Not to belabor the point, but I thought it may also amuse you to know that, not only could I not put down 'The Girl', but I couldn't stop until I'd read everything. LITERALLY EVERYTHING. I went to bed at 3AM two days in a row and ignored my family (and pretty much everything else that needed my attention) so that I could read THEM ALL.

You are amazingly talented. Seriously. Fanfic is one of those mediums where it's *really* easy to get by on mediocre ability, but yours is excellent by any standard.

I write fanfic myself (though not in this fandom), and it is refreshing to find stories that read so smoothly, and pull me in so completely. I can't tell you the number of times I went back and reread a sentence or a paragraph just because of how beautifully constructed and evocative it was. There may also have been a tiny bit of envy:)

I know how it is when the motivation wanes, so I can't blame you at all for leaving your last story unfinished. I understand that, especially for something that is purely a labor of love (fanfic does *not* pay well!:), life moves on and our interests with it. But I did want you to know how well appreciated your stories were, if only by me, after so long.

Author's Response: Okay, so this is going to seem completely nuts that I am replying to this after such a long time. I haven't logged onto this site in forever. But I'm in the middle of a bit of writer's block on my novel, and I decided to indulge myself by reading some old reviews for encouragement. I just wanted to tell you that you've made my day.

i really do love this thisfic. its itstruly amazing. i would LOVE a sequel telling tellingthe tellingthestory of of'someday'.

I loved this. You are a fantastic author, and this was an incredible read. Your voice, how you weave your words, it is a true gift. I was enthralled from the first sentence to the last, and was sorry to see it end. I look forward to reading more of your work!!

Next morning. I was supposed to work but I jumped straigh back to this story instead. Screw work. I'll do it this weekend. This fic is too good to pass up and I'm sure I won't be able to concentrate knowing there's such an awesome fic out there just waiting to be read.

Poor Marie. I wanna hug her. I wanna hug Logan, too. They're all so lonely, although Logan would never admit that.

Oh, the wonderful tension. Love it love it love it. Love how Logan's torn and fooling himself into thinking that he really doesn't care. Wonderfully done. One minor point: watch out for switching tenses. Or maybe it's a typo. The sentence 'The girl studies him, visibly weighing her options' suddenly went present instead of past. Other than that: oh, I really need to read more! (Don't mean to offend you and I hope you don't take it that way?)

Beautiful and awesome.

Horrifying; tender; astonishing. I've no idea how you managed to weave a reality so harsh--lit with the pitiless glare of Logan-as-mercenary's view of the world & the shattered grimness of a girl's life as forsaken as this Marie's--& not have it be hopeless. But you've managed it.
Extraordinarily high-quality writing, coupled with an inspiring narrative/characterization achievement. Very, very well done indeed. Thank you.

I couldn't resist being your 400th review...and I wanted to let you know that I quite oddly dreamed of bookshelves last night, and they were rolling over to be petted, and I realized when I woke up that it was because of your story. :-D Congratulations again, my friend, on the completion of a beautiful work.

Author's Response: YYYYESS!!!! YES! >wild jumping and happy dancing, including a form of the robot that should never, ever, ever be seen< Didn't want to seem like the heifer keeping one eye on the review count...even though I've been keeping one eye on the review count....Anyway, thank you so much!!! You've made my day! >hugs<

You know, I actually liked this conclusion... its realistic.

I really liked the part about the book-shelves, how they were described and such -- I could really almost feel them.

I hope you write another story soon, from reading this story and the Heal over story, I've become a big fan of your work, and I would love to read more.

-- Wolf

Author's Response: You know, I'm actually glad you did... ;~) Thank you. >hugs< I'm very honored that you feel that way.

I have four things to say:

1. I thank you.
I've said it before and I say it again: this is The best fic I have ever (and probably ever will) read. I am sad that this has come to an end, but so darn grateful that you've finished this incredible story! So, thank you for that, and more importantly thank you for a phenomenal ending.

2. I admire you.
You are an amazing writer; your skills, your style of writing, your wording, your use of figurative language, your descriptive writing. You are very, very talented. I wish I could be half as good as you are. When I saw the Epilogue was up, I had my expectations, but you surprised me again. I've noticed that you didn't refer to Marie as "the girl" anymore, but you used her name. It's a great symbolism for her character development; that she's not just "the girl" anymore, she's becoming stronger and independent (even though she sometimes needs Logan, but to be fair we all need our loved ones to be close to us). I admire you deeply.

3. I respect you.
A lot of people told you -begged you even! that they want a happy ending, perhaps a little smut included. But your ending is anything but that. The Epilogue is so short, you've wrapped up things rather quickly - but neatly nonetheless, and so realistically. You've proven that you're a bold story-teller; you have the guts to do things your own way, you don't give people/your fans everything they want. I think that's how a true artist should be like and I respect you for that. (and btw, that's what distinguishes you from Stephenie Meyer!)

4. I love you.
My favorite line is "Which of the two men had been the one to hurt her, change her in a way that could not be forgotten with a few words and a happy ending?" This is such a great line! It's so heart-breaking, so good, so deep! So simply wow! I love how you've developed Logan's character throughout this story; from being a dark man/killer who gave "the Girl" sandwiches wrapped in paper, to someone who makes her bookshelves. The bookshelves were so lovely. I know I said I don't like a soft Logan, but I feel like now is the right time for Logan to be soft. You know, this reminded me of a quote by Samuel T. Coleridg "All men, even the most surly, are influenced by affection." I'm sending my love to you.


