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Does it bother Terry in Old Wounds that Daniel didn't lose his virginity to him [but to someone else/Amanda]? He comes off as unhinged, deeply hurt, and possessive despite his "restraint".

Idk how to feel. I'm a rabid Silverusso fan that wants them together always, but I also think Amanda and Daniel have a very happy marriage and are good and cute for each other, especially with Amanda being Terry-lite in personality and looks. And I really like Amanda :(

But I hate the thought of Terry being alone and sad and pining @_@

Yes, of course it does. This is the boy he was going to marry, and he was going to be his whole entire life, his saviour, his prince on a noble steed and then... Daniel marries Amanda, a woman who in looks and demeanour could have easily been his sister. Like what does that mean, Danny boy? It's not a neutral act. He could have married near anyone and he marries Terry-lite, indeed, both here and in canon and here and how many levels of repression and who knows, passive aggression are going on there? And them actually working is twisting the knife even deeper. I mean, had they dated for a bit and broken up, maybe it simply wasn't meant to be, but this, this is like some test case for psychology majors, come on. Of course Terry has thoughts. And depending on how much Amanda knows, so should she on meeting Terry, in whatever verse. And I feel that Amanda actually deserves a working marriage. It's not her fault that Daniel was severely messed up by falling for Terry as a teenager.

But Terry demonstrably was, too, in canon, and yes, here. It's a godawful mess that canon just cooked up and then went "Anyway, here's Johnny Lawrence using a slur!" about, but I refuse to let go that easily. Because nobody in this trio is coming out unscathed. Not Amanda, lugging around all Daniel's bagage, not Daniel, who never truly dealt with the fallout, and not Terry, who has never been able to move past this. For 35 years. That is an excruciatingly long time.

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So omegas get an endorphins rush while giving birth. Does that mean labor isn’t painful for them at all? How long is the average birth? Is there a difference between male or female omegas giving birth (does biology make a difference?)

Labor is intense and quite a workout but never excruciating. The endorphins feel very nice. I think it lasts up to three hours max but is usually much quicker. And as for the biology, I don't think in my world omegas have vaginal births, but it is easier to get pregnant, especially by betas and omegas through a vagina. Still, male omegas can and do get impregnated by betas and other omegas, and female omegas still mostly need to be in heat to conceive. That's a reproductive advantage of betas actually and why they haven't died out. The process compared to omega pregnancy is a shitshow but they can get pregnant almost at any time.

And to any obgyns or biologists in the audience I am very sorry I'm really making this up as I go!

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Fuck the CK writers for always making sure Johnny Lawrence has flattering clothes and hair and cutie patootie Daniel doesn’t.

And fuck Johnny Lawrence too because I absolutely cannot stand him and he is a c*nt in every single way.

Nonnie, the writers are cunts. Johnny Lawrence as we first meet him is a jerk, but he's loyal to his friends, has ambition to make something of his life (he wants to not jeopardise his senior year so refuses Tommy's beer) and though he is heavily influenced by Kreese he's still not completely blinded to his own conscience and has enough character to congratulate Daniel after his win, which took courage as we see how dangerous Kreese can get when he, or anyone, steps out of line.

And then they came in and made him a stupid, out of touch drunk who is entirely stuck in his ways and STAYS that way even with a support system. That's not what we were initially given. He started as a jerk bully with a capacity for change and they made him into a terrible father and terrible friend - even though in the film he was demonstrably not a bad friend, even at his worst! All this while blaming other characters for his incessant bullying. A man who thinks saying sorry is weak and whose only form of apology is "We've both said something, let's forget it." While being unable to detach from his abuser, whom these writers revere for reasons unknown to God or science.

Poor Billy. I hope they've made him very rich.

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God bless KK Legends for styling Ralph so very nicely. His hair is thick and fluffy instead of that severe and flat CK hairstyle. HIS CLOTHES ARE NOT FUCK*NG BLUE!!!! He is wearing flattering colors that compliment his skin tone. He looks younger than ever! He is absolutely cute and charming and sweet and THIS IS THE DANIEL THAT WE KNOW AND LOVE. Our totally loveable, pretty, kind-hearted boy!

