But it was only that…a memory…
Suddenly the sound of the impatient telephone jarred her out of her catatonic state, as she jumped off her bed to answer it. She quickly wiped at the tears that stained her cheeks.
"Hello?"
"Would you accept a collect call from Cordelia Chase, ma'am??" The operator's curt reply snapped in Buffy's ear.
Buffy shook her head and rolled her eyes. //Good ole Cordy. Still having everyone else pay for her expenses.// "Yes," Buffy said with a sigh.
There was silence for a moment before Cordelia's frantic voice cut through the line. "BUFFY?!"
"Yea, it's me." She laughed lightly. "You called my house. Who else did you expect to get?"
"Oh my God, Buffy I---"
"Oh hey, heard about that demon in LA that you guys had to deal with. Must have been a real pain. But don't worry, I'll slap it around real good for ya here." Buffy laughed.
"WHAT?? …Buffy, you…" Cordelia stumbled. Her voice sounded distant and weak. "You know about the demon?" She rasped.
"Well duh! Angel told me already---"
"ANGEL!? YOU MEAN HE'S THERE?!?!" She sounded petrified.
Buffy pulled the phone down for a minute, trying to stop the ringing in her now deaf ear. She got back on the phone with a grunt. "Cordelia! GOD! What are you trying to do?! Make my eardrum explode!? You don't need to yell, just clam down and tell me---"
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!!! LOOK! There…there was a demon…" She gave a small, feeble cry.
"Yeees." Buffy dryly droned. "I think we established that fact, Cordy. You called me collect for this?" Buffy was slightly annoyed.
"NO!" Cordelia protested. "I mean…Angel…he---he fought and now he's gone…"
"Yes, he came here." Buffy stated.
"No---I mean---I mean he's gone! GONE! Angel lost hi…" Static and a loud hissing sound was the only thing speaking for Cordelia for just a moment. Then clear. "DID YOU HEAR ME?!?!?!"
"Cordy! I can't hear one word you're saying! Are you on a damn cell phone---"
"YES!"
"Well hang up and call me back. I can't understand one word you’re saying. You're breaking up."
"BUFFY, NO, I can't." She sounded like she was in a panic. "I'm trying to tell you that ANGEL, he's ANGEL---" Static and hissing again.
Buffy groaned in extreme exasperation. //Fuck this.// She was about to hang up the phone when it turned clear again.
"HELLO?! DID YOU GET THAT??!?!"
"Cordelia, like I said before you have to---"
"ANGEL IS NOT HERE, HE'S BACK, ANGELUS IS!!! HE LOST HIS SOUL BUFFY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! DID YOU HEAR ME!!?!?!"
It took but a mere second to register. Her little nerve-cords traveling at the speed of light to her brain, referencing it over and over again. The brain waves, the electric currents sending the messages all over to her main body system, producing the all-too-familiar intuitive reaction. Her heart pace sped up, pumping furiously in her little chest, her breathing enough to fan a whole army, while sweat broke out and ran down her temples. The phone suddenly went limp in Buffy's hand, and as the earpiece slid across her cheek and collapsed to her lap with a soft thud she felt as if her whole body was weightless. She had no mass or bone whatsoever. She seemed to be in another time, another place, dimly aware of Cordelia's shouts coming from her lap.
"BUFFY!? ARE YOU THERE?! HELLO?!?"
She could feel and hear nothing. Her vision was becoming darkened. She couldn't cry out, she couldn't move, she couldn't do anything but be subjected to this unusually light and airy hollowness. Nothing existed and everything had stopped, frozen in time. She could hear and feel nothing but emptiness.
And suddenly Dawn's loud scream ripped through Buffy's void and had her on her feet, running out the door faster than she ever dreamed possible.
* * * * * * * * *
Buffy soared down the stairs and tore the door away from its hinges. The cold, night air bitterly stung at her face as she whipped her head from side to side, zeroing in on exactly where the noise was coming from. Her eyes were quick to discover Angelus' arms wrapped tightly around Dawn from behind, forcing her still, as his hands poked and prodded at her limbs, causing her to squirm and gasp. He lowered his mouth down toward her little throat with an impish chuckle, yet just before his mouth could clamp on the smooth skin there Buffy leapt into action, jetting off the porch steps and delivering an air-sailing, powerful kick to Angelus' face. He tumbled backwards with a large groan, as Dawn was dumped off aimlessly on the ground a couple feet away from him.
Dawn swung her pulsating head up at Buffy in a hostile glare. //What the hell is she doing?? If she thinks this is funny---//
"DAWN!" Buffy swooped her sister up in her arms and fled back towards the house, stopping instantly, realizing Angelus had an all access pass to the place. //Shit!// She turned around to face Angelus in a fighting stance and shoved Dawn behind her, ready for anything as her cold face met Angelus' calm, but slightly surprised eyes.
