New fanfic: Shades of Gray #10

I'm embarrassed to say that it's been six months since I put up #9.  I didn't realize how far behind I'd fallen until a few weeks ago, as I was sending SoG#10 out to a fellow Hex-nut for review.  I'll be honest, this one was a toughie for me, mainly because I had so much to explain within the context of the story, yet still have it make sense to both myself and you folks out there in Internet-land.  Anyhow, give it a whirl, let me know what you think, and I"ll try not to make you wait another six months for #11.