Disclaimer: Once again, yes, they are mine

Disclaimer: Once again, yes, they are mine. All mine. No, I didn't take my medicine this morning. Why do you ask? If you happen to be having one of those days, or for some of you, lifetimes: if you recognize it, it isn't mine.

A/n: Thanks for the review. No, that is not a typo. The word is singular. Please, if you're reading, could you drop me a line? All I'm asking for is a "nice job" or "keep going." Something, anything. Please?

Ok, done with the groveling now. Hope you like chapter 2. Some of it may be a bit cheesy or even just downright horrible. These are things you should tell me in a review! Ok, so maybe not done with the groveling. I did go through and add a few things I thought needed to be taken care of. Some things that 3 years ago, I apparently didn't think were too important. I hope I did a good enough job…especially since it is 6:30 in the morning, I have not yet been to bed, and I have read this over so many times for mistakes and content that I could probably recite it in my sleep. Anywho, read and enjoy!

!!

There was a short silence.

"Spike," Angel started, successfully getting his attention, "Whoever she chooses the other backs off. Agreed?"

Spike sighed; nodded. "Agreed."

"And if she doesn't choose either of us…We can't force a choice on her." Angel's voice was quiet. As if he had already resigned himself to the fact of losing her.

"Whatever she wants, we'll abide by." Spike sighed. "It's about what she wants. That's what love's about, right?"

"If you love them, let them go and all that."

Both men nodded, silently preparing for the worst and secretly praying to whatever gods were up there that it wouldn't come to that.

They headed for the door, both stopping before reaching it. Oxygen was sharply inhaled, and the door swung open revealing the pair to the sun.

On instinct their arms came up to cover their faces. When the burning sensation wasn't there, they walked into the glowing warmth they had missed for so long.

"Y'know, some shades might not be such a bad idea," Spike stated, holding his hand as a visor.

Angel, arm in the same position, replied, "Ok, shades, then Rome. Good plan."

!!

An hour later, shades firmly in place, and wearing fresh clothing, the pair walked into the airport. They had been surprised to find that all of Los Angeles, save the Hyperion, was completely normal. Not a building out of place.

"Uh, how are we going to buy plane tickets without any money?" Spike asked.

Before Angel could answer, the blonde clerk behind the desk spoke to him. "Mr. Angel? Should we get your private jet ready, sir?"

Angel looked to Spike at his right. "I guess word hasn't spread yet." Then, nodding to the woman, Angel replied, "Yes, my associate and I," he gestured toward Spike, "will be traveling to Rome."

The girl nodded curtly and picked up the phone. After a very brief conversation she looked to them once again. "You can board right away, Mr. Angel. Take off will be in twenty minutes."

Angel tried not to smile. Instead, he put on a look that he hoped passed as serious and nodded slightly. "Thank you."

!!

Ten hours (W & H has really fast jets) and a short taxi ride later, the two men that had given their once unbeating hearts to the same blonde-haired, green-eyed slayer stood outside said slayer's door.

Angel's arm was poised and ready to knock. "What if she's with The Immortal?"

Both stared at the door in front of them.

"You hold him down, I'll stake him."

Angel nodded. "As long as we have a plan." And he knocked.

Breaths were inhaled and held, hearts beat faster, and fists clenched and unclenched in anticipation.

Footsteps could be heard from the small apartment. "Giusto un minuto!" Someone hollered from inside. Just a minute.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a freshly showered Buffy.

"Angel…Spike?" Buffy, clad in a pink fuzzy robe and a towel in her hair, didn't seem overly surprised to see her blonde ex-lover alive. In part because Andrew had blabbed about his return to the land of the living or, in his case, undead.

She tried to calm her pounding heart at the sight of her two great loves. Looking from one to the other, she questioned, "Is it just the guys I know, or can none of you stay dead?" She didn't wait for an answer to her rhetorical question. "Come on in." And then, realizing her state of dress, she added, "I'll just go…get dressed." And she disappeared behind a corner.

When he was sure Buffy was out of earshot, Spike turned from his place near the coffee table to Angel. "So, how exactly we gonna do this? Pledge our love and let her choose?"

Angel didn't move from his position just inside the door. His gaze was still fixed on the wall his beloved had disappeared behind. He hadn't really thought that far ahead. "We tell her about…us, and we let her take it from there."

!!

'Ok,' Buffy thought, 'Angel and Spike are here. Together. Oh, God, the world must be ending.' She pulled out a black top and a pair of tight-fitting blue jeans from her dresser. 'Ugh, why couldn't Dawn be here? She could act as a buffer or something.' She ran a brush through her hair and made sure she looked presentable before exiting her bedroom to face the apocalypse.

