ColumbusGuy

Long time no see, Mark! Been following the story line but haven't been able to post without my password since mid-May...went in hospital in early May for something, and they found I was severely anemic. Turns out, I had polyps in my colon, and I had to have an operation on 18 June to remove the largest ones, then spent eleven days in a rehab facility on top of the ten in the hospital. Blood iron levels are again in double digits, but not normal yet...but fingers are crossed. So much has gone on, I feel like a yo-yo with the Matt/Wade thing...and now Alex is a two-faced elitist jackass. Nice to see JJ has a nice side to him somewhere...and hope he is going to grow up a bit. Tiffany expecting--wasn't 'expecting' that! Boy or girl, I hope it is Matt's as well, it will give him more stabilization in his life whether he and Wade succeed or not. Four chapters left?! Hope plans are underway for the next book! I started trying to read Bridgemont in the rehab facility, but haven't gotten very far--much as I love historical fiction both real and alternate, the 1700s just aren't on my radar much--but since it's you I'm going to give it a shot. Anxiously awaiting the next dose!

Hm, British and Virginian aristocracy meeting in Boston...could be a recipe for an explosion or a new relationship! I've read that the Southern upper-class accent is very close to that which was in use by the English nobility around 1700 or so...too bad we can't listen in to their meeting. JP Baiting--what a great morning sport. It's nice to see he can loosen up enough to enjoy it--my own father was of that generation and was pretty reserved when it came to showing feelings or even laughing, and I thought he didn't really have a sense of humor until some friends were visiting and my dad said something which made them all crack up--seems, being young, I missed a lot of his very dry humor until I was in college. I find it interesting that of all the younger generation, the one to actually be in a relationship is the one you'd least expect--Will--that he should be the one who most knowss what he wants despite his age. It saddens me to think that should Zach somehow fail him, he will be so badly hurt, again; he professes that he will cope if that happens, but we are getting signs that he is really falling harder and deeper for Zach as time goes on. I hope his trust and loyalty will be rewarded in the end. Thanks for another great installment, Mark!

Nice explanation, Dolores! I hope Dr. Midad gives Earth some credit since they have only had 8,000 years of civilization! Have a nice vacation!

What's wrong Mark? An event at Escorial with no drama?! Lost your touch? I'm glad Sean and Brad are thinking along similar lines...Ben was just not a good fit for either of them. Tony and Mason--that was a surprise, but I can see it keeping the space clear for Will and Zach. The coast seems to be clear for a smooth departure for Europe, unless something happens at the last minute...and I'm dying to see Will and Marie at the Junior League ball--that should be a riot! Keep up the good work!

It's nice to see Sean back, and I think he and Brad might work very well--but then, I've always been partial to 'gingers' as our British cousins call them. I loved the scene where they dissected Ben's technique! Zach teasing like Matt did, I think is great--he's feeling a bit more comfortable with some of the family--and none of the people who could have heard are a risk. A trip to Europe is just what Zach needs to see not everyone is like the rednecks of Claremont. I think if Zach's growth continues, he might find himself more at ease with himself, which will make his job easier to remain closeted--less chance of a severe over-reaction to give the game away. Keep 'em coming Mark!

It has to be nearly ten years since I read your stuff on Nifty--but I had not seen this one until I came to G.A., I have been reading science-fiction for around 40 years now, and I have to say that this is the first story with an integral gay theme which I have no problem classing with the greats like Heinlein and Asimov. Just enough science to hold it together and a well thought out society which makes me a believer! I could picture every scene with such clarity that it was almost like I was there...rootingfor the heroes and hissing at the bad guys throughout! I have enjoyed all your work, but this is in a class unto itself, and I hope a sequel is forthcoming...perhaps of the journey to Alpha Centauri, or of more adventures at the Titania Cluster? I anxiously await more exploits of our favorite pod!