Dawn violently tore away from Buffy's unyielding grasp and shot her a glare. "LET ME GO! BUFFY, DAMN IT!" She cursed.
Buffy, hearing the fabric beginning to tear on her sister's coat sleeve switched to tightly gripping her hand, yet not backing off an inch.
"OWWW! Buffy!" Dawn whined.
Angelus' apathetic face watched the entire struggle between sister and sister; one holding on to the other without mercy, while the other clearly hated to be held. He watched without a single word. Finally Dawn roughly pushed on her sister's arm and spun away from her, darting behind Angelus' coat for safety.
Angelus' opaque, black eyes shifted to Dawn's huddling form in slow, somber blinks, entertaining the idea of her little body hiding behind the folds of his huge coat. His eyes finally searched out the other sibling, which he held gaze with for not more than a mere moment before he looked back to Dawn. His wry smile seemed to take hideous shape in the shadow of the trees as Buffy stared at him in cold outrage.
Buffy made a feeble attempt to catch Dawn beneath the dark fabric of his tailcoats.
"Dawn, get inside, damn it!" She called out to her.
"What?" Dawn stood there staring her sister down with a confused look. "No." Her tone slightly rising, but otherwise quiet. She pinned her sister with an ending glare. "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!? Angel and I were just having some fun. God."
"I don't care what the hell you were doing! I said go, God damn it!" Buffy's eyes never left Angelus' still, obscure face for even a mere second.
"Buffy, I really don't think that it is right for you to swear at your sister like that. Talk about bad influence. Shame on you. If I knew that you were so much against my tickling your sister instead of you I wouldn't have ever done it," Angelus' soft, admonishing tone floated towards her, mockery underlining the very outline of it. It caused her significance to wobble a little, despite herself.
"HA! BASTARD!" Buffy snorted in his direction, trying to hide it. "Don't you *dare* talk to me like I don't know what's going on!" She seethed out through clenched teeth. "If I found out you hurt my sister in any way I'll bash your skull in with a baseball bat and take you a piece at a time!!!" She fumed out, her nostrils flaring.
"BUFFY!" Dawn's voice spit out at her, full of resentment.
"Shh, shhh, it's ok Dawnie." Angelus tenderly pulled her out from behind him and pulled her out to stand in front of him, both still facing Buffy. "See Honey, your sis just is a little paranoid." He bent down on his knees so that he was just Dawn's size and snuggled his chin on her shoulder, resting it there, as he whispered fiendishly in her shell ear and wrapped his big arms around her tightly. "All this Slayer duty stuff really gets to her sometimes. We'll just have to squeeze some fun into her, huh Cutie?" Angelus crushed Dawn's body with what seemed like a deadly force with his huge arms, casting out an impish, false grin that only caught Buffy's eye.
"NO!" Buffy screamed and tore Dawn away from Angelus' grip.
"BUFFY! LOOK, YOU THINK---" Dawn's voice raged out.
"DAWN, SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET IN THE HOUSE! NOW!!!" Buffy flung her full-blown wrath in Dawn's direction for a minute before looking back to the dark man in the trench coat that stood before her with a grin glued to his pale, devilish face.
"Dawnie, it's ok." Angelus' condescending tone soothed Dawn. "Just listen to your big sis, ok sweetie?"
"NO! What is going on? I WANNA KNOW!" Dawn stamped her foot.
Before Buffy could answer he took control of the situation yet again, and made her feel like the hysteric that she was for flying out here dressed in only a little, black, tank top and silk, short-bottoms that scarcely covered her. She suddenly felt very shy. And very foolish in spite of all that was happening.
"Its big people talk, sweetie. Your sis and I just need to clear something up. Ok? Now go inside like a good girl." Angelus replied smoothly.
"Fine. I'll go inside. But only cause you told me to, Angel!" She whipped her head and pinned Buffy with an insipid smirk. She ran into the house and slammed the door.
Once Dawn was inside Angelus slowly stood up and got off his knees and looked to Buffy for the first time with real emotion.
"You know, I didn't want to say anything in front of your sister but you look delicious in that little number that you're wearing, Baby. I could just eat you up…" He gave her a tiny wink.
Buffy felt her body temperature rise unsteadily, as her skin blushed red from head to toe. "The only thing you'll be eating is the point of my stake, *ANGELUS*." She managed to grunt out.
He chuckled quietly, absolutely composed in his nonchalant manner. "I guess Cordy called you from the hospital." He smirked. "I'm glad she's doing better. I was a little worried there that she wasn't going to make it. When I left her she wasn't really responding that well to the shock paddles that they brought along with the crash cart."
Buffy closed her eyes and could only imagine what he did to the others. //Oh God, is this really happening?// She opened her eyes and realized he had began talking again.
