Out Of Character

Author: Ann of Midnight

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

Disclaimer: Not mine. Boo-hoo. Don't sue. The "Hairspray" dialogue belongs to John Waters and New Line Cinema and I'm sure a bunch of other people.

Notes: Part 3 of the Extended Family Series.

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

They had been at the mall for over an hour and still nothing had been bought to replace Pacey's lost luggage. They skulked around, both lost in thought, occasionally pointing a piece of clothing out, only to bypass it with barely another glance. Pacey finally broke the ice.

"You know, that last kiss just about killed me... with Andie I mean, but I firmly believed we would be together again. I really loved her. She made me a better person, she made me WANT to be a better person. My dad and I even patched things up for awhile after she called him, can you believe that? All summer I thought about her, made plans for when I'd see her again... Never even looked at another girl, no one could compare. And then one night I called her. She said she was doing better but she had to cut all ties with me, because she couldn't concentrate on the present and getting better. Like I was just a distraction! I protested but she said she'd been thinking of it for a while. She wants to stay in Providence and rebuild her life without looking back. And then she thanked me and said she'd always care about me. *CARE!*", he screamed a bit too loudly. "Before I could even say anything she said goodbye and hung up. So yeah, she didn't pick up the phone after that. At first I was just numb, then I was angry, then I was hurt and it felt like I shattered into a million pieces. And life just went on like everything was fine. Dawson was still Dawson, Joey and he were still trying to patch things up after the fire and what happened so I couldn't talk to her. And Jack and Jen, well... they have their own problems, so I bottled it all up and acted like myself, wondering how the hell I was going to get through the next year and here I am, in California, of all places, with you..."

He looked to the redhead with pleading eyes and they both sat on a bench.

"And you just found out about a part of life most people only see in their nightmares. I'm so sorry Pacey, I don't really know what to tell you, but you can survive this. I'm here if you need me and soon the whole gang's going to be together again and maybe you'll find a place for yourself. You and Xander are a lot alike.... It's not all bad," she tried to reassure him but he didn't loose his disbelieving gaze. "Anyway, these next couple of weeks are going to be pretty hectic. I can pretty much guarantee you won't have any time to think. We have to get ready for school, find a place for you to stay once my parents get home, introduce you to Giles and the joys of all night research parties, make sure Angel's got a safe place to stay and we have to find Buffy and bring her back so they can be together and, oh, sorry. Must be overwhelming for you" <He's been in Hell for hundreds of years... the torture. All those dreams of him screaming and screaming. All those visits when I sat by and watched it happen.>

"Why do you think he wants to be with Buffy, from what I saw, it's you he's jonzing for."

"No, he's Buffy's, believe me. They have that whole Romeo-and-Juliet-forbidden-love-thing going on." <Gods I love him... BAD WILLOW! Bad friend! This is depressing...>

"Whatever you say, but I think I'm right about this."

"Come on Pacey, I'm just Willow, what could he possibly see in me?"

"That's the second time you've said that! If you can't see it, you won't believe me. I mean, do you still not remember what happened this morning? He practically told me you were his... I swear."

She took a deep breath and kept studying her shoes.

"I never told anyone before, because it wouldn't have changed anything, and because I'm not even sure I was really conscious of it back then, but I do love him. Or I did love him. Now, I can't seem to remember a time when I didn't love him... I know I've said this to you about Xander but this is different. This is a totally different level. It's like I have this connection to him. When he hurts, I hurt. Maybe I should have told him but I love him too much to get in the way. He loves Buffy and that is a fact. It's hard, especially now that he's, you know, back. I know things about him not many people know, I feel so close to him. I think he remembers I was with him when I could through those dreams I was telling you about, and then through meditation. I'm getting good at astral travel. All I'm saying is it's got to be enough. Deep friendship," she said resolutely.

"You're a better person that I would be... You know what I feel like doing?"

"What?"

"Getting drunk. That vodka this morning got me thinking, you know?"

"About what?"

"We're always so guarded about everything. Maybe we should be doing normal adolescent things. Experimenting."

