Okay, I know I said this would be the last chapter, but I kinda got carried away on these next two conversations! I still have a few loose ends to tie up, so there will be one more after this. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

"Hey, Spike."

Spike looked up from the chair where he sat, nursing a beer. He scowled as he spied Angel in the doorway of his suite. He certainly hadn't had the best day, and seeing Angel was just going to make it worse. Angel was human, he and Buffy were together, but he found that that didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that he hadn't seen Faith all day.

"Well, if it isn't 'prophecy boy'."

Angel shook his head and walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Look, Spike..."

"Don't worry about it, Peaches. I didn't want the bloody thing, anyway."

"Of course you didn't. You kicked my ass to get the cup for nothing."

Spike sat forward. "I kicked your ass because it was bloody fun!" He sat back again, and took a swallow of his beer. "And let's not forget that I DID beat you, you ponce!"

Angel shook his head and sat down on a chair opposite Spike. "I'm not here to argue with you, Spike."

"Well, what do you want? Cuz I'm kinda busy at the moment."

"Yeah, I can see that." Angel crossed his arms over his chest, and looked at his childe. "Look, seriously, Spike. I'm sorry."

Spike laughed bitterly. "Right! You're sorry that you got the bloody reward!"

"No, I'm sorry that you didn't, too." Spike didn't reply, and he went on. "It's my fault. What you are, what you became. I know that, and I'm sorry. It doesn't change anything, but...I'm sorry."

Spike sat there, listening to his sire. He knew exactly how much it cost him to say those words. To take responsibility. The problem was, he hadn't had a choice. Angel was a victim just as much as he was. They hadn't asked for their fate.

Angel watched Spike for a moment. Spike silent was rare, and he wasn't sure if his silence was good or bad. "Anyway. There might just be a way to change that."

"Change what?"

"What you are. We might have found a way for you to become human, too."

"What?! How?"

"A demon. A warrior demon. If we can find it, kill it, and mix it's blood with yours, you'll become human."

Spike stood up. "How the bloody hell do you know that?!"

Angel sighed. "Because it happened to me."

"What?! I thought the Powers That Be..."

"Not this time." Angel stood, raking his hands through his hair. "Before. About 5 years ago."

Spike looked at him incredulously. "You...I don't..."

"Look, Spike, I don't want to get into it right now. Just focus on the fact that we may know where at least one of these demons are!" He paused, and looked at Spike. "Are you game?"

Spike fell back into his chair, shaking his head. "I don't know. I mean, right now I'm gonna live forever and I don't have a pesky curse to hold me back. What do I need to become human for?!"

Angel knew Spike's sarcasm was a cover. He knew, more than anyone, just how wrong that vampire image was, especially with a soul. Tortured by the memories of the things he'd done. Spike wanted this, he just didn't want to admit it.

"You need a reason? Well, how about a girl?"

Spike looked at him sharply. "YOU have the girl, remember?!"

Angel's eyes flashed angrily. "I'm not talking about Buffy, Spike." He looked at him closely, waiting for his reaction. "I'm talking about Faith."

Once again, Spike was out of his chair. "Faith?! What about her? I don't know..."

"Oh come on, Spike! I can smell her all over you! I know you've been seeing her."

"That's...she's... She's just a distraction, that's all!"

"Of couse she is."

Spike looked up at Angel menacingly. "Listen, you bloody..."

"Spike, no matter what you think, I really could care less about your love life!"

He couldn't help himself. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that knowing look off his face. "Except when it comes to me and Buffy!"

Angel felt the anger and jealousy rise up in him. He grabbed Spike by the neck, and pushed him up against the wall. Spike tried to get free, but he was no match for an angry Angel. "You know, Spike, I don't even know why I bother!" He wanted to punch him, to throw him to the ground and beat him, until he could no longer envision him and Buffy together in his mind. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This is not what Buffy wanted. He could be civil if he had to. After all, he did have the girl.

