TITLE: Complex Cycles 4b
AUTHOR: Leni
DISCLAIMER and NOTES in 4a
RATING: *sigh* I swear it, this was supposed to be a PG-13... My muse is a nympho...
FEEDBACK: You want to see 4c? Well, I also want to see some comments to this... dani_vasq@hotmail.com , a_d_v_v@yahoo.com.ar
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What happened in Chapter 4a? While Giles is planning his escape and the downfall of the Watcher's Council, Buffy wonders if she *should* eliminate him. Of course, Angelus doesn't have such doubts... Anya talks to Harmony about her discovering' and, together, they plot against Cordelia. Willow left the vampire bound in his own lair. She just went out with him because she needed his blood for a protection spell. After leaving the warehouse, she went back to her lover (Tara) and helped with the spell. Apparently, the spell had more surprises than they imagined... Meanwhile, the vampire swears to find his captor (Willow) and punish' her...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Will you go after the Watcher tonight?"
Angelus raised her head from her neck and looked at her strangely. "That's a weird way to initiate a conversation after sex," he stated somewhat annoyed. That was not the response he usually got from Buffy.
"Will you?" she asked anew without minding his comment.
He got off her, sitting on the bed next to her. "You know I will, Buff, and I'll bring his ashes on a platter for you." He put her on his lap and proceeded to nibble on her earlobe. She swatted him away and spoke before Angelus could complain.
"Don't kill him."
*That* got him out of the mood. "What?" After all the times last night she had made him swear that the Watcher would be just a bad memory...
"We need him," she informed him.
*Need* him? Whatever for? The only reason why he had brought the annoying Brit was because he could help him with his plans. Now that he had fled, Angelus could safely assume that the Watcher would be of not use. And- he had killed the kitten. How could Buffy let him live? Maybe she was just worried he wouldn't pay much attention to her... "Looking for the prophecy myself won't take me away from you, luv," he tried to reason.
She moved in his lap until her cheek was comfortably resting on his shoulder blade. "He is not here just for the information, Angelus." she began to trace a lazy path on his chest. His muscles contracted at her touch. "Your new Childe means something else." Angelus could hear what she was saying but those slow movements were so distracting... "For me. For us. You must keep him alive." She gave him small kisses wherever her lips could reach him. And another. And another. All the while moving her hands as he had always liked it.
"You wanted him dead yesterday," he mumbled. He was a weak vampire. He was the laugh of the whole community... or he would be if he didn't kill whoever even suggested such a thing. To let himself be seduced into forgiving a traitor... A shame! A sexy, irresistible shame...
"I had time to think," she murmured before biting down with smooth teeth. Angelus began to purr when she blew on the hurt skin. She was the only one he could ever be submissive to. If this game pleased her, then it definitely pleased him.
Her hand went lower... oh yes! This pleased him all right.
If there was a thing Buffy could do, it was to maintain him aroused as long as she wanted. Just the feel of her body against his was enough to send him at the edge of his control. Her little hands playing just above his pubic hairs with those idle fingers made him go crazy. And the feel of her well-manicured nail all over his shaft...
He was so weak...
On impulse, he had Buffy on her back again. She giggled and then gasped as he entered her, finally setting for kissing his lips, his chin, his neck... Her hands were now on his buttocks, pressing him a little closer... Just--- A--- Little--- Closer. He could feel her begin writhing beneath him. He searched blindly for her neck and bit down forcefully when he felt himself let go. With a final cry, Buffy's body went suddenly still, just to begin thrashing a second afterwards.
When they both had calmed somewhat, Angelus licked the last drop of blood off her neck.
"That was..." he began.
"Yeah, it was, " she agreed, "but you still haven't answered me. Will you kill him?"
Angelus stared at her in wonderment. Did she really believe that he would be able to deny her something after *that*? Hell, no! Not that I could ever deny her anything, anyway. I'm sure she did this more out of fun than to convince me. He could endure the little bastard if Buffy wanted it. Else, there would always be a chance to finish him off if he failed... "No, I won't. I just hope he hasn't gone out of the town. It would make his search more difficult."
