Dawn's Review

Plot:
It's the Grad Re-Opening of the Bronze and the Slayerettes are all paired up and celebrating. Buffy's watching off in the sidelines when Spike shows up. He strikes up a conversation.

Buffy wants to know why he's talking to her like they're "buddies". Spike? Well -- he saw her sitting there alone and couldn't help himself (love struck psycho vampire that he is). Company. Just what she doesn't want in his form. Spike keeps wanting points for intent. When Xander and Anya comes off the floor, he kicks Spike out of "his" seat. It's payday man, and Xander's treating... or he is until he notices Spike walked off with his change.

Willow ticked that she's been forbidden to do anymore teleportation spells, whereas all Buffy wants is a "no mention of Glory night".... and then Buffy notices Ben's there and goes to see him.

Ben and Buffy cozy up. She wants to thank him for trying to get Dawn away from him. Meanwhile Xander and Spike are fighting. Xander's ticked about the theft, and Spike? He's ticked that Xander's bothering him, but more that Buffy's cozying up with Ben in the corner.

Cut to... A train arriving. Looks like Amtrak but as a Canadian I can't be sure. A train official waits but no one comes off. He goes on and then notices that every single person on the train has been killed. Unfortunately... he doesn't make it off the train either, and we can't see who or what killed him.

Buffy arrived at home to find her Mom, Dawn and Giles all settled in. Dawn's more interested than surprised at the news that Spike showed up at the Bronze. Joyce reveals that she feels safer knowing Buffy's back. Giles tells Buffy that Dawn seems to be coping well... considering. He also encourages her to behave normally -- so she immediately confronts her about stealing her blue cashmere sweater... which is in Spike's fondling hands at that very moment. :)

Harmony shows up and starts to put on a seduction scene, but Spike doesn't seem very enthusiastic. He's never "in" the mood... so she suggests a game. The next thing we know, Harmony's clad in blue and doing a hilarious, if rather stiff, impression of Buffy. Spike gets interested.

The next day, Buffy finds out about the train massacre.

Dawn shows up at Spike's crypt. She wants to talk. They start to talk about not being human. He's upset when she reveals that she feels "safe" with him, so she comforts him with the information that Buffy's always worrying about what he'll do if he ever gets the chip out of his head. "What else does Buffy say about me?" Joyce, however, is worried about Dawn not coming home, so Buffy heads out. The next thing we see is Spike and Dawn together and he's telling her all these stories about his vampire days. Buffy runs in to get Spikes help to find Dawn -- only to find her there. And suddenly Spike's story takes a decidedly un-Spike like turn where newmade orphans are turned over to good families.

Going through the cemetery, Buffy's ragging her about hanging out with Spike. She finally figures out that Dawn has a crush on him, and the conversation degenerates from there. The issue of Angel is raised, and the merits of a soul and a chip are mentioned. Then the bombshell. "Spike is completely in love with you." "Huh?"

The next day, Buffy and Xander are breaking into the train' crime scene to check out for clues. Buffy's mind isn't fully on the massacre. She keeps on starting and stopping but finally comes out with the Spike=love thing. Xander starts giggling, but isn't too concerned until Buffy reveals that Dawn has a crush on Spike. Then he's upset. "I'm the one she has a crush on!" As they're leaving the train compartment we see a mutilated doll on the luggage shelf... a very familiar looking doll.

Buffy arrives in the kitchen to Joyce regaling tales of work-woe. Spike is there to apologize, and to tell her he's got a lead on what's happened on the train. So they head out and they're standing watch sitting together in Spike's car. She's very suspicious. He's starting in and out of song. Then some vamps arrive and they head over to the warehouse. The two measly looking vamps start running right after they realize who she is. Buffy, taking a look around, realizes that the vampires had been there awhile and couldn't possibly be the one(s) on the train. She starts to leave and Spike hurries up so he can open the door for her (1800s manners strike again!). Buffy, finally, confronts him. "Is this a date?" He tries to deny it, but... when she finally catches on. He tries to convince her that they could actually work out. He's changed. He can be good too. "You're like a serial killer in prison!" He tries to convince her that what he feels is real. Buffy is adamant. "There is no 'we'."

