atheneum

The gang is partying it up at the Bronze, which has a whole new look after the Troll wrecked it in "Triangle" Anya and Xander and Willow and Tara are dancing, and Buffy sits alone at a table watching them when Spike comes up (yikes! In a brown leather jacket, and dockers, and a grey shirt and sooooo brings out his eyes! * swoon *) and sits down next to her, chatting about the remodeling. Buffy asks him what he's doing there, talking to her like they're friends or something. Hurt, Spike gets up to leave, but then comes back saying that he was right there with her when they took on Glory together, and he thinks he should be afforded a modicum of respect. Just then the others come back to the table. "Hey Evil Dead, you're in my seat," Xander snarks. Annoyed and frustrated, Spike gets up and stalks off. Man, people stalk off a lot on this show, don't they?

Anya thinks Xander hurt Spike's feelings, and Xander doesn't care, until he realizes that Spike stole his change that was sitting on the table and wanders off to get it back. Willow takes a pill for her headaches and nosebleeds that she's been getting since she pulled the teleportation spell on Glory in "Blood Ties", and they talk about how they have jack in the way of an arsenal against Glory. Buffy says this is their first R and R in forever, and she calls off the Glory talk for the night. She suddenly spies Ben across the room, and goes to talk to him. She thanks him for looking after Dawn at the hospital before she got there, and Ben says it's no problem. Cut to Spike and Xander at the bar, arguing over the money Spike stole. Spike sees Buffy talking to Ben all cozy-like, and looks jealous.

Cut to the Sunnydale Train station. A train comes in, but when nobody gets off the employee there wonders what's going on. He goes inside the train and finds all of the passengers dead. He turns around and sees something behind him and starts to run out of the train, but something yanks him back in and kills him.

Buffy goes home and says that she had fun, apart from Willow's headaches and Spike's cameo appearance. Dawn notes that Spike was there, but doesn't say much else. Giles picks up his stuff to leave, having kept an eye on the house while Buffy was out. At the door, Buffy asks Giles his opinion on whether or not they should continue to treat her with kid gloves. Giles thinks they shouldn't go any easier on her than they ever used to. Buffy thanks him and then immediately yells at Dawn for taking her blue cashmere sweater, which Dawn says she didn't touch. Cut to Spike in his crypt, holding Buffy's sweater and looking contemplative. He quickly puts it away when Harmony calls him to bed. He appears annoyed with her, though she's clearly trying to seduce him. Spike still doesn't seem interested until Harmony says they could play a game. That gets his attention. Cut to Harmony stalking around in the crypt with a stake, dressed in Buffy's blue sweater and her hair down like Buffy's. She yammers on, pretending to be the slayer, and Spike jumps out of the shadows and tackles her.

The next day on campus, Tara and Willow discuss the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and how all of Quasimodo's actions were for a woman who could never love him back, blah blah. The similarity between that story and Spike's feelings are obvious to us, the viewers. As they're walking, Buffy suddenly grabs a newspaper from a guy sitting in the student lounge and reads about all of the deaths on the train the night before. She realizes it was vampires.

Spike (wearing another new outfit! Green! ) comes up out of the lower level in his crypt to find Dawn standing there. She asks if that's how he gets around in the day time; if it leads to the sewer tunnels, or something. Spike looks guilty, like he's trying to hide something, and tells her to go home. She doesn't listen, however, and they end up talking. Dawn says she likes the way he talks to her like she's a real person, still; everyone else is treating her like she's some fragile thing. To get him to let her stay, she starts talking about Buffy, and how Buffy's worried about what Spike will do if he ever gets that chip out of his head. Entranced, Spike urges her to go on.

Buffy arrives home to find that Dawn didn't come home from school that day, and Joyce is worried. Buffy promises to find Dawn, and leaves. Cut back to the crypt, but now it's night time. Spike's regaling Dawn with horror stories from his past, and just as he gets to a suspenseful part in the story Buffy comes crashing in through the door, making them both jump. She starts saying that Dawn's missing and she needs his help, but then realizes that Dawn is there already, and gets mad. Spike says he was just about to send her home, because he knew she'd be fretting, but Buffy barely even looks at him and just collects Dawn to leave.

Outside, Buffy admonishes Dawn for going to Spike's crypt, because he's dangerous and "icky". Dawn says she doesn't think Spike is icky, and Buffy realizes Dawn's got a crush on Spike. Dawn denies it. Buffy says she can't have a crush on Spike; he's evil, and dead, and a vampire, and Dawn points out that Buffy was with Angel for three years, and he was a vampire. Buffy says that was different, because Angel had a soul. Dawn says that Spike has a chip, but Buffy refuses to accept that Dawn has a crush on Spike. Dawn says she just likes to hang out with him, is all, but even if she did, he'd never notice her in a million years because he's in love with Buffy. Buffy's like....."huh?"

