Buffy awoke slowly. There was only a second where she didn't realize where she was, what had just happened - finally. It seemed like her entire life had been leading up to this moment, this event. It was almost too much to take in all at once, to savor the moment, as it deserved to be savored. Here she was in his bed - his bed. Those two small words held such import. It sounded so primal in a way, as if he had claimed her and now she was forever his.in his space where he slept.
At that thought, she turned in the nest of sheets and covers - to look at him. As soon as she turned, his eyes opened to gaze back at her. His eyes seemed different than she had ever seen them before. Not so much the color, they were still that warm chocolate brown but they seemed to be appraising her almost. She had never seen him look at her with such a flat affect, so detached. Perhaps he was just more relaxed, less broody. That was probably it but he had never been much for wordiness and smiles. She guessed that now shouldn't be any different. Her analysis was cut short as a smile lit his face. It was a purely masculine smile leaving no doubt that he was pleased with himself, with her as well. She smiled back as his hands came up around her back pulling her more securely into his embrace. She thought that his skin would be cool but he was warm, almost hot as her own hands slid up and around his neck.
"Umm, you're so warm"
"Surprised?"
"Pleasantly", at that she burrowed her head into his neck as she arched into further into his body. His hands moved to the small of her back and she let out a satisfied sigh.
Angel smiled - a smile that didn't quite reach he eyes. She was right about one thing, he was satisfied. Finally after one hundred years, he felt whole. And she was the one to do it for him. He guessed that he shouldn't have been so surprised. As he looked at her honey blond hair and felt her embrace, he knew that it was destiny. It was all destiny, it couldn't be anything else.
He couldn't help but be pleased that she had no clue just how satisfied he was at the moment. He caught that little look when she had first turned to him but a well-placed caress or two and she was practically purring. Oh yes, this was perfect. He just needed to play his cards patiently.
With that thought, he rolled her under him, raising up to look at her again. He gave her a reassuring smile.
"You look so happy."
He responded with a soft laugh, "I am. Actually I can't remember when I've felt so good and it's all because of you." He reached to touch her face before leaning in to kiss her neck, to draw her pulse into his mouth.
"Hey, vampire - much, remember?" she laughed at she felt him nibble at her neck, his blunt teeth holding the tender skin as his mouth suckled with increasing veracity.
Pulling back he asked with a boyish grin on his face, "Do you mind, I mean - I am, you know, a vampire - pretty much."
Drawing his head back to its resting place in the crook of her neck, she answered "I won't break, you know."
"I don't know, you seem pretty fragile to me."
At that Buffy took the lead, flipping him over so that she had the upper hand. His eyes combed her face in response to her action. His expression was intense as she again got the impression that he was somehow studying her. It was an uncomfortable feeling.
"Hello - Mr. Broody? Whatca' thinking about?"
His expression cleared as he reached up to draw her hair back from her face. He blinked twice as he clearing out his mind. His face softened as he laughed again, "I was just thinking that you, my dear, are going to work out just fine."
"Fine?" she questioned leaning forward to nip at his nose. "Just fine? Why not exceptional? Why not way super great."
"OK, super, great, excellent. I like my women aggressive."
"Woaw now, women? I see one wo-man. One in the singular sense."
He thought briefly of the women he was referring to - Darla, Dru - Buffy. "A figure of speech, Buff." Kissing her firmly.
"Well, as long as we've got that straight." She replied with a laugh.
With that talking ceased. Angel pulled her down to him and soon they were rolling in the sea of blankets. Angel was truthful about one thing. He did feel happy. She had delivered that to him when she delivered herself and as a result, she had let the proverbial cat out of the bag.
Things were just getting interesting but for now, he was satisfied with the warm bundle in his arms - world domination could wait until tomorrow he thought with yet one more laugh.
Buffy's heart warmed. Angel's laughter was wonderful. She had never hardly heard him chuckle - much less laugh. The difference earlier - that must have been it - happiness. He seemed wilder this time, less apt to feel the need to gauge her reaction over and over - more sure of himself, of his actions. There was an air that he felt entitled to her - all of her. Well, she could deal with that she thought - as long as he kept kissing her behind her knee.
The sun was coming up. Buffy should be getting up to go to school. Should being the pivotal word. Everything she needed to know, he felt sure he could teach her. With that small dilemma reasoned out, he turned his attentions elsewhere. After two hundred odd years, you do learn that thinking before you act has some benefits - like not getting a stake through the heart. This is especially true if you are lying in bed with The Slayer.
The Slayer - he did love her. He did - with or without a soul it would seem. He possessed the sum recollection of all of his time with her. Granted, he was seeing it from a bit of a different perspective but still he liked what he saw, what he felt. Hell, he wouldn't even be here now if it weren't for her. Not only did she hold the key to his heart but to his troublesome soul as well. Feeling quite benevolent toward her at present, he slid out of bed and tucked her in tight. It was dark in the bedroom and she was up well over half the night. First, running around after the bad guys and secondly with him. Truly, he was indebted to her. Kneeling down at the side of the bed, he murmured a compulsion for her to sleep until he awakened her. He had rarely felt the need to use such powers at his employ in the last one hundred years but hey, if you've got it.
He padded to the bathroom in bare feet, turning on the shower and stepping in. He felt like yelling, screaming, pounding out his pent up energy - he was incredibly pumped after being buried for so long. Before reacting rashly, he counseled himself that discretion was the better part of valor so to speak. He would be much better off bidding his time and in the long run the gain would be that sweeter. The hot water slid over his skin. It felt as if he had just woken up after a long sleep. Every fiber of his being was alert. Had the soul somehow dulled his senses? He was sure on it.
He could smell the Slayer from here even over the shower. He could smell her shampoo - the scent that was undeniably hers alone - vanilla, musk - magic. It was something uniquely hers - and well, now his. The smile was now plastered on his face. Who would have thought that happiness - true bone numbing happiness would break the curse and let him out to play.
By the time he left the shower the water was running cold and he was whistling. An incredible weight was lifted from his shoulders. Opening Angel's drawers, he couldn't fault his other half as far as clothing went. Pulling on jeans and a brilliant blood red shirt, he surveyed the damage in the mirror.
"Well, hello Mr. O'Conner, long time, no see." He smiled to himself.
The phone ringing broke up his welcome, he grabbed it quickly as not to wake his guest.
"Yeah?"
"Angel?"
"Yeah."
"You don't sound like yourself. You OK?" Willow stammered. She had never called his place before. Buffy must have given the girl the number.
"I'm fine. What do you want?" Attempting to sound more downcast and polite, he added, "And you, Willow? Are you? OK, I mean?"
"Uh, yeah. I mean, I was looking for Buffy. She's not at school. She's always late but never this late."
"Don't worry, she's here."
"With you?"
"Where else?" he replied sarcastically. Again he quickly checked himself, " I mean, where else would she be. We were up so late looking for any sign of the Big Bad, that she just collapsed when we got in." Smiling at himself in the mirror, he added, "I just didn't have the heart to wake her up, she's exhausted. Figured she could use the sleep. Her mom's out of town so I knew she wouldn't worry or anything."
Willow again thought something was up. Buffy spending the night at Angel's - well, that was a first. OH! That's what was up she bet. Buffy was going to have a 'fess up soon. Willow responded in a conspiratal tone, "Uh, sure. She needs some z's." Getting nervous at the silence on the other end on the line, she closed with a "Nightie Night!" and hung up. God, how lame she thought. She really needed to get a life and stop living vicariously through Buffy.
Angel shook his head, God, she was lame as hell. What did Buffy see in her and for the matter, the rest of her motley crew? Oh well, if he had anything to do with it and he did, she might be less apt to need - or want her entourage. With that thought, he began to make a mental list of to do's. On the top of that list, was the woman herself, now happily curled in a tiny ball in the middle of his bed.
Joyce was gone until Monday so if Buffy were out of commission for a few days, at least she wouldn't sound the alarm. If anyone would guess his dirty little secret, it was Buffy herself so necessity deemed that she was top priority. He thought on the subject for a while as he watched her sleep. The last thing he wanted to do was subdue her in some fashion, he didn't want a slave no matter how appealing. He wanted a mate. He always had, even before. He wanted someone who would match him in all things and - for all time.
With his goal firmly in sight, he approached the bed.
It was pretty much the middle of the night for him but he couldn't rest until the deed was done. He had fed the night before when he had run out into the alley just as he had had an inkling of what was happening to him. A woman approached him; she lived in the building. They had passed any number of times with no consequence so she gave no thought to her safety as she approached him when she found him doubled up with pain.
As soon as she laid a hand on his shoulder, that was it. It all came rushing back. All of the old instincts to the fore. There was no hesitation, no thought. It was a beautiful thing. And he was nice and warm when he crawled back in bed with his lover. Yes indeed, it was a beautiful thing.
With his hunger more sated than it had been in years, he would be able to treat her with the finesse that she deserved. He meant for this to be good and he meant to take his time.
If anything, being forced into one hundred years of introspection had its benefits. Angel had been a voracious reader. Ultimately mastering several languages including Russian and Latin. Ol' Liam had never been much of a student, not slow just bored. And well, once Darla came around reading a musty old book was the furthest thing from his mind not that he hadn't learned from her. He had become quite the apt pupil in all things sensual. He had traveled, seen the world - through both his own marvelously enhanced eyes and through those of his victims. He had literally drunk up knowledge. And now, he had the benefit of it all - Liam, Angelous, Angel and so would she.
In thinking of this, his amalgamation of personalities, he realized that he was now none of the above. Not the bloodthirsty scrounge of Europe, not the brooding sad sack with his heart on his sleeve and certainly not that drunken sot of an Irishman. He was someone totally different. What had he read - self -actualization? Yeah, sure that was him for sure. Finally the sum of his parts. Smarter than before, more patient, more focused, more careful in his pursuits - he might as well reap the benefits of them all. Angel's vast amount of reading, his comfort with the 21st century; Liam's Old World charm; Angelous' strength, his thirst, his quest for dominance. It was all good.
Whoever he turned out to be. He was sure on one thing - it all lead back to her. As with the rest of Angel, he carried his love for her along - soul or no soul. Past not risking any sort of mistake in safely securing her position beside of him, he had no immediate plans. Man, Angelous had changed. Once upon a time, he would have been out recruiting minions by now. Times change and if you don't change with them.. Now, he was satisfied with seeing where Buffy's demon would lead. Just the thought made his own eyes glow with yellow fire.
Continuing in his new vein, he called up his bank - thank god that Angel hadn't done something stupid with "their" money. Two hundred years could build quite a nest egg. He could afford better than this small basement apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. After the bank, then the realtor - when he first came into town he had bought a big stone house out by the beach. It had plenty of shade and bolt holes already - hello - Sunnydale! He had arranged for some new plumbing and wiring for the basement - money would buy anything - but had never moved in. It had just never felt right to Angel - too big, too comfortable, too safe - it was like he didn't deserve it. Hello? Of course he deserved it and by this time tomorrow he and Buffy would be home sweet home.
Angel looked at his watch, it was almost noon. The kiddies would be home from school soon and nosing around for their almighty leader. It would behoove him to get moving before one of them came crashing in. He traveled light. After two trips to the parking garage under the building, all of the items that meant anything to any of his many selves were ready to go leaving only Buffy.
He picked up her clothes, including her bookbag with an extensive selection of stakes. He stuffed her clothes and shoes in the bag and slug it over his shoulder before picking her up wrapped in a blanket. With one last look around the room, he whispered an incantation to cover their tracks just in case.
Thank God for tinted windows, garage door openers, sunglasses and all of the other inventions of the 21st century. It was a great time to be alive. Once securely in the garage of his new digs, he lowered the ivy covered garage door. The garage went right into the basement. There were stairs up to the main floor of the house and a single door to a storage closet beside the stairs.
He touched a panel beside the stairs and the whole closet frame swung back to reveal a wide entrance into his lair. It was through this entrance that he carried his sleeping beauty. Once this door closed behind them, they were plunged into the dark. Lucky for him that he could see fine. Actually, it was fun to push his senses - wasn't that what they were there for?
The corridor that they were in continued on for almost a hundred feet ending in a large musty room. This room had a single dim light bulb hanging from the ceiling and an old cot over against the back wall. There were several old chairs and a faded rug too. It looked like a place where someone could hide if need be which was exactly the effect he was going for.
To his immediate right as the hall opened up, he touched a worn place on the wall and yet another door covered by old faded wallpaper slid back. He reached into this new space and switched the dimmer light on. It was exactly where he had ordered it when the contractors were here.
The place turned out well. Several good sized rooms and a huge bathroom. One wall in the first room contained all of the media equipment that you could ever hope for - including a good selection of DVD's and CD's and a computer. He was wired for phone, Internet and cable. If need be one could hide out here almost indefinitely. To this end, there were two refrigerators hidden in what looked like a huge wooden cabinet. One held a good-sized donation from the Red Cross. The other juice, soda, water, some beer. The shelves above held a good selection of wine and liqueur, mugs, glasses and a microwave. He had even remembered that she liked popcorn.
The remainder of the room was furnished with overstuffed furniture in dark fabrics; a thick brown rug was under his feet. He faced the fireplace, which ran directly below the fireplace on the main floor and settled Buffy down on a large velvet pillow on the floor. Man, she slept like the dead - or at least she soon would, he thought. With a whispered word, the logs on the fire sprang to life with a single thought. He strode over to the CD player and popped in some soft music. With the stage set, he kicked off his boots and knelt beside his catch.
He had considered his course of action several times during the drive over. Did he simply take her in her sleep? Did he tell her the truth and risk a nasty injury before it was all said and done? Did he bewitch her? Did he simply try to seduce her? Feeling confident, feeling lucky - he went with seduction - anyway, her stakes were in out in the SUV.
The first sensation that she awoke to was the feeling of firm lips nuzzling her neck. He was humming or more aptly put, purring as he went about his business. She had yet to open her eyes, her world consisted of the taste, the feel, and the smell - the sound of him. He was wrapped tightly around her and it was evident that he was as bare as she was at the moment. At that thought she smiled and arched her back, pushing herself into him. It seemed like they were on equal terms right now and she liked it. No super powers, no secrets, no insurmountable problem to face, just the two of them. It was just like she had imagined so many times before. A giggle bubbled up and she heard a responding chuckle from her companion.
Angel pushed up, bracing his arms on either side of her, looking down into her face. "So, Sleeping Beauty awakens", nuzzling into her neck once more.
"OK, did I snore? You are smiling way too much."
"No, just happy."
She smiled back, her eyes lit up. "Happy's good, happy's really good. Not complaining about happy."
Pulling back again, he made eye contact. Still being a bit of a gambler, he couldn't help himself, he had to push it a little. Just for fun. He hadn't had fun in so long. He put on his best sad little boy face. His mouth pouty, his brows drawn together. He mentally counted backwards from ten.
10, 9, 8, 7. " What's wrong?" Her tiny hand coming up to cup his cheek. "You looked so happy and now, now you don't. What is it?" she asks again as her hand draws his chin up so that she can meet his gaze. He immediately looks down again as if he can't bear to look at her.
6, 5, 4 . His voice is unsure and soft when he answers, "I couldn't. I mean, I've already asked too much, taken too much." His eyes stay downcast mostly to hide the golden twinkle that he can feel coming on. It wouldn't do to have her see that quite yet. He bows his head further.
3, 2 . She is more insistent this time, drawing him up once again. "What, what can I do. Ask, ask me anything. Angel," she says shyly, "I love you."
1 . "It's just - you know - I wish it wasn't so - but - ". He shakes his head and stops again.
Gotcha.He looks up as sincerely as he can and says, "Buffy, I'm not like other guys. There are things. Things I . things that I need." Hesitating, he looks down again, " That I need to make me.make me feel complete. That I could never ask of you."
Buffy again pulls his face up again so that they can see eye to eye - blue to brown. "Oh God, Angel. How thoughtless of me. Of all people, I should know. You want to, I mean, you want to bite me. Don't you? " Her anxiety over this thought only showed in the inflection of that last tiny question.
He looks up. Maybe too quickly, he doesn't want to appear too eager. It needs to be her idea, she needs to offer it to him, beg him to take her. "Oh Buffy, it's so much more than that. I mean, I really can't tell you. It's something you have to feel. But, no, we won't go there.ever."
If Buffy had a problem, it had to be with the word no. She looked a little more sure of herself, her hands now caressing the back of his neck intently. "Angel, I'm a big girl. I want you all of you. If you have a." She wrinkles her nose self conscientiously and finishes "need. Then I want to help you meet it if you get my drift."
He speaks up a little more brightly, "Oh, Buffy. Do you mean it? Do you really mean it." As he asks, the playacting falters and he suddenly seems a lot smoother, more confident. His voice is deeper, his dark chocolate eyes steady on hers. Suddenly she feels like she can't look away.
She hears her voice saying "Yes", but to what exactly she can't even recall. She is no longer thinking at all. She is looking up into that beloved face and into the most intense gaze and all she can do is say "yes" and pull him towards her.
Again, he tempts fate. He just can't help it. He rears up and slips into his game face. Totally unnecessary but fun none the less. She has kissed him like this before, she is so quick to try to reassure him that it doesn't matter, that she loves him despite of his demon.
As she watches, his face shift, she is jarred out of her daydreams. Part of her screams a warning to turn and fight and another part of her is pleased that she can do this to him - bring out the wildness in him that he fights so desperately to hide. It gives her permission to be a little bit more daring herself and to give way to the impulses that she feels coursing through her more everyday.
He bends his forehead to hers again. A Beast this time, in answer to her beauty. He nuzzles her softly and lets out an unmistakable growl. Their faces are an inch a part if that. She sees the gold fire in his eyes. The look of an animal possessing his mate as he draws her bottom lip in between his blunt teeth. All pretense has fallen away but it matters little as they both are now firmly entranced. There is no question now, to this action, to any. There is only feeling.
Buffy lets out a sigh as he suckles her lips. He laughs again. Now it sounds like a purr. "See I can still be gentle. I still love you."
She looks up into his eyes and speaks without thought, "You are beautiful this way too, you really are." With that proclamation she seals her fate.
She looks up into his eyes and speaks without thought, "You are beautiful this way too, you really are." With that proclamation she has sealed her fate whether she knows it or not.
The demon in her arms smiles at her announcement displaying a set of evenly matched white fangs. Before she can react to the sight in front of her, he moves his hips between her thighs as he runs his hands down her sides to tilt her into position to receive him. As he fills her with one strong thrust, he arches his back and his own neck and howls in triumph.
She has never heard this sound from him - half way between pleasure and pain. She records this for a split second because she can't really think. The feel of him inside her is something that draws all of her attention. Her Slayer healing must have kicked in because last night she was still sore and tender but today, it just feels wonderful. She arches her back too and her actions draw them even closer. They once more draw apart, Angel preparing for his next thrust. Buffy looks at him and realizes he is still in game face. For some reason, she thought he wouldn't be now.
Finally within the rhythm they have set together, it seems that she has gained some clarity. He has asked to take her. Not only her body but her blood as well. Part of her reasons that this is who he is. She must satisfy him, she wants to do this. It would be a lie to think that she hasn't thought of this act a thousand different times and wondered. She persuades herself that he will simply stop if asked and anyway she heals fast, she's given blood at school before. This is just a more intimate donation.
The increasing intensity of their movements drives all further thoughts away from her and when he bends his head was again all she can think to do is to arch her neck toward him.
Angel is continuing to have the best time ever. Her body is so hot and she seems to anticipate his every move. They are well matched already. She has no idea that he is pounding into with a force that would injure a normal human woman. She just takes and takes and gives it right back. If he had known how good this would be, it would have happened long. He is sliding closer to the edge, his senses are singing, rejoicing that he is going to follow his natural urge, which he is not holding back in the least. He closes the distance to her sweet neck and he drives into her one final time. At the moment he begins to come, he bites into her triggering her own orgasm. Joined like this he feels everything and he is finally home.
Buffy feels his mouth on her. His bite is quick and deep just like his thrusts. The shock fades quickly as she is overtaken by a wave of pleasure like she has never known. Her most immediate reaction is to wallow in the pleasure; she lets out a series of screams as she grasps the back of Angel's head firmly in the palm of her hand. Her whole body seems to curl up around his.
It feels like he is suckling at her like a baby at her neck. This brings out the most incredible feminine satisfaction in her and she hears herself murmuring yes over and over again until she is pulled under.
Angel is in heaven. Her blood is so powerful bringing him up to full strength, the height of his powers. He has never felt anything close to the sensation. Waves of pleasure hit him as he swallows until he too is pulled under.
She is standing somewhere she has never been before. It is misty here; it is neither very light nor very dark - very hot or very cold. She is walking towards someone.
"Hello?" "Hello?"
The figure starts walking towards her. It's Angel.
"Angel, what are you doing in my slayer dream?"
Angel slowly bends towards her and shakes his head as he takes her hands in his like someone expressing their condolences might do. "This isn't a slayer dream, Buffy. This is limbo."
"Limbo - who mean like the dance?"
"Well, I'm glad to see you've kept your sense of humor at least." He draws her down until they are sitting together in the mists. " Buffy, this isn't going to be the easiest thing to take. What's the last thing you remember? I mean, before this."
It was hard to think for a moment, then it came to her. "We were making love and you.you bit me. It was incredible. I think I passed out."
"Well, the last thing I remember is making love to you too - but the first time. I woke up with a monumental headache and this strange feeling that I was being torn apart. I got really scared and ran outside."
