~xxxvi~
A Fight For the Dawn

How could he still be alive? They had killed him! Surely he should already be dead…

"I thought you killed him." Kate said nearby, pulling her from her thoughts.

"I thought so too, I thought Guy stuck him good…" Ella trailed off as both Guy and Robin approached the gates on horseback, and she turned to them, "Guy…" She began.

"Stay with Kate, and we'll return shortly." Guy interjected, watching a hint of worry show in her eyes before she steeled herself and he received a curt nod.

"If he tries anything, I'll make sure he dies this time." Ella grumbled as she turned away to watch he and Robin leave, nocking an arrow in place and flexing her grip on her bow. Please don't take him from me… She kept her eye on the two as they met with Vaisey and Blamire in the grass not far from the mote, before Blamire motioned for the soldiers to let something fly from one of the nearby catapults. "Hellfire…" She breathed as she watched the large projectile be set aflame, before she looked at the confused look on Kate's face and then turned her head back, "INCOMING!" She shouted, just as the flaming explosive careened overhead and collided with a cart yards away in the market, causing it to explode and send those nearby ducking out of the way.

Robin and Guy shortly returned, and both women were glad for it, as the outlaws jogged to the scene of the explosion to see the damage.

"What the hell was that?" Kate asked alertly as they came upon the wreckage.

Archer was the first to answer, "the Arabs call it 'Byzantine Fire'."

"But it's sticky, it's not in powder form like we've seen before… It's not possible for him to have gotten so much of it within a few months, is it?" Ella wondered as she took the small plank of wood from his hand to which it strangely charred as well as sticky when touched, before frowning as Guy came to them.

"'The Burning Death'… Literally an alchemical mixture of flammable elements, but I've never seen it in action until now." Tuck commented.

Archer stated, "this'll spread chaos throughout the town, destroying everyone and everything in its way."

"It's possible he's been storing it up somewhere..." Guy said pensively, tossing the plank to the small pile of remains and looking at Archer, "But that doesn't matter now, because he has it on hand, and he can use it however much he so pleases." He added grimly.

"Put carts at every wall, and scower the town. Tuck and Archer, have every able-bodied man armed and ready; we hold Nottingham for the King! We know King Richard is returning, and he has loyal troops waiting in Lothborough; if we could get word to them…" Robin declared as he hadn't dismounted the horse, speaking to his men as well as the village men with them.

"Robin, you'd be saving time if you just gave me up to Vaisey now…" Guy began.

"Over my dead body!" Ella snapped and continued hotly when he started to argue, "You are completely mad if you think anyone here, myself included, is going to give you up to that monster! …Or how quickly did you forget that it's also my fault that he's out there? If you go, you know I go with you!" She stated solemnly with anger burning in her eyes at the horrible thought of his sacrifice as they stood face-to-face with both sets of blue eyes burning.

"It would be easier if it was me who was the one, and you know I would happily do it if it meant that you lived on, Isabella!" Guy rumbled sharply as he gripped her shoulders when tears began to sting at her eyes and her lower lip started to tremble just the slightest, before slightly biting the inside of his cheek when she lifted a hand to punch his shoulder. He released her shoulders when she bowed her head and clung to him and held fast to his wife as she clawed his shoulders and hoarsely uttered an oath into his coat.

"This problem is bigger than you, Gisborne, than all of us; it always has been. We are fighting for the future of England, and Isabella is dead; this fight isn't yours, unless you choose it to be." Robin stated evenly.

Guy looked at his wife knew she would stay true to her word even though he loathed the possibility of her death, and he replied, "Vaisey wouldn't be standing out there if I hadn't slipped up, so this is all of our problem. I'm with you… We're both with you." He noted the slight nod from his archer as she sniffed.

Robin nodded to the couple before he started to order them to their stations, stopping when Much and John came forward carrying Alan on a stray cart.

"We must honor the dead," John said plainly as he and Much looked to their friends.

Twenty or so minutes later, the outlaws migrated to one of the backyard laundry-hanging lots, digging two feet into the ground just enough for them to place a makeshift pyre for the deceased. After placing the body wrapped in cloth atop the pyre, Robin was the one to place Alan's talisman on the torso of the body; he stepped away moments before Much stepped forward and John shortly after.

"To Alan, our loyal friend." Much said before he and John lit the pyre.

