"So, what do you think about her then?" Gunn asked as he stood leaning against the wall looking out at the whole of Angel's office.
Wesley was sat on the leather couch and Lorne was making himself a drink from the cabinet whereas Fred was pacing the room anxiously. They all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him with different variations of a puzzled expression on their faces.
"Of Buffy, the Slayer?" He said "'Cos to me, the hype surrounding her? Pretty much justified. The girl is fine"
"You think?" Fred asked critically.
"Hell yes" Gunn grinned, "Am I right, Wes?"
Wesley looked up "Hmm? Oh, Buffy. Well, I don't really think of her like that, I was once her Watcher you know"
"That don't mean you haven't got eyes, man" Gunn grinned.
"Well, no. I suppose that she is quite attractive..." Wesley mused.
"Quite? Honey, the girl is a stunner!" Lorne announced swirling his scotch around in his tumbler "I would kill for eyes that big and those lips! To die for!"
Fred started pacing again then stopped and cocked her head "Really? I don't know I just thought she was...average. I mean pretty, but not that great"
"Yeah right. Am I sensing a little of the green eyed-monster here, sweetie?" Lorne looked at the Texan girl.
She looked at him "What? Me? Jealous? No! Why would I care?"
"'Cos you used to have a thing for Angel and Spike was totally your new flirt-buddy" Gunn pointed out, leaning back against the wall "Can you say 'jealous'"
"Can you say 'wrong'" Fred frowned "Spike was not my...flirt buddy! Besides, I'm over Angel and I am not a little girl. I just think it's a little weird that these two vampires with souls would fall for the same girl. The way they made her out to be I'd have thought she glowed and her feet didn't touch the ground"
"Jealous" Gunn coughed the word out and Fred narrowed her eyes at him.
Wesley looked at the woman "Fred, Angel and Buffy have a very complicated history remember and Spike and Buffy seemed to have something deep too. You can't choose who you fall in love with" He said pointedly looking at her.
Fred blushed and nodded looking around and then she continued to pace up and down up and down. Wesley cleared his throat and then looked back down at his file flicking through it absently. Lorne raised his eyebrows at Gunn and then took a swig of his scotch. Gunn heard the Slayer and the two vampires outside and he motioned to the guys that they were coming. Fred stopped pacing, Wesley stood, Gunn pushed away from the wall and Lorne sidled up. They ended up all in a line staring straight at the door as the three of them entered. Angel and Spike were arguing, as usual, and Buffy rolled her eyes but they all froze in a line too as they saw the members of Angel's team.
"What are you all lookin' at?" Spike growled lighting up a cigarette.
Buffy stood in-between the two vampires as a sort of barrier and it was clear she was wondering the same thing.
"Nothing, Billy-boy" Gunn grinned.
"Hi, I don't think we were introduced" Fred stepped forward and held her hand out to Buffy "I'm Fred"
"Oh, right. Willow told me a lot about you," Buffy shook her hand and smiled warmly "She said you were a genius"
"Oh, I don't really think..." Fred blushed with pride.
"Hey, with these two around" Buffy motioned to the vampires "You guys probably need all the brains you can get"
Spike looked at her "Back five minutes and you're insulting me again. Think you'd be happy I was back from the dead"
"No excuse for missing out on a good insult" The Slayer smiled.
"Well, as heartwarming as this is..." Angel walked into his office and picked up his jacket "I kind of want some time by myself. Got a lot of paperwork to do" He dropped in his chair.
Everyone looked around awkwardly and they all piled out except Spike and Buffy who stayed behind and the Slayer shut the doors. Angel started scribbling away at papers and she watched him with disdain – how he had changed in a couple of months amazed her and not in a good way.
"S'all he ever does now – soddin' paperwork" Spike whispered to Buffy.
Angel looked up, eyes dark "I can hear you – vampire hearing, remember?"
Spike grinned at him gleefully "I know"
The dark haired vampire stood and walked around his desk "Spike, you aren't welcome in my office. You aren't welcome anywhere here"
"It's a public place so get lost," Spike spat taking a drag of his cigarette and swaggering over to his immortal enemy "mate"
"I am not your mate" Angel folded his arms and glowered down at him.
"Too bloody right you're not" He smirked.
