Buffy gave Dawn a questioning look, "Fishy?"

"Yes, that was Harmony. She informed me that you and I are on a list of people who aren't allowed to talk to Spike?" Dawn explained with a frown.

Buffy's face fell, "So he doesn't want to talk to you either?" Her voice was small and sad.

"No, Buffy, you don't understand, Spike didn't make the list." Dawn shook her head angrily, "Want to guess who did?"

"It wasn't Spike?" Buffy looked confused for a moment and then it clicked, "Angel."

Dawn nodded her head in affirmation.

*****

Spike pulled out a bag and began to throw clothes in it. He might as well get packed for his flight.

He would go in to work tomorrow and then he would head for the airport the following morning for his early flight to London.

He wasn't telling anyone that he was leaving, he was sure that Angel would find a way to stop him. He would fly to London, find Buffy, and either work things out or come home with his tail between his legs, but he was not going to just stay away on Angel's word.....he just couldn't do it.

****

"Harmony, you can go." Angel excused her calmly.

"Okay, I'll keep you updated." She grinned as she left the office.

Wesley continued to stare at Angel, silently demanding an answer.

"Wesley, there's a very good explanation for all of this."

"Oh, I'm sure there is."

Angel frowned and took a deep breath,"Wesley, I thought that it would be better for Spike if he didn't take calls from Buffy, Dawn or Willow."

"But if Buffy doesn't want to talk to Spike why would she try to call him? " Wesley asked pointedly.

"Well if she changed her mind, she might call and that would hurt Spike even more if it gave him even the smallest amount of hope. You know how mopey he was when he was incorporeal, this would be worse." Angel tried to explain.

"You should certainly know about mopey." Wesley replied with a hint of sarcasm, "But I'm not really convinced you did this to spare Spike's feelings. And I'm telling you that if they really care for each other, no matter what you feel, it's wrong for you to keep them apart, Angel. You can't make life altering decisions for other people."

"Wesley, this is Spike. You never knew him before the soul, he was evil, vicious."

"You're right, I never met Spike before, I don't doubt your words that he was vicious. But you seem to forget that I have met an old friend of his - Angelus.I can assure you I know what vicious is." Wesley raised an eyebrow at Angel.

Angel had the decency to look ashamed, "I...I just don't see how they can do anything but hurt each other, maybe not today but someday. I don't want her to go through that."

Wesley smiled sympathetically, "Did you really think this will work? Don't you think that this will hurt her?"

"I know it will hurt at first, but I think as time goes by she'll start forgetting about him, the pain will lessen." Angel played nervously with the notepad on his desk.

"Did that work for you? Have you started forgetting Buffy? It still hurts doesn't it?"

Angel slowly nodded his head and replied in a whisper, "Everyday."

"I'm going to go now, I think you have some things to think about." Wesley stood up, "Angel as much as you hate it, this is their choice to make, not yours."

Angel lay his head down on his desk as Wesley left the room. His rest was interrupted by the phone ringing, "Hello." He answered solemnly.

"Angel, this is Rupert Giles."

"Giles? Is everything okay?" Angel answered worriedly.

"Well, I think everything is okay. I wanted to talk to you about Spike." Giles began to speak.

"Who doesn't?" Angel complained under his breath.

"I'm sorry but I didn't catch that last bit."

"I said what about Spike?" Angel covered quickly.

"I must say that I am rather dissappointed that you didn't let me know about his return earlier. I realize you were worried about Buffy's feelings, but really his return could be important in my research, it could have to do with the first in some way." Giles began to search for a pen and pad on the cluttered desk.

"I'm sorry, Giles. I was very concerned for Buffy's feelings. I'm sure that you don't want to see those two reunited in any way either." Angel replied thinking he had finally found someone on his side.

"Well, I can't say that I would be thrilled for them to be together, no. But with all the sacrifices Buffy has made, I think she has earned the right to decide whom she cares for. That is her choice and I refuse to go against her about Spike again, I did that once and it turned out badly."

"Is everyone a Buffy and Spike cheerleader now?" Angel snarked.

"I am not a cheerleader as you put it. But certain facts remain. Although I am loathe to admit it, Buffy was right about Spike, we did need him, he came through for us all in the end." Giles pulled off his glasses and began to clean them with his handkerchief, "Why are you worried about them reuniting? Buffy told me that Spike wanted nothing to do with her."

