Guard My Heart

Author: angel

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Angelus, working reluctantly at Angel Investigations in Los Angeles, is hired by an even more reluctant Rupert Giles; the legal guardian of orphan Buffy Summers after Buffy's absent father dies, and leaves Buffy a string of debts to pay with her flesh and blood. Reluctant to babysit and act as a 'bodyguard' to a snivelling teenager, Angelus agrees at the requests of his money-hungry co-workers, to atleast meet Buffy, and upon meeting her he instantly claims her heart as his own. But can the two find it in themselves to put pride aside, and let their mutual desires fuel their existence together?

Special thanks to Danielle: This story began with her wonderful mind, and was pieced together through the seemingly psychic connection we seem to have. It's a joint effort, and I doubt it would even exist without her.

Feedback: PLEASE!!! Let me know what you think. I want to hear about your thoughts, your opinions, and your ideas.

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Part 1

Do you believe in fate? Fate higher than any power that man believes he can have? Fate, in the highest sense. Do you believe that the things you go through, were pre-ordained for you? Could it be that these hard times we suffer, are placed in our way, simply to still us in one spot, until fate has another purpose for our existence?

I didn't used to.

I used to believe that there was no Higher Power. There was no God. No Zeus. No Celtic Powers. I believed that what happened to me, happened merely because there was nothing good left in the world.

Then she came in to my life.

I have learned that fate has a mysterious way of working. It brings two people together not when you feel the time is right, but when the stars are ready. It makes things happen when you least expect them to happen, and it holds out on you when you think you're at your breaking point.

Yes, fate works in mysterious ways.

I learned this, when Rupert Giles walked in to the lobby of my Hyperion Hotel in Los Angeles; the headquarters and base of existence to Angel Investigations. I'd never heard of this man, but like every other British man who enjoys tea-he seemed to know who I was. I can't blame him for purposely wearing a cross around his neck. You'd have to be a damned fool to simply allow Angelus, the Scourge of Europe, free reign over your personal space with no defenses.

"I wish to speak to Angelus," the stuffy British man, dressed in tweed, said in his most confident tone. I could hear his voice shaking under his confidence.

He was terrified.

"I'm here," I sighed, walking around the corner of the main desk and stuffing my hands into my pockets as I stood before the shorter man. I sized this man up with advanced vision speed, before he even had a chance to look at my eyes and notice that they had moved. "Is there something I can help you with?" I asked him, wanting to get to the point. I had a Kanurla Demon with a baby in it's possession in the sewers, and Gunn, Fred, and Wesley were on another case. Cordelia, ofcourse, never went on-call, so I had to rush my plans and take care of it myself.

"I have a-A proposition for you, Angelus," he stuttered despite his confident manner.

"Great," I faked a smile, "then I hope it can wait an hour. I have a case to tend to. You can wait for my return, or leave. Either way doesn't exactly matter to me." With that, I left the stuffy Brit where he stood, and headed for the back door that led to the sewer entrance.

"He was so much nicer before he lost his soul," Cordelia said in her usual flippy manner, coming out from around the counter.

"He lost his soul again?" The Brit was surprised. "I-I thought the gypsies cursed him with a soul."

"Well, they did, but then we needed information from Angelus about something, so we let him out, and he became a big help to us. And we figured that since Angel's soul was safely resting in Heaven, that he could have some peace for a change, and we could just use Angelus and sleep with stakes under our pillows for extra security." She shrugged. "What can we do for you? I see you have a brief case. Would it happen to be filled with money?"

The Brit smiled nervously, "actually it is. Do you work at this agency?"

"Cordelia Chase," she held out her hand, and he shook it a little warily. "I work here. There are three other workers besides Angelus and I, but they're out on another case."

"Which would explain Angelus' abrupt departure," the Brit laughed slightly.

"No, that was probably because his manners died in the Classical Era," she explained.

~~

"They always leave slime in the hair," I sighed as I entered back in to the hotel lobby about three hours later. Turns out finding a Kanurla Demon is harder than it's said to be. Not to mention the little fact that was left out about there being six of them.

The scene I entered into, was one I quickly wanted to leave again. The stuffy Brit was actually still there, and even worse was that he seemed to be getting along exceedingly well with the team of mortals that I had spent the last three months trying to convince that I wasn't interested in killing them. They were enraptured by a story he was telling them. Just figures that he'd have to tell a story to the children. Besides, it was almost past their bedtime.

"Angel!" Fred exclaimed with that usual beaming smile. "Oh, sorry. I mean...Angelus!" she did it all over again. "How are the sewers?"

"Baby free," I assured her.

"Angelus, we have someone here that has a briefcase. Briefcases usually contain money," Cordelia enlightened me. "Money that we need badly. Rupert Giles, this is Angelus. I believe you met earlier, but Angelus was just busy so he probably didn't have the time to introduce himself properly," she was talking through her fake smile. She was doing it again! She was trying to use her smile to make him do whatever she wanted. And what she wanted right now, was the contents of Rupert Giles' briefcase.

I decided to amuse her like I so often had to do. "Angelus," I nodded curtly at Rupert, and he nodded in response, reminding me all-too-thoroughly of a British guard.

"You were a bit longer than an hour, Angelus." The Brit noted as if he was trying to discipline or chastize me.

I frowned, "thank you for noticing."

He put his disgruntled thoughts aside, and continued on, standing to his feet and picking up his briefcase. "Angelus, is there somewhere that I can present my proposition in private, to you?"

"They'll find out anyways," I waved my hand at the drooling mortals. "Just tell me here."

"Alright, then," he gave in. He went over to the counter at the front of the lobby, and set his briefcase down. He then cleared his throat to signal he wished for me to come over.

I sighed and went over. Arriving at the counter, he folded his hands and began to speak in that same confident-but-scared-shitless tone. "Angelus, I understand that my proposition for you is a little awkward, and completely out of the ordinary, but...I do need you to understand that it is of the utmost importance that you hear me out completely before making your decision on the matter."

"Done," I folded my arms in boredom. Sometimes it was more boring to pretend to be interested, than to listen to Cordelia talk about her out-dated wardrobe as a result of working such long hours for me, for such little money.

"Angelus, I am the legal guardian appointed over an orphan named Buffy Summers." He paused and watched me for any signs that I knew of her.

"Not a clue," I assured him, though I had heard a few things about the girl, through several different demon bars, but I had exactly listened in all that much.

"What a shame. Anyways, she is in grave danger. Her father was a Mafia Boss to the demon underworld. He passed away quite recently, and has left behind him a string of debts. The debted subjects that once trusted him, have searched high and low for a way to regain their money from his flesh and heirs, and they, unfortunately, have traced Buffy to him."

I sighed, "what is your proposition, Mr.Giles," I was beginning to get impatient. I hated listening to Pity Me stories. "Can you tell me what you would like before you go any further."

"I wish for you to guard her," he told me blankly.

"This isn't a protection agency. I'm not a bodyguard," I pointed towards the door. "You can show yourself out if you're all done here."

"I am most certainly not done!" Rupert surprised me. "If you won't take the job, then I beg you to simply meet her and recommend someone who can. Just meet her, and then you'll understand why I am so willing to have a vampire protect someone I have viewed as my daughter for the last sixteen years."

"Please Angel?" Fred begged. Upon receiving an elbow in the ribs from Cordelia, she corrected herself, "Angelus."

I looked from the mortals that were looking at the briefcase as if it were a God, to the stuffy Brit, to the briefcase that everyone was focusing on, and back again to the Brit. I groaned inwardly. I hated making these decisions.

"I'll meet her," I gave in, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. I was quick to add, "But just to meet her and assess the situation. Then I'm gone. I'll refer your case to an actual protection agency then, and they can deal with it."

"Believe me, you're already out-doing yourself," Rupert was trying to keep from smiling as broadly as he wanted to.

~~

Upon arriving at the three-bedroom home in the Los Angeles hills, Rupert Giles and I were greeted to the sounds of banging music. Rupert groaned loudly and raced in to the home, where he assured me there was someone that I would "thoroughly enjoy" meeting.

**Hey Ladies! When your man wanna get buck'wild, Just go back and hit 'em up style! Put your hands on his cash and spend it to the last dime- for all the hard times!**

I immediately noticed the short blonde; dancing around in some blue jogging pants and a black bra. She flipped her long, shining hair that reminded me briefly of the sunrises that I had seen in Ireland as a boy. The dance she was dancing was graceful, sensual, and speaking one message "Make Love To Me!!!"

"Buffy!" Rupert hollered over the music, as he ran over to the stereo and turned it off, much to my chagrin. I had preferred to let the blonde dance a little more.

Her vuluptuous behind was sliding in time to the rhythm that was no longer playing over the loud speakers. I was confused for a moment, until I noticed the headphones in her ears. She began to sing along as she danced to the music.

**U don't have to call, it's okay girl, cause I'ma be alright tonight. U don't have to call, it's okay girl!**

Giles cut this dance too, waltzing over to the dancing blonde and plucking the headphones from her head. "Buffy I told you not to listen to loud music. Someone could just break in, and you'd have no warning to allow you time to call the police!"

Police? I almost laughed. He actually thought the police would be able to help fight off flesh-hungry demons who fear no prisons but death?

She spoke finally, sighing dramatically and saying, "Giles, I had the door locked!" Buffy turned then, and I felt my jaw instinctively drop in silent awe. Her brilliantly green eyes locked on my own, and her tongue came out to moisten her lips as if knowing how desperately I wanted to crush her mouth with my own. Her features, small as they were, spoke of beauty, innocence, and virgin appeal.

"Buffy, you don't seem to understand how dangerous the situation is!" Giles continued to lecture, despite the fact that Buffy and I had stepped out of the world he was in, to one of our own. "I don't know how to make you realize that you are in grave danger."

"I know, Giles," Buffy broke out gaze and looked to the stuffy, middle-aged man. "I was just having a little fun for the first time in my life!" she emphasized what she meant.

She wanted fun? I could be fun for her. But no! I had to walk away right now. I don't know a thing about this girl other than that I have an immediate need for release at the very sight of her. She gorgeous, but she could be extremely annoying and aggravating. If I were to take this job, she could be the death of me...again. Plus, there's the fact that I'd have to leave LA for a few weeks, maybe even months, until the threat was completely diminished to her. No. I had to reject this job.

"Buffy Summers, this is Angelus," 'Giles' introduced us. "Angelus, this is Miss.Summers."

"Hey," she smiled, her voice sounding similair to a sweet melody that I usually would have mocked, but now found myself loving. All I could think of was how that beautiful voice would send; screaming my name at the heights of pleasure and passion.

~~

Rupert introduced Buffy just a little more, and then he asked her to go make some tea for him and their "guest". I almost laughed when he asked her to make tea. British to the bone. He could atleast try to act like tea isn't a national necessity over there.

"I have a recommendation for her guardian," I finally spoke, gaining eye contact with Buffy once again.

"Excellent!" he was thrilled. He came over to where I stood in the doorway, having not moved once since first arriving in the apartment. For some reason I hadn't trusted my good-mannered front to stand the test of Buffy Summers in that skimpy top.

Rupert managed to smile nervously at me as leaned forward so that Buffy wouldn't hear what we said if she happened to be listening in from in the kitchen. "Who might this be?"

"Me," I answered simply.

"I thought you told me before, that you weren't interested in taking the job," he frowned. I could tell he was already beginning to question my motives for taking the job.

"Gave it a little consideration," I shrugged. "Money is a necessity right now. Besides, I've been meaning to take a vacation."

"Vacation?" Rupert was confused. "What are you talking about? Taking the money after the job and going on a trip, or...?"

I laughed, "Rupert, I know you're not that naive. You know exactly what I mean. Buffy and I would have to leave Los Angeles and go somewhere that no one can connect with her past. I can't exactly tell you what I'm planning, but you must trust that she'll be in good hands," I found myself smiling as I thought of all the things my hands could do to her.

He took a moment to consider it, and deciding that it was the best for Buffy, he gave in. "Well, wonderful then!" Giles smiled, buying my motives with little to no questions or doubts. "Buffy," he caught her attention again as she walked back into the room with two cups of tea in her hands, "please meet Angelus...Your guardian."

**

"My what?" I asked, scarcely daring to believe what I'd just heard. That hottie? My guardian? That beautiful, oh-so-scrumptious, dark hunk that I knew was undressing me with his eyes, was going to be my guardian? Like a bodyguard to me?

Inwardly, I wanted to shout for joy, but my shock held me from expressing any kind of interest or emotion of any sort. So I found my three-year-old brain capacity, seeing as how my 17-year-old mind was occupied, and asked rather dumbly, "what's he gonna be?"

"Your guardian. Angelus here, is a vampire. To be trusted, I assure you," Giles glanced at Angelus, almost looking like he regretted saying that because he might want to take it back. "He's going to be your guardian for the next little while, until the heat dies off and the threat is gone here."

"So he's gonna be like my bodyguard?" I asked, a confused look seemingly permanent on my features. "Like in that movie with Whitney Houston?"

"Not exactly," Giles sighed. He glanced back at Angelus and explained, "she has a thing for quoting pop-culture. I do feel I should warn you that half of what she says makes little to no sense to me at all."

"I'm right here!" I reminded them a little too loudly, my attitude and usually flippant demeanor returned to me as the shock of the moment began to fade. "Can somebody please explain to me what this whole 'guardian' job details? Is he going to follow me when I go to school, in a really inconspicuous black van, or his he going to check the windows and then stand outside the door when I got to the bathroom?"

"See what I mean?" Giles asked the dark God standing before me.

Angelus pretty much ignored Giles as he continued to stare at me as if I was a candy bar, melting in the sun that he hated to see wasted. "Buffy, being your guardian means I'll be your constant companion for the next few weeks...Months...Years. However long it takes."

"Years?" Giles and I both asked in unison.

"You don't know how determined these underworld dealers can be," Angelus told Giles. "I did a bit of a check in to some of Hank's debted pals, and he's due to be handing over about five billion in services and possessions. I trust you understand this means that these debted fools won't give up after a night or two of looking for her."

"I-I suppose your right," Giles said, looking down as realization sunk in.

"I'm sorry, maybe I wasn't loud enough before" I caught their attention again. "...Years?" I asked it once more.

"Buffy, it's best if your start packing right away. Pack as little as possible. Just the bare necessities. We'll be leaving fairly soon," Angelus told me as if it was a simple instruction like cleaning my room or doing my homework.

"Leaving?" My face was blank and pale.

"Well yes," he smiled partially. "After all, you and I will have to be gone in a few hours."

"Hours?" my world continued to slip away with every sentance the man I was willing to give up my virginity and every moral I had for, spoke.

He didn't even look phased. He smiled as if he found the situation exceedingly funny with every moment, and made a motion as if to shoo me in to action. It reminded me of a mother hen in a cartoon, trying to get her chicks to move faster.

I turned like a robot, not really thinking as I walked down the hall.

**

"You didn't tell me you'd be leaving so soon!" Giles breathed the words slowly, his face pale. "I thought I'd have more time to say good-bye."

"You'll have plenty of time to say good-bye to her gravestone if she and I aren't out of the city in two hours," I told him seriously.

I was being partially serious. I really was concerned for Buffy, and there was indeed a threat that could attack at any moment, and the sooner we left the better. But at the same time, I was excited to take off with my new companion, to begin work on winning her over. I could tell by the look of desire in her eyes that it wouldn't be all that hard to get her in my bed, but that wasn't all I wanted. I was looking for more from this golden goddess, and I'd only just met her. I wanted her in my bed, in my life, and wearing my ring. I wanted to guard more than her life...

I wanted to guard her heart, as my own.

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Part 2

About thirty minutes after being given the command to pack, I found myself in my bedroom with two bags on my bed, packed as lightly as possible with jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, socks, underwear, bras, and any cosmetic necessities. I had no idea if we'd be going anywhere dressy, but I decided we wouldn't, and didn't bother to pack stilettos or a dress.

Giles knocked on the partially-open door, and peaked his head in. "Are you almost done in here, Buffy? Angelus is quite anxious to get out of LA before midnight." Giles came over to stand next to me as he watched me packing up my life.

"Why? Does he turn into a werewolf too?" I asked sarcastically. I wasn't at all pleased that within five minutes of meeting someone, they could uproot my entire life. At the saddened look on Giles' face, I realized I was taking out my frustrations on him. He was only doing what he thought was best for me. I shouldn't be venting to him like he's my hacky sack.

I sighed as I laid out a pair of jeans a white tank top, and a white, see-through turtleneck to change in to. "I'm sorry, Giles. I'm just a little stressed. Anyways, I'll be ready in just a few minutes. I guess I should give Willow and Xander a call and let them know I might not be around for graduation," my voice couldn't hide my disappointment. I was going to miss them so much.

Giles was about to say something, when the door shot open. "You'll make no calls," Angelus informed me ina manner that expressed there was no room for questions or exceptions.

"Why not?" I asked anyways, wondering why on earth I couldn't say good-bye to the people I loved that I may never see again.

"It kind of diminishes the purpose of running without anyone knowing, when you tell people, Buffy. Are you almost done here?" he crossed his arms, showing no mercy.

I felt like I wanted to cry. What had I ever done to deserve this? My mother dies at birth. My father doesn't want me. I spend seventeen years growing up with someone and suddenly I have to leave everything I know because the father I never knew, has passed away, and left a trail of doubts to be extracted from my skin, as his only living heir. Now, I have to run like a rabbit with some gorgeous wacko who tells me I can't even say good-bye to my best friends!

Life offically sucks.

"Can't I just tell them I have to leave, and not answer their questions?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice from breaking as it tightened and choked with the tears I was hiding.

Angelus sighed, as if he was giving in to a child who wanted ice cream. "You can write them a letter. I'll mail it to someone I know overseas and they can mail it to Giles. He'll give the letter to your friends. There. Satisfied yet?"

I turned to look at him, anger seeping through my being. "You don't have to be such a prick about all of this. You could try saying please when you ask me to hurry my ass up!"

He grinned at my outburst, as if he was thoroughly pleased that I had a temper. "Okay, Buffy. Hurry your ass up...Please," he quirked an eyebrow, "was that good?"

"Didn't they teach you manners in the 1800's?" I asked, a scowl glued to my features and a sarcastic nip to my voice as I glared at the man before me.

~~

It took me less than five minutes to finish packing and get dressed after Angelus made the threat of not letting me send the letter to Willow and Xander. I dropped my two bags in the livingroom, standing before the two men that were intent upon destroying my life for a "good cause".

"I'm ready," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest protectively, as I noticed Angelus sizing me up again. Maybe I should have thought a bit more about this see-through top and all of it's form-fitting features. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.

"Excellent," Angelus almost smiled a sincere smile. He grabbed the two bags I had dropped down and walked to the door. "Seeing as how my life will be miserable for the next little while if I don't, I might as well give you two a moment to say your good-byes." With that, he went out the door.

"He's a real find, isn't he?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, well...He's good at what he does," Giles told me, taking off his glasses and cleaning them like he always did when he was feeling emotional or nervous.

"What's that?" I asked. "Pissing me off?"

Giles ignored my comment, stepped up to me and saying, "Buffy, there's a few things I need you to know about Angelus. Despite what I said before, he's not to be trusted. He'll protect you above everything, but that doesn't mean he can't have a hidden agenda of his own. I honestly believe you'll be home in a few weeks, safe as can be...But in the evnt that he tries anything, you remember your training. Yes?"

I nodded, waiting to hear more. Giles was looking so emotional, so fragile. It was a new look for the man that I occasionally thought to have no emotions.

"And in the event that anything happens to you, or to me, I want you to know I love you very much. Like you were my own daughter, Buffy. I've always seen you that way, and I always will," he smiled despite the tears forming behind his eyes.

I lifted one hand and placed it on the side of his face. "I've always felt that way. Thank-you."

**

I glanced at my watch, willing it to speed up to make it look like I had more patience than I really did. If only they could damn-well hurry up! I hated waiting outside for Giles to bash my name and confess his fatherly love and respect for Buffy like I knew he would.

Cordelia had been deeply impressed at the amount of money the agency would have at the end of this mission, despite how long I said it might take. Personally, I think she and the rest of the 'gang' would sleep better when I wasn't around. Not that I particularily cared, but it was a little disconcerting to live around such two-faced individuals, who tell you they trust you and then sleep with stakes under their pillows.

Finally, the door to the house opened again, and Buffy stepped out. I couldn't deny that she looked simply edible in her form-fitting jeans and skimpy top. My only concern was how much attention she would attract from the men on this trip. It only made me realize I'd have to speed up my plans with her to make sure that I could glare at them and break their necks when they stared, without Buffy rushing to stop me from being so overly protective.