"So, let me get this straight, we're having the same dream at different times?"
"No, Buffy. What I'm trying to say is that when I ran outside what I felt was my soul being torn away. Us, making love - being so happy - it broke the curse. I've been here ever since - at least this part of me - my soul. "
"How can that be, you were there when I woke up. You were fine, you were happier than I've ever seen you."
"Buffy," Angel began grasping her hands even more tightly. " That was me, but not all of me - I had lost my soul."
Buffy shook her head. It didn't make sense. She was sure there was some sort of hidden meaning and this was another one of those symbolic slayer dreams. "How do you know this Angel?"
"I was here before, I don't know how long. It's like time doesn't matter here. I was here after I was turned until the gypsies cursed me. It was like this part of who I am got sucked back into me after that. Before that it was like I was just here waiting."
"OK, lets just say that you are right - your soul is here in this limbo. Then why I am here?"
"I'm afraid that I have an idea. When I was here the other time, the last thing I remembered was Darla. The night she turned me. The last thing I remembered was her kissing me."
"So." Buffy exclaimed. She was getting anxious now. This did seem different than a slayer dream and it was lasting way longer. Plus she had never run into her boyfriend looking weirded out in those dreams either. She truly did not want to go any further down this path.
However Angel continued, "Remember, you said that the last thing you remembered was me biting you. Buffy, I think I - what I am now, I mean what was left when this part of me was lost again - I think I turned you." He hurried through the last part. "I think I turned you and you have lost your soul. The part of you that's here with me now, is your soul."
At this revelation, Buffy faints in her dream or for that matter, in her limbo.
Angel suddenly comes into himself. He finds that he is still suckling at Buffy's neck. She is now limp and much cooler. Her heart is beginning to skip beats. The predator in him vies with the male in him for a second before the male wins out. He is not simply taking a victim, this is his mate, and his instincts take control. If anything he is more protective of her now that ever before. She is a part of him and he regards her as such.
He is still in game face and it is a simple task to tear a wound in his own neck. He presses her slack mouth to his wound. The wound is bleeding at a fierce rate and the blood flows easily down her throat. Several long minutes go by before her lips move and he feels her tongue gingerly lick at the cut.
At this sensation, he feels supreme satisfaction. Buffy hears deep masculine laughter as she nurses the wound. The laughter seems to empower her somehow and she is suddenly drawing more fiercely at Angel's neck. There is no thought, no right, no wrong - only feeling, only impulse. He senses her awareness, her need and this new dependence gratifies him. He feels her acceptance of this need.
Eyes closed, Buffy recognizes the body she is nestled against and struggles to get that much closer. As her awareness increases, she begins to run her hands up and down his board back and up into his hair. He flexes into her caresses like a cat and lets out a roar of his own. He flips her so that she is on top of him now that she has enough strength to hold herself in place. It is obvious that she has no desire to pull away from her subsistence.
He feels himself begin to weaken and pulls her away from him. He speaks softly, in a manner that goes against his nature. " Stop, my love, its OK. We'll give you another go in a minute. We need to trade again." With that he rears up and bites into her neck again. This time on the other side. She immediately lies against him and allows him to take her as the waves start coursing through her body once more.
It's a good thing that he took the time to read all that old literature. His time with Darla and the old texts showed him that exchanging blood with one's mate - over and over resulted in a stronger connection and a more powerful fledging. He also knew that many masters chose not to do this for fear of the power that their mate could wield over them but he knew himself well enough to know that she was already a force to be reckoned with - so why not go all the way?
"It's just not like Buffy to be gone for this long." Xander supplied with a hint of jealously, knowing that in all likelihood, she was with Angel.
Willow knowing that this was indeed the case, chose to cover for her friend in hopes of getting the full story later, "Hey Zan, let up. A girl deserves a day off now and again."
"Yeah, especially when she's in the clutches of the evil dead," he responded.
"Hey - girl power and all - I think she can handle herself," Willow replied.
Buffy and Angel are curled around each other in front of the fire. Buffy is way too far gone to ask where they are - if she's even noticed that they aren't in Angel's drafty apartment. The blanket that has covered them earlier has been discarded as both are now quite warm having generated a good amount of heat.
She has just finished draining him for the third time, her breathing is slow and she is having a hard time raising her head. Somehow, with the exchanges she has been able to climb into his mind. She knows many things without the benefit of conversation. She knows that he lost in soul and that ultimately the loss is her fault. She knows that what is left of him is a fierce, feral creature of great intelligence. She understands that he saw no choice other than the path he has chosen for both of them. She sees his love, his possession of her - by her - and somehow she accepts it all. She knows that he is doing what he sees as best for them that they could not have continued in any other way but this. She knows all of this and she accepts it. She is just so tired.
She finally manages to speak for the first time in hours. "Angel, I am exhausted."
"I know. Are you ready to go to bed?" he asks.
She gives a very weak smile, "Haven't we been in bed for hours?"
He smiles back, "Actually, we've been in the floor for hours. I'm taking you to bed now." With that he picks her up and stands. She is so light that even though he is starved and weak, he can manage her weight with no problem. He steps down the hallway to the room at the end and enters the master suite.
The room is also done in dark browns and golds. There is a huge overstuffed bed in the middle of the room. Angel turns down the covers and tucks her in. She snuggles in the covers and sighs. He sits beside her and smoothes back her hair. It surprises him when she speaks, "Angelous, don't think I don't know what you just did. " He gazes down at her face and sees a small smile curving her lips.
Her words are rewarded with another deep laugh, "Well sweetheart, you never seem ta' mind too much, now, da' you?" as Liam's accent slips out of his mouth. He kisses her forehead and pads back down the hallway for some refreshment before climbing into bed beside of her.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
Angelus wakes. It is more Angelus at this point. The longer the soul is gone the more of his old self he becomes. Taking Buffy only escalated his descent; he has never felt more powerful. Buffy lay unmoving beside him. He would like nothing more than to stay with her through the day. Like a male lion, Angelus has always enjoyed sleeping like lying curled in energy waiting to strike.
Unfortunately, he must take care of a few things before anymore time passes. He calls Joyce on her cell phone. Using a bit of glamour he is able to make he believe that she is talking to Buffy. Yes, she'll be at Willow's the rest of the weekend. Yes, she'll take care. He calls Willow with the same trick. This is a bit trickier; the girl is full of questions about him nonetheless. He makes plans with her to see Buffy tonight at the Bronze and yeah, bring Harris too. Kill two birds with one stone.
After he hangs up, he showers and dresses. He takes care to choose items that Angel has worn previously, he doesn't want to risk anything that might tip anyone off in the least. He checks on Buffy one last time and drives to the Watcher's home. He has been invited in many times so it won't be a problem. When he arrives he senses that Rupert is not home. He decides to try the library. Getting into the library in board daylight is easy. Angel has had this school scooped out for months - no challenge here. The challenge will be offing the Watcher.
Before walking through the doors to the library he counsels himself to appear as downcast as he can - he likes to play with his food. After the repeated exchanges with Buffy the previous night, he feels like he knows that Watcher better than ever before.
"Giles, you here?" he says as he slowly enters. Angel was always careful not to sneak up on anyone despite his predatory skills. He always made an effort to appear as harmless as possible.
"Angel, is that you." Rupert calls out from the stacks.
"Yeah, its me. I'm looking for Buffy. Is she here? She wasn't at home." Angelus thought it best to stay as near the truth as possible.
The Watcher rounds the corner with a stack of huge books. "No, as a matter- of-fact, I thought that she could possibility be with you."
"I haven't talked to her since last night." Again, not another lie, he hasn't talked to her today.
"Well, no need to worry. I'm sure she's up to handling herself in the middle of the day no doubt." Rupert says distractedly. "Actually, while you are here there is something of some importance that I would like to speak to you about." At this declaration, Rupert takes his glasses off and begins to clean them on his shirt. From what Angelus knows from his Buffy- knowledge, this means the old guy is nervous.
"Sure, what can I do?"
"Well, given your, um - relationship - with Buffy - seemingly increasing in - um - seriousness, I thought it would be prudent to um - look into - um - your curse again." The last three words the Watcher says very fast after stammering around.
It is hard for Angelus not to laugh at the turn of event. Sure, he was game to talk about the curse, why not - moot point but sure. This should be fun.
Angelus grabs a chair from around the table where Giles has placed his books. Without thinking, he quickly spins it around and straddles it, placing his elbows up on the back of the chair. He looks up inquisitively. "So shoot."
Immediately, Angelus checks himself as Giles looks on. He reminds himself head down, eyes down, voice soft and serious. "I mean, what is it?" he says this time with hesitancy. He looks up to the Watcher's face as he takes a seat on the table in front of Angel, Angelus provides him with a subtle, nonverbal suggestion to ease his uneasy mind.
Rupert suddenly feels a bit off, not usual being around a vampire he guessed though as of late, he had been less on edge with Angel. He imagined that reading these texts regarding the potential ramifications of the curse had brought Angel's potential for violence back to the fore. When he looks up again at Angel whatever was bothering him seems to have pasted.
"Well, then, I'll just get to it. What do you know about the curse, the permanency of it?"
"After one hundred and twenty-two years, it seems pretty permanent to me."
"I've found two separate pieces of literature that suggest that there might be a way to break the curse," Giles states as he carefully gauges Angel's reaction. To his surprise, Angel takes the news quite calmly.
"Break the curse? I've never come across anything to that effect but then again I haven't exactly been running around looking for one, now have I?" Truer words were never spoken, he wasn't looking for one but he found one. He must have been living right.
"It would seem that perhaps some sort of gift from a loved one - if I'm translating this correctly - could break the curse - if it's of the origin that I assume."
Oh this was too funny - a gift - well, he guessed Buff's virginity counted as a gift. Still he thought it was more the happiness thing - whatever - it was pretty much water under the bridge at this point.
Giles continued, "It may be a good idea for you and Buffy to refrain from any sort of exchanges until we can sort this out."
That was it, it was just too precious. He couldn't hold back any longer. Looking up with a worried expression on his face, Angel says "Buffy has already given me some stuff - gifts I mean and I feel fine." He says this as he slowly rises. It would be bad taste to chase this prey and mess up all the kiddies' books.
Giles is too caught up in the information to notice the golden gleam in Angel's eyes. "I say what kind of gifts - perhaps we can rule some things out."
By now Angel is directly in front of him as close as he can get without being rude. Angel answers in an almost teasing manner. "Oh left me think - a CD or two - a sweater last Christmas - a picture of herself - " He leans in closer toward the Watcher's ear and speaks softly, "her virginity - 8 pints or so of the most powerful blood I have ever tasted." At that he pulls back. He wants to see the expression on the old guy's face.
Giles feels as he is in a nightmare. Dear God, where was Buffy? Was he face to face with Angelus? He tries to move from his perch but fails.
Angelus catches his attempt and laughs. "That's right Watcher." He steps back and takes a bow. "The Scourge of Europe at your service." With that his face morphs into a mask of his former self.
Giles continues to struggle. Angelus laughs, "You think I don't have a few tricks up my sleeve, Watcher. You're good and caught. I'm not your run of the mill idiot vampire." With that he moves like quicksilver, this teeth sinking deep. The man is out in 10 seconds, dead within the minute. It is almost too easy but if you play with your food too long you slip up.
After he finishes, Angelus recites a spell and the Watcher's body turns to so much dust - just like a vamp. He wipes the dust off the table for the janitor to find and takes the Watcher's books with him. You never know that you might be up for some bedtime reading. Whistling a tune, he heads home. Not bad for a day's work.
The expectation of this moment is almost more than he can tolerate. If one moment with Buffy wiped out a one hundred year old curse, he can only begin to imagine what an eternity with her will bring. He can feel the sun setting above and lies close to her. Facing her on the bed, he wants to be the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes. Hey, he knows it is egocentric but he has reason to be.
Suddenly, her eyes open. The eyes are not hazel but gold. Looking into those golden eyes, Angel feels his own demon rise to the surface in answer. He shifts to game face without thought drawn by simply the gaze of his mate. The two demons recognize each other and react. There is no Angel, even no Angelus at the moment. Only a male demon posed to take his mate. The two figures on the bed are completely still - like two predators poised to spring. Her face shifts as a low growl is emitted from her chest. She is challenging her mate. Before she will allow him to dominate her, he must prove his worthiness.
The growl sounds only a scound before she springs at him. Her moves are quick and her strength has increased. He takes advantage of her being tied up in the bed covers as they struggle -rolling one -then the other - on top. More growls are heard and ever so slowly their struggles, while still rough - take on a more sexual slant. She is ripping his pants off with her nails, frantic to reach him. As she achieves her goal, he pushes her head to his powerful erection forcing her to take him into her month, with this action, her fangs score him and the taste of his blood arouses her further. Crawling up his body, she kisses him violently, biting at his lips as their blood mixes. His demon is finished with the sport and pulls her body under his own taking both her body and her blood.
The sheer violence of the act eases her own frenzied attack. His movements become more sensuous - intended to give and receive pleasure. She arches into him and pulls his neck to her mouth. She bites gently in deference to his dominion over her. When his blood meets her tongue she begins to purr. The sound - coming from her chest - delights her and she smiles as she laps at the wound. Feeling her smile, he pulls up to find her familiar face smiling at him, her hazel eyes sparkling brightly.
"Well, hello beautiful."
She isn't impressed, "Hello, yourself", she smirks. She looks around, "Someone's been busy, haven't they?" she asks.
He smiles again, "Yes, someone has. Mostly, for the convenience and comfort of your precious ass, so I expect some thank you's."
He becomes more serious, which is hard when you have the thing that you want most in the world literally right underneath your fingertips, "So, my love, how do you feel? You've had a busy couple of days yourself."
She smiles and strokes his neck where she has so recently fed. "Considering that I've lost my virginity, been attacked by a ruthless vampire, been initiated as said vampire's mate - see, I did do all that reading Giles gave me - and died, only to be rudely awakened just now - I'd say I'm good. How about you?"
At her response, so classically herself, he has to laugh. He pulls her into him and laughs so hard that she laughs too.
She likes this side of Angel, enough even to forgive him his latest round of mayhem. She pulls back and sincerely says, "I'm glad to see you so happy. I never seen you like this before."
"Well, get used to it. As long as I have you I can't imagine being any other way. Although I must admit, it's hard being the Scourge of Sunnydale when I'm so content to lie here with you."
"Why do I feel a but coming up?" she quips.
He pushes into sitting position, showing off his muscular arms. She likes, she likes a lot. A girl could get used to this for sure.
"We have some unfinished business before we can take a proper honeymoon my dear."
This peaks her interest, just as before she has a fair share of nervous energy to vent. "OK, I'm game" she says with a delighted laugh.
Angelus couldn't be more pleased, from all indications she was still his Buffy.
So they are going to the Bronze, she's up for that. Buffy tours her new accomodations while sipping a mug of warm O negative. Angel doesn't have to lecture her on the advantages of prepackaged meals. She's cool.
One thing she is not cool on is her clothes. Her clothes are in her closet on Revello Drive. She makes him promise to go by the house first before they head out to the Bronze. Thinking of going to the house to get her stuff makes her head pound. She knows her mom is out of town but Angel has said that she needs to decide what they are going to do about her mom by tomorrow.
While she was fine with the Giles thing. He would be a killjoy - literally. She felt no need to involve her mom in any of this. However, she also knew her mom wouldn't let up until she knew what had happened to her.
Evidently, both she and Angel were pretty mellow vamps - with really good taste. This is the nicest dive she has ever seen and the only person she has had an urge to snack on is him and he is yummmeee! Perhaps her slayer senses are dampening the demon. Whatever, she doesn't feel much like dwelling on it - a vampire perk she guesses.
She hears the shower cut off. Angel will be ready soon. She takes off the robe she is wearing and hurriedly pulls on her jeans and her shirt from the other night. She doesn't bother with shoes.
She can see Angel through the door to the bathroom and smiles at the sight of him with a towel around his waist. When he notices her perusal, he calls out. " I told you there was room for you."
"I know I just wanted some time to, you know, decompress. This is a lot to take in."
"You're doing great."
"It's just so different but not as different as I thought it would be. I'm thinking it has something to do with the slayer stuff. Have you ever heard of a slayer being turned before?"
"Hey, I thought you said that you read all of Giles' musty old books?" he jokes as he comes into the bedroom to dress.
"Actually, I read of one, in the 1700's. She seemed to keep her head so to speak and went to report in to her Watcher but her Watcher offed her right away. That's why I took care of dear ol' Rupert first and foremost. Not a real tolerate bunch those Watchers."
At that, Buffy lies back on the bed and covers her face not wanting to imagine what just took place hours ago. He was the closest thing that she'd had to a father. "Thanks, for taking care, of that, I mean, of Giles.I just couldn't be part of that, even now."
He smiles at this admission, another indication that she has kept what was special about her.
"I don't mind being the 'Big Bad' in this relationship," he teases. "If you promise to love me inspite of myself."
She faces him in all seriousness, "I do love you. I always will. I loved you before and I love you now."
"And you're not mad at me?" He frames this question with all the little boy charm he has.
"No, how could I be? I knew that I was playing with fire. Somewhere, I guess I knew that I would ultimately get burned - my bad - not yours."
He smiles again. He is so handsome to her. "I thinketh the lady is seeing her beast through rose colored glasses. Make no mistake Buff; you've seen my beast, felt it. You know that I will do whatever it takes to protect what's mine. Past that, I don't have a grudge against the world anymore."
With that he finishes getting dressed - black pants, black shoes, gray shirt - he'll need to put up with the depressed Angel look a while longer. She lies there watching him, amazed that she isn't blushing at the display.
When they arrive at Buffy's house, they go upstairs to pack. They find a couple of boxes in the hall closet and she begins to quickly weed through her things. She is somewhat surprised that she still feels as sentimental as she does. She asks Angel about it as she laughs at the mighty Master Vampire loading up her prized stuffed pig into a box. "Oh how the mighty have fallen!"
"What?" He responds veining ignorance.
She goes on, ignoring him. "No, seriously, I wanted to ask why I - we - seem so normal like. I mean, I pretty much seem like me - well, at least a version of me. I thought vamps were all 'grrr-argh', you know?"
"You were when you first woke up if I remember correctly but yeah, you're right. Regular vamps - minions aren't made with the nearly the care you were. Most vampires don't want to sire anyone who will be anywhere near their match in strength. Then there are others who had no one to teach them and when they sire someone - well, it's not much better than a zombie. You've seen the kind."
"Yeah, I guess, I've never really thought about it."
"With you, I gave you everything I had - and then some - that's why - that's why you are still you - at least partially - who knows what being the Slayer added to the whole equation."
"Still, I don't have a soul, do I?"
"I'd be surprised. Plus if you did, I imagine you would have staked me already."
"Still, I don't feel too homicidal."
"And that bothers you?"
"No. Just." she pauses trying to find the words. "Thank you. Thank you for taking such care with me. I'm glad I'm still me. Well, you know what I mean. Thank you. I can't imagine being any other why. It's too horrible to think about." With this admission, she crawls to her knees, reaches up and kisses him on the cheek.
He suddenly feels like the Grinch who Stole Christmas when his heart began to grow. It's uncomfortable to look too closely at the feeling so he changes the subject. "So, what, my dear, are you wearing tonight?"
This question is a good one and distracts her. "What's up with the whole fashion thing with you vamps - I mean an over interest in fashion seems a little gay to me. Don't get me wrong, I like what I see (looking him up and down). It's just talking about it seems a little too Village People for me. One thing that hasn't changed is that I like my man - well, a man. Or at least a male of some species."
He laughs for what must be like the thousandth time of the day. "OK. I get the message, surprise me." With that she goes in the bathroom to get ready in private. A woman should retain a little mystery.
When she returns, she is decked out in brown leather pants - black seemed like she was trying too hard, boots and a sheer, off the shoulder kind of peasant-looking thing.
"Hey, it works for me" he says and the pulls her in for another kiss. He ends up kissing her on the spot on her neck where he turned her. It has already healed but if you look closely you'll see the faint scar.
Back in the SUV, Angel brings up a subject that Buffy has all but forgotten about in the heat of the moment. The reason they were going to the Bronze to begin with - to catch up with Xander and Willow.
"So, it's your call, my love."
"My call, what do you mean my call?" she responds with more nervousness than she would have expected from a creature of the night - nothing to lose, right?
Well, the more she thought about it, she did have some things to lose. Just as she had packed up Mr. Gordo, her ice skates and her baby pictures, she realizes that there are a couple more things that retain a sentimental attachment for her - Xander and Willow."
"The way I see it, after Giles and Joyce, the only two other people who could cause us any major headaches would be the wimp and Little Red Riding Hood." Looking over at Buffy, he can see her worry - her little nose is scrunched up. While it's fun to play with the food, Angel finds that it is not so much fun to play with Buffy. Her anxiety is his own.
"I've got a couple ideas. I'm assuming that killing them is out. That leaves two other options. The first one is that we go in, make nice and then I bewitch them."
At this, she laughs. "'Bewitch' them? I thought I had hooked up with a Vampire here not a Warlock. Have you been holding out on me?"
Believe it or not, he's a little embarrassed - count up yet another new emotion for the Scourge of Europe. "It's just, over the years, I've picked up some tricks. Just like people, different vampires have different gifts. Since you've known me, I really haven't been - you could you put it? Living up to my full potential. Without feeding like I should and with the curse, it was kind of like, I don't know - walking around with the flu."
