Author's Note: Oh my god, it's done.

Insert long list of apologies about how late this was here.

But this is the last chapter! There was supposed to be a chapter between this one and the last about the invasion, but I just couldn't write it (cue bitching about writers block). But this chapter had been mostly written for a while, so I finished it up, cleaned it up, and sent it on to Mary who did a bang up job of telling me that nothing made sense, ahahaha.

So, READ THIS BECAUSE IT'S SORT OF IMPORTANT, I added some stuff onto the previous chapter, chapter twenty. I suggest you go reread the chapter because 1) there's an added ending to that chapter so this will all make more sense, and 2) because it's been so pathetically long since my last update that you all probably forgot about this story.

ANYWAY, thank you all so much for your continued support of this story. I'm really so lucky to have you all.

So, without further ado, here is the final installment of Nothing but the Truth.

Nothing but the Truth

Chapter 21: Kill the Guard

"We must kill the guard before we can enter the palace."

― Evan Meekins, The Black Banner

The sun was cresting over the eastern hills, its light cascading on the morning dew – making the tiny droplets shine with an almost tender glow. A light breeze meandered through the forests almost lazily, bringing relief to the warmth permeating throughout the city. Shrill cries from the birds sang of a night filled with violence, their coarse voices coming to a crescendo that drowned out all thought.

And as eight ghostly figures stood in that clearing only miles away from what remained of their beloved home, they wondered how the world could turn so fast while their hearts dragged their feet.

No words were spoken and no glances exchanged; their minds struggled to swallow the bitter reality of what had occurred the night before. Their postures were slumped – defeated, and the silence that filled the clearing only allowed the deafening cries in their heads to echo much, much louder. All that could be heard was the occasional soft, strangled sob that escaped the blonde's lips. Ino tried so desperately to squash the whimpers before they became too loud; for now, all they could do was wait.

Sakura stood in the corner, fiddling compulsively with the necklace that Itachi had given her. She was completely and utterly alone now – the only one without her team. She should have been reassuring Kiba that Hinata would join them soon, that Shino should save his concern because the bug master, despite his apathetic façade, was worried about their absent teammate as well. She could have comforted Lee and Tenten who shared the same worry for Neji, who had yet to return.

They all knew where to go – where they would meet if this godforsaken day were to ever happen. They had promised each other weeks ago in advance – to meet in the large clearing north of Konoha holding the most ancient willow tree. They had been here before, and a crude carving of 13 stick figures at the base of the trunk showed it.

It was at that rare lunch where they had all come together one afternoon years ago, where each of them had engraved a small caricature of themselves into the tree. Sakura clearly recalled snickering with Naruto and nudging Sai while they created their own little team – each squad clumped together in threes. As she carefully etched her short hair in, Naruto quietly thrashed his kunai into the bark near Team 7. The spikey chicken-butt hair and the disgruntled frown on the face of the fourth figure made Sakura burst out with laughter.

Is that Sasuke-kun? She had asked. Naruto had nodded, his whiskers molding into the shape of his cheeks as he grinned. The teme should be here with us. He had said. The conversation had stopped there.

But thinking back to the happiness of the past did nothing for her now. Her body shook uncontrollably as she waited anxiously for the others to join them. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins, urging her to fight her way through the crowds of Konoha back to where Danzou was.

She wanted to kill him. She wanted him dead, and just the thought of the new Hokage – she scoffed bitterly – made her tense with fury. Her aura changed deadly, she could tell, because the others in the group looked up at her with concern. Shifting from foot to foot, Sakura tried to temper her anger and stay positive for the good of those around her – the good of her friends who still didn't know the fate of their teammates. She was lucky; she knew that most of her precious people were alive.

All three of them had attacked simultaneously – Pein, Danzou and Madara. Naruto's timely arrival to fight Pein was a godsend, but Sakura had seen her shishou fall in the fight beforehand. She still did not know where Tsunade or Shizune were, so she had asked Itachi and Kisame to search for them. Deidara was out on his bird, scouting for any other surviving shinobi in the vicinity and assessing the damage sustained by the village without getting too close. Approaching the village head on would have Root after him faster than he could blink.

