I did the stupidest possible thing with my fic file on Friday. Had I not, you would have had the new chapter then.
After hours of work and 9 pages worth of content, I cut the new chapter from the original document of notes to paste into a new document. Only I saved and closed the original document with the content cut before actually pasting it into a new document. Then, as the original was closing, the window asking if I wanted to save my clipboard content came up, and being so used to clicking 'no', I did so, realizing just as I did it that it would erase my cut content and lose it forever.
Now, I should be able to just restore a previous version of the old original document to get that back, right? Only Word keeps telling me none exist. I've enabled everything that needs to be enabled, but still nothing. The IT team at my work has tried to help find where a deeply hidden previous file version might be hiding on my computer to recover, but no luck. We have exhausted all possibilities, and yeah, what an awesome IT team I have at my work for spending over an hour trying to help me recover a personal file, right?
Every time I try and rewrite the chapter, I just start crying. It was perfect, my favorite chapter so far, and I know I can't recreate it just right. I do plan to attempt to return with this fic eventually, but I need to put some distance between myself and this next chapter before I'll be capable. The last time this happened, I didn't return to the fic I was working on for a YEAR. I don't plan to take that long a hiatus, but I'll need at least a week or two.
Every ounce in me wants to scrap the fic entirely, the thought of rewriting the next chapter is so painful, but I'll try.
In the meantime, so that this has some real content, here is a Sterek drabble in honor of their resilience to win the AfterElton poll. 100 words.
Stiles doesn't know who he is anymore. He certainly doesn't recognize his life. All the scary things. All the fantastical things. Some things make him brave. Others make him feel so small, like he could never be the kind of hero his dad would be proud of.
But then there's Derek, who has always had this life of scary, fantastical things, and he's been just as often brave and terrified as Stiles. The moment Stiles knew his life would never be the same was the day Derek admitted that.
So, Stiles figures he'll keep at it. Til Hell and damnation.
tbc...soon