"Nothing's keeping you here anymore, Spike," Angel motioned to the door "So, why don't you just go?"
The blond vampire shrugged "Maybe I've got used to a few things 'round here"
"Like what?"
"Well, I got a bit of a soft spot for your pretty science girl, Charlie's an all right bloke and, oh yeah, I just love getting right up you nose" Spike grinned blowing the smoke from his cigarette into Angel's face.
Angel's face grew stone cold "Why don't you go back with Buffy, hmm? I'll tell you why because you know she doesn't want you there. That's what you think and, well, she's not exactly dragging you out of the door is she?"
Buffy started to interject.
"Oh yeah?" Spike looked at him; eyebrows raised "Well, doesn't seem too keen on you right now either, does she? Mr. Sell-Out to the dark side. She's seen what a bloody moron you are finally. You're meant to be such a champ but look at you you're nothin' but the senior partners whipping boy"
Angel launched himself forward lightening quick and grabbed the lapels of Spike's jacket he hurled him over his desk and into the wall behind – the vampire crumpled to the floor. Angel turned and jumped on his desk and leapt off it to land on the blond. The two of them morphed faces and rolled around on the floor knocking over random items in their fighting.
Spike got his boot to Angel's abdomen and kicked him back so hard he flew through the air and hit the windows with a crunch. If they had been made out of normal glass he would have sailed right through into the bright sunshine. Angel recovered just in time to get a series of vicious punches in the face by Spike.
The blond vampire grinned showing plenty of fangs "What's this then, Angelus? Want me to beat you down again. My pleasure"
Spike went to punch him again but Angel grabbed his fist and twisted it, ducking underneath Spike's arm to shove him from behind into the spider-webbed window face first.
"Like to see you try it again, Spiky-boy" Angel growled in his ear.
Before either could do anymore damaged to each other Angel was propelled backwards and hit the opposite wall hard with his back. Then Spike was spun around and shoved to the back of the room as far away as they could get. Angel picked himself up off of the floor and turned to the Slayer hissing, his demon face filled with rage.
Buffy motioned for him to come closer "You wanna fight? Either of you? Then fight me"
Neither got the chance to answer because as that moment a team of commandos crashed through the door all dressed in black swat gear and carrying guns. Buffy realized they had come to protect their boss. They fanned around her and pointed their guns at her expertly. There were six of them and the Slayer just smiled.
"Hands up!" One cried.
Buffy put her hands slowly in the air, the smile still on her face "What's the problem, guys?"
At that moment Fred, Gunn, Lorne and Wesley rushed in all with varying degrees of shock and surprise on their faces. Fred had come in first and in his hurry Gunn had run into the back of her followed by Wesley into the back of him and Lorne into the back of Wesley. They all halted and just watched the show.
The Slayer looked at the commandos "Say, do any of you know an Agent Finn? 'Cos, he can verify I get on well with army guys"
Spike snorted "Yeah, she does at that"
Buffy grinned and then out of the corner of her eye she saw Angel step forward and take in the situation.
The vampire boss morphed his face back to human "Put your weapons down"
The men all hesitated.
"Yeah, guys, put them down" Buffy urged.
The Slayer jumped back a split second before a bullet would have gone straight through her temple – instead it zipped in front of her face and she watched it in slow motion. From then on the Slayer was no longer Miss. Nice Girl. Buffy jumped up and lashed out with a snap kick to the commando that had attempted to shoot her. He flailed backward his gun firing wildly into the ceiling and she slammed a hard kick to his stomach which sent him sailing backward in to the wall and knocking him unconscious.
It was about that time that the others all pulled their triggers simultaneously.
Buffy jumped up and somersaulted backward in the air landing on Angel's desk the bullets firing around her. She jumped off and landed an awesome kick to the face of another commando instantly breaking his nose and sending him crashing to the floor. His gun went up and she plucked it out of the air and swung it around into the head of another commando who had turned to shoot her just a second too slow. The commando staggered to the side and Buffy spun around and hurled the barrel of the gun into the gut of another soldier behind her. He gagged and doubled over and she took the opportunity to smash his face with the gun then follow through with a punch to his jaw. He fell backward and hit his head on the edge of Angel's desk going down and staying down. Buffy turned back to the commando she had previously hit but who had now more or less recovered she knocked his gun out of his hand and punched him twice before kicking him in the stomach. The commando careening backward and into the last two commando's standing that had been about to pump her full of lead. The three of them fell to the floor just as the guy she had broken the nose of got back up and rushed at her with a knife. The Slayer sidestepped him and as he rushed past she grabbed the back of his neck and slammed his head down onto Angel's desk once, twice and three times until he fell to the floor.
