A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone who is reading and reviewing this fic. It mean's so much to me, I still can't believe people are liking this! LOL Again, big shout out to Constant Comment Tea for betaing this chapter for me!

Read and enjoy!

It's Always You

Chapter 4

Buffy frowned in puzzlement as she noticed the big black convertible parked on the curb in front of her house. "What the…?" she muttered as she pulled somewhat erratically into the driveway.

Spike, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked over distractedly and swore "Bugger," he muttered. "It's Captain Forehead"

Xander and Anya look at him in surprise from their seat in the back. "What? Dead boy's here?" asked Xander looking out at the strange car.

"Who is Captain Forehead?" asked Anya softly. "Anyone I need to know about?"

"Angel's here?" whispered Buffy breathlessly. "But…" She paused and killed the engine. "Don't call him dead boy," she muttered to Xander as she slowly got out of the car.

Xander rolled his eyes good-naturedly and followed "Come on, Buffy, you know I'm only playing. I call Spike Dead Boy Jr.!"

Spike growled softly, a low rumble in his chest that caused all three humans to look at him in alarm. Buffy bit her lip when she noticed the golden tinge around the edges of his bright blue eyes. She took a step closer and laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "Calm down Spike," she whispered.

Spike nodded his head slowly and took an unneeded breath to calm himself. "It's harder than I thought it would be…" he murmured softly to her, looking down at the ground.

Buffy swallowed and glanced at Anya and Xander, who were waiting impatiently; Anya's eyebrows were in her hair and Xander's arms were folded across his chest, his mouth set in a scowl. Buffy turned back to Spike.

"Come on…" She whispered encouragingly. "Let's get you inside, and we can find out what Angel's doing here, ok?"

Spike looked at her gratefully and nodded slowly, before he followed them up the steps and inside the Summers home.

(v)

Xander followed Buffy up into the house, Anya was leaning on his arm and he found himself once again grateful for her presence. He glanced behind him and frowned again as Spike walked through the door and slowly closed it behind them.

"Buffy…" called Willow from the dining room. "Is that you….?"

"Yeah Will, it's me." Buffy smiled as she turned to hang up her jacket. Xander and Anya did the same, while Spike glanced around and wrapped his arms tightly around himself.

"Buffy, you won't believe what has…" Willow exclaimed as she came into the den. "Oh," she cut herself of as she spotted Spike. Her eyes darted from Buffy, back to Spike, to Anya, and finally Xander. "What..."

"Long story Will," whispered Buffy, glancing back at Spike nervously. "The short of it is that something has been controlling Spike and making him attack those people." She bit her lip. "He's going to be staying here for a while, until we can figure this out," she whispered.

Willow's eyes narrowed, "Buffy, are you sure that's wise…?" she asked softly.

"I'm sure, Will."

"Enough about Blondie… I want to know why Dead Boy is here!" Xander snapped.

"Xander…please…" whispered Buffy.

"Yes, and who is Captain Forehead?" Anya asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Willow sighed softly and looked at Buffy pleadingly, "I'll let Lorne explain, I think," she whispered. She turned around and they all followed her into the dining room.

Buffy's eyes immediately found Liam's; she smiled brightly but it quickly faded as there was no hint of recognition in those dark orbs. He looked at her for a second, his dark eyes wandering over her form and she felt a pang of sadness as he merely raised an eyebrow in appreciation and glanced behind her, looking at the others as they walked in behind her.

At that moment she knew that something had gone terribly, horribly wrong.

"Angel?" she asked softly.

Liam glanced back at the short, cute blonde who had just called him an angel and smirked. "That's the second time someone has called me an angel tonight…" he announced coyly, his Irish accent thickening his words. "… and I haven't even done anything too deserve it yet!" he grinned, his eyes twinkling as he looked her up and down. She was beautiful-no doubt about that!

Buffy, Anya and Xander all stared in shock, amazed and dumbfounded as Liam started talking.

