Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Outlaw Star Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Bounty Hunters, Outlaws, Pirates and Princesses ❯ Sparks in the Air ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own these respective characters or settings. They belong to Pioneer, Sunrise/Bandi, and Fundimation.

Bounty Hunters, Outlaws, Princesses, and Pirates

Part Five: Danger Waiting

By: Elf

18 settled herself at her computer and immediately brought up their bank file. She blinked and glanced at the screen again. She typed rapidly and scratched her head. Cell be damned for a moment, she needed to know if they were in debt or not. She was pleasantly shocked to find themselves just as they had been before Heero had decided to go on a quest to find Duo Maxwell.

Then again, Heero planed everything perfectly. It was just when his plans failed was when he became reckless. Not suicidal, just reckless. Then there was the Duo guy.

She had to admit, he was damned cute. And she had noticed Hotaru looking at him and him looking at Hotaru. The girl needs someone to cuddle up with sometimes, 18 thought distantly, thinking for a moment about Krillin, at peace in the Grand Kai's palace with Marron, Gohan, and all of his friends. She sighed for a moment and thought about her formerly bald Zen Master. She remembered the fear in his dark eyes the first time he saw her, how he trembled as she beat Vegeta into a bloody pulp. Then the shock on his little, noseless face as she kissed that smooth forehead of his and told him, "Later."

She sighed softly to herself. That was a long time ago. Krillin had died of old age and Marron did as well. They both had lived their lives to the fullest and Krillin made 18 promise, even if she found a way, to never bring them back. Not even if there was a chance, her beloved Krillin and her baby girl were never coming back.

She'd been traveling around the galaxy, occasionally with her brother, for the next couple of hundred years before she finally met Heero Yuy and Hotaru Tomoe. At that point, Heero had just been waken from status from a mad scientist who had either forgotten about him or died and just received his implants. Distant and harsh, 18 automatically liked the boy. Besides, he needed someone other than Hotaru around to keep his cute ass out of trouble.

She liked his planning but didn't like how reckless he got when his plans failed or got changed. True, they made a good team. She'd look pretty while he was threatening then it turned out that she was the one to watch out for and not him. They made good money together and they didn't even have to travel off of Blue Haven, which was fine for Heero.

She sighed and tapped her fingers on the screen. Why didn't I just listen to you in the first place? 18 asked herself as she studied the screen. She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear and shut the computer off.

Then there was the problem of Cell. Vegeta was right to suspect that Cell was probably under the control of a higher power, but what could be powerful enough to control a monster like Cell? That was something that she didn't want to find out. She frowned as she spun around in her chair, trying to collect her thoughts. "And what does he think he can accomplish fighting Trunks and Vegeta?" she asked herself as she sat in the darkness.

******

They sat together, talking, Heero actually talking, about what they'd been doing for the past years. Heero wasn't all that surprised that Duo had taken up magic. Neither were the facts that he was sleeping with the King of Juri's ex lover and became the infamous pilot of a ship named the Shinigami. What was surprising in his friend was the appearance of the two Sayans and how much Duo had changed.

Duo was still quick witted and talkative, but there seemed to be something darker, quieter about the pilot. There was something about Duo that reminded him of Hotaru, or was it the other way around? Duo sat there, drinking his tea as they talked softly.

Duo stated, "I'm trying to figure out why Prof. G betrayed us like that. Why us? Why were we denied all of our lives only to start out in a fucked up place like this?"

"I'm starting to figure out what Professor G meant when he said that we'd awake when the times needed us," Heero replied thoughtfully. He had adjusted while Duo was the one who seemed out of his skin.

Duo smiled and looked like the old Duo again. He drawled, "Well, I guess you have a point there, buddy. Still, I'm wondering what has Vegeta's armor in a twists though."

Heero smiled behind his cup of tea. That was something that struck him as funny, Duo and the Two Sayans. He could see Vegeta carrying him into the Outlaw Star over one shoulder before dropping the braided pilot down. When Trunks asked of his father's methods, Vegeta only replied, "The boy is too stubborn to listen to reason so I dealt with him in the easiest way possible."

Then he liked Vegeta's methods of planning. Then, speaking of the Sayan, the compact man moved into the room as if he owned it, his expression and barring arrogant to the extreme. He asked, "So, what are you two talking about?"

