Haha, your opinion on Justin and Ethan being together for much longer has been noted. And of course, it's okay for you to say that you don't want to see them together. I think that's a feeling that many people will share completely. I can't make any promises though that Ethan will disappear anytime soon :/ *hides*

Brian will find out about Ethan soon which will add a completely new layer of drama to this story, but like you said, Justin will have to sort through his feelings first. Yes, I am pretty sure we can all agree that he loves Brian, that Brian is the love of his life, but... and that's a big but: Justin also loves Ethan and has built a life with him and as much as it might disappoint some people, Justin is not the type to just end his relationship with Ethan like that because Brian is back... There will be a lot of emotional turmoil coming Justin's way :( 

As for Ethan: He's not the bad guy here. I have to admit that on the show I never really minded him much and I certainly didn't dislike him like many other people did. I felt that the Justin/Ethan relationship was important to Justin's development and the only thing that really bothered me about it was how the writers had the relationship end with Ethan cheating the very first chance he was given. I would have prefered for him and Justin to break up over the "career vs. being out in the open" storyline that they barely hinted at, then buried again. As Daphne said back then: Justin nearly died coming out of the closet. Why would he have gone back into the closet for Ethan? Especially when Ethan chose his career over Justin... then again, like Brian said: Would it have been smart for Ethan to throw away his big chance at success over someone who he might or might not still be with a couple of years down the line? I would have liked them to explore that storyline some more, but I guess it was easier to have Ethan cheat, because that would play into everything Brian has ever said about relationships and romance *rolls eyes*

Anyway, this Ethan will just be a guy that's going to be caught in a very uncomfortable situation and will try to handle it as best as he can. Just like everyone else. He's not the bad guy in this story and will try to be a good partner to Justin and a good parental figure to Gus. 

Oh God, now I feel bad for making you nearly cry on the tram :( I have been there, I know what it's like... I should have written a warning that tissues might be needed for this chapter... 

Believe me, I chose the cliff setting on purpose. I just couldn't help it. It seemed too good not to have Brian push Justin off a literal cliff ;)

I totally understand what you mean about living in the Nazi era. I am not sure if it's a German thing, but it's something that has gone through my mind a lot as well. I have been to Auschwitz two years ago, I have been to many Holocaust museums over the years, many of them in Germany, but also in the US, the UK and Ireland and really, those questions have always kept me awake as well after such visits. I would like to think that I would have been as brave as Sophie Scholl (and not Jana from Kassel brave *shakes head angrily*) and would have done something, but I don't know if I would have been willing to give my life... I think, more realistically, I would have probably tried to keep my head down and get through it in one piece, not participating, but... what if they had forced me? Once again: Would I have been willing to give my life? It scares me that I can't say for sure and I have to say that while I have been to anti-Nazi demos in Germany, anti-Trump rallies in Ireland, anti-Bush/anti-Iraq war rallies in the US, etc - that was always easy and never under the dangerous circumstances of Nazi Germany... So I really don't know what I would have done :/ 

In my family, I was kind of confronted with both. My grandparents were born in 41 and 43 respectively and my grandmother's father was in the resistance and was arrested several times for refusing to do the Hitler greeting in church, saying that politics had nothing to do in churches. My grandfather's father on the other hand was sent to Russia as a soldier and he was only a soldier because he was forced into it and what else could he do without endangering his wife who was pregnant at the time. So he went to protect his family and in the end fell in Russia and never came back. He never got to meet his son... 

And I found out through the years that this is a concept especially Americans are struggling with. For whatever reason a lot of them think that every German supported the Nazis and was all for Hitler and his agenda and when you tell them these kind of stories, they are surprised a lot of times that normal people oftentimes just did what they had to do to protect their loved ones, not because they were heartily agreeing with Hitler - of course those people existed, but it wasn't everyone :(

Anyway, enough doom and gloom! Thanks for your very kind comment. As always, it's much appreciated :) More will be up tomorrow!

Stay healthy! :)