Awe! Great chapter with the interaction between Spike and Buffy, Tara's part. Love the meaing of the word Hireath. It fits.

Loved the chapter! Purrring Vamp, mmmh. And Willow get a glimpse of what she's done.

Damn...could this get any better....I mean that was the one of the most tender moments i have ever read.....Gods it is just so great to have you explore the feelings that Spike and Buffy had for each other...letting it be a tender and passionate story not one of constant abuse that she inflicted on him in S6....Thanks for taking an insanity break to give us a sweet present

THAT IS SOOO SWEET!!! PLEASE POST SOON!!

that was absolutely beautiful! have a merry christmas!

Great chapter I really felt for Tara. Willows' just scary. Lovely Spuffy moment.

gah! so many things in this chapter! where do i start? ok, first - if you're firing some writers of BtVS, can i help? second (this is totally inconsequential to the brilliance of this chapter so I ask it second) - the ice cream that Spike brought up to Buffy, was it Ben & Jerry's? 'cuz if it was, i'm more in love with Spike than ever before. Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream is my favorite! third - whimsy and bloodplay? coma & death? i knew that the risks Willow took concerning Buffy, Tara, and Dawn were immense, but i had no idea they were this extreme. i'm impressed that Giles can be around Willow without attempting to choke her. yeah, it's real amusing to have to crawl out your grave. i'm not sure if the bloodplay is going to make an appearance, or if the thing that crawled out and is shredding the bodies fills that requisite. fourth - Dawn's reply to Spike when he asks why she put his blood in the freezer was hilarious! ice pop or slurpee...*snort* i can just see Spike sucking on a cube of blood. *giggle* so gross. i wasn't sure if there was going to be much remarkable humor in this fic, but you have definitely shown you can serve up the humor as well as the angst. fantastic stuff. fifth - Willow and Tara. Tara and Willow. i don't see how this can be fixed. i think Tara is just putting off the inevitable. once the trust is broken like that, to that magnitude, can it be fixed? i honestly don't know. i will be interested to see what you decide. sixth - Willow (so huge a problem she deserves her own number in the rank). i am impressed with the level of denial and hubris you have instilled in Willow. i wonder, do you plan on likening Willow's problems with magic to a drug addiction like the show? the last scene between Tara and Willow certainly had that vibe - an addict begging for another chance. and lastly - Buffy and Spike. Great job gradually strengthening Buffy emotionally. Just really brilliant. Every chapter that passes, I see her get just a little bit stronger. now that she has told Spike where she was, i hope she is able to cope even better. i love how you placed that scene in her bedroom with ice cream rather than in a dank back alley. just the setting of the scene makes it feel like less of a secret that must never be told. it makes it feel like any of Buffy's other confessions told in that room, to either Willow, her mom, or Angel. and Buffy touching Spikes lips...*le sigh* every day Buffy gets stronger and every day they get closer. i love the easy, friendly camraderie you have built. i also like that you have infused the previously existing UST with the friendship. really nice work bringing the humanity of these characters to the forefront this chapter. flaws and all, we love them. and we love you for writing them!

excellent chapter.......read just like an episode. the way giles let into willow was excellent and i along with the characters was very angry with her lack of understanding what she had done. i felt so bad for buffy having to stand there and listen to it. glad spike was there with her....hope your feeling better and can post more chapters soon....happy holidays

wow, wonderful, fabulous chapter. such emotion spilling off the page! i was so angry by the end, that i would have willingly torn off Willow's head had i been in the same room. everything that Giles said to her was exactly what i was thinking. i was wondering though, if Spike is going to speak up and inform Willow of the other consequence of opening the portal - what she may have let loose. after Willow brought Buffy back i was never able to be a fan of her character again. no matter how much she learned or how hard she tried for redemption, i could never overlook the fact that she performed a resurrection spell willingly over th e mouth of hell and didn't expect consequences. i also, have always wished that the writers of BtVS had explored that darker aspect of consequences to Willow's spell instead of only focusing on individual consequences during seasons 6 and 7. it was brought up in season 7, but abandoned for other story lines. i sincerely hope that your intentions to showcase consequences in this story include the broad consequences to the hellmouth. wonderful angst this chapter! Willow's hubris is unabashed. I sincerely feel sorry for the hard lessons that this girl is going to have to learn. And for all the others who are going to be affected on a continual basis by her selfish actions. It's going to hurt, and it's going to hurt bad.

I can't wait for you to contintue with this story but I'll understand if you wait till after xmas....

Great Chapter. Please continue to update soon and often. Hopefully all will be ok between spike and buffy and dawn.

awesome job! love the possessive protective spike!