After all the sad stories out at the moment, you'll be pleased to know that I've decided NOT to add to them. This is a death free fic. This is as far away from sad as I could possibly get. Which means.... B/A smut... B/A fluff... B/A togetherness... Oh, did I say B/A smut.. So, although the prologue doesn't really give it away... THIS WILL BE A HAPPY STORY. Somebody in it does get perfect happiness... a lot:)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, I don't want them, they make me cry too much. Joss and his people do the owning thing
SPOILERS: Intervention
TIMELINE: Between the episode Forever, which has happened and Disharmony which has not.
DISTRIBUTION: Great, just let me know where.
FEEDBACK: Please.
RATING: PG to R
AUTHOR'S NOTES: AU fic.. I hate cannon at the moment. I want to go back a few episodes before the sadness ripped my throat out and change it to include our hero.
I adored Intervention and had no problem with Spike and the robot at all. I just couldn't get this thought out of my head.. What would have happened if Angel had found out about Spike's little crush on *his* slayer. I had the feeling that he'd be slightly P.O. Would he want to stop it... You bet your ass he would ;)
I will be slightly screwing with the time line but only by hours. At one point, instead of being day time it will be late at night.
DEDICATION: The Perverted Old Ladies on Duck's Babble board. Some of the best B/A shippers in the world.

Prologue

Angel sat brooding quietly in the dark.

The solitude that surrounded him was a welcome companion to his sombre mood. It felt like a familiar friend that respected his privacy and understood completely when the sadness he always carried deep inside of him needed to be dwelt upon.

Today was one of those days.

As relieved as he was to be once again back with his family, this last week of cheerfulness had certainly taken its toll on the vampire.

Portraying Mr Happy 24/7 was easy enough when surrounded by people he was trying to make amends to but, in the twilight hours when he found himself totally alone again, the luxury of a little light moping wasn't much to ask for.

Especially when it involved leaving Buffy. Again.

Lost in his dark brooding world, the vampire sighed deeply as the memory of long blonde hair and bright hazel eyes flittered seductively across his mind.

**Would it ever get any easier? ** His head involuntarily asked the question that continually haunted his dreams

**How many times would he have to leave Buffy Summers before he finally let her go? **

Angel shook the taunting questions away from his thoughts. They were stupid and pointless.

He would never get over the pain of turning his back on the love of his unlife, no matter how noble the reason had been.

Even if they could never again be together, in his heart, Angel would carry the memory of the brief time he shared with Buffy Anne Summers for as long as he walked the earth.. Buffy's tiny footsteps would walk in his heart until the day his dust floated away on the breeze of time.

He would move on, he had no choice but to continue the fight against evil. But, without question, Angel would never truly let go.

Letting go wasn't an option. The tiny girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders had wrapped her essence around his soul from the very first second. Tiny strands of Buffy twisted inside every particle of the vampires being, clinging onto his heart like ivy. He knew without reason that these strands would still remain long after eternity ended. It didn't matter that he couldn't see face, that her sweet golden flesh was as forbidden to him as sunlight, and just as dangerous. Angel only had to close his eyes and her smile danced through his memory. He only had to reach into his soul and he could almost feel her breathe.

Slowly walking across the room, Angel drew open the heavy curtains and gazed out into the still dark night. A soft warm breeze flittered through the window and softly caressed his cold skin, reminding him of a lover's delicate touch. Buffy's touch.

He was tired and really should have been sleeping but, this last week, sleep had held little comfort. Now that his head was clear of the Darla madness, Angel had found his dreams were once again filled with rays of sunlight. Sunlight and warm kisses and a day that only lived in his heart.

The dreams were a blessing but they were also a curse.

Angel recognised that the pain of missing his love had grown stronger these last few nights. The ache in his chest where his dead heart had once pounded was raw with longing.

There was a reason, of course. A reason why the brooding had intensified to such a degree. Why the smell of vanilla and tear drops continually filled his senses and increased the loneliness tenfold.

A few nights earlier, hidden in the shadows of a darkened cemetery, the ill-fated lovers had once again shared a sweet lingering kiss.. Angel had once again tasted heaven...And as the night too quickly came to an end allowing reality to return, the saddened vampire had once again been forced to walk away.

****

On arriving in Sunnydale, Angel had fooled himself that it would be easier to leave this time. All he had to do was turn his back, keep his head held high and carry on walking. He was wrong.

