A/N: Let me rest in peace, let me get some sleep...BUT NO! I have to write these stories. Oh and to answer someone’s question – This is set after “Chosen” but I am choosing to ignore all of Angel season5 (I’m mean like that). So, no, Spike is not already back from the dead and Angel is not covering. Read on -

8

“Well,” Giles sipped his tea “My guessing is that they are taking their time to prepare and get things right. Come up with a plan and find out Buffy’s, and the rest of our weak spots, so they can target them and effectively bring us down. It’s quite refreshing to have demons so well prepared”

“Refreshing? I’d say it was damn well annoying! Who do they think they are being all smart and un-demon like!” Xander protested heartily.

Angel cleared his throat “Well, actually demons can be intelligent on many levels”

“Name one!”

“The First” Angel offered “The Mayor and of course there was Jasmine”

Xander frowned “I still can’t believe that whole mind-warping peace on Earth deal”

“I lived it” Angel shrugged.

“And destroyed it” Kennedy reminded him.

“Yeah, thanks” He grumbled.

Xander stood “Look we can’t just stand around and wait for these guys to come and eat our heads!”

“Nice visual, Xand” Dawn grimaced.

“I don’t intend to let them eat our heads, Xander” Buffy said “Well, maybe Andrew’s”

“Hey!” The boy protested.

Buffy sighed “What I’m saying is that Willow’s mojo isn’t working on them, the demons of the town aren’t talking so how are we suppose to find them? We have to train and prepare so when these demons do hit we’ll be ready for them. It’s not my ideal scenario either but it’s all we got”

Xander nodded “It makes an annoying kind of sense”

“That’s the only kind I’m good at” Buffy smiled a little.

“But meanwhile we still patrol, right?” Faith asked, “I’m itching for a little slayage”

Giles nodded “Yes but instead of many small groups one large group of about the quarter of the girls will patrol and stick close together. The rest will stay here to hold the fort. I want at least two mobile phones with the patrol group so we can contact you if you get in trouble or vice versa. Understood?”

Faith saluted “Got it, we play it safe for a while”

“Faith you take Kennedy, Vi, Amelia, Jenna and five others who want to go” Buffy said, “I’ll stay here with the gang. You know actually...I want Andrew to go out on the patrol group and take Xander with you too”

“Yay!” Andrew grinned.

They all stood and walked away getting weapons and jackets to be ready for a night of patrolling. Angel stood and looked at Buffy.

“What about me?” He asked.

“I want you to stay here” She replied.

“Wouldn’t I be better use out on patrol?”

“I want you here, just incase”

Angel paused then nodded “Okay”

Buffy stood and looked around “Everyone double check doors and windows”

Everyone cleared out of the room leaving just Buffy, Angel and Giles who stood in a rough triangle looking at each other with varying degrees of worry on their faces. Angel stood with his hands in his pockets and Giles rubbed the bridge of his nose whereas Buffy just shook her head and acted as worried as she was.

“Giles, locking windows and doors is all great but if they do get in which, hello, demons? What are we gonna be able to do about it? I want some sort of defense system set up” Buffy folded her arms.

“What do you suggest, Buffy?” He questioned.

She shrugged “Do I have to come up with every plan nowadays?”

Angel said “Well I suggest that a team of two of us does a perimeter of the building every half an hour and scouts around outside for...fifteen minutes at least”

“Some of us would like to get some sleep tonight” Giles pointed out.

“No, Angel’s right” Buffy said “And since he’s the creature of the night he can do the sweeps with me, I need less sleep, remember?”
Giles’ brow knitted together “You’ll be useless to us if you’re sleep deprived, Buffy. What if these demons attack when we least expect and you’re taking a nap?”

“Have you got a better way to keep everyone safe?”

“Fine” Giles grumped “But you will not do this all night. We will take shifts, I shall swap with you half way through the night then Robin shall swap with me and there will be no arguing”

Buffy nodded “Okay and I want it double checked that everyone has a weapon in their rooms or sleeping places, two if we’ve got enough”

“Already done”

“Good” She nodded sated.

Angel shifted on his feet, his duster swaying “So, we start doing sweeps in what...two hours time?”

“Should be plenty dark enough for a surprise ambush then” Buffy agreed “In the meantime I want everyone to get their hands re-stamped, do the guys that are going patrolling first”

Giles brandished his library stamp and started calling out to the group and he walked to stand by the door so no one could accidentally go out before being stamped.

Angel looked at Buffy, his dark eyes searching hers “You run your operation well up here”

“So do you back in L.A” She pointed out.

“My group isn’t quite so big” He smiled softly “I still think it might help to call Gunn up here and Wesley. Fred would be an asset too; you know how smart she is she may be able to help Willow with research for a spell”

Buffy paused “If you think it will help”

“I really do”

“I’m gonna go get changed and have something to eat then I’ll be right with you”

“I can wait”

A few hours later Buffy and Angel were on about their sixth sweep of the grounds. Buffy noticed that the weeds and grass in the grounds was well past needing a trim they needed a damn machete taken to them. Who knows? Maybe one of the girls would turn out to be a passionate gardener.

It was dark now; very dark almost black and the moon was in a crescent, the trees rustled and wind whistled all the usual unnerving sounds of the night.

Buffy glanced at the vampire next to her, all dressed in black he practically blended into the night but she guessed that was the point. His dark hair was slightly longer than it used to be and his dark eyes were what could only be described as soulful.

“Slow night, huh?” She breathed, her breath coming out in an icy cloud.

Angel was looking out into the night, listening for everything and anything but as she spoke he turned to her slowly. His eyes leveled down to hers and he stuffed his hands deeper into his coat pocket, the cold didn’t bother him but it was a habit.

“I could do this alone for a while if you want” Angel offered.

“No one goes anywhere alone, remember?” Buffy sighed “I’m just saying that I have walked past that clump of weeds I don’t know how many times but I’m seriously starting to think that we need to hire us a gardener”

Angel smiled a little “I could help out”

“Oh, yeah, I can just see you with a wheelbarrow and a pair of handy sheers!” Buffy laughed.

“Hey, I like greenery” He shrugged.

They remained quite the rest of the way around the perimeter of the building checking in every clump of bushes and surveying the outside of the building and the outside garden. They walked to the fence and Angel gave her a boost up to look over the edge of it, checking every corner and hidden crevice.

Again on this sweep they found nothing and made their way back to the front door of the building and as the vampire started to enter Buffy grabbed his hand, he turned back to her giving full eye-contact.

“Buffy?” He murmured.

“Thanks” She said, “For helping out, you didn’t have to”

Angel kept hold of her hand “I am involved in this but even if I wasn’t you know I would always give you my help if you wanted it”

“I know and...I appreciate it” Buffy spoke softly.

She took a deep breath and put her arms around him, a warm lingering hug that Angel responded to almost immediately by putting his arms around her. Angel reminded her of home, wherever she was when they were like this it reminded her of home. His arms were strong around her and once in a while she liked to let someone else be the strong one, just to make it easier on herself. Angel laid a soft kiss against the crown of her head and Buffy pulled back out of his arms clearing her throat.

It started to get awkward when it got like this. She gave him a small smile then started to move past him to go through the door but Angel kept hold of her hand and pulled her back into him.

“Buffy,” His voice was gentle “Are we ever going to talk about this?”

She shook her hair out of her eyes “This – what?”

“You know what I am talking about” Angel’s eyes bore deep into hers.

“Angel, I can’t think about that now okay? There’s too much going on for my mind to be on anything but the mission”

He sighed “Buffy, there’s always too much going on that’s what our lives are like. Just give me a straight answer; is there ever a chance? Yes or no?”

“Angel...” The Slayer trailed off.

The vampire looked deeply into her eyes and she couldn’t look away even though she wanted to, she didn’t want to have to look into those eyes and see all the pent up desire that was still very much present between them both. Angel stepped into her slowly and moved his hands up to cup her face, he paused then leaned down to kiss her. Buffy’s hands went to his forearms and though she didn’t move toward him she didn’t stop him as his lips brushed hers ever so slightly.

“Well, well, well” The sound ringed out over garden “Looks like I arrived just in the nick of time, eh?”

Buffy whirled around to face the entrance that was somehow partially open with a figure standing in-between the wrought iron gates and leaning on one casually, a sly grin on his face.

It was Spike.

A/N: Hmm. This “Spike” character sounds intriguing. He certainly got an “end of episode” entrance, huh? Perhaps we shall find out more about him in the next chapter? One can only hope. Review, and I may treat you....

9

Everything seemed to freeze, time stopped still. It sounded cliched but there it was the whole ‘stop this doesn’t make sense’ deal that her brain was going through. When people died they stayed dead...well, except her but neither times had she just miraculously appeared it had happened due to intervention.

Her jaw fell open and her eyes widened but Buffy didn’t feel it, she didn’t feel anything just numb. Spike was here standing a few feet away from her and he was as alive as he had ever been.

His white-blond hair was slicked back tight with a few loose entrails of it hanging down over his forehead, messier then he use to have it. The scar on his left eyebrow was still there, splicing the hair and shining in the moonlight. His skin was pale as snow and his cheekbones sliced down his face in still the sharpest lines she had ever seen. His lips were still soft looking and his chin still masculine and defined as his jaw. He even wore the black T-shirt; jeans, boots and leather duster but what Buffy’s unbelieving eyes settled on was his lapis lazuli eyes that scanned her own.

