You guys should really tell me if anyone seems out of character. I have trouble writing for Fairy Tail sometimes, and for Loke especially, since he's never had a really serious relationship in the series. I don't really count Lucy, because that's realllly one-sided. But seriously, tell me if he sounds like a cheesy loser, and I'll do my best to make him the smexy guy we all know he is~!

Loke's POV

Agony ripped through me as, yet again, the hefty axe Taurus swung at me sent me flying into a shopfront's door, which splintered and eventually gave under my weight, toppling me to the dusty floor with a thud. 

As you can see, I'd chosen Taurus out of her two options. From our past experience in the demon's den, I knew he hated me with a distinct passion, but he was also the least likely to recognize me if I managed to keep my hood up. Taurus was known for brawn, not brains.

There was also another reason I'd told her to summon the beefy bovine. Aquarius loathed Winter. Our past conversations had told me enough to understand that, because Winter had been so hell-bent on pulling her attention from Lucy, the water-bearing Spirit couldn't stand her. I'd had no doubt that if Aquarius had been called out, she would have turned on Winter instead of focusing her intention on me like the Celestial Spirit mage wished.

Still, I was beginning to wish that she'd had a less destructive Spirit with her.

"Who do yooooooouuuuu think you are?" Taurus taunted, twirling his axe around in stout fingers. "I'd never let someone hurt Miss Winter's perfect body!"

Raising my head (and ignoring the miserable moans currently bubbling at my lips) I spied Winter balling her hands into fists, shooting Taurus an unimpressed glare. Her eye was twitching quite spectacularly. So she hadn't really meant what'd she said earlier: She still wasn't able to stand Taurus' presence for extended periods of time. Meaning she had be forced into the dialogue.

And that meant I'd been right all along. This wasn't Winter.

I could bring her back. 

"Yo, Winter!" My voice was more a croak than a greeting, but it caught her attention nonetheless. I stumbled to my knees, then rose to my feet, all the while keeping my gaze locked with hers. She cocked her head, eyes glimmering with interest. This was all a game to her; she'd take any chance she could to find amusement in it. While it pained me to think that all of this was just a source of entertainment for it, if it meant she'd refrain from having Taurus rend my head from my shoulders, I'd take it. "You seem a little off today," I went on, taking a cautious step forward.

Taurus snorted contemptuously, but otherwise didn't react.

Winter's brow rose in question.

"Don't you remember?" I asked, allowing a charming smile to flicker to life across my lips, despite the fact that I felt more inclined to grimace than anything else at this point. "I promised to become your knight in shining armor. Do you think I'd let some petty game ruin our promise?"

Her lips parted, as though she wanted to release some bout of mocking laughter, but no sound left her. Her eyes dimmed in thought, her hand moving to cover her mouth. Something snaked through her gaze.

A memory.

(Flashback - because I apparently can't make a story without them)

I couldn't help but wince as I shifted Winter to a slightly more comfortable postion on my back.

Fighting demons was something I wouldn't be doing again. End of story. 

Winter, on the other hand, would probably jump at the chance if it meant earning a spot of glory for our beloved guild.

And seeing as how I wouldn't be letting her go alone anytime soon....

I sighed. They're probably start calling us something cheesy. Like the Demon-Hunting Duo of Fairy Tail. Oh well. It'll probably boost my popularity with the ladies again...

A muffled moan into my back broke me from my thoughts and a knot of guilt twisted my stomach. I knew how uncomfortable my flirtatious personality made Winter, but it wasn't a habit one could kick so easily. Well, actually, it was my personality, and that wasn't even more difficult to change, no matter how tempting your encouragement was.

My eyes drifted to the tuft of blonde hair snaked over my jacket. Her head rested limply on my shoulder, face turned into the crook of my next. Her warm breath fanned over me, blistering my skin. I swallowed thickly. 

There had never been a moment when I wanted to come clean to her more. She was a special girl, the first who'd ever managed to make my vault of secrets seem accessible in the three years sinced I'd joined Fairy Tail. She was also the first girl who made me flustered enough that I didn't immediately hit on her upon sight. Possibly that was because she didn't believe a word of what I said; she brushed it off as harmless flirting and merely grinned at me.

