Oh, and good point on what Buffy said in the Hellmouth. I'll have to read the story over in a few days when I polish it up for submission to the various archives and make sure that's clear.
For the folks who haven't seen the series finale of Buffy, Spike was dying -- going up in flames -- and Buffy couldn't get him to leave with her. He'd loved her for several years and she'd never returned it -- for a variety of complicated reasons.
As he was dying she told him that she loved him and he responded, "No you don't, but thanks for saying so."
