066 - Hell's Bells

[calendar_woman]

Hell's Bells

Synopsis: The big day has arrived, though this time the wedding bells toll for Xander and Anya. Giles and Jenny return to Sunnydale to help them celebrate the nuptials, though what's supposed to be a day of celebration quickly goes south when a former victim of Anya's vengeance decides to get even in a big way.

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[myfidgetball]

So first of all, let me just say that after watching this episode in rl, I refused to acknowledge that the ending happened. No, no, no… never happened. Xander isn’t that much of an idiot. I refuse to believe it. No. Ok… I’ve said my piece.

On to the review!! :-)

I love the idea of Jenny and Giles coming back for the wedding! And to be honest, I had a tiny little glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, you’d break canon again and erase the ending of this one. HOWEVER… that being said, I have zero complaints that you kept with canon. Why? Well, because it provided Jenny with doubts that Giles has to so skillfully *ahem* massage out of her. Heeee! Any opportunity for us to read smut from the queen of smut, is a great day for me! All hail, your majesty! :-D

Hehe, I really did enjoy the heck out of almost all of this chapter (I’ll get to the almost later

[calendar_woman]

So first of all, let me just say that after watching this episode in rl, I refused to acknowledge that the ending happened. No, no, no… never happened. Xander isn’t that much of an idiot. I refuse to believe it. No. Ok… I’ve said my piece. Hehehe. Well, speaking as a Giles/Anya shipper, and someone who's noticed how Xander tended to treat Anya throughout their relationship, I would have to disagree. (Though, in my mind, after that particular ending, Giles swooped in at the last second, late to the wedding and found Anya crying, and then there was some consolation sex, because for Anya -- or almost any woman -- it would be much harder NOT to have sex with Giles. Mmkay, my piece has been said, haha!)

I love that Giles was apprehensive about going back and seeing Buffy, and Buffy’s reaction to seeing him was perfect! I think not having them interact in this one is going to help keep her reaction in TtG pure. :-) Heee, thanks! I was so torn about how to dance around that little rift, because I LOVE the hug in 'Grave' and wanted that to

[myfidgetball]

(And ok fine, I wanted to get to the sex parts, HAHAHA. So, sue me.) And this was all you needed to say to essentially shut me up. :-) Trust me, I will NEVER complain. In fact, from now on, if you want to end EVERY chapter with and they killed the demon/vampire/big-bad/etc... blah, blah, blah. [insert gratuitous sex scene here]" I'll be juuuussssstttttt fine. :-D

And I felt horrible even saying anything at all. :-( I really did love absolutely EVERYTHING else!!

[calendar_woman]

LOL don't feel bad about it, really! I've never had a problem with constructive criticism. And like I said, I know it was totally rushed. The ending was just kind of a tricky thing to maneuver without breaking my established writing pattern.

Maybe that's why nobody else is reading or reviewing this one? LOLOL IDK. But, yes. I don't balk at constructive criticism. And as I am eternally hard on myself as an author, there's a good chance I've noticed the flaw already. So, no worries. :D

[disney_addict]

Okay, I think that you've just managed to reduce me to a little ball of fangirly squee. For serious.

To start off:
I'm really glad that you had them go back to Sunnydale for the wedding (that didn't actually happen, but, y'know...). I totally get why Giles didn't go to it in the series, though I am still bitter, because I really wanted to see him again.

I love Giles' counting of the omens, though my giggles were tainted, 'cause Anya and Xander didn't actually end up getting married, but still.

Giles reached out without thought, moving her hair out of her face and tucking a slice behind her ear while she straightened his tie. GAH!!!! THEY'RE SO MARRIED!!!! *squees unattractively*

Oh dear God, the bride's maid dresses... They're just SO UGLY! Words cannot even describe. I try not to think about them. :P

She cried out softly when she moved to walk away and he grabbed her arm quickly, pulling her toward him again. Panic was on his face. "You can't bloody-well just leave me here, Jenny!" he whispered desperately. BAHAHA! I can see

[calendar_woman]

Thank you so much, sweetie! I'm so happy you enjoyed this. I had been hemming and hawing over whether or not to cover this chapter, but I'm glad I did it. The X/A thing had to be touched on, after all.

I totally get why Giles didn't go to it in the series, though I am still bitter, because I really wanted to see him again. Heeee! In my Giles/Anya-shippy mind, he didn't go because of his feelings for Anya. But, that's my delusional-shippy two cents. :D

Yes, those bridesmaid dresses were atrocious, LOL. Those poor girls.

