Rating: up to NC-17
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all, what a mess!
Summary: An unexpected murderer creeps through Sunnydale.
Distribution: Soulmates till the End of Time, Bite Me Please?, BRR
Couples: Willow/Angel, Spike/Angel
Feedback: It's my first attempt at writing fanfiction and I'd send you Angel and Spike to give you a big kiss from me for some kind words :)
Author’s Note: totally AU and Angel is Spike's sire after he took over Dru's claim
Dedication: to my lovely beta-readers Jesca, Mary Ellis and Dru, you do an incredible great job
Text enclosed in * * represents thoughts or feelings.
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~Prologue~
White fog danced on the floor and then a blue and orange light flashed through the air. A man, huddled in a black robe, sat on the floor, whispering words in a strange and long forgotten language. Suddenly a blast of wind burst open the doors and a painful cry sounded through the night.
And then, there was only silence...
~Part: 1~
One week later - An old warehouse in Sunnydale
Ethan Rayne looked down on the picture in his hand with visible hate. It showed a couple of young people, wearing clothes from the 60’s.
"Four are dead, only Giles remains! And this time his fate is sealed," he hissed hate-fully and went back to the book, which he had studied earlier this day. "Only one hour more and my revenge begins!"
Same Night - Near the Bronze
At the end of her long shift, an exhausted barmaid grabbed her bag and left the bar through the back door. Every night it gave her the creeps, when she had to go through the dark alley to get to her car. And this night it was even spookier, when she saw the fog creeping down the street. She searched for her car keys in the pockets of her jacket, when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Nervously she looked over her shoulder, but the fog was so thick, that she couldn't see anything. Anxiously she hurried to the parking lot, and when her car came into view, she sighed in relief. When she opened the door, a great hand with a black leather glove was placed over her mouth and the other around her waist. She was paralyzed with fear, but when she heard the hoarse whisper of his voice in her ear, she began to fight with all her strength. Tears of despair flew down her cheeks and then she saw a sparkle out of the corner of her eye. She heard his insane laughter and felt an immense pain shot through her body, as he buried the knife in her abdomen over and over again. When he felt her body got limp, he let the girl fall to the ground. With a last look of satisfaction, he turned around and vanished into the mist.
She heard a whimper full of pain, and when her mind stopped spinning around, she realized that it was hers. She tried to lift up a hand, but she couldn't move, and suddenly she felt a great coldness climbing through her whole body. Crying in despair she knew that she was going to die - alone.
Same Night - Angel’s Apartment
Angel’s sleep was interrupted by the noise emitting from the television set. Something warm was cradled in his arms. He looked astonished at the red haired woman lying there, still asleep and he could hear her faint breathing and the slow beating of her heart. He knew he had to wake her and take her home but he was not in the mood to let her go. Instinctively he strengthened the hold of his arms around her waist.
In all his time as a vampire he never had met a woman like her. Days and nights were spent caring for others and never condemning them for their faults. *If I ever loose you, my world will turn black and cold. I promise you, here and now, that I will always be at your side to protect you from the demons and forces of darkness,* he silently vowed to her. Then he stood up and lifted the precious weight in his arms and left his apartment to carry her home.
Willow stirred from the sudden movement and opened her eyes sleepily. *Why is my pillow moving?* Willow thought confused. When Angel noticed her slight movement he bowed his head and whispered in her ear: "Close your eyes, Little One, I’m taking you home." She nodded lightly and laid her head down against his broad shoulder. And within a moment she felt asleep again.
When Angel went along the parking lot between the Bronze and the old warehouses he suddenly smelled it: the unmistakable scent of fresh blood. He let his eyes roam over the park deck but he couldn’t see anything. So he sniffed the air again and followed the scent. When he rounded the car, he stopped dead in tracks.
"Willow...Little One...you have to wake up." he murmured softly in Willow’s ear.
Willow’s eyes popped open by his concerned tone and he let her slide down on her feet. She wanted to look at what had caused his attention, but Angel shielded her sight and placed her body firmly behind his own.
"What have you found?" she asked him nervously.
"A corpse." Angel answered with a deadly voice.
"Let me see it." Willow demanded and tried to walk around him, but Angel blocked her way and said angrily: "Do you want to get more nightmares?"
Willow raised her hand and stroked slightly with her fingertips over Angel’s cheek: "I’ve seen it before and it will not be the last one, I'm living on the Hellmouth, you know? Perhaps I can help you find something." With that said, she walked around his body and looked in horror at the dead body. Her clothes were covered with dark sticky blood. But the most horrible sight were the open eyes of the dead woman, filled with such angst and pain, Willow had to take a deep breath to not break down in sobs. Willow suddenly felt Angel’s arms encircle her waist and she leaned against his comforting embrace. After some moments she had calmed down and Willow wiggled out of his embrace.
"Did a vampire do this?" she asked in a small voice, trying to cover her fear.
Angel braced himself against the overwhelming scent of the fresh blood and knelt beside the dead woman. He could feel his demon push to the front and he struggled to get a hold on it. *Come on, Angel, it's only a dead body.* With a low growl he turned the head of the woman to the side looking for a bite mark.
"This is not the act of vampires. We should call the police," said Angel. He stood up and took Willow's hand in a tight grip to lead her away from the crime-scene. Unconsciously she stepped closer to her companion and listened silently while he made the call for the police.
Same Night - Giles' Apartment
With a fearful cry on his lips Giles woke up and sat straight in his bed. Tatters of his nightmare kept running through his sleepy mind. Thick fog, a knife, a scream and blood, oh so much blood, it was everywhere. Sweat was dripping from his brow and he lifted his hand to wipe it away, when he suddenly stopped midway and looked puzzled at his bloodcovered hand. Timidly Giles lifted his blanket and choked when he saw the filth on his sheets. With a cry of anguish he jumped out of the bed and tumbled to the far corner where he slumped down in a shuddering heap.
~Part: 2~
Same night
Spike limped back to the watcher’s apartment, loudly cursing the Slayer’s arrogance under his non- existent breath. “Stupid bitch, why can’t she just do it when I shout duck, hmm? Not bloody likely she has to stand there and do nothing, bloody hell.” As a result of Buffy’s ignorance Spike found himself surrounded by three gigantic blue-faced demons with long sharp claws. Only the hard training with his sire prepared him enought not to be torn into thousands of tiny little pieces.
His relationship with his sire was something else Spike couldn’t understand. One night after a long night of drinking he was ambushed by a group of humans. He barely made it out alive. Fuckin' chip. He crawled into his crypt and there was his sire in all his dark beauty. Before he could say anything his sire was at his side and helping him to his bed. Without a word Angel slit his wrist and nursed him with his sweet and powerful blood. Angel stayed the whole night and Spike found himself feeling safe and contented for the first time for a long time. Afterwards Angel had stayed in Sunnydale and their bitter relationship turned into a tentatively friendly one. Spike started to seek more and more of Angel's time. When he was questioned by the gang he merely told them he had nothing else better to do with his days than to torture his dear old dad a little bit. The witch was the only one who saw through him, but only because she was in love with the old poofster. *What a waste!*
When Spike reached for the apartment’s door handle he heard softly whimpering coming from the watcher’s bedroom.
“Must be the tea”, Spike mumbled and opened the door. He was suddenly assaulted with the strong smell of sweat underlying with the coppery smell of blood. Lots of blood. His demon pushed forward and Spike gathered all the strength he had left to run up the stairs to Giles’ bedroom. Flinging open the door he quickly scanned the room in search for the watcher.
“Watcher, where are you?” No answer - only the soft sound of a whimpering man. “What the bloody Hell is going on here?”
After a moment his eyes caught sight of Giles’ huddled form in the far corner by the bed. With predatory speed Spike moved beside him and took a quick glance over Giles’ shaking body. Giles’ hands and pajamas were dark with dried blood and his bare feet covered with dirt.
Cautiously, in order not to frighten him even more, Spike laid a gentle hand on Giles’ shoulder to get his attention.
“Giles, what happened? Let me see where you’re injured, you’re bleeding like a pig.”
Spike heard the watcher murmur something but it was to low even for his enhanced hearing.
“What?” Again his only reward was a low murmur but this time he caught some word shreds. It sounded alarmingly like ‘I killed her’ but that was impossible, wasn’t it? Giles was the most respectable man he knew. Such a thing was simply unthinkable. With some trouble, Spike managed to lead Giles to the couch into the living room where he pressed a big glass of Whiskey in his trembling hand. Then he did the only thing he could think of - he called his sire.
~Part: 3~
Same night - Crime Scene
While Angel called the police, Willow's sight roamed to the dead woman again and again. She had never seen so much fear, agony and loneliness in someone's eyes. The sheer horror of the scene caused Willow to unconsciously step closer to Angel's body. Smelling her fear and discomfort he put an arm around Willow's shoulder and drew her trembling body even closer. After the call Angel enjoyed another moment of their nearness but with a sigh he loosened his hold.
"We have to go. It's not good if the police find us here - too many questions. And the sun’ll be up soon."
Willow nodded absent-mindedly and took his offered hand but when he took her to her family's house, she came to an immediate stop.
"Angel, please," Willow looked up to his dark features, "I don't want...I can't be alone at the moment...please...I want to be where I feel safe."
