"Have you found him yet?"

Angel remained in the hallway, listening in as Buffy spoke on the phone to one of the gang from Sunnydale. He knew he shouldn't have been doing it, but he really couldn't help himself. In all honesty, he wasn't exactly sure if he trusted her fully or not. They had made up weeks ago, and she swore to him that it had only happened because he was pressuring her and not because she loved him, even though that wasn't much of an excuse.

He had forgiven her, but he didn't know if he could truly trust her anymore.

"No. How would I know where he is? I haven't –"

He knew she was talking about Spike. He had been missing since she left. He didn't think it was a coincidence.

"You know what? Forget it. I'll be home in a few days," she paused. "Yeah, maybe. Okay, bye."

He straightened himself up, intending on pretending that he knew nothing about her 'secret' phone calls. He heard her hang up the phone, then listened as her heart picked up speed. What was wrong? Her footsteps approached him quickly, and before he could even react she was latched onto him, her lips pressed against his. Her slayer sense was still pretty heightened, apparently.

"How long were you listening?"

He looked down into her shining green eyes and frowned. When did she catch on to him? And why wasn't she angry about it? He shrugged slightly as she rubbed her nose against his affectionately. He wasn't sure what was said exactly on the phone, but whatever it was made her pretty damn cuddly. Was she, in a sense, kissing his ass?

"I wasn't really," he argued softly, even though he knew it was for naught. "All I heard was that … you'd be leaving."

She sighed heavily. She knew he had heard more than just that, but she would not push it. Not after what she did to him. And now she would have to explain to him that she was going to leave because of Spike? How could she do that?

"Back home," she started, her eyes gravitating towards the ground, taking her attention off of him. "They've been having problems. Increased demon activity and now … Spike's been missing. Not that the gang is exactly missing him, but he isn't completely incapable of causing trouble and we just want to make sure he isn't behind it."

Okay, that worked. Wasn't the whole truth, but it was good enough, right? He nodded knowingly. Even though demon activity in Ireland was almost non-existent, he still remembered what it had been like to have a new problem every other day.

"It's alright, love. I – we'll understand. It is your sacred duty, after all."

"But slaying isn't my whole life anymore," she argued. "I have other things in my life, other responsibilities. I have Braelyn, and she's been through so much – with and without me. I just feel that … slaying shouldn't be me anymore."

All she wanted to do was turn her back on her slayer duties and be the mom she knew she could be. She had failed her child so badly in the past and now she just wanted to give her the family she deserved.

"I don't want to be 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' anymore," she pouted. "I just want to be 'Buffy the Stay at Home Mom,' is that too much to ask for?"

He pressed his lips against hers gently, silencing her for a moment. They parted and she breathed out a soft sigh, looking up into his dark eyes.

"Thank you. I was about to get all ramble gal on you."

He smirked, brushing a stray bit of hair back behind her ear.

"One day you'll be 'Buffy the Stay at Home Mom,' but for now you need to be the 'Vampire Slaying-Part-Time-Mom'. One step at a time."

"And you'll be with me through it all?"

Without hesitation, he nodded. If it was up to him, she'd never be alone again.

"I'll be with you side by side at every step."

She was home. Finally home in Sunnydale. She wasn't very pleased to be, but nevertheless she was. Angel and Braelyn had stayed behind in Ireland, packing and preparing to head back to California for good. She smiled at the thought. They would come home and she would make everything better again. She would make it up to them this time.

But for now, she was patrolling the cemeteries of Sunnydale searching for either Spike, or whatever was causing all the problems in town.

"Slayer," she heard a singsong voice from behind her say.

She turned around expecting a fledgling. What she saw was a six-foot two hundred fifty pound body building-esque vampire, who didn't look like he was in the mood for games. Her eyes widened and she backed up a step. He was definitely pretty angry about something.

"Oh boy."

She opened the front door of her house slowly, the creaking of the heavy doorframe making her jump slightly. She had taken a pretty bad beating from that vamp, as he was a heavy hitter. She rubbed her lower back as she closed the door behind herself. Now all she needed was a nice, hot bath. Yeah, that sounded good.

Without a second thought, she made her way to her bedroom where she shed her clothing and slipped on her robe. In a few days Angel would come home and she would finally be happy. Just a few more days. With a slight smile, she went into the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she started up the water for her bath.

"You hurt?"

She jumped, the second time that night, and turned around.

"Spike?" she couldn't believe it. "Where have you been? How did you get in? What -"

She had too many questions and this was not the time to be asking or answering them. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. She really wasn't in the mood for this. The gang told her he had been missing. Maybe they just hadn't been looking in the right places.

"Been around. Laying low, that sort of thing," he closed the door behind himself. "You just get home?"

She glared at him for a moment before turning her back on him again and shutting off the water.

"I've been home most of the day. I was out hunting all night," she snapped at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to take my bath. We can talk later."

"No," he strode past her, further into the room. "We need to talk now; about us."

"There is no us. There never was."

"That's not true and you know it."

She could tell from his posture that he was fighting something within himself. His eyes were deep and dark, damn near emotionless except for that small spark – passion?

"There was something between us, Buffy. Something powerful and raw … you couldn't fight it, and I didn't want to."

"I was just weak. Weak and stupid. There is nothing between us but hatred. Hatred and disgust."

He shook his head.

"I know you felt it, Buffy. When I was inside you. You can feel it again."

He reached for her and she backed up.

"No, Spike."

He grabbed her roughly and she lost her balance, grabbing the shower curtain for support they both fell. She yelled at him to stop, but he insisted she loved him, and that she would feel it once more. She struggled as he ripped at her robe, the fabric ripping underneath his forceful hand. She cried, begging for him to stop as he swore to her everything would be the way it was before, back when she loved him. With a yell, she kicked him and he flew back into the shelves on the wall. Staring at her disheveled form in disbelief, he stuttered her name before she spoke to him; tears streaming down her face and voice broken.

"Ask me again why I could never love you."

Okay, I'm sorry again for such a short update. I wanted them both in California again and next chapter Angel's coming home. Think he'll be happy about this? Or will Buffy 'forget' to tell him?