The turtleneck selection made me wonder. Had she simply just decided to wear it for the sake of liking it, or was there a deeper meaning to keeping her neck covered?...Like perhaps she was warding me off with a fabric shield that said she didn't want anything to do with me. I passed it off as that she knew she looked good in that top, and left it at that.

"Okay, take me to Hell," she announced with a bright smile.

I went over to her and bowed, "it'll be my pleasure." I succesfully unnerved her. She looked from me, to Giles, a little unsure of herself and her new situation. So now she knew her flippant behavior could bring her loads of sarcastic truth in response. Good. Better she learn it now, the easy way, than later, the hard way.

~~

"Can we stop soon?" Buffy asked with a sigh, turning her head to look at me. "We've been driving for hours already, and we haven't stopped once!"

"We left LA just two hours ago. We'll be at our first stop soon. You can wait," I told her firmly, keeping myself from looking over at her as I spoke. She'd barely said two words to me since we left LA, and I was starting to wonder if this was the start of a vicious trend.

"Two hours? Is that all?" she asked with a sigh. Then, glancing out the window again she said, "feels like a lot longer."

I sighed, hating that I felt guilty and cruel for making her leave like that. I'm a demon! Why the Hell am I caring so much that she's pining for her friends? Finally, I just gave in and surprised us both by asking, "have you ever been out of Los Angeles?"

She turned to look at me, eyeing me suspiciously for signs that I was joking with her, or making fun of her. When she was satisfied that I was being sincere, she looked down at her hands and answered, "when I was five, I went to Disneyland with Giles. And my two friends, Willow and Xander, they took me to Palm Springs last year for Spring Break."

"Did you enjoy it?" I asked, further surprising us both.

She shrugged. "It was okay. I don't know. It was beautiful, warm, exotic, and fun, but...There was just something missing. But maybe I just wasn't opening my eyes enough."

I decided it was time to change the subject before she got too emotional by thinking about her friends and her past. I didn't think I'd have the knowledge to deal with Buffy's emotional outbursts right now. She was your basic, crying, teenage girl, but at the same time she seemed to be so much more. And after over two hundred years, I'm pretty good at being able to tell when someone has more to them than what meets the eye...Not that I'm complaining about what's meeting my eye.

"We'll be entering Sunnydale soon," I told her. "It's a small town, verging on a city. Not all that much to it. I have a mansion on the outskirts that we'll stay in for a day or so until I've had some time to asess the situation a bit."

"Okay," she nodded softly, turning her head once more to watch the night as it passed her by; flying all around her at a rate too fast for her to catch up to.

**

Angelus wasn't kidding when he said he had a mansion for us to stay in. The place was so big that I almost started to shake when he pulled in the driveway, stopping to punch in the 10-digit code that unlocked the gates all around the property. I soon found another reason to shake, as the decorations of the mansion were particularly cold. Everything was done in grey, black, and brown base tones. It was so masuline and harsh. It fit Angelus so well.

There were fireplaces to offer a warmer temperature to me, but there was no other heat. A splash of blood-red decorations here and there added some form of life to the castle, but mostly it was dark and cold. I felt like I'd walked in to the uncolored pages of a child's coloring book. I kept thinking: Where are my crayons when I need them?

The town of Sunnydale, itself, was nothing to make a big deal about. Apparently it was on a Hellmouth. Yippee for me. I get to spend a few days on the mouth of Hell. As if having demons chasing after me to get their money's worth isn't bad enough, now I have some that want to kill me simply for the fun of it! Oh what a joy it is to be Buffy Summers.

Finishing the tour outside of a door upstairs, Angelus told me, "this is the master bedroom. You may want your own room, but while you're under my protection you'll find I like to keep an eye on things at all times. There's a double-king-sized bed, and a couch nearby. I'll be on the couch while you sleep. Just to let you know, I'm an extremely light sleeper. Keep that in mind if you decide to escape." He smiled at me, as if to let me know that he was entirely serious and that I had been caught in my thoughts.

But I was never one to back down without a fight, so I raised an eyebrow and asked, "is this room grey too?"

He laughed. An actualy laugh. A little menacing, mind you, but still an actual laugh! He had a sense of humor! "Not everything is as it seems, Buffy," he informed me, opening the door and stepping to the side and motioning with his hand, for me to go inside.

The room shocked me. It wasn't grey, or black, or brown, or blood red...But royal blue. There were thick, dark blue rugs scattered about on the marble floors to provide some comfort to your feet in the morning, rather than just the cold marble. The drapes on the windows, thick to block the sun, were royal blue. There was a bed in the center of the room, big enough to sleep a third world country. It had a canopy top, with royal blue, see-through curtains held back with sashes at each of the four bed posts. With a tug of each sash, you could be in your own world surrounded by blue lace. The idea made me smile.

As far as decorations went, the room was held to the basics, but every peice was carved out of the same dark, mahagony wood that the bed was carved from. The dressers, closet doors, desk, chairs, and picture frames had the same celtic knot design carved in to them as I found on the bed. There was a huge fireplace at the end of the room, with a rich, glowing fire already blazing and heating the room.

"It's beautiful," I breathed in awe, forgetting for a moment that I was with someone who could easily mawk my words and thoughts to make me feel as insignificant as a lamp shade.

Setting down my two bags on a chair, Angelus came over to me, his face as serious as any face could be. His eyes were hooded and shadowed since the only light of the room was from the fireplace, which was currently to his back. "I'm glad you like it," he whispered in a deep, rough voice that immediatly set my nerves on fire.

Looking in to his eyes, I was overwhelmed with sensations that I knew were entirely new to me. He was bringing out a thirst in me that I had never felt before, and had no idea how to sate. I licked over my lips as they suddenly became dry. What was that growing throb between my legs?

Willow and I had talked about the 'tingles' before, and I thought this was as far as arousal could go...But this was different. I was suddenly wanting things from this man that I'd just met four hours ago, that I never thought I could actually long for. An image flashing through my head of me laying on that big bed, on my back, Angelus pushing in to me with an increasingly passionate rhythm, his beautifully sculpted, muscled back rippling under my hands as I urged him on, lips meeting in an intesnity that no one had ever brought out in me, and a pleasure coursing through my veins with every stroke of his thick manhood.

I shook my head, blinking and looking in to his eyes again. It dawned on me that I'd just been holding his gaze, and not actually making love to him. That realization, along with the realization that he probably didn't want to make love to me, made me drop my head and avert my gaze.

**

I wanted to growl. How could she drop her head like that? I had almost seen the reflection of the two of us locked in a driving rhythm, reflected in her eyes. But now she looked unsure. What was she unsure of? Did she not know I was already being driven purely by my lusts for her?

It dawned on me that perhaps she didn't, and rather than blurting it out and acting like a complete fool, I spoke. "You can get changed. I'll turn my back."

"I can't go in to the bathroom?" she asked, looking up at me again with surprise on her features.

I smiled wryly at her, remembering an earlier comment she made to me. "No...I haven't checked the windows yet."

**

Laying under the covers in the gigantic bed about twenty minutes later, I felt extremely awkward. Angelus wasn't laying down with his eyes shut, trying to get some sleep. He was sitting there with his eyes open, staring in to the darker corner of the room. I could see the light from the fireplace flickering off his shadowed features. There was such an intense darkness over his face that it almost made me shiver. For someone who could make me so hot, he looked so...cold.

At that moment, his gaze caught my own, signalling that I had just been caught staring at him again. I buried my face in the pillow as I felt my features blush a bright red.

"Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice rough, making me tremble yet again. I was beginning to feel like I was on one of those paint-shaking machines when I was around Angelus. It felt like at any moment I could be shaken in to oblivion.

"It's kind of hard to sleep with someone breathing down your neck," I confessed, lifting my head from the pillow to look at him.

"I don't breathe. And if I did, I'm not close enough to breathe down your neck." He then tossed me one of those oh-so-sexy smirks and said, "but if you'd like me to be...I think that can be arranged."

I felt my blush returning. Dammit! I'd just spent all that time fighting it away! "Maybe I should try again," I said, turning on to my other side so that I didn't have to look at his beautiful face while I tried to sleep. I knew I'd never be able to shut my eyes if I could look at him instead.

**

Buffy finally fell into an exhausted slumber about half an hour later, and I was left with the simple silence that was only disrupted by the gentle beating of her heart, and the occasional crackle of the fire as it burned throughout the night.

It was almost dawn when I heard Buffy speak. She spoke my name in a breathy voice that made me suddenly curious. Her heartbeat hadn't increased to singal that she was awake, so she must have been dreaming...About me?

I leaned forward to hear more. I heard her sigh ever so softly, and I smiled to myself. Was she sighing about me? I slid to my feet with the acquired grace and stealth of over 200 years of practice. I listened to Buffy as I moved closer to the bed that looked like an ocean around her. The royal blue contrasted with her beautiful, blonde hair and tanned skin so well. It made her features stand out like lightning against the dark blue sky of the night.

"Please Angel," she whispered in that same breathy voice that made my groin instinctively tighten in desire. Oh that honey voice. That sweet, pure voice. It was then that this fantasy world I was in, improved ten times. Her arousal flooded the air, sweet enough to make me cry out my prayers of thanks to the heavens, for giving me this assignment.

Suddenly she turned on to her back, her top rising to give me a view of her perfectly scultped stomach. Her heartbeat began to speed, signalling that she was approaching the field of consciousness. Hearing this warning alarm, I slid back to my couch, and sat again.

She moaned softly, and yawned, stretching her arms above her head. As she blinked herself to being fully awake, she looked confused. Then it seemed she remembered, and the confusion left her features. She turned to look to where I was, and for some reason, I shut my eyes to make it look like I was asleep and unaware.

I heard her stomach growl, and she sighed, "great. Imprisoned and starved." She pulled back the covers, obviously not taking in to consideration just how light of a sleeper I really was...Or could pretend to be. The plan forming in my mind was all too sweet, and it was all I could do to keep from grinning from ear to ear and giving myself away.

**

Sliding my feet to the floor, I wiggled my toes and looked to where Angelus was sleeping. Seeing that he didn't move as my big toe cracked, I smiled. Light sleeper? Yeah right.

I made my big mistake then.

Figuring that he wasn't anywhere close to being awake, and that it would take him a while to get to his feet anyways, I slid off the bed. The moment that the bed made the slightest noise from my movements, my world became a blur as Angelus launched from where he slept, and tackled me back on to the bed.

I laid there, completely shocked and surprised as I gazed up in to his eyes. His face was only an inch from my own. It was all I could do to keep from molesting his lips with my own.

He smirked then, holding himself off me a little by bracing his weight on his hands, on either side of my head. "Told you I was a light sleeper. Where exactly would you be going, Buffy?"

I sighed and admitted, "I'm hungry."

He smiled, "really? Me too."

The double meaning to his words made me blush again. The heat from my cheeks, however, wasn't the hottest part of me right now. I felt my nipples puckering against the feeling of him being so close. I knew he could probably feel them through my small tank top, and his silk shirt. Plus he could undoubtedly smell how aroused I suddenly was.

The gleam of knowledge in his eyes made me blush to an even deeper shade of red...If that was possible. "Perhaps I should get you something to eat. Hmm?"

I nodded rather numbly. "Uh huh."

With that he slid off me, and offered his hand. I looked at it for a moment, momentarily not knowing what it was. Then I took it, and he pulled me to my feet, knocking me rather roughly in to his chest with the strength of his pull. I looked down, and he smiled.

Yeah, he knew.

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

Part 3

Angelus was a source of constant surprise. This time it was revealed that he knew how to cook. "Wasn't my idea to learn," he assured me. "Whimpering soul boy thought it was a nice advantage to have."

After finishing my ham and cheese omelett and toast, I set down my fork and propped up my elbows on the table. I glanced over at Angelus. He was sitting across the average-sized kitchen table, reading a newspaper. It dawned on me that this kitchen table was probably the only average-sized piece in this entire castle. He didn't take his eyes off his paper as he lifted his mug, full of steaming liquid to his mouth and took a sip.

I tilted my head to the side and leaned my chin against my hand. I had to think of something to say to him. The awkward, sweaty situation I kept falling in to were making it increasingly hard for me to hate him, and I knew that if I could just piss him off or something, he'd give me a reason to fight his alluring gaze and naturally sensual charms.

But how could I piss him off? No, the very act of pissing him off would be simple. I mean, how could I do such a thing? If he was mad, then his eyes wouldn't show that usual desire that they held whenever they looked at me. I had thought that maybe he always looked like he was filled with lust, but when I saw him staring in to the darkness lastnight, I realized that such a seducing stare for him was highly unusual. So this brought out another question...Was he teasing me? or was he actually wanting me?

I knew I wanted him now. The wetness that he caused to seep from me at the first look was more than a little crush. I actually wanted him! I knew that if there was going to be a good way to lose my virginity, it would be with Angelus. But then again, he's so much older...And colder. Not to mention the whole vampire thing. But that can be overlooked as long as there's no unwanted biting.

Maybe I should just ask him what his intentions are. Or maybe I should start off by getting his attention. That could be a help.

Ofcourse, he just had to effortlessly know what I was thinking. "Yes?" he asked, moving his eyes to read the other side of the paper.

I opened my mouth to speak, and then he looked at me; giving me his attention. I felt my breath hitching in my throat, and I suddenly couldn't form words. I can't ask him things like that! He's probably just enjoying having this big power trip over me. There's no way he's actually interested. If only there was an easier way. Why can't I be able to read him like he reads me?

"It's a vampire thing," he began to answer the question that I hadn't asked. "We can read our victims. Or in this case, our assignments. We can't read exact thoughts, just the basic questions that cloud up their eyes. Believe me, if I wasn't a vampire, I wouldn't be able to read you like that. You're not that easy to figure out, Buffy."

"I should say the same about you," I slid my hands into my lap and looked down.

Angelus folded up his newspaper and said, "so what do you want to know? I'm an open book."

I was a little unsure of how to respond. I finally said, sounding a little too nervous, "I don't know what to ask. Um...Have you always been so heavy in to the brooding?"

He laughed then, an actual laugh that wasn't mixed with any other form of laughing like mockery or sarcasm. It was a genuine laugh! As he laughed, the sides of his eyes crinkled in the most adorable way, and I couldn't help smiling. "No," he finally answered my question, "the brooding came in the sixties."

"What about the name?" I asked.

**

"Given to me by my grandmother in Ireland," I answered.

"The hair. Naturally spikey or gelled?" She asked.

"Combination of both," I smiled.

"Musical preferences?"

"Depends," I loved the way she just shot her questions at me; one after the other with no breaks in between for her to think about my answers.

"Favourite place to visit?"

"Ireland."

"Ever worn a thong?"

"No."

Her next question made my jaw drop. "Can I kiss you?"

**

I couldn't believe I'd asked that. The moment the words were out, I wanted to slap my hands over my mouth to push them back in. But it wasn't possible, because the milisecond after I asked, Angelus had hauled me to my feet, and his lips were on mine.

It took me a moment for my brain to catch up with what was going on, but as soon as my brain kicked in; I was thrilled. After a moment of complete passion filled with licking, nipping, and moaning: I pulled back and looked into Angelus' dark eyes.

"That answer your question?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically darker than normal.

The words he spoke made no sense to my currently, one-track mind, and I found that I couldn't stop staring at his lips. His kiss had been so amazing, and it had sent my heart in to overdrive. I didn't know where I found the strength to even stand on my own two feet. I lifted my hand to the side of his face and slid my fingers over his forehead. Angelus smirked, his hands sliding around and pulling my hips flush against his own, "maybe a little more answering is required then?"

I could only nod as his lips closed over my own. My tongue slid out to meet his own, and the desire shot between us both like an electricity volt. I twined my arms around his neck, lifting myself ever closer to him. My eyes shot open as I felt proof of his arousal, pressing into my stomach. Angelus smirked, and deepened the kiss, pressing me backwards over the table and grinding in to me.

Laying on the table, I wrapped my legs around Angelus' waist and pulled him in to me. Oh God my insides were boiling! Angelus was the one to break the kiss, seeing that I needed to breathe, but he didn't stop kissing me. Dear God, he certainly didn't stop kissing me. His fingers slid down my tank top, and he pulled it up over my head. Licking a nipping down my skin, he latched on to my right nipple. I shot off the table, gripping his head closer with both hands, and tightening my grip around his waist as he continued to grind against me.

"Yes," I whispered, shutting my eyes and tilting my head back. "Angelus."

He smiled against my skin, and then released my nipple. Continuing to grind in to me, and pinch my nipple in his left hand, he raised his head to look at me. "Let me take you upstairs," he said. It wasn't a question, or a demand. It was more like a plea. His eyes were so dark that for a minute, I didn't recognize him. I managed a silent nod, and within moments of my nod, I found myself lifted in to his arms, and carried from the kitchen at an alarming rate.

**

Reaching the bedroom, I crossed to the bed. Laying Buffy down, topless, I was witnessing the most glorious sight in the world. Her tanned skin and golden hair, contrasted with the royal blue, was enhanced now by the incomparable beauty of her bare chest and perfect breasts. She held out her arms to me, beckoning for my return to her. Not having to be told twice, I slid up the bed to kneel over her.

Positioning my face at her stomach, I smirked as my fingers slid in the hem of her jogging pants. Pulling them down slowly, I became ever more fascinated as her bare flesh was revealed; inch by preciously golden inch, until she was completely naked before me.

It dawned on us both at the same time, as I sat up to straddle her waist, that I was wearing entirely too much. We both looked at my chest, but I made no move to assist her in undressing me. This fantasy was so wonderful that I wanted her to be the one to keep it going. She sat up her stomach coming in to contact with my groin. She smiled up at me as he fingers slid to the top button of my shirt.

Taking time and allowing her slender fingers to work at their own pace, she undid my shirt and slid it from my shoulders. Taking a moment to look at my chest, she smiled to herself.

Did she like what she saw? Hell yes.

She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against my skin. The heat radiating off her was burning me through and through. I twined my fingerd through her hair and pulled her face closer as she began to kiss my skin hesitantly. As her lips explored me, her hands slid down my sides. She was probably hoping that with her lips busy, I wouldn't notice her hands...But I did. She began to slowly unbuckle my pants.

Releasing my hands from her hair, I slid them down her arms to where her hands were resting. She tilted her head up to look at me, and she smirked in a way that made my undead heart beat in anticipation of things to come. Guiding her hands, I helped her to undo my pants, and it wasn't long before I was completely bare before her.

Her heartbeat increased when I rid myself of the extra clothing, and moved back to settle my face between her thighs. I could tell her mind was whirling with doubts, and the only thing I could think of-was ridding her mind of those doubts.

**

When I felt the first push of his tongue against my clit, I screamed. Angelus smirked, and dipped down for another taste. I slammed my knees up to hold him in place, and he growled against my skin, forcing them back down so that I was completely helpless beneath him, and he could do whatever he wanted. He formed a rhythm with his tongue that made me squirm. Thankfully, he hadn't kept me from screaming. If he had, I was certain that I wouldn't have been able to take it.

"Angelus!" I shrieked as he slid a finger inside of me, and I clenched around it. "Oh God!"

He smiled and began to speak against my mound, "you're a virgin, Buff. I can tell. You want me?" When I didn't respond, he stopped the motions of his hand and asked again, "do you want me to be your first, Buffy? Answer me."

I was on the verge of orgasm, and he wanted me to talk? Fine. I'll talk. I raised my head to look at him and found the strength and brain power to answer, "yes. Please."

It took him less than a milisecond for him to slide up my body and slam in to me. I orgasmed immediatly as he entered, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. The pleasure of my climax masked the pain as he broke through my hymen. "Angelus!" I screamed loudly, arching off the bed towards him.

He locked his lips over my own, and began to speed up his thrusting. I had just barely recovered from my first orgasm when he pushed me to my second. I'd always heard that your first time was horrible, but if there had to be pain...This was definitely one Hell of a way to take it.

**

I felt her inner muscles clenching around me for the second time, and she was so hot, so wet, so tight-that I couldn't keep from climaxing with her. Pumping in to her with a blinding rhythm, I shouted her name as I poured my seed deep in to her, I watched as she opened her eyes and looked at me. She reached her third peak, and I swear I saw it exploding in her eyes.

Slowing my rhythm, until it was non-existent, I stared down in to her eyes. She looked up at me as if she was seeing the world from a different light. Her eyes were so wide, like she was battling with the edge of exhaustion. "Angelus," she whispered, reaching one hand to hold the side of my face. She spoke my name a bit like a question, almost sounding like she doubted any of this was really happening.