When he saw the tears spilling from her bright emerald eyes, Angel took her back in his arms. "Sshhh, Little One, nothing'll happen to you, I'll give my last breath to keep you safe. Ssshh," he gently lifted her face with his finger so she could see his sincerity. "Will you come back to my apartment?"
Willow was drowning in his chocolate brown eyes. There was a light in them, not the ferocious amber of a vampire, but a warm glow, which stopped the flow of her tears immediately. She instinctively moved closer and laid her hands on his broad shoulders. Their lips approached one another as if in slow motion and when Willow felt Angel's cool lips touch her own for the first time it was as if an electrical shock went through her whole body.
Angel had never felt so alive in his long existence as a creature of the night before. Even with Buffy his true nature hung above their heads as the sword of Damocles. But this sweet innocent girl in his arms - who smelled of violets and cinnamon - accepted both parts of him, the vampire and the man, without reservation and therefore he loved her even more. To kiss her soft lips was almost too much for his overloaded vampire senses and he struggled for control over the demon inside of him. But when Willow opened her tempting and damp lips to allow his cool tongue access to explore the warm cave of her mouth, he lost it and his demon pushed forward. Willow felt the ridges forming on Angel's face and his razor sharp fangs elongate but surprisingly she was not afraid. Instead she moaned with lust and cut her tongue on one of his fangs. The intoxicating flavour of Willow's blood roused Angel from his trance and he instantly removed his lips from her tender mouth.
"Don't...please Angel, don't," Willow whispered breathlessly, "kiss me one more time, please, I lo..." She was interrupted by the shrill ringing of Angel's cell-phone. Mentally cursing, Angel answered the call, hoping that it was really important.
"Yeah?" he knew he sounded harsher than usual.
"Sire? Come to the watcher. Need you here." Then the phone went dead.
Angel was frozen, Spike, his rebellious and wayward childe, had called him 'Sire.’ Something horrible must has happened. With immense effort he melted back in his human form and turned around to his lovely companion. Willow saw the concern on his handsome face and bit back the question she had on the tip of her tongue.
"That was Spike. Something happened back at Giles' and he needs my help," he searched her eyes, "and later we talk about what just happened between us, okay?"
Taking his offered hand, Willow nodded while they left the dark alley in the direction of Giles' home in comfortable silence. In the distance the shrill sounds of the police sirens came closer.
Same Night - Giles' apartment
After half an hour and a whole bottle of Giles' best whiskey, he passed out on his sofa. Spike sighed in relief and left the apartment for a much-needed cigarette. Sitting on the watcher's steps he inhaled the strong smoke deeply, waiting for the calming effect. *You're getting worse then the poofster, you silly ass...'Sire, I need you!'... Oh, bloody hell, I can clearly see the self-satisfied smirk on that damn face.* He cursed himself and whatever had led him to this existence til he saw the large frame of his si... shut up, Spike, you idiot, ...Paingel.... it's Paingel or poofster or ... or whatever, but not sir... ohhhh God, pull yourself together. Taking a last deep drag of the cigarette he threw it to the ground and slowly rose to his feet.
"About time too, you snail, getting old, buster?" he couldn't resist to tease Angel.
Angel skimmed the body of his childe looking worriedly for any injuries. Finding none he grimly said, "If this is just another twisted joke of yours, I'll stake you with my own hands."
Spike could feel his temper rise and opened his mouth for an adequate insult when he caught a glimpse of red hair behind Angel's broad shoulders. "Hi Red, playing with the candies?"
"Shut up, Spike," Angel growled dangerously and showed a hint of fangs. Momentary startled by Angel's Sire-like behaviour, Spike cast down his look in submission. Pleased with his boy's reaction, Angel growled, "And now tell me what's going on inside and don't forget that a lady is with us!"
Without resistance Spike opened the door for his Sire and the red witch, knowing that Angel would fix all the mess.
~Part: 4~
An Old Warehouse - Same night
When Ethan Rayne heard the police sirens race through Sunnydale a cruel sadistic smile graced his face.
"Splendid! I believe Ripper is here again in order to play!"
Same Night - Giles' apartment
When Angel entered Giles' apartment he was overwhelmed with the stench of vomit, alcohol, dried blood and dirt and his stomach began to revolt. Taking deep breaths of unnecessary air he went to the sofa.
"What happened here?" he asked over his shoulder.
Shrugging Spike mumbled, "Don't know. When I came back from patrol, I heard this whimpering coming from his room. Found the sissy cowering in a corner babbling some rubbish - must be in a state of shock." Nobody should note how much the sight of Giles' had taken him along.
Willow knelt beside Angel and stroked gently over Giles' hot forehead. "Is he hurt?"
"Nah, although his rags are soaked with blood."
Angel inhaled sharply and lifted the blanket carefully, which Spike had earlier wrapped around Giles. He immediately knew how everything linked together, but Angel couldn't yet combine the individual threads. He first had to speak with Giles.
"Willow, go and make him a bath," he commanded with a neutral tone, "Spike, call the others, we need them for research." Angel was horrified, but he wouldn’t allow them to know it, under no circumstances. They counted on his strength.
When Willow and Spike had left the room, he sighed deeply. "Oh God, Giles, what are you involved in?”
Next morning - Giles’ Apartment
Giles’ deep slumber was disturbed by the flavour of fresh coffee and murmuring voices. Sighing, he slowly opened his eyes and folded his cover back.
Blushing a deep red he found that he was completely naked. *Oh God, what have I done now? Did I sleepwalk again? What ought my neighbors think of me?*
Giles got dressed as fast as possible and went downstairs to discover who dared to besiege his apartment in such an early hour. When he entered his living room, seven pairs of eyes looked towards him with the most different shades of emotions.
"Uuh, g..good m..morning everybody", stuttered Giles somewhat clumsily. "Did something happen that you're all already here? A new prophecy?"
"We wanted to discuss just the events of the last night," replied Buffy from her place on Riley's lap.
"Yeah, G-man, somehow feel different?" Before Xander could say even more, Willow had hit him with the 'Morning Post' over the head. "Ouch, Wills, what was that for?"
Drawing a deep breath Giles sat down on his favorite armchair and received the coffee offered by Angel thankfully. He was amazed by the concern he saw in Angel's eyes, which disappeared just as fast when he sat down next to Willow onto the couch.
Spike, who stood behind Willow, stared intensely at her neck the entire time. After a while she became nervous, feeling someone standing behind her. She turned round and saw Spike scanning her neck.
"What?" she asked irritated.
"I don't know what you mean," Spike answered, dismissing her question.
"I want to know why you’re staring at my neck," replied Willow, vehemently. "And no lame excuses or saucy remarks, Mr.-Big-Bad-Ass-Vampire!"
After a fast look in Angel's direction, Spike bent down to Willow and whispered in her ear, "Oh, I was only searching for his bite mark."
Could it be that his voice sounded a bit jealous? Blushing a light shade of red, Willow recalled the kiss of last night and a pleasant shiver ran across her back. With lowered eyelashes, she looked up at Spike and she was so close to him that her warm lips touched his cheek. "There are also other places..." She left the rest of the sentence to his imagination.
The unmistakable aroma of Willow’s arousal suddenly disturbed Angel’s thoughts. He swiveled in a surprised manner to her and saw Spike hovering above her. With a warning growl, that seemed to come from deep in his breast, he looked at the both them.
“What are you talking so intensely about?" Angel wanted to know, although the only thing that really interested him was, why Willow was suddenly so excited and who had been the cause.
Spike immediately knew that Angel was very annoyed with him and he straightened up instantly. "I only joked around a little bit with Red here, oh mighty Poofster". *Aha, my sire seems to have an eye on the small red-haired witch. I wonder how long the both need to admit their feelings for each other. That'll be a very interesting thing.* After Spike went to the other side of the room, Angel laid his arm possessively around Willow and pulled her more closely and Willow snuggled up to his cool body. As Angel's look went back to Giles, he saw that he was staring at something in the morning paper as though he were hypnotized.
"Giles, what's wrong?" Angel asked concerned for the older man.
""This woman", Giles stuttered, "I saw her yesterday in my dream. It was a dream, wasn't it?" During his question, all conversations immediately stopped in the room and all eyes rested on him.
"We don't know, Giles," answered Angel honestly. "However, Spike found you in your room last night totally covered in blood. The only explanation which appears plausible to us is that you were sleepwalking last night and you ran by sheer chance into the corpse of the young woman."
"Then...then it was nevertheless no dream. And I do not believe that I sleepwalked before", replied Giles, slightly irritated.
"Perhaps you followed your deepest inner urges, Watcher," sounded Spike's voice from the kitchen.
Blanching, Giles looked at his hands and then in Spike's direction.
"Shut up, fangless, we don't need your sarcasm at the moment. If you have nothing better to do, then go and annoy the skeletons in their crypts", hissed Buffy while teasing Spike with her stake.
Riley comprised her slim body with a firm grip in order to remind her that she shouldn’t lose her composure over Spike's behavior again. Buffy sighed and leaned back against his comforting embrace.
"Did you already have similar dreams before, Mr. Giles?" Riley researched and immediately slipped into the role of a soldier that guides an investigation.
"I don't remember, but at the moment I am too deeply stirred to think straight."
