Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS belong to Joss and Co. I'm just borrowing them.
Distribution: Take if you want. Just send me an email letting me know.
Category: W/A/B
Rating: R
Feedback: Please! All feedback is appreciated!
Spoilers: Season 3
Summary: Willow, Buffy and Angel are captured and forced to participate in a game.
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~Chapter 1~ Selecting the Players
To a casual observer it would be just another everyday scene, two girls strolling through the park as they discussed the events of the day. Unfortunately the demon watching them wasn’t a casual observer, so he paid close attention to the stakes the girls were carrying and the energy they were giving off. That energy marked the blond as the slayer and the redhead as a witch. The demon, Kort, had originally planned only to take the slayer but the magic radiating from the witch made him reevaluate his plan. Scraping his nail down the scales on the side of his face, Kort decided to see how they fared in the little test he had arranged for the slayer. If they survived then he would take both of them.
“Willow, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about Angel,” Buffy said to the redhead walking beside her.
“Buffy.” Willow stopped and grabbed Buffy’s arm forcing her to stop and face her. “It’s okay. At first I was hurt because you didn’t trust me enough to tell me about Angel’s return.” Holding up her hand to stop Buffy from offering either another apology or an explanation, Willow continued, “But once I had a chance to think about it I understood why you didn’t say anything. So I don’t have any problems with it as long as you know that I’m here when you do need to talk.”
“Willow, you’re the greatest.” With that Buffy pulled Willow into a crushing hug. After releasing her Buffy wiped at the tears on her face. “And Willow, I hope you know that you can tell me anything as well.”
“Well, actually there is something…” Whatever else that Willow was about to say was lost as five vampires crashed through the bushes beside them.
Switching into slayer mode Buffy rushed forward to attack the three in front. Meanwhile, Willow pulled a vial of holy water from her coat pocket and threw it on the approaching vamp. When he clutched his face in pain Willow stepped towards him and shoved her stake into his heart. Willow dropped her stake as she felt hands grab her and forcefully yank her back into a hard, cold body. Dusting the last of the vampires she was fighting, Buffy felt her breath catch as she turned to see Willow being held in front of the last vampire.
“Looks like you lose slayer,” the vampire said.
“Let her go and you can walk away, hurt her and killing you will be the least of what I do to you,” Buffy threatened.
“That’s not the way it works slayer. You have two choices. I can eat Red here and let me tell, you her blood smells delicious,” the vampire said as he licked Willow’s neck. Smiling as he felt Willow shudder, he continued, “The second option is you drop the stake and I drink your blood.”
Suddenly a hand reached out and pulled the vampire up by his hair, forcing his face away from Willow’s neck, as a voice growled behind him. “Or option three I kill you.” Before the vampire had time to register the words he felt a stake thrust through his heart.
The vampire turned to dust and Buffy rushed over as Willow fell to the ground. “Willow are you okay?”
“Yeah, except for missing some hair and feeling stupid for dropping my stake,” Willow replied as she reached out and picked up her stake. She then turned and smiled up at the person who had rescued her. “Thanks Angel. Saving my life is becoming a habit with you.”
“It’s a habit worth developing,” Angel said as he helped first Buffy then Willow to their feet.
Kort watched in surprise as the vampire helped the girls instead of attacking. Trying to figure out why a vampire would help the slayer, and if it would change his plans, Kort analyzed the newcomer’s unusual energy pattern. A soul! This vampire had a soul! That meant this was Angelus, the Scourge of Europe. Kort grinned, flashing sharp teeth designed to cut through flesh and bone, as he realized that he could demand any amount and the Procurer would pay it, for a chance to enter these three in the Game. He would have to change his plan though. He would need to keep them off balance long enough to neutralize them or not only would his night’s activities have been in vain, it would leave him dead.
At the sound of clapping the three of them fell into a fighting stance, with Buffy and Angel in front, as they turned to face the cloaked figure stepping out of the bushes.
“Man, why can’t they cut down all these bushes,” Buffy complained.
“Maybe because it’s a park?” Willow offered.
“So, this is still Sunnydale. You know, home of the Hellmouth. You’d think the city council would have better sense than to plant a bunch of bushes for the bad guys to hide in!”
Pushing the hood of the robe back Kort watched the interaction of his new acquisitions. “You’re very different from the other slayers.”
“What did they do, send out a profile entitled Characteristics of a Slayer, because you know you’re not the first person, or in your case demon, to mention it.” Shaking her head in mock consternation Buffy continued, “Willow reminded me to look into that when we get done kicking this demon’s ass.” Using the banter as cover Buffy studied the creature in front of them looking for the best way to attack. Just a little taller then her, he could have been mistaken for a human except for the blue scales and black eyes. And of course the three inch claws and pointed teeth. Both of which were going to be a bitch to avoid, being armed with only a stake.
“A mouthy slayer, a fledgling witch, and a vampire with a soul. I didn’t plan on catching all three of you in my net.”
