text:
At the hospital Olivia and Elliot rushed to the nursery where they were met by one of the pediatric nurses.

"Detectives?" She inquired, seeing Olivia and Elliot walking towards her.

"Detectives Benson and Stabler from Special Victims Unit, we're here about the baby that came in earlier with a fourteen year old rape victim. Our Captain tells us someone is here claiming he's the father?"

"I'm Nurse Rebecca St. Claire, I run the nursery." The nurse ushered them to over to the side, out of the aisle. "The boy's name is Justin. I have him waiting in my office. I told him I had to gather up some paperwork for him to fill out and sign before he was allowed to take the baby."

"Did you run his DNA to match it to the child's?" Elliot asked.

"No, not yet, I wanted to call you first before he decided to take off."

"Take off? Why would he do that without taking the baby with him? Olivia asked, suspiciously.

"He's young, scared. I'm not sure if the baby is actually his and I didn't want him to bolt before you could get here, so I tried to stall him."

"What makes you think the baby's not his?" Elliot asked her.

"His demeanor when he first came in. He walked around for a bit, looking at the babies in the nursery, on his phone a lot, wouldn't come up to the nurse's station. I finally went up to him and asked him if I could help him, and that's when he said he was here to pick up "a baby" and he didn't seem like he knew all that much about the situation. His story just seemed odd, so I put him in my office to wait for the paperwork so I could call you guys to come in and talk to him."

Olivia nodded and gave a slight smile to the nurse. "Okay, thank you, ah…which way is your office?"

"Follow me."

The three of them reached the nurse's office and through the glass they could see a boy, looked to be about 15 or 16, on his phone texting, his leg nervously bouncing up and down. He jumped slightly when the door opened, and stood up, jamming his phone into his pocket when the nurse walked in with Elliot and Olivia in tow.

"Justin, these are detectives, they'd like to have a word with you about your son."

Elliot and Olivia smiled slightly at Justin, knowing he was scared, but they also didn't want to appear too friendly since they knew there was a chance he was not Vincent's father and they wanted to get to the bottom of who he is and if he knows Aleyiah.

"Have a seat, Justin." Elliot said.

Justin moved backwards away from the two detectives a little bit and stammered, "Wh-why do I have to talk to cops? Why can't I just have Vincent?" He was looking at the nurse.

"They just have to ask you some questions, Justin, and I still need you to fill out some paperwork before you can take the child from the hospital. Remember we spoke about that?"

Justin nodded and started to visibly relax. He moved towards the chair he had been sitting in and took a seat, his leg tapping the moment he sat down.

"Take all the time you need, Detectives, I have my rounds, but I can be paged if you need me."

Elliot and Olivia both nodded at the nurse, and she exited her office, pulling the shade down over the glass door before exiting.

Olivia walked around Nurse St. Claire's desk and sat on the edge of it so she was facing Justin.

"Justin, I'm Detective Benson, this is my partner Detective Stabler. We'd like to ask you a few questions."

Justin jerked his head to the side so his dirty blonde bangs flipped out of his eyes and he looked up at Olivia.

"What's your last name?"

"How old are you?"

"Where do you live?"

Justin was getting suspicious now.

"What's up with all these questions? Why can't I just take Vincent?"

Olivia sighed and looked over at Elliot who came around the desk and stood next to where Olivia was perched on the desk.

"Justin, in order for you to take that boy, we're going to have to run a DNA test on you and on him to prove you are in fact his father."

Justin looked between him and Olivia.

"What? No one told me I had to take any tests, that nurse said I just had to fill out paperwork and I could take Vinny home with me."

Olivia leaned in closer to Justin and spoke softly to him.

"Justin, do you know Aleyiah?"

"Yeah, of course I do."

"Did she tell you to come down here and get Vinny for her?"

Justin paused, and looked down at his shoes and ran his hand through his hair a couple of times, but didn't answer Olivia's question.

"Look, Justin, we can either do this here, or we can do this at our squadroom downtown." Elliot spoke with a twinge of toughness in his voice. "Now, you can take the DNA test and prove that this baby is yours, or you can tell us the truth about what's really going on. Your choice, but I will tell you this…trying to take a child that doesn't belong to you is a very serious crime, so it'd be in your best interest to tell us the truth right now, Justin."

Justin started to bite his lower lip and looked as if he was thinking real hard about what Detective Stabler just said to him. He hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair again and then looked up at the detectives.

"Alright, Vincent's not mine. Aleyiah…Aleyiah just called me and told me to come down here and tell whoever that he was mine so I could bring him back to her."

"Where is Aleyiah now?" Olivia asked him, slight desperation in her voice.

"I don't know."

"Well, you were supposed to meet her weren't you? To give her Vincent?" Elliot helped.

"Yes, but…but I don't know where she is I swear!"

"Okay what were you going to do with Vincent after you took him from the hospital?" Olivia asked, trying to stay calm as to not freak this kid out anymore, so he wouldn't totally shut down on them.

"I was s'posed to keep him at my house until Aleyiah could come and get him."

"Is Aleyiah your girlfriend?"

Justin nodded, "No, we're just really good friends."

"Does she go to school with you?"

Justin again looked between the two detectives anxiously.

"Why do you guys keep asking me all these questions?! I was just trying to help out Aleyiah! Okay she told me Vincent was in the hospital and that people were trying to take him away and put him in some foster home or whatever, so she asked me to come down here and get him, and now you cops keep asking me all these questions!"

Justin got up and started for the door.

"I'm leaving, I just wanna go home."

Olivia and Elliot stopped him, and Elliot went to the door to hold it shut.

"Justin, you need to answer these questions. You're in a lot of trouble here, do you understand that?" Elliot said, firmly but calmly.

"I didn't do anything!"

"You tried to take a baby from a hospital claiming to be the father! That's a very big deal, Justin, it's a crime!"

Justin turned around and crossed his arms across his chest.

"So, what, you gonna arrest me now? I wanna talk to my parents."

Elliot gave him a look and took him by the shirt collar.

"Good, you can tell them to meet us down at our precinct."

"Whoa, what?! Are you serious?!"

"Yeah. We need answers about this girl and this baby, so maybe we'll get some if we just go down to our office and you can sit with us and have a nice long chat."

Olivia knew Elliot was scaring him, and she didn't want that 100%, she wanted Justin to open up to them so she could find out what was going on with Aleyiah.

"Elliot, why don't you go pull the car around, I'll bring Justin down in a minute."

Elliot eyed her for a minute, but off Olivia's look agreed, and after stealing one more glance at Justin, went to retrieve the car.

When he was gone, Justin turned to Olivia in panic.

"Are you really going to arrest me?"

"Well that depends."

"Oh man," Justin whispered.

"Justin, c'mere, sit down." Olivia said sympathetically, ushering back over to the chair.

"Now, we are really worried about Aleyiah, and if she's your friend, you should be worried about her, too."

"I am! That's why I'm here trying to get Vinny for her."

"Did Aleyiah tell you what happened to her?"

"Yes. She told me Vinny fell while at daycare and that he got a bruise on his head, so she took him to the hospital. She said one of the doctors must have called the cops thinking Aleyiah abused him and that some social worker came in and took him and said he was going to foster care because there was no one else that could take him. She asked me to come down here and tell them I was his father so that they wouldn't put him in a foster home."

Olivia was dumbfounded by this story that Aleyiah supposedly told him.

Why didn't she tell him what happened to her? What was she hiding from the boy who claimed he was her closest friend?

These questions and more ran rapidly through Olivia's brain.

"Justin, let's talk more down at the precinct, and you can call your parents from there."

"Okay," and he got up and headed for the door, then turned to Olivia, "are you going to arrest me?"

Olivia looked at him like she would any other scared child she came across and said softly, "No."

Justin breathed a sigh of relief. "But what about Vincent?"

Olivia gave him a weak smile and patted him on the back. "We'll going to try and figure all that out."

Justin gave her a defeated smirk and one nod of his head, and the two of them left the office and headed for the elevator.

On the way towards the elevator Olivia noticed Dr. Fredricks, Nurse St. Claire as well as Mary Luther the DSS worker from earlier that day all standing at the nursing station watching them as if in slow motion. Olivia knew this kid walking in front of her had messed up any chance of keeping Vincent in the hospital until her and Elliot sorted the whole mess out.


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Green leaves and gold lacing over blue sky.
What joy is this that awakens my sight?
My heart thrives on it, uncomprehending.
Surrounding glory so far from long nights:
Inexplicably living smiles Gandalf nearby.
Sweet presence of one I'd thought lost laying near;
Peacefully sleeping, death no longer nigh;
He'd had a cruel time of it - oh how I'd feared.

How bright are the leaves in the branches above me.
The trees seem to linger, remembering Spring,
The strength of the meadows and warmth of the sun
Awakened from heaviness of the Ring.
Strength welling back to wash my tattered soul,
As here I draw free breath in, full and deep,
Bringing me rest and making me whole.
How long have I lain here sound asleep?

Cormallen, the name of this wonder and life.
In honor we're dressed in our garments and arms.
Shadows seem gone and all blessings returned,
What ease knowing now we're at last safe from harm.
Joyful is my heart,
Singing like the stars,
When I see how many of our dear ones remain.
Smiling through the tears,
They're once more standing near,
Our fellowship gathered together again.

Praise them, praise them, praise them with great praise!

My Master's cheeks are burning hot,
But his eyes are bright as stars.
He shares this glory with me now
For he wouldn't hear of it otherwise,
Though he's the one as won the fight…
Nor would I even leave his side,
For praises or no, that's what is right.
For him my heart overwhelms with pride.