"…it was only a matter of time before I killed Wesley and Gunn. But Cordelia. Ahhh, now that girl I just couldn't bring myself to do. She's kind of special, ya know? She's the slut you love to hate! She's the big-time bitch, and I gotta admire that in a woman, ya know?" Angelus' eyes shifted over to Buffy in spent, crafty empathy. He continued his analogue in soft, seductive tones. "It was truly hard, though. Trying to keep a straight face in this whole facade. You just were practically coming in your panties to have me here, and then the question of whether to tell you, or whether to play it out till you figured it out on your own. It was so much fun on both sides I really couldn't decide." He grinned. Suddenly his voice became alive with irate, fiery disgust. "And then there was that Fred chick! Excuse me, but is anyone else wondering what the fuck brown, paper bag did that girl drop out of??? I mean, I know she was tortured and shit, but God damn, talk about as crazy as a fucking loon! Plus, she had a crush on me and I just didn't think that was right. Especially after what you and I went through." He gave her a little wink. "I didn't even suck her blood. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The very thought sickened me. I just threw her ass off the building and listen to hear squeal like a pig all the way down." He snickered loudly.
Buffy let out a pent-up breath. She felt like she was going to be physically sick any moment.
"And then of course there was the murder here! HA! What a scam!" Angelus smirked almost in a sentimental manner.
"You killed Brad?" She whispered, fully aware now that this little conversation was going to end up not in the pretty sense.
"Absolutely." He confidently spoke out, his eyes challenging hers with a dimwitted stare. "He was just an appetizer before the main course. I couldn't help myself. It was just to-o much fun. You were right. He was so stupid it almost wasn't even worth the effort. Almost. He was just such a sap of a guy. He was like 'NO, NO YOUR MAJES---'" He proceeded to cough and gasp out breath, acting much like the boy did. His coughs and gasps finally were outweighed by his hysterical roars of laughter. When he looked over to Buffy and saw she was not in the least amused, he sighed with exasperation. "Come on Buffy, it was a joke. Sheesh. You know, we really need to work on getting that stake out of your butt, Babe."
"Yea, and I got a perfect place to stick it afterwards." She waspishly spat. "So." Her tone was rough and inhuman. "The whole, 'There's a demon in LA and it's requiring research' was just bull-shit?"
"Oh no," Angelus shook his head in newfound graveness. "No, no, no. There was a demon in LA, Buffy. It just happened to be a soul-sucking demon." He eyes gleamed with unnatural delight. "I guess I forgot to mention that part of the story." His grin was positively malicious as his eyes sparkled, his voice switching back to its low, tempting cunningness. "Angel went to fight it, took quite a beating, and was actually about to take it out when the crafty, little shit put a number on him instead. Unlucky chap never came back. Never will…" Angelus smirked.
"Oh God," Buffy put her hands over her face.
"Hey don't feel too bad, Baby. Angel was, after all, becoming a lousy bit of a shit. He was just becoming too fucking slap-happy-fun-ass all the time. I don't have a soul! What the hell was his excuse? Don't get me wrong. For a while I actually admired Angel. He was actually becoming not so bad. Taking what he wanted and all that…with that slut Darla and firing his fucked-up crew and working solo. But then he got cocky, and we all know what happens when people get full of themselves. His downfall was inevitable. He was just becoming too happy. It's the natural part of the existence, Buffy. What goes up must come down…sooner or later…"
For a moment Buffy was silent, trying to register what Angelus was dictating to her. //Angel happy??? Without…me…// She finished meekly. She shook her head and suddenly looked up at him in dangerous wrath. "Nice try, but it'll take more than your cheesy lies to bring me down! Darla's dead! Everyone knows that." Buffy shot him a self-satisfied look.
Angelus merely gazed at her for several moments before he softly began to chuckle. "Ohhh, that's right. I suppose he wouldn't have told you. Darla was brought back, precious, and he and her…well let's just say she's got an ole bun in the oven now after that little fest! Frankly, he could of chosen a better woman to knock up. But oh well. Screw and learn. If she thinks she's going to try and pin *any* responsibility on me she's got another thing coming. They can't prove anything. Besides, that's Angel's mess. Not mine. And honestly, I don't think I'm ready for a kid yet. I'm still too young and living the high, single life, ya know?" He smiled at Buffy.
Buffy felt her heart droop down all the way to her stomach and crack into a million and one pieces. //Angel screwed Darla??? How could he have… NO! NOT POSSIBLE!// "I don't believe any of this!" Buffy denied.
"Oh believe Babe, it's true."
"No! Angel would never make love with Darla! Never. Besides, he told me vampires couldn't have children. So there." She tried to put on a haughty front but the tears were gently cascading off her cheeks. Angelus merely smiled. "I never said they made love, Buff. I said they fucked. There's a difference. Believe me when I say that Darla was never one for much lovin', if ya know what I mean…" He winked at her. "And yea, it's true. Vampires can't give off offspring. So I don't know. Someone messed up pretty big somewhere. But like I said. That's all over with now. It's not my problem. My attentions are devoted elsewhere." He gave her a dirty, delicious licking up and down from several feet away.