"Buffy!" Spike and Angel called out warning.
The Slayer vaulted over the desk and took cover as bullets rained everywhere. Buffy grabbed the bottom of the desk and then crouched down before she heaved the whole thing upwards and forwards. She stood just in time to see the heavy desk hit all three remaining commandos and force them into the back wall devastatingly hard. They all slumped to the floor with the desk landing on their legs and they did not move.
Buffy heard Lorne wince and Gunn let out a low appreciative whistle.
She looked around and saw that the floor was littered with bodies of unconscious commandos and she looked up to see Fred looking at her wide-eyed and more than a little scared, Gunn was grinning and had an eyebrow arched, Wesley just looked satisfied and Lorne looked a little stunned. She ticked her gaze to the back wall where Spike stood dangerously close to where she had launched the desk and he turned to her still in demon face and grinned.
"Made easy work of them, luv" He clapped with pride.
Lastly the Slayer turned her gaze on Angel who stood off to her left and who looked at her with wide, apologetic eyes. His arms hung loosely at his sides but he was hunched over a little and she figured he was probably hurt from her pushing him against the wall with excess force.
"Buffy, I –" Angel started.
"Thanks for the welcoming committee, Angel," She said looking at him with a blank face "But it really wasn't necessary. Reminds me why I don't live in Los Angeles anymore – dangerous."
At that moment a very familiar blond vampire entered the room wearing a pink summer dress and strappy sandals.
"Angel, you have a troop of Garagos demons outside for your twelve o' clock and –" Harmony noticed Buffy "Slayer, hey. So, the Garagos are outside and they are pretty testy, if you know what I mean"
"Harmony..." Angel groaned.
"Harmony is working for you!" Buffy's eyes widened and she let out a bitter laugh "Oh, well that's just the icing on the cake. She's a vampire, Angel"
"So is he!" Harmony pointed to Angel then turned to Spike "And him!"
Angel ignored her "It wasn't my choice. She was already working here and –"
Buffy put her hand up "None of my business, Angel. Obviously your priorities have changed since we last spoke. I thought you wanted to fight evil – not give it a pay rise"
"Pay rise? Ha!" Harmony snorted and rolled her eyes.
"I guess I've seen all I need to see," Buffy locked eyes with the vampire "It looks like we're not allies anymore, Angel. That's one of the things I never thought I'd have to say"
"'Cept for when he loses his soul" Spike pointed out.
Angel shot him a look then turned back to the Slayer "Buffy, you don't understand"
"I do, Angel. You're not the same man I used to know or you wouldn't be doing this" Buffy turned and walked toward the door passing Harmony and stepping over bodies as she went.
She walked past Team Angel who all followed her with their eyes and then she was out of the door and walking to the elevator.
Spike morphed his face back to human and looked at Angel "Well done, mate. I think you really made your point and stood your ground" He let out a long laugh and then turned and walked to the door, looking back at him and quirking an eyebrow "I better go after her. Give her a shoulder to cry on, if you know what I mean"
With that the peroxide haired vampire turned and strolled out of the door a smug expression on his face.
Everyone left in the room was silent and all looked around at one another. The bodies still were littering the floor.
"So, shall I show the Garagos demons in?" Harmony asked, looking at her boss innocently.
Buffy felt herself fuming as she stepped into the elevator and turned to face the corridor as the doors started to close. Angel had just stood there and let her get attacked by his bodyguards for Christ's sake and Harmony was working for him! Harmony! It was so unbelievable. When Andrew had told them about what was going on in L.A fully she didn't believe it so she had to find out for herself. She had also known that he was hiding something and had badgered him until he had spilled the beans on Spike and she couldn't believe that either – had to see him with her own eyes.
