Stuffed full of cheese enchiladas and fried poblano peppers, Buffy gently pet Spike on the shoulders as they walked hand-in-hand down a dark street.

“Thank you.”

“For what, pet? Making a bloody idiot of m’self?”

“Yup.”

“Slayer! ‘s not nice to make fun of people you know.”

“You shouldn’t make it so easy.”

“Oi! Now you watch that mouth, Slayer, or I’ll….”

“Kill me and wash the streets with my blood? Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.”

Spike curled his tongue behind his teeth and wiggled his eyebrows lewdly at Buffy.

“No…well…almost. I’m going to have to punish you for that lip, pet.”

A coy smile caressed Buffy’s lips and she walked seductively over to Spike, wrapping her arms around his torso underneath his duster.

“Mmm…I kinda like the sound of that.”

“The Big Bad is back, baby.”

“I’ll bet he is,” a deep voice said from the darkness behind them.

Buffy turned and sighed when a hulking frame stepped out into the dim streetlight.

“Angel? What are you doing here?”

“Yeah. What the bloody hell are you doin’ here, tall, dark, and brooding?”

Angel scowled at Spike.

“I could ask you the same question. Buffy,” he said turning to the diminutive Slayer, “What the hell is this?”

Spike’s heart ached as Buffy dropped his hand to grasp Angel’s arms, bringing them tightly against his body. The sad sparkle in her near-teary eyes hurt Spike more than any stake ever could have.

Birds always leave you for the Poofter, mate. First Dru, now Buffy. When will you ever bloody learn?

Buffy stared at Angel and sighed.

“Angel…it’s just…Spike and I...we're together now. Not like you and I were...it's different...I...you and I…hmm. What we had was puppy love. I was like cookie dough back then.”

Angel raised an eyebrow.

“Cookie dough?”

“Yeah. And now I’m all baked…and Spike gets to enjoy delicious cookie me.”

“Cookie you?”

“Mmhmm. We had puppy love and it was great back then…until you went all evil and ‘Grr,’ you know? But I’m older now and wiser…partly thanks to you. I cherish what we had, Angel, I really do…it’s just…it’s not like it was ever going to work, even without your curse. I couldn’t…we were just too different. Spike and I…it’s like we’re equals. We understand each other. We,” Buffy trailed off and dropped her grip on Angel. Turning to Spike, her eyes finally sparkling with joy, although the tears began to fall. “I love him. And I’m pretty sure he loves me.”

“More with every word you say, pet,” Spike said with a smile.

Buffy smiled as Spike dried a few of her tears.

“And we’re….”

“Mated,” Angel interrupted.

Buffy stared in disbelief at him.

“Wait…how did you know that?”

“Buffy. I’m a vampire. I can see the connection between the two of you,” he sighed. “If you’re happy with…Spike…I guess I can’t say anything to change that.”

“Good thing. But,” Buffy asked, “Then why are you here?”

“Willow called me when you got possessed or switched or something. I came to help.”

Spike snorted a laugh.

“Sounds like you had the situation all under control, Poofter.”

Buffy stifled a laugh.

“Spike.”

“Right. Well, thanks for the help, Angel, really. But me and the Missus have to be getting home now.”

“And where is home,” Angel asked. “Because I know Giles won’t be too keen on you being mated to Spike, Buffy.”

He sniffed the air curiously before his jaw opened widely, in awe.

“You’re…pregnant?!”

Buffy blushed.

“Well, yeah. Long story.”

“I’ll pass. Here,” Angel said, reaching into his coat pocket. “Take this.”

He handed Buffy an ATM card. She stared at him before he spoke again.

“It’s got a few hundred thousand in the account. Get a house or something…I don’t know. I doubt even your mother would help you and I know Giles won’t want to help you raise the spawn of…Spike.”

Spike rolled eyes, and held back a smile.

“Oh, so you just come in here all noble-like with your ‘I came to help you, Buffy,’ routine and then buy us a house, eh? That about right, Poofter?”

“I suppose so.”

A silent pause passed before Spike thrust a hand out to Angel.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Angel said after shaking Spike’s hand. “Well, don’t get used to it.”

“Right. Don’t get used to me thanking you, Poofter. I still hate you, you know.”

Buffy smirked.

“Isn’t that what you said to me right before….”

“Buffy, pet,” Spike said as he covered her mouth with his palm. “Let’s get going now, shall we?”

Buffy wriggled free of Spike’s hand and pouted.

“Fine. Stupid…vampire…stupid…hands.”

“Keep that pout up and Angel will get a show that I doubt he really wants to see, pet.”

A rose color crept into Buffy’s face and she smiled coyly at Spike. Angel sighed.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.”

“Well, ‘s a good thing you won’t be around us to think about it, Poofter. Off to LA with you.”

“Buffy,” Angel said, trying to catch her gaze, “You know I’ll always….”

“Right,” Buffy interjected, her eyes never leaving Spike’s form. “Angel, we have to go…I…Spike and I have to go…you understand…you kind of interrupted us….”

Buffy waggled her eyebrows at Spike and as a wide grin crossed her face, she took off running towards Restfield cemetery. Spike shrugged at Angel.

“Duty calls, mate. Thanks again for…well…right. See ya.”

As Spike ran after a squealing and very aroused Slayer, Angel hung his head and leaned against the brick wall in the dim streetlight.

“Damn…cookies.”

--

Spike was never one to spoil a lady’s sexual game. He crept through the cemetery, hoping to help Buffy enjoy herself and her idea thoroughly.

Don’t find her yet, old boy. Your years of practice with Drusilla hopefully taught you that patience and anticipation are crucial for, bloody hell!

“Buffy!”

Too lost in his own thoughts to notice the Slayer sneaking up behind him, Spike nearly vamped out when Buffy put her arms around his waist. With a growl he turned around and picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his form instinctually. Between feverish kisses, Spike spoke to her.

“Buffy…pet…oh…what’s…what’s…all…this…about?”

Buffy smiled down at him and whipped off her shirt in one fluid motion.

“Horny. I want my mate.”

“Happy to oblige, pet.”

After a whirlwind of shirts and pants, Buffy and Spike found themselves stark naked and intimately connected on the dewy grass of Restfield cemetery.

--