Feedback
Part Six
***
//oh, i still love you, baby
everywhere i look i see your eyes
there's not another woman that would ever comes close to you
dry those tears from your eyes//
Angel had not lessened his protectiveness of Buffy as she rounded into her fifth month. If anything, he had gotten decidedly worse. Partially, because there had been several attacks on his little pregnant Slayer in the past couple of months, which she infuriatingly brushed off as no big deal. And then there was the fact that she tried to sneak out to patrol on a regular basis. The Scoobies found the whole situation extremely comical and made fun of the tense vampire at every available turn.
One Thursday evening, while Angel was out meeting with a contact, not even a week after their most recent *reasons to not patrol* marathon, Buffy was preparing to sneak out for a little stroll, just to, you know, take in the night air. Course, if she just happened to run into a vampire, she would *have* to stake him because otherwise she would be a bad Slayer. She had almost made it to the door when the phone rang.
"Angel Investigations," Buffy piped with fake cheer into the phone.
"Looking for Peaches, love," Spike's distinctive voice said, forcing her into an automatic groan of annoyance.
"He's not here," she answered with a sigh.
"Want to tell Nancy Boy I called?"
"Not really, but I will."
"Thanks, pet." As she hung up the phone, she looked up just in time to see Angel at the double doors at the front of the hotel. He paused, pulled one open and stood aside to let Detective Kate Lockley walk in first. Not only was she blonde, attractive and irritably thin, but she was smiling and laughing in a flirty sort of way. If that wasn't bad enough, the word "beautiful" was coming out of his mouth in that low, seductive voice that always made her weak in the knees. It made her weak in the knees, that is, when he wasn't speaking to another woman.
"That's so sweet," Kate answered, batting those long eyelashes over her sparkling blue eyes in response.
"Well..." he started as he looked up to find his wife standing in front of the counter wearing one of his black silk shirts, a pair of black stretch pants and scowl so severe that it forced his mouth closed. He stepped toward her with concern and opened his mouth again, "What's wrong, Buffy?"
"Nothing," she snapped as she crossed the room in strong, pregnant Slayer strides. She made short work of the distance to the basement door before opening it and then slamming it hard enough to force the door off of its hinges. Kate and Angel watched in shock as the door tipped over and fell on the marble floor with a furious crack, sending a whirl of dust rising up around it.
"Uh..." Angel said, looking from the door to Kate and back again, "She's sensitive lately."
"I can see that," she answered quietly as if she were afraid Buffy would hear her and come back upstairs.
"I'll be right back," he said, took a deep breath as he headed for the door, looking like he wasn’t sure if he was headed for a battle that could be reasonably fought or if he should just lay down and prepare for slaughter, "and then we can talk about the case, okay?"
"Should I come back later?" she asked, wanting to be anywhere that wasn’t near his wife. Not that it mattered that Buffy was ‘sensitive lately.’ Kate had learned over the years that she usually wanted to be where Buffy wasn’t. Whether the Slayer was currently in a good mood or not really didn’t effect her decision in the slightest. She hated to be around the woman that Angel loved. It was a constant reminder of what she would probably never have…which was Angel, not love, of course.
"No," he said after a moment of hesitation, "Just give me a minute."
Angel headed toward the basement and stepped on the door on his way down the stairs. He stopped on the bottom step and watched Buffy moving through an angry kata, in which she seemed to be completely missing the point of the exercise. Since she had become pregnant, she complained that her center of balance had changed and it was harder to fight. He tried to explain on several different occasions that pregnant Slayers stayed out of situations that they would have to fight in so that their babies were safe. Right now, however, he wasn’t worried about her center of balance, only that the mind soothing motions were not soothing his lovely mate at all.
"What's wrong?" he asked after watching her for a moment. He would never get over how beautiful and glowing she was while carrying his child. He knew she was afraid that he would find her less attractive when she grew larger but the opposite happened. He never looked at other women before and now he didn't even know they existed.
