e-mail: angharad233@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and the characters from these series are the legal property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar television, Warner Brothers, Fox Television, et al. They are used without permission and absolutely no money is being made from their use.
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Yes, this has been done before. What if Buffy had gone with Angel to hide The Judge's arm? Takes place in Season Two.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Prologue: Buffy Talks
I stretch languorously and for a moment enjoy the cloudlike softness of our bed. Heaping pillows, downy mattress, sensuous silk sheets. I always thought silk sheets only belonged in cheap porn novels, but now . . . Angel likes silk. He loves velvet and satin and a hundred wonderful luxurious textures. For a man who spent a good part of his souled life as a bum on the streets of New York he has expensive tastes. And of course I reap the rewards of it. Oh yes, there are rewards for sharing a room and a bed with this extraordinary man. Vampire? Well, yeah. It's only Angel—cool hands, body like molded stone, the latent power behind his every movement. I meant it when I told him I never noticed his demon face. To me it was as dear and beloved as his beautiful soul.
He tried to dissuade me. Did everything possible short of dragging me home and locking me back in my room. But in the end he gave in with a resigned air but with something sparking behind those dark eyes. He wanted me—I had no doubt of that—he gave me the ring as a token of devotion and commitment, and now we consider ourselves husband and wife. I don't know what the gang will say, it's been so long since I've seen or heard of them at all, but I do know that I won't give up Angel. We're mated, him and I. Caveman and woman, Tarzan and Jane, whatever the hell you want to call it. Primitive. Primeval. I suppose my mother, assuming she even believes I'm still alive, would immediately panic and push me to date someone else—normal guys, college fraternities. She has an obsession with the "normality' of teenage-hood. She probably be happy to hear I got drunk and slept with some fraternity guy just because it's what kids are supposed to do. But let me tell you—there's no leaving the man whose lain between your thighs for ten months and had his fangs in your throat living off your life's essence for six.
I remember how excited I was that night. My dreams of Angel had been invading my sleep every night for weeks before Drusilla showed up. Some were hot and heavy, some surreal and strange. In each I felt, with a certainty beyond anything I had ever felt in my waking hours, Angel's love for me. It wrapped around me in the softest cocoon of safety and warmth. It was pure joy, pure happiness. To me, Angel was home.
The last dream had me wandering through the Bronze, mildly confused by the occasion that had so many people aimlessly milling around. I found Willow, speaking French to her monkey, and gave her a slightly confused look. My mother next, who gave me some cryptic warning (much like Angel's old style—only Angel's messages of doom had always been accompanied by my slowly growing desire to hear more of them). My mother, once again treating me like the child she never knew I wasn't, then turning away, never seeing what was right before her eyes. But there was someone I was looking for, some nagging ache within me that needed to be filled. But then a deeply tingling sensation shuddered through me, like sweet ice flowing up my spine. Something sweet and wonderful was behind me. I turned to look for it.
He was beautiful. He was so beautiful. That incredibly gorgeous face and strong frame coming toward me with a truly angelic look of love on his face. I felt my face go all goofy and happy as I walked toward him. Here was what I'd been searching for my whole life. I'd crawl through fire to come to him, to enfold him in my arms and never let go.
One step and I would reach him, and then my world would be complete and my life could truly begin.
And in an instant, he was dust.
I told Angel I had never hated a vampire before him, once, when I thought he was playing me. I hated one now. Of course there was Spike, who would be dust, no doubts there. But Drusilla . . . I wanted to hurt her, torture her, tear her into tiny pieces and see her bleed and beg before I set her on fire. But behind the utter and complete hatred was something else. Something I wasn't used to feeling. Fear.
And I felt it again as Angel explained that he had to leave, had to clean up this mess that bitch had made. Drusilla's latest sin had condemned her once again in my eyes. By the time Angel was able to procure supplies and a place on a cargo ship it was daylight, and we were forced to wait until the sun set. The gang fell to frantic research, sleep impatiently pushed aside. Needless to say everyone fell asleep at some point, even Angel. I woke up breathless and heart pumping from a dream that had shown me everything I wanted to know. I knew where Drusilla and Spike were.
An hour later they were ashes. Them and practically every vampire in town that was at that morbid party. Giles didn't know. No one knew. Crossbows are so handy when you set the arrows on fire. Two shots and the leading duo were gone. Five more strategically placed and the warehouse was on fire. I never looked back.
Which brings us back to the arm in the box.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 1
"Buffy!" Giles came forward in a rush, dropping the stack of books he had been lifting. "Where have you been? We thought - " He stopped abruptly at the look on his slayer's face.
Willow and Xander appeared behind Giles.
