FIC: Last Train Leaving Wonderland (Part 4/4)

[liz_marcs]

Title: Last Train Leaving Wonderland
Author: Lizbeth Marcs
Summary: Xander’s got a plan, but life keeps interfering.
Genre: Future fic, dark fic
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Xander/Faith

This is it! The final part for your pleasure. I wrote a story that was less than 70 pages. Go me!

Comments

[herewiss13]

OMFG! That was AMAZING! You managed to twist that knife until it rotated 'round 180 degrees.

...and you just know this is begging for a sequel.

Thank you.

[liz_marcs]

Glad you enjoyed it.

You should know that Buffy kind of showed up on her own at the end. Seriously. When I was planning it out, Faith and Xander were going to get away scott-free in a cheerfully amoral little fic.

Then Buffy had to come along and muddy the waters.

[herewiss13]

On further reflection, the real question (among many other real questions, of course) is: Do Xander and Faith stay together or does the mere thought of the other's presence send them fleeing into a panicked, nausea-filled retreat? I could see it either way (or a rapid alternation between the two states, for that matter.)

[liz_marcs]

I go with a rapid alternation between the two states myself, especially since I think the pair of them will be pretty isolated.

In my own head, I figure that Council could actually "forgive" them being evil vampires deliberately putting their Slayers and Watchers in danger. What would be "unforgiven" is the fact that Xander and Faith was able to fool the Council (for a year in Xander's case)...which would make anyone hesitant to trust them, soul or no soul.

So in a weird way, Buffy's pretty much their only hope for ever getting out of the Council's version of the basement, which means they may be stuck with each other's company for a long time no matter how much their souled selves would wish otherwise.

[hlforever]

I really feel for Xander and Faith. Ensouling is a hideous punishment, and Xander especially will despise it. My bet is that they suicide through work. They'll take take as many assignments that are as dangerous as they can get, and they'll throw themselves into them. At least, that's how I see Xander coping with the worst guilt trip imaginable.

Great story, and very much worth the wait. I love how everything goes wrong for them very, very quickly. If vamp!xander had listened to that voice in his head screaming for 'em to get out quick last chapter, they would have gotten off clean, most likely. Oh well, the best laid plans and all that.

[liz_marcs]

As Buffy said: Xander's a vampire who's so smart that he's stupid in some ways.

Heee, but yeah, like all the best plans, when it fell apart, it fell apart like a house of cards. And it fell apart because Giles was desperate to save his and Faith's lives. If Xander hadn't been playing sex games with Faith while talking to Giles, they would've gotten off scott-free.

[4thdixiechick]

Oh, man!
That was an intense story. It's a testament to your skill as a writer that I was pulling for Faith & Xander to pull it off (because if those two kids vampires can't make it in this crazy mixed up world, what hope is there for the rest of us?

And the ending? I'm so wondering what happened 5 minutes after the last line.

Thanks so much for writing & sharing this story with us.

[liz_marcs]

Five minutes after? I'm guessing a whoooooooole lot of ugly.

The scary thing is, the way this story was conceived was for it to be a cheerfully amoral story where Xander and Faith make off with the jewel and it ends with them giggling on the subway as they head for the Airport. I swear to you that the "Buffy" ending came out of nowhere. I started writing this last part early last week and she just showed up with the line, "I want my friends back you son of a bitch." For serious.

The last time a character showed up out of the blue like that in a story I wrote was "Mars Rising," and that was Faith who did that.

[4thdixiechick]

Sometimes, characters have a way of doing that when you least expect them too!
(Even when you are trying for an "evil conquers all" resolution)

[midnightsjane]

I was cheering for Buffy all the way through this. Of course she wants her friends back, and she's not going to let anyone stop her. I'm really glad she popped up and took over the ending, because I have to tell you I was really hating Faith and Xander in this. I wanted my friends back too!

[liz_marcs]

Heee! Buffy just wasn't going to let this fly, was she?

Glad you liked the end.

[lillian13]

Wow. I waited until it was done, 'cause I knew you'd pitch a curveball at us.

Oh man. Poor Vamp!Mastermind!Xander--felled by a blowjob. Alannis wishes she could write irony like that. (I actually hope Xander keeps some of those planning skills; they'll serve him well as long as he continues to exist.) I can see him lasting a long, long time--man has a sense of duty a mile wide--but I see Faith taking a 'suicide by cop' option at some point. She's not weaker, precisely, I just don't think she's as grounded as he is.

I'd love to see them a few years down the line.

Excellent job, hon!

[liz_marcs]

Heeee! Irony is the spice of life.

I can see Faith swinging between crazy-cakes and sane-cakes for awhile. Xander I can imagine wanting to crawl into a hole and pulling almost "a Buffy" in emotionally pulling away.

Glad you enjoyed the story.