'Buffy,' Angel said with a small smile as she walked through one of the double doors.

She smiled back at him. "Hey," she said. "Spike here?"

'He's upstairs,' he replied. He furrowed his brow. 'Buffy… Can I talk to you for a sec? We haven't really gotten the chance to…'

"Sure," Buffy said, but she couldn't help but cross her arms in front of her guardedly.

'Buffy, I know that I can't even begin to understand what you've been going through all these--'

"You're right," Buffy cut in, indignation swelling inside of her.

He blinked. 'What?'

"Angel, it isn't your job to understand what I've been going through all these years. I know you feel like you're protecting me or something, or feel the need to protect me, but I'm not… I'm not that girl anymore." When he only furrowed his brow deeper, she sighed, throwing her hands up. "Angel," she said tersely, "you aren't my keeper. And I'm not some… broken person that needs protecting. I don't need you to be my security net, or even my security… blanket." She swallowed, hard. "You were once, I can admit that. I… I used to run to you when things would get too scary, too daunting. You were familiar, you know? You were… my crutch, I guess." She cleared her throat and looked him in the eye. "But I want you to know that… things change. I changed. I grew up. I'm just telling you now that you don't ever need to feel an obligation towards me. It's not your… your responsibility to understand me. And I didn't understand it either, at first, but being the Slayer had its own responsibilities. And I didn't want to own them… In the beginning, I didn't even want this duty to be a part of me. But it's who I am, and I couldn't run away from it. It was like running away from my own shadow."

He nodded, slowly. 'Sounds like… that's been waiting a couple of years to get out,' he said uncomfortably.

She shrugged, glancing down at the floor. "It's been waiting for the right opportunity, I guess." She bit her lip and looked at him again. "We're… two different people now, Angel. I just want to know that that's clear to you. I didn't really know who I was when I was with you… And even when I wasn't with you and you were still in the background. I guess you could say that you had a role to play, but when you moved here, that's… That's when your contract ended… You know?"

'So we're going from cookie dough to acting… roles…' Angel said.

She smiled, shrugging. "Whatever gets the point across, I guess."

'Can I ask you a question, though?' Angel asked.

She smiled sadly. "Go ahead."

'About the cookie dough analogy… Who do you… Who gets to…'

She laughed. "Who gets to eat me?"

He looked uncomfortable, scratching the back of his neck.

Buffy giggled. "It was a really bad analogy, I think, but… I think it's a self-serving type of thing, you know? I guess I get to eat me. I'm the first one to get to enjoy who I've become, what I've earned."

He nodded somberly. 'Buffy…'

"Hmm?"

'I'm glad that you… I'm glad you're happy.'

She grinned. "Me too." She began to head up the stairs, but stopped when she saw Spike standing at the top, an awed look on his features. Her grin widened.

--

'So what was that all about with the cookies?' Spike asked, opening the car door for her.

Buffy sighed. "Cookie dough," she corrected, "is me."

He paused in his movement to close the door shut behind her. 'Come again?'

She smiled, shaking her head. "I'll try to explain during dinner when I can see your mouth so you don't have to look at me while you're driving like those bad actors in car scenes."

He chuckled. 'I'll have you know that I have very good peripheral vision.' He shut the door all the way with his hip and made his way over to the driver's side. He buckled up, started the car and put his hand over hers. She looked at him. 'Buffy…'

She smiled shyly. "So how much did you hear?"

Spike gave her a sheepish grin, scratching his neck. 'Well, I heard you come in and… I guess all of it.'

Buffy jumped when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She checked it, finding a message from Lorne. 'Crystal got the ingredient today. She said it'll be ready by tomorrow and she could even drop it off at the Hyperion in the morning.'

The vampire leered, touching his tongue to the roof of his mouth. 'You stayin', then?'

She smiled almost shyly. "I guess I could."

Spike nearly bounced in his seat with happiness, and Buffy giggled. For some reason, she never really took the time to appreciate his smile before, and just the fact that it was her who'd caused it… Well, she wanted to make this man…pire happy more often.

He pulled out of the parking space and started driving towards downtown L.A. It took less than fifteen minutes, including the time it took to find a parking space. They put quarters in for two hours because the meters would stop at nine, and then walked the block and a half and crossed the street to approach a quaint little restaurant.

It wasn't very big, and it had the potential to become cramped and crowded, but tonight there were only three parties. They stepped inside and a tall, dark haired man escorted them to a table.

'Nice to see ya again, mate,' he said, patting Spike on the back. 'Couldn't stay away, could ya?'

Spike smirked. 'Think it'd be impossible to now.'

