If You Love
"I can't believe you told him!" Buffy shouted. "You promised you wouldn't! He was happy, that was what I wanted."
"And I want you to be happy," Spike replied. "You never got over him, never moved on, so Angel can just be happy with you. He will be, trust me."
"When do I have time for a relationship?" Buffy snapped. "I'm the Slayer, which is a job and half and even with Giles' best efforts the council doesn't pay me enough to put Dawn through college. Which means I've got to work. Plus, I'm Dawn's guardian, that takes a lot of time."
"Stop using Dawn as an excuse because you're too afraid to have a life!" Spike yelled back. "It hurts her when you do that and it's a lie. The council pays you more than enough for everything, you just work that stupid cashier job because it fills up your spare time."
"What would you know about it Spike?" Buffy snapped. "Look at my mom! Two dates in all the years after the divorce; one of those with a homicidal robot; then she finally finds a nice guy and guess what happens? She dies. So you just screwed up whatever happiness Angel had for nothing."
"If you don't have time or interest in a relationship what was that night with me?" Spike demanded. "Cause it sure sounded like you looking for the closest substitute for Angel without actually having to risk anything."
"Do you want to know what that night was Spike?" Buffy asked coldly. "It was a mistake. That's it; that's all. I just wanted a body; you were convenient. Don't make anything more of it. You certainly don't remind me of Angel."
"You're a bloody liar Slayer," Spike said before storming into the basement.
"Would it be so bad if Angel came back?" Willow asked.
"Didn't you listen to anything I just said?" Buffy demanded.
"I also listened to Will, and he had a point," Willow replied.
"He does not," Buffy snapped. "He's utterly pointless."
"You're not even a little bit happy that Angel came running as soon as he heard?" Willow asked. "Well until the wreck anyway."
"No, I'm not." Buffy said. "He's going to come here, make his girlfriend mad, and then I'm just going to have to send him home. It's going to be his version of Riley and I. I don't want to put either Angel or Fred through that. Can't anyone understand that?"
