i love your possibility. so many parts are amazing written - just a simple answer is sometimes so good - outstanding ! the thoughts from mark and milt are really missing in the aired episodes - i love to know what the think in some situations and your view is like mine i see mark and milt doing this possibility as you wrote it - i think rolling thunder is one of my most seen episodes but if it would be your story it would be also my most seen - its so good as the original - THANKS for writing .

This story kept me riveted to my seat all the way through! What an imaginative alternate story of Rolling Thunder! I really loved it! I love all your stories and I think you are one of the best authors in this massive fandom.

How come I haven't read this before? I guess I was busy with some other fandom. Big mistake! This is a great AU, and I love how you changed the events, but still kept it close to the pilot. I'm repeating myself if I tell you how much I like your characterization of both H & McC, but that's allright with you, I guess? :-)

This was a really great story! I very much enjoyed reading about their early relationship. What an interesting premise, and I really liked that they had to depend on their trust of each other. Great dialogue, and I love the way you write! It's so natural and easy to follow, and so well-paced. Thanks for sharing this!

Ever since'Lingering Questions' I've loved your work. And after this,I can't *not* . (I've always said slashers make the best gen writers,and I don't care who knows it!From that,you've probably guessed I'm Sarah from the GullsWay board,though why I've been lurking I'll tell you in an email.)

Brilliant alternation of points of view-you see how the fellas can see something in completely different CHARMING example of that is"It didn’t take Mark long to develop an easy routine of double handed eating and really wasn’t that bad…After a while,he looked up from his pizza to find Hardcastle staring at him,a strange expression on his face./“What?"the ex-con demanded,voice thick with toppings./The jurist shook his head slowly.“You’re just trying to make me feel sorry for you?”Your qualifying sub clauses are to die for-"voice thick wth toppings"-"shook his head slowly"-but more than that,the whole buildup of the sequence:"It didn’t take Mark long ...easy routine...After a while...staring at him,a strange expression on his face."It shows the time passing,the process of Mc getting into the prisoner routine,being Mark and making the best of things,even being grateful for small blessings and not expecting much out of life–always true of early Mark but even more so for this version-and Hardcastle"staring"back there with the Pause button,on hold and trying to be merciful,not out of a sense of duty,but because-and here it is,not out of pity,but out of that magical rapport and respect the two *capture* this rapport,the moments of unspoken sympathy and agreement,probably better than anyone I you capture it especially well here,in this somewhat sadder,more sober universe you make where the shadow of disappointment darkens everything–that sense you have of things ending,in little phrases throughout:"And Hardcastle discovered that he was relieved enough…that he didn’t even want to remind him that his silence wasn’t going to make one bit of difference when it came time for the sentencing."And you always,in those phrases,*couple* the regret with the sense of something that could have been so,so very good."And though he nodded…and years of experience told him that Harper was most certainly correct,and even though he had already filed the complaint that would have McCormick arrested on sight,Hardcastle couldn’t seem to let go of the idea that he had not been entirely wrong this time."Love the"and though"s that start each clause,making the sentence flow and take on a contemplative quality,and even stronger,all the"and though"s start to give a feeling of'Against all odds,this was meant to be."All of the time you couple their appreciation of one another with regret,ending nearly every section and from both men's points of view:"And as he turned his attention back to the screen,McCormick couldn’t help but think about missed opportunities and wrong choices at the forks in the road of life."

Throughout,there's a sense that this is an ending rather than a beginning,and it… infuses get their wonderful,easy rapport dead-on–"And is the car your only bait?”/“That,and a copy of Flip’s partnership agreement with Cody and a copy of Flip’s will naming me as the beneficiary of any and all business holdings.”/Hardcastle’s jaw dropped open.“You have that?”/McCormick flushed slightly.“Well, it got his attention."SQUEE-EE!Classic,classic exchange,and it just gets better:“So you’re extorting him with a lie?"…"I like your style,kid."Oh,shades of Henry Willard:"He had style!"