"Guy stuff, human stuff. Stuff that doesn't concern the Sayan Prince . . ." Duo became thoughtful for a moment. It was a look that he gave right before he gave Wufei a really scathing insult. It was a look that Heero remembered well. Duo piped up, "How can you be the Prince if the King died? Doesn't that make you the king?"

Vegeta glared at him, power ripping through his endless black eyes. Heero shook his head to himself and thought, Almost the same old Duo. I forgot that he could do this. Vegeta snapped, "It's none of your concern, boy. I should have left you to die on your ship."

"Father, don't let Duo get to you. He's just seeing how upset he can get you before he has to go hide for his life," Trunks stated teasingly from the doorway.

Duo said, "Aw, but Trunks buddy, you make such a good hiding place."

Heero asked, "Does he do this a lot?"

"No," Duo and Trunks answered together. The two looked at each other and Duo cringed. "Okay, that was a little freaky," the former pilot stated as he backed away from the half Sayan.

Heero smiled again behind his cup. He said, "You actually think you can take on Vegeta?" Vegeta snorted at this but said nothing.

"No, but I know I can get my self the hell away before he finds me," Duo replied as he took another drink.

Heero thought to himself, Duo hasn't changed that much. He's hurting though. Trunks said, "Well, I'm saying Good Night and thank you, Heero." With that, he left the room, hovering slightly. Vegeta grunted his good byes and floated out of the room as well.

Heero asked, "Was there anyone left behind?"

Duo blinked at the question and sighed. "Yeah, Hilde," he answered sadly.

Heero vaguely remembered a small, pixie-like girl with close-cropped black hair and huge blue eyes wrapped up in bandages on Peacemillion. He remembered Duo rushing from the battle to fight the Vayeight and the Mercurius DOLLs to save the girl. He remembered how Duo wouldn't leave her side except to tell him that Relena was on Libra. He remembered a photo that Duo carried around in his wallet of himself and Hilde, holding each other and smiling for all the world with that perfect bliss that only love brought.

Heero didn't say anything. He had lost Relena, but he had accepted it as part of his life. Duo, on the other hand, couldn't separate himself that easily. He simply had too much heart.

He studied his friend. Duo sat there looking at his tea as if it would bring Hilde back. Duo went on, "I miss her you know. A lot. I miss looking at her, holding her, being inside of her. I miss her. And, dammit, it hurts." Then he sighed and said, "I guess I better follow my Sayan buddies to bed. I'm going to see Fred Lowe tomorrow."

"Why?" Heero asked curiously.

Duo shrugged and answered, "I want a new ship. We need to get transport somehow, you know." With that, he stood up and left Heero alone, flashing him a smile before he did though. Heero sat there in thought for a moment before he heard the soft clacking sounds of someone on his computer.

He stood up and walked into the office, expecting 18 to be doing ledger balances and instead seeing Hotaru sitting there. She was leaning across the keyboard, looking wistfully at Duo's image. She reached out and touched it, her fingers lingering on his lips.

He stood there for a moment, wondering if he should warn her or not. He had a distinct feeling that Duo had fell back into his womanizing ways again and did not want Hotaru getting hurt. Still, there was the way that they looked at each other, both people who had Death touch their life too much.

Maybe Duo was exactly what Hotaru needed and maybe Hotaru was exactly what Duo needed.

******

Hotaru remembered the first time that Heero had shown her the photo of Duo on his computer. She remembered the first time she looked on those huge, violet eyes from under a fall of that wonderful chestnut brown hair and saw that grin on his elfin features. She almost cried when Trunks brought Duo in, unconscious and slung over one shoulder, afraid, after all of this time of wishing and wanting, thinking that he was dead.

Then he looked at her. Simply looked at her. Their eyes met and everything fell apart. Serena had once told her that Darrien was her everything. She could look into his eyes and feel whole. And that's how Hotaru felt when she looked into Duo's eyes. Except he belonged to someone else.

Not exactly, but he did sleep with the infamous demon pirate Ryoko, who's own heart belonged to the crowned king of Juri, Tenchi Masaki.

They were using each other, but that was beyond the point. Or at least to Hotaru it was. Ryoko was beautiful, dangerous, exciting, and tough; all the things that Hotaru wasn't. She sighed as she shut the computer screen off. Brooding about him wasn't going to get her anywhere, she figured as she walked out of the control room.

