Months Later

Crawford Street Mansion; Master Bedroom

The scent of daylight entered Buffy's nostrils as she laid in the large bed staring sleeplessly up at the ceiling. It smelled like dew and dirt.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Buffy looked over at Angelus beside her sound asleep. She was jealous of his ability to always soundly fall asleep while her mind continued to tick leaving her restless.

Sitting up in the bed, letting the comforter covers fall from her naked body, Buffy swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached the silk kimono robe to her right, hanging partially on the arm of a chair.

Standing up from the edge of the bed, Buffy tied the rope of the robe and ran her fingers through her tousled hair.

Opening the door, Buffy looked at the two guards standing outside the bedroom door. They stood straight and stoically, as if they hadn't heard the erotic moaning of passion only twenty minutes before.

Closing the door behind her, Buffy noticed that one of the guards began to follow her. She looked back at him and waved her head, indicating to stay behind and leave her be.

Enclosed Garden

Ascending gracefully down the staircase, Buffy headed into the enclosed garden, a place she frequently occupied when she felt restless.

Eyeing the three guards standing in the area, Buffy looked at them and nodded.

Without a word spoken, the guards politely bowed their heads and left Buffy alone to putter around in the garden.

It was the beginning of Spring, Buffy noticed that the flowers she had tended to were beginning to bud and soon they would bloom.

Picking up the pair of flower shears left on the edge marble bench, which was bathed in sunlight. Buffy frowned for a moment and shot her hand out into the bright rays and grabbed the shears.

The skin of her hand began to sizzle when Buffy quickly pulled it away.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow," Buffy hissed through gritted teeth.

Shaking off the mild pain of her hand, Buffy faced the flowers and began to snip at the dead leaves, grooming the flower stems.

Despite the morning sunlight brightening the sky, there was enough overcast shade to make it possible to be in the gardens during the daytime hours.

With her back facing the garden entry which led from the mansion, Buffy failed to notice a white misty cloud appear behind her.

From the misty white cloud it transformed into a dark and towering figure.

A pulling sensation tingled at her chest, without even turning, Buffy knew who was with her.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, occupied by the floral grooming, Buffy softly smiled and said, "Hello, Vlad."

Two pale hands with long pointed fingernails gently slid from Buffy's shoulders to her hips. Dracula stood over her and closed his blue eyes, inhaling the scent of her hair. His hands at her hips gently moved to her flat stomach. "You are magnificent." His Eastern accented voice was heavy with desire.

"How did you find me?" Buffy asked, turning her head slightly to look up at him.

Hanging over her shoulder, Dracula whispered with a seductive voice, "If I were blind, I would see you." His fingers gently toyed with the ends of her blonde hair.

Buffy smirked. "You shouldn't be here." She broke away from him, creating space between them. "Angel's upstairs—"

"—Your barbarian poses no threat to me," Dracula said confidently, eying the bite mark scar on the right side of Buffy's neck. "You speak like one of them. Simple." he said with mild distaste.

Buffy frowned. "Like one of who?"

"American," he replied.

It had been a long time since Buffy had last seen her sire in almost a half a century.

Running her eyes over her sire and former lover, Buffy found that he was as hypnotically handsome as always. His once shoulder length black hair was cut just about his shoulders. He wore a fitted dressy red button-down shirt with a black vest and black long trousers. To tie the entire 'Dracula look' together, he had a long black cape over his shoulders with a small gold chain to keep it together.

The piercing look in his deep blue eyes could still stare straight through her, but unlike before, Buffy didn't melt into a puddle by his penetrating eyes.

"I've searched the world over for you, Lady Elizabeth. The least you can do is tell me that you are happy to see me." He gently smiled.

"Yeah, sure—so happy." Buffy lightly teased him as she rolled her eyes. Folding her arms across her chest, she said, "I would ask you how you've been but the Bram Stoker novel and the countless television shows and movies about you keep me pretty 'up-to-date'." Sarcasm dripped in her words. "Thanks by the way for letting everyone know how to kill us," she added with another eye roll.

Dracula slowly walked to her, never breaking the firm stare into her green eyes. Buffy looked unblinkingly back at him, falling into the depths of his dark blue eyes.