Cormallen, the bannered field fills with praise,
Bright banners, smiles of those standing victorious;
Those who fought with us, each in their own way.
They line a green path leading to a tall throne
Where the desires of hearts may truly hold sway.
How can my heart hold more joy than these moments?
Tears of sheer blessedness run down my cheeks.
My Master smiles at me across our dear guide:
Now in Kingship it seems our friend's found his calling.
And my Master's sweet gaze - it no longer hides
For the shadow of madness is no longer inside.

Cormallen, the surrounding trees thrive with life,
Bright flowers are strewn, sweet wine freely flows.
The desire of my heart at last knows fulfillment
For the minstrel sings our own tale he knows!
Music of the heart,
Music of the stars,
This light is no longer held back by the pain.
Music for our tears,
A balm upon the fears,
Our fellowship gathered together again.

How bright are the eyes of the fellowship also,
Words fail at the depth of their eyes and their hearts,
The sun can't shine brighter than all of this joy.
Together at last after lifetimes apart.
Healing and peace, glory and trumpets!
Life is abundant after the storm.
Hopes once abandoned rise again to fulfillment,
So bright is this sunrise, this glorious morn.

Cormallen, the field of victorious song.
With hopes now restored, sweet laughter is heard.
But sweeter for me are my dear Master's eyes;
For his torment seems ended, his peace restored.
Joy in the living,
Peace of the heart,
His light no longer held back by the pain.
Comfort for the tears,
An end to all the fears,
The fellowship gathered together again.

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text:
Of The Dangers of Boredom

A/N: Just a wee little something, decidedly lighthearted, before I dive into the angstfest that is Return to Ostagar. Happy Valentine's Day!

The Wonders of Thedas.

They could be here for hours. At least Wynne, surely, but once Morrigan realized that the shop had a lot of raw magical ingredients for her potions and an entire section of books of herbal remedies, she was even willing to accompany the elder mage on her semi-regular trips to the store. Giovanna Cousland this time went along for the sheer fun of watching those two, never mind the delicious distraction from thinking about various ways to do harm to Loghain Mac Tir. The Landsmeet loomed ever closer, and they've already cleaned out every single alleyway there was in Denerim from bandits, including the Alienage, so there was hardly ever anything else to be done.

Truth to tell, she was almost as bored and impatient as Sten, although as long as the Qunari had his sword, Asala, he was content. Giovanna has never seen anyone obsessing over a weapon as much as him, and that was to say something. She supposed it was something to do with the Qun. The man never parted that sword since they found it deep in a chest amongst assorted war memorabilia in that dwarf mercenary's house in Redcliffe, and compared to his previous self he almost radiated happiness. Giovanna caught him almost smirking at some sarcastic remark Shale made over a cage of chickens at the Denerim food market and she was shaken to the core for days afterward.

So, the Wonders of Thedas. Giovanna absently ran her hand over a stack of books in a dark corner in the back of the shop, wishing Wynne would finish with the discussion about one kind of obscure spell ingredient or another with the Tranquil who ran the establishment. She had vague memories of passing by this place when they visited Denerim with her family when he was a child; Fergus teased her mercilessly afterward for weeks because she thought the golem dolls they had on display were 'cute'. That was pretty much the last time she used that word, and she was usually rather sure it would stay that way... except when Alistair was pouting.

Alistair... Giovanna sighed and turned her attention to another pile of tomes with dusty covers and exciting titles such as Theory of In-substantiation, Volume One, The Basics, and Transmutation: The Easy Way in Thirty-One Days. There was also The Veil For Dummies. From the titles Giovanna somehow suspected this particular pile wasn't necessarily something the Chantry would particularly approve, and suddenly she was glad they left Leliana and Alistair at Arl Eamon's estate. An ex-lay sister and an ex-Templar might just have thought no Chantry-controlled mage should possess books like The Way To A Templar's Heart: Tasty Recipes from Sister Beatrice (With Potions, Too!).

Hmm... Giovanna pulled out that one from the stack, a clear indication of just how horribly bored she was. Whoever this Sister Beatrice might have been, judging by the recipes she thumbed through, she must have weighed about three hundred pounds. Take a pound of butter, she read, feeling her heartbeat getting more frantic just by the thought of actually doing that, and beat it for an hour with the yolk of eight of the freshest eggs.

Beat it? Giovanna furrowed her brows. She wasn't quite sure how one would get violent with butter and egg yolks... Her forays into anything culinary consisted of dragging Poppy out of Castle Highever's kitchen. After she got conscripted by Duncan, she received a crash course in camp cooking, and, truth to tell, her skills in that regard were barely better than Alistair's famous Grey Stew, that was voted unanimously Worst Supper Ever by everyone in camp the one and only time he was ever allowed to make it.

Add a pound of white cane sugar... she read, and whistled under her breath. Damn, but this was one expensive Templar, whose heart this Sister tried to warm. White sugar was something her mother complained over once when they discussed Oren's birthday cake. And beat it for another hour.

By Andraste's holy knickers,who has this much time? She closed the book with a disgusted expression on her face. That would be two hours right there and all she'd get is some righteously abused butter and eggs and ridiculously expensive sweet stuff.

No sodding way...she thought and glanced over to where Wynne sat in one of the store's chairs, with primly folded hands in her lap, negotiating some complicated price discussion, no doubt. Morrigan was lost amongst the ingredient shelves further to the side, and all that meant that there was no easy escape in sight. Back to the wonders of tasty recipes, then...

That was when she accidentally spotted the book. It caught her eye because of the binding: faded cherry-red velvet, no title, just a single imprint of a rose in gold ink on the cover...

Oh dear Maker, it can't be... The Garden of the Secret Rose?Her hands shook a bit as she gently eased the slender tome out of the pile. Yep, the very same. No wonder it seemed vaguely familiar. Giovanna's cheeks colored lightly and she looked around quickly to make sure no one saw her now. Just holding it made her feel sixteen again, running away from the sitting for her official portrait for the family gallery, hiding in her mother's room and finding the twin of this book on her night table. She still remembered how horrified she was realizing that her mother, her always calm, collected and cool mother, who always, always treated her father with a kind of amused but distant affection, kept something like this in her bedroom...

And it even has the miniatures... All colored and very, very detailed. Giovanna wasn't sure if she should blush like she did back when she was sixteen, or snicker at the ridiculousness of the faked passion on the faces of the couples on the exquisitely painted images or...

Oh, dear.

She definitely didn't remember this one... She leaned closer, rather sure she misread that. Given that it was a translation from Antivan which was the translation of the Tevinter original itself, according to the foreword, it easily could be. After all, this wouldn't be the first case something was lost in translation. There was, for instance, that thing with the camel and the needle...

"Pulleys?" she murmured under her breath. "And ropes?" Her eyes widened. "To the ceiling?"

"Will you be getting that?" Morrigan's dry voice sounded right next to her ear. She slammed the book shut as fast as she could and jumped up from the little stool she perused while browsing, clutching the book to her chest like a shield. "'Twould be most unusual, you finding something in a store such as this, but mayhap one with some pictures of swords?"

Giovanna swallowed; she was in no condition to explain anything to the witch. Besides, right now even that sentence sounded like one laced with double meaning.

"Uh...maybe?" she offered, blindly casting her hand out and grabbing another tome at random from the pile. "And...this one."

Morrigan's brows rose.

"Indeed." she said drily, glancing at the title. "Although I did not think you would need to learn that from a book."

"Learn what...oh." Giovanna swore quietly under her breath. Of course she had to pick up the stupid cookbook at random...The Way To A Templar's Heart indeed...

"All right, let's go, then." she said airily, marching to the front and slamming the books down in front of the Tranquil manning the desk. "How much?"

Fade take it, she thought defiantly while pulling silver after silver out of her money pouch, and trying not to look Wynne in the eye. The woman's eyes were positively twinkling, dammit! I better look at the bright side of this, because this was one rather expensive little shopping trip. I can't wait to show these to Alistair.


text:
Your name is John Egbert. You have occasionally been known to go by the title Heir of Breath, and until just recently these labels would have been the sort of thing to deliver in all capital letters, but frankly you just don't feel like that would be appropriate to this situation. Before now, you were considered a "hero" in the session you have recently absconded from, which you are finding darkly humorous at the moment, because you're having a very hard time finding anything remotely heroic about your actions over the past day. You have so far run away from two cataclysms, died twice, managed a few success completely by accident that were fated to happen anyway and seen way too many people you care about die.

As you stare down at the congealing blue blood of your most recent fallen friend…or whatever Vriska Serket was to you, exactly, you can't help but feel as though the proverbial straw that has been piling on this camel's back for the entire day has finally landed, and you simply can't take anymore. You can't keep smiling, cheering everyone on and generally being the eternal optimist your comrades have come to know. You've been kicked in the teeth too many times today. And you have decided it's enough.

Karkat is, at least for once, at a loss for words. You tried to feel angry at him for lying to you about her, but you simply couldn't muster up the energy for it. In the end you knew he did what he had to. That if you had choked when it mattered everyone would be dead, and not just her. None of this was his fault. You couldn't even manage to summon feelings of ire for Terezi when she immediately told you it was her who had stabbed Vriska in the back. Partly because you realize that she, too, had only done she had needed to, and partly because she looked just about as broken up about it as you felt.

In fact, when she admitted what had happened it was her that had broken down, not you. Karkat had rushed to comfort her, which you supposed was just as well. You didn't feel that you'd be all that great of a palhoncho right now. Dave looked as inscrutable as ever, he gave you what must have been a sympathetic nod. Jade hovered near his side, looking sad, but obviously confused as to what exactly had happened, and why it had affected you so much. Rose was focused mostly on you, and you wondered if she was trying to use her psycho-whatever to get into your head. Probably, you figure. That's just Rose's style.

As an awkward silence falls over the ragtag group, you turn and walk away. You're not sure where exactly, but "not here" seems like a good place to start. No one says anything. They seem to get it, you think. You walk enough distance away as to be suitably alone, and sit on the edge of this tiny asteroid hiding place. You lie back slowly, staring up at the blank emptiness above you. Devoid of anything but more asteroids floating in nothing.

