Rating: PG. (Includes some swearing and violence)

Summary: Set a few years after Rain of Fire. Connor has a chat with mystery blonde in the park. The blonde turns out to be Darla. Gunn tries to kill Darla. Darla is taken to hospital after fainting. They find out she is human. I don't know what happens in the series 'cause I'm not going to read the spoilers! OK, I've read up to Rain of Fire but no more. Some things may be wrong.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise in this story belongs to Joss Whedon and co. Please don't sue!

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I'm really sorry bout the start of Chapter 3. I might replace it.

Chapter 4- Reunion

The Caritas was decorated in red for Valentines Day. Red drapes hung from every wall and the bar and the tables were covered in red tablecloth. It was packed full with demons and people. Angel walked down the stairs followed by the rest of the group.

"Hey! Guys over here." A familiar English accent floated over from the bar.

Angel waved.

"Hi, so what's new here?" Buffy took a sip from her drink.

"Oh, hi pet. When did you come back?" Spike raised an eyebrow at Darla.

"Uh... Christmas?" Darla looked at Spike. "William, you've changed."

"Luv, it's Spike now."

Buffy nearly spat out her drink when she caught sight of Darla.

"What the hell?" Buffy shrieked. She pulled out a stake.

Darla's eyes widened in fear. She looked at Angel.

"Uh, Buffy. Things have changed."

Buffy ignored him and kicked Darla in the chest. Darla flew back against the wall. Everyone fell silent. Darla laid on the floor in a crumpled heap. Buffy walked towards her. She stopped in front of Darla and raised her stake. The stake was just inches away from Darla heart when...

"Nooooooooooooo." Angel charged towards Buffy at full speed. He knocked Buffy out of the way.

"Urgh! What did you do that for?" Buffy got to her feet and brushed herself down.

"C'mon Buffy, things have changed." Angel pleaded. "Give her a chance. She's human."

Buffy looked surprised and Spike looked at Darla who was still the foot of the wall.

Angel picked Darla up and carried her to one of the rooms behind the Caritas. He laid her down on the bed. He then went back out side where Buffy was being given a lecture by Lorne.

"Now don't ever show stakes around here please. You're scaring away my customers." Lorne looked over at a bunch of vampires that had moved to a far corner of the room after seeing Buffy's stake.

Buffy pouted. "Fine."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Darla sat up. She looked around. She felt her bruises and groaned. Darla felt her way to the door, she found herself outside in an alleyway. She saw Spike leaning up against a wall.

"What are you doing out here?"

Spike looked up when he heard her voice.

"Oh, hi. Pet. Erm... I needed some fresh air." Spike fidgeted. "You OK? I mean, you're human now, right?"

"Don't change the subject William and I don't need reminding that I'm human." Darla walked over to his side.

"So um... How have things been for you since you've been back then?"

Darla ignored him. She frowned and lent towards him and sniffed.

"What?"

"I can smell her all over you."

"What are you talking about?" Spike looked down at his shoes.

"The slayer." Darla growled. "I may not be a vampire William, but I can still smell things."

"It's Spike now."

"Stop trying to change the subject." Darla stared at Spike coldly. "She's the slayer. She'll stake you one day."

Spike sighed. "We've been together a long time, me and the slayer. I-."

"How long?"

"A year?"

"Does Angel know?"

"Um, no." Spike shifted his feet. "The slayer doesn't want him to know yet."

Darla smirked. "My, my William. I thought you killed slayers, not sleep with them. So when are you planning to kill this one then?"

"Stop calling me William and I'm not going to kill her." Spike looked down and then looked at Darla. "I love her."

Darla raised one eyebrow. "Fine. But it's your fault if she stakes you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy watched as Spike made his way through the crowd towards her. Her eyes clouded over.

"Buffy?" Buffy was jogged out of her thoughts by Angel's voice. Buffy looked at him.

"Yeah?"

"Have you been listening to a word I'm saying?"

"Sorry. I'm just... tired."

Spike grinned and whispered in Buffy's ear. "So you were thinking about me then?"

