As Time Goes By

[tal]

Mary,

A joy to read you, as always. Great update. And I do so love the heavy on the dialogue parts. I guess it's the voyeur in me (or just the dumb-ass) that needs the picture in my head. And you capture all of them so well.

Especially loving the interaction between Buffy and Faith. I always believed that, in the series, Faith kinda got the short end of the stick. Her character, though fascinating, never really got explored. Great potential - cardboard execution. No color. No depth. So reading her, especially when written by someone as talented as you, is very satisfying. And the relationship with Buffy… so loaded… so much potential for disaster or carnal satisfaction. Awesome. Can't wait to see where you take them – and what kind of bruises they'll acquire on the way…

Ooo… and isn't writing Anya dialogues fun?...

And last but not least – your new big bad is amazing in concept. Your biggest fear made real is, in some cultures, the definition of hell. So in a way – that's what their fighting. Hell. And the potential to explore a character with it is infinite. I love it. truly inspiring.


Patiently awaiting 'mystical syphilis' next tour,

Tal.

[Puff]

Hi Mary and sorry for the delay in feedback. I managed to read this when I was just starting to feel better but didn't feel up to giving feedback then. Then I got drawn in by updates of The Artifact and The Stone Circle so I was delayed more. Anyway on to the feedback. I love Faith in this part, she actually opens up in a way to some of the scooby gang and at the end when the old Faith might have tried to ridicule Willow for her apology Faith seems to accept it. I think she will be the last person to forgive herself for what she did and I wonder what her greatest fear is.

Anya was very good in this update. You capture her so well with her mixture of bluntness and sincerity she has. She's also incredibly observant and might be spot on with her predictions on what the thing will do next.

My favorite moment of this update had to be the part with Tara feeding Kyra in the Magic Box. It's a wierd choice I know but I love the family dynamic you have going, and also the humor. I could almost picture Kyra straining to reach the spoon that Tara is just holding out. Poor kid. Tara has to also be my favorite character, which is weird also because normally I am a sucker for redheads hee hee.

Thanks for the update Mary. Hopefully next time I will be higher up in The Dibs Ranks (TM), as always I am looking forward to more.

[watty]

We seem to be getting somewhere with this big bad, Mort du Coeur indeed. But the more Giles reveals, the more questions there are. Some of the questions that we have been asking, I'm happy to see the Scoobies asking too.

The idea of it "eating" the light out of do-gooders who have been forged and toughened by hellmouths and evil deeds, is it so very dark that it needs the light to balance it so it doesn't, I dunno, disappear? My thin theory anyway. And why ten? What's the significance? The questions on whether Willow is immune, and whether there is a time limit, that was the first questions I had too.

but the seven deadly sins are part of Christian theology. This thing predates Jesus

I disagree with that theory. Dawn's theory of ten virtues vs seven deadly sins can't be dismissed just because this thing predates Christianity. Why? That's because Christians could have just copied from this thing, and made the concept their own.

Nice to see that Willow seems to be the one with the most light-hearted demeanor right now. Her "bed-whoever" joke on the Bedtherall (I'm just glad it's not Bedthemall) and of course the joke that she survived the attack. Tara is still worried, she is right,

"I'm so special," Willow said brightly, trying to lighten the mood.
"I didn't need proof of it," Tara muttered darkly, squeezing Willow's hand tightly.

Much dialogue here, but with action too. Not "grrr, stake now" type action, but research-y action, and discuss-y action. They are working so much as a team, it's so good to see.

Every time I walked through the room, seemed like his accent was getting thicker.

I was just talking to my colleagues yesterday and noticed my accent doing the same and for some reason, thought of ASH. Though he affects a relativy upper class accent as Giles, in real life he speaks with a more relaxed (and dare I say, common) accent. And I found that as my head gets crowded that's what happens, so when I read what you wrote, I grinned, cos I can just imagine Giles getting more info from Wesley and doing the same.

So Kyra thinks of two of the best slayers of all time as Bub and Fate. Does she, like, know something we don't? Or is this just her way of recognizing them as they are -- Buffy, who is still the greatest slayer whatever silly name she is burdened with, and Faith, well ... who's fate is in her hands? Her own? Sunnydale's? The world's? Intriguing, and quality writing that makes this little writer truly humbled.
[br][br]

[AntigoneUnbound]

Hello, all. It's a beautiful Friday night, crickets are plotting goddess-alone-knows-what outside my window, and a 3-month old kitten is prancing about in my home office. Tell me life isn't good. And feedback from Kittens? Mocha frosting on a dark chocolate cake.

WillowRosenberg: Nice pick-up on the "Triangle Reference"! Faith's comment says volumes about what she believes but her guard was down b/c she was laughing and let's face it, how often does she do that? So yeah, it means something that she, as a Slayer, sees Buffy as the greatest Slayer.

Excellent pick-up, too, on this BB's daylight freedom. (The BB's New Freedom, of course, would refer to its sanitary napkin, and that's not really what we're looking at here.) Much will be revealed about this BB's modus operandi in the coming updates.

You know, I think Willow's "academic preparedness" comment was more tongue-in-cheek than anything. She really just wanted to lighten the mood, b/c she feels safely removed from the suicidality. The others, of course, aren't there yet--certainly not Tara.

I'm having more fun writing Kyra than I would have anticipated. But I definitely enjoy writing her scenes w/ Faith and Buffy.

Always love to read your ideas, WR; thanks so much for following this so well. And congrats on the yellow jersey!

Washi: Hey girl--how's life in Tunis? I'm curious about your theory; send me a PM if you want, and float it. I'll neither confirm nor deny, of course, but it would be interesting to read. You know, Aunt Bev is on vacation with Sandra. Last I talked to her, she was sipping a pina colada pool-side. Thanks for the good thoughts.

Naeryn: (You know, I love your avatar.) You're right; I don't really see Aunt Bev entering this story. As much as I love her (and may well use her in the future), the canvas is pretty full as is. I'm a big fan of black humor, too, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Willow just feels pretty safe now re: the suicide and she wants to lighten the mood; the others, understandably, aren't quite there yet.

Faith as Fate. I gotta admit, it brought me joy. Glad you liked it, too. Thanks a lot for following this li'l tale, Naeryn.

Patches, Patches; Don't Play with Matches! (Well I've already told you I love you in batches; had to find a new rhyme!) God, thank you for your comments on these characters. As originally tendered by JW, they were so wonderful. You know, the show pretty much ended for me after S5, even before "Seeing Red." I mean, they were fallible but they talked and they worked it out. And then they just got...sullen, it seems, with the exception of Tara. And oh, don't I share your non-lovage of Xander. As you noted, he made so many bad judgement calls (lying to Buffy about Willow's words as Buffy set out to fight Angel in S-2; not caring for Willow until somebody else had her) and yet he never really paid the price. And what a wanker on his wedding day...So I almost had to write him differently here or I'd have him "accidentally" walking in front of a snow blower. (And you don't see that many snow blowers in southern California.)

Yeah, obviously I have a soft spot for Faith, and Faith as Fate felt too good to ignore.

Thanks for the very kind words, Patches, and let me know when I can hook up the EEG, OK? Have a great one!

Cyd: My goodness--what's your theory? Hmm...I'm glad you like the group scene; it felt important to do it well, given the new info they have. Thanks for the good thoughts, Cyd.

Tal: Coming soon, to a clinic near you--Mystic Syphilis! You know, a lot of people share your sentiments about Faith's shoddy treatment on the show. I agree--this character had so much potential, but JW couldn't seem to decide what he wanted to do with her. And writing dialogue for Anya is truly great fun!

I was drawn to this BB for the very reason you mention: it's elusive, shifting--its form and manifestation depend as much on its intended victim as itself. I hope you like where I take it. (First to the store, and then maybe a movie.) Thanks for the kind words!

Puff: Hey girl--this thing's been kicking you around for a while, hasn't it? I hope the recovery is a complete one. I need to check out The Artifact (seems a popular fic), but The Stone Circle is definitely one of my favorites! Can't blame you for hanging out there first.

You're right: Anya is very observant. I think people mistakenly dismiss or marginalize her input b/c of her style--much to their own loss. And you're also right about Faith's evolution: she's clearly not comfortable with naked emotion and vulnerability, but neither does she mock it now.

And I totally loved writing Kyra's feeding experience! I just saw this really cute kid who's pretty laid back, knows the food's a-comin', and then...And then...Hey, Mom--over here! I could see her scowling, her little brow furrowed. Kid's growin' on me. So I'm glad you enjoyed it too.

Kiss the wife and pet the horses or, if you prefer, conversely. Thanks for following this, Puff, and stay well!

Watson, My Dear: You know, the accent idea came from my own experience. I'm from a rural part of the US, and friends have teased me that whenever I talk to my family, I get off the phone sounding much different than I did about half an hour ago. Glad it rang true for you.

The relationship (or lack thereof) b/w this BB and the prophecy shall be made clear, but I like reading your ideas on what might be going on. And the number 10? Its significance? Lean closer, dear Watson, and I shall tell you: It springs from the Dudley Moore/Bo Derek movie of the same name. That's right: this cinematic milestone informs all that I do; and all that I ever shall do. Why do you laugh so, Watson? I don't understand...

Interesting point about the possible Christian plagiarism. I'll be curious to see what you think about where that aspect (Dawn's hunch) goes. (Hint: it has to do with this Dudley Moore/Bo Derek movie...)

Yeah, I see Willow as being in such a different place than she was 24 hours ago, but the others are still absolutely horrified. Willow's just glad she doesn't get freaky when she sees Faith.