"I just want to make sure she's happy, that's all."

"Well, she has to be the one to make her own happiness, we can't do it for her." Giles found the pen he was looking for, "Now, may I ask you some questions about his return?"

"Sure, ask away." Angel replied grumpily.

*******

"What are you going to do, Buffy?" Dawn asked as she watched Buffy pacing in the livingroom.

"I'm going to LA, and I'm going stake Angel." Buffy replied angrily, "Okay, I'm not going to stake him, but I am going to find out what this is all about."

She found the phone book and called the airport, "I have a flight for late tomorrow night." She told Dawn as she hung up the phone, "I'm going to need your help though, I'll need you to cover for me with Giles and also if Angel calls for me. Can you do that?"

Dawn nodded, "I'll think of something to tell them, don't worry. Just go and see Spike, okay?"

Dawn helped Buffy pack her bag, both sisters smiling happily.

******

Bright and early the next morning, Spike showed up at work. Angel watched him walk around making small talk with some of the other employees. Shortly he walked into Angel's office, "I'm back, boss. What do you want me to work on?" He asked casually as he plopped himself in the chair across from Angel.

"I wondered if you were going to come back or not." Angel looked at him suspiciously, Spike seemed awfully calm.

"Well, can't sit around crying over spilled milk, or faraway slayers." His voice grew softer.

"Look, Spike." Angel sighed.

"No, don't want to hear excuses and such, I just need to work." Spike held up his hand before Angel could finish.

Angel thought about coming clean right then but maybe Spike really was trying to move on and why should he stand in his way?, he reasoned. "You can help Fred in the lab today, I know you like to hang out there and she could probably use a hand with some research for some experiments she's doing."

"Okay, I'll be in the lab if you need me." Spike stood and walked out the door.

A pang of guilt rose in Angel's chest but he tamped it down quickly. Wesley had made sense earlier but Angel still thought the separation of Buffy and Spike was for their own good.

Spike worked with Fred all day. He left work late , "Fred, you're a good girl. I've enjoyed working with you." He told her as they locked up the lab.

"You make it sound like we aren't going to see each other again, Spike." Fred smiled at him, "You'll be back here tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, pet. I'll be here." He sighed as he waved goodbye to her.

******

Willow arrived to drive Buffy to the airport that evening. "You have worried face, Willow."

Buffy told her as she checked her bag.

"I'm just afraid you'll end up hurt. Possibly Angel has a good reason for making that list?" Willow replied hesitantly.

"If he does then he'll explain it to me and I'll have to accept it, but if he doesn't have a good reason then trust me he will defnitely have a lot of explaining to do."

"I would love to be a fly on the wall during this confrontation." Willow gave her friend a smile, "I just want you happy, Buffy."

"I know you do, Will. And I'm going to be, I just need to set things straight." Buffy stood when her flight was called, "Don't worry about me. I'll call when I get there." The girls hugged and Buffy boarded the plane.

The flight was long and quiet. For a little while she busied herself trying to read the magazines she had brought. But her mind quickly turned to Spike and she spent the most of the flight thinking about him. She had enough time to go over every detail of their complicated relationship.

She fully realized that Willow might be right......maybe Angel did have a good reason for his actions. But Buffy's heart knew she would never accept Spike's refusal to see her unless she could see him and hear him say the words.

Buffy finally fell asleep an hour before landing, the loudspeaker woke her. Standing she grabbed her purse and departed the plane, excited and scared at the same time.

****

Spike didn't sleep at all that night. He had gone to the airport early for his flight. He sat in a dark corner of the International Flights terminal watching travelers come and go..

A new flight landed and Spike watched as the passengers disembarked, his flight was leaving in an half hour and he couldn't help but hope that he might get a happy welcome when he found her too.

A father carried a sleeping little girl as the mother carried an overstuffed bag beside him. An elderly couple rushed to meet them. Several more people came off the plane each having someone there to meet them. That's when he saw her, shorter then the other passengers around her, he caught a glimpse of golden hair. i No, it couldn't be./I He stood then and craned to get a better look.

***

Buffy walked into the terminal trying to remember which baggage station she needed to go to. She suddenly felt like someone was staring at her, she looked into the waiting area.

Blue eyes met green ones and neither could believe what they were seeing.

TBC