The Contentment Series:
Finished Business
by Consuella T.

"The Sunnydale Bowling Alley? I say let's go somewhere romantic and you pick a place where people actually find a strategy in knocking out pins with a ball? It's so pre homo sapiens," Cordelia said throwing her hands up in the air.

Xander rolled his eyes. "It could be a very romantic place. Put some paper table cloths over the score table with some candles, lay a picnic on the lane, and you've got yourself a two in one deal."

She folded her arms across her chest and let one eye brow go up. "Yeah, I forgot Mr. Cheapo here just can't take someone to a nice restaurant and eat a nice romantic dinner. All I am to you is a two in one deal right? A girl you can just make out with and then someone you can brag to your pathetic friends about? I just cannot believe that I'm stooping so low here. I'm dating you! And if that weren't enough, I'm starting to like it."

"Well, I ain't stopping you from ditching me," he threw back at her. She looked away.

The gang was at Angel and Buffy's apartment trying to figure out what they were going to do that night. It had been quiet all week and they figured they should all enjoy it by Quadra-dating. Somehow it wasn't working thanks to fight number one-hundred sixty-five of Cordy vs. Xander match.

Buffy rolled her eyes at Cordelia's last comment. "Well, we all may be pathetic but we've all got boyfriends who aren't cheap, look totally drool worthy, not that I would drool over your guys and not that I wouldn't but I have a man, and are romantic. And they all have their own place. How pathetic can we possibly get?" she said not bothering to make a breathing effort.

She and Angel were doing well for the last four months. They had been living the happy life together as immortals. Buffy was loving every minute of her new found freedom and of course Angel. Angel was enjoying it because Buffy came with the deal in his new life. That and throw in the knowledge that they could finally be happy without the "happy clause" as everyone had seem to be calling it.

Also, Angel's sibling, Victoria, who was also immortal along with her husband Steven, had come to town not too long ago. All in all life was well. Plus a few new demons and vamps along the way.

Cordelia shrugged. "Touche," was all she could say.

Angel offered his two cents about the date thing. "I say we all drive up to the lake and have a moonlit picnic. We each take our own baskets, spread a couple of blankets out and star gaze."

"Now see, why can't you be like that Xander? That's romantic. *He* didn't even have to try. He just thought it up. You could do that too. But then that would mean opening up your dusty wallet you have locked up in that tight thrift store pants pocket of yours and actually being a man wouldn't it?" Cordelia asked.

Xander stuck his tongue out at Angel who tried not to do the same. "Please, Angel will use that as any excuse so he can eat. Every since he's dropped the whole blood lust issue, he's been eating everything he can get his hands on."

"Yeah but at least I'm not a cheap, unromantic, freeloader. Besides, I pay for it and I have an excuse. What's yours?" Angel challenged making sure he held Xander's gaze.

Vicky put her hand in between the two. "Alright, alright, alright already! Enough of this bickering. You are both acting childish. Angel stop responding to every little comment that Xander makes at you. You know he will because he's Xander, and Xander doesn't like you because he's jealous of you and Buffy together. Now that I've stroked your ego, I'll tell Xander to stop messing with Angel. You're acting like a baby and every time you try to point out a fault, his gets over looked and you get more of yours pointed out."

Xander pouted. "When I do something I'm always wrong or being stupid, when Oz does it, its cool, when Steve does it, it's cool, romantic, and sexy, and when Mr. Dead and Alive himself does it, it's intelligent, witty, cool, romantic and sexy. Not only do you get your sister and your girlfriend on your side but my best friend *and* my girlfriend. Am I missing something here?"

Willow smiled. "I'll always be your best friend. No one can change that. But I do agree with everyone else."

Buffy laughed at the bickering. "Okay, whatever we do let's do it fast. I have a feeling that the ph-" she was cut off in mid sentence by the phone. "I was going to say before the phone rings. To show more of my wonderful abilities, I predict the caller is Giles."

Angel got up and answered the phone. "Hello Giles."

On the other end of the phone Giles stood perplexed. "How did you guess it was me?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "Who else calls my home twenty-four seven? Other than that, it was a shot in the dark."

Xander's jaw dropped. "Dead Boy, twice removed, made a joke. It's uncanny. Could Armageddon be near?"

Angel growled lightly and focused on what Giles was saying. "Okay Giles what's up?"