Root. Danzou. The pinkette's blood boiled in anger as she thought back to the invasion. Danzou had taken over Konoha with his Root operatives shortly after Pein and Madara had commenced their attack. Whilst Naruto fought against Pein, Itachi, Sasuke, Kisame and Deidara battled Madara. With most of the shinobi forces focusing on the civilians and ongoing destruction, most of the village had been ransacked.

Any shinobi who fought against Root was either killed or arrested immediately. Sakura knew that if she were ever to return to a Konoha where Danzou stood in charge, she would be killed the moment she stepped foot in those gates. Despite their best efforts, resistance was futile. There were countless numbers of Root operatives within the village, their numbers far greater than any of them had believed. They had quarantined families in their broken homes and restricted their liberty while they fought off loyal Konoha shinobi. Sakura, Kiba and Tenten had barely escaped at the first break of light that morning.

Itachi, Kisame, Deidara and Sasuke were already waiting at the clearing, and it was then that Sakura was informed that Madara had been fatally wounded in their battle, but had managed to escape using a genjutsu in a last-ditch effort for his life.

Shino and Lee arrived not long after, along with Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino. The infamous InoShikaCho clans were no exception to the attack; blindsided, they had been left with no choice but to surrender. Apparently, Danzou had his Root begin their attacks on the outskirts of the village at the clan compounds. . If the InoShikaCho clans had been attacked, then the Hyuuga clan must have been as well. That is the only reason why Neji and Hinata wouldn't have shown up yet.

However, like the Uchiha clan, the Hyuuga clan was stubborn. They were also larger and more fortified than most of the other clans in Konoha. They would not have surrendered – they would have fought. Their teammates knew this, which was why they were all so nervous for their friends. Deaths were inevitable, and knowing Neji, he would have been at the forefront of any rebellion against Root.

Naruto came last, dirty and exhausted from his joust with Pein. He and Sasuke left quickly to look for Kakashi while the others set up traps to prevent attack while they planned their next course of action. That had been about an hour ago, and Sakura was starting to fidget with worry.

A soft whistle and a burst of wind was all the warning Sakura had before a large clay bird, its wings flapping wildly, fell into the clearing quickly. Deidara jumped off, no worse for wear, and gave her a sly grin. His enthusiasm didn't surprise her, so she rolled her eyes at him.

Deidara thrived on chaos.

The large bird shrunk until it was the size of a rodent and exploded in its smaller form with a pop and a burst of smoke.

"The village is pretty much gone, yeah," he reported solemnly. "There's Root swarming what's left of it. I didn't see any Leaf-nin outside of the village, yeah."

Sakura could only nod. Her eyes were empty; her heart was empty. She felt like she had failed. Deidara walked over to her and stood behind her. Leaning his head on her shoulder from behind, he wrapped his arms tightly around her middle. He assured, "It'll be okay, Sakura-chan. We'll take care of you."

She placed her hand over his arms and squeezed to reciprocate but didn't say anything in return. They were there together for a few more minutes, Sakura taking comfort in Deidara's safe embrace, when a large crashing sound alerted everyone. Their stances stiffened and they were prepared for battle should one ensue.

Sakura scanned the area with her chakra, trying to determine who was around, but she could not feel any alien presence.

"Dobe!" she heard. Rolling her eyes, Sakura cracked her knuckled. She was in no mood for her boys to behave like a duo of immature genin. She didn't think she could handle that right now. There was another crack, and then the tattered, orange and black figure of Naruto came bouncing into the clearing.

"Sorry to worry you guys. I accidentally set off one of our traps!" he announced almost proudly. Sakura couldn't help it – she chuckled. Wrapping her left arm around his neck, she put him into a mock headlock and grinded her fist into the top of his head. After all the bad that had happened, Naruto's goofiness was a much-needed reprieve from the suffocating weight of their situation.

"Naruto, you're such an idiot!" she chastised while putting just a little more pressure. Sasuke strolled rather lazily into the clearing and watched his two teammates with mildly veiled amusement.

"You're both dumb," he remarked coolly. That's what set everyone off. Through the tremors of remorse and fear, the rest of them began to giggle and chuckle, some with mirth and some with exasperation, at Team Seven's antics. The heavy weight that pressed against them too harshly, while still present and on the forethought of everyone's minds, seemed to lift just a little bit. They were able to inhale again and bring an entirely new perspective onto this horrendous day.