I was having a crappy day until I got on and saw you posted a new chapter--all I can say is 'Thank You!' I have been sick lately, and reading a lot has helped distract me--you, C James, Iarwain and Quokka have been my mainstays these lastfew months, but I am nearly caught up with all their works, and that leaves you as my mental support. Shame on you for leaving me dreading the break-up of Will and Zach! As others have said, this was jam-packed with 'Sturm and Drang'...and I can now see a firmer future for our troubled high-schoolers. Kudos to Matt for helping Zach figure out a way to work on his decision making, and for plotting his own course to adulthood. I only have one concern now, since Barry has a one-way ticket to Afganistan--we have seen the growth of maturity in most of our angst-ridden boys, but what of Wade? It does not seem that he is making any advancement in that regard--I think he has issues to deal with himself regarding adulthood, but have I missed him making any progress, or has it all been ascribed to Matt as the big problem Wade had? I understand Wade did not have as many problems as the others, but he seems to be blithely sailing through things as if he is his own Titanic--unsinkable. Is he too good to need to see a counselor? Glad you pointed out Flag Day is Sunday for you--I had to look it up to see when it was, and I didn't want to wait until the 15th for another fix! Not that I will fly mine under the current regime--I might fly my ancestral flag instead, if I can assure no one steals it. Few of the holidays are as they should be anymore--they get combined, moved, or even downgraded, while less-worthy replacements are set up. 'President's Day'--what a sham! Lumping two important dates into one for business purposes! I would say, let's have a 'Greed Day' for business, but they already have a whole season for that: Christmas! I'll stick with my Solstices and Equinoxes, thanks.

Dang, another great chapter! Gotta wonder what Maarten is smoking to be so rabidly anti-Will that he gives him no credit at all. I think Will handled Josh just right--let him face Brad next time he fucks with the family. On a related note, will Zach's move be the last straw which unleashed the wrath of Brad or JP? Much as I would like to see the two of them together, Will is exactly right in everything he said--he has sacrificed a lot to make him and Zach work, but it can't be done alone--Zach must also do his part, which he consistently fails to do. Will, if Zach sticks with his choice, cut him loose and force him to grow up or be a patsy for his parents' egos. A relationship is doomed without input from both partners, and obviously Zach isn't ready...maybe in the future, but not now. Can we get Brad to drop Wally and Clara into Afghanistan or perhaps the Ukraine?

It's a good day when chapters come up in three stories I'm reading--thanks! I enjoyed the conversation between Cam and Matt, and it brought back some feelings from my past, as it probably did for most readers: being cheated on. I can entirely relate to Cam's side of it, except for one thing--I wouldn't go back to someone who cheated on me just to be in a relationship. It is a mixture of trust and self-respect which would doom any attempt to reunite unless the circmstances were extraordinary. My feelings for Matt and Will are shaken a bit right now, but I won't jump to conclusions--I see that Matt is trying to change from the 'player' type which I detest, and that Will is being true to the rules he and Zach have set up--I see hope for him because he is bothered by what he did with Devon. I could digress into an analysis of the club scene and the community at large, but it would be biased as I never fit into that crowd. Besides being from a small town and shy, I was also not one of the 'hot' or even 'cute' crowd which so attracts people. I was cursed with vision problems contacts can't alleviate, so was automatically discounted by most urban gays, and I was also too honest to play the games to catch someone for a quick lay. I wasn't into fashion, gossip or drama, so I didn't fit in with most of the city scene--although I was well-read, talented and a good conversationalist I couldn't find the right crowd. Average guys who aren't into 'the scene' tend to disappear, and wind up alone, so I can relate to Cam's predicament. That said, I'd like to see Matt continue his transformation and find what he wants to be...and I want Will to find a good spot with Zach. Hopelessly romantic, that's me!

I assume the other 15% of Jeff's DNA is Neanderthal or Cr0-Magnon? It would be great if it were the former, since it seems our ancestors actually did interbreed.

I loved the entire chapter, Mark--the dialogues and interactions fit each character perfectly. I am especially glad to see JJ opening up a bit, and I see he is learning to trust people a bit more after what he has been through. Although he had therapy after his abuse, I'm not really surprised that it has taken this long for him to start letting anyone in except Matt and Will. Much as he seems to get along with Stef, I don't think he has let any adult in yet--that was the age group which hurt him so badly. Speculation about Cam and Matt is too early--I think Cam feels as he did before, but Matt needs to find out what actually constitutes love in a relatioinship--it is more than sex, and he is just getting an inkling of that now. In the long run, I don't know if it will be Cam--it would be nice--but I don't actually think it will be Wade either. Will and Devon? Not going to happen--Will will flirt and tease a bit, but his loyalty is to Zach until Zach breaks it.

