Actually I think that inconsciously, I identify to Buffy which explains why it's so difficult for me to read Spike with someone else while it's less painful if Buffy is temporary with someone else.

I can't buy Spander, Spara, Spiles, Spiley, Spillow, Spaith at all so I never read them. I need a 'ship to be credible given to what we saw on screen, that's all, and all those are not IMO. I am not much into AU fic, or All Humans fic btw. Spawn by elisi is credible because wrong for them, so I can buy it, but only because Buffy is no longer there and despair/comfort is part of the 'ship. I can bear a bit of Spangel, especially prior to Buffy, but it's painful still. Same with Spike/Dru.

Actually to be honest, even if I loved some very alternate universe fanfictions that were well written, I love my Spuffy fanfic to be canon, or simply post-NFA!