"I could totally go for that." <wouldn't mind drowning a few of my sorrows, shed this goody-goody image for a day>

"I mean, yeah! This is possible! We're meeting Apollo at this club, right? We can dance around and play games and talk about our pathetic little lives before-"

"It's just, it's so not me... I mean, what would Angel think?"

"That you're finally letting go and doing something fun for a change. After what he's been through, maybe he'd like to have fun."

"I don't think I've ever seen Angel have fun," she said, liking the idea more and more. She didn't count the hugging and twirling as fun, just as a slight psychotic episode.

"Then it's settled. Why don't we play out-of-character? Remember we used to play that last year when we were bored, or trying to find any excuse not to do our homework. You could say I twisted your arm and we could blame everything on the game! Come on Rose. This is our chance to play in person, see if it works. Except instead of trying to guess who the other is, we could work together, just be other people for a day. *Just one night of happiness, it's all I ask*." He quoted Allison in Cry Baby, giving her a pouty look and batting his eyelashes.

"Okay, fine. Let's see: we still have to get you some clothes, swing by the butcher shop and see if we can't get some blood, buy heavy black drapy material, we have to eat before we both faint. Then we try buying the alcohol and go home, oh and I should hack into the school computer and try enrolling you. And maybe we could send a message to someone in Capeside so they don't worry too much," she took a deep breath, "I think we better get going."

"Sure. I'll be an actor from New York. Suave, confidant, filthy rich and impossible to resist. That last one shouldn't be too hard."

Willow rolled her eyes.

"I'll be your personal assistant. We can walk around with our noses in the air, and we can critique everything and pretend we're important."

"And we should wear sunglasses in doors. I don't know why but celebrities always do that even though it attracts attention."

"I think you just answered your own question," smiled the redhead.

They made the rounds, first buying the eye apparel, then getting down to more serious business. At first, they were both trying on clothes they would normally wear but as they hit more stores and got into their roles they had a ball trying on anything and everything. They walked into a particularly trendy store and Pacey flashed a wad of cash that had all the salespeople scattering to find everything he would need for a new wardrobe.

Willow felt like she was in Pretty Women, that scene where she has the entire staff at her beck and call. They put everything Willow liked in a pile... a couple of sexy dresses, sleek black pants, funky leather pants, jeans, an array of colored shirts, perfectly fitted jackets, perfectly cut blouses, healed shoes and a leather jacket. Cordelia would have been proud, after she fell on her ass.

They danced around the store modeling their finds, mugging for each other in weird hats and strangely shaped, brightly colored sunglasses.

"Dahling, it' been a blast, but I don't think I would be comfortable in these in public..." she told him in confidence.

"But do you like the clothes."

"Yes."

"Ma chère Willow, you got someone out of Hell, and not just figuratively! Can anyone else claim that?"

"For sure, but it's probably not a good thing in their case."

"So I think it's safe to say you've earned the right to walk around naked, painted lime green if you so desired. He said, making a sour face when he said the part about the lime green. "I'm sure no one would mind, no matter how obnoxious the paint color, I mean I certainly wouldn't. YOU are quite the dish Miz Rosenberg. As your employer and I say SCREW THE REST OF THE WORLD!". He accentuated the latter with a grand gesture. "That's an order."

She relented when Pacey told her he was buying, as payment for him staying at her house and he'd tell Angel about the "Apollo" thing if she didn't accept... They both stayed in one of their new outfits. Willow was pleasantly surprised when she noticed if she attracted any attention in them, it was positive.

"Oh. My. God.! You're that um. that Willow chick right?"

"That Willow chick? You've been picking on me for nine years and you act like you're not sure who I am? Please! Did you misplace your glasses or did someone forget to inflate your brain this morning?"

The Cordettes giggled silently behind the blonde.

"I was going to ask you where you got the clothes, but since you're the one that's in them they're obviously out of style." She scoffed. She turned her now hungry gaze to Pacey and looked him up and down several times. "So, who's the stud and why's he hanging out with a loser bookworm like you?"

"Fuck you Harmony." Willow was surprised at her statement but only
smiled sweetly.

