***Well, ff.net is back up. We finally can get back into the story with everyone's favorite villain. Yes, Seth is back!

CHAPTER 27

Jennifer was sprawled across her four-post bed, surrounded by red and crème colored pillows. The matching silk sheets clung to her naked flesh like a second skin and in their translucence left little to the imagination. Her hand casually ran up and down the smooth flesh between her breasts, patiently awaiting the return of Seth.

He had left two hours ago though he didn't say where and he seemed more than a little preoccupied with this Gabriel fellow. It was strange how his train of thought that had originally been centered on reclaiming his precious 'slayer' shifted to Dawn and now it was focused on his sire. Need less to say Jennifer found Seth to be more than a handful.

But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

The exotic beauty smiled at the wicked thoughts that pervaded her mind. The way it felt when he kissed her, claiming her most intimate of areas for his own with a cup of the hand. The lust-filled glint in his eyes before he disappeared into the night held a promise of things to come.

She smiled ruefully at the thought of him. It had been far too long since a being had peaked her curiosity like Seth. Not even the souled vampire's dichotomous existence was as of interest to her as Seth. Not only was she intrigued by the evil and potential for destruction he exuded but also the purely physical ardor that radiated from him. She loved his wiry arms, corded with muscles and lined in tattoos. His unnatural blue eyes glistened with a tint of green and were filled with life. The small stubble of black at the tip of his chin clashed expertly with his bleached locks. But most of all, it was his attitude that drew her close like a moth to a flame. They were kindred spirits, their wills offering supplication to no one. And although she had felt his fear upon their first encounter, his unease around her had subsided.

Good, she thought as her delicate hand roamed further down her body. Wouldn't do good to have a lover afraid of me, now would it? Her skin sung at the gentle caresses of her fingertips. It had been well over five centuries since she had taken a human body. Though she had taken the very same form to torment the souled one, it was not flesh and blood. Now, she was incased in the fragile shell of humanity. Though she was prone on a lesser scale to the weaknesses of a human body, she was also in possession of the many sensations of pleasure that coursed through mortal pores.

Closing her eyes, Jennifer caressed the supple mounds of her breasts. She gently squeezed the flesh while her fingers sought out and kneaded her erect nipples. There were definitely advantages to having a human body.

After a few minutes, her wandering hands found the damp curls between her legs. She was taken aback by the moisture that had accumulated in such a short span of time but that didn't deter her from exploring this sacred place with more scrutiny.

She expertly ran a thin finger along the folds of her lips, mindful of her true destination though she refused to go there just yet. There was still much to explore and the mounting ball of anticipation in the pit of her stomach (and other places) held promises of untold bliss if she just waited a little longer. Her free hand stroked the outside of her thigh, her middle finger trailing down the grove of her 'sprinter's muscle'. Her other hand was busy stroking her heated core until her patience cracked a little more and she plunged two fingers inside of her rich temple. She moaned in pleasure and her other hand instinctively cupped the sensual curve of her ass, imprinting crescent moons into her flesh from her nails. She continued to work her fingers in and out slowly before picking up pace until her thumb breezed across the ultimate treasure.

"Oh, god," she moaned as her thumb and two fingers worked in tandem with her other hand that had found solid purchase between the crevice of her ripe ass. Jennifer squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, the sensations in her body threatened to overwhelm her slight form. It was when her other fingers found her second opening that she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Seth!" she moaned, her thrashing body finally dismissing the sheets in totality. The air hitting her most sensitive areas only heightened the bliss and she shuddered involuntarily as the first wave crashed through her. The intensity was such that she could only growl incoherently at the budding flowers of pleasure sprouting throughout her lithe frame. Her hand was covered in her own nectar and Jennifer wanted so badly to taste it but was unwilling to remove her fingers from inside her, even for a single moment of oral fascination.

"Mmmm," she rumbled as a second inundation of physical gratification was fast approaching. But she would not accomplish her task as two cold hands seized her wrists and hoisted them above her head.

Her eyes shot open in surprise at the intrusion until she caught a glimpse of the perpetrator.

