His Way by dreamweaver

11/18/2019 10:46 pm
Chapter 5         
I think I read this years ago before time travel fics were established as my absolute favorite trope. It definitely holds up against all the others I have read. I love that it was Spike who was sent back because it allowed him to focus solely on fixing things for Buffy where anyone else, including Buffy, would have split their focus. I am also glad that, whether he meant to or not, he neatly solved not just the Angelus issue but the entire Angel issue. There is no other character who has as much influence on the person Buffy became than Angel, soul or no soul. The things he said and did stuck with her long after he left Sunnydale and changed both her relationship with those around her as well as slaying. I love that Buffy initiated claim right in front of Angel as if she was making a statement and then he completely ceased to matter. It was a great ending for the fic and for Spike.

08/07/2018 02:24 pm
Chapter 5         
Never get tired of reading these wonderful Spuffy stories - I've been a fan of your works for many years now.  Hope all is well with you.

05/04/2014 10:54 am
Chapter 5         
Perfect! It's truly stunning to realize the effect that short dalliance with poofter Angel had on her, how it essentially destroyed her. Took her faith/trust, joy, innocence... everything, and became a pattern for how she lived life.... scared and frozen solid never letting anyone in, a slave to others opinions. Tsk
Honestly, Angel was more damaging to Buffy than any of the Big Bads she ever faced. He totally ruined her life. I can’t understand why Joss is so adamant that Angel instead of Spike is the only man for her (!) Spike is so much better in every way.

04/06/2014 04:11 pm
Chapter 5         
a sweet tale...  I want to feel sorry for Angel, but for some reason, I can't.

Blue
Angel’s never very helpful, is he?  And I’m a rabid Spike lover. :D  This was an early story.  I’m so glad you liked it!

04/26/2013 04:55 am
Chapter 5         

great ending line - "loving me.  That's your way."  I like how you write the Spuffy relationship. 

The one thing that I do have a contrasting perspective on is the idea of Angel not understanding how much of a real problem they "no full sexual experience" would be in their future.  While young Buffy would think that it would not be a problem, with as much as we have been shown in the series that Buffy is indeed very much a woman who enjoys her sexual life, I think that in a realistic treatment of her relationship with Angel, the inability to have a full and sexually satisfying life would ultimately effect her life and would bring both of them sorrow and emotional stress. 

I agree that a sexual relationship is needed for Buffy to truly have a full life.  The trouble is that in canon Angel doesn’t seem to accept that.  He constantly says he wants her to have a ‘normal’ life, but his actions show his jealousy and resentment of her attempts to find any partner (like the time he beats up Riley who really had no chance against Angel’s vampire strength or his constant campaign to keep Spike from going to Buffy during AtS.) Intellectually, Angel might want Buffy to lead that normal life, but emotionally he can’t bear for her to love anybody but him.  He clings to the hope of the Shanshu so that he can be with her in the end.  He might screw around with Cordy or Nina, but deep inside he wants Buffy to stay ‘pure’ for him.  He can’t face the idea that she slept with Spike, his bete noire.  And the possibility that she might love anyone, especially Spike, is utterly unacceptable to him.  What Angel says never agrees with what Angel actually does.  Which is why he fails over and over again at being a true hero.

That's why I write him the way I do. :)

04/13/2013 12:25 pm
Chapter 5         
Love your Story :)
Thank you!

05/01/2010 11:08 pm
Chapter 5         
AWESOME! Only word I can think of. This is really great, well written, captivating, and just romantic enough to be sweet.
Thank you!  I'm so glad you liked it!  I'm really fond of this story. :)

Magemaster
03/21/2010 07:08 am
Chapter 5         
Excellent! One of the best ones that I've read.
Thank you!  I'm so glad you liked it!  This was one of my earlier stories and I'm fond of it

illona
07/19/2009 12:28 am
Chapter 5         
that was brilliant!
Thank you for liking it!  I'm really fond of this story.

