When are these two bananas going to talk and clear the air , oh i know after Buffy sleeps with Jake (Please don't, i'm still nauseous from melanie) and they both rub the fact that they have moved on without really moving on in each others face and Melanie and Jake meet and hookup, or is he her ex, and I can't wait for the next update because i really like this fic but, can't stand her attitude and to see them so unhappy, especially him.

Author's Response: I know! I'm sorry it's so annoying. I am going somewhere, honest. As I wrote in another review, it's only been a day since the bar so in story time that's not that long that they've been totally avoiding each other. Oooh, you should be writing this, hadn't thought of Jake being her ex, :) I'll try to write fast. I don't have the next chapter roughed out at all either. The one after that has more stuff written, so if I get through the next it shouldn't be too long. Thanks for the review, glad you're still reading.

Great chapter- the Spike and Dawn interaction made such a great read, and I loved seeing her powers of manipulation coming out to play once more! Hillarious character!

I loved the little touches you've added in, to show that even though they're apart, Spike and Buffy still know each other inside out. Like when Jake comes round with the stupid rose, and Spike thinks to himself that she prefers daisies, as only he would know. I think that really shows how he is still maintaining his emotions for her.

And the detail about Buffy's answering machine being overloaded, because there were still some messages from her mom that she doesn't want to let go of yet. I found that to be really touching, and it sort of brought in a new layer to her character.

All in all, great well-rounded writing (not sharp or pointy!) Can't wait for more xxx

Author's Response: Thanks so much! Well, I'm so sappy I save my Dad singing Happy Birthday and other stuff like that. I would save Joyce's messages if I were Buffy...and I'd procrastinate finding a way to get them off because well, I' m a slacker. I know everybody wanted Spike and Buffy to confront each other and they haven't been in the same place since the first chapter, but in story time, that was only a day ago, so not too long. All I can say is that I do have a plan (at least for the next two chapters haha).

That was very wrong of you to leave it there. You should be ashamed of yourself. I'm throwing a chair at you and you better not duck.

Author's Response: I know. I'm very ashamed. But I ducked anyway :) Thanks for the review.

Poor Buffy, she's in complete turmoil here and it's really heart breaking to read. She's obviously really torn over her feelings for Spike- knowing that she should hate him for his 'betrayal' (air quotes on account of the fact that we don't yet know whether or not he really did betray her), knowing that she needs him to keep her late mother's business afloat, and also knowing that him being able to move on is going to break her heart all over again.

I really do love the role that Dawn plays here though- Briefly, she smiled, because they both soooo underestimated her powers of manipulation. I like her character a lot!

And more from the back story- Spike helping Buffy to save Joyce's business, and his appreciation for art. I really loved that!

x

Author's Response: Yes, Buffy's really confused underneath that stubborn facade. Thanks! I'm having fun writing Dawn's scheming and her relationships with both of them. I needed a good reason that Buffy was still stuck with Spike at work and I thought that worked pretty well. At least, I hope it did. Spike's love for Joyce gives me warm fuzzies too.

Poor Dawnie, being caught in the middle. That's a horrible position to be in, but at least she's handling it maturely. I loved the snippets of backstory you allowed us- Dru's overdose, Buffy's mom's death, and Spike being there for her and Dawn. Plus, the whole Spike/Dru situation has me intrigued- did he really cheat on Buffy?! Can't wait for more, and luckily there are already four chapters posted up, so off I go!! x

Author's Response: Yes, Dawn has a rough time of it right now, stuck in between them. Good thing she's grown out of supersonic screaming, huh or everyone's ears would be hurting. Thanks! Trying to fill in the history here and there. Other stuff will be explained later! Thanks for reviewing.

i was very dissapointed with Spike on chapter 3. But after reading this latest chapter i think i can forgive him. Buffy as usual is very stubborn and too proud. I understand now that Spike is literally pushed to his limit for him to be disloyal to her. He really doesnt need to explain his actions to her after all.

Dawn is an angel. I sometimes think she and Spike are much more compatible.

I'd like to know who will be the one to give in in the next chapter!

