Jarthran

by sirena1

Buffy is part of an expedition that crashes on a strange planet that is populated by hostile aliens. One guess who Angel is.

Title: Jarthran

Rating: R. Because I'm not being totally explicit, I won't offer two versions. For those of you that think this should be censored, I'd like for you to watch some R rated movies and tell me that honestly this is any worse. So, there isn't any real explicitness so you can all deal with a little sex.

Spoilers: AU fic, no relation to canon at all

Summary: Buffy is part of a human colony living on a planet where women are property. Angel is part alien and, during a raid of her village, he wins her from her father and takes her to his city to wed her. Things don't go exactly as planned.

A/N: This idea is one I haven't ever seen done and I'm really glad I'm the first one to do it. I read a book about humans and aliens a couple weeks ago and I realized that it had the beginnings of a true romance story where circumstances have nothing to do with the feelings that the main characters begin to experience despite their different backgrounds and obvious differences, both physical, emotional and circumstantial.

Buffy Summers lived in a world unlike any one she had read about in the books in her father's vast library. Where she lived, women were simply property, and they were treated as such. Men with daughters would sell or trade them for a horse or another slave that all the well off people held so dear. But that wasn't even the worst thing about where she lived. The worst thing was the danger. The possibility of being captured and sold to a man who would use her as he might a call girl. That was her biggest fear. To be used and abused as some of her friends had been.

"Buffy, come in here for a moment." Buffy's father, Hank Summers called his oldest daughter. A moment later she appeared in the doorway.

"Yes?" she asked softly, adjusting her flowing skirt nervously. She had a bad feeling she wasn't going to like what he was going to say.

"I wanted to talk to you once your sisters were in bed. Something came to my attention this morning and I've been rather anxious to discuss it with you, so forgive me if I seem to be rash. But it has come to my attention, and to the attention of the Elders that you're approaching your twenty third birthday. And as you have no doubt realized, that is rather old for a young woman to still be living with her parents. So I spoke with one of the town gentleman today and he has agreed to pair you off with his son. However, it has come to the attention of the Elders that you are one of the few fertile females still within the age of child bearing. In fact, if you do get pregnant, you will be one of the first women to conceive in nearly fifteen years since your sisters were born. So I must impress upon you the importance of being open and welcome to lying with your new husband. The ceremony will be in two weeks. Your mother will start sewing your wedding attire immediately. We wish to rush this affair as quickly as possible so that you may be able to be with your husband in the physical sense all the sooner."

Buffy simply nodded and turned to leave the room without a word. She managed to suppress the tears that gathered behind her eyes until she was behind the closed doors of her small bedroom. Once in there the tears flowed freely and she sobbed into her open hands, mourning for the life that was now lost to her. The life that was lost to every human woman on the planet of Jarthran.

In the year 2024, an expeditionary group of space travelers had left Earth to find a new home. They had traveled with new light speed technology for nearly five years until, nearly out of food and fuel, they had crashed onto the planet of Jarthran. Once they had recovered from the crash landing, they found that the new planet was harsh and unforgiving. Many of the people had died upon crashing and others were badly injured. Several of the survivors had gone out into the new wilderness to search for a place to stay and food. They had come upon the natives of the planet. Jarthrans were as alien as an alien could get. They were slightly tanner than a human and had a ridged brow and forehead. Their hair was worn long and they were taller than human by several inches, the shortest being well over six feet tall. But the Jarthrans were not a friendly people. They killed several of the humans and took many of the others into slavery. Those who were left found a small cave and a mountain range and built a fortress there to keep them safe. But the natives were the least of their problems. Game was hard to find and even harder to catch. The big animals that would feed the entire group took days, or even weeks to track and kill. The oceans that surrounded the place where they had crashed were violent and dangerous. The water was acidic and purple, and the fish and creatures in it were no good to eat and feasted upon people and animals that dared to swim in the deep water.

