Gods Served and Abandoned

[TemperedCynic]

First-things-first department: Your disclaimers are hilarious, disturbing and truthful.

In that order, of course.



How much should Beverly be told? A tough question to answer, and I don't envy Tara this choice. Hmm, Tara's mom is a hottie? Well, it seems 20-something's never consider anyone a hottie after age 40, parent or not.



I'm-a-little-dense department: Would you give me a little background on the "card-carrying Friend of Dorothy" statement. I mean, I get the reference and all, but I've never seen the phrase before.



Red Lobster is the perfect locale to meet for a long discussion.

Of course, who doesn't like seafood!



Beverly handles the news about Quuinn and Julia with quiet thoughtfulness, thinking of Tara's well-being the whole time. Beverly doesn't believe in demons - as I read this, a small red flag went up. I waited until the chapter was finished before mulling over the implications. Next came the story about Adele, and her dementia. Another piece of the puzzle came together for me, since now I understood how Nathan believed he was half-demon. However, the demon details were too well defined and that meant understanding the demon dimension pretty well.



Finally, Beverly sits quietly on her rent-a-car and enjoys looking at the stars. In Sunnydale. And lives. After three vampires turn and hightail their undead keisters away from her. Now, I adore Sarah Vaughn as much as the next guy. But some serious mojo was being worked by someone in this chapter, and Aunt Beverly has become a much more layered character than even I believed.



Wonderful as always, Mary.

---

More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. Woody Allen (1935 - )

[The Rose24]

Love the conversations with Aunt Beverly once again. Now, I am curious to know everything else about her.

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.


Tara: Willow, I got so lost.

Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

[AntigoneUnbound]

Washi: The question is, mon amie, just what do you think happened (or didn't happen) to Aunt Beverly? I have to say, after I read your very cogent summary of Tara's family, I had to fight the urge to go out and drink myself into oblivion. Whole lotta misery goin' on there...It is a soap opera, isn't it? Bon soir, Washi!



Puff: Ah, mugs bedamned...Glad you liked the Pens nod. I have to say, I get my own little delight on when making in-references. Yeah, Willow is right there w/ her babe, doing what needs to be done and reining herself in admirably, I think. Thanks for following this, Puff, and always taking the time to send in feedback.



Jixer: I really like how you "get" Willow throughout these updates. Yes, she really has moved into the realm of emotional solidity (vs. exclusively technical prowess) when the situation calls for it. I think she consistently pushes herself to be at her best for Tara, which is a wonderful quality in a partner.



And pray tell, Jixer...what are you uneasy about? I can't wait to hear what you think of Aunt Beverly's role in all of this. Thanks for writing, Jixer, and have a great weekend.



Tempered Cynic: You know, whenever I write the disclaimers, I try to amuse myself and then I fear that when they show up on the Board, they seem so random as to be meaningless. Thanks for the validation! (And yes, the stalker one was disturbing...)



Loved this: "Hmm, Tara's mom is a hottie? Well, it seems 20-something's never consider anyone a hottie after age 40, parent or not." You said it, TC!



The "Friend of Dorothy" reference is a take on the fact that so many gay, lesbian, and bisexual folks are totally enamored of Judy Garland. Given that her most famous role was that of "Dorothy," it just sorta took off from there. It's not the most common term I've heard by any means, but I've heard it a few times.



"Beverly doesn't believe in demons - as I read this, a small red flag went up." As I said to Jixer, I'll be very interested in hearing your thoughts as her character emerges.



And finally this: "Finally, Beverly sits quietly on her rent-a-car and enjoys looking at the stars. In Sunnydale. And lives. After three vampires turn and hightail their undead keisters away from her. Now, I adore Sarah Vaughn as much as the next guy. But some serious mojo was being worked by someone in this chapter..." Yes indeed, TC--what's going on when someone can park her patootie so blithely at night in Sunnydale; when vampires avoid her so disconcertedly?



I'm really enjoying your feedback, TC--thanks for taking the time!



Rose: Glad you like Aunt Bev, 'cause she ain't climbin' back on that plane just yet! Thanks, Rose.



That's all for now.

Thanks,

Mary

[justin]

That was agreat update, except for the fact that I'm all confused now.



I was just thinking how great Aunt Bev was then we got to the ending, which reminded me of the scene with Fork Guy and The Preying Mantis Lady in Teachers Pet.



Which has got me thinking nasty things like maybe she's not really Aunt Bev but in fact Glory in disguise trying to get some info on the key.



Anyways I'm looking forward to more.

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[JustSkipIt]

Mary,



My God, you are out of control girl. You want Dick Cheney sucked under a snow blower and feedback on the living room run? And then everyone wants seafood for dinner. Just cruel. Some days I wonder how it must be on the inside of your head. Is there a whole army of elves just around in there?



Anyway, on to the update. Wonderfully done. The only way to get through those disclosures is to just tell the story and Tara did it wonderfully. But then Aunt Bev scared off the vamps! That’s great. Now I just don’t know if she’s a super-villian or super-hero but woo and also hoo for the friend of Dorothy!



Great update. Debra

---

Well there's not even breathing room between pleasure and pain. -- Aerosmith.

[Grimaldi]

great update



i'm curious as to what freaked out the vampires before they attacked Aunt Bev. i liked the conversation at the resturant

I'm not stealing, I'm just taking things without paying for them. In what twisted dictionary is that stealing?
Oh, relax, Casper, I'm not here to interrupt your blissing. Too much makes you go blind, though, you know

[shuyaku]

Sheesh - I barely know where to start... Start at the beginning you say - well okay I will.