Ella watched as the pyre burned brilliantly, momentarily reminiscent of the night her mother was slain and she exhaled slightly before looking up at her husband and leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Come on," she murmured in his ear, receiving a lifted-brow expression from him before she stepped away from the post he leaned on to head for the castle and heard him shortly follow her leave. "If the men are still awaiting orders in Lothborough, we need to send a message for their aid in taking on the Black Knights. That army will loom about like a pack of wolves but they won't wait too long." She said as they strode through the streets.

"And if the carrier pigeon gets cut down before ever reaching Lothborough?" Guy asked as he kept in stride with her thanks to his longer legs, following her inside the castle once they entered the courtyard and jogging to keep up with her slight sprint for the inner depths.

"Then that is what a decoy is for." Ella simply replied over her shoulder, finding the right corridor that was small and led to where the carrier birds were kept, jogging to find the door was miraculously unlocked. She opened it wide so they both entered, and she smiled at finding the pigeons still in their respective cages. "We send a dark pigeon first, with a faulty note strapped to its leg. And once the men have taken the bait, I send off one of my friends to Lothborough. Simple." She said as she looked through the resting birds, scanning them for any hint of a dark-feathered bird.

"'One of your friends' how…" Guy frowned as he found one pigeon that met her requirements, looking on a male pigeon with dark gray and lighter gray feathers on his body, receiving a light coo from the bird. It clicked then, and he looked over at her as she drew a small pouch from within her belt's pouch to reveal she had kept birdseed on hand. "You actually know how to summon one?" He asked in surprise.

Ella smiled wryly at him, "I told you, I didn't learn much from my mum, but some things did stick." She turned away to the nearby table to locate some parchment.

"Kate knows what she's doing; you taught her well." John reminded patiently.

Robin snapped, "the Sheriff is playing with us; he knows he's got the advantage… We have to hold this castle until the troops arrive."

Much wondered for the sake of those with them, "Can we… I mean, how long can we hold off, under Byzantine Fire?"

"No doubt he's got enough to blow all three villages sky-high if he so chooses..." Ella said blandly as she was mending Tuck's shoulder, looking to her husband. "Has Rowan been sent off?" She asked.

Guy nodded, "they already shot down the other bird. I just sent him off ten minutes ago." He said, slightly smirking at her ingenious plan's success so far.

"'Rowan'?" Archer repeated as he looked over at the couple from his place by the fire.

Much chimed in, "What's going on with you two?"

Ella murmured an apology to the friar as she dabbed at his wound with the salve before looking to the men and explaining, "Guy and I sent off a carrier pigeon to send word to the troops in Lothborough; as it would've been idiotic to send off just one bird, we sent the pigeon as a decoy. The real message has been sent with a raven I've trusted for the last few years; Rowan has not failed me yet." She smiled a bit at just imagining Vaisey's face when the troops would arrive come morning.

"The pigeon was shot out of the sky earlier this evening; Rowan was sent an hour or two after nightfall." Guy chimed in as he nodded to his wife, "The troops should be here at dawn, if not sooner."

The five men looked between the couple with surprise as well as a measure of amazement at the ingenuity of such a plan.

"That's actually a very clever move." Archer was first to speak as he extended a wry smile to the woman.

"So Kate went off without knowing this?" Much demanded of the couple.

Ella frowned as she finished tending to Tuck, tightening the bandage wrapped around his shoulder before turning to them, "I didn't count on Kate rushing off into the night to play messenger, but I do know that she's a fighter, and she will return. She's not been this tenacious for no apparent reason, has she?" She stated.

Tuck nodded slightly to her words as John huffed an agreement, "Yes, you're right, Ella, and with that knowledge we can trust in Kate, Robin." He said.

"We still have to take care of that war machine," Archer pointed out with a thumb jerked at the stairwell.

Robin looked to those in the hall, "We'll take the trebuchets, a small unit; tonight… You with me?" He asked, adding, "I'll see you at the battlements." He then left the hall with Much at his heels and John shortly following; Guy shared a look with Ella before they followed his leave with Tuck and Archer at the rear.

After Robin explained how they were to infiltrate the enemy camp, he then instructed Much and Archer to stay behind with Tuck, therein leaving Guy and Ella and John with him; Ella hadn't protested much to having a bit of "camouflage" dabbed onto her face as she had quickly tied her hair back into a messy bun and made sure her weapons were on her person before she descended the wall via a rope with the three men.

