~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She left a note
by the phone

Willow leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the bus window. She
squirmed, the seat was really uncomfortable. But she barely noticed. She
barely noticed anything anymore. She was numb.

It said
don't leave a message
'cause this ain't no home

Oz was gone. And he was never coming back. That was abundantly clear. And
for a brief moments, she had actually thought it didn't matter. Somewhere
between Spike trying in vain to rip her throat out, his constant teasing and
mocking and having to care for him as if he was an invalid, she had come to
care a great deal for the blonde vampire. She thought she might even love
him. When Xander wasn't around, he was actually friendly and fun to be with.

And she cried and
she cried and she cried
She cried so long the tears ran dry

He made the lonliness bearable. Xander was always off with Anya doing god
knows what. Giles was adjusting nicely to life without Watcher duties and
Buffy had Riley. Leaving Willow... alone. But Spike changed all that, he
spent time with her, cared about what she had to say.
 

And she laughed and she laughed and she laughed.
'Cause she knew she was never comin' back
 

But even Spike left her. He moved out of Giles' place without a word and she
hadn't seen him since. How could he have done that? Was there something just
repulsive about her, she wondered. What was wrong with her?

She said, Man, I've gotta get out of this town,
Man I've gotta get out of this place,

Well, that didn't matter now, because he wouldn't see her again. None of
them would. She would ease the burden of having to support fragile little
Willow by taking herself out of the equation.

Man, I've gotta get out of this town.
out of this town, and get to L.A.

Willow wiped at a tear seeping out the corner of her eye. No more tears,
ever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike blew smoke into the cool night air, watching as it formed tiny
floating rivers above his head.

God, he missed the bloody Scooby Gang. He hated to admit it. But his life
was pretty empty without them. He wasn't just satisfied with causing trouble
and drinking heavily anymore. He missed the games of chess with the Watcher.
He missed teasing the Slayer and thinking of irritating little nicknames for
her like "Slutty the Vampire Layer." Hell, he even missed the moron's lame
jokes.

But most of all, he missed Willow. He missed talking to her and watching old
movies with her. She was the only one who really stuck up for him and made
sure he was taken care of. She was the only one who understood his obsession
with "Passions." She was the only one he really cared about.

But that was all over now. Now that he was on his own again,he was pretty
sure she wanted nothing to do with him. She just wasn't the kind of girl to
roam the streets with the undead. She was sweet and kind and innocent and
funny and-

He sighed. He was sounding like the bloody pouf. He was pretty sure he loved
Willow. Mostly because she was nothing like-

"Buffy?" Spike said incredulously. The blonde was obviously half-heartedly
partolling the park. Her head wasn't even up. He could have taken her out in
a heartbeat if it wasn't for the bloody chip in his head.

She walked right passed him. He glared.

"Excuse me, Slayer, I'm about to go feed on a bus load of shcool children
and nuns, wanna come watch?" he called.

She continued walking. He grabbed her arm, despite the twinge in his head.

"BUFFY!" he cried. She looked up at him, her mascara smeared tears tracks
streaked her face. "Jesus, Slayer, what's wrong?"

"Willow," Buffy sniffed. "She's gone."

(Oh, sweet Christ, she's dead, Spike's silent heart screamed.)

"Gone!" he demanded, gripping both her arms. "What the hell happened?!"

"A few days ago, I found this note in our dorm room," she mumbled. "She said
everything around her reminded her of how alone she was. She wanted a fresh
start, somewhere new. Said there was nothing and no one to keep her here."

Spike swallowed an egg-sized lump in his throat, Nothing and no one to keep
her there? What was he, chopped liver? Suddenly, he realized, he had all but
abandoned her. No wonder she ran off, with his sudden absence, she had no
one to talk to. He groaned.

Without warning, Buffy burst into tears and threw her arms around Spike's
neck.

"I miss her, Spike," she sniffled. "I want Willow back. Can you get her
back?"

Spike's jaw dropped. He had never expected this from the Slayer, he also
hadn't expected it to work. He awkwardly patted Buffy's head.

