"Because I'm not ready..."

[white avenger]

In the scene at the end of "First Date," when Spike says that he should leave before the First Evil uses him again, Buffy says that he can't leave "Because I'm not ready for you to not be here."

There isn't a single Spuffy here on the Boards, or probably anywhere in the world, for that matter, who doesn't know precisely what the Slayer meant when she said that, but how about the dozen or so non-Spuffy fans of the show who don't see it the same way that we do? Here's your chance to enlighten us Spuffies. What do you think that Buffy meant when she told Spike that she wasn't ready for him to not be there?

(And you know that I was just joking about the "dozen or so non-Spuffy fans" thing, right?)

 

[Kean]

Well, clearly she meant that she wanted to wait until he went up in flames right in front of her just so she could be sure she was rid of him.

Simples! 😛

*runs*

 

[white avenger]

Well, clearly she meant that she wanted to wait until he went up in flames right in front of her just so she could be sure she was rid of him.

If that were so, why would they be living together in Season 9?

(Not a spoiler, just a joke. Sorry about that,)

 

[Lyri]

Have none of y'all noticed that you can't win a Spuffy argument against Kean? She can run all she wants, but she'll be back to hold her own, lol.

As I'm Team On The Fence, I'm not sure, at that point, that Buffy means what all y'all Spuffies hope she means. I think right then, Buffy knows she's in the fight of her life, the fight that could kill her for good this time, as well as all the girls in her care and her family. She NEEDS Spike, because he's her strength, he's the second best fighter she's got, and she needs the unquestionable and unwavering support he has in her. I don't think there's anything more to it than that, as I honestly believe she didn't realize she loved him until it was too late.

 

[white avenger]

Have none of y'all noticed that you can't win a Spuffy argument against Kean? She can run all she wants, but she'll be back to hold her own, lol.

Yeah, Miss K is like the proverbial penny...

And as for your comment about Spike being Buffy's strength, I can agree with that 100%. As for the "not realizing that she loved him," I think that this is where the realization was really beginning. It's the first time that the possibility of his "not being there" had actually presented itself, and I honestly believe that the prospect frightened her.

 

[brinkster130]

As I'm Team On The Fence, I'm not sure, at that point, that Buffy means what all y'all Spuffies hope she means. I think right then, Buffy knows she's in the fight of her life, the fight that could kill her for good this time, as well as all the girls in her care and her family. She NEEDS Spike, because he's her strength, he's the second best fighter she's got, and she needs the unquestionable and unwavering support he has in her.

I totally agree. At this point Spike is her greatest ally and that gives her some peace of mind, hope and confidence going into battle. Buffy wasn't ready to lose one of her biggest supporters.

 

[Seeing Red]

Buffy mostly likely knew that she would need Spikes help in the up coming battles. Buffy knew that he would fight to the death. She needed that peace of mind that he would take care of Dawn if something should happen to her.

 

[patriot1123]

Have none of y'all noticed that you can't win a Spuffy argument against Kean? She can run all she wants, but she'll be back to hold her own, lol.

As I'm Team On The Fence, I'm not sure, at that point, that Buffy means what all y'all Spuffies hope she means. I think right then, Buffy knows she's in the fight of her life, the fight that could kill her for good this time, as well as all the girls in her care and her family. She NEEDS Spike, because he's her strength, he's the second best fighter she's got, and she needs the unquestionable and unwavering support he has in her. I don't think there's anything more to it than that, as I honestly believe she didn't realize she loved him until it was too late.

I agree. Although ... and it's been a while since I watched season 7 and I'm in a rewatch now, on season 4, so maybe my mind's not there ... my interpretation was that Buffy never did love Spike, even though she said she did. He knew that, too.

ETA: even as far back as season 5 ("Spiral"), she realized that Spike was a necessary part of the team. It wasn't love, not then and not later. Just my take.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

I'm not a Spuffy or a Bangel or a Briley or anything Buffy and "X" person. I took the "I'm not ready for you to not be here" moment to be a moment of love but not necessarily romantic love. She can love him and it be more platonic like she loves Willow and Xander. He's been with them a long time, and at one point he was her sexual partner so they have some kind of intimacy going on because he never really pushed her to adjust but kind of just let her do her own thing (for awhile, till he tried to corrupt her).

It could very well be romantic, but I could see myself saying this to a friend. I don't think there isn't some kind of love that's behind that statement.

