All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.
Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there
"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."
The vampire perceived his prey and lifted his head, taking a deep breath and extending his senses to the full.
The air between them was his tool. He sucked in the smell of her frail human body, perfumes carried to him despite the stillness of the night, by the constant, restless jostling of molecules; oxygen and nitrogen, the very elements carried her scent to him. The atmosphere between them churned with the vibrations of her movement. The sound of her breathing assaulted his eardrums; pressure waves reverberated each time she sucked air into her lungs and expelled it seconds later into the apparent void. He knew that her body functioned in the same way, but she, a pathetic human creature, was deaf, blind and almost unconscious by comparison.
He adjusted his step almost imperceptibly, and kept pace with the girl. Yellow street lights burned ahead and a block or so away people thronged and laughed; it was too public, but just let her stray from the well-beaten path for a second, and he would have her.
As if he had communicated a request, the girl turned into a dimly lit side street.
The vampire increased the length and frequency of his stride. Closer, closer, closer still; the distance between them diminished rapidly. He moved silently behind her and when they were separated by less than the span of his arm, he reached for her neck.
As if she felt his presence, the girl reached behind and seized his arm as it came towards her. She stopped dead, causing the vampire to crash into her, then bent forward and using his own weight against him, tossed him over her shoulder to lie, spread-eagled, on the pavement.
She delved into her coat and brought forth a pair of handcuffs. "Hi. My name's Faith. What's yours?"
Before he could recover enough to reply, the vampire was manacled firmly to a fire hydrant. The girl, beautiful and dark eyed, bent and put her face close to his. "You really think I couldn't sense you comin'? I could feel you three blocks away."
The vampire grimaced and snarled "Slayer..."
Faith grinned, put two fingers in her mouth, whistled, and then yelled, "Gunn! Wesleeeee! Come and get it!"
Two other humans emerged from a van parked by the side of the road. The vehicle was dull blue, but beneath the surface of its current paint job, the vampire could make out the faint outline of the words, "City Dog Pound". The back doors opened to reveal a caged section, still coated in wiry hairs and smelling of disinfectant.
One of the two, a tall, anxious-looking man carrying a crowbar, stepped forward and seemed to take great delight in flooring him.
"You're lethal with that thing, Wes! C'mon, let's get him inside."
Back at The Hyperion, Faith chained the vampire to the foot rail surrounding the reception desk. The three vampires already fastened there looked nervously at each other and said nothing.
She regarded her collection proudly. "It's starting to remind me of Willy's bar in here! You know, I never caught and collected them before... it's kinda fun for a change."
Wesley smiled. "We still need one more."
"All under control," Faith jumped up to sit on the desk, "I'll just grab a coffee and we can head out again."
Across town, Fred was pacing her cell. if she could tire herself out and just get some more sleep, she could try and find him. It wasn't logical that only he could find her. Somehow, she must be able to reach him, reach out to him.
"Listen to me," she said out loud, "Talking about logic when I'm just two steps from going completely round the twist. Hey, for all I know it's already happened. Let's face it, I'm having conversations with a dead vampire in my dreams."
"Fred?"
The cell faded away, and she was back in the dark place she had mistaken for sleep. "And when I'm awake as well? Oh, this can't be good."
"Fred, I've been thinking..." Angel's voice was small and frightened.
"Yeah?"
"I should tell you what happened. Why I did what I did."
She whispered, "You don't need to. We don't care. We just want you back."
"But if you know, you might feel differently."
"Angel... I'll listen if you want to tell me."
"I killed someone."
"I see."
"No, you don't, you can't possibly see. It was... it was..."
His voice was brittle, full of anguish. She ached to reach out an touch him. If she could just hold his hand while he explained. Anything to give him some reassurance; to let him know what he meant to her, and Wesley, and all the others.
"Oh! Ohmygod..."
"What? Angel? What's wrong?"
"Something... someone just touched me."
"Can you see them? Did they hurt you?"
"I can't see anything. I felt... fingers... touching my hand."
"Which hand?"
"Fred, does it matter?"
"Was it..." She pictured herself stroking his hand again, running her fingertips from his wrist, along the length of the scar and down his long fingers.
"You? How can you... are you here?"
"No. I don't know. I just... thought about touching you. And then you started caterwauling."
"Can you feel me?"
"No."
"How about now?"
Fred felt her hair being swept gently from her neck. "Now I can... your hand is on my shoulder. Can you feel it?"
"No... wait... yes... I felt something then..."
"Maybe, if we both think the same thought?"
"OK..."
"What will we think?"
She heard him take a deep breath. "I want to hold you."
"You do?"
"I want to slip my hands around your waist..."
"Angel..." She felt his hands move over her hip bones and settle in the small of her back. Realising he wouldn't be feeling anything, she thought about her skin under his touch, for all she was worth, and heard him catch his breath, and then continue.
"I want to... draw you towards me... bring your body to lay against me... the weight resting on my chest, the top of your head just under my chin."
"Oh... that feels... wonderful."
"Fred... I've missed you so much."
"I know..."
Abruptly, the contact disappeared.
"Angel?"
"I made a vampire."
Slowly, light began to dawn on Fred. She thought determinedly about wrapping her arms around him from behind, holding him tightly while he spoke, burying her face in his back between his shoulder blades. "A vampire?"
"Yes."
"Nero?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"She tricked me. I was attacked. I was brought there specifically to... and they hurt me... so much..."
"And you lost control?"
"Yes. Because of the pain."
"Tell me."
"I bit him and drank his blood, nearly all of it. I was so... angry. Then he drank mine, I didn't mean it to happen but I couldn't stop him, there was so much of it pouring out of me and I was stunned...""And you tried to kill him?"
She felt him heave a huge sigh. "Yes. But I wasn't quick enough. Darla sent me back and must have sealed the portal somehow at the same time. While you were sleeping... I tried to get back but I couldn't."
"So... you're the head of the Order. That's why she wanted you there?"
"Yes."
She felt him pushing her arms away, but she gripped tighter and wouldn't let him escape. Concentrating with all her might, she found she was stronger, at least in this way, with the power of thought.
"Listen to me, Angel. You did what you could. You were tricked. No-one's going to blame you for this."
"I blame myself."
"Then stop. This is no reason to leave us. No reason to die. This is... self-indulgent."
"Fred... don't..."
He was slipping away, and she knew couldn't prevent it. As he faded she squeezed him again and whispered, "We won't... won't love you any less. None of us."
The door of her cell burst open, and a guard stood, filling the gap.
"Visitor."