FUCK the CK writers for treating this angel so poorly for so long. AND FOR PUTTING HIM IN SUCH UGLY BLUES!! Give this olive-skinned, good-looking guy jewel tones and earthy colors!

Never forget, never forgive!

Can't speak for the film, of course, but at least the trailer feels like: "this one's for Daniel." Because Cobra Kai never was even though they literally would not have had a fourth and fifth season without him, or a sixth, because no Sekai Taikai without Terry. I'm being overly dramatic now, but I feel like that trailer alone pulled Daniel out of some toxic relationship we've had to watch him suffer through. Three seconds with Jackie Chan and Ben Wong showing the character genuine respect and some positive styling and everything about Cobra Kai feels extra enraging. Like some asshole boyfriend saying: "You'll never do better than me, so be thankful for what you get, bitch." And that numbness that comes with it. "Maybe they're right. Maybe this is all I'm worth. I try, but I must not be good enough." And here is Jackie Chan with one simple line: "I came here for you", and Ben with one deeply respectful bow - not even Robby's weird tantrum or Demetri's "Can we skip this", no, a simple "Thank you for taking time for me", and it feels like the world saying: "No, you're beautiful and worth it and always were."

Look I'm glad Ralph doesn't seem to mind however poorly his character was treated, as he's fine with working with these three bullies again, but I feel like, for the briefest of moments, the character was done justice, and maybe I can choose to view the three films and this one without ever having to reference Cobra Kai. I mean, YES!!! still for Silverusso, but this constant focus on Daniel's darkest impulses it came with, even that can be tiring. Sure, OK, boy has a Murder Switch, but how he lives is kind and warm and respectful and I love, too, that maybe they offer him a way back into all the depth and warmth of what Miyagi gave him inside himself, without having Miyagi present. Because it seems hinted that even NYC will play a role, so Daniel's American roots will be an asset, something Miyagi didn't have. He can finally make it his, the way Miyagi also said he would: "One day, you teach karate your way", without that meaning the value of the tradition he pulls from is in any way diminished. Shimpo Miyagi took what he learnt from China and made it Okinawan, Nariyoshi Miyagi brought it to America and Daniel-san took it and made that his, another branch on the tree. Finally letting him evolve it, and himself, past his dependence on his sensei.

It's possible the film can't deliver all that but the roots are all there in the trailer and I'd love for Daniel to create and teach his own style because I simply feel it's richer where Johnny's style lacks depth. It's not tang soo do, and when left to be the sole sensei in S6 part 2, he had remarkably little insight to offer other than: "don't hold back." And I also love the potential of Mr Han telling Daniel, "Sensei, you have something our tradition doesn't, please teach us."

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Why does Terry want Daniel more involved with the running of the mob? Terry definitely likes tradition, and being an Alpha and the head of both the mob and his home—and he certainly loves Daniel being his submissive, though spicy, little omega, and being a houseomega too. So why would he want Daniel to take non-traditional role and be more…assertive in “the business”?

What does he want Daniel to do anyway? I find it hard to believe Terry would want Daniel to go on raids or undercover to other mob territory. He hates having Daniel out of his sight or a “safe spot” like their home!

In short, he wants Daniel to advocate for him. That boy is in the top Italian mob family, knows an insane amount of gangsters, has the old man's ear, his classmates are mated to very influential people, through the omega outreach with the newly immigrant omegas he has information on the up and coming crews, his sister is doing something in international espionage. He potentially has so much information he could use and he's mostly like "Nope". John Kreese wasn't entirely wrong that Terry was being honeytrapped. He expected, and he didn't even think he'd have to articulate that expectation, that he could use the Italian mob for his own ends. But Daniel won't speak for him and he couldn't overwhelm Michael or the Don. Daniel abhors using people and Terry will use what and whomever he has to. So when after six years of marriage he wasn't really getting anywhere things got really ugly. He wanted the boy and the connections, indeed he thought the boy would be a liaison. But he refuses to be and something like that is very hard to force; especially since omegas are, of course, not culturally supposed to do any business, not openly. Yet Apollonia is far more willing to be strategic in who she'll let Michael meet by associating with their mates. Daniel could be a powerhouse of far more connections even, but he abhors it.

