Days Later

Paris, France

Manoir Flora: Basement

"I really must protest," said Angelus sitting on a velvet cushioned chair with one leg crossed over his knee wiping the blood on a pair of glasses with a handkerchief. "Maurice, mon amie (my friend), how are ye holdin' up?" He stood from the chair.

Angelus walked over to Maurice hanging off of a wall by hooks impeached into his shoulder blades. Angelus slides the glasses back up Maurice's nose.

"Jamais mieux (Never better)," said the tortured man on the brink of death.

Angelus smiled. "Hm, I'm glad to hear it." He rubbed his chin and spun away on the heel of his boot. "But, I still have a bone to pick wi' ye. Ye have failed to answer my question. How do I get into t'a heart of a demon t'at is so evil t'at her own sire is afraid of her and Satan is her admirer? It's been days and it's as if she knows my plan before I get t'a luxury of execution."

Amidst of his raging frustration, Angelus grabbed the leather collar with a two-prong fork on either side of it and tightly wrapped it around his victim's neck.

"Whatever ye do…" Angelus slowly took a step back, lifting his eyes from the torture device to the man's face.

The victims eyes were wide. Blood stained his dirty face. Sweat dripping down his forehead soaked into his eyes, stinging them.

"... Don't look down."

Maurice whimpered.

Angelus whirled around again and walked back to the chair. He plopped down and buried his face into his hand. "I've seen t'a look in t'ose emerald eyes of hers. T'ere was a passionate rage t'a I've been yearnin' to see again. It's t'a prettiest look I've ever seen. She knows me. Better t'an I suspected. Certainly better t'an my hartlot sire." Angelus rolled his eyes at the thought of Darla.

Angelus picked his nails as he fell deep in thought about his sire, Darla. She had come to him at a pivotal moment in his life, after another falling out with his father and a drunken night at the tavern. Darla came to him like a siren song from the night. He was vulnerable, drunk, and desperate for a way out of the life he was living.

For thirty-six years, they shared everything. Darla opened his eyes and mind to luxuries, violence, and sex that he had never thought was possible. It was erroctic and intxoicating. But his time with her had become tired. He felt bored most of the time in her company and began to go out on his own without her. This feeling of entrapment was familiar. He needed to get away from her. He needed freedom.

Lady Elizabeth. Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon). Buffy. Angelus felt a pull towards her. It was a pull that never in his life or unlife had he ever felt before. He wanted her. More than that, she represented everything that he wanted in a woman worthy to be at his side and a demon he aspired to be like. The confidence she exude—even in the face of a threatening death was possibly more beautiful than her famous features.

He was sure that the feelings Lady Elizabeth—Buffy provoked inside of him, if he were human, he'd call it love but as a demon, he wasn't sure what it was called. But what he felt was human and very real. They were so real that it set him off into a rage of anger.

"Maurice, let me tell ye about a lass wi' skin so fair and hair of yellow. It feels like silk to t'a touch. And her lips…" Angelus tilted his head back on the back of the chair, closing eyes to envision Buffy's heart-shaped mouth. "She's a tight, ripe little t'ing…" Angelus growled as he jumped up to his feet in a burst of anger. "But I can't get her out of my head!" He shouted in frustration.

Hanging off of the wall, Maurice winced in a painful fright.

"Don't ye understand, Maurice? I feel t'a little lass crawlin' under my skin and I can't take it anymore!" Angelus yelled and began to angrily pace back and forth then kicked a wooden chair into pieces. "I am a demon! A vampire! I'm supposed to be treadin' on the dark side! Not hopin' and wishin' t'a lass will look my way!" In a fit of raging anger, Angelus launched out his hand and grabbed the back of Maurice's head and shoved his downward into the prong heretic collar that was around the victims neck.

After a minute, Angelus lowered his eyes, realising what he had done and stepped away from the body hanging off of the wall. A slow smile slid across his face as he began to laugh at the pool of blood soaking the floor.

Shaking his head, Angelus ran a hand through his messy dark long hair. The grin on his face slowly dissipated as his mind went right back to Buffy. "T'is has got to end."

Next Night

Pontoise, France

Manoir de la lune

Throwing open the mansion front door, Buffy waltzed into the mansion just as the light brightened the dark sky.

The housemaids and the mansions footmen Buffy and Dracula had commandeered after murdering the mansions original owners, followed Buffy in a half running pace.

Buffy threw off the cloak covering her shoulders, then the long gloves that were up her arms, and removed the clips from her hair, letting her blonde hair fall long down her back.

As the carriage pulled up to the mansion, Buffy felt the familiar tightness in her chest and blanket of warmth covering her body. She knew Angelus was near.

The clacks of her heeled shoes ricocheted off of the stone walls.

Coming face to face with the large wooden door of the library, Buffy threw it open and entered inside to see Angelus crouched at the fireplace, feeding another dry log of wood into the flames.

He wiped off his hands and turned to Buffy with a slanted smile. "I was wondering when ye'd be arrivin'."