The disclaimers are, in the following order; hilarious, scary and true.



I tried to put all my feedback in a jug for you but it was too damn heavy, so I just tossed them on the rug. Sorry for the mess - I'll send the cleaning crew over in a bit



I really love Willow's quiet strength in this update - from her concern in the opening through her unwavering support at the restaurant.



The way Tara handled telling her Aunt the whole horrid story was very... well, very Tara like. (I was going for the helpful feedback - did it work? ) What I mean, is that it was very true to her character for me. After making the decision to tell her - she jumps in head first and tosses in a little humor. Spot on!



Aunt Bev... I was lovin' Aunt Bev. A card carrying friend of Dorothy and the only member of Tara's blood kin to really love her (or so it would seem). Her first concern always seems to be Tara's well being. She always seems to put her own confusion and emotional turmoil to the side for this cause. She seemed truly unaware of the Maclay family soap opera. And her explanation of why Nathan would think he was part demon actually held a hint of believability. But then the end of the update had to go and toss all my croutons. Hmmm... Aunt Bev is such an enigma now.



Great update!!

-shuyaku



ps: a Ghirardelli demon... This could be a VERY good thing or a VERY bad thing. As we know, not all demons are evil. If he's just randomly creating and handing out Ghiradelli chocolate to the masses - YIPPEE!! On the other hand, if he confiscating and destroying all the Ghiradelli chocolate he can, he must be destroyed NOW!! Or at least as quickly as Buffy's highly fashionable, completely inappropriate designer boots will allow her to...

[darkest willow]

loved the update.



what don't we know about aunt bev?

hmmm...

maybe she's, i know, tara's sister! She and Donnie were switched at birth, and then she went back in time through a time warp created by vulcans and...

oh, sorry, wrong universe!

[tommo]

Quote:

---

Willow ached for her partner. To some degree (albeit a far lesser one), she ached for everyone in the Maclay family—the boy whose mother left his father because that father was a demon, or so she said; the young man who had fallen so hard for his brother’s wife, eventually abandoning his own family to drink himself to death alone in a strange city; the wife and daughter he had left behind…Some very small part of her even felt a sliver of compassion for Donnie—less loved, it would seem, by his mother and beaten by his father. What a sad, twisted legacy her beloved had been given…And how bravely she fought it.

---

What I love most about this passage is that you've delved into the character of Willow. And whilst, up until this point, the story has mainly been focused on Tara, what you've done here is to give us the flip side of this discovery, and the events thus far.



I think what I like most about this is that you've taken us to the heart of Willow. Despite herself, she can't help feeling sorry for Tara's family, even after she knows what hell they put Tara through. And this is something that I've missed in Willow as of late. She has that capacity to feel for others, and the fact that she can do this for Tara's family truly points towards the fact that you understand her character so very well. It's beautiful, in a way, the manner in which you bring this out so casually, and yet at such an important time. It's so Willow; it's so perfect.

Quote:

---

"There should be a web site, or a board somewhere, where people could use all sorts of different colored pens—of the electronic variety, of course—devoted to the loveliness of Tara Maclay."

---

Cute. Very cute.



I love the little exchange over dinner, about the whole "finding a plot device" thing. That's what makes this story so good, I think; the way in which you're able to bring that note of reality into the dialogue. You know I'm a big fan of your dialogue because it reads so very well, and resonates as real speech in the mind of the reader. But here, the most wonderful thing is that fictional characters are talking about fictional devices and methods - it just blends in so well to take the reader out of themselves. It's a talented writer who can make the reader forget they're involved with a story. What you've done here is to make me sit right in that scene with the girls and Aunt Bev, and forget that this is a work of fiction. That's just bloody great, Mary.



As for Aunt Bev...well, hmm. Curiouser and curiouser, as one might be compelled to say. Now, I'm going out on a limb here, but you know what, I'm making a leap of some kind anyway. There was something about the description of Bev's eyes when she found out about Quinn and Julia that just didn't sit right with me. She seemed almost...well...almost angry, you know? I'm wondering if perhaps she's protesting too much about the whole demon thing. I thought that when she was readily providing explanations as to why demons don't exist. She seemed a little too confident, for someone who comes from a family where they so clearly do; either demonic demons or human demons, anyway. Perhaps I'm looking for something that's not there, but, however it turns out, Aunt Bev's not telling us something that perhaps she should. It's got to be some kind of something that scares a vamp, right?



On a side note; I totally got the "friend of Dorothy" allusion. I hear it quite a lot over here, heh; it's one of my favourites. Another one I like is "dances at the other end of the ballroom". And yes, you'd be quite right in thinking that I have a book of those kinds of things. What? It's interesting reading material. Humph.



P.S. Is this the bit where the Pharoahs and aliens come in? Is Aunt Bev going off to make crop circles in the moonlight? Let's hope so!



Thanks so much for this story, Mary. It's a true gift.

"Come on, this is a huge deal for me! Six years as a BabyBel, and now I get to be the Big Cheese..." ~ Blue Stilton Willow

[Grimlock72]

Woo Hoo... two updates to read after spending a dreadfully boring week in a hotel (without internet mind you)...



