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6/23 c49 26Ace Bullets
Whoa! I was *not* expecting to see an update after all this time. Thank you for this.

There are still so many unanswered questions. And ooh, that's a sensitive question from Dr. Luria. It brings into focus the things Donna said to Ed on the drive over to her wedding ceremony: all about the kind of life she wanted and how her cop life had changed her into something she no longer recognized (to paraphrase). I'll be interested to see how Donna answers.

I'm glad you have not abandoned this one. I hope to see more. Keep it going.
12/28/2017 c48 Ace Bullets
Thank you for the late Christmas present. As usual, I was extremely pleased to see you posted an update.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the reunion between Hank and Donna, but I think you struck the right tone. I liked their tender reactions. The understated simplicity of it works much better than some emotional and slobbbery tear-fest. Plus, with their friends around, they don't have the luxury of privacy at the moment to express all the things they're probably keeping in reserve.

I'm glad Donna still has no memory of the earlier pregnancy loss, and I hope it stays that way. They've been through enough trauma already to have that tragedy raked up again.

Nice interlude with Riley's birthday; again, small moments like this in the life of the SRU family make them more real to the reader. It builds those close relationships we know they must have forged.

Thank you for this treat. I hope you had a Merry Christmas, and a that you have a happy 2018. (With more updates to come soon, I hope!)
12/16/2017 c47 Ace Bullets
Oh, thank you for this update! The way Donna's memories are coming back in this random way must be so confusing for her. That same sense of confusion is relayed to the reader, giving deeper insight into what Donna is experiencing. I like how you continue to reference the way Clark would confide in her, along with the SRU-as-family theme.

I'm so glad Ed is the one to walk Donna across that threshold and into the house to meet Hank for the first time since the bombings. To me, it's symbolic of their wedding day when Ed walked her down the aisle to marry Hank. Don't know if that was intentional on your part, but it works.

As always, I am going to beg for an update. All this anticipation! It's a good thing Hank knows she's alive, so it's not going to be a total shock when he sees her, but the pregnancy! That'll be a shock, for sure. (But a good one, I hope.)

Bring on Chapter 48!
11/26/2017 c46 Guest
I have always been a Donna fan and wish more time had been spent drawing out her character. Your story gives me the AU I always wanted -gripping plot (I still have so many questions) combined with excellent prose. I don’t always review, but I am always glad when I see you’ve added to this fantastic story.
11/22/2017 c46 Ace Bullets
Wow, I have been just aching to get an update on this story. Thank you so much for not abandoning it!

I really enjoyed all the little details here, like the afternoon light and Hank focusing on the grain of the wooden tabletop. His shock at hearing that Donna was alive, yet still tempered at first at what her condition might be, was really well-written. It was seriously gut-wrenching because of all the horrible scenarios that probably played through his head.

For Hank to hear Donna was experiencing severe memory loss and that she mightn't even remember him must have been worse in some ways, I think, than having an injured or maimed Donna. To get the news your beloved wife doesn't know who you are must be terrible; to know someone you love probably isn't capable of returning that love because you're a stranger to her... ouch. But I guess I'm getting ahead of things, since that reunion hasn't yet occurred.

Now, who could possibly be at Hank's door..?

-

As for the "flashback" piece, how I wish it could have been longer, but it was nice that the Wordsworth kids were a ray of sunshine after Donna's particularly emotional admission to Shelley and Sophie. And isn't so true that kids are perceptive about stuff like that? I half expected one of them to ask why she'd been crying, or why she was sad. Anyway, I loved that Ally gave her the tightest hug, because she really needed it.

I'm going to go into "begging" mode now:

Please update quickly! So impatient to know how things go.
6/12/2017 c45 Ace Bullets
I am so impressed by this update. You hit me both times on an emotional level when reading parts I and II.

In the present timeline, my heart just breaks for Hank. The way you described his downtrodden state... Oh, my. Everything from his personal appearance (weight loss and haggard face) to the empty-looking house paints a picture of a very wounded, grieving soul. So if he just got back the night before, I guess he hasn't been avoiding everyone by hiding out in the house; he's been avoiding everyone by hiding out somewhere else. Can't say I blame him, but I will say I'm relieved he let Ed and Wordy in. Now I await how he'll react to the news about Donna's case!