Thanks for taking the time to follow this so well and to offer such good and thoughtful feedback, Watson. You know, I'm a few updates into Lamplight right now, b/c I saw your name and knew it would be good. I'll leave f/b soon so that I don't end up w/ 15 chapters' worth to spill. Just wanted you to know I'm loving it, esp. the class angle which is so interesting to me. (One of the show's biggest drawbacks, I thought, was its utter lack of racial and class diversity.)

OK--have a great evening, all. FYI: my kitty is licking her paws and cleaning her ears right now. My heart is breaking in abject adoration.
Mary

[Washi]

Washi: Hey girl--how's life in Tunis? I'm curious about your theory; send me a PM if you want, and float it. I'll neither confirm nor deny, of course, but it would be interesting to read. You know, Aunt Bev is on vacation with Sandra. Last I talked to her, she was sipping a pina colada pool-side. Thanks for the good thoughts.

I'm actually not in Tunis. I didn't go back for vacation this summer. My theory... I like having more info before I started throwing my theories, I like being sure of myself.
Sandra? As in Bullock? Or did she break up with Tanya and has a new girl called Sandra? I'm sleepy, it's a thing.
I'll think about the PM, must do so when less sleepy.

[AntigoneUnbound]

Washi: Oh shit--I forgot my own character's name! Next thing you know Joss will be calling me asking if I wanna help destroy any of his people. What an authorial faux pas! (French for "fox pass.")

Sleepy? I hear ya...And yet I can't seem to tear myself away!

Mary

[Safuega]

Hi Mary:

Okay, I read this:

There are records of its attacks dating back to ancient Rome, certainly before the birth of Jesus.

And thought the BB is Wolfram & Hart.

Then I read this:

It has been known by many names, often depending on the time and place of its appearance, but each appellation carries some element of despair.

And I was like, 'it's the REPUBLICAN PARTY!!'
God knows that every time the RP wins an election my heart dies a little.

And when I read this:

"[T]here have been appearances that were not recognized as demonic in nature."

I thought, 'it's gotta be George Bush for sure!'
Seriously Mary, how can you write stuff like this and don't expect me to jump to this obvious conclusion?

Umm, so yeah Mary, I've got nothing where theories on the BB are concerned. If you don't mind I'll just sit back and wait to see what else you've got in store for us.

Oh yeah, really liked this too:

It may never happen, but God--they'd be beautiful together.

I found it evocative and a bit sad. It also made me worry about Faith because like Willow I don't see Buffy batting for the girls' team.

Speaking about Faith, I agree with you that given Faith's background it might be hard for her to examine her past without feeling that it's a cop-out, but I'd like to think that Faith is smarter than that. I am inclined to believe that Faith might want to avoid getting in touch with her inner self not so much to find excuses but because it would be awful painful. Keep in mind that the recent Scooby wounds are fresh and these may have to heal a bit first before Faith can turn to her own older wounds. As usual, I trust you completely to guide her safely out of the woods.

Love your Kyra and your Faith. Ah yes, almost forgot, the brain book is:

Postcards from the Brain Museum: The Improbable Search for Meaning in the Matter of Famous Minds
By Brian Burrell
Broadway Books 2004

It can be found in Amazon and most likely in Barnes and Nobles in the mortar and bricks store or online. It is not a scientific book per se, but rather a hodgepodge of history, philosophy and interesting facts. The sort of thing you'd expect a mathematician to write. Oh hey, if you've read a psychology or similar book you've found particularly good, I'm always open to book recommendations.

Great update, Mary. Thanks for sharing.

Safuega

[JustSkipIt]

Hey Mary,
As always many gems in this little piece: Giles’ accent getting thicker, Faith watching cartoons. Maybe she needs one of those bumperstickers: “sorry I missed being a Lesbian, I was going to Mass and watching cartoons.” Wesley in a leather bar? Awesome. But this:

"Bub Summers--the greatest vampire slayer of all time!" Faith chortled. "I didn't think you could get more intimidating than 'Buffy,' but I slouch corrected."

is probably one of the best fan fic lines of all time. Not just Bub but slouch corrected? Hard to imagine Faith saying that but fun to do.

"But out of it will come new light?" Tara mused. "When have we ever heard of a demon being in service to some ultimate goodness? I mean, I'm assuming the 'new light' is good."

"So maybe this prophecy is talking about some new light that emerges from darkness," Anya offered, "and it doesn't really matter what the darkness is."

Ok, I had a girlfriend in college who always told me that I shouldn’t be for Peace because the only way that Peace would ever be a reality was if the Devil won the battle because Evil would never give up the fight. I really never bought it but I do think that everything in a dichotomy is viewed in the light of that dichotomy. When Good grows, so does Evil. When Evil grows so does good. By literal definition, there must be the opposite in order to define the opposite definition. So perhaps this “demon” is actually a PTB that works to lessen the power of good which is what lessens the power of evil. I’m guessing that made no sense. On the other hand, perhaps it’s like the Democratic party: as the middle moves Right the Left moves middle and those on the left are standing in the street wondering where the door into the meeting room moved.

Kyra gave a huge grin and tilted her head. Then she reached out one tiny hand and rested it on Faith's cheek.

"Fate."

Ok, I’m all for the meaning of Faith’s name as well as Fate and awesome that it is Kyra’s name for her and again I’ll be the big killjoy. I asked Asher to say Faith. He said ”Fuff.” He did say Buffy completely perfectly though. Just a reality check.

Awesome!

[GayNow]

Mary, I'm going to start by simply listing the quotes that nearly had me peeing in my pants from laughing so much...and that's quite a feat -- I have a strong bladder.

"You know, he really has loosened up quite a bit from that stuffy, fastidious little man I first met," he added, methodically arranging his pot, cup, and lemon slices and giving an annoyed glance at the tea packets scattered about on the table. "Really, is it too much to ask that you keep these alphabetized as I requested?"

"Looks like Giles here has something to report," Buffy said frostily. "You wanna hear about it or stand here and laugh at me all day?"

"Laugh at you all day, B," Faith replied, as if surprised Buffy needed to ask. "No contest, even for a high school drop-out like me."

'A can only sit next to B on the bus if C is facing west, but C can only face west if neither A nor B is carrying a book bag.'

"My generosity is boundless," the ex-demon said, reaching into her pocket and tossing a quarter onto the table. "But don't get too comfortable with it," she added over her shoulder as she moved to change the sign and lift the shades.

"'Bub.' I think I'm gonna have you an ID bracelet made with it. Tell the engraver I want the prettiest writing he's got." The Dark Slayer was looking at Kyra and grinning widely.

Okay, that's done. On to the other stuff...

I really liked this update, Mary. You write talking scenes so wonderfully. I love the limited omniscience of your narrator. Having Willow's thoughts interspersed throughout the narrative, for me, really helps to bring home many of the points being made. Not that I don't like narrators with total omniscience...I just think limited works so beautifully for the story you are telling.

And Willow's thoughts really get to the heart of the matter, don't they? They "give voice" to the thoughts I have as a reader, thereby validating my participation in the story. And that is always such a wonderful feeling.

Now, I have to go catch my train so that I can get to work and do what I need to do to sludge my way through the day...toward the almost-not-worth-it check I get at the end of the pay period.

Again, great stuff, Mary! Can't wait for more.

Carleen

[justin]

The last few updates have been very good. As always you mix humour and pathos very well.

I liked Faith's taunting over Kyra calling Buffy Bub

I was thinking about the prophecy and it occurred to me that it could be reffering to Kyra. After all if I recall correctly the scoobies were being attacked by demons, Willow and Tara cast a protection spell which resulted in the demons disapearing and Kyra appearing. That sounds a lot like a new light coming out of darkness.

Though, given how Tara reacted to the idea that Kyra was protecting them from the homophobe, she probably wouldn't like that theory.

So, um, don't tell her that I said that

[AntigoneUnbound]

Hello, all. Any US Kittens in the Gulf, I hope you're safe and dry. It looked devastating; I'm sending good thoughts.

Safuega: Damn, girl, I can't keep anything from you! Yes, the BB is Dubya his own intellectually compromised self. I die with you, Safuega; my only hope is that by 2008, when we're still in Iraq and possibly Iran, voters will say, "Huh...Maybe we shoulda asked more questions..." Heaven knows I hope the media does.

I like your phrase re: Faith and Buffy: "evocative and a bit sad." I'm not going to say where I'm taking that, but I agree with Willow (which would make sense, since I wrote her words) that Buffy's never shown any inclination. If they do get together, it won't be intuitively obvious.

Excellent point re: Faith's journey. I see her as discinclined to self-reflection both by nature and by experience: she's pretty sure she won't like what she sees, esp. if it's an a priori exploration for hard stuff.

Thanks for the book ref! You know, I'm recalling my doctoral texts on psychophysiology and while they were interesting, they were pretty technical. I'll keep my eyes open, which will help as I drive, as well!

I know I've told you this before, but I just really enjoy your feedback, Safuega. I like that a mathematician and a psychologist can have such an exchange! Thank you for the thought you put into it.

Debra: First of all, I hope you're not getting hit with too much rain/wind in Texas. My heart really goes out to folks in the Gulf.

Thanks for the kind words re: the humor. It's definitely one of my favorite elements to write. Faith's is of a slightly different flavor than everyone else's, I think; I'm still trying to nail her. I mean, hers. I'm trying to nail her sense of humor. Right.

