DISCLAIMER:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters therein are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox and a whole host of others too numerous to list so suffice it to say, they ain't mine. *sighs* More's the pity. Nothing written here by me is intended to infringe upon the copyrights of the rightful owners of the entities cited. Don't sue, I have no money. If you insist though, I'll give you my credit card debt. :-P
Author's Notes:
I have become utterly obsessed with rewriting Spike & Buffy's past and future. After the positive acceptance of "It Was" and "It Will Be Again" I've begun working on stories that redo my favorite Buffy episodes to make them Spuffier. This story will eventually lead to that. I've decided to work from the final episodes back to the very beginning where I think it all could have gone so differently.
This series, which will be very heavy on angst, drama, bitterness, anger, love, hate, regret, remorse, etc., begins at the end of "Entropy" (late season 6, BEFORE "Seeing Red") and goes completely a/u or as I wish it had really been after that. It will be much slower to update than my last series because of the time required to find just the write song to fit the mood of each chapter, but I want to get it uploaded and test things out asap to see what kinda interest there is and also to get feedback and perhaps suggestions that can help me if I get stuck looking for a particular kinda song. As always, feel free to review or email me at missmishka@aol.com with comments, criticisms or anything at all. I'm a chatty type, I'll reply asap.
The R rating is for language used as well as the potential for violence and/or sexual situations in later chapters. The title is taken from the following dialogue between Spike & Buffy in "Seeing Red" just before the attempted rape scene:
"Spike: Great love is wild … and passionate and dangerous. It burns and consumes.
Buffy: Until there's nothing left. Love like that doesn't last."
Story Summary:
This story is a series of chapters, each inspired by lyrics of a different song, that will vary in length and the tone of their content. Most chapters will be heavy on angst and 'deep thoughts' from Spike & Buffy.
The basic idea?
Beginning at the end of episode 6x18 (Entropy) this series explores what might have happened with the series if Spike left Sunnydale after the 'Anya' incident. Spike goes to find the Demon Trials and some kind of resolution to his problems while Buffy is left behind to deal with her friends' reactions to learning of the things she'd done with Spike, her confusing reactions to the vampire's departure and, of course, the pesky Geek Squad all on her own.
Little things begin working themselves out. Her friends and Dawn adjust to the news. Tara and Willow get back together. Andrew, Jonathan and Warren get locked up for their illegal activities. And things begin to return to the hellmouth's version of normal.
Except Buffy's realizing the full extent of her feelings for the absent blonde vampire she'd treated so poorly.
Spike, meanwhile, is fighting his way through the trials to get that which he seeks. That which will free him from the unbearable love he feels for the Slayer.
After some time passes a wish brings them back together, but the results are not what the wishmaker had been hoping for. A soulful Spike is returned to Sunnydale against his own wishes and Buffy must deal with quite a few painful changes in the man who had so devotedly loved her for so long she didn't know what to do without that love.
And with this new Spike in town she has to face the shattering truth that he no longer loves her like that and it's all her fault.
Can she handle the reversal of their roles?
Her loving him and he unwilling to return the emotion?
Can she get his love back?
Is there any way to fix all the damage that has been done?