This is my first posting about this story on this site. I've posted feedback about it on Fanfiction.net, but I think I should comment here as well.

An earlier poster commented on the likeness between Xander's jealousy of Angel and Willow's jealousy of Faith and how they fixated on punishing the respective objects of their jealousy, and I thought it was an excellent observation, though I'm inclined to give Xander a little slack because in all honesty Angel should've been dusted a long time ago. Every flashback shows that as Liam of Galway he was a poor excuse for a man, as Angelus he was a vicious, sadistic monster, and as Angel the vampire with a soul he's still a broody jerk. It's ironic that Xander is such a fan of comic book heroes, because Angel is a lot like Batman: i.e., a well-intentioned asshole that makes you want to smack him after watching him bring down the mood of everyone around him because he can never be truly happy.

In contrast, I think Willow was threatened by Buffy's budding friendship with Faith (something the younger Slayer sorely needed at the time) and didn't understand that Buffy needed a friend who understands what it is to be a Slayer. Whatever power Willow might accumulate as a witch, she still wouldn't have that perspective, because she can walk away from the fight whenever she wants to, but Buffy and Faith can't. And unlike Angel, Faith's future isn't dictated by her crimes. She can and should feel the weight of them, but she doesn't have to let the guilt turn her into a big sourpuss like Angel.

I'd also like to note that ironically it was a matter of extremes of discipline that led to Faith and Willow's respective paths to the dark side. With Faith they neglected her or were too heavy-handed: Buffy complaining to Giles that Faith was too reckless, excluding her from important meetings like the one about Angel's return, guilt-tripping her over Allan Finch's accidental death, Xander's ill-considered attempt to "connect" with her, which based on her behavior and past history she undoubtedly saw as an attempt to extract sexual favors from her in exchange for leniency, and finally Wesley trying to ship her off to the Council for judgment -- which I personally have no doubt would've been a summary execution so they'd have a new Slayer to get their hooks into. After all that it's no wonder that she sided with the Mayor. If the so-called good guys are gonna treat you like crap for just doing your job your own way and not being a clone of someone else, it kind of makes sense to go with the bad guys. With them there's only one real rule: get the job done, period, or you die. And to add insult to injury, Willow taunted her that there was no going back in "Choices."

In contrast, Willow always got off too lightly when she screwed up, and she has a history of overreacting. I remember in the pilot that she covertly sabotaged Cordelia and Harmony's computer assignment by giving them bad advice about what key to press to finish the program because she barged into a conversation between the two about Buffy and Cordelia told her off; that sort of thing should earn you an F and a parent-teacher conference. She made catty remarks about Cordelia (calling her a "skanky ho," for example) when she was dating Xander, and Buffy laughed instead of admonishing her. She admitted causing a blackout while trying to contact the spirit world and wasn't punished for it (admittedly, that incident was only referenced in passing in "Dead Man's Party"), Xander took 90% of the fallout when Cordelia and Oz caught them kissing (a kiss *she* initiated), and she got out of punishment for the "my will be done" spell by baking cookies! That last one's particularly egregious, because she did it because everyone refused to drop what they were doing to focus on her problems, and I found her drunken comment to Xander ("'Oh, I live in the basement.' Yeah, that's dire.") absolutely infuriating. He didn't like paying rent just to live in the basement, especially since an earlier episode that season ("Wild at Heart," I think) established that his parents wouldn't let him lock the basement door, and which also makes Giles sticking him with housing Spike in "Hush" really galling. I think Giles should've confiscated all of her spellbooks and materials after "Something Blue," but he didn't. Not to mention her vanishing the cash register in "Triangle," which was incredibly irresponsible, yet Anya gets mocked for being concerned about the money that was helping support her and Xander's lifestyle.

On a side note, I agreed with Xander when he mocked Willow by saying "We can't let him stake himself; it's not right." They should've dusted the bleached menace after they found out about Riley and Spike had nothing more to offer regarding the Initiative. If nothing else it would've spared us the creepy wrongness that is Spuffy.

In regards to the story so far, I love it. It rings very true to the Initiative's intransigence regarding other methods of operation, and I hope if Riley tries to interfere with Faith and Xander's mission to save Buffy from Ethan because he doesn't trust Faith that he chewed out and his ass kicked for the Initiative losing Ethan.

