Demon Bait (2/9)
Previously: Angelus re-emerged and decided to go to Sunnydale to get revenge on Buffy and her friends.

On his way to Sunnydale, Angelus stopped off and raided a blood bank so he'd have a nice supply to tide him over for a few days. He'd decided it would be best not to hunt until he figured out the lay of the land back "home." Then he set the Plymouth on cruise control and sat back to enjoy the smell of freedom, the wind slicking back his hair. He had to admit, Angel had taste in cars if nothing else, and Angelus was taking full advantage of the convertible. Luckily, he had packed wisely. After this wild ride, Angel's super-stick hair gel was going to come in handy.

As he tore along at warp speed, Angelus began to practice his fake-Angel dialogue. "I love you, Buffy," he experimented. "Or how about, Buffy, I love you? I never stopped loving you, Buffy." Each line sounded equally gag-inducing to him, which was a good sign they would work on the simpering teen.

Almost too soon, Angelus breezed into Sunnydale, having made such good time that he was pretty sure Buffy would still be out on patrol. He wondered how much she'd varied her routine now that she was attending college. Although, who ever heard of a Slayer going to college? The concept was simply ridiculous. Besides, Buffy had never been known for her "book smarts," and her grades had suffered even more due to her jam-packed schedule. Quite frankly, Angelus was amazed any school had been desperate enough to accept the Slayer's application.

Be that as it might, however, he figured goody-goody Buffy was still on the job. It was just a matter of discovering where. Angelus slowly cruised the streets bordering Sunnydale's most popular cemeteries, his senses on high alert. His patience was rewarded after about 10 minutes when he felt Buffy's presence in a nearby graveyard. He stopped the car at the side of the road, hopped out, and cut across the grounds in pursuit of the Slayer.

His sensitive ears quickly picked up the sounds of a raging battle. Angelus tracked it to the middle of the cemetery, where he spied from behind a baroque crypt as Buffy easily dispatched a pair of vampires, turning both demons into small piles of dust without drawing a deep breath. She hadn't lost a step yet, and Angelus eagerly anticipated the day he would once again take her on. The defeat of probably the most powerful Slayer ever would certainly be a feather in his cap.

As he thought those deliciously evil thoughts, Buffy whirled and stared in his direction. It seemed like she could sense the presence of her enemy. Maybe she was getting better. Well, it wouldn't do for her to find him hiding. Angelus boldly stepped from behind the crypt and strode toward the startled Slayer.

"Buffy." He stopped in front of her and pinned on his most soulful expression.

She cocked her head. "Angel, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

He launched into his carefully prepared speech. "I've heard rumors of a huge new threat due to arrive in the Hellmouth very soon and I figured you could use my help in case it's true."

Before Buffy could reply, a fair-haired young man walked up and wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Hey, Buffy." He glanced at Angelus.

"Who the hell is this?" Angelus demanded.

Buffy looked down. "Riley, this is Angel. He's the old friend I told you about. Angel, this is Riley Finn...my boyfriend."

Riley stiffened, dropping his arms from their grip on Buffy. "He's the vampire, isn't he."

"Keep in mind, I also told you he's a good vampire," Buffy reminded him.

Riley nodded. "I'm trying."

Angelus stared. He'd known Buffy had a new boyfriend, but he'd had no idea it was someone like this buffoon Riley. Even more stunningly, she had told the boy about Angel and his true status.

Riley smiled tightly and stuck out his hand. "Good to meet you, Angel."

Angelus forced himself to shake hands. "Likewise."

There ensued an awkward silence, during which he and Riley bristled at each other. Buffy quickly maneuvered herself between the two and suggested, "Why don't we go back to my house to talk? My mom's away on a business trip so we'll have plenty of privacy."

"Good idea," Riley agreed. "Buffy, I think you should ride with me."

She shot an apologetic look at Angelus. "We'll meet you at the house, okay?"

"Yeah, right," he muttered. With a little wave at him, Buffy allowed Riley to lead her away. Angelus barely noticed. He was too busy struggling to maintain the Soul Boy facade, when what he really wanted to do was chain Riley up, decorate him with about 200 steel-tipped needles, and watch him bleed to death while being delicately tortured. He had to force himself to consider how the soul would act. Probably brim with concern, find out if Riley was a suitable mate for Buffy, and then selflessly bow out of the picture. 'Fuck that,' thought Angelus. He'd already revised his plans. He'd still turn on Buffy and her other friends, but he was going to take care of Finn along the way.

TBC

Comments? Anyone reading?