"You sure you're ready to patrol?" Buffy checked with Angel.

He'd been out of the medical room and into his own bedroom for around a week, it'd been just over a month since him and Spike had arrived. Angel's wounds had healed as well as they ever would and he was itching to jump back into the game, test out these human instincts of his and more importantly prove himself to Buffy.

She was more cautious, she'd seen the complications of patrolling with humans, yes it was good with the extra hands, but it wasn't worth the stress of having to watch them 24/7. And something told her Angel was in for the shock of his life (Unlife? New life?) when he remembered just how helpless humans can be when confronted with the supernatural.

"Buffy, I'm not a child, just human." Angel reminded her.

"Yeah emphasis on the 'just' mate." Spike interjected.

"And why is he here for this conversation again?" Angel scowled.

"Because this decision affects him too."

"Doesn't have to, we can just patrol. Me and you, like old times."

"I think you'll find that the right to say patrolling with Buffy is 'like old times' is reserved for me. And I'm not letting you get her killed with your Irish tavern-boy, prostitution-loving human self."

"That's enough, Spike." Buffy reprimanded. "Let's just get moving."

The three of them took to the graveyard. The ground was sodden and spongy, Buffy's heeled boots sinking into the mud with every step she took. Her former boyfriends were already driving her crazy, Spike was itching for a fight and so was Angel, both eager to prove their ability.

Buffy was packing her usual weapons, a stake clutched firmly in her right hand, one slipped into her boot and a third in her back pocket. Spike twirled a stake casually between his fingers, while Angel squeezed the pointed wood between his own sweaty palm. He'd refused to bring another one, on the principle that Buffy didn't make Spike bring two. Buffy had felt it best not to point out that most nights she didn't even make Spike take one.

"Why are we doing this again?" Spike groaned, they'd been out for nearly an hour and he hadn't gotten a chance to hit anything.

"Because it's better to get Angel back into the swing of things with something he's familiar with. The girls can have one night off."

"What I wanna know is why I have to be the one walking in the middle. I'm not in need of protection from either side you know." Angel grumbled.

"You're in the middle because otherwise you'd get in the way of the way we stand." Spike rolled his eyes almost audibly.

"What?"

"I always stand on Buffy's left, she always stands on my right. That way we both have our dominant hands free to attack." Spike explained slowly, much to Angel's annoyance.

"Oh. I didn't know you guys had...a routine." Spike chuckled a little, pleased he'd got under Angel's skin.

Angel on the other hand was just confused, they planned this? Knew how to stand? How they fought together? He hadn't realised they'd been this...in tune with one another.

"Houston, we have a vampire." Buffy announced.

"Where?" Angel threw up his stake.

"Nearby." Spike's eyes roved over the cemetery, breathing in intensely.

"How many?" Buffy asked him, her neck burning with the vampire tingles. "All I can tell is a lot."

"Six..maybe seven." Spike decided.

Angel scowled to himself, he was starting to see why humans didn't do this and had a newfound respect for his old friend, Gunn. He couldn't sense them like Buffy or smell them like Spike, he was utterly helpless until they jumped him. And oh look, that's what they were doing now. Angel hadn't even reacted before his head was smacking against the muddy grass, a vampire hunched over him.

"Angel!" Buffy hollered, grunting as she staked one of the others.

"Cover me!" Spike ordered as he sprinted over to his grandsire.

The vampire was pounding Angel's body, he struggled and kicked but his opponent was too strong and without his vampire strength he was easily pinned. The creature's teeth were an inch from Angel's neck when Spike staked him in the back, sending a cloud of dust into Angel's face.

Buffy was still attacking, sending a flurry of blows down on one vampire. She grabbed his body up and, clutching at his clothing, tossed him into his other two buddies knocking them to the earth. Spike was by her side in a flash and they held their guards up, ready to attack.

"What you thinking?" Spike panted.

"I'll get the two on the left you get the one on the right?" Buffy suggested.

