Tee hee hee... naked Rob sheepishly backpeddling to pick up the trail of dirty clothes makes me smile.

Author's Response:

You know he's only doing it at first because he's scared of Suzie, but you can see the early stages of his own transformation in this chapter.  Once he sees a glimpse of the possibility that he can have a slightly different life, a lot of the things he does just to be rebellious or prove he doesn't care start to fall by the wayside.  But here, he's just afraid of Suzie!  And it is a fun visual, isn't it?

Thanks again!  You rock!

Tina was brilliant in the store. It is funny to think of how opposite the two sisters are in some ways, while being so similar in others. Just like my kids!

Author's Response:

I'm so glad you can see how much their like opposite sides of the same coin.  My kids are the same - so similar and yet so different.  Tina has that nurturing thing going on, which is probably from being the much older sister.  Suzie is much more "cut to the chase."  They both have similar agendas, but different ways to get there.  The trip to the store just cracked me up, though.  You can see how both of them have the "handler" gene, but Suzie hasn't learned the patience and wisdom that come with age and experience (and working and maturity and...).  What I wouldn't have given to be a fly on the wall for that shopping trip!

Oh. Fucking. YEAH!!! Go Suzie!

Boy do I hope real Rob has someone like her fighting for him! I am really glad you're doing these outtakes. I've been wondering about Suzie's work in his life ever since hearing about her having preceded Tina in London and realizing just how much was skipped over in LOC.

Author's Response:

This is definitely my fantasy of what I wish/hope/pray Rob has in his life.  I don't care who does it, as long as someone is fierce about helping him keep some semblence of a life.  Certainly a lot happened for them to reach the level of friendship and cameraderie they had in LOC... this little peek shows you how it all started.  But when you realize that Suzie would have essentially been attached at the hip (either for work or because she was with Jason), you start to understand why she was so torn between Rob and Tina when things got rocky.  LOC was Tina's story, and since she hid from him for so long, we missed quite a bit of Suzie's story.  Over six months of it.

Can I just say that this little ride through Taking Control has been frickin awesome?  I loved this, almost as much as Loss of Control.  If Suzie were real, I think I'd make sure she was my BFF!  And, despite embarrassing myself, I have to admit something: The Staples scene...yeah....um....I've been in similar situations.  I'm just like that, in fact, I've been in one of those "modes" she was in and my husband has literally walked away or even so far as back to the car just to distance himself from me because he can't handle the embarrassment.  Now, that being said, I was much worse of course when I was younger, now that I've "matured" I'm a bit more sensible.  But I believe I have the curse nonetheless.  LOL! 

Author's Response:

Oh, Mary, I hear you!  I've never gone quite as far as Suzie in reality, but I sure have in my mind!

It makes me so happy to hear you liked this almost as much as LOC.  It was great fun to write.  As a writer, it was fun to explore third person (in fact, it's kind of the only way I write now... I guess I liked it a lot) and it was really great to share the characters.  I guess my version of the Curse is reflected in the fact that I have over a hundred pages of "stuff," excel spreadsheets, and character profiles on all the main players that nobody will ever see but me.  So having the chance to share a little bit of those characterizations and events in a different context was a blast.

I have found my "maturing" has given me more patience in some things and less in others.  If I'd been in Staples with them, I'd have rescued the salesperson in the highlighters department, but I'd have been much more brutal with the one in the printer section.  I'm much more attuned to the scope of what people can control now, I guess - that kid can't change what's on the shelf, but I damn well expect them to know about what they DO have in the store.  So... guilty!

I'm actually writing a couple of one-shots that take place in the future (post-LOC) and probably will put them in the queue to post next week.

Let me know when you finish LOC.  It's a long ride... I hope you think it's worth it!

Thanks again for reading and for reviewing!

Ok, I'm hooked now!  Thanks for the suggestion to read this too since I had no idea it was here!  Honestly, I really like Suzie....my kinda girl!  She and I would be great friends!  ;-)

Author's Response:

Hi, Mary!  So nice to see you "over here"!  I'm glad my shameless promotion was worthwhile!  Both my beta and I suffer from the Curse (we should learn to stand up and be proud, no?) and she's the closest thing I have in my life to a Suzie.  She may have some rough edges, but everyone needs someone in their lives who can administered a well-needed butt-kicking every once in a while.  You have to wonder if some of her bluster isn't a front for being nervous around Rob - but you know some of it is just how she's wired.

And, honestly, doesn't she say some of the stuff we wish we could say to him?

Thanks so much for checking this out!

