Thorn Wilde

I don't find those firemen at all attractive. Skinny boys with tats, though? Totally a weakness of mine.

Happy Birthday!

Welcome, Sam!

Thank you. I'm glad it was acceptable, thanks for your kind review.

I do know that, for one, the UK has a slightly different lawyer culture than the US, and for another, cases involving minors tend to be a bit less formal and more regulated (no wigs and robes, closed court) so I just sort of assumed that the lawyers would also be less antagonistic. I've always believed that there's no such thing as black and white. Behind every seemingly horrible human being is a fucked up person doing their best, and behind every apparent saint is a closet full of skeletons. There are exceptions, of course, but generally speaking we're all just human, in the end. The road to hell, good intentions and all that. The next Hubris story I'll be posting will be Craig's. Thanks for such a long and thoughtful review, and for your kind words. Always appreciated.

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the story!

Thank you! I'm glad you think it works. Thanks for reviewing!

Welcome, Lach!

Unfortunately, I know several people who have been raped. And I know two girls who reported their rapist, took him to court and won. But they both say that having to retell the experience, relive it like that in front of people, was almost as bad as the act itself, and very nearly made the whole thing not worth it, even though they got to see their assailants sent to jail (for far too short a time, unfortunately). As Javelin put it, it's a cruel thing to do to a victim of a violent crime, but justice must be served. Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it.

CHAPTER EIGHT Running Up That Hill ‘Please state your name.’ ‘David George Thompson.’ ‘And how long have you known Nicholas Davis?’ ‘For almost my entire life.’ ‘What is your relationship?’ Dave licked his lips and glanced at Nick, who didn’t quite manage to smile at him but seemed to make a valiant effort all the same. He looked small where he sat. ‘He’s my boyfriend. For over a year now.’ Mr. Butler nodded. ‘Tell us what happened last easter.’ ‘Nick show

Mathematical proof is often more accurate than any measurements we can make physically. Which is why mathematics are at the core of all science. If we discount mathematical proof, we'll quickly find that the things we know about our world are few and far between.

Yay! Another newbie! Welcome, Mark008!

Thank you!

Yeah, this whole thing definitely hasn't been easy on Zoë. She's a good sister, and a good guardian for Nick. Her love for her brother is a wonderful thing. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Thank you, Ron. I do my best. Thanks for reviewing, your comments are always welcome!

Well, he didn't quite tell them the whole story, but they have his back. Wish I could say I was sorry that the chapter made you feel slightly sick, but that's one of the best compliments I've had on this story so far. Thank you!

We'll see how this works out for Nick, whether he's really as strong as he thinks. Thanks for reviewing.

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it. The next chapter will be along within the next couple of days.

Nick's mother is currently in an institution. At present it's uncertain if she'll ever be well enough to be let out. Zoë has been Nick's legal guardian since their mother first got sick. As such, there has been no good reason, legal or otherwise, to inform her of what's been going on, though her sister knows. Thanks for reviewing!

Dave's dad is a bit of a heartless bastard, 'tis true. His mother, however, does have some depth, I think. Glad you're still enjoying the story! Thanks for reviewing.

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen have the most epic bromance in the history of acting. Anyone seen their Twitter accounts? Especially Sir Ian, he constantly posts selfies of the two of them for, like, every possible holiday, going to the theatre, having dinner, just stuff. They're so cute!

I still haven't read The Lord of the Rings. I have read The Hobbit and parts of The Silmarillion, but where LotR is concerned I could never get through the first couple of chapters. It's so slow! I just get bored. I respect Tolkien immensely and I think the world he made, the languages, the mythology, all of it is really exciting, and I know a lot of it, both from reading and from the movies (which I love), and from having an enormous Tolkien nerd for a boyfriend, but I doubt I will ever read the books. Life's just too short.

CHAPTER SEVEN Scene of the Crime ‘I think I should sing!’ Matt grinned. He played the bass line for Dull in double time and began shouting out the lyrics of the second verse. ‘I’VE BEEN TRYING FOR OH, SO LONG TO MAKE THESE FEELINGS FOR YOU DISAPPEAR!’ Stuart chimed in with angry, hard punk drumming. Nick laughed. ‘Fuck’s sake, stop faffing about, you guys! We’ve got to learn this properly!’ ‘Spoilsport!’ said Matt with a mock pout. ‘Fine, from the top then.’ Nick began playin

I actually used a baking butter that's mostly rapeseed and coconut oil, both healthy vegetable non-transfats, with only a little bit of actual milk fat thrown in the mix, but since different countries have different products I just put butter and people can moderate how they see fit.

I swear, pun entirely unintended!