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This sounds very distressing ... since both of the main characters went through so much grief and physical pain in the story ... I do not wish for it to happen to anyone in real life, least of all for you ...

I agree with what everybody says about Brett after we've all read the epilogue of this story ... We feel more sympathy for him and as @BlindAmbition pointed out, Brett did acknowledge Corey to be his boyfriend in the end and he was the one to let Corey go because he knew what he had to offer would never be enough for Corey; this to me, is a very selfless act on Brett's part. He loved Corey enough to let him go. Mind you, how he carried out severing the relationship was all wrong, so I won't apologise for venting my anger at Brett. I'm not sure that things between the two boys couldn't have been worked out in the long run, relationship needs a lot of work, so maybe ... (I am a sucker for best friends => lovers => spouses / soulmates for life). Everybody else seems more sensible on this matter than I am ... Perhaps Brett will finally find his happiness eventually, just like Gene in A Bridge to Yesterday, after a very convoluted and heartbreaking journey ... Yay ! If I remember correctly, Reggie's Journal is one of the least angst ridden stories by @Ronyx Let me go and refresh my memory !

It is very difficult to feel sympathy for someone like Chris after what he had admitted to doing or planning to do under Michael; but at the same time I feel a lot of the pain he was going through - being horrified by what he'd done to Connor and Kevin and crushed by his own guilty conscience. Obviously he'd need a lot more therapy and counselling to work through his past; he'd need to do some kind of penance for his past transgressions though - more than writing some letters ...

Hmm ... yes I keep forgetting that Chris would still be a teenager (?) so I'll echo @centexhairysub on his thoughts about Chris. Clearly Michael used to dominate Chris when they were back within the Parker Valley pack, so now at least Chris could think for himself. To read what Michael was up to is truly scary and I'm so glad that Ethan had been as powerful as he was to have fought off Michael and his gang ... and Michael never had the chance to carry out his evil plans ...

I suppose in order to go forward one has to be brutally honest with oneself when carrying out this kind of "purging" - out with the old ... Hopefully Chris would come out of that "dark place in my mind that I've imprisoned myself" very soon ...

At the end of this chapter, when Chris addressed his therapist and playfully called him / her his shrink, I begin to wonder if he had a crush on that person ...

Okay ! Warm and fuzzy feelings after being hot and bothered when I finished reading about Angel and Imp in the Anthology ... Well, it's a semi-cliffee at the end of this chapter, because we're all dying to find out how well the surgery went for Michael ... Dear Tim, please hurry up with the next chapter, pretty please ! (no hints from me just a plain, clear request)

Fanning myself, feeling really hot and bothered ... Yay, Angel and Imp finally together ... Would Patrick be able to sense something different in them ??

A lament for a love lost ??

And now the end is here; And so we face the final curtain. My friend, I'll say it clear, I state my case, of which I'm certain. They'd lived a life that's full. The two travelled each and every highway; And more, much more than this, YOU did it your way. Regrets, I've had a few; But then again, just one to mention. You did what you had to do And saw it through to the bitter end. You planned each charted course; Each careful step along the plotline, And more, much more than this, YOU did it your way. Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew When you bit off more than we could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, We ate it up, what you spit out. You faced it all and you stood tall; And did it your way. They'd loved, they'd laughed and cried. They'd had their fill; their share of losing. And now, as tears subside, We all find it so amusing. To think you did all that; And may we say - not in a shy way, "Oh no, oh no not me, I did it my way." For what is a bard, what has he got? If not his words, then he has naught. To say the things he truly feels; And not the words of one who kneels. The record shows you took the blows - And did it your way! Yes, it was your way. Gary for your hard work !

Brian and his psychic abilities could only solve so much of the problems in his world, he saved some girls and he lost others ... No wonder he was devastated when he had invested so much of his own emotions in his cases ... There used to be a kind of torture that chinese convicts were subjected to at their execution way back in the imperial days. The executioner needed to cut the condemned a thousand times before he succumbed to death. Taylor Smyth would deserve such treatment for his crimes, but if I advocate this kind of torture, I'd be no better than he was ... I know this is getting old, but I love Brian and at the same time, I hate his relationship dynamics with Charlie. I would always suspect Charlie to be hurting Brian behind my back, but these 2 characters are only a placeholder for someone I worry about in real life ...

Would Miguel be a soldier or a musician as he had "gone on tour" ? @Valkyrie has made a very perceptive comment, Miguel and Tristan, were they more than friends ? This is a very moving story on a difficult subject and the climatic scene was cathartic for me as well as for Tristan, it is a day of waterworks for me ...

Tim, after reading all these comments here, I've realised how proud we, as your friends, are of you ... I hope that our love for you will bring you a little joy on this day ... I f-cking hate it when I cry on the public transport, it's embarrassing ...

I'm crying for you ... and can't stop ... we always think of our loved ones whenever the festive seasons come around ... On this speacial occasion I send you all my hugs ... What @Reader1810 said, she is ...

What Gary and Lyssa said ... I believe in a version of karma that what we do and fail to do, as a community, a race or a species, will eventually come back to haunt everyone of us. Especially for #10, if we choose to ignore the plight of those who're down on their luck, then we would pay a price, eventually; by condemning them to a life of pain and suffering, we too will suffer in some way ... we share in every triump and every failure that we, as humans, make ... From Cloud Atlas "Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future." p.s. I am so going to hell, I reap what I sow, maybe not the depths of hell, but still ...