Terry and the Don do find a workaround, in that Terry will sniff out potential new competion and either will make them work for him, with Italian help, or neutralise them, also with Italian help. Michael is put in charge of going legit while Terry works with the Italian mobsters that don't want to stop doing violent business. And of course Terry sniffs out opportunities from whatever the new omegas and girls tell them in their outreach groups. He doesn't need all the details to form a clear picture. But if Daniel would be more willing to strategise it would be much simpler.

Ultimately, Daniel does get a little bit more involved, using whatever he gleans to subtly help Terry win at business, like with creepy officer Jones or the Indian rival boss. But to him cousin Frankie is cousin Frankie, and whatever his business is, whomever he's connected to, Daniel doesn't care and he certainly won't ask.

This does keep him safer than he otherwise would have been, which is why Terry reluctantly accepts it. But if he'd just play the game more openly there would be so much money to be made. If his Danny could make the Don make a phone call the way Amanda sometimes does for Terry... Why is the boy so stubborn?!

Meanwhile Daniel thinks his work raising multiple pups while making sure Terry has an actual home should be more than enough. And if he weren't shrewd if he wanted to be, Terry could accept it. But he is, and instead he makes more work for Terry...! And technically Terry can't complain about it because nobody would admit their omega mate was important for business. It's maddening! But alas, his boy has no ambition while the beta brother has too much of it. Business wise, Terry got a bad deal - doesn't John Kreese know it! Still those eyes ... Dat ass... That sweet, utterly kind heart...

He'll have to make do, Terry, but it is a point of contention.

Other than yes, he has the perfect, spicy, obedient and darling little mate who he would do anything for. But here, sweetheart won't budge.

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If, after six seasons of Daniel and Miyagi- bashing, Karate Kid Legends ignored every single thing that went on in Cobra Kai while being a perfectly understandable sequel to all the films that would be such a power move!

Nobody says the word "Badass" once.

It's finally about Daniel becoming a sensei in his own style without anyone undermining him, and people appreciating what he brings to the table as a person and a teacher.

Just... Daniel being treated with the same respect he's always shown.

He's earnt it!

After all, he's still not really used to that, being shown basic respect for all he's learnt and taught. Even Chozen could be more aggressive than he was comfortable with.

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There's potentially two problems, only one legitimate. Should the grants stop, can he support himself? I think with a degree in computer science alone, the answer to that is a resounding yes, but it begs discussion between a couple.

The other is a red flag - on her side. There's no reflected glory in being the wife of a perpetual student and she wants to know if she's 'justified' in being pissed off by that.

Ma'am, your husband won the lottery and he's likely very, very happy. Other than the need for a financial plan B, there is NO PROBLEM.

This is the dream, tho?

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I finally see the young Daniel in him. Even more convinced that CK did everything possible to make him look bad

This man is 62 btw

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Does Daniel take easily to married life with Terry? And being the homemaker? He’s so young when he gets married; it seems a lot to ask of him at 18.

Yes, it is a lot, but Daniel like most omegas, is very good at it. It feels very comfortable and comes easily for him. In this world, omegas specifically evolved over millennia to do this. All these things that the right drills people into believing are the 'natural destiny of women' actually are natural for him and one of the things that makes me go "teehee!" the most is that Terry, who loves his own 'natural place' as head of the family and boss, is constantly trying to get Daniel more involved in the actual running of the mob.

Daniel does sometimes get overwhelmed, when thinking of hosting his first Christmas for example - there's a chapter about that on Ao3 - but he is mostly very good at this and even if he isn't he's still better than Terry, who, as an Alpha, mostly really can't do it. He wouldn't know where to begin if he had to have people over. I've referenced Captain von Trapp as an Alpha in this verse - leave him alone with 7 pups he sticks them in uniforms and marches them around because he wouldn't know how to read them a bedtime story without somebody there to mirror. They need a beta or omega in their life to access that part of themselves. So whatever Daniel does is a million times more than he's used to.

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Omegas seem to be highly desired in Knights and Pawns, male or female. Is that the same case in Old Wounds? Or was Daniel (thanks to Daniel LaRusso Derangement Syndrome) an exception?

