Title: Bloodline
Authors: aaangelus, Pain Jane
Rating: Just to be safe, NC-17 for potential smutty goodness.
Disclaimer: Joss owns them, as well as the WB and FOX.
Spoilers: Main events up to the end of Season 5 of Buffy
Beta: Pain Jane
Feedback: Please, ahh and don't forget about our beloved co-author and Beta, drop her a line, in the reviews. Without her help, this fic wouldn't be what it is, thanx.
Warning Warning Warning
Hi guys, I know, long time no update. Now I update The Plot just once, and I post something new, well this is a sort of therapy for me since I can't even think about The Plot after this idea jumped into my mind. So I am writing what is currently occupying my mind and won't let me think about what little is left of The Plot. Hopefully, once I write this, my mind can go back to The Plot, and I can finish it for you, sorry.
This is not going to be your typical post, I am not going to post the first chapter. I´ve got the first chapter figured out but not written, and know how I want to write this fic-at least the main points. However, the chapter below isn't going to be chapter One, I don't know which chapter it will be, it is somewhere around chapter four or five. So you have been warned, you are being dropped in the middle of the fic, I have a few reasons for this. One, it´s the chapter that is most fleshed out in my mind. Two, I wanted to get a feel of how you guys like or dislike the fic. Third, I just want to have fun with you guys, do something different. I have a few other reasons, but I'll keep those to myself, hehe. I also want to give you something exciting to start with, something you can sink your teeth into, to excite you more about the fic. But I promise you, I'll go back and post the early chapter after I finish The Plot, and The Hated End. I might finish this fic before the other two, depending on how my mind allows me to work. I hope you have fun with it and enjoy it, and as always, the best way for me to get these stories out for is for you to feed me.
By the way, this is my first attempt at a fic of this type, I usually do some action, torture, and smut. I don't think this fic will have too much of the first two, as for as smut, I am almost positive there will be some. I can't help it with smut, I just have a dirty little mind. So I hope you enjoy.
Thanx
Sneak-Peak Chapter
Buffy sneaked a look around the corner of the next hall, making sure her target hadn´t escaped as he had the previous nights. A glance around the corner proved that she still had her target. She could see him turning down the hall, where he had lost her the previous two nights. But he wouldn´t get away tonight, she'd make sure of it. Just as he disappeared around the corner, she quickly glanced around, making sure no one was there to spot her. She quickly tiptoed into the next hall. Moving with lightning speed, she covered the distance to the end of the hall, giving a quick peek to make sure she still had him. There she saw him, the head of the Watchers Council.
Mr. Rupert Giles, the Head of the Council, stood right in the middle of the hall, facing the right side of the wall. He quickly turned his head left and right to make sure no one was following him.
Buffy quickly pulled her head back, hiding from his curious glance. She mentally gave a quick three-count and peaked again.
Mr. Giles raised his hand touching the wall, and, with a click, a panel slid open. He quickly pressed his hand to what appeared to be a scanner and spoke a few words. Her honed slayer senses could pick up a low grating sound as the wall suddenly opened, allowing Mr. Giles to enter and disappear from view.
Buffy finally understood how he had been able to disappear into thin air the previous nights. She quickly moved down the hall trying to catch up with the closing doors. She reached her target, but the door had closed.
Buffy cursed under her breath. She couldn't open the door since she didn't have the required clearance, but she had to find out what that door lead to.
She looked around trying to find any other way into that room, but there was nothing except a square ventilation shaft on the ceiling. She figured she was small enough to go through the small opening. Deciding that was her only option, she leaped in the air opening the air vent.
Once the air vent was open, she jumped at the wall. Pushing it with her right foot, she was able to catch the open vent. Pulling herself up and closing the vent behind her, she could see the duct head in four different directions. Buffy headed in the direction of the secret door. She could see an opening a few feet at the end of the air duct. Crawling on her hands and knees, she reached the opening.
Looking out through the small opening, she could tell it led to an elevator shaft. Turning her head upwards, she could see the elevator lines dropping form the mechanism on the ceilings. She had just missed the moving elevator. She waited until the elevator stopped moving and grabbed the lines, climbing down the shaft.
