4 Days Later

Giles' Apartment: Courtyard

"Another bust," said Faith angered at another night without finding or even crossing paths with Buffy.

Following Faith down the stairs was the rest of the Scoobie gang. They had combed the entire town, every known location Buffy was known to haunt, and even searched all twelve cemeteries in Sunnydale. There was not a single trace of the vampiress.

Faith had even snuck away to the Crawford Mansion but she couldn't bring herself to enter the place. The memories of everything that had happened behind that wooden door were too overwhelming and painful.

Behind that door, Buffy betrayed her the first time and after forcing the soul back inside of her, there were many nights Faith, Willow, and the rest of the gang would come and hang out in the evenings after patrols. Buffy enjoyed having the company again after Angelus had left, she was quite lonely. The soul inside of her body isolated her. She didn't have a clue where she belonged at the time, and the Scoobie gang welcomed her, even after everything she had put them through.


Reaching the bottom of the steps, Faith turned to the Watcher and said, "We keep letting another night go by and us not finding her, Geeves."

"I quite agree, but she's disappeared." Giles said.

Xander frowned. "You can't just disappear… Can you?"

"Depends," began Anya, gaining everyone's attention. "Y'know, if there's magic or if you're a vampire that's spent the last three hundred and some odd years hiding in plain sight."

Xander stared at her with unblinking eyes. "Very helpful, Anya."

"What?" Anya frowned, feeling defensive. "You asked. Don't blame me 'cause you don't like the answer."

Faith turned to her Watcher and said, "Giles she's out there. And she's gonna kill again and it'll be all my fault."

Releasing a small breath, Giles placed a hand on her shoulder. "Faith, you mustn't blame yourself. There was no indication anywhere in Jenny's research or any of the text I've looked into since that states anything about a clause. No one couldn't known. I doubt Buffy even knew." He said, opening the front door to the apartment.

All of their heads turned and almost jumped back startled to find Buffy sitting on the couch. Her back faced them. She turned the page of the book resting on her knee with one hand as the other held a cup of tea.

Immediately, Faith and the gang drew out their weapons and aimed them at the vampiress' back.

Buffy's eyes never shifted from the book in her hand. Seemingly unthreatened by the crossbow arrows aimed at her back, Buffy sipped the tea in her hand and turned the page of the book. "The Prophecy of Aurelius is a real page turner." Her ears twitched as the group slowly moved closer and stepped around the couch to face her. "He prophesied that the brethren of his order would come to the Master and bring him the Anointed. Well, I've seen the Anointed and he was a child." Buffy scoffed with an eye roll. "Not enough to have me quaking in my stylish-yet-affordable shoes. So, what are you guys up to?" She tossed the book closed with a thud and placed it beside her on the couch.

Launching her hands out, Faith grabbed Buffy by the front of her coat. The teacup in her hand fell and shattered on the floor. The Slayer then slammed Buffy's back into the wall.

Buffy grinned. "Ooh, Faith-y, if you wanted to get handsy, all you had to do was say so."

"What did you do?" Faith heard none of it and buried a powerful fist across Buffy's face. "Why did you kill Riley?" She tossed Buffy away.

Catching herself, Buffy stood straight and wiped the blood at the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "I didn't." She revealed.

The unconvinced Scoobies stared at the vampire, their weapons still aimed at her.

"Well, I was beaten to it. Angel is so easily jealous." She playfully smiled at Faith and fixed her hair. "I don't understand why you're so heartbroken about it. It's not like you had any interest in Captain America."

Faith angrily stepped forward. "He didn't deserve to die!"

Dismissively, Buffy rolled her eyes. "No one we kill ever actually deserves to die. But we do it regardless if they deserve it or they don't because we're demons." Buffy folded her arms across her chest and stepped closer to Faith. "What do you think we do? Ask you over for tea parties? Do I really need to explain the difference between having a soul and not having a soul?" Buffy reached out her hand and tenderly tucked a piece of Faith's dark hair behind her ear.

