Chapter 23: When Angels come to call.

It was the morning after prom and a very confused Buffy had sought sanctuary at her grandmother's. It was needless to say that school was not in session, given that most of it was a crumbling pile of ash.

Angel had followed her and Spike home that night, refusing to leave until she spoke to him. Buffy just couldn't face him then; her emotions were all over the place. She had been so thankful that Spike had been there, he'd stood protectively between her and her ex while she went inside. Buffy thanked her lucky stars that Dawn and her mother were fast asleep on the sofa. They had obviously tried to wait up so they could interrogate her when she got home. She went straight up to her room and flopped on the bed. Buffy awoke so early on Saturday morning that she wasn't even sure if she'd slept at all. She'd dressed and come straight here.

Granny Lilly placed a cup of steaming hot tea in front of her young charge before sitting on the cream sofa and waiting patiently.

Buffy sat for a while in silence, looking around the room. She gazed out of the lounge window looking at the garden. It was always so immaculately kept. The trees were cut, the lawn was freshly mowed and the snow drops were in bloom. There was something different about it though. The bench that sat on the edge of the patio looked new, "you got a new bench," Buffy stated a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Granny Lilly, shook her head, "I feared I might have to but no, that's still your grandad's bench, just needed a bit of TLC," the old woman replied. Buffy remembered that Angel had promised to fix it last time he was here, of course he'd taken one look and decided it was beyond repair. She looked up at her gran, questioningly, "who? How?"

Dunking a biscuit in her tea, Granny Lilly replied, "Funny story really, it was after my little adventure to the hospital, Spike dropped my shopping off and stayed for a pot of it." Buffy laughed a little, wondering if the tea was optional, she listened with interest as her gran continued with the exciting tale, "and we had a good chat, I told him I'd arranged someone to collect the bench and take it to the tip. Well anyway being the wonderful host I am, I nodded off," Buffy was horrified at the very thought of her grandad's beloved bench going to the tip. He was a carpenter in his youth and the bench was the last thing he had made. Granny Lilly leaned forward then and lowered her voice as if this was the most exciting part, "when I woke up I found him outside, oh I had to do a double take, he was dressed in your grandad's overalls and was working away at that bench with the sander, paint and varnish." A wishful look came over Granny Lilly's face and Buffy couldn't take her eyes off the bench, "Spike did that?" she asked in disbelief. After all this time he was still able to surprise her.

Eventually, Granny Lilly broke the silence, "you won't know the answer if you never ask the question," she said recognising the look in her granddaughters eyes.

Buffy raised her eyebrow as she tore her gaze away and lightly blew on her tea, she'd almost forgotten why she was here, "I don't know what to do," she sighed, "I'm so confused, last night everything was perfect," she noticed her gran's questioning expression and her own eyes went wide, "I mean if you don't include the fire…"

Granny Lilly smiled, "yes well, we can leave that small detail out," she said sarcastically, "at least no one was hurt." She watched curiously as Buffy's fingers absentmindedly started playing with her silver chain. She smiled dreamily as she looked up at her gran, "he nearly kissed me last night…I wanted him to." Buffy dropped the chain and sipped her tea, "then he has to show up and bring back all those… feelings…now I'm all confused. What should I do?"

Buffy picked up a slice of cake and pealed the icing off before she took a bite. Granny Lilly did her best surprised old lady impersonation, "who nearly kissed you?" she asked although she already knew the answer. "Spike," Buffy replied quietly the beginnings of another smile forming on her face; a smile Granny Lilly noticed seemed reserved only for him. "Well," Granny Lilly chuckled "the best friend and the ex-boyfriend," she mused.

Buffy looked up but before she could chastise her gran for making fun of her, Lilly spoke again, "it's time you started listening." Buffy looked indignant, her mouth dropped open in protest, "not to me Buffy," Granny Lilly continued, "the heart knows what it wants and it's never wrong." With that she hobbled off back into the kitchen.

Angel was sat on the porch steps when Buffy arrived home, his hand scraping his hair as he stared at the pavement as if he were deep in thought. She couldn't put it off any longer, she took a deep breath and sat down on the step, making sure she kept him at arm's length, "you've got five minutes," she informed him as she focused on the view straight ahead.

"Buffy," Angel started, "I want you back," he heard Buffy scoff but he carried on regardless, "I made a mistake, I know that now. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and I was an idiot to let you go, I love you Buffy."

Those words used to make her feel like a giddy school girl, now they were just words, "It took you how many months?" Buffy asked sarcastically as she finally turned to look at him, "you hurt me." Buffy said.