Driving away from Sunnydale had been even more traumatic than he remembered. On at least three different occasions, he had found himself turning the car around only to slam his foot down on the brakes and stop.

**It was complete madness. He couldn't stay and yet how could he continue to leave?** Angel tried desperately to rationalise the situation but, all he could come up with was the same old argument.

**Buffy still needed to have a normal life. That was why he had to leave, that was why he would always have to leave**

After stopping the car for the third time, Angel sat quietly by the side of the highway and sadly accepted that the only direction for him now was LA.

He couldn't go back, it was simply too painful.

*****

It was true. It really was darkest before the dawn, and for some unknown reason, quietest.

A streak of pink far on the horizon meant another night without sleep had slowly slipped away from the vampire. Looking over at the clock, he realised that his fair-weather friends would soon be arriving to start the new day. Once they walked through the door, the act of trying to please them would begin all over again. He would hide his brooding from their prying eyes and all thoughts of Buffy would dissolve back into that part of his soul where nobody else could see her.

But not yet. Here, blanketed by the comforting shadows there was still time to be alone with his regrets.

Standing there in the darkness, Angel slowly raised his hand to his mouth and softly traced his lips. The tingling sensation of Buffy's last kiss still haunted his cool mouth but, sadly, it seemed more like a dream now than a memory.

**How's forever? Does forever work for you? ** The ghost of Buffy's soft voice called out to his heart.

Angel closed his eyes and let the sound wash over him in long painful waves.

**Does forever work for you?**

**Does forever work for you?**

**Does forever work for you?**

"Forever wouldn't be nearly long enough, beloved" The reply he had fought back in the cemetery now slipped out into the darkness with brutal honesty.

**How's forever? Does forever work for you? **

No matter how much he tried, the question wouldn't let go of his soul. Its haunting melody sung out in the stillness of the night, like a siren calling out from the sea.

**Forever**

"If only" Angel rested his head against the window frame and found himself dreaming about how wonderful *forever* really sounded.

Forever and Buffy. For him the words melded so perfectly together.

Perfect, but also impossible.

**Nothing had changed.Nothing ever changed for them**

She was still the sunlight that burned evil from the face of the earth, and he was still a demon, a blood-sucking fiend of the night.

**And yet they still loved each other with a passion that few souls ever found. After that kiss there was no doubt of that for either of them. But, that love, if acted upon would be their final damnation**

Their feelings were dangerous.. No, correction, his feelings for Buffy were dangerous. He understood that only too well, and so did the demon that shared his existence.. The constant fear of one second of perfect happiness haunted him night and day.

That was why in the end he didn't return to Sunnydale when he so desperately wanted to. And that was why he was now surrounded by the darkness allowing himself to brood.

**Forever sounded wonderful but, like the star-crossed lovers of history, forever wasn't meant too be. So, unless things changed drastically and fate gave them a break, the slayer and her vampire lover would be forced to spend *forever* apart**

Little was Angel to know but, at that very moment in time, the very break he had been wishing for was about to be delivered...via... TPTB

Part one.

Sunnydale.

"She looks good, but what about the rest?" Spike asked as his gaze slowly covered every inch of his new toy.

The replica was unbelievably accurate. Apart from its inactive state, the blonde vampire would have sworn the real Buffy Summers was standing right in front of them. As his hungry eyes continued to drink in the sight before him, he had to admit that this more docile version of the slayer definitely showed promise.

Dressed in a knee-length-pleated skirt, deep pink blouse and large silver earrings the image was everything Spike could have hoped for. The touch of black leather in the form of a jacket was definitely the icing on the cake.

Although his blank expression gave little away, inside Spike's dead heart was already jumping for joy.

Standing directly behind him was Warren, the kid that had just turned his wildest dreams into reality. The nervous boy hovered anxiously for approval as tiny tears of perspiration trickled slowly down his neck. A few weeks earlier, the unlucky boy genius had been made an offer he simply couldn't refuse - well, not if he wanted to keep his both of his kneecaps, that was.

Spike had thrust a box of photos and other personal items into his arms and ordered him to make a copy of the girl in the picture. The look in the older man's eyes left Warren with little doubt that he would take *no* for an answer. So, with self preservation his only motivation, Warren had set out to make his greatest masterpiece yet. Buffy Anne Summers, mark II.

"A little walk, a little talk" Spike continued to ponder the possibilities never once removing his eyes. " Perhaps a zippy cartwheel"

While the pale British guy was occupied, Warren stepped back and moved closer to the table behind him.