It was deadly silent when she joined her exes in the living room. 'No pun intended.'

Buffy, feeling uncomfortable under both Angel and Spikes' intense gazes, moved her own to the window. The curtains were closed almost completely, leaving a small strip of sunlight shining through. There were no sewer tunnels that led to her apartment building - it's one of the reasons she had chosen it- so how did two vamps get into a building with no other access than the front door, from broad daylight?

Buffy glanced from Angel to Spike and back again. Voicing her thoughts, she asked, "It's light out and there's no sewer access. How'd you guys get in here without turning to ashes?" That's when she noticed. Obviously, she was a little slow today. "And why do you have sunglasses?"

Both men reached in an identical gesture to the glasses on top of their heads. Spike had gone for the biker style, whereas, Angel had gone with the typical movie star frames.

"That's actually what we came to talk to you about." Angel's voice was quiet, gentle.

"So, it's not a slayer? Or an apocalypse? Or a prophesized Armageddon?" Buffy ran down the list of everything she could think of that would bring the two men to her door…together.

"Well, there was a prophecy involved." Spike's voice made Buffy's gaze dart sideways to land on the blonde.

Buffy groaned. "I hate prophecies."

"So do I." There was pain in Angel's voice, and Buffy felt it.

"So this prophecy…" Buffy began.

"You may want to sit down for this," Spike told her.

Buffy ignored him.

Angel stepped forward until he was mere inches from her. He took her hand in his, kissed the palm, and placed it on his chest where his heart pounded at her touch. He was very aware of Spike's anger and jealousy at his actions, he just didn't care.

Buffy splayed her hand over Angel's chest, feeling the still familiar muscle beneath the cotton of his white shirt. She jumped and jerked her hand away when she felt his heart jump beneath it. Her gaze darted to his, silently asking if this was real. Hesitantly, she replaced her hand on his chest. Once again she felt his heart beat…and she cried.

As silent tears flooded down her face, Angel started the long, very complicated, story about the battle in the alley, the prophecy, and finally with the visit to the big bosses, with limited interruption from Spike.

!!

"So let me get this straight." Buffy now sat in the middle of the couch with the two men on either end of the coffee table in front of her. "You're both human. And you," she turned to Angel, "still have your vamp-y skills?"

"Not all of them."

Buffy raised an eyebrow in question.

"Well, I haven't really tested them out, but so far my sense of smell has lessened. I can't track people simply by their scent or the smell of blood anymore. Which is good, 'cause the smell makes me nauseas. And my hearing is still acute, but lessened." He looked down, almost ashamed. "I can't hear your heartbeat."

Buffy wanted to say something, but she couldn't find words.

Angel raised his head but avoided her gaze. "I'm guessing the strength and speed will be increased."

"So, you're like, a male slayer?" Angel didn't have time to answer. "That is so cool!"

There was silence.

"So, is that it? The whole story?" Buffy asked.

"Well, there was that part about the Future Goo-"

Angel flew the three feet separating himself from Spike with inhuman-like speed to cut off the blonde's sentence with an elbow to his ribs.

The pair glared at each other.

"Well, that answers your question 'bout speed," Spike grit out.

Angel slowly slid back to his earlier position.

Buffy looked questioningly at him. She returned her gaze to Spike as she asked, "The future what?"

Spike glared at Angel, who quickly replied, "That part's not important."

Buffy didn't believe him, but she let it slide. She'd get it out of one of them later.

There was a short silence before Buffy asked the inevitable question. "So, not that I'm not glad to see you, and this is amazing news," she gestured to the two of them, "but is that the only reason you're here?"

More silence. It seemed to be a theme.

Angel's voice, though soft, seemed to boom in the silence. "We-" he stopped, "I…just wanted you to know; to see, to…feel."

"Oh! That's bull!" Spike interrupted the moment. "You and I both know why we came." He turned his gaze to Buffy, and his tone was gentler as he spoke. "We came to find out once and for all who you want to be with."

Angel was silent.

Buffy opened her mouth but quickly shut it as the door to the small apartment swung open, revealing Dawn.

The teen came in rambling, not noticing the two visitors in the room. "Ok, ok, I know I said I'd be home a half an hour ago, but you're not the most prompt person either. And-" Dawn's eyes widened.

"Spike? Angel?" She sighed. "Ok, who's trying to destroy the world now? Lemme guess. Some big, bad, ugly, strong evil out to wipe out mankind."

Buffy kept her gaze on Angel as she answered her sister. "There's no apocalypse, Dawn."

