A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and keep them coming!
Angel stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button that would take him to the basement. He couldn't believe he had let the Speed Beads get into production in his own firm! He had been stupid and too relaxed with the way he treated this place. Had to remember that it was still Wolfram and Hart and that it was still, essentially, evil. Something he made himself promise to never forget or get lax on again.
The doors started to slide closed when a slender hand stuck between them and held it open. Buffy stepped into the compartment next to him as the doors moved back to let her in, she held a gasoline can in her hand.
"Buffy," He said in a not too happy voice "I told you to –"
"I'm not real good with following orders, Angel. I'm not one of your lackeys" She cut him off abruptly, as the doors closed "You know that"
He felt his fists clench down by his sides "Yeah, I have a dim recollection. Point is, Buffy, I don't need you in this"
"You think?" She looked at him, eyebrows lifted "Because I'd say you definitely need me in this. You wouldn't even know about the problem if I hadn't brought it your attention. I mean, God, Angel! This was going on right beneath your feet and you didn't even notice. This law firm has really blinded you"
Angel turned to her, face a mask of coldness "I don't need a lecture on how you're so much better than me, Buffy! You do things your way, I do things my way. That's how we've been for six years now. We don't play nice together any more"
Her eyes held his unwaveringly "So, what? Now we can't even help each other out when it comes to evil?"
"You're the one that said you couldn't trust me anymore" He reminded her "You're the one that wanted to cut all ties when you found out I was running this place. Not me. It was never my decision to have this separation –"
"Bull! Who left who first, huh?" Buffy asked, challenging.
He sighed, looking up at the ceiling "That's not what I meant. Let's not go over old ground"
"I think that's exactly what we need to go over" She said "You left me. You decided to leave Sunnydale. I didn't push you away"
"You know why I had to go!"
"I know why you thought you had to go" Buffy amended him "So, don't try and lay the blame on me for us parting ways on our battling evil together...and other things"
Angel leaned against the elevator wall and closed his eyes; he took a steadying breath "You know I'm always here to help you if you need it. The last three years I couldn't say the same thing about you. You decided to keep your distance because of Wolfram and Hart. I needed your help for Fred and you denied it to me!"
She frowned "What are you talking about? You never called me or..."
"I called Giles. I needed Willow, thought she might help. He rejected me" Angel glared at her "She was an innocent and he still didn't do everything he could to help her, just because she worked for Wolfram and Hart"
Buffy paused a moment then said softly "I can't say what happened. I haven't heard Giles' side. I'm sure he did everything he could to help her. Willow...she's been out of contact range for quite a while, Angel. What even makes you think she could have done something?"
"I don't know! We'll never know now. If there was even a small chance that Fred could have been saved and she wasn't...well, it's my fault..."
"How'd you figure?" Buffy frowned "If it's anyone's fault it's Illyria's"
Angel's face held great pain "I could have saved her and I didn't"
"What? How?"
"There was a way. It would have meant thousands of deaths for her life..."
Buffy reached over and took his arm "Then you made the right choice. Would Fred have wanted you to sacrifice that many people?"
He pulled his arm away and narrowed his eyes at her "She didn't want to die. She was afraid"
"I understand that –"
"You don't! You don't understand that" Angel said, his voice rising again "You don't understand anything about her. You didn't know her passion for math and science, the way a room would light up when she walked in...the way Wesley looked at her..."
Buffy took a step towards him "Angel..."
"Don't!" He snapped, stepping away "I don't want your sympathy. It's not me who deserves it. Seeing Illyria...brings it back to me every day. Does it even bother you that you could have done something to stop it?"
Buffy threw her arms up in the air "I didn't even know and it's not Giles' fault if he couldn't reach Willow. It's not any of our faults. Stop trying to blame me just because you're pissed about Spike"
Angel pulled a face of disgust "I can't tell you how much this is not about him!"
"Really? So you're little dramatic exit back there was not meant to provoke a reaction?" Buffy folded her arms and regarded him "You can't handle the idea of him and me so you're trying to let out your anger on me. Well, I'm not gonna let you. Fred's death wasn't my fault. You know that and I know that"
"Of course you would have to bring him into this," Angel sneered "And, you're right, I can't handle the idea of you two because it's ridiculous!"
Buffy snorted "Really?"
"Yes, really. Come on, Buffy, I mean; Spike?"
"What about him?"
