Stand By You

E-Mail: midnightann@excite.com

Rating: NC-17... my favorite rating.

Spoilers: none, really. I've placed this series the summer before their senior year (after Becoming one and two), except Buffy didn't leave right away. As for DC, it's all been explained. The song is by the Pretenders.

Disclaimer: Joss and co. own the BTVS universe, Kevin and co. own Pacey. I'll put them back when I'm done. No, I don't have any money to my name, nor do I get any revenue from writing these little ditties.

Notes: Part 4 of the Extended Family Series.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"... seeking someone, killing everything in her path."

Willow froze <Slayer... Not yet! Goddess I need more time> then the inevitable guilt washed over her. This was the plan from the beginning, bring her home, reconcile them and get back on the sidelines. <Why can't I feel good about this? okay? I'll settle for feeling okay. Fuck> Being herself, she quickly thought of the up side. If there was to be a fight, they might make it out alive with her help. Her thoughts quickly turned to those of her love. He'd let several seconds go by, lost in emotion, before he bellowed.

"NO!" <I was sure she was gone for good. No. I can't deal with this now>. The fledgling still licking his boots was kicked away without a second thought. Angel tightened his grip on Willow and through Pacey's body over his shoulder as he had the night before. If he stayed to fight, Buffy would see them and if he left without the pack it would complicate things further if there were survivors.

"Through the tunnels." He growled, ushering the group away.

Just as he turned the door burst open again and as if on cue, the music changed to a fast techno.

"You're not leaving are you? The night is still young. I'm just startin' to feel it."

All eyes turned. This slayer had long brown hair and she looked, well, darker. She was dressed for combat, the only color on her being the red bra straps that peeked out of her tank top. She, like most slayers, was extremely beautiful. One of her arms was tattooed and the other adorned a fresh-looking large cut, both hands wielded stakes. Her chestnut eyes were rimmed red like she hadn't slept in days. When Angel looked into them they flashed something that can only be described as maniacal, like someone who is barely hanging on by a thread.

The vampires spread out and took an attack stance. Angel, on the other hand, was so relieved he laughed.

"What's so funny?" The girl asked, herself preparing for battle.

Angel put Pacey down and let go of Willow who was discreetly getting her hands on the two stakes left on her body. She handed her cross from behind to Pacey, careful not to singe the man still holding her. The boy took it calmly and looked up, time slowing as he took in the sight before his eyes. <Vampires. Real vampires. A whole bunch of *angry* vampires.> He started shaking, trying not to draw attention by dropping his weapons or wetting himself.

Angel took a step forward nonchalantly, looking the girl up and down like the predator he still was.

"So you're Kendra's replacement... nice. Different, but nice."

"What are we girlfriends? I don't usually bother with the heart-to-hearts but I can tell you I'm wicked good at stake-to-heart ." She smiled at him, almost beaming before her face slid back into a concentrated look and she took a step forward.

Angel smiled and vamped out. "Let's do it."

Four vampires surrounded Faith and the weaker lot started for the exit. The slayer was surprised to see Angel take a stake out of his jacket and go after them, but this was not the time to think.

Willow quickly dusted the young fledgling that had cleaned Angel's shoes so eagerly and stepped closer to Pacey, attempting to shield him with her body.

Pacey held his cross out to the three other vampires that were now circling them, hissing loudly and baring their fangs. When they got closer and one of them chuckled the boy's survival instincts took over and he started firing his holy water gun. Willow dodged both fists and teeth as she approached each one and Pacey kept the rest at bay. She had to take a stake with both hands and ram it in with all the strength she could muster to dust them. Pacey kept them withering in pain, while his curious mind stored the different images before him. When Willow was done, and pretty dusty herself, she turned to Pacey to gauge the newbie's reaction and check for injuries.

Angel made fast work of the four weaker vampires he'd caught at the exit and it was over before they could say 'dirt devil'. He almost missed Xander at moments like this, he was the only person who could sympathize with that poor excuse for a line (and probably think up worst), except for maybe Buffy, on a odd day.