Pale fingers prized the doors open and the vampire she had just been thinking about stepped in. He had lit up a fresh cigarette and gave her a look as he entered the elevator stood side by side with her at the front. Behind them stood five lawyers – two women three men and none conversed amongst themselves.
Spike took a long puff as the doors closed, looked at her sideways but continued to face front "I see you haven't lost any of your moves, pet"
"It's only been a couple of months since..." Buffy trailed off, looking down at her shoes for a moment then back up at the elevator doors.
"Funny, it seemed longer," Spike mused melancholically then took a breath "So, heard you're in England with Giles. I could just see you there – it always bucketing down with rain, mud in your wellies, sun never shining. Yeah, you fit in real well with that picture" He snorted.
"It's not that bad and you know it" She smiled a little
"Yeah but you're Californian girl at heart, all sunbeams and endless beaches" Spike sighed taking another drag of his cigarette.
"I don't know...maybe," Buffy nodded "But it's a new start. A clean slate, you know? I get to live a normal...or at least a more normal life. I still patrol every so often but there's enough Slayers the world over now that I don't have to do it on a regular basis. Giles' house is big enough for him and the gang and, I don't know, it just feels right. Peaceful. Safe. –"
"Boring" Spike turned and looked at her.
Buffy turned to face him too and shook her head "No, it's not, it's –"
"Boring" Spike said again "I might be all right for ordinary folk but you are most definitely not normal, Slayer. Buffy, you are extraordinary and you deserve to lead an exciting life. I get that you're taking a well deserved break from slaying but, honestly, luv, are you happy just wandering around good ol' Blighty?"
She looked at him "It's good enough for now. What about you Spike? Never really saw you as working for Angel"
"He bloody wishes" Spike grunted "I'm not working for him I was haunting him"
"And now?"
"Now, I'm..." He sighed and looked down at the floor "I'm..."
Buffy reached over and took his hand and they both looked down at their fingers entwined and Buffy was pretty sure they were both remembering the same thing. The day Spike had sacrificed himself to save the whole world from the First Evil. They looked up into each other's eyes simultaneously and let go of each other's hand.
"You should go home, Spike" Buffy whispered.
"Where's home?"
"Wherever you can be yourself and be accepted as you are" She said.
Spike looked away then back at her "There's only once place I can think of then"
"Where?"
"Wherever you are" Spike spoke softly, looked deeply into her eyes.
Buffy tilted her head "Then why don't you come back with me?"
He shrugged then his eyes lit up in a small show of hope "I didn't know if I was welcome"
"Spike," The Slayer looked back at him and she smiled a little "You're a hero. A good man. I like to keep as many of those around me as possible"
He grinned "That an invite?"
"That an acceptance?" She countered.
Spike grin turned to a slight smile and he looked down at the elevator small and Buffy was sure that if he could blush he would be blushing right about then. He took a few puffs of his cigarette and then looked off shyly to one side and Buffy had to smile at his coyness.
The vampire looked up again "So are you off home right now?"
"I can get a flight back for tomorrow night," She said slowly "If I want"
He looked at her "Thinkin' bout taking a holiday here? I thought you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with the big poof upstairs"
"He's not the only reason I came," Buffy said looking pointedly at him "Besides, L.A has a great night life"
"Dangerous, though" Spike grinned mimicking her earlier words.
The Slayer smiled back for a moment "A little bit of danger..."
"...is good for the soul." He finished taking another puff and exhaling "So, how do you feel about me showing you around? I happen to know some very good pubs"
The elevator hit ground floor, the doors slid open and she stepped out.
"It's daylight, Spike" Buffy said.
"Tonight then?" He said holding the doors open.
She looked at him for a long while "Yeah. Okay"
"Meet you here at nine?" Spike asked.
"Sure, great way to start the night – meet in a place of evil" She smiled "Nine o'clock. Got it. Great to see you again Spike. You really do look good for a pile of dust"
Spike chuckled as her eyes sparkled and then she turned and walked across the large lobby to the exit. He watched her go and then stepped out himself and made his way to the blood bank, he was suddenly hungry – she always did hasten his appetite.
The remaining lawyers in the elevator all had raised eyebrows.
One cleared his throat "Heavy"
The others nodded in agreement. The doors slid closed.