THEY ARE HAVING A BABY! *Squeals* Our kids are having a kid!!! (fist pumps!) I'm crying happy tears, I'm crying sad tears, I'm crying angst tears, I'm crying ALL THE TEARS!
I LOVED how you once again expanded a chapter and just took the story, and its details, to another level! So much more of Martha and Clive's feelings and reactions make sense now. In particular, I enjoyed the way you went further into the court case Martha was working on. Reading what Isabelle had to go through, the way she kept silent on everything expect for her one request, and Martha's despair when she felt that she had failed her, broke my heart. I literally was crying along with Martha, especially when she said what she did to Clive as it definitely went back to their own experiences way back in Season 1. High-five to Clive for being there, being so understanding (especially considering the way he was in the tv series - love that our boy is turning over a new leaf) and just supporting her all the way through. Also, I adored his reaction and support of her job at the new chambers. Right on Clive!
Which brings me to Charlotte. I ADORE Charlotte. True, no one will replace Billy in ours or the characters' hearts, but I truly feel like Charlotte is exactly the clerk Martha needs at this moment. To which point, I will always laugh at Charlotte's response when Martha tried to push her away from getting her into Chambers and how she guessed about Martha and Clive's relationship. I want to be friends with Charlotte.
Hahaha on the note of funny incidents, I burst out laughing at Clive's comment that Martha will, "work until [she has] that baby in court." Martha would absolutely do that!!! While simultaneously winning her defense case.
Nick most certainly suspects something going on with them and I am all here for it! By the way, I got a kick out of the fact that they have the whole of London legal society guessing at their relationship AND THEN CLIVE JUST GOES AND CONFIRMS IT! I love that they are standing by the fact that their relationship is their own business and, as far as they are concerned, no one else needs to know the specifics unless they want them to. I so respect couples like that.
Which also on that note....... I have always wondered how Harriet would take this news. I know that it's not in your original story but that has always been a funny scene to play around in my head. (I mean that last episode of season 3 did happen - I think we both can guess which scene I mean- and I do think to a degree she was starting to fall for Clive. Yikes.)
ughhhh but I'm currently basking in Martha and Clive's joy and nothing will ruin this!!!! :)
Finally, I have always appreciated that in your story the first person Martha tells is Billy. Even in death he is a rock for her, listening and looking out for her. He is never far from her mind and she knows that without him she would not be where she is now. Ahhhhhhh the feels!
Oh there is so much more I want to say but just can't put accurately into words. I literally am starting to make bullet points as I read specific chapters so I can give long detailed reviews on how much I am loving your fanfic!! I love it, I love it, I love it all!!
Can't wait for more!
P.S Regarding your last comment, I totally understand the cabin fever with the social distancing and lockdowns (but we got to do what we got to do to lower the curve!). I am experiencing the same in my location. I used to go jogging as well (since exercise is one of the few things we can leave our houses for) just so I would not go stir crazy but now that Spring is here the pollen has gotten so bad for my allergies I am forced back inside. Hahaha. But at least I have your amazing story to read, re-read and enjoy, which makes it so much better :)
Hello!! So sorry it took so long for me to respond and update, work kind of got in the way. Anyway, it's the weekend now, so hopefully I can get some writing/updating done! Chapter xi. is up!
"Our kids are having a kid" yesss they are. God bless them, really. It's funny the way you phrased this actually, because that's exactly what it is. I've always said that Children was a coming of age story about late-30-somethings whose lives were so consumed with work they didn't have time to grow up beforehand. For a very long time, Children was supposed to stop there, actually. She was going to get pregnant and that was going to be the "happy ending" so to speak. But then when I wrote the story and got to that point, I realised, the story isn't really about her getting pregnant, it's kind of coincidental. The story is about the both of them growing up, and they still have some growing up to do.
Oh thank you, re: the expansion and the court case. This was actually something I had in mind from way back when, but I'd never included it in the original story because this chapter (as you might remember) was actually this one and the previous one merged together, so in terms of wordcount, this chapter would have gone through the roof if I'd included the whole case-related B plot in there (and lol, the wordcounts on these chapters are already through the roof, in fairness, but it would have been *worse*, let's say). It's kind of why I split the chapters actually, just to be able to include this in.
Regarding Clive and Martha's reactions, I think splitting the chapters was also a good way to expand on that, so I'm glad you liked it. It was great to be able to show Clive's support, throughout the case and the aftermath. I also felt it was important to show that what looks like a success to the outside world might not feel like a success to Martha, and vice-versa. This didn't make the cut because of *reasons* but my headcannon is that when Clive teases her "lucky Shoe Lane didn't get that case", it's because Shoe Lane actually did get the case, at first. And I think Clive got the case, found out she was going to get the defence side and that one of them would have to give it up, so he did. He didn't tell her because she would have told him he was insane, but I think he knew it would be more important to her than it would be to him, so it seemed like a no-brainer. There's a whole other story I want someone to write (not me cause god, I've given this story way too much time and effort already), which would be Children, but from Clive's point of view. I love Martha and I love being in her head for these 140-something thousand words, but there's a whole other side to this story on Clive's end that we don't get to see and I'm sooo curious about it, lol.
Oh, God, I love Charlotte too. She's a very odd bean, but she's so good at her job, and doesn't try to replace Billy. They're just different, and I think that's why it works. I have so much backstory about her; she's lovely. She's based on an amalgamation of real people I know and a bit of creative license so I guess technically, I *am* friends with Charlotte, and it's great, let me tell you. (Spoiler alert: there's more Charlotte in chap xi., just saying)
Re: "work until [she has] that baby in court." Yeah, she definitely would if allowed lol. Thank God Charlotte forces her to stay home in chapter xiv.
Re: Clive confirming their relationship, yeah, what a bold move lol. I think in that moment, he's half-expecting her to be pissed off, but there's also and element of "better ask for forgiveness than permission," kind of thing. If he'd asked her what to say beforehand, she'd have been like don't you dare tell anyone anything. But now that he's done it, she's like: actually, maybe he's right. It's kind of weird to read (and write) this chapter, knowing where the next one is going and that this whole "let's play pretend we're chill" thing will just crumble into pieces. But then, the cracks are already showing even in this chapter, I think, if you think about it.
Re: Harriet, yeah I don't know. I think Harriet is kind of a caricature in Silk, which is definitely something I've reproduced and indulged in myself, but frankly, I think there's much more depth to her character than that. Kind of falling back on what I said earlier but I think she's a caricature here because we see her through Martha's gaze. From Clive's perspective, it would be much more interesting than that.
Ah, Billy. He's such a complicated, morally grey character, isn't he? I love him. There was a scene (which I had to cut) in the last chapter when they're discussing baby names and Martha says "he wasn't really a good person, though," because I think she *says* she doesn't, but she does have this tendency to see the world in black and white and think people are either good or bad. I think Billy is someone she loves but also feels conflicted about when she looks back, because let's be honest, he did some shitty things to her, especially in s1. In my head, Clive explains to her that everyone's a little bit good and a little bit bad, and that it's about loving to embrace the bad, too.
Anyway, again, thanks so much for your kind words! I'm gearing up for a couple of days of proof-reading and posting, so you can expect a couple of chapters to be up through the weekend :)
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leilani21 on Chapter 10 Mon 30 Mar 2020 11:50PM UTC
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pebblysand on Chapter 10 Sat 04 Apr 2020 11:17AM UTC
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