"What was with Angel being all touchy feely with Cordelia today," Buffy groused as she put her son to sleep in the center of the king bed. She herself plopped down on the end of the enormous bed and crossed her arms petulantly. Spike made himself comfortable on a chaise by a window as he kicked up his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. He closed one eye and peeked at the slayer with the other.

"Give it a rest pet. There's more to this than you know, and it's not your place to interfere with things."

"What do you mean it's not my place to interfere? Angel and I only stayed away from each other because of his curse. He loves me."

"Glad I'm chopped liver here love. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside." Buffy sighed and glanced at Spike as he looked for all the world like he was asleep, or at the very least on his way there.

"Spike…"

"No, I get it, I really do. You and Peaches had the star crossed love of all time. A vampire and a slayer madly in love with each other, but it just wasn't meant to be. While one of them became the hero, the other was sent to hell." He readjusted his long frame on the couch and settled in again as Buffy looked somewhat contrite. "Thing is pet, while Angel lost his soul, I took one for you. So before you go sticking your nose in business that you have no part of, think about what you've got."

"I just don't understand what it is that he sees in her. Cordelia was always mean in high school, and well, it's Cordelia."

"Pet, I'm willing to bet that she's changed a lot since then what with being a part demon seer now. Just leave the issue alone and let Angel be with his mate, okay?" Both were silent as Buffy settled down on the bed next to her son. She watched him sleeping for a while before she spoke again.

"Why is it that Liam is so comfortable with you? Willow was right, he doesn't like strangers." When the answer wasn't forthcoming, she'd thought he'd gone to sleep. Finally though, Spike spoke up.

"I'm not sure really. I remember being in Los Angeles, fighting for my life, and it's like I went to sleep and woke up here. What I do know, is that during what felt like sleep, it's like I saw him in a dream. I felt like I was protecting him, and in return, he found me."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Since when does anything that happens to us make sense?"

"Why couldn't we just lead normal lives? Why did all of this have to happen? Why do I always end up alone?"

"It's just the cards you were dealt love. You're the slayer. You're meant to be alone."

"I don't care. Giles said that over and over when I was in school, but it didn't make it any easier. Every time I've found someone I can love, it just doesn't work out."

"Oh come on Buffy, I'm here now aren't I?" Spike pulled himself to sitting to better look at her as she huddled in a small ball. He'd never seen her looking so vulnerable before, but as he'd so aptly put it, she was the slayer. After all of the heartache she'd been through maybe she'd just reached her breaking point.

"You left. You didn't come back. Instead, you stayed in Los Angeles once you had a solid form again."

"We're getting into this now? Look love, I had a mission to do in the city of Angels. Besides, by the time I was corporeal again you weren't even in the country. What was I supposed to do, search the world for you?"

"It would have been nice, but what can I expect? You were supposed to have been in love with Dru, and yet you didn't follow her when she left."

"Don't you say anything against my sire, you hear me? Whatever reason Dru had to leave was her own. Besides, I never would have thought of you if she'd stuck around."

"Am I everyone's second best then?"

"You're no one's second best pet. Dru is my sire. I can't help but have a strong connection with her. It tears at me that she left, but if I'd followed her then it would have caused more harm than good. She comes back and I'll be there for her. I can't help that. I'm as much her mate as Cordelia is Angel's." He indicated a scar on his neck that Buffy had never really noticed. She'd just assumed that it was a carryover from his turning. "She'd never turned someone before, didn't quite know the significance I think. Whoever initiates the claiming bite feels the bond, but not as strongly as the one they lay claim to."

"I don't understand why you keep calling Cordelia Angel's mate."

"Did you notice the bite on her neck? You wonder why it hasn't gone away like Dawn's is beginning to? It's because it's a claiming mark made by Angel. The bloody pouf had no problem doing it either."

"But he gave me a ring before he lost his soul. Surely I have a higher claim on him than Cordy does."

"You know, for as much as you've gone up against vampires, you don't know much about them. Would you have let Angel claim you?"

"What?" A look of revulsion passed over her face at the thought. "No, not that way. That's what the ring was."