At the last word Willow saw him draw a rune in the air and felt the magic gather around him. “Guys, watch out! He’s cast a spell!” Willow shouted as he threw a gold ball at them.
Even as Willow finished her warning, Angel and Buffy were moving to attack him. But it was to late; Kort gave the command and the ball opened, releasing a gold net. As it settled it sent shocks through them, knocking them unconscious.
Kort walked over to stand beside his captives, looking in amazement at how far apart they were. If he would’ve been just a second slower they would have been outside the range of his net. They were more powerful than he had figured. He would need to be careful not to underestimate them again.
At the sound of yelling Kort turned to see three humans running towards him. The brunette in front radiated the same power signature as the blond, making her the second slayer he had heard about. Debating on trying to capture the newcomer Kort finally decided against it. He had managed to capture the first one because he took her by surprise. He didn’t want to take the risk involved in confronting a battle ready and clearly pissed off slayer. It would be better to take what he had and leave then risk losing all of them because of greed. Making his decision Kort quickly said the spell that would take him and his captives home.
As Faith and the others prepared to attack the demon that stood over their fallen friends there was a brilliant flash of blue light. Once their eyes cleared Faith, Xander, and Cordelia searched the path where their friends had been.
“Nothing! How could they just disappear without a trace?” Xander yelled.
“They couldn’t have. There has to be something we just need to find it,” Faith replied. The three of them searched the area looking for anything that would give them a clue as to what had just happened there.
“Hey, over here. I think I found something.”
Faith and Xander hurried over to where Cordelia stood looking down at a gold ball split in half. Crouching down to get a better look, Faith reached out to touch it. She jerked her hand back as a mild current passed from the ball to her hand.
“Find me something to wrap this in.” Xander pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Faith.
Catching Cordelia’s look Xander quickly explained, “Hey, I needed something to wipe off any lipstick marks before we joined the others.”
Rolling her eyes at Xander, Cordelia turned her attention back to the ball Faith was wrapping up. “Do you know what it is?” she asked.
“No, but it’s making my spider sense tingle,” Faith answered as she stood up.
“We need to take it to Giles. It may be able to help us locate the others,” Xander said.
Nodding in agreement they started running for the library. All of them silently hoping Giles would have some answers. That he could bring their friends back.
~Chapter 2~ The Rules
“Buffy.”
“Angel! Are you okay? Where’s Willow? I can’t see! There’s something over my head!” Buffy started yanking on the chains holding her to the wall, trying to pull them loose.
“Buffy calm down. Willow’s beside us. I don’t smell any blood on her and her heartbeat is steady. She’s just out from what ever that demon hit us with.”
Taking a deep breath Buffy forced herself to settle down and let Angel’s words reassure her. They were all together, that was the important thing. No matter what their kidnappers had planned they would survive. That was the only acceptable option, as far as Buffy was concerned.
“Buffy? Angel?” Even though Willow’s voice was weak, Buffy couldn’t contain her sigh of relief at the sound.
Before Buffy or Angel could reassure her, they felt a disturbance in front of them, sending shivers through all three as a wave of power washed over them.
“Good. All of you are awake now.” At those words the hoods covering their heads disappeared.
Buffy narrowed her eyes against the sudden change of light, as she struggled to bring their captor into focus. The first thing she noticed was his looks. The man talking was tall with a lean, muscular build. He wore his long, pale blonde hair tied with a string at his neck and his green eyes held a predatory look that reminded her of a wolf she had seen at the zoo. All in all he was gorgeous, even more so than Angel. The second thing she noticed was that he sent her slayer senses screaming into overdrive.
“What are you. A demon?” Buffy demanded.
“He’s a warlock,” Willow and Angel said together.
“A very, very powerful warlock,” Willow added softly.
The smile he turned on Willow was designed to charm her but instead it sent a shudder of fear coursing through her. “You’re right, little witch. If you want, I would be more than willing to teach you how to utilize all that lovely potential you have.”
“You can save your breath, I’m not interested in binding myself to a demon just for a little knowledge. I’d never do anything that brainless,” Willow snapped.
Laughing the warlock walked over to stand in front of Willow. He gave her form an appraising look, letting his gaze linger on her red hair, the strip of skin that showed where her sweater had pulled up, and her jean clad legs. “I almost had you killed when Kort first brought you to me. I’m glad I decided to wait.” Ignoring the growls coming from Buffy and Angel, at his comments, he brought his hand up and stroked the side of Willow’s face. “It would have been a waste to put out such fire. You will make a fascinating addition to the Game.” Giving her check on last caress he stepped back and surveyed the others. “Actually, all of you will make an interesting addition.”
“First, if you had killed her, there is nothing that would have stopped me from ripping your heart out,” Buffy said.
“And she means that literally,” Angel added giving the warlock a chilling smile of his own.
“Second, who the hell are you, what is the Game, and what makes you think we will play?” Buffy continued.