She just stared for what seemed like eternity and it took so long for Angel to turn and look at him too that Buffy realized less than a second had passed. The vampire next to her tensed and started to step forward then hesitated, unsure. Buffy was feeling that herself; unsure, she didn’t know how to move she had forgotten how to speak or even how to breathe it seemed.

Spike took a step inside slowly, eyes locked on hers “Hello, luv” He spoke intimately, just to her, like all he saw was her.

“Buffy...” Angel grabbed her arm roughly and shook her “It’s gotta be the demon”

Buffy tore her eyes away to look at him not understanding what he was saying, there was a demon? She frowned and turned back to look at Spike blinking and making sure he was still there when she opened her eyes again. He was and he gave her a look of wonderment.

Angel growled and ran jumping suddenly and careening full force into Spike who let out a yelp and they fell to the floor. Angel proceeded to pummel his old protégé around the face. Buffy watched for a second before her brain finally sped up and she ran up to them grabbing Angel’s arm that was drawing back for another punch.

He looked back at her, vamp face “Buffy, it’s just a demon”

She stopped then shook her head “Then how...how can you hit him?”

“What...?” The vampire froze suddenly realizing that she was right and how would she be able to hit him if he was one of the demons.

Angel, still straddling the other man and with a hand still around his throat blinked several times and morphed back to human face. The Slayer and the vampire turned back to the figure outstretched on the floor looking dazed.

“What the bloody hell are you doin’? Not exactly the welcome back I expected” Spike grunted and shoved Angel off sitting up he dusted his back and shoulders off “Mind you I shouldn’t have thought the part of beat-Spike-up would have changed. Even after my death”

Buffy took a couple of steps back and just stared she took another step back and another until her back hit the door and stopped her. Spike grunted and stood, working the cricks out of his muscles then he turned his eyes back to her and his they lit up. He took steps toward her but the Slayer went rigid and he stopped, seeming to understand.

“Buffy–” The English vampire started in a voice that was impossibly familiar and from lips that were undoubtedly the same.

Angel came up behind him and sniffed “Smells real enough”

“Well, thanks” Spike rolled his eyes “You couldn’t have done that before you started hitting me in my newly restored face?”

Angel shrugged “I prefer to hit you then to smell you, leaves a nasty aftertaste”

“Look who’s talkin’ mate, you don’t exactly reek of Eternity for Men” Spike grunted “More like Eternity of Vampire”

Buffy turned abruptly and slammed into the doors, sending them crashing open. She couldn’t listen to this anymore, she couldn’t deal with this and them talking about who smelled worse; it was too surreal. Her boots clacked on the polished floor and she heard a set of footsteps behind her so she sped up. Buffy made it into the canteen before Angel swept in front of her and grabbed her shoulders with his hands to stop her; Buffy lashed her arms out and knocked them from her body. She pushed him away and started to go around him.

Angel grabbed her and pulled her back “Buffy, stop!”

“I can’t!” She whirled on him then “How can I? I don’t understand any of this! I just don’t understand how...this could possibly have happened!”

“Maybe we should ask him,” He said simply.

Buffy took a few deep breaths and looked down at the floor “I don’t...how can he be here?”

“I don’t know, Buffy” Angel stroked a hand down her arm “Only Spike can know that”

Her shoulders started to shudder “Where...where is he?”

“Still at the door. He can’t come in without an invite”

“Oh, right”

“Bloody hell!” It was Giles voice yelling out.

There was a chuckle “’Ello, Rupert”

Buffy and Angel looked at each other and turned running back the way they had come. They arrived in time for Giles to punch Spike in the nose and for the blond haired vampire to tumble to the ground again. Her Watcher started to go for him again.

“Giles!” She shouted out “Don’t!”

He turned to her “Buffy, it’s the Spike demon”

“No, it isn’t” Buffy stopped and looked him in the eye.

“It’s true” Angel nodded “We wouldn’t be able to hit him and he smells like Spike”

Giles looked flabbergasted “What...how in the world...”

Spike groaned and picked himself up, holding his bleeding nose “You know what? I’m not too fond of this welcoming party. Look, I should go”

“Spike...” Giles frowned “How did this happen?”

“This being me?” Spike lifted his eyebrows then looked about “Well, it’s not really somethin’ you talk about on the doorstep if you catch my drift”

The Watcher looked at Angel and Buffy “We’re sure he’s not a demon? Well apart from being a vampire I mean”

Angel gave one swift nod.

“Come in, Spike”

The vampire took a tentative step over the threshold then strode in looking around with his duster flailing behind him like a cape. He clucked his tongue and let out a soft whistle obviously impressed with the place. Giles ushered him in the living room and the vampire strolled slowly over to the couch throwing himself down over it. Angel followed Giles and Buffy brought up the rear choosing a position of standing against the wall that was farthest from their guest. Giles sat in an armchair and Angel hovered closer to the two of them. Buffy watched Spike with his feet on the coffee table and his hands cupping the back of his head comfortably he seemed to watch the roaring fireplace for a moment before blinking and coming back to reality the old grin slipping onto his features easily.

“So, long time no see” Spike looked at Giles “Gotta say, Rupert, I’m liking the new place. Very Mutant Academy”

Giles tilted his head and looked deeply at the vampire “How is this possible? You disintegrated”

“Yeah, that was a bitch I can tell you. Not much fun at all” He said.

“Spike” Giles, said firmly.

“Right, how did this happen? Good question because I don’t have a clue” Spike shrugged.

Angel looked at him, suspicious “What do you mean?”

“I just woke up in a crater that I suppose was Sunnydale. Completely starkers, that was a riot” He smirked.

Giles scratched his chin “Hmm, maybe it was a similar thing that happened to you, Angel”

“Doubt it” Angel murmured “If it was he would’ve come back sooner”

“We can’t rule anything out. Spike how did you get in through the gates?”

“What? Oh, I dunno. I just swore at the bloody things” Spike shrugged and Giles sighed.

Buffy watched it all with a certain amount of distance; she could not involve herself in this because it made no sense. She was just waiting to wake up and feel like an idiot for believing that he was truly back, it was in no way possible. Spike could not be sitting on the couch in front of her he just couldn’t be. As if hearing her thoughts the blond haired man turned his eyes toward her and fixed them firmly on her own eyes. He gave her a look of...well, she couldn’t decipher it but it was half sorrow and half relief and she looked away from him instantly.

Spike sat up and turned to Angel and Giles “I think I should probably go...find myself somewhere to lay down for the day”

“Yeah and where are you gonna do that? You even have any money?” Angel smirked.

Spike stood “I’ll just find a little abandoned place. Flower Meadows... sounds vaguely seedy”

“I think it would be better if you stayed here, you see we’re having a little demon trouble” Giles explained.

“Aren’t you always?” He chuckled “I don’t want to be a bother”

“You never cared before” Angel pointed out.

Spike glared at him “I never died before”

They all turned as they heard footsteps on the stairs and moments later Dawn appeared walking down the stairs and turned into the living room. The brunette froze where she was in the doorway as her eyes fell on Spike. Her mouth fell open in a small o and she just drew in a sharp breath then did not breathe at all.

Then she yelled “Demon! Demon in the house!”

Spike threw up his arms “What is all this? Guy comes back from the dead you’d think he’d get a slap on the back”

“Dawn, he’s not a demon, apart from he’s a vampire” Giles said softly.

Dawn stopped yelling but narrowed her eyes at Spike “You’re just a vampire?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say just a vampire. I pride myself on the fact I’m a red hot lover and a Man United supporter” He turned to Giles “How they doing in the league?”

“Not too well I’m afraid,” Giles said.

“Spike!” Dawn ran across the room and threw herself at the vampire.

He was caught unaware as Dawn flung her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. Spike fell back to the couch with Dawn still latched on to him.

“Bloody hell!” He cried then laughed “Now this is more like it!”

Dawn pulled back to look into his eyes, a little embarrassed “You’re really back?”

“Looks like. Dawnie, you look...well you look like a real woman” He sounded amazed.

Dawn rolled her eyes as she slowly climbed off of him “I am a real woman, doofus”

Spike pulled himself to stand up too and looked her over “I like the hair, very you. How old are you now?”

“I turn twenty in a week” She smiled.

“Jesus, I’ve been gone for...three years...” Spike seemed to drift off.

Dawn lifted her hand and ran it down Spike’s face “You’re really here? How...”

“That’s the million pound question” He sighed and took her hand kissing her knuckles gently.

Dawn took her hand back smiling and blushing at the same time. Giles cleared his throat obviously not comfortable with the interaction between Dawn and Spike.

The vampire turned to him “What is it?”

“I was just wondering how you found us down here in Flower Meadows?”

“Wished I hadn’t? Well I went to Angel’s place in L.A and asked your pal Wesley where you were also met a nice girl called Fred, was it? She’s a peach” Spike smiled.

Angel scowled “Why didn’t they call us?”

“’Cos they came with me” He shrugged “They’re out there booking a hotel for themselves, something going on there if you ask me...”

“They still would’ve called me,” Angel said.

As the two vampires got into a deep conversation Dawn looked over at Buffy and frowned then she made her way around the three men to walk over to the Slayer who still stood rigid against the wall. Dawn stood in front of her and tilted her head drawing her sister into a comforting hug. Buffy wanted to cry or to react in some way but she couldn’t. It would come later she was sure; she just hoped she was alone when it did.

“What’s up? I thought you’d be happy” Dawn whispered.

“I don’t...I can’t...” Buffy trailed off, a distant look in her eyes.

“It’s okay, I get it” Dawn put an arm around her waist as the men finished their argument.

