SORRY TO TEASE YOU AGAIN, BABY TEETHERS.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This is an inter-season love letter to you.

Tomorrow, Baby Teeth turns 3-months old, on the 26th January 2022. 3 months since I randomly decided to throw up some thoughts on how GSR came to be.

3 months, 135,000 words, and a community of amazing people who have chosen to fearlessly turn up for the uncomfortable stuff. It's sisterhood, it's solidarity, and it's all on you for having the courage to share and walk with me in this weird and wonderful journey. I don't even know what the word count would be on the reviews, but know that every single one of your words has profoundly impacted me in some way.

Even the uncomfortable ones. Especially the uncomfortable ones.

I thought I might do this for a few episodes in season 6, but that it would dry up pretty quick. Then when we crossed to the end of season 6, I wondered if I had the stamina to make it this far. I wondered if I'd have original content to add, any kind of voice to bring to what is already a truly beautiful and perfect love story. (Who am I to try to add to that? WTF BB).

Yet, here we are. Two seasons in. This story is so much more than a puzzle to me now. It's connection in what is possibly the most intimate way that I've ever had with others, both real and imagined, without taking my clothes off.

This is not a monologue, this is a conversation, and if you have been part of that conversation - thank you.

I hear some of you when you share (in the most beautiful, vulnerable, humbling way - and you have my gratitude) that this story challenges you. I believe that, because writing it is difficult.Trying to live 'inside' a relationship, particularly of two characters I have loved for much more than half my lifetime - and express its realness and trauma through re-living my own? Cathartic, healing, but difficult.

I can't explain this process, what has happened and is happening in my mind and heart through this work. I have written manuscripts before, I have done creative work before, but this is different. I feel a bit like a shark sometimes, that I have to keep writing or else a part of me... a part that came alive through writing this, something I didn't know existed after what I have been through - that part could wither and die.

When you think things are rushed... it's because they are. I'm trying to temper this shark-instinct thing. It's like there's a torrent of these stories that suddenly woke up and want OUT. Contending with the demands of Baby Teeth (which, in all honestly, has taken on a will of its own) while having an INTENSE (60+ hours per week) job; trying to live my personal and professional commitments has been... you can guess, I guess.

As mentioned, I am working on the eBook version of Baby Teeth. The hope is, with cooling-off, with time to breathe, we can put together something more long-term, more polished, more permanent. I promise, your reviews have been printed into PDFs and added to the editing materials to make sure I consider all of the ways I can make it better. I will keep considering them, so please continue to review.

I don't want to be too self-indulgent here. I want to make sure any uncertainty is cleared up as we go forward, if you're reading, if you want to keep reading.

1. Baby Teeth is not finished. It does have a projected end, but I won't share that timeline here. All I'll say is we have a way to go.

2. I plan on writing GSR fanfic for as long as you'll have me and as long as I enjoy it. Life is too short. My time is too scarce. I am so grateful for all of it.

3. I want to clear up, I'm really happy about Jorja's decision. Heartbroken (as I twittered), but happy. Heartbroken because I just love seeing her face on screen, and as Sara Sidle. Happy, because her reasons are pure and perfect - it's appropriate to close the chapter here, and what a way to do so. What a ride.

4. I need a break. Not a long one... the shark in me still wants to swim. But I need to regroup. My heart, my mind, my soul, even my body (no SLEEP) have been shattered. In the absolute best way and I say this with all the love in the world... writing Baby Teeth, being part of this conversation with you all, has been one of the most profound and beautiful experiences of my life (and it is not done yet!).

5. In this break - and I'm serious, it will likely only be a week - I plan to read and review other fanfics. The shark instinct has been tunnel-visioned. I can breathe a bit, now. The first three chapters of Season 8 are planned out, mostly; I have an idea of the direction I'm going in. I've sorely missed reading and enjoying OTHER peoples' work. I plan to do this... please be patient with me.

I really just want to thank you all, so I'm going to try and make a list of all the people (non-Anon) who have read and reviewed.

I don't like to create 'favourites' or 'groups' and I don't like feeling like is any kind of divisiveness when we are literally all here because we're nerding out and loving on the same thing. However, if you read the reviews, I hope you will appreciate there are a core group of women (? I think? Apologies if I've misgendered you) who have been supporting me closely since the beginning.

First, Ashleigh203, who is the beta reader for the Baby Teeth eBook and generally allows me to scream into the void with her when I need to vent or I am feeling the shark-instinct pushing hard on my heart. She is a large part of the reason this fic didn't get deleted off FFnet when I started getting some repeated pushback and weirdness on the BDSM aspects. Also, if you've read her reviews, you'll know that they are a riot and a journey all on their own.

mauricia Sisk, van22114, and tessafox - your reviews are always a blanket of love and support that I most desperately need whenever I've wrenched another instalment straight out of my chest and into the FFnet server. Thank you. Your wise words, searing insights, loving criticism, helpful pointers, intelligent perspectives are honestly the most life-affirming, healing, and validating gifts and the fact that you take the time to gift them to me is always appreciated.

Big thanks/hugs (if you accept them, consent is important) also go to:

pocketprotectorspy

Mother of Fandoms

WalkerTRngr

OnceUponACrimeScene (I promise your fic is on my reading list, and I will get to it. Thank you for having the courage to share with me in your review. I'm so glad it was safe for you, that's all I can ever hope - I am honoured that you told me.)

Puhik

Monica

benex (no sorry I haven't seen Money Heist! But maybe I should!)

crazylady1981

windbound

mooncountess

Samar Sorigs

momoneymoproblems

Everdeen14

catsinhats

gsrasalwaysx

Caroline Mallika

EyeOnYou0000

Gilbertgal7

Joy

limere

Hawk

All of you - thank you. It doesn't really sound like much to say that, I know, but your words made all the difference to me along the way.

In some ways, it's my deepest loss that I can't take off the 'mask' and get to know you all properly.

I think this group of Baby Teethers (and I hope you don't mind me referring to you as such) is made up of the purest badasses who are fearlessly and with good humour exploring what it means to love love, in all its forms. You did all that. I wish I could know you all. I wish we really could sit together in cabins, or hammocks, or on park benches in all the corners of the world we all come from, and laugh about all of this, and share your stories too. I have no doubt - even if you don't write fanfic of your own - you have some great stories you could tell me. It's my loss that I haven't heard them yet.

Healing is a journey we have to do ourselves, but this story has taught me - if anything - that it has to happen in community. The path is solitary, but that doesn't mean you can't share it with others.

Thank you for sharing this path - our path, my path, your paths - with me.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter if you want to chat. I'm not great at replying, but I definitely read and try to. Butterfliesand_

Until we start Baby Teeth Season 8, be safe, be well, be sexy... you got this, dear hearts.

xoxo

BB