A very nice surprise when I checked in--early and fun! I can't wait for the trip to Chicago to see what's going on...and see what JJ thinks about it. Hawaii is going to be an entirely different event from what Will had initially planned, and I hope Zach and Will get some time to themselves. No surprise at all that Brenda hasn't changed--bigots and zealots never will. It is because of people like that, that I want nothing to do with any of the organized religions. I am not overly spiritual, but when I think there might be a deity of some sort, it is not one who is going to micromanage things for everyone. Our brains are enough to show us how we ought to behave toward others and our surroundings, and if we discarded the trappings and dogmas of the big religions, we would all get along better. I hold an Enlightenment attitude--science and the concept of a deity are not mutually exclusive--the universe and it's complexity challenge us to unravel it and to wonder at how awesome it is...without being trapped by the limiting human concepts of a seven day creation and a god who is essentially the same flawed human form which the Ancients followed. Moral codes are entirely based on human ideas, not dictates from a supreme being--many are designed for the time they were written down, such as those regarding adultery and homosexuality when such things threatened the existence of the small tribes of humans. Others I consider to be universal: not killing, not stealing--these are the basic precepts which encourage growth and peaceful coexistence and are based in the good of the species. Those are the only ones which are relevant to today's world, the rest are just so much historical baggage. Perhaps the worst thing our species ever did was to create the concept of religion....it leads to wars, discrimination and people like Brenda Hayes who would drag us all back to illiteracy and intolerance.

Nice chapter! Interesting DNA result--guess Earth must be a lost colony or something? Or were some Daglons slumming with the local natives?

A great chapter Mark! I loved the dinner's theme of both retrospection and anticipation of the future to come. As the title declares, the future is not going to be what we expect...change is inevitable. No Cody/Brad for now with the reappearance of Alex Danvers, and though they will remain friends, there is no Matt/Wade that I can see. A while back, you reminded us that Wade was 'out' when I said that he might settle with Tiffany, so there was no need for a cover; I think, for the same reason that holds for Zach, Wade will have to do something similar--no gay politician has had more than local success, and certainly not on a national scale as Wade hopes to attain. I don't see Wade willing to sacrifice a career for his lover...unless this is going to be part of the Flux the title infers. Wade is just too concerned with social appearances to have an openly gay lover at this point. Matt...I am anxious to see who he will become involved with in future chapters...I don't think it will be Cam since he has already said that he didn't love him when they were younger--it would be nice if that could change, but I can't see him giving anyone a chance as long as Wade keeps stepping in to 'take the edge off'. The 'friends with benefits' idea is a crutch which will only hold him back...and that is sad to see when he is otherwise making such good progress. Okay, now Wally and Clara: it is great that Brad finally took enough notice to not include them at the dinner, but had they not been rude to JP I doubt he would have bothered. Just how much hurt do they have to do to Will and Zach before his protective instincts come into play? With the power his family wields in Claremont, why doesn't he take some action to put Wally in his place? Get him fired or suspended unless he keeps out of Zach and Will's relationship...it doesn't seem like Brad to let someone screw over one of his sons and get away with it. Keep the chapters and plot twists coming, Mark! Your witing is the highlight of my day when I see a new entry!

C James, I've read everything here except Jake, and loved all of it--however, I am put off by the comment above about 'squished baby kittens'. I don't want to read a story where the protagonist can be that cruel and thoughtless, much less have to pay for it. Out of curiosity, which is this particular story Premium Content, when your others aren't? Several of my favorite authors here have vanished, and I ran across your stories through a link I've now forgotten...things on GA are so hard to sorth through that I pretty much depend on chance to find anything decent, like your writings and Dom Luka's. The awkwardness of finding things here makes the idea of Premium Content at over $8 per month a bit ridiculous. If I had more details on Jake I would consider paying it once for the privilege, but the image of kittens leaves me cold. I'd appreciate if someone could clarify the kittens reference and tell me if such things are common in the story. This just seems so different from your other stuff. The only thing similar here was one of Dom Luka's stories, and while it was well-written, I'm still not sure I enjoyed it's thene of mental and physical abuse.