"Sure thing, Slayer, I'll find her. I have a pretty good idea where she
went."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"Willow! What do you mean you want a job?!" Angel laughed.

"Me," Willow said, simply, "Research girl, employed by you, invaluable asset
to your company. I've seen how Cordy keeps the books."

"Hey!" Cordy yelled from the next room. "I heard that!"

Willow grinned at her perspective boss. Angel was taken aback. He was
shocked enough when Willow suddenly showed up at his doorstep un-announced.
But now she wanted a job?

"What about school?" Angel asked.

"Don't need it," she shrugged. "You didn't go to school and you're doing
just fine."

"There's some sound logic," Cordy snorted. "He's 247 years old!"

"Shut it, Cordy!" Willow called.

"Does Buffy know you're here?" Angel asked.

"No, and I'd prefer to keep it that way, at least for a while," she said.

"Did something happen?" Angel asked.

"Nothing extraordinary," Willow shook her head.

Angel's brow creased, he didn't quite believe her. The pain was radiating
from her in waves.

"Okay, you're hired," he said, skeptically. "On a temporary basis, til you
come to your senses."

"Fine, so ten years will cover it?" she grinned.

"Now you're scaring me," he said. "And there's one condition."

"What?"

"You take the coffee-making duties away from Cordy," he said. "Her coffee
comes with a surgeon general's warning."

