Forward to Time Past by Unbridled_Brunette
Chapter: Chapter Forty-Eight

pearlseed
04/16/2008 09:36 am
Miz Unbridled, the last line is the only thing that has kept me from slamming this book shut forever.  Sweet his love is and her devotion and how in the world will you balance this one out.  Their voices are all strong--it's what makes the story for me--how much angst crud can folks figure to throw at Spike--how absolutely rigid can Buffy be?  Best outcome under the circumstances....I will hope til hope creates the thing it contemplates.  You write so very beautifully of William and Spike, the two who are and aren't.

11/13/2007 06:10 am
Wow, about time she let it all out, Giles might not like her honesty but I love it. Her and William/Spikes's relationship is out there as well. What an emotional chapter.

Was it her dream or something that William did for her, I hope it's the sign she's been waiting for.

It really gets to me that Giles said Angel was right about anything. My heart goes out to Buffy and Spike. This is a great story, you've written it so well, thanks for sharing it with us Cam.
The last section in this chapter is a memory. It was actually a scene that I wrote for Chapter 16, but I had to cut it when that chapter ran long. The scene picks up where Chapter 16 ends, after Buffy and William leave the theatre. I wish I had made this more clear when I put it into this chapter, because a lot of people seem to think it was just Buffy projecting Spike onto William in a dream. But I wasn't sure how to do that without it reading as an information dump. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you so much for reviewing. :D

11/10/2007 02:35 am
a beautiful read, thank you. beautiful, even with giles forcing his warped view of the world on an already conflicted buffy.
Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always love reading your thoughts. :)

11/09/2007 08:28 pm
Oooh that beautiful last line is a precusor,yes?!
Could be ... ;)

11/09/2007 02:56 pm
I don't know right now who I'm madder at: Buffy for being so stubborn and buying into the Council's lies, Giles for being so arrogant that he won't try to *help* his Slayer cope with everything, or Angel for...well, just for being so him.
lol. Well, when you figure it out, let me know. Thanks so much for the review. As always, I greatly appreciate the feedback. :)

11/09/2007 05:03 am
Powerful, moving and heartbreaking. The scene between Giles and Buffy is just perfect. I could just see the two of them playing out this conversation onscreen. It feels like something that should have happened in canon.
Thank you so much! I'm doing my best to keep things as realistic as possible, so to hear that it could slip easily into canon is just great. :D

11/09/2007 04:36 am
Buffy needs to listen to her subconscious! It is letting her know that the love William felt carried over through his death and "rebirth". Dang I wish she'd THINK, just think. The Council has lied to her so many times (as has Angel), why she is taking their word over what is in front of her is maddening. I understand it's only been a short while for her since her happiness in the past but she needs to see what's in front of her.

I feel so bad for both Buffy and Spike. Angel and Giles should level with her since they know the truth of where she was. They should help her instead of making this terrible wrenching time ease for her. Giles is a S7 styled arse here!

Poor Spike, he hasn't snapped yet as to what her problem is. He is starting to put pieces together and has mostly gotten past her "lies" a hundred years ago but it hasn't occurred to him that she doesn't realize it IS him now as much as it ever was (okay, less a conscious and plus a few dead bodies *G*).

LOVE the update (hum.....Steven in reruns during the strick and your muse returns.....must hope this lasts a wee bit at least! LOL).

Kathleen
Well, I think the answer to your question is simple. Buffy is taking Angel's word over Spike's because if she didn't, she would be admitting not only that William murdered thousands of people (and tortured at least a few of them), but she would also have to face the fact that Angel is the same man as Angelus. Therefore, it was Angel who killed Jenny Calendar, who tortured Giles, and who threatened to send the entire world to hell. That would be difficult for anyone to accept. Still, I understand your frustration. Sometimes you just want to bop the characters on the head and yell at them for their stupidity, don't you? I know I do. lol. But I'm glad that you're able to sympathize with Buffy as well as Spike. She may be in denial at the moment, but it can't last forever. And, hey, at least she isn't intentionally hurting him the way season six Buffy did. ;) And don't you dare hope that the writer's strike lasts a long time! I am in total Colbert withdrawal - it is *not* good for my Muse. :sniff: (But thanks for the review!)

11/08/2007 05:03 pm
Ok, I'm crying now; that was so bittersweet. And I don't know who I want to slap more, Buffy, Angel or Giles! Really excellent story; I can't wait for more; please update again soon!
Thank you! As callous as it sounds, I'm glad I brought you to tears. It's wonderful to know that something I've written can affect a reader that much. :D

11/08/2007 03:54 pm
I just feel so for Spike. He is really William deep down and he has missed her and been tortured for more than a century. Buffy just needed that pretend time but I think that just made it worse. He feels used. And she just wants to go back. I can see Giles being upset but he has to understand that she feels as if a part of her has died when William died. Just such a great story.
It's great that you're able to see both sides and feel sympathy for Buffy was well as Spike - that was just how I hoped my readers would react to this chapter. Thank you. :)

11/08/2007 12:21 pm
Really like this story, keep up the good work.
Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it. :D

carryline
11/08/2007 11:06 am
Still loving it! Hope Buffy realises that Spike's just the same as he was then.
Well, she can't stay in denial forever. ;) Thanks for the review! :)

11/08/2007 10:36 am
Another superb chapter. Great Watcher mode for Giles and I'm glad the reunion and inevitable Buffy run didn't floor Spike too much. Can't wait for Buffy to realise what she has.
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. :D

