The Hart of L.A.: Chapter Four
by raycheld20
A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for an update. Please review and let me know what you think!!
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Buffy and Faith were taking a tour of Wolfram and Hart for the first time. They were being led around by Angel’s friend, Lorne. He looked sort of creepy to Buffy, but Faith swore he was a good guy. She’d met him before when she helped Angel out of his jam. She called it that, because she didn’t like to think of him without a soul. She was willing to give him the benifit of the doubt. After all, she did know several people that weren't human, but were still good. Angel had been the first one to show her just how good generally evil things could be. Sure, she had thought he was human when she first met him. He’d approached her about her vampire hunting, and her first instinct, was ‘how does he know?’ He’d known she was the slayer because he’d been a vampire. He had been given a soul after he’d killed a gypsy girl. She’d been a favorite among her clan, which caused them to hunt him down and curse him. He’d been living on the streets for a long time, when he decided that he was going to start helping with the fight against evil. He had helped Buffy for a really long time, fighting side by side with her, but then he had moved to L.A. and started Angel investigations. She’d been really hurt when he’d made this decision, but she understood why he did. She’d had ideas that they could be together forever, but being realistic, how could they have done that? Now, he was running what used to be a very evil corporation called Wolfram and Hart. Oz had been the second person to show Buffy that not all demons were evil. Although, Oz wasn't really a demon, he was a warewolf. He had been with the group for awhile, before anyone knew that he was, though. He’d been bitten by his cousin, Jordy. He didn’t really have any special strength except when he got wolfie, but he always helped the scoobies out. Then, there was Spike, who had just recently gotten a soul. He’d had been good for a couple of years before he got one, but only because he had a chip in his brain. Spike was still a demon without a soul in those times and he wanted to kill something. It turned out if he even tried to harm a human, his brain would be electrocuted. He’d fallen in love with Buffy to where it wouldn’t have mattered if he’d had the chip or not. It was then that he’d gotten his soul. Buffy had loved Angel very much. Well, she still loved Angel, but she wasn't going to act on that. She had cared for Spike, but nothing compared to what she felt for Angel. It wasn't love, but she was totally lost now that Spike was gone. She just wished she could've told him so before. Just to tell him how much he’d meant to her, and how much she appreciated him. Just then Faith tapped her on the shoulder.
" Hello! Earth to buffy! Geeze, what on in the world were you daydreaming about?" Buffy just kind of shrugged. She was embarrassed she had been caught daydreaming, and she really didn’t want to discuss it with Faith.
" Sorry, I was just thinking." Faith grinned at her.
" You were thinking about Angel weren't you? Come, on B., I know you were and I know that look of yours." Buffy gave Faith a look that spoke volumes. She hadn't been thinking of him that much.

" Actually, I was thinking about Spike, and I was wondering where he was. I don’t know if he died in that cave, and I don’t see how he couldn’t have.”
Just then Lorne turned around and looked right at buffy. " I have got to get you to sing for me...maybe just hum a little."
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Wesley was in Angel's office, pacing back and forth. He was giving Angel a piece of his mind. He didn't like the fact that he had hired Buffy.
" Honestly Angel, what in the world possessed you? You know how you are when it comes to her. You can't control yourself when it comes to Buffy Summers, and everyone knows that. I know you had a thing with Cordelia, but she's gone now and even if she were still here, you'd have dropped her if Buffy had come back." Angel looked at Wesley wearily. Some of what Wesley was saying made sense. It's true, he was sometimes irrational when it came to Buffy, but he wasn't stupid. He'd lost his soul too many times, and he honestly didn't think she'd take him back anyway.
" Look Wesley, hiring Buffy has nothing to do with her and myself. She's homeless Wes. Plus, there is still evil in Las Angeles, and how can I turn down the help of not one, but two slayers? Besides, she's in love with Spike, so there won't be a problem." This made Wes pause in his speech. How could she love an awful creature like that?

" What do you mean, she's in love with Spike? Surely the girl has more sense than to date that...thing."
Angel sat down at his desk. That's what he'd often thought himself, but Spike had gotten a soul for Buffy. He’d been there for her when he’d been here.

" Wes, man, he was a good guy there at the end. He loved Buffy very much, so he got himself a soul for her." Wesley didn't know what to say. Spike with a soul? Buffy with Spike? Oh dear. Then he remembered something.

" What did you mean by, 'there at the end?"
Angel stood up again. He hated to think about the relationship between him and Buffy. The fact that she slept with him...well it made him want to throw things.