"I heard that, too!" Cordy yelled.

~~~~~~

"Tell me again, Cordy, why exaclty does Angel PAY you to do this to his
files?" Willow grinned.

Despite the barb, Cordy was glad to see the redhead smiling. It was the
first smile she had seen in the three days since Willow had shown up and
asked for a job.

"That is a very complex system you're messing with there," Cordy warned.
"Just because you're little miss organized doesn't mean you can just pick up
where I left off."

"Cordy, three of these files are held together with chewing gum!" Willow
laughed.

Willow had been staying at her place, at least until she saved enough to
start up an apartment of her own. Not that Cordy minded, in fact, it was
kind of nice having her around. Though Dennis was nice company, he was dead.
And though she didn't want to admit it, sometimes Cordy was lonely.

Willow was adjusting well to life at Angel Investigations. She was
completely reworking their filing system and helping Cordy create a
easy-search database from some CD-ROMS she had made from Giles' demonology
books. Since they had been without a case for a few days, Angel usually sat
in the next room, pretending to read, listening to the teasing banter being
tossed back and forth. An hour before they closed up shop, Angel would go
downstairs to his apartment and start dinner for the girls.

"It's the least I can do for repairing the damage Cordy did to our files,"
he would say, usually followed by indignance and rude hand gestures from
Cordy.

Angel really liked having Willow around. Ever since Doyle died, it was like
there was this yawning void between him and Cordelia. A void he didn't know
how to bridge. Having Willow there seemed to help.

Dinner was usually followed by watching at least two movies and sitting up
until about three talking, but never about Sunnydale. Willow didn't want to
talk about why she left Sunnydale. All she would say was that it didn't
involve some sort of dramatic scene or anything, just her deciding to leave
and getting on a bus.

"So what strikes your fancy tonight?" Angel asked, switching off his office
light. "I've got a wok, I think I can make Chinese."

"What did you use the wok for before?" Cordy asked. "Nevermind, I don't want
to know."

"Actually, I'm sort of tired," Willow said. "Would you mind if I took a
raincheck?"

"No problem," Angel shrugged. "You feeling okay?"

"Angel, you kept us up until 4:30 watching old Humphrey Bogart movies, do
the math," Cordy grinned. "We're tired."

"But you did get loopy enough to start doing a Bogey impression," Willow
laughed. She loved this new family. It suited her.

"Here's looking at you, kid," Angel grinned. He kissed their foreheads as
they headed for the door, giving Cordy a case of the shiver-wiggins.

When they reached the hallway, Willow jabbed Cordy in the ribs.

"You weren't supposed to come with me!" she hissed.

"Need I remind you, it's my apartment?" Cordy asked, her eyebrow raised.

"No, I was getting out of the way so you could have Angel all to yourself,"
Willow said.

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Cordy if the sexual tension was any thicker I'd have to cut it
with a chainsaw."

"Th-wha-that is," Cordy stammered. "Dammit, okay, I'm busted, I've been in
love with him for months."

"The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know, what would you do?" Cordy shrugged as they got in her car.

"Act on it," Willow said, tucking a stray strand of Cordy's hair behind her
ear. as soon as you can, don't put it off, or you may run out of chances."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike ground out his cigarette and tossed it in the gutter. He glared up at
Angel's building. Figures she'd go running to his bleeding sire. All the
women he loved seemed to.

"Oh, Willow," Spike sneered, mimicking Angel's voice. "'Here I am, the grand
prancy poof, ready to be all sensitive-mouthed and puppy-eyed for you to pet
on. I'll help you get over that nasty little blonde vampire and at the same
time wrap you around my manicured Nancy-boy finger. You'll never want to see
mean old Spike again.' Bloody sire, why can't you find your own women?"

He threw open to the door to the building and headed for Angel's apartment.
He knocked with a delicate feminine rhythm. Angel opened it, dressed only in
his pajama pants. He grabbed his unsuspecting sire by the shoulder and threw
him back into the living room.

"Spike!" Angel growled, his game face emerging. "What the hell!"

"Where is she?!" Spike demanded. The scent of Willow was everywhere, it
permeated the room. She was obviously here, the fact that he couldn't see
her in the kitchen or living room left only one option... the bedroom.

Angel watched his childe's eyes dart from the bedroom door to his
alf-dressed state and grinned.

"She's in disposed at the moment," he smiled. "Willow, sweet, we have
company."

"You bleeding BASTARD!" Spike howled, punching Angel's face. He threw the
dark-haired vamp to the ground and scrambled for the bedroom door.

"Willow!" he shouted, flipping the light on. The room was empty. Angel
flopped down on the couch, gingerly rubbing his aching jaw.

Spike turned on him, embarassed at his display.

"Now," Angel said. "You want to tell me what this is all about?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Angel!" Willow called as she and Cordy entered the office. "We brought
muffins!"

She bound into Angel's office, stopping in her tracks when she saw a blonde
vampire sitting on the couch.

"Hello, pet," he said, smiling.

She took two steps toward him, her face blank. She reared back and slugged
him.

"Hello, Spike."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

"Owwww! That really hurt, pet!" Spike cried, clapping his hand over his
swelling left eye.

"Good!" willow cried, rubbing her knuckles.

"Well, that was less than friendly," Cordy snorted."Just so you know Will,
that's not how we usually greet clients around here."

"I'll allow it," Angel grimaced.

"Who died and made you Mills Lane?" Cordy asked.

"Cordy, something tells we need to go.. elsewhere," Angel said, pulling her
from the room.

"Man! I always miss the good stuff!" Cordy pouted as the door closed.

"What the hell are you doing here, Spike?" Willow demanded.

"The Slayer is worried about you, love," he said, rubbing his bruised
cheekbone. "And the Watcher, the moron and his bit of baggage. They sent me
after you."

"What!?" They couldn't even come after her themselves? That's effort for
you. She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sorry you wasted the gas, come I'm not
going back to Sunnydale. I like my new life here. So, it was nice seeing you
again, bu-bye."

She opened the door and bowed deeply. What was wrong with her? Spike
wondered. Why was she acting like they were complete strangers? She had
never been cold.

"I'm not leaving without you, Willow," he said, sitting down on the couch
and folding his arms. She tried not to notice the lovely way he pronounced
her name. "I'm staying in L.A. until you agree to come back home to me, er,
with me."

"You're not leaving?" Willow asked coolly, her anger keeping her from
catching Spike's verbal blunder.

He shook his head.

"Fine, I will," she said, slamming the door. "Angel! I'm going to lunch!"

"Willow, it's 9 a.m.," Cordy said.

Willow glared at her. Cordy winced and grabbed her purse from Angel's desk.

"If you hurt her, I will spread tanning accelerator all over your pale ass
and stake you out on the Hollywood sign," Cordy told Spike cheerfully.
"Bye!"

The girls disappeared through the office door.

"Well, that went really well," Angel snorted, joining his childe on the
couch.

"Yeah," Spike grimmaced.

"So, I guess you'll be staying on my couch for a while," Angel said.

"Uh-huh," Spike nodded.

"Tell you what, kiddo," Angel slapped him on the back. "I'll help you get
back into Willow's good graces... if you help me with my little Cordelia
problem."

"I got a chip in my head, mate, I can't kill her for you," Spike shrugged.

"I don't want her dead!" Angel cried. "I just want her."

"You and the brunette?" Spike grinned.

Angel nodded. "One minute she's making caustic coffee and driving me nuts
and the next thing I know, I can't live without her."

Spike chuckled. "You got yourself a deal."
 
 
 

