Well I guess I'm another member of your team of dedicated followers! Totally hooked and excited for what adventures come next!

Ok. I know it's almost been a month (maybe longer) and I'm not gonna lie, I really didn't want to review this chapter. It's been such a fun ride having you back and honestly, it feels (to me) like it's a door closing. And honestly, I hate closing doors. But I know you won't disappear forever (hopefully) so I've finally managed to get myself to sit down and do this (HUZZAH). Anyway: to the real review. Out of the entire stories you've built for this sadly underdeveloped family of just pure, almost OP badasses, this one has to be my favorite thus far. You've put a new side of the Butler family to light that takes a stone-cold family of scarily professional, almost emotionless, killers and have somehow made them more relatable. To the point where at some places it feels almost... it's... tangible is the best word I have at the moment. Like instead of murderers I'm reminded that these are families. From Xander's very real reaction at the very idea that he may have lost his other son to Maud's acts of pulling every string she can to save him and to Xander being head over heels for his wife. And seeing Myles interact with the brother he knows may very well be dead and gone it brings a sense of grounding that I feel like Colfer's books never did (I know the focus was on Artemis and his shenanigans but Butler still felt a bit OP at times for me.) And so, once again, as always: well done. It's impressive and heartwarming to see so much care, time, and dedication being put into fleshing out a family that could have a book series of their own, which is exactly what you've done. For that, I can't help but thank you; real works of quality literature are so hard to find nowadays, both in professionally publicized works and here on the Internet and you have given us just that. I tip my (sadly invisible) hat to you. And I cannot wait for the next one! Until then, I'll be here, rereading what you have already given us.

Ack! I'm so sorry I fell off the wagon! There were some terrifically daunting deadlines and a mild case of arson and insurance fraud that got in the way of fic reading. But happy new year!

Dude, Maude is cool as heck and is welcome to kick my ass any day. It's really wonderful every time the tough Butler armor cracks and allows just a smidge of soft to squeak through (this goes for all of them, but especially Mama and Papa bears). Interesting thought, that the fairies have already been SO involved like this. I especially like that it ended up being Root.

So like... there was a lot of teasing with Beckett in this one... so are we ever gonna see that reunion? Because I get very excited at the idea of that VERY dramatic tangle of feelings, not to mention the fact that I think Teresa might throw hands ;)

Please. Please. Please. Write another sequel to this. It is amazing!?

Missed one yesterday, but that's fine, I'll do the final two today! It'll be cute. And it's already over. Who knew Christmas is over that fast. It's the 8th of January!

PG the actual witch would be pretty cool, I won't lie.

I forgot what she does though, that he forgets again by the time he's running around with TLS hunting fairies.

I guess he's young enough to later dismiss the story, and then when the whole fairy shit goes down he just mails PG a letter that says 'SERIOUSLY YOU'VE WORKED WITH THE LEP?!' in more polite, of course.

PG with the ability to make fairly futile hope that her kid is still alive like some kind of superhuman intuition.

The Juliet cause. That's the cause, Theresa. You'll have a cute kid who becomes a wrestler one day. It'll be great.

It's so weird that she won't just say bye. I mean surely that can't hurt, unless you've got a whole mysterious image to cultivate. Which I guess she has.

Onwards to the epilogue!

'Yeah, mum's kind of weird, you get used to it.' Like, she's weird even for the Butler family. That's a high bar.

You know why you're better suited with Beckett, Theresa? Because you two can at least agree on going on a cruise together to disappear on.

Butlers are helicopter parents I've just realised. Just not to their own kids, but their charges. It's 1970odd. You can let the kids have a snowball fight on the grounds and not worry about frostbite for fuck's sake.

Of course they have an AGA. I'm still confused as to what that is exactly. I am also very interested in how much English and Irish country houses mirror each other. You'd think a lot, if you consider that a lot of Irish nobles are English. Do you think TLS ever gets upset if he ever makes normal friends his age when he decides to go the civvy route and actually go to Trinity College or whatever, and all his friends call him 'basically English' because he's somehow fallen in with a bunch of scholarship kids from dirt-poor backgrounds? I'd find that funny.

But yeah, whoop! You've got another one in the bag! Another Christmas down, only whoever many left to go! Thanks for writing this story up again for the ffnet audience and giving me a chance to read it again basically, and have fun not having any time to write because you've got two jobs you like at the moment!

Steinbock

Awwwww it’s already over :( But well, that’s just how good stories are.
So again, thank you so very much to make these last weeks so pleasurable with this piece of Life with the Butlers every few days that I always looked forward to ;)

I hope you have a good start into the new year, and that you’ll somehow find time to keep writing, you really do have a gift there!
Till next time,
Spencerblue

PS: I really could imagine that ending scene, movie-style ;)

I'm sorry I didn't review for the last few chapters, I was literally too tired too.

Anyways:

Ma Butler is amazing
Fairies are well and truly done for now
Dom is a good throw

It's all ended up well.

Thank you so much for writing what has been an amazing journey, and I can't wait until next year's :D

Awww what cuteness!
I seem to be a bit behind, but still I enjoyed this little reunion really much. Thaanks!

I didn't quite make it in time for the epilogue, but ah well! Near enough anyway! Forging ever onwards!

Oh, the good ol' Mesmer. If you wanna look the guy up who it's named after, Franz Anton Mesmer, he was born quite near where my grandparents live on Lake Constance, in like 1700. *1734 apparently.

I love that they write in all caps. Whose handwriting is so bad that caps are the better option? Mind you, these are cursive times. Probably PG honestly. I can see Xandr having impeccable cursive skills for some reason.

Apparently it is Xandr with the all-caps. Maybe he doesn't like his kids to know how pretty his cursive is.