-

The flashback was more gold. Thank you for continuing to establish Donna's ties to the larger SRU (well, Team One) family. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I wish the series could have shown us these kinds of bonding moments. Donna really needed Sophie and Shelley's support, and it's perfect they were able to provide it after all she's been able to do for their families.

I'm now looking forward to how everyone will react to the *other* news about Donna in the present timeline, since that little detail has mostly been kept under wraps... (Which also brings up the question that's been at the back of my mind of whether or not Hank knew! If not, he's sure in for a double-whammy.)

As always, I'll be highly anticipating your next update, so I hope you don't delay in sharing it.
4/22/2017 c44 Ace Bullets
I was crossing my fingers I would see an update this evening, so thanks for making it happen. (Great chapter title, by the way.) Wow! If Donna's memories are starting to come back, really hope she's gone where Ed and Wordy believe she's gone... and if Hank has been able to be calm under trying circumstances... maybe he won't be too upset when he finds out the truth? (Maybe?) Of course, the mystery of Patricia Hagly/Alice Henderson is still unresolved; will Dr. Luria be able to help the case? Will Spike and the Team find helpful evidence? So much to anticipate!

You were spot on with the conversations and awkward moments in the "flashback". Good on Sophie and Shelley for sensing something was up with Donna. I liked Donna's question; I liked that after hearing their answers that she changed her mind about telling them. This was something she needed to do, whether she realised it or not.

Not that you have to cater to my every whim, but I would definitely like to see more of Sophie and Shelley supporting a grieving Donna, because she's obviously not over this loss.

With Ed and Wordy on the case in the present timeline, they're bound to find their (somewhat AWOL) friend, right? Looking forward to seeing if they find the answers they're all looking for, and if there's a reunion between Hank and Donna on the horizon...

So, update quickly, okay? (Please and thanks.)
4/3/2017 c43 Ace Bullets
Finally, Clark hears the truth! Well, most of it, anyway, since he still doesn't know what condition she's in. I bet he'll need some time to digest this one. He's just gone from sullen to angry to confused to helpful in 60 seconds. If that doesn't give the kid emotional whiplash, I don't know what will. Well done cycling through those feelings; his reactions are exactly what I would have expected from him. I also liked how Ed and Sophie played "tag-team" to get him to listen. Nice touch with that moment of silence between the three of them in which they heard Izzy's playful humming from upstairs. Very genuine family moment.

Oh, the flashback... I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I would have liked to have seen Donna and the other SRU ladies/wives bonding in the series. You'd have to think it happened off-camera, right? Anyway, her brooding about the miscarriage-I hope she finds a way to unburden herself to Shelley and Sophie.

Thanks again for this update; as always, I'm really looking forward to the next chapter (and beyond).
2/20/2017 c42 Ace Bullets
Uh-oh! Isabelle is not going to be placated very easily, is she? And was Clark really studying with Dean, or was he doing some investigating of his own? Between Izzy's questions about Donna, Clark's continued moodiness, and his slipping grades, you sure know how to make things complicated for Ed and Sophie.

So how did Clark find out about Donna? Did Dean let something slip? How much does he know? Argh! Questions!

And that flashback to Donna's conversation with her sister and kids. Oh, boy. After meeting baby Ansley, it wasn't obvious, but it sure seems like Donna cut short the chat for reasons other than needing to get ready for work. Seeing her niece and nephew like that can't have been easy. (Did Donna even tell anyone else about her miscarriage?) Anyway, thanks for that snippet of Donna's overseas family and for the childhood memories they shared. I love it when authors take time to build up details like that.

Very, very pleased you once again offered such a quick update, so thank you. Dare we expect another one soon? I hope so!
2/18/2017 c41 Ace Bullets
First of all, thank you for updating so quickly. Donna remembering Hank is turning out to be a blessing and a curse, isn't it? It's great she's starting to recover what she's lost; not so great she is recovering the worst of those memories. The way you're writing this shows perfectly how the trauma would be just as fresh and real for Donna now as it was the first time she experienced those events. And Yes, please let Ed (and the team) be there for her again-I always enjoyed their mutual respect and friendship in the Show, so I'm glad you're continuing that aspect.