I leaned down and claimed her lips with my own, feeling the need to continue touching her. Now that I could, I found it so hard to stop. As we kissed, I rolled on to my back, taking her with me to lay on my chest. Parting from the kiss, she laid her head on my chest and sighed, shutting her eyes and allowing her body to rest a little.

~~

Buffy fell in to an exhausted slumber, and I watched her sleep. Guarding her...Protecting her. Now, not just because I was being paid to, but because I had to. There was no way I could ever let her go now. She was mine, and she would stay that way...

Forever.

**

Drifting to the surface of consciousness, I lifted my head and stopped breathing when I found myself staring in to the dark eyes of Angelus. "Okay, this is new," I said in a soft voice.

Angelus, who was sitting on the bed next to me, smiled in this arrogant, sexy manner that made me want to smile back. "As sexy and seductive as you are laying naked in my bed..." he leaned closer and whispered in to my ear, making me grin; feeling warm and wet, "you need to get in to some clothes, so that we can get going."

"Where are we going?" I asked, looking up and watching him as he got up from the bed and went over to the closet doors.

He went inside the closet, but continued to speak to me. "We're going down to the harbour. I have a cruise liner booked for us. You and I are going to disappear, Buffy..." He came out of the closets and smiled, "and we may never come back."

"What?" I shot up, clutching the sheets to my naked chest.

Angelus brought over some jeans and a sweater for me. Setting them on the bed, he came over to me and ran a hand over my hair, lifting my chin to kiss my lips softly. "In fact, I can guarantee we're not coming back...Ever."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry, maybe you didn't hear me before," I cleared my throat and asked again, louder, "what?!"

"Buffy, what you'll soon learn about me, is that I like to hold on to what's mine. And Buffy, I consider you-in every sense-to be mine, now."

"I'm sorry, when did all of this happen?" I asked, wondering if perhaps I'd been sleeping for more than a few hours...Maybe a few years?

"Buffy, you have to understand something. From the first moment I saw you, I knew I had to have you. And now that I do...I'm never gonna let you go." He smiled brightly then, as if he hadn't just taken away my life. "Now get dressed. We'll get you something to eat, and then we'll have to get going if we're going to make the cruise." He stood and headed for the door.

I jumped from the bed, clutching the sheet around me. "You can't just do that to people!"

"You're not 'people' Buffy," he turned to face me. "You're one person. One person that I want. One person that I will have. So pack your things, because this isn't a discussion."

"You can't just dictate my life like that!" I was shocked that he could be such an ass hole...But really, I wasn't. I should have seen this coming.

"I'm not dictating your life, Buffy," Angelus turned to face me again, looking a little less tolerant than before. "You don't seem to understand that there is no more 'your life' or 'my life'. There's just Our Life." He smiled then. "Got it?" With that, he turned and left the room, leaving no space for me to revolt or rebel against this crazy idea.

I felt the tears come to my eyes. Just like that, all I had left was Angelus. And no matter how much I'd deny it, a part of me was glad that I didn't have to worry about family, or friends, or school anymore. All I had left to worry about was Angelus and I.

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

Part 4

And just like that, I found myself being literally dragged to the waiting limousine by Angelus. The chauffer tried not to stare as I made a huge scene of kicking and punching against Angelus' back as he carried me fireman style to the car.

Now that he had decided to "keep me" he seemed to find it pointless to hide from the world that I was his, so he was no longer concerned with keeping a low-profile to ensure that I didn't get picked off by a sniper. He made a grand speech about how now that I was his, most of these debted people would back off, and the ones that didn't would have to die. I cringed when he spoke so bluntly about the deaths of people who potentially had families.

"You can't just take me away like this!" I continued to try reasoning with him, despite that I knew his humoured patience was quickly fading. I felt his jaw clenching as he tried to keep from yelling at me. If only I could get away…But did I want to? My mind was driving me insane with these double-sided thoughts. I wanted to be with Angelus-more than anything. But at the same time, I didn't want to uproot everything I know and abandon my friends and family…Giles.

"Buffy, I'm not going to go over this again with you," Angelus said. "You can't tell me you don't want to go with me honestly, so don't even try to make a scene. I know you're probably scared of what people will think of you and everything, darling." Damn, how did he know that? "But Buffy, you have to stop being so concerned about everyone else. They're not your concern anymore."

"Just like you keep telling me," I replied caustically. "Has it ever dawned on you that I'm a teenager? Not only is this illegal in every state-it's morally wrong. I mean, think about it…You're like five billion times my age. Did you ever think about that?"

He chuckled, his humour returning, "Buff, not to sound too 'hip' or anything here-because it my ruin my socially unaware façade-but have you ever heard that song? Let's see, what is it called? 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number'? Something grammatically incorrect like that. Ever heard it?"

"Since when do you listen to Aaliyah?" I sighed, giving up my fights in favour of a more sarcastic, annoying approach. Maybe he'd get so bored with me that he'd drop me off before we left the states. It was a long shot, but a girl could hope, right?

Plus I don't have many options left.

Setting me in the back of the limo, Angelus climbed in after me and said, "Buffy, the sooner you accept this, the better. I want our future to be…Not to imply that I want to be in the sun…But I want our future to be bright. If you're so intent upon fighting it-we could have problems. And if you start fighting me, I'm going to have to use chains on you and prove my point until you can't keep your eyes open. Though we'll both undoubtedly enjoy that, I'm sure that afterwards you'd be a little madder, and I'd hate to have to apologize for making you see the right of things. So what do you say we just get along?"

"What do you say you kiss my ass?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and smiling sourly at him. He was pissing me off so much right now. If only I could kill him…Again.

"It'll be my pleasure, darling lover," he smirked.

"Do you have any shame?" I asked curiously.

"No. It died with chivalry and giving a damn when the soul left," he replied with a brilliant smile that spoke words about his personality.

This was going to be interesting.

~~

Getting me on the cruise ship, was done much the same way as getting me to the limo. Angelus carried me in his arms, retaliating to my bad mouthing the whole way to our suite rooms. If I hadn't been in such a bad mood, I might have thoroughly enjoyed the idea of taking an exotic cruise, and being in such a beautiful suite…But things being the way that they were, I was generally mad and unhappy with everything that Angelus offered.

"Darling, would you like something to eat?" Angelus asked me, holding out a plate filled with many different fruits and cheese.

"Eating's over-rated," I said from where I sat pouting in a chair in the parlour of our suite. "I plan to slowly starve myself to death."

"If it ever suits my plans, for you to starve, then I'll let you continue down this road to self-destruction. But until then, you're going to eat-and well, might I add. You're slightly thinner than you should be. I'm going to make sure you start eating a little more."

"Now you're telling me I'm not good enough?" I scoffed. "Angelus, do you want me? Well this is the package deal, if you do. Bad moods, skinny waist, childish notions, and all! Deal with it." I narrowed my eyes at him, hoping that maybe he'd start to understand me.

I was wrong.

"Buffy, I think you need to give up this act. No one's watching you to see if you miss your family and friends, so don't worry about faking these temper tantrums any more. I'm gradually losing my patience, darling…And that's not something you want."

"What would you know?" I looked down at my hands, lowering my voice to just above a whisper. I wish someone would just listen to me and let me think about what was going on, instead of forcing me in to something. Why was I always being used like a Barbie doll?

Angelus came over to me and knelt before me. "Buff, why don't you just stop worrying, and let me take care of everything? I promise you'll always be safe with me. Nothing will ever happen to me. And as long as we stay together, I'll make sure your friends and family live well, too."

When I didn't say anything, he tilted my head up to look into my eyes. "Smile for me," he commanded. For some reason, I felt my heart melting. I smiled at his request, and felt pleased when he smiled back. "There's my good girl." Leaning forward, he placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "Enough talking now, lover. There are…Other things we can tend to." He stood up, and offered me his hand.

I looked up to peer into his eyes. How could I resist a man like that? I accepted his hand, and he pulled me to my feet. Walking backwards to hold eye-contact with me, he led me into the bedroom and shut the door behind us.

He moved backwards to the bed, sitting down and pulling me closer. His fingers slid down my hips, to the tops of my jeans. He unbuckled them, and helped me to step out of them. I didn't speak as he took his time undressing me from the waist-down. Finished with removing my jeans, I smiled as I brought one knee to the bed next to his hips, and swung the over to straddle his waist properly. Sliding my fingers over his cheeks, I felt an overwhelming sense of power. This beautiful man wants me!

Who would have ever thought I'd find the most amazing man?

Leaning down, I shut my eyes and closed my lips over his for a gentle kiss. I couldn't help smiling against his lips. He always tasted the same. It was a distinct taste that he had; a mixture of breath mints, spice, and something that was all his own…Darkness. I don't know how to explain the taste of darkness in his kiss; It was just there.

His hands lifted to my shirt, and he pulled it off; parting our lips for a millisecond to

remove the unwanted barriers between our bare flesh. Kissing him slowly, I began working on the buttons of his black, silk shirt. There weren't many people who could successfully pull off leather pants and silk shirts…But Angelus wasn't just any ordinary person. Of that, I was completely and absolutely sure.

Slipping my hands in his shirt to push it off his shoulders, his hands slid down to his own pants. I could feel the concrete evidence of his desire for me; pressing against my stomach. The sound of the zipper made me want to laugh. This was all so perfect and surreal right now. It made me wonder why I'd bother to fight him before. What was I thinking?

Lifting me with an aching slowness, he slipped a finger to press against me; testing my readiness. Seemingly pleased with what he found, he lifted me higher and with one thrust upwards. I moaned at the feeling of him pressing inside me. My eyes shot open as he lowered me down completely. I locked my gaze with his own, and felt a rush of tingles shoot through my body as he smirked; raising me once again to slam me back down on his hungry rod.

The rhythm gradually became familiar to me, and eventually I was rising and falling in the rhythm on my own. Angelus attacked my lips, making it increasingly harder for me to breathe properly.

Pleasure shot through my nerves with every blinding stroke of him against my walls. He knew exactly what I needed to make me pant. I shut my eyes, breaking the kiss finally and clenching my jaw to hold back my gasps of climax.

**

Feeling Buffy tighten and explode around me, I sped up my pace, and as she was finishing her first orgasm; I push her into her second, joining her in ecstasy. Gasping her name against her lips, I felt complete. Pumping up into her, I knew she was mine. She clutched my shoulders tightly as the passion rippled through both of us; passing from one to the other.

Opening her eyes again, she looked down at me; panting furiously. She kept her eyes opened to mine as we kissed. Being with her was like being with everything I'd ever wanted. I knew I was in love with her already. The thought didn't bother me as much as it used to. Being in love didn't make me feel so insignificant anymore. It didn't exactly turn me into a weeping sack of mawkish, human emotions though. But I admit it made me feel overly possessive. If anything ever happened to Buffy, if anyone ever tried to hurt her or take her from me…I'd kill them.

**

Laying in bed several hours later, I watched Angelus strolling around the room in his towel. Having just showered, he looked delicious with little beads of water dripping down his sculpted back and firm chest muscles. I blushed as dirty thoughts raced through my mind.

He looked over at me, and noticing my blush, he asked, "what are you blushing about, lover?" He came over and trailed a finger over my bare arm, delighting in the shiver it send through my body.

"I was just wondering…" I paused, and dismissed the idea of just telling him that I wanted to lick the water from him like a popsicle. Instead, I asked casually, "how do you pay for all this? I thought your agency needed money really badly."

Turning his back to me once more, he went over to the dresser and pulled out a Rolex box. "The agency does. I don't. There's a line between personal and business problems, and I don't tend to cross it very often, lover. I could have helped out the agency, and a million other agencies-for years to come." He slipped the watch on his arm and did it up. "…But being a rather selfish, uncaring individual, I prefer to hoard my savings for my own personal benefits…" He came over to me then, carrying a blue, velvet box. Why is it that some of the best things in life, come in velvet boxes?

"And your benefits," he sat down next to me on the bed and opened the box, revealing the contents to my eyes. Inside, was a platinum choker with blue and white diamonds encrusted in to every speck of it. The lights were bouncing off it and dancing around the room like one of those disco balls.

It was absolutely breath taking.

Unashamed of my nudity, I sat up and allowed the sheet to slid down to my hips. I reached a finger to touch the box, scarcely able to believe that it was real. "Is this for me?" I asked, my voice filled with awe. Obviously it was for me, but I still found it hard to comprehend.

"You'll have nothing but the best now, Buffy. I need you to get used to it," he smiled down at me. "As long as you're mine, you'll have everything and anything you want." He paused to wait for me to look up at him, before he added, "and trust me…You'll always be with me."

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

Part 5

Time flew by, and before I knew it: I found myself in the middle of the ocean.

Waking up in Angelus' arms was something I cherished with every fibre of my being. Looking up at him as he slept, I couldn't help smiling. Usually when I smiled, he'd smile back in his sleep, or wake up and initiate another endless round of love-making that would end with another period of sleep for both of us. The days together were spent making love, sleeping in each other's arms, and making love again, only to repeat the process again and again.

Not a bad way to live.

Towards the seventh day at sea, I spotted land during one of my few trips to the private decks of the suite I shared with Angelus. I had no idea where we were. Geography had never been a strong point for me, along with history, so my sense of direction was pretty limited to left and right.

Entering the suite, I wandered back into the bedroom where Angelus was sleeping. I walked as quietly as possible to the bed until I stood over Angelus. I leaned down, intending to press a tender kiss to his forehead, only to find myself grabbed and flipped underneath the strong body of my lover. I smiled and responded to the passionate kiss, allowing myself to drift away with Angelus in this mindless haze of lust that constantly surrounded us.

He surprised me by releasing the kiss and smirking. "What part of 'light sleeper' do you still not understand, lover?"

I smiled and answered, "why."

"I need to keep an eye on some…Precious things," he answered, nuzzling his head into my neck and licking over my skin.

I giggled, and then remembered why I came in. "Oh! Angelus, I can see land!"

"Good for you, darling. Now what colour are my eyes?" he laughed at his own sarcasm.

I hit him playfully, not intending any actual threat. "I mean I can actually see land in the distance. Where are we going? Can't I know yet?"

He sighed, as if taking a long time to debate the answer in his mind. "I suppose I should tell you. After all…You should have the right to know." He frowned and then shrugged, "oh well. Rights be damned. I want it to be a surprise."

"Oh, no!" I wined. "Please? I want to know."

"I know, Darling. But if I tell you, the element of surprise will be gone. And I so enjoy watching you when you're surprised," he kissed my chin.

"So take a picture at my next birthday," I suggested. "Please tell me?" I gave him my best puppy-dog expression, and he laughed and shook his head. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please?"

He sighed and then smiled wryly up at me, "well if you're going to torture me like that, lover…Fine. I'll tell you." He rolled us so that I was settled on his waist. I felt his arousal, and couldn't help grinning. It took him two seconds to rid me of my robe, and with one thrust, he moved inside of me. We both gasped at the feeling of complete and utter content Rightness that we felt when we were joined like this.

Words were lost as Angelus pounded upwards into me, making me shriek his name with every thrust of his hips. His fingers pinched and rolled my nipples, intensifying everything I was feeling between my legs. Oh he was driving me insane with want!

Licking over my lips, he continued laying kisses down my chin, my neck, to my collarbone. Another thrust, and I felt pleasure increasing again. My fingers slid over the muscles of his back, touching and caressing every inch of skin that I could reach. There was no way I could ever get enough of him. I knew that now. I knew that when I first met him.

It was just the truth.

His lips travelled up to my neck, and he began paying specific attention to my jugular vein; licking and kissing it like it was the tastiest part of my body. It confused me that he hadn't once tried to bite me. I was starting to wonder if perhaps I wasn't appealing to him in that manner…But of course he had to put my doubts to rest just as they rose.

I felt his face begin to change against my skin. I wasn't even thinking as I clutched his head closer to my neck, inviting him to take a taste of me…

Take all of me.

Before piercing through the skin, he thrust once more, sending me into orgasm. He whispered in a voice I barely recognized, "I love you."

"Angelus!" I screamed as he began to drink from me, taking shallow slips that intensified everything else I was feeling. I hit my second orgasm as the first finished, and the third hit in the middle of the second. Angelus joined me, and the feel of his cool seed shooting into me sent me into my fourth wave of pleasure. It was so easy for him to make me explode like that.

So unfair.

It dawned on me, as I blinked my eyes open, that he had stopped drinking from me. Holding me tightly to his chest as he laid on his side, he was licking the wounds on my neck. I guessed he was shutting them, savouring the taste.

"Angelus?" I tried my voice, wondering if it still worked.

"Galway," he answered, his voice rough and husky.

"What?" I was confused. Who's Galway? "Angelus, what are you talking about? Who's Galway and what do they have to do with us?"

"We're in Galway. Ireland."

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

Part 6

After telling me where we were, and having a brief nap, I found myself compelled to go outside and look towards the land. I wanted to watch the approaching world; See it from afar, before seeing it up-close.

I went out onto the deck, stretching my arms over my head and smiling to myself. I walked to the railing, where there was a little sunlight, and lifted my face to the sky, basking in the warm glow that lit up my skin and set my nerves on fire. This was definitely a holiday that I never wanted to end. I was having the time of my life, and everything was as it should be.

"Excuse me?" came a voice. I turned with a surprised shriek. This was a private deck! How did someone get up here? "Sorry," the young man apologized, "I didn't know anyone was up here. The captain said that this deck was never used, so I could come up here to relax for a minute or so."

"Oh, no, I'm sorry for screaming like that," I felt embarrassed about my skittish behaviour. Being alone with Angelus so much had made me appreciate the silence and solitude, and I was a little surprised to hear something other than Angelus' voice...Especially on our decks.

"Our you staying in these suites?" the young man asked.

"Yes," I smiled. "I'm Buffy Summers," I held out my hand politely.

He accepted it and shook with a friendly grip. Grinning a little awkwardly, he stuttered, "my name's R-Riley. Riley Finn."

"Nice to meet you," I smiled, trying to make him a little less afraid.

**

I found myself compelled to watch Buffy in the sunlight, so I went to the window of the cabin, and pulled back the shades very slowly. The scene that met my eyes was enough to make me growl out loud.

Buffy shook hands with a boy, and he smiled at her like he was immediately smitten. That dirty basterd was trying to make a play for my mate! Buffy was being polite, but I knew she wouldn't lead him on. I had to wonder why he was even on our decks. I'd have the complete right, as far as the crewmen were concerned, to rip his head from his neck and toss it overboard. I could already hear them calling, "Head overboard!"

**

"What are you doing on this cruise ship, Riley Finn?" I asked casually, interested in having someone my age to talk to for a change. I enjoyed just being able to "shoot the shit" as some would say. Or in laments terms...'Chat with'.

"I'm going to Ireland to learn to be a fisherman. I want to have my own boat one day, with an entire fleet under my control," he smiled in that same goofy manner that reminded me of a little hound dog puppy. So eager to please.

"That's ambitious of you," I noted.

"Where would you be headed?" As he spoke, he leaned in a little closer and gave me what I could only guess was his best impression of a sexy smirk. It just didn't suit him, and I was immediately compelled to pull away. However, he didn't seem to notice as he leaned even closer.

That was his mistake.

**

The boy leaned in to Buffy, and I lost my mind. He was making a play for her, right before my very eyes! He didn't have the right to so much as know she existed to this side of the earth!-Let alone make a flimsy pass at her like she was some cheap slut in a bar.

It was my luck that they had moved in to the shade. I shot out the open doors, my eyes flashing an evil golden colour as I practically flew across the deck. Grabbing the boy by the neck, I hoisted him up against the wall. "What the Hell do you think you're doing here, boy?"

"I believe I was talking to the lady," he spat back, showing me his thorns...Or the ones he thought he had.

"I believe I don't give a fuck," I said, lifting him higher and gradually cutting off his blood and air circulation.

Buffy, had finally found her self, and she ran over to where we were. "Angelus, we were just talking!" she protested, beating on my back frantically. "He wasn't doing anything! We were just talking!"

"Since when does talking involve grinding, Buffy?" I growled back at her. I turned my attention back to the boy. "Now due to my respect for my mate, I won't kill you in front of her. But you will leave these decks, and never set your sights on my woman ever again. Or else my respect my wither for the moment, and you may find yourself six feet under in a wooden box," spitting out the last words in a menacing growl, I tossed the boy across the deck, into the sunlight to further hold myself from going over and beating him senseless.

