this transition from william to spike is phenomenal!  absolutely believable and so well done.  it's funny because on the one hand it's almost heartbreaking to see what's happening to william, but on the other hand it makes me so happy to see the beginnings of spike.

I have often thought the cannon idea of a demon possessing and reanimating the body of the dead to be slightly naive and simplistic. Just because a demon has one's memories doesn't mean it would also have one's characteristics--see Fred/Illyria, for instance. It seemed that it was the trauma of dying, arising, and adapting in a vampiric family to be the catalyst for such incredible change, along with the awakening of the id or "demon." But you put it so much better than I do through William's evolution! And I have to say, I think this is the best understanding of the Angelus/Spike relationship that I've read.

Dammit, with all my recent computer problems I missed an update! And what a chapter it was, too. It's funny, but with each passing chapter, even though this reality is slightly different from canon, I keep thinking to myself, "This is how it really happened." You're continuing with your own story while at the same time filling in all those blanks on how William became Spike. I don't care what difference Elizabeth may or may not have made, more and more I'm seeing this story as a history lesson. Gah, I could go on and one, but I've got another chapter to read!

Eep, I just realized that I left my long review on the wrong chapter!! *smacks forehead* Sorry, hon!! Loved it---finally caught up after having major ISP probs---and can't wait for more.

Guh, bad Angelus, though I still love him. Now, my question is. Was that the one time Spiek mentions in As5?

Will Angelus continue his assult on Spike or is he finished? I love seeing how William turned into Spike and the events that molded him.

Oh My God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I totally loved it, poor William, Angelus is a sadistic bastard and makes me sick , so it was very well witten:)
I loved "I don’t have to do what you say, anymore." wowwwwwwww
Lets see what William will do :)
Hope we hear of Buffy soon :)

Every chapter is a candy drop on my tongue, making my mouth water for more. Approaching the second paragraph I became aware, or at least hoped that this was going to be the public announcement of 'Spike'. Glad you didn't disappoint. But then you never do. No pressure intended. :D

*His name was William the Bloody; his name was the Railway Killer; his name was Spike. The papers coined these epithets, and he struggled to create a persona worthy of them.*

Didn't know how you were going to go about explaining how his name came about but I love the simplicity of it. I love your scope of imagination, the eloquent usage of your words, and more importantly as shown here in this chapter your delicate handling of a graphic scene.

I'm enjoying every bit of his transformation. As he tries new things to reinvent himself, or to live up to his nicknames. i.e. the cigaretts, which of course is an embracing of rebellion against Angelus. I love his cocky confidence as well.

*Stupid as it was, given the situation, William felt a certain rush of pride, reading that. Front page, too. His conceit made him reckless, and he pushed the paper away coolly. “Jealous?”*

Heh, I just love Spike. :P

*He cradled his hatred to him like a foundling, and in his mind was the searing, singular thought—

I don’t have to do what you say, anymore*

Even though, this made my heart bleed for him..I love his inner strength rising forth there at the end. Another thing I loved about him no matter how beaten down he was, he never quit. He just got back up and kept moving forward. What a Hero.

Keep it up girl, your amazing!

Damned if this doesn't read realistic! His making the name for himself was perfectly laid out and the seeds of his hatred for Angelus planted. I love this view of Spike for all its horror and pathos (still not wishing his Elizabeth sullied by even having her name uttered by Angelus!). Wonderful, just wonderful and reads true.

Kathleen

I really like this story and I'm growing more fond of it the more I read. I'm not favourable to silly fluff, so this is my kind of story; dark-ish, but not depressing.

The understanding of how William evolved into Spike is so important and interesting. Also very fascinating is the description of Victorian England, which of course is pivotal in understanding William/Spike.

The way you're handling this, it's really quite lovely. Ok, strange phrase for a chapter containing mutilations with hardware and forced sodomy, but I mean the care you're paying to the transformation from sweet William into Spike.
This story is being told with such depth and detail, it's just really exciting to read each painful installment.

Wow! That was an absolutely riveting, powerfully written scene. I haven't read any other story that painted such a vivid picture of the beginnings of the antipathy/hatred between Spike and Angelus. The fact that Spike had to a certain extent bonded with Angel - almost like a small boy in the throes of hero-worship - makes his intense hatred of Angelus now just that much more believable. I love the way you're showing us how William is slowly crafting his Spike persona, molding himself into this defiant, violent, recklessly independent being. And yet, we see glimpses of William in his distaste for indescriminate torture and his desire not to sully his "pure" memory of Elizabeth. This fic is bloody brilliant. You've got me hanging one every word. :)

The whole warped family is very much in character, and I can see Spike emerging from William under the disapproving eyes of Angelus and Darla.