"Perhaps there were more cases recently. We should begin to remember our strong fortes and research", announced Willow and got up to go to her laptop. As if by command all fell in busy activity, as if they wanted to distract themselves in order not to think about the events of the last night.
Old Warehouse - Same morning
A coffeepot in the one hand and the morning paper in the other one, Ethan Rayne sat comfortably at his breakfast table. He read the police report about the brutal murder of a waitress during last night again and again.
"I see, Ripper, you didn't lose your dexterity. Let's see whom you'll select as your next victim. Hopefully it'll be the little Slayer-slut or even better - the red-haired wannabe witch. Hmmm, the coffee is delicious."
Giles' apartment - Same day
After several hours of unsuccessful research Giles decided to send them all home. The group unwillingly broke up and said their goodbyes. No one noted the unholy light that flashed for a second through Giles' eyes when Anya left the house behind Xander.
Before Angel followed the others with Willow, he took Spike aside and gave him some instructions.
"I want you to stay here tonight, come up with an excuse. But regardless what'll happen, keep your eyes on Giles. I trust you."
Spike looked up from his mug of blood in his hands amazed. Angel trusted in him? Spike suddenly felt dizzy. If he wouldn't already be dead, he would fallen at his sire's feet. He hadn't felt this overwhelming feeling of pride in over a century. Not since Angelus’ curse and his disappearing.
"Sure, whatever suits the mighty Poofster," he replied in his usual mocking tone in order to conceal his true feelings, "But you owe me, understood?"
Shrugging his shoulder and without an answer, Angel turned around and followed Willow who waited outside for him.
*Bloody hell, slowly I become a softy. Just like my old Dad!*
~Part: 5~
Giles' Apartment - Same Night
Spike was bored to death. He had already drunk his fifth whiskey and had just opened his last pack of cigarettes.
"Shit, is there nothing interesting on the telly tonight?" Impatiently he switched channels with the remote control and finally threw it –frustrated - on the table. A soft noise out in the corridor let him spin around, but despite his enhanced vampiric eyesight he couldn't detect anything in the dark. With a shake of his head Spike turned again towards the TV.
"You're getting paranoid, Old Boy,” he had hardly pronounced, when he felt a stinging pain in his neck. "Ouch! What the hell...." Incredulous, Spike stared at the little arrow in his hand and suddenly all began to spin around him. *Oh God, my sire'll kill me if something happens to the watcher.* Seemingly in slow motion, Spike tried to get to the stairs, but suddenly all sank into darkness.
Xander's Basement - Same Night
Xander and Anya were kissing passionately and tenderly. He pressed her down on the bed while Anya impatiently reached for Xander's shirt and fought with the buttons.
"Xander!" an elder woman's voice was calling from above. "I desperately need of a gallon of milk and some eggs."
Sighing, Xander wanted to free himself from Anya's sweet embrace, but her firm grip around his neck and her soft moist tongue which stroked over his lips let him forget everything else again.
"Today, Alexander Lavelle Harris!" This 'request' was emphasized by a loud pounding from above the basement ceiling. Guilty, Xander winced.
"Anya....Anya", without paying attention to Xander, Anya let her hands roam over his excited body.
"Anya, stop it...!" With a lot of skill, Xander managed to release Anya's embrace and got up. "It won't be long...I'll be right back."
Sulking, Anya looked at her boyfriend, "But I want to have sex now and not later!"
"Come on, Anya, you know what my mother is like. We wouldn't have a moment's peace this night anymore!" Tenderly Xander put a strand of hair behind her ear. "And when I'm back, we'll have wild sex the whole night, promise."
"Promise?" Doubtful brown eyes looked at him.
"Really, cross my heart," with that Xander took the car keys and went to the door.
"Better hurry up Xander. You've 15 minutes before I go and get me another passionate Californian lover", Anya called after Xander.
A grinning Xander turned round again, "How dare you, you sexaholic old bag." And already he was gone.
"Oohhh, I hate men!...But no, not all men, only certain details about them, ohhh....Harris!" Groaning, Anya sunk back on the bed.
Angel's Apartment - Same Night
Surreptitiously, Angel glanced at the clock by the fireside. 11:05 pm. With a soft sigh he tried to catch up with the conversation between Buffy, Riley and Willow. Willow, who had seen his glance to the clock, looked questioning at him.
"Nothing", he mouthed in her direction. Buffy followed their little interlude with amusement and shoved Riley softly with her elbow. With an affected yawn she got up and dragged Riley along with her.
"God, is it really so late? I promised Giles to make an extra patrol tonight."
Riley laid an arm around Buffy's small waist and went with her to the door. Although he still felt uneasy in Angel's presence, he admired him for his strength, which had kept him alive till now. Willow and Angel escorted them to the door, but when Willow tried to follow the two, Angel held Willow back by her hand.
"You don't have to come with us, Angel,” Buffy referred to him, while she put on her jacket. "On our way to the graveyard we can drop Willow off at her house."
"No, Willow stays here tonight," replied Angel without thinking. When three amazed and disbelieving pair of eyes looked at him, he recognized suddenly how his declaration might have sounded. Angel was grateful that vampires couldn't blush. "I don't want Willow to stay alone at home, her parents are out of town for two months again,” he added lamely.
With a willful twinkle in her eyes, Buffy anwered, "If you say so. But Willow could also...."
"No!" Willow cut her short, only to get bright red. "No... I'd like to stay here... I mean... what I really want to say is... I'd feel safe."
Riley looked at Willow's and Angel's intertwined hands and how she instinctively had moved up to him. He had to avert his face so nobody could see his grin. *So so, the two are in love, who would have thought that…*
Before Buffy could say something more Riley took her by the elbow and pulled her out into the night.
"Good night, we'll see you tomorrow at Giles'!"
And with that said the two disappeared into the darkness. With a sigh of relief Angel shut the door behind them and led Willow back to the living room.
A bit insecure, Willow turned around to Angel to ask him what that was all about, but his kiss let her forget every coherent thought. Longing and with the same consuming passion, she responded to his demanding kiss. Invitingly she opened her lips and instantly Angel's tongue began to explore the moist cavity of her mouth. Hot shudders ran down Willow's spine and, groaning, her hands slid on their own will over Angel's muscular chest. Angel couldn't believe with how much passion 'his' Willow responded to his kisses. He knew that they had to stop, but his demon whispered again and again with a tempting voice how right this was and when he suddenly felt Willow's gentle hands on his naked skin, he was done. With a low growl he let his hands glide to Willow's waist and under her T-shirt, while he kissed a moist path to her neck. Willow was burning from the inside when she sensed Angel's cool hands and lips on her heated skin. She was enraptured by the play of his muscles in the light of the fire – he could only be described as looking like a marble statue from Michelangelo. Willow simply had to taste him. She bent forward und ran her tongue from Angel's shoulder blade to his left nipple. Angel was absolutely overwhelmed from the emotions that flew through him. The heat of Willow's lips left behind on his skin seemed to burn him and when she playfully began to suck at his nipple he couldn't hold back his lustful moan any longer. Angel knew that it soon would be too late for him to stop - they will have gone too far. He only knew one thing with absolute certainty - that he loved this red-haired bewitching creature with every fiber of his body and soul and he must possess her. Reluctantly, he let go of Willow to gain some distance between them, but when he looked in her lust-filled eyes he was done and all rational thoughts left his mind.
"Please, Angel," whispered Willow, breathless with passion, "I want to be yours."
Angel didn't need to hear more. He picked Willow up on his arms, who tenderly cuddled up to him and carried her in his bedroom where he placed her carefully on the silk covered bed-sheets. Willow hardly could see anything in the dark and so she reached blindly for the shadow who loomed above her and dragged him down on her. Over and over again their tongues dueled in a passionate dance old as time itself while their hands explored one another’s bodies. Soon all clothes were gone and Angel's lips trailed gently over Willow's, nibbling delicately at the soft curve of her smile. He buried his fingers in her fiery hair, his body searching for her warmth. Willow sighed and moved slowly against him simply enjoying the feeling of his caressing fingers. A shudder, which had nothing to do with the cold, ran through him. It was pure sensual desire.
Slowly Angel shifted his body until Willow lay beneath him. Her scent, the feeling of her soft body and her delicious flavor, burnt him to death. *I really shouldn't do this,* he thought, even though his blood pulsed hot and wild through his veins. Willow's skin gleamed like a pearl and a silky shimmer lay between her beautiful young breasts. Velvety darkness gleamed on her nipples, which instantly reacted to the cold air and became tight erect buds.
*Oh God, her mere sight is so exciting I'd come in an instant.* But he couldn't stop to look at her, except to touch her soft womanly forms, to taste and explore her. Angel bowed his head to her naked breasts and inhaled deeply. It was as if he took a deep breath of liquid fire. Tenderly he rubbed his forehead over one of her firm mounds. When he saw her velvety bud he couldn't resist any longer. Licking and sucking and reveling in her taste, Angel drew her nipple in his mouth. The sensations cursing through Willow's overexcited nipples flew straight to her core. Then she said, "Let me," and Angel rolled them over.
