"Buffy, you sure keep bad company." Jay complained lightly.

Rolling her eyes Buffy snorted inelegantly. "Yeah, yeah!"

As Angelus and he faced off, Jay looked at the vampire carefully, wondering what was going through his mind.

Willow was chanting faster and suddenly reached out her hands for support. Sam Finn quickly sat down and accepted Willow's hands, feeling like she was bring struck by a bad case of static electricity. Suddenly Willow gripped tighter, her head went back and she shouted, making the earth tremble beneath them.

"So Angel," Jay held up a hand, "sorry, Angelus, what do you want?"

"Buffy." Was Angelus one word answer. He moved closer to Buffy, playing with the hair at the side of her neck idly. He bared his teeth and nuzzled said neck, then looked up at the blank face on the Colonel and pouted a bit.

"So, you staged this for my benefit?" Jay said, playing for time. "I mean, I've heard about you and Spike. Both attracted to my Slayer, with and without souls. There seems to be a difference between you and Spike though. He became good, without a soul too. Does like, the demon have a sense of right and wrong?" he said in puzzlement.

Angelus was about to snarl something when he hissed and clutched his chest, his face vamping.

Jay stood with his arms across his chest and watched impassively as the other man fell to his knees. Buffy looked at Jay, "What's happening?"

"Willow."

Angelus looked up, "I will always be here! You won't win!" he howled.

Jay knelt on one knee and cocked his head, "I already have. Angel."

Suddenly the vampire dropped to his hands and was now on all fours, gasping quietly in pain.

Jay quickly moved to Buffy and undid the chains, massaging her shoulders as she moaned. He swept her up into a desperate hug. Hearing a noise he looked up and watched Jay and Sam come in, weapons at their shoulders as they thoroughly searched the space before training their weapons on Angel.

"Wait." Buffy knelt down and took Angel's face, looking into his eyes. She could actually see the soul enter his eyes, his conscience, his awareness of being Angel filling him.

"Buffy?" He rasped.

"Hey, welcome back."

"What happened?" He put up a hand and groaned.

Jay knelt down beside them, "Is he ok?" Buffy looked around at Jay, "Yep, saw his soul enter. Pretty wild."

Angel laughed weakly, "You have no idea." Gasping, he clutched his chest.

Buffy jumped up, "Let me get Wesley and Cordelia for you." She said and was about to walk when Angel grabbed her hand, "Not Cordy."

Buffy met his eyes, "Ok, Wes and Gunn?" and he nodded wearily.

She smiled at Jack, placing a gentle hand on his sleeve, smiled at Sam and walked out of the door. A few moments later Buffy walked back in, going straight to Jay who looked at her in concern, his gentle fingers cupping her face, his eyes dark with anger.

"Don't worry about these," she pointed the bruises on her face, "They'll be gone by morning."

"Ah, the luck of being a Slayer." Angel piped up from the floor.

"Shut up Angel." Buffy replied fondly.

Angel leaned back on his knees, his eyes crinkling in wry humor as Gunn and Wes rushed in.

"Angel?" Wesley asked, kneeling down.

"Yeah, turned inside out and front to back but it's me. What did I do?" he asked.

Buffy moved from Jay's side and knelt beside Wesley, "Go home, get some sleep and deal with Angelus later." She advised softly, her eyes letting him know that whatever it was it was bad.

His tortured eyes met hers, "I'm so sorry."

"Ffftt." Buffy waved a dismissive hand.

As Wes and Gunn helped Angel out, Xander and Willow rushed in, Riley following more slowly.

"Buffy!" Willow cried and launched herself at her friend for a hug. Xander followed and wrapped his arms around them both, the link between the three of them still tight.

With an indulgent smile Jay laid a gentle hand on Willow's smooth red hair, then ruffled Xander's slightly causing the other man to huff , then smile. The three pulled back, Buffy going back to wrap her arms around Jay and he spoke quietly, "It's really late. Let's find somewhere to crash."

Jack nodded, "I'll call Danny. He'll get us someplace." He looked at Sam and she nodded and followed him out, a glance back at Jay and the others. Here was a friendship as close as SG-1's, annealed by fire like a good sword.

Riley came up and smiled, "You guys are still as tight as I remember."

Exchanging looks the three nodded, "Always." Xander said in reply.

"Thanks for Sam." Riley said soberly.

Buffy moved to him and wrapped him in a gentle hug, "It's ok Riley. How is she?" she pulled back and he smiled, "She's doing great. Angelus didn't harm her physically."