"I don’t have to do what you say, anymore." knowledge is born. spike understands the great poof more than angelus, himself, does. (i'm not sure of that usage.) decades of hate begin. wonderful update, thank you.

Love it, love it, love it. You bring their time together to life in a way I've never seen before. I love the depth you're giving to the story. Can't wait to read more.

I don't know why, but I really got a kick out of William "aping Drusilla's Cockney accent."

Anyway, I really liked the way you handled the rape - not graphic, but with enough well-placed details to give us a vivid picture. And while I see the Spike shining through in that last line, I doubt Angelus will take it very well when William stops doing what he says. Won't go well for our boy, I suspect. Great update, UB!

Just when I think this story can't get any better, the next chapter is better than the last. I'm thoroughly enjoying our boy's transformation. William's slowly going against everything that he was as a human. He's changed his style of dress, but still hasn't changed it completely. He's taken up smoking cigarettes, and part of that seems to be a bit of rebellion against Angelus. William's developing his own sense of self as a vampire. He no longer completely follows Angelus' example, deciding that torture isn't his style. He's finding his own niche. He's also leaving parts of his human self behind, including his mother. The only thing he holds onto is his love for Elizabeth.

I find William's attraction to the lime light very interesting. He was never noticed when he was human, except when others mocked and ridiculed him. Now, those same people are reading about him in the newspapers, fearing him, finally giving him attention. He's relishing the publicity, going so far as to leave a railroad spike calling card so that everyone knows that "Spike was here." Bad press is better than no press :-P

As for Angelus raping William...Well, I can't say that I'm surprised. Angelus is the very definition of control freak, and he'd do anything to get someone to submit to him.

"He cradled his hatred to him like a foundling" I love that line! Likening his hatred to an orphaned little infant, now found in hating Angelus. I can see him holding the hatred close to his chest, nurturing it like a babe. Great image.

YES MA'AM.....I am sure some people are goin to gripe about this turn of events, but I find all of it to be very profoundly vampiric. You seem to have gotten into the minds of each of the characters, and you express their actions like someone who is watching from above the room.

Wow, UB that was intense - Loved William - Maybe you'd better put a warning on this one for the squeamish. The newspaper stuff is terrific.

If Angelus thought this would gain him control of Spike, he was very very wrong. Now Spike doesn't see Angelus as the "God-like" being he did before, and on top of everything else, there is now hate.

I get the feeling all hell is about to break loose.

Wonderful update! :)

wow - what IS william Becoming? This is a wonderful journet - I can't wait to see what is going on in Sunnydale. I'm SO not trying to get you to time-jump - the suspense is wonderful, and continues to build with every chapter.
Beautifully crafted.

Very powerful chapter, my dear!

And thus begins their rivalry... and with that last line a little more of the William he was is stripped away, and a little more of the Spike he will become shows its face.

Well done, you handled a difficult subject matter very well.

And Spike is *really* born....

A fantastic read -- it's all too understandable how and why sweet William became William the Bloody. He needs to use his head if he's going to outwit the brute!

The last line reminded me of Poe's "The Raven" and that other tale of love lost, guilt and obsession. If William no longer exists then his losses shouldn't hurt anymore. I think he wants it to hurt though. His penance for his mom and for letting Elizabeth go. Did he want to anger Angelus? He had to decide if being a psychopath was his boundary or his destination. Which means that he's already stronger than the others. I just want to say that I am having so much fun with this story! It's a real pleasure to find updates. Thanks again.

Great, absolutely fantastic. You are very convincing in potraying your characters and for this I love and read your work.

Hatred? Hmm... surely he'll get over it (perhaps that was a crazy question, however, I do agree with the hatred, though IMHO, it wars with some kind of... admiration? Affection? That goes both ways between the two of them). Lovely update, and I can't see what Spike will do next.

And website? Where?

Our poor William, what's he going to do now? Hate to watch him as he lets his demon take over more and more. Now he knows exactly what Angelus is. Our poor sweet William.

I couldn't believe it when I saw your update, I'd just been to your website to see if you've updated yet, but you still have only chapter ten there. It was just my luck that you've updated, thanks Cam, love this story.

Difficult scene that you handled with enough detail to advise and emotion to understand Spike's defiant attitude in response to this defiling moment. I really feel like your writing captures the vision of setting and movement. Really brings the story to life. Love it all.