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Part 18
 
 

Willow sighed softly as she opened her eyes and saw the small pool of blood in front of her. She hadn't expected to bleed quite so much, but considering what she now knew, she wasn't terribly concerned about it. She raised her bleeding arm slightly, and muttered the simple spell, smiling as the wound sealed itself without leaving so much as a mark behind. She'd need a shower, but she was fine. She stood slowly, and dispelled her circle, along with the guarding wall she'd erected. A loud, surprised gasp flew from her lips when she was suddenly wrapped in her Mate's tight embrace. "Angel?"

He'd been frozen in place when he saw her start to move. He'd *known* she was all right, but having the proof of it was both a relief and a shock. He hadn't noticed that he was on his feet, hadn't realized that he was leaning against that invisible wall. Hell, he didn't even know that he'd moved until he had his woman in his arms. He buried his nose deep in her hair, and just reveled in the smell of her, in the sensation of her heart beating against him. His fingers gripped tightly at her back, and he growled, low and deep, when she tried to pull away from him. He pulled her even harder against him, ignoring her surprise and distress.

Gods, he was holding her so tightly! She couldn't seem to take a breath, and he apparently wasn't planning to let go of her any time soon. She rubbed soothingly at his back, muttering soft words of comfort, even though she could tell he wasn't listening. He was being so intense, and so not-Angel-y; it would have frightened her if she hadn't loved him so much. "It's all right," she murmured into his ear, even as she let their bond open wide. Her eyes closed as she felt the sweeping waves of spent fear, anger, pain, and overwhelming devotion coming from deep within him. "Love you, baby," she said, over and over again, still stroking him gently.

He knew he was acting like an idiot, but somehow, he didn't seem to care. He'd been so worried, even after he'd realized she was fine! He hadn't known for sure that she would come back from wherever she'd gone, and just the thought of having to go on without her had shaken him to the core. But she *was* back, and she was in his arms, and he'd be damned if he was going to let go of her! His eyes flew wide and golden when he felt their link opening wide, and he gasped against her neck as he felt the depths of her emotions. It stunned him that such a good, pure being could love him so much, but he wasn't going to complain about it. Hell, he was going to spend a good portion of the rest of eternity thanking the Powers for the sweet, deep bliss of his Mate's heart. He moaned softly as her fingers moved over his back, and he slowly moved his hands down her back, lifting her against him. He tried to calm the wildness racing through him, but for some reason, that only made it worse, and he couldn't stop himself when his feet started towards the stairs.

"Love you," she continued saying, "Love you, my Angel..." She didn't even try to slow him when he dashed up the basement steps, or when he continued on across the lobby and up to their floor. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly as he threw their door open, then slammed it behind them. Whatever was making him act this way, he was obviously distressed, and she would do whatever was necessary to make him feel secure again. If that turned out to be letting him make love to her repeatedly? Well, good for *her*, then! "Angel..." she sighed, staring up at him when he placed her gently on their bed. She could tell from his eyes that he couldn't hear her, so she stopped trying, simply pulling the shirt over her head as he started to push his pants down his hips. Her fingers moved swiftly to the waist of her own pants, and she shimmied out of them swiftly.

He couldn't even think as he flung himself down on top of her. His hands roved restlessly over her warm, smooth skin, and he growled softly when her legs wrapped around him. His golden eyes narrowed dangerously, and he sank fully-- deeply-- into her perfect heat.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Charles Gunn watched, amazed, as the shirtless vampire carried the little redhead across the lobby. He had no idea of what might have happened, but Angel didn't look like himself, somehow. Of course, that might have been because his vampy friend didn't usually walk around with his demon-face on, but whatever.

He glanced around the big room, surprised that nobody else was there. He would have thought that Fred would be around, if no-one else. Oh, well, he told himself, maybe the Physicist had finally gotten herself a life. Good for her.

