Foreword:
Hello my amazing readers, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, views and feedback. It all helps when I'm writing, really does. There are two things I want to mention.
1. Some of you might question Jackie's behaviour in this chapter, but if you've ever read an excellent, excellent trilogy of books by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, you might recognise a little bit of Lisbeth Salander in her. Lisbeth is one of the best characters I've read in the past ten years or so, and happens to be very similar to Jackie with regards to her philosophy and appearance. If you haven't read the books, do yourself a favour and pick them up. You might recognise it from the movie; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
2. I know it's a long shot, but I frequent the websites TV Tropes and Live Journal and I was wondering if this fic would be deemed worthy enough of a fanfic recommendation for the Mass Effect and Jack fans. If any of you think so, feel free to submit it because I believe they're a little leery of creator submitted pieces of work. I'd be most grateful if any one of you would care to take the time.
As always, PM any time if you have questions or comments or want a review for your own story. I like discussing my work with you guys, and yours in return.
Enjoy!
The Normandy
Singapore Interplanetary Spaceport
"Hello, John."
"Ash?"
Ashley Williams was once again on board the Normandy with me. It should have felt familiar, like a homecoming. A reunion of two old friends and former lovers. But it didn't feel right, there was way too much history between us. She didn't look surprised or as shocked as I felt however, clearly her superiors had already informed her I was in the area. Her lips were turned up in a gentle smirk, as if she was enjoying my discomfort.
"You're the Alliance agent?" I managed to say. It was all I could think of.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"But you're a marine!"
"After I left the Normandy the AIA came calling. I was already an agent when we met on Horizon."
I scratched my chin, where Chakwas had to stitch up a particularly nasty cut. "I guess that's something else you and Anderson kept from me."
Ashley gave me pitying look, the kind I remembered from before. Usually after I'd made some dumb wisecrack. "You were working with Cerberus. I couldn't risk jeopardising my own investigation, and neither could Anderson."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Miranda tense up involuntarily.
"The mission, John?" she said archly. "Might I remind you that our team is in danger? Every second we waste could mean the difference between life and death."
"I remember you," said Ashley. "The woman from Cerberus. I don't think we've been properly introduced."
"My name is Miranda Lawson, agent. That's all you need to know."
They locked gazes, each trying to intimidate the other. If an insect had flown into the path of their glares it would have been flash fried in an instant. Ashley's guards let their hands ease towards the inner pockets of their suit jackets, where weapons were undoubtedly concealed. Joker slumped so low in his chair he was practically lying on the floor.
"Let's just go to the Briefing Room," I said, trying to break the tension. Miranda turned on her heel and stalked off without another word.
"Charming," remarked Ashley. Then her face lit up as she saw who was sitting in the pilot's seat, and the contrast was like night and day.
"Joker!"
"Hi – uh – Chief Williams."
"Not Chief, not any longer," she said.
"There's a lot of that going on these days," Joker muttered to himself.
"What?"
"Uh, nothing. It's good to see you too. Just like the old days, right?"
"I hope so. More than you think," she turning to me and smiling brightly. I think she tried to reach for my hand, but I moved away before she could do it.
"I'll lead the way there. Follow me," I mumbled. Ashley looked surprised.
"You look different," she commented, walking along the bridge.
"Thank you."
"I didn't say you looked better. Why are you in civvies?"
"Why are you?" I asked.
"I can't wear armour during an investigation, it just screams 'the Alliance is here!' I've never seen you in anything other than standard issue, John."
"Yeah well, people change. More than you think."
"I know," she said, almost sadly.
I had no idea what to make of her return. The Alliance was fucking with me. They had to be! Of all the millions of agents employed by the AIA, they just happen to send my former friend and lover to assist in this case. The urge to hurl a grenade through the window of the prick who made this happen thundered across my brain.
Ashley had sent me more letters after the first one just after Horizon. I'd filed all of them away without reading first. Eventually they just stopped arriving. I did feel a little sad then, but also relieved in a way. It was as if I'd closed the door on that chapter in my life. Now it had been flung wide open again.
Maybe I should have kept in touch. But it seemed simpler and cleaner to cut off all contact completely. Over time it had gotten easier just not to think about it. Especially now that I was with...Jackie...
This isn't going to end well.
