I loved Spike kicking ass while holding a baby.

I missed this. Last I remember seeing was him turning and finding the Brethren saying "Put the holy vessel back in the bassinet." (I can just see the Brethren at Baby Gap--or, at least, poring over the website.)

Nora Deirdre - I completly agree WRT the Godfather. I actually thought that (and mentioned it somewhere way up thread) when Angel looked around the room after his Black Thorne initiation. I was taking bets on who would be killed in a revolving door.....

Micole: as seems to frequently be the case, thank you for putting into (very eloquent) words what I was thinking. It was a nice subtle touch.

(jumping on the Micole's spicy braiiiins bandwagon)

Micole, I will continue to believe that Wes had no intention of dying. He knew it was a possibility, sure and it didn't bother him, but he wasn't actively seeking out a suicide mission. Wes doesn't have much of a reason to lie to Illyria, and I really don't think he would, especially in the context of the conversation they were having (truth vs. lies).

I just ran home for lunch, and reviewed Wes's death and the ending again. This time I let myself start to have the cry. This time for Gunn, too, because, no matter what happened in that fight, Gunn wasn't coming out alive. Makes me sniffle.

Am I the only one who thinks Wesley wasn't actually planning to die? Or part of him wasn't, anyway; though part of him found it a relief.

Nope. I've agreed with everything you've said. Just picture me in a corner, nodding and smiling and going "what Micole said!"

I also like the idea (though it didn't occur to me till I read it here) that he has known for some time that this was coming, and he was not looking forward to it.

I forget which episode it was, the one where it opens with Lorne in a bar and the bartender asks him to read his aura? Lorne does, and then complains that he's tired of lying to his friends, but he'd go out and do it some more. I've got a feeling that Lorne knew since Fred sang right before she died exactly what was going to go down and he was resisting it with all his might.

I want Wesley's father to hear the story of how he died.

In my mind, the gang isn't dead. They're stuck in an infinite time loop where they're continually fighting, hanging on the edge of death, but still fighting, and they fucking love it.

If the heroes fight to the death and it doesn't appear on millions of TV screens, do they still hit the ground?

I want Wesley's father to hear the story of how he died.

And I want Illyria to tell it to him. (What? She can survive! Someone gets to tell the tale!)

And I want Illyria to tell it to him.

Oh, I like that. Someone should write it. Hint, Plei, hint.

Am I the only one who thinks Wesley wasn't actually planning to die? Or part of him wasn't, anyway; though part of him found it a relief.

Nope. I've agreed with everything you've said. Just picture me in a corner, nodding and smiling and going "what Micole said!"

Yes and no. I think in Power Play, when Angel explained to the MoG what the deal was, and asked them to sign on for this battle, the look on Wesley's face was the look of a man who is welcoming (if not actual death, or a chance at it, then) the opportunity to fight the battle of a lifetime, without little-to-no concerns for his mortality.

That said, if we're speaking purely within the context of Wesley's mindset in Not Fade Away, I completely agree with Micole. I don't think Wes intended to die. I just think he entered the battle living only to accomplish his mission.

RIP you prettiest man, you.