cheekbone arch, the tilt of the eye, the little crease they shared at the corner of their eyes, even when they frowned.

Henry turned away with an effort and stared into the main room. His two friends sat quietly together, Allison murmuring to Tom while they shared a bowl of soup, head on his shoulder. He smiled to himself. They're definitely closer than the last time I was here.

They'd both made it clear they didn't blame him for leaving alone. Allison had added with a wry smile, "Your daughter is very convincing."

Henry chuckled to himself. That much, I knew. Tom had even smiled, or snarled, he couldn't quite tell which. He hoped it had been a smile. That'd be a first.

Guilt still twisted in his gut. If I hadn't blindly stumbled out, I could have found them. If I hadn't brought Linda with me, she wouldn't be trapped here somewhere.

If we hadn't come to this studio together, Audrey wouldn't be here.

Henry's black hand twisted into a fist, and he glanced down at it, a little surprised. More responsive to my emotions than usual.

He studied his free arm, knowing the other was a mirror image. It was ink-black up to the elbow, as if he'd shoved it into a puddle. From there, his arm kept its normal hue up until his shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. I knew I was coming, so why did I pick white? He shook his head, laughing at himself. Didn't even let Linda glance over me once.

Linda…

Henry wrenched his mind away from a wave of panic and looked back down at Audrey. He remembered the terror he'd felt when he blinked the ink out of his eyes and saw her, tangled in the mess of the throne her body had broken. Bendy hit her so hard. I'm no doctor, but she should have broken ribs- at least.

But she was fine, other than sleeping. For a very, very long time.

He'd even watched the final cut on her arm heal itself. After golden liquid had flooded the wound, that is.

Henry shook his head, fighting to keep his logic, and bent to kiss Audrey's forehead. If I hadn't come, she wouldn't be part- whatever we are.

He glanced up at Tom and Allison again. The angel looked half-asleep, a black tear seeping from under the eyelid of her empty socket. Tom gave him a nod.

Henry smiled. "At least you're not alone," he whispered to his little girl.

Audrey moved. A yawn dragged her jaw open, and her eyes squeezed shut. Her hand, the normal left one, reached out to him. Henry took it, this time ignoring the golden strands twisting up his arm. He leaned down and brushed another kiss onto her temple. "Hey, sleepyhead."

Audrey's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at him. "Hey, Dad."

Henry's throat closed up. He managed to smile back. "You feeling better?"

Audrey nodded, eyes closing for a long moment. "Can Mamaw visit us more often? She made me pancakes."

Henry stilled. She doesn't remember? "Audrey… do you know where we are?"

Audrey's gaze slid from him, to the ceiling and the stars, then to Tom and Allison over his shoulder.

A moment later, golden light flared in her suddenly wide eyes.

She scrambled up and threw her arms around Henry's neck, shaking silently, tucking her face into his chest. He choked for a second, feeling tendrils of warmth twist over his shoulders, no doubt golden, wherever her tiny figure clung to him.

A small, warm drop of liquid soaked through his shirt, and Henry wrapped his arms around his daughter, rocking back and forth, rubbing his hand over her back, holding her as her fear poured out in racking sobs, even as his own eyes filled.

Her heartbeat raced, he could feel it, and Henry held on for all he was worth, ignoring his dark ink or her golden or the monsters outside or anything else. I have you again, he thought. I will never let you go.

When she finally stopped shaking, he rubbed her back one more time and gently tugged her backward. "I'm here. You found me. Tom and Allison-" he nodded to the side, not taking his eyes off hers- "told me how brave you were. I'm so proud of you."

She nodded and took a deep breath, hiccupping halfway through. "Dad. I saw Bendy."

Henry's hand twisted into a fist again, and he willed it to relax. "I know, sweet girl. I'm so sorry-"

"No," she insisted, eyes bright and wet. "I saw Bendy."

Henry frowned. "Still not quite with you. Can you explain what you mean?"

Audrey sat back onto her ankles. Her hands, one black, one normal, twisted the blankets at her side, but her gaze stayed on his face. "You know my dreams. At night. When I wake up scared. And I never remember them."

Henry nodded slowly.