Eventually though, the survivors that had not been captured adapted to their new, harsher surroundings and made a new life for themselves. Then, they encountered another problem. The entire original group had been fertile, but when their children were born, it was found that the planet's natural radiation had taken the fertility rate down to only seventy-five percent. With the next generation it was down to fifty percent and it continued to decrease with each passing generation. Seeing that their culture was in danger of extinguishing itself, the Elders of the group made a pact with neighboring towns of Jarthrans to trade their females. So, the business began until the community of humans had enough fertile men and women to keep themselves from dying out, even if the children born were not completely human.

After that crisis was dealt with, the group had to face another. The human who had been captured upon the crash had also survived, if in less of a way than the others. They were living as slaves with the Jarthrans and wanted revenge on the people who had abandoned them to the enemy. And still, nearly two centuries later, when fertility was an even bigger problem and radiation levels were getting higher with each passing year, the two groups were still battling each other.

Now, at birth every male and female was tested for fertility. If they were found fertile, once they reached the age of adulthood, their parents arranged for their son or daughter to wed and produce children. Love was a thing of the past for those found to be fertile, and for many of those who were not. For, even though the infertile humans could not produce human babies, the Jarthrans had found that human women made good bearers for their children, as seventy percent of the children born were male.

Buffy, herself, had been the only female in thirty years to be found fertile. Five women in her mother's generation had been given the duty of keeping the race going, and now that responsibility fell sole on the shoulders of Buffy and possibly the shoulders of the sister her mother would give birth to in a matter of weeks. And now, her father had decided that it was time for her to fulfill her duty to the community and take her place among the breeding stock. She could only pray that her father chose her a good husband who would treat her kindly.

The next morning Buffy was awaken before dawn by the sound of screaming. Judging from the red cast that the night had, they were being raided again. She quickly leapt from her bed and dressed in her most comfortable clothes, a loose lavender skirt that fell to her ankles, a tight white blouse that hugged her petite form and a pair of sandals that tied to her feet allowing her to run as fast as she possibly could if need be. Her father was downstairs shouting out the door for everyone to settle down, even though no one ever listened to him. She quietly descended the stairs and grabbed her grandfather's sword that hung above the back door. She tested the weight in her hands, remembering the last time she had practiced, and hesitated only a moment before rushing out into the clearing where their town was built.

The scene that met Buffy shocked even her. Humans, who had clearly been bred with Jarthrans, were taking part in the raid, and it seemed that this time, unlike all the others, they were taking prisoners. She held her sword to her side and looked around for a place she would be needed. Finally she decided just to fight whoever was trying to raid her own house. She soon found out that doing so was going to be harder than she expected.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She warned a tall man who was getting ready to shove her father out of the way and enter her house. "No one goes into my house uninvited."

"Man, you send a girl to fight for you? You are a coward and a dishonor to your people." The man said to her father.

"I take offense to that. My daughter is as good a fighter as any of your men. Fight her and allow her to prove herself. I will even make you a deal. If she wins, as I have no doubt she will, you are required by the oath of your people to leave my house and family alone. If you defeat her, I shall give you my eldest daughter, whom is the only fertile woman in the village for you to take as a wife. She is the one who stands before you now."

"You have a deal old man. I just pray you hold to your word. Prepare to lose your daughter. I hope she can bear me many sons."

"Don't lose to him Buffy. You are too valuable to me. I need you to win."

Blocking out her father, Buffy raised her sword and took a fighting stance. The man, whose name she did not know, did the same. After a heartbeat of waiting, she took the first swing. He was quicker than her though, and blocked it neatly. They parried blows back and forth for several minutes until she swung and he missed the block. She cut his upper arm, drawing a thick line of blood from his arm. He swore in his own language and delivered his own blow, knocking her sword out of her hand. It clattered to the ground and she looked at it helplessly. Without a word, he placed the tip of his sword to the place where her heart beat and said two words.

"I win." He said with certainty. "Now go pack your necessities. We will leave for my city shortly."