"And what about me? What if I'd asked to claim you? I've fed off of you, it wouldn't be any different, the feeling. Could you allow me to make you my mate?"

"But you just said that you were Dru's…"

"Forget about Drusilla for a minute. Would you let me lay claim over you?" He had moved off of the chaise and was now hovering over her as she lay on the bed. His blue eyes pierced her green and held the stare. She gulped and finally pulled away from the intense stare.

"I couldn't do that. I'm a slayer." Spike nodded and moved away from her again. He resettled himself onto the chaise and closed his eyes.

"Exactly. Goodnight love. Sleep tight, we have a long day ahead of us."

XxXxX

Angela Montenegro made her way downstairs just as the sun crested over the horizon. While in DC it was five hours earlier, she found that she just couldn't sleep regardless of how exhausted she was. Too much had occurred the day before and had left her mind spinning too fast to get any rest. The best way she'd found to clear her head was to get in some sketches. That was the thing she loved most about this property of Jack's. The place was peaceful and perfect to get in a little meditative art, much like Kirk's place in New Mexico had been.

The artist let out a sigh and made her way through the maze of rooms until she reached the large French doors leading into the grounds behind the large manor. She was surprised to see Angel out there this early in the morning as he sat, letting the early morning sun hit his face. Before she said anything, Angel turned to look at the artist.

"You're up early this morning. I would have expected that you'd sleep longer like everyone else." He indicated the empty seat next to him and Angela took the offer, sitting next to the vampire.

"When you've known Bren as long as I have, you'd discover that her getting her ass saved tends to leave you awake longer than you'd like. I can understand Booth knocking out with relief, but me? I worry." She glanced at the pad of paper he had and the charcoal pencils on the bench between them. Apparently he'd been up a while if he'd managed to find her art supplies.

"I know what you mean. I've lost a lot of sleep in the past several years over the people I care about. Cordelia especially." He smiled a bit and turned back to the sketch pad.

"That doesn't look like Cordelia," Angela said as she glanced at the drawing again. No, that definitely wasn't her on the pad. Judging by the hairstyle, it looked more like someone from the nineteenth century.

"You overheard Spike's comment about the maid? This is her." He made a few more strokes on the paper with the pencils, smudging some of the lines. The young woman had looked so worn, but determined as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders but was fighting for what she wanted regardless. It reminded Angela a lot of Temperance actually.

"You have a real gift for faces. You ever think about being a forensic artist?"

"I'm only good with faces I've seen. It's part of my atonement I suppose."

"Cordelia mentioned something about a curse, but I'm not sure I quite understood what she was talking about." Angel looked out over the gardens and put down the charcoals. There was something about the artist that made her easy to open up to.

"Gypsy curse. I killed one of their clan so they cursed me with a soul." He picked up the charcoal pencils again and turned back to his sketch. Angela watched him work for a while before she asked her next question.

"So why is it a curse to have a soul?"

"The soul is in place to make me atone for the evil I did as Angelus."

"Huh." Angel glanced over at Angela, curious to her reaction. No one had ever reacted quite that way upon discovering his curse.

"What?"

"Well it just seems stupid, you know? I mean vampires by their very natures are supposed to be predators of humans. They're supposed to kill, right?"

"Yes."

"So that would be like keeping wolves or lions from hunting their prey. That doesn't seem like an appropriate punishment."

"It was a vengeful move. They wanted to hurt me as much as I hurt the girl." Angel looked down at his sketch. The face of the maid shone back to him from his own handiwork. Angela looked at the portrait as well and smiled a bit.

"You know what might help? A lot of people are asked to write journals about their lives and mistakes and such, but maybe what you could do is give these people back their faces, their names. It's kind of what I do for work. When someone is found that can't be identified, we get the remains. Bren looks at the bones to find out what she can about the person, and I give them back their life in a way. I draw their face based on the underlying structure."

"I don't know…"

"Well it's just a thought is all. You could always put them together in a collection and show it off, let everyone know about those lost in the past."

"That might be pushing it."