Ella kept with the trio as they snuck into the camp and narrowly avoided being seen by the soldiers that moved about and loitered near the fires, sticking behind one cart and slightly jumping when hearing Blamire yelling to the men to get to their positions; her shoulders slumped in relief as she spotted her comrades rushing to where she hid and she hurriedly motioned they duck behind one side of the cart until all four were together again.

"Should've known the Sheriff wouldn't wait till dawn," Robin hissed.

"Some days I wonder about your perceptive skills…" Ella muttered, ignoring his indignant scowl and gesturing he shut up as she looked past the thin fog that surrounded the fields at the figures of Vaisey and Blamire; what she would give to rip that snake's heart right out of his chest…

"Loose!" Blamire called as the catapults let loose their projectiles that had been set aflame.

The quartet watched with satisfaction as the blocks of explosives dropped straight down instead of flying off in the intended direction, making the ground shake when they hit the earth and caused two loud explosions that sounded together as one.

"Move!" Robin ordered as they scrambled away while their enemy was distracted, he and John carrying the sacks that held the liquefied explosives in hand as they ran.

"Hood; get them!" Vaisey shouted as his men soon surrounded the thieves.

Guy drew his sword on reflex and glanced to the side as Robin mirrored him and Ella drew her daggers while John brandished his club. "Hold your ground…" He started to order.

A neigh sounded then as Archer miraculously came to their aid with two horses in tow.

"Gem!" Ella beamed, watching him loose a flaming arrow to make another explosion sound from one of the faulty catapults behind them; she lunged as the trio with her fended off the soldiers that had cornered them, left dagger swinging to cut down a guard in her way, as she rushed to her mare and hoisted herself up onto her bare back. "Lads!" She barked as Archer urged his horse and the other steed forward so John and Robin could hop on, relaxing a bit when Guy nearly flung himself onto Gem's back with her before the outlaws flew from the camp at top speed.

"Open the gates!" Robin shouted as they returned back to the castle and raced inside; Much and Tuck slammed the doors closed just as the soldiers had nearly reached them.

"You idiotic fool," Ella said as she wiped her face of the makeshift paint once they dismounted their steeds, flinging her arms around Archer's neck before he hugged back; she drew away to hit him on the side of the head. "That was mental so don't ever do it again!" She scolded.

Archer flinched slightly at being hit, rubbing his temple gingerly and making a face at her, "Was that supposed to be a 'thank you'?" He wondered at large and briefly imagined that she would treat her children the same if she ever had any.

"She's done that to me before, so just accept it." Guy huffed as he clapped his shoulder with a smirk.

"But you're her husband…" Archer muttered before he then added, "this is for you; compliments of the Sheriff's negligence." He withdrew a flat wineskin from his quiver and handed it to Robin.

"Is that…?" Ella started as Tuck took the wineskin and took a whiff of the contents.

"Byzantine Fire!" Tuck beamed at their stroke of luck and added, "If I can work out its base components, I can make more of it."

"You beauty," Ella smirked at Archer before nodding, "Come, we've still got a castle to secure."

Archer smirked back before he, Ella and Guy jogged after Much and John away from the gates.

"The gates won't hold long against the battering ram, and we don't have enough arms!" Guy called to their leader as the entrance gates quivered against the first slam their enemy's battering ram exhibited.

"We still must try, Kate hasn't returned yet!" Ella called back from her place with Robin and Much atop the main tower's causeway that oversaw the entrance, ducking as Much and Robin did before she let another arrow streak from her drawn bow to fell another knight below and repeating the action for another that had narrowly hit her left cheek only to graze the skin.

"Pull everyone back into the castle courtyard; we defend from there until the King's troops arrive!" Robin ordered those on the ground, ducking when another arrow from the drawbridge's occupants nearly had his head, and motioning Ella to follow him down. "Abandon this tower, take a company of archers and hold them off for as long as you can!" He instructed Much, who nodded slightly, before both he and Ella left at top speed.

The minutes that passed may as well have been milliseconds as the town was soon overrun with the knights, forcing the outlaws plus their men to draw back into the castle courtyard as Robin had predicted, what archers remained with them standing at the ready to defend the castle as the knights' battering ram slammed against the doors until they were forced open.