The door to the Briefing Room hissed open, and I was greeted with the puzzled stares from my crew. Miranda was already inside, sitting on a chair furthest away from the door with her arms folded.
"Guys, the agent from the Alliance has arrived," I said, feeling slightly stupid. "Miranda, I don't suppose you've told them - "
"No, John," said Miranda, glowering. "I left that delightful formality up to you."
"Some of you might already know who she is. Her name is - "
The suits stepped into the room, and took up positions on either side of the door. Ashley sauntered in, and went to stand next to me. I heard Tali gasp in shock.
"Ashley Williams," I finished.
Grunt and Legion remained unmoved, insofar as a krogan and a geth could show a discernible facial expression. Mordin's eyebrows were raised, he looked as though he recognised the name and face. Tali stood up and came over to give Ashley a friendly hug, which she returned.
Mentally bracing myself, I glanced at Jackie. I was greeted with a look that was a combination of pure burning hatred and naked disgust.
"Hi guys. Like John said, we've worked together before. Our Normandy wasn't quite so nice though. This one's definitely bigger and better," said Ashley.
"But I'm not here to reminisce. The Alliance sent me here because of the mission. I know Foley. I've spent nearly a year investigating him, as a matter of fact. I've been forced to move openly because he's captured three of your teammates. That's where you guys come in."
"Hey," said Jackie, waving her arm almost casually. Ashley looked at her, taking in her unconventional appearance without comment. "I've got a question," Jackie added.
"You're wondering if the Alliance's been working on this for so long, why would we need you guys," said Ashley, nodding her head. "You see, the thing is -"
"No, that's not it." Jackie took a deep breath, and then exploded. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Ashley turned to me. "You wanna make the introductions, Skipper?"
"This is Jackie," I said miserably. "She's my girlfriend."
Ashley's eyes widened, and they flicked over to where Miranda was sitting. The ex-Cerberus operative actually smiled coldly, the first time she'd done so today.
"No, you've got the wrong woman. I tried though," Miranda said.
"Oh, she doesn't even know?" demanded Jackie. "This gets better and better. What the fuck are you playing at, Jack?"
"Can we leave my personal life out of this for two bloody seconds?!" I asked. "We're supposed to planning a rescue mission!"
"I don't care why you're here, bitch," snarled Jackie, ignoring me. She had sprung out of her chair and crossed the room in a couple of seconds to stand nose-to-nose with Ashley. Somehow she managed to do it while being a head shorter.
"I don't care if you're Alliance. You stay the fuck away from Jack, or I will kill you," she said, venom dripping from every syllable.
The two suits drew pistols from their jackets, but Ashley held out a hand and they refrained from raising their weapons. Jackie was glowing blue, the biotic energy surrounding her body flashing like a bolt of summer lightning in the sky. It made the hairs on my arm stand on end.
"Stand down," Ashley said sharply to her guards.
"Give me a reason!" Jackie screamed. "Come on!"
"Are all your shipmates this friendly, John?" Ash said to me, keeping her eyes on Jackie's. I was impressed. If Jackie had been looking at me like that I would have been running for my life in the opposite direction. It was the same look of fury that she was wearing right before she blew apart three YMIR mechs.
I tried to step in to separate them, but Ashley was already speaking.
"Jackie, was it? Strange coincidence...anyway, let me make a few things clear."
"I'm going to enjoy killing you. I really am," Jackie said, almost pleasantly. "I think I'll start with your head. I'll rip it off and shove it up your tight ass."
"Number one," said Ashley, as though she hadn't heard. "John and I broke up. At least I think we did. He never actually said so."
My feeling of guilt intensified, then I wondered what I was feeling guilty about, then I got mad at being confused about my guilt.
"Best fucking thing he ever did," Jackie said.
"Number two; all the personal shit is none of your goddamn business. John's still my friend. If I want to talk to him, I'll do so. Without your permission necessary."
"I think you're deaf as well as stupid. If you do that, I'll kill you," Jackie said again.
"Three; we're supposed to be on a mission here. If we can't work together as a team, Foley will get away and you'll never see your friends again."
"I couldn't give a fuck," growled Jackie. She jerked her arm, and the guns in the hands of the guards flew out of their grasp and hovered in mid-air. A second later and they were crushed into a twisted ball of metal, dropping onto the floor with a forlorn thud.