Spike wanders home. He's depressed... and guess who's there? Drusilla. After she fills him in on the doings in LA, she reveals that she wants them to be a family again. She wants him to go to LA with her. He tries to convince her that he's living it up in Sunnydale, but he can't fool Dru. She knows about the chip. But then she puts on the moves. She doesn't believe he's reformed. She knows he's a killer. He tells her about the pain, but she tells him its all lies. Then Harmony comes in. She thinks that Spike's brought in a Dru-look-alike for a threesome and flatly refuses to cooperate (unless it's boy-boy-girl that is). When Spike finally tells her it is Drusilla, Harmony is so very convinced that Spike will choose her over Dru... until Spike throws her across the room.

At Buffy's place, Buffy's telling Joyce and Willow about Spike's love/obsession. Buffy comforts them that as long as the chips in his head, Spike can't do much. They're not convinced. Willow tries to convince Buffy that she has to make sure Spike knows there is no chance whatsoever with her.

At the Bronze, Drusilla and Spike are slow dancing and making up. Drusilla sees a couple making out on the repaired ledge above.

Buffy heads out to confront Spike, and she's not looking too happy about it. Before she leaves, she asks Willow to do one thing for her...

Back at the Bronze, Drusilla snaps the woman's head and tosses her over to Spike before breaking and drinking the man's. Spike hesitates, the body in his arms and then... starts to dig in and drink up.

Buffy's gone over to Spike's crypt. It's dark and there's no one there at first, so she gets curious and goes down below -- only to find a Buffy worship/obsession shrine in amongst the debris and clutter. Very stalker-ish. When she heads back up, Spikes there with blood on his face. Drusilla shocks her with an electric prod until Buffy goes unconscious. When Spike gets the prod from her, he hesitates and then shocks Dru.

When Buffy wakes up, she's chained up, only to see Drusilla tied up too. Spike wants to prove that he loves Buffy. She's all he thinks and dreams about. He's drowning in her. Drusilla reveals that she knew it before Spike did. Buffy's unbelieving. She thinks that you can't love without a soul, but both Spike and Dru deny it. He picks up a stake and says he's going to kill Drusilla to prove his love. Drusilla's still giggling but Buffy isn't taking the offer in the spirit it's intended.

It's Drusilla. His face of salvation who delivered him from mediocrity. He caresses Dru's face and they smile together before he puts a stake on her chest. Buffy says she doesn't care, but then Spike reveals his dastardly plan. If Buffy doesn't admit that there could be even the slimmest chance, then he'll release Drusilla and she can finish Buffy off. Dru's all for the second plan of course. "Give me something. A crumb." Buffy thinks over her options, but then stiffens. "The only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious." Spike's very upset. He doesn't know why he bothers with women at all. He blames it all on Dru. He reveals that he hates Buffy as well as loves her. He's just about to do something... and Harmony arrives to shoot an arrow in his back. The actual girlfriend. A fight erupts between Harmony and Spike, and this gives Dru time to get out of her bonds and go after Buffy. Fight scene. Good fight scene. Buffy manages to do quite well but Dru gets the upper hand... but then Spike releases her. Dru leaves Spike. Harmony leaves Spike. Dru's exit is more classes.

A moment's pause and then Buffy punches him.

He runs after her. She tells him to leave. She tells him to get out of her life. They're walking together towards Buffy's house.

He tells her she can't, she can't shut him out.

And then she walks into her house... and Spike can't get in. They've blocked him.

She slams the door on his face.

Continuity:
Drusilla comes back, and she still left him for the Chaos demon. What more do you want? This episode was a culmination of the Spike-obsession that's been building since what seems forever.

Plus we got to see Spike resurrect some old-fashioned manners, and a reference to Dru saving him from "mediocrity".

Relationships:
Spike and Buffy -- no go (despite his efforts) Spike and Dru -- no go (despite her efforts) Spike and Harmony -- no go (despite all that strange in the world of Joss)

Everyone else? Pretty much the standard.

Characters:
It was Spike's show. His whole body language has been getting more and more distinct and related to "William" instead of Spike for ages. Sigh... he's almost completely recessed back to "William" now -- is it time for Joss to flip the switch back to "pure evil"? Anytime now... not that this whole stalker-demon-love-obsession hasn't been fun -- for us.

Best Moments:
Dawn finally slamming Buffy with the sledgehammer realization of Spike's love.

Xander's face when he realizes that Dawn isn't in "Crush" with him anymore.

Spike's face as he makes that decision to bite down.

Dru's face as Spike outlines his grand plan.

And... best of all. That moment at the end when Spike realizes he's been blocked from entering the house, from stealing more of Buffy's sweaters and little heart to hearts with Joyce (he's going to miss those).