"Starting without me," Seth asked huskily. He had watched her for the last two minutes unabated as the moon shone through the curtains and highlighted her bronze flesh. It wasn't until she had kicked the covers off completely that his resolve had broken. He had undressed quietly but with the preternatural speed of a vampire and silently crept from his place in the shadows to the bed. He had waited until she was about to ride her second crest to orgasm before he acted. As it was now, Seth straddled her thighs; his erection sandwiched against his cold abs and the blisteringly hot mound of her sex. Her obsidian eyes were drunk with desire as they trailed a path down the length of his sinewy flesh to the cool member that pressed so eagerly against her.

"Looks like someone's glad to see me," she purred before lifting her hips and grounding them into his manhood.

Seth clinched his teeth, refusing to rise--well, any more than he already had--to her baiting him. He had to be in control, period. It has always been like that and he wasn't about to change. Only Emerald had had the power to change his ways and though this woman before him was spectacular in her own right, reminding him in some ways of his long gone love Seth refused to allow her to tame him.

"Did you enjoy the show?" she asked, attempting to spread her legs but he had them trapped between his deceivingly powerful thighs.

The hunger continued to build in Seth as Jennifer's arched eyebrow raised in invitation. "You knew I was there." It wasn't a question. "And here I thought that I was the one surprising you." He squeezed her wrists a little harder and Jennifer moaned at the slightly painful grip but her lascivious smile never faded.

"I'll always know when you're around," she cooed, snaking her tongue out. Seth stared at its tip as it beckoned him to her moist lips. She retracted her tongue and again took the opportunity to push her hips into his, eliciting a predatory growl from his throat. Seth's control was slipping and Jennifer knew it. She gave him one final sultry look before seductively biting down on her lower lip. That was when he lost it.

Seth plundered the inviting lips of the exotic beauty, pressing his entire weight against her. Jennifer gasped into his mouth but he did not relent his tongue's assault on her mouth. His legs, however, managed to slip between her slick thighs and nudged them apart, his cold, stiff shaft pressed at the throbbing entrance to her sex.

Jennifer's breaths came in overwhelming gasps as the simple feel of his cold, hard body against her soft and delicate figure was almost enough to drive her over the edge. Seth had released his grip on her arms and his hands greedily explored her soft curves. Free to do as she wished now, Jennifer desperately clung to him, her nails dug into the corded muscles of his back as they shifted back and forth underneath her palms. She hooked her right leg around his waist and her heel dug into his buttock, urging him to enter her awaiting embrace.

"I need you inside me," she forced out between breaths while Seth returned her plea with grunts of anticipation before impaling her with his ample shaft.

Jennifer screamed as his thrust tore into her virgin flesh. Her thighs quivered and for several agonizingly powerful thrusts, she could feel nothing but the pain of being ripped open. She wasn't aware of the blood that congealed around her nails where they had pierced the vampire's skin and Seth, too, was oblivious of the injuries. His purpose was one-dimensional now; to tear into this beautiful woman with all the rage, frustration, pain, desire and love he had experienced throughout his life and though he knew she was human, part of him knew that by some miracle she would survive his ravaging onslaught.

After the first minutes of excruciating torture, the pain in Jennifer's extremities slowly transformed into welcoming pangs of pleasure. The mixture of it, the agony and the ecstasy was wonderful and she cursed herself for never doing this earlier. Taking a vampire lover in a human shell was beyond any physical sensations she had ever experienced. If not for her true aura that strengthened this vessel, she knew that survival of this rambunctious onslaught of her womanhood would have resulted quite possibly in her death.

Seth was more than surprised when he rammed himself into Jennifer's tender flesh. Though she smelled human, there was also a much deeper, much more evil sense about her. Never would he have thought his penetration would be her first. Just like Faith, he thought and smiled as he relentlessly sucked the flesh just above her jugular. He had remembered the first night he had been with Faith and how she had cried when he told her what he was going to do. He had toyed with her for hours, brushing his erection against every part of the terrified slayer until the final penetration. It was because of that he had broken her and what had aroused him even further during those nine months was that each time he used her, she cried like that first time. He had felt a grain of disgust at his actions but the demon within him reveled in her fear and degradation and sex. But most of all it was enamored with the orgasm that rocked both him and it when he came inside her and simultaneously sank his teeth into her sacred flesh. The blood of a slayer was indeed a powerful aphrodisiac. Only his experiences with Emerald had been better than his constant violation of the slayer.