Niori
06/03/2009 06:58 pm
Chapter 5         
Another great story.
You don't normally see the Spike goes back in time idea (it always seems to be Buffy...but then again, she has the most  stuff she should be ashamed of and do over), and you pulled it off really well.
Spike was really great; he just didn't go in and try to suduce her, but gave it straight and let her decide (which, she obviosuly made the right decision).
And I'm with you; The PTB didn't think things through when they sent Angel to her in the first place. I mean, with that particular clause on the curse, that would just lead to too much trouble. And it just left her kinda screwed up for the rest of the series.
I'm also glad you made sure that Dru still had someone; I read another Spike goes back in time story somehwere else where he goes back in his body and dumps a sick Dru somewhere. I'm sorry, I can never see that happening, even if he was in love with Buffy. He just doesn't do abandonment, especially since Dru would have been sick at said point. So it's awesome the way you took care of that.
Overall, another good story.
Spike honestly wants Buffy to have whatever she wants and he think that's not him.  I couldn't see him deliberately trying to seduce her.  And, just like you, I couldn't see him abandoning Dru either and Angel needed to take on some responsibility for his actions towards her.  It seemed the best solution.  Thank you for liking the story!

Lida
10/07/2008 07:41 pm
Chapter 5         
Hi,
I just wanted to tell you that I've just finished reading this story and it's THE BEST!
Both Buffy and Spike (and all other characters too, actually) are perfectly in character, you make the things between them happen so naturally that it looks perfectly realistic.
The plot is great, it's dramatic and it's hot and sweet. I'm amazed.
Thank you so much for writing such a masterpiece!
Oh, thank you for liking it!  All the characters are so real in my head that I can't help writing them that way.  I love Spike and think he's just the perfect one for Buffy, her match, and I keep writing stories to get them together.  I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

05/30/2008 02:28 am
Chapter 5         
wow!  i'm a HUGE fan of this "claim" thingy :)...loved the ending!
Thank you!  I love putting in the claim ending!  I like them linked so no one will ever be able to break them apart and they belong to each other utterly.

05/12/2008 02:00 am
Chapter 5         
Mannnnn......I'm hooked! :D Your stories are so wonderful and SOOO satisfying!  I love that both Buffy and Spike seemed to be in THE right place at the right time in this story!! It felt fated. Like it was meant to be.........had already been etched in stone! I LOVED IT!!! ~ Kelly
Oh, thank you so much!  I'm delighted that you like my work!  I really wanted to have things go well for Spike just once!

03/23/2008 08:47 pm
Chapter 5         
fun read, thank you. love the claiming being done in front of angel.
I'm delighted that you liked it!  And I love rubbing Angel's nose in it! ;D

Laura
03/12/2008 06:47 am
Chapter 5         
Ahh!   How sweet.
Thank you!  I'm so glad you liked it!

holly
03/12/2008 05:51 am
Chapter 5         
sooo good.

Thank you!  It's wonderful to know that people like it!

anon462
03/11/2008 11:07 pm
Chapter 5         
I've alway's loved a good 'what if/do over/AR/whatever?' that has Buffy choosing Spike instead of Angel. And this was a really good one!!!  Thank You for writting it!!!  :D
Thank you for liking it!  I always wanted Buffy to choose Spike and the show never gave us that.  So I wrote my own.

03/11/2008 07:58 pm
Chapter 5         
A gorgeous story.  Buffy's revelation and Spike's wonderment were all the sweeter for being in front of Angel.
Thank you!  I love rubbing Angel's nose in it!  I do it every chance I get.

BloodStainedSnow
03/11/2008 07:52 pm
Chapter 5         
Wonderful ending.  I felf so bad for Spike and his self-doubt (which he has plenty of reason for), and it was so great to see him find a happy ending. 
Thank you!  I'm so glad you liked it!  Canon-Buffy hurt him so much that I really wanted him to have a happy ending.

Leilani
03/11/2008 04:44 pm
Chapter 5         
Well - that was a wonderful and sweet little story.  I'd love to see some sequels of this - perhaps make it its own 'verse... 

Nice - NICE job!!
Thank you!  I hadn't even thought of sequels.  I'll have to see if I can come up with something.

03/11/2008 12:35 pm
Chapter 5         
*sigh*  Thank you for the happy Spuffy ending; sooo glad that Buffy finally declared herself; poor Spike; he was so heartsore by the end of it!!!  Love it, love it, love it!!!  Amazing story; can't wait to see more of your work!
I'm so happy you like it!  I've got a couple more and I'll be putting them up by the end of the week.  Then I'll have to start writing more!

03/11/2008 12:19 pm
Chapter 4         
Oh thank God; thought for sure Angel was going to say or do something to turn her away from Spike; I think I have as much faith in Buffy right now as Spike does, poor baby.  Can't wait to read more!
Spike's still thinking of canon-Buffy.  But this one's different.