Buffy looked at her father in a last ditch effort to get out of what had just happened, but Hank shook his head in solemn disapproval. "You lost, daughter. Go pack your things and bid your mother and sisters goodbye. You will leave with this man. He owns you now and I will not stand in his way, nor will anyone else in the village. Now go."

With tears thick in her throat, Buffy went upstairs to pack what she would need. It was nearing the coldest part of winter so she first changed into thick pants and a woven sweater, with boots on her feet and a thick fur coat over her clothes. She gathered all her thick winter clothes and placed them in a bag, along with some of her more conservative nightthings, several garments for warm weather and several of her favorite books that had been given to her as gifts over the last few years. Having that sad task done, she quickly added several more things she doubted she would need and two pair of sandals, and descended the stair to the place where her family had gathered to see her off.

"Goodbye my daughter, I will miss you dearly. I hope that your new life will bring to you great happiness and healthy children." Joyce Summers, Buffy's mother said tightly, trying not to let her husband see how much losing her eldest daughter to a barbarian was affecting her.

"Sissy, where are you going?" her youngest sister, Rianna, asked, with tears glistening in her big green eyes.

"I have to go with that man over there. We had a fight and I lost so he gets to take me with him. But don't cry, sweeite, I'll come see you again, I promise."

Dawn, who was only four years younger than Buffy stepped up to hug her tightly. "I'll miss you. Don't let him hurt you. They're really rough with their women and it's hard to tell what he'll do to you, so be really careful with him."

"I will, and I will miss you as well, my sister. Take care of mother for me, it is your job now to see to the birthing of the baby she will have. I know you will do well. Now Katherine, come give your sister a hug before she leaves." Buffy ordered the twelve-year-old gently. Her sister approached her slowly and hugged her tightly for a brief moment before letting her go and stepping back.

"I'll miss you Buffy, but I understand that you have to go. It is your duty and you must fulfill it."

"Goodbye." Buffy said, again fighting tears, as she turned to the man who was going to take her away. He held out a hand to her and, hesitantly and fearfully, she took it.

"Do not worry, woman. I have no intention of hurting you. I intend to make this union enjoyable for the both of us. Fear not, I will be very gentle with you."

"It's not your gentleness that worries me. It is many things I do not wish to discuss with a man who is not human, and who has just won me from my father. If you do not mind, I would not like to speak to you for the remainder of our trip."

"The trip ahead is a two-day hike. If you do not speak to me, you are to have a silent journey, and I doubt that would be very pleasurable for you."

"Nothing about this is pleasurable." Buffy muttered, more to herself than to the man, whose name she did not know, that was taking her to his city.

"Would you rather I left you there with a man who will wed you to the most fertile man in your village in hopes that you two alone would produce healthy children, of which you would not get to choose the number, to keep your population rising? In that case, I will take you back home now. Is that what you would want, woman? To have your whole life based on producing children with a man you do not love or even wish to be married to?"

Buffy was silent for several long minutes before breaking her vow to remain silent the entire trip. "I don't get much of a choice this way. You just won me from my father and I know you intend to wed me and make me bear you children. It is the same thing as I would have had had I won the fight."

"That is not so. I will give you a choice. Yes, you are to wed me, simply because it is the way of my people, but I will not force you to do anything you do not wish to do beyond that. You will not take lovers, and neither shall I, but I will not force you to lie with me if you do not wish to do so. It is not the way of my people."

"Your people are barbarians. They raid our villages and steal our women to marry them. Am I supposed to be happy about that? No, I don't think so. So, when you and your people decide to stop killing, kidnapping, and raiding my people, we'll talk. And I have no intention of lying with you in any manner."

"That is your choice to make and I will respect that choice. Now, let us move quickly. We have along journey to my city. Once there we will be wed and then I will take you to my home."