Spike took a melodramatic intake of breath “It’s been a long night and I’ve just arisen from the dead, so frankly I’m knackered. I’ll be going to find some dank house now”

“What? No!” Dawn said, “We can’t just let him stay in some skanky alley or whatever, that’s rude of us – he’s a guest”

The blond vampire shrugged “You’re all right, Dawnie. I’ve had worse”

“Giles, didn’t your English people ever teach you any manners? When people come back from the dead we offer them a blanket and pillow” Dawn folded her arms and lifted her jaw defensively.

“Well,” He went all flustered “If Buffy is okay with it...”

Everyone in the room turned to look at her and she couldn’t take the weight of their gazes so she muttered something to herself and walked out of the room, their eyes burning into her back. Buffy reached the stairs and sprinted up them using her Slayer speed before she knew what had happened she was in her room leaning against the shut door and sliding down to the floor. Her knees pulled up to her chest and she wrapped her arms around them. She could not cry because it still hadn’t completely sunk in, it couldn’t be real. For the first time Buffy realized what Giles and Dawn and Spike himself must have been feeling when she came back from the dead. They hadn’t been involved in the spell Willow had cast and so hadn’t known and now she understood what it felt like to have someone you never thought you’d see again suddenly reenter your life without warning. It was a shock to the system and Buffy felt suddenly tired, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to sleep but she still crossed across the room, crawling and pulled herself up to the bed but couldn’t find the strength to climb on. So she just grabbed a blanket and crumpled to the floor pulling the cover over her. Darkness slammed in to her like she had fallen unconscious rather then drifted asleep. Either way she didn’t have to think about what was going on in her life right now. Bliss.

A/N: Review. Aw, please. Please review. Well, FINE!...please?

A/N: Spike. Spike. Spike. Spike, Spike!

10

Buffy’s eyes opened as abruptly as they had shut and she was sure only seconds had passed since she had fell to the floor in a daze but the appearance of daylight in her room disproved this theory. There was a light rapping at the door and Buffy realized she had been awoken not awoken voluntarily.

She groaned all her muscles aching like crazy from sleeping on the floor but the Slayer ignored the screaming limbs as she sat up and dragged herself up to sit on the side of her bed, her forehead felt like someone was smashing a hammer into it.

She rubbed her head and ran her hands through her hair blinking vigorously as she still woke up. That was when she remembered the night before and the impossibility of it all. It had to be a dream but the moment she thought that she knew it was a lie. Buffy hadn’t dreamed about Spike for a long time, she hadn’t allowed herself, she had forgotten him as best she could, pushed him to the back of her mind like she had to do with everyone that died whom she had cared for. She remembered the knocking at the door just as it happened again. Buffy dreaded who would be on the other side of that door because she was so not ready to deal with him. So not ready in any way possible.

“Who...who is it?” She asked tentatively.

“It’s me, Willow” Came the welcome reply “Can I come in?”

Buffy took a breath and stretched her muscles and worked the cricks from her neck “Yeah, come in”

The door opened slowly and carefully and Willow peeked her head in before stepping in and shutting the door behind her all without taking her caring eyes from Buffy’s saddened ones. The redhead clasped her hands in front of her and bit her lip; unsure of how she should handle this so she went for the best friend solution and walked over giving the Slayer a big hug. Buffy felt instantly a little better as she wrapped her arms around the witch and closed her eyes letting out a little of the grief. Then she couldn’t contain it any longer and everything came out in floods of tears.

“Oh, Buffy” Willow stroked her hair clutching her tight.

“I don’t understand,” Buffy cried into the girl’s shoulder “I don’t understand...”

Willow held her close “I know, Buffy, I know. It’ll be all right though, we’ll get through it...you’ll get through it”

Then they talked and hugged and Willow comforted her as Buffy started to vent all of her mixed feelings on the matter. Willow just nodded of squeezed her hand as she listened carefully and when Buffy was finished the witch would tell her it would be all right and that they’d gone through a lot of stuff over the years and this was just another thing.

Buffy had always valued Willow for her smarts and her magickal abilities but lately they hadn’t been as close as they used to be. They’d still talk a lot and joke but there wasn’t that bond of knowing implicitly that someone was there to have your back not just in a physical fight but in an emotional struggle. Now, though, Buffy felt herself getting back into the groove of things, she and Willow were being brought together again over something that neither of them fully understood. If it was possible Buffy felt better after their talk and she even felt that maybe she was starting to come to terms with it, she was the Slayer, or a Slayer now, and she had been through worse. If anything this was a positive thing; someone she cared about was alive again instead of dead. That was better than the alternative and yet she still knew she would feel incredibly weird and awkward when she would have to talk to him. She didn’t really know how to deal but she would. She would.

“Where is he?” Buffy asked wiping the last of her tears away “Now, I mean?”

“The sun’s just come up so I think he’s down in the basement with Angel and Xander. You should have seen Xander – he hugged Spike and everything” Willow smiled “It was all very...disturbing”

Buffy looked down at the floor “Any idea how this happened?”

The witch shook her head “We’re thinking either divine intervention or a spell”

“Divine intervention? Is there such a thing?”

“Look at what happened to Angel” She commented.

Buffy nodded and stood then “Does everyone know now?”

“Yes” Willow stood too “You wanna come out? The coast is clear”

The Slayer took a moment then nodded again and Willow went to the door opening it and motioning her to go first. So Buffy took a small step out and breath a sigh of relief when she saw no one was about. Then she and Willow walked slowly down the stairs and Willow gave idle chatter about what was supposed to have happened on patrol last night. Buffy didn’t really listen but it comforted her to hear her friend’s voice and not just silence because in silence she could think too hard.

The got to the dining room and Giles sat at one table with about five different books in front of him seemingly reading them all at once. Andrew sat opposite him yawning and rubbing at his eyes still dressed in his Spiderman pajamas. As they entered the men looked up and Giles stood, taking the glasses from his eyes and looking relieved.

“Buffy,” He smiled warmly “Oh, um...good morning”

She made an effort to smile back “Hey Giles”

Andrew waved “Hey Buffy”

“Andrew” She even greeted him aware they were all on tenterhooks around her she looked back at the table strewn with books “Little light reading, Giles?”

“Hmmm?” Her Watcher seemed out of it for a moment but snapped back “Oh, yes I was trying to research how...how Spike might have come back so to speak”

“I still think voodoo,” Andrew added helpfully.

Buffy nodded slowly “Oh. Find anything?”

“Not even remotely” Giles sighed in defeat slumping down into his chair “It’s a bloody mystery”

The Slayer spoke “You’re telling me”

Her Watcher looked at her; concerned “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Peachy” She said offhandedly “Anything else about these other demons?”

“Oh, well no I was rather caught up in this endeavor I’m afraid”

Willow shrugged “Endeavors, endeavors...I think we all need a day off. We should go to the beach or something”

Buffy looked at her friend “Not really in a beach mood”

“The sun will do you good” Willow prompted.

“That’s a phrase I never believe” Angel appeared at the doorway, he was dressed but bare-footed and he looked very tired “I thought I heard you. Are you okay?”

Willow nodded “I’m fine, thanks for...oh wait you mean Buffy” She smiled sheepishly.

The Slayer looked at the vampire standing in the shadows “Isn’t it nap time for you?”

“Well what with Xander and Spike it’s not exactly my fan club down there, always sleep with one eye open, right?” Angel shielded his eyes from the sun.

“Quite” Giles nodded returning to his books but still there for Buffy if she needed him.

“You should go back to bed. I don’t want you missing out on beauty sleep because you’re checking up on me” Buffy said not unkindly “I’m dealing”

Looking at her a moment longer Angel turned on his heel and left without another word and silently she thanked him for honoring her request. She really didn’t think she could cope with everyone asking her how she was. It was like people saying ‘how are you?’ at a funeral pointless because they already know the answer.

Andrew was rubbing his eyes tiredly “Giles, are we done yet?”

“No, and if you want to be a Watcher you’ll have to learn to be up for hours and hours researching, Andrew” Giles chastised him “You’re perfectly fine staying up till the early hours playing computer games this is no different except you won’t be shooting green monsters”

“Wouldn’t bet on that” Dawn swung through the door still dressed in her pajamas and also looking tired and slightly grouchy “Man, you guys are loud, ever heard of whispering?”

Andrew stood and looked Dawn over way obviously, Buffy had noticed that over the years the geek had fallen slightly in love with her sister. Dawn seemed oblivious like most people did when they were being crushed on. Buffy had thought about mentioning it to her sister but decided she would work it out eventually. Besides she found the whole thing quite sweet.

“Hey Dawn” Andrew smiled “Sorry about waking you”

Dawn gave him an offhand smile “It’s okay, I’m over it” She walked over and sat in what had once been Andrew’s chair.

The boy or man as he now technically was, seemed totally unable to get over that she had smiled at him and Buffy had to smile to herself. She remembered when love was as simple as a syrupy smile and coy glances. Or course, when you got older things changed. As the two vampires downstairs in the basement testified for her.

“So, what’s up?” Dawn asked leaning her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her palm.

“Giles is researching” Andrew said sliding into another empty seat as he stated the obvious.

“What?”

Buffy looked at her “Spike. How he got here at least”

Her sister frowned “Do we have to know how? Can’t we just be happy that it’s happened? Spike is back and maybe instead of sitting around mulling over dusty books we should, I don’t know, welcome him?”

“Dawn–” Willow started to warn for Buffy’s benefit.

“It’s okay, Will” The Slayer sat opposite her sister “Dawn’s got her opinion. Maybe she wants to throw him a party with some chocolate cake and party hats?”

