thedeadlyhook

I love your observation here on the time difference! For Buffy, it indeed only has been a few mintues for him to revert to a state that's very familiar to both of them from S7 - Spike almost completely reliant on Buffy. Of course that reverses both the separate self he'd been trying to build up and maintain, and Buffy's intentions in their budding relationship. She barely has time to adjust. On the other hand, Spike has of course been experiencing all this at an excruciatingly slow pace, with plenty of time to think things over. It's like a magnified version of their whole history, really.

Clearly she is willing to do whatever she can, but will she really be able to offer what is necessary without the hope of reward (e.g., Spike's gratitude and renewed affections)? Will her actions convince Spike that she's capable of a relationship that's not just about what she wants? Would it matter anymore if she were?

Good questions all. We'll have to see, won't we? ; )

Either way, her help at that time had at least the appearance of coming with strings attached. This time, she must act without expectation of any benefit other than Spike's well-being. It looks to me as if you're giving the "hurt-comfort" genre a long-overdue turn on its ear.

Hee! Someone's detected one of my little subthemes...