"Any luck finding Kakashi-sensei or a trail?" Sakura asked with Naruto still under her arm. Sasuke ducked his head and shook it negatively. Sakura's heart hurt a bit at the news, but she was not so easily deterred. Something deep within her told her that if Kakashi had died, really died, she would have felt it.

The sound of someone quietly clearing their throat from the other end of the clearing made Sakura's head snap up. There was hardly the same amused glint to Hyuuga Neji's eyes while he surveyed the group. Hinata, tattered and bruised, was shaking behind him timidly. Their individual teammates went over to them quickly to fret over their comrades.

"You're okay!" Tenten practically cried out. She lunged at Neji and gripped him in a fierce embrace. Lee jumped onto them both and clamped his hands around them tightly. Sakura smiled warmly and released Naruto from her hold. Leaning against him, she smiled and looked at Hinata. Sakura nodded and moved off of him so he could go see to her. Sasuke sighed and led Sakura back to where Deidara was perched in a tree.

After the greetings, Sakura coughed loudly to garner everyone's attention. She looked at Neji dead in the eye, never once forgetting about their extensive past, and smiled. "What happened?"

Neji took a deep breath and moved further into the clearing. He met Sakura's gaze, but, just as he was about to speak, was interrupted by two more figures moving into the clearing.

Sakura couldn't help it. Her eyes lit up and a smile tugged at her lips when Itachi and Kisame strode confidently into the clearing. Just like always, their smooth movements made them look as if they were gliding gracefully, almost floating on the ground they walked. However, her happy mood was quickly squashed by the serious expression on her boyfriend's and friend's faces.

"The Hokage could not be located," Itachi announced. It was a quiet proclamation meant for her, but he said it loud enough so the rest could hear.

Her bottom lip trembled a bit, and the urge to jump into his comforting arms overcame her, but she did not act. Instead, she gulped down her worries and nodded her head, wiping the tears that had pricked the corners of her eyes away discreetly. She was sure he probably noticed.

Turning her attention back to Neji, she nodded her head for him to speak. Neji took another breath and stated calmly, "The Hyuuga compound was infiltrated and attacked by Root."

She wasn't surprised. They were one of the most powerful clans in Konoha and were a major threat to anyone who would want control of the village. Sakura nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Unlike some of the other clans, we were not given the option to surrender. It was meant to be a massacre. Out of the one hundred and eighty three members of the Hyuuga clan," Neji paused for a moment and sucked in a large breath to fortify himself, "Seventy-nine remain alive."

Sakura gasped. "Neji…Hinata…" Neji just shook his head. Clearly, they weren't ready to speak about the massacre that had occurred earlier that morning. "The main house remains intact. Hinata, Hanabi, and their father are all alive. We are counting our blessings, but the entire clan has now fled from Konoha."

Sakura gulped and nodded. Now they were all together, save Sai, who they hadn't heard from since the entire night began. Nobody seemed to know where the former Root member went. Sakura took a deep breath.

"Are we ready to open our emergency scrolls?" she asked everyone. The group tensed but either verbally or physically affirmed their answer. Sakura pulled her own scroll out of her back pouch. Everyone else did the same except for Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara, who stood off to the side. Circling, the Konoha Twelve quietly unsealed the scrolls.

There was a light poof and a burst of smoke. Coughing, Sakura waved her hand in front of the smoke and felt the scroll grow just a little heavier in her hands. It was a summoning scroll of sorts. When they were able to clear the smoke, Sakura gaped at the object in her hands. In the middle of the scroll sat a small metal pendant shaped like a spiraling leaf. It was attached to a long and thin leather string that could be tied like a bracelet or necklace.

What was more shocking, however, was the single line written just underneath the small pendant.

If I should fall, Haruno Sakura is the next true leader of the shinobi of Konohagakure.

Senju Tsunade
Godaime Hokage

Gaping at the line, Sakura sputtered like a fish out of water. There were no instructions. There was no plan. It just essentially named her the next Hokage to the loyalist Konoha shinobi.

The clearing was silent while the residents processed the new information. Being the tactical genius he was, Shikamaru took one look at Sakura and drawled, "It doesn't look like she ever told you her plan."

Sakura shook her head numbly. She felt as if some master plan should just have popped into her head the moment that she was named leader, but instead only one thing crossed her mind: What the hell was Tsunade thinking?!

She wasn't a leader. She couldn't command hoards of Konoha shinobi into battle against Danzou and take back their home. She wasn't fit to do this.