You're not exactly sure how long you have been here, just thinking about…well…nothing. You feel a presence beside you and hear a soft rustling. Someone sits down next to you and eases onto their back just to the right. You Don't even have to look in that direction to know who it is. If the soft flickering catching just at the edge of your vision wasn't enough of a giveaway already, you pretty much knew she'd be the one to talk to you first.

But she isn't talking. She's just lying there, staring up at the same blank sky, breathing softly. You eventually glance over at her. Rose Lalonde continues to look upwards, the odd dark aura around her still shimmering occasionally. Her skin had returned to normal and she didn't look all that grimdark, anymore, but the Horror Terrors had left their mark, and it continued to radiate around her. You look back skyward. Her silence is beginning to unnerve you somewhat.

"So…are you here to talk to me, or what?" You finally feel like speaking.

"I suppose that was the original plan, but as I was walking over here none of the old clichés really seemed all that appropriate for this. Something as simple as 'I'm sorry" doesn't carry the weight I'd want it to, and opening with asking about what she was like didn't seem like the right idea, either. Ultimately, I don't think you need any of that, anyway," Rose answers.

"No…I guess not." A more comfortable silence surrounds you and Rose now. It feels like an understanding. That you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. That you could just lie here forever and she wouldn't mind.

"She was nice," you offer after a few minutes of this.

"You asked what she was like, or…well, you kind of did in your heavy-handed psychobabbley way."

"I do like my psychobabble, it's true."

"Heh…well, yeah. She was nice. A little bossy, and she tried to act like she wasn't nice to everyone else, and she killed some people…or well…a lot of people, actually and…I'm not doing a very good job of describing her. She really was nice, though."

"It's okay, John. I believe you."

"She said once she fought Jack, she wanted to stop all that. And try to be human. Or…act like one, even though she is- was an alien."

"That seems very tragic. That it ended like that, then" Rose says, looking as though she wanted to say something a little more heartfelt.

"And also…she said she wanted to go out with me. Like…on a date, I guess."

"Oh?" Rose's tone seemed a little odd there, but she recovered quickly. "Well…I guess that puts this in kind of new light, then. It makes sense for you to be very upset, then. I'm sorry, John."

"No…it's okay. It's not really that, I guess. I mean…it's not like I knew her for all that long, really. And she wasn't really my girlfriend or anything…I mean…well, she asked me out and I was going to say yes, but…she never got…that…so…yeah."

"I think I understand."

"I mean, this whole thing with me isn't even really because of Vriska…well, it is kind of, I don't want to sound like a jerk to her or whatever, but I guess what I'm trying to say here is…well…" You trail off, trying to spell it out.

"You've seen too many dead loved ones today already."

"Yeah…I guess that's pretty much it."

"I should apologize, then. I think my admittedly foolhardy actions today only added to your distress. It couldn't have been easy for you…to wake up and see me like that. I suppose I just sort of acted without thinking. I was being pretty stupid, to be frank. When I saw my Mom…and your dad…and then what he did to you…I should have thought it out more clearly. I had it on good authority you were going to be alright, and yet when I saw Jack stab you I…it felt like a damn broke, and I just went at him angry, which was probably exactly what he wanted. So…like I said…pretty stupid."

"It wasn't stupid. Not really. I mean, I was set to do something pretty dumb myself when I saw Dad, but Jack kind of stabbed me before I really could do anything. And if Vriska hadn't told me what to do right when I woke up, I probably would have done something stupid again the moment I saw what had happened to you."

"Oh…so she was the one who told you to…." Rose trails off, fumbling over her words for once.

"Well…yeah…anyway, then Karkat took over and got everything in motion. He told me you were ok, and that basically everyone was waiting to get the Scratch moving, so I got to that to get us all here and then…well…"

"It happened all over again."

"Yeah…except this time there was no one to blame. Not really, anyway. I know that Terezi had to do it, I guess. I don't really have a problem with her. It's just…something that happened. And that may be the worst thing of all. I mean…what good am I? What's the point of doing any of this if the only the only thing that happens is always…more of this?"

"John…" Rose's expression is soft, probably the most expressive you've ever seen her, all things considered.

"Why did she even like me?" You muse aloud after a few moments of silence.

"John, was that a serious question?" Rose asks, almost incredulous as she sits up to look at you.

"Well that's rather moronic of you. She liked you, John, for the exact same reason I like you. Because you're you."

"I don't presume to know much about my fellow Hero of Light, but I think on the subject of you we have something in common. We like you because you're kind, honest, brave, funny in a completely stupid and adorable way and because there is nothing you wouldn't do to protect those close to you. Because you accept anyone as they are, and because you won't ever give up on them. Because you believe in the best in everyone, and make the best of everything. Because you never give up, and because you are the sweetest, most amazing boy I have ever met."

"I'm not telling you this because I want you to reciprocate, John, or out of some despicable lack of respect for your past relationship. I am telling you how I feel because…you need to know what makes you so incredible, John. Because you can't let this break you. I need you to keep being yourself. Everyone else does too. And if you let this destroy all of the wonderful things about you, you'd be letting her down, too. Because you'd be turning your back on everything that made you special to her in the first place." She finishes her tirade, and your brain feels a little jammed up from all of the really weird new information it just got. Suddenly you don't understand anything!

"I don't…really know what to say, Rose."

"You don't have to say anything. I understand that it can be hard sometimes to cope with our rather bleak situation, but I'm here to help you through it. To let you know you aren't alone, and to remind you that in these times you are probably the most reassuring monument of stability we have. I know that sounds selfish, and it's unfair to lay all of this on you, but I wouldn't do it if I didn't know that you can do it. It's what makes me see why you're such a great leader, and why you're such a great guy. I believe in you. And you will always have me, and everyone else to rely on." She stops speaking, and you try to clear the log-jam out of your brain. This isn't exactly the Rose Lalonde you've come to know.

"It's…kind of weird to hear you talk like this Rose…not bad…I mean, just, different."

"Well, you've probably guessed that I don't have the easiest time talking about myself. I tend to hide behind verbose and convoluted analysis rather than simply tell others what I'm feeling because…it's easier. You didn't need me to psychoanalyze you, though. You just needed someone to talk to. So I guess I let the mask slip a little."

"It's ok, Rose…I'm kind of glad. Though I didn't know that you…uh…well were having feelings…sort of."

"Like I said, I keep my cards pretty close to my chest. But despite my rather stellar vocabulary and mature demeanor I am still, at least on occasion, a thirteen year old girl, and thus am prone to sudden and uncontrolled bouts of feminine behavior."

"Oh dear."

"Indeed. I must confess to a certain degree of satisfaction when I learned it was you who saved my life, and also a hint of giddiness when I realized just how you did it. Just a little, mind you. Let's not get carried away."

"Jeez, Rose. I never figured you'd be this much of a softy."

"Yes…well…maybe that's enough on that subject." You notice a tiny hint of pink on Rose's cheeks. You smile, but then feel a pang of guilt. Rose notices and looks down, looking guilty as well. This probably isn't the right time for this. You let the silence hang for a little longer, and you sit up, yourself.

"Remember when you were messing up my house earlier today?" You muse.

"Yes. Though to my credit, I did fix your bathroom floor."

"I remember when I thought that was as weird as things were gonna get. And now…it's like a whole other life."

"I suppose. When it comes down to it, though, I think I was always expecting something like this. Somewhere in the back of my mind I just knew I was waiting for something. And now…now I just have to face it as it comes and live up to those expectations."

"Yeah…yeah you're right, Rose. I think I just needed to work some of this out…you know? Thanks."

"Any time." Rose is silent for a while now. The two of you drape your feet over the edge, looking out over the starless, black expanse. After a minute or so she speaks up again.

"I think I'm going to head back to the others. Are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a minute. Promise." You give her a smile and turn back to the sky. You feel her move next to you, and she lays a soft kiss on your cheek and then stands up.

"Don't ever give up, John. You're the best of all of us, and I know you can do anything if you try. We'll be waiting for you when you come back, and we can talk about what to do next." She begins to leave, heading off in the direction she came.

"Hey Rose?"

"Hmm?" She turns.

"About what you said earlier…"

"Yeah?" Her face is set, like she is doing everything in her power to keep it impassive.

"Just give me some time, okay? I'm just kind of confused right now, and I've got some stuff to work out…but…just be a little patient…alright?" A radiant smile spreads across Rose's face, almost as if the entirety of the last 24 hours had simply washed away.

"Don't worry, John. I'm not going anywhere." And with that, Rose Lalonde, Seer of Light, turned on her heel and went to rejoin the rest of her friends.

You watch her leave for a few more seconds, and return your attention to the great void beyond. You let out a long sigh, and realize you feel lighter than you have in some time today. It still hurts. That will take a while to go away, you guess. But you feel better. You know you can keep going.

You're still not sure if you deserve the title of "hero" but you've resolved to sure as hell try to earn it, so you can be the hero Vriska, Rose and everyone else deserves. You find your smile returns to you much easier than you thought it would.

Your name is JOHN EGBERT. You are the HEIR OF BREATH and from this moment on, no one else is going to die on your watch. Starting now, you're going to save everyone.


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Disclaimer: I don't own anything, all of it belongs to those who created 'The Vampire Diaries.'

Hey everybody! Happy Holidays! So in light of New Year's Eve just around the corner I was inspired to write this one shot.

Warning! This one shot contains very adult themes and very dark themes!

It had been long sense he'd stood before this house, cold and alone in the dark. He'd turned his back on such trivial things as love when that which he'd given his heart to had driven a dagger into it. His eyes burned with longing though he dared not venture forth. He could see her in her bedroom window, her blond curls bouncing around the face of an angel. Her light was like fire burning in the night, the only source of light in the dark abyss of his life.

