Ben paused listening intently to the commotion coming from the back of the party. Maggie stopped beside him, her eyes darting back and forth alertly. "What do you hear," she whispered roughly. For just a second Ben felt a surge of irritation at the woman. If she hadn't given up her spikes she would know precisely what he heard. Ben doubted that he would ever be able to forgive her for throwing his gift away. His anger was forgotten though when he heard Weaver call for a medical kit for Anne.

"We have to go back."

"What? Why?" asked Maggie hurrying to keep up with him.

"Weaver said that Anne is hurt. It sounds bad." He almost didn't hear Maggie's curse over the thumping of his own heart. Fear made him feel light headed and he wondered dizzily if Anne had lost her shoe too, if he would forever be searching for that wretched pink shoe.

The scene that he arrived at was straight out of his nightmares. His little family huddled around another of their fallen, desperate prayers being whispered. Hal was clutching Anne's hand, his face twisted with fear. Anne was stirring weakly, trying to apologize for delaying them. Weaver gently shushed her, trying to stem the blood flow from a shrapnel wound in her side. It wasn't good, she had lost a lot of blood from what Ben could see. As he watched Weaver applied a coagulant to the injury, dramatically slowing the bleeding. Weaver's expertise in field medicine was clear as he worked on the wound. Ben doubted that Anne could have done a better job of stemming the bleeding.

Ben glanced away feeling a strong surge of triumph and vindictive glee. He frowned, knowing instinctively that the feelings weren't his own. He had been besieged by foreign feelings since they had come within 20 miles of the Lincoln Monument. At first he had feared that he wouldn't be able to come on the mission, afraid of becoming a liability to the 2nd Mass. But the intrusions were simply powerful feelings, typically of wrath and glee and that frightened him. A stone formed in his gut remembering that his father was alone without anyone to help him. A quick glance told him that Weaver and Hal were doing everything that was possible to help Anne. She would live. His father might not be so lucky. Decision made, Ben turned and ran down the path he hoped would lead to Tom.

Tom was afraid. He hoped that it didn't show on his face, hoped that the alien queen couldn't tell that his heart was pounding so hard he thought it might explode. He could barely move, the sticky ooze the queen had struck him with had started to harden into cement. He didn't know what had happened to their magic bullet. It had slipped out of his grasp when he'd been hit and he couldn't even begin to guess where it had rolled off to.

Slowly, he began to realize that his life would end here, in the memorial of one of his greatest heroes. The war would rage on because he truly believed that the human race would never surrender. But it would do so without him and that hurt. It hurt even more when he thought of Anne and the boys. Would they survive this massacre?

"I'm going to kill you now," breathed the monster quietly leaning close to his face. It took all of Tom's courage not to shrink away from that awful statement. "I will make it as slow, as painful as you deserve. And your kind deserves so much anguish." Tom closed his eyes for a brief second beginning a desperate prayer to fill the last moments of his life. He prayed for Anne to have a beautiful healthy human child who would grow gracefully into adulthood, he prayed for Hal to know the joys of parenthood and the aches of old age, he prayed for Ben to remove himself from the bubble of isolation he had formed in recent years and find happiness in love, and he prayed for Matt to keep writing and to make his ideas known to the world, but mostly he prayed for their lives. He silently begged any who were listening, the Dornia, God, whomever could help that they save the 2nd Mass from this ill-fated venture.

The alien queen's breast opened like the doors to a chamber revealing a thin appendage not unlike the mouth parts of a mosquito. Terror ripped through him and he couldn't help but struggle for freedom, for life. Fear made his world narrow down to the alien monster and her horrible spike. The queen stabbed him through the chest and for one terrible moment he thought she meant to impale him. Tom bit back a shriek of pain, feeling the sharp appendage boring into his flesh. Black dots flashed before his eyes and he screamed, seeing his own blood being sucked from his body.

The pain was like nothing he had ever known. It was worse than being shot or electrocuted. He dizzily wondered if this was what a fly felt when a spider devoured it. The Queen didn't have a mouth but he knew she was smiling as he squirmed in anguish. Just when he thought he might black out the night was split by a sharp crack and suddenly the queen was shrieking. She stumbled backwards, blood spraying from the stump that she had been using to suck him dry.

