Chapter Five

Spike stared out of the window of the hotel, looking down on a nightscape of Los Angeles. The City of Angels. Apart from its namesake, he didn't think you'd find many angels in this city. More like a city full of the damned. Except for Buffy. For now she was the angel of this city. He turned to face her. There was weariness in her eyes now, something he'd hoped he'd never see again. The look of being totally defeated, overwhelmed by everything. Last time, he'd told her exactly how amazing she was and it had killed that look in her eye. But this time…this time it was his fault and he didn't know how to fix it.

He sighed and took her hand.

'I'm sorry pet.' He whispered and Buffy turned to him, raising an eyebrow. 'For everything. The last six years if you will. I wish I could take away all the pain you have ever felt. Especially the pain I caused you. I shouldn't have believed him. I should have known.' He placed a hand on her cheek and she leaned into it, tears glistening in her hazel eyes.

She smiled and took his hand from her face, holding it tight. 'I'm sorry too. Every night after it happened…I dreamt of you. That you were telling me to find you. But everyone told me it was just wishful thinking. I tried to ignore it but the other night…it was so vivid. I told Willow and she thought we should check. Then Fred said that Angel had told them he'd phoned and told me.'

Spike nodded. 'Told me you had moved on, gotten over me.'

'That's what he said when I got to the airport. I was so angry at you for not telling me but its Angel…he manipulated the whole situation. I just wanna…grrr.' She made a fist and Spike took it in his hand, kissing her knuckles delicately. She moaned softly, her anger forgotten. He moved closer, capturing her lips in a soft kiss, but she bit his lip and he growled at her. He slipped his duster off, only for Buffy to rip his t-shirt in half and throw it to the floor. She grinned as he did the same to her shirt.

'Minx', he teased and pushed her backwards, kissing her passionately. She fumbled with the belt on his jeans and nipped at him playfully. She looked into his eyes and licked the end of his nose. For a moment, he went cross eyed and she giggled.

'Vamp out for me.' She whispered. He frowned and she made a serious face. He nodded and slowly let his true nature be revealed. She left his belt for a moment and ran her fingers over his ridges, letting her fingers trail down his face. She ran her thumb along his lips and purposely nicked her thumb on his tooth.

Spike closed his eyes, giving into the sensations, but the taste of her blood on his tongue was too much and he kissed her hard, pulling at her remaining clothes. All sense of romance went out the window as they ripped at each other's clothes. Buffy scratched him hard as he ripped her trousers away and he snarled at her, burying his face in her neck and ignoring the overwhelming temptation to sink his teeth into her neck. She raked her nails down his back, as he kicked his jeans off. He hissed as she ripped skin from his lower back and blood trickled down. She looked him in the eyes when he was totally naked, feeling his cold skin against her warm body. 'How much do you want to hurt me, Spike?' He looked taken aback and his human visage came back to the forefront.

'Buffy…love…I never ever want to hurt you…not like that.' She looked at him and frowned.

'Not like that.' She pinched him and pulled him closer to her, so he could feel how wet she was through the panties she wore. Her bra was gone now and he bent his head, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking hard. She gasped and scratched him again, catching his face by accident. Blood ran down his face and she looked back up at her. 'I mean in the kinky sense.' She bit her lip and Spike gave her an evil grin. She felt him get harder against her and pushed down, rubbing herself against him.

'Make me feel alive like you used to.' She whispered and he nodded, kissed her. He vamped out again and tore the thin fabric of her panties away. He pushed himself against her and as they joined together, she arched her back and scratched at him, drawing blood. He ignored the pain, focused on the bliss of being with her like this again. Her words were playing on his mind again and he worried that she was just using him to make the pain go away.

Without knowing she dispelled his fears in an instant when she whispered in his ear and told him she loved him. He believed it this time and their lovemaking intensified, kissing up and down her neck, and frantically blocking out the sound of her heartbeat increasing. She cried out and pulled his mouth harder to her neck and he couldn't resist. She fell over the precipice and he snarled, plunging his teeth through her soft skin, pulling on the sweet blood that ran through her veins.

She screamed and he followed her over the edge. She didn't push him off but pulled him closer, whispering nonsensical words to her. He stopped sucking and just let his teeth rest in her neck. As her heartbeat slowed a little, he pulled away, licking the wound closed.

He looked up at her with a fearful emotion in his eyes and she kissed him. 'It didn't hurt.' She whispered, and then saw the state she had left his chest and back. There was blood everywhere. A few ribbons ran down her sides but nothing as bad as what she had done to him.

'Did that?' She asked him and he stood up, inspecting the damage she had done to his torso. He winced when she touched one of the gaping wounds and he looked at her with a somewhat bemused look on his face.

'What got into you?' He asked.

She shrugged and for a brief moment, he was terrified she would do the "grab her underwear and run for the hills" act. But she stood in front of him, pressing her naked body against him and kissing him.

'You used to make me feel so alive, Spike…so wanted. That was why I kept coming back. This time…you still do but I'm coming back…because I want to be with you.' She finished, whispering in his ear and wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her onto the bed and kissed her temple, as she curled around him.

