very good read. thank you. xander would not want spike around even if it was his worthless life he was saving. (that sentence needs punctuation first aid.) also bring in an expert on this fine tale to support my previous review. "...“Like there’s anyone else who can fight off a demon."

Oh, dear God, Xander's getting ready to do something stupid. I feel it.

That said, your character voices are excellent. The dialogue in this story...and all your stories, really, is really tight. I enjoy every word.

They really don't know him do they? Spike does hurt the people he loves or the twits that are her friends. Thanks for the update.

You captured Anya PERFECTLY! And Buffy had at least a brief moment where her body, at least, reacted to Spike. (I'm surprised he didn't milk that more.) And then, she wouldn't even let him stay at her place after he babysat! Argh! Great chapter, as always.

I've been away on holiday and just got back and found not only that last chapter of the other fic but this wonderful sequel and I'm so glad you are continuing with this.

It's wonderful, and perfectly in character. I love it. I wish season 6 had gone this way.

I like how you aren't making this easy for Buffy and Spike, nor Giles and the others, but still not making it unbearably angst-y. And I have to say I love jealous!Spike to.

Keep it up, cannot wait for more. I adore this fic.

Nice having Buffy trying to patch things up between Giles and the crew. Looking forward to more of this.

Lol, I had to giggle at Buffy's fascination over a hardware store! :lol: I love Anya and her typical comments. It's just like her to not care about broaching a subject everyone else is nervous about. Glad that part of the scooby gang is together again :) anyway, great update! Looking forward to reading more about Spike's jealous plans that he's obviously going to come up with!!

Poor Spike! I'd be annoyed if I were him!

Very nice balance here. I love Xander, but season 6 wasn't his best point. You've shown his pettiness without bashing him; nicely done!

Really enjoying this one, and anxious for the next chapter!

UGH I know I said it before but I'll say it again, have Clem find Spike a girl, I bet Buffy will change her tune then.

Good story too much like the series (aka treating Spike like dirt) but really good story

Booooooooo to Xander! Lol. In early seasons of Buffy, she was fiercely independent, but by the time the show ended she'd become crippled by her need to live up to her friend's expectations of her. Clearly she's not on board with all of Xander's Spike bashing, yet she still entertains is arguments on why Spike is evil, and even gives some thought that Xander may be right.

Yeah Spike's a fool for allowing himself to be used, but Buffy's just as wrong for doing the using. She knows the guy is in love with her, but instead of dealing with that issue, she rather live in the land of denial and continue to come to Spike when it's convenient.

Gosh I really love this story, it's so thought provoking! Thank you for another great chapter.

Why is she such an idiot? Xander has a point, sure, but doesn't Buffy know Spike better? Shouldn't she make her own judgements about Spike and how best to protect her sister? She can be a real doofus sometimes. And would it kill Spike to not be so confrontational? He's a doofus too. Why do I like spuffy again?
Anya's not a doofus though. Yay Anya. I hope Giles is really back in the group, including Xander (king of the doofuses, doofusi?), I hated the ignoring thing. And walking her down the isle, that's nice, I had kinda expected them to do it in the show.

Nice to see the Giles situation sorted but otherwise you're pushing all my annoyed buttons so well!! Xander goes from bad to worse but for Buffy to punch Spike awake!!!. I hope he takes himself away for a little break once Buffy cancels his babysitting duties.

They are so stupid. Spike's not like that! He *likes* Dawn, and he knows that he'd be the first suspect if something happened to Buffy's new "boy toy". He's not that stupid.

About time they settled things with Giles.

Buffy in the Home Depot was funny.
I loved the last line, and I can't wait to see where this is going. :)

oh dont listen to xander, buffy...spike cares about her and dawn, and he's the only one besides her who can defend dawn properly..another excellent chapter, looking forward to more :)

Grrr arghhhhh Both Buffy and Xander need to have someone use one of those Home Depot hammers on their thick skulls! Really what reason did Xander have for his extreme anti Spike stance anyway (especially after the whole Glory sitch and aftermath).

Tell on, storyteller! Nice update. Glad they forgave Giles (but then he DOES have that so important soul). Let's see the "Super Jacob" do half the things for Buffy that Spike does on a regular basis..

Kathleen

She appreciates his coming over but she wakes him up to send him out into the lethal sunlight with only a ratty blanket to protect him instead of having the decency to let him crash upstairs.

I really wanna smack her.

Arg, I sort of want to shake some sense into Buffy but that being said, I am enjoying this fic immensely, lol.

Though I completely understand Buffy's attitude to her new boyfriend and the whole using of Spike as her sort of disposable baby-sitter (which, by the way, is such an excellent characterization of her and I know I may have said this before I could completely see something like this happening on the show, so major kudos) does depress me. Poor Spike. My heart goes out to him.... Can't wait for the next chapter, lovely job!

Thanks for another good chapter! You're right, of course. Buffy has a right to be all happy with her new boyfriend. And if Spike is willing to be used by her when she needs him and tossed away when he's not needed, well, no harm, no foul. You replied in your last to me that Buffy's indifference is better than actively hurting him. But in Lover's Walk, Spike was more hurt by Drusilla's indifference than anything else. So this is still a rather depressing read. And in my mind the indifference seems like a less promising springboard to other things than the love/hate thing she had going with Spike in the series. We never saw Buffy *indifferent* to him. So,I'm very interested to see where you go with this -- new territory and all.

So she has feelings for Spike when she sees him naked, wish they would just admit what is going on and get with it.

Buffy is really getting on my nerves. She doesn't want him but she needs him. But when she could not be around her friends, he was the one she turned to. I just hope that Spike makes a life for himself without her and she can really see what she thew away. He is a great person. He watched over Dawn while she was gone and would never hurt Dawn or herself. Tell Xander to SHUT UP and talk to Spike. Just try to get things out in the open. And since when did 2 dates count as boyfriend? They are all making big assumptions.