Topic: A Flash of Chaos

Elena · Date: 2013-08-16 11:56 EST

((Takes place the day after the events of To Catch a Rat and One Night.))

The fourth day of the Nicoletti trial dawned incongruously bright and warm. The big day; the day when Elena De Luca would take the stand and present her evidence to the jury. A day that promised to cause no end of headaches not only for the Nicoletti family itself, but for the New York Police Department, who were poised to put themselves between the opposing factions. This intention was complicated more than a little by the horde of journalists who had taken up residence on the steps of the courthouse, straining to be the first to catch a glimpse of the elusive Miss De Luca, or take the first picture, catch the first soundbite. It was a nightmare for all concerned, one that intensified as the car containing that star witness pulled up, and the court wasn't due to open for another half hour.

Desmond was already somewhere inside the courthouse, waiting for his star witness to arrive and going over the questions he planned to ask. He had arrived to a horde of press, shoving microphones and recorders in his face, asking questions they knew he couldn't answer - not only questions about Elena, but about his mysterious disappearance; about what he thought would be the repercussions of the trial. Would he be seeking to run for District Attorney' Was it true one of his own office had been arrested for attempted murder" Was he worried about the outcome of the trial" Had Miss De Luca been given a plea bargain in exchange for her testimony' Somehow Desmond had managed to ignore their questions as he made his way through the press junket to the courthouse, almost wishing he'd taken Jason's advice and accepted a police escort, but he wanted to show Nicoletti that he wasn't afraid of him, that he couldn't intimidate him that easily.

As for Detective Daly, he'd finally gone home to bed after seeing Miss De Luca safely into the care of the police escort. As much as it had irked him, he had to admit he was too exhausted to be of much use and might even be a liability. It was up to New York's finest - along with the help of GrangerGuild security - to keep Miss De Luca safe now until she could give her testimony to the court.

Unlike Desmond Granger, Elena hadn't been given an option when it came to a police escort. Not only that, but as well as the plainclothes cop riding in the front seat of the car, she also had to contend with the frankly enormous security guard Mataya had "borrowed" from GrangerGuild to keep an eye on her. As the car pulled up outside the courthouse, she glanced out of the window and paled, biting her lip hard. "There are so many people out there," she worried audibly, green eyes turning to Michael with blatant concern as both bodyguards got out to call the uniformed police over and begin making an attempt to clear the sidewalk so she could get out.

Michael gripped Elena's hand tightly, seeing the worry in her eyes, the paleness of her complexion. He felt as worried as she did, knowing they were going to have to maneuver their way through the horde of press before they reached the relative safety of the courthouse. "What the hell is the matter with them' They're like a swarm of locusts," he complained as he eyed the crowd of people just outside the car. "Why don't the cops herd them aside" They're a nuisance. Bunch of leeches," he muttered to himself.

"They're trying," Elena pointed out quietly, her skin white where she held his hand, tight enough to cause serious bloodflow problems. And it was true - a group of police were trying to push the crowd of reporters back, but it was obviously going to be a crush on the way into the courthouse. "Can't really blame them; it's a big deal, this case." And I'm a big part of it. Oh, holy crap. She let out a shaking breath, trying to steel herself to face the horde. At least she'd be able to sit quietly in the anteroom before she was called. Maybe she'd be able to restore some of her calm then. "I can't do this."

Michael turned to Elena, his annoyance at the press and the cops and the whole trial in general evaporating as he focused his attention on her. He tried to flex the fingers she was holding onto like a vice, though he didn't complain, his gaze softening on the woman at his side, recognizing her fear and apprehension. "Yes, you can, Elena. You have to." He was actually not in complete agreement with that statement. He'd almost suggested she blow off the trial and stay in Rhy'Din. Who'd know the difference, so long as she never stepped through a portal again, but he knew he couldn't ask that of her, and he knew she'd feel better once all of this was over. Sam Nicoletti deserved all the punishment he got, and he wasn't going to get it without Elena's testimony. "Elena, you don't want this guy hurting anyone else, do you?"

She sighed, looking down as she felt his hand move. "Oh, god, I'm sorry!" Her hand loosened abruptly, restoring the circulation to his fingers as she turned that fidgeting attention to her own hands, twisting them back and forth in her lap. "No, I don't want him hurting anyone else, I know I have to do this, but ....look at them! It's like a circus out there!" Not to mention the attempt on her life that hadn't actually been anywhere near success the night before.

