Charles26

What can I say ? Just plain delightful ! Great chapter.

Developments, lots of developments, but nothing even approaching a resolution - which is fortunate or the remaining chapters might be a tad anticlimactic! But by and large everything seems to be going in a good direction. Except Casey, and the most obvious good direction for him is out of town and never coming back. Not that I expect the Casey problem to be sorted out quite that simply. Purely practically, I wonder what the guys will do about full-time accommodation for Jamie, if (when, surely) he becomes part of the household. Quite apart from anything else I should think having his own room would be a condition for approving the fostering arrangement. I hope it goes through since it would be good for Jamie, for Levi and even, if to a lesser extent, for Matt and Luke and probably Guy and Tim. Some nice biblical references, though Levi must know his bible pretty well, given his life with his grandfather. What is not so clear is whether Jamie and Levi will end up as brothers or boyfriends. It could go either way at the moment. I think that what Jamie really needs is a brother, but that's just my opinion. Zack's situation is just as unclear as ever, only more explicitly so. I'm not even 100% certain about where he lives. All in all a great chapter and one which leaves me looking forward to the next one. Generally a good sign😉

Impressive. Very hot; very intimate - maybe even loving. Certainly their relationship can hardly be the same after this but we are left with the question "was Matteo the kind of man who could cross this line without meaning to stay on the other side of it?" No answer to that question in Season 1; that's for sure. But a great story, well told. Season 2 should be good!

He was certainly hoping 🤪

Whew. Complicated - but fascinating and well written. I have no idea how this will work itself out but I look forward to discovering.

Well. Well, well. Poor Steven. But it looks as though things are moving enough that Casey is heading for a serious fall, while Levi's star is in the ascendant. We can only hope. And Brooke - who I don't think is as bad as some comments have suggested - has come up with some valuable information. Meanwhile it does seem that Levi and Jamie could well become good friends as well as, possibly, foster brothers. (Maybe even more.) That would be good. Good for everyone, I suspect. Zack, on the other hand, remains as inscrutable as ever ! All in all another excellent chapter.

And another fascinating chapter. Where has the rumour naming Casey come from? Not from Levi or Matt, that's for sure. So, who? Shane we know quite well from the MGM. Constable Leggatt is a relative unknown. The same person, ultimately, of course; but he has grown up and been trained and has quite likely had some experiences as a police officer that we know nothing about. So his personality as a teenager will have been tempered and it is hard to guess exactly how he will react (though I'm sure he will do well). At the least I don't suppose he would care for Casey and his goons making life difficult for others and I'm certain he would want to put an end to that. Zack is now present and getting involved but he remains a bit of a mystery. He's "easy in his own skin" in chapter 28 - which is good - but he seems to be quite solitary and it is interesting that on the beach he seems to identify, or at least spend time, as much with the youngsters as with the adults. (Not that anyone is exactly old😉).

Gosh. A week away and so much happens! It's a lovely chapter. Levi is finding his feet after having screwed up badly with Casey. But what particularly strikes me is that his compassion is not, in fact, new: "Levi felt the old protective surge rise in his chest – the same instinct that once made him want to fix everything for people he cared about." His desire to comfort and help Jamie is not (entirely) the result of personal growth. It seems that it is the re-emergence of an important, pre-existing aspect of his character. It was part of his relationship with his mother when she was ill, no doubt.

I have no doubt at all that he will be a hit😄

Nice one. Shayna has now fully blown what little cover she had left - and good riddance. But Jo gets a bit more time in the spotlight, and that's great. I'm sure he'll do well.

Of course he will. But that's OK. Father Costas gives good advice.

"To every thing there is a season, he thought, the old words rising unbidden. And a time to every purpose under the heaven." An interesting reference. In my view it comes from one of the most attractive passages in the Old Testament. It is a reflection on change, to be sure, but in the examples it offers it focuses very much on the cycle of life, starting with "a time to be born, and a time to die". In many ways it looks towards Indian philosophy, notably towards Buddhism. (I was going to say it looks eastwards, but that's from a European perspective🙃) If Levi is subconsciously reflecting on this passage then he really is considering the possibility of, perhaps the need for, some deep changes in his own life and beliefs. We shall see.

Great. Matt is OK. Well, he will be once his leg has healed up but that is seemingly only a matter of time and patience. And Levi's major contribution towards calling for help has gone a long way towards mending the breach in his relationship with his dad. It will probably never be quite the same again but it may be a case of "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger". (Actually I have my doubts about that as a general principle, but it may be true here!) I hope that Levi tests himself by walking through both doors. Working with Zack shouldn't cause any problems and ought at least to give him another friend. Helping out at the charity would require much more adjustment. He would inevitably hear things about neglect, mistreatment and outright abuse that would distress him greatly and give him furiously to think about prejudice and hatred, whether condoned by religion or otherwise. But I think he would grow enormously as a result. And, who knows, he might well find new friends there as well. Another great chapter - quite often those without obvious drama can be especially satisfying to read.