“I’m sorry. I got so caught up in your enchanting friend that I forget to make introductions. You may call me Faolan. No need to introduce yourselves, I already know who you are. As for the Game, it is exactly what it sounds like. The Council, of which I’m a member, chooses a champion, or in your case three, and they battle various opponents. As for playing, you have limited options. You will be transported to the game room and at that point you either fight or die.” Faolan continued before they could say anything. “And don’t waste your time on useless efforts to escape. You are in a different dimension. To get home you must know the spell to open a gateway between this dimension and yours, plus be able to break through the wards set to prevent any unauthorized traveling.”
After issuing his warning Faolan did a spell that released the chains holding his captives. Before any of them could pick themselves up from the floor, he completed a second spell that took him to the other side of the cage bars.
“Food, water, clothes and anything else we though you might need has been provided for you. Also, please familiarize yourself with the weapons and spells provided for you,” Faolan said, indicating the six chests sitting along the walls. “You will need them when you’re called on to fight. Until then enjoy your new home.” With that he disappeared.
Getting agilely to her feet, Buffy hurried over to help Willow up. “Are you guys okay?”
“I’m fine. How about you, Willow?” Angel asked as he joined Buffy and her.
“I’m fine.” Sighing Willow looked at her companions. “So what do we do now?”
“Well, unless one of you two know anything about the gateways or those wards he mentioned, we should check this place out. God, I hate agreeing with that creep.” Both Buffy and Angel went and started looking through the two rooms, so they never noticed the flash of guilt and indecision that passed over Willow’s face. Trying to calm her nerves Willow joined the others in exploring the cell.
A few minutes later the three of them sat on the king-size bed, the only place to sit other than the floor, to compare notes.
Before beginning Willow handed Angel a mug of blood and Buffy one of the cans of soda she held. “The cabinet on the left wall has been enchanted to provide us with whatever food we need,” Willow explained. “Name the food or beverage you want, then open it and it will appear inside. Oh, and be very specific in what you ask for, cause the spell takes everything literally.”
“Okay, my turn. The closet contains a ton of clothing, all in the right sizes, and in such revealing styles that even I would be hesitant to wear them. They, also, included underwear, which I so don’t want to know how they found out our sizes.” Wrinkling her nose at the thought, Buffy turned to Angel. “So what did you find?”
Pointing to the doorway on the right, “In there is the bathroom. It does have running water.” Angel gave a quick smile as the girls let out a relieved sigh. “It, also, has all the toiletries that we could possible need.”
“So, basically, this could be a first class hotel room, with the exception of the clothes. And of course the lovely front door,” Buffy said as she waved her hand at the bars across the front of the cell.
“Since we’ve already checked everything else in the room, I think we need to see what types of weapons and stuff that are in the chests. Before they decide to use us in this Game of theirs.”
Agreeing with Angel’s suggestion, Buffy turned to Willow, “Why don’t you and Angel take the chests containing the magic stuff.” Noticing that Willow was lost in thought Buffy lightly shook her arm to draw her attention. “Will, is something wrong? Other than us having been kidnapped.”
“I . . .” Willow hesitated, unsure of what, or how much, to tell them at the moment. Finally, she decided to go with the deal with Faolan. “I was just wondering what it is about me that draws demons and other creatures, while the regular boys ignore me. I mean, first it was Moloch and now this Faolan.” Her voice rose as she started to get into her complaint.
Buffy knew Willow wasn’t telling her everything but she let it go for now. Willow would tell her when she was ready. “There is nothing wrong with you. The fault is that boys tend to be blind,” Buffy said placing emphasis on the word boys. “Besides, at least Faolan is cuter,” she joked.
“I don’t care what that guy looks like. He was major creepy,” Willow said as she watched Buffy stand up.
“Yeah, I have to agree with you on that one Wills.” Buffy reached down and pulled her up. “He may be the best looking man I’ve every met but he definitely gave me the wiggins.”
Growling, Angel stood up beside them. “We won’t let him hurt you.”
“I know.” Smiling at their concern, Willow gave each of them a hug.
“Come on, let’s see what kind of toys they gave us, ” Buffy said as she walked over to one of the sets of chests.
“I’ve been looking for this book everywhere back home.”
Buffy looked up from the weapons spread out in front of her at Willow’s happy shriek. Buffy felt her mood lighten as she saw Willow and Angel sorting through the trunks of magic supplies on the other side of the room. Buffy watched as Willow touched Angel’s arm to draw his attention to whatever object she was holding. Catching the expression in his eyes at that simple touch Buffy shook her head. Willow was so oblivious to the way Angel felt about her, the way they both felt about her.
She knew if their friends found out that Angel was in love with Willow they would be worried about how she would react. Giving a quiet snort, Buffy realized a couple of weeks ago they would’ve been right, but almost losing both of them in that fight with Gwendolyn Post had made her face her feelings. Something she had managed to avoid doing, even with everything that had happened during the past year.