OW also has Daniel as an Omega with a paying job vs. Daniel in Mobverse who is a house Omega. Is an omega having a career seen as odd in OW?

Old Wounds takes place in 2021, while Knights and Pawns takes place around the 1950's, though of course they're both AU's so I don't feel very beholden to fact. But omegas can have careers in Old Wounds; it's just that, like many beautiful women, they often choose not to pursue them in favour of being a stay at home spouse. Still, should you be a very ambitious omega, you would not be officially barred from having a go at it. Which is different again from what I've written in The Omega Problem, a fic for the X-Men/Cherik fandom, which basically never much moved on from Regency/American Revolution customs even in modern times. Each story indeed has its own rules. Is it odd in Old Wounds? Hm, I think it is seen as something that can't really be avoided for most people, even though Daniel did mention not wanting be one of many spouses, which means that is a thing in this world outside of the Muslim world and Utah.

I know I'm being kind of vague but that is because I'm still exploring the world of Old Wounds. I often get surprised by how stories turn out myself, the rules reveal themselves in the telling.

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So yes. The mainstream world is demonstrably evil evil, and civil liberties... Well, only if it suits them apparently.

What do now? If you want American solutions to American problems, might I suggest you delve into your own civil rights movement for ideas?

There's something there for all personalities, and you can pick an action that suits your character.

To be brutally honest, I'm very unwilling to risk prison for anything and I'm bad with violence and protesting. Which is exactly what they want, good corporate serf created, hm?

Except that you're already resisting if you simply give as much of your time, money and energy as you can to anyone but them, and give it to another human being.

Two of the main weapons of the shareholders are creating dissatisfaction (i feel shit) and alienation (it's everyone for themselves).

Misery makes you buy things to relieve it and alienation makes you feel like small actions don't matter. Which is convenient for them if many individuals are in such a chokehold that small actions are all they are capable of.

Say I manage to save €20 off a utility bill in a year. Is that going to do much to change anything? It's probably not going to make my life significantly better. If I spend it, the corporations will get it, if I leave it in the bank, the corporations will get it - but look what smiles it can buy when you give it to another. How much misery it can immediately relieve.

And is it worth the hassle to even give one cent less to the evildoers? Yes. Always. Fucking always. They'll kill whole villages over a single cent. Is it worth helping out? Always. Fucking always. Small actions are still significant. They're always significant.

Make yourself as strong as possible and help others. Give your time and money to anyone but them and they will notice and will lose insane amount of sleep over it and combine that with volunteering, like the Black Panthers did, and they may even feel compelled to involve the FBI. That's how much of a threat it is to the corporate world.

If at all feasible, spend your time and energy on anyone but them. That's impossible to attack directly.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office deliberately misled people into believing that Briana Boston had been released without charges. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with it.

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tumblr discourse after 13 years on this fucking website

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What was the “morning after” the wedding night in Mobverse? I wonder if it was awkward or uncomfortable, considering that Daniel and Terry don’t really know each other, but here they are, married. Especially from Daniel’s end—Terry is his husband, but also a stranger, and also a threat, and also a powerful Crime Boss…that he just lost his virginity to, and slept with while hardly knowing. Or did Daniel’s “omega side” make him more attune to Terry’s Alpha, more comfortable and close to him? Would he be shy or more confident? Scared or happy? He comes off a being really cuddly, I wonder if that helped or hindered the morning after, or even those first few days, weeks. I don’t ask about Terry because the man was a goner from .5 seconds after meeting Danny lol. He probably couldn’t wait to get his hands on the boy.

When he wakes, his husband's sleeping. Not mate, not yet, but husband - the term applies. Not a single detail escapes his notice. After the sex - had he made love to this man? It was too soon to tell - but after the sex Terry had brought him to the shower, got him completely naked, and then got completely naked inself and oh. Dio. Mio. Has that - all that - fit inside him? He'd felt big, sure, but:

Terry has a very toothy smile, it's one of the first things Daniel remembered after meeting him. "Took it like a champ, mo cuishle," he said, and he's even blushing at the words now, with only God to know. "What does that mean?" he said, just to say anything else, and there was the first crack, slight opening in that boss mask.

