Timothy M.

I agree. Thanks.

This reply from Mark to Tim's review made me wonder: Can Zach give up sex from now on? If he can't, what is more likely to out him? A secret relationship with Will or a series of clandestine hook-ups with guys? Unless he has found some way to fuck women again. I can't make up my mind, but I guess most gay sportsmen (that came out later, so we know of them) took the route of random sex, so it makes sense if Zach does the same. The question Zach has to ask himself is this: if he gets outed anyway, was it worth losing Will over? I bet Will would have backed off even more, helped find ways for Zach to 'prove' his straightness, done the 'pretend boyfriend thing,' convinced Darius to spend time with Zach and him, dealt with blackmailers, whatever was needed. He might even have agreed to take a break in their relationship to cool rumors down. But what Zach did was cruel as well as stupid, based on what we know at this moment. The best way to piss of Will is to not communicate - he's like Brad that way.

Well, I guess I may forgive you after all. But I'll reserve judgement until I see how the Leopards do against the Hawks and if Ty gets fit enough to play. It was nice to see more of the clever Patrick, but Ty may not forgive the Blues if they only draft him and not Dad. Of course Jim will set him straight and Ty will also owe a debt to Carlton if the Leopards win the grand final and Ty is able to play. I loved the way you're using Ty's father to scare off other potential Clubs. Plus it will be a sweet revenge to see his face, when Ty gets drafted in spite of his efforts. Even more so if the bastard tries to turn up at the club and gets told that one condition of Ty's draft is that he does not have anything to do with his father and that he's banned from the Club (Leopards and Blues), including matches. (Can they do that?) Glad to see Ty's friends and teammates rallying aroound him, and Karen is doing her best too. She's so good for Ty. I guess I should say sponsors too, I hope Tony organizes something extra nice for Greg and Matt, and the other sponsors who donated money for this. Although winning the trophy migt be all they ask, I think there should be an acknowledgement of some sort at Awards night. And finally I'm laughing my head off at Julie's new nickname. I have no doubt it's gonna take, at least for now. They might stop if she becomes their main coach. I so want Peter to leave with a championship, and of course it would increase the chances of Julie getting the job.

I agree with Chase, the whole reveal scene was beyond hilarious, truly one of your best comic situations, Mark. I come back to read it again and again.

I think we can all agree that the killing of Cecil was trophy hunting and illegal poaching at its worst. And I can't see the fun of trophy hunting myself - but then climbing high mountains never struck me as fun either. In fact I can't understand why those hunters don't sneak up as close as possible and take a picture. That would be a lot braver. However, if there is a surplus of a species and if money from an occasional trophy hunt benefitted the local people and made them more accepting of the wildlife and willing to preserve it, then I find it hard to argue against. But as I said the theory is easy, but in practice...

This is one of my favorite chapters in all of CAP. And it's even better when you know what happens next

Yikes, James, you scare me, you know.

Made me fall over laughing. Now I know why I never bought a dog.

True, I'd forgotten about that. And there was also the discussion about who went to Claremont or not. Brad's kids did, but Claire's didn't.

Belated hugs and warm thoughts from Denmark.

I certainly agree that the killing of this lion was a crime in more ways than one, particularly since he had extra value as a tourist attraction. I hope the national park sues the hell out of Palmer, and I don't feel sorry for the idiot. But legal and regulated trophy hunting can actually be a way to preserve big game species, particularly in Africa, the way controlled timber logging can be an incentive to preserve tropical forests rather than convert them into farm land. The problem is that while the principle is good in theory, it's hard to carry out, when individually greedy and bad guys exploit the system with no care for the habitat, wildlife or the local populace. Edit: funnily enough I just came across this article on the matter.

If you had said Brad instead of Will, this would have been the perfect description of how Brad is behaving to his Family. And I was impressed with the implied compliment to Will, who has just spent several days being with JJ in NY, rather than chasing down Zach.

Thank you. It's scary sometimes, especially since I'm not sure what I'm doing right. It's like juggling balls and hoping you can keep going and not fuck up. I must admit I love getting the approval of my readers. Probably why I'll never write daring and difficult stories like you do.

Shit, I can't believe Will outed Zach to Carullo. Let's hope it doesn't come back to bite him in the ass. Ruining his football career is the one thing Zach would never forgive Will for. JJ might be pissed now, but I think (hope) he'll come to appreciate Carullo as a great flat mate. And if Will persuades JJ to dress Carullo (with Will paying), it might help too. A car is a must, and I'd love to see Zach's face when his parents bitch about Will giving another guy a car (I'm sure they'll get the gossip from Frank). That'll teach him a lesson. Hmm perhaps Carullo can be the pretend boyfriend. And I'm all at the thought of Will spending money to piss off Brad.