Giles began. "Spike and Drusilla came here. They'll be back. They left something here with Buffy's name on it. Perhaps a letter. I need you to come down here right away."

Angel nodded. "Did they. . .?" his unfinished question hanging in air for a moment. But Giles knew what he was getting at.

"Two janitors. That's all I believe. I hid when I heard them come in. Just hurry." The line went dead and Angel hung it up immediately.

He turned to the others who were looking at him impatiently. "That was Giles."

Xander made his best Culkin impression. "Whatever gave us the first clue? What did he say?"

Angel choose to ignore his first comment as he put his coat on. "He said that Dru and Spike came to the school. He thinks they might come back."

Buffy rolled her eyes as her boyfriend helped her up. "Well, this is great. I would just like to know, does Snyder ever see that the library is torn up at least once every month?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes and tossed her hair on the other side of her shoulder. "Probably to busy making whoopee with the Purple People Eater."

Oz stopped for a moment. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

Xander snorted and put his arm around Cordelia, who pretended not to notice. "Yup. It has been confirmed that the Snyde man is livin' la vida loca."

Buffy shivered. "Eww. He's a troll and a fruit cake? Thanks for the visionary effect that I didn't want Xander?"

Angel smiled at this. "Well, rule number one in moving to Sunnydale: Never plan anything. Never know when the hellmouth will rear it's ugly head."

"Or heads," Willow chimed in. Angel flipped the light off and chuckled while closing the door.

Giles paced the library floors endlessly. He wondered what was taking them so long. Any other time he wouldn't be this worried, but Spike and Dru were two vampires that they couldn't seem to shake no matter how much they tried. They always got away. And Dru was at her full powers now. He was worried about Buffy too. She seemed to be tired these days. He knew there couldn't be anything wrong with her. She was immortal. Immortals didn't get sick.

However, if Buffy was, then that would mean that she wouldn't be able to perform her duties, which would mean that Spike and Dru would try to run things for as long as possible. Even one night to them could mean something horrible. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. That was a bridge that they would cross later. He glanced at his watch. What he wanted to know was why they weren't there yet. He realized that he had just called but there wasn't that far to go anywhere in Sunnydale. As a matter of fact everywhere in this town took exactly ten minutes to get to the next point.

He sat down and considered drinking some tea to calm his nerves but that wasn't helping him at all. He heard the doors swing open and he immediately jumped. He was never that happy to see all of his children walk through those doors than before. "Oh good you're here."

"So what is this Giles, your run of the mill Spike hijinx or are we talking major surprises here? 'Cause you know what happened the last time I got a surprise. It was in a box and almost killed me and my honey's thing that we had going on. Fortunately that didn't happen. But I now take all surprises personal and deadly and a serious risk to human health," Buffy said as she sat down on Angel's lap.

Giles declared that he had to go in the office and get the note Spike left Buffy. Willow and Oz took their place as the end of the table while Vicky and Steven choose to sit on the desk cross legged facing each other. Cordy and Xander sat on the opposite sides.

Buffy decided to kill time so she reached in her pocket and took out a blow pop. She began licking away at it absentmindedly. When she offered some to Angel, who accepted it, Xander made a gagging noise.

"Did you know that the human mouth alone contains 6.5 billion itty little bitty pieces of germs? That's a lot of germs your sharing in that one little lollipop, so you can imagine how gross it is when you french."

Angel took the lollipop out and gave it back to Buffy. "What's your point? If you have one that is.

Xander stood up. "That its perverted not to mention disgusting."

Buffy sucked her teeth. "Well, what's mine is Angel's and what's Angel's is mine. It brings us a little closer together. Besides its not like we'll die from it or anything."

Cordelia shook her head. "Yeah that's right. We're immortal. But I guess that doesn't matter so we'll have to find another way to spend our constructive evenings together. You know, since you find it totally repulsive." Xander threw his hands up in the air.

Oz shook his head. "I saw that one coming from a mile away Xander. You should have too."

"Uh guys? As much as the conversation is interesting, I would like to keep my dinner, well, kind of in my stomach. 'Cause that's kind of the whole point," Willow said disdainfully.

Giles came out of his office with a little white envelope in his hand. "Here it is Buffy. Its addressed to you so open it," he said eagerly.

Buffy noticed this. "Wow Giles, kind of exciting about reading the letter? Why don't you open it?" she with as much slight amusement. He glared at her.