I *was* wondering when Tara would tell Beverly most of the story, otherwise you get a really akward conversation. Like walking in a minefield sort of. That got settled over fishfood though, so all is well...



I need to draw a map of familly-relations around Tara. I'm horrible at keeping track of who-is-what-to-who, which makes the last two updates kinda hard to read. It was interesting to read about the first time the word 'demon' was used to refer to someone in the MaClay familly, including the explanation around. As Willow noticed, maybe there never were demons in the MaClay familly at all. It doesn't really matter if they believe real demons as walk around in Sunnydale, that doesn't stop anyone from making up demon stories.



Now I could speculate on what's up with Aunt Bev. or wait for the next update, choices...choices.... Maybe vamps just don't like seafood ???



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

[russ]

Well, Mary, you've got feedback by the mugful, feedback by the jugful; if we're not careful you'll have a living room rugful.



I know you said that this is not about Willow, but I have to start by saying how impressed I am with her. She is a rock of strength; compassionate and selfless. Compassion for the "sad twisted legacy" of the whole Maclay family. Buckets of unconditional love and support for Tara. She has grown and matured tremendously through all of this.

A few minutes later, as they stretched out beneath the covers and entwined themselves into one another like the petals of an intricate flower, Tara mumbled, "God, she came all the way from Texas…Just because she was worried about me."

"Well, Tara Maclay, you’re an easy person to love," Willow whispered against her partner’s soft hair, as much to herself as to her beloved.

What beautiful and evocative words.



I like that you have given this part a somewhat lighter tone; a few less tears and more laughs gives characters and readers alike a bit of emotional relief.



Ah yes, the inability of the young to see their parents as anything other than, well, parents. I remember the shock when I saw a picture of my Mum, taken when she was in her early twenties, and thought, "Wow!, she was hot stuff."



Then, of course, you give us the classic line: "There should be a web site, or a board somewhere, where people could use all sorts of different colored pens-of the electronic variety, of course-devoted to the loveliness of Tara Maclay."



Look, Mary, if you're going to include laugh-out-loud lines like that, for Pete's sake give warning for those who are surreptitiously reading at work. Not that I would do such a thing, of course.



Then you follow it up with: "Honestly, Willow, have you ever noticed that no one in our social circle holds down a job except Xander, yet we all act as if we have money wafting into our wallets while we sleep?" Here you're straying into territory of my pet peeves with the show.



On to the "Dinner of Infinite Surprises." I'm sure Beverly's shock at Tara's revelations was genuine. She also seemed pretty convincing in her unbelief in demons. Despite her own shock, she empathizes with what Tara's been going through.



It looks like the insanity in the Maclay family goes back generations. Grandma Adele's particular mania explains what happened to Nathan's generation. Since she was into Bible verses, here's one that fits the occasion: "The sins of the parents will be visited on the children, to the third and fourth generation." A bit of a paraphrase, and I can't give chapter & verse without going to the Concordance, but that's the gist of it. I belive this verse is not intended as a threat, but as a warning to parents that this is how things work. If you mess up, you're not just messing up your own life, but your children, grandchildren, etc. We see it time and again in the real world, children of abusers becoming abusers, etc.



So we're left thinking that no demonic activity other than that of purely human evil is involved in this. I'm sure Beverly is genuine in her love and caring for Tara, and almost convinced that she doesn't believe in demons. Then what to make of the parking lot scene? I have the impression that she was not even aware of the vamps. She was just enjoying the night, fearlessly, which seems rather odd for a woman alone in a strange place. It's almost as though she has never learned to be afraid of the night. Hmmm.



Russ

[stereo33]

Hi Mary - Brilliant updates.

I liked the fact that Tara was so surprised that her Aunt would actually make the effort to come see her (that's one of many reasons why I love Tara). I also love the fact that Tara always reaches out for Willow and includes her in everything (as it should be), and the fact that Willow is 100% there for her too, although I could well imagine Willow being a little unsure what to do when Aunt B first greets Tara (given that Willow had only really seen Tara interact with the not so pleasant members of the Maclay family so far).



So, Aunt Bev seems more than nice (and genuine), although now (after the end of Pt 32) there's obviously more to her than meets the eye! I'm looking forward to finding out what you've got up your sleeve Mary

Thanks

Karen

[Nation]

Mary....I've told you before that you are one of my favorite writers and I'll be more than happy to say it again. So I give you my personal feelings about your story and your writing..."YOU KICK ASS!" 'Nuff said.



Hugs...Nation

[AntigoneUnbound]

Hello all. I was gone for the weekend and returned to find all this lovely feedback. I think I'll make a pot-pourri out of it...In all seriousness, though, I really appreciate the time and effort you all show in responding to this story. It's wonderful.



Justin: Might Aunt Beverly be Glory in disguise, trying to get some Key scoop? Or does she just smell really bad such that creatures w/ heightened olfactory perception recoil in horror? Tune in tomorrow! (Better yet, Wednesday.) Thanks, Justin!



Debra: Do I have a whole slew of elves running around in my brain? Oh God--that would explain so much, wouldn't it? Now, if they could only do a little something to earn their keep...You're right: once Tara decided to disclose the story, she simply did it in her own Tara way; that is, honestly and unassumingly. And as for Aunt Beverly--I'll be curious to see what you think of where she's headed. Thanks, Debra, for the good thoughts!



Grimaldi: Yeah, a lot of people are wondering just what's up with good ol' Aunt B. She's a lot of fun to write, for numerous reasons. Thanks for the feedback, Grimaldi.