With the flick of her hand, Buffy sent the staff following her away. The butler of the home, bowed his head and closed the door behind Buffy as he exited, giving the vampire's their privacy.

"Breaking and entering again, are we?" said Buffy, moving into the library.

"I noticed Dracula hasn't made face in some time. Ye two wouldn't've had a fallin' out, would ye?"

Buffy smirked. "You ask as if it were your business, Mr O'Connor."

"It's a deep concern of mine." Angelus held a hand over his unbeating heart. "It's a dangerous and cruel world out t'ere, and I'd hate for ye to be taken advantage of."

"Because I am a woman?"

"Precisely!"

The slight arch of Buffy's brow rose.

Angelus shook his head. "Nay, Lady Elizabeth, ye mistaken me. It's because ye're a fine lass."

"Oh, because I am a woman and pretty?" Her expression stoned over with annoyance, once again finding this vampire aggravating.

Angelus' dark eyes glistened with aroused excitement. "I like it when ye get mad, Buffy. T'a way t'a flicker of t'a fire brings out yer soul… It's breathtakin'."

Buffy smirked and crossed over to the drink chart, pouring two glasses of the brown liquor in the decanter. "You are mistaken, sir. I have no soul."

Angelus eyed her strangely, with a gliding smile across his face, as if he knew something Buffy did not and this annoyed the hell out of her.

"T'at may be, but, ye're not immuned," said Angelus, earning a confused look from Buffy. He stepped away from the fireplace, holding his hands behind his back. "Since becomin' a vampire, I don't feel much anymore. Most of t'a time, I feel angry. I'm angry at everyone in my past t'at gave up on me. I reckon, I did not give enough reason to put much stock in me, in the first place, but nonet'aless, I'm still wrecked wi' t'a thirst of revenge." Angelus said as he slowly moved around her.

Buffy folded her arms across her chest, seemingly terribly bored with this conversation.

Angelus stopped moving around when he faced her directly. He stood tall, towering over her petite stature. Buffy stared up at him, still unsure where this conversation was going. She wasn't sure what she wanted more, to punch that devilishly handsome look off of his face, kiss him, or toss him into the blazing fire. Violence and fierce desire waged war in her dead unbeating heart.

"Feelin' emotions other t'an anger and desire, I never had t'at luxury. Not even when I was alive, until ye." Angelus admitted, stunning Buffy where she stood. "For t'a first time in my life, I feel somethin', Buffy. At first, it confused me and t'an it angered me. I felt a rage t'at I never felt before. I didn't know how to express it, so I tried violence," said Angelus, explaining their last encounter which ended in a fight. "What I feel, it's only for ye. It's scary and it's messy but, I don't t'ink I can be wit'out it. I can't be wit'out ye." Angelus reached out his hand, cupping her cheek.

"Mr O'Connor, if this is one of your games—"

"—No, it's not." he said. "I know what it means now. I'm not angry at it."

Buffy began to shake her head, realising that he was very serious in his proclamation. Buffy was torn by what was more of a surprise to her, Angelus' admittance of his feelings for her or her desperate desire to tell him that she understands and feels the same.

Both of his hands held her face, stopping her from pulling away from him. "Buffy, what we have—What we can have goes beyond life and beyond death. What I feel for ye goes beyond lovers. It goes beyond any of t'at earthly human feelin'—I can't explain it."

Freeing her face from his hands, Buffy lifted her gaze to his face. "On the contrary, sir, I think you are explaining yourself quite well."

Buffy stares at him for what felt like an eternity. Neither of them moved an inch, terrified to make any slight movement in fear of spooking the other. They stare into each other's eyes.

Suddenly Angelus grabbed Buffy by the upper arms and kissed her passionately. She returns the kiss. Their tongues break into each other's mouths, desperate to taste one another.

The impassioned kiss seemed never ending until Buffy violently pulled back with a little noise of dismay, bringing her hand to her mouth. She stares at Angelus and he stares back, both panting needless breaths.

"Buffy, my feelin's for ye are as of now, not in question." Angelus touched her cheek with the back of his forefinger. "It is how ye feel. I cannot spend the rest of eternity follows ye around hopin' t'at one day, ye might feel t'a same. Nor can I spend t'a rest of eternity tryin' to convince ye t'at ye and I belong together, lass. We do. We're a match in Hell." Buffy let out a small laugh, despite her confusion and jumbled emotions. Tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, Angelus said, "I will either have all of ye or none at all. "

Angelus waited for a few minutes, hoping that Buffy would say something—anything, whether it be rejection or acceptance. But she did not say a single word.

Angelus could see the wheels of her mind cranking as she quickly processed everything that was currently happening to her. But her process and acceptance was not quick enough for Angelus, who had grown increasingly impatient.

She turned her eyes to him. "I thought you hated me."

Angelus smiled, "Only in a passionate sort of way of not hatin' ye at all."

He knew what he wanted. He had accepted this strange phenomenon of having very real human feelings for this complicated and beautiful demon. He had gone through the process of vengeful anger towards them until he had embraced it.

Buffy's reluctant silence had screamed louder than anything she could have said in that very moment.

