Part One ~ Part Two ~ Part Three ~ Part Four ~ Part Five ~ Part Six ~ Part Seven ~ Part Eight ~ Part Nine ~ Part Ten

Part Eleven ~ Part Twelve ~ Part Thirteen ~ Part Fourteen

 

 

 

 

Taken By The Night

Written by Baby Kitten

 

 

 

 

Queen of the Damn Soundtrack
“forsaken”

I’m over it, you see I’m falling in the best of this
Crowded by memories of the past
At last I say

Chorus:
My feelings fading I can’t speak it or else you’ll dig my grave
You feel it finding always whining
Take my hand now be alive
You see I cannot be forsaken because I’m not the only one
We walk on months on being raping
Must we hide from everyone

I’m over it, why can’t we be together every sec?
sleeping so long taking off the mask
at last I say…

 

 

Part One

 

 

What happens when the dark falls and the evil lurks around you? Angelus happens, baby, awaiting in the shadows just behind the spider senses of our heroine. She’s alone, sick, mourning the lost lover, and…awaiting his strike. But he is patient. After all, he has all eternity. She barely had him, and no even the real him, but the ensouled version. The weak shallowness of a man, if that’s what you’d call Angel, or called, because now, and due to her sacrifice, the most vicious creature of the darkness was free…and hunting for a mate…his mate.

 

“I can’t think straight, my head keeps spinning ‘cause of the fever and all that, but I’m fine, I mean I saved the kids, now I must get recovered…Xander, you know, you never mentioned to me that Angel had been around when I was ill, brought flowers and all, did you speak with him?” She appeared calm, but inside she was screaming. She had been having dreams about her first time with Angel almost every night. They plagued her. She was constantly nervous and on edge about him. Angelus had been following her all this time, tailing her while she patrolled as if he could catch her off guard, and he almost had, that day she was sick.

 

After sipping a little bit of soda Buffy remembered how he had stripped her off her clothes and raped her in her sickness before dumping her next to her Scoobie gang that day. She had been mad at him, clawed him like a hawk to a prey…they hadn’t noticed the hand bruises on her thighs or the bump in her head. Not even the good doctors had seen her frazzled and shocked look, but now she couldn’t help but be impatient and anxious of being alone in her bedroom, especially when the Scourge seemed so…obsessed about her.

 

“I didn’t want to upset you Buffster. He was…weird, kinda antsy, to tell ya the truth he scared me. He stroked me as if he was somebody else rather than Angel.” Buffy sat back and relaxed for a second. Meanwhile the sun was up she was alone, but what about after dark? When her blood was spilled into his mouth and her cunt sucked into mindless oblivion by the demon so many slayers had feared, what about her behavior then?

 

“He was…there’s something I need to tell you guys. Remember when I said that the Judge had possessed Angel somehow…well he hadn’t. I had, in some way, Angel, who was…calmed with a curse or a spell or something like it by a gypsy clan, was released from it right after that night…when he attacked Willow, now he’s like all vampires.”

 

Buffy got off her bed and double-checked her door before even saying the worse part. She didn’t want her mother to listen to that, especially now that the sun was setting.

 

“How do you know all this? Giles doesn’t, and he knows EVERYTHING.” Willow, always the practical one, thought Buffy. Xander looked dumfounded by her disclosure, but not yet shocked.

 

“He told me…after we had sex, he wants me…and believe it or not there’s nothing I can do to stop him. He’s coming. I know he is…is probably staring from the tree top above my window right now.” Buffy rubbed her arms mindlessly while glancing at the view of her back yard from her window. Angelus stayed poised at her rooftop, almost visible, but not quite, moon glow shining on his pale skin…as always.

 

“You guys have to go now. I’ll distract him for you.” Buffy reacted as she always had, save others, then save yourself, and Angelus laughed at her under his breath. His minions will get to them before they had even fully stepped out of the house.

 

“Come out, lover…I’m waiting.” His deep, throaty, sexy, velvety and dangerous voice was a little too compelling…

 

Buffy knew immediately something was up. She had to push them out of her bedroom, but they saw and sensed the danger in the air. “In a sec master,” she barely whispered. After her first time, Angelus had taken reign of her body, her will and her nights, in an exchange for the safety of her friends and family, but somehow Buffy doubted Angelus was capable of fair deals. For that she gave them her crossbow, plus holy water and some stakes to help them leave quicker. Her mother was in the kitchen---she’d probably give them a ride home, if Buffy compelled her to.

 

“Please, Buffy, let us do something to help. You can’t do it alone!”

 

She walked them down the stairs into the kitchen, almost pushing them out of her house as she walked behind them, always conscious of Angelus at the top of the stairs, staring at her. He was muttering, “Hurry,” with a crooked smile. He was playing cat and mouse with her friends again…and Buffy was afraid for them.

 

“Mom, could you please take Xander and Will home? I’m calling it a night and heading back to bed. Thanks for everything, guys…but I gotta do some homework and all.” Buffy waited as her mother got ready and left home…and all meant having wild debaucheries with Angelus.

 

“Be back in a while, honey. Take care.” Buffy waved goodbye and walked slowly upstairs, a black stain sinking in as she walked towards her master.

 

+++

 

“What’s wrong, lover? Why so blue?” Angelus took off Buffy’s nightgown and sniffed her up and down like an animal, taking her essence inside him as his hands searched for her wet core.

 

“Nothing, master, I’m still a bit ill, could I sleep before…?” Before being sucked, fucked, spanked, shackled and speared like a slave? Buffy lowered her eyes as her master sank his teeth into her breast, and suffocated a cry as his hand pinched her clit to make her writhe. Why in the name of all the slayers before me could I let myself be taken like that? I’ll tell you why…

 

“No, you cannot. You still owe me big for your behavior in the mall.” Because when his cock entered me I saw stars, literally. My head banged repeatedly against the headboard of his maroon covered bed and the bump kept getting bigger as I bled for and because of him…again and again and again.

 

“What should I wear?”

 

He pulled out a leather jacket and boots and she slowly put them on, still thinking about their night. His teeth sank into my thigh first, and nearly killed me because of the sheer force of his embrace, sucked me until my heart slowed, and then turned me in all fours and fucked me.

 

No “I love you” or false pretenses then. He just gave into the animal side, and took me with him. Then I bonded with him by drinking his blood…I couldn’t say no anymore. He was inside my head, inside my every living thought, he knew exactly what I wanted and gave it to me…he found the dark corners of my soul and showed them to me. He opened my essence to his demon and at last I said: “Please don’t leave me, like he did.” I don’t know why I said that, perhaps because I was in the throes of passion, perhaps because his body was perfection inside mine, perhaps because I had his blood invading my system, but he took my word…and called me on it.

 

“Tonight we are visiting an old friend of mine. You and her will bond like silk and skin…you are being too nice, Buff. Does it scare you that I might want to slash you pretty ass in front of my friends? After all, Buff, it’s such a pretty ass or is it something else, darling?”

 

Buffy shook her head in response. He had done that already but she had been blindfolded. It wasn’t until afterwards that she had known. “We mustn’t go too far. My mother is watching me like a hawk, and so is Giles. I want out of the charade.” Angelus pushed her against his convertible and opened the leather coat to bare her to his sight.

 

In other times, Buffy would have been ashamed of being naked in the garage of her mother’s house. But not now, not as it was pitch black outside, and Angelus’ hands were working in and out of her body with just the right rhythm, her g spot being stimulated by his index finger, her clit by his claddagh ring. “Worn on the left hand.” His mouth was sucking the skin of her jugular right above the vein, his right hand was baring her folds for the oncoming intrusion of his cock, ready and standing just outside her curly brownish hairs, shiny with precum and jolting with each one of Buffy’s deep moans.

 

“I want you to shut up and kiss me. We’ll deal with them later.” Angelus sank his teeth into her vein and penetrated her in one fell swoop. Then he raised her ass until her legs wrapped themselves around his waist and surged on and on into his mate, drinking her in slowly and making her moan as his hands pinched and caressed her clit.

 

“It’s starting to rain,” said Buffy. The large drops fell on top of their heads until they where nearly drenched, but they were taken aback by the pleasure, Angelus was still sucking her neck as she was clenching and unclenching his manhood.

 

The car shook, the pants fell, the dogs howled and the blood flowed unto the ground as both lovers held on by the invisible threads. Her nails dug into his skin as she bobbed up and down. He held his forehead pressed to hers in every stroke to welcome their first climax of the night.

 

+++

 

“You are a witch, and you got me howling at the moon. I’m turning you very soon.”

 

Buffy swallowed hard and felt her heart skip a beat as her body surged fast, riding into a second orgasm with every lingering caress of her master upon her clit. He had her now pinned to the side of his car, her back pressed to his chest, his cock buried deeply inside her. His hands stroked her secret folds as his mouth sucked her neck like male cats did on their mates.

 

“What about the rest of the world? We’ll be hell bent on heels, no salvation from apocalypses, no Miss Goodie Two-Shoes, no charades, no council, and no friends. How could I live with you in the dark?”

 

It wasn’t rhetorical. A slayer among vampires was always in peril. And then afterwards when her soul was free from remorse, she would mind nothing but blood…and her mate.

 

Angelus stopped for a second and leaned his forehead against her neck. Her pulse was a constant beat beneath his mouth, a mindless call to his ever-waking hunger and thirst for her.

 

“Aren’t you tired of running for sainthood, baby? Of always doing the heavy work and not being recognized? I tell you, Buff, you’ll be such a terrifying vampiress, the world will worship at your feet, scream in terror as you walk by, and kneel before you. You’d be the queen…my queen.” His prepared words came with a deep penetration and clit massage that sent her careening towards ecstasy, her body shaking and spasming, her blood singing in her veins. Already she was a changeling, she felt things more acutely, she heard everything and she felt indescribable joy when the blood of her sire filled her. Buffy sank her blunt teeth into the left wrist of her mate and sucked his elixir into the numbness of sexual oblivion.

 

“I’m yours. Lets go away, travel the world and the seven seas. I’m tired of denying what I feel beating inside me…”

 

Angelus made her shut her mouth with his and pounded her until his own second orgasm arrived to release him of the spell of Buffy’s body. He could spend all night fucking her, but there was a lot to do, and miles to go before sunrise.

 

“You’re feverish. Tomorrow you’ll curse me and make me bleed, like you did in the cemetery after I stole my pleasure from you. I can only agree to this: if you still think like you do tonight after visiting my friends at Wolfram and Heart, I will turn you. If not, we’ll stay as we are now...but understand this, Buff: you are mine. I’m in your blood and your head. If try to leave me, I’ll kill them all. If you lie, I’ll make you bleed. If you cheat or betray me, you’ll pay…you haven’t gotten nothing but a taste of the Scourge, and I don’t want to break you anymore than what I’ve already had.”

 

Buffy closed her eyes and let his threat fill her heart as his cold seed slipped out of her and unto the grass of the yard. She wondered what had disturbed him.

 

“My friends hate me now. Willow is probably calling Giles and he will tell the council that I’m damaged. They are gonna try to break us apart. They just can’t understand this.”

 

Angelus turned on the car, shoved her in and drove fast towards Los Angeles.

“It won’t matter now that you are with me. You belong to the night now, like I do.” They kissed and Angelus felt his childe, mate and lover tense underneath the leather coat. Her real adventure was about to begin and she knew it. Buffy was seriously contemplating spending eternity beside him.

 

 

 

Part Two

Innocence

 

 

Two Weeks Before…

 

 

“…I should have known you couldn’t handle this.” Angelus smirked and traced his hand through her silky cheek. He had tasted her so little ago as the soul. The memories of his overly sweet way of taking her virginity sickened him. HE would have made her bleed and scream his name so much better. Instead, she had barely cum at all, too worried about his love for her and other stupid things…things like the teenager version of Liam, his human counter side.

 

Things had not been good enough for a scum like Liam or Angel, ‘cause they were the same to him, weak, foolish and liars.

 

That was what Darla had seen. A man she could control. But what came out of that shell was Angelus, a bloodthirsty, mean-hearted and cheating monster that wanted her only as a trophy. But then again, Darla had been a good sire and he thanked her for that. Now the soul had done something worthy of envy---for the first time ever, he had banged the best slayer ever to exist.

 

Angel had told her he loved her, had even saved her, to prove his undying devotion, but in the end he just wanted to get inside her pants, like any other male with a cock and a pair of working eyes. She was hot and sweet and the soul had her fouled, crying, whining and acting so much like a 17 year-old brat. So not like the ripe female he had tasted through the boundaries of the soul only hours ago. He listened and pretended he wasn’t interested while she mourned the lost. He abided his time because he wanted her…so badly he could almost taste her.

 

“Angel, please come back.” He hesitated, he wanted to gloat to Spike again, to pretend he desired to end the life of the slayer, but in truth he only wanted her beneath him again… And he just gave in.

 

“Shush, darling. It will all be great now that I’m here.” He wiped the tears away while kissing her mouth like he had always wanted, sucking her tongue into his mouth, scraping it against his elongated fangs until the delirious slayer blood filled him. She struggled and tried to break the embrace, but he wouldn’t let go.

 

“Who the hell are you?!” Angelus smiled as he licked a side drop that fell from the corner of her sweet soft mouth. He regretted being dressed because he could smell the tangy essence of her arousal faintly flowing in the air. He rubbed the bridge of his nose against her temple and her essence maddened him. It was so animal, sex rain and blood had clung to her from the long night before melding in with her perfume and natural smell until driving even the simpering soul crazy…and now she was all at his mercy.

 

“The devil lover and you just got yourself a front seat to my next performance…sweet slayer, you picked the wrong one to holler at.”

 

She shook and her instinct told her to run, but her impulse only fueled Angelus into binding her.

 

“I don’t know who you are, but you are certainly not Angel!” He kissed her again and nearly choked her in her own blood after biting her tongue and capturing her in her own transparent sweater thingy. Now Angelus could admire the fine piece of ass he had…‘cause there was no doubt she would be his.

 

She was afraid and had instantly realized there was something out place in him. Maybe it was how soulless his eyes looked or the tone of voice or the cool detachment after she had given him her honor.

 

“Call me Angelus or Master if you like.”

 

She moved to hit him but instead he backhanded her with his left hand, throwing her against the wall with such a force she fell on her side hitting her head against the bedpost…

 

And the air was filled with slayer blood again…

 

And the imprint of his claddagh was left in her face.

 

His because it had always belonged to him, to Angelus. It had been the repayment he had taken for driving a certain gypsy girl crazy on behalf of the hatred that another girl had felt for her.

 

That “another” girl had been Drusilla and the hated girl…a slayer, an Irish, married gypsy slayer that Spike had raped. Angelus had liked her and kept the ring her husband had given her before leaving home as a souvenir. Angel had wanted to use his mushy Irish common meaning to warm the blood of the slayer, to lure her into his lair. He had used his relic to his amusement and that had driven Angelus insane.

 

“I will not, you bastard! You are The Scourge of Europe! I’m gonna have such pleasure in killing you with my stake!” Even with her hands tied down, she wiped the blood from her mouth and spat to his side while he got sidetracked on a serious series of feral kicks from her booted feet.

 

“It’s too early to dare me to fight, Slayer. Give it a few days, I’ve got other amusements in mind for you.” He took off his clothes and watched her as she shivered in sexual angst and rage. He understood that all too well. The soul had loved Spike and hated Angelus because he had a thing for dominating Darla even above the Master’s sire claim on her.

 

“If you touch me, I’ll kill you!”

 

Not a lighthearted threat coming from her, but he wasn’t scared by it. He had killed slayers before her, but never wanted to fuck one before.

 

“Darling, I’ll give you a head start after this, but first…” He grabbed her by the neck and sunk his teeth into her jugular. The slayer screamed and fought like a banshee until he ripped her pants off of her with a few calculated movements and buried himself to the hilt into her tight sheath. She fought him to no avail beneath his teeth until the loss of blood became dangerous and she became dizzy.

 

“Don’t…stop now!” She was contorting and bending her back to give him better access to her sex as he performed cunnilingus for her. He kept a hand around her throat and the other between her legs. His tongue played her around, tantalizing her nerves to receive his body.

 

“Don’t worry, Slayer, I’m not done yet.” With that he sank his teeth into her femoral vein and drank himself into oblivion. Her blood was liquid fire inside him, spiked with her orgasm around nothing right beside him. That infuriated him and he quickly stopped and headed up again.

 

“I’m dying!”

 

Angelus wasn’t merciful. He pushed his huge erection into her tight sheath again and pushed with driven strength, way deep past her cervix, with a blinding force and animal speed that shook her. Her hands were bound above her head, her thighs were wide apart and her head was banging unto the headboard as he crushed her from the inside, bending her body to his claim.

 

“Tell someone who cares.”

 

She cried out and bit him hard on the base of the neck, so much that she even tasted his blood. He howled and saw stars at the same time as she came, …she had bound them together as mates. Vampire mates, the kind that happens once every hundred times in hell, like Spike and Drusilla were.

 

Angelus kept on surging until he was spent, but his mind was in great turmoil. He was now bloodbound to the Slayer, and he felt rotten and trembling inside. He had never felt that kind of passion for a woman, not even Darla, not even Drusilla. She was fire in his blood and now he was in her head, like her mate.

 

“Please don’t leave me now…like he did.” He didn’t. He was too worried about what would happen now, but it wasn’t him, it was Buffy. He shared her feelings now, and they were as heavy as his. Her body screamed for more even as she was soared. Her blood danced rapidly in her veins and she was clinging to him like a bloody leech. She hated him and now loved him with the same strength, like a mate.

 

“Not bloody likely, Buff. You and me are gonna have some very wild debaucheries together now.” He wasn’t about to let go wasted the sexually disrupted slayer that had just ask him to stay, too much pleasure was strumming through his bloodstream to deny that he was quite taken by her.

 

+++

 

Hours after having his newly found mate in seven different sexual positions and blood drained her into slumberous sleep beside him, Angelus considered the last thought the soul had left him with. “The slayer was mine.” Angel hadn’t truly loved her, she wasn’t like his type even! He had loved no one, not even his parents.

 

Angelus’ rage and madness came straight from Angel’s time with his family and friends in the eighteenth century. The man he was had formed the demon that spawned within, but now Angelus was free of all that. He had Spike and Dru…and the slayer to keep him busy. He was still killing, but the song he had in his heart was totally different, more contained and sated in the fiery blood of his dangerous new mate.

 

 

 

Part Three

Conversations in Bed

 

 

“Now that you are finally awake, we’ll clarify a couple of things.”

 

Buffy opened her eyes slowly to the form of Angelus poised above her, his manhood buried deeply inside her. She felt relaxed and numb, like the aftershock of a powerful, sleepy orgasm.

 

“We need to stop the judge.” He kept his rhythm languorous, up and down, the base of his cock tantalizing her clit with each thud.

 

“Listen…the reason why I’m here…it’s because your ex-boyfriend was a prick. He knew that if he experienced a moment of true happiness he would loose his soul and he just decided not to tell you. Because he wanted you to bed him, no matter what, he knew it would happen afterwards.” Buffy vehemently denied his speech with her head. She couldn’t believe that of her Angel.

 

“Think about it, baby. You were having a nightmare in the library, you saw the judge. Instead of stopping you from going straight into danger he says, “I’ll come with you.” Then you arrive there and he doesn’t just start to run when he sees him…he knew what the judge was capable of and he barely moved away. He says “Take me instead of her,” when he could have broke free of the minions easily, but then again he does. But what you didn’t know is that he just wanted to save himself, not you! Why would any man with a brain take you, the holy slayer into a lair?! And one with the bloody judge on it! Think about it!”

 

He surged more fiercely into her once…twice and in the third time he just emptied himself. His seed coated her thighs and inner walls.

 

“I don’t believe you! You are lying!” she screamed as he walked to the nightstand to put on his rings and boxers.

 

“Tcha! I never lie, Buffy! Think about this then… you escaped the judge and walked into the night. It was pouring rain. Instead of taking to your home or just make love to you under the rain he says, “Lets get inside,” because he’s afraid you’ might bail on him! He wanted you in his bed…beneath him…no matter what! And what’s even worse is that when you guys get there, he plays you like a bloody virtuoso. “Get under the covers just to warm up.” Newsflash, baby …he is dead cold, he doesn’t need you to be warm! But then again, he doesn’t wanna feel like he is sleeping with Darla again. Haven’t you ever noticed you’re same type? And then he says, “Let me have a look.” Of course he wants to look! He’s playing you and you say, “Ok,” like it’s a piece of cake. Then he’s all bummed because he couldn’t taste your blood. He says, “It’s already closed,” because he wanted to suck you dry---even just a drop of it would have make him happy. And then the masterpiece ending, “Buffy we shouldn’t.” He sets you a bait and you just you go for it! Think about it!” He finished getting dressed and threw her the clothes on top of the bed.

 

“I just can’t believe all this… he said he loved me!” She stayed crying and sobbing beside his pillow while the illusions were shattering beside her.

 

“Of course he did! There was no other way for scum like him to get in your pants! You wanna go even further back? When you had the order of Taracka behind you and he took you to that ice place, he said “I don’t want you to see me like this.” He meant, “I don’t want you to fall for Angelus.” He used you and then he left you in his bed to go straight to Spike and Drusilla for a shot at being half way there.” He kissed her in the forehead and walked to the bathroom.

 

“What am I to you?” Buffy got dressed and stopped dead cold on the doorstep of his room, ready to leave.

 

“My mate. You bound us together, now you have to play.” He pulled her into the dingy room, pushed her against the wall, and proceeded to kiss and nip at her collarbone.

 

“I …just”

 

He kissed her, sucking her tongue and lower lip into his mouth until he was practically eating her breath.

 

“We are in this…now I’m sated. I’m gonna take a leap and have a talk with my old pals Dru and Spike, but first…lets drop you off with your friends.” He walked her out of the apartment and into his car.

 

Buffy was speechless about the manhandling she was receiving from the vampire. He had left no room for arguments and had pleased her in ways she didn’t think were possible. Her lips were swollen, her body was weak, her inner walls were filled with his seed and his essence clung to her like hers did to him. she could hear his thoughts and feelings in her head, they drove her INSANE, and still she couldn’t comprehend how good she felt.

 

“I really don’t understand you.”

 

He kissed her one last time before reentering the world of the Order of Aurelius and inside his head a nice game starting setting.

 

“Are you up for a game of charades?” Before she could say no, he walked out on her and down the corridors of her high school and found Xander and Willow having a fight. He loved the adrenaline-charged air and came in, to play cat and mouse with her lively and juicy friends.

 

”SICKCYCKLE CARROUSEL”

BY LIFEHOUSE
If shame had a face I think it would kind of look like mine
If it had a home would it be my eyes
Would you believe if I said I'm tired of this
Well here we go one more time

I tried to climb your steps
I tried to chase you down
I tried to see how low I could get down to the ground
I tried to earn my way
I tried to tame this mind
You better believe that I tried to beat this

So when will this end
It goes on and on
And over and over and over again
Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop
Till I step down from this for good

I never thought I'd end up here
I never thought I'd be standing where I am
I guess I kind of thought it would be easier than this
I guess i was wrong now one more time

Sick cycle carousel
This is a sick cycle yeah

So when will this end
It goes on and on
And over and over and over again
Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop
Till I step down from this for good

Sick cycle carousel …

 

 

 

Part Four

Hints

 

 

"Thanks, I was starving.” Buffy continued to chew on her burger while Angelus kept his eyes on the road. They were headed to a cottage belonging to a dear friend near the Ocean.

 

“Don’t mention it, dear…you’d ruin my terrible reputation.”

 

She took a sip of the coke and stared at the bayside greeting them from outside of the car. The fresh air smelled like salt and sand. The waves sounded monotonous and reassuring at the same time, and the breeze made a constant undulation on the palm trees. Buffy felt her heart soar as the night enfolded her into its wet, clingy, dark and sensuous embrace…

 

And then again there was a constant nagging feeling that her friends and family would miss her, and worse…that she would not miss them.

 

What am I to do when I’m this happy? Really, it’s quite terrifying…to abandon all and never look back. What would have the last slayer thought about me? She would have called me a traitor, a slut or even a loose cannon, but who could blame me?

 

“I love the beach at night.” She laid a lingering hand of hers on his thigh as he caressed the side of her neck with lips and tongue. He was tantalizing her, subtly asking her to take pity on him. She was slowly coming towards his trousers as he drove through the cul de sac that signaled the entrance to the cottage. Buffy opened the buttons one by one with her teeth and then she fondled him through the clothes until he moaned and arched his back.