Ignoring the boy, Spike continued to stare at the way the replica's blonde hair shone in exactly the same way as the slayer's did. The soft curls fell in golden waves over her perfect shoulders, leaving the lovesick vampire wondering just how the silky strands would really feel between his fingers.

**Would she feel warm? Would she taste of vanilla? Would her screams raise the dead?** he inwardly grinned and found himself itching to touch her, to taste her, to fill her.

Keeping his emotions firmly under control, the demon turned his eyes back to the beautiful duplicate.

Once satisfied with her hair, Spike's gaze then travelled down, over her hidden breasts and on to her perfectly tanned legs

**Would she burn me inside out, with her heat.? ** His imagination started to rocket with possibilities. At last he was able to screw the woman he loved without the risk of a stake flying through his heart. It didn't matter to Spike that this was only a copy, if anything this was better than the original. This Buffy was still as pure as the driven snow.

**Angel hadn't been able to contaminate this Buffy Summers and neither had that other piece of shit that had run off to the jungle** The smallest flicker of a smile touched his lips.

**This one belonged to him**

" Hey, she's, uh, great. You'll be real happy, I swear she's got everything you asked for. All the extra programming, tons of real-world knowledge, the profiles you gave me about her family and friends" Warren stuffed his back pack full of books, eager to be as far away from the robot and the psychopath that had ordered it as possible.

At Warren's words, Spike's lust filled eyes moved over the motionless figure one last time, finally lowering into a hungry leer.

"*All* the extra programming, right?" The vampire cocked his head.

** If the stupid kid had missed out anything important, he would somehow find a way to have his head ripped clean off his shoulders**

"Ah, the, the stuff that you wanted, the, uh, scenario responses, you know, the, uh, uh, special ... skills.." The boy laughed nervously before continuing "All of it. Now, you said that I could leave-"

Without even glancing around, Spike reached out and grabbed Warren by the throat, stopping his departure mid flight.

"Wait. I'm not sure I'm a satisfied customer. She looks a little shiny to me, you know, uh..." he looked closely at the girl's closed eyes wondering if they were the same shade of hazel ". Touch of plasticine..."

At that moment the robot's eyes flashed open and Spike was greeted with a wide beaming smile

"Spike?…..Oh Spike" The slayer's perfect voice came over loud and clear.

Before Spike had a chance to reply, the Buffybot moved quickly across the room, put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him full on the mouth.

Every molecule in Spike's being screamed out *Buffy*

As the kiss ended the aroused and over excited vampire took a deep, unneeded breath.

His pathetic unlife was suddenly looking up.

"She'll do"

Part 2

LA

Cordelia Chase cried out in agony as a mind-numbing vision flashed deep inside her head causing her slender body to jerk violently against her desk. Vague and yet strangely familiar images flickered across her eyes in rapid succession, as the pain that always accompanied these visions scaled new heights

Cries, screams, groans and the faint smell of blood all blurred together in a giant kaleidoscope of trouble. Trouble with a capital B

Within seconds, three pairs of strong masculine arms were supporting the shaken girl and fussing around her with offers of a chair, a glass of water and a large bottle of painkillers.

"EWWWWWWWW!!!!. Can somebody just cut my eyes out, already. I seriously never want to use them again?" The young woman groaned at the pain now occupying her head and snatched the painkillers with one hand and the glass of water with the other.

With a heavy frown, she reflected that the day had been going so well up until then. They might not be the tightknit family of a year ago but they were trying as best they could.

As the colour slowly returned to Cordelia's cheeks, Angel was the first of the three males to move forward. Pulling up a chair, he encouraged the still traumatised girl to sit down and catch her breath. Only when Angel was satisfied that the intense pain had started to leave his friend, did he kneel down in front of her and gently cradle her hand

"What did you see?" A voice with a soft velvet touch whispered softly against the woman's ear, flowing with concern.

At the memory of her vision, the horrified girl rolled her eyes in disgust

"Buffy Summers! And for the record can I just add a big fat..YUCK!"

Cordelia groaned shaking her head in a final attempt to erase the hideous pictures that had just contaminated her vision. She wanted nothing more than to remove her eyeballs from their sockets and scrub them with carbolic and hot water. Even then she seriously doubted that she would ever fully recover.

