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I have to believe that as long as Frank or one of the California group chooses or has a say in the choice of a counselor that this might work but I would not accept anyone that Wally and Clara selected and expect any success. I never thought it would happen but I am actually starting to feel a little sorry for Zach. He is striving for something that is so important to him and it seems like his parents just are trying to hold him back and keep him from reaching his goal if they can't be a pillar of his new life. I enjoyed all aspects of the Zach part of this chapter. I truly like how Mark is showing Zach's interaction with his teammates and family in California. I am curious if we are going to find out anymore about the Parnell kid but I guess Mark is going to keep up guessing for a while. I am still a little ambivalent about Will and Zach and what they have but I really appreciate both of them and how they are trying to deal with everything. I don't know what I was expecting, this was a high school locker room after all but I would have expected Stef to be a bit more Stef in a place with so much manly energy. LOL... I was glad that Alex spent some time talking to JJ about how much time he can devote to JJ's competition schedule. Alex seems to understand that JJ needs to be able to stand on his own if he wants his family to see him as someone that can make his own decisions and live his life the way he wants to. With his history, I am still afraid that JJ is going to be hurt by this in some way. I hope that I am wrong but it just seems that Mark has made JJ into the person in his generation that is always going to have something go wrong with his life. Great chapter and I can't wait for the next one, keep up the great work, Mark...

This was another great chapter. The use of multiple narrators has really worked out well in this story. I really do believe that there are several ways for Mark to proceed as this story goes on toward it's conclusion. I think the situation between Brad and Cam is really interesting on several levels. I don't know that I see them ever developing into a long term relationship but they are both good for each other. I enjoy how they interact and give each other a glimpse into the world from a point of view that the other would not be capable of seeing if not for the other. I love how much Will cares about all of his family. I do admire how far he is willing to go to help and protect those that are most important to him. He not only understood what his dad needed but he is one of JJ's biggest backers. Will really does understand what it means to be family. I am glad that JP and Stef are around him so much because I believe he is so much more well rounded and interesting by being so exposed to them. Alex is starting to win me over. I did not think this was ever going to be possible but I am starting to really understand his position and how he compartmentalizes his life. Once again, I don't really see Alex and JJ being able to be together as a long term couple unless one of them is willing to sacrifice a major part of their life and identity. JJ was great all around. I really admire how he goes after what he wants and how he handled the bitchy competitor. I think it is great how much he is able to rely on Tiffany and her experience to help him. Most importantly, I think JJ is in love... Can't wait to see where Mark takes us all on this journey, keep up the great work...

Perfect.....

Wade was bitch, Matt was obtuse. JJ was mellow, Alex was snarky. Tiffany was a cipher. Great chapter and can't wait to see where you are taking us. I loved the way Wade ended the chapter with his comment to Hammer....

Okay, I am just going to say " ditto " to everyone's comments about JJ and Alex and Brad and Cam. Both of those scenes were just so well done and letter perfect. I am going to add a comment on the scene with Devon, which no one has mentioned yet... I loved it... It was so sexy and funny all at once and that is something that isn't easy to pull off. WOW, just a truly great scene... Thanks for the update, Mark but what have you done for me lately???

The scene with JJ going to Triton and then talking to Brad was just so well done from start to finish. I thought it had it all, from tender to snarky and everything in between. I thought that Brad did what he needed to do to stay relevant and connected to JJ's life. JJ's call to Will was hilarious. I am so glad that even though they fight at the end of the day Will and JJ really do have each other's backs. I was glad to see JJ talk about the issue with his former coach, even in a round about way; plus glad that he is still seeing Casey. Brad getting his slut on was sort of funny and sort of sad. I actually hope the encounter in Chicago with Cam is more fulfilling.... Great job, Mark, can't wait for the next installment...