 

The car was now in park. Her head was softly bobbing up and down as he caressed her back from neck to buttocks and back up again, time and time again until she got restless and sat astride him. In her head, her thoughts were crystal clear to him…she had given in…all the way down to him, she aimed to please him as much as he wanted to be pleased. What Angelus didn’t recognize as love, Buffy recognized as happiness. She was free and happy and that was all that mattered to her.

 

No more curfews, no more jumping through windows, no more classes or exams, no more Giles, no more apocalypses or Judges or Masters…no more anything else! I can relax, I can travel the world, I can learn Spanish and how to make a Martini on my own. I’m the mighty Slayer and I can do whatever I want!

 

“Get back to that move you just did…and focus! I’d like to cum tonight!”

 

Grouchy! I kiss him with deliberate candor to inflame him to take the stand and leave the car, but he is more interested in my breasts. He observes them and sucks them with both mouth and teeth. My own hand slips around the place where our bodies are joined and makes little circles around my clit. I am quickly clenching and unclenching around him as he uses his hands to guide my rhythm to his pleasure. Up and down, in and out, shallow and deep, ever so slowly. After a few minutes I start shaking and sweating, letting the deep part and the sliding in last longer. Until I just burst, wave after wave of contractions and spasms and jerky sensations that have me griping his neck for leverage as my back arches and I get lost in the whirlwind of sexual pleasure.

 

I don’t fool myself thinking he loves me, because I know he doesn’t. He’s toying with me. He uses me to find ecstasy and later on to gloat about it…but I don’t’ mind that. I do love him because he tells me the truth all the time, because he makes me laugh, and cum, and feel secure. Even if he is evil and sucks blood to live, I still love him, and he has promised me eternity. You don’t give that kind of present to anybody. I mean something to him, even if it’s not love, it’s still good enough to make me scream his name whether I’m having an orgasm or in peril again.

 

And when I almost thought I could not hit another racketing jerk, he pushed all the way in and started again. I was limp and boneless and he was resetting. I took a deep breath, sighed and got myself ready to climb the steps again.

 

But he got impatient and just sucked my neck as he spilled inside. I could tell he had been holding back and that he would probably want me to ride a second orgasm as quick as he could. I did my best and he came. Even if he wasn’t screaming in pleasure, I knew he still had relaxed because his seed was sliding through my thighs as I walked through the door of his gorgeous beachside mansion.

 

+++

 

“Soon enough you’ll be my childe. Now go take a bath. I have to search for a few items I need before formally starting your training as a minion.”

 

And she didn’t flinch or even say no in her head. The thought of eternity with him was so very compelling. So much pleasure and surrender ahead. Because now Buffy knew how great it felt to surrender, after a much too draining fight. The fight to avoid damnation, that always ended near Hades or near Zeus, to the heavens or to hell. Or in Buffy’s case to neither. She was now formally contemplating the thought of never dying…again.

 

“Interesting, but I didn’t take my stuff…I didn’t say goodbye to my mother…I didn’t tell Cordelia to go to hell…I never had children! There’s so much to do still!”

 

Angelus took her hand while she ranted on and on about the past. “Cold feet are quite usual for young about-to-be-turned childes…” he said through their mind link. He was enjoying Buffy’s wave of sudden regret. Deep down she was just trying her hand at hard to get.

 

“Children… were out of question, and about the rest…It’s so very tough!” He said it with so much sarcasm Buffy felt like his eyes were going to go inside his skull as he rolled them with his performance of being terribly affected.

 

“Jeez, chill out, mister! I meant Master.” She pushed him out of her way with both hands and walked on to the cliff. He didn’t even move an inch but followed her…just in case she may have had any suicidal thoughts in her crazy head.

 

“I’m dead-cold…I don’t chill”

 

Buffy laughed ferociously at his words but relaxed as his arms wrapped themselves around her midriff and hugged her from the back. She was warm and alluring like sunshine, he was dark and mysterious like the moonlight. They represented to the perfection that thing old folks said about opposites attracting themselves.

 

“Of course you don’t!” Buffy felt for a few minutes like a girl inside a portrait. He was being so kind to her, so very understanding…so not like him. He looked happy, content even.

 

“Despite what has been said of my kind, I’m quite capable of being happy,” he whispered in her mind ever so softly. “It’s all about you. Your calmness fills me.” She smiled and hugged him closer, sharing her warmness.

 

A thought came into his mind, something he had once said to spike referring to her. “She made me feel human and that’s not something you easily forget.” In truth he never lied. Why would he? He was whole, powerful and undefeatable, he would have been right to want a prize. In this case Buffy had been his prize. To have her forever was his revenge on the centuries he had spent chained to the Wimp.

 

“You’re sulking, master.” He realized he was slightly melancholic for a second and changed immediately.

 

“Lets go inside. I’ve got games for you tonight.” He didn’t have to say much to make her horny. A seductive look and she was wrapping her legs around him…and that’s what he wanted. True surrender came like this. She’d never say no to him ever again.

 

At least that’s what he believed then.

 

Buffy would eventually realize the amazing power she had between her hands. He loved her, in truth it was spilling all too clear in his eyes, but what kind of love did he have in mind?

 

Surely it wasn’t the white picket fences and coffee snuggles she was envisioning. It was something towards shared carnage, moon hollering sex and Bondage parties. But what was she to know about that? Or him about the soft-spoken I love yous that came without a single word? Like Buffy baring her throat for him to feed, or her arm circling him as he slept, or her eyes ever searching the ground for suspicious girls with stakes and stuffy British guys with mustaches.

 

Love--it’s compromising, children. And that’s only the beginning, because when you are Angelus’ mate you are at the top of the food chain. Everybody wants to be you, especially those closer.

 

 

 

 

Part Five

Beware of Spikes

 

Two Weeks Later…

 
NOTE: the conversion takes place in “Downfall of a Slayer” the 6th part of the story

 

“Stop wasting my blood on tears! It’s only a leash and a collar.” He was mad. A fledgling by definition was weak and unstable. It needed to get used to the power and hunger. Buffy was most obviously nervous about her meeting with Spike and Dru. After a day with semi-vampiress skin, she felt as helpless as her first day as a slayer.

 

“Yes, master.” He stroked her neck softly as she bowed her head in response to the soft tug her master had given her down with the golden leash.

 

“It will all be all right. You will see. You’ll fit in so well…” He collected the running tear on his index finger and sucked it in.

 

“Delicious.”

 

She smiled despite the sudden urge to crawl out of her skin.

 

“Thank you. I will not disappoint you, master.” Cold wind came into the bayside house as he opened the door to the terrace. The world lay open once again to her. Even she knew in her little heart that she would have a rough start. She’ll be the ally dog everybody picks at. She would have to endure it as the inner circle tested her and tasted her. She was breathtakingly beautiful and alluring as the moon to a werewolf. But she couldn’t have known that, no reflection and all that, but Angelus knew…and planned on taking advantage of it.

 

“I was hoping you would…riding crops were my specialty among naughty girls a long time ago.”

 

He was so bloody delightfully sinful, Buffy decided to be bad just to get a second taste of his meaner side. But just a little bit bad. He could get carried away and she would too, and what would Buffy do if she ended up liking this?

 

“Yes, master Angelus. I’ll be a very naughty girl for you. Only for you!” she said it as both a tantalization and a warning. She was his and only his. She did not want to end up on somebody else arms…especially not Spike’s.

 

“Shut your mouth, slave! You are mine to do as I please!” He yanked the leash up until she was plastered to his mouth. “And I don’t share!” Possessiveness was the mark of passion, and jealousy was the mark of love, because why fear others when you are completely sure…of her love.

 

Could it be that Angelus was in love? I would have said yes…but I could have been wrong.

 

+++

 

“Slayer.” He practically drooled on my nickname, and that made me frightened. He was William the Bloody, and you don’t get that kind of name when you are running for sainthood.

 

“That’s ‘Mistress’ to you, my child.”

 

I had almost forgotten we were bonded, and also the fact that I was on a leash, walking behind my master and… mate.

 

“Sure thing, pet. Really, Angelus, you had to just rub it in, didn’t you?” Of course! She is magnificent. Eyes like a cat, hair like living sunshine, skin like alabaster and deathly hands, delicate as porcelain pieces---but quite lethal. What else would you have done if you were me? thought Angelus out loud through their link.

 

He would have killed me, not bed me, said Buffy silently in his mind.

 

His mistake, Buff. Now you’re all mine. “Kneel on the silk cushion, slave!”

 

She did so. Around her were dozens of vampires and their minions. She had just entered the world of the order of Aurelius. A fledgling with amazing powers and astonishing looks---a turned slayer, something nobody had ever tried to do, because nobody had been brave enough to get that bloody close to one of them, especially the Slayer. Buffy was now synonymous to the boogey man for the vampires. She killed thousands over the years, and now…she was among them…kneeling at the left side of her master.

 

“Bring the other slaves, Dru.” Four of them, all males, came strolling, closely bunched and with their heads bent so low as to touch their chests.

 

Around Buffy there was extreme luxury and opulence. Gold doorknobs, crystal chandeliers, Aubusson carpets, mahogany furniture, and a Ming Dynasty base in a shadowy corner---displayed as if it was a little unimportant thing.

 

A dangling Swarovsky crystal lamp was high above, but it was barely illuminating the room. The entrance showed a Scorpion sign, above the name Quinn. His realm. Angelus O’Quinn kingdom…and now hers. And this was only the grand Saloon. Beyond that was a huge fireplace with sleeping cherubs made of onyx on either side, a portrait of Angelus riding a black stallion in the full moonlight above, a chaise long the color of the shiny silver moon by the gigantic left windows, and a cat.

 

Despite the very incongruous thought of it, there was a living jet black colored cat with blue near-white eyes staring at her right now. Around its neck was a diamond necklace and silver plaque that said, “Moonlight.” Buffy’s eyesight was as good as a hawk’s now, and in that moment they were harshly poised on the wild pet.

 

It was a present to his new mistress. A lovely cat to accompany her, a she-cat, of course. A hunter. Buffy turned her eyes slowly towards the action in front of her as the cat licked her paws. Angelus was disciplining his other slaves. He spoke in hushed tones, and that was all the more frightening. He dangled a diamond and gold cross in front of the worst one, a red haired male dressed in black and emerald green. His eyes were dark brown and were now silently pleading to Buffy’s as Angelus pressed the cross to the base of the vampire’s neck.

 

“Sooner…or later you’ll learn to behave and obey, Marlon. I’ll personally see to that or… would you rather have Dru and Spike do it?” The man said “No” with his eyes and head and kissed his masters knee while he received his dutifully deserved punishment.

 

Angelus caught his mistress’s sudden silent moan through their link. He laughed slightly under the crook of his arm as he looked at her eyes while leaving the imprint in the flesh of Marlon, the red haired vampire he was currently chastising.

 

“You are lucky you only have to fear fire and stakes.”

 

Buffy was somehow impervious to sunlight, crosses and holy water. She could touch them and drink the water without so much as a twinge. That was why Angelus had thought her to be a semi-vampiress, an uncommon half breed. Surely she would had not been the only slayer to have attempted at turn, arising halfway through in a manner of fashion that was uncommon for vampires!

 

(Impossible was more likely!)

 

Meaning she had died and her heart had stopped. She had fallen into sleep to awake at dawn---not dusk. Sad and confused, not hungry, still warm and uncharacteristically unafraid of crosses and holy water. She haltingly went down the steps of the beach house into the morning sun, unharmed and unchanged. For all Angelus knew Buffy had not completed the transformation.

 

But she had died, lost all the blood in her body and then sucked nearly all of his into her, to go later into peaceful sleep, cold and unmoving, like a corpse or a changing vampire.

 

But then at the first mating after the change, she had barely tasted his blood and retained her physical warmness, without a reflection, without a heartbeat, and most strangely without a demon face. She was Buffy in all her essence--only her fangs had gone slightly sharper, longer at the tip. If she didn’t have her mouth open or was smiling you couldn’t notice she was a vampire.

 

That was bizarre and kept Angelus worried and exhilarated at the same time. Surely Buffy was a rare feat attempted by a crazy master, but she was real and ‘his’, and that was all that mattered to him.

 

“Whose is that beauty?” She looked guiltily at the she cat as she was poised on top of the chaise long waiting to attack.

 

“Yours…I thought you’d like it.” Angelus let the cross off the man’s skin and walked to Spike and Dru. The conversation among the elders was picking up.

 

“What about the second slayer…I heard something about Kendra. We have to get rid of her, and then we’ll talk about taking domination above the Hellmouth again.” The one speaking was Keira, a brunette, five feet tall, and an Elder. She was half a century younger than Spike, but still a strong and cunning one.

 

“She is right…Buffy will take care of her.”

 

At the mention of her name, Buffy chose to kneel lower and almost sink into the silk cushion. She didn’t feel quiet ready for that one yet.

 

“She’ll tear her apart with her bare hands, won’t you, my darling?” Angelus walked to her and tugged on the leash. So forcefully as to stop her from the horrible remaining habit of faking breathing. She had to stop anything and everything human in order to truly fit in.

 

“Yes, master.” Inside Buffy cringed at the thought of drinking another slayer’s blood, but she had no choice. Angelus had commanded her in front of fifteen vampires who could very easily tear her apart.

 

“Too late. My Dru bagged her! There is a new slayer in Sunnydale. Her name is Faith, very nice, brunette, unpredictable, and sexy as her predecessor. You’d love to meet her, sire.” Buffy nearly launched for Spike’s throat at that. Angelus would not cheat on her if she could prevent it---most certainly not with another slayer.

 

“Good job, my darling” said Angelus as he caressed Drusilla’s cheek.

 

“It was my pleasure, daddy.”

 

Buffy felt the bile surge up her throat until she could almost taste the blood in her mouth. Jealousy was a murderous emotion in the world of vampires.

 

“Worried, slayer? Preoccupied about your status? I would love to show you where you stand in the food line.” Spike wanted badly to torture her, and Angelus caught a wave of her anger and distress and decided to settle the matter immediately.

 

“Spike…friends, minions. It’s time to give you a demonstration.” He dangled the cross in front of Drusilla and when she moved away from the stingy element, he grabbed the neck of Marlon, the disobedient childe.

 

“Have your will.” Angelus had said it to Buffy, but at that second the red-haired vampire launched for Buffy’s neck as he had been sent out to do.

 

In a move faster than what the human eye would call visible, Buffy turned her head to the side, pulled a pencil thin stake out of her heel and pushed it through the back of the vampire into his heart. He exploded in a rain of ashes beside her.

 

“I recommend you to think twice before you make a move on my mate. As you can see, she’s quite dangerous. If she thinks either she or I are at risk…she would attack, regardless of who is in front of her. Is everything clear here then?” Angelus gave Buffy a firm squeeze in the shoulder as he placed the diamond cross on her neck.

 

They were all stunned about the fact that Buffy wasn’t burning or screaming in pain.

 

“And if you thought about capturing, torturing, or harassing her, you might find yourself in grave danger. She knows how to read minds and as her previous background informs you…she knows all the ways to kill a vampire. And especially how to destroy a vampires nest.”

 

Angelus sat in his huge mahogany, king-like chair and caressed Buffy’s golden locks. The little cat also came silently and sat in his lap. Moonlight and Buffy had the same eyes and shared the love of his master, both ready to pounce at the most minimum treat. Sure of his safety, the Master of the Order of Aurelius sat to contemplate what or rather whom he would do now that he had the world at his feet.

 

"Dare You To Move"

by switchfoot

Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next
What happens next

[Chorus]
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

[Chorus]
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before

 

 

 

 

Part Six

The Downfall of a Slayer

 

(right after the end of part I in timeline)

 

“Now that we are alone…lets talk”

 

Buffy sat at the edge of the large marble tableau in the center of the room. It was dimly lighted and more than annoyingly silent. The floor was cold to the touch of her bare feet and the marble was harsh on the skin of her bare ass beneath the leather coat.

 

“Your wish is my command…what do you want to talk about, Angelus?” Growing up into a woman had been a fast process to our heroine. She was now aware of the subtle differences between girls and women…

 

Women had wisdom, mystic, and beauty. Girls had only the beauty.

 

“Your conversion.”

 

Two words that made Buffy cross her arms in the universal sign of being worried and holding back her thoughts.

 

“I…” She swallowed hard before speaking again. “When is it gonna happen and what should I do to prepare myself…for it?” She was serious, calmed in appearance and cold to the point of shivers, but not afraid.

 

“This weekend, and preparation is a simple three-step routine.” He smiled suddenly and opened his coat and shirt to warm up against the fire. Angelus had never feared the fire—he actually liked it. Its lovely color, its warm sensation, its cleansing power, its brightness, and above all, he loved the blue fire. It reminded him of Buffy, a flame of the purest passion…of the love that shone bright and calm in her eyes as she deliberately accepted her destiny.

 

“Then name me the steps please…I’d like to get on with it right away.”

 

He chuckled at her vehemence and turned his back on her. The look of pure affection on her face was clear when he changed his visage into the vampire’s one.

 

“First you learn to do exactly as I say. When I say ‘exactly’ I mean specifically what I say, nothing less and nothing more…come here, slave”

 

She frowned and stiffened, but did not bulge.

 

“You are not going to ask me to do something against my principles, are you?” Her eyes grew darker as he walked towards her, picking up a small box from the chair as he walked.

 

“Well…obedience is the one from a childe that includes an absence of protest, Slayer. You do as I say, period. You are not stupid, although blonde and pretty, so you must understand what I mean. Giles must have spoken at least once of the nature of the childe-sire relations, right?” He opened the box before reaching her and pulled a blindfold out of it.

 

“I don’t like being blinded.”

 

Tough! said Angelus through their link. He didn’t like her to be insecure. Hadn’t I shown you I mean you no harm? If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already.

 

“Do as I said and you’ll be alright.” he was reasoning with her, trying without punishment to make her understand the dynamics of childe-sire relationship.

 

“We need a failsafe.”

 

There’s none, Buff. You follow the steps and that’s it. He fastened the blind around her head and tossed her upon his shoulder as he carried her into another room, even more silent than the first.

 

She was smart enough not to try and take it off, but she was still weary of the outcome of this particular exercise.

 

“Be quiet now, slut!” He wasn’t sweet or tender. He was simple and straight. He wanted her compliance and he wanted it without doubts.

 

“What did you just called me?” She tried to turn on his shoulder to face him, but it was too late. He had her now immobilized with handcuffs as he slapped her soundly and repeatedly on the ass.

 

She winced several times, but did not cry in pain. She was too proud to cry on a simple beating. And it was not even a painful one for that matter, just meant for show.

 

“Stand up.”

 

She thought he was talking to her, but in truth he wasn’t. She tried to make it out of his arms, but he placed her quickly on somebody else’s arms. She noticed the warmness and strength of the holder and frowned startled at something.

 

There was nothing human in her holder. The smell, feel or size wasn’t familiar to her. As a matter of fact there was six arms holding her.

 

“Are you going to sacrifice me?”

 

The holder pushed a slimy tentacle into her mouth, effectively silencing her and grossing her at the same time.

 

“Now, now. Lets start with the chair.”

 

The octopus demon moved and after a safe ten seconds dropped her on top of a barstool, or what it felt like it to Buffy. It was cool and harsh as marble beneath her nakedness…until it moved.

 

“Angelus! Let me off”

 

Then there came a gag. One so big, she had to breath through her nose and hold her jaws so open that they were numbed instantly. She feared she was going swallow her tongue.

 

Precisely my point, slut. Now be still or you’ll fall and burn, said Angelus. Buffy noticed something warm near her, something that smelled like smoke, and something that was trying his way towards her. Something familiar and yet alien at the same time.

 

Then came a mad chanting and Angelus pulled her down unto something liquid. Blood, she noticed for the coppery smell. She bit her tongue before speaking as she sensed a myriad of hands caressing her, probing her intimately even.

 

At some point she began to relax and managed a few seconds of pure bliss, but an orgasm was out of question.

 

What is going on? She tried the link and he sent her off softly.

 

Patience and you’ll see for yourself. She waited and slowly the smell of burning sandalwood invaded her. It was intoxicating. The spicy essence came from oil that fell on her, head first, then hair, face, neck and collarbone later.

 

Slow working rivulets were warming their way through her body. When she felt familiar hands grip her thighs apart she shuddered.

 

“Please!” She didn’t now exactly was she was begging for, but she desperately wanted the blind off so she could see the reality surrounding her.

 

The chants began again, sounding like a maraud of crazy monks to her, but crazy monks didn’t turn her on her stomach before the proceeding to eat her alive.

 

Lick by lick they lavished her until she felt like pool of oil. One strong lick grazed her neck and she felt her heart skip a beat. Another one sank between her shoulder blades and she contorted in pleasure. A mouth drove her thumb into warmness and another started licking the palm of her hands. Soon enough she tossing and turning in a million directions as sensations overwhelmed her. She was a human bowl of milk and the cats were feeding ferociously.

 

Then it all stopped.

 

Just when I was about to come, she said into the link.

 

Not yet. I haven’t given you permission.

 

Little paws, like those of spiders walked along her back, going down on it towards her rear. Buffy arched her back to prevent them from reaching her destination and that gained her a sound slap in the left cheek.

 

You forced me into rushing this. His voice even in the link had been harsh, implacable, and dangerous.

 

Suddenly hands were pushing her on all fours. The little paws had morphed into a hand. Angelus’ hand made a south oriented travel on her body, starting in her neck and ending on her rear.

 

Suddenly all the noise stopped and Buffy swallowed hard. She was at the center of a cult and something was about to happen.

 

“You are about to be immolated.” He said it out loud to broadcast to both his mate and their audience, and then without preamble he pulled her hair backwards and bit her neck. But he didn’t feed on her. He made a murderous gash in both sides of her larynx and let the blood drip slowly into something.

 

Buffy tried to scream.

 

But the sound never came.

 

The silence was deafening.

 

Buffy’s heart was stuttering.

 

And Angelus chose that moment to massage her clit as he penetrated her.

 

First lightly and then profoundly.

 

Inch by inch he worked his way into her body.

 

Until some of the blood traveled south and gathered in her genitals and around his dick.

 

And she came, wave after wave of powerful orgasm.

 

Le petit mort and le grand mort joining hands.

 

He thrust in and out so slowly that he counted her contractions around him, seven, nine, ten, and finally eleven, and then it was time to count the jerks as she collapsed in the pool and remained chained by a thousand hands.

 

Buffy lost control of her legs and unexpectedly the blindfold was off and he was holding her. She noticed he was covered in gold powder and blood and smiled as the last flash of memory went away.

 

“I love you.” Angelus didn’t wait any longer and pressed his mouth to the hideous gash and drank, while simultaneously pressing her head to his heart. When she was blinded he had cut a long line above his heart. She fed from it.

 

The chants had begun again, and the people Buffy noticed were all dressed like monks. Their eyes were marked horribly in the absence of orbs with a ‘x’. Their mouths were sewn and their skin was pale and wrinkled, like corpses. They smelled foul like death and corruption and other horrible things.

 

There were things with tentacles and werewolves and small midgets looking like a cross-bread of spiders and humans, and they had all gathered around her.

 

“My mate,” Buffy heard Angelus whisper as he elevated her above his head to offer his prize to the demons and then placed her on a sarcophagus at his left.

 

He was careful in placing her, naked and covered in gold dust. She opened her eyes and felt the angst and pain in his face.

 

He was afraid.

 

He was afraid to lose her.

 

He was worried of the possibility of her not waking up.

 

He was tired.

 

He was horny.

 

And above all things he was madly in love with her.

 

Buffy let realization hit her and her eyes drifted off onto emptiness. Her soul abandoning reason and memory. Her body falling endlessly into the nothing, and then into the absence of all, even of the pain.

 

Angelus and the priests of the First chanted on and on around Buffy and the last sight she held was of their heads bent in prayer.

 

But what were they praying for? That was my concern.

 

 

 

 

Part Seven

Lawyers at Best

 

 

“Well done, Sire. She will be magnificent!”

 

What else could you expect? Look at her dormant. She is beautiful in nothing, preferably beneath me, but the sky blue is her color, like her flame, to contained for red, to sweet for orange, too sunny for yellow… Look at me!! She has made me a poof, a simpering besotted fool of her.

 

“Bring me the first course. I’d like to sample it before her” It has to be the best, sweet virginal blood for her. Not a male, not a ripe female, certainly not bottled, and not spoiled…I see her lunging for her throat and sinking those pointy fangs into the vein. Spilling a few drops on the voracious hunger of the young ones, and then offering her neck to me, to her mate, begging me to take her roughly, to hurt her and then to make it all go away in a wave of ecstasy, because I would do nothing less.

 

“Master, the girl is here.” He eyed her up and down, something was awfully familiar about her. Maybe the blue sweater, or the white panty house on sports shoes, or the essence of werewolf hovering around her…and the red hair. Dear lord, they brought me red! Willow…wonderful, well she fits the criteria, and she is also on my list for the future. I guess she will be Buffy’s playmate one way…or the other.

