Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.

Chapter 3

Buffy automatically straightens her spine. "Angel," she says curtly. Her voice doesn't display any of the warmth she usually exhibits towards her first love.

Angel blinks, obviously taken aback by her cold demeanor. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

His voice sounds accusatory, and it raises her hackles even more as she steps three paces towards Angel. "It was a last minute decision. Imagine my surprise when I found out Spike wasn't dust, and he hasn't been dust for awhile. Imagine my even greater surprise, that I found out that not only was he working with you but Giles knew as well, and both of you decided to not tell me."

"It was for the best," Angel argues.

"Who's best? Certainly not mine."

"You moved on."

Buffy isn't sure who Angel is trying to convince: himself or her. "No, I didn't. And you knew that. You selfishly kept the truth from me because you couldn't stand the fact that I wanted to be with Spike. You claimed to love me, but when you love someone, you're supposed to want them to be happy, even if they're not with you."

Angel strides forward and takes Buffy's hand. She doesn't pull it away, but her grip remains limp, not returning the hand hold. She hears Spike shift uncomfortably, and her heart goes out to him, knowing how much this display must be hurting him. Hopefully by the time it's over, he'll understand where she stands and never doubt her feelings again.

"Buffy, you told me your cookies weren't done. So how can you want Spike of all things?" He spits the name out as if it's acid.

Buffy's eyes narrow. "First of all, Spike isn't a thing. Things can't love, and he loves better than anyone that I have ever known. And the truth is my cookies were done. I didn't want to hurt you and at the time I wasn't ready to admit how much Spike meant to me. I couldn't admit it until the amulet was making him burn."

"So how could I have known?"

Buffy wants to punch the smugness out of his face. "Because, you saw how I was. I was completely catatonic after Sunnydale. Willow had to shove food down my throat so I didn't starve. She almost went into my mind to bring me out of it, like she had to do when Glory first took Dawn. She got through to me by saying Spike wouldn't want this for me. We talked more than once, and I know you heard the depression in my voice. You faked oblivion so you didn't have to admit that my heart chose Spike, and there was nothing you could do to stop it."

"Buffy –"

"No," she interrupts. "You hoped I'd forget about Spike and want to be with you again, even though we can't truly be together. You were selfish in your actions. Instead of letting me be happy, you made sure I was miserable."

"I'm going to be human one day, and then we can be together fully," he promises.

Buffy looks behind her and sees Spike staring at the floor. Apparently, he's pretty sure of Buffy's reaction to that tidbit. She rolls her eyes and thinks, 'Insecure vampires.' She faces Angel again, and says, "You don't get it. If it came down between vampire Spike and human Angel, I'd still choose Spike. I love him."

"You don't mean that," Angel growls, shifting into game face.

Buffy takes a defensive stance, just in case. "Yes, I do."

Angel growls and lunges towards them. His aim isn't Buffy, though. It's Spike.

She crosses her arms and watches the fight. She doesn't get involved. She knows Spike can handle himself and sure enough, it's only a matter of time before he has pinned his grandsire against the wall, his fangs dangerously bared.

Buffy raises her voice to be heard over the growling. "Angel, I choose Spike. That's my final decision. Deal with it."

Spike lets him go, game face still on, and she slips her hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Angel's eyes are still yellow, but he stomps away.

"He's probably going to his office to pout," Spike comments.

"As long as he doesn't try to dust you, I'm okay with that."

They face each other and Buffy smiles when Spike's yellow eyes become blue once again.

"Did you mean it? Do you really choose me?"

"Every time," she promises. She licks her suddenly dry lips. "Now, we were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

He smiles softly and takes her hand and presses it against his cheek, closing his eyes and savoring the touch. "Right about here."

"Right." Her fingers trace patterns on his cheek and his moan goes straight through her. She can't resist any longer and stands on her toes, kissing him lightly on the lips.

The touch is kept light as she quickly relearns the taste of Spike. Her tongue slips between his lips as his arms come around her, holding her close.

Their tongues battle for dominance and Buffy happily gives into Spike, letting him take control of the kiss that's sending her body into overdrive.

While one of her hands stays on Spike's cheek, in order to keep his lips pressed against hers, her other hand rests on the top of his pants. Her fingers slip underneath the waistband of his jeans and nestle there, trapped against the warm fabric of his jeans and the cool skin of his stomach.

A hand brushes the outer curve of her breast, and she breaks the kiss with a whimper of protest, desperately needing air. "Mmm. Spike lips. Lips of Spike."

They both smirk in remembrance of the last time she said that. Hopefully, what follows this time will be a lot more pleasurable.

"So, you do you a bedroom somewhere nearby?"

Spike's mouth open and then close at her forwardness.

She raises her eyebrows. "It's been way too long since I've had you. I need you. Please."

His hand cups the back of her neck. "You won't have regrets tomorrow morning, will you?"

She shakes her head and presses her body against his, molding her curves against his hard physique. "Please, I need you," she whispers.

"God, I love you."

"I love you, too," she says without hesitation, knowing he'll probably have to hear it a couple more thousand times before he fully believes it. "And I want you to make love to me."

He takes her hand and pulls her down the hall. "Follow me."

Both of them ignore Fred, having completely forgotten her presence. She watches them go and shakes her head fondly. She knows Angel's hurting, but he was out of line when he kept them apart. She's happy that they have found their way back to each other. They both deserve it.