You just keep bringing it on Nia...damn you write well..love the quickies you seem to write them soooooooo well *grins*....Good of Buffy and Dawn to get out and do some shopping and bonding..that is important sister stuff and Buffy needed to get out for awhile....Then then you give this heart wrenching emotional scene with Spike and Tara...gods that was beautiful touching and wouldnt' we all love to have spike as a "friend"...ok well maybe with fringe benefits...but you know what i am saying....To have Tara finally be able to speak about her feelings and her worries and how she just needed someone to listen...WOW WOW WOW WOW two thumbs up and the big toes and just awesome....

Spike is wonderful in his support of his girls, and it's great to have a mature and caring Dawn. The reasons for Buffy not telling about heaven make sense. Another fine chapter!

As conflicted as I am about Buffy not telling the girls where Willow pulled her out of, I do ultimately agree that telling Tara where she was is not the right thing to do right now. You made me see that with Tara's outpouring of emotions to Spike. I think that Buffy may be right in not telling Tara at this point. However... I still think it is vitally important that she share the facts with Giles. If for no other reason than to enable Giles to obtain the necessary facts for researching the hounds and the Huntsman's message. I can understand Spike not wanting to push Buffy though. That path leads only to stubborn, withdrawn, resentful Buffy. And that's the last thing we want right now, especially while she's still fragile. This subject is a very sensitive subject for me, because I always resented that Buffy never told anyone but Spike (who didn't really count in her mind anyway) that she had been in heaven. I could never get past the fact that she didn't share this information with Dawn. Her sister mourned for her all summer long. Dawn is not stupid, in fact she's extremely intelligent. I have no doubt that she spent many tearful nights worrying that her sister was trapped in a hell dimension, being tortured for all eternity. Dawn lived through the whole Angelus debacle. She had to have discovered (most likely through eavesdropping) that Angel was sent to hell and spent hundreds of years there. Buffy's experience of mourning and guilt over Angel's trip to hell should have clued her in to what Dawn was feeling while Buffy was dead. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive Joss's Buffy for essentially lying to Dawn and allowing Dawn's guilt, grief, and confusion to continue. Not to take anything away from this chapter, as it is a wonderful exploration of the complex emotions of guilt, grief, fear, and loss. All of the emotions on display are so human and so raw. I loved Dawn's examination of her feelings pertaining to Spike's circle of protection. Your Dawn shows a much more mature side to her personality than Joss's did. It is very refreshing how you expertly blend her teenage enthusiasm with her burgeoning maturity and wisdom. Simply lovely Nia. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for your Dawnie. As for Tara, dear sweet Tara... I wouldn't wish this decision on anyone, but particularly Tara. It breaks my heart to see her in such straits, so worried over her Willowtree. She is facing a long road of mourning over the death of the Willow she once knew and the relationship they once shared. No matter if she and Willow are ever able to salvage anything of their relationship, it will never be the same. And Willow will never be the same. For all we know, Willow may not be saveable. I really don't know. And I just know that Tara's worst fears are manifesting themselves right before her eyes - only to give birth to greater, more horrid nightmares in the silent, darkened corners of her mind. This chapter just makes my heart so sad for them all. Wonderful, powerful, evocative writing as always Nia. You really know how to tug at my heartstrings and invade the deepest recesses of my brain.

loved it!!!! Xander didn't try anything in this chapter ( thank God) Please don't make Xander do anything stupid. Keep up the great work. It's really good.

This one packed an emotional punch. I really like how Buffy is realizing what Spike's love for her really means, especially in contrast to those two lummoxes she dated before. The scene with Dawn was great, and you did a good job of showing her more mature side, but still keeping it unmistakenly Dawn's voice. Love the Tara bit at the end. I always thought the show could've done more between Tara and Spike. He obviously had a soft spot for her, evident in his reaction when she pulled the curtains open on him when they were running from Glory. And she seemed more acepting of him than most of the other Scoobies, possibly because she was sort of on the outside herself. Good chapter, as always. Looking forward to seeing where you're going to take things next.