"Aim!" Ella cried as she and Much stood on either side of their archers with their respective bows drawn and ready to fire, and as Much was about to give the order from her place by Robin she spotted a head of blonde being restrained by Blamire… "Hold!" She and Robin commanded in unison as they looked at their messenger in shock.

"I'm sorry, Robin!" Kate apologized earnestly from the other side of their barricade.

"Not as sorry as she's going to be!" Vaisey drawled as he came forth to stand near Blamire and Kate.

Ella growled, "Vaisey, let her go or I swear that I'll…" She threatened.

"Or what, you deluded tart?" Vaisey smirked coldly at the stony look in his former marksman's blue gaze, before addressing them all, "We found her returning from Lothborough with this," he lifted a small folded paper to show the surprised outlaws. "Your reinforcements aren't coming, I'm afraid. And before you open that pretty little mouth again, dear girl, we also caught this." He gestured to Blamire who also held up what looked to be a raven with an arrow shot through its torso by its legs. "Literally killed two birds with one stone… That is a pity, isn't it? If you're not entirely convinced, then by all means, tell them." He gestured again to Kate.

Kate squirmed in Blamire's grip, yet Ella glanced away momentarily from her to Robin as he and Much shared a few glances as they looked to the causeway before looking to Kate and back; she bit her lower lip to avoid showing a smirk. "…The troops at Lothborough won't move unless ordered by King Richard." Kate was saying, pulling her fellow woman from her observations.

"Surrender or slaughter, then. Regardless that's a no-win situation on one side or the other, though the real question you've failed to take note of, or frankly avoid altogether as it would just put a damper on your tyrannical ploy, is this: which would you prefer goes first… Your bald head, or your black heart?" Ella drawled as she had gently pushed Robin to the side to face the Sheriff, her eyes steely as blue clashed with brown with unimaginable loathing on both fronts, as a mirthless smirk graced her lips. "Because I believe I speak for everyone who has gathered here, to fight for the sake of England and King Richard mind you, when I say that I am happily going to kill you." She tilted her head sweetly.

Vaisey gave a biting laugh, "Oh will you now? You honestly think I'm afraid of your little words, your hollow threats? Because as much as I believe you could have made something much better of yourself than a disgrace with a bow and arrows and cheek, I'm quite sure you've just wasted your breath for nothing. Kill the girl." He smiled coldly at her before nodding to Blamire.

At that time, a commotion erupted amongst the knights as Much dropped down to grab Kate, who sharply elbowed Blamire as he had drawn his sword to kill Much before she flung her arms around the blonde's neck and both were hoisted up and over the causeway.

"Loose!" Ella shouted as she drew away long enough to let her arrow fly past the bars to kill a knight that sought to help Blamire grab the girl and prevent her from escaping.

"Barricade the door!" Robin shouted.

Ella looked from Tuck working on the Byzantine Fire to the top of the stairs as a thought came to her.

Vaisey wouldn't take the castle through one entrance, no… She had felt like she had worked for him for ten years and if it was one thing she knew, it was that that gap-toothed snake didn't play fair.

Of course…

"Guy!" She declared, turning to him just as he was lowering another barrel of nut-oil down to the floor, worry and anger starting to lace her voice as she said, "the tunnel; what if Vaisey sneaks in through there to overrun the castle?"

A dark gleam appeared in his blue eyes as he nodded and called his brother to them, "tell Robin we're going to secure the tunnel." He instructed.

"You'll need more than two swords, Guy…" Archer reminded.

"Two swords are enough to cut the head off of that snake, Archer; tell Robin to bring everyone through the tunnel." Ella interrupted, looking at his green eyes and adding, "We'll be fine. Go." She smiled briefly for him before Guy urged she follow him into the tunnel; she glanced over her shoulder at him before they entered the darkness.

"Call me a hypocrite, but I honestly wouldn't be happier than I am fighting by your side." Guy mused quietly once they entered the tunnel and strode down the path.

Ella glanced up at him before she smiled warmly, and replied in the same tone, "As chivalrous as you are confident… I am happy to fight at your side, too, you big lug." She imagined he smiled wryly at her petname.

It was oddly quiet in the tunnels, too quiet for their liking, and it was even moreso quiet in one of the cellar-like rooms of the tunnel.

"Should be here by now…" Guy thought aloud.

