CRUSH

Previously on Buffy.   Oh, a bunch of stuff.  This late in th1e season they all begin to blur - I mean, you can only remind me so much before I begin to forget.

Currently the gang is partying at the Bronze, newly reopened after being trashed by Olaf.  Buffy is moping by herself watching the other, couples all, dance.  Spike joins her at the table, trying to make chit chat and getting shot down in flames.  When the Scoobies come back to the table he palms Xander's change and heads to the bar.  We find out that Willow's been having headaches since the mondo-teleportation spell and that Tara is concerned she's over reaching.  Ben arrives at the Bronze and Buffy goes to thank him for looking after Dawn at the hospital.  Spike, watching them chat and laugh, gets all glowery.

Meanwhile, train station attendant joins the list of "jobs you just don't want to have" when a train load of dead people arrives.  Poor guy just has time to freak and start running before lunch.

After the credits Buffy returns home to relieve Giles who was babysitting Joyce and Dawn.  On his way out Giles offers a bit of fatherly advise about how to act around Dawn and Buffy immediately goes from too lenient to yelling at Dawn for borrowing her sweater.  Which, as we are about to find out, wasn't taken by Dawn but rather by William the Bloody Sweater Sniffer.  He's busy sniffing the cashmere when Harmony arrives looking for some fun.

At the university Buffy, Willow and Tara are talking about The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Willow, product of Disneyfication, wants a happy ending.  Tara, product of an abusive and controlling family, says you can't have a happy ending because because Quasimodo had no moralilty.  Buffy is distracted by a newspaper article about the train attack and is relieved that it would appear to be vampires.

Dawn goes to visit Spike at his crypt after school.  Apparently Spike is the only one who treats her the same as he did before.  Spike tells her stories of his bad days which Dawn seems to really enjoy.  Buffy finds out from Joyce that Dawn is late, tracks her down to Spike's, expresses displeasure at the stories and drags Dawn home.  Buffy's lecture on proper behavior vis a vis associating with vampires is suddenly halted when Buffy realizes that Dawn has a crush on Spike.  Dawn counters with Buffy's infatuation with Angel and queries the difference between Angel's soul and Spike's chip.  She then announces that it doesn't matter how she feels about Spike as the guy is in love with Buffy.  Buffy is aghast and makes this little goose-like honk.

Next day Buffy and Xander try to check out the train but the cops have pretty much cleaned it up.  They discuss Spike's crush on Buffy, which Xander finds very funny, and Dawn's crush on Spike, which Xander finds deeply upsetting.  He is supposed to be the powerful chick magnet, not Spike.  As they leave the crime scene the nice camera man lingers on a Victorian style doll with a red blindfold.  Hint hint hint for all those that didn't read the TV guide.

That night Buffy arrives home to find Spike chatting with Joyce and Dawn.  He has come to apologize about the stories and to tell Buffy he has a lead on the vampires.  So they go stake out the spot in Spikes car.  Spike tries to be cool and Buffy tries not to be repulsed.  Both unsuccessfully.  Some vampires arrive but Buffy scares them away without lifting a finger.  Spike expresses some contempt for the vampire youth of today.  As they leave Spike does the gentlemanly thing and holds the door which is the proverbial straw.  Buffy demands to know what the heck is going on.  Spike admits his feelings but Buffy cuts him off between "I love" and "you" and leaves.

Spike mopes off to the crypt where Drusilla is waiting.  She's a bit scarred from her last encounter with Angel and has apparently left Darla behind in LA.  Dru offers Spike a chance to join up again, positive that if he really tries he can overcome the chip.  Harmony arrives and does the jealous tirade until Spike kicks her out.

Back at the Summer house Buffy tells Joyce and Willow all.  They've finally realized that even without the ability to do physical violence Spike could be dangerous.  Willow tells Buffy that she has to make sure that Spike knows exactly what Buffy's feelings are towards him (like "you are nothing to me" didn't make it clear.)  Buffy agrees and asks Willow to do a favour.