Buffy absently wiped at the freshly spilled tears off her face. She sucked in a breath, simultaneously making her face as cold as ice and locked up all emotions, as she did before every fight. She was hardcore battle material now. Nothing could touch her. She visualized her skin magically transforming into solid rock, covering every vulnerable spot. Except for one. One place that never masked when she fought with Angel no matter how hard she tried. //Damn it!!// Her chest was left wide open.
"What's a matter baby?" He cooed at her. "Oooh, you're confused. Awww, poor girl. Well I'll tell ya what. I'll give you time to think about your little predicament that you're in and I'm just going to make a little call…"
She attentively watched with fearful eyes as he took out a cell phone from the inside of his coat pocket and with the touch of several buttons the tiny contraption became alive and musical, and set into motion to do its work.
"Dawnie?" He spoke into the phone, all the while smiling maddenly at Buffy. "Hey, what's up girlfriend? Good, you're still up. Listen, I have some rather…well," He snickered a little. "I feel like such a jack-ass for not telling you sooner Hon, but ya know that thing I gave you… in the magic shop…yea, that oval, silver, luck charm…"
Angelus eyes lifted to Buffy in a jaunty, mocking little twinkle.
All at once, like a ton of bricks, reality struck Buffy, effecting her "so-called-indestructible-rock-armor", shattering it to little dust particles in the wind. "WHAT IS IT?" Buffy cried accusingly. "WHAT DOES IT REALLY DO??!!" She flew at him, hoping to cause some distraction to him, at the very least try to get the phone away, however she was the one that took the rough slam on the ground when Angelus merely pushed her back, cruelly.
He gave her a reprimanding look. "Buffy! For Christ sake! Don't be rude! I'm talking on the phone here!" He scolded her, as if talking to a tiny child no more than 7 or 8.
"YOU BETTER TELL ME OR I'LL…" Buffy raged. She whipped around and delivered a sidekick to him in his chest.
He staggered back a little and groaned, but did not let the cell phone down for an instant. She ran and jumped upon him, both of them knocked over to the ground with a loud thud, one wrestling the other with contempt.
Angelus merely roared with laughter after several minutes of playing Keep-Away. He pressed the phone to his ear and could hear Dawn asking what the hell was going on. "Sorry Dawn, Buffy and I are just having a little ruffle right now. Nothing too major though. And just between you and me sweetheart, I think she still wants me *real* bad. Hang on a minute." Angelus crocked his head tightly to his shoulder to hold the phone at bay while he issued a violent, whopping punch right to Buffy's jaw, sending her sailing backwards. He brought his attention back to Dawn. "That's better. Now what were you saying Hon? …You wanna what? …You wanna talk to Buffy? …Ok, hang on," He grabbed Buffy's waist from behind her while holding her completely still with his brut strength. "Your sister has something to say to you. Now be a good, little girl and listen." He grabbed her around the throat and hoisted the phone up to her ear.
"Buffy, look," Dawn's harsh, but even toned voice came through the extension. "I won't pretend to understand what's with you…but ya know…I mean I have a life too ya know! And what you did tonight! You never think about me! You never think about anyone, but yourself!" Dawn's voice was becoming louder and more passioned.
"Aww, listen to your little sister complain Buffy! You tell her, sweetie!" Angelus cheered her on all the while tightening his grip on Buffy's throat. Buffy struggled in vain as she gasped and choked, wishing Dawn would shut the hell up. //I never think about anyone but myself, huh? HA! Wait till I get my hands on her, the little---//
Dawn's voice cut through her beyond frustrated thoughts. "…It's all about you and your problems! Well, I'm a person now too Buffy! I'm not just a ball of energy with nothing but green light, damn it! Are you even listening to me?! BUFFY!"
"Honey, you listening?" Angelus pulled her to a more attention stance and released the death-like-grip around her throat just a tad.
"Dawn---" Buffy choked. "Now's---not--" She coughed. "A really---good---time---" She squirmed a little and groaned. "Go---to---bed---" She managed to finally spill forth.
"UGH! Figures you'd say something like that when I'm trying to talk to you! FINE! BITCH!" Dawn slammed the phone, and as the dial tone resounded in Buffy's aching ear she could hear Angelus clicking his tongue in sympathetic tones behind her.
"Ya know Buff, you should really be more considerate to your sister. You never know what might happen to her one night. It's a big, nasty out there. I'd hate to see her get hurt." His face expression was full of concern, but his dark eyes belied his whole pouted look.
"Yea, I bet." Buffy snorted as she turned slowly around to face him. "All right Angelus, you made your point. Your little gift is really meant to hurt her in some way, unless I do what you say, right?"
