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Maryann was one of the first people I met when I got
involved in the KF:TLC fandom back in 1999. She was in the middle of posting her epic "Survival Instincts"
on one of the old lists and I emailed her to let her know how much I was enjoying it. Things went from there and
we became great friends, talking on IM three or four times a week, sometimes more. I never realized how close
you could get to someone without actually meeting them until my friendship with Maryann. We were the same
age and had so much in common, things that went beyond the show. She was smart, funny, stubborn, and passionate,
and could think faster on her feet than just about anyone I ever met.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer not long after
we became friends. It went into remission for a couple of years, but came back with a vengeance in the fall of
2003. She was just 37 when she passed away on January 16, 2004. Her death left a big hole in my heart
that will never completely heal. I still want to IM her whenever I read a story on the list that I know she would
have liked or see a post I know she would have disagreed with.
At the time of her death, she was in the middle of
writing "End Game", the last installment of her Fallout trilogy, which was part of an elaborate AU she had created.
Sadly, she never had a chance to finish it. She had such exciting long-term plans for the characters - Bartlett
Stiles was going to escape from prison and kidnap Peter; Peter was going to have a breakdown, but would recover and finally
get with Jody; Kermit and Karen were going to get married; Skalany was going to break up with Caine and become involved with
Jake Hellstrom, the man who raised Kermit's son, Jim; Jim and Kelly were going to eventually get married and have
a child, uniting the Blaisdell and Griffin families forever; Todd and Carolyn were going to get divorced. I truly regret
that she never had the opportunity to complete her stories. However, her completed work will live on and I hope you
enjoy reading it as much as I did.
Reflection
A vignette set during the first season episode "Initiation"
that examines Paul's feelings upon discovering that Kwai Chang Caine is still alive.
Sounds from the Same Flute
A vignette set during "Sunday at the Hotel
with George". The piece explores Annie's first impressions of Kwai Chang Caine.
Harvest of Blessing
While on a dangerous mission, Paul winds up missing
in action and Annie and the rest of his family have to figure out how to spend Thanksgiving without him.
NOTE: This story, which was posted in November 2003, was the last piece Maryann
completed before her death.
The Falcon Series
This AU takes place near the end of the fourth and
final season of the show. Maryann hated "Requiem", the final episode of the series where Peter left the force to take
the brands, and refused to acknowledge it because she felt like he was forced into the decision. With that in mind,
she started her AU with the events of "A Shaolin Christmas" and ignored the last three episodes of the series.
In her AU, Peter never left the force and never took the brands.
The name of the series comes from the Falcon's
Wing, the mercenary group mentioned in "Retribution" that Paul was the leader of.
If the Fates Allow
The first installment of Maryann's alternate universe
Falcon Series. This one incorporates elements of the fourth season episode "A Shaolin Christmas", and reveals where
Paul and Annie were during that holiday season. It also sets the stage for the other stories in this series.
Survival Instincts
The second installment of the Falcon Series.
This story continues to explore the reason behind Paul's two year absence and reunites him with his family. His battle with
Jericho continues and threatens to destroy those he cares most about.
Fallout: Let the Games Begin
The first part of Maryann's Fallout trilogy,
which is a part of her Falcon Series. It is set immediately after "Survival Instincts". In
this story, Paul and everyone he cares about must deal with the fallout from Jericho's reign of terror.
Fallout: Escalating Stakes
The second part of Maryann's Fallout trilogy,
which is a part of her Falcon Series. Adjustment to life in the wake of Jericho's reign of terror
proves far from smooth sailing... especially when the remnants of his terrorist organization have plans of their own.
Fallout: End Game
Maryann was in the process of writing this third
installment of her Fallout trilogy when she passed away. She had very nearly completed it, but, sadly, became
too ill to finish it. Even though this installment is not complete, I wanted to post it so that those of you who
had been following the story would have an opportunity to read it. She put a lot of work into all of her stories,
this one included, and I hated for it to go unposted.
Obviously, this is not a completed story. Maryann
told me as she was writing it that this installment was going to end with Bartlett Stiles escaping from prison
and kidnapping Peter. I would have loved to have seen where she went from there.
Even though it's frustrating to read an uncompleted
story, I think you will still enjoy it, particularly those of you who have read the entire series. It is set
during Valentine's and there are some really nice romantic scenes between Paul and Annie, Kermit and Karen, Peter and Jody,
and Jim and Kelly.
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