I'll be so glad to find out who he is and if he's not their Spike then where in the hell is he, and where did this one come from? Can't fight demon's? then he won't be able to help them the way the other Spike did, and really what good is he to them if he can't even fight? Don't know how he's going to survive out in the world if he can't defend himself. Night dock worker? He still is strong, working under the table, maybe he can make it. Don't see how this Spike will make it. Eager to see if you can turn this around for him, and if they all can heal. Great chapter, thanks.

So tell me again why Buffy didn't sacrifice Dawn to close the portal? Because right now I am so not understanding.

very good update, thank you. can't follow dawn's thought process, but then she is a teenager (and related to buffy.)

Poor Spike! Still scared and confused, and nobody really willing to talk to him. Loved the Buffy and Dawn conversation or what passes for a conversation between these two. Seems like Dawn doesn't really know how she feels about Spike anymore. For that matter, neither does Buffy. Of course, that's kind of always been the situation as far as Buffy is concerned.

All in all, a wonderful chapter. Just one little quibble - I can't wait for them to do the spell that will tell them if this is their Spike or not. You are gonna do the reveal soon, maybe? Please don't leave us tottering on the cliff edge for much longer! :)

Man...extra brattiness today!

Poor Spike....I'll be glad to know for sure if he's our Spike, or another dimension's.

It's all there in his dreams -- it has to be Spike, and the poor guy is so alone!! Excellent Anya and uberbrattish Dawn. This is really enthralling.

Love it, absolutely love it. Poor Spike, bombarded by rude people. If they were going to be straight forward, they could at least go all the way about it.
Love this story, can't wait to see what happens.

I just love Anya. Hope you'll write more of her.

Another relly great chapter; thanks for the update! I am really looking forward to seeing what the spells reveal. Still wondering wht happened to Buffy's Spike. Hope he's not still stuck in the hell zone. Perhaps he was rescued by Spike's Buffy.

Don't understand what's up Dawn's butt! I always thought her anger at Spike as loyalty to Buffy when she thought Spike had raped her and that she really still loved him at the core. She is being so hateful here even knowing it isn't the same Spike that supposedly tried to rape Buffy at all?!? This Spike saved her too, you'd think she'd be kinder. Can't wait to see what you're doing here with this. I kinda figure mean Buffy is the FE but don't get the Dawn hate.

I'm beginning to think this Spike has his soul. The nightmares of killing (should be happy dreams without the soul.....wait...I seem to remember Angel with the soul having killing dreams and enjoying them!) seem to imply a conscience. Maybe it IS her Spike and this is part of the "make me what I was" bit from his soul quest?

Yes, you've left questions but only in the very best of ways. I really, really love this story and am excited each time it is updated. Want to cuddle poor Spike here and worry for our Spike too.

Would LOVE to smack Giles....easy to forget all the good our Spike did for years just because he wants Buffy with some bland human guy that can't possibly satisfy her much less survive the Slayer. Idiot!

Kathleen

Wonderful chapter! I'm so glad to see another update so soon! :)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE where Spike was thinking down in the basement and that he would have taken it if she'd offered to sleep with him even back when he was evil. I love stories where Spike acknowledges he would have gone for it at just about any point in canon lol.

And since I'm just guessing here, I don't think I'm spoiling anything for anyone else, but I really think this is her Spike. And some magic is involved. Like they gave him a different kind of chip and used some kind of mojo.

Of course then it would have to be something personal. So someone in on it has some personal vendetta against Spike. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Angel. He'd want to make Spike forget loving Buffy. Or Riley. Riley would also want to make Spike forget, to completely rape his mind of his former life.

But...the reason I think it's "Our Spike" and not some other Spike, is because A. The "real spike" hasn't shown up anywhere and unless he got sucked into some kind of other dimension that's not likely. But the primary reason is: B. He mentioned in his internal monologue feeling a bit bad about his former crimes as a vampire. not just feeling bad about possibly hurting buffy but about the regular vampire stuff. So I think he has his soul. Which would mean he's "our spike."

And also, he seems inordinately upset about what he might have done to buffy (attempted rape) If he was another Spike, even under all this duress I don't think he would associate it so closely with HIMSELF. I think somewhere deep down they all know it's him. It's just that it seems weird. After all, they're doing this spell and that would basically confirm it.

Lovely! More please! :)

i hope dawn comes around soon...poor spike could use another friend...and i hope that anya fills him in a little, it'd be good if they actually got along...looking forward to seeing what they find out when they get around to doing the spell :)