Obviously I didn't make myself clear on the "No Choking Buffy" thing. Or perhaps you just don't take me seriously? ;)

Faith saving Buffy was so wonderful; she's still reachable. WHEEE!!! And I loved Buffy tossing the knife back to her.

Their banter back and forth couldn't be any better, so much being said outright and bewteen the lines. I like the easy familarity they have, but the cautiousness and knowledge too, that at any second they could be fighting each other no holds barred. It's kind of like watching two tigers circling around a downed gazelle...if they had a previously friendly relationship and respected each other's abilities or something. You're the writer, you figure it out ;)

It's a tense scene, especially when you add in that Buffy's also trying to get through to Faith all while making it clear that she's not letting Faith leave with the shard. It's all so tenuous, and just one wrong word or phrase can screw the whole thing up and cost Fuffy dearly in a bunch of different ways.

They go very quickly from: "Wanna flip for it? I'll let you call." to: "So is that all it takes? Someone throws you a bag of gold and you ask how high?" and onward to: "...whore for hire", and then just like that, the nitty gritty is in their faces.It's a perfectly paced conversation.

I really like how you portray them, Faith's impassioned accusations, Buffy's refusal to take the bait and escalate to a fight, neither girl's heart really into having a physical confrontation. I think Buffy's very mature as she tries to reach Faith, even when she loses her temper a bit, she gets herself right back on track, and Faith responds favorably to Buffy's caring and understanding.

Um...In the future, no arriving cops.

Buffy distracting the cop from shooting at Faith is a wonderful moment and it makes it very clear how much Buffy cares about Faith. *sigh*

I'm a huge Buffy lover and I loved her in this chapter. I'm loving this story pretty hugely too, but then you probably already know that.

Great chapter! :)

Author's Response:

 

But technically Buffy hadn't been, err, unchoked yet, so that completely doesn't count. :(

lol, good analogy... I think. I'm not a tiger expert or anything, but I'm sure that happens sometimes. Like on the lion king, which I heard from a friend of a friend is basically a documentary.

Sheesh. No choking, no cops.... you're very demanding. Next you'll be telling me not to kill anyone off either. :x