Responsible Party and Marked hit me exactly where I live. Ouch. And you're writing here is so elegant, so pared-down and powerful, which I really admire. (shameless self-pimpage ahoy: I just posted a Ted meta on my LJ a couple of week ago, because I got tired of reading the common fandom opinion Buffy - a 16 year old girl - should have held back from defending herself and her mother against someone who just tried to kill her in her own home. Or that she should automatically know when and how to "hold back" when she's been put in harms way by her mother and the WC with no guidance to speak of. Just - I can't even.

Now, stabbing Faith? That's completely different. Not Buffy's finest hour by a long shot.