Everyone Has a Destiny, Some Force Their Own

Carefully sliding out from Buffy’s body, Angelus waited a beat to make sure she didn’t stir. Breathing even, body limp from exhaustion, she didn’t move. Brushing the tips of his fingers over her cheek, he softly padded into the sitting room.

Grabbing his cell from a coat pocket, he called Spike.

Despite Buffy’s assurances that she’d researched the mating process, despite his own to her that it was probably nothing, Angelus wasn’t taking chances. Whatever had happened to her terrified him. If he had to, he’d resist the exquisite call of her blood for the rest of his existence. Anything to keep her safe.

“Spike,” he said sharply into the phone. “Find Dalton. I want to know everything there is to know about a mating between a vampire and human.”

“Human?” Spike asked groggily. Then surprised, “Human? You and Buffy?” there was a grin in his voice that Angelus heard clear through the line. “Bout time, mate.”

“Yes, well…just find out. Buffy said she researched it, but…something weird happened.”

“Weird?”

“Yes, weird,” Angelus snapped. “Do you have to repeat everything I say? Just find out and let me know the moment you do.”

He hung up before Spike could voice his agreement. Or repeat something else. Tossing the phone in the general direction of the chair, he returned to his lover.
~~~~~~~~~
Doroteya gracefully walked down the corridor to Master Nest’s lounge, admiring the old building’s architecture and beauty.

Russia, with its magnificent buildings and legacy, was truly a sight to behold. Trailing a finger along the carvings on the wall beside her, she chose to ignore the guards that stood erect at the end of the hallway. She didn’t even bother to make her acknowledgement of their presence known. She didn’t have to really. When she came closer, they parted without question, and when she passed through the door, they went back to their posts as if nothing had occurred.

With her entrance into the room, nothing in her demeanor changed. If it had been any other, they would have stopped and bowed to the Master who was sitting majestically in front of her, but then Doroteya had never thought to bow to anyone before, and it was foolish to think that she would start now.

Dismissing protocol, she simply strolled up to him. Patting his head as if he were a child she was barely paying attention to, Doroteya proceeded to walk around the room inspecting the various paintings that adorned the walls.

Nest simply sat in his throne, looking regal and faintly amused, as he watched her. After a few moments of silence, he took it upon himself to begin their conversation.

“Doroteya, you are happy to be home?” He asked as he absently waved away a servant who was pouring blood into his chalice.

Spinning around quickly, as if she had been surprised by the other voice in the room, she walked toward the seat next to him.

“Mmmm,” she murmured in response, not really giving the question any thought as she sat. “I wonder, Nest, dear, if there is a purpose for my being here. I rarely answer summons, no matter how politely delivered. I suppose,” she sighed, accepting her own chalice of blood, “it is only that I am intrigued about this precious child of yours.”

She grinned rather prettily at the vampire before her. “I have to admit, I’ve never really seen you as the fatherly type. However, your dear Buffy is a force, is she not? I do so wish to see how she’s grown.”

Leering as he drank, he quietly looked her over. Doroteya would always remain one of the most exquisite creatures he had ever witnessed walking across this desolate earth. Her skin was not as a vampire’s normally was, pale, pasty, cold. Instead of the fitting deathly pale look, she simply looked to be charmingly porcelain skinned, with impossibly big blue eyes, a small dainty nose, and plump rouged lips.

Her cheekbones were high and imposing, and her striking black hair that tinted blue in the appropriate lighting was pulled back and up with thin gold ribbons, while fashioned in intricate designs. Her lacy white gown completed the stunning look, with its ironic simplicity.

She looked exactly like her given name, God’s gift. He chuckled. Surely, it was irony at its best. Many had made the mistake of being fooled by her looks. Nest however, was no fool.

She was older than the written word, a force beyond anything, and one to be reckoned with. Doroteya was older than he, and while he aged with the grace of a vampire, turning into the quintessential demon, magicks practiced from long ago kept her looking young and beautiful. It was said she was among the first Turned, though she never said, and there was precious little from that time.