But she'd started to crack, after I'd been able to push past the fact that she was a Celestial Spirit mage and get close to her. Too close, as a matter of fact, as her recently crimson-flushed cheeks informed me. But she was cute when she was embarrassed, and it didn't happen very often, so I readily enjoyed teasing her. It wasn't as though she didn't do the same to me.

"Mm, Loke, you smell like shit."

I nearly tripped over thin air, only managing to right myself at the last second. I looked at her incredulously, barely taking in her bleary, blinking eyes, or the way she knuckled her nose as she yawned. She really was too adorable for her own good like this. "I think you meant to say that I smell like the man of your dreams. Unless the man of your dreams is a rancher. In which case, I'm flattered," I said, an amorous smile playing at my lips.

She laughed lightly, cinching her arms tighter around my neck, hugging my sides more snuggly with her knees. I felt my heart skitter. 

This should really be the other way around, I thought, slightly panicked. She's not even trying! 

"Funny, Loke, really funny," she murmured, a small, amused smile on her face. Her eyes studied my face as we hobbled back towards Fairy Tail. We'd both been treated by local doctors back at the beach town, but we were nowhere near optimal condition, which explained why I had the honor of carrying Winter. Even with my aches and pains demanding attention, I found she didn't weigh much and I could carry her with ease, though I noted we'd have to stop for rest in a few hours.

I truly did hate being a human right then. It made things so complicated. And they were annoyingly fragile.

"No, but really, you smeel gross. Too sweaty. Didn't you bathe at the doctor's?" she asked, lifting her head a bit to peer at me at something closer to eye level. I only turned my head a fraction to meet her inquisitive eyes.

"No, actually, I didn't get the chance to." At her look of horror, I chuckled and added, "You refused to let me join you in the shower, remember?"

Her face went scarlet at the memory, and she instantly returned her head to my shoulder, face now fully pressed to my neck. I was glad; she wouldn't be able to see the pink tinging my cheeks like this.

"You're a real bastard sometimes, ya know?" she mumbled, almost too incoherently for me to understand. Her tone was light despite bashfulness, and I grinned in response. "Always saying blunt stuff like that. One of these days, a girl is going to have a heart attack in front of you and you're going to get arrested for murder-by-sexiness."

Sexiness? I quirked a brow, but she didn't seem to realize what she'd said, or that I'd heard it, at least. She probably wouldn't have liked how much she stoked my ego with that one misplaced comment, so I kept it to myself and said, "What I say is always blunt but true. Keep that in mind."

"Pfft." She muffled her laughter by burying her face further in my neck. Cleary, she didn't believe me. The corners of my lips twiched. I couldn't tell if I wanted to smile or scowl though. 

We walked in silence for what felt like a few hours. Winter dozed, slipping in and out of consciousness. I kept a wary eye on the rumpled bandages wound around her head. The moment I saw even a speck of red mar the expanse of white, we'd be stopping so I could change them for her, whether she felt the need to or not.

"Loke..." 

I blinked, looking down at her. Winter was frowning, her eyes watching the ground gradually pass by below her. She puffed out a sigh, blowing her bangs from her eyes. Then she tipped her head to look at me. "I never really said thank you for trying to protect me back there. Now don't get me wrong," she rushed hurriedly to avoid hearing my reply, "I still think you were an asshole for trying to keep all of that thing's attention on you, but... You did it to help me, and I can't say I'm really mad at your for that. So, thanks, Loke. I'm glad Master made us partners for this job. I really, really am," she finished in a wide, sincere grin.

"No problem, Winter. I'd do it again a hundred times over if it meant keeping such a graceful beauty safe."

"And now that you've ruined the moment, I really wish I could raise my lead arms and smack the glasses off your face."

"Feisty as always, I see," I chuckled. Seeing her unamused pout, I hiked her up my back, jostling her from her comfortable position and making her bear her fangs at me momentarily before she settled down again, her arms still loosely ringed around my neck. I fixed my arms more securely beneath her knees. "Honestly, though, Winter," I said after a moment's pause, "I'm grateful we're partners, too. It never hurts to have a beautiful girl at your arm when you're facing the brink of death."

She lightly smacked the back of my head.

"Sorry, sorry," I apologized quickly, trying to ammend the situation. "Force of habit. But what I said is true. I've never had a job partner before; I've always preferred to work by myself. And I thought as soon as we finished this I wouldn't have to worry about you anymore."

