It's Not That Far Away - Chapter Nine | Maybe With Me

[fae_dreamdance]

(This is a sequel to Mercy Me - We suggest you read that first.)


NaNo Book Cover
Rating: R (solid)
Pairings for Chapter: Tora/Saga, Nao/OFC
Overall Pairings: Tora/Saga, Nao/OFC, mention of OMC/OMC & others
Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure, Chapter, Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance, Angst, Dark, Horror

Summary: Months of living on the edge of danger is enough to drive anyone to behave irrationally. Though there comes a point in which sitting on the fence, watching both sides, is no longer feasible and a decision must be made. How can one know they are making the right choice? What causes one's perception of good and bad, right and wrong? How does one choose? More importantly, how does one know they picked the right side once they’ve chosen?

Insanity has nothing to do with morality - are you right or....wrong?
__________________________

Joey had not emerged from the room and Nao was panicked when Evie hit the floor in a heap. Shou was shocked for a moment; she seemed fine one second and the next she was little more than a pile on the ground. She had even had energy as she spoke, some words of which he was putting together and understanding before she suddenly crumpled on the floor.

Nao, however, had sprung to his feet and rushed over to the little girl. He chucked the rag haphazardly as he did so, kneeling to the ground beside where Evie now lay. "Evie-chan." He hissed, slipping his arms underneath the girl’s unconscious form. He scooped her up against him and stood up. "Evie!!"

Shou was blinking hard as he already was trying to keep himself conscious, let alone aware of what was going on. He hadn't the strength to move but he watched Nao scramble to his feet and a frown crossed his face. He hadn’t any idea who the little girl was but that didn’t keep him from caring about her instinctively. Her small head dropped against Nao’s chest and he turned to the bedroom, carefully carrying the tiny girl in with the intention of getting help from Joey. He was sure she would know what to do as she had seemed to up until now.

Shou looked on. He was tired and weak but he pulled himself up to the edge of the seat and tried to climb to his feet but decided on staying put so long as he could see Nao standing in the doorway. There was some level of comfort, having been reunited with him. Shou only wished to get Hiroto back and to be sure that Saga was alive and then Shou was certain the fleeting smile that had crossed his lips could remain there genuinely. Tora murmured lightly though hardly anything of real value came from him. Shou’s eyes flickered over towards Tora for a beat and he reached out, patting his friend’s hand lightly.

Nao, however, was fixated on the small girl in his arms though he stood frozen in his spot as his eyes fell on Saga and Joey. She was leaned over him, speaking softly. His eyes were actually open and though there was still blood across his torso, his wounds were healed with no evidence of scarring. It was a strange sensation that enveloped Nao in that moment - he was pleased as he was sure Saga would be as he remained unscarred for he loved going shirtless on stage. He glanced back down at the girl in his arms; she was smiling in her unconscious state. He marveled at her, for what she’d done, and probably didn’t even notice she’d done it.

Saga’s head dipped and his eyes closed but he appeared to be appreciative as his breathing fell into a steady pattern and Joey turned to look at Nao, startled that he’d been in the doorway. She offered him a small shrug before she patted Saga’s shoulder and climbed to her feet. She wobbled for a moment too, clearly having expended energy though not as exhausted as Evelyn.

“He should be fine. He just needs rest, and…he should have good dreams now. Happy ones. No matter how much I talked to you - you always wanted nightmares.” She told Nao with a small frown and the same unfamiliar concern laced in her voice. “You weren’t ready yet, not when we first found you. I didn’t think you’d ever get better.”

She moved over to him but not before glancing back at Saga, only to look somewhat relieved before she gave her attention back to Nao. The drummer lifted Evie a little bit as if to direct Joey’s attention to the little girl. Joey’s eyes drifted down to Evie and she leaned over and pressed her lips against Evie’s head and the little girl sighed contentedly. “Let me have her.” Joey said placing her arms under Nao’s so the little girl could shift hands easily. Joey carefully took the little girl over and placed her next to Saga where she immediately curled up next to him, tightly pressing herself against him.

“She’ll be fine.” Joey assured Nao. “Unless she dies in place of Saga - I’m kidding.” Joey said immediately with a slim smile. “She’ll help ensure his dreams are good and he’ll get better faster. He wants to be better.” She said in passing before her eyes landed on Nao again. “So this really is Japan huh?”