Buffy knew that spying on the head of the Council wouldn't lead to anything good. She enjoyed her new life. She had done her part as a slayer, she was the best slayer in history, and now, the Council had finally rewarded her for her services. They had retired her, not only that, they were preparing her as a Watcher, and potentially, one day to lead this Council against the powers of darkness.
For the first time in her life, she was allowed to live somewhat a normal life. She had a good life here, potential for some good friends with Xander and Willow, even with Cordelia. She definitely had a good life here. For the first time since she had turned sixteen she had a hope for a future, friends, and some day, maybe, someone to love, build a future together, even have a few kids. Not a future filled with darkness and demons, not a future where the best she could hope for was quick and painless death in a dark dank alley.
She was happy here in the watcher council, she enjoyed the quite country surrounding, with crystal clear lakes, and green high mountains surrounding the castle and its beautifully maintained grounds that she now called home. Her life was filled with new friends, and lots of time for herself, to study, learn and enjoy the beautiful weather.
But, in the end, she was a slayer. "You can take the girl out of the slayer," she liked to say, "but you can't take the slayer out of the girl". She was born a slayer, it was what she was, she couldn't ignore her senses. Something wasn't right here. It wasn´t just the monstrous monthly visitors and all increased security around that particular area. What really set her Slayer-alarm off was the mysterious girls that were ushered through the castle by heavily armed guards. Buffy had waited for hours at the entrance and had only seen the guards leave, never any of the girls.
Reaching the elevator, she realized she couldn't just drop into and open the door to where it led. She spotted another shaft, puling herself into it she crawled down. Reaching an intersection in the shaft, she didn't know which direction to go. Years of slaying had taught her to follow her guts, so she picked a direction and headed that way.
She could tell that this underground area was nowhere near as big as the castle, or the secret base hidden below it. These rooms, as best as she could tell, were in the middle under the castle, but above the secret base, where the Council kept safe lots of dangerous artifacts, and where they imprisoned some of the most dangerous demons. It was where all their top secret areas were. However, this was something she never knew existed. She doubted anyone in the castle, but a few knew about this. She had certainly been on the alert lately, and never heard anyone talking about it.
Now she could hear the sound of a faint conversation coming from the vent few feet away from her, and she knew she reached her destination. Moving as fast and quietly as possible, she reached the vent.
Looking down the air vent, she could barely see into the room. From what she could see through the obscured vent cover, it was surprising. The floor of the room was covered with the most amazing rugs, which covered a snow-white marble floor with amazing intricate designs imbedded in it all. Taking a closer look, she could tell they were taking the form of a spell, but one she had never seen before. Turning her head trying to see more of the room, she could tell that the designs didn't stop at the floor, but flowed perfectly on the walls too, she was sure that if she could see the ceiling, she´d see the same patterns there as well.
Her senses picked up on the power emanating from that very powerful spell that propelled her away from this area. She suddenly had the urge to flee, to run as far away from that area, but her curiosity and strong will kept her in place.
She tried for a better angle to get a larger view of the room, but the small opening wouldn´t allow it. Finally, she picked up the sound of a conversation. Dropping her heed to the corner of the vent, her cheek almost touching the bottom of the duct, she could now see the corner of the room. She saw the back of a brown leather seat where Mr. Giles sat facing a square table with a chess board setting on top of it.
"You were late today…" She heard a deep voice with a slight accent to it say to Mr. Giles. Buffy couldn't place the accent. It didn't sound like anything she ever heard before, and, during her Slayer life, she had traveled all over the world closing Hell mouths and stopping Apocalypses. No, this accent was so subtle slight, it almost didn't sound like one accent at all, but like 20 different accent into one unique voice. His voice resonated power, it vibrated deeply into her bones, so deep that she could feel it touching something very deep inside her, her soul, almost a primal cord within her.
Try as she could, she couldn't get an angle to see who sat facing Mr. Giles. All she could see were powerful muscular toned legs, covered in tight black leather pants and a big strong hand moving the onyx chess pieces.
