Thanks for the thoughts; I'm really torn about it too.

You bring up a good point about novel conventions. I do kind of think of it that way, and novels do often have longer setups with similar shifts. That's a useful perspective.

The one thing that gives me pause is that it is a fan fic, and fan audiences tend to come for more specific experiences, and tend to drop off if they don't get them. It might take a bite out of readership, which I don't want.