One of the guards tapped his communicator and started to speak, but Ashley stopped him with another glance.
"I said stand down. I have this under control."
"I'll show you under control!"
"Jackie, please!" I roared. "Save it! This is not the time, I have to save the others! Kill me if you want to later, but this is not the time."
Jackie seemed three seconds away from hauling off and tearing me limb from limb. I put every ounce of will I had into my stare. It was my goddamn fault that four of my crew were lost. My personal problems were holding up the rescue attempt. If we didn't manage to save them in time I would never be able to forgive myself.
Then, as quickly as one flicks a switch, Jackie went and sat back down. She lit up a cigarette and sucked in the smoke as if it was water to a dying man. I felt like taking a hit myself, I needed to settle my nerves.
"Okay," I said, trying to stop my hands from shaking. "Can we all just take a breath...sit down...and talk this through." I deliberately walked away and sat down on the chair closest to Jackie. Just as deliberately, she turned in her seat and refused to look at me.
"Tell us what you know about Ransom Foley," said Miranda loudly, trying to inject a measure of sanity back into the situation.
"Very well, the quick version," said Ashley in clipped tones. "Foley has been under AIA investigation for the past year. I was personally attached to the case as the agent in charge only in the last six months or so, however. He is suspected of funnelling Sombra Corp money into a secret slush fund which goes directly to Cerberus."
She explained that unfortunately, Alliance Intelligence's best hackers and agents have not been able to unearth definitive proof of his crimes.
"We've rounded up a few witnesses and some records, but the bastard's got a legal team better than Satan. If we arrest him at this stage, he'll just get off scot free," Ashley said.
"How does this concern us?" asked Mordin.
" About a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to see someone I knew back in town. Garrus Vakarian," said Ashley, winking at me. Beside me Jackie clenched her fist so hard that if she had been holding a can it would have been crushed.
"We missed the return of the Normandy back in Sol System, but Garrus was unmistakeable," continued Ashley. "I ordered him to be placed under watch, and it soon became apparent that he was working in tandem with two other individuals, a human and a drell."
I exchanged a glance with Miranda. One human? Ash had spotted Garrus, Thane, and one of either Jacob or Kasumi. Who was missing, and why? From the way Miranda narrowed her eyes at me, it was clear she wanted me to keep silent, at least until she got the chance to talk to me.
"I received word from Foley not too long ago," I said. "He informed me that he had taken them hostage. Do you have anything on that?"
"Yes," said Ashley. "One of my men happened to be in the area when Ransom launched his attack on your crew members' base of operations. They were brought out, and taken to the main building. I had surveillance mounted on Sombra Corp round the clock until something happened."
"Why didn't you do something to stop it?" asked Tali.
"The abduction? Only one of my guys was in the area, and it happened too quickly to call in reinforcements. Besides, there's the whole legality question."
"Presumably referring to the fact that Normandy crew are not acting on behalf of Alliance, possibly lingering concerns over tenuous links to Cerberus," said Mordin.
"Uh, yes," Ashley said.
"Doesn't matter. Shepard has Spectre status. Citadel law supersedes human law due to Council member status. Has full authority to complete mission as he sees fit. Alliance authority not applicable," Mordin continued.
"That may be the case," said Ashley. "But I'd prefer to pool our resources. That is, if John's willing."
"I don't care how we do it. We have to get them back," I said.
"Any ideas?" asked Tali.
"EDI, bring up the message from Foley," said Miranda. EDI had been instructed to act like a VI as much as possible. We didn't want to let the Alliance know that we had access to full-fledged AI technology.
"Yes, Ms Lawson," said EDI, as robotic and devoid of emotion as any other VI.
When the message was over, Ashley looked at me thoughtfully. "He wants to arrange a meeting? We might have something there."
"What do you have in mind?" I asked.
"We go in and find out what he wants. He might let something slip."
"You're not going in alone with Jack," snapped Jackie suddenly, slamming her fist on the table and making everyone jump. "Remember what I said."
"This is my operation. Deal with it," Ashley said coolly.
Jackie whirled around in her seat to face me. "Jack. You do this and we're done. I'm warning you."
"Jackie, I need their help."