Buffy remained silent, not trusting herself to speak. While they walked along silently, she took the opportunity to study the man. He was tall, nearly six and a half feet compared to her five foot seven, and, she grudgingly admitted, handsome. His hair, unlike that of many of his companions, was cropped short, but it was the dark brown color that was seen among his people. He was muscular, she knew, and stronger than he looked. His features were brooding and dark, but appealing nonetheless. His chin was strong and his cheek bones prominent, his forehead was broad and his eyes large and chocolate colored, his mouth was thin, but not thin enough to bother her, his eyebrows were slightly thick, but on him it looked good, and his nose was straight and had a slight bump on it from where it had no doubt been broken. She looked closer and the only telltale signs of his heritage were two slight ridges on his forehead and one across the top of his nose. She wondered briefly if his spine was ridged like that of his people. She also wondered his name, and finally broke down to ask.

"What do people call you?"

"My name is Liam. I am named after one of the original group that landed here. My father named me, for it was his ancestor. My mother, however, gave me the nickname Angel when I was very young. She was not supposed to be able to conceive children and I am their only son as well as child. It earned me the nickname Angel. People still call me that."

"Which would you prefer to be called?"

"Whichever make you the most comfortable. I do not have a preference."

"I think I'll call you Angel."

"Very well." Angel said, doing the same thing she had moments earlier. He began to study his companion and wife to be with the eye of an artist looking at his next subject. She was thin, a little on the small side, and he briefly worried about her being large enough to bear children. Her hair was the color of spun gold, and it fell around her shoulders in a curtain of thick waves. Her eyes were, at the moment, the color of emeralds, and they were set deep into a face that had surely belonged to a goddess. Her lips were full and heart shaped, her chin slightly pointed, but not enough to make her look haughty. Her cheekbones were high and prominent, giving her a striking appearance, and her nose was straight and feminine. Her forehead was high and rather small, and her eyebrows were shaped into high arches that made her seem inquisitive and curious about her surroundings. He had thought that she was thin, but after looking at her for a long moment, he realized she was simply slender. Her body was full of curves. Slim shoulders, long arms and legs, a small waist and gently flaring hips that were only accentuated by the clothes she wore.

Two days later, as Angel had said, they arrived at his city. And what a city it was. There were tall buildings bigger than what she had ever seen, and gardens that spanned for miles. The marketplace was clean and bustling with people, both full Jarthrans and semi Jarthrans like Angel.

Buffy had never been outside the safe confines of her village and the surrounding area, so she had never seen a large city, or even a city at all. She stared at the tall buildings as he led her through the streets and gaped at all the structural work that she had never before seen. Finally they reached a smaller building and he led her inside. She saw several full-blooded Jarthrans sitting in chairs in a circle and hesitated. Angel jerked sharply on her arm and she followed him slowly.

"This is Buffy Summers, I have recently won her from her father." Angel explained. The tallest man, who looked to be the one in charge, was the first one to speak.

"Would you like to wed this girl or have her put up for auction? She looks a little small to bear many children."

"I do believe that I will wed her. She is stronger and more hardy than she looks, she will be a good wife."

"Very well. You shall wed her before you leave for your next mission. You will leave in three months. When would you like for the wedding to take place?"

"As soon as possible. When is the first date?"

"Two weeks from now."

"That is fine. Come on, Buffy. I'll show you our quarters."

Buffy never said a word until they were outside. "Quarters? Do you live on a military base or something?"

"Hardly. I have an apartment not far from here. I feel that you will like it very much. But after I take you there, I have some things to do, and you will stay at the apartment. Will you stay there and not try to leave?"

Buffy considered her options and decided to play along until she knew her way around the city better. "Yes. I will stay there until you get back."

"Good. Here's the building, we live on the third floor." Angel told her, leading her up the stairs. She followed hesitantly and when he led her into his apartment, she stopped to look around where she would be living. The main room was large and contained a few large cushions that the Jarthrans used to sit on and a whole shelf of knick-knacks. She made a mental note to look through them after he left. "All right, the bedroom is through that door there, you may lie down if you're tired. The kitchen is on the left and the bathroom is on the right. There is a dining room and den through the kitchen and a guest bedroom through that door there if you don't feel comfortable in my bed."