"How much is she paying you? 'Cause I can double it."

Willow laughed out loud at the stupidity of the statement. <Who the hell would think of paying someone to be their friend? Wait. Harmony's probably done it once or twice. It would explain a lot>

As they moved to walk past, Pacey took Willow's hand and leaned over to look into the Harmony's eyes. He whispered: "Little girl, as cheap as you seem to be, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole." They started away talking loudly:

"Who was that dreadful thing?"

"She's no one," smiled Willow, "just one of the school hussies. Hair like straw, stuffed bra and eww: pastels." They looked at each other and shuddered.

They rounded the corner, collapsing into a fit of giggles. Pacey did look amazing in his new garb; he hadn't wanted to look like a helpless schoolboy on *the Hellmouth*. He now resembled the men of GQ and the shades covered his black eye nicely. They went on with their errands merrily bantering back and forth. They even bought some grape Jell-O and vodka without getting carded, before heading home.

***********ROSENBERG RESIDENCE, DUSK**************

They had sun proofed the entire house for Angel, hacked into the high school's database to get information on how to enroll Pacey, e-mailed Jack telling him Pacey was alive and were now deciding what to wear to the private party. Willow wore the tight leather pants with a red blouse, and Pacey wore a black shirt and pants. They both pulled on their new leather jackets figuring it gave them a don't-mess-with-me look. Besides, they didn't want everyone to notice the still very visible bite marks on their necks. They got more and more comfortable with their attire and each other as time went on, no doubt some of it having to do with the Jell-O shots they had knocked back before changing.

Pacey hesitated before taking the squirt gun filled with holy water and the cross he was handed but felt safer as they walked down the darkened streets to the club. Willow had also packed an array of weapons, three stakes, a cross and her own squirt gun... still they both hoped to get there without incident and were relieved when they arrived. They noticed a "closed for fumigation" sign on the front door and strolled in. Pacey looked around approvingly. <So this is Apollo's club. I can see it. Dark, gloomy and dirty, just like that room we were in. I'm surprised it doesn't have chains on the walls, or leather sofas.>

Pacey plopped down on the blanket and cushions and smiled up at Willow. Willow sat with him after looking for a still absent Angel. The picnic setting in the middle of the dance floor was making Willow feel strange about the normally vibrant place, but she quickly pushed it aside. There were fruits and juices and some bottles of alcohol so she started munching on a peach.

"This has definitely turned into a most pleasant day, all because of you my lovely assistant. Now, let's toast." He looked at Willow and then the bag they brought. "That means more shots."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get in my pants, Mr. Witter." She said flirtatiously before she handed him the concoction and raised her own. They slurped.

"Of course not, Miz Rosenberg, those pants are far too tight for anyone to get into them with you. You could, of course, take everything off... then we could have ourselves a real party. Whadayasay?"

She leaned back on the blanket seductively a look of mock consideration dancing in her eyes. He leered at her like a horny old man. They would have laughed but instead almost had a heart attack when Angel stepped out of the shadows and cleared his throat.

Willow was the first to recover: "Bells Deadboy, wear bells!" she laughed, he scowled.

"Good Xander impression, scary actually."

"Yeah, well, Mr. Cryptic Guy, you almost killed us."

"So, what's going on?" He trailed off when she stood and faced him. He devoured her with his eyes.

She looked glorious, her face amused, red lips in a slight smile, her eyes a green nothing earthly could ever match, the curve of her breasts peaking out of the open collar of her shirt...

<Gods! Are those pants painted on? Keep cool Angelus, you can control yourself... just look away and don't touch her luscious, perfect body and don't listen to her intoxicating voice and don't smell her... turn around and go do something... away from her. Get away before she notices. You wouldn't want a repeat of last night and this morning, I mean, you would, more than anything but you can talk now, you have to talk and not jump her right there boy or no boy... oh boy! Just get a grip, you are not an animal.>

Angel again found himself trying hard to conceal he was -pun intended- hard. He shifted his gaze to the floor.

"I'm going to get myself a couple of drinks, if it's okay with you guys. To catch up. I need to catch up. Not that you look drunk or anything." He turned and walked away just as Willow was getting to him.

