What makes Faith such a compelling character, at the end of the day, is that she is *so* human. Everything about her is so transparent- her desire for approval and her disdain for that desire speaks, I think, to something in all of us. This may be the fic that actually makes me rethink my dislike for her character.

As for Angel- well, I think you do an excellent job with him. He's a hard character to write, I think- but I loved his stillness throughout this story. I loved his deadpan quips and his willingness to let Faityh goad him- but his unwillingness to let her sully certain memories. So typically Angel.

But, for me, the most impressive thing about this story remains Faith's voice. You didn't try to rush her to her 'redemption' or make the ending too pat and impressive- Faith has a long ways to go...but it's pretty much canon that she'll get there. And we know she's devoted to Angel. The setting served this story well

Certainly germaine_pet's advice for a little tightening up isn't off the mark...but I still think this is an incredibly moving, honest (and often brutal) portayal of Faith.