It wouldn't be the first time though, would it? She lied about being in heaven, she lied about her relationship with Spike.

And if you'd told someone in season 4 that one day Buffy would be sleeping with Spike, they'd react much the same way they'd react if you told them she'd be robbing banks one day. :-)

Characters can do distubing and surprising things sometimes, even if they're being written "in character", whatever that means...

I agree. But I was answering Thenyxie's point about the issue reaffirming Buffy and Willow's friendship. I meant that this issue also shows the rift in their relationship.