Gemstone Eyes

A/N- Before the story picks back up, I would like to begin with what will in all likelihood be a very long note. I wish to apologize to everyone who\'s had the patience to wait me out, and not just give up and say \"Well, fuck this, she\'s given up, so I will too\". I don\'t even know if I have any of my original reviewers left, and the grand amount of six reviews I got after the last chapter was posted didn\'t do much to hearten me. Then again, I guess I shouldn\'t complain if I get any reviews at all. After all, it\'s been over a month since I last updated. Please forgive me. Real life has chewed me up and spat me out repeatedly this past month. I know I mentioned that I\'m taking summer classes to try and get ahead, but I didn\'t know just how much time and work was involved in a lab science class. Now I\'m back in a theatre class, and much happier. I even passed the science one. But on top of all that, my family has been having some major, important issues of late, all centering around my younger sister. I got pulled into the mess, and, next thing I know, I\'m acting as a go-between for my parents, who weren\'t speaking to each other. I\'m happy to say that things are quieting down now, the problem has begun to be repaired, and my sister is away from the source of the trouble. Then, on top of all of this...(I know this seems like a long, complicated excuse that couldn\'t possibly have happened, but, well, haven\'t you ever ust had one of *those* months??), on top of all of that, my writer\'s block came back. I don\'t know...its possible it was because of all the stress I was under (I went to the hospital because my heart would randomly start pounding...) or that it was a side-effect of having to write lab reports. But I was well and thoroughly blocked. I counted at least five times I tried to sit down and write on Gemstone. It\'s the lemon scene for crying out loud!! How hard can it be?? I found out. Five tries, five false-starts, and in the end I rewrote the entire scene. I\'m still not so proud of it. I don\'t think it\'s my best. If any of you wonderful people who still have the desire to read this story have any contructive criticism for me after these two (!) chapters, then I\'ll gladly read it and take it into account. You have only to leave a review. So yes, this has been my desperate plea to you all to please forgive me, and not to blame the story for the shortcomings of its author. I hope all of you that come back to read Gemstone, or those that are reading for the first time, still enjoy it, and I hope you can find the upcoming chapters to be at least satisfactory. I love you all.

~Tareacel