Considering the general destruction of wildlife habitats and the number of species humans have decimated in historic time, it's slightly weird to see this outcry over a single individual.

Tillykke med fødselsdagen wave Danish birthday flags at you

Thank you Eagle-eyes, another profound review from you almost makes me blush. It's inspiring and rewarding when readers see things in my story which I wanted to express but didn't know if I'd managed, and then take it one step further. Yes, Jacob has changed the way Russ sees himself and Evan, and this miracle will make the twins closer than ever and with a much better prospect for both of them to be happy. Oh, there are still adjusments to be made, and we can get some drama and fun from it too, but this is the chapter which makes it believable that the corner as been turned. And I didn't see that before you all pointed it out.

LOL, yes I think Jacob will have his hands full when Russ gives him the reward. I promise I'll give you a detailed account of the event. Jacon certainly deserves it after patiently caring for Russ since he arrived. I'm delighted everyone remarks on the growth of Russ and points to different aspects. I love your observation of how it's happened slowly, almost escaping his and our notice, only to appear now, at the moment of tense surprise. Oh, he still wobbles and babbles in his head, but at least he does not hide or refuse to face matters. You're kind to talk of hope for Henry to change and make amends. It's easy to write him off, but he's got good qualities too, if he could only loosen up. Fifty or one hundred years ago he would have been considered an ideal patriarch. Kristin will have her moment in the spotight, too.

How did you know he didn't blush ? No, you're right, Russ has come so far since we first met him, and I think meeting his family has made this clear. He is now interacting with all of them from a new and stronger position. I'm not sure they fully realize yet, but they'll soon find out how much he has improved, not only on the outside. And I think that seeing this change without Jacob being there is important, as LL said the strength stays with Russ even when they are apart. So he truly has evolved, it's not just Jacob controlling him. Good Mums must be treasured.

Yum, those cake descriptions made me drool. You had better be writing recipes too. Loved the puppy tangle of the four boys. Did Lee crop a feel? Poor Denny, but he's on the right track to healing. Sleeping together was cute and I loved Lee sharing his own secret as well as giving his approval of Greg's choice of boyfriend. You've managed to create your own set of awesome bros, CG. Do we get pictures in the forum? Awesome chapter, warmed my heart. Loved the title too.

LOL, I loved this. You're absolutely right. Perhaps the staff had faith in Alex not being stupid enough to stand naked in front of the window with his lover. But even so they should still have warned him. Maybe they liked the drama - or they were busy reading the paper. I'm sure Mark likes all of this ranting we're doing.

Oh AC, I want to hug you when you write reviews like this. What can I add? You're absolutely right. Russ has matured three years in three months. The camping trip didn't just hone his body but also his mind, and it shows now that he is back with his family. His ability to tease Kristin about Christian, to see through his father's ploys, to accept his Mom's compliments, to soothe Evan, and even to bring up the need for professional help to deal with their father. Oh Russ still has issues to deal with, but for the first time I have confidence he will be able to do it. And you just showed me why.

As I was replying to Gary's review I realized you are right, this was a pivotal chapter. Thank you so much for pointing that out. Maybe I should have called it Balance and control, because as the whole family was present we saw the balance shift and the control moved from Henry to Isa. Russ gained insight in the balance in his twin bond with Evan, and for the first time he acknowledged the influence he has on Evan. And influence equals control, but in a beneficial manner. I'm glad you felt Jacob was present in spirit, and that you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. AC suggested I include one, and I knew he was right. I struggled for a bit to find the right one, and your reaction tells me I chose well. And you pinpointed one of my 'writer's tricks' - I aim to show Russ' character and his development via those small trips into the past, as well as his 'aha' moments in the present. Kristin and Christian, yes I look forward to writing their meeting. Your instincts are great.

Thank you Gary, it was worth waiting for this review. I hadn't thought about it, but you're absolutely right. Henry is lurking around like a shark, trying to isolate the weaker prey and get his teeth into her. What a surprise it must have been to find Isa strong and resistant, and able to ignore him. You know my guts ached while I worked on that scene, it was so tense. I'm glad my readers feel the same, that I managed to convey the feeling. As to what he'll do next, well I don't know right now, but I think you're right. We have not heard the last of him. I love that you see Russ as stronger than Evan in this chapter, he was and even more important: he realized it. It's been a goal ever since I wrote the first scene of Russell describing Evan, to get to a point where both twins feel a balance, an equality in their bond. For Russ to actually admit that they can achieve that is a major step forward.