"Ahh… I was dealing with the fallout of your little stunt last night…" Mr. Giles was interrupted by the deep mescaline voice.
"Not my fault," Said the man uninterested. She could only see his hand disappear for a moment, but she could picture him in her mind still, his hand waving though the air, as if to deem the conversation unimportant or unworthy of Mr. Giles mentioning.
"Fine…"She heard Mr. Giles say with no worry to his vice. "But I thought we had moved beyond this long ago," he finished.
She was perplexed. From the conversation, something big had happen. Their conversation was clear on it. But the feeling she got was that they almost didn't care, like they were talking about the weather. This person, the one she could feel, but couldn't see, had done something big and caused some trouble, but the way they were talking about just didn't add up.
"Your move," The deep voice said.
Mr. Giles only hummed, his mind seeming completely on their game now.
As their conversation seemed to stop, Buffy turned her head right and left, up and down. All the time trying to assess the room. She could see only a little. One wall was covered from floor to ceiling in shelves, made of heavy dark brown wood, and lined with volumes of books and objects. The room wasn't big, but it was cozy, it had a seating area with three brown leather couches and an antique-looking table between them. The room had a dark color theme, not too much black, but brown and burgundy dominated the surroundings, giving away a warm, old-world feeling to it. She could spend hours sequestered in this room she told herself, if it wasn't for the spell that told her she should leave.
The deep voice brought here again to the bizarre situation. "So what's going on up there, in the world, I mean," The deep voice asked.
"Other than the world going to shit, nothing new. Demons, natural disasters and your typical human nonsense," Answered Giles as if it were not his concern.
"Yeah, you humans love looking for trouble. Wars, plagues and natural disasters. I´ve always thought you lack common sense. Volcanoes, tsunamis... Why would you settle there if you know it´s dangerous? As I said, no common sense," Deep Voice commented.
"Yes, very true. No one in thousands of years has thought of it," Mr. Giles said sarcastically. She didn't know what to make of their conversation. Deep Voice was obviously not human, and he was kept down here for some reason, as some type of prisoner. But their conversation had a very familiar feeling to it. They seemed to be friends, and there was even a meager tone of respect between the two.
She saw how the council kept their prisoners, in glass electrified cells and without any comfort. She saw how the vampires and demons where imprisoned here. They were studied and experimented on. They weren't treated inhumanly, but they weren't treated like this either. They simply were prisoners and were treated as such.
But this whole situation was just absolutely and positively bizarre. She didn't know what to make of it. How could she figure this out? She hadn´t got this far for nothing! Who was Deep Voice, and why was he here? He wasn't acting like a prisoner should, was he even a prisoner? Why was the head of the Council there alone? He didn't go anywhere alone; he was always followed by assistants and watchers at every turn. Just taking the time to come here on almost daily bases was strange. She had seen him taking time form all his duties and busy schedule to visit this man, and that just didn't make any sense. And if this guy was being kept here with all this security, then he was dangerous. At the least he wasn't allowed to be left to his own devices. That also made no sense, for why would the head of the Council, the most important person other than the slayer in the fight against evil, would just show up with no protection at all and sit down with Deep Voice at his first class cell for a game of chess.
"Well if you are not going to give me news about the world, how about some news about the new Watcher Class. You always bring the most interesting anecdotes," Deep voice asked, again sounding disinterested on ether topic of the conversation.
"Oh, yes…" Mr. Giles replied with a chuckle. "Do you remember you have TVs all over this place? You must have every possible news channel in the world, all you have to do is turn them on," Mr. Giles commented, still not answering Deep Voice question.
"But I´ve heard that TV rots your brain, and I, for one, like my brain the way it is," Deep Voice joked as he moved his Queen, taking a peace of Giles off the board.
"And where did you hear that? Pray tell," Mr. Giles reply lightly.
"Where else? On TV." they both just chuckled.
"So, are you going to answer my question? "Deep Voice said as Mr. Giles moved another piece to protect his Queen.
"Ahh… Why with all the small talk? Ask of what you want to know," Mr. Giles said, but Buffy could tell by his voice that he was smiling, enjoying their verbal game.