Angelus grinned. "Let's just say my little gift is to ensure that Dawn's life is well…protected. By someone who will care for her…watch over her every move…discipline if needs must be…" His eyes shifted to hers in slow, deliberate venomous spite. "See, basically, Dawn's very existence belongs to me now. In the literal sense." He smirked at her little gasp. "Whoever touches that little trinket first that I gave her controls the life of the second person who touches the stone. And guess who touched it right after me?" He smiled, his manner taking on a sort of giddiness. "Shit, I don't even have to be next to the little scamp to kill her. I can be half way around the world and all I have to do is say the word, anything I want her to do, and she's forced to do it. Ain't gypsy curses great?" He raised his eyebrows in mirth.
Buffy stared at him, horrified beyond reason. //This couldn't be. There's got to be a way to stop this!// "No! I'll destroy it! I'll make her get rid of it!"
Angelus merely laughed. "Go ahead, baby. It won't matter. You can destroy the stone, throw it into an abyss, kick it all the way to Japan but, nothing, *nothing* can reverse the affects of this little stone. And don't be thinking that some spell that your Willow witch-bitch performs on it is going to make it go away either. I made sure it was a lifetime guarantee. As long as I'm alive---"
"Well I know one way to take care of that little issue!" Buffy went for the stake, but was stopped by Angelus outstretched hand.
"Ah-ah-ah! I wouldn't do that if I were you." He clasped a silver ring that he had on his hand and with a little turn on his part the ring beeped and began blinking red. "See this? This little baby is the gift to your friends at the Magic Shop. You didn't think I'd forgot about getting them a gift too, did you? It's a detonator for the bomb I planted somewhere around there. It's got enough explosive power to blow your little friends all the way to the outer region of the Milky Way. It's activated now. You stake me, and this thing won't keep contact with my skin on the inside of it, it's bye-bye Magic Shop, as well as the whole fucking town. If I decide to slip this off even for a millimeter of a second your friends will be kissing galaxies up in space and beyond. I've had the ring conveniently shaped to fit only *my* finger, no one else's."
"There's got to be a way to---" Buffy was determined not to quit.
"By the time you figure anything out I'll just have turned Dawn into a little flea on the carpet that you'll never be able to find again. Or perhaps I'll send her to another dimension." He looked at her long and hard, his evil, wicked manner shining through every pore. "Don't attempt to grow a brain on this one, Slayer! I'm calling *every* shot in this game!"
Buffy let out a shaky sigh and closed her eyes. She knew he wasn't boasting on anything he said.
"What are you thinking, lover?" He coaxed soothingly.
She suddenly felt his cool breath on her neck, and realized with unbidden delight that he had moved without the slightest sound, pushing tenderly against her back, as the soft, loose fabric of his coat brushed against her bare skin, the folds falling and gently encircling her in descending, warm darkness, submerging her so completely that it seemed as if only one person stood there. Her breath quickened as she felt his strong, masculine hands skim lightly up and down her arms, over and over again.
His smooth, sexual voice rumbled right over her ear. "I'm not asking a whole lot from you, baby. In fact, I know you and I will thoroughly enjoy what I'm asking for… Trust me…" His arms wrapped tightly around her from behind, causing her whole body to tingle in shameful delight, as her head felt as light as air.
Her eyes suddenly popped open as she felt his hands slide up under her top to caress the bareness of her bra-less breasts.
Suddenly his caresses were gone, almost as quickly as they began, and Buffy felt herself in a wash of confused emotion, part of her wanting him to stop, but another part totally dismayed that he had. He moved away from her and came out from behind her to stand in front as he extended his hand in an absolute casual, but distinguished manner. His face had a small, joyful smile, and as he bowed almost gracefully before her he easily took her hand in his, massaging it gently. "Come on Buffy. Let's not think about this right now." He soothed her, as a father would his own daughter. "I have a surprise for you…" His smile widened a little.
"No!" Buffy ripped her hand away from him. "Not until you tell me where we're going!" She eyed him hard.
Angelus sighed shook his head. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. You never were much one for surprises, were you? They always ended up turning out rather badly." His teasing grin made her want to tear his lips off.
He began walking away from her, into the night, whistling a jolly tune as he looked up into the sky, as if searching for something. "Ya know, it was supposed to rain tonight." He stated matter-of-factly, as if his exit was merely leaving an old friend in a state of confusion until his return. He gave out a little chuckle. "Those damn weather men. You can't trust anything anymore, can you? Nothing is ever certain…" He stopped and stared at her with an indefinite, eerie gaze and then asked quite nonchalantly, "You sure you won't come?" He stuck his hand out to her again.
Buffy sighed inwardly, as she headed up the street to join him. She realized one thing was for certain. She had lost.
* * * * * * * * *
Buffy watched ruefully as her tiny, lit house grew farther and farther away, becoming smaller and smaller, as she walked with Angelus into the night, until inevitably, she could no longer see any part of the structure. She suddenly felt very unfamiliar and displaced, as if she'd never again see her quaint, comforting house, never again watch her friend's faces laugh and smile at her lame jokes, never see her sister being a pain in the ass to her, never be in control of anything… She felt a terror of lightening bolt through her and she suddenly felt like taking off and running like a frightened, little girl, and hide in the safety of her bedroom, under the covers until everything was right again.
