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I like the idea of Wade, JJ, Riley and Tiffany in Boston. I can also Matt in Chicago. Stef's old school.

The Die as Cast. It seems that Matt still doesn't get it. That is sad. The longer it goes on with Matt, the worse and harder it will be for him to reconcial with Wade. Is it the point of no return? On the Will and ach front, Everyone is looking for the evil Zach to appear. Is there an evil Zach or is he how he appears now? Things seem tense and something will blow soon. It is like living waiting for Vesusus to expload ( Matt) or maybe impload. We can only hope that the GMC and Escorial are still standing.

Congrats. High School sweethearts? I am sure there are a lot of reasons for the 35 years.

That's why Will loved the cooks. If you got someone to cook for you, why cook yourself.

Rape and abuse are awful things. I would not wish them on anyone. Many times it takes years for all these things to come out and much longer for them to be dealt with. When the kidnapping and rape happen to Will, I thought it odd that the family did not get help for Will. Rather than going to Rome as they did I would have thought they would have gone home and got Will help. Maybe some of his later actions would have been less dramatic if they had. As for B1ue and his sad past, I hope he has gotten the help he needed.

Thank you Dave and Kitt. Dave just said something that rung so true. I see what Will can became too. JP sees it. I think that Brad sees it. Will can became an outstanding person. We see that Wade is on the edge of that. Give Will a few years and he maybe as good as Wade and maybe even better. I try always to look for the good in people, some look for the faults. I see the world getting better not worse. Still not perfect but much more open and accepting.

Sorry for saying this, but I wonder, really wonder, how prefect are these people who put down Will? How many of them had been kidnapped and raped? How many of them had the person who was hired to protect them attack and abuse them? None of this up to that time without any mental or physical help. All this, all this before the age of 15. It is easy to condem Will and his actions without looking at the whole picture. It seems to me that Brad's behavior in his teenage years and even in later years, sledge hammer to a car and drug use were worse.

I agree with Kitt. Will wants to be his own person. Control himself, and not others. He could have remained in Maui at his house there, but he returned to California. His ties to his father, Robbie and his brothers were too great. And that is not to mention JP and Stef . Reread those chapters and see how their suffering at his being gone bothered him, maybe more than them. If you look carefully at Will and his behavior since that time, you can see a moderation. I agree it is not complete at first, but a slow change. If he didn't care about his family, like some have stated, why would he care if Robbie, Jeanine and Hank had died? Why would he work so hard to help his father get over the losses? Mark said time and time again Will is a work in progress, not a prefect creation. Then who is? Not any of these characters are. All are broken, That is why I loved them and this story as much as I do. Any of us could be a Brad, or Stef, or JP or maybe even Will. If he did not care about family, all those dinners would be so boring. Would he have gone to the hospital to visit Marie or JJ? Offered to move so Robbie and Brad would have a better relationship? Would he have worked so hard to improve his relationship with Jeanine? or with Hank? If he did not care about his family, why would he call JP and ask for forgiveness? Or try to make things right with Claire or Isidore? Why would he move into Escorial? He cares. I believe some people can't get over Will's emancipation. That one act, which Brad agreed to, seems to have damned Will in their eyes. I however disagree with that, I believe it gave Will the freedom to become the person he was meant to be. Remember, it was not Will's idea but his lawyer's. Will only wanted to not be under Jeanine's thumb. A women at the time needed to be instutionalized. It was not the emancipation which showed disregard for family, but because of the emancipation, Will could continue to love his family. It gave him free will. He could have left. Gave up on these people, but he didn't. Not then, not now ( dealing with the aftermath of 9 11) nor in the future. That is not who Will is. Will is kind of like Wade. Just that Wade is older and has it more together and Will has found Zach and Wade maybe about to lose Matt.

Here it is four o'clock in the morning and I am writing a review. What is so interesting is how well Brad understands Will. Before Will was taking care of Brad. Now Brad is taking care of Will. I hope that shows progress. When where is Zach, either his is the best actor around or he really cares about Will. And when to add to the mix is Chris. Will Chris help Brad or is he just a player? We will have to see. Thanks Mark for this simple chapter/ Only three main characters and their interactions. Again a wonderful chapter!!

I must say John your insight on this story is remarkable. As for your English, it is much better than my Italian would be. I am so glad you have found us and Mark's great tale. Welcome again.

I had followed it from before Bloodlines. It is almost an unbelievable transformation from a story of one person to a story of a family with all its problems. At first I had a problem with 1968, I think because of Jeff's death, but I have grown to live with it. Other books I had problems with were A Summer Love, because I thought a relationship between JP and Jeff's son was a little creepy, and The Box, not because of the story. I loved that we could get to know Steven and Tonto was living again, but knowing in the back of my mind Steven would die. Mark has progressed through this saga only getting better and better. In 9 11 he has overcome Robbie's death and shown us how strong these characters are. I think in showing us Will and his drama, his problems and perils, we as readers see the family growing, changing developing. I think of this saga as a family album, full of memories, some good and happy, some sad, but all treasured.

If Tim is into Surfing, He must be loving it. Today

A Warm Welcome John

Next book? The in and out relationship of Zach and Will? Could be a good idea. I must say I really loved this chapter. Brad understands what Will needs and wants. Will and Zach are going into it with as you said eyes wide open. Will it be hard? Will they be able to make it and overcome the odds? As I was reading this, I noted how Will has changed. He reactions, how he deals with things. A much different view point from a year or two ago. Mark, you once said this story was about growth, how people change over the years, Sometimes people have too suffer a little to grow.That is true with this family. Thanks again for a outstanding chapter, in an amazing story.