Just finished Circumnavigation and loved it! I confess to many anxious moments during the telling, wondering if all my favorite characters would survive--it is not often done, but a major character does die sometimes--I am glad that they all made it. I must now read Ben, which is a stand-alone part of this work, then I am done with all your stories here--they gave me many hours of pleasant distraction. In a forum, I saw a comment on Jake regarding squashed kittens--can someone tell me if that really happens? I don't want to pay for content only to find episodes like that, however relevant or good the work is; the short story about Jake me as having him be on the bad side, but not blatantly cruel...so cuold someone help me with the premium version of Jake? It has taken several months to read all your stuff, C James, and I was engrossed in all of it, and hope there will be more stories added to your collection in time! Thanks for the great enjoyment and excellent craftsmanship you allow us in your work.

Thanks for another great entry! I am at a loss for commentary here, which is odd for me. Not every chapter needs a cliffhanger, or even drama to be entertaining--this isn't a '30's serial after all, but this one seems to have side-stepped every scene which could have been emotionally raw. I was particularly surprised by Will's quiet acceptance of Matt's decision to do nothing regarding Cam's situation--where is his indignation when he is likely thinking that Matt owes some sort of loyalty to Cam, if only to warn him to be safe during sex with Josh since he seems blissfully unaware that the man is a cheating scuzzball. The comment that the buyers of Anders-Hayes overpaid bodes ill for the future of the company, but Brad is being his usual disengaged self and seeing numbers rather than people; I see this as a bad move considering the great things the company had planned to do, Perhaps Brad is going to the extreme of cutting out everything which reminds him of Robbie? When does the house in Malibu go on the block? It would be nice to see Cody and Brad together as a couple because I think Cody will be good for him, while Wade's sniffing after Matt I consider bad for both of them. Matt needs to keep his resolution that he actually doesn't love Wade anymore, and needs to find out who he is before he can enter into another relationship. Wade says he has moved on, but apparently not; without Brad to play the dominant partner, Wade is falling back into his comfort zone, being once again concerned only with himself and what he needs. What is right for Wade is what he wants at the moment, damn the consequences to anyone else. More and more, the viewpoint of the politician is taking over Wade--a Danfield through and through despite his lifestyle. With all this lovey-dovey aura around the family, I have to wonder: Mark, have you succumbed to Cupid's arrows? Always figured he used a regular bow, since there are obviously no 'quarrels' here for a cross-bow. I'm happy for you if this is so--and wish you well....I also snaughed when I read your comment on my last review, seeing things in black and white as Will does, but I am a product of evolution, despite my college education and wide-ranging curiosity. Damn bilateral symmetry anyhow--if we were creatures such as starfish it would be easier to be multi-faceted!

A cliffhanger? Only an Everest-sized one. One thing I found humourous at the time, but thinking about now, has me a bit disturbed: Stef's reference to those 'gray areas' he had talked to Will about. Yes Will should realize that there are times when there are more than two angles to a situation...but if something is wrong, it is wrong--and what Josh is doing is cheating on his boyfriend no matter how you look at it. Will is true to himself and others, but if he is encouraged to start making exceptions, what have we? A person whose center will no longer be people, but the situational advantage--in other words, Brad. Will has the makings of a fine partner for someone, but if he follows Stef's guidance too often, then he may as well just become his father. So many possible avenues for the story just opened up with Cam's arrival! I somehow don't think they will leave right now, perhaps stay another day or so. I can't picture the 'new Matt' allowing Cam to be treated so badly by Josh if he can help it...and have these two ever resolved their feelings for one another? I could see Cam as a strong candidate (sorry) for the s.o. of Matt, unless Josh has thoroughly screwed up his mental image of himself. On tenterhooks here, write quickly!