"Good, tell her I said hi."

"I will." He turned to Jay, "Colonel, it was a pleasure to serve with you. If you ever need a job let us know."

Jay smiled, "Thanks but I'm pretty happy where I am. Good luck Major." They quickly shook hands.

Riley nodded to the others then left out the double doors. Buffy sighed, "If I never see another ex it will be too soon." She sighed.

"It was a nice thing that you did for Farm Boy." Xander said.

"Farm Boy?" Jay asked, "Another ex?" His eyebrow raised in gentle question.

Wincing Buffy said, "We dated for awhile but when he realized that I didn't need him to be the 'big strong man' he left."

Jay laughed, "Was he blind?"

Jack had come back in during the conversation and Xander and he both snorted and said, "Duh!" , then exchanged grins.

Buffy smiled, then burst into tears. Jay grabbed her in a full body hug, rubbing her back in long soothing strokes, "Shh, I'm here, I'm here." He repeated over and over until she began to calm down.

Jack patted Buffy on the back briskly, "Come on Xena, let's cut the waterworks and get the hell out of here."

Jay grinned at the irrepressible Jack. He and Daniel were his best friends and times like this reminded him of why.

Buffy leaned back, took the handkerchief that Jack offered and wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

"Stop calling me that." She grumbled but Jack grabbed her in a quick bear hug. "Let's go to the hotel kid." He pulled back and she smiled.

The sunshine came through the curtains, shining on a blonde head and a smooth back. There was a male groan and a gray head turned, opening sleepy brown eyes to meet limpid blue. "Hey." Jack whispered and received a smile in return.

Jay was still sleeping when Buffy got up. She smiled, ran a caressing hand over his hair and walked over to the curtain, twitching it aside slightly to see the sun. She thought about what had happened, and the love that had flowed through her when Jay had strode through those doors. This thing made her realize that …

"Babe?" came Jay's sexy, sleepy voice.

"I'm here." She said softly and walked back to the bed, crawling in to lay on top of his warm, sleepy, and now aroused body.

"Mmm." He murmured, his fingers tangling through her golden hair, pulling her down for a deep kiss.

"Love you." She murmured against his lips, pressing harder and nipping his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to her and she took full advantage, her tongue dueling with his wetly, making him arch and moan into her mouth. The kiss exploded and their hands ran feverishly over one another, stroking, feeling caressing, dipping into spaces that made the other gasp.

Catapulted into passion Jay lost all control and rolled Buffy onto her back. He pinned her hands above her head, nipped her neck, then using one knee to part her legs he sheathed his cock into her, fighting her tightness until he was in her completely. He kissed away her moan and thrust savagely into her.

Buffy gasped and arched to meet his thrusts, their fingers twining together. It was rough and wild, their eyes never leaving each other as they made love. Jay kept dipping his head to kiss and nip, making her moan each time. The sweat blossomed over their bodies and the room felt like it was heating up. Buffy's eyes fluttered closed and she arched, gasping. Jay knew she was coming as his cock was suddenly gripped impossibly tighter, so tightly that he came with a long shudder and a shout of her name.

"Buffy!" he gasped, then collapsed on top of her, both of them sweaty, fulfilled and gasping for air. As he pulled out of her he grunted and she moaned, "Sorry Babe, didn't mean to get so rough."

She shook her head, "It's a good kind of sore." She wriggled around to snuggle up to him. They lay silently for a few minutes, waiting for their breathing to even out and their racing hearts to settle. He gently stroked her hair, incredibly relieved that she was ok.

"Why are you in LA?" she asked suddenly.

He snorted, "Um, I dunno. The love of my life is kidnapped by a psycho vamp and smacked around. Gee, I wonder?" he said in a gently sarcastic way that had her giggle.

"I don't mean that!" She huffed a laugh, "I mean how did you know I was in LA?"

"Um, Wesley guessed."

"Huh."

He reached up and took a piece of her hair, twirling it in his fingers idly, "Sooo, you and Farm boy?"

"Ohmigod!" Buffy moaned in protest and he laughed, moving to sprawl himself over her, resting his head on her chest so that he could hear her heartbeat.

He could feel her laughter and lifted his head to smile into her bright happy hazel eyes, "I love you Buffy."

The telephone rang and Buffy groped for it, sighing when it fell with a clatter to the floor. She picked it up, "Whoops sorry about that. Hello?"