Buffy listened to the Vampire Slayer's heartbeat. It slowed and mellowed as she became transfixed, melting into the manipulative trap Buffy had set up under her feet.

"Speaking of which," Giles began, lowering his weapon, "will you tell us how you were able to lose your soul?" He asked, removing the glasses from his face.

"Brace yourself, 'cause you're never going to believe it." Buffy said with sharp sarcasm. "Perfect Happiness." Giles frowned, uncertain what she had meant. "Turns out it was Angel along."

Unable to mask her sadness and the jealousy boiling within her, Faith's voice gave her away. "He gave you perfect happiness?"

Smirking with amusement, Buffy enjoyed watching Faith's jealousy. "Oh, don't look so glum, Faith. You were plenty of fun." She winked at the Slayer.

"You don't at all seem surprised by any of this." The Watcher said, studying Buffy carefully.

"No. Not really. A little biridie warned me about it awhile ago. It must've... slipped my mind." She shrugged. "Now, I really must be going." Buffy spun around on the heel of her boot. "I have very evil things to do." She said, opening the apartment door and closing it behind her.

Crawford Street Mansion: Master Bedroom

Laying on the bed, Buffy sat perched against the piles of fluffy pillows against the blackboard naked with Angelus pillowed his head over her flat stomach. His eyes were closed, relaxed, and in the base of his muscular chest, he was purring.

Buffy stared out of the large window, staring up at the dark night sky. Her fingers mindlessly combed through Angelus' dark spiky hair.

She tore her gaze from the dark sky when Angelus' hand rubbed over her smooth thigh. Leaning forward, Buffy buried her face into his hair, kissing the top of his head.

"I can hear your mind cranking. What's on your mind, mo ghrá (my love)?"

Exhaling a heavy needless breath. "It's nothing."

Angelus pulled back his head and looked up at her. "I don't believe that." He studied the melancholy look etched into her beautiful features and suddenly, Angelus understood. "Are you by chance having a feeling of being in a rut?"

Buffy looked at him wearing an adorable pouting frown. "How'd you… Nevermind that."

Propping himself on his elbow, Angelus reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the claddagh ring that sat there. "Whatever it is, Buffy, you know you can tell me. We've always had an open and honest relationship."

"I know," she said, looking down at their dancing fingers. "I think I'm finished with this place."

"California?"

"The Hellmouth... Sunnydale... all of it. It's beginning to feel mundane. How many times are we going to chase around this Slayer and her pals?"

Angelus looked at her. "Then what do you suppose we do?"

"Well, I was thinking of killing her and her friends."

Smirking, Angelus kissed the back of her hand and began to coat her golden smooth skin with tender moist kisses.

Buffy smiled as his kisses slightly tickled her. She continued to affectionately run her fingers through his hair. Biting her lip with moan, Angelus' tongue licked around her sensitive rosebud nipple.

His mouth created its own path up towards her collarbone from her breasts. Buffy closed her eyes and moaned again when he playfully bit her collarbone.

Kissing along the column of her neck, Angelus suddenly stopped and rested his chin over top of her chin and looked at her. "I may have a solution." He smiled, playing a kiss on her mouth.

Sliding her hands over his rounded shoulders. "Which is?"

"We've received an invitation a few days ago. Recently there has been a change of command in the Underworld."

Instantly, Buffy felt worried for Lucifer.

Sensing her change of behaviour, Angelus eyed his mate carefully. There was a sting of jealousy in his chest. He had known during their separation that she had slept with Lucifer. His scent was still on her and during one of their late night talks, she had told him.

Angelus felt unsure which was harder; to learn that your mate had sex with an arch rival or watching having to tell him that she had sex with his arch rival.

In his right and rational mind, Angelus knew that he did not have anything to worry about. She had broken off what could have been something just as long lasting and fulfilling with Lucifer for him. She was loyal to him. She had chosen him.