He offered her a more energetic nod than he expected. Suddenly, the proverbial shoe was on the other foot and he was aware that, like had wanted (with Ash) to experience the place he came from, he now wanted Joey to experience his home. “These are my friends.” He admitted with a small bow. “I wanted you to meet them. I think they will like you too. Can I thank you now?” He questioned reluctantly.

“Shut up.” She said with a snort and a small shake of her head. “Don’t be dumb.” She told him again. For a moment, Nao was confused by her words. “You don’t ever get to thank me.” She said, leaning forward and capturing his lips against hers warmly. Now, in the freedom of his apartment, with nothing holding them back, she was able to truly relish in the taste of his lips; which she did without a second thought. No part of him fought her as he, forgetting Shou was completely conscious and aware directly behind him, deepened the kiss and allowed the whole thing to envelope the both of them. Gone was his confusion only to be replaced by comfort and love.

It gave Nao some sense of hope, though he wasn’t sure where the optimism originated, but he was willing to accept that it was from the feeling in his stomach and the lightness in his head. He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close; of which she didn’t mind in the least.

This kiss ended naturally and a smirk crossed her face as she let her eyes meet his and she chuckled softly. “Good job, slick. I’ll take it instead.” It was an odd thing to happen in light of all they’d been through, for everything to suddenly halt so they could remind each other that they felt a strong draw to each other. Though it couldn’t have been more perfectly placed as encouragement; a small sliver of positive light in the cloud of gray that seemed to follow them.

“Thanks are meant for strangers or as things done that are out of obligation even if people pretend like they aren’t obligatory even when really, it’s expected. Don’t thank me for this. I wanted to - congratulate me because it worked.” She told him with a sideways grin and mild enjoyment.

He didn’t speak; he simply leaned over and captured her lips again, though this one quicker than the former. When they separated, she snorted in an amused fashion, “Alright, alright. Point of congratulations taken. Well done and touché.”

“You did that for me?” He asked quietly regarding Saga. A moment of disgust washing over himself for the fact that he had ever been in such a state, and primarily because it was by choice. It hurt him deeply to think that he ever lay as helpless and broken as Saga; Saga had only been cut and bruised too. He was easier to heal as there wasn’t an addictive nature to his injury. It saddened Nao.

She nodded slowly and drew her lips back so they were in a straight line across her face, almost reluctant to answer. She considered lying but figured it would be a futile effort. “Yeah. Yeah I did. It wasn’t easy…as I said - you didn’t want to get better. I got fed up with you though and cheated. Your shadow told me you wanted to play the drums. I didn’t figure that could be a nightmare.” She told him backhandedly and he merely issued her another little sideways smile of his own. He couldn’t put his finger on why he was drawn to her. She was mostly rough and certainly could be classless, but she held the same draw that Ash had for her brutal honesty and certain affection.

“Hi.” Shou offered from his spot on the couch, intentionally interrupting them but with no lesser smile on his face. It was almost infectious. Joey leaned around Nao to see Shou seated there and he held up a hand in a mild sort of wave, distracting from their shared moment much the way Evie had on the ship.

“Hey.” Joey offered him a single bob of her chin in his direction and Nao’s giggle rumbled softly before he turned around to look at Shou. There was a soft flush of pink across his face as his eyes fell on the singer and he offered Shou a broad toothy grin. She slipped out of Nao’s hold and slouched comfortably in her spot before she groaned when her self-inflicted wound brushed her shirt and she was reminded that it was there at all. “Fuck…” she hissed pulling it back to look at it.

She loped around Shou toward the kitchen sink but not before stopping to look at Tora. “Dude…” she mumbled as she bent down in front of him. She shook her head and wiped his sweat matted hair back out of his face too. She frowned. “He’s going to be okay.” She said. It took Shou and Nao both a moment to realize she was talking to Tora and not to them regarding Tora. “Just give him some time. He’ll be fine.”

Tora’s eyes had opened and moved up to meet Joey’s; he touched her wrist softly, his movements slow and weak. “Thank you.” He muttered in English, bowing his head softly to Joey. There was happiness in his voice, underneath his exhaustion and pain, at the news that Saga would be okay. He let his hand fall down to his lap, releasing his soft hold on her wrist. “Thank you.” He repeated quietly, sighing in contentment.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that startled all of them. Shou’s face lost all color and Tora’s eyes fluttered shut as he winced. Nao moved closer to Joey who peeked reluctantly over her shoulder at the apartment door. “Vampires wouldn’t knock Nao. Answer your door.” She told him with a mild and taunting smile. Though there was no chance for him to do that before the door was slung opened on it's own and Shiro, whom none of those seated in the living area had met before, appeared.