12/12/2010 02:32 am
Chapter 3         
Beautiful!
Thank you!  I'm really fond of this story.

ya_lublyu_tebya
03/11/2008 06:45 pm
Chapter 3         
One word: Hot.
Thank you!  That's the most fun to write!

03/11/2008 12:11 pm
Chapter 3         
I love how your souled Spike is still snarky; that line from the previous chapter "You're asking if I'm your dog?" Loved that too; amazing; amazing chapter; can't wait to see what happens next.  Hey, could Spike eat Xander?? That'd be cool...
Spike stays snarky throughout "Angel", despite his soul, which is the nicest part about him.  Can't keep that boy down.  Eating Xander?  Not in this story, but in my next one, he does get his own back.

03/23/2008 06:25 am
Chapter 2         
enjoying this romp.  call xander on his attempted rape;  giles on, well being giles; joyce quickly moving into spike's corner; and buffy not far behind. thanks for the fun.
Thank you!  Isn't it weird how Xander is never called on his trying to rape Buffy, out of plain and simple lust?  By the next episode, it's all forgotten.  But when Spike makes that  same mistake, but out of love and desperation, and when Buffy has always given him mixed messages ('No, no, no, well, okay!'), no one ever forgets it and he never gets forgiven!  Hated that!

BloodStainedSnow
03/11/2008 07:11 pm
Chapter 2         
Spike's "unlovable" speech was so sad, but I'm glad he's getting a chance with the undamaged Buffy. 

I thought that an undamaged Buffy would see Spike as he really was.

ya_lublyu_tebya
03/11/2008 06:27 pm
Chapter 2         
On my way to chapters 4 and onwards but just had to stop and say what a brilliant chapter this is. Nice work. Love Spike and his vulnerability.
Thank you!  For me, that vulnerability, that intense emotional committment is the sweetest thing about Spike.

03/11/2008 11:51 am
Chapter 2         

Can I just say a big thank you for NICE LONG chapters???  Amazing; poor Spike; my heart was up in my throat when he was saying that he was unlovable.  God!!  You're so harsh to him....  I LOVE IT!!!  LOL!  Amazing; can't wait to read more!!!

Poor Spike.  That's the way Cecily, Dru and canon-Buffy have made him feel so far.  Let's face it, after three women have rejected him, he's going to feel as if it's his fault.

laura
03/11/2008 08:14 am
Chapter 2         
Enjoying your story.
Thank you!

12/12/2010 01:14 am
Chapter 1         
Fantastic beginning!  Spike does love the thrill of the fight and this was glorious.
I'm so glad you liked it!  Thank you!  Spike loves fighting and he'd think that a fun way to get Buffy's attention.  *g*

spuffy chick
05/29/2008 11:43 pm
Chapter 1         
oh my god! you got me so hooked! can't stop reading your fics :) ...you're such a very good writer!
Thank you so much!  I'm still such a new writer that's it totally blows me away when anyone likes my fic or when any of them wins an award!

03/23/2008 05:26 am
Chapter 1         
love spike being the one with the knowledge even if he is not certain how to utilize it. very good start. thanks for the fun read.
I'm so glad you like it!  I wanted Spike to have a real chance.

03/11/2008 11:16 am
Chapter 1         

New story, new story!!!  *Does happy little dance*  And it's as good as the first one!!!  *whirls in a circle*  Amazing beginning; I like how you have Spike poking at all the angles of returning to an earlier Buffy; you're so great; first you do a Wish'verse, now a time travel...  did you pick a list of my favorite story-types out of my head??  Amazing chapter, can't wait to read the rest!!!

Those are the most fun, aren't they?  Wish'verse and time travel.  I've got another time travel, except with Buffy this time, that I'll be posting by the end of the week.

April
03/11/2008 04:40 am
Chapter 1         
Interesting! I am liking it so far! Not sure how Spike 6 yrs older should act on 6 yrs younger Buffy when he's got his own Buffy in his own dimention... talk abt complications if he gets back to his own time ever! How to explain to Buffy that he cheated on her with...well...her!!! Can't wait to read more soon!
He's stuck in this dimension now, so he won't have to worry about that!

BloodStainedSnow
03/11/2008 04:33 am
Chapter 1         
Very interesting beginning.  Looking forward to more :)
Thank you!  I hope you like the rest!