Hey y'all! Third update in three days!

Mmkay, time to thank all you guys…

alBBie: wow! I haven't heard from you since I was a rabid spuffy shipper! Those were the days… hi and thankyou!!!!!

redrider6612: he is TEH sexy, and thankyou.

michebabyblue: you've never seen Borat? 'Tis a crime. Willow's with Oz, and I don't know if I'm going to bring Tara in, everything's pretty complicated already. Thanks!

MrsBrood: I love you too! You don't sound stalkerish at all, no more than I do with my thankyous anyway. I feel loved, not harrassed, so thankyooouuu. And don't do the dance of emptiness, hollowness and broken heartedness, it'll make me join in and, as I have said before, nobody wants that.

iamacullen(at)heart: greetings newcomer, welcome to my world. Thanks for the three reviews!

RabidReject: and more you shall get! Thanks!

BlackbAngel: yeah, I love Spike, he's hilarious. And the rescue was very efficient – about as likely as Buffy and Spike being in the cells next to each other, I'd say. Thankyou!

Breathe in Butterfly: there's plenty more Angel droolage to come! I'm glad I made you laugh, and thankyou!

Right, I think that's everyone. Words cannot describe my infinite love for you amazing people. Every word of every chapter is dedicated to all you guys. Especially 'however' and 'grinned'. Best words ever.

I'll shut up now, because this author's note is becoming my longest ever, which by now really is saying something. Enjoy!

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Spike was thoroughly annoyed. Buffy and Angel had let him go, and the second he was free of them, he'd decided to test whatever had made his head hurt when he punched that guard. A random few people in the street was all it took to confirm his worst fears. He couldn't bite people. He couldn't hit people. He couldn't even stab people. It was completely unfair.

-

Sunlight fell in a thin line across the stone floor of the bedroom, where a curtain had been pulled shut hastily just before dawn. Buffy and Angel were asleep on the bed, dreaming together. Angel's arms were clasped tightly around her, as though afraid that someone would take her away from him. She in turn was as closely wrapped around him as possible, showing that no one ever could, however hard they tried.

It was hours more before they woke, Buffy first. She did not untangle herself from him, but studied his sleeping face. She traced a finger along his cheekbone and giggled when he caught her hand and kissed it, grinning tiredly.

"Marry me." His voice was still sleepy, and she wondered if he had been dreaming. He opened his eyes more fully. "Really, Buffy." He paused, looking straight in her eyes. "Will you marry me?" He was serious, she realised, and she didn't need to think. She kissed him, and pulled back only for a second, today just one word.

"Yes."

-

Buffy didn't tell anyone about the engagement, she needed a good moment to tell all her friends together. This was so important to her, and she wanted it to be perfect. Giles had asked her to check in with him during the day for a scooby meeting. They needed to work out what the military people wanted – and what they were doing in Sunnydale. She and Angel took the tunnels there, a combination of Angel's own sunlight problems and the fact that the organisation, whoever they were, might now be after her specifically. She wasn't sure what made her more nervous, telling her friends about her engagement of being caught by the creepy anti-demon league again.

They arrived behind Giles' apartment, coming up through a man hole, Buffy shoving Angel towards the door quickly before he got fried. Giles opened the door immediately for them both and Angel tumbled in, Buffy following behind, and trying not to look too excited.

Giles put the kettle on, and the scoobies began to talk about the new situation. Spike was somehow left out of the conversation, Buffy and Angel making a silent agreement not to include him in their relation of the rescue. Buffy wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but she knew that the scoobies' reaction to she and Angel saving Spike would probably arouse suspicion, and therefore further complication. She didn't want any more tension between herself and her friends; it was just too much trouble.

Eventually, once they had all realised that they knew almost nothing about the organisation (other than the fact that it was run by humans and had an underground lab, and that Professor Walsh was part of it), the conversation died out. Buffy decided to grab her chance to tell them about the engagement. It's now or never; if I put it off I'll never pluck up the courage to tell them. She took a deep, unneeded, breath in before starting her announcement.

"I've got something to—" There was a knock at the door. Damn.

"I'll get that," said Oz, standing up. Willow shifted on the sofa to allow him room to move, and he opened the door, turning around to face the others, who were now all wearing looks of astonishment. Oz didn't look too surprised however; he always knew this would happen.

Cordelia was standing in the doorway, one hand grasping the handle of her designer suitcase, the other linked with the arm of the man standing next to her, who was grinning nervously. He was nice-looking, but not at all what Buffy would have expected Cordy to go for.

"This is Doyle," said Cordy, looking up at him. She was quite clearly in love. She held out her hand, showing what was clearly an engagement ring. "We're getting married." Buffy gaped. Bitch!

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Ah, Sunnydale gets wedding fever. Not much of a talkie, but all you need is looooooove.

It's a bit short (I'm going to try and start the next one this evening – if that alleviates the pain of waiting), but I hope you liked it anyway, and if so, you know what to do.

Er… by that I mean review.