I stumbled across a rec for this and so glad I did; there's not enough Darla out there for me. I've always loved the complexity of her relationship with Angel and the power they hold over each other. Mix that in with a bit of Spangel and I'm in Heaven! You have me guessing where this is going to lead but I'm thinking Spike's in for a tough time. These are hard people who've had it rough.

Appreciate that you skipped the brutal bits and concentrated on their emotions.