General Author's Notes:
Firstly, I hope everyone liked this story. I decided to end it without going further along in the BSC timeline because I think we all pretty much know what happens next, with what can be pieced together about Elizabeth's life from the BSC books: she gets a good job, meets Watson Brewer, etc. Therefore, I only took the story up to Patrick's desertion.
Regarding Patrick: I searched through BSC books to find something that may give more detail to the actual circumstances of his leaving, but could find nothing except dropped hints about his not being able to handle the responsibility. Therefore, I used my own imagination to piece together the details and I hope the finished product is something that is satisfactory. I wanted to show another side to Patrick, instead of him being just the "absentee dad" that was described in the books. I also included the final scene between Elizabeth and Patrick because I feel that it was meaningful to their relationship and that it shows how, even though two people can love each other, and even though Patrick was good at heart, sometimes things just don't work out.
To reply to some of the reviews: Of course, thanks to everyone who reviewed, I ALWAYS appreciate reviews to my stories. To "carty" : It's very well plausible that Claudia's mom would curse; I won't generalize, but a lot of people do, especially as they progress into adulthood. Is it right? Maybe not, but it's realistic, which is why I included it. *And for the record, I'm actually not a goth :o)* To Lexie, thanks for you defending review, I'm glad you could see the realism behind Claudia's character.
Also, in regards to the "songfic" ending, I know that "Goodbye to You" by Michelle Branch wouldn't have been around when this story took place (I estimate the last chapter around 1988-ish) but I thought the words were very appropriate for the storyline, so I used it anyway. =D
So, I think that's it. Please let me know what you think, as always, I love reviews!
---DarkFaithSlayer