<How eloquent. Idiot! What are you? 12? You sound like Xander again. Get a grip."

He got to the cellar and pulled out three bottles of 100 proof mixed with blood bank plasma he kept for just such an occasion. He uncorked one, drank half the bottle right there, wishing it were Willow he was drinking.

<I can smell her from here, I can't believe I had that much of a reaction, I was prepared, sort of... I love her!> Hw shook his head. <Take a moment then go show the lady a good time -then you can talk and hopefully get your rocks off- you wish! Remember, this isn't a tavern 300 years ago and she isn't a prostitute. Did I say 'Get your rocks off?'>

He snorted at the use of slang he'd picked up involuntarily over the years, then turned serious again.

Angel saddened but feeling physically better he walked back up to the teenagers.

Willow and Pacey had another couple of Jell-O shots and were now throwing grapes at each other. Pacey had yet to catch one successfully so he just concentrated on butting them back to Willow with his head. Willow saw Angel stare and threw him three grapes, which he caught with his mouth swiftly.

"No fair, he's Apollo, I'm just a mere mortal!"

"Does his godliness have any music??" Willow asked, cheeks flushed from the alcohol, and the sight of the aforementioned god.

Angel looked at their faces as he went to sit by them. "I'm no God," he said, but seconds later, music magically filled the room and little red and white lights lit up the club. Willow was blown away at the transformation, lying down on her back to enjoy the view.

Pacey got nervous as he let the familiar song enter his head: <****I don't want to wait, for our lives to be over, I want to know right now.....****>

"Turn that thing off! Are you trying to kill me? Do you know that when that song enters, it takes weeks sometimes months to get it out! Turn it off you son-of-a-bitch! I'M NOT LISTENING!" (covering his ears and rocking like a scared child) "la la la la la la la la la la"

Angel took the remote out of his jacket and switched songs. He burst out laughing while Willow tried soothing Pacey. Angel did his best Cordy impression:

"Jeez, sensitive much?"

Willow chuckled and Pacey slowly recovered from the unwelcome assault on his poor unsuspecting ears.

"Mr. Witter, May I break role and tell our host and guest of honor of our little game?"

"Of course Miz Rosenberg."

"First a toast. Welcome back Angel, I'm sorry I didn't get you out sooner. You are by far my favorite vampire. We never got to be alone much before but I would be honored if we could be real friends this time. I'll be here for you if you need me because I um, well because I love you." <Oh, great! What happened to playing it cool?> they nevertheless drank their shots.

Angel thought he would burst from the happiness, it rendered him speechless. His voice crackled when he did get a word out.

"I don't know how to thank you, I don't know how to explain how I feel. You are a goddess." He leaned over and gave her a chaste kiss, filled with emotion. He pried himself away from her, which left a palpable void. He stared deep into her eyes and what she saw in him scared her so much she had to look away.

She quickly told Angel of the game, before he could say anything more. Pacey dished about their latest round and their roles.

"So, who are you going to be Apollo?"

"Why are you calling me that?"

"Nickname." Said Pacey under Willow's you-better-not-tell-him-gaze.

"Better than Deadboy. I guess since you're an actor I can be a sleazy producer with a couple of ulterior motives. Producers are still sleazy right? I fed on this asshole in the 50's and." He joked, laughing at Pacey's horrified expression. "You know Pacey, you never knew my mother." He said referring to the mention that he was a son-of-a-bitch. "Next time you want to insult members of my family. actually go right ahead. My dad was h eavy. And my childer. Well let's just say I don't have the most balanced bunch. But my mother and sisters are off limits." His tone was light; he smiled a crooked smile and he took a large swig and finished his first bottle. Pacey hadn't quite followed, but respected the vampire's wishes."

"Angel, can you do an accent? I love accents."

"Of course I can ducks!"

"HA! You're doing Spike!!! That's really good!"

"I did live with him for a hundred years." Willow picked up on the hint of longing in his voice and remembered what she now knew about them and made a note to talk to him about the blond.