No, your theory on the PTB at work makes total sense. It's like Tara said at the beginning of this story: we can only grasp good to the extent that we understand bad. As you said, one dichotomy illuminates another. What's fascinating to me are the deals that members of each side strike to further their own ends; the pawns sacrificed for the bishops, if you will. (Will you? Thanks.) Are certain compromises necessary? I didn't like "Angel" nearly as much as "BtVS," but I did like his conundrum in S-5 re: working for W&H. That's obviously what drew me to this particular story and the interplay b/w the prophecy and this BB.

No sweat on the killing of joy (though Joy herself has a few thoughts on the subject) but I think we're still OK on the reality side o' things. See, I wouldn't need every child of that age to say "Fate." (The social scientist in me is thinking of sample size needed to draw meaningful inferences. Yes, I am a freak.) It only needs to be reasonable that one child might say it, and given that consonant blends are some of the toughest to master (witness the difficulty of non-native speakers of English to say the "th" sound), it could happen. Hey, maybe Asher's trying to pull for a Faith/Buffy pairing! No? OK, just checking.

Thanks for the thoughtful feedback and support, Debra. Give my best to Rachel and the li'l man.

Car: I made you nearly incontinent? My work here is complete...(To be read in a somber voice fraught with portent.) I'm glad you enjoyed the laughter. The remainder of the story will be written in a tone of deepest severity and sincerity.

Ick...

Thank you so much for your thoughts on perspective. I'd actually love to talk with you about that topic sometime, perhaps PM. Willow has been my narrator for virtually every chapter of the 2+ stories I've written, w/ a few exceptions in "GS&A" where Tara took over. I've thought about a kind of roving narrator, but I'm drawn to her b/c not only is she physically present for the scenes that matter most, but I just love her. I'm nothing like her, but I dig that girl. I've thought about pulling back and going omniscient (um, in fic, not in my life--pretty much resigned to mortal fallibility) but I love the immediacy I feel she gives me. Obviously, though, that poses some logistical considerations: interactions b/w other characters, for example, must take place in front of her in order to witness them happening. That's part of why I write so many group scenes--that, and the fact that I love them. So unless I want to have her "happen" to overhear a lot of stuff, she needs to be there or the reporter of any given interaction off-screen needs to be understood to be reliable. How do you handle that?

As always, Car, your feedback just rocks, to the extent that I've taken to anchoring my computer with both hands when I see your name on this thread. Really.

Justin: God, I love your avatar! You're right: Kyra makes sense, and Tara would be muchly unhappy with that turn of events. In fact, she's already written to tell me that fact in no uncertain terms...

Thanks for the kind words, Justin!

More later,
Mary

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-

I do love Faith's enjoyment of Bub the vampire slayer and the way the gang works on the information in a team manner with insights from various Scoobies showing how much they've grown. The number ten has some metaphysical implications in various cultures, but its very much part of all accounting/record keeping systems what with those ten thingees on the end of our arms. The thought of a demonic accounting curse from the dawn of recordkeeping is too terrible to consider.

But all of that comes second to the closing scene. "Fate" indeed. Now I'm waiting patiently for the next update. Really.


Jixer

[daiailun]

Who else but Faith could watch cartoons on the morning after such profound dramatics?! No wonder Dawn has a crush!

Faith’s ability to compartmentalise is utterly fascinating. When she appeared on the Scooby scene, she knew when (and how) to absorb the acerbic barbs and when to challenge. She knows when to hide her inner feelings under a duvet of nonchalance and when (and with whom) to leave them surface, witness her conversation with Tara in which she showed interest in the ingredients of a relationship. I feel like Faith knows herself pretty darned well. Watching cartoons demonstrated to me an incredible sense of self-awareness. This woman knows what she needs to cope, albeit ‘hotdogs’ or cartoons, and does it. I wonder, if more of her feelings come out, will she bring them out at her own will, or will something force them out of her? I hope it’s the former.

Fate. I confess that fate’s one of those words I banter around, but I’m not exactly too sure what is the meaning. I asked my partner how she’d define fate and we both seemed mostly to answer it in negatives, in adverse outcomes and inevitabilities. So colour me extremely interested in how this might link up in the storyline!

Other things I liked in this update: Willow’s little joy in finding a joke in her “Bed-whoever” demon comment. That was *so* Willow, Mary, to discover the joke after it was said (and find immense pride in it!) It just made me smile from ear to ear when I read that. And I do like Buffy and Bub. It’s just such a simple aside that provides both levity for the story and the right touch of non-threatening, but needed, humility for Buffy.

Great stuff, Mary. Great stuff.

[AntigoneUnbound]

Hello all. I'll be updating tomorrow (Thursday). Again, I hope that any US Kittens near the Gulf are as OK as one can be in such a situation.

Jixer: Dammit, Jixer, I can't keep anything from you! Yes, it's the dreaded Price-Waterhouse demon, back for its sacrifice of ten financial virgins. (Don't ask.)

Indeed, the Scoobies have grown. What I saw on canon, esp. in the last 2 seasons, was Dawson's Creek variety angst, without the trademark humor, and they didn't band together until absolutely necessary. Yuck.

Thanks for following this Jixer! Hope you like where it goes.

Daiailun: Hey girl! You know, I loved your observations on Faith's ability to pack her life into manageable boxes. You bet she can get some much-needed R&R in front of some 'toons. You're right--she knows herself better than people think. She doesn't like a lot of what she sees, and she has a negative spin on a lot of things, but she's definitely grown in the self-awareness area...even if she doesn't wanna talk about it.

Bedtherall had actually started out as "Bedthenall, but I realized how close to "Bedthemall" that was. (Someone actually pointed that out here.) I switched once consonant, but Willow was still tickled with what she could do with it. That girl just cracks herself up, you know?

Thanks for the kind words, Daiailun. Good to see you.

Update tomorrow,
Mary

[LeatherQueen]

Well, Mary, I must say... so very much enjoying your stories thus far! I've read OST (in the cut off form available in the archive), GS&A (LOVED IT!) and now all that is available of this story.

You truly have a way with words. As for specific feedback...

You know, the only thing I got out of the evil season 7 was the return of Faith. I always felt she got a raw deal on the show. As one of my favorite characters, I might be a bit biased in that opinion, however.

But really, her return to Sunnydale and the "good side" were definitely needed to close out the story of the Slayers. I've always felt Buffy and Faith had more to their story than what we ever saw on TV. The gods know that the actresses have admitted to playing up the subtext, especially Eliza, but more than that their story wasn't complete. And Faith definitely deserved her chance at redemption. They gave it to Angel, why would they have such a hard time giving it to Faith. Although that lends one towards a LONG discussion of the role of a person's soul in their overall good/bad quotient, but I digress...

I'm a sucker for Faith/Buffy storylines, so I look forward to seeing where you take this. And Willow is correct, "It may never happen, but God--they'd be beautiful together." (And so very, totally hot! )

Looking forward to the next chapter!

[AntigoneUnbound]

One last reply, and then postage!

LeatherQueen: (Great name, that.) Yeah, OST's gettin' fixed up in the archives, thanks to Xita's efforts, and ditto Dark Wiccan on "Shadows and Light."

I agree with you about Faith's raw deal in canon. (She should never have been put in that cannon in the first place. What were they thinking?) One of the themes that's emerged here is that she had such potential from so many angles, and they didn't do her justice until S-7. I got the feeling that JW/ME wanted to use her as much as possible on both Buffy and Angel; hence the frequently-choppy feel to her development.

I hope you like where this goes from here~and thank you for the very kind words!

Mary

[AntigoneUnbound]

AS TIME GOES BY

Part 18

Summary: A bunch of stuff has happened.
Spoilers: More stuff's gonna happen.
Pairings: Willow and Tara; Pride and Prejudice; War and Peace.
Disclaimer: I own naught but my own soul, plus some nice throw pillows.

Note: This is a long chapter, and one that I suggest you read carefully. Why? Oh, just 'cuz things sometimes--No, I'll let you figure it out. No foreshadowing; I won't tell you. I won't do it, Car, so stop tickling me! OK, you win. See, what happens is--No! Dammit, no! I'll say no more.

*****

"OK, did that last part wig you out just a little bit?" Willow asked quietly. They were driving home from the Magic Box, Kyra napping in her car seat.

"Oh, yeah," Tara nodded, glancing in the rear-view mirror. "I'd say a little bit and then some."

"I mean, 'Faith' isn't that far from 'Fate,' at least in a one-year-old's vocabulary. But still..."

"But still..." Tara echoed. "If we were any other parents and our little girl said something like that, we'd be all, 'Oh, isn't that cute!' Instead, we have to wonder if it has any Grand Meaning, capital 'G,' capital 'M.'"

"Do you think anybody else was thrown?"

"Well, judging from the way Faith's eyebrows shot all the way up into her hairline and halfway down the back of her head, I'd say she was. Buffy and Dawn did a double-take, too. I don't think anybody else noticed."

Willow played the scene over in her mind. "Could you tell what Faith was thinking?"

Tara frowned, thinking. "I'm not sure. I mean, part of me thinks she was freaked. But another part..."

"Another part thinks she thought it was kinda cool," Willow finished.

"Right. Faith's been drawn to Kyra since she first saw her," Tara mused. "I think if she believed she had some connection to her, that would make Faith herself more...legitimate, maybe; or worthwhile." She paused again, and stole a glance at Willow. "Does that freak you out, Will?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I mean, I don't think I have the wiggins about Faith anymore, but it's like..." She struggled for words.

