Dreamweaver, another masterpiece in progress! I love reading your work for its unique plots, but also because it's so true to the character flaws and problems from canon, and really showing us how these characters in their lives could have changed things. Even when you put them in totally different situations, their feelings and responses are very real and their thoughts give great insight.

I think of character-bashing as sloppily writing a character of purely stereotype flaws and vices and then sticking the name Angel or Riley or Xander on it, just to indulge in being able to say the character you don't like should clearly be violently hated by anyone with sense. Trust me, I've read fics written just to bash a character. I love the way you're handling this story and it's real-world problems and ethical questions, as well as how the characters relate and interact.

The flaws you see and reveal to us in the characters are real and believable, and you keep all the characters three-dimensional and able to grow, not flat evil or flat good. Giles has gone through a lot in the seven years of canon, and his betrayal of Buffy and attempt to kill Spike with Robin Wood and his notable lack of apology to either Spike or Buffy was part of that. Now, he's suddenly gained a huge amount of power and wealth and the command of super-powered women willing to follow his orders, and the responsibility that pretty much whatever he decides needs to be destroyed can be destroyed.

I thought this was a great chapter, with all the characters interacting in different ways depending on past history and relationships and who they are. That lingering apprehension through the meeting as Xander kept quiet and we guessed at his thoughts fit so well with the sincerity and understanding and emotion over Anya he revealed in his talk with his oldest friend, Willow. The Buffy/Spike fight and kiss was written so well with how Buffy has matured and thinks about things. Wonderful.