Forward to Time Past by Unbridled_Brunette
Chapter: Chapter Fifty-Seven

kathyshop
04/13/2008 02:20 am
You know, Xander can sometimes be so sanctimonious but I have a hard time really disliking him.  Just when you think he's a total a**, he "gets it" and transforms.

I always thought he was a much better friend to Buffy than Willow ever was, in spite of his judgmental ways.  Willow always things her way.  But for Xander, in the end, he's always there for Buffy and willing to make sacrifices for her.  He just needs time to wake up and let the "get it" sink in so that he can get it.

That's why I loved this chapter...because Xander remembered that his friendship with Buffy is more important than his righteousness and acted like a grown-up and showed her in a very sweet, Xan-man way.

I feel the very same way. Xander could be judgmental, hypocritical, and annoying - but so could everyone else on the series. He really does have a good heart, and I think if someone had actually pointed out the inconsistancies of his behavior on the show, he would have treated Spike differently. In fact, the only time I truly disliked his character was when he tried to axe Spike after seeing him sleep with Anya. But that was during season six when the writers seemed to have made all the characters except Spike absolutely horrible. At least in my eyes. Anyway, I'm glad you think "my" Xander is likeable and still in character. Thanks so much for the review. :D

kathyshop
04/13/2008 02:16 am
You know, Xander can sometimes be so sanctimonious but I have a hard time really disliking him.  Just when you think he's a total a**, he "gets it" and transforms.

I always thought he was a much better friend to Buffy than Willow ever was, in spite of his judgmental ways.  Willow always things her way.  But for Xander, in the end, he's always there for Buffy and willing to make sacrifices for her.  He just needs time to wake up and let the "get it" sink in so that he can get it.

That's why I loved this chapter...because Xander remembered that his friendship with Buffy is more important than his righteousness and acted like a grown-up and showed her in a very sweet, Xan-man way.

That's how I feel about Xander as well. The only time I felt a truly murderous rage was when he tried to axe Spike in season six, but I hated pretty much everyone but Spike in season six, so that doesn't count for much. In season seven, I think he was back to his old self. Thanks so much for the review! :D

04/11/2008 07:24 am
And Xander comes through with a useful apology substitute. I do wonder about Sunnydale residents sometimes--they go out at all hours of the night but still keep those demon blinders on. Spike's bank and library interludes illustrated that perfectly. 

Sometimes Sunnydale seems like a community for people like Forrest Gump ... functional and basically nice, but definitely dimmer than the average. I had a huge amount of fun writing the bank scene, although I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe because I had such a clear picture of what Spike looked like in my mind. Thanks for the review! :D

04/10/2008 03:09 am
Ok, I thought I had reviewed, and then I looked to see if you had responded, and my review wasn't there!  Well, that won't do.  I keep wondering at the suspense being carried out so far.  The longer the wait, the greater the curiosity.  I think what I love the most about Buffy and Spike at this point in the story is that everything is a tenebrous dance.  They aren't perfectly sure in their relationship yet, and it's beautiful to watch.  Like when she takes her ring from him--such a sweet moment, but also fraught with that tension.  It's a small moment that is reflected in the greater scale with how Spike is deceiving Buffy in order to take care of her.  Ok, now I go to read 58!

lol. Bad you to miss reviewing a chapter! I was wondering what I'd done wrong. :P

The suspense about Spike's job is about to come to an end. Actually, I thought it would in chapter 58, but that ended up being quite a different chapter than I first anticipated, so I think the reveal will be made in chapter 59 instead. I'm glad I'm keeping you guys guessing. Thanks for the review! :D

IT
04/04/2008 06:55 am
Will we get to find out what Spike did for the money?  Sounds like he had to kill something BIG!  
Xander is a pleasant surprise.  Maybe Tara next?
Thanks for the update.  Looking forward to more. 
Yep, it will be revealed to the readers in chapter 59. The other characters might be kept in the dark for a while, though... Thanks so much for the review! :D

04/04/2008 03:53 am
awesome awesome awesome chapter.  I am glad that Xander was at least trying.  I hope that Spike and Dawn get away with this for a while at least.  BUT I am sorry that he got hurt trying to help them.
Thank you! Xander isn't such a bad person, I think. He was just allowed to get away with being a pompous ass too long. If someone had given him a reality check the way Buffy did in the last chapter, I'm sure he would have reacted in a similar manner. It's just very easy to be hypocritical and judgmental, and I don't think he ever actually realized that he was being that way. The only real beef I have with him is his trying to axe Spike in season six, but I hated pretty much every character but Spike in season six, so that was just par for the course. Thanks for the review. :D

04/03/2008 08:57 pm
Good ole sneaky Spike!  And good that Xander unexpectedly turned around although I still have issues with him.  Still wondering about Spike's possibly nefarious activities....