And throughout,you keep delivering the sudden,natural yet gut-punch switch from flippant to serious:“Glad you approve,"he answered easily,and for reasons that made no sense at all,the jurist had the feeling that the simple response had been unexpectedly true." So many times,you do this:"We need a witness,McCormick…”/“Right; no problem,Hardcase.”/“Don’t get an attitude with me, ’re walking a pretty thin line as it is."And the shift goes,at least for the reader,to regret.

HC's affection for McC–I suppose I should say burgeoning affection,or propensity for affection,this early on shows in a lot of things,but especially in my favourite section,the hotel see Mark through his eyes,and first he's a man with no choice,backed into a corner:"McCormick hesitated,but Hardcastle wasn’t worried; the kid had nothing else to bargain with." We see the sympathy,the real liking,the almost-fatherly feeling,in the way he looks at him:"Then,as if the events of the last few days were suddenly upon him,he closed his eyes…"That's not omniscient–it's H's point of sees respect:"…maneuvering the pages with his shackled he was surprised by the young man’s attitude,as Mark simply went about his task without complaint."But the kicker for me is"The curly head looked up."There is such affection in that Judge is so falling for him–not because of some scam,but out of respect for his suffering and for who he is.

And I think,ultimately,that that is the saving grace of this Mc,and the reason H can't give him up in the end:his willingness to sacrifice everything,even his life(let alone his chance at a better life)–to honor the memory of a ,paradoxically,is perhaps the only thing that could drive your Mark to betrayal.I like that you actually make him spell it out in stark,painful truth:"You ever thought about the turning points in your life,Judge?...Well,I figure pulling that cop out of the car was one of those times for me.I think it was decided right then that I’d end up back behind bars."It all comes back to a basic commitment to do the best by those beyond help,even if you doom yourself in the capture that so,so well in this,and it's perhaps the only thing that would make an absconding Mc work."So,to answer your question,no,it wasn’t exactly that I was afraid you’d send me back…I was afraid you’d send me back before we got Cody."You can almost see this Mark happening,if our canon Mc were just a hair write Mark so H,for that matter,as he slowly comes to realize this:"That car belongs to Flip’s daughter now,"Mark said softly./“If that’s true,I’ll make sure she gets it back,"Hardcastle promised."The qualifiers are SO key here:"softly"conveying all the vulnerability,everything he has risked,the certainty of defeat–and the recognition of that in H's"promised".That line says it all,because there's an unspoken tag to it:"I'll make sure she gets it back *when you're gone*."Gone where is sort of an open question at that point–gone to the slammer,or untimely dispatched to the hereafter?–but the promise,and the recognition of the commitment that ultimately made Mark throw away the best thing he could have ever had,is there in that line.

And of course the h/c'er in me will SO not deny my relish in that you had him beaten to a pulp to prove it.I love it when violence is not gratuitous but justified–and this was so justified,character-wise,and even plot-wise,and on a larger,more poetic first,and the prime consideration:“You listen,"McCormick said harshly.“I’m not giving him the car...They’ll have to beat me to death."So casually,and at first H doesn't know he means it literally:“I sorta think that’s what they have in mind,"Hardcastle said gruffly,“so don’t be stupid.I understand how you felt about your friend,but I doubt that he’d’ve wanted you to die for a car."And look at Mc's answer:“I doubt that he wanted to die for a car,either,"McCormick told the judge as he began rubbing his ropes against the blocks again,[and how great is that,showing that he has all that fight left in him even while knowing he might have to pay the ultimate price? Nothing like the sacrifice of a man whose life still means something to him,with the will to go on description in H starts to convince:"This isn’t about what I can do to you,hotshot,it’s about what they can do to you."And I love how,after the respect,after the liking,after he's defended Hc's life,after the terrible beating,after the inkling of a recognition,as H persuades him to save himself–the nickname comes out."Hotshot."Oh,I LOVE the kicker:"Hardcastle said plainly,“They’ll kill you,McCormick.”[Shiver.] ….“But we obviously have different priorities,Judge.I can’t explain it,but this is important to me; I can’t let Cody get away with this,even if it kills me."So that clinches the character thing:it's a lot easier to understand why someone would skip out on you if he proves he would die for–very nearly does die for–what he believes freedom,trust… just put it on the love hath no man, man,I love this story.

