Buffy patrolled alone that night because Spike had promised to help Tara study for a final and had to beg off.
She spent most of the time trying to figure out exactly how many times she had had sex so far. She wandered through Restfield deciding whether she should count positions (of which there had been four) or orgasms (of which she'd lost count).
When she had just decided that there was no point in keeping track, since there was certain to be more sex in the near future, she felt a very the familiar tingle of a master vampire.
Expecting Spike she turned around with a grin to be faced with someone quite unexpected.
* * *
Angel had decided his best option in approaching Spike, was to go through Buffy first. Spike was much more likely to listen to what he had to say if the woman he was involved with said he had to.
Angel remembered well what Spike was willing to do on Drusilla's say so. He imagined the case with Buffy would be no different; Spike might even mind her more because Buffy happened to be sane for the most part.
Which that thought, he had gone in search of the Slayer in her old stomping grounds.
* * *
“Angel?” Buffy asked feeling a bit blind-sided. He often made her feel that way, Buffy realized ruefully.
“Buffy, I need to talk to you. It's about Spike.” Angel thrust his hands into his coat and loomed over her.
Buffy rolled her eyes, “Listen, Spike's changed-“
“I know, I heard. That's what I wanted to talk to you about.”
* * *
Buffy came back to Spike and Tara's house with a silent Angel. She was feeling a bit elated. The idea of Spike and Angel being friends and occasionally working together was a tempting one. She wanted to remain friends with Angel and it would be so much easier if at least one of her inner circle were also very friendly with him.
Giles would never speak to him or about him without an edge to his voice. Xander hated him flat out. And Willow was hesitantly non-confrontational, but she didn't trust him entirely and they weren't known to have real conversation that didn't revolve around slaying.
The thought that someone who was starting to mean so much to her could get on with someone who used to mean a lot to her was very attractive.
And Angel was good you couldn't deny that. Spike should be willing to be on the side of the good guys so making up with Angel would be a really telling part of that. It could be like a sort of test. If Spike was willing to do something hard like being nice to someone he didn't like, then he might be really willing to do other difficult things.
Buffy breezed into the house to find Spike watching his massive television. He turned to her, “I was going to go find you if you didn't come back soon. Tara got a bit distracted. Willow apparently tried another spell to change that rat of hers into a girl or some such. It all went horribly wrong, of course, and Tara went over to fix it. At least that's what she claimed to be doing.”
Spike let a playful leer out and Buffy giggled. Then his face froze and his nostrils flared.
Before he could say anything, Buffy rushed forward,” So I ran into Angel. He's staying in town for a while and he heard all about your diet and stuff. He wants you to try helping him out in L.A sometime, he could really use some back up and you could have someone to talk to about-“
“No.” His voice was soft but direct. He wouldn't look at her.
Buffy felt her temper flare, “You're not even listening! Look he's outside and he can't come in because Tara has to invite him or something. All you have to do is try to get along-“
“I'm sorry. I can't.” Spike stared at the television and wouldn't even turn to her when she grabbed his shoulder.
“How can you say that? Of course you can! You're just being selfish. I know you two don't get along but at least he's big enough to make a move in the right direction.”
“Yeah, that's big of him.” Spike muttered softly.
Buffy exploded, “Ugh! How could I ever have thought this would work? You can't be good unless it gets you somewhere, is that it? This is a chance to do some good but because Angel's involved you won't do it? God, at least he's man enough-“
Buffy was cut off when Spike got up and went upstairs.
She slapped the couch cushion and glared after him. The sounds of Tara and Willow encountering Angel brought her to the door.
Willow was speaking to him uncomfortably, but Tara was standing stiffly to one side keeping a close eye on the tall vampire.
“Tara, maybe you can talk some sense into him.” Buffy stomped out onto the porch.
“Talk some sense into who?” Tara looked over at her, crossing her arms protectively around herself.
“Spike. He's being stupid and stubborn and he won't even hear Angel out-“ For the second time that night, Buffy was cut off.
“Why should he?” Tara moved past her across the threshold.
“What? Oh, I get it. Spike's told you all about how much he hates Angel and you're totally on his side and now even you won't listen to reason.” Buffy threw her hands up in the air.
“Spike's told me a lot of things. And you're right. I am totally on his side. I am his side. His feelings about Angel are valid and don't even think about asking me to bring that monster into my house.” Tara glared over at the sullen figure on the porch steps.
Angel knew suddenly, what Spike had told Tara and carefully stepped back a few feet. He really didn't want any of this aired out in front of Buffy. He didn't want it aired out at all. But it looked that that was the direction it was headed.
Buffy sighed, “Spike must have mentioned the difference between Angel and Angelus. You're confused. This is Angel-“
“I don't care.” Tara's gaze didn't falter for a second and Angel couldn't bring himself to meet it for the death of him, “He has the same face and the same skin. There's no reason to try to force Spike into accepting having him around.”
Buffy was at a loss for words she shook her head, “Because it's the right thing to do! Stuff happened, Angelus slept with Dru, I know. But that was a million years ago. This is Angel and it's the right thing to do to just forget things that he couldn't help. He didn't have his soul then. Spike listens to whatever you say. Why can't you just go up and convince him to at least be civil.”
Tara took a deep breath that hitched in at least two places, Buffy and Willow realized she was near tears, “Because he wouldn't convince me to be civil to my rapist.”
The door slammed shut and the lock clicked.
Buffy felt like she'd been sucker punched.
She felt numb and cold. She stared at the closed door for a few minutes frozen in shock.
She realized Willow had started to cry. Angel had disappeared. And Buffy didn't raise her gaze from the wood grains in front of her.
* * *
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