Two more shots rang out as a shadowy form charged into the ruins. The Queen wailed an awful scream and lashed out with one of her powerful legs. It knocked the figure towards Tom, throwing him at least ten feet. The man didn't seem bothered by the blow as he quickly rolled to his feet and sent a throwing knife slicing towards the Queen's eye. She dodged but took a deep gash to the side of her face. Screeching her pain she quickly scuttled back to assess her wounds.

As soon as he saw that the Queen was distracted the figure turned and sprinted to Tom. "Ben?" asked Tom dizzily. "What're you doing here? Where's Weaver?"

"He's busy. It's just me.," replied Ben pulling a hunting knife from his belt and starting to saw at his father's bonds. Tom tried to reach for a bruise that was blossoming under Ben's cheek bone.

"Are you ok?" asked Tom thinking of the vicious hit Ben had sustained. The teen nodded grimly, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that the Queen was still distracted.

"This will hurt," said Ben quietly. Before Tom could ask what he meant Ben grabbed the spear of alien tissue that drooped from Tom's chest and yanked. The appendage was barbed but Ben was strong and it slid out without causing much more damage. Tom yelled in pain but as soon as it was removed he felt the all-encompassing pain start to ebb. Now it merely felt like he had been stabbed and that Tom could deal with. There was a rustle of movement behind Ben and he spun to face the threat.

The Queen had recovered enough from her shock that she remembered her anger. She loomed above them like a specter in a horror film. In this film though, thought Tom, the blood and death was real. Ben shoved the knife into Tom's hand and started to edge away. His gun had been knocked askew when he'd been hit but he knew where it was and it was in that direction he moved. Now that he knew the Queen could bleed he meant to kill her. With or without the Dornia weapon Ben planned to take his vengeance tonight.

Tom watched with bated breath and tried to cut himself free faster. As far as he could tell Ben was unarmed and it didn't appear that Weaver would come in time. Tom wondered what could possibly be important enough to delay his friend during such a critical time. The spider Queen followed Ben as he moved away from Tom, her malevolence towards his son clogging the air.

"You are a brave little child coming here alone," cooed the Queen in her strangely beautiful voice. Tom hoped that the gentleness in that voice didn't fool Ben. "But what else could be expected of one of my children, even one as lost as you?" Ben stiffened.

"I'm not one of your children." The spider continued to sway mesmerizingly.

"Oh? I can hear your voice little one. Those spikes make you one of mine. We are connected." Ben scowled feeling his temper rise. He focused on his rage, hoping to mask his intentions until he could get within reach of his gun.

"We may be connected but I will never belong to you. Not after everything you've done to me and this planet." Tom risked glancing away from the confrontation to adjust his grip on the knife. Ben and the Queen were engaged in a delicate dance with both of them trying to game the other. Whoever succeeded would live but Tom was terrified that his son would lose.

"Everything we've done to you? Are you referring to being stronger and healthier? Perhaps to finally being able to step out of your brother's shadow? Or maybe you're angry because you know that without us you would never have been anything but the bookish child that no one noticed. Not even your bookish father." Ben slid another step closer to his gun. "We have helped you, Ben. Come back to us. You remember what it felt like to be loved unconditionally, don't you? Did you get that feeling from us or from the family who made you feel like a freak?" Tom paused for just a second, taken aback by the Queen's words. What she said wasn't true. They loved Ben. Surely, he knew that?

"You can't trick me like you've fooled so many other harnessed kids. You only loved us as long as you were in control. We were only tools to you, tools to be used and thrown away." Ben's jaw hardened. "I'm going to kill you or die trying. I can promise you that." Tom felt his heart sink when Ben said those words. The Queen would surely give up talking in favor of an attack. To his surprise and to Ben's she just laughed.

"Oh you will die if you take that course. Don't you understand, Ben? We are connected. If you kill me then you kill every creature connected to me. Including yourself." The Queen said those words just as Tom finished cutting himself free but he didn't notice. The horror he felt crushed everything else that he felt. No one, not the Dornia, not the Volm, had mentioned that all important detail. The color had drained from Ben's face and he had stopped edging towards his gun. It was almost within reach now, a few more steps and he could end the war.

"You're lying," snapped Ben suddenly, his voice brittle. The Queen leaned closer causing him to step back.