That night in Angel’s mansion she had admitted to herself how much she loved them. At first she was scared they would be disgusted that she wanted both of them, something she was having a hard time dealing with. But once she accepted her feelings she found herself watching them and she had caught glimpses of emotions that they tried to hide. Then, after two weeks of debating with herself, she had made a decision. Life was too short to waste it on what ifs. She had decided to risk everything for the chance to be, in every sense of the word, with the two people who meant the most to her. She had taken it as good omen that, after coming to that decision, both Willow and Angel had asked to patrol with her. Now, she would give anything to be able to go back and tell them no.
Looking back down at the weapons, Buffy let her hand skim over the swords, axes and maces until she came to the crossbow. Reaching in the chest, where she had left them, Buffy pulled out a bolt and loaded the crossbow before placing it beside her. They had made a serious mistake in taking Angel and Willow. She had just realized how much they meant to her, she wasn’t about to lose them. They wanted her to play their game, fine, she’d play, for now. But when the opportunity came she would make sure they all got home, even if it meant killing everyone here demon, vamp, or human.
At the sound of the crossbow being loaded Willow and Angel glanced over at Buffy and then at each other. They knew that look. Buffy had reached a decision and she would go through anything, or anyone, who got in her way.
~Chapter 3~ Sharing Quarters
Angel woke up to the feeling of two warm bodies pressed to against his. Lifting his head Angel saw Willow sprawled across his chest. She was sleeping more on him then the bed. Buffy had curled up on his other shoulder with her arm thrown over Willow’s waist. Angel let his head fall back onto the pillow as his mind sent him graphic images of the different ways he would like to wake them. Taking several unnecessary breaths Angel forced the images from his mind and tried to will his body to relax. Never again was he sleeping in the middle.
It didn’t seem to matter where they started out. By the time he woke up the girls always managed to wrap themselves around him. At first he reveled in the fact that they trusted, and accepted, him enough to get this close. But over the past week it had started getting harder, literally, for him not to give in to his desire. Though usually it wasn’t this bad. He and Buffy took the outside, with Willow in between, so he had been able to slip out of bed and into a cold shower before either of them awoke. But last night he had given into Willow’s pleas to sleep on the outside, she claimed she always woke up at night feeling squished. Well too bad, from now on she would just have to feel squished.
Feeling Buffy stirring Angel opened his eyes, so he not only felt, but also saw, Buffy’s hand slide between him and Willow. When she finally stopped moving she ended up cupping Willow’s breast and she had caught his nipple between her splayed fingers. Slamming his eyes shut Angel ground his teeth together as he fought back a moan. Damn! He had to get his body to relax so he could get out of bed. There was no way he could get up without waking them but that wasn’t something he wanted to do with his body in this condition. Suddenly, Willow began to move. Angel felt the sheets ripping under his hands as her knee pressed firmly against his boxers.
At that provocation, Angel gave up any effort not to wake them as he lunged out of bed and ran to the bathroom cubicle for a cold shower. Stripping, Angel stepped into the shower and braced his arms against the wall as he used the freezing water to try and gain control over his body.
“Angel, are you okay?” At Buffy’s question, Angel’s head snapped around and he stared at the two forms silhouetted by the shower curtain. He could feel his face changing as he caught their scent. He had to get them to leave before he lost the battle.
“Angel?” Hearing the concern in Willow’s voice, Angel knew they wouldn’t leave until he convinced them he was all right.
“I’m fine,” Angel forced out as he searched for an excuse for the way he left. “Just had a bad dream.”
“Okay. We’ll be out here if you want to talk about it,” Willow said.
Once they had left Angel dropped his head onto his arm. His body shaking with the force of his desire, Angel turned his head and sank his teeth into his forearm. He knew with a few quick strokes he could find release, but not with their scent and feel still fresh in his mind, it was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. He would die before he would allow Angelus the chance to hurt either of them again.
Gradually, the need racking his body lessened as he remembered every word, every deed Angelus had done to hurt Buffy and Willow. Forcing himself to remember all of the plans Angelus had made for them, Angel sank to his knees as the last remnants of his desire faded away.
Bringing his attention back to the here and now, Angel became aware of the cold water, the blood on his arm and the silence in the other room. He couldn’t go out there like this. Buffy and Willow were already worried without seeing him in this condition. With a shaking hand Angel pushed his wet hair away from his face and reached over to adjust the water temperature. Getting back to his feet, Angel inspected the healing bite mark on his arm. Satisfied that it would soon be completely healed, Angel quickly washed and got out of the shower.
“Angel!” At the urgency in Willow’s voice, Angel grabbed a towel to wrap around him and hurried to join her.
Angel stepped into the main room in time to see a shimmering light, and feel the energy, as Faolan materialized on the other side of the bars.
“Good evening. I trust the past week has given you time to settle in.”
“Is that what we were suppose to do? Now don’t I feel silly for spending all my time thinking up ways to dismember you,” Buffy said as she gave him a saccharin smile.
“It wasn’t a complete waste of time. I found your creativity very entertaining.” Angel crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the warlock.