Tina's Review

Spike, to put it mildly, is a loser. He used to be cool, back when he was a badass, and I miss this, and though we've seen faint shadows of it lately, he's just not what he used to be.

Last night's episode had more than faint stirrings of the old Spike. After all, Drusilla made a run in on the midnight train to Sunnydale for the express purpose of bringing back her beloved William. And why the hell did she call him William, anyway? Was it to remind him of what he used to be, even before he became Spike?

Damn it, my brain has been possessed by Drusilla--again--and I can't stop thinking about this episode. Shock.

The character development we've gotten on these two (though more subtly with Drusilla) is amazing. William used to be the late Victorian equivalent of Wesley, only with poetry instead of being a Watcher. However, just moments after his heart had been shattered, she made him into a vampire. We don't know what he did after that, but it probably has something to do with railroad spikes and the guy who would rather have a railroad spike driven though his head than listen to any more of William's poetry.

Then he hung around with Darla, Angelus, and Drusilla for a while and killed a Slayer before Angelus got cursed and Darla (we assume) went back to the Master. He was definitely a badass for a very long time, which we know because the second Slayer was killed in the '70s. But we still don't know much of his past, but it involves a lot of mayhem and murder. This *is* Spike, after all.

After Buffy killed the Master, Spike and Dru made their way into town--partly to heal Drusilla, and partly (imo) because they wouldn't have to deal with the Master and the Order of Aurelius and all that "we should live like rats" crap. Spike and Drusilla enjoy the finer things in unlife, thank you kindly.

Blah, blah, murder, mayhem, Angel loses his soul and becomes Angelus--and that's the end of Spike as we know him, though we (and the characters) didn't realize it at the time). Spike, stuck in a wheelchair because of Buffy dumping a church organ on top of him, is essentially helpless, frustrated and angry because Angelus has decided that since he doesn't have Darla to play with, he's going to toy with Drusilla both to gratify his urges and to piss off Spike. I think Angelus resents Spike for never being cursed by the Rom. Plus there's that whole alpha male thing.

Spike regains his ability to walk (only the first time legions of fans cheered on a villain) and promptly sought out Buffy to form a temporary alliance in order to get rid of Angelus and get Drusilla back--oh, and to save the world. But mostly to get Drusilla back. You know the rest of the story. I'm just putting this in because I have to get this characterization stuff down on paper because I'm currently trying to understand more about the damn character for fanfic.

And we think we'll never see Spike and Dru again, which bums us out, but at least they're alive, and there's always fanfic, some of which will even be *good* fanfic.

Then third season hits us, and we get "Lover's Walk," wherein Spike comes back and we remember why we love him so much, even if he *was* a sodden drunk whining about Drusilla leaving him for a chaos demon (and, really, how many of us thought it was Ethan?). At least we had Spike and some semblance of Drusilla.

I assume that anyone who dislikes Drusilla is an unenlightened neonate who hasn't actually seen the glory that was Spike/Drusilla during second season.

Oh, yeah, and for anyone who says demons don't love, remember that Dalton got killed for liking to read, and the Judge wanted to kill Spike and Drusilla because they "share affection and jealousy." I assume he didn't say love because the Judge was incapable of understanding it, because everything I've seen of those two hints at a very deep and abiding (and sick and demented) love.

But anyway, we only saw him once in third season, but James Marsters (Lord of the Cheekbones) was rather popular, and even if Juliet was too busy, at least we could get James, and he was made a regular--and thus began another chapter in the downfall of Spike. Poor boy, he kept trying and trying to kill Buffy and couldn't quite manage it. It's hard to be the archvillain trying to kill the star of the show.

Spike was expounding one night when the Initiative (Voted Most Failed Plotline by almost every BtVS fan in existence) captured him and put a chip in his head that didn't let him hurt anyone, thereby putting an end to his (post-escape) plan to turn Willow into a vampire and also denying hopes and dreams of legions of Willow/Spike 'shippers. Or was that MarySue/Spike 'shippers? On the other hand, he became a boogeyman to legions of fictional army dudes, so, hey, this is a plus.

Poor Spike stuck around and got stuck full of arrows when he ran to the Scooby Gang to protect him from the big, bad monsters of Sunnydale, many of whom, being monsters, didn't care whether he lived or died (every time I type that, I keep thinking "I decide who lives or dies!" from *way* early Pretender episodes).