Although this is not far behind, he thought as he rammed his shaft deeper into Jennifer's core. Though she lacked the slayer muscles to clinch around his swollen cock, there was a power in Jennifer that drew out his baser instincts unlike any other. It was to the point where his actions were almost completely animalistic, filled only with unintelligible grunts and groans.

By now the pain had subsided to a dull ache as her modified form adjusted to Seth's intimate invasion. It had been so severe at one point that she was sure that her second orgasm had come and gone. Now, as she felt the stirrings of another pleasure-filled release, she spread her thighs even further and was thrown into a fit of unheralded passion as Seth's strokes delved even further into her core while his fingers simultaneously explored her equally erect nipples and clit.

"God, Seth," she cried. "Fuck me, please, fuck me." She raised her bloodstained hands over her head in supplication and her breasts stretched out, highlighting her burgeoning nipples even further. She smiled at the purely savage gaze of lust that marked Seth's face as he studied her twin-peaks before he enveloped the right breast greedily.

"Shit, yes!" she screamed as Seth suckled her nipple as if it was his only remaining connection to life. The constant pounding into her flesh had slowed to a dull hum as he ground instead of pumped into her. The friction against her clit was even greater this way and his now free hands again clasped her thin wrists while she circled her hips first clockwise then counterclockwise, with his masterful gyrations.

Seth couldn't quite fix his mind on the contradictory sensations that overtook his body and mind as Jennifer's walls shivered as he motioned inside her. She was both unique and eerily familiar, as if pieces of a previous encounter continuously danced at the corners of his vision, refusing to be seen head-on but quite discernable from the peripheral. She was soft and hard, delicate yet primal, equally innocent and vilely corrupt. The nagging parts of his brain that were able to function worked furiously at the familiarity of not her body, but the essence of her sex that permeated between them.

All thoughts were lost however as Jennifer's blunt teeth tore into his chest. He growled as his borrowed fluid seeped into her hungry mouth and his body ceased its urgent motions. When she pulled her lips from his flesh, her mouth was covered in the life giving fluid and her lips curled into an inviting smile. He knew what she was urging but he wanted to hear the words. Emerald had been the only person that had willingly allowed him to feed from her and he had demanded that she also say the words.

"Say it," he growled, clinging to his demon's nearly overpowering impulse to bite into her flesh now, consent be damned.

Jennifer knew what she wanted him to do as well as what he wanted her to say. But she wasn't going to give it up that easily. She smiled coyly at him, mustering whatever vestiges of innocence she could, taunting him viciously.

"Say what?" she asked and was rewarded with a wrenching of her arms even further over her head. Seth didn't waste time as he drove his engorged cock violently against Jennifer's already bruised pelvis.

"Say it," he demanded again and punctuated the demand with a particularly fierce thrust into her. He couldn't contain his release much longer and by the sinister glint in her eyes, she knew it too. He glared at her murderously but couldn't quite contain the pleading in his eyes. It wasn't just for the physical pleasure of the moment but her acceptance of him. Not just the man but the demon within whose sole purpose was the destruction of life without pity, without remorse. It was odd to say the least, but the human part of Seth only desired to be wanted and loved. He had found that with Emerald though it didn't last and a small part of him wondered if he could find it in this woman who had, for the first time since he was sired, sent a twinge of fear down his back. Even his demon reveled at the chance to be with a kindred spirit and the vibes that emanated from this exotic beauty gave it reason to believe that she, indeed, could be the one.

Despite being on the edge of nearly unbearable orgasmic pleasure, Jennifer could still discern the conflict waging in the man/demon on top of her. In its basest form, the demon would be content to drain her dry, leaving an emaciated corpse. But she had known and studied demons behavior for millennia and understood that on top of their baser proclivity toward destruction demons only wished to garner their own niche in the world. In that way, they were not much different than the humans they shared the world with and whatever humanity that was left of Seth only amplified his desire to belong. In that instant, Jennifer knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that, if she could, she would always be there for him as lover and companion.

