Thanks for all the reviews guys, very much appreciated! Just a short chapter for now, but there should be something bigger and better up tomorrow.

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Angel was nearly out of decent masks to distribute, it seemed like about one out of every ten of the guests hadn't even tried to hide their faces. Honestly, why come to a 'Masked ball' if you didn't want to be masked? If the flow of guests didn't stop soon he would have to go and get the other box of masks his mom had stashed away.

The next four guests did finish the collection of decent masks, now there were just a few really boring ones left and if his mom discovered he'd deliberately been handing those out when there were some decent ones to be had she'd probably explode. With a heavy sigh Angel turned the near empty box over to his cousin who was checking invitations and stomped off to fetch the other box.

He strode through the ballroom ignoring the masses of laughing dancing guests and grabbed the other box from his dad's study. As he made his way back through the crowd he saw something that made his stomach nearly re- arrange itself on the floor. Spike was clearly recognizable as he dipped his mermaid back over his arm and loomed over her to affectionately rub noses before he pulled her upright again, if they could possibly get closer together they would probably need surgical removal from each other. Angel watched them with the pained realization that the Pirate and the Mermaid were 100% right for each other, something he'd never quite believed until a few seconds ago. So he really had meant nothing to Buffy. What for him had been an incredible and meaningful experience had been just a game or final fling for her.

Pushing down his sickened misery and disappointment Angel tore his eyes away from the happy pair and stormed out of the ballroom.

He would try to be happy for them in the future but he couldn't face it just yet.

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Buffy mooched up the garden path that only twenty-four hours ago had been the scene of her first meeting with Angel. It was crazy how much the world could change in such a small amount of time.

Only yesterday life had been so simple, with the exception of being involved in a massive fake engagement scam that was. But now she was really falling for Angel in a way she'd never fallen for any guy before and already she had massively screwed things up. How did she manage it?

She plonked herself down on the grass under a willow tree and pulled off her beautiful mask. She didn't really fancy the ball now, though she wished she'd got a good look at Angel in his highwayman get-up; that must've been a seriously sexy sight!

Buffy flopped onto her back feeling thoroughly miserable and unwanted, wishing she'd thought to bring a platter of food out with her because all that Halloween buffet had smelled incredible.

Maybe later she'd go in and steal a plateful.

Though really ice cream was called for.

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Angel frowned over the bottle of champagne he had been swigging from, guests had finally stopped arriving and he had slipped away to the balcony to get a bit of peace and quiet within calling distance if he was needed. Now all he really didn't need was for Spike to decide the balcony was the perfect spot to make out with Buffy.

From his quiet shadowy corner he saw Buffy back Spike up against the balcony wall, much as she had backed him up against the wall of her bedroom earlier in the evening. Angel winced as it seemed that Spike looked straight at him as he cupped Buffy's mermaid backside in his hands and lifted her against him.

Angel shuddered as he heard Buffy moan, that was more than enough. Hastily he stood up, grabbed the champagne and dish of chocolate-coated strawberries he had been stuffing himself with, swung his legs over the balcony wall and lightly dropped to the ground a few feet below. He stood still for a minute, gathering his dignity and self-control before he did something stupid like crying or telling Spike the truth about Buffy. Then he stormed off up the garden. He needed to be far away from people right now. His bedroom would be the ideal spot but he couldn't face walking through the crowd just yet, or worse, the idea that Buffy and Spike might come upstairs to her bedroom while he was busy moping next door.

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Spike lifted his lips from his new girlfriend's and smiled again, "Are you sure Buffy went off up the garden love?" he asked seriously.

Faith pressed a kiss to his nearest gorgeous cheekbone and nodded, "That was nearly an hour ago though."

"Well, Angel just went that way too, what do you wanna bet they run into each other and figure some things out."

"Hey! How do you know where Angel went? You were kissing me until a few seconds ago."

Spike grinned, "He was sitting in the corner of the balcony so I let him see the show and get a bit miffed about it, he dived over the wall a minute ago and I saw he stomped up the garden."

"Spike!"

"Nothing wrong with making him feel bad before he gets to the real Buffy and starts to feel good." Spike told her unrepentantly. "Now where were we?"

Faith tried and failed to look annoyed, "Right about here."

She kissed him.