'Thank you. Do you have to go now?"

"Yes. I will be back soon though."

"All right. I'll see you when you get back?"

"Okay. Good bye Buffy."

"Bye Angel."

Once her husband-to-be closed the door behind him, Buffy began going through his stuff to try and find out about the mystery man she was supposed to marry in two weeks time. She first looked through the shelves that held dozens of small things, some cute like a glass animal of some sort that she knew were indigenous to Jarthran. Some were dangerous looking like the collection of knives that occupied an entire shelf. She decided to keep the location of those knives in her head in case he was to get rough with her or try to force her into doing something she had made clear she would not do.

Angel walked the streets by himself for nearly an hour before going over to the small hut his parents lived in on the outskirts of the city in a smaller village. He knocked softly on their door to announce his presence, then walked inside. His mother, who was only half Jarthran, was in the small kitchen preparing dinner, and seeing her made him realize that he would have to stop by the market before going home. He had nothing to fix Buffy and himself for dinner. His father, who was a quarter-Jarthran, was sitting in the living room reading a book that he had gotten from Angel's grand father, a full human.

"Hello Angel." His father said, letting Angel know that his presence had been acknowledged. "Your commander stopped by earlier to let us know that you decided to take a bride. Is it true?"

"Yes. I have decided to marry."

"Well, where is she? Surely you wouldn't let a woman you've recently won stay by herself. The odds of her being there when you return are slim."

"I trust her. And yes, she is at my apartment. Her name is Buffy and she's twenty-three. She was deemed the only woman in her village capable of producing children."

"That's very good considering that you are only part Jarthran."

"Yeah. I have to agree on that aspect."

"Well, tell us about her. What's she like? When do we get to meet her?"

"She's very independent. She's a very good fighter and she's stubborn as a Kalp. But she seems to be nice and very well educated for a human. And you'll get to meet her once she is settled in and has acquainted herself with the city and me better. I don't want to spring you on her."

Angel's mother stepped out of the kitchen. "Are you going to want me to sew her wedding dress?"

"I'll ask her about it. She might prefer to sew it herself. Well, I had better go. I still need to stop at the market and get some stuff before I go home. I'll see you both soon, all right?"

"Good. And bring her with you next time you come. We want to meet her."

"We'll see."

Buffy was asleep on one of the cushions in his living room when Angel returned to his apartment. He carried the groceries he had purchased into the kitchen and decided to carry her into his bedroom. He bent and scooped her into his arms, noticing that automatically her arms went around his neck and she buried her face into his shoulder. She was lighter than he had expected and he carried her with ease into his bedroom. He bent to lay her on the bed and she woke up. Panicking as soon as her eyes opened, she bucked and twisted so she fell, along with knocking him on top of her. He landed on top of her, managing to keep most of his weight off of her and on his arms, which were positioned on either side of her chest. She looked up at him with wide, scared eyes, and he felt the sudden urge to laugh, but kept himself from it. Instead, he lifted one hand and brushed her hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry I scared you. I just thought that you'd be more comfortable in a bed than on a cushion."

"I panicked and I shouldn't have."

"Don't worry about it. Are you okay?"

"Just peachy." Buffy said, once again twisting in an attempt to get out from under him. Unfortunately, all she succeeded in doing was making them slide off the bed and land with her on top of him. Her waist was firmly anchored against him and their faces were scant inches away from one another. She suddenly became aware of the evidence of the desire she thought she saw in his eyes poking into her stomach. She shifted her weight and inadvertently pressed herself harder against him, making him take a deep gulp of air.