"Drink from me, Seth," she whispered and couldn't helped but be touched at the way Seth's expression softened before he buried his face in her neck. The feeling was like none she had ever experienced and she shuddered as he resumed his timely strokes inside of her, the sensations too much.

"Seth!" Jennifer screamed at the top of her lungs as two successive orgasms, equally powerful, rocked her slight form. She reached heights of bliss she had never thought possible and for the second time tonight, she praised the advantages of human flesh.

As soon as his fangs broke the skin, Seth felt Jennifer jerk underneath him. He drank slowly from her and slid in and out of her with the same languid strength. Her blood was rich and awe-inspiring. The humanity of her physical form was tainted by something very old and very powerful and for a moment he again feared her. But as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, all reservations disappeared and he pumped into her with a greater urgency until they both tumbled into the waters of unheralded pleasure. His cold seed burst into her warm core for untold minutes until the strength was drained from his limbs and he collapsed onto her splayed form.

"God," she panted, out of breath and covered with a glistening sheen of sweat. Her body shook uncontrollably as the aftershocks continued to bubble to the surface. Though she couldn't see it, Jennifer knew the wound on her neck had already closed. Thanks to the wonders of being the First, she thought. She groaned when Seth pulled out of her and flopped on his back next to her. The dull ache between her thighs was a touch more than that now and she knew it would take an hour before she would walk properly. The thought of it caused her to burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"What?" Seth asked as he turned on his side and propped himself up on a weary arm. His free hand caressed the tender flesh of her stomach and he couldn't help but be amazed at the tenderness this woman exuded from him; something he had though he had lost long ago. It was frightening though he would never admit it.

"It's just that…" she burst into another fit of giggles and tears of laughter squeezed out the corners of her eyes.

"What?" he asked again, a bemused smile touching his lips.

"Well, here I am, The First of pretty much all Evil and I can't stand because of that blistering shag," she laughed again and ran her fingers through his tangled hair.

"Shag? I thought only Brits used that term," he replied absently. There was no thought behind his words as his hand was too busy swimming through her hair while his eyes drank up the erotic sight of her naked body. He was awestruck at her beauty. Even if there wasn't a magnetic attraction between them, Seth was almost certain he would have wanted her anyway.

He spent the next few minutes marveling her curves as his hand traced along the side of her body. Her skin was so smooth, so delicate. And yet she had taken everything that he had given to her without breaking. Since his existence in the un-life, he had never been with a human without breaking her.

"What are you?" he asked, his eyes still transfixed on the subtle shifts of her muscles. It had been the second time she had referred to herself as 'The First' and Seth knew there was much more to her than he knew.

Jennifer was lost in Seth's eyes, her body shivering as his fingertips glided effortlessly across her skin. It was incomprehensible that a cool touch such as his lit a fire so deep within her that had nothing to do with her passion for destruction. That latter part, though fascinated by his power and grace in the bar earlier was overshadowed by the human part of her that was inexplicably drawn to Seth on a far deeper level. Roaming the earth and between realms for eons was still not enough for her to put into words or even coherent thoughts what she actually felt for him. The humanity within her accepted it all as love at first sight, or something equally mundane. But she knew better than that. This was something cosmic, something that, as ridiculous as it sounded to her, was beyond her comprehension. But even she, The First, was limited into her understanding of the universe.

"What am I?" she reiterated as she stroked the side of his face. Even with its budding garden of stubble, his skin still held the selfsame smoothness as his chest and arms. She shuddered at the brief vision of how he had looked on top of her before filing it away for later.

"I didn't mean it like that," he backtracked sheepishly. Seth shook his head in disgust that he had been eager to set the record straight. What did he care if he hurt her feelings? Since when did he care about anyone but himself? Since Emerald, a voice in the back of his head replied flatly, effectively eliminating any inclinations toward indignation.