He was a monster.

He knew it, and held no qualms about it. He accepted what he was long ago and often times enjoyed it. His nature was that of a monster, and he could not be something he wasn't even for her. He would not change and mold himself to her standards, would not bend and fold into what she believed was the right thing to do.

She was so beautiful standing there in the shimmering light of her bedside lamp. She was staring blankly at a photo in her hands, no doubt of her beloved Tyler Lockwood. His grief had driven him to becoming a hermit, shoving the world out of his life so that he could mourn in peace.

That included Caroline.

It was for this reason that he stood there watching her, knowing what he must do. He had wanted and craved for too long, and now he refused to be denied any longer. Tyler Lockwood knew nothing of suffering but Klaus was an excellent teacher. He had lived a thousand years and he had learned the true meaning of torture. He meant to take everything for his wayward hybrid, destroy everything that he loved and set it ablaze.

He started with Tyler's mother.

Now he would have Caroline.

He wouldn't kill her though, no, he had greater plans for her. He would change her, mold her to him and make her submit. She would be his greatest achievement in this battle, and when she stood by his side while the Lockwood boy fought for his life, the hybrid mongrel would then know that he had lost everything.

After all, a King needed a Queen.

He used his vampire skill to glide into her house undetected, the sweet smell of sunshine and light on the air as he passed through the halls of her dark home. All the lights were out except for her bedside lamp, no doubt because her mother was still at work.

He could hear her walking, humming a soft tune as she folded her clean laundry and put it away. He followed the scent of her beauty, like a moth to the flame as he reached the top step of the staircase and watched her through the half open door of her room. She passed by, once, twice, before she stopped and went very still. Her shoulders had stiffened and her breathing had ceased as if she knew, she knew that he was there. He stepped into the darkness of the bathroom as she crept towards her bedroom door and peered out into the darkened hallway. After a long pause she turned away and went back into her room, preparing for bed.

He waited with baited breath until he knew she was asleep before entering her room. He stood at her bedside a watched her sleep, her golden curls cascading down her pillow around her head. She looked so peaceful in that moment and he hated to ruin such a picture of bliss. One day she would forgive him for this, in a year or a century even but he knew she would forgive him eventually. When she turned onto her back he sat down gently on the edge of her bed beside her and covered her mouth even as her eyes popped open, sleep filled and confused.

When shock and recognition filled them she began to thrash under him even as he straddled her, using his free hand to pin her hands above her head. She was like a bird caught in the grip of a wolf, her frightened tears sliding down her porcelain skin.

"Hush now love," he said gently as watched her, "I've only come to visit."

She lurched her body upward sharply, trying to throw him off of her but it only served to make her situation worse, the bare skin of her stomach that had been revealed when her sleep shirt had rolled up rubbing against the roughness of his jeans. It caused such a terrible friction in such a delicious way, the evidence of his desire for her pressing against her stomach. She shook her head frantically; terror in her eyes at what she realized was the reason for his being there.

"Now be a good girl and don't scream," he told her pointedly as he caught her gaze in his dark one, "least I become tempted to punish others for your mistakes."

When he was satisfied that she would comply he lifted his hand and used his thumb to brush the tears from her cheeks, watching the thoughts racing through her mind as she stared up at him in horror.

"What do you want?" she whispered quietly, fearfully.

"What I've always wanted," he replied easily, a slow smirk curving his lips as he looked down at her with hooded eyes.

"Get off of me!" she snapped indignantly, the fire he had become so endeared to burning in her eyes.

"Now love," Klaus said as he looked down at her, "I'll have none of your spite tonight."

"Fuck you," she spat viciously, anger burning in her eyes.

"That is the point, yes," he smirked down at her.

Her anger only made him want her more, the way the fire burned in her eyes and the way she refused him again and again. It made him crave her like she was the finest blood, the sweetest that had ever passed his lips. Though it made him want her, it also served to enrage him. Tonight he would punish her with her own desires and make her see that they were no different. She would understand who she belonged to tonight.

"I have been patient with you," he began as he bent forward and met her gaze, his breath fanning her face, "but tonight I will do as I please and you will not fight me."

"You're crazy," she whispered, her eyes widening in horror as his own dilated and she was caught in his grasp, her mind bending to his will as he spoke.

"You will not get up or move until I tell you to do so," he told her firmly, watching as the compulsion took control of her mind.

"I will not get up…" she repeated as her face went blank.

"Good girl," he smirked down at her and lifted himself up off of her, moving to pace around her room while she watched him with fearful eyes.

He contemplated his many options as he paced, deciding how he wanted to do this. He could simply take her away from this place; carry her off to some far off land where nobody would ever find her. He could make her love him; make her see the reflection before her, like standing in front of a mirror that she was truly just like him only she didn't realize it yet. She was magnificent with her wide doe eyes, fearful and courageous all at once as she met his gaze with determination. Caroline Forbes was quite possibly the most confusing woman he'd ever met.

"Please…" she whispered brokenly into the darkness, "I know you're angry…I know what we did was wrong…but it's not right what you did…holding them against their will…why not give them their freedom? Didn't you once seek the same freedom from your own Dad?"

Klaus chuckled lightly, though his eyes were hard as he stared at her, "I learned a long time ago it's better to be feared then loved. Letting them have their freedom would be too much of a risk, too many chances for one of them to turn against me."

"Are you so afraid of your own shadow that you'd rather enslave an entire species then let them decide on their own what they want to do with their lives?" Caroline said bitterly, acceptance in her eyes. She knew her fate, so she was going to get every last word in that she could before the end. Maybe when she was dead perhaps her words would have some profound effect upon him. Perhaps he would change his mind and let her friends go.

"It's all about survival love," he smirked at her as he came to sit down next to her on the bed, his hand trailing up her thigh lightly, making her shiver. The sensations he created where emotions she struggled to bury deep, she did not want to feel these things with this man.

"At any cost?" Caroline whispered sadly.

"Any cost," Klaus nodded quietly.

"That's why you'll always be alone," Caroline said with a frown as she met his gaze with her tearful one.

Klaus's smile faltered for a moment, a pained expression crossing his face before he raised the mask once more, "You think were so very different don't you?" he whispered softly into the darkness as his fingertips lightly grazed her arms, sliding up to her shoulder and then across her collarbone. "You have such fight in you Caroline; it's a shame that you waste it on people who don't deserve such magnificence."

"Just kill me already," Caroline said sadly, brokenly.

"Kill you?" he said with raised eyebrows as his fingers dipped down into the valley between her breasts, "you think I mean to kill you?"

Caroline inhaled sharply, his fingers grazing the sides of her breasts with a skill that made her heart skip a beat, "You're angry with what Tyler did…I'd be the most logical attack point."

"You're also very clever," Klaus smiled down at her, his eyes dark as he spoke, "I did consider it…but I have other plans in mind for you."

"Like what?" Caroline whispered, suppressing the shiver that threatened to overtake her body as his fingers grazed her stomach.

Klaus merely smiled down at her, his soft lips distracting her. She had often wondered what those lips would taste like. There were many things that she had often wondered about him, things that she'd never vocalize to anyone and these thoughts lived in the darkest recesses of her mind.

"Such fear in you Caroline," he whispered softly as he bent closer to her face, his lips inches from her as his gaze met hers, "I will take it all away from you darling…you'll see…" he said as held her still, weaving his magic over her mind until she gasped in shock, realizing what he was doing. "Such control…but I wonder where it comes from hmm?"

"Please…" Caroline begged, tears burning in her eyes "please stop."

"No," he told her firmly, his face darkening, "I want you hungry Caroline…I want you to see just what you really are."

"Please stop..." she begged softly, "I'm not a monster…I don't want to be a monster."

Klaus stared down at her thoughtfully, even as his mind willed hers to believe that she was hungry, driving her vampire instincts to the surface. He didn't believe she was a monster and he wanted her to see that, wanted her to understand that what she was in his eyes was magnificent. That she was glorious and would be even greater at his side. He was thrilled to see the darkness creeping in her eyes, the pained look on her face as she struggled to control herself.

"Stop," Caroline chocked out as she pleaded him with her eyes, her fangs extending and her eyes blackening as hunger overtook her. He smirked and bent down, brushing his lips against hers as he marveled in her desperate hunger for blood. Her fangs scrapped against his lower lip as she desperately tried to bite him, and he chuckled as he drew away from her face, blood smeared on her lips.

"Easy now love," he said as he licked his wounded lip. Caroline hissed angrily, the smell of his blood on her lips driving her insane. He leaned down again after a pause and met her gaze, his pupils dilating in the tell-tale sign of compulsion, "you will follow me and do as I instruct."

"I will," Caroline repeated blankly and allowed him to pull her up off of the bed and make her stand.

"I wonder where to start first," he said aloud thoughtfully as he tapped his lips with his index finger, his other hand on his hip as he lifted an eyebrow to gaze at her, "Oh I know."

Hunger burned in every vein, her veins felt like sandpaper scrapping against each other. She knew it was all in her head and yet she couldn't fight it. She wondered quietly how her Dad had learned to fight compulsion and whether or not perhaps she could do the same. Klaus turned and left the room and Caroline could only stand there and wait because he didn't instruct her to move. He came back moments later, a blood bag in hand and glanced at her casually, "B positive?" he said incredulously.

For all his casual demeanor and his soft words Caroline knew there was rage burning just under the surface. This was punishment and it was only the beginning. He might look light hearted at the moment, holding a bag of her favorite blood type in his hand. She hadn't any idea what he intended to do with it until he ripped the top off and tilted the contents back into his mouth, and Caroline couldn't do anything but watch as he drank it, her eyes darkening with hunger as she fixated on the line of blood trickling down his chin and following the path of his throat. He stopped then and met her gaze, the half empty blood bag in his hand as he walked towards her. Blood was smearing his hands where the top had been ripped off of the blood bag and the smell of it was permeating the room, making it hard to breathe.

