'This is insane, Buffy choosing who becomes human, that's so unfair it's obvious she's going to choose Spike he's gonna wrap her round his little finger with that sexy look he does and the sweet talk and.....', Angel fretted to Wesley pacing round the room.

'I think you need to calm down, you stand a good a chance as Spike', Wesley said.

'But Spike has been in her life for longer than I have, they've been through stuff together and all that time I was here in L.A....I'm such an idiot.'

'Listen to yourself, now your being an idiot, for God's sake Angel pull it together man, you made the right choice coming here Buffy knows that and besides Buffy might not choose who she loves she'll choose who she thinks deserves it more.'

'Well she gave the amulet to Spike didn't she, she sent me off with a maybe, and then went and slept Spike', Angel said bitterly.

'Angel I'm sure Buffy will make the right choice, you've had a soul way longer than Spike and at the end of the day we all know who the real champion is', Wesley said calmly. Angel nodded, hope restored in him once more.

'What we talking about', came Buffy's voice from the door. Angel and Wesley jumped. Angel opened his mouth trying to think of something but no sound came out.

'You okay?' Buffy said frowning at him.

'Yeah, yeah I'm fine', Angel said in a high voice that didn't belong to him.

'Ok then anyway what happened at the cemetery, Spike's not saying anything it's like he's in a world of his own', Buffy said.

'It's probably nothing I mean the cemetery thing nothing really important happened, it was just threats you know', Angel said awkwardly. Angel looked to Wesley for support.

'Yeah nothing too important, but er we'll talk to you when we know more right Angel', Wesley said through gritted teeth.

'Right, no problemo', Angel answered.

'Ok then well let me know when your ready to tell me whatever your hiding, Buffy said.

'We're not hiding anything', Angel said.

'Do you think I'm stupid, you're acting a bit too cheerful for your normal brooding self, and it's worrying ', Buffy told Angel. Angel didn't reply.

'Is it about me?' Buffy asked. Angel shrugged.

'It was unclear', Angel muttered. Wesley let out a cry of frustration

'Oh for God's sake Angel why don't you just tell her the truth, tell her she's the one who has to.....'
Just at that moment there was a loud bang and Wesley was thrown back against the window.

'She is not to know until the time is right', Lord Vargner shouted at Wesley.

'How did you get here', Wesley gasped, he could feel the blood dripping down from his forehead.

'We're always watching your every move, you make a wrong one and I will be there in a second to punish you', Lord Vargner replied staring at the window. Wesley could feel the window cracking behind him.
He felt himself fall through the window and the wind rushing against his face as he plummeted down to the ground.

'WESLEY', Angel yelled, and ran to the window. Lord Vargner waited until Wesley was about a foot away from the ground before waving his hand. Wesley stopped in mid air. He let out a deep sigh of relief as he saw how close he'd been to his death.

'That was just a warning, I can do far worse', Lord Vargner threatened Angel menacingly. Angel stared in awe as Wesley floated back up to his office.

'You ever do that again', Angel growled. Lord Vargner didn't reply so Angel spun around to find he'd gone. Now it was Angel's turn to cry out in frustration.

'They always have to have the last word don't they, they never wait for you to reply', Angel said to himself.
Meanwhile Spike was sitting alone doing some thinking. He heard footsteps and looked up, it was Harmony.

'What do you want now', Spike sighed.

'Nothing I just saw you sitting here all alone and I thought I'd come and talk to you cos I'm bored', Harmony said without taking a breath.

'Got nothing to talk to you about', He muttered. Harmony pouted, Spike rolled his eyes.

'What's going on between you and Buffy', she asked trying to sound offhand.

'She's still getting used to the idea that I alive, but yeah things were going great until now', Spike replied.

'Why aren't they anymore', Harmony asked. Spike didn't answer for a long while, but then decided that he might as well tell Harmony. He explained the whole story to her. By the end she looked completely blank, as though she had been slapped in the face.

'Well that's........romantic', She said after a while.

'Romantic?' Spike repeated staring at her.

'Well yeah, she gets to choose her prince at the end and be with the one she loves', Harmony said choking. She wiped her eyes.

'And the only reason I'm crying is because it's sweet.....because you and her it's just sooo, Harmony cast around for the right word, well anyway I'm sure it will all end great for you because your so much more better off with a slayer rather than one of your own kind', She sobbed.

'Harmony.....' Spike started.