The boy raced away in a stumbled daze, leaving me to hear a broken sob escape Buffy's mouth. I turned to look at her, and wanted to kill the boy even more. He had made her mad at me! What the Hell did he do to deserve living? Perhaps I should hunt him down tonight when Buffy's asleep.

"You can't just do that!" her voice was broken and choked. "You can't just treat people like you're slaves." The tears came to her eyes, and she turned and went into the bedroom once again.

I followed her in, losing my patience for the anger that boy had sent into my mate. "Buffy, he was making a pass at you. That's something I won't stand for. You need to know it now, so that you'll make every attempt to discourage it in the future." Chasing her into the bathroom, I continued, "And if you ever have problems like that again, you are to come and find me right away and I will quickly castrate the male who dared to lay a hand on you."

She turned to look at me, the tears running down her cheeks. "You don't own me! I'm with you, and I'm yours-but you don't own me! I can talk to people, can't I? Can't I make conversations with others?!"

"Not like that," I had to restrain a growl.

"He wasn't doing anything. I could have handled it. I was handling it!"

"No!" I roared. "You were being handled!" I backed her as far as she could go, so she was in the corner, and slammed my hands to the wall on either side of her head. "You are mine, Buffy. In every sense of the word-you belong to me. You're never going to forget it. You're never going to change it. I own you. Just like you own me. And that next man that so much as notices you exist, will receive the ugliest death I can think of-to prove my point."

My eyes flashed to gold, and I continued to drive my point across. "Buffy, I'm never losing you!" At that moment, something inside of me snapped. Something inside of me broke, and I wanted to fall over and thank the Gods that she hadn't been harmed by the boy. "You're mine," I whispered, and then froze.

I dropped to my knees, and found I couldn't keep the tears of blood from rolling down my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around Buffy's slender waist, and buried my face in her stomach. Crying out my emotions, I held onto her.

She shook with her own tears as well, feeling exactly as I felt. She linked her fingers through my hair, and sobbed openly.

**

The emotions flowing from Angelus were infecting me, making me feel so possessive-so enraged at the idea of ever being separated from him. How could he think I would ever want anyone else? And now, the way he was reacting...It was all too much for me, and I couldn't keep from crying harder than I'd ever cried.

I fell to my knees as well, being pulled into Angelus' arms immediately. He held me tightly, rocking back and forth as he tried to soothe my pain away. Stroking his hands down my back, he began to chant in a mindless voice, "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."

I was scared at the intensity of these emotions, and the ways in which he was displaying his affection. Dangerous Love, had never seemed a more suiting title for a situation than it did for this one. This was extremely dangerous. I was in way over my head, with an insane vampire lover in tow...This could get interesting...

Deadly interesting.

**

I carried Buffy to the parlour of our suite about ten minutes later. I lit a fire and went back to sit with Buffy. She was cuddled up on the couch, looking as adorable as ever. So sensual. I needed her with every fibre of my being.

"I don't know what to say to you," she looked down at her hands. "I…I can't get over what you keep telling me, and yet…It makes perfect sense, because…" she looked into my eyes with tears on her eyes, and an angry look on her face. "Because if you ever screwed around on me, I'd kill you. I'm serious, Angel. I'd find the first human man, and I'd marry him. I swear to God, I would."

I growled as jealousy rippled through my veins at the very thought. She'd never be with anyone else. Of that, I was sure. "Buffy, if I can't have you…No one will. I'd destroy the world before you so much as speak to another man. I swear I will."

I looked into Buffy's eyes, and the intense emotions displayed in those green depths, was all it took for me. I couldn't hold back from her any longer. I had to have her now...Right now.

Leaning forward, I grabbed her lips in an abandoning kiss that left us both breathless. Breaking the kiss when I felt she needed air, I moved down her neck. I could smell her arousal already, and it was driving me insane. I hadn't yet tasted her, and it was the one thing I was dying to do, because I knew she'd taste as sweet as sunshine, and as spicy as pepper.

She allowed me to pull her into my arms, and lay her down on the floor, near the fireplace. The light of the fire was dancing off her skin in the most inviting way. It made me realize that's what I wanted to do. Dance with her skin.

Kissing down her chest, I pulled her top up over her head, and watched her breasts move beneath her blue bra when she breathed in a deep breath. I smiled, leaning forward and kissing along the line of her bra, making her squirm in anticipation.

Then I began kissing down her stomach.

I took my time getting down to her hips; licking and kissing every delectable inch of her skin. I had to take time to worship the most adorable belly button I'd ever seen. She giggled as I dipped in for a taste, and began to squirm even more. My fingers, unnoticed by Buffy, slid under the hem of her jogging pants, and I began to pull them down-along with her thong panties.

Ridding her over the clothing, I looked her over once. She realized then that she was naked beneath me, and a ripe flush overcame her skin. Before she could think too much and get nervous, I slid between her thighs, and took my first taste of her.

She jumped, shrieking slightly at the feeling of my tongue against her hot center. She tried to move away, suddenly shy and embarrassed, but I held her hips down. She groaned, banging her hands on the floor, and I smiled as I took another taste of her. Screaming again, she tried to maneuver her hips away from me. But I wanted to taste her.

I wanted all of her.

Holding her still, I began licking around her perfect clit, tasting her arousal as sweet as an aphrodisiac could be. It was then that she gave up her fights, and instead of trying to get away, she tried to lift her hips closer to my face.

I smiled, and began licking over and around her clit in a slow, enticing rhythm that soon had her urging me on with her hips, with every stroke of my tongue. "Oh God! Angelus!" she gasped as pleasure shot through her.

I knew it wouldn't be long before she orgasmed, and I slid a finger inside of her to test her readiness. She was so tight, so wet. All I wanted, was to be insane her when she came. Just by watching her, I was already teetering on the edge of ecstasy. She was walking the edge of the orgasm cliff with me, and I wanted to dive off with her.

Sliding my finger out, I continued to lick and suck as my fingers slid down to the zipper of my own pants. Freeing my strained erection, I moaned against her clit, the sensations causing her to scream as she tried to move the pressure of my tongue directly to her nubbin so that she could come.

"Angelus..." her breathy voice came. The next word was my undoing, "please."

Hearing her beg me in that seductive tongue, I slid up her body and rammed into her. She screamed, coming around me instantly, and I swallowed her cries with my lips; plunging my tongue into her ruthlessly in much the same way as our lower bodies were connecting.

As she hit her second orgasm, I joined her in ecstasy, gasping her name against her lips. She clung to me, lifting her legs to wrap around my waist and hold me in as far as I could go as my seed spilled deep inside of her.

Sighing as the last waves of pleasure left us, she shut her eyes in contentment. I buried my head in her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her, and feeling her skin covered with the damp starts of beaded perspiration. "I can't ever let you go," I whispered into her neck, licking her skin to taste the salt of her neck.

Rolling so that I was on my side, I pulled her into my arms and with a free hand I grabbed a blanket from the couch that she insisted on always having out when she came over. She had said that though guys didn't like to cuddle with blankets, girls did. I was glad now that she had it out, because I wanted to wrap her up in something warm and soft.

Holding her close to me, I shut my eyes and sighed. She cuddled her head into my chest and smiled as she heard my heart beating. I had to kiss her again. Just once more and then I'd be satisfied...for the moment, at least. "Baby?" I quested, making her open her eyes. "Can I kiss you, lover?"

She smiled, nodding her head softly against my skin. She lifted her face to smile at me, and she kissed me gently. I held her face still with my fingers on her chin, taking the time to explore her mouth, and further her experience into making love by allowing her to taste herself on me.

It made me hard again almost instantly when she curiously tasted the insides of my mouth, and the side of my tongue. She was tasting herself in my mouth, and it wasn't making her repulsed. Furthermore, she felt that I was growing hard again, and she was excited by it!

Sliding her hot little hand down my sides, she grabbed hold of the noticeably hard desire I had for her. She smiled as we continued to kiss, and stroked over it once. My eyes burst open at the sensations, but I didn't break the kiss. I needed the kiss too much. I needed to taste her in every way possible. Breathe her. Feel her. Know she was real.

Stroking up, she smoothed her thumb over the tip of me, and back down again. I found I couldn't keep from lifting my hips to her when she did it again. My eyes shot open as she broke the kiss, and I stared into her eyes. She was smiling as she stroked me gently, probably loving the feel of power that came with being the on in control of the sex.

Leaning closer, she whispered in my ear, "do you want to cum, baby?"

I did. Oh yes, I did. But I couldn't really believe what I was hearing from my innocent little girl. I must be dreaming.

She licked over my earlobe and continued in that low voice, "do you? Do you want to come in my hand? Or do you want me to take you inside of me? Or maybe I should use my mouth...And my tongue," she licked my earlobe, making me almost orgasm on the spot. This wasn't right. I'd never been so easily aroused by someone before. It wasn't fair that she could do this to me...But then again, I wasn't going to complain about it. "Tell me what you want, lover...Or I'll have to go with what I want," she smiled in the most sensual way, and when I couldn't form words, she said, "my choice then, lover."

I expect her to slid me into her, and I wanted to shout with anticipation. But my little darling had other learning experiences in mind, and she instead slid down my body, pulling my pants down as she went, and taking hold of me in her mouth.

"Jesus!" I shouted when she sucked me into her throat. She was taking me so far, and I could only wonder where she learned how to do that. When her gag reflex kicked in, she swallowed more down instead of withdrawing her lips. She knew how to give head, baby. She knew how to give head really well.

As she continued to suck me off, I felt her arousal against my leg. She was dripping wet, and I couldn't help lifting my legs to rub against her. She smiled, loving it too. The more I pressed against her with my leg, the more voracious she was on my cock.

She moaned, the vibrations making me quiver. "Oh God," I whispered, not able to keep from driving up into her mouth. She didn't reject it, but she encouraged it. But she wouldn't let me hold her head still. Every time I tried, she slapped my hands away; letting me know that she was the one with the control right now.

I felt myself teetering on the edge once again when she orgasmed against my leg, grinding against me and filling the air with her scent. "Baby, you have to stop," I whispered, not wanting to come in her mouth unless she was ready. "I'm going to cum, baby. You have to stop."

She smiled, continuing to stroke me with her hand. She looked right into my eyes and said, "I want to taste you."

That was all it took to make me cum. I shouted her name, tossing my head back so hard that I almost blacked out when I wacked it against the floorboards. She swallowed me down, taking all I had. Drinking me. Milking me. She continued to stroke me until she was sure that she had every last bit that she could get.

Licking me clean, she smiled. Sliding up my body she looked down at me and whispered, "now kiss me, lover."

I grabbed her lips with my own, tasting myself in her heated mouth, and loving it. I couldn't hold back from slipping a finger up into her tight depths. She was so close to orgasm once again, and as I slid two more fingers inside of her, I felt her start to cum. Pumping out of her, I kissed her mercilessly, tasting everything that she had.

I flipped us so that she was beneath me, and as she orgasmed around my fingers-her inner walls clenching me-I released her lips so she could scream my name in that breathy, seductive, sensual voice that I knew I'd never get enough of.

Coming down from her orgasm, she looked into my eyes and smiled sexily. It was then that I couldn't keep from asking, "how'd you learn to do that, lover?"

She laughed softly, and kissed my cheek. "People talk. I learn." Sensing my fears that she'd done it before, she rushed to reassure me, "don't worry. You've been my first for everything so far. I'm sure you'll be my last, too."

I couldn't help grinning then when I asked, "can I be your first for anything?"

She grinned back and said, "of course. There are a few places you haven't...come...yet." That was all it took to make me hard again. I thrust inside of her, and she laughed

outwardly at this sex festival we were having. This was how I wanted to end every day with her...

Forever.

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

Part 7

I awoke to the sound of the ship as it docked. Sitting straight up in the bed I shared with Angelus, I wondered why on earth he hadn't bothered to wake us to get ready for the docking. Surely he was as excited as I was to have finally reached our destination. I didn't have a chance to ask, however, as the second that I sat up, I was pulled down rather roughly, and held tightly to Angelus' chest.

"Going somewhere, lover?" he asked in a menacing voice.

I realized immediately that he must have thought I was in a rush to run from the room and get away from him now that we had docked. Knowing that he wouldn't loosen his grip, I moved closer so that I had some space to breathe. "I wasn't trying to leave," I told him firmly. "We're docked. I thought you would have had us up at least an hour ago. Why didn't you? Did we sleep in or something?"

Angelus chuckled, and his grip lost its cold feeling as he held me tenderly now, with both arms. "No, lover, we didn't 'sleep in' in the classical sense of oversleeping your schedule and blowing your agenda to the deep reaches of Hell. We shouldn't even be worrying over getting dressed for about an hour, really. They'll be unloading the other passengers, and though we have the right to go first if that choice suits us best...I don't want any more of the crewman watching you. I figure if we get off almost last, then we stand a better chance of not being seen on our way to the limo."

"Oh," I got that, but I had to admit I was disappointed. I had missed being around humans, and the idea of seeing the faces of the people that we'd shared a home with for the last little while, had been rather appealing to me.

Angelus sensed this and assured me, "it's alright though, love. Tonight, I'll take you to dinner and you can see people there."

I nodded, not the happiest girl in the world. But at least Angelus had tried to make up for his jealousy, right? That was a bit of a start...Well, sort of. I tried to shut my eyes and sleep for a bit longer, but now that we'd arrived, I found myself way too excited. I felt like a sixth grader, the day before school was to begin. Even though I detest school, it's always exciting to think of seeing your friends and meeting new boys and such...Okay, so maybe it's nothing like sixth grade because I won't be meeting boys or seeing my friends, but you know what I mean.

Finally giving in to my needs for something to occupy my mind, Angelus released his hold on me. "Fine," he sighed. "Go out to the deck and look for a bit." I bounded up with a happy giggle. "But Buffy!" he warned, "don't talk to anyone. Don't wave at anyone. Don't attract attention. If you see anyone, come back inside right away. I'd hate to have another repeat of our last incident."

I knew he probably wouldn't hate it all that much, but I agreed nonetheless, and pounced outside onto our decks with a happy spring to my step. I stood near the edge of the deck, and was a little saddened by the weather. It wasn't sunny and bright like I'd planned our arrival to our new homeland to be. Instead, it was dark and misty. I smiled at the idea of all the horror movies that took place in areas like this. Maybe a dead body is going to jump out of the water. I laughed and shook my head. What a stupid idea!

"Call the coast guard!" someone off in the distance yelled frantically. "He's not breathing!"

"They must have found Angelus," I joked to myself. But then my eyes narrowed in on where all the commotion was taking place. On the pier in the distance, three men were pulling a body from the water.

Way too creepy. Irony's a bitch.

"It's one of the ship mates!" the second man called to the first, as the first ran towards the mass of people that were getting off the ship. I felt an impending bout of doom forming in the pit of my stomach, and I almost stopped breathing completely-afraid that if I made the noise of breathing, that I wouldn't hear what I knew was about to be said.

"It's the youngest one," the out-of-breath man told the captain as he reached him and some other crewmates. "Riley went missing a few hours ago. I swear I thought he was with you."

"Dammit, Clarence, Riley was your responsibility!" the captain said as he took off down the pier with the other men.

My hand flew to my mouth. No, please God. Don't tell me it was Riley. Don't tell me Angelus went looking for him. Let him still be alive. Tell me that he simply fell and bumped his head. Don't let him bed dead. Dear God, don't let him be dead.

But I knew better. My intuitive mind told me that it was Riley, and that it had been Angelus that killed him. I choked back my sob. I hadn't known Riley all that well, but despite his lame come-ons, he seemed like a respectable human being.

Angelus, however, is not.

Turning on my heel, I ran into the suite, nearly losing an eye as I bumped into Angelus' strong chest.

"There you are," he smiled, wrapping his arms around me. "I was just coming out to join you." He leaned down to kiss my shoulder, and suddenly I wanted to be sick.

"Basterd!" I shrieked, throwing his arms off of me and stalking a few feet away so that I could look at him without having to crane my head upwards. "You damned basterd!"

He chuckled softly, "I'm flattered, Buff. But really, just call me Angelus."

"You know that's not what I mean," I told him angrily. "You went back and killed him, didn't you?! Didn't you?!" I was out-of-breath for some reason. I felt like I was going to start hyperventilating. "You couldn't stand that he was allowed to live, so you waited until I fell asleep, and then you went looked for him-killed him-and tossed his body into the ocean! You sick fuck!"

Angelus growled, his patience flying 'way of the wind'. Pulling me to his chest roughly, he whispered, "I haven't given you the right to control me. So what the Hell makes you think you have any say, whatsoever, about what I do, who I kill, or who I fuck?"

His last words hit me harder than anything else. Killing people seemed so insignificant all of a sudden, to the idea that Angelus would dare to sleep with anyone but me. I pushed back from him and my eyes glazed with hatred. "If I have no say, than I don't give a damn. So go ahead and screw every single bitch that you meet." I shook my head, "cause you're not having me." With that, I turned and ran.

Had Angelus been expecting me to run, he probably would have been able to stop me. But the fact that I caught him by alarm, gave me a momentary advantage. Luckily, that was all I needed to run out onto the deck, and dive over the railing-sailing 80 feet down to the cool water.

**

Dammit, what the Hell is wrong with me? I can't fucking do that anymore! I need to take a damn Valium or something! Implying that I have fidelity issues is the stupidest damned thing I can do! What the fuck was I thinking?

Nothing, was the clear answer.

Now, because of my stupid carelessness, I have to spend my first night in Ireland with my lover-looking for her!

Picking up the cellular phone from in the drawer where I'd hidden it from Buffy, I dialled Angel Investigations back in LA, making sure to block the ID of my phone.

The phone was answered with a sigh from Cordelia, "Angel Investigations. We're fucking hopeless."

"I'd have to agree," I sighed. "Cordelia, I need you to give me the code number to access the tracer on my phone."

"Angelus! Thank God! We're totally in the shit-house," she sounded ecstatic to hear from me. "Where are you? When are you coming back? Is she with you?"

I sighed, "Cordy, give me the number, then I can come back and get you out of whatever mess you're in."

Stupid girl, she fell for it. "It's 324-956. Got it?"

"Got it," I clicked off the phone without another word. Dialling the remembered digits into the phone, a voice came over it, asking whom I wanted a trace on. Gotta love these high-tech gadgets of modern technology.

"Buffy Summers," I answered. "Blood match A positive. Genetics trace back to Scotland, I think," I frowned. I didn't really know, but the faint taste of blood that I'd taken from Buffy once, had sent a rather kilt-friendly vibe my way.

**

Wandering through the city streets of Galway, I felt like I was lost in a crazy nightmare. For some reason, everything terrified me without Angelus there to protect me.

Every noise of someone yelling, laughing, joking-made me flinch. People looked at me like I was certifiably crazy. I guess the whole concept of walking around the city like a frightened puppy in black sweat pants and a white tank top is a little absurd, now that I think about it.

**When we hooked up-We sat down Made an agreement-We vowed that That we always be together-Thru whatever We said that -No one would ever Get between us-Said we'd never Ever leave us-That was a while ago**

There was also, the added bonus of having no idea where I was going, how to find a phone, where I'm going to sleep, eat, and wash my face. Then there was the fact that I didn't know a single person here in Ireland. The only fact on the Irish that I knew, was that U2 were from here. Sure, that was a great conversation-starter for the locals, but what would I say after that?

Maybe something like, 'now that we have something vaguely in common with one another…Hi! I'm Buffy Summers! I'm escaping my murderous, stalkerish lover who's sort of immortal and prone to getting deadly jealous. Can you help me?'

Pretty lame.

I can already see the muzzles and confining jackets being brought in to take me to my own little padded room. No room mates for Buffy! I'm a special crazy person. I get only the softest walls to bang my head against! That was sarcasm, in case you didn't get it. Padded rooms aren't exactly the type of things dreams are made of.

Of course, fate has a strange way of working out. Of course, that doesn't mean it works out for the best. Passing by a restaurant, I noticed a strange man watching me closely. Great! Just my luck that I get an ugly man using me as eye-candy. I almost wished that Angelus was here to glare at any men that looked my way.

**But now lately-It feels like I mean I feel like-All we do is fight Every single night-Can't make it tight-Can't get it right I just want to go back-Take it way back All the way back-Can we start again -Do it over Can we straighten it out-Can we work it out Cause I don't wanna be**

But it just figures that the man looking at me, isn't any ordinary man. The second he pulled out a gun and ran from the coffee shop, towards me-I sort of realized that.

"Shit," I cursed, and took off. Running blindly down the unfamiliar streets, I soon found that I wasn't physically in the best shape for running. Sure, I could last hours without ends with Angelus, but give me one long run, and I'm ready to crawl into a ball and die of exhaustion. What has Angelus done to me?