Enough with my fandom reminiscences, though, and on to more about Cheekbone Man.

I can't help it! He's got gorgeous cheekbones, but I'm convinced photographers do everything they can to enhance them--makeup, lighting, angles--and they do so to the point where his cheekbones are sharp enough to cut glass!

But Spike stuck around, chained up in Giles' bathtub, and eventually in his own crypt (after being forced to a fate worse than death *or* chipping--wearing Xander's clothing). He shacked up with Harmony on multiple occasions (yes, he *has* sunk that low) and has become the poster child for Unstable Vampire Stalkers Anonymous.

Angelus held that title in second season, but I think Spike's beating him out for the sheer weirdness of it all.

We opened up the episode with a train coming into town and no one getting off, and the station attendant walked on, saw the dead people, and walked further into the train. Stupid, but he payed the price, because he died. If he ran, he wouldn't have really been able to survive then, either, but I'd have at least felt *sorrier* about his death.

And then it all hit the fan. Dawn got a crush on Spike (and who wouldn't?) and Buffy caught her hanging out with him, listening to stories of when he killed people (we're not sure the Key's not evil, which is good, because Dawn is pretty enthralled by all this death and destruction). And, in the midst of a sisterly fight in which Dawn desperately wants to get the upper hand, she spills the beans about Spike being head-over-heels for Buffy.

But before this, we see Harmony coming in and Spike talks her into playing a little "game" where she's the Slayer and coming after him. I'd write more, but my brain was oxygen-deprived due to hysterical laughter during that scene and I don't really remember much of it. But there *was* a really, really, *really* nice shot of James' bare back.

And Buffy goes and investigates the train, and there are corpse tape marks all over the chairs. She talks to Xander about Spike having a crush on her, and then sits in a chair and is framed by one of the tape marks. *I* thought it was funny, but I'm morbid. Then, as they leave, we pan up to a shot of Miss Edith, who has miraculously survived the burning of the warehouse and the whole Acathla deal, and has, apparently, been dragged all over multiple continents since 2nd season. Or maybe it's just a new doll with its eyes poked out, because we know Dru has a thing for eyes.

So of course the inevitable confrontation occurs. Buffy, totally grossed out by the thought of any vampire that doesn't brood and isn't Angel, is, well, totally grossed out by Spike.

You know, if he wanted to have a better chance, he really ought to start brooding more. Maybe he could set Willow and Anya on fire? Sorry. I'm really snarky at Angel lately, but that's another story entirely.

Spike comes back to his crypt and is greeted by Drusilla, who does call him William, yes, and Goddess only knows why. But she has a lovely scene where she updates him on the whole L.A. thing and the Darla thing, says she wants to be a family again (which is supported by her actions in L.A.) and convinces him to kill again (during which I'm screaming "Classical conditioning! Classical conditioning!" and realizing that I am *such* the psych nerd).

And then Harmony comes in, and bitches Drusilla out for breaking Spike's heart--and I really do think that Drusilla deserved to be bitched out, but it should've been by Spike, not by Harmony. Spike, though, grabs Harm by the throat and tosses her against the wall and tells her to get out. "Why?" asks Harmony. "Because *she's* back?"

"No," says Spike, that evil, intense look (thud!) on his face. "Because I am."

Then they go to the Bronze and dance, where all the happy Spike/Dru 'shippers (which, quite obviously, includes me) are screaming happily. Then Dru spots a couple of teenagers necking on the balcony and walks up there with Spike. She grabs the boy and bites into him, relishing in the blood and, in an absolutely spectacular scene, urging Spike to kill the girl.

Yes, once again, we're cheering Spike on to more and more evil. We *know* Spike is evil, and we know he's a bad guy, but he's just so *good* at it. Plus he's got cheekbones. So anyway, after a moral struggle or a struggle against the conditioning imposed by the chip (we're not sure which), he kills the girl.

Now, I know we didn't see any blood, but I'm assuming he killed the girl because he wouldn't have been able to hide it from Drusilla, and--let's face it--because it's something he's been longing to do for about a season and a half now. Plus we saw him shock Buffy without pain later on in the episode.

So they kill together, probably like they used to, and I am once again reminded of all that vampire sexual imagery stuff that people like to talk about when talking about vampires, because--damn. Like there wasn't sexual imagery there?

