Chapter 10

Spike was sitting with Leah along with everyone in the conference room. As much as he knew that he should be listening his attention was on Leah. The smell of her scent was driving him crazy. She was beautiful with her long hair down curled some dressed in black pants and a red shirt with a small silver necklace with a cross on it. No one seemed to notice that Spike's attention seemed to be elsewhere. He wanted to be the one to take care of Leah and be the good man he knew he was before turning losing his soul.

He loved her more than he loved Buffy or Dru realizing those were failed attempts to try to make them work. Angel lectured about this new vampire's history and what Derek figured out about him so far.

The meeting was over and Angel looked over everyone. "Any questions?"

Everyone looked at each other then back at Angel. He dismissed everyone and Derek started chatting with Angel. Leah got up from her chair. "Where's Buffy?" Leah asked Angel.

"She went back to see your sister. Buffy will be back sometime but didn't say when," Angel answered her.

"There is a guy in gear wanting to see Leah," Harmony poked her head in.

Leah walked out of the office recognizing it to be Riley. "Riley what's up?"

"Saw some vampire killing people while we were out. We tried getting him but he was too fast. It was like he wasn't biting them," Riley explained.

"Drake is his name, he is a vampire just a different kind." Leah informed him.

Spike came out of the office seeing Leah talking to Riley. "You got a lot of nerve."

"I'm not here to see you, Leah is a cop we've been working with the police." Riley folded his arms.

"Since when?" Spike questioned him.

"They been at it for a while," Leah answered him.

"You didn't tell me?" Spike looked at her.

"They've been doing it since we met," Leah assured Spike.

Before anything else was said Derek came up to Riley. He was aware with how Spike and Angel felt about Riley being there. Leah left Derek talking with Riley. She did some research on Drake trying to figure out Drake's different vampire species. Spike came up to her seeing her going through the internet and reading through books in front of her.

"Find anything interesting?" Spike wondered.

"Not really," she said the book down.

Her phone rang and she answered it talking on it. After a few minutes she hung up.

"What is it?"

"Got something going on I got to be up there before it becomes a war zone." Leah kissed him briefly then left him sitting there. Spike couldn't help but worry about her. Angel came up to him seeing Spike sitting alone.

"They call her in?" Angel asked him.

"Unfortunately yes, I'm a little bothered that I can't be with her," Spike said worried.

Angel was a little surprised that Spike had shown that he cared about someone for once. It almost shocked him seeing him act the way he was. "It's her job."

Derek came up them over hearing their conversation. "She's tough," he spoke.

Both men looked over at him. Derek noticed the worrisome expression on Spike's face. "Not saying that, I can't help but worry."

"Since you're her boyfriend."

"Fiancé," Spike corrected Derek.

"Husband to be, I guess you didn't set a date?" Derek asked Spike.

"Not yet."

The rest of the day Spike seemed to mope around a little. Derek hung around Spike trying to keep him company. It was closer to the evening and Leah had finally shown up dressed in combat gear with her gun on her side. Her hair was pulled back. "Leah," Angel looked over at her.

Spike got up walking over to her. He kissed her a moment pulling back to look at her. "I was worried."

"It was crazy a lot of shooting and pleading," Leah looked at him.

"You look like you've been fighting some." Spike looked at her gear. "You've been shot I can see some holes."

"Bullet proof vests do wonders."

"I thought I almost had to stop him from going after you,"Angel said sarcastically. Spike ignore him keepign his attention on Leah.

Angel admired her toughness not letting things get to her. Spike was thankful that she ok. They closed up heading out to the bar that Drake always went to. They acted casual grabbing a beer sitting down at the table watching people go by.

Angel excused himself seeing his phone was ringing. "I never felt so worried like I did today love."

"I was scared for once usually I'm not," Leah held his hand.

"Scared of what?"

"Dying not seeing you." He pulled her in a hug holding her a moment.

Spike loved the fact that he felt loved for once. "I adore everything about you." He took her hand kissing it. Leah smiled at him still getting use to him acting like he was still from another time. That part of him still seemed to be there even though he had adapted to time as the years have changed.

"Oh please." Derek said whining about hearing them.