Spike, however, froze, the memories and horrors that that accent conjured was enough to set him shaking in his skin. "Oh bloody hell!" he muttered.

Liam immediately turned and looked straight at him, his dark eyes narrowed in anger. "Another Englishman!" he practically growled. "What is this? An invasion?"

His outburst shocked everyone except Spike, who glared at him angrily. "Bloody oath I'm English! You have a problem with that, ya poof?"

Liam eyes narrowed. "Poof? What does that mean?"

"Spike!" snapped Buffy.

Spike ignored her, instead taking a step towards the taller man. "It means homo-sex-ual!" he drawled slowly, as his lips quirk upwards in a smirk.

Liam's eyes widened in disbelief and his mouth dropped open. "I am not!" he shouted, outraged, looking scandalized and angry.

Buffy rolled her eyes and pulled Spike back. "Spike, stop it!" she snapped, her voice hard. Spike glared at her, but closed his mouth with an audible snap.

Liam looked between Spike and Buffy, and raised his eyebrows as Lorne took a step forward. "I believe I can explain this little debacle…" he announced.

Buffy fixed the green-skinned demon with a steely gaze. "So start explaining," she demanded. "Before I start something rash and impulsive."

Lorne chuckled, completely at ease with the Slayer's threat.

"It's ok, Buffy," Willow announced, placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "It's just Lorne; he's a friend."

"The point," Buffy asked dryly.

"Oh, oh yes right." He paused, "It's really my fault, none of this should have happened." He sighed and his red eyes looked at Buffy pleadingly. "You have to understand I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I just wanted Cordy to get her memory back."

"What?"

"Oh it was this whole, higher power thing she got into," Lorne shrugged dismissively. "But we got her back, the only problem she couldn't remember who she was." He took a deep breath, "An old trusted friend gave me a memory spell to return the memories to her, but it went wrong!"

Buffy looked at Angel, who showed no recognition of her, and at the rest of the AI team who were waiting patiently for Lorne to explain their dilemma. "So what went wrong?" she asked quietly.

"The spell was broken half way through. I don't know how, but they all think they are seventeen."

Buffy blinked in shock, her reaction mirrored by Xander, Anya and Spike. "Seventeen?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," announced Cordy, breaking her unusual silence "Weird huh? I feel seventeen but things are different, my hair is shorter my breasts are a bit bigger…" She paused. "But you, Willow, and Xander all look older, so…. " She shrugged.

"Wait," Gunn interrupted. "You know these people?"

"Just Buffy, Willow and Xander, and that is not exactly something to be celebrating!" she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Buffy?" Liam murmured softly.

They all looked at him and Buffy's eyes widened because, despite the accent, he said her name exactly the same way Angel did. She smiled again.

"That's a strange name," he said quietly, tilting his head to the side. Buffy's smile fell and Cordy laughed softly.

Lorne cleared his throat pointedly, and Buffy looked at him, startled. "This is Liam," he told her, pointing at Angel.

He continued by introducing Fred, Gunn and Wesley to the rest of the Scoobys, but Buffy wasn't listening; all she can think about is Liam. She never knew Angel's real name, the one his parents had given him, the name he had before he became a vampire. She never guessed that his human name would be something so…ordinary, as Liam.

It suited him.

Spike, however, laughed. "Liam?" he giggled.

Liam's eyes narrowed and he glared at Spike. "What's wrong with me name?" he snapped.

"Nothing!" Buffy assured him, "Your name is fine!"

Spike snorted, and Buffy turned to glare at him. "This is Spike," she introduced him to the AI team, "… and this is Xander and Anya."

Liam had an amused smile on his face. "Spike? That's your name? What, was ya mama mad when she named you?" he grinned.

Spike glared at him.