But anyway (is it warm in here?), Spike and Dru go back to the crypt, not knowing that Buffy has been investigating and found the Altar Of Buffy that Spike's been keeping in his basement along with an assorted coffin or two. Does *every* freaking vampire get the ability to draw along with bloodlust and an obsessive personality, or is it just him and Angelus? Jeez.

Buffy climbs out of the basement to see Spike with blood at the corner of his mouth (yet more evidence as to his killing the chick), and they start yelling, except Dru shocks Buffy with a tazer she's managed to keep conveniently hidden. I guess if your vampire strengths are in hypnotism and the Second Sight, you need backup somehow. And she *did* have a coat on, after all, so she could've hidden it. Then Spike shocks Buffy (hey, no pain!) and then, in a move only surprising if you're not expecting tragedy on a Valentine's Day ep (which I was), he shocks Drusilla too.

Aw, poor Buffy. She wakes up chained to the wall. That's okay, though, because poor Drusilla is chained to a pole. I actually feel worse for Drusilla, but she and Spike *really* have a lot more talking to do before they work things out (and we'll just ignore that particular bit of Dru-channeling for the moment, or at least until I'm done with this and I start working on the "getting Spike and Dru back together again" fic again).

"And we'll dance and laugh and twirl the night away..."

Shut up, Dru, at least for now, and let me finish exploring characterization so that I can write the story that'll get you back together with Spike, okay?

But anyway, Spike starts groveling to Buffy, laying bare the depths of his obsession--because it sure as hell isn't love--and Buffy says that vampires can't love.

Drusilla denies this, and says that perhaps they don't love wisely--which is true, because she and Spike are in love, which is proven when Spike calls Drusilla the face of his salvation and rhapsodizes about their time together.

Then he tells Buffy that unless she can give him some hope, he's going to untie Dru and let her kill Buffy.

Unfortunately, before he can make a decision, he's hit in the back with a crossbow--not from the Scooby Gang, but from Harmony, who has rediscovered Girl Power. Drusilla encourages Harmony in beating up Spike--because, hey, a silly girl now might just be easily manipulated later with the right encouragment. And this is *Harmony*, who walks around with a great screaming sign above her head reading, "Use me! Manipulate me! Please!"

Dru gets free and starts semi-whomping on Buffy. When are the bad guys going to learn? You have to chain the Slayer's *legs* too. Duh! But Spike beats Harm up and lets Buffy out, and Harm runs off saying how she's not going to try to change Spike any more. Which is good. And then Dru says he's lost further than even she can find him (or something like that), and wafts off.

See, that's the thing. He's got to get this thing for Buffy out of his system first. Give him another 50 years, and she'll be dead. They're vampires. They can wait.

And then Buffy slugs him in the face. Spike is an idiot, follows her home, and discovers he's been disinvited (which is good, because she can't keep losing sweaters to him).

Poor everyone, but really, I feel worst of all for Drusilla. She's gotten her feelings trampled on in this episode. Buffy's using Spike and manipulating him, which is *not* helping the obsession (which, yes, she couldn't even conceive of, which I understand). Harm I'd feel worse for if she wasn't Harmony.

And I'm sure there'd be more, but Drusilla's getting really insistent that I go and fic her now.

SunSpeak

"Oooooh Myyyyyy Goddddddddd!!! Meeep - in many different situations.... Buffy......Spike.....Dru.....Harmony........Dawn - Holy smokes You'll laugh, you'll cry....ya might thud But ya GOTTA see it to believe it. :)" -- Lynn

"Okay. Annoyed. Cranky. Confused. Irritable. This whole Spike thing has me very dizzy. I just wish they'd get clear about the whole soul-love-no-soul-no-love thing, because I'm being jerked in circles here, wanting to give Spike a certain latitude and all, but always aware that he's a bad, psychopathic killer."
"I like Dru's explanation, at least in the context of the Joss-verse. These demons aren't really like fallen angels or anything; they're a separate species from a separate reality, and they like to prey on humans. This doesn't mean they don't have the demon equivalent of a soul.... just that it's the easiest way to explain their homicidal psychopathic predatory tendencies, and why it's now okay for Buffy to stake them at will. They aren't the people they were before they died, they're someone else. Someone who's dangerous, and staking a vamp is more in line with dogcatcher/exterminator duties than any kind of moral judgement thing." "I've been running on this assumption for ages; and I think even Buffy has to acknowledge it at some level. I realize it's an occupational necessity for her not to let things get *too* grey, but she's definitely veering into Denial Girl territory on the subject at this point.Which may well be *exactly* why they're choosing to play with it in the way they are...forcing Our Heroine to face up to the fact (and at this point I've considered it a fact for quite a long time) that humans don't have a 100% monopoly on "human" emotions. That's exactly the kind of thing Buffy will go to extraordinary lengths not to think about, because it's messy and murky and she needs clarity to do her job.But considering that, at this point, she's pretty much the *only* Buffyverse resident we see on a regular basis who *doesn't* acknowledge that demons can feel things other than "crush, kill, destroy"...well, it's been a long time since I got the feeling she was being presented as "right" in that regard." -- Kiki and Val