 

“Approach, slave.” The minion knelt Willow at his feet and removed the gag for him.

 

“We know you have Buffy. We are gonna do something to stop you. We will not let you convert her!”

 

Let her talk a while. That way she’ll tell me everything she knows. She is bound to go loose and start spilling her beans rather quickly. And then will sample her…I should have the guards prepared to hunt a mad werewolf after I have my way with her.

 

“What will you do to stop that?” I will gag her again, tie her to the lovely dungeon in the fourth floor, have the hounds bathe her like they did to Buffy. Though not blindfolded. She likes dogs, wait until she sees the hounds sniffing and licking her. Then I’ll soothe her grossed-out manner with a bath in the blood pool and a session of clit molestations…until she comes, then I’ll take her in the ass…

 

“We’ll put a stake through your nonexistent heart, and then sweep you under the rug of the Councils office, and then we’ll send Buffy to therapy for falling in love with you and betraying her friends and family! Hell, we’ll make a spell so she falls out of love with you! And Miss Calendar will give you your soul back so you can suffer in pain as she says NO again and again to you!”

 

Miss Calendar is next on my list then. Thank you, Red. You’ve made my day.

 

“Slave, take the girl to the dungeon on the fourth floor.” ‘Now, now, my dear Buff. We will wait for dusk in the Ivory chamber, but first I’ll see to make Red done with her running tongue…permanently.’

 

+++

 

Come on, Willow, it’s not so bad. It’s only a little cock, on your little cunt. It can’t be that painful! You came, it has to feel nice to be filled…coming to think of the last virgin I took, she didn’t scream or cower like you. But then again it wasn’t me, gosh! I forgot you are just human. It must be hurting a little. Fine. I’ll be done with it…I wasn’t enjoying it much anyway…I’m afraid to say there’s nothing quite like Buffy out there…dawn is coming now.

 

Quietness. Exactly what I needed, now lets sleep.

 

“You’ll regret doing this!”

The last threat of a victimized woman. I missed those! Though coming from the girl in shackles it certainly lacks a punch. “I have no conscience, therefore I have no regrets. But it’s all pointless, you see… Buffy will kill you in about six hours and then I would have regretted sending you to hell still a virgin. So you should thank me…I was very generous with you, I could have fed your body to the hounds, but I didn’t, did I?”

 

I could have done you a hundred times worse, but out of respect for your friendship and loyalty with my mate, I had pity…dear hell! How Buffy has changed me. I’m capable of pity after all these years of senseless anger and hatred! Now let’s…

 

A rapid change in the air made him stop his internal monologue, suddenly the manor smelled like sunshine and sea, and he noticed an uproar in the base floor…

 

Buffy! Something is wrong with her!

 

Buffy had awakened.

 

Buffy had walked out of her sarcophagus and out of the house…into daylight.

 

Dear lord, she is suicidal!

 

But she wasn’t, she was scared and confused and her body felt very different, but she was still herself, full of doubts and pain.

 

“She is not burning, how come?” Se stared at her dumbfounded. She was staring at the cliffs and her hair was shinning in the sunlight, so bright it looked as if was made of gold.

 

Slowly she rubbed her arms and belly. It all hurt, like a thousand knives pushing through the skin. A thought assaulted her in the mist of the pain. She wasn’t burning but she couldn’t hear her heart either.

 

What on earth am I then?

 

Angelus caught her distress on their link, and the wave of suffering was so great he doubled down and grunted. Come inside now! he barked in her head.

 

Wait, there’s something here… Rapid wind came and whirled her camisole around her, enfolding her, she shook and let the on coming wind enter her with driving force.

 

She choked and stumbled to her knees.

 

And the pebbles beneath her bare legs dug her skin. The weight of the wind inside her was tremendous. Blood seeped through her nose and her eyes closed at the pain that gripped her lower belly like a fist.

 

Seconds after, four hounds were tugging her insistently by the camisole. They were sent by angelus to retrieve her, since he could not risk that kind of sunlight.

 

“You said…three steps. What about two and three? What were those?”

 

Shush. It’s all going to pass. You are…I don’t now what or how you are, but you are still my mate. Relax. I’ll watch you.

 

She breathed deeply and the wind settled in her back. There it spread, warming her skin and soothing her mind. The chaos suddenly took form and a wave of consciousness overwhelmed her. She was seeing herself through Angelus’ eyes. She felt and saw him and her as one single being, finally fused entirely.

 

“Make love to me.”

 

It’s so sultry, that voice. I need to do as she says. I must…love her. Angelus fought the thought like the insulting notion it was, but the instinct was stronger than him. He had to have her, period.

 

+++

 

A kiss upon her warm skin fills my senses. Her essence…it’s so divine, like jasmines and vanilla. Her taste is sweet and tangy. Her skin is so soft—it’s almost silky. The white of her spread thighs…it’s the sight I can’t walk away from.

 

The blue canopies of the bed were swirling beneath the current of air that came from the window. The forms on top of the ancient bed were mingled in tight embrace. He was buried between her legs. His head of shiny dark hair was being caressed by her hand, as he moved slowly sideways between the long graceful members of her.

 

The muscles of his back shone perfectly visible, his shoulder blades rotating to fit the weight of his body in his elbows. His tattoo looked like it was about to soar through the skin.

 

His hands kept her spread-eagle beneath him, captured in the embrace. Her other hand was grasping the bed top for leverage. Her toes were curling and her moans were so loud it sounded like he was about to kill her.

 

She started shuddering and jerking and a bead of blood colored sweat gathered between her eyes. He was too wrapped up to notice the uncanny event, but he felt then how she fought for control. Wait just one more second and I’ll be inside you.

 

He went up and noticed the silver eyes staring passionately at him. Her golden hair was spilled on the satin black pillows. Her little fangs shone through her partially open mouth. There were no ridges on her forehead and her cheeks were positively flushed.

 

On his way up, he paused to suck and nibble her right nipple. It was dusky and erect, like its twin mate. She writhed and sighed as he sucked the skin into his mouth, grazing it against his fangs without breaking the skin.

 

Suddenly, he took the entire breast into his mouth and sunk his fangs into it. She screamed but managed to hold the orgasm again.

 

Too caught up to care in delaying any more, he slowly massaged her crevice sideways, careful not to touch the clit. After it was thoroughly moist in her honey, he surged painstakingly slow into her.

 

She arched her back and offered her neck in submission.

 

Halfway in, he stopped again and withdrew. Only to come in again even more slowly than the first time. She was tumbling now on the very verge of a colossal ride.

 

“You can come now, love.”

 

All of the air drew out of her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and secured him as deep as his manhood would go into her. He withdrew once, twice, and in the third time she jerked up and convulsed around him, so strongly she lifted both of their bodies off the bed several times in the arches of her back as the best orgasm of her life overrode her.

 

He didn’t wait. He came right along with her. The sensations of her body felt as if they had been his. It had been so powerful, he was tired and spent after sex…for the first time of his un-life, but something was missing.

 

“Take my blood, Buffy.”

 

He offered his neck as he sank his fangs into her neck. He sucked vigorously and Buffy shook as the last wave of the second orgasm rode its way out of her.

 

Then she pierced, ever so delicately, his skin, exactly above the vein, two small pinpricks that bled very little. She sucked on them for a few seconds and wrapped herself around him as she fell into slumber.

 

He wasn’t shocked. She had awakened too early, but the reality of her state was still a mystery to him.

 

Sleep now, darling. Tomorrow we’ll make inquires about this. A little nagging feeling was in his heart, a sensation achingly close to worry. He couldn’t stop remembering her standing in the sunlight.

 

It would kill me to admit it, but I do have feelings for her. Too strong feelings to tell anybody about them though.

 

He was quiet then for a few minutes until slumber gripped him too and he spooned Buffy’s body. His back pressed to hers, his head resting in the hollow of her shoulder, his cock semi-erect poking the back of her thighs, his legs and feet tangled up with hers, his left hand twined with hers above her chest, his right arm beneath her head, supporting it.

 

In the faint gleam of the dark room, two claddaughs shone together in the twined fingers of the lovers, symbolizing something stronger than society and custom. Something new and old at the same time, something capable of everything. The picture they made was so heartbreakingly tender that a simple observer would have said husband and wife, lover and beloved or mates at lowest. Both bodies were so fused they seemed one, impossible to tear apart now, not even by death.

 

“I love you,” he whispered to his sleeping mate. She didn’t listen but felt the embrace that got bear hug tight and smiled on her sleep whispering, You know I love you too, back in his head.

 

 

+++

 

 

Wolfram and Heart, L.A. California

 

“Nice to meet you, Mistress O’Quinn. Or should I say mistress, Angelus?”

 

“Call me Buffy, if you will Mr. Manners, or Slayer.” Holland manners extended his right hand but she did not take it. Her right hand was holding the hand of her mate, to let go would have been murderous.

 

“How should I call her then?” ‘Have I told you how nice your breast look in that corset, Slayer?’ He let his gaze go down and marveled at the size of her bosom.

 

“Mistress O’Quinn sounds fine—lets talk business, Holland. I have a thorn in my side. Her name is Calendar, a gypsy, female, brunette, currently fucking my wife’s ex-watcher.”

 

When did we got married, Sire? Hey, I’m getting kind of hungry.

 

Angelus brought the hand of his mate to his lips and kissed it before letting it go down, separated from hers then.

 

“Well, Angelus, it’s quid pro quo. We make you one, you make us one. Right, Mistress O’Quinn?”

 

She snarled at Holland for saying it like that.

 

“I owe you nothing Mr. Manners—other than death. Can I eat him, Sire?” Buffy disliked the man instantly and Angelus laughed at the display.

 

“Look her, Holland. Just a minute of acquaintance and she already knows you. Darling, we mustn’t haste. After all, Holland is bound for other matters. Why don’t you gaze upon the window for a second. I have matters to discuss with the dead man.”

 

She smiled to her mate but then gazed murderously upon Holland’s neck and salivated deliberately, with a cold menacing look worse than Angelus had ever seen in her.

 

“Of course, Sire. Your wish is my command.” She walked towards the panoramic window. She decided that it was beautiful indeed. Los Angeles, the city where she had been born…and reborn too.

 

“We will kill her if you kill Faith. She has teamed up with the council and managed to stop a minor apocalypse. She is stirring problems…send her, send your mate, provided she has no soul.”

 

Angelus could not prove that or anything else about his mate.

 

“I will see that Miss Faith stops getting in your way. Now I must discuss something with you about prophecies and my mate.”

 

He walked into another room and left Buffy alone. Abruptly a deep pain assaulted her. Angelus had severed the link and the pain was so great she had to grip the balustrade. Buffy then understood what binded and bonded meant in essence.

 

“Speak quickly. My head feels like it’s going to burst.” Angelus had to sit down to accept the private conversation without killing Holland and returning to his mate.

 

“You lost your mind—if you ever had it. You can’t turn slayers. Whenever they drink a vampire’s blood, they get stronger. And if she died, there would have been a new slayer called. My sources tell me it wasn’t. You must get rid of her. She cannot be stable.”

 

“Has it ever been done before?”

 

“Never, ever. It’s suicide. She could stake you in your sleep, or toss you into sunlight, cut your head off and a million of other things that I wouldn’t know about. She is a freak and you are in great danger!”

 

“Heard enough. I’ll get back to you later on Faith’s matter…and Holland?”

 

“Yes, Angelus?”

 

“Happy trip to hell.” Angelus opened the door and Buffy lounged for the man. She took his tie and choked him with it. As he was weakening, she sank her fangs into his neck and sucked until the heart stopped. Then she dropped the corpse unceremoniously into the carpet and finished the performance by smoothing her leather pants of any wrinkle.

 

“He was bothering me, you know?”

 

He laughed and offered his left hand and she took it merrily. < me bothering was he mate, know>

 

She was almost bouncing in the stilettos he had bought for her, a look of pure delight in her face as he kissed a lingering drop that escaped the corner of her mouth.

 

“How do you feel about redheads, darling?” said Angelus as he opened the door to Lilah Morgan’s office.

 

“I fancy them, Sire.”

 

He poked his head into the room and winced at the sunlight. “Next time shut the blinds, Lilah. And…you have been promoted. Welcome to the vice-presidency of Wolfram and Heart.”

 

“Who’s the president now?”

 

“Well, why I am Miss Morgan.”

 

Buffy kissed the side of his neck as she eyed the brunette’s bosom and neck. Well, aren’t we restless? Wait, we must work an appetite first.

 

+++

 

“I would never betray you, Angelus” said Lilah. He was still handling the paperwork for the power transition when three warlocks and a minotaur walked in.

 

“Now would be a good time to probe your loyalty—call security.” He was alone, safe from Buffy and Lilah in that floor and his minions weren’t quick enough for his taste.

 

“Angelus of Aurelius, you have sinned against mother nature and the Powers That Be. Now you must become dust!” The warlocks closed the room hermetically with a spell and as he roused from the desk, they paralyzed him with yet another spell.

 

A whirling magical ax found its way to his neck and he shuddered at his impossibility of movement, after all he wasn’t as impervious as he thought. Buffy! He only had to call once.

 

The almighty Slayer that could walk in sunlight walked out of the twenth-fourth floor window next to the office of the president and swung with an improvised rope, heels first into the room through the stained glass like Superman.

 

At the first try, she succeeded and entered the room, but so did sunlight.

 

“Duck!” she took the magic ax in the thin air and slowly managed to turn it so it was pointing the minotaur instead of her mate.

 

The beast half man, half bull charged against her and managed to push her against the remains of the window.

 

A sharp glass pierced her back as she fell. She screamed and Angelus’ minions managed very abruptly to come into the window.

 

The warlocks went silent and disappeared into a cloud of dust and ashes as several of the minions burnt their way to their master.

 

“We didn’t meant to hurt you, highness. Please forget!” The minotaur kneeled as he spoke and she managed to stop thinking and just cut his head off with the ax, and then it all vanished…into thin air.

 

Buffy placed a hand to her left side. After a couple of minutes of resting and collecting her mind, it all came back. Her hand was covered in blood. She brought it to her nose. It smelled normal to her, but she had no doubts. It had been that what had stopped them.

 

“Come. You must get out of this room.” Buffy did as Lilah said, but she stopped in the threshold and looked around for her mate. As she closed her eyes to see through him she knew he was already in a safe place.

 

“Tend to your wounds, Buffy, and then come straight to me…and thank you. You saved my life. He let it hang in the air until she sighed. I could have not done anything else and you’re welcome. I just hope this breach of security doesn’t happen again. It was close, Sire. “

 

“Absolutely. By the way, Willow is here with me…she just awakened. Would you like to see her? “

 

“Absolutely. I’ll see you now and tend to my wounds later. “

 

“I’ll tend to your wounds, mate. Now come, lawyers are already talking me into suing the union of warlocks and witches. They say I could get a six number figure out of this attack. I tell you, lawyers have even less of a heart than vampires, funny don’t you think? “

 

“It’s lawyers at their best, mate. “

 

 

 

 

Part Eight

Diary of Aurelia

 

Year 180 A.C. Marcus Aurelius is the last emperor of the golden era of Rome, place: Tivoli “You are the chosen one, Aurelia!” Her Watcher had just presented himself to his new Slayer. The golden girl with hazel eyes felt childish and kept on with her chores. She was barely 15 years old, a devoted daughter of a senator for Rome, a good girl destined to service Athena. She deposited the oil lamp beneath the statue of the owl women and returned to her place among the virgins.

 

“You must not come in here…Athena would be very angry for your lack of presents…a man with no mind for tradition you are.” The petite girl covered her head with the linen of her veil and walked on…never turning her back on the old man that had spoken foolish words to her.

 

“Some men are beyond the rituals…seems they would not remember the past for their own sakes.” Aurelia nodded her in approval as her maid and companion walked closely behind her.

 

“It’s not him, Calpurnia. The man that follows me is another one. I am sure he has now swam the river of Hades, may Zeus keep his eyes safe…they were haunting… like a wolf’s cry in the cold distant night, I cannot forget them for the sake of my soul.” Aurelia’s father had sent the man to be killed the same evening he had set eyes on his daughter. He had been a Slave, a handsome one, tall, dark and strong with muscular arms and legs and deep soulful chocolate eyes. He belonged to the Caesar—but he was still a slave. Not good for his grandiose daughter…destined for much better than that.

 

“You have feelings for the slave. I can see it so clearly…like a dawn on the shores. You cannot forget his hands.” The slave with the face of an angel had been kind enough to clean her feet as she entered the chambers of the emperor with her father. She had loved him then and there…and he had loved her back.

 

“He disappeared after the moon change… now is all in the fate of the gods. Come pray with me, Calpurnia.” Aurelia suddenly remembered the cold hands of the man, the pale skin and the dark silky hair. He was magnificent, worthy of a statue. She thought he should have been a soldier, not a slave. He looked dangerous and cunning…like a wild animal she thought…and he was only there at night, she knew, because she had sought him out…several times, to find only his sandals and tunic, but never him.

 

“Yes, my child. Let us pray, for the health of Marcus Aurelius, our Caesar.” Aurelia sat in the terrace, just beside the fountain and the folly. Her house was nearly a palace and she was an only child. As the sun fell down she wondered about the night. She felt compelled to search it, to love it as a child seeks her mothers breast.

 

LA, California, 1999 A.C. (6 months after lawyers at best)

 

“I must speak to you. My name is Whistler…I came to give you this.”

 

This skinny, stinky demon with no style whatsoever just tried to touch me. Should I kill him, Mate?

 

“I’m curious, Buff. Let him give you the book.” What harm could it be in a book, lover?

 

“Leave it on the ground.” Buffy and Angelus were strolling in the wee hours of the night after their midnight snack. Her blonde hair was straight and loose, flowing in the wind. She was dressed in navy blue and black. Her breasts were lifted by a corset and she was wearing leather boots that made her 3 inches taller, almost as tall as her mate’s shoulder. She looked almost threatening to the demon.

 

“As you wish…I was also supposed to tell you a story.” Buffy made a grimace as he bowed and almost tripped on the sight of her breasts.

 

“Some other time perhaps.” She noticed the vein pumping incessantly on his neck and felt suddenly very hungry. She had a newborn appetite, healthy and voracious.

 

“You are just like her…like the picture of Aurelia.” Whistler noticed the gesture of Buffy’s face. She was almost salivating and grazing a very evident tongue across her elongated fangs.

 

“Leave.”

 

One word had never commanded so much power. Angelus was the Highest Master around in the US, and many other places. So powerful only a fool would dare to even look him in the eye. Buffy, his watch dog, had already saved him once from a group of warlocks and demons that wanted to kill him in her amidst. Now they knew that was impossible, Angelus was the head of Wolfram and Heart, and the most powerful vampire in the world, if not in history.

 

“I…yes.” Whistler stuttered and moved slowly without losing his cool approach as Angelus came towards him with a more than menacing look on his face.

 

Suddenly a portal opened behind Whistler and he was swallowed again. The Powers that Be had only sent him to deliver a message, not to become a pet in the O’Quinns Parlor of Pain. Angelus had hundreds of slaves and minions, but he was always very busy with his Queen, Buffy the Master’s Slayer, and Red a.k.a. Willow, and Drusilla too, among the multitude that formed his side on the war of good versus evil.

 

“I was looking for a new specimen to burn…bummer, I guess will keep looking.” Let’s call Wolfram and Heart, They have a good stock of pets. Right, mister president?

 

“I think I am going to invite Red for a toss in the hay… you’ll be tossing and I’ll be the hay.” Buffy laughed wickedly as she envisioned Willow tied to the bed and the master sucking on her neck. I would be giving you a blow-job and you would be fondling me with the leather vibrator.

 

“Can’t hardly wait, lover.”

 

Buffy was now fully tamed and broken in the rougher side of sex. She had been the master and the slave, the rapist and the raped. She had been the slayer and the bait.

 

“But I am angry now, Buffy. I must fight.” They separated slowly without losing the thunderous atmosphere between them.

 

She had the first punch, a frontal kick to the chest. A human would have been killed by the sheer force of the blow.

 

Angelus didn’t even move an inch. Do better, Buffy. I yearn for the kill.

 

Buffy launched for his throat and flew through the sky towards him for a good yard before landing on top of him as he fell on his back, on top of his rear. The sheer force of it was so much it made the ground ripple and crumble beneath them on the aftershock of her assault.

 

Good girl, I’d be dust if I were a fledgling. Luckily for you it’s my turn to punch.

 

He grabbed her by the nape as he stood up. He then placed a hand in the small of her back and elevated her above his head as a ritual sacrifice and then… threw her into a tombstone several feet away. The marble broke, but she didn’t.

 

She roused after a few seconds with a distinctive pain in the lower back and responded with a punch to the face. Her fist closed tightly, swung with killer might, and made a bruise on the master’s pale cheek skin.

 

Rough you wanted then?

 

Angelus pulled the left arm of his mate behind her and tried to break it. She managed to come out of his embrace by ducking, kicking him in the balls, and knocking her head against his jaw. She almost broke her skull as she roused out of it again simultaneously.

 

He broke her nose with his elbow for the ache in his balls.

 

Buffy got mad and used both her legs as tweezers around his head and tried to break his neck. To the curious eye this looked like a fight to death, but to them it was foreplay.

 

She almost succeeded and punched his chest with closed fists when he fell to the ground beneath her.

 

He lost patience and grabbed both her wrists. He turned her down and straddled her, sinking his teeth into her right breast. She cried out in pleasure and pain and he sucked harder and harder until he was satisfied of it.

 

The dungeon awaits you still, lover. You know it’s time again, but this once let’s molest another slayer, shall we?

 

Faith disliked Buffy. Faith craved Angelus. Faith made Buffy feel jealous. Faith was the yang to Buffy’s ying. Faith was tasty and nasty. Faith tried to kill Buffy and was now about to be captured by the Scourge. Buffy wanted her beneath her and Angelus was only happy to provide it for his mate.

 

Sounds like a plan, Master.

 

I have games to play with that brunette.

 

Faith was a loose cannon. Faith was above all things the current slayer and a cock tease. Faith was a slut …and the Master wanted her flesh, badly.

 

RRR, RRR, RRR. I want to kill her, Angelus! I warn you—I want to stop her heart!

 

She is under our nails, baby.

 

He wanted to soothe her. She was his mate. Faith was his current wimp, but until he raped her, he wouldn’t be happy again.

 

Why do you want to rape her?

 

It wasn’t rhetorical. Angelus had all a vampire could ask in Buffy. Faith could only be a diversion to him.

 

She has threatened us, baby. We have let her live more than she deserved. She betrayed us. She must pay for her disobedience…with blood.

 

Fine then. Tomorrow night we’ll take her, but now, lets go have sex. Should I invite, Red?

 

We fancying Red now, right, darling? You naughty slayer. You want to have Faith outnumbered. You are so smart. Just for that I’m going to give it to you in the ass tonight, smart ass.

 

Buffy laughed bitterly at his comment and paused to regard the book she had been given that night.

 

It was a diary. The Diary of Aurelia it said.

 

“I am, I am, I am her,
the daughter of the wolf and the huntress,
the mother of pain,
I live at night,
I love at night,
I was the first.
The Slayer and the Slayed,
Today is the first day of the order of Aurelius, the man with the face like an Angel changed me to become his mate. We drank each others blood.
And now I am the first.
They say a new dynasty has begun,
They say my blood will survive for ages,
And my legends will not be forgotten,
They say I am her,
The immortal one,
The goddess made flesh.
But I am not.
Someday I will die too
My ash will cover the ground
My mate’s tears will cover the ground red
My diary would be all that’s left.
I lived
And died
And saw more moons than sand on the shore
I counted five thousand hundred
But I was no good for numbers, the could have been more
For surely my mate said -a century of gold, was ours and yours-
In the end a new baby was there to take a hand
And another, and millions after them
I made a tree to remember them
Some are here already
Some will come with a new day
But in the end
We will be all that’s left
Aurelia’s fruit will be the last
And the first.”

 

Beneath the poem was a list, a family tree that started with Aurelia and Proximus, and ended with her. Buffy was the last name on that list. Aurelia, Proximus, the master, Darla, Angelus and her, Drusilla, Willow and Spike were on the line prior to the Slayer’s, but she was alone in the end. Surely Angelus had stopped making minions after her.

 

All thoughts suddenly clicked and she realized they were the only ones with that burden, Aurelia and her. The only slayers to ever love a vampire.

 

Now Buffy was astonished. The line of the powerful Aurelius came from another slayer that bonded with a vampire.

 

“It’s beyond my imagination.” Beyond mine too. Buffy realized the story only began with the poem, and she decided she wouldn’t read any further. The end sounded very much like ‘the end of the world’ to her, and she wanted to be a ostrich and just bury her head in the sand.