"So..."
"Haha, okay…" Mr. Giles trailed as if he really was thinking about how to answer the question. "They are an interesting bunch. With a very varied skill set, I believe they are one of the best classes I have seen in years. We have a few who show real promise. There is this shy girl, Willow, who´s very smart and capable, but she needs to get out of her shell. She´s what you´d call a "nerd". Alexander, who likes to call himself "Xander", is a little strange but could become a good watcher... Although he is somewhat of a teacher´s pet," Giles chuckled thinking of the boy.
"Stupid name if you ask me, who calls himself "Xander"? All these kids with their nick names, and internet and technology. They don't even want to bother using their full names, too lazy if you ask me"
"And then there is Buffy…"
"Buffy? Another nickname?"
Buffy held her breath at hearing her name. She somehow was eager to hear what Mr. Giles thought of her, but, at the same time, was really scared to hear something awful.
Giles chuckled, "Just Buffy," He answered with a smile, taking Buffy out of her thoughts.
"What kind of name is that? Please, don't tell me the Watchers Council has come to this, the main criteria for new watchers is strange names to get rid of demons by making laugh to death?" Deep Voice laughed as if he just said something really funny.
Buffy pressed her lips tightly, scowling at the unseen man. "Stupid, stupid, Deep Voice," She thought. "At least, I have a name I like, it's a fun name, Buffy. Who can say they have a name like that? It´s fun, short and sounds good. Who is he to make fun of my name? He probably has a stupid name, probably a last name for a first name. Stupid, stupid, man.
"Come on, don't tell me you've never heard the name before, I know you better than that," Mr. Giles reply to deep vice chuckle.
"Ok, I know the name, so what about her?" Deep voice said as he made his last move. "Check mate."
"She has... potential," Said Mr. Giles as he laid his King to rest and stood up.
Buffy hated that word, "potential". That's something someone says when they don't have anything nice to say about the person. "They have potential" meaning that they aren't good now, that they could be good later.
"I hate that word. It's a cop out." Buffy sucked in a silent breath of air noticing they had thought the same, that Deep Voice had somewhat stood up for her. Even if it only meant he wanted Mr. Giles to be straightforward about her lack of abilities.
Mr. Giles just chuckled. "You know I didn't mean it like that. She just has the potential to be one of the greatest leaders of this council, if she puts her mind to it." Giles commented as he moved across the room reaching the elevator doors.
"See you tomorrow?" Deep Voice asked, with a hint of something so subtle, anyone who was listing wouldn't catch it. But she did; she didn't know what it was, but there was a hint of something. She couldn't put her finger on it, something wasn't adding up; Deep Voice was so confidant, so strong. But the question had the tiniest bit... need. Yes, Deep Voice wanted Mr. Giles to come back. Of course, it was obvious. If she was stuck in that place all day and night, having a guest would be nice. But still, she could tell he didn't want to sound like he wanted him to come. He covered it very well, but she had caught it. It was almost a feeling within herself. She couldn't explain it, so she decided to let it drop for now.
"Of course. There´s no place I'd rather be, old friend."
"Goodnight, Rupert."
"Goodnight, Sire."
With a click, she could hear the elevator ascending the floors to the castle above. What the hell had he meant "if she puts her mind to it..." She had been doing great in all her classes, well, except for Demon History, Slayer History and Watcher History... Well, pretty much anything with History. Who liked History anyway? It was just history. It wasn't like it was the present, which was way more interesting, or the future. ´I guess you can't study the future since it´s still the future... Or the present since, again, is the present, so you can't just study something that is still happening… Ahhh…' she groaned massaging her temple. 'Yeah, see Buffy? You shouldn't think about History, it makes your head hurt. Now, only if the Watchers Council understood that.'
Shaking her head trying to understand what the hell had they said. "Old friend"? "Sire"? This was the head of the Council. "Sire", why would he say that? Who was this guy? A King? What would a King be doing here? And who had Kings nowadays? Everything that had happened that night made no sense. She had thought that if she followed the head of the Council, she would get some answers, but now she had more questions than answers, and that was making her more determined and curious than before to find what the hell was going on.