As he pulls into a lot next to the Bronze, he goes on to explain. "You and I now - our line - it comes with certain gifts. I can persuade your kiddies to forget they ever knew you or that you are just some girl from school. It's not as hard as you might think. I was going to erase the majority of their memories of Giles anyway, so they wouldn't freak out when there is a substitute librarian on Monday morning."
Hearing that he has plans beyond hurting her friends, Buffy calms and focuses more intently. She has always felt responsible for Xander and Willow and their future is of great interest to her. Now more than before, she feels perfectly OK with deciding their fate for them. After all, she is Buffy.
Her ego seems to smart at the idea of being erased from their memories. "So what's the other idea?"
As he turns off the engine and the car goes dark, he turns to her, his eyes glowing, "Turn them, of course."
At the mere mention of such an act, her own eyes also begin to glow. Her mouth slides into a smile as she feels her teeth sharpen.
This is going to be fun.
At the mention of the potential of turning Xander and Willow, Buffy's demon comes to the fore.
Angelus likes what he sees. "I thought you weren't all grrr-argh my dear. Did you change your mind?"
Buffy shakes her head. She is too overwhelmed by the urges suddenly running through her to speak. Maybe she spoke too soon earlier. The half- formed thoughts and impulses are exciting, primal. It was what she felt on patrol magnified a thousand times. For some reason the thought of turning her friends is incredibly arousing. That - along with the thought of hunting with Angel - was too much to take in. "So the lady is up for the hunt." He had thought she would be, he is pleased.
She was very attached to her human pets and whether he admitted it or not - both had their strengths. The girl was a strong psychic though her skills were largely untapped and he recalled the boy's sudden fierceness when possessed by the hyena spirit last fall. He had been surprised to see such bloodlust in the boy's eyes. It assured him that there was more there than was immediately apparent.
To function comfortably and happily, Buffy and he both would need seconds and both children seemed more than adequate for the tasks. He was enjoying seeing the changes in Buffy and the changes in these two meek ones would amuse him as well.
He had no plans of drawing an army but rather a new family for the new century.
He could see the eagerness on the girl's face. Before they went further, he needed to tutor her just a bit. They needed to go in with a game plan. Until now, he hasn't pulled rank on her at all but if they were going to move forward, she was going to need to listen to Papa.
Stroking her face, he soothes her. "OK, baby, you're going to get to play but right now I need you to listen and listen good. In this case, I'm the boss, you got it."
She nods whether she actually likes being a follower for once, or whether she is enthralled by him herself she can't sort out, but she breathes deeply and listens.
"You are going to go in first and stake things out. Have a chat, order a coke, make nice - business as usual. Just like always. I'm going to come in later and lurk around the far corner of the bar - just like always. After one of them spots me and points me out to you, I'll join you."
"When I come up to the table just follow my lead. After we have some fun, I'm going to say that I think I've found something at some old place and that I need to leave to check it out. You say that you want to go too. I'll say no, it's too dangerous and then I'll leave."
"Once I leave, tell them you are going anyway and they'll follow you like always. Take them out to the house but take them in the front door. Once you're in, we're home free. Are you Ok with that?"
"Sure. Are you sure they won't notice. Me, I mean."
"Buffy, you have always looked like a god to them, now won't be any different. Give me a kiss and go on."
The kiss turns hot quickly. When they pull apart their eyes are glowing in the darkness. He growls and rubs his face in her neck like an animal marking his mate. His teeth graze her ear and she moans. The sound pulls him back to reality. "Go, go now, or we will never get this done."
She jumps out of the car and practically skips into the Bronze. The couple of vamps hanging out in front split when they see the Slayer coming in.
She can feel the deep beat of the music all the way to her bones as soon as she walks into the room. The sound somehow gives her confidence, like she is a lioness stalking her prey. Like a hunter, she narrows her eyes and scans the room.
Willow is waving frantically and kind-of jumping up and down eagerly in an attempt to get Buffy's attention. She is wearing a fuzzy orange sweater with a pink turtleneck under it. Buffy can't find help but hope her earlier observation about vamps and fashion will have a positive effect on her friend.
Buffy gives her a buffy-type smile and winds through the crowd to join her friends at their usual table. Navigating the dance floor she hears the heartbeats of so many, it kind of makes her drunk. She thinks that she would rather be out in the night like before or alone with Angel in his new place. She remembers his pep talk and goes about her task. He told her to have fun.
As she nears the table she spots Xander. He looks good enough to eat suddenly. At this novel thought she giggles happily. As she nears the table she scoots in between her two friends verses taking her usual place across the table from them. She suddenly realizes that the deep bass of the music goes a long way to cloak her lack of a heartbeat. No wonder so many vamps dine here nightly.
Once at the table, she realizes that she has already done what Angel cautioned her against - going against character. She tries to cover by looping an arm through each of theirs and greeting them with a group hug. "Hello all."
"Wow, someone has a huge happy, huh?" Willow responds.
"As much as one can have with a creepy, icky, undead creature of night" Xander adds.
Buffy takes his ribbing with a good natured giggled. If he only knew the half of it! "Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it" she says as she pouts prettily.
Willow comes in closer and in a conspiratal tone asks, "So, it's true? You have - tried it, I mean?"
Buffy nods solemnly, "Yes, it is true I have and I am here to say it was good."
Willow immediately sets off again, "Skipping-school kind of good! We missed you yesterday. When I called Angel, he seemed kind-of distracted. I didn't interrupt anything good, did I?"
"Nope, just sleeping in. A girl needs her beauty rest."
Xander chimes in again; he can't stand it anymore. "OK, this is more than my virgin ears can take. You girls want a drink?" and he walks off.
Buffy watches his retreat, he does look good. Maybe if Angel gives her permission.she jumps at the thought. Where did that come from?
From his vantage point in the corner, Angel surveys the interaction taking place. It looks like his little lady is having more fun than she was prepared for - well, what's good for the goose. He is thinking that he is looking forward to welcoming Red into the family himself.
While Xander is gone, Willow asks tons of Willow questions. She is so preoccupied with the idea of Buffy sleeping with Angel and God forbid, missing school - that she has hardly given Buffy a second look. Xander returns with three cherry cokes. As Buffy plays with her straw, Willow elbows her and points to the corner. "Look Buffy, it's Angel."
Right on cue, Angel sulks over to stand across from Buffy. Buffy giggles and puts her head down. This is just too good. He is just way too good at this. There he stands the picture of his previous self - hesitant, careful to give everyone their space, least he scare someone unintentionally. His head and eyes are downcast. He looks up and softly says "Buffy?" as if he is ready for rejection.
She smiles shyly and falls right into the rhythm of his game. "Angel! Please sit down. We were just visiting."
He shyly takes a seat across the three of them. Willow is looking at him with awe and Xander is simply staring at him. He had promised Buffy that they would have some fun before they left and even though he is in Angel- mode, he decides to give it to her. He knows that she loves to dance and she only managed to get Angel out on the dance floor one or two times in the last year. And on those occasions, he practically stood still as she rocked back and forth to a slow song.
He catches her eye across the table and she wonders what he has up his sleeve. A Sarah McLaughlin Mix comes on, as he looks across at the three of his companions. His eyes are so dark they are black. "Buff, you want to dance?"
She responds quickly "Sure, I'd love to." As she stands she can't help teasing him a little, "So what's the occasion, if I might ask?"
He suddenly stands to his full height and his facial expression changes to one of cool confidence. If it's possible he is that much more attractive to her suddenly - a male predator at the top of his game. Better yet, he is hers. She catches herself and she realizes that she has started to purr - luckily the music is loud. He catches the sound and grins at her. Oh, this is good - baby likes to play.
He remembers their query and speaks to the two curiously watching their interchange, "You two, I know you want to dance too. Let your inhibitions run wild so to speak."
Buffy recognizes the compulsion hidden in his voice. It strikes a cord in her too. She wonders at what it will do to Willow and Xander. Hey, live a little.
Willow and Xander rise directly behind her and follow her to the dance floor. Angel has walked ahead of her and she can't help but notice that the dancers part to give him his way.
Now in the middle of the floor, he turns and holds a hand out to Buffy. As she grasps it, and is pulled toward him, she feels the purring sensation increase. Once she is against his chest, she can feel him purring too. Again, she has that feeling that she wants to wallow up against his body. She immediately indulges in the desire, wrapping one high-heeled leg around a muscular thigh as she moves to the music.
Angel moves seductively against her. His centuries-old sensibilities still find it arousing to be so intimate in public. He moves his lips to her ear whispering for her to look at her companions.
Somewhere along the way, Willow has lost her hideous, fuzzy orange sweater and is now wearing the pink turtleneck that was underneath. Who would have guessed that the turtleneck was actually a halter with no back! Good for you Willow! She must have worn it and chickened out at the last minute. Willow is dancing to the beat of the music, her hands raised over her head. She is looking up at Xander who seems mesmerized by her. He is looking intently at her like she is going to be his next meal. His hands are grasping her hips firmly and pulling her into him. At the touch, Buffy sees Willow gasp and begin to grind her hips into his.
She is both amazed and aroused by what she is seeing. This coupled with the sensation of being in Angel's arms is almost too good to be true. She wants to share her happiness with him and she turns her head to draw him into an openly carnal kiss. She intentionally pricks her tongue as she kisses him and is immediately rewarded by his own ardent response. The fact that no one near them realizes the blood play going on between them is like a drug to her. She has never felt this way before.
Buffy hears the song finishing with regret. The brief silence allows her to hear Angel's whisper. "Want to play with our food a little bit, might be fun?" She doesn't immediately grasp what he is suggesting but when Angel moves them closer to Willow and Xander, she does. Unbelievably, she is filled with more excitement.
Once more she hears the compulsion in his voice as he speaks just as the next song starts up, "Lets trade partners." With that he reaches for Willow, happily surprised by the warm, soft flesh under his palm. Another bonus he thinks. He smiles down into her upturned eyes, "Hel-lo Red" he drawls and he pulls her into the curve of his body.
As soon as Angel pulls Willow into his arms, Buffy moves to Xander. Xander has fantasized about this moment more times that he can count but right now that's a fleeting thought. It's like he's in a dream. Her boyfriend - the fiercest creature he has ever known - seems to be willingly allowing her to dance with him.
If you can call this dancing? She puts her arms around his neck and presses the juncture of her thighs against him and sways to the music. Even in heels she only comes to the bend of his neck right where his neck meets his shoulder. When he feels her mouth there, he is sure that he is dreaming, but the feelings she is invoking are too strong not to be real. He feels one of his own hands firmly grasping her bottom as he begins to pump against her through their clothes.
The faux pas actually seems to spur her on and he feels her tongue lick up his neck. At this, he looks over at Angel. - kind of like in slow motion, not in an anxious way. He catches Angel's eye and Angel winks at him. This is definitely a dream. Angel is dancing close to Willow, tracing random patterns over his bare, ivory back.
Angel watches as Buffy licks at Xander's neck like it's so much ice cream. Hell, the kid's never had it so good.
Finally the music start to speed and Angel pulls back from Willow and touches Buffy's shoulders, "Honey, lets' go sit down."
They all head back to their table. Buffy and Angel are holding hands like nothing extraordinary has happened. Both Willow and Xander are breathing heavy and are looking terribly dazed. Angel announces to no one in particular, "Now that was fun, no harm done."
The pronouncement seems to calm them and it's as if nothing has happened. Buffy thinks that she is definitely going to have to learn this trick. Angel was right that they were going to have some fun. In fact that 'fun' has wet her appetite for some more intimate fun and soon.
As Buffy watches, Angel seems to withdraw back into himself - somehow becoming smaller, more human. She instinctively knows that he is gearing up for the next step of the night. "Aha, Buffy?" he broaches the subject hesitantly. "I think I've come across what might be a nest. It's in this old place on the outside of town. I'm going to go check it out before daybreak."
Buffy plays along, starting to get up, "Sure, I'll come with."
Angel, his eyes downcast and serious, says "No, I'd rather you just stay here have some fun with your friends, I'll catch you later."
Buffy responds with a pouty face but accepts the kiss on the cheek he gives her before he heads off.
Once Angel is away from the group, things seem to clear even more. Both Xander and Willow look much more alert and as always, seem to be looking to her for their next move. She doesn't want to appear too eager so she nurses her now watery coke a little longer before brightly announcing, "Well, who wants to go with me to back up Angel?"
Buffy goes into the dark old mansion first. Remembering that she may need to cover for her night vision, she flips on her flashlight. Xander and Willow follow close behind her. Once they are all inside the door slams shut with a bang.
Xander supplies his usual comment, "Oh God, now we are officially in a sleazy B-movie, just don't have sex with anyone and we'll all get out alive."
Buffy ignores his oddly prophetic comment and says, "We better find Angel first."
As if on cue, Angel walks out of the darkness (sans flashlight). His voice cracks just a bit as he pretends surprise at finding them here in the Castle of the Damned more or less. "What are you doing here?" Looking at Buffy, he adds, "I told you to stay put!"
Buffy ignores him, she is tired of playing and on the way over she couldn't get the taste of Xander's neck out of her head. It was like the way she used to feel about chocolate only it was a lot worse. Beyond that she can also remember the way Angel looked at her when she was dancing with Xander. Clearly, he enjoyed watching Buffy enjoy herself. Angel was so sure of his role in her life that he didn't sweat her having a little fun.
As she fidgets, Angel catches her mixture of bloodlust and arousal and decides that it is time to get down to business. After all, this is for all intents and purposes, her birthday.
Angel looks at the pair behind him. He looks at them intently and waves his hand over their eyes and says, "Listen, Children. Blessed Be, Bid These Words and Follow me."
Suddenly, they look even more dazed and pliable than they did at the Bronze. Taking Buffy's flashlight in hand, Angel walks over to the huge stone fireplace and turns a wall sconce. Just like in Xander's B-movie, a gap opens in the fire place showing a set of seep steps going down. Angel winks at Buffy and says "after you, my dear." Buffy goes down, Willow and Xander following her. When Angel enters, the trap door slides shut and they are in total darkness. Buffy continues and some how guided by Angel's voice, Xander and Willow do too. After two turns, they come out in a room with a dirt floor. Angel does something else that she can't see and a passage way opens. They enter the room that you can get to from the garage.
Soon, they are in the suite of rooms she remembers from earlier in the day. Angel turns on the lights and asks Xander and Willow to have a seat on the sofa. Both obey immediately.
Somehow this acquiescence irritates Buffy. She has her heart set on a big performance with plenty of shock value. Knowing Angelus' reputation, she figures Angel would too. Angel reads the disappointment and frustration on her face and lets out a deep laugh. He waltzes over and pulls her in for a passionate kiss. When he comes up for air and looks at Buffy, all of her reservations subside. The sense of bloodlust in him is strong and she has no doubt that he knows what to do.
He turns to the pair on the sofa, kneeling down to face them as if they were children. She knows that his eyes are that odd black color without looking. Taking hold of Willow's hand, he pulls her up with him as he stands. He looks at Xander and says, "Xander, sleep." In response, Xander nods and curls up on the sofa.
Angel then directs his attention towards Buffy. The look in her eyes warms his heart, she is truly anticipating what comes next. "Easy babe, you'll get your turn soon.. We're going to take our friend Willow and after we get nice and comfortable, we're going to wake her up for real. From there we can play it by ear. You can have the young man if you wish."
While most of his laughter since she has woken has been warm and happy, this laughter is different. It has a cold almost metallic flavor to it. She has no doubt the all that was and is Angelus is in front of her now. "Buff, don't you get it - we are truly one now. I am your sire and moreover your mate. You are an extension of me, of my demon. Any pleasure you feel, any life you take, any power you absorb - it's all good, it's all mine. I won't begrudge you your fun as long as I can have a little as well." With the last comment, he pulls Willow to his side and licks the side of her face. The action leaves no doubt as to his intention.
Again, as in the Bronze, she isn't repulsed by his words. This mildly surprises her but the excitement swamping her leaves her no time to contemplate this change.
Angel leads them all back to a bedroom opposite the one they were using earlier. This room is almost a mirror image of the other but instead of golds and bronzes, this room is done in purples and blues. He goes over to a refrigerator hidden in one of the cabinets and pulls out a beer. He turns and throws one to Buffy.
Buffy has never really liked the stuff but hey, why not, she thinks. The beer is very cold and it feels wonderful going down her throat. She had no idea that vampires could get hot - thirsty yes, hot no. Angel walks to the door and blows her a kiss "I'll be right back, Baby and oh, Willow - wake up." With a wink, he is out the door.
Buffy isn't prepared to face her friend as she stands there in a bedroom fit for a prince while holding a Corona Light. She is going to get Angel for this. Well, she might as well kick up the drama. She runs to Willow as she regains conscious, "Willow! Oh my God, are you OK? Let me look at you."
Willow is blinking and shaking her head to try and clear it. As she surveys the room, she says, "Somehow, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Buffy ignores her witty remark and continues with her own line.
"Willow, where are we?" She asks in hopes of buying time to come up with a better lie. She then figures it really doesn't matter, Willow is going to be toast within the hour anyway you look at it.
"We had just found Angel and he was saying something, I don't know."
Before Willow can continue the door opens and Angel walks in. As soon as she looks at him, Buffy thinks "Classic Angeles." He is using good posture - a definite bad sign and he is smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary. Last but not least, he is wearing one item and one item only - a pair of black silk pajama bottoms. Suddenly Buffy is distracted by thinking about wanting to find the top to those pants for herself. Oh no, the whole vamp-fashion thing is happening to her.
She is pulled out of her musing, by Willow's sharp intake of breath, "Angel?" Buffy decides to curl up in the corner at this point and watch the show, who knows - maybe join when she's ready.
Willow knows something is wrong when she sees Angel. She knows something is even more wrong, when she sees Buffy's response to whatever the deal is with Angel. Buffy smiles, turns her back on him and curls up in a deep chair in the corner. She is still smiling directly at him when she settles herself in the chair like a cat might do. After she is comfortable, she takes a drink of her beer. Willow wonders what she is doing with a beer. This must a dream of some kind.
Willow jumps back when she turns around. Angel has managed to walk up behind her when she was looking at Buffy. His proximity to her makes her uneasy, she takes a step back, and then another until the edge of the bed is blocking her way.
He keeps coming and she must crane her head up to see his face. He looks down at her and smiles. As she gazes at him, his face shifts into its demonic counterpart. She risks to a glance toward Buffy for help, Buffy sweetly smiles back at her. As she watches Buffy, Buffy's face also shifts.
This can't be happening - Buffy and Angel can't be vampires. Well, Angel already is but . Angel's rough voice interrupts her reasoning. "Well, Red, I guess who have gathered that Buffy has changed teams."
She stutters but manages a reply, "I didn't know we were picking teams."
At this, Angel pushes her back onto the bed, following her down with his own body. He straddles her to block her movements as she struggles. He holds both of her arms over her head with one of hand as the other gently caresses her bare shoulder.
He gives her the good news. "Not only are we picking teams Red, but you are next in line." With that his demon rears up and he goes for her neck.
Willow makes another plea as she feels his breath on her neck, "I always get picked last, ask Buffy." She feels the bed shift as Buffy crawls up the opposite side of the bed from where Angel is at her neck. She feels him shift his face so that he can see Buffy. Buffy runs her fingers through Willow's hair and the sensation the movement brings, terrifies her. Buffy runs one small perfect finger down her neck and says, "Why Willow, I'm insulted. Didn't you guess? I'm to one who picked you."
The laugh that comes from Buffy is hollow and awful, Buffy leans down to her ear and whispers, "I love you, Wil. You know that." And with that Buffy kisses her cheek with cold lips. Buffy lets the kiss linger and she touches the soft skin of Willow's cheek with her tongue. Willow is in shock at this point, she can only watch in horror. She hears a rumbling sound and realizes the Buffy is purring. That this beast who looks like Buffy is purring.
The beast looks across Willow at Angel's demon and the two meet directly above her in an open-mouthed kiss that seems like more of a bite. Willow feels her heart skip a beat and wonders if it will explode and spare her this fate. But as Buffy and Angel break apart they share a look and a smile and Willow knows that she is dead.
They bite into her on opposite sides at the same moment. Both of them purring like large jungle cats. Angel has slid to the side a bit so that now both he and Buffy are pinning Willow down with their bodies. He is able to release Willow's arms now; she's not going anywhere. Angel's hand is now caressing the back of Buffy's neck as she feeds.
Buffy has never felt like this, she is in awe of Angel's power, the power she now shares. She wants to roll around in it. Drawing at Willow's neck is like drawing a part of that power into her and as the sensation builds she draws ever harder. She feels the synchronization between Angel and her. They are drinking Wil's life down together, sharing in this intimate blood rite together. Buffy is amazed to suddenly realize that her hand is now caressing Willow breast almost as if to coax more blood from her now still body.
Angel pulls up and draws Buffy away with the hand on the back of her neck. He is in his human face and smiling brightly at her. He draws her demon face to him and runs his tongue over her forehead and down her still tiny nose. He kisses her mouth and they again share the bounty that was Willow. When he pulls back, she is also back in her human form. He whispers, "You are beautiful in any guise, remember that."