Fred waved brightly and grinned; Cordelia and Gunn merely nodded. Wesley, however, frowned. "Spike?" he said the name like a question. "That name sounds awfully familiar…" He frowned, and it was obvious that he couldn't remember where he had heard the name from.

Buffy looked at Spike in alarm as she realized that Wesley could very well work out who and what Spike was; he had been trained as a Watcher from a very early age, studying the histories of the Vampires and the Slayers, and she knew for a fact he had read the Watcher Diaries and was familiar with Spike's history.

If anyone was going to make this molehill into a mountain, it was Wesley. Buffy bit her lip and laughed, "Maybe you're thinking of Spike Jonze," she told him.

Wes frowned again and scratched his head "Maybe…" he muttered. "There's just something about you…" he whispered as he looked at Spike.

"My well defined cheek-bones?" Spike asked with a smirk.

Liam laughed heartily as Wes scowled and rolled his eyes. "Noooo," he drawled out. "I don't know, but I will find out!" he told them, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at all of them.

(v)

With a soft sigh, Willow dumped the stack of old occult volumes on the table. "Ok, people, start searching!"

The entire group, minus Wesley and Fred, groaned, at the amount of work they had to search through. Willow rolled her eyes. "Fred: Common Spells and Their Uses. Wes: Companion of Magic. Ang…Liam," she corrected, "Mystic Agus Draiocht," she handed him the Gaelic book. Liam glared at the little redhead, but took the book silently and opened it. He muttered to himself as he flicked through the pages, the familiar words a grateful addition to a place of so many unfamiliar things.

The others started to grab books; Gunn and Cordy both sighed and moved to lean against the wall, Dawn grinned and sat next to Liam, grabbing a book called, 'The Human Mind and the Effects of Magic' and started to read.

Willow put a few more books on the table and gestured to Xander and Anya to start researching. Buffy turned and looked at Spike in concern, "Are you ok?" she asked quietly.

Spike shook his head and glanced around. He lowered his voice. "I'm hungry," he whispered to her.

Buffy swallowed and took a deep breath. "Ok, do you think you can handle it?"

Spike shook his head and looked around nervously. "I don't think I can, Buffy" he pleaded. She nodded, took his hand, and pulled him from the room.

Cordy grinned as she watched Buffy lead Spike up the stairs. "Whoa, what's this, didn't expect those two to be together!" she laughed.

Liam glared at her as Dawn looked at Cordy and snapped, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Cordy raised her hand in surrender and just smiled at Dawn, "Ok…Ok, what's the big dif anyway!" she scoffed, shaking her head.

Willow glanced toward the stairs and her features twisted into a look of concern. She hoped Buffy knew what she was doing. She turned to Lorne. "If you have the directions you used for the spell, and the process, and anything that you remember about it, that will really help."

He nodded. "I brought the book we used. Do you need to re-create the spell or are you going to try a new one?" he asked.

Willow shrugged and took the spell book he handed her. "Hopefully…Oh." She paused, looking defeated; she flicked through the book again.

"What's wrong?" Lorne asked softly.

Willow sighed, "This book just has the directions for the spell, not the ingredients, or even the process needed to make that potion you used."

"Oh balls!" Lorne snapped.

Willow nodded absently. "Well, maybe we can find another memory spell, something even an amateur can use," she told him softly.

Lorne smiled at Willow indulgently. "You're no amateur Strawberry-why, you're the most powerful witch I know!"

Willow nodded solemnly, "Yeah, but I'm not doing your spell Lorne, not if I can help it!"

"Why? This is the reason it didn't work in the first place, I didn't have the know-how!"

"And I don't want to risk the lives of everyone I care about to do a spell that can be performed by you!" she snapped. "I can't go back to being that person Lorne, I'm learning to control the magics, I really am, but I've still got a fair ways to go before I can even hope of harnessing the same kind of power I used to!" She sighed and looked up at him. "You understand, don't you?"