 

+++

 

 

Los Angeles, California
Dolce & Gabbana Store
5:30 pm (told from Buffy’s point of view)

 

“Buffy!”

I whirled around at the sound of my old name, but what was I supposed to do? Besides killing her. She is Cordelia Chase, actress, mildly famous, noveau rich, annoying bitch, and fashion expert. So killing her would not be so good, and I am not even hungry to begin with.

“I saw you in the Maroon5 music video. I thought you looked well.” I was sincere about that. She had been flaunting her breast to the camera and waving her lustrous curls to Adam Levine.

 

“Thank you! You on the other hand look incredible. How did you get your hair that color? It’s very peculiar and you lost like 20 pounds. The Atkins diet I bet? I’m on it too. Care to go for a moccachino?”

 

I laughed inwards, I didn’t drink that, but I would certainly sip her. Maybe I should favor this acquaintance. She could be useful.

 

“It’s Frederich Fekai. He does my hair. I have things to do later, but if you want we could meet in my home for supper—say eight-ish? We have got plenty of gossip to discuss.” Say yes and you’ll be the second course of my dinner and we’ll discuss the possibility of me having a Remfield to do my shopping.

 

“Of course! So tell me were you going to buy something here, or were you just browsing?” Testing me already, Cordy? For your information I have an account here and they give me the stuff for free.

 

“I liked the cobra boots, and the leopard set of coats…but it’s rather pricey, besides it would look better in you.” Take that ball, I can get it with a wave of my hair, but can you do the same?

 

“I was actually looking for a job. I do modeling for their catalog sometimes.”

 

Sometimes …like never?

 

“Dorian, I would like to see the catalog please?” Lets see you sweat, Cordy.

 

“Absolutely, madam. Can I get you anything else?” A toddler would be nice.

 

“I did it months ago, not last month. I wouldn’t be in that one, maybe next month?”

 

If dreams were all to become a reality.

 

“Don’t worry. There’s something there I want to order.” A dress, or should say the dress, at the rather small fee of 50,000 dollars I get a dress made for me. The only one of it that was manufactured, by the specific request of Liam O’Quinn, but you know him as Angelus The Scourge of Europe. Don’t you know my mate, Cordy? He knows you.

 

“We have your dress in the store, my lady. Would you like to try it on?” Once again, Dorian, the title died like a hundred years ago. Lord Liam is not a lord anymore. He is just a master!

 

“Send it home …and thank you for the all the trouble.” That meant send it now.

 

“Not a problem, Mistress Angelus. I’ll also send the boots and the set of coats ye were observing earlier…for ye to try them on, complementary on the house, we wait eagerly for yer next visit.” You mean my next purchase…don’t ye luv the accent, Cordy? It’s Scottish.

 

“Did I just hear him calling you mistress Angelus or what? Well, aren’t you a lucky blonde bitch. I thought you two had split up. Come to think of it, why did you drop high school even?”

 

You can think?! I hadn’t noticed and thank you for the insult, Cordelia. I didn’t drop out, I got married—so to speak—and I have already finished it. I even go to college now, I’m taking classes in UCLA, pre-law, imagine that.

 

“I didn’t. I moved to LA with my dad, and about Angelus, we are married.” A million dollars on the priceless look of envy in your face.

 

“Wasn’t he a vampire?”

 

Well duh! So am I!

 

“We prefer the term ‘creatures of the night’…if you would excuse me I have plenty to do. I’ll send the limousine to pick you up at the Regents Beverly Wiltshire at 7:45. Be ready. Until then, goodbye.” And stop ogling my Prada handbag. It’s disgusting seeing you slobber around it.

 

“Sure. I’ll dress casual.”

 

And let my Manolo Blanik shoes also out of your pool of drool please.

 

“Make it formal. Angelus is very…demanding on properness and etiquette.” ’Specially on his food!

 

“Of course! It was great meeting you again.”

 

Sure, it was good to have dinner brought to me for once.

 

+++

 

Wolfram & Hart
Presidential Office
5:30 pm

note: “sassan” means “Englishman” in Irish Gaelic and to my web goddess request I made Buffy’s thoughts realistic. She watches the Discovery health channel and does very un-vampire like giggles to puppies and babies. J thank you, Claudia! I hope you like Angelus reasons as well!

 

 

“I certainly wasn’t expecting your visit,” said Angelus as he watched Rupert Giles entering his office.

 

“I know you weren’t, but I have the activity report on the Hellmouth and there is something that I thought I should rather discuss with you personally.” Giles sat down in front of his boss, even if reluctantly, he had decided that if he wanted his wife and unborn child to live he had to ask for protection in the only places high enough to guaranty it…namely Angelus.

 

“Good. How is your lady Janna? Well I expect. She is what?… seven months now, or is it eight?”

 

Giles swallowed hard and managed not to sound like the fear gripping him every time Angelus said his wife’s name or condition.

 

“Eight, but she is carrying it very well. The reason I came here was another prophesy involving Buffy. Why did you offer her to the First before converting her?” Rupert’s mouth trembled in the last word as Angelus settled more comfortably into his leather chair.

 

“I knew you’d come to do this sooner or later, and I certainly admire your courage—to answer your question…” Angelus paused to sever the link between Buffy and himself momentarily. “I did it because she was meant to die. I could have never turned her into an immortal, so I traded something for it.”

 

To say that Giles was dumfounded was an understatement. He knew there were other motivations, but this was a rare one…love. Could the Scourge truly have loved Buffy so much as to never want her to die? Or was it just selfishness?

 

“What did you give in return for Buffy’s immortality?” The silence grew heavy with anticipation of the answer.

 

“My own soul”

 

“What?! But how?!” Giles raised his voice in astonishment, he had never thought of that

 

. “The day she was born TPTB, the Powers that Be, told me I was destined to kill her one day whether on my own or for a chain reaction of my acts. I struggled against it—in pain as I was with the grief the curse had placed upon me—and finally decided to make a bargain with the First—who is also a part of the powers that be, like the ying yang principle—and they took my offer.” But he hadn’t offered his soul to save her. He just meant he wanted the pain gone, and he would have done anything if it meant the agony would have ended right away.

 

“My god.” Rupert’s mouth was hanging agape and his pulse was very fast.

 

“I didn’t know then that I would l—care so much for her, or the way she was meant to take the pain away. I only knew the pain was meant to come to an end.” He had meant to say he had fallen in love with her.

 

“Why did they want your soul for?”

 

Angelus rubbed his temple remembering the reason but deciding not to share it all right away.

 

“I’m a walking apocalypse, Rupert. The vampire with a soul, always in some obscure prophecy about the end of the world—did you know there are 777 references to me in the codex? Imagine that number in terms of prophecies—so I decided to part with the soul tale of it and be just the vampire. And the PTB were very happy—did you know they don’t want the world to end? It’s their amusing ride. They come around, take a look, have a laugh and go home happy with our performance—those bastards.”

 

Giles wondered how Angelus came to know so much about creatures so far from his realm. “And what happens now?” Rupert decided not to probe the vampire too deeply, because he was afraid of what he would have found there.

 

“I break the first prophecy…because I cannot do the one thing every other prophecy said I had to do to live eternally.” His immortality wasn’t there anymore. He was meant now to die…to die a human death for that matter, though he sometimes wondered how that could happen. He could never be human again.

 

“I don’t understand. What was it you could not do?” Giles wasn’t prepared for his answer at all.

 

“I couldn’t avoid…falling in love with her…” Angelus had to open the link to his mate again. A flood of laughs coming to him as he heard about Cordelia’s visiting the O’Quinns Parlor. “You must go now. I have too many things to do. Leave the report with my secretary.” He hadn’t taken even a glimpse to it.

 

“What about the next apocalypse? It’s coming to Sunnydale in a matter of weeks.” Angelus rose from his seat and opened the door so Giles could leave the room.

 

“I couldn’t care less. Now my sassan, I must warn you…Buffy doesn’t like it when you come. Says it give her the willies. So don’t come here anymore…or your wife might suffer for your recklessness. Be gone now.”

 

Rupert paused in front of the master before finally leaving. “Thank you…for your kindness.”

 

“Giles…good luck with the Initiative. They are kinda powerful in ammo, or so says Buffy.” A light help, but a shadow of hope at least. Buffy would come every once in a while to check on her mother, without her knowledge, and also see to some minor evils at the same time, the Initiative among them.

 

“Godspeed to you and your mistress, master Angelus,” said Rupert Giles as he left with the satisfaction of knowing that Buffy, Janna, and his unborn son were safe.

 

+++

 

W&H
5:45 pm
(Again from Buffy’s point of view)

 

“Hello, Dear.”

 

Upon entering my mate’s office the smell of Giles assaulted me. I realized he had been there very shortly ago and my senses screamed for the possible danger. Was it Janna? Xander? Or even my mother? Was something wrong with them? I couldn’t help but worry immediately.

 

“Hi, Dear. So why was Giles here?” Aurelia’s first revelation was still in my head.

 

They left. They all left. My family, my friends, my servants, even my pets. And I was left alone. With nothing else but my own feelings, and even those had to be ridden, people—demons that is—eyed me with distress as I acted human and they meant to kill me very often. I could see it in their eyes, the blood thirst for the nectar of my veins,…and the one of those I still cared for. They used them against me, even Proximus—who was the only one I cared for—manipulated me, and in the wisdom of pain I chose. It was a mask, a façade of insensibility that covered me from the rest of the vampires, cold and motionless as a statue, death, that was what sheltered me in drapes, the death of my emotions and feelings and the birth of my numbness…slowly spreading itself into my core, until it too was so cold that ice was warm to it.

 

“He was giving me a report on the Hellmouth activity. He said his wife and everybody else were well…you look hungry.” I know Angelus is no Proximus, but still…sometimes I cannot help to wonder, Why he is so different in public, in private he is tender and calm, he explains things to me, he reasons with me when another sire would go for the lash, he is patient and he never loses his nerve when I act foolishly…but in public he is a mercenary, the worst of the worst, the killer and the causer of all mayhem.

 

“I’ll ask Willow to go hunting with me.” Willow, she is always in the verge of falling into mayhem. She likes the dark too much. Oz certainly keeps her at bay, but she is but a shadow of the innocent girl I knew…so pure and sweet. Now she is as tainted…as I am.

 

“I heard you invited Cordelia to have supper, or should I say to be supper?” Funny dude my mate. I really don’t mean to kill her. She has better uses to me as an ally rather than a meal.

 

“I bumped into her, she looks homeless…and roleless.” I hate pity, and I also despise compassion, since Cordelia is nothing but a starving actress of the bunch. I should now take them all to my home because of the favor I showed one of them!

 

“I don’t approve of that kind of meal…she is rather cold to my taste, you know?” Suddenly I realize he is standing there with his hands in his pockets, his eyes searching the room for his car keys. Sometimes I forget he is so handsome, tall, lean and dark. An epitome of female fantasies, the king of my fantasies, my charming, armored, black-clothed prince.

 

“I know your taste, Sire.” I talk huskily as he gives me that smirk that makes my knees bent and my belly quiver. He is a chocolate sin and I desperately want to dip my face into him.

 

“What’s stopping you?”

 

Sometimes I forget he hears my thoughts, and I also wonder how he stands my secret mushiness. Yes! I am mushy and sentimental! I watch * A Baby Story * on the Discovery Health channel and sometimes I cry. I laugh at puppies and babies. I love moonlight and her antics. I hate the sound of clashing metal and the thought of wars makes my skin crawl. I hate guns. I miss my mother and sometimes I wish I could have a baby…but I cannot say this to anybody, because they would laugh at me. They would torture me with their knowledge of my weakness. They would rip up the little happiness I have harbored in the core of my being and bury me heart first into their darkness.

 

“Nothing. I am just waiting for the mug I ordered.” Yes, I drink bagged blood! I like the hunt, because It makes me horny, but I don’t like the kill. Because I have to prove to others how much of a bloodthirsty monster I can be, when I am really—pardon the joke on lambs—just a lamb in a vampire’s clothes.

 

“Willow was accepted in the Magic Union. She is officially a witch now. Magic wand, pointy hat, long tunic, moll and all. Funny don’t you think, love?”

 

Willow, one mighty redhead she is, all feisty and full of spirit. I take inspiration from her sometimes. I love her. I can’t explain in words the way I do it exactly but I know she is my weakness in this place, and people know it. She is favored, she has everything she wants, including a werewolf husband and money to buy a small country. Willow, the only thread that links me to my past.

 

“Good for her, dear. Now, lets go have a bath. I mean to try the new bath salts Drusilla sent us from Turkey.” He smiles and takes my hand and laces it with his because he knows I mean to make love with him in the tub. In my head he shows me the way I mold to his body, and how much he likes it when I am on top and my hair covers his face.

 

“Have I mentioned your eyes sparkle when you wear green. It really becomes you, Love.” He slips one of the straps of my top and sucks lovingly into the skin. I moan at his attentions. While his other hand travels from my nape to the small of my back, in a gesture both sweet and possessive, he says mine without words. I know he has an erection and I also know he is hungry…because he is always hungry for me. He feeds only from me and that is a fountain of my inner-most pleasure.

 

He needs me, like a child needs a mother.

 

“Maybe I should go green with envy.” But who could I envy? I have it all and as he caresses my shoulders I know that I hold something priceless. I hold him…and he holds me in return.

 

“SHUSH, dear. It’s all very crowded in your lovely blonde hair…and I mean to take it all away.”

 

And he does, whenever he is inside of me my thoughts stop wandering and settle to the task of making love to one’s mate…the best task of all I’d say.

 

"Duck And Run"
by 3doors down

To this world I’m unimportant
Just because I have nothing to give
So you call this your free country
Tell me why it cost so much to live
Tell me why
This world can turn me down
But I won’t turn away, oh no
I won’t turn around

All my work and endless measures
Never seem to get me very far
Walk a mile just to move an inch
Now even though I’m trying so damn hard
I’m trying so hard

This world can turn me down but I
Won’t turn away
And I won’t duck and run, cause
I’m not built that way
When everything is gone there is
Nothing there to fear
This world cannot bring me down
No cause I’m already here, oh no!
I am already here,
Down on my knees
I am already here, on no, I am
Already here
I must have told you a thousand times,
I am not running away

I won’t duck and run
I won’t duck and run
I won’t duck and run
No pass away
This world can turn me down but I
Won’t turn away
And I won’t duck and run, cause
I’m not built that way
When everything is gone
There is nothing there to fear
This world cannot bring me down
No cause I’m already here

 

 

 

 

Part Nine

The Reasons

 

 

Note: told from Buffy’s point of view…again. I just like first person narrative!
Note 2: Gaelic English, Aingeal= angel, a gradh=my love, mo croi = my heart, cailin=girl, Alainn= most beautiful.

 

 

Big red, cinnamon gum. I used to like those a lot…when I was still human. I liked Sprite and Friday’s. Daddy took me to Friday’s once a month when I was seven, during my Dorothy Hamil phase. Those were the days.

 

“You look lost in thought, Mistress.”

 

Willow, remember when you first met me? All those funny nights when we would do the round robin? Remember the time about the Inca mummy and you dressed like an Eskimo? Boy, I like how you looked at Oz then, you were all hopes and sweetness.

 

“I am—tell me, Will. What are we gonna do about Doyle and Cordelia getting married. It’s contra bloody dark natura! Sure he is a demon, and she is closer to ‘the bitch from hell’ than the average slut… but marriage?! And he wants Angelus to be the best man! I don’t get it.” He left a package of Big Red on Cordelia’s desk, which I was fingering presently.

 

“We could kill them—or we could just kill ‘one’ of them.” I laughed. It seemed practical all right but it was either the head of protocol or the man behind my husband’s security… tough choice.

 

“Let them be—they’ll be divorced in a few years—I am very sure they won’t handle intimacy well.” I knew for a fact they fought very much, but also loved each other. I had secret hopes in them, but after all, most marriages ended in divorce over the first year, especially inter-racial, or in this case, inter-species.

 

“Oz said he would be going with you to Sunnydale, is that true?”

 

I am sure you are wondering what would I have to do there. Truth is I am going to give Giles the Aurelia’s manuscript. It needs translation and I can’t understand most of it.

 

“Business. Some friends need to be reminded of my presence.” I said it with as much wickedness as I could muster, already considering the carnage Willow, Spike and Drusilla would have liked.

 

“I’d love to go with you.”

 

I am sure you would! You are practically drooling, but I am worried about them, about Miss Calendar—I mean Mrs. Giles—and their baby, and the apocalypse Faith was ranting about the last time she came here. I would not want them to be in danger over something that used to be my responsibility.

 

“You must stay, and watch this twisted wedding off.” It was going to happen the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I had already decided to drop by my old house and see how Joyce and Ethan Rayne were doing. I still couldn’t understand why my mother had fallen in love with the warlock, he was evil, but even that served a purpose.

 

“Maybe I’ll have a party favor after all.”

 

The purpose of keeping the façade of evil and simultaneously keeping her safe. Quite a juggler’s act! Me pretending to be the worst piece of shit and saving people from my own friends at the same time!

 

“Be careful, Will. You know how it would become after all those demons get under one tiny tent…and mingle with people like Harmony.” Carnage! Mayhem! Destruction! Death! To them it was all fun and big time. I wasn’t in the state of mind to bear it now. Not after my dreams.

 

“Mmm, Harmony. Yummy Harmony that is. I’ll be careful, I will make sure the bridesmaids are taken care of before you return. What should I tell my sire about your whereabouts?” Her sire was Spike. A sore thorn on my side that was. After Angelus had taken the girl to be one of his servants, for me!, he went behind his back and turned her! I had to act all happy and reward him…when in truth I wanted to kill him, and slowly at that point of rage. Willow had been my only true friend…and now because of him, she was a demon.

 

“The usual…that I’m gone and I will be back whenever I deem it fit to do so, and throw bloody hell in the middle of it for extra pun.” She hated him, I hated him, even Angelus hated him, but you know what happens in vampire world: /vampires don’t settle old scores, we harbor them.

 

Boy that Anne Rice sure knows vampires!

 

“Yes, mistress. And…be careful too. Master Angelus would be very angry if something happens to you.”

 

Nothing will happen to me, Will. It’s a fast trip. Go in, give the book, see mom, see Jenny, see Hellmouth, be gone back home again. See? Very short trip.

 

“I would make sure your mate stays out of danger too.” God, even without a soul she still loved Oz. I could see it reflected in her eyes, I could smell the essence of him in her. Rrr, be done with that, Love. It’s disturbing me.

 

Angelus got jealous when I would even consider the existence of other males in the building. When he was in my head he always seem to fill me with his thoughts…and growls. He knew they made me horny.

 

You know I only have eyes for you.

 

And very beautiful eyes they are, my Beloved.

 

I smiled for the compliment and turned to listen to his conversation as I walked towards his office.

 

“The Mohra people salute you master Angelus. We have come to attend the ceremony of the beheading of the…”

 

I closed the link considering it a very grim conversation to be hearing and turned upstairs to our quarters. My bags were already packed and I would leave as soon as Oz would come back from his regular errands.

 

Don’t leave yet. They’ll be gone in a little while and I’ll go upstairs and make love to you before dinner.

 

Dinner. That reminded me I was starving.

 

Yummy. I’ll take a bath then. Be quick with the Mohras then.

 

I will.

 

Two words could held all the promise in the world. Something like I do or My Beloved. It was very clear how enamored of the man I was. And then there was something else. Beyond the bond and the sex and the caring…something bone deep, a dependence and a sensitivity towards him, something unforeseen that had develop there among us, friendship of the minds and bodies and happiness, inner joy that came every time I shared a look with him.

 

It hadn’t been there at first. I knew he was a beast, a vampire and soulless one to add to the matter, but still he looked at me with such passion. He made me weak in the knees, and breathless, like falling into nothing, no wonder falling in love was such a common phrase.

 

I realize now he could have mesmerized me very easily, but when I looked into his eyes there was depth, a feeling he was showing me, need, pure animal, sexual and emotionally raw need. I could understand that look now, but not then.

 

He was baring his heart to me when he wasn’t speaking. He sought guile in me and when he found none, he trusted in his own malice. Not because he wanted to hurt me, but because he wanted me, with painful ardor. I could now see he was crazy for me, but at that time there was fear and foolishness clouding my mind.

 

I never struggled his hold on me, because I knew I couldn’t lie about the way he made me feel. He should have smelled the fear and lust in my body, the love mingled with betray and confusion, the residual of Angel and finally the attachment to my life.

 

A lonely, burdened existence, filled with responsibility and pain. Always somebody else’s needs and feelings above my own, always a day to save the world, to kill vampires, to study weapons, to not have dates, to copy homework I could have done on my own, to see others have a life while I kept saving it for them without receiving a simple thank you so much in return…

 

And the lonely nights in the bed, when I knew others had sleep, dreams and futures to plan, and to know I would have nothing of those, broke my heart.

 

My mother with her naiveté, my father with his coldness, my watcher with his eagerness, my friends with their happiness and my life so lonely to compare with theirs.

 

Yes, I was alone in the end. Alone until Angel came. He was a solace, a dream I cherished in my heart, a reason to have joy in my life…at least until the Judge, until that night I met destiny in the face.

 

He had been cold and brutal, animal to the extent of pain, but he was real. Truth to his words and acts, he had been a curse at first. A snake biting my proverbial ankle for my weakness in the art of love and seduction. Yes, I have nothing but hate for Angelus at first.

 

Hate that turned into passion and love with time. It took a while to understand him and my feelings for him, but I managed it and in that time he fell in love with me, and I could have not imagine then the type of love he had in mind.

 

And all that fell sideways in my path. I walked alone then, but I didn’t know it. Now I walked with a hand that is mine, to hold and to care for, whether I had wanted it at first or not.

 

I guess that was my reason. Loneliness. And that is a very powerful reason, as powerful as love. He took my hand in his and held on and I wasn’t alone anymore after that.

 

He was there to carry half my burden, to protect me when my mind was elsewhere, to make love to me and my body, to hear me laugh and cry, to share my dreams and watch my sleep. And in the end just to have me. And I simply couldn’t put a price on that.

 

And I still can’t.

 

+++

 

THE DREAM

 

I lay there silent, with the need to awake from my sleep. I couldn’t move. I was dreaming and I knew it. I saw the room beneath my lashes, dim to avoid sunlight. I saw him, lying next me, with his arm around my buttocks. I was lying face down, to his right. His face was an inch away from mine. His eyelashes were brushing his high cheekbones, his mouth curved in a half smile, his breath warm in my face. I knew we were both dreaming by then. It was common to share our dreams and sometimes it felt almost like real life…almost.

 

We were both alive in this dream, warm, fleshy, smelly, and loudly human. As human as you and me and the next person reading this lines. I was hungry I realized, my stomach made churning sounds like the regular human bowels do. I could taste food in my mouth…sweet chocolate ice cream and peanuts. I could hear and see the constant beating of my own heart inside my chest. I could feel the need to pee, so overwhelming, so realistic, so … human.

 

And then there was him. My Aingeal, my mate, also smelly and real, with a growing shade of beard in his jaw line. A rise and fall to his back, a smell of masculinity and soap in his hands, a slow rivulet of saliva in the corner of his mouth, drooling. Even a soft snore to accompany the slack mouth and the flat wet hair in his nape.

 

I rose, as silently as I could, to make my way to the bathroom. In that motion something appears or rather disappeared from sight. My toes, and calves too, beneath a huge belly. I wonder how was it that I have been lying in my stomach when it was so big and round, but it didn’t make much difference to realize it was there to begin with.

 

Me, pregnant and heavy for that matter, it was incongruous to say the least. But it was real, and I still had the most plaguing urge to pee, and go back to bed. In that order. But for some reason I stopped to glance out at the window and the world was very alien, a forest, with pines and birds and rivers, not at all the city of Los Angeles. It was so weird, all so weird in this dream of mine.

 

And then I walked into the bathroom and sat at the toilet. After having done my business, a turkey appeared in the table next to me. A table I hadn’t seen before. Never realized it was there to begin with, but I was starving. I started to take a bite from the turkey leg to realize it was still raw, blood pouring from it. And the blood wasn’t food anymore. It actually made my nauseous, weak, so weak I couldn’t bear the sight of it, especially on top my belly.

 

I realized then I was naked, and the place I was inside wasn’t my bathroom anymore. It was the ocean, the Santa Monica pier to be more exact. Hundreds of strangers walked by and I felt very tempted to go into the water.

 

By then I felt a reassuring hand gripping mine, because the sea-line at the bottom of the view was making me cry. I wanted to reach the end and I couldn’t. I tried hard to go to it and it was swallowing me in the process.

