ahh i luved this sequel. i really did wonder why you didn't pair the original buffy and spike together since they had shared so much with each other but you did have a valid point about them having too much bad history with each other, im really satisfied with how everything ended, in both stories. great work! ive read pretty much all of your works now and im looking forward to reading more.

Author's Response: Buffy2 hadn't hurt Spike1; Buffy1 hadn't hurt Spike2 and he had never tried to rape her. I wanted the slates to be clean, so that there would be no darkness between either pair. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! More coming soon as the next one's almost finished. :D

Fabulous! Just Fabulous!
Somehow I missed "Pinch Hitter"... But since it was a prequel/first in series, I went ahead and read it first, starting late last night. Then I finished up today with this one. Loved it! A unique twist, well, several, actually: the primary Buffy-swapping/stand-in, the Spike-swapping in both fics, the way you worked some of the near-requisite speeches/topics/occurrences/actions into both fics with some little tweaks, re-arranged the timing of some events without disrupting the flow of the story/villain arc/mythos, and the way the primary (and secondary as well) characters learned, processed and implemented the (pretty much hard-)learned lessons across dimensions.
It just goes to prove "Home is where the Heart is".
Your take on 'rape' was interesting and illuminating, and thought-inspiring. Well done!
Would love to see more of both pairs of Spuffies.
Thanks for such an enjoyable read!
~~Kara

Author's Response: Thank you for enjoying it! I wanted the two stories to match and mirror, everyone maturing. I'm so glad you liked it. That rape attempt on the show was such a set up that it got me really mad. Buffy pulls a muscle in her back and is suddenly unable to kick Spike off her? A pulled muscle? When the woman has demonstrated over the seasons that she can still kill demons after near-death experiences and deep wounds in her guts? Now she’s a poor, weak, helpless rape-victim? Yeah, right. No mention of her always saying ‘No, no, no’ to him, then when he persists always turning around and giving in enthusiastically to his ‘evil desires’. Why should he think she meant it this time? No mention either of the way she has been physically abusing him and emotionally flaying him with her scorn and disgust time and time again. As far as I’m concerned, she was raping him emotionally that whole time. If one reshot all those episodes with a man in Buffy’s role and a woman in Spike’s, they would be horrific. Someone said we would lynch such a man. But, no, Buffy is a saint and Spike will never be forgiven for trying to rape her. (Though Xander’s attempt to rape her never gets a mention. He’s a Scoob and has a soul after all.) Sorry about the rant! :D It just gets me so mad!

loved it :)
I especially loved the happy ending. I didn't need the explanation why Buffy2 didnät end up with this Spike, but it's a good reason.
As long as it's Spike and Buffy with a happy ending ;)

Author's Response: Some people were very vocal about having Older Buffy with Souled Spike and Younger Buffy with Unsouled Spike and were very upset at the way I wanted it. So I had to put in that explanation to show why and to balance the two stories. I'm so glad you saw why without the explanation! Thank you for liking the story!

You really made a great world here with these two stories - PINCH HITTER & REVENANT. It seems the "mistakes" of the PTB (aka Joss & ME) could only be overcome by a Dreamweaver . I can think of no other dimension-hopping saga that was concluded as believably and as satisfyingly as this one.
Enjoyed Anya's socially inappropriate remarks. GREATLY enjoyed having Spike get all super powerful by consuming Glory & then busting Angel's chops!
Kudos all around!


Author's Response: Wow, thank you! Couldn't resist Spike whacking Angel when juiced or Anya saying that - it was just like her to. :D I'm so glad you liked it!

Perfect ending. I hadn't thought about it like that but you're quite right, to be completely happy, each Buffy & Spike needed a partner who didn't share the bad memories so they could heal.
The only complaint I have about this fic is that now it's finished there won't be any more... will there?

Author's Response: No, there won't. Sorry. :D These two balance each other and continuing them doesn't feel right. But I'm working on a whole new one which is proving to be fun, but which I think people will be upset about because it's not really politically correct. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! Thank you!