Running around the corner of a street, I noticed that none of these streets had names. There were no road signs to direct me…Not that I'd know where I was going or anything. It would have been nice, however, to have some general idea of where I'd been coming from in case I have to go back in search of the pier.

There was a gunshot fired towards me, and it bounced off the metal cart next to me. I shrieked and ducked my head down farther. I was never good at playing Cowboys and Robbers with Xander and Willow when we were seven. I suddenly had to wonder…why hadn't I paid attention to those Jacky Chan movies a little more?

**I don't want to be Be without ya, be without ya I don't want to live Live without ya, live without ya I don't want to go Go without ya, go without ya I don't want to be alone**

Turning my head to look behind me at my attacker to see if I was making any progress, I ran right in to a wall. Well, not an actual wall. Just a wall of muscle. A six-foot wall that consisted of fangs and yellow eyes. I screamed, trying to step away from the vampire before me. Damn my stupid idea of running into a dark alley where evil vampires could hide from the UV rays of the sun!

The man with the gun came up behind us, and the vamp chuckled softly. "All alone, Miss Summers?" he asked. "Too bad," with that, he threw me back against the stonewalls of the building next to us. The air was knocked from my lungs, and I fell to the ground gasping for much-needed breath.

"Now, I do believe it is fully within our right to kill you," the gunman said with a smirk. "After all, you're all alone here and all…Seems rather Hollywood-suiting that we slit you from wrist to wrist. Yes?" he raised a brow at me.

I was about to respond, when a voice came from within the dark shadows behind my two attackers. "I don't know if you have what it takes for Hollywood," said the voice, "after all…Its so cliché," Angelus stepped from the shadows, looking beautiful in all his rescuing-glory.

"Who the Hell are you?" the gunman asked.

Angelus smirked, "I'm the lady's bodyguard." He frowned then, "that sounded so Kevin Costner, right?" he shrugged, "oh well. In short…I'll be the person killing you both today."

The vampire and gunman laughed. "You think you're going to kill us?" the vampire asked, his voice betraying a bit of a British accent. Not exactly the roughest type of accent for a vicious killer to have, in my opinion.

The fight scene was a bit of a blur as Angelus drove into attack-mode, commanding me to shut my eyes. Clenching my eyes together tightly, I heard the disgusting rip of skin, bone, and vein.

Gross!

I heard Angelus growl in pain, and despite everything that had happened before, my first instinct was to open my eyes to see if he was okay. Fear drenched my body as I opened my eyes. The sight before me was enough to make me gag. The gunman was laying in pieces on the ground, and Angelus and the other vampire were fighting amidst the blood and remains of his body.

Despite the fact that he was heavily involved in a life-or-death battle, Angelus seemed first and foremost concerned that I didn't see what was going on. "Buffy, shut your eyes!" Angelus commanded once more, his voice forceful and clenched with bits of pain as the vampire stabbed him across the stomach with a razor blade that I hadn't seen in his hand before.

I obeyed Angelus, shutting my eyes and pulling my knees to my chest to huddle even closer to the wall. The wall was my security blanket at the moment, and there was nothing that anyone could do, to make me leave my wall.

The sound of the vampire squealing in pain, quickly followed. I held my hands tightly over my ears to block out the sounds that would drive my nightmares for the next few years…decades.

And then there was a shadow in front of me. Hands closed over my own on my head, and fingers twined with my own, to pull my hands down. Two fingers lifted my chin, and I opened my eyes to see Angelus' dark eyes gazing down at me.

I started to cry, my lower lip trembling as I looked at the cut over his left eye. That was my fault. All he'd done, was throw words around, and I'd flipped out and run away like a crazed person. And because of that, Angelus is bleeding.

"I'm so sorry," a wall of emotions broke inside of me. I dropped my head down into my bent knees. I began to sob uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry," I said it again. "This is all my fault."

Pulling me into his arms, Angelus rushed to reassure me otherwise. "No, lover." He kissed the top of my head tenderly, as if trying to kiss away my pain. I felt need forming in the bottom of my stomach, and I couldn't resist giving in to it. God, it's only been a few hours and I have to have him! I can't control my body around him!

Helping me to my feet, he tipped my chin up once more so that I had to look into his eyes. "Angelus?" I quested, hoping he wouldn't have a rapid mood change and remember that he hates me for getting myself in such a stupid mess. His eyes searched my own, answering me without words. "Angelus...Make love to me?" I begged. Okay, begging was low and all-but Hey! if it gets the job done, I'm there!

Growling, he attacked my lips with his own. His tongue licked over mine, and when I went to take a taste of him, I slicked it accidentally over his razor-sharp fangs. My tongue was pierced, and I tasted blood. I pulled my lips back, only to have my face held still by Angelus' large hands, so that he could kiss me again and nurse at my tongue with his own.

I heard the sound of a zipper being pulled down, and a moment later, I felt my jogging pants being ripped from my body. Part of me wanted to hide. We were in public! This is insane! But the larger part of me-that had the control right now-was telling me that this was right, and this was what I needed. Hoisting me up against the stone wall, Angelus thrust deep inside of me. Screaming as pleasure racked my body, I wrapped my legs around his waist to draw him deeper inside.

Oh God! Why had I bothered to run away? Who cares what he says! As long as he doesn't take this away from me.

Pushing in to me with a driving rhythm, Angelus licked and nibbled his way down my neck, tasting the skin right over the throbbing jugular vein in my neck. I opened my eyes and looked at his forehead-positioned right in front of me as he licked my skin. I couldn't resist testing my tongue over the cut above his eyebrow, to see just what his own blood tasted like.

The moment he felt my tongue taste his blood, he snarled and thrust deeper inside of me. Every thrust that followed, was accompanied by a feral, carnal growl that made me shiver. I persisted with my tasting as I slid my tongue over the pierced skin that was rapidly healing. How did he do that? Why can't I have powers like that?

But then it dawned on me, that I can. If I want to give up my life, my sunshine, and my heart beat...I can have powers like Angelus. But not only that...I can be with Angelus forever.

The idea didn't scare me as much as I thought it would. Instead, it sent me into a harder drive of lust. I slammed my legs tighter against him to draw him in further with his next thrust. He was so big, and I could feel the limits of my sheath being tested with every single thrust of his hard member into my tight depths.

"You're not going to run away again," Angelus informed me. "Ever. Do you understand that, Buffy?" He looked up at me with glowing eyes that showed me just how serious he was.

I could only nod as I bent my head down to capture his lips in another breath-taking kiss(for me, that is. He has no breath to take). Squeezing my inner muscles around him as he drove in again, I felt my nerve endings exploding. His next thrust sent me over the climactic edge of passion, and I fell through the blinding realm of ecstasy, taking Angelus along with me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was aware of Angelus nuzzling the skin over my heart. I heard him whisper, "it beats for me. Only for me." He looked up at me then and said, "time to go, lover. We must prepare for tonight."

"Why?" I asked. "What happens tonight?" it was hard to focus with Angelus still inside of me. I couldn't hold my body from squeezing his rapidly re-hardening member in an attempt to reignite what we had just completed.

Angelus grinned, drawing out and thrusting back inside of me. "Tonight, you meet the world."

With that, he pulled me away from the wall. Keeping me in his arms, he glided to the waiting limousine just outside of the alley, that I hadn't noticed before. He cast a glare at the chauffer when he dared to notice I was there, and then slid inside the limo; still buried deep inside of me. Sitting down on the leather seat with me in his lap, he took possession of my lips once more, and thrust upwards, into my tight channel.

I didn't know what Angelus had meant by 'meeting the world' tonight, but I knew one thing was for sure...I would be safe, no matter what. Angelus was a dangerous man, and when jealous or threatened, he's an even crueler creature. I could be safe though, resting assured with the true knowledge that he'd never hurt me.

And I knew that no matter what I said...He'd have forever, to prove it to me.

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

Part 8

The limo pulled in to a new location. No longer was I restricted to the decks of the ship. Now, I had an entire estate at my full disposal. I couldn’t help but be excited at the site of the huge home before me that Angelus informed me was one of many that he’d acquired throughout the years. He told me all about the home and estates past, but I didn’t really pay all that much attention to everything - or anything - that he was saying. My eyes were glued to the beautiful scenery spread out before me.

The gardens were exquisite! The pool was to-die-for! The large stone mansion was more than I could ever dream of. And the rooms he showed me inside the home, were each rich and elegant in their own individual right. No two rooms were the same theme. Some were done in a Spanish style. Some were French. Some were Egyptian, almost. And some were straight-up Celtic. Like my dark lover.

Angelus told me to go upstairs and throw on some comfortable clothing. He wasn’t at all pleased with the idea of the staff seeing me in my skimpy outfit more than they already had.

**

It took me about ten seconds after Buffy ran up the stairs to get changed, to realize that I couldn’t resist another inviting bout of love-making with her. Or to be more exact, pounding her into the mattress.

I half-jogged my way up the stairs, and it seemed to take an eternity for me to reach the master bedroom. But I finally got there, and I grabbed and twisted the door knob to peer inside, making sure I didn’t make a sound. I wanted to see what Buffy did when I wasn’t around...Especially when she was changing her clothes.

Buffy was wearing some black, basic briefs that I recognized as the kind she liked to sleep in, and she was pulling a baby blue T-shirt on over her head. Dammit! I’d missed the big show!

Stepping inside, I shut the door soundly, getting her attention when she whipped around to see who was there behind her. She sighed in relief when she saw that it was me...Well, sort of. “I thought it might be the butler, for a second,” she laughed, putting a hand to her forehead, which lifted her top to reveal an inch or two of her tanned stomach.

I smiled predator-like as I stalked over to her, “why? is there something going on between you and Alonzo that I should know about?” I was teasing, and even though we both knew that-it made me want to growl in jealousy, just the same.

She laughed and replied sarcastically, “yeah. You weren’t old enough for me, babe. Sorry about that one,” she mock-saluted me as if to show respect as she dumped me. “What are you doing here, anyways?” she asked.

I smiled and stepped closer to her. “I missed you,” I told her. “Being around you does wonders for me. This last week has been...”

She smiled seductively, placing a small hand on my chest. She looked up at me with bright eyes and said, “it’s going to get a lot better, I think.”

I smiled, grabbing her hand from my chest and kissing it tenderly, “it’s a lot better now.”

She frowned and asked suspiciously, “you’re acting a little too light and goofy. Angelus…Are you drunk?”

I laughed, “no. Why? Am I slurring?” I couldn’t help making a joke. I took the time to unbutton my shirt and take it off, leaving me in just some black pants.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m serious. If you’re drunk, then this really isn’t the best time for...” she frowned as she tried to think of what to say. Finally she said, “...Whatever you have planned. So just forget about it, okay? Cause in the morning, you’ll look back and say’ wow, I was really drunk, and she couldn’t even tell that all I needed was a little support, and someone to clean my face when I throw up’.”

I laughed and pulled her to me, “stop analyzing so much, baby.”

She sighed, not wanting to admit that perhaps she was overanalyzing things. “Okay, so I’m thinking that maybe we-” the last part was a bit of a shriek as I pulled her to my chest and carried her to the bed where I laid her down.

Moving over her, I smirked, “I win,” I announced.

Not one to be won over easily, Buffy raised an eyebrow, “what if this is exactly where I wanted you? That means I win. Right?”

I kept smirking, “so you admit you want me.”

“Well I wouldn’t exactly go that far and all,” she realized she was caught and tried to trick her way out of it.

I chuckled, “liar,” I whispered against her lips, kissing her softly, passionately. “You know you want me.” I loved the fact that she did, and that I knew it. I wasn’t being arrogant by suggesting she wanted me, rather I was making a point of stating a fact that we both knew to be true from past experiences and basic knowledge.

“Maybe I do,” I shrugged. “Doesn’t change the fact that I could resist you, if I wanted.” Her eyes gleamed as she teased me. I recognized that one. That was her final thrust to show me that she wanted some of the power here. Buffy was the perfect woman: A beautiful, wonderful, charming, sweet, sufficient woman in public-And a sexy, erotic, tantalizing, sensual seductress in the bedroom. I couldn’t ask for more from her. Teasing back, I replied, “could...But won’t.”

She grinned, and flipped us suddenly so that she was straddling my waist. She pinned my hands over my head and said, “not right now, at least.”

I chuckled and accepted her kiss with a passion to match her own. I’d never get enough of our verbal foreplay. It was almost as erotic and sexy as Buffy herself...Almost. I doubt there’s anything more desirable than Buffy.

As I pulled off her top, I found I was wrong. Maybe Buffy naked was more sexy. I couldn’t be sure. Sucking her nipple into my mouth, I confirmed my suspicions. She was definitely all the more sexy when she was nude. I knew from past explorations, that Buffy’s nipples are always extra tender, and that proven, she sat up on my hips, trying to decrease the pressure from my lips. I pursued her anyways, and flipped her onto her back.

One hand stimulated her breast as I nibbled her other nipple, and my free hand slid down to remove her from her panties. I blew a breath of hot air on her breast, and she let out a breathy shriek. She was so damned responsive to me that it made me even harder for her...If that’s even possible. Sliding two fingers inside of her tight depths, she moaned. God, she was still so tight around my fingers...And my cock. She was so perfect for me.

Perfect.

Buffy.

“Want to resist now?” I asked, capturing her lips for another kiss as I pumped my fingers in and out of her in a slow, driving rhythm that made her squirm.

She moaned, nibbling on my lips tenderly, “I still could,” she replied with a smirk, staying a vixen until the end.

I laughed as I felt her beginning to come around my fingers. Kissing her once more, I slid down her body at an alarming rate, and began licking around my fingers as she came, increasing her pleasure and sending her into her second explosion of fierce delight. I lapped up her juices, delighting in how sweet she always tasted.

There was no other woman like Buffy in this world, or any other. I’d never really enjoyed going down on a woman, until I met Buffy. She tasted so good, and upon first getting to know her body, I had been dying to please her with my mouth and my hands. Watching her clench around my fingers as she came was the biggest turn on for me.

Licking her clean, I grinned and climbed back up her body. She sighed, coming out of her orgasmic daze to gaze up at me. “You’re entirely too smug, Mister,” she informed me.

“Oh please,” I turned onto my back next to her. “Be the one to humble me.”

She grinned, pursuing me like I knew she would. She always would. It seemed her desires for me were as insatiable as my own were for her. The first thing she did, was remove me from my pants. Tossing them away, she laid between my legs and smiled at me. “I still have to wonder,” she peered down at me curiously. “...How you fit all of this,” she wrapped her fingers around the base of my shaft, “...Inside of little, tiny...me.” She smirked up at me.

I kept part of my mind in focus as I responded in a low, raspy voice, “it’s a tight fit, baby. But I can manage.”

She grinned, “I’d like to see if you can. Wouldn’t you?” She quirked an eyebrow at me, removing me of the last bits of my sanity.

“God yes,” I whispered, reaching down to pull her up to kiss me. Turning us over, I impaled her with one hard thrust. She broke from the kiss to gasp my name against my lips. “God, Angelus,” she whispered, her eyes shut. As I thrust again she begged, “don’t stop.”

I chuckled softly, “I have no intention of doing such a thing, darling,” I assured her, drawing out and pushing back in again, delighting in the friction it created between our lower bodies. I leaned down to lay a tender kiss to her neck, licking over her jugular vein and making her moan.

I smiled. So she liked that, huh? I laid blunt teeth to her vein as it pulsed in time with her heart beat, which seemed to be matching the rhythm I’d set with our driving bodies below. She whispered my name repeatedly as I pressed my teeth into her skin, firmly claiming her in an act as carnal and animalistic as growling at your prey.

Speaking of which, I could resist letting out a soft murmur of a growl as she pushed upwards into me, trying to get me deeper still....Deeper. As deep as I could go.

When I felt her start to come, I placed my fingers on her pleasure bud, pressing down firmly to increase her pleasure ten-fold. She screamed my name and drove up into me. I kissed her then, moaning her name with every thrust, until finally I came; spilling in to her tight depths with no hesitation. We didn’t have anything to worry about, so why shouldn’t I fill her? It was as if I was claiming her all over again, every time I came inside of her.

Like after seemingly every fierce union such as this, I found Buffy exhausted in my arms as I rolled onto my side and pulled her to my chest. I knew that I could go again in a matter of minutes-if not seconds-but I had to have respect for the fact that she was already extremely over-tired, with time-changes and all. Not to mention the fact that was extremely sore from all of our obsessive pleasure acts in the last few days. But I could smile at the fact that she was becoming nocturnal, just like me.

“Still want to resist?” I couldn’t help asking into her hair with a teasing smirk.

She sighed against my bare chest, kissing my damp skin. “I can’t,” she admitted, finally giving in to me...For now, at least.

**

“Well, my darling, what do you think?” Angelus twirled me around in the bedroom an hour later, after getting dressed. He pulled me to his chest. “Does it meet your standards? Or shall I have it torn down to make room for a temple in which I can worship you?” He smirked down at me, a teasing glint in his eyes.

I giggled rather girlishly. Just being around Angelus when he was in this mood, made me want to explode with happiness. He was unfailingly gentle with me most of the time, but when he was in this teasing, light mood-he was so sweet and considerate and loving. I could die a happy woman after seeing him in this mood just once.

“Do you think they could build a temple large enough?” I teased back, placing a quick kiss to his lips. He took advantage of the kiss by deepening the moment, leaning me back over his arms and kissing me until I was breathless.

“I could work something out,” he assured me against my lips in a husky, seductive voice that made me tremble with unfulfilled desire. “What did you have in mind, lover?”

I didn’t get a chance to respond as he captured my lips with another kiss. When we broke apart, he led me into the dressing rooms and said, “I’ve had arrangements made for your new stylist, Lauren, to come by this afternoon to get you ready for this evening, lover. You can get ready for her now. She should be here any moment.”

“Really?” I was so excited at the idea of having my own ‘stylist’. “What am I getting styled for?” I was still trying to make Angelus slip-up and tell me what he had planned for this evening. I wanted something a little more concise than ‘tonight you meet the world’. Granted, meeting the world was enough to make me super excited, but I still wanted to know more.

“You know what,” he chastised me with a smile. “Now run along and get cleaned up. You have a big night ahead of you.”

“Angelus?” I pulled him back to me when he turned to leave the room. “Please just give me a hint?” I turned my best puppy-dog face on him. “Pretty, pretty please?” I continued my tortured expression.

He chuckled softly and kissed my pouting lips. “Lover, soon you’ll see. Until then, I can only tell you that tonight; you’ll meet the whole world that matters. So get ready, and remember how loved you are.” He left then, tossing another of his heart-stopping, sexy smirks over his shoulder.

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking now. You’re thinking that I sold out again. Right? You’re thinking that I shouldn’t have given in so easily after everything that’s just happened. And maybe you’re right. Maybe I shouldn’t have given in to this deliciously gorgeous man with deep, seductive eyes so easily. Especially after the whole ‘killing incident’ from just a few hours ago. But I have one question for you…

Would you have had the strength to resist him?

That’s what I thought. No. That’s your answer. So how can our hero, that’d be me, expect to have the strength to resist this dark devilishly handsome angel. What a deadly combination he is. Dark and light. Night and day. Well, philosophically of course, cause he has that whole ‘allergy to the sun’ problem. But you still know what I mean…Right?

There was a knock on the door only moments after Angelus walked out, and in walked a short brunette with a timid face and obviously skilled hands. She smiled nervously at me and said, “M-Miss Angelus? My name is Lauren. I am your stylist and seamstress for the evening.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Lauren,” I said with a smile. I tried to ignore the different tone of my voice as I spoke to someone I didn’t know. I hoped that she didn’t notice it. But even I noticed how sharp my words sounded. It was like all this time spent with Angelus, had made me just as shortly-announced and quick-to-respond as he was. Perhaps he was rubbing off on me a little too much…

“Shall we get started, Miss Angelus?” she asked, still looking hesitant and nervous around me.

In a last effort to calm her, I smiled brightly and said, “please. Call me Buffy.” She smiled then, and I suggested, “so shall we start with finding out what color would suit this dreadful half-tan that I’m dealing with?”

**

My own tailor went about the task of preparing my usual attire for such an outing as tonight. The basic black, leather pants, finely stitched silk, Italian shirt, and long black leather duster. As he worked on preparing my ensemble, I found I couldn’t keep from pacing back and forth in my dressing quarters. Buffy was getting ready for this evening, and I knew I should let her and her stylist work together, but I could barely resist. I could feel her stirring restlessly in the room next to me as Lauren worked on her dress. Buffy never was one for sitting still too long.