"Oh my God, Buffy!" Willow exclaimed, her eyes wide. "You're, um . . ."
Cordelia, who sitting at the table and filing her nails, looked up. "Covered in dirt?”
“Something you want to tell us, Buff?” Xander asked, raising his eyebrows and gesturing at her once spotless outfit.
Buffy looked up at her friends and then glanced at her clothing. She was mildly surprised to see that she was now wearing a fine layer of black dust. On her new peach top. "Damn."
Cordelia sniffed and rolled her eyes. Willow had tears on her cheeks, and Xander was looking guilty for some reason. Was there something she had missed? "I, uh, well - I killed - was just out killing Spike and Drusilla, actually."
All three stared at her. Giles raised his hand to remove his glasses, and then dropped it when he remembered he wasn't wearing any. "How?" He demanded.
"They had a run in with some arrows. And a fire. And some arrows on fire. Actually," Buffy gave a forced laugh, looking anxiously at her frowning friends, "I sort of burned down the bulilding. Again. But hey, look at me! Slayer gal comes through, right?" She shifted nervously as no one moved. "Boy, what does a person have to do to impress you people?"
Gies started rubbing his nose.
Willow looked like a frightened rabbit. "So, you just went off and killed Spike and Drusilla?" she ventured.
"By yourself?" Xander added.
Buffy put her hand up in defense and turned away. "Look. Maybe I should have consulted you guys, but - I had a dream, I went after them, and I took care of it. Vampires dead. End of story." She sighed and looked back. "Where's Angel?"
"Buffy." A quiet voice came from the top of the stairs. Buffy's face brightened as she saw Angel and hurried toward him, but faltered when she saw the look in his eyes.
"Angel, I knew what I was doing! I'm the slayer, remember?" Buffy walked over to Giles' desk and jumped up to sit on it. Through the closed door she could hear the rest of the gang's anxious voices.
Angel sighed heavily. "You didn't tell us you were leaving, Buffy. We thought, I thought - "Angel brushed his hand across his eyes for a moment. He looked at Buffy's hurt expression and came over to sit next to her. He leaned in and looked into her eyes. "I was worried," he said softly. "When you didn't come back . . ."
Buffy realized with a shock that Angel had tears in his eyes. Angel was always been the strong one, guarded and cryptic. She would do what she had to protect him a thousand times over (she paused to smile when she remembered Spike's face right before he exploded into ash), but never thought about how much it would worry Angel if she disappeared. "Angel, I'm sorry - "
"I couldn't protect you, Buffy. You might have died and would never have - " He broke off and looked away from her.
Buffy was aghast at Angel's reaction. She had never seen him cry before - couldn't imagine him so unguarded. But it had been all so simple. Drusilla tried to hurt Angel. Drusilla dies. She hadn't even thought twice about her actions, much less spending time to let anyone else in on the plan. She knew in the back of her mind that Giles and the rest would be concerned - but Angel looked the way she had felt when she had seen the stake going into his back. "Oh God, Angel - "
"Buffy," Angel spoke softly, lifting her chin to look into her eyes.
Buffy felt her eyes go all watery, and didn't want to look at him. If she looked at Angel right now she would start bawling, and she hated crying, and she was still covered in dirt. But - she had hurt Angel! And there were little wet trails running down his cheeks, and she was a horrible, horrible person, and how could he still look so beautiful when he was crying?
Without thinking she buried her face in his throat, feeling the coolness that she loved beneath her cheek, and wrapped her arms tightly around him. The pains and fear of the last hours seemed to center in her stomach as she felt her face go hot and her throat clench up. She wanted to say she was sorry, that she was okay and for him not to be sad, but all she could feel was Angel's closeness, his solid body under hers. He was reassuring, real, and his strong, large hands pulled her more tightly into him.
Xander and Willow gathered in the doorway with wide eyes as they watched their friend sob into her vampire's shoulder. Great gulping sobs like they had never heard before came from where her face was buried against him. Angel had laid his cheek on Buffy's hair and was shushing her, whispering nonsense in her ear. Xander stood for a moment with his mouth open and looking daggers at Angel before Willow dragged him out by his ear.
Buffy took comfort in the slow rocking of Angel's body, but soon reached the calm after all the tears have been poured out. She stayed where she was for a moment, wondering what to do. Her throat felt funny and she could hardly breathe through her nose. She was pretty sure she had smeared mucus all over Angel's shirt . Great. Way to impress a 240 year old vampire who's probably been with more women than I've even seen and . . . never mind, not gping there!
Angel looked with concern at the tear stained face of his beloved as she finally raised her head, and gave her a small smile. She immediately smiled back, and then made a face at the huge wet splotch on the front of his shirt. He couldn't resist the tiny wrinkle in her nose and gave it a soft kiss.