He always could do that to his Pop, too.

"Nothing," Terry said, and that wasn't fair, he'd just been in him, and -

"It's Irish," he continued, softly. "But it's not real Irish. The real sentence is - hey, you're getting cold."

He tilted his head, and the man smiled again. "Come on, let's get you clean," and it was nice, close to him under the warm spray. He leant back, let the man carry his weight. He'd done his job today. "What's the real sentence?"

There was a pause. "A chuishle mo chroí", he said, very quietly.

"A cuee...?"

"Shhh," the man said, then. "It's OK."

He looked up. "Then why did you say it?"

That pause was so much longer. "It's family speak. My sister said it."

He's a little stung by the memory of his answer, right now. "Oh! Amanda!"

He shook his head. "Not Amanda. Katie."

"Katie?"

He remembers the hands holding him a little tighter, then reaching for the soap. "Yes. It was too hard for her, too. So she shortened it. Mo cuishle."

"I love my sister, too," he answers him, and it pulls Terry out of whatever painful memory he was lost in, because he hugs him a little tighter and kisses his head.

"I know. I can see it." There was more kissing, and then he'd pulled him out of the shower, because Daniel could feel his legs give way and it seemed like Terry knew that even sooner than Daniel himself did. It was nice, he was tired.

But he's wide awake now.

He knows what protection feels like, can remember being a small pup and crawling into bed next to his parents, with Pop curled around him and Ma stroking his hair. It was warm and safe and happy, and this -

His Alpha is curled around him too, and he's holding him tight, but -

Yeah, he knows what it's like to cling to someone, remembers himself and Kumiko, trying to find a way to stay together in the storm.

But why does Terry...?

He knows the man came from nothing, he knows Silver is a name like LaRusso, to replace the old Andolini. Knows his husband's parents are dead, and there is one sister, so -

But it doesn't matter why, or when - he feels distress, and pain and need, like he's never felt with anyone, not even Kumiko. And if it hurt his Ma to let him go, his Pop to give him up, it's nothing like this, nothing, and his mate doesn't even know it, he's fast asleep -

He makes himself go soft.

The grip loosens, if the Alpha doesn't let up, pulls him further to him in his sleep, but some of the force is gone. In response, Daniel comes to him, trying to fill the empty space between.

Terry moans, a wounded sound.

"Sh," Daniel says, and he's never learnt, but he knows, wriggles free an arm to grab a hand in the nanosecond it takes his sleeping Alpha to pull him into place again, presses a kiss to the fingers. "Sh."

There's a very deep sigh as the muscles soften, and Daniel has enough space to turn himself, so they're chest to chest, heart to heart.

His Alpha is still fast asleep as Daniel is pulled closer, into a proper embrace, and Daniel hums an old, old Italian tune, and burrows himself against his husband. When he relaxes enough to let him, Daniel pulls the covers more tightly around them both.

Then he sleeps.

Marriage is work, dai!

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Thanks, unca Scrooge 😘

Today in pet peeves that don't really matter: I'm really good at being thrifty but I don't get enough appreciation for it.

You see, banks and the like will always go: "That is a ten percent return on investment! (Risks apply)", and if you sell something for that amount of profit, people always think you're soooo clever. But if you know how to reduce the price of something by that same amount, people simply shrug. Even when it's more than that. I managed to reduce the price of two cinema tickets from the €24 it would have been to a little over €10. And that simply doesn't register. "Yeah, but you could have not gone out and spent anything." Don't start that. The poor need bread and circuses, even the famously assholish Romans understood that. And this week, after seeing that my favourite perfume was running lowish, I went on another mission.

People who want to be considerate of someone on a budget often automatically assume that you'll forego quality stuff because of it, because buying expensive things is only possible on a high income. And that's nonsense. But no, it's not without effort and skill in other areas, and I'd like to see that recognised. People with a lot of disposable income see you doing expensive things and assume you're being irresponsible. They don't ever consider you're simply being tenacious.

Because, I wear Chanel perfume. And yes, I started doing that when I suddenly had a tolerable, well paid job (tolerable jobs can become intolerable but it wasn't at the time). And people always remark on how amazing that perfume smells. So do I switch to another brand when the income changes? No.