"I've decided to quit. I can't be a cop and a slayer at the same time it would be too much," Leah explained to him and hitting her brother in the shoulder.

"So what is your plan?" Derek asked her.

"Take Angel's offer on working for him full time." Angel walked over to them sitting back down.

"I decided to take your offer. I've already quit the police department. It will be nice with no weird hours," Leah setback in her chair.

"I could definitely use you. It's mostly been Spike and myself. Wes is retiring, everyone else went on to do their own thing. Derek is planning on being apart of this too." Spike or Leah didn't seemed to be bothered by it at all.

"So you want to get married I can help make it legal I know some guys," Derek offered Spike.

"Legal?" Spike questioned him.

"Give you identification and all," Derek explained.

"As long as it doesn't get you in trouble," Angel said concerned.

"It won't." Leah sat there rolling her eyes at her brother.

Leah's attention went back to the crowd watching the people. Then she saw Drake appear when a woman moved out of the way." Spike, look." Leah nudged his arm.

Spike looked over seeing him from a distance along with her brother and Angel. "That's him, probably here to feed," Derek recognized him.

"Yeah I attempted to fight him," Leah looked at her brother.

"Attempted, he could have hurt you. Human remember not vampire," Spike reminded her.

"He's leading a woman outside." Leah got up going out the front door. Angel, Spike and her brother followed her outside. She stopped at the corner listening, it sounded like he was kissing on her at the moment. Angel went ahead of her grabbing him from behind. Drake shoved him off giving him an angered look with his teeth showing while his eyes turned red.

Angel got up to fight him getting a few hits in. Drake was so strong he hit him hard enough to knock him out. Spike got in his face fighting back. Drake noticed how much stronger he was being able to take him. Leah got behind Drake staking him from behind. She noticed the stake didn't do a thing. For Drake there was pain as he shoved her off him. Spike backed up watching him trying to get the stake out of him.

Drake looked back at Leah then before he could do anything there were police sirens. He left and they both helped Angel back to his place. Derek came out from waiting inside helping.

They went to Angel's apartment unlocking his door having Angel lay down. He felt a little winded. Leah approached him kneeling beside him. Angel looked up at her seeing her looking down at him. He saw her shine a light in his eyes. "What are you doing?" He kind of waved her away.

"Checking to make sure everything looks fine," Leah answered him.

Angel appreciated that she was a caring person. He could definitely give Spike credit for finding a woman like her for good looks and personality. She seemed to be less difficult than Buffy according to what Spike told him. Derek came in seeing his sister checking Angel out. "Quit torturing him," Derek said giving her trouble.

Leah got up hitting her brother in the arm before sitting down on the couch next to Spike. "I'm not idiot," she rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine," Angel said slowly sitting up.

"You need to be stronger," Leah said concerned.

"I snuck some of her blood in the refrigerator. Spike was ok with it and you need to be stronger especially if there are vampires out there that you can't take. I mean this is a new time which means a slayer wont be able to take these guys down like they use to." Derek explained.

"He's right, things have changed since then," Spike agreed with him.

"It's like getting an upgrade on your phone because the old one won't work."

"Derek shut up he get's it," Leah threw a pillow at him.

He then took the pillow throwing it back at her. Spike looked in between the two sighing. "Don't bloody make me come in and separate you too."

Leah wrapped her arms around Spike snuggling up to him. His arms wrapped around her having him look down at her. "Guess we better get home," Leah looked up at him.

"We should," Spike said standing up. Leah got up with him telling them good bye then holding hands leaving.

"Those two are inseparable," Derek looked back at them as they shut the door.

"I've noticed," Angel sighed at that.

"What like you haven't been that way before?" Derek question him.

"I was cursed with a soul for my wrong doing. If I do so many good deeds it's permanent," Angel explained.

"Do you even know if it's permanent now?"

"Haven't tried being with anyone. I'm afraid to risk anything." Angel reminded him after he told him what had happened.

"Then you will never know if you don't try unless you want to be miserable." Derek suggested.

Maybe Derek was right, he has stayed away from getting close to anyone for so long. For once, Angel would consider taking a chance hoping this time his soul would be permanent.