I could almost imagine the distinct sound of her glittering Keys clinking against one another in the quiet night. For once, they didn't elicit a grimace or a wince from me, only an imperceptible sigh.

"But after all this..." I trailed off. Having unconsciously turned my head to her, I found myself staring at her. She looked enraptured, her gaze settled on my lips, as if drinking in every word I said. Then she seemed to shake herself out of it and flicked her eyes up to mine once again, a sheepish smile twinkling in her warm, brown orbs. She seemed to be trying to convey the message "Sorry, ignore me, I'm not really all there" which I found slightly ridiculous. She kept making claims about her lack of sanity, and (though relevent when talking about her abrupt recklessness) they were never really true.

An insane person just wouldn't act the way she did.

And what she was so invested in, I wasn't sure, but I liked having her undivided attention. "My point is, after all this" - I gestured vaguely at the scenery to incorporate our latest job - "I realized it's nice having someone to worry about all the time. Natsu's always saying how he fights better when his nakama are with him, but I.... haven't felt that way in a long time." I drew in a deep breath, lifting my face towards the night sky.

The stars were out, no hanging clouds to obscure them from view. A pang of guilt and shame hit my heart. Stars really were such pitiful creatures.

"So, I guess you're saying thanks too?"

"Huh?"

Winter snickered at my obliviousness. "I mean, you're saying that me being your partner for the job helped you remember some forgotten bonds, right? I'm not trying to sound all narcissistc and self-centered and shit; that's just what it sounded like to me."

"....You're right." Just before a triumphantly grinning Winter went back to her "beauty sleep", I squeezed her leg, bringing her focus sharply back to my face. "I wanted to say something else," I explained, not at all apologetic about the rather crude method of gaining her attention. She scowled bitterly but jutted out her chin in a way that said to go on. "I'm planning on becoming your knight in shining armor."

She snorted on impulse, to which I only smiled reassuringly. Realization dawned on her, and she looked at me incredulously, pulling herself farther up my back to place a clammy hand to my forehead, apparently checking to see if I was running a fever and babbling incoherent nonsense as a result. "I wouldn't joke about something like that," I told her, making her squeak, like she'd only just noticed what she'd been doing, and dropped back down into her original position.

"...You're serious?" She raised a brow questioningly.

"Very," I replied. "As much as you don't want to admit it, Winter, I think you need someone like that in your life. So, for as long as we're partners, I'll always be there to help the damsel in distress, to catch you when you fall." I was surprised how meaningful this promise felt, when it should have been achingly hollow. With so very little time left, I wasn't sure how I'd fulfill a promise like this sufficiently, but I'd give everything I had to do so.

And for the life of me, I really didn't want to admit why.

"You mean that?" she repeated.

The lack of sarcasm in her response kind of amazed me. She truly wanted to know the answer.

"Of course."

Then her head promptly hit my shoulder again and she went limp with her fatigue. 

I went back to staring at the stars, enjoying the warmth of Winter's body pressed to mine, the feeling of her breath tickling my neck. It had been something awkward and unwanted at first, but I'd become more accepting of it as we continued home. 

I felt my lips curve into a genuine smile. Maybe I could atone for my sins before my clock ran out after all.

(Flashback End)

Winter now cradled her head in her hands, her knees looking drastically weaker and very incapable of supporting her weight. Her lips quivered as she spoke. "I... I can't believe I actually forgot about something as corny as that..."

I leaned forward eagerly. That response had the real Winter in it. There was a crack in the wall that had been built up around her. Finally. "You know I meant every word," I said.

"Goddammit Loke!" 

She immediately clapped both hands over her mouth, her wide eyes shooting desperately to mine. Her fingers twitched, then parted, leaving just the right amount of space for her words to come out unmuffled. "I'm such a bitch."

"I've gotten used to it," I teased, ignoring the distrustful look Taurus from giving me as I took another step. 

Winter dropped her hands, settling both fists at her hips and scowling at me. "Because that's what every girl wants to hear, isn't it?"

"It's not like you're every girl," I countered.

"...Fair point."

Just when I thought I'd broken through, that Winter had snapped from her daze, she suddenly collapsed on her knees, a film sliding over her gaze.

"Winter!"

"Miss Winter!"

