Aw beautiful

Author's Response: You're very kind.

I could tell that you like the hurt/comfort scenes because you write them so well. This was great, thank you.

Author's Response: Yeah, I'm kind of a h/c junkie. But i'm big enogh to admit it, so that makes it all okay. :) Glad you enjoyed. I'll be posting another one soon at FFnet and Elysian Fields, if you're interested.

This was wonderful. Your writing is crisp and clean, but well emoted. The characterizations are great. I look forward to reading your longer piece. Thanks for sharing.

Author's Response: Hi sanityfair, You can find Distress Signals either here, at fanfiction.net, or at Elysian Fields. Thanks for the review.

I always love this storyline. No matter how many times it's done, I can't get enough of it. Helps that it's different every time.

Your version begins with a very astute assessment of Spike as a character of motion. It's interesting. I've spent what should amount to a few weeks thinking about Spike, analysing him to pieces and this is one thing I hadn't been aware of before you wrote it. It's true, though. Spike's need to move is like his habit of breathing even when he doesn't need to.

I like how you actually put Spike through more torture than the series dares to show. It's like they're always afraid if they make the torture too gruesome and extreme, they'd have to up the rating, and thereby end up making it kind of unrealistic. I very much like the explanation of him missing the blood to bruise.

Buffy cutting Spike down is one of my absolut favorite Spuffy moments, because it's one of the only times (possibly the only time) when she looks at him with an incredible amount of tenderness. Also, Spike's reaction to realizing she's real and she came for him is so beautiful... You did a good job of describing it.

However, I don't think Spike's knees buck because he can't keep his body weight up, not in this moment or at least not as the most important point. I think he gets weak in the knees out of relief, gratitude and joy. It's the moment he truly understands that Buffy really does believe in him and considers him worthy of saving.

The moment in the car was beautiful. Also, Xander's and Giles' reactions were very in character. What I didn't completely understand was why the first would torture Spike for not killing Buffy. As far as I can remember, that was never his task.

I especially love the when in the end, Spike goes 'still' - a nice round way of picking up the previous thoughts of motion and stillness, even though I'm not entirely sure why you chose stillness as a motive in this particular scene. Did you do it to emphasize his vulnerabilty? Because one would think being around Buffy (at least in fanfiction world) should be cure enough, not further intimidation.

I hope this story isn't over yet! I love it so far. :)

Author's Response: Hi Acajou,

It's been awhile since I've seen the episode, so what I remember may be skewed. I thought he sagged a bit as his hand came down, before he said anything and before he realized that he was being rescued.

My take on it is that The First wanted to get inside Spike's head and control him, with an ultimate goal of using him to take out Buffy. As Drusilla, she says straight out that he's being punished for "spilling secrets" but I don't remember him ever really saying anything that Buffy didn't already know, except a little about his trigger.

I had Spike go still because it's what he does when he's hurting, whether Buffy is around or not. She's taking care of him, but if you remember when she kissed him following Glory's torture, Spike held himself very still then as well. He's not intimidated - it's only that a little blood and conversation is nowhere near enough for him to suddenly be all better.

Also, sorry to disappoint, but this one is a one-shot. Distress Signals was one of the largest things I've written for any fandom and my first for BTVS, and I'm a little low on "writer-juice" just now. The oneshot is about all I have energy for, for the time being.

Thanks for the review, and your thoughts!