Date: Jan 30, 2019 11:03 am Title: Chapter 1
First read this on Moonshadow and very happy to re-read it and review on KD. Yet another awesome story. I especially loved that Brian and Justin were so secure in their relationship that no big discussion was required about what to do about, and with, Gus. This just begs for a sequel where the girls return to Pittsburgh and finally get their comeuppance. They don't deserve to get away with this shit! Just more of Lindsay's selfish and entitled attitude. I always thought she was a conniving manipulator who undoubtedly worked constantly behind the scenes to undermine Mel's confidence in herself and their relationship and to make her feel threatened and inadequate in comparison with Brian. She was a nasty piece of work. Big fan of all your stories :-)
Date: Nov 20, 2018 2:30 am Title: Chapter 1
Love it, fucking Lindsey
Author's Response:
Thank you. Yep.
Date: Nov 07, 2018 3:41 pm Title: Chapter 1
I didn’t like them either
Author's Response:
I think it's hard for anyone who cares for Brian and who sees him as the imperfect, damaged, but essentially good person he is, and like either Mikey or the lesbians who treat him so badly while claiming to love him. They're not just enablers, that would be bad; they're abusive. They take advantage of his love and loyalty to manipulate him, to leech off him financially and all the time they are belittling him, including in front of his son. Ugh!
Date: Oct 04, 2018 11:35 am Title: Chapter 1
Wow! I just now ran across this. What an amazing read! Did Lindsay's actions in this story surprise me? Hell No! Melanie's? A little. She was also so superior with her Family Values and fighting for parents in court for children. How could she slap Gus? And at such a young age. Then turn around and say those hateful words that spewed from her mouth... ‘he's the fucking father, let him look after his fucking brat; I don't want anything to do with him'. Calling Gus a brat... well, I just hope if she ever tries to practice Family Law again, those words will come around and bite her in the ass. Along with the fact she forged documents, I'd be hard-pressed to believe she could ever practice law again. Surely that has to hold grounds for disbarment.
Lindsay always was selfish. I feel the only reason she wanted Brian to father her baby was the fact that she could have something of Brian, hoping to gain Brian for herself. How she doesn't understand that Sam is only using her until someone else catches his fancy, is beyond me. He'll throw aside her over-used twat like yesterday's garbage. I really hope that Brian not only got full custody, but Lindsay's rights were revoked.
Happy to see that Brian and Justin are going to be together, forever. That New York didn't keep Justin away for too long. I'm sure what Laurent did wasn't kosher, but hey... he was just having a friendly conversation with his brother-in-law telling him about his day. Nothing wrong with that, is there? :)
Not sure if you are still involved with KD, or if you will even get this review, but if you do, I have a question for you. Why have you never posted 'Reverberations', 'Homecoming' and 'Homework' here on KD? I know you have 'Homework' on MW, but stopped the story at Chaper 14, stating the fic was completed, instead of the actual 43 Chapters that it was. I also reread your story back in August on your LJ page, under a different user name. You said to me that you were still writing the story. Will it only be posted on your LJ page? I'd really like to see it posted here. You could post every few days, maybe drawing in a lot of readers that have never read the story. Please think about it. Having read it two months ago, I woudn't mind another go at it myself.
Better go... I saw a couple more of your one-shots I'm interested in. Loved this story. Poor little Gus. He's gone through some emotional times recently. He can only grow from the experience and thrive in Brian and Justin's care.
XOXO ~ Cathy
Author's Response:
Thanks, Cathy.
What an amazing comment. Let me see ... Mel ... my take on Mel is that she is never going to be able to get over the fact that Gus is Brian's son. Not just his kid, but his son. I think it might have been easier for her if the child had been a girl. But every time she looks at Gus he's going to remind her of Brian. He's even dark-haired like Brian. And he's a male child. I think she's one of those lesbians who really does not like men. And she's "married" to a woman who does. It's pretty much a given, even in canon, that Linds still indulges in fantasies of her and Brian. She has already had a fling with Sam. Those things would fan Mel's dislike and distrust of males. If Lindsay left her for a man, I think all of those factors would come together in a way that would almost make it inevitable that Gus would become her target. He's a male. He's Brian's child. He's a walking talking symbol of Lindsay wanting something, someone, other than Mel.
ITA about Lindsay. The whole thing about her wanting to stay home for longer with Gus was basically selfish. All of their planning had clearly been based on her going back to work. Possibly even their health care (and specifically, Gus's health care) would have been tied into that, since it's more than probable that Mel would not have been able to get them covered as her dependants. Now, probably. Back in 2000 - I doubt it. Basically, she wanted what she wanted and figured that Mel and Brian would just look after the pesky details like financing her stay at home Mom lifestyle. (Mind you, I never quite got why money was so tight for them. I know teachers don't get paid a lot, but I don't know too many lawyers who would have trouble paying a mortgage on a moderate little house and supporting a family.)