A moment later, Hiroto’s hand closed around Shiro’s arm before he could bound into the apartment.

“For the better part of the week, we have been trying to keep you from running wild and escaping to attempt an ill conceived rescue and now you’re the one restraining. It’s an amusing twist of fate.” Kisho’s voice was even and soft, just as it always was; however there was a hint of mild amusement in it. Particularly as Shiro broke free and darted excitedly into the apartment where he then went to greeting every one with a hand shake and a bow. It didn’t bother him that Tora didn’t move when he scooped up his hand or that Shou sat stunned while the tall and lanky Japanese man excitedly shook his hand. He hugged Nao and kissed Joey on the cheek without missing a beat, despite never having met them.

There was a moment where they, Shiro and Joey, exchanged curious glances and Shiro exclaimed. “I love pooka!” in a rough English dialect.

“Shiro!” Koko’s voice shook the apartment as she tried to manage wrangling him and, before any of them knew it, the entire place exploded in excrement; with Hiroto having spotted his friend - even in their current states - he was bursting with the sort of glee he hadn’t felt in months. But it was second Hiroto saw Nao that it seemed as if the whole place lit up. Hiroto’s relief and excitement seeped into Shiro who seemed to infect the entire area with a quick wave of unfiltered magic as the band mates were reunited.

It took them long minutes to calm down from the sudden magic that saturated the room. When they did, Kisho stepped up and around Shiro who was tugging on a now obvious gray and black stripped tail on Joey’s backside of which she seemed nigh too pleased about. “Perhaps I can offer some explanation as to what has transpired and how we arrived here.” Kisho spoke slowly, trying to gather the attention of the room.

“ME!” Shiro was grinning but let go of her tail and beamed cheerfully at those around him. He was like a five year old whose attention was easily stolen every few moments. “I’m the reason we arrived here. Rather I found you - neat, isn’t it?” He nodded at Joey who, oddly, seemed to understand him though he was speaking in Japanese.

“Yes.” Kisho nodded slowly and patiently. “Yes that’s right. It was a source discovery. That being the draw of newly arrived magic and then an outpour of it - the source as it were. Few actually have the ability to feel magic and its output. Shiro is one of the few who have the gift.”

“Is it why they wanted to kill you?” Hiroto blurted out before he could stop himself. He was simply too eager about life with the reuniting of his friends to think to censor anything. Shou’s eyebrows pulled together as he glanced to Hiroto, unaware that Shiro was the same changeling Daichi and Shiki had ‘killed’.

Shiro’s face went still and stagnant. “What do you mean?” He asked after a moment as if he had forgotten about the attempt to take his life.

“Yes.” Kisho cut in on the emperor’s behalf, bowing softly to Hiroto. “Shiro has a gift, even for a changeling, that many can’t even fathom. It’s a curse really - he’s easily distracted. As I’m sure you’ve noticed. And he’s naively innocent and certainly a target,” A small smile passed Kisho’s face as he glanced down at the young man who was already exactly as Kisho had described. He wasn’t paying attention in the least, having caught sight of something no one else in the room could see; save Joey who was trying to seem casually disinterested in it.

“But he has a big heart and he tries to share his abilities with others. It’s why many times, he influences even non-magic people who have no creativity at all without even realizing he’s done it. People who usually wouldn't even notice magic or be able to access a changeling's raw energy. Though he does effect those non-magic people who have the capability to dream as well. As he did you in the mountains months ago - as you told us.” He gestured to Hiroto before going on. “I have no doubt that he wanted to help you feel better by encouragement; therefore he enhanced your perception of the world to a brighter and happier place, making you brighter and happier.

“He’s bringing unabridged magic directly to the formerly oppressed and still living changelings in Japan. There are some that believe that if more changelings survive, the magical community will be unbalanced. It’s hardly the case as the changeling, here, are not a plentiful race and are nearing extinction. Shiro gives many hope with the magic he naturally has; it falls off him in waves without his knowledge to begin with. It’s believed he’s a direct link to the collective subconscious minds of humanity - the Dreaming that is. That’s what it’s referred to as; where dreams are real and changeling magic derives. He can do things many changelings can’t even imagine; particularly by effecting those of humanity who are, by nature, non-believers. Much like that explosive wave which disrupted physical and temporal space and threw you to a place many miles away when he was attacked."