"Nothing," she said, without looking up and continued to move but more erratically than before. It infuriated her that he could make her so jealous and frustrated.
"I was discussing a case with Kate," he said, "That's it."
"What was beautiful about the case?" she snapped, looking up at him with eyes that matched her furious tones, "Or were you talking about *her*?"
"First of all," he said, "I was talking about *you* and how beautiful you are when you're pregnant and secondly, I would never cheat on you. You know that."
"Right," she said, knowing she was being irrational but unable to snap out of her anger.
"Buffy, you know that I think you are the most beautiful-"
"If you say you think I'm the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world one more fucking time, I'm going to stake you and waddle through your dust!"
"How will you explain to our child that you murdered me for telling a police officer I thought you were beautiful?" he asked, stepping closer and smiling down at her. After a moment, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, knowing she was pouting against his chest.
"Why are you still mad?" he asked, tipping her chin up with his index finger and kissing her lightly.
"Cause...I don't know," she mumbled, "Were you really talking about me?"
"Yes," he said seriously, "Why would you even think I would tell Kate she was beautiful, Buffy?"
"Cause she is," Buffy said honestly, frankly confused by his inability to see that and then as the realization hit her, she smiled.
"You don't think she's beautiful?"
"I think you're beautiful," he said, kissing her again. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just...it's one of those days. I feel ugly and gross and...forget it."
"We've been over this, love," he said, "I'm not going to lose interest in you. Pregnant women have long been thought to be the most desirable creatures. Men find their mates more alluring when they're heavy with child. Other men certainly find you more enticing, which is why I'm snarling at people so much."
***
//i guess you heard he’s gone to LA
he says that behind my eyes, i’m hiding
and he tells me i pushed him away
that my heart’s been hard to find//
"What are you doing here?" Faith asked Kate from the top of the stairs as she tramped loudly down them, preparing to go on patrol. Or actually, she planned to *happen* to bump into Spike and then dust whatever vamps stood in their way as they hurried off to yet another not so secret rendevous. Spike was more than perplexed that Faith wouldn't just admit to her "family" that they were involved, since everyone already knew anyway. What was the difference if they hung out at the hotel? And what, pray tell, was the difference between Buffy and Angel and them?
"Angel has a soul," Faith had muttered to him as she dressed the night before, sliding into a pair of black leather pants just so she wouldn’t have to meet his eyes. "You are evil."
"I'm defanged," Spike pointed out, not unbitterly, "And thank you so much for reminding me. I hate to point out the obvious, love, but we are involved and everyone knows it already!"
"I don't like reminding them," Faith said, sitting on the bed to tie the laces of her boots. She hated to have these arguments with him, but at least she didn’t have to look at him while they were having one. When she looked into those deep blue eyes of his, she knew that for a creature without a soul, there was a lot there to be reckoned with. She was a Slayer and there was no way she was going to admit to anyone, not even herself, that she was falling in love with a demon.
"You don't make any bloody sense, woman," he complained, pulling her roughly from the side of the bed and pressing her suggestively against the mattress, "We've been shaggin' each other’s brains out for months. I'm not your dirty little secret, pet."
"Maybe I want to keep you to myself," Faith said, rising her hips up to grind against her undead lover suggestively.
"I'm not that bleedin' thick!" Spike protested and then let out a groan as Faith tossed him aside and leapt nimbly off the bed. Casting him a smile as she headed to the door with an exaggerated twist to her narrow hips, she said, "Yes, you are."
“You know,” Spike called after her, “You’re the one who’s missing out! All those empty rooms in the hotel we could be ruttin’ in are left for Peaches and his little SLAYER!”