"Anything that involves Kyra gets your spidey senses tingling," Tara said, reaching over to take her hand. "Me, too. I mean, it would be one thing if Kyra just...knew something about Faith. It's the idea of her being involved at all that takes me over the edge." Her mouth tightened, the way it always did when she thought of Kyra as anything but a typical one-year-old.

"Exactly," Willow nodded emphatically. "It would help so much if only Kyra could talk. I mean, really talk." She caught Tara's look. "I'm not thinking about using magic at all! God, Tara, I would never do a spell on our child!"

"I'm sorry," Tara said, grimacing as she squeezed Willow's hand. "I just...This whole thing is so crazy, Willow." Her voice, always so calm, was agitated now.

This is taking a toll on her, too. I've been so caught up in my own stuff...

They turned in to the driveway on Revello and killed the engine. Moments later, Kyra was asleep in her crib, thumb poised just beyond her mouth, ready to spring into action if called upon.

"Buffy invited Giles and Faith over for dinner again, since last night was--interrupted," Willow reminded her as she stretched out in their bed. "I thought maybe this time I'd try to be a little more social." This earned an arched eyebrow from Tara, who gave a yawn as she snuggled in next to her.

"I'm glad you can smile about it, Sweetie. Just give me a bit to get my heart out of my throat whenever I think about it, OK?" Willow nodded against her hair, then drew a deep breath.

"Tara--Baby, I'm scared. About what all this means. I mean, somehow we get Kyra last year. We're still not sure why." She felt Tara stiffen next to her. She hates this conversation. "We do a protection spell, and there she is. A year goes by, and then Faith shows up on her birthday, with this prophecy..."

"Willow, don't."

"Tara, we have to talk about this. The last few days have been crazy, but we can't pretend like Kyra's completely separate from all of this."

Tara sat up now, tight lines of anger creased around her mouth. "Willow, for all we know she is completely separate from all of this. It--it could have been a total glitch; some kind of freak overlap in casting from different dimensions."

That's what she wants. That's the version she wants.

"Or--or maybe she was sent to us because she's endowed with some powerful magical ability and we're going to teach her," Tara continued obstinately.

"Tara, we asked for protection and there she was." You think I don't hate this, Baby?

"No. Not you, too. Don't start this 'Kyra was sent to protect you' crap." Her words vibrated with anger.

"I'm not saying she was sent to protect us," Willow said, trying desperately to find the right words. Maybe there aren't any. "I'm saying she didn't come to us in any kind of typical way and we don't know what that fact means."

"I do," Tara said flatly. "It means we're supposed to be her parents." She stared at Willow as if daring her to challenge that statement.

"Baby, I know that. I absolutely know that." She reached out and stroked Tara's face, her eyes beseeching her beloved to trust her heart, trust her intentions. Finally, some of the tension eased from Tara's eyes. After a moment, she snuggled back down into Willow's arms.

"I'm sorry," she said again, her voice muffled against Willow's heart. "I just can't stand this. Sometimes I let myself forget all the other stuff and the only thing I see is our little girl. We could be any two parents, going about our typical lives, raising our daughter."

Willow's heart twisted in her chest. "I know," she whispered. "Me too." She hesitated, unwilling to push the matter, but decided to forge on. "Tara...Baby, do you think we should tell Faith? About Kyra?"

Again, the stiffening. Willow said nothing, just waiting for her mate to come to her. Finally Tara asked, "Why?"

"Because she's in on whatever's going down. And if Kyra is involved in any way--"

"She's not." Again the absolute flatness in that voice that normally hummed with warmth.

"Tara, even if this Big Bad stuff has nothing to do with Kyra, Faith could be extra protection. I mean, having another Slayer looking out for our girl..." She trailed off, not sure whether to push the issue. She was well aware of the irony in her being the one to advocate trusting Faith. But she was strong, and she did seem completely taken with Kyra. Willow couldn't have imagined the Dark Slayer having such a reaction to a baby. That could be a powerful combination...

"I just don't know, Willow. I trust Faith, and yet...It's like, once the words are out there, there's no taking them back. Besides, I don't think Faith would protect Kyra any less, not knowing how she came to us."

Willow considered this. "You're right. There's no reason to believe that telling her about that night would make her care more."

Unless Kyra's origins do have something to do with the prophecy, and Faith needs to know that... But that conversation would have to wait.

"I'm not saying 'no,'" Tara said, extending what Willow recognized as an olive branch. "Let's just hold off for now--OK?"

"OK," Willow said, pressing a kiss into Tara's warm hair. "Holding off for now...and--and holding on...just...holding...

She drifted off into a far better nap than yesterday's counterpart.

*****

Dinner that evening, while not complicated by a suicidal psychosis, was nonetheless not the most relaxing one Willow had ever enjoyed. The strain of self-vigilance was taking a toll, even in light of that afternoon's helpful information.

Willow fed Kyra, and then she and Tara took her out for a long stroll. Every so often, Kyra would point at something and grunt forcefully. Whenever she did, Willow found herself holding her breath. What was she afraid of, she wondered? Wasn't it possible that Kyra was just...pointing and grunting?

After a very dirty diaper ("I think she's mocking us," Willow said. "Look at that grin.") and a bath, Willow rocked her while Tara sat curled up on their bed, smiling at her family. To Willow, this was quite simply the best part of any day. Finally, she went down for what Willow hoped would be the night.

A little after eight-thirty, Giles and Faith appeared, holding three pizzas and some bread sticks from Dominoes.

This was not Dawn's favorite brand of pizza.

"Are we sure they're not demonic?" she asked. "Ever since they hired Donald Trump for a spokesman, I've had my suspicions."

"I don't know about the corporation," Buffy replied, plopping ice into glasses, "but his hair sure didn't come from this dimension."

"Maybe that was part of the deal he struck with the forces of darkness," Tara suggested. "They promised him untold riches, but in exchange he had to let an old tabby cat crawl up onto his head and die, its shiny, bushy tail sweeping right across his forehead for all eternity."

"So what do we have?" Willow asked, peering into the boxes.

"One veggie, one Meat Lovers, one Hawaiian," Faith replied, taking a fierce bite out of an unsuspecting breadstick.

Complaints, anyone?

"So...Kid's down for the night?" she continued, with what Willow thought was exaggerated nonchalance.

"Yeah," Tara replied, smiling at Faith. "And if we're lucky, it stays that way."

"Right," Willow echoed. "Because a full night's sleep? Not exactly a surplus in the first year."

They all started at the knock on the door.

"Xander?" Dawn asked in surprise as the carpenter and his wife walked into the house.

"Giles mentioned the dinner; thought maybe we could join you?" He waved a 6-pack of beer and some chips as his offering.

"The more the merrier," Willow replied, then added, "Unless you're talking boils. Then you really don't want many at all."

"Thanks. I'll, uh, keep that in mind," Xander replied tactfully.

There won't be enough.

"Is there enough?" he added, glancing at the pizza. "We should have brought something else."

"Booze, caffeine, and carbs," Buffy shrugged. "I think we're covered. And if we come up short--there's always instant mac and cheese."

Watch them try to pin this on me.

"Buff, how's the patrol lately?" Xander asked, biting into a thick slice and wiping the sauce from his chin.

"Faith and I figured we'd go out later; check things out."

"You want back-up?" he continued, taking a swig of beer.

Willow watched the two slayers exchange a glance. "I think we got it covered," Faith replied. "You should stay home; attend to your marital duties."

"They're not duties; they're honors," Xander replied, planting a gallant kiss on Anya's chip-filled hand. The ex-demon favored him with a delighted smile.

Probably just as well they don't ask me. When was the last time I kept up?

"Anything extra-special yucky in town these days?" Willow asked conversationally, thinking--not for the first time--how surreal their lives were. No "Did you hear the Pattersons got a new SUV?" for this group.

"Aside from our bad boy? Or bad girl?" Buffy amended. "Naw--just the usual assortment of vamps and scaly things."

Right. Awful, disgusting things...

"And much poofage was accomplished?" Willow continued.

"Exponential poofage. Faith here got a Sehnath demon without even looking--whipped an axe back over her shoulder. Very cool."

Willow took note of Buffy's praise, but chose not to comment on it. She could have that conversation later. Clearly, Faith's reaction to Dawn's "news" had made an impact on Buffy.

Faith, however, had also noticed the words; and if Willow didn't know better, she could have sworn the woman blushed. "Yeah, well, I saw its reflection in the window; took my best shot. Anyway, B took out the other two, so I figured I'd better start pulling my weight."

The last time you faced a Sehnath, you had to be rescued.

"How's life down at the site, Xander?" Tara asked, reaching for a Hawaiian slice. Willow loved how her partner always noticed Xander; always made him feel included.

Two slayers. I guess things are bad...

"Well, we're working on a cathedral, which is kinda cool because it's gonna be beautiful--not some sterile office, you know? But it also means you sorta have to keep the profanity to a minimum."

"You're under orders to watch your language?" Willow asked, a little surprised.

"There's nothing official. It's just--I mean, it's a church, for...well, for God's sake," Xander replied, shrugging. "There's sort of a built-in censorship."

How welcome would people like me be in this beautiful church of yours?

"Anyway, it's nice being on the other side of town for a change. The Dale of the Sun is bigger than you think. Word has it there's actually a world beyond it, too."

"Have you noticed how we always seem to stay on the same few blocks?" Willow asked. Seemed sorta weird...

You wanna get out of here? You can.

"And life in the trenches of capitalism?" Willow asked, knowing this was the easiest way to make Anya feel included; that, or asking about her top ten vengeance curses, a list that was constantly under revision.