The next day, Xander and Buffy check out the train for clues. Buffy stops and starts a few times before telling Xander that Dawn said Spike's in love with her. Xander thinks it's funny, and Buffy says it's creepy. Xander says it's not creepy, because it's not real. They leave, not having found any clues, and the camera pans up to the storage area where a doll lays with its eyes blindfolded. Back home that night, Buffy finds Spike yakking it up with her mom and Dawn in the kitchen. He tells her he's got some information for her. Buffy says she's out of cash, so he should go hit on Giles. "Hit up Giles," she quickly corrects. Noticing her agitation, he asks her what's wrong, but she says nothing. He then tells her he's got a bead on two vampires holed up down town that might be responsible for the deaths on the train. Buffy leaves with him.

Later, they sit in the DeSoto keeping a lookout in an alley. Buffy's antsy, worried he's going to try something. She jumps when he reaches across her to the glove compartment for a flask of bourbon, and "ew"'s when he offers her some. He makes idle chitchat, and Buffy starts to ask him why he's doing this if not for money, but he silences her when he spots the two vampires entering a warehouse. They get out and follow them in.

Inside, the two vamps make jiffy pop popcorn, and rifle through CD's. They take one look at Buffy and run off. Spike wants to give chase, but Buffy looks at their "nest" and realizes they've been there for awhile, and whoever killed the people on the train just got there the night before. Buffy starts to stalk off, and Spike, sighing, hurries to the door ahead of her and opens it for her. Buffy just stands there and looks at him, and Spike realizes that he just kind of gave himself away, saying he wasn't thinking. Buffy asks him what the hell this is. She cites the bogus suspects, the flask, etc, and asks if this is supposed to be a date. Spike rants for a bit about how wrong she is, and then drops the charade and asks if she wants it to be. Buffy looks stunned and disgusted, and Spike's face falls as he realizes she's not going to reciprocate. Buffy asks him if he's out of his mind, but Spike says there's something between them, and she can't deny it. Buffy says it's loathing; disgust. Spike counters with heat, desire. Buffy says he's a vampire, Spike points out that Angel was a vampire. Buffy says Angel was good, and Spike says he can too; he's changed. Buffy says that chip in his head does not equate him with good, it just means he can't go off and kill people like he wants to. Spike says something's happening to him; he can't stop thinking about her. Buffy says he doesn't know what he's saying; that he doesn't even know what feelings are. Spike says he bloody damn well does. He says this is real, and starts to tell her he loves her, but Buffy tells him to stop. He says they have to talk, but Buffy says "they" don't have to do anything. There is no "them", and leaves.

Spike goes back to his crypt and senses that someone's there. Drusilla comes out of the shadows. She tells him that Darla got brought back from the dead, and she and Dru are trying to turn Angel bad again in L.A. She wants them all to be a family again, and she's come to try and take Spike back to L.A. with her. Spike tries to say he's happy where he is, but Dru says she knows why he's not coming, because of the chip in his head. She tells him she knows that he's a killer, and that no chip could ever change that. Spike starts to get drawn into her mesmerizing little spiel, but they're interrupted by Harmony. She comes in and tries to do a Jerry Springer Show on Dru, but Spike throws her against the wall and tells her to hit the road. Harmony wants to know why....because Dru's back? Spike says no, because he is.

At home, Buffy has told Willow and Joyce about Spike's feelings. Willow tells Buffy she's got to make it absolutely clear to Spike that there's no way anything's ever going to happen between them, or else he might go all stalker on her, and become dangerous. Buffy leaves to go do so, but asks Willow to do her a favour while she's gone.

Spike and Dru enter the Bronze, and dance a bit on the floor until Drusilla sees a guy and girl making out up on the catwalk. She and Spike go upstairs and out onto the catwalk with them. Drusilla grabs the girl and breaks her neck, throwing her to Spike. Spike holds her, looking uncertain as Drusilla breaks the guy's neck and starts feeding off of him. Spike looks from the dead girl's neck back up to Dru, and then goes into his game face, feeding from the girl.

Cut to Spike's crypt. Buffy comes in looking for Spike, but doesn't see him. She sees the open entrance in the floor, and goes downstairs. Down there, she finds a whole shrine dedicated to her, with pictures and drawings of her and some stakes, and some of her clothes. She also finds the Buffy-quin wearing her blue sweater. She goes back upstairs and finds Spike waiting for her, with blood on his mouth. Suddenly Drusilla shocks her from behind with a cattle prod. Once Buffy's unconscious, Spike takes the cattle prod from Dru and shocks her with it ...saying he's done playing.