Taurus and I were equally helpless. He still looked like he wanted nothing more than to feel the blade of his axe digging into my spinal chord, though.

He was very possessive with his attractive contractors.

So much so, that when I tried to move to Winter's side, he barred my path, apparently still obeying her order that he "dismember me in the most fun way possible".

Oh how I wish I was paraphrasing that sentence.

"God, this freaking voice in my head is beginning to piss me off."

That was so very reassuring.

Winter flopped backwards, her arms thrown carelessly over her eyes. "He won't shut up," she continued, venting her frustrations in a frustrated sigh. "Just... gah. Dammit. He will not be quiet. Something about how I'm being a bitch for not playing with him, and how you, Loke, are detrimental to his plans. So I'm supposed to kill you."

I blinked incomprehensibly; Taurus hefted his axe onto his shoulder, grinning.

"But my head hurts way too damn much to do it myself, and I don't even know why I found this fun in the first place, so I'm just gonna let Taurus take care of this." She waved a dismissive hand at her Spirit, a signal.

He launched himself at me, swinging his axe wildly, blaring some horrendous battle cry, and I placed my hand at the ring circling my finger, a gale whipping up around me, tearing at my hair, my clothes, Taurus' lack of clothing.

That's when the lumbering Spirit crashed head-first into a BRICK wall.

"Loke! Winter!"

My winds died as Levy skidded to a stop beside me, her hands wrapped tightly around my arm, as though she needed steadying. I saw Winter raise her head from the corner of my eye, an amused eyebrow inching towards her hairline.

"Loke, what's going on?! Why is Winter's Spirit attacking you?" Levy's frantic gazed had shifted from my bemused form, to Taurus, dazed from slamming his head into what probably felt like bedrock, and finally landing on Winter, who'd since cracked a smile. "Winter?" Her voice rose in pitch, anxiously pleading to the blonde wizard for an answer.

Winter lazily tapped two fingers to her forehead in a mock-salute. "'Sup, Levy," was all she said in explanation.

"Something's wrong with Winter," I told the bluenette, gently prying her pricking fingers from the folds of my jacket sleeve. "She's..."

"There's a mark at the base of her throat."

"....What?"

Levy jumped up on tiptoes to grab my face with both petite hands and turn it to face Winter, who by now had pulled herself into a sitting position, her legs crossed, hands propping her up on either side. She regarded us with a disinterested frown, though she motioned to Taurus to take a break. He reluctantly let his axe fall, scraping it behind him as he took up the role of guard just beyond Winter's resting spot. 

I followed Levy's pointing finger to where Winter's weathered aviator goggles hung limply around her neck. I hadn't even noticed they'd fallen from their usual place holding back her hair. But - after much squinting and urging on Levy's part - I saw it.

A neon-green mark, stylized like a cat's penetrating eye, settled just between her collarbone. For the most part, it was hidden by her goggles and unnoticable unless you possessed Levy's fast-paced intelligence or Natsu's keen eyes.

"What... is that?" I questioned worriedly.

Levy didn't immediately answer, only countered with another question of her own: "Has Winter said anything... odd? Out of place?"

I gave Levy a crisp look: You have absolutely no idea.

"Loke!" she chastised, smacking my arm. "Think. Something specific she said that set alarm bells ringing in your mind."

I barely had to ponder the prompt. It clicked. "She said... there's a voice in her head. That he's upset with her for not playing with him or something."

Levy nodded in grim understanding, her eyes never leaving Winter's passive face; the changed mage was now tracking a fluttering butterfly above her head, some slow smile overtaking her face as it flapped higher and higher into the color-streaked sky. 

"Possession Magic." The term sounded bitter from Levy's lips, dipped in some forsaken knowledge she'd most likely read in one of her endless books. She shook her head, regretful and sad. "I'm not really fond of the magic, because it takes away a person's free will and.... turns them into that." He pointed at the naively grinning Winter, who'd yet to become bored with her butterfly. "We need to wake her up."

"Could we rub the mark off?" I wondered.

"I doubt we could get close enough with Taurus around to even try that," she sighed. She tapped her knuckles to her forehead, her face scrunched cutely in thought. "It would be better if we could... knock her out for the time being. I could probably work up a way to get rid of the mark if I had the time. No. I will work up a way to get rid of the mark. I just need her knocked out to do it."

