Angel was in his office looking out the window. He has been keeping to himself for the past week and hasn't really been talking to anyone much. He couldn't believe that Cordelia was really gone and he didn't know what he would do without her. He heard the door open of his office and the familiar voice. "I know how much it hurts." He continued to stare out the window as he spoke.
"I thought you didn't trust me." He replied as he finally turned around to look at Buffy. She shook her head and walked toward him.
"I don't trust this place, but I do trust you. I know you think that you're doing the right thing, but this place will always be evil. I just hope you realize what you got yourself into." Angel nodded and looked away from her.
"I know what I'm doing. I was actually close to quitting, but then I realized that I'm not a quitter." He stated as he looked back at her.
"No, you're not. You're not happy here though. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out." She noticed that he had tears in his eyes and she touched his face as she started to shed some tears of her own. "I'm sorry about Cordelia. I know how much you loved her and she will be greatly missed. She would want you to be happy." Angel nodded and then he just broke down and hugged Buffy. She held him as he continued to cry. She rubbed his back in comfort and whispered to him that it will be okay. He pulled away after a few seconds and looked at her and then he bent down and kissed her on the lips and she kissed him back for a bit before she then pulled away and rested her forehead on his. "I know you're hurting, but we can't do that. It won't help." She told him and he stepped away from her and silently agreed.
"You came here for Spike, didn't you?" Buffy nodded.
"Yeah, but I also wanted to see if you were okay." Angel nodded also.
"I'll be okay. I'll tell Harmony to send him in." He said as he went to his desk and pushed a button on his intercom and told Harmony to send the peroxide idiot in. Buffy smiled at that.
"I see things are still not so great with you guys." Angel returned her smile.
"They've been worse." Buffy looked at him.
"So, why is it that no one here thought to tell me that Spike was back?" She asked and Angel wasn't sure what to say.
"It was complicated. He was a ghost and then he became corporeal again and wanted to find you, but then he changed his mind and stuck around here and he didn't want anyone to tell you." Buffy nodded.
"Well, guess it's a good thing Andrew didn't listen then." Angel was about to say something else when Spike then walked into the office.
"So, what do you want?" He asked when he suddenly noticed that Buffy was in the room also. He just stared at her not sure what else to say. Buffy gave him a small smile and Angel looked at both of them.
"I think I'll go, leave you two alone. Don't break anything." He told Spike as he started to leave the room.
"Angel?" Buffy called back to him and he turned around to look at her. She then walked over to him and gave him another hug. "Things will get better." She whispered to him as she pulled away and then kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at her.
"Thank you," he said as he left the office and closed the door behind him. Buffy then turned back to Spike and he still seemed at a loss for words. She rolled her eyes and walked closer to him.
"Okay, I'll make things easier for you." She said as she then gave him a big hug also and after a second of registering what was happening, he hugged her back.
"Oh god, Buffy." He said as he kissed her hair. "Is it really you?" Buffy laughed and pulled away.
"Yeah, I could say the same thing to you." Spike smiled at her and they both sat down on Angel's couch and continued to stare at each other.
"You look good." He told her and she smiled at him.
"Thanks, I try." She looked down and then touched both of his hands gently as she looked back into his eyes. "How are your hands?" Spike shrugged.
"They're better. I guess Andrew told you." Buffy nodded.
"You really expected him to keep a secret?" She asked him.
"No, I didn't. I was hoping he would tell you so I wouldn't have to." Buffy looked at him.
"Were you ever going to?" Spike nodded.
"Yeah, I would have. I just didn't know what I would say." Buffy nodded also.
"That's understandable." She was about to say something else when her cell phone rang. "Sorry," she replied as she answered the phone. "Hey, Jake." She said into the phone and Spike wondered who she was talking to. "Because it's always you, who else would choose to annoy me right now. Yeah, I'm fine. I told you I'll be away for a few days. I have things to deal with here. I'm also going to visit my dad while I'm here. Yeah, tell Dawn I love her and to not worry about me. I'll be back as soon as I can." She then rolled her eyes as she listened to Jake. "Yeah, love you too. We'll talk later." She said as she hung up and then turned back to Spike. "Sorry about that again." He nodded and then had to ask her what he was dreading to ask.
"So, was that your boyfriend?" Buffy had to laugh.
"He wishes." She replied. "No, he's just a good friend that we met in Rome. Of course, Dawn thinks he has a crush on me though." Spike nodded.
"Of course." He replied.
"So, are you by any chance involved with anyone?" She asked even though she really didn't want to know. Spike smiled and looked at her.
"Did I somehow give you the impression that I was over you or something?" Buffy shrugged.
"I don't know. I mean we haven't exactly been a part of each other's lives for a while now, so I just figured that you might be." Spike shook his head.
"Never going to happen, Buffy. I don't think I could ever really get over you. You'll always be in here." He said as he put his hand over his heart. Buffy smiled at him and put her hand over her heart too.
"Likewise," she replied. Spike then couldn't resist anymore and moved closer to her. He cupped her face and then kissed her. She kissed back and they spent what feels like forever kissing each other. He then pulled away because she had to breathe and rested his head on hers.
"You have to go back, don't you?" He asked even though he wanted her to stay with him.
"Yeah, that's where my life is now. I don't belong here." She said and he nodded in understanding.
"It was good to see you again." Spike told her.
"It was good seeing you, too." She then went to Angel's desk and found a paper and pen and wrote down something and then walked back to him. He stood up also. "Here is my phone number and address if you ever feel like calling or stopping by. I know Dawn would love to see you." She said as she handed him the paper. "Let's always keep in touch, okay?" Spike nodded and put the paper in his pocket.
"I can do that." She smiled and then hugged him again and gave him another kiss on the lips.
"I meant what I said in Sunnydale. Don't ever forget that." She told him.
"I don't think I ever could and I believed you." Buffy nodded.
"I knew you did." She then walked away from him and headed out of the office when she turned back to look at him one more time. "Spike, I know you're a champion and that you'll do great things in the future, but don't do it here. Get away from Wolfram and Hart and just out of this city. Angel can handle things here, you're meant to do greater things far away from here. I don't want this place to corrupt you, too. You deserve to be happy, Spike. I know you don't like it here. I just hope you find what you're looking for and don't ever stop believing in yourself. I know I won't." She said as she walked out of the office. Spike smiled to himself after she left.
"Thank you," he said after she was long gone. He then left Angel's office and decided that he might give Europe another chance. It has been a while since he's seen London and maybe he'll pay Rome a visit while he was at it.
The End
Author's Chapter Notes:
This takes place after "You're Welcome" and I wanted Angel in it also because I think some things needed to be said=)