"It will not be difficult at all. The Watcher thinks he can outsmart us." She shook her head in amusement. "Let him have his fun while he thinks he can. He will betray himself tonight." She traced a lost blooddrop on Angelus' chin. With her now wetted fingertip she trailed across his slick chest and way up again. He winced a bit when she scratched the skin at the base of his neck, but smiled again when she presented him his own blood, now mixed with hers. She glanced into his eyes and ended her verdict as he sucked on her finger. "It will be just a matter of looking for blood." She smiled wickedly and went for his lips.
"Blood?" he asked curiously when the kiss ended.
"You did teach him how an Aurelius shall eat, didn't you, my love?"
Angelus smiled. Now he understood. Yes, he had taught the Watcher... and that lesson would be his downfall.
"Let the boys look for him. It's still day and I think we could find a way to pass the time until nightfall." She giggled and let the sheet fall at her waist.
"I agree." He passed a hand through her hair and kissed her on the now bare nipple. "I'll just give them their tasks. Wait for me, ok?" She nodded and smiled invitingly. He raised from the bed and marched out of the room.
"Ford!"
From between the sheets, Buffy smiled. It was so easy to maintain her family united. And when it was time for her brothers to die, then she would be the first to dance in the dust...
-----------------------------
Oz was calmly practising in his room when he felt it. Later he would call it the pull of instinct, now it was only a weird feeling in his gut. He rose from his crouching position on the floor as put his guitar aside. He rushed down the stairs without noticing his mother's strange look and opened the front door before the bell rang.
The first thing he recognised was her wild and strangely red hair. Then he noted the little smile that had accompanied him the whole of last night. He smiled back.
"Hi, Oz," she greeted shyly.
He hadn't been wrong. She hadn't been a dream, at least not one which would pass with the night.
-----------------------------------------------
"So mote it be!"
Silence invaded the room.
They waited for a moment. And another. and another. and...
A breeze of cold air came into the room from nowhere. After it had passed a clear light burst out the bowl. It spread out until the walls were covered with a bluish light.
Willow gasped. This was the most beautiful thing she had seen in her life. But... "That wasn't supposed to happen," she murmured
"It was," was her lover's answer.
Willow only stared at her companion incomprehensibly. "Huh?" She had read the books yesterday and none of them told her something about this bright light.
"In a protection spell this is always expected to happen. But only if the spell is very strong. This one wasn't supposed to be *that* powerful, at least not with the blood of a common vampire." She gazed at the surprised redhead. "Tell me, my love, where did you get the blood I needed?"
"I did as you told me, Tara. I just used the tracking spell you gave me. I detected the vampire at a pub and gained his attention. Then I let him kidnap' me and bewitched him afterwards." She nearly giggled at the image of the blonde vampire bonded in his own lair. Only Tara's sombre expression halted her good humour. She finished her story in a rush, "I came to you with the blood and the other ingredients as soon as I could."
"You yourself found out that the blood is the key for Artemise's protection. The spell is simple yet tricky, if one wants a powerful shield then one needs powerful blood, the kind of which one does not find without paying a price."
Willow paled. She was beginning to understand what her partner was implying. "Oh my god..." she muttered under her breath.
"The vampire you encountered was a powerful one, Willow. You're lucky to be still alive, my love." Tara left her place at the bowl and went to embrace the trembling redhead. She should have gone to get the blood herself, she shouldn't have let Willow convince her...
"It's going to be okay. Now that we are magically protected, nothing will happen to you. Nothing, I swear it."