She narrowed her eyes “There’s no need to get sarcastic about it. All I’m saying is we could be courteous, the man has just risen from dust. Not exactly standard procedure. Buffy I know this most be strange for you especially but you should be happy not sad. Am I out of line?”

Buffy sighed “No, no you’re not”

There was a loud buzz from the intercom by the door and she got up to go and get it relieved to have some time to herself even if it was only a few seconds to clear her head. Buffy reached the intercom and pressed the button.

“Who is it?” She asked then let go of the button.

There was static then a squawk “Wesley” came a deep English voice then there was another lighter voice, Texan accent “And Fred, uh, we’re hear to see Angel”

“You gotta know the password” Buffy was being cautious.

“Oh, right” Wesley said, “Bloody hell?”

Buffy pressed the button to open the gate and leaned her back against the front door. The password, it reminded her of Spike. That was why she had chosen it, he always said it and she wanted some part of him around the place. Now it felt strange and weird.

There was a brisk, very British, knock at the door and Buffy pulled it open stepping aside to usher them through. Wesley she of course knew fairly well from his days he had spent as her Watcher but he had changed drastically since then, becoming a good fighter, being a little darker and broody and generally more useful to Angel. His hair had grown long enough to curl down to the bottom of his neck and it was swept back at the front out of his blue eyes that no longer seemed to need glasses. Buffy was betting on contact lenses. He also had a heavy amount of stubble on his triangular jaw and better clothes.

Fred she had only met a few times and very, very briefly every time. At first the girl had been way shy but after her relationship with Gunn and her strange attraction to Wesley at the same time she had done some serious personality changing. She could kick ass a little but was better at the books and mathematical things; she was like a female Giles only cute. Now that she thought about it Fred was also like Willow and it was no surprise that the two women got on so well together. Buffy had no doubt that if Willow was single that she’d pursue Fred whether she was straight or not. Her long brunette locks were tied up tight in a ponytail and her soft brown doe eyes crinkled at the sides as she smiled at Buffy. Buffy liked Fred she decided.

“Hey, Buffy” Fred said in her Texas twang.

“Yes, hello Buffy” Wesley inclined his head slowly “I take it your impromptu guest has arrived safe and sound?”

Buffy took a breath “Yeah and thanks for the heads up” She said sarcastically.

Wesley looked her in the eyes “I apologize for not calling to warn you but we thought it best to bring him straight up here, we were all very shocked I can tell you. We did try to ring Angel’s cell phone but he always has it turned off and we didn’t have your number with us”

She waved a hand “Forget it, Wes. All is forgiven but what’s with the personal escort agency?”

“We thought we might kill two birds with one stone, we have heard about your demon trouble and thought we might be able to help” He said “If not in the fighting department then in the research area. Although I have no doubt that Giles has already hit the books?”

Buffy swept her hand toward the dining room doorway “Go in there and catch him red handed”

Wesley nodded and started to the room a canvas bag slung over his shoulder and Fred followed at a distance behind him taking in the big old building with a look of intrigue on her face. She was probably wondering if they had a library or something like that. Fred had never been here before, Wesley neither, and Buffy had a feeling she would be surprised at how many girls were here and how big their operation was. She entered the dining room last and found Willow and Fred already engaged in some deep conversation and smiling at each other’s company. Wesley and Giles were pouring over books and Dawn and Andrew were watching on in minor distaste.

She strolled over to the two men who had both once been her Watcher and though she still called Giles a Watcher it wasn’t strictly true for the Watcher’s Council had been destroyed. Buffy saw Wesley pulling old tatty books from his bag and a pristine one.

“Oh look, Giles!” Buffy smiled “New books! You must have died and gone to heaven”

He pulled a face “Yes, thank you Buffy”

Wesley smiled a little “I hope that we didn’t trouble you too much by bringing Spike here. I’ve never met him before but he is quite...”

“Let’s just use the word ‘colorful’” Giles scoffed.

“Yes,” Wesley nodded.

Fred looked up from her conversation with Willow “Well, I thought he was charming. Except for the, you know, vampirism and all...” She looked down at the floor.

Buffy, still a little uncomfortable with the conversation, nodded “Spike’s a lot of things. Colorful and charming but I still don’t understand how he can be here”

“We were thinking a spell,” Fred said.

“Yeah but who would want to bring him back?” She asked.

Willow turned to her “The demons?”

“That makes no sense. Why bring back a guy that can kill one of their demons that would be unstoppable if he was left dead?”

Willow looked sheepish “I never said it was a good theory”

“Well, you all figure it out” Buffy shrugged “I’m gonna get changed and go do some jogging”

Before any of them could say anything else she turned and bolted out of the room and back up the stairs shutting the door behind her. Back to the sanctity of her room.

11

Tonight she dreaded darkness falling but it fell anyway. She was walking down the road back to the Slayer Sanctuary and it was already dark, Buffy had planned to get back before but if just hadn’t happened. She had needed a long time of jogging and resting to just feel okay.

Buffy told the intercom the password and the gate unlocked with an audible click. Time to face the music, confront the past and run as far away as possible. That was what she wanted to do anyway but still she shut the gate closed behind her feeling as though she had just caged herself in with a lion. It wasn’t that she was scared of Spike it was that she was scared of what she might do.

The Slayer walked slowly to the door of the building and knocked loudly. Moments passed and she was about to knock again when Xander opened the door and gave her one of his goofy grins.

“Hey, you” He said stepping aside to let her in “A little light run?”

She followed Xander’s eyes down to herself and saw that her clothes were covered in sweat, sticking to her skin and she hadn’t even realized. She had been pushing herself harder then she thought. Buffy shrugged as she entered she looked around and heard people in the dining room and other various rooms but hadn’t seen anyone yet. Buffy started to the stairs hoping to steal enough time to have a shower.

“Oh, hey, Buffy” Xander called up to her “If you wanna talk about stuff you know I’m your stuff man”

Buffy smiled slightly “Got it, Xand”

She turned on her heel and climbed the rest of the stairs turning and walking the shower that was at the end of the corridor and closed herself in, making sure it was locked she shed her clothes and stepped into the shower cubicle and turned the hot water on. She had already been in there for five minutes when she realized she had not brought any clothes into the room with her. Sighing Buffy washed her hair and stepped out drying herself off with a towel and wrapping it tightly around her collarbone making sure everything indecent was covered. Buffy combed her hair and pulled it back into a wet ponytail then she sprayed her favorite perfume and stepped out, the steam from the room blowing out after her in a billow. She padded down the corridor and as the steam cleared she saw a figure’s silhouette standing there and she just knew it was him.

The steam cleared and they both came face to face, alone there were no distractions. Spike’s blue eyes softened a little as he saw it was her and then they traveled down and saw her state of undress, quickly he looked back up at her eyes. Buffy saw his hair was messier today, having just woken up, and he carried a pile of clothes in his hands. She figured he was on his way to the shower that she had just vacated. His duster was no where to be seen as Spike stood before her in his black jeans and tight black T-shirt, bare-footed. Buffy sucked in a breath and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, it was awkward enough talking to him for the first time since he had died but she had to be wearing a towel, didn’t she? That was the life of Buffy Summers, the girl, not the Slayer.

She spoke first “Spike”

He looked at her, his eyes sparkling, so familiar, so welcome “Buffy” his voice was hoarse as though he had been chain smoking and for all she knew he might have been.

The English accent, he was a Londoner you could tell but he was so much more than that. A vampire, once a man but still a man to her, with a soul, once her enemy, her grudging ally and then her lover. Just to think of it all made her want to turn away, to forget about this man again it would be easier then having to deal with it.

Spike seemed hesitant to say anything else or to come closer to her in anyway and Buffy felt the same about him. She had a hundred and one things to say to him, to ask him, to tell him - she wanted to tell him about all the things that had changed in her life, how Dawn had grown up so much, how they had set up a good operation here and everything else. Yet she couldn’t open her mouth to say another word to him.

The vampire shifted on his feet and cleared his throat scratching the back of his neck he looked right at her and she looked right back at him and they said nothing at all. It had been three years since they had last seen each other and neither one of them seemed to be able to think of anything to say.

So, almost as if it were perfectly choreographed, Spike dropped the clothes and they both stepped into one another and embraced in a poignant hug. He still smelt like Spike, a mixture of smoke, blood and breath mints. His arms slid around her waist and his hands rested at the base of her back his head lying gently against hers as she pressed her face into the junction of his neck. Her hands slid up his back and latched onto his shoulder blades. It felt...normal, even in a towel, still wet it felt strangely normal.

“You look good,” Buffy whispered “You know, for a dead guy”

Spike chuckled “I’ve always been dead”

“You know what I mean” She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on him.

“I do” He stroked a hand down her arm “Since I came back all I could think about was this. You. Three years later you still look as beautiful as ever”

Buffy pulled back slowly and his hands trailed down her arms as she moved out of the hug “So, you’ve decided to come back from the dead. I did it first, you know”

“Well, actually, luv, I did rise as a vampire over a hundred years ago, so...” Spike smiled.

“So we’re even in the resurrection quota”

“We are at that”

They stood and looked at each other a moment longer before both looking off to opposite sides, coyly.

“I should get dressed,” She said, self-conscious.

“Not on account of me” He grinned that old, Spike grin “I’m gonna take a shower, I wager that I smell like crap at the moment”

Buffy nodded “Yeah, you do”

“Thanks” He arched an eyebrow and moved to the side of the corridor sweeping his arm out to motion her through like a gentleman.

She smiled a little and slowly began to walk away.

“Missed you, Slayer” Spike called.