Willow straddled him as he lay flat on his back, her knees on either side of him. He moaned with need as her sex pressed hotly against his stomach. He would have grabbed her by the waist and thrust up and into her, but Willow shifted position before Angel could move. She leaned forward, and his head strained upward to suckle her breasts once more while her fingers took a long, sweet time trailing fire across his chest and throat and belly. Willow kissed him then, her tongue as talented a dancer as the rest of her. He moaned low in his throat, and the sound turned into a demanding growl as he shifted them again.
As ripples of pleasure shot through his loins and up his spine, his fingers stroked between her legs, teasing her moist, soft folds and the sweetly swollen nub. Willow forgot everything but the delicious waves of sensation overwhelming her. She'd never known pleasure like this, yet her body yearned for deeper, more intense passion. Her hips lifted with building hunger, her legs fell open before his gentle onslaught.
"Please", Willow begged, her body shivering with unsatisfied lust.
"Yes," Angel answered huskily, and loomed over her, thrusting deeply, smoothly, completely into her. Thunder rolled through her and lightning consumed her, but she was part of the storm, equal to him in fervor. Willow's need was terrifying, exhilarating, devastating, wonderful.
As Angel's weight pressed Willow down she strained upward, meeting each thrust as their bodies fit perfectly together, skin gliding against skin in sweet friction. Her legs went around his waist and she clung there, muscles straining, urging him into her. When Angel felt her first waves of orgasm fly through her body he shifted into game face and bit gently into her pulse point and followed her over the edge with one last thrust. Slowly Willow recovered from her climax by the soft purring of Angel, who lapped contently the last drops of blood from her bite mark. Sleepily, she snuggled closer to his cool and comforting body, whispering their love for each other, and they both fell into an exhausted sleep.
Xander's Basement - Same Night
Anya heard a soft knock at the door and rolled her eyes in frustration.
"How can only one person keep forgetting so many things," murmured Anya while she got up from the bed and went to the door.
"Honey, I'm coming," shouted Anya with sarcasm dripping from her voice as she opened the door with a swing. But not Xander waited for her on the other side. It was a black-clad disguised figure, who held an foul-smelling cloth to her nose. Anya desperately tried to fight her attacker, but slowly her resistance died down until she was lifelessly slumped down in the arms of the black-dressed man. The last thing she heard was his insane laughter before all went dark.
~Part: 6~
Somewhere in Sunnydale - Same Night
When Anya slowly awoke, she sensed at first a terrible coldness. She had the feeling her head would burst at any moment and she had a disgusting and foul taste in her mouth. Anya tried to wipe her hand over her forehead but to her horror, she discovered that she was bound on an operation table. Even her head was bound, so that she could see almost nothing of her surroundings.
"Ahh, I see my toy woke up after all," a croaking, inhuman sounding voice came from behind her head.
Wildly pulling at her manacles, Anya hissed, "You perverted pig, how dare you! My friends are already looking for me and when they get their hands on you..." exhausted Anya ended her squirming when she felt his cold gloved hand wandering over her bare stomach.
"Your boyfriend believes you're a screamer," inch by inch his hand slid higher, "let's test it!"
And when Anya saw the cold sparkle of the knife in his hand she screamed as she never screamed before in her life.
Xander's Basement - Same Night
Xander had just brought the milk to his mother when he recognized the open basement door.
"Anya, are you there?" he called from a distance. Soon he ran to the ajar door and pushed it fully open, but all he found was a total emptiness and a white cloth reaking of chloroform. Paling, Xander picked up the cloth with trembling fingers and sniffed it carefully. Disgusted, he jerked back, put it in his pocket and blazed a path to Giles'.
Giles' Apartment - Same Night
Totally out of breath, Xander reached Giles' home and pounded wildly against the door. "Open that damn door! I need your help!" When nobody answered him he reached for the door handle to rattle it. Astonished, he noticed that the door wasn't locked and so he entered the apartment, which laid in total silence with only the sound of the running tv.
"Giles! Spike! Where are you?" he whispered into the silence. Carefully he groped his way deeper into the house, anxious to make no sound. A low moaning made him spin around at once. When he saw Spike lying at the foot of the stairs, he instantly ran to him and turned the half-unconscious vampire carefully on his back. A threatening growl and Spike's vampire face let him briefly recoil but Xander's fear for Anya was bigger. "Hey, Deadboy Jr., watch out! What happened here?"
Amber eyes flashed furiously at him. "Fuckin' hell, shut up, Chap," hissed Spike through clenched teeth, "my head's killin' me."
Carefully Xander helped the swaying vampire on his feet and took him to the sofa. "Sit down, I'll get you some aspirin."
When Spike had gratefully swallowed the pills, he exhaustedly leaned his head back into the pillows. "What do you want here anyhow, Chap?" Spike wanted to know, after the stabbing pain in his head slowly died down.
"I believe someone kidnapped Anya," whispered Xander.
"Who would really want to...," began Spike with one of his usual biting remarks, but when he saw Xander's terrified and haunted face, he swallowed the rest. "What makes you think that she's kidnapped?" he asked instead.
Xander pulled the cloth out of his pocket, "I found this at the open basement door," and gave it to Spike. He scented briefly at it and nodded then.
"Seems to be chloroform."
"Shouldn't we wake up Giles?" Xander said finally.
"He's not here,” Spike replied.
"How do you know that, huh. I found you half-unconscious at the foot of the stairs," Xander wanted to know angrily.
"Only one heartbeat,” replied Spike dryly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" inquiring, Xander looked at Spike.
"That means, that you're the only living creature in the house at the moment. And before someone else disappears we should inform the others."
Hesitating, Xander nodded.
"Ok, I pick up Peaches and you try to find Slutty and her boytoy, do you think you'll make it?" Again Xander only nodded and went wordlessly to the door. But just before he left the house, he heard Spike say, "And take care of yourself, Harris!"
Angel's Apartment - Same Night
Spike cautiously opened the apartment door with the extra key and let himself in. He still hoped that Angel wasn't at home so he'd find a plausible explanation why Giles, even though under his supervision, disappeared. But when he saw all the scattered garments in the room he immediately forgot about Giles and Spike's curiosity increased immensely. Quietly, he snuck to Angel's bedroom and soundlessly opened the door. The sight of the two naked entangled bodies on the bed and the of sex smelling air let his body react at once. Hungrily, he let his eyes roam over the greater body. Like in the past when they still were friends, hunting partners and yes, lovers as well, the athletic muscular body of his sire had nothing lost of his beauty. And nothing of his erotic radiation too, Spike had to admit when his rock hard erection pressed painfully against the front of his black jeans. He was just about to retreat soundlessly when he was pressed flat against the next wall. Like steel vices his sire's hands grasped his neck and pressed mercilessly. Yellow furious eyes flashed at him and a deep growl vibrated deep in Angel's chest while his fangs glittered like pearls in the moonlight.
"Who gave you permission to enter my bedroom?" hissed Angel infuriated and pressed a little bit harder. Spike had the feeling as if to suffocate, even though he didn't need to breathe. Desperately he tried to say something, but he only could croak.
"And who allowed you to stare at my mate, Childe?" The last word came out with a really threatening snarl. Angel didn't only look at this moment like the former Angelus - he behaved like him as well. Spike would have never thought that so much of his old sire existed in Angel. And he did the only thing that would rescue him at the moment - he bared his neck to his sire and offered his blood. But Spike wasn't prepared for the feelings, which flew through him, when Angel sank his fangs almost brutally in his pulse point and began to drink deeply. Liquid fire ran through Spike's veins and the last bitter century was wiped out. Only this exciting feeling existed when his sire drank from him. A small and disappointed whimper escaped him as soon as Angel's fangs retreated after only some gulps till Spike heard the soft purr and sensed the cool tongue which gently lapped the last drops of his blood from the fresh bite mark. Spike relished this momentarily bond between sire and childe and answered with the same soft purring.
Willow, who had sat paralysed on the bed and had observed fascinated the exchange between sire and childe, wrapped the bed sheet around her naked body and carefully approached the two vampires. Angel, who sensed the nearness of his mate, stopped purring and wanted to turn around to her. But Spike's menacing snarl against Willow let him freeze and with a speed unnoticeable for the human eye he punched Spike in the face with his fist.
"Wait for me in the living room and God forbid if you smear your blood on my couch…" With a last glance at Willow, who timidly snuggled up to Angel, Spike wiped at the blood that leaked from the corner of his mouth and pulled himself together to wait in the living room for his sire.
Wordlessly Angel turned round to Willow and took her protectively in his arms.
"What was that about?" whispered Willow, still under the shock of what she had just witnessed.
"Vampire behavior," answered Angel, while he stroked her back soothingly.
"But you behaved so...so-"
"Wild? Animalistic?" Angel concluded the sentence for her. "I'm in the first place a vampire, Willow, and as such one I react to the behavior of other vampires. I don't want to pretend to be something or someone else even if it means to lo-" Willow's forefinger on his lips silenced him.
"I love you just the way you are. I don't want to pretend that the scene from earlier didn't scare me but if you ever want to tell me what it's like to be a vampire than that is enough for me. I love you, Angel, my Mate." Tenderly Angel kissed the bite mark on Willow's soft neck before he lifted her up and brought her back to the bed.
"I'd like you to stay in this room while I talk to Spike. Would you do this for me, Little One?" Willow nodded, eager to drown in Angel's dark brown eyes and gave him as an answer a long passionate kiss. After a long while Angel freed himself from Willow's tender embrace and quickly put on his trousers before he, after one last longing glance at his redheaded seductress, left the room.