"You feel…" he began, standing close to her. Dracula reached out his hand and slowly pulled the silk kimono slightly open. "Kindred," his whispering voice sucked in deeper.

"Kindred? Hardly." Gaining her senses, Buffy took another step back from him, trying to keep the distance between them. It had been a long time since she was sucked under his hypnotising thrall. Buffy was certainly out of practice of resisting him.

"Pull your hair back." His voice felt heavy over her.

Buffy looked surprised by his gentle command. She pulled her hair back and watched Dracula's expression shift slightly as he admired her beauty.

Becoming self-conscious under his eyes, Buffy took another step back. "Vlad, y-you think you can just waft in here with your music video wind and your hypno-eyes…" her voice trailed off as her back hit a stone column.

"For a century, I've searched for you." He began to pull loose the rope keeping her kimono closed. His eyes were on her breasts as they revealed themselves to him.

With a ghost touch, Dracula ran his long pointed fingernails over her smooth, forever sunkissed skin. He gently scratched the skin between her breasts over her flat stomach to her abdomen.

Dracula's eyes lifted back to her face. "I have yearned for you. For a creature whose darkness rivals my own. My Childe."

He put his hand on her chin and moved her head aside. He looked at the scar of Angelus' bite mark on her neck, marking her as his mate. Dracula touched the scar with the pads of his fingers.

"He is unworthy."

Buffy stares at him, appearing scared that she could not find it in herself to push him away. Inwardly she screamed to shove him away and run.

"He never deserved you, îngerul meu negru (my black angel)." Dracula stared deep into her eyes. "You will always be mine. You will always be my greatest creation."

"No," Buffy said with uncertainty, still unable to push him away.

Caressing her face, Dracula smirked, unbothered by her weak resistance towards him. Running the pad of his thumb over her pouting bottom lip, Dracula reminded himself just how beautiful his Childe was. She only blossomed with age.

"Do night fight me, Lady Elizabeth." He put a hand on her neck. "I can feel your hunger. You want it." Dracula seductively whispered into her ear. "Let yourself feel it, demonul meu al întunericului (my demon of darkness)."

Buffy's hands were on his chest as Dracula leaned down and bit into the bite mark scar on her neck.

Releasing a gaze, Buffy did not pull away as he continued to bite her, drinking her deaden blood.

A pair of hands grab Dracula and shoved the Dark Prince away from Buffy, ripping out his fangs from her neck.

"Don't do that." Angelus stood between Buffy and Dracula.

Dracula sneered at the vampire, curling his upper lips with disgust. "I have no interest in you. Leave us."

Angelus threw a powerful right cross hook into the side of Dracula's face. "Get the hell out of my home, Drac. You're not welcomed here."

Dracula stood tall, ignoring the pain of the fist that had just punched his face. "You think you can frighten me? You despicable creature. You are unworthy of my Elizabeth."

"She's mine!" Angelus growled.

"She will never be yours while I am her Sire. I am her kin."

Angelus lunged at the master vampire to tackle him to the ground. Dracula dissolved into smoke.

Standing up straight, Angelus grew angrier.

Dracula reappeared behind Angelus.

Whirling around, Angelus swung his arm to punch the infamous vampire when Dracula once again, dissolved into smoke.

When Dracula reappeared, he glared at Angelus with annoyance for the interruption. He was envious of the barbaric Irish vampire, deeming him unworthy of such a mate as his Buffy. She had far exceeded the Scourger of Europe with grace, elegance, and finesse as she slaughtered her victims.

Her brilliance was something Dracula believed Angelus would never understand.

"This is not the time," his dark blue eyes were on Buffy. "Ne vedem în curând, prințesa mea întunecată (I will see you soon, my dark princess)." Dracula spread open his long black cape and moved towards the mated couple, turning into a bat. He flew over their heads and escaped into the sunlight.

Angelus calmed down and turned to face Buffy.

She looked guilty. As if she had done something very, very wrong.

Noticing blood on her neck, Angelus pushed back her hair to see fresh bite marks in the pace of his bite mark scar.

Rage consumed his entire body.

