I couldn't be happier with Riley's betrayal, it had the advantage of getting him out the way pretty quickly (sentimentally speaking)! :D

Well done to Buffy for showing a lot of resilience because honestly, who could resist the urge of walking away? Not canon Buffy, sadly.

 

Sparks

Ah I can only imagine Faith's growing frustration when she get replied "about as lucky as you usually get". And we don't really explicitely get to understand why by the way... or is it that Buffy was still not over sending Angel to hell?

I like your rewriting scene of the "Spartan" hotel, and Buffy finally making a *real* effort to understand what's going on in Faith's head.

Thanks for this great fic ;)

Author's Response:

Thank you! I think Angel probably has a lot to do with Buffy's hesitation to take this to the next level, yeah. If your one and only sexual experience culminated in your boyfriend losing his soul, you're probably a bit gun shy! Haha. 

Debridement

I can feel the guilt and shame and angst from Faith leap thru the screen. So glad Buffy tried harder to give faith another chance. Thank you!

Author's Response:

Thank you for going through all this old stuff! Glad you enjoyed. :)

Sparks

Poor Faith. I hope they're able to clear the air about Angel later. It hurts to think of Faith feeling like she's second choice. As always, wonderful fic. Thank you for sharing this with us <3

Author's Response:

Thank you for reading it. :) I think they'll come to terms with the Angel development and make out okay. 

Oh wow oh wow love the tender scenes you write between fuffy here. Buffy's kiss on Faith's forehead as she comforted her and then later the kiss after she was saved - both such good moments. My heart is overflowing with warmth. Thank you!

Author's Response:

Thank you for reading through these ancient stories and still enjoying them! Much appreciated. :)

I loved this series! I really like the idea of "these are all the ways they could have gotten together in canon" and how it highlights how legit this ship is. But it's also frustrating because urgh, so many wasted opportunities!
Will we ever get the 9th and 10th roads? (:

Author's Response:

I think eventually I'll finish this off! It could already be finished if I added Therapeutic Intent and possibly Shivery to it, but I have like weird internal criteria for when something is allowed to count toward this series, and I didn't think either totally fit what I wanted. There are numerous other ideas I had for what the remaining one shots would be, although at this point we're talking about ideas from 10 years ago, so I'm not sure I'll do those or whether I'll think of something else. Long rambling answer, but yea, I'll finish at some point. 😝 I do have two more long stories in progress that I'll turn to after I finish Hypnopompia, which is what I'm working on now, so it may be a while before I get there. 😁

I cannot adequately describe how much joy this chapter brought me. I always love the bits of a story where the Scoobies react/speculate on our girls relationship. It also helps that your characterizations are always perfect. Everyone walks, talks and reacts just like they should. You are a grand master, honestly. 

Author's Response:

It's definitely easier to write the light hearted/comedic reactions like I did here than to delve into the less supportive Scoobies that sometimes seem more authentic. I liked these scenes too! I don't think it's a secret that I'm not especially fond of Kennedy or Andrew, so I'm glad that their small parts felt authentic. 😊

I went back and read your series and wow you never disappoint.  So much talent and such a great ability to weave together a story.   This installment had me from the get go and I soaked it up like a sponge.  I’m looking forward to more works from you.   Thank you so much for the entertainment.  I’m truly a fan.  Xoxo, Liz

Author's Response:

Thank you so much for your kind words! I still have a lot of ideas and things in various stages of completion, life just gets in the way. I hope I keep putting stuff out and entertaining! Even at a very slow pace. 😂

What a great Fuffy story, really enjoyed this one,thanx! And no, this does not  mean you are off the hook for your other  ones...quite the opposite 😜

Author's Response:

Whatttt? But I wrote a thing. That means I can fade into obscurity for another 12-16 months now. That was definitely the deal. 😊😊😊

A truly perfect ending to a truly perfect . . . beginning?  Yes.  That's exactly what they have here.  The beginning of a beautiful life.  (And with that many people in one place, probably a life filled with many, many more embarassing moments.  I love this take on a post-Chosen "what-if".  It needs to be filmed and played every Christmas.  The last few lines were perfect.

You'll always be one of my most favorite Fuffy writers ever!

Author's Response:

And you are one of mine! Which is why you should come back. 😂😂 I feel like being a magnet for embarrassing moments is half of Buffy’s charm. I could recruit a few people to do a dramatic reading maybe. I call being Giles! Would that suffice for Christmas? 

At first I thought "wow, Willow's really being a dick! It's like she wants Faith to flip the table."

Then I realised the twist. The Giles outburst was a perfect touch. I look forward to your next venture into fuffy shennanigans. 

Author's Response:

Thank you! Giles was critically underutilized and he needed a win. Lol. For this fic and this fic only, Willow is not a dick. Tune in next time when Willow will surely return to form. :D :D

Yes! This is a super sweet storyline. Big fan of the character interactions... and now there's more on the way!

Author's Response:

Yes! :) Thank you, glad you are enjoying it!