Bravo!! great chapter...looking forward to the next instalment!!!

Finally...

I'm also with you, A, and Abbyland, too.

Despite what Buffy professed...and she doesn't say "I love you" in canon without meaning it, never did.....her deep-seated thoughts about the vampire and her friend still won out. And while a party wronged should try to forgive for their own emotional sake, so they can move on, some mistakes cannot be forgotten. I'd like to see this Spike, as he becomes more aware of himself, to say, "I do love you, Buffy, but I don't trust you, so I can't stay here." Because we all know if you give Buffy an inch, she'll take a mile. If Spike doesn't call her on this behavior, she'll do it again......she'll break his trust. Especially since his current mindset is still like a child's.....until he recovers "Spike", he's incredibly vulnerable to the world.

I really don't get why she had to push to do it now, to do it that day. They had *plenty* of time to wait. Spike could have continued healing while they kept Xander away from him. They had seemed content to not leave Spike alone with any of the suspects before....I guess it was Buffy being "action girl", but it really would have been easier to wait and watch. Poor Spike hadn't even been outside the house, yet! He had so many lessons to learn still........and now.......well, if he doesn't use his vampiric strengths, he's toast.

We can surely bet that if pressed, Xander is unhinged enough right now to unload every bullet in that gun in that room, and depending on the type of handgun, that clip could be holding quite a lot!!!

Oh, and after the irony of Angel's statement "if Buffy had done it", I'd love to see her confess how she treated Spike in their relationship. Dawn and Angel have hints that it wasn't all kisses and roses, from what she's let slip, but no one knows the full story, yet. If Buffy's going to continue being the "moral leader", she needs to acknowledge exactly what she's capable of, and stop letting the others put her on that damn pedestal. Good leaders aren't followed because they have power, they're followed because they make good decisions.

Athat's what I keep coming back to as well, so while we may be in the minority know that you are not alone.

I can accept Buffy's dilemma, in fact it would seem off if she didn't display some hesitation. BUT, after the huge emotional display a few chapters ago where she finally admits what is supposedly her true feelings for Spike, I just find it hard to believe that she then takes the deep but fragile trust he has in her and coerces him into suffering more abuse so she can have a chance to exonerate her friend. Would she do that to Willow or Xander himself had the roles been reversed? In my mind, Buffy still doesn't see Spike's feelings are valid. She could have gotten her proof in a less violating and damaging manner had she bothered to take the time.

Whether she knows it or not, Buffy is serving two competing interests - Xander's and Spike's and no surprise, Xander's won out. Naturally Buffy wants to help her friend, they've gone through too much for her to simply abandon him. I do not blame her for that.
At the same time however, Spike is Xander's victim , that she at least suspected, whether she really wanted to accept it or not is neither here nor there. At the very least she knew Spike was terrified of Xander and needed to be protected from him at all costs. I fault Buffy for her lack of awareness of her conflict of interest. She cannot help both of them without inflicting harm on the other and she, as well as the others, failed to see that.

And yeah, the characters (and readers) will say but she made a mistake! Well, that grave lapse in judgement has not only risked Xander's and Spike's lives but it also unleashed a more insane Xander on his parents. Furthermore, this *mistake* may also cost her her relationship with Spike. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things that doesn't matter as much to this Buffy. Perhaps she's more concerned about Xander than she is about Spike (her insistence in getting Spike into that room suggests as much). Perhaps the "He" in the title of this fic isn't Spike at all. I just hope that when all is said and done, that with the exception of Spike finally managing to get his courage back (which so far seems to be the only upside) that the cost of this *mistake* was worth it.

Great chapter

I hope Spike can save himself or they get there in time! Update soon please!

I'd just love to tell you how much I'm enjoying this story. You've managed to make Evil Xander utterly credible, and Spike needy and damaged but not pathetic. It's really incredible work you should be proud of. I'm eagerly awaiting more.

i'm so glad for the update, i've been on the ege of my seat since reading 48. so spike's considering taking matters into his own hands....it's amazing how he's grown since in the care of dawn and buffy. i also loved the living room scene played out, especially the interruption of angel, it was completely true to character. great chapter. can't wait for more.

Wow im glad somebody finally got through to that brat Dawn. Buffy made a mistake yes she knows it and she feels awful about it. Its human nature to make mistakes though your not gonna be right a 100% of the time.

I hope they get to him in time and Maybe Xander got injured and it was his blood Spike was smelling. I know wishful thinking.

more more more!!!! great update, im glad Angel was understanding, cant wait for the next one

So things are beginning to head into a climax-- another one, haha. But I can not wait to find out what's coming next! I'm glad to see Spike regaining his courage, and Anya's honesty forcing Dawn to see her own immaturity and unreasonable attitude towards her sister. Great chapter, can't wait for more!