 

The hand that pulled me out of it was familiar. Angelus gripping my shoulders to his back, spooning me both in dream and reality, his hand around my belly a safety belt from the water in the dream. He spoke crooning words to me, soothing things that sounded Gaelic in origin.

 

Alainn, mo croi.

 

I understood what those meant and there was more to it but I was awaking from it, and I didn’t want to. I struggled to preserve the warm of his embrace to me, only to find it empty and cold as I opened my eyes to my room in Wolfram and Heart.

 

Cold and alien. It all seemed unreal at times. The lack of sun, the gray dullness of the furniture and the walls, the all white bathroom and the lack of mirrors. He was there with his arm around my midriff, as safe as houses, but still the dream seemed to fade slowly off of me as I remembered that I had to go Sunnydale. It was lovely to stay and have sex all night, but I had an urge, almost like a hunch that made want to be there. As if my family or Giles truly needed me.

 

I didn’t stop to say goodbye or take a bath even. I just got dressed and managed to leave the room without Angelus waking up. He was so handsome in his sleep, almost childlike, almost vulnerable.

 

Be careful, mo Aingeal. I’ll be back soon, a gradh.

 

I’ll miss ye badly lass.

 

He was so nice in half sleep, thick in his accent as if he was speaking only to me, as if he was still a lad from Galway, and I loved him for it. He knew he could be his true self with me, no need for masks or pretenses between us.

 

Give ye me regards to Ripper. Tell ‘em gudluck with the new bairn from us and… may the Almighty bless ye and protect ye cailin.’

 

And ye too, sire.

 

I blew him a kiss and managed to stop laughing at his heavy accent. He was delicious at it, very fierce and guttural, and so very sweet!

 

“TRYING”

BY LIFEHOUSE
Could you let down your hair be transparent for awhile
Just a little while
to see if you're human after all

Honesty is a hard attribute to find
When we all want to seem like
we've got it all figured out

Well let me be the first to say that I
don't have a clue
I don't have all the answers
ain't gonna' pretend like I do

Chorus
just trying - to find my way
trying - to find my way the best that I know how

Well I haven't memorized all of the cute things to say
but I'm working on it
Maybe I'll master this- art form someday

If I quote all the lines off the top of my head
Will you believe
that I fully understand all these things I've read

I'm just trying - to find my way
trying - to find my way
trying - to find my way the best that I know how

Well I- haven't got it all figured out quite yet but
even if it takes my whole life
to get to where I need to be

And if I should fall to the bottom of the end
I'll be one step back to you, and

trying - to find my way

 

 

 

 

Part Ten
The Weight of the World

 

 

(still Buffy’s point of view)
California, November 25th, 11:00am

 

“So, how is the Business, Mister Lorne?” Stiff, that is how I was. Hungry and rather annoyed at everything inside the world—green, good-hearted demons notwithstanding at the moment.

 

“Good, I think… What brings you here mistress Angelus?” No beating around the bush, thank god.

 

“Security fee. The Master needs your powers to read some unfriendly Mohra demons that are having a conference at W&H, and he hasn’t gotten your quota on the prophecy department.” He read futures all the time, so he was bound to tell us when something really bad came to his ears and we in return had mystical barriers in his place to keep him and the customers safe.

 

“Of course, he called me a few minutes ago. I’ll be seeing him later today—you look rather grim—may I offer you some blood?” I smiled and showed him my pointy fangs and he snapped his fingers to get it to me pronto.

 

“Excellent, I was very much starved indeed. Would you care to do me?” His eyebrows went to his horns to that proposition. He thought I had meant sex!

 

“The Master would dismember me and then feed me to his hounds, right after torturing me for eternity…I’m afraid to even touch you, birdie.” I laughed heartily and he relaxed. I was very amused at his idea that I might want to sleep with a demon, specially when I had been recently and thoroughly satisfied by my mate and pleasantly numbed to a point where leaving home had been a true gory task to accomplish.

 

“He would do that and more. But I did not meant sex! I meant song reading, as in psychic?” He sighed and rubbed his temple, utterly relaxed to the real proposition.

 

“Of course, please select a song out of the top of your head.” Out of the top of my head? I could only think * Jingle bells *, for the whole Christmas nearness and all, but I didn’t want to sing that.

 

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Lorne, happy birthday to you!” And then I clapped my hands at the end and laughed feeling very ridiculous. After all, he had said “of the top of my head.”

 

“Gee, I’m blinded. Allow me to get a hankie to dry my tears. Your song…very nice indeed. As to the reading well that is another matter.” He had actually liked it?! Please, that had been pathetic.

 

“I don’t have eternity, mister, so get on with it.” I didn’t realize what I had said until Angelus made a soft growl in my head, remembering I actually did had eternity…with him.

 

“You need to go to Sunnydale and follow these instructions.” He handed me the paper he had been writing on and gave me a brief hug.

 

“That’s it then?!” That was an anti-climax. There had to be something else.

 

“Nope, nothing else. That’s all folks! See you next time though…and by the way, it is really my birthday, so thank you” Well I guess I should go then. They do say early risers get the best, or something like it.

 

“Don’t mention it. Happy birthday then?” He nodded me off and me and the very taciturn, all silent Oz left the room together. Accompanied only by the sound of our footsteps in the concrete of the stairs as we left the room and the city altogether.

 

“Indeed, you really don’t have eternity, birdie, and I need sunglasses for your next visit. I’ve never ever seen so much light coming out of a single being let alone a vampire. It was like looking into the sight of God. I’m tingly all over. Man, that women is made of pure love…how odd.”

 

My amazing hearing and Mind reading powers had given me the ability to reach his internal monologue and it was upsetting to say the least.

 

But I didn’t pay much attention to it. I really didn’t believe in fortune telling and most certainly not the one coming from a green looking demon with a heart. His note was dutifully forgotten in my pocket as Oz made the drive back to Sunnyhell…

 

But still there was something about him that reminded me of Aurelia’s prophecy, as if he could have seen the future or at least the past I was trying so hard to forget. What was it about me that gave me away? I surely appeared the bloodsucking fiend I was, but why would he think I was made of love? Why would anybody think that without proof or reason? I decided I had to try harder to keep it at bay around people, but how could one deny her own soul?

 

+++

 

Sunnydale, November 25th 4:00 pm

 

“Look at you! I thought you would’ve giving birth already.” I was tired. The trip from LA had been a dull, long one with Oz by my side. He was great to travel with because he talked very little, only the utmost necessary words were said. I was so lost in my thoughts conversation would have difficult to keep up at best.

 

“Buffy! God I haven’t seen you in eons.” Janna and I were friends, out of necessity first, and then for mutual care for Giles.

 

“I know I had to come…well, this is Oz, he is Willow’s …boyfriend and my friend. This is Janna, Mrs. Giles—where’s the man by the way?—I have a million of things to say to him.” I was suddenly 17 again, and I was looking for my daddy. I wanted to show him everything, including the small note Lorne had given me.

 

Save Xander, Save Logan—who?—save Janna and Rupert, Don’t save Ethan—small comfort—and go straight home. That was all to it, very explicit but also cryptic, save them from what?

 

“And how is Sunnyhell?” Janna laughed and shrugged. It was pretty clear: same old, same old.

 

“Faith’s here,” Oz said, startling us with the sound of his deep voice. He hated the girl on reciprocal manner of Willow and I. She was yet another sore thorn on our side.

 

“Yes. Giles and her are training in the basement. Would you like something to drink, Oz?” He declined with his head and took my luggage out of the threshold and into the living room.

 

“As a matter of fact I need to find Xander first. Do you know where he is?” Janna rubbed the left side of her round stomach as her son moved along inside her. Suddenly a kick was all too evident. I pushed my hand softly against it, compelled to touch it by unforeseen forces. He kicked some more and settled more comfortably again. I was delighted and mildly astonished at the feeling of new life growing.

 

“He likes you, Buffy! Xander…I think he is working on the new wing of your high school, but he is coming for dinner tonight. Well I can’t offer you a drink, but maybe some brandy, Buffy?” I hugged her briefly to my chest as much of a caring gesture as to feel part of a family again. She smelled nice, like pumpkins and cranberries, and I was all too familiar with the essence of turkey filling in the air.

 

“NO! I’m on duty now! I brought you guys presents—“(I pulled the bag out of the suit case and handled it to her, several jewels, a few baby clothes, a bottle of Golden label from Johnie Walkers for Giles and the Diary of Aurelia)—“you, get to present opening and I’ll go buy the turkey for Thanksgiving. If my smell serves me right, yours is badly burnt.” I laughed and she looked ashamed at her lack of culinary arts. The baby moved again and I felt bound to it. It was very exciting to put my hand on top of the mound and feel it move against my skin. I wonder how it would have felt from the inside.

 

“I had other stuff to do and I forgot it…sorry” I hugged her again a little longer this time, lingering in the essence of her hair, for once not thinking of blood and mayhem but solely on milk and diapers and motherly things. Things I would never see. That thought brought the memory of my mommy making apple pie and reading me tales by the bed. Suddenly I was very homesick indeed. I walked her slowly to the kitchen, taking the small pain of departure once again into my heart of hearts to keep it there before it could shine out on my face again. I noticed Oz was watching me from hooded eyes and Angelus was very silent on the link.

 

The sounds of punches and grunts came from downstairs and I was not envious of the task. Faith was … difficult at best. Certainly she had redeemed herself on the graduation apocalypse by finally betraying the mayor, but I still had my reserves about her.

 

“Don’t worry—Buffy loves to save the day. I’ll be back in a while. Make some eggnog, would you?” She nodded and started opening the presents. She was radiant, very heavy on the pregnancy but beautiful. For a second I envied her and Giles, but it was a good sort of envy. The kind it makes you want to protect them from danger and preserve their bubble of happiness from the rest of the dark, ugly world, to tell yourself it wasn’t you, but it was close enough to care.

 

“Hurry up then!”

 

I sometimes wondered if she knew for certain that I was a vampire, an evil creature of the night for that matter, but it was all right. She was the representation of motherly feelings now and I wouldn’t burst her bubble of denial for all the money in the world.

 

“I will.” A sudden crashing memory of Angelus came to me as I said these two words. Of him making me scream under him and then of him sucking from my neck. I had to push the thought out of my head because it was clearly not the moment to get lost in the contemplation of it—to which Angelus protested soundly in the link but managed to get back to his business with demonical activity back in LA.

 

“So, can you track Xander by smell?” Oz nodded and went about with the gory business of saving yet another day for the people of Sunnyhell.

 

+++

 

W&H 4:45 pm (told from the Author’s point of view)

 

“You have to make a decision, Master Angelus. Both of us can’t have the right to do the sacrifice. Only one can.” Angelus wondered why these demons couldn’t settle his dispute. He was about so suggest drawing straws or flipping a coin when Lorne arrived.

 

“Buìochas le Dia.” Thank god, murmured Angelus under his breath.

 

“I’ll kill you! I am older and wiser, I have experience! I’ll do the sacrifice!” They all looked alike to Angelus, but he struggled to remember the name of the speaker.

 

“Diostra…of the Black Sea. This friend here will do you a fortune telling and so we’ll clarify whom is to do sacrifice to the Poseidon feast, all right?” Angelus wasn’t sure of the nature of the salt eating demons but he had to solve the conflict and get over with his regular business before Buffy returned from Sunnyhell.

 

“Fine, but I will kill him if he is the chosen one.” Angelus began to doubt the final solution would mean anything to them but he was caught up in the fight and he had to solve it pronto.

 

* Meanwhile in the Sunnydale High School Buffy had found Xander near death of sickness in the ruins of an Indian catacomb, he was covered in dust and pustules, he looked like he had a horrible case of small pox. *

 

“Give me a hand here, Oz.” He did so and together we got him into the car and drove to the hospital.

 

“This looks bad” Duh! Gee, Oz, you sure are dense! The man looks rotten, and stinks considerably.

 

“Drive faster and don’t bother keeping the speed limit.” I meant to save him, but he looked very ill indeed.

 

+++

 

* Later on, after Buffy had called to Rupert’s home five times in a row, she saw them in the reception floor of the hospital, apparently Janna was in labor. *

 

“My god! Are you all right?” it was a stupid statement from me to ask that but I was a little worried.

 

“Sure, my water broke and we had to come to see my OB/GYN. I had a planned C-section anyway, baby is head up as you can see” I could see the big head to the left side or her belly.

 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Janna shrugged and made a hopeless gesture.

 

“Just wait I guess.” Giles came behind her and kissed her on the temple. He had a suitcase in one hand and bag full of weapons in the other.

 

“Stay with Jenny a sec. I will see to the Chumash matter with Faith and Oz.” Giles left with my escort and out of the corner of my eye I saw Faith carrying yet another bag full of weapons. I also noticed she was wearing leather pants and that her hair was now blonde. Trying to supplant me completely, right?

 

“Would you like to sit down for a while?” She nodded and clasped my hand between her owns as a painful contraction overwhelmed her.

 

“God! It’s like I have a giant sitting on my hips!”

 

I tried to soothe her making circles with my knuckles in the small of her back but I was sure that kind of pain wasn’t gonna go away quickly enough.

 

“I know. Everything is going to be all right.” After a while, an orderly came and took us both to a triage room. For a second, I was overwhelmed by the smell of blood that lingered in the maternity wards. It was all covered in chlorine disinfectant, but I could still smell it…and it was very disconcerting. Abruptly I felt hungry and my basic instinct told me to hunt. I wondered where that came from for a few minutes. But soon enough I was clearly aware of the dangers ahead of me, and all my slayer/vampire impulses kicked into play.

 

* Hours after the Doctor gave Janna the epidural and took her out to have the surgery, Giles came back. We were all hurt, the Chumash were relentless and would not die when we shot them, even Faith was tired, but knew there was a reason to fight. Giles was holding his son to his chest and we were all trying not to cry at the sheer joy that showed in his eyes. *

 

“What is his name then?” I asked as I held the baby for a few seconds before passing it on to his daddy.

 

“Logan Macauly Giles. Logan for my father and Macauly for Jenny’s granddad. Do you like it?” Faith was holding the baby now. I was trying not to look worried but soon enough it was Giles turn again, thank God.

 

“It’s beautiful. What about the Chumash?” I saw it now. Lorne meant to tell me to save their newborn baby. Suddenly I started believing in fortune telling after all.

 

“They will come for us soon enough—bloody Indians. I called your mother, she talks to me frequently on the magic shop, I told her to come. I hope you don’t mind.” So that’s how I will not save Ethan. Good. It was all becoming clear at the moment.

 

“Not at all. I meant to see her anyway. Congratulations Daddy-O! Are you happy, Mister Rupert?” I spoke in imitation of a British accent and he laughed at the top of his lungs.

 

“Fantastically, unbelievably, remarkably ecstatic with joy. Good Gracious Lord, I have a son!” Following his speech came an arrow. We were suddenly attached by the Chumash again. no quarter given to the new parents…or me.

 

+++

 

W&H 7:30 pm

 

“Buffy!” Angelus screamed as he sensed the arrow pierce his mate on the left shoulder. It was not near the heart, but it had been dangerous enough.

 

“Something wrong with the chit?” Angelus narrowed his eyes and pulled the cell phone out of his pocket. After three rings he heard the answering machine. This is Doyle and Cordelia. We are getting married today. please leave a message after the tone. Bloody hell, muttered Angelus under his breath.

 

“Go to Sunnydale, take Willow with you, and take weapons with you. There is a situation in the hospital. Both Oz and Buffy are in danger.” Spike made a grimace, hurried to get to his childe, and ran to help his master’s chit out of peril. Bloody hell, muttered Spike also under his breath.

 

+++

 

* The wedding went without incident, but the fight didn’t, the Mohras were unhappy with the reading and decided to take matters into their own hands. They would fight and whomever lived would make the sacrifice. *

 

* In Sunnydale Buffy had found the way to kill the Chumash after nearly an hour of crossfire between them. Hurt and bleeding from several spots she had finally killed the bear and saved the day, Oz had been hurt badly too and had needed stitches, Ethan Rayne had died beneath the knife of one of the Indians, Giles, Janna, Logan and Xander were safe. Faith had needed stitches too and Buffy was very tired when Spike and Willow appeared at the Hospital loaded with weapons. *

 

“Too late, guys. Fight is over. Let’s go hunt—I’m starving.” I had to tell myself to remember the killer vampire mode before speaking again. I was indeed very weary to count my words before saying them.

 

“Mistress you look ashen. Here, take some.” Willow bared her neck to me and I more than thankfully took a bite and swallowed a bit to compose my strength.

 

“Will, I wish you had seen this…it was bloody. You would have liked it.” It had been a battle of a very gruesome kind.

 

“Well, mistress, it’s time to go home then.” Spike was very silent, probably doubting my words and suddenly my mother was running toward us.

 

“Buffy! Please come back! I need to…”

 

Dear Lord not now! I needed to speak to her, but not in front of my vampire family. I had so much to say to her. I barely turned and saw the tears in her face.

 

“I’m not your daughter anymore. Go back inside if you want to live to see another day!” She stopped, death in her halt and turned around to see Giles and Faith running towards her. They were saying “Don’t go there.” They knew how hard it was for me to keep the charade.

 

“I love you, baby. I’ll always be here waiting!” Then she turned back inside, Giles was brandishing a huge cross towards us and Faith had a stake in her hand.

 

“Let’s go now. I hate this shit of a town!” We all left then but I felt like my heart had gone inside the building with her. I wanted badly to go and comfort her. To tell her I had missed her, to beg her for forgiveness, and to just hold her like the girl I still was. But I couldn’t and that broke my heart anew. And that too had to be hidden inside.

 

+++

 

W&H 10:15 pm

 

“Love, you look terrible.” I jumped into his arms and cried like a baby. He was dressed in a tux and smelled divine, like champagne and perfume. He had his hair pushed back with a wet style look and he was positively handsome in his red vest. His looks screamed best man.

 

“God, I feel like a human voodoo doll. I have holes the size of my pinkie everywhere. Sire, I hate those bloody Indians!” He hugged me and kissed me in the lips with vehemence but I pulled off when I noticed a noise at the other side of his studio. It disturbed me—another battle was going on in there.

 

“The Mohras are ‘dealing’ with their conflict.” I hugged him more tightly, burying my head in the crook of his neck. I was hungry and slightly aroused by the after shock of battles. Faith was right. It did make me horny to fight and there was the look of Angelus that was good enough to eat at the moment.

 

He sensed my inner struggle and weakness. He gave me his wrist to feed on it. After a few gulps I was ready to end the stupid quarrel and go have sex with my mate.

 

We entered the room. The smell of rotten fish and salt was abhorrent—it positively stank in there. I had to wrinkle my nose and push the sleeve of my leather jacked to cover my face. Angelus was repulsed too and we decided to combine our efforts to end the source of reek.

 

Suddenly one of the demons fighting spotted us as we entered the room and turned towards me. He was bleeding in several spots. He quickly returned to his fight, but as he wiped several drops of blood from his face some reached us. One very peculiar flew directly into the gaping hole in my shoulder and another hit Angelus in the eye.

 

“Bloody filthy creatures look at my Aubusson carpet! Argh!” Suddenly we both hit the floor and the world went black. The air was knocked into my body. All of a sudden, I drew breath and my heart started beating again. At once my head started fussing and I fell to the floor. The link had been severed abruptly, leaving me barer and weaker than ever. Angelus fell right along on top of me, like the weight of the world falling right back into my shoulders.

 

"You remind me"
by Nickelback

Never made it as a Wise man
couldn’t cut It as a poor man stealing
tried living like a blind man
sick sad without a sense or feeling
this is how you remind me
this is how you remind me
of what I really am

Chorus:
it’s not like you to say sorry
who’s waiting on a different story
this time I’m mistaken for handling you
a heart worth breaking
I’ve wrong I’ve down to the bottom
Of every bottle
This 5 words in my head scream:
Are we having fun yet?
Yet, yet, yet

It’s not like you didn’t know that
I said I love you and I swear I still do
It must have been so bad
seen that women must have damn near killed you
This is how you remind me of what I really am…

 

 

 

Part Eleven

From a Rooftop

 

(from Angelus point of view)

 

“What happened with the lights?” That was my first thought, followed closely by: Why I am human again? As a 246 year-old vampire I was fairly sure I would never breathe or eat or be hungry again—at least not for food—but I was. My senses were dull and simple, darkness was impaling, the weight of Buffy’s breast beneath my hand was familiar and alien at the same time.

 

“A blackout, throughout LA. It seems there was a bomb alert at the electric central days ago, but it only exploded now.” And now I’m human again.

 

“Angelus are you alright?” I’m also link severed, torn apart from my mate, she must be so scared, she must be needing food too.

 

“Fine, I will get up now…get me a flashlight and the keys to the rooftop.” I hope they don’t realize I’m human. Is Buffy human too? God it feels so empty without her in my mind, as empty as…nothing else in the world.

 

“Yes, Master Angelus.” I felt Moonlight rub her tail across my calf and just as suddenly she was up. Buffy had picked her up in her arms.

 

“And leave the room…all of you. This meeting is adjourned!” The Morahs protested my decision for a few minutes but decided to postpone the sacrifice until daytime would arrive.

 

“Are you human too?” Buffy’s voice had lost its silkiness and depth. It was high-pitched and uncertain, as if she was terribly afraid of speaking. And she probably was.

 

“Are you scared, Alainn?” I knew she was tired and I could smell something in the air very unfamiliar. Blood. I realized it was blood smelled from a human point of view, coppery and heady, and nauseating, not food wise at all.

 

“Yes, I am cold and soaked in blood—why do you want to go to the rooftop? I’m so hungry I could eat a cow.” Me too! But we need to get away from the vampires quickly, least we’d want is to become food.

 

“To be away from them. It’s too dangerous now, tomorrow—or when the lights return—we will go to the oracles, but right now, the rooftop is the safest place to us.” I am cold too. This place has zero heat—good God! Why am I human again?

 

“Hug me please… I need you to hug me tight, I’m so cold.” Something like that should have never left her mouth. I should have known she was cold and I should have offered food to supply her needs—no to mention my own—I should have felt the sadness griping her, but I didn’t, I couldn’t feel shit except my own heartbeat and hunger. It was all so consuming.

 

“It feels so terrible, like having the weight of the world thrust back into your shoulders without a heads up.” She nodded my affirmation as I wrapped my arms around her back. She was indeed drenched and shivering. So I took the jacket and blouse off her and engulfed her nakednessw in my body heat. She instantly pressed her ear to my chest until she found what she had been looking for.

 

“Your heart is beating again, I feel it…it’s so constant, so weird.” I hugged her tighter to my chest and buried my nose into her hair. She smelled like nothing to me now. I couldn’t pick up her essence anymore, and that was devastating. She was my mate I couldn’t tell how she smelled anymore.

 

“So is yours, my love…you are so petite like this, like a wee little kitten inside my arms. Do you feel awkward too, my love?” I realize I had to express my thoughts to her, because she wasn’t hearing them now. I had grown so used to her responses that now it was as if I was full of fire, all hot and achy inside, like a bomb about to explode without her in me.

 

“So empty…so very sad…and so lonely.” She had to pause to sob in the middle and I sensed the wet seeping from the shirt onto my chest. She was crying silently, probably thinking about the prophecies that say I was supposed to die as human.

 

“Don’t worry, I will never leave you alone. You jump, I jump, right?” She laughed pitifully and some of the guilt disappeared from the air. I had liked the whole “Titanic” thing. We had watched it together twice and that was as far as I could remember of it—besides Kate Winslet naked—the rest was lost in the whirlwind of the season.

 

“is it my fault? Did I do something to cause this?” Of course not! Well I wasn’t sure what had caused this, but I was sure it hadn’t been her fault.

 

“No, my love, we cannot place blame yet. We must wait until tomorrow and go to the Oracles. Right now we are going to go to the rooftop and have dinner. We’ll see about the future later.” One of the minions handed me the flashlight and the set of keys and left, without enhanced hearing I could still hear the ruckus going around in the 15th floor. I didn’t pause there to make questions. I just took Buffy by the hand and ran silently to the stairs and made escape to the solace of the sky at midnight, pausing in the middle to get a bottle of wine from the visitor’s lounge, and quickly ran off the room before being found human again.

 

+++

Rooftop, 2:30 am

 

“You think she is alright in there—I mean Midnight—she could be in danger.” I wasn’t sure of anything except my own feelings and needs, and more shockingly even I was cold, I hadn’t been cold in centuries.

 

“Danger lurks everywhere in there, but Midnight belongs to the night. You shouldn’t worry about her…would you like some more brownie ice cream or another slice of pizza?” I had not eaten this sort of thing ever before, perhaps a bit of bitter chocolate and pasta, but this was luxurious, like eating something very sinful.