BJ - well, what can I say? In my stories they will always find ways to be together.
As for the posting thing - I'm currently in the middle of major de-cluttering and reorganizing of my house. Plus, I have to get a new computer (even my laptop is nearly 10 years old, my PC must be over 12 - it runs on Windows XP). I'm hoping to get most of this stuff sorted by Christmas, and after that I want to get back into writing - and posting - with renewed ability to actually do things without them taking forever because of my outdated operating systems.
So soon, I promise.
And thanks again.
Date: Dec 24, 2016 3:32 am Title: Chapter 1
absolutely fantastic Christmas story... Christmas per the season, but I'm not a fan of the muchers either, so this was great... and I hate the C word, but totally applicable for them!
Author's Response:
Thank you. And yes. That word definitely does apply here.
Date: Dec 21, 2016 10:20 pm Title: Chapter 1
I'm really sad for Gus. This is going to be hard for him. But I'm glad about the ending though. Great story.
Author's Response:
Yes. It will be hard for him. But better being with two people who will always put his needs first rather than with those women.
Date: Dec 16, 2016 9:27 pm Title: Chapter 1
Mel and Lindsay are so selfish they thought of themselves and to Hell with Gus.
Mel hitting Gus is beyond wrong but of course she wouldn't call Brian to come get his son because she always has to be right?
Not surprised Lindsay ran off with Sam Auerbach she can't be an artist so she ran off with one too bad they won't last.
I wonder if Mel and Lindsay will get in trouble for their actions in Canada and I am afraid for Jenny.
Is there a part two to this story I doubt Melanie and Lindsay are staying away for long especially after they find out Brian has Gus and his custody has been restored???
Plus Deb will want to see her granddaughter and I dare Mel to try to stop her lol
Author's Response:
JR didn't exist in this story. Simply because it simplified the story line and let me concentrate on Gus.
I've never thought about writing a sequel. Maybe one day. It's worth a thought.
Date: Dec 16, 2016 8:21 am Title: Chapter 1
Wow i never hated those cunts than i do in this story!!Even from the show i don't really like them,Lindsay is because she's trying to show that she cares but deep inside is a jealous,manipulative self righteous princess like..Always saying that she wants only Brian to be happy but thought the opposite..I hated her more when after Justin told her that he doesn't want to go to new york,she went behind his back and showed Brian about the article..So as to you story she's totally the same,always making everything about herself,not caring if she hurts anybody specially poor Gus,well she can go to her wonderland and hoping she never comes back,Gus is better off with his dads..
As for Melanie she just plain bitter and jealous of Brian,because aside from being so successful in everything he does,her wife's world seems evolved around Brian..But come on taking her anger out to the kid,what was she thinking knowing her field is mainly on family cases how can she hit a poor boy just because she hated what the mother did and who the father is??You better not show your face in Pitts family because you're gonna wish you didn't meet them in the first place..
Like always you're a very talented writer Wren,i'm so glad you decide to post in KD..I never get tired of reading your stories,you know how to put it in writing what you thought about the Liberty Families specially our boys,not to mention you are brilliant when it comes to write anti-Lindsay,Melanie& Michael🤗🤗i love anti-MLM..Great Job Wren,hope you never get tired of writing beautiful stories about boys..🤗🤗🤗
This is not related to the story,but can i ask you if you managed to continue writing the sequel of Reverberations and Homecoming?It was Homework right,how i wished you continue that beautiful stories it was brilliant and very well written..
Author's Response:
Thank you so much. I truly appreciate the comment.
Obviously I agree totally about both the women. Especially Lindsay. By the end of S5 I simply despised her. Truly.
Believe it or not I am still working on Homework. Writing time has been extremely limited for the last year or two, but that will be changing soon and I am really looking forward to getting back to it. I have pages of notes and plans, just no time to actually write. Roll on April.
Date: Dec 16, 2016 2:12 am Title: Chapter 1
I think Mel and Lindz both spent more time fighting than together during the run of the series, so I'm not surprised that things didn't go their way. You make a good point about the signing over of rights not being notarized. Your welfare professional was one that I, for one, would like to see working for the child's interest in real life. Wonder what happens with Jenny Rebecca?
Author's Response:
Thank you. I did some research on the whole relinquishment of rights/ adoption thing, and it actually requires quite strict adherence to a fairly robust process. Not just signing a random document with not even an independent witness signature.
As for Mel and Lindsay's relationship - if they couldn't make a go of it in Pittsburgh with an extended support network I don't like their chances in a strange country where Mel's legal qualifications would be meaningless and their finances as a result extremely shaky. Not to mention that you can't just decide to immigrate and take off within a week or so. It was such an extremely stupid arc.