Angelus abruptly stopped walking and turned his gleaming, sharp eyes over to stare at Buffy. As if he could sense this newfound fear in her he quickly took a hold of her hand and firmly held it in his. "You not getting cold feet now, are you darling?" He whispered seductively, yet mocking her at the same time. He took a quick wink at her and continued to walk with her hand securely locked in his.
"So where are we going?" She finally spoke up, tired of the intoxicating silence taking the lead. "I'm not even dressed." She indignantly huffed, while her arms shook from the cold, goosebumps appearing on her limbs.
"Here," Angelus took off his jacket without another word and easily slipped it around Buffy's shoulders. It was far too big and drooped down, drowning her tiny figure, making her seem all the more fragile and lost, as she swam in its soft, dark folds.
She could distinctly smell his presence upon it as soon as it enfolded her body, causing her to close her eyes and drink in the smell of his cologne and the soft, yet distinguished smell of his body. When she opened her eyes she was met with his impish smirk.
"Like it?" He coaxed her gravely.
Her wide-eyed, virtuous start caused Angelus to laugh right out loud. "Oh come on Slayer, don't act *so* innocent all of a sudden! Don't you dare play your little girl games with me! I'm not one of your little boy toys you just met in the college bookstore." He pulled her body close to his and cut off any inch separating them. He let out an enticing, unneeded breath right in her ear, causing her eardrum to come alive and swim with the vibration of it. His alluring tones came out even more dark and hypnotic.
"I just know you're itching to have me inside you in places you can't even dream…"
Buffy's gasp of air was quick and short, as she tried to regulate her breathing. //Ok, ok concentrate… Don't think about evil thoughts… Think about sunrises and flowers, and, oh, books! Oh, yea, those are good.//
When Angelus pulled away from her quivering body to look at her face Buffy couldn't deny it any longer. He wanted something from her, and Angelus always got what he wanted.
Buffy futilely looked away from the beguiling darkness that stood there before her in such charming beauty, dangerously compelling her to give into delicious temptation. How utterly cruel that pure Evil should have such an enthralling, handsome face. How utterly cruel that Fate should provoke her to be so completely helpless against him.
She adamantly wished to have a different life where she and Angel had never met, that this seeming man in front of her be a total stranger before now. Never taking pleasure in her smooth, soft flesh, delicately touching her every curve. Never listening to her dreams and most intimate thoughts as she gazed into his dark, brown eyes before the morning sun cast its evil rays. And most of all never hearing his soft, yet fiery voice call out *her* name amidst their impassioned embrace.
But the fact was, this being in front of her *had* known her, every inch of her, and he was no stranger to say the least. Every memory of Angel's, his to control, every valuable of Angel's, his to possess, every emotion of Angel's, his to manipulate, and every passion of Angel's, (namely one) his to torture and break.
At one time in her life he was the only person she wanted to have truly know her, inside and out. And now, as she stood before him, covered in his soft, black coat caressing her bare limbs and his gentle, seductive scent enclosing her, she found herself gazing into his black, swirling eyes, still unable to will herself to refuse his deadly tokens of charm.
"What do you want, Angelus?" She breathed softly, her own voice sounding foreign to her.
The wind without warning swooshed down the dark, empty streets, powerfully whisking about them. Its damp, fresh scent filled Buffy's nostrils, alerting her to the possible outcome. The low, soft rumble in the distance with a quick flash of lighted, night sky confirmed her suspicions.
"Well, what do you know?" Angelus sinfully whispered, his famous, crafty smile filled with such self-satisfaction. He briefly glanced upward before he brought his keen, luminescent eyes down to Buffy's white face. "Looks like we might have that storm after all…" Buffy's whole body was alive with severe shivers, even though Angelus' coat provided plenty of warm to her entire body.
"Storms…" Angelus' tone was still soft and silky, yet underlying this gentleness was a constant fierce, diabolical ire, commanding complete turmoil. "So unpredictable, so chaotic, so powerful… They come from out of no where, but they can do such damage in such a small amount of time." Angelus simply watched Buffy without the slightest movement for several moments, until a purely insidious smile crept forth on his face.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Buffy wildly denied and deliberately spun around on her heel to face the other side of the street.
Angelus stabbed at the back of her head with his dagger eyes. //Little bitch. If she thinks she can act like a snot-nose brat to me, like she does everyone else she's got another thing coming. I am NOT Angel! She better learn that right now!//
He slowly crept up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her small form, startling her in the process.
"You know, Buff," He bent his mouth toward her tiny ear and whispered sweetly. "You have such a raw temper. I was simply speaking of storms. I don't know what *you* were thinking about… You should be highly ashamed of the dirty thoughts you entertain in that little mind of yours." He smirked at her disgruntled huff.