She opened the envelope and took the paper out throwing it on the floor. Giles looked at it disdainfully. "I hope you know that you will pick that up when you're finished." She gave him a quick yeah right look and then looked at the paper.

"Let's see what Spike says. 'Dear Slayer,' did you hear, that? I'm a dear to him now," she said nonchalantly. " 'You may have Angelus but I still have one last trick up my sleeve. So I won't have to tell you I'll be back. And I know your little secrets. The ones you like to hide. Better protect yourself BABY. You can't save them all. You make think you're courageous and a choc full o' guts but you're not.' " Buffy ripped the paper up into half and laid it on the desk.

Xander, being the wise cracker that he is spoke up first. "Well, I gotta say, it lacks some sort of Spikiness. The jokes were stale. The writing sucked. He's usually been a lot more creative."

"It's Dru," Angel said.

"What about her?" Xander wanted to know.

"He's in love with her. He can't think when she's around. She's in love with Angelus and she wants him back. And Spike is mad as hell. All she can think about is him when he's trying his best to get her affection back," Angel said almost guiltily.

"The one good thing that Angelus did for us. As long as Dru clouds his mind then we have a chance at getting to him. He would do anything for Dru. Especially die for her and she's being a ho about it," Buffy said angrily. She obviously was still touchy on the subject of Angel's previous lover.

"I feel bad though. I know what it's like to love someone who doesn't love you back. Or at least to think they don't" He looked over at Buffy.

She looked at him confused. "Uh. . .I don't know what you're talking about. You know I'm for love with you."

Vicky hopped off the table. "He's talking about something else."

Cordelia rolled her eyes and moved her smooth hands to her fore head and rubbed it slightly. "Please don't tell me we have to hear Angel's sob story again. I'm sick of it. If he gets broody, that's it. I'm leaving."

Vicky shook her head and pulled the hair out of her face and watched Angel look away. There was nothing she could say or do right now to make it better. "We won't even go there right now. There isn't any room for it."

Giles cleared his throat cause Angel to give a thankful stare towards him. "We still have to worry about Spike and Drusilla."

Vicky took her seat back on the table. "The only thing we can do is just sit here and wait for them to come. There are eight of us and four of us are champions in the ring and Giles. . .you're capable of holding your own and the rest of you can throw holy water at the vamps when we need them off our backs. Those are pretty good chances."

Cordelia crossed her arms. "Hey, I can sword fight. If I have to fight I'm not just going to walk around and throw some holy water on a vampire. That's for wimps. And I'm not a wimp. I'm in the ring too. You all praise Buffy like she's some kind of god and no one else gets recognition. I was the one that stopped Lyle Gorch you know while Buffy the Hero got knocked out by his wife."

Buffy looked at her. "Okay if that's what you want to do. I didn't say you couldn't. We just thought you all might want to stay out of the flames. You know you might actaully break a nail. But if you think you can handle it then go ahead. Just remember I still can and always will be able to kill you with the flick of the wrist. You may be able to do a lot of things but, I'm the Slayer. You do get my drift right Cordy?"

She did and so did Willow. She recalled the time when she was going through an Angel moment and Cordelia threatened to take Angel off of her hands.

Everyone was shocked by the Slayer's sudden attitude. She glanced a meaningful gaze to Cordelia who was scared and looked away not even trying to challenge her. Buffy sat back down on Angel's lap and dared anyone to say something.

Giles went to the weapons closet. "Then we should split up into groups. Victoria and Steven should take the main entrance. Cordelia and Xander could take the back way and Willow and Oz could take the cafeteria area. Buffy and Angel you ca-"

"We can stay here in the library with you Giles," Buffy said cutting in.

Willow raised her eyebrow. "Buff don't you think you should come out here with us? You are the Slayer after all."

Buffy looked at Angel for support who was already turning red. "Well. . .um. . .you see, we should stay here and guard the books. We could patrol the stacks. . .you know they might want to take something valuable again. Plus we gotta protect our Watcher cause he's valuable too. And he doesn't have a partner. And you have Vicky and Steve. Yell help and they will come."

The others seemed to buy it, except for Vicky and Steve who concealed their suspicions. They eyed each other and promised to talk about it later. Giles gave everyone some weapons. "We should meet back here in half an hour or so yes?"

They all agreed and went there separate ways.

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