"It's just the press," Michael told her reassuringly, or at least, attempting to be reassuring. "You've dealt with them before, right' They're annoying but harmless. They're just going to try and ask you questions they know you can't answer, and I'll be right there with you. I won't let anything happen to you, El. I promise." He offered her a warm smile and leaned close to brush a kiss against her cheek, reaching for one of those nervously-twitching hands. Though she didn't know it, he was just as nervous, just as anxious as she was, but she didn't need to know that. She needed calm reassurance, and he hoped he could give her that.

She closed her eyes as he kissed her cheek, resting her temple to his, deeply grateful that he was there with her. "I don't know what I'd do without you," she murmured to him, the wrap of her hands about his infinitely more gentle this time as she breathed him in, trying to surround herself with the ease and calm they'd both fought so hard to build together since he'd fallen into her bed months before.

"You'd survive," he replied, knowing he wasn't going to live forever, though he hoped he was going to be around a good long time. Their life together had hardly gotten started, and he had a feeling it wouldn't really begin until after the trial was over and Elena was truly free. "I'm not going anywhere, Elena," he reminded her, as he had multiple times in the past months. He truly believed that he had her to thank for saving his life, and he only hoped she understood how very grateful he was to have her back in his life again.

Elena · Date: 2013-08-16 11:57 EST

A faint smile colored her expression as she opened her eyes, the wild edge to her gaze smoothed away with the calm he had somehow imparted to her in those few moments. "Thank you." Her lips brushed his as a hand knocked on the window beside her, the signal that the crowd was as under control as it was going to get. Tension flooded through her once more, but this time it was under control. Elena De Luca was ready to face the music. "Time to go."

Michael glanced to the tap at the window and knew it was time for her to face the music, but he would be right there beside her, at least for as long as they let him and forever afterwards. He smiled warmly and kissed her cheek again. "You can do this, Elena. I believe in you," he told her softly before reaching for the door to let himself out first and hopefully clear the way and shield her from the crowd of press.

The noise hit them as soon as the door was open, a wild cacophony of jumbled voices, the grunt of people pushing each other back and forth, trying to get the best view, overlayed by the usual sounds of the city. There were even fans in that heaving mass of people, calling out her name excitedly, waving copies of Boston Nights at Michael, incongruously joyous amid the serious jostle of reporters and grim-faced police. Holding tightly to Michael's hand, Elena stepped out into the crush to begin that heart-stopping push toward the courthouse and the relative safety within.

This was the moment they'd been extensively prepared for, the most vulnerable few minutes they would have to endure. And unknown to anyone as yet, those moments were all the more dangerous for the purposeful shove of a man whose face was utterly forgettable through the crowd, each step bringing him closer and closer to the young actress as she was guided through the mass of clamoring people.

Michael took the lead, hand in hand, weaving their way slowly toward the courthouse, trying to avoid the microphones and the jumbled shouts of reporters as they asked their questions, doing his best to follow the small group of security that was trying to clear a path through the crowd. Once or twice he had to push someone out of the way, declining an autograph or a word with a reporter, his "Pardon Me's" and "Excuse Me's" falling mostly on deaf ears, his voice lost amid the cacophony of jumbled voices, all jostling for a look or a word. A flash blinded him momentarily as someone took a photograph that wasn't from a digital camera and he threw up a hand to shield his eyes. It was only a short walk from the street to the building, but it might as well be a thousand miles away.

Carefully coached for this, Elena didn't speak at all, enduring the push and tug with a ridiculous amount of calm indifference. But then, this was familiar. She'd been dealing with fans since she was a child, and though most of these people were only there to try and get a scoop on the court case, it was a familiar kind of chaos. Right up to the point where a wiry-looking man pushed right past the policeman directly in front of her, and thrust a hand toward her. Metal glinted, someone screamed, and all hell quite literally broke loose.

Michael was a man on a mission, his goal to get Elena safely to the courthouse - something it seemed the policemen and security were failing to do - or maybe they were just too busy dealing with the crowd. Michael heard the screams before he caught sight of the wiry-looking man - a man who looked so ordinary he blended easily with the crowd. He saw the man thrust a hand toward Elena and he pushed his way in front of her to shield her with his body, noticing the glint of metal too late.