Spike impatiently slid around on the sofa. Not only did he hate not to budge for more than three minutes but also the unmistakable scent of the arousal from the two coming from the bedroom made it impossible for him to forget his own arousal and what it had caused. He was so lost in his thoughts that he winced in a frightened manner when he suddenly heard the deep gentle voice of his sire behind him.
"May I ask you why you would rather play voyeur here than to carry out your put on task?" Even though Angel's voice sounded totally normal, Spike could see by the amber flickering in his brown eyes how hard it was for him to control himself. Submissively Spike cast down his eyes and thought carefully about how to master the situation at best.
"Does the answer lay hidden on my carpet, Boy?" There he was again, the old Angelus, who Spike had loved and at the same time hated for so long and secretly had missed. Gathering all his courage, Spike straightened up and raised his eyes.
"Bloody hell, I've really bad news for you, Angelus." Angel pretended not to have heard Spike's old reference to him and urged him to go on. "Someone broke into Giles' house tonight and put me out of action with a fuckin' poisoned arrow. When I recovered, Xander was there and Giles was gone."
"Did you already inform the others, in order to help us with the search?" Angel wanted to know.
"Xander's taking care of the slayer. But you haven't heard the worst yet, Angelus!" ended Spike with his report. Inquiringly, Angel looked into Spike's concerned iceblue eyes. "Anya was kidnapped."
~Part: 7~
Giles' Apartment - Next Morning
They had searched for the remainder of the night for Anya and Giles, but in vain. Exhausted, they had all had turned up at Giles' again, only to discover that Giles was peacefully sleeping in his bed. After a breakfast and Giles' explanation that he was well but couldn't remember anything of what happened last night, they all began with the feverish hunt for any information. To rule out that some demon or a new unknown prophecy was behind all of this, Giles and Xander drove to the Magic Box to plow through the books there. Angel followed them through the tunnels and would - after a short excursion to Willy's - meet with them. Willow tried in the meantime to hack into the police computer system.
"Damn it!" whispered Willow, furious, after she came across the next seemingly invincible barrier.
"Problems, Red?" came Spike's smug question much too close behind her.
Willow clenched her teeth and swallowed her biting remark before she started her work again. Spike, who sensed her unease and found it to be great fun, moved closer still, but when he saw the fresh bite mark on Willow's neck, he stopped dead in his tracks. A menacing growl, which slowly rose in volume, made Willow turn in her chair. Frightened, she leapt up when she found herself suddenly up against a Spike in full vamp mode. Slowly Willow moved backwards, Spike following her with catlike grace, till a wall made a further retreat impossible for her.
"Spike? Spike...please...what's going on?" whispered Willow anxiously and held up one of her small hands in defense. If it was possible Spike's growling got even more threatening, before he furious snarled through clenched teeth, "He bit you!"
Automatically, Willow reached for her neck and covered Angel's bite mark. Spike leaned both hands against the wall, so that Willow was captured between them. When she looked in Spike's amber vampire eyes, Willow shut her terror-filled eyes and took a quivering breath, awaiting Spike's next move.
Giles' Magic shop ~ Same day
An exhausted Xander shut the book, which he had read for hours and took another one from the great staple before him. Giles and Angel too hadn't found any hint so far which referred to a new prophecy. And Willy wasn't a great help either.
"Er...I fear that we...hmm....have to deal with something completely...er....else," Giles stumbled finally and polished his glasses before he put them on again.
"Or we don't see the obvious,” replied Angel and pushed the book away, when suddenly a wave of emotions rolled through him. Fear and pain! His mate was in danger and he wasn't there to protect her. Xander looked up alarmed and when he saw Angel jump up, he knew instantly what was going on.
"Willow?"
Angel only nodded and ran to the tunnels to reach Willow as fast as possible, but he knew that he wouldn't make it in time.
"Come on, G-man, we should follow, " and already they raced to Giles' old car to follow Angel.
Giles' Apartment - Same Day
Spike was jealous of an 18 year-old schoolgirl. He couldn't believe it! But since he had become a helpless cripple with the chip in his head, he hadn’t felt this furious. The closeness to his sire and the tentative recovery of their old friendship didn't bring just bad memories up, but also the old insecurities and bitter feelings. When Dru made him a vampire in those days and then just forgot about him because she had once again gone through one of her insane phases, he'd almost starved to death. Angelus had found him in his dark cold cellar and took care of him. From him he'd learned everything and Angelus also was the one who showed him what it meant to be a vampire. Spike had fallen in love with this demon when he first laid eyes on him - his fine sculptured and aristocratic face with these dark brown eyes, in which someone could drown if he looked to long inside. Angelus had declared soon afterwards Spike as his childe and took over Dru's claim. Of course, Angelus made fun of Spike's idolatrous love for him, but at night, when they came back together from a successful hunt and made passionate love, Angelus allowed himself the luxury to show Spike his true feelings. This all changed when Darla, Angelus' sire, came back and claimed almost every free minute of her favorite childe. Spike hated her with every fiber and rebelled against every order given by her, so that Angelus was always forced to punish him. This was the moment when the reticent poetic William slowly became the cruel and cynical Spike of today. And when Angelus disappeared in Romania after all and left Spike behind with two hysterical women, his feelings finally changed to hate. At least he had believed it, until Angel suddenly showed up two month ago in his crypt. And last night, when Angel bit him, all the old, deep buried feelings rose up again. And now he had to sit back and watch, when his sire paid attention to someone else. Spike didn't intend to harm Willow, but he had to know why his sire had made this shy red-haired witch his mate. And so Spike leant forward and pressed his lips on Willow's. Shocked, Willow tore her eyes open, when Spike's cool lips touched hers. Desperately she pressed her hands against his hard chest, but his low growl startled her and let her give in. After a short moment, Spike ended his kiss and licked over the fresh bite mark before he carefully bit the same spot. Spike wasn't prepared for the incredibly pure and sweet taste of Willow's blood. He sensed how she painfully winced and waited for the uninvited pain caused by the chip, but nothing happened, no pain, only this god-like sensation to drink human blood after all. After a long while he retracted his fangs from her jugular and licked, almost tenderly, the last drops, which dripped out of the wound, away. Then he studied her pale face almost lovingly.
"I can understand why Angelus chooses you as his mate," Willow heard Spike softly and seriously say. Cautiously, Willow opened her eyes and saw that Spike wore his human facade again.
"Why?" a confused Willow wanted to know.
"Why what, Red?" replied Spike while he searched in the pockets of his leather duster for his cigarettes. Afterwards he went to the sofa and sat down with his Doc Marten's on Giles' coffee table.
Willow kept an eye on him. "Why...why did you... just frighten me like that?"
Slowly, Spike blew out the smoke of his cigarette, then he motioned
invitingly at the seat beside him. When he saw the fear in Willow's eyes,
Spike tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
"Even though I'm starving and you're a very appetizing bite, Luv, would
you please bring your cute little ass over here?”
Willow took a deep breath and then went slowly to Spike to sit down beside him on the sofa with a stretch of distance between them. "What have I done that you hate me so much?" interrupted Willow's soft voice after a long silence between them. Astonished, Spike looked up from his cigarette, which tangled disregarded between his fingers. Lightly raising his scarred eyebrow, Spike looked at Willow.
"Listen, Red, to get one thing totally straight, I don't hate you." When he saw Willow's doubtful look, Spike had the sudden urge to tell her the truth. Somehow he knew that he could trust in Willow completely, but Spike didn't know where to begin. "I-," clumsily Spike cleared his throat. "I'mbloodyjelousofyou," he concluded his explanation quickly and waited for Willow's laughter. When no such thing happened, however, he looked directly at Willow. To his amazement her eyes showed comprehension rather than amusement. "What, Red, no pert comment or remark?" Spike wanted to know.
Carefully, Willow shook her head. She was totally surprised and unprepared by Spike's confession and wanted to avoid destroying the momentarily relaxed mood between them with an unwise reply. "I guessed something like that after Angel told me how close you two were."
"Peaches talks about me?" Spike wanted to know, full of curiosity. "Bloody hell, what stories does my old pops tell about me then?"
Willow was slow to answer, but perhaps here was the chance to sort things out between sire and childe. And so she hoped to do the right thing when she answered truthfully, "He misses his family and above all his favorite childe. Perhaps you'd-" before Willow could end her sentence, the door to the tunnels burst open and Angel appeared, his true face firmly showing. After a short look around the room for any threat for his mate, he relaxed a bit and his human feature appeared again. Relieved, Angel rushed at Willow's side and took her in his arm to give her a long passionate kiss.
"I could sense your pain," whispered Angel into Willow's silky strands. Reassuringly, Willow stroked Angel's back and snuggled up into his arms. She wanted to prevent the happening that Angel would see her fresh bite mark until tonight when she’d have a plausible explanation. Angel's relief to find his mate unharmed lasted only one moment, when he suddenly noticed Spike's scent on Willow's skin. Over Willow's head he looked at Spike and when he avoided Angel's eyes, he knew that something had happened between them. Willow sensed how Angel's back muscles under her fingers tensed and a deep threatening growl rose in his chest. She had to avoid a fight between the two vampires under all circumstances. Willow knew from the watcher's diaries, which she had secretly read, that Spike had done something unforgivable and so she took Angel's vampire face, which had appeared again, into her hands and forced him to look into her eyes. Over and over again it flickered amber up in his eyes and his growling took on a possessive tone.