Shuyaku: So that's what was all over my living room rug when I got back! Don't worry about the cleaning crew--it was lovely and it smelled nice so I think I'll just let it be. I like your point about Willow's "quiet strength." I feel as though in later years (see Ruth's comments above) she lost much of that reflective dimension what with her "addiction" and trying to destroy humanity and all...But she does have that strength, doesn't she? And you're right, too, about Tara's style, once she's made the decision to tell Aunt Bev about the family. Having reached a decision, she acts on it in an honest and guileless fashion. Love that girl...And as to Aunt Beverly--yeah, I just couldn't leave her in peace, could I? I had to go complicate her with that whole parking lot scene. I'd apologize, but I think that even across the digital distance, you'd know I wasn't sincere.



Oh--I loved your appraisal of what a Ghirardelli demon would actually be like! Best way to kill that sucker is just bite his ears off and then eat him slowly, one body part at a time. Thanks for writing, Shuyaku; your humor is quite enjoyable.



DarkestWillow: Dammit, you guessed Aunt Beverly's terrible secret! Now what am I gonna do w/ her? Sheesh...Glad you liked the update, DW! Thanks for the feedback.



Ruth: Greetings from across the pond, Ruth. I love swapping character reflections with you, because I think we appreciate and perceive many of the same things about the same characters. For example: "Despite herself, [Willow] can't help feeling sorry for Tara's family, even after she knows what hell they put Tara through." That's it exactly: she just can't ignore and squelch that part of herself that sees people in all their complexity, even when it would be easier not to.



Glad you liked the nod to the board. All jokes aside, I really have found this board to house some truly kind and intelligent people, and I'm so glad I managed to find/lurch/reel my way through techno-land to locate it.



You know, your reflections on the nature of fictional characters referring to fiction really caught my attention. I think that especially in a realm that so heavily employs fantastic stretches of imagination and reality, it's a fine line to keep the entire package from falling into complete unbelievability. There has to be some measure of realistic constraints and frustration, even in the midst of the most amazing of events.



And what the heck is up w/ Aunt B? I so enjoyed your thoughts: "Now, I'm going out on a limb here, but you know what, I'm making a leap of some kind anyway. There was something about the description of Bev's eyes when she found out about Quinn and Julia that just didn't sit right with me. She seemed almost...well...almost angry, you know? I'm wondering if perhaps she's protesting too much about the whole demon thing." And the Award for Keen Verb Discernment goes to Ruth, for noticing the myriad possibilities inherent in the word "glittering." I intentionally kept that ambiguous b/c I want there to be a certain element of ambiguity in her basic character. You make great points about her flat denial of demons' existence, and the suspiciousness of that denial.



"Dances at the other end of the ballroom"? Oh my God, that's wonderful! Please feel free to share other examples from your (drum roll, please) "Big Book o' Euphemisms for Homos." And as for crop circles and Pharaohs and crisp apple strudel (oh, wait--mixing my stories here)...Well, we'll just have to wait and see! Thanks for writing, Ruth--as ever, your thoughts help shape and improve my own.



Bzengo: Laides and gentlemen, I present the following for your consideration: "If you take the letters of Aunt Bev's name, and assign each of them a value based on their location in the alphabet, you get B=2, E=5, and V=22, that is, 2,522.



Perhaps Bev is a 2,522 year old master vampire? After all - we haven't seen her in daylight yet, have we?" I think I speak for all of us here at the board, Bzengo, when I urge you to increase your medication dosage. OK, that was just whacked--which is to say, I enjoyed it immensely.



I see you're a Dave Barry fan too, eh? (Speaking as a woman who loves children, I would definitely save the baby if the runner weren't in scoring position.) One of my favorites was his description of some awful furniture he used to own: "Anyone who looked at it went blind or insane." Thanks for writing, Bzengo!



Grimmy: Hey, welcome back from Motel Hell, Grimmy! Hope the trip was worth it. I like your theory that perhaps demons don't like seafood--now that would make a great plot device. Yeah, the Maclays definitely need to introduce themselves by including a diagram of the family tree--it gets a little weirdly branched and pruned at times, doesn't it? Thanks for following this so faithfully, Grimmy!



Russ: You have a great sense of Willow's strengths here, Russ. She's both intensely loyal to Tara and capable of feeling compassion for anyone who has been so terribly hurt. And I totally agree about the importance of tonal balance. There's a lot of wild stuff going on here (how's that for an incisive, eloquently delivered synopsis?) and it would be easy to fall into unrelenting angst. Luckily, that's not so much my style in either writing or living.



Oh yeah--I remember seeing my parents' wedding pictures and thinking, "Hey--they look young!" (And they were all of mid-30's when I was looking at the picture.)



Glad you enjoy the humor, Russ! (Of course, I completely understand that you would never read these stories at work unless you were also respirating at the time. Definitely.) And I share your annoyance w/ the seeming financial frivolity of the characters. That and the utter lack of racial diversity were enduring weaknesses, I think.



Nice Bible reference there, Russ! Very impressive, and so unfortunately true with regard to child abuse. Did you see Ruth's thoughts on Beverly's reactions to the news, particularly the demon element? I'll be curious to see what you think of how that aspect and Beverly's character develop. So you think Beverly's unaware of the vampires' presence, eh? As you note, fearlessness in that particular situation would seem a bit inexplicable.