Serenity
11/08/2007 09:48 am
Ok, so I reread my review and realized that I sound a little off my nutter. What I mean is that Giles's (along with everyone else, except maybe Dawn) hasn't really given Buffy any time to adjust to what happened to her. Like because she's the Slayer, then anything that gets thrown at her should just be brushed off and gotten over without any thought. While it irks me, sad thing is...that's exactly how they would have reacted in the show. Great portrayal by the way. Love the story and look forward to more. PS. sorry for the rant. :)
Don't be sorry! I don't mind if you feel angry with the characters and want to express that in a review. It's actually a compliment, if you think about it. It means that my writing is reaching you emotionally, which is great. I really appreciate your taking the time to leave both reviews. Thank you! :D

Serenity
11/08/2007 04:56 am
Giles's attitude really makes me want to spit nails! Grr. Can't wait for Spike and Buffy to work things out and totally piss him off. Great dream sequence!
It's interesting, because the reaction to Giles has been so mixed. I have some readers cheering him on, saying that his tough love approach is just what Buffy needs. And I have other readers who, like you, just feel like smacking him. As for my own opinion of him ... I'm going to plead the fifth. ;) Thanks so much for the review! :)

11/08/2007 04:45 am
What a beautiful last line for this chapter, and what a fitting one for Buffy's memory to include.

Even though Giles was harsh about it, it was nice to see him being the voice of reason.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :D

11/08/2007 03:57 am
There is so much to say about this one, but I'm pressed for time. So just want to say that I especially love the second half of this chapter best. Her desperation to get back to 'William', Giles' confronting her about her selfish behavior, the dream...

Which I have to say that the dream reminds me (though a bit different) of the garden scene from (one of my favorite movies) Nottinghill. If you've seen the movie then you know what I'm speaking of. Again I just want to say how much I appreciate your work and devotion to this story. It is by far in my top three all time favorite Spuffy fanfics.
I've never seen Notting Hill. When you have the time, would you give me a synopsis of the scene? I'd hate to think that my dream sequence is very similar to a scene in a movie. I like to be original.

That aside, I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter. As always, I want to say thank you for taking the time to leave a review. :)

grave tidings
11/08/2007 03:33 am
If you do not write romance professionally, you should. With little effort, this could be turned into an original novel. I wish you'd consider it. This story is beautiful.
How incredibly sweet of you to say. I am hoping to write professionally, so it's a great confidence boost to hear that you think I can. Thank you! :D

Cas
11/08/2007 02:48 am
Loved the fountain. Will Spike recite the poem to her later? Great to see the update.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :D

11/08/2007 02:36 am
Very beautiful and sad. Liked the scene with Giles and his interesting defense of Spike's destiny as a vampire. Weird but true.
Thank you so much. I'm glad you're still enjoying it. :D

kim
11/08/2007 02:25 am
Go, Giles!!!!!!! he's right. She doesn't even seem to care about what would happen to Dawn, her own blood. And using Spike....

It wasn't just Angel that prevented the Nazi's and Initiative from getting what was on that submarine. And if Spike and Dru hadn't eaten the rest of the gypsy camp while Darla was trying to make that deal, then Angel's curse might have been reversed right then, and he'd have been Angelus all this time.

Whether time is like a tree, or a single cord, peventing William from becoming a vampire like he already once did could have disastrous effects on the timeline.

Poor Spike...she's so stubborn and stupid.

Oooo, nice last line.
I know Buffy seems to be acting selfish lately, but she's in love and in pain, so don't judge her too harshly. I promise, she won't keep her head in the sand about Spike forever. At the moment, it's just really difficult for her to admit that William could be capable of becoming the violent killer Spike once was. But, like I said, it won't last forever. Thanks so much for the review. I'm glad you're still enjoying the story after all this time. :D

Ashley
11/08/2007 02:14 am
So excited for an update! I loved the fountain scene--so beautiful, but I wish Buffy would wake up and see Spike...grr!

Looking forward to more :)
Don't worry, Buffy can't keep her head in the sand forever. Thanks so much for the review; I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :D

time of change
11/08/2007 01:41 am
Ah, that is a beautiful thought: that love can transcend death. And this is a beautiful story. I have been with you on this story since you started writing it, and I love it more with each chapter. Your courage as a writer in undertaking a project of this magnitude is amazing.
What a nice review. It's wonderful to know that you're still enjoying the story so well after 48 chapters. I hope I can keep you entertained in the future. Thank you! :D

11/08/2007 01:11 am
Buffy's still with Spike and William not being one. *sigh* But I think she's getting an idea that maybe she could be wrong.

Giles now knows, which is a good revelation. And what is this destiny that Spike must fill? Can't wait for more. I was so thrilled to see an update. I did the snoopy dance, lol.
Oh, there's hope for Buffy yet, don't worry. I just hope I can keep you Snoopy dancing for future chapters. Thank you! :D

11/08/2007 12:55 am
The situation we discussed the other night gave me no indication of what was to come! This love story just keeps getting better and better, more complicated and more beautiful. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of my favorite stories. Not just my favorite fanfic story (that goes without saying!) but like one of my favorites *ever*. Good luck on Nano!
I'm glad I didn't give anything away. I was kind of worried about that, lol. And one of your favorite stories ever? Wow, thank you! :D

Bridget
11/08/2007 12:47 am
Thanks for the update. I really hate that Buffy is so selfish now that she has returned. I hope that at some point she actually sees Spike as the person she left behind and his feelings for a change. Good chapter, I am glad that Giles and Tara know what happened.
Thank you. I'm glad you liked the chapter. :)

11/08/2007 12:39 am
The crypt scene wasn't what I expected at all, and therefore, I don't hate Buffy. Now I feel kinda sorry for her...

Ooh--lovely description of the fountain and the area arounded. Sounds terribly romantic...I hope Buffy remembers William's answer--that love can transcend death...Great update :D
I'm really glad to hear that you don't hate Buffy -- it's definitely not my intent to rehash season six and turn her into a character everyone reviles. As always, thank you for the review! :)