“Missed you too, vampire” Buffy called back without looking but a small smile on her face.

It was true she had missed him. Spike being back was strange but it was the kind of strange that she wished happened in her strange life more often.

When she returned downstairs she went straight to the dining room and found Giles, Wesley, Willow and Fred and gathered around one table still going through several books and arguing points about them. Others in the room were eating or talking and Buffy noticed Kennedy giving Fred a jealous look, she needn’t worry though because Willow was devoted to her.

Dawn and Vi and Rona sat around one table with Andrew talking girly stuff and then Buffy saw Angel hovering near Wesley and Fred in the shadows and looking up as she came in. Robin and Faith were still upstairs she knew this because she had heard them earlier when she had been getting changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a crimson spaghetti strap top, hair loose.

Buffy wandered over to Giles “Find anything yet?”

“Hmmm?” Her Watcher’s eyes were glazed over then she snapped out of it “Oh, Buffy. Well, we have been finding out about a group of Klamath demons that just happened to have done something similar a hundred years ago to a group of notorious criminals. We’re thinking these may very be the same demons”

“Oh, great” Buffy sighed “Demons that are hundreds of years old”

Angel stepped out of the shadows “You’ve been through worse”

“Why can’t there just be fluffy kitten demons for once, huh?” Fred asked, “I mean, kittens are cute, right?”

Wesley smiled “Not everything that’s cute is harmless, Fred”

“I know that” She rolled her eyes behind her deep framed glasses.

“Buffy,” Angel took her arm and led her out of the dining room to stand just out of view “We still need to talk”

She tilted her head “’Bout what?”

“Us, Buffy about us” His dark eyes stared into her.

Buffy sighed looking away from him “This really isn’t the time, Angel”

As if on cue Spike came walking slowly down the stairs, running his hand over the wooden banister and staring at it as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. It happened sometimes after you had been resurrected, she knew, insignificant things were suddenly significant.

His white blonde hair was combed back, slick against his head and shining from being newly washed. Buffy saw he wore a tight white T-shirt stretched close over his chest and arms and a pair of dark blue jeans that fit him almost perfectly. The vampire looked up and saw her and Angel and he pulled on a gray sweater he had in his hand, it was ripped along the neck and said in big, bold letters Cambridge University. Buffy was betting the clothes were borrowed from Giles and Buffy didn’t think she had ever seen Spike in white or gray, they were good colors on him. He stepped slowly onto the floor and stopped as if trapped in the two of their gazes.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt” Spike held his hands up.

“You never do,” Angel said darkly.

Spike didn’t rise to the bait instead he sighed and walked right up to them, stepping between them to walk into the dining room. Angel followed him with his narrowed eyes all the way.

Buffy looked up at the vampire who had been her first love “Do you have to be like that? He’s just come back from the dead, you know how that is”

“Buffy, come on it’s still Spike” Angel rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well, Spike saved us all” She spat back “So, I think you should cut him a little slack”

Then without another look at him Buffy turned and walked back into the canteen. She saw Spike had been dragged to sit next to Dawn and the girls were telling him stories over what had happened the past years. Everyone in the room was looking at him, a little surprised and unsure and Buffy realized that although they had been told Spike was back most of them hadn’t actually seen him in the flesh.

The newer girls had never met him but they had heard the stories and so the vampire was like a myth to them. Buffy could see that they liked what they saw. Spike was still a honey even after being dust for three years. She shook her head to clear it and walked deeper into the room sensing Angel following her in grumpily.

“Buffy!” Dawn called her over.

Still a little awkward feeling the Slayer approached and stood behind Andrew to see her sister “Yeah?”

“I was just telling Spike about that time in Iowa when we accidentally left Andrew behind and then we came back and he was holding onto his Spiderman comic and crying” Dawn grinned.

“I was not!” Andrew protested “I had something in my eye!”

Buffy smiled a little “Good times”

Spike shifted in his seat “She’s grown up a lot, eh?” He motioned to Dawn who preened.

“Sometimes,” Buffy said wryly “But sometimes she’s still little Dawn at heart”

“No, I’m not!” Dawn frowned then looked at Spike “I am so not”

The vampire shrugged “Nothing wrong with being young at heart, Niblet”

“Spike I am nineteen, you can’t call me that!”

“I can’t?” He arched an eyebrow “Make me stop, Niblet”

Dawn shoved him playfully and Spike guffawed, the two of them getting on like they always had. Buffy smiled once more and moved away, he had fit right back into the place that the group had been missing since he had died.

The Slayer wandered over to stand behind Willow and Fred “We have any idea how to kill these things, yet?”

“We’re still going with the human counterparts have to kill them” Willow sighed “No magick just hand to hand combat it looks like”

“Bummer” Xander had sidled in “So, we get a couple of good ax’s and slice their fake heads off as soon as possible, right?”

Fred looked at him “They’re demons. Kinda stronger then us mere mortals”

“Yeah, that would be the downside to my plan” He nodded sagely.

“Okay so we step up training but it’s gotta be some kind of spell that the demons are using to stop any one else hurting them. There may be a –”

“Reversal spell?” Willow questioned “We’re working on it”

“Giles, any idea where they might be hiding out?” Buffy leaned her hands on the table.

Rupert Giles looked up from a boom “Well, they are known not to hide themselves nor to announce themselves”

Buffy frowned “What the hell does that mean?”

“That they’re most likely living in a moderate house” Wesley put in.

“Well, that narrows it down” The Slayer sighed.

“We’re doing our best, Buffy” Giles said warily.

She shook her head “I know, guys, I know. I don’t mean to take it out on you but I don’t like the idea of demons wearing my friends faces”

“Yeah I’m not too sweet on that idea either” Xander chipped in.

Spike stood “What’s this then? Demons, what’s the big deal?”

“They look like us” Willow informed him “And only the other us can kill them. I can only kill Evil Willow and so on”

He scratched his chin “Oh, I see your problem. Glad I was too busy being dead to join in with the Attack of the Clones”

“Cool!” Andrew piped to himself.

“Actually, Spike” Giles said “We have reason to believe that they’ve taken on your identity as well”

The vampire sat back down “Oh. Bugger”

“You could say that” Giles nodded.

“So? Mount up and kill ’em, right?” Spike suggested.

“Wrong” Angel smirked “We can’t even find them”

Spike looked at him “Have you tried using you nose?”

Buffy’s brow knitted together “What do you mean?”

“Well, I take it they have to have some kind of human host to do it?”

“Yeah, they...meld with them or something”

Spike nodded “Okay, so if you have something that used to belong to one of the humans that they melded with then you can use it to find them”

“Explain” Giles stood.

“Chances are that the demons will smell a little bit like the humans they killed because they are using their bodies” Spike took a sip of some coke and grimaced at it “So, if you have an item of clothing or whatever, Angel Pants over there should be able to sniff them out”

Buffy looked at her Watcher “Will that work?”

“Possibly”

“Better than anything we came up with” Willow shrugged.

Fred smiled “Well done, Spike”

The vampire smiled back at her “Gracias, amante”

“No más de eso” Fred giggled back.

Buffy seemed to be surrounded by people that spoke Spanish and she had no idea what had just been said. Frowning she looked at Dawn who, in High School, had started to study it.

Dawn shrugged “Don’t look at me. All I understood was ‘thanks’”

“Do we have anything of Josh’s?” Giles inquired.

Andrew nodded “I think he left a sweater in my room”

“Get it” Buffy said and the man jumped up and ran out of the room.

Spike looked at her “Who’s Josh?”

“Your double, kind of...” She said.

“Really? There’s a man on Earth that looks as hot as me?” He grinned.

Fred and Dawn laughed whereas Angel stood in the corner looking moody and rolling his eyes. Buffy ignored him and took Willow’s arm leading her outside of the room.

“What’s up, Buffy? You okay?” Her friend was concerned.

“I’m fine” The Slayer said briskly “I just wanted to know what Spike and Fred said in there. Me no speaky Spanish and all. You’re the expert, right?”

Willow preened “Hardly but I sort of understood it. Spike said something like ‘Thankyou lover’ and Fred said ‘No more of this’”

“Lover?” Buffy’s eyes widened.

“I’m sure it was all very playful, Buffy” Willow squeezed her arm and turned walking back into the room.

Buffy followed a moment later but she eyed Fred and Spike in a new light. She hated to think that she was jealous but there it was. It was stupid because Fred was obviously into Wesley and Spike was, well, he had just arisen from the dead. Hardly enough time to be all hearts and candy. Then again he was Spike.

Andrew came in a moment later and handed the sweater over to Angel who brought it to his nose and inhaled deeply. Then he handed the sweater back to Andrew and nodded that he had the scent.

“Can we track it?” Buffy asked.

“We can try”

The Slayer nodded “Tonight?”

“Tonight” Angel nodded.

“Tonight, let’s do it!” Xander pumped a fist a little overzealous.

Everyone looked at him.

“What?” He shrugged “I can’t be enthusiastic about demon hunting?”

“Tonight we just want to find out where these guys are, survey the place” Buffy said “But we better take weapons just incase. I want Angel, Willow, Kennedy, Xander and Faith to go with me, okay?”

Spike frowned “Shouldn’t I go? What if my demon double is cooked?”

Buffy looked at him softly “This is strictly recon we’re only taking weapons as a precaution. Besides I don’t think you’re ready to fight”

He looked back at her “Fine” There was something in his voice that told her she had hurt his feelings but better to hurt his feeling then get him killed. Again.