Lorne smiled at her softly and brushed a strand of hair behind her cheek. "Sure I do love, but sometimes you have to just stand up and face it. The world's not going to stop for you, you have to face the magic sometime."

Willow nodded. "I know, I'm just not ready at the moment, the darkness is still too strong."

(v)

Buffy knelt down beside Spike and pulled the rope tighter around his forearm. She looked up at him as he sat in the chair. "Make it tighter," he whispered.

"Spike…"

"If I get free you'll be finding a trail of corpses Buffy," he told her firmly. She looked down and pulls the ropes tighter. Spike winced slightly. "I can't remember," he whispered to her softly. "I can't remember what I did… what I've done."

She sighed, pulled the rope tighter, wrapped it around his waist and tied it at the back of the chair. "Nothing at all?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Just flashes, here and there. It's like I'm watching someone else. I've been loosing time for a while now, waking up in strange places, blood on my hands," he looked down.

"When did the chip stop working?" Buffy asked softly, getting up and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I wasn't aware it had, you know," he told her, looking her in the eyes, pleading with her to believe him. "Not till now, anyway."

She sighed, "And the losing time?"

"Oh, things have been wonky since I got back, since…" He swallowed painfully. "Since I got my soul," He chuckled softly. "Figures, I thought that was what it was like, it's been so long since I've had one."

"How did you do it?" she whispered, curious. "How did you get it back?"

"Saw a man about a girl. That's how those things normally start out don't they?" He sighed when Buffy continued to stare at him. "I went to seek a legend out, made a deal with a demon and they restored my soul. Had to go halfway around the world but I did it!"

"What, just like that?" Buffy murmured quietly.

"No, not just like that!" he hissed, sneering at her, "There were trials, pain and suffering and torture. None of it matters now anyway," he murmured, looking at the floor.

Buffy reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder. "Its a few hour until dawn, do you think you can wait that long? I'll send Willow to get some blood as soon as the butcher opens."

He nodded slowly. "I can try at least," he whispered.

Buffy nodded slowly, putting her hands on her knees and rising to her feet. "Well…I'll be downstairs, just try to keep calm ok?" she told him softly before turning and walking to the door.

"Buffy?" he called quietly.

She stopped at the door and turned to face him, "Yeah?"

"Just watch Angel, if he really has no memory of becoming a vampire he will have no control. Try not to make him angry." He paused. "Or hungry," he finished.

Buffy bit her lips and nodded silently, "Thanks Spike," she whispered before she closed the door softly behind her and headed down the stairs.

(v)

Buffy walked into the dining room and smiled as she looked around at everyone researching in relative peace.

"I don't know why I have to do this!" Cordy muttered in disgust closing her book and putting it on the table.

Buffy shook her head in amusement. "Is anyone hungry?" she asked softly.

There was a chorus of affirmatives'.

Liam watched as the little blonde, Buffy, he reminded himself, ginned cheekily and walked into the kitchen. She was gorgeous; not just her face, but everything about her, her hair, her eyes. Never had he been drawn to anyone like he felt himself being drawn to this little thing. He had seen, and had, beautiful women before, with large eyes and big breasts, but somehow none of them compared to this one.

He took a deep breath, shocked at himself; he was lusting after her like an inexperienced colt, all ready to run the race without bothering to know the field. One look from this little thing and he could feel the tingles racing down his spine, one smile and he felt the tightness in his pants.

No woman had made him feel like that in a long time, not since he had first experienced the pleasures of a woman's body. He was the one always in control, the one that made them weak at the knees, not the other way around!

He frowned and got up. Dawn looked up and he smiled down at her, "I'm just going…." He shrugged, not bothering to finish the sentence. He wanted to know more about her, about Buffy.

He walked around the edge of the table and towards the kitchen. He found her getting a packet of chips from the cupboard. He walked into the kitchen, his steps silent as he moved towards her. She turned around and gasped as she spotted him. He stopped. "Sorry lass," he murmured quietly. "I didn't mean to scare ya."