"Right you are, Gizzy." The couple slightly jumped at Vaisey's voice as said snake stepped into the light of the spacious room with a confident smirk hinting at his lips; he paused to look on his former employees. "Ah, and dear Isabella as well… I'd know those black feathers anywhere. Did you two honestly think you could 'secure the tunnel' on your own, without your little friends to help you? You're more deluded than you were when last we had a chat." He drawled coldly.

Ella's lips formed into a cold smirk as she tilted her head a smidge and huffed, "Two swords are enough to cut you down… you and your brood of vipers." She nodded slightly at the soldiers that had slowly bled into the room after their leader and kept to the darkness with Blamire's darker face visible as he lingered near Vaisey by one of the pillars.

"Not exactly two, dear sister." A familiar cocky voice said behind them, before Archer approached the couple with Robin at his side as both men wielded their respective swords.

"More family, then! Splendid. He can watch as you die!" Vaisey barked a laugh before he rushed Guy with his sword on hand, causing a loud 'clang' to resound in the room as the blades solemnly clashed.

Ella let Archer and Robin tend to the soldiers in the darkness as she met Blamire's brown stare and arched a brow. "Blamire, non? …How's the shoulder?" She wondered sweetly, nodding to his right shoulder, meeting him as he rushed her with his sword swinging. She sidestepped with ease and swiped at his ribs, landing on the balls of her feet as she faced him and huffing as he had dodged her swipe, before she gave a snarl as she flew forward.

Both swords clashed and screeched shrilly as they met and bounced off each other's steely surface, the woman managing to hold her own fairly well against the brunette who sent her on the defense more times than she cared to count, the two foes locked in the brutal and raw dance of battle.

Blamire gave a grunt as he drew away, lifting his free hand to where he felt warm liquid drip from the narrow cut on his left brow, glowering at the resilient archer as she flexed her grip on her sword. "So you actually killed her, then… You're just as vicious as I've heard you are." He growled.

"It's simple enough that those who threaten my family pay with their lives… Didn't honestly think I stuck your shoulder with a dagger because I was being merciful, did you?" Ella smirked as the adrenaline of battle coursed through her blood and she momentarily recalled she had never felt so alive as when she had a blade on hand, and she gave a growl as she flew at him once again.

The swords clashed and protested to being shoved against the other, as Blamire was on the defense and Ella on the offense, and it seemed both combatants had possibly met their respective match in the other.

Of course she knew he was not her equal, as he was far from it in her eyes; Vaisey was the prized stag she had ached to kill for what felt like years, he was the one who murdered her friend… he was the one she wanted to tear to shreds.

Blamire was only an obstacle.

Ella dropped back, giving a huff of air before she watched Blamire rush her again, and she feinted to the right; with a reflexive twist on her heel, she met his rebounding approach and thrust her sword out.

Blood flew from the brunette man's sternum as the sword stuck through to his back, and Ella watched the life fade from his brown eyes until it was no more; she yanked her sword free and let him drop to the floor, her lip curled.

A stray soldier was thrown back as she went to her companions' aid, and she swerved out of the way, before looking to see Vaisey had been knocked onto his back and he tried to cut down the one who had knocked him down with his sword he had seized from its place discarded on the floor… "GUY!" She cried as she ran to him.

Both nobleman and his wife hit the floor of the room and oddly seemed unhurt.

"Are you alright?" Guy asked concernedly as he picked himself up before helping her to her feet.

"Yeah…" Ella started to answer when a hiss of pain came from between her teeth, and she hurriedly looked down to see a nasty cut had ripped the fabric of her trousers just above her right kneecap; she bit down on her lip and shook her head. "Just a scratch." She muttered.

"Can't always be so fast, can you, poppet?" Vaisey demanded with a wry sneer as he had staggered to his feet, looking to the injured couple and tutting as he flexed his grasp on the sword, "Oh, what's the matter? Did our dearest raven get hurt? Not making for a very proper husband, are you Gizzy, letting your poor wife constantly save your arse from the fire…?" He trailed off as he caught the sharp lunge from the archer, the blades protesting to being shoved against the other, a cold look in his brown eyes.

"Was I interrupting?" Ella purred lowly as she glowered into his equally-cold stare, blue and brown clashing with unimaginable loathing between the two, before she sneered, "Where are my manners!" She roughly shoved him back with her jaw clenched as she tried not to put so much weight on her right leg, and she held fast to her daggers.

