Dodger

Thank you @Jon Jon The story is set to conclude this year on or around Canadian Thanksgiving, which is October 12 or roughly one month from now. There are a handful of chapters remaining which are being edited and these will be posted as soon as they become available. I'm happy with the way the story ends although not every loose end is neatly tied-up. Thank you for your support, I hope you enjoy the final few chapters.

Very good point. Nathan will likely use this against him at some point in the future and Robbie is unlikely to be as generous second time around.

Definitely not. Nathan has his fair share of critics and understandably so. He can be self-centered, embarrassing, and often invites trouble. They're not a perfect match by any means, and it's difficult to see their second attempt at a relationship lasting much longer than the first, but who knows? Nathan Burton and Robbie Taylor perhaps. Or should it be the other way around?

He had a big incentive with Nathan and a lot to lose if he allowed his temper to get the better of him. Threatening to leave at the beginning was a gamble that could easily have backfired on him. It shows us he can control his temper when he has to, so his outbursts at home are perhaps more intentional than he wants people to believe. I think Robbie deserved a feel good chapter and despite his faults and problems, Nathan tends to bring out the best in him.

You're absolutely right and Robbie certainly didn't see himself as the guilty party at the time. Nathan can play the victim pretty good and Robbie has allowed him to do it. Robbie should have talked to Nathan about the issues that were pissing him off at the time, instead of just walking away and without giving a reason. That was the mistake he has referred to on a couple of occasions. Bear in mind, Nathan also had issues with Robbie being continually grounded due to his inability to control his temper. In the end these problems could have been resolved with an honest one-to-one, but that's teenagers for you. It's probably fair to say they were both to blame. Robbie conceded the high ground rather than get involved in petty arguments, because he saw this as his best chance of repairing their relationship. That was important to him and it was unlikely to happen any other way. Even Daniel told him he was going to have to say sorry, but Robbie will see this as a small price to pay.

Jo deserves some credit for instilling confidence in Robbie. He's certainly aware of her importance and is quick to praise her whenever he gets the chance. He may need her more than ever if Don gets wind that Robbie's swapping straight-looking Conner for his camp nemesis , Nathan.

Nathan made it sound like it wasn't much of a problem but at the same time he clearly didn't want to discuss it with Robbie. Maybe he wasn't taking them every day and he probably wants to believe that he's not dependent on them, but the drugs he mentioned are highly addictive. At the moment Robbie will probably forgive him anything. He'll be walking on air for a while but Conner may bring him down with a bump.

I suppose the fact that he already knew him so well, must have made it easier for Robbie, but he seemed to enjoy caring for his boyfriend, perhaps he's found his niche in life.

There was a little bit of role reversal in this chapter. Robbie was more assertive than usual. Nathan's predicament obviously helped, but I think Robbie quite enjoyed being in control. After the initial surprise, Nathan didn't take a lot of persuading so we can assume he wanted this as much as Robbie, but didn't want to appear too eager.

Robbie may have made it sound easy when talking to Nathan, but I think he knows Conner well enough to be wary. He won't be on his own but Conner's farm is a quite isolated. He can't walk home.

Yeah, he decided to follow his heart, now he has to be firm with Conner and keep below Don's radar.

It was dark in the basement, but I could still see Nathan lying on the couch; his pale skin bathed in the flickering, blueish glare of the television. His thin body was a familiar sight, and so were the pair of loose-fitting jogging pants he borrowed from me in the summer. He didn’t seem to be wearing much else, but I suppose it wasn’t easy for him to get dressed and this was probably the reason why it was so unbearably warm. He was asleep, so I crouched in front of him close enough to study