Buffy wakes up down in the lower level of Spike's crypt, chained between two columns. Drusilla's also tied up to a pole across the room. Spike says he wants to prove something to Buffy, and tells her he loves her. Buffy reacts with disgust, but he forces her to listen to him, saying again that he loves her, and that she's all he ever thinks about. He's drowning in her. From behind him, Drusilla laughs and says she knew, she knew it before he did. Spike ignores her and says that Buffy can't deny that there's something between them. Buffy says he can't love without a soul, but Dru says that they can. Spike says Buffy still doesn't believe him, and needs proof, so he grabs up a stake and holds it to Drusilla's chest, saying he's going to kill her for Buffy. Buffy says that will prove nothing. Spike reminds her of what Drusilla means to him, and says it does mean something. Buffy says "not to me", and says why should she care if he kills her? Spike says if Buffy doesn't admit that there's something between them; doesn't even give him the barest smidgen of hope, he'll untie Dru and let her kill Buffy.

Buffy looks startled, and then beckons Spike closer. He advances upon her eagerly, but then Buffy tells him the only chance he ever had with her was when she was unconscious, and it sends him off into a rage. He breaks stuff, and has quite an amusing little tirade ("What the bleeding hell is wrong with you bloody women?!
What the hell does it take? Why do you bitches torture me?!"), until he finally says it's all Drusilla's fault. If she hadn't left him for that chaos demon, he never would have come back to Sunnydale and gotten the chip put in his head. He goes on and on about how he ought to kill them both, when Harmony shows up and shoots him through the chest with a crossbow.

Hamony rants about how Spike never treated her any better, even after she gave and gave and gave to him. She reloads the crossbow but before she can shoot him again Spike charges her. As they fight, Dru manages to wriggle free from her bonds, and attacks Buffy, who can't defend herself very well, shackled as she is. Spike finally knocks Harmony down, and yanks Drusilla off of Buffy just as Dru was about to chow down on her. He pulls out his keys and releases Buffy as Drusilla picks herself up off the floor. Drusilla stands up, saying that Spike is so lost even she can't help him now, and she leaves. Harmony also leaves, saying she's through with Spike. Buffy turns around to look at Spike, and he looks back at her, and then she punches him, sending him flying right into his little shrine of her. Buffy leaves.

Cut to Buffy walking home. Spike catches up with her, and says she can't just walk away from this. She asks him what part of punching him in the face didn't he understand, and he responds that they had a fight; it's not the first, and it doesn't change anything. Buffy says it changes everything. She wants him out of her life, out of her town, and off the planet. She warns him not to come around her or her family or friends ever again. He says it's a no go, he's in her life and she can't just shut him out. Buffy walks in her front door, and Spike starts to follow, but is repelled at the doorway by the spell Buffy had Willow perform while she was gone. Spike bounces back, and looks disbelievingly and hurt at Buffy as she closes the door in his face.

FLAWS: When Dawn first goes to Spike's crypt, he crawls up from the entrance in his floor. As he stands there talking to her, there's something white tucked behind his left ear; it almost looks like a cigarette. But in the shots immediately before and after it, it's gone. So I guess it's really an editing problem. Ah well. Still works for me ;)

Also, when Buffy wakes up chained in Spike's basement, she's chained between two columns. Her eyes open, and she rattles her chains a little. Point is, her arms aren't stretched way over her head or anythingthey're about at shoulder-height. Which means she's standing there, chained. So, but she was unconscious the moment before, so how was she still standing?

This is at least the second time in a year that Spike's been shot with something while wearing his Duster, yet every time we see it, it never has any holes in it.

THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE: Excellent episode. This and "Fool for Love" were my favourites of the season by this point. By this point I'd become a very definite closet Buffy / Spike 'shipper, so you can see why I loved the ep ;) Also a large part of it has to go to James Marsters' acting ability. In this episode alone he handles a full range of emotions, from anger to love to devastation to wistfulness to evil glee to hurt disbelief. Good job JM : )

So, Buffy finds out that Spike's in love with her, but she refuses to accept it. She rescinds his access to her house, even after Spike saves her from Drusilla. True, Spike's the one who put her in danger to begin with, but it'll be awhile still before Buffy realizes that Spike never would have gone through with it.

Andis it just me or did Dawn do a lot of growing this year? In "The Real Me" I could have sworn that she was at least Buffy's height, if not shorter. But by this episode; actually by "Blood Ties", she's signifigantly taller. It's not possible to grow that fast, is it?

BEST LINE:

Buffy: "Gee, maybe it's time you found a new place to patronize."

Spike: "I've half a mind to! Especially since the flowering onion got remodeled right off the sodding menu!"

and:

Xander: "The point is, I work hard for that money."

Spike: "And you're saying I didn't?"

Xander: "You stole it!"

Spike: "And you're making it into very hard work!"

and:

Dawn: "I feel safe with you."

Spike (coughing): "Take that back!"

"Crush"