"Um, guys?" They turned to see Willow standing in the doorway, looking uncomfortable. "Giles wants to know what happened."
Buffy wiped her nose of her sleeve, wincing as she realized she had just smeared soot all over her face. This was going to be a bad day. Rest of the day.
Angel smiled fondly. "Tell Giles we'll be out in a moment." As Willow left, he came over behind Buffy and produced a large pocket handerkerchief .
Buffy looked at it suspiciously. "Where did that come from?"
"Come here." He led her back into the library and pulled up one of the chairs, Buffy perched on his lap. Carefully he wiped the worst of the soot from her face and graced her with another kiss.
"If Dead Boy's done fondling Buffy, maybe we can figure out what the hell happened?" Xander said angrily.
"Xander," Willow hissed, digging him in the ribs.
"Buffy," Giles broke in. "I must say that you acted irresponsibly this morning by running off without informing me or anyone else of plans of such magnitude. On the other hand, it seems you were completely successful." Trying once more, unsuccessfully, to clean his glasses, he sat down opposite Buffy and Angel. "Now that that's out of the way . . . what, exactly, happened?"
In the end, the discussion was short. Buffy maintained that she was right in her actions in the face of Giles' accusations. No one could deny that Spike and Drusilla were gone, and that Buffy had succeeded perfectly. There was an awkward silence when Giles realized there wasn't anything left to berate his slayer for.
"What about the box?"
Everyone turned to face Jenny Calender, who had up to now remained silent.
"We still need to get it out of town, and it's sunset."
"But Spike and Drusilla are dead, right?" Willow said, looking around at the others. "There isn't anyone to put the judge together."
Giles stood up. "Jenny's right. We need to get this to as remote a region as possible. Angel - "
Buffy looked at Angel, her face stricken. He looked down at her, pain behind his dark eyes, but sinking back in the chair, he cradled his love carefully against him, and said nothing.
After a while, Buffy lifted her head and laid a hand on Angel's cheek, looking at him intently. "I'm coming with you."
Angel looked at her incredulously. "What?"
"I'm coming with you. This is my fight, Angel. I'm the slayer. This is something that I need to do and I can't - I won't - let you walk away from me again." Angel opened his mouth but she stopped him with a finger. Her eyes were wide and shining, but her lower lip trembled. Couldn't he see how much he meant to her? She couldn't bear her life without him. "Angel," she whispered, almost painfully, "I love you."
"Buffy - " Angel said hoarsely.
"I love you. Like I've never loved anything else in this world. I won't let you walk away. I can't."
Angel made to say something, but could only look at her in love and concern. "Buffy, no."
"Why not,"
He ran a hand through his hair. "What about your life? What about school? Your friends and family?"
"What about you?" she replied quietly.
He stared at her. "What about me?"
Buffy curled closer into him. He let out a sigh and cradled her body against him. Buffy felt completely safe and loved in his arms. She traced the muscle along his neck. "What about your life? And friends. And family."
Angel stroked her cheek. "You are my family, Buffy. You're my whole world."
Buffy looked up at him, touched and surprised by his answer. "I am?" she whispered.
"You're my life, Buffy. I am what I am now because of you. I'll do anything to make sure you have the life you deserve."
Buffy was still watching him. Her voice never quavered. "I deserve you. I want you."
"Buffy - "
"Ahem." The two turned to see Giles standing in front of them scrubbing furiously at his glasses, which he had apparently found. Everyone else had mysteriously vanished. "Buffy, Willow found you some clothes if, perhaps, you'd like to change, or wash up a bit. It's time to leave."
Buffy gave one searching look into Angel's face before jumping up and running past her watcher. She didn't see the group of three leaning against the hallway as she ran past.
“Can't they ever do this someplace private?”
“Xander!”
“It's like the Buffy and Angel show. Step right up and get your melodramatic sickly sweetness for the night. Ooh, mystery vampire darkness man.” Xander snorted. “Shouldn't she be with someone that at least has a heartbeat?”
“Yeah,” Cordelia looked over her shoulder as she walked down the hall. “And a brain. Too bad that excludes you.”
Xander opened his mouth for a comeback and then closed it with a sigh. Willow stared at him. “Why are you dating her again?”
* * *
Buffy clutched her lover's hand tightly as they walked down to the ship, Angel carrying the box on his shoulder. She had dropped a letter in the mail before coming, and by the time Giles got it she planned to be several thousand miles out at sea.
She was going - there was no doubt of that. The thought of living without Angel, of watching him walk away from her seemed to make her heart clench in icy dread. There was only to convince him of it. Not that she would let that stop her.