What she had just witnessed wasn't part of the *let's fight evil* agreement with TPTB. Not that she had ever actually agreed to these visions in the first place

**Thank you, Doyle **

No, it was bad enough that she had to put up with demons, monsters and madness being flashed into her head morning, noon and night but, this vision with Buffy… This was new… This was not fun… This was seriously disturbing.

**Buffy Summers!**

"Buffy?" The name slipped over Angel's pale lips almost like a prayer, leaving his body rigid with fear. He knew immediately that if the Powers were sending Cordelia visions of Buffy, something in Sunnydale had to be seriously wrong. The last time it had happened was..

Angel's thoughts drifted for a split second as he remembered a certain Thanksgiving and then the day that never was. The ghostly echo of a doomed heartbeat sadly teased his at memory.

Noticing the haunting look in the vampire's eyes, Wesley moved forward and posed the next question ;

"What's wrong with Buffy, Cordelia? What did the vision tell you?" The ex-watcher asked keeping his calm British voice as neutral as possible.

He was the leader of this group now and if Sunnydale needed their help, he was the one who had to take charge. Moving closer, he gently squeezed the girl's shoulder offering support.

"What did it tell me? Oh, it didn't only tell me, it was sooooo much better than that. The Powers that Be had to go and show me all the gory detail in full glorious Technicolor" Cordelia snapped and shook two white pills from the glass bottle into the palm of her hand. Tossing the tablets into the back of her mouth, she swallowed them down with a large gulp of water.

" My poor head, I really didn't need thi…"

" Cordelia!… Please!" Angel interrupted, pleading to be put out of his misery. He was sorry that her head hurt but, at that moment, all that mattered to him was Buffy.

**If something had happened to his love and he hadn't been there to help her** Angel couldn't bear to continue the thought. If Buffy was hurt or even worse, he knew the pain would destroy him.. Life without his love wasn't worth thinking about. There was no life without Buffy.

Cordelia turned her head and couldn't fail to notice the fear radiating from the vampires face. His sad soulful eyes held an infinity of worry for the girl who had been forced out of his life. In that one look, Cordelia finally understood the true depth of Angel's love for his slayer. This concern was nothing like the obsession he had shown over Darla, although that had been bad enough. Cordelia Chase finally accepted that the annoying goody two shoes in Sunnydale, really was his whole life.

**Some men really were fools for love**

Then, just as her feelings started to soften, a small angry voice shouted loud into her sub-conscious

** DUH!!! HE GAVE AWAY YOUR CLOTHES**

Remembering that small detail was all it took for Cordelia's new-found compassion to evaporate. She was a messenger and the message needed delivering.

"Good old Buff's gone and done it again" she replied, calmly screwing the lid back on the pill bottle in her hands.

" Done what? " this time there was real alarm in Angel's voice as he remembered more of their recent conversation in Sunnydale. The scene where Buffy had told him how needy she was feeling replayed over and over in his mind.

**Surely she wouldn't have done anything stupid**

Angel quickly cut that thought off as the tiny seed of fear he was feeling in his stomach started to grow into physical pain

"Well, she's consistent if nothing else"

"CORDELIA! … Can you just get to the point" this time it was Gunn's voice that added to the impatient questioning.

Cordelia stood and walked across the room trying to decide the kindest way to deliver the message. No matter how she phrased it, she knew life was about to get very interesting

"Well. She.. Um.." The seer hesitated and bit softly into her bottom lip.

" Please, Cordelia. We need to know today, not tomorrow ?" Wesley spoke out as calmly as possible, the last thing he needed was to send Angel into a blind panic over the fate of the slayer. Angel was only just on his way back from hell as it was. If anything had happened to Buffy, Wesley feared the worse. Just looking at the vampire was enough to send shivers down his spine. The poor man looked even more dead than usual.

"Okay!" shaking her hands out in frustration, the girl gave a quick nervous smile and then continued

" She was boinking the undead" Sadly, diplomacy wasn't her greatest gift.

The piercing silence lasted a whole micro-second before all three humans started speaking at once, filling the room with pandemonium

"But I thought she was the slayer, isn't she supposed to kill them?" Gunn asked looking confusedly toward the other two for answers.

"Are you sure you read the vision correctly, that certainly doesn't sound like the Buffy we all know" Wesley added in shock

"Please! That sounds exactly like the Buffy *I * know" Cordelia snorted in reply. She had lived through this madness once before and memories like that didn't tend to fade away.