"Mine," whispered Willow firmly, before she stood up on her tiptoes and claimed his lips in a passionate kiss. After a long time, Angel's growling slowly died down and he noticeably relaxed. Breathlessly Willow ended the kiss to take a deep breath. "I love you, my Mate."
"And so do I, Little One, but I can't bear to think that I'd lose you to someone else," confessed Angel openly, too deep was his angst to get hurt again as with Buffy.
"Trust me, Angel, nothing happened and it'll never be something between Spike and I. I am your mate, forever, if you want it," said Willow forcefully, while she stroked his cheek gently. Slowly, Angel nodded and gave her one last kiss, this time soft and full of tenderness. Shocked, both broke apart when suddenly the door flew open with a loud crash and Giles and Xander armed to the teeth burst into the room.
"Fuckin' ace, the cavalry is here!" shouted Spike dryly.
~Part: 8~
Giles' Apartment - Same day
During the day Buffy and Riley joined them, but they too hadn't discovered news about Anya's whereabouts. Xander became increasingly worried the more time passed by. He called at home or in the surrounding hospitals again and again; however, Anya turned up nowhere. Meanwhile, the others were creating a plan to make the patrols more effective when the door bell rang at about 6:00 pm. Spike, who just came out of the kitchen with a fresh heated cup of blood, opened the door.
"Xander, package for you!" he called to the back.
*Why is a package delivered to Giles for me?* wondered Xander, while
he signed the receipt and then carried the package into the living room.
Carefully, he opened the lid and was astonished about the strange sweetish
smell that came out of it. Spike and Angel, who recognized the smell at
once, tried desperately to reach Xander before he could open the whole
package, but it was already too late. White as a sheet, Xander looked inside
the package before he quickly turned around and headed retching to the
bathroom.
Willow and Buffy, who came running into the room, were stopped by Angel's sharp command. "Don't get any closer!"
"I don't believe that you can give me orders," protested Buffy indignantly and tried to come closer but Spike blocked her way demonstratively.
"Bloody hell, you two better get your asses to the bathroom to help your friend and leave that effin' mess to my sire!" Buffy had never before seen Spike so serious. Wordlessly, she took Willow by her hand and dragged her with her to the bathroom from where a loud sobbing came.
Angel was relieved when the girls left the room and hoped that Giles and Riley didn't come back from shopping at this moment. Carefully, he approached the package, took a deep and unneeded breath and lifted the lid. Gasping, and a hint more pale than usual, he quickly turned away.
"What is it?" Spike wanted to know finally, even though he already suspected it.
After Angel took some deep breaths, he looked straight into Spike's eyes, "Someone sent Xander Anya's skin." Disbelievingly, Spike wanted to go and see for himself but Angel held him back at his arm. "Just believe me this one time and help me to remove her mortal remnants before the others come back!"
*** *** ***
Xander sat slumped in front of the toilet and couldn't stop vomiting while the whole time tears where streaming over his deathly pale face. Although he had nothing more in his stomach, it choked him constantly again. As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the horrible picture of Anya's meticulously folded skin.
Buffy and Willow knew that there must have been something terrible in the package to make their best friend break down. Both tried with wet clothes and soft soothing words to pull Xander out of his shock but nothing seemed to help. After a long while they finally managed to pull Xander on his unsteady feet and to lead him out of the bathroom.
On their way to Giles' guestroom, Willow whispered, "Do you think you can handle him a moment alone?" Buffy stifled a grin and nodded. "I’ll hurry to the kitchen and look for Aspirin and sleeping pills."
Willow recognized that Angel and Spike as well as the ominous package have vanished. She knew that the contents were connected to Anya, what else could explain Xander's fierce reaction? Just now in the seclusion of the kitchen, Willow realized slowly that Anya had to be dead. They were never really good friends but Anya made, in her own twisted way, Xander happy and when Willow thought about the brutal way in which the killer had slaughtered the waitress, everything went black for a second. Resolutely, Willow wiped the tears from her eyes, took the pills and went back to the guestroom.
Xander lay completely apathetic on the bed and stared blindly at the ceiling. With the help of Buffy, Willow managed to give him the sleeping pills but when she tried to get up from the bed, Xander grasped at her wrist and pulled her down back at his side. Buffy wanted to step in but Willow shook her head and snuggled up to Xander, who instinctively lay an arm around her waist and pressed her firmly against his body. It was as if they were little kids again and they sought refuge with each other. After a long while, Xander's strong hold on her lessened and his breath became regular, he seemed to be finally have fallen asleep.
"Do you think that the package has something to do with Anya?" whispered Buffy quietly as possible so that Xander didn't wake up.
"She's definitely dead, Buffy," Willow whispered back. "He hasn't reacted so badly. Not even when Jesse died.”
"Will you cope?" Buffy wanted to know with a sad look at Xander and when Willow only rolled her eyes, she pointed to the door and said, "I’ll go and check after the others. Later on I'll take turns with Xander, ok?" When Buffy went down, she saw Angel, Spike, Giles and Riley deepened into a conversation.
"All right, boys," started Buffy resolutely as soon as she entered the room. "I want answers, ok?" inquiringly, Buffy looked from one to the other.
Riley pulled her finally to him on the chair. "I don't think that you want to know every detail of the letter. Angel only told us so much that we've to assume that Anya is dead." Surprised, Buffy looked at Angel, but he shook his head imperceptibly.
"I've just told them about the letter, which Xander received today." Comprehension dawned in Buffy's eyes.
"Peaches and I have already initiated the funeral," threw Spike without his usual snidely remarks in.
"How is Xander holding up?" asked Giles while he cleaned his glasses with his handkerchief.
"Willow is with him. I suppose he’s sleeping at the moment and in about two hours I'll take turns," said Buffy while she snuggled up to Riley. Angel got up and just wanted to leave the room to look after his mate when Buffy's voice held him back. "Please Angel, remember how long both have been friends when you enter the guestroom," warned Buffy cryptically since she knew of his jealousy. Frowning, Angel nodded and went upstairs. The sight which greeted him was truly not reassuring. His mate lay snuggled up to Xander, who had placed an arm firmly around her small waist. Unconsciously, Angel began to growl threateningly and Willow's eyes popped open at once.
"Shh, you'll wake him up!" she whispered slightly reproachful and at the same time Willow tried to free herself from Xander's embrace. Angel couldn't stand the sight before him any longer, not after the event with Spike earlier today, and silently left the room. Willow panicked and only wanted to get to Angel, in order to explain everything to him, because he knew from Cordelia what had happened three years earlier in the old warehouse between her and Xander. After some effort, Willow succeeded finally to entangle herself from Xander's embrace and ran at once downstairs where she expected to find Angel. But when she entered the living room, he was nowhere to be seen. Willow hoped against her better judgment, Angel was in the kitchen drinking something. Reluctantly, she went to Giles and sat down beside him.
"How did Xander handle the news about Anya's death?" Giles asked sympathetically.
"He's asleep now," replied Willow almost absentminded before she anxiously asked Buffy, "Do you know where Angel is?"
Before Buffy had a chance to answer her, Spike said, "He left ten minutes ago, Luv." When he saw her panicked look and sensed that she wanted to jump up to follow Angel, Spike reached for Willow's ice cold hands. "You'll not bleedin' follow him, Red, do you hear me? No soddin' matter what happened up there between you, it'll sort itself out again!"
"Spike, you don't understand," begged Willow with tears forming in her emerald eyes, "he found me in Xander's arms and Cordelia has told him how in love I was with him....and then the incident with you this morning too!" In the meantime, Willow's emerald eyes swam in tears. Spike embraced her and tried to comfort her, he knew precisely how thick-skulled his Sire sometimes could be and hoped that Angel would listen to Willow's explanation.
"Shh, Luv," he whispered reassuringly in Willow's silky hair while he tenderly rocked her in his arms. "I think I know where to find him, hmm? Now, Luv, be a brave little girl and wipe your tears away, so that we can sort all things out." At Spike's soft spoken words, Willow's tears almost ran dry.
"Spike, I can't lose him," murmured Willow slightly sniffling in his t-shirt. Encouraging, Spike drew Willow on her feet.
"We'll be back soon, " Spike called over his shoulder and left three astonished people behind.
~Part: 9~
The Old Mansion - Same night
"Where do we go?" Willow wanted to know and tried to keep pace with Spike. When he noticed that she was out of breath, Spike slowed down.
"I think he's in this old mansion, bloody good place to let out your rage," remarked Spike casually. If he knew Angelus at all, he was guessing that his sire had just demolished all of the mansion’s furniture. The sooner they would arrive, the better for all persons concerned. When they entered the mansion through the side entrance, they already heard bursting glass and furious cursing from a distance.
Willow came to a halt and took some deep breaths to pluck some courage. "I have to do this on my own, Spike. Would you please tell the others not to wait for me?"
Respect for her flashed up in his azure blue eyes. "Be careful, Red, his demon has the upper hand on him, you could get hurt."