"Making the world safe for profit," the store manager promptly replied.

"Right--because that's always under threat," Dawn commented, rolling her eyes.

"Go ahead--scoff," Anya said, tossing her head. "Just don't come running to me when all the doctors are sub-par because we've removed the incentive to excel."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Giles countered, taking a long pull of his own draft. "You could hardly argue this that country's health-care system is in thriving condition."

And here's another conversation that I have exactly squat to contribute to.

"You want to go socialist? Be my guest. Me, I'll be a part of the rising tide that lifts all boats." Anya crunched decisively on a chip.

"Um, somebody may wanna tell the millions of uninsured citizens that their boats are lifting," Tara said wryly. "They may be too busy going into work sick to notice."

Oh God, not this again.

"Guys? Before this degenerates into one of those talking head shows on Fox or CNN, where everybody shouts and nobody listens, maybe we could just agree to disagree?" Xander's voice was almost pleading.

Willow normally loved a good debate, but this time she agreed with her friend. Everyone was tired; everyone was on edge. They could have this conversation anytime.

Other conversation, though, didn't come that easily. They chatted about a few current events, and then talk seemed to die out.

"We should hit the streets," Faith said, looking at her chunky watch on the thick black leather band.

"You're right," Buffy nodded, glancing at her own slender time-piece on a thin strap of gold links. "Almost time for the undead to start getting their jollies. We don't wanna miss the fun."

Within a few minutes, the pizza boxes had been crushed and folded and the glasses and plates put in the dishwasher.

"Sure you don't need any help?" Willow asked, secretly hoping Buffy would say no. She wanted to curl up next to Tara, in the room next to their sleeping daughter.

"Thanks, Will, but we got it. If we need any help, we'll...um...we'll..."

"Scream like big sissy girls," Faith finished, tossing back the last of her Diet Coke.

"Right. The signal to send help: big screaming sissy noises." She pulled on her jacket and turned to Giles. "You OK for the night?"

"What? Oh, yes. It's helpful, knowing that this demon does take at least a bit of time to wreak its full havoc."

Moments later, both slayers were out the door.

I'd probably just fall behind again.

It's always like this.

********

"Tara, did tonight feel sorta weird to you?" Willow asked later, around her yawn.

"You mean, tense? Or something else?" Tara stood in front of the mirror brushing her hair.

"I don't know," Willow frowned. "I can't really put my finger on it. I just..." She trailed off uncertainly.

"Are you worried one of them is affected somehow?" Tara asked, setting down her brush and turning to Willow with troubled eyes.

Willow shrugged. "Could we tell? I mean, I'd take a pulse on this whole group if we weren't all a little stressed, but..." She gave an exasperated sigh. "See, this is where I hate this."

"I hear you, Sweetie," Tara said, covering her own yawn. "But let's face it--normal for this group is a decidedly relative thing."

Willow nodded in rueful agreement and slid under the covers, patting the far-too-empty space beside her. "And how are you you feeling, lovely life-mate o' mine?"

"After the last couple of days? Very, very tired." She held up a hand. "But no headache, Will. And not a tired of the 'Oh God, I could drop right here' variety."

Willow just grinned. "Busted. But hey--"

"Better safe than sorry," Tara finished, throwing her arm over Willow's chest and kissing her shoulder. "I agree. Night, sweetie--I love you."

"I love you, Tara. So much." She breathed in Tara's rich, clean scent and drifted off.

Willow worries about me. So much...

********

The next day, Tara had two classes and a tutoring appointment. ("If this kid can't distinguish metaphor from allegory by the time I'm done with him, I'll turn in my 8th-grade spelling bee trophy," Tara said grimly as she pulled on her boots.)

They had arranged their schedules so that one of them could be with Kyra at all times, which meant that Willow often worked at home. She spent that morning running errands, including a trip to the grocery that was punctuated by Kyra's absolute enchantment with the fruit section. The two of them enjoyed a casual lunch al fresco (bottled water for the mother; a nice apple juice with just a hint of fruity aftertaste for the daughter) before Kyra went down for her nap.

Just before two, Willow decided to drive to the Magic Box and check in with the others. "Mommy's just feeling a little paranoid, sweetie," she said as she tucked Kyra into the car seat.

When she strolled in with Kyra, she was forcibly reminded of the old saying: "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not really out to get you."

Giles and Anya seemed to have carried over their philosophical discord from last night. Anya kept casting disapproving glances at Giles' back, while the Watcher made various pointed references about what he deemed "price gouging."

Buffy and Faith emerged from the back room, and both women looked worn out. Willow reminded herself that they had been out on patrol the night before; she hadn't even heard Buffy come back. But now everything took on added significance. She unzipped Kyra's light jacket and kissed her head, watching as her child toddled straight over to Buffy and Faith, Slayer doll in hand.

"So--how's everybody doing?" she called out brightly. So brightly, in fact, that several faces turned to her in puzzlement.

She's wondering about me.

"Fine," Anya replied after a moment, "unless you count Mr. 'Anya's a Robber Baron' over there," with a curt nod in Giles' direction. There were only two patrons in the shop; after witnessing this exchange, one hastily bought a scrying mirror while the other mumbled an indistinct farewell and left.

"There. See? You've chased off the customers." Anya crossed her arms and glared at the Watcher.

"Me? I should think that your on-going, not to mention shrill, commentary left them curiously disinclined to spend money in such a welcoming atmosphere," Giles retorted, rubbing his eyes.

"And you two?" Willow continued, turning to the Slayers even as she realized that she might be making something out of nothing.

"Late night," Buffy said, sinking into a chair. "Ran into a whole nest o' vamps on our final sweep."

Willow nodded sympathetically, then asked, "But...um...Nobody's feeling kinda crazy? Right?" Very good, she told herself. Very subtle.

"Willow, you can't expect us not to get at least a little fatigued, with everything that's going on," Giles said, a trace of irritation in his voice. Then he added, in a considerably softer voice, "I'm sorry. There was no need to snap at you."

"But you're OK?" Willow continued.

He smiled gently. "Yes. Just wishing we knew more. And thank you for asking."

She's wondering about me.

"I think we're all kinda zapped, Will," Buffy continued, looking at Faith, who nodded in agreement while her eyes never left Kyra. "But nothing of the wiggins variety."

"Do we know where Xander is?" Willow asked, feeling like a hall monitor but not sure if she could relinquish the badge without dire consequences.

"I talked to him half an hour ago," Anya piped up from behind the counter. "He's going to pick Dawn up from school and stop by the bank on the way here."

"Good," Willow nodded. As stressful as it was to keep track of everyone, she felt better knowing that each person was usually with at least one other person. "Tara's coming by after her tutoring session."

"We should reserve a suite of rooms at the Sunnydale Ramada and move in together," Anya sighed.

"Not a chance," Faith shot back. "I'm gonna pick up some class, bunkin' with Giles."

"Meaning what? You'll lift your pinky when you scratch yourself?" Buffy asked sweetly.

"Whoa...Don't rush me there, B."

Willow pulled the latest copy of Byte magazine out of her bag and settled in to read, glancing surreptitiously at the two slayers. Kyra had climbed up onto Buffy's lap, investigating her necklace. After a moment, their conversation turned to various battles, and some of the demons Faith had tangled with in Los Angeles. She noticed that neither of them mentioned Angel. She also noticed that Faith's eyes were practically dancing as she exchanged war stories with Buffy, and that Buffy's were not exactly dissimilar.

But was it for the same reason? The more she thought about it, the more easily she could see Faith's attraction to Buffy. She'd wanted so desperately to be on the inside--with the group, to some extent, but Buffy was clearly the main attraction. It went beyond admiration, or being sisters-in-arms. Buffy had been her greatest hope and her ultimate downfall, because Faith couldn't let herself trust that she was important. With the choices she made, she got Buffy's attention the only way she knew how: by becoming her enemy. And now they were creating some kind of new beginning. They had forged an uneasy alliance that had gotten easier surprisingly quickly.

What about Buffy, though? Willow knew that her best friend felt an ultimate loneliness about being the Slayer. With Faith, there was someone who understood: to the bone, from the gut. Willow could listen to Buffy until the end of time and she could offer sympathy and confidence and respite, but she couldn't offer empathy. How much did Buffy crave that? Beyond what she ever really let on? But that was far different from sexual attraction. Buffy might see Faith as a sister, or sister warrior.

Or could a shared destiny transcend that, create a bond that led to a partnership that Buffy would have never even considered otherwise?

And did Buffy have any idea whatsoever that Faith had fallen for her?

"So I finish up a sweep and grab some take-out, and all of a sudden this vamp jumps out from behind the dumpster out back," Faith was saying, "I'm absolutely whipped, right? All I wanna do is get back to the hotel and eat my Kung Pao. I was so pissed off, I staked him with a chopstick."

"How'd it work?" Buffy asked curiously.

"I'm here, aren't I? Just one big 'Poof,' then dust."

"Poof!" Kyra shouted.

"Right," Faith grinned. "Poof!" She bent toward Kyra, both of them laughing, dark hair tumbling over both sets of eyes.

No one will ever take her down.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold, Dawnster." Willow turned at the sound of Xander's voice.

Is it?

Not like me. I get beaten.

"What's up, Dawnie?" Willow asked, immediately concerned.

"Oh, that skank-ho Christie totally ruined my painting," the teenager said, rolling her eyes as she plunked her back-pack on the table. "I was working with oils, and she 'accidentally' nudged my elbow as I was putting in these deep burgundy touches. They were just supposed to be touches, mind you, but now it looks like I pulled a van Gogh on my nice little bouquet of wildflowers." She sighed with the inifinite angst of a teenage artist.

