This is such a beautiful, subtle, vibrant fic I don't know quite what to say in response, except perhaps that I had to stop reading earlier today because I was at work and starting to tear up. As others have said above, fics like these are why I love this fest--stories like these, that take the unloved caricatures of canon and make them live on their own terms. Stories like these are why I love *fanfic,* which is fun ninety nine times out of a hundred but then every once in a while is really amazing. Thank you, anonymous author! I feel like I'm rediscovering fanfic all over again. M.