"Angel would never hurt me," was Willow’s indignant reply as she went to enter the house. But Spike held her back.
"His soddin' demon is full of rage for you, Luv. You constantly declare how much you love both parts of my sire, but you claimed neither the man nor the demon." When Spike saw Willow's blank look, he sighed theatrically. "I thought, pet, that you're the brain of the club." With a shake of his head he dragged Willow a little away from the entry. "All right, Red, if you do everything how I tell you, tomorrow morning everything'll be an old hat. In the vampire world it's not sufficient to constantly say 'I love you'. Other vampires need a visible proof in order to give them no silly ideas."
With his last words, it began to dawn on Willow what he was driving at. "Angel bit you to let all the other vampires know how much he loves you and that you belong to him. Since you haven't bitten him, apparently yet, his demon believes that your love oaths aren't meant honestly. Luv," Spike said forcefully and took her cold hands in his, "if you're able to come near him... and if you're completely sure that you love him for all eternity, and believe me, eternity means a long, long time, baby, then damn well bite him," Spike said, ending the longest speach he had ever held.
"I'm absolutely sure, Spike," Willow assured him. Spike nodded and turned to leave, when he heard Willow softly add, "I'll do everything so that you get your sire back. I'll never get between you two." Spike looked over his shoulder, nodded briefly to acknowledge that he had heard her and vanished in the darkness of the night.
*** *** ***
Willow wiped her cold and sweaty palms on her pants and took a deep breath to calm her fluttery nerves, then she went in the direction from where she heard the loud noises of Angel's destruction crusade. She carefully opened the door and blanched at the sight of the heap of rubble. In the middle of the destruction stood Angel in his vampire face with all of the pictures that he had ever painted ripped to pieces. When Willow saw what Angel just destroyed, she could no longer stand back so she tried to stop him. As soon as Angel heard her, he turned with lightning speed to her direction and snarled dangerously. Willow had never seen him so furious and she skidded some feet away from him to an abrupt halt.
"Angel," she said with a soft and reassuring voice, as if she was speaking to a predator right about to attack her, "Let me please explain it to you."
Angel's only answer was a deep growl and the flashing of his fangs, before he turned back to his task of destroying his paintings. Carefully, Willow snuck forward, but had to stop when Angel’s snarls became louder and more threatening.
She suddenly recognized the picture in his hand, the only remnant of his family. Willow rushed forward and called out in despair, "Noooo!"
With a menacing growl, Angel turned around and hit Willow in the face with his fist. From the impact of the unexpected punch, she dropped to the hard stone floor and slid several meters before a wall stopped her unconscious body. When Angel saw Willow's lifeless body, he awoke immediately from his fury and ran to her side. Gently he checked her body for any fractures and winced at the sight of her face where he had struck her. He slowly scooped her up in his arms as if she was made of fragile porcelain and carried her to Spike's old room. Willow thought she was floating and opened her eyes cautiously, but the severe pain in her head made her groan and shut them at once. Angel again winced guiltily at her moaning form. Deathly pale, he laid his precious weight on the antique bed and then withdrew into the shadows. Just when he turned the handle, Angel heard Willow's low voice.
"Angel?" Paralyzed, Angel stood still. "Please...come back to me." Did she only imagine it or did his posture become a little bit stiffer? "Is the great Angelus afraid of a little girl?" Willow attempted another tactic and gasped in surprise when from nowhere suddenly Angel in full vamp-mode loomed above her.
"Don't try to play games with me, little girl, you can only lose," Angel hissed angrily. Willow, who knew how close to the surface the real Angelus was, was acquainted with his weakness and tried to take advantage of it. Under narrowed eyelashes she looked up into his dark face.
"You're not half as interesting for me as Angel." She barely finished speaking, when he already attacked her. Brutally, he pressed his lips on hers and forced them apart to explore almost violently with his tongue the soft cavern of her mouth, while his hands kneaded her soft breasts painfully. Willow was barely able to breathe and felt nausea rise up in her throat. All her pent-up fears of Angelus crashed down on her, but suddenly she could hear clearly Spike's voice. "You must bite him...you must bite him..." With all her strength Willow began to fight against Angelus' attack, who released her surprised. Grinning smugly, he glanced at her flushed face and messed up clothing. "You're a cute little brat, perhaps you have more fire than the lousy slayer."
At the sight of his mocking grin, which Willow so loved on Angel, she flipped out. She slammed into Angelus’ body with a yell of sheer rage. This let him reel back on the bed under her onrush and Willow straddled his hips.
"Mine!" said Willow loud and firmly, before she bent down and bit with her blunt teeth into Angel's neck. When she tasted the unique slightly salty flavour of his blood, she lost all coherent thoughts and began to drink. Only when Willow heard Angel's content purring, she slowly lifted her head and looked into his now again soulful brown eyes, which gleamed full of love and passionate fire. "Do you believe now, that I only love you, you silly vampire?" murmured Willow and kissed him long and tenderly.
Angel couldn't quite comprehend what just had happened, had Willow really bitten him or was it only another one of his daydreams again? Carefully he touched his neck and looked at his bloody fingertips in surprise. "Do you know what you did, Little One?" Angel wanted to know, but Willow only shrugged her shoulders and then lapped at the remaining blood on his fingers. The touch of her moist tongue on his skin drove Angel almost crazy with need and with a groan he rubbed his obvious erection at her hip. Quickly she stood up and undressed before she straddled his hips again, her own need to be with her mate too great.
Angel couldn't stop touching his fire goddess, brief brushes with his fingertips across her cheeks, her throat. His thumb gently traced her lips and Willow couldn't stop herself from kissing it and drawing it seductively between her teeth. His breath caught in a sharp gasp of response and his large cock throbbed even more. Willow began to move over his erection and slowly unbuttoned his silk shirt. Exposing his muscular chest, she let her short fingernails scratch down from his shoulder blades to his waistband where she provocatively pulled down the zipper of his pants and freed his aching cock.
Angel looked deep into her eyes and said in a tone, mixed between authority and seductive charm, "Touch me."
Willow's emerald eyes locked with Angel's almost black ones and she could feel the heat of her passion seep from between her legs. "I will touch you," whispered Willow; her heart began to race and her hand trembled slightly, as she comprehended what she would do. "But you have to lay still. Promise me that you don't move."
Angel managed a wry smile. "I can't give you that promise, Little One, I lose my self-control just when you look at me."
Encouraged by his words she took his pulsing shaft into her small hand. Angel's only response was the clenching of his fists in the bed sheets and a low moan.
At first Willow felt a bit uneasy and stroked Angel's hard cock only softly. But motivated by his constantly rising passionate groaning, she grabbed him harder. Angel closed his eyes full of longing and took a trembling breath, only to let them fly open again in surprise, when he sensed Willow's moist lips around his cock head and how she gently began sucking on it. Unconsciously, he moved his hips and wanted to sank deeper into her warm wet mouth, but he forced himself back to immobility. Willow tasted a salty liquid seeping from the tip of his pulsing cock and found the aroma exciting. Getting braver, she let Angel's cock slip deeper into her mouth and stroked the thick vain on the underside with the tip of her tongue. When Willow began to caress Angel's testicles with her other hand, he couldn't stand it any longer. Yelping he pulled her away from his twitching cock. "Kiss me," Angel whispered huskily and pulled Willow down on his waiting mouth, which hungered for the taste of her lips.
The sigh, which she heard, was her own. She let herself pull down from Angel, and when her mouth covered his, she opened her lips to receive his searching tongue. She melted, relishing every inch of his body, which touched hers, and quivered when their tongues danced together. During the kiss she further stroked him, squeezed and caressed him with a courage and confidence, which she didn't knew she possessed, till now. Angel could feel his balls tighten under her ministrations and knew that he was near his orgasm, but he didn't want it to end so fast. When he took his hand from her neck to lay it around her waist, Willow sighed in disappointment. She loved the way he stroked her hair. Just when she wanted to tell him, that he shouldn't stop his stroking, his hand gripped one of her ass cheeks and his fingertips slid stroking firmly near the point where her hottest sensations burned. Slowly he slid a finger in her wetness and gently began to pump it in and out of her while she writhed and bucked in ecstasy against the palm of his hand. After a while Willow couldn't stand it any longer and she felt a surge of desire spread through her belly and pussy.
"Aaaaaaangel," yelled Willow as the first waves of her desire crushed through her. With lightning speed, Angel changed her positions and thrust his aching cock in the warm moist depth of her womanhood. With deep strokes he pushed into her and Willow wrapped her legs around his waist to take Angel even deeper into her tight cunt. Angel tried desperately to fight his demon down but to no avail. When Willow rode moaning to her next orgasm, she clenched his hard pounding organ with her inner walls and Angel fell over the edge. With a roar he spilt his cold dead seed deep into her womb and bit savagely into her sweaty neck.
*** *** ***
Totally spent, Angel licked the remaining drops of Willow's sweet and intoxicating blood from her bite mark and then rolled, still buried deep within her, on his back. With a blissful sigh and quite exhausted, Willow snuggled against his hard chest. Tenderly Angel drew designs with his fingertips on Willow's small back.
"Just ask," urged Willow.