A great chapter Mark, I was late in reading it being in the hospital this past week. It was a nice present to find when I got home! Just a few concerns for our cast: I don't think Matt living above the bar is a great idea, but he can handle it except for one thing--Josh. At the moment, I don't like Josh, and don't beliee Matt should go out with him, but it is your and Matt's call. Secondly: I feel bad for Will and Zach, and can't help but feel a premonitory cast to your last paragraph; I hope I am wrong. A comment on centex's remark about Matt and Will regarding the proceeds from the sale of Anders-Hayes: I think it is more than the amount of money which strikes Matt causing him to think in mainly financial terms; Matt's family had money, but he views situations more in figures of profit and loss, while Will, having been around large amounts of money all his life, sees that it isn't the amount of money but rather what you can do with it for others. Money is a tool to improve things, not to hoard to oneself. I am reminded of Will in Hawaii--yes it took money for him to run there, but while he was there, he was content to do his surfing, make friends with other beach people...and he was happiest when he could fix up Kai's parents house for them, though he got nothing in return except satisfaction--he already had their friendship. For Will, everything is about people and right...for Matt, it is not entirely about profit and loss, so maybe there is hope for him before he turns into a younger version of 'Brad the Calculator'.

A great chapter, Mark, bringing closure to several sore spots in the family. I was sure the Texas camp was going to cause problems, but so far, so good. With the clarity between Will, Brad and Zach, I do hope Zach has heard the message Brad is trying to convey--namely, that he will have to decide if happiness is as important as a career. I think Brad is finding out that answer anew. Can we have a groan for yet another visit to Claremont? Nothing but trouble stems from there since the town no longer has any redeeming Hayes boys. JP, stop inflicting the town on your family--let it go--you've bought it a future, so since there are no good members of any families left, let it pass into history...unless you can find another Hayes boy to redeem. Want to lay odds that Matt ends up living in the condo near Northwestern? Stef always manages to make it appealing to potential tenants. As for any goings-on with Will, Stef and Matt--not gonna happen; Will won't due to Stef and Zach, and Matt won't while he is bonding with Will--the time for him will be when he starts school there.

Flux ia about change, naturally, so I hardly think it is winding down just because the most traumatic episodes are seemingly past us--a good author such as Mark is giving us a bit of breathing space before the deeper levels are reached. It is good to see everyone bonding, and I know, Mark, that you think I am totally anti-Wade (), but I really don't see Matt and Wade as a viable couple anymore: friends, yes, but life partners, no. Despite their vows, I can see Brad and Wade together, at least in the short-medium term...who else do either of them have? A restorer or accountant for Brad? I don't quite see either of them happening. In the spirit of this book, it fits that B/M/W can be friends while B/W see how they work out. When the book gets Matt to Chicago, I think he will find a new prospect, at least I hope. For that matter, we are forgetting that for his future, Wade will need a cover, which is where Tiffany has always fit in--and we have seen them being closer at times. Maybe it's because of May Day, I'm not sure, but I am imagining several possible avenues for the remainder of this book based on some comments and instinct--I hope they are just passing fancies on my part! First: Zach and Will find themselves separating over time--this seems the most likely due to the times and Zach's chosen path--and it brings me much pain because they are so good for each other; second: I see something happening with JP/Stef--whether it is a health issue or an accident, I fear that JP will be heading for a less active role in the family--again, I hope this is wrong! Though we did not speak the last thirteen years of his life (many factors, not least my preferences in partners), my father was active until he died in '01 at 83, I know JP isn't quite that old but I sense a change coming soon. Not a part of the series I will be looking forward to. Families need to be closer, if they can...and it is nice to see this one holding together. It is good to see Brad and the rest dealing with their grief right away--delaying it does not make it easier, trust me. My 'outing' to my father happened just before we moved to separate homes in '87, and that was essentially the last I ever talked to him--although I tried a few times, his girl friend put herself in the way then they moved out of state. When he died in '01, I didn't feel much because I had been rejected by him, and it was only last year when talking about the death of my favorite aunt with a sister, that I found the courage to ask my sister if my father ever mentioned me--I had never asked before because I figured there was no point, and I had dealt with his rejection years before--but she told me that she saw him several times a year when they went to Florida to fish, and that he had asked about me...and told me that he said he loved me--it had been his now unlamented girlfriend who had stood between all us kids and him until she died. Grief is not something that will disappear if ignored over time, as I found out that day...so I am glad our characters are getting the solace and healing they need now. Sorry. I can't remember if a character or a reviewer said it, or maybe it was in another story I read--that we often feel more loss at the death of a pet than a loved one--some may think this is a callous attitude, but I can understand and sympathise with it; so often, we hold bits of ourselves back from people for fear of being hurt or rejected or ridiculed, a training which sadly starts in schools or at home even earlier...while a pet we know will listen to us without any form of judgment, and love us for ourselves. There is seldom a day which passes that I don't think of a lost pet, beginning with my first memory of a shepherd puppy at age 3, and losing her the summer I graduated high school...I am not ashamed to say that I cried for her as much or more than I had for my grandfather when I was eight--but then, he had been sick for years, and perhaps I was too young to understand? Not sure why I'm bringing this up...unless it is to chide you for not letting any of your characters have pets? Is it part of the lifestyles of the rich that they can't make the bonds with animals--who would not be had except to enhance their status? Or are pets more of a 'country' thing? What's up with that, Mark? Oh, and as always, a fantastic chapter leaving me hungry for more!