Author's Response: Oh good! I was hoping people would forgive him a little. Yes, I see them both as stubborn in their own ways. If they were all rational and level headed and sat down and talked it out right away, I wouldn't have much of a story. Yes, and this is a more grown up Dawn, so she's less whiny, which is good. She really wants them to be ok. Certainly a Spike/Dawn relationship wouldn't suffer from lack of communication. They'd scream it all out and have it over with. But Spike loves Buffy :) Thanks for reviewing.

Spike is being a little unreasonable thinking that because Buffy couldn't stand seeing him in a towel in a intimate clinch with his half-naked ex in HIS apartment means that she doesn't love him. Since he has already given up on Buffy and got some nookie, I hope that Buffy gets to sleep with someone also. I hate the stories where Spike gets to have sex with someone but Buffy remains celibate. She needs comforting and pleasure, too!

Author's Response: I think it was that she never gave him a chance to say anything, then or later. Also, he thinks she doesn't love him because she's never said it back. This is just sort of confirming it. I mean, tough to think of an explanation for that situation that would go over well, but if it were my husband, I’d want to at least hear him give it a shot! Thanks for reviewing! (PS: could some kind soul tell me how to get paragraph breaks to work in this thing? Thought the submission notes said no p tags...I'm too long winded for one paragraph!)

Well, at least I chickened out on the explicit stuff for this chapter. That's good, right? For that particular scene anyway.


Are you kidding?! I'm trying really hard as it is not to bitch about Spike and his ho as it is! If you had been explicit you so would have lost me as a reader! lol.

I'm also struggling with whether you might have Buffy sleep with someone too. I love it when Spike cheats, but even though she is tempted, Buffy doesn't. Cuz then Spike gets to feel extra horrible! lol. I'm so demented... :P

But besides that - lol - Awesome story and great chapter! Hope to see more soon! :D

Author's Response: Yes, I think I might have lost myself as a writer too! Just couldn't do it - not inspired in the least. That's why chapter 2 is kind of short. It was supposed to be longer and I didn't write it out. Tried, but no. Fade to black is much less painful. Think I lost a bunch of people as it is when he didn't back out of it. Uh, that other stuff I can't answer yet or I might mess things up. I have the next couple chapters roughed out, but I still need to look some things up before I post so I don't pin myself down to writing about something I know very little about and end up in a mess. Need to be able to totally change something if I have to. Oh and poor Spike! Making him feel extra horrible for your amusement. He was drunk and very, very sad and totally abandoned by his Buffy. She was pretty mean too, I swear. (He does feel extra horrible though). You'll probably see Melanie again, sorry. However, she'll be clothed and stay that way :) Thanks very much, glad you're enjoying it.

love it. cant wait for more..

Author's Response: Thanks so much for reviewing! Another chapter up now. Short one, but I thought it should end there. I love Spike&Dawn friendship. Wish they hadn't dropped the relationship entirely in the show.

No Spike that is a bad Spike! *Pops Spike on the nose*

I hope Buffy gets to fight that girl, and kick her butt!

Author's Response: Yes, bad Spike. Thanks for the reviews!

Love the story so far, but thought it was a bad place to leave it there as the thought of Spike moving on so quickly and thoroughly is a bit of a turn off.
If it was harmless with Dru, why wouldn´t he even try to explain it all? And if he really cheated, which we don´t know yet, and then moves on so quickly, the whole story is meaningless, because he´d be an extreme ass and not really in love with Buffy at all. Anyway, just having sex with the next girl who comes onto him is a very bad choice and I can´t see where this story can become spuffy if they move on so fast and Spike gets laid so quickly by someone else.


Author's Response: Thank you for the review. As I posted to ochit duzon, the reviewer before you, because I got a review, I was motivated to edit the last bit I have written. I just have to skim it through once again and post it. I don't want to leave it in a bad place, you're right. Well at least cliffhanger-wise (holy non-word there). But there really isn't any fluffy stuff in the next chapter either, This story kinda has lots of bad places along the way to a good place. Hopefully, the story isn't meaningless, we'll have to see. As for Spike being an extreme ass, I don't think he is, people make bad choices sometimes and hey, she doesn't want anything to do with him at this point, so he might be a little vulnerable to the bad choices at the moment. Did warn you about the Spike/Other though.. :)