Timothy M.

One of the things I loved about this story is that you have at least one really great teen girl character. Sensible, kind and courageous. Some of the others are cool too, and others are silly. Same about the guys actually.

Interesting to see Jase blushing at his small natural act of intimacy (putting his hand on Corey's back). It's something a boyfriend might do and I think Jason realized even if Corey didn't. Jase is being very careful not to give offense and to keep a rein on his protective urges. Joining Corey at the bar when he saw Zach, and asking Corey to be careful could be the acts of a friend but also of someone wanting to be more. But Corey is grateful rather than offended, so Jase gets it right. Jay may have a point although I wouldn't go as far as calling it stalking. What's wrong with turning up in places Corey frequents? Jase has done it by accident, but in most cases Corey was the one to initiate contact. Jase isn't pushing his company on Corey and we know he missed their friendship and would like to be friends again (I don't think he's thought further than that yet). Jase is new in town and becoming part of Corey's circle of friends and acquaintances is happening naturally too, eg via the baseball game. They both got invited to the bar by Trey and Corey didn't say no after he knew Jason was going. So he's definitely not avoiding Jase. Therefore I find nothing wrong with Jase putting himself in Corey's path as long as he lets Corey call the shots. He's certainly a lot more respectful about any 'stalking' than what Zach did in the bar. I'm dying to know what the other coach told Zach. Did he warn him about Jason the lawyer or about harassing Corey?

I'd forgotten about this meeting. Hmm, maybe I need to go back and read the whole story again.

For Better or Worse - that sounds like a marriage vow. But in this case the proposal for a lasting relationship came from Tobyn's mother and not the man himself. But Kellar noticed Tobyn looking pleased when he promised to think about it. Ultimately, I doubt Kellar could bear staying with the Morningstar pack if Tobyn rejects their mutual feelings of attraction and connection. I guess the title also relates to how Kellar has taken another leap by going home with Tobyn and pledging to try and heal Adelin, not knowing if he will be able to make her better. This leap is of similar magnitude to him leaving his foster home and setting out on his own. How fitting that the first person he meets is a 'real' mother who is caring, protective, welcoming and kind. I loved Kellar's reactions to her hugs, including the scents evoked. They also took other leaps forward, small perhaps but significant. The jokes about being engaged and having gotten used each other's company held a kernel of truth, and the teasing showed a deepening familiarity and comfort with each other. The mutual reading of each other's emotions happened several times, and the hug which neither of them wanted to end was another sign. Their hearts, bodies and wolves have already taken the leap, and we're waiting for their minds to follow and a vocal admission of how they feel. For Better or Worse their lives are now entwined and I foresee a life long commitment to revitalize the shifter communities after they have found a solution to the malaise.

Thanks, Def. LOL, perhaps my readers of this story and CC will end up getting proficient in Danish language and culture. Glad you can see the bond forming between Patrick and Michael, it was one of my aims here. You're now signed up for Team Michael. Hmmm, perhaps I underestimated the impact of Farmor's stupid talk with Michael, but I promise it won't have any lasting effects on him. After all, Moster Grethe and his dads have a lot more influence on him. As for the neighbor...

Grattis på födelsedagen ! from your Danish fan and friend But you're still getting Danish birthday flags any plans of a Swedish cake a la SATW ?

Thanks, Lisa. The clue is in this story, there are none in the Cardmaker. I'll add it here, if you don't want to search. I did in fact start out with Angel being a girl, but very quickly changed it, when writng this story. I then went back and checked my Valentine story and realized there were no obvious clues as to gender. Carlos recommended I made Angel rather 'nelly' so it's not surprising some readers thought of the heavenly creature as a girl. Who knows, maybe Angel is genderless until s/he decides to 'fall' I'm so someone finally mentioned Imp's way of talking. Writing slang is bloody difficult. All my editors pointed out I had belief instead of believe in his very first sentence. Imp plays with his tail anyway, but of course he does it even more, when he realizes it annoys Angel. But perhaps Angel has come to like that naughty tail... Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Ohh, I remember the agony as we waited for the last chapters and also wanting to hit Corey's Dad with a baseball bat. Great story with lots of opportunities to rant.