Now, the next evening, preparing to meet with her desouled, chipped vampiric lover, she was face to face with Detective Kate Lockley. Faith couldn't stand Kate or her pretend official business. The bitch had been in heat for Angel for as long as she could remember and unlike the other women who lusted after Angel, Kate was firmly locked in their lives as a helper and informant. Faith was waiting for that one little moment when Kate gave her an excuse to kick her ass. It was coming soon and Faith couldn't wait for it. She glared at the blonde and waited for her answer.
"I'm meeting with Angel about a case," Kate answered, gesturing toward the broken basement door, "He's downstairs talking to Buffy."
"Oh, so you already pissed her off," Faith said, grinning at the fallen door. She finished her descent down the staircase and stopped in front of the cop who was glaring at her, "Make sure you keep those sticky little fingers off my friend's husband."
"Angel and I have a purely business relationship-"
"Save it for someone who gives a fuck," Faith said, heading toward the door and stopping just at the exit to turn back around, "Consider this a warning, Blondie: Stay away from him."
"Are you threatening a police officer?" Kate asked tersely, knowing it was a cheap shot. Pulling police officer rank in here usually carried no weight whatsoever, but she knew that Faith was a bit more twitchy about jail than the others. She suspected that the brunette Slayer had visited more than one jailhouse around the country.
"Of course not," Faith said, sneering at her openly, "I’m just saying, you haven't seen shit until you've seen a pregnant and brassed off Slayer...but I hope you do."
Kate slumped in relief when Faith finally left and moved her gaze from one broken door to the one swinging from where each Slayer had recently exited. She wasn't about to show fear to either powerful female, but inwardly, she was scared as hell that she was playing with fire. She knew better than anyone that given the chance, she would take Angel anyway she could get him...and in any position she could get him.
***
//then you love a little wild one…
all the time you know she’s smilin’
you’ll be on your knees tomorrow//
Angel had nearly forgotten that Kate was waiting upstairs for him because his beautiful wife's warm little hands had moved up his shirt and were roaming over his cool skin. Lost in the feel of her and in her kisses, he soon found himself lowering her to the workout matt. He trailed over her neck and rapidly unbuttoned the silk shirt from her tiny frame, kissing the bared golden flesh.
He spread the shirt apart and kissed down her chest, puffing cool breaths over her nipples and delighting as they grew hard in response. Pulling back, he looked down appreciatively at her full breasts and rounded stomach. Taking a moment to relish in her beauty and in the miracle inside her, he moved his hands over her belly, caressing her soft skin.
"I love you," he whispered, brushing his lips over her belly button gently. It was unclear to Buffy whether he was talking to her or their child or both, but she smiled at him, threading her hands through his hair as he worshiped her flesh.
Lost in the feel of her silky skin, the dizzying smell of her arousal and the magickal pull coming from his wife, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her pants and began to peel them away from her. He growled loudly in objection when he heard Doyle's voice wafting down the stairs, "Angel?"
"Damn," Angel muttered, resting his face against her stomach for a second, before calling up in answer, "Just a second, Doyle! I'm coming." Buffy giggled when she heard the end of his sentence muffled against her belly, "...I wish."
"Sorry baby," he said, leaning in to capture her lips again, "I completely forgot about my appointment with Kate."
"Can't she just wait a little longer?" Buffy asked, her green eyes glowing with desire for her mate. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him in for another long, slow kiss, teasing him and urging for more. It took all of his self-control to pull away from her sweet lips and wandering hands.
"Believe me, love," he said, helping her to her feet and using vampiric speed to button her shirt again, "I would love to but we really need to talk about this case. Rain check?"
"Fine," she muttered in mock irritation. She was overjoyed by the fact that Angel had forgotten about Kate. Funny, how the little things could seriously change one’s mood. Forgetting about Kate helped a lot, not to mention her lover’s frustration at having to leave her to work. Angel took her hand and led her upstairs, stopping to make sure she didn't trip over the broken door. Buffy giggled at the sight of the door, laying on the floor and blushed up at him.
"Sorry," she managed over her laughter, "I didn't mean to break it."