Mark, wow. A thoroughly dramatic chapter, as always...you showed us more background to the scenarios running and gave us further insight into the characters and their motivations--always a sign of well-written fiction in my book. I enjoy this series so much that I truly hate it when I can't fully endorse a chapter, and this one has two points which I just can't buy into: first, and foremost, the scene with Barry; I felt let down by Brad's reaction and Barry's entire 'Rules'. Yes, I know Zach can't come out, even in fiction, but that Brad let the whole issue of who is paying him slide strikes me as totally un-Bradlike. Unless this is another sign of his self-absorption which I see as his major flaw as being a future head of the family? Had it been his own advisor, he would not have sat still for that at all. I also see some of Barry's rules as a recipe to break up Will and Zach, and I think Barry should have been given his walking papers. Second, the Matt/Brad scene: very striking, very moving, and perhaps cathartic for them both, but I still don't buy it as the easy fix it appears to be to their situation. I would lay money on the fact that Brad/Wade are not ended...and I feel that the 'pat' explanation of the affair being a way to get at Robbie through Matt a bit too convenient. For a long while Matt was not a favorite character of mine, but to see him willing to sweep Wade's hypocrisy under the rug is just galling. Like Brad, Wade has always been more concerned with iimage than anything else...and I just think that the idea of Matt/Wade being together again is doing Matt a disservice--even at his worst, he was honest with Wade, and as Trust is so central to Will's universe, so is Honesty to Matt's--to let him ignore Wade's actions for whatever reason is no basis for a relationship to flourish. A while back you mentioned that Claremont was based on Zanesville--funny thing, that! I have been there several times, and have friends who live there. A nice town, bigger than the one I grew up in. My friends lived in a house which was a mansion of a previous governor, huge with lots of two-storey bay windows and a walk-in clothes dryer...they now live in a more modern home in the steep hills outside of town! Very tough getting to in winter, I can tell you

Anyone who trusts Barry is a fool, and I hope Brad puts him in his place--Afghanistan. I had a bizarre thought reading his about-face: is Barry gay himself? What a twist that would be...but I still don't trust him. Wade and Brad permanently over? I doubt it. All I will say is again, that Matt needs to find someone in Chicago who is more suited to him; I see Wade as primarily out for himself--he was fine as long as things went his way, but turned his back on Matt when he had said he'd try to work things out with him. The Danfield politician comes out. Matt was honest with him, and deserves someone who can be the same, and it isn't Wade. Zach and Will: that was a shock! I never thought Zach would say those words and be so open. Many have said they are young to settle down, but that isn't what they are doing--they are merely saying that they think they are right for each other, and the future will be theirs together; easy courtships are not part of this saga (!), but these two are not typical: Will has had experience so can have a better grasp of what his feelings are...and I think while Zach might have seen Will first as a step away from his parents, he now knows that it is far deeper than that. Of all the people in this narrative, please let Will and Zach end up together, however rocky the road might be. Unlike so many others previously, they know the obstacles they face, and are willing to risk it. As this is fiction, please consider that if Zach is eventually outed, he could be a player still, if not as stellar as he might have been otherwise. I believe you can find your soulmate at any age...some are lucky to find them, others not. Some of us always hope