"No you don't. We storm the fucking place, break a window and hold the fucking bastard eighty stories above the fucking street. We do it now and get them back in a couple of hours."
"I can't take that chance," I said desperately. "Foley might order them killed if anything happens to him. Ash, please, choose someone else. Don't make me do this."
"Yeah, Jack can go with Miranda," said Jackie, jerking a thumb at the XO. Miranda looked stunned. This marked the first time Jackie had ever referred to her by her given name.
"This is my operation," Ashley repeated. "I want to get a good look at the man and assess him for myself. I'm going in."
Jackie stood up and kicked her chair back so hard it crashed into the wall behind her and toppled over.
"So long Shepard. Thanks for fucking everything," she said, and stormed out of the room.
"Jackie, no! Wait!" I shouted, running after her.
I caught up with her on the Bridge and grabbed her arm. She shook it off and continued walking.
"For Christ's sake Jackie, where the hell are you going?"
"Anywhere that bitch ain't."
"I need you for this," I said.
"No, you don't. You're doing things her way," she said.
"Jackie please, you're making this so bloody difficult."
Jackie stopped in her tracks.
"I'm making this difficult? How do you think I feel, Jack? How do you think it feels when your old girlfriend just walks in like she fucking owns this ship and gets all comfortable with you, just like 'the old days?'" she cried.
"Jackie, you asked me once if there was still something between her and me. You asked if I'd take her back. I said no, and the answer is still no. I don't understand why you can't fucking trust me!"
"It's easy to say no when she's far away on another planet," Jackie said.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"Tell her to fuck off. We go in and blow shit up. That's the way we do things," she said.
"No, I can't do that."
"Why the fuck not? Blowing shit up is what you do."
"Because..." I had to fight to put what I was thinking into words. Did I want to storm in and blow up the main building of Sombra Corp? Hell yes. But was it because of that goddamn Ardat-Yakshi infesting my brain? Lives depended on me, and suddenly where I had always been a hundred per cent sure what I was doing was right, my conviction was wavering. I could not afford to make decisions when my decision-making capabilities were suspect. Lives depended on me.
I had to fight to put it into words. I failed.
"I can't," I said at last.
"You mean you won't," she said.
"No, I can't. I'm not going to risk lives. Jackie, I'm begging you. Jacob and Kasumi. Thane. Garrus. I love that leatherfaced bastard like a brother.I need to get them back. I need you to help me, and trust me."
"I trust you. I don't trust her," Jackie said.
"Nothing is going to happen!" I said, frustrated.
"Then tell her that!" she demanded.
"I already did! Is this how it's going to be? Am I not allowed to talk to another woman for the rest of my life?"
"That's not what I - "
"Jackie, I'm fucking sick of this! Every day I'm trying. I'm trying so hard but you keep fucking with my head. Haven't I done enough to make you trust me? What else must I do?"
Jackie took a step backwards.
"You're sick of this? Is that how you feel? About us?"
"God, no, I didn't mean -"
"One thing, Shepard! Just do one thing! Ask her to fuck off and we can go!"
"I cannot do that!"
"Then I'm out of here," she said, her words reverberating like the clang of an iron door.
I stood there, dumbstruck. Then I managed to speak again.
"Jackie, please. Not again. You're breaking my fucking heart. I swore to God never to hurt you, but you're hurting me worse than anything I've ever felt. Just...please don't leave."
Jackie gave me an odd look. I think she was trying not to cry. "Thanks for being my friend." And then she was gone. It took the sound of the hatch closing before I realised what just happened.
"You want to go? Fucking go!" I screamed impotently at the empty Bridge. "I can't fucking take this shit any more!"
Then I turned and stormed back to the Briefing Room.
We discussed for a long time what kind of message we were going to send to Foley. In the end I decided to make it as simple as possible.
I'll talk. Time and place.
Shepard
I sent it away and lit up another cigarette with my trembling fingers. I had been chain smoking constantly since returning to the Briefing Room, and a blue fog hung over my head. Nobody dared to comment, not when they noticed Jackie hadn't returned with me.