Faith had already staked three surprisingly skilled attackers. Before the last one's dust had even settled the women, who had been waiting for the perfect opportunity, came up from behind and held her in a death grip, choking her fiercely and moving to break her neck. Angel practically flew across the room and had her crumpling into a pile before the slayer could defend herself. Faith glared at him, not quite sure what to do. He just smiled <any time>. Faith barely caught her breath before she sensed the approach of another vampire.

Willow screamed as she toppled over from a bruising kick to her back. She lost her hold on both stakes and attempted the sweeping move she'd seen Buffy use so many times. Her attempt was quashed as he caught her leg and dragged her by the foot, her cheek now bleeding from grazing the floor. Angel went mad. He ripped the attacker off her and whirled him around.

"You dare touch her!??"

The vampire was sent crashing against the nearest wall.

"Well, well, well... Diego. So glad to see you. Seems you missed story time. *hit* She's mine. *kick* Didn't you see my mark? *You* of all people! *hit* I thought I taught you better than that *kick*... I should string you up by the balls and beat you unconscious but I know how much you enjoy that..."

He cracked its jaw with his next punch and dragged the frightened demon by the ears towards Willow. Angel kicked it to its knees and it stilled.

"Apologize to the lady."

"But sire"

The next hit came so hard they all heard several bones break.

"I said apologize."

"Forgive me lady. I did not know." Its eyes did not meet Willow's. The blood in its mouth splattering to the floor as it talked.

"S-S-Sire, welcome back."

"Thank you so much Diego, it's nice to be back in Sunnydale, good food, nice weather..." He bent down closer to its ear. "I guess I must have gotten a few screws loose in Hell, I though I assigned you to Spike? Did you think that you could just leave your post without there being consequences?"

"Sire, I only left Master Spike's side to get help. Mistress Drucilla left him for a chaos demon. When she returned she still only spoke of you. She's disappeared again and he's stopped feeding. He's only lately started talking, mostly relating your early days in Europe. He's been calling out for you in his sleep..."

"And you abandoned him in that state?"

"I left him in good care, with a clan in Mexico City."

"Which one?"

"The ones that operate from under the Tasqueña bus station."

"Who's their leader?"

"I never saw him, their orders seemed to come only by phone."

"Could you get him back?"

"I- I don't know Sire. It's been a long time and-"

Angel almost considered letting him live, he did after all make him what he was. But it couldn't be. Diego was Angelus' newest fledgling and had been loyal to a fault. It had been plain to the demon that this young one was in love with him, a fact that he'd used many times for entertainment. He enjoyed torturing him at a whim, sending him out on errands shortly before sunrise and never rewarding him with more than a few drops of blood. He had been assigned to cater to a then wheelchair bound Spike soon after he'd been made with practically no training and no down time. He had been made a full childe especially for watching Spike, although he wasn't the strongest. Angel pulled Diego into a standing position.

Diego looked at the man before him and knew then he wasn't walking out.

"I will not fight your punishment."

"I sentence you to final death."

"May I sire?" he begged.

Angel nodded, then sliced his tongue with his fangs and let the vampire kiss him. The demon was moaning and shaking in ecstasy, the exquisitely powerful blood of his Sire filling him. Angel let him suck on his tongue until he felt the wound closing, then rammed the stake home.

##################
 

Angel let his face slide back to its human features. He hesitated slightly and walked slowly over to Willow, looking like a man being led to slaughter.

Willow had pretty much stopped breathing all together, as had Pacey and Faith who were now standing closer together.

They all snapped out of it and Willow held out her hands.

"A-A-Angel, are you OK?"

He scanned her for injuries and found several, his eyes stilling on the scrape that adorned her cheek.

"I'm sorry. I just ... Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little bruised. Thanks for dragging him off me." He took her hands in his and kissed her bruised knuckles.

She tried lightening the mood.

"So much for a night of fun..."

She attempted a step towards him but toppled over in pain. She held up her hand to the approaching males and muttered the oft-chanted incantation that was used to suck the feeling of physical pain out of her body. She got up with more ease, still stiff from the fight.

Willow turned to the boy who had not moved and noted a glazed look in his eyes, he was in shock.

"Pacey?"

"Physically: not a scratch. Emotionally: I'll get back to you." The young man's hands were shaking and he looked slightly green. Willow understood he was fighting not to loose his lunch.

She looked up to the perplexed slayer and took her hand when she offered it.