Buffy poked him in the ribs with her elbow. Spike looked at Darla who had a very smug look on her face. Spike glared at her. He sincerely hoped that she would keep her mouth shut. For once.

"You OK?" Connor walked over to his mum, dragging a very reluctant Cordelia behind him.

Darla looked over. "Hey, yeah I'm fine. Just a little bruising." She glanced at Buffy who was giving her death looks.

Buffy drained her drink. "Hey Lorne? Gimme another drink."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Angel led Buffy to the dance floor as a slow song was being played. Buffy was nearly tripping over herself.

"Er, Buffy? Are you sure you don't want to sit down instead?" Angel looked concerned as he put his hands on her waist.

"Mmhmm." Buffy looked up at him.

"Mum? You sure you're OK?" Connor asked, frowning.

Darla didn't answer him. She kept on staring at Angel and Buffy dancing.

"Mum?" Connor waved his hand in front of her eyes.

Cordelia nudged Connor. Connor followed her eyes and saw Spike staring at Angel and Buffy in exactly the same way. They looked at each other. Cordy tried to stifle a giggle with no success.

Meanwhile on the dance floor, Buffy was looking very dreamily at Angel. Angel, on the other hand, looked very uncomfortable.

"Um, are you sure you don't want to sit down?" He asked as Buffy tripped over for the seventh time in ten minutes.

Buffy into Angel's eyes just as the song ended. To Angel's surprise, she kissed him. Hard.

Spike slammed his fist into the table. Darla growled and stomped out.

Angel broke the kiss just in time to see Darla storm out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At lunchtime, Buffy woke up to find herself lying next to a very embarrassed Angel. Buffy closed her eyes. Everything came flooding back to her.

"Oh shit!"

"It shouldn't have happened last night."

"Yeah, you haven't lost your soul though..." Buffy shot Angel a puzzled look.

"That's what I was thinking." Angel sighed. "Probably had an epiphany."

"Well it has happened before."

"Yeah."

"Oh god."

"What?"

"Spike." Buffy looked away from Angel.

"Spike?"

"Yeah. I didn't want to tell you but... I... I've been seeing Spike."

"Spike?!?" Angel nearly fell out of his bed.

"Yeah."

"How long?"

"A year? Maybe more."

Buffy watched Angel opened and closed his mouth.

"You're mad aren't you?"

"No. You're... you can do what you want now."

Buffy gave him a quick smile. "I uh... I'd better go."

"Yeah."

Buffy got up and winced. "God, it feels like I've been run over by a million trucks."

"Well you did drink a lot last night."

Buffy pouted. "I'm gonna go see if Fred has any hangover cures."

After Buffy had left, Angel laid on his back and sighed. How the hell was he going to get out of this one?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Aw c'mon pet. You gotta eat." Spike stood outside Darla's door with a tray of food in his hands.

"I'm not hungry. And shouldn't you be asleep?"

Fred appeared at Spike's shoulder.

"Pet, I'm upset too. But I'm not lock myself in my room."

"No luck then I guess." Fred racked her brain for ideas. "Let me have a go."

"Er, hi. What are you doing?"

Fred looked over. "Oh hi Buffy. Darla's not eating."

Spike didn't look at Buffy.

"Spike..."

"Save it pet. I know you still love the poofter."

"Spike please."

Spike walked towards her. "I don't want to know." He carried on walking down the corridor.

Buffy turned sadly and followed him.

"Darla? Come on, open the door. Please?" Fred pleaded.

The lock clicked. Darla emerged. She looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy, red and swollen. She sniffed.

"Darla! What have you done to yourself?"

"I said I'm not hungry!"

"Look if you're not going to eat then we'll have to force feed you."

Darla slammed the door shut.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Dinner's ready!" Cordy screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Put me down you! I said I'm not hungry!"

Gunn appeared at the top of the stairs carrying a very annoyed Darla.

"Hey! Don't take it out on me! Anyway, Fred's right you gotta eat."

Darla struggled. Gunn started to walk down the stairs with great difficulty.