Taking an unneeded breath, he started again. "I mean, you can't be human," he chuckled, "unless you've got some sort of super secret thigh master that's not sold in stores 'cause baby, I gave you all I got and all you are is a bit sore?" He glared down the length of her body, a glint of lust glazing over his blue eyes. " 'Course, I'm not complaining in the least. 'S just that I can feel that you're human. Your taste, the way sweat beads against your skin, your scent. All of it is 100% human. But your aura…" he shook his head in exasperation. "When I first sat in front of you at the bar, the demon part of me was scared shitless," he admitted, never once feeling ashamed. "Now, though, it's like I never was afraid. I mean there's a lingering sensation of…I don't know, apprehension maybe? But it's different. More like a deep sense of respect and I don't know why. It's like my demon knows this…thing…about you that I can't consciously grasp."

Seth closed his eyes, rolled over to his back, and clasped his hands behind his head. Truth was, despite the wonderful 'shag', as she put it, they had just had, he was utterly frustrated about not knowing. Something he couldn't quite place tickled at the forefront of his thoughts, only to retreat when he attempted to reel it in. Usually, things like this never bothered him since 'Can't figure it out, might as well destroy it' was his motto. But this, this thing with Jennifer refused to be put to bed so easily. For one, he didn't want to kill her, not to mention the fact that he wasn't all too sure that he could. That was a whole other mystery on the long list of questions that took purchase in his mind.

Jennifer snorted unpleasantly at the loss of contact when Seth had switched positions. She propped up on one elbow and studied his chiseled form. The moonlight glinted off his chest, highlighting every sharp cut and smooth angle. His stomach muscles looked as if they were painted on, far too defined to be anything but. Angry bruises lined his ribs and Jennifer ran her hand just above them, careful not to touch. Someone was busy tonight, she thought as her eyes traveled further down when a dull glow caught her attention. What was that? Sure as hell isn't a bruise. Trying to remain inconspicuous, Jennifer scooted further down as if to snuggle but never quite pulling herself to him. From this new perspective, she could make out a slight discoloration of the skin that appeared to be some sort of burn.

"Like what you see?" he asked neutrally. The dark-haired woman jumped at his voice cutting through the silence, her hand automatically reaching to her breast.

"What?" she asked unsteadily.

"I said 'like what you see?'" Seth craned his neck to the side just enough to catch her eyes into his. He laughed humorously at her face. "You know, the deer-in-headlights look is so you," he glanced up at the sky's sentinel as it watched them before turning back to her. "Complete with said headlights." She chuckled softly at his barb. She had been caught. An ageless entity caught sneaking a peak at her lover's scars and feigns ignorance. It was too 'movie of the week' for her.

"What' that?" she asked and ran her hand lightly across his ribs and down to the offending spot.

"Nothing. Just ran into some Jct'ar demons. Took care of 'em, recruited them actually," he said and reached over to touch his still tender ribs. "When those fuckers hit you, you know." He twisted slightly, testing the extent of his injuries. In all honesty, he had totally forgotten about them. Well, seeing a very nude and very beautiful woman pleasuring herself, all the while screaming your name had a way of doing that. But now that he was aware of them, they still hurt like a son of a bitch. "Shit. Ribs haven't totally healed yet."

Jennifer slid down his body and ran her tongue along the outline of Seth's ribs, causing him to shiver in equal amounts of joy and discomfort. She left a trail of butterfly kisses the length of his upper body before nestling into the crook in his arm.

"Better?" She purred into his skin.

"Oh yeah," he sighed and sensed the familiar increase of blood flow to a particularly sensitive spot on his body.

"Good," she kissed him on the nipple before turning her obsidian eyes to him, "but I wasn't talking about the bruises."

"Oh," he said. His eyebrows scrunched for a moment before he realized what she was referring to. "Oh," he repeated softly.

"So?"

"Nothing," he said after an unneeded breath, "just got burned is all. You know how we vampires are when it comes to fire; don't always heal quite right. Damn lucky it wasn't my face, you know. Many a women would have cried if any part of this beautiful profile was singed."

"Fire, huh?"

"Yep."