He pulled the small yellow disk from his pocket and dropped in in the center of the witch's desk before scribbling off a quick note for her. That taken care of, he turned and left. Maybe he'd go see his people; see if they felt like going on a hunt or something.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He couldn't sleep, not even with the sweet brunette human beside him. Or maybe *because* of her. Her soft, small hand was resting against his ribs, her warm breath gusting gently on his skin... his entire body was still singing. His fingers moved gently up and down her spine, and he groaned softly when she pressed herself even closer to him. Damn. He didn't think he could actually wait for morning, but she needed her sleep. Still, "Freddie," he murmured, stroking her just a bit more forcefully. "Are you sleeping, precious?" He sighed when she didn't respond. He'd known she was asleep, but it had been worth a try. His eyes narrowed slightly as her leg shifted against him, and he moaned. Gods, the girl was driving him crazy, even without being awake! He moaned again, hardening swiftly as she continued to shift. This just wouldn't do. She'd have to wake up. That decided, he moved slightly, and when he had enough room to make it possible, he clapped his hands loudly by her ear, immediately relaxing and trying to look like he was asleep, himself, when she jumped.

She wasn't sure of what-- exactly-- had woken her, but she was suddenly *very* aware of the green-skinned man beside her. Man might not have been the right word, she knew, but there was just no way she could call him a 'demon'; not even to herself. No, she decided, as far as *she* was concerned, he *was* a man. And not just any man, either. No, Lorne was a good, kind man, for the most part, even if he was pretending to sleep beside her. She could tell, after all. His hearts weren't beating in the sleep-cycle of his kind, and... she supposed it was the tenting of the sheet over his pelvis that *really* clued her. A slight grin started in her eyes, swiftly moving to spread across her lips, and she relaxed against him once more. Her fingers slid softly over his smoothly scaled chest, stopping momentarily to circle one small nipple. She hadn't quite figured out why he even *had* nipples; maybe she'd ask him some time. "It... it's morning already?" she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. That small part of her brain was still insisting that he couldn't possibly want her, and the thought alone bothered her, despite the obvious evidence to the contrary.

He thought about acting like he was just waking up, but she'd obviously figured out his game, so he stroked her back a little more and shook his head. "Only if you think of any time after midnight as morning, sweets," he told her, arching slightly into her gentle caress. A small groan slipped from him as her hand moved down his ribs.

She giggled quietly-- almost silently, in fact-- thoroughly pleased with the sounds he was making. "Then why..." she began, only to be cut off when he turned to her and took her lips in a soft, penetrating kiss.

He pulled back slowly, hearts racing still more. "You have to ask?" he murmured disbelievingly. He honestly couldn't figure out how she was unaware of just how much he wanted her. She was... Gods, he couldn't even begin to explain everything she was, but... "I just... can't wait 'til its light out, Freddie. I want," he stopped and swallowed hard. "I want to make you happy, precious; to feel you..." Hell, that little pout of hers was enticing. He completely forgot that he'd even been speaking as he closed the slight distance between their mouths once more. His tongue crept tentatively to part her lips, and he groaned harshly when her own met it. His entire body was throbbing with a sort of need he'd never known before, and he wondered, for a moment, exactly how this was supposed to work. Oh, he knew the technical aspects of human sex, but... it wasn't something he'd actually *tried* before. "Freddie..." he nearly sobbed, forcing himself to release her mouth, "I don't know..."

"Hush," Fred said quietly, her fingers gently rising to cup his cheek. She traced the emerging red lines in his face, and held his eyes with her own. "It's all right, Lorne," she told him, rocking herself against his leg, "It'll be all right..."

His eyes closed swiftly, and he sighed in both relief and anticipation. He could feel her rubbing against the thin scales of his legs; feel that slick moisture coating his skin there, and while it wasn't a sensation he was familiar with, he was fairly sure it was the best thing he'd ever felt. One clawed hand slid into her hair, and he pulled her lips to his again as he lay back flat against the mattress. He needed to learn-- *wanted* to learn-- and he was for damned sure going to let her teach him. His eyes flew wide open when she moved over him, and his other hand-- the one that wasn't tangled in her brown tresses-- grasped anxiously at her waist. He dragged his mouth away from the tempting cavern of hers, and he stared at her for less than an instant. "Fred," he began, sure that he'd heard of humans doing other things first, only to find himself speechless when she continued to move, finally engulfing his twined spirals with her so-human, so-wet, so-*tight* center. He gasped loudly, his back arching hard at her heat.

Her own eyes were wider than she'd ever thought possible, but she wanted him so badly! She'd deliberately chosen to ignore her fear of this particular act, and while a part of her wished she'd done this before, an equally large part was incredibly happy that he would be the one. Her hands moved to his shoulders, and she gripped them tightly as she impaled herself upon him. A small, pained cry slipped from her when she felt him riding all the way in, and she paused for just a moment, her eyes closing to hide the tiny tears.