"I'm Faith, you must be Buffy... saw you in action, girl you're not
bad!"

"No, Buffy's not here. I'm Willow, I'm just sort of filling in..."

"Well, then, I'm doubly impressed. You kicked serious ass!"

Angel walked over to stand behind Willow.

"So you're Angelus. When my watcher told me about you I didn't believe him. I heard you were..." She made a hand gesture like she was impaling herself.

"I was"

Willow spoke up. "So um, what are you doing in Sunnydale?"

"Look I'd love to stay and chat but as you can see-"

Willow had realized the girl was covered in bruises and cuts. She walked over and murmured the same incantation.

"WOW, what'd you do?"

"Careful, you're still hurt. Do you have a place to stay?"

"Some shitty motel. Listen, after a good slay I tend to get real restless if I don't get release. You up for it?" She smiled seductively at the redhead and put a hand on her arm. "Oh, no offense Fang, it's just the vampire/slayer thing is one of those lines that even I won't cross. You're lucky I didn't dust you. So what do you say Red?"

Angel put a protective arm around a blushing Willow.

Pacey had not spoken. He'd been taking in the sight of this girl, this women. She projected a toughness, a hardened exterior, but her eyes betrayed so much to him. Sadness, mistrust, hurt, grief... so much fresh pain, yet he could see hope and goodness buried there too. She was fascinating, he could drown himself in her eyes.

Willow was speaking: "Is your watcher with you?" Faith shook her head.

"Come to the high school tomorrow around sunset. The library. Meet Buffy's watcher Giles. I'm sure he can help you out."

"The only help I need is..." She saw Pacey. "OK he'll do"

Angel nudged him. "This is Pacey"

"What?" Pacey wasn't quite sure what had just happened. Faith didn't waste time explaining.

"You heard me. I get restless, so I'm going to fuck you until you can't remember your name and then I'm going to sleep all day, any objections?"

"Only if you're the kind of women who kicks you out the door before the condom comes off and doesn't acknowledge you the next day." <Good job *Dawson*, real smooth, she'll want you so much more now that you've insulted her...>

"That's usually how it works. Why would it be anything different with you? You think you're special?" She looked him up and down. <something about him, familiar>
 

"Special? Cursed is more like it! Let's see: In the last 24hrs, I've had my father beat me within an inch of my life and basically disown me which landed me in the hospital but finally got my brother talking to me. Of course that was only long enough to put me on a plane to the other side of the country. So I get here and I end up unconscious in a park, no luggage in sight. When I wake up I get clued in to the real facts of life, things I probably would have been better off not knowing but I'm as desensitized as the next guy so I decide to go with it. We have a couple of hours of fun, that is when I'm not thinking about the love of my life going crazy and dumping me by phone. Oh! and then: lucky me! I get to witness a whole shit load of vampires try and kill my new friends and me. That's where you walk in acting like everything's okay but I can see you aren't because you have that same look in your eye I see when I look in the mirror. So, to sum it up: I've lost my family, my friends and my reality; I can see that in your eyes, it's familiar. Maybe I am just insane, but-"

Everyone was speechless as he took a breath and finished his monologue. "Faith... Is that your name? I'll make you a deal: you let ME make love to YOU. If you don't like it I'll get out of your way and you can pretend we never met. If you do, you have to treat me like a human being."

Faith couldn't believe what she was hearing. No one ever wanted to get to know her, or stay the night. It had to be too good to be true, he had to have an ulterior motive but she couldn't resist. She wanted to believe his story, believe what she saw in his eyes. But, as much as she wanted to smile and hug him she just shrugged.

"Whatever, let's go."

Angel tossed Faith a key.

"Up the stairs, fourth door on your left. Condoms and toys are in a chest in the closet, the keys to the handcuffs are in the nightstand drawer. See you tomorrow, kids." He winked.

Pacey turned to them and bowed. "Apollo, Miz Rosenberg... see ya at the library! Oh, and thanks for not getting me dead." He saluted them and started after Faith.

They disappeared up the stairs.