"That's really interesting, because from here," she placed her hand against it, "it looks like a handprint. And that glow it gives off looks very similar to the cute little tattoo the slayer's little sis left on your forearm."

Seth closed his eyes and sighed. He was doing an awful lot of unnecessary breathing but things were just spiraling around in his head. He looked down at the tousled black hair of his lover and snaked his arm around her shoulders. He brought her closer to him and unconsciously planted a kiss on the top of her head. It was routine gesture made after every lovemaking session between he and Emerald yet Seth failed to realize the parallel.

"Emerald," he whispered.

"What was that?"

"Emerald. She did it to me." He brushed his left hand absently against the scar perched atop his left brow. "This too. Fact is she did a lot of things to me. Not that they were bad or anything although this," he motioned to the burn under his ribcage, "hurt like a mofo." Seth looked down when he felt a rumbling against his chest which, by happenstance, coincided where Jennifer's face was currently positioned.

"What?" he asked curtly. He wasn't used to people laughing at him, especially not in the bedroom. Only Emerald had ever…

He cut off any thoughts of his once goddess and focused on the beautiful…woman, for lack of a better term, giggling into his skin.

"Sorry," she said, brushing a lock of hair out of her face. "It's just that 'hurt like a mofo' thing. I mean that was so not 'Big Bad'." She giggled again but sobered up quickly as she reflected on her word choice. That was definitely not active speak in my vocabulary, she thought shrilly. Oh my…she bolted up in the bed much to the chagrin of the more than relaxed vampire by her side.

"Jennifer?" he pried and sat up with her. "What's up?" She ignored his pleas and ran two shaky hands through her raven hair.

"It's happening. It's happening already." She was speaking more to herself than anything and Seth knew it. Taking the initiative, he grabbed her forcefully by the shoulders, allowing his hard stare express his urgency.

"Jennifer," he said coolly, though there was an unmistakable warning in the tone. "What is going on?"

The dark beauty heard the warning in Seth's tone but also detected a trace of apprehension. He really cares, she thought and for a moment forgot about the events already set into motion. As quickly as her thoughts of his sincerity surfaced, they passed and she was now in focus.

"Seth," she said. The vampire knew that his lover was back in control of her faculties and released his grip.

"Yeah?"

"You said Emerald did this to you," she set her right hand over the scar and noticed that it was a fraction smaller than her hands. But not the child's.

"Yeah," he chuckled at the memory of it. His undead heart lurched as he remembered the tender look in her eyes when she touched him…

"What are you doing, baby?" Seth asked as he lover's petite hands roamed across his naked body. "I mean, not like I mind or anything. But you have been at this for some time…"

"Like five minutes," she said and rolled her eyes for good measure, never deviating from her search.

"Well yeah. But you haven't once tried to cop a feel. Makes me wonder if you're losing interest," he said half-jokingly though a part of him was bitterly afraid of just that. They had only been together four months and already he was whipped. Last night had been the first time he had told her he loved her. Her face had lit up when he had said it and she made love to him with a fervor even he had trouble keeping up with. The last ten hours had been spent in the same fashion and though she didn't say those three words back to him, her actions spoke louder than any words. Still, a part of him was unsure.

"Seth, look at me," she commanded and one of her hands cupped his cheek. He obeyed, of course, mesmerized by the power of her voice. There were times, though he'd never admit it aloud, that she scared him. There was something about her, aside from her power, something dark and ancient that shook his very core. But he always tucked those thoughts away as he did now.

"I know you love me, Seth. And I care about you, more than I've ever cared about anyone. Even my…"

"Even your what?"

She waved her hand casually, dismissing the statement. "The point is, that I don't know how a ruffian like you got my attention," she playfully jabbed him in the ribs, "but you did. And I am glad for that."

"Me too. God knows I don't deserve this. Happiness, I mean. And I sure as hell don't deserve you."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, truly curious.

"C'mon, Em. You know all about me. I've lost count to how many people I've hurt. Men and women alike. And you know what I've done to some of those women…" he trailed off and for the first time felt truly ashamed.