Dawn screwed up her face. "Really?"

"Really," Spike answered. "I don't want to get into the details again, but the gist is, Peaches here and I are human."

There was a pause. Everyone held their breath. And then…Dawn screamed.

"Oh, my God! There are so many ice-cream flavors you have to try!"

Everyone, even Angel, smiled at that.

Spike looked to Buffy. Her gaze was still trained on Angel. He sighed. "Come on, Nibblet," he said, "buy me some ice-cream and I'll tell'ya all about the battle." He swung his arm around her shoulders and they disappeared into the hallway.

After a moment, Buffy managed to pull herself from the depths of Angel's soulful eyes.

Angel decided to break the silence. "Look, Buffy, I don't want to bother you. I'll just…" he gestured behind him to the door.

Before he could turn around, Buffy replied. "You're not bothering me, Angel. I actually had plans with Dawn." When he didn't turn to go or answer, she asked, "Do you want something to drink? Or eat!? I actually have food," she grinned. "Having to feed thirty girls, it kinda became a habit. Besides the fact that Dawn eats like a pig."

He smiled that half-smirk that only he could pull off, and nodded. "Yeah. I'm starving." The smirk turned to a sheepish smile. "I was too nervous to eat on the plane."

Buffy led him into the kitchen. It was quaint, furnished with a four legged table, surrounded by four chairs.

She asked him what he'd like. He told her he had no idea. "It's been a few years since I've been able to taste solid food."

She smiled and told him that she'd make him her favorite.

It was quiet as she worked. Neither knew what to say. Angel was content to just stare at Buffy as she moved around the tiny space.

Some time later, after Angel had finished his first solid meal after 250 years, (the forgotten day not included) and complimented Buffy on her cooking skills-much improved skills, she had added- the pair sat across from each other at the table.

The silence was slipping rapidly from comfortable to awkward.

Finally, Angel couldn't hold the statement on his tongue anymore. "Andrew said you didn't trust me anymore." 'Smooth. Real smooth.'

Buffy's gaze darted from the surface in front of her to her first love's face, a retort at the ready. "Andrew has a talent for making up stories." She paused. "How could you believe him?"

Angel had picked up the art of dodging questions in his long existence. And, once again, he put those skills to work, not answering Buffy's question.

"He said you were happy with The Immortal."

Buffy let the unanswered question drop. "I was," she replied to the hint of a question in his previous statement.

"Was?" he asked. 'Was. Past tense. Not am. Was.'

"He's gone." There was no emotion in her voice. Angel tried to figure out if she was hiding her pain, or she simply didn't care. "About a week ago," she continued.

"Did you love him?" He wasn't sure he wanted the answer, but a part of him needed to know.

Less than a beat later, Buffy's laughter rang in his ears. "Angel, no one falls in love with The Immortal. If you're lucky, it's infatuation. If you're not: obsession."

Angel decided to take the lesser of two evils. "Were you infatuated with him?"

"No," was her simply reply.

'Oh, God!' His eyes widened. "Obsessed?"

Buffy chuckled. "No." She paused. "We had fun together. And I needed that. To just have fun. Without worrying about money, or demons, or…" she looked away from his penetrating eyes, "anything else."

There was a short pause before-

"Are you cookies yet?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Angel mentally kicked himself for saying them. He quickly tried to right his mistake. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've asked that. I mean it's only been a year." He stopped, realizing he was so very close to sounding like a 16 year old high school boy.

After a moment of thought, Buffy answered, "No, I'm not." Angel opened his mouth to speak, but shut it when she continued. "And I never will be."

Angel looked down at the table, and then began to rise from his chair. "I understand."

Seeing that he was going to leave, Buffy quickly elaborated. "I mean life's a journey, right? And by the time you know who you are, you're dead." She paused. "But that doesn't mean that my path won't cross someone else's on the way to my destination." 'Am I rambling, or did that actually make sense?'

Something must have gotten through to Angel, because he had sat back down and a look of hope had settled on his features.

"So," he started, "tell me what I missed."

They talked for hours. Long-kept secrets were spilled. Angel told Buffy about Wes' death. She had cried silently for the loss of a man she never got to know. He told her about falling for Cordelia and her death. Buffy had the courtesy to let a single tear trail down her cheek. And he told her, hesitantly, about Connor. She had smiled and buried the betrayal she felt at finding out whom his mother was. And in turn, Buffy had shared the tale of her post-resurrection relationship with Spike that had led to his rape attempt. She swore his eyes flashed golden before Angel had gotten up and walked into the living room for a moment. When he returned, he said simply, "He didn't have a soul," and tried to hide the anger that still sizzled in his veins.