"Um, guys, I'm a little out of the loop *throws back another Jell-O shot*, who's Spike?"

"He is my childe," he uttered, some indication of sadness evident.

"You have kids?"

"You could say that..."

Pacey realized he shouldn't push. He lifted his shot and Willow and Angel did the same. They all drank. Angel snapped himself out of his thoughts and got back on track.

"How about this one: Oh, crikey, she's beootiful! I have to be careful though, or she could bite off my hand. I love her."

"That's so the croc hunter! He's the coolest!" Exclaimed Pacey.

"I did not. have. sexual. relations. with that women."

"Too easy Apollo. Wanna play truth, like truth or dare with no dare? Get to know each other better and all that. Miz Rosenberg, you start"

"Mr. Witter, you worked at a video store. List some of your guilty pleasures?"

"I assume that you want something more embarrassing than the porn? Let's see, there's the John Hughes movies: Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, the Breakfast Club..." He looked down and muttered: "The Mighty Ducks 1, 2 and 3. If that's not bad enough, there's Hairspray, I um, I know all the dances..."

Willow was almost crying, contorted in a ball on the floor. Angel was laughing but he didn't know what was so funny.

"I'm sorry Pace, it's just that I know all the dances too... and most of the dialogue. I thought there couldn't possibly be someone as pathetic as I was."

They both went directly to the most known lines: "Penny Pingleton, you know you were punished, from now on you're wearing a giant "P" on your blouse everyday to school so that the whole world knows that Penny Pingleton is permanently, positively punished!"

"What?"

Willow laughed and started the opening song so that Angel could get an idea of just how cheesy this movie was.

"Hey girl, what'ch you doing over there?"

"Can't you see? I'm spraying my hair!" Continued Pacey in a ridiculously high voice.

Then together: "Let me tell you about the latest craze, my momma told me that it's just a faze but I know, it's gonna last forever, can't you see the way it keeps my hair together?"

"Are you kidding?"

"Apollo, my man. Bad movies are severely lacking to your culture. We're going to have to do something about that...OK, my turn. Since you don't seem to know movies we'll go for sex. Who was your best lover and why?"

Willow turned serious and was going to protest when Angel responded.

"William."

He elaborated.

"That's Spike's given name. The things that bloke can do with his tongue..." he burst out laughing as Pacey's choked on what he was chewing. Willow laughed too, thinking how great it was to see him laughing. However knowing he wasn't joking was getting her just a little hot and when the mental pictures came, she had to excuse herself.

She came back and they played some more, and drank a lot. They found out, among other things, that Willow dances around naked when her parents aren't home (which Angel already knew), Angel was a whoring player and a thief before he was turned, Pacey got caught masturbating in the school bathroom, which cost him a Saturday in detention. That last confession turned the conversation back to sex.

Angel admitted that as a vampire he enjoyed bondage, S&M and bloodplay. Pacey gloated that Tamara made him study the art of tantric sex (which basically means he can have sex for hours without coming because the orgasm is redirected inside) and Willow shared what she wanted her first time to be like. Both guys were speechless as she went on, not totally oblivious to how horny it got them.

She described how she had always imagined being tied to the bed with ribbons and blindfolded. It might seem like a cop-out but it would take the pressure off her and she could concentrate on only feeling pleasure. The next time she would be more comfortable with herself and her partner.

Pacey goaded her and they found out she'd never seen a penis in the flesh and is nervous about giving a blowjob. "Couldn't I hurt him with my teeth? And how much of one could actually fit? And what does it taste like?"

Angel was about to answer her last question but Pacey interrupted drunkenly.

"Miz Rosenberg, I'm shocked you're not going the extra mile for me! Actually it would explain why I only get auditions from women and gay guys. I wish you would do the dirty work, do you know how hard it is for me to articulate my scene with my mouth full??"

He got 'oh's' from Willow and Angel.

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week!"