With the "flashback" to 2011, I just love how patient, loving, and understanding a husband Hank continues to be. Donna thinks he doesn't fully understand her pain, and maybe so, but it's clear he wants this life as much as she does. Once again, great job granting us a peek into their world.

You've spoiled us with three great updates in quick succession, so I hope I don't sound too greedy when I beg for another ASAP! I must know what's going on with Hank and when he will get to know his time of mourning is over. I must also know how many more memories will surface and how Donna will cope. So... Another chapter? Please?
2/15/2017 c40 Ace Bullets
Awesome to see such a fabulously swift update from you. I'm glad to get more about what's happening with Donna's "present day" life this chapter. You're going a great job showing how slow and difficult the process of recovering memories is for her, even with the help of a caring friend and colleague like Dr. Luria. By the way, I like the detail that she's actually never met Hank. I also like how the mention of his name was finally enough to trigger something for Donna about their life together. And like Dr. Luria, I am very anxious to know what else she's remembering at the tail end, there...

Looking at the flashback sequence, I'm really liking you're building up Donna's life outside of policing; her hopes, expectations, and plans. (Ansley truly comes across as the cutest little baby ever.) I continue to like how you're showing Becky's care and concern. She's asking the kinds of questions of Donna that need to be asked, even if that leads to that chilling admission that if Bill hadn't shot Hank, the threat against Donna's life would most likely have been carried out.

I'm very eager to see what comes next. What else can Donna remember? When can Hank learn she's alive? Is there something yet still sinister about the time Donna spent with Hagly that will be uncovered? Agh! Please update as soon as possible.
2/11/2017 c39 Ace Bullets
I was *so* glad to see this update! Sophie's news is definitely welcome at this time, so thanks for that little development. But poor Hank. How will he react when he learns the full truth about what's been happening with Donna? For his sake (and hers, too, really), I hope Donna remembers none of the bad stuff and all of the good stuff.

I also enjoyed the flashback. We never got to see any of Donna's friends outside of the workplace, so it's nice to know she actually *has* friends, and one that really cares about her. So, will Donna have the courage to confide in Becky, or not? I hope to get the answer to that (and so many more questions) when you update. So once again, great job, and I look forward to chapter 40.
1/10/2017 c38 Ace Bullets
I was so glad to see this update! And as a bonus, you brought Dr. Luria into the story. I always liked her, so I was a little disappointed the series didn't continue to include the character. She and Ed had some good moments, which you made good use of. Good move on your part using their little meeting as an excellent way of recapping all that's gone on so far. (I miss the flashback, of course, but I understand your reasons for not including it this time.)

Those are indeed a lot of questions for the doc to handle, but they're certainly questions we're all asking, too. I sure wouldn't want to be in her shoes as I can't imagine how to begin probing the mind of a serial bomber who's evidently not right in the head. I also don't know how I'd begin to talk to an amnesiac like Donna is at this point.

I'm so looking forward to what happens next, so as always, I'll come off sounding like a poor beggar: more, please!
1/10/2017 c38 Guest
This story gets better every chapter. I'm looking forward to learning more about Donna's thoughts at this time.
12/15/2016 c37 Ace Bullets
So grateful for this update!

It's killing me that Sophie has not yet been successful in reaching Hank. And quite apart from getting his reaction to the news that Donna is alive, I'm also looking forward to Clark's reaction. Certainly that moment with Hank is important, since he's obviously a mess over what's happened, but Clark, too, since he's essentially cut himself off from everyone. I loved that you raised the question of how *Ed* would cope if something ever happened to Sophie. It's so true that the focus is often on what the surviving spouse of a cop goes through, and not the other way around.

Adorable scene in the flashback of Hank playing with the kids; he's going to make such a good dad (and I so need this happy ending to happen for him and Donna). Thanks for showing us that little glimpse of his personality and openness to entertaining children. Also, great job showing us Team One's concern for Donna and Hank's well-being as they've noticed some changes in Donna's behavior.

I hope you continue to feel better, because I need to have an update ASAP. So many questions that still need resolving!
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