"Hungry love?" he asked quietly, smirking at the dark look on her face as she stared at his throat. "No, No," he said, pulling his hand away as she reached for the blood bag and smirked at her, using his index finger to wipe the blood from his chin and meeting her gaze he slowly placed his finger in his mouth and licked it clean.

"I hate you," she spat viciously, a frown marring her lips.

"That's good though," he said quietly, "It's a start."

"No," Caroline said as she shook her head, watching him draw closer to her, the smell of blood on his skin and hands making her close her eyes in attempt to push the monster within back under the surface.

"Stop fighting it Caroline…let it happen." He whispered and she gasped, not realizing how close he was to her now. He used his bloodied hand to brush a stray lock of hair back behind her ear and she ached to reach up and grab that bloodied hand, longed to run her tongue over his palm and take in the sweet essence that coated it. She was so hungry the pain was unbearable, and she now knew what Stefan must have felt like when Lexi was trying to get him back onto the wagon by manipulating his mind into thinking that he was starving too.

"What's wrong with indulging in something you crave?" he asked her softly as he met her gaze, letting his bloodied hand slid across her cheek and leave a trail of blood in its wake. Caroline hissed and closed her eyes, her eyes black and her fangs extending.

"Hungry aren't we sweetheart?" he asked her softly as he stepped behind her and set the half empty blood bag on her bedside table. Then he took hold of her wrists and pulled them back behind her back firmly. "Walk," he ordered and Caroline obeyed, allowing him to lead her in the direction he wanted them to go.

In the distance she could hear her Mom coming home and horror overtook her, realizing what he had planned for her. "Please…"she whispered, tears burning in her eyes as they stood at the top of the staircase and listened as her Mom parked the car and walked up to the front door. "Please don't make me hurt her…" she begged softly and he chuckled, his warm breath fanning her cheek as he brushed his lips against it and spoke, "I killed the mayor myself to punish Tyler…but you…I think you're punishment needs to be a tad bit more severe."

"Please don't," Caroline wept, tears running down her cheeks. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop if he told her to kill her Mom, she wouldn't be able to resist the call of her Mom's blood and it tore her apart inside. This was a punishment beyond imagination, and she wasn't sure she could survive such a trauma.

"You never," he whispered softly as he pressed his unshaven cheek up against hers and wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her close, painfully pinning her arms behind her back and up against his chest. "Ever…" he whispered softly as they listened to her Mom unlock the door and enter the house quietly, a take-out bag slung over one arm and her keys in the other, "cross me…" he said as he nipped her ear, "and think for even a second," he growled softly in her ear low enough that only Caroline could hear him, "you'll get away with it."

"Please…I'm sorry…" Caroline begged softly, hating herself for being forced to plead with him. He just murdered Carol Lockwood and twelve hybrids; he had no right to make her apologize for anything.

"Walk," he murmured into her ear and urged her onward, forcing her down the steps of the staircase roughly. Caroline's vision blurred with tears as they stopped at the bottom step and stood in the hallway, listening as her mother ate the fast food she'd brought home.

"We are hunters," Klaus whispered in her ear softly, "we do not need such ties in our lives…the humans will wither and die and leave us behind."

"Please don't make me do this…please…" Caroline wept softly.

"I'm doing you a favor, really love," he chuckled lightly in her ear, "I'm saving you from having to watch her die slowly."

"I can't…I can't please…" Caroline begged softly.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you tried to manipulate me. I've never done any wrong to you and yet you continually attack me." He spat viciously in her ear, enjoying the fear he could smell on her skin. He would drive her to the brink and then yank her back; she would be his after that. All he needed to do was make her see what she was, make her see that beyond the ideas of her friends and family, beyond even that stupid hybrid mongrel Tyler Lockwood that she was living a life that was planned out for her, not what she wanted.

He would make her see her darkest desires and then he would give her the world on a silver platter.

"Go on then," he whispered into her ear softly, "go on then love, be what you are...be a vampire and feed…take you're fill…" he said as he released her and urged her towards the kitchen with a warm hand on her lower back, "and no warning her either," Klaus added softly, his eyebrows raised and his jaw set.

"Bastard…" Caroline whispered hatefully.

"So I've been told," Klaus mused aloud, a dark look on his face.

Caroline couldn't stop herself as she walked down the hall towards the kitchen and stopped before the open door; horror in her eyes as she gazed at her Mom's turned back while she washed dishes in the sink. Liz Forbes had no idea her daughter was there, had no idea what was about to happen at all. Her mind was busy with work as she was the dishes, filled with turmoil and sorrow. Carol Lockwood was dead, drowned in the fountain after apparently getting drunk. She must have passed out and drowned Liz Forbes thought sadly as she dried the dishes and put them away.

Caroline stood there for a few moments as the hunger burned in her throat. Then a light came into her eyes as a thought crossed her mind so fast that Klaus nearly hadn't caught it. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and watched the thought turning over in her mind before she darted out the front door and down the front walkway. Klaus followed quickly, knowing exactly where this was all going. He'd set it up this way, wanted to see if Caroline would be smart enough to catch his mistake. She excelled in everything she did he mused as he caught sight of her chasing a late night jogger into the woods. He marveled at the beauty she held, the way her golden hair rushed back behind her in the wind as she ran and the way her black eyes framed by delicate black veins made her look glorious. She growled viciously and he followed the pair into the woods, keeping his distance as he watched her hunt. She was magnificent in the way she tackled him to the ground and ripped into his throat. Klaus stood behind them quietly as her watched blood mar the perfect white snow on the ground.

She lifted her head suddenly and ripped herself away from the man, tears running down her cheeks as horror filled her. "No…" Caroline wept softly, "Oh please…please don't be dead…" she whispered as she shook the man on the ground gently. Blood was singing in her veins and her body was alive with strength. She had never felt so strong before as she got to her feet, blood staining her chin, hands, and all over her clothes.

"Beautiful," Klaus murmured as she turned to face him and she shook her head feverishly, "I'm not a monster…I won't be a monster like you…I won't." Caroline said firmly as they both turned there gaze towards the man on the ground who moaned in pain. Caroline dropped to her knees and ripped open her wrist, pressing it against the injured man's mouth. When she was certain he had enough to be healed completely she pulled it away and allowed her wrist to heal. She compelled the man to forget everything that had transpired and watched him run off out of the woods back towards the town. Klaus watched the transaction take place before he finally spoke.

"You liked it," Klaus insisted darkly as he stepped towards her.

"No," Caroline whispered as she looked away from him and down at the red snow at her feet.

"You are so stubborn," he chided softly as he stood close behind her, his chest lightly brushing her back.

"I'll never be like you," she whispered sadly even though she didn't really believe that anymore.

"You're already like me love," he whispered softly in her ear as he nipped the earlobe gently.

"I hate you," she spat coldly.

"I know," he replied simply and Caroline turned to glare up at him, tears burning in her eyes. Their faces were inches apart, her eyes widening as he close the gap and caught hold of her chin and ran his lips along it, tasting the blood on her skin.

"Stop it," Caroline whispered, trying to pull away from the tight grip he held on her chin. Her will was beginning to crack as he nipped lightly along her jawline, making her want to tackle him to the ground. There were so many things that she suppressed inside her mind, and he was one of them. She couldn't let herself have him even just once. She'd never want to give him up if she did. There was darkness inside Caroline Forbes even if everyone saw light. Klaus saw that darkness though and was exploiting it to his own advantage.

"Impulsiveness," he whispered against her skin, "rage…and love….hate…" he added as he let his lips trail down her throat and nip lightly at her collarbone, "sex….it's what we are love…we are an impulsive species…we do as we please and we thrive…we cannot suppress our desires…vampires are highly passionate creatures…we can't just be human anymore."

Caroline shivered at his touch and suppressed a cry of protest when he stepped away from her and smirked at her disproval. "You are a vampire Caroline…" Klaus told her pointedly, "don't hide from it…embrace it…enjoy it."

Caroline stared at him as he stared at her, her fists clenched at her sides. He watched the thought turning over in her mind as she debated her actions, weight shifting from side to side as she stood there. He could see the want in her eyes, the desire too. It thrilled him to see it burn there in the depths of her blackened eyes, her fangs peeking out just under her top lip as she stared at him with slightly parted lips. Caroline glared at him and snarled, her decision clearly being made as she flashed towards him, throwing all her body weight into him as she tackled him to the ground roughly.

If anyone was going to have a cold ass tonight it would not be her.

He drove her to do something unspeakable, he made her hurt someone and he scared the crap out of her too. She could have killed her own Mom tonight, it could have been her Mom's blood splattered all over the kitchen. Klaus was going to pay for what he did to her tonight, and she was going to enjoy it. He wanted her to give into her impulsions and she would. His hands grasped her hips painfully, claws digging into her the fabric of her sleep shirt as her core pressed down again his when she straddled him. Anger clouded her vision in red as she tore at his shirt and pressed her warm lips against his throat, tasting the blood that had strained there on his skin. Thankfully vampires did not get cold so the snow had no effect on them at all. Even if it did, she would not be the one freezing her ass off in the snow tonight.

He would not have the upper hand this time.

Klaus wasn't expecting such an onslaught of rage but he wasn't complaining either. Her beautiful body was pressed intimately against his and he couldn't help but roll his hips and earn a soft gasp of pleasure from her parted lips as she nipped at his throat, her fangs scrapping against his skin. He dug his claws into her hips and heard her hiss angrily, driving her nails into his shoulders painfully in response. The wolf in him responded to this, the need to dominate and mark his territory pressing violently against the walls of his control. His eyes darkened and then shined gold in the moonlight, his fangs extending as his hybrid side surfaced. Caroline didn't seem to notice this or even care for that matter as she tore at his skin with her nails and shredded what was left of his shirt.