Finally she looked up, almost guiltily, at Naruto. This was his job, his dream, not hers. Unsurprisingly, he looked a little hurt, confused, and wary. But the moment that his eyes met hers, they brightened and he grinned.

"She was right to put you in charge, Sakura-chan. You can do this!" he cheered wholeheartedly. Sakura felt her confidence boost as she looked around at the others. They were all giving her appreciative and encouraging looks. Ino was nodding her head and Kiba and Chouji began to pat her on the back reassuringly.

"So, what're the orders, boss?" Kiba asked loudly. Lee looked at her like he had fallen in love all over again, quietly whispering about her youthful power under his breath. Since Itachi had arrived in Konoha, the Blue Beast had toned down his love proclamations to her. It only took one frosty glare from the older Uchiha to convince Lee that perhaps Sakura was not the youthful flower for him.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura turned to look at the three former Akatsuki standing behind her. Itachi's face was impassive as he looked at her. Kisame and Deidara did not share this same stoic façade. Deidara looked plain confused, and Kisame was grinning devilishly. Rolling her eyes a bit, Sakura shook her head. It was empty.

"I don't know yet. I need to think," Sakura replied softly. She took another fortifying breath and began to back away from the group and walk towards the trees. "I need to mull things over for a little bit. Alone."

Once she was away from the clearing, Sakura meandered her way through the chirping forest towards the small stream that connected with the larger river that ran through Fire Country. When she found the small, crystal clear stream, she perched herself on a large rock and took a seat.

It was no surprise to her that she wasn't alone. His presence was unmistakable, and something that told her that when she left, he would follow. He came up next to her but didn't sit. She knew him well enough to not even need the question.

"I'm scared," she whispered, stifling a small sob. Now that the others weren't watching her, she felt the full weight of leadership crash down on her. "I'm going to fail."

Itachi was quiet for a moment before leaning into her a bit. He didn't know how to offer emotional support. Sakura leaned back and wrapped her arms around his body and pressed her face into his ribs. If it had been a year ago, he would have drawn back sharply from the contact. Instead, he felt a small warmth spread through him at the small gesture.

"If the Godaime Hokage didn't have complete confidence in you, she would not have appointed you," Itachi finally began. "She chose you out of hundreds of possibilities because she knew that you could do this."

If anyone else had said it, Sakura would have brushed it off and come up with another reason why Tsunade had appointed her. But Itachi would not lie to her. He would not cushion or coddle her. Whatever he said is what he truly believed.

"Do you think I can do it?" she asked. He said nothing, but she could feel him nod his head in confirmation. She smiled. Once again, she knew he was telling the truth. "Where do we go from here?"

He lightly pulled back from her and held her shoulders. Leaning over, his red eyes met with hers and searched her for a moment. She could feel his scrutiny and wanted to shy away, but she didn't.

"You are strong and smart. You possess the Sharingan now – the strongest bloodline limit there is. Whatever you decide will be right," he assured her. Not waiting for a reply, he leaned in and kissed her hard.

X

Itachi entered the clearing that held their small coalition first, leaving Sakura to her thoughts. She needed to strategize and decide what to do on her own. They had bounced a few ideas back and forth before he had taken his leave, but the final decisions had to be up to her. When he entered the clearing, he saw the group of shinobi messing with the small metal pendants that had been trapped in the scroll.

Deidara and Kisame watched on amusedly as the Konoha shinobi attempted to figure out what to do with the seemingly worthless piece of metal. Itachi sent a glare towards his two Akatsuki companions. They were truly immature for not enlightening the Konoha nin.

"They are communication devices," Itachi stated when he approached the ninja. Everybody looked up at him. "If you push your chakra into the metal, they will directly put you into contact with Sakura. Her scroll had the master necklace. They are a less sophisticated version of the Akatsuki rings."

"Oh," Naruto exhaled, as if he suddenly understood anything. "That's awesome! We can always talk to Sakura-chan this way!"

"Dobe," Sasuke groaned. The others were examining their own necklaces curiously when Sakura finally walked tentatively back into the clearing.

Everybody shot up from their places on the ground and watched as she strode into the clearing. She smiled at them meekly and nobody said a word. She stood next to Itachi, Kisame, and Deidara and looked at the group of eleven people who were now technically under her command.