******

"Yugi you said," Ryoko stated, crossing her arms.

Washu nodded and replied, "Yes, and a villain from both Trunks and Vegeta's past. Working together."

"To get rid of both of you?" Ryoko asked crossly.

Washu nodded cheerfully at her daughter. "Exactly! I'm thinking that some other force is in power here, and not them." She brought up her computer and started to type. Ryoko floated over to her and peered over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.

Washu didn't even look as she answered, "Scanning the universe and all available dimensions." She frowned as she found a reading. It couldn't be right. She typed it up and gulped. She whispered, "Oh no."

"What is it?" Ryoko asked.

Washu answered, "The whole galaxy is in peril and its defenders either are dead or scattered to the wind." Still, Washu had a plan forming in the back of her brain.

Ryoko poked her shoulder and asked, "Hey, Washu, what are you thinking?"

"This is going to take a lot of patience and timing, Ryoko, but I think we can pull this off," Washu said with a smile.

Ryoko crossed her arms and asked, "What?"

"First, we need the Dragonballs."

******

"You didn't lose my spell casting supplies, did you?" Duo snapped, pointing his finger at Vegeta.

Vegeta looked down at him and only smirked. Trunks sighed as he handed Duo the familar leather bag. Duo looked in it and saw all the candles, herbs, rabbits feet, his Book of Shadows, and crystals that he kept. He clutched the black bag to his chest and sighed. It felt good just holding his magic supplies.

Vegeta asked, "What are you going to do with those?"

Duo ignored him as he walked back into his room. He placed the candles in a circle and sat down in the center of it. He commanded, "Lights off." The room was blanketed in darkness.

Duo always had good night vision. Always. He liked the darkness. He liked the shadows, and he loved them even more when he became a witch.

"Fire," he whispered and the candles lit themselves automatically with a slight spilling of power. He closed his eyes and began to hum softly. He was meditating, gathering his energy and focusing it. As he did every time something earthshattering happened.

******

Heero knocked lightly on Duo's door to tell him that breakfast was ready. 18 had ordered a truckload of food explaining due to their high energy levels. Sayans ate a lot. He thought that all the food she ordered was a waist. Not even Duo ate that much on a binge.

He knocked again and stated, "Breakfast." Ever since he knew Duo Maxwell, Heero knew that Duo would not miss a meal. Sex and food were what Duo thought about when business wasn't at hand. Now, when a battle needed to be won or a mission had to be preformed, he did it efficiently and quickly. And he was the street rat without any sort of training at all, just natural born talent.

Again, there was no answer. He pressed his ear to the door and expected the heavy strains of Metalica or Led Zeplin, but found only silence. Worried, because Duo wasn't a heavy sleeper, he kicked down the door and had his pistol ready.

He grunted in surprise, almost a sharp cry, when he saw Duo floating Lotus style in a circle of black, lit candles surrounded by a dark violet aura. Duo's eyes flew open, glowing like twin pools of violet flame, and with a startled, "Shit!" he fell to the ground in a tangle of hair, limbs, and candles. "Aw, fuck, Heero! You could of warned me before you did that!" he snapped as he rubbed his behind.

"Man, oww, my ass. Dammit, my ass!" Duo cursed as he rubbed his rump.

Heero blinked in surprise and managed to ask, "You were floating?"

"Yeah, I sometimes do that while meditating," Duo replied sarcastically as he kept rubbing his sore bum. "Dammit, there's gonna be this huge bruise on my ass now, Heero."

Heero blinked and stated, "But you were floating. Can you fly? Like the Sayans or 18?"

"Fuck no. That's energy and power that I haven't figured out how to grasp yet. All I can do is float, but that's only while in deep meditation," Duo answered as he stood up, looking at his rump again.

Heero asked, "Do you do that often?"

"Only when some really nasty shit hits the fan or when I'm . . ." he froze and took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders, "remembering things or hurting. Seeing you alive and well again really threw me for a loop, buddy. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that you're alive, talking in a monotone, and giving my crew a place to stay, but it was kind of a shock seeing you alive and well."