Angel stopped as they reach the ramp. "I should go the rest of the way alone."
"No." Buffy said firmly.
Angel raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"You're not going alone."
Angel's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yes, I am, Buffy." He pulled her close to him. "This is something I need to do. You can't come, you have a life here - family, friends - "
"We just went over this Angel - "
"The point is," he continued, softening his voice, "You can't just leave for months. What about Sunnydale? What about protecting people here?"
"Screw Sunnydale," Buffy exploded with sudden violence. "I'm tired of taking all the fall for this town. Let them take care of their own problems for once, and get grounded for fighting the powers of darkness.” Angel looked at her, taken aback. "Angel, Drusilla and Spike and probably every vampire in town was burned to a crisp this morning. Please . . ." She looked up at him, her eyes shining, and trailed a hand down his cheek. She tried to speak, but her voice trembled. "I won't let you go. I - " her voice broke. "Please don't make me," she whispered.
Angel drew her into his embrace, and clutched her to him tightly. She felt him press his cheek against her hair, and his hands gripped her convulsively. "I have something for you."
Buffy drew back and gave him a watery smile. "What is it?"
"Hey!" called a voice behind them. They pulled apart to see a man standing on the ramp. "Angel, right?"
Angel let go Buffy's hand and walked up to him. "Yeah."
The man nodded. "I have to close up. Time to go. We have that space in the cargo hold you wanted."
Angel turned back to face Buffy as they man waited impatiently. "Buffy -"
Buffy just stomped up to him and gripped the front of his coat. His two thousand dollar genuine lambskin leather coat. "Listen, Mister. You are not getting on that boat without me." She fixed him with an intense glare before Angel lowered his eyes.
"You can't do this for me," he murmured sadly.
"Angel," Buffy replied so very, very softly. "I live my life slaying demons and fighting for my life. I stay up till three in the morning and sleep through what classes I don't have to miss. I get grounded by my mother for saving the world. Sometimes at night - " she took in a shuddering breath, then looked at him again. "Sometimes at night I wonder if I'll live to see the next sunrise." She watched as Angel's eyes began to glitter. "I can't do this without you. You're the only thing in all this craziness that actually makes me feel - safe."
Angel bowed his head. He remembered seeing Buffy weeping in front of her mirror the day she discovered she was the slayer. He had crouched in the bushes that night, but had later crept to her window only to watch her cry herself to sleep. That night, and every night thereafter. Sitting there, listening to her sobs, he had wanted nothing so much into the entire world as to take her in his arms and protect her with all of his strength and all of his love.
"Come on," he whispered, cupping her beautiful face in his hands. "Let's go.
* * *
Dear Giles,
By the time you get this - and don't worry, I'm not dead (at least, I hope I'm not) - I should be sailing away on Angel's cargo ship. Frankly, I'm not sure where we're going. Angel has all the plans. But he'll need back up, and this is something I need to do
I'm the Slayer, Giles. I love all of you more than I can say, but when I'm with Angel, it's like the two parts of me - the girl me and the slayer - are the same person. I realized today that I ca'tt live, or survive, without him. He isn't just my boyfriend, my lover (well not technically, yet, anyway, and just pretend I never wrote that . . . ) , anyway, he's my protector. We need each other. And so I'm leaving.
I'll be coming back, I promise, with Angel, but without the arm.
My mom will be frantic by now. I wanted to write to her but I couldn't figure out what to say, how to explain. Can you - couldn't you - somehow let her know what happened?
Tell Xander and Willow I'm coming back, and I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. I knew you wouldn't agree with my decision, and I didn't know how to convince you.
I feel happier than I have in a long time, Giles. Angel and I - fighting together, being together - it's right.
I'll be seeing you soon. I promise.
Buffy
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 2
The night sky was gloriously beautiful, the bright points of the stars glittering fiercely against hte blackness of the heavens. Against the dull metal of the ship water lapped restlessly, adding a quiet liquid sound to the air as the cargo ship moved slowly across the ocean.
The two figures deep inside the hold noticed none of this. Exhausted after a physically and emotionally draining day, Buffy and Angel had fallen asleep almost immediately. Every night thereafter slept together on the small mat provided, carving out a tiny living space in a corner of the cargo hold. Angel had thought ahead and packed an trunk full of books and clothes, while Buffy's more feminine bag perched comfortably next to it. After two weeks on the vessel they had settled into a routine--wandering around the ship and reading during the night, and sleeping curled in each other's arms during the day.
It was the strangest existence Buffy had ever thought had, but absolutely wonderful. Every day she woke up and looked into the heavenly face sleeping beside her, and seriously thought that she would be perfectly happy living her whole life sleeping and waking up just like this. Also maybe having some friends would be nice. She and Angel couldn't spend all her time in bed . . . which brought up topics forbidden at the moment.