If only JJ could produce an heir, then he and Alex might live happily ever after on the Bridgemont estate backed up with the Schulter money. I think the fact that he can't will prove to be a bigger problem in this relationship then anything that Brad does. I do understand Brad, he looks back at everything that JJ has gone through the last two years and just cringes with the idea of him getting hurt again but he just has to listen to JP and take a step back. I don't think that Alex will purposely do anything to hurt JJ. The fact that the current Duke and JP have developed a relationship on any level will make it hard for Alex to act untoward in his behavior toward JJ. Plus, are we sure that Alex isn't going to end up being the one trapped in a tower somewhere??? I do admire Zach for doing what he needed to do to handle the situation but still really felt a little uncomfortable that he used maybe the worst thing that Will is ever going to have to deal with as part of his cover; then at the end he seemed to blasé about it when he was alone. I don't know but karma is a bitch.... Great work, Mark, hope you are enjoying crafting this as much as we enjoy reading it...

Oh how I have missed George, I was more than happy and thrilled to see that this wonderful chapter was posted for all to enjoy and devour. I did love how Granger choose to load water and take care of his men. He really does what he can to make sure that those aboard his ship are taken care of and given the best they can be given. Lady Elgin is of course not subject to this superior care. This is what makes Granger so different from so many of his contemporaries and why so many of his crew have chosen to follow him when they have been able to do so. I have to wonder what kind of smuggling is going on and what will happen when Granger uncovers it? Is it something harmless like the wine back on Gibraltar or something more serious? I know you are busy but just have to say that I can't wait for the next chapter... George Granger always makes my day...

Margo Channing: Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night! One of my favorite movies and a truly unforgettable character, this just says it all....

Not sure that JJ is going to like be the Princess as much as I thought he would; who would have thought it... I still want to see how this plays out. I do think that Alex could really end up caring for JJ and if something really develops between them, then it could be an excuse for why JJ never goes for the Olympic medals as good as he is in the story. Zach was awesome. I have never really been a fan but the way he handled the situation with Parnell and the assistant coach was perfect. Seems that being around Will and his family may have shown him more about how to be a power player than I would have thought... I still think that Frank is going to cause problems for him in the end. I don't see anyway that that relationship really leads to anything good as it stands now. Great job and thanks for the new chapter, Mark...

I thought the scene with JJ and Alex was actually really sweet. I am still not sure about how I feel about this but the scene was still very sweet. I do think that someone needs to talk to JJ but I still think that JP/Stef or Will either separately or in combo need to be the one to handle this. I am not sure how JJ will deal with finding out he is the Princess in Alex's world; of course, with JJ he might like the idea of being a Princess... The scene with the handcuffs was just perfect. It was funny and sexy and just so real. I do think they have some of the best scenes. I hope that Zach doesn't do something that risk the sprain turning into something much worse than it is now. I don't know that Zach would easily recover, at least at this time, with losing his ability to play football at the highest level. I don't know that the guy thinking he noticed something is the end of the world. Is he really going to do something that risk the team losing what appears to be the best player on the team and risk losing? Is he gay and jealous? Is he just being a typical teen male and being an ass is part of that Alpha male attitude that you find on some many football players at that age? Keep up the great work and hope that this is as much fun for you to write and it is for us to read, thanks....

Another outstanding chapter in this story, this one just keeps getting better and better. Of course, when has one of yours gotten worse.. LOL... Will is just turning out to be really great. I loved that the first place that he really went on his own after he got his license was to see his grandmother, oh and Zach too since he lives there. I have to admit I was one of those that felt that Will would never stay with Zach because he would never be willing to keep their relationship private. I still am amazed at how well he has handled this situation. You can just really feel the connection that they have between each other. I do worry about how Wally and Clara will be with Will being in Hawaii for the game. I just have a feeling at some point they are going to do something that causes all of this to blow up... Whomever ends up talking to JJ will need to figure out not only how to handle broaching the subject of Alex with him but how his feeling for Alex is affecting his skating. Right now JJ almost views Alex as a good luck charm, it could cause problems not just personally but in the rink if the Alex situation just blows up... I would almost think Stef and Will in tandem might be the best to handle this conversation. Brad getting involved might make it interesting as well... Hammer is going to cause problems, I am not sure how but I just know it... I can't see Matt sleeping with him, but I could see Hammer really trying to get that to happen. Glad that Wade is sticking to his guns about not missing that much time during the semester; I just don't think he could and keep his grades where he expects. I do think it was important that Wade push Matt to go. I thought Matt handled the situation with paying for it just perfectly, not making a big deal out of it but announcing that we, meaning he and Wade, would cover it. Can't wait to see where you take us next in this story, Mark....