 

“Just a bit more of Dr. Pepper please. Tell me, did you like all this stuff?” I served her half of her glass and wondered how was it they had made a beverage of that much grossness. Sprite was fine with me, but if I had wanted bubbles I would have had Cristal champagne—not this attempt of beverage.

 

“They are different… but I can’t say they are all bad, although they are very very sweet. No wonder you must brush your teeth so often, they would probably rot and fall with all that sweet!” She laughed, I had forgotten the sound of pure laughter, not wickedness or malice, but pure amusement, I laughed along with her while all the time the only thought consuming my mind was my dick and the unbelievable annoyance of a mindless erection based solely on laughter, Hawaiian pizza and chocolate.

 

“Well, Angelus, duh! There is no point on eating ice cream that is not sweet. Anyhow, we should go inside. I’m freezing my ass off, aren’t you cold too?” Of course, but the thought of going into our room meant sex…and I wasn’t sure I was ready to find out if I was still a quick shot—which I had been when I was human. I couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing Buffy that way. Imagine it, me inside her for mere 10 seconds before jerking off and going down like a worm in a matter of minutes. No, I couldn’t do that to my mate never ever.

 

“A little, but let's wait for the dawn. I haven’t seen one in centuries. Would you care to watch it with me, my lady?” She traced the contours of my face and managed to kiss me between the brows before toppling slightly into my arms.

 

“Anytime, Sire. Anytime at all.” And then we kissed again and again. First with just the lips and then with teeth and tongue and fierce all consuming passion.

 

And when she wrapped her beautiful legs around my waist I could hardly breathe from the sheer need to possess. It was mindless, like fire sweeping over my mind and body until the only restraint stopping me was the thin barrier of clothes and the small space between her body and mine.

 

We barely made it to the room. It was still dark without the electricity and we made our way bumping into things and people. Willow was one of those making an acid comment on the nature of rutting beasts.

 

Thank God she hadn’t notice the difference yet, but it was all meant to go down very soon…as soon as I could enter Buffy’s heaven and be done with the rest of the world.

 

+++

 

“Get a clue Sire!”

 

At first it all been very awkward. I didn’t have control of my hands and fingers and she complained several times that I have forgotten where the clitoris was. Truth be told, I had to turn on the lantern to find my way into her secret spots. I understood her frustration and eagerness to be off the curse of humanity. Vampire sex had been so very certain than this game made us feel like blind people looking for the right path.

 

“I’m working on it!”

 

At last I decided to trace her with my mouth and surprisingly I found out she had tickles on her feet and a very soft pleasure spot behind her knees, which I explored like I never had while I was a vampire.

 

“Don’t stop now please”

 

After a while she started moaning softly and I played a short time to the great game of * find the G spot * with my tongue. I was not very dexterous at that either—but that didn’t stop me from trying my hand at it too.

 

“God, Buff, you are so wet!”

 

After I found it, I made long work of it. Meanwhile my hand was busy with the crevice, my mouth wondered up onto the space beneath her breast and her arm pit, and that too was a pleasure spot for my mate.

 

“I like that. It feels so good, Angelus, please don’t stop.” The nipples, of course, came after that interlude. I kissed them and sucked them into my mouth. I nibbled at the little wrinkles around the tip. I placed them above my tongue until they were so very sensitive with the attention I had to let them go and then… I knew she was ready for me.

 

“Buffy, I l…”

 

Suddenly… I had stage fright. I knew I loved her but saying it like that was all too weird for me, and my own body seemed about to explode before even entering her.

 

“what’s wrong, dear? You look weird. Do you want me to suck you?” I must have made a bad face. surely I wanted her to suck me, but I wasn’t sure I could resist it for too long.

 

“Later, slut. Keep that mouth shut and concentrate on coming!” I decided that I had to cover the fright with anger. She would understand that I wanted it fast and hard, and probably wouldn’t mind the bit of harshness.

 

“Yes, Sire.” Or maybe not. But still, the feeling of her tight, wet and fluttering core was almost too hot to bear. It was like sultry waves of indescribable pleasure going trough me as my penis hit that roof that marks the limit of the penetration. All that wet heat made me melt down into her.

 

“I can’t hold it…” I barely lasted enough for her to have a good healthy climax but I could feel that I would be ready again in a few minutes. But meantime even while I was flaccid, she gave me the most earth shattering contractions around it. It was almost like my seed was been sucked into her. I trembled and sighed and still her heart was pulsing around me. I wondered how I could stand this without screaming on the sheer pleasure and surely after she bit me on the neck with blunt teeth and as I returned the favor I knew that this was benediction. I was falling again, empting myself into her, with that hot rush of sperm and spasms and all the time I’m thinking that humans don’t know the kind of gift they have. To have so much pleasure from an act that is meant to ensure survival of their species, my specie presently speaking.

 

I was still wondering about the overwhelming feeling of after sex when she turned around and announced to me nonchalantly that, “She had to pee”, I laughed and laughed until my insides hurt. Surely she most have thought I had gone mad. But it was just joy. I went to sleep forgetting dawn and food and pee with an startling rapidness, but deep into my dreams the image of Buffy holding a baby hunted me from afar. Never too close to see details but never far enough to ignore it altogether.

 

+++

W&H 7:30 am

 

“How did you find this number Giles?” After a few hours of slumber, my private cell phone started ringing. The lights had come back and Giles was calling me God only knows why.

 

“Through a lot of waiting and several threats of gypsy curses—I have to speak to Buffy—if you would please put her on the phone.” Such arrogance! I should have him flogged for this!

 

“She’s still sleeping, as I was before you called. How is little Logan?” I managed to sound every bit as evil as I’m feeling and I can almost hear him cringe on the name of his son.

 

“Very well. Now how does it feel to be human again? Must have been centuries since your last time around.” I knew it. It had to be about that. “Buffy is human too—and I feel fine thank you. Except I’m very angry that you did not inform me of this rior—since I assume you know the cause, pray tell me when am I going to be a vampire again?” And more important, what is to happen with my deal with the first?

 

“I went to the Oracle of Delphi, and it told me that you will be a vampire again today, at midnight…as for Buffy—well they only said you could not attempt to turn her again less you wanted her buried and away—I must say I meant to call you last night, but it was impossible due to the blackout.”

 

“You are aware that I made a bargain with my soul…what about that?” Buffy was tossing beside me, already awakening from the long night of cavorting.

 

“It holds. You would not have your soul back—even as human you are sharing a soul with Buffy—I didn’t know this but you must remerge the bond. It’s imperative to your survival…and to hers”

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“I mean that in your relationship with her you have attained feelings that belong to humans alone—love is among those—right now she is feeling lost and bereft and you must comfort her. She no longer thinks or feels like a vampire, but as a human. I’m afraid she might even sound a little crazy to you, but without the First whispering the evil into her, she is just human and needs a great deal of protection. She is no longer a slayer”

 

“What did you just say? Not even a Slayer?” At that Buffy stood up and took the phone from my hands. Her eyes were flashing like watery jewels and she looked very flushed.

 

“You lying bastard! I cannot be a simple human! I’m a vampire! I have eternity! You cannot be serious!” I could do naught but stare. She was beautiful, her hair tousled from the bed, naked to the very flesh, sun making her shine like gold, eyes dark green with fury.

 

“I am Buffy, I am. The Oracles, they wanted me to tell you that you deserved more and they would give it to you. I’m sorry, I’m just the messenger.” Buffy tossed the phone after that with enough strength to make it bounce and brake into pieces as it hit the wall.

 

“Damn you! To hell with you! I am going to live forever! I am a bloody Queen of the Darkness! You can’t do this to me! Take it back, Angelus! I can’t bear this pain…please, Sire, make me like you again!… I will be good. I will never disobey you again…please!” God, I can stand this. She is crying and begging, down to her knees, and I can do naught but stare. And I want to cry too.

 

“I can’t help you there, Love. But think of the University, your dream of becoming a lawyer, of helping your mother, of being alive…it’s a blessing, dear.” I try to calm her down, but I’m only adding more wood the fire.

 

“How could you say that?! I’m gonna die ugly and wrinkled, I’ll get sick and have periods. I’ll get fat and you will see me die old and ugly while you remain as you always been. How could you call that a blessing?! Surely you’ll be here forever to gloat on my misery but, Sire…I want it back. Please, do something, anything to stop this while we still can!” I hear her! I really do, I love her and I would give up everything for her, but I can’t. God, What am I to do with this?

 

“SHUSH! You will live fully and we will get through it one day at a time. We will find a good thing out of this, I swear we will. Now come with me. We are gonna take a bath and then we will spend the day at the beach, because we surly need a nice deep tan.” I can see she isn’t bulging an inch, but I can’t do anything to reverse her state until I’m vampire again. So I must make the most of this human state for as long as it lasts.

 

“You’ll regret this, Sire.” I know she is angry and that she would harm me if she could but still, deep down I see her harboring hope, as useless as it is.

 

+++

Santa Monica, 2:30 pm

 

“What do you think of September 11?” What should I think? It was wrong. It was a tragedy--we had people working there.

 

“Humans are a bunch of violent assholes. Politics is the very worst of their inventions, followed closely by guns.”

 

“Says the President of W&H. I thought you had stocks on Halliburton, as well as a connection with terrorism of the underworld.” Damn, even without the link she always knew my ways.

 

“Sure. Oil is a commodity, and we use cars and helicopters and electricity as well, darling. Money does not grow from a tree, ye know.” She laughs and I know she is thinking that I am an hypocrite Irish bastard—which I am of course—but a good one.

 

“One penny for the government, one penny for the revolution, right, Sire?” Certainly. One must always strive to have balance.

 

“Of course. Now lets eat some hot dogs. I’m very much starved—and by the way I don’t have stocks on Halliburton, but I do have a surveillance business with CIA—not that it would be any of your business, young, nosy lassie.” She laughs again and I know she finds my work very interesting.

 

“Now, what do ye think of the Britney Spears?” She looks dumbfounded for a second and manages not to choke on her soda before answering.

 

“She is a ho. What else is there about her? Bottle blonde? Fake boobs? Nasal voice? No waist?” But you liked her music.

 

“She has ambition I think. I thought you liked her music.”

 

“Sure, Cordelia and Willow and Harmony and half the female population of W&H are singing "Oops I did it again" not that it possessed much difficulty, but it’s fashion, you just can’t argue with fashion.” At that I laugh. Fashion meant nothing to me, although people assured me I was stylish.

 

“Of course, love, but I meant to ask her to do a number for us—or would you prefer Christina Aguilera?” At that her eyebrows hit her hair line.

 

“A number, you mean like a 69?” That made me laugh. I did not mean sex.

 

“No! not at all, I mean a show, like in a party? Ye have sex up in the head all the time, don’t ye darling?” I had no doubts of that whatsoever.

 

“Oh! Sure, tell her to come and sing for us. Perhaps she would be interested in a potion to improve her vocals or something like that.” Perhaps. I mean to renovate and modernize the company…God the sun feels so good in my skin. Why couldn’t I remember the beauty of this?

 

“Let’s go home, I’d like to do it in front of a mirror before nightfall.”

 

“Yes, mon capiten! Now who has sex in the head?” She jumped me on the spot then. I could hardly catch her, but it wasn’t necessary. We fell to the sand and tumbled until the water reached us.

 

“Or perhaps we should do it in the beach?” There was a few people at a certain distance, a safe distance judging their speed of walking. surely we could hide and get our way easily.

 

“Let's find a shade then. I wouldn’t like my ass to get sunburned.” And I wouldn’t like that either.

 

+++

Regents Beverly Wiltshire Hotel
Honeymooners suite, 7:30 pm

 

“We should have done this before.” Buffy is sitting on the chaise long while I’m eating cheese cake. She had chicken fajitas with chili and tequila and is positively drunk. Her eyes unfocused and her legs so wide open I can see the red panties she is wearing under the indigo blue cotton dress. Her nipples are thrusted against the fabric and I could almost feel her arms around my neck as I plunge into her. Almost. But I must finish the cake first. It really tastes so good, and the small wait makes me get so restless. It’s delicious, it’s anticipation and I can see all happening in front of us in the big mirror, in the camera that I placed on the bedpost, on the thousand Polaroids I have taken of us, as to not forget how we look together.

 

Surrender. I crawl to her and work my way up into her body, her panties and her dress come easily off, and I’m sure she is ready for this game.

 

Lust. I cannot get my eyes away from her body. She swings her hips and moistens her lips in preparation and I feel my loins tighten inside me. She moans and I surge faster and deeper into her, buried to the hilt in one single stroke.

 

Obsession. I know she is about to come and I keep holding her down. She writhes and pants and I fuck her like a beast, swift and hard. I know I’m the only man she has ever had, but I can’t help to need reassurance. I want her to scream my name as she comes, and I want to hear her say "I love you" in the throes of passion.

 

Mine. I know she is all mine, from head to toe, from the first breath to the very last, through every heart beat and in every orgasm…and still that’s not enough. I want her soul and her body to hold me forever, for in possessing her she possesses me in return.

 

Love. I can’t breath when she is on top of me. I’m so close to spilling I can feel my balls ache. Her breast is right on top of my mouth, her hair is caressing my face, curtaining my view from below, and I can’t think straight. She is perfect, smiling softly as I jerk convulsively. She keeps riding me until I’m sure I lost my heart’s blood, and I understand then that I love her as strongly as I need her to love me in return.

Death. I bite into her with blunt teeth and she screams. She will always love the feeling of Sirebite, and she gives it back to me. Another orgasm hits and it’s never the end.

 

Once again and over and over again.

 

And afterwards we lay there, motionless. We are soaked in sweat and we both must pee, but I don’t care. They could kill me in the spot and I wouldn’t put a minimal fight. But to touch her, I would burn them alive if somebody even tried to remove her blonde hair from my hand, let alone her body from my sight. And for once in my life I feel truly happy, and even if it is a borrowed emotion I still like it.

 

After a while she awakes and moves, she mumbles something, “I feel like I am at home” to which I tell her that, “Home is a place that when you have to go, they have to take you.” She sighs and leans her head and neck closer into my embrace and closes her eyes again. But before falling into deep sleep she says, “I love you, Angelus.” And then I know I had taken her home finally—Frost Quotation notwithstanding.

 

"Going Down In Flames"
by 3 doors down

Don’t tell me what to think
Cause I don’t care this time
Don’t tell me what you believe
Cause you won’t be there
To catch me when I fall
But you’ll need me when I’m not here at all
Miss me when I’m gone again, yeah

I’m going down in flames
I’m falling into this again, yeah
I’m going down in flames
I’m falling into this again

Don’t tell me how life is
Cause I don’t really want to know
Don’t tell me how this game ends
Cause we’ll just see how it goes
Catch me when I fall
Or you’ll need me when I’m not here at all
Miss me when I’m gone again, yeah

I’m going down in flames
I’m falling into this again, yeah
I’m going down in flames
I’m falling into this again, yeah

Now, I’m all the way down here
I’m falling
I’m all the way down here
I’m falling down again
I’m falling down
I’m falling down
I’m falling down

I’m going down in flames
I’m falling into this again,
I’m going down in flames
I’m falling into this again

Now, I’m all the way down here
I’m falling
All the way
All the way down here
I’m falling down again now I’m falling down

 

 

 

Part Twelve

Twin Flames

 

The Setting…

 

Shortly after Buffy and Angelus renewed their link, he became a vampire again. It had happened as the Oracles had said--right around midnight. The Mohras had finished their annual reunion and gone back to their salty homes around the world. Doyle and Cordelia had gone to their honeymoon in Venice, Italy. And people in W&H had gone back to their routines. Sunnydale had survived another threat and Faith had found an ally in Riley Finn and help in the Initiative. Life had gone by for several weeks without our careful regard. people had changed, loyalties had been turned, right behind the eyes of our heroes and into the faithful predictions that marked the end of the beginning. Thus the twin flames of our slayers had begun to flicker…

 

December 12th, Sunnydale-Rome

 

“When are you going to call her?” said Janna as she held Logan in her arms. Currently speaking they had a problem that required more people than just Faith and Giles. She was the slayer and all that, but since she had started seeing Riley Finn she had become absent more and more often. Apparently, the Initiative had lured her into their quarters and decided she was ‘working for them’ rather than the Council.

 

“Now seems like a good time. Doesn’t it?” Giles had gone patrolling and instead of the regular vampire he had found a demon. One so strong he had had to run away to save himself from it. Which had unavertedly pointed the way to his home. Therefore he was now barricading all his doors and windows to keep them away from his house.

 

“That crazy slayer is archaic. How on earth could she not have a cellphone? Even I have a cellphone, and I’m not a slayer.” Giles reached for the phone and managed to dial Angelus' private number.

 

The line rang once, twice, and at the third time he answered.

 

“I thought we had agreed on the fact that this was only for emergencies, Giles.” Angelus had been in Rome. He had flown there for the Master’s council. Buffy had been giving a speech at that same moment.

 

“I know, but I’m in serious trouble. I need help right now! Or we are all going to die!” Angelus rose from his chair and walked down to the exit door. Many of the attendants noticed him walking out of his mate’s introduction, but Buffy kept on talking, raising her voice and taking off her jacket to show her top and heightened breasts to the audience, so they wouldn’t speculate about her mate.

 

“I’m going to send you Oz and a team of rescue, but you must never call me again in public. If anybody realized about my methods they could kill both Buffy and I …and you!” Giles was listening intently while the mad demons tried to tear his home apart.

“I shan’t master, but please give us a hand and I will repay you anyway you want me to.” Angelus thought about Buffy’s predicament and managed to make a quick dash out of the situation.

 

“Keep working on the Aurelia’s manuscript, and we’ll see later how you could repay me your debts.” He sounded treacherous to the extreme, and he probably meant to overcharge Giles in an unimaginable way. We could hardly envision the things Angelus would want from the Ripper.

 

“Thank you!” He hung up and walked inside the conference room. Buffy was still talking and to his surprise they were all listening, and most assuredly they were ogling her scarlet top and ruby necklace and perfect breasts. Perhaps most of them were wondering why Angelus had brought her there, and worse even given her voice.

 

Some of them knew she had been a slayer, and she was still a slayer nowadays. Most of them feared her powers, few of them could avoid lusting for her, but something Angelus was sure of was that all of them wonder why she had remained human all the way.

 

He had the answer to that question, and it puzzled him too. It had been the will of the universe for her to become human again but what worried him was the purpose. He was awed of the pulse beating strong and constant in her neck and he was sure others had noticed it too. But the situation was too volatile to let his guard down and just gaze at her. He had to stay focused, at least until the conference would end.

 

“Let’s recapitulate, Sires. Humans throughout time had managed to kill themselves fairly easily without our help. Wars, sicknesses, crime, and more lately pollution, had decimated them from their cores."

 

"And we have been blamed. We did not help them when these things happen. Neither did we rush them into this. It was simply not our responsibility."

 

"But now their callous actions had reached us. Now they have decided to turn their evil governments into destroying us. Their sicknesses and machines into killing us. Their stupidity is beyond limit, Sires. And we cannot turn our backs and walk away--since this is our world too."

 

"Yes, I must accept that humans are evil, as mean and heartless as they come. They are also filthy and contaminating. They kill their kind and destroy their habitat, kill their babies and kneel to the God of Annihilation and Prejudice. They simply cannot live in peace. So you wonder why must we stop them from destroying all there is? Plainly, because we are a part of all that gray area they cannot distinguish. They denied our existence because their minds were as closed as their hearts to the idea of diversity.

 

And we…we are simply here, whether they wanted us or not. So…I must ask you, as one of your own—in both army and kind—to stop them, not for the Powers that Be, not for the First, not even for the themselves, but for us."

 

"For the children of the night and their offspring, may we live to see the day when humans learn to live in peace…as we have learn to do.”

 

Angelus didn’t have to say a word about the fear coming through him. He saw it on the vampires in that room. They had fallen into her web gracefully. Many of them had clapped their hands, and even the most reluctant ones had taken her speech to heart.

 

Suddenly he was very much worried for his mate. Most of her speech had seem rather hypocrital coming from a human, and slayer for that matter, but in truth they were in a big danger with the whole Initiative/Big Apocalypse coming. The worries that seemed inexistent previously had now reached the biggest sphere of vampires on earth.

 

And Buffy was preaching in the very heart of it. Angelus thought fear didn’t quite grasp it, terror or panic were more likely, but they were together and hiding her would have only arouse suspicion and gossip and they didn’t need that. They craved respect and support and his mate was wining them from the inside.

 

+++

 

“So what was it Giles wanted?” Angelus took a sip of his Merlot and considered telling Buffy. She looked truly ravishing in that red top.

 

“Rome suits you, lover. You look like you are blooming.” The blonde took another spoonful of her pasta and the cellphone rang once again.

 

“Hello, Giles. Como stai? Tutto bene? I supposed you are out of danger already?” Buffy managed to swallow before the situation Giles spoke of registered into her brain.

 

“You want me to what?” Angelus rose and took the phone from Buffy’s hand. He appeared rather angry at the Watcher’s suggestion.

 

“That is not an emergency, Giles. I do not care about the problems you might be having with Faith, and I am not going to send you my mate over just because your slayer and her stupid British-good-for-nothing Watcher have gone missing. Good bye!” He slammed the phone against the floor with his boot and pulled Buffy out of her seat roughly before leaving the restaurant.

 

“I haven’t finished! …I was eating that!” Doyle and Cordelia who were sitting a few tables away caught up with them and followed suit after the raging vampire.

 

“I can’t believe his nerve! I’m not his bloody savior! I couldn’t care less about the bitch and her watcher! After all we are doing to get rid of the Initiative. They should lay of our backs just for that! Help me with this, help me with that, do me this shit and I’ll do that. I am sick of it! To hell with all of them!” Several innocent customers and pedestrians were savagely pushed out of his way as he vociferated his way into the limousine that awaited in the lobby of the restaurant.

 

“Sire, I think we should…” Buffy was about to say ‘calm down’ but he snarled at her thoughts and showed her his teeth.

 

“You should keep quiet and walk faster. I have a mind for bloodplay now and it could not hold on for long.” Cordelia who was walking behind Buffy whispered something to Doyle about a ‘dangerous situation’ and Buffy immediately turned her ear into it.

 

“Adam is getting more followers and our sources tell a frightening forecast if we don’t stop him.” Doyle remained quiet for a long time, and Buffy thought he didn’t believe Cordelia’s sources, but he just didn’t want to talk in front of Angelus.

 

“We should ask Lorne. He would be able to tell us if this is so, and how we could stop him. We really mustn’t linger too long, not with the other slayer gone. God only knows what the Council has in mind about the chosen ones,” said Cordelia. Immediately after hearing this, Buffy decided she had to go to Sunnyhell once again. She wouldn’t let her hometown perish beneath the hands of the Council of Whoever it was that had kidnapped Faith and Wesley.

 

“What you could do, Cordy, is shut your mouth!” Angelus didn’t have to say another word before Doyle pushed her out of his friend’s way.

 

“Come, Buffy and Angelus need to be left alone. I’ll see you at the Colliseum, Master.” Doyle took his wife by the hand and got inside a taxi before Angelus could vent his anger on them.

 

“Let’s go to our room. I need some rest.” Buffy did her best to woo him into her arms but her Sire was angry and it would take a while before he could let down his frustration.

 

“I won’t let you go, no matter what. Not now and not with Faith gone rogue and the Council getting creative. There’s too much risk, and you are not expendable, you understand that?” Buffy nodded as they walked to their suite but she knew in her heart she would have to go home sooner or later.

 

+++

 

“Nice to see you again, cupcake. You look very well, all sunshine and flowers. What brings you here?” Lorne had been very cordial to the Slayer until he noticed Angelus walking after her.

 

“Your fine gift of conversation, my green friend,” said angelus in a most cynical manner. The vampire Master who looked more grim than usual walked straight by the bar and poured himself a glass of blood and a shot of scotch.

 

“We gotta go to Sunnyhell and we want forecast and … you better make it pronto Angelus looks like it’s about to drink that whole tank of O+” said Buffy from the outside of the bar.

 

“Jeez, he’s acting very American psycho. I guess he was starved. Anyway, you two don’t need singing. You are giving out so high I’m considering sending you to American Idol!” Neither one of them laughed at his joke and he just proceeded to get himself a sea breeze.

 

“We really are in a hurry, Lorny dear.” He shrugged and finally just proceeded to the future reading.

 

“Fine, here it is. They are saying…‘expect the unexpected’…just that.” Inside the bar there were other demons singing and most clients were happily drowning their sorrows in alcohol, but they turned around their heads at the sound of Buffy’s pitched voice.

