Soul Equals Forgiven? Or Author's Choice by momnesia +27
Responses: 0
Categories: Season 6, Season 7
Characters: Angel, Anya, Buffy, Clem, Dawn, Giles, Spike, Tara, Willow, Xander
Summary:

Ok.    Maybe I just like to nit-pick, but Angel was NEVER held accountable for ANYTHING he did as Angelus, because HE DIDN'T HAVE A SOUL AT THE TIME.    Once Angel's curse was safely back in place all was forgiven, including the brutal murder and hideous posing of Jenny Calendar in Giles apartment;  at NO TIME did anyone blame Angel for any of his crimes committed while SOUL-LESS.   Granted, Xander still never liked Angel, but Xander never called Angel a murderer AFTER Angel was re-cursed.    What I want to know is why the double standard??   In Season 6 after being repeatedly beaten, used and abused by Buffy, Spike snapped, and ALMOST did the unthinkable, only to stop himself before leaving Sunnydale to get his soul.   However, once he FOUGHT FOR AND RECEIVED HIS SOUL VOLUNTARILY, everyone, including Buffy still held Spike responsible for the crimes he committed while soul-less!    Not once did anyone make allowances for Spike's soul-less state when he attacked Buffy, nor did anyone instantly forgive him after HE FOUGHT FOR THE RETURN OF HIS SOUL.    Spike WANTED HIS SOUL. . . HE WASN'T CURSED WITH ONE.    So why was Angel instantly forgiven but not Spike?    Why did Buffy, Giles and the Scoobies treat Angel's CURSED SOUL better than the one Spike fought for?    If Angel's soul was his ORIGINAL soul from when Angel was human, it was far from pure, since Angel was a lazy, drunken gambling whore-monger, whose greatest enjoyment was relieving very young girls of their virginity, so I very much doubt that Angel was cursed with his original soul; but was he re-cursed by Willow with the same soul as the gypsy curse?   Doubtful.   The Council kept records of Angel's entire existence, both as a human and as a vampire, so Giles (and presumably the others), knew what he was like as a human - not a nice guy, so why would cursing Angel with that very flawed soul make him so good in their eyes?    Unfortunately, no one knew what Spike was like prior to being turned (other than Buffy), but if Spike had been so awful while human, it is a safe bet that the Council would have known SOMETHING about him.    Regardless, the mere fact that Spike sought out, and fought for the return of his own soul, SHOULD have forced Giles, at least, to admit that Spike was in some way BETTER than Angel.   Spike actively helped to save the world BEFORE he got his soul, while Angel moped for nearly 100 years after being cursed with a soul, never helping anyone until Whistler approached him and showed/promised Angel a 15 year old Buffy, if Angel helped her.  At no time was Spike ever promised ANYTHING for helping Buffy.   So why was Angel treated better??   

My challenge is for someone to ask these very questions AFTER Spike gets his soul.  This may need to be a completely AU Season 7, as I can't imagine any of the characters even caring about Spike's soul with the First Evil on the rise, and even possibly an AU late Season 6.  Does anyone remember in Season 4, that Giles asked Spike if there may be a higher purpose to Spike being chipped, only for Spike to scoff. . .but he had just been "neutered", and not too receptive at the time.   Fast-forward a bit over 2 years, and Giles doesn't recall his words to Spike at the time?   Odd that such an educated man, knowledgeable about the supernatural, would not think that a vampire going out to fight for the return of his soul was worth looking into.   Instead, Giles treated Spike far worse than he treated Angel, even after Angel/Angelus killed the woman he loved.    I want someone to make Giles question his own actions, regarding his treatment of Angel and Spike, especially after Spike got his soul.     Ideally, the person most likely to ask these tough questions, would be Tara, which is why I suggest an AU late Season 6 into Season 7.   I seriously doubt that Xander or Anya would care about Spike's soul, and without Tara there to influence Willow, there would be no support from Willow, either.   Dawn hated Spike for leaving her, possibly as much or more, than for hurting Buffy, so Dawn wouldn't help.   And Buffy will continue to ignore Spike simply because her friends don't like him, soul or not, and Buffy would NEVER admit to anyone her part in what happened before Spike left town.  This would leave Tara as the only person who might possibly take Spike's side.    But if Tara dies in Season 6, there is no one in Spike's corner.    Not even Angel thought that Spike fighting for the return of his soul was worth mentioning.  

No big restrictions other than Tara must live; which means that the nerd trio goes down before Spike leaves town.

So, this is it.    Someone needs to fight for Spike, and show everyone that what Spike did was truly remarkble and unprecedented.   Basically, I want someone to take Giles, Buffy, Angel and the Scoobies, and rub their collective noses in it!    I can't be the only person to see how unfairly souled Spike was treated.   My rant is over. . . . .for now.    Any takers?