Plotwise,it's justified because how else would Cody get the info?(Btw,I love your oily Cody and the wonderful OC,Rick'Rabbit'Vetromile of the entirely plausible nickname.“Someone should get to drive it."Ooh!He is so everything Mc isn't. Juxtaposition.)And finally,poetic justice: Mark has already been'punished'for skipping out on the Judge much more severely than Milt could ever punish him–or want to punish him,or even want to see him he's sort of paid for his am I seeing'scourged with a thousand stripes'in here? You do have slight resonances,not inappropriately since the story is sort of a walk through the shadow of…well… And it makes it much deeper,more resonant.(My one selfish objection is that I don't think Mark could walk away from a pounding like that,or at least not remain standing for very course the plot needed to move along,but me,I'd absolutely go for a sequel where H lies himself blue in the face to save said face with Frank("He got a hot tip about left me a was I to know Sarah threw it out?")and Mc turns out to have sustained the damage that such a ferocious beating would probably cause.I certainly don't see him driving for five hours in that condition…

I liked this story.

This would have been a excellent story for the "Trust" challenge.

Neither one of these guys knew in the beginning how well they really could trust the other.

It was so amazing reading this story and see how and where each of them realized the other could be trusted.

It is hard to regain it alot times when you lose it and they had a rough beginning but after that they always had it.

This story I have read before as well and I loved it each time.

I liked the very honest conversation they had in the squad car.

I'm sure McCormick never felt like doing that with any other judge.

JeanneZ84

I loved re-reading this story...and I'm sure I'll do it again, soon! I think what I like most about it is that is actually depicts a more plausible start to their relationship. It always seemed a bit odd that by the second episode (and don't get me wrong, I loved all the episodes) they had already developed a rich friendship-although the action in the first episode didn't seem to actually build that much trust.

This was so very well written-and it seems that to get to the level of trust we saw in the early episodes, they would have HAD to go through this type of trial. Working early to stick up for and protect each other would provide the solid foundation that we saw.

I just want to keep reading more and more. Thank you so very much for continuing to write!

This is one of those stories that every time I run across it, I have to read it all the way through. Well worth waiting for, it was.

And whether the setting is early, or not so early (as in The Verdict), what I particularly enjoy about your pieces is the subtleties of the relationship. There's no perfect trust there (and there seldom is in real life, either). Trust has to overcome doubt, and that makes it all the more worthwhile in the end. There's also no sense of inevitability to the outcome-I don't mean what the bad guys will or won't get away with, but whether or not the Lone Ranger and Tonto will even ride off into the sunset together. Your stories have the most satisfying *edge* to them. Through it all, though, it's clear from your characterizations that there's something worth working for there, for both men. It all just makes perfect sense the way you tell it.

What could be better than a rainy day off from work and a new story to add to my favorites list? I've often applauded your 'penchant for early' and stories like this are exactly why. No matter that I've seen Rolling Thunder upwards of 30 times-I had no problems swallowing this wonderful alternative.

Your ability to grasp the intricacies of Mark's self doubt over his chosen paths is perhaps only surpassed by the way you capture Milt's desire to believe in spite of evidence to the contrary. Watching them as they learn to work together with a whole new set of rules only left me wanting more. You can be certain I'll be re-reading this one again soon.

Thanks for allowing it to see the light of day.

Brilliantly done! A completely believable, maybe even preferable, version of the beginning of the relationship, with just as much action, drama, emotion, sparkling banter, and personality as "Rolling Thunder". You're probably tired of hearing this, but you are untouchable at the early stages and this is possibly your best yet. The whole story is beautifully structured, and when the last fork in the road presents itself, it's satisfying and _right_.

Lots of great lines, lots of intricately drawn character, lots of excitement and action, and the ending is perfect. This is one story that was absolutely worth waiting for!