As we come to the end of this book, we can already feel the pull of the sea. George is always pulled between the sea and home, between family and crew, It is a sad tale that when e he at home, even after this long trip, he longs for the sea and when he is aboard his newest ship he longs for home. Ir is the lot of the sailor. Never totally happy. I feel that pull and the need of good officers will again draw George away. But this time he will have good memories of a happy homecoming.

Jeremy you are right, and one more thing, he gave Hank a chance and because of that he became closer to Hank than anybody else. When you judge Will remember that on the plus side. He only wants to control his own life not other peoples lives, and he also is willing to give people a chance as in Tony, Hank, Zach. That can be for better or worse.

It is very hard to see both this betrail and grief work it's way through Will and Wade. The only thin seems like Brad is doing better. I wonder if Matt will change enough for Wade to take him back? I don't see Frank powerful enough to make it work. As for Will it must to hard to wonder about Zach and be falling for him at the same time. Thank again Mark

My point was that over the years I have learn that the truth is always the way to go. If you go another way, the truth will always come out and maybe not telling the truth will hurt people much worse.

Wasn't it once said: And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Mark, isn't Tim a lawyer? I thought lawyers always thought Truth and Justice were the most important? Was I wrong?

The relationships from the very beginning of this saga are not about blood and about love. A few example ACE, BRAD, CLARA. Brad is related to no one by blood and Ace and Clara only have the same mother, Isidore. That is also true about Matt, Darius, JJ and Will. Darius and JJ have the same mother. Will and Matt are not related at all by blood. The same can be said about JP and Stef. Tonto and JP, Brad and Tonto. however that does not make the tie any less binding. Darius JJ and Will were raised as brothers. Ace and Brad and Cara were raised the same. JP once said to Billy after Brad found Robbie, none of they ( Ace, Brad , or Billy were his children by blood, but he thought of them as his sons. Brian was voted out, exclued from the family. Wade, Marcel, and Matt included not because of blood but love. I feel that that is one of the great strengths of this family not its weakness. I hope you do to. and Tim that dog is died bury it please. As for Will's boyfriends, Jake was Brads first.

At the beginning of this saga we had young Granger battle of Wilcox family because of Bertie. Now a more powerful foe is out there, the Guild. they thought George and his family were an easy target, however they were wrong. As we have seen George and his family are not without powerful friends, from the King on down. Hopefully they will go on to easier targets,who knows. This homecoming is so different. From Arthur to Winkler, Freddie to Caroline, the king to the Prince of Wales all happy to see the hero return. Well I must say Lord Arbor has done it up well too, as always. Thanks Mark. PS My favorite part in this homecoming is the reaction between George and his faithful servent.It was so touching, and reminds us all that sometime the simple things, a hand or a hug can man so much.

People talk about the 1 2 punch. This was the 1 2 3 punch. Long ago I thought only one person could tell this story JP. He has something no one else has universal respect and because of that he can deal with situations so well. Two things amaze me about this chapter, Will's reaction was muted and how well Brad awakened Frank to help Matt. Seeing the new Brad work was impressive but awakening Frank was even more impressive. I was so worried that Frank would turn into Barry, but this brought him back. Robbie would be proud very proud. Mark you didn't it again. Who would have thought that Brad and Frank would save the day. I guess that is why we watch for new chapters every day. For once, I believe thins will work out. Not all the problems are solved but they are getting better.

If we go that far back, JP and Marie the arguing will never stop. Now Stef had a lot of loves at time but JP just Peter, Andre and Jeff before moving to Chicago. What has always pulled me into this story is how it is always changing. Back in Claremont JP never would have thought he would have children, a wife of almost forty years and now grandchildren and maybe some day great grandchildren. In 1962 that was not possible. But piece by piece it happen and we are glad it did. For what would have happened to ACE, or Brad or Isidore? What is great is that those beloved characters have grown just like the rest of us, it is the reason they are so real to us, and the reason we argue. Because we care.

As I said in my previous post, This situation has nothing or very little about Will, Will being or not being Matt's brother, or who is more important in the family. Through the last number of books Will's major concern is to be his own person. Unlike Brad who wants to control everything and everybody's life. What both you and Tim have forgot or wanted to overlook is Wade. At the end of the last book Matt promise his love to Wade in public at dinner. Matt's problem is that he want a relationship and to play around at the some time. It is like wanting his cake and eating it too. Will asked Matt not to sleep with Tony. Again one person on a campus of thousands. Will has a previous history with Tony going back over a year. Even if Will and Matt weren't part of the same family, if they were just friends it seems not a lot to ask. Who broken the promise? Who broke the relationship? Not Will or Wade. Matt, who is 21 years old. Not 15 going on 16 like Will. If you feel Will needs to grow up, you must also see that Matt does too, before it is too late. Will is a work in progress, learning trying to do better. Matt however seems to be stuck in high school. Will has taken on the tasks of taking care of his father and Maddy, while dealing with his own grief. Will has works at the mission, and done a number of selfless acts. Kai's parent for example. What has Matt done? He seems to only think about Matt, a forget about Wade and all the rest of them. Matt is reminding more and more of Jeff Hayes. And we all remember how that ended.