"Hey, no fair you get more!"

"I'll take one." Angel offered, he was back on his feet, attempting to slow down his heavy breathing.

"I don't know.." Buffy took a few steps back as the trio advanced on them.

"I'll be fine, that other guy caught me unawares is all." Angel shrugged nonchalantly.

"You can have the one in the middle, he's only a fledge." Buffy decided.

"And he's only a human..." Spike muttered under his breath both thankful and irritated that Angel's lack of vampiric hearing had meant he didn't catch the insult.

"No time to argue." Angel leapt onto his vamp, tackling him straight to the earth.

Buffy headed for her own, slamming her fist into the girl's face before knocking her legs from under her. She snatched a handful of her shirt and dragged her into the air, staking her cleanly. Spike snarled at his prey and enjoyed watching the fear cross his face. Spike gave a few little punches here and there on the guy's chest and abdomen before giving up on playing with the poor excuse for a vampire and staking him out of pity.

"What a sorry lot that was. Even the older ones were bloody awful." Spike told Buffy.

"Uh oh." Buffy ignored his comment and hurried over to Angel who was again lying in the grass.

"Are you okay?" Buffy pulled him gently to his feet and he groaned softly.

"Yeah I'm fine. Staked him didn't I?" Angel pointed out.

"I don't know, you don't look too good." Buffy worried.

"I think I know why." Spike pointed to a bite mark that glistened with blood on Angel's neck.

"How much did he take?" Buffy demanded.

"Not a lot. A little juice and a cookie and I'll be right as rain."

And that's the last thing Angel remembered before he passed out.

0000000000000000000000000000000

"What are we gonna do about this, Spike?"

"I don't know...I gotta admit I didn't realise when human he'd become completely incompetent." Spike scoffed.

"He wasn't that bad!" Buffy snapped. "Okay so he was more David than Goliath, but he'll get better right?"

"David won in the end."

"Oh. Well you know what I mean." Buffy brushed off his correction. "Actually that makes it an even better metaphor." Buffy smiled, pleased with herself.

Spike scoffed at her joke and continued. "He had some good fighting techniques, I mean he did get that guy but...I don't know, Slayer."

Angel forced himself to keep his eyes shut, he had to listen to their conversation. Instinctively, he tried to smell to see if anyone else was in the room but he came up with nothing.

"Do you think we should not patrol with him anymore? 'Cause let's be honest he was exactly makin' with the stakin'."

"Can't put the poor bloke out to pasture it's not fair."

"I know and I don't want to. Maybe we can just put him in training with the slayers?" Buffy offered.

"Oh yeah he'll love that. Former master vampire placed on the same level as a bunch of teenagers who've never set foot in battle in their life. That's not embarrassing at all."

"Don't you think I know that?" Buffy hissed. "But I don't want him to die. I have a feeling he might not come back this time!"

"He's not gonna die. We'll just have to train him somehow." Spike pondered that thought for a moment.

"Well you shot down my idea!"

"We'll figure it out, just calm down."

Angel winced at the sound of Buffy's voice, she was swallowing down the tears, he could tell. He cursed himself for making Buffy feel this way and tentatively opened one eye. Angel faked an exaggerated groan and forced himself to sit up.

"How are you feeling?" Buffy was by his side in a second, trailing her dainty hand down his back comfortingly.

"Okay. It's been a while since I was bitten."

"I can imagine." Buffy smiled a little. "I'm gonna head to bed I think, but maybe we'll talk in the morning?"

"Yeah 'course." Angel agreed.

"Night guys." Buffy called as she left Angel's bedroom.

"Sweet dreams, luv." Spike replied.

"I need a favour." Angel said as soon as he heard Buffy's disappearing footsteps.

"Oh? You need me? Isn't this a turn of events." Spike chuckled.

"Not now, Spike. I'm being serious." Angel urged. "Will you help me?"

"Once you tell me what the bloody hell it is I'll think about it." Spike snapped.

"I need you to sire me."