"I came here every night," Audrey said, a small shiver shaking her whole body. "To the studio. I've seen you, I've watched you fight those ink creatures and that other Alice and the Projectionist and all sorts of… monsters, and I…" She paused and looked up, at the ceiling. "I… I talked to Bendy. Every night. For my whole life."

Henry fumbled for words. Finding none, he reached out and took her hand.

The corner of Audrey's mouth quirked up, and her gaze dropped to her knees. "He's just lonely, Dad. He knows he was made to make people happy, but everyone just runs and screams when they see him, and-" her voice cracked, and she took a deep breath- "he can't cry, he can't do anything but grin, so he gets mad instead and starts… and starts killing… I told him not to, but it was so long in the dark alone, and he doesn't know how to stop- but he's my friend, Dad, he- he-"

With one quick movement, Henry reached out and scooped Audrey up, sitting back and cradling her in his lap. Audrey dissolved into sobs again, and Henry held her tight, trying to find his logic in the middle of his fury. One good punch to Joey's face, he thought through a haze of anger, forty-five years ago and this whole bloody studio never would have wrecked everyone's lives. Just one, really solid, nose-breaking punch…

A shadow darkened the doorway, and Allison's low voice asked, "What happened?"

Henry told her quietly, rocking Audrey again.

"Bring her out here," Allison said once he'd finished and Audrey's sobs had died down a little. "I've got some food left from her pack."

"I'm not hungry," Audrey's muffled voice protested.

"You will be the moment you eat your sandwich," Allison told her, and gave Henry a small smile. "You, too. Come eat."

Audrey did seem to feel better after eating. She even smiled a little at Tom when he tossed her a water bottle.

"How did we get out of that room and up here?" she asked quietly, trying to twist the cap of the bottle off. Henry saw when she looked down in confusion and blinked at her inky hand on the lid. He took the bottle from her without a word.

"Your father," Allison answered.

Henry snorted as he handed the open bottle back to Audrey. "Sort of."

At Audrey's puzzled look, he grinned. "Remember how I worked as a mechanic in Buffalo, before I met your mother?"

Audrey nodded, a tiny grin of her own blossoming. "Because nobody wanted little dancing movies yet?"

Henry laughed and tucked a strand of Audrey's hair behind her ear. "Something like that. Anyway. One thing I learned: if something came out of somewhere, something can go back in. The ink had to come out of some pipe. So I found the pipe and crawled back through." Henry winced. "Wasn't easy. Tight squeeze. But I made it, and came back down to pull the lever."

Audrey blinked at him. "But I saw those pipes, Dad. They were-" she frowned and held up her hands. "Like, six inches? You'd never have fit."

Henry felt his stomach drop. Oh, crap. We were going to tell you this week anyway, but not like this... Linda, where are you? I suck at this sort of thing.

"Dad?" Audrey repeated, eyes wide. Henry blinked and looked around at them all. Tom had a sandwich halfway to his mouth, frozen and waiting, and Allison shifted, settling back.

Henry took a deep breath and turned to face Audrey fully. "Sweet girl. You see your hand?"

Audrey bit her lip and nodded.

"You're not the only one who's got a hand a bit like that," Henry said carefully. He flexed his own. "Except I… well, it's not just my hand. Or hands." She really doesn't need vague language right now, idiot, he scolded himself, and looked Audrey in the eyes. "I'm going to do something very scary. I promise you, it's still me. It's still your dad. Okay?"

Audrey nodded again, eyes very wide.

Henry took a deep breath- don't panic, please, sweet girl- and focused on his hands.

The black ink rippling around his elbows began to trickle upward, against gravity.

A moment later, golden rivulets curled out of his palm and raced after them, winding around and up like they were keeping the ink in. Which they were, Henry thought, and smiled.

He rolled his shoulder and closed his eyes, willing the ink to slow and stop. It paused just shy of his collarbone, and he let out a long breath of content, smiling at the warmth, before he opened his eyes and focused on Audrey.

"You see the gold?"

She reached out, carefully, with her black hand, and stopped just shy of touching the ink. "Yeah."

"That's you," he told her, a grin cracking his face. "You saved me."

Audrey looked up at him, her mouth open. "I did that?"

