Dark Xander: Nobody Never Gets to Heaven; Part 3/?

[liz_marcs]

Meet my New Year's resolution: finishing some WiPs. To that end, I'm posting at least one part to at least one WiP a week. I was hoping to have the next part of Facing the Heart in Darkness ready to go, but it's still a mess. Instead, I give you the next part of Nobody Never Gets to Heaven.

Written for the Dark Xander Fic-A-Thon.
All previous parts

Comments

[iyalode]

::squee:: I do so love this story.

I think I have a sore neck trying to follow all the twists in this. A righteous Willow is dangerous, mostly to those around her.

Somehow she thinks Xander will eventually come to understand what she's done and why. Because everyone does eventually, right? Yeah. Such utter conviction is why I've always had issues with her character.

[liz_marcs]

To be fair to Willow though, she is in between a rock and a hard place (just how much, you'll find out), so she is acting partially out of desperation

[anonymous]

I get the distinct feeling that Willow doesn't know what she is doing. Or at least doesn't care about the consequences.

She's purposely made Xander unable to kill him self despite the fact that's all he will want to do and she want to the same to Kennedy. Aren't her desires selfish?

PS Are you sure it was wise to make finishing your WiPs a New Year's resolution. Isn't making it a resolution just going to make all that easier to break?

[liz_marcs]

I know I can't finish all. I'm aiming to finish some. :-)

As I pointed out above, Willow is acting partially out of desperation. And Willow tends to be very single-minded whenever she is intent on fixing something she views as a problem. No, sometimes she doesn't take other people's considerations into account, and yes, sometimes the solutions she aims for happen to match her selfish desires.

The point here, is that Willow is acting out of human weakness to an extent (and she is human, not a saint). The situation with Xander and Kennedy is extremely messy and there really isn't a right or wrong answer, especially since Xander's own desire to get dusted isn't exactly free of selfish impulses. Spike has already pointed out (and will again) that Xander's situation has benefited other people because the souled version's impulse is to be "a white hat." That translates to saved lives.

[ffutures]

Enjoying it a lot - one small thing:

"Voice down. Little pictures have big ears."

Shouldn't that be "pitchers", not "pictures"?

http://www.bartleby.com/59/3/littlepitche.html

[liz_marcs]

Is fixed! Not one of us picked up on it. :-)

[swedish15]

This makes me happy; I love Nobody never, and it's good to see another chapter. Also, finally some Willow, with her attitude and her righteousness. Am looking forward to next part.
Thank you.

[liz_marcs]

Willow is using the righteousness to convince herself she's doing the right thing and to cover up the fact that she's desperate to fix the situation. She's honestly not thinking as clearly as she thinks she is right now.

To be fair, Willow's human. So I'm hoping her motivations - while selfish - are at least understandable.

[liz_marcs]

Willow's being....single-minded.

I threw in the line about Martin looking ill when it dawns on him that Spike's hinting at Xander being a slave just for you. :-) It was a good call on your part. It's a quick line, but I hope it shows him as a little bit more human.

From Martin's point of view, I don't think he's wrong to have a deep-seated dislike and distrust for Xander. The soulless vamp version did kill quite a few Council people on top of the countless victims he buzzed through alone and with Kennedy. He's just a step to the right of Xander's own stance with Angelus, only without the benefit of really understanding the whole soulled/not-soulled part of the equation.

'Course, Xander's not exactly sane. So, I honestly have to go with Martin's judgment here. In his shoes, I wouldn't be inviting Xander anywhere near my house, uninvite spell or no.