Willow gulped. She knew that their spell was lasting. She trusted Tara and Artemise enough to feel safe... but... what if that vampire was powerful enough to fool all enchantments and promises? what if he found her alone and helpless? Now she wasn't feeling a smug as when she had left his warehouse. She definitely didn't like the feeling of 'being lucky', as Tara had just called it. Willow concluded that she should have staked him... if only the spell didn't need the blood's source to be still alive! if only she had made the spell more lasting! She would feel a lot safer if she knew for sure that the vampire wasn't a menace any more.
"Don't worry, Willow," Tara said as she tried to calm her, "you are not in danger. We'll make it through this." she kissed her lightly. "I know we will."
-------------------------------------
"Ford!"
Nothing.
"FORD!"
A disgruntled figure appeared at the kitchen door. He was wearing just some boxers and a green T-shirt which had just been hastily put on. Ford hated when *he* did that. It didn't matter if Angelus could kill him in the blink of an eye, it still pissed him to be rudely awakened in the middle of a dreamless sleep. He saw his master upstairs, dressed in even less than him and with a determined expression on his face. It could only mean one thing for Ford: another sleepless day. He faced Angelus and spoke with what he hoped sounded like a humble voice.
"You called for me, Master?"
"You know I did, Ford. I have a task for you and the boys. I already sent you once to trace and bring me the Watcher. I'm giving you the responsibility again. Go and find him... tonight. Buffy says to look for blood."
Angelus was crazy. Even more than Buffy. It was *impossible* to track a vampire who wanted to stay hidden in so little time. And what had *blood* to do with this? Also, it looked like Angelus had forgotten one little' detail.. "But Master, it is still day." He knew his complaint would lead him nowhere even before Angelus responded.
"Then you'll have to be very careful, won't you?"
Ford nodded and began his walk towards the nether rooms, i.e. the minions' quarters. They would have to begin as soon as possible if they wanted to carry out Angelus' orders successfully. At least Sunnydale's sewer system covered a lot of area, it would not be difficult to move around the town during the day.
"By the way." Ford stopped at the voice. "Have you already disposed of the weakling in our ranks?"
"Yes, Master, I myself saw him turn to dust." In fact, he was the one who had staked the vampire. Not only because of Angelus' orders but mainly because the failure of that vampire had meant the death of his Mistress' kitten. Whatever put Buffy in a bad mood, he was sworn to eliminate. Besides, he never had liked Stuart that much.
"Good. Let it serve as example for the others. Maybe this way the minions will understand why they should obey my orders. When I say that the guest' shall not be freed, then he shall *not* be freed."
"Yes, Angelus." He had just turned around, when he heard the same velvety voice which Angelus usually used to imply a threat.
"The name is Master. Don't forget it, Ford," he said warningly.
Without turning, he responded, "of course not... Master."
"Good. Now have someone bring me the Watcher's meal. If he won't eat it then at least the hunt won't have been in vain." He made a small pause. "I hope she hasn't been touched..." A stern look was sent in his direction. As if someone would dare to drink of their Master's prey!
"No, Master. No harm had been bestowed on her. I will send the girl with Harry immediately."
Finally, Ford turned on his heels and left the room. All the while muttering in a tone he knew his Master' would hear but not understand.
From the stairs, Angelus smiled pleased with himself. He turned round and went back to his room. His first intention had not been to tease Ford, but when he had seen the younger vampire in front of him, he just couldn't stop himself. Well, now it was time to go back, there were still some things he had to speak about with Buffy.
Whom was he kidding? Speaking was the last thing on his mind! And they still had some time before the sun disappeared and the hunt called them. She had looked so good on this new bed, with the sheet covering only half her body...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xander had been busy the whole day in the basement going through some of Giles' books. Translating the Latin texts and those in even archaicer tongues was more difficult than he had imagined. He had to be very careful about it. A word wrongly interpreted, an adverb put in its bad place, and the whole context changed.
Normally, he would count on the help of some acquaintances over the Net. If only he could find one of them just now! It seemed as if all the Techno-Pagans in the world had suddenly shut off their computers and gone to Jamaica That's a place I would rather be, he thought distractedly. There would be palms and sun and Darla in that tiny bikini she bought with Cordelia last month...
