Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 10:

10 minutes earlier:

Willow bit her lip as she watched her friend darted out of the room.

She still looks so unhappy…

Willow hated watching her friend suffer like this. She just wished she could help her. An idea suddenly popped into the red-heads mind and she mumbled a barely coherent "Oh my gosh.."

But Angel's vampire hearing picked up on it instantly.

"What are you talking about Willow?" He asked.

"Umm Angel?" Willow asked, not looking at him as she walked towards her bedroom. "I'm just gonna grab some ingredients to uhh…fix you up!" In actuality Willow didn't anything to get Angel back to looking good as new. All that required was a snap of her fingers, but Angel didn't need to know that. Once she was in her room she shut the door and began hurriedly looking through one of her spell books. When she found the page she wanted she hesitated and bit her lip again. She wanted to help Buffy get over Spike, but knew there was only one way to do that. Buffy wouldn't be able to do it on her own…but she knew exactly who could help her. Willow just hoped her friend wouldn't be mad at her if she ever found out. With a begrudging sigh, Willow began the spell.

"Harmony." Spike said it so terrifyingly that she gasped and jumped back, hitting her back with the door and closing it.

"Spike, I-" Harmony began fumbling with the door knob again behind her.

"Don't even think about it."

Harmony gulped and smiled nervously at the blonde vampire sitting before her.

"Okay…" She reached over and set down her purse on a nearby table. "Look, I know I'm-"

"A soddin' bitch?" Spike said rising to his feet and walking towards her. "Yeah, you made that perfectly clear last night." He was right in her face, practically growling at her. She scoffed and shoved him away with all of her strength, which only sent him back a few feet.

"I'm not a bitch Spike!" Harmony rested her hands on her hips and glared at him for a few moments. "You deserved it you big jerk!"

Spike's jaw clenched and his nostrils flared. His hands were balled up into fists at his sides and he looked like he was going to hit her. Harmony saw that look in his eyes and her demeanor changed.

"W-what are you gonna do?" she stuttered. "Are you g-gonna hit me or something?" her voice radiated nervousness and her breathing began to quicken.

"You'd like that wouldn't you." It wasn't a question and Harmony gulped again at how menacing he sounded to her. "You know, " he began slowly walking towards her, "you being gone gave me quite a bit of time to think about what I was going to do to you…"

Harmony backed up until she was up against the wall once more.

"I used to torture people all the time…it was my livelihood for over a hundred years…"

Harmony's eyes were growing wider with each word he said.

"And you know what Harmony?" he was right in her face again. "I was bloody good at it…"

"Spike, please…we can work something out, we can-"

"We can what Harmony? What could you possibly do to even the score now ?" He changed into his game face and showed her his fangs.

Harmony looked around the room, racking her small brain for something that could help save her.

Come on brain! Work ! Work!

Harmony scrunched her forehead up and smacked her head a few times.

"Oh oh!" she squealed. "I'll tell you where Angel really is!" She smiled up at Spike.

His face changed back and he made a face at her.

"Why the bleedin' hell would I care about where Angel is? You said he was on a business trip." Spike said.

So bloody stupid…

"Thats what he wants everyone to think! But I know where he really is." This time Harmony was the one smirking. Spike just raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for her to tell him where Angel was. "Spike? You could at least say please…" Spike growled and lunged forward at her. Harmony just held her hands up in the air. "Okay okay! Never mind I'll tell you," she said. "You might want to sit down for this though."

"I think I'll stand."

"Okay suit yourself." Harmony walked past him and took a seat on her couch. "Angel went to Africa…"

"Africa?" Spike said, obviously confused. "Why would he wa-" he didn't finish what he was saying. Spike was practically shaking with rage. He knew why Angel went there and he had a pretty good idea where he was now.

"That bleedin' soddin' bastard!" Spike yelled. He began pacing back and forth in front of Harmony, knocking over tables and chairs that got in his way. He yelled out an "arrgh!" and ran a hand through his unruly bleached blonde curls.