Angelus turned his eyes to Buffy with a mixture of hurt and confusion for how she was able to let this happen.

Clenching his jaw, Angelus pulled himself away, not trusting himself around her. He felt venomous with anger, he knew if he stayed near her for another second, Angelus looked at whatever strain he had left.

Storming away, Angelus headed inside the mansion and climbed up the stairs with stomps.

Buffy composed herself quickly and followed him. Desperately needing to explain herself.

Master Bedroom

Throwing open the door, Angelus ran a hand over his frustrated face and began to pace back and forth in a blinding rage.

"Angel, please, let me explain—" she approached her mate.

Angelus whirled around in a fit of anger and shouted, "How can you do this to me? Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"Angel, it didn't mean anything, I swear." She pleadingly grabbed his hand, trying to force him to understand.

Whipping his hand from her grasp, Angelus shoved her away angrily and turned away from her.

Quickly, Buffy moved around him and held his arms in her hands. "Please, Angel, please, let me explain."

He lowered his dark gaze over her. "Fine. Explain. Explain to me how you can let him bite you."

Buffy opened her mouth to reply but no words came out. She didn't know how to explain to him that she was weak. That she didn't push her Sire away when she should have. Or that she was an idiot that let herself get sucked into Dracula's thrall.

"After all this time. He still has this power over you!" Angelus' fist tightened at his side.

The longer he stared at his unspeaking mate, the angrier he became.

Lashing out angrily, Angelus suddenly slapped a hand across Buffy's face.

His hand felt like a thunderclap as it made contact with her cheek.

Buffy stared at him with a hand over her mouth, shocked that he had laid a hand on her.

Angelus immediately regretted his violent outburst. But he didn't have it inside him to apologize.

In their two hundred and ten years together, never had they laid a violent hand of anger on one another.

Taking a step closer to her, Angelus cupped a hand around the back of her neck and brought her close into him.

Wrapping his arms around her, Angelus held his mate tightly. Burying his nose into the top of her golden hair, Angelus pressed his lips to her head.

Buffy looked up at him and felt a wave of unfamiliar emotion wash over her.

She had violated the rules and conduct of the ancient mystical rules of mates. She allowed another to make his mark on her—even though it was against her will. Buffy blamed herself. She should've been stronger. She was always stronger willed against Dracula's thralls. But it had been so long and he was strong.

Buffy could see the raging anger in Angelus' dark eyes.

Losing control of his emotions, Angelus' face morphed to his demon.

With brutal force, Angelus ripped open the kimono covering her naked body. He shoved it off of her shoulders then angrily pushed her towards the bed.

Buffy faced him, ready to take whatever punishment he had for her.

Angelus grabbed her by Buffy's hips and viciously turned her around. He pressed his hand on her back and forced her to bend over the edge of the bed.

The sound of his fly unzipping, Buffy knew what was coming and a dark maniacal smile tugged at her lips and she looked back at her lover from over her shoulders.

Ruthlessly, Angelus invaded her body with his cock. His fingers roughly held at her hips as he mercilessly thrusted in and out of her body.

Buffy released a gasp which turned into a moan of pleasure, straightened up and pressed her back against his front as he continued to move in and out of her body from behind. Angelus' hands covered the mounds of her breasts.

She looked back at him and held a hand on his face, lowering his head to capture her mouth. Buffy ran the tip of her tongue of the sharp fangs of his mouth, nicking herself on its razor point.

Tasting her blood in his mouth, Angelus continued to kiss.

Pulling her hair from her shoulder, Angelus' golden eyes glared at the fresh bite marks on her neck. The fury of what Dracula had done pushed him over the edge into a wrath of outrage.

Angelus ferociously bit into Buffy's neck, leaving his mark in replacement of Dracula's.

The orgasm that had been approaching Buffy's body swiftly enclosed her in a wave of euphoria. She cried out in pleasure and held Angelus' head to her neck.

Angelus ripped his fangs from her neck and watched as she slowly turned to face him.

Buffy gently ran a hand over his vampiric features and let her face transform to match his. Reaching to his side, Buffy brought his right hand to her mouth and gently kissed the silver Claddagh ring that represented their eternal love.