Henry laughed and took her hand, watching her blink at the gold blossoming there. He lifted it and set it against his chest, feeling warmth pool there. "Not all of it, I was black ink already. But that gold? That's you." He lifted his other hand, brushed hair back from her face. "You have no idea how much better I feel, and it's only been a few hours."

Audrey shook her head, a smile of her own tugging at her mouth. "It's a good thing?"

Henry sighed. "Depends on how you look at it. Are we still part ink? Yep." He brushed a black thumb over her eyebrow. "But I'm better than I've been since you were born, and you, miss, saved me. Again."

Audrey's smile stretched wider, and she looked down at her hand, watching the gold spin and twist. "So not a bad thing."

Henry laughed. "Nope."

From the side, Allison said, "You weren't ink when you were here last, Henry. What…"

Henry felt the smile on his face falter. He sighed and closed his eyes. "It's not a pretty story."

Audrey's other hand closed around his. "It's okay, Dad. We're here."

Henry opened his eyes again and smiled at her. "Thanks, sweet girl." He paused, chose his words carefully. "Did you see the end of my story in those dreams?"

Audrey shook her head.

"I didn't beat Bendy," Henry said heavily. "I barely got close. I set him back a while. But he's the one who beat me."

Audrey, Allison, and Tom just blinked at him.

Cryptic language again, Stein, Henry scolded himself. He shook his head. "Sorry. Let me finish the story for you." Linda, this would be a lot easier with you here.

Henry turned to look at Allison and Tom, the latter staring at his arms and shaking his head in amazement. "I can't apologize enough for not coming back for you-"

"We understand, Henry," Allison told him, her voice a little humorous. "You've apologized four times already, in great detail."

Henry couldn't help but grin a little at that. "Right. Well, I know this isn't an excuse, but- there was a reason I didn't come back." He shook his head and turned to Audrey. "How much of my journey did you see?"

Audrey frowned, her eyes staring at nothing for a moment. "I think… right before the Ink Machine."

"Lost Harbor and the maze," Allison told her.

Audrey nodded and added, "The Prophet attacked you, I think."

Henry grimaced. "Yeah. Sammy Lawrence, once upon a time. He helped Joey and me found the company, but I kinda lost track of him when I left… poor guy. We were friends once." He gave himself a mental shake and plowed on. "Anyway. I met back up with you two after falling through the floor- you know what, it's not really important, we'll just say we got to the Ink Machine one way or another. And Tom and Allison couldn't cross the river-" Henry paused and frowned. "How'd you get across this time?"

"Crashed a barge," Allison said wryly.

Henry chuckled. "Right. Of course. So I got across alone, 'cause at the time I was still… well, human. I don't mean it like that," he said quickly at Audrey's expression, "I just mean I had flesh and blood. Not ink. Anyway.

"Bendy was waiting for me in his huge throne room." Henry shivered. "That was… terrifying. I found that reel, The End, because apparently that was supposed to kill him- 'he was there for the beginning, but he's never seen The End', Joey's tape said." Henry shook his head, a wry smile twisting his lips. "I should have known not to trust a single thing Joey said. Oh well.

"So we fought. Or more like, Bendy tried to run me over. Many times. I ran around in that labyrinth of a machine for what felt like years before I made it back into the throne room and put that tape into the player.

"Bendy nearly ate me before the tape played, but once he saw those words on the screens, he started writhing and roaring. He melted through the floor, and I thought, I just won, I'm getting out of here alive. I'd nearly given up all hope at that point."

Henry paused. Audrey said, a small shake in her voice, "You said all of that like it wasn't scary."

Henry smiled at her, a little grimly. "It wasn't, actually. At least compared to what came next.

"My victory lasted all of one heartbeat. Then ink-" Henry paused. He took a deep breath. "Ink exploded out of the floor and swallowed me. I think I drowned, or I got close, and I- could hear Bendy- screaming. And falling. I was falling, but falling up, I think. I remember that. Drowning in a black upward waterfall of ink, heh, great image there."

He shook his head, trying to clear it. Audrey squeezed his hand, and Henry looked at her gratefully. "Sorry. It's just… it's still not a good memory, even after years.