It's certainly not a conventional happy ending; but then not much of the story is all that conventional. But it is great fun and it surely digs deep into teenage angst. When you're at the bottom of a deep pit, clawing your way up to ground level is a real achievement and Richard has done that even if he still has to choose a hill to climb for whatever he wants to do and be in his life. So well done, Richard. And Harriet and Vicky, who have helped him so much. I guess a bunch of date-expired fireworks giving "one small bang and one burst of colour" is the perfect metaphor for this ending. Congratulations to @Richie Tennyson for a story that has been a delight to read.

A subtle and sometimes intricate tale of nearly two thousand years of repeated rediscovery and loss, as two souls linked in love try to be together over the centuries, watched by a third whose role and intentions only gradually become clear. It is a search for happiness repeatedly thwarted by fate and a quest for a way to escape. Beautifully written, highly evocative, well judged. If you like urban fantasy you should definitely read it. If you're not so sure, this should convert you.

Well, well, well. Matteo hasn't quite consummated the new relationship but unless he backs out suddenly he's pretty much committed himself. Or recognised a key truth about himself. Or both. Definitely intense - well written.

Credo illum ad istum iam redisse, so he doesn't need to return to him ever again, or so we may hope. A very gentle ending - the calm after the storm. Fairly literally in this case. But that calm seems to have provided Christopher and Marco with everything they could have hoped for even if Marco is struggling a bit with modern technology. A normal, mostly happy life together, almost two millennia after their first attempt. Good fortune to both of them. And thank you and congratulations to @andy cannon

Both true, I think. But perhaps they have been left with more than that. Perhaps, like Pandora, they have been left with hope, or at least some reason for hope. Christopher's memories of past lives are still there but "They no longer pressed against the present. They stood quietly behind it." That's a profound change in itself. And their moods have shifted. For Marco, "[his]} expression softened into a smile that Christopher had never seen before. It carried affection without longing, hope without desperation." For Christopher, "[he] considered the question. Once, the answer would have seemed inevitable. Now he found himself thinking about [other possibilities]". He has freedom of choice, and with that freedom of choice he chooses to spend his time with Marco: "He smiled. "Yes," he said. "I'd like that."" Perhaps they have been left with the possibility of a lifetime together whose ending they will accept when it comes, and so be truly set free. I hope so. Moving and well written. Thank you, @andy cannon

I don't suppose either Matt or Luke will forget it in a hurry, either ! But for Levi it should be a positive memory, once Matt is safe and is recovering from his injury and there is no further need for concern. As we all hope😌

It is, isn't it. For the first time in his life (I guess) Levi has taken on a task which is both important - Matt was depending on him - and genuinely difficult; and he has succeeded. That's something in which he can and I hope will take some fair measure of pride. It should boost his self-esteem which has been rather shaken of late,

Phew. Great stuff. No-one would want Matt to break his leg but it did give Levi a chance to "give something back". Their relationship should be the stonger for it. I hope Matt recovers quickly, cleanly and fully.

This chapter is extremely funny and it manages to be funny without losing its grip on the serious issues that lie beneath - so well done. Vicky definitely has principles and the backbone to stand up for them: she deserves her triumph over Mr Jane and the School Board. It is true that very often the most effective way to get something done is to work with rather than against the system. It's certainly been the case when dealing with any bureaucracy that I've ever had to cope with🤢 And Mrs Hansen is, inevitably, thrilled. Quelle surprise...

I agree with the second part; and of course the great storytelling. I don't think Cian wants to dominate people in the sense of crushing their personalities; unlike Nolan, it seems. But I fear that Evan did allow himself to be and was dominated by Nolan ("The words Nolan had made small, the wanting made ridiculous before it left Evan’s mouth" ). He is still fighting to come out of that: "Evan typed, Sunday. Two o’clock. He sent it before warmth could attach itself. No apology. No hope you’re well. No explanation about work or Bray..."

Brilliantly written. To produce a convincing telephone sex scene requires skill. To place such a scene so that it fits as a necessary element in the development of an equally convincing relationship is a real achievement, so congratulations @Kevin Snell. I'm impressed. To list all the good things about the chapter would require a comment almost as long as the chapter itself, so I won't try. But I'll mention one thing that I think is so exactly right: "He could take the fear out of one part and leave Cian the rest to decide. And the moment he said it, the room would change. Cian would no longer be a man sitting at his own table with a decision. He would be a man Evan could afford." Of course Evan wants to help. Fortunately he can see the damage it could cause. A real problem. And meanwhile Nolan, whom we haven't even seen yet in person, is behaving as the total shit he must have been all the time he and Evan were together. Horrible man.

"I love you because I am Christopher." Marco stared at him. "And that is what I can give you." It is probably all Christopher can give Marco; but "perhaps that is all anyone ever has". I think that may very well be true. There is, after all, no certainty in life other than death at the end; and there is nothing more valuable any of us can give another than unconditional love. So perhaps, just perhaps, this won't so much break as dissolve the curse. I hope so - and we shall no doubt learn more. Meanwhile, congratulations to @andy cannon for another enchanting chapter.