The next three months passed by happily. Angel had accepted his new role in the group and thrown himself into research mode, reading and translating all sorts of texts. He'd not been patrolling since that first time and everything was going off without a hitch. Maybe they'd finally found the perfect dynamic.

It was early on a Sunday morning, Buffy was late to her hand-to-hand combat training and was hurrying down the halls. Her Converse slapped against the hardwood floors as she ran and burst through the door of the training room.

"Sorry I'm late guys!" Buffy panted.

"No problem, Slayer. Let's just get going yeah?" Spike shrugged off his duster, preparing for their regular sparring.

"Of course. So I assume Spike already told you today we're working on deflection. We're gonna begin by showing you the basics. We'll try and go slo-mo style and then you guys can give it a shot. Sound good?"

Buffy and Spike easily slipped into a short demonstration of blocking punches. It was very slow and tame, a walk in the park for both fighters, Spike was practically yawning.

"Okay and that's it!" Buffy announced. "Who wants to give Spike a run for his money?"

A few girls gazed around at each other, some elbowing their friend next to them, daring the other to fight him, majority simply cast their eyes downwards hoping not to be chosen.

"Come on guys..." Buffy coaxed.

"I'll take a whack at it." Angel appeared in the doorway.

"Ummm...I don't know if that's the best idea."

"Yeah why don't you go back to your books, Forehead. This room's for the fighters." Spike taunted.

"Spike..." Buffy said warningly.

"Buffy, you're the teacher. Can I give it a shot?"

Before Buffy could reply, Spike did. "Show me what you got, Peaches."

Angel torpedoed over to Spike, knocking the blonde straight off of his feet onto the ground.

"So much for deflection." Buffy noted before turning to the girls. "I guess this is just to show you...how humans fight vampires." Even she would admit that was a little tenuous.

Spike kicked his legs up from the floor, sending Angel catapulting backwards. But before Spike got a chance to gain the upper hand he was back on his feet.

"You got more fight in you than I thought, old man."

"What can I say? I've been practicing."

Angel threw a punch for Spike's head, who easily dodged out of the way and jabbed his fist into Angel's kidney. He doubled over slightly and Spike brought his elbow down onto Angel's back, sending him to his knees.

"Really? Think you need a little more." Spike commented.

"I'm just getting started." Angel wheezed as he clawed for Spike's legs and yanked them from under him. Spike cackled as his backside crashed onto the floor.

Angel leapt onto him to press him down for the count. Spike easily flipped the pair of them, digging his knees into Angel's weak flesh. He thrashed like a shark, struggling desperately to break Spike's vice like grip.

After a few minutes Spike decided. "You're dead, mate." He clambered to his feet and offered Angel a hand up. "I was only holding back a little though."

"Um, well there you go. That was...fun." Buffy stepped back in.

Suddenly, Angel swung his fist back and pounded Spike straight in the nose, spurting blood everywhere. He went in for another with the other hand but Spike caught it. Easily, he crushed Angel's hand within his own, relishing when Angel quietly yelped from the pain. Still keeping ahold of Angel's fist, he socked him twice in the jaw and careered a knee into his groin. Finally, a full on fight broke out. Angel wouldn't give up, despite the fact that Spike was beating him to a bloody pulp.

"Enough!" Buffy screeched.

The two men ignored her, Spike elbowing Angel in the nose and flipping him easily over his shoulder. Angel grabbed Spike into a headlock, tightly twisting them around.

"That's it. It's ass-kicking time."

Both hands at once, Buffy sucker punched the pair in the face. Then she placed her body between them.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Spike growled wiping blood from his face.

"You two were acting like babies!"

"I was not!" Angel protested.

"Oh yeah waltzing in here challenging Spike to a freakin' duel just to look like a big shot! Well congrats you look like a criminal with your black eye and bloody nose! I hope it was worth it." Spike guffawed at this description of Angel and Buffy turned on him.

"And you! He's human now! You can't go wailing on him like you used to, it's not a fair fight!"

"You're always defending him!" Spike yelled.

"I just defended you too!"

"No you didn't. Nothing's ever good enough is it? It'll always be Angel. He'll always been in the right, he'll always be the one who needs helping or saving. Well that's it. I'm done. You need Angel so much? You can have him. I'm gone."

Spike stormed out of the door, leaving thirty open mouthed stares in his wake.

0000000000000000000000000000000

"You sure you don't wanna go speak to Spike?" Angel checked.

"I'm sure. He needs time to cool off I'll talk to him then."

"Yeah."

"Why did you do it, Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Do what?"

"Why did you come in here today? Fight Spike? Why have you been training for months without even telling us?"

"There wouldn't have been any point in telling you. It wasn't technique I needed it was speed, strength. Stuff I can get on my own. Do it the old-fashioned way, you know? Get stronger by lifting more, faster by running more. I just needed time."

"You've become a walking bruise, Angel."

"I know. It wasn't the right way to go about it." Angel hung his head in shame. "I just..."

"What?" Buffy asked softly.

"I just wanna be the man you deserve."

Angel reached for Buffy's hand and held it close to his chest, gently caressing it with his thumb. Buffy was surprised at his touch, there was heat radiating from his fingertips, she didn't feel that often.

Angel leant in to Buffy, his eyes fluttered closed and his lips hovered inches from hers. Buffy placed a hand on his chest and lightly pushed him away, releasing her other from his grip.

"Umm...sweet dreams." Buffy stuttered and dashed out of the room.