Fred looked through the window to the small side room and smiled as she watched the vampire sitting by the Slayer's bedside. They had given Buffy and Katia separate rooms to recuperate that were part of the lab and were specifically designed for people needing rest and relaxation. It was like a mini-hospital. Buffy was asleep again and she had been drifting in and out for the past three days, Katia the other Slayer had not yet awoken but her blood sugar level and a lot of other stuff was much more serious than Buffy's.

Wesley suddenly came up to the side of her "We have shut them down"

"Blood Red?" Fred glanced at him then back in the room.

He looked through the window too and nodded "Yes and we have James Hardy in prison already thanks to Gunn. We cleaned out all traces of the Slayer prison and we are arranging to give the property to charity, or rather, Angel is"

"That's good" Fred smiled a little and then sighed "Isn't he gonna come down and see Buffy?"

Wesley shrugged "He has been down here a few times but she's always been resting. Angel is very busy, he still has Wolfram and Hart to run and because of losing the money coming from Hardy and Blood Red the senior partners aren't best pleased, not that he cares. He has even sent out agents to make sure their are no more Slayers being used in this way by any of his clients..."

"He's doing checks on everybody?"

"Yes"

"They won't be pleased about that" Fred noted.

Wesley quirked an eyebrow and looked at that "I don't really think Angel minds ruffling evil clients feathers, do you? Keeping them on their toes"

Fred nodded and watched as Spike took Buffy's hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb as the Slayer slept peacefully in the hospital-like bed, she wore an open-backed gown "Spike's been in there with her every day and night, he hasn't moved I don't think"

"He hasn't got the weight of the company on his shoulders," Wesley commented looking into the room deeply "Angel and Buffy have a deeper history than any of us can comprehend. If he could be here with her as Spike is then he would. He has other responsibilities right now"

"I know it's just...Spike seems so devoted to her..." Fred looked down at the floor.

"Yes, I suppose he does, I had heard about their relationship, obviously, but I hadn't seen it with my own eyes until now..." Wesley spoke low "I see things there I never thought I'd see in the eyes of William the Bloody and my one time Slayer when they look at each other. It is quite interesting to see...I suppose when you fall for a Slayer you fall hard"

She nodded still looking down "I guess"

He looked at her, concerned "Are you upset about something, Fred? Is it...do you worry that Spike will go back with her? Is that why you're so down?"

Fred looked up and shook her head "Oh, no. If Spike wants to go –"

"Fred" Wesley looked into her eyes.

"Okay, yeah, maybe," She sighed "I mean, I kind of warmed to the guy. It will feel a little strange to have him not being here pestering me all the time"

Wesley smiled and put an arm around her shoulders "I understand. Come on, let's give them some privacy"

The two walked together away from the room.

Inside the room Spike sat up straighter and leaned forward as Buffy's eyelids fluttered open. Her blue/green eyes were unfocused until she blinked a few times and looked up at the ceiling. She frowned and ticked her eyes to the side, saw him and relaxed, smiled a little. Her blond hair lay limp around her head and her lips had regained a lot of the colour that they had lost. Buffy grunted and tried to pull herself up on her elbows, Spike helped her to sit up by pulling the top of the bed into a sitting position.

Spike smiled back at her and scooted closer on his chair pulled her hand up and brushed his lips against her knuckles.

"What's the story mornin' glory?" He whispered.

Buffy raised her eyebrows "I don't really feel like a morning glory" She rasped and then grinned, it was a little strained.

"Well, you always will be" Spike smiled back and then looked over at her bedside table and grabbed up a pad of paper "Got a call from Dawn when you were asleep but I took a message 'Hey, sis, heard you got into trouble again! Setting foot in America seems to do that to you not to mention being around the two hot vampire studs...just relax and get better 'cos we want you back. Hey, can you believe I'm speaking to Spike on the phone? Wow. Bye' I swear to god that's what she said"

Buffy laughed a little "I can believe it"

"Two vampire studs...well, I know that I'm included in that because it's obvious but I can't think who the other one is, can you, luv?" Spike looked around.

"I wonder," Buffy quirked an eyebrow "Speaking of...have you seen him lately?"

"You mean has he been down? Yeah, the big poof stopped by last night but you were out cold, not since though. He's too busy running an evil law firm or something I think he said" Spike shrugged.

She nodded "I decided during my little break away, hanging from a ceiling, that I have got to trust Angel. If he says he knows what he is doing then he knows what he is doing. If he says Wolfram and Hart can eventually be turned around to do real good, then I guess I believe him. Angel is a good man and a champion and though I might not agree with what he is doing I'm going to support him in it. He deserves to be trusted, and so that's what I'm gonna do"

Spike paused "Any particular reason you're giving this little inspirational talk to me and not the hot vampire stud upstairs?"

She shrugged, eyes looking up "Well, 'cos he isn't here and I can't get up there and because...well, it's been a while since I got to practice my rousing speeches on anyone. You know, with the lack of apocalypses going around no one back home is listening to my sermons on the importance of oral hygiene and not changing the channel when someone is watching something"

Spike chuckled "Well, I for one miss them"

"Really?" She looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"Christ, no!" He grinned "I just spent most of my time standing there and praying for damnation rather then one more of your bloody speeches!"

Buffy gave him a look "That could be arranged, Spike"

He put his hand up and raised his eyebrows and she held the look a second longer before they both laughed together as only old friends, and lovers, can.