To tell you the truth, I'm not a huge Xander fan either. He's irritating sometimes, but basically okay, just not someone I adore. But I wanted to be fair to his character and I don't think he was a bad person. Spike, however, is adorable no matter what he's doing. And we *will* find out what he's doing very soon. Thanks for the review. :D

04/03/2008 07:56 pm
Yay! Happiness for Buffy may soon occur? Just wonder how long it'll take for her to rumble Spike. and what IS his job..?

Spike's job will be revealed to the readers in chapter 59, I think. 'Til then, I hope I can keep you guessing. Thanks for the review! :D

04/03/2008 02:09 pm
Thank you for making Xander get it first.  Refreshing.
I'm glad you think so. I think Xander gets villainized a lot in fanfiction, and it isn't fair to the character. He can be hypocritical and judgmental, but that is true of every other character on the show. Thanks for the review. :D

04/03/2008 08:33 am
oh, i want more!!! omgsh have i told you yet how much i adore this fic? cuz i totally do. all my friends know about it too!!! ^_^

~liz
You're so sweet! I hope your friends enjoy it as well. Thanks for the recommendation! :D

04/03/2008 07:20 am
It's so good to have this update - been a while but worth the wait - hope things don't explode on Spike well intended money making scheme.  Hope you can bring us another update soon.
I'm so sorry it took so long. Life got hectic - an ankle was broken - and Microsoft Word went unopened. My Muse is being much kinder now, so I hope that future updates will be coming in a timely manner. Thanks so much for the review. :D

04/03/2008 05:30 am
Totally told myself I would read and go to bed, but I was so excited that I couldn't stop writing :-P  Here goes:

"Although Xander jumped to his girlfriend’s defense, his expression and tone seemed uncertain. For the first time, Buffy thought she saw something akin to understanding in his eyes."

One of the things that stands out in your writing is the character development.  (Duh)  It's evident that you put a lot of thought into how and what each character thinks, and you always tailor their actions, words, etc., to the specific situation.  Canon Xander would not--and did not--have this reaction to finding out about Buffy and Spike.  Canon Xander constantly stood in denial of Anya's past and did everything he could to pretend that she wasn't an 1100-year-old ex-demon who killed thousands upon thousands of people and started a war.  He failed to see the similarities between his relationship with Anya and Buffy's relationships with vampires. 

There are a few differences between FtTP and the canon that may have helped to perpetuate his denial.  In the canon, Buffy never pointed out to Xander that he overlooked Anya's past because he loved her.  In FtTP, Buffy makes Xander aware that to poo-poo her relationship with Spike on the basis of his being a vampire is hypocritical of Xander.  It helps him to take a look at himself and to try to understand how Buffy can put Spike’s past aside, as he has done with Anya’s past.

 

Also, Canon Xander did not find out the truth from his best friend, but from his worst fiend (sorry, couldn't resist).  In FtTP, Buffy is open with her friends and Giles about her relationship.  Canon Xander had to have felt slighted at Buffy’s concealment of her affair with Spike.  They were best friends; best friends share.  Buffy is upfront with Xander and everyone else in FtTP, no hurt feelings of her hiding things from him, no hearing from Spike that Buffy’s been boinking the very being that Xander has insisted she’d never boink just after Spike boinked Anya :-P

 

In Canon Xander's defense, he was awfully thick about many things, not just Anya's demony past; and he definitely changed his attitude toward the Buffy and Spike relationship once Anya became a demon again and he still loved her anyway.  But without examining his own relationship with Anya, Xander may never have come to understand Buffy and her vamps.  Once again, you’ve made a seemingly small change to the canonical events and made the characters react in a logical, believable way for a completely different outcome.  Guess those changes aren’t so small after all ;-)

Whee! An Immortal Beloved psychologically analytical post! :-D

What drove me crazy on the series was that no one pointed out Xander's hypocrisy to him. I think it's really only human to avoid an issue one is uncomfortable with - and Xander had a really big, uncomfortable issue! If the Scoobies had ever addressed the matter with him instead of standing quietly by as he squelched Anya's every attempt to talk about her past, then maybe he could have a confronted his own feelings and moved on. As it was, I often thought he took his feelings of confusion out on Spike. While Xander's attempted axing of Spike (in season six) made me absolutely hate his character for many months, season seven allowed him to redeem himself in my eyes - somewhat - and understand that while he has many faults, he is not a bad person. In fact, he's no more flawed than the rest of them. They're a pretty screwed up bunch. :P

Thanks for the review!

Leanne
04/03/2008 04:24 am

"I grabbed your post out of the letter box on my way in"

You're killing me with the suspense!!!  Plus I'm worried about Spike getting so beat up on that secret job. It's unlike him to let something sneak up on him like that. Sigh.. .