Doroteya was also the sole ruler of more than half the major Vampire Orders in the world for over five centuries. A feat that even Nest could never have performed. Her very presence demanded respect, submission, and perhaps, most importantly, fear.

This, this was his vision for Buffy. Power unimaginable, to be bowed before by the world, to hold in her dainty palm the lives and deaths of nearly a million soulless creatures. And ten times that the soulled ones that walked this earth. But his darling Buffy, she wouldn’t need centuries to command these things, for she did so already, all she needed now…was a larger empire.

“Nest, dear, I grow impatient easily, you know this.” She spoke softly, a faint ancient Russian accent making the whole package just that much more appealing.

“Yes, yes of course, forgive me, darling. I asked you here to discuss some of the important matters arising. We’ll be holding a meeting, of course, with several of the Orders, but I thought it necessary to speak to you before anyone else.” Nest stated cautiously, aiming to flatter.

Her grin told him that she knew exactly what he was speaking of. When she began tapping a finger on her lips and let her eyes wander to the ceiling as if deep in thought, he knew this was not going to be as easy as he had hoped.

“Important matters arising? Dear Nest, you know me well, my memory sometimes slips from me. Could you be so kind as to remind me of these important matters that are arising?” She was toying with him, he knew; but the least she could do was attempt to conceal it just a bit.

Glaring for a moment, Nest cleared his throat to show his annoyance. Doroteya glanced at him, smirked, but nodded. “It seems we’ve a bit of a problem with the Order of Milei.”

Doroteya dramatized her ‘oooooo’, and gave him a little ‘tsk tsk’. “Really, Nest, darling. You can’t possibly be speaking of that inconsequential little order stationed right here in Russia! Oh dear, you are speaking of them! Well, yes, now I think I remember hearing something about them gaining a significant foothold here in Europe, but I presumed you had dealt with that. You being the all powerful Master and all that.”

She was mocking him…and obviously having so much fun doing it.

Nest’s smile was obviously forced. He didn’t take kindly to being mocked, even by one such as her. Old lover and ally or not. “Yes, well, you’ve met my childe Darla?”

Doroteya’s eyes flashed golden for an instant at the mention of Darla’s name before she schooled her features into disinterest. But an instant was all Nest needed to know that she was not a fan of his childe. Hmmm, interesting story there perhaps?

“She was the former companion of Angelus, no? Abandoned him in Romania to gypsies of all the people. And after what had happened to Penn right there! That childe of yours is an insolent little brat.” She spit the words out harshly, though her face was polite and innocent. 

“Hmm, yes,” Nest agreed.

Penn’s body and the magicks that emanated from the charred corpse from the damn gypsy clan were a sight not soon forgotten. No one had been able to touch the young vampire, such were his enchanted wounds, and no help could be found for him. He died only because Angelus, as Penn’s Sire, had him taken outside just before dawn. It was always difficult for a Sire to terminate his Childe, but with no help available for the vampire, Penn was doomed to an eternity of suffering.

As Nest understood it, Angelus had taken to reading all available books on gypsy magicks after that. Really, Darla should have known that when she sold him to the clan.

“Her decision-making skills,” Nest continued after a moment with an ironic smirk, “might not have been at their peak at that time. I will not condone what she did, even if Angelus was not on the best of terms with the rest of my Order, myself namely. But Darla does have her useful moments. In this situation, for example, she came back to my court to alert me to the seriousness with Milei.”

The corners of Doroteya’s mouth lifted, and her voice hushed as if a great secret was being told. “She was so easily sent to deal with an issue that you thought to be of little significance at the time? I had thought her to be your most favored childe. That doesn’t seem to be something a favored childe would be sent to deal with. A higher minion perhaps, or a newly created childe eager to prove herself. But not a favored childe.”

