Eeeee. I want to know what happens next! I'm very interested to see how Spike handles himself, and what the heck Buffy's going to do when he comes back - if she and Angel don't end up having it out first! I thought you made Anya respond vvvvverrrrry well, it seemed extremely true to form. Anya throughout this story has been especially well developed, imo...I really feel for her. Keep up the great work, can't wait for the next chapter!

Like I said before, I hope Spike drains him...dry (or turn him and stake him just for fun!) nobody would blame him, and it would feel so good!!! An d probably help Spike become a bit more himself... but poor sweetie, he is so terrified. Maybe seeing what Xander did to Anya will make him react...

So that is where inner rage goes~ Xander is really off the deep end. Interesting way he treated his ex, and so nice to see Spike getting his balls back a bit, as he went to protect Anya. Very nice to see Spike as ever the thoughtful one. And poor Angel is going to blow a gasket-- it will be itneresting to see what Buffy does with her guilt.

Omg. Spike! Xander's such a bastard. God, Spike's got to realize he can save himself.

AriannaI can certainly see the reservation you have as to why people are coming down on Buffy on that issue. Speaking for myself, I feel that Buffy was wrong to demand what she did for a few reasons.

First, she was the one to claim that Xander did it to Angel and Giles when Xander slipped and gave away too much info - not that Angel needed convincing. If she still harbored doubts, it would have been better to keep her thoughts to herself until she could get concrete proof, or perhaps share them with Giles and work with him to devise a sensible way to obtain objective evidence that would clear or condemn Xander. Anya would have been of help too.
Instead, she comes up with this crazy plan and apparently Giles and Angel were tied up in the basement while she was concocting this disaster waiting to happen. But seriously, I can imagine both she and perhaps even Giles to some extent walking into this with the Xander they know and love in mind, forgetting that they were also dealing with the person who possibly did all of those cruel things to a helpless vampire. Anya's perspective would have been helpful if they didn't simply see her as a scorned lover. Has Buffy so quickly forgotten the extent of Spike's injuries? Does she not remember her outrage the night she found him and tended his wounds? The monster who did that is who they were dealing with, not her old buddy from high school. Spike is certainly not innocent but he was helpless and his helplessness, she at the very least, strongly suspected was also due to Xander's doing. Buffy should have checked the plan.
As a general of sorts, it should be second nature to her to trouble shoot her plans to make sure there is no room for error. There was no rush, only her personal agenda. Considering the fates of two people she loves are at risk, it was worth it to take the time to run through the plan and really listen to the input of others as to whether it would work and if it was time.

Second, ignoring the fact that Spike told her who tortured him because I suppose in the grand scheme of things, Spike's word means far less to her than Xander's. But my issue is what was the big rush? Spike had just regained his memories, relearned he was a vamp, and was still quite shaken by much of their past not to mention still healing from his last encounter with Xander in Dawn's room. Was it really necessary to execute this plan right now? Spike needs to regain his confidence and feel empowered - why not spend some time training and sparring with him, slowly at first of course to help him regain that side of himself. Spike still flinches any time anyone takes a seemingly sudden or threatening move towards him. Buffy and Angel could have helped him so much by starting some kind of self-defense with him. My point here though is that Spike wasn't ready to face Xander. I can't help but wonder if she would have been in such a rush if the roles were reversed and it was Xander who had been tortured. What am I saying? Buffy wouldn't even need proof in that case and Spike would have been dust in the first chapter but assuming she did want proof, would she have forced Xander to face Spike while merely hearing the doorbell rin g had Xander shaking in his boots? Unlikely. Buffy's proof could have waited. She claims to love Spike, his wellbing should come first. Give him more time to heal both physically and otherwise.

Anyway, so for my part, I have a huge problem with Buffy's plan because she risked two people without considering the consequences. Spike, who only went along with it to please her despite his fear could end up shot in the head again if Xander has his way and Xander who very well may not survive at all. That is the risk that Buffy took with no back up plan or thought of contingencies and for that I have came down on her. Sure the others could have intervened more strongly but they voiced their objections, in fact, Dawn had to be physically removed. If I recall that chapter, short of getting into a brawl with Buffy or grabbing Spike and running with him, little would have stopped her from carrying this out.

I hope Xander gets stopped soon. He's starting to piss me off. Continue on with the saga! I love it!

Looking forward to reading more

Nice progress. Was hoping things had moved forward somewhat. Buffy has clearly been removed from the plan-making committee and quite frankly, I think it would be best to keep Angel as far away from her as possible. Anya's been shot while Spike's gone, injured and in the hands of a madman - yeah, I don't think any verbal lashing any of the scoobies could possibly give her from this point on will be as harsh as her own guilt and the damage to Spike's trust.

Of course in true Buffy fashion, as luck would have it, Spike will get his rocks back by taking Xander out himself I guess but the same could have been accomplished with far less injury to Spike had Buffy been willingly to listen to him and others.

What I'm having trouble understanding though is how is it that Spike's vamp isn't coming forward on instinct? I could understand in the beginning because he didn't remember being a vamp but now he supposedly should remember that. I'm not exactly expecting him to jump into the fray like before but I would imagine that his demon would have surfaced after being injured repeatedly. That would seem like a natural defense that Spike would almost have no control over now that he "reawakened" his demon with Angel's blood. It just seems odd that during all of that, not to mention the struggle for the gun, that his demon would remain dormant.

I hope Spike saves himself! Update soon please!

cant wait to see what happens next!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

This story is so tense, but I don't understand why they had to go through the charade of setting Xander up, after all everyone knows it was him and even Spike admitted it, so why did Buffy choose to put him through the torture. And even though Spike might realise his chip isn't working is he strong enough to overcome Xander because he wasn't in the bedroom

Author's Response: well, in the fight, spike wasn't necessarily not as strong as xander...xander just managed to play on a specific weakness...physically, spike is probably actually stronger at this point....and buffy jsut couldn't accept that her friend had gone bad without seeing it for herself.... :(

I'm sorry, luv, but I can't read any more. I, and many others, love Spike and at the beginning of this fic his healing process was our main concern. Good grief, you even made me love Angel and that is almost an impossibility.

Now, his constant torture and Buffy's total stupidness at her attempt to get positive proof have made me hate her. I wish you all the best with the fic, and sincerely hope for a happy ending. I will probably come back in at the end to see how it plays out as you are a fantastic writer.

Gillypod

Author's Response: sorry that you feel that way, but i do feel like there are reasons and explanations for all of the reactions and actions of the characters, including buffy's reluctance to accept that the man who's been like a brother to her and saved her life at least once, and the world at least once, could be so evil.... and we're just getting to the climax of the tale, where spike must get his *own* vengeance, in order to ever be what he once was.... but if you feel that you can read no further, do as you choose....