"The next thing I knew… my body… let's just say it felt like being dissolved into liquid, and I'm pretty sure that is what happened. Every muscle, tendon, bone… whoosh, just liquid, and you're suddenly thoughts and emotions. That's- that was it." Audrey's hand squeezed tighter, and warmth curled a little higher in his arm. Henry squeezed her hand back. "And then I felt myself rebuilt. Only, instead of being solid and heavy, I felt lighter. And liquid. Which, at the time, was lots worse."

"Why?" Audrey asked him.

"Because every move felt like I'd collapse. Just melt away, into a puddle. It's nearly happened a few times," Henry said, and grimaced. "In the early days, it was all I could do to stay together.

"In my mind, I think I was screaming the whole time, at least up until then. And then I finally managed to put a coherent thought together." Henry laughed. "I thought of your mother, Audrey, of how much I loved her, and wanted to see her.

"And Bendy stopped screaming, too. The ink was still dark, and black, and I was trapped with a melting body, but it was quiet. I felt him leave. Just disappear. And then something else changed- I wasn't floating anymore, there was a definite pull, but upward. I think I must have come out of an ink puddle.

"I finally felt something solid beneath my feet, or what worked for feet, anyway. I managed to open my eyes- which made me happy, by the way, 'cause for a bit I'd thought I'd lost my sight- and when I could do more than wobble and blink, I realized I was standing in the entry hallway." Henry sighed and glanced over at his two friends. "Right in front of the Exit door. I lost my head. I didn't even- believe me, guys, I've-"

"Henry," Allison said sharply. Tom shook his head, as if to say, Really, Stein? "We told you. We hold nothing against you. We both would have done exactly the same, even more so under the circumstances."

Henry smiled a little, grateful. "Thanks. I'm really, really grateful. Anyway.

"Took me a while to figure out how to make my hand twist the knob, though. Ink's slippery, 'specially when it doesn't want to thicken into fingers. But I got it to turn and stumbled out into moonlight." Henry sighed. "Lost my mind for a minute, just collapsed into the lot and cried.

"Your mother found me halfway along the road. I'd been gone a week at that point, and she hunted down the studio's location, came looking for me. She was on her way down the path when she found me collapsed against a tree, barely managing to keep solid."

Henry sighed. "Felt like another dream, to be honest. I'd been so sure that I'd never make it out. I barely caught her in time- if she hadn't seen me, she'd have gone in alone." He shot a fierce look at Audrey. "Which, by the way, I left you with Mamaw for a reason. How did you get in here?"

Audrey gave him a tiny grin. "I'm smart."

Henry huffed a laugh. "There are reasons I ask you to do things."

"Hey," Audrey protested. "You didn't tell me not to. You just said you'd be back."

"You wouldn't have listened if I told you not to," Henry argued, with a tired smile.

They all sat in amicable silence for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Audrey's voice was small. "About the ink? Or any of it?"

Henry sighed and dropped his hand. "Your mom thought you needed to have a normal life. We tried to keep you out of all of this- I never wanted Joey's complete imbecility to hurt you…" He scrubbed at his face. "We were going to tell you on your thirteenth birthday. But then Momma's cancer diagnosis happened, and we didn't want to upend your world twice."

Audrey studied the ink in her hand. In a very quiet tone, she said, "I would have liked to know."

Henry reached out and slid an arm around her shoulders, ignoring the ink. "I should have told you. I know that now- if you'd known, you'd never…"

Audrey turned and planted one hand on his chest. One small tear - black - spilled down her face. "Dad. I would have. This place has been pulling me here my whole life, it was going to happen anyway." Her eyes glistened. "Just… if I'd known, I could have… prepared more."

Henry swallowed and tugged her into his arms. "I know, sweet girl. I'm so sorry. No more secrets from now on, okay?"

Audrey nodded into his chest. "Okay," she whispered. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Momma?"

Henry's arms tightened, and he swallowed hard before he could trust his voice. "I… I don't know, Drey."

He felt her shake, silently, and bit his lip. Hold it together, Stein, they both need you. "You know we came 'cause of her cancer, right?"

"Hold one," Allison said, and he jumped, remembering that his friends were there. "Your wife has cancer?"

Henry choked on a laugh. "Yeah. Brain. 'S bad. We thought, well… I heal. From everything. You would know, you're the same way. We thought if I could just get more ink, I could kinda wrap around her, and hopefully she'd heal." He sighed. "We knew we were risking a lot, but I thought, one puddle, that's all I need, right inside the doorway.

