Bewitched: An Empty Seat

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Synopsis:

An epilogue to the story, Bewitched: A Meeting of the Minds at the Pussywillow Lounge. It's forty years later, and Darrin's time is near ...

Story:

All the goodbyes had been said. Samantha, Tabitha, and Adam had waited with him for days, watching over him and holding his hand while the minutes between Darrin and death shrank to a precious few. After Darrin descended into a deep sleep, his family decided to go across the street to a diner for dinner. The staff had Samantha's cell phone number and swore they would call when Darrin woke up.

Although the looks the doctors and nurses gave each other made it clear they thought "if" was a more appropriate word than "when."

As soon as it was quiet in Darrin's room, there was a chiming sound. Endora appeared next to the bed. She hadn't changed a bit in the years since the incident that had so completely altered her relationship with her daughter's mortal husband.

Not changed physically, at any rate.

She looked down at the frail form lying there.

So fragile, she thought sadly, and sighed. I am sorry now, for everything I did to him ... before. I really didn't understand mortals then. To be fair, I didn't really want to. Now I see there is more to them than I thought. Because once we stopped sniping at each other, I could see that he really was a good husband, and a good father. A good ... man.

"Darrin?" Endora whispered, touching his cheek. He started and opened his eyes to see her standing beside him. Then he smiled.

"It seems I'll never get used to you using my real name," he whispered.

"I could call you 'Dustbin' if it would make you feel better," she replied with a wink.

"I don't think anything could make me feel better at this point." Darrin looked over at all the machinery helping to keep him alive, and the morphine drip to cut the pain. "But I appreciate the sentiment ... I think."

She took his hand and squeezed.

"You'll have them all to yourself soon, Endora," he said with a little smile. "I envy you the future. But I thank you for the past. For the time you allowed me to have."

"I should thank you," Endora whispered. "For making me see that mortals have their good points. Even ones who marry my daughter." Darrin smiled and squeezed her hand in return. He closed his eyes.

There was a long companionable silence, but finally, it was broken ... by Endora.

"I was thinking back to the incident that changed things between us, and I believe I know why you were able to endure what I did to you, and make peace between us."

Darrin's eyes popped open. Endora smiled.

"No secrets between us, 'Darla,'" she said, and Darrin seemed to relax in the bed. "The truth is, my little trick backfired. You actually enjoyed being 'Double-D,' didn't you?" Darrin seemed to turn inward and think. After a time, Endora pressed further. "Didn't you?"

Darrin nodded. "No more secrets. I did like it ... some of it, anyway. Not all. Not the powerlessness of being a piece of meat for the club owner or the backstage manager ... of letting them touch me whether I wanted it or not. But when I was Darla, I was twenty years old again, healthy and alive. The girls stuck together and helped each other out, like sisters. And when I stepped out on the stage, every man in that room wanted me. For all of the things I've done as Darrin ... for everything I've ever accomplished ... I have never felt so ... desired ... since those three day so long ago."

Endora nodded. "I remember being wanted that way. Intoxicating. How the men would flock. That feeling of being precious ... of being the center of a man's universe, even for a short while."

Darrin nodded back. "I didn't want to stay Darla, because of Sam and the children," he went on. "They needed me. I had a home, and a family, and a life. But when you turned me into Darla without a reason, I knew how badly you wanted to punish and humiliate me. My time in Darla's heels was time for me to think, and I realized we couldn't keep going at each other like that, or both of us would lose the woman we loved."

Endora bowed her head, just a nod, her eyes closed.

"I wish I could give you immortality," she said softly. "I wish I could make you ... one of us. I think witches could learn a lot from mortals, if we ever got past the prejudice for the non-magical. But I can't even heal you, Darrin. It is forbidden by the Witches Council." He sighed, and nodded. She opened her eyes and looked down at him. "There is ... something I can do for you. One gift I can give. If you truly want it."

Darrin looked at her confused.