It was almost midnight when the door opened announcing Spike and Dawn's arrival.

It didn't bother Angel; he was just about to leave anyway. And Buffy had been getting anxious that Dawn wasn't home yet. He had reminded her that Dawn was with Spike. Her reply had been rather humorous to him, "And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

After apologizing profusely, Dawn had led Spike into the kitchen. After a few odd noises there was a shout of, "Bloody hell, I love food!"

Buffy and Angel had both smiled as she walked him to the door. Before he stepped into the hall, Buffy had grabbed his arm, spun him around and kissed him so tenderly he wondered briefly if a man could die from loving someone so much.

"Wha…?" He couldn't form the words.

"Just needed to remember," she answered.

Angel smiled and backed out the door, waiting until she closed it to move any more.

As he walked down the hallway, he reached into his pocket and felt the cold metal of the only thing that had kept him fighting that gruesome battle. 'She protected me,' he thought. 'Maybe, just maybe…'

!!

Buffy walked into the kitchen to find Spike sitting alone at the table.

"She went to bed," he told her as she glanced around.

Buffy sighed. "Andrew told me you were back." She cut right to the chase. "I didn't want to hear it from him."

"I know."

"Why didn't you call? Send a letter, an email, something? Something to let me know that you…" Buffy trailed off, unable to find the right words to describe the situation.

"I know it's stupid, but I wanted to be the hero. I died saving the world. That's how I wanted you to remember me." Spike sighed, unwilling to meet her eyes.

"That's how I'll always remember you." There were no more words to say, so she kept her peace.

"I should prol'y get going. It's late." Spike rose from his spot and snatched a chocolate pudding cup from the counter. "For the road," he explained.

Buffy smiled. She walked him to the door, but stopped before opening it. She took a step towards him, and reached up to meet his lips with her own.

Though surprised by the action, Spike willingly responded. He knew then who she had chosen. Her kiss was filled with unspoken apologies…and goodbye.

She pulled away and opened the door. Silently, Spike slipped out.

Buffy sighed and slowly made her way around the apartment, shutting off all the lights. She ended up outside Dawn's room.

Carefully, she opened the door, expecting to see her sister asleep, not pacing a hole in the floor while biting on her thumb nail.

Noticing Buffy in the doorway, Dawn came to a screeching halt at the end of her bed. "Well?" She asked.

"Well?" Buffy repeated. "Well, what?"

"Don't play dumb." Wanting the scoop and not taking 'no' for an answer. Dawn pulled her sister into her room and onto the bed before Buffy could utter another word.

Situating herself to get comfy, Buffy replied, "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not playing."

Dawn bounced in exasperation. "Which one are you gonna choose?" She asked, her voice only a volume below yelling.

"Spike told you?"

"He didn't have to. Buffy, they're both human! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why they're here." Dawn paused. She looked deep in thought for a moment. "This must be a big ego boost for you, huh? I mean the two most vicious vampires in the world, and they both melt into a puddle of goo around you."

Buffy grinned. "Just a little." She illustrated with her thumb and index finger, holding them just millimeters apart.

Dawn roller her eyes. "Yeah, and I'm the queen of Russia."

"Russia doesn't have a queen."

"Exactly."

Buffy made a motion to slap Dawn playfully, but never connected.

"So, not that I actually need an answer, but…who ya gonna choose?" Dawn wrinkled her nose. "That's almost as bad as 'Who ya gonna call?' isn't it?"

Buffy nodded. "And in some ways, worse." She sighed. "I don't know, Dawn. I think it's time to call in some reinforcements."

Dawn didn't need to ask. "She'll be glad to hear from you. Even if it is because of a personal crisis."

Buffy stood up. "I wouldn't call it a crisis, Dawn. It's more along the lines of an apocalypse."

"But even those are easier," Dawn added.

"How do you choose between two people you love?"

Dawn's expression was one of understanding way beyond her years. "You figure out which one you love more, and you let the other one go."

"So the question is," Buffy walked to the door, "'Which one do I love more?'" She didn't wait for a reply. Dawn couldn't answer that question.

"No, Buffy," Dawn whispered to the empty room, "the question is, 'How long will it take you to realize that you already know the answer?'"

!!

Ok, so I kinda, sorta, maybe, very subtly revealed who Buffy chose. But come on, was there any doubt? I mean look at my profile. Really? Anywho, review! Please? See, still not done with the groveling. And, is the Immortal a vampire? Cuz I wasn't sure. Even if he's not, a stake's gotta hurt right?