Heero looked up at Duo, realizing that his friend was a good three inches taller and a foot broader then when they last met. He stated, "18 ordered a huge breakfast this morning. I came up to tell you that."

"Are Trunks and Vegeta there yet?" Duo asked, the glowing look gone from his eyes and looking very much like the Duo Maxwell he knew.

Heero nodded and answered, "Trunks was almost there when I came up here."

"Fuck, Heero, have you ever seen a Sayan eat?" Duo asked as he sprang out of his quarters. At Heero's confused expression, Duo snapped, "They don't eat. They inhale. We better get down there quick if we want anything." Then he ran off toward the kitchen.

Heero followed him, making sure not to use his limbs to the full extent. If he did, he could have left Duo in the dust. They ran into the kitchen, Hotaru was already sitting there, eating some toast and drinking a cup of tea and Trunks and Vegeta were there, waiting for 18 to hand out the food.

"Now, dammit woman, we don't have all fucking day!" Vegeta demanded as he gestured at the food.

Duo sprang into the seat beside Trunks and Heero took the empty one beside Duo. Trunks said, "Come on 18, we're really hungry!"

The blond android stated, "I'm not here to serve you, you can get up and get your own damn food!" With that, she sat down.

"Bloody hell!" Vegeta snapped as he stood up, pointing his palm at her.

Hotaru finished her toast and placed her dishes in the sink. She cleared her throat and said, "I don't mind, really I don't."

"Just make sure that Heero and Duo get their food first, if not they won't get any," 18 warned as Hotaru started dishing out rice, Heero's personal favorite breakfast food. Heero took his chopsticks and started to slowly eat. Duo tore into his with a fork, but Vegeta and Trunks didn't even use any utensils; they simply inhaled the food like Duo described.

Hotaru and Heero watched, stunned, as Vegeta and Trunks held out their plates.

"More please," Trunks stated.

"More, serving girl!" Vegeta snapped.

Hotaru dished up more food and they inhaled it even more quickly than before. Duo looked over at Trunks and said, "Okay, race?"

"You never win, Duo," Trunks stated with a grin as they lifted their full plates to their lips. Heero blinked and looked at Hotaru. She shrugged and watched Duo and Trunks. Vegeta kept inhaling even more food.

"One," Duo chanted.

"Two," Trunks stated.

"Three! Eat!" they cried together as they started to feed. Heero blinked. He remembered Duo eating a lot of food quickly, but not like this. The two fed, not ate, but fed. The food was whisked away, shoveled into the two hungry mouths. Trunks finished first and claimed, "Done!"

"Dammit!" Duo snapped as he placed his plate down. Vegeta ignored them both and reached for the pot of rice. He took the lid off, grumbled something about not feeding him correctly, and swallowed the contents of the pot.

He placed it down and started to work on the cold cereal that 18 had bought. Duo finished up his last bit of food as Trunks started to inhale food again, almost as fast as Vegeta. Heero could only watch, horrified, like looking at a mobile suit battle, he figured as he watched the Sayan family eat.

Hotaru asked, "Do they breathe?"

Duo chuckled and answered, "Not when there's food involved, Dragonfly. Sayans have a much higher metabolism than we do and require much more food." He pointed and said, "Hense the inhaling."

Heero looked at Hotaru's face, the lost, yet hopeful look that appeared in her huge, dark violet eyes. He knew very well that her name meant dragonfly, but it was the first time that anyone had ever called her that. Duo watched her as well, the same look mirrored in his eyes. Heero either wanted to snap his fingers and snap them out of it or get up and leave them alone.

Trunks broke the silence between mouthfuls of food, "Hey, Duo, aren't you going to try to find a ship today?"

Duo blinked, drawn out of whatever private world that he and Hotaru had slipped into. "Uh, yeah," Duo finally said, facing the lavender haired Sayan.

Vegeta wiped a bit of soy sauce from his chin and threatened, "Pick a good one, Maxwell."

Duo stood up and placed his own dishes into the sink. He crossed his arms with that familiar smirk and stated, "Listen, Vegeta, I know a hell of a lot more about ships than you do."

"I refuse to travel in a space slug," Vegeta snapped.

Trunks' eyes grew wide as he stood up. He said, "Dad, Duo, please don't."

"Vegeta would blast me into nothingness. I know," Duo said grimly as he glared at the Sayan prince, "But he won't."