I love reading your comments, Steve, particularly the really long ones. You always make some good points and this comment is filled with them. Don uses his church to justify his homophobia and I know people in real life who do the same. There are still plenty of religions that don't recognise or accept gay people and they're not all cults. As you point out, being labelled a racist can have serious consequences, especially for someone who works in advertising. The church won't be able to help him with this one and I doubt if the chief of police will want to get involved either. Sue has had a difficult time, caught between her husband and Robbie while trying to keep the family together. She's had a lot of pressure from Don and according to Robbie, she hasn't always done the right thing. I don't think there's anyone who Robbie couldn't find fault with or feel aggrieved by in some way. He's a difficult and demanding teenager who enjoys confrontation and is very adept at playing the victim. I think Sue has done reasonably well under the circumstances and has generally stood up for Robbie. She has certainly shown she loves him. Recently her actions suggest she may have given up on Don and is no longer trying to save her marriage. Ginny is a dark horse. Not much is known about her but we do know she has had a terrible childhood and suffers from serious depression. She's attempted suicide in the past and this is the reason why she is seeing Jo. If she's selling narcotics, she would have to hide this from Jo, which probably wouldn't be easy when you consider how she operates. She knows absolutely everything about Robbie so it's safe to assume she's the same with Ginny. I'm not sure if Ginny is together enough to be able to keep it a secret. No comment on the teenage dad thing but there are a lot of possibilities there. Everything will fall into place before the story officially finishes in October (Canadian Thanksgiving).

Thanks @wenmale64 Don is behaving exactly as everybody expects him to behave. He may be clever, but he's not very smart. If he chooses to denounce Daniel's girlfriend on the basis of race, he'll be making a big mistake, but Daniel's probably already aware of his dad's racist nature. Next chapter is this weekend.

Robbie believes his brother is already aware of Don's dislike of anyone slightly different, but it's not an easy conversation to have. It was Nicola who told Don, so maybe she should be the one to warn her brother. I think Robbie is the only person that Daniel could tell his story to. He knows Robbie won't judge him and trusts him not to tell anyone, especially Nathan. It would be difficult for him to tell any of his straight friends. We've come to expect this kind of thing from Don. Sorry about the cliffhanger.

Yeah, the nice local girl line is a definite giveaway, along with 'they have different customs and beliefs'. On that always amuses me is 'I can't be racist, I have a black friend.' He needs to pay more attention to developments closer to home and less time trying to interfere in his child's high school romance. He may learn the hard way or go down with the ship.

Without doubt, Robbie is a lot more mature than he was and I think this is reflected in the readers comments or lack of comments lately about his immaturity and gullible nature. Sue's also a lot more decisive when it comes to dealing with her husband. Maybe she's finally given up trying to save her marriage and decided to concentrate on her family. It may prove a wise decision for her as Don seems to be lost in his prejudice and hatred of others.

Sue seems to have finally made a stand and Robbie should be pleased she's putting herself between him and Don. She's got some fire in her, for sure.

This wasn't meant to be a cliffhanger. More like dividing a large chapter into two segments but I'm sure Robbie will do his best to keep his friends in Spain entertained. Providing Nathan wants to play ball of course.

Ginny is already on prescription medication for depression, if she's taking illegal drugs on top then she's seriously pushing her luck. Nathan definitely needs a friend, but whether or not he'll allow Robbie back into his life remains to be seen.

He probably doesn't have much of a choice now, although once again he's left it a bit late.

According to the police, Alex was arrested after a random traffic stop in Toronto and charged with driving without a full license and insurance, but that was all. Luke was picked up from a nearby address, and both boys were safe and unharmed. That was all we could find out until Don arrived home from work with an update from his friend, the chief of police. “They were staying with a friend in Midtown Toronto,” he said as he hung up his coat. “No wonder they couldn’t find him.” I was

Thanks @mg777 for your encouraging words. Nothing in the pipeline at the moment, but I don't want to spoil any possible surprises. The Cockney Canuck is a labour of love, my friend. I'm just glad to know people have enjoyed reading it.

It will definitely be bad news for Don. Nathan has been a thorn in his side from the beginning. Thanks @Arran

I admit it's been a bit of a trek, but prepare yourself for a frenetic finish and a hat full of chapters between now and October.