I am so sorry it has taken me so long to write this. Life just gets in the way. Finally i just sat down and started typing it up and couldn't stop. I was going to write 2 chapters for you but i am having trouble writing the next one as well. so i just decided to post this one so you guys didnt have to wait any longer. This chapter has not been beta'd because i couldnt wait to give it to you guys. the next one will be beta'd, i promise. and it shouldnt take me too long to write it. Hope you guys like it

Chapter 7

Angel pulls back from the kiss, "Well, I guess that qualifies as "happy to see me."

Buffy looks into Angel's eyes smiling, "Angel, what are you doing—don't even. I just want to bask. OK, I'm basked. What are you doing here?"

"Not saving the damsel in distress, that's for sure."

"Oh, you know me. Not much with the damseling" she says as she picks up her scythe.

"Got your share of distress, though."

"Yeah well, that's just another day in the life of Buffy."

"It's very gripping. It needs a third act."

Buffy shakes her head at him, "You have got to leave LA."

They keep looking at each other gazing into each other's eyes. The moment was so beautiful and neither one of them wanted to break it. It was just like old times. But the moment was ruined as Caleb stands up behind Angel and knocks Angel down by hitting him with a cat statue, sending him across the floor. Caleb walks up to Buffy, black blood streaming from his eyes and nose.

"Are you ready to finish this, bitch?"

Caleb swings the cat statue at Buffy, but she blocks with the scythe and then falls to the ground. She swings at him with the scythe, but he blocks with the cat statue. Caleb knocks Buffy to the ground, then throws the cat statue at Buffy. Buffy stands, holding the scythe.

"OK...how many times do I have to kill you? Ballpark figure."

"You understand nothing."

Buffy swings at Caleb, but he grabs the scythe, holding it still, and punches Buffy in the face twice. He lifts Buffy in the air, pressing her back against the low ceiling. Buffy struggles, and Caleb finally lets her fall to the floor. He walks up to her slowly, then picks her up by her lapels.

"You think you have power over me?" he says through gritted teeth

Buffy breaks free of his grip and kicks him, knocking him down to the floor.

"Stupid girl. You'll never stop me. You don't have the ba"

While Caleb gets to his feet, Buffy twirls the scythe and swings it up between his legs. Caleb's eyes go wide.

"Who does nowadays?"

Caleb looks down incredulously at the scythe lodged in his body between his legs. Buffy swiftly pushes the scythe up through his body.

Lying on the floor, Angel regains consciousness and stands, angrily, "OK, now I'm pissed. Where is he?"

"He had to split." She starts giggling devilishly which had Angel a little scared.

The first whispers to Spike, who's still watching Buffy from the shadows, "Yeah, she needs you real bad."

Spike walks out the back without being noticed.

"Why the hell are you here Angel?"

"You know why I'm here."

"I told you to stay in lA."

"Oh come on I know you. You were hoping I'd follow you."

"I was not."

He gave her a look that said 'give me a break, you so were'

"OK so maybe I was but that still doesn't mean you can follow me when I tell you that you have to stay there."

"I don't work for you. You can't tell me what to do. Not anymore."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that. I'm just worried and I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Apology accepted. I just couldn't let you leave and get hurt. If I didn't come in at that time you could have been hurt or worse, killed."

"I know. Thank you for saving me."

"I always got your back."

"And I yours." They smiled at each other for a while, until Buffy broke the silence.

"But you still shouldn't have come. You could have been hurt to. And then who would save LA from the vampires and demons? Who would be the PTB's great champions? Who would save the people if were both dead?"

"If Spike came would you have said anything to him?"

"What? What does Spike have to do with this conversation?"

"I know you slept with him."

Oh. Damn it, he told you."

"Yeah he did. What gave you the right to be pissed at me about Darla when you and Spike were together?"

"That's different."

"How so?"

"Well….. You have a son with her."

"So what? You could have had a child with Spike if it was prophesied. If it wasn't prophesied Connor would have never been born."

"Ok your right, it isn't different."