Shaking his head in disdain, Faolan turned to Willow. “My dear, when you get bored with these barbarians let me know. I’ll be more than happy to amuse you.” Taking in the thin, silk nightgown she was wearing, Faolan gave her a predatory grin. “But you must promise to wear this fetching outfit, or, preferably, less.”
Growling, Angel shifted so he was blocking Faolan’s view of her as Buffy brought up the crossbow that she was holding. “Now, now, slayer, if you fire that at me I won’t tell you about your upcoming fight.”
Despite the threat Buffy refused to lower the crossbow, so Willow reached out and placed her hand on Buffy’s arm. “Buffy, as much as I would like to see you shoot him, I think we need to hear him out.”
“Brains as well as beauty. What an intriguing combination,” Faolan complimented.
‘Just cut the bull and tell us why you’re here,” Buffy demanded as she reluctantly lowered her crossbow.
“If that’s the way you want it. It’s been decided you’re ready to be entered into the Game. Decide which weapons and spells you want to take with you. Once in the game room the only way to gain new ones is to take them from your opponents. You have one hour to prepare and then you will be transported as is.” Once he finished speaking a blue bolt of light encompassed him. When the light faded he was gone.
“Geez, he certainly knows how to make a flashy exit,” Willow commented as she rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, have to give him points for being a show-off,” Buffy agreed.
When there were no further remarks from the girls Angel turned, breaking off thoughts of how he would torture Faolan, to find the girls staring at him. “What’s wrong?” Angel asked, afraid he had spoken out loud.
Blushing, Willow dragged her eyes up to meet Angel’s. “Uh, w-we should probably get dressed,” she said as her gaze drifted back down.
“Right, dressed. Getting dressed is a good idea,” Buffy agreed as she continued to stare at Angel.
Fighting his body respond, as the smell of their arousal filled the room, Angel walked over to the closet and grabbed some clothes. “You two can use this room and I’ll use the bathroom.”
“Wait!” At Willow’s shout Angel reluctantly turned to face them. “Buffy and I should use the bathroom, since you already took a shower and you don’t need it for anything else, and…and Buffy and I do.” By the time Willow had stopped talking the blush on her face had darkened.
Nodding his head Angel walked over and dropped his clothes on the bed, while they pulled theirs out and went into the bathroom. While his mind conjured up images of them undressing, Angel took a deep breath, inhaling their lingering scent. Pushing the images from his mind Angel looked down at the clothes on the bed and grimaced. Dropping the towel, Angel pulled on the leather pants and silk shirt, then sat on the bed to put on the boots. As comfortable as he found the clothes, he hated wearing them. They reminded him too much of Angelus.
Angel got up and walked over to get weapons from the trunks, forcing aside his guilt over Angelus’s actions. Buffy came out of the bathroom as Angel pulled out a sword.
“Angelus.”
Hearing Buffy’s soft cry, Angel stood up. They stared at each other as the memories of their last fight washed over them. With a muttered oath Angel threw the sword down. “Buffy, I…,” Angel broke off, not sure how to make it better.
Seeing the pain in his eyes, Buffy pushed aside the memories and the pain they brought, and walked over to pick the sword up. “This is a good choice for you,” she said as she handed the sword to him.
Angel dropped his eyes as he accepted the sword. Before he could say anything he became aware of what Buffy was wearing. The black leather jumpsuit she wore was held together by laces that left several inches of skin visible from the middle of her chest down to her navel and it was cut low enough to show most of her breasts.
“Have you guys decided on what weapons you’re bringing?”
At Willow’s voice Angel and Buffy turned to face her. Angel felt his mouth drop open as he saw her. She was also wearing a black leather jumpsuit that, unlike Buffy’s, covered her all the way up to her neck. But the way it molded her form, showing that she didn’t have anything on underneath, stopped it from being modest.
Willow started fidgeting when they continued staring. “Is…is this okay? All the other stuff was too revealing.”
“You should get the magic items since I’m not sure what you want,” Angel said as he quickly knelt down beside the weapons he had laid out, in an effort to hide how tight his pants were becoming. “I’ve got most of the weapons together. Buffy, you just need to decide if there is anything else you want.”
Buffy sat down beside him and started going through the trunks. Focusing on the weapons, Angel tried to block the voice urging him to look at the girls. Suddenly, he realized there would be several demons watching them. That Faolan would be watching. With that thought Angel began to growl.
Looking up at Angel’s growl Willow noticed he was in vamp mode. She glanced over at Buffy to see if she knew what was wrong; she saw her sorting furiously through the weapons. Willow felt her eyes widen as she realized Buffy was growling too. “Okay, what’s up with the growling?”
Angel and Buffy both squirmed as they tried to avoid Willow’s eyes. “Nothing,” Angel said. “I just wish you had something different to wear. I don’t like the idea of you going out dressed like that.”
“But Buffy’s outfit reveals more than mine!”