"I have a plan," she announced. "I'm not sure if it's the right thing or what, but it sounds solid and I think it'll be the best way to win back our home. Shikamaru, will you listen and let me know of any major faults?"

Said Nara gave her a look and nodded. Lazily, he added, "I doubt I'll find any, but whatever."

Ino elbowed him in the gut. Sakura smiled a bit and met Naruto and Sasuke's eye. Naruto wasn't going to be thrilled with his part in the plan, she knew, but it made the most sense.

"Alright, let's start with this," she began. "We're, for the most part, going to be split up. You will all be my council of sorts. You're some of the only people I trust implicitly, so we need to be spread out throughout the entirety of the world. If something happens to me, you're to vote in the next leader from this group of people."

Everyone nodded their consent. "Let's start with the Hyuuga's," Sakura continued. She looked over at Neji and then Hinata. "I want you two to split the Hyuuga clan in two. Make sure you're evenly divided in power and fighting abilities. It would also be best if Hinata and Hanabi were split up, so that way, if something happens, an heir to the clan will still be alive. Neji and Hinata, you will be the leaders of your respective groups. Most of your family will have emergency scrolls of their own, so if they object to either of your orders, tell them that the orders come from me. Let me know if something goes wrong."

The two nodded. "You should move your families around sporadically and try not to draw any attention to yourselves."

"Right," Hinata murmured. Neji nodded his head in agreement.

"The Hyuuga clan, like the Uchiha, has many hidden compounds throughout the five great nations. We will begin with those," Neji added. Sakura nodded her agreement.

"Next, the InoShikaCho clans," Sakura continued. She looked at the team in question and they all, save Shikamaru, seemed to straighten a bit. "Your families are still in Konoha. You guys all need to stay there as well."

There was an inaudible, but palpable, sigh of relief between the three of them; their shoulders slumped down in relaxation.

Sakura knew why. "If you three left the village, your families would be killed for being a part of the rebellion even if they didn't have a clue as to what was going on. Plus, we need eyes and ears in the village. Try to recruit any loyal Konoha shinobi to the cause. But be careful – Danzou surely will have access to an emergency scroll and will know I'm in charge. He'll be watching you three and your families especially close."

The three smiled at her and nodded their heads, seemingly happy with their mission and part of the budding rebellion. Sakura then turned to the others.

"Kiba and Tenten, you two are going to head north and search for Tsunade, Kakashi, and any other Konoha shinobi you can and alert them to the cause. Go towards the east and then head south. Teach them how to use the communication necklaces and make sure they know that we are out there and we want to fight. Lee and Shino, you two are a team and are going to be doing the same thing, but you'll head south and then west."

"That's a lovely plan, Sakura-san," Lee burst suddenly, "And far be it from me to question your ingenious, beautiful mind, but don't you think it would be smarter to pair Tenten and myself? Why are you splitting up teams that have worked together for nearly ten years?"

Sakura was about to reply when Shikamaru stepped in. "Kiba and Shino are both trackers. This way, each duo has a tracker and a combat specialist. You're a taijutsu expert and Tenten is the best weapons handler in Konoha."

"Ah, I understand now," Lee commented. Then he smiled largely at her, the adoration practically tangible from his person, and gave her a large thumbs up, "I will never question your judgment again, my most beautiful flower!"

Sakura smiled, "No, please, question me. I need to make sure this is the best course of action."

"You're doing pretty perfect so far," Shikamaru drawled and yawned. Sakura rubbed her head sheepishly.

"Thanks," Sakura continued, "Anyway –"

"Wait," Naruto interrupted with a large grin on his face. He held his fingers up and began counting off people in his head. "Almost everyone's 'counted for. Does this mean Team Seven is going to be back together again?! We'll be fighting the good fight together for the first time in years!"

He was so excited, his grin wide. Sakura felt so guilty, "Actually, Naruto, no."

Naruto deflated and looked befuddled by her refute of his excited, dramatic conclusion to what their life would be over the next few years. "But, Sakura-chan…"

"You need to stay in Konoha, Naruto," Sakura stated resolutely. "You're going to be Hokage one day. The people need to know that you're here for them now in their time of most desperate need. You're going to be my second in command. You're going to be in charge of all of the goings-on in Konoha when I can't be. You need to watch and care for the civilians and the shinobi who are still loyal to Konoha."