WHAT DOES HIS CASUAL OUTFIT LOOK LIKE. WHY ARE YOU NOT DESCRIBING THIS TO ME. THIS IS THE 70S. JEANS ARE STILL SORT OF A COUNTER-CULTUR THING TO SOME PEOPLE. I MUST KNOWWWWW.

I love that PG just straight up plants her poison plants at the Manor. The grounds are big and the head of servants is her husband, of course they'll be fine. Thriving, even. I also now am constantly imagining Xandr using his few hours off a day to tend to her plants, and in the letters they write each other he makes sure to include polaroids with detailed descriptions of what's been going on with the plants for her. Which she doesn't need because she trusts his care for her plants, but it makes her happy anyway. ...Told you testosterone made me sappy.

Aww. The little mute drummer boy speaks again. Well, not drummer boy. Bodyguard boy. Just doesn't have the same ring though, does it?

I forgot how the family story goes. Ultimate must be half-Russian then, or PG is the Butler and somehow he took her name, and I find that highly unlikely. But also hilarious that a couple of Russians born in the first half of the 20th century would 'of course' speak English. Must be a wild family, and they kind of had other shit going on over there back then. Wait, when would they have been born... Yeah, turn of the century or thereabouts. Adults during Stalin. That can't have been fun.

Yes, Theresa, you have a bedtime too now. Papa bear has spoken. It's very cute.

Yup, there we go with the family explanation. Again, Ultimate's mum must have one hell of a life story.

Yes, Bertha /is/ the strong partner at Myles's side. I'm glad you got that correctly, Theresa. Since you won't make a move...

God, could you imagine telling PG to fuck off? Who could get away with that? ...Jean, probably. She's grandchild age and exactly the kind of person PG is. Just more hands-on, arguably.

Myles, the woman is a single mum in 1970s Ireland, let her have some beliefs that mean she doesn't go absolutely batshit insane from how her life is going. Don't scoff at her saying souls.

Yeah, again, don't fuck with the Mesmer or what mummy tells you to do, Mylo babe. Yes, we have gone from capitalising His pronouns to me calling Him babe. It's happened. That's what happens when you humanise mythical figures. They turn to people you can make fun of. And call babe.

Another one down! Just two more to go!

Bless you for such a lovely story! I'm so glad to read your works! I'll be looking out for your return in the future, but until then I hope that you have the best year you can.

Another classic Wolfy fic has drawn to a close. It’s great to still be reading these years down the road and see the consistency of high quality stories still coming out. Just a bonus that it happens to be about the greatest family in modern fiction.

Intrigued by the teaser at the end, and look forward to the next project that comes out.

Thank you for the story, I really enjoyed reading it!

Doesn't your wife ever abduct your child from hospitals without telling you? No? What do you mean Xandr's experiences are not universeal? Or universal even?

That's your mother in law, Theresa, try and be more polite.

PG, the least sentimental person on the planet. I love her. And Maud oddly fits for a person like that.

Bates is just like 'Fuck this shit, I'm sitting down.' I approve.

You saw that schmooze fit to breed with, PG, he can't be that bad stock. I also love the implication I've done her of PG evaluating people of whether they're fit to procreate with. Of course she does.

Aaaand she sent them all under. Of course she did. The woman is a parody of herself at all times, which is of course all anybody can ever strive to be.

Happy belated new year because it fits with this chapter's end note! I'm catching up I think!

Steinbock

Just caught up! So here’s a little two for one.

15 was slow but in a great way, fleshing out the Butler background and adding to the family tree. The image of babushka ruling with a literal iron fist was a laugh.

Poison Granny got a bit creepy there in the last chapter didn’t she. Reminds me of an old Eddie Izzard segment about Granny Smith apples. “Shag for babies!”

Only one more chapter to go. Might be a bit sad about that.

Will I catch up in time for when you post the epilogue? I do not know that, but you may do. In the meantime, we shall see.

Yeah, if I was Theresa I'd also be wondering how much worse turns there are when it comes to how bad the Major is. I really would be wondering how much fucking worse it can get. Stop loving Butlers, lady, it does not appear to be going well for you. Then again your taste in other men is arguably even worse so maybe don't?

How many times in her life has PG said 'that was also a perfectly workable plan' to people? Also if you end up writing a thriller series based on her life with the names of the Butlers just vaguely disguised I won't be mad at all and I'll personally make sure you send me advance signed copies of all of them. I'll own the boxset in hardcover as well. Also signed.

She must have touched you at one point, Mylo. Babies go mad if you don't. Must be a long time ago though, for you to not remember. That's kind of sad.

'Yup, that's pain alright. Can confirm.' God, Major, stop being depressing.

Myles' inner monologue hyped on pain killers and also sad and also being abducted by His mum and a fairy may be my favourite. I mean anybody's inner monologue in that situation would be hilarious probably, but still. 'really, really weird dream' indeed.

Has anybody ever asked why Root has a name quite firmly rooted in Latin etymology? Or is that just me?

'I'm... okay? What the fuck?' Yeah, I can't blame you. I mean even if it had been months later, that would have been a shock. Oh yeah, you've been knocked out for ages. You missed everything, including your twin brother coming back, or whatever. Three months working for the Fowls is probably filled with as much excitement as working in any other job for 30 years.

I love how Bates just runs with things. He'd be fun to have along on a night out. Aya called me an enabler the other night, and she's not wrong, but Bates? God, what a party he'd enable one into.

'however did you guess' indeed. Was it the gruffness? The take-no-shit attitude? The badly defined racial ambiguity, thanks Colfer? Or a mix of all three?

Steinbock

So nice to read! Maud is quite the character and I really like to hear about her.
Curious if Theresa IS going t o try again...
Thank you so much for writing - you really sweetened my holidays!