"Am I lying? You felt my pain when you attacked me just as every Espheni did. It still hurts doesn't it? Am I lying, Ben? Tell me what you think." Ben didn't reply because she was right. His tongue hurt worse than the time he had accidently bitten it hard enough to bleed. He and Hal had been rough housing and Hal had accidently kneed him under the chin. His mother had promptly rushed him to the E.R. after seeing the blood pore from his mouth. That was why when the Queen had kicked at him he hadn't dodged. He had been stunned by the sudden pain.

"Ben?" asked Tom tremulously. "Tell me she's lying, Ben." Tom had never felt so torn in his life. It had been his mission for years to see the Espheni routed from the planet and humanity safe. He had been willing to sacrifice his life and the lives of others to accomplish that goal. But he wasn't ready to lose his sons to this war. It was a possibility that haunted him throughout sleepless nights and now he was being told that to save humanity he must give up one of his precious boys.

Ben didn't deny the monster's words. In fact he wouldn't even look at his father. "Come back to us, Ben." whispered the Queen soothingly. "Only your father has to die. I have no quarrel with the rest of your family. I'll allow them to live in peace. Isn't that the better choice? You are afraid to die, Ben. I can taste your fear just as easily as you can. It doesn't have to come to that." Tom swallowed thickly. He didn't know what to say to Ben. He couldn't bear the thought of Ben's death but wondered if the life the Queen offered him would be any better.

"Let him go," said Tom finally. "Let him go and I'll stay. Let him go find our people and flee. Without me they won't be able to hurt you anymore. I'm the head of the snake, remember?" Ben finally looked at him. There were tears in his eyes.

"Thanks, Dad." Tom blinked confused. Of all the things he expected Ben to say that hadn't been one of them. He understood just a second before Ben lunged for his gun.

"No!" screamed Tom and the Queen together. The Queen surged forward with frightening speed but she still wasn't faster than Ben. As soon as his fingers closed on the weapon he rolled to his feet and pulled the trigger. The first shot hit the Queen in the chest, sending her back a step. Ben staggered too, his face twisted by the sudden pain. After the first shot he continued to aim for her chest, hoping for a kill shot. Most of shots were center mass but the last two went wide as his legs gave out from under him. The Queen crashed to the ground, a jumble of twitching legs and blood. Tom ran to his son.

Ben was clutching at his chest trying to stem an imaginary flow of blood. His breath came in ragged pants and his skin had turned milk white. "I'm sorry," gasped Ben as Tom pulled him close. "I had to, Dad. I had to." Tom glanced at the dying Queen.

"I know, honey. I know." Ben started to choke as he felt blood pour into his lungs. Tom moved him so that he could sit up but Ben was too weak to remain sitting without help.

"You have to finish it," moaned Ben between coughs. "The other Espheni are coming to save her. They'll tear us apart if they get here." Tom shook his head.

"I don't care." And he didn't. He didn't care to live at the expense of losing his baby. He planned to sit right where he was and let them come. Just a few meters away the Queen shuddered and Ben cried out in pain.

"They can save her," whispered Ben when he caught his breath. His lips were turning a delicate pale blue. "And this will be for nothing." His eyes rolled as he fought against the feeling that he was drowning. He coughed again feeling liquid boil up his throat. He couldn't tell if it was actually there or if he was feeling the Queen's pain. Either way it hurt more than he could describe.

Tom gently rubbed Ben's chest, trying to lend whatever comfort he could. He didn't know what was happening to his son but he hated it. He wanted to be able to ease Ben's pain or at least say something to distract him from it but for once Tom couldn't think what to say. He hadn't been able to talk to Ben for years. Somehow between the fighting and the surviving he had forgotten that part of his job was to talk to Ben. He hadn't even comforted him over Deni's death.

"I'm sorry," whispered Tom finally. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't be a better father to you. I tried but I couldn't." Ben didn't hear his father's heartfelt declaration. He was listening intently to the rustling that told him that the Espheni forces were approaching. They were wounded and shambling but moving at a respectable speed. If Tom didn't finish the Queen soon they would be overwhelmed.

Weaver had finally finished making Anne comfortable and was looking to figure out what his next move would be. Anne was stable but she couldn't be moved and she certainly couldn't fight. He considered splitting his remaining force, sending half to complete the mission while keeping enough men behind to protect Anne. That plan, however, was not viable as he did not have enough men to defend against a concerted attack if they divided. Just as he couldn't split the 2nd Mass he was loathe to remain where they were. They were in the heart of enemy territory. Not only did they run the risk of being overwhelmed they had also come here for a very specific reason. If the Queen survived this day then the human race would perish. He needed to find Tom and his miracle weapon.