"Seth, I'm not gonna lie. The stuff you have done has been atrocious," she cringed as the flesh around his eyes tensed as if expecting a blow. She was thrown sometimes by how insecure the man before her could really be. He talked a good game and, for the most part, backed it up. But then there were times like this, with her, when he was an open book to her. He was so much like Sp…like her once best friend it was scary.

"But," she continued, "there are things that I have done that makes you look like the Son of God himself." Seth scoffed at the remark in disbelief but she continued. "There are things, Seth, things that you don't know about me. And I hope that when you find out, when I get the courage to tell you, that you won't be sickened by the sight of me."

At this Seth laughed heartily, head tilted to the ceiling. Emerald only smiled at his mirth and her own insecurities. Here she was, an ageless entity being ruled by the emotions of the human body she inhabited. It was horrible yet tragically wonderful at the same time.

"Em," he said, finally regaining his composure, "there is nothing that you could do to make me not want to look at you."

"You sure?" she asked and gazed upon him with her obsidian jewels.

Seth brought her to him and kissed her fully on the lips. "Yes, I'm sure. Now what's say we start round number four…" he suggested and rained kisses upon her bare neck.

"Seth…" she said, almost succumbing to desire before gently pushing him away.

"What's wrong?" the confusion and frustration fought for dominance in his chocolate eyes.

"Just be patient for a few more minutes," she said and resumed her search across his body. She loved the feel of his taut muscles under her palms. It was incredible to her how a man with such hard muscles was covered with the most velvety skin, growing up on the streets no less. It was as much a mystery to her as her reasons for giving him this gift she had bestowed only on one other individual…

Her thoughts ceased as she located the spot. Just below his ribcage the energy necessary thrummed and Emerald smiled excitedly.

"According to the Bible, it was here that God removed the rib from Adam to create Eve."

"Not much for the 'Good Book', honey. 'Specially since I won't be flitting with the angels. Probably got a good spot in Hell reserved just for me." Emerald cringed at his candor but as brazen as it was, his words rang true. Seth was not one whose path would take him toward eternal peace. All that awaited him was death and eternal torment and despite who she was, what she was, the thought of her lover suffering for eternity touched her in an indescribable way. This is why I'm giving him the gift, she thought to herself. But if I do, the only way it will be complete is if his body is immortal, and it was then that she knew that if she wanted him to live forever, she would have to give him up.

"Seth," she said guardedly, controlling the lilt of her voice, "I want to give you something. A part of me that will forever stay with you and protect you from things far beyond your scope."

Seth gauged his lover warily. Though her voice seemed natural, something was off about it. That and the way she refused to look him in the eyes. She was hiding something big yet he didn't know what that was.

"What is it, baby?" he encouraged despite his reservations. She glanced up at him, he saw the watery film covering her eyes, and his first reaction was to soothe her fears, whatever they were. But another part of him stayed his desires and waited for her to act.

"Did you know Adam and Eve's third son's name was Seth?"

"Well now I do," he smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

"In a way, you're my third, you know? I mean from both sides of the equation. I mean, my dad was first of course. Then Spike and now you," she reminisced at the men she had truly loved. "I mean there was Giles, but he kinda took the place of Dad."

"Em, what are you talking about?" Seth asked. He had no idea where this was heading and she seemed to be lost in her own world.

"Then on the other side of things, I gave Him the gift. Tried to give it to Angel but I guess he had a higher calling," she rolled her eyes before they focused on Seth. "But you…you are just what I want. You have heart and a power within you dying to get out." Her left hand caressed the side of his face while her right hand stealthily found purchase just under his ribcage.

"I love you Seth," she said and poured every bit of emotion into her lips as she assaulted him with a deep, probing kiss.

Finally, she pulled away and saw the glaze of tears covering his eyes and she was again amazed at this creature before her, ready to cry over three small words.

"I love you, too Em," he said, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

"I know. And you know that I'd never purposely hurt you. But if I did, you know I'm doing it all for you." She studied his eyes intently before understanding registered in his brown pools. He closed them slowly before speaking again.

"I'll always forgive you," he said and Emerald took that as the signal.