Love this story - thanks for keeping up with it!

I'm a master of suspense ... or, at least, a whore for it. :P But Spike's job will be revealed in another couple of chapters. I hope I can keep the suspense flowing until then. Thanks for the review. :)

04/03/2008 04:22 am
Liked your portrayal of Xander - far more accurate and sympathetic view of his character than he usually gets around here.  Even when he's good, Spike is the very devil. 
That's how I feel about Xander, too. He isn't my favorite character, but he often gets treated as a villain in fanfic, which is hardly accurate. He's flawed, but all of them are. I'm glad you think I did a good job with his scene. Thanks so much for the review. :)

Cas
04/03/2008 04:15 am
So glad to see an update!  I can guess what Spike put in the post, but still can't figure out exactly what it is he is doing to earn all that cash.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it - and I hope I can keep you guessing. :D

04/03/2008 04:05 am
Love it and love you, though I have to say I think I understand what you ment by it feeling flat. Just some constructive critizism, but in the begining I was trying to read between the lines to see where you were going with it. I'm used to you spelling everything out in detail and it was lacking that here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that reading it, it started off bumpy then after the scene in the crypt the smooth flow kicked in, and I loved every minute of it as usual.

My fav's were the following images...

He peered across the desk, restlessly bobbing on his heels until the teller had proven all the bills to be authentic

Spike pocketed his receipt, displayed two fingers at the receptionist on the way to the door, and then exited the building with an overwhelming sense of relief.


Very typical Spike. Outward a show of cocky confidence, while inside a bundle of nerves resides.


Those were the concerns I had about the beginning of the chapter, but I think I just got to the point where I had to post it as-is or resign myself to the fact that I would never finish it. Spike's salute to the receptionist on his way out of the bank was one of my favorite parts; he needed that to blow off a bit of tension. Thanks for the review :)

04/03/2008 04:02 am
Oh my, what a lovely update.  Good to see Xander; of all people coming around.  I hope we'll see more soon!
Thank you! To me, Xander had no excuse not to come around after Buffy confronted him about the similarities between Anya and Spike. He might come off as self-righteous and judgmental at times (in the series and my fic), but I definitely don't think he's a bad person. I wish they had made him a little more consistant and likable in season six of BtVS. His attempt to axe Spike in "Seeing Red" really made me lose respect fo him. Luckily, he bounced back in season seven.

jess
04/03/2008 03:52 am
oh spikey why can't you just tell her what your up too. and why does buffy have to be such a hard ass. still loving the story though keep it up. i almost thought you'd forgotten about us.
Spike won't tell her because he thinks she won't take the money, and right now he believes money is the most important issue. He's doing the wrong thing by deceiving her, but he's doing it for the right reason (he loves her and wants to help her). Does that make it okay? Well, I guess that's all up to Buffy. Thanks for the review. :)

Annakins
04/03/2008 02:50 am
“I grabbed your post out of the letter box on my way in. Oh and I have no idea where this wad ofcash came from, luv..."

How conspicuous can he be? I agree with him, though: Willow and Tara should pay rent. Reguardless of the bacon Spike's rakin' in...
Love the story so far. Xander's moere understsnding than we give him credit for sometimes.

ROFL - Yeah, he let his enthusiasm get ahead of him a bit, but he does have most of his bases covered. Thanks for the review. :)

04/03/2008 02:28 am
 Yay, an update! I really loved the trouble Spike went through for the bank and the letter. What an effort it must've been for him to be civil...well, except for the two-finger salute at the end! And Xander coming to apologise, in his own way, was just great.

Well, I've got to say...the two-finger salute was my favorite part and a great relief to Spike. You're right, the poor boy had to put a lot of effort behind his display of good manners and that was his way of releasing the tension. Although he isn't one of my favorite characters, I always thought Xander got a bit of a raw deal in fanfic. True, he became a self-righteous horse's ass in season six, but look at what all the others became. He wasn't a perfect character, but I don't think he was an evil one either. Since Buffy has actually taken the time to confront him about the similarities between Spike and Anya, I think he is too intelligent not to consider them himself. Thanks for the review. :)

04/03/2008 02:13 am
Great chapter; i'm dying to know just what it is that Spike's doing to get the money; I just know it's going to be something that Buffy will have to take him to task for...  Poor Spike; he tries so hard!!!  Can't wait for more; please update again soon!
Is it better to do the wrong thing for the right reasons or the right thing for the wrong reasons? I think the BtVS writers raised that question more than once, yet they never really seemed to answer it. In Spike's opinion, what he's doing can't be wrong because he has good intentions behind it. But does that really make it okay to deceive her? It's one of the things I'm hoping to explore. Thanks for the review. :)