 

“You kidding me?! They are so cryptic! It’s like the Chinese cookies, ‘you will do well in life’ what the hell does that mean?! …Anyway, we have to get going. Little miss has miles to go and lots places to see before we can sleep.”

 

“Good luck with that then.” Having finished his drink, Angelus extracted an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lorne.

 

“I forgot, I brought you something from Italy. I hope you like it.” Lorne opened the envelope and inside there was a round-trip ticket to Sicily and a room key plus a thousand euros and a fake passport.

 

“Well thank you! This means I get to take a vacation?” Angelus smiled. He hadn’t smiled in several days and Buffy felt caught up in the unexpected surprise.

 

“This means California is going to be a war zone for a few weeks and we want you away. We’ll make it but the rest probably won’t. So, get to a safe place and stay there until further notice, my friend.” Lorne smiled too. Even though the situation was admittedly dire, they were unperturbed. Apparently they had it all under control.

 

“Sure thing. Thank you, cupcakes. I’ll get going too then. Be careful. Your life is worth more than you think. And you, little missy, must be extra careful. We want no harm coming your way.” Angelus wrapped his arm around Buffy’s waist and drew her into his embrace.

 

“I know. We’ll take care of each other.” Buffy and Angelus walked as the green demon got packing with a smile on his face.

 

+++

December 18th, Sunnydale, CA

 

“I didn’t expect you to come too.” Angelus had decided to take his whole posse, Willow, Oz, Dru, Spike, Cordelia, Doyle and of course Buffy. All of them were sitting in the living room of Ripper. The tension so high you could cut it with a knife.

 

“Tough, let me just clarify this. We are here only to get rid of the Initiative, and Adam, in that order. While we are here, nor you, nor Faith will try to kill us, harm us or deceive us in any form. Should you break the truce all of you would die slowly and painfully. Are we clear?” Angelus had rose from his chair and deliberately walked to Logan’s crib. The gesture poignant enough for both vampires and humans.

 

“Perfectly clear, Angelus, but, the same rules apply to us. One of us dies, one of you dies. Are we clear?” Giles walked to the crib and stood right in front of the master.

 

“Listen, Ripper, I don’t think you are in a position to negotiate with us. Outnumbered, cornered and visibly weak you basically are running on pure symbiosis. We need your ability and when that it’s done we plan on having ‘fun’ with your body so, you may want to refrain from trying your chances.” Sensing the challenge, Spike rose and came nose to nose with Giles.

 

“Specially with all those innocents at stake.” Drusilla and Willow rose also and they were surrounding in a sinister way around the watcher.

 

“Children, I think it’s about dinner time. Care to join me? This place is suddenly too gray for my taste.” Angelus lured them into a hunt and they happily followed.

 

“Smell that, daddy? They reek fear…yummy, very yummy.” Drusilla walked around Janna and leaned in the witch’s shoulder for a second. Sure of the unpredictability of the crazy vampiress, Buffy quickly walked to her and put a hand around her waist.

 

“Come, darling. We have party flavors specially for you.” The vampiress slaked her tongue out across Janna’s neck and the witch shivered as the cold wet hit her senses.

 

“I’ll be back soon.” She shivered anew when the cold fathomless gray eyes settled on her. She was sure of the promises in her voice and for a second she hadn’t been able to move away from the brunette vampiress. She had immediately realized what ‘mesmerized’ meant.

 

“Giles, I think I’d like to take Logan to visit my mother.” Considering Janna’s mother lived in Rumania that meant she wanted to get as far from Sunnydale as she could.

 

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll help you pack.”

 

+++

 

After a while Buffy returned alone, having left the vampires alone to their feeding games. Giles promptly urged her to come inside and discuss the situation approaching.

 

“I finished a section of the translation and I thought it was important to tell you about it.” Buffy sat down comfortably in the plush sofa and sipped a tall glass of hot chocolate.

 

“It is. I’m sorry about what happened earlier. They shouldn’t have come, but I assumed we would have more safety in numbers this way.” Buffy noticed that Giles had come back running from somewhere, and after several minutes she also noticed Janna and Logan had gone away. She thought that had been a very good idea considering the danger looming all them.

 

“That’s true, risky move but overall intelligent. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. Now lets get to business. This is Aurelia’s second revelation."

 

As the prize of life sometimes got higher than divinity I realize truth was only a side of the world, white and black ceased to be colors and became shades of the flesh. I no longer made a difference of friend and foe and in the heart of hearts I realize I would rather starve than kill the innocent again. Soon with this awareness came peace. I realize if I could live without killing I could find happiness in the bleakness of hell.

 

After that it continues about her life beyond this revelation but I haven’t translated that yet. What do you think?” Buffy placed the mug in the coffee table and took a deep breath before answering.

 

“No biggie. So, she found out a way to keep her conscience at bay. How does that affect me?” Giles made that very British gesture of taking of his glasses to cleanse them with a handkerchief before speaking again.

 

“Not you, Buffy, your mate. Is he not restless? Is he not angry about everything? Is he not in constant need of violence? Does he not kill every night? Most vampire are just crazy about the kill. It’s called ‘bloodlust’ and the thing Aurelia is telling us is that she found out that if vampires stop killing they will find balance, cease being mad about the kill. That way slayers will no longer have to eliminate them. Don’t you agree that it’s an improvement?”

 

Buffy agreed but the kill was the heart of the matter for vampires. It was the power of taking someone else’s life that gave them a rush, not the blood itself.

 

“How did she come to this ‘awareness’?” Buffy was interested but she internally knew it would never happen.

 

“It doesn’t say. As I said, I haven’t finished the translation.” So much for bursting a bubble.

 

“Fine then, I guess we will hold that piece of advice for a while. By the way, have you talked to mom?” Buffy thought taking the conversation to a safer topic would remove the heat, but it just made Giles worried about his slayer. He thought she looked pale and out of shape, as if she was stressed out about something else that wasn’t of his knowledge.

 

“No, not really. Why don’t you pay her a visit?” Buffy took another sip of her hot chocolate and the breath seemed suddenly knocked out of her.

 

“I will, first thing tomorrow. Need to go now. Thanks for the info.” Without further explanations, Buffy just left Giles speaking alone, the bond making her rush out to find her mate.

 

+++

 

“You shouldn’t have come. You’re tense and tired.” Angelus and Buffy had decided to take a room in his old mansion. They would need their rest before the long day ahead of them.

 

“That makes no sense. It’s my hometown, and my ex watcher, and my family who are in danger. I had to come. Besides I had to visit mom and my godchild…isn’t he just cute?” The master massaged his mate’s back as they soaked together in the tub. The water was sizzling and the mist had covered the mirrors. The slayer was flushed from head to toe from the heat and Angelus had an almost natural complexion.

 

“We have to be careful. The vamps are restless and they get stupid when they don’t have something to do.” Buffy leaned her head against his shoulder and he took the opportunity to grasp her breasts and soak them up with bubbles of soap and hot water.

 

Slippery as they both were, Angelus pushed his right hand towards her navel an she laughed as the tickles made her squirm.

 

“I know we will solve this very soon. We just need to find an the location and …get into action.” Buffy’s giggles worked to make him even more aroused and he promptly delved beneath the water to fondle her clit.

 

“You need to find your bed soon. You’re practically sleepwalking.” Buffy moaned and sighed loudly as he made circles around her pleasure spot, her heart speeding up as the impeding orgasm lured her.

 

“Maybe you could help me.” The slayer snaked her tongue into the vampire’s ear and he purred in pleasure. As he pushed two fingers inside her, she rubbed her ass against his upturned penis, feeling it jolt with each hard breath she took.

 

“Maybe I would…come now, Buff.” She used her small hand to grab his manhood and roughly caressed him until he was ready to explode.

 

With just a little bit of conscience left, she let her head fall against his shoulder as he bit down and she collapsed in wave after wave of powerful orgasm, Angelus falling right along with her into the decadent pleasure.

 

Feeling almost boneless after the earthquake, the lovers pushed each other into bed before falling on top of silken covers and promptly reengaging the previous action.

 

+++

 

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come.” The dawn had come earlier that day for the slayer and right after she had had her breakfast she had came face to face with her fears.

 

“Don’t worry, Baby. A mother knows no such thing as a timeframe.” Buffy hugged her mother that morning with a dire sense of karma. It was as if she would never see her again after that day.

 

“I brought you a present. It’s really nothing but I thought you’d like it.” As she stepped into her old home, the memory train took over her. She saw herself as a child and all the things that had happened in the past. The steps she had yet to take seemed more difficult with each breath she took in that house of pain and Joyce.

 

“I would love anything that comes from you. Please sit down and tell me all about your new life. I heard you married a powerful man, by the way, would you like something to drink?” Buffy said no with her head as she removed her jacket and sat down in her old couch. She realized then it was lumpy and splotchy, but it still brought her memories of staying late studying or just watching tv with Willow.

 

“He is very powerful. His name is Liam O’Quinn, but everybody calls him Angelus. He’s very good-looking. He’s Irish and we live in west LA. He has a company called Wolfram and Heart…I work there too, you know.” Buffy was sorry she had never fully explain the reality to her mother, but she feared that giving into it would only cause her more pain, and living in her perennial denial seemed much more merciful to her.

 

“Are you happy then, Buffy?”

 

Buffy thought it was a tricky question, but it wasn’t. Her mother only meant to ask innocently how she was truly doing, but Buffy sighed before publicly acknowledging happiness did not exist. That it was just a word to describe the state brought by chocolates and multiple orgasms.

 

“Yes, I’m very happy. We have lots of friends—Cordelia and Harmony work there too—Willow is my assistant and Cordelia is the Head of Protocol. Her husband is the Head of Security. We all live in the same building…like one big happy family.” One twisted, dysfunctional family brought together by evil and money. I work with the worst combination of demons and power hungry people in the world, thought buffy.

 

“It sounds great, dear. When are you planning to invite me there? I’d like to see your office and meet all your new friends.” How naïve of Mom, thought Buffy. Joyce hadn’t yet accepted her daughter was something tainted and otherworldly. Logically, to her, Buffy was just her daughter. The Slayer was afraid the blinds would never truly come off her eyes.

 

“Someday—now tell me all about your life—you look like you dropped at least ten pounds.” Once again heading a conversation out of the fire, Buffy reached for a change of heart that she knew would never come.

 

“It’s all very dull…except doctors told me I have to get a little procedure done, nothing of importance, but I wish you could be there with me.” Both mother and daughter sized each other up before coming to the point where true honesty was required.

 

“What kind of procedure?” Buffy’s heart sped up on the thought of mortality and specially of her future life without her mother.

 

“Just minor surgery, they say I have a very small brain tumor—benign of course—but they would like to get it out.” Buffy’s heart skipped a beat and the bile rose in her throat to remind her of her own mortality.

 

“A brain tumor! And you haven’t said a word about this to me?! Mom this is serious! When were you planning on telling me?” Furious and irritated, Buffy smashed her fist against the pillow beside her before roughly grabbing her mother by the shoulders.

 

“Soon! You know I never see you! I was just waiting for the right time…don’t be angry, it’s just for safety!” Buffy let go of her mother because she had started crying and she just couldn’t handle that level of emotionality right then and there.

 

“I’m going to talk to this doctor of yours and then I’m going to find you a better one. If you are sick, we’ll get you help!” After the wave of nausea wore off from her system, Buffy sat down again and clasped her mother hands with her to inspire Joyce some safety. After all, Buffy did have a lot of power through Angelus.

 

“Thank you dear. That’s not necessary. Just be here on the 28th of December. I’ll have the surgery then.” Still locked in denial, Buffy could not accept the idea of her mother having a brain tumor.

 

“Ten days, ten days away and you hadn’t said a thing! Good this is…I have no words to describe this, …I’ll be there, yes, Mom I’ll be there alright. And you better do well, you better.”

 

Joyce had faith in her doctors. She trusted she would live to see a better place, perhaps even a grandchild, or even a new husband. Death was simply not a contemplation in her mind.

 

“Thank you, baby. I knew I could count on you.” Responsibility had reached Buffy’s heart and she had promised herself and her mother she would not let her mother down. No matter what.

 

TROUBLE
By Coldplay

Oh no, I see,
A spider web is tangled up with me,
And I lost my head,
The thought of all the stupid things I said,
Oh no what’s this?
A spider web, and I’m caught in the middle,
So I turned to run,
The thought of all the stupid things I’ve done,

I never meant to cause you trouble,
And I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.

Oh no I see,
A spider web and it’s me in the middle,
So I twist and turn,
Here I am in my little bubble,

Singing, I never meant to cause you trouble,
I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.

They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me.

 

 

 

Part Thirteen

Twin Flames

 
Warning: * SPOILER ALERT: major character death, dark fic and general NC17 violence *

 

Part III

The Rage

 

February 16th Los Angeles, CA

 

“Where the hell are they?”

 

He was running.

 

Not walking fast, not passing by, plainly running to get to the dungeons of W&H. His eyes were red—not yellow—and just to ease the job of torture, he had already removed his jacket and tie and even unbuttoned his cuffs—all this while he was still running.

 

Theoretically, he was all set to get busy with Harmony and Riley.

 

“Room 4, Master,” whispered the witch. Willow hadn’t dared to even talk loudly to him. He was very irritated and he could lash out on all of them.

 

“Get me throngs, scalpel, spoons…and the ball and chain.” Willow could tell he was going to go ‘medieval/psycho medical’ on them.

She would’ve loved to help—if he would have let her.

 

“Yes, Master, and…we have Faith in the Medical area, in case you wanted to know where she is.” Angelus looked around before answering. Then he took Willow by the neck and smashed her against a wall simultaneously sinking his fangs into her neck and sucking her quickly.

 

His actions had been completely unexpected.

 

And almost too swift to register.

 

“How is she?” Willow found a faint pleasure on it, but it had been a rapid drain, done only to replenish his own body rather than a sire bite.

 

“She has… a broken neck and they say… she will never awake from the coma.” Willow was stammering and Angelus saw it and leaned into her earlobe and whispered.

 

“Who’s ‘they’, Will?”

 

Willow cringed a bit at the unstable Elder that was whispering into her ear with her blood still spilling from his chin, but still managed to answer him.

 

“Winifred Burke and her assistants …they are the ones treating the other slayer.” Angelus sniffed Willow up and down her arms and intentionally paused to settle his nose right in the last place where Buffy had last touched her best friend.

 

Gripping that arm with killer might into his fist a second later.

 

Willow stood motionless until he looked down at her with predator threat written all over his face.

 

She shivered and…

 

He smiled wickedly and then sank his entire set of teeth into her forearm ripping the piece out in a single bite. In an all too very Mike Tyson gesture of rage.

 

And then he just spat it aside.

 

“We’ll talk to her later” Willow didn’t have time to react, a few seconds after her whole arm stung and the blood was flowing unto the white carpet beneath her heels. Through the gash she could see the bone and the tendons swelling into mindless pain.

 

“Sire, please stop…” Willow whispered brokenly as Angelus gripped her arm again.

 

“SHUSH, Will. The cuckoo is standing by cradle and… he wants to make it rock. Would you like to fall with the cradle too?” He let go of her roughly and walked into room number 4. The Witch thanked God very silently that she hadn’t had anything to do with Buffy’s disappearance as she crutched her sore arm to her chest.

 

“WELL. WELL. WELL. Look what we have here…a brainless slut and a GI Joe. Whom should I hurt first…Hmm, I think I’m feeling Musical…Will, hand me the throngs.” Angelus leaned closer to Harmony and sniffed her around. She had been hanged with manacles to the roof and her body was suspended by her wrists.

 

“Sire, I swear to you I don’t know where she went! I had nothing to do with this. Faith just told me to be stupid!” And that came naturally to Harmony. But that simply didn’t concern Angelus anymore. He was out for the fun of the kill.

 

“You are removing all the fun, Harm. Anyway, I had to discipline you someday, and this day seems as good as any.” Angelus started by ripping Harmony’s shirt of her body, followed closely by her pants, leaving her in her underwear. As he swung the ball and chain experimentally against the wall behind her, the spikes incrusted in the iron ball had left marks in the stucco wall and the vampire seemed pleased of it.

 

Harmony shivered at the thought of those Spikes slashing her ivory skin. “Please don’t, I will never say anything to her again! I swear it!” pleaded Harmony before Angelus could start lashing out.

 

“Don’t beg, Harm. It’s really pathetic. Now be a good girl and cry for the Scourage.”

 

Harmony cringed and moaned as Angelus struck her in the back with the ball and chain until her smashed shoulder blades showed through the torn skin, alongside the blood and the gashes of hanging tissue.

 

“I really don’t know where she is! Please stop!”

 

But he didn’t stop. He just did not believe her.

 

She had to know something.

 

And he had to find her.

 

He did it several times until he was satisfied with the design imprinted unto her skin. But Harmony had continued nagging and saying the same thing over and over again… and he was getting bored of it.

 

“That’s right, Harm. You probably don’t really know where she is, and I’m bored. Willow, get back here! I’m tired of this bitch and her whining!” He cut out her tongue to fix the problem.

 

Harmony actually did not know where Faith was, because nobody did.

 

“And also because you have been such a bad puppy we’ll do you a fix up. Say ‘AAAHHH’!” He placed his hands down her throat and to the side so he could easily keep it open while he removed each of Harmony’s teeth with Willow’s assistance.

 

“You are becoming incoherent, Harm. You should save those babbles for later. You still got pokers and cigarettes coming, Spike does them greatly, doesn’t he Red?” Willow nodded and continued defanguing Harmony.

 

45 minutes later…

 

“She’s completely toothless, Sire.”

 

Angelus paused to inspect their work and when he was satisfied he handed Willow the lash and ushered her into delivering punishment. “A dozen would do. Break her kneecaps after that. That would be enough for Miss Cacophony there. Lets hope she has learned her lesson.”

 

As the witch got busy with her work, Angelus had taken the scalpel and come menacingly close to Riley’s face.

 

The first sound of the whip against the blonde’s flesh had awakened Riley to a terrifying reality.

 

And he was internally afraid for his own luck, but he had promised himself he’d be strong for Faith. He thought she would come to save him…eventually, because she really loved him.

 

At least that’s what he thought.

 

“I’ll give one chance to tell me where Buffy is and then I’ll kill you quickly. If you don’t spill… well, let’s just say you don’t want to know about that. So where is my wife?” For the previous hours Riley had been hanging like a regular prisoner but Angelus had decided to do a sitting torture with him.

 

“I would never tell you anything freak! You are nothing but a monster and Faith is going to put a stake through your heart very soon!”

 

Angelus decided he wanted to start with the hands, he had always enjoyed the sight of nails piercing white skin.

 

“Fine. Let's get started then, Mr. Finn” Angelus took another chair and sat in front of Riley with a hammer and iron nails on a side table.

 

He almost looked like a doctor then.

 

“Left or right Mr. Finn?” Riley did not answer so Angelus decided to start with the left.

 

The hand of the heart and the emotions.

 

As the iron piece broke the thin phalange connected to the middle finger Riley screamed. The nail went right through his hand and into the wood, effectively immobilizing the entire hand. As the second, much thicker, nail went through the wrist, he actually cursed the vampire. This time the blood was flowing like a steady rivulet unto the ground.

 

But when the hammer smashed deliberately and repeatedly against all the fingers he cried, not like a man, but like a wounded animal, repeatedly asking him to stop.

 

“Bummer. I thought I could make you last a bit longer without crying. Tsk, tsk. It’s not very manly to cry, Mr. Finn. I suppose you just don’t need to have these.” The vampire gripped the man’s testicules with his hand and squeezed until they felt squashed, almost burst thoroughly.

 

“Stop!” Riley was ready to talk then.

 

But Angelus wasn’t ready to bulge.

 

“But I’m having so much fun!” Angelus took the gardening scissors and proceeded to cut the pants off from the soldier.

 

Riley was more than alarmed then. He was petrified of the metal blade slowly ascending though the cargo pants up his legs…towards his balls.

 

“I think you really shouldn’t reproduce, Mister Finn, so let’s make sure you don’t…” The vampire arrived at the underwear and ripped it off, leaving Riley naked below the waist.

 

With the other hand, Riley tried to break free and save his body but Angelus was quicker.

 

“I really don’t know where she is!”

 

But Angelus would not believe him.

 

And then Riley knew pain, in a brand new form. The throbbing of his genitals so bad as to make him wish his heart would stop even if just for a second.

 

“There you go. Now you won’t worry about any pesky offspring. Nice ah?” Riley shuddered as his balls disappeared into a bowl. He was then in such pain that he had lost speech, the blood was seeping slowly but he felt it soaking the chair he was sitting in. Riley decided he wanted to speak the truth then.

 

“OH! You want to say a few words, let’s hear it, Buffy is…”

 

As Riley said nothing Angelus proceeded to his next torture, …nail removing.

 

“She said she…hated you and …that she was going to be free from this”

 

Angelus smirked and grabbed a small rounded knife.

 

“Of course she did. Now I noticed your hands look rather feminine. I suggest removing the nails, what do you think?”

 

He screamed and protested but Angelus slowly cut of the small nails until only the pink swollen skin underneath the nail remained.

 

“And finally this little piggy is going to …TELL ME WHERE THE HELL DID YOU PUT MY WIFE?! AND WHY CAN’T I TALK TO HER?!”

 

Riley was now sweating and panting, barely awake, the pain so intense he thought he would push the knife though his own neck and be done with it, if Angelus would have let him.

 

Problem was he really didn’t know where Faith had gone. It was a secret even to him, a secret that he was sure would cost him his life very soon.

 

3 hours later…

 

“I don’t know where Faith Went! I swear.”

 

Angelus was stunned, Riley had endured a great deal, and he was finally opening but… he was truly irrational by then.

 

“I know where Faith is Finn. I wanna know where is Buffy? Christ, is that too difficult to understand?!” Angelus pushed the pokers as deep into the bone as he could and still Riley kept saying the same.

 

“Find Faith and …you’ll find her.”

 

Angelus lost his patience and smashed his fist into Riley’s face breaking his nose in yet another spot.

 

“Tell me where she is, you goddamn idiot! I don’t want to kill you… I ONLY WANT TO KNOW WHERE SHE IS!” and Riley said another pointless thing about Faith and finally Angelus stopped.

 

He would simply listen to him no more.

 

“Then die!” Angelus covered his body with gasoline and set him on fire.

 

Clearly another outburst of his rage.

 

He repeated the process with Harmony and that also ended in fire.

 

Towards the end of the day he left the dungeons and went upstairs to his office, his cellphone had been beeping all day long without his knowledge.

 

+++

 

“Who was that?” Willow had been the only one brave enough to remain with the master after he had clearly lost his mind.

 

“Giles. He wanted to tell us Faith had gone rogue and killed Wesley. She even tried to kill him, but she couldn’t. He said he was still in the hospital.” Angelus knew Faith had lost her reason long before that, but he still felt no need to talk to her about Buffy’s whereabouts.

 

“And what about Adam?” Angelus removed his stained clothes and changed into a clean ones before returning.

 

“They need you to go there. Something about a spell strong enough to kill radioactivity” Willow frowned but she knew Spike would be expecting her soon, and so would Oz. He had stayed in Sunnydale to help them get rid of the Initiative.

 

She missed him desperately. In the midst of the tragedy, love seemed a most strong force in the lacking.

 

“What about Buffy? We need to find her.”

 

Angelus sighed and walked over to the desk where his mate usually worked at.

 

“I think she is either very ill, unconscious or …dead. It’s been hours since she broke the link and all I can feel is a sensation of dread, like…emptiness. I can’t find her Will, and it’s tearing me apart.” He fingered the pen she had used that day and the last report she had been working on was still in the desk.

 

“We’ll find her. I swear we will. Whould I go to Sunnydale now?”

 

He nodded and walked out of the room behind her. It was very obvious to Willow how upset Angelus really was.

 

At the other side of the hall was the conference room. Now that it was nighttime he could walk in without being burned.

 

“Remind me to get this fixed soon.” And then a terribly alarming thought occurred to him.

 

Buffy, the last thought she had had. This place, she had been watching as Willow tried to kill her, and then how she had thrown herself into the thin air.

 

And the fall, the endless fall, and then just the darkness.

 

Those memories had to be Faith’s.

 

And that gave him a clue.

 

“Did Faith fall through that window?” Willow nodded and suddenly what Riley had said of finding Buffy through Faith made a lot of sense.

 

“Willow, Is it possible to exchange bodies with somebody?” Willow looked at him strangely before answering.

 

“Yes, through a spell. They use a Cautra and that swifts the souls, kinda like that movie called Freaky Friday…it’s easily reversed—if you have a cautra—why?” Angelus walked to the window again and concentrated on the last acts Buffy had done—so not like herself—and it just clicked. Faith had exchanged bodies with Buffy. Which meant Faith was walking around with his unborn child inside her and Buffy was lying in the medical area with a broken neck and serious coma.

