Does he or doesn't he?!!??!?!?! THis was awesome! A really unusual pov! And Willow there at the end! I love it!

Wow, this was really well written. I'm really impressed with how you flushed out Tony's personality and opinions.

this is gold. really

Okay, I know I'm supposed to feel some kind of empathy with someone here...

So far as I see it, Tony Harris IS the aggrieved party here. Sure, he's a dick, and an idiot for taking it out on the kid. What he should have done was get a paternity test done and then give his (potential) no good slut of a wife the option of being kicked to the curb or biting it.

I dunno where people get these weak male characters from and on some level, I know weaklings and cowards exist... my problem is the prevalence of them in modern literature. Maybe she's working and bringing in her own income and maybe she's not, but making Tony sleep on the couch? She would learn VERY quickly what 'Man of the House' meant where I come from. Doors, walls, etc.? Not going to stop a man on the warpath. And as for wanting to sleep with her? Get real. It's sloppy seconds, even eighteen years later. She lies once; she'll lie again. A relationship ends when lies begin.

I don't know whom I respect least in this situation. Well that's a lie, it's Jessica. But I hate your portrayal of a sniveling weak and cowardly Xander who doesn't fight back as much as I hate the Tony Harris who won't throw his lying bint of a wife and her spawn to the curb.

Your grammar and spelling were top notch as always. I especially like the perspective you used when telling the story. I can't say 'great writing' though because I absolutely loathe all the characters you are portraying and could not finish reading even this chapter. Perhaps I'm too 'old school' and not the least bit forgiving about the BS going on in the story. I know it probably happens like this somewhere, but if your characters are all doormats... what's the fucking point?

I'm assuming Willow's the guest appearance, but who's soon to be Mrs. Harris? So curious...

Anyway, great story. Painful to read because, you know, child abuse. It's sort of hard to stomach, even when it isn't overt beating. I've read other stories where Xander's parents were stressed as pieces of crap, but they were never as powerful for this for two reasons. One is that you did it from Tony's point of view. The other is that you didn't go over the top. Both of these made it more real somehow. So well done.

yay willow!!

Fantastic story there, the narrative was perfect, and it's a lot better than any of the other crappy Xander stories I've seen.

I love this story, but I have a complaint. Brown eyes are a dominant trait...two blue-eyed blonde-haired parents can't have a dark-haired dark-eyed son. Willow wouldn't make a mistake like that... she's biology geek! It can work the other way around--brown-haired parents have a blonde kid... but, still... that one out-of-place bit blows the whole thing for me!

I'm such a geek...

Damn, this is good. You write Tony as the bastard he is, yet you do actually manage to make him seem human. I'm also curious as to who Xander is marrying, though I'm thinking it doesn't really matter and perhaps you didn't even decide about that yourself. I'm even more curious as to whether Tony will fail or succeed, but on the other hand the ending right there is fitting.

Anyway, nice work.

I read your directory's commentary for this story and was glad to see that my favorite phrase--"bright bright bright"--was a conscious decision on your part.
I almost felt for Tony in this story, and that scared me. This is amazingly good. Thank you for writing it.

So I was on I need a Parrot and I read one of you're essays on Xander. Really liked the essay, thought it was very insightful. So I googled you to find other things you've written. It brought me to this site, and to this story. It's 12:48am and I have to get up at 6:30am, and I know I'm going to be dog tired in the morning, but it doesn't matter. I have so enjoyed this little introspective on Tony, that I think the lack of sleep was worth it. Fantastic story, Willow is a cruel little minx isn't she. The story leaves me with one question...who did he marry?

That was amazing!! The depth you put into Tony was just...wow.

WOW that was a hell of a story...I've been reading buffy fics for more than 6 years and i'm not easily surprised anymore by plots or writing but you managed to. You write very well, your characterization (is that even a word...sorry a foreigner, I am...)is perfect, you fully captured the essence of Xander's family...and the end...oh my!! Since then, i've been reading your fics and can't wait to have more. You are incredibly talented. Keep up the good work and thank you for such a good time.

Wow wow wow wow, this is *so* good. This is the first fic I've ever read from Tony Harris's perspective and it's freaking awesome.

Love everything about it...although it's sad to see exactly how someone can ruin there own life by being stupid...

Ugh. Very good, but god is Tony a nasty bastard. Loved the peek at what Xander's life must have looked out from the outside. Failing grades, bruises. Absolutely loved Giles disgust and Willow's payback, even though she really shouldn't be messing with that kind of stuff.