June
04/03/2008 12:27 am
Great update, glad to see it. Thought it was interesting to say that spike wasn't used to her friends treating him like a human.  I wonder how he'll treat them back if it keeps up, and how much William might accidentally slip through. Very worried about whatever hurt Spike and what will happen if buffy finds out about the money. good job!
You're the first person who has mentioned the..."like a human"...I was beginning to think no one noticed it. lol. Thanks for the review! :)

Ann
04/03/2008 12:24 am
"Blue eyes wide and innocent..."  SPIKE! I love it.
This is a great chapter and I'm glad Xander can be so mature, but still in character like S7 Xander, and notice his thing with Anya is similar. Spike's plan for getting money to Buffy is also realistic and I think your description of his outfit and the bank teller's reaction are spot on. Now, of course, I can't wait to read more to see the other reactions, and what is going to happen to the 'perfect ring'!

One of the (many) things I love about JM is the way he can convey his character's feelings without ever having to say a word, so I love to describe the emotion in Spike's eyes whenever I can--even when that emotion might be less than genuine. Thanks for the review. :)

04/02/2008 11:23 pm
I hope this money business doesn't cause more grief for Spike - he deserves a break.  Xander was surprisingly decent for once.
Xander is capable of changing and of learning. For some reason, on the series, none of his friends ever tried to push him into doing so. I'm glad you liked him in this chapter. Thanks so much for the review! :D

04/02/2008 10:59 pm
So excited for an update!  I'm very worried about Spike's "job" not being on the up-and-up, but hopefully things will be ok for a while.  Love seeing Xander put his feelings aside to actually be supportive.  Most fics portray him as the most irrational one of the bunch, so it's nice to see a change.
That's actually a pet peeve of mine in fanfic. While I'm not really a Xander fan, I do think that he had his good points as well as bad. And I do think he's capable of change. Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate. :D

Pam S
04/02/2008 10:42 pm
Obviously had to be fighting for money.. and she thinks he just ... had a run in with a demon.. So now for his $5000.. and a letter about some bank clerical error on their part I assume...

 And still no job from her "friends" and a little help with the house payment.. $3000.. and ...  his winnngs won't go far.. Sacrifice.. Dawn wlll have to figure it out if she gave him the account number..

 
Obviously? Mm ... best not bet your own money on the outcome of the plot. I love me some red herrings, I do. :P The letter won't appear to be from the bank, though. In chapter Fifty-Five, Spike and Dawn hatched a plot to make it appear that Hank Summers decided to start paying the child support he owed Dawn. You're certainly right about the $5,000 not going very far. When I was young, I thought that $1,000 was an enormous amount, but now that I'm an adult I see how insignificant it can seem in the face of bills. Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate your taking the time to tell me what you think about the chapter. :D

04/02/2008 10:36 pm
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww   extra snarky to make a good cover?   Great chapter!  Can't wait for MORE MORE MORE~
That cocky attitude hides so many insecurities, doesn't it? Of course, right now he's hiding a lot more than insecurities. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you very much for taking the time to review it. :D

04/02/2008 10:05 pm
Knew he wanted to see her face! 

Wonder at the attack the night before....have a feeling more was going on than Spike knows andit doesn't bode well either.

Xander is being reasonable and I'm a bit scared.  He was like this in S7 IMHO but don't know if I can believe it at the moment.....hope it's real though because he does have his good points and Buffy needs someone beyond Dawn in her corner.

Nothing to worry about here....nicely done chapter.  Love the suspicion at the bank (profiling.....oh yeah!).  I picture him looking a lot like that Dresden Files book cover that look so much like JM with the hat and so forth.  Spike is the only vampire to just go on like any human making allowances for the flamability but not letting it keep him to a night shift schedule LOL.

Worrying that Riley is gong to show up.  Worrying that this "suit" is setting Spike up in some way.  Worrying that Buffy won't have sense enough to stand by her man....so many worries, actually!  Whew....glad for the updates.

As always, character voices are perfect and plot is compelling.

Kathleen
Thank you for the review! I love reading your thoughts because you always present them so well and in such detail. This review is no exception, but it's so full of supposition, I can't answer it properly for fear I'll give something away. lol. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the chapter and thought the characterizations are good. As you know, this chapter put me through the wringer ... more than once. I'm just happy that it's finally over. Now if only the next one will play nice ... ;)

ya_lublyu_tebya
04/02/2008 09:48 pm
Bless him. I bet he does that innocent look real well. :-) Glad Xander's trying to deal. More please!
Words cannot describe how much I loved it when JM put on his wounded puppy face while playing Spike...gorgeous blue eyes that can look so sweet at times and so chilling at others. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks so much for taking the time to review. :D