"Giant column of flame followed by an entire town falling on top of me," Buffy answered. "Yeah. I would have been dead and Spike is alive but he did die. Someone brought him back via magic." She got her stake out and twirled it in one hand like a gun slinger. More just for something to do with her hands than anything.

"I thought about wearing it but in the days before we'd come to realize through trial and error that Buffy really isn't a giant, arrogant bitch when she says she's the best one to lead an army. I was...I am. Armies have to have leaders or they erupt into chaos and everyone dies. I needed Angel in LA and as bitchy as it sounds, I knew what might happen. It was war. I sacrificed Angel once. I wasn't willing to do it again. Spike was the obvious choice."