PS. if I had a Gift Certificate to "One Night with Hugh Jackman", I would most definitely give it to you, because you deserve it :D

Author's Response: I was so thrilled to see this--had a big, stupid grin on my face for hours any time I even began to think of it. Though I could not be more flattered/honored/euphoric/everyhappyadjectiveintheEnglishlanguage that you think so, there are numerous writers on this site that leave my story and me coughing on their dust--you might want to check out jjblazer, or Aranenumanesse, or Jenn. They are the masters........Very glad you liked the use of her name; I was worried about how effective that would turn out to be. And the bookshelves, which I almost cut out. Thank you for this very inspirational/lovely/generous/ego-stroking review. I'll be walking on air for a long time because of it.

OK, I am in almost physical pain here, forcing myself to finish the review of this chapter before I read the last one, but if I move on I'm afraid I'll lose the quotes I gathered like precious pearls from the overpopulated oyster bed of this novella of a chapter, so I have to write now and read later. Damn!

Disappointed? No. Shocked? Yes? When I realized it was the Porn Smurf and not Logan with her in the Stink-mobile, I nearly had heart failure. I'd forgotten all about Magneto and his interest in her. Then again, after that last night with Logan, who the hell was thinking about Magneto? Not me, that's for damn sure! So, yeah, shocked pretty well covers it.

This opus is loaded with quotable quotes, but as I said before, I chose these as I was reading, copying and pasting in the review box so that I wouldn't lose them.

'but not before he caught the bewildered hurt on her face, or felt the answering pang inside him--an animal who cannot comprehend it's punishment.' Oh, glory, this is one of the most brilliant uses of that gift you have for finding the exact metaphor to illustrate a feeling that I have ever read. There's not a pet owner in the world who hasn't seen this look, but to rummage it out of your vast storeroom of images and use it here...Girl, you take my breath away.

'of air that wouldn't taste like her' Again, you reach beyond the 'good' words and stretch until you get hold of the 'perfect' words. Seven words, to be exact, seven tiny little words that zap us right back to the hell he's been living in for YEARS. How do you do that?

'a skilled pressure that wasn't and could never be enough and the certainty that something absolutely terrible would happen if it stopped'. I've read more than my share of romance novels and this is one of the all-time great descriptions of the moment of 'what the hell' that all romance heroines experience. Amazing.

'Thoughts like birds who'd flown into a storefront and now darted, fought amongst each other and battered themselves in search of the exit, while he waited for her reply.' Again with the word picture that precisely mirrors what you want us to see inside Marie's head. Hell, this happens inside my own head all the time and now, thanks to you, I have a way to explain my stuttering...'Ya know how birds that are caught indoors mash into one another trying to get out the door, well that's what's happening in my head right now. So hang on a minute while the flock settles!'

I am sorry it took me so long to finally read and review this chapter, but that 8,000-plus word count really threw me for a loop. I knew I would need concentrated alone time, which I haven't had thanks to snow storms and school closings and whatnot, but when I saw that you had posted the final chapter, I couldn't put it off any more regardless of the fact that my son and his friends are upstairs blasting their techo-beat music (and I use the term loosely) in celebration of yet another snow day.

And now, on to the finale... --Wendie

Author's Response: I think I happy-squealed for ten minutes, just seeing your name beside "Reviewer"--a very hard thing to do with a sore throat. I completely understand what you mean about the word count making you balk and the exponential distractions on your side of the screen, truly understand and sympathize...But can I just say that I've been looking forward to hearing your thoughts since the moment I clicked the "submit" button for the previous chapter, crossing my fingers every time I noticed a new review. Don't think even the infinite available space in this reply box could fit the number of "Thank You's" this and all your other reviews deserve...(Overpopulated oyster bed? Porn smurf? You've got quite the gift of language yourself.) >hugs<

Really nicely done with Jubes , right at the end throwing her a smidgen of sympathy !

Gonna pull just one line out today, not because there aren’t more but I’d be here all day and this particular one just jumped itself off the page as top of the outstanding list - ‘Marie felt the corners of her lips rise, crinkle unaccustomed flesh’

The chapter kinda felt like she was slowly getting there, that she was getting stronger and was going to be ok.

Start of the someday para to the end – damn well done! loved the ‘dream’, the meticulous planning of every detail, how it will be different, how he will be different, how he will wait however long it takes and how he has no room for anything other than the belief that it *will* happen. You had the reader believing it too which is all kinds of good – and clever!

‘What you will find here is very different from what I intended to write’ – I have a problem with that statement!! What you ended up writing was excellent and you’re right, you’ve probably hit both sides with an ending all will love but....... questions for you - Do *you* like it? Are *you* happy with it? Take away everything that everyone has said to you and would you have the same version? If you answered no to any of them then repeat after me - *I am the writer, the story is mine!* [**repeat unlimited]

I feel the need to thank you [ok so I already have but I’m going to do it again] for writing such a wonderful story, for your time and effort in doing so and for thoroughly entertaining so many of us.

THANK YOU X

P.s. What’s next? Got any ideas? already in thought, outlined, penned, ready to post? !!!! [looking forward to whatever it may be x]

Author's Response: Actually...I do, and I am. I've been feeling very much at peace all day, pleased with how this turned out (a great deal of which is thanks to Sahara, who helped me clean up the rancid Word-Mess this was previously). Thank you, though. You are an excellent friend to be so concerned...and I just finished outlining my next project. Plan to start at the beginning of this story's reviews, read all the way through them-a ritual to gear myself up), and start on it tomorrow. :~D A bazillion thanks for this, and for taking the time and the chance to jump into this chapter-writing business. I hope you will always find it worthwhile.