But maybe not for long.
This evening Buffy woke up slowly, feeling sluggish and relaxed. It still took her awhile to remember where she was. Sleepily, her brain cast around for an answer to the strange and delightful feeling she was having. It couldn't be a schoolday, or she wouldn't be feeling this comfortable. It might have been Giles' spare room, where she had occasionally crashed after a long patrol, but there the sheets always smelled like lemon verbena. And here there was another smell, something elusive, but extremely familiar. It was a beautiful scent, she thought, just like cool nights and soap and a certain hair gell . . .
Her eyes blinked open. "Angel?"
Raising her head a bit from where it rested on Angel's chest she remembered in a rush where she was and who she was curled up in bed with. Angel was lying on his back on the thin sleeping mat, and she was curled up on her side laying half on top of him, one arm flung across his chest and her head tucked securely into his shoulder.
"Angel," she whispered again, raising up slightly. "Are you awake?"
He was in his bed, wrapped up in the velvet comforter, when he heard the knock.
"Angel?" a hesitant voice whispered. He knew the voice--he knew and loved it more than anything in the world. He opened the door to find it's owner, small and tear-streaked, standing on the threshold. Without a word he wrapped her up in his arms and carried her inside, kicking the door shut as he walked to the bed. He sat down and cradled her against his chest.
"I'm frightened, Angel." He could feel her entire body shaking. "I'm afraid you'll leave me."
"I'll never leave, Buffy," he vowed, feeling strong and secure and manly. "I promise I won't."
Buffy turned to face him. "But you said. You said you were taking that Arm in the box and leaving, for months!"
"Buffy," he began, and then his love starting crying in his arms, and without thought he was kissing her, and they were falling back onto the mattress. Firm, silky flesh was slowly revealed to him, her beautiful body breathing hard beneath him, her wide eyes so full of love and trust and sadness. He would take away the sadness. He would make her perfectly happy, give her pleasure, make love to her--
"Angel?"
The vampire's eyes fluttered open. "Buffy?"
"You know," Buffy leaned in for a kiss. "'One day we'll learn to say each other's name without turning it into a question. Or maybe putting some other words after it? Like, 'Angel, how are you?', or 'Buffy, you look absolutely ravishing today!' "
Angel laughed, and Buffy's heart almost stopped. It had to be a sin for any living thing in the world to look as gorgeous as Angel did when he laughed. It made her feel like the sun had just burst out and little bluebirds were singing around her head.
"Good morning kiss," he murmured, gently pressing his lips to hers in their early evening ritual. She grinned and kissed him back, licking at the seam of his mouth until he happily opened it for her. She adored kissing Angel, loved the fascinating coolness of his mouth, of exploring it with her tongue. She felt a deep rumbly purr deep in his belly as he chased her tongue back in her mouth and pressed her hard against him. It was several moments before they pulled apart, Buffy resting her forehead on his, panting slightly.
After pulling back and staring into each other's eyes for a few heart-pumping moments, Angel suddenly grinned and leapt to his feet, swinging Buffy up into his arms. She giggled and clutched his neck as he carried her through the tiny door like a bridegroom.
"It's so beautiful."
Angel turned and looked down at the small sunny head cradled against his shoulder, munching happily on a cinnamon bun which the ship's cook made her every day. He placed a kiss on her hair and laid his cheek against it, looking out over the ocean. The water was dark and vast, stretching endlessly out toward the horizon undera velvety sky filled with stars.
Buffy's presence here with him was like something out of a dream. And yet he felt guilty even now for it. Even if Buffy felt her life at home was too hard, too unfair, too dangerous, she was still a young girl. As he felt her nestle further in his arms, he quieted his thoughts with a sigh. "It feels perfect."
"What feels perfect?" Buffy was craning her neck up to look at him.
He tapped her on the nose. "You and I," he said quietly, smiling openly.
Buffy grinned and patted his cheek. "You're just now figuring that out? I was ahead of you weeks ago! Come on." Standing up, she pulled Angel to his feet. "I'm still hungry, let's go find Bill."
Bill was the ships cook, who was fathoms deep in love with Buffy in a father-daughter kind of way. Or at least it had better be, if he knows what's best for him. Angel tried to feel guilty for his hostile thoughts, and completely failed.
The first time they had explored the ship, they had wandered the passages for half an hour before they finally found the galley. One man, covered in a huge white apron, was standing at a counter furiously chopping vegetables with teh biggest knige Buffy had ever seen. She was about to step inside cautiously when her foot gave way under her and hse was slipping violently across the floor.