"Geez!" Harmony began, "I expected you to be mad about him going to see Buffy, not about going to Africa…" she got up and began picking up the stuff that Spike had knocked over. "And easy on the furniture Spike! If you want to go have a tantrum, go ruin Angel's apartment!"

Spike stopped walking and glared at Harmony.

"How long has he been with her?" Spike was practically shaking with rage as he said it.

"I don't know…a few days maybe?" Harmony said. Her eyes caught a glimpse of broken glass on the floor and she scoffed. "Hey! You broke my unicorn figurine!" she turned around to yell at Spike, but he was gone. "Ugh what is it with vampires and their anger issues!"

"Hey Buffy!" Willow said as she saw her friend come back into the living room. "Everything okay in there?"

Buffy smiled and glanced over her shoulder at the bathroom for a split second, and said "Yeah, everything is great." She walked farther into the room and looked around, trying to find— "Whoa…" Her eyes went wide a little bit. "Angel?"

"Hey Buffy," he said. He smiled at her, happy at the reaction he was getting.

"Did I do good or what!" Willow smiled triumphantly as she folded her arms across her chest.

Buffy nodded her head slowly as her eyes roamed over Angel's body. With all the horrible scratches and cuts all over him, she had forgotten how attractive he was. Willow had even repaired his clothes and replaced that missing shoe. He looked sharp. Clean. Handsome. Buffy frowned a little as she looked down at her own choice of clothing. A plain little purple sun dress. She looked like a child next to—

"You look amazing Buffy," he said. Buffy smiled shyly and bit her lip.

Am I that easy to read?

After a few minutes of silence Willow went over to Buffy and nudged her towards Angel.

"Why don't you two go out. Go see a movie or go to dinner." Buffy's eyes went wide at the thought of going on a date with Angel. They had never really done that before. Well once, but that was a complete mess.

"Well." Buffy said as they walked out of the theater.

"Well."

"That was very…artistic." She said. Gosh this is so awkward.

"Yeah," Angel replied.

"It wasn't what I expected. I mean, I-I've never actually seen…" her eyes grew big as she thought about the movie they just saw. "Well, from the title, I thought it was about food."

"Well, there was food." Angel offered.

"Right. Th-the-the scene with the…food." Buffy made a face. This whole situation was too uncomfortable and she didn't know if she and Angel would even be able to finish the rest of their date after what just happened. And Buffy wasn't even sure if she wanted to. She just wanted to go home and scrub her eyeballs."So, feel like getting some hot chocolate, or some cold shower?"

Buffy let a chuckle escape and looked over at Angel who was laughing too. She wondered if he was remembering their uncomfortable date as well.

"Am I missing something?" Willow asked confused.

"It's nothing Will," Buffy said smiling. She turned towards her friend and gave her a hug, thanking her when she let go. "So…Angel…" Buffy began. But he was already at the door, holding it open for her.

"Shall we?"

Buffy smiled as she made her way towards him.

Maybe I can do this.

And with that thought she took Angel's outstretched hand as he closed the door behind them.

A few hours later:

Willow was sitting on her couch, a bowl of popcorn in one hand and a TV remote in the other. She was flipping through the channels, not particularly liking anything on at the moment. She just sighed and kept on clicking the remote. She heard a loud banging on her door and jumped in her seat, sending the popcorn to fly all over the place. Willow snapped her fingers just in time and suspended the flying kernels in the air so they wouldn't hit the ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Bloody hell Red I know you're in there, open up!" The voice on the other side of the door shouted. Willow's breath caught in her throat and she froze at the sound of that all too familiar voice.

"Oh my gosh…"

Willow very slowly got up from her seat and pushed the popcorn out of the way as she walked to the door. She put her hand on the knob, hesitating a moment, before opening the door to reveal a leather clad bleached vampire.

"Where is he?!"