“Yeah, but I don’t have a creepy warlock making passes at me.” Willow wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or angry, when she saw Angel nod in agreement, at Buffy’s statement. Before she could say anything they were all transported to the game room.
~Chapter 4~ Opening Gambit
The game room was set up like an arena. The floor was black and white checked marble and looked like a chessboard. There were tiered seats filled with all types of demons and humans. The audience was separated from the floor by a concrete barrier.
A horn blared and the crowd fell silent as Faolan stepped forward. “Good Evening. Tonight we have a special contest for you. Instead of one champion we have three. I’m sure most of you have heard of at least two of them, but for those of you who haven’t let me make the introductions. They are Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel, the vampire with a soul, and Willow, a powerful witch.” Faolan paused as a yellow light briefly filled the room bringing with it a demon and five vampires. “They’re opponents are Therak, a fire demon, and his minions. Let the game begin.”
As Faolan stepped back, Willow grabbed Angel’s and Buffy’s arms and her ingredients, and recited a protection spell, she had memorized. She finished just in time as Therak shot a stream of fire at them that was deflected by her spell.
Once the fire dissipated Buffy fired her crossbow at the demon, which he reduced to ash with a wave of his hand. “I’ll take the demon, you get the vampires,” Angel called out as he drew his sword and attacked.
Dropping the empty crossbow, Buffy pulled out a stake and went to meet the advancing vamps. “Let’s play.” Ducking a punch thrown by the vampire in front, Buffy kicked the one on her left into the barrier. Unable to completely avoid a punch she let it throw her into another vampire, staking him as they collided. “What, is that the best you can do,” Buffy said as she turned to face two of the remaining vampires as they rushed her.
Seeking easier prey the other two vampires moved to attack Willow. As the vampires approached, Willow pointed at the one in front and cast a spell that sent a bolt of light through it, turning it to dust. Before she could raise the stake that she held in her other hand, the second vampire hit her, knocking her to the ground.
Angel, fighting Therak, was distracted when he saw the vampire hit Willow. The demon, quick to take advantage of this, grabbed a hold of Angel in an attempt to get past the protection spell. Snarling, Angel focused on Therak, “I don’t have time for this.” Ignoring his smoldering shirt, Angel turned, bringing up his sword and driving it up from under Therak’s chin and through his brain.
The vampire attacking Willow reached down, grabbing a handful of hair, and pulled her up. Once Willow was on her feet she twisted and struck out at the vampire holding her, impaling him on her stake.
Buffy and Angel, rushing to help Willow, came to a stop as the vampire turned to dust.
Smiling, Willow held up her stake. “I didn’t drop it this time.” At this, both Buffy and Angel stepped forward and hugged her.
“The Slayer, and her companions, are the winners,” Faolan announced as the crowd went wild.
~Chapter 5~ Getting Closer
Sitting on the bed, Willow watched as Buffy and Angel sparred. Usually they were working with her, teaching her self-defense and T’ai Chi. Over the past month that knowledge, along with her magic, had kept her alive in the Game. Today she was suppose to be studying magic but her attention kept drifting back to Buffy and Angel. Their agility and intensity was mesmerizing.
She remembered the first time she saw them together. She had envied the sparks they had felt. Or at least that’s what she told herself. What she had really envied was that they had each other. Willow had wanted both of them. She had buried her feelings, never even allowing herself to be aware of them. Now, with all the time they were spending together, her feelings had resurfaced. She would have panicked and tried to hide them again but the way Buffy and Angel were acting had given her hope. Their actions told her that what they felt went deeper than friendship.
Sighing, Willow looked down at the open book in front of her. Their feelings would change once they found out about all the stuff that she wasn’t telling them.
“Okay Wills. What’s wrong?” Buffy asked.
Willow’s head jerked up at the sound of Buffy’s voice. While she had been lost in her thoughts, Buffy and Angel had stopped practicing and were standing in front of the bed.
“Nothing. Nothing is wrong. What makes you think something is wrong?” Willow could feel her face heat up as she stared at the bed.
“Well, let’s see,” Buffy held up her hand and began ticking the things off on her fingers. “One, you’re babbling. Two, you won’t look at me, a dead give away. And three, you stared at us and then started sighing. So be a good girl and tell me what’s bothering you?”
Jumping up, Willow started pacing. Talking fast, Willow tried to explain. “I don’t want to tell you. I mean, I do, but I’m afraid you guys will hate me. I should’ve told you before this but I didn’t know how. And now that I’ve realized you love me as much as I love you, I don’t want to lose that.”
Buffy grabbed Willow and stopped her pacing. “You love me?”
Willow looked over Buffy’s shoulder at Angel. “I love both of you.”
“As a friend or as more?” she asked.
“More.”
At Willow’s reply, Buffy leaned in and kissed her. Pulling back she softly stroked Willow’s hair. “I love you, too. Both of you,” Buffy said as she turned so that they were both facing Angel.