She looked at him a moment longer then motioned for everyone to get ready and the walked off grabbing coats and weapons. She saw Spike walk over and sit next to Fred in the chair Willow had just left; he picked up a book and started flicking through it looking bored as sin. Buffy sighed and turned grabbing her jacket from the coat rack she pulled it on and opened the door waiting for everyone to get ready.

There on the other side of the door stood Angel and Spike.

They both grinned at her.

A/N: Spike! Spike! Spike!...Oh, and review.

A/N: Thank you all for the beautiful reviews! I love you all. So I got you something (this chapter could get very confusing)....

12

Buffy froze, mouth dropping open. Angel was dressed in a black duster, black shirt and black pants, eyes the same colour exactly, hair the same style and length sand skin as pale as bone, height and weight exactly right. He smirked at her, that old Angelus smirk.

Her eyes ticked to Spike next to him, an identical smirk on his face. A face she hadn't seen until recently and now she got to see two of him. He wore a black duster, red shirt open that showed a black T-shirt, black jeans and biker boots. His white blond hair was slicked back; the scar was there too.

They were both identical to their counterparts in every little detail that she could see.

Buffy reacted after a second and slammed the door shut "Demons!"

The door splintered and flew inward hitting her full force so that the Slayer careened through the air and hit a wall, the door falling on top of her. Everything seemed to go into slow motion as people jumped up from their seats and grabbed for anything that might resemble a weapon. Angel came running and took the scene in as the Angel and Spike demons swept through the room and turned in opposite directions.

Buffy threw the door off in time to see the Spike Demon rush Angel and the Angel Demon, who looked a little shocked to see him, rushed Spike. The Slayer realized they were deliberately going to fight people that couldn't fight them back. She jumped up and ran to help Spike even though in the back of her mind she knew she would be little use.

Spike was standing now and as the Evil Angel jumped at him he grabbed the lapels of his jacket and tried to head butt him. Buffy tried to warn him but was too late and his head hit the force field that surrounded the demon. He yelled and the Evil Angel grabbed him and turned him around throwing him into Buffy who had been approaching.

"Looks like they came to visit us instead!" Xander yelled from somewhere.

Buffy hit her head on the stone floor as Spike landed on top of her knocking the breath from her lungs in a silent exhalation. She saw stars and purple spots and groaned trying to push his weight off of her. Buffy shoved him off and he rolled to the floor on his back. Buffy heard the battle raging and she took a deep breath to fill her lungs then sat up ready to join the fray. To her surprise Spike grabbed her around the waist, arms sliding around her and pulled her back down to lay on top of him.

"Spike! –" She started to protest.

An ax whistled over her head and Buffy froze, that was where her head would have been if he hadn't pulled her back down. She gulped and Spike's arm tightened around her and she became suddenly and incredible aware that she was pressing her back against him.

"And I'm the one who's not ready to fight?" Spike whispered in her ear.

Buffy yanked his arms from around her and scrambled up she looked around and saw Evil Spike punch Xander in the face and Willow and Kennedy were trying to help him but couldn't even scratch the demon. Evil Angel was in the process of kicking Faith's ass and battling Robin at the same time. Buffy looked around for Angel and saw him picking himself up from the floor. He looked around and they caught eyes at the same time, Buffy nodded for him to go after Evil Angel.

She turned and managed to block a punch from Evil Spike just in time but block was the only thing she could do. He came at her again with a flying kick and Buffy caught his leg in mid-air, holding it there.

They looked at each other, her eyes full of determination and he looked sad all of a sudden. It threw her and what he said threw her even more.

"You let me die" Evil Spike whispered.

Buffy, even though she knew it wasn't really him, couldn't help it but his remark affected her more than she'd like. Taking advantage of her hesitation Evil Spike pulled his leg back away from her and kicked her in the face. Buffy stumbled but did not go down, turning to face him she saw Evil Spike withdraw a wicked looking knife from his pocket, it reminded her of the knife she had once used against Faith. Faster then she had expected he slashed it out at her, Buffy jumped back with triumph and Evil Spike grinned. The Slayer looked down at herself and to her surprise she saw blood there, blood from her body. She was cut and she couldn't feel it yet. As she was still looking down at herself in shock Evil Spike lunged at her with the knife aiming for a killing blow.

Buffy started to move but knew she would be too late.

Spike grabbed Evil Spike from behind, curling his arm around his neck the vampire morphed face; fangs sprouting and he buried his teeth into the demon's neck. Evil Spike screamed and dropped the knife as Spike tore himself away from the throat spitting out blue blood he threw the demon to the floor.

Evil Angel whipped a mean roundhouse kick into Angel and sent him flying to the stairs banister, which he struck his head against looking dazed.

"Retreat!" Evil Angel yelled "Retreat!"

Evil Spike crawled up and Buffy watched all this with a sort of glazed look to her eyes. Her hand was pressed to her stomach and blood seeped through her fingers. Spike started to move to stop his demon counterpart when he noticed this and ran to her instead, morphing back to human face.

"Buffy?" He stood before her looking down at her wound then up into her eyes "Buffy? You all right?"

"I'm...I'm fine..." Buffy waved a dismissive hand and just saw the two demons running out of the door with Giles, Xander and Robin following them when she felt dizzy and fell.

Spike caught her in his arms in a bizarre tango sort of move and held her there. He lay her down on the floor gently and ripped off Giles' sweater from his body. Then much to her chagrin he tore her shirt open and that was when the wound started to sting a little. Spike pressed the sweater against her stomach and held it there firmly as he stroked a hand down her face.

"Willow!" He yelled with urgency "Willow!"

Buffy watched him still in pain as things started to move around strangely. She was trying not to pass out and blinked a few times, her eyelids still so heavy. Buffy had a perfect view of Spike's neck and chin as he yelled for her witch friend again. Delirious from blood loss or maybe just a little crazy she reached out a bloody hand to him and placed it on his chin. Spike looked down at her and all the blood and she realized he must be hungry and Slayer's blood was like the caviar of the vampire diet.

He growled and almost morphed face but stopped himself, the vampire took her hand with his free one and stroked her palm with his thumb. Spike leaned down and started whispering things that made no sense to her muddled brain but she figured they were words of comfort and Buffy had missed him so much. She rolled onto her side hugging herself against him as he tried to keep the sweater still pressed against her.

"Buffy..." She heard Willow's voice nearby "Buffy!"

Then she was being wrenched away by lots of hands and her eyes slammed shut.

Buffy sat on the edge of her bed with her shirt off and Dawn kneeling between her knees and applying some sort of antiseptic cream to her cut. It was about seven inches along and diagonal across her stomach in a nasty red line. It had taken a long time for them to stop the blood flow and Giles had considered taking her to hospital but she awoke and refused saying she'd had worse, which was true. It still hurt like a bitch but she could ignore it.

What really bothered her was that the demons had got in so easily without anyone hearing them climbing the gates and then they had taken them by surprise without them being prepared. She was the only one that got hurt really, just a few bruises for everyone else. That made her feel like crap as well because she was supposed to be strong and quick and she had let that demon stop her because he looked like Spike. She had known it wasn't him but it still stopped her.

Buffy had called off the finding of the demons' lair for tonight; it would be dangerous to follow them. Tomorrow, in daytime they would do it, they'd get Angel to throw a blanket over his head or something and they'd find them when it was safer.

"Nobody blames you, you know" Dawn said suddenly as she pressed cotton wool to the wound and wrapped a bandaged around her "For hesitating. It's only human"

Buffy bowed her head "I'm the Slayer...a Slayer, I can't afford to let demons' get to me like that"

Dawn looked up at her "It's not like you could have hit him anyway"

"No, but I could have at least kept him busy while Spike came up with something"

"Buffy, you've gotta stop beating yourself up"

"I don't have to. The demons do that for me" Buffy sighed.

There was a light knock at the door but it was open anyway and when they both looked up it was Spike they saw looking hesitant in the doorway. His eyes swept over her without her shirt on and Buffy crossed her arms over her chest even though it hurt to do so.

"Sorry," Spike looked at the floor "I shouldn't..."

Dawn stood and looked between them "I'll just...go" With that she skidded out as fast as she could.

Spike entered and Buffy looked around for a clean shirt finally she stood and walked slowly to the wardrobe. She turned around as she held a shirt to cover herself and saw his once white T-shirt was now covered in her dried blood.

"Doesn't that make you...hungry?" She asked.

Spike looked down at himself then looked around her room "So, this is the new Slayer digs, eh? Like the bed"

Buffy looked at him pointedly.

"What I mean is, I had a similar style back in China, the Boxer Rebellion" He explained "Very comfortable"

"Yeah? You steal it from a family you killed?" She turned away, her back to him and slipped the shirt on buttoning it with slow movements.

Buffy had no idea why she was being so abrupt with him but alone, in her room with him covered in her blood she did not feel comfortable. Especially with the Evil Spikes words echoing around her head 'you let me die', could she have done anything? He had told her to let him do it, that he needed to. She had tried to persuade him but he had said no. Still was there anything else she could have done? Buffy didn't know.

Spike chuckled but it wasn't friendly "Yes, it does make me hungry. To answer your question before"

She stopped and stared at the wall "Then why don't you take it off?"

"Okay," He grabbed the bottom of his T-shirt and pulled it off over his head, throwing it down onto her bed "That better?"