The words are so tender, so heartfelt and so incredibly misplaced as they lie there on top of a dead girl. The irony escapes Buffy and Angel hesitates to point it out. He moves to the matter at hand. He sits up and reaches for Buffy's wrist. He turns it to its most tender spot and bites. His teeth are sharp even as his face is beautiful. He is truly an angel of death she muses. He draws back as the bright crimson fluid begins to flow and he then guides her hand pressing it to Willow's lips.
Buffy is mesmerized by the act, as she looks at Willow's pale face, she worries that something won't go right. She wills her to move, to live but she stays still. Angel reassures Buffy as she feeds Willow. He moves behind her and rubs her back and her shoulders. He whispers encouragement to her and she suddenly feels Willow's lips purse. Soon she is nursing on Buffy's wrist to the point that it becomes painful. Angel seems to sense the pain and immediately draws Buffy's arm back from Willow. Willow whimpers at the loss but Angel gives her his own in Buffy's stead.
Feeling weak, Buffy lays her head down on Willow's breast as Angel continues to feed her. After a few more moments, Willow begins to move- one hand now snaking through Buffy's hair, while her other hand holds Angel's wrist to her mouth. Time passes and the three settle, quietly lying together as Willow tenderly licks at Angel's wound.
Buffy finally speaks. "Angel? Do we go again?" "No remember what I said, you are my mate that is why I took the pains I did with you. Willow is to be a member of our family. Our childe in many ways, that is why we both have fed her tonight."
Willow hears the odd conversation and while she isn't scared anymore, she is in denial - this is a dream. But she has never had a dream like this before. Lying entangled with both Buffy and Angel seems oddly comforting. Her mind always working, she thinks as she falls asleep - Maybe somebody slipped something in her drink at the Bronze?
The next time Buffy wakes, she can tell it is close to dawn. She looks over to find Willow fast asleep - more or less. She is pale but the wounds on her neck are already healing. She props herself up on one elbow and really looks at Willow.
She really is pretty with her red hair and her pale skin and the way her eyes light up when she knows something. Buffy thinks that is her most attractive feature - her intelligence. Buffy is glad that she will not lose the gift of Willow's intelligence, her loyalty and her companionship. With a kiss to Willow's forehead, Buffy grabs a robe from the bathroom. And goes out to find out what Angel is up to now.
With a yawn, Buffy enters the main room of their suite - such a nicer word than lair. She's hungry after feeding Willow. With no Angel in sight, she heads to the refrigerator. Suddenly, there are hands at her shoulders and she jumps about a foot. "Angel, what the.you scared me!" she laughs.
He smiles as he turns her around in his arms. "And what else would you expect from the Big Bad?"
"Well, not sneaking up on poor, defenseless girls for one thing" she says with her lip poked out in a pretty pout.
"Seems to me you've never been defenseless." He says while pulling her tighter and tighter against him. Enough to break a mortal girl's bones. He slips his hands up the outsides of her arms, over her shoulders until he has her around the neck. The look is his eyes is challenging - cold and hard.
If he wants a fight and it sure looks like he does, she is more than willing. Buffy knees him in the balls and flips him over using his own bulk against him. As soon as he's down, she's straddling him, his arms twisted at his sides. When he looks up he finds her in game face, her demon staring at him like a predator ready to strike. His own eyes glow as his arousal grows as he watches her this way.
She senses the slight change in his demeanor. She knows what he wants. She wants it too. In this guise, she is uninhibited. She is wild. She needs the violence of the act. She craves it. She rubs her groin into his erection, teasing them both with the contact. He shifts to his own demon visage as he roars and breaks free of her hold. She fights him as he pulls her under him but she delights in his dominance. If he could not do this - overpower her with his strength and fiercousity he would not be worthy of her.
He parts her robe with his hips as her thighs open to cradle him. She reaches to help him with his jeans and he plunges into her with no preparation other that the fight as foreplay. It is more than enough for either of them. She arches into him with every thrust, her eyes closed, are throat bared for him to take her in every way. With each movement she cries out until she is screaming his name and scoring his back with her nails.
As soon as his teeth enter her throat, she comes and her pleasure triggers his own and causes him to bite her even harder. He realizes that he has been very rough and lets up nursing her wound with his lips as his face shifts back to its handsome countenance. He raises up to look at her and finds her lying as still as death itself. For a split second he thinks that he has gone too far but she suddenly smiles a wicked smile, opens her eyes and says "that was nice, do I get breakfast now?"
Her playful mood is contagious and he is swept away after so many broody years, to be nestled in the floor with his true mate is like heaven. "Nice, nice is all it was?" he teases. "Sunday afternoons in the park are nice, church picnics are nice, my dear that was not nice."
She has a one-track mind. "And what about breakfast, I'm feeling all grouchy without it and I don't think bacon and eggs is going to give me my recommended daily allowance of hemoglobin that the government recommends for a girl my age."
She looks so earnest and sweet, it is hard to reconcile this side of her with the other that he has so recently encountered but it is just this dichotomy that makes her so special.
"Well, since you put it that way. With that he swoops her up unto the sofa and cradles her in his arms. With her robe open, his view is especially nice. And after all of those months of Broody Boy working up the nerve to even touch her.
He arches his own neck for her in a particularly feral way as they both begin to purr. At these moments, Buffy realizes that they are something entirely different - both of them. The alchemy of their histories, their destinies, their physical and metaphysical gifts mingled together - has created something more than simple vampire lovers. But right now that is all she wishes to be. She licks at his muscular throat and tastes a taste that is uniquely his own.
She wills her teeth to sharpen but her face to stay her own. That she is able to do so as a fledging speaks to her power. She bites down hard and quick and then lets her fangs retreat so that the blood pours into her mouth. It is like nectar to her but as she feels its potency hit her, she thinks it is more like heroin or opium.
As she pulls back, she asks, "Is it like that for you too?"
"Always with you" he says sincerely. And suddenly he seems more like a love- struck boy than a two-hundred-year-old master vampire.
She realizes that they are sitting where she last saw Xander the previous night. Her mind wraps around this new question. "Angel, what did you do with Xander?" She asks playfully.
He smiles like a schoolboy with a new toy. The joy on his face seems so pure until he laughs that wicked, dark laugh. He stands with her in his arms and carries her into their bedroom. "Get dressed, my love and I shall show you."
As she goes to her bags and boxes brought over from her house, he takes her by the hand and leads her to one of the two massive wardrobes in their dressing room. Opening the doors, she finds a closet full of clothes, all well within proper fashion for her new vocation.
She is thrilled but surprised, "When?"
He shakes his head and laughs once more, "It seems that Broody Boy had a fetish for leather."
"So it seems" she adds, "so, I take it that I'm not dressing for tea, huh?"
"Dress however you want, it's your party, my love."
After a long hour, Buffy finally arrives in the living room. Barefoot, dressed in tight fitting black leather hip huggers and a little black tee shirt that bares her belly. "You like?" she asks as she twirls around like a little girl in a party dress.
She has found Angel laying on the floor with his eyes closed listening to Pink Floyd. She can't help but remark "OK, this is not one habit that I would have guessed for you - in any mood."
Angel responds good-naturedly as he looks up at her leather-clad body. "It's nice to know I can still surprise you. Just wait - in two hundred years you pick up pretty varied interests."
Buffy laughs, "Yeah, I'm going to start buying collectable Marie Osmond Dolls off of QVC and fill the mansion with them. It's going to be great." She has him rolling in the floor and eating out of her hand.
She holds out her hand to him as he stands up still laughing. "My God, you are evil. I knew it. I can see it now, world domination via QVC."
He calms a bit but keeps a slight smile, "You know, it's hard to keep the Big Bad Momentum going with you around."
"And again I ask you is that a bad thing?" she ask prettily.
He shakes his head as he leads her back to the main room near the garage. There is another passage way here, this one leads to a main room with two doors off to one side. The main room is ventilated and clean but there is no furniture. You wouldn't know where on earth you were. They go through one of the closed doors and there is Xander. He is asleep, chained by one wrist to a small cot. The cot is clean and there is a table within each with fruit and water.
Buffy notices that there are several sets of chains and such all around the room. "Gee, hon, didn't know you were the whips and chains kind of guy."
"Remember what I said about varied interests. Anyway, you never know when you might need a place like this. But right now, this is more for effect than anything else. We can move him if you like. He's your baby."
Gazing down at the sleeping Xander, she smiles wickedly. She likes the sound of that.
Buffy is invigorated at the thought of having Xander at her mercy. As she thinks the possibilities, she sits down beside him on the cot and gently strokes his hair back from his face. He feels so warm and smells like that new baby smell in a way - a good way. She remembers dancing with him last night at the Bronze about how he became more aggressive and forceful as he danced with her. She liked the feel of him and adoration in his eyes.
Her eyes wonder to where her lover is leaning against the wall looking at her. She wonders at his comfort with letting her have Xander. He seems to read her thoughts, "Buff, it's OK, really. We are one. We share everything. Your pleasure is mine and mine is yours. Any power you absorb flows to me. I can't begrudge you a little fun anymore than I can myself."
Suddenly his eyes turn gold, "That's it though, we have Willow and we will have Xander. They are family, nothing, and I mean nothing is off limits with them. But that's as far as it goes, understand me, everything, everything you've got, everything you are stays inside this family. Do you understand?"
She nods, she understands. Until she was turned she had never thought about the possibility of cheating on Angel but from what she understands being with Xander or even Willow will not be considered cheating. They are essentially extensions of themselves, for pleasure, for companionship, for protection, for whatever the need might be. The more she thinks about it the more sense it makes to her. She reasons that it is really the same as always - with different rules.
"So what'll it be?" Angel asks as he tires of waiting.
"Well, since, I know in the end that he'll be OK, that he'll be with us. I feel better about playing with him a little."
"Playing?" Angel questions.
Buffy wrinkles her nose, "Can you think of a better term?"
"No, it's definitely in the recreational category."
"I think I would like to give him a little scare, if it's OK with you." She says tentatively.
He smiles at whatever she has in mind, "Oh, I'm game."
She takes a deep breath and grins. She walks over to the wall and rips the neck of her tee shirt. She then takes her delicate wrist and places it in one of the shackles hanging off of the wall. She smiles wickedly at him and gestures for him to come to her. She has his attention now. He's always been a sucker for drama.
"OK, first I want you to hit me. Hit me hard on the face so he'll be able to see the bruise."
Angel smiles, she can see his fangs. "My lady likes it rough." He says teasingly. He makes a fist and punches her hard. He doesn't hold back. She needs to learn that with Angelus, you get what you ask for. The back of her head hits the wall and she feels her eye beginning to swell already. He can tell that she's a little shaken. He is interested in what she's going to do next.
"OK, now wake him up and as soon as he's alert, vamp out and bite me. Don't let on that I'm not - you know - alive and well. Play it up as big as you want. Then just follow my lead. Like you said, we'll see where it goes from there."
Angel waves a disinterested hand in front of Xander as he turns back toward Buffy and vamps out.
The first thing that Xander hears is a scream. It sounds familiar and he fights his way to consciousness. As he comes to he sees Buffy standing against a wall. Her face is bleeding. She's been hit pretty hard and by the look of it more than once. She is screaming. He has never heard her scream in fear before. She is pleading for her life. In all of their battles, he has never seen her like this.
As soon as his brain sorts all of the information out, he jumps to try to help her, but he finds that he is restrained in some way. He looks down and sees that he is handcuffed to a metal cot.
Her next scream draws his attention again. He sees her attacker. He is bending over her, laughing. "You are mine, Slayer. Don't forget it" the vampire snarls. The vampire bites into her neck as she continues to fight.
Xander can see the vampire's hands snaking up under Buffy's shirt as she struggles and cries out. He cannot stand to see this, he screams out at the vampire, "You Bastard, Stop Tormenting the Girl, if you want to pick on someone try someone your own size."
The vampire turns, Xander recognizes him immediately. It's Angel. What's happened he thinks? He isn't able to reason through it. "Angel, Angel what the hell are you doing, stop for God's sake."
Angel, in game face, laughs at him. Xander is frightened. He has faced vampires many times with Buffy but nothing has prepared him for this. Angel's demon has an intelligence in its eyes that is devastating.There is something compelling about him, as if you will lose yourself at you stare at him for too long.
Even his game face is different, still handsome in an odd way - symmetrical, frightening - his eyes - glowing gold, his teeth white and sharp. While most of the vamps he has fought have come out of the graveyards, dirty and thoughtless. This creature is dressed in expensive black loafers, faded jeans and a black silk shirt. He has survived centuries and has a demeanor that says he will survive many more.
The creature snarls at him while Buffy cowers behind him, blood dripping down her neck from the open slash in her throat. "So, our little man has woken up from his beauty rest. I would advise you to stay out of my business, boy." Angel reaches forward and backhands him.
"Angel, stop." Xander screams.
Angel laughs and morphs into his human guise. "I'm sorry. We haven't been properly introduced. I am Angelus, also known as the Scourge of Europe. Blondie over here did me the favor of breaking that pesky curse that's been troubling poor Angel all these years. I was just thanking her."
At this prompt, Buffy decides to join in. "No, Angel! I love you. Don't do this! I love you so much. Please."
Angel turn and slaps her again, "Shut up, you slut. You'll get what you deserve and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
She cries out to Xander. Her appeal for help breaks his heart. He struggles to break free and help her.
Angel has turned his face back to Buffy. All Xander can see is the hulking back of the big man. He does want to imagine what he is doing to Buffy as he hears her moan.
As Angel turns, he smiles at her and for a moment, he sees a glint of gold in her eyes. He winks at her and nuzzles his head into her neck and growls. She lets out a whimper and then a moan as he gently licks her wound clean.
She whispers in the ear closest to her mouth, "Stop it! He'll see. I'm about to laugh. Now listen, while we've got his attention make me take some of your blood and then leave us for awhile."
He growls and pushes his lips to her mouth, as he draws away he whispers, "Whatever the lady wants..."
Xander is anxious, Buffy is too quiet. He is scared that she is loosing too much blood. He has got to think of a way out of this.
Angelus draws back. He has her blood on his lips. "Buff, what am I going to do with you?" He asks in a sarcastic tone. "Don't bother answering, it's a rhetorical question." He laughs at his own jest. He backs away a bit further as if to address both Buffy and Xander.
"Now here's the plan, I am going to give Buff here, a little surprise and then I'm going to leave you children for a while." He comes closer to Xander and gestures towards the fruit on the table. "She's going to get hungry in awhile and I'm counting on you to feed her." The last comment makes no sense to Xander but he thinks, Angelus is crazy anyway.
Xander watches as Angelus nears Buffy again. She is quiet and pale as if the fight has been drained out of her. She whimpers and turns her cheek as Angelus nears as if she is readying herself to be struck again. Angelus gently takes hold of her cheek and turns her face forward, looking toward her with compassion.
"Angel?" she questions.
"No baby, not Angel, something better. Something much better" he teases. He smiles a wicked smile and she has to fight not to return it. "Just call me Daddy," he whispers as he rips his shirt open and makes a deep cut on his chest.
Xander cranes his neck to see what is passing between them. When he realizes Angeles' intention, he screams, no, over and over again. But Angel only laughs.
Xander can only watch in horror as Buffy tries to turn her head away as Angelus presses her face to his chest giving her no chance to escape taking his blood into her mouth.
The feel of Buffy's eager tongue is heaven to Angel and he turns a bit to obscure the boy's view while he closes his eyes in ecstasy. He stifles a laugh as Buffy cries out "No, Angel, No!" His little actress.
She seems to read his mind and decides to torment both he and the boy at the same time. He feels her month curve into a smile right before she cries out again. Only this time, she says, "Yes, Yes, Yes!" He decides that she has watched the diner scene in When Harry Met Sally a few too many times. She stops any pretense of struggling and slides her strong arms around his back pulling him closer.
Before he can guess what she will do next, she straddles one of his thighs and begins to rub suggestively against him. Faster, and faster she moves while drawing on his chest. His demon comes forward again and he has to raise her face to kiss her again and again. He feels her fangs graze his tongue. "Careful babe, don't let the cat out of the bag quite yet." She laughs at his warning, and continues on.
Xander is devastated, he has been unsuccessful in helping Buffy and now. Now, he must watch this. It is killing him to see her being poisoned by this demon. He always knew that her involvement with Angel would come to no good. But never did he imagine this.
To Xander's increasing horror, he can feel himself becoming aroused by the sight in front of him. He can't turn away no matter how much he wishes he could. He has wanted her for too long. He has to remind himself that this is not good, not good at all. He can see Buffy arching into Angeles at a faster and faster pace. He realizes that he has begun to move his own hips in time with hers. Somehow, they are both seducing him at this point.
Angel and Buffy both smell the human's arousal and hear the increase his heart rate and his breathing. It turns them on further and they forget about their carefully staged performance. Buffy breaks the cuff holding her to the wall and puts both of her arms around Angel. Soon her legs follow suit and she feels his hands unlacing her pants and unzipping his own as she braces herself against the wall.
Angel lifts her and impales her with one deep thrust. She screams out in pure pleasure and begins to ride him at a frantic pace. His hands cup her rear and help to steady her movements. Ultimately holding her in place while they both explode.
Xander is watching the beautiful pair - a study in contrasts - light and dark, petite and muscular, good and evil - melding into one. He is totally mesmerized. He cannot look away. He has ceased to try. When he sees them strain together one final time, both screaming out in ecstasy, he comes too. He is too exhausted by their performance to even be embarrassed. He closes his eyes as he tries to gather his thoughts.
Angel gently pulls out of Buffy and zips up his pants. Buffy slides to the floor when he releases her. He leans down and kisses her on the cheek and whispers - "one hour" before turning and walking out of the room.
The sound of the lock sliding into place is the next sound he hears. He looks up and Buffy is huddled in the floor, whimpering. She looks up and they make eye contact. She crawls the distance to his cot and says, "Quick, give me your hand, we don't know when he's coming back."
Xander holds out the hand that is chained to the bed frame and she breaks it quickly. As soon as he is free, he gathers her into his arms as he begins to speak. He wants to know how it happened that Angelus is back and how they came to be in this room. He asks where Willow is? Buffy evades answering all his questions. She is quite content to be held in his strong arms, nuzzling and sniffing his neck, feeling his heart pound.
This is good she thinks and she nuzzles even closer. He suddenly jumps a bit as if something has just occurred to him. "Oh God, Buffy, here I am going on and on, and you - you must be in shock. Here -" he says as he stands them both up long enough to wrap the blanket that has been on the cot around her thin shoulders. He then rips the pillowcase and dips a piece of cloth into the water on the table. He begins to gently wash her face.
He looks in her eyes to try to draw her out but somehow when he looks at her, he has a flashback of sorts. He is watching she and Angel together. But in his mind's eye, it is he who is driving into her unmercifully over and over. He tries to clear his head even as he feels himself becoming aroused by the picture.
He starts to feel a little desperate and he fears that he is losing her. She is so cold. He reasons that she must be in shock from the blood loss. He holds her face in his hands and looks into her eyes again. "Buffy, Buffy - you have got to hang on and help me here! What can I do - just tell me, what can I do?"
This time, Buffy takes the bait. She draws away from him and cries, her face in her hands. "Oh Xander, you just don't know, you just don't know" she sobs.
He rubs her back and tries to reassure her. "Buffy, I was here. I saw it. I saw him hurt you. I'll try to not let it happen again. Now tell me what can I do? You're freezing and your pulse is so weak I can hardly find it."
"It's too late," she says slowly. After what she considers a dramatic pause, she raises her face from her hands. He sees her vampire visage and gasps in horror, then fear and then ultimately in guilt. He doesn't know very much about the mechanics of turning someone. He thinks back to Angelus forcing Buffy to drink his blood. That must have been it.
Now he is in shock himself. She is crying harder than ever now and she flings herself back into his arms. He can do nothing but hold her. Abruptly, she draws away from him. She looks up at him and implores him to stay away from her. "Xander, I can't control the demon for long. I am so weak, so cold, so hungry. I'm scared I'm going to hurt you."
She shutters for effect, as tears fall from her eyes. "Xander, listen to me, you are going to have to kill me - check - do you have a stake in your coat? You have to kill me before I hurt you."
Looking at him, he reminds her of a deer caught in the headlights. There is no way that he can manage to do what she is asking. He has already failed her once tonight, he won't kill her a second time - no matter that she is not even herself. He has never heard a vampire beg to be killed or even seen a vamp move away from a potential victim before. Her behaviors confuse him and her tears are breaking his heart.
Angel sits in front of a screen in the room next to the one where Buffy is playing the boy like a fiddle. He is impressed by her little show but after all, she is his mate in every way. Anything less and he would be disappointed.
Xander's mind is running at about a thousand miles an hour. He figures that Willow is already dead and that as soon as Angelus returns, he will be too. With Buffy collapsed in the corner in tears, he really can't envision taking on Angelus by himself, much less winning. He reasons that if he is going to die that he rather die by her hand or by her demon than by Angelus.
Before he can lose his nerve, he calls out to her. "Buffy, I've made up my mind, I want." he stutters, "I want.I mean, it's OK if you.I would rather it be you." He takes in another deep breath, "I mean, I want you to, you can.it might give you enough strength for you to fight him. To get away."
This declaration is music to her ears, his sweet sacrifice to her demon. She can almost hear Angel laughing. She gathers up all of the vampire glamour she has and projects it outward. Where has she learned this trick? Who knows? Another gift she guesses or just plain instinct.
