Thank you to Dark Drusilla, sPIKEaNDmE, Spike-n-Buffy-eva and Buffy4Spike2222 for your reviews, hope you like this chapter and hopefully are a little less confused for those who were.
Fred woke up, looking over at Wesley, giving him a kiss on the cheek before going over to her laptop to check her e-mail, she and Willow had been e-mailing on a regular basis, ever since Willow had done her resurrection spell four years ago, for which she, Wesley, Cordy, Doyle and Anya owed her their lives, Lindsey and Darla did too, but Fred didn't know about them. Anyway, she had only been trying to get the ones of this spell came in the form of demons which had also slipped through the cracks of reality, but with help from the slayers that problem was soon fixed. When Fred had first returned to LA she had been fascinated with Illyria, she couldn't believe that that had once been her own body, Fred and Illyria had become close, almost as if they had been twins separated at birth, which lets face is exactly what they looked like anyway. They had found themselves in quite a predicament when Fred's parentsturned to LA she had been fascinated with Illyria, she couldn't believe that that had once been her own body, Fred and Illyria had become close, almost as if they had been twins separated at birth, which lets face is exactly what they looked like anyway. They had found themselves in quite a predicament when Fred's parents came to town for a surprise visit and saw the two of them in them together, but even they seemed to have taken to Illyria. Fred and Wesley had been double-dating with Gunn and Illyria.
"Fred, what are you doing?" Wesley asked, looking over at his girlfriend.
"I'm just e-mailing Willow back. She's here in LA, she wants to meet up. Isn't that great."
"Yeah, now come here you."
Fred walked back over to the bed, after her e-mail had sent, giggling when Wesley pulled her down onto the bed, kissing her as he took her into his embrace.
"Wesley," she managed to say as their lips parted, in her cute Fredish way.
Buffy was walking down the street, which was empty due to the fact that it was only eight o'clock on a Saturday morning, looking round the place she had once known so well. She was completely captivated by how much it had actually changed, leading her to think about how she had changed since the last time she lived in LA. She had seen and done so much, and all because of one event, which had occurred right here, on the very footsteps of Hemery high. The one thing which had changed her life forever. Which she knew now had been a change for the better. It was almost laughable now to think that she had once led a 'normal' life. Whatever that was. To think that she had even wanted to have one. Being the slayer had given Buffy's life meaning, she wasn't just a self-obsessed nobody anymore, her very well being meant that the world was a safer place. She had been chosen to protect the world, to fight evil, which yeah, she still did, but it wasn't the same anymore. There was something about being the one girl in all the world, which had made it somehow more appealing, more thrilling. To know that you and you alone stand between the world and its total destruction, it makes the power seem more worth it. I mean, sure it was great sharing the power, being able to save more people at the one time, but Buffy longed for the days when it was just her and Faith. Buffy was so lost in her own train of thought that she walked into someone. A very familiar someone as a matter of fact, who himself was lost in his own thinking.
"Buffy?" the man asked as Buffy said sorry at the same time.
"Spike! Oh my god! You're alive! I can't believe it's you, how are you?"
"I'm fine, and you?"
"Fine, it's just wow, oh my god, this like has to be a dream or something, I can't believe it's actually you."
"No dream. Why, disappointed love?"
"No of course not," she said hugging him, a little taken aback by his question, "You know it's just...wow, I mean, the last I knew, you were dead and now I run into you, I'm shocked yeah, but not in the bad way, in the good sense of the word, like happy-shocked, you know, and oh my god, I should shut up now before I embarrass myself any further," Buffy said, seeing the smirk which had made its way onto Spike's face.
"You have nothing to be embarrassed, I was just remembering how cute you look when you ramble."
"Right," she said, blushing slightly as she looked down before looking up into his entrancing blue eyes, "Why don't we go grab a cup of coffee or whatever and catch up."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
"Great then lets go."
Buffy and Spike held each others gaze for a moment longer, before setting off together to find a quiet place to chat.
Angel had gone to pick up Cordy and Doyle from the airport earlier that morning. the two of them had wanted to go straight to bed, as they were exhausted from their flight, so he had dropped them off at their place then headed back to the Hyperion, he hadn't been able to get back to sleep so he just lay in bed thinking of the day ahead. After a while he decided to go down to his office
"Hey boss."
"Hey Harmony."