She cocked her head to the side and watched him, admiring the view, as he picked the door up and leaned it against the wall. He turned and kissed her gently, smiling down at her.
"I'll fix it later," he murmured against her lips and then sweeping his eyes over her, realizing for the first time that she seemed to be dressed to go out, "Were you going somewhere?"
"Um...no," Buffy said, moving away quickly.
"Buffy," Angel warned, in a low, angry voice, "You weren't going to go on patrol, were you?"
"No," Buffy lied, hurrying away, passing Kate's slack jawed form and heading up the stairs.
"You CAN'T go on patrol!" Angel roared after her, even as she disappeared around the corner at the top of the stairs, "You're pregnant, damn it and I won't have you danger! No patrolling!"
"I wasn't," her voice wafted back down the stairs.
Kate shrank under his angry glare and waited for him to speak, which took a couple of seconds. He took a deep unneeded breath and headed toward his office, "Sorry Kate. Want to step into my office?"
Doyle, who had been completely ignored during the whole exercise, leaned against the counter and grinned as Kate shuffled after Angel. He didn't know what it was like when they lived on the Hellmouth, but there was never a dull moment here.
*** Part Seven
***
//when will you wake up
i want you more than the stars and the sun//
Kate was dragging out her explanation of what she needed help with and after thirty minutes in his office, Angel realized she didn't need his help at all. She just wanted it. He felt his irritation rising as he thought about his beautiful, pregnant wife upstairs doing...whatever it was that she was doing when he should be up there in her arms.
He carefully gave Kate an explanation of how terribly busy he was and shooed her off before swiftly making his way upstairs and to his bedroom where he found what his wife was doing was sleeping. He smiled down at her thinking about how her moods changed so quickly. An hour ago she was knocking doors off their hinges and preparing to go out to fight the demons and darkness of the world and now she was napping peacefully in their big bed.
He peeled back the covers and delighted at the sight of her naked body, even though he already knew she wouldn't be wearing clothes. In the last couple of weeks, she had started shedding her clothes whenever she could, complaining that she couldn't stand for them to touch her skin. Angel shed his own, thankful she had yet to turn away or dislike him against her skin. He climbed in bed, wrapping himself around her body and she scooted back against his chest, murmuring in her sleep.
"Angel," she purred softly as one of his large hands moved over her body, caressing her legs and belly, gliding over her face, neck and breasts.
"Wake up, baby," he whispered, kissing her shoulder and then continuing a trail of wet kisses over her arm, before lifting her hand to his lips and kissing each little digit.
"‘m..wake..." she mumbled, sleepily, snuggling in against him, "Waiting for you."
"Sorry it took me so long," he said, moving back to her neck once more. He suckled on her scar happily, feeling at if just the taste of that patch of raised skin fed him.
"Done with beautiful and skinny down there?" Buffy asked snarkily, "How many times did she try to sleep with you?"
"It was a battle," he answered, laughing at her despite his attempts not to, "But somehow I made it back to you."
"Don't like her," Buffy huffed, "Little perfect waistline in here trying to steal my demon. She's a homewrecker!"
"Love," Angel said, keeping his slow, easy trail over her skin with his hands as he turned her over onto her back and crouched over her, kissing her thoroughly before he finished speaking, "the only way to be a homewrecker, is to actually wreck a home and since I'm not going anywhere..."
Instead of finishing the sentence, he kissed her again, dipping his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, lowering himself just enough from his crouched position to rub his flat, muscled stomach against her distended one.
"Did you really mean it when you said she wasn't beautiful?" Buffy asked in a tiny, childlike voice as he moved down her chest to suckle gently on her sensitive breasts.
"Mmmhmmm," he answered as he moved from one breast to the other, carefully laving them, knowing that if he was too rough with that delicate, swollen part of her body she would toss him across the room, literally. He learned quickly after the first time that happened.