~~~~~~~~
Willow shifted in Cordy's guest bed. She stretched, letting her toes curl
into the cool recesses of the sheets. She smiled in her waking slumber.

She loved this room. Cordy had really put a lot of effort into decorating a
room she didn't even sleeping in. The walls were painted a beautiful bright
blue. Pretty silk scarves of swirled blue and purple were tied from loops
over the curtains, giving the room a soft azure light.

She felt gentle cook fingers brush the hair away from her face and stroked
her cheeks. Her eyes stayed closed, but her eyebrows took a little trip to
her hairline. What was Cordy doing in her room and why was she stroking her
face lovingly?

Her eyes popped open.

"Muffin, love?" a soft accented voice asked. He was sitting on the edge of
her bed, wearing an apron and holding a cute little tray on his lap. It had
a a little plate of blueberry muffins, juice and coffee on it. He was
smiling brightly, which just creeped Willow out.

"SPIKE!" she cried, pulling her sheets to her chest. "WHAT ARE DOING IN MY
BEDROOM?!"

Cordy stumbled through the door. She tripped over her robe and landed with a
thump on the hardwood floor.

"Oouuucchhh, my asssss," she moaned. "Spike, what the hell are you doing in
my home and why are you wearing an apron?"

"You said to come over whenever I wanted," Spike said cheerfully. "And that
includes 7:30 in the a.m. I used the tunnels to pop over and bring Willow
breakfast."

"When I get out of bed, I'm so going to stake you," Willow growled.

"Why do you have to wait until you get out of bed," Cordy grumbled. "Stake
him now."

"Who knew Willow sleeps naked?" Spike shrugged, grinning.

"Spike, get out OF MY ROOM!" Willow howled.

"Nope," Spike shook his head, putting a piece of muffin to her lips. She
accepted it begrudgingly. "I'm not leaving your side until you agree to go
back to Sunnydale with me."

"It's too early for this," Cordy groaned, getting up. "I'm going back to
bed. Willow, call me if you want me to suddenly open the blinds or
something."

"Spike, go away," Willow whined.

"Sorry, pet, this is how it's going to be until you agree home with me," he
grinned. "I'll be with you when you wake up in the morning, while you're
surfing your little web, while you're crinkling your little nose while Angel
and I are feeding, while you're watching TV, when you go to bed-

"OKAY OKAY!" she cried. "I get the point!"

She glared at him. "Fine. Then you better get used to seeing this."

She threw back the covers and scooted out of the othed side of the bed.
Spike watched as her nude form crossed the room, her bare pale flesh glowing
in the early morning light. His jaw dropped as his cock sprung to attention.

She slammed the bathroom door.

"BE WITH THAT!" she yelled through the door.

He sighed. "That was just cruel."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel was putting the final-touches on Cordy's frothy little latte. It was
made just the way she liked it it, with the cinnamon sprinkles and chocolate
shavings.