"You know, it isn't very polite to spy." Her breath caught in her throat as she heard the deep voice. He couldn't possibly be speaking to her; there was no way he could know she was up there. No way.
"I can practically hear the metaphorical gears turning in your head. Why don't you come down and introduce yourself like a normal human being." Buffy was shock. He was talking to her.
"Hay am normal" She quickly covered her mouth not intending to speak out loud. "You can hear my thoughts?" She inquired softly this time, surprised, as if speaking to herself.
He just laughed "No, of course not…" Chuckling again. "I just can tell, what someone in your position would be thinking. Now, come on down. I rarely get any new 'interesting' visitors down here."
´He thinks am interesting,´ Buffy couldn't help but think, ´Guess he could be nice, Buffy, no harm in introducing yourself. He couldn't be all that bad, if the head of the Council came down to see him and play a game with him.´
Making her decision, she pushed the vent cover and dropped down.
She dropped to the floor crouching, Buffy immediately stood up coming face to face with Deep Voice. Her vision took in his formed legs with brownish black leather pants, her gaze traveling up as she stood. With a dark red silk shirt covering his upper body, top buttons undone, he showed the tiniest hint of the hard rippling muscles of his chest.
She froze as her gaze reached his deep brown eyes; eyes that seemed to penetrate your whole being down to the death of your soul greeted her. Feeling herself drowning in those eyes, she used all of her will power to pull away and tore her gaze away from his eyes to focus on his face. A face that greeted her with an amused smile.
Finally she could put a face to the voice, she didn't expect what she saw, and at first glance she never would have matched the voice to the face. She expect someone a lot older, rougher around the edges. He didn't look a lot older than she was at the most he looked to be 25 years old. But on a second look, watching him move around the room, seeing his eyes and demeanor everything about him seemed to fit perfectly.
He was tall, not too tall. 'Well, maybe too tall compared to me,' Buffy thought to herself. He was, at least, a head taller than she was, with broad shoulders and toned body. Not overly muscular, but lean, toned, and defined. He screamed of the perfect predator, his long confident strides made him seem like he was gliding not walking. His movements were deliberate, one could even call them slow, but the distances he would surely cover were amazing with minimal movement. She had slayer speed and saw demons with light-fast speed and reflexes. Their movement was fast, while his movement was so pain-sparingly slow, but it seemed that he covered twice the distance in half the time she or anyone else could.
Her senses immediately picked him up. Her whole being, every fiber of her changed the moment she enter the room. Everything she felt when she was hiding, the way this place repelled her before now seemed to draw her in, to comfort her. But that all paled in comparison to the bombardment this man, this thing created within her, all of her senses seemed to go haywire. Her spider senses on the frits, she couldn't seem to focus on any other feeling, as if every emotion, thought, feeling or warning seemed to be coming from him in waves. He wasn't human, she was positive of that. The closest thing she could come up with was a vampire, but not quite, something was different. He didn't feel like any vampire she had ever come across, not even the Masters, they had been something different, yet totally familiar.
But all that paled in comparison to his face, the only way to describe him is angelic. Every part of him matched every feeling she got from him, from his spiky dark brown hair to his deep brown eyes, to his amused smile, to his deep voice, seemed to fit perfectly together. If she had thought about it, she would have pictured him exactly like that just from hearing his voice.
It seemed that she had been standing there for hours, but she knew it couldn't have been more than ten seconds since she had dropped. Why hadn't he said anything yet? What was he waiting for? Buffy felt nervous and knew she had to say something. "Who are you? What are you? What are you doing here?" She finally managed to break the silence, questions that had plagued her mind pouring without restrain.
"Shouldn't I be asking you those questions? After all, I am not the one caught eavesdropping on someone in their own home," He replied with an amused chuckle and a smile, a smile that seemed to be fixed to his face, for the moment, at least, she told herself.
This whole situation seemed strange to her. She figured he had a point, but it was the only thing she could think of to say. What do you say to a person who´s just caught you spying on them? The whole thing started to unsettle her. When she usually invaded someone's home, she usually didn't ask questions or made with the chit chat. She would just got to work, kill them, dust them. Talking was almost never part of the deal.