@purrbaby actually asked a very valid question, would Gabe's brother or family show up any time soon ? Money always attracts the vultures and other undesirables ... Would Gabe, Derrick and Cass be able to enjoy some downtime with all the added security ??

I've never heard of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar world before so I'm sure I've missed a lot of the adventures ... sorcery, quests, sword fights, military campaigns (not so much), demons <repressing a scream> ... BUT in the original work, is there any male to male romance (I'm not even talking about explicit content) ?? This is quite different from your other stories, Clueless Camping or Cardmaker and Caretaker ... the scenes read more raw and tough with an edge of danger lurking (just around the corner) nevertheless it has been most enjoyable. Like @JeffreyL I plan to go and read some of her work ...

YES, you're absolutely correct, the content warnings list self harm on that main page (with the table of contents) Many apologies !

It has been almost too painful for me to read through how Bailey carried out "it" ... the pain and anger that he had internalised. I was half hoping he would lash out at Daniel Kirsch or at his mother ... So much hurt had been bottled up, to have to apologise because of how he was brought up, I was silently screaming for Bailey ... The scene when he was crying while looking at his father's picture broke my heart, again; to top it off, his mother admonishing him for slacking off. I mean even Coach Richards noticed something was off with Bailey, BUT not his mother ... how could that woman be so wrapped up in herself that she'd choose to ignore the signs ?? @craftingmom You may think about posting a trigger warning due to the harrowing and detailed scene with the cutter ... just my humble opinion ...

This is a really super sweet and lovely story. Soulmates connected from an early age ... through sensory overload (?), shared dreams (which were almost lyrical with your description) and Gerard and Faris gave a completely new meaning to the act of "texting" l have suspected from early on in the story that Faris was in some way connected to the big red horse so I'm not that surprised that he was a shifter; however I'm so glad that my other suspicion, that the injuries suffered by Faris had been brought on through abuse, is totally unfounded. Gerard's parents, Desmond, Faris's brother and aunt were basically all good people that I, as a reader, would have been glad to befriend in real life ... Anyway @Sasha Distan for another great "not so short" story ! p.s. Would the open space in the U.S. make such a difference for the young men to roam about ? It just seems that Britain would be a safer place for them, is all ...

When my grandmother died more than 30 years ago, I cried my eyes out at her deathbed. However at her funeral, I acted as though it had been a party, I flitted around greeting friends and family. That was until I saw my father at the back room of the funeral parlour, he was looking at his mother in her casket and had tears steaming down his face; it was then that I realised that I might have acted a bit inappropriately at a funeral ... but I couldn't bring myself to cry even when they finally lowered the lid of the casket. Everyone deals with death (of a family member) in a different way. If you don't even understand how you're feeling at this moment, then why should other people assume to know how you should feel ? You may have to deal with a few awkward situations in the next few days, but honestly, you just need time to process your own sentiments. There is no single appropriate way to feel things because each one of us is different, so if you feel sad or if you only remember the good times with your grandfather or if you don't feel anything at all, it will all be alright.

Finally ! A new chapter ... Apologies, I've got to go and re-read the other 2 chapters to refresh my memory ... Anyway

I understand that both @droughtquake and @jaysalmn think that Liam could do better, it is not really about Alek or Nathan, it is about Liam. All the comments for this chapter, or this entire story ( and to some extent in the discussion taking place in the Forum ), they all read like that there is a real couple who have broken up and we, the readers, are their friends. We're taking sides based on how much we love one or the other of the couple. If one loves Liam more, then he very well should move on from that SOB, he has suffered enough; because he is such a sweet and loving person, he deserves someone better. If one loves Alek more, then of course he should be given yet another chance, he has begun to live his own life truthfully and he, Aleksei, also deserves a chance at happiness with Liam. Congratulations @LitLover for writing something so realistic that you've us all up in arms over the two of them. Personally, I would like to project myself into Corey in this story, he has grown and matured into such a great person, a fair employer, loyal friend and wise individual and married to a loving husband ... can't get better than that ...

OMG, you guys just reminded me ( especially @Parker Owens ) that by using this format, @craftingmom is basically subjecting us to a scene too painful to watch twice ... I'm beginning to believe that she enjoys tormenting us, the readers ... ( Not the main characters in her story though, they usually go through hell but manage to come out to a happy ending ... they may need therapy to get to their HEA, but they'll arrive at that happy place eventually ... the villains always get their comeuppance ) God, why do I fall for this trick? I don't usually choose to hurt myself voluntarily ... I'M SO CLUELESS ... WHY do people always loose the one who loves them most ? Bailey, I'm so sorry for your loss ...

Daniel did have a better childhood than Raymond, at least his parents were still alive and had accepted his sexuality ... with that cold hearted mother and holier than thou "stepdad", it was almost worthwhile for Raymond to be thrown out of their home, almost ... Well Julie sure knew her way around that town; contrary to your protestations, I am quite certain she was a psychic ! Hopefully Raymond would feel more connection with his father at their old ranch and not have more bad memories dredged up ... Well, I'm also looking forward to the 6am meeting / sexcapade ! Yay !