He heard the door bust open and turn just to see a blonde streak flash
across the living room. He heard the shower kick on. His brow creased.

He walked into the bathroom to find Spike sitting, still clothed, in the
tiled shower, the icy water pouring down his skin. He sat on the sink. He
could swear he saw steam rising off the heaving vampire.

"Tough morning?" he asked.

"She's not playing fair!" Spike whined. "She was all naked and

"I can see that," Angel nodded. "I'm off to the office, time to launch
operation 'Get Cordelia.'"

"Good title," Spike deadpanned.

"Never said I was the creative type," Angel shrugged. "Feel free to borrow
my nice dry clothes."

"Thanks."

"And don't track water all over the floor." he called over his shoulder.

"Yes, Mom."
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cordy walked through the door, sipping her take-out coffee. Angel was
standing over her desk.

"ummm... Angel, we've talked about your rummaging through my desk, you only
get Altoids when you're good."

He turned, nearly knocking over her desk lamp.

"Cordy!" he squeaked. She almost laughed at his comically surprised
expression. "Oh, you already have coffee."

His face fell.

"Yeah, Willow needed a little alone time, so I left early for Starbuck's.
Why? Angel, what are you hiding behind your back?"

She peeked around his shoulder, giving him a whiff of her heady perfume. He
knew it by heart, gardenias.

"You bought me coffee?" she smiled up at him.

"Made you coffee, actually." he said, scratching his head.

"That's so sweet," Cordy said. "Thank you. What's the occasion?"

"Well, it's... Exectuive Assistant Appreciation Day," Angel stammered.
(EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT APPRECIATION DAY?? his brain thundered. YOU IDIOT!)

"Oh, really," she grinned. "So, where's Willow's coffee?"

"uhhhh...Spike's bringing it," Angel nodded. There was an awkward pause.
"Well, I'm going in my office. Enjoy the coffee. And Happy Executive
Assistant Appreciation Day."

"Thanks," she said, sitting at her desk.

Angel closed his office door. "You idiot! Exectuive Assistant Appreciation
Day?? Auggh."

He banged his head against the door. THUMP THUMP THUMP

Cordy's eyebrows knit together. What was that noise? Spike slammed the door.

"Morning sunshine," she grinned. "Happy Exectuive Assistant Appreciation
Day."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Nothing," she shrugged, sipping her coffee. (Exectuive Assistant
Appreciation Day, my foot, she thought. I knew something was up.)

Spike slammed Angel's office door. Willow came through the front door.

"Spike here yet?" she asked. Cordy grinned, nodding.

"What did you do to him?" Cordy asked.

"Just gave him something to think about," Willow shrugged. "For the rest of
his un-life."

"Wicked witch," Cordy teased.

"Let that be a lesson to him!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We've got to do something drastic," Spike hissed, pacing back and forth.
"Willow's supposed to be putty in my hands, not the other way around! This
is humiliating!"

"What do you suggest?"

"The big guns," Spike said wriggling his eyebrows.

"Spike, I'm a vampire, I don't carry a gun."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Will?" Angel called from his office. "Could you get me another ink
cartridge from the supply closet?"

"Sure," she said, stretching as she got up from Cordy's desk. Her new desk
was on order and Cordy was all wiggy about the settings of her chair. So no
matter how uncomfortable it was for the redhead, she knew better than to
incur the wrath of the former cheerleader and the brunette's
accupuncturist/chiropractor.

She stepped into the walk-in supply closet. The ink cartridges were all the
way in the back. She grabbed the footstool and stepped up on it. Stupid tall
vampires and their insistence that everything go a high shelf.

She stretched to reach the ink cartridges, tilting the stool forward. She
felt it lurch. She knew what was coming, bone-breaking fall and the
humiliating call of "Angel, I've fallen and I can't get up." Suddenly she
felt strong sure hands catch her hips and set her on the ground.

"Thanks," she sighed, expecting to look up into Angel's face. Instead, Spike
grinned down at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Figures."

