First, I hope you don't think I was slighting your fic. I do think there's a difference between taking a concept and making it an AU - i.e. the two characters you mention having survived - and saying that the book never happened.

And I agree with you 100% that those characters being alive makes fic fun when you're invested in them. Because like you, I was very much a writer for them, and I think if I did try writing them if they'd lived, I'd probably enjoy it. I actually thought about doing it. I just had trouble getting out of "but it didn't" mode.

Also, it's not childish. Really. Sorry if that's how I made it sound...