Glad you like the full-on Spike paranoia - in some ways, I went kind of overboard on the plotsy stuff on this chapter, with the behind-the-scenes scheming and whatnot, but I'd begun to feel like those two were just wallowing around in their communication issues and needed a kick in their respective butts. ; )

I like the way this nicely bookends his impressions and memories of Buffy at the beginning of this chapter

Thanks! They really do connect best when it's life or death, don't they? I guess the trick is for them to be able to do it when they're not on the battlefield.