He smiled at Buffy. 'And who's this little lady?'

The bleach blond beamed. 'This here's my girl, Buffy.'

"Hi," Buffy said. "Nice to meet you…"

'Evan's my name,' the waiter said with a polite smile. He placed down two menus on the table, then glanced at Spike. 'Same for you, yeah? Black tea?'

Spike nodded. 'Yeah, thanks. For two, just in case.'

Evan looked at Buffy. 'And for you, Miss?'

"I think I'll look at the menu first, but can I get a glass of water?"

Evan nodded and left them to their menus. Buffy glanced at Spike, raising her eyebrows.

'They're all from the motherland here,' Spike said with a smile as he sat across from her. 'They like to keep it authentic.' He covered her hand with his. 'They have a little shop next door if you want to check it out. Could show you where I buy my Weetabix.'

Buffy giggled. "I'd love to." She opened her menu. "So, what's good?"

He grinned. 'All of it, I'd say.' At the look she gave him, he recommended, 'The shepherd's pie is good. You could start with that.'

"What'll you be having?" she asked.

'M'havin' a shandygaff -- that's a ginger ale of sorts, only there's beer in it and lemonade. The lemonade's not like what you have in the states, though. It's more of a carbonated drink, like Sprite or seltzer water. Gettin' the steak and Guinness pie and then a sticky toffee pudding for dessert.'

"Is that your regular?" she said teasingly.

Spike grinned. 'For now, I suppose. I'll change it up sooner or later.'

Evan came back with a large teapot with hand-painted rose designs, and then set down matching teacups, creamer and sugar, and two tea strainers. Buffy watched as Spike poured about an inch and a half of milk into his teacup, two heaping spoonfuls of sugar, and then sat the stainless steel strainer on the circumference of the cup and poured the tea through it.

Spike smirked at her as he placed the strainer into its holder and stirred his tea with a teaspoon. 'Watchin' your Englishman make his tea, are you?'

Buffy grinned. "Wanna make mine?"

Evan returned to take their orders. Spike requested that his sticky toffee pudding come out before his main entree, and Buffy decided to try the recommendation Spike made for her and the shandygaff.

The vampire winked at her. 'Don't get tipsy now,' he teased as her shandy was set in front of her.

"How much alcohol is in here anyway?" Buffy asked, raising her eyebrows.

''bout .5,' he replied with a smirk. When she started to protest, he teased , 'I know how you are with alcohol, love. Don' worry, though. I'll be a perfect gentleman, at least until we're back at the Hyperion.'

Soon their meals were set out in front of them and they had a quiet dinner, sharing their dishes with one another and making small talk. Spike paid for them both when they finished, and then they enjoyed a refill of their tea before making their way to the shop next door.

'I'm just going smoke a ciggy. You go on ahead and take a look around,' Spike said. He pointed to a maroon-colored can on display. 'And get that one,' he said, slipping a five dollar bill into her hand before stepping outside.

Buffy nodded, walking around the small little shop and taking in all the different items on the shelves. She smirked when she spotted a box of Weetabix on one of the top shelves.

''lo, little lady,' a middle aged man with graying hair greeted her upon coming in from a back room. 'You require any assistance?'

Buffy smiled brightly. "Yes, please." She pointed at the display of cans behind him. "Can I get that one?"

The man grinned. 'You sure?'

She blinked, but nodded anyway. "Yup."

'Have you ever tasted it before?' he asked.

She grinned back at him. "No, but I figure I can handle something different."

He knelt down behind the counter to look through a mini fridge perched below it and handed her a cold can. 'Not many Americans I know like it.'

She gave him the five and popped open the tab, glancing at the can. It read 'Ben Shaws Dandelion & Burdock.' Buffy took a sip and paused to observe its taste.

The man's grin widened as he handed her her change. 'How do you like it?'

"It's good," Buffy said truthfully. The soda was very sweet and had a herbal taste to it, like drinking sweet, carbonated tea.

Spike stepped inside, touching her shoulder. 'Tasted it already, I see. How do you like it?'

The man behind the counter smiled at Spike. 'Knew you'd come back. This here your lady friend?'

Spike grinned. 'Yeah, this here's my lady friend.'

'I like her. She likes the dandelion and burdock.'

Buffy giggled. "I think I know where to get Giles his stuff now. I was going to send him some apple pie for his birthday to be funny, but I think this is much better."

'Apple pie is good stuff, and I think like any other foreigner, he'd enjoy it on occasion. But yeah, he'd probably appreciate this a whole lot more.' Spike chuckled and led Buffy outside. 'G'night, mate,' he called out to the man behind the counter, giving him a wave.