"Michael!" Elena's scream cut through all the others, deafening in the sheer panicked fright that radiated from her as she saw the wicked-looking knife slice through cloth to bring blood blooming from her boyfriend's side. And yet that was all she saw. The security man her sister had hired wrapped her up in his arms, hoisting her off her feet as the police reacted just a moment too late, bundling the attacker to the floor in a hail of heavy bodies. All around them flashes went off, the clamor of voices quieting just enough to ensure that the news of what was happening ran through the pushing crowd. Elena's hand was ripped from Michael's as she was bodily carried through the shove and into the courtroom, yelling for him all the way.

Everything seemed to happen quickly after that and yet for Michael, life seemed to be moving in slow motion. He saw the flash of metal too late, followed by a sharp pain in his side and a warm, wet sticky sensation. He heard Elena scream his name, but then she was gone, snatched from his side by the security man, her head bobbing over the crowd, her voice growing fainter as he carried her farther away. For a moment, he thought the man was kidnapping her, but then he realized he was taking her to safety and he relaxed a little, sagging as the crowd pushed and shoved around him. The little wiry man had disappeared, tackled to the ground, as the world around him seemed to spin wildly and the edges of his vision grew dark.

"All right, everyone get back!" A loud voice suddenly made itself known, booming over the noise of the crowd. A gunshot, fired into the air, served to underline the point, and given that it came from the Police Commissioner, the order was obeyed by the mass of people crushed around them. "Get the EMTs here! Officer, control this crowd!"

As orders were handed out, Michael was aware of rights being read to the man who was imprisoned on the ground near him, the man who had tried to kill Elena and had very nearly succeeded, had it not been for Michael himself. Uniformed arms reached for the author, rough hands checking his side for the seriousness of the wound as a channel was pushed open in the crowd. "Sir" Sir, can you hear me" Can you walk?"

The voices seemed to pull Michael back from the brink of unconsciousness, and he touched his side where it felt sticky and wet, feeling almost as though he was strangely detached from the situation. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but it was nothing compared to some things he'd been through. There was a lot of blood, but he hoped it looked worse than it really was. "Ruined my best shirt," he muttered as if that was what was really important. He winced a little as someone reached for him and pushed his hands away to check his side. "Elena..." he murmured. "Where's Elena?"

Elena · Date: 2013-08-16 11:58 EST

"Ms De Luca is already inside, sir, she's safe," the voice nearest him answered, one strong arm wrapping about his shoulders to guide him decisively up the steps and into the courthouse. It was a good deal quieter inside, and only a matter of minutes until he was settled in an anteroom adjoining the courtroom itself, belatedly under guard as the EMT eased his shirt open to check the wound itself.

To his credit, Michael got inside by his own accord, with the EMT's help, his face pale and strained. "Tell her I'm okay," he muttered as he was settled in a chair. He didn't want her worrying about him when she needed to focus on her testimony. He wasn't even sure if he was allowed to pass word along to her or not, but it was important she know he was all right. He winced as the EMT opened his shirt, glancing down and feeling woozy for a moment at all the blood. It looked a lot worse than it was, but Michael was a writer, not a medical professional and to see that much blood and know it was his own was unsettling at best. "Is it bad?" he asked, his voice strained, thinking it looked bad.

The EMT, a reassuringly calm redhead with an engaging smile, glanced up from where she was gently cleaning the blood from the wound. "You got lucky," she assured him with a flash of that smile. "Looks like the blade got turned away by your ribs. I can glue and dress it here, unless you'd like to go to the hospital." The wound wasn't that deep; it showed itself in a smooth line across a couple of his ribs, the bleeding already slowing to an ooze. "Ms De Luca's lucky, too, from what I heard. You're a hero, dude."

Michael grimaced, tensing as she wiped the wound clean and he saw for himself that it looked worse than it was. His shirt was ruined, however, and he didn't have a spare handy. "I'm not a hero. I was just in the right place at the wrong time," he contradicted, realizing she had been the target and relieved she hadn't gotten hurt. "They get the guy?" he asked, half-remembering the face of the man who had been wrestled to the ground outside.

"Yeah, they got him," the EMT assured him, snapping her gloves off and switching them for a fresh pair as she set herself to open up a sterile dressing kit. "My colleague's checking him over - the cops were a little rough. Now ....you need any painkillers before I get started on this?"