"Your coffee's on the desk, the gang's on their way, and we haven't had any calls yet. I take it the newlyweds are jetlagged since they're not here, Spike's not here either, I don't know where he is, he hasn't called," Harmony updated Angel, following him into his office.
"Thanks Harmony, did you call him?"
"Yeah, there was no answer at his place and his cell was switched off. He might just have a hangover though, you know what he's like, so we shouldn't worry."
"I guess," Angel said taking his place behind his desk, "Anything else?"
"Is it ok if I go shopping cos this place is like a ghost town, but not an actual ghost town cos there aren't disturbed spirits flying around, anyway, there's this sale on and there's this thing that I really want to get, well it's not so much a thing as..."
"It's ok Harmony, you can go, like you said there's nothing going on around here."
"You mean it," she paused, Angel nodded, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best boss ever," she said, hugging him before running out of his office.
Angel waited until Harmony left and then picked up the book he had started to read the night before, as he was reading it he was completely oblivious that someone had entered the hotel.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that you knewI was coming, but that look on your face proves that you didn't."
"Darla?"
"Hello lover."
The Immortal put down the phone and then took out a cigar. There was a knock at his door.
"Come in," he shouted as he lit up.
"Boss, she's with that Spike fellow, I'm afraid to say. And they looked kinda close too, smiling and laughing and what not."
"I thought as much, thank you Lenny. Would you mind telling that secretary of mine to reschedule my flight for an earlier date, I think I'd like to go back to Rome a.s.a.p."
"Right away boss."
Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya were unpacking in their new house, the two couples had decided to live together.
"Isn't it great to back in the good old USA," Willow said as she grabbed another box from the movers truck, and passing it to Xander.
"It sure is," Xander replied.
"I can't wait to see Buffy and Dawn," Tara said.
"Me neither," Anya stated, causing the others to look at her surprised, "Look, I missed them to you know, I'm allowed to miss them, they're my friends too."
"We know sweetie, sorry, it's just you were never that close with Buffy," Tara said apologetically.
"Well, that was then, besides Xander and I are married now, so she can't have him. He's all mine, and I'm his, right honey?"
"Right baby," he said, before kissing her, "But you know that Buffy would never have taken me away from you, she's not like that."
"I know, it's just, you know how I worry sometimes, but not anymore, well not about that anyway."
"Good. I hope they're ok," Xander said.
"I'm sure they're fine," Willow answered.
The two couples continued to talk as they moved everything into the house.
"Why has mommy gone to see daddy?" Drusilla asked Lindsay.
"Well, she has to tell him about their baby."
"Do you like lemons, my mummy liked lemons, before daddy killed her, naughty Angelus, he was a bad daddy."
"Why don't we go out? It's a nice sunny day."
"I had a puppy called Sunshine once, but my Spike wouldn't eat 'im, shall we pick daisies? I liked daisies when I was a girl."
"If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do."
"She doesn't love you, her heart stinks of Angel. She doesn't love you but I do."
"Lets go," Lindsay said, a little dis-heartened by Drusilla's words and yet happy at the same time, his feelings for her had deepened, he didn't know if it was love, but he had gotten used to her non-sensical ramblings and her ability to read people.
Besides Darla was proving to show no interest in him whatsoever, especially know that she was pregnant with Angel's baby. Again.
Buffy had arranged to see Spike again, later that day, around dinner time, as she had had to take a rein check as she had already made prior arrangements with the Immortal. After their food had arrived the immortal decided to tell her exactly what he had been planning since his discovering thatmorning.
"Look, there's been a change in plan, I'm heading back to Rome, tomorrow, and i don't intend on returning."
There was a brief silence.
"Now there's no need to look so panicked, because you're not coming with me. You, Anna and Dawn are best to stay here. This is where you belong, besides it's not fair for me to keep you in a relationship that you no longer wish to be in..."
"But I..."
"No Buffy, I know you don't, in factI knew from the very beginning, but you were only looking for a bit of fun, and then we found out you were pregnant and I wanted to help you. You are in love with someone else, and I think it's about time we moved on, it was great while it lasted, but as they say all great things must come to an end."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Buffy, you know I'm right."
"I know, but I don't want to hurt you."
"Buffy you could never hurt me. I want you to be happy. Now go, don't keep that man of your dreams waiting."
"Thank you," Buffy said standing up and then starting to walk away, but then she turned back and hugged the Immortal. As she walked away, she wondered how she was gonna tell Spike about Anna, I mean, would he still want to be with her if he knew about their daughter.