Walking over to them, Angel reached out and caressed Buffy’s face. “You are the other half of me. You help make me complete.” Turning to Willow he repeated the caress. “You are my heart. You’re what makes my life worth living.”
Touched by Angel’s words, Buffy and Willow moved closer and hugged him. Enjoying the closeness, both girls laid their heads on Angel’s shoulders. Keeping one arm around Willow, Buffy lifted her head and kissed Angel. Before Willow could feel neglected, Buffy pulled back and Angel kissed Willow. Desire raced through Angel as his tongue swept in and explored the warm recesses of Willow’s mouth.
Breathless, Willow broke the kiss and let her head fall back. Taking advantage of her position, Buffy and Angel started kissing and nipping at the exposed flesh. “Buffy. Angel.” Willow moaned, squirming against them as she sought relieve. At Willow’s movements both Buffy and Angel groaned.
Wanting to make sure Willow enjoyed her first time, Buffy moved behind Willow and began unlacing the leather corset she was wearing. When the laces were undone she swept it over Willow’s head, forcing Angel to break the kiss.
Dropping the shirt, Buffy slid her hands around to tease Willow’s breast while kissing and licking the side of her neck.
Sinking to his knees, Angel took a moment to enjoy the contrast of Buffy’s tanned fingers against Willow’s coral nipples. Placing his hands on Willow’s hips, Angel leaned forward and sucked both Willow’s nipple and Buffy’s fingers into his mouth.
“Angel.” At the girls’ moan, Angel let their flesh slide out of his mouth. Taking a breath he blew cool air over their moist skin, causing them to moan again.
Willow arched her back, offering her breast to Angel. Taking the hint, he started flicking his tongue over the tip. Buffy slid one hand down until it was pressing against Willow’s mound.
Suddenly, Willow grabbed Angel’s hair and pulled him up. The sensations from Buffy’s and Angel’s touches were overwhelming her but she wanted more. Willow turned so that she could see both of them. At the need in their eyes she felt herself getting wetter. “I want to touch you.”
“God, yes,” Buffy said as she quickly stripped, uncaring that, in her haste, she ripped her clothes.
Groaning, Willow took in the splendor of Buffy’s nude body. The full rose tipped breast, the flat stomach, thatch of blonde hair between her long, tanned legs.
“Willow.” Need ripped through Willow’s body when Buffy moaned her name. Sliding her fingers into Buffy’s hair, Willow pulled her into a fierce kiss. As their tongues dueled, Angel moved in so that he could unfasten Willow’s pants.
At the feel of Angel sliding her pants off, Willow broke the kiss. “Angel,” Willow pleaded.
“Shh.” Angel looked up at them. “I can’t make love to you, but let me give you pleasure.”
Hearing Angel’s words, Willow tried to focus her thoughts. The spell! She needed to tell them about the spell. “Wait,” Willow said as she backed away from them. “We need to talk.”
Buffy and Angel shared a look. She wanted to talk now! Then, smiling at each other, they turned and began stalking towards Willow.
“We can talk later. Right now we’re in the middle of something else,” Buffy said.
“N-No. This is important. I-I should’ve told you earlier.” Willow’s heart pounded as she forced herself to move back. She knew when they caught her, she wouldn’t be able to think let alone talk.
“The only important thing, at this moment, is letting us love you.” Seeing that Willow was going to try and disagree, Angel shook his head. “Anything else we can deal with later. No matter what.”
“And Willow, nothing you tell us could make us hate you,” Buffy reassured her.
Willow’s retreat was halted as her knees bumped into the edge of the bed, making her sit. “Ouch!” Willow jumped up and twisted around to see what she had sat on. Rubbing her butt, Willow picked up the spell book she had been studying earlier.
“Oh, that must’ve hurt.” Willow turned back around and found herself face to face with Buffy. “Why don’t I kiss it and make it better?” Buffy asked as she reached out and gently massaged Willow’s ass.
Taking the book she was holding, Angel tossed it onto the floor behind him. “I’ll be more than willing to help.”
“I’ll gladly volunteer, as well,” Faolan offered. Turning they saw him standing in front of the cell. They had been so caught up in their passion that none of them had been aware of his arrival.
Angel, in full vamp face, moved to block his view of the girls. Meanwhile, Buffy grabbed the bedspread and covered her and Willow.
“What do you want?” Angel snarled.
“I’d love to answer that question in detail.” Pulling his gaze from Willow, Faolan continued, “Unfortunately, I don’t have the time. You have a game in half an hour. This will be a private match”
“What makes this fight special? Do we get a chance to skewer you?” Buffy snapped.
“No, Slayer. This match will determine the fate of Sunnydale.” Laughing at their shock, Faolan left.
~Chapter 6~ The Challenge
Willow flinched as the impact of the whip caused another bolt of energy to snap against the barrier she had erected. She wasn’t sure how much longer her shield would hold. Looking over at her companions, Willow saw that they wouldn’t be able to help her. They were barely holding on against their own opponents. Suddenly, Willow was knocked to her knees as her force field cracked under the latest hit. She hurriedly cast a spell to strengthen her barrier. They had to find away to turn the battle. If they didn’t the Sisterhood of Jhe was going to kill them.