"He's not even your equal," Angel pointed out to her, "I mean if you were really that desperate you might as well of banged the first demon you met in an –"
The Slayer slapped him around the face. Hard.
The sound echoed around the elevator carriage as they continued to descend downwards. Angel looked down at the floor, a red mark appearing on his cheek; he turned his face back up again and met her eyes.
"You can't talk to me like that, Angel" Buffy said softly but firmly "Like you pointed out; we're not the same people anymore. I'm not the same Buffy you knew back in Sunnydale"
"I'm beginning to realise that" He replied as the doors opened and he stepped out into the basement with her behind him "The Buffy I fell in love with would never let Spike even look at her in the wrong way"
She followed him down the winding hallway, limping, and still lugging the gasoline can "Like I said, I'm a different person. So is he"
"He's not a person at all" Angel replied, gruffly.
"Does that mean you're not either?"
"I am nothing like Spike!"
"Funny, 'cos it's kind of easy to see the similarities"
Angel snorted as he kicked a rusty door in down the end of the corridor "Just because he has a soul doesn't make him good, Buffy. He's only in it to impress you"
"Really?"
"Yes, really" He strode into the room where there were several crates stacked around the room no doubt containing Speed Beads, and some machinery that he supposed were used to make the drugs.
"Then why would he spend all this time in L.A fighting evil when I didn't even know he was alive? That makes no sense" Buffy responded.
Angel grabbed a crowbar and prized open one of the crates to show that they were indeed full of Speed Beads "I don't even pretend to understand what's going on in Spike's head"
Angel moved on through the room still carrying the crowbar till he reached the machinery there he started to smash it in using the weapon. Buffy opened the gasoline can she had brought and began to spread the gas liberally over all the crates and the floor making sure the fire would spread to all the crates once it was lit.
"You know Angel, you're right" She said after a moment "You and Spike are nothing alike. I understand Spike. I never understand you"
He hammered a conveyor-belt production line machine "Spike's pretty easy to understand. He acts on his base desires. No higher brain function"
Buffy rolled her eyes "Spike's more intelligent than you give him credit for. I used to underestimate him, just like you do. Then I learnt better"
"Right, Spike's a genius"
She sighed as she shook the last remaining drops from the can "He's a good man, Angel. I know that somewhere in you; you know that. You wouldn't have let him stick around so long if you didn't think so"
"I didn't let him do anything;" Angel turned to her "He's like a parasite. Pesty and hard to get rid of"
Buffy folded her arms "So, he hasn't been any use to you at all?"
Angel paused looking at her. He opened and closed his mouth a few times then mumbled "Let's go"
He walked towards her then out of the door she followed. Pulling a box of matches from her pocket she lit one and threw it in the room before following him down the corridor again. There was a 'whoosh' sound as the room caught alight and then they were stepping back into the elevator and going up.
Both of them knew that some alarms would go off and the room would get put out soon but not before all the drugs and machinery were beyond use.
She turned to him again "I don't expect or need your approval, Angel but it would be good if you could accept Spike and me"
"I don't see that ever happening"
"Why not?"
"Because...because..."
"Because what? Because he's not you?" Buffy questioned "Just like you couldn't handle the fact that I was dating Riley because he wasn't you. Are you supposed to be the only guy I can fall in love with?"
"No...I..." Angel groaned, frowned "Are you in love with Spike?"
"That's not important" She said briskly "Why can't you just be happy that I'm happy?"
Angel shifted from foot to foot "I don't get how Spike can make you happy"
"You want me to go into details...?" She asked, bordering on joking.
"No! God...no!" He made a 'yuck' face "I just want to best for you"
Buffy looked at him "And who would that be?"
He just looked at her.
She sighed "Angel, we're not together anymore. You have Nina. Notice how I haven't come after you saying how she's not good enough for you? That's because I trust your decisions on who you see. If you like Nina then she must be pretty special"
He nodded slowly "Yeah...she is..."
"Then trust me to choose who I want to date. Deal?"
The elevator doors opened and they stepped out. Spike and Dawn stood down the other end of the corridor playing a card game on Harmony's desk.
Angel looked Buffy in the eyes for a long time "Fine, but I don't have to like it. And I especially don't have to like Spike"
She smiled slightly "Thank you"
Buffy leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before hobbling down the corridor to her sister and Spike.
Angel watched them, alone
A/N: I wrote a whole chapter with just Angel and Buffy. I'm so proud I could withstand it that long. Actually, they're good characters together just not "together" if you catch my drift.