" He was the one that wore the medallion when Sunnydale went up in flames. Apparently, he was killed by the thing." So this was the catch. Wesley stopped his earliar pacing to face Angel again.
" Well, that just brings me back to what I was saying earliar. You can't control yourself when you're around her! She's always had a weak spot for you as well. If the two of you are alone together, you know what will happen. We can't afford for you to turn into Angelus again."
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" I'm serious Buffy, I know that feeling! I haven't felt anything like that since right before Oz left that second time." Willow was on the phone talking to Buffy. She couldn't shake that feeling she'd had. Buffy was trying her best not to start laughing.
" Wil, I honestly don't know what to tell you. Do you think you could be getting a visit or something?" Willow had thought of that, but that wouldn't work.

" Buffy, how could he visit me? He doesn't even know Sunnydale doesn't exist anymore." Buffy wasn't about to let her little secret slip, and she had the feeling that Willow was fishing.
" I don't know what to tell you, I was just asking. Hey, you'd better put Dawn on the phone, so she can finish her homework." She could hear Willow sigh and then give the phone over to her sister.

" Hey Buffy! How are you? How's Faith? Have you seen Angel yet? Have you heard from Andrew yet?" Buffy had to take the phone away from her ear.

" Whoa, whoa, whoa, kiddo. One question at a time. I'm fine, Faith is fine, yes, I've seen Angel, and why do you want to know about Andrew?"

Xander, Oz, and Andrew were on the plane headed towards L.A.. Buffy had said she wanted to talk to Oz before she sent them to San Diego. Oz was still amazed that Buffy's sister wasn't really her sister.

" Are you sure you're not just pulling my leg? How can Dawn be a key and not real, fall in love with spike, spike die, Buffy die...again, man, I'm at a total loss."
Xander laughed, because he knew exactly what he meant. Oz had been gone for way too long. He'd missed several key things in that absence as well. Just then Oz was looking at Xander.

" Not to mention you. You lost Anya...and your eye. You can't imagine what I'm feeling right now. I mean, I know you lived it, but that's just a lot of information. You guys defeated the hellmouth...wow."
Xander just nodded.

" Well, just Faith, Buffy, and the potentials went down there. Oh, yeah, and Spike. He was wearing this medallion thing, and he saved us all. It's really weird, because I used to hate him...still kinda do, but I actually miss him." Andrew looked up then, and added, " Yeah, I know what you mean. I actually liked Spike. He sort of looked after me."
Oz looked at him like he was crazy, well he is, but it was still a weird thing for him say, and Oz said so. " See, that's just weird for me. I remember we all hated Spike. We tried to kill Spike and Vice versa. The fact that he and Buffy...and he got a soul. What does Joyce think about all of this?"
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Angel jerked his head up, and glared at Wesley. " Wes, that isn't going to happen. I just got my soul back, so I really don't want to lose it again. Plus, I've already told you she's in love with Spike. If you could've seen her face when we were talking about him, you wouldn't be lecturing me right now. While we're on the subject, why are you lecturing me? I am your boss, Wes."
Wesley looked like Angel had hit him. He groped for a chair, and sank into it. " So, that's how it is now? You're the boss, and I'm the employee?" Angel sighed and shook his head. He wasn't trying to mean to Wesley, but he was his boss, and he didn't like his decisions questioned.

" Well, Wes, it's true. I am the boss. Now, normally I don't pull rank, but you're questioning on of my decisions. Please, don't take it personally, because even though you were speaking about me personally, I'm not mad. Now Buffy and Faith don't have anywhere else to go. Nothing is going to happen between us."
Just then Buffy spoke up, startling both Wesley and Angel. " I'll second that statement, Angel." Wesley jerked his head around to see her. Angel just stared at her. Faith looked like she wanted to burst out laughing. Buffy was staring at Angel. Wes tried to apologize, but it didn't quite work.

" Oh Buffy, I didn't see you there. I'm terribly sorry, er..."
Buffy raised on of her hands. " Forget it, Wesley. I always knew what you thought about me, and frankly I don't give a shit. Angel, we've finished the tour." Angel finally looked away from her.

" Great we'll get Lorne to book you a hotel room, until we can arrange for an apartment for the two of you." It was then he looked back at Buffy.
" You and Faith can each have a room. We'll pay for it, until you get on your feet."
Although she didn't like charity, she nodded her agreement. She really didn't have a choice. As it was, Angel was paying her and Faith an outrageous amount of money. He stood. " Alright, it's settled. We'll see you tomorrow. You can come in at 9:00 A.M. That should be fine."


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