I know what would get her.

"You want me and Big Sis to bang some heads?" Faith offered casually.

I could probably manage that.

"I mean, we wouldn't have to really bust her up," Faith amended, looking to Buffy for confirmation.

That's what I'm good for.

"Thanks, but no," Dawn said after a moment in which she seemed to give serious consideration to the offer. "Sometimes it just sucks being a teenager."

But it's never as bad as my life, is it? I make sure you don't forget that.

"Youth is wasted on the young," Giles noted, sipping his tea.

"What's wasted on the old?" Xander asked curiously.

"Bangin' hot sex!" Faith promptly replied. "Right, Giles?"

The only things I've ever been good at are things they all laugh about.

You have no idea. You don't know what it's like to be this lonely. Not this kind of lonely, where options dwindle day by day...

"Yes, well, when I'm not watching Masterpiece Theatre, I'm watching Masturbate in Peace videos. Really, what are my other options?" His voice was frosty.

Or they're afraid of.

"Hey, good one, G-Man," Faith said admiringly.

Why two? Why two slayers?

"Yeah, look who's getting all with the naughty talk," Dawn added, eyes wide.

I'm a joke to them. They can't imagine me having a life...

I'm a joke to them. Nothing but a crude joke...

"Whatcha up to?" Dawn asked, glancing at the two slayers and Kyra.

"Me and your sis were swapping war stories," Faith replied. "Looks like K-Biscuit here's pickin' up some tips."

She could teach her.

"We've made a lot of money today," Anya announced abruptly, and a little loudly.

"Oh-kay...Well, great," Xander replied after a moment. "Now we can buy that yacht we've been saving up for!" He gave a short laugh.

At least she contributes something tangible. What, exactly, do I do?

He's embarrassed. I embarrassed him.

"Seriously, Anya, that is good," Willow said, suddenly feeling oddly protective of the ex-demon. "I mean, you really do keep this place going."

Right. Because my attempt to expand to something new was an embarrassment. What made me think I could open a shop? Anya's the real owner now; in the ways that matter.

"I mean, it'll always have Giles' inimitable stamp upon it, of course," Willow amended, wondering if she had hurt his feelings.

She knows you're weak. She knows you want to be more than you are. You need a young woman to salve your bruised ego.

They know I'm weak. They've already had to send two other slayers because they know I can't make it.

Willow's trying to make me feel better. She feels sorry for me.

The uneasiness that had lain over Willow since last night was cresting, stretching into an as-yet undefined horror. Something here--someone--was wrong, so completely wrong. The conversation, in fits and starts...

Willow was right about Faith being here, but she had the wrong reason.

The fatigue was palpable; there was an exhaustion she couldn't locate.

Did you think that opening a shop would keep you young? Did you hope this would become a gathering place, where you would have to be invited?

Was this the time for a spell? Even if it were cast upon her dearest friends, without their knowledge?

I'm the one they don't need. Look at me, I'm ridiculous. My little boots and perfect hair and worrying about my tan lines...

They don't fear me anymore. They never ask my advice. When was the last time I did anything except embarrass Xander?

She couldn't, could she? If only Tara were here...

I fought against using computers because I knew they could replace me. So silly, yesterday, with all my talk of 'an ancient text.' As if that would remind them that I was useful...

Or she could ask their permission. She could just say right upfront that she was worried; that she had a bad feeling she couldn't pin down.

She's tough. She's the real fighter. They picked me by mistake Even Kyra knows it: 'Fate.'

"Guys," she began. "This may sound sort of weird--"

They have work to do. Real work.

Look at Xander watching her. He's proud of her. He deserves someone like her...

Willow knows something's amiss. She's really such an intelligent girl. You have to leave; let them do their work.

Well, maybe not a lesbian, but someone smart and kind.

She could take my place. She should take my place. Look at everything she already knows...

Did she hear a chair scrape against the floor? She was trying to look everywhere at once, but she couldn't.

Who was it?

How much do I think about vengeance? I still spend my time thinking of ways to get even...

Willow knows something. For once in your life, do the right thing.

"OK, this may sound really weird, but something's wrong."

Go. Go now. There's still time to do the right thing.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't watch them all at once; she had to do something--

"I'm sorry, but I just remembered that I left something back at my apartment. I really should go; I'll be right back."

That's right. Just do it; don't make a scene. They have work to do.

Giles? But wait; no...

Too much; there was too much energy. She had no choice; she had no time.

"Yeah, hold that thought, Will. My water's back in the training room."

Buffy?

"Stop!"

The roar of her own voice surprised her. She took in the faces around her--stunned, guilty, ashamed.

"Everyone here who thinks we'd be better off without them, raise your hand!"

She'd try it the Muggle way first.

"Will, what in the name of Bob Villa are you talking about?" Xander's voice held equal parts shock and fear.

"I--I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Willow."

"Yes you do." Her voice was deadly quiet.

Yes. Giles.

Who else?

Willow prayed that no one walked through the door. Could she keep track of them all if there were a distraction?

"Who else? People, listen to me. It's here. I know you believe what you're saying to yourselves right now, but so did I." She scanned the room again: Xander was still shocked; so was Dawn--she thought.

She stopped when she took in the two slayers.

Her dearest friend just wasn't that good of an actor.

"Buffy," she practically whispered. "Buffy, listen to me."

"Will, it's just a bottle of water." But the voice was completely unnatural now. Even Xander and Dawn could tell; and so could Faith.

"B, listen to me--I don't know what's going on in that head, but kick it out." Desperation rippled through her voice, along with another emotion that Willow recognized. She had heard it in Tara's voice two nights ago.

Could there be anybody else?

Willow would have been eight; as it was, this demon needed three more good souls. One good sweep this afternoon, and it would have eaten its fill.

"It's not me," came a quiet voice from behind the counter. "I'm not somebody it would come after."

"Ahn," Xander breathed, and Willow thought his legs might buckle. And then he was practically vaulting over chairs to reach his wife.

Of the three, Willow thought that only Buffy would pose a serious flight risk. But Faith had inched closer; was ready to use force if love didn't work.

"I know you're only trying to help, Willow, and it's very kind of you, really, but you have to acknowledge--"

"Stop it, Giles! Whatever you're thinking, it's wrong."

"How could you know that? You have no idea what I'm thinking." The Watcher's voice was heavy with exhaustion and loneliness.

"You're thinking that you're obsolete; that you have nothing to offer anymore. You're thinking you're too old, and you can't keep up, and you should just get out of the way."

Giles looked at her, stunned. "Well, not in so many words, perhaps..."

She swung around. "Buffy, you were thinking that Faith should take your place, weren't you? That she was a better Slayer than you and that's why she's here."

Willow wondered dimly if she had invoked some kind of magical assistance without knowing it. And then it came to her: she knew these people. When she realized they were affected, she knew what shape it would take, what dirges would play in their minds.

"And you're thinking you're an embarrassment, aren't you?" Xander asked Anya, a gentleness in his voice that Willow had heard only once before, on their wedding day. "You're thinking I could find someone better."

"You could," came the tiny reply, and Willow felt her heart break for this woman she herself had denigrated more than once.

She looked around again, and for the first time, was glad to see confusion on her friends' faces. Gone were the expressions of absolute certainty she had seen only moments before.

"I...I just think--I think Faith would do a better job than me." But her voice was wavering now.

"Fuck that." The words were a hiss. "Don't you even think about leavin' me to face this shit on my own."

"Or me." Dawn's face was white with terror; she seemed beyond tears.

There was a long silence. Willow heard a pounding that seemed to grow within her own ears, and she realized she was holding her breath.

"Dear Lord," Giles finally whispered, and sank into a chair.

"It was gonna take all three of us," Buffy muttered, leaning over as if to keep from fainting. Faith's hand hovered just above the small of her back for one moment, and then haltingly came to rest on the thin blue silk of Buffy's shirt. Buffy made no move to end the contact.

Willow felt her own equilibrium returning, and for one sweet moment let relief wash over her.

And then frozen fire shot through her.

"Where's Tara?"

********

To Be Continued .

[Patches]

DIBS!!!

Back l8tr!!

(This time I just happened into Pens and saw your name on the thread...really, it's not stalking, just coincidence- (: )



Mary! Oh-my-fucking-GOD! I’m (almost) speechless! You are a manipulative little…uh, scribe. Ya, that’s it. That’s the word I was going to use, no…really, manipulative little bitch never entered my thoughts; nope, not once…err… okay…You didn’t set about to yank our chains, did you. Not intentionally—LOL!

So throughout the update, starting with the discussion between Willow and Tara, I got this slow sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. As Tara’s tension level rose, my heart began to sink. The voice descriptors you used, anger, tension, flatness, I was thinking…’Uh, oh! I so don’t like where this is going.’ Her steadfast denial of Kyra’s potential role as the protector, the constant denial and deflection…all sandwiched in, and then the gentle sleep of the weary, not the exhausted slumber of the damned. The sigh of relief was palpable.

Moving through the update, you weave the feelings of ‘Something rotten in Denmark.’ It’s more than the constant self and group psychoanalysis. I kept thinking, why have you changed POV? Whose POV is this; whose thoughts *are* we reading? This isn’t Willow—it doesn’t sound like Willow, it sounds like Tara…it sounds like Anya…it sounds like Buffy…it sounds like Giles, and then it didn’t sound like Tara at all, and I, along with Willow sensed a massacre on the way. I was, again, totally riveted to the page as you lead us through the corridors of Hell. You command your characters so well, the thought tags were unnecessary and that made it all the more chilling. The reversal was brilliantly executed.