She had to make this a quick kill… And it wasn't like this was the first time she would kill swiftly.

Vaisey rushed her with renewed vengeance, to which she ducked and then parried his blows, sending her on the defense more times than she cared to admit.

Ella twisted out of the way as he attempted to use her injury to his advantage, right dagger swinging so the blade left a nasty cut on his left cheek, causing him to draw back with a snarl of pain; she smirked coldly before huffing. "For Alan." She flew at him with a snarl.

A sharp 'klang' thrummed in the air as both blades collided with his sword's front, and a look of surprise briefly shone in her eyes before being shoved back behind her stone walls.

"I've just realized something, which I'm sure you've avoided as long as you've lived your pathetic life: you've never been taught. your. place!" Vaisey drawled as he kicked her away with his boot digging into her injured leg.

A cry of pain came from the woman as she fell back, her dagger on the floor as she gripped her leg tight and her eyes shut tight even as the stinging sensation of tears threatened to well over. A shuffling of boots sounded and made her eyes snap open as Vaisey advanced on her. Ella flexed her grasp on her dagger she still held on hand, and she thrust her arm out just as the sword descended upon her before the sword was roughly shoved away and out of his hands just as she saw movement from behind him.

Three blades rammed themselves into Vaisey's torso from three different angles.

"A clue…" Robin growled as he watched the despicable life begin to flee from their enemy's widened eyes.

"… No." Guy drawled coldly, being first to yank his sword free of its temporary sheath, stepping away as Archer and Robin did the same before Vaisey fell to the floor.

Ella gave a shallow sigh of relief before she tried to stand, flinching as she did so and she started to stumble back when his hands seized her and held her up; she looked up at his blue eyes to find relief and worry brightening his darker blue irises, before she smiled softly. "I had it sorted." She muttered.

Guy felt a smile cross his lips before he gave a chuckle, watching her laugh quietly before he pulled her close to hold her tight as she clung to his neck. "It's a rather nice reprieve to save your arse instead of you saving mine." He said into her messy hair, exhaling steadily as she squeezed his neck and he left a kiss in her hair. "It's over." He stated softly.

"Not exactly." Robin said as he returned his sword to its scabbard, he and Archer having made sure Vaisey was truly dead this time around, looking on the relieved couple as he added, "We've still got the villagers to worry for; the castle will blow soon." He looked at Archer, "Have Much and the others bring them through the tunnel, I will follow; Gisborne… Guy, get your wife out of here." He nodded to the couple as Archer went as told. "After this I think we're going to need a bit of a holiday." He smiled wryly.

Guy smiled wryly in return, "A long one." He and his wife watched the outlaw leave them to take off first from the tunnel.

"Not too long, I hope… G-Guy!" Ella squeaked his name as he then hoisted her up from the floor, clinging to his neck on reflex before she scowled at his amused blue eyes, "I-I can walk on my own, thank you!" She said.

"Aye, and I'm actually a fairy… You know you're mad if you think I'm letting you limp out of here." Guy chuckled and smirked at the flustered pout on her lips before he then carried her out of the room.

[Some time later]

"That's not a girl's name!"

"Seems fitting enough…"

Ella's nostrils flared with a weary exhale, "Mon Dieu… Fine! To save your bloody ego, I'll pick a different name!" She silenced both men.

The room quieted for a moment.

"Then what're you going to call her? Can't go around without a name, can she?" Kate finally asked, shooting a look at the scolded duo.

Looking down at the infant with hair as black as night, her blue eyes softened and she smiled fondly. "Ghislaine." She looked up at his blue eyes that had widened a bit at the name.

Guy also looked fondly on the sleeping baby before he nodded. "Perfect." He agreed quietly.

Archer smirked over at his sibling, "the next babe we can name after you if it's another girl." He jested, being shoved by said man before he shoved back with a chuckle.

Robin smirked back at him, "You're a bit conceited, aren't you?" He remarked before looking at the babe and adding pensively, "She looks like a Ghislaine."

an: i've got a few more chaps being edited, and as i've got time this week i'm going to see what all i can accomplish before class next week. also yes, i edited this chapter too, tho i kept the ending the same because i thought it was cute. sorry for making Guy ooc but hell he's been rather ooc throughout this fic hasn't he? anyway, what's up with you lot, no reviews to criticize or compliment the edits so far? geez.. i kid. sorta. you still know the drill i hope! :)