Vegeta froze at the truth of the statement and 18 chuckled, "Being possessed really changed you, Vegeta. Sure, everyone else fears you, but isn't it funny that a simple magician doesn't?"

"Witch," Duo stated.

"What?" 18 asked.

Duo answered, "Witch. I'm a witch. Nothing more, nothing less. Not a magician. That fool Babidi was a magician. I'm a witch."

Vegeta snorted, "What's the difference?"

"Where the power comes from," Duo answered with a smirk as he began to walk out of the room.

18 looked at both Trunks and Heero as she asked, "Is your friend always like that?"

"Yeah," the two males answered.

******

Wicked Lady walked along the busy streets of Blue Haven, trying to look for a girl that would suit Nine's needs. She tossed her long, pink tresses from her face as she observed every female around her. Her boot heals clacked on the pavement like tiny knives as she continued her hunt.

Standing in front of one fashion store was a trio of young women. The oldest was tall, willowy with her long raven hair pulled up in a high pony tail dressed in a white kimono that matched her pale skin. Beside her was a young Katarl-Katarl, her long tawny hair pulled back in a ritual braid from her tan fur. The third one was what caught Lady's attention.

She was waif like, like Hotaru. She had unruly dark hair and huge brown eyes. She had a sweet, pretty face and long, elegant fingers. She lacked the knowledge that the oldest one had in her eyes and the wildness in the Katarl-Kartal's.

Lady smiled and straitened out her shoulders. Nine would have her body very soon. Except Hotaru Tomoe walked right past them. As if she had sensed her, The Princess of Saturn whirled around to look for the threat. Wicked Lady had placed up an illusion around herself, blocking her from Hotaru's sight. The black clad girl's dark violet eyes narrowed as she looked around.

"Is something wrong, Hotaru?" the girl who had caught Lady's eye asked.

Hotaru looked around, her black hair, much longer in this carnation, swung around her face. She answered, "Something seemed off for a minute. I couldn't understand it, really, but it felt startlingly familiar, but yet like nothing I've felt before."

"Woah, weird vibes?" the Kartal-Kartal asked.

Hotaru nodded, tucking strands of her night dark hair behind her ears. The eldest asked, "Are you in any danger?"

Hotaru smiled thoughtfully and answered, "Few things in this universe can harm me, Suzuka, but thank you for asking."

"Do you want an escort?" the other girl asked.

Wicked Lady watched as Hotaru shook her head once again. A happy look crossed on her face as she answered, "Actually, I'm looking for someone."

"A guy?" the Kartal-Kartal asked teasingly, nudging Hotaru.

A rosy tint passed over Hotaru's pale cheeks for a moment. She answered, "Perhaps. Well, I've gotta go find them. Nice seeing you again."

Wicked Lady smiled. Hurting Hotaru was part of their plan . . .

******

Duo Maxwell didn't have anything against gay men. In fact, one of his best friends had been gay. He just had a thing against gay men blatantly making passes at him.

A thousand painful things, only half of them had anything to do with magic, that he could do to Fred Lowe flashed through his mind. Fred asked, "So, Duo, are you and Trunks an item?"

"No," Duo snarled, trying to keep his temper in at a close rein, but miserably failing.

Fred smiled and tossed his dark hair from his face. He said, "So, do you think you'd be interested in . . ."

"I'm fucking Ryoko the Space Demon, or at least was," Duo stated, enjoying the crestfallen look on Fred's face. He had called Ryoko right before coming to Lowe enterprises to tell her that he had found someone else. Ryoko had smiled at that and wished him good luck, seeming to be preoccupied by something else. Ry-oh-ki cried a little bit and licked the screen before Ryoko said good bye.

Fred asked, "But you two are not together, are you?"

"No, but you're not my type, Fred. I like my girlfriends lacking a dick," Duo answered blatantly with a wicked smile. Okay, I may have lost my ship from Lowe Enterprises, but there's always Capsule Corp. With that and a cheerful wave and grin, he walked out of Fred's office.

He paused at a pay phone and slipped a Wong in it. Vegeta's face showed up and he bellowed, "Did you get the ship?"

"No, I just told a gay man off who kept making plays at me," Duo answered, "There are lows that I won't even go."