She placed his hand to cover her breast as Buffy tenderly held the side of his face and carefully moved his head aside. The scar of her bite mark on his neck stared back at her.

Running her tongue over the bite mark, Buffy impaled her sharp fangs into the side of his neck.

Angelus' eyes shot open. He held her slim thin body closely into his, running his hands up and down her sides, over her back, until grabbing her buttox.

Angelus spread her legs apart and laid her back on the bed. Buffy never stopped sucking his deaden blood from his neck.

Settling himself between her legs, Angelus inserted himself back into the cold wet 'home' of her body. He began to move inside her.

Buffy released his neck and looked at him.

Their golden eyes met, Angelus caressed her face with his hand and lowered his mouth, capturing her mouth. He tasted his blood on her tongue and it only served his arousal.

They continued to kiss and take comfort in one another just as they had the night they did the ancient mating mystical ritual.

The words 'I love you' never seemed to be enough to express what Buffy and Angelus felt for one another. What they felt went beyond 'love'. It went beyond 'hate'. It was dark and ruthless, but it was kept together by something light—something good.

Hours Later

Lying together in the bed covered in the blood from their open bite marks, Buffy laid comfortably in Angelus' arms.

Neither were asleep. They stared into the distance without uttering a word.

"It's not your fault." Angelus was the first to break the thick and deafening silence.

Buffy tilted her head upwards to look at him, meeting his gaze.

"I know that." He tenderly cupped her cheek and caressed her cheekbone with the pad of this thumb. "He's your sire. But what you and I share will never be tainted by him or anyone."

Buffy stared at him silently.

Angelus continued, "You are mine, Buffy. I chose you." He held her cheek in his hand and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You are the single greatest thing to ever happen to me."

Shifting over him, Buffy pressed a gentle kiss against his mouth and ran her thumb over his bottom lip.

Tangling his long fingers into her blonde hair, Angelus looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I will not rest until he is dead."

Silently nodding, unsure how to respond to all of this, Buffy let go the remaining ties she ever had to Dracula. "Kill him," she whispered against his mouth and covered it with her own in a tender kiss that quickly deepened as it grew with wild passion.

Next Day: Afternoon

Sunnydale High School: Library: Main Area

Faith sat in a chair at the front of the library, facing the Scoobies. Giles and Xander stood at the right side of the table, Willow and Oz on the left, and Cordelia sat at the head of the table.

"So, what'd you think?" Faith asked, staring at the room with raised brows, hoping everyone was onboard with this plan. "Is it crazy?"

"Well, 'crazy' is such a strong world," Willow said.

Giles stood nearest to Faith and rubbed his chin. "Let's not rule it out though."

Faith frowned. "You said, it could be done."

"Yes, well, the operative word being 'could'," Giles replied. "These are dangerous magics you are suggesting we use."

"Which is why," Faith's eyes landed on Willow, "we'd need the big guns to perform it."

Willow's eyes widened with sudden embarrassment. "Big guns? I-I don't have big guns—I barely have pistols."

Shaking her head, Faith reached into the back pocket of her pants and took out a yellow floppy disk. Two days ago, Willow had found the floppy disk in Ms Calendar's classroom as she was cleaning up the desk.

Willow immediately went to Giles and Faith with her findings and they discovered the 'restoration' spell Jenny Calendar had been working on at the time of her death.

"This was your find, Red." Faith said. "If there is anyone that could perform Miss Calendar's spell, it's you."

"Okay," Cordelia interjected, "I have a question."

The room's eyes turned to her.

"What if Buffy finds out about this 'grand plan'? She'll slaughter us. And I for one can't handle dying right not—especially this close to graduation."

Giles pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Yes, well, this is why it's suggested we'd be 'sneaky' about it. No matter what, we'll need to keep Buffy separated from Angelus."

"How are we gonna do that?" Faith asked, unsure about this part in the plan.

"Well, uh," Giles frowned, "I'm not sure."

Late Night

Giles' Apartment: Living Room

Still wired from the day and the nightly patrol in hopes to run into Buffy. Faith sat on the couch, half slouched lazily on it with her feet up on the coffee table watching mindless cartoons.