I could hear her heart beating. She was nervous. I could tell. But she was excited too, and that made up for her sinking feelings of doubt and hesitation. “Do relax, Master,” my tailor, Smith, bid me politely. “Lauren will ensure that Mistress Buffy is dressed accordingly to your instructions.”

“If it was Lauren preparing an outfit for just anyone, I would have no doubt that my instructions would be followed,” I confided in Smith. “However, Buffy isn’t just anyone. She is strong-headed. She is incredibly stubborn. I don’t know what she may say to Lauren to influence her decisions.”

“If you are so concerned, sir, then why did you not insist that one of your more placid-minded stylists work on Buffy? They would have scarcely listened to your mistress’ instructions if they differed to your own,” Smith reminded me.

I sighed. I knew exactly why. It was because despite how much I loved controlling Buffy, I wanted her to have the roam and leash to disobey me enough to make winning her over to my side even sweeter. I wanted her to have special privileges of freedom that I would never give to any other sexual acquaintance or momentary fling. Buffy was more, so she deserved more. As my mate, she deserved the right to have a say in matters concerning her own appearance. As long as she follows basic guidelines for cleavage cuts and slit measures. I couldn’t have the men watching her every moment of the day.

To answer Smith, I simply shrugged and said, “Lauren is closer to Buffy’s age. Buffy will listen better to someone that doesn’t appear as an authority figure. I know she hates those.”

**

“Oh Lauren!” I pouted, “this makes me look just as bad! What is wrong with me? Everything you’ve created so far, has been wonderful!” I motioned to the pile of gowns that Lauren had slaved over. “But nothing just suits what I have in mind. Nothing just goes with what I want.”

“What do you want, Miss?” Lauren asked in that sweet, innocent voice that made me wonder if she’d ever cursed in her entire life.

I sighed. “I want something for tonight.” I frowned then. “That’s awfully vague, isn’t it?” I groaned, “oh I don’t know! Nothing fits what I want to wear, because I don’t know what I want to wear, because I don’t know what I’m supposed to be wearing to something that I don’t know about!” I looked at Lauren nervously and asked, “was that even a sentence?”

“Perhaps a little time to think is required?” Lauren suggested, stifling a yawn. I agreed, and she left the room to take a ten minute break. Left to my thoughts, I paced around the room; frantic for an idea about what I wanted to wear for the night. Why can’t things just be easy?

“Trouble in paradise?” came a silky-smooth voice from the open door. I turned and felt like exploding with happiness when I saw that it was Angelus. He strolled in, shirtless and appetizing. His hands stuffed in his pockets, he stalked towards me casually and read my mind, “you’re going through idea after idea, but nothing’s working out, because you don’t know how to dress for something you don’t know about. Am I close, lover?” he stopped in front of me.

I felt like saying, ‘I know I am.’ But the double-meaning of that statement would have further distracted me from the ‘mission’ at hand. So instead I replied, “sort of. I just…If you could give me a hint, I’d stop torturing Lauren with demand after demand. I’m starting to get the feeling that she’s annoyed.”

“Annoyed?” Angelus frowned. “Perhaps I should kill her.”

I thought he was joking, and I laughed outwardly. Then my expression of humor dropped as I realized that he was dead serious. “Uh…Can you please not?” I asked, trying to look at him with my most pleading expression.

He smirked at me then, “if that is your wish, love. She lives.”

“Yes. Yes, that’s my wish,” I assured him quickly. Then I rushed to add, “not that I’m trying to order you around or anything, but it’s just that…Well, in all fairness, you did ask me if it was my wish, and…” I trailed off, realizing that all of my rambling wasn’t doing me any good.

Angelus chuckled softly, “lover, you’re allowed to tell me what you want. What part of being my ‘equal’ don’t you understand? You can tell me what you wish, and you can do as you wish, as long as it doesn’t take you away from me. All I ask of you, is that you remember you belong to me, and keep what is mine…Covered,” he finished his words with a quick sweep of his eyes over my body.

It was then that I realized how little I was wearing. My skin-colored bra, panties, and thigh-high stockings didn’t exactly hide his ‘property’. It revealed quite a bit of it, to be precise. In any other situation, I would have rushed to cover my half-naked form. But since it was Angelus, and I long-since lost my shame before him, I only looked up from my body with a smirk of my own. “So you don’t like the ensemble I’ve decided on for the evening?”

He shook his head, “on the contrary, lover. I much love it. However, I won’t stand for other men seeing you in it. Now…” he took my hands in his and looked down at them. Looking into my eyes again, he smirked, “wear something basic, classic, elegant, sexy-as-Hell, and covering. That help?”

I shrugged, “I guess. You’ve narrowed it down from about five hundred dresses to perhaps…Three?” I squinted at him, hoping he wouldn’t be annoyed that I still hadn’t an exact clue as to what I wanted.

He leaned close and pressed a tender kiss to my lips. “It’s a start, lover,” he assured me. “It’s a start.”

~~

Lauren and I finally came up with what I could only hope was the ‘perfect’ ensemble for the evening. A white, shimmering dress that hugged my figure just right, but kept a certain glow of mystery to my form. The neckline was modest, even if it was slightly alluring with a low cut, but Lauren assured me that she wouldn’t lose her head for it. The small straps criss-crossed down the low-back of the dress in a tantalizing pattern that offered just a hint of sexuality, and a lot of intrigue.

Lauren fastened my hair up off my head with little twists and curls in the elegant bun, and small diamond flakes throughout my blonde strands. A few loose tendrils of hair were left down for a wispy effect.

My make-up was done simple, but seductive. The trend of ‘cat eyes’ was back in, so Lauren extended my eye liner past the corners of my eyes to make my eyes appear slightly smaller and slyer. My lips were adorned with a sexy pink lipstick, and a glossy shine over them to provide a bit of a diamond-fantasy effect.

“Well…” I took a deep breath as I twirled in front of the mirror one last time. Do you think he’ll like it, Lauren?”

“He loves it,” came Angelus’ voice from right behind me. I turned and let out a little shriek at just how close he was. Damn lack-of-reflection in the mirror! He chuckled softly, the corners of his eyes creasing in the most delightful way. “A little nervous, baby?”

I sighed, “you have no idea. Not all of us can rule the world without a second thought, you know.”

He smiled and clicked open a long, velvet box. “Perhaps this will help you with the task?” he quirked an eyebrow to insist that I looked down. In the box in his hands, was a pink and white diamond-encrusted, platinum choker. I gasped, and a hand flew to my mouth. I’d never actually experienced a ‘movie star surprise’ moment until now. Now, I found myself actually short-of-breath at the exquisite gift before me.

“Oh it’s beautiful,” I whispered, wishing that there was a better, and possibly more articulate word for describing the stunning piece of jewelry before me. Alas, I found no word, so I remained silent and settled for ‘beautiful’.

Angelus smiled and removed it from the case. Walking around behind me, he placed it on my neck and fastened the clasp. “A beautiful piece…For a beautiful mate,” he placed a tender kiss to my bare shoulder. “You look absolutely stunning, my darling,” he informed me.

“Stunning,” I mused, “why couldn’t I think of a word like that? It has such an elegant, classy ring to it. Whereas ‘beautiful’ just doesn’t compare.” I turned to look at him and asked, “could it be that my IQ dropped ten points when I met you?”

Angelus chuckled, “I take it your nervousness is increasing. Yes?”

I shut my eyes, glad that I didn’t have to be the first to admit my fault. “You have no idea,” I leaned my head on his chest, taking comfort as his arms wrapped around me. “Angelus, if I knew where we were going, I’d be able to come up with a few worst-case scenarios that I can prepare myself for. But you won’t tell me, so I’m stuck with imagining the worst.”

“Which is…?” he prompted.

I laughed and shook my head as I offered one, “you’re taking me to a cattle-ranch in the hills for a rave party filled with rich stock brokers and their supermodel girlfriends.”

Angelus chuckled, “nothing that bad, my darling. I assure you.” He took my hand then, and wrapped it around his arm. “Come, my darling. You look stunning, and the world awaits you.”

“Can’t they wait a little longer?” I asked hopefully.

He only chuckled in response. It was becoming a general theme for his answers. I could tell this night was going to be interesting…I just didn’t know how truly interesting it would turn out to be.

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

Part 9

The limo ride was surprisingly long. As far as I could tell without a watch on, we were driving for over an hour. Angelus tried his best to distract me with small talk, and when he saw that discussing the future wasn’t enough to hold my attention and calm my frazzled nerves, he went about the task of distracting me in a different way. Dropping gracefully to his knees in front of me, he slid his hand up the side-slit of my evening gown, raising it until he had it hiked up around my waist.

He leaned his face closer to my sex, holding eye contact with me the whole time, and maintaining that sexy smirk that drove me insane with desire and passion. At the first touch of his tongue to my heated flesh, all thoughts of nervousness were dissolved, and all that was left was my lover’s lips, tongue, and strong fingers. He pressed two fingers into my willing flesh, and licked his tongue around my clit ever so gently.

Pulling his fingers out, he licked them clean and then swiftly pressed them back inside. The simple act of seeing his tongue on his fingers made me hotter than I’d ever thought I could be.

The fact that the limo driver was just a few feet in front of us, probably able to hear every word and every gasp: barely registered in my mind as a concern. Angelus had thoroughly introduced me to sexual pleasure over the last week, and now it seemed that I had no shame over anything we did. That said, there were a few erotic delights that I’d never thought I’d want to try, that I now couldn’t wait for Angelus to introduce me to. For surely he would make them quite pleasurable for me.

Sliding his two fingers out, he joined a third to them and pushed back inside, making me stretch deliciously. “Yes,” I hissed, shutting my eyes and gripping the seat to keep from pulling his head straight into my boiling flesh.

But Angelus knew what I wanted just the same, and he smirked his response. Parting his lips, he slid his upper lip over my mound, and then brought his blunt teeth down onto my clit. I shrieked, urging him on by pressing closer. He answered without words once more, instead increasing the rhythm of his fingers into my dripping wet channel.

My breath hitched as the approaching climax splashed closer and closer. I was almost there. Just once more. Okay, maybe more than once.

I pressed closer to his teeth and fingers, and he growled his appreciation, sending shivers through my already-over-worked nerve endings, and pushing me off the edge of the climax cliff. I gasped his name and bit down on my lower lip as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of me in a sensual, driving rhythm. Oh that was perfect. So hot. So firm. So right.

So Angelus.

“Feel better, lover?” Angelus asked, sliding my gown back down and taking his seat next to me again. He pulled me into his arms and chuckled softly when I still didn’t answer. I was floating. I was sure of it. I was floating in a sea of pleasure and ecstasy. Nothing could ruin this happiness. I was in my lover’s arms, completely sated, with want for nothing but eternity at his side.

“Just relax, love,” Angelus said, “we’ll be arriving soon, and then the real excitement will begin.”

So much for distracting me.

**

The limo halted in front of the castle where the party was being held. Well it wasn’t so much a party, as it was an event. An event where power would be fought for, women would be pleasured, and mates would be stated. That was my real reason for bringing Buffy to this potentially dangerous place. I had to make sure that the demon underworld and upper world, both knew that she belonged to me. If it was stated at this event, then it wouldn’t be called into question if some obscenely stupid fledgling decided to piss me off by making a pass at my lover.

If it wasn’t for the fact that stating Buffy as mine once and for all had to be done at this place, I wouldn’t have brought her here at all. Things went on at these parties that I never wanted my precious love to hear of. Orgies consisting of twenty people. Blood festivals. Rape. Beating. Whatever you could think of that would fall under the category of Dark and Dangerous…It happened here.

Buffy looked up towards the monstrous building before us with wide, bright eyes. I ignored her fears, hoping that she’d drop them soon before she made me lose my mind with desire and blow off the entire event to simply devour her hungry, frightened flesh for hours on end.

I stepped out of the limo when the chauffer opened the door, and I turned to help my mate out. I smiled as I realized for the first time, just how much she was going to stand out from this crowd. My love was wearing white, and everyone else here would be in blood red, maroon, or black. No one had the power or the light to pull off a dress of white…Except my mate, that is.

“Shall we?” I offered my arm. She didn’t say anything as I hooked her hand through my arm and guided her up the stone steps to the castle. The doors opened long before we reached them, as the doormen wanted nothing to do with pissing me off. They probably remembered the last meeting. I hadn’t been too thrilled with the service at the party, and a few of the powerful vampires around me had received the worst of my wrath, with all of their servants dying pitiful, embarrassing deaths that could only be measured in enormous degrees of humiliation.

**

Entering the gigantic castle, it was as if all fears left me. For some reason, I suddenly felt over-confident and sure of everything I was and everything I had with Angelus. I soon realized that the reson for that wasn't that I had suddenly grown fangs like the rest of the partiers around me...It was because I was with Angelus. All of the vampires around us watched him with fear in their eyes, like they knew just how rough he could be if he was pushed too far.

The second thing that I realized, was that almost everyone here had dark hair. Odder still, was that no one was in light colors. They were all dressed from head to toe in black, brown, maroon, or blood red. I felt a moment of self-consciousness at the fact that I was blonde, and I was wearing white. But seeing the crowds part for Angelus and I to pass through made me push my doubts aside.

With Angelus, I knew what power felt like. It was a rush of adrenaline streaking through my veins like an injection of moriphine. I felt a giddy sense of happiness with my new position. Surely I was flying.

The first being that Angelus actually stopped to speak to, was a man that looked to be about Angelus' age...At least physically. I didn't know exactly how old he really was. He had longer hair though. It was dark brown, hanging down to his shoulders, surrounding an extremely attractive face, attached to an extremely well-formed physique. His essence also spoke of power and control like Angelus'.

"Damien," Angelus smirked, "long time...no see."

"Likewise," smiled 'Damien'. "I heard you had an incident. I did my best to subdue the rumors and hold your position. Mind you it hasn't been easy. You keep missing the parties. Of course, it was acceptable when you were with Darla. Everyone knows she hates these things, so you couldn't be expected to attend. Whatever became of her?"

"I killed her," Angelus said simply, taking a sip of the champagne he'd pulled off of a tray passing by. He handed me a crystal flute of my own, filled with sparkling fluid. "Darling, won't you meet Damien O'Roar. A very close friend of mine."

"Pleasure to meet you," I extended my hand politely, understanding what was expected of me. I was being normal, but my mind was suddenly buzzing. Who was Darla? What was her association with Angelus? And why the Hell did he dismiss her so swiftly if she was obviously important to him in society?

"Likewise, my dear," Damien smiled at me, reminding me of a lion. His obvious concentration on my body made me nervous for a moment. I knew instinctively that being left alone with this man, would not be a smart idea. He bent down and pressed a tender kiss to my hand, lingering just a moment too long.

"Damien, this is Buffy," Angelus said, taking another sip of his champagne. He then added with a playful gleam in his eyes, as if he knew his next words would cause a stir, "my mate."

The room quieted.

"Mate?" Damien almost choked on his tongue. He looked up from my hand, and then straightened and almost took a step back. I couldn't help smiling an evilly amused smile. That showed him and the rest of the room with barely any effort, to make sure they guarded themselves around me. There was a bulletin flying around right now, stating simply: Don't mess with Angelus' mate.

"Well, you certainly have been busy," Damien chuckled, gathering some of his scattered wits and brushing the dirt off his pride. "Killing your sire. Making a mate. My oh my."

"Oh Buffy isn't turned," Angelus said as if it was amusing that he was shocking everyone so much. Jaws all over the room were dropping. "She's my mate, but I haven't broughten her to the darkness yet. Mark my words, I will, Damien. But not just yet."

"Quite an unnecessary risk, isn't it?" Damien frowned as he looked closely at his friend, wondering just what he was up to.

"Not really. As long as she's with me, Buffy is not to be harmed. And Damien..." Angelus lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss over the skin that Damien had kissed, as if reclaiming his property. "Buffy will never leave my side.

After a moment to recover, Damien smiled, "well congratulations, my friend. Might I be the first to congratulate this joining?"

"You very well may be," Angelus chuckled, tucking my hand into his arm again.

"Well, allow me to announce it then!" Damien smiled. "Attention, all!" he called to the crowds, and the few people that weren't keeping deadly quiet in order to hear what the two master vampires were saying: quietened down to hear the announcement. "Angelus would like to introduce you to his new mate. This is Buffy. Please take your time this evening to congratulate the happy pair...Unless of course, you'd like to greet the dawn for not paying your proper respects." He looked serious, and the room remained quiet. Then he started laughing at their fearful faces, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

All eyes were on me as I hung on Angelus' arm. This was a first, for sure. No one had ever been able to make Angelus commit. Especially not to a mate. And especially not to one that he wanted the whole world to know about.

~~

About an hour had passed of congratulations, and I was desperate for a chance to unhook my smile. My jaw was starting to hurt like Hell! "Angelus?" I quested, looking at him and hoping that he heard me.

He smiled warmly down at me, "yes, love?"

"Do you think I can find a bathroom?" I asked. "I really need a moment."

"Of course, love," he smiled. " It's down those stairs and to the first door." Seeing me scan the crowds of people that stood between me and my destination with a sense of trepidition in my eyes, he bent closer and whispered into my ear. "No one will bother you, but do you want me to escort you anyways?"

I smiled appreciatively. "I'll be fine." I leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

He smirked, and kissed my hand tenderly. "Hurry back, lover. You have five minutes before I start tearing people apart."

I smiled, understanding his joke. I parted from him then, and headed through the long ballroom towards the large set of stairs. The way the crowds almost parted when I came through shocked me. This experience was so new to me...But it was definitely one that I could get used to on a permanent basis.

I was almost to the stairs when a woman stepped up to me and touched my arm to get my attention. "Excuse me?" she quested for my full concentration.

I turned around to look at her. The tight, low-cut, V-neck, maroon dress she was wearing accentuated her womanly figure and high, huge breasts. Her long, brown hair was twisted into a tight bun on the top of her head, and her dark, oval eyes were staring into me as if she was trying to intimidate me.

Needless to say, she was gorgeous.

She was slightly taller than me, even with my heels on, so I had to look up a bit. "Yes?" I answered politely, and waited for her to continue.

"My name's Thalia. I don't want to beat around the bush, so I'll get right to the point. I'd just like to warn you about a few things," she said. "You seem like someone who shouldn't be caught up in this world, but if you're going to be, I think there's a few things you should know about us."

I didn't know what to say in response. What would be the best response? Damned if I know! "I don't know what you mean," I tried to dismiss the conversation.

But she would have none of it. "I think it's best if you come with me," she said.

For some reason, my curiosity was getting the best of me. I glanced at Angelus, and once I was sure that he wasn't watching, I nodded at Thalia and followed her down the steps that I was going to be taking on my way to the bathroom.

Reaching the bottom of the marble stairs, we passed the first door, and kept going. After several moments, we turned the corner and came to a long hallway. "Where exactly are we going?" I asked curiously as I looked around me at the medieval style that the hallway was decorated in. It was so different in comparison to the elegant style of the rest of the home. This hallway was so cold and dark.

Noticing that I had stopped walking, Thalia turned to look at me. "Are you coming?" she asked.

"What are you going to show me?" I asked.

"I can't tell you here," she said. Sensing my reluctancy, she came back to where I was, and took my hand. "You'll thank me later," she assured me. "Just come with me." With that, she began pulling me down the hall.

I followed with little hesitation. For some reason, I desperately wanted to know what she was taking me to see.

We arrived at a huge door with a code bar on the side of it. She pressed in a ten-digit code that I didn't pay attention to, though it dawned on me that it could be useful to me in the future if the contents of this room were really important.

"In here, you'll see someone. But it's not who you think it is. Just remember that. I'll make sure you're not in there too long, but find out what you need to know. The person in here really needs to see you...Now." She opened the door and stepped aside for me to enter.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"I can't tell you that. You'll know when you're inside. Just go now." She pushed me towards the door.

I stumbled into a dark room, illuminated by only three candles. The floor was blood red, and the walls were black. On one side of the room, there was an open, steel gate. In the darker corner of the room, I heard a rattling sound.

"Hello?" I called a little hesitantly.

"You came," a strained, hoarse voice said as if the owner of the voice was scarcely daring to believe that I was really there. "I can't believe you came."

I saw someone sitting in the corner of the room. It was a man. Dressing in just a pair of black pants, he was sitting against the wall in the corner of the room. The candlelight flickered over his form. Even in the darkness of the room, I could see his body was streaked with dirt. His face was turned away from me, but his voice sounded so familiar. "Who are you?" I asked, my throat tightening as fear enabled me to understand who this was.