When Xander sees her look up from her tears, he is struck by the wild beauty that is Buffy. He feels himself drawn up into her eyes again but this time the feeling has increased one hundred- fold. He can think of nothing but surrender.
Angel smiles from his seat, he is enjoying the show immensely. Bravo Buffy! Bravo! Watching her play with the boy is divine fun.
Buffy is crawling to him, still too weak to stand. He rejoices as she approaches him. He sees this as a bit of a victory for him. Angelus is expecting to kill him but he will come back to find a different picture with a renewed Slayer and he already gone. This is the only way he can see to defeat the bastard in some small way.
He instinctively realizes that once he fully surrenders to Buffy, everything will fade away, all of this nightmare will be gone forever. Part of him has always wanted Buffy. Perhaps this isn't the way he pictured it in his fantasies but at least it is her, it is Buffy.
She has stopped crying now and is looking directly at him as she makes her way to him. He forgets that he could come to her that she has freed him. He simply sits and waits for her to take him.
When she reaches him, she raises to her knees and smiles. She tilts her head to the side like a little girl studying something that interests her. Her hand reaches out to softly stroke his face. In a childlike voice, she whispers "So pretty, you are so pretty". She touches his lips. "Will you kiss me Xander? Will you kiss me like you love me?"
He nods. It seems speech has abandoned him. He leans forward and they meet in the middle. He feels as if he is falling, the ground spinning underneath him. He grabs hold of her shoulders to try to anchor him to something solid.
He numbly feels her cold hands slide up his chest, pulling apart his coat and his shirt to get to his skin. He franticly helps her pull off the offending articles. She continues to kiss him as she peels off her own clothes. He runs his hands to her elbows, pulling them both up as he takes his jeans off. Once they are pressed flesh to flesh he sits back down on the cot, pulling her to straddle him.
She immediately comes down on him. The friction is heaven. He arches his neck to her, an offering to a goddess. A slight sound distracts her from her movements and he cries out in protest when she ceases her gyrations.
He looks up to see Angelus standing behind Buffy. Game face on, shirt off. He smiles an evil smile, as he reaches down encircling Buffy's neck with his fingers. He bends down to Buffy's ear, "Looks like Buffy's been a bad girl, playing with her lunch. We just can't have this Buff. You are going to have to learn some manners if this is going to work out."
She wrinkles her nose in worry, pleading, "No, No.anything, what do you want me to do, just don't hurt me."
He begins to massage her neck and licks the side of her face. She loves the feel of him pressed up against her while she still holds Xander inside of her. The pleasure is too much; she can't maintain the act any more.
She stretches the length of her neck out over Angel's shoulder as she begins to roll her hips once again. Xander can't help himself, in this position, her breasts are held like an offering before him. As he begins to kiss her breasts, Angel bites into her neck again. As Xander presses up into her, Angel presses against her back. She can feel his hardness. She revels in her feminine power as never before as all three of them come together.
Angel licks her wound and lifts her off of Xander. Turning her, he places her to sit between Xander's legs on the low cot. He kneels in front of her, his pants are open and he immediately slams into her. Xander is still sitting directly behind her, his own legs on the outside of her own. Unbelievably, he is getting hard again as Buffy's rear is now cradling him. Briefly, he wonders if this is how Angelus plans to kill him - with sex.
Every time Angel slides into her, her cheeks caress and tease Xander. Angel is well aware how the boy is responding to the activity. Still, the boy's inhibitions are stifling him and in turn, causing he and Buffy to miss out on the possibility of some more pleasure. Angel makes eye contact with the boy over Buffy's head.
He is urging Xander to come out and play - to reach, to take, to taste. Xander tries to resist feeling like Angelus is somehow peeling away his humanity like an onion. Finally, Xander can't even remember why he is fighting.
Xander's hands come up from behind Buffy to cup her breasts while Angel's hands are suddenly running up Xander's inner thighs every time he enters Buffy. The contact shocks and arouses Xander even more and he begins to move in time with Angel's thrusts.
Buffy is screaming now but in pleasure. She reopens the earlier cut on Angel's chest with her nails and begins to lick at his wound as the two men in her life rub up against her - hot and cold.
Xander and Angel come at the same time, their masculine pleasure somehow tied together now. It is like nothing Xander has felt before.
Finally, the sensations fade. Buffy is lying back against his chest. Perfectly sated, her eyes are closed. He realizes that she is purring, as she lies cradled by his body. When Angelus slips out of her, she draws her legs up and curls into Xander's lap like a kitten.
Angelus surveys the scene and what he sees appeals to his vampire sensibility. He finds the scene of the two oddly domestic and comforting. It has been a long time since he has had a true family.
The boy's eyes are closed as he holds Buffy to him. His love for Buffy is obvious and it is this love that ultimately redeems him in Angel's eyes. He intends for this boy, who will soon be a man, to be his Second. To be bound to protect Buffy with his life and with his cunning. Angel sees the seeds of this devotion and he is pleased.
He was much younger when he made his first family. He made the mistake of thinking that you could bind people to you through fear. Buffy has made him realize that love is stronger. Much stronger.
He looks at the boy and compels him to open his eyes. As Xander looks back at him, he pulls away all the veils from the boy's mind. Angel has also learned that the ties that bind are stronger still if the person makes the choice of his own free will. Yes, they have played with the boy's emotions. Teased him a bit - even given him a taste of what can be had. The boy is lucid now. He is capable of making the decision himself.
When Xander looks into Angelus' eyes, he knows what the demon is asking. No words are required. Half of the only family Xander has ever truly possessed, he holds in his arms now. The other half.
As soon as his thoughts move to Willow, Angelus speaks, "Resting peacefully". Xander understands the connotations of the comment all too well. All that he has ever loved and all that has loved him are here in this place, in this world now. Understanding this, with Buffy so concretely in his arms makes the decision simple. For him there no choice, really, where these two are, so he goes as well.
Angelus sees his victory in the boy's eyes. He still wants something more. "Say the words. I want the words, boy."
Xander opens his mouth, his throat is dry, and he struggles with the words. Finally, he whispers, "Yes, Yes." At that, Buffy, whom he thought to be sleeping, cranes up her neck and gently kisses him on the cheek. The gesture gives him courage and he arches his neck to the side.
Angelus can't help but laugh at the stereotypical movement. "Calm down, boy. Since you're willing we can do this with a bit more finesse." At that, Angelus winks at him.
Xander is surprised. He has never encountered this side of Angel before. Then he thinks to himself - Hello? Understatement of the year!
Angelus stands. He is beautiful. As much as any man can be. Michaelangelo's David. It reminds him of this refrigerator magnet at Buffy's where David is wearing jeans. He gently pulls Buffy out of Xander's arms and into his own. He looks down at the boy and whispers "Rest now".
Xander awakes. For the first second or so, he is delivered from his fate by those divine moments when everything is still fuzzy and coming into focus. Soon enough it all comes crashing back including his consent to join Angelus' little family.
He realizes that he is not alone. It is Willow lying quietly on her side. Her hair is a shock of even deeper red as if to evidence her change. Her pale, even features seem the same as always. It is rare to see this beloved face when it is not animated with some thought or feeling. Just the sight of Willow, lying so still beside him is enough to solidify his bargain with the devil himself. He cannot leave this girl anymore than he could leave an arm or a leg.
He is drawn from his thoughts as she stirs beside him. He watches her intently, instinctively knowing that when she wakes she will be dangerous. He surmises that indeed this might be the plan, to give him to Willow. Well, so be it, he thinks. Better she than Angelus.
"It'll be OK, really. Just relax."
Xander looks up to see Buffy standing at the foot of the bed. She seems greatly changed since he last saw her. She is not bruised or battered not nor does she seem to be under any kind of duress. He sits up and looks around the room for Angelus but finds only Buffy.
"He's out. He's gone to Giles' apartment to pick up some things. Honestly, I've never been particularly interested in Giles' musty old books and artifacts but Angel seems to think that some of the items might be useful to us or at the very least, safer in our hands."
Wearing only a black, silk pajama top skimming the tops of her thighs, Buffy climbs on the opulent bed and crawls to him, opposite Willow. He tries to look calm but he feels like a rabbit caught by a fox. At least she is a beautiful fox he thinks. But - after all of his teenage fantasies - this particular one of death by sex- never came up once.
A movement on the other side of him draws his attention. It is Willow. She is in full game face. She looks confused. She looks to him and Buffy like she is going to speak but just as suddenly focuses in on Xander. The sight of this boy - this warm, beautiful boy beside her - draws her attention. She recognizes the boy inspite of her hunger and confusion. Her hand reaches out and caresses the warm bend of his neck.
Buffy is fearful that in her current state, Willow will tear into him. "Willow - No!" Willow looks to Buffy. Willow's demon recognizes her sire and pulls back from Xander.
Before anything further can be said, the door opens and Angel walks into the room. "Well, hello children, miss me?"
It is obvious to Buffy that Angelus has come to the fore again. The look of sensuous, mischievous delight on his face is not an "Angel" look at all. Buffy feels his anticipation and carnal delight run through her as well. She imagines that Willow must feel the same connected as they are.
Willow - still confused, still hungry - continues to look to Buffy and then to Angel for direction. Angel gives a slight nod and she quickly turns to Xander. He is staring at her with wide eyes. He doesn't seem to be able to draw his gaze away from her face. Unexpectedly, Xander sees tears falling from the green eyes that he recognizes. "Oh, Xander." she says. "I'm hungry, I'm so hungry." And with that, he pulls her into his arms, her bare back to Angelus.
Making eye contact with Angelus, he deliberately guides Willow's face to his neck. While she continues to sob in his arms, unaware or uncaring that they both are nude, Xander maintains eye contact with Angelus. He is determined to face this monster until he is dead and can face him as only another monster can.
Holding the boy's gaze, Angel walks to the side of the bed where Buffy is perched and comes to sit behind her, pulling her into his lap. He knows what the boy is thinking as only another male can. For the boy's benefit, he deliberately runs his hands possessively up Buffy's body to her breasts. The action brings back memories of their encounter earlier in the day. The boy needs to remember who is king of this castle.
The sight of Angelus handling Buffy so casually further angers Xander even as it arouses him. As Angelus leans down to kiss Buffy's throat, he reaches into Xander's mind once more and slowly rips something away.
Willow continues to cry as Xander screams, "What, what did you this time you coward. Are you afraid to face me without your little tricks?"
Angel laughs. "No, my boy, it's not a trick, it's you. I simply let something out. Something that I've glimpsed at once or twice. You see, you're not as pure and noble as you think. You just need to loosen up and live a little."
Xander struggles to resist. Whatever Angel did, makes him want to give in. He realizes that he is now running his hands up and down Willow's back and it feels so good. Buffy catches his eye as he continues to touch Willow.
The two combined - Buffy and Willow - the wild and the sweet, the warrior and the witch - the two he loves - it is too much for him to fight. His love for them is pulling him under. When he looks into Angel's eyes, he feels aggression and the struggle for dominance but when he looks in Buffy's eyes all he feels is lust and the need for possession like never before.
His heart picks up speed as he gets lost in Buffy's eyes. The sound excites Willow's demon as she seeks out his pulse. For Willow, everything coalesces at once - her hunger, her confusion over waking up so obviously changed and her love for Xander. It is too much for her to bear and she is seduced by her own desire.
The feel of Willow's fangs driving firmly into his neck is an ecstasy he has never dreamed of before. His surrender to her is complete and willing. He gives his life to her freely and perhaps that is what makes it so sweet. In his mind, she is taking nothing. He is only giving and while she seems the aggressor, in truth he feels he is the one violating her as his hands wander over her body. He feels her warming with his blood and somehow, he feels powerful. He is giving her life as if he is her sire.
As Willow feeds, she comes back to herself. By the time she is fully alert, she instinctively knows that it is too late for Xander that she has already taken too much. Another part of her knows that her fate is his own and this part of her rejoices. She continues to feed until Buffy gently pulls her away.
Willow's face is her own now as is her mind. She looks at Buffy and begins to cry again. Buffy pulls Willow into her arms, rocking her as a mother would rock a child, humming softly to her. She whispers that everything will be fine. She is here now, they are together.
Angel surveys the two females, both huddled together in his arms, lost in giving and seeking comfort. He looks to the pale boy. It is time - a few minutes more and it will be too late. Some remnant of his soul seems to rear up in response to the sight of the two women. He does not have the heart to interrupt them at this moment. He decides to go on and give the boy his own blood rather that pull the two away from each other.
Moving to cradle the boy in his arms, Angel bites his own wrist and holds it to the boy's mouth. As soon as the powerful blood touches the boy's lips, he rouses. The boy takes hold of Angel's wrist with a sudden fiercosity that surprises him. The boy draws hard on the wound, biting into it with his still blunt teeth.
The boy's eyes are open - another shock for Angel - fledglings do not react like this in the first moments of their turning. Most are little more than dead things. But with this boy, it is as if his body, his spirit immediately recognize the dark power and seek it out. As Angel looks into the boy's eyes, they are beginning to glow yellow - another oddity.
It is only after the dark blood has time to work its magic that any of the gifts of the demon come to the fore. Even Buffy slept through the better part of the first day after her turning and still, she is exceptional. It seems that the qualities and gifts that made these children exceptional as humans are following them into their next lives. While Angelus does not like any kind of surprises, any sort of power attracts him and this boy's reactions to the dark gift point to power. Power that will be in his family and at his command. Angelus smiles at the thought.
While the boy continues to attack his wrist, making him weak, he looks over to Buffy and Willow. Red has stopped crying and the two women are looking at him and the boy with great interest. Their eyes hold a look of wishing to approach but it is clear that both are hesitant. He gives his consent and they come.
Upon the women's approach, the boy ceases his frenzied feeding and looks up with glowing, yellow eyes in the midst of his human face. Angel's blood is covering his lips and he is at once a terrifying sight. While he has had more than an ample amount of blood from Angel, he craves more. He recognizes both the women. He wants both women. Now.
Xander launches himself out of Angel's arms and towards both women. He lands with his body on top of the delicately boned females. He growls as he bites into Willow's throat with blunt teeth. Buffy rolls to her side to come to Willow's defense but is stopped by Angel's silent hand.
Angel knows that you do not come between a hungry dog and his dinner or a vampire and its mate. While he does not fully comprehend what is passing between the two pale forms on the bed beside them, he knows that it would not be prudent to interrupt on any account. He lies on the far side of Buffy and pulls her into his arms. He has always been a bit of a voyeur and he is interested in observing the goings on between Willow and Xander.
Buffy turns her attention back to her own mate and sees the damage caused by Xander's attack. She gingerly picks up Angel's wrist and licks the wound clean with her own tongue. Knowing that he needs blood, she draws his mouth to her neck, offering herself. The tender gesture almost undoes Angel.
Somehow, Angel has ceased to be the puppet master and is simply another player. While Angelus would have raged at the changing dynamic, this new Angel is content to watch things play out. Again, he reminds himself that love is the tie that binds the tightest and to love one must make oneself vulnerable, one must risk all to have all.
Willow lies yielding underneath Xander. This new Xander is lying naked on top of her. This one fact is more startling than the others combined. She can do nothing but cradle him in her arms while he feeds. He has calmed since he first bit into her. His hands are in her hair and she feels his erection pushing at her. She curves her body to accommodate him more fully.
While Xander is absorbed by the feel of her blood, he is equally aroused by the feel of her body under his own. He feels her moving to shape herself against him and moves with her. This sexual need absorbs him beyond his need for blood and he raises his head from her neck. He sees her torn skin beginning to heal before his eyes. Once he is assured that she is well, he plunges into her.
She is tight - a virgin - the thought of her virgin blood smeared on her thighs - excites him even more. He places his hands under her to tilt her to his satisfaction and drives into her again and again. He gives no thought to her willingness, it is assumed.
All Willow can do is take and take and take. She feels like her whole life and death have led to this one moment. She holds onto him with her limbs as tightly as she can, all that matters is this. If the demon is what has delivered him into her arms then she welcomes it.
As the sun sets, the four figures on the bed are entwined in pairs, one dark and light, one dark and red. Each pair is equally compelling. The males are on either side of the females in the ancient way of providing protection against any unknown attacker. The two women between the two males are holding hands.
Suddenly, the silence is broken as the fledging male bolts up in game face with a howling, otherworldly roar.
The fledging male bolts up in game face with a howling, otherworldly roar. His companions come immediately to attention. The sharing of blood and the resulting connections cause each to keenly feel his agitation. The fact that no spoken communication is needed to relay his distress is a positive turn because he is hard pressed to find words as he struggles with his demon.
Angel has never encountered a young vampire of this amount of strength and rage. He has already taken twice as much blood as a normal mortal during his turning. Not only that but the demon took hold of the mortal immediately twining around his being in a way that Angelus years has never seen in all his. While the fledging is immensely powerful, he is still a babe to their ways. Angel acknowledges this fact to himself as he acts quickly.
Angel knows that he must appease the demon's hunger before the boy - no, the man - can hope to grasp control from the demon. Still, Angel is the sire and the head on this family. It is his lone responsibility to steer them through this unforeseen event. With one motion to Buffy, she and Willow make their way out of the room, backing out slowly not turning their backs on the unpredictable raging demon in their presence.
Once the women are gone, Angel shifts to game face. The demon recognizes his sire. Vampires are pack animals at heart and until his sire shows weakness, the demon childe will follow his sire for the hunt and after. Angel stands, careful to not turn his back on his childe even as he weighs his confidence that Alexander Harris will follow him. As nothing else has followed the normal path with him, he is going to take nothing for granted.
Alexander Harris stands as well as. The turning has developed his musculature beyond that of a seventeen year old boy. That is unless said boy is massively abusing steroids. He is now a match for Angel in stature. With their dark hair and golden eyes, they are the very picture of demonic brothers.
Angel turns to Alexander, his voice low and rasping as he speaks through his fangs. "Can you understand me, brother?"
Alexander nods as he looks intently at his sire. He is breathing heavily. He is in pain, he feels as if he is starving - not only for blood - but for carnage as well. His mouth manages to form one word, "Hunt."
Angel nods, "Hunt." Oh Dear God, this one makes Spike look like a choirboy.
"We will hunt but we can't go out this way. Two naked vampires will cause a stir even in Sunnydale."
Alexander does not laugh at Angel's jest. He again comes to stand directly in front of his sire. He is growling now, his face in a perpetual sneer.'
"Ok, Ok Buddy. Let me get something to satisfy you for the moment." Angel opens a cabinet hiding another refrigerator and pulls out two blood bags. He tosses one to his childe and keeps one for himself. They both tear into the cold blood, each finishing in seconds.
The blood helps Alexander's control but it does nothing to subdue the demon. Angel remembers the feeling well. The demon is calling for the hunt, the kill - not only the blood. If his own demon had its way, he would always seek the same.
Angel throws down his snack, and reaches the wardrobe. He tosses some of his own clothes toward his childe. They dress quickly neither taking their eyes off the other. Soon both are dressed in similar attire - black boots, black jeans, black leather coats.
"We'll take the Rover and go to the waterfront. There are people there that won't be missed. Hell, the world may be a better place without them. Now, try to pull down your game face, can you?" His companion looks confused. Angel clears his own features, "Try, make it so."
The sight of his sire's human countenance pulls Xander's memory up though his demon's hunger, "Angel?" he questions as his face also shifts.
Angel extends his hand, "Alexander" he acknowledges. His childe reaches out tentatively and shakes his hand in a firm grip. The touch is staggering, surprising both. Power jumps back and forth between them, a palatable force. The power and its seductive allure overwhelm the fledging. He moves quickly, pushing Angel's back up against the wall. He crushes his mouth into Angel's. It is less of a kiss and more of a more intimate way to glory in the power they both share. Participating fully in this display, Angel is more than a little intrigued by this side of his newest childe. Who would have thought - this magnificent creature - out of the shell of that jumpy, nervous boy.
When they pull back an inch, they are in full game face. They nuzzle each other, scenting each other like animals. Alexander struggles to speak again, "Go now. please."
Hearing the plea, Angel finally turns his back on his childe satisfied that he is safe from attack - at least for the moment. His childe follows him out into the night.
Buffy has led Willow into the suite that she and Angel have claimed. After the near orgy next door, Buffy is somewhat relived to have her friend back in her right mind - more or less.
"Oh my God, Buffy. I mean, I get it the whole grrrr thing but Xander.it's like he's the grrrr-iest of all, ya' know?"
"I know. Don't worry Will. He's fine, Angel will take care of him, calm him down."
"Ummm, Buffy, I don't think he's going to need much taking care of. it's the rest of the world I'm worried about."
At that they both giggle like the schoolgirls that they so recently were.
On their way to the waterfront, Alexander asks for - no demands - a detour. Angel doesn't ask questions - he can guess. In this act, his childe is following his father - his new father - by murdering his parents.
Angel leans against the wall in the front hall of Harris home. Man, they have some bad taste. If Alexander didn't kill them, the fashion police would. He listens to the screams coming from the bedroom upstairs. He hasn't had this much fun in ages.
Xander is still well under layers and layers of blood lust but it is he - the lonely mortal boy - who lets this demon lose in the house he grew up in. He breaks their necks, he does not want any more of their blood than he already has. Once they are dead, he takes a few items, stuffs them in a pillow case and he's out to door with Angel.
Soon they are flying down the road with the sunroof and windows open, listening to Led Zeppelin on their way to hunt.