Nest’s fangs flashed with his smile. “Darla’s use to me has waned over the years. Since she now has no suitable mate, I find it doubtful that she will be any more so in the future. She’s been dealing with her jealousy over my new daughter and Angelus’ interest in her.”

“Yes, the Princess! She fares well I hear. And I think you will be pleased to know that I also hear that the union between her and Angelus has been sealed just this night. I was ecstatic in hearing this.” Her smile was genuine over this, her pleasure apparent.

“Angelus, after all, is a very dear boy; and the Princess, well who could be a more suitable mate for one such as she?”

Nest’s eyebrows rose comically and a considerable distance on his ridged forehead. “Is that so?”

His companion murmured in agreement. “You sound faintly surprised, Nest, dear. Should I have been in your position, I would have planned this since I saw the attraction between the two. I have heard about how well they…get along.”

“I have been taking steps to ensure that this would happen,” Nest mused as he put all the pieces together in this new twist to his puzzle. Wasn’t this interesting. He’d wondered how long Angelus could hold out. What changed? Why suddenly had the boy rejoined the fold? More importantly, why had Angelus now decided to defy a father’s orders?

“But I hadn’t received word before this,” Nest said quietly, his mind working to figure out Angelus. But the boy had always been an enigma, and this situation was no different. “I’m simply wondering…why.”

She patted his hand indulgently. “Dear, you know good help is so hard to find these days. Young vampires, newfangled ideas…yet you always seem to find the best of help. I’m sure your spies simply don’t wish to intrude on our time together.”

Sitting up straight, she began to fuss with her skirts a bit. “Back to business, yes? This Order of Milei. What is it that they want?”

Nest decided to be blunt and direct. No point in being any other way. “They wish to resurrect the Vampire Council.”

With that Doroteya’s eyes shot up and she hissed in disbelief. “Nobody would be so stupid –”

Nest interrupted, “Apparently they would. You know as well as I, that the allure of power makes the weaker minded stupid. The only problem now is with the following they’ve gathered. It seems as if they might actually be able to do it. Of course, we have to stop this, which is why I need your aid.”

Nodding her head in agreement, she thought for a moment. “Yes, of course, you will have all the aid I can give. This is troubling indeed. I will speak with my counsel and with others and contact you again, soon…” Trailing off she stared at the far end of the room, deep in thought. When she spoke again, she was deadly serious.

“I fear there will be many who will side with this Milei. Not all are wise like us, and understand the reasons behind the…disbanding of the Council. They will support the resurrection of the old ways unless they are quickly put under thumb. Or unless they are already involved. Hmmm…yes, yes. I will speak with you again soon, first I must think.”

Nest nodded in acceptance as they both stood. Lifting her hands to his mouth for a kiss, he lingered. “I grieve that we meet again, Doroteya, under such distressing circumstances. Perhaps when this is over and done with, we will be able to spend time doing…more favorable things.”

Doroteya’s eyes darkened in lust, and when she spoke, her voice was husky and her accent a bit thicker. “Yes…perhaps.” Removing her hands from his, she stared intently at him for a moment. “Send her to me tomorrow, darling. We will spend the day together.”

Nest was confused at the sudden change of topics, “Who, my love?”

Doroteya laughed. “This daughter of yours, dear, your Princess of darkness. I should like to how she’s grown. She will come to me tomorrow, yes?”

Unable to deny her anything Nest agreed in an instant. “Yes, she will come to you tomorrow.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“You are not a childe of the Milei. If you head the revolution, by our laws, who would be able to question your claim to the throne of the Council? How are we to know that you are not conspiring with your Sire to simply gain more power?” A voice asked from the back of the room.

Darla sat straight in the seat. Dressed in a blood red silk blouse and a long flowing black skirt, she listened carefully to the arguments that were being brought to the table, while an impish grin adorned her lovely face. She’d dressed the part, played it out, but wasn’t sure these lesser – stupider – vampires would be able to see the beauty in her plan.