"Not rough enough," Michael grumbled, angrily. Whoever the guy was, he had come a little too close to accomplishing his task. "I'm no hero. I'll take the drugs," he admitted, suddenly craving a drink to calm his jangled nerves. It was only a craving though, and he had come too far to turn back and give into that.

She nodded to him, turning to open up an IV catheter to insert into his arm before drawing up a mild analgesic. As she was doing this, there was a knock on the door, and a smartly-suited man came in, recognizable as a member of Desmond Granger's team from the D.A.'s office, a clean shirt lying over his arm. "Mr Donnelly, I'm Joseph Grimes, Mr Granger's legal assistant," he introduced himself, another calm reassuring presence in a world that had become a little too chaotic for everyone's liking. "How are you doing?"

Michael winced again as the EMT stuck his arm with a needle. He wasn't exactly being a baby about it, but he wasn't too happy about it either. His main concern, however, was Elena, and so long as she was okay, that was all that mattered. "It's going to scar, isn't it?" he asked, alluding to a certain amount of male vanity. He turned toward the knock at the door, hoping it was Elena, but knowing it wasn't. She was most likely too busy getting ready to give her testimony. "Just peachy," Michael replied, sarcastically. What did he expect' After all, he'd just been stabbed, or slashed, or something. "How's Elena?" he asked, realizing the man was from the D.A.'s office and might know the answer to that question.

The EMT chuckled as she injected Michael with the analgesic, snapping the cap on the venflon closed before turning her attention back to his injury. "Yeah, you're gonna have a war wound to wear with pride," she told him, subsiding as Joseph Grimes came further into the room.

The legal assistant sat himself down near Michael, laying the fresh shirt between them. "Physically, Ms De Luca is absolutely fine," he assured Michael. "Careening rather wildly between frantic concern over you and incandescent fury at Marcus Nicoletti, but aside from that, she's well. She is insisting on seeing you before the court opens, which we should be able to accommodate. I understand you intend to be in court, hence the fresh shirt. This judge is a little temperamental with anyone not dressed appropriately."

"You make it sound like that's a good thing," Michael complained, flinching just a little when the EMT touched him. He did his best to ignore her fussing and focus on the legal assistant. "That makes two of us," Michael said, regarding Elena's anger, though he was doing an amazing job of controlling his own simmering rage. "Don't I need to make a statement to the cops or something? You realize that son of a..." He paused a moment for a brief, "Ouch..." at the EMT's fussing before continuing. "That son of a bitch was hired by Nicoletti to silence Elena."

"Yes, Mr Donnelly, we have already ascertained as much," Grimes nodded obligingly, not bothering to point out that it was their job to find these things out promptly. "You will be joined shortly by a police officer who will take your statement of events, after which I'm sure you will be able to see Ms De Luca. When she chooses to leave, be it after her testimony or after the court is adjourned for the day, both you and she will be escorted from the building via the back way and taken to a fresh secure location. Your belongings are already being gathered for that move."

"The back way," Michael echoed, with a sour frown. "Might have been nice if we'd come in that way," he grumbled, but what was done was done. At least, Elena was all right. It was almost over. He hoped she would only have to spend one day testifying. Any more than one day might break her.

Elena · Date: 2013-08-16 11:59 EST

"Unfortunately, you had to come in through the front at least once," Grimes told him sternly. "The press needs to see Ms De Luca. However, the lapse in security is regrettable, and is being investigated as we speak. Commissioner Franklin is rather angry about it." He glanced to the EMT, who had finished gluing Michael's side back together and was pressing a padded dressing over it to keep it clean. "Are you ready to meet with the police?"

"Before or after I wash the blood from my hands and put on a clean shirt?" he asked, rather grumpily. He wasn't normally one to be in such a bad mood, but having someone take a slice out of your side did that to a guy. He glanced at his side where the EMT was busily dressing the wound. Elena wasn't going to like it, but at least they were both alive. Things could have been a lot worse.

Grimes frowned at the petulant response, rising to his feet. "I apologize for having to rush you, Mr Donnelly, but there is a rather important court case scheduled to begin within the hour, and I had thought you would prefer to be in the courtroom, rather than forced to wait outside because you haven't taken your seat at the right time."