Was the BB in the store? It had to have been…the “one hastily bought a scrying mirror while the other mumbled an indistinct farewell and left,” line can’t have been coincidence. Okay, previous silliness aside, I’m still leaning toward some kind of ‘hypnotic/subconscious’ suggestion—almost a Star Wars’ish dark force, suggestion. Maybe I’m reading too much into this (and let’s face it, when am I ever not), but the ‘mumbled indistinct farewell,’ verily leapt off the page and cold slapped me. Sometimes things slip unnoticed from your pen, but I’ve found you chose words with care—they mean something. Honestly, who but Giles would say ‘indistinct farewell?’ Willow certainly wouldn’t; so unless you broke narrative form unintentionally—DING DING, warning bells are ringing. This, coupled with the escalating tension after the customers left the store, sent my heart racing.

Nice touch that you included Anya in this group. Serving a dual purpose, in fact: one, it heightens tensions as Willow scrambles to sort out who is under attack, and two it will be a positive outcome (because she’s survived) because she is identified by her current actions and not completely tainted by her demonic dastardly deeds of the past. This will be an effective tool for Faith, no? Anya’s past is certainly darker than Faith's, yet both are viewed by ‘evil’ as ‘good’. Anyway, that’s my observation.

Willow’s somehow managed to tune into the ethereal disturbances in the group. And her ability to take command: “Stop”. I so love it when she pulls butch (um, don’t ask which one, since your characters have never shown a predilection for this form of typecasting—and won’t Tara just be pissed to all get-out when she hears Willow’s…oh, never mind…Uh, if you promise to keep the results of that EEG private—what are your office hours, ‘cause personally, *I’d* love to see the result(s)? Give me a referral to one of your esteemed colleagues north of the border and I’ll make sure she shares the findings with you…LOL. Okay? And I so hope this makes you laugh, because if it doesn’t…Oh, the humiliation!!! Right…enough with the digressions.)

Now the punch line:

And then frozen fire shot through her.

"Where's Tara?"

Mary, the effect was visceral. Ohh, and ‘frozen fire,’ ka-zam! What an image. Again, I am totally blown away by your ability to drag me through a story. You ratcheted up the tension and no matter how hard the readers try, they simply can’t pull themselves away. Thanks, Mary for lessons in ‘how it’s done well,’ and giving us a great read. (You didn’t think I was going to say anything else, did you???…)

Cheers!!
Patches

eta...additional after thought. Was Tara the target all along, and the manipulation of Buffy, Anya and Giles a distraction--sort of divide and conquor, strategy by the BB??? Tara certainly seemed to be wandering down that lonely one-way highway to oblivion!! Holy shit! She seemed to me to 'disappear' from the shop; she was there and then gone from the narrative...and then she was just GONE!!!

Sorry to prattle on like this, but your work really does inspire these kinds of thoughts. It's so cool that (the collective) we have this kind of writer/reader interaction. I'm just begining to appreciate how wonderful these little fb sessions really are.

[Willow~Rosenberg]

ETA: Wow! I am still trying to process all that I read. As someone else said, I need to take more time to think about all the implications of this before I give you some actual feedback/comments/thoughts.

[justin]

That was a great update.

It was very tense trying to figure out who was being affected. Though you were still able to inject some of your trademark humour, such as Willow deciding to do it the muggle way first.

It's a good thing that Willow was on the ball. It seems that she has some sort of connection to the creature. Presumably the creature has to create this connection in order to get into someone's mind. Does this mean that Buffy, Giles and Anya also have this connection? Because that would be handy.

Then you end on a Bombshell. Where is Tara?

When Willow and Tara were discussing Kyra's connection to what was going on it occurrec to me that Tara's stubbornness over this matter was similar to Willow's stubbornness over Faith, which made me suspect that she might be under the BB's influence.

If so then Tara's disapearance is rather worrying

[Puff]

Um 3rd (but 1st with feedback *grins*) Can I say RUN WILLOW! What a cliffhanger. I loved the build up of tension as you tried to work out who and how many people were effected. I also loved the attention to detail with little things like the difference in the watches the slayers both wear. Kyra as always brings a smile to my face. I think it was great how Willow has this complete (almost) roll remersal now being the person able to determine who is being wiggy and also how she is defending Faith. The conversation between Tara and Willow was very good and I wonder if it is because Tara could be effected as well or just her mothering instinct that made the conversation so tense?

Waiting for more....and worried about Tara. Thanks for the update Mary. Oh sorry for the randomness of the thoughts but I started Nursing College this week, getting up at 5.30am etc and my brain is fried

Edited too say crap make that 4th person...stupid PC kept crashing.

[Marilda]

Hey, I'm sorry I've been absent as of late. I started grad school, and um...lots and lots of work. But I've just caught up and please tell me that you didn't leave it with "where's Tara?"


AHHH!!

This story rules. You rule. And you certainly know how to get this board on the edge of their seats.

Please update soon and keep up with the wonderful work.

You rule.

[GayNow]

Holy Shit! I need to process...in a HUGE way. I'll be back later...after I've read it two or three more times. Holy Shit!

Carleen

P.S. You liked the tickling and you know it, Mary!

[Foomatic]

So yeah, I kinda just sat in my chair for a few minutes, staring blankly at my screen after reading your update. It was so good, I couldn't, like, move. Or blink. Or breath.

Wow. That was quite possibly the best chapter you've written! Intense. Almost better than sex. Oh my God. Seriously, I almost ripped the arms off my chair from the tension that was building up when everyone's thoughts started to pick up like a hurricane. It's amazing how deeply in tune you are with your characters. I was confused at first, with all the thoughts going around (and I read it slowly like you suggested), but after a second run through it was pretty clear. Spectacular work. Stellar.

Oh, and the comment about the dead cat on Donald Trump's head? Almost didn't make it through the update cause I started choking on my food from laughing.

I'm not all that great with the deep analyzation of plot and character and motive (you've got tons of other Kittens that can do that for you), but I'm good with the "humbly worshiping the ground you walk on." Truly, an amazing update.

[LeatherQueen]

Mary, Mary - so very naughty of you to leave us hung by tenterhooks like that. Where's Tara, indeed.

You did a wonderful job in the first "crazy people" section, keeping us wondering just WHO was having the thoughts. Then the second section you eased us into the realization slowly, and before we knew it, we were pulling and yelling internally for those characters we knew were infected. Very nice.

I think, of all the chapters thus far in this story, this one really drew us in as readers. Had us right in there, in the shop, with the emotions running willy-nilly in our own heads as we frantically tried to keep our eyes on three separate people. Excellent! Looking forward to getting an answer to the "Where's Tara?" question.

PS: I have NO idea why I wrote this entire thing in first-person plural. Very weird. Although, still better than writing it in third-person, because that's just creepy. But also fun! I'll try it sometime.

[the hero factor]

Wow, wow, wow. During the dinner scene, at first I was thinking Giles. But then at the shop it sounded like Anya...and Giles. And I'm freaking. And suddenly, is that Buffy, too? And I'm barely breathing. Willow trying desperately to watch everyone, and get through to them, was very, very intense.

And as everyone is calming down, I'm thinking, and worrying, about Tara. That last line...I'm very anxious for the next update.

This is such a great story.

[cooper]

Mary,

I have been absent from here for a few weeks and came back to check in and I had so many updates to read. Its fascinating. I don't know how to write anything more specific than that as there is too much for me to get caught up on. Just wanted to say I am still loving it and so glad that you came back to finish this story.

cooper

[Darth Pacula]

G'day, Mary.

I just finished reading this whole story up to the current point ( not beyond because the time machine is on the blink ) and can I just say HOLY FREAKIN' CRAP, THIS IS SPECTACULAR! I've been sitting here enthralled for at least the past five hours, and you actually made me forget the pesky flu that sent me home early today. That's on top of 'On Second Thought' and 'Gods Served and Abandoned' which I read just prior to this ( not in order though, cause that would make too much sense for this wee daft git ) so I'm just about OD'ed on your fabulous prose. Such a way too go. I left feedback on them too, by the way.

I seem to have the habit of coming in on these huge, superb stories at late stages, so prepare for 18 chapters worth of meaningless waffle disguising itself as feedback. You are forewarned.

I loved the way you resolved the whole nerd trio threat ( I use the word loosely, because lets face it, they were a pack of useless wankers ) in sort-of flashback. Taking Warren out with a garden gnome? Bloody fantastic, even if I prefer to fantasize about going all Texas Chainsaw Massacre on his hairy, misogynistic ass. Though that would lose out on the fun of him being someone's prison bitch, and that thought is making me smile beatifically, in a somewhat deranged fashion.

As an Aussie, can I just say I loved Tara's line about 'Another Barbie on the shrimp'. That you so very much for that. Trust Buffy to want to saddle someone else with a truly hideous moniker.

Riley and Graham? Bwaa haa haa! That's a mental image I so didn't want, but at least we know what Riley was thinking about when he was trapped in that vast nothingness in GSAA.

Your description of the Ba’jeel demons in chapter 2 (?) was a cracker. I loved every word every syllable. Though I was a bit indifferent towards a few of the individual letters.