Author's Response:

Wow, feedback in essay form. I love it! :D

I won't go over everything you say but a few points:

 

- I like Angel and, although I sympathize with SOME of Xander's actions he's still mostly in the wrong when it comes to the ol' broody jerk; 'Revelations' for instance. The reason i give Xander more of a pass is that he's an emotional guy who acts on those feelings, sometimes without thinking. It's 'in-character'.

In did want to explore why Willow- a fairly compassionate character most of the time- held the opinion she had of Faith and so I had her act the way I think she would've acted if given the opportunity. I'm entirely with you when it comes to her motives and how she sees Faith.

 

- Willow gets cut entirely too much slack (in comparison to Faith or whatever) given the ammount of times she screws up. She ends up almost single-handedly ending the world. There is a moral there but I'm not sure the characters ever learn, or ever modify their treatment of more...self-regulating characters like Faith for example.

 

- Spike should've been dusted, I agree. Instead he went and got a soul and became infinitly worse imo.

 

Many thanks for the good analysis and you deep thoughts. As for the future; Will Riley interfere? Have to wait and see..:)

omggg pleaseeeee update soon!!!! i have to know what happens neeeext!!

i'm hhoping this rescue mission is a good opportunity for faith and buffy's crew to bond, so that they trust faith more!! seeing faith all worried about buffy is also a plus ;)

overprotective faith is cute

can't wait for next chppter!!

 

YOU ARE AMAZING

Author's Response:

Thank you for your many, many reviews. You are too kind with you praise and enthusiasm. :)

 

Enjoy the NEW CHAPTER! oooommmggg!! :D

awww faith being apologetic and awkward is sooo cute

 

and this chapter made me realize i kind of dig jealous buffy... she's pretty hot when posessive over faith.... i dont like graham haha, i'm sure she doesn't either for obvious reasons lol

this chapter was both hot and sad :(

noooooooo i thought they were finally getting along!!

 

but of course faith wouldn't let things go so easily

 

it's why i love her. so much angst and anger in that girl haha

Yay I'm happy about all the fuffy scenes this chapter

damn it! i literally just wrote you like a 3 paragraph review for this chapter!! but the stupid internet failed me, and all of it got deleted.

sorry i'm too lazy to rewrite everything i said. i'm just pissed i spent like 30 mins writing that and now it's gone.

anyway, in summation, awesome chapter, so sad there's so much conflict between buffy and faith, but it's part of what makes your story so believable. if faith fell in love with buffy so easily, i'd be disappointed.

love the angst. keep it up!

what is project 314...

i always feel so bad for faith; she's had a shitty lock in life; i honestly don't blame her for being so wary of everyone; as the reader, i want her to trust buffy, but if i was truly in her shoes, my trust issues would be trhu the roof, i get it :(

 

poor girl, i hope buffy can show her love and compassion and give faith a happier life, together :)

damn iiiiiit

giles, willow, and riley are gonna screwwww up buffy's chance at gettnig faith to trust herrrr fuuuuudgeeeeeee

 

whyyyy??? damn it, i love the angst, i'm a masochist for it, and i love you, ms/mr writer!

dude, i blame you for me procrastinating on my homework

i read the entirety of the first story in ONE DAY.

i ignored all my responsibilities because it was so gripping!!

i'm up now,  like 2:41 am, because i just finished up my homework, but even while doing it, i was still sooo distracted because i couldn't wait to just be done and come back to read this sequel!!

 

you're honestly amazing, do you  know that? i just want you to know that. I love you mind, creativity, and writing! pleaseeeee never stop writing fanfic for these two!! you're incredible!!!

To all those fiction writers out in the cold I bring you the gift of blankets and hot cocoa.

 

Great fic, excited for an update. Was beginning to forget what was happening with this one. Love the way you've incorporated cannon with alternate ideas. Also very frustrated by the Scoobs, accurate though. Friggin Willow. Can't wait for the awkward moment where Faith swoops in and saves Buffy sans slayer powers, Buffy all swoony gives her a massive signal (One that can be seen from space) just as Ridley stumbles upon the moment. Ripley, Riley...  that solider guy.

 

Look forward to the next installment. Please don't make us wait forever. Readers have feelings too. :)

Author's Response:

I am a refreshed and revitalized fan-fic author. Too me long enough...

 

Thanks for your thoughts, and there will be swoonage of a sort, soon.

 

New chapter's up!

Yay an update! excellent chapter. Please don't make Wesley do a stupid thing and call the watchers, history does not need repeating and working with angel helped Wesley grow to be better, like in sanctuary where he refused to help the watchers kill/capture faith.