The blonde vamp hadn't left her alone for a second since his arrival two
weeks before. When he said he would be everywhre, he meant it. He was
sitting by her bed when she woke in the morning, with juice or fresh fruit
or whatever struck his fancy that morning. When she and Cordy tried to go
out at night, he'd be at the bars warding off potential dates with begging
and pleading that she come back to him and "the kids." He was even there
when she went to sleep at night, sitting on her fire escape watching as her
breathing grew deep and her eyes heavy.

"At your service, pet," he grinned.

"At my heels is more like it," she growled. Without warning, the supply
closet door slammed shut. She jumped into Spike's arms, cursing her own
girly reaction.

"What the hell was that?" she cried.

"A draft?" Spike shrugged.

She went to rattle the knob, it was stuck. The door wouldn't budge.

"Spike, what are you up to?"

"Me?" he asked, feigning innocence as he rattled the knob himself. "I'm as
clueless as you, pet. And frankly, I'm a little hurt that you think I would
be up to something."

"Excuse me for being a little nervous," she narrowed her eyes at him. "The
last time we were in such closed quarters, you threatened to put a bottle
through my face."

"Now just a damn minute, Will," he spat, grabbing her arms. "First of all, I
said I was sorry about that. Secondly, we've been a lot closer quarters than
that dingy basment in the last year and you certainly didn't seem to mind."

She looked down at their feet, avoiding his gaze.

'Or have you forgotten about all those hours we spent together at Giles'?"
he asked, his voice softening. "Watching the telly and talking. You telling
me things you could never dream of saying to the Slayer. We were friends,
Willow, what happened?"

She looked up, her eyes flashing angrily.

"You. Left. Me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel caught Cordy at the elevator, she was about to go into the office.

"Hi, Cordy, um, we need to go downstairs... to the apartment, Willow needs
something from the kitchen."

"And we both have to go?" Cordy's eyebrows knit in confusion.

"Yes," he said, dragging her into the elevator, trying not to let the smell
of her perfume fuzzy his concentration on the task at hand. He closed the
gate and pushed the button Spike was supposed to have rigged for him. The
elevator started to descend. Just between the third and second floors, it
squealed balefully and ground to a halt.

"What the hell?" Angel asked, trying to sound surprised.

"We're stuck," Cordy said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We're stuck," Cordy said again, her voic slightly more panicked. "We're
stuck!"

"Cordy?" Angel said. "What's wrong?"

She began breathing in short wheezing gasps. She sunk to the floor.

(Sweet Christ, Angel smacked himself mentally. She's claustrophic. I lock
her in a small space with me without even checking to see if she's
claustrophobic. That settles it, when karma catches up to me, I'm coming
back as a dung beetle.)

"Cordy, sweetheart, calm down," he said, trying to make his voice as
soothing as possible, as he pushed the hair back from her face. "We're going
to be just fine."

He stood, jamming the button that had stopped the elevator car. One push was
supposed to short the circuit. Another was supposed to complete it again and
get the car moving. It was supposed to give Angel enough time to convince
Cordelia how he felt about her. As he pushed it over and over again without
result, he realized he would have a lot more time than that. He groaned. He
should have known.

When Spike says "Trust me, my plan is foolproof." NEVER EVER trust him!!!

He sat next to Cordy on the floor. Her skin was already coated in a light
sweat. He pushed her cardigan from her shoulders, fanning her face with a
file folder.

"Everything's going to be fine, Cordelia, I promise," he said. "I'm right
here with you. And I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"You never do," she said, struggling to smile. His cool hands felt so good
against her skin. She could barely breathe. But that was familiar sensation
around Angel.

So really, this is just like any other work day with Angel, she told
herself. Except he's a lot closer. And he's pushng your clothers from your
body. And he's touching you.....

Angel panicked as her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out.
"Cordy!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I never left you," Spike said, his head shaking.

"You left me." she said again, blinking back tears.

"I left Giles," Spike said. "I couldn't stand living there, you know that. I
thought I would go crazy. I had to get away."

"From me," she said, trying to step away.

