Chapter 18 – Beneath the Layers
He wasn’t
happy. Something was going on that he didn’t know about. And from the way she
was behaving Giles didn’t think that Buffy was even aware of it yet. His eyes
narrowed as he watched Spike lead Buffy out of his flat as if she was a little
girl that couldn’t find her way home. His charge was the Slayer and she was
being treated like a child. He felt someone staring at him and looked up to see
Angel glaring at him. Giles straightened refusing to be intimidated by the vampire.
“Hey, if
you two will quit the mutual admiration society could we figure out what you
think you’re going to do to me,” Faith complained, tugging on her ropes.
“It’s
easy,” Angel said, resting his foot on the rung of the chair and leaning over
the rogue Slayer. “You are going to be turned over to a friend of mine that
works for the LA police department. You are not going to make trouble for the
rest of us because otherwise you won’t even make it to the city of
“Is that a
threat? You one of the good guys is just going to off me?”
“Wouldn’t
be the first time, honey, that I’ve done what I need to do to protect my
family.”
Faith
looked at Giles. Her eyes were wide, incredulous at what Angel was threatening.
Giles decided to play along for the moment and shrugged his shoulders. He just
wasn’t sure who was and who wasn’t a part of this ‘family’ that Angel was
talking about. From what he knew he would assume that the rest of them were
included if Angel was following the vampire side of him. His mind began to
assimilate all the comments that had been made to him about Angel since the
soul anchoring. For a moment he reeled under the realization that Jenny’s words
had to be coming true. Angel was merging with Angelus and Giles shivered under
the possibilities of what might happen.
“I would
suggest that you listen to Angel,” Giles said, coming closer to the pair. “I
don’t think anyone would really miss you so any chance you have is to do as
you’re told.”
“Oh, come
on,” Faith protested. “Little Miss Perfect doesn’t even make her own decisions
anymore. Well, isn’t that just lovely, a vampire now controls the Slayer. How
come the Council hasn’t gotten rid of her?”
Because they don’t know, Giles thought as he tried to make a
decision about what to do. Buffy needed to be made aware of the threat Angel
could be. “Angel, may I speak with you for a moment?” When the vampire nodded,
Giles led the way outside. It would be nice to have a house where it was
possible to have private conversations but until then the outdoors would have
to do. “What exactly are you planning on doing with Faith? You’re not really
intending to kill her, are you?”
“No,” Angel
scoffed. “She might be an asset to us if she wanted to be but I want to make
sure that she is good and scared of the other possibilities.”
“You
wouldn’t hesitate would you though? Not anymore,” Giles said, watching for a
clue across Angel’s face. Something, anything to tell him how fast he should be
calling for help.
“Figure it
out, didn’t you?” Angel said. “If anyone would besides Spike, knew it would be
you.”
“Oh, thank
God,” Giles said, relieved that at least Angel was being honest about it. “I
was hoping that it wasn’t…well…”
“Time to
stake me?”
“Yes,”
Giles said, removing his glasses and holding them as his fingers ran over the
cool metal. “How bad is it? Why haven’t you told Buffy?”
Angel
shrugged. “I keep intending to talk to Buffy but something keeps coming up and
we never do. I know I need to but Spike has been keeping an eye on me. Calls me
all the time and keeps asking questions. There’s time that I see something
happening and I can’t stop it.”
“Like
tonight with Buffy?” Giles asked, still perturbed at the Slayer’s bending to
her mate’s demands. “Angel, I know she’s overwhelmed with everything that’s
going on but it’s got to make her stronger, not weaker. You just taking over
and issuing orders not only usurp her authority but also her own self esteem.”
“I didn’t
see a choice,” Angel said, sitting on the low wall. “She’s going to make a
mistake and someone, most likely her, is going to pay the price. And I’m sorry
but I’m not going to let it happen. You may not like it but she’s my mate and
I’ll treat her accordingly.”
“Get off
your highhanded arrogant ass, Angel,” Giles bit out. “I will not tolerate Buffy
being treated like she is your property. She is the Slayer and that has to come
first with her. If you’re having problems with your Angelus side, then deal
with it but don’t bring that girl down because of it. I supported her decision
to be with you because I felt that you had her best interests at heart but if
it’s not that way…”
Giles
stepped back as Angel advanced on him. The champion he’d come to know over the
past few years didn’t seem to be anywhere in the persona before him. It was
pure demon, pure Angelus, as he towered over the Watcher. Giles refused to give
in to the fear that was twisting in his bowels at facing the former scourge of
“Buffy is
mine and no one, no one, is taking
her away from me,” Angel spat. “Especially not a washed up former high school
librarian that couldn’t save his own ass from a hemorrhoid. I will deal with
her, training her to be the best that she can be and that will include her
learning to act without questioning my authority.”
The vampire
turned on his heel and hurried back into the apartment. Giles stared after him
for a moment before following him in. It was worse then he thought it was. He
was hesitant to trust Faith with Angel but knew there wasn’t a choice. There
wasn’t anyone else that could handle her and he could only hope that the trip
would be made without incident. And after Faith was taken care of then they
would have to deal with the Angelus issue. He prayed that Buffy would see
reason instead of acting with her heart.
~~~~~~~~
Buffy flipped
over on her stomach, burrowing further into the covers trying to will herself
to sleep. It was evading her. Teasing her with its promise of oblivion but then
would dance out of her reach when she wanted to submit to it. A hand curled
over her hip but she ignored it and dug in deeper on her side of the bed. Her
hand and toes held onto the mattress when the hand pulled on her. She didn’t
want to cuddle, she didn’t want sex; all she wanted was to sleep. A growl
emanated from behind her and she almost giggled from the threatening sound. A
mouth closed over her shoulder and fangs gently gnawed on her flesh. The hand
took advantage of her distraction and she found herself hauled back against a
cool body. Sighing, she surrendered and let herself be molded against Spike as
his rough tongue lapped at her shoulder.
