Childhood by Voracity (PG13)
Title: Childhood
Fandom: NCIS/BTVS
Pairing: Gen
Categories: AU, Crossover, Family, Friendship, Kids,
Length: Super-Epic (164,000)
Warnings: Stalkers, Serious Injury
Author on LJ: n/a
Website: Voracity's Fanfiction
Summary: What if Willow did an oopsy with her magic and turned Xander into a toddler; then when Dawn was watching him wished Xander could have a better childhood this time around with parent(s) who loved him . . .
Review: This is one of my absolute favorite kiddie fics. Mostly because of how Voracity handles the family aspect. Don't let the first section with the Scoobie gang fool you, despite the cracky premise and the character's over the top behavior, the story actually turned out to be one of the sweetest surprise parent stories I've ever read. I particularly like the characterization of the NCIS team, though they sometimes come of as a little over the top. Gibbs is a gruff man trying to do his best as a single father. Tony is a wonderful care-giver and mother figures. Abby is a great and over-the-top aunt whose not afraid to induce lactation for the betterment of her adopted nephew. MgGee and Ziva are the uncomfortable Aunt and Uncle, happy for Gibbs but even happier not to be in his place.
What really sets this story apart for me is how Voracity kept the story from becoming your traditional Harlequin romance, where the baby makes the main characters realize they are madly in love. I've never really been able to understand how a screaming, puking, pooping child worked as a romantic plot device. Gibbs and Tony are both fully devoted to Xander but they don't mistake that devotion to be a sign that they have to start a relationship with each other 'for Xander's good'. They are happy being his father and 'mother' without being in love, which is something I can totally respect and love. I'm a big fan of non-traditional family dynamics.
The majority of the story takes place from when Xander is around six months to when he is twoish, which means that not much is shown about his own personality. This changes in the last part of the story which jumps to when Xander is older and begins to remember his past life. This final segment is the weakest part of the entire story, and the transition is a bit jarring. Voracity's writing style is a bit repetitive which slows down the story slightly Despite its less than stellar ending and unusual pacing, I can't help but love this fic and hope that you all will consider giving it a try.
Childhood
Fandom: NCIS/BTVS
Pairing: Gen
Categories: AU, Crossover, Family, Friendship, Kids,
Length: Super-Epic (164,000)
Warnings: Stalkers, Serious Injury
Author on LJ: n/a
Website: Voracity's Fanfiction
Summary: What if Willow did an oopsy with her magic and turned Xander into a toddler; then when Dawn was watching him wished Xander could have a better childhood this time around with parent(s) who loved him . . .
Review: This is one of my absolute favorite kiddie fics. Mostly because of how Voracity handles the family aspect. Don't let the first section with the Scoobie gang fool you, despite the cracky premise and the character's over the top behavior, the story actually turned out to be one of the sweetest surprise parent stories I've ever read. I particularly like the characterization of the NCIS team, though they sometimes come of as a little over the top. Gibbs is a gruff man trying to do his best as a single father. Tony is a wonderful care-giver and mother figures. Abby is a great and over-the-top aunt whose not afraid to induce lactation for the betterment of her adopted nephew. MgGee and Ziva are the uncomfortable Aunt and Uncle, happy for Gibbs but even happier not to be in his place.
What really sets this story apart for me is how Voracity kept the story from becoming your traditional Harlequin romance, where the baby makes the main characters realize they are madly in love. I've never really been able to understand how a screaming, puking, pooping child worked as a romantic plot device. Gibbs and Tony are both fully devoted to Xander but they don't mistake that devotion to be a sign that they have to start a relationship with each other 'for Xander's good'. They are happy being his father and 'mother' without being in love, which is something I can totally respect and love. I'm a big fan of non-traditional family dynamics.
The majority of the story takes place from when Xander is around six months to when he is twoish, which means that not much is shown about his own personality. This changes in the last part of the story which jumps to when Xander is older and begins to remember his past life. This final segment is the weakest part of the entire story, and the transition is a bit jarring. Voracity's writing style is a bit repetitive which slows down the story slightly Despite its less than stellar ending and unusual pacing, I can't help but love this fic and hope that you all will consider giving it a try.
Childhood