"Angel look at me," she demanded, tugging on him until he raised his head to meet her eyes. His were flashing golden in desire for her and he moved forward enough to make sure she felt his throbbing arousal against her.
"When I dream about making love to someone," Angel said firmly, "I dream of you. I don't understand what this obsession is with other women for you."
The uncertainty on her face forced him to growl lightly and get off the bed. He held out his hand to her and helped her up as well. He hated the idea that his mate would ever feel inferior to any other woman for any reason.
Buffy wasn't sure what he had planned but stood up and held his hand as he guided her from their bedroom through the adjoining doors to the next room where she kept a full length mirror that he usually avoided at all costs. He hated not seeing his own reflection and being reminded of what he was, but this was much more important. He placed her in front of the mirror and stood behind her, knowing all she could see was herself and knowing his little, insecure Slayer, saw all of her imagined imperfections as well.
"What do you see?" he asked. She saw her hair stir from his unneeded breath and thought he did it on purpose to remind one of them of his presence, maybe both.
"Big, fat belly with stretch marks," she said, "Swollen breasts and swollen everything else."
"Look again," he said, sliding his hands over her belly. Tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to look closer for him.
"Blonde hair," she said, to which answered, "Yes, shining, soft blonde hair that feels like silk and smells like vanilla."
"Green eyes," she added, and he replied, "Windows to your beautiful soul, love. So bright and full of truth and emotion that they caught me the first time I saw them."
"Arms," she said, beginning to warm from his words. He whispered again, running his fingers down them, "Strong arms, with strong hands. Both so tiny that it used to be difficult for me to remember that they saved the world."
"And we're back to the big, fat belly," she moaned. Shushing her, he spoke again, "Which is an adorable, round womb, filled with my growing child, who will be a miracle. And these..." he said, tracing the barely visible stretch marks lining her waist, "...should be worn like a badge of courage."
Emphasizing his point, he circled her and lowered himself to his knees, kissing along those lines she found so abhorrent. He smiled as he kissed along them, "What's more beautiful than this?"
He glanced up at her, hoping his words had soothed her only to find tears running down her cheeks. She was looking in the mirror and then down at him and then at her reflection once more.
"I don't see it," she whispered, "I love being pregnant with our child, Angel, but I don't see it."
"I do," he said, rising back to his feet, "And-"
He groaned in frustration as the separate line in their bedroom began ringing. He didn't want to answer it, not when his cock was standing painfully erect and his perfect naked wife needed to made love to.
"He-" he started, before being interrupted again, this time by a voice.
"Learn how to return a phone call, mate," Spike growled, from his apartment, trying desperately to ignore the wandering hands of Faith who had just finished removing her clothes. He told her he might need to go, but she was determined to make sure he came instead. He was already brassed off that he had waited so long for her to get there while she was out staking his brethren in an alley somewhere.
"What are you talking about?" Angel answered tiredly, "I didn't get a message."
"Too busy climbing on your wife to ask her if she answered the phone?" Spike growled and then sighed, "Look, Peaches, been scrambling around in the dark and dank for you and the bint, the least you two could do was check in now and again."
"Got a point? Is something wrong?" Angel growled back, startling Buffy, whose face immediately changed to concern as Angel grabbed her hand protectively.
"Yes, dammit!" Spike shouted, mostly because Faith was nibbling on his neck and if he didn't get out the sentence he had prepared he was going to lose it - much like he was losing his pants as she tugged on his top button, "Look, that soddin' FBI wanker has been collecting information and looks like he found out a bit more about the power your little hell's spawn is gonna have when it pops out. He's been collecting demons for questioning and now it looks like he's going to try and collect the missus next."
"What?" Angel roared, flying into full game face. His roar echoed through the entire hotel and if he had been paying attention to anything accept for his own anger and the sound of Spike's voice, he would have heard the pounding of feet coming toward his bedroom. Buffy went to put on her robe and then retrieved Angel's before someone broke down the door in worry.