The Scoobies had been hot in pursuit of a Ba’jeel demon whose civic failures included a tendency to eat small, yippy dogs. More than one of the group questioned whether this was a good use of their time, until the Ba’jeel branched out to include small, yippy children. It had attacked twice, and though in both cases the parents had managed to pull their offspring to safety, the demon had managed to abscond with a total of one foot and three fingers. Ba’jeel demons were large and surprisingly swift, with long, grasping claws for hands and two sets of teeth, one situated immediately behind the other. All of their various bodily fluids were known to be toxic to humans, and they left a faint trail of slime behind them. They weren’t attractive.

Then there were these little pearler's.

“Demons…Demons who need demons,” Dawn crooned softly

*****

“A baby,” Anya announced. “And a good trade-off, too. Far more easily killed than those big lobster things.”

Okay, so the Christian messiah was the product of a lesbian relationship.? Was Joseph just a stalking horse then? Seriously, that was a great way to take the piss. Mary full of Grace.

The naming debate was great fun, and I was glad to see you gave Xander the intelligent and insightful comment. I've noticed you saying you weren’t his biggest fan on the show, which I can understand, but I tended to like everyone on the show so it's nice when you can make him out to be more than just a total pratt.

Your differences in the whole magic addiction storyline were interesting to read. Personally, I could buy into the cannon story line because I always saw it as being less an addiction to magic than being unprepared to responsibly deal with the vast power that it's use brought Willow. That old adage about power corrupting and absolute power corrupting absolutely. Just my opinion anyway.

Darnuth the doctor and her extra crispy payment. Great character, even if she/he/it was a bit of a flash in the pan so far. With regards to the extra crispy, my mind leapt straight to the idea of fried chicken, but that might be my own food fetish talking.

I loved your reasons why Buffy wouldn't allow herself be a god parent. So poignant and well thought out, and only made better by the fact that it was Buffy herself that was making the point. It's always good when the Buffster escapes the typical blond stereotype that she tends to cultivate. I suppose appearing somewhat stupid might be a tactical maneuver? People tend to underestimate enemies that appear stupid.

Yay for the bigot smack down. You've got to like a nipper that can put the pain on any random tosser who insults her mothers. Still, it's good to see that she didn't go too far in her 'object lesson'. I can't think that even mystical babies have too good a grasp on the complexities of morality. Plus, it lets me imagine myself lurking in a nearby alley where I can grab the jackass and repeatedly knee him in the balls. Ahem. Time for my shock treatment again I think. I can understand why Willow and especially Tara have a problem with the concept that Kyra is supposed to defend them, but honestly, how much do choice do any of them have in such matters?

Your mysterious trinity of watchers are spot on with the following comment.

"The human capacity to believe what it wants to believe is truly stunning."

Sad but true. Would I be right in assuming that these are in fact The Anadeis that Willow and Tara invoked in their protection spell that summoned up baby Kyra from the ether? I don't actually expect an answer by the way, because that would spoil the fun.

Then there's Anya's insightful comment that

"Loving each other is the stupidest thing any of us have ever done,"

It's kind of a testament to these character's inner strength that they still continue to do exactly that, given how much they've all been through and how much they have all lost.

Ahh, the ongoing saga of Buffy's leather pants is carried over from GSAA. I am ecstatic. It's these little bits of banter between siblings and friends that really brings these characters to life in your oh-so talented hands. Bravo .... and other sycophantic complements I just can't be bothered coming up at the moment. Just whisk some out of your talented imagination and I'll sign them.

The insanity of a first birthday party. It's really not about the kid, it's all about the parents, and in this case the extended scooby family unit that Kyra's inherited along with two hot mama's. I just have to love this comment on all the scoobies baby talk.

"Look at the silly grown-ups," she murmured. "Look at the big bad demon fighters acting developmentally delayed."

Xander kissed Kyra's hair. "Well--Uncle Xander's just glad to provide you with that all-important male influence," he said through his blush.

"Excuse me?" Giles interjected archly. "I was unaware that I had been rendered a eunuch."

"Hey, Giles--you're all man," Xander hastened to assure him. "I'm just...more man. You know, in that red-blooded, all-American way."

"Ah yes, of course," the librarian nodded. "You'll be in charge of teaching her to binge drink and scratch herself in public. So very, very integral to her development."

Need I say more?

You've made so interesting changes to Faith's background. The concept of her working as a sort of free-lance champion for Angel is definitely different to just chucking her in the clink. She would be able to do a hell of a lot more towards earning her redemption doing that than by doing ten to twenty. I do feel compelled to point out that her going to jail was actually Faith's decision in cannon, not Angel's. She was the one to turn her self in. But the whole fact that she never went to prison raises the issue of whether or not she's still a wanted woman? Or did Angel somehow manage to pull some strings and get her name cleared or her record somehow 'misplaced'.

I have to love the stunning level of denseness of the scoobies regarding the threat posed towards them by your new Big Bad. Hello? Oh course you're all targets, you pack of daft pillocks. Is there any group of bigger do-gooders in town than them? Some of them are very smart people, but they still needed Faith to point that out to them.

One thing I have to comment on is everyone's assumption that Dawn is no longer the Key. Who says? Sure, Glory missed her chance, ( and well, died ) but who says that would have been her last chance hmm? Perhaps there is a cycle of repeated opportunities at set intervals? Even it there isn't and there is no longer any way to use Dawn's Key-ness to drop all the walls between realities, I just don't buy that she's just a normal girl now. Well, as normal as any of the scoobies can be anyway. She was originally a ball of mystical energy, and just because she is in human form doesn't mean that she can't be used for some other purpose, right? Energy is energy, and if someone works out how to tap into it for their own purposes, who knows what might happen.

I adored your little aside about Buffy's attempts at teaching self defense. Sissies indeed. Then there is Kyra's version of Buffy's name. Bub! I freaking love it. Though every time I see it I think of Wolverine from the X-Men, because he's always calling people that. Still, the idea of a slayer with retractable adamantium claws, unbreakable bones and a mutant healing factor sounds just dandy to me.

"Mostly I remember Mom saying, 'Oh my God--she burned this one down, too!'"

This made me laugh my ass off. Though strictly speaking, she only burned down the gym at Hemory or whatever her last school was. Still, funny as hell.

One element of the suicides that no-one has seemed to consider is that they were all part of a strong relationship, and as such their suicide has a much greater effect than perhaps a single person's would. Perhaps this Big Bad gets a bigger meal or whatever if there is more emotional pain?

I abso-freaking-loutely love the idea of Kyra staking Barney and Justing Timberlake dolls. Die Barney, die! And the less said about that pretentious little git, the better. On that note, there's an Australian movie called the “The Wannabe's” that does an amusing job of taking the piss out of children's entertainers like the Wiggles or that big purple freak. Not to everyone's taste perhaps, but it amused me.

I loved this line. Good to see Faith getting in on some of the verbal back and forth that makes scooby interaction so much fun. Plus, I recently learned something that might explain the origins of that whole lifted pinky thing. Let me know if you'd like me to explain.

"Not a chance," Faith shot back. "I'm gonna pick up some class, bunkin' with Giles."

"Meaning what? You'll lift your pinky when you scratch yourself?" Buffy asked sweetly.

As for this final update, whoa! You certainly did a number on my head with that changing perspective inner voice. Very cool. Plus, you ended on a killer cliffhanger. Can't wait to see what happens next. Well, I can, because I don't actually have a choice. Please don't keep us in suspense for too long.

PS. Your disclaimers rock!

Bye for now,
Paul.

[watty]

You are so right when you warned us to read carefully. I was in a hurry to read it through first time, like I always do, cos I'll go back and read may be another couple of times, but the first time I read quick. And there was Car saying to me, you have to read it slowly, Mary says read it slowly. And did I listen to her? I gave her the same argument as before.

What was the first thing I said to her when I finished? "You're right, that needed to be read slowly."

At the beginning, I did notice the thoughts. Like your earlier updates, I figured they were Willow's or whoever the person whose pov you were covering at that point. But no! It's the thoughts that the big bad plant in its victims.

You really showed how the attack can come in thick and fast. It was like a runaway train, gathering momentum, just crashing in through all obstacles. The thoughts invade the victims and they really have no control over the direction. Everything happening around them, the evil thoughts have an angle, a way to twist things into what it wants. And in plain sight of everyone else, that's audacity.

Thank goodness for Willow's insight, and how can they not believe her? I do wonder why Buffy, Anya and Giles in particular are targetted. Why not Faith or Dawn or Xander? All of them have issues about being not good enough.

Now we have the MO, perhaps it's a step towards finding and getting rid of this menace once and for all.

Now cliffhanger. I have to smile ... and you're thinking huh, smile? when everyone is like "gah! don't leave things like that!" But that's why you have so many fans and stalkers, you leave chapters at just the right place. Deep in my gut I feel Tara is okay, the next chapter will open with her happily pushing the door of the Magic Box open and finding everyone has gone crazy. And then Willow will unceremoniously jump on her and give her this big huge smooch.

But on the other hand, I have lingering doubts. What if Tara isn't okay? What if it's a trap? A diversion? See what I'm like now? GAH! How can you do this to me? Leave things hanging like that!!!!

Heehee.

[br]

[Patches]

Addendum…you know, I really should learn to pay attention to what I’m writing, as this comment: “Anya’s past is certainly darker than Faith's, yet both are viewed by ‘evil’ as ‘good’. Anyway, that’s my observation,” is a little out in left field, given Buffy was slayer-flavour of the moment. Please amend “both” to “Anya is.” Excuse me while I crawl under an intellectual rock and hide. Oh! The horror! Anyway, have a great weekend, and sorry for the double post; I had to....

Patches