I think she loved him - I don't think she was in love with him. It goes back to what you said. Angel broke something inside her and she couldn't give herself fully.
Most of what you say here I completely agree with. But I find the idea of a second front being useful...implausible. Much as Angel is an effective fighter (both tactically and physically)he had about 7 people as far as Buffy knew. Not a real fighting force against a world wide deluge of Turok-han. I think Angel would have been a more powerful force in the actual fight, and I think Buffy didn't want to risk him.
Let me qualify this - I think Buffy and Angel was a teen romance, not a mature one. But I think Buffy has to believe deep down that she and Angel have a future because she sees that as the only way to heal. I think she believes she's in love with him but if she tried to live with him it would be kind of a disaster.
As for Spike, I think she and Spike had a mature love, but I also think that what Spike saw was Buffy taking gratitude, compassion, and a whole bunch of other feelings and combined them into love. That wasn't Spike's kind of love. But it was in the middle of a battle, as you say. Buffy left at Spike's behest. and I don't think it was until after the escape and things were sorted that Buffy even realized what she lose. I think once he was gone Buffy was pretty destroyed for at least a while.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2014-10-13 03:53 am (UTC)Most of what you say here I completely agree with. But I find the idea of a second front being useful...implausible. Much as Angel is an effective fighter (both tactically and physically)he had about 7 people as far as Buffy knew. Not a real fighting force against a world wide deluge of Turok-han. I think Angel would have been a more powerful force in the actual fight, and I think Buffy didn't want to risk him.
Let me qualify this - I think Buffy and Angel was a teen romance, not a mature one. But I think Buffy has to believe deep down that she and Angel have a future because she sees that as the only way to heal. I think she believes she's in love with him but if she tried to live with him it would be kind of a disaster.
As for Spike, I think she and Spike had a mature love, but I also think that what Spike saw was Buffy taking gratitude, compassion, and a whole bunch of other feelings and combined them into love. That wasn't Spike's kind of love. But it was in the middle of a battle, as you say. Buffy left at Spike's behest. and I don't think it was until after the escape and things were sorted that Buffy even realized what she lose. I think once he was gone Buffy was pretty destroyed for at least a while.