'I know pet…I should have believed you but I wanted you to get out of that cave.' He smiled against her hair as she breathed gently on his skin. 'I'm never gonna let you down again, baby. I love you so much…' He trailed off, falling into rest he desperately needed. Buffy looked up and watched him, thinking that he looked like an angel as he slept and she smiled, curling up close to his cold body and pulling the covers over them.

'I love you Spike.' She whispered, falling into a deep sleep herself.

The phone was ringing.

Buffy didn't want to answer it. So she woke Spike up. He groaned and gave her a filthy look before grabbing the cordless receiver.

'Ello?'

'Spike, its Wesley. We have a small problem this evening. Angel has gone AWOL.' Spike groaned and looked down at Buffy, who was rubbing circles on his chest.

'Yeah, alright. I'll sort it.' He hung up, despite the watcher's protests and took Buffy's hand, preventing her from turning him on again. 'No time, baby. Seems Tall'n'Forehead has gone missing.' He sat up and Buffy scowled.

'Why is that our problem?'

'Because we need him…despite everything. We have a prophecy to sort out. And he can fight.' Buffy sighed and grabbed her suitcase from the floor, rifling through it to find a shirt. She slipped a pink t-shirt over her head and then set about locating some panties.

'I'll go find him then.' She said, not sounding the least bit enthusiastic. Spike shook his head as he found his boxers and slipped them on.

'No. I have a few things to sort with the Brooding Wonder. So you stay here and sort your things out.' He frowned as she looked up at him. 'I haven't got another t-shirt.' Buffy blushed as she passed him a black t-shirt. He took it and gave her a funny look.

'I kept it after Sunnydale. Slept in it. Then it smelt like you were there.' She looked back down and then mumbled something under her breath. Spike heard and grinned.

'I can't help it if I rip your clothes off Buffy. Maybe you should just walk around naked.' He said, pulling his jeans on, followed by his coat.'

'You're a pig Spike.' She said, slipping a pair of black jeans on. He bent down and kissed her on the lips quickly.

'I know but you love me.' He smiled and she kissed him again. 'Gotta run, pet. See you back at the office yeah?' She nodded and watched him leave, before starting on the hunt for socks.

Spike had looked high and low for his Sire and morning was fast approaching. The only place left that he had to look was somewhere Angel had avoided going for months. He sighed as he walked into the hospital and headed for the top floor. It was the private part of the hospital, conveniently owned by Wolfram and Heart.

The blonde vampire didn't bother knocking on the door, knowing that Angel was here as soon as he entered the wing. He could scent him and through the bond he could feel his Sire's sorrow. The bond was no longer strong between the two of them, after years of hatred. But it was still there and he could feel it in close vicinity. If Angel was in extreme pain, or if Angelus returned, Spike would know wherever he was. In event of his death…Spike would be the first to know.

He saw Angel, saw at the bed of the brunette woman. Spike frowned and walked up behind him, taking the seat beside the brooding vamp. He looked over the frail Cordelia and sighed.

'No change then?' he asked. Angel shook his head. He hadn't been here because he couldn't stand the pain of seeing her like this.

'I love her. Even though Buffy will always be the love of my life…I'm in love with Cordelia and it will never stop.' He looked towards Spike. 'I know you know how it feels. You still love Drusilla.'

'Yeah…but she had a part in my creation. Without her…without you…I never would have found Buffy.' Spike said, quietly. Angel nodded in acknowledgement.

'I am sorry Spike. I should have behaved better…I just. I knew I had taken the wrong path.' He sighed. 'I strayed. And I can't help feeling that she was the only one who could have stopped me.' He placed his hand on Cordelia's still one. Spike looked up at the window, which was covered by curtains. The sun was rising – he could feel it.

'Angel…you always hated me. And it wasn't because of who I am…it's because of what you made me. You look at me and see all the dirty little things I've done, because of you. I'm your fault. You knew I would compete to be better than you.'

Angel frowned slightly. Then his expression softened and he smiled. 'You're right. I'm responsible for you. You're my Childe and it's my fault.' Spike didn't say anything. Angel cleared his throat. 'And I don't hate you Spike. You just annoy me. You're family. Just like Drusilla.' And Connor. He added in his mind.

Spike stood up. 'We're going to need your help, Angel. Whatever's coming…it's big. We have to find a way.' He turned to leave. Angel grinned.

'Should I expect a walloping from Buffy?'

'You know her as well as I do.' Spike said, walking out of the door. He headed back to Wolfram and Hart and knew Angel was following. Somehow that realisation, that conversation had strengthened the Sire/Childe bond. Spike has always hoped for that one day, feline the loss of his Sire badly over the years.

Not that he would ever voice that opinion to anyone.

Spike sauntered into Wesley's office and sat down, Buffy immediately coming to his side. A few moments later, Angel joined them and he received a scathing look from Buffy. Wesley looked to all three and then began to speak.

'Giles has been in contact. The potentials lost all their power. It's started.'