Kisho bowed his head and knelt on one knee next to Shiro. “We had been waiting to come to you. To assist in releasing Shou, Saga and Tora. We went first to Kenshin, who was furious by the gross violation of customary vampiric social law. Though it was also made aware to us that Bastien’s plan was to display the murder of these three one week past their capture date. That would be tomorrow. It was then that we had arranged a plan where we would recapture you three while Kenshin’s vampires fought their own battles. Their fight is not one that we are meant to be a part of.

“It was a tricky and temporary treaty as I have no trust for any vampire, certainly not a self indulgent and personally egotistical one in such a high ranking position. Though it was our best diplomatic strategy to secure your release without having ourselves captured as well, which would not have served you or us well. Believe me, it was no easy task to keep Hiroto-san calm and stationary. He wanted nothing more than to mount a rescue immediately.

“You,” Kisho offered his hand, flat up at Nao and then to Joey, “were a distraction we were not expecting. Thank you, both of you. For releasing the innocent involved in this war.”

Nao nodded softly, a bit of a frown on his face. His eyes flickered towards Shou for a moment and then over to Hiroto. He was certain they would willingly endure the pain and heartache that they had suffered to get there. Much in the same way that he had been certain he was proud of himself for overcoming his vices, he was glad that he had been placed on the boat and brought to the vampire’s hideaway. It was worth it to see Shou and Tora and Saga and Hiroto all alive. There was hope in seeing them. “It was an accident that we ended up here really. I am glad for it, though it’s a story for another day too.”

“Yes I suspect that you have many stories to tell us Nao-san. As I’m positive you left this land as a vampire puppet and have returned quite healthy looking; that is surely a miracle. Very few have accomplished such a feat. Welcome back.” Kisho said with another subtle bow toward the drummer who smiled broadly.

Joey licked her lips, frowning as she looked between them. “Yeah that’s awesome and all but now that we got them out, is this Kenshin still going to do his thing?” Joey asked suddenly, in English. Kisho, Nao and Shiro were the only that understood what she’d said at all, though all eyes moved to her. Her hand was pressed against Kisho’s shadow and the other was firmly planted on Shiro’s. She might not have understood his words but their shadows expressed the story as he told it just as if she were watching his tale in a black and white, silent movie.

“If not, they will come. Dude Bastien doesn’t play games. Elisa plays games and talks a lot of shit; she bluffs and hopes you won’t notice the times she doesn’t follow through. She’s a whiny little bitch. But Bastien is a fucker. He’s not a fibber, he means business and that means when he said he’d come for us, he was dead serious. I don’t expect him to wait very long and if your pal Kenshin doesn’t follow through then we’re fucked. Bastien’s crew will come and they won’t come weakly. They’ll come for all of us and they’ll fucking take us. All of us.”

Kisho licked his lips and, as she was the one that had addressed the issue, spoke in English to those that understood. His accent was heavy against his soft, yet deep voice. Long, black bangs fell in his eyes as he drew his gaze up to meet hers. “Then we are all in grave danger.”

“Un-FUCKING-acceptable. I didn’t come here to die.” She felt her eyebrows come together, her bored demeanor faded entirely and she was almost frantic as she shouted at him. “You weren’t there - you didn't see his face or hear his voice - he’s going to kill us. If you don’t’ think he can, you’re out of your mind.” Her voice slipped back down to the casual and lazy manner she normally used as she forced a hold on herself.

Kisho was patient and gentle. Therefore he let her speak, loudly and vulgarly, without interruption. He seemed engaged in her words and like he was truly understanding of them. Nao slipped in behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Tora’s head had lifted and he was watching, with a vexed expression on his sickly face, as they spoke. Shou too moved to the edge of the futon in quiet anticipation of what was going on. The rather loud woman worried him and he was doing his best to catch everything she said; though that proved to be a problem as she spoke so swiftly and with slang that he didn’t know.

“Yes. He will come. Though…there’s something that might protect these men; not now - but for the long term which I hadn’t considered before. For now, we’ll have to do the best we can with what we have. However…are you familiar with Ashton Lionel?” He looked to Joey who tipped her head to the side.