They were quiet for a moment and he rolled over and saw Angel staring at Willow with a raging hard on. He could see it in the vampire's eyes that he was trying his damndest not to make a move. They were all past tipsy now and Pacey decided that as erotic as it was, he didn't want to see them copulate- he knew them now. He reached for the remote to change the music and pump up the volume. <Sounds like something from Dirty Dancing>. Pacey lay on his back and let his eyes close. Angel extended his hand to Willow.

"May I have this dance Miz Rosenberg?"

"Only if you leave it at that Mr. Producer, I am not a one-night-stand..."

~~~~~~~Stay, just a little bit longer,
please please please please please,
tell me you're going to...
You're mama won't mind,
and you're daddy won't mind,
if we have another dance ooh yeah,
just a one more.
one more time,
oh won't you stay.......
just a little bit longer~~~~~~~~

She felt drunk so she hung on to Angel and let him lead. It felt so right and he was an amazing dancer. She had her head in his neck, was breathing in his scent, her hips swaying along with his... his hard-on pressed against her stomach.

Her memories came back then in full force.

She had to hold on tighter not to fall over or cum right there. <wow,. what does this mean? He must have thought I was Buffy. 'Come for me Willow' Okay, there goes that theory... He hasn't mentioned anything. Am I supposed to say something or pretend it never happened or... Screw it, I'm drunk and he feels so nice. I'll think in the morning> She started rubbing her hands up and down his back while placing feather light kisses on his neck. She let out a moan when he let his hands trail down to her ass. She did the same, forgetting anyone else was in the room. He'd often had that effect on her, even when he wasn't this close. Angel brought one hand to her lower back as the other found her other hand, then put one of his legs in between hers and dipped her back. She ground against his leg and when he lifted her back up she met his eyes; his face was inches from hers. He was so aroused his eyes were yellow and when she leaned in to kiss him, his fangs extended so fast they cut through his lower lip.

He pulled back sharply, a familiar feeling hitting him.

"We've got company. Play along."

Pacey got up and moved towards them. Angel and Willow sobered up fast, they knew they had to. Pacey couldn't fathom what was going on.

Willow put her jacket back on, tucking a stake in her pants and one in her sleeve. She put the water gun under a cushion. Angel tucked the other gun in Pacey's pants and threw him his jacket. He pushed Pacey down behind him and told him to play unconscious, which the younger man didn't have a problem with. The vampire turned and kissed Willow ferociously, bruising her lips, cutting her tongue with his fangs and lapping at her blood. He growled, her knees went weak and they were lost to sensation, grinding against each other again.

A dozen vampires broke down the door and hurried in, looking around frantically and spotting the threesome. Although most vampires looked quite shocked, they didn't let it stop them.

Angel motioned for the group to approach. He looked dangerously angry but he smiled, his teeth dripping with blood.

He caught the first one he could and brought him to his knees, his stay in Hell and the amount of human blood he'd ingested that day making him that much stronger physically.

"I would ask you to lick my boots but you seem to be in a hurry," he laughed a cold laugh at the scared fledgling on the floor, then patted him on the head and squeezed his jaw so hard it crushed bone, "on second thought, lick my boots."

"Angelus?" a women asked.

She got a murderous look.

"*Master* Angelus"

"That's better"

He also patted her head like she was a child.

"I thought you were dead. We ALL thought you were dead."

He laughed.

"Well, rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated blah, blah, blah... To what do I owe this intrusion?" -he pulled Willow in front of him and licked her neck, making sure all saw the bite marks, swelling even more as his organ rubbed against her leather clad back side. One of his hands snaked up to cup her breast and the other went for a stake.

"As you can see, I was playing with my new toy. You all were NOTinvited, really, you're being quite rude."

Willow leaned against his chest, her eyes half closed, one of her hands drifting to the one of his that was on her breast and holding it there. She smiled a crooked smile, dazed.

Another vampire stepped forward, impatient: "Angelus, we don't have time to"

Angel got the stake and rammed it through his heart, he crumpled to dust.

"Anyone else want to disrespect me like that? You know me-" he let them speculate on the rest of the sentence and grinned at the collective shudder.

They all bowed their heads. The women started again: "Master Angelus, we seek refuge. The slayer is not far behind and she has already killed seven. She is in a rage..."

The End

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