Listening to Spike as he confessed raw moment after moment of pure emotion, as he basked in the hollow comfort of a false love, made Buffy’s cheeks flush with something other than anger. It was horribly erotic. Buffy discovers the lover robot has recordings of its time with Spike. Now that she really knows how he feels... what exactly is she going to do about it? (Winner, Sunnydale Memorial Awards round 32, Best Angst Spuffy, Best Characterization Male: Spike.)

Buffy is suffering with a longing for death in her new life, when circumstances drop a young child into her lap, clinging to life while tortured by death. With Spike as her only possible ally, Buffy must face three days of life, death, and consequences, with everything mirrored in the eyes of one complete innocent, and one brutal killer. Seven chapters, complete at 17,000 words. Inspired by a challenge from Beautiful_Tyrant77 on Elysian Fields.

“You want to feel everything I can do for you. You want all of me, to fill that hollow space inside you. You have my mind, you have my flesh, you’ve had my heart for years.” He whispered in her ear before he bit her, bruising her with his human teeth, but he let go long before he drew blood. “You can have my pain, love. You can have my pleasure. But I’m keeping this.”

"Look, Buffy," Spike said. "I know it wasn’t the real reason you broke up with me, but honest, I wasn’t your dealer, your ‘Doctor’ or whatever. I was a bloody patsy is what I was." While Spike is suffering from a malfunctioning neuro-chip, Buffy finally lets him explain the events in As You Were.

“I know I’m already destiny’s bitch. If destiny’s really destiny, it can work itself out, can’t it? Doesn’t need a slew of bells and whistles. But I guess Angel’s destiny is special, eh? Needs help and coaxing and lots of praise? Not like us poor ordinary sods.” Buffy is furious at Angel making everyone lie to her in Pangs. So she makes one small decision, which might just change the course of destiny…. Set after Thanksgiving dinner.