The soul, the missing piece, the leash

by Ramses2

"He doesn't have a soul, Buffy. Just some leash they jammed in his head. You think he'd still be all snuggles if that chip ever stopped working? Would you still trust him with Dawn then?"

"It doesn't matter." says Buffy. "I'm not seeing him anymore. It's over." ---Seeing Red

BTVS canon maintains the soul's the thing. It's incredibly important to Buffy and the scoobs. It's why Buffy could never bring herself to love or trust Spike. It's why Xander could use Spike and never acknowledge him.

Spike is like a dog on a leash. He hasn't got a soul, so don't trust him.

In STSP, we again have reference to dog on a leash. Spike as bloodhound. A stinky dog taken out of his kennel to work.(No loved pet, this creature is uncared for, he strives to please but in general is unappreciated.)

Yet, Buffy at least is aware that Spike is not just a leashed creature. He has that ticket, that thing that matters to Buffy and Xander. He's got the soul that was the defining diffence for them.

But he smells. He's a lunatic. Buffy questions why they would want to tie themselves to a crazy vampire.

Funny, they all still seek him out. Willow knows nothing accept he's insane and living in a basement. Buffy and Xander find the body and head to Spike.(Even insane they seem to trust this eeevil creature.This creature that they constantly assure themselves can't be trusted.)

Spike went looking for his missing piece. His soul.(In platonic terms, Spike went looking for his mate, that which completes him. Instead, he got William, that which informed him.)Where this is going is anyone's guess.

Yet, nothing's changed for Spike. Wait, things have gotten far worse since becoming souled. He's still counted on to help, still trusted, yet now he's a safe nut job. This is better than a crypt door you can slam open any time you want, this is free Spike, completely available. No need to punch, the looney will tell you anything you want.(Actually he's telling you tons but you're not listening)

(I smile when people argue that Spike and Anya need nothing more than the chance to do good. That they of course will never, and should never be forgiven, that they should just be glad someones offering them a chance to risk their life to help the side of the good. Forgiveness is a funny thing, but it shouldn't be a side splitting, are you kidding me thing.)

He scares Buffy. Hello? He should scare Buffy, and she should be feverishly questioning why.I'm just wondering if Buffy is scared for the right reasons.

Sorry folks, I love Buffy but she left him at the church. He's just told her something that was beyond amazing on a metaphyical level and she left him. Ran away. Never said a word.(Maybe it's me, but I think we're going to hear about this again. I mean a souled vamp? Come on, we've only had one other and he got his forcibly. Spike chooses to get one and Buffy is keeping it to herself? Because he frightened her?)

Sure, he went off to seek his soul because of her. Frightening? Why? Spike hasn't once suggested she should love him now. Indeed, whatever happened, made Spike/William shy away from her.

He's screaming help me and she's ignoring him.(Remember what Dawn said about asking for help last night?) Frightening? Buffy could only have one paltry excuse, she more than cares for him. But in the face of something major happening, Buffy needs to suck it up and lay every single card on the table.

She's had to sacrifice Angel. Perhaps she'll have to sacrifice Spike. But pretending he means nothing to her, that he's inconsequential is beyond dangerous. It's ignoring what's unfolding. There had to be some reason the Slayer and the killer of Slayers mated with complete abandon. And now Spike's done something he musn't do. Buffy knows it and should be trying to figure out what happened. This is her life after all. The Slayer has been brought back for a reason.

Instead she's still acting like a teen, afraid of abandonment, commitment and all the icky stuff that happens when the person you're with refuses to leave in the morning.Like Nancy, Buffy's hand is tightly connected to Spike's 'leash'.

---

Ramses 2