Nice chapter Mark, as always. I'm sure this lull in the drama is only temporary, and I can't wait for the meeting with Barry--I just hope Zach can really stick to his guns with everyone pulling for him. He really needs to let them work on his self-esteem. Wade and Brad? Not over by a long shot, in my opinion. Reconciling with Brad will seem like a green light to continue. Matt--wise up and realize that 'friends with benefits' is not the way to get over freedom. It just prolongs the agony, and I think you deserve someone better than Wade, who I can already see turning into the consummate politician out for his own gain. I think that perhaps JP is seeing that Will is going to be the head of the family in the end, and a better one that Brad could be. Brad's has the analytical sense but no feel for people's best interests, while Will has the analytical side coupled with a sense of what people need; Brad's moral compass points wherever expediency demands for appearance, Will's points to what will maintain the best balance for all concerned to achieve their best. Some see his past actions as tantrums about not getting his own way...but in fact, his aim has always been to see the right course of action prevail. Will just needs some of the finesse he can learn from Grand. Anyway, lets ambush Barry, and Matt...take the final step and move on--the 'benefits' from Wade are an anchor you no longer need.

Another great chapter Mark! All the interactions fit nicely, and set the stage for an interesting summer. It will be nice to see the guys in their European vacation--especially what Zach gains from it. My big problem is still the way Zach deals with his parents; he needs to find his inenr strength and tell them his preferences so that they know the basis for his and Will's relationship. Wally said he has no problem with gays, and while that might be true, Zach should use it to his advantage to get them off his back. I hardly think his parents are going to out him and ruin his career, It isn't as if being gay is a surprising thing in the Hayes family. He is also living with Frank and Isidore in California, so it isn't like he has no refuge from Claremont's narrow-minded citizens. In addition, I think he needs to get a new advisor, depending on how his visit with this one goes--he is clearly leaning toward Wally and Clara's side, which Zach doesn't need. It would be great if Zach did develop an interest in Grand's work--he isn't stupid as we know, but I can't recall if he's said what he wants to study in college. And regarding that, I thought Robbie left him a million dollars to go to school--and I hardly think the family will let him flounder financially if worse comes to worst? Coming out is hard, and I fully understand Zach's situation, but since his relationship with his family is already bad, what has he to lose in reality? Mine was complicated by divorced parents and me living at home wit hmy dad and his girlfriend: just before we moved to separate places in '87, he found out through finding a letter of mine...and we pretty much didn't talk for his last thirteen years. My mother who I weekly had once said that she had no problems if I was, but I didn't confirm it to her as she seemed to have a problem with my nephew. My three sisters--all older--knew, but I didn't find that out until about '97 when my nephew told me his preferences. I congratulated him on feeling okay with telling me, and he said 'well, I figured it was okay since you are too.' I asked how he knew that and he said all my sisters knew and his mom had told him--total surprise to me! But then, I wasn't out in my small town in highschool, and didn't have a relationship until my last year of college. I know it sounds odd today, but the world was different in the 70s when I was a teenager, and not being around other gay people caused me to develop other aspects of myself. To modern kids, it is likely hard for them to figure out, but my world even today doesn't revolve around being gay--I have gay friends, have dated when I felt the person was right, and attended Pride marches, but it is only one facet of me, not the one which rules my existence. I never lied about my preferences to anyone--if I felt they needed to know, I told them if they asked...if they didn't ask, then there was no need; I picked my friends well, all of them are tolerant and open people, who have been good friends for decades, whether gay or straight. I can imagine some of you saying I am ashamed or afraid of being gay...but you are wrong--it is only between me and who I might see--I am a person first, my private life is just that, private and not something others need to have control over. I think it is a product of my small town roots--be open with your neighbors, lend support where needed, and respect their privacy as you expect from them. The goal is to be a 'Good Man' and not 'King of The Heap'. I digress, sorry. I can understand Zach's dilemma, but for his own sanity, he needs to let Wally and Clara know what is going on before they destroy him emotionally. Surely Frank and Grand must see that?