He looked ready to object again, but this time Sasuke interrupted. "Think about this, idiot. The village has been decimated and has now lost a good chunk of the shinobi population. If another country decides to attack, who's going to protect it?"

Naruto gaped at Sasuke but couldn't find a reply. Shikamaru continued the reasons, "Plus, you have an excellent report with the Kazekage and Killer Bee from Lightning. You need to make sure that Danzou doesn't screw with international relations. He believes that Konoha should be entirely self-sufficient, so we all know he's going to piss off a lot of diplomats while he's in office."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Naruto mumbled and sulked quietly to himself. Sakura rolled her eyes at his infantile behavior, but she knew that he did get it. He really did understand, even if it wasn't shaping up to be the most grandiose adventure he was planning. "Then what're you all going to do?"

"Itachi, Sasuke, and Kisame are all going to hunt down Madara and make sure he stays dead this time," Sakura explained. Sasuke didn't look surprised, and Itachi already knew that this was the plan for him. Sakura looked back at them and locked eyes with Deidara.

"Deidara and I are going to do what we do best," she grinned at him. "We're going to destroy."

"Hm?" the collective question made her smirk. The thoughts of what she and Deidara were going to do were filling her with adrenaline.

"There's no doubt in my mind that Danzou has seen the emergency scroll," Sakura explained. "By putting me in charge, Tsunade has effectively put a big red target sign on my back for Root. I'm sure she did it on purpose. She knows I can handle the pressure, and I have a lot of experience with Root and fighting them. So Deidara and I will stay close. We're going to give Root a run for their money and destroy anything that'll help them. We'll take down their bases around Fire Country and attack them from the outside. I want them chasing us. I want Danzou's focus to be on me. That way, Naruto can plan the rebellion from the inside while I take care of things out here."

"It makes sense," Shikamaru pondered.

"But that's putting you in so much danger, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried out. Sasuke was glaring at her. He didn't seem to like the idea at all.

"It's our best bet," Sakura refuted. Shikamaru made an assenting noise in the back of his throat.

"She's right," he agreed.

"Alright," Sakura finalized. She looked at each of them individually. "From here on out, we split up and do our duties. Only contact me if absolutely necessary, and be safe and careful about it. Don't let Danzou see your pendants. Anybody who seems interested in joined the cause undergoes a truth jutsu, you understand?"

Everybody nodded. "So we know what we have to do now," Sakura continued. She lifted her arms above her head slowly and untied her hitai-ate. Everybody seemed to understand because, except for the four members who were staying in Konoha, the shinobi pulled their beloved headbands into their hands.

For the first time, Sakura began to get scared. Really scared. Her arms shook as she looked around at her friends. Her comrades. Pulling out a kunai, she quietly placed it on one end of her headband. With a choked sob and a few tears, she slashed the kunai deep into her hitai-ate so it left a perfectly straight mark.

Naruto looked down in sadness. So did Team Ten. They were able to keep their forehead protectors pristine. They would be staying in Konoha, but they knew that what their friends were doing was incredibly hard.

Sasuke was the first to follow suit. He put a long dark mark through the leaf. Then Lee and Tenten, the Hyuugas, and Kiba and Shino. Bitterly, Sakura pulled her headband, now scarred irreparably, onto her head. The tears splashed away from her eyes as a newfound determination coursed through her.

"Alright," she said with the most commanding voice she could muster. "Let's do this."

The End.

Author's Note: Okay, okay, okay, before you kill me (then again, it wouldn't be me if it wasn't a cliffhanger, now, would it?), read this:

There will be a sequel if you guys want it. If not, I won't bother. You can make up your own wonderful story in your lovely heads about how Sakura becomes a badass and takes over the world. That's always so much fun, but for now, this story is over.

My main focus now will be completing First Time and In Order to Heal. Mary and I are working on a story, also, right now, but we won't really be getting too far into that until I get a good amount done on my two open stories. Perhaps when I start that, I'll also begin the sequel to this.

Also, if this chapter left you confused and you didn't read the above author's note, I suggest you go back to Chapter 20 and reread it. I added stuff and shit.

Thank you Mary for kicking my ass into gear! I love you!

Thank you so much, guys, seriously, for all the reviews and PM's asking me why I haven't been updating. If you'd like the reasons, check out my profile. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you all.

Please review!