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Buffy picked up her gym bag and began tossing weapons to
her friends as the
tiny demons began their attack. "Be careful , guys. " She
called out. "These demons are
small but they're nasty."
The first wave of the miniature attackers hit them. Buffy
speared some with
stakes while she kicked others. Spike was also kicking
them but he occasionally bit one.
Xander was the most ferocious. He was smacking them with a
bowling ball and
shouting something that no one fully understood. "Ruined
my seventh-grade party! I
was supposed to kiss Becky Furlow!"
Willow was blinding them with bursts of light while Anya
smooshed them with
a bowling ball. As for Angelus. . . Angelus was furious.
When he hadn't been chipped,
he'd been almost invincible. The bowling pin demons
wouldn't have even dared to
attack him. Now, he was standing on top of the counter,
scowling at one who was
scaling it. Knowing he was risking pain, he pulled off his
ugly bowling shoe and
smacked it in the head. Nothing. Nada. No pain. Then why
wasn't he able to hit Spike?
Maybe Spike wasn't completely a demon anymore. He smirked.
Blondie must have gone
soft.
Angelus grinned. He was able to kill demons. Watch out
,
Dark World -- here
comes Angelus.
Buffy looked over at him and said sharply. "Angel, what
are you doing up
there? We need your help!"
Angelus rolled his eyes before he removed his other
bowling shoe. He dropped
it on the stomach of the fallen demon who was struggling to
stand. Reaching behind
the counter, he grabbed his expensive shoes and slipped
them on. Sighing in delight as
the leather shoes encased his feet, he jumped down and
squished the demon who was
still attempting to rise. Angelus sauntered over to Buffy
at a leisurely pace, smacking
the occasional tiny attacker as he did so.
He snarled as one climbed up his back. Angelus threw it
off and hissed at all the
diminutive warriors who were standing on the back of some
chairs. T heyy were
preparing an attack. "Listen up, you pathetic little
runts. The name's Angelus. Also
known as the Scourge of Europe. Ring a bell? " The little
creatures shuddered. "I
thought so. Why don't you get your tiny wooden-looking
asses out of my way before I
leave you all in shreds. " He growled as he vamped out to
make a point.
"RETREAT!!!" The bowling pin demon in charge shouted.
They all ran out of
the bowling alley in a frenzy, almost knocking eachother
over in their haste to leave.
Angelus grinned. Everyone in the room had stopped to
stare at him. Buffy's
lower lip quivered. "Angelus?" She whispered. Devil, he
hoped she wasn't going to
start wailing again.
Meanwhile, Willow's mouth was agape. She was both
impressed by the way he
got rid of the demons and appalled by what he had said.
Still feeling full of himself, the
powerful vampire walked over to her. Angelus was tempted
by that rosebud mouth of
hers. He pulled her forward roughly and proceeded to kiss
her, leaving her nearly
breathless. He was tapped on the shoulder and female fist
knocked him out. He
slumped to the floor, blissfully unaware of what was going
on.
*******
"Willow, what the hell were you thinking?" Buffy shouted.
"But-"
"But nothing! Angelus, Willow. It's Angelus!" She
gestured at the still-
unconscious vampire who was chained in Giles' bathtub as if
his name was enough of
an explanation. The Slayer was pacing back and forth.
Spike leaned indolently against
the wall smoking his cigarette , enjoying the Slayer's snit
and the sight of his sire bound
and helpless immensely.
"He's chipped though!" Willow protested. "Like Spike.
A-a-and I was trying to
get a hold of the components for the soul restoration
spell. He was essentially
harmless." Willow offered.
"He was in my house, Wills. He held me while I cried.
Listened to me talk about
how much I miss her." She flinched, she had poured out her
sorrow to her worst
enemy. Angelus must have found it very entertaining.
"I didn't want to worry you, Buffy! You were so
vulnerable after your Mom's
death and with Glory trying to hurt Dawn. . .I- I didn't
want to send you over the
edge."
Buffy turned to her best friend. "I know you thought you
were doing the right
thing. I appreciate the way you were trying to protect me,
only in this case, you should
have told me."
"I'm sorry, Buffy." She held out her arms to the Slayer
and they embraced. She
pulled back to look at Buffy. "All I need to complete the
spell is an Orb of Thessula."
Buffy nodded. This whole ordeal would be over soon. But
she had to ask
Willow one more question. "Spike, can you give us a
minute?"
"Fine, Slayer. No more yellin' at Red, though. She was
doing what she thought
was best." She glared at the vampire as he walked to the
door.
Buffy held Willow by the elbows. "I'm not sure of how to
ask this. . .did, uh, did
he hurt you?"
Willow's brow wrinkled. "He's chipped, he can't bite me-"
"I'm not talking about biting, Wills. " The Slayer gave
her a pointed look.
"OH! No, he didn't. Angelus has some sort of an
obsession with me, that's all.
He never hurt me, though." Willow said carefully. She
didn't want to tell Buffy that
she had found his attentions both flattering and
distressing. Having a crush on a
homicidal maniac was difficult to confess.
In the tub, Angelus stirred. He opened his eyes to
blearily focus on Willow and
Buffy. "Slayer." He acknowledged. Angelus' eyes swung
Willow's way. "Hello, little
one."
"Little one?" Buffy said, not liking his tone or the way
his eyes caressed the
witch. She stepped forward and punched Angelus in the
mouth. "You don't ever
speak to her that way again, understand?"
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "What's a
matter Slayer? Hurt to
see this face looking at someone else with love?"
"Love?" Buffy scoffed. "You're a demon. Demon's can't
love! Why can't you
guys understand that?"
Angelus tilted his head to the side. "What do you know
about demon lovers?"
He smirked at her. "Though, you always did have trouble
understanding your job
description Kill the vampires, Buff, don't sleep with
them." He shook his head in mock
concern. "No wonder Spike always calls you Slutty."
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, yeah? Spike is
in love with me."
"Really? Well, I hope you and Spike are very happy
together." Angelus
smirked, he knew damn well that his childe was falling for
Willow. His Willow.
Buffy gritted her teeth. "I have no interest in Spike.
And you and Willow will
never be together either, it's just wrong. Willow wouldn't
lower herself to be involved
with a filthy demon."
He winked at the young witch. "She knows I'm evil. So
far it hasn't bothered
her. By the way, Buff, she's a much better kisser than
you."
Buffy punched him again. She turned to Willow and hissed.
"You've been
letting him kiss you?"
"Uh, er, well, it sort of happened."
"I know exactly why you didn't curse him, you. . .you. .
.tramp! You want him
for yourself. You always had a thing for Angel, and you're
willing to date a disgusting
demon as long as it lives in Angel's body." The Slayer was
starting to cry as she
stormed out of the room.
Willow was left to stare at the grinning vampire chained
in the tub. "I think that
went well, didn't you?"