"Buffy, maybe you should get up." Angel suggested, not wanting to embarrass himself any further. And he knew that if they didn't get out of the position soon he would do something that she would most likely kick his ass for. Something like kissing her, like he was seriously contemplating doing. But for some reason, Buffy made no attempt to move, aside from a wriggle she did, which only caused them both to emit soft groans as he was pressed even harder into her. Then, damning the possible consequences, he flipped their positions so that he was on top of her again and pressed his mouth to hers in a deep, tongue tangling, breath stealing kiss that left both of them gasping when they finally parted. Being caught up in the moment, Buffy lifted her head and kissed him again, drawing him back down. They kissed for a long moment before he allowed his hands to wander up her body to her breasts, which were pressed against his chest. She gasped as he plundered her mouth and gently kneaded her full breasts. He kissed her even more deeply and her arms came around his neck in a vice like grip. They continued to kiss until they ran out of breath and then parted for a moment. It was enough for Buffy to get her bearings and realize what they were doing. Angel just lowered his mouth to her neck and began working the strap of her shirt off of her shoulder.

"Angel, stop." She ordered softly. He ignored her and continued kissing her neck and recently bared shoulder. "Angel, I said stop it!" she yelled, causing him to stop in mid kiss.

"What's wrong?"

"We can't do this. I don't want to do this. It's wrong and it wouldn't mean anything to either of us, so we can't. Now let me get up."

"Buffy, we can. And I know you know that we both want to."

"Wanting to isn't the problem. It's what comes afterward that's the problem. Things like uncomfortable conversations and a relationship neither of us really want that is based on sex alone, and since there are no forms of protection on this planet that we can get without making a trip to the doctor, we could get a child out of said relationship that we would be beginning by doing anything now. Or ever for that matter. And I know that you know that neither of us want that."

Angel relented and pushed himself up so that she could sit up. "Even though I don't understand it, I did promise not to force you into anything, and I won't."

"Thank you." Buffy said sincerely, placing her hand on his cheek. "I appreciate it more than words can say. I'm not used to being able to make my own decisions and have men abide by them."

"You're twenty two years old, Buffy. That's not the age of a child or someone who needs to be dependent on their parents."

"I didn't have a choice. In our colony, parents are in control of men or women who are fertile until they are married off to someone else. Unfortunately, that means anyone who can have kids is stuck with their parents until they're twenty three."

"Why twenty-three?"

"That's on of the best ages to conceive, according to the doctors at least. It can't be working too well if there hasn't been one baby born since my sisters."

"No, I don't imagine it has been working very well. People don't tend to be very open to the idea of having children with people they would not wish to be married to."

"Then you understand why I do not wish to have children with you."

Angel arched an eyebrow and gave her a suave grin that made her knees grow weak. "We'll just have to see how long that frame of mind lasts. I plan to make our wedding night one you're not likely to forget."

"You'll have to make it pretty interesting then, because you and I will not be doing anything other than talking on our wedding night."

With that having been said, Buffy turned around and walked out of the room, trying not to let him see her shaking from the intensity of the kisses they had shared. She walked into the kitchen and set about making dinner. Several minutes later Angel joined her and they worked in silence for a while, while they seasoned and tenderized the Peld steaks he had brought from the local market. Finally Buffy broke the silence.

"Angel, I'm really not trying to be disagreeable. I've just read all these books about people falling in love and living happily ever after, and I decided a long time ago not to let a man control my life. But that doesn't happen here. The one thing I can control, at least now, is who I give myself to for the first time. And I do plan to decide that, even if it means I die a virgin without ever having any children. Can you understand that?"

"I do understand that. And I respect it. I don't like it much, but I will respect you and your decision. But, I will still try to make you change your mind about a marriage in name only."

"Try away. That doesn't mean I have to give in to your attempts at wooing and seducing me."

"No it doesn't. So, can we call a truce for the time being and just try to get along?"

"For the time being." Buffy agreed after a slight hesitation. She continued to prepare dinner, and Angel, always the gentleman, continued to help even though she hadn't asked him to.

"Do you know what Earth was like?" Angel asked suddenly.

"No. I was born here, remember?"

"Oh, I know. I just thought that maybe you'd heard people talk about it. No one in the city can remember ever hearing anything about it."