"I know." Angel replied, "What I did was wrong," his soft, brown eyes were almost begging, she could see he was sorry, but the passion they once held was gone. Buffy shook her head, silencing him before he could continue; she had no intention of reliving that night, especially not to appease his guilty conscience, "it doesn't matter, Angel I don't…" Before she could finish, Angel had pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. Her mind was racing, 'you'll just know, you'll feel it,' her mother's words echoed and everything became clear. From the moment they met Angel had always looked out for her, he'd wanted to protect her. As her boyfriend he often went too far, wrapping her in cotton wool, in an attempt to keep her safe. She'd gone along with everything he said because she believed he knew what was best for her. Though, since moving to Sunnydale, she had realised she didn't need shielding from the world. She'd become her own person. It was thanks to the people in her life, to one person in particular that had made her believe in herself, made her stronger and yet she knew that he would always have her back. As Angel pulled back, Buffy looked into his eyes.

"There," Angel said when he saw her beaming at him, "now tell me you felt…"

"Nothing," Buffy whispered, touching her lips, her happy expression now growing even wider "absolutely nothing! Thank you!" she said to Angel.

Angel was completely perplexed, "What for?" he stammered.

"For making this easier," Buffy said, she fished in her pocket and handed him back the promise ring he had given her, "I might have loved you once Angel, but I don't anymore…and I think you'll find you don't really love me."

Angel saw the determination in her eyes and resigned himself to the fact that her mind was made up. He took the ring from her and lightly brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, "can't blame a guy for trying," he said wistfully, he held her in his sights a little longer, "we had some good times though." Buffy gave a little nod as she met his gaze, remembering. They stood together and she watched as Angel walked down the driveway and out of her life.

Spike watched from his lounge window as Buffy and Angel sat on the porch, he saw their lips meet and his heart shattered. He staggered backwards grabbing the scotch from his dad's unlocked drinks cabinet and thundered up the stairs. He slammed his bedroom door shut. His duster hurtled across the room, his books crashed to the floor and he pounded his fist against the wall and screamed every curse word he knew.

"Geez," Cordelia exclaimed, she was dressed in her lilac, silk designer pyjamas paired with fluffy slippers and an eye mask perched atop her head, causing her tangled hair to stick up like a cockatiel's plumage, "enough with Jekyll and Hyde routine! Some of us need our beauty sleep." She said exasperatedly, storming in and taking stock of the situation.

A burglar would have left the room in a better state. The morning sun shone through the tiny gap in the curtains and she almost toppled over as her slippers skidded over something black and shiny. The sun's tiny rays hit Spike like a spotlight. He was slumped against the wall, gulping down a bottle of scotch, "no amount of sleeps going to help you princess," he spoke through gritted teeth.

Cordelia was readying her retort when she noticed another first; Spike was crying. Small tracks of tears were trickling down his cheeks. She hopped over the avalanche of text books and sank down next to him; noticing the bruised knuckles and the intense pain pouring out from his eyes. Cordelia placed an arm comfortingly around his shoulder and guided the bottle away with her free hand.

Spike flinched, "what are you doing?"

Cordelia grinned, "It's called affection… I thought I'd give it a try," she joked. She was rewarded by a small laugh but this only brought forth more tears. Cordelia guided his head to rest on her shoulder and stroked his hair soothingly. If anyone had told her last year that she and Spike would have grown this close she'd have laughed in their face. They'd spent their entire existence trying to spite each other. She thought he was rough and rude and he'd thought she was a stuck up, self-centred snob; he'd told her so on many occasions. On the surface their observations had been right, but living together they had seen a new side of each other, the side they normally kept hidden from the world. They had found a genuine respect and even developed a friendship.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a long time before Spike finally opened up, "I've lost her…she doesn't want me," he said smacking his head back against the wall with a light thud.

"She told you that?" Cordelia asked gently.

"She didn't have to, she kissed that wanker."

"What wanker?" Cordelia asked becoming ever more confused.

"Angel," Spike replied his voice dripping with venom, "she chose that ponce over me."

"Did you tell her?" Cordelia asked tentatively.

"I didn't get the chance," Spike said wiping the tears away with the back of his hand, "the toss pot showed up just as I was about to."

"Spike you idiot!" Cordelia sighed, she'd fully intended to tear him a new one but she didn't get the chance. She felt a dead weight flop against her. Spike had passed out. Cordelia shook her head, "looks like its head bashing time," she said as she detached herself from her cousin, taking care not to wake him up as she lowered him to the floor and left the room.

She picked up her cell and dialled, "Hey, remember that favour you owe me? I'm cashing in…"