Spike slumped in a chair beside Angel's bed, grimly watching Angel sleep. The sick vampire was asleep most of the time and Spike wondered if he would've spent the last forty-eight hours caring for his Sire if it wasn't so and Angel could see him being worried about him. The other members of the team already saw him like that, but they didn't seem to care much. Then again, they didn't seem to care much about anything nowadays…The shots the doctor kept giving Angel had apparently taken effect again, the tightly drawn lines of pain had eased from Angel's face and he was sleeping naturally now. The only problem was that the demon doctor assured them that if Angel would get plenty of rest, human blood and medicine, he would get better in a couple of days and he wasn't getting better. And he only wasn't in pain when his sleep was induced by a strong tranquilliser. Spike picked the now cold cloth off of Angel's stomach and rinsed it in the basin of warm water again, wringing it out thoroughly before putting it back.

"How is Angel?" Wesley stepped in the room.

Spike frowned, "he has been better... I am not sure how to describe it. Drained, I suppose. He is not recovering, I know that much…"

Wesley nodded, remembering in silence how he felt exactly the same on a different plane…"yees," he finally got himself together, "that's why I'm here really. I talked about it with the doctor and we agreed he needs…slayer blood. But we can't actually locate Faith."

"Faith? But we do know where Buffy is."

"Well, Buffy is always the last resource. That is a permanent order from Angel. Usually that causes more complications than not."

"…right enough, watcher," Spike stood up, collecting his coat.

"Where are you going?"

"Rome."

---------------

Angel looked up from his bathtub, surprised to see Spike entering his bathroom swearing. The younger vampire had been avoiding him since he returned with his slayer blood from Italy. He almost shouted at him for disturbing his privacy when he saw that his Childe was totally covered in demon juice, "I thought you enjoyed taking over my duties," Angel smirked.

"Hah! You are taking them back as soon as you're back to full strength!"

Angel silently watched Spike trying to clean his coat, then hesitantly spoke, "this is a large tub…there is room enough for two. I don't mind if you…"

Moments later, the two of them sprawled out in opposite ends of the hot tub, the water taking the weariness out of their bones. Angel rested his head back against the lip of the tub and felt something almost like peace. When he thought about why that one occurred, he realised it was because the only person he could totally let his guards off, the person he didn't have to be ashamed in front of, the person who shared his destiny with was Spike. He stared at him. He had been so troubled, so annoyed he didn't really saw Spike for what he was, for what he could be for him. Even if the occurrence of these peaceful moments was rare, the possibility existed.

"Are you well?" Spike asked suddenly, eyes closed.

Angel raised his head and looked at Spike, startled by the genuineness in the other vampire's voice, "as well as I could be, I suppose," Angel said wearily, "…thanks to you…but I was surprised you came back. You could've just sent the blood. Once you were there…"

"Well, she…she was pissed at me for not telling her I was alive. Thought it's better just to get the hell out of dodge. Maybe later…"

"Aha," big silence from Angel, "…Spike...we are allies by choice. Would it not be easier if we were also friends?"

Spike smiled slightly, "in a strange way we already are…"

"Or, if so, not so strange. It reminds me of the same way of a different way of how we used to be friends. Remember?"

"I remember," Spike said moving directly in front of Angel so that his cock was brushing against Angel's front as arousal swept through him. Angel was, again surprised, this time by the fervent look in his Childe's eyes, "it's so hard, not having what you need, not even anything close to it. We're both frustrated. Over our responsibilities, over…you know who…you do need me now too, don't you?" Very slowly he leaned even more towards Angel, not sure of the reaction he will get. It was passion unleashed as they crushed into each other, sliding flesh and low growls.

There was a clack sound and they both instinctively looked towards the door. Buffy stood there, "oh. My. God."