I thought this was just going to be a sad fic, so I was pleasantly surprised when Spike came back. Bless you for adding two happy chapters after the angst.

Loved this. All four chapters were perfect. The grief of the first two then the tentative joy of the third to the sincere happiness of the fourth was awesome.

This was lovely.  You really are such a gifted writer.  Thank you for posting this. =)

Touching & emotional, lovingly portrayed characters, solid characterization & just plain good writing. Very sweet story. I was moved & I really enjoyed it. The first 2 chapters broke my heart & the last 2 put it back together. Well done :)

This was utterly beautiful... 

Great story.  Love the happily ever after.... 

I just finished part 4 of Leave Your Lights On.
This was beautiful.
Thank you.

lovely happy ending, this is one of the very best short spuffy stories I have read - thanks for the bringing it to us -

This was an amazing and emotional story. I loved it. I cried I cheered I aww'ed. This was so wonderful I'm sending the link adress to all my Spuffy loving friends for them to read! If you ever make a sequal I'd love to read it. But even if you don't I think it ended beautifuly. I will add your name to the list of authors to keep an eye on for future fics.
~ZLB

Wow, that was beautiful. Certainly a fine read! ;)

Great story!

Beautiful... just beautiful Thank you so much.

I came here from the Fang Fetish Award site. Congrats on the well-earned recognition.

I have to admit that it was only slightly annoying when I would finally get my tears under control, so I could actually see to continue reading, only to start crying again. ; ) This was such an amazing story. I loved how much emotion was in every bit of it. Heart-breakingly sad to happy and cheerful. I absolutely adored it.

This was an excellent way to finish this series of chapters. I did love this fiction. Thank you for sharing.

I really loved Buffy's confrontation with Angel and how she very clearly stating her feeling for Spike. What a beautiful ending I am so glad that you decided to go beyond the two chapters you had originally planned.

So glad that Spike showed Angel that he was wrong and that it was all thrown back in his face. He still never learned. GLad that they were able to talk things through. Never though BLue would give up so easily.. But glad that Spike was the one to help her. Loved the chapters from beginning to end.

I really loved this story and like the way you finished it. Thanks for giving Illyria closure and for explaining what happened to Spike. I love how Buffy deals with Angel. I liked the way you gave Buffy and Spike a future. THank you!

fine tale, thanks for the fascinating read.

AHHHH what a wonderful ending. I love how you wrapped this up what a beutiful little story!

Couldn't go to bed until I had finished this, so tired now but happy, loved it.

Lovely story! Such a nice ending for what started out so sad.

I loved this story. I am so glad you continued it

I loved this story. I am so glad you continued it

Gorgeous ending!

Thank you for developing such a thought provoking and moving story. I enjoyed this more then many stories I've read.

I see you said it was originally just two chapters. Thank you for the additional two. It was just enough to round out and make the story complete.

Great story--thanks so much for sharing.

I enjoyed this "little story" very much indeed. And should you wish to continue it, I would be delighted. :)

Wonderful story. I do hope there is a sequel to this.

Loved it! It made me cry! Thanks for the wonderful read!

Just wanted to let you know how much I loved this fic. It was beautiful - thank you.

Definitely enjoyed it. I love how you dealt with Angel and Illyria.

Great ending. Put ole Angel in his place. Good going.

Glad you decided to add to your original story concept - Part 1 and Part 2 would also have been great alone - but the Spuffy in me likes this addition.

Beautiful!! Absolutely beautiful!! That was an awesome ending to this chapter. Each chapter is an ending in itself ... then you give us a wonderful bit of more. Thank you so much

very good chapter - really intense emotions - i am enjoying this very much!

You've honestly moved me to tears. Is this an incredibly moving story - or am i just an emotional sap?

To clarify I'm going with the first choice.

I love the way you revealed that it was her blood he was drinking. As she kept defrosting I was thinking 'why doesn't she just let him drink from her?' Should have known you'd be way ahead of me.

The gesture of her stockpiling her own blood in the chance that he'll come back is tremendous.

I love this story.

Tears all round. Thank you for that - just beautiful.

this was an excellent two chapter work. i have no idea how to express how beautiful the third update makes the tale. thank you for the wonderful read.

Perfect, and you even used one of my favorite songs by Loreena McKennitt to set the mood! Lovely achingly visual set of chapters equaling one fine piece of writing.

Kathleen

Wonderful! Perfect!

*sigh* this was wonderful. you're such an awesome writer Nia :D

i'm really glad you decided to write anoter chapter. great work.

Thank you.

Thank you.