"ME?!!" Buffy tried to turn, but Angelus kept his arms snuggly enclosed about her. She bitterly heaved. //So now he's going to punish *me* as the one with the perverted mind and the unnatural inclinations. Bastard.// Buffy suddenly felt shamefully vulnerable again and silently reprimanded herself for showing this demon *any* part of her emotional side. Why did she get so upset? //Now he thinks he can get to me easily. Damn! I have to be careful on how I re-act to his comments. I have to pose as if his presence doesn't even phase me…//
"Well…" She sang out, falsely dripping it with sugary impertinence. "Storms always make me think of the night that Angel and I shared togeth---"
Angelus violently whipped her body around, crushing both her upper arms with his brutalizing strength as he held her completely still with a savage snarl.
He brought his face in closely to hers as his eyes flashed with burning wrath. His hushed, yet vibrant tone caused her to gasp. "Ooooooh, don't go there, baby. You might just unleash something that you're not quite ready for…" His sinister, brutal eyes were as powerfully unyielding as his grip.
Yet Buffy ordered herself not to be afraid, not to let Angelus cause her *any* emotional anguish, no matter how difficult that may be. He thinks he has power over Dawn and her friends?? Well so did she! She was the Chosen One, and it was her sacred duty not to let any sort of big nasties become a burden to her family and friends, but more importantly, the world, no matter what! Angelus may have everything a being such as himself could ever want. Power, beauty, intellectualism, strength, cunning skill… Yet Buffy refused to be apart of his so-called "collections" and "conquests". She wasn't going down without a fight!
"I'm ready for anything!" She shot back at him, quietly taunting him with her eyes, just waiting for his jeering comeback.
Angelus stared at her for several moments, not backing off an inch. Without warning he began to softly chuckle, impishly smirking. "Trust me Buff, you're not ready for the things *I* have planned for you. Not just yet… But one day, I promise you, you'll be begging me to take you…" He traced his dark, sinister eyes along the depths of her soul, his delightful coldness prickling her senses, while stealthily pounding her reasoning logic into dust.
"That's not going to happen!" Buffy vehemently denied all too quickly.
"We'll just see about that…" Angelus calmly stated.
He slowly eased off the forceful pressure he had been applying to her arms and started to gently straighten out the lapels of his coat while Buffy merely watched in silent outrage. The cold rain had just begun to fall when Angelus unexpectedly paused, hurling his black eyes to her tiny, white face with feverish, spiteful passion.
"Let me tell you something about our dear Angel boy, Buff."
"I have nothing I want to hear from you!" She imprudently proclaimed.
"Oh, you'll want to hear this, baby…" He arrogantly whispered. When Angelus just continued to stare at her in toxic silence with a small, sly smile planted on his face Buffy folded her arms about her while blustering out a tiring sigh from her lips, knowing full well Angelus was doing this just to provoke her.
"Did you know that Angel was human for a day?" He finally professed in a low tone, raising his eyebrows up at her.
"Another lie, Angelus?" Buffy snorted, not believing it for a second, even beginning to laugh.
"This is no lie, Buff." Angelus tone was well beyond grave, which caused Buffy to become quiet suddenly. "I think the whole incident was well beyond disgusting. But I'm not lying, Angel was human for a day." He sympathetic smile was as false as all his other human imitations.
Buffy winced, not fully comprehending what Angelus was saying at first. When it finally registered in her mind and had time to sink in, she adamantly shook her head and was well beyond shock.
"No…" She whispered.
"Oh yeeeeees, he waaaaas." Angelus playfully droned, delighting in the fact that Buffy's face was a beautiful display of anguished torment. //All the more reason for her to fall in love with me, and out of love with him…//
"He was not!" Buffy exploded back at him, seethed that Angelus was finding her turmoil to be in the funny sense. "I would have known! He would have told me! I KNOW HE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME!" Buffy viciously roared, her emotional barrier breaking by the second.
"Ohhh, believe it Babe, it's true." Angelus' taunting was still evident even though his tone was grave again. "He had the one thing in this world that he wanted and he gave it all up; he took back the day, causing you to forget and go back to Sunnydale. Like it never even happened. He was the only one that held on to the memories. Till now that is." Angelus' cunning smile made her want to vomit. "Did you ever think Buff, that maybe… Well, I mean, here Angel has you, he's human, you guys can do the hanky-panky, everything's going his way and he still takes it all back?!" Angelus looked at her with an incredulous face while he acted out his fallacious empathy speech. "That bastard!" He shouted out to the sky, his ridiculous emote echoing in Buffy's mind. And then, just as she felt her heart couldn't take anymore, he put the icing on the cake with one sentence, even though he spoke it agonizingly soft and gentle. "Makes you think that a guy like Angel could never be happy with a girl like you."
