This is a long-awaited happy chapter, but the fact that it totally relies on events in another story renders it as a deus ex machina. One chapter ends with our protagonist seemingly about to be completely regressed forever, and then the next—with only a quick summary of events in between—she is saved and facing a new and much happier life, which apparently we would know about if we also happened to be reading along with another story simultaneously. Within this story, it comes out of nowhere. You're not the only one to do something like this, but I find it a disturbing trend...and this is why: a story should be self-contained even if it does connect to things in other stories. A sequel, for instance, should be able to stand on its own and not force readers to go back to another source. I commend you for allowing your universe to branch out by looking at it from various angles, but not when it leads to a chapter that almost literally says if you want to understand this, you'll need to read this other story first...and does say that in an author's note. After following (and enjoying) the story all along, the reader suddenly discovers that the climax it has been heading toward isn't in it at all.  Huh? BTW: the trial of Nancy is a kind of deus ex machina within a deus ex machina, as we are seemingly about to be hit with the resurgence of a major antagonist who was only defeated by jumping ahead and skipping relevant and important sections. It seems obvious that you are going to free her so she can haunt a sequel...and it also seems totally unjustified by the entirety of the rest of the story. Sorry I'm being so critical, but I hate it when a good story falls apart at its end, and this time it was so clearly avoidable.

Shake sleep from my head The padding is warm and wet Bask in the moment   Another poets?

Ditto! I'm glad you went in this direction though. 🙂

My husband and I happened to be in Sturgis during the rally several years ago (the year of the last eclipse, actually). It was certainly pretty amazing. About the story: I still stand where I have been before. Sarah (the budding sadist) has to go. Actually, they all should just leave Ian alone so he can be with the one he really loves, and the only one without an agenda of her own, Priscilla. Given Vickie's newfound masochism, I think that she, Sarah, and Rita would make a perfect little family unit...as long as they don't follow through with their plan to force Ian to break into "Princess Pottypants" (a monicker that has always felt utterly wrong in a therapeutic setting). If they do that, absolutely none of them deserves to have anything to do with him and they should all lose their jobs. Sorry: I see a man who desperately needs to love and be loved and also needs someone to care for him, and I don't like these women—especially Sarah—having agendas that only help them. Just my two cents.

Hopefully someone is changing TigerTy's diapers. 😛