I sat and smoked and shook and tried not to think about what had just happened. Tried not to think of the Ardat-Yakshi in my brain. Tried not to think of three of the best men and one of the best women I'd ever known getting hacked to pieces by faceless goons wielding chainsaws. Tried not to think of the fact that I felt worse than at any point I ever had since the Illusive Man breathed life into my broken corpse.
Just don't think. Move forward on autopilot.
The message console pinged and EDI put it up for us to see. The reply was equally curt.
Tomorrow morning, 9 am Sombra Corp building. Wait at the lobby. No weapons, no recording devices.
"We have a time and place," said Miranda. "We still need a plan."
"We won't have one until we find out what he wants," said Ashley.
"Go in there unarmed? Just talk?" said Miranda sceptically.
"You guys can be the backup if he tries to kill us. But that's not going to happen. I've watched Foley for a long time now. He's all about business. He won't do anything rash."
"What about our friends?" asked Tali.
"Remember, my people are checking every available port, shuttle station, runway and highway in and out of Hyderabad. Once they find something, they'll let me know," Ashley said confidently.
"It looks like we have no choice," said Miranda. "John, is there anything else?"
Silence.
"John?" asked Miranda again.
"Huh? What?" I said. I hadn't been paying attention.
"I said, is there anything else?"
I rubbed my forehead, wishing I had a painkiller. I felt like shit and it was safe to say that I looked like shit as well. I needed to eat something, my stomach was screaming at me. It had been hours since breakfast. But most of all, I needed Jackie. She had run out on me again and still I hadn't learned my lesson. I was still waiting for her to come back when in all probability she had left for good.
"No. There's nothing. You know what to do. Let's prepare for 9 am tomorrow."
With that, I got up and left. Miranda followed me and stopped me in the corridor.
"John, you can't go on like this."
"No Miranda. No, I really can't," I agreed.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked.
"What?"
"Do you need to talk? You've been so stressed lately. I'm not the Yeoman and I might not be your girlfriend, but I'm still your friend. What's going on?" Miranda asked.
I was so mentally exhausted that I didn't even contemplate lying.
"It's the Ardat-Yakshi. Samara's daughter, Morinth. She left an imprint of herself within my mind before she died and I'm afraid it's influencing my thoughts," I said, too tired to lie.
Miranda looked utterly gobsmacked. Whatever she was expecting, it couldn't have been this.
"Did you talk to someone about it? Samara?" she asked.
"I did. She says no one's survived an Ardat-Yakshi attack before, so she's as clueless as I am," I said.
"But there must be something we can do. John, are these like...voices? Actual voices you can hear?"
"I don't know, Miri," I said miserably. "I know you think I must be insane. Sometimes it's a voice I can hear, as if she's talking to me. But what I'm frightened of is that she's influencing me subconsciously, without me being aware of it."
"John, this is dangerous. You can't go to meet Foley tomorrow," Miranda said.
"I have no choice," I sighed. "He wants to meet me in person. And I have to get Garrus and the others back."
"You're right, unfortunately," she said, looking worried. "Just try to be careful, ok?"
I wandered off in the direction of the elevator. "I don't know how anymore."
I lay in bed for a long time, trying not to think. I knew I had to get some sleep, or consume something other than cigarettes. I didn't, and chain-smoked until the last of my cigarettes had burned down to the filter.
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up and found myself on the floor. I groaned and got to my feet. The faint memories of half-remembered dreams lurked in my mind. Something about a woman. But which one, I had no idea. I seemed to be plagued with them.
According to my clock it was 3 am in the morning. T minus six hours. I decided to go down to the mess for a cup of coffee.
The ship was quiet and dark and still, and I was recovering slightly as I sat at the table and enjoyed the feel of the steam on my face. As good as a wake up call.
"Hey, Skipper."
I looked up. Ashley was standing in front of me, again like a damn ghost I couldn't shake from memory. She was wearing the exact same outfit she had on when we fought Saren, a tight navy-blue t-shirt and long military pants and boots. She looked fresh as a daisy, her hair done up in a ponytail that made her look years younger.
"Hey Chief."
Ash chuckled. "I haven't heard Chief in years. Not till you and Joker." She drew up a chair and sat down opposite me.
"You look terrible," she said.
"Thanks."
"John, you really do. Don't think I didn't notice the cuts on your face. And the broken bones. Looks like someone took a sledgehammer to you. What happened?"
