"Buffy." Angel nodded to her and placed his jacket down. "What are you doing here?"
She advanced towards him. "I think the real question is why didn't you want me here?"
"We'll just leave you two.." Lorne pointed to the door.
"No." Angel held up a hand. "Which one of you called her?"
"Her has a name, Angel. Jeez, who woke up on the wrong side of the coffin this morning." Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"You wanna know where I woke up this morning? I woke up next to Spike, unconscious!" Angel moved to the side so Buffy could see his body.
"Oh my God." Buffy ran past him to Spike's side taking up the chair next to him.
She then turned to Wesley, "What do we know? What can I do?"
"Nothing. Go home." Angel interrupted before Wesley could reply.
"What?" Buffy looked hurt. "What did I do to you?"
"You stormed into my place barking orders! News flash, Buffy, the Slayer isn't God over here!"
"What the hell? You think I'm barking orders? At least I'm doing something! You're just standing there telling me to get out! I could be your only hope!"
"Oh please we'll do this with or without you!"
"Now everybody let's just calm down." Lorne intervened.
"Shut up." Both Buffy and Angel spat at the same time.
"How could you not call me, Angel?" Buffy's tone softened.
"We don't know anything, it could've been useless to bring you here." Angel took a step closer to her.
"But he's...why didn't he...how long has he been back?" Buffy croaked.
"A few months." Angel revealed.
"And now he's.." She gestured to his body her eyes welling up.
"Buffy.." Angel started towards her.
"Why? Why didn't you tell me?" She was yelling again. "I swear to God, Angel if this is because of your screwed up inferiority complex I'm gonna start hitting something!"
"That's not why I didn't call you!" Angel yelled back.
"Well why didn't you?"
"'Cause I care about him too, okay? He didn't tell you he was back and I wasn't about to interfere with that. Funnily enough I don't try and stab him in the back every chance I get!"
Buffy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, you're right."
"I'm sorry too. I should've called you." Angel relented.
"I just.." Buffy trailed off and tears poured out of her eyes, tumbling down her cheeks.
Buffy ran towards Angel and he pulled her into his arms and she openly weeped into his chest. He gently stroked her back, shushing her and kissing the top of her head.
"Wow, you guys are way more mellow than you used to be. Or maybe Cordy just exaggerated." Gunn remarked.
Angel glared at Gunn but Buffy pulled away laughing. "Nah she was right. We were way worse."
"Yep." Angel agreed, laughing now as well.
"Remember that time I ran you through with a broadsword and got you sucked into a hell dimension for a hundred years?" Buffy playfully punched him on the arm.
"Remember the time I stalked you, tried to kill you and your friends and murdered Giles' girlfriend?"
"Unfortunately I do." The both had a little laugh and then she remembered. "Yeah and I had your mates double-cross you...oh."
"What?" Fred said innocently.
"Buffy and Spike worked together to kill Angelus after he attempted to awake Acathla." Wesley told her. "Even though he was evil."
Buffy nestled herself back into Angel's chest clutching his shirt. "I'm sorry we started out like this."
"Me too. I mean it's okay, you're hurting, I get it." Angel assured her.
Buffy stepped away from him and composed herself, flicking her hair over her shoulder and gently wiping smudged mascara from under her eyes.
"Oops." She pointed to Angel's shirt.
He looked down at his chest and saw two round black circles of mascara on the fabric. "Wasn't my favourite anyway."