The man finally turned his head to face me. His dark, tortured eyes locked with mine, and his mouth was quivering as if he was afraid of being beaten or yelled at. "You know who I am."

"Angelus?" I whispered, praying to God that it wasn't him. My conscious mind laughed at me. It mocked me. You just saw Angelus! He's out having the time of his undead life, feasting on the fear of a room of vampires!

"No..." the man answered. "Try again."

"Angel?" I asked. I don't know where the name came from. I didn't know anyone named Angel...But seeing him, made me realize that I did. I knew him. I knew Angel. This was Angelus' other half.

This was Angelus' soul.

-

Outside the room, Thalia punched in a code into the door and pressed a red button. With that, she turned and left the hallway, heading back towards the party.

**

I looked up from the crowd of demons around me, and glanced at the grand clock at the top of the stair case. Buffy was a minute late. Maybe something was wrong.

I was about to ignore the lateness and excuse it without a care, when I got a feeling. A chill down my cold, unfeeling spine. Something was going on. And that's when I saw her.

Thalia.

I growled low in my chest, causing most of my crowd to fall back a few steps. I dropped my champagne flute without a care, not even registering the break of glass in my mind as an expensive mess. I was determined to find out what that devious, souled bitch had done with Buffy.

"Where is she?" I asked in a low voice before I even reached the dark brunette. The room parted and cowered away, sensing my immediate anger at the idea of my mate being in danger. "What have you done with her, Thalia?"

She didn't say anything as I reached her and stopped just a foot from where she was, willing myself to calm before I ripped her head from her body and lost all of my hope for finding out what was going on with Buffy.

"Tell me where she is," I commanded, my voice growing more menacing with each passing second.

Thalia smiled faintly and asked, "no hello?"

"Hello," I humored her, trying to speak through my gritted teeth, "what the fuck have you done with Buffy?"

"I didn't do anything," she said simply.

"Tell me, Thalia. Doesn't it hurt your soul to lie like that?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, and knowing that the crowds were now remembering that Thalia had a soul.

She'd always had one.

When she was turned two hundred years ago, her soul had remained for some reason. She'd never been able to murder, and that had made her an outsider to society of all kinds. She spent her time in a big mansion in the Swiss Alps, reading or some shit like that. No one ever really cared enough to give a damn about her.

"Soul," she mused to word out loud. She probably wasn't intending to let her little secret slip, but that one second of musing was all it took for me to understand. That underhanded bitch had taken Buffy to the hall of the souls.

Angel.

I growled, "I'll be back for you," I assured her, and flew from the room at an alarming rate. I ran towards the staircase, intent upon getting my mate out of there as soon as possible.

**

"Angel?" I took a step forward.

Angel shot to his feet. "No!" he commanded. "You can't come closer. He'll be able to smell me on you." His face paled even more then. "He's noticed you're missing. He'll be coming for you soon."

"What's going on?" I asked. I was so confused. "What are you doing here? I don't understand any of this."

"I'm the soul. Angelus is the demon. He has the possession of the body, and you. I just had to see you. I had to see you for myself. Just once. Please don't be angry with me. I know it's a risk for you to see me, but I had to see you. I just had to tell you. I had to tell you."

"Tell me?" my brow furrowed. "Tell me what? What do you want to tell me? I don't get it."

"I love you, Buffy," he whispered, his eyes revealing his honesty. "Angelus loves you, but I love you more. I've always loved you. He never knew you existed. I always knew you were there. I felt you before he met you. I feel you still. You're strong. But you love him. You want to spend eternity with him, don't you?"

I looked down at my hands as I played with them nervously. "I don't know what I want anymore."

"You know you do," Angel reassured me. "You want an eternity with him. You can have that. You will have that. Just make sure...Make sure you remember I loved you first. I've loved you forever. I'll always love you."

"How have you known me?" I asked. "When did we ever meet?"

"He's coming," Angel looked to the door. "You have to go now. You have to go before he finds out where you've been. Don't tell him you were here. Just go now. I love you Buffy. But you have to go."

"Go where?" I asked. I was getting frantic as my fears mounted. Angelus was coming for me, and he would not be pleased if he found me in here. I was certain of that. "Angel?!" My voice stopped working then. I felt a tingling sensation all through my body. My panic rose a hundred percent.

It rose even more when I looked down at my tingling hands, and noticed that they were fading. Oh no! I was disintegrating! I tried to call for Angel, for help, for anything! But my voice didn't work.

I was dying.

I looked to Angel. He looked so tortured. So filled with anguish and pain, both mental and physical. He couldn't do anything to stop this. He could only watch as I faded away into nothing.

He stepped up to me as I began to go. Reaching up, he unloosened the clip in my hair, and watched as my fading blonde hair fell around my shoulder in delicate curles and waves. He ran his fingers through it and smiled softly. "I love you," I saw him mouth the words to me, though I couldn't hear him anymore.

And then I was gone.

**

Running down the steps, I spotted the first door. The bathroom where Buffy was supposed to have gone. But she wasn't there. I would have felt her if she was there. No, I felt her down the hall on the left.

I raced for the corridor on my left. Entering it, I spotted the stone door. I ran to it, and began punching in the remembered ten-digit code. I was just about to enter the final number, when I felt Buffy's presence leaving.

It was gone all of a sudden.

I frowned and hesitated before pressing the button. I looked at it, and tried with all of my might to search the room beyond this door, to see if perhaps Buffy was just hiding. But no, she wasn't there at all.

I turned around then, feeling her presence back the way that I'd come. I began moving slowly back down the way that I'd ran. I went back into the big hallway, and sure enough, I felt Buffy. In the bathroom.

Where she hadn't been before.

**

I was coming back. Oh praise God! I was coming back! I wasn't dead! It was hard to see at first. Everything was blurry as my eyes formed once more. I looked down at my hands, and watched as they continued to come back to full form. I flexed my now-solid fingers, and sighed in relief when I felt normal sensations instead of that tingling.

I looked around me then. The marble floors, elegant, feminine designs, and large sinks gave away my location. I was in a bathroom.

How the Hell did I get here?

Without a second to doubt it, I knew the answer. I knew who had brought me here to make sure that Angelus didn't catch me with Angel.

Thalia.

That was when the door burst open, and an enraged Angelus flew in. "Buffy," he looked at me suspiciously. I smiled my best reassuring, inconspicuous smile. He frowned then, "you took a little longer than five minutes, love. What happened?"

I wracked my mind for a solution. Something to say. Anything! I remembered a TV show I'd seen once, and I smiled brightly. "Angelus!" I went to him and took his hand. I pulled him into the bathroom. "Have you seen the toilets here? They flush in the other direction than they do in the states!"

Angelus studied me closely, as if trying to read my mind. I held my act though, and he seemed to buy my beaming smile as I flushed the toilet to show him just how cool this new discovery was.

Angelus chuckled softly then, and pulled me into his arms, "I was worried, lover. Make sure you don't dally as much next time, alright?"

"Okay," I hugged him back, trying to keep the brief disgust that I felt from showing. Seeing how tortured Angel was had made me question how kind Angelus would always be to me. After all, Angel was his own soul, and he didn't treat him all that well. How would he treat me in a year? Five years? A century?

"How about we go back to the ballroom now?" Angelus offered.

I nodded, and allowed him to lead me from the room. One thing that I noticed as we left the room that made my jaw drop, was my hair.

It was hanging around my shoulders with no clips in it.

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

Part 10

Arriving back in the large ballroom, all eyes were on me. This wasn't different than when I left, but now I sensed that they had a different reason for watching me with such firm intent. I made certain that I didn't look over to where Thalia was standing in the corner of the room. The last thing that I needed was Angelus spotting me looking at her. Something told me that if that happened, he'd know instantly just where I had been earlier.

"Buffy, darling, would you mind lingering here a moment while I attend to a slight matter for a minute?" Angelus asked me politely, although in all reality-he wasn't asking me if it was okay with me. He was telling me how it would be.

Feeling his hand resting tenderly on the small of my back, I no longer felt that hesitation or fear that I felt when I was in the bathroom. I waved off all of my doubts as I took in the way Angelus was smiling at me. Angelus, though cruel and unjust to the rest of the world, was undoubtedly tender with me, and always would be. Perhaps what Thalia had shown me had been a hoax, for I hadn't actually felt Angel's hands in my hair. It was always possible that she was involved with black magic.

I smiled up at my lover, "I'll wait forever."

Angelus smirked, "I won't be that long, lover." He leaned down, and instead of pressing a tender kiss to my lips, he slipped his tongue into my mouth to caress my own, creating a passionate display of desire for the entire room of demons to enjoy and take notes from.

Pulling back after a few moments, Angelus grinned, "I'll be right back." With that, he turned to leave. I watched him walk away from me, delighting when he tossed me that sexy smirk over his shoulder at me. I intended to keep watching him, but my attention was called to a scene erupting at the other end of the room. I heard a shout, and then a scream.

Turning quickly, my eyes located the owner of the scream just in time to see a man erupt into dust. I jumped back in alarm, bumping into someone's muscular chest. I turned around once more-moving so fast that my head started to spin. The arms attached to the muscular chest reached out and caught me before I could fall forward.

I took a moment, shutting my eyes and waiting for reality to come back to me. My head pulsed with my spins, until finally I could think straight once more. Opening my eyes, I found myself gazing up into Damien's face.

He smiled, "I'm surprised Angelus left you alone after that little incident. You gave him-and the rest of us-quite a scare."

Damien seemed different when Angelus wasn't around. Now, he wasn't bothering to check his interests in me. He was back to behaving like he had when he kissed my hand, before he knew I was Angelus' mate, before he knew that he wouldn't be able to have his own fun with me.

"He had a matter to tend to," I answered finally, finding the strength in my legs and making them move me backwards a space to separate my chest from Damien's. Damien dropped his hands from my shoulders and let me go. I didn't respond to his other statement for fear that I'd slip and he'd be able to see right through me, and possibly report back to Angelus. I didn't know whether or not he was here to find out something for Angelus, so it was best for me to keep my mouth shut and mind what I say at all times.

Plus, this guy just creeps me out.

"Tell me, Buffy…What is a young, vibrant, beautiful…living, breathing girl like yourself…doing with Angelus, a master vampire?" Damien peered at me curiously, watching my eyes for fear or signs of confusion. He was looking for a weak spot. Everyone has one. Sometimes two. A weak spot is a place you can touch on that will anger or upset an individual no matter what they were feeling like before it was brought up. My mission now, was to make sure that Damien didn't think I had any. Though in all honesty, I knew I had one…

Angelus.

"I guess you could say…Opposites attract?" I offered, raising an eyebrow and smiling slightly to deliver a hint of humour to my words. It worked. Damien chuckled in response and took a sip of his champagne.

"That, my lady, is to be certain," he said, raising his glass to me. "A private congratulations on the union. Angelus is a dear friend of mine. I'm glad to see he's found a mate that can match his…Distinct tastes and desires," again he let his eyes deliver an obviously thorough inspection of my body. "Of course, I'm sure you already know his tastes better than I. Have you met the chains yet?" he laughed like he thought he'd just cracked the funniest joke in the world.

I took a deep, calming breath…But it didn't do shit for me. I still wanted to smack this creep senseless. Damien took another sip of his drink, and dropped his gaze to my breasts as he sipped the bubbly fluid. That was it.

The last straw.

"Damien, I do understand that you have a deep friendship with Angelus, so I would expect you have a deep respect for him as well. Yes?" I tilted my head to the side in question.

"The deepest," Damien assured me, smiling faintly as he sensed the anger and detest seething from my pores.

"In that case, I would hope that you-" I was cut off when Damien's eyes flew to someone behind me. His entire face lit up with fake delight. He held out his arms to the new person behind me.

"Thalia, darling! How are you, dear?" he took her hand and guided her around me. He placed her next to him and smiled over at me, "Buffy, my dear, have you met Thalia Degattio?" When I couldn't think of something to say, Damien smirked. "Perhaps you've already met."

Deciding to rub his nose in the dirt, I extended my hand to Thalia and smiled brightly at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Buffy Summers," I introduced my hand, shaking her hand politely.

"The pleasure is all mine to finally meet the woman that has so entranced master Angelus," Thalia smiled back at me. "Thalia Degattio."

"Charmed," I nodded at her. I looked to Damien then, "how do you two know each other? Am I to gather the impression that there has been a romantic liaison or two?" I raised an eyebrow and smiled to accompany my playful teasing.

"Not quite, Buffy," Damien smiled. Then, with a voice as cool as ice and a smile to match it, he said, "but perhaps Miss Degattio and yourself have had one that you'd like to tell me about." He looked down at Thalia and smiled, tightening his grip around her slim waist. I was shocked further, when she smiled back at him, and then turned her mischievously evil glare towards me.

I realized then, that she had set me up. She was hoping to get Angelus angry with me, and she'd probably been hoping that I'd get caught in with Angel(if that had really been him, that is). My face dropped and I allowed my eyes to go blank, expressing my tension and nervousness all of a sudden. That was my first mistake.

My second came when I couldn't think of anything to do, but to leave. I turned quickly and began pushing my way through the crowds. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't have a clue where I was in this gigantic mall of a home. I spotted a set of stairs on the other side of the room, and I began making my way through the people towards them. Perhaps they led me somewhere…somewhere I could find Angelus maybe?…Hopefully.

Many people watched me as I raced down the set of stairs. These stairs were cold, stone, and dark, illuminated solely by lit torches on the walls of the narrow tunnel that I entered at the end of the stairs.

**I loose all control, when you grab a hold, And you do your trick. I love it when you lick. Lick. You've got lock and key, every part of me, Know what makes me tick. I love it when you lick. Lick.**

Music had finally started. A slow, melodic rhythm that sent a brief tingle up and down my spine. I didn't recognize the song, but something about it was calling to me…Guiding me. I didn't know where exactly, but something told me I was going in the wrong direction…a direction I shouldn't be going.

And I couldn't be bothered to care.

I came to a door. Pressing my hands against the smooth texture of it, I took a breath. I could feel emotions slipping through the cracks. Whatever was going on in this room…it was something I probably shouldn't see. It was something dark and dangerous, and I could tell it was incredibly hot and sensual.

Visions passed through my mind as I clamped my eyes together firmly. I could picture women entwined together, men worshipping their bodies, and in turn getting pleased beyond all belief. The face of my dark lover popped into my dirty thoughts, and I couldn't help smiling. Suddenly I had to clench my legs together. I was feeling so hot suddenly…And wet. It felt like the Amazon was running through my thighs. Perhaps it was…

**I put my heels on for you baby, the ones that wrap all around my leg. Your every touch excites me, And dammit I ain't too proud to beg. And even when you're not around me, The tingling just won't go away. No. Don't make my body wait no longer, 'cause this pussy cat's ready to play.**

I was about to twist the knob open to reveal the contents of this passionate room of lust, when I felt a strange sensation to my right. I frowned and opened my eyes. To my right, the hall was suddenly lit up with torches, whereas before, it had been dark. Curiosity streaked through me, outweighing my desire to see what was in this one room. I stepped away from the door and continued slowly down the hall.

"Buffy," I heard a voice whisper. I smiled to myself. I knew that voice. Even if it was in my head, I could tell Angelus was looking for me. He was calling me…begging me to come to him. All I could think of now, was finding my dark lover, and watching his thick length disappear between my thighs.

"Angelus?" I questioned as I walked. I turned my head and glanced behind me, wondering if I was being followed. Where on earth was my lover?

Turning towards my destination once more, I found myself face to chest with the object of my desires. I couldn't even speak as I looked up into his dark, lust-filled eyes. He smirked softly at me, and pulled me into his arms, his hands resting on my round bottom and pulling my hips into his groin so that I could feel how much he wanted me…It was almost as much as I wanted him.

He bent his head down and pressed a tender kiss to my lips, licking his tongue out then, and down the underneath of my jaw, to my neck. I bent my head backwards and sighed in contentment. This was what I had been searching for.

But then he pulled his tongue away. Looking down at me, he said in a husky voice, "I thought you said you'd wait for me, lover. I went to find you, and you weren't there. Am I to think you were trying to get yourself into trouble?"

I couldn't answer him now. There was only one thing on my mind. I needed him now, and I mean NOW. I finally opened my eyes and looked up at him. "Angelus?" I began, licking my tongue over my suddenly-dry lips. I gasped in a breath of air as another wave of desire washed over me. "Make love to me?" I begged, ready to start crying if he refused me.

**I loose all control, when you grab a hold, And you do your trick. I love it when you lick. Lick. You've got lock and key, every part of me, Know what makes me tick. I love it when you lick. Lick.**

Without words, Angelus took my hand and looked into my eyes. His own dark eyes were shining with allure, tinged with a slant of danger. His teasing smirk returned, and he turned and began guiding me down the hallway once more.

We walked on in the dim corridor, my arousal increasing with every second that ticked by that I had to wait to feel him inside of me. It was a sweet torture, but one that I would be thrilled to see end…To FEEL end. We passed many doors, and at each one, I could feel the lust and passion from each. It dawned on me that each of these rooms were occupied by vampires engaged in sexual battles of dominance and darkness, but I didn't care. All I cared about, was having my own delightful battle with Angelus.

We passed a small window, and Angelus stopped suddenly. He looked down at me and his eyes showed me that he was testing me. Testing my curiosity, and my adventurous side. I smiled slightly, and complied with his silent command. I stepped up to the window and looked in. The scene that met me was one of erotic delights. A long-haired woman was bent backwards on a table, with her Spanish lover thrusting in her at an alarming speed. And what made the scene even more interesting, was the woman kneeling over the long haired woman, one knee on either side of the long haired woman's head. She shut her eyes in delicious rapture as the long haired woman slid her tongue inside of her.

I felt a firm pressure behind me, and smiled as I felt Angelus' groin pressing insistently into my back. He turned me around again, and we continued down the hall, forgetting all about everyone else's adventures, except our own.

**It feels so good, I'm going crazy, my eyes roll back inside my head. Explode my inner warmth with pleasure, and hold on tight-hope you escape. I promise I'll return the favour, I'll do that trick you can't resist. Two rights don't make a wrong-making love till the break of dawn. The ocean's all up in a twist. Twist. Twist. Twist. Twist.**

The next door we came to, was humming slightly. Angelus pushed it open, and we were met with a firm breeze of cool air. Angelus stepped behind me and slid his hands down my shoulders, willing me to shut my eyes and feel the delicious sensations of the air.

My loose hair fluttered all around me as the breeze created a storm in front of my body. But the cool breeze was no match for the hot desire coursing through my veins like liquid fire. I was still scorching, inside and out. "Please?" I asked Angelus again, not opening my eyes to change the view of darkness that I'd come to learn I had to use my remaining senses in. I knew that was what Angelus was teaching me. He was teaching me to use the loss of one sense, to increase all the others. I knew that if I kissed him right this second, keeping my eyes shut…He'd taste sweeter than ever.

Unable to resist the temptation, I turned in his arms. My lips located his with no trouble at all, closing firmly and then dipping my tongue into his mouth for that desired taste of paradise. He complied, pulling me closer to his chest. The breeze blew all around us, my hair encircling him and I both, like a glow of golden sunshine that he could never experience.

Breaking off from the kiss, I opened my eyes just in time to see a burst of light explode from his irises. I smiled seductively, "take me."

"Come, lover," he took my hand. Pulling it up to his lips, he licked my midle knuckle ever so softly, "it's time to play.."

**I loose all control, when you grab a hold, And you do your trick. I love it when you lick. Lick.**

Angelus guided me to the final door in the hallway, and I could barely contain my excitement at the idea of finally having him completing me entirely, making me whole, filling me with his essence. Stepping through the open door, I found myself in a pitch-black world. Angelus shut the door, and came up behind me once more. His hands slid under my arms, one hand moving to pinch my left nipple through the delicate material of my dress, the other sliding over my stomach and lower, to press against my mound gently.

Still in the darkness, Angelus' touch was suddenly gone. I couldn't feel him anywhere around me. All I felt, was absence. Cold. Longing. It was like my soul had been torn from my body when his touch left. I looked all around, but it was useless. I couldn't see him, for I couldn't see what was two inches in front of me.

"Angelus?" I asked, feeling abandoned in my helpless state of need. I turned to look at where we had come from, but still the room was too dark for me to see anything in. No outlines. No shadows. No nothing.

And then, the sound of a flicker. More, the sound of fire. I turned once more to see where the little light was coming from. About thirty feet ahead of me, a small match was lit in the hand of my now-topless lover. I couldn't see his face in the little glow from the light, but I could see the firelight flickering off his finely sculpted abs.