Great feedback, Russ--thanks for taking the time to send it!



Hey Karen~~ You really have a nice sense, it seems, for the ways that Tara and Willow connect in both verbal and nonverbal ways. Like you, I find it really important for them to manifest that connection, even when the action isn't about them as a couple per se. And what do I have up my sleeve about Aunt Beverly...Well, just between you and me, Karen--it's this: Beverly is actually the estranged sister of Justin Timberlake from 'N Sync. Yes--it's true. Thanks for the good thoughts, Karen!



Nation: I kick ass? Gosh, ma'am...I'm glad you're enjoying this story, Nation! Thanks for taking the time to follow it and send in feedback.



OK, folks--that's all for now. Update on Wednesday.

Thanks,

Mary

[mollyig]

a Ghirardelli demon As always, you have a great way of inserting little comic moments in with the dramatic.



Nice twist here; I'm intrigued now to learn more of Aunt Bev.

I say love will come to you. Hoping just because I spoke the words that they're true.

As if I offered up a crystal ball to look through. Where there's now one there will be two.
Indigo Girls

[Domaris]

Okay, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the not-boring moment I had reading this fic at work last night. I might add that I was so bored, I connected to internet via my CELLPHONE to read something! hahaha!



Great update, as usual. LOVE to see that at least somebody in Tara's family care about her(well except her mother). I wonder what scared the vampires tho .. Well I guess I'll know in the next update!



Cya



Domaris!

"Rock my world!" - Gia

"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile from them, and you'll have their shoes!" - Somebody

[shuyaku]

Quote:

---

Best way to kill that sucker is just bite his ears off and then eat him slowly, one body part at a time

---

Um... uh... er... would it be okay if my Ghiradelli demon was female? You know with the eating of body parts... ahem



-shuyaku



ps: TMI? Nah...

[AntigoneUnbound]

Mollyig: Well, you know what they say: A day without laughter is like a day that's very serious. (Or something like that.) Glad you're intrigued about Bev--I was hoping that would be one reaction to this update. Thanks, Mollyig.



Domaris: Wow, work must have been a real snoozer last night! Glad the board was able to keep you at least passably alert. You know, that "next update" estimation of when you'll know what's up w/ Beverly may be a bit premature...but I promise I won't jerk you around like some TV wankers we know. Thanks for writing!



Shuyaku: But of course, mon amie, you may have the Ghirardelli demon in the female flavor with the requisite anatomical considerations. TMI? Never! Here at Pens, we aim to please!



Update tomorrow (Wednesday).

Thanks,

Mary

[Patches]

Hey Mary, Drama Queen of Scot T(issues), and all things emotional, long time no feedback – sorry. What is that saying; whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – lol! I’ve been a nasty lurker this past month or so, and woefully neglectful of my favourite writer. Just wanted to say that despite my lack of response, I’ve not lost one bit of enthusiasm for your story.



I don’t think I can catch up with everything I’ve missed these past few (many) updates. Your ability to capture the reader’s imagination with your characters never ceases to amaze me. I’m intrigued with your Aunt Bev. She is a wonderful character. What brought me out of lurkerdom (aside from the horrid guilt I’ve felt about being so neglectful) was the last little twist with the Vamps and Aunt Bev. I must say, given your delightfully twisted mind, that the “suggestion” of Aunt Bev and something that makes the Vampires go “EEK” and run away can mean just about anything. The subtle misdirection that maybe there’s something to Nathan’s demon heritage story lurking in the Maclay bloodline; or perhaps there’s something equally scary about to turn dear Aunt Bev (and half of Sunnydale) into a mid-night snack. Once again, you have my mind running a mile a minute with possible permutations of how this little twist might play out.



I’m grateful for this brilliant story. It’s a wonderful oasis in the midst of storm and chaos. Gotta run, but know even if I don’t get time to write feedback – it’s there and I’m always reading. Anytime you don’t see something from me in feedback – just think of ten synonyms for brilliant and you’ll come half way to knowing how much I enjoy your work. Oops, time to answer the Clarion call. Thanks so much for this – it makes me think and I’m discovering that’s not such a bad thing.



Cheers!!

Patches, your devoted (and somewhat demused) fan!



PS. Well the Muses must be punishing me for something – seems it’s been so long since I’ve posted, Ezboard’s forgotten who I am. Have been trying for the past couple of hours to post this reply!

You know I've heard about people like me. But I never made the connection. They walk one road to set them free, And find they've gone the wrong direction. But there's no need for turning back 'cause all roads lead to where I stand. And I believe I'll walk them all No matter what I may have planned

[AntigoneUnbound]

Gods Served and Abandoned

Disclaimers: If I owned these two stunning women, I’d never get any work done. Having said that, let me add that work is grossly overrated.
Spoilers: Up to season 5. I’ve played slightly with the timing of a certain Big Bad’s appearance, with some implications for Dawn’s entrance.
Rating: R for now; if it changes, I’ll give heads-up.
Distribution: Sure, with acknowledgement.
Feedback: It’s what’s for dinner!

*****
Part 33
*****

Can I really do this? If I take this one step, will I be able to stop myself from taking the next? Am I in danger of becoming who I most despise?

She squared her shoulders and forced herself to walk on, drawing ever closer to the creature she both feared and exalted. Finally, there were no more steps to take; she was standing before it.