For those persons unfortunate enough to be haunting the waterfront bars on this starry night, it seems death has come to call. After the first rather messy kill, the two begin to hunt with more finesse. Playing with their prey. Enjoying having a partner, sharing in the kill.
After the forth kill in less the two hours, the blood lust seems to be clearing from Xander's mind. What he finds as it clears is a drastically changed landscape. His former foe has offered him more parental love and encouragement in the past hours than his father has in seventeen years. In the hunt, he has found confidence. He is not hiding behind a girl from monsters. He is a monster. His senses are a revelation. The power is a revelation. It is as if he is breaking out of a chrysalis. It is incredible.
Angel watches his childe with pride. This one is worthy of him, of the gift. He is pleased with his choice and presses himself to share this pride with Alexander. The sharing feels unnatural but he wishes to continue to bind his new family to him in different ways than before. Alexander accepts the praise, soaking it up like so much power. There is much unsaid between the two but in the face of their communion of blood nothing seems of any true consequence.
Back in the Rover, they drive back into town. Angel reaches out and clasps Alexander's hand. "I will call you Alexander. It is a conqueror's name. The women can call you what they will."
His childe repeats the name, "Alexander, yes, I like it. Nothing like a new name for a new life. Cher, Madonna, Prince .Alexander."
Angel laughs the old personality and wit is beginning to surface. It is good to see all the parts of the man come together. It would be dangerous to have a vampire this powerful unstable.
"Are you ready? Are you ready to face the women? When you woke, you gave us quite a scare. I must admit I wondered if you were going to attack. You looked as if you were surveying the room to take out the weakest first and little red looked like she was going to your appetizer."
"I would never hurt Willow, never."
Angel laughs darkly, "Don't underestimate yourself."
Buffy and Willow are sharing a bubble bath in Angel's bathroom. They have broken out the champagne and mixed it with blood. Each on an opposite side of the huge tub, they occasionally play footsie as they talk - Buffy finally catching Willow up on the past few days.
When the men arrive in the room they are treated to a happily domestic picture. Two rosy females, warm from the steaming water are there to greet them.
The foursome walking into the Bronze shouldn't have surprised anyone. They were all regulars and anyway, the red-haired one was dating someone in the band that was playing. But on closer inspection, something was different ---. Cordelia Chase is sitting alone by the bar, looking regal as always. While she is trying not to look too hard, she is surveying the crowd for Xander Harris with whom she is NOT HAVING A FLING! She senses some kind of change in the atmosphere before she spots him. He is with Willow as usual. But surprisingly Angel and Buffy are trailing them. She's surprised because those two are usually out in a moldy old graveyard about now.
Always one for fashion, she instantly surveys the girls in the group. Willow must have gone through Buffy's closet because she never shows so much skin and Dear God, it all matches! You've got to hand it to her, she's got a cute figure under those wooly sweaters. In brown leather pants and a revealing peasant blouse, she doesn't look half bad, if that was what you were going for.
Buffy is a little more put together than usual. Hence, no twigs in her hair. Although, she's never seen Buffy go for the Goth look before. As usual, her most outstanding accessory is the hulking figure behind her - otherwise known as Angel. Oh My God! He has a smile on his face. Well, Buffy must have finally decided to put out.
As has become her habit, she finally settles her vision on Xander Harris. She stops dead in her tracks. It's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers because she knows Harris and this is not Harris. She mentally figures when she last saw him - Friday at school. OK, not long enough to - to - to whatever he has done to himself.
If Willow broke into Buffy's closet, then Xander has most certainly broken into Angel's. Cordelia knows for a fact that Xander does not own a pair of leather pants. Much less of pair of custom-made, Italian leather pants, although she'll be the first to say that he should because he looks good enough to eat.
As he makes his way through the crowd, he leans over and whispers something in Angel's ear. Something about the gesture makes Cordelia's arms break out in goose bumps. The two men look through the crowd together, Angel's hand coming up to embrace Xander's back before the two break apart - Angel with the girls and Xander towards the bar.
As soon as Xander turns, he looks directly at her. His eyes immediately look directly at her as if the fifty feet or so doesn't separate them. He comes to stand behind her and orders a drink before he acknowledges her.
"Since when do you order a beer and get it?" she asks incredulously but when she turns around she ceases to speak.
What color are his eyes, she thinks. In their numerous make-out sessions, has she noticed? They have certainly not been this mystically golden hazel color before. This she would have noticed. If these are contacts, they cost a pretty penny.
He speaks as he takes a long drink of his beer, "Cordy" he says with a slight nod.
She knows that he has never called her 'Cordy' before, never been this informal with her. But she can't get past his voice. If his eyes are mesmerizing then his voice is something all together out of this world.
Oz is playing bass with the band. They have begun their last set of the night and he is anxiously scanning the crowd. He has been trying to call Willow for the better part of two days, with no luck. This is definitely not like her. With all of the strange stuff that she's involved in, he always worries a little about her. It amazes him how this smart, clear- headed girl is also this budding witch who hangs with a Vampire Slayer. Then again, he thinks, he is a werewolf. Can't throw stones.
When he catches her red-hair moving through the crowd, he sighs in relief. She's with Buffy and Angel. Wherever she's been, she's OK.
He tracks her as she heads out to the dance floor with Angel and Buffy. Come to think of it, he has never seen Angel out on the dance floor. Man, they are having a good time but he could handle it better if the vamp would be a little less familiar with his girl.
Oh well he thinks. Will can handle herself, plus she looks hot.
Angel is having a good time, actually an excellent time. When he and Alexander got back from the waterfront, he had planned to spend a quiet time with his little family but the girls had other plans and he could tell that Alexander has still up for the hunt. Far be it for him to be the party pooper. So, he finds himself at the Bronze, with both Red and Buffy grinding against him in time with the music. The earlier hunt, the women, the music and the smells surrounding him combine to make him a little drunk. All he can think is that it has been a long time.
The feel of Buffy behind him and Willow in front of him as they move to the music pull him out of any introspection and he gives in to the hedonistic feelings coursing through him.
As Xander leads her to the dance floor, Cordelia can't quite grasp what is going on, she's never felt this way before and she's been in his arms more times than she can count. She realizes that she should be royally pissed at him. He hasn't said five words to her since he walked in but here she is falling into his arms as the music slows.
He feels so good - familiar but different - and she can only fit herself more securely against him. She feels his head turn into her neck and he licks out at her neck with a cool tongue. A shiver runs through her and she holds on to him for dear life.
Alexander Harris cannot put into words the power that he feels coursing through him, the feelings that he is experiencing. He is at once more at peace and more confident than he has ever been. At the same time, he is being assaulted from every side with smells and tastes and sounds. He would like nothing more to binge on it all in a massive display of destruction. However, the man is now in charge of the beast and he is learning to channel his desires to more subtle pursuits - like the one in his arms.
What to do with this one? That is the question of the moment. She is like an annoying insect compared to his mate's magnetic beauty and mysticism. Maybe that's it. After he plays with her for a while, he'll let Willow have her. Sort of a small token of affection. He smiles at the thought as the bitch in his arms snuggles closer to him. She will be the perfect playmate with which to test out his new passions. Hey, he can finally see if her blood is blue.
Finally, the last set is done and Oz can find out what Willow is up to. The little show that she and Buffy put on was making him at turns both hard and irritated. Usually Willow comes up right after they are finished and talks to him while he breaks down equipment. Where the hell is she? He draws on his werewolf sense of smell, and scents the surrounding space and doesn't pick up anything that remotely smells like Willow. Must be getting a cold.
"Hey there, you."
He jumps at her voice. He turns to find her directly behind him.
"Scare you, much?" she asks brightly.
His head feels a little foggy - definitely a cold - maybe a werewolf cold if there are such things. "No, well yes, I don't know, I must be coming down with something." He looks thoughtfully at her, "You OK? You seem --- I don't know, different or something."
She shrugs her shoulders in that way she has, "Just the usual, you know, weirdness and all." She looks at him in a flirtatious way and says, "Very hush-hush, you know."
"You wanta go with?" she asks.
"Sure, where to?" he answers.
She laces her arm through his, "I don't know, how about a walk in the non- full moon?"
Angel is still dancing with Buffy, as he watches Willow depart with Oz.
"How quickly they grow up" he intones in her ear.
"I know, without even a word. You would think that we hadn't taught them any better." She says as she leans up to kiss his cool cheek.
Alexander Harris looks to the girl he has fawned over these past months. It fills him when a certain degree of disgust that he has preferred this petty girl to Willow. Willow - whose dark feminine power calls to him even now.
It was easy to get Cordelia into her car for a make-out session, and easier still to convince her to let him drive her little sports car.
He's going to use this quality time to test out some of his own powers. To this end, his sends her to sleep with a glance. Quiet, she is much more appealing especially with her long neck arched back like that. As he drives back to the lair, he thinks to himself - Oh yes, this is going to be fun.
Buffy and Angel have long since headed home to spend some quality time of their own. After two vigorous rounds of sex, they are cuddled up in the darkness.
"Buffy, Buff - don't go to sleep on me just yet. We need to figure something out first." Angel whispers.
She is suddenly more alert than she was the previous second, she knows what he is talking about. "I know, my mom."
"It's up to you, love. We just need to do it tomorrow night whatever it is. We don't need her looking for you."
"You said we didn't have to you know, kill her. I don't really want to. I understand about Xander. I mean, I've thought about killing his parents a time or two myself. But my mom, she's cool. She's not done anything but take care of me, you know?"
"Like I said Buff, it's up to you. No skin off my back one way or the other."
"So, what ---what are we going to do?"
"We'll be there when your mom gets in - 7:00 - right? You'll make nice for a couple minutes then I'll take it from there. I'll plant a kind of block in her mind. She won't worry about you. She just won't think of you period. If anyone asks about you, we'll program a general answer that you got early admission to college somewhere back east."
Buffy looks sad for a moment, "It's that easy? To erase someone's memory of someone they've loved?"
He smiles and draws her closer, even sharing his demon has not taken away all of her innocence. "Babe, it's as easy as taking candy from a baby."
While they walk, Oz can't help but feel more than a little distracted. It's like his werewolf senses are all stopped up. In such a short time, he has come to rely on those keen senses just like an eye or an ear. For whatever reason it's like something is interfering with his transmission.
"Hey - girlfriend, here!" Willow jests pulling him out of his stupor.
"Aaah, sorry. I'm a little discombobulated, it's like all of my senses - my wolf senses are all haywire. Anyway, no big. " Making an effort to focus on her, he asks, "So what was the deal with Angel tonight. Looked a lot less broody than usual. Actually, a little more touchy-feely than usual too."
"You think?"
"Yeah, I think."
"Well, he and Buffy --- he and Buffy are just getting along really well right now. Even he and ---he and Xander --- he and Xander are like getting along now."
Something strikes Oz as strange, Willow only stammers when she's hiding something. Oh well, like she said earlier 'hush - hush'. Never one to worry too much, Oz continues to walk with her letting her lead the way. It's nice to get out and not be cooped up in a locked cell. I mean, how demented is that?
He realizes that they have walked right into the middle of one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. "Gee, Will - hanging out with Buffy much? I've known you to lead the way to the library but never here before."
Willow turns to him with a flirtatious smile, "Oh I don't know, it's kind of romantic here. All moonlight and marble." With that she leans in to kiss him.
Immediately whatever is off tonight, is off again. Willow's kisses aren't Willow's kisses. And it can't be chalked up to some kind of werewolf cold. Willow kisses are sweet and just a little bit timid for the longest time. These kisses are carnal with Willow taking the lead - her hands in his hair, her tongue in his mouth.
While he is taken aback, another part of his wolf persona raises its head to meet her advances. It is he that pushes her to the ground to lie on top of her and shove his hands up under her loose shirt.
Somehow, the wolf's arousal overcomes whatever has been blocking his senses all night. At first, it doesn't come to him. It is hard to think with her arching up towards his own thrusts, only their clothes separating them. And then, it can't be ignored. His instincts have put it all together while his desire has held him.
Willow is dead, she is cold, her heart is not beating. She smells like a dead thing, more specifically a dead thing with Angel's own unique scent. He pulls back abruptly. Even though it is not near the full moon, the wolf growls at its foe.
"Oz?" she questions with her familiar voice. "You're scaring me."
Before he speaks he stands with the preternatural speed of the wolf, putting several feet between them as she pulls herself up. "Angel, it's Angel. He's turned you. Oh God, Will, No!" He sobs. He is grief- stricken.
Willow rises gracefully and walks toward him as he crumples back on the ground. Hands on hips, she tilts her head to one side and yawns as he continues to cry out. Oh well, she figures she should be flattered but it's getting late.
Looking down at him, she speaks. "Good for you, you're half right. Angel AND Buffy turned me."
This news rouses Oz and he looks up at Willow, "Not Buffy, I mean how.? Does Giles know?"
"Dead." Willow responds blithely.
The usual stoic Oz, folds back into himself whimpering like a wolf in a trap. This side of him holds little allure for Willow and she is losing patience. She crouches down beside of him and pulls him into her arms. He is beside himself with grief and allows her comfort without truly thinking about the risk. His mind cannot reconcile his Willow with what she has become.
Rocking him in her arms, she finally allows herself the luxury of showing her demon side. She wastes no time in biting deeply into his neck.
Upon feeling the attack, Oz's beast begins to fight its way up to the surface. Full moon or no, the creature will fight for its own self- preservation. Feeling the shifting muscle and bone, the demon draws back with a snarl. In what seems like mere seconds, the beast has fully changed and is charging at her.
Just as Oz's beast relied on instinct for self protection so does Willow's demon. Somehow, the mixture of Willow's own magical knowledge and talents and that of the aggregate of vampire knowledge so recently passed to her puts an unknown incantation in her mouth. She recognizes part of it as a binding spell.
As soon as the spell is out of her mouth, the Werewolf begins to shift again, until before her stands a wolf in truth not some sort of abomination between man and beast. The wolf growls at her demon, the demon growls back standing its ground. After a tense second, the wolf looks down bowing to the demon's dominance. It pushes its large gray head under her hand to be petted.
Willow and the wolf sit under the light of the new moon. The wolf with its head in her lap as she tries to make sense of what has happened.
In the early morning hours, each pair has claimed a suite and gone to sleep.
Buffy has decided that her favorite vampire ritual is one she knew little or nothing about as the Slayer. Being nocturnal predators, the days are reserved for what she considers true laziness. Being pack animals, they crave sleep and touch during the daylight hours. A great deal of vampire family hierarchy depends on touch and bonding. They might as well be a bloomin' troop of monkeys for all of the proprietary grooming they had engaged in. It is something each instinctually craves and to hear Angel tell it, the bonds that they had as humans only serve to amplify their attachments now.
Angel drives the hierarchy of their little family. He is surprisingly patient in schooling them. Buffy is learning that her role as his mate seems to come with a variety of rules and privileges. She is quickly learning that a mate in considered monogamous as long as all sexual situations are kept within their little circle. Angel explains that given a vampire's desire the additional variety actually helps with the longevity of relationships. The same dynamic applies to Willow and Xander, although she hasn't really compared notes at this point. Last night, she and Willow seemed to flow as they always had. She was glad to have her friend back.
As the afternoon wore on, they all struggle out into the main living area. Heating up mugs of hot fluid and turning on the TV. Soon both Willow and Angel are curled on the sofa looking through some of Giles' books. Seeing Willow with Angel is somehow satisfying as if giving evidence that their little family is solidifying. Both share an interest in prophecy and magic that she and Xander do not. Their pacing and flipping channels begins to distract Angel and it is he who suggests that the two go back to one of the bedroom and work off some of their energy.
Both she and Xander pause at the suggestion but a look at the golden flare in Xander's eyes intrigues Buffy to no end. Angel laughs that deep evil laugh of his and she can hear Willow and Angel laughing as they go.
Angel seems more than willing to share all with him. Her feminine curiosity compels her to prod into this dynamic but now is not the time
Xander. It is hard for her to reconcile the changes in him. He is the most changed of all. Angel has counseled her that each person reacts differently and many can't take it at all. They simply go insane. It is hard to quantify what alchemy has taken place with Xander. Since the change, he rarely speaks and when he does speak, it is to Angel. Enough of his wit and quick intelligence shows through to reassure her that he is well. There is a quality to Xander's demon that isn't present in Angel. It's a feral quality. Perhaps, she thinks, he will mellow with time. After all, Angel has been around a long time.
Xander shuts the door behind him as he follows Buffy into her room. He stalks her as if she is his prey. She is actually afraid. He speaks and his voice is familiar but rougher. The familiarity in his voice calms her. He is fast approaching her and she must admit that part of her is excited and more than ready to face this feral force that she has helped create.
Alexander catches the slight trepidation in her eyes and laughs. "What's the matter, Mommy? Don't tell me the Slayer is afraid of good ol' Xander. You know me; I'm always there to carry your books or your stakes. To dance with you when your boyfriend isn't around." He laughs as his eyes flash, "Don't you want to dance, Buffy?"
With that he pulls her close and leans down to rub his face next to her own. His touch is firm but not hurtful. Despite his harsh words, the contact reassures her that that there is still some sentiment there.
"You don't know how many times, the boy laid in his little bed at night thinking of you. Thinking of what it would be like to touch you, to take you. And you had no clue. What did you think I was? A eunuch? That you could smile at me, walk beside me, flirt with me --- dance with me - use me with no consequence? Did you ever once stop to think? I don't think so, Buff. I don't think so." He runs his hands down her back to her bottom, pulling her tight against him as he growls.
"Well Sunshine, it's time to pay the piper". And with that, he pulls her into a rough kiss, cutting at her lips.
The girl-part of Buffy is outraged and is crying out to fight back. But there is another part of her. A part of her that is submitting even now. A part that recognizes her connection to this vampire, that he is an extension of her mate. That he is an alpha male in this pack and that she is his to take. This part of her welcomes his attentions as her due.
The aggression of his kiss calls out to her demon and soon they are meeting in a fierce battle. Clothes are torn. Flesh is bruised. It is so unlike anything that she has experienced before. It is more of a territorial claiming than anything else is.
Finally once their immense energy has been spent and they lay on the bed, naked and quivering from exhaustion, does he reach for her and give her a gentle, heart-stopping kiss. His face now so handsome that to her he looks like Prince Charming. While Angel with his dark hooded eyes and cruel mouth looks like a highwayman, Xander looks like a gentle prince with his regular, even features. The changing has added a maturity to his looks that he would not have grown into for many years. Thinking of the two, it is impossible to judge which male is actually the most attractive. Both are very much to her liking.
Pulling back from her, he gathers the direction of her thoughts. Sarcastically he says "So, the slayer is thinking about what's she been missing." Buffy senses the hurt under the sarcasm. Soul or no soul, it touches her.
"Xander, no! I'm so sorry. I see now that I hurt you. I hurt you over and over. I am sorry. I've always loved you just not - this way. I mean, if I didn't want you with me --- if Angel hadn't known how important you were to me, then he wouldn't have --- turned you too." She whispers the last words as her small hands cup his dear face with his flashing topaz eyes.
"Do you --- do you forgive me for --- leading you into this?" She asks softly holding his face so he must look at her.
"Forgive you? Buffy, there isn't anything to forgive. Hell, I just had sex with you. If it hadn't been for Mr. Undead Guy in there, I wouldn't be here with you now."
"And you - you and Angel, --- you weren't his biggest fan, you know?"
"Well, times change. I guess I'm in a better position to understand him now, huh? The pot can't call the kettle black."
Xander rolls to lie on his back looking up at the ceiling as he tries to put his feelings into words. "It's like we're connected now. I mean, don't you feel it? It's like there's this invisible current running between all of us and the more we are together the more the current hums. It's incredible. For the first time, I feel like I'm a part of something. Of something secure, of something where I matter, where I'm important. Oh, don't start with the 'Oh Xander, you've always been important to me' crap - you know damn well, what I mean. Angel gave this to me, you and Angel and I'm grateful."
Just as his impassioned speech finishes, the door opens and Willow and Angel bound into the room. Given their own state of undress, Buffy would guess that they too have been engaging in some extra-curricular recreation well beyond Giles' books.
Willow crawls into the bed by Xander and Angel by Buffy. Angel immediately pulls Buffy into a passionate, territorial kiss. When he finishes, he pulls back and looks at all three of his children. "Don't you understand, we are one. Together we are stronger."
Angel quickly reaches across Buffy to where Alexander sits and pulls the other male into a kiss. The kiss is not a peck but a real kiss. Buffy and Willow both watch with awe as Xander rises up and begins to participate in the exchange. The men are leaning over Buffy's body as they grasp at one. While Buffy can imagine an aggressive exchange between the two, this is more sensual and tender than she could have imagined and watching the two beautiful men do this right above her has rendered her speechless.
Willow, feeling out of the loop, pulls up on her knees behind Xander. With her ivory hands on his board shoulders, she watches the two for a few moments before beginning to kiss Xander's neck while he continues on with Angel.
The sight of the three engaged, as they are prompts Buffy out of her stupor. Given her own position in the mix, she briefly contemplates her own options before reaching each hand under the covers to grasp the two men. This touch finally draws the men apart and they both turn their attentions to Buffy. Some sort of unsaid communication occurs between Angel and Xander before Angel slides down her body with soft kisses that cause her to arch in frustration. Xander rolls to the far side of her and begins to kiss her mouth. Suddenly, she feels a sharp tug on her breast and realizes that it is Willow. The sensations are too overwhelming to grasp. The adrenaline running through her body is too much and she feels herself slipping away as her demon rears up.