"Remember when we made our truce? I said you should behave yourself, or 'there is always an empty seat in the dressing room at the Pussywillow Lounge, waiting to be filled.'" His eyes widened. She nodded. "I kept that seat open since that night, more out of nostalgia than anything else. It's still waiting ... for you. Darla."

"Sam ..."

She interrupted him. "Samantha can't know, Darrin. Not ever. I'm taking advantage of a loophole no one knows is there, and I'm just barely within the rules as it is. If Sam knows and they find out, they'll assume she was in it with me, and punish us both."

Endora looked deep into his eyes. "This isn't an extension of your old life. It's a whole new one to live. If you choose. You've always been proud of making your own way. Here's your chance to start again, and build a better life. For Darla. And for you."

Suddenly, Darrin's heart monitor began to beep irregularly. He gasped from the pain, then looked at the machine, and back at Endora. She nodded, and smiled, and squeezed his hand again.

"Say yes, mortal," she whispered. "Say yes, and live a while longer. For me."

Darrin nodded, and closed his eyes. His heart stopped.

###

Darrin Stevens died that night and was buried in a private service. Samantha and the children grieved for their lost loved one, then disappeared from the mortal realm soon after -- Sam to finally take her place on the Witches Council, and the children to explore their heritage with their grandmother.

And Darla? She appeared back in the Pussywillow Lounge forty years earlier, just in time for her midnight slot on the night she left, so long ago. She stayed on there for a few years as a dancer, eventually becoming the headliner. She made enough money to buy the place outright, and surprised everyone with her business acumen. Her knack for advertising and promotion turned "Darla's Place" into a Bayonne institution -- and kept customers coming back, night after night.

Darla was a wonderful boss. She paid the women who danced there well and treated them like family. Even after she became the owner, Darla kept dancing, and eventually found a man who didn't care what she did on stage, as long as she came back to their bed every night.

Sometimes, the other women in the club would see her drift off into memory, and watch a wistful smile slip onto her face. Even so, she never missed an entrance. She enjoyed every minute in the spotlight. And she was always there for a friend.

Because no matter where she'd been before, she knew where she was now. And Darla Derwood was happy.

"Double-D" was home.

NOTE: I just had to bring Double-D home. When I realized I'd left a loophole, I couldn't let it rest. It was too good an opportunity to miss. *grins* I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

*hugs*

Randalynn

Notes:

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Comments

Re-read this one tonight

a sweet ending to his life, and a well-deserved reward. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Dorothycolleen, member of Bailey's Angels

DogSig.png

An old favorite

I noticed I was coming up on 5 years here and wondered at the exact date. Trying to be creative, I went searching using the track function in my account to the very first comment I left here. This is it. Rereading it bought back a happy tear of many an hour watching Bewitched and Endora's and 'Derwood's' fights as well as their antics. The classic mother-in-law from hell, and the no-good lout who isn't good enough for my daughter, do I dare call it cat-fight? :) Reminds me of just why Randalynn is one of my must read authors regardless of the tag-line.

Hugs!
Grover

There's Another Loophole...

...you know. :)

Since Endora created Darla's life, she could choose who her parents are. If Endora had wanted, she could have arranged things so Darla was the daughter of one of the many mortal women that Endora's husband had short affairs with. Thus making Darla Samantha's half sister and an unknowing half-blood witch like Tabitha and Adam. Endora would then be able to save Darrin, giving him/her immortality, rub her husband's nose in his infidelities, and give Darla a means to rejoin the family.

See, since I'm enjoying these stories, I just had to think up a way that you could continue them. Besides, I always thought it unfair Darrin couldn't be immortal as well. :)

KenJ

Ah, but Endora created Darla ...

... forty years back. The loophole was that Endora never UNcreated her, so she could slip Darrin back into Darla's slingbacks without attracting attention. Darla was created for Darrin after all, so it shouldn't raise a fuss in the Universe for his soul to wind up there.

To fiddle with Darla's origins so close to Darrin's death could call attention to the entire enterprise, which is something Endora desperately wanted to avoid. Still, I LIKE the way you think! *grins* And I'm glad you enjoyed the stories!

