I just started reading this over the weekend..thank you so much for writing this!!! I LOVE THIS STORY!!! Update soon please! Every ride home from work all  I could think of was getting to the computer to read some more. One of the very best stories I've ever read it's killing me to see what happens next. Please oh please update soon :)

Scoobies are mean spirited and not very nice right now that's how it feels. 
Spike's what/who he is and Buffy isn't very nice either--I'm intrigued with your story, but flat fed up with meanness one to another.  I'm of a live and let live tribe, surely wish the ones in this story could follow through on that.  I mean I know women are supposed to have the fickle gene, but lord love a duck Buffy could you please decide to just go with what you know, the vamp loves ya.

Yays!!!!  D=  That sounds really terrible of me, but still I yays, because Giles is like "this is kinda my fault" and Buffy's like "I knew the money wasn't from Dad".  It's like they realize they helped point the loaded gun that is Spike.  

And yays!  Dawn isn't dead!  *whew*  I'm relieved.

Oh, you're killing me here; I so did not see this coming; poor, poor Spike; for a soulless creature incable of emotion, he certainly feels guilt and remorse in spades, doesn't he??  God, can't wait to see more; please update again soon??

And it's all come crashing down around him.  Thanks for Willow's sympathy. 

This must be one of the very best chapters in the entire story - What a blow-up for Dawn and Spike and Buffy.  And what a huge surprise with the betrayal of Giles - It's a excellent plot turn because it feels just like what could happen in real life -   As does the ultimate and predictable disaster at the caves.  Life Does SUCK and Spike, irrespective off his Good Intentions was completely irrational in his trying to do The Good and Right Thing.  Giles and Spike, both end up doing so much harm by their good intentions -

How does anyone come back from this point?

Oh man, is Buffy mean - doesn't even give poor Spike a chance to explain.  Since she's in a bad mood anyway, maybe she could punch Giles and Xander in the nose.

actually have the stones - Stones isn't an American expression.  Buffy would probably say balls.

Thanks for another great chapter.

Well, an epiphany for Willow!  Can't wait to see how that plays out - as long as she isn't too late with it!

And Giles!  He's the one who imposed the conditions?!  For shame!

Great writing, as always.  Thanks. 

YES YES YES....I finally got a block of time to devote to giving this chapter its deserved attention!

You can FEEL the urgency throughout the entire chapter.  Highly emotional in every case.

Sadly Buffy is so in character...he deserves much better from her and I hope she realizes that quickly.  She shut him out and blamed him instantly.  Would serve her right to have HIM walk away from her for a change.

Xander was so typical....blame, hit (especially as Spike cannot fight back) and repeat as desired.

Giles was decent for a change in admitting Spike DOES have feelings and to his own manipulation.  Perhaps he will finally do the right thing for both Buffy and Spike.

Same with Willow....I think the light bulb finally went on there as she realizes Spike has feelings of the non lethal type.  Tara is clearly there already.

Loved the helpful stoner....very nice touch to the story!

Buffy's very bad behavior SHOULD offset Spike's bad choice if it comes to a throw down but I doubt the Scoobies would agree.  (Maybe Tara).

Really intense and so well written...you can feel the panic, the pain, the anger...the whole termult of emotions.  Beautifully done.  You even captured the absurdity and surreal feeling of hospital rules/regulations and forms while a person is beside themselves with worry for a loved one!  Excellent.

Kathleen

I guess for well educated men both Spike and Giles can be pretty stupid.  I guess its the 'men' part that that causes the problem.

nice move by red. very good read, thank you.  p.s. the voting is in on the ass of the century award. it is a tie, xander and giles.

Another brillant chapter.  I almost don't want to read the next one out of fear that things will go futher south for our poor Spikey, but like a moth to a flame, I can't wait for your next update. 

Loved Giles coming clean.  Worried about Spike, though! 
Your writing is amazing - plot, characters, suspense, emotion.   Thank you for writing this!

Good to see that Dawn survived.  I really hope that Spike can pull himself together again.

Thanks for another fabulous update, Buffy's reaction was much better than expected.  Looking forward to the next...

Thanks for the update.

Well, Giles' ultimatum part of the Council offer is no surprise.....he was too against the relationship to let Buffy make her own decisions.

I'm glad some softness clicked for Willow. She can catch up to Tara, maybe, in seeing things more fairly.

And Buffy wasn't as blind as she let on...but she was unwilling to just talk to Spike. He asked her to teach him to be good, yet she's let him assume a caretaker role without guidance except his own perceptions. She hasn't taken the responsibility he asked her to do in love. Which begs the question....how much does she love *Spike*? She needed a William after her mother's death still, but how invested in making this work is she, really? Oh, dear.......

I'm sure Dawn will try to cover for Spike as soon as she's awake, as shes been doing these weeks. Poor girl's the only one with her head on straight and her eyes open in the entire mess. Smarter than all the "adults", she's been.

I hope Spike can be on a path with more secure footing by the end. It's been so long since he's had confidence, since he's had his own balls, really. The desperation to keep Buffy has really torn down every part of him that was mature and grown up. This isn't the same Spike that rescued Dru from a mob and kept her safe through her illness, then cured her. Even in love, Buffy seems able to destroy a vampire just by proximity. The touch of a Slayer a curse to the undead......?

Where is he going?? I'm so glad you didn't leave us hanging for too long, but once again my stomach is making, as Dawn would say, all sorts of bad rumblies. This is just going to go very wrong. Poor Spike - glad someone thought of him. And Giles- the b**tard! Look forward to more.

Terrific chapter with everyone showing their true colours.  Xander wasn't a surprise, of course, but how could Giles justify what he did?  Willow was surprisingly kind to Spike but he'll never forgive himself.  Turmoil indeed.

wow what a hell of a chapter!  poor Buffy, with a sister in the hospital and feeling betrayed not just by Spike but by Giles as well...

And nice to see Wilow realizing how things are for Spike.

 Thank God that Dawn is stable, but I can't help but feeling bad for Spike. Horrible idea for getting money aside, he never wanted this to happen. He didn't want Dawn to follow him and he tried to keep her out of the way. Accidents happen and Dawn, being Dawn, kinda went looking for trouble. But Spike is going to be blamed - particularly by the one woman he loves - and it'll destroy him...unless Dawn can somehow make it right. Or Buffy has a little faith.

And Giles' bombshell! How dare he presume to.. I'm pissed at him right now.