"The Elders told us stories when we were younger. But after we turned twelve we were considered adults and had to stop going to their teachings every day. From what I remember being told, it was green. Everything seemed to be green, even some of the water. And there were four major oceans that surrounded everything. And no one walked anywhere. They had these things called cars that they drove, kind of like the hover things your military uses to raid our villages. And if you needed to cross the ocean, you took an airplane, not a boat. The airplanes were kind of like the ship that my people crashed in. Anyway, the people who lived on Earth were all sorts of different colors. And they looked different from each other too. Some had slanted eyes, others were brown or black. Earth was a very diverse place. But, there were all sorts of wars. And not like the raids here. Millions of people died and thousands more were injured beyond recognition. Some never recovered and other killed themselves because the pain was too much for them to take."

"Wow. I'm suddenly glad our scientists never wanted to go visit your planet. It doesn't sound like a very happy place."

"From what I've heard it isn't. But at least the women there are free to marry whoever they want and have as many kids as they want."

"I already told you that I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

"That wasn't meant as an insult toward you, just a statement of fact. I know you won't make me do anything."

"As long as you know that." Angel said, turning and leaving the room. Buffy finished dinner and carried two plates with their meals into the main room where Angel was sitting on a cushion in silence.

"Here's dinner. I hope you like your steaks medium."

"Medium is fine. Thank you Buffy."

Two weeks passed without incident. Buffy acclimated herself to Angel's life and his habits and Angel got used to a female living in his apartment, dictating what he did and when he did it and not taking orders from him very lightly. And then, suddenly, it was time for them to get married. Buffy and his mother had sewn her dress and he had acquired the proper male garb. The temple had been set up for a wedding and the priest had been contacted in order to perform the ceremony.

"Buffy Summers, this man is to become your husband in a few short moments. In this ceremony you will pledge your heart, soul and body to him and him alone. To violate any of the sacred vows you take here today is punishable by separation from your husband or possibly even death. The vows you take are these. To cherish him as you do yourself. To give him your whole self, not just the physical aspect. To love and to honor your husband no matter what happens. And most importantly, to bear him children that you will teach to love and honor their mate the way you will love and honor yours. Do you, Buffy, agree to these vows?"

Taking a deep breath, and swallowing her nervousness, Buffy answered. "Yes, I agree to these vows."

"Good. And Angel Whittmann, this woman is about to become your wife. You are pledging your heart, soul, and body to her in every possible way. To violate any of the sacred vows you take today will result in her being free to choose another mate and live out the rest of her life with that other mate. These are your vows. To cherish your wife as you would yourself. To give to her your whole self, body, heart, and soul. To love her and to honor her in every way you can no matter what circumstances may apply. And, most importantly, to be with her when your children are born to help her raise them and teach them. Do you, Angel, agree to these vows?"

"Yes, I agree." Angel spoke without hesitation.

"Very good. Now, by the power that I have been given by the government of Jarthran and your parents, Angel, I announce this union legal, and the groom and his bride will now move to the wedding chamber to join themselves physically. Angel, as our law mandates, you must now kiss your wife for all to see."

Without hesitation Angel leaned down and covered Buffy's mouth with his own for a long moment before breaking away and allowing the priest to direct them back into the wedding chamber where he imagined they would sit and talk about how they would continue the charade of having a marriage that was not in name only, as they knew theirs was to be.

Once in her own part of the chamber, Buffy surveyed the array of things that had been chosen for her to wear. The worst of it was a short nightgown that was sheer and white and covered next to nothing. It was made out of Jarthran silk, which made it softer than her skin, and she knew that it was very insubstantial and would not keep her very warm. Which was why, she guessed, there was a robe hanging on the back of the door. She studied it and decided that it was better than nothing and pulled it on. It was long, and extremely sheer, and dipped low beneath her breasts to show off what the nightgown accentuated. So, seeing no other way out of the situation, she crossed her arms over her chest and walked out of her dressing chamber. Angel was sitting on the cushion on the floor with his back to her.