"Stop moving or I'll drop you."

They reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm NOT hungry!" Darla screamed.

"Well there goes my eardrum." Gunn put Darla down and rubbed his ear.

Fred led Darla to the couch.

"Right, now you stay there. I'm gonna go get your dinner."

When Fred had left, Buffy walked up to Darla.

"Are... are you OK?"

Darla glared at her.

"Um, OK." Buffy walked away.

At that same time, Angel happened to walk from his room after a lot of thinking and not much sleep.

"OK Darla, now eat this." Fred had returned with a tray full of food.

Darla's stomach rumbled. "I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat! You have had anything to eat or drink since last night!" Fred pleaded. "It's not good for you if you don't eat."

Darla stood up and walked towards the stairs. Angel stopped her.

"You gotta eat."

"What do you care? You could have lost your soul you know!" Darla growled and stormed upstairs.

Dawn passed Darla on the stairs. She felt very sorry for this ex-vamp. She certainly wasn't happy about big sis sleeping with Angel. Sure she liked him, but she preferred Spike. Spike was looking very glum today too. At least he was eating though.

"Are you OK?" Dawn asked timidly.

Darla looked at her and shook her head.

"That's what everyone's been asking me today."

"Oh." Dawn looked down.

"Have you seen Spike?"

"Spike? No... I don't think he's very happy."

"I know."

"Oh, so you know about him and Buffy?"

"Yeah, he told me last night."

"Ah... Well I'd better go eat." Dawn headed off downstairs.

Darla climbed up two flights of stairs. She peered into the darkness of the long corridor.

"Spike?"

"So you found me then?" Spike walked into Darla's view.

Darla walked up to him.

"So how're you coping pet?"

"OK I suppose."

"You still haven't eaten have you?"

Darla turned her back to him.

"Darla?" Spike walked forward.

"What?"

Spike grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"Go and eat."

Spike led Darla downstairs. It was silent in the dining room.

"That's strange... It's not usually that quiet." Darla tiptoed towards the door.

She gingerly pushed the door open. Suddenly, the door flew back and Buffy stormed out and walked straight into Spike. She glared at him and ran up the stairs.

"What was that about?" Darla walked into the dining room.

Everyone looked down.

"Fine don't tell me."

Darla walked over to the counter and grabbed a chocolate bar and doughnut. Spike walked to the fridge and took out a packet of blood. He poured the blood into a mug and put it in the microwave.

Darla looked around the table. She was sure that they had just had a very big argument over Angel and Buffy. She decided not to encourage conversation.

"C'mon Spike. I'm gonna go watch TV."

Everyone watched as Darla and Spike walked out of the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Fred decided to take Darla shopping in order to cheer her up.

"So... You OK now?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, still kinda hurts though." Darla looked into her hot chocolate.

Fred took a sip of her coffee.

"It probably will. For a bit."

"Mmmm..." Darla sighed. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Spike laid on his back. Why is it so hard to get over her? Face it, she obviously still loves him. Spike sighed. He got up. No point trying to sleep, waste of time.

"Uh, Spike?"

The door opened a crack.

"What do you want slayer?"

"Don't do this Spike." Buffy walked in.

"Do what, pet?"

"Spike, it was an accident."

"Right."

"Spike..."

Spike barged past her and went straight out of the door. He heard Buffy shout his name. He ignored her and carried on walking.

Later in the evening, Fred and Darla returned from their huge shopping spree. They were both carrying many big bulgy bags.

"Did ya fun pet?" Spike hollered from the couch.

"Yeah it was great!" Darla laughed.

"Have you seen Niblet?"

"Niblet?"

"Dawn."

Darla paused.

"Yeah, she was outside making out with a guy who was wearing lots of black leather and had about seven piercings." Darla hid a smile.

"What?!?" Spike looked shocked.

"Only kidding." Darla made her way to the stairs.

"Darla?"

Darla heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned round and gasped.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Who is the mystery person? Will Buffy and Angel get back together? Ha ha! Next chapter coming up!