If I ever sound complainey, you won't take it to heart, will you? You know I'm only kidding.

Nah, nothing to do with you :). 'Sympathy' was recced on another site with a remark that it could perhaps have used a death-warning, and that got me thinking whether it's something people expect, or just something people who are very concerned about others' sensitivities do as a general favour...

*Your* alternate ending to the fic still makes me wish it had happened this way ;).