"From the bloody Scooby Gang," he hissed, pulling her closer. "Which even
now I regret. I actually miss them now, can you believe that? I ms Xander's
lame-ass jokes and Anya's constant references to sex. I miss Buffy's blind
hostility and Giles' late-night cups of Bovril. And I miss-"

"What?" she sniffed angrily. "My screwed up attempts at magic? I'm the
friggin' Lucille Ball of witchcraft afterall, I'm glad I kept you
entertained."

"No!" he cupped her face between his palms, forcing her to look him in the
eye. "I miss your face. Those big green eyes watching me with that look that
means you don't quite believe me, but you're willing to give me the benefit
of the doubt. I miss your voice. Your laugh. I miss you, Willow."

"That's not true," she shook her head, tears streaming from her eyes. "You
walked away. You left. Everyone I love leaves me. Why?! What the hell is so
fucking unlovable about me? What's wrong with me? WHAT? TELL ME! WHAT?"

"There's nothing wrong with you!" he shouted. "Don't you see that? I love
you."

"You're lying!" she cried.

"No, I'm loving you," he said. "And I'm not leaving. I'm never leaving you.
Got it. You're stuck with me. What am I going to have to do to prove to you
that I'm telling you the truth?"

He pulled against him roughly, claiming her mouth with his tongue. He swept
deeply into her warm depths, tasting every inch of her mouth. He traced the
lines of her lips, pushing her against a stack of files.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips. "Nothing changes that."

She moaned as he kissed her again. His fingers made qick work of the buttons
of her shirt. Her hands ran the length of the cool skin of his back. Her
nails dug deep as he laved her nipple with his cold tongue. He suckled her
through her sheer blue bra.

She locked her ankle around his to keep her balance. Instead, he toppled
over, taking her with him. He rolled, pulling her on top of him. She pulled
his zipped, freeing his erection. He cried out as her warm fingers closed
around him.

He shoved her skirt up. Her panties were soaked through. He ripped them from
her hips, tossing the scrap of material behind them. She ground against him,
her wet core leaving a trail down the length of his torso. She straddled
him, waiting for him to thrust into her. He grabbed her hips, pulling her
down to him.

He filled her. Perfectly. Her hot wetness seared as she moved above him,
liquid and seamless. He pulled her face to his face, letting her tongue dart
into his mouth, testing his resolve.

"I love you," he whispered again.

"I.." she began, she bit her lip, stopping the words. Those words had hurt
her before. Could they hurt her again?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cordy?!" Angel slapped her cheeks lightly. "Please wake up. Please!"

She stirred, blinking up at him. She smiled. "Angel."

He laughed with relief. "Cordy! Thank the gods."

"Is this another dream?" she asked, her eyes weren't quite focusing the way
they were supposed to.

"Another dream?" he asked.

"You know, the dreams where we're naked and you're trailing baby kisses down
my neck..."

"Like this?" he asked, his lips tracing the contours of her throat. His
tongue lashed across her jugular, she inhaled sharply. She nodded.

"Then what?" he asked, his hands cupping her breasts through her white
cotton tank top.

"My tummy," she moaned. He kissed her breasts through the thin material of
her top until he reached her navel.

"I aim to please." he whispered. He ringed the delicate flesh with his
tongue, flicking across the light dusting of fair downy hair across her
abdomen. A happy trail, he grinned against her skin. He was beginning to
like her dreams.

"You'd better," she bunched the material of her skirt at her knees, opening
her thighs to him. He chuckled, pulling her panties away and trailing kisses
up her thighs. His tongue delicately across her swollen clit. He pressed her
ass upwards, pushing her into his mouth. She quivered around his tongue.

With a free hand, he unzipped is slacks. He knelt, pulling her into his lap.
He shuddered as her hot flesh brushed against his aching erection. She
guided him between her slick folds. He pushed into her, stretching her. She
rode him, tangling her fingers in his hair, pushing his head back to meet
her lips.