The flinch of suffering on Buffy's face caused Angelus all the more reason to widen his smile to a grin. She spun away and covered her face with her hands, intent on not having Angelus see her cry. Angelus merely stalked up behind her much like the ferocious lion does before the ruthless kill. He seductively bent his head near her ear and sensuously breathed in her ear.
"Don't worry Baby, I wouldn't do that to us. I'll never let you go. I'd let this whole world burn to dust and I'd still have you tucked away in my arms." His words were disturbing, if not for the reason that they were most likely true.
Buffy felt her bottom lip begin to quiver, as her whole body began to shake. Angelus' words rung in her ears, teasing her with the sweetness and sincerity he managed to scornfully add to his tone. //So much like Angel's tone, but totally different…// She didn't want to have Angelus holding her at the end of the world… She wanted Angel… But then Angelus' words hit her like a ton of bricks. Angel gave up his humanity, his total happiness for her… She should be grateful and feel even *more* love for him, understanding his sacrifice for their love, yet instead, this newfound knowledge left her feeling more cold, more isolated and more rejected than ever before. Maybe Angel couldn't be happy with a girl like her. Every guy she ever tried to be close to took off on her. //Maybe it really is me and me alone…//
Buffy could feel herself slipping. Her walls were beginning to break and crumble. Then panic set it. //How will I handle this? What will I say to Giles??? What about Dawn??? Angelus basically owns her now, and if I don't comply with whatever he says he could do anything he wants with her and he would too, just to get back at me…// Buffy was nearly in hysterics, folding her arms about her, then straightening them, folding them, straightening them… Her breath was becoming a deep, strong wheeze, while her face contorted to a person in extreme tempestuous pain and rage. She was shaking her head over and over again. She felt her heart thump against her chest, ready to explode at any second.
Then Angelus was at her ear again, whispering. "Still think of your lovely Angel when you look at storms?"
Buffy took a deep breath in, desperately trying to calm herself as she slowly turned around to face this charming bastard. She grimly gazed straight into his greedy, dark eyes.
A sudden flash of lightening set the whole sky aglow, illuminating the entire night sky. Buffy finally realized how much both she and Angelus were completely drenched from the storm. She hadn't the faintest idea that she was even wet from the rain. As she faced Angelus, watching his grave, opaque eyes she suddenly knew he would expect a decision from her tonight. No waiting, no time for planning, no asking Giles what to do, no researching with Will on the computer, no hesitations, no time for deep thoughts, she would have to make her decision tonight. Now. On her own.
"All right…I'll do whatever you say…" She whispered in defeat. //What choice do I have??//
"Oh, I know you will." He slowly eased out in a little vibrant voice.
"Was this your little surprise you had for me?" Buffy bitterly lamented.
"No, no, no," Angelus smiled and chuckled a little. "My little surprise is still to come… Yet," He looked up at the sky and sighed. "It's extremely late, and I think you've had enough. For one evening anyway. Plus this whole soaked through thing is making you cold." With a greedy smile he gestured to her erect nipples peeking through Angelus' open coat.
With a mortified gasp Buffy tightly pulled Angelus' coat around her, covering her female bosom. Angelus stared at her, his expression ambiguous, until he suddenly shook his head and began to laugh loudly.
"I tell you one thing Slayer, you certainly know how to play quite the naïve, little innocent part, don't you?" Before she had time to object, he changed the subject relatively quickly. "But we better get you home. You can't leave Dawn all night. That's not very responsible, now is it? I meant what I said Buff. You should genuinely be a better sister to that little child. Otherwise, bad things might happen." Angelus grave, brutal eyes spoke quite enough for Buffy to get the picture.
"But you forced me to come!!" Buffy protested, not liking how Angelus felt he could tell her what to do.
"Ah, ah." Angelus chided gently. "I *asked* you to come. I didn't make you do anything against your will, did I? You *wanted* to come. And in your nightie, no less." He softly tsk-tsked with his tongue, causing her to blush crimson red. "Really Buff, you should truly be more level-headed as the Slayer. You're always so rash and emotional in your work. You're going to have to change that soon. Not go prancing about in a nightie, while your sister's home in bed. Honestly Buff." After his remonstration he simply turned and started heading back down toward her street, leaving Buffy positively bewildered on the street all alone.
She silently sighed, confounded beyond all belief on what she was going to do. She knew that Angelus couldn't be with Dawn all the time, 24/7. He had to stay out of the sunlight, and there would be times that he'd have to go back to the mansion to sleep. That could be her opening on trying to find this gypsy curse out. She would have to be extremely cautious, but she had to try.
She closed her eyes and prayed to anyone that could hear her that one day, when she knew that Dawn wasn't in his clutches anymore, and her friends were out of harms ways, that she would have the strength and the power to stake him into dust.
With that, she hurried down the street to catch up with Angelus, so she could check on her little sister.