"You're losing, Spike, admit it," Sarah teased him.

"Am not," he muttered, growling slightly.

    He looked at her as she positioned the cue and shot. Once again, she put
the expected ball in the pocket. She was good. He had let her begin,
convinced he'd be the best player. The problem was, he had not yet had the
opportunity to play.

"Whatever," the Immortal smiled and prepared her next shot.

"Me boy, but you *are* losing," Angel's voice prompted softly from the two
players' backs.

    Sarah growled in frustration as she missed her shot. She looked up at
the tall vampire and bit back her bitter words when she saw the look in his
eyes. This vampire seemed to know the emotions of guilt, sadness, and
melancholy intimately.  There was nothing of the arrogant Angelus in him.

    Spike took hold of his cue and cocked an eyebrow at Sarah.

"Seems to me like I'm finally *not* losing," Spike smiled at her. Then he
turned his attention to his Sire. "Peaches, why aren't you brooding
somewhere else, or being all lapdog-y with that Slayer of yours?" He flashed
him a pure Spike grin.

"I don't like Riley," the vampire answered simply.

"I have to admit," Spike put a ball in a pocket, "that even I prefer you to
farm boy. I don't know what's going on in that little head of hers."

"She's in love with him, it has nothing to do with her head," Sarah said
softly.

    Both vampires looked up at her. Spike quickly went back to his game of
pool, putting another ball in a pocket, but Angel kept his eyes focused on
the Immortal. She was a living reminder of what he used to be, of how much
harm he had done.

    Sarah turned her eyes away from Angel's. She could not bear his gaze.
She would have loved to be able to forgive him, but she couldn't. She knew
that Angel and Angelus were two totally different vampires, but she couldn't
stop her feelings of hatred and repulsion when she looked at that angelic
face.  She just couldn't.

    She turned her eyes to the dance floor. She was surprised to see Willow
and Methos dancing together. The witch's head rested on the Immortal's
shoulder. They looked like such a perfect couple.

"Spike, look at them," she told him softly.

    The blond vampire looked up from the billiard table and smiled. It was
such a pity it would not go further than a dance. Then he smelled her. The
other witch, with Willow's smell on her. He turned around and saw her enter
the club.

"Tara, hey," he called her. "Where were you all this time?"

    Sarah picked up his game. Willow and Methos deserved at least this whole
song. Just a few more moments, a few more. From the corner of her eye, she
saw Angel leave the club.

"I'm going away tomorrow," Methos suddenly told the redhead in his embrace.

    Her head jerked up and she looked at him with sadness in her great
emerald eyes.

"Do you have to?"

"I don't have any pressing business anywhere else, it's true," Methos
flashed her a half-smile, "but I cannot stay here either, little one."

"Because of me?" Willow turned her eyes away from his.

"No," he replied sincerely. "Thanks to you, little beautiful one. You will
never be a 'because of', for me. Only a 'thanks to'."

    They clung to each other tightly and kept on dancing until the song
ended. A tear rolled down Willow's cheek.

"Do not cry, Willow, please," Methos asked her, kissing the tear away.
"Thank you for the dance."

    Willow teared her eyes away from his, a mixture of grey and green which
she had grown to love during this short time. Her heart flinched as she saw
Tara, grappling with Spike and Sarah.

    Methos saw them too and guessed who the blond girl was. His heart
tightened and a lump formed in his throat. He smiled at Sarah and Spike,
trying desperately to postpone the blond witch's arrival.

    Then Willow looked up at him one last time. She closed her eyes as he
kissed her forehead gently. Then she headed towards her girlfriend with a
wide smile. Tara would never know how close Willow came to leaving her.

"So you're not going to give her orgasms, huh?" Methos heard Anya ask in his
back.

    He turned around and went and sat at the table with the couple.

"No, Anya, I'm not. Whose beer is this?"

"I ordered it for you," Xander replied. "Sarah told me it would be 'a hell
of a good idea'." He paused, while Methos began drinking his beer. "You
know, Wills is my best friend. I wish it could have worked out."

"So do I," Methos replied sadly. "If you'll excuse me for a minute, I think
I'm going to order something stronger than a beer."

    He was about to stand up when he saw Sarah walk towards him with a
whiskey. He smiled. He was becoming predictable.

"Here you go, old man," she told him with a smile.

"Thank you, my young friend," he replied with the same smile.

    Sarah put her tongue out to him and walked back to the billiard table,
where Spike was waiting. Methos smiled again, and sighed.

"Do you think Spike's gonna have sex tonight?" Anya asked.

"You think Spike and Sarah?" Xander laughed. "I don't see what she could
possibly find attractive in him."

"Piercing blue eyes, cute little ass, high cheekbones, well-defined
features, for a start," Anya proposed.

"I think you're right, Anya," Methos confirmed, seeing horror replace shock
on Xander's features.

    Buffy and Riley interrupted them, leaving the dance floor to come to
their table.

"Guys, we're gonna go," the Slayer told them. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

    Methos almost told her she wouldn't see him tomorrow, but instead took
another sip of whiskey, as he caught sight of Willow and Tara dancing close
to each other.

"I'm gonna go as well," he finished his glass and stood up.

    He walked away, without letting the bewildered couple utter a word of
goodbye. He walked up to Spike and Sarah.

"I'm going."

    Spike looked up at him and understood he'd probably not see him again
any time soon. The two men who had known each other for a century let a firm
and steady handshake be their goodbye.

    Methos walked out into the night and decided to wander in Sunnydale's
streets, intent on finding something to fight. He had steam to let off. He
therefore was more than happy to find a couple of vampires stalking a young
girl.

    He walked up to them before they could approach her and, after a few
minutes' fight, dusted them both. He then heard a dusting sound in his back
and quickly turned around, to discover that Angel had just staked another
vampire.

"Was about to jump on you," the tall vampire simply informed him.

"Thanks," Methos replied. He watched the vampire turn around before he
added. "Angel? Would you like to share a few drinks with me?"

    Angel turned back to the Immortal. He seemed to consider the offer for a
moment before answering.

"Sure. I know the perfect place. It's called Willy's."

"Then Willy's it is," Methos replied, following the vampire.
 

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