For the record, I'd like to state I have nothing against hurt/comfort sex in itself, au contraire. *g* But I do have this thing where my brain shuts down when the buildup to it feels even the slightest bit OOC, and a Rousseau almost literally throwing herself at Ben is way over my tolerance level. ("Danielle, I don't deserve this" / "Yes, you do, cause you are a CUDDLY TEDDY BEAR" (sic) is not Rousseau, agreed :) ) And then I get even more frustrated when the fic and/or the sex actually does have good moments, moments that really get to me (as "His college girlfriend had admitted, when they finally broke up (months after they stopped liking one another), that she wouldn't miss his conversation but she'd miss his fingers. At the time it had felt almost like a compliment; it wasn't until years later that the emotional slap in the face had really stung.") because THE WASTE, THE AWFUL WASTE, you know?

Serious, now, I think there's a huge difference between what a reconciliation with Alex would take as opposed to one with Rousseau. With Alex I could see it go two ways: it could be a purely instinctive asking for/giving of forgiveness and be over in a heartbeat (which was the take I went for here), seeing as she has known Ben for a lifetime, therefore must have happy memories of him as well, and just the fact of him coming clean might be all she needs to accept, if maybe not forgive. Or it could be a Very Big Deal, in which case a single conversation could never be enough. With Danielle, who has no connection at all with Ben, and for whom the Big Deal isn't even 'just' about her own life but her daughter's - I frankly can't see any scenario in which getting her forgiveness wouldn't be a long and painful process. Otoh, if there were ever a fic where that did happen... *yearns*

Ah, I do hate being picky sometimes. :)