"Because Taurus will disappear back to the Celestial Spirit World if Winter isn't conscious." I knew all too well about a Spirit's limited time in the human world.

Levy glanced at me, eyes narrowed. A gleam of suspicious had replaced some of her concern, but was still overshadowed by the thought of Winter's fate. "Alright." I dropped my hand from my ring and stepped away from Levy, gently moving her behind me. "Keep Taurus busy with your Solid Script for a little while; I'll try reasoning with Winter."

"Reasoning? Are you sure you can get through to her when she's like this? I could understand Lucy being able to, but..."

I did it already. It'll probably be harder this time around, but not impossible... "I can do it," I stated firmly.

Levy's taut face slackened, the weight of her fears sliding off like water off smooth skin. She smiled. "Sure thing, Loke, I'll keep him busy. Solid Script: Flower!" And with that, she threw out her hand and a blooming bouquet of vibrant flowers - twisted into the very word they represented - materialized at Taurus' eye-level. His slanted eyes shot wide in surprise, head cocking back as uproarous sneezes shook his entire over-muscled frame. He doubled over as more FLOWERs bloomed around him, each bringing another round of allergy-induced fits with them.

"Aw, that's no fun," Winter mumbled, her chin propped up on her fists as she stared at us. Taurus' well-being didn't even seem to concern her. "Taking away my Celestial Spirit. Low blow, Levy. You know how much these guys mean to me." A mocking smirk curled her pouting lips, and I felt my blood boiling with sudden, flaring rage.

Winter would want someone to slam their fist into her face for ever saying such disgraceful things about her Spirits. I would know; she'd ranted enough about how cruelly some Spirits were treated to me during the latter half of our venture home from Akane Beach. How she'd stumbled upon the topic in her foggy was forever beyond me.

The conversation had struck a very poignant chord with me, but I'd managed to keep myself from interjecting too obviously into her venting.

"Winter, this isn't you." I caught her gaze and used every charm in my possession to hold it. "You need to snap out of it, before you do something you regret." My hand wandered to my stomach, where pain still throbbed with a fatal staccato that jumped to my back whenever I made a wrong move. Her eyes followed my movements. "This isn't you."

"No," she agreed pleasantly, beaming, "it isn't. But isn't that the fun of it? Makes me more interesting, I think~!" She cast out her hand, sending a wall of FIRE for Levy and I; Levy instinctually tossed out a WATER to counter, and the resulting steam swamped over the street, curling around both out heads and ankles and completely sealing off our views of one another.

Levy's voice called out weakly from the fog: "Loke...!"

"What is..." My voice died on my lips as I heard the distinct sound of heavy footballs on the cobblestone streets, the swish of metal through air, the grunt of exertion I recognized without fail: Taurus had escaped his bonds.

I barrel-rolled out of the way as Taurus' monstrous axe buried itself in the road where I'd previously stood. I was up on my feet in an instant, sprinting away from where Levy huddled in the misty shadows that refused to dissipate with the waning sun. He came at me again, catching me off-guard with his swiftness, and pinned me to the ground, the cold, metal hilt of his axe held back only by my sturdy-soled sneakers. My legs were bent at an awkward angle, and, strained already from the beatings I'd taken already taken courtesy of the jealous cow, felt like they'd give at any moment.

"Loke!"

Levy. Not Winter this time.

Gritting my teeth, I summoned a coasting wind that swept the steam from what had become our battlefield, revealing a petrified Levy and a seemingly indifferent Winter, both of their gazes unblinking, unmoving from my current position.

"Come on, Winter!" I ground out, the hiss of words passing through my clenched teeth with difficulty. Taurus' unrelenting strength further dug my knees into my throbbing chest, but I held him at bay, if only for another moment. "It's a Possession! You would never do this! You're a Fairy! Fairies protect their nakama, not help them dig their graves!"

I wasn't even worried for myself; it was Levy and Winter who captured my anxious heart. If something happened to me and Winter wasn't the least bit fazed, she'd no doubt move to take out Levy as well. And then whatever had seized her mind would probably release her, wanting to see her reaction to killing her own comrades. 

I didn't want to make Winter go through that agony. I couldn't.

Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, dripping down my chin as my knees compressed my chest, most likely putting unneeded cracks in my bruised ribs. Still, I pressed on. "Get a hold of yourself already, Winter!"