Willow and Angel were left awkwardly standing in the middle of the club, slow music filling the silence. Angel started pacing.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that Willow, seeing me bad I mean. I just, I thought it was the best thing. And then with Diego... Ugh, you'd think I'd be used to staking vampires but I'm not. I usually fight them hand-to-hand and only IF I have to. Of course Diego was going after you so there was a valid reason, and keeping our cover was part of it. They're just going on instinct and most of them don't try to take over the world or... I'm so, so sorry Willow... I don't know what you could think of me after that display. The kiss, it was a reward of sorts.... Look, I know you probably don't want to see me so..."

She turned to face him and he stilled.

"No. Angel, don't apologize. I was scared, but I'm always scared. I knew you weren't the demon, it's not with you anymore. I'm so sorry you had to do that. I guess you could say I'm kinda glad you didn't hold back, we could have been in a real mess! Not that I wasn't scared because I was, because he tried to kill me and everything... I wish you could let go of all that pain. I just want you to be yourself, good and bad...Angel, I want you to be you."

Blood tears were streaking his cheeks, he was perfectly still, and when he spoke it was barely audible.

"What am I? It's just so different. I feel like I'm whole but I don't know how to deal with the freedom. Before, I used to feel like I wasn't living in my entire body, I was fighting inside all the time for space and my sanity. I was never alone. But now that I feel at home, up to my toes and my fingertips and the only voices in my head are my own and I'm not sure I can live like this, I've killed so many innocents and..."

Willow walked to Angel and took him in her arms. "It wasn't you. And before you say it was you've just spent hundreds of years in Hell. More years than you've walked the Earth. You have to FORGIVE YOURSELF, it's time."

"I don't know what's happening to me, or if I'm even me anymore. Willow, when the pack came in and I had to be bad, I liked it. I loved it. I loved the power I had, I loved smelling your fear. I just let go of the guilt and I fought better than ever. I just don't understand-"

"Angel look at me: You are going to be fine, you just need to take the time to adjust. I'll try to explain exactly what I did later okay?"

She held him as overwhelming feelings engulfed him again, tears landing in her hair. The club went silent and a few seconds later a song Willow recognized came on.

"You know I'm not good with talking, I babble and everything seems to come out jumbled but.."

Angel and Willow started swaying to the music, his head resting on hers.

"If you could just listen to the words Angel."

<<Oh, Why you look so sad?
The tears are in your eyes, come on and come to me now.
Don't be ashamed to cry, let me see you through,
'cause I've seen the dark side too.
When the night falls on you,
you don't know what to do, nothing you confess,
could make me love you less...

I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you, I'll
stand by you.>>

Angel's sobs lessened and he pressed his lips to Willow's forehead. They held on tight. Together, they just felt right.

<<So, if you're mad get mad.
Don't hold it all inside, come on and talk to me now.
Hey, why you got to hide? I get angry too, well I'm a lot like you.
When you're standing at the crossroads
and don't know which path to choose,
let me come along, 'cause even if you're wrong...

I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you, I'll
stand by you,
take me in until your darkest hour, and I'll never desert you, I'll
stand by you.>>

Willow kissed his cold chest and looked up to him. "I mean it." He spun her around and they smiled and resumed dancing, pressed firmly against each other.
 

<<And when, when the night falls on you baby,
you're feelin' on all alone, walkin' on your own,
I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you,
I'll stand by you, take me in until you darkest hour, and I'll never
desert you...

I'll stand by you, I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you, I'll
stand by you...
I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you,
I'll stand by you, won't let nobody hurt you...
come on, come on, take me in until you darkest hour,
and I'll never desert you, I'll stand by you...>>

They stayed in position, neither wanting to acknoledge the song had ended.

He took Willow's face in his hands, brushing his thumb over the healing wound and down to her mouth. Their eyes locked.

"The same goes for you Willow"

He gave in to his urges and placed an earth-shattering kiss on her open mouth. Willow returned it with equal emotion, then took a step back flushed and breathless. She held out her hand to him.

"Let's go."

He smiled slightly when their hands joined then proceeded to turn off the music and the lights before leading her to the door.

"You think Pacey's going come out of there alive? Faith seems a little... rough around the edges?"

"He's going to be fine Willow, I have a feeling he's going to win that bet..."

"What was that about anyway?"

"I think he saw a kindred spirit, didn't want her getting away..."

He locked the door behind them.

The End

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