Buffy did not look around, she would not "That's not what I meant, Spike"

Spike shut the door and walked around the room, pacing "I thought that maybe after my little three-year-holiday things might just have changed. Yeah, the location and the house is different, everyone's a little older and there are more of your lot but that's all that's different. You seem to have gone back to the beginning, luv"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, living on a Hellmouth," He pointed out, counting reasons on his fingers "Patrolling every night, hanging out with the Scoobies and Giles your Watcher. Oh, not to mention you're swooning over Angel again. You've gone back to the same Slayer I first met and tried to kill all those years back"

"Yeah and you failed" She crossed her arms then stopped and turned around to face him "I am not swooning over Angel!"

Spike nodded, smiling "Really? Every time I see you two you're practically shagging one another"

She saw she was facing him, half-naked him and she looked away "That would be impossible. The curse incase you've forgotten?"

"Oh, right. Like that stopped you before" He snorted.

Buffy locked eyes with him then, not caring about his state of undress "This has nothing to do with you Spike. You've been gone for three years and you have no right to come here and tell me how my life is not to your liking. I actually don't give a damn"

"That so?" Spike asked circling her.

"Yeah," She replied circling him too "That's so"

"Tell me something then, Buffy, hmm? Why don't you just give it up? Stop being the Slayer and just be Buffy Summers" Spike said, "It's what you've always wanted, right?"

Buffy tilted her head "I can't just give it up. It's what I was meant to do, slay"

"But there's hundreds of Slayers now" He pointed out "The reason you don't leave the job is because you are the Slayer. I'm not sure there is a Buffy anymore, just the Slayer every minute of every day"

"How dare you just come back after a day and presume to know me!" She came up to him, looked up into his eyes "Three years, Spike, three long years. I've changed; maybe you're right. Maybe I am just the Slayer now but that's who I am. It's not like it would matter to you, right? You've always said I'll always be the Slayer no matter what. We both know it wasn't Buffy Summers you fell in love with. It was the Slayer, the pain"

Spike raised his eyebrows "That's how you figure it?"

"That's how I know it" She replied "Are you telling me that if I was just a normal girl, no super strength, nothing, you would have still fallen in love with me? I don't think so. William the Bloody, even with a chip in his head, needs violence, viciousness. Good ol' Buffy Summers couldn't have given that to you"

"Forget about William the Bloody. What about me? Spike" He looked down into her eyes "I got a soul for you Buffy, because I was in love with you. I knew that you deserved better and when I say you I mean Buffy not the Slayer"

"They are one and the same now, always have been I guess" She turned and started to walk away from him.

Spike caught her wrist and she turned back to him "That is what I've always believed. That's what I've always known, Buffy. I still love you, all of you, the Slayer, the Buffy and the mad dopey bimbo you sometimes become"

"Thanks..." She mumbled.

"The words aren't important" He let go of her arm "It's the feeling behind them. Look, I should go...you're hurt and need to rest"

Spike turned and Buffy watched the way his muscles rippled in his back, his shoulder blades moving as he gripped the handle to her door and pulled it open. His skin was pale as the moon and Buffy remembered the feel of it well.

She knew that if she let him go now that it would always be the same between them, just like it been before. Never really admitting what they felt for each other, even if they weren't sure about it. She knew that if she didn't let him in now then he would always be alienated.

He was halfway down the corridor when Buffy jogged after him grabbing his wrist. Spike turned to her and they looked at each other. Buffy didn't say anything as she took his hand and pulled him back toward her room.

"You know, a lot can happen in three years" She told him casually "Wanna hear my amusing anecdotes?"

Spike dragged his feet; making out he didn't want to go "Do I have to?"

"Yep" She pulled him inside "Torture begins"

The door shut.

A/N: More for your eyes to feast upon....

13

Buffy arose early the next morning rubbing her head and feeling a dull ache in her stomach. She sat up on the edge of her bed and turned to see Spike lying down next to where she had been but he was still fast asleep. It was lucky for him she had closed the blinds earlier otherwise he would have caught on fire from the sun. His milky chest stood out against her dark sheets and the Slayer grabbed up a blanket spreading it across him even though he would remain at room temperature anyway.

Spike always slept so peacefully, looked so innocent when he was anything but. He had a soul now but that didn't mean he had just forgotten all the bad things he had done.

Last night they had talked about everything that had happened but it had been mostly her just filling in details from it. They never broached the subject of the day he died; it was too hard for both of them. She told him about Dawn and how Andrew was in love with her and that he was training to be a Watcher. She told him that Anya had died that day too and he had stopped for a moment, digesting it.

He took in all of this and more in his stride, just like she had expected him too.

Buffy stood and changed clothes fairly certain the vampire was fast asleep and not tricking her. She left the room quietly and walked down the hallway. Hearing voices from downstairs Buffy jogged down and found Xander and Robin fixing the doors back on, she gave them a wave and walked into the dining room. Willow and Fred sat at the table talking intently and Faith sat at another table, feet up on the top and hands laced behind her head. Buffy made her way over to her sitting down opposite the other Slayer.

"Hey, B" Faith nodded "Quite a night last night, huh?"

She got suspicious "What do you mean?"

"The attack"

"Oh, yeah" Buffy took a breath "That"

"So, how's the knife wound?"

"Spiffy"

Faith smiled "Had one of those myself"

An awkward moment passed between them.

Faith dropped her legs from the table "So, where's the Billy Idol wannabe?"

"Actually Billy Idol was a Spike wannabe," Buffy said then off Faith's look added "Uh, he's upstairs...in my room"

The brunette's eyebrows lifted "Way to go, B. A little welcome back from the dead, was it?"

"No, nothing happened. We just talked"

"Sure" Faith gave her a knowing smile.

"Faith, I'm serious..."

"None of mine" The Slayer held her hands up as she stood then she winked at Buffy and glided out of the room to see Robin.

Buffy sat at the table and sighed, just like Faith people were going to get the wrong idea about Spike and her. Now she wouldn't really care but it would hurt Angel's feelings and though she wasn't involved with Angel she still didn't want to hurt him especially since it wasn't true. The Slayer stood and made her way back up the stairs to her room she walked in and found her bed was empty. She looked around the room and found no trace of the vampire.

Stepping out of the room she heard voices from Dawn's room and crossed the hallway to her door. She looked in and Spike sat on the corner of her bed, still shirtless presumably because he had no more clothes with Dawn still in bed and they were talking and joking. They both looked up at her as she stood in the doorway.

"Hi, Buffy" Dawn smiled.

"Hey," Buffy looked at Spike then "It okay for you to be walking around? Lot of sunshine"

He made a 'no worries' gesture "Not direct"

"Right"

All three of them were silent, a sort of awkwardness settling in the room. Buffy had to wonder why Spike was in the bedroom of her not so little sister. As if sensing her discomfort Spike stood from the bed and ran a hand through his hair excusing himself to go and get a T-shirt. Buffy moved aside to let him go and then turned back to Dawn.

She climbed out of bed grabbing her comb and started brushing her hair "What's wrong, Buffy? We were just talking about stuff"

"You're older now..." Buffy sighed "I just don't want Spike to get the wrong idea"

Dawn arched an eyebrow "And what idea would that be?"

"You know what I'm talking about" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh, please, Buffy!" Dawn sighed "Spike's in love with you!"

The Slayer shook her head "No, he was in love with me. He has been dead since then"

"A little thing like death doesn't stop that kind of feelings toward someone"

"Just...be careful, okay?"

Dawn frowned "Fine. Don't see why I need to but –"

Suddenly both of their heads whipped around as they heard yells coming from the end of the corridor. Buffy reacted first jumping out of the door, swinging around the corner and sprinting up the landing. She realized the sounds were coming from the bathroom at the end of the hall. The Slayer came to a halt Dawn stopping just behind her as they saw Andrew fly from the bathroom door and land on a heap on the floor. Spike stepped out after him, towel wrapped around his waist and sopping wet a very unpleased expression on his face.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked.

"That wanker walked in on me in the shower!" Spike folded his arms over his chest "I mean a little bit of privacy wouldn't go amiss! But no, that would be too much to ask"

Andrew looked up at the girls from the floor "I didn't mean to!"

Buffy and Dawn looked at each other then burst out laughing holding onto each other to steady themselves.

Spike pouted "Well, ta! I'm so glad you find this funny. Maybe next time this clown can walk in on you in the shower!"

"I didn't mean to!" Andrew scrambled up grabbing the banister and looking scared for his life "It's not like I wanted to see you in the shower. Oh, not that you aren't very attractive because you are! I mean if I was a girl I'd find you attractive but not I, as a man, oh no. No attracting there. I can see why Buffy boffed you though"

Buffy stopped laughing then "Andrew, you wanna keep digging yourself into that hole?"

"No, ma'am" Andrew shook his head vigorously "I was just saying that from a woman's point of view, Spike, here, must be pretty damn –"

"Enough" She cut him short "Go downstairs and make yourself useful"

"But I have to pee..."

"Go!"

Andrew nodded and ran down the stairs without looking back.

Buffy rubbed her head "Dawn can you go wake Angel up, we need to find the demon's lair"

"But it's morning" Dawn said.

"Yeah, we'll throw a blanket over him"

"You might fair better by using me for that" Spike said "Primarily vampires track by blood not body scent, though we can do it. It just so happens I took a bite out of one of them yesterday and I got their scent nice and strong"

Dawn grimaced "Eww"

Buffy sighed "Fine, get dressed. We leave in fifteen minutes"

-------------------------------------------

"So, the Slayer finally learnt how to drive" Spike muttered, a blanket thrown over his head "I never thought I'd see the day"

"Shut up and sniff" Buffy said curtly as she drove around the corner.

Spike had his head stuck out of the window smelling the air just like a dog, she half expected him to let his tongue wag out but then again maybe not. Giles sat in the back seat so that when or if they ever found the place he could come up with a strategy and Andrew sat next to him like a good little apprentice.