Buffy was breathing hard; stunned that he could walk up to her without her even noticing. She blinked and looked him in the eyes; there was a cheeky glint in them as he smiled, no trace of the guilt that was always present when she used to look into Angel's eyes. She took a deep breath. "That's ok," she whispered. "You walk quietly"

He shrugged and took a step closer. "I get that a lot," he replied, somewhat absentmindedly, tilting his head to the side and eyeing her curiously. "I know you right?" he asked.

Buffy swallowed and nodded silently. "Yeah, you do," she smiled.

He nodded. "I thought so," he muttered quietly to himself.

Buffy's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "How did you know that?" she asked with a smile.

He looked at her again and grinned lazily. "I just did," he answered. "When you walked in the door before, it was like you lit up the room, like a sun," he murmured quietly, smiling.

Buffy was silent for a few seconds then she rolled her eyes. "Do you preach that to every girl you meet?" she asked dryly, a smile of amusement tugging at her lips.

Liam laughed heartily, and for one second Buffy stood frozen to the spot. Angel never laughed. "I don't preach lass, I'll leave that for the priests!" he smirked at her. "And no, I only say that to the pretty ones…"

He took another step closer, and Buffy's eyes widened slightly. She took a deep breath and held herself still as he reached out and slowly took the bowl from her hand, his eyes never leaving hers as he reached behind him and placed it on the kitchen island in the middle of the room.

Buffy looked up. His dark brown eyes were the same, and yet so different. She licked her lips quickly and took a step toward him. They were inches apart as Buffy reached up and placed her hands on his chest. "An…Liam," she corrects herself. "I don't really think this is the best…"

He cut her weak protest off with a swift kiss to the lips. Buffy's eyes fluttered closed in response and she gasped softly in surprise.

What Liam intended to be a soft kiss, pretty soon turned into a full make-out session as Buffy unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Liam groaned softly against the softness of Buffy's lips, his own pulling up in a smile as he ran his hands slowly over her small body.

The little lass was such a wild little thing! He didn't really expect a reaction like this when he kissed her; he expected to be pushed away and slapped. This was definitely an improvement, he mused quietly to himself.

He was relieved; he had been feeling those things before because he knew this woman. Obviously from the way she had responded to his kiss and the way his body was responding to her touch, their knowledge of each other extended to more then just friends. Liam realized he had no qualms about that at all!

He pushed himself against her, bending his head, he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping between her lips and tasting her. Buffy moaned again.

Liam was breathing hard, and drew back to suck in a deep breath, still unaware that he didn't need to breathe. The connection lost, Buffy's eyes opened and she looked up at him. Her hazel-green eyes were bright, and two spots of rosy color were on her cheeks as she smiled.

Liam smirked at her again and ran his hands from her waist down to her hips "You're a wild little thing," he murmured to her huskily, his voice deep with the desire she fired in him.

Liam moved forward again, and this time he let one of his hands move across her stomach, against the top of her jeans. Buffy gasped softly as he slipped his hand under them and caressed her soft curls.

"Hey Buffy, you ready with the food yet?" yelled Willow.

Liam and Buffy jumped apart, Liam fell against the kitchen island and stumbled, Buffy glanced up and found Willow staring wide eyed against the door frame. She looked at Buffy with shock and then turned to regard Liam, who was wincing and rubbing his side. The corners of her mouth twitched and Buffy blushed a deep crimson when she realized that Willow was struggling not to smile.

"Um…" she muttered. "Almost there." She turned and opened the fridge quickly and grabbed some dip and cheese, closing the door she went to the pantry and grabbed some crackers.

Willow laughed. "Take your time, Buffy, take your time," she said with a smile before she winked at Liam and left.

Liam turned to her and smirked. Buffy sighed, rolling her eyes. "Just help me get some food ready, ok?" she told him exasperated, her face a deep flaming red.