Hahahahaha....

 

If I wasn't convinved I had the curse BEFORE.... lol

I'm hoping they'll keep his secret, I would have. More one on one time for me, without a mob! hehe.

Author's Response:

Sorry it took so long for me to respond, by the way.  I got a promotion in real life and I'm on the road all the time right now, which makes it a little harder to keep up with everything.  But I really appreciate your reviews!  I hope you can have patience with me!

I know I'd have kept his secret, for the same reason you said!  More time for me, and maybe it would make him feel a lot more friendly and willing to hang around.  I would certainly have hyperventilated regardless!

I'm so happy you enjoyed this little tale.  I never expected to write it at all, and it turned out to be a hoot to put on virtual paper.  I really adore these characters and it's fun to write snarky, non-lemony scenes for them.

Too funny.  I love how Suzie made him avoid Stephanie for 2 days.  She can be a little evil can't she?  Love this look into their relationship.  We all know Rob is not perfect, thats why we love him.  He is perfect in his imperfection.  Great story!

Author's Response:

Thanks, pirate51!  I thought it was really funny that she had him avoid her just for fun, too.  She had done a lot of prep work that ended up being unnecessary... someone had to pay for that, right?  You said it exactly right... he is perfect in his imperfection.  You can see how flawed he is through this point of view, which is interesting considering how Tina sees him.

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

That was such a fabulous ending chapter! I've read the reviews so far and TOTALLY agree with tgriffin about the balcony kiss blowing scene. That got the waterworks started. And Suzie's parting shot as she walked out the door was priceless. 100% Suzie and a complete HOOT. Thanks so very much for giving us this little "sidecar" to better understand your incredible characters and their personalities and motivations. I had to laugh...last night I stopped at the local Target to shop and right next door is my favorite Staples.....I had to stifle the giggles. I also received MANY highlighters as good-bye gifts from my students. The entire scene with Suzie in the highlighter aisle kept creeping into my mind and brought a big smile to my face. 

I'm looking forward to the next chapter in LOC. Can't wait to see how Tina turns out after being placed in the hands of a personal shopper. Talk about loss of control!! 

Thanks, bb, for the help with the fanfic lingo.    MUAH!

Author's Response:

Hey, Teresa!  I'm so glad you liked it.  I can't tell you how nervous I was... this is the first multi-chap I've ever completed (LOC is the first one I ever wrote, but as we know, that puppy still has a little bark left in it!) and it was nerve-wracking to check the "complete" box.  I've been sort of bummed all weekend.  Hopefully tomorrow's LOC post will pull me out of it.

I'm glad you agree with Tracy on the balcony scene... not a lot of people have commented on that in reviews, PMs, or as pre-readers.  I'm not a flowery writer, but that picture just stuck in my head.  He'd have been so upset about yet another thing he couldn't do that he wanted to, so it's kind of a tipping point for him.  He wants at least part of his life back, and he decides at that moment to go after it.  So hopefully it's sad but also optimistic.  Anyway, I'm glad you liked it.

In my mind, Suzie has a checklist of things in her head (who knows... maybe even locked away in her room!) of things she wants to "fix" with Rob.  We know she wants to help him get some backbone when it comes to Nick and Stephanie, but she also wants to help him clean up his act (and his rep), and learn to have some fun.  So she's going to harp on him about clothes and showers and all of that - 100% Suzie is right!  I don't know if you saw the picture from the Rare Guitars store that popped up this weekend... Suzie would never have let him go out in just a tee shirt (especially a misshapen one!).  How can we send RL Rob a RL Suzie? Ha ha ha!

My fab beta LSD and I went out for dinner on Thursday and had the same giggle fest as we drove past her local Staples.  I may never make it through one again without having to stop in the pens and highlighters aisle for a moment of silence (and snickering!).

LOC's next chapter is in the validation queue for tomorrow night.  Rereading it as I posted, I was giggling, so I think you'll enjoy it.  Tina has to really consider the whole "personal shopper" situation in order to survive the experience.  Fortunately, Meri is not an over-the-top Alice-type personal shopper.  I think that would have sent her screaming.  Lizzy really knew what she was doing there.

You're very welcome on the fanfic lingo.  I'm still coming across stuff I don't understand, but feel free to let me know if you come across any more you don't understand!

Thanks again for reading and reviewing and for enjoying this little side-shot.  It was fun to write - I'm glad it was fun to read!

I am giggling over Susie's observations on his daily fitness regimen.

