Loved the update! I definitely agree with Jenny. Buffy seems so naive and needs to grow a backbone. I have a feeling that she better grow some stones if she's to survive what's to come. Especially when the complete truth about Xander and Spike is revealed. And the secret! I'm dying to know what it is! What could be so horrible that Spike has to keep it so hidden? Does it concern Druscilla? Does it concern his relationship with Xander? Gahhh!! The suspense is killing me! Just goes to show how great of a writer you are. Hope to see an update soon!

Author's Response: Thank you.

As usual you have crafted together a wonderful AU Buffy/Spike tale, complete with layers and mysteries and suspense and ambiguous characters. I love it that both Buffy and Spike are portrayed with such depth and are both a mixture of the good and bad traits that make up all human beings. Both delude themselves, follow their hearts and let their pasts and insecurities rule them and blind them to the truth of the present that is before them. I love the sense of menace that hangs in the air all the time, like a third main character of the story, it is almost alive in these pages. Spike is so very complex and a little scary here - I'm not convinced that he hasn't idealized Buffy to such an extent that he is looking at her as more of a pet or doll than a real woman with real thoughts and feelings. Almost every older man/very young woman relationship I have seen - and I've seen quite a few - has had this problem. The man falls in love with the youth and innocence and tractability of the very young woman, and when she finally gets old enough and strong enough to want to express herself more freely and find out who she really is in this world, he can't handle it, he fights it and finally either forces her to back off and remain his easy to handle little wife or rejects her and finds another young thing to cater to him and subsume her personality in favor of his own. Whether Spike is doing this is still a question to be answered, but he shows most of the signs so far, so I'm going to be interested to see where you go with this. Please keep this one updated as frequently as possible because I can't wait to read each word as you post it. Thanks!

Author's Response: I really do apologize for not responding to your feedback sooner. It really blew me away. And your right about the older man/younger woman dynamics. I've met quite a few myself and it always seems to work out that way. But I'm glad that you're in with this story. Thanks!