'No, no you don't need to say anything you love her and not me you made that perfectly clear now if you don't mind I'm going to go now and find someone out there who appreciates me.' She stood up wiping her nose. Spike stood up as well.

'Harmony I'm....I'm sorry.' (Harmony stopped crying)

'You are?'

'Yeah I know I've treated you like crap in the past but you and me was always a bit of a joke wasn't it (Harmony looked as though she might start crying again) but I appreciate you now and all the stupid things you do it makes me laugh but your right I never loved you and I'm sorry that you love me I really am but there's nothing I can do about it, all I can say is that you'll find someone, someone who loves you back because let's face it pet, you and me is never gonna happen.' 'So you do care about me?' Harmony said making sure.

'Yeah I guess but I don't love you, I love Buffy but if I can be with her, that's a different matter.'

'All you need to do is get her to choose you, I think she likes you I see you two making googly eyes at each other all the time.' Spike didn't say anything. There was an awkward silence between them, where they stood miserably thinking about their love lives.

'Well I better go', Harmony said. Spike smiled at her and she kissed him on the cheek.

'You'll always be my Blondie bear', Harmony said. Spike watched her walk away, what a nutter he thought to himself with weak affection.
Spike saw Buffy walking towards him. His heart leaped.

'What's she so happy about?' Buffy asked looking back at Harmony.

'I broke up with her the way I should have done years ago', Spike explained.

'You were going out with her?' Buffy said suddenly worried.

'No but I told her I liked her but not in that way, I told her it's you I love she already knew but I wanted to tell her that she did mean something to me even if it's not the way she'd hoped', Spike said.

'So I'm still the only girl in your life?'

'You're the only one for me, you know that', Spike whispered. Buffy stroked his face.

'I know', she whispered back. They were so close, their lips were almost touching.

'Oi lovebirds get a room.' Buffy and Spike looked around to see who spoke. It was Dawn, she smiled at them.

'Ahh look at you two', Dawn said looking from one to the other, still smiling brightly. Buffy chanced half a glance at Spike, he looked a little embarrassed.

'We.....we still have a lot to work through nibblet', Spike muttered.

'Well if you want me to go.....'

'No it's ok', Buffy said.

'No I think I'll go, you two obviously need to do the talking thing before you properly start going out', Dawn said quickly. Dawn suddenly realised that was the wrong thing to say, Buffy and Spike both looked overly awkward now.

'Well I'm going before I make things even more awkward between you two', Dawn said and turned on her heel and walked away. There was a long silence between Buffy and Spike as they tried to think what to say next.

'Er when you said we had a lot to work through.....'

'I meant us getting used to each other being with each other, by with each other I mean in the same place, not.....', Spike trailed off.

'We....er.....we do want to be with each other though don't we?' Buffy asked in a small voice.

'I want to be with you more than anything but I think the question is do you want to be with me?'

'I do want to be with you Spike but I want it to work because I couldn't bear it if we became a proper couple and then broke up because things became too difficult, do you know what I mean?'

'Yeah I know, I'm scared because I want things to work between us so badly but on the other hand I'm a vampire and you're the slayer, and I burn if I go out into direct sunlight and you deserve a normal life and it's pretty obvious you can't have one if your with me', Spike said sadly.

'I know, but you and Angel might become human.'

'No there's no and it's me or Angel, only one of us will become human', Spike said.

'I know but it's so unfair isn't it I mean your both great guys and you both deserve it so much but only one of you can have it.'

'Who do you think deserves it more?' Spike asked tensely.

'I honestly don't know, Buffy answered, Angel's had the soul for much longer than you have but you saved people even without a soul and you died for the world....and I know you saved me, a lot', Buffy added.

'Oh come on you're the slayer, you didn't need saving', Spike said.

'I didn't mean from fighting I meant emotionally....you brought the fire back into my life after I died, I was surrounded by all these people who loved me and I loved them and yet you were the only one who could make me feel, and after you got a soul all those times you stood by me even that night when I got kicked out you went out to find me and you made this beautiful speech about why you love me and then we spent the night in each other's arms and it was the most......it was the most touching thing I ever felt in my life', Buffy explained. Spike tilted his head to the side, studying her.

'Wow that was......thanks Buffy that means a lot', Spike said tenderly.

'Yeah your not the only one who gets to make touching speech's you know', Buffy laughed.
A few meters away Angel stood watching them through narrowed eyes. There was no way he was going to lose Buffy to Spike.