Cordelia Chase has never been more frightened in all of her life, and that is saying a lot considering that this is Sunnydale. She has woken to find a huge wolf leering at her like she is so much breakfast. Oh God, this is probably what ate Xander! This is so not good.
OK, Cordy, you can do this. Nice puppy, Nice puppy.
Amazingly, the animal lumbers over to her and cautiously sniffs at her. Oh please God, I hope he likes Channel No. %. Cordy closes her eyes, her heart beating double time. The next thing she feels is a huge wet tongue tentatively licking her hand.
Incredulously, Cordy manages to open her eyes. Meeting her gaze, the beast gives her a reassuring bark and jumps onto the cot beside her.
"So what you tellin' me Spot? You stuck here too?" Spot barks in response and nestles his head in her lap.
Glad for the reassuring warmth the dog provides, Cordy wraps her arms around the huge beast with a shiver and goes to sleep.
Oz has never been in this form before. The closest word he can think of is bewitched. Since Willow has left him, his mind has cleared a good bit. As long as Willow is near, his mind is clouded. He couldn't resist her commands, he didn't even what to resist.
But now, he can clearly recall their interaction of the previous evening. It all makes some sort of horrible sense even be locked up here with Cordy.
At least in this form, his mind is his own. As a werewolf, everything is one big haze. His mind is a twisted maze of grief, anger, betrayal and fear.
While he feels fairly safe with Willow, at least in this form, he is fearful of both Angelus and Xander. He fears even more for poor Cordelia. From what he can gather, she has no idea of how she got here or who brought her. Having looked with Willow at some writings of Angelus' past - well, he just needs to figure a way to communicate with Cordelia and get her out if she is to have any hope at all.
After several hours, Cordelia is back awake - crying all the while and her ever-faithful hound is curled up around her racking his brain for a way to save her from a fate worse than death.
He feels the daylight waning. He feels the shifts in the sun and the moon as only a creature that lives by these rhythms would. He realizes that in this form he has only one-way to save her and that is to turn her first.
Oz senses that the sun is setting. If he is going to do anything, if cannot wait any longer. Soon he will be back under Willow's influence.
Cordelia senses the beast's growing agitation. It stirs her own unrest. Animals are supposed to sense earthquakes and stuff. She worries about what the dog is sensing. "Oh Spot? What is it? I wish you could talk." She wraps her arms more tightly around him, glad to have something to cling to.
Oz tries to gather his strength. Is he sure that passing this curse on to her is the best thing? Is he even sure that he can do this in this pure wolf form? Thinking again about the stories of Angelus driving Drusilla insane, he feels compelled to try. He calls upon his beast, its feral nature. It is always there a part of him, closer to the surface than he would like.
Before Cordelia knows what hit her, she feels a horrible tearing pain in her arm. The dog has bitten her - without a growl or any kind of warning, the dog has attacked her. She screams with pain but soon the pain is so great that she is only whimpering. She is sure that the dog is going to kill her.
The dog leaps off the cot and pads to the far corner of the room. She can see her blood on its huge canines. She is so scared but the blood loss and shock are really a kindness because she soon falls unconscious.
As soon as Oz settles on the wolf's haunches in the corner of the room, he feels the change coming. It always begins with this particular wild smell. He has read that some epileptics have olfactory hallucinations right before seizures. He guesses the sensation is something like that. Soon he feels his muscles contorting, his senses shifting. And then there he is. He is naked and soaking wet just as he is always after changing. He is also exhausted and hungry - as always.
He quietly goes to the table beside the cot, and takes off the white tablecloth and uses it to dry off. He then eases the lightweight blanket off the bed and wraps it around his waist. He thinks 'Hey, Toga Party!' and then talking to the unconscious Cordy says, "If this worked, it's really going to be an Animal House around here. Hope you don't mind a new fur coat." He says dryly.
After he has drunk most of the water on the table and eaten all but one piece of fruit, he feels a bit better. He takes the sheet and rips its end to make a bandage for Cordy's arm. He figures it's the least he can do. He looks around for something to wash the wound but then thinks what the hell no one's around. He looks around one more time and then licks the wound clean with his tongue.
When the gash is clean, he sees that it is already healing. By tomorrow, it will be just a scar. This is good he thinks, the curse has taken hold or else, she would need stitches.
Cordy slowly opens her eyes, she feels so disoriented.
Oz - she sees Oz. The surprise at seeing Oz distracts her momentarily. "Oz? Oh my God, they got you too." She blurts out in her usual fashion.
It is good to see the ol' Cordelia.
Suddenly, her eyes dart around the room. "Where's the dog? I mean the wolf? There was this big dog, wolf thingy. And it was all cuddly and then it bit me."
Oz can see her mind working. No one ever said Cordy was dumb - maybe shallow - but never dumb. She is putting together his silence, his state of undress, his appearance and the disappearance of the wolf. He sits quietly while she puts it all together.
"Oh my God, you bit me! I've been bitten by a werewolf!" She screams as she gets up and runs across the room. She pulls off an earring and says "Listen, Buster, this is sterling silver. If you come near me, I'm going to --- I'm going to stick you in the heart with it."
She looks pleased with her naïve threat. Oz almost feels sorry for her. But her naivete confirms his own decision to share his curse with her. He holds up his hands, palms open. "Cordy, man, calm down. That bite is the least of your worries." She continues to scream until Oz uncharacteristically yells for her to shut up.
This gets her attention and she slides against the wall, sitting down where she stood.
"Now, Cordy, we don't have time to do this. They are going to be coming soon."
In true Cordelia Chase style, she asks, "And just who by chance - are 'they'"?
"Angelus AND Buffy AND Willow AND Xander. Cordy, I don't know exactly how. I've got my ideas but --- I think --- I'm pretty sure that Angelus turned Buffy and Buffy turned Willow and Xander."
"You're telling me that Xander is a vamp? That's crazy, I just ---saw --- him ---last -------night." The slowing of her response seemed to indicate that she did realize that something was off.
"Why didn't he just kill me?" she asks in a kind of shocked pseudo-calm voice.
Oz looks down, trying not to scare her; "I think --- from what I know about Angelus --- that he --- that they want to torture you for awhile."
The look of horror and disbelief on her beautiful features pains Oz to do end. He tries to reassure her. "Cordy, that why --- I bit you --- I thought, I hoped that at least that way you would have a chance. As a human, you wouldn't even have had that."
The former look of horror on her face is now increased by a hundred fold. Oz realizes that she hadn't made the connection, that she had been infected with his curse until now. She begins to shake and rock herself.
Tears roll down her face as she asks, "Why Oz? Why would you do this?"
He begins to approach her but she backs up further, pressing her back into the wall. He stops and kneels five feet away from her, "I'm sorry, Cordelia. I was the wolf; I couldn't talk to you. I didn't know if I would ever be able to talk to you in time, to warn you. I did what I thought was best. I'm sorry."
Hearing, his profession, she looks at him with tears in her eyes. She utters something that he has never heard from her before. "Thank you, Oz."
Oz moves over to her and puts his arms around her. While not as warm and fuzzy as Spot, she accepts his comfort.
"Well, well, well - what do we have here." Xander says gleefully as he looks into the small black and white screen.
He and Willow had bet on whether Cordy would still be alive by now. Willow betting in her favor. It was decided that before going into the room that they would look in through the camera. Seeing Oz wrapped in a blanket in human form holding a crying Cordy is a surprise.
Xander pushes a button and rewinds several hours' worth of tape. As he starts to play, the imagines back at double time. He pushes another button and the imagines being replayed jump up to the biggest screen in the room.
Both watch intently at the goings on that Angel's toy has recorded, each of them thinking about how the developments between Oz and Cordy.
Willow loves mayhem and this twist looks to be a good one so she doesn't have any complaints. Xander, on the other hand, is pissed. Cordy is his - to do with as he pleases. His demon rears up and Willow's follows suit. Willow finds that she is increasingly drawn to this vicious new side to Xander. Even when she mooned over him from afar, she was still frustrated with his passivity - his habit of standing in the background while commenting on everybody else's action. This Xander will act - no doubt. She couldn't wait.
The sight of Xander and Willow standing in the small room with them is almost overwhelming to both Oz and Cordelia. Both are in game face, and from their evil smiles, it is clear that they mean to have some fun.
"Cordelia, and I thought that I was your one true love." Xander says in a mocking tone. "I'm hurt."
As Xander is talking, Willow drops to her knees and begins to crawl over to the pair. Already, in the corner, they have no where to move. Seeing Willow in the guise of a vampire succubus is heart breaking to Oz. Her subtle shyness, her softness is dead - just as she is. He feels his anger well up inside of him towards the demon she has become.
As she stops in front of him, still on her hands and knees, clad in black leather - he turns his head to look away from her. She almost purrs her words, "Oz, Baby, what's the matter. Wolf-boy doesn't want to play? Ah, come on." She approaches until her own altered face is touching the side of his own. At the feel of her touch, he shutters and closes his eyes. Her skin feels like cold velvet. He fights to ignore her advances as she licks a cool tongue up the side of his face. "Umm, salty goodness".
She smiles up at Xander before turning back suddenly to rear up and tear Cordelia out of Oz's arms. A harsh gasp comes out of the girl's mouth as Willow throws her to the floor and immediately straddles her. If possible, Willow's visage grows even more demonic, her eyes taking on a reddish glow. When she leans down to the girl's face to speak, her voice has taken on a strange, raspy quality. She takes hold of Cordelia's shirt and pulls her up until their faces are touching.
Cordelia can feel the cool, death breath on her face as she looks at her attacker. "Bitch, don't you ever, ever touch my puppy again." Willow then uses her hold on Cordelia's shirt to push her back to the floor. Her head snaps as it hits the floor.
"Bitch" Willow announces again as she stands and kicks the semi-conscious girl hard with a high-heeled foot. "And don't forget, who owns this one too", as she looks at Xander who has been watching the display with interest.
Willow's play has left him aroused and ready for blood. He can smell Cordy's blood seeping from the back of her skull and he wants to taste it. He looks to Willow and commands with a growl "Leave us." When Willow hesitates more than a second does, he snarls at her "Leave us and take your dog".
She shrugs her shoulders, "OK, OK." She says sarcastically. She turns to Oz, and claps her hands, "Come on, Puppy. Follow Mommy".
Buffy and Angel arrive at Revello Drive just before Joyce. They go in and make themselves at home.
"Looks like we have some time. She's always late." Buffy says suggestively. She looks so innocent in her pink sweater and flowered skirt. If he didn't know better he would think that she was the same ol' Slayer.
He takes the bait; he's always been a sucker for angora. Angel approach her in the front hall, tracing a finger on a cleavage. "Well, well, well, little girl. What exactly are you purposing?" She pouts innocently, looking up at him through her thick eyelashes. "How about a kiss?"
He smiles flirtatiously as he leans forward over her. He brings his lips within an inch of hers. "A kiss?" He questions softly, "A kiss? The girl wants to kiss."
Suddenly in gameface, he turns her in his arms so that she is facing the wall. "What if Daddy wants more?" he snarls in a menacing way. Before the words are out of his mouth, he has pulled up the back of her skirt and ripped off her underwear. In another second, he is plunging into her with all the force at his disposal. She arches her head back as he pounds into her.
Surprised to find it unlocked, Joyce opens the front door calling out to Buffy. When she sees the scene in front of her, she screams. Her daughter is being viciously raped. Acting on the most elemental of maternal urges, she drops her bags and takes an umbrella from the stand beside the door. She takes the ten or so steps to where the monster stands and begins to hit it. She calls out for the monster to stop.
After what seems like an eternity, the man stops and turns. She is terrified of what she sees. He must be on drugs or something. She screams for him to get the hell away from Buffy as she rears back to hit at his ugly face.
The man moves so fast that she has no time to step back. He draws up his arm and backhands her. With one fatal blow, he breaks her neck.
Buffy steps to look out from behind Angel's back, "Well, that didn't quite work out, did it".
"Nope". He agrees shaking his head.
"Want'a watch some TV? We've got pay for view?" she asks blithely as she steps over her dead mother.
Angel is sitting on a white sofa. He looks as enticing as ever to Buffy. The cream colored sweater is something she doubts he'd be caught dead in anywhere else - but in limbo, purgatory or wherever they are - she guesses you don't have much choice.
As best, she can figure they are in some kind of corporeal form of their souls. No need to eat or drink or anything. It's like an eternal now. Angel has explained that time really didn't have the same relevance here, his soul having spent a hundred or so years here before - he's the expert for sure.
Last time, he was by himself, this time; she's with him. They figure that's because he has turned her or rather Angelus has.
The soul part of Buffy seems infinitely more patient than Slayer Buffy to her. She is starting to think of her multiple selves as different forms of Barbies - like Doctor Barbie and Sweet 16 Barbie. There is Soul Buffy complete with a Matching Soul Angel (look out Ken)! There is a Slayer Buffy with her own little stake and there is Vamp Buffy adorned in an appropriately trashy outfit.
So, she sits in her coordinated gray slacks and cream colored silk blouse. She lays her head on Angel's lap and sighs. She guesses Slayer Buffy and Broody Angel would be making out by now but the Soul versions seem satisfied with long meaningful looks. If only it had been enough before she muses ---
Time seems to ebb and flow like blinks of an eye. You feel these ripples once in a while like you're on a ride. Angel explains that he thinks this is kind of a metaphysical waiting room while things play out. As long as they are on this plane, they might have a chance to get back in the game.
She is getting used to the time blinking thing. When she looks out at the mists again, she can barely make out three figures walking towards them. She stands as does Angel, as the forms come closer. When she sees who they are, she runs to them. It's Giles and Willow and Xander. While she is happy, she can already sense Angel's trepidation.
Giles is in his usual tweed, looking as circumspect as ever and Willow is in a long white sweater and pants. Xander is wearing a cream colored turtleneck and softly faded jeans. Wherever they are - it seems like Calvin Klein is dressing everybody's soul - go figure.
Angel walks past Buffy and speaks directly to Giles.
"Did he, turn you, I mean?"
"No, I should hope not. Angelus killed me the morning after he turned Buffy, it would seem."
Buffy stands behind Angel, interrupting "And Willow and Xander, he killed them too?"
"No, he turned them or more specially, Buffy and Angelus turned them together."
Upon this admission, Willow shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot as Xander inspects the misty ground at his own feet.
Giles takes in the stricken look on Buffy's face. Angel, on the other hand, looks anything but surprised. "I assumed as much. I'm sorry about the whole mess, I had no idea about the curse."
"Yes, well. No need to dwell on it now, there are more pressing matters at hand."
Xander who has been uncharacteristically quiet until now, speaks up for the first time, "Hello? More pressing than being dead?"
Giles answers a bit indignantly, "Yes, as a matter of fact".
Her curiosity peaked, Willow chimes in. "What, I mean, what trouble could reach us here?"
Giles turns to her before sweeping his eyes past each of them; "The problem is you - all of you it seems."
Giles meets blank faces all. He remembers that while retaining essentially all segments of his being - personality, memory, and soul - the four have all been splintered. Their souls - here, with much of their earthly traits now entwined with their vampiric selves.
He shakes his head as if to clear it, "Let me start again. It's you - your earthly selves - what's left of them that is - they have the potential to wreck havoc below. Of course, Angel's situation is obvious. And the combination of slayer and vampire and under the tutelage of Angelus, where I shall hesitate to go further".
Willow speaks up again, tentatively raising her hand as if she's in class. "But, but --- where does that leave me and Xander? I would guess somebody'd be sucking us up in a dust buster about now."
Breaking eye contact, Giles looks down for a second. "Much to the contrary, you and Xander pose just as great a threat as Angelus and Buffy."
With this statement, all four draw closer to Giles, eager to hear what he has to say.
With a cough, Giles walks to the sofa that now has two big cushy chairs flanking it on either side. Giles takes a seat in the far chair and Buffy sits on the sofa in the seat closest to Giles. Willow plops down beside her and Xander beside of her. Angel takes the other chair facing Giles.
Quite the center of attention, Giles speaks again. "I have been appointed by the Powers that Be, shall we say, to attempt to address this imbalance caused by --- due to your --- your indiscretion " giving a slight nod to Buffy. In this form, she is much more accepting of criticism he notices. Maybe this isn't so bad after all.
Drawing himself back to attention, Giles continues to articulate his mission to the group. "The combination of all of you including Willow and Xander is of great concern and must be addressed most haste. I have always sensed a great deal of power in Willow and it is manifesting itself greatly below and not for the better. And Xander, well, let's just say, from all indications Xander is embracing his circumstances with - how shall I say this - with a certain degree of relish. You - they - must be stopped."
"Can't the new Slayer just dust them?" Buffy asks.
"It's a bit more complicated than that, it seems the new Slayer is otherwise engaged elsewhere. It also seems that the Powers the Be deem all of you of sufficient importance to try to redeem you in some form or fashion. Hence, I am here to expedite the process."
Willow's mind is already turning on the problem at hand. "How about another curse?"
Her question is closely followed by Xander's negation. "I'll skip the whole sex equals damnation thing, if you don't mind."
Giles raises his hands before they all begin to brainstorm. "The decision has already been made, we simply have to execute the plan. The plan will involve you first, Willow."
A smile bursts out on Willow's face. "Oh goody, I get to go first!" she exclaims.
Giles quickly tries to quell her excitement, "Contrary to your um, excitement, this will not be an easy task by any means."
Angel, who has been listening quietly through the last half of the conversation, finally speaks up. "Get to it, Giles. What do we have to do?"
And so the plan begins. It seems that there is some reverse "turning" to be done and the only "conduit" innately magical enough to contain whatever powerful magiks are needed to return all four souls to their original owners is Willow. She will learn the needed incantation and then she will be sent back into her earthly body with not only her own soul but also three others. The souls would then need to be returned to their true homes.
"OK, so what's the catch?" Soul Buffy asks. She may be pure undiluted soul but she is still Buffy, she knows how these things work.
Giles immediately makes a face and takes off his glasses. "Ah, yes, a catch. I guess you could say that."
"And?" Xander adds though much less sarcastically than usual.
"Each of the three must say 'yes' to accept the soul."
This news stirs even Angel. "So, she's going down there and asking three admittedly blood thirsty vampires to be resouled."
"Umm, yes, I'd say that's an accurate summary - albeit harsh."
Willow sits up on her knees from her perch on the sofa. "Woooaa Now Giles! I don't know if I'm up to this - can I um, un-volunteer? Pleeassse?"
"Unfortunately, no. And, there is one other thing. You only have 24 hours from the time you arrive or the souls will cease to be ahh - viable - you might say."
Taking a deep breath, Soul Willow says, "Well, no time like the present although I do kinda like the whole beige thing going on here. Don't suppose I can keep the sweater, huh?"
Vamp Willow has slammed the door behind her and Oz, leaving Cordelia to Xander. Oz is limping, holding his side tentatively where she kicked him earlier. She is turning a number of possibilities around in her head, each one infinitely amusing.
Oz is watching her wearily as he continues to clutch the sheet he has wrapped around his waist - a little too Animal House for his taste, but a guy's gotta do, what a guy's gotta do. He is trying to lay low and not provoke her. If she gets angry - well, no more chances---
She has touched something on the wall to reveal another door. She turns flirtatiously, "Here, Puppy - Follow Mommy". He worries about leaving Cordy but he just doesn't see any other way. He's done what he can for her - shared the little strength he's got.
A few turns and some other unknown movement and they are in a plush suite of rooms. She turns to him again and he braces for the next bout of humiliation. But before she can open her mouth, she looks confused and the air around her becomes thick and hazy. Her head rolls back and she suddenly gasps, taking in a deep, unneeded breath. With the breath, she draws in the silvery mist surrounding her. It's almost as if the mist is forcing itself into her and when it's finished, she collapses.
Oz sees his opportunity - whatever is going on. He seizes the chance to make a break for it. He quickly turns and starts searching the wall for the hidden switch operating the door.
"Oz?"
Hearing the familiar voice, he turns to her. She is still on the floor. She has pulled herself up into a sitting position and she is awkwardly trying to pull the opposing sides of her shirt over her exposed cleavage. She looks up to him with a bemused expression. "Oz, you're all nakedy!" She announces as she blushes furiously.
Oz's head is spinning. For one, he's never seen a vampire blush and for two, it's Willow - his Willow. He can't contain the grin seeping out onto his face. While the stoic thing his more his style, this is just too good. "Willow, it's you. How?"
He hastily comes forward to help her stand. It seems his Willow is much less adept at moving around in skintight leather and high heels than her counterpart. THANK GOD, he thinks.
"Long story - no time - just listen - I've got 24 hours - to - to get everybody's souls back - Giles says they have to -have to say yes - to get them back." Looking at him more closely, she sees his accumulating bruises. "Oh no, that was me, wasn't it? Oh no, I'm sorry." She starts the approach him to check out the bruises on his face and then jumps back. "No, not now. Gotta hurry, can you help?"
"Sure." He answers, the grin still plastered on his face. "It might help if I - umm - had some clothes, I guess."
"Done." Willow says and with a wave of her black nailed hand, he's dressed in his favorite tee shirt, jeans and tennis shoes.
"Man, you've learned some new tricks."
"Just a few," she says as she smiles shyly. "OK, fill me in. I mean, you were all nakedy. Were we? Well, you know?" She asks as the blush returns to her face.