“Master Lothos, you bring up an excellent point,” she began. “No doubt many of you are thinking the exact same thing. Let me put your worries to rest. I won’t deny that the allure of power is strong; none of us can. But all I seek is the end to the human daughter of the Master of the Order of Aurelius. With her there, a human, it makes one of our strongest and oldest orders weak. She does not understand us, does not realize the truly wonderful history we have, and therefore dismisses our past. We all wish to see the old ways restored.”

Darla spoke patiently, though patience wasn’t her forte. Still, looking at each of the Master Vampires in turn, as they sat at the long table in front of her, she forced herself to be steady. It had been easier than she thought, getting them to gather in Russia for this meeting. History would be made here, Darla was sure of that, and she was the director of it all.

This was what it always should have been like. This was what it would have exactly been if that damn ‘Princess’ hadn’t weaseled her way into Nest’s good graces.

She, Darla, would be ruling an empire by her Sire’s side.

“When the opportunity to do both was presented to me by members of the Order of Milei,” Darla continued, “I would have been a fool not to be intrigued. I called you all here because I know you all share my views on the disbandment of the Vampire Council. That our brethren were killed so dishonorably….” She shook her head, waited a beat. “It is time that those responsible for such a crime be punished.”

Lothos was unimpressed by her rousing speeches. Smoothing his beard, a wicked smile spread across his equally wicked face. “Darla, you are still so young to our world, I wonder if you truly have the best interests of all the Orders in mind. It is common knowledge that your Sire’s favor has fallen upon another of his children.” Watching her eyes turn into amber slits, he laughed almost demurely.

“Oh no, please don’t be upset with me, I only say this because I don’t think you have thought this through as much as you would like to believe. Our Princess, Buffy, is quite the exquisite creature; a formidable foe with formidable allies. I don’t believe I need to list her protectors for you. William the Bloody, Drusilla, Glorificus…Angelus,” he waited a moment as hatred and jealously crossed her features before finishing. “As well as all of Nest’s allies, and that is the short list. I fear, my lovely Darla, that you will quickly lose sight of the big picture in the face of your petty jealousies.”

The entire room was silent and calculating. But Darla had planned for this, and struggled to regain control over her hatred to continue with her plan.

She stared fixedly at Lothos. He was her least favorite person in the room, but he was cunning and determined, a necessary ally if she wished to win this war. He could be dealt with after her plans were seen through. So she was cautious with her words. After all, she was in a room full of vicious Master Vampires, some twice her strength, and she really felt no need to upset them. Self-preservation was high on her To Do list.

“Master Lothos, rest assured that I have taken every angle into consideration. Any less than favorable feelings I have towards Buffy will be put aside for the big picture. I have watched her closely these past years, and yes her fighting skills are exceptional and her mind astute enough to gain even my approval,” Darla admitted with only a hint of annoyance.

“But she is still human, still extremely vulnerable. If we capture Buffy, the Order of Aurelius will crumble. And are not the Masters in this room of the highest caliber? Tomorrow I meet with another likely ally. I’m sure some of you have heard his name in passing.” Darla baited Lothos, dared him to question her.

Lothos didn’t even bother to look up at her, and when he spoke, his voice was laced with boredom. “And who is this likely ally you think will make us all tremble and fall into line oh great general?”

Darla drew out the silence, wanting to savor this moment, as she forced Lothos to look up from the table. “He goes by the name of Ripper.” 

The vampires in the room roared in acceptance, and Darla had the satisfaction of seeing that bastard Lothos’ eyes turn big with astonishment. Sitting back smugly, she grinned at the occupants of the room as they brought their chalices up in a toast to her.

Life was just about to get better…
~~~~~~~~~~
“Her magick tutorage is coming along nicely, Ripper. My little Willow is turning into a fine sorceress, wouldn’t you say?”