Closing her eyes, she summoned the powers of the Darkness of the First and the Light of the Key and ushered them to the surface. The air crackled as green bursts of light bathed the room and its two occupants with unfathomable energy. It was a power of born of time and infinity, of death and life, of hate and love, of discord and harmony, mistrust and trust, and of two souls, one as almost as old as existence, the other not even a blink on the cosmic scale, joining as one.

Emerald focused her mind and the heat radiated from her in untold waves. Finally, though, she felt the concentration of power travel down her right shoulder and to her palm that rested lightly against Seth's unmarked flesh. She stiffened as it shot through her and an inhuman scream pierced the air.

Surprisingly, it was completed as quickly as it had begun; though to the two people that lay spent in the bed, it had lasted an eternity.

"What…what did you do to me?" Seth asked breathlessly. His body was numb save for the pulsating agony in his side. It throbbed with an intensity that was even greater than the time Emerald had healed him four months ago.

"Your gift," she managed. She was even weaker than him and found herself traveling the familiar road of unconsciousness.

"My gift?" he asked incredulously. "If you wanted to cause me this much fuckin' pain, you could've just shot me and done your healing mojo again. Shit."

"Seth, I did this for you. One day you will understand. This," she said and gently touched the singed flesh but pulled back when he winced, swearing under his breath. "This, will always connect us. As long as I live, so shall you. It is what will forever join us…

"In past. In present. In future," Jennifer said interrupting Seth's thoughts of the future past.

"What did you say?" he asked with a hint of rage in his voice. They had been his memories and his alone. How had she…

"Relax. I didn't read your mind. I don't know what it is about you that prevents it but I can't read them. Oh, I can detect your moods and emotions, but no coherent thoughts." Seth visibly relaxed at her words only to tense up almost immediately.

"Well, that's really funny that you knew what the hell I was just thinking. And you say you weren't reading my mind," the sarcasm was overshadowed by the venom dripping from his every word.

"Will you shut up," Jennifer spat, her anger getting the best of her. She felt the dark cloud within her stir but kept it at bay. She didn't want to lose it over something so ridiculous, especially since she still needed her body to complete the ritual.

The silence ticked away until Seth broke through it. "So, how did you know? What I was thinking?" His tone was smooth and in control.

"You really don't make it too hard to accomplish. You really should keep a reign on your feelings, 'Luke'. They'll only lead you to the Darkside," she quipped and they both laughed softly.

Seth was the first to sober and turned away, his eyes focused on the sprawled web of sheets around them. He inhaled sharply but didn't blow the breath out. "It was the same thing she said to me," he said and Jennifer had to strain to make it out.

"Said what?" she asked leaning forward.

"That thing about this," he pointed to his side, "would connect us in the past, the present and the future," he snorted humorlessly. "Funny thing is, I still don't know what the hell she was talking about."

"I do," Jennifer replied, gazing into his all-too blue oceanic eyes.

"How is that?" he asked and cocked his head to the side.

"Because I'm her," she said simply. The transformation in Seth's body language was apparent. First, he stiffened unnaturally before almost slinking into his predator-like stance.

"What. Did. You. Say?" He asked. He couldn't have heard what he thought he did. She couldn't have, he thought. She wouldn't have.

"I said, I know what Emerald said to you because I'm her. I'm Emerald."

***Well, for those of you who are like 'huh', everything will be answered in due time: trust me.

***The next chapter, "The Beauty of it All" gives us a peak into the Summers/Spike family. It's not a flashback but just a hint of the possibilities. Later in the chapter, Buffy and Spike discuss things further.

***Chapter 29, "Atlas Reprieved" has a weight lifted from one of our characters.

***Chapter 30, "Pieces of the Same Puzzle", Jennifer reveals (finally!!) her plan.

***Chapter 31, "Dawn of a New Day" will give you a glimpse into the lives of everyone before the new day begins. This will be the last chapter of Part I. I will divide the next chapters into Family Ties-II. It's not a sequel but I wanted to break things up because I have so much more to write and didn't want to put up what quite possibly could become 45-50 chapters.

***Please leave reviews or email me your suggestions or both. d_jasper77@hotmail.com