"No need to get testy. I know what I have to do," Michael replied, refusing to be treated like a child, even if he was acting like one. God, I need a drink. No, I don't. I can do this. He carefully shrugged the shirt from his back, glad the EMT had given him something to take the edge off and wiped the blood from his hands on the now ruined shirt, before just as gingerly easing his arms into the fresh one.

The EMT snorted softly at the childish response to the adrenaline that was coming out of her patient, carefully smothering her smile as she packed up. "You're all done with me," she assured him. "Get that dressing checked in a couple of days by a qualified nurse, okay' It should be okay to leave open from then, but get a professional opinion on it."

A qualified nurse" He snorted at the thought. A healer was more the likely candidate but she couldn't know that. He frowned apologetically, realizing she was just doing her job. He had no reason to be angry with her; it was Nicoletti he was pissed at - both father and son. What he wouldn't give to give them both a punch in the face. "Sorry," he told the EMT, whose name he didn't even know. "I appreciate your help. Really. I'm just..." He shrugged as if his mood needed no explanation.

"Pissed off," the EMT supplied with a grin. "They'll let you see her as soon as you've given your statement, you know. Get it over with, that's what I'd do." She winked, and turned to Mr Grimes, who was watching this with quiet interest.

"Would you like a moment, Mr Donnelly, or should I invite the detective in?"

"No, I'm fine," Michael replied as he finished buttoning up his shirt. "Let's get this over with," he said, knowing if he wanted time to see Elena before she testified, even briefly, he was going to have to cooperate.

"As you wish." Grimes nodded to him, turning to escort the smiling EMT out. He was audible outside the door for a moment, after which a uniformed police officer knocked and entered, grim-faced and evidently not happy at all about having to begin a preliminary investigation when he was supposed to have been only on escort duty.

Michael wasted no time in giving the detective his side of the story. There wasn't much to tell really, and there had been so much confusion, he wasn't even sure of the details himself, but one thing he was certain of - the wiry-looking man had made a grab for Elena's wrist and had clearly meant her harm. Michael had just been fortunate or unfortunate enough to have gotten in his way. Did he want to press charges" Hell, yes, he wanted to press charges. There was no way that son of a bitch was getting off scot free.

When he was done, Joseph Grimes was waiting for him outside the anteroom to escort him to where Elena was being kept secluded from the milling people waiting to be let into the courtroom. "If you'll just come this way, Mr Donnelly, Ms De Luca is waiting for you."

By the time Michael was finished giving his statement to the detective, he was feeling a lot calmer, though that might have something to do with the pain reliever that was now flowing freely through his veins. It wasn't as numbing as a drink, but it would do. He followed the legal assistant, moving a little stiffly but not having any trouble keeping up with him.

It didn't take a genius to work out where Elena was. She was obviously behind the door guarded by two uniformed officers and the GrangerGuild security man, but it would have been obvious even without them. The rest of the De Lucas who had come to New York were close by, casting worried glances toward that antechamber every few minutes. Joseph Grimes nodded to the officers and opened the door, ushering Michael inside. Almost before the door was closed, Michael had an armful of Elena as she threw herself at him, hugging him close as relief spread through her. "Oh, thank God!"

He grunted as she launched herself at him, finding himself with a sudden armful of Elena. He winced a little as she hugged him close before pulling away to cup her face in his hands and take a closer look at her. "I'm fine, El. Just a scratch. Are you okay?" he asked, looking worried now that they were alone, if only for a few short minutes.

"I'm fine, I'm, I'm ....they wouldn't let me see you!" She looked as though she'd been crying, the release of shock and fright obvious as she looked into his eyes. "I've been so worried about you. What the hell did you do that for? He could have killed you!"

He brushed his thumbs against her cheeks, though her tears seemed to have already dried. "I didn't do anything! I just....I saw him reach for your hand, and I reacted. I didn't realize he had a knife until it was too late," he explained, though if he'd known, he still would have put himself between Elena and her attacker. He might have even acted sooner, risking his life for hers. "I'm fine, okay' Don't worry so much," he drew her against him and tucked her into his embrace.

Elena · Date: 2013-08-16 12:00 EST

"Don't worry so much"!" Her protests against his blas" dismissal of the fact that he had saved her life were muffled as he tucked her close into his arms, her own arms wrapping about him as tightly as she dared. She couldn't deny that it had been terrifying to see him bleeding, and yet here he was, upright and seemingly unharmed, telling her not to worry so much. It made the chaos out on the steps seem completely unreal. "I was so scared I'd lost you."

