A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews. It seems like forever since I updated. My computer crashed and I lost everything so I had to try to rewrite what I was working on. I am going to try to update as often as I can, but since I don't know when my computer will get fixed it will take some time in between chapters so I can write and then go to a friend or relatives home to use their computer to do my updates. So please be patient I am going to try my best to update as soon as I can.

Buffy leaned against the closed door of her apartment and slid to the floor trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way." She whispered to the empty room. "Things were supposed to get better when he came back."

Buffy closed her eyes and let the memories of her day dreams flood her mind. They were the dreams she would have about the day William would return to her. She would hear a knock on the door and when she opened it he would be there, smiling, arms open wide. She would run into his arms and they would hug each other as though their lives depended on it. There would be exchanges of I missed you and I'm so happy to see you again. Then, just like it happened in the movies, the two would break slightly apart to meet the others gaze, only to find themselves leaning slowly closer, their lips awaiting contact with the others.

"Buffy, you're an idiot." She scolded herself, breaking off her day dream. "That's what I get for watching too many of those high school romance movies. I know better then that. This is the way real life goes, and real life sucks." She inhaled deeply as she drew the back of her hand across her cheek to wipe away a few tears that had escaped. "We should have known from the beginning who the other was, but we didn't. Maybe our bond hadn't been as strong as I thought. But he did come back for me, or maybe it wasn't for me. He never said that he came back here specifically for me. Who else could it have been for? If he did come back for me then why didn't he tell me when he realized who I was? What did I do wrong?" She kept asking herself question after question, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, until she had finally exhausted herself and passed out on the floor.

"I'm a soddin idiot." Spike told himself as he sat on the edge of his bed. He glanced down at the picture that he still held in his hand, the picture that had told Buffy the truth before he had. "It shouldn't have happened this way. I should have told her as soon as I figured it out. I'll find a way to make this right, Elizabeth, I promise." He sat there for a few moments trying to figure out what to do to solve the problem. "If she would just talk to me, let me explain why I did what I did. Even if she would just sit and listen to what I have to say, but she is still just as stubborn as she was when we were little."

Spike laid the photo he was holding down and went to one of his opened suitcases to rummage through it until he found what he had been looking for. He pulled out a notebook and pen, then went back to the bed to start writing.

Buffy awoke to the sound of knocking. At some point in the middle of the night she had managed to make it to the living room sofa. "Hey B." She heard Faiths voice through the closed door. "You almost ready? The bus leaves in fifteen."

"It's unlocked."She called out to her as she stood up and stretched. She felt horrible. Her night had been restless, filled with dreams and memories of William.

"Whoa, B, you look rough." Faith commented as she walked into the room. "You and Boy Wonder must have had one hell of a night."

"Thanks Faith" Buffy mumbled as she walked towards her bedroom, she paused just inside the doorway when Faiths words had fully sunk in. "Wait" she said turning around to face her "You knew it was him? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hey, I only found out after I dropped you off here yesterday. I ran into him at the bar. I made a comment about it being a good place to clear your head when things are bothering you, and then before I knew it he was spilling his story. Afterwards, he said he was going to come here and talk to you. I figured that from the way you looked the two of you had a hell of a night."

"Oh, we had a hell of a night alright, but not from what you are implying."

"Then what did happen?"

"Buffy glanced at the clock across the room. "We will have to talk about htis later. I realy need to get ready before Angel comes looking for us."

"Too late. I'm already here." The two girls looked in the direction the voice had come from to see Angel entering the apartment.

"Tell me you weren't listening to our conversation." Buffy pleaded.

"Don't worry, I only heard the part about me coming to look for you, honest."

"Thank God" Buffy breathed then disappeared into her bedroom to get ready for work as quickly as she could. "Angel don't leave without me. I won't take long. I promise." She called to him from her room.

"I won't. We'll meet you downstairs." He called back to her then followed Faith towards the doorwy that led into the hall, but Faith stopped suddenly at the doorway.

She bent down and picked up a white envelope. When she turned it over she saw Elizabeth written on the front. "Hold on a sec." She told Angel then disappeared into Buffy's bedroom. Faith emerged a minute later and followed Angel out of the apartment.

"So you wanna tell me what's going on?" Angel asked once they were in the hallway. "Buffy didn't look like she had a good night sleep."

"It's nothing. Girl stuff. You wouldn't want to hear about it." Faith told him. She knew better then to bring up his cousin. "I'll see you down stairs." She added then headed off in the direction of the stairs to meet up with the group that was waiting to leave for work.

Angel watched as his step sister walked down the hall then turned in the opposite direction to collect the last of his missing tenants. "Spike you better be ready." Angel yelled from outside the apartment at the end of the hall. The door flew open to reveal Spike clad in his all black attire.

"I'm always ready mate." Spike told him, an evil grin spread across his lips. He was feeling better, compared to how he had felt the night before. He hoped that Elizabeth had found the letter he had slipped beneath her door before he went to sleep. He had knocked on the door, hoping to give it to her personally, but she didn't answer. It didn't matter though, just writing her, telling her everything, had lifted most of the stress he had felt. Now all he could do was wait and hope that she took the time to read it.

