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Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything related to Buffy. I've also borrowed a couple lines from a very well known movie series. If you're a fan, you'll recognize them. (And no, I don't own any of that pie either.) Forgive me, I just couldn't resist.
Author's note: Thanks again to Mom. Without her, I'd have forgotten all about Dessert.
(c) October 1999, Eleri McCleod
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*****
Part 5
*****
Angel clenched his teeth, struggling to hold the rage in. Unused to feeling helpless, it created a path for the vampire to take control. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to hold the change back. Slowly, the demon faded into the background again. He held himself still for a couple of extra seconds, locking the rage away. He needed a clear head to keep everyone alive until they could escape their confinements. Then he could put his demon to work.
Gradually, he opened his eyes, taking in the scene analytically. A cage on his left held Giles, Xander, Willow and Cordelia, where they were motionless but unbound. Buffy was lying on the ground on his other side, chains attached to the wall about three feet up secured to her wrists. All of them were still unconscious from the gas. Subtly, he tested his own chains from his seated position on the floor, pulling them taut. Unfortunately, they stubbornly held fast to their concrete fastenings.
Buffy hadn't moved since Gideon's lackeys had placed her on the cold ground. She was breathing, but there was no other sign of life. Sensing only one other vampire in the huge room, he decided to take advantage of the lack of guards. "Buffy," he murmured, hoping his voice would penetrate her drug-induced sleep. "Come on, wake up." Her head jerked slightly, as if straining to hear something. Him, maybe.
He shifted around, trying to force the chains to let him touch her. But the closest he could get left him with over six impossible inches of empty space between them. "You've got to wake up," he urged a little louder, chancing that their vamp guard only had orders to 'guard.' "We need you awake. I need you." Her eyelids merely fluttered before sliding peacefully closed again. But her lips parted, letting a whisper of sound through. "That's it. Come on." He stared intently, willing her to wake. Abruptly, he realized all his muscles were tensed, actually quivering with his intense focus.
Her eyes fluttered open, squinting to make sense of the blurred world around her. "Angel?" she sounded weak, confused. "What happened?" She slowly tried to raise herself off the ground, groaning when pins and needles shot through her sleeping arm. She looked distastefully at her chains, for some reason unsurprised by their presence.
"Gideon used a knockout gas. There were too many of them for me to fight alone."
Buffy stared at him, confused by the guilt and self-loathing heard clearly in his voice. She heard it, but couldn't understand it. "Don't do that, Angel." His gaze jerked to hers at the words. "If there had been anything you could have done, you would have." She felt as sure of her words as she was of her name. The past few hours she had spent with him had told her everything she needed to know. He was incapable of not doing everything possible.
Slowly, the cloud dispersed from his eyes and a faint lessening of the tension appeared on his face. He looked at her outstretched hand, reaching fully to brush fingertips with her. "Thanks," he whispered, wishing he could hold her, needing more than the unfulfilling contact allowed by their chains.
She smiled, warmed by the restricted touch. "So, what's the plan?" she tossed out, trying for a light tone. "I get the feeling this isn't the first time we've been to the Final Jeopardy round with only a hundred bucks."
Angel simply stared at her for a moment, wondering where she came up with her pop-culture references. As for a plan... "Well, I was going to go with keeping you all alive." He, too, tried for the lighter side, but failed as badly as she had. He glanced over at the others piled on the hard ground. "We need to get them awake. Except they don't have your Slayer's healing system. It could be a while before they come to."
She followed his gaze worriedly, still holding onto his fingers. "How long was I out?"
"About an hour. I take it you still aren't remembering anything?"
"Nope. Not one useful Slayer-like bit of information is being downloaded from the computer." She shook her head, annoyed. "I always have had lousy timing. Speaking of that, what time is it? And how'd they get us here?"
"It's almost dawn." He could feel the movement of the sun as it came closer to bathing the land in light. Over time, he'd come to appreciate what he never had in life: the simple joy of feeling the sun warm his face. "We've got about an hour," he continued, pushing old wishes back into their slot. "They didn't give me any openings. There was always a vamp on one of you. I just couldn't risk it." His eyes darkened again, remorse filling him.
"Angel," she pulled him back again. "We'll get out of this." Holding his gaze, she smiled cockily, winking. "I'm the Chose One, right? Piece-a-cake."
Her grin was infectious, pulling his mouth up in a matching attitude. Their tiny moment was shattered by the voice that interrupted their solitary dialogue. Gideon, Angel thought darkly, whipping his head around to follow the vampire's movement across the room.
"Isn't this chummy," Gideon drawled, taking in their linked fingers stretched across the cold floor. "I can't leave you alone for a moment, can I? But then again, you always were partial to a woman in chains, Angelus. Or is it Angel now? Things change so fast, you know." He settled himself against the cage, eyes burning coldly.
Angel ignored the banter and got to the point. "What do you want, Gideon?" But he was afraid he knew already. He also knew he would die to prevent it.
"An eye for an eye," Gideon's voice hardened hatefully. "You took a Slayer from me," he stared at Buffy for a long moment, "and I take a Slayer from you."