"Ben, come over here," called Weaver softly. He looked around at the exhausted people surrounding him but didn't see Ben's familiar face. "Does anyone know where Ben is? Maggie, have you seen him?" Maggie shook her head.

"I haven't seen him since we came back for Anne." Weaver chewed on his lip thoughtfully. There was only one place that Ben would go. At least now Tom had a strong fighter at his side.

"Contact, left!" barked one of the biker men. All thoughts of Tom and his son flew from Weaver's mind as he and the others responded to the attack. Skitters and Overlords both assailed their position with a crazed desperation that Weaver had never seen in all his long years of war. Dan frowned realizing that every one of the aliens attacking them were wounded. They drug themselves along, faces twisted in pain, attacking anything that came within their reach. Despite their disadvantage it quickly became clear that they were going to tear through the 2nd Mass. Weaver knew they simply didn't have enough bullets to combat the coming wave. Realizing that they were making their last stand Weaver straightened and called out his orders.

"Give 'em hell!" It was all they could do.

Tom startled when he heard the gunfire break out so close to their position. He reflexively tucked Ben against his chest to protect him from any stray bullets. Ben closed his eyes knowing who the guns belonged to.

"It's Weaver and Hal," he breathed softly. "They'll be killed." Tom frowned listening to the firefight. He couldn't hear well enough to know whether the shouting voices were from the rest of his family. Ben could, he knew, but that didn't ease Tom's mind.

"We need to go," replied Tom urgently. "We have to help them." Ben nodded in agreement.

"You can help them." He pushed his gun into Tom's hand. "Finish her." He struggled to pull his extra clip from his belt. Ben cursed his fumbling fingers and general state of weakness. The tremendous pain in his chest was building despite all of his attempts to block it from his mind like he would a skitter's controlling intrusion. The Queen's telepathy was simply too powerful for him.

"You know I won't," said Tom flatly. "I can't."

"But you will. To save Hal and Matt. And Anne." Tom glanced at the Queen's twitching form. She wasn't getting weaker like he had thought she would. Ben was correct in guessing that she would live if she received treatment soon. Which she would, thought Tom angrily. He could hear fewer guns firing now than had been at the start. Ben nudged his hand with the extra clip. Slowly, Tom loaded the gun.

"I can't," whispered Tom tearfully. "You can't ask me to do this." Ben forced a smile.

"For Hal." Tom stood on trembling legs. The Queen wasn't far away but it was the longest journey Tom ever attempted. He couldn't save Ben. He had to accept that or else he would never be able to save the rest of his family. The Queen was a mess of blood and wounds. Gore seeped from the slits Tom assumed led to her lungs and he could see portions of her insides. Ben was feeling her pain.

The Queen's eyes rolled around to focus on Tom. One of her hands rose in a pitiful trembling defense. Tom looked past her to Ben. His boy was clutching at his chest again, his young face crumpled in pain. Ben caught Tom's eye and nodded. Tom kept his eyes on Ben when he pulled the trigger. Ben violently jerked once then lay still. Tom put three more rounds into the Queen's skull just to be sure but Ben didn't react to any of them. It was only when the gun slipped out of Tom's numb fingers and clattered to the ground that he broke free of his reverie. He didn't run to Ben, afraid of what he might see, but was pulled to his child's side nonetheless. Ben's eyes were only half shut and his face was far more slack than it had ever been in life. Tom moaned softly as he gathered Ben's unresponsive body from the ground. A tiny ribbon of blood fell from the teenager's nose as Tom pulled him into a seated position. Tom sobbed and tried to blot it away with his sleeve but the blood started to drain from Ben's ears and mouth as well.

"Ben, no," whined Tom softly his lament quickly turning into a wail when it finally sunk into his heart that his strong son was dead.

To say that Weaver was surprised when the attacking force all dropped dead was an understatement. They had been less than five minutes away from being slaughtered when every skitter, hornet, and Overlord all screamed with sudden fear before dying. Hal made his way to Weaver, stepping over the dead bodies of alien and human alike. He held his gun like a baseball bat and Weaver remembered seeing him club skitters like he was the starting batter in the seventh inning.

