“You are wasting yourself here, you know,” a voice said off to his left; one that was heavy with an Irish brogue. “Not that Sunnydale isn’t a perfectly lovely burg but it is a bit Hellmouthy for me.”

“Who are you?”

The stranger reached into his pocket as he looked around at the graves. Angel tensed until he saw that only a deck of cards emerged in his hands and relaxed a little as the newcomer absently began to play with them.

“Oh, sorry, guess you’re waiting for a reply. I’m Doyle.”

Angel stepped closer and sniffed the air, immediately distrustful of the man before him. “You don’t smell human,” he said, automatically tensing for a fight.

“Now that’s a bit rude. So happens that I am very human,’ Doyle replied. His face scrunched up and brought his hand up to his face as he let loose with a very loud sneeze. As he lost control, dozens of blue spikes appeared on his face. “On my mother’s side.” Doyle shook his head and like a vampire changing faces, the spikes disappeared leaving the human guise.

“What do you want?” Angel asked, still not trusting the demon. “I mean, since you know enough to tell me that I am wasting myself.”

“I’ve been sent. By the Powers That Be.”

“Huh, the powers that be what?” Angel asked, confused and wondering why this little deranged man was bothering him.

“Let me tell you a little bedtime story.” Doyle started.

“But I’m not sleepy.”

“Once upon a time there was this vampire. And he was the meanest vampire in all the land. He was so mean all the other vampires were afraid of him. I mean he was just a bastard.” Doyle said, gesturing with his arm for dramatic effect. “Then one day he was cursed by gypsies. They restore his human soul. And all of a sudden he is mad with guilt.” He turned to look Angel, tilting his head. “You know: what have I done? You know, he’s freaked?”

Angel stifled a yawn, “Now I’m sleepy.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a fairly dull tale.”

“Okay, you’ve told me my life story but since I was there, I already knew. So, why am I listening to you?” Angel said, turning to walk away.

“Because I’m the one that can tell you why you’ve got that little niggling feeling down in your gut, you know, the one telling you that something isn’t quite right.”

Angel stopped and looked over his shoulder. So far, Doyle had been just an irritant but now he made him curious. “I want to know who sent you.”

“I’m honestly not sure,” Doyle replied, shrugging his shoulders. “They don’t speak to me direct. I get…visions. Which is to say splitting migraines that come with pictures. A name. A face. I don’t know who sends them. I just know that whoever sends them is more powerful than me or you, and their just trying to make things right.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’ve got potential. And even with you’re being the Slayer’s right hand man, the balance sheet isn’t exactly in your favor.”

“So, I’ve got something to atone for. Why you?”

Doyle smiled sadly. “We’ve all got something to atone for.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Had a vision earlier. When the blinding pain stopped, I wrote this down.” He handed the paper to Angel.”

“Tina? And I’m supposed to do what with this?”

“Help her. Except that’s the thing. She’s in Los Angeles and you’re here.”

“So, get someone else.” Angel said, taking a few steps away.

“See, that’s where the niggling feeling comes in.” Doyle said. “That little relationship you’re in. It’s not supposed to be. The three of you have messed up a few things by being together. You were supposed to break up with the girl. She was supposed to get involved with some really boring Iowa farm boy while you headed off to Los Angeles to be a champion. And Spike, well, he was supposed to be charming and cute for awhile before he took up with your girl. But that future has been permanently screwed up. Love, with three people? Whoever heard of that?”

Angel changed directions and stepped closer to Doyle. “It’s working out just fine. And I don’t like you very much.”

“And this girl, Tina, might die because you’re not there. She needs help. So, what are you going to do? Let an innocent die so you can be permanently sexually frustrated or are you going to do the right thing. It’s gotta be tonight by the way.”

“I’ll think about it.” Angel said, walking off.

“I’ve got a bus to catch in an hour and a half. If you’re going you might want to help a fellow out and give me a lift back.”

Angel waved his hand and headed for home already knowing what he had to do.

Spike sat back in the chair and watched while Angel packed a bag and Buffy hovered with fear on her face. There was something their mate wasn’t telling them. Angel had returned from patrolling and had started packing. So, far he hadn’t said anything plausible to account for the trip.

“Where are you going and why?” Buffy asked, for the tenth time.

“Los Angles, I need to take care of some business.”

“And this business is? If its demon stuff, I should know I’m the Slayer.”

When the Slayer crossed her arms and tried to be all business, Spike stifled a laugh. There was just something cute about this tiny girl trying to boss around Angel. But she was right. Whatever Angel was doing they had the right to know.

“I can handle it. Don’t worry about,” Angel said, zipping his duffel bag closed.

“Don’t treat me like a little girl. I don’t like this. Not one bit.” Buffy protested, trailing behind Angel as he walked out of the bedroom. “You have no right just to leave us like this.”

“I have every right to do whatever I want,” Angel snarled, his temper finally breaking. “Quit Buffy. Please. I have to do this. We’ll talk when I get home.” His arm snaked around the girl, pulling her close and kissing her. “I’ll be back tomorrow night. I promise.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Spike said, relieved that Buffy didn’t follow them outside. “She’s right, you know. You shouldn’t be making decisions without including us.”

Angel threw his bag into the car and turned to his mate. His hands rested on Spike’s waist pulling on him. Spike gave into him and let himself lean against his mate. This easy affection between them was something they were both getting comfortable with as the days brought them closer together. It was funny the affection between them was getting easier while the sex was waning off, but Spike pushed it aside. All he wanted was Angel’s love and everything else was extra.

“This is something I need to check out on my own.” Angel said his thumbs stroking bare flesh after his hands had maneuvered under the blonde’s shirt.

“There’s been something going on with you since the night Buffy and I made love again. Is it bothering you?” Spike asked, searching for answers in Angel’s eyes.

“No, I’m happy that she’s whole again. I promise tomorrow we’ll talk when I have some more answers. Now, I need to go. Take care of her for me.”

There wasn’t anything Spike could do except let his mate leave. His fingers drifted across the face he loved so much and hoped that Angel would come back to them. Needing to know if the love was still there for him, Spike pressed his lips to the brunettes, relieved when it was returned with as much ardor as he needed to drive his insecurity away. When they broke apart, Angel climbed into his car and drove away without another word, leaving his mates unsure of what he was up to or what to do about it.

The cell phone was playing The Mexican Hat Dance and it joined in with Buffy’s dream before she realized what it was. Her hand grabbed it off the nightstand and clicked it on.

“Hello.”

“Buffy, it’s Angel.”

Buffy was instantly awake and sitting up. His tomorrow had become three days and she missed him. Her hand pushed her hair away from her face as she tried to get her bearings. A glance at the clock told her it was almost six in the evening and Spike was still sleeping next to her. A quick nap had turned into fours hours leaving her with a feeling of being disoriented.

“Hey, where are you? Is everything okay?” She asked, her hand shaking Spike to rouse him.

“I’m fine, I’ll be home tonight.” Angel replied. “Going to finish up a few things then I’ll be leaving. Everything okay there?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. Giles called a Scooby meeting. Not quite sure what about, do you just want to meet us there?”

Buffy heard him sigh before answering. “Yeah, that’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon. Buffy?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, Angel. Hurry home.”

Clicking off the phone, Buffy lay back down. There was something in Angel’s voice that wasn’t right. Sad and regretful almost and she wondered what was up. She had talked with Spike about the distance in Angel since the morning they had brought down the Initiative. They both wondered if killing Riley had only added more guilt to Angel’s heavily burdened soul. And if so, did Angel now blame them for his decision.

“Everything okay, Love?” Spike asked, scooting closer to her.

Buffy turned on her side to face him, her fingers trailing down his chest.

“Angel is on his way home. He says everything is fine so I guess I’m just borrowing trouble by worrying.”

“Told you about that, Pet, let it go and we’ll have a big talk when he’s back.”

“You’re right,” Buffy replied, smiling into the face that had come to mean so much to her. “I had the weirdest dream.”

“You too? So, did I,” Spike said. “Tell me bout yours first.”

Scooting just a little closer, Buffy laid her head on his arm. “I dreamt about the first Slayer. Scary chick, let me tell you, and then I was in my bedroom with Tara. I told her that Faith and I had just made the bed and she said that I didn’t know what was to come. I left to go find the others and she told me to be back by dawn which was silly because it was already morning. And there was this stuff about Mom being in the wall. It was way weird. And, I almost forgot this was this guy that kept asking me about cheese.” She shrugged and poked his chest affectionately with one finger. “Now yours.”

“I was dreaming about this green glowy light and men on horse back in of all bloody places, Africa. Wouldn’t go there if you paid me, anyway, there was all these cave drawings, might have been your Slayer chick, the first one because she was kind of scary looking and some guy was on there too with no skin, yuck, and this demon, kept lurking about. And your cheese guy was there too. I guess no more afternoon naps for us, tends to make us dream wonky stuff.”

“Why do you think we both dreamed about this cheese guy?” Buffy asked, her brows meeting as she looked at Spike in confusion.

“Cause we’re on the same wavelength, which is starving.” Spike answered, in his cut through the bullshit way because it’s too bothersome to deal with.

Buffy giggled. He was right. She had skipped lunch and headed straight for bed with him when she got home from her classes. In their sleep or one of the times they were rearranging themselves one of them had mentioned food and it had reflected in their dreams. But she made a note to mention it to Giles sometime. Dreaming about the first Slayer had the feel of some kind of prophecy about it, like the dreams she used to have of the Master.

“You’re right,” Buffy finally said. “I am starving. So, we going to order pizza or are you cooking?”

“Me? I decide to go ahead and take a woman and she doesn’t cook. Good thing I don’t depend on food for sustenance, me or Angel, cause you would have starved us by now.”

“That’s why both of you cook so well, to keep me from starving. So, what are we doing?”

Spike rose on one elbow, one hand languidly capturing the breast that was closest to him and kneaded the soft flesh.

“Well, first we can head to the kitchen, get me some blood and I can make you an omelet or we can have sex first, whichever you’d like to do.”

“Oh, choices, choices,” Buffy teased, while her finger tapped her chin. He growled and she laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. “Definitely sex first.”

Spike rolled her on top of him and Buffy forgot everything that was worrying her as they made love. Spike was holding her and Angel was coming home. For the moment life was good.

It ended up that Buffy and Spike were late for the eight o’clock Scooby meeting. Only forty-five minutes before they were scheduled to arrive did they manage to untangle themselves from the other’s body, ordering pizza before jumping in the shower. They had used the pizza as their excuse for being tardy, saying it wasn’t ready when they arrived to pick it up. Everyone had ignored their feeble defenses and quickly started passing the steaming pies around.

Spike settled back into the couch, hiding his grin in his mug, as he observed Buffy’s reaction to Giles’ new girlfriend. Jenny was her name, if he remembered the introduction right, and Buffy didn’t seem too happy about the glances going on between her surrogate father and this woman. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Relax, and give her a chance. She might fit right in with this bunch and be good to have around.” Buffy followed him as he relaxed again, using him to rest her back against. And she seemed to calm some as his fingers caressed her shoulders.

The Slayer and her little band of followers were discussing in earnest the meaning of the cheese man that had appeared in their dreams in the last day. Well, those that were involved with the spell, excluding Tara and Anya from the freaky ‘Alice in Wonderland’ trip that had visited the others. Spike seemed to be a lucky recipient of the tour because of the bonding with the Slayer. And, gee, he had thought it would all be fun and games as he drained the last of his blood and licked his lips. Giles told Buffy to remember to ask Angel if he had any strange dreams when they saw him.

“He should be here. I talked to him earlier and he was supposed to meet us here,” Buffy explained.

And right on cue, the door opened and everyone looked to see who was there.

“Sorry,” Angel said, walking into the flat. “There was an accident on the freeway and everything was backed up.” His eyes quickly found his mates to judge their mood. Both looked at him with expressions exhibiting their uncertainty at seeing him again but there was no anger. He smiled, hoping they would relax, before turning to the others. “What did I miss?”

It was then that he saw her, the professor that he had saved from the demon at the university. Giles guided the woman toward him, a hand resting possessively on her back.

“Jenny, this is Angel,” Giles introduced them. “Angel, this is Jenny Calendar.”

Angel acknowledged the introduction with a curt nod and hello. Curiosity burned him as to how the retired librarian had found her and obviously courting her from the way he was looking at her, without any of them knowing about it. But a brief glance around the room indicated that everyone did know. The averted eyes and the colored cheeks of the witches gave them away and Angel turned to his mates for an explanation. Buffy’s helpless shrug and a wave of Spike’s hand confirmed that his mates were like him and knew nothing about it. Finally, he returned his attention to Giles and his new companion.

Jenny stepped toward him with her hand extended. “I’m also known as Janna of the Kalderash clan.”

In the moment that Angel found himself speechless, his mates took positions on either side of him. Strengthened by their presence, he found his voice again.

“You’re a gypsy? A gypsy from the clan that cursed me?”

“Yes, I am,” Jenny answered, with a smile curving her lips. “Thank you for saving me the other day and for that I have contacted the elders of my tribe about your problem. They answered that you have a taken a life from them and you have returned a life to them. The scales have been balanced and the request made by your witches will be granted. Your soul will be given to you with no conditions on its permanence.”

There were stunned silences on either side of him as the trio tried to assimilate what they had just been given. Angel tried to grasp the fact that he could be happy. He would be free to lose himself in the playful love of his mates. No longer would he have to live in torment, driven to absolve himself of the guilt he carried. It was then that he began to let the doubts in. He could smell fear and immediately turned to his Childe. In those cerulean depths he saw the insecurity, Buffy and Angel could be together as they had always wanted and Spike would no longer be wanted. Taking a deep breath, to gather his senses, he glanced around the room at the humans waiting for a response.

“Are you certain that it will work?” Angel asked. If there wasn’t any guarantee that it would work, then he would have his out.

“Well,” Willow answered, stepping forward, “there is one tiny little drawback to the spell. But Giles, Tara and I have been working with Jenny to get everything figured out. And, we are fairly certain, pretty certain, it will go fine.”

“And what is the drawback?’

“In order to guarantee that the soul will be permanent,” Giles said. “We will have to remove the curse and once that is done, do a new spell to restore the soul.”

That was what Angel was looking for. There was no way that he would allow Angelus loose even for a moment.

“No, I won’t take the risk of someone getting hurt.” Angel said, stepping back from his companions. He waited for them to turn to him so that there was at least an air of privacy from the others. “Not just so I can be happy. I also won’t risk the happiness of the two of you so that I can be happy.” He turned to look at Buffy. “Spike is already worried about losing us because we’ll be able to be together. And I agree, its something that we’ve wanted for a long time and we might end up excluding him in our blindness of being able to make love.” He paused for a moment before running fingers along Buffy’s cheek. “I love you more than you will ever know but I wanted you to be complete. And because of that, you and Spike fell in love and that is as it should be. And you’re not the kind of girl that can really have sex with two men at the same time.”

Neither of them said anything, both watching him with expressions he couldn’t read, so he forged ahead.

“There is something else. It’s about the trip I just made and Doyle. It seems there is some kind of Powers That Be and Doyle is their vision guy. The three of us were never meant to happen and I should have gone to Los Angeles instead of staying in Sunnydale. In the end I think it’s for the best. It will give the two of you the kind of life together that you deserve. I’ll be leaving in the morning.”

Silence permeated the room at his speech and Angel waited for a reply.

“Oh, holy bullshit, that is the longest self-serving speech for martyrdom that I have ever heard.” Spike exclaimed, laughing with his hand over his heart. “So, you’ve decided, without consulting us by the way, that you get to continue to be the tormented vampire who rights the wrongs of the world.” He took a step closer to his Sire. “I think that you are looking for an excuse so that you don’t have to be happy. No, change that, I know you are. It scares you shitless.”

“And I thought we went through this already,” Buffy said, her hands gesturing wildly. “How come you get to make decisions on what makes us happy or not? You can’t just run off and leave us. Who is going to make sure that the house is clean and the blood gets bought and the electricity gets paid? I have no idea what to do.”

“Yeah, she’s a stupid kid,” Spike said.

Buffy smacked the blonde vampire in the stomach, “And he’s a smartass vampire. We need you.”

Angel laughed as his frustration mounted. Why couldn’t they see that what he was doing was for the best? That he was thinking of them and what they needed.

“You know, it’s funny. You all don’t want me to act like a Daddy and patriarchal but then you say you can’t clean a house without me. What the hell do you want?”

“You, Angel, we want you.” Buffy answered, her voice quavering with the tears she was fighting. “Among the three of us, you are the responsible one, but Spike and I both contribute. But it’s the three of us together that make a whole.”

“Face it, Daddy; we aren’t just going to accept you making this decision for us.” Spike said, laying his hand on Angel’s arm. “If Los Angeles needs covering we’ll figure it out. As for the sex things we’ll switch weeks, whatever to make it work. We’ve proven that the three of us works. Why tear us apart now?”

Buffy took Angel’s hand holding it against her heart. “The point is that we decide together. Not just one of us or two of us but the three of us. And not to bring this up now, but I’m tired of the two of you running off on one of your missions without consulting me. I am the Slayer here. We are supposed to be forever and I’ve got this…”

“You bring that damn tattoo up again,” Spike interrupted, “and I am going to lick it off.”

That was enough. The two of them were acting like children and Angel was tired of it.

“Stop it now. I’m pulling rank here…”

“No, you’re not,” Spike said. “It was a curse for you to suffer, not the choice of whatever powers or gods there are. And you paid for the mistake that got you cursed in the first place. And if we have already messed things up by being together, then we’re running the show now. Screw those powers. It’s us together and we’ll work it out whatever comes along.” Spike held his hand up, fingers straight. “Three…”

Buffy placed her hand against Spike’s, palm to palm, “Hearts…”

Angel looked from Spike to Buffy and saw the undying love for each other and him in their eyes. Life was about choices and taking chances to back those choices. He had already chosen these two creatures to be his mates. In his decision to protect them, he hadn’t given them a choice and that was wrong. They were so sure of the three of them being able to handle anything that life threw their way that they were ready to jump off the cliff, confidant they would sprout wings on the way down.

Taking a step closer to them, he joined his hand with theirs, palm to the back of Spike’s. His fingers separated theirs, bending them, until you weren’t sure whose fingers belonged to who.

“Entwined.”

Who was he to argue with them? His mates had surprised him, time after time, with the love and faith they showed in him and each other. Spike was right. If the future had already been altered by their relationship then it was up to them to forge a new one and make it a better place for everyone. After all, wasn’t that what White Hats were supposed to do?

~~~The End~~~