Vegeta smirked at that and asked, "Still, we have no ship. What do you plan to do about it?"

"Your son, the other one," Duo answered as he crossed his arms.

A look of regret passed Vegeta's eyes as he looked at Duo. He looked down and stated, "But he hates me with good reason. I was so angry at him for so long."

"Hey, atonement is a long, winding road, buddy," Duo replied, understanding where Vegeta was coming from, "And being a natural bad ass doesn't help much."

Vegeta smirked and chuckled, "Still, are you going to get us a ship or not?"

Duo was about to answer when he saw the lovely 18 and Trunks glaring at each other. 18 shouted, "Get it through your thick, Sayan head, Trunks, I am not the android who destroyed your world!"

"You're still one of them," Trunks snapped, "I don't trust you with my dirty laundry, let alone my best friend's life!"

18 snapped, "I don't want to hurt Duo. I didn't kill Gohan. I did nothing to you! And yet you still believe me to be this monster."

Duo sighed and asked, "Those two still at it?"

"It's none of my concern. The android is a small problem, if one at all, Duo. Just get the ship and return quickly," Vegeta commanded.

Duo gave him a mock salute which Vegeta glared at. He stated, "Yes your majesty." Then he cut the connection, grinning to himself.

His eyes widened when he saw the giant, green insectoid monster looking down at him with those soulless pink eyes. Cell smirked and stated, "Ah, the little magic user who cast that simple curse on me."

Duo groaned, "Great, the Green Fucker. What do you want?"

"To kill you. To see Trunks mourn your loss," Cell answered, "And to make you pay for what you did to me."

Duo smirked and placed his hands in front of him. He stated, "Easer said than done, Green Fucker." With that, he built an energy shield around himself, surrounding him like a dark violet flame.

Cell lifted his hand up and a dark crimson disk of energy formed there. He launched it at Duo. Duo grit his teeth and braced himself. If the spell had worked correctly the attack, no matter how powerful, should bounce off of him and go directly back to Cell. The bladed energy did bounce off of him, tearing slightly into his shirt, before twisting back to Cell.

Cell jumped out of the way and caught the attack with a smile. "Interesting, child, but, can you stop this?" He flew up and placed his hands together, "Scatter Shot!" The brilliant orbs of golden energy bounced harmlessly off of Duo and found themselves back to Cell.

Duo chuckled and said, "Nice try, GF, but no cigar."

"We'll see about that," Cell stated as he pointed his finger at Duo. Duo chuckled and stood his ground. Then Cell pointed beyond Duo, into the building behind him. "Gallic Gun," Cell stated calmly as the power, much more intense than all the other attacks, shattered the building. Cell floated out of the way of the crumbling rubble and Duo tried to dive away.

He covered his head and expected to be buried in rubble. He looked up to see Hotaru standing in front of him, dressed in what looked to be a white sailor suit burgundy trim and a dark purple skirt. She held out a strange, curved weapon, not that much different from a scythe, in her hands that seemed to keep the building from crumpling. Sweat beaded down her face as she concentrated to help the people fleeing for their lives.

"Hotaru?" he asked, squinting.

She looked down at him, a golden tiara sparkling in the raven mass of her hair. She answered, "Sailor Saturn, but yes, I am Hotaru." She held up her gloved hand and Duo took it. She pulled him to his feet and twirled her weapon.

"Ah, you must be Sailor Saturn, I've heard much about you," Cell stated hungrily.

Hotaru smiled and said, "I do not fear you, Cell."

"Ah, but you and the Sayans are wondering what brought me back. What made me attack them even though I know that they're immortal, correct?" Cell asked.

Hotaru frowned and Duo snapped, "I don't care who's genes you're made of, bastard, but you're not gonna hurt my friends."

Something white and extremely strong wrapped around his neck and lifted him off the ground. Duo failed and choked as he tried to beat the thing off of him. He realized he was being held by a white tail. The appendage moved to reflect dark crimson eyes glowing in a white, doll face.

"We're going to hurt you, my young magical friend," the creature known as Freeza purred.

To Be Continued!

Don't you hate cliffhangers? And especially when the next one is going to be so far away? Sorry, but due to work and commitments due to a zine that I'm currently published in it's going to take a while to get the next chapter out.

Well, if I had some encouragement I'd write faster though . . .