Loved that last bit about how it was like a ritual. Last two lines made my throat catch. Great stuff!

You did it again!  Tore at my heartstrings with the end of this chapter when Spike repeated he'd be there for Dawn til the end of the world, but made me laugh out loud with the line, "Her voice went all squeaky, up into dog-whistle territory."  Bloody brilliant, your writing!!!!  On the show at times the scoobies seemed to accept Spike, then at others they treated him terribly; I never could understand how they couldn't see the real him and his devotion to Dawn.  You've caught their attitude perfectly--makes me want to go bite them myself!

Council would spring that Faith bird. Or off her - oh yeah.  There's the Spike we know and love.  Stealing burba weed and get on every body's nerves.  Very nice.

Lovely chapter showing the growing tensions within the group perfectly.

 so sweet!  you've established their relationship so well:  it feels so real!  I can't wait for the rest!

Lovely series - the delicate and yet subtly desperate friendship between Spike and Dawn as they mourn Buffy.  Perfect Spike 'voice'. The little flashback to William and his mother is heartbreakingly sweet. This is the real Dawn, I think, the one we barely got a glimpse of, much more than the whiny brat we saw. A girl struggling to cope with grief and fear and questions about herself while wavering between childhood and having to grow up. Plus, Anya being Anya and Giles being an ass. I like Giles but sometimes I just want to slap him.