" No! That was completely different" Wesley immediately jumped to his ex-slayers defence. They might have had their problems in the past, but he still held a deep respect for the young woman that repeatedly put her life on the line.

As the discussion raged on, nobody seemed to notice that the brooding vampire stood and backed across the room

** She was boinking the undead** His mind was in a whirlpool trying to decipher the information sent by the Powers. They were never wrong and yet this time they had to be. It simply didn't make sense.

"The vision was as clear as day, only it was night-time. Whatever, -I know what I saw. One slayer, one vampire and a hell of a lot of different positions." Cordelia crossed her arms over her chest and almost dared her friends to call her a liar.

From the other side of the room Angel's shaken voice whispered out into the madness as he sank down on the desk behind him.

"It's not possible…. We only kissed "

Even though the statement had been the barest murmur, all the noise in the room seeped away as three sets of accusing eyes turned in the same direction and focused on the vampire with horrified expressions.

"It's a long story" Angel sighed feeling their disapproval burning deep into his skin like hot pokers. Looking up to meet his co-worker's eyes, each face he encountered wore the same distrusting stare.

That was the reason he hadn't told them about the visit to Sunnydale in the first place. He knew they still didn't trust him and if it had come down to a choice between comforting his love or sucking up to his friends, Angel knew that there was no contest.

"You saw Buffy?. WHEN?….WHY" Wesley demanded angrily. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After all Angel had put them through with Darla and Drusilla, the thought of him seeking out yet another old lover was unimaginable. Especially one with Buffy's history for giving the vampire perfect happiness. In his indignation Wesley didn't even consider the unfairness of his thoughts or the reason for the visit.

Angel opened his mouth to explain but was cut off before he uttered his first word

"It wasn't Angel. I mean this time it isn't Angel she sleeps with… It's worse" Cordelia sighed, stopping everybody cold with her latest disclosure.

You could have heard a pin drop as the news filtered into their heads.

**It isn't Angel she sleeps with...It's worse**

The vampire's large brown eyes widened in horror at the revelation.

**It wasn't true. Buffy would never hurt him like that. Not with a demon** his heart called out in denial.

" That girl has got absolutely no taste these days " Cordelia wrinkled her nose and then looked apologetically towards Angel

"Who… Who is it?" he whispered as the pain and disbelief he felt slipped quietly into his voice. A human lover was one thing but a vampire, the thought of a demon touching his soul mate was unbearable.

**It had to be down to the grief she was suffering over the death of her mother**

Angel simply couldn't find any other explanation that was acceptable.

**I'm seriously needy right now** The strands of her pain coiled deep inside his head, tightening their grip with every remembered word.

Cordelia look a deep breath

"At least she kept it the family…I've lost track. - how closely is Spike related to you again…..?"

"SPIKE!!!!!!" The vampire growled in such fury that all three humans stepped back in fear. His dark brown eyes were already beginning to flicker with amber specks as the demon inside roared to break free.

Angel was up and across the room before anybody had a chance to speak. He stopped just long enough to snatch his coat and keys before slamming out of the door without another word.

The remaining occupants in the room stood frozen to the spot for at least thirty seconds before managing to pick their jaws up from the floor.

"Man! he was seriously pissed. Who the hell is Spike?" Gunn asked as they waited for the glass in the windows to stop rattling.

Wesley shook his head, removed his glasses and rubbed softly at the bridge of his nose.

" That's an even longer story." He finally replied not really knowing where to begin.

Cordelia walked swiftly towards the door, trying to cover the concerned expression that crossed her eyes.

"It's a good job it's not sunny out there, he could have been in big trouble" she muttered knowing the sun had set only a few seconds earlier.

**Sadly, where Buffy was concerned, that dumb-ass always acted on his heart and not his head.** The woman thought sighing deeply in defeat. She should have accepted by now that some parts of their broody vampire would never change.

By the time Cordelia peered outside, Angel's car was already screaming off down the road, heading in the direction of her old home town.

"Talking of trouble, do you think I should warn Giles?" Wesley asked.

The shock of first hearing about Buffy and Spike and then watching Angel's reaction was slowly starting to wear off, causing his old watcher priorities to kick in.

"And just what are you planning on saying ?" Gunn replied lifting his eyebrows in amusement. "Hey, your slayers been getting down and dirty with some undead guy but don't worry, another undead guy is heading your way, and he's seriously pissed about it. I'd pay good money to see how that goes down" a soft chuckle slipped from his lips. This was the best laugh he had had in a long time

Failing to get the answer he wanted from Gunn, Wesley turned to his other colleague.