"Come back with me," She said abruptly.

Spike stopped laughing, looked at her "Are you serious?"

"I sound like I am, don't I?" Buffy tilted her head "You don't have to stay but you could just come back and see the gang...Dawn, especially"

He scratched the back of his head "Me and niblet never really got back on track after I came back with a soul. She changed and so did I"

"She's still glad you're alive"

"As alive as I can be" Spike corrected her then shrugged "I suppose I could go back to Blighty for a little while, been a long time since I been there. Small problem, though"

"What?"

"I'm a vampire, luv, I can't exactly get on a plane and stroll in through the airport" He pointed out.

"I could help with that," Angel stood in the doorway of the room, hands clasped in front of himself and a blank expression on his face he looked at Buffy "You're awake"

"Yep" She nodded giving him a brief smile "I never got to thank you for the whole air lifting me out of the club thing, so thanks. It was very Riley Finn"

"I'm not sure that's a compliment" Angel replied.

Spike smirked "As far as I'm concerned it isn't"

"Would you two leave Riley alone? He's a good guy," Buffy said defiantly.

The two vampires mumbled under their breaths.

"Fred tells me you're on the mend," Angel said after a moment "Should be up and about by tomorrow, the day after at the latest. Katia may take a little over a week more though. She had it a lot harder"

Buffy nodded then frowned "What am I gonna do about Katia? I can't just go home and leave her here with no one to teach her and train her about being a Slayer"

"I think I can handle that, I do have experience with Slayers," Angel said suggestively as he looked at the Slayer in bed.

Buffy didn't even blush "I would appreciate it. I'll send some people to pick her up in a few days"

"We'll get her through this"

Buffy looked over at Spike "Hey, when did you change your hair back?"

Spike ran a hand unconsciously over his peroxide locks "A few hours ago when you were asleep. I couldn't stand it"

"I think it kind of suited you" Angel commented.

The Slayer and the vampire looked at him both with raised eyebrows.

"Well, anything's better than glow in the dark" Angel snorted, embarrassed.

Buffy grinned "You two really haven't gotten any closer, huh?"

"You just realized that, luv?" Spike asked rhetorically.

"Spike...I need to talk to Angel alone" She said looking at him.

Spike looked back at her a moment before he stood and grabbed up his duster. He turned and walked to the door passing Angel and leaving. Angel shut the door and then walked over to where Buffy lay in the bed. He did not sit but remained standing and looking down at her.

"I get it now, Angel," Buffy said "I get what you're trying to do here. I might not understand, exactly, but if you say you have a plan then I support you in that. We've been through too much to let this divide us"

The dark vampire nodded "I agree"

"I don't want to lose you as an ally, you're too valuable to me" She said softly.

"Then you won't lose me" He sank down into the seat and reached over, took her hand "I'm always gonna be here for you to use me as you need to"

She nodded "I want you to feel the same about me. Ever need help, you know how to contact me and I'll come a-running"

"I already knew that but it's good to hear it again" He smiled.

Buffy smiled back "So, we're still good?"

"We're still good" Angel nodded "In every way"

The Slayer looked down then back up to meet his eyes "Angel, I'm sorry I never came here to say goodbye before I left for England"

"It's fine, I understood, Buffy," He nodded "I was just glad to hear from you that you were okay. I saw your handy work on the news too, the whole of Sunnydale just gone – made the national. People were trying to explain it, they still are. You got rid of the Hellmouth, Buffy, you deserve to move on in your life"

"There's another one in Cleveland" She replied stoically.

"And the Bermuda Triangle, if rumors are true" He said just as stoically.

"Damn," Buffy said then smiled a little.

Angel smiled back then returned to being serious "You want Spike to go back with you"

She shifted "Just for a little while, he can come back if he wants"

"You think he'd really want to come back here?" Angel arched an eyebrow.

"Maybe he likes you more than he's letting on" Buffy said then off his look added "Or maybe he just enjoys pissing you off"

"That's more likely"

"You said you could help? When you came in and Spike was saying he wouldn't be able to get a plane"

He nodded "I could have the private plane take you both"

Buffy's eyebrows raised "Private plane? How rich is this place? Second thought, don't answer that. I really don't want to know"

"It's got blacked out windows that provide shielding from the suns rays" Angel looked at her.

She paused "You'd lend Spike the use of your plane?"

"If it's what you want"

"Thankyou"

Angel nodded and stood to leave but Buffy held onto his hand and pulled him back down. She placed her hand on the side of his face and kissed him softly on the lips. They both pulled away but kept their eyes closed for a moment before they opened them and looked at each other simultaneously.

The vampire's gaze lingered on her for a few seconds more before he stepped away and then turned on his heel and left. Buffy sighed and then looked up as she felt a presence there. It was Spike. He was leaning against the doorway and if he had seen what had happened between Angel and her he did not seem angry about it. She watched as he lifted his arm up and in his hand was a polystyrene cup.

"Hot chocolate?" Spike asked, tilting his head.

Buffy smiled slowly "How'd you know?"

He grinned.

A/N: Kind of a short chapter this time but only 'cos the next one has a change of location – exciting, ain't it? Cheers to everyone for the feedback and keep it coming. There is going to be a lot more SPUFFY in the following chapters. So, let's all look forward to that. Spike and Buffy sitting in a tree...ahem, sorry. :)