In many ways, Faith’s kinship with Angel is greater than the one she has with Buffy. Buffy and Faith are both Slayers, true (and, even if the sexual entendres she kept tossing at Buffy were strictly for the fun of making the more straitlaced girl uncomfortable, they really did seem to indicate yearning for a closeness she couldn’t openly seek). On the other hand, Angel saved Faith, in a way Buffy never did — and, perhaps almost as important, Faith got the opportunity to return the favor — and they share a memory of terrible deeds and a need to atone. Buffy and Faith are Slayers; Faith and Angel are killers seeking redemption. You could argue forever about which bond is stronger, but there’s no denying how powerful each one is.
Because of all that, I don’t doubt that going to Angel’s aid was one of Faith’s overriding motivations; I indicated the willingness in the alternative story “Jasmine Tears”. While she was on the plane, however, she was dealing with something else, and working to repair some of the damage she’d done to her relationship with Dawn (an extension of the larger rift between herself and Buffy) didn’t conflict with the other mission but might serve in fact to augment it.
Dawn’s new determination … well, she’s Buffy’s sister. With that as an example, she was never going to be content to take an eternal back seat; by the same token, she would know by long example that she couldn’t compare to a Slayer, in the sense of operating on the same level. If she was going to contribute, it would have to be in her own way. This is Dawn at 17, still well short of what she may eventually become, but one can see the beginnings.
And, yes, I’ve put in my time on military transports. The truth, however, is that the most miserable flight I ever had was on a civilian airliner … with every seat occupied, but we were still supposed to find room for all our baggage, gear and weapons, and the flight (with several stops, except we were never allowed to leave the plane) lasted 19 hours. It’s also true that when you load a bunch of soldiers on a plane for a long flight, about half promptly go to sleep, and the remainder start reading, listening to music, or playing hand-held video games.
As always, I enjoyed writing this … and, as always, I enjoy your feedback.
no subject
Because of all that, I don’t doubt that going to Angel’s aid was one of Faith’s overriding motivations; I indicated the willingness in the alternative story “Jasmine Tears”. While she was on the plane, however, she was dealing with something else, and working to repair some of the damage she’d done to her relationship with Dawn (an extension of the larger rift between herself and Buffy) didn’t conflict with the other mission but might serve in fact to augment it.
Dawn’s new determination … well, she’s Buffy’s sister. With that as an example, she was never going to be content to take an eternal back seat; by the same token, she would know by long example that she couldn’t compare to a Slayer, in the sense of operating on the same level. If she was going to contribute, it would have to be in her own way. This is Dawn at 17, still well short of what she may eventually become, but one can see the beginnings.
And, yes, I’ve put in my time on military transports. The truth, however, is that the most miserable flight I ever had was on a civilian airliner … with every seat occupied, but we were still supposed to find room for all our baggage, gear and weapons, and the flight (with several stops, except we were never allowed to leave the plane) lasted 19 hours. It’s also true that when you load a bunch of soldiers on a plane for a long flight, about half promptly go to sleep, and the remainder start reading, listening to music, or playing hand-held video games.
As always, I enjoyed writing this … and, as always, I enjoy your feedback.