"'Course, we had hoped the Demon wouldn't come up as far, but he did." Henry swallowed, hard. Don't panic, sweet girl. "I'd just stuck my hand over the first puddle I found and he burst right out. Boom. Loomed over me. The last thing I saw was… Linda. Then everything went black."

"Black," Allison questioned.

"Lost myself." Henry hesitated. "I think… I don't want to say he ate me, but… I was within him. The Demon."

"Bendy," Audrey whispered.

Henry looked down at his daughter, through the wisps of her black hair into her glistening eyes, and blew a long breath. "Bendy.

"He should've been furious. I remembered that much, from the ink. And the tearing-apart, the turmoil." Henry met the gaze of the other two, sitting across from him. "You know."

Tom gave a sharp nod. Allison hummed.

Henry sighed. "He wasn't. At all. I mean, it was there at first, for a moment or two. But the anger just dissipated, like it had melted into the whole ink mess and left us alone. I don't know."

He scrubbed a hand across his face, forcing the black streaks across his face to fade into his skin. "It was like I wasn't even there. My presence gave him some peace, I believe, but it was as if-"

Henry trailed off. What did he want?

"As if he was finally calm enough to look for something," he finished.

"Did he - did you find it?" Allison asked.

Henry huffed a laugh. "No. I doubt he even knew what he was looking for. I had no insight into his mind, just catching stray emotions from time to time. I was a bit swept around myself, not really moored to anything in there.

"I do remember, barely, wrecking the screens in his room." He paused, sighed. "That… might have been my direction, as best as I could. He is lonely. Aching. I think I'd hoped it'd give him more peace."

"So that was you," Audrey said, voice muffled. Henry frowned for a moment before realizing she was talking about something else. "You fell out of his stomach, before he ran away. After I touched him."

Henry jerked and pulled Audrey back. "You did what?"

He listened carefully as Audrey explained her journey. When she was done, he turned to his friends. "I can't thank you two enough, ever. I-"

"You'd have done the same for us," Allison said, and smiled at him. "And Audrey's hard to refuse."

Audrey gave her a sheepish grin. "Maybe a little."

They all laughed.

"So now what?" Allison asked when the humor had subsided. She looked around. "We find Linda?"

"We find her," Henry agreed, his heart leaping. "And then we get out." He felt Audrey's arms tighten and stroked her back. "We can do it."

"I'm coming with you," Audrey said.

Henry snorted, ignoring a pang. "I don't think I could stop you if I tried. You seem to have a way with this place." He frowned. "Plus, someone or something seems to be giving you directions with those messages."

Allison glanced backward at the clearly visible FRIENDS LOYAL AND TRUE, glittering on the wall behind them. "Fortunately for all of us." She winced and touched her cheek, just below her missing eye. "Or what passes for 'fortunately' in this place."

Henry felt Audrey squeeze her arms tighter for a moment, then release him, and he let her slide back. "Allison?"

The angel smiled at his daughter. "Yes?"

Audrey hesitated. "Can we… Can I try something?"

Allison nodded slowly, a small frown folding her forehead. "What is it?"

Audrey lifted her inky hand, black now that she had lost contact with Henry. "Dad's inky, like you, and he feels better now." She paused. "It might… help. Maybe heal your eye."

Allison glanced at Tom, who frowned at Audrey, then nodded. Allison turned back to her. "I don't think it can hurt. Let's try."

Audrey looked back at Henry. He smiled his encouragement and slid a little closer, just in case.

Audrey held out her hand, and after a moment, Allison took it.

Nothing happened for a heartbeat. Then golden light flared to life in Audrey's hand, and her eyes closed, though not before Henry caught a glimpse of light under her eyelids.

Rivulets of gold began to spiral up Allison's arm, rushing up her arm like Henry's, and he watched spellbound as they crossed her shoulders. It was suddenly everywhere, pouring down from her collarbones across her chest and down her back, rushing down her other arm. Allison closed her eyes, lifting her chin. Tom growled a question, and Allison nodded, reassuring both Tom and Henry.