"Dr. Lowery, I need to ask for a one-day extension on my paper."

Said Dr. Lowery merely blinked twice, and then nodded. "Given your performance to date, Willow, I’m willing to assume that you have a good reason for your request. Extension granted; just have the paper in my office by five o’clock tomorrow."

On the walk back to her dorm, Willow felt as if she had lost a virginity of sorts. Everyone did what she had just done, but she had never done it before. Now she had. Was there any going back? Would she regret it later?

As she reached the steps in front of Stevens Hall, she was surprised to find Tara’s aunt sitting on a bench by the sidewalk—waiting, it would appear, for Willow herself.

"Hey, Beverly," she called out, not knowing the circumstances of the visit but glad of it anyway.

"Hi Willow," the taller woman replied, smiling broadly as she shielded her eyes against the sun. "Hope I’m not catching you at a bad time. I just had some free time and figured I’d take a chance you might as well. I thought coffee could be involved. Tara said she’d be in class until five-thirty," she added.

"Right," Willow confirmed. "Introductory Geography, a.k.a. ‘Rocks for Jocks.’ She hates it."

"More of an arts and literature kinda gal?" Beverly asked. At Willow’s affirmative nod, she added, "Comes by it naturally, if aunts can be considered a source of genetic endowment."

"Well, you do seem to have some very…compelling features in common," Willow said thoughtfully, then grinned. "Now—about that cup of coffee. How do you feel about late-afternoon shots of espresso?"

*****

Beverly, it turned out, felt just fine about espresso--in the late-afternoon or, judging from her intake, the middle of the night. The girl drank it like ice-water, Willow marveled.

"So at the risk of being nosy, how long have you and Tara been together?" Beverly asked after draining her first demi-tasse.

"Not quite a year—although in lots of ways it’s hard to imagine ever having not been Tara’s partner," Willow added thoughtfully.

"Your first serious relationship?" Beverly queried.

"No—that would be Oz," Willow grimaced.

"As in the Wizard of?"

"As in Osborne…Daniel Osborne." Willow wondered what Beverly’s reaction to this news would be. She identified as bisexual; maybe she would assume Willow did as well.

But Beverly didn’t seem inclined to speculate about Willow’s sexual orientation, at least not verbally. "So what happened with him?" She seemed genuinely interested, and Willow found it easier to speak openly with Beverly about her experiences than with Xander, whom she had known for years.

"Well, things get complicated, especially in your first relationship. Oz was a great person, and he really did love me. I think in the final analysis, there was more that pulled us away from each other than brought us together. It really wasn’t about him being a were—" She stopped abruptly.

Beverly just tilted her head questioningly, waiting.

"Being aware of other people," she finished lamely. To use the noun loosely.

"And then you met Tara," Beverly said softly.

"And then I met Tara…and suddenly it was like I had met the one other person in the world who shared my decoder ring. We understood each other, way beyond the spoken word. Before I really knew what had happened, she was standing in the middle of this room in my soul that I’d never even realized I had. And once she was there, I didn’t know how I’d managed to live without her there."

She paused suddenly, feeling vaguely self-conscious. I sound like a Hallmark card for homos. Looking at Beverly, though, she felt herself relax, because the older woman was smiling at her gently.

"I met Tanya at a Sarah MacLachlin concert. She was right in front of me, and I kept trying to figure out how to strike up a conversation. I didn’t think she’d seen me, much less noticed me. All of a sudden she turns around and says, ‘Somebody told me she was going to do a duet with Marilyn Mansun tonight.’ I knew right then I was going home with her. What I didn’t know was that I’d want to keep waking up next to her, every morning for as long as God gave us."

They grinned at each other in silent affinity for a few moments. Then Beverly’s expression became serious.

"Willow, you know better than anyone—how’s Tara handling all of this? There’s been so much chaos back at the ranch lately. The news blew me out of the water, and I’m not nearly as close to it all as she is."

Willow frowned, considering her answer carefully. "You know, I’m always afraid I’ll underestimate how tough things are for her, how much they’re affecting her, because she always keeps it together. I mean, she tells me how she’s feeling, and she lets me comfort her, help her however I can, but I just get the sense that…that it ‘s never really been an option for her not to keep it together, get through things. Does that make any sense?"

Beverly nodded slowly. "Yeah, it does. I feel it too, even with seeing her so rarely. She’s quiet and gentle and you think she may well have never said ‘fuck’ in her entire life—but she’s so much stronger than you realize at first glance."

Willow was quiet for a moment, thinking of some specific and very enjoyable times that Tara had indeed said ‘fuck’ and many of its synonyms, but figured that sharing this information with Tara’s aunt would be possessed of considerable weirdness. So she simply replied, "I know what you mean. And it’s so natural for her, I think, to be attuned to other people that she doesn’t automatically think to be attuned to herself, to her own feelings."

"But she seems really happy with you, Willow," Beverly smiled. "She seems…bigger somehow, like she’s not ashamed to take up her fair share of the oxygen. It’s good to see."

"Well, if anybody deserves to breathe, it’s Tara, and that may well be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever said—which is saying way more than you could possibly imagine." Willow could feel herself blushing. My God, she must think I eat non-sequiteurs for breakfast.

Beverly, though, was laughing boisterously, her eyes shining with delight. "I couldn’t have said it better myself, Willow." She paused to wipe her eyes and then added, "Seriously—she does deserve the good stuff, and clearly she’s found it with you."