"Well?"

The woman just shrugged her shoulders not really knowing what to suggest. Six months earlier she might have had a better idea. Before all the Darla insanity Cordelia was convinced she understood most of what Angel was thinking, but not any more.

"This is not good. Did you see the look on his face, that was an Angelus look if ever I saw one, and .... aaahhhh!!!!" Cordelia collapsed against her desk and cried out in pain as a second vision slammed into her head.

Part 3

**I'll kill him…I'll stake his sorry pathetic ass and piss in the dust**

Angel's emotions were in utter turmoil; a tornado of anger whipped up around his heart and twisted in torment the whole journey back to Sunnydale. As the black convertible flew swiftly through the dark night like a bird of prey stalking it's kill, the vampire inside seethed with contempt.

**Spike! Of all the men in the world alive and undead, it had to be that stinking, rotten low life**Angel raged bitterly at the injustice.

It was so damn unfair that the soulless, blood-sucking fiend was allowed the very slice of heaven that he himself was forbidden.

**Spike was a God forsaken monster; there was nothing but evil inside his human shell, not one part of the demon was redeemable.**

Angel shook his head in disbelief for the hundredth time, trying to make sense of it all and, for the hundredth time, he failed. To him it was inconceivable that Buffy would willingly sleep with her old enemy, a demon that regularly threatened her very existence.

It was beyond insanity.

As the distraught vampire stared out into the darkness of the freeway, his overactive imagination continually tortured him with vivid images of his grand childe's naked body moving deep inside the slayer.

** Inside Buffy.**

**Inside *HIS* Buffy.**

**GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**

The image of Spike bursting into flames and screaming in eternal agony only brought Angel comfort for a split second. The slight smirk that the concept provoked soon fell from his lips when the vision was replaced with the blonde vampire screaming in a different kind of agony, buried deep inside the slayer's willing thighs.

Keeping one hand firmly on the steering wheel, Angel ran the other through his spiky hair in deep frustration. He pressed his fingertips against the side of his skull as if trying to squeeze the ugly pictures right from his mind, but they wouldn't leave and the torture continued.

**Why did it have to be him? How the hell did it come to this?** The questions taunted but the answers remained elusive

Angel had heard the rumours that Spike had been hanging around in Sunnydale, helping the slayer now and again for handouts. Well, there wasn't much else he could do with that chip in his head. It was almost too funny to think of the once notorious * William the Bloody* as nothing more than a neutered dog. The slayer's lapdog no less.

Buffy had told him a little about what was going on in Sunnydale on his last visit. Sitting alone in the cemetery, she had tried to explain some of the strange changes that were happening in her life. In her deep state of grief she hadn't gone into very much detail and Angel hadn't pushed, he was just content to once again hold the love of his life in his arms and offer any support she needed.

Buffy had cried, they had kissed and when the approaching daylight became too apparent, he had reluctantly left…

As the car moved deeper into the darkness, Angel's mind replayed every word of every conversation that night.

**Her guilt over not starting CPR sooner**

**Her fear for the future**

** Her neediness**

But, one thing was certain; she hadn't uttered a word about Spike's little crush or more importantly, about the two of them sleeping together.

It wasn't just Buffy that he failed to understand, Spike's motives were also seriously brought into question.

In the past Spike had been obsessed with the subject of slayers, his need to prove that he was the stronger, smarter, more cunning creature had caused the death of at least two slayers in the past hundred years. In their times together as demons, the younger vampire had often bragged about dancing with these poweful women and his subsequent *real good days* The buzz, the power and especially the blood were a strong aphrodisiac. Angel understood that part of the boy's nature only too well, what he didn't understand is why he had suddenly changed direction.

Killing slayers was one thing but he had never shown any interest in fucking them before. The sexual release was always saved for Drusillia.

Angel understood why Spike hated Buffy, what he didn't understand is why he would....