He lifted the match up to his lips, and he smirked at me in the dim light. Then ever so delicately, he blew it out. Just as the light was blown out, he tossed the match. It landed two feet away in a twenty-foot-long, black, steel box which then erupted into hungry flames.

With the light from the fire, I could get an image of the room. Designed in blood red colours, it was completely masculine and dark. Just like Angelus.

**You've got lock and key, every part of me, Know what makes me tick. I love it when you lick. Lick.**

I looked down at my own body then, and found that I was completely nude except for my shoes. Confused, I looked to Angelus. He smirked, "we need to work on your sense of touch, lover. I don't think you felt me undressing you…with my eyes," as he spoke he came towards me, pulling me close. In the corner of the room, a huge, high bed was calling out to us, beckoning us to adventure into a land of passion under the black silk sheets.

I was certain that this room was enchanted in some way. I hadn't felt Angelus' touch on me at all, and yet he insisted that he had undressed me with his…eyes? How could that be?

"I think it's time to improve that particular sense, lover," Angelus whispered, advancing towards me and making me back up towards the bed. Each step was like a game of foreplay, hot and sexy in its own way. Angelus was in a darkly teasing mood, and I was right there with him, needing everything he could give to me. I'd settle for nothing but everything.

**I'll put my heels on for you baby, The ones that wrap all around my leg. Your every touch it just excites me, And dammit I ain't too proud to beg. And even when you're not around me, The tingling-the tingling won't go away. No. Don't make my body wait no longer, Because this pussy cat's ready to play.**

Reaching the bed, I sat down slowly, maintaining eye contact with Angelus. He smirked at me, and I knew what we both wanted at that moment. My hands crept slowly to his thighs, and I lingered over the material of his leather pants, trying to drive him as crazy as he was driving me.

He growled softly after a few moments, showing that his patience would only go so far. I smiled at the proof of my power over him, and then allowed my fingers to creep up to the belt of his leather pants. I took my time, making my movements slow and melodic to the music that I could still hear; pulsing throughout the entire castle.

Sliding Angelus' pants down, I couldn't help sighing in relief. Finally, I was getting closer to the satisfaction that I so desired. I looked up at him with pleading eyes, and he smiled. Sliding his hands into my own, he linked fingers with me. He slid one knee to the bed next to my thigh, and raised my arms over my head. Then he slowly leaned forward, pressing me backwards until I was laying flat on the bed. He held my arms above my head tightly as he came down to me and laid a tender kiss over my beating heart. "Can you feel this, lover?" he asked me huskily.

I nodded my head; my eyes shut tightly so that the sensations he created were enhanced. Chewing on my lower lip, I gasped when his lips trailed down and caught hold of my left nipple. I thrust my chest up into his mouth as he tongued my flesh with abandon. He still wouldn't release my arms. I so wanted to wrap my arms around him and draw him into me, to never be let out again.

"Angelus?" I gasped. "Please. Please."

And then his face was next to mine. He trailed his tongue over my earlobe delicately, and then whispered in a wet, husky voice, "get on your knees, lover."

I almost came right then and there as he whispered in that hoarse voice, desire dripping from every word. He released my arms and I sat up, finding my chest pressed between his legs as he continued to straddle me. As I move to my knees, I trailed one finger along the edge of his rock-hard manhood, delighting in the way it hardened that extra bit at my touch.

I was on my knees facing him, and he smirked. His left hand trailed down to my mound, and caressed it tenderly. "Now turn around," he whispered, his eyes darker than I'd ever seen, yet the look was hauntingly familiar.

**I loose all control, when you grab a hold, And you do your trick. I love it when you lick. Lick.**

Turning around, I found myself face to face with empty space. It was so different than being able to look into Angelus' eyes and seek reassurance of his desire and need for me. Now, I had to rely simply on what I could feel coming off of him. I could only pray that my senses were up to this task, because I knew I desperately wanted to be able to enjoy this new experience with Angelus, to its fullest extent possible.

He took a hold of my hips as he slid to position himself behind me. "Bend over, lover. So you're on all fours." He delivered a gentle nip to my shoulder as he whispered his latest demands. I obeyed without hesitation, understanding exactly what was about to happen. I just hoped that it was as pleasurable as people said it was.

And then I felt Angelus' cock, pressing against my dripping opening, and I gasped at the sensations. When I couldn't see him, I simply had to feel him. Thus, increasing the pleasure ten-fold. He took his sweet time, pressing in to my tight channel until he was seated to the hilt. I had to let out a surprised shriek at just how good this felt. I never knew...

I knew that Angelus had never penetrated me this deep before, and the new angle in which he was resting inside of me, was one that to my knowledge-had never been fully stimulated in orgasm.

He pulled out of me slowly, and I felt the absence of what I needed. He was lingering...Teasing. And then he was back inside of me with one, powerful thrust that left me breathless as my eyes shot open and my mouth dropped into a silent scream. Angelus chuckled, and whispered, "does that feel good to you, baby? To have me pressing into you from behind...Like an animal," with those words, he delivered another bite to the back of my shoulder.

If you'd asked me two weeks ago, I can damn-well guarantee that I would have said that nothing about this current act would turn me on...But that was two weeks ago. This is two weeks later. All of my thoughts and pondering were disintegrated as Angelus rammed himself back inside of me, his cock rubbing against the slick walls of my womanhood; causing sensations that drove me absolutely insane for him. If I wasn't careful, I might be labelled a sex feign...Or perhaps I already have been. It doesn't really matter, really. As long as the sex is with Angelus.

**You've got lock and key, every part of me, Know what makes me tick. I love it when you lick. Lick.**

I screamed as Angelus pushed in once more, increasing his hold on my hips and pulling me backwards into every push. A few more times, and I suddenly understood the need for pushing back. I wanted him deeper-as deep as he could go. So when he pushed forward, I pressed my hips and my ass backwards, causing him to growl out his appreciation.

We soon found a rhythm of our own, that seemed to satisfy what we were both craving from one another. The words from the song that was still playing, though it really should have been over ages ago, were driving me on in the most carnal way. I couldn't breathe with all of the simulation flowing through my veins. Visually, I was getting nothing. But emotionally, physically, and mentally; I was being drowned. Totally drowned as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over my head and through my entire being like hot fire.

Angelus began speaking to me in that sexy hoarse voice, driving me even closer to climax. "You're so hot, lover. And so wet. Your pussy is wet, just for me. No one else but me. You're so wet that I can't stay inside of you lover. You're so tight and so wet, that you're pushing me out. You can't find a grip on me, baby. You're so damn tight and wet. Do you want to cum, baby?"

"Yes," I whispered finally, clenching my eyes shut and chewing on my lower lip as the sensations were proving to be too much.

"Louder, love. Say it so loud that the walls burst," he commanded in a darker tone. "Call my name. I want to hear you cry it out at the top of your lungs as you explode around me."

"Yes, Angelus!" I screamed out as my orgasm hit, exploding in every nerve ending in my entire body; coursing through me like nothing I'd ever experienced before. It was like an injection of pleasure and ecstasy. As I orgasmed, Angelus growled and flipped me onto my back all-of-a-sudden. He slid my knees up to my shoulders, and began pounding into me this way, his own orgasm finally arriving.

"Look at me," he whispered.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him. At that moment, he exploded. I went with him once more, the feeling of his seed pumping into me being too much to stay calm with. I screamed his name again, and finally found the strength in my arms to pull his head down to my neck.

"Bite me!" I shrieked, knowing that his deepest kiss-his bite-was the key to making things that much better.

He wasted no time at all in sinking his fangs into my neck, sipping me strong as his orgasm continued to pump through him. I heard him growl a few times as my body finally began to calm, and he stopped pumping into me. My legs slid down from their place at my shoulders, and I smiled to myself-even as he continued to drink.

I knew this time, I was done for. Angelus was taking more than he'd ever taken before. Despite how terrifying that should have been to me...I was calm. I was relaxed. I was accepting of my new place at his side.

I wanted his eternity...So I would give him my life.

**I lose all control, when you grab a hold, and you do your trick. I love it when you lick. Lick**

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

Part 11

Her blood swept over my tongue and down my throat, strengthening me with every delicious wave of deep, red ambrosia. I could hear her gentle sighs of acceptance, and I knew…I knew she wanted this. She was ready now. Perhaps she had been ready from the very moment we met. The only reason I waited so long to turn her...The only reason I'd tortured myself for so long...Was that I wanted her to know how much she wanted it. I wanted her inwardly begging me for the change to immortal; to be with me forever.

A ripple of pain mixed with her pleasure, and she flinched beneath me. I growled, pulling her closer as I continued to drain the essence of her into my throat, into my demon. My mind was whirling as she infected me. I couldn't stop thinking about the moment when she would awaken as immortal. I would take her back to the ballroom, and we would kill every demon that didn't bow and cry tears of blood at the mere sight of her.

Yes, eternity with my precious Queen at my side, would be oh so sweet…delicious…eventful.

And it was just as I was closing in towards that final sip to her sweet death, that I realized something was wrong. My mind clouded, and my vision blurred. And then it was as if I'd been staked through the heart. I cried out in a hoarse voice, pushing away from Buffy and tumbling off the bed to the floor. Landing on my back, I cringed as the pain slipped through my every nerve ending.

The pain began to subside, and my mind began to clear. Buffy! I had to get to her and turn her before her heart stopped beating. Lest she be lost to me forever. But before I could open my eyes and make a move, the pain returned. I arched my back off the floor, crying out again and again as the mystical fingers of vengeance and detest ripped at my inner being. This pain was new to me. It was different than dying. Different than losing a soul. This wasn't a punishment or a gift.

This was something new.

And as suddenly as it had begun…It faded. My eyes shot open, and I took a moment to gather my bearings. I could hear a heart beat in the room. Buffy was still alive! But the beating was so faint…so distant. I turned my head, and was astounded at the scene that met my eyes. Buffy wasn't lying on the bed, taking her last breaths. She was standing next to me…dressed, as if she hadn't been knocking on death's door with me: nipping at her heels.

"Buffy," I whispered. I shot to my feet, realizing that I shouldn't be moving so fast, and almost losing consciousness. "What…?" I trailed off, not too sure about what I should be asking her first. Should I ask what happened? Who did this? If she had anything to do with it? "Buffy, your eyes…" I looked closely. Her eyes were grey, but they stood out so much. I didn't know what to think.

Let's just say, things weren't going the way I'd planned.

"Let's go," Buffy said, her voice stern and deadly. I wanted answers, but I was more curious about what Buffy was going to do.

~~

It wasn't long before Buffy and I had exited our little lust room. She moved to a swift, determined rhythm that I'd never seen her in before. She held my arm like my mate should, but now she had an air about her that said she was more than my mate…She was my equal. And she was pissed.

Upon re-entering the ballroom, all eyes were on us, but for a very different reason than before. Now, they weren't just curious to see Buffy…They wanted to see what she was going to do. It was apparent that everyone knew what had happened. The marks on Buffy's neck had already scarred over, and she was smirking as we made our way across the room.

I was surprised when Buffy led me to Damien. She stopped just short of him, and stroked her free hand over my chest, turning her back to Damien and smiling at me. "Do you love me?" she asked softly, an adorably evil smirk slipping over her full, luscious, red lips.

I ignored the room and looked down at her, returning her smirk. "With all that I am," I replied honestly, not caring that the entire room had quietened to hear us.

Buffy smiled, "good." She turned around then and said, "Because you might not like this very much."

I didn't understand. For the first time in the longest time; I found I had no control over anything that my mate was doing. I could feel the excitement as her blood pumped through her veins at a rapid pace. My curiosity crept higher as her attention focused on Damien. My face dropped as I realized what she was about to do.

"Damien, you respect my mate, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Damien smiled good-humouredly at her. It was apparent that he had no idea that she was about to strike out at him. I found myself torn between my loyalties to Damien after all he'd done for me in my absence, and my love for fulfilling my mate's every desire.

"Good," Buffy smiled brightly, an almost-genuine smile.

It happened so fast that there was no way I could have stopped it. The entire room was stunned. No one was expecting such an act out of my white Goddess. My Queen of Daylight and Sunshine. This was just one thing in a long train of events that no one expected to happen tonight. Jaws dropped all over as the piercing shriek of a vampire exploding into dust, rang out through the room; echoing off the walls. And just like that, the vampire was dust. Dead again. Gone…

Thalia was no more.

That's right. Thalia. I know what you're thinking. You thought Buffy was going to end Damien's existence. That she was going to reach out and rip his heart from his chest, or snap his neck with one rapid motion. But no…my darling girl is a constant source of surprise.

The next event was even more surprising. I heard a low growl behind me. I responded with a snarl of my own as I turned to see who dared to challenge my power and the actions of my mate. I was deadly shocked to see Damien standing there, squaring off with me as the crowds slipped back with every millisecond; clearing a space for the two Master Vampires to indulge their inner darkness in a battle that was surely to be one to remember.

However, do keep in mind that things aren't going exactly as anyone predicted for them to go, tonight. This was just going to be yet another example of that.

I heard Buffy chuckling softly as she slid to my side. "I guess he was lying, lover," Buffy purred to me. "I believe his…loyalties?-as he called them…belong to that little pile of dust on the floor." She looked up at me, her eyes alit with the excitement of watching the drama as it unfolded all around her.

"You knew," I whispered, taking my eyes off Damien to look down at my genius little love. She knew all along that Damien wasn't on my side. She must have known all along that he was in with Thalia's dirty schemes.

"My darling, I know what I need to," Buffy was beaming, so pleased with her accomplishments.

"Angelus!" Damien roared, gathering my full attention once more. "You have disgraced yourself in my views. Allowing your mate to destroy my own? I never thought I'd see the day!"

Buffy giggled evilly, "I can show you the day if you'd like, Damien. I just don't think you'd live through it."

I couldn't help chuckling softly at Buffy's little jab at Damien. "I must admit, Damien, that I had no idea that Buffy was going to kill Thalia. Though it was mildly amusing to watch my lover rip the heart out of your so-called 'mate'. To be perfectly honest…I thought she was going to kill you."

"And you did nothing to stop her?" Damien's face contorted with anger and rage. "I've been loyal to you, Angelus. Now you choose this blonde slut over me?"

I chuckled again, feeling the evil darkness inside of me churning with intensity as he dared to insult my lover. "Actually Damien, I'm not choosing sides here…" With a simple flick of my wrist, I ripped out Damien's heart. "After all…You don't have a side anymore."

Damien's eyes widened in absolute horror. "Angelus," he mouthed my name as he looked at my heart in his hand. I smirked and dropped his heart to the floor. He wouldn't be ash, until his heart was dust. "Buffy, darling, do you still have a hair pin on you?" I asked her casually.

Buffy slipped one of her little clips into my hand, from the inside of her dress, where I assume she was keeping them in case this happened. "Thank you, love," I smiled at her, my Irish accent returning for a split second.

I crouched down then, and opened up the clip, pointing the stabbing end towards the heart. "Damien, one thing you'll realize in the few seconds you have left before you meet your Hell God, is that I really, really love the art of torture. It takes a special touch. Not many know the joys that can be found in keeping a victim alive for hours on end. But to be frank…I just don't think I could stand hours of listening to you cry like a bitch. That said…I think it's time to end the drama."

And just like that, I dusted his heart. Looking up at Damien, I smiled. "Better, my friend?" He never had a chance to respond as he exploded into dust, screaming as his inside burned with evil fires that consumed his demon, carrying it off to the far depths of Hell.

I stood up and sighed at the pile of ashes dancing around the floor of the ballroom. "Damn shame," I said, dismissing all future thoughts of Damien or Thalia. I looked around at the crowds and almost smiled, "nothing to see, all! Go about your useless business."

I turned back to Buffy then. "Well, love, I suppose I should ask your opinion more often. After all, you saw things I never thought I'd see in Damien. Buffy, darling, I just have one question." I looked down and then into her eyes once more. "I was so close to turning you. You were almost dead. Allow me to be blunt and rather unintelligible when I ask…What exactly happened back there?" I motioned behind me towards the stairs leading down to our little room of erotica.

Buffy smiled and stepped closer to me. Placing one hand on my chest, she gazed up at me adoringly. "I have no clue."

"Ah," I smiled, "Perhaps it will remain as one of life's...little mysteries." My mind was already moving on to bigger and better things…Preferably involving our little room again. "Now where were we before all of this drama began to unfold?

Buffy smiled, watching her hand as it caressed the bare skin revealed by the top unbuttoned buttons on my shirt. "Angelus, lover…" she trailed off, chuckling evilly. "What makes you think I'm Buffy?"

**

Why can't things just be simple? Like, why can't there be an explanation for every strange act, immediately after it takes place? For example, can somebody please explain to me how I can pass out in the arms of my lover, receiving several advanced degrees of darkness and pleasure…And wake up on a dirt floor in the dark of what I can only assume to be the basement of a castle.

My head was pounding. Opening my eyes was probably the most painful experience of my life…ever. My eyelids were telling me that it wasn't anywhere near the time that they would be ready to open. My entire body was agreeing with my eyelids. I was exhausted: Mentally, physically…Completely.

Ignoring my body's protests, I somehow managed to pull myself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the stone wall behind me. The cool stone felt good on my hands as I reached my palms behind my back to press flat against the wall. I let out a sigh of relief, allowing my eyes ample time to adjust to the darkness of the room. "Out of all the basements, in all the world…I get the only one that doesn't have tiles on the floor," I quipped, looking down at the dirt and dust on the floor. "And it figures that I'm wearing white…" I trailed off and frowned as I looked down at myself. "Or not…? What the Hell?"

I found myself dressed. But I wasn't in my white evening gown. I was dressed in black. Black. Black. Black.

Like the night.

There was a small glow of light coming from a candle in the corner of the room. It enabled me to see a little bit. I looked down, and cringed at my ensemble. I felt like I was thirteen again; wearing black. Black pants. A black tank top. Black socks. Black shoes. Probably black lingerie. And black chains on my hands. Hang on a second…Chains??

As that thought kicked in, I realized that perhaps I was in danger. Duh! right? Well it just so happens that I'm not the brightest person in the world. Occasionally dense, I never thought I was completely stupid. Of course, it takes a time like this to prove that I really am a moron.

For all I know, I could be dead! Angelus could have killed me, and I could be laying in one of the many jail cells that Hell has to offer me! Why don't I think before asking vampires to bite me? It's those damn sexual escapades with Angelus! I knew they'd do me in soon. Now I'm stuck in Hell, paying the ultimate price for indulging in the darkness of evil and all of its dirty delights.

That ought to teach me.

Deciding that escape was probably impossible, I made the effort anyways. I began pulling at the chains on my hands. Maybe the chains were really cheap and breakable. Maybe this dimension of Hell was really poor, and they didn't have the funds to buy really expensive chains. Maybe they had to settle for cheap piece of crap like those little sex shop chains. Willow had told me once that they were really easy to break.

These chains on my wrists, however, were not.

"They'll only tighten if you struggle," came a husky voice from the darkness.

I jumped back, suddenly allowing my fear to overwhelm my senses. "Who's there?" I asked, wondering if that would work. "What do you want?" Good job, Buffy! Ask the psychotic Hell Gods just HOW they plan on killing you. Cause that's something you really want to know!…Not.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," the voice told me. "If I come closer, you have to promise you won't scream."

"Umm…I just woke up on the floor of a dirty, disgusting room, chained to a stone wall like a whore.-I'm not promising anything here." I informed the voice. Why is it that whenever I meet someone who seemingly wants to help me, I rebel with sarcasm and rudeness? Why can't I just play along with what they want, until the moment comes when I can smack them on the back of their head with a stone and make my heroic get-a-way?

"Nice to see you haven't lost your sense of humour," the voice-which sounded vaguely familiar when the owner chuckled-replied.

"Yeah, it's great. Now would you mind telling me who you are?" I asked, trying as hard as I could to remain polite.

"You know who I am, Buffy. At least…I should hope you haven't forgotten already."

"Of course I didn't forget!" I smiled, hoping that my sarcasm wasn't dripping off my words. "Since we're such great friends, maybe you can get me out of these chains. Friends help each other and all, you know?" I could only foolishly hope that that would work.

Of course, it didn't.

I heard a rustling as the voice moved across the room. "It doesn't work that way, Buffy. I can't get the chains off you. Only you can." I finally spotted the source of the voice. The man walked into the corner of the room where the candle was lit. It seemed to take forever for him to turn around so that I could see his face.

My jaw dropped when I did.

...tbc???

please feed Angel

B/Aus fic archive