She then started on his jeans and he tried to catch her hands in his but she fought him off, growling as she caught his wrists and held them down into the icy cold snow and then carefully pinned them with her knees so that she could use her hands to rip at his jeans. Something about the way her hair shimmered in the moonlight and her breasts pressed seductively through the material of her sleep shirt gave him pause in awe of this beautiful creature that writhed on top of him. It wasn't nearly enough though, he wanted her porcelain skin shining in the moonlight and he would have it. It didn't take much to rip the sleep shirt from her body, his claws shredding the material easily as he tossed it aside. Caroline howled in protest and glared down at him, having liked that particular sleep shirt. He made her forget her outrage easily, his hand cupping the back of her neck and pulling her down to him so that his tongue could plunder her mouth. She moaned into his mouth as she freed him from the confines of his jeans and shoved his jeans farther down his hips. Her fingers curled around the length of him and he nearly bit down on her lip in shock.

"Thousand year old…" Caroline groaned as she leaned back and raised herself up so she could pull her underwear off. When she had succeeded she slowly sank down onto him, his hand around his length as he guided himself into her.

"Still," Klaus said softly as Caroline lifted herself up and dropped down sharply, earning a gasp from him, "I look pretty good for my age."

"Shut up," Caroline snarled viciously and roughly bucked her hips again as she bent down to kiss him, her anger still burning under her skin. Klaus grunted at her harsh movements and raised his hips to match the rhythm, making Caroline gasp in pleasure and pain at the sensation. He dug his claws into her hips and took control of the situation, driving into her roughly. Caroline hissed her indignation and glared at him, determined to have control as she let her head fall back and allowed her golden hair to slide down her back, shining in the moonlight as she enjoyed the feel of him filling her, his body gliding in and out of her own.

"I think you forget who the alpha male is here love," he said darkly, his wolf watching her from behind his eyes that glowed gold in the dark. He flipped them over and Caroline gasped at the cold snow sliding up her back as he raised her hips up off of the ground. Caroline instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips and moaned as he drove into her, submitting to his dominance because the result had such delicious rewards. He kept up the rhythm until her mouth dropped open and she cried out, her body stiffening under his as she cried out his name and he groaned aloud, tilting his head back and closing his eyes while he filled her with his release, the pleasure of knowing that any other male around her would know instinctively that she was his.

They lay panting there in the snow for a few moments before he let her legs slide down his thighs and to the ground. Caroline sat up quickly, her anger forgotten but not the fact that she still ended up with her ass in the snow.

"Inside," he breathed aloud as he met her gaze and she understood and got to her feet. She had no time to react as Klaus caught her by the waist and flashed them towards her house, the speed in which he moved making her catch her breath in surprise.

She couldn't even move that fast.

They were in her room in a matter of seconds and as they stood there she could hear her Mom's steady breathing. Clearly her Mom had already gone to bed and thought Caroline was asleep too. It was then that Caroline noticed how dirty the two of them were. Klaus had turned away from her and was already peeling off his clothes and Caroline's eyes widened at the sight, her mouth agape.

"What are you doing?" Caroline said softly.

"Shower," he replied easily and walked naked and unashamed towards her bathroom. Caroline tore off the remaining bits of her clothes and followed him, determined to have the last word in this fight for dominance. If he thought for even a second that she was going to let him intimidate her he was in for a serious surprise.

Klaus smirked as she climbed into the hot shower with him and turned her around so he could wash her hair and back, Caroline unused to the feel of someone doing that for her. "I…" Caroline stammered but he only shushed her and continued his work. When the two of them were clean she went out into her room and dug out a fresh pair of underwear and a clean nightshirt. When she turned around Klaus was climbing into her bed naked.

"Uh…" Caroline said with an open mouth as Klaus turned off the lamp light and Caroline climbed into the other side of the bed.

"I'm not going home like this," he murmured against her shoulder as he pulled her close.

"I don't think my pajamas would fit you…" Caroline chuckled lightly.

"You tore up my clothes, it's only fit that you give me a place to sleep now," Klaus told her pointedly, "and I don't think your Mom would take too kindly to finding me naked on her couch downstairs in the morning."

When Caroline sighed and glanced over at the clock, considering just how long it would be before her Mom was even up and out of bed she blinked at the time and then looked back at Klaus, "Happy New Year Klaus…" she said softly.

He frowned and looked down at her and then at the clock, his eyes widening in surprise, "its New Year's Day isn't it?"

"Yes," Caroline said softly with a nod.

"Well then," Klaus chuckled lightly, "Happy New Year's love…and oh what a good year this is going to be."

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Joined 12-14-09, id: 2179264, Profile Updated: 11-24-10
Author has written 4 stories for Harry Potter.

Well hey there readers! Fancy seeing you lot here;) hahah well I do hope you enjoy my stories and have fun with reading them. Just so you know i'm a MAJOR Harry Potter nerd so here are some of my favorite quotes! :3 Oh, and Fred and George are my favorite characters! :3

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light. –Dumbledore

Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. ~ Arthur Weasley

Nothing like a nighttime stroll to give you ideas. ~ Mad-Eye Moody

No, I think I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up... It always does in the end. ~ Luna Lovegood

"My eyes aren't glistening with the ghosts of my past!"
- Harry

"You're a little scary sometimes, you know that. Brilliant. But scary."
- Ron

"What happened in the dungeon between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so naturally, the whole school knows."
- Dumbledore

"Can you believe our luck? Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back."
- Ron

"You know what, Harry? If he doesn't stop trying to save your life he's going to kill you."
- Ron

"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?"
- Ron

"Because that's what Hermione does. When in doubt, go to the library."
- Ron

"Right, Neville. First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"
"Professor Snape."
"Professor Snape... hmmm... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"
"Er, yes. But I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."
- Professor Lupin and Neville

"Bad news, Harry. I've just been to see Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt. She, er, got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch first. Honestly, the way she was yelling at me... you'd think I'd said something terrible?"
- Oliver Wood

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think, I think it might be us!"
- Hermione

"Oh I am glad I'm not on duty. I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating."
- Arthur Weasley

"Why do they have to move in packs? How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"
- Harry

"You prat Ron, look at the state of her!"
"Ginny, don't call Ron a prat, you're not the captain of this team—"
"Well, you seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should."
- Ginny Weasley and Harry

"It's very character-building stuff, learning to peel sprouts without magic, makes you appreciate how difficult it is for Muggles and Squibs."
- Mr. Weasley

"I can't see anyone trying to bump off a Quidditch team."
"Wood might've done the Slytherins if he could've got away with it."
- George and Fred

"People, let's try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That's a Basilisk, listeners. One simple test: check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it's safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that's still likely to be the last thing you ever do... The fact remains he can move faster then Severus Snape confronted with shampoo when he wants to."
- Fred

'Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've – you've blown up a toilet or –'
'Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet.'
'Great idea though, thanks, Mum.'
'It's not funny. And look after Ron.'
'Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us.'
'Shut up,' said Ron again. 'Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls.'
'We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat.'

'What's that? Said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.
'Blimey,' said the other twin. 'Are you –?'
'He is,' said the first twin. 'Aren't' you?' he added to Harry.
'What?' said Harry.
'Harry Potter,' chorused the twins.
'Oh, him,' said Harry, 'I mean, yes, I am.'

Weasley twins yelled, 'We got Potter! We got Potter!'

'Merry Christmas!'
'Hey, look – Harry's got a Weasley jumper, too!'
Fred and George were wearing blue jumpers, one with a large yellow F on it, the other with a large yellow G.
'Harry's is better than ours, though,' said Fred, holding up Harry's jumper. 'She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family.'
'Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?' George demanded. 'Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm.'
'I hate maroon,' Ron moaned half-heartedly as he pulled it over his head.
'You haven't got a letter on yours,' George observed, 'I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid – we know
we're called Gred and Forge.'

'Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly,' said Fred, 'and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast. Then Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car.'

Don't be thick,' said Fred. 'It'll take your head off.'

'This is all your fault,' George said angrily to Wood. '"Get the Snitch or die trying" – what a stupid thing to tell him!'

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, 'Make way for the heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through …'
Percy was deeply disapproving of this behaviour.
'It is not a laughing matter,' he said coldly.
'Oh, get out of the way, Percy,' said Fred, 'Harry's in a hurry.'
'Yeah, he's nipping off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant,' said George, chortling.

'We didn't give it to him because he was a Muggle!' said Fred indignantly.
'No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git,' said George.

'We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages, but we never thought they were actually making things,' said Ginny, 'we thought they just liked the noise.'

'Anyone can speak Troll,' said Fred dismissively, 'all you have to do is point and grunt.'

… It is my very great pleasure to inform your that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.'
'You're JOKING!' said Fred Weasley loudly.

'Git,' said Fred idly.

'What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?' said George indignantly…

No, "E",' George corrected her [Hermione, '"E" for "Exceeds Expectations". And I've always though Fred and I should've got "E" in everything, because we exceeded expectations just by turning up for the exams.'

'It's not my fault I didn't,' said Fred, with a very ugly look on his face, 'I would've pounded the little scumbag to a pulp if you three hadn't been holding me back.'

'Well, now –' said George.
'– what with Dumbledore gone –' said Fred.
'– we reckon a bit of mayhem –' said George.
'– is exactly what our new Head deserves,' said Fred.

'If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley –Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes,’ he said in a loud voice, 'Our new premises!'
'Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat," added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.

Sort: Category . Published . Updated . Title . Words . Chapters . Reviews . Status .