LOL, Dayne, you sure do like confronting the enemy directly, eh? Imagining those two witches sitting down for tea with Moster Grethe made me laugh; I bet she'd give them both a piece of her mind. But you're right, if Peter's mom saw how happy Patrick makes him and his son, she might change her mind fast. Unfortunately, her behavior isn't likely to garner an invitation anytime soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Thanks, Gary, I'm delighted the car game evoked good memories for you. I know Michael holds a special place in your heart, so it's lovely to hear your thought about him. He does indeed have a precious innocence along with a certain wisdom often conferred on seriously sick kids. I'm not surprised Peter's mom is universally condemned; it really was unacceptable, even if she didn't plan to press her own agenda but simply spoke her mind when the topic came up. She really should know better, and I think she may be in for a nasty wake-up call when the consequences hits her.

LOL, sorry, my bad.

LOL, thanks dragon, I loved your spikey rant. I think Peter agrees completely, and we definitely haven't seen the last of his fury. But he has had lots of pratice in hiding his emotions from Michael, and he knew getting angry in front of his son would be counter-productive. Like you say the venom of such bigotry can linger for a long time, and of course Michael may encounter similar opinions later, eg in school. But hopefully, he'll be better equipped to deal with the issue by then, and not as defenseless as with Farmor. Glad you managed to notice the nice stuff too.

Thanks, LL, you're welcome, we all needed some cheering up. I'm glad you enjoyed Michael's time in the spot light and you're absolutely right about his and Patrick's efforts to connect. I have no objection to you ranting over Farmor, she was completely out of line. As you say, she had no right to make him uncomfortable like that. Of course, she's well aware what pushing this agenda with Peter would mean, but I think she didn't realize how he'd feel about this!

Thanks, Tony, I hope two weeks is soon enough.

Thanks, GC, your suggetion is a good one, I'll pass it on to Peter, lol. At least Michael did not let her words prevent him from joining his dads in the morning, but I guess Moster telling him to go upstairs and wake them up did the trick. I'm looking forward to telling Moster's story about the mad woman next door. I hope it will be as much fun as you predict. Happy to sign you up for Team Michael.

Thanks, DQ, good to know I have the approval of Team Michael. LOL on the Babel Fish, I think it only works for spoken languages, though. I try to avoid this much Danish, but I wanted my readers to feel Patrick's frustration at not being able to understand this crucial conversation between Peter and Michael. Orlando we need to find comfort where we can.

Thanks, Tim. Your suggestion is very apt. Patrick has used this tactic for years, and Peter may benefit from it too. I'm glad you liked the chapter even so.

Now boys, play nice or I'll ask the Lead Mare aka Mommy aka Kitt to come over and tell you to behave. Hmm, or even better - hollers : Mark, Mark, they're in your forum. Quick, post a Granger chapter to distract them!

Thanks, lux, you have a good point, and at least it's easier to cut her off when you're in a different country. We'll get to the hospital stuff eventually (though with as few details as possible), but first we have the biddy next door. Oh, and the rest of a hopefully nice family Sunday to get through.

Thanks, Fae, I think you're right about Peter's mother. She made the first cuts herself, but this may be the last straw. As for the woman next door... But I promise you'll get the story in the next chapter.

Thanks, dugh, I'm glad you enjoyed their family morning, in spite of the Farmor problem. I think the boys did too.

Thanks, AC, I think you're right, and at least it's more fun to follow the bad boy in this team. LOL, yes, Imp does seem to spend a lot of time thinking about Angel's blue and silver colors, maybe he's enchanted by the contrast to his own red and black? But I'm sure he'd deny any attraction vehemently. I'm glad you mention the two missions, I spent a lot of time working on them (and thanks for your help). I'm proud to hear you found them hot, that means my mission there is accomplished. I was lucky the Anthology theme fit perfectly with the story I had in mind already. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

No wonder Oscar reacted the way he did at the playful words of his lover in the beginning. While Sam's betrayal of him was heartbreaking, it did leave him free to rescue Oscar and begin a new life with him. Perhaps it will be easier for Sam to accept the warlock secret now he has had a taste of remorse over his own evil act and has been saved in turn by the 'evil powers' of magic. Great story, Val, but now I wonder how they met and became lovers.

Beautiful, Tim, so true and beuatifully said.

Thanks, Cynus, I'm glad you liked my imp too, yours was so devious and funny. I wouldn't be surprised if they knew each other even though they have different 'jobs.' I hadn't thought about why these teams were originally formed. If you have an idea please write it up. I can PM you the few background notes I made. Thanks for reading and reviewing.