You could almost hear the wheels turning in Alex's mind; the more JJ talked about all the usual stuff that he doesn't do the more boxes on being the Madonna/Princess Alex was able to check off. I do think Alex is right about one thing, America almost more than any other country has a tendency to write it's history to give itself the benefit of the doubt on anything that ever occurs. I am not saying that other countries don't, as JP and others would say the victors right the history books. America or at least a certain segment of it always needs to seemingly justify all of it's actions, whether they were right or wrong or justified or not. Maybe because we are such a young country, but it is funny to see how others that rely strictly on facts handle our take on past events... I actually think that Brad and Sean would make a pretty good couple. Sean is a little younger but not to much; submissive while Brad is more dominate; and they are both heavy hitters in their fields. I do think it is probably too early for Brad to get really serious with anyone but he could have a lot of fun with Sean and who knows, it might really lead somewhere.... Great chapter as always, Mark, keep up the great work...

Manna from heaven. This was just the perfect way to finish off a week. It was worth the wait and we will all be on pins and needles until the next one arrives... I love how even in the middle of everything he is going through, Granger thinks about how to show confidence in Clifton and make sure that those around him know that he has confidence in the young man. That says more than you can imagine about someone. I am glad that Elgin finally decided to take Granger into his confidence, even though it took way to long for it to happen. Elgin for all the arguments to the contrary today because of his acquiring of the Elgin marbles and others works was very effective in his post in Constantinople and would have to have been a better politician then he has been portrayed so far in the story. If Lady Elgin's father was friends with Henry Dundas then it would have been hard to go after her as long as she had his support. Dundas was probably at his strongest point about this time and was even appointed as one of the Lords of the Admiralty, although this proved to be his downfall. A few years later he was tried but acquitted of theft or misappropriation of public funds, I don't remember which; but I know he was acquitted but it finished him politically. The trial happened about the same time as the death of his greatest supporter, William Pitt the Younger so it could be argued that the acquittal might not have hurt so much had Pitt lived. Maybe the biggest knock today against Dundas was that the slave trade would probably have been abolished ten years earlier had it not been for Dundas' opposition to abolition. Once again, a great chapter Mark, and I do love how you work real life historical figures into the stories so deftly and make them so relevant....

This was just such a sweet chapter, I am starting to think that Mark may have gone soft on us... I really enjoyed how ADD Will was about taking all the notes of what the doctor was saying while Zach was really just blowing off what he was saying. I loved how Frank was there to talk to Zach about how great he played but also to remind Zach that one game wasn't worth sidelining his whole year for. The necklace was really special and you could just tell how much it meant to Will. There conversation was really telling and while I am not fully sold on Zach, being able to see his side of things has helped... Great chapter and how all is going well with you Mark, the big softy....

Another great chapter, I honestly don't know how you do it. The scene with Brad and Cody was so well written and the timing was just perfect. Cody is right, even today when being HIV positive isn't a death sentence; a lot of people can go completely off kilter with that diagnosis. Everyone handles something like that differently. I do hope that Brad gives Kevin a break but I know it will be harder because there just is not the history with him that there is with Cody. I was glad to see Brad and Cody end up in bed together, I think it will be go for both of them and maybe give Cody the strength to dump Alex D... It is so funny to see Zach's point of view. Those that never have been around someone with that level of talent are always amazed at how everything is somehow about getting what they need. Zach seems to handle it as well as anyone, plus, he does have a secret that makes his situation even more fraught with danger. I sort of think it might help Zach in the long run if he could not play next week and had to support the team in other ways... Sorry for the delay in posting and I hope the spelling and grammar are okay, having to respond via my phone from a boat in the middle of a lake, the only place I can get a connection.....