Author's Response:

Hey, Ruth!  I'm surprised more people don't giggle at that.  It just kills me that he smokes, drinks, eats crap, and has the ability to maintain his rockin' bod in spite of all that.  Even when I was young my metabolism couldn't pull that off.  Even more entertaining is that he gets bent out of shape about it.  He already cares what she thinks, but he gets so defensive about it - it's funny.  To me, anyway.  She's so bossy.  I love how he spends his time with the sisters studying them.  He learns how to take control back in his life (as much as possible) from Suzie and he just learns everything he possibly can about Tina.  Can you imagine - someone has unrestricted access to your mother, your kid, your sister, and your almost-ex?  Is there anything they wouldn't learn?  Then he adds Belinda to the mix?  Sheesh... and people wonder how he can manage her emotions so well?  Even when we know he's doing it out of love it's just a little bit creepy.

The funny part (for me) is that I really spoofed "number one fan" activities with his character.  Rob really does to Tina what so many of us have done with him.  We learn everything we can about him... which is exactly what he does with her!  Of course, he can get primary source information, but it's still research of the highest order.  It's not until the later stages of their relationship that he's really getting to know what goes on inside of her, rather than the stuff he learned during the quasi-stalking stage.

Anyway, this was fun to write but makes me very sad to complete.  Considering how melancholy I've been from ending this story, I can only imagine what will happen to me when I finish LOC.  Look out NYC - I sense an adult pub crawl in my future.  *sniff*

Thank you for this story. I really enjoyed seeing Tina from a different perspective and getting to know Suzie more too. I think Suzie definitely completes Tina. Even more than both of them realize. I like how Suzie views Tina as her Rock and even though Tina thinks of  Suzie as her little sis she also looks up to her and really trusts and values her in more ways than sisters do. 

I think my favorite lines of the chapter were...

"I'll come help you."  Tears welled in her eyes.  This was Tina, her rock.  Her big sister, the one she always turned to for everything, who took care of her and kicked her ass when she needed it.  She couldn't leave her alone. 

Because they convey much more eloquently what I said at the beginning of my review :).

Author's Response:

Hi, Catalina!  I always thought you'd really like this story because I know how special the relationship between the sisters is for you.  Tina's POV is somewhat skewed, which you don't really appreciate until you see this story.  I'm so glad you appreciated that difference.  Tina really helped raised Suzie, but Suzie was capable of getting Tina to let go and have fun, or she would never have been a "kid" since she started playing "mom" at such a young age.  I'm thrilled that you saw that.  As much as all of this is fluffy silliness, there's some real stuff underneath there and it makes me happy when people notice.

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.  I really appreciate it!

Neither of them saw the man ten floors up, leaning on the railing at the corner of his balcony.  Slowly he raised his hand, blowing a kiss to Tina before extinguishing his cigarette and finishing his beer.

*sniffle*...that was a beautiful image. Like he was blowing her a promise...

"Of course you can't talk and run.  It's amazing you can run at all." 

teeheehee...I absolutely love how Suzie talks to Rob! And I bet deep down that he does too. He doesn't get enough reality...Suzie is his daily dose. OK, she's more like a continuous IV of reality...tomato, tomahto.

This was such a great idea...I loved Suzie from the moment you introduced her in LOC, and her perspective was really a lot of fun! And I ADORED that the last thing we got to hear her say was:

"Make sure you shower, Pigpen.  You stink."

Going out in a blaze of glory...

 

Awesome...I will miss this little sideshot...*sniffling again*

HUGS!

~Tracy

Author's Response:

I'm so glad you liked the balcony description.  I really did but it's so different than my usual... and nobody else has mentioned it.  I love what you say about blowing her a promise.  He's really doing just that.  And he's also making a decision to be free.  He's in such a rough spot, and then he sees what a real rough spot is, and realizes that if she can change, clearly he can too.  So much in one scene, and I'm not the flowery writer type to capture it all.

Of course my Tri-O sister would appreciate the running comments.  His wonky run, his abysmal appetite and smoking... how would he ever really run?  But she's so much like his sister and his friends back home.  Then when she tells him he gets to go back... for a month... in that moment, he knows he'll follow her anywhere.  I also toyed with her last line for a long time.  You and I may be the ONLY ones who appreciate it, but she's going to be the reason nobody sees him as a hobo any more.  If it kills her.

I'm going to miss this little story more than I ever imagined.  It was supposed to be a one-shot.  Never posted.  Seen by nobody but LSD.  Look at this little baby now.  *sigh*

Thanks for everything Tracy!  And, um, five days!  Yay!!!