I'm not sure how to review this cause nothing I come up with is adequate and anything less sounds platitudinous so I will settle for perfection in reviewing this story. It's simply perfect.

Author's Response: What a wonderful thing to say, Bel Canto. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. :)

And William the Bloody has arrived!
Fantastic stuff here and the dream made me feel so sorry for him enen when he is doing his best to become the monster.
More please!!!!!!

Author's Response: I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing. :)

It was really perfect you began this in a dream where when William dreams he is his former self and Elizabeth is there for him welcoming him back to her side. And that in his dreams he finds the happiness he seeks and can tell her his feelings it was really telling in how in his dream she wakens him from the nightmare his life has become and in his dreams he is with her again. Like he just goes through the days till he can sleep and for a few moments be with her and have the life they might have had together and how to steal your words here how desperately he wants to feel her again and begging her never to leave him again.
But like all in the best dreams just when you get to the good stuff in walks someone and takes it away.
Darla was good in her "And you are?" manners that part amused me. Darla was always a bit bitchy with a hint of manners and a roll of the eyes. And I really love the inner voice William now has in thinking to himself about his relationship with Dru and how he might care for Dru he holds back his passion for the one woman he truly loved. He looks after her much like he took care of his Mother for all those years. Even his introspective and inner voice of agony of missing Elizabeth takes shape in whom he kills. How going out into the night he goes after and kills blondes for them not being the one woman he seeks and how he blames the world for taking away the one woman who returned his love.
He is now going thru the motions of killing and putting on a face to be with this vampire family but it's not where he wants to be the only place he wants to be is in his dreams. And the when no one is looking he sneaks out his treasured items of Elizabeth and the symbols of his love for her and stokes the items like he's loving over his memories and still can't come to terms with why she is no longer with him or why this happened to them. It is like in those small moments he is at his most venerable and William moments where he's not having to hide his pain. It is like when he is awake or sleeping with Dru he's shut down completely and is numb from everything around him. And in odd moments he notices little things that creep into his numb world like how Dru is dressed and compares it to how dirty his life now is as to how it used to be with Elizabeth before.
The friendship with Angelus is just another tool for him to sink into the numb darkness with now learning to seek out and destroy everyone who hurt or looked down on his love for Elizabeth. Sort of like in killing those people he's killing the reasons Elizabeth left him and was taken away from him. But I'm interested to see once he is done killing his past what will he do with his future.


Author's Response: What interested me, in reading the reviews of the last chapter, was how quick some people were to assume that William was a complete monster now, or that he would quickly forget Buffy in favor of Drusilla. One of the things I love most about Joss' Spike is that, even at his most evil, he retained quite a bit of humanity. He took care of Dru when she was ill, and he never strayed from her even when she was straying from him. He's fiercly loyal to those he loves, and extremely dogged in his passion. Yes, he does evil things. Yes, my William (and Spike) have done and will do evil things. But that doesn't alter his love, nor will it change the spark of humanity that still resides in him. I'm glad you and other readers are able to see this and the importance of the shift in focus to him. Thanks so much for your review. :)

And now William becomes Spike. Can't wait to see more.

Author's Response: More is coming soon, I hope. Thanks for the review. :)

Wow...i knew archer had it coming to him. But when he asked to have a railroad spike through his head i could help but laugh and clutch my own head. I guess this is where 'Spike' is now being born.

Love the dream too. I'm glad that Elizabeth is kept seperate from Dru and Angelus...its like his own personal thing that he has only to himself and thats why he holds own to humanity so much (example...eating the apple).

I really want to see if you write about the mine shaft thing...and what Spike did to make Angelus, Darla, and Dru hide away. And i want to see some of the long lost years...like we know Spike was in WWII and stuff...but what about the 1920s and stuff. I think it would be interesting to see Spike meet Billy Idol, since he claimed he stole his look..

Well, keep it up. Even though i'm saddened that Buffy isn't really around for these chapters, i instantly forget that with your great storytelling of the Angelus and Dru years.



Author's Response: I'm glad that the absence of Buffy isn't chasing you away, u2fan. I feel that we need to really explore the William/Spike character now, in order to understand some of his actions later. I'm glad that you're enjoying that. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to tell me so. :)

Angelus training is coming in handy I see lol. I like how you made Dru and William much a like in needing each other in like a sibiling type relationship. They seem to understand each other. Love this story I find myself looking for it everyday.

Author's Response: I'm so glad to hear it. Thank you. :)

Oh, wow-- another fantastic chapter. It's so amazingly morbid, and I love it. No one's captured the four's interactions the way you do, and it's so believable-- the sequence of events in and of themselves, as well as the slight day-to-day changes (and bigger ones, of course) that you made to fit the plot. I'm just in utter awe at how fantastic this is-- I loved the first part, but this one's gotten all the better. Looking forward to more!!!

Author's Response: Thank you, Devin. You're review was so nice to read. It's a pleasure to know that I've written something that so many people are reading and enjoying. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to review and let me know you like it.

Mmmmm - vengeance is mine. Nicely written in a nasty sort of way. Love this story and am waiting for more.


Author's Response: lol. I'm glad you liked it, nastiness and all. Thanks for the review. :)

Oh I love it.

Author's Response: I'm glad. Thanks. :)

wow - that was a great chapter! i like seeing spike sink into spike-dom. can't wait for more!

Author's Response: I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you. :)

Dru's comforting hand seems to sooth him and calm him and that is good he at least has her. I always liked Dru because at the start she was much like William just a girl who loved her family and had bad things happened to her. And even though she is not who we all know he really wants she is the person he needs till he is strong enough to stand on his own. And I think you showed well that even though he goes a long with things he still has inner conflict and ties to his past. I think you did a great job here with Dru cause you always feel she notices everrything about her even the things he tries to hide a little even on some sort of level she might have picked up the vibe of his love for someone else or the pain he is in.
Ok now I will fan the flames here and beg you gve me more.
:D

Author's Response: Although I am a spuffy shipper to the end, I have always been able to appreciate the wonderful dynamic that Spike has with Drusilla. She filled a void in him, when he was most unhappy and vulernable. And those things she did to hurt him, I honestly believe to be done without conscious intent (she was crazy, after all). I'm glad to hear you feel the same way about this. In my story, the relationship between them is, and will remain, quite different from the show. But still I think it will be integral in the chapters to come. Thank you so much for your wonderful, insightful review. I greatly appreciate it. :)

William in his formative Spike years what is not to love about this story it just has everything and if it was ok with the world I think as a reader I locked you in a room with a lapop and your meals so you just never stopped writing this. PLEASSSSSSSEEEE continue to write this.

Author's Response: Well, I'm pretty glad not to be locked in a room, but thanks for the intent, SpikesDeb. ;) The feedback on this story has been overwhelmingly supportive, for which I am so greatful. The people on this site are wonderful to leave feedback on each chapter, and I appreciate this more than I can say. Thank you!