Just as his mind was wandering through the waves and the sun block Maybe she would need my help. Even the Slayer can not reach those annoying spots on her back... the telephone rang.
And rang again.
Why doesn't Mom... Cuz your Mommy isn't at home, you dumbass. Don't you remember the note she left on the fridge last week?
He sighed and went upstairs to answer the call.
"Harris residence."
"Alexander? Is that you?"
The voice sounded familiar, but for the life of him he could not place it with the face of someone who would call him on a Saturday. "Huh? Who is it?"
"Hey, I'm Larry. Just wanted to congratulate you for the good fishing."
"What?" Why would the soccer player call him? And to congratulate him for *what*¨?
"Look, I just talked with Harmony..."
"But she hasn't talked with you for the last days." There was a slight pause on the other side. Oops, maybe he shouldn't have mentioned Larry's fight with his ex girlfriend. Well, he wouldn't have mentioned it if Larry hadn't called him. And he still didn't know the reason for that.
"Oh that. Well, she realised that she loved me and came back as soon as I called her. Easy chick, really. Just needed a few sweet words and she suddenly understood my point of view."
Xander felt disgusted at Larry words. Sure, he disliked Harmony Kendall as much as she disliked him, but still...
"And what did you phone me for?" he asked instead. He certainly didn't want to begin an argument with the best – and strongest and toughest - soccer player at school.
"Well, I guess I just wanted you to know that probably half the team is looking for the best way to kill you."
*That* woke him up "What?!" Now he didn't understand a thing. Not that he had understood *any* of it, anyways.
"Well, you can't fool around with Cordelia Chase without gaining a few enemies, can you, Harris? If I weren't with Harm... oh well, guess not everyone can get the first prize. Good luck with the Ice Princess, Xander. From what I've heard you'll need it." What? He? Cordelia? What the hell was happening? "Look, I owed you one for your help in computer class last semester. Now that debt is paid off, ok? Be careful, Harris! I heard Johnson is planning some dirty tricks just for you."
"But..."
However, Larry had already hung up and left Xander with a lot of questions.
Had Larry really brought up Cordelia in *that* context? Xander shook his head. This couldn't be happening.
---------------------------------
"You can't."
He didn't even look up at the voice.
"Are you hearing me? You can't do it."
He sighed. He could back down now and live another peaceful night or he could 'initiate' another fight and say: "I have been planning this for a long time. *We* had already planned to go today. You knew of this, Joyce. Want to tell me why I can't do as I've planned?" Obviously, he had to choose the second option.
"She is grounded."
Henry's eyebrows shot at that. "And why did you ground her *this* time?" He had planned a date' with his daughter for tonight. Between his work in Sunnydale and the frequent trips he had to make, there hadn't been much time for that father-daughter bond he cherished so much. And now that he had finally found a free night to share with Darla...
"Don't treat me as if I'm the bad guy here, Henry Duncan! I have a hard time raising the daughter you leave to me while you are working. The least you could do is to respect my work."
"So now I should respect that you have *my* daughter practically locked up in her own room all the time?" It was truth, those last years it didn't pass a month without his wife grounding their only child. He didn't understand the reason. Sure, he had noticed that Darla had grown a little more distant towards them, and her grades weren't doing as well as before, but... he had been young too, he had also had a work-oholic father and a severe mother... Darla was just seventeen and in no way deserved the treatment her mother gave her. "Did you know this is the second time you ruin our night *this* year? In case you haven't noticed, we are just at 25th January. January! How can she already be grounded two times in such a short time!"
"It is the only way she'll understand!" She tried to calm a bit. It would be of no use if they were both screaming and fighting. She lowered her voice. "I've tried everything, Henry. *Everything*. I've been patient with her, I've talked with her, I've done EVERYTHING and she still is behaving like a rebel!"
"No wonder she wants to rebel against you," he declared dispassionately.
