If you were expecting another chapter, I'm sorry to disappoint you. As I said before, where I ended the story in ch65 is exactly where my muse told me to leave it since I began writing 'Negotiating Her Life' almost 2 years ago. I know it was a cruel place to leave the story, but please let me explain my reasons for doing so.

While I was writing 'Negotiating', I'd be thinking ahead with 'What about this happening? Or this? Or this?'. All those little thoughts and ideas for the future of the various couples were developed for my own satisfaction, if nothing else. I honestly never imagined Melanie, Kelly, Vanessa or Alan growing and being well received as much as they have. Now these characters are all very dear to my heart as much as Alex, Olivia and Zoë are seeing they've been with me for all this time now. When I came up with Mel and Kelly's back story (ie: losing David. I knew about David a little before ch14) Noah didn't exist in the show. But when Baby Boy Doe was found by Olivia on the show, the opportunity was too good not to use right at the last for our other mothers.

Then I began wondering while I continued writing: What if readers want a sequel after I finish seeing I knew the story would end with Alex, Olivia and Zoë leaving to return to Winthrop, and Mel discovering a newborn baby boy named Noah left of the steps of the Winthrop Sheriff station?

Readers might see what I did as leaving them hanging, whereas I saw it as setting things up for more if readers wanted it. If readers weren't interested in a sequel, I was happy to leave the story exactly how it is. However, it seems as though readers might want a sequel (and I know trace619 has been encouraging me to do so). The only setback is: I don't have a plot to sustain an entire story like 'Negotiating Her Life' had with the kidnapping, rescue and recovery.

So, I have come up with a middle ground idea that readers might like :-)

I can write a separate supplement to 'Negotiating Her Life' that would be made up of various continuing storylines, one shots and ficlets in (hopefully) sequential order that will answer the questions readers might have. It would pick up where the story left off and would include: Zoë's naming ceremony; both Cabenson weddings; Noah's fate; Does Alex have success falling pregnant with Doom's sperm donation?; More intimate steps for Olivia and Alex; Munch, Cragen and Liv's retirements; Doom and Barba declaring their relationship; Does Vanessa's father ever thank Alan for rescuing Vanessa, and accept him in his daughter's life?; Alan and Vanessa's wedding; Is Cassidy Irvine a boy or a girl?; Which couple has Chloe?; Zoë's firsts (firsts steps, first word, first kiss etc); Zoë learning about Brian; Is Mel able to convince Kelly that they should have a classic car like Olivia and Alan do? Perhaps there are things that readers would like to know about regarding individuals or pairings that I haven't addressed? (Kelly's family that disowned her; Liv's half brother Simon Marsden etc). The story would eventually end in the future with Zoë's wedding ;-)

I'll say right now that this sequel mightn't appeal to every single reader because there would be parts that don't focus on Cabenson exclusively, but I would hope readers that have followed the journey of Alex/Olivia, Mel/Kelly, Vanessa/Alan, Joe/Rafael thus far would also take the time to see what happens later in their lives seeing they are all connected to Alex, Olivia and Zoë. It's the best solution I can come up to placate readers with while I work on 'Forbidden Until Rumspringa' and 'I'll Stand By You', as these are the stories I'd like to finish next.

If this is the type of 'Negotiating' sequel that you would like me to embark on, could you please let me know :-)

And as always, thankyou :-)

PS: If the link I mentioned numerous times for the Pinterest board I specifically created for 'Negotiating Her Life' isn't displaying on my profile, please PM me and I will provide it for you :-) FF seems to have removed and/or disabled the hyperlinks they used to allow on profiles :-( (Edited: June 23, 2015)