Angel's fingers clenched convulsively over his love's. He could feel her slight tremble, her deep fear, but knew she was fighting to keep Gideon from seeing it. "I didn't kill Mariah," he said firmly.
Gideon leaned toward his old 'pal,' close enough to breathe his rage upon, but not close enough for Angel to grab. "You didn't help her, either. You could have. You were powerful then, one of the most feared vampires of the time. Now look at you," he sneered. "Held by chains and your worry over these frail creatures. But I'll take care of that for you soon enough." Gideon stared hard into Angel's eyes, enjoying his moment of triumph.
Then he turned to Buffy, who tried to look calm in the face of his total rage. "Welcome home, my dear. I believe it's time for us to get acquainted. Oh, don't worry, I know you're not quite feeling like yourself tonight. But I'm positive you'll remember everything when I'm finished with you."
"Thanks," Buffy returned sarcastically, holding her fear deep inside. "But I'm okay where I am. The chains are actually pretty comfy. Yep, I'm comfy girl. That's me alright." She smiled brightly up at the vamp, hoping to knock some of that arrogance off of his face.
Through his fear, Angel found a smile crossing his face at her words. Her irreverence would throw Gideon off, maybe enough to get them out alive. A grunt of pain came from the cage, pulling his attention. Giles was moving slightly, trying to shake off the effects of the gas. Come on, Giles, he silently encouraged, hope lifting a notch higher in his chest. He caught the other vampire's quick movement toward the Slayer peripherally, unease bringing him to his knees.
Gideon ignored Buffy's smile, kneeling in front of her. "Let's not cause a problem, shall we? There could be all sorts of nasty consequences to pay." He pulled a large old-fashioned brass key from his pocket, waving it in her face. "Don't get too excited, love. We're just moving to a slightly more comfortable position." He shot Angel a knowing look. "It's so hard to feed when you're feeling cramped, isn't it?"
Buffy focused on the key, shutting out Gideon's taunting words. He's going to take these off, she thought quickly, a plan mapping itself in her brain. Get the key, toss it to Angel, keep Gideon busy. No problem. She flexed her muscles, readying them for action. She met Gideon's eyes when he turned back to her. Prepared to see triumph, she almost flinched at the hatred that accompanied it.
He grabbed the chain on her left hand, roughly pulling her and Angel apart. Wrapping the chain around her neck, he smiled. "It's not that I don't trust you, my dear, but I've met a few Slayers in my time." Satisfied that Buffy wasn't going anywhere with her hand trapped against her chest by the short chain, he pinned her legs to the ground with his knees.
Swallowing, Buffy eased her head closer to the wall, trying to loosen the chain enough to make breathing easier. It didn't work. She felt the release of her right hand and shook it, wanting to draw Gideon's attention to it. That didn't work either. I hate single-minded vampires, she thought darkly, glaring at him.
Angel spared a glance back to the cage. Giles was on his knees now. He squinted to focus without his glasses, which had obviously not made the trip from the library. He seemed to meet Angel's gaze for a quick second before moving to carefully shake Xander. Go, Giles, the vampire encouraged, thankful the Watcher was awake. When he turned back to Buffy, Gideon was gripping the chain around her neck with one hand, unlocking it with the other.
Gideon tugged on the chain, causing her to wince. "Don't get any bright ideas now." He quickly shoved the key into his back pocket then took hold of her arm. Without warning, he yanked her up off the ground while unlooping the chain, sending her stumbling a few feet. He was on her before she could regain her balance, locking her in a chokehold. Buffy pulled on his arm, fighting to get air through her constricted throat. Her mind was blank but for the desire to live. She fought for breath, having no idea how to stop herself from blacking out.
"Gideon!" Angel shouted, struggling futilely to rip the chains out of the wall, standing as much as their length would let him. The bastard had planned it perfectly. Too perfectly, in fact. He had taken Angel and the others out of the equation completely, using them against each other and leaving Buffy on her own, without even her ability as the Slayer to help her. Slayer, the word flashed through his mind, realization burning out of his subconscious.
"Buffy," he called urgently, meeting her panicked gaze. "Let the Slayer take over. Don't fight it." She simply stared at him, still gripping Gideon's arm. "Instinct, Buffy."
Giles paused in his attempt to wake the others. Instinct, he thought furiously. "Yes," he added his voice to Angel's. "Buffy, act. Don't think. Act on instinct." It had to work. She was their only hope.
Dizzy now, she looked at them both. Act, don't think, something echoed inside her. Act, act, act, it repeated over and over. She closed her eyes, letting go of the fight, trusting in these two who cared so much for her.
Gideon snarled at them both. "Shut up. I've won and we all know it." He smiled when he felt the Slayer's hands limply slide from his arm. His face changed, teeth lengthening and brow arching, anticipating the taste of Slayer blood. "It's been too long," he gloated to Angel, who still struggled with his bonds. Staring down at the girl in his arms, Gideon shifted her slightly, to allow access to the smooth, young neck. "Now," he purred, moving in for the kill.