"Just think about it. If all of this end of the world stuff is stopped then you'll need something to do right?"

"That is true. I mean in Los Angeles I was working as a private investigator, but we dealt with demons rather than cheating spouses. I could do that again."

"I think art is much more suited to you. You're too good at it to just use it as a hobby."

"I've used it in other capacities before."

"See? So you really should listen to me because I totally know what I'm talking about. Now, why don't you show me what that gypsy girl looked like?"

XxXxX

Cordelia reached out for Angel as she began to stir as a shaft of light brushed against her face. It felt good to wake up warm and safe in the arms of a vampire… if said vampire was in bed that is. With a frown, she climbed out of bed, pulling the sheet around her and walked to the window. It faced out into the gardens surrounding the manor, the sunlight streaming down and Angel sitting outside, his face uplifted as the light struck it. She was in awe of the sight, the slight smile on his face as he basked in the morning light.

With a sigh, she reached up and clasped the necklace she wore. Sooner or later, Angelus would need to make an appearance, but she just wasn't sure in what capacity. It was something she'd have to discuss with Giles before they headed back to Galway. Between the two of them they could probably figure out where to get the extra assistance. Now though, she needed to get dressed and start training. While she was pretty sure she could wield a stake or crossbow effectively, she didn't battle at the level that Angel and the others did.

It didn't take long for her to get down to the gardens, and what she saw made her frown. Spike stood next to her taking a drag off of a cigarette as he too watched what was going on.

"What the hell does she think she's doing?"

"Buffy thought it would be a good idea to start training immediately, but apparently Peaches was the only one worth training with." They both watched as the former lovers sparred against each other, both matched in speed and agility though the petite blonde was the stronger of the pair.

"So what are you, chopped liver?"

"Funny you should say that pet." Spike stopped speaking as she stormed off toward the pair. He put out his cigarette and followed, sure he'd be entertained by what was about to happen.

"Buffy, get away from him now." Buffy blocked a move from Angel and paused to look at the former cheerleader. She was breathing heavily and had a slight sheen of sweat on her skin from the exertions.

"Who are you, his keeper? I needed to practice."

"So beat the shit out of Spike." She ignored the protestation from the blond vampire as she continued to stare at Buffy, flames practically shooting out of her eyes.

"You can't tell me what to do Cordy."

"No, but I can tell you to stay away from Angel. Whenever the two of you are around each other, bad things happen, so go practice with someone else." Buffy turned to look at the vampire.

"Are you going to let her talk to me like this?"

"Buffy, if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's to not argue with Cordelia. Besides, I think she's right."

"Right about what?" Before Angel could answer, the others made their way outside. Giles looked around at the small group with obvious disapproval.

"What is going on here?"

"Buffy here is trying to overstep her bounds and make a move on Angel."

"I was not."

"You were too. If you needed a sparring partner, I'm sure Spike would be a willing participant. Why'd you have to move in on my man, huh?"

"He is not your…"

"Enough!" Giles looked from one young woman to the other. Why on earth these two couldn't have a peaceful existence he'd never know. There were other things to get to however, and they were of a much more important nature. "Right now what we need is to asses the fighting skills in our group to decide the best course of action later on. We'll be facing much more than just vampires and differences in our fighting styles will prove useful against our foes."

"So what do you suggest," Booth asked as he leaned against a low stone wall.

"Connor, Angel and Spike will spar with others in the group to get a better understanding of their fighting styles."

"That's ridiculous. I'm the only one they can spar with," Buffy stated. Cordelia certainly couldn't fight. That was the reason she was always vampire bait back in Sunnydale.

"That's quite presumptuous of you Buffy," Cordy said in return. "I told you I've been on my own for five years, and I can certainly hold my own."

"Yeah, and where did you get your training?"

"I trained her," came the response from both Angel and Connor. Cordelia rolled her eyes at the pair and turned back to Buffy.

"If you think I don't know what I'm doing then just bring it on Buffy, because I can assure you I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face." The blonde smiled and squared off against the brunette. Oh, this was going to be too easy.

"You're on."