Willow's detailed email was fascinating. I love that she's finally paying a price for resurrecting Buffy, even though her hand was forced by this jack Turtle. This is beautiful: When the Witch cried out the last word, I suddenly realized my mistake, my fucking stupidity. I could feel the infinite weight of the Big Everything slip sideways and crack, crushing some tiny piece of clockwork that had kept the heavens in motion for all eternity. Willow's actions started this ball rolling.

This was in voice and totally Willow: He told me I had broken The Big Rule when I brought you back; jammed an extra piece into an already finished puzzle. There was supposed to be a sacrifice, you see. But I was too weak, too selfish to go through with it. I thought I was so smart, Buff. It was the old cocky computer hacker in me, I think. Giles once called me a "rank amateur," but the truth is so much worse than that. Staring into that awful, eternal blankness, I finally knew what I was. I was a thief, and a stupid, sloppy one at that. I thought she was taking responsibility and was finally ready to follow the rules, and then this put that notion on its head: I was looking into the bright face of Everything, and I suddenly knew that I would risk it all for my friend, hack the system one more time. I would defy God to save you, if that's what it took. I'm not sure what that makes me exactly, but I realize now that I really don't care, and probably never will. I can't bear a world without you in it.

So I jumped. I've been jumping ever since. Willow's all about rewriting the rule book. She's a lot like Buffy that way. her inability to remember the Big Now makes her clues nearly useless though Buffy will probably be able to decipher them in retrospect. It all adds a surreal twist to an already crazy situation.

After all that wacky exposition and Willow's entertaining narrative of Florida Buffy and her wacky history, the emotional tsunami of Spike and Buffy's reunion was vividly drawn. Buffy's rage fueled violence was hard to read. She's pushing the vampire away even as she's pulling him close in her heart. That plaintive This is how we are captured the contradiction beautifully and their distraction allowed Nancy to escape. Nicely done.

Author's Response: Willow was always screwing up spells on the show, so I figured: Why wouldn't she have blown the most important one, too?

Author's Response: ...oh and thanks! :)

"And, this is going to sound a little crazy, but I'm pretty sure that..." Always cuts out at the good parts. Though she did pretty much nail all the important parts throughout. And Nancy is out and about, I cannot imagine that ever being a good thing. What these men will do for Buffy. :)

Author's Response: Yeah, poor Willow. Even though she is doing some really crazy, magical stuff right now, I kinda wanted to bring a little more of her "hacker" persona into this. I guess the main idea is that (being a "rank amateur") she really screwed up big-time when she brought Buffy back from the dead. I like the notion of her as this uber-powerful being that is full of all kinds of human weaknesses.