In the kitchen, Giles moved around, opening cabinets while preparing a serving tray for tea.

Faith's eyes were beginning to feel heavy as they slowly drooped closed with a loud banging on the door immediately awoken the Slayer with high alert.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The Slayer and Watcher exchanged a frowning looking when Giles moved towards the door.

He picked up a loaded crossbow resting against the wall near the door and picked it up.

With one hand, Giles opened the door.

Standing on the other side of the door was Buffy and Angelus.

"Sorry to bother you." Buffy said, holding her arms across her chest, wearing an amused half smile at the looks of shock on the Slayer and Watcher's faces.

Giles aimed the crossbow at Buffy and began to laugh bitterly. "Sorry. Coming from you that phrase strikes me as rather funny."

"We've got a proposition for you," Angelus said, half annoyed at his mate for suggesting that they'd go to the Slayer and her friends in order to help find Dracula. But the idea of using the Slayer as bait to fish out the Dark Prince seemed like an idea that was just irresistible.

Straight-faced, Giles glared at the vampires. "And the funny keeps on coming."

"Are you interested or not?" Buffy asked, growing impatient.

Faith appeared behind the Watcher, holding a stake in her hand. "And why would we be interested in anythin' you'd have to say, B?"

"Yes, well, part of what I have to say involves asking for your help," Buffy explained. "How about a temporary truce?"

"Pfft," Faith rolled her eyes, uninterested in anything Buffy would have to say or need from her.

Giles on the other hand, stared at the blonde vampiress carefully letting his interest in the matter grow. "Speak quickly then leave." Giles ordered.

"Giles?" Faith whipped her head to her Watcher, shocked that he actually wanted to help the vampires that had been torturing them for months. "What are you doing?"

Giles looked at his charge with an expression that screamed, 'trust me'.

"Come in," he said.

The infamous mates stepped inside the apartment wearing partial smiles across their faces, but they kept their hands to themselves.

"It seems an old friend has arrived in town." Buffy began to explain when she caught Angelus' look of anger. She lowered her gaze and dropped her 'over confident-tough-guy' facade and looked at the Slayer and Watcher and said, "It's Vlad. We need your help finding him."

"He's your sire, find him yourself." Faith scoffed.

Buffy twisted the Claddagh ring around her finger and said, "Yes, well, that's proving to be somewhat very difficult. Either he's been soaking up some sort of magical Romanian steroids or he made a deal with the Devil and he's gotten stronger."

"What do you want to do with him once Dracula is found?" Giles asked.

"I want to kill him," Angelus replied. "So here is our proposition. We call a temporary truce between us, you help us find Dracula and I have information about the Mayor."

Faith pursed her lips together thoughtfully. "Tell us what you know and maybe we'll help you."

"Nuh-uh-uh, little girl, that's not the deal." Angelus turned his dark eyes from the Slayer to Giles. He waited for the Watcher to come to a decision, knowing his was the decision that would be concrete.

"We accept your terms. Come to the library tomorrow at sunset. We'll begin our search from there." Giles then aimed the crossbow higher at the vampires. "Now, get out of my house."

Smirking at the Watcher, Buffy tossed her eyes around the apartment and said, "I like what you've done with the place."

"Get. Out." Giles ordered angrily.

Buffy laughed as she and Angelus turned back the open door and exited.

Faith watched as Angelus reached for Buffy's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of her hand. She leaned into him and looked up at her lover with a smile of admiration as they disappeared up the steps which led out of the small courtyard.

Faith closed the door and met the weary gaze of her Watcher, sharing the same sentiments.

Sunset

Sunnydale High School: Library: Main Area

The gang stared at Giles and Faith with disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?" Xander ran a hand through his hair. "If the plan wasn't crazy enough…"

Faith shook her head. "No, this is actually okay. We keep them separated. Angelus is pretty gung-ho about finding Drac. He doesn't want B to go with him, so we have her stay here. Keep them separated. We've got the supplies right?"

Willow nodded uncomfortably, frightened for her major role in this dangerous spell.

"Good." Faith sat down and kicked her feet up on the table. "Guys, chill, it's gonna be fine."