"He's sending troops out, not sure when, but their objective is to capture the Slayer and keep her until the nibblet arrives," Spike explained loudly over the sound of Faith's lips smacking against his skin and Angel's deafening roar over the phone line.
"You and Faith get over here," Angel ordered.
"Faith's not-"
"I can hear her fucking breathing," Angel countered, "Now it's work time. Tell her to get dressed and get home! And you had better be with her when she gets here!"
Gunn, Cordy, Willow and Tara all ran full steam into the bedroom after Buffy forced Angel to put on his robe and she opened the door to the troops. Angel had slammed down the phone and was growling loudly as he contemplated what he had just been informed.
"Angel, what is it?" Buffy said, and then repeated it until she gripped his arms in her tiny hands and shook him roughly.
"They're coming for you," Angel answered around his fangs, "That FBI fuck, Wilder, is sending them to capture you so they can take our baby!"
"Okay," she said, caressing his ridged face gently, "It's alright. No one is taking me. We'll just call everyone and tell them to come. We'll keep shifts and I'll teach everyone what they need to know about FBI tactics. It'll be okay."
"No," he said shaking his head angrily, and then taking a deep, unnecessary breath to calm himself down. With his game face still intact, he cupped her face, "You're not safe here. This is too big of a place and we can't see them coming. Spike and Faith are on their way back. When they get here, we're going to discuss a plan."
***
//devils with halos
in beautiful capes
taking them into the flames//
A half hour later, the group convened in the lobby. Spike and Faith had just made it in the door looking sated and flushed, Xander, Anya, Wesley and Giles at all arrived, as well as five members of Gunn's gang. Angel waited until he had everyone's attention before he started speaking, wishing he could pace as he spoke, but was unwilling to leave Buffy's side for a second, even if it meant moving a few feet away.
When everyone was silenced, he launched into a renewed explanation of Spike's call, with some colorful added in comments by his grande childe, explaining Agent Wilder's plans for taking Buffy.
"The hotel isn't secure," Angel said, "There's a thousand ways to get in and out of here, so we're moving until the baby is born. I need everyone on board here."
"Where do you think we're going to go?" Cordelia asked with images of sewers and dark, horrible places dancing in her head.
"We're going to Buffy's old house in Sunnydale." Angel answered, waiting for the onslaught of arguments.
"You think we're going to be *safer* on the Hellmouth?" Xander blurted, rolling his eyes, "Dead Boy has lost *all* of his marbles this time. And I can't go. I have an organization to run."
"You're coming," Angel demanded in unison with Cordelia's question, "What organization?"
"Way to go," Xander complained, shaking his head angrily at Angel.
"You're the one who put that out Mr. Covert," Angel growled and then turned to the blonde, quiet witch holding Willow's hand, "Tara, do you have any vacation time? We're really going to need you with us."
"Two weeks," Tara offered weakly, "Well, I had two weeks until I took off a bunch of days to help you guys out. I might have a week and a half left."
"Damn," Angel said, looking down at his hand clasped with Buffy's. "Will you please come with us? We can't do this without you and Willow both on board."
"Sure," Tara said, smiling, "It's not like I'll be out on the street if I can't work anyway."
"I didn't know you still owned that house, Buffy," Giles said, raising at eyebrow at his charge.
"Well, we need it from time to time when there's something going on, so we kept it," she answered and then turned to Angel, "Honey, I don't understand how you think the Hellmouth is good idea. It's *evil* there."
"Precisely," Giles said, smiling as the realization hit him, "Sunnydale is unknown territory for these men and it's filled with demons who would most likely be hireable to help."
"Ooh, and the magick there is so much more powerful!" Willow chipped in, "Our spells are always three times stronger when we're there."
"Yeah," Angel said, "We are leaving in three hours. Everyone pack and be back here at 3 AM. That should allow us to make it before dawn."
***
TBC…let her know you want more!!
Back to Tango's Smut Courses
Back to Lit Department