Wonderful discussion regarding the transformation with being en-souled - hope you will get back to the subject again during the story. Considering how vital this having of a soul was in the series, I always wished that more discussion was given to the theme in the series.
Great to have another update - looking with great interesting to the next encounter between Angel and Buffy.
Just by his presence Angel could mess up the moving parts on a rock. I never got their belief in the difference between Angel and Angelus myself. Yeah, people change--especially if they have decades to do so. Having change forcibly imposed from an outside source is something completely different. It's more of a "I'm sorry I got caught and if you weren't watching I'd do it again" rather than "I'm sorry I did evil things and will try to atone". Truthfully, the serial killer on parole quote always seemed to apply more to him, since the soul was never what you would call firmly anchored.
Definitely the best thing to describe Angel's behaviour - the least bit. And well, all of what you said. I think the fact that he's not a romantic interest (not yet anyway :-) ) makes it easier for the Scoobies to accept him as well. And, I always thought they kind of followed Buffy's lead with some people and if she's being nice to Spike, they may well join in to a certain extent.
Thanks for reading!
You have hit on one of the major reasons why Spike was able to "adjust" to the soul so "quickly" in canon.....unlike Angel he never sought to seperate behavior. He was Spike and the soul may have caused him to see things a bit differently, perhaps even make some choices a bit easier to understand but the being was the same. Angel liked to be seperate beings...Liam, Angelus and Angel and his behavior was as fractured as that perception. It may have helped him to deal with the evil he had done but it was a lie and Spike never fell to that at all.
Love the way the Scoobies are more willing togive Spike a chance...they, like Buffy, had Angel issues in canon that made Spike have to "pay" for the leftover feelings Angel left in his wake. They are more open to giving him a chance at this point.
LOVE this and it is worth every nomination. I really hope you win!
Kathleen
Thank you! I'm just happy to be nominated, and alongside so many brilliant fics that I love. It's great! :-) As always, thank you for reading and for leaving lovely reviews!
The Giles' conversation with Spike was so well done, you've really caught their characters. The small changes in Spike and Buffy's glimmer of realisation were very subtle. Then Angel appears at exactly the wrong moment!!! Excellent chapter.
Which is why that made me think what Spike would have as his happy moment and the only thing that makes sense would be when someone he loves tells him that they loves him...because....well I think that would be Spike's moment of true happiness. He was never loved no matter how much he loved. So yah. That is my thought. Haha. If he had been cursed with a soul...no matter how much he had sex with the person he loved...his moment of true happiness would have been when Buffy told him that she loved him. Thankfully(well not really because I also believe the soul didn't change him...only his view of harm and evil-ness) he wasn't cursed with one he WON himself a soul.
So yah. I've been thinking about that these last couple of chapters.
Anyway, thanks for reading (and for giving me plenty of food for thought as I continue with this fic).
Loved what Spike got to syay
No Memory??? That college ass DID slip her a roofie. Good thing Spike got her out of there or she would have woken up with more than a slight headache. Wonder if Spike knew what had happened? Hey! Wait! If Spike figured out what happened, did he go back to the Bronze to have a "talk" with the college guy? Is that what he meant when he said his night was "entertaining"?
Things seemed to go pretty well with the Scoobies and I really liked Spikes talk with Giles. Have to think he opened a few eyes when he told them that Angel was a myth, that he really wasn't two separate personalities, that he was Liam, with a bit more sense. But that also means that he's Angelus too, just like William is Spike.
Ah, the Stalker is back. Can't wait to see what happens next, should be very interesting. :)
Thanks for reading and I'm glad you liked.
The interaction between Giles and Spike is interesting. I've always had the feeling that if Giles got over his vamp predjudice toward Spike, they would get along quite well. They are both intensly curious academics, looking for a collegue. It will be interesting to see how much Rupert wants to get to know William.
Thanks for the update.
Thanks for reading.