At the Bronze, Dru kills a couple necking in the catwalk.  After a slight hesitation Spike joins her in drinking.  While they're doing that Buffy goes to Spike's crypt, finds a hidden catacomb underneath which contains the Buffy-doll and her sweater.  When she goes back upstairs Dru zaps her with a cattle prod.  Spike then zaps Dru before she can hurt Buffy.  When Buffy and Dru awake they find that Spike has tied Dru to a pole and Buffy from his dangling chain manacles.  In order to prove his love to Buffy Spike is going to stake Dru.  Buffy is unimpressed.  Spike tells Buffy that he'll turn Dru loose unless Buffy admits to having feelings for him and letting him know he has a chance.  Buffy replies in the negative.

Spike looses his temper.  He looses it a bit more when Harmony shows up and tries to stake him with a crossbow bolt.  While he and Harmony are tussling Dru frees herself and attacks Buffy.  Spike comes to Buffy's aid and Dru, seeing that Spike has made his decision, leaves.  Harmony,  breaks up with Spike and leaves.  Buffy right hooks Spike and leaves.

Spike follows Buffy home, pleading for a grain of hope.  Buffy tells him to leave her alone, leave Sunnydale, just leave.  Spike tells her that she can't shut him out.  But apparently, thanks to Willow's de-invite spell, she can do just that.

Fade to black.

Random Quotes

Harmony: (in Buffy's sweater) Oh, I'm going to stake you.  I'm coming after you, you bad evil vampire.  And I'm going to slay you. <pause>  I'm sneaking up and I'm going to stake you so much with my slaying powers that I have because I'm the Chosen *squeak*.  oooooh Spike.

Tara: No, see, it can't.  It can't endl like that 'cause all of Quasimodo's actions were selfishly motivated.  He had no moral compass.  No understanding of right.  Everything he did, he did out of love for a woman who could never love him back.  Also, you can tell it's not going to have a happy ending when the main guy is all bumpy.

Willow: But you read it, right?
Buffy: Kinda not.  I rented the movie!
Tara: Oh, with Charles Laughton?
Buffy: I dunno.  Was he one of the singing gargoyles?
Willow: Oh, boy.
Buffy: What?  I'm kidding!

Spike: I've got a bit of info you might be keen on knowing.
Buffy: Sorry, I'm all out of cash.  Why don't you hit on Giles.  Hit UP Giles.

Buffy: These vamps have been here for a while.  They've nested.
Spike: So, you're saying they're a couple of poofters?

Spike: A date!?  You are off your bird.  I mean... do you want it to be?

Buffy: What, the chip in your head.  That's not change.  That's holding you back.  You're like a serial killer in prison.
Spike: Women marry them all the time.

Harmony: You'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking because my answer is the same as always.  No threesome unless it's boy- boy- girl or Charlize Theron.

Buffy: You can't love without a soul.
Dru: Oh, we can you know.  We can love quite well if not wisely.

Random Notes:

The thought of a couple of vampires, kicking back with some CDs and Jiffy Pop Popcorn is just, well, very amusing to me.

Actually, I don't have many random thoughts right now.  The question of soul vs chips (except in England where they serve chips with their sole) is the main theme of the show.  Is Spike's love any less valid than Angel's or Quasimodo's?  Is it redemption when you don't have a choice?  Are you a good person just because Gab-iny Crick-bard whacks you every time you do bad with her little stick?  Society has laws with punishments that encourage us to obey but they can't stop us from actually breaking them.  Which, strangely enough, was one of the discussions in West Wing last night.  What do you do when you are basically beyond the law, when is it right to break the rules that you have helped impose upon yourself and where do you draw the line.  Which, bizarrely enough, was the plot of Voyager as well in that the question of following your principles to your death versus sacrificing your principles to survive.  Okay, so apparently I have a lot of random thoughts after all.  You're all just very lucky I didn't watch Law and Order last night as well.

Angel Notes:

The writers are doing their little rift thing.  A bigger and bigger wedge keeps being shoved between Xe... er Buf... er Angel and Gab... er The Scoo... er the A-Team.  Kate is back and getting more frazzled.  It's hard to live in two worlds and, really, she's the only one in both shows being asked to do that.  There is some serious bonding going on between Gun and Wesley, by the way.  I'm sure the m/m slash writers are all adrool.