The double doors flew open, revealing the vampire mates in question standing at the entryway of the library.

Dressed in his usual black button down shirt and trousers, with a long black coat, Angelus glared his dark eyes at the gang. He hated this plan, but it was the best one they had. Using the Slayer as bait, Dracula couldn't resist that energy of power.

Faith caught herself rolling her gaze over Buffy. She wore a simple black blouse top with pink leather pants and black heel boots.

"We're early," Buffy smirked and folded her arms across her chest as Angelus walked further into the library examining it.

"So this is where it all happens?" Angelus picked up a newspaper from the counter and read the headline: 'TWO BOYS MURDERED IN PARK'

Putting the newspaper back down on the counter, Angelus turned his eyes about the room until they landed on the Slayer and her friends.

"Buffy tells me this is where you kids like to 'hang out'. But I gotta tell you, it's really nice to see kids interested in reading. Now that there's the internet and video games and hundreds of channels on the television..." He picked up a book left on the counter. "So, what are you kids reading these days?" Angelus opened a book and read aloud, "'A river of death flooded the town. Bodies floated in the water, poisoning it with rotted flesh and disease. There is no aviel to the destruction'." Angelus looked up from the book and smirked, "A little dry for my taste. I prefer it when the words just jump off of the pages, you know?"

Buffy stood at his side and looked at the group. "So, now that we've agreed to put aside our differences, let's begin."

Giles nodded in agreement. "We were thinking of checking out a few crypts nearby—"

Buffy chuckled. "No, you're not going to find Vlad lounging in a crypt. No, Vlad needs his bug eaters and his special dirt."

"The abandoned mansions on Mansion Row are more his style," Angelus added.

"Great," Faith jumped to her feet and said, "Me, you," she pointed at Angelus, "and Xand are gonna go to Mansion Row. B, you stay here with Geeves, Red and the rest." The Slayer said and walked into the weapons cage for a stake and crossbow.

Buffy frowned, following the Slayer hot on her heels. "Whoa, why am I staying here? I should be out there with you. I'm the one that knows him for god sakes."

Faith looked at the blonde, "B, you're stayin'. If Drac comes here, you're the only one that can protect my friends."

"I must take Faith's side on this one, a ghrá (my love)," Angelus stood beside his mate and cupped her cheek. "I'll find him first and I will kill him for touching what is mine." He tenderly caressed Buffy's cheek. "You're mine, Buffy. Always."

Buffy held a hand around the back of his neck and rested her forehead against his.

After a few moments of holding him closely to her, Buffy quietly nodded and opened her eyes to meet his gaze. "Okay."

Covering her mouth with a heartwarming kiss, it was easy to forget to the group that was watching that this couple was two very evil and sadistic killers. They exchanged an endearing embrace and quite words of love before parting.

Breaking apart, Faith handed Angelus a stake and looked back at Buffy with a smirk.

Buffy rolled her eyes with a half amused smirk.

Xander pointed the point of the ax at Angelus and held a hand around his neck. "Don't look at my neck."

Angelus rolled his eyes, "I wasn't looking at your neck."

"Yes, you were. I'll have you know, I happen to be very bitebale, pal." Xander rushed to walk ahead of Angelus and Faith, still holding a hand around his neck and looking over his shoulder at Angelus.

"I'm not looking at your neck," Angelus argued, rolling his eyes with annoyment.

"Liar!" Xander ran out of the library.

Faith rolled her eyes, almost regretting putting Angelus and Xander together. She followed the men out of the library.


The rest of the gang stood on guard and watched as Buffy walked over to the long research table. She knew that the room was terrified of her and that was perfectly fine with the vampiress.

She sat down and crossed her leg over her knee and picked up one of the Watcher Diaries that was sitting on a small stack on the table.

Buffy flippantly opened to a random page in the diary.

Feeling their eyes on her, Buffy looked up from the pages and glared at the remaining group. She smirked as they suddenly jumped into action, clumsily moving to get out of her way.

They dispersed into different directions, leaving the vampiress alone at the table with an open diary she wasn't very interested in.

Song Used: "Baba" by Alanis Morissette 1998