The next thing she knew she was looking dizzily up into the shocked eyes of the cook. "Um, hi?"
She heard Angel's worried shout just before he came over and helped her up. "You okay?"
"Fine," she mumbled, rubbing a sore spot on her back. She heard chuckling behind her and turned.
The cook was laughing, but he held his hand out, grinning broadly. "Sorry about that. A grease spot. I'll have one of my boys to scrub it. I'm Bill."
"Buffy," she replied, shaking his hand firmly. "And this is my - um - this is Angel."
Bill nodded and shook Angel's hand. "You're the one on the special iron rich diet?"
"Um, yeah."
Turning away from them, the cook started grabbing various utensils and food scattered across the cutting board. "The blood is in the big refridgerator right through there." He stabbed a finger in the direction of a small room lined in stainless steel. "And I'll make somthing nice and warm for you." He looked at Buffy and winked. "Though I bet the man through there keeps you plently warm by himself."
Buffy had blushed and looked toward Angel, who was pulling packages of blood out of the fridge.
Bill had good naturedly heated the blood up for Angel, and hadn't made any suspicious comments. Buffy wan't sure whether that was the result of extraordinary tolerance or major bribery. Nevertheless every day he made them delicious meals, which Buffy ate, and big mugs of warm blood, which Angel drank, with teasing humor. So far the sugar buns were her favorite. They always took their meals out to the deck and looked at the constellations while they ate. Angel was attempting to teach her some astronomy.
Finishing an her extremely yummy sticky bun, she rose up on her knees and pressed her last tiny bit to Angel's lips. He smiled and let her push the piece into his mouth, then accepted a light kiss. Smiling against his lips, she rubbed her nose against him, then snuggled back down.
"So," she asked, turning her head to look at him as she finished her bun. "Where exactly are we going?"
Angel stared up at the sky as his brow furrowed. "Japan, first. Then across to China. Probably treck to Nepal after that--somewhere in the Himalayas." Bot for the first time he wondered just how Buffy was going to be able to keep up with him. She was strong, yes, but she was only human.
Buffy sucked in a breath. "Wow. I think the farthest I've been from home was when my parents took me to Tahoe when I was ten." She looked down. "They spent the entire time arguing while I wandered around in the snow by myself. It was the first time I'd ever seen snow."
Angel stroked his hand up and down her arm, marveling at it's softness. He smiled inwardly at the vision of a tiny golden Buffy wandering around and falling down in the snow. But he knew how deeply it had hurt Buffy that her parent's marriage had failed. And that deep down she blamed herself for it.
"It wasn't your fault, Buffy," Angel quietly said. "Sometimes two people just don't work out with each other."
* * *
It was nearly dawn when they stepped off the boat, Buffy clutching Angel's hand, her bag and his slung over her shoulder. Angel was carrying the Box, wrapped up in a duffel.
"Here," he said, pulling her away from the ship toward a dark alley.
Buffy followed him. "The sun's coming up. We need to find a place to stay.
He glanced back out at her. "Bill gave me this." He passed her a slip of paper with an address on it. "We can stay here. This woman takes boarders and won't ask us questions."
"Does Bill know who you are? I mean, he never seemed fazed out about the blood thing."
"Probably." They were walking quickly through the dark streets now, through trucks and cars of fish and vendors beginning to set up their wares. "There are more people who know about demons than you think, Buffy. Besides, he was a Kayless demon."
"A what! Why didn't I notice."
Angel stopped for a moment and looked down at her pouting face. He couldn't resist placing a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. "Because he was only half demon. Looks like a normal human. Anyway," he took her hand and moved her in the shadows, "Kayless demons are harmless."
Buffy's mind was reeling. Why on earth hadn't she noticed. Sure, Bill looked like another human, but wasn't she supposed to have some sort of spidey sense when it came to "sensing" things? Of course, it had never worked on Angel, either. When she was around Angel, she had actually felt her insides clench like they were supposed to, but since the feeling had been accompanied with hot, tingly sensations and a fiercely beating heart, she had chocked it up to hormones-even when she tried to deny her crush. She had never been very good at the whole mystical slayer skills-being able to sense vampires, for instance. She relied more on intuition. And usually she sensed wrongness in situations, not specific people.
Maybe that's what Angel is trying to tell me. Bill wasn't trying to kill anyone, so I didn't sense anything bad. Satisfied for the moment with this explanation, she quickly followed Angel.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 3
Angel grasped her hand and quickly led her out of the light from the coming dawn and into the pitch blackness of a nearby alley, Her own eyes could see nothing beyond the filth and trash--apparently alleys were the same in every culture-but Angel started walking up and down, inspecting the dank walls carefully. Buffy watched him for nearly two minutes before her patience ran out.