He moaned into her mouth as she twitched and tightened around him. She was
so responsive. She was cumming already. But not slowing down. She thrust
down to meet his rising hips. His cold seed filled her womb. He screamed her
name as she milked him.

He fell back, pulling her onto his chest.

"You have good dreams," he whispered, kissing her temple.

"Imagine what we could do in that great big bed of yours," she grinned.
"When I'm not faking a claustrophobic fit."

"Faking? What the?"

"Push the third button to the right," she grinned. "Honestly, Angel,
remember who you're dealing with. Hello? An incredibly gifted actress with
psychic visions? If the Powers That Be give me visions of when I'm in
danger, why wouldn't they give me a heads up when my hormone crazed boss is
about to pull a fast one on me?"

"Wha- jus- Cor-" Angel sputtered. "You had me really worried!"

"Oh, boo hoo," she grinned. "Serves you right. Besides-"

She pressed his lips to hers, delving into his slick cool mouth with her
tongue. "We both got what we wanted."

"Love you, Delia," he grinned.

"Love you, too," she said. "Now let's get downstairs. I've got plans for
you. You've been a very naughty boy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow cried out as she shuddered over Spike. Three times. He wouldn't stop
until she admitted she loved him. She was cumming so hard her whole body
ached.

The last wave of white hot intensity washed through.

"I love you," she moaned.

"That's all I wanted to hear," he kissed her forhead as she laid across his
chest. "Now was that so hard? Really, you can be so stubborn sometimes."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, pet, when do you want to start packing?" Spike asked, stroking her
hair.

"What do you mean?" she asked, waving smoke from her face. She couldn't
believe how crowded this place was. She watched as Angel struggled to teach
Cordy how to handle a pool cue. She kept grinding back against him as he
leaned over her.

This led to kissing, which led to groping, which led to an embarassing
display the bartenders usually had to break up. Willow couldn't believe how
big into PDA Angel was. He had never been this way with Buffy. He was silly
and grin-plagued ... almost giddy.

"Well, love, going back to Sunnydale will involve some form of packing,"
Spike said. "Whether it means you putting your clothes into a suitace or me
locking you in the trunk and dragging you home."

"Well, love, it would if I was going back to Sunnydale," she grinned. She
stood, grabbing a cue from the rack. She knocked the three ball in the side
pocket.

"HEY!" Cordy laughed. "How'd you do that?!"

"You're going back to Sunnydale with me," Spike insisted. "Remember, we
agreed this morning."

"Twice as I recall," Willow grinned. "But I also recall agreeing it would be
best if we went home. Well, I am home. Right here, I' completely happy in
Los Angeles."

"But the Slayer and the watcher-"

"Screw the Slayer and the watcher," she shrugged. Spike shuddered, not
wanting that mental image to EVER visit his brain again. "I'm happy here.
I'm needed. I'm not in anyone's shadow. And if they're really my friends,
they'll respect that. Besides, it's not as if it would be impossible for me
to go back to Sunnydale if a big baddie comes up."

"But, pet-"

"But nothing, Cordy's already agreed to let me stay at her place for as long
as I want-"

"For half the rent!" Cordy interjected.

"Yes, I know, roomie dearest, and personally, I think it should a third of
the rent considering our ghostly roommate," she smirked. "The point is, I'm
not leaving, Spike."

"But, pet, you forgot something."

"I know, I know," WIllow nodded. "I'll transfer to UCLA in the fall, I would
never forget school."

"No, love, you forgot something else," he said.

"What?" she shrugged.

"MEEEE!" he cried.

Angel chuckled. Cordy grinned at him.

"Maybe we should give them some privacy," she said.

"Don't try to pretend you're being considerate when we all know you're going
to the backroom to shag!" Spike snorted.

"Spike, I haven't forgotten you," she kissed him gently. "If you want to
stay here, Angel has already agreed to let you have the spare room in his
apartment for a while. I just didn't want to make any demands on you-"

"Pet, where you go, I go," he said. "Make demands on me. Hell, I might enjoy
it."

THE END

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