Baby Of Mine by samashhh reviews
She would be risking her life just for their child and as much as he'd grown close to the baby, it wasn't worth Hermione's life, not if it meant loosing her. DMHG
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 21 - Words: 58,571 - Reviews: 354 - Favs: 211 - Follows: 401 - Updated: 1/21 - Published: 6/24/2007 - Draco M., Hermione G.
Detention Sparked Romance by JacobSalvatoreBlack reviews
What if Dumbledore, and the other professors are plotting to get students from two enemy houses together? What if the students find that they can't get more than 10 feet away from each-other? Was this spell induced? Read this Dramione to find out! Plz
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance - Chapters: 44 - Words: 60,600 - Reviews: 566 - Favs: 251 - Follows: 245 - Updated: 3/11/2015 - Published: 2/7/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M.
One & One Make Two by Bre95 reviews
"You have a younger sister? Since when? How come we didn't know? Blaise I thought we were your best friends?" Parkinson asked a mile-a-minute with a trembling lip like she was going to cry because someone kept such valuable information from her.
Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Family/Romance - Chapters: 23 - Words: 36,351 - Reviews: 46 - Favs: 51 - Follows: 72 - Updated: 3/5/2014 - Published: 5/15/2011 - Draco M., OC
The Life Project by DominoTyler reviews
Due to coplaints from parents, the sixth and seventh year students are now taught a life class, starting with their Survival Project! They have a house, kids, bills to pay, things to buy...Lots of ships but mainly Draco/Hermione. Enjoy! Disclaimer's here!
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 21 - Words: 34,987 - Reviews: 304 - Favs: 374 - Follows: 170 - Updated: 5/31/2012 - Published: 7/7/2010 - Draco M., Hermione G. - Complete
I Just Want Your Kiss by Desperate For Attention reviews
It started as just kissing, just fooling around, no love, no affection, no ties. Just solid comfort in a distressed state of normality. Yet it developed into so much more than either of them could have even imagined possible. Harry/Draco Slash. Editing
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 21 - Words: 34,696 - Reviews: 232 - Favs: 370 - Follows: 168 - Updated: 11/29/2011 - Published: 7/14/2009 - Harry P., Draco M. - Complete
It Doesn't Get Much Stranger Than This by Radical.2 reviews
"You really like that cat, don't you?" "He's a fluffy little creature of superior cuteness and intellect," Hermione informed him. "I say he's a fluffy little creature that's plotting world domination as we sleep," Draco answered persistently. "Um...sure."
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Friendship - Chapters: 13 - Words: 10,453 - Reviews: 54 - Favs: 32 - Follows: 56 - Updated: 8/14/2011 - Published: 10/17/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M.
The Trials and Tribulations of a Wizarding War by Science-Fantasy93 reviews
Ron is bitten by Fenrir Greyback during a fight, and Draco joins the OOTP after his parents were killed by Voldemort. He joins Harry, Ginny, and Hermione on the hunt for the horcruxes. But could feelings-gasp-be developing between HG/DM? HG/DM HP/GW
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 26 - Words: 79,396 - Reviews: 165 - Favs: 76 - Follows: 111 - Updated: 4/29/2011 - Published: 11/10/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M.
Getting what i want by mistressluckless reviews
Malfoy wants Harry and Malfoys always get what they want. Don't they?
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 26 - Words: 38,642 - Reviews: 312 - Favs: 230 - Follows: 235 - Updated: 4/19/2011 - Published: 2/26/2006 - Draco M., Harry P. - Complete
My Wicked Godmother by Druella.Alicexx reviews
Hermione is just as surprised as anyone to find that Bellatrix LeStrange, notorious death eater, is in fact, her godmother. And who said anything about an arranged marriage with her worst enemy?
Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Romance/Humor - Chapters: 11 - Words: 29,500 - Reviews: 172 - Favs: 156 - Follows: 253 - Updated: 4/3/2011 - Published: 9/5/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M.
What the Room Requires by Alydia Rackham reviews
Hermione is the one who finds Draco weeping in the bathroom. He flees. She chases him into the Room of Requirement, and the room forces them to face their greatest fears together in order to find the door.
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 26 - Words: 111,821 - Reviews: 3270 - Favs: 4,306 - Follows: 1,076 - Updated: 2/10/2011 - Published: 12/5/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M. - Complete
Whispers in the dark by Desperate For Attention reviews
Harry's anger away and he crossed the small square of space quickly to envelop the blond in a tight embrace his lips pressing eagerly against the sobbing snake."Merlin, I missed you!" Harry panted. I just want your kiss Sequel
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 30 - Words: 83,482 - Reviews: 223 - Favs: 235 - Follows: 119 - Updated: 10/12/2010 - Published: 1/14/2010 - Harry P., Draco M. - Complete
An Unpleasant Situation by panneler-san reviews
He blackmailed her for himself. She stayed for him.
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Suspense - Chapters: 38 - Words: 57,405 - Reviews: 373 - Favs: 159 - Follows: 150 - Updated: 8/17/2010 - Published: 8/12/2009 - Draco M., Hermione G. - Complete
When I Look At You by NaTTyKiinz reviews
"You want to know a little secret?" he asked me. With my eyes still closed, I nodded. He leaned into my ear and whispered, "I believe I have finally fallen for you, hard." Full Summary Inside
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 25 - Words: 65,440 - Reviews: 410 - Favs: 382 - Follows: 181 - Updated: 8/10/2010 - Published: 1/10/2010 - Draco M., Hermione G. - Complete
Moonlit Love by ElizabethGraceLautner reviews
Elizabeth "Liz" has just moved back to Forks after 11 years and re-meets Jacob, they have some trouble and things change...will he comfort her?...will he love her? What will she discover? Rated M for future chapters...I promise!
Twilight - Rated: M - English - Romance/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 3 - Words: 5,718 - Reviews: 5 - Favs: 3 - Follows: 4 - Updated: 7/20/2010 - Published: 12/23/2009 - Jacob
Snow White and Her Prince Charming by Yanx's Pen reviews
The Muggle Studies Professor wishes to have the students act in the play: Snow white and Her Prince Charming. The twist is that all the magic in the fairytale really happens. When Hermione gets poisoned by the apple, who will her Prince Charming be?
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Mystery - Chapters: 28 - Words: 117,115 - Reviews: 625 - Favs: 601 - Follows: 262 - Updated: 7/17/2010 - Published: 11/23/2009 - Draco M., Hermione G. - Complete
Tis the Season for Miracles by Alexandria Silver reviews
Luna was friends with the Griffindors. That means nothing to do with Draco. A detention together in the dungeon and a Christmas invitation leads to unexplored feelings. This could be very Merry Christmas or not.
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 9 - Words: 7,590 - Reviews: 21 - Favs: 32 - Follows: 9 - Updated: 3/20/2010 - Published: 12/20/2009 - Draco M., Luna L. - Complete
The First Sunrise by Brooklynn Marie reviews
A Jacob and Renesmee story. Nessie and Jacob have stronger feelings for each other once Jacob tells her about imprinting, but then the Volturi come, explaining a prophecy that could put Nessie and Jacob's life in danger.
Twilight - Rated: T - English - Romance/Fantasy - Chapters: 25 - Words: 41,368 - Reviews: 121 - Favs: 100 - Follows: 25 - Updated: 3/17/2010 - Published: 12/7/2009 - Jacob, Renesmee C./Nessie - Complete
Friends Forever by hello.i'm.mia.black reviews
Hermione and Draco meet each other when they are ten. Follow them through their years at Hogwarts and see why they acted as they did.
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 13 - Words: 13,245 - Reviews: 59 - Favs: 104 - Follows: 45 - Updated: 2/7/2010 - Published: 12/5/2009 - Hermione G., Draco M. - Complete
Shaken by JanieEvangeline reviews
ON HIATUS! Margot is a young vampire who just wants a way out. Falling in love with Laurent, however, complicates things, and after being faced with what is right, what is wrong, and what is instinct, she must make the ultimate decision of her afterlife.
Twilight - Rated: T - English - Hurt/Comfort/Horror - Chapters: 2 - Words: 3,277 - Reviews: 1 - Favs: 1 - Updated: 1/21/2010 - Published: 1/1/2010
Equilibrium by aviddaydreamer reviews
Time is a funny thing. It heals, it changes, it solidifies, it separates. And sometimes, just sometimes, it offers second chances. Canon compliant until epilogue, set in 8th year. Rated M for language and future lemons. HG/SB, HP/GW etc.
Harry Potter - Rated: M - English - Romance - Chapters: 7 - Words: 19,084 - Reviews: 82 - Favs: 55 - Follows: 122 - Updated: 1/16/2010 - Published: 12/6/2009 - Hermione G., Sirius B.
Afternoon Sun by Silent.Strings reviews
Jacob moves to the same school as the Cullens, and he's just as popular as the rest of them. Now Nessie is face-to-face with an emotion she has never felt before- Jealousy. R&R!
Twilight - Rated: T - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 24 - Words: 41,184 - Reviews: 328 - Favs: 79 - Follows: 42 - Updated: 1/9/2010 - Published: 11/10/2009 - Jacob, Renesmee C./Nessie - Complete
The Girl who lived by Zakarie reviews
Hermione is the "Harry Potter" of the dark side. What will happen now when she found out? Will she tell anyone? And how long will she last without telling Draco off by telling him the truth about her being a Pureblood? D/Hr FIRST STORY EVER D: R&R
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,731 - Reviews: 6 - Favs: 13 - Follows: 15 - Published: 12/12/2009 - Hermione G., Draco M.
Sort: Category . Published . Updated . Title . Words . Chapters . Reviews . Status .