"So who are you? And what are you doing here?" He repeated her question to her.
Something inside her made her react at that. She wouldn't let him get away with it, if he didn't answer her question she wouldn't answer his, not after he had been so rude to her, even if he didn´t know it. That reminded her... "Before I tell you my name, I have an advice for you, Mister. Stop with the funny. You're not funny, so don't try to be funny. With a voice like yours, funny isn't part of the deal." Oh, boy. Now she had started, she knew her verbal downpour wouldn't cease until she had said all what was on her mind. "You might be scary. Off putting? Definitely. But it isn't nice to make fun of nice people's names, especially when you don't know them. In fact, I say Buffy is a very nice name, it just easy to say, easy to remember, and just fun. See? Try and say it, it even sounds fun to say." She was glad she had got it out of her chest, and thought this move would also give her time to think of her next move. She really didn´t want to explain her eavesdropping to him.
"Ahhh… This could only mean one thing, you're the famous Buffy," He said, tilting his head to the side and pointing at her with a long perfectly manicured finger, and, again, with this amused arrogant smirk. He walked to other corner of the room, which had a small bar, and poured himself a drink. "Would you like a drink?" He asked very politely, as if he was talking to a dear friend visiting him, not someone who just dropped on him from the ceiling.
"Not 21 yet." She prayed he didn't hear the all too obvious embarrassment in her voice.
"I´m not a cop, and I don't see anyone else around here. I won't tell if you don't." He tilted his glass giving her a second chance to accept his offer. With a wave of her hand, Buffy declined the offer. "Okay, let me know if you change your mind, or if you want anything else. You can even look around for something you like. It seems you already took the liberty of eavesdropping on my private conversations," She could tell he was amused. He wasn't upset or even mad for what she had done. It seemed that he enjoyed making her feel confused and embarrassed, and it was getting to her, she could tell her face was getting warmer and probably way too red for her liking.
He walked to his couch and sat down, raising his hand and waving it over the seating area. "Please take a seat. I won't have a guest of mine stand up the whole time they are here. Make yourself at home." Again he showed a slight smile. He was enjoying that, she was sure, all of it a game to him. She even started to suspect his whole line of conversation with Mr. Giles had been for her benefit, but he couldn't had known she had been there from the beginning, could he? How could she know? Even if she asked him, he wouldn't tell her, he won't even tell her who he was? Damn him.
She decided to accept his invitation and took the seat furthest away from him.
"So what brings you by, Buffy," he inquired with a little hint of seriousness to his voce.
"I asked first. Answer my questions, and I'll answer yours." she delivered her comment with just the right amount of mischief in her voice. 'Time to change tactics,´ She told herself. She wasn't just a slayer, she was the prefect weapon, and he was a man after all.' She thought if she delivered her comment or question with the perfect amount of mischief, sexiness and innocence, she was positive she could turn this whole situation to her advantage. Buffy felt like she was in a cold war with this guy. She wasn´t used to not getting what she wanted, and he wouldn't concede that little piece of information. He was infuriating.
Deep Voice, as she had come to call him, raised his hand in surrender. "Okay, okay. I give up," He chuckled. "I see we started off on the wrong foot," he said with a very convincing and genuine smile this time, still amused, but without a hint of arrogance as before, just simple amusement. She could feel the tiniest sliver of mischief in his voice too, almost matching her plot. "Let me start by apologizing for my previous comment about your name. It was uncalled for, you have a beautiful name to go along with a more beautiful person" He complemented with all honesty, all games and trickery gone from his voice. It seemed two could play that game.
She could feel her face was turning as red as an apple, and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed by his comment, delivered so smoothly, so easily and delivered so matter of factly. It was as if he had been completing her on her nice choice of clothes. But he wasn't, he didn't know her? Who said that to a person they had just met? But there was no creepiness to the comment; it was said in all honesty, with no other underlining motives to the comment. "Thank you," she said softly, fearing her voice would betray her and show how embarrassed she was. "Apology accepted," she caught herself saying.