If possible, the grin on his face grows even bigger. "I wish. Ahh, no. I had --- actually --- you had --- I changed and lost my clothes."
"Oh." She says awkwardly. It's obvious there's a lot more he's not telling her. She takes another deep breath which is hard in the corset thingie. Why couldn't she wear that sweater? Oh well! "Look Oz, I know that I'm going to be embarrassed over --- well, whatever. Giles filled us in on how we - how we turned out - all extra bad and everything but I need you to fill me in so I can figure out how to do this. OK?"
Taking a seat on the couch beside her, he sits down lays out what he knows of the last few days.
"You mean, Cordy's a werewolf. Oh no!"
Oz shrugs "Oh well, she's still got her soul. Those are the breaks."
Just then, Willow starts to feel wiggy. Innately, she realizes that she is hungry. Her senses are focusing in on Oz's heartbeat, the smell of his blood. She looks around the room for something, but doesn't see anything that looks like it would maybe hold some donated pints. Giles reminded her that she would still have her own demon to contend with - but hearing it and doing it are two totally different things.
"Ah, Oz. Can you, can you help me look for a fridge or something? I'm --- hungry, and I'm me but I'm all grrr still too."
"Hey, I'm cool with that, I have my grrr days myself." He says with a wink.
She stands and starts to explore with him. Announcing to the walls, "That's my boyfriend - through thick and thin."
"Well, blood is thicker than water". He quips.
"Ha, ha - not so funny".
"It was worth a try --- Here!" he gestures toward the fridge.
She hastily grabs two pints and vamps out before she can even realize it. Looking up, she sees that Oz has gentlemanly turned his back.
Oz feels a cold chill run down his back upon seeing Willow vamp out - the two sides of her - in such quick succession, are difficult to handle. Turning away, he tries to gather his wits about him as he reflects on what she has told him.
She coughs discreetly when she is finished as she desperately tries to clear her head. The outing of this other side now inside of her in disconcerting at best. Plus, she has no time to even try to deal with it.
Oz turns and asks, "So, I'm thinking you're - umm - going to try for Xander first? Get him away from Cordy?"
Much more uncomfortable with Oz now that the demon has reared its head, she answers quickly, "Ahhh, yeah. I'll --- yeah. I'll get him away, one way or another and then, you get Cordy and get out anyway you can."
The vampire in front of her is an aberration of the boy who she once made out with in broom closets. Her efforts to seek out that boy have been fruitless. She is running out of energy. She is running out of time. She can see that he is growing tired of baiting her and is ready to move on to move physical pursuits. She sends up one more silent prayer.
Willow and Oz have decided that he will wait huddled in the corner of the outside chamber as if dead or asleep while Willow goes into get Xander. Once she has his attention, he will move to get Cordelia and get out. When they reach the outside chamber, Willow assures him that Cordy is still alive. That she can hear her heart beating strongly still.
The door behind Alexander opens. He senses his mate immediately and turns to pull her into his embrace.
Willow is glad that her heart isn't beating so he can't sense her nervousness. She had thought that he would most likely get close to her but this --- his hands firmly cupping her bottom as he bites at her lips while in gameface. When he draws her blood, her own face shifts and his harsh attentions manage to carry her off on a wave of passion like she has never felt before. Sure, she and Oz have kissed, but this is something wholly different in every respect. He uses his body to push her back against the wall. The rough treatment only enflames her further and she runs her own hands over and down his back. He growls and she hears an answering sound out of her own throat as if she is answering her mate's call. Just the realization of that imaginary is staggering for her.
His mouth comes down to her throat and she finds that she is arching it to him like an offering. When he bites down and begins to draw strongly, her entire being throbs. She didn't anticipate this connection with this, this monster that looks like Xander. Some part of her deep inside is still managing to think, to plan. How she can even begin to think is beyond her. She guesses it must be the higher power helping her to swim through this sea of sensuality. She realizes that this might be her chance if Xander is half as distracted as she.
While he continues to drink, she sees Cordelia crawl slowly out of the open door, never looking back. Thank God, she is smart enough not to scream her head off. Seeing Cordelia get out alive, allows her to feel more comfortable in Vamp Xander's arms.
Oz ventures one final look in through the open door. What he sees shakes him more than anything before. Willow is pressed against the wall, her arms tightly around her mate, her face vamped, eyes closed in ecstasy as he feeds from her. The thought that this is actually his Willow - soul and all -destroys him. At that moment, he feels her slip away from him - soul and all.
Giles counseled Willow's soul that once she was back on earth, that she would have to contend with the demon residing in her earthly body. But hearing it and dealing with it are two totally different things. The demon is firmly tied to all her senses and desires. The rush that comes from satisfying these desires is incredible. It threatens her concentration and her mission.
And then there is Xander. She is his mate, his vampire mate. She can feel the ties between them as keenly as another appendage. After so many years of unrequited love and friendship - to feel him literally devouring her - is overwhelming. She had thought that she would fear this demon in Xander's form but instead she feels desire, love, and even loyalty.
She reminds herself not to stray from her course. To this end, she pulls his mouth up to her own just as his feeding slacks off. After an aggressive kiss, she licks her way to his ear. Her voice sounds like rough velvet when she speaks; "Do you want a surprise my love?" She punctuates her questions by running her hands over the zipper of his pants.
He answers by arching towards her with a growl.
She keeps up her caresses for fear he will notice that Cordy is gone. She needs to keep his full attention. She leans back playfully and her hands ceasing their movements. "No, you need to tell me, tell me you want it. I need to hear you say, 'Willow give it to me' and then, maybe I will."
The vampire, who calls himself, Alexander, is at his wits end. He was already aroused from playing with the human girl and now to have his mate in his arms, taking her blood has intoxicated him. He is willing to go along with whatever game she deems necessary.
Taking her head in his hands, he intersperses his words with punishing kisses. "I---Willow ---GIVE---IT---TO---ME --- Now!"
Willow whispers an ancient word for return just as she locks her lips to his. Immediately, they are both encompassed in the dense misty fog that covered her earlier. She pulls her lips from his and he gasps taking in the mystical air. For a second his eyes are as wide as saucers and then with his arms still firmly around her, he slides to the floor.
She essentially slides with him into his lap, her arms and legs firmly around his body. She can still feel his arousal ---and hers. His head has fallen to the same side of her neck where he has so recently fed. Now she can feel him taking in harsh, unneeded breaths. After a minute or so, she feels his face smooth out. After the shift, he pulls back to face her.
He looks at her with silent surprise. She realizes she is still in gameface and shifts as well.
"Willow?" he whispers huskily as if he hasn't spoken in weeks.
"Yeah?" she answers, bringing her forehead to touch his.
Unconsciously, his lips continue to brush at her own as he speaks. Her hands respond by stroking the back of his neck as she listens.
"Tell me, it's you --- you --- I mean and --- it's me --- ME. I mean not the me that was regular me but it's not the me that was vamp me. It's like old me is in here with vamp me."
She giggles a bit as she shifts her pelvis to increase the contact that her body is insistently craving. "That pretty much sums it." Her answer is exclaimed with a moan as she feels his hand slide back under her bottom to increase the pressure even further.
She is surprised as he vamps again. For a second, she wonders if her magiks didn't work. Then she hears his words as he brings his hands around to find the space between her thighs. "I know there is a long explanation and you can tell me all about but first, we --- I mean --- I---."
"OK, OK! Just stop the talking!" she answers as they fall to the floor together.
"Man, Will, wow." Xander says as he pulls on a pair of jeans much like the ones he had on in limbo.
Willow rolls on the bed, luxuriating in the almost feline sensations coursing through her body. Lying in the nest of well-used sheets, she is admiring her lover. Just the word and its connotations send a shiver through her. The fact that she has managed to reduce Xander's vocabulary to one-syllable words seems like a feat to be proud of.
Looking more serious, Xander sits beside of her on the bed and takes her hand. "Will, I killed my parents."
Reacting to the expression on her face, he quickly adds, "No, your folks are fine."
She rises and puts her arms around him, "Oh Xan, I am so sorry." She hugs him tightly.
He allows the comfort for a minute and then pulls back, tears in his eyes. "They were never, never what I would have wanted or chosen but hey, they fed me, clothed me, kept a roof over my head. I wouldn't have chosen for them to go out that way - ever. It's just suddenly all the anger, everything - was just right on top and for the first time, I felt like I could let it go, let it all go. And so I did."
Looking deeply into her eyes, he asks, "Can you? Can you ever forgive me?"
She pulls him back into her arms. "I have already. This is all part of me too. I am part of you. Whatever vampire mating mo-jo we did --- well, I'm just glad that I - umm - didn't have a soul then - less embarrassment!"
At the change of subject, they both manage a laugh. Seeming to have risen above the grief for a moment, Xander pulls back, "So, what's the plan? Don't really want to get myself killed. Well, already dead --- but you know."
She nods, "I know. Well, I'm thinking we need to do it one at a time. If I try them when they're together, one will probably get the hint and --- boom!"
"And so? Who's lucky number one?"
"I'm thinking Buffy. If you think you can manage to get Angelus out of the way for awhile?"
She sees his hesitance. "Xand, what have you two been up to? I mean, you two have gotten pretty thick from what I can get from Vampie Willow's memory."
Sardonically, he answers, "All the usual vampire games".
"That's what I was afraid of."
Xander and Willow hear the door to the main living area open, Angelus and Buffy are back. Both are more than a little nervous that they will discover that something is amiss. Xander quickly decides that less talk in probably better and taking a page out of Willow's book, picks her up and pulls her into an openly carnal kiss. He tries his best to call up the demon that has until recently ruled his world. It rises to the surface much too easily for his own comfort.
Buffy and Angel enter the bedroom, to find Willow, dressed in a black satin robe, sitting on the dresser, her mate between her thighs. Alexander is bare-chested, wearing only faded jeans. His face is buried in the curve of Willow's neck.
From behind the pair, a voice sounding like whiskey quips, "Umm, think we can join the fun?"
Buffy's mate is obviously in agreement as he reaches from behind her to divest her of her clothes. The feel of his smooth hands treating her so roughly makes her laugh out loud. He answers her with a growl, burying his own face in her sweet neck.
Through half closed lids, Willow can clearly see the two from her vantage point on the dresser. It is nearly impossible not to be carried away on the wave of pleasure that Xander is creating as he nuzzles at her neck. While Vamp Xander would have simply taken what was his, this new version is suckling at her neck like a newborn babe as his tongue sweetly massages her jugular. A large part of her wishes nothing more than to fall into this sensation but she counsels herself to stay alert.
She can't risk so much as a whisper to Xander that Buffy and Angelus won't hear. Weighing her options, she decides that at the moment, Xander has chosen the safest course. What that, she firmly grasps the back of his head, vamping out as she arches her neck, inviting her to take her. With a moan, he does just that.
She realizes that after his initial bite, that he has actually drawn back and is simply suckling at the wound. The thought eases her, makes her more sure that he is, at least to some extent, in control of his demon, tempering it even in the heat of passion.
Buffy is nude now, still golden. She walks towards them like a goddess. She insinuates herself beside of Willow and slides slightly in between her and Xander. Before Willow can guess at her intent, Buffy has risen on tiptoes and has bit into Xander's neck.
At this unexpected jolt, Xander bucks his hips and bites back into Willow's neck. Willow realizes that she must fight her urge to extricate herself from the embrace least she give herself and Xander away. Looking over Buffy's shoulder, she can see Angelus, a smirk on his face, watching the proceedings with interest.
'OK, Wills, this is it.' She thinks to herself. With a deep breath, she closes her eyes and brings her hands around Buffy's body to cup her breasts. Surprisingly, the action is not as distasteful as she first thought. Losing herself in the pull of Xander's mouth, she caresses Buffy's breasts as if they are her own and is rewarded with the feel of Buffy pressing her backside up against her open thighs.
Time seems to lose all meaning for Willow until she feels strong hands move her to the bed. She looks up to see a very aroused and naked Angelus bearing down on her. If her heart could beat, it would surely explode. Surprisingly, he doesn't vamp out and coaxes her more gently than she could have imagined. The feel of him slipping inside of her is staggering. That this monster, this feared creature could be so gentle as he rocks inside of her. Her body can do nothing but respond as it recognizes its sire.
Angelus' hand cups her head and lovingly brings it up to his chest, allowing her mouth to brush against his pec. Her demon accepts the offering before she even realizes what is being offered. Biting into Angelus' firm flesh is incredible and the lighting of his blood is mesmerizing. The ancient allure that is vampire comes home to her as she feasts soul and all.
Ultimately, they have all ended up on the bed again. Only Willow's mission has kept her fighting for consciousness in the small hours of the early morning. She desperately tries to come up with a plan. In trying to ease out from Angelus' body, she accidentally wakes him.
"Wooaa, Red. Where you going?" he says sleepily and with more humor than she ever experienced with Angel.
"Aaahh, --- shower. Going to take a shower. A clean vampire's a good vampire I always say!" 'Oh God, Wills, that was lame!" she thinks.
Fortunately, Angelus lets the lameness slide as he smiles a purely predatory smile at her. "Want company?"
In a squeaky, non-vamp voice, she manages to utter "Ah, sure."
And she's off and streaking to the bath, while it's not quite, what she planned, she figures that she can face the abject humiliation of showering with the Scourge of Europe if it will save his soul.
Soon enough, Willow is covered with suds and the Scourge of Europe. Thankfully, he is still very amorous and very tame. The way to sooth a savage beast is NOT through his tummy!
Relying on both her vampiric instincts and her limited knowledge of men in general - vamp, werewolf or other wise, she guesses that the same ol' plan that worked with Xander will also work with the Scourge. Men are such suckers! Oh, she made a funny, she thinks.
When Angelus grasps her shoulders and firmly turns her toward the wall, she realizes that she needs to step up her plan. Taking an unneeded breath, she slips back around in his arms. Lucky for her, the soap seems to help. For a second, she is imminently thankful for her demon; she would never be able to carry this off otherwise.
"Hey, Big Boy, slow down." She growls seductively. "You've had your turn, now Willow wants to play." She announces with a pout. She slides her soapy hands down his chest and lower, making her intentions clear.
He arches his pelvis towards her with a low growl.
Quite unexpectedly, a giggle rises from her. Boy, Will - that's real seductive! "I guess that's a yes." She laughs as she goes to her knees peppering his chest and abdomen with kisses along the way. For a dead, evil guy, he tastes yummy.
Pausing above the object of her attention, she looks up with another pout as her fingers run lightly up his inner thighs. What she sees reminds her that she is playing with fire. Amber eyes are glowing down at her from his handsome human face and sharp fangs are visible in his masculine mouth. She is riding a fine line between teasing and torture that could turn on her at any moment.
Gathering her confidence, she purrs, "Tell me you want it, I want to her you say it. Say yes and I'll give you it to you. Say, yes, please."
There is a long moment of hesitation when she doubts he will comply. She lets him feel her cool breath. This seems to turn the tide. His hands push her forward as he groans out, "Yes, you witch, yes, give it to me!"
He immediately grinds his pelvis toward her and she has no choice and suddenly, no desire to do otherwise than to take him into her mouth. She can barley whisper the ancient word before closing around him. The contact is magical. The misty fog is lost in the steam of the shower as Angelus' head arches back as both pleasure and something else permeate his senses.
He feels dizzy as he comes into the cavern of her mouth; her arms are practically holding him up with their ivory strength. Finally, the incredible throbbing begins to subside and the red witch slides back up his body, her eyes wide.
He is so disoriented. It takes a minute before he can speak. It is difficult to take in. He is in a shower with Willow. Naked in the shower with Willow. Naked in the shower with a naked Willow with no heartbeat. The no heartbeat thing shocks his mind into a cascade of memory as the past days coalesce behind his eyes.
"Willow?" Now it is his turn to squeak.
Still plastered against him, she answers in a small voice from the middle of his chest where she is hiding. "Umm?"
"You just --- we just --- did you just --- curse me again?"
"Umm, I don't think it was a curse so much as a return this time." She mumbles from her chest.
"So, let me get this straight, you're you. You have your soul, right? Have you always had it? Since you know---"
"Nope---I, umm, that's to say, Giles, umm, ---" Finally, she hazards a look up into his face, "Guess you don't remember the Calvin Klein limbo, huh?"
From the look on his face, she knows her answer, "Umm, guess not".
A strange look passes over his face, culminating in a spark of gold, "Giles - Oh God, Willow, Giles - I killed Giles---"
"Umm, I know. He told me."
This revelation sparks yet another gold flash. "Giles, how?"
The water is cooling and despite the gravity of their conversation, Angel's arousal is making itself known. Dorky Vamp Willow also makes her appearance as she mumbles, "Long story", before pushing away and rushing for the first towel, she sees. Angel is right behind her and thankfully, suddenly feels just as uncomfortable as she.
Soon, they are both reasonably covered in thick white towels. Much to her dismay, Willow finds that Angel is not a quiet whisperer.
"Shush! Angel - Vamp hearing? - Hello?" Willow whispers venomously.
He gets the message though and quiets down. Unfortunately, he also pulls her back into his arms and suddenly the towels don't seem to offer as much coverage as they once did. Leaning in close to her ear, he whispers softly this time.
"So what gives?"
"The Powers that Be sent Giles into the limbo where our souls were being held. They came up with a way to, Ahhh, re-soul us."
"If we're re-souled then why am hiding out in the bathroom whispering?"
"'Cause, there's a clause that everybody has to say yes on his or her own."
"So, that's what all the teasing was about and gee, I thought you really liked me!" Angel quips.
Willow rolls her eyes. Obviously, this non-cursed soul of Angel's has left Angelus' sardonic sense of humor intact. Oh joy!
"I've gotten to Xander but not Buffy. She needs to say 'yes' on her own to me. She just doesn't need to know to what!"
Looking down, she continues, "Ahh, so far, the --- well --- the sex thing -- - has --- ahh, worked with you and Xand."
"Sounds like a plan." Angel states as he turns to go back out to bedroom.
Willow squeaks at him before he can get to the door, "Towel, you just have on a towel!"
It's Angel's turn to roll his eyes now. "Well, you did say the sex thing worked, didn't you?"
Begrudgingly acknowledging that he is right, Willow tucks her towel tightly around her and heads back out for her command performance.
Willow had thought to prod both men out of the room so that she could get Buffy alone somehow, someway and be done with it. So far, so good.
Back in the bedroom, she is again confronted with this new amalgamation of Angel's personality. Despite the dire circumstances and the pressing need to restore Buffy's soul, he seems up for some fun of a purely physically kind.
Seeing Willow's desperation, he simply cocks a dark brow her way and smiles. He slides into bed beside of Buffy and immediately begins nuzzling her neck while still maintaining eye contact with Willow.
Willow grasps the fact that whatever scheme she is cooking up to get Buffy to say yes - the boys are going to be there to watch - boys - no men - with their souls. Oh great - Vamp or not - she is never going to live this down in a million years!
Buffy's limbs have become entangled with Xander's while their mates were in the shower and as she starts to wake, Xander rouses too. His dark head rises up, his eyes meeting Angel's. Immediately, something unsaid passes between them and Xander gives an almost imperceptible nod as he slides over, making a place beside of Buffy for Willow.
For a second or two, Willow hopes that once she is settled - towel and all - that Xander will take off for the shower like a gentleman - but no such luck as she feels him spoon her body with his own larger one. Mirroring the pair in front of them, he bites into her neck without any pretext. Her eyes close as her neck arches back into his bite. She is immediately lost to the electric hum of life and blood and magic.
Minutes have flown by before she surfaces again. Xander has flung himself away from her and is lying sated on his back and while she would like nothing more than to return his recent attentions, she turns to the matter at hand.
Both Angel and Buffy seem to be dozing but when she directs her gaze towards them, Angel immediately opens his eyes. It's time, she guesses. Angel seems prepared to take the lead this time as he begins to make low circle on Buffy's smooth with his fingertips.
At his touch, Buffy purrs like a cat in cream. She makes no move to even open her eyes as she arches into her sire's touch. With a bare whisper, Angel poses the needed question to his lover as his fingers continue to tease.
"Buff, tell me you want it". Nodding for Willow, he asks again, "Tell us that you want it".
With that, Willow comes closer, rubbing her cheek against Buffy's own. She hears Angel's appeal again.
This time, Buffy arches abruptly as she cries out, "Yes, yes, I want you. I want what you can give me."
Willow whispers her word and places a chaste kiss on Buffy's cool lips once again triggering the dense, magic fog. Angel plunges his fingers to where Buffy needs them most as she cries out over and over. Her actions wake Xander and he leans over Willow's side to watch the restoration of Buffy's soul with interest. Hey, it doesn't hurt that she's naked either.
Buffy fights her way through the layers of cobwebs in her brain. Her body is throbbing. She can sense people around her. Somehow, through senses less obvious than sight and sound - she recognizes those around her that are attempting to sooth her. The presence of these beloved ones calm her as she fights for reason and awareness. Unexpectedly, the unusual silence of her own body and those around her gives her a shock.
She is free falling into a nightmare. Every fiber of her being revolts against itself as the horror of what she has become is realized. The initial revelation is closely followed by the dreadful memories of the recent days, culminating in the murder of her mother. The utter repulsion she feels is beyond words. She has become the very thing that she was born to kill.
She opens her eyes to find the very face that has led her to damnation staring down at her. It is too much; she closes her eyes and curls into a small fetal ball too overwhelmed, too damned to do otherwise.