No! They weren’t going to die. Not now that they had a chance at happiness. Setting her resolve face, Willow ignored the continuing attack and focused on her spell book. She had to find away to go on the offensive without lowering her shield. Suddenly, Willow found it. She already had everything called for and it would work with her protection spell. Pulling out the ingredients, Willow swiftly said the incantation. The next bolt, instead of being dispersed, was reflected back at the caster.
Even as the demon was knocked into the arena wall, Willow lowered her shield and cast another spell. When she was done the demon fighting Buffy started sinking into the floor. Seeing her chance Buffy kicked the axe of her opponent’s hand and brought her sword down, taking off it’s head.
With Buffy’s fight done, both girls turned their attention to Angel in time to see him thrust his sword into the demon’s chest. Unfazed, the demon backhanded him, sending him staggering back. “Angel!” Both girls shouted as they rushed to help him.
“Hold.” Waving her hand at the demon, Willow’s spell caused it to freeze. Meanwhile, Buffy dived forward, picked up the axe and hurled it at the demon, splitting it’s skull.
“Are you okay?” Willow asked anxiously, when they reached Angel.
Smiling, Angel tried to reassure them. “I’m fine, thanks to some assistance.”
As she was getting ready to speak, Buffy noticed movement to the side of them. Looking over Buffy saw the third Jhe lashing out at them with the whip. Not wasting any time, she moved to protect Willow and Angel. Even as she pushed the others out of the way, the whip grazed her sending a wave of energy through her. Off balance, Buffy fell into Willow. The extra weight knocked Willow off her feet. In an effort to protect her friend Willow turned and took the brunt of the fall.
Catching his balance, Angel, in game face, attacked. Using his vampire speed he crashed into the demon, forcing her to the ground before she could strike again. As they fell, the demon shifted, so that Angel ended up on the bottom. Wrapping one hand around his throat she pulled a knife. Ignoring the hand on his throat, Angel reached up and blocked the knife’s downward momentum. Using his free hand, he ripped the demon’s stomach open. When she tried moving away from him, Angel rolled them until he ended up with his knee in her back. Reaching out he grabbed the demon’s head and savagely wrenched it around until her neck snapped.
Standing, Angel turned and found Willow watching him, as she helped a shaken Buffy to her feet. Ashamed for them to see him like this, he slipped back into his human visage before going to check on them.
“Did we win?” Buffy asked.
“I don’t know. All of the Sisterhood is dead. But they may have something else planned for us, since they haven’t sent us back to our cell,” Angel replied.
Reaching out to pull Angel over beside her, Willow drew their attention to the three figures materializing beside the demon Angel killed. “I think we’re about to find out.”
Two of the figures were immediately recognizable. The first was Faolan and the second was a member of the Sisterhood of Jhe. The third looked familiar but Willow couldn’t place where she had seen him. She knew she hadn’t seen him here before since he was obviously human and, other than Faolan, they hadn’t had any contact with humans.
While Willow had been trying to place the human, the Jhe had been examining her dead companions.
“Are you satisfied that there was no outside interference in this contest?” Faolan asked as the demon made her way back to them.
“Yes. The Sisterhood will forego our plans to open the Hellmouth. For now.” Once she agreed Faolan teleported her away.
Smiling, the third man walked over to stand in front of Buffy. “Let me congratulate you on a well done victory. I must say, volunteering you for the Game has had some unexpected benefits.”
At his comment Buffy felt rage wash over her. Acting quickly she stepped forward and punched him. Before he could recover she connected with a kick to the side of his head that knocked him to the floor. As she reached down to drag him back up, Faolan caught Buffy in a stream of light, holding her immobilized. His hold on Buffy was broken as Willow enveloped the three of them in a protective barrier.
Ignoring the three, as they braced for an attack, Faolan walked over and helped up his companion. “I’m sorry about that display, Mayor Wilkins. She has a nasty temper.”
“That’s alright,” the Mayor said as he brushed off his suit. “She has a reputation in Sunnydale for this type of appalling display.”
Turning to face Willow, Faolan commanded, “Lower your shield.” When she just glared at him Faolan stepped closer. “I can break through your shield if need be, little witch, but I don’t think you’ll like the consequences. Now, if you do as your told, I’ll return all three of you to your room and none of you will be punished for this incident.” Exchanging a glance with the others Willow reluctantly lowered the force field.
Moving until he was standing directly in front of Willow, Faolan reached out and cupped her chin. “A wise decision.” Tightening his grip, to prevent her from pulling away, he brought his other hand up and rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “I’d much rather reward you, than have to punish you.”
Before he could say anything else, Buffy reached out and pulled Willow
behind her and Angel. Laughing, Faolan walked over to join the Mayor.
“Protect her while you can. I’ll eventually have her,” he said as
he sent them back to their cell.