She started to laugh. A snicker, a chuckle, then full-on guffawing, until she was rolling around on the ground, clutching her stomach and wiping tears from her eyes.

Levy gasped in horror.

I could do nothing more than stare.

"You... You think I care?" the blonde managed between intakes of much needed breaths. She rolled over onto her side, pinning me with her apathetic sneer. I felt the muscles in my calves slacken in surprise, and Taurus' blade inched closer. "A game always has losers, Loke. It's just your bad luck that you--"

My howl of agony ripped through her words with merciless claws; Taurus's strength was heartbeats from overpowering my own.

"Heh..." Something crossed Winter's features, turned her glowing skin pale, forced her eyes open to an unbearable extent. "Loke..." she breathed.

Black spots danced at the edges of my vision; convulsions racked my legs, signalling that they would be giving up in mere heartbeats. My ragged breathing was permeated by spastic coughing. More blood stained my jacket, coated my chin.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God...." Winter's voice turned more frantic with each repetition. I could barely make out her trembling form through my swimming eyes, but I saw enough. Her hands were pressed desperately to the sides of her head, her eyes squeezed shut, jaw clamped together so tightly that the quivering of her lips had all but ceased. "Freaking bastard!" she hissed. "What the hell are you making me do?!" 

This was it. My last chance. "Winter!" I choked out. "Summon... Lyra!"

She didn't question why I knew the name of her Spirit, why I knew she had her in her possession. She did as asked, shakily snatching for the Key at her hip and thrusting it, teeth scraping the air, to the side. "You... are so lucky it's Wednesday! Open, Gate of the Lyre!"

The familiar flash of light appeared, followed by a very bubbly harp-toting Spirit twirling into existence. Lyra. An adorable human-esque Spirit who loved nothing more than being summoned and spreading good feelings with her beloved harp. She smiled serenely upon seeing Winter, oblivious to her precarious position at first.

"Winter! I'm so, so, so glad you decided to summon me! What can I do for you?"

"Sing... a... lullaby!" I shouted.

Lyra's eyes shot to me, recognition and fear dawning in her dark orbs. "Is... is that you, L--"

"Just do it!"

"Listen to him, Lyra!" Winter broke in; by now Levy had reached her. The bluenette wrapped her slim arms around Winter, trying to quell her shaking. It didn't look to be doing any good. "Whatever the hell he wants, just do it! I... Goddammit! I'm freaking slipping again!"

Lyra, after a fleeting glance between us - Winter, trapped in her agony, and I, trapped beneath the unyielding Taurus who didn't seem to grasp the situation in the slightest - quickly set about plucking soft, soothing chords on her harp. 

Her blissfully melodic voice chirped in the air, bathing us all in her gentlest lullaby.

Mere seconds after she'd begun, Taurus' weight vanished, having been recalled to the Spirit World the moment Winter's flickering eyes drifted shut. Lyra, however, lingered a moment longer, holding my gave before she, too, disappeared.

She placed a slim fingers at her lips. "I won't tell, Leo," she mouthed.

And then she was gone.

All my pent-up breath exploded from me in a loaded sigh as I uncurled my legs, wrapping my arms around myself to somehow staunch the fire currently running rampant in my ribcage. I thought it would never be stifled at that moment.

But then, in my distressed writhing, I happened to turn on my side. My eyes slid over Winter, now fast-asleep, no flickering of the lids, no shaking in her limps or jerking movements. She was at peace.

And the pain subsided. Just like that.

Levy was already holding up her end of the bargain, gently removing Winter's goggles to better see her mark. She cast me a glance, to which I waved her off. She had better take care of Winter first. Nodding, she returned to her task, probing the green tattoo with tentative fingertips. 

I focused on breathing. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. It was as though I had to remind myself my lungs could still expand, my chest still rise and fall. Before I knew it, I'd already synced my breaths with Winter's. Her were less stinted, more even and deep, but we were synced nonetheless.

All that mattered was that her vivid smile now curved her lips. That was it. It was all I needed to drop any and all regrets from my back and relax. Winter was back.

I really am going to be screwed, though. This.... it only proves how far I've entangled myself in her life. When her life means infinitely more to me than my own... She's going to be my one regret, isn't she? And I thought I'd be able to leave without any of those calling me back...