"What makes you think that I would like to ask something?" Angel counter questioned in an innocent tone, he just hoped that his Willow'd let him drop the topic. Angel really didn't know if he was prepared for her answer yet. Had she bitten him because she was so furious about him or because she wanted to be really bound to him for all eternity as his mate? It was really hard to say - he only knew that his demon had retired completely satisfied in the depth of his mind. For the first time in almost a century there was no rage, no bloodlust and no fighting...just calmness and comfort.
"Either," said Willow propping up on one elbow and kissed tenderly Angel's tip of his nose, "you ask me now directly", a kiss on his left eyebrow, "or", a kiss on his right eyebrow, "you immediately stop the brooding." A kiss at the corner of his mouth and Willow felt how Angel's cock swelled within her. "But when I reflect on it, I really want something else of you now." Slowly Willow straightened up and sensually rotated her small hips, which elicited a growl of pure desire from Angel. He laid his hands on her hips to guide her movements, but Willow slapped his hands away playfully. "What now?" Under half-closed eyelids she looked down on him.
"What?" asked Angel a bit breathless and totally absentminded. All his senses were focused on this fire-goddess, who rode him into total bliss. Groaning, Angel thrust his hips up to sink deeper into her warmth and his soft brown eyes were melting with pure lust and desire. Willow rested her hands on his broad shoulders and bent down till her fiery hair spilt over his chest like a fan and whispered in his ear, "For all eternity."
"I love you so much, Little One," Angel stated solemnly and changed their positions in one swift move. Lowering his body on top of her, he began to stroke in and out slowly, letting her feel the entire length of him going in, filling her and then withdrawing almost completely and thrusting in again. Gradually, the speed of his strokes increased as he felt the tension mounting within him. She was moving her hips in rhythm with his strokes as if they had been making love for many years and knew each others' timing perfectly. Once more, forcefully, almost urgently, he claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss, letting his tongue explore, meeting the resistance of her tongue as he invaded her mouth. They were building higher toward that ultimate climax.
"Mmmm," he moaned in her ear, "come with me, sweetling," as his balls erupted shooting dead cum up inside her just as she felt her body go into a spasm that signaled her own orgasm. They lay together, spent for a few short moments and then he rolled onto his back, pulling her onto her side against him.
They lay there in sated contentment with her head on his shoulder and his arm holding her tightly against his body for what must have been only a few minutes but seemed like forever to her. Then he turned, kissed her gently and asked, "Are you OK?"
"Yes," she replied with a sleepy smile.
"No regrets?" Angel wanted to know, not yet quite convinced.
"None," Willow assured him, kissing him deeply again. Then they lay quietly side by side, enjoying the feel of their bodies touching in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Softly they whispered to each other, speaking of the wonder at their union and how it came to be, till Morpheus claimed their exhausted bodies.
~Part: 10~
Cemetery in Sunnydale - 3 Days Later
Anya's funeral was held at night so that the two vampires could also take part. A soft breeze rustled through the leafs of the old oak trees and whispered a coming storm. Only few people had found their way here because Anya didn't make many friends in the short time as a human, but those who now stood at her grave mourned deeply, with lowered heads, over her death. And so nobody saw the dark figure standing in some distance, looking full of satisfaction when the coffin was let down into the dark earth and feasted his eyes on Xander who was collapsed in tears. Rubbing his hands in anticipation of what his old friend Ripper would plan next, Ethan Rayne withdrew deeper into the shadows of the old trees and left, softly whistling through the cemetery.
Riley and Giles helped Xander up and accompanied him to the car. For three days he hadn't spoken a word nor left Giles' house. Only in Willow's range, Xander seemed to relax a bit.
Willow looked full of pride at the bite marks on Angel's neck, who stood talking with his childe in some distance. Despite his enhanced healing abilities, the scar of the bite mark was still visible. Buffy couldn't resist any longer and finally wanted to satisfy her curiosity. When she saw Willow's proud owner look, she couldn't stiffle her giggle, but stopped at once when she became aware of her surroundings. A bit embarrassed, Buffy cleared her throat.
"Yes, I'm really happy," Willow anticipated Buffy.
"No more macho scenarios of jealousy?" Buffy wanted to know next, still vividly remembering Angel's outburst from three days ago.
Frowning, Willow thought it over, before she honestly answered, "Since I claimed Angel," a slight blush covered her cheeks in the memory of this night, "he's much calmer and balanced. He's barely worried now, when I spend some time with other men... that's with one exception."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Xander?" she bet.
Bewildered Willow looked from her mate at Buffy. "It's Spike of course... how do you only come to the idea that it could be Xander?" wanted Willow to know with a compassionate shake of her head before her glance moved back to Angel.
Buffy opened her mouth... and then shut it again. "Spike... sure," Buffy mumbled to herself irritated, "how could I only assume that Angel would consider 'the great love of your life' as a rival."
"Doesn't he look gorgeous?" Willow sighed dreamily as if she hadn't heard Buffy's comment. Looking heavenwards, Buffy went to the car and joined Giles and Riley to drive back to the apartment.
"This two are worse than lovesick cats," she complained and pointed with her thumb at Willow and Angel.
"Jealous?" Riley asked casually, but Buffy couldn't be deceived. She lovingly gave him a kiss.
"I've everything to make me happy found within you," Buffy whispered in his ear before she leaned back again in her seat. Relieved, Riley smiled at her and started the car.
*** *** ***
Willow approached Angel from behind and flung her arms around his waist. "What are you both so intensely talking about?" Willow wanted to know, while she rubbed her cheek at his back.
Spike, who saw how Angel's eyes became dark with lust at the touch of his mate, felt the overwhelming urge to say something shocking. "Oh...ye know, Luv, we only discussed the endless possibilities for a hot three-some tonight."
Willow had to laugh heartily at Spike's innocent face and husky tone, although she knew that he meant it seriously in some parts. Angel was torn from his erotic dreams and smacked Spike's head.
"Ouch, what was that for?" wailed Spike and rubbed the back of his aching head.
"Ya know, me boy, what I have told ya yesterday concerning me mate," Angel emphasized with flickering amber eyes, "and now get in the car, we're late."
While Angel helped Willow into the car, Spike grumbled under his breath, "Who says that I meant Red?"
Somewhere in Sunnydale - In the Middle of the Night
Although no further murder had happened in the last week, they had decided nevertheless to only go on patrols in pairs. All researches came to nothing and the group assumed that it was 'only' a sadistic murderer who maybe had moved on to the next unfortunate town.
Buffy sat with Riley on a park bench. They looked like a couple in love, kissing, touching and whispering words of love to one another, but over and over again their eyes traveled watchful over their surroundings. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Riley was hit by an electroshock and slumped down immobile with a cry of pain. Buffy jumped up and turned around in fighting pose, when she suddenly received a kick in the back which sent her reeling on her stomach. Reflexively she rolled around and leapt to her feet, but a powerful blow into her face with an iron hard fist, breaking her nose, made her lose again her balance. Buffy was constantly in defense mode and not able to attack, much less that she could hurt or stop the masked man. It was as if her attacker would know every one of her moves in advance and would only play cat and mouse with her. Buffy felt her strength grow weaker with every passing minute, her nose bled and she hardly got enough air. With a desperate action she jumped high in the air and tried simultaneously with a spin of her body to kick the masked man with her left foot but he dodged with ease. Buffy tried desperately to slow down her swing with a flight-roll when she suddenly felt the electricity shoot through her body and with a loud thud she landed totally immobile on the grass. Trembling, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. Tears of rage poured from her eyes, but when nothing happened, she opened them again. Helplessly she had to witness how the attacker swung Riley over his shoulder and vanished in the darkness. Half an hour later Buffy was finally able to move again and she limped as soon as possible back to Giles' apartment.
Giles' Apartment - Same Night
Xander awoke by a strange noise coming from Giles' bedroom. Drowsily he wiped over his eyes and listened intensely, but when he heard nothing more then Giles' usual snore, he laid back down and tried to sleep through the rest of the night without any nightmares.
*** *** ***
Spike had made himself comfortable on Giles' couch and drifted into sleep when suddenly Buffy burst into the room. Her deranged sight let Spike's dead heart bounce with joy, but when she collapsed on the floor he stood up with a deep sigh and went to her side. Picking her up, he carried her to the couch.
"Little fight between lovebirds?" Spike asked with a smirk. Buffy couldn't prevent the tears coming to her eyes and she wiped them furiously away with her bloody hand. "This bastard grabbed Riley," replied Buffy with slightly quivering voice.
"You're sure that it was that bloody wanker and not a soddin' demon?" Spike wanted to know.
Exhausted Buffy shook her head, "There's no doubt."
"Alright, let’s go, perhaps we still can catch the bastard," said Spike and reached for his leather duster.
"Stop, Spike, it's raining and all hints will be gone already...besides I can't use you at the hunt." When Buffy saw Spike's hurt look, she added, "The guy is a human being. You wouldn't have the touch of a chance against him, just look at me!" Annoyed, Spike threw his duster back over the chair.
"Ok, I go and wake Chaps and the watcher. We have a lot to discuss." Spike was already on the stairs when he heard her question.
"What about Angel? Should I call him?"
"The two lovebirds will come by this morning anyway. Besides, they wouldn't hear the phone yet." He roared with laughter at the sight of Buffy's red face, and went further upstairs.