Lorne could sense her pain, and he didn't understand it. From everything he'd heard, this wasn't supposed to be *painful*! It was his fault, he knew. Obviously, with as similar as certain parts of him were to human males, the differences were hurting her! But she felt so good, stretched tight around him, and he cursed his own lack of 'human-ness' for the first time ever. "Stop..." he sobbed, afraid to meet her eyes, "Precious, please!" He groaned deeply, his back arching even more. She *had* to stop! There was no way he could stop things himself; she had to do it! "I... I didn't want to *hurt* you!"

She'd thought he didn't like it, when he'd asked her to stop, but when he spoke on, she saw that he didn't understand. She steeled herself to the sensation, and slowly lifted herself a few inches before returning to her positon flush against him, with his hardness buried fully inside her. The pain was only a slight burning, after the initial stabbing sensation, and she smiled, moving one hand to stroke his cheek until he opened his eyes again and looked at her. "It... it's not you, Lorne, it just... it always hurts the first time..." She watched him realize exactly what she was saying, and when his eyes took on an almost panicked expression, she moved on him again.

He didn't see how it was possible. She'd never...? *Never*? Well, apparently not. He supposed it might make sense, except for the fact that she was so damned attractive. How could it be that no human man had managed to have her before she'd gotten sucked into his home dimension? And even after, what about the male cows-- humans-- there? Still, there was no denying the truth. As experienced as she'd proven to be with *his* kind of sex, she was obviously just as ignorant of the human ways as *he* was! Of course, he admitted, as her next motion dragged a long, deep moan from him, that didn't stop this from being the most amazing thing he'd ever experienced! Both hands fastened tightly on her soft, flexing hips, and he flung his head back against the bed, a wild cry flying from his lips. "Gods!" He'd thought she was gripping him tightly at the beginning, but that was *nothing* compared to the strength she was surrounding him with now!

Her eyes closed tightly, and she concentrated solely upon the feeling of him inside her. His sharp nails were pricking at her skin, and she realized that she truly adored that sensation. "Lorne," she whispered, mostly to herself, as her continued motions drove her further towards... well, she didn't know what it was, exactly, but she for damned sure wanted it. "Lorne," she said again, her voice more of a moan this time as she rocked against him, slowly picking up speed. Her breath came in harsh, needy gasps as he bent his knees behind her, and she gasped as the slight change in positions set her most sensitive bits to rubbing hard against his smooth, green skin. Her fingers tightened on his flesh, and she sobbed loudly as her entire world exploded.

For the first time in his life, he understood how humans' eyes could cross, because his own were for damned sure doing it! The way she was moving on him was taking him to a place he'd never even known existed, and he was somewhat worried that once he got there, he'd never want to come back. Of course, it wasn't a journey he had any real choice about, so he accepted everything he was feeling with an open heart. He groaned softly when her legs clenched a bit against his sides, and cried out loudly when her fingers dug into his skin. "Freddie!" he yelped, knowing he'd be embarrassed about the way his voice was breaking later. But that didn't matter at the moment. His eyes flew wide, and his spine bent so hard he was amazed it was still in one piece, and he literally screamed as a feeling he'd never even imagined swept over and through his body, rendering him fully incapable of thought, much less movement. His eyes were still wide and glowing red a few minutes later when he could finally move enough to stroke the back of the girl who'd collapsed upon him. He still couldn't speak, though, so could only *hope* she knew how amazing she was. Oh, well, he promised himself, even as he felt sleep stealing over him, he'd tell her in the morning.

