Thanks Jaime! Yes, that makes perfect sense. Your explanation is very clear and concise. But, I guess Im just one of those blind romantics that believes Buffy loved Spike in Season 6.
Yes, I know it wasn't healthy, and they both had major issues, but we don't love people because things are perfect. We love imperfect people, with all their issues, and their faults. We even love bad people, sometimes. I truly believe Buffy loved Spike. She just couldn't reconcile this with her Slayer worldview and past heartbreak with Angel. She was also afraid to get hurt again, and afraid of what her friends would say. Spike was an evil, soulless vampire, and she could not allow herself to get past that, even if she wanted to. And, Im not advocating that she should have. Spike being an unrepentant, evil, blood-sucker is a pretty big hurdle to cross.
My feeling is, where Spike was concerned, Buffy was all about denial. She could tell herself she didn't love him, but her actions speak louder than words, i.e., her jealousy, her hurt feelings, her longing for him. Saying stuff like "I have feelings for you" is just subterfuge, so she doesn't have to actually verbalize what she's completely not ready to acknowledge or accept in herself. And, that's valid. I get what she's doing.
I agree that Buffy and Spike needed Season 7, where love and trust could grow into a healthy, loving, and selfless relationship. They both needed Spike's soul for this to happen, and it was a beautiful thing.
(As a side note: The interesting thing about television is that we, the audience, got to see more of Spike's soulfulness and good intentions than Buffy or the Scoobies ever saw. The lens of the camera gave us a close-up on James' heartfelt performances. We saw Spike's heart in Jame's eyes. I think that is why the audience fell in love with Spike long before Buffy ever did.)
BTW, love that picture you posted. Love the look on his face; Spike is so lost in her.