“I knew him.” She said briskly and tightly. Nao’s hand squeezed her shoulder out of reflex, both for the name that was uttered and her sharp retort. She wasn’t usually that quick to snap a response or with the level of intensity that she did right then. She shrugged Nao’s hand off her shoulder and climbed to her feet so she was looking down at Kisho where he was crouched next to Shiro.

He rose as well when she did. “He was working on a vaccination which would protect humans from vampires. It had been loosely deemed ‘Blood of Fire’ in which the blood of the inoculated was meant to act as fire would to a vampire - burning them from the inside out. He abandoned research on it and refused to touch the subject matter again, having been the only one who ever came close to successfully creating such a protective drug. Perhaps we could revisit the theory.”

A scowl passed over Joey’s face. “Did it ever occur to you that he stopped for a reason?” Joey asked sharply. “I knew him and I know what that fucking experiment did to him. It killed him a little inside. It hurts people.”

Kisho bowed his head softly, his voice calm and placid against her sharper tongue. It was an odd combination as Kisho seemed unfazed by the strength and irritation in Joey’s voice. “No more than any other science does.”

“This isn’t science! This is magic. It’s different. No.” Joey said with a shake of her head. “Besides,” her voice shook some, “you said it yourself - no one but Ash knew the advanced theory to it and even he quit.”

“He quit because he thought he found the answer.” Kisho said calmly. Tora had started to shift in his seat, licking his lips as he did his best to focus in on their conversation. There was a heavy frown on his lips.

“Who cares!? Who cares why - he still quit.” She shot back defiantly.

“You’re not making sense Joahee-chan.” Nao’s voice cut in after he’d heard enough of what was being said. She was on the defense of something he had no idea about, something he’d not heard of, though the whole thing sounded vaguely familiar to him. He simply couldn’t place why.

The others were watching on in awe, half understanding the quick words Joey and Kisho spoke to each other. Though Hiroto shrank in his spot, having remembered hearing Shiki speak of the vaccination which he was positive was the topic of conversation. He had remembered the confusion he felt over the idea that Shiki truly believed it was a bad decision. Yet here stood Kisho, and Ash as it had been his idea, advocating the very same thing the visiugo disagreed with. He had trusted Shiki before and he trusted Kisho now; the question was which one did they believe?

He reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Why are you so quick to dismiss this opportunity that could really have a solution? That could make things better?” He asked her, turning her to face him. His eyes diverted from hers for a moment. “You…what troubles you about this possibility?”

Her eyes met his and she hesitated. “Ash is dead.” She said finally, though there was uncertainty in her voice. “He’s dead and therefore his formula is too. There’s no point in entertaining something that’s BS just to humor ourselves and tease the idea that we might be able to be safe. That anyone could be safe.”

Nao pursed his lips and sighed. It was full of sadness and disappointment in her words. “You’re lying.” He stated simply, arching an eyebrow on his forehead. He was also confused by what would make her feel the need to lie, on top of her apparent hatred for the vaccination all together.

“Yep.” She said briskly, having known that he would be able to tell if anyone could. It didn’t stop her from trying though. “And I’m going to stick by that lie, so don’t ask me not to.”

Nao sighed again before he gave her a little shake. There was a desperation in his voice as he spoke; he was tired with the pain they were all enduring and should there be something that could help them somehow, he wasn’t willing to let that fall to the wayside. “This could protect us Joahee…what do you know? What is keeping you from believing in it?”

“Nothing.” She said sharply.

“Joahee…”

“I don’t’ know anything. That’s not a lie. I don’t know shit about the formula. I don’t! And that’s the truth.” She said quickly and it was clear from the choked nature of her tight voice that she was starting to panic. She was as if a feral animal, the raccoon she was, being poked into a corner in which she was looking for any way to escape.

“It could help…even if it’s just enough for us. To keep the vampires from killing us.” Nao licked his lips, gesturing to where the other sat. “It’s…please…please…Joahee.”

Her face puckered up and she grimaced. “And what about those it hurts in the process? Hmmm? What about them Nao? I’m not talking about the fucking mo-mo’s who sign up voluntarily for scientific experimentation. I couldn’t care less about the people they test this shit on…I’m talking about digging to get the goddamned formula that might not even work. The fucking process of finding out the truth to even make the drug. What about those people? Would you sell him,” she pointed to Shou on the couch and then to Tora, “or him if you knew they could get the truth? Would you let them be poked and prodded - or me? Would you if you knew how to get it? WOULD YOU?” She shouted, using her raised voice in place of tears as the emotion needed to be expressed somehow. The worry and concern finally came to a head and bubbled out and over her cool exterior.