 

[Icarium]

There isn't a single Spuffy here on the Boards, or probably anywhere in the world, for that matter, who doesn't know precisely what the Slayer meant when she said that, but how about the dozen or so non-Spuffy fans of the show who don't see it the same way that we do?

Buffy came back wrong.

And on a more meta level - Jane Espenson's Spuffy glasses.

 

[prophecygrrl]

And on a more meta level - Jane Espenson's Spuffy glasses.

It ain't just Espenson! 😛 David Fury of all people returned to BtVS to write "Showtime", one of the Spuffiest episodes of Season 7...😀

 

[Icarium]

David Fury of all people returned to BtVS to write "Showtime", one of the Spuffiest episodes of Season 7...

He wrote a stealth parody, aimed at showing what's wrong with S7. That's my theory and I am sticking to it. It also explains his participation in the travesty known as "Lies My Parents Told Me". 😀

 

[Kean]

I totally agree. At this point Spike is her greatest ally and that gives her some peace of mind, hope and confidence going into battle. Buffy wasn't ready to lose one of her biggest supporters.

Pretty much this. I think Buffy felt incredibly alone at this stage. Even surrounded by Scoobies. Spike was a someone she could count on to have her back. She needed that safety net.

In a way it was a really selfish act on Buffy's part. Considering what had gone down. Or what could have happened. But I get how isolated she felt.

 

[caitaintdead]

Not trying to say anything. Just simple pointing it out. Buffy said she wasn't ready to lose Spike. Buffy said she wasn't ready for Angel. Interesting when you think about it...

---------- Post added at 08:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 PM ----------

Kean agrees: What Angel moment are you referring to? I'm drawing a blank.

The cookie dough speech.

 

[Kean]

The cookie dough speech.

Ah, gotcha.

To me, it seems, that Buffy isn't ready until she is ready. She wasn't ready to let Spike go, until he did and she was.

She wasn't ready to live again in S6...until she was ready.

She wasn't ready to kill Angelus, until she was, and actually sent Angel to Hell.

She wasn't cookie dough, until she really was and was

Spoiler

telling Angel he is the love of her life and she wanted to live that life with him.

To me, every time Buffy has said she wasn't ready for something, she hasn't been. But she gets there. Eventually.

 

[caitaintdead]

I agree Kean, to a certain degree, Buffy wasn't ready to die in Prophecy Girl, but she did, and what did she say afterwards? "I feel strong" Sometimes the best thing people can do is face what they're not ready for, and they will come out the other end feeling much stronger. Perhaps she's not ready for Angel, but if it happened it would be right? (See, it's reasons like this that I no longer call myself a Spuffy 😛)

 

[VisionGirl]

Buffy mostly likely knew that she would need Spikes help in the up coming battles. Buffy knew that he would fight to the death. She needed that peace of mind that he would take care of Dawn if something should happen to her.

I agree, but I think it's more than that- she wants him there for her personally. He is the only one who continually backs her up in s7.

But even before I decided to sail the ship Bangel, this always kind of irritated/annoyed me. Sometimes I think that Buffy is selfish with Spike. She wants him there because she wants him there. She's not willing to put her feelings out there, to commit to anything, but she still wants him there for her. Sometimes I just don't like how she treats him- and she's been doing that really ever since s 4/5. She can't commit to killing him because of the chip, and because he's sometimes useful to the Scoobies. Then of course she knows he loves her & she does grow to trust him somewhat, esp with Dawn. Then s6 is the ultimate in using him- she says she doesn't love him but she continues to sleep with him. He's the only one she can go to, he takes advantage of that & she can't fully give in to it. I mean, I know that pre-s7 he's soulless, but I kind of feel bad for him!

 

[KellGreen]

Well, clearly she meant that she wanted to wait until he went up in flames right in front of her just so she could be sure she was rid of him.

Simples! 😛

*runs*

I'm clearly a Spuffy, but I gotta love you for being so funny🙂

 

[Willow My Love]

She didn't want to lose a close friend that she was used to having around. She'd say the same thing to Xander or Willow.

 

[Professor Walsh]

Oh, the focus on romance comes so easily to us. Look at the world of fan fiction, where so many friendships are written into romances. Sometimes, I feel that this is, to some extent, a devaluation of friendships. A good friendship is lovely in its own right and doesn't need to become a romance to reach its full potential. I saw this moment as a sign that trust and friendship was growing out of the wreckage that was "Seeing Red", not necessarily a sign of romance. (A note to the Spikettes: I am saying "not necessarily", not "YOUR ROMANCE IS WRONG AND BAD".)