"So now that we are on solid footing, can I offer you anything, truly?" He offered.
"Hum… okay, maybe a soda, any kind, It don't matter" she finally accepted his offer, feeling a little more comfortable.
"You're acutely in luck. I have a few cans, give me a second." He stood up and walked through one of two doors in the realm. She could hear him talking "I get a few guest every once in a while, so I keep stock. What would you like?" He called from the other room.
"Anything, Pepsi, Coke. Doesn't matter as long as it is bubbly and sweet." She replied a little loudly while turning to have a better look at her surroundings, the view from the air vent not having done enough justice to the beauty of the room.
"I can hear you just fine, no need to shout." Buffy recoiled in surprise hearing him so close to her, she hadn't felt him come so close to her. How could he have gotten this close without her sensing something.
"Ohh… sorry, didn't mean to shout. I thought you were in the other room"
"It´s fine. Don't worry about." He put a small tray down on the table with a large glass and an open can of Pepsi.
"So, how do you like my home?" he asked, noticing her previous observation.
Buffy picked up the can filling her glass, and taking a small sip, while pondering his question. The room felt cozy, it felt like a home, she couldn't explain how. Again the room wasn't too big, it was average-sized with wood shelves lining three of the walls from floor to ceiling, except for the two doors, and the forth wall apposite the elevator. It was covered with blood red velvet drapes that flowed and weaved in an interesting design. He seemed to like dark colors. The floor was covered in what she assumed the most expensive Persian rug. Everything in the room screamed lavishness, and comfort. She assumed it had to be, if this man was living here, and not being able to get out and around. This had to be as comfortable as possible.
"It's very nice, could use a little color I think."
"Thanks, I like it. It has some color: Red, brown... and the floor is white. How many color can you stand to look at all day? This feels comfortable." he shrugged.
"Why live here? There are perfectly viable homes on the surface. Why live underground?"
He just shrugged again. "It´s home," He finished as if that explained everything.
Buffy immediately got a distinct feeling. She didn't know what it was, but she didn't like it at all. She felt like he was resigned to his fate. That he was content living there, that he had no hope of getting out of here or didn't want to try. That feeling was in such a contrast to this man's personality. From what she had felt from him over the last few hours, she could tell he was capable, confidant and strong, but the way he had said it was his home... It just felt so sad to her, he felt lonely even. She knew he was a fighter, she could feel it in her bones. But he seemed resigned to this fate. And that disturbed her more than anything else.
She decided to try her hand at lighting the mood. "So if you aren't going to tell me who you are, or what you are doing here. Then tell me something else, anything," She tried to cox any information from him. This game was starting to get on her nerves.
"Anything like what?"
"Anything like where you are from, how old you are, if you have family somewhere... Anything," ´okay, I am making it easy for you, Mister, just give me an answer, anything. If you don't give me an answer, I'll probably start asking questioning and answering for myself. I'll just go crazy and start making up shit until they put me in the loony hospital´.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"I had a family."
"Mr. Obvious, everyone has a family. It´s ok if you don't want to talk about them. Where are you from, how old are you?" Buffy tried a more direct approach. "You know my name, and you know I am at least less than 21… In fact, I'll be turning 21 in a few months. So there you go."
"The place where I am from doesn't have a name, so I can't tell you. And I don't know how old I am exactly, I've been stuck down here for a long time. So, honestly, I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to" He said seeming honest, even naïve about it. But who didn't know how old they were, or where they were from? Buffy couldn´t believe that.
"Come on, who doesn't know the name of their home town. It must have a name. What's the closest city to your home? Give me something."
"Can't tell you what I don't know. When I lived there, it didn't have name. We just called it home." He seemed so sincere, it was hard to think he was lying, or what that truth would imply.
"So you aren't going to help me with anything." She asked.
"Help you with what? I don't know what you need help with, so how can I help you." His almost childish honesty was driving Buffy insane.
"Augh… I want to know about what's going on here. The strange visitors at night that I see coming here, somewhere, but I never see leave. I want to know why the head of the Council visits you here, what are you doing here, and who the hell are you?" Buffy almost screamed the last part, frustrated at this mysterious man. "Man"? When did she started thinking of him as a man? She knew he wasn't human, but she didn't exactly know what he was. He was definitely of the male gender, so he was a man, at least for now.