Randalynn

Ah Ha, But... :)

...Endora DID create Darla 40 years back.

After Darrin left being her and Endora made peace with Darrin then Endora had 40 years to fiddle with Darla's origins just for the sake of amusement at her husband's expense, and without any expectation of Darla's life becoming active again thou she kept the potential open. She could have done the actual fiddling 25-30 years ago at a time when she was particularly annoyed with her husband, then completely forgot about it. Until, when Darrin finally went into the hospital and she thought back on her time with Darrin, she suddenly realized the implications for Darrin in the changes she made in Darla.

There's no problem about suddenly drawing attention to Darrin's death because by then Darla will have been living her new life for 40 plus years and will only draw attention to herself from the witches when they notice she is an amazingly youthful, 60 something entertainer.

So there, Randalynn! *grins*

Glad you like the way I Think. *giggle*

KenJ

Funnily enough, I remember 'Bewitched' ...

... because it was when I was still living at my parents on and off and they had a TV. So I made an exception to my 'no pop-culture' stories and read this neat little piece.

I wonder if Samantha aged herself physically to fit in with her husband. I guess it would have been a mere twitch of her nose to do it. A very well done quickie. Thanks.

Geoff

The Heart Of Darkness

With my apologies to Joseph Conrad.

Well, I would not even try to add to Randalynn's touching "revisionism" on Darrin, Derwood, Dustbin, or whomever. It is a nicely written and very sweet rendition. Having typed that;

I also do not feel the need for closure when forces are by definition diametrically opposed. The problem is that Darrin is in fact entirely out gunned and can't make for a good long term protagonist. I think that Randalynn found a very gracious exit from that difficulty.:)

What is written below is "tongue in cheek" and not meant to do anything but show how darkly my mind can operate. However if this were to go on by my keyboard, well;

I would have preferred Darrin just "flipping off" Endora, giving her the "wrinkled finger" and saying, "see you in hell bitch" as witches do in my lexicon of the "witchery" universe die. Even Endora would rant on occasion about the Salem trials and the darkest days for their order not even bothering to consider that more innocent mortals were killed than any "real" witches who naturally were off vacationing in Barbados at such dark times.

Endora never even gave him the grace of an identity, which he never had anyway. Unless, one counts "blustering buffoon" which he was very talented at. All Darrin was, was a peabrain trying to pull off the next advertising con job and make the customer happy. That is ok, and surely a sign of the times but never once did he question whether his life was worth living or his motives "questionable". As Socrates said; "the unexamined life is not worth living".

Frankly at the moment, if I were writing it, it could go either of two ways. First, once he got old and even more crotchety (Darrin won't age gracefully) I think Samatha or Endora might rightly send him off to a resthome for old women with a "prolapsed uterus" and all. Let silly old "Aunt Darla" babble about being a man to the equally confused "Mary Tate" who now thanks to Endora and his long suffering wifes agreement has the same odd recollections. I see the two sitting in their floral patterned frocks fussing about their support hose and waiting for their "depends" to be changed. Yet another chance to berate the staff for not understanding that they were "Contenda's" and continued amazement that there is nothing down their between there wrinkled old womans thighs.

Or, Darrin goes straight to Hell, where the devil who finds Endora an over reaching old bitch sends him back with his own set of charms, perhaps as "Darla" the club owner and witch killing "bitch from hell" quite literally? The problem is that neither Samantha nor Tabitha or any other witch is immune from the wrath of Darla, unless Darla is the good man that you claim that she is.

Well, it is the fun thing about this, you can imagine anything at all. Fortunately I only write a small portion of my imaginings, I try to be tasteful? LOL!

I loved your versions Randalynn and have no intention of adding to the charming resolution for all involved.

Hugs,
Gwen

Gwen Lavyril

Gwen Lavyril

Cool

I must admit that this is so sweet that I would like to see more! The first story was such a good one for old fans of the TV show. I can see why you want to end it, but hey I loved that show!