"What happened?" asked the younger male. Maggie was checking on Anne while keeping a tight grip on Matt's arm just in case. Weaver shrugged.

"I suppose Ben and your dad managed to deploy the Dornia's weapon. Let's see if we can't find them." Weaver directed most of the men to stay with Anne. Hal, Maggie, and Matt followed him in search of the missing Masons. He had wanted Matt to stay with Anne but he was too stubborn to listen. The path to the monument was littered with dead skitters that had been felled by a knife strike. Dan recognized Ben's work immediately, having spent a good deal of time teaching the boy combat skills. He obviously had been trying to keep his approach to the monument silent.

Dan hesitated hearing the familiar sound of sobbing. "Maggie, keep Matt back here." This time the youngest Mason didn't protest. Dan knew that sometimes after a hard won victory soldiers wept simply from the trauma, whether there had been casualties or not. He hoped that that was what he heard. When he stepped into the demolished monument though he knew that wasn't true. Tom was clutching a body to him like his very life depended on it. Dan sighed when he realized it was Ben.

Weaver moved closer to Tom, hoping to ascertain whether medical aid could help Ben. He was thankful that Hal stood frozen at the entrance. "Tom?" asked Weaver softly. Tom didn't look at him but he did sober enough to stop his gut wrenching sobs.

"He's dead, Dan. My Ben is dead." So saying Tom dissolved into tears again, rocking back and forth slowly. Weaver was close enough to see the blood on Ben's face. Regretfully, Weaver went back to Hal.

"Take your brother and Maggie back to the group. Tell Anne what has happened. I'll bring Tom when I can." Hal didn't look away from his dead brother. Weaver grabbed him by the shoulders to command his attention. "Do what I told you. Matt and Anne need you right now." Hal nodded jerkily. His eyes were glassy and Weaver realized he was in shock. Maggie would help him.

After Hal had left Weaver went back to Tom. "Tom?" asked Weaver gently. "Are you hurt too?" Tom shook his head.

"I killed Ben," moaned Tom. "My baby…"

"It's not your fault, Tom. Ben was a fighter. He knew what he was getting into." Cold comfort but the best that Weaver could offer. Tom just shook his head and smoothed Ben's hair. He had already closed Ben's eyes and cleaned as much of the blood as he could but he still wanted to take care of Ben. "We need to get back, Tom. We don't know what's lurking about." Tom shook his head.

"I'm going to stay with Ben." Weaver glanced over at the monstrous body of the Queen.

"We'll take Ben with us. But we need to leave." Tom shrugged.

"There's nothing that can hurt us now. Ben made sure of that. There are no more aliens living here. They all died with Ben." Tom closed his eyes, a peculiar expression flitting across his face. "Except Cochise and…" Tom's eyes popped open.

"Help me," he started to try to lift Ben. Weaver hesitated wondering whether Tom was suffering from grief induced madness. "I can't carry him by myself, help me!" demanded Tom so Weaver took a shoulder so that Tom supported Ben's left side while Weaver had his right.

"What are we doing?" asked Weaver when Tom started off determinedly.

"The Dornia are still here. They might be able to save him." Weaver didn't hesitate again. He thought that Ben was past helping but if there was the slightest chance he would take it. Ben had kept himself aloof for the most part but it hadn't been a rare thing for him to seek out Weaver's company. He had disguised it as training but Dan knew that Ben had been hungry for any human companionship.

When they got to the water's edge they exchanged a hopeful glance and plunged in. "Help him," cried Tom desperately. "Please, if it wasn't for him we would have failed today! You owe us this much!" Weaver tried not to wince when the water boiled around them. Frightening tentacles wrapped around Ben's body and drug him beneath the surface of the water. Weaver watched as the boy's blood mixed with the water long after his body had disappeared. They waited in the water for a long time before finally retiring to the beach to wait.

"So," asked Dan after the silence had carried on too long. "I'm here to listen if you want to talk about it." Tom chuffed a weary laugh.

Hal couldn't get the image out of his head. His father's grief had been frightening enough but when he had saw Ben lying unresponsive it had been too much. Hal felt like he had checked out for the trip back to Anne's group. He couldn't even comfort Matt's tears. Maggie was pushing through her own shock and was trying to help Matt. All Hal could do was think of how he and Ben had fought recently. He had done some hurtful things in revenge for Ben falling for Maggie. It had never occurred to him that Ben could die during this terrible war.