 

“I need to talk to Faith.” ‘Dire’ had a whole new meaning for Angelus again.

 

“That would be kind of difficult, Sire. She is still unconscious.” And he was running again. If Faith died Buffy would never get her body back again, and he would lose her…and their baby.

 

“Just take me there Will”

 

+++

 

Sometimes people have moments that seem unreal.

 

Sometimes they wonder if they are dreaming.

 

Because surely reality could not be as they were seeing it.

 

Sometimes we come across something we just can’t explain or even process, but we learn to cope… and abide.

 

Because we just have to live the lives as we are meant.

 

No matter how strange they are.

 

Angelus was having one of those days.

 

“She is awakening now.” The woman in the bed was not his beloved, and yet when she opened her eyes he saw exactly what she was seeing, felt exactly was she was feeling, knew exactly what she had lived before.

 

In other words, the women in the bed was his mate.

 

“Mo croí.” My love, said the girl through dry parched lips, her eyes a curious brown hidden in the cuts and bruises that marked her skin, but the look in them was one that was purely Buffy’s.

 

And she moaned. Her body was suffering and her soul was nearly dead. She just couldn’t believe what was going on inside her.

“Shush. It will be alright, Faith. Just tell us where Buffy is.”

 

Buffy looked at Willow and then at Angelus. She hadn’t been dreaming. She really was in Faith’s body!

 

“I’m not who you think I am.” Angelus brushed a stray lock of hair out of Faith’s forehead and she leaned into his hand, kissing it as it passed by her lips.

 

A gesture so poignantly Buffy’s that even Willow noticed the all silent Angelus and the weird soundless exchange among the vampire and the slayer.

 

I’m so sorry Sire, I should’ve known she meant trouble…

 

Don’t blame this on yourself Buffy. It wasn’t your fault. She killed Wesley and she would have killed you too…

 

What about our baby. She knows about it and she could try to get rid of it.

 

We’ll find her, love. You just have to stay alive…

 

I want to die, I can’t live like this…

 

Don’t give up on me, Buffy. We have too much to live for, don’t you dare!

 

It’s so hard to breathe…

 

“Willow, I need you to do two things for me. One is a cautra, to revert the soul swift between Buffy and Faith, and the other is a spell to find the way to kill Adam. Both of them as soon as you can.” Willow and Fred gasped before Faith’s body started to collapse again.

 

“She is having another crisis. We need to stop the internal bleeding. I need your permission to perform major surgery.” Angelus shrugged and looked at Fred in the eye before speaking.

 

“I need you to keep this body alive no matter what, you understand that?” Fred nodded and then she pushed him out of the way and started performing resuscitation. She was now determined to save the girl no matter what.

 

+++

 

“Sire, Lorne just called.”

 

“What did he said?”

 

“He left you a message.”

 

“What does it say?” “ ’She is in Japan’ just that, and he also said it was very important to tell you that as soon as possible.”

 

“Great, Thanks, Cordy. Tell Doyle to ready the Jet to go to Japan.”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

DROPS OF JUPITER

By Train

Now that she’s back in the atmosphere
With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that there’s time to change, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there

Now that she’s back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey
She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that there’s time to grow, hey, hey

Now that she’s back in the atmosphere
I’m afraid that she might think of me as plain ol’ Jane
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the milky way
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you’re wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone
Conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back toward the milky way

An tell me, did you fall from a shooting star?

One without a permanent scar

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there…

 

 

Part Fourteen

Butterfly Effect

 

(Back to 1^st person narrative)

February 17^th LA/Japan/LA

 

“How are you feeling?”  it was just a question. But it drilled itself into my brain.

 

How am I feeling? Tired that’s for sure. Weak? That’s maybe just the pain medication working to lessen my suffering.

 

Violated?

 

Out of place?

 

…Brunette even?

 

“I’m ok” not that I really was <ok>. But being able to talk about it was a start. After all, you don’t expect to live when you fall from a rooftop.

 

“It’s all very quiet outside, even though, there’s like a thousand employees trying to eavesdrop—I can hear them—buzzing like bees. Are you really ok? You look damn pale—or maybe it just Faith’s skin tone?” I nodded. Without the use of a mirror I was virtually blind to the sight of my own face— speaking presently—but that wasn’t the problem plaguing me.

 

It was the lack of motion that disturbed me the most. I couldn’t feel a thing beyond the hole in my throat that was helping me breath. And I thought Faith would have been dully chastised by this small punishment. A handicap slayer was a dream come true for a vampire—and mine too—if I hadn’t been inside her body to witness it firsthand.

 

“I’m sorry, Will. I don’t know how it slipped my mind for so long, but I was meant to say this: I’m sorry for…everything that happened to you” I shrugged a bit and pouted my lower lip, as I did when I had made a mistake and knew about it. Only, it wasn’t my lower lip, but Faith’s.

 

“What are you talking about? What are you sorry for?” the huge bite on her arm for starters. But for everything else also, her kidnap, her abuse, her death and most of all her conversion.

 

“I’m sorry, for taking you and Oz and Giles and Jenny and even little Logan into this world. I’m so sorry for the things you’ve gone through. I wish I could make it all go away, …but I can’t” which made me even more sorry.

 

“You fell from a rooftop, you are just not thinking clearly” but I was, it was the whole <I had a near death experience> that made me talk to her of things buried so long ago in the past.

 

“Listen, …you were never meant to be a vampiress, or anything like it. You were meant to live in Sunnydale, graduate from high school, fall in love, get married, have children and pass away ninety years old with all your grandchildren around your bed” she snorted and walked away towards the window, the moon was shining through the glass like a familiar white round face witnessing my confessions.

 

She could have almost fooled me, acting like she didn’t care about the things I was talking about, but I knew better. I knew somewhere in that cold heart emotion was lurking. The so called <regret> maybe, or even the <wondering> of how things would have been in her life in other circumstances—namely if she hadn’t met me.

 

“You are wrong, I was meant to be here, I know it. Ever since you and I became friends, I knew you would lead me to a new world, it was because of you that I found out I was witch, and it was because of your power that I lived as long as I did” it was, but I was still sorry. I would have wanted so much more that this for her, I would have wanted the world for Willow Rosenberg, and then some.

 

“But you had to sacrifice so much, your friends, your family,… your studies, sunshine and a million other things you hadn’t had the chance to live by then!” I knew of this feelings because I had had them myself.

 

“But look what I gained in return. I count myself pretty damn lucky, Buffy. I have Oz, I have Spike—sometimes I wish I didn’t—I have the support of W&H, I have money and most importantly…I have you…you’ve given me something nobody else could offer. Buffy, this is the world! Can’t you see of all the things I have now! I could have never done it without you” I sighed and it became painful to do so, my neck was cramping again and the dryness of my mouth was unbearable.

 

“Long time ago, when It was just me and Angelus, I wondered if I would ever have friends again. And I was sad …and bit lonely too, because of it, so Angelus decided it was time to convert me, coincidentally one of his minions took you from Sunnydale—because you were fit for a first meal—and  he made a choice…a bad one of course, but when I rose, It was too late to fix it. You know now how reckless Spike is, and he just…took you without permission” tears had began to slide softly from the corner of my eyes, I was remembering how I had come to find my best friend sucking Spike’s neck, looking at me just like any other vampire.

 

“Don’t talk about that, it’s gone, it’s in the past” but it wasn’t. Willow had been my best friend and in the midst of my own newborn confusion I’d had to fight the instinct to put a stake through her heart.

 

 I knew Angelus had taken her, but I was willing to put up with that—if she had survived and return to the life I had imagined for her—but she hadn’t. She had turned evil, like I had. And as silly as my dreaming of us being best friends forever was, I still clung to the hope of remaining as the girls we had been just hours ago.

 

I realize then, that illusions were built as easily as they fell.

 

As easy as I’ve been.

 

“NO, Will! I betrayed you! I let you become the thing I was suppose to kill…just for my own selfishness. I didn’t want to loose you! And I wind up hurting you so badly for that! Don’t you see how stupid I was?” I was crying by then. I felt I had to amend everything I had done wrong, in case Faith was never found out and I died in this damaged body—as it seem I was meant to do.

 

“Calm down. It’s all going to be alright. You didn’t betray me, you did what was meant to be done, and I’m fine with the results. Stop this bullshit, you know I can’t stand it when you go all mushy” that was Spike speaking through her, so clearly I could almost smell the smoke of cigars lingering in the leather coat.

 

“Are you not mad at me then?” Willow laughed and placed her hands either side of my head before kissing me in the forehead.

 

“Of course not! I love being a vampiress, and if I recall it correctly so did you… This life is awesome, Buffy, and sure, it has it’s downsides—like everything else—but it’s great! You just have to close your eyes and sleep for a while, you are coming out rather crazy right now” I did as she told me and the slumber started to grip me slowly but steadily.

 

“Wait Will, what about Faith?” I expected her to tell me she could kill her or at least torture her for what she had done—that is, if her body actually lived through the ordeal—to torture afterwards.

 

“Don’t worry about her, Angelus is going to get her and bring her here, you’ll swift back and I will unplug the vent my—damn—self. Happy?” she had always hated Faith, from day one to the last.

 

If only I’ve paid more attention to her before.

 

Coming to remember the past too, I could see how angry she had been when we had decided to cut Faith some slack, after all, she had betrayed the mayor and worked to prevent the world coming to an end, which was our major gold. To us, it had seemed like she was actually reforming—little did we know about her machinations then.

 

“I do worry, and I hope you can see she has been the enemy all along, I made a mistake when I decided not to discipline her…and now I’m paying for it” I should have let Angelus kill her as he wanted to. I would have still been in my body now…and she would have been 6 feet under, well buried and safely away.

 

One too many of those woulds was corrupting my sleep at the moment.

 

Would I make it through this? Asked my conscience.

 

I myself had doubts, but Faith still clang to me…literally.

 

“You went soft, it’s common to show mercy with the weak. It’s the one thing Spike told me, that I believe it’s right <if your enemy is weak, crush it with all your might. If you let it go by, he would grow stronger and crush you instead> it’s the law of the jungle Buffy, survival is for fittest and now you have to grow stronger that Faith …and kill her” I knew what she meant, I understood the logic behind it. And I was ready, if I could unplugged the vent myself, I would willing do so, no remorse, or small voice of conscience evident there.

 

It was just plain old revenge.

 

Cold hearted and wicked vengeance.

 

But a damn effective method of solving it, for once and for all.

 

“I’m going to sleep now, be a good girl and go now, Willow, go eat something, you look hungry,…my friend” Willow turned off the light and whispered something to Fred—my doctor—to watch over me, and then just left.

 

I lay there partially awake for a few minutes, pondering the idea of Faith’s heart going still in the monitor, the sound of the flat <eeeeeeeeeeee> of the fibrillation of her pulse was on my mind, softly I heard Angelus whisper endearments and sweet  Gaelic words into my head and promptly fell asleep on the sedating sound of his inner voice, the imagination of death stronger than anything else.

 

Down into that slumber some images began to show. Images of torture and Death…with my mate in then. At the moment I had imagined them a nightmare, but in time they would probe themselves too real to imagine…or to forget.

 

I had been aware that he was hiding something, but I couldn’t imagine he had done something so abhorrent …as that.

 

The stench of rotten, burned and stale flesh so bad as to imprint itself into  my mind, even though …I had actually never smelled it before.

 

+++

 

“Says Lorne she looks different now, like a geisha” That’s alright, thought Angelus, he knew how Geishas looked like.

 

“Fetch me Dru, I have a little assignment for her” she came promptly as always, the grin so wide as to swift her demonic face into an angelical one.

 

“What can I do for Daddy?” he took her hand and led her straight into the hut.

 

Among the geishas was one with a beautiful kimono made of silk.

 

The fabric resembled a garden just before the sunset, the flowers were of a multitude of blues and lilacs and at the hem sat a magnificent swan with it’s silver wings spread in imminent flight.

 

He thought the color and form of it did not fit her too well.

 

Specially because Faith had turned Buffy…into a Red hair.

 

“Fetch me the girl in the blue Kimono. And be careful Dru, I don’t want her hurt at all” Faith was busy talking to another geisha and she hadn’t noticed the slow creeping of vampires into the hut.

 

Soon they would be all over her, like a mantle.

 

“What do you want?” Drusilla sat right in front of the red haired and looked at her directly into the eyes.

 

“Look into my eyes” he saw Buffy’s body from another perspective then. Faith had altered it considerably, the hair, the makeup, the outfit, and there was even a piercing showing though the clothes that seemed to be placed at her navel.

 

Too bloody much. He thought.

 

“Stop, please” she moved slowly sideways, staggering into the spell. Finally she fell sleep and Angelus and his minions kicked in.

 

Close to her body, he could hear the soft thrumming of the hearts.

 

Like bat’s wings flapping against each other very quickly through the air.

 

There was also the stead staccato of Buffy’s own heart, safe and sound as houses.

 

My wife has a lion’s heart, he thought.

 

“Thanks Dru, now lets go home, it’s been a really long day” he carried the body in his arms as they walked towards the jet.

 

It seemed healthy enough, …but it reeked.

 

Faith had slept with another man not too long ago—unprotected—she had also drank sake and ate sushi, or so it seemed like that by her breath.

 

 That was three no-no’s in her list.

 

Now Angelus would have to detoxify the body and pray it had no effects on the baby.

 

Damn you, Faith, thought Angelus over and over again.

 

“Call Fred and tell her we are coming back now. Tell her to have the equipment ready” said Angelus to Doyle. He was still making an update to the senior partners. They had been very worried of the situation and wanted reports of the outcome.

 

“Sure, It’s Faith’s body doing well?” Angelus knew better than any of them what was going on with it.

 

“It’s resting, but it’s not well. The neck is broken and there’s too much internal damage, she’s not gonna make it through—thank God!—we’ll just have to unplug her and she’ll go off like a candle in the wind. Peace of cake—hurry up now! I’d like to get home before sunrise—and remember me to give an extremely big bonus to Lorne, that demon has serious powers!” Doyle nodded and Angelus turned Buffy’s body into Oz’s hands, he placed her in the chair next to him and Angelus watched her like a hawk through the rest of the trip.

 

“Be careful with the head, Oz” Willow had been deathly specific about holding him responsible for the body’s safe arrival. Since she couldn’t go herself as she had promised Buffy, she had sent her mate to do her part. And he better do it well, or else he would never hear the end of it.

 

“Of course” But Oz was very responsible, and he would do it well…or die doing it.

 

+++

 

Safely, they had arrived just after the sunrise of the 18^th of February, a day Angelus thought he wasn’t likely to forget…ever.

 

“Finally! Here’s the cautra. Take her hand in yours and…just wait” Willow held both hands together and sure enough a piercing light overtook the room and the swift happened again.

 

“I’m gonna faint!” Buffy had very little time to recover and of course Angelus had been there to catch her as she fell.

 

“Gotcha!” the room and all its inhabitant breathed a collective sigh.

 

Finally, the order was returning in W&H.

 

“Thank you!… I’d like to throw up now” he barely had time to turn her head to his back before the sick sound of retching reached his hears.

 

“Now, now, darling, let it all out” she didn’t need much encouragement then, she was well on her way to throw up her guts a few minutes after.

 

He padded her back softly after she finished and she lay limp and weak in his arms, like a rag doll empty of all her stuffing… but still alive, and he was thankful for that.

 

She fingered a stray lock of  coppery red hair out of her face, and up behind her own ear only to find out disconcertedly that is was her hair!

 

“I’m a red hair?!” and slowly she noticed the long sleeves of the kimono and the sticky white makeup all over Angelus dark suit…mingled with barf!

 

“Let’s go. We need a bath. It’s all over now, you’re fine a gradh” said Angelus, he walked slowly to their bedroom as she clang to him barnacle-like.

 

“I’m me again!” The overwhelming feeling of being on her own body was impressive and she slowly started to cry her eyes out…from the sheer happiness of being whole again. It didn’t matter that a monster was holding her, she has happy to  be in her own body again.

 

“Yes you are, my very own Buffy, in soul …and flesh” Neither one of them were paying much attention to the million bystanders looking with mouths hanging agape and glossy eyes filled with tears.

 

It was the end of soup opera.

 

And a very teary one for that matter.

 

“I hope they live happily ever after” said Cordy completely free of sarcasm. She thought they would hardly survive another crisis like that in a lifetime, she hoped if it did at least it wouldn’t  happen during hers.

 

“Back to work, all you lazy people!” Said Angelus as they walked through the crowd and into their rightful place, huge smiles spreading though them, like a contagious disease.

 

+++

 

The faint taste of sake was in her mouth even hours after she had thrown up all of it out of her system. Willow had had the pleasure of disconnecting Faith’s Body.

 

It had flatted shortly after and she had died easily.

 

Buffy supposed she deserved a small amount of pity—but a very small one.

 

On consensual decision she had been cremated and her ashes sent to the council with a warning note <take better heed of your slayers!> it said, and Giles had sent it with a long file full of Faith’s misgivings and failures.

 

They all hoped it would have a hearting effect on the bastards!

 

The next day Fred performed all the tests she thought were pertinent on Buffy and she came out well in every one.

 

She was fine and <the babies> were fine also.

 

When viewed with a sonogram they had discovered 2 hearts beating in Buffy’s womb.

 

Twins!

 

Buffy was expecting two babies!

 

And they were both well!

 

That started gossip running again, people were betting on the sexes and the looks, some said two boys, other said one of each.

 

But the truth was sweeter in irony…they were expecting two girls…the Scourage of Europe was going to have TWO GIRLS!

 

One would say: that should teach him a lesson! Imagine if his daughters turned out half as beautiful as their mother. That would’ve been unbearable.

 

And they would have made him a very dangerous father in law out of him. Poor suitors, imagine the dangers of courting Angelus daughters.

 

It skips the charts of probability.

 

It was simple suicide.

 

Perhaps he would have never let them out of his sight as long as he lived…which seemed to be a very long time by the looks of the race.

 

And still,…

 

In the bottom line sat another, much bigger, meaningful concern.

 

One that had nothing to do with the future of his offspring…but with his mate herself.

 

Buffy hated him.

 

Buffy loathed him.

 

Buffy would cring at the thought of his hands touching her.

 

What could he do then?

 

How could he endure eternity…without his mate?

 

And that, my friends, was his major concern.

 

+++

 

Plot Note: Willow called the power of the first Slayer on herself to defeat Adam and she managed well on her own. Neither Buffy nor Angelus had to intervene.(just in case you were wondering what happened with that)

 

4 MONTHS AFTER (Buffy’s beginning her third trimester)

 

It wasn’t easy.

 

At least not as easy as people say being pregnant is.

 

I craved weird stuff.

 

I had to pee all the time.

 

I was slow and lazy.

 

I was as big as a house.

 

I was constipated and irritated intermittently and most of all …I hated sex.

 

I wanted nothing to do with him.

 

My very own mate.

 

And that was devastating…for the both of us.

 

I was horny, alright, but I wanted his penis nowhere near my babies. Crazy, Don’t you think?

 

 Somehow I had convinced myself they were all mine, sure: I carried them, eat for them, breath for them and felt them wriggling inside me all the time. So, they were all mine.

 

Al least on principle.

 

But, as stubborn as I was becoming—they do say pregnant women are unreasonable—I realize they were also his.

 

And I was still his mate.

 

Thus, I was torn between there two choices: 1) to ignore my squirming companions or, 2) to ignore my screaming mate. The last one being the most unreasonably stubborn, manipulative and loud!

 

Finally and not easily we came to a truce. He would be careful, and I would be understanding.

 

I had my doubts about the first and frank disbelief on the second.

 

I wasn’t yet willing to understand—or to trust—in a monster.

 

But, …

 

All that, was notwithstanding at this present situation I was in.

 

You will know I sent Faith’s ashes to the council, …with a warning note.

 

And of course shortly after another slayer was called—no surprise there.

 

But, what it is a rather humongous surprise is the girl standing in front of me.

 

She had a card.

 

She had gone to Lorne’s establishment to have a future reading, and he had sent her to us.

 

Why you’ll be wondering.

 

Well, the answer is simple: <She is  the new slayer>

 

I had problems finding a reason why the council would want to send us the newest slayer.

 

But I had been right outraged to find the council hadn’t sent her, in fact, she didn’t know who or what the council was.

 

By then I had called Giles and Lorne, and gathered on their combined versions that the girl had been called, but was expected to die soon.

 

I still didn’t see why she had to be here. We were all going to die one day and <soon> was relatively vague for prophecies.

 

Except, she had nowhere else to go.

 

No family, no friends, no fucking council or watcher and of course no home. Undoubtedly, I took pity on her and asked her to stay for awhile. Until I could find her a proper instructor.

 

But then again I was the only other slayer alive.

 

So, here I was. Plagued with all the symptoms mentioned above, tired and rather hungry, but managing the basic training of a vampire slayer.

 

She was young—as we all had been once—small, as I had been once. And generally speaking, good. A natural born fighter as most had called her for her abilities.

 

“Keep up Texas, you are doing fine” that was her name, Claudia Sanchez, from Armadillo, Texas, born May the first, recently turned 16 years old, brunette, 5’2” tall, slightly build with dark brown eyes and a nice homely looking face.

 

“You’all have to train so much?” I nodded, of course we had too. We were slayers, we had to be strong and resistant, and practice was the only thing that made the master.

 

“Do it well and we’ll pass to the fencing” Giles would be doing that.

 

Janna had returned home in late march but was otherwise too strongly engaged with their son—no to mention rather weary of vampires—to come. So he made regular trips—it was just a 2 hours ride—and helped me with the training.

 

We had decided we wouldn’t give up on her.

 

Of course having her train here was very unusual—not to say damn crazy—but it gave her an edge. She was getting to know vampires and they were getting to know her.

 

Many would argue that another slayer wasn’t necessary. But no matter how many they killed, more would show up.

 

So, they had accepted a slayer that appeared to hold no treat to them—for now, and as long as she was truly harmless for them.

 

“Now, now, I’ve had enough of this, go to Giles now” I left her alone and she went quickly to the other room, the one with the swords. She loved the swords—that was as clear an indicative of her nature as any other thing—swords, stakes, bullets, arrows…penises. All pointy and manly. How easy it was to see the maleness of our world.

 

Would you not agree with me?

 

Now, with Texas on her way, I could return to my office.

 

+++

 

Now that I was alone again I managed to return to my office without incident and take a good look at Giles last work. It had been sitting there for a long time, calling silently to me.

 

It was the final peace of translation of the Aurelia’s manuscript. It hadn’t seem terribly interesting, but I was bored and that was the last errand to run for the day, so I decided to read it, after all, I did have more than a few minutes to spare.

 

Lets read it together then.

 

“Love is the only way to find peace.

 

Seeing them as victims made me a monster, so, I started seeing them as precious gifts, dots that formed the circle of immortality I was a part of.

 

 I realize each time I killed one them I chopped that circle, not knowing that karma will come back to me a thousand fold.

 

Each time I respected them and loved them I received more, I felt more,  their love filled my void, my absences were replaced with care and compassion, and eventually I found them my friends and they protected me, they saved me from those of my kind who could not understand the larger view of things.

 

Many times, but not this one. But they said I was crazy, that I had lost my mind…and they dusted me

 

This is the wisdom I tried to impart to them then, before I went away.

 

This are the last words ever written by Aurelia:

 

<love is the answer beloved ones, love for life and death and all in between and beyond. Caring, compassion and forgiveness, it’s what makes it all worth. Love is the hidden strength. Love is the core of the soul>

 

PD: Where would I be if I had no soul? ”

 

I didn’t know the answer to that question. But I knew deep in my flesh how much of a difference Love truly made.

 

I felt it a thousand times each day.

 

So, Love was the answer.

 

John Lennon and mother Theresa would have been so happy to hear that.

 

Love turned the vampires into caring creatures, Love made them see beyond and it was that universal emotion that would finally save them of complete self-destruction.

 

Love, huh. Who could have guessed it?

 

Not me, that was for sure.

 

If a vampire could truly know Love, he/she would be saved.

 

But who in their right mind would want to love a vampire?

 

A lunatic, most assuredly.

 

Who could want to be the other half of a creature of the night?

 

A glutton for punishment.

 

Who could want to risk their lives to safe a demon’s conscience?

 

Someone without fear.

 

Who could want to be …taken by the night?

 

The End

 

{Note to readers: this is isn’t the end, but it’s kind of a turning point, I’m waiting to hear what you have thought about it so far… eagerly waiting… sitting on pine needles… HAVE MERCY! … JUST. PLEASE. SEND. ME. FEEDBACK. NOW! I won’t bite …or at  least not too hard J}

 

 

 

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