The emotions in this chapter are so strong. You did such a wonderful job of showing how encompassing Buffy’s grief was and then her fear that Spike wasn’t really there. I like the way she showed that she had held out hope for his return with the blood and then how she expressed her feelings, letting him know that she really loved him. Thank you for another beautifully written chapter, I am really really glad that you decided to do more then just two.

Awwwwww.....loved it! He'll heal up pretty well with the Slayer blood. Thanks, Illyria....wonder what dimension he ended up in? Fighting and starving....poor baby.

well I for one am glad to get this chapter. I just love how she was looking for him and hwas always looking for a way back. great insight.

"He was gone – no prayers, no pleas to the Powers – to heaven or a god she wasn’t sure existed – would change that."

Another great line -

"Did giving his life to save the world absolve him?

Buffy hoped so – almost more than she wished him back.

Time to go . . ."

Wonderful part - so much said with just a few words -

I'm catching up, and I have to say that this chapter was even better than the first one. It was amazingly and emotionally written. Beautiful. I loved it!

very powerful chapter. very good. *runs to next one*

This is so moving. It honestly brings me to tears. I love the simple yet captivating way in which you write.

Great job.

Well, you've made me cry twice (even though in the first chapter I knew what he didn't about that night).

Oh, man, what can I say? You brought tears to my eyes.

You have me crying. These two looks at Buffy and Spike are beautiful and perfect. Thank you so much for writing it.

Sad but lovely. Their grief is palpable, but laced with hope.

Beautiful, heart wrenching and extremely sad as there is no one for her to share her grief with, and her still not able to trust her friends with the truth of how much Spike means to her, and yet her actions speak very clearly of this. I love how she honors him with a copy of the ritual he did for her, and that his home had become her home to the extent that Angel could not enter added extra depth to her actions.

nice. I truly loved it

Very touching. Dare we hope that Buffy's devotion will pay off - as Spike's did?

Oh!  It breaks my heart!  Loved this.  It was wonderful...  But it leaves me wanting more! Wahhh!  Thanks for writing it.  :)

terribly sad, beautiful read. thank you

just absolutely love it.

You made me cry you wicked writer. That was beautiful. Maybe Buffy does owe it to Spike to make Willow and that bone head Giles listen to what Spike meant to her.

*sniff* okay both were excellent

and still crying LMAO

This is simplying outstanding - a fine piece of work - a wonderful tribute to Spike and all the love he feels and her sacrifice for Dawn and her duty. A beautiful and extremely effective connection of all the elements -

How sad this was. good job.

Wow, it brought tears to my eyes. Very touching.

Very touching, Nia. It's hard to imagine how Spike was able to keep going after Buffy was gone. Maybe his love pulled her back as much as that stupid Willow spell.

We haven't forgotten the ones we lost on that terrible day. Our prayers are with you, who got stuck behind.

excellent

you made me cry...

wench

LMAO

bittersweet.
hey, are you the same Niamh that wrote 'for the honour of the mother' (or something like that)!

Beautiful, Nia - simply beautiful. *hugs to you* *lighting a candle for those you lost*

You captured Spike's pain and guilt perfectly. The beauty of his ritual, and the meaning behind the things he did were expressed so well, and the fact that he felt that his prayers for her didn't count because of who he was, and he did them anyway adds a whole extra layer to the specialness of them.

Wonderfully moving and appropriate. I can see Spike doing some ritual like this for his lost love.

I also like your ritual for those lost on 9/11. They should not be forgotten no matter the politics after the fact. It matters as DO those gone.

Kathleen

excellent read, luv. thank you

Wow, very moving and heartfelt. I am sorry to hear of your loss. I hope that we never come to a day when people think on that horrible day in an offhanded way. It sickens me sometimes when people try to turn that disasterous event into almost something that isn't real. It happened, and it was horrible. So many people lost their lives, and so many more people's lives were changed forever. People try to ignore what happened, but I hope that they will never be able to forget. For if we forget, then we are dishonoring all those who gave their lives willingly or who lost their lives as a result of the tragedy.

You used a fine inspiration to write this piece. I look forward to the other chapters you write for it.

Heartbreakingly lovely, Nia.

Stunningly sad and beautiful.  I could picture the whole thing as if it were playing out in front of me. *sniff*

this is incredibly beautiful and powerful...moving beyond words...few stories make me actually cry, but this one did... i am absolutely in awe. Amazing.

Your words always have a way to touch something in me, they always make me think, make me reflect, make me react. Once again, I am humbled by the way you can write pain...we all feel it in one way or another but it's a precious gift to be able to express it like you do. thank you

Beautifully done - I'm moved.

Weeping here.