Chapter 3: Doubtful Love

Angel continued to hold his nose in pain as Buffy continued stare at him with a hard look. Behind Buffy stood Spike, smirking away at Buffy's punch she gave to Angel.

"Good work luv." Spike nodded in approval.

By the sound of Spike's voice she turned around and gave a punch to Spike's nose too.

"Hey!" Spike exclaimed and rubbed his nose. Angel raised an eyebrow and started to smile, "What did I do?"

"What did you do!" Buffy exclaimed at Spike, "WHAT DID YOU DO! How could you ask me that?! Do you want me to punch you again?"

"Look Buffy, even though I enjoy you kicking Spike's ass...I think you should calm down." Angel said in a soft voice.

"Calm down!" Buffy exclaimed and walks away from both Spike and Angel. She wondered over to the office window to watch employees walk around in the lobby for a moment and then whips her head around to look at them, "Why don't you stop telling me what to do…both of you…that's what got you two in this mess in the first place. I'm not your puppet."

Spike had to smile at that comment about to puppet as he recalled the memory of 'Puppet Angel' for a second, but however just as quickly as the smile came on his face he had to frown again. It was no smiling matter when he was getting chewed out by the Slayer verbally.

"I don't want you two deciding what is and is not good for me." Buffy continued.

Spike and Angel shared a look of shame.

"I want to know why I didn't get a phone call…and why I wasn't informed about what the hell is going on over here…" Buffy said, glancing back and forth between Spike and Angel.

Spike and Angel opened their mouths to speak but nothing came out. They tried to search in the back of their minds a reason why they didn't call her, but they knew that their excuses were not good enough for Buffy to accept them. They figured that she would start punching them again if they came up with a lame remark.

"I thought we were all friends here…" Buffy said calmly.

"We are Buffy it's just…we wanted you to live your life…you were starting over and we just thought—" Angel started but Buffy cut right back in to interrupting him.

"Thought that I what?" she asked Angel and then turned to Spike, "Thought what Spike, that I wouldn't be happy to know that you were alive?"

"You don't seem happy now." Spike mumbled and looked down at his feet.

"How dare both of you hide something like this from me…" Buffy scolded both of them, near the verge of tears.

"Luv listen…" Spike walked closer, trying to give her a bit of comfort.

Buffy jumped back from Spike, "No…no…" Spike looked down in disappointment, "How could you tell Andrew and not me? Why didn't you want me to know?!" Buffy was crying now, not caring that that she was getting upset in the middle of Angel's office where any employee could come in and see her like this.

Spike paused and then whispered, "I don't know."

"Don't you want to be with me?" Buffy whispered out.

"That's not it…that was never the issue…it…it was…" Spike tried to think real hard for the right words, "…it was me being terrified…again."

Buffy sniffed and waited for Spike to continue. Angel just stood in the background, observing the private matter between them.

"I thought of so many times of jumping on a boat or stealing Angel's jet and going to see you, but I guess I didn't have the courage. I guess I was having doubts." Spike explained and walked slowly closer to her, "I was afraid."

Buffy smiled a little, "Spike, afraid?"

Spike smiled back at her, "Sorry to say it love but yeah…out of all the things in this messed up word I'm afraid of us…"

"You don't have to be." Buffy whispered back, saying the same thing she said to him months ago that one night in her kitchen that was lit by candles.

"Why's that?" Spike challenged her.

Buffy took a deep breath, "Because…with us…I don't doubt the way I feel about you. It's either I love you or I don't, no shades of grey in between."

Spike stared at her, waiting for her to come out and admit the three little words to him in front him again, and also with Angel in the room.

"You love him?" Angel asked quietly.

Buffy and Spike looked at Angel and then back at each other and Buffy started to smile and nod.

"Honestly? Yeah…I do."

Spike gave Buffy a sweet smile, and then he walk over and kissed her. And for the first time, Buffy didn't care who was in the room.

TBC...