Regardless of all of that, Angelus knew that Buffy will always care very deeply for Lucifer Morningstar. She was as loyal to Satan as she was loyal to her mate. There was a strange camaraderie that bordered on passion and compainionship between the pair that Angelus will never understand. He hoped that one she'd let him in and tell him about it but that day would not come for sometime, he believed.

Depicts knowing all of this, Angelus still felt a pang of jealousy in his chest at her reaction of something potentially dangerous happening to Lucifer.

Angelus gritted his teeth and remained impassive as he slid the pad of his forefinger across her lips. "The Source is throwing himself an inauguration ball."

Buffy frowned. "Again? Jeez, that guy gets himself killed every other year it seems. Where is this ball at?"

"San Francisco. Would you like to go?"

Looping her arms around his neck, Buffy slid down to lay on her back and opened her legs for him to settle in-between.

Angelus grinned widely and covered her mouth with his lips, tenderly at first, until she responded and the kiss became much more passionate.

As warmth spread through her, shooting towards her groin, Buffy's fingers played with the short hairs at the base of Angelus' neck, while he ran his fingers through her silky long hair. Neither knew how long they spent making out, but they managed to successfully ignore the fact that they were doing what they had vowed to never do again.

When they finally broke apart and looked at each other, they were both slightly out of breath. His eyes dark with desire, Angelus gazed over at Buffy and couldn't help but get a little bit harder than he already was as he saw her swollen lips. She was, quite simply, the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

One look in her eyes and Angelus knew he didn't have to ask if she was sure. He nodded quickly and stood, pulling her up with him and tugging her against his chest. They kissed again, their hands roaming over each other's upper bodies until the need to be in bed grew too great.

Buffy entwined her fingers in his hair and held him to her, willing him to never stop. Amidst her protests, he did, but only long enough to move to the other nipple, not wanting to neglect it. Angelus snaked his hand down her belly to her center. Buffy squeezed her eyes closed and moaned loudly as he inserted a finger inside her, finding her already wet with desire. He massaged her clit with the pad of his thumb.

Orgasm wracked through her and she shook with the waves of pleasure. Angelus continued his movements throughout her climax until Buffy lay limply on the bed beneath him. Gently extracting his hand, Angelus smiled wickedly at her. Buffy returned the smile as she was once again hit with a bolt of lust. Her fingers threaded into his dark hair and pulled him close to kiss her

The head of his erection butted against her slit and created pleasurable torture for the both of them until Buffy reached a hand between their bodies and guided his length home.

Angelus slowly slid inside Buffy as he looked her in the eye. She stared right back at him and reached her hand up to touch his face, the tips of her fingers tracing along his lips until he dipped his head down and sensually kissed her.

Angelus kept his slow pace as he slid in and out of her, while Buffy lifted her hips to meet him.

Before long Buffy found herself in the throes of a second orgasm as Angelus continued thrusting languidly and kissing the side of her neck, she arched her back and moaned. Her hands tightly clutched his forearms as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Buffy rolled the both of them without him pulling out of her. Sprawled across his chest, their lower bodies churned together. She pushed herself up with her hands on the breasts of his chest and their eyes once again met.

Tucking a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear, Angelus wordlessly took her hand into his own and brought it to his mouth, kissing the back of her hand.

Using her vaginal muscles, Buffy squeezed Angelus' length and smiled as he groaned. She began to move faster, rolling her hips in a circular motion. Angelus held his hands around her hips, guiding movements and their need for release grew stronger.

Angelus started to come, he drove his hips up wildly and he spilled his dead seed deep inside of her.

Buffy's head flung back as she ardently slammed against him. They continued moving against each other as their orgasms passed, more and more slowly until they stopped and Buffy laid against his chest.

"I can go shopping for a party dress." said Buffy, breaking the peaceful silence.

Circling his arms around her, Angelus smiled as he whispered into her ear, "Or you can wear no dress."

Buffy let out a laugh and lifted her head from his chest. She nuzzled her nose against his then kissed him for another minute before pulling back, much to Angelus' dismay.

"I do have an errend for you." said Buffy, sliding the pad of her finger along Angelus' lips.