"You in love with him? OK, maybe I'm outta line, but this is kind of a curve ball for me. I mean, we are talking about Spike here.

"It's different. He's different. He has a soul now."

"Oh. Well."

"What?"

"That's great. Everyone's got a soul now."

"He'll make a difference."

"You know, I started it. The whole having a soul. Before it was all the cool new thing."

"Oh, my God. Are you 12?"

"I'm getting the brush off for Captain Peroxide. It doesn't necessarily bring out the champion in me."

"You're not getting the brush off. Are you just gonna come here and go all Dawson on me every time I have a boyfriend?"

"Aha! Boyfriend!"

"He's not. But...he is in my heart."

"That'll end well."

"What was the highlight of our relationship? When you broke up with me or when I killed you? I'm well aware of my stellar history with guys... And, no, I don't see fat grandchildren in the future with Spike, but I don't think that really matters right now. You know, in the midst of all this insanity, a couple things are actually starting to make sense. And the guy thing—)I always feared there was something wrong with me, you know, because I couldn't make it work. But maybe I'm not supposed to."

"Because you're the slayer?"

"Because—OK, I'm cookie dough. I'm not done baking. I'm not finished becoming whoever the hell it is I'm gonna turn out to be. I make it through this, and the next thing, and the next thing, and maybe one day I turn around and realize I'm ready. I'm cookies. And then, you know, if I want someone to eat— or enjoy warm, delicious cookie me, then...that's fine. That'll be then. When I'm done."

"Any thoughts on who might enjoy—Do I have to go with the cookie analogy?"

"I'm not really thinking that far ahead. That's kind of the point."

He starts walking away as Buffy calls after him, "Angel. I do... sometimes think that far ahead."

"Sometimes is something."

"Be a long time coming. Years, if ever."

I ain't getting any older."

She watches him walk away until she can't see him anymore. Then she sighs knowing that she has to go back and help her "friends". Maybe I can just give the scythe to faith and be done with it. Yeah that would work. No I couldn't do that to her.

It was dark as Buffy was walking down Revello Drive thinking of what to say when she saw them. I could tell them the truth and say how much I hate them and wish they would leave my fucking house. Or I could just help them fight the war and leave Sunnydale for good, decisions, decisions. As she was thinking she saw Spike was sitting on her porch with his head down. It looked as if he was waiting for her.

"Hey Spike. Whatcha doing?" He looked up and looked at her. It didn't look as if he was happy to see her.

"OK… What did I do to make you look like that?" She asked weirded out by the empty look he had in his face.

"So…. where's tall, dark and forehead?"

Buffy rolled her eyes as she replied, "Let me guess, you can smell him."

"Yeah that and I also used my enhanced vampire eyeballs to watch you kissing him."

"It was….. a hello."

"Most people don't use their tongues to say hello. Or I guess they do, but"

"There were no tongues. Besides he's gone."

"Oh, just popped by for a quickie, then?"

"Good, good. I haven't had quite enough jealous vampire crap for one night."

"He wears lifts you know."

"You know one of these days I'm just going to put you 2 in a room and let you wrestle it out."

"No problem on this end."

Buffy's eyes lit up as she thought of the 2 wrestling on the floor. The very thought of it made her excited. "There could be oil of some kind involved."

Spike let out a laugh when he heard that. Buffy was glad that he was laughing. She didn't like that one of the only friends she had in Sunnydale was unhappy with her. Her thoughts went in a whole other direction as she thought of where she was going to sleep after she talked to them. Faith still had her room and there wasn't any place to sleep except for the basement, which just so happens to be Spike's room.

"Faith still has my room" she said coyly.

"Well you can't sleep in my room. You can't buy me off with sweet talk. You got Angel breath. I'm not going to just let you whack me back and forth like a rubber ball. I've got my pride, you know."

"I understand."

"Clearly you don't, 'cause the whole "having my pride" thing was just a smokescreen."

"Oh thank God."

Spike got up from the porch and took her hand. Letting her know that he was there for her whenever she needed him. She walked over to the door and turned the knob and walked inside.