She stayed right where she was until the steady cadence of his alternating heart beats showed he was asleep, and she slowly moved from him, already missing the sensation of his arms around her. He'd been unbelievably nice about it all, but she couldn't let herself believe it was any more than just what it was. They'd had a good time. It didn't matter that she'd somehow managed to become more attached to him than she had any right being; it didn't even matter that he'd seemed to want her to stay. He'd be much happier if she was gone when he woke, and she knew it. A small, wistful smile took up residence on her lips, even as she gathered her clothing and dressed. She shot one last glance back through the open door of the bedroon before opening the steel door and walking out into Caritas. The front door was locked, but the emergency door in the back wasn't hooked up to the alarm system, and it would lock behind her by itself. Her slight smile faded completely as she stepped out into the night.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lilah Morgan frowned deeply as her one and only agent in Sunnydale told her it was over. "What do you mean?" she demanded, hissing into the phone. "Damn it, it took a lot of *work* to get you in there. It was bad enough that you failed in your mission, but now you've lost everything?" Her face twisted into a mask of fury, even as her voice softened into kinder tones. "No," she said after a moment, "I understand... Of *course* it's hard for you," she added, rolling her eyes. "You're right, it's *not* fair... Actually, I think you should come back here. Maybe we can find a way to fix it." Her eyes rolled again as her agent thanked her profusely and promised to be on the next bus to Los Angeles. "All right," she finally interjected, cutting the other voice off, "It's late, and I'm tired. Let me know when you get back to town."

She groaned softly and hung up the phone before switching her bedroom light off again. She caught a glimpse of the lit-up numerals on her clock, and sighed softly. Three thirty a.m....

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

She would have been able to sense his overwhelming relief and contentment through their bond, even if it hadn't been entirely obvious from the way he was slowly, simply, stroking her skin. He hadn't let her explain yet, though, and every time she'd tried he'd just covered her mouth with his own, kissing her hard, and deep, and more thoroughly than she'd ever known existed. Which had, of course, led to other things entirely. Still, she had to tell him what she'd found out, even though he didn't seem to want to know. She threw her leg farther over his, and rolled gently onto him, smiling just a bit wickedly when he groaned.

It was a damned good thing he was already dead, he decided, even as his hands moved gently to her back. If he wasn't, he'd probably have died just in the having of her. As it was, he was slightly sore, and he hesitated to even *think* about how her sweet, soft body must be aching. He hadn't been able to help himself, though. Having both soul and demon combined within him, he'd found himself relieved at the lack of internal argument. Every part of him had been unable to resist taking his perfect Mate repeatedly, the sound of her voice each time she spoke only proving that he hadn't tired her out enough yet. And he *had* to exhaust her, if only to ensure that she wouldn't be leaving their bed without him again. Especially after the last time. His entire being still shuddered when he remembered the way he'd found her in the basement-- completely still, obviously not *in* *there*, and bleeding on top of it! But she was laying on top of him now, and somehow, he just knew she wasn't going to let him distract her again. He sighed deeply when she sat up on him, his eyes flashing gold for just a moment until she frowned and shook her head. "All right," he groaned despairingly, "Tell me."

Willow's frown faded into a soft smile, and she met his soft, concerned brown eyes with hope. "I went to see one of the new Oracles," she began, her voice trembling slightly. Her fingers moved soothingly against his broad, cool chest as she related the full details to her love, and when she was finished, she bit gently at her bottom lip, waiting for some response. "Well?" she finally said, a bit breathlessly.

He almost didn't believe her, because it sounded too good to be true. But if Lorne had been right, and the Powers really *did* have big plans for him and his witch, then he supposed it made a certain sort of sense. They were bound far more firmly than the Mating had accomplished, after all. He'd more or less reconciled himself to the fact that he'd lose her one day unless he turned her, but now it appeared that that was a decision he'd never have to make. "Immortal," he said out loud, testing the sound of the words, "You're immortal..." His slightly skeptical gaze became joyous when she nodded and he felt the certainty through their bond. "Always mine," he murmured, pulling her down against his chest. His fingers moved slowly, lovingly, over her spine, and small tears welled in his eyes when she nodded against his cool skin.

"Always, my Angel," she sighed, rubbing her cheek lightly against one tight male nipple. "And you can go out in the sun!" she reminded him, giggling happily when his hands stopped on her skin. She lifted her head and stared up into his dazed face. "I can see you in the sunlight," she said, smiling at the idea.

It was the one thing he'd never dared to even think about. He would be able to hold her, love her, touch her... in the sun. He found himself wondering, and not for the first time, how her fiery tresses would glow in that lemony-bright glow, and he laughed in amazement as he realized he was actually going to find out. His arms tightened around her, and he swallowed hard. "Let's have a picnic tomorrow," he suggested, laughing when she agreed readily. His eyes closed, and he gloried in her sweet scent as he drifted off to sleep, still holding her tightly. He'd never looked forward to morning so much.
 

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