Dodger

Nathan is a good kid and doesn't deserve to be hurt but he's also a lot tougher than he looks and probably the most emotionally secure of all of them. Certainly he's streets ahead of Robbie in that department. It's the product of a good upbringing in a supportive and understanding family which is something that Robbie and definitely Alex have been denied. Thanks @SolarMaxx

That's also a possibility although probably just as despicable. It also has the potential to backfire on them.

Good point @Benji Sue certainly gave the impression in the beginning that she suspected Robbie and Tom of being maybe a little too close but as you point out this was dismissed as part of the grieving process. If Don's intention was to destroy Robbie and Nathan's relationship by inviting Tom over for the adoption and Robbie's birthday, then it would be a truly despicable thing to do but probably very effective. It depends on how low you think he's prepared to stoop in order to come out on top. Thanks for an excellent comment.

Hold on tight @wenmale64 because it's not going to be a smooth crossing. Despite playing it down, Nathan will undoubtedly be jealous of Tom, who, lets face it, will get all the attention from Robbie. It's inevitable, even without their little romantic interlude, the two boys go back a long way and will have a ton of private jokes and memories to recall. Nathan will feel left out. How he deals with this will be a test of his character. Add the ever volatile Alex to the mix and there may be problems. Should be an interesting weekend.

This is a role that could so easily have been filled by Don if he hadn't allowed himself to be poisoned by hate. He didn't need to do a lot, just a little guidance, emotional support, acceptance and encouragement and Robbie would have loved him forever for it. What a dickhead to allow such a golden opportunity to pass him by. Thanks JP.

Well said Tim Robbie falls into the same category. He would have preferred to have a bit more notice so he could have prepared himself for this visit. That's a hell of thing to dump on the poor kid. It would have been better all-round if Robbie had been involved from the beginning so he could have organised it. He does that quite well. He doesn't like mess and that's what he's got at the moment with seemingly everything happening at the same time.

Moose farts and much more JP. Trouble seems to stick to him like fly paper but I prefer your 'lightning rod for turmoil' phrase.

It could prove a volatile concoction, something surely has to give. It's difficult to see how they can make it through the next few days unscathed.

@Sweetlion You have pretty much hit the nail on the head here. He doesn't realise it yet but Robbie needs a controlling influence in his life. It's not really a sexual thing, which he believes at the moment and it's not about pain or being hurt. His need for a father figure has been consistent throughout the story. It's something which has been so obviously missing in his life and a position that no one has been willing or able to fill for him. Tom, Alex and Fran have very similar dominating personalities and they have all played a very protective roll in his life. Another example is Nicola, who in a way is merely a female version of Alex. Robbie's interactions with his sister are very similar to his interactions with Alex but obviously without the sexual connotations. He enjoys fighting with them but will always concede because he needs the security that these people bring to his life even if they can be bad influences too. It's also the reason why he was so hurt by Don's reaction to his coming out.

Sue was right with her diagnosis of Alex’s injuries but her expertise in the field of medicine was overshadowed somewhat by the harsh reality of what had happened to my friend earlier that day. His injuries were worse than we had originally thought and the doctors had decided to keep him in the hospital. The X-Rays revealed a broken forearm just below the elbow, along with three broken ribs and a broken collarbone which no one had suspected. All of these injuries were allegedly inflicted by

I can understand why Robbie was so freaked out by Logan's approach, I would have been too if it was me. Nothing like that ever happened to me in school but it's nice to read. Well done to Logan for taking a chance. He needed a parachute with that leap of faith and deserved to walk away successful. As always, your writing is sublime.

Poor Brandon, the Cross household is a dangerous place for him. Jamie's not your average jock, he can be quite funny if a bit of a flirt.

Thanks Lit and really pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks @BHopper2 It turned out more timely than I originally thought. Thank you @JeffreyL for reading and commenting. I had to cut a few words out to keep it within the limit. Thank you so much Dolores. I really appreciate you reading and commenting.

Thank you @Puppilull In reality her immediate family may have been persecuted for such a crime and the state uses this as an effective deterrent. Terrifying to even think of it. Maybe she can gorge herself on some Devils Food Cake. Don't suppose they have too much of that in the North.

I think you're probably right about that. They probably wouldn't allow someone like that out of their sight at all. I think the border guards were shot weren't they? I know it's pretty grim up there. Classic understatement.

Ha ha. Yeah we have a lot of news about snow falling too, but if we want some heavyweight news we only have to switch to the American channels. There's always plenty going on south of the border.

Thank you dughlas, I only just made it.

Thanks Def Thanks Mac, I struggled with the word count. I like a challenge JP but it wasn't easy writing as a girl although there are a lot of people out there who would probably laugh if they heard me say that. Thanks Parker, I would have been happy with 8.0. I admit to being a little mischievous with this. I wasn't sure what kind of response I would get, if any, from posting a story about two girls on a site where most of the readers are gay males.

Thank you so much Carlos and I really appreciate the review. You really made my day.

Thanks Gary. I only got the idea on Friday night when watching the opening ceremony and made it in by the skin of my teeth.

Thank you Val Thanks Tim Glad you enjoyed Tim Thanks Moggy

Phew, I really need some of that cake, bad! I'm not ashamed to admit that you had me going there. You're going to have to send me the recipe I love chocolate and I loved this story.

Wow, this is a neat little story Def. I really enjoyed reading this and would love to read more about Iggy and Rob.

It was a huge risk; I'm hoping that they made it. Another brave choice to write about a difficult topic.

I liked your story Val. Patience is a virtue, I know but oh, how difficult it would be to wait. Great idea.