This is just too beautiful and heartbreaking for words. That last line, gah, I don't even.

I read this a couple of days ago but didn't have the words to leave a comment at the time! I started reading this before work, and couldn't bear to wait until I got home again to finish, so I emailed it to myself so I could keep reading during quiet periods. And while I was reading I was thinking that in hindsight, I almost wish I hadn't read the notes and prompt beforehand. Knowing the premise enabled me to put up some mental padding, and this fic is so well plotted and cleverly and engagingly written that I kind of had a masochistic wish for the extra layer of complete emotional gutting that surprise would have given, you know? But towards the end I was blinking back tears in a room full of engineers, grateful for the warning that meant that I didn't have to explain away uncontrollable sobbing in the workplace. :p

Gah, it's late, I'm rambling, I don't know if it's coming out right. It's meant to be a very positive comment! :)