"Maybe." She breathed deeply and tried to count to ten. One, two, three... Damn it! "Look, Henry, it's no wonder she sees me as the WICKED MOTHER FROM HELL if every time you come, you do everything she wants and I have to start anew."
"So this is my fault?"
"Part of it is," she said truthfully.
Henry was long past 'truthful'. Here he was hearing the woman he had loved and lived with for twenty years telling him that he was a bad father. Henry Duncan knew that he was not Daddy N°1 but never. NEVER. had he stopped caring about his only daughter. This--- this woman was very wrong if she thought she could blame *him* for their daughter's behaviour and still stay as the fucking model mother. "So, according to you," he began, "it would be better if I no longer lived here. Is that what you are saying, Joyce?"
She seemed startled at his question. And the worst part was that she was actually giving some thought to his demand.
This is it, he thought, this is where it ends.
----------------------
Darla waited for her mother's answer.
Being the Slayer had certain advantages, such as being able to scurry out of her room to the stairs and be perfectly silent while her dear parents raged downstairs.
She sighed in relief when an unconvinced 'No' was the answer. At least she would have a complete set of parents for tonight. After that... well, only time would tell.
She didn't pay attention to the rest of the conversation and went noiselessly back to her room.
-------------------
This time she hadn't wanted to just stay in, play, and discover new songs. He had taken her on a tour through the town. Truthfully, there wasn't a lot to show, but he managed to tell a story of each place they visited. Of how he had fallen in this park and broke a leg, of when he bought his first guitar on that shop at the corner, or of how he was flirting with this shop attendant when her older/scarier boyfriend came. He didn't know *why* he was telling her these things; he mostly kept these anecdotes to himself, sometimes even writing them in the secret diary he kept. He told her about that diary, too.
Then it was her turn to speak. Yes, her name was Veruca. Yes, she had just recently moved in into Sunnydale. No, he wasn't boring her. No, the change was not that bad, she was long accustomed to new towns and new faces. She didn't explain further and Oz dreaded she would leave the town soon. Could I have fallen for her? Duh! But she continued before he could analyse what that little voice had meant.
She liked it here, she said. It was always so calm, so beautifully isolated. There was a strange feeling in this suburban life for a city-girl like her. She told him a little of the different cities she had lived in, never explaining when or why she kept moving through the whole country and even beyond. She explained that winters in Canada were awfully colder and that the food in Mexico used many spices. The last thing she said before they fell into a comfortable silence was that she wanted to know *everything* about this town. This last thing she said with such a pointed look at him that Oz knew she wasn't talking only about buildings and parks.
He should be blushing now, he thought, but strangely, he wasn't. He just felt an awkward feeling of contentment, as if he had been waiting for that veiled confession.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Darla was bored. So much in fact, that even a fly would have offered an interesting distraction. After her parents' argument, she hadn't gone downstairs. She knew she would find them doing their everyday chores, as if nothing had happened, living their precious suburban life and wondering when the other would snap and leave. How would they react if they knew what awaited their daughter every night? What would they do if - when- one of those threats finally proved too much for her?
It had already killed one of her friends.
Finding his body at her doorstep, then watching as his casket was lowered into the ground, and then, the worst of all, finding that same ground violated... She was the Slayer, she should have been able to look after her family. How was it fair for her to save unknown lives night after night and then, just when it was someone important who needed the saving... BOOM, she was too busy waiting for a dormant vampire to be on time to rescue him.
Reading his Diaries had been frustrating. Page after page of slain demons and vampires. Sure, there was always an occasional mention of her great abilities' or her promising capacity' but never something *Giles* would have told her, just what the Watcher told the Council.
She realised that it was useless to think of this now, but she needed to. Giles' death had been hard on her. And now, knowing that he was a vampire... well, right now she'd prefer him to be as far from Sunnydale as possible. How do you kill something that has the face of your Watcher, of your friend? She didn't feel prepared enough. Eventually, she would have to do it, and maybe then she would find some peace. But now peace wasn't with her. She had never felt so... helpless.