Golden ink slid up her neck, brushing up over her jawline and racing up toward her eyes. Tom rose on one knee and moved closer, a low rumble in his chest, and Henry realized with a jolt, it's tracing where her tears would fall.

The ink reached her eyes, paused for a beat, and slipped under her eyelids.

Allison gasped and her eyelids flew open. Her good eye glowed, matching the brilliance of the ink pouring over her chest. In her empty socket, golden light pooled, filling it fully.

She cried out, and Tom lunged forward, his growl a full snarl now, grabbing Allison by the shoulders with both mechanical and inky hands. He stilled suddenly, and his wide eyes turned to Henry before gold ink leapt up his arms, pouring over his body as well.

Henry yelled, helpless, confused, as the golden ink coated Tom, swirling over him like it was alive, covering his head. A blinding light seared his vision, and he shut his eyes, reaching blindly for Audrey- it's gone wrong, what is happening?

Then the light was gone. Henry blinked back the afterimage.

He lunged forward and caught Audrey, just before she slumped sideways. Henry blinked at the suddenness- ten seconds? All of that?

She moved, and Henry breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes opened, unfocused but aware. Audrey tried to sit up, but Henry tugged her down, holding her tight. He could feel her shaking. They both looked toward their friends.

Tom lay on top of Allison, both collapsed on the floor, but before Henry could do more than blink, Tom moved. He pushed himself up, slowly, and Henry's jaw dropped as he took in his friend- still with a mechanical arm, still with striped inky chest and arms, still a Boris, but… different. Light flickered in his wide eyes, and Henry stared back, feeling the change though he didn't know what it was. Then Tom looked down at Allison.

She stirred. Henry's gaze drifted from her black hair, striped with gold, horns glittering, to the new, glowing halo nestled in her hair. Her dress and arms swirled brightly with the same shining ink. That's the change, Henry thought. She looks more… alive. Tom, too.

Allison opened both eyes. Both complete, perfect, sparkling eyes.

She focused on Tom, and Henry could only think, oh boy. He'd seen that look before. On Linda's face the day he proposed. And many times after that.

Tom's mouth slowly moved, and Henry suddenly couldn't breathe.

His friend said, in a deep, shaky voice, "Allie?"

Allison's eyes filled, and she reached up, one careful glowing finger brushing over Tom's temple. "Tom," she whispered, and burst into tears.

Henry felt his throat close and grinned as Tom scooped Allison up and began to laugh, a low, warm infectious laugh that brightened the small room. Audrey's arm tucked around his back, and he buried his head in her hair, hiding his tears.

I wish you were here, Linda, he thought to his wife, hoping she could hear him somehow. We're going to find you.

TO BE CONTINUED

/\/\/\

A/N: Ooh, the golden ink makes its return! I'm sure this will have no repercussions whatsoever on our little Audrey, right? No issues at all... certainly nothing to do with the black ink's hunger for life of any kind. Especially glowing life. Probably not a problem.

Tom is talking. Allison has her depth perception back. It sounds like our intrepid heroes are on their way to a family reunion. First, though, they actually have to find Linda. I wonder where she went?

Seriously, this chapter made me so happy to write. It feels like this studio is so incredibly cursed, that everything that wanders into it is tainted and marred with destruction. The reversal of any damage... though it's starting small, things are finally changing (through yet unknown means). Healing is possible. There could be a happy ending.

I guess we'll just have to see if it happens.

Quick note: without getting into details, I will be incredibly busy for the next two weeks. Christmas, nearby birthdays, and our family business are absolutely insane - probably our busiest time period of the year. With that as a given, I might not be able to post at all next week. Or I could get an opening of a few hours and throw something up. Who knows? Anyways, I guarantee nothing, but I do immensely appreciate you for being here!

Thanks for showing up, you wonderful nerds. If I don't post before Christmas - have a merry one, sing lots of carols, enjoy your families if you are so lucky, and praise God for another beautiful year on this earth, for all of its failings.

Also, for the love of God wear a seatbelt and DON'T drink/drive. Don't make my nurse friends have to hear about my fanfic when you're delirious from drugs and a skull fracture. I'll never live it down (and you might not live at all - bad joke, I know, put down the pitchforks).

Anyways! Have a wonderful Christmas, and stay tuned. Godspeed!

-Sam ^-^