"Trust me, the locating has been mutual," Willow replied quickly, wondering how it was that she found it so easy to talk to someone she had met less than 48 hours ago.

"So what do you two crazy kids do for fun?" Beverly asked after she had returned with her third espresso.

Kill demons. Practice witchcraft. Each other.

"Well, we’re both movie buffs, so we do that a lot; and we love to eat out." Don’t grin. For the love of God, don’t grin. Then she hesitated. "And we both like history, especially the history of various myths and legends." At Beverly’s curious gaze, she added, "We like the imagination involved; all the great stories."

Beverly sat her cup down with an audible rattle. "Willow, you don’t mean to tell me that you actually believe that whole demon hoo-ha that Nathan came up with, do you?"

"Hoo-ha?" Willow asked, stalling for time.

"It’s a technical term," Beverly replied. "It means ‘stuff and commotion.’ And you’re avoiding the question."

Note to self: Don’t try to put one past Aunt Beverly.

"I wasn’t really thinking about Nathan," she hedged, speaking half-truthfully. Knowing that Beverly wouldn’t let it rest there, she added, "We enjoy the literary aspect of myths and legends; how they shaped their particular cultures, and conversely." Did I read that on a syllabus somewhere?

Beverly seemed satisfied by this answer. "OK…Listen, I’m sorry if I seemed all ‘Thought Police’ there. It’s just that I see what Mom’s lie did to Nathan, and what Nathan’s lie did to Tara, and it just feels like a whole truck-load of trauma has been passed along, to absolutely no one’s benefit. I mean, Nathan told Julia she had demon in her because he didn’t want to lose her, and yet he did, in the ways that matter most. I guess I just hate to think about any generation paying the debt their parents incurred; paying it with interest, in some cases." She looked at Willow with a self-conscious smile. "Plus, I guess you can tell I have a soft spot in my heart for Tara."

"Line forms to the right on that one," Willow replied with a grin of her own.

Beverly looked down into her nearly-empty cup and sighed. "Well, I guess we should leave before I fly out of here on the force of my own buzz." She glanced at Willow, and then added, "I hope it’s OK with you that I just sorta zipped my ass to Sunnydale and made myself right at home, at least for the time being." She seemed to fumble for words. "I mean, I hope I’m not overstaying my welcome."

Willow looked at her in surprise. "Beverly, you’re the first truly loving family member that Tara has seen since her mom died. I know that she’s glad you’re here. And I love seeing anybody who’s known Tara from the day she was born. I know you left for college when she was young, but you still knew her when she was a baby." As they slid out of the booth, she sidled up next to Beverly and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "Now, on the way back, I want full details of Baby Tara, and don’t leave out one tiny, adorable detail, OK?"

The walk to Tara’s dorm was probably the most enjoyable that Willow had ever taken in the presence of anyone besides Tara herself. Among the nuggets she gleaned were the fact that Tara’s first treasured possession had been a stuffed pony ("As in a toy, not Roy Rogers’ horse," Beverly had emphasized); that Tara’s first word, not surprisingly, had been "Mama" but that her second, less predictably, had been "potato" ("‘tato,’ to be exact"); and that her hair had been a mass of curls before her first real hair-cut.

I can’t get enough of who she is, Willow thought, and was perfectly content with that fact.

*****
To Be Continued

[Washi]

Hey Mary!



I loved the Update! Willow's thoughts are hilarious! I'm like Aunt Bev, I drink coffee like water.

The lines I loved best are:

Quote:

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I sound like a Hallmark card for homos.

---

Quote:

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Willow was quiet for a moment, thinking of some specific and very enjoyable times that Tara had indeed said ‘fuck’ and many of its synonyms, but figured that sharing this information with Tara’s aunt would be possessed of considerable weirdness.

---

Quote:

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Kill demons. Practice witchcraft. Each other.

---

Quote:

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"Well, we’re both movie buffs, so we do that a lot; and we love to eat out." Don’t grin. For the love of God, don’t grin.

---

Quote:

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Among the nuggets she gleaned were the fact that Tara’s first treasured possession had been a stuffed pony ("As in a toy, not Roy Rogers’ horse," Beverly had emphasized); that Tara’s first word, not surprisingly, had been "Mama" but that her second, less predictably, had been "potato" ("‘tato,’ to be exact" ; and that her hair had been a mass of curls before her first real hair-cut.

---

The last one is just awww.



Kickass update Mary!

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-



Hmmm-





I have a theory, Bev's a Texan



And the demons are just too afraid to pooouunnce



Well, it might explain her attitude towards the 'demon' story and the vamps' reaction both. As for her wondering about Willow I have a much more frightening theory. Bev has found her partner and she wants Tara to know the same happiness so...



Yes, the horrible truth is Aunt Bev is a matchmaker.



Mary, your captivating story has me guessing. May I have some more, please?



Jixer

[justin]

That was a wonderful update. I was



I really love aunt Beverly and I think that everyone should have an aunt like her. So now I'm hoping that she isn't going to turn out to be a monster and that the vampires avoided her either because there had been a lot of garlic in her dinner or because she was wearing her anti-vampire perfume.

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[mollyig]

Despite the fact that Bev is obviously more than she first seemed to be, both our girls, who are astute judges of character, seem to find it easy to trust her, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt.



I loved Willow's anxiety at the start of the chapter about asking for the extension. Bless her, she's just adorable.