I so enjoyed this chapter, it was full of such positive vibes; I have to wonder if the next one will be??? Will really is the most together 16 year old that may have existed since the middle ages. I loved the scene with him and John Carullo, who has always been one of my favorite auxiliary characters. I thought the conversation with Chris Mendoza was also telling for other reasons as well. You can just tell the bond between him and Darius and JJ is tight and no matter how much they may piss each other off, they will have each other's back. I loved how Will handled getting his birthday presents. I have to wonder how much fun he will have with them and how responsible he will be with them... I have to wonder if Will isn't going to get an unpleasant surprise by not giving Zach a heads up but we will see... The scene with JP and Wade was priceless. You could feel the genuine love and affection that they have for each other. They are kindred spirits in so many ways. I can see them always being close no matter what... So glad that Will was willing to stand by Cody, I loved how he came to his defense with his dad and Stef. The fact that he ended up with JP as back up just made it all the sweeter. I just don't know about Alex, I keep wavering. He really hasn't done anything but I just can't seem to warm up to him. I have a feeling he saw Will as the whore part of his complex and that bothers me some. I do believe that he may not have realized the extent of JJ's feeling for him and I am glad that Will stopped and explained his reasoning to him. I could actually see JJ as the Madonna part of the complex and seeing him really enjoying that... LOL... Keep up the great work....

Don't quite get Tess's hostility for Mia, she may be upsized by her father as a gift but she really hasn't done anything to explain why Tess seems to have it out for her.

Interesting interaction between the four but I sort of wonder what they are thinking when they are by themselves. Always a little unsure about a religious angle, but this seems to be well thought out...

Okay, I am coming in well after you started the story; but I am going to put my two cents in. Never start a story that you are not willing to finish to completion. What I mean is don't post the start to the story and then never finish it, I hate it and so do a lot of other people. I have stopped looking at any story that certain authors write simply because they have done this too often. Okay, to this chapter; I was a little more enthused with this chapter. I still can see the original premise but can't decide how difficult it is going to be to stay focused on it. The writing is good and the characters are interesting. I could see several ways to have this story dovetail and not stay just in the sci-fi genre.

Okay, this chapter seemed a little more disjointed. Not sure how the addition of Spencer is going work, especially since he will be an appendage, or at least it looks that way. Trent seems a little to comfortable with the idea of using his power or the others for his benefit, not sure if the ark is going to let him get away with that much...

An interesting start with an intriguing idea, I will have to keep with it to see where this is going. The premise isn't something I have seen lately and hope that it stands up to the first chapter.

This was perfect. I enjoyed everything about it from start to finish. Almost feel as if JJ is doing an elaborate striptease; we keep getting these glimpses of who he is and maybe who he will become. Bringing Rosa to Boston was just perfect; it is only right that she stay with the family and Malibu no longer seems to be a focus for any of them. I can't wait to see what is revealed next about JJ and where he is going. I just knew that Princess would stick and I think it is just hilarious. It really does fit Wade in a weird kind of way. I am glad that he and Matt are secure enough to be there to help Brad with everything that happened in the past. The scene with Matt sending Wade off to school with the note was so sweet and the moment was special... Loved how everyone went out of their way to keep Brad busy and help him ease back into the world of dating; it worked and he did not realize until it was over what they had done and how they had kept him from obsessing over Robbie on this day. Robbie would have been proud of Brad and nothing but happy that he is finally moving on... There was such a sweetness to this chapter. Nothing can be compared to knowing you are loved; Brad may fight with his children, family, and friends, but he can never not know how much love there is behind him pushing him forward.... This chapter showed what it really means to be family in all it's different forms....

Really enjoyed this chapter, I had to go back and read the last couple to re-connect with the story. This chapter was well written and the pacing was great. I am starting to really enjoy the part with Mark and Tom. I can't wait to see how that develops. Tom is damaged and doesn't have the support he needs, especially with how his father acts. After everything that Mark has been through, I have to wonder if he can really handle what Tom has in his past. I do think that that if Tom doesn't fill him in, then Max will at some point. I am sure that this run in with Tim is going to set Max back some and I hope he is open about it with Josh but not sure if he will be or not. I don't know if you ever truly get over something like that. You can learn to accept what happened and deal with the aftermath but it is always something that you will live with. Thanks for the new chapter, and hope the next one is already being worked on...

JJ was great. Brad was intense. Cam was confusing. Darius was brilliant...