Angel let him go, and started towards the door, then thought of Buffy, how much she wanted this for Spike. How much he did too. He sighed and turned back. Spike was still in the same position, a look of resignation on his face. "Look, Spike..."

"Don't worry about it, mate." He slowly walked over to the chair and sat back down, picking up his beer once more. "I shouldn't keep throwing her in your face." He took a sip of his warm beer. "I know she loves you, always did. And now, it doesn't even seem to matter..."

Angel heard the resignation in Spike's tone. He had never remembered Spike sounding so melancholy before, except when Dru had left him. He felt himself actually feeling sorry for him. "Look, I'm sorry about Buffy, but..."

"It's not about Buffy, mate."

Angel was silent. He didn't know what to say. Regardless of what he'd told Buffy, he figured that he and Faith were just having a little fun, but now..

"Come on, Spike. Let's do this. It'll be just like old times."

Spike laughed. "Yeah, right. In the old times, we were killing and ravaging."

Angel reconsidered. "Well, maybe not exactly like old times."

Spike smiled, then he sighed. "Why not? What have I got to lose, anyway?"

Angel smiled. "Just immortality."

Spike cocked his head at him. "I see you got a bloody sense of humor with your new heart."

Angel laughed and opened the door. He couldn't resist a parting shot. "What is it with you and slayers, anyway?"

He laughed, and shut the door just seconds before the beer bottle crashed into it.

BBBBBB

"So let me get this straight." Faith was sitting in Angel's old office, feet propped up on the desk, Buffy standing by the door. "Angel was human before?"

"Yeah."

"For a day."

"Uh huh."

"And you spent it together, but for some reason, he gave up mortality and made you forget?"

Buffy sighed. "Look, Faith, can we just focus on the demon, and what I'm trying to do?"

Faith dropped her feet to the floor. "Yeah, yeah, okay. It's just...Wow! That man really likes to bring on the pain!"

"You have no idea." Buffy shook her head. "Anyway, about Spike..."

"So, you think you know where these demons are?"

Buffy didn't miss the change of subject at Spike's name. Maybe Angel did know what he was talking about. "Well, there were whispers of a hellmouth opening up in Ohio, and Willow found reports of a warrior demon wreaking havoc there. Either way, we should probably check it out."

"I'm there, B. How many are you planning on taking?"

"Just you, me, Angel, and Spike, of course."

Faith gave her a look. "So, you want to make Spike human? How's Angel taking that?"

"Angel agrees with me. Spike should have the same chance Angel has."

"Yeah, and I'm sure he's not at all jealous."

"He doesn't need to be." She sighed. "But I guess he probably always will be. Just a little, anyway."

"By the way, B, I didn't get to tell you how happy I am for you and Angel! I mean, Angel's always been good to me." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I always thought that, in all the times he tried to save me, maybe he should have been trying to save himself." She smiled. "But not Angel. Always thinking of someone else besides himself."

Buffy tried to hide the look of jealousy, but she knew by Faith's next words that she hadn't succeeded.

"Don't worry, B. He never did anything." She got up and walked towards Buffy. "Angel was always a one slayer vampire. Or ex-vampire now, I guess." She smiled. "And believe me, I tried." She cringed at the look Buffy threw at her. "When I was evil, I mean, not since then. You don't have to worry, Buffy. He was always yours."

"I know." This was the last thing she wanted to talk about with Faith. She and Faith had come a long way since Sunnydale, but she wasn't in the mood for this. Time to change the subject. "Faith? If I ask you a question, do you promise not to get angry?"

"That's a loaded question, B. It just means that you know whatever you're gonna ask is bound to piss me off."

"True." She smiled. "But I'll take the chance, anyway." She took a deep breath. "Are you and Spike...involved?" Buffy braced herself for a confrontation, but Faith surprised her.

"I don't know. Depends on what exactly you mean by 'involved'." Faith turned to Buffy. "If you mean sex, then yeah, we are. Were, I mean."

Buffy saw something in Faith's eyes, and she knew that it was more than that. "Faith..."

"So anyway. When do we leave?"