I raised a hand to my chin and rubbed it absent-mindedly. "I got into a fight."
"A fight?"
"More like several fights," I admitted.
"During your mission?"
"No, the Citadel."
"The Citadel? Who were you fighting?" asked Ashley.
"I can't remember."
"You can't remember," she said, sounding unimpressed.
"No."
"I suppose you're going to tell me you don't remember why you were fighting either."
"That's right," I said.
"John. You're messed up."
"It's your bloody fault," I mumbled.
Ashley looked away. "I was hoping we could have a chance to talk. Without that lunatic interrupting us."
I didn't say anything.
She took a deep breath. "John...I'm really sorry about what happened on Horizon. I really am."
"Should have said that earlier," I said petulantly.
"But I did. In every single one of my letters. I guess you never read them."
"It was easier not to," I admitted.
"I wish it didn't happen. Not a day goes by without me wishing to take back what I said. I was an idiot," Ashley said.
"What about your investigation?"
"You jerk, if you had abandoned Cerberus I would have dropped everything and joined you once more," she said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes."
I didn't know what to say, so I drank some more coffee. Once I put the cup back down, Ashley reached over and placed her hand on top of mine. I should have moved away. For some reason, I didn't.
"Two and a half years. Every single day, John. I missed you every single day. Let me make up for that one mistake."
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you think we could...try again? You and I?"
I stared at her. I'd hoped for and imagined this scenario for a good long time after Horizon. Something was different this time however.
The image of a lithe young woman covered in ink flashed across my mind.
"I can't," I said.
"Is it because of her?" asked Ashley. I had dropped my eyes and was staring at the table.
"...yes."
"Do you love her, John?"
"...yes."
"Can I ask why?"
I didn't say anything for a good long time. Ashley got up and went round the table to sit down beside me. She took my hand and held it. Finally I opened my mouth. "I don't know right now."
"Think about," said Ashley, and her voice had taken on a harder edge. "You don't even know the reason, and you say you love her?"
"Yes," I said, but softer this time.
"You've got together with her right after we broke up, right? Doesn't that remind you of something? Rebound?"
"I know what you're trying to do," I said, though without much conviction. "Don't. Please."
"I'm trying to help you," said Ashley. "I know you, Skip. You're not yourself. You're so different, and it's worrying me. After the Alliance wanted to let you go -"
"You know about that, huh?"
"Know about it? John, I filed the report. I had to do it. But I was also only one of two people who showed up for that court-martial prepared to defend you. The other was your Mom."
"Mama? How is she?" I asked. I felt a rush of gratitude. At least my mother hadn't given up on me.
"She's fine, but pissed off. So am I. The Alliance shouldn't have kicked you out. It's a part of who you are. It was a bullshit decision from a bunch of bullshit politicians and as soon as we're done with this I'm going straight back to that court and get a reversal of that ruling. And you're coming with me."
"I am?"
"Yes. You don't have to be alone, not any more. Just come back with me and we'll set things right," Ashley pleaded.
Alone. That word triggered something within me.
"I'm not alone," I said.
"Sure you have this crew, but what about the Alliance? John, you believe in the Alliance. I know you do. You've served your whole life. This must be devastating for you."
"No, it's not. I feel free. Free to do whatever I want. Without fear of the consequences."
"Listen to yourself," said Ashley softly. "Does that sound like you? The real you?"
"Who am I?" I asked.
"You are a marine. You are an officer, and my captain. John, you were the man I loved. The man I still love."
"I was going to ask you to marry me," I said. It slipped out without warning. I didn't know why I said it.
"What?" said Ashley. She sounded shocked.
"Just before I...just before the first Normandy was destroyed by the Collectors. When we were visiting your mom and sisters. Remember?"
"I remember. John, I had no idea."
"It was the last thing I remember before I...died. That I never asked you to marry me."
There was a long period of silence. Then Ashley held my chin and made me look at her.
"Do you think you might want to ask again?" she said, hesitantly.
I didn't reply. After a while, Ashley leaned in. She wanted to kiss me, just like we did countless times back when the world was easier to understand.
But that was then and this is now.
I don't know what to do.
Afterword:
Poor Jack Kennedy Shepard might not know, but I sure do. Keep reading, this is far from over.
- Finn