If Spike Hadn't Left

[white avenger]

Assume for the moment that Spike and Andrew returned from their "covert mission," and, instead of Spike blowing up at everyone for betraying Buffy, he had simply said something like, "I don't agree with what you did, but out of respect for Buffy, I'm willing to put the mission first. In the fight that's coming up, you're gonna need every fighter you can get your hands on. I'll stay, I'll fight, and I'll take Faith's orders, if you'll have me"

Do you think that they would have accepted his offer?

Personally, I think that Faith would have been inclined to accept, but she might be convinced later by Wood and Giles to change her mind and tell him that he would have to leave.

 

[Kean]

I don't believe for a second that Spike would ever say anything of the sort. But to answer the question, with the season being completely the same apart from that one moment, then no. The only way I could imagine Giles agreeing to Spike staying unsupervised is if he was locked up in the basement. If Giles didn't trust Buffy to the point where she was thrown out of her own home, I can't think of a single reason why Spike would be welcome. The "good fighter" theory doesn't hold up, not when they have just walked the best fighter off the plank.

 

[Blaze]

This scenario is sooo hard to picture, as it would never in a million year happen. But if it did, I do think they would have let Spike stand by their side. As much as Giles and Wood despised him, they did let him stay in s5-6 summer when Buffy was gone. Not only that but they let him babysit Dawn by himself. There might have been a fight over the fact that there was the trigger and blah blah blah, but in the end, Faith was the new boss, and I think she would have agreed to it.

The Scoobies might hate him with every ounce in their body, but he did prove useful, and they have used him for missions before. If they kept him souless throughout s4-6, I don't see any reason they wouldn't keep him not that he's way less dangerous to them.

On a side note, Giles trying to kill him was complete bullshit and out of character to me, if he really wanted to kill him he would have done so in s4 not s7. They should have made this episode so that it was Wood's plan only, maybe Giles could have known but I don't think it was in character to have him help. The only way I can see that working is if Giles learnt about Spike trying to rape Buffy, then yes I can see him being that angry.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

If that happened as you said, considering that Faith didn't have as much respect for Giles as Buffy did, plus with Spike giving her his support. At the first sign of Giles causing a problem he would have been kicked out by Faith, with Spike as her backup.
Also, as far as I remember, when Buffy did leave Faith sent people to make sure she was okay, so ultimately Buffy would have been back.
Even so Faith and Spike would have had a greater say. I could see that neither Woods nor Giles would have been about for the final battle.

 

[Robb Stark]

Not meaning to jump on the bandwagon, but I just can't ever see this happening.

Spike totally, completely, one hundred percent believed in Buffy. He was so sold on her, had bought in so completely, I just can't ever, at that time anyways, see him doing anything other than what he did in the show. It would have been such a fundamental departure from the core of his character that he just wouldn't have been Spike otherwise.

Thinking purely from a theoretical perspective? I think Faith would have accepted Spike. By S7 Faith is shown to have her flaws, but also to have grown up and matured tremendously. I don't really think of her as elite leadership material, but by that point she was certainly the most pragmatic and clear-thinking of any BTVS character. She was able to see the complete picture of Spike, which Giles wasn't able to do.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

I think if he'd stayed he'd be in the background, he wouldn't have been as overhyped as Buffy was making him. Buffy had be overselling his usefulness for the past year, the others wouldn't have done that.

 

[shoshanna33]

I think Faith would have wanted to keep him because she knew they could use all the help they could get and Spike was a good fighter to have in your corner. I don't think it would have mattered what Wood or Giles thought. But I can't in a million years ever imagine Spike doing this. He'd never betray Buffy that way. But if he did decide to stay and fight I think Faith would be stupid not to accept the help.

 

[Xin Rong]

I think that considering Faith did not have 'fluffy' love dovey feelings for Spike, I doubt that she would have accepted his offer, as the potentials did not seem to like having him around, neither did the scoobies, and he is more of a liability than a help in most of season 7, which would have only been made worse with the inclusion of split loyalties.

Also, it is strongly implied that Faith actually cared a lot about Buffy, so I think she would have sent Spike away for this reason as well, as she knew that the first thing he would do, would be to find Buffy and be there for her.

 

[white avenger]

The only way I could imagine Giles agreeing to Spike staying unsupervised is if he was locked up in the basement. If Giles didn't trust Buffy to the point where she was thrown out of her own home, I can't think of a single reason why Spike would be welcome. The "good fighter" theory doesn't hold up, not when they have just walked the best fighter off the plank.

But, assuming that Faith was the new leader after Buffy left, the decision, at least initially, would have been hers, not Giles' to make. And, while I agree, Giles, among others, would have complained and grumbled and pouted until Faith would have probably had to ask Spike to leave just to keep them pacified.

 

[Kean]

But, assuming that Faith was the new leader after Buffy left, the decision, at least initially, would have been hers, not Giles' to make. And, while I agree, Giles, among others, would have complained and grumbled and pouted until Faith would have probably had to ask Spike to leave just to keep them pacified.

I just don't see how after ousting Buffy, Giles is just going to go along with Faith, no questions asked. By kicking Buffy out, Giles had placed himself as de facto leader. He was allowing Faith control, but he would just as easily take it away from her if he wanted. If Faith tried to do something like bring Spike into the group he would have shut her down, just as he did Buffy. And to be quite honest, I don't see Faith bringing Spike in anyway. Chemistry or not, it would be the least Faith-like thing in the world for her to just trust him to be with them in the fight. She knows more the most that she is second string to Buffy, I don't buy her believing Spike allegiance to "The Mission" rather than to Buffy.

 

[white avenger]

I just don't see how after ousting Buffy, Giles is just going to go along with Faith, no questions asked. By kicking Buffy out, Giles had placed himself as de facto leader. He was allowing Faith control, but he would just as easily take it away from her if he wanted. If Faith tried to do something like bring Spike into the group he would have shut her down, just as he did Buffy. And to be quite honest, I don't see Faith bringing Spike in anyway. Chemistry or not, it would be the least Faith-like thing in the world for her to just trust him to be with them in the fight. She knows more the most that she is second string to Buffy, I don't buy her believing Spike allegiance to "The Mission" rather than to Buffy.

This whole thread was in the order of "Imagine three impossible things before breakfast." I can't see Spike staying once the others had ousted Buffy either, which is really what makes the subject intriguing to me. It stretches the imagination almost to the breaking point,