The entire room was quiet as it seemed, for a moment, like Joey had truly lost her mind. Her words weren’t making sense as, as far as they could see, there was no one that would be hurt by what it was they were looking for. Yet it seemed as if Joey was troubled by the steps it would take to find out the truth, not the truth itself.

Nao was gaping at her in shock, as if he had seen something that the others didn’t. He hadn’t blinked and was left with his mouth hanging slightly slack at her words. “It’s me.” He said after a moment of consideration. Perhaps it was because he had grown to know her so well that her worry, her sudden frantic nature, couple with her words made sense to him. He could read between the lines and he could read the look on her face. “I have the answer - don’t I? You don’t want me hurt so you don’t want to try. Because I have it-I know, ne?”

Her eyebrow went flat as her forehead pinched up and she gave her head a little shake and chomped into her bottom lip. “No…” she tried to lie but she didn’t even believe herself.

Nao swallowed hard and he let his eyes flicker down for a moment. “How long have you known? How long has…just, Joahee - how long?” Nao asked, for a moment he was shocked and almost appalled by the fact. He was truly terrified that he had held such an answer, without knowing, for so long whilst it could have been extracted from him by someone who did know he held it.

She drew away from him so he wasn’t holding her by the shoulders anymore. “You were getting better.” Joey told him somberly and seemingly as if unrelated to his question. Her eyes moved down momentarily before she gathered all her courage. “Since I met you. I knew then. Layton and Keaton - they told me about the formula and that they thought you knew it after I expressed concern about you - since I was the only one that would sit with you. And they told me that no one could ever know that fact. Because then they’d come for you to try and get it out and gain from your knowledge, no matter the means. But you don’t even know you know it. You didn’t know then and I don’t think you do now. You’ve…you’ve always had two shadows though. Always. Lately that tall and lanky one has been getting dimmer though. Ash…he’s disappearing from you. You’re getting better. I don’t want them to make you digress by pulling forth everything that you’re working through. Not for anything. It’s not worth it Nao. Certainly not worth sacrificing your life or the self you were becoming again.”

He was silent. Stunned. It was suddenly extraordinarily apparent how much he meant to her and it was at a level, and for a long time, that he hadn’t any basis for comparison. When he had worried if his crush was reciprocated, there was no need to worry. When he had first wondered if she meant it when she said she was a ‘fan of who he was’, his wonderment was misplaced. She had been at this for longer than he could have known, she had been protecting him from the day she met him as he was certain his double shadow life had not gone unmissed by her. She noticed everything and was keenly aware of the ends.

“I want to help them.” He told her quietly; despite how touched he was by her words, he couldn’t agree with her opposition. The seriousness of his life lately had taken a toll on Nao. He was ready to right it and at any cost. No one that knew him deserved to live with this subpar version of himself; just as much as he didn’t deserve to live with it. He was ready to try and put the pieces back together, suddenly survival wasn’t enough. He needed quality again. “I want to help them.” He said to Kisho. “How can we get to the stuff I know?”

A small and aggravated squeak escaped Joey as she shot him a displeased scowl and turned away. She marched over to the sink and went to cleaning the wound she’d inflicted to protect them. He looked at her retreating back and fought the urge to follow her. His fists balled at his sides and he gritted his teeth to keep himself from trailing after her.

“I can do that.” Shiro said out of nowhere looking up at them from his spot on the floor with a serious expression. All eyes had flickered to him in anticipation. “I can do it!” He exclaimed helpfully, nodding his head with a dazzling smile and happy, innocent eyes.

_____________________
Authors' Note

Mandy & Jackie: So I suppose leaving this at a simple - thank you would not suffice for our honest appreciation. I know we say it each and every time, but it still holds true even now. We appreciate each and every one of you who read on our little wedge of the internet. Our little corner of this place.

With that said we have kicked off our shoes and gotten extremely comfy in this place. That is to say we are writing unabridged and without a filter, hell without a safety net. We know there are strange ideas and sort of bizarre themes present in this story. It's been a build up to get here, but even more were displayed in his chapter and there are more to come. Please let us know if you have any questions - so we can clarify and questions or concerns. Otherwise please enjoy this twisted little tale of who's to be trusted and not.

For things to come.......think Alice in Wonderland. (The fictional story book...not Alice Nine's CD ^.^) We're about to get deep.