"Hmmm... I guess I'm more with Val, I don't see it as "watered down" so much as "more complex". Granted, they need to keep doing something with him, otherwise he becomes "Angelus Lite: The Chipped Psycho-Stalker"... but I think they are going interesting places with him." -- Dianne

"If this is right, then yeah, Spike *can* love Buffy... just in an inhuman unbalanced way. And I don't blame her for not believing this. She's got too many personal just-got-dumped issues, Spike gets on her nerves, and she needs to ignore all questions of individuality and possible demons souls in order to do her job. But. However. And yet.... //sigh// I just feel like staying in denial of the truth is not going to help anyone, you know? Spike needs to really get over the idea that Buffy can love him back. Buffy needs to stop wigging and accept that someone she hates *is* in love with her, to the best of his ability. There's a Mark Twain quote that I stumbled across this weekend.... "Just because someone doesn't love you the way you think they should doesn't mean they don't love you with everything they have." Pretty much sums up this situation perfectly." -- Kiki

"And did Spike drain that girl, or not? I heard slurpy noises, but saw no blood. I can't believe Dru could just hypnotize him into ignoring the pain that easily, even if it is something she's good at... I saw blood on his mouth later, but again, I don't know if that means Dru opened up the veins for him or he did it himself. More questions we get answered next week; and if he is evil again, Buffy has got to get over this dislike of staking someone she knows and just be done with it. I love Spike, I love James Marsters, but this is just beyond ridiculous if he *is* a threat again." -- Kiki

"Technical point: Dru, proving once again that she's *way* smarter than she generally lets on, broke both victims' necks first. Resoundingly successful end-run around the chip. He got the good stuff, or as damn close to it as one possibly can, without setting off the chip 'cause the chick was already dying/dead. And Spike, being also no slouch in the brains department (if occasionally lacking in the thinking-through department...hey, he's a tactitian, not a strategist), just might twig that incremental is the way to go with this thing. He could be merrily back to his old ways in no time, with the chip futilely zapping away at his utterly indiffernt neurons."
"Even with the neck-breaking, you guys have a point. I suspect the incremental approach might work just fine. The question is whether Spike has the patience for it-- this is, after all, "I had a great plan, but I got bored" Boy we're talking about." -- Valerie and Dianne

"I do still feel bad for her (hell, even for Darla) in terms of having been recently barbecued also. I think the main thing that happened here was that her madness usually shields her from having to deal with consequences, but in this case it didn't help, both because she was being unusually lucid and because Spike was disinclined to cut *anyone* any slack. So yeah, she got nailed rather more than she bargained for." -- Valerie

"Maybe that's why I seem to have so little sympathy or concern for [Drusilla] this time around -- I just didn't connect. She was brought in to be gratuitous Bad Thing of The Week, and help accelerate the Spike mess -- she was a plug-in plot point that really didn't have any interest for me at all." -- Dianne

"I'm pretty sure Dru deals with potentially hurting feelings the way she deals with any other part of reality she doesn't fancy-- she ignores it in favor her own little preferred way of seeing things. She's self-preservational enough to realize she was in serious danger from Spike for a moment or two there, and took steps to avoid getting staked-- but I don't think she'd really take it personally or hold it against him. Ultimately she had to admit that-- at the moment-- she wasn't getting him to respond to her, so she left. I'm sure she sees it as a temporary lapse and will try again the next time it crosses her mind, and would be happy to see him return to her. I guess I'm saying that I think she was a little hurt by the realization (at the end) that she couldn't have him back now (which caused her to leave), but I'd hardly consider her emotions trampled upon. In her own deranged way her feelings are remarkably well protected. (In the same way I suspect she could [and would] accept Angel back after the torching [which again, was the first thing to really get through to her emotionally]-- with no more hurt feelings than if another pair had simply had a nasty verbal fight.)" -- Dianne