Tricksters reviews
She loved playing pranks with them, but her eyes were set on only one of them. He had an intense look in his bright blue eyes and Jessie knew something amazing was going to happen. Then, he kissed her, and not on the cheek this time.
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 20 - Words: 30,744 - Reviews: 33 - Favs: 27 - Follows: 20 - Updated: 4/2/2011 - Published: 11/14/2010 - Fred W., OC
Flying Foward reviews
Sequel to 'On the Other Hand! R&R please! this is part of books 5-6! Hermione become part of the DA and knows that Draco can't join. But will him joining the inquestial squad change him completely?
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance - Chapters: 7 - Words: 8,658 - Reviews: 13 - Favs: 18 - Follows: 29 - Updated: 2/11/2011 - Published: 7/1/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M.
On the other hand reviews
"Hm…This one could be many…Ravenclaw for her wit. Gryffindor for her bravery….or yes that's it! SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat yelled. Hermione was frozen as cheers erupted from the Slytherin table. Dramione! REVIEW! A little OOC...
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance - Chapters: 17 - Words: 37,437 - Reviews: 136 - Favs: 204 - Follows: 151 - Updated: 6/29/2010 - Published: 1/14/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M. - Complete
Tight Rope reviews
Can Hermione and Draco walk the tight rope between love and hate? Dramione oneshot
Harry Potter - Rated: T - English - Romance/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,693 - Reviews: 4 - Favs: 13 - Follows: 2 - Published: 1/4/2010 - Hermione G., Draco M. - Complete


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Amanda Ashley

USA (1963 - )

A pseudonym used by Madeline Baker

Amanda Ashleyis one of those rare birds--a California native. She's lived in Southern California her whole life and, except for the earthquakes, loves it. She shares a home with her husband, as well as a fluffy Pomeranian named Lady, a wild house sparrow she raised from a baby named Tweety, and a tortoise who remains nameless.

 Amanda and her alter ego, Madeline Baker, have written over 70 books and short stories. Not bad for someone who started writing just for the fun of it. Her books have made the New York Times Bestseller List, the USA Today Bestseller List, and the Waldenbooks Bestseller and Mass Market lists.

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39th convention offers a recharge

From the Editor's Notebook

January 27, 2014
by Chuck Hunt - Register Editor ( , Faribault County Register

It's time for my annual battery recharging and attitude adjustment retreat.

This week several staff members of the Faribault County Register including yours truly are headed to the Twin Cities for the annual Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention.

For one of the Register staffers, it is the very first newspaper convention she will ever have attended.

Not so for me.

It is my 39th and the 37th one I?have attended consecutively. So, as they say, "it's not my first rodeo."

And yet, I?am a piker when compared to my friend and fellow newspaperman, Chuck Warner, from Brownton. Last year he attended his 60th convention in a row.

In the years I?have gone to the MNA convention I?have met some interesting people while there. Vice Presidents Spiro Agnew, Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale, Garrison Keillor, Princess Sarah Ferguson, Sid Hartman, Senators Paul Wellstone, Amy Klobuchar, Rudy Boschwitz, Dave Durenberger and Mark Dayton, and governors Arne Carlson, Tim Pawlenty and Jesse Ventura.

Ventura holds a special place in my heart. At the January, 1999, convention, as president of the Minnesota Newspaper Association, it was my duty to introduce the governor as a guest speaker at the annual banquet.

Imagine, introducing the governor who did not like the press to a room full of 800 newspaper people.

It was very interesting, to say the least.

Over the years I have hosted some sessions at the convention and led others.

I have to admit, I enjoy the Minnesota Newspaper Association convention each and every year.

As the opening line of this column states, it is my time to meet with colleagues, discuss issues pertaining to the newspaper business and perhaps learn a thing or two.

I always feel a bit charged up after the convention, ready to go back to work and publish a better newspaper.

Last year was no exception. In fact, it was the epitome of coming back fired up.

The Register staff members who attended last year's convention also felt the same way.

So, we held a staff meeting and decided we would try and raise our efforts in producing the Faribault County Register to the next level.

I called it "ratcheting it up."

While I feel the Register has a long history of being a quality newspaper, we wanted to try and put a little more dazzle into it.

We have worked on our photo quality, types of stories and, in particular, our design.

This past year we have tried to use larger photos on the front page, used more color, created more photo cut outs (where the type wraps around parts of the pictures) and created more and more visual effects.

We wanted to be a little more "in your face" with our graphic design.

Perhaps you noticed it, even if it was just subconsciously.

Our efforts did not go unnoticed by the judges of the annual Better Newspaper Contest.

Each year, there are usually close to 4,000 entries in the contest. It is not the easiest task to win an award. Besides the sheer number of entries, the quality of those entries is usually top-notch.

The staff at the Register has been pretty excited since learning that this year we have seven state awards waiting for us at the convention.

The newspaper association staff is pretty tricky. They let us know we have won something, but not specifically the exact award.

However, they have given out enough hints that I believe both the news staff and the advertising staff each won a couple of awards, as did the entire staff as a whole.

That makes it special. After all, we are a team, and our efforts are definitely a team effort.

We will announce the awards in the next issue of the Register.

Being recognized by our peers for the work we do is always nice. No denying it.

But, winning awards is not the main reason we work so hard to put out the best newspaper we possibly can.

It is for you, our readers. Our goal every week is to bring you the best newspaper product we possibly can, so you will continue to want to read it each and every week.

If we receive a little extra recognition for our efforts, that is just a little sweet frosting on the cake.

Thanks for reading us.

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U.S. Attorney’s Office
Northern District of Ohio
(216) 622-3600
August 26, 2014

Toledo Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Prison for Human Trafficking

A Toledo man was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison sex trafficking involving a minor, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland Office.

Taurus Devault, 27, was sentenced to 224 months in prison by U.S. District Judge James Carr. Devault pleaded guilty last year to one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiring to use a facility of interstate commerce (i.e., the Internet and the telephone network) to promote a business enterprise involving prostitution.

Co-conspirator Duane Hill, 26 and also from Toledo, was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison earlier this year.

“These defendants made their profits using underage girls,” Dettelbach. “We will continue to work with our partners to prosecute human trafficking cases in all their many forms.”

“Protecting our nation’s children is one of the highest priorities in the FBI,” Anthony said. “No one should be able to pick up a phone or go online to purchase a child. People who traffic children for their own financial gain deserve—and are getting—the highest possible sentences the court can hand down."

Devault and Hill conspired together in 2012 to offer underage girls for sale on the website backpage.com to engage in commercial sex acts, according to court documents.

The investigating agency in this case is the Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force which consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Toledo, Ohio, Toledo Police Department, Perrysburg Township Police Department, Lima Police Department, Oregon Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Hurley.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.


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Reviews for Beth Adopts Jack
Juliette Grimm chapter 17 . 3/23/2013
That was good I want more I shall favorite it and I shall also check ur profile bcuz at the moment IM chuckling!
alexisrenee chapter 17 . 9/26/2012
LOL! This is pretty funny! I really love your writing style.
Taylor n Mia chapter 17 . 10/5/2009
GreatStoneFace chapter 13 . 9/30/2009
I have to agree with Jabber...but I will continue reading it.
The-Jabberwockee chapter 2 . 9/29/2009
Wow, here I was thinking that your opening was original and had a lot of potential. Did it HAVE to be a school for mages, which are the equivalent of wizards? I loved the comment about knocking teeth out, I loved the mildly detatced state of morning waking, but the kid himself was a little drab. He was more of a prop, I felt, than a character. I understand wanting to get the premise of the plot over with, but it's the most important building block for the rest of the story. If the kid's supposed to be a troubled teenager, then, for God's sake, give him the attitude that goes with it! And, really, "unpredictable events [that] translate out to power surges"? Can we say "Harry Potter rip off" in French? If you just change some ideas around and make your characters a bit more fleashed out, you could really have something here. If not, all you have is another "oo, mages and school-life equal fun"! story and, really, the world's had more than enough of that as it is.
Taylor n Mia chapter 10 . 9/28/2009
Taylor n Mia chapter 7 . 9/27/2009
bice, ilike
Taylor n Mia chapter 4 . 9/26/2009
bice, ilike


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Joined 09-02-08, id: 629221, Profile Updated: 09-05-08
Author has written 1 story for Mythology.

Welcome to the Pantheon of Gods

Here reside:

Aphrodite, Athena, Hera, Artemis, Demeter, Hestia, Ares, Apollo, Zeus, Hermes, Poseidon and Hephaestus

Hello, Mystery-Immortal speaking! This account combines the writing styles of: Dazzeling Diamond, Mystery-Immortal and Wings of Corrugated Irony (writers from

If you are into Greek mythology, and have seen the TV show "Class of the Titans" Feel free to check out DD and WoCI's combined account also:

They have a great Class of the Titans story up which combines classic CotT with a new and fresh character.

With this account the three of us would like to modernise Greek Mythology and throw some unsuspecting teens back into ancient greece. We don't want to reveal too much just yet... so let's leave it at that!

Hopefully there will be a first chapter soon!

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Stealing Echo by Lostinthenightrain reviews
Imagine being forced into a marriage? Crazy thought isn't it? Well guess what? I am. But it's not by my parents, or relatives. It's by my friend who is a nut... You see, I am set against it. But she is set ON IT! What Am I going to do? Removed
Fiction: Mythology - Rated: T - English - Humor/Romance - Chapters: 3 - Words: 913 - Reviews: 137 - Favs: 70 - Follows: 24 - Updated: 7/29/2013 - Published: 2/23/2008 - Complete
The Fall of Light by crz4greece reviews
Face me, young one." He said, gently, caressing through her strawberry curls with his old, feeble hands. The action made her sick and yet... even with his stench of death... he was not repulsing. "I would be a good husband," Hades/Persephone
Fiction: Mythology - Rated: T - English - Romance/Suspense - Chapters: 22 - Words: 50,226 - Reviews: 170 - Favs: 109 - Follows: 120 - Updated: 3/12/2011 - Published: 7/12/2008
The Age of Olympus
The Gods are in danger. The time has come when the prophecy needs to be fulfilled. The twelve need to be chosen. This is their story.
Fiction: Mythology - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 2 - Words: 5,910 - Favs: 1 - Follows: 3 - Updated: 9/20/2008 - Published: 9/5/2008