"Swing this corner" The vampire instructed and she did as he asked as he took in deep breaths of air.

Buffy turned again as he asked her to again and grunted. They had been doing this for over an hour and she was beginning to think that they should have got Angel to come too. Maybe two vampire noses would be better then one.

"So," Andrew was irritatingly kicking the back of her chair "This is like totally dangerous, right? Hunting for the bad guys"

"You're right, Andrew, we are in a car in broad daylight with a vampire sniffing the air like an amorous poodle. I don't think it could get any more dangerous" Giles rolled his eyes and Buffy had to smile.

"Oi!" Spike pulled his head back inside "I resent the poodle jibe"

"Right, I'm sorry. You're really more of a Chihuahua. Head too big for the proportional size of your body" Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them.

"I'm trying to help, this is the thanks I –" Spike started.

Buffy interrupted "Just sniff the air, 'kay?

"Okay" He nodded obediently and stuck his head back out of the window.

Giles rolled his eyes again at Spike's somewhat teacher's pet nature he had with Buffy. Even after all these years and his death the vampire was still loyal to Buffy. It was kind of admirable but also slightly disturbing.

"Wait. Stop!" Spike commanded.

Buffy pulled over to the curb.

He sniffed again "I think we're close. Drive to the end of the road then turn left"

Buffy pulled out again and did as he had instructed; really hoping this journey was over. There was only so much conversation you could have with a nerd, your ex and Giles when none of them got on with each other very well. Andrew tried to get on with people but never really succeeded.

"Here" Spike said and she stopped, before she could do anything he opened the door and ran out still covered in a blanket and ran to a clump of bushes at the side of one house where he stopped.

Buffy groaned and got out walking up to him she was a little surprised when he grabbed her arm and yanked her down onto her knees.

"Spike!"

"Shh!" He chastised her and pointed to a window of the house opposite.

Buffy looked and saw a man at the window of what appeared to be the kitchen washing dishes. She thought Spike had got it wrong until she saw the man looked exactly like Giles. Giles and Andrew came up and crouched down too and Giles let out a flabbergasted sound.

"Looks like he's got your womanly sense of cleanliness, Rupert" Spike sniggered.

"Hello, twenty first century" Andrew held his hand up "Men clean too now"

Buffy looked at Giles "Looks like a pretty standard house. Only ways in back door, front door or through windows"

"Perhaps not. There may be an outside entrance to the basement" Giles pointed out.

Spike pulled the blanket up higher on himself "Want me to go check?"

"No, I'll go"

Buffy crouched down low as she ran over to the side of the house directly under the window. She pressed her back against the wall and quickly ran along, glancing over the top of the back gate by standing on tiptoes she saw the backyard was empty. The Slayer grabbed the top of the gate and pulled herself up into a handstand on top of it, flipping herself over landing silently on the grass on the other side. Buffy crouched down again and looked around seeing that there was indeed a pair of doors pressed against the ground that would lead to a basement. She then saw there was a ladder to the flat roof of the house.

Buffy thought about going back to tell Giles but decided it would make too much noise. So instead she climbed swiftly and silently up, pulling herself up onto the roof. Glancing down she saw the three men behind the bushes and Giles looked up and spotted her, a surprised expression on his face. Buffy gave him the thumbs up and walked across the roof where she found that there was a skylight that looked down into what passed for the dining room of these demon's house.

Evil Willow, Evil Angel and Evil Xander sat around the large table eating, and she couldn't believe this, TV dinner. It was then that Buffy noticed Evil Angel had his arm around Evil Willow in a very romantic manner. It was strange to see especially since regular Willow was a lesbian and Angel was, well, Angel. She looked away from it and strained to hear anything they said.

"I'm just saying that we didn't count on this..." Evil Willow commented.

"So?" Evil Xander shrugged "We can deal"

"Yeah but the vampire being dead was our way of making sure we would never be defeated. How the hell is he not dead, now?" Evil Angel grumbled.

Evil Willow sighed "I'm thinking they used a spell to bring him back. They figured that our guy would be unkillable"

Evil Spike walked in, dressed only in black T-shirt and black jeans "Talking 'bout me again?"

"Yeah, well, we're just saying things aren't going exactly to plan" Evil Willow explained.

"What have you been doing? You look a state" Evil Xander noted of Evil Spike.

Buffy studied Evil Spike and saw that his hair was indeed mussed and his clothes scruffier then even regular Spikes were.

"What do you reckon?" Evil Spike gave them an evil grin.

"Whatever. When's our next attack?" Evil Angel asked.

Buffy leaned in close to hear this.

Evil Willow pulled a face "I'm thinking tonight. We have a lot to plan. The Slayer's gang are going to burn"

Buffy stepped away from the skylight and made her way to the edge of the roof, she signaled to Giles to tell her if it was clear and he nodded. She flipped off of the roof and landed on her feet on the ground. She crouched down just to be safe and made her way over beckoning them to the car. Once they were all safe inside and Buffy had driven a couple of streets she spoke.

"They're gonna attack. Tonight" She said gravely.

"Are you sure, Buffy?" Giles asked, concerned.

"Heard it with my own ears"

Spike shrugged as he rolled his window up and kept the blanket over his head "So we suit up, weapons at the ready and sort them out"

Andrew raised his hand "We could attack them before they attack us"

"Don't think that would work. Their house is a lot smaller then ours and they have neighbors. Don't want to cause much ruckus" Spike said, "The best way to kill them would be when they're sleeping. If they sleep"

"Fine. We'll have everyone prepared for their attack. The newer girls will stay out of harms way as much as possible though" Giles was planning "We will have only the people who have been cloned to be on the front line"

Andrew looked scared "Sounds dangerous"

"Everything sounds dangerous to you. However, in this case you are right" Giles tapped the window absently.

"Danger? Yeah, I'd say so. You do run the whole Slayer franchise don't you? How could you expect anything but danger? I'm ready to rip that cheap knock-off's head off! Are you with me?" Spike was getting very enthusiastic.

No one answered him, just gazed out of his or her different windows.

"Oh, fine" The vampire muttered looking out if his window in resignation.

--------------------------------

"Now, we're sure they said tonight?" Willow asked nervously as she swung a broadsword around awkwardly "Because personally I'd be happy if they didn't visit again till...ever!"

"They said tonight. Well, you said tonight" Buffy assured her.

"Me? Did I look like me?"

"Yeah, Will, that's the whole point" Buffy looked at the witch "It also looked like you and Angel had a thing going on"

Willow's eyes widened "Me and Angel? No, never! I would never do that"

"Well, that's flattering..." Angel stepped out of the shadows a wicked looking ax in his hand and a dagger in his waistband.

Willow shook her head apologetically "Oh, no! It's not that I wouldn't...well, actually I wouldn't because of the whole, you know, gay thing but if I wasn't you'd be first on my list" She turned to Buffy eyes wider "Oh! Not that I would because that would be bad, you know dating your ex and all...someone please stop me!"

Buffy laughed "Chill, Willow. I know you're my loyal friend"

"Damn right I am" She walked away past Angel and winked "See you later, stud. Joking!" She announced laughing over zealously before she practically ran from the room.

Angel had a slight smile on his face "She's always...perky, isn't she?"

"Yeah. Well, except for when she turns evil" Buffy informed him as she lifted an ax that looked similar to his "Then it's all pale and veiny with black hair. Which, by the way, isn't such a good look for her"

"Takes all types" He shrugged swinging his ax around casually "So, are you ready?"

"Always. You?"

"Forever"

They both smiled at one another.

Giles walked in the room with half a dozen Slayers following him "Now, girls, the key is not to attack but to defend yourself. Remember hide! Hide! And hide! What did I say?"

"Hide" They all mumbled.

He nodded briskly "Exactly. Now all of you go up to your rooms, three in a room and no less and have weapons at the ready just in case. Whatever you hear down here do not come down. Stay safe"

The girls all walked wearily up the stairs mumbling and groaning at not being able to join in the fight and Giles turned to the Slayer and the vampire as he picked up a curved scimitar and nodded happy with his choice of weapon.

Giles looked at his watch "Almost time, I'm afraid"

"Time to enter the breach" Buffy said.

Both men looked lost at her pop culture reference.

"You old guys need to watch more TV" She told them.

Xander and Spike entered arguing about weapons and shaking their heads vigorously. They both came to a stop next to the rest of them and then they swapped weapons so that Xander now had a long, thin sword and Spike held a huge sawn off shotgun.

"We don't use guns in this house" Buffy pointed out.

"That's funny" Spike shrugged "'Cos I do"

The Slayer frowned at him then looked around "Okay, guys," She started as Willow re-entered "It's time for the pep talk; don't do something stupid like die. Questions?"

They all smiled a little and then prepared themselves to enter the fray. Buffy sent Xander and Spike to the back door to guard it, Giles and Willow went upstairs to patrol the landings and Buffy and Angel stood by the front door.

"So," Angel scratched the back of his head absently "You're not mad at me anymore?"

Buffy looked at him "I was never mad at you. It's just, now's not the time to talk about that stuff. You get that, right?"

After a second he nodded "Okay. After?"

"After"

The front window broke as a brick broke through it and then a second later a bottle was thrown threw almost instantly setting the living room carpet on fire. Buffy wondered if there would be an after.

A/N: La di daaaaaaaa da! Review! Oh and Evil Angel isn't meant to be like Angelus. He's not Angelus he just looks like Angel and is a demon. To clear up that comment someone reviewed with.

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