The redheaded goddess purred as the sorcerer’s hands skimmed her body in exploration. She may have hated this dimension and this cursed planet with everything in her, but Glory had to admit, there were some things that could only be found on Earth.

Ripper was one of them. Willow, her little Willow, another.

He was human, true, but not only were his magicks top quality, he knew what to do with his body. And he used both to excruciating perfection. Purring as she stretched under his mouth and hands, Glory tried to concentrate on her thoughts. Doing so wasn’t nearly as difficult as it had been pre-Ripper, but she still needed human sacrifices to help her through the months.

Another point in his favor, to be sure. Ripper delved into some seriously dark magicks to find a semi-cure for Glory’s need of human gray matter. It was better, he said at the time, than leaving a trail of crazy people in their wake, and made them harder to track. Even with her faithful minions cleaning up after her, Glory had to admit what the sorcerer said made sense.

“Ripper…” she moaned, arching into him as he trailed back up her body.

“Yes, my goddess?” He wasn’t a reverent man, didn’t care about her fallen status or her powers. But he did worship the body of the woman, his woman. In that she was a goddess, he assured her, in that nothing would change.

“Please…yes.” Not one to beg, Glory nonetheless found herself doing so as she drew him to her. Wrapped long toned legs about his waist, arms about his back, and pulled him closer. He smiled wolfishly down at her, knowing her needs as well as his own. In the short while they’d been traveling together, he learned a lot about the creature before him.

Entering her swiftly, then stilling in pleasurable agony, Ripper waited for Glory. She didn’t disappoint. Growling impatiently, the fallen goddess rolled them over, rising above the human in a vision of red-gold hair, golden skin, beauty unsurpassed. Riding her lover hard and fast, Glorificus raked her nails down Ripper’s chest, drawing blood and wrapping magick around them both.

It wasn’t often they combined magick and sex, though that was certainly more than pleasurable. But it was highly addicting, too, and not something they wanted between them should they decide to part ways. Using magicks on a sexual partner for an extended period of time tied the pair in ways not fully known, but tied them nonetheless.

Glory thought, as Ripper’s hands molded her breasts, teased down her stomach, over her sex, that at this moment that wasn’t a bad thing…she climaxed suddenly, shouting his name into the quiet of the night.
~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy stretched the soreness from her body and slowly eased off the bed, her eyes lingering on her lover. Her mate.

Mate. The word echoed in her mind, bringing with it a sense of warmth and belonging she hadn’t felt in a long while. She was in the vampire world, a human to be sure, but she was raised in this world and knew it. Loved it, recognized it, ruled it. Other than her father, Drusilla, Spike, and Luke, very few accepted her for her, not just who she was.

Others feared her, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. But no one else knew her. On the whole, she was a private person, and yet because of her humanity, she was almost shunned. Or would’ve been had she not been feared so. Now that she was the Slayer, that fear had increased. Buffy smiled at that thought, still watching Angelus.

Angelus accepted her. He wanted her, he loved her, he needed her. And he’d marked her.

She never knew that her introduction to the varied world of sex would come with such varied soreness. Her body was, after all, well trained and certainly flexible. But Angelus was vigorous and not one to hold back his passions. That certainly wasn’t a complaint, Buffy thought as she silently padded to the shower, fingers brushing her neck where the mark lay. Merely an observation. And one that she intended to have him indulge in whenever the occasion arose.

First, however, she needed to shower. Then report to her father, and eat. Definitely eat, she was starving. As if to add to that thought, her stomach growled in agreement. Picking up the phone, Buffy quickly dialed room service and ordered breakfast. Assured that her large meal would arrive by the time she finished her shower, Buffy continued on her way to the bathroom.

Adjusting the temperature, she took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed, neck and upper chest slightly abraded from Angelus’ blunt teeth, and her lips swollen from his kisses. Her neck was an angry red, throbbing to the beat of her heart, but didn’t hurt. No, her mark stood prominently against her skin, a permanent reminder of her new status.

In short, Buffy thought with a happy grin, she looked well loved. Turning back to the shower, she ran straight into the well-muscled chest of her lover.

“Damn mirrors,” she grumbled as his hands came around her waist automatically, pulling her flush against him.

“Showering without me, baby?” the tall vampire asked as his lips trailed along her cheek.

“You were sleeping,” Buffy murmured as his lips found hers, and he backed into the large shower stall.

Hot water was expensive and scarce in Russia, but neither worried about running out as they languidly washed each other, arousing as much as cleaning, as soapy hands caressed the other’s flesh. Buffy whimpered in need as Angelus paid an inordinate amount of attention to her breasts, laving them with soap, them rinsing them clean before attacking the plump mounds with his tongue and teeth. Holding his head to her, Buffy keened in unfulfilled need when her lover pulled away.

Stumbling out of the cooling water, Buffy wrapped tightly around him, Angelus flicked the knobs off and leaned her against the steam-moistened wall, assaulting her lips hungrily. He needed her and needed her now. He tried to devour her in his insatiable need to be closer to his woman.