**It's called addiction, Angel. We all have one. - I believe yours is named Slutty the vampire Slayer**

**Speaking of little Buff, I ran into her recently. Your name didn't come up. Although she has been awful busy jumping the bones of the first lunk-head that came along. Good-looking fellow - used her shamelessly. - She is cute when she is hurting, isn't she?"**

A different, but even more familiar voice echoed inside his head at the next memory

**Spike, my boy, you *really* don't get it! Do you? You tried to kill her, but you couldn't. Look at you. You're a wreck! She's stronger than any Slayer you've ever faced. Force won't get it done. You gotta work from the inside. To kill this girl... you have to love her.**

Suddenly the fog of confusion cleared and it all made perfect sense

**That cunning vicious Bastard! He's finally found a way to kill the slayer**

Angel didn't know if that thought made him feel better or worse but it did make him see a deeper shade of revenge.

"I'm going to rip his bleached blonde head right off his scrawny, good for nothing shoulders and then I'll ram it straight up his ... " He growled as his foot pressed the accelerator pedal to the floor and, almost through the metal in temper.

The two-hour journey seemed to take forever

Lost deep in thought, contemplating how many painful ways he could end Spike's existence, Angel almost missed the shrill of his cell phone.

"WHAT?" The anger that had consumed the vampire snarled chilling down the line, causing the caller to physically flinch

"Yeah, well hello to you too" Cordelia's voice replied after she had removed her heartbeat from the roof of her mouth.

" I haven't got time for pleasantries, Cordelia." Angel snapped, this was his problem and just like the earlier madness with Darla, he wanted to keep his friends well out of it.

"Pleasantries! For your information, I've just received another mind destroying vision. Thank you very much. " The annoyance in her voice ricocheted down the phone line and exploded into his ear. The pain of one vision was bad enough but two, well two was pushing the limit of endurance.

"Are you okay?" Angel's voice softened slightly as he realised that he was taking his anger out on the wrong person

" No, my head is throbbing and my ears are still ringing" Cordelia took a deep breath and let her own tone of voice soften "But, I guess I'll live. Angel, the message came straight from the *very* top this time; you're not going to believe this… Are you sitting down?"

Angel rolled his eyes

"Just tell me," he asked impatiently

" The good guys upstairs are really freaking out. They fear that if Buffy and Spike get together permanently, she might do something even more stupid than normal, like turn to the darkside. A bit like that Darth Vader in Star Wars, only without the black clothing because black on Buffy is not a good colour. "

"Can we stop the pop culture references and get to the point"

"Sorry, here comes the Cliff Notes version. Under no circumstances are Buffy and Spike to be allowed to get groiny. Spike's little crush has to be stopped at all cost, and the white hats upstairs think that you're the only one who can stop it. "

"No problem. I'll just stake him" Angel failed to keep the hatred from his voice.

"Well you can if you want to but, The Powers That Be have suggested a slightly different approach. I guess they finally realised that they owe you a break"

Angel didn't say a word; he just gripped the cell phone closer to his ear as he waited for his friend to continue

"They are cutting you some slack and have anchored your soul"

" How the hell can that help me stop Spike? " The amazing news failed to impress.

"Think about it, dumb ass. Why would little Buffy choose Spike when she's allowed to boink you"

The sound of screeching tyres screamed into Cordelia's ear as Angel slammed on the brakes and almost lost control of his car

After what seemed like forever his voice came back down the line

"Can you just say that again" he asked in disbelief. In his shocked state Angel almost swore he heard the woman chuckle

"They said you can get as happy as you want, Angelus stays where he is." Again there were sounds of a slight chuckle

"Are you're absolutely certain that's what you saw" The vampire still wasn't convinced a hundred percent. In his past experience, Angel had come to learn the hard way that The Powers That Be didn't hand out miracles quite so generously

"Duh! Do you really think I'd make a mistake on something this important? I don't think so buddy"

He almost smiled as he visualised his friend shaking her head at the ridiculous suggestion . It was true; Cordelia of all people would never risk unleashing Angelus back on the world.

After a frustrating sigh she continued with her message

"Stop Spike turning the slayer dark and your curse is gone for good. Also, just make sure that you're back at work next week, you've been slacking off far too much lately" Cordelia finished with a smile in her voice and Angel, even in his shocked state noticed signs of their old friendship returning.

"Thanks, Cordy. It's really appreciated" A small smile then really did lift at the corners of his pale lips

"Hey! I'm glad I could help"

The phone then went very quiet for a moment

"Angel? Kick Spike's ass for me too, just for old times sake"

When Angel finally replied he left his intentions in little doubt

" By the time I'm finished there won't be an ass left to kick"

He then clicked off his cell phone and turned his full concentration back on the road ahead. Five minutes later a large sign lit up before him.

WELCOME TO SUNNYDALE

Go to Part 4