Slayers couldn't afford to feel helpless. Slayers kept fighting all the way.
She reached a conclusion. Maybe it would be hard to kill vamp-Giles, but to kill his murderer would be a pleasure, one she fully intended to give herself. But first she had to find said vampire. That couldn't be difficult, could it? Not when vampires liked to goad about their achievements - killing the current Watcher *had* to be an achievement - and there was only one place to do so. It would be easy to make the snitch talk.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blood.
She could almost feel the metallic tang of fresh blood on her tongue.
She smiled and opened her eyes leisurely. The sight which greeted her was exactly what she had been expecting.
A young girl tied to the post of their bed, supported only by the chains in her wrists and the longer one around her waist. Her hair was matted on her temple and sweat covered her body, making her twitch as it reached and irritated her various wounds.
To fall asleep in a warm haze of lovemaking and wake up to one precious torture. Buffy nearly beamed. Only Angelus could be that considerate...
She glanced at the naked girl in front of her. In spite of the dry tears and the bruised body she could swear that she knew the teenager. The short dark hair, the helpless aura, the defeated features... Yes, she was the girl Angelus had selected for the Watcher. Albeit a little paler, and with much less clothes over her body. And definitely quieter.
Buffy grinned. Not a scream or a whine to accompany the futile ones from last night. Angelus always knew how to take his pleasure silently...
But the blood screamed for her presence. And she knew that Angelus was aware of that calling, too. She licked her lips absently. She glanced up at their prey's face and found the brown eyes looking pleadingly at her. Fool. Buffy shifted her body so that she stayed on all four and crept swiftly towards the girl. Their eyes met for a second and Buffy smiled ferally. Now she wanted to play...
Mindless of her nude body, she crawled slowly, wanting to take her sweet time. After all, she was not the only naked female in that room--- She reached one of the little manacles' and snapped it open. A smirk had to be suppressed when the girl sighed in relief. Angelus just waited patiently for her next move. He didn't need to wait for long.
A corner of his lips quirked when Buffy took their prey's hand a kissed each finger lovingly. He knew what followed next. The girl's eyes widened when she felt sharp teeth in her wrist. Angelus smiled smugly. The girl had already learnt not to make a single sound.
Buffy passed her tongue across the wound and then looked up at their victim. Her eyes were dark with fear as she stared incredulously at her bleeding wrist. They closed rashly at the sight of the blonde girl licking the blood away. Laura Adams had only been running an errand for her older brother last night... now she knew for certain that she was going to die.
She pressed her eyes shut as the stranger moved her hand back to the steel chains and willed herself not to cry when a gentle voice crooned softly against her ear...
"Poor lost girl," Buffy whispered when she finished tying their victim back to the post. She looked over the girl's shoulder and caught Angelus grinning at her. She invited him closer with an enticing look and let him kiss her. Her hands went around the teenager's body and onto his chest just as he deepened the kiss.
Laura stiffened as she felt the two bodies enveloping her.
"I want to play..." Buffy murmured and kissed her lover again.
They smiled against each other's mouths as they heard a sob escaping their prey. Angelus instantly took note of it and decided to teach her a little more about her expected behaviour. After all, the lessons of the past two hours seemed to have an effect on the girl. Now he didn't feel it necessary to disengage that lovely tongue from her foul mouth. Of course, there still were a lot more methods to enjoy the evening.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WARNING: Anti-Riley quote ahead. If you like the guy then don't read the next lines and wait for the next chapter. (Not before sending some feedback, of course!)
ANGEL (talking TO Buffy ABOUT Riley): You actually sleep with this guy?
ME: The good news: She doesn't do it anymore. The bad news: She is doing someone else... (Why did it have to be Spike?! Now I'm always wondering if she should have staked him in S2! And he is my favourite character!)