"What did they leave you?" he asked, knowing she was there even though she had tried to be quiet.

"Stuff I wish they hadn't. How long do we have to stay here?"

"All night. Tomorrow afternoon, the priests will bring us some clothes to wear to our wedding party and then we'll go back to my apartment."

"I don't suppose there's any chance we'll get out of here any earlier?"

"Not a chance. The way things work in my culture are different from yours. Women are condemned if they lie with a man before they are wed to him, and also if they don't lie with their husband."

"So, what does that mean?"

"That means we're going to be doing a lot of lying for the next few decades. Especially when everyone gets suspicious over you not getting pregnant."

"Great. So what would have happened had we gone all the way the other night when you kissed me?"

"Had someone found out, we would have been given the choice to be married right away, or you would've been sent to a female church and forced to spend the rest of your life in abstinence."

"So you almost got me thrown out of here?"

"I wouldn't have told anyone Buffy. My apartment doesn't have secret cameras. No one would've found out and nothing would've happened."

"So what happens if we don't do anything tonight?"

"I don't know. I've never known a couple to have that problem."

Buffy suddenly felt the urge to go think. "Excuse me, I'll be right back." She said, fleeing the room for her more private chambers. "Oh my dear God, what am I going to do?" she asked herself. "I don't have a choice. If someone finds out that I won't let him make love to me than there's no telling what they'll do to me. And if I do, then there's the chance that I'll get pregnant and then what? I'm stuck with his children while he's out raiding my villages. This is not a good situation."

Finally, after nearly an hour by herself, Buffy came back out, this time without the robe on. "You'll get cold like that, you should put something heavier on." Angel advised tightly, trying to keep his eyes away from her cleavage. It was hard when there was quite a lot of it showing above the neckline of her gown.

"I've been thinking. And I decided that doing this the way we had planned is too big a risk. For both of us. So, we're just gonna have to do things differently."

"How so?"

Buffy lifted one hand and released the string that held her gown up. It pooled around her feet, leaving her completely naked and open to his gaze. Angel felt a certain part of his male anatomy grow painfully hard. "Like this. Come here." She ordered. He wasted no time getting to her. "So, I thought, you know, if someone finds out that I'm not, let's say, *open*, to the idea of sex, than people probably will not be very friendly toward me. So, I decided to bite the bullet and become more *open*."

Angel thought about what she had said. "I don't want you to do something you don't want to do."

Buffy grabbed his hand and pressed it to her breast, where her desire was evident through the racing of her heart and the hardness of her nipple against his palm. "Does it feel like I don't want this? I want you Angel. I wanted you two weeks ago, and I just wouldn't let myself give in."

"Are you sure?" Angel asked, swallowing a lump in his throat when he felt her hand close around him.

"I'm sure. And so are you."

Suddenly Buffy let go of his manhood and began swiftly unbuttoning his shirt. He allowed her to do as she pleased, and busied himself by dipping his head to suck on one of the turgid peaks of her breasts. She arched into him and her hands faltered on the last button. Finally she ripped it loosed and pulled the shirt from his shoulders, leaving his chest bear to her hands, gaze, and mouth. He lowered her to the bed and quickly rid himself of his pants. He spent a few more minutes preparing her, and then, with one strong stroke, embedded the entirety of his maleness in her. She arched against him and pulled his head to her chest, urging him to move within her. He latched onto one hard nipple and began to thrust, first slowly, and then faster and harder until he was lifting her hips off the bed with every stroke. He felt tension building between them and thrust into her, as hard and fast as possible until they climaxed, and he emptied his seed inside her.

Angel moved his weight and she shifted her hips, inadvertently clamping her muscles down on him causing him to grow hard again. They both groaned. "This is going to be a very long night." Angel muttered and began moving again.

Well, what did you think? Was it any good? Did the idea suck? Or did you like it? Tell me! Review please. Or email me at sirena192005@yahoo.com. Thanks a lot!