"Angel, what are you doing?"
"Looking for the entrance," he replied, not lifting his head. "There should be a small golden catch with a dragon etched on it."
Buffy sighed and turned around, peering at the wall. "Why do demons have to make everything so difficult? Can't they just prop up a door with a sign: ‘Secret entrance here: demons only'?"
Looking up at her, Angel felt his slight annoyance at his lack of success melt away. "That would take away from the self important mystery, love," he murmured, coming over to her. Buffy pouted up at him, and couldn't resist sweeping her up into his arms and twirling her around. He was on the other side of the world with the woman he loved and right then there didn't seem to be anything on earth more heavenly. Buffy shrieked as he swung in a circle and then gave her a hard, toe-curling kiss.
The next second had them pressed up against the wall, Angel growling lowly and leaning hard against her. Buffy gasped at the incredible sensation-Angel was all male, hard and heavy and cool and growly against her. She loved the low growling, the purr she had very occasionally heard, and the light scraping of teeth against her neck. As she shuddered half in trepidation, half in arousal, they heard a click behind them.
Feeling Buffy stumble out of his grasp, Angel took a step forward to steady her, and then they found themselves inside.
"Guess we found it." Buffy quickly brushed off her rumpled clothes as Angel coughed slightly.
A tiny, ancient woman in a beautiful dark blue embroidered kimono was standing in from on them. "Uh, hi?"
The lady bowed slightly toward Buffy, her face kind, then looked at Angel. Her face immediately broke into a joyous smile, framed by hundreds of tiny wrinkles, as she rushed forward and bowed deeply before him. "Angel," she whispered, her voice heavily accented. She then straightened and began to speak quickly, and to Buffy, completely incomprehensibly, in Japanese, addressing herself to the vampire.
Having not the slightest clue about what she was saying, Buffy was fairly sure this lady knew Angel. She had clasped her hands against her own chest as she spoke to him, and then began lightly running her hand over his hands, his arms, his chest. Buffy reminded herself that this woman had to be at least eighty years old. Of course Angel was also at least eighty years old. Did that mean . . . I'm jealous of a tiny old lady.
Angel was murmuring back to the woman, smiling in a way Buffy hadn't seen in quite awhile. After exchanging a few words with the ancient woman, he pointed at Buffy and said a few low words, taking her arm and leading her over.
"Buffy, this is Akemi." The lady bowed, and Buffy nodded, wishing she could be cool and bow like Angel had. Obviously another hold over from his minuet days. "She says we can stay here as long as we like."
Buffy smiled, liking Akemi already and wishing she could make her understand how grateful she really was. "Thank you."
With another smile, Akemi turned away with tiny, smooth steps, while Angel took her arm with a knowing smile and led her up a flight of steps. The staircase led into an apartment which he opened with a tiny iron key Akemi had given him.
Buffy had never seen a place like this. While the entry way and stairs were cramped and dark, the rooms were light and smelled fresh. Clean tatami mats covered the floor, and there was a low table with cushions in the middle of the main room. Across from the door a lovely tall vase stood, surrounded by low, wooden shelving. The morning light was beginning to creep in through the paper screens, making everything look cool and clean and soothing.
After looking into the room for a minute, a tiny smile gracing his lips, Angel bent down and untied his shoes. Then he took Buffy's feet one by one in his hands, loving the way she had to grip his shoulders to keep her balance as he removed her boots. Still kneeling at her feet, he looked up at her, his eyes full of love and a gentle, happy smile on his face.
Buffy almost felt like crying at that smile. Angel looked so . . . happy. Sadness sat on him like a disease and it was so very rare to see that barrier lifted. She wanted more than anything in the world to never see him unhappy again. Looking down at him with suddenly moist eyes, she ran a hand tenderly down his cheek.
With a slow, delicate movement, Angel stood and put his arms around her, drawing her tightly into his embrace. Gently straightening and lifting her feet off the ground, he stooped through the doorway and entered the tiny apartment.
His soft lips brushed her ear and she shuddered when he whispered "Welcome home."
Angel watched with amusement as Buffy wandered through the tiny apartment, peering into shelves and placing various random items around the room. She had brought with her an eclectic and surprisingly large amount of items from home, and having all these out somehow contributed to a cozy, if somewhat crowded, atmosphere.
"Buffy," Angel said, leaning forward. "If you put out much more, we won't have any room left for us. Japanese style homes are meant to have very little clutter and-" he looked around the room. "-stuff."
Buffy grinned and turned toward him, clutching her most precious possession to her chest. She came over and plopped down next to him, leaning against his chest with a content sigh. "Fine, but Mr. Gordo stays."