Buffy was right; they were indeed made for each other.

Grabbing a towel off the rack near her back, Angelus used it to dry her as quickly as he could while concentrating on playing with the hardened nipple in front of him. Clasping hands about her once more, the tall vampire moved steadily into the bedroom, intent on spreading her over the bed and properly ravishing her lithe form.

A loud knock intruded on their activities, and Angelus growled at the sound. The pool of desire that coiled within Buffy at that sound caused him to smirk down at her and growl again. Threading his fingers through Buffy’s long locks, he ignored the knocking and kissed her instead. When the sound echoed again, Buffy pulled away, panting.

“I think that’s my breakfast.” When he didn’t move to let her up to answer the door, Buffy tried again, “I’m starving, Angelus, at least let him in to set up.”

Laying her on the bed with an appreciative look at her aroused form, Angelus stalked, completely naked and fully aroused, to the door and yanked it open. Sure enough, a staff member held out a large tray to him, the boy’s eyes darting nervously between the two guards stationed at the door. Grabbing the tray from the nervous man, the human’s fear doubling at the look on the vampire – naked vampire he noticed with a flick of his eyes – Angelus debated sating his own hunger on the delivery boy.

He was about to pull the still staring human into the room when he heard Buffy’s voice float over him, asking what was taking so long.

Not wanting to keep his lover waiting, and not wanting the boy before him to catch even a glimpse of his delectable mate, he dismissed the human. Ordering the guards to wait an hour before finding him his own breakfast, Angelus closed the door and turned towards Buffy, passion filled eyes raking over her sprawled body.

Breakfast could definitely wait.
~~~~~~~~~~
Later, Glory admitted what she’d been putting off for far too long. “I need to go.”

Ripper pulled away to look at her. She was serious, but then there was rarely a time when Glory said things she didn’t mean. “Does this have anything to do with the Vampire Orders?”

Surprised that he would know of her association with them, she hadn’t even told Willow, Glory looked, really looked into his bright eyes. “Yes,” she said slowly, “it has a lot to do with that. Why do you ask?”

“Rumors, he shrugged. “There have been a lot of rumors about different factions fighting, more than normal. But within the last couple of weeks, I’ve heard stories about resurrecting the Ancient Ways.” Ripper smiled at the amused snort Glory gave to that thought and agreed, “Yes, well, not everyone is as smart as you, my goddess.” He kissed her again, wondering how it was possible to become addicted to someone so quickly.

“If that’s true,” Glory said when the kiss ended, “then I need to leave now.” He didn’t ask, she knew he wouldn’t, but she volunteered the information anyway. There was something about him, about his place in her life, that triggered a sense of rightness. Not in the happily ever after way, but in the Ripper was needed to help Buffy way.

Over the years she’d been traveling, first in an attempt to find a way home, then with Willow, Glory never failed to attend Buffy’s birthday celebration. It was usually for only that day, but it was something she’d found she enjoyed. Plus she did care for Buffy. The human child, now the slayer, had somehow endeared herself to Glorificus, the hell beast.

Glory finally understood why Nest had taken to the girl when she was first brought to him. Why he accepted her as his daughter, cared for her as much as the vampire’s dead heart would allow. Glory doubted her own ability to love, but knew that she cared for Buffy greatly, a feeling that was surpassed only by her affection for Willow.

“When?”

“As soon as I hear from Willow. I’d rather it sooner than later, but I can’t wait too long, I’m needed there.” He still didn’t push, but Glory added, “The Master of Aurelius and I are allies, and his daughter is an old friend.”

“You’re friends,” Ripper said incredulously, “with the Princess?” At her smug nod, Ripper let loose a low whistle. “I guess there really is something to that goddess thing after all.”

Glory smirked and looked at the bedside clock, then to the calendar next to it. “I’ll give Willow another day, and then I have to leave. Things are coming to a head and I need to be there.”

“I’ll go with you,” her lover offered, “I have a meeting I’ve been avoiding with someone from that clan anyway. She wants to propose an alliance of some sort.”

“Who?”

“Darla.”

Next Part: When it All Comes Together