But ah! Tis impossible, chérie. Chanel is never on sale! And you can't afford to pay €70 for the smallest bottle.

Well indeed I'd rather not. But people forget a few things. First, money is only one form of currency. Data is another. And then there is patience.

Perfume is a luxury item, and luxury items can be paid for with gift cards. And yes you can buy a gift card for the same amount as money but that is, eh, simply very stupid. The more you are willing to restrict yourself in time and choice, the more more bang you get for your buck card wise. And loyalty points are money too. So if you buy that perfume at the right time when all perfumes are discounted regardless of brand, at a chain you have loyalty points for, and pay the difference via discounted giftcards using a cashback site - that's €30 saved in less time than it would have cost me to earn €30, be it in dividends or wages. And people don't seem to appreciate that skill for what it is. Why is it only a respectable feat if that purchase was achieved by selling your time or skill to another? People don't often want to buy my skills or time.

And the only one who seems to get me - is Scrooge McDuck! 😄

It's often played for laughs if he has sat a decade on a good deal of something or other, and of course he is famously stingy, but it's not stupid to use your brain before buying something and it can stretch your money for other things you need that will give you much more time and energy in the future. Companies want you to be impulsive when it comes to buying, but not letting money leak away because you have better things to think about, or 'it's not fun', well I'm sorry, I'd rather have a nice item then a nice shopping experience. There are so many other ways to have a good time.

And if nobody got me, I think that Unca Scrooge got me in thinking that if you absolutely are going to spend money, managing to do so for the best possible price is a job well done!

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Terry was afraid that Daniel was going to leave him once the pups were all grown up. But was Daniel ever afraid that Terry would leave him? Or even leave him for that one-time "side piece"? He was scared that Terry might have other kids running around that Daniel was unaware of.

No, Daniel was not afraid Terry would leave him - he tried to get him to leave more than once and Terry always violently refused. But that is not to say Terry may not have stepped out on him more often. That, in a way, would have been a more unbearable humiliation, to be so deeply used: good enough to warm Terry's knot and raise his pups, but somehow not good enough to be faithful to. His entire life would have been a sham, and everyone would blame him somehow - a mated omega who could not keep his Alpha around? Yikes. Which is why Daniel really isn't wrong that the cheating was a punishment. If word ever got out, it woud tarnish Daniel even though he hadn't done anything wrong. Not that it wouldn't look awful on Terry, too, but there would be talk: what did that omega do to drive their Alpha to something like that? And now it did come out, and Daniel feels retroactively very shamed, even though the consensus among those who knew has always been: that asshole Silver. Clearly insane to even want to look further, what the hell! We love you, Daniel, don't go anywhere. who else will make us fresh tiramisu and ask about our parents? Who else will help us meet other omegas and keep them safe while he does it? Look, heats are nice, but these kitties strung out on God knows what don't make for happy mates. And the beta girls also need a safe space to hang out and have fun. Thank goodness you two have made it!

But Terry being Terry, can Daniel ever be sure? Luckily, if you put the full investigative power of the Italian mob on the case you can be sure, but Daniel doesn't even really know if he can trust Michael's word (seeing that Michael would love to see him mated to someone else) not until it gets confirmed by Nessa.

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Is Daniel still able to have kids in Old Wounds? If so, would Terry like to have his own kids with him?

I think it is telling in Cobra Kai that Terry never did have children. He's a billionaire, he would have his pick of women who would bear his child for any reason, no matter his sexuality, personality or anything else. And yet he's never had them, even though he expresses great regret at that circumstance.

So if he doesn't want to buy a child, and he's never had a child with anyone else, why is that? I feel that Terry is a hopeless romantic, and feels that a child should only be born from his perfect love, and - and this I actually like a lot about him - with the enthusiastic consent of the other parent. Adoptive children too.

So I think to him, wether or not he wants children with Daniel or anyone else is only half the answer. The question for this fic is, does Daniel want them wholeheartedly with him?

Not yet anyway, even Terry has to admit that much. And in that case, it's not going to happen. Not until Danny changes his mind about that.