Since he had been harnessed Ben was so much stronger than anyone else. He had taken on the most dangerous missions and emerged unscathed each time. Somehow, in Hal's mind, he had become even more invincible than their father. Tom had been wounded often enough that Hal understood his luck may one day run out but Ben had never been critically injured. At least, not that Hal remembered. Now he was lying dead and bloodied in their father's arms. Hal wished that instead of holding Anne's hand he had went in search of Tom. Perhaps then, Ben would have lived.

Maggie felt like she had been punched in the gut when Hal had returned to her and told her that Ben was dead. It hurt in a way she had never expected. He had been such a sweet guy. He had been tormented by loneliness and alienation but had maintained a powerful spark of life that was hard to smother. When they had been connected in battle she had felt his anger and his sheer will to survive. He always fought with determination and courage. Outside of battle it hadn't been hard to hurt him. When he heard scathing comments about his spikes she always felt the swift stab of pain he felt before he covered it with an uncaring scab. She had always been able to soothe the pain with a quick smile that told him he wasn't alone. She remembered how he had reacted when she had thrown away her spikes and the memory made her feel so much worse. If she had kept her spikes she would have felt Ben's distress. Perhaps she would have been able to save him. At least if she had her spikes he wouldn't have been alone with his fear.

Weaver felt grave pity for his friend when Tom finished relating his tale. He desperately hoped that the Dornia would be able to save Ben or else he feared that Tom would never recover. At this moment hope was helping Tom stay afloat in his grief but if that was taken from him Weaver knew it would be a difficult road to save Tom.

"You did what he wanted," said Dan finally. "There wasn't anything else to do."

"I shot her knowing it would kill him. How can I ever forgive myself?" replied Tom with a tinge of anger. Dan looked out over the still water.

"The same way I forgave myself for Jeannie. You know he would have done it himself if he could have." Tom sighed but didn't reply. The hurt was still too fresh for him. He stood quickly seeing the water start to boil.

"Do you see him?" asked Tom anxiously. Dan pointed.

"There he is." Together Tom and Weaver splashed into the water. Ben bobbed to the top, lying unconscious on his back. Tom reached him first and quickly pulled him from the water as much as he could. Tom's hand shook as he held his fingers against Ben's throat. A soft bump moved his fingertips and Tom started to weep again this time in joy.

"He has a pulse," cried Tom happily. Dan helped him pull Ben back to shore and quickly checked his vitals when they got there. Ben's heart was strong as were his lungs. Tom gently patted his cheek and called his name. Ben's eyes flickered open to be greeted by Tom and Dan's identical smiles.

Months later after his speech Tom looked at his family. Anne was starting to show signs of the baby she had informed him of a month after the final battle. It was just a small bump but it was a source of joy for the couple. Hal was talking with a group of men, Maggie laughing beside him. Matt was doing his best to appear grown up but was still too young to pull it off. Dan was close to his side talking to a group of old military men who had managed to survive.

Standing a good distance from everyone else with his back turned was Ben. The light shone dully on his spikes as he shifted his weight. From this angle it was hard to see his face but Tom guessed he was smiling because his companion certainly was. Petite with long strawberry hair the girl had become the focus of Ben's world. She didn't care about his spikes and loved the scars he had acquired from the war. She had come in with a group of fighters from Wisconsin and had shown herself to be quite handy with a rifle. Tom liked her. He finally felt that he and his family could start a new chapter of their lives and he fully intended that they make the most of it.

A/N- In this story Anne is not pregnant yet. The reason I had the death of the Queen kill all of the Espheni is because of their mental link. When Ben is connected to an Overlord who dies it knocks him for a loop. I figured the Queen must be fundamentally stronger in order for their hive mentality to work. I felt that it would make the most sense that when the Queen died it provided such a shock to the Espheni (and Ben) that they would die. I didn't like how the Dornia weapon worked because as a biological weapon it should have had to at least leap to the other Espheni in order to infect them. Not to mention I liked it better when it was the 2nd Mass fighting the good fight and winning through sheer determination and sacrifice. I hope that you enjoyed it and as always please review. =)