“It’s like
being in bed with a big cat,” Buffy whispered. “All you need is claws to knead
with.”
On cue,
fingers spread across her stomach, Spike dilating and scratching them across
her soft skin. His mouth continued its actions, either gnawing or licking her.
She did feel like a kitten caught in its mother’s arm and being given a bath.
It was soothing. The first time that Spike had done it, Buffy had thought it
was a sex game but soon found it was a way for a vampire to take care of one of
his own. It was done between family members and only to give love or comfort.
It usually would end up with the submissive partner drinking from the other but
unless Angel was there, neither of them would be given the release they’d need.
“Relax,
Buffy,” Spike whispered. “Neither of us is going to get any sleep until you
do.”
“I’m sorry
for keeping you awake,” Buffy said, curling further into a ball at his
directions. “Do you want me to go upstairs?”
“No, I just
wish that you…or I could…” Spike said, licking at the base of her spine. His
hand slipped between her legs, petting her without the intention of really
arousing her. “It’s frustrating.”
“Do you
ever want to turn me so that we…?” Buffy asked gasping as his fingers slipped
inside her.
“I like
your heat,” Spike said, pulling her onto her back. “I like listening to your
heartbeat when I sleep.” His head dipped between her legs to chew on the inside
of her thighs. ”It just leaves things unfinished when you can’t take my blood.”
Buffy
reached down, her fingers dancing across his shoulders. “Is it wrong of me to
want it too?”
In a flash,
Spike covered her, his fingers brushing her hair away from her face. Golden
eyes shined down at her in the dark and it was one of the safest sights she
knew. There wasn’t any fear when either of her mates let their demon through.
Not to her anyway. The demons were a part of the creatures that loved her. And
the demons along with the men would die to protect her. Maybe even more because
they knew no fear. They were purely animalistic, possessive, and righteous in
their demands of life and tempered only by the essence of the men left in them.
Further tamed by Angel’s soul and Spike’s chip and need for love left her not
fearing them.
“I love
you, pet,” Spike said. “That is one of the nicest things you could say to me.”
Her fingers
reached up to trace the ridges of his face. He was beautiful in either
incarnation and she sighed as she wished that Angel was as comfortable with
that side of himself. Their mate didn’t like for her to deal with his vampire
side and couldn’t understand why Buffy might love that part of him too just
like she did with Spike.
“He didn’t
come home tonight,” Buffy said, wrapping her arms around Spike, pulling him
down to cover her. “He said he would and he didn’t.”
“He had his
reasons,” Spike said. “This thing with Faith has to be settled and Kate was out
of town.”
“How many
other women do I need to share him with?”
Spike
stiffened in her arms and rolled off. She’d done it again and when she reached
for him, he didn’t respond. Buffy flopped onto her back and stared through the
darkness to try and see the ceiling. They kept tiptoeing around the subject of
Angel. Spike kept defending him and she kept fighting to get some kind of
response from their mate. Her hand covered her belly and she rubbed it…wishing
for something…
“How long
are you going to lie to yourself?” Spike asked, covering her hand. “I’m not
trying to be mean, Luv, but we both know…”
“That I’m
not pregnant,” Buffy finished, “That I’ll never be pregnant. That I’ll never
have anything remotely normal and I’ll never have Angel’s love again…”
Tears
flooded her eyes and she decided to have herself a good cry but the growl that
broke through first wasn’t one of comfort or possessiveness. It was one of
anger. The sound of the dresser being overturned shocked Buffy into sitting up
and turning the light on. She drew back from the sight of Spike as he screamed
his rage and drew his lips back in an act of aggression.
“I’m sick
of this,” Spike yelled, “The two of you, constantly complaining, constantly
pulling on me. You think I’m going to leave you for him and he thinks I’m going
to leave him for you. What happened to the three of us?” He paced the room, his
arms gesturing wildly. “You’re both too bloody human to deal with anything
anymore. I wish he’d hurry up and find someone to remove this fucking chip so I
can be free.”
“Remove the
chip?” Buffy asked hesitantly. Spike pounced, landing on the bed, forcing her
to lie down again. His forced breathing was heavy in her face as his fingers
repeated Angel’s journey earlier that night, along her hair then down her
cheeks. It was almost comforting to her even if it was supposed to be an act of
intimidation. Her hand covered Spike’s and kissed his palm, “I think it’s a
good idea.”
In the next
second with a shake of his head she was staring up at her mate’s human guise
again. The wonder in his eyes was amazing and a sense of power flooded her. In
these moments when she knew that someone else’s heart and happiness depended on
her gave her an understanding of what cruelty could be. They thought she didn’t
understand but in so many ways she did. Like earlier when Angel threatened to
teach her obedience, she had no clue of what he’d do exactly but she knew that
it would make her feel unloved and unneeded. So much so that she’d give him
anything to keep him near. Just like she knew that she could play Spike along,
use him to get what she wanted, treat him like shit and only give him enough crumbs
to keep him coming back. She wouldn’t though because when he looked at her like
he did now everything inside her melted. It was humbling.
“I’m sorry,
Spike,” Buffy whispered, sitting up to pull him into her arms. “You’re right. I
have been putting you in the middle and I shouldn’t.”
“Never,
lamb, never,” Spike whispered, pushing her onto her back and peppering kisses
along her skin. “Love you so much, need you so much, we have to make it
work…the three of us…I need you both so much.”
“Let’s go
to LA.”
“Tonight?”
Spike asked, spreading her legs to settle between them. “You mean now?”
Buffy
laughed then sighed as he entered her. “In a little while…In a little while…”
