“What?” She crossed her arms, staring at the vampire, completely disregarding what she was wearing.
“First off, you like him. The pouf. Don’t know what it is that makes the Slayers all hot and sweaty about him, but he’s got you going, too. Don’t try to deny it. Thing is, I think I could help you with that.”
“With what? Angel? Please.” She drew out the word. “That’s Buffy’s tame vamp. Besides; you think that I could look at him without seeing Angelus?”
“Yeah, I do. I know that some vampires don’t have personalities that different from their human forms; their souled selves. I don’t think that I do. But Angel does. Angel’s not like Angelus, Slayer.” It seemed strange, referring to someone besides Buffy as “Slayer”. But, “Chosen One” status aside, it seemed to fit this bird.
He smiled at her a little. “You do look at him without seeing Angelus. That’s the thing, love. Maybe you’re scared, maybe you know that it’s the same face, but you also know how to separate the two of them. That makes you special; makes you different. And you like him. He probably likes you.”
“Okay. Say you’re right.” She looked at him, serious.
“I am.”
“If you are, then why? You’re still evil, you know, and I’ve heard about your history with Angel. Why do this?”
“There are reasons.”
“You want to make B miserable? Is that it? Because, I’m not helping you with that.”
“No. That’s not it. Don’t want to make that girl miserable, for some reason.”
“Oh my God.” Realization started to dawn on Faith’s face. “You like her. You’re William the frickin’ Bloody, and you’ve fallen for a Slayer.” She started to smile a little; for the first time in days.
“Well, pet, glad I could cheer you up.” Spike was irritated.
“Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. It’s funny…. I’m calmer now.” She was still smiling, though. “But seriously. How could you help me with him, even if you were serious?”
“Make him jealous. He likes you, in one way or another. I’m a bad, bad boy, love. He wouldn’t want you with the likes of me.” Spike gave her another smile.
“What makes you think he won’t freak if he sees you with B?”
“The fact that he’s going to be all wrapped up in you.” He slid the lead off his wrist, handing it to her and walking to the doorway.
“Think about it,” he tossed over his shoulder.
**
“I don’t like this,” said Angel. “Faith…. Spike. The two of them, in there, alone.”
“They aren’t alone,” said Buffy, who kind of knew where this could be headed. “They’re together.”
“That’s what worries me,” shot Angel.
“You like her.”
“I—what?” He was thrown.
“You have a crush on Faith. You, a vampire, have a little vampire crush!”
“I do not.” He was insulted. “I’m with you, remember?”
“Yeah.” She was trying to find some way around that.
“And…. Even if I did…. She’s in there with Spike. And…. Angelus was so cruel to her….”
“Like she cares.”
“Buffy!”
“No, I’m not saying it like that,” she backtracked, paling a little. “I’m saying that she knows what I know. You aren’t him, Angel. She knows that. She wouldn’t put it with you.”
“She could,” he said, avoiding her eyes.
“Could, yeah. But I don’t think that she will. Faith’s kind of forgiving that way.”
“Really? You really think I have a—wait. What’m I saying? I’m with you.”
“I hereby give you permission to go and chase after Faith,” said Buffy with a sparkle in her eye.
“Not sure if that’s a good idea,” said Angel. At that exact moment, Spike came out of the kitchen.
“Think about it,” he shot over his shoulder to Faith. Buffy could see her standing there. Their eyes locked, then Faith called.
“Spike?”
“Yeah, pet?”
“Good idea. I’m with you all the way.” She slid out of the kitchen, smiling flirtatiously. She slipped the lead back into his hand. Angel and Buffy watched on in disbelief.
**
Oz and Cordelia watched the drama unfold from above with Riley. Giles was going through a debriefing with Xander and Willow over what was in the Bronze. Riley had already clued them in as to the tension between the two vampires and the two Slayers.
“You think those two will ever figure it out?” asked Cordelia.
“They seem kind of dense,” said Riley.
“Oh, but watch. Soon, Buffy’s going to strike back. There’s going to be a whole fifth movie. Then we’ll have the return of the Buffy-Angel, which will end in Buffy/Spike, Faith/Angel.” The two of them looked over at Oz.
“Xander’s the only one that gets to make bad Star Wars analogies?” They turned back to the ground level.
**
“You’re telling me, it’s open? Anyone can go in there?”
“Yeah. Well, they’ll probably get attacked the minute they get in the doorway, but they can still go in.”
“It’s a suicide attempt, Giles,” said Xander seriously.
“I understand that, Xander—yet the two of you got in.”
“Once they saw our faces, they didn’t look beyond to the warm blood. Plus, I kind of cast a glamour to make us look cold and dead…. And evil,” said Willow.
“All right. But we could go in at any time and take them out?”
“We’d probably die trying,” said Xander.
Giles was struck again by how different they all seemed.
“What happened to the four of you in Los Angeles?”
Xander and Willow exchanged looks.
“Not now,” said Willow desperately.
“We’ll tell you after the apocalypse,” said Xander.
Giles gave the two of them a strange look, but moved on.
“We’ll have to try it, then,” he said. “I think that your previous disguises should work, combined with a few more glamours.”
“All right,” said Willow. “Let’s tell the others.”
“Wait a moment—not yet—tell them what, exactly?”
“That we’re taking back Sunnydale,” said Xander as he and Willow walked out of the room.
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