"Nosey little thing, aren´t you?" he chuckled, almost delighted. "And besides, you haven't offered anything in return for the information you seek. I figured everything I know about you myself, with no help form you" He stated.
Buffy huffed in frustration. It was like hitting a tennis ball at the wall, the harder you hit the ball, the harder it bounced back at you. You never win because the god-damn wall never gets tired of sending your ball back just as hard as you hit it. "No tell me what I want to know. First, if you even know anything. I am the one who came here, crawling on hands and knees, climbed down an elevator shaft for God knows how many damn floors, and all that was to get a few straight answers, something which you seem incapable of doing. All the while, you sit here not worrying about anything. You probably never heard of me. But I came looking for something, and I found you, so I think I made the most effort to get some answers, which I deserve." She tried to reason with this stubborn person.
"Maybe you have a point," He said nodding his head, seeming to give her argument serious thought. "Yeah, okay. I thought about it…" He trailed off just long enough to see her move the tiniest bit forward, getting excited for an answer and seeing her finally swallow the bait. "... And I decided no. You go first. See, I have some answers, and you have questions. That gives me an advantage. Yes, I want to know a little about you, but not as much as you want to know about what's going on." He smirked.
"You are impossible! You're as stubborn as a mule." Buffy screamed jumping off her seat.
"Look who's talking. It's like the pot calling the kettle black."
"What do kettles have to do with this?"
"Never mind, it's just a saying," deep voice replied, his eyes dancing with amusement.
"Okay, yup. If you mean you're a stubborn pot, plus a kettle... Yeah then I agree," She said trying to insult him, showing her mounting frustration, which he greeted with a simple smile. His whole demeanor frustrating her even further. "You know what, thanks for the drink. I'll be leaving now," Buffy said standing up, trying to bluff him into giving her any tidbit of information she'd settle for a name right now. It was her last resort, and logically, unless he started speaking she didn´t have much to do there.
"Okay, nice to meet you, Buffy," he said, her name on his lips sounding quite different. "I hope to see you soon. You know now where to find me." He stood up calling to her as he walked to a door, which appeared to lead to his private bedroom.
The arrogant bastard had just called her bluff. "I am never coming back." She shot back with an edge to her voice. She knew she sounded like a petulant child, but she wouldn´t give him the satisfaction of giving in. Either he gave her some piece of information or there was no deal.
The side of his lips lifted in half a smile, and, with a twinkle in his eyes, he said, "Sorry to hear that, I thought we were getting along fine. But suite yourself." And he disappeared in the other room, as if releasing her. As if the conversation was ending on his terms, not hers. 'Damn him, damn him, damn him to hell. I really hate that guy,' her thoughts screamed in frustration.
Buffy walked with decided steps to the air vent and jumped, catching herself and puling herself into the vent. She was upset. All the work she had done the past few weeks, all the sneaking about, following Mr. Giles, and losing him twice. Finally, she had got somewhere, and at the end of her journey, she had only found the most stubborn and frustrating man she had ever met.
As she was about to close the vent, and the book on her unsuccessful spy mission, she heard him calling her name. Her curiosity got the better of her so she answered.
"Yeah? Did you say something?" She asked, dropping her head back in the room to see him standing at the door he had disappeared to earlier.
"Angelus," She heard him say.
"Huh? What?"
"My name… is Angelus" Their eyes met for the briefest of seconds, hers wide in disbelief, his still bright with amusement. All too soon, he turned around and walked into the dark room, but Buffy still caught it... he had the tiniest smile on his face.
"Angeluss," She said softly, a bright smile on her face as she closed the cover on the vent and headed out of the air duct.
TBC…
A/N: Okay people let us know what you think if this so far, the more you like it, the faster we'll finish it 'probably'. No seriously though, we'd like to know what you think.
By the way a new chapter in The Plot will be updated very soon, it's finished so look for that if you enjoy that fic.
Thank you all,