*****

Cordelia stared at the peroxide blonde vampire standing outside her door in disbelief.

"I saw the old offices," Spike said in a subdued voice. "Is Angel alright?"

"Angel," Cordelia yelled over her shoulder. "Spike's here to see you, should I have Phantom Dennis fetch the crossbow?"

Angel hurried to the door, "Spike, you're here."

"You gave me an invite, remember?" Spike said using irritation to cover nervousness.

"Always," Angel replied.

"Not here he doesn't," Cordy said horrified. "And why would you invite him anywhere? Remember the last time?"

Cordelia noted the slightly silly smiles both vampires were wearing with exasperation, "Okay, there's obviously been a time I didn't and don't want to know about."

"A time or two," Spike agreed.

"But," Cordelia said loudly, overriding the blond vampire. "The time I was referring to was the one involving a nifty little gem and Spike torturing you."

"These things happen," Spike said.

"Angel!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"He's right you know," Angel said. "Torture is a common way for vampires to deal with disagreements with one another, it doesn't really engender hard feelings. No permanent damage was done and I did get to spend the day in the sun. I never would have put on the ring if I hadn't have had to go after Marcus."

"You're nuts," Cordelia exclaimed. "Completely insane, I'm calling Wesley, we should check if you're bespelled or possessed or something. There has to be a rational explanation."

"Remember the Initiative in Sunnydale, I'm sure Willow mentioned them when you talked to her?" Angel said.

"The government doufs who catch demons and made a Frankenstein?" Cordy asked. "What do they have to do with anything?"

"They caught Spike. He's got a behavioral modification chip, it prevents him from harming humans," Angel explained.

"I'm still not inviting him in," Cordelia stated. "And if you're smart, you won't go out there, you're not human yet you know."

"We have an� understanding," Angel said.

Spike donned another silly grin, "A bloody lovely one, or should that be a lovely bloody understanding."

"You aren't doing anything that could end in soul loss issues?" Cordelia asked suspiciously.

Slowly a faint redness suffused Angel's face, for the vampire it was the equivalent of a fiery blush.

"You have haven't you?" Cordelia demanded angrily. "But� but� you're you, good you, not evil, homicidal, psycho you. How could you have?"

"The actual loop-hole never mentioned sex," Angel explained. "Just perfect happiness. With Buffy I forgot everything except my happiness in being with her, in her trust and acceptance of me as a person. What Spike and I do� Well� lets just say I'm in no danger of forgetting I'm a vampire while I'm with Spike."

"Too bloody right, mate," Spike muttered. "Although why you'd want to escapes me."

"Okay, information overload," Cordelia exclaimed. "I'm getting all sorts of really scarring mental pictures. Angel just promise me no risks with you're soul. I know I said I'd stake you if you turned back, but I really don't want to have to."

"I swear Cordelia, this is just an escape from loneliness, for both of us. The chip renders Spike as much of an outcast among vampires as my soul does me."

"Except without the guilt and brooding," Spike added. "Also I have no burning desire to atone or help happy-meals on legs."

"So basically you just hang around moping about the good old day when you were killing and maiming," Cordelia said. "Like Anya the ex-demon."

"Actually the vengeance demoness is generally too busy keeping your ex in bed these days to spend much time talking about anything," Spike replied.

"How's that work?" Cordelia demanded. "She comes to give me vengeance for Xander's unfaithfulness, then ends up keeping him for herself? That's just wrong!"

"Come on Peaches, let's go someplace else," Spike said. "I came to shag you, not trade barbs with the cheerleader."

Angel slid past Cordelia to join Spike on outside.

Cordelia sighed, "Don't have too much fun and I really mean that Angel."

*************************************************************

"It's interesting, what you said to the chit," Spike said. "About how us acting like vampires is why your soul stuck around, cause I was thinking it was worrying about your soul that made you leave before I woke up."

"Spike, I�" Angel began, only to be cut off.

"And I seem to remember only one of us acting much like a vampire," Spike continued.

"It didn't occur to me what was different until after I'd left," Angel explained. "I'm glad you came."

"Well Sunnyhell's a tad hot for me at the moment. I didn't have a lot of options," Spike said.

"What happened?"

"Not the sort of thing you want to know about," Spike answered.

"I think I'd better know, especially if Buffy's going to show up looking for your heart on a stick," Angel replied.

"Not quite that dramatic Peaches. I cut a deal with Adam, the Frankenstein the chit mentioned, to get the chip gone. He double-crossed me, so I did the same to him. Killed a few demons for the Slayer, so she wouldn't stake me, but they know I played both sides of the street, so I'm not too popular with anyone there, not that I ever was. What'd the cheerleader mean when she said you weren't human yet? As I understood it becoming a vampire is a one way deal."

"Maybe not," Angel replied. "We found a prophecy, if I help enough people I get to be human again."

"That's just bloody great," Spike snarled.

"And you might find a way to get around the chip," Angel replied. "It's no different."

"We're not the same Angel," Spike said. "You've got one foot in each world and the choice to move either way. You've got a human soul and a path laid out to become human. You could hunt if you wanted to, and all you need to do to get rid of the curse is let go of the guilt you drag around like a security blanket."

"Me, I don't belong anywhere. I can't hunt like a proper vampire, I don't have a soul and the idea of being human sickens me. All I've got is the hope that this damned chip will malfunction someday."

"We all change Spike," Angel said. "Even demons, right now we're both the same, we're stuck between. In time that may change, but not today."

"You already act like a bloody human. You hate what we are, and everyone knows it," Spike snarled, catching Angel in a rough embrace. "I like what I should be, when we're together I can be a vampire again, but you want to pretend to be human. Practicing up I guess, well I can do that."

Spike sank his fangs deeply into Angel's throat, making sure the bite was messy and painful. When he'd drank his fill he pushed Angel away.

Sitting on the ground Angel felt at the ragged wound.

"Humans are food Angelus," Spike said. "Victims, you don't ask their permission or cuddle with them. Is that what you want to be?"

Stunned by the raw fury in the blonde's voice, Angel simply watched as Spike walked away.

end