LOL! Have I ever told you how absolutely SPOT ON all of your Anya dialogue is?
No? Well, it's fantastically perfect every single time.
You have a gift. <3 Awww! Thank you so much. :D The Anya character is really a writer's dream -- she's so blunt and straight-forward that she can really say just about anything. Writing her is a blast. :D

I loved the Jenny/Willow interactions. Neither of them really know how to broach the subject of the magic fight, so they just don't touch it.
AND the Giles/Buffy interactions

[disney_addict]

In my head, I figured Xander would still be stuck on that lace teddy thing from Tabula Rasa. :D BAHA! totally. He is going to be stuck on that moment for the rest of his life. :P

I look forward to getting into the 2-part finale soon. It's time for the SHOWDOWN!!!! ;D
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO EXCITED FOR THE FINALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's bordering on pathetic, really. :/ But then I stop caring and get excited again. :D

[calendar_woman]

He is going to be stuck on that moment for the rest of his life. :P Hehehe! Who wouldn't get stuck on that though, really? Jenny's super foxy. :D

[always_a_boom]

omg i suck with feedback rn, next time imma be first and blow y'all outta the water

OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGG I AM SO GLAD YOU DID THIS ONE. SERIOUSLY, JOSS, WTF WAS GILES? WHERE?? (In my personal canon he's too distraught and ~tortured~ by his love for Anya to bear to watch her get married to Xander, but that's neither here nor there.)

OK, RANDOM TANGENT TIMEEEEE (I KNOW YOU SECRETLY LOVE MY INSANE IRRELEVANT TANGENTS) - THERE IS BEAUTIFUL SYMMETRY ABOUND IN THIS. The equally tense relationships between Giles/Buffy and Jenny/Willow, firstly: loveeee how you did these, coz it would've been very strange for there not to be sooooo much tension there. And then obviously in the whole Xander/Anya, Xander's parents and Giles/Jenny relationships, but I'll come to that LATERRRRRRR~

OMGOSH ANYA MY BBDOLL ILU SO MUCH <3 THE PRESENT DISCUSSION, AND SHE REALLY DID LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL IN HER WEDDING DRESS, AND OMFGOMFGOMFG
"He didn't even tell me how beautiful I looked. Well," she huffed, "that's the last time I fantasize about him during intercourse."

[calendar_woman]

Heeeeee! Thank you so so much! Glad you enjoyed this one! (And I'm actually really glad I decided to do this one too -- once I got into it, it felt kinda necessary.)

(In my personal canon he's too distraught and ~tortured~ by his love for Anya to bear to watch her get married to Xander, but that's neither here nor there.) Bahahaha, THIS. That's what I always use as proof (that or the Tabula Rasa thing) to prove irrefutably that there was some definite romantic interest there. Think about it - why else would he not fly back for Xander's wedding? Uh-huh. Yeah.

(I KNOW YOU SECRETLY LOVE MY INSANE IRRELEVANT TANGENTS) Secretly? Dude, I openly and unabashedly love each and every tangent you go on. Hahaha. You have the same stream of consciousness I do. :D :D :D And I did not even notice the symmetry! I was more, trying to find a believable way to get around both of those relationships so it wouldn't COMPLETELY screw up Two to Go and Grave, LOL. Happy you liked that bit!!

OK LEMME JUST REITERATE THIS, YOUR GILES & JENNY VOICES ARE

[repowoman24]

I am terribly sorry this took so long to update. I won’t list the reasons as to why this is a few days late because they are numerous, but please, just accept that sometimes I won’t be able to update immediately. Even though I am a teenager, I am extremely busy and have a great deal of crap going on in my life. Please do not mistake this for me losing interest in your story, ok? I have been with this story for quite some time and I know I have mentioned more than once that I will be with this story until the end

[calendar_woman]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed most of this one! It was interesting to write, that's for sure -- normally it's just trying to squeeze Jenny in, but this episode didn't even have Giles. So, that was new, lol.

And haha, I loved writing Anya's vows. She didn't say the boning/humping stuff in the episode, but there was that 'sex poodle' thing, which is infinitely more hilarious.

Sorry the end of the episode was rushed. Unfortunately, I was caught between a rock and a hard place with that one -- as I mentioned above, it would have been weird to describe the entire demon fight but not have Giles or Jenny do anything to help (because there's no way they'd do that), but it also would have been weird to have them jump in and help, because they really didn't belong there