"T'is is yer answer t'an?—No answer at all." Angelus cleared his throat and took the rejection in stride as he bowed his head. "Forgive me, madam, for takin' so much of yer time." He stood straight and began to step around her when Buffy reached out, catching his wrist.

Angelus frowned, lowering his gaze to her hand on his arm. Slowly, he looked at her just as she moved to face him fully. With her other hand, Buffy reached up and pushed back the fallen strands of his dark hair out of his face and stepped close to him.

Her hand slipped to the back of his head and lowered his head towards her. Buffy moved to the tips of her toes and covered her mouth with his own.

They passionately kiss again. Angelus brings his hands up to clutch her back, kissing her cheek and the side of her neck.

Buffy tilted her head back with a gasp. "I feel it. I feel it too." she said breathlessly as he kissed her. Angelus withdrew his lips from her neck to look at her. Buffy swallowed and caressed his cheek."It burns inside of me but I feel it."

"Good. Now we're gettin' somewhere." Angelus crushed his mouth to hers.

Stumbling backwards as they kissed, Angelus' arm circled around her back, catching them as they fell back. He pinned her back against the stone wall. His tongue in her mouth, exploring every crevice.

Buffy's hands slid over his shoulders to the front of his frock coat, opening it wider to push off of his shoulders. She then ripped open the waistcoat, unbothered by the small metal buttons hitting the wooden floor like marbles in all sorts of directions. Her hands were next at the front knot of the cravat around his neck. Unraveling the knot of cloth.

Angelus lifted his head from kissing the curves of her breasts and pulled at the black and decorative expensive jacket. Buffy lifted her bright green eyes to his face. Unable to resist the look on her face, Angelus kissed her again as he unfastened the front of her jacket then ripped open the croset with the same force she had shown his waistcoat.

Helping her remove some of the lengthy layers of skirts waning her mobility, Angelus continued to pepper her soft golden skin with gentle kisses.

Buffy untied the ribbon lamely holding his messy hair back. She had a desperation to bury her fingers into his dark mane of hair.

"Angel," she moaned into his mouth, her hands wildly moving over his back and he pressed his growing erection against her, the layers of clothing between them doing nothing to hinder the intense desire they felt for one another.

Buffy untucked the off-white shirt from his breeches and lifted it up his muscular body until it was fully over his head and tossed away.

Angelus' hands slid over her butt and down the backs of her thighs before he pulled Buffy's legs up so that she could wrap them around his waist. She immediately bucked against him, eager for any contact she could get. He pushed back, groaning as they rubbed against each other, mimicking the actions that would soon follow.

Angelus' mouth moved over Buffy's jaw and down the side of her neck, while she panted and moaned. His hands slid up her long shift and found her damp crotch. Buffy gasped as Angelus stroked her before his own animalistic desires got the best of him.

Buffy's focus shifted to their mutual purpose and moved her hands down to Angelus' waist to aid in getting his breeches open, while keeping her legs around him. With a bit of creative maneuvering, but they managed to get the breeches open enough for his erection to spring free.

Buffy smiled in appreciation as she wrapped her hand around it and gave it a few slow strokes. Angelus' demon growled as he grew even harder and the need he felt grew even more intense.

He covered Buffy's hand with his own and directed his hardness to her center, taking a moment to tease her by sliding the head over her dripping slit before driving it home. She moaned loudly as he filled her, her head falling back as waves of pleasure crashed through her.

Angelus gritted his teeth, determined to not let the way her strong muscles that were gripping him through her orgasm, cause him to lose control. Even in his wild haze of desire, Angelus wanted to draw out his pleasure.

Buffy quickly recovered and playfully gave him a squeeze. Angelus grinned as he fiercely retaliated with thrust inside her. Eager to prove she was more than a match for him, she moved her hips, thrusting back against him.

Soon, the only sound to be heard throughout the quiet mansion was of moans and bodies slapping against the other as Buffy and Angelus kissed, caressed, and brought each other to electrifying orgasms.

Coming back into themselves, Angelus' arms tightened around her and walked them over to the sofa. The two embraced, sharing fiery kisses.

Angelus removed himself from her for a moment to pull off his riding boots and push his breeches the rest of the way down. Buffy sat up slightly, enough to take off the shift, revealing her slender and powerful naked body to him.

Eying her beauty, as the yellow-orange flames brightened her skin with angelic hues, Angelus ran a hand down the length of her body from between her breasts, over her flat stomach to her quim. He inserted a finger then another finger until her wet center and watched as Buffy's heart-shaped lips parted gently as she released a gentle moan.

There was no going back now.

They had said what they had said, and neither of them regretted it.

Buffy had thought she had felt something similarly before, but Cole had never provoked this feeling inside of her. Never in her hundred and forty-three years on this earth had Buffy ever felt so consumed by passion, violence, excitement, and adortion before. And she had never felt it for someone else too.

Angelus was right.

What they were developing together goes beyond life and beyond death. What they feel for one another goes beyond lovers. It's neither human nor demon. They were certainly a match made in Hell.