"What's that supposed to mean." Angel asked defensively.

"Just means I'm ready is all. Don't get your knickers all up in a bunch."

"Spike, I'm warning you, you better keep yourself under control while we are at the shop. My employees and I have built up a good reputation and I don't want to ruin that because you feel like being a jerk. If you remember I am doing you a favor by letting you stay here until you have what you need to be on your way."

"You're only doing it cause daddy told you to. I'm not bloody stupid you know. I know you don't want me here any more then I want to be here."
"If you don't want to be here then why did you come?"

"Because your father told me I should. I told him I didn't want to, but he bought me the plane ticket to here and said it would be good for me. He said it would be better then me being out runnin the streets trying to get by on my own. Apparently he was wrong."

"My father forced you to come here?" Angel was in disbelief. Why would his father do that? He knew the history between the two hadn't been good. Why would he force them to be together again?

"Yeah, he did. If you don't believe me, give him a call." Spike retorted. He could tell that Angel was not happy that his father had forced him into giving his cousin a place to stay and that made him feel even better.

"Let's go Spike." Angel hissed. He could feel the pleasure Spike was getting out of his turmoil.

"So do I get a proper introduction to everyone today or do you still have everyone as a member of the Hate Spike fan club." He asked as he walked beside Angel down the hall, his eyes locked in the direction of the only other apartment he had been in. The one where she was living.

" I think I will let the others decide whether or not they want to talk to you."

"Well we all know what that answer will be, no thanks to you. You have already bad mouthed me to every one before I even got here."

"Yeah, well I certainly..." Angel paused as he noticed Buffy step out of her room. Spike noticed her too and smiled, but she hadn't noticed. As soon as she had seen them she averted her eyes away from him.

Buffy stepped out of her apartment just as Angel and Spike were passing by. She had heard them quarrelling as they approached her rooms. At first she had thought about waiting until they had passed before she left, but then decided not to put it off. Sooner or later she was going to have to face him, why wait? Buffy was thankful that Angel had been walking on the side of the hall her room was on and Spike was on the other. "Good morning." Angel was the first to speak when she joined them in the hall. "I hope you are feeling better then what you were when I saw you this morning."

"A little. I just needed some time to wake up."

"You know if you need some one to talk to I'm always willing to listen."

"Thanks, Angel, but I'm okay."

"Did you sleep well last night, Buffy?" Spike asked. He knew it probably sounded lame, but it was he only thing he could think of.

"What does it matter to you?" Buffy snapped at him. She was still thoroughly pissed at him for what had happened the day before. The envelope Faith had handed her that morning was in the back pocket of her jeans, but she hadn't opened it, even though Faith had begged her to, and wasn't sure she was going to. She was sure it was a sorry letter and she didn't want to read it yet, Buffy wasn't done being mad at him. "What's he doing here any way?"

"Spike, here, told me yesterday that he just wanted to stay the week. He said that he wanted to work while he was here to pay his keep and get him some money so he could be on his way out of our lives."

"So, you're not staying then?" Buffy asked trying to act hurt. Truth was she didn't have to act, deep down she was, but she wasn't about to let him know that.

"Unless I find a good reason to stay, then I guess not."

"That's good. I mean it's not like we want you to be here anyway. It will make our lives so much easier." Buffy was being down right mean and she knew it, but she had been angry to begin with and hearing that he wasn't staying had only made her hurt more.

"I'm glad to hear that it would make at least one person happy." Spike stated angrily then quickened his pace to walk ahead of the other two trying to figure out if she was still mad at him for yesterday or if she had read his letter and something with that had set her off. He hoped that it hadn't been because of the letter. He knew now that it was is only chance to set things straight, she obviously was not going to give him the chance to fix things by talking.

"Buffy" Angel whispered grabbing her arm so she would stop walking. "Is there something going on between the two of you that I should know about? I mean I know it's Spike and all, but you are being rather ruthless."

"No, there is nothing going on. He just irritates me."

"You sure that's all it is? I don't think I have ever seen you be so mean before."

"I don't want to talk about it. But, Angel, can you please do me a favor?"

"Anything for you."

"Could we please cancel our bet. I don't want to try to change him. Truth is, he has me so mad that I don't even want to be around him."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, he just did something stupid. He didn't touch me, if he would have I would have killed him."

"Do you want me to say something to him? I could tell him to stay away from you, if you want."

"No, let it go, Angel. I can handle this myself. I just need some time to get over it. Things will be right as rain in a few days, but I don't want to follow through with our bet."

"If you want to drop it we can. I've never known you to give up on something before, so I am going to assume that what ever happened is pretty bad."

"When you think about it, it really isn't, but it's a long story and I don't really want to discuss it."

"Will you be able to work with him? I don't want any kind of altercations between the two of you while you are at work."

"Don't worry I can behave while we are there. I know how hard you have worked to get that place where it is and I wouldn't think of doing anything to ruin that for you."

"Thanks, Buffy."

"Thank you for letting me back out of our bet."

"So are we ready to get to work?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then let's be on our way." Angel said as they started for the stairs.