I say love will come to you. Hoping just because I spoke the words that they're true.

As if I offered up a crystal ball to look through. Where there's now one there will be two.
Indigo Girls

[JustSkipIt]

Hey Mary,



I really like this update. It's hard to tell what's "Important" from it rather than just amusing and filling but I'm betting something. Very amused about Willow asking for an extension then spending the afternoon doing expresso shots and chatting. Not the best use of hard-groveled extension time.



I'm wondering if Bev's comment that she just, did she say "zipped?", herself to Sunnydale is indicative. Did she in fact just teleport there? She seems to be gently probing about their life and I'm not sure whether more or less honesty is warranted from both parties.



I also hope that Tara doesn't feel in anyway betrayed by these two women that she loves so much "talking behind her back."



The line about "the wierdest thing I've ever said and that's saying a lot" was great. Awesome job. Debra



s Hi to the elves.

---

Well there's not even breathing room between pleasure and pain. -- Aerosmith.

[Domaris]

AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwww "tato" So damn cute! I wonder what Willow's first words would be rofl



Nice update, as always

"Rock my world!" - Gia

"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile from them, and you'll have their shoes!" - Somebody

[Grimaldi]

loved the update



i liked the conversation between Aunt Bev and Willow, and Willow's thought when she was asked what she and Tara like to do for fun was funny

I'm not stealing, I'm just taking things without paying for them. In what twisted dictionary is that stealing?
Oh, relax, Casper, I'm not here to interrupt your blissing. Too much makes you go blind, though, you know

[Puff]

Hi Mary, what a great update. I just love learning stuff about Tara and the conversation between Willow and Aunt Bev was great. I think it's wonderful that Willow is able to share things with Aunt Beverly as well and that she feels so comfortable talking to her. I'm still curious as to what is up with Beverly though and there is something up with her.



Thanks for the update, looking forward to more

---

So, the day started and I knew my name and had my pants on. So far, so good. Yay.
Amber Benson

[tommo]

Ooh, this is a welcome treat after the couple of days I've had. I love how you divert the Tara-centric storyline here and focus on Willow. That's a great tactic for the reader to, in fact, learn a whole lot more about Tara. Seeing a character through the eyes of others in the story is always such an interesting method in terms of what they reveal. Because you've not only got the truths about the character themselves, and here it's Tara, but you've also got the layered emotions of the character revealing those truths. This is a lovely piece that explores that method so very well, particularly as I suspect that we're discovering more about Tara through the eyes of the two people who love her the most.



Anyway, more about Aunt Bev and Willow in a tic; but I just loved this little bit here...

Quote:

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On the walk back to her dorm, Willow felt as if she had lost a virginity of sorts. Everyone did what she had just done, but she had never done it before. Now she had. Was there any going back? Would she regret it later?

---

I mentioned after your last update that I loved how you trickled little bits of Willow into the story, and opened up her character so very well. This, again, is very subtle and clever; mostly because with everything that's going on in her personal life, this is precisely something that Willow would choose to experience major anxiety over. And it helps to root the reader firmly in that familiarity that you write so convincingly, especially with reference to Willow. I love how this is almost like a little aside, because it just gives us another glimpse of the Willow we love so much.



Okay, onto Aunt Bev. Now...I know this won't go down very well (unlike, I'm sure, Willow and Tara. Ahem) but I'm starting to harbour a healthy suspicion about Bev. I don't know what it is...she seems too real. Too perfect. Too...I dunno, unlike the rest of the Maclay clan. You know? Whether it's intentional or not, Mary, you've given me a character here that I'm instantly wanting to question. Whilst Bev appears very open and loving, and she certainly relates well to both Willow and Tara, there's that whole demon thing that just isn't fitting in. I mean, what about the magic? Did Tara's mother ever practice in front of Bev? Does Bev have any idea of Tara's abilities?



It just seems too convenient that an outsider comes into the story and is so adamant that demons don't exist. In other fics, I'd expect Bev to get her comeuppance in the form of being attacked by vampires - that's the easiest way to give someone a reality check isn't it? But no, you see, what you did in the last update was to have a vampire specifically avoid Bev. Ergo; there's something up. And I know you're only telling us half the story here, because you're far too wily to expect us to just see what's written on the page.



Well, either that or I really need to stop reading between the lines all the time. Sigh.



So yeah, I'm getting increasingly suspicious of Bev with every word that comes out of her mouth. Or maybe I just took against her because she likes Sarah Maclachlan. Either or.

"Come on, this is a huge deal for me! Six years as a BabyBel, and now I get to be the Big Cheese..." ~ Blue Stilton Willow

[Grimlock72]

Heh, I liked Willow asking for a one day extension. For Willow that likely is worse than facing some demons :-). To bad she didn't use the time she did get wisely though.



Willow talking with Aunt Bev... Despite the cheerfullness of the talk I found it hard to read. Thing is I don't trust Aunt Beverly after seeing the vamps flee away from her. I don't want Aunt Bev. around all that much until that tiny little incident is explained.



As for Willow instantly trusting Aunt Bev; it could be that she's just a lot like Tara and Willlow so they 'connect' more easily. It's worth noting however that there are creatures called 'succubus' (assuming I got the spelling right:-) who use magic to instill trust into their victims. Definitly NOT with the trusting here, nope...



Knowing some details about Baby Tara, is nice though. I guess that makes up for something at least .



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine