Title: Strangers in the Night
Author name: Spike's Slayer Vixen
Author Email: sara_pridmore@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. They belong to Joss,
who in no way deserves them. He should just give them to me b/c he
doesn't know what he is doing. :)
Distribution: Most of the chapters of my fics can be found on my
webpage at https://www.angelfire.com/tv2/youvebeenslayed  If you are
interested in having your work posted there or would like to post any
of my work on your site, please just e-mail me.
Summary: Buffy mistakes someone else for Angel and there is hell to
pay. Vague, huh? :)
Pairings: B/S, B/A
Category: Drama
Rating: NC-17
Author's comments: Thanks to Laure for her great inspiration. A
special thanks to Sarah, David, and James for giving me something
worth writing about.
Feedback: Please!

Part 1

She was miserable. She had been up for three nights straight, unable
to sleep due to extremely painful cramps. Slayer strength cramps. She
had finally gone to her doctor and gotten a prescription for some
pain killers. Now that she had gotten some relief, her mind began to
wander to another matter that made her ache in a completely different
way. Angel.

They had not been together since her period had started four days
ago. She burned with lust for him in a way that she hadn't thought
possible. She realized it was her own fault. He had been willing and
able but she just couldn't allow...that. She wrinkled her nose in
disgust.

Sighing, she climbed into bed, knowing that she couldn't even
pleasure herself in her current state of being. She figured she would
spend the night tossing and turning again, but the lack of sleep
caught up with her. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the
pillow. So sound asleep in fact that she didn't even hear teh window
creak open or notice the dark figure climbing through it. She was
still half way asleep, in fact, when a cold, hard body joined her
soft, warm one under the covers and pressed up against her. Cold
fingers carressed her breasts through the thin material covering them
until they were hardened little buds. Her shirt was removed
skillfully and tossed aside.

"Angel," she moaned, not opening her eyes,"go 'way." Cool lips made
their way down her neck and chest, down to her breasts, where one
nipple was suckled and nipped at, and then the other. She moaned
softly and arched against his mouth. "I mean it," she said
weakly. "We can't do this now." The body beside her shifted but
didn't go away. His mouth kept on teasing and kissing as he made his
way down her body.

In her half conscious state, she was burning for him. When he slipped
away her panties, she did not protest this time. What the hell, she
thought. If he's willing then so am I. She spread for him eagerly as
he settled between her firm thighs. She groaned softly as his cool
tongue dipped tentatively in her warm, wet folds. He took his time,
licking and sucking her outer lips until they were clean of old
blood. She was extremely glad she had shaven that afternoon on an
impulse, leaving her sex bare and glistening.

His tongue once again dipped down into her folds, licking and
teasing. She dug her fingernails into his shoulders, a silent plea
for him to stop torturing her and make her come. He ignored her,
however, still licking and sucking ever trace of her blood away.
Finally, he gave into her demands and sucked her nubin into his
mouth. She came hard and with a muffled shriek. He grunted as the
combination of her juices and blood gushed forth. He lapped up the
liquid greedily. Wordlessly, he shifted over her body. She gasped as
he ran his cock over her hot, wet cleft.

"Don't tease!" she scolded breathlessly, wriggling under him in need.
He thrust quickly, entering her in one smooth motion. They moaned
together, her at his cool hardness, him at her scalding heat. He
began to slowly move in and out of her, driving himself to the hilt
in her tight pussy.

"Hard," she begged, and he was happy to oblige. He pumped into her
furiously, and she arched to meet his every thrust. Her orgasm came
suddenly and without warning. He gulped for unneeded air as her
vaginal muscles all but crushed his cock. Her pussy was still
spasming around his cock as he began to drive it in and out faster in
mindless need. He could feel her building up another orgasm as he
was, too. His balls tightened but he gritted his teeth and held out,
wanting to push her over the edge first. Her body shone with sweat as
her round, full breasts heaved with her panting. "Angel!" she choked
out as ecstasy overcame her. He let himself release inside her then,
her hot, tight pussy milking his cold, dead seed from his swollen,
purple cock.

She sighed contently as he rolled off of her and slid his softening
cock out of her. He waited until she had fallen back asleep before he
crept out of bed. He dressed quickly and climbed out of her window,
disappearing into the darkness.

Buffy woke up, reaching for her Angel. She frowned when she realized
that he wasn't there. However, the pleasurable soreness between her
legs made her shake off her disappointment as she remembered the
details of the previous night. She grinned as she stretched languidly.

She quickly showered and pulled her damp blonde hair into a ponytail.
Sliding on her favorite pair of worn jeans and an old gray Sunnydale
High sweatshirt, she shoved her feet into a pair of white tennis
shoes. Then she climbed out her window, shivering at the unusually
cool California morning. She headed off to Angel's to surprise him
with breakfast. She couldn't wait to see him after last night.

Angel was pacing the floor when she got there. He looked at her
wolfishly, the mere sight of her making him hard. He groaned as he
turned away and ran his hand through his hair.

"Hey, love," she said, throwing her arms around him and giving him a
big hug. "Did you have an interesting night?" she asked with a sly
wink.

"Um, not really," he replies in confusion. "How about yourself?"

"Oh, Angel, don't be coy with me. Last night was wonderful. I should
have let you do it days ago."

His face was paler than normal and there was a wildness in his
eyes. "Buffy, don't play games. It's not funny."

"Angel, I don't know what you are talking about. All I know is that
you made love to me last night and it was wonderful.

"buffy," he choked out, trying to control his anger and sudden
nausea, "I was here last night. It wasn't me you were with." And he
knew who the imposter had been.

Part 2

"Buffy," he choked out, trying to control his anger and sudden
nausea, "I was here last night. It wasn't me you were with." And he
knew who the imposter had been.

"Listen to me, Buffy," he said carefully. "What made you think it was
me?" He was trying to conceal the hurt that was gnawing at his
stomach. He couldn't believe that she hadn't known it wasn't him she
was making love to.

"Huh?" she said, looking dazed. Her head was spinning, and she had
the overwhelming urge to throw her guts up in a bush somewhere. "Oh.
Well, whoever it was had a cold, hard body for one." She blushed in
shame. "I obviously didn't think he was human, and you are the only
vampire with an invitation into my bedroom, my whole house. Well...I
*thought* you were." Tears sprang to her eyes.

"Please, Angel. I am so sorry. I was half asleep when it happened
and...that's no excuse, I know." She hung her head in shame,
imagining how she would feel if their roles were reversed. She was
utterly disgusted with herself. How could she have been so
stupid? "I'll go now. I'm sure you don't even want to see my face
right now."

He didn't try to stop her. She waited for him to but he didn't. He
tried to call her name as she walked away, shoulders slumped in
defeat, but the word died in his throat. He just couldn't face her
right now. It hurt too much.

When she made it outside and closed the door, she took off running.
She ran until she thought she was far enough away from the mansion.
Then she bent over, heaving. Hot tears streamed down her face. She
wanted to die.

There wasn't a doubt in Angel's mind who had fooled Buffy. It wasn't
even a question of why. He just couldn't figure out how the scum bag
had gotten into her home. He knew that Buffy wasn't stupide enough to
invite him in herself. How had he done it?

Angel took a deep breath before pounding on the door of the crypt. He
was beginning to smoke from the sunlight but he didn't care. He had
to see the bastard that had violated his lover. He had to remain
calm. He couldn't let the son of a bitch know he knew.

"Bugger off!" came the reply from inside the crypt. Angel pounded on
the door again. After a moment, the door swung open. "I said, bug--
well, hello there, Peaches," said the blonde vampire. "What's wrong?
Didya run out of that hair gel you fancy so much? Sorry...haven't got
any here. Don't use the poofster stuff myself...hey!" Angel shoved
him roughly aside and stalked into the crypt.

"This place is a mess, Spike," he said as he picked up a shirt from a
chair and tossed it in the floor. He sat, glaring at the other male
as he huffed around, trying to straighted up the place in spite of
himself. He hated when Angel used that holier than thou tone with him.

"Sorry. Didn't know you were going to drop by. I also forgot what a
bloody poof you are." Spike snorted and flung himself across an old
couch. He picked up the bottle of Jack Daniels sitting on the floor
and took a big gulp. "To what do I owe this visit, anyway?"

Damn. Angel hadn't really thought of a legitimate reason to be there.
His thoughts had mostly consisted of varying ways to kill Spike. He
had thought that Spike would just blurt out the truth when he saw
Angel standing at his front door, and then the punishment would
begin. It hadn't happened that way, however. Angel tried in vain to
come up with some good reason for being there.

"Come on then. I haven't got all bloody day. What's the matter?
Slayer got your tongue?" Spike asked with a smirk. Angel roared in
fury, sending Spike flying across the room with a punch.

"Bloody hell! What is wrong with you?" Spike snarled, spitting blood.

"N-nothing," Angel said, kicking himself for losing his cool. "I have
to go." With that, he threw his coat over his head and ran out,
leaving Spike staring after him angrily.

Buffy laid on her bed, staring at the wall. Her mother watched her
worriedly from the doorway to her bedroom. She was very worried about
her daughter. Buffy had came home from her morning jog and gone
straight back to bed. Joyce had heard her several times in the
bathroom, heaving and crying. She walked over and sat down on the
edge of her bed. She reached out, stroking her daughter's soft, silky
blonde hair.

"Buffy, honey, I have a client coming here tonight. He has some
pieces I am interested in putting in the gallery. I could postpone
it..."

"Don't be silly, Mom. I'll be fine. In fact, whey don't I just change
and meet you downstairs in a minute. I would love to meet your
associate and see the pieces."

"Really?" Joyce asked in surprise. Usually, Buffy preferred trips to
the dentist over pouring over pieces of art with Joyce and her
associates. She said the art was too boring and the people were too
stuffy. "Well, if you are sure. He was here the other night but I
just got the check today."

Buffy shooed her mother out of the room so that she could get
changed. She only hoped that the boring, dusty pieces of junk her
mother called "art" could take her mind off of her disloyalty to
Angel. She ran a brush through her hair absentmindedly. The doorbell
rang, almost making her jump out of her skin.

"Dawn?" she called out to her sister. "Did you *borrow* my purple
sweater again?" She was answered with a yelled "No!" and a slammed
door. "Sor-ry," Buffy said sarcastically. She'd just wait until Dawn
went to Janice's to go search her room. She was fairly certain she
would find it hidden under Dawn's bed, no doubt stained.

She pulled on a windbreaker and headed downstairs. She peeked around
the corner into the kitchen to sneak a peek at her mom's friend.
Suddenly, her jaw hit the floor and her heart stopped. At that
moment, everything became clear. She was staring at her mother
chatting with her molester at the kitchen table. And it was...Spike!

She thundered up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door shut. She
locked it and grabbed the phone. She quickly dialed Angel's pager
number. He didn't have a phone, but ironically he owned a pager. Go
figure. Her hands were shaking as she waited for him to respond to
her page. "911" it had said. "Buffy".

Part 3

Angel felt his pager go off in his jacket pocket. He reached down and
pulled it out, squinting to try to make out what the tiny screen said
in the dark. He had been wandering around all night trying to clear
his head. He had intended to hang out around Buffy's to make sure she
didn't get another late night visit. When he looked at his pager,
though, what he saw would have made his heart stop if it had been
beating. 911...Buffy was in trouble. She needed him.

He ran the six blocks to her house, glad that he had a vampire's
endurance. When he reached her house, preparing to knock down the
door and save her from whatever it was that she deemed an emergency,
he heard her call his name softly from her bedroom window. He looked
up and saw her motion for him to be quiet. He climbed onto a low
branch and swung himself up onto the roof.

"Buffy," he hissed,"what is going on?" She moved aside, letting him
climb into her window. He couldn't help but think that Spike had done
the same thing the night before. Anger washed through him but he
pushed it back. What was important was the emergency at hand.

"Downstairs," she said softly. "Spike is downstairs right now with my
mother. It was him, Angel. I know it was. My mother must have invited
him in and then..." she trailed off, tears glistening in her eyes.
Spike of all of the vampires in the world. She felt so dirty and
vile. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock back and
forth.

"I was kinda starting to figure that out myself," Angel said in a low
voice. He watched his tiny lover rock herself back and forth in
despair. He took her in his strong muscular arms and held her tight.
He could have imagined Buffy reacting to her discovery many ways, but
certainly not this way. It wasn't her nature. Of course, Spike had
violated her. He supposed it shouldn't have surprised him that she
was acting so emotionally. "Buffy," he told her,"I'll take care of
it. I want you to be there too though. I want you to get your revenge
on him."

They heard the door close downstairs. Angel peered out the window and
saw Spike climb onto his motorcycle and peel out of the driveway. He
turned back to Buffy. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll make him
suffer. I'm going to pay him a visit tonight so you don't have to
worry about him showing up here tonight. Get some sleep, love. I'll
get back to you tomorrow." He climbed out onto the roof and leaned
back in to give her a kiss. "Love you," he said softly.

"Love you," she said, wiping the tears away with the back of her
hand. She watched him climb down off the roof and disappear into the
darkness. She closed the window and locked it securely. Then she went
into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower.

Angel followed Spike to his crypt. He watched as the blonde vamp
stashed his bike behind some bushes and opened the door to his crypt.
Angel launched himself at Spike's back, sending them both tumbling
down the stairs to the hard stone floor. Angel landed on top and
shoved Spike down hard into the floor. Spike groaned in pain.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Peaches?" Spike asked, glowering at
Angel. Spike tried to shove Angel off of him but it was all in vain.
He was pinned there, and Angel was much bigger than he. There was no
way he was getting up until Angel *let* him up.

"I know what you did, you piece of shit!" Angel spat at him. "And
now, I'm going to kill you for it." He swung back and punched Spike
in the jaw. Blood spurted out from Spike's lip as his head lolled
back. "What are you talking about, you bloody poof?" Spike yelled at
him, his head spinning from the blow.

"Buffy," Angel spat. That single word made the world come snapping
back into focus for Spike. Oh, bloody hell. How had he found out
about that? Oh, well. He knew now and it had obviously pissed him
off. Well, good. Now maybe the big poof would know what he had went
through all of those centuries, watching as Dru had followed Angelus
around like a puppy. A slow smile spread across Spike's lips.

Angel all but came unglued at the sight of the self-satisfied smirk
that had crept across Spike's face. "What the hell are you smiling
at, asshole?"

Spike continued to smile up at the angry vampire that held him pinned
to the floor. "Yeah, I'll admit it. Had me a little of the Slayer.
Always wondered what you saw in the little slip of a thing. I figured
I would try fucking one for a change instead of killing one. I have
to admit, I see now why you love to fuck her. Nice, tight little
pussy. Thought she was going to crush my cock. Sweet, too. Tasted
good."

Angel growled in fury and threw Spike across the room, sending him
crashing into the wall. He kicked him furiously in the ribs, sending
blood spurting from Spike's mouth. "You will never touch her again,
do you hear me?" Angel shouted.

"Come on now...don't be like that. Don't you want to hear about how
hot and wet and ready she was for me? How she spread her legs wide
while I sucked her tits? She begged me to lick her cunt and then she
begged me to fuck it. She begged me for it over and over. You know
the only thing sweeter than Slayer's blood, mate? When it's mixed
with her come." Spike flicked his tongue crudely at Angel with a
sneer. The next thing he saw was the bottom of Angel's boot as it
came slamming into his face. And then...blackness...

Part 4

It was late, probably about three in the morning, when Angel called
Buffy. She only let it ring only once before she sprang out of bed
and snatched it off the cradle. She held her breath, hoping it hadn't
woken her mother up as she whispered a quick hello. She listened
closely but didn't hear her mother stir. She let out her breath as
Angel greeted her on the other side of the line.

"Are you insane?" she hissed at him in a low voice. "My mother would
have totally wigged if the phone had woken her up. Do you know what
time it is? Where are you anyway?" she asked irritably.

With a deep sigh and the patience that only comes from being in love
with a teenaged vampire slayer, he prepared to anwer her barrage of
questions. "I know what time it is, Buffy, and I'm sorry about the
late hour. I'm at a pay phone a few blocks from the mansion. Look, I
need you to meet me there, okay?"

"Now?!" she asked in exasperation. What in the hell was so damned
important that it couldn't wait until the morning? She might be the
Slayer, but she still needed her beauty rest. In fact, the stress of
being the Chosen One could totally wreck a girl's complexion.

"Yes, now," he answered sternly. Without another word, he hung up the
phone. He obviously wasn't giving her an option on this one. Well,
she thought to herself, at least tomorrow is Saturday. She pulled on
a windbreaker over her tank top and pajama bottoms. She walked over
to her closet, slipped on her tennis shoes, and climbed through the
window. Christ, she thought, it's like I'm stuck in an episode
of "Dawson's Creek". She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

It wasn't very far to the mansion, and she made it there in about
fifteen minutes. She wondered why Angel had to be so cryptic all of
the time. Normally, it was part of his charm, but at three thirty in
the morning? Not so charming. At three thirty in the morning, she
didn't need mystery, she needed a nice, warm bed and a soft, fluffy
pillow. She pushed open the door, sighing, ready to give Angel a
piece of her mind. As soon as she made it through the foyer, however,
she came to a screeching halt. "What in the --?"

"Bloody hell! What are *you* doing here?" Spike wailed. He was
handcuffed to one of the columns in the living room. He lay there
naked, his body pale and hard, like marble. He was fairly sure that
if Angel knew if had been him in Buffy's bed, so did Buffy. He hated
being in such a compromising and vulnerable position in front of her.
He tried to scrunch into a position to cover himself but had no
success.

Angel strolled in then, fresh out of the shower, and wondering what
Spike was complaining about now. He saw Buffy standing there, mouth
agape in disbelief. He grimaced as he realized she had gotten there
sooner than expected and was mad as hell about the sight that had
greeted her. "Buffy, let me explain..."

"What the hell is going on here, Angel?" she snapped at him. He
winced at her tone. Uh-oh. He knew that look. Arms crossed. Lips
pressed together. If looks could kill, he'd be dust right about now.

"Look, Buffy, you deserve revenge after what this piece of shit did
to you. Especially after the things he said about you," he added,
trying to shift her fury onto Spike and off of him. It worked. She
cocked an eyebrow and turned her angry gaze to Spike, who was pouting
and trying to look innocent.

"I don't know what the poof's talking about, luv..." Spike began.

"Spike, shut up!" Angel and Buffy yelled in unison. Spike huffed up
and mumbled something, shooting them an indignant look. "Buffy,
sweetheart, I want you to take off your clothes," Angel said softly.
She looked at him like he had gone completely mad. "Please, honey,
just do it. There is a robe in the bathroom you can wear. Go on. I'll
call for you in a few." Buffy started to protest, but her curiosity
got the best of her. She turned and walked down the hall to the
bathroom.

Angel then turned his attention to Spike. "Spread 'em, my boy, if you
know what's good for you," Angel said with an angry glitter in his
eyes. Spike gasped. Normally, he would have retorted with his
usual "Sod off!" but...Angel hadn't called him "my boy" since the old
days. The days of Angelus. Spike gulped hard as he uncurled and let
his legs slide down.

Much to Spike's surprise, Angel reached down between his parted legs
and grabbed his long, pale cock. Spike gasped at the sensation,
immediately hardening and looking away in shame. Angel sneered down
at him and stroked the other male's shaft a few times until he knew
that Spike was so hard that it was painful. Spike winced as Angel
snapped a plastic ring around the base of his cock. Spike's eyes
blazed as he met Angel's. "You bastard," he said through gritted
teeth. His cock bobbed painfully against his stomach as Angel let it
go. Angel merely laughed at his fury. He reached down and unzipped
his own pants, letting his own erection spring free from the confines
of his leather pants. He stroked himself a few times and glanced at
Spike.

"No coming for you. Open up, my boy. You are going to suck me off.
Oh, and no biting or I'll have to rip your cock off." Angel grabbed
ahold of Spike's head and quickly thrusted into his mouth with a
groan of pleasure. Spike was humiliated beyond belief and filled with
hate, but he knew he had no choice. He began sucking and licking
avidly. Angel let out a deep moan as Spike swirled his tongue around
the mushroom shaped tip of Angel's enormous cock, trying to ignore
the pain of his own rock hard errection.

Angel quickened his thrusts, sending his cock to the edge of Spike's
throat. Angel's cock was huge, definitely larger than most. Most
people would have had trouble taking all of him in, but not Spike.
No, not Spike. He had spent many hours on his knees for his
grandsire, almost as many as he had for Dru. After decades of
practice, Spike was able to take all of Angel in his mouth without
even a flinch or a gag.

Angel's thrusts became even quicker as Spike sucked his cock
hungrily. He felt Angel's fingers tighten in his hair and knew he was
on the edge. Moments later, Angel came violently and with a howl,
spilling his cold, dead seed into Spike's mouth. He shoved Spike back
onto the floor as he zipped his pants.

"Glad to see you aren't out of practice, my boy," Angel said with a
sneer. "That was nice, but I'm not through with you by far. You had
what is mine, and now you are going to pay."

Part 5

Spike sneerred at Angel in defiance. "Do me a favor, mate. If you are
gong to keep going on and on, just bloody well stake me now." Angel
grabbed him up roughly by the nape of the neck and glared at him
angrily. "You will listen to me, my boy. You will show the proper
respect. And you will pay for what you have done," Angel snapped at
him. Spike spit at him, spraying his spittle all over Angel's face.
Angel roared with anger, throwing Spike down onto the hard floor and
wiping the spittle off of his face with his sleeve furiously. "You
are going to wish that I *had* staked you when this is over, boy,"
Angel told him in a low, deadly voice. "Buffy, my love," he called
down the hallway. "Could you come here?"

It's about time, she thought to herself. She had been in there for at
least twenty minutes and was growing more and more aggravated by the
minute. She had stripped off her clothes as Angel had asked and found
the robe he had mentioned. It was black silk, and she shivered as she
slipped it on, relishing the delicious feeling of the cool, smooth
material against her warm, golden skin. She had ran a brush through
her hair and tried to fix her appearance as much as possible
considering there was no damned mirror. Then, she had sat on the side
of the tub and waited...and waited.

She stood up, smoothing the robe, and walked down the hall. Spike was
still chained and naked. He and Angel were glaring at each other with
pure, unadultered hatred. She walked over to stand directly in front
of Angel with her arms crossed over her chest and an annoyed
expression on her face. "What can I do for you, *love*," she asked
sarcastically. She felt like some puppet in some weird, warped show.

Angel ignored her tone, although it was hard with Spike snickering in
the corner and muttering "poof" under his breath. Angel knew he
wouldn't be laughing for long. He picked up a black duffel bag from
the floor and tossed it hard at Buffy. If she wanted to be a hard
ass, then he could be, too. She caught the bag easily and looked at
him questioningly. "Open it," he demanded.

She sat the bag on the couch and slowly unzipped it. From his
position on the floor, Spike craned his neck and tried to peer into
the bag to see what his fate was going to be. He watched as Buffy's
mouth fell open and her eyes widened. "You can't be serious," she
said to Angel in shock.

"Oh, I'm plenty serious, baby. Think you can figure it out or do you
need my help?" he asked her with a smile. She shook her head no at
him and reached into the bag. Her hand emerged, clasping a huge strap
on. Spike was shocked, even more so as he watched her almost
effortlessly put on the harness, adjusting the straps and securing
the dildo firmly in place. In fact, she did it almost expertly. Even
though he knew what was coming for him, he couldn't help but be
amused as the similar look of surprise on Angel's face. His grandsire
had obviously not been expecting her to figure things out with such
ease. Angel shot Buffy a look that said "We need to talk later" as he
watched her make sure everything was in place.

"Got lubricant?" she asked Angel. He shook his head no, and she
smiled faintly. Spike on the other hand groaned loudly. This was
going to be a long, painful night. It had been decades since he had
had a cock shoved up his ass. Back then, it happened so often, it had
actually began not to hurt. Now, however, he knew it would hurt like
hell. All of this because I got a little Slayer pussy, he thought to
himself. Bloody hell, most of our kind would congratulate me. They
would ask me how she was and listen to hear all the details. Go
figure, the poof here wants to rip off my balls for it.

Buffy positioned herself behind him. "On your knees, ass in the air,"
she commanded. He obliged, not wanting to piss her off anymore than
she already was. She was really going to enjoy this. She positioned
the tip of the dildo against his puckered sphincter and felt him
stiffen. "Tell you what, Spikey, I'll make it a little easier on
you." She walked around to the front of him and thrust the dildo in
his face. "I'll let you suck it before I fuck you with it. That's all
the lubrication you are going to get, so make it good."

Spike looked up at her with a scowl. "How very considerate of you,"
he growled at her. He took the fake plastic cock into his mouth to
provide as much lubrication as possible. She jerked the dildo out of
his mouth then, anxious to administer his punishment. She walked back
around and knelt, once again positioning the tip of the dildo against
his asshole. This time, however, she shoved it in him to the hilt. He
groaned as the large dildo invaded his body, stretching his walls in
painful pleasure.

Buffy began thrusting in and out, eliciting grunts and groans from
Spike and breathy gasps from herself as her clit rubbed the nubby
base of the dildo with every thrust. She quickened her thrusts,
grinding Spike into the floor, while Angel admired her movements from
across the room. His cock was hard as a rock as he watched her fuck
Spike in the ass. My god, he thought, she's beautiful. Her body shone
and glistened with sweat as her muscular body moved rhythmically. Her
plump, round breasts heaved from exertion and lust. However, the fact
had not escaped him that she seemed a little too familiar with the
harness and dildo. That disturbed him slightly, but they would deal
with that later.

The stone floor hurt like hell. Spike felt himself being pounded into
it and winced from the pain. He couldn't help but be turned on by
being fucked by the Slayer, even if it was up the ass. Every time she
thrusted forward, his cock pressed painfully against the floor. He
was so hard that he thought he would go insane but knew that he had
no chance of release with that damned ring around his cock.

Buffy continued thrusting faster and faster, her orgasm rapidly
approaching. Her eyes were glazed and she moved almost mindlessly in
need as the base of the dildo continued to directly stimulate her
clit. She felt her orgasm building. The pressure was almost too
intense and then...with a rush of heat, it was upon her, her vaginal
muscles spasming her release. Both Spike and she collapsed on the
floor then, worn out from exertion.

"I hope you didn't wear yourself out, lover,"Angel said with a smile,
looking down at the tiny blonde Slayer. "I don't think Spike has
quite learned his lesson...yet."

Part 6

Spike was smarting, both from the dildo being shoved up his ass as
well as from his raging hard on. His cock was swollen, purple and
angry. His mind was a bit fuzzy. He couldn't get over the fact that
the Slayer had just fucked him. Being forced into a submissive
position like that was normally humiliating for a vampire such as
himself. However, it was a humiliation that Spike didn't mind this
time.

Angel offered his hand to Buffy, helping her to her feet. Her legs
trembled as she stood. He drunk in the sight of his lover's nude
body, toned and perfect. He quickly became aware that Spike was also
finding great pleasure in the sight, however, and a low growl issued
from Angel's chest. He bent and quickly whipped the robe off of the
floor, draping it around Buffy's slim shoulders. He led her into his
bedroom, leaving Spike alone only because he knew that the chains
that held him were enchanted and unbreakable.

He faced his love, pushing the robe off of her shoulders. The silk
pooled around her feet in a black puddle. His eyes burned into hers
as he brushed back a golden strand of her hair, tucking it behind her
ear. "Do you know how earth shatteringly beautiful you are?" he asked
her in a husky voice. His eyes betrayed what his heart held...a love
more powerful and consuming than anything he had ever felt. IN his
heart, he held a love for the tiny Slayer that he had never felt
before, even when he was a man, even when his heart still beat.

"You trust me, don't you love?" he asked her, taking her face in his
hands. She gulped and nodded, feeling a little ackward just standing
there naked. "Good," he said, pushing her down onto the bed gently.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, allowing herself to be lowered
back until she was laying on his bed, blonde hair fanning out on the
pillow. "Give me your hands, love," he requested softly, pulling a
handful of silk cords froma drawer. She obliged, feeling nothing but
complete trust for Angel. She allowed him to tie each of her hands to
the bed posts, and then to tie her feet in the same manner. He tied
the cords securely around her wrists and ankles, being careful not to
cut off her circulation. "Now for the final touch," he said. He ran a
black silk scarf through his hands, thinking about how even real silk
wasn't as soft and smooth as Buffy's hair and skin.

She had to admit, the scarf blindfold made her a bit nervous. She
looked down at her naked body sprawled spread-eagle across the deep
crimson bedspread trimmed in gold. She lightly pulled on the cords
that bound her to the maghogony posts of the bed, reassuring herself
that she could get loose if she needed to. Angel sensed her
nervousness immediately. "Buffy, sweetheart, you know I would never
do anything to hurt you, don't you?" he asked her softly. She nodded
her head. She was being ridiculous, and she scolded herself silently
for even entertaining the idea that he had anything but good
intentions. She raised her head off of the pillow slightly, allowing
him to tie the scarf around her head. "Be right back," he said,
kissing his index finger and pressing it to her pouty lips.

He left his naked lover tied to his bed, walking down the hall and
into the large living room of the mansion. He took a key out of his
pocket and used it to unlock the cuffs holding Spike prisoner. "Don't
try to get away and don't piss me off," Angel growled at Spike,
gripping his wrist like a vise. He drug the blonde vampire down the
halland threw him into a chair beside the bed. He saw Buffy flinch at
the sound of the chair scraping with the force of Spike flopping into
it. "Shhhh, baby, it's okay," Angel whispered soothingly. He quickly
recuffed Spike to the chair, smirking at his hostage. "You see,
Buffy, Spike here claims that you begged him to keep making love to
you that night. That really bothers me," Angel said, paicing slowly
around the room, hands clasped behind his back.

"I thought it was you, Angel," she cried tearfully. "It was *your*
name that I called out. In my mind and my heart, I was making love to
*you*."

"I thought it was you, Angel," Spike mocked in a high pitched
voice. "Well, you may have been 'making love' to the wanker in your
heart but you were fucking *me*. *My* cock in *your* pussy, *you*
beggin' me for more," he spat at her. He received a backhand across
the face from Angel in response.

"I don't know, Buffy. I want to know that you were calling out *my*
name, and I want Spike to hear it, too," Angel told her. She laid
there silently, wondering what kind of game he was playing. "I am
going to let Spike sit here and watch me fuck you...that's right, I
said *fuck* you...and let him hear whose name you are calling out
when you are having the come of your life."

Angel knelt on the bed, crawling between her spread legs. She
shivered as he placed light kisses on her inner thigh. Blindfolded,
she was unable to tell where his tongue was going to be next. The
anticipation was delicious. She gasped sharply as he placed a soft
kiss on her out lips. Slowly, he slipped his tongue into her folds,
relishing her wetness and the scent of her arousal. Using his
fingers, he pushed her open and began a slow exploration of her
femininity. He took his time teasing her, flickig her clit with his
tongue. "Please," she begged him, tugging at her bonds helplessly. He
took no mercy on her, however, stiffening his tongue and driving it
in and out of her, his nose rubbing her clit. "Please!" she cried
again, thrashing about in need. "Please, Angel!" He finally relented,
giving her a mind blowing orgasm.

Her vaginal muscles were still spasming as he plunged into her, his
eyes nearly crossing in pleasure. His thrusts were deep and quick as
he pinned her legs over his shoulders. He pumped into her for all he
was worth, eliciting deep, guttural moans from her throat. He gritted
his teeth, trying to hold on just a little longer. He felt her body
stiffen beneath him as he orgasm crashed over her. A few more thrusts
and he was right behind her, spilling his seed into her hot little
body.

Spike sat watching it all. Nausea threated to overwhelm him. Her
words still tang in his ears as she had gasped Angel's name, begging
him to bring her release. And the selfish bastard had made her wait.
He wasn't worthy of her and yet he had access to her body anytime.
Spike closed his eyes, trying to block out the image of his grandsire
fucking the beautiful blonde Slayer, but the image was burned into
his mind permanently. He listened to the sounds of her orgasming,
wishing for death to quell his pain.

Part 7

About thirty minutes later, Angel shoved Spike out of the door. Spike
was still naked, clutching his clothes as he hid behind a bush,
heaving violently. He didn't understand why he was having such a
strong reaction to what had happened. He hated his grandsire *and*
that pain in the ass Slayer. What was his problem? He wiped his mouth
with the back of his hand and pulled on his jeans. Pulling his shirt
over his head, he slipped on his boots and lit a cigarette. He was
thankful that the poofster had at least had the consideration to wait
until the sun was down to toss him out on his can. At least he didn't
have to worry about becoming a pile of dust. He trudged back to his
crypt, trying to clear his head, but her moans echoed over and over
again in his brain.

He flung the door open when he got home, not caring that it crashed
into the wall with a loud bang. He picked up a bottle of whisky he
had abandoned the previous night and took a long drink. It burned his
throat going down, but he didn't care. Anything to take his mind off
of the pain. He heard the faintest of sounds coming from behind
him. "Alright, whoever the hell you are, get your ass out here!" he
shouted, wishing for once that he could just be alone.

A feminine figure crept out from the shadows, dressed in a stunning
red velvet dress that hugged all of the right places. Blood red
fingernails, long dark hair, and eyes that didn't hold a single ounce
of sanity. He drew in his breath sharply. "Welcome home, my Spike,"
she crooned in her lilting voice. She swayed to the music that only
she could hear. It played eternally in her head, which was void of
anything even resembling rational thought. Another woman that his
grandsire treated like shit, only this one he drove insane. Spike
hadn't seen Drusilla since she had left him in Brazil. She had talked
of nonsense, saying that he loved the Slayer. It was pure rubbish,
but she believed it, and she left him. She had hurt him more than a
thousand years of torture. And now she had came back. "Did you miss
Mummy while she was gone?" she asked him in her usual loony way.

"What are you doing back here, Dru," he asked, his voice cracking
with emotion. Just seeing her felt like a thousand red hot pokers
stabbing him in his unbeating heart. Her arrival would have been a
shock on a normal day, but after the hell he had just endured, it was
debilitating. She was a sight for sore eyes and a broken heart.

"Miss Edith and I had a grand time in South America, but we missed
you so. The stars spoke to me one night and told me to come find you.
They told me that I must find you before the Slayer hurt your heart."
She place a slender, pale hand on his chest and rubbed her body
against his sensually.

"Luv, I assure you, the Slayer is not going to stake me. She needs
me," he said with a false confidence that sounded plastic, even to
himself. He wondered about that sometimes. In fact, there were nights
that he laid awake wondering just what the Slayer would do when it
came down to it. Would she plant her stake into his heart without
mercy? Probably.

"No, my Spike," Drusilla crooned, giggling hysterically. "The stars
didn't say that she would stake you. They said that she would break
your heart." She slid her hand down his body, grabbing his crotch as
she came to it. His erection bulged against the front of his pants
from just having her this close again. It would be so tempting to
just take her now. She was willing and able...ooooh was she able.
Somehow over the years, she had still remained so tight that it
nearly made his eyes go crossed everytime he entered her. Yeah, it
would be so easy... He felt her lips wrap around his cock right about
then and all trains of thought were completely derailed. He had been
so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her slip to her
knees or unfasten his pants.

As she licked and sucked his shaft, he found himself trying
desperately to remember what it was that had been so important that
he hadn't noticed *that*. She felt so good, so comforting...so wrong
and foreign. He knew that it wasn't her that he wanted. She had hurt
him too badly the last time. As much physical pleasure as she could
give him, he knew that he couldn't let this happen. He vaguely
wondered when he had gotten a set of morals as he urged her back up
to her feet.

Her eyes looked hurt and confused. "Do I not please you, my Spike?"
she asked in a broken voice.

"Drusilla, I want you to leave," he managed to choke out. "Leave here
and never come back." He had always wondered how Angel had felt
staking Darla, his own sire, for Buffy and now he knew. It was
difficult and yet somehow very easy. She had hurt him for the last
time. It wasn't he that didn't deserve her. *She* bloody well didn't
deserve him. He now knew the ease with which Angel had staked Darla,
the pleasure and the power that came with it, as his heart silently
said his last farewell to Drusilla. He had finally found the courage
to stand up to her and not let her hurt him anymore. "We are through,
Drusilla," he told her gently. "I don't love you anymore, pet."

As soon as he had spoken the words, she was out of his life and out
of his heart for good. She let out a wail and broke down into her
childlike state, unwilling to accept the reality of what he said. He
sighed to himself and guided her out the door. "You have to go away
now, luv. Far away. Be a good girl now." He hated speaking to her
like she was a child, but at her present state, that is what she was.
He shut the door gently behind her, ignoring her cries and her
pounding on the door until at last all was silent and she had gone.
He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Still, his mind was
not free of what plagued him the most. Being able to turn away Dru
tonight had been the final sign, the one that he could not ignore. He
was in love with the Slayer.

Angel padded back to bed after throwing Spike out the front door. He
was pretty sure that Spike had learned his lesson. He hoped so for
his sake because *next* time...next time all that would be left to
repent would be ashes blowing in the wind. He made his way back to
his bedroom and his lover. She lay there like a work of art, blonde
hair fanned out on crimson pillows. Golden skin and an exquisite body
lay there before him. Her hair was rumpled and she was yawning
lazily. "Wow, I feel like I've been up forever. What time is it
anyway?" she asked him groggily. She reached for the alarm clock
beside the bed, one of the few modern conveniences he allowed in his
mansion. "Holy shit!" she yelled, sitting up in the bed like she had
been stung. "I've got to get home! My mom is going to totally freak
out." She flung back the covers and began collecting her clothing.

Angel grinned an evil grin, watching her run around like a mad
woman. "Forgetting these?" he asked slyly, holding up the scrap of
material that Buffy called a thong. She looked at him sharply and he
handed them over, knowing that she had left her house at three in the
morning and now it was...what time was it? He squinted at the glowing
digital numbers on the clock. Fuck! It was already seven! He just
prayed to whatever force would listen that her mother had gotten as
drunk last night as she did ever other night and was hung over in
bed. It pissed him off so much when Joyce ignored Buffy for her
alcohol, but this time he would be thankful.

Joyce had became an alcoholic after her divorce with Buffy's father
and it had affected Buffy in a serious way. Her mother could be the
sweetest woman in the world until she started drinking. Then it got
ugly. She was verbally and sometimes physically abusive. Buffy might
have super strength, but when her mother raised a hand to her, she
never raised hers in return. If she didn't love her mother so much,
Angel would have killed the bitch a long time ago. No one hurt his
Buffy and got away with it.

She finished getting dressed and slipped on her shoes. "Love you!"
she called giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll see you
tonight." She made a mad dash out the door, praying that she wouldn't
get caught. She tried to be excited about seeing Angel later that
night and not think about why Spike's pain seemed to tug at her heart
so much, even after what he had done.

Part 8

Buffy climbed into her window silently, hoping that her mother was
still asleep. She closed her eyes and listened carefully. Her heart
sank as she heard the television blaring downstairs. She quickly shed
her clothes and pulled on her pajamas, ruffling her hair with her
fingers to make it look like she had been asleep the whole night. She
hoped and prayed that her mother had not noticed her absence. She
crept down the stairs, faking a yawn as she went. She peered into the
living room to find the television blaring but no mother to be seen.

"So you finally decided to come home, huh?" her mother slurred
angrily. Buffy spun around quickly. She could tell that not only had
her mother had one of her famous drinking binges last night but that
she had continued it this morning. Her mother stuck her finger in
Buffy's face, closing the distance between them, wobbling unsteadily.
Buffy resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose at the foul smell of
stale liquor on her mother's breath. "You inconsiderate little bitch.
Where were you last night, huh? Out whoring around with that
boyfriend of yours, weren't you?" her mother screamed at her.

"No, mom, you don't understand..." Buffy started. Joyce grabbed her
by the hair of the head, pulling it without mercy. "Ow!" Buffy
screamed out in pain. "Mom, why are you doing this? I'm sorry. I'll
never go out without your permission again. Please stop!" she begged
her mother, tears streaming down her face. Her mother slapped her
hard across the cheek then, shaking her hard before shoving her back
on the sofa.

"Promises, promises, Buffy. You will never be anything but a little
slut, you know that? Always running out to go see your little
boyfriend...he doesn't love you, you know. Of course, who could blame
him. You are completely worthless," her mother said to her coldly.
She was clearly blindingly drunk and not really aware of what she was
saying, but that didn't do anything to comfort Buffy. She hated when
her mother got like this, and it was not the first time that her
mother had struck her.

"I'm going to go to my room now so don't you bother me," her mother
yelled at her in a drunken rage. She took the half empty bottle of
whiskey with her, slamming her door shut so hard that it rattled all
of the pictures on the wall. One fell to the floor, the glass
shattering as it hit. Buffy sniffled and walked over to it, bending
to pick it up. She turned it over and looked sadly at the picture of
mother and daughter smiling brightly back at her. Those had been the
good times, before the divorce. Her mother had been beautiful then,
eyes bright and a kind smile on her face. She looked so relaxed and
happy, far from the tired, aged face that she carried with her now.
Buffy hung the picture back up on the wall, and walked out the door
to sit on the steps of the porch, looking up at the dark, overcast
sky that seemed to match her mood perfectly.

Spike decided to take advantage of the cloudy day to get out of the
crypt. The walls seemed to be closing in on him, and he felt as if he
would go mad if he stayed there any longer. He decided, despite his
better judgement, that he should go warn the Slayer about Dru's
sudden reappearance in Sunnydale. He knew that he should probably
leave Buffy alone and that going over there was probably a death
wish. No, scratch that. It was *definitely* a death wish. Still, he
didn't feel that Drusilla had just up and left when he had kicked her
out. She was probably still roaming around Sunnydale somewhere, and
that was extremely dangerous. Especially for Buffy.

He whistled a random tune as he walked along, scuffing his feet as he
went. As he turned to walk up her driveway, he saw her sitting on the
porch steps, her head buried in her hands. Her slender shoulders were
shaking with silent sobs. He picked up his pace, making his way
toward her. He didn't know what he was going to say...he just knew he
had to go to her.

"Buffy, luv," he called to her gently. She raised her head up to look
at him, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"What is it now?" she asked irritably, wishing that he would just go
away. She still held the side of her face, sure that despite her
super healing powers as a Slayer that it was going to leave a bruise.

"What's wrong?" Spike asked her in concern. There was true pain in
her voice. She seemed somehow smaller, like a little girl rather than
the Chosen One. He could see the tears sparkling in her eyes. He
wanted to brush them away, but he held back.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied. This is just what she
needed. First her mother goes schizo and now Spike seemed to want to
be Counselor Guy instead of the Big Bad. What, was he turning all
teddy bear now? She wasn't buying it and she really just wanted to be
left alone.

"Is there something I can do?" he asked her, not giving up. He peered
at her closer, noticing that she seemed to be favoring the right side
of her face. She looked away quickly. He sat down beside her, ever
persistant, and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. He was a bit
surprised that she allowed it. He decided not to press his luck and
removed his hand quickly. His mind was working in overdrive, trying
to figure out some way to cheer her up, or at least to give her some
comfort.

He saw a cluster of tiny white wild flowers growing next to the
steps. He reached down and plucked one, holding it out to her in a
gentlemanly gesture. She looked at him, surprised and grateful, and
offered him a faint smile. It was just a tiny little smile, but it
was a smile none the less. He felt a pleasure well up inside of him
that was unfamiliar. He felt like puffing out his chest and yelling
to the world "I made her smile!"

"You know, when you aren't sneaking in to someone's bedroom at night
and pretending to be someone else, you can be pretty sweet," she told
him. She smiled inwardly at the flustered look on his face. If she
didn't know better, she would swear he was blushing. She looked down
at the small white flower, twirling it between her fingertips.

He looked at her in shame. "You know, I really am sorry about that,
luv. I don't know what came over me. It was wrong, I admit it," he
told her sorrowfully. He couldn't get over the fact that he actually
felt remorse for what he had done. It had been mind blowing sex,
sure, but she hadn't known that it was him. He knew it was wrong, and
what's more, he *cared*. He decided that maybe it was time for him to
go, while he was still ahead. He gave her shoulder another pat, this
time feeling less awkward. "Well, luv, I guess I'm going to be going.
I'll see you around," he said casually. He was so caught up in the
new emotions and thoughts that he was experiencing that he completely
forgot his real purpose for paying her a visit...Drusilla. He turned
to walk away, dusting off the seat of his black jeans.

"Spike, wait!" she called out to him. He stopped, turning around
slowly, not sure what to expect from her. "Thanks," she said to him
simply. He shrugged it off and continued his long, lonely walk home.

Angel couldn't take it anymore. He was worried sick that something
bad had happened between Buffy and her mother. Damn it, it was all
his fault, too. He decided that he should go over there, and the
cloudy day presented the perfect opportunity. He slung his leather
jacket on and strode out the door. The mansion was on the edge of
town, but he decided that the walk would be good for him. He took in
deep breaths of unneeded air, walking along the sidewalk. It was
certainly refreshing to not have to take the sewers, even though he
knew darned well that the sun could break through the clouds anytime
and burn him to a crisp. Sometimes it was worth the risk just to seem
normal for a little while.

He sighed deeply. Buffy was the only thing in the world that could
make him feel like a man again. He cherished her more than anything
else in the world. There was nothing the brooding vampire wouldn't do
for his golden Slayer. When he was with her, in her arms, he almost
felt human again. It was wonderful to just forget reality and imagine
himself taking her for picnics on bright sunny days, playing with the
children that they would never have...but then reality sunk back in
and was all too painful. He shut his eyes against the dark thoughts.
She needed him now and he had to be strong for her.

He turned the corner on her street and was keenly aware that someone
else was making their way to her house. He closed in a little more
and saw much to his dismay that it was Spike. Angel decided that he
should just duck down behind the bushes and give Buffy full rein to
kick Spike's ass. It would be a good show and besides, he was afraid
that maybe he wasn't letting Buffy take care of herself. He knew that
she valued her independence and he didn't want to smother her. He
watched with narrowed eyes as Spike walked up to her.

Angel looked a little closer at Buffy. She was crying! He used every
bit of resolve that he had not to run to her and take her in his
arms. To his astonishment, Spike sat down beside her and put a hand
on her shoulder. And she allowed it! He strained to hear what they
were saying, but they were drowned out by the rage roaring in his
ears. He watched as Spike bent down and picked a weed from the yard,
presenting it to Buffy. He almost laughed out loud. Spike was giving
her a weed! She would laugh in his face for sure.

But she didn't. She took it and even offered up a timid smile. Un-be-
fucking-livable! They exchanged a few more words and then Spike got
up to walk away. She called out to him and he turned around. She
spoke a few more words and then he turned and left. Angel was beyond
furious. Enraged was putting it much too lightly. He felt like he was
going to explode. As Spike turned the corner, Angel grabbed him by
the neck, clamping a hand over his mouth and dragging him around back
of the house to the shed. Buffy wouldn't hear them there.

Spike used his fangs to bite into Angel's hand, and Angel had to
stifle his howl of pain. He slammed Spike up against the shed, hand
still around his throat. There was a dangerous look in Angel's eyes,
and Spike realized too late that he had seen him with Buffy.

"Bloody hell, Peaches, what do you want? Couldn't get enough of the
Big Bad, eh? Well too damned bad!" Spike growled at him. He had never
liked Angel much since he had taken Drusilla away from him, but now
he was becoming a regular pain in the ass. He was just sorry that
Angel had caught him at Buffy's because he had a feeling the day was
just going to get more painful.

"You just can't stay away from her, can you, Spike?" Angel snarled at
him. "When are you going to learn to leave her alone, hmm?"

"Sod off," Spike said through gritted teeth. Angel slammed his head
back into the wall, causing the whole building to shudder.

"I asked you a question, damn it! Why won't you leave my girl alone?"
Angel shouted at him. He tightened his grip on Spike's throat until
Spike's eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Because I love her!" Spike yelled at him. "Because I fucking love
her." He choked on the words, sobs rising up into his throat. Angel
jerked back as if something had bitten him. The startled look in his
eyes was apparent. Spike stared back at him, holding his throat.
Tears seeped out of the corners of his eyes.

"You fucking stay away from her. Do you hear me? You stay away,"
Angel yelled at him in fury. He turned and walked back toward the
front of Buffy's house, stopping under the tree in her front yard to
collect himself before he knocked on the door.

Buffy had watched Spike walk away and then went back into the house
to make herself some tea. She replayed the weird confrontation with
Spike in her head. Actually confrontation wasn't the right word. She
sighed, glad that Angel had not found Spike at her house. He would
have surely killed him. She didn't know why she didn't want that to
happen...she just didn't.

She loved Angel more than life itself. She would lay down her life,
everything she had, in the blink of an eye for him. But she felt
something for Spike, too. Like a crush. It was weird for her to admit
after what he had done, but there it was. And he had seemed genuinely
sorry. It's not like she was in love with him. It was more like one
of those things where you admired someone from afar, and if you
weren't with your significant other, you might consider dating them.
But she *was* with Angel and so that was that...wasn't it?

Part 9

Buffy was setting the kettle on the stove for making some tea when
she heard a knock on the front door. She ran to answer it as fast as
she could, afraid that the knocking would wake her mother. The last
thing she wanted was to have to suffer her mother's wrath again. She
flung the door open, causing Angel to jump back a bit in surprise.
When she saw him, a smile lit up her beautiful face and she forgot
all about her bruised cheek. "Angel," she breathed happily, wrapping
her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad that you came over. I was just
thinking about you." She motioned him inside as she entered back into
the kitchen to check on the kettle. He followed her as she reached up
into the cabinet to take down two mugs. She turned around, and it was
then that he noticed her bruised face.

"Buffy, what happened, love?" he asked her softly, gently touching
her cheek with his hand. She flinched away from him, trying to hide
her face. She ignored his question, busying herself with fixing their
tea.

"Buffy," he said again, this time more persistently. "What happened?
Look at me." He turned her around from the counter where she was
figeting with the two mugs. She dropped her eyes to the floor like
she always did when she didn't want to talk about something. He
raised her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Tell me what
happened, love."

"I-It's nothing," she said, brushing him off. She had gotten good at
that in that last few years. She had became an expert on covering up
the bruises and the busted lips to her friends. Nobody but Angel knew
about how violent her mother could become after a night of binge
drinking. She knew that she couldn't hide the truth from him, but she
was trying desperately anyway. "It's almost gone, see? You can barely
even see it. Really, I'm fine," she said brightly, putting on a fake
smile. Her hands shook slightly as she attempted to pour the steaming
water over the tea bags.

"Buffy, be careful!" Angel said in alarm, but he was a little too
late. Scalding water splashed onto her hand, causing her to yelp and
drop the mug. It shattered into a million pieces on the kitchen
floor. She stared at her hand and then at the broken pieces of the
mug, then burst into tears. Angel rushed to her immediately, running
cold water over her hand and searching frantically for a first aid
kit. "I'm fine, Angel, really. I'm not crying over my hand. Look, it
is already healing. The water wasn't that hot. But my mom is going to
kill me for breaking her favorite mug." She dissolved into hopeless
tears again.

Angel felt anger bubbling up inside his chest. He would like to kill
that bitch for what she was putting Buffy through. He took her in his
arms, holding her close. She looked like a tearful little girl that
had broken something valuable and knew she was in deep trouble. He
tried to calm her down a little as he bandaged her hand. "Look,
sweetheart, we'll just sweep it up, see? She'll never know. If she
asks just pretend that you don't know anything," he told her,
sweeping up what was left of the mug and dumping it in the garbage.
She sat on the kitchen counter, looking back at him with huge, red
rimmed eyes. She was exhausted and also very breathtaking. "God,
Buffy, you are so beautiful," he told her, taking in a sharp
breath. "Don't cry, baby, it'll be alright." He cradled her face in
his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away her tears. She flung her
arms around him, hugging him tightly. He took her hand and led her to
the couch. He pulled a throw off of the back of the couch and pulled
it over her.

"Angel," she said softly," please stay with me." She held out one of
her tiny hands to him. He took it, kissing her palm gently before
settling down beside her and pulling her into his lap. She sighed
happily, snuggling into the covers.

Spike couldn't believe that he had blurted out that he loved the
Slayer. It's a wonder I'm still walking around, he thought to himself
as he rubbed his sore neck. It had been stupidity, utter stupidity
for him to have let Angel know just how he really felt for Buffy. He
couldn't believe that Angel hadn't staked him on the spot. He stood
quietly in the Summers' backyard, reliving the last hour or so.
Seeing Buffy sitting there, crying softly, he had just wanted to take
her in his arms and make love to her until her mind and her heart
were free from all of her worries. Instead, he had settled for
sitting next to her on the porch, being rewarded with a smile from
her that was so bright and full of life that it nearly made his heart
start beating again. And then he head nearly had his head removed by
Angel.

He was slightly apprehensive about how Angel would react towards
Buffy when he saw her. She hadn't done anything wrong, but Angel
could be a dick when he was pissed off. He liked to blame it on the
demon inside of him, but Spike had always secretly suspected that he
had been an asshole way before he had been turned. Probably what
attracted that skanky whore Darla to him. Spike had despised the both
of them for a long time. He had found it more than a little amusing
that Angel had been the one to stake the little tart. Now that was
irony.

Spike found himself creeping along side of the house to spy on Angel.
He didn't really think that the older male would hurt Buffy, but he
felt an overprotective urge in him to make damn well sure. He saw
Angel lean against a big, tall oak in the front yard, taking in
unneeded breaths of air to calm himself. He stood there for a few
moments and then walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. He
stood there waiting when the door flew open, and Buffy burst out in
all of her glory. She gave him a heartmelting smile and threw her
arms around his neck. Spike watched as she took Angel's hand, pulling
him into the house before shutting the door. His heart clenched
painfully with the knowledge that she would never love him like that.
He cursed out loud, tearing at his hair in anger. He would never have
her, and it ate him up inside. He turned and began the lonely walk
home.

He swung open the door of his crypt, kicking it closed again with his
foot. He made his way down the stairs, rubbing his eyes wearily. The
shirt he had been wearing the night that he had snuck into Buffy's
room was draped over a chair. He grabbed it, inhaling her scent as he
made his way to his bed. Tears streamed down his face as he curled up
with the shirt. It was the closest he would ever come to having her
in his life, and he knew it all too well.

I wish that she would look at me the way she does Angel, he thought
to himself before drifting off to sleep. I wish...

Angel looked down at his sleeping lover, her face peaceful and
serene. He stroked her hair softly, breathing in the scent of vanilla
from her shampoo. She hadn't mentioned Spike being there. That really
bothered him. What bothered him more, however, was that he had not
been able to comfort her. She had been crying when Spike walked up,
but he had cheered her up and earned a smile out of her. All Angel
was able to accomplish was to make her cry even harder, it seemed.
She sure didn't look at him with that smile. He sighed heavily,
looking down at the tiny woman in his arms.

I wish that I could cheer her up, make her smile the way Spike does,
he thought to himself before drifting off to sleep. I wish...

When Spike woke up, he felt like he had been asleep for days. His
mouth felt like he had cotton stuffed in it and his head wasn't very
clear. He stretched, refusing to open his eyes yet. He ran his hand
through his hair, trying to wake himself up. It felt stiff to the
touch. Uck, he thought to himself, must've been too worn out to
shower and get the hair gel out. I really must have been tir...wait a
minute...hair gel? "I don't use bloody hair gel," he said aloud to
himself. He felt the unfamiliar stiffness of his hair again,
desperately trying to process exactly what was going on. He heard a
small sigh and looked down to see the Slayer asleep in his lap.

"Bloody hell, what is going on here?" he whispered to himself. He
looked around him...he was no longer in his crypt, but in the
Summers' living room. Then a realization dawned on him. He didn't use
hair gel, but the poof did. He looked down at his clothes in shock,
hands flying up to feel his face. His thoughts came flooding back to
him. He remembered going to his sleep in his crypt, wishing that she
would look at him the way she looked at...Angel! Bloody hell! He was
in Angel's body. "Holy shit!"

Angel woke up a bit groggy, feeling very disoriented. He reached out
for Buffy and came back with nothing. Where the hell was she? He
could smell her nearby, but she wasn't curled up beside him. And why
did he have the strange urge for a cigarette? He didn't smoke. He
opened his eyes a tiny bit and saw that what he smelled was a wadded
up t-shirt that he had been drooling on in his sleep. Where the hell
am I, he wondered to himself. He opened his eyes a little wider to
find that he was in Spike's crypt. My vision must still be a little
blurry, he though, running a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes. He
looked down at his hands and saw chipped black nail polish on his
nails."What the hell?" he said out loud, sitting up quickly.

He tried to remember the events before he had fallen asleep. He had
been with Buffy, he was certain. He had wished that he could cheer
her up the way Spike did and then he had fallen asleep. Wait a
minute...he had wished. Realization hit him like a freight
train. "Shit!" he said angrily. He smacked himself in the forehead
and groaned at his stupidity. He was in Spike's body.

Part 10

A frightening thought occurred to Angel then. If he was in Spike's
body, then Spike was in his. That meant that if he was here, Spike
was with Buffy. In a flash, Angel shot up off of the bed and raced to
the door of the crypt. He yanked open the door and was greeted with
bright rays of sunlight. He cursed loudly, slamming the door shut and
trying to wave away the smoke that had began to pour off of him.
Apparently while he was asleep, the cloudy day had turned into a
sunny one. He realized with a sinking heart that he was trapped here,
and that Spike had all day to spend with his lover. He slammed his
fist into the cement wall in fury. "Damnit!" he roared. He hadn't
trusted Spike as far as he could throw him *before* all of this mess
had happened, before he had snuck into Buffy's room and slept with
her, before he had declared his love for her. Now Buffy was all alone
with Spike, who was in Angel's body. If the situation hadn't been so
horrific, Angel might have found humor in the irony. Buffy had
thought Spike was Angel when she slept with him, and now that they
had swapped bodies, Spike was once again in a position to pose as him
and take advantage of Buffy.

He was going to take great pleasures in killing Spike when he got his
hands on him. He didn't know how spike had managed to switch bodies
with him, but he was going to rip his fucking throat out. Right after
he made him undo what he had done, of course. Angel rubbed his eyes
wearily. He looked at his watch. It was barely three o'clock. He
vaguely wondered how the hell he was going to wait another three or
four hours for it to get dark. He was thankful that if was fall and
that night fell early. He sat down to wait, praying to whatever power
would listen to him that Buffy would be okay until he could get to
her.

Spike sat up quickly, in shock from his realization, jostling Buffy
awake in the process. She yawned sleepily and stretched languidly.
She noticed that he looked paler than usual and the look of disbelief
on his face. "Angel, what's wrong?" she asked in concern, turning
around to face him.

"Hmmm? What's that? Oh, nothing, love. It's nothing, just a bad
dream," Spike told her nervously. How the hell was he going to pull
this one off and convince her that he was Angel? She would kill him
if she knew who he really was. She would never believe him if he
tried to tell her that he didn't have anything to do with the switch.
He decided that his only chance was to play along and hope for the
best. He looked over at her, taking in the sleepy expression on her
face and her tossled hair. She was the most beautiful thing he had
ever seen in his life. This girl, this Slayer, was going to be the
death of him for sure. He vaguely wondered where Angel was at this
moment.

"Hello? Are you in there?" Buffy asked him, waving her hand in front
of his face. He snapped back to reality, looking at her with a
startled expression. She looked slightly annoyed with him. "I've been
sitting here asking you the same question for five minutes. What was
your dream about? Are you okay?" she asked him, her face etched with
worry.

"It was nothing, Slayer, really. I already told you I'm fine," he
said, not realizing his mistake until it was too late. Her face
hardened slightly and she gazed at him through narrowed eyes. He
cursed himself silently for the possibly fatal mistake. She got up
from the couch stiffly and turned to face him. She crossed her eyes
over her chest, just staring at him in what looked like a mixture of
guilt and anger. He sat frozen in place, waiting for her to do or say
something, not knowing what to expect.

"So you saw Spike here," she said finally. "I'm sorry I didn't tell
you about it, but it was nothing really. He just came by to...well, I
don't really know why he came by, but all we did was sit and talk,
Angel. He didn't try anything. He seemed really sorry for what he
did, and I believed he was. I didn't tell you about it because it
wasn't a big deal. You don't have to be an asshole to me for it. If
it was bothering you, you should have just said something instead of
acting all weird to me," she told him angrily. She couldn't believe
how much of a baby he could be. God, she just didn't understand guys
at all. Suddenly a though occurred to her. "You didn't do anything to
him, did you?" she asked him in an accusing tone.

Spike took a moment to consider his answer before he gave it. He
could be honest with her and tell her exactly what the poof had done
to him, how he had choked him and threatened him. He *could* but then
Angel would be even more furious with him. Spike realized that
anything he did to benefit himself while he was in Angel's body would
only make him look like the one who had caused this whole mess. He
didn't want that blame on him. The fact was that he *hated* being in
this position, being this close to Buffy and not being able to touch
her. She would be perfectly willing to make love to him while he was
in Angel's body, but he knew that he couldn't let that happen no
matter how much he wanted it. He had made the mistake of manipulating
her once. He wouldn't do it again. He wouldn't hurt her for the
world. Truth be known, he wouldn't have done what he did that night
had he not been drunk out of his skull. She was looking at him
expectantly, shifting from one foot to the other. "No, of course not.
I saw him leaving as I was coming to see you. You had already gone
into the house. I swear, I didn't do anything to him," he told her
finally.

She let out a breath of relief. She had been so afraid that Angel had
harmed Spike. The relief on her face was not lost on Spike, who
couldn't help feeling a little proud that she seemed so concerned
about his well being. She sat back down on the couch beside him,
curling one of her legs under her. "So are you mad at me?" she asked
him hesitantly.

"I could never, ever be mad at you, love," Spike told her
honestly. "You are the most kind, beautiful, perfect person I've ever
had the privelege of knowing in my life. I love you more than you
could ever guess. I feel a lot of things for you, Buffy, but anger is
certainly not one of them." She looked at him lovingly, throwing her
arms around him tightly. Spike had to fight back his tears. This the
most painful thing he had ever experienced in his life. He was having
to experience firsthand what he would never have. She would never
love him like she loved Angel.

"I want you to know something, Angel," she told him very
seriously. "I would be lying if I said that I didn't care about
Spike. I know he has done some really horrible things, and I am far
from forgiving or forgetting what he did the other night. But he was
there for me today when I really needed somebody. There is no doubt
in my mind that he would do anything for me if it came down to it. I
can't really explain why, but I do care for him." She paused, waiting
for Angel to get angry or upset, but he just sat there listening. She
continued, looking down at her lap. "That being said, just know that
*you* are the one I love. I could never love anyone or anything as
much as I love you." She looked up at him, surprised to see tears
rolling down his cheeks. "I love you, Angel," she told him, kissing
his tears away.

"I love you, too, Buffy," Spike choked out, his voice cracking.
Something inside him died then. He held her tightly for a moment,
trying to make himself come to terms with the fact that he would
never have her, that he didn't deserve her anyway. Then he extracted
himself from her arms gently. "I have to go, love," he told her
softly. He started towards the door with her following him. When he
opened the door, sunshine poured into the kitchen, causing smoke to
pour off of him. He yelped in pain, slamming the door shut. He closed
his eyes, leaning against the door and cursing his luck. When he
opened his eyes, Buffy was smiling at him brightly.

"Guess this means you have to stick around for the rest of the day,"
she said, reaching down and stroking his crotch. He jerked away from
her quickly. "What's wrong?" she asked him, her eyes full of hurt and
confusion.

"We can't, love," he told her quietly. He heard muffled sounds coming
from her mom's room down the hall. "Your mom is here," he covered,
thankful for the excuse. "I don't think she would understand if she
walked in on me ravishing her daughter, do you?" he asked her
lightly. He breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded her
understanding. "Right then," he said, ushering her to the living
room. "Let's watch a movie. What do you say?" That would keep her
occupied until night fell and he could get the hell out of there. He
*hoped*. He at least had the comfort of knowing that as long as he
couldn't leave, he didn't have to worry about Angel.

Angel had just about gone completely insane when the sun finally set.
He flung open the crypt door and raced to Buffy's house using all of
his vampiric speed. When he got there, he pounded on the door
frantically. Within a few seconds, Buffy opened the door, looking
slightly irritated. "Spike, what are you doing here? And have you
gone insane, by the way? What is your deal trying to knock my door
down?" she asked him crossly. Angel peered around her, trying to see
whether or not Spike was still there. "If you are worried about
Angel, he's not here. He left about fifteen minutes ago." She looked
at him like he had lost his mind. They stood there for a few minutes
before she finally relented. "Okay, wipe that bizarre look off of
your face and come in. You are just lucky that my mother left to go
to the bar shortly after Angel left. You could have woken the dead
with all that noise," she scolded him, stepping aside to let him in.

Angel noticed with uncomfort the ease with which she let Spike into
her house. It was like it was the most normal thing in the world. "So
Angel was here, huh?" Angel-as-Spike asked nonchalantly. "Bloody
poof," he muttered, the words sounding strange coming from his mouth.

"Yeah, he was here all afternoon actually," she told him, leading him
into the kitchen. "Actually he said that he was coming just as you
were going." In the light of the kitchen, she noticed the ugly
bruises on his neck. "Oh my god, Spike, what happened to your neck?"
she asked him anxiously. She could see that the bruises were
distinctly finger shaped. "Did Angel do that to you? I want you to
tell me the truth," she demanded.

Shit, he thought to himself. He wondered if Spike had ratted him out
to her. She would be furious with him if she found out he had choked
Spike. He didn't know how to answer her. She would be furious if she
found out that they had swapped bodies and not told her. He couldn't
let the opportunity to see how Buffy felt about Spike slip through
his fingers, though. "Um, no, of course not," he told her
nervously. "Did you ask him about it?" He held his breath, wondering
what was going to come next.

"Yeah, I did," she told him. "He said that he didn't do anything, but
I just wanted to make sure." She seemed to relax now that she knew
for sure that Angel hadn't harmed Spike. Angel couldn't believe it.
Spike hadn't told her! That was probably one of the first things
Angel would have done. He knew that she would have been really pissed
if she found out the truth. He couldn't for the life of him figure
out why Spike had lied for him. "So what brings you by?" Buffy asked
him pleasantly.

"Uh, I was just out for a walk, you know. Been couped up in the crypt
almost all day and thought I'd get a bit of fresh air," he babbled
lamely. She didn't seem to notice his weird behavior so he decided to
go on. "So what about you, pet? Did you and the poof shag the
afternoon away?" he choked out, not really sure he wanted to know the
answer. He didn't know if he would be able to handle the knowledge
that Buffy had slept with Spike again. His stomach twisted painfully
at the thought. Angel tried desperately to block the image of Spike
and Buffy from his mind. He would kill him, *kill him* if he had
touched her again. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his side,
waiting for her answer.

"You really are a pig, Spike. You know that? Of course we didn't, not
that it is any of your business. My mother was here for Pete's sake.
Geez, get your mind out of the gutter," she teased him. He let out a
breath that he didn't know he had been holding. "As a matter of fact,
we took a nap and then watched movies. Must seem pretty boring to
you." She had been making tea as she talked, and now she poured them
each a cup and offered one to him. He took it and they both sat down
at the kitchen table. "Listen," she told him, looking at him over her
steaming mug. "I just wanted to thank you for earlier today. You
really cheered me up when I needed it. It especially meant a lot,
considering everything that has happened these last few days. I
haven't forgiven you for what you did, Spike, but I believe that you
are sorry and that you were punished enough last night." She smiled
slightly at the memories.

"Yeah well I'm not too sure that Angel is that forgiving," Angel told
her, testing her for a reaction. He had to see where everything stood
with her.

"Well, no, I'll admit that I don't think that Angel is going to be as
understanding as I am, but I think that he knows that I care about
you. I don't think that he'll hurt you or try to take anymore
vengeance," Buffy assured him. She noticed the surprised look on his
face. "What? Are you surprised that I care about you? Whether you
know if or not, Spike, I actually have positive feelings for you."
She blushed a little, not used to be so candid. She knew that Angel
didn't know exactly how much she cared about Spike, but she figured
it was just a harmless little crush. Angel was the one she *loved*.
Unfortunately for Buffy, Angel wasn't satisfied with that. He wanted
to know just how much she cared for Spike. When she got up to put her
mug in the sink, he approached her.

"I care about you, too, pet," he told her, pressing her against the
counter. He kissed her hungrily, wrapping his arms around her
tightly. She froze for a moment before losing herself in the kiss
despite herself. She returned his kiss passionately. He cringed
inside at the knowledge that she thought she was kissing Spike, but
he continued the charade, wanting to see how far she would let things
go. He slid his hands under her shirt, caressing her bare back. She
groaned softly into his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck. As
he reached up to unfasten her bra, she seemed to regain her senses.
She pushed him back gently, knowing that she couldn't blame what had
just happened soley on him.

"We can't do this, Spike. I'm sorry, but I've made a terrible
mistake," she told him shakily. She ran a trembling hand through her
hair, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. "Spike, I care
for you a great deal, but I love Angel. I'm sorry but there can't be
anything between us. I think you'd better go now," she told him,
turning away from him. "Please don't tell Angel about this. I
couldn't bare to hurt him." Angel's heart sank. She had rejected him,
declaring her love for Angel, but for a moment she had given in and
kissed him back. Her feelings for Spike were a little more complex
than she would ever admit. He turned and walked out the door, leaving
her standing in the kitchen alone, sobs wracking her tiny frame.

Part 11

When Spike arrived at his crypt, he found it in complete shambles.
Apparently, Angel had used his time to tear the place apart. Spike
shook his head, looking sadly at his busted televison. The bloody
ponce could have at least left the television unharmed. He didn't
really expect any better, though. He had to admit that some days even
he wanted to smash everything in sight at the thought of Buffy in
Angel's arms. He could only imagine how enraged Angel had been when
he had woken up and realized what had happened. He slowly began to
pick up broken pieces of this and that, piling everything in a corner
of the crypt. Finally he had cleaned up most of the mess, which had
taken a while considering, and laid down to rest on the tattered
couch that he had found one day on the corner of a street. Almost as
soon as he laid his head down, the door to his crypt swung open,
hitting the wall with a bang. He closed his eyes in dread, knowing
exactly who it was. "What do you want?" he asked in a weary voice,
his face buried in the crook of his elbow.

Angel towered over him, but Spike didn't seem to notice or care. He
just laid there, waiting for whatever came next. "How did you do it?"
Angel asked him angrily. "How did you switch our bodies? I want you
to undo it right now!" he roared in fury.

Spike sat up, staring at Angel in pure hatred. "First of all, you
stupid ponce, I didn't *do* anything. I am as miffed about the whole
bloody thing as you are. You think I like having to prance around in
the body of a poof? I assure you, I don't. Why would I do it? Do you
think I would use the situation to my advantage? Well, I didn't. You
can ask her yourself. I was locked in that house with the horny
little minx all day long, and I didn't touch her. More than I can say
for you," Spike muttered. "I can smell her all over you. I don't know
what you did, but I'm betting that if I ever do get back into my body
that I'll never be able to show my face around her again." He glared
at Angel, hating him for ruining his chance of some kind of
relationship with Buffy. Now he wouldn't even have a shot at
friendship.

"So if you didn't do it, then who did?" Angel asked, still not
convinced that Spike wasn't the guilty party. He couldn't imagine
anyone else who would do this kind of thing to him. But maybe it
wasn't about him at all. "Who did you piss off, Spike?" Angel growled
in irritation.

"Nobody!" Spike shouted, sick and tired of having to take the
blame. "I didn't do it, and I don't have a clue who did it or why
they did it for that matter. All I know is that I want them to *undo*
it as soon as possible."

"Well, we could always go to Willow or Giles," Angel said, desperate
to get things back to normal.

Spike looked at him as if he had grown another head. "Are you
completely thick?" he asked Angel in disbelief. "If we go running to
Red or the librarian, they are going to go straight to Buffy. Is that
what you want?"

Angel sat down on the couch, mulling over the situation. Spike had a
point. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "We won't go to them. But I may
know someone that *can* help us," Angel said, reaching into his
jacket pocket for his cell phone.

Wesley was just sitting down for a cup of tea when his phone rang,
nearly causing him to jump out of his skin. The hot tea splashed over
the side of his cup, spilling onto his trousers and scalding him. "Oh
damn," he muttered, trying to sop up the tea from his lap. He reached
over to answer the phone, which kept ringing persistently. "This is
Pryce," he answered in a clipped tone. He sighed, giving up on his
notion that he might be able to spend at least one quiet night at
home.

"Wes, how are you?" Angel's voice rumbled over the phone.

"Angel, it's been such a long time," Wesley said, his tone instantly
turning lighter at the opportunity to speak to one of his dear
friends. "I'm quite well, actually, and yourself? I presume that you
are not calling just to chat," Wesley said, getting down to business.

"Well, actually, no," Angel admitted reluctantly. "The thing is, I
sort of have a problem. You remember Spike, don't you?"

Wesley thought for a moment, searching his memory for a face to put
with the vaguely familiar name. "Ah yes, Spike," Wesley
recollected. "That nasty fellow with the bleached hair and bad
attitude. Gives Brits like myself a bad name. Why do you ask?" he
asked his friend in concern.

"Well, we kind of...that is, we sorta...switched bodies," Angel
confessed finally. "We aren't really sure how, but we have got to
reverse it as soon as possible." He tried to convey the urgency of
their situation with his voice.

"I see," Wesley said slowly. "Very interesting." He walked over to
his rather large collection of books, searching for just the right
one. "Well, I must research this, of course, but I will get back to
you as soon as possible. Don't worry, Angel," Wesley added. "We will
certainly find a remedy to this situation. With that, Wesley hung up
and immediately began pouring over his books.

Spike had been pacing back and forth like a caged animal the whole
time that Angel had been on the phone. The minute that Angel hung up,
Spike was firing questions at him a mile a minute. "Well, is the
wanker going to help us or not? 'Cause if he's not, then bugger him!
Probably won't want to help because I'm involved. Well he can just
sod off! Unless he his going to help us. Does he know what caused
this?" Spike asked, rambling on and on until Angel finally held up a
hand to silence him

"Enough," Angel growled irritably. "Wes is going to help us in any
way he can. He is researching our options as we speak. Trust me, if
anybody will come through, it's Wes." Angel had complete faith in his
friend, he really did. He just wished that he would *hurry*. He
didn't know how much more of Spike he could take. "Why don't you just
sit down and quit ranting like you are a crazy person?" Angel
snapped, earning a dirty look from Spike. "All of your pacing isn't
going to do us a bit of good. We just have to wait until Wesley..."
Just then, Angel's cell phone rang, interrupting him in mid-sentence.
For a moment, the two vampires just stared at each other, wondering
what Wesley had found out. Neither dared to say that they feared it
could not be reversed.

"Well, answer the bloody thing," Spike yelled finally, causing Angel
to snap to attention. Angel flipped the phone open, listening for a
long moment. He remained silent for the majority of the conversation.
Finally he thanked Wesley and hung up the phone. "Well, what did he
say?" Spike asked anxiously.

"He said that he had no way of knowing what caused this, but that he
did find a spell that can reverse it. It is kind of a cure-all for
all kinds of body switching spells. There's only one little problem,"
Angel said, taking a deep breath. "We have to collect all of the
ingredients."

"Yeah, so?" Spike asked, looking at Angel as if he were touched in
the head. "Big deal. We'll just go down to the Magic Box and get what
we need."

"It's not that simple," Angel told him in a grave voice. Nothing ever
is, he thought bitterly to himself. "Most of the ingredients are just
your everyday things, except for one." Angel paused, not believing
his incredibly bad luck. "We have to have the jewel of a Mohra
demon." Spike looked at him hopelessly, shaking his head. Both of the
vampires knew that even with their enhanced vampiric strength, it was
going to be extremely difficult to kill a Mohra demon, and even more
difficult to keep its jewel intact. "Don't give me that look," Angel
snapped, trying to fight the panic that was trying to force its way
to the surface. "We are not giving up. We are going to get that
jewel, and we are going to fix this thing. There is an old salt mine
about thirty minutes outside of town. Mohra demons need salt to
survive, so I'm betting that is the place to find one. Wesley gave me
the spell. Now all we have to do is get the jewel."

Spike looked at Angel solemnly. He knew that the task was more than
dangerous, it was damned near impossible, but there wasn't anything
he wasn't willing to do for Buffy. Both of them loved her too much to
let her go. They couldn't go on with this charade any longer. It
wasn't fair to keep deceiving her like this. "We'll take my car to
the Magic Box. Anya is always there late, trying to squeeze the last
dollar out of some poor fellow. Then it is on to the salt mine. What
will you tell Buffy?" he asked.

"*You* will tell her that I have to go to LA tonight and won't be
back until tomorrow. That will give us plenty of time to get the
jewel and do the spell," Angel told him, handing Spike the phone. As
Spike made the call, Angel said a silent prayer to whatever power
would listen. He couldn't lose Buffy. She was all he had. Spike
finished the conversation with Buffy, saying goodbye and flipping the
phone closed. He tossed it back to Angel, grabbing his coat off of
the back of a chair.

"Right then," Spike said grimly. "Let's go." With that the two
vampires got into Spike's car and headed for the Magic Box. They were
both silent through the entire trip. Finally, they made it to the
Magic Box. Funny how the fifteen minutes that it took to get there
seemed like an eternity. A bell tinkled merrily as Spike and Angel
marched into the store. The store appeared deserted at first, until
Anya popped up from behind the counter, causing the two to jump back
in surprise. "Anya, you are going to give someone a heart attack one
of these days doing that shit," Spike growled at her.

Anya gave him a dry look. "Not likely to be either of you two," she
said bluntly. "Now, patrons, what can I do to get your money?"

Spike rolled his eyes at her social ineptness. "You know, she may
truly be socially retarded," Spike muttered under his breath.

"We need everything on the list," Angel replied, completely ignoring
Spike's remark. He didn't know which one was more annoying...Anya or
Spike.

Anya smiled broadly, scanning over the list. "Some of these items are
very expensive," she said brightly. She scurried into the back to
collect the things they needed, while Spike wondered around,
pocketing things that caught his fancy.

"Stop that," Angel scolded him. "If she catches you, she's going to
blame it all on me." Spike just shot him a nasty smile and pocketed
some sort of talisman. It wasn't long before Anya came back, her arms
full of magical ingredients. She dumped them onto the counter,
ringing up each one carefully and then tossing it into the bag. "Hey,
be careful with that stuff," Angel protested. "We need everything in
one piece, and I'm sure that with as much as you are going to charge
us, you can take an extra second to be careful." Anya just shot him a
haughty look that clearly said "I am the store owner, thank you very
much" and went about her business. Finally, she hit the total button.
Spike let out a low whistle when she told them the total, but Angel
just threw a wad of cash on the counter at her and collected the bag
of supplies.

"Thank you for your money!" she called out happily after them as they
walked out the door. As big of a pain as Anya had been, they knew
that this had been the easy part. As they drove the thirty minutes it
took to get to the old abandoned salt mine, each was lost in his own
thoughts of Buffy. Each wondered if they would ever see her again.

Finally, the car rolled to a stop outside the rundown looking mind,
gravel crunching under the tires. The place was spooky, managing to
send chills down even Spike's spine. Spike grabbed the bag of weapons
that he always carried in the trunk, while Angel made sure that he
had the bag full of supplies. They didn't need any source of light
because of their vampiric ability to see in the dark. Together, they
walked cautiously and quietly into the mine. As they made their way
deeper and deeper into the mine without any signs of a Mohra demon,
both began to lose hope. Just as Spike opened his mouth to suggest
that they turn back, they heard a strange growling from around a
corner. Angel was in the lead and so he peered around the corner,
motioning Spike to hold his position. Even in the dim light, he could
make out the green skin of the Mohra demon and the sparkling jewel in
its forehead. Angel turned back to Spike, nodding his head to let him
know that they had stumbled upon what they had been looking for.
Spike moved to get a look for himself when he caught a rock with the
toe of his boot, sending him crashing to the ground. The weapons
spilled out of the bag, making a tremendous noise. The demon turned,
spotting them immediately, baring its teeth at them.

"Oh shit," Spike said, looking up from his position on the floor.
Angel shot him an angry glare before taking a defensive stance as the
demon charged. Spike crawled over to where the weapons had scattered,
throwing a sword to Angel. He himself took an axe and sprang back up
on his feet. "Don't damage the jewel," Spike shouted, as if Angel
could forget. Angel would have retorted if he hadn't been busy
ducking out of the demon's way and planting his sword in its back.
The demon howled in pain, staggering into a wall before slumping to
the floor. "Well, that was easy enough," Spike said gratefully. He
turned to get a knife to remove the jewel when the demon reared up
behind him, the sword still planted in its back. Spike whirled
around, swinging at the monster with his axe. Unfortunately, he
missed, striking the wall instead.

Angel saw that Spike was in need of a hand and descended upon the
demon, pouring all of his worry and all of his fury into the attack.
Side by side, the two vampires fought the demon. Spike did manage to
lop one of the creature's arms off with his axe, but not before it
slashed at his face with its claws, leaving a deep gash. Angel was
finally able to cut the demon down for good, but not before earning
his own battle wounds. They removed all of the demon's limbs, just in
case, and set to work, carefully removing the precious jewel from the
demon's forehead. When it was all over, they had the jewel, but they
were pretty beat up and covered in the creature's strange glowing
blood.

Spike swiped his hand across his forehead, feeling a strange
sensation. He leaned against the wall for balance. Angel looked at
him curiously, wondering what his problem was. "Angel, I feel very
strange," Spike told him weakly. "I think...I think my heart is
beating."

Part 12

Angel was about to yell at Spike about how this was no time to play
around when the same strange feeling hit him. He could feel it. His
heart was beating. Both of them slumped to the floor, leaning against
the mine walls for support. Organs that hadn't worked for centuries
were now active, and it was an odd feeling. "I don't understand
what's happening," Spike said quietly. He was afraid, and yet he
didn't know why. Maybe it was because he hadn't been very good at
being human *before* he became a vampire. Now, after centuries, he
didn't even remember how to be human anymore.

Angel sat in silence for a moment, mulling over the
situation. "Wesley mentioned that the Mohra demon's blood is
regenerative. If their blood mixed with ours, then maybe it made us
human again." It seemed far fetched, but it was the only explanation
that he could come up with. Suddenly it hit him...he was human again!
He could be with Buffy, give her children and a normal life. He could
go out into the sun again and feel the warmth on his face. "Spike, we
have to do this spell right now. I have to go and tell Buffy," Angel
said excitedly.

Spike looked at him for a moment with great sadness. He knew that it
was inevitable now that Angel and Buffy would be together forever.
And he...he would be all alone until he died a cold, lonely
death. "Alright," he said reluctantly. He knew that he could always
refuse to switch thier bodies back, but in the end Buffy would find
out and hate him even more than she probably already did. "Let's get
on with it," he grumbled.

Angel grabbed the bag of magical supplies. First, he made a
traditional protection circle with salt. Inside of the circle, he
drew a pentagram with some sort of red sand. In the center of the
circle, he placed the skull of some sort of creature that he couldn't
identify, an orb of Anassis, and a small amulet with ancient Celtic
inscriptions. He brought his boot down hard on the objects, crushing
them and grinding them into a fine powder with his boot. "Seems like
kind of a waste of money if you are just gonna crush it all," Spike
commented. He received a sharp look from Angel. It seemed kind of
bizarre to Angel, too, but Wesley had given his specific
instructions. Next, he took the several bags of herbs and mixed them
with some sort of strange elixir that Anya had given them. It made
sort of a greenish paste.

"Get over here, Spike. We're almost ready," Angel called to him. He
took the precious gem that they had pried out of the Mohra demon's
forehead and placed it in the middle of what was left of the crushed
artifacts. Spike stood on the outside of the circle. Angel walked
over to him, opening up the bag and offering some of the paste to
Spike.

"Oh no, I'm not eatin' that," Spike objected, holding his hands
up. "Now that we are human again, it might kill us."

"You are *going* to eat this paste," Angel told him in a warning
tone. He dipped a finger in the bag and then put some of the paste in
his mouth. "See, didn't kill me," Angel told him. The paste hadn't
killed him, but it tasted like shit. Finally, Spike relented and ate
some of the paste also.

"You didn't tell me this stuff tasted like rot," Spike said, gagging
at the nasty taste. Angel just shrugged, smirking at him from the
other side of the circle. "So what do I have to do?" Spike asked
sullenly. He didn't like having to work with Angel one little bit.
They might both be human now, but that didn't make their hatred for
each other any less great.

"Just sit where you are," Angel said, taking a seat also. Spike
followed his instructions, sitting down on the place where he
stood. "We have to be inside the circle for this to work," Angel told
him. They scooted forward until both of them were sitting just inside
the circle on opposite sides. "Good. Now close your eyes and
concentrate." They both closed their eyes and Angel began to recite
the words to the spell, which had memorized on the way to the mine.
He chanted them over and over until he felt something begin to
happen. The air seemed to suddenly shift somehow. He opened his eyes,
still chanting in a strong, clear voice. The jewel in the center of
the circle was glowing a bright red, shooting streams of red light
against the walls of the mine. The light touched both Spike and Angel
at the same time, and each could feel the paste they swallowed start
to react inside their bodies. The dust from the crushed artifacts
began to swirl in the center of the circle. Then suddenly the dust
filled the room, mixing with the red light, making it impossible to
breath or see. The earth shook as the jewel seemed to explode in the
middle of the circle, the force sending both men falling to the
floor. Both Angel and Spike blacked out then as the mine's entrance
began to cave in, essentially burying them alive in the mine.

Buffy couldn't sleep. She hadn't be able to sleep all night. All she
did was toss and turn for hours, thinking about how weird both Angel
and Spike had acted earlier that day. She didn't know what was wrong
with them. She didn't know what was wrong with *her*. How could she
have given in to Spike the way she had? Sure, she had definite
feelings for him, but she *loved* Angel. You couldn't be in love with
two people at the same time, could you? No! she told herself
forcefully. This was ridiculous. She didn't *love* Spike. Angel was
her first and only love, and she would always love him, and him only.
She had just been a little confused, that's all. Spike had taken her
completely by surprise by kissing her like that. And what a kiss it
had been.

Stop that! she told herself. She had to get that kiss off of her
mind. Her guilt would never let her get any sleep tonight. She was
just making herself crazy. She flung back ehr covers in frustration,
swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She glanced at her alarm
clock beside her bed. It was *really late*. Too late to call Willow.
She decided to just go out and patrol. Her mother hadn't come home
that night, thankfully, so she wasn't afraid of getting caught
sneaking out. She pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail,
throwing on a sweatshirt over her plain white t-shirt and pulling on
some tennis shoes. She glanced at herself in the mirror. She decided
that the evil undead of Sunnydale wouldn't think any less of her if
she just left her pajama bottoms on. Shrugging, she climbed out of
her window and hopped off of the roof.

A good fight was exactly what she needed to get her mind off of
things, she told herself. The truth was that Spike's kiss still
burned in her memory, scorched there forever. The memory made her
panties damp the more she thought about it. She was ashamed of
herself, but she couldn't help it. She thought back to her
conversation with Willow earlier that evening. Even though Willow was
Jewish, she and Buffy always exchanged Christmas presents. It was mid-
November already, almost time for the shopping season to kick off,
and Willow had asked her what she wanted for Christmas. How about the
occasional fling with Spike, and for Angel to be okay with it, she
thought, smirking to herself. She would scold herself for her lustful
thoughts later. Now, she entertained the delicious idea of having
both of the sexy vampires in her bed. She shivered at the thought of
their cool lips on her skin, sucking and licking her while she begged
them never to stop. She imagined the three of them pleasuring each
other simultaneously. I bet it wouldn't be the first time Spike
sucked dick, she thought to herself, smiling. She imagined snuggling
up between the two of them in bed, laying her head on Angel's smooth,
strong chest while Spike spooned her from behind. If wished only came
true, she thought, sighing. Who was she kidding? The two males
couldn't be in the same room with each other for more than two
minutes without wanting to rip each other to shreds.

She was so deep in her thoughts that her Slayer senses almost didn't
pick up the figure hiding in the shadows, watching her stroll along.
Almost. She stopped in her tracks, spinning to face her potential
attacker. "What do you want?" she called out, pissed off that her
fantasy had been interrupted. She couldn't help but be taken by
surprised when Drusilla emerged from the shadows, her long dress
trailing after her. She swayed to music that only she could hear as
she approached Buffy. "What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.
Drusilla hadn't been in town for quite a long time. Why would she
pick now to come back?

"Tsk, tsk, naughty little Slayer. I see what's in your heart. You
betray my Angel with your dirty little thoughts," Drusilla cooed in
her lilting voice. The blank look in her eyes was more than a little
creepy as she sauntered over closer to where Buffy stood.

"He's not *your* Angel," Buffy spat angrily. "He's mine and I would
never betray him." She couldn't help but blush. "But enough of this
chit chat. Not that it wasn't really great catching up with
you, 'cause it wasn't, but can we just fight now?" Buffy took a swing
at the female vampire, but Dru ducked out of the way quickly. Buffy
tried again, swinging her leg out into a spinning kick, but was again
blocked by Drusilla. Drusilla grabbed Buffy's leg, jerking her down
hard into the ground. Buffy landed hard on her stomach, knocking the
breath out of her. As quickly as she could, she turned over onto her
back and sprung up into a fighting stance. I must really be off my
game, she thought to herself.

"Such a nasty little one you are," Drusilla chided her. "I'm not here
to fight you, little Slayer. I'm here to help."

"Help me? That's a laugh," Buffy said sarcastically.

"Not help you, silly girl. I'm here to help my Angel and my Spike.
They are in danger," she said in a hushed voice.

Buffy's heart clenched in her chest. A lump formed in her throat at
the thought of Angel and Spike being in trouble. She didn't trust
Drusilla, but fear made her question her anyway. "What kind of
trouble?" she asked fearfully. "And why should I believe you?"

Drusilla tilted her head back, holding her arms out wide. "Believe me
or not, but if you don't you will regret it. I care nothing for you
little girl, but I do care about my Daddy and my Childe. If you do
not help them, they will die, die, die," she sang, swaying back and
forth like a tree in the wind.

Fear gripped Buffy when she heard those words. "How do you know this,
Drusilla?" she asked, grabbing the vampire by her shoulders and
shaking her back to reality.

"Why, Miss Edith told me, of course," Drusilla said, her eyes wide
and innocent in her insanity.

When Angel awoke, he felt as if he had been beaten and broken. He
stumbled to his feet, squinting in the darkness of the mine. He no
longer possessed his vampiric preternatural vision. He saw a dark
figure lying in a heap several feet away that he knew must be Spike.
He walked over to his side, bending down and shaking him gently. He
was relieved to see that they were back in their rightful bodies.
Spike groaned loudly, but his eyes fluttered open and he struggled to
sit up, wincing in pain. "What the bloody hell happened?" he asked,
holding the back of his head gingerly. "And why do I feel like I've
been ran over by a semi?"

Angel stood, looking over at what used to be the entrance to the
mine. "Looks like our spell worked, but it must have caved in the
mine opening. We're stuck down here. And you feel like shit because
you are human now. That means bruises, bumps, and broken bones,"
Angel reminded him.

"Shit!" Spike said. "We're trapped down here and no one knows where
we are. Now that we have the grand gift of living again, we're
probably going to starve to death." He punched the wall angrily,
howling in pain as he brought his hand back, knuckles busted and
bleeding. "Fuck!"

Angel rolled his eyes at Spike's stupidity. Seemed like a waste of a
good soul to him. Then a thought occurred to him. "Um, Spike, do you
feel any different? I mean, other than the whole heart beating thing?
Because I don't think that you can be human without a soul. Well,
unless you are a lawyer."

Spike looked at him with a sad smile. "I've had my soul, mate, long
before this whole thing." Angel stared at him in surprise. Spike had
his soul back? "Don't you get it? I was redeemed the moment I started
loving the Slayer. I was an evil being, a monster who was not
supposed to feel love. But I love her. It's crazy but that's the way
it is. The minute I started loving Buffy Summers, I got my soul back."

"You mean you've had it all of this time? But...why didn't you tell
anyone? Why did you chose to go through it by yourself?" Angel asked
him. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Spike. It had been
hell...no, it had been worse than hell when he had regained his own
soul. All of those centuries of killing without mercy had all came
flooding back to him. He hit rock bottom and stayed there for a very
long time. Until he had first laid eyes on Buffy, that is. He pitied
Spike for having to go through that pain all alone. Angel had gone
through it alone, too, and there was no pain that was worse. "Why
didn't we know?" Angel asked. It was something he should have
noticed. Spike was the childe of his childe. He *should* have sensed
it.

"I didn't tell anyone because it didn't matter. What difference would
it have made? I was still a monster. Having a soul doesn't make you
good, Angel. We both know that. There are people who commit heinous
crimes everyday that have souls. I thought I could be good. I thought
that after all of the suffering that came with having my soul back
that I could change. And then I did that to Buffy. I came into her
window and took advantage of her. That makes me a monster, only this
time I am a monster with a soul. Big bloody difference," Spike said
sharply, pain in his eyes.

"I really should have killed you for that, you know," Angel told
him. "If I didn't think that you cared about her, that you were just
using her, I would have."

"Angel, this is about the last thing you are going to want to hear,
but I love her. I *love* her," Spike told him, sincerity in his
voice.

"I know that," Angel told him, fighting the urge to rip out Spike's
throat for saying those words. "And as much as I hate to admit it,
you are good for her sometimes. God knows that she needs all of the
love she can get with her bitch of a mother abusing her like she
does. Buffy needs as many people around her as possible that care
about her." It was very hard for Angel to admit. He wanted to hate
Spike for loving her, but how could he possibly blame him? Buffy was
everything that was good in the world. She was love and light and
sweetness and joy. He knew that he couldn't hold it against Spike.
Deep down, he also felt a pity for Spike, great sorrow that he hadn't
been there for him like he should have. In a way, Spike was Angel's
responsibility. They had been through a lot together, shared a lot of
things. More than Angel liked to remember. He looked at Spike with
regret. "Spike, I should have been there for you when you got your
soul back," Angel told him softly. "I'm sorry."

Spike shrugged, a little uncomfortable at the intimate moment he and
his grandsire were sharing. "Doesn't matter now, does it?" he said
gravely. "We're going to die down here."

Part 13

They had been sitting there for the past hour, not saying a word to
one another. Both were lost in their own thoughts. Angel couldn't
wait to get out of there and get to Buffy. Spike was pondering how
lonely and empty his life was. Angel looked over at the blonde
vampire with pity. He knew how much Spike cared about Buffy. His
heart really did go out to the other man. He couldn't imagine how
painful it would be to be in Spike's shoes. Angel had never been the
loser. He had always gotten the girl, and Spike had always sat back
and watched Angel take from him whatever he wanted. "Spike," Angel
said, breaking the long silence. Spike glanced up at him, seeming
startled. "Listen, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry that you
have to watch Buffy and I together. I know that it must be painful to
see the woman you love in the arms of another man," he told him.

Spike just kind of shrugged his shoulders, staring down at the
floor. "Not like it's the first time, mate. Been through it once
before, after all." Angel knew that Spike was referring to Drusilla.
Angel had made Drusilla what she was today. He had sired her, but not
before driving her completely insane. She had in turn sired Spike.
Spike had loved her for centuries, hopelessly devoted to his dark
princess. Drusilla, however, came running any time Angel crooked a
finger at her. She was always willing to let Angel do whatever he
wanted. Spike had always had to deal with the fact that no matter how
much he loved Drusilla, she would always leave him for Angel. He
loved her as much as Angel had loved using her, torturing her, and
fucking her. He had been Angelus then. It had been long ago, but the
memory and the pain still burned deep within Spike.

"I'm sorry about Dru, Spike, but I can't change the past," Angel told
him regretfully. "Things have been over between she and I for a long,
long time. Why aren't you with her now? What happened between you
two?"

It was a touchy subject for Spike. He had always been there for
Drusilla, through thick and thin. He had comforted her when Angel was
done torturing her. He nursed her back to health after the incident
with that mob in Prague. He would have laid down his life for her,
but... "She left me," he said simply. "She said that she could see
the Slayer all over me, that I was in love with her. She said I
wreaked of Buffy." He gave a bitter little laugh. "Crazy bint knew it
before I did."

Angel didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe that Drusilla
could just turn her back on Spike like that. He remembered a time
when they had all been a family. You didn't turn your back on family.
Then he realized that he was guilty of the same crime. All of these
months he had spent hating Spike, when he should have been there for
him. "I'm really sorry, Spike," Angel said sincerely. "I know that it
must be very hard on you."

Spike looked at him with the most peculiar expression on his
face. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? Except that she came to me a few
nights ago, begging me to take her back. She even went down on me,
but I resisted her. Do you know how incredible that is? That I could
resist a blow job from Drusilla?" Angel nodded his head. He knew very
well how talented Drusilla was. He was amazed that Spike had even
been able to think while she was down on him. She was a master at
what she did. After all, she'd had centuries to perfect her
techniques. "I told her I didn't love her anymore," Spike went
on. "Kicked her out of my place. I guess after all of these
centuries, I finally got over her, but I will never get over Buffy."

Hearing Buffy's name reminded Angel of something that Spike had
said. "Did you say that Drusilla was in Sunnydale a few nights ago?"
he asked Spike nervously. Spike nodded his head in confirmation. "You
don't think she'll go after Buffy do you?"

"Don't think so, mate. When I sent her on her way, she was pretty
shook up. Drusilla can't handle things very well. When she gets that
distraught, she can't function. She runs away and hides, sometimes
for days. I think Dru is probably long gone for now," Spike told him,
trying to ease Angel's mind.

"I still can't believe you said no to Dru," Angel said in awe. "You
must really love Buffy."

Spike rolled his eyes at Angel's stupidity. "Well, duh," he said in
exasperation. He leaned his head back against the wall, squeezing his
eyes shut. "A lot of good it's going to do me," he muttered under his
breath. "You probably fixed it to where she hates me now for sure."

Angel scooted over next to Spike. "I *did* want to see how Buffy felt
about you, so I kissed her. You would probably be happy to know that
she returned the kiss. She even let me go as far as unfastening her
bra before she stopped me. You know, Buffy cares about you very
much," he said softly. "She told me so herself...well, she thought
she was telling you, but that's besides the point. She really cares
about you. And so do I." Spike opened his eyes, gazing at Angel
intently. "Spike, we have shared so much in the past. This hatred we
have for each other is just hurting us, and it's ripping Buffy apart.
So the question I have to ask myself is, why do we still do it? Why
do we still hate each other so damn much? And the answer that I come
up with is that I don't hate you at all. I could never hate you,
William," Angel told him, stroking the side of Spike's face gently.

Tears sparkled in Spike's eyes. Angel never called him
William. "Sire?" he managed to choke out in a thick voice.

"No, Will. Not anymore. I'm not your sire anymore. We are human now.
I'm your equal now," Angel said. He leaned in close, brushing his
lips softly against Spike's. "If we get out of here, things are going
to be different," Angel promised, wiping Spike's tears away with his
thumb. "We are going to show Buffy just how much we *both* love her."

Spike looked at him with wide eyes. "You really mean that, don't
you?" he asked.

"I do," Angel told him seriously, putting his arm around Spike and
pulling him close. Spike rested his head on Angel's shoulder, feeling
loved for the first time in a long while. It was no longer about who
was better or who was the dominant one. It was all about love, for
each other and for Buffy. Maybe, just maybe, things were going to be
okay after all.

Buffy stared at Drusilla, not sure exactly what to think. One moment
the female vampire seemed lucid and rational, and the next she was
off in her own little world of madness. Buffy was nearly sick with
worry over Angel and Spike. She didn't have time to play around. She
needed to know if they were really in danger or not, and if they
were, how to help them. "Who the hell is Miss Edith?" Buffy asked
irritably.

Drusilla looked at her as if she were deeply stupid. "Miss Edith
knows all things, little Slayer. I know you doubt her. You think I
tell you lies, but I speak the truth," she said in her lilting voice.
She pulled a doll from behind her back, clutching it to her
chest. "Miss Edith does not lie. She tells me things, you see. But it
is not she alone who warns me of my boys' fate. The stars whisper it
to me, even as we speak. Do you hear them?" She put a hand up to her
ear, cupping it as if to hear more clearly. "Do you hear them, little
Slayer? Do you hear their warning?"

Anger and frustration boiled up within Buffy. She snatched the doll
away from Drusilla. Drusilla wailed pitifully. "Do you want Miss
Edith back, Drusilla?" Buffy asked her sharply. Drusilla continued to
weep, sinking to her knees. "Answer me!" Buffy shouted at her. "Do
you want Miss Edith back?" Drusilla looked up at her, nodding her
head slowly. "Then you tell me where the boys are," Buffy
demanded. "You tell me, or Miss Edith gets it."

Drusilla cried out like a wounded animal. "I don't know where they
are," she sobbed. "Please." Buffy looked down at the vampire, almost
feeling sorry for her. She really was like a child sometimes. She
tossed the doll back to Drusilla. Drusilla grabbed the doll,
clutching it to her chest and rocking back and forth. Buffy was
satisfied that she was telling her the truth and that she really
didn't know where the boys were. She was about to turn and walk away
when Drusilla called out to her. "They are in danger, little Slayer,
and you are the only one that can save them. Please, you have to save
them."

Buffy looked at Drusilla with pity. "Get out of town, Drusilla,
before I have to kill you." Then she turned and walked away. When she
made to the edge of the graveyard, she began to run as fast as she
could. She ran all the way to Giles' house, bending over to catch her
breath before pounding on his door. She gasped at the sharp pain in
her side caused by the exertion or sprinting all the way across town.
She pounded on the door until she saw a light come on inside the
house. After a moment, the front door swung open and Giles stood
there in his bathrobe, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He paled when
he saw the look on Buffy's face.

"Buffy, what is wrong?" he asked her in concern. "Please, come in and
I will make some tea. You can tell me all about it," he said,
stepping aside so that she could enter. She walked through the door,
turning to him immediately with tears in her eyes.

"Giles, it's Angel. I'm afraid that he is in danger," she cried.

"Buffy, sit down, please," Giles said, seeing her distress. He gently
guided her over to sit on his sofa. "Now, tell me why you think that
Angel is in danger."

"Well, I couldn't sleep so I decided to do a quick patrol. I ran into
Drusilla in the cemetery, and she told me that Angel and Spike were
in big trouble. She said that if I didn't find them, they could die,"
she said, her voice cracking on the last word. Giles handed her a box
of tissues, and she took one gratefully, blowing her nose.

"Drusilla is back in town?" Giles asked in concern. Buffy nodded at
him miserably. "Oh, dear. Buffy, what makes you so sure that Drusilla
is telling you the truth?"

"I-I don't know," Buffy told him honestly. "She just seemed so for
real. She really seemed worried about them, too. I don't know what
she is doing in town, but I do believe her on this one, Giles."

"Did she give you any clue as to where they could be?" Giles asked
her.

Buffy shook her head helplessly. "She said she didn't know. We have
to find them, Giles," she said tearfully, her face crumpling up.
Giles gave her a big hug, trying to think of some way to comfort her.
He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't rest, or let any of
them rest, until they had found Angel.

"Alright, Buffy, it's all going to be okay," he told her awkwardly.
He patted her back and then released her from him embrace. He stood
and walked quickly to the kitchen. She panicked for a moment,
thinking that he was actually going to make some tea. I don't have
time for tea, she thought anxiously. She was about to tell him so
when she heard his voice. Apparently he was on the phone with
someone. She heard him talk for a moment, unable to make out his
words. Then he reappeared in the living room. "I've called Willow and
everyone. They will be here as soon as possible. We will find them,
Buffy. I promise you."

"I hope so, Giles," she said softly, wiping away her tears. "I hope
so." She looked out the window. It would be dawn soon. Buffy wondered
how long they had been gone. She had this horrible feeling that if
she didn't find them soon, they were going to die. She couldn't bear
the thought of losing either one of them. The thought of losing both
of them at the same time was too unbearable to think about.

"I don't know about you, mate, but I'm gettin' a bit peckish," Spike
said, stretching his muscles. They had been stuck in the mine for
hours. Spike didn't know what time it was, but he assumed that it was
almost morning. When he was still a vampire, he could smell the sun
long before it rose. Now all he smelled was the damp, musky scent of
the old mine. Although he hadn't been human in a long time, he knew
that they could go for possibly days without food. However, soon they
were going to have to have water.

Angel paced back and forth, his own stomach growling loudly. He and
Spike had tried to dig their way out of the mine, but all they got
for it was cut up, bleeding hands. He didn't know how the hell they
were going to get out of here. Nobody knew where they were. They were
too far underground for him to use his cell phone. He was beginning
to fear that Spike was right and that they were never getting out of
here. At least not alive. Spike watched Angel pace, admiring the
grace and ease with which he moved. If they had to die down here, he
was at least glad that they wouldn't have to die alone. They would
die together.

"Do you think Buffy will worry about us?" Spike asked aloud.

Angel just shrugged. "She's probably still asleep. She probably won't
even miss us until tonight. I'm afraid that we have a long wait ahead
of us," he said grimly. This was torture. For centuries, they had
been forced to live in the shadows among the darkness. Now that they
could finally go out into the sun and enjoy its warmth on their
faces, they were trapped here.

"Maybe they will think to call Wesley," Spike suggested
hopefully. "And Anya knows that we were doing some kind of spell. We
bought the soddin' ingredients from her. Surely they are intelligent
enough to put the pieces together. I'm sure we will be out of here by
tonight." He tried to sound confident, but inside he was drowning in
despair. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a pack of
cigarettes. "Want a smoke, mate?" Spike offered, holding out the pack
to Angel.

"Those things will kill you, you know," Angel told him. Spike looked
at him in amusement. "Give me those," Angel said, grabbing them from
Spike. Angel had never been a smoker, but as soon as he lit up the
cigarette and took a drag, he felt a little better. He took out his
wallet, staring at the picture of Buffy that he carried in his
wallet. Tears came to his eyes as he realized that he might not ever
see her again. She was the only love that he had ever known. Sure,
he'd had a special fondness for other people in his life, but nothing
had ever come close to what he felt for Buffy. The only relationship
that could ever hope to even come close was the one he'd had with
Spike. "I'd give anything to be able to hold her one last time," he
told Spike, his voice cracking slightly. "I'd give it all back...my
soul, my humanity, my very life. Without her, I am nothing."

"You'll get to see her again," Spike reassured him. "There is nothing
that girl wouldn't do for you." Somewhere in the back of his mind, he
wondered how Buffy would react to all of this, if they ever got out
of here that is. How would she react to the idea of being shared by
Angel and him? Would she be okay with it? Would she be grossed out by
the thought of he and Angel together? Well, it was all too soon to
worry about. After all, there was no guarantee that they were going
to make it out alive. Still, the thought of a new relationship with
both Buffy and Angel gave him something to hope for. That was more
than he had come here with, more than he had ever hoped for.

Part 14

Buffy sat quietly, sipping the tea Giles had made for her while she
waited for her friends to get there. Willow and Tara were the first
ones to ring the doorbell. Willow immediately walked past Giles and
sat down beside Buffy, wrapping her friend up in a warm, comforting
hug. "Oh, Buffy, don't worry," Willow told her reassuringly. "We'll
find them. You know those two. We will probably be able to hear them
yelling at each other a mile away." Buffy smiled faintly at her
friend's words. She knew that she was probably right. Willow pulled a
quilt off of the back of Giles' couch, wrapping around Buffy's
shoulders. "Let me get you some more tea," the redhead offered,
taking Buffy's mug. As she was walking into the kitchen, the doorbell
rang again. This time it was Xander and Anya.

"I don't know why I had to come," Anya was complaining loudly. "I
already told you everything I know. You could have came here and told
them and let me sleep." Xander's lips were pressed together so
tightly that they were white. None of the others understood how he
could stand to even be around Anya, let alone live with her.

"I told you already, honey, they need to hear it from you," he told
her, strain in his voice. He drug her into the living room and
plopped down on the other end of the couch, propping his feet up on
the coffee table.

"Do you mind?" Giles asked in disdain. Xander immediately set his
feet down on the floor, sending Giles a sheepish look. The librarian
simply looked at him as if he were the worst mannered person he had
ever met in his life. "Did you say that Anya knows something about
the whereabouts of Angel and Spike?" Giles asked in his clipped
British accent.

"They came into the Magic Box right before it closed. They had a big
list of supplies," Anya began reluctantly. "I got them everything
they needed, took their money, and that was it. It's not like I
kidnapped them or *saw* anybody kidnap them, so I don't understand
why I have to be here." She crossed her arms over her chest, sitting
back huffily.

"Do you remember what they bought?" Buffy asked Anya anxiously. She
was more than a little put out with Anya's reluctance to help them
find Angel and Spike. Her tone held a warning that Xander recognized
well. She was losing patience fast, and Anya was about to push her
too far.

"Um, Anya, why don't you show them that invoice that you brought with
you," Xander said quickly, shooting Buffy an apologetic look.
Sometimes Anya was more than he could deal with. He knew that she
tried hard to fit in with everyone, but she was just so selfish
sometimes. He had barely been able to get her to agree to come along,
even when he had told her that it could mean life or death for Angel
and Spike. Xander snatched the invoice out of her hand and handed it
over for Giles to examine. Giles took it, going over the list with
great care. Finally, he looked up at everyone, worry etched across
his face.

"I'm afraid that I can't tell what kind of spell they may have been
attempting to do with these objects. However, I can tell you that
some of these objects are very expensive, although relatively common"
he said, his voice filled with concern. He handed the list to
Willow. "Willow, why don't you see if you can make anything of this?
And Buffy, do try to think. Do you have any idea what kind of spell
they could have been trying to cast?"

Buffy wrinkled her forehead in thought, while Willow studied the list
intently. "I have no idea," Buffy told Giles in frustration. "I have
no clue what those two could have been up to. How bout you, Will?
Recognize anything that might help?"

Willow looked up from the paper, shaking her head in despair. "I'm
getting nothing. Ooh, but you know who may know?" she said
excitedly. "Wesley. I mean, if Angel and Spike wanted to cast a
spell, they would probably have to go to somebody for just the right
one. Let's face it, neither one of them are exactly wizards. If they
didn't come to Giles or to me, my guess is that they went to the next
best source." She sat back, a pleased smile on her face. Buffy turned
hopeful eyes toward Giles.

"Yes, well, I will make the call," Giles offered. He stood up to walk
into the kitchen, patting Buffy on the shoulder in a comforting
gesture. He didn't know how Wesley was going to react to a call from
him. They had gone their separate ways after the whole graduation
battle and had not really kept in touch at all. It wasn't that the
two men disliked each other...well, actually it was. He grabbed his
telephone directory off of the kitchen counter, flipping through it
quickly. Then, without hesitation, he dialed Wesley's number. There
was no time for hesitation at a time like this. The phone rang only
twice before Wesley answered.

"This is Pryce," he said in a crisp British accent.

"Wesley, hello. This is Giles. I'm afraid we have a situation here,
and we could certainly use your help," Giles said in an urgent tone.

"Rupert," Wesley said in surprise. He couldn't believe that the older
Watcher was calling upon him for his assistance. "Well, I will
certainly do all I can to help. What is the problem?"

"It's Angel," Giles said, wasting no time on pleasantries. "I'm
afraid that he is missing and that he might be in grave danger. The
last time anyone saw him, he was buying supplies at the Magic Box. I
don't suppose you know anything about his whereabouts?"

Wesley paused for a moment, trying to decide how to answer. It was
obvious to him that Angel had come to him because he had no one else
to turn to. Wesley seriously doubted that his vampiric friend would
want to his friends in Sunnydale to know exactly what was going
on. "Well, I did speak with him just this evening...or should I say
last night. He did mention doing some sort of spell, but I'm afraid
that he didn't specify which spell exactly. However, he did mention
that he needed the jewel from a Mohra demon."

"A Mohra demon?" Giles echoed in alarm. Mohra demons were extremely
dangerous creatures. He wondered exactly what kind of spell Angel and
Spike were attempting to cast. Whatever it was, it must be very
important for them both to take such a great risk. "If I'm not
mistaken, Mohra demons need salt to survive, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct," Wesley answered. "Mohra demons do indeed tend
to gravitate to salty environments for just that reason."

"Well, then, I suppose we have a lot of ground to cover, considering
there are miles of shoreline around here," Giles said wearily. "Thank
you for your help, Wesley."

"Happy to be of assistance," Wesley said. "Oh, and by the way,
Rupert, please do let me know when you find Angel. He is a dear
friend of mine. I shall rest a lot easier once I know he is alright."

"Of course, I understand," Giles assured Wesley. "Good-bye then." He
hung up the phone and leaned against the counter for support. There
was so much ground to cover that he feared they might never find
Angel and Spike. He opened the cupboard and took out a bottle of
Scotch, pouring himself a glass full. He sipped it slowly, letting
the liquor burn its way down his throat. He knew Buffy would be
absolutely devastated if they did not find the two vampires, and he
also knew that losing Angel would mean losing a very important
champion for the powers of good. He looked up when he heard light
footsteps. Buffy stood there in the doorway, looking at him with
bright, hopeful eyes.

"Did Wesley know anything?" she asked anxiously. She felt the seconds
ticking away even as they spoke. She couldn't explain why, but she
just knew that if they didn't hurry, Angel and Spike wouldn't make
it. She had this sense that something had went wrong, that they
needed her. She had every intention in the world of finding them.

"Well, yes, he did have a little information that might prove
helpful," Giles said hesitantly. He really did not want to get her
hopes up too much when the situation might be hopeless. "He said that
Angel called him late last night about a spell, but he didn't say
what kind. He was looking for a Mohra demon. These particular demons
need salt to survive..."

"Great!" Buffy interrupted. "I mean, that's great, right? Now we can
narrow down the search."

"Buffy, I must warn you that these demons are particularly vicious.
It will be no easy task to defeat them if they stand in your way,"
Giles cautioned her.

She looked at him with fiery determination flashing in her eyes. "If
they stand in the way of me getting to Angel and Spike, then they are
in for an ass kicking of a lifetime," she told him. "We have to tell
the others so that we can start searching...well, where is the best
place to search?"

"I would have to say that checking down by the docks and any other
place near the ocean would be a good starting point," he told her.

"Gotcha," she said, turning and heading into the living room to share
the new information with her friends. She felt her spirits lift a
bit. Even if there *were* miles of ground to cover, she wouldn't rest
until she found Angel and Spike. She *would* find them.

Angel watched as Spike paced back and forth anxiously. "I don't think
I can stand much more of this," Spike told him nervously. "I think I
might go insane before we get out of here. No food, no water, no
cigarettes..." he grumbled, scuffing his boots against the stone
floor of the mine.

"You know, if you weren't such a chain smoker, you would still have
half a pack," Angel reminded him.

"Really? Oh thank you for the great wisdom, wise one," Spike said
sarcastically. "Think you can have some kind of revelation as to how
to get the bloody hell out of here?" He sighed, wrapping his arms
around himself for warmth. He didn't know how deep underground they
were, but it sure was cold. Angel noticed that Spike was shivering.
He walked over to the other man, wrapping his arms around him tightly.

"We may not have food, water, or cigarettes," he said gently," but we
do have body heat." It seemed so odd to Angel to need warmth. Sure,
he had always liked the warmth. It was one of the many things that he
loved about Buffy. He loved it when she wrapped her tiny body around
his, snuggling up against his. Her warmth was comforting. It had made
him feel alive again. Now it was more than just a craving, however.
Now it was a necessity to live.

Spike allowed himself to relax in Angel's arms. He felt so tired and
helpless. He was afraid they were never getting out of here. It
didn't seem fair. He actually had a shot at a normal, happy life now.
He had a shot of having a relationship with Buffy. It was finally all
coming together and then this happened. He shoved his hands in his
pockets in frustration. He closed his hand around something, pulling
it out to see what it was. "Hey, Peaches, at least we can build a
fire," he said, holding up his lighter triumphantly.

"Um, Spike, we don't exactly have any firewood," Angel said curtly,
trying not to let Spike's name-calling bother him.

"Nooo, but we do have pieces of wood lying around here from the cave-
in," Spike pointed out, gesturing to splintered pieces of support
beams that had once held up the ceiling. Both men busied themselves
with gathering up pieces of the wood and forming a pile. They decided
to concentrate on building a fire to get their minds off of their
grim situation. Finally, they stood back, looking at the blazing fire
with pride. "See what working together can do?" Spike said. He
watched as the orange flames licked hungrily at the dry wood,
wondering where the hell the Slayer was when you needed her.

Buffy trudged back to Giles' house with a heavy heart. She had spent
hours searching every nook and cranny at the docks for some sign of
Angel and Spike. She had found absolutely nothing. She just hoped
that the others had had better luck than she did. They had divided up
all the territory that needed to be covered among themselves. The
others were in charge of searching the beaches while Buffy took on
the more dangerous task of searching the docks. When she opened the
front door of the librarian's house, she found that all of the others
had already made it back. She looked at them, desperately searching
their faces for any indication that they had found the vampires or
even a clue as to where they were. "Did you guys find anything?" she
asked anxiously. They all shook their heads sadly. No one had found
anything.

"Sorry, Buff, but we searched everywhere. No Angel or Spike to be
seen," Xander told her gently. She tried hard not to let her
disappointment show, but then she realized it was no use. She was
among friends who knew her better than anyone in the world...except
Angel, of course. It wasn't like they couldn't tell that she was
completely crushed by the news...or the lack thereof, in this case.
She allowed her tears to flow freely down her cheeks as she stood
there staring at them in total despair.

"Oh, Buffy," Willow cried, standing up and going over to give her
friend a big hug. "Don't give up yet. We still may find-"

"Of course!" Giles exclaimed, cutting Willow off in mid-sentence. "I
don't know why I didn't think of this earlier." He stood up from his
desk where he had been conducting research while the others had been
searching for Angel and Spike. He held up an old, dusty looking
book. "This is the answer I have been looking for. I have been
reading this book on the history of Sunnydale. Apparently, there is
an old salt mine about thirty minutes outside of town. It was closed
down some twenty years ago and has been abandoned ever since. It
sounds like an ideal place for Mohra demons to make a nest. If I had
to guess, I would say that Angel and Spike are at that mine, or at
the very least, have been there." He let out a grunt as Buffy threw
her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, Giles, you are the best. I don't know what I would do without
you," she said gratefully. She looked at her friends with a sparkle
of hope in her eyes. "Come on, guys, our search isn't over yet."
Willow and Tara quickly gathered up some medical supplies in case
they needed them while Xander gathered some weapons, trying to
suppress a groan. He resented having to work this hard to save Angel
and Spike. He personally didn't care if they never found them. He
hated those guys, both of them. In his eyes, they were evil monsters,
unworthy of Buffy's attention. Deep down his resentment toward Angel
laid in the fact that Buffy looked at him in a way that she would
never look at Xander. It was a whole unrequited love thing. And
Spike...well, he didn't really need a reason to dislike Spike. He
just did.
Finally, everybody was ready to go. They all piled into Xander's car
and headed on their way. The next thirty minutes were filled with
silence. Buffy was sure that everyone could hear her heart pounding
in her chest. She said a silent prayer as they drove along that she
would find Angel and Spike alive and well. It was late afternoon, and
there were only a few hours of sunlight left. They had been gone for
almost twenty-four hours, at least as far as Buffy could tell.
Something must have happened to them, something bad. A spell didn't
take that long to cast. As they pulled up in front of the mine, Buffy
immediately spotted Spike's car. There was no Angel or Spike to be
seen. "This is it!" Buffy practically yelled in her excitement. "They
must be here. That is Spike's car...well, if you can call that a car."

Xander screeched to a halt, sending gravel flying in every direction.
Everyone piled out immediately, looking around everywhere for any
signs of the two males. Buffy's heart sank. They *had* to be
here. "Angel?" she shouted in a panicked voice. "Spike? Where are
you?" She was near hysterics. Giles grabbed her by the shoulders,
shaking her firmly to try and snap her out of it.

"Buffy!" he shouted at her. She looked at him with tear filled
eyes. "These mines run deep beneath the earth," he said more
gently. "There is no way to know how deep within the mine they are."
He turned to Xander and Willow. "Get the flashlights," he instructed
them. "We have to look for them in the mine." He opened the back door
of the car, reaching in to grab a bag containing a multitude of
weapons. He handed a sword to Buffy. "You may very well need this,
Buffy," he told her in a grave tone. "Don't forget, these Mohra
demons are very dangerous. They may be hiding around the next corner,
so keep your guard up."

"Don't worry, Giles," she told him confidently. "I'll be fine. I have
to. Angel's and Spike's lives may depend on it, and I won't let them
down. I know they would do the same thing for me."

Part 15

It seemed like that had been exploring the mine for hours, making
their way deeper and deeper into the bowels of the mine. The mine was
dark and damp, and their flashlights casted eerie shadows on the
wall. The place was really creepy, and Willow shivered unconsciously.
Tara took her hand and gave it a squeeze to comfort her. Willow
smiled at her girlfriend gratefully. The group kept walking, sticking
together to prevent anyone from getting lost in the darkness.
Finally, they came upon a section of the mine that forked off into
two different directions. The group came to a halt, uncertain of
which path to take.

"They went this way," Buffy said after a moment, pointing to the
right. She started down the path, but Xander put a restraining hand
on her shoulder.

"How can you be so sure?" Xander asked her in bewilderment. He
*really* didn't want to get lost in this mine. If you got past the
cold and possible starvation, he would be stuck in very close
quarters with Anya until either he starved to death or just killed
himself out of misery. This whole Angel/Spike thing had really put
his and Anya's relationship in perspective. He had come to realize
that he couldn't stand her. She was so selfish that he was certain if
it would have been him that was missing and possibly in grave danger,
she wouldn't have even rolled out of bed.

Buffy shined her flashlight down on the ground. "Cigarette butts,"
Buffy said, showing them the litter. "Angel and Spike must have come
through here." She led the way while the others followed her. They
walked a little farther when they discovered that the path was
blocked by a big pile of rocks. "Looks like the mine must have caved
in here," she said, shining her light over the rocks. She looked at
Giles with concern. "Do you think they are in there?" she asked. He
didn't answer right away, but she could tell by the expression on his
face that he shared her fear.

Angel awoke from his sleep groggily. I must have been dreaming, he
thought to himself. He could have sworn that he heard voices. It must
just have been wishful thinking. He tried to lay as still as possible
because Spike was asleep beside him, his head resting on his
shoulder. The mine was filled with a heavy silence. And then, he
heard it again. This time he was sure of it. He *definitely* had
heard voices. He nudged Spike gently. "Spike, wake up," he said
softly.

Spike groaned in protest, refusing to open his eyes. "Whaddya want?"
he growled irritably.

"Spike, listen! I hear voices on the other side of those rocks.
Someone is here," Angel told him urgently. Spike's eyes flew open and
he quickly sat upright. Both men stood up and walked over to the pile
of rocks blocking their way out. "Hello?" Angel called out. The
voices continued on the other side of the rocks. "Damn it!" Angel
said in frustration. "They can't hear me."

"Hey!" Spike shouted. "Can anyone hear me?" Both men began to shout
in unison, desperately trying to make themselves be heard. They began
to frantically pry away the rocks blocking their way out, ignoring
the pain that the jagged rocks caused their hands.

"Do you hear that?" Buffy asked, her heart in her throat. Silence
fell over them all as they strained to listen. Sure enough, two
voices could be heard through the wall, although they were so muffled
that no one could make out what they were saying. Buffy sucked in her
breath sharply. The voices were very familiar, and one of them was
distinctly British. "Ohmygod, it's them," she said in relief. "Angel!
Spike! Can you hear me?" she shouted. "We have to get them out of
there," she said, turning to her friends.

They all pitched in, digging through the rubble. The jagged edges cut
and torn at Buffy's hands, but she was like a woman possessed. Even
Anya pitched in to help clear the way. Finally, they cleared enough
of the rubble away for Buffy to be able to see the other side. What
she saw surprised her. Angel and Spike stood there together, and they
weren't glaring at each other. In fact, she didn't feel any of the
hostility that had been between them before. "Angel," she
breathed. "Spike...I'm so glad that we finally found you two."

Everyone worked together, Buffy and company working from the outside,
Angel and Spike working from the inside to clear the way. After what
seemed like hours, and it may have very well been hours, they finally
cleared away enough of the rubble for Angel and Spike to crawl out.
They both looked horrible. They were battered and bruised, hungry and
cold. "I think that they may be dehydrated," Willow said, looking
Angel and Spike over for injuries. "There's something different about
you two," she said after staring at them for a moment. Angel and
Spike exchanged amused looks. If only she knew the changes that they
had been through this past twenty-four hours.

Buffy flung her arms around Angel, burying her face in his chest. She
stood frozen for a moment before looking up at him with confusion in
her eyes. His heart was beating. If this was some kind of joke, it
was a cruel one. "Angel?" she asked. She lifted a hand to his face,
stroking his cheek gently. "You're warm," she whispered.

"I have a lot to tell you, Buffy," Angel said gently. "WE have a lot
to tell you." He looked over at Spike who stood with his hands shoved
deep into his pockets. She shifted her gaze to Spike. She saw the
change in him, too. There was more color in his face than
normal. "Buffy, love, something happened. We...we're human." Buffy
stared at Angel for a moment in complete shock before passing out.

"Buffy?" Willow asked softly, holding her blonde friend's head in her
lap. She was seated at the far end of a couch in the hospital waiting
room. Buffy was laying across the length of it, still unconscious.
The news had been startling to everyone, but obviously no one had
reacted as strongly as Buffy. She had fainted dead away. Xander had
to step in and catch her because Angel was too weak to keep her from
hitting the ground. They had immediately taken Angel and Spike to the
hospital to have them checked out. They hadn't appeared to be hurt,
but it never hurt to be sure. The doctor had decided to keep them
both in the hospital, at least overnight. Everyone else had been
dirty, tired, and cranky and so Willow had sent them all home,
volunteering to stay with Buffy until she decided to wake up. Willow
hadn't thought that she would be out so long, but she guessed that it
was just the shock of everything. She stroked Buffy's hair
gently. "Buffy?" she said again. "Are you ready to wake up?"

Buffy's eyelids fluttered open slowly as she took in her
surroundings. Willow was staring down at her with a concerned look on
her face. What had happened? Where was she? "It was all a dream,
wasn't it?" Buffy asked Willow sadly. "I just dreamed that we found
them, but we really didn't. You know what was really strange? I
dreamed that they were human again. Isn't that weird?" She sat up
slowly, trying to get her bearings. "Uh, Will, why are we in the
hospital?" She blanched as soon as the words were out of her mouth, a
look of horror covering her face. Tears began to well up in her
eyes. "Oh god. They're dead, aren't they? We were too late. But...why
would we be in the hospital?" Buffy asked in confusion. "Shouldn't
they be just a pile of dust?"

"Whoa, whoa, one question at a time!" Willow said, holding up her
hands defensively. "First off, it wasn't a dream. We found Angel and
Spike, and they are just *fine* so quit worrying for a second. And
they are human, although I don't quite know how yet. We are at the
hospital because everyone thought it would be a good idea to let the
doctors check them out to make sure everything was okay," Willow
explained calmly. "They were both pretty hungry and dehydrated, but
other than a few scrapes and bruises, that is about the worst of it.
They are being held overnight for observation and to get a little
fluid in their systems."

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, Will, you don't know how happy
I am to hear that," Buffy said, her tears starting to fall now. She
had been so afraid that she was going to lose them both
forever. "Where are they?" she asked anxiously. "Can I see them?"

Willow smiled happily at her best friend. She was so happy for Buffy
that everything had worked out. "Sure," she said. "They are right
down the hall. Angel is in room 122, and Spike is in room 123." She
pointed down the hall toward the direction of their rooms. "Do you
want me to stick around in case you need a ride home or something?"
the redhead offered.

"Nah, you go on home," Buffy told her. She gave Willow a big hug,
kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Will. I don't know how
I would have gotten through this without you." She gave her friend a
little wave and then headed down the hallway to see Angel and Spike.
She found the door that said 122 on the outside and pushed it open
quietly. Her heart dropped to her feet when she saw how bruised and
haggard he looked. She had been so overcome with joy to find him
alive that she hadn't noticed the big knot on his head or the ugly
scratches on his arms. He laid there with his eyes closed on the
white hospital sheets, looking smaller than she had ever seen him.
She tiptoed over to his bed, trying not to disturb him if he was
asleep. He opened his heavy-lidded eyes, sensing her presence.

"Buffy," he said so quietly that she almost didn't hear him. She
walked over to stand beside him, taking one of his large hands in her
own tiny ones. There was an IV in his hand, so she took it gingerly,
careful to not cause him any more pain. When she took his hand, she
was struck by warm it was. Feeling any kind of body heat from Angel
seemed unfamiliar at best. "I-I'm glad your here," Angel whispered
weakly.

Buffy tried to smile bravely for him. "Where else would I be? Don't
you know that I would walk through fire for you, Angel?" she asked
him, her voice filled with love. Inside, she was a mess of jumbled up
emotions. She was so relieved that she had found him and that he was
alright. She was surprised and confused by his heart beating again,
and she was scared of what it might mean. "Do you want to tell me
what happened?" she asked him softly, trying not to let her voice
betray what she was feeling.

"We were just going to do a little spell...one that would reconcile
the differences between us," he lied smoothly. "We knew that we were
hurting you by fighting all the time. We thought that if we could do
the spell then everything would be okay. We had to have the jewel of
a Mohra demon. It took both Spike and me to kill it, but we got cut
up pretty bad in the process. Mohra demons are regenerative. Its
blood mixed with our own, and that's when we became human again. We
were just starting to do the spell when the mine caved in."

"So let me get this straight. You mean that you two bozos went
through all of that trouble just so you wouldn't fight anymore?" she
asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"That's right," he told her.

"And did the spell work?"

"We didn't get to do it," he admitted. "Unfortunately, when the mine
caved in, it knocked both of us unconscious. We're human now...that
means vulnerability that we aren't used to."

"But from what I saw, you two were getting along just fine when we
found you."

"Well, we worked out our differences the hard way," Angel told her.
He really hoped that she was buying this because he did *not* want
her to find out about the whole body switching thing after they had
gone through so much to cover it up.

"I can't believe you," she said, raising her voice slightly. Uh-oh,
Angel thought to himself. "All of this time, all you two had to do
was sit down and talk things out, but instead you get the insane idea
of going out and risking your lives to do some stupid spell!" She
looked at him for a moment, trying to appear fierce, but the small
smile that played on her lips gave her away. "What am I going to do
with you two?" she said, her voice softening. Angel had a few ideas,
but he remained silent. They would have to wait to break that news to
her. She had enough to deal with right now. She sat down on the side
of his bed and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. "So what does all
of this mean?" she asked him.

"Well, it means that I am human. I can finally give you the normal
life you deserve, if you will have me. I can give you children. I can
take you out into the sun," he said softly, tucking her hair behind
her ear.

"Why am I getting an impending sense of a 'but' coming on?" she asked.

"BUT I'm not going to be a big help on the battlefield anymore," he
said, sighing softly. Everything always came with a price. "I'm human
now. That means that I'm probably about as much help to you as
Harris." She couldn't help but smile at his little dig at Xander.
Some things never changed.

"Here I thought you were going to tell me something horrible," Buffy
said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"But, Buffy, it *is* horrible. Don't you see? You are going to have
to protect me now, and it's not fair. I should be protecting you, not
the other way around," he cried, trying to sit up. He winced as pain
shot through his body for his efforts. He laid back helplessly,
staring at her with tears in his eyes.

"Okay, how about let's step into the twenty first century now," Buffy
said, a little put out by the way Angel was acting. "I don't need you
to protect me. What, you think because you have to have me to protect
you now that you're not a man? Come on, Angel, you are better than
that. You aren't as helpless as you thing just because you are human,
you know. Besides, all I care about is the fact that we can be
together again...only this time, more so." She brushed away his tears
gently with her thumb. "Come on, baby. Be happy. We can have kids
now, little Angels and Buffys running all over the house. You can
feel the warmth of the sun on your face. We can be together."

Deep in his heart, he knew she was right. She always was, somehow. It
still made him feel like less of a man, but maybe that would pass
with time. Once again, he had the comfort of knowing that he would
not be going through it all alone. He knew Spike would be going
through the same thing, and he would have Buffy by his side every
step of the way. "I know that you are right, love," he told her
gently. He pulled her closer to him, holding her tightly. She laid
her head on his chest so that she could hear the miraculous beating
of his heart. "I wish we could stay like this forever," he said
softly, "but you really should go see Spike."

Buffy raised her head, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Since when was Angel suggesting she visit Spike? Any other time, he
would get angry at the mere idea. Buffy didn't know what had happened
in that mine exactly, but it sure had changed some things, that was
for sure. She *did* feel the need to go check on Spike, and it was
actually a relief that Angel suggested it. She didn't want to just
now, though. She wanted to enjoy the feeling of laying in Angel's
arms just a little longer. "I will in a minute," she promised him,
snuggling against him happily," but right now there isn't any place
I'd rather be than right here with you."