Angel kissing the top of her head. "I wouldn't dream of taking away your pig. I saw what happened to the last guy."
Grinning up at him, Buffy kissed the tip of his nose and then snuggled against him, sighing contently. Angel had unrolled the futon and placed fresh sheets and blankets on it. The room was lit only by one lamp on the low shelf running along the walls of the room, and the dim light made the atmosphere cozy and intimate."
Buffy yawned, then crawled into Angel's lap, facing him. "Angel?"
"Hmm?" Angel looked down at her and brought one hand up to stroke her hair. "What is it?"
"I was thinking . . ." Buffy trailed off, tracing his collarbone with her finger.
"What, baby?" Angel's voice was low.
Buffy looked over his shoulder at the room. It was small, but pretty in an exotic, obviously Japanese way. Very different from her bedroom at home with all her knickknacks and posters everywhere. In fact, it looked much more like Angel's apartment.
And she realized what it was.
"This place," she whispered.
"Buffy?"
Buffy looked up at her love, smiling as she recognized the warm, fuzzy feeling she had deep down inside her. "It feels like home."
Long after Angel had stopped breathing, Buffy laid awake, staring into the darkness and thinking. One of the most beautiful parts of her new life was coming to bed with Angel every night, and having him wrap his big, strong, frame around her. His coolness made her feel both soothed and excited-like camping out under the stars. To her Angel represented everything that was beautiful about the night, everything the opposite of stinking demons and the horrors of darkness. Angel was the hidden depth of shadows and the infinite, mysterious light of the stars. Lying there, Buffy smiled, feeling a new excitement all the way down to her toes. Sure, they were running away with a lethal demon arm and perhaps pursued by Spike's minions, but how wonderful to be on this adventure. To be lying in the moonlight on a futon in Tokyo, held in the arms of the man she loved.
And with that, she snuggled more deeply into Angel's embrace and slept.
* * *
Angel double checked the address written on the scrap of paper in his hand. It wasn't actually a conventional address, being that he was looking for a demon hideout underground, but it was adequate.
He was fairly sure this place still existed.
After rapping firmly on the heavy metal door, a burly looking vampire wrenched it open.
Angel bared his fangs. "Lucas."
The vampire's face changed from scowling to amazed in a second.
"Master? But you're-"
"Alive and well." Angel glared at the minion and let out all the confidence and power he had gained as a two hundred year old master vampire. "Why don't you tell your boss that your old Master is back?"
The vampire named Lucas bowed his head and nearly cringed. "Angelus?"
Angel grinned. "Yes."
Buffy had never really considered herself as the world traveling type. Tromping through woods and sleeping in hostels hadn't ever really appealed to her, and for most of her life vacations had been limited to San Diego and Big Bear. Japan was an entirely different proposition.
And she loved it. Loved being here with Angel. Loved sleeping with him at night-and with that thought came a host of others she *really* shouldn't be thinking of right now. Angel in bed next to her. Angel next to her naked . . . Angel holding her in his strong, cool embrace, kissing her, pressing her down into the sheets, rolling on top of her and-
"Excuse me?"
Buffy jumped and whirled around, immediately dropping the fabric she had been holding. "Huh? I mean, can I help you?"
A kind, but rather haggard looking, blonde young woman was standing next to her. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"No, it's okay . . . "Buffy picked up the cloth she had dropped and tried to dust it off. She looked at the girl apologetically, trying to look poised and not like a geeky tourist.
. . . . Although she really didn't think this fair haired girl with the English accent was Japanese.
Said girl was looking nervous, but she put her hand out. "Marilee Swanson. Are you Buffy Summers?"
Buffy immediately stiffened and drew back her own hand. "How do you know my name?"
Marilee looked around her nervously. "I'm from the Watcher's Council. Rupert Giles is my uncle-he called me right after you left Sunnydale with Angel. I'm here to help you."
She looked so truly nervous and uncomfortable that Buffy couldn't help but think she was telling the truth. She put her hands out and shook the girl's hand.
"I'm Buffy, obviously. But how . . . how do I know you're who you say you are?"
Shaking her head, Marilee pointed to a restaurant across the street. "We can't talk now. Can you meet me there tonight? Bring Angel."
Buffy hesitated, then nodded. If it was a trap, Angel would be there are surely they could handle it. But . . . this person seemed genuine. And she really wanted to know how Giles was doing.
Looking at both sides of the street carefully, Marilee finally turned and walked quickly away. Buffy bit her lip and stared at her retreating frame until it disappeared in the crowds. Finally Buffy turned back and tried to find a gift for Angel. And maybe how the heck the money system worked here.
tbc...