I was a little disappointed that this Spike didn't end up with the Buffy who he got a soul for at first. But I think you did a nice job on writing why this may be better for Spike to end up with the younger Buffy. I'm just glad that this Spike got with a Buffy. I was was happy in the other story when Buffy got to be with another Spike. I was happy for Buffy since she was so sad without Spike. But i felt bad for the Spike he did so much for and changed for her. Yet, another Spike got to spend his life with her. I just made me want to cry for Spike who got a soul for her and another Spike received the loving and caring Buffy. Now that this Spike has a Buffy then I'm happy. I really wanted this Spike to have a Buffy because if anybody deserves love and happiness it is this Spike. That the scoobies except him. Really happy for Spike. Happy for this Buffy as well for getting to know how great Spike can be. She would have missed out on something wonderful. That made me feel sad for her even if she never was going to know. Like how can you miss something you never known. Happiness all around. Thanks for writing a sequel and giving this Spike a happy ending. I also loved that Spike got to hit Angel again with all the mojo he still had from having Glory's blood. Loved it. Poor Angel. Not. Back to LA Angel goes. While Spike and Buffy get it on. LOL

Author's Response: I wanted both Buffys and Spikes to have a happy ending. I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you!

I enjoyed this story, and how it fit together with pinch hitter to parallel the canon. My one question: why did they need summers blood to close the portal if glory didn't use it to open the portal? Is that a silly question? It was just kind of owrrying at me as I read.

Author's Response: If Willow and Tara had been more powerful, they could have closed the portal. But they could find no other spell, and the one way they did know about was that Summers blood did close portals. So Buffy had to try. It's tricky trying to stay with canon and not at the same time! :D

You had me worried and almost in tears for a second.. Spike sacrificing himself again... and nice twist with that HellGod Blood to fool the portal..

Enjoyed..

Author's Response: He had enough of Buffy's blood in his veins to close the portal and hellgod blood to keep him safe through it. I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you!

Exciting.:)

Author's Response: Thank you!

“Should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy!” groaned Spike.
Yup, he should have known. But I don't know... is this *Glory's* portal? If so, who opened it? More please....

Author's Response: He thought Glory's death would be enough. But...:D More tomorrow.

Wow...great chapter. I loved the Spike/Glory fight and how Spike drained Glory enough to get Ben. I may be evil, cause I don't care Ben died , it had to be done. I don't think he was so innocent. He knew what Glory was up to and did NOTHING to stop her. Angel is annoying as usual. I do like this Giles, tho. So funny how he just laughed when Spike flung Angel thru the air. LOL Yeah, I'm sure Giles hates Angel with a passion.

Buffy is pissing me off a little tho. By her logic if they had a chance to kill Hitler or something ,she wouldn't do it cause he's human, even tho it'd save millions of people? That's stupid. I hope she thinks long and hard and not come down on Spike like a bitch on wheels.

Loved it. Can't wait to see how it ends. =)

Author's Response: I think that way too. Ben knew about Glory and went along with her, which makes him an accessory and accessories are just as guilty as the perpetrators and deserve the same fate. But canon always has this 'humans are sacred because they have a soul' attitude. I'm so glad you're liking it! Last chap up tomorrow.

OK you are officially the best and worst author!!

You know I love your stories and the fact that they are never a real WIP. Your characterisations are still great and you are creating a really interesting story in its own right (not just a tag on to the other one) but for crying out loud did you have to leave us with that cliff hanger!!!!! LOL

Anyway I loved the update and guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow for an update - throws a Buffy pout your way.

Author's Response: Couldn't resist the cliffie! :D Sorry! I usually avoid sequels just because they seem just a tag on the first one. But this one had a life of its own. I'm so glad you like it! Thank you! I don't do real WIPs because I hate to leave people hanging. So I don't start putting the story up until it's complete.

Oh...Shit. What is going on? Why isn't anything ever easy.

By the way...I love the way you had Spike defeat Glory. I love how you did it.

Author's Response: I always wondered why Spike didn't bite Glory when he and Buffy were fighting her. I'm so glad you like it! Thank you!