"You're never gonna lose me, Elena. I promise." Not so long as you still want me, he thought to himself, a little worried she'd come to her senses someday and realize she didn't love him anymore, but he said nothing of it. He still couldn't believe his good luck, and thought she could do much better than him, though he knew losing her would kill him. "I don't want you to worry about me, okay?" he said as he drew back again, forcing a strained smile to his face, which was a shade or two too pale, taking her hands in his. "You just worry about telling the truth. That's all you have to worry about. It'll all be over soon, and we can leave here and never worry about it again."

Looking up into his eyes, she could see the strain in his smile, brushing a kiss to his cheek as he took her hands in his. "I want to nail his balls to a speeding truck," she informed Michael succinctly, proving that if Nicoletti had wanted her scared, he'd failed badly. Elena was angry that her lover had come to harm because of a situation that revolved around her. Nothing Desmond Granger could have said would have prepared her better for her time in court than the throbbing fury that was just beneath the surface now she'd seen just how far Sam and his father were prepared to go to protect their right to kill at random.

That brought a chuckle from him, as painful as it might be. "That's my girl. Hang onto that anger as long as you can." Personally, he wanted to do worse than that to the bastard for what he'd done to Elena, but he had to trust the court and the lawyers and the jury to do their jobs and see that justice was done. "Your family's outside. They're all here to support you. I'm gonna be right there with them. We all love you, Elena, and we believe in you."

Hearing him chuckle seemed to help her to relax, the tip of her nose brushing his affectionately for a moment as her lips flickered toward a smile. "It's gonna be a long day," she warned him gently. "Are you going to be okay' They said you were hurt, but not too bad."

"I'm fine, Elena. Hardly a scratch." Okay, it was definitely more than that, but she didn't need to know that right now. She'd find out soon enough. "I'll be fine, promise." He'd give her the details later maybe. He'd have to find a nurse or a healer to change the dressing at some point anyway, but he'd worry about that later. Right now, all that was important was that she be in the right frame of mind to give her testimony to the best of her ability without losing it. "I'll be waiting for you when you're finished. Promise." He brushed a kiss against her cheek, hoping to reassure and encourage her.

She nodded, absorbing what he told her rather than dwelling on what she had seen outside. As his lips touched her cheek, she turned her head, catching his mouth in a soft kiss that thrummed with emotion. "I love you," she told him fervently. "No matter what you hear or what gets said, I love you. And I got a question I wanna ask, when all this is over. Okay?"

He arched a brow, not really surprised to hear her tell him she loved him, but a little surprised at the warning. After all she'd already told him, what could she possibly say that would make him think she didn't love him' But then she was asking him another question and the worry was pushed aside for now. "You wanna take me out for pizza afterwards? Sure, I'm up for that," he told her with a teasing smile.

She laughed at his tease, rolling her eyes. "Well, I figure I'd rather stay in and eat pizza off your bare *ss, but we'll see how I feel later," she countered affectionately. A last kiss was pressed to his lips as a knock on the door summoned Michael out of the anteroom. "Time for you to go, baby. I'll see you soon."

"You really don't want to eat it off my *ss, El," he remarked with a chuckle that left a stitch in his side, though he was pretty quick to hide the wince. He glanced at the door when he heard the knock, turning back to leave her with one last brief kiss. "Give 'em hell, Elena."

"That's the plan."

She watched as he left the room, left to her own devices for a good long time in the near dead silence of the anteroom all on her own. The only witness expected to be called today, she remained on her own for a full forty minutes while the court heard the recap of her involvement and the statement read by her counselor attesting to her good behavior over the past ten months. Time enough to think and reflect, time enough to calm herself down, to rehearse her statement, to brace herself for the direct- and cross-examinations that were coming. When her name was called and the door into the courtroom was opened, she was ready to face the music. He'd made her life hell. His father had tried to have her killed. His goons had hurt Michael. If it was the last thing she did, Elena De Luca was going to make damned sure that Samuel Nicoletti never took another breath of free air so long as he lived. It was time.

((Drama, drama, drama! Hope you're enjoying it - we certainly are! And, of course, huge, splendiferous thanks to Michael's player!))