Bareenfan

The reflections on Irene's childhood were very effective, and certainly fit well with the Irene we know and love. I liked how you described her making her statement to stuck up teachers, as it is pretty much the sort of thing she would do today , perhaps not in the same way, but she takes no truck. Also Barry did say once that he liked being her shoulder if I remember correctly so its a good thing that he gets the chance now and again. I am interested to see what you are going to do with them now that she knows his dark secret. My only criticism is that the dialogue at the end where Irene describes how her family died seemed a bit labored for Irene, the words don't quite seem to fit with her, although they obviously describe the events Dani is as self absorbed as ever, and you have captured that very well. Martha and Kane was an excellent idea, so well done there. Its a combination which has worked well for you so far. You have caught Martha's know it all stubbornness, as well as that soft spot she keeps hidden, as well as Kane's complexities and his vulnerability. I don't think that's easy to do and you have done it very well. Martha's Prisoner relative(S) was a nice touch and made me smile - I remember Geoff Butler too - and I am sure there are several other Summer Bay residents who were Wentworth inmates. I am, as always, looking forward to the next chapter.

Yet again ILM you have written something which cuts through to the heart of the characters and lays them bare. Your ability to move between the generations is uncanny, and is very effective. I love Will's cockiness and awkwardness, and you capture that so well combined with his protective streak. Hayley aged 5, expecting to find the answers when she is 6, is a sad little girl, and this explains so much about the older Hayley. Children think in different ways from adults and you have again captured and understood that extremely well. Then there was Barry thinking there was no hope for him and shutting out the world. The imagery in this section was extremely powerful, and I felt his pain and loneliness as I read it. Irene taking him into the warm room and stealing his heart, again fantastic imagery, created a very vivid image of tenderness between them, and of a strong and deep bond, and you know how much I love them. Thank you.

Thanks. I'll be returning to Hayley next chapter and it's way, way past time I returned to what's happening with Will so he'll make a reappearance...not sure who else, if anyone, will pop up yet as I've barely begun it but, just to keep people happy, I can probably - well, hopefully - squeeze a Barry/Irene scene in there too... That would be much appreciated. I have enjoyed the intervening chapters, the Gypsy one was harrowing, and the last one was intriguing as well, but I would not say no to a nice romantically inclined mention of my favorite couple occasionally However, I particularly like the way you bring your characters to life, and the Tramps and Thieves chapter was especially evocative and hard hitting. You always mange to surprise us. This is my favorite fic on the forum.

Thanks, I don't think anybody else liked it. No more reviews either here or on fanfic.net. Well I liked it very much indeed, and you must remember that the forum has been down for several days now. Whilst tastes differ, and I know that people who like Jack and Martha might not like to read about Irene and Barry, I have always thought that this should not blind them to good writing, and you should also look to see how many people are reading your chapters, not how many are reviewing it. If lots of people are reading it, and I think that they are, then that is the main thing. Sometimes people don't always know what to say, particularly when its a piece of writing which is outside of their usual experience. That does not mean they don't like it. So please don't let the lack of comments put you off. I too was very moved by this. I liked the way you got inside of the the young Irene's head, and how we could see what life must have been like for her as a child. It fitted in so well with what we know of Irene, and of her battling spirit. She looks out for kids today just like she looked out for her brothers and sisters and that made so much sense. The way on which her story intertwined with Barry's was very effective and like Maggie I thought the stars analogy was particularly effective. This was very mature writing , and I enjoyed reading it. It was one of the best things that I have read on BTTB in a long time.

Thank you for letting me know. I did enjoy it, for as you know fics which include my favourite characters are as rare as hens teeth, and you have captured them very well. I enjoyed reading about the other characters as well. I am passing the word out to the other bareenfans. There was another fic which included them a while ago but that seems to have disappeared, so you will have a very keen and appreciative audience. I like the idea of hearing about Irene as a child, and also how you captured Barry's essential shyness but his comfortableness and safeness with Irene which is something that we bareens all saw from day one. I am feeling very sorry for poor gypsy at the moment as well, and I do like the chapter titles.

Go to The shambles, and also there is a great shop called the christmas shop or something like that, You can buy for chrsitmas early. I was there last year and spent a fortune. There are some great little english tea rooms too.

I love this twisted fic

Fine and sunny.

This is an excellent layout. Thank you.