"No!" Angel and Giles shouted simultaneously.
Now, Buffy's mind echoed. She instantly stopped using her legs for support, becoming deadweight in Gideon's arms. Not expecting the sudden change, he couldn't react fast enough, teeth scraping along her neck instead of sinking into the flesh. Reaching around his body, she grabbed for the key that was carelessly sticking out of his pocket and yanked it out as she fell to the floor. She pushed the pain in her neck to the back of her mind, grabbing Gideon's legs and pulling hard. He collapsed with a yell, but moved lightning fast to his knees.
Buffy threw the key at Angel and jumped unsteadily to her feet. "I don't see a fat lady anywhere, do you?" she rasped, aiming a kick at Gideon's face. It didn't connect, but he fell back anyway, giving her a moment to breathe fully.
Angel scrambled for the key at his feet, hope giving him speed. His fingers closed over the metal as he heard Gideon yelling for his lackeys. He got his left wrist free before the new combatants made it into the room. Fumbling with the second chain, he didn't see the vamp's foot until it connected with his hand, sending the key bouncing away. Simple reaction sent his hand after the foot, yanking hard to pull the vamp off balance. Quickly, he searched the ground for the key to find it a few feet away from the cage. Too far for him to reach and not close enough for the others to get to. "Great," he muttered disgustedly, kicking another vamp in the chest, frustrated rage letting the demon inside loose. "Giles," he called over to the librarian. "You need to get out of there."
"I believe that's easier said than done," he shot back, finally able to shake Xander to consciousness. Quickly directing the teen to Cordelia and Willow, Giles tried to assess the situation through bleary eyes. Buffy seemed to be holding her own for the moment against Gideon without her Slayer memories, Angel had one arm free and also seemed to be okay and Gideon had more reinforcements that just streamed through the door. "Buffy, look out!" he warned as one of the new vamps tried to sneak up behind her. He let out a sigh of relief when the Slayer ducked, sending the vamp flying into Gideon.
Spotting the key to Angel's chains, he quickly shed his belt, hoping the buckle would have enough weight to drag it closer. The first cast was short, the metallic clinking lost in the din around him. The second was perfect, catching the key in its loop. Painstakingly, Giles pulled the slack out of the belt, inching the key closer. "That's it," he urged, knowing as he spoke that it was illogical to encourage an inanimate object, and doing it anyway.
The cage shuddered when Angel sent a vamp flying. Instinctively, Giles jumped back, saving his face, but losing his precarious hook on the key. "Bloody Hell!" He reeled in the belt again, preparing to throw.
Sounds from around the room invaded his concentration. He could hear Cordelia and Willow asking groggy questions, the crashes of Buffy's uneven battle with Gideon, the subtle sound of a vampire dusting in mid-scream. He could even make out Angel's infuriated growling as he fought to keep his attackers from overwhelming his still chained form. The key was almost close enough to reach now. "Xander," Giles called urgently, still reeling in the belt. "Can you get the key?" The teen immediately dropped to his knees and reached through the bars, fingers straining for the metal.
"Angelus!" Gideon shouted to his minions, throwing Buffy over the last standing alter-like platform in the room, stunning her for a moment. "Henry, get the traitor!" One of the vamps grabbed up a splintered piece of table leg and dashed across the room.
Buffy's eye caught the quick movement as she struggled to get her breath back. None of her boyfriend's attackers had been a real threat until now. "Angel!" she warned anxiously, ducking a punch. Then there was nothing else she could do for him as Gideon and three of his lackeys formed a circle around her. Her entire body hurt, blood staining the back of her shirt where she had been thrown into the rough wall. She wasn't sure how much oomph she had left, but she did know she was nearing the bottom of the barrel. The Slayer instinct alone wasn't going to keep them all alive. She needed the training that accompanied it, but nothing was pulling the knowledge out of the recesses of her mind. You're going to be using a new diet plan if you don't think of something soon, missy, she told herself, barely avoiding a crushing blow to her head.
Angel kicked the blond vamp in the stomach and hastily returned to his crouch, right wrist still held by the chain. He didn't have a piece of wood anywhere nearby so the best he could do was to fend them off. As long as they only come a couple at a time, he finished the thought as a new vamp joined the other three, a vamp who had Angel's desired broken-off piece of wood in his hand. "Oh, boy," he let out, steeling himself for the attack.
"Got it!" Xander crowed triumphantly, jumping to his feet and waving the key like a flag.
"Don't just stand there," Cordelia ordered, mostly recovered. "Open the door so we can get out of here."
"Right and how do we open the door with the key for the chains?" He eyed the distance to Angel and prepped.
"Aren't those things supposed to be one size fits all?"
Ignoring the harping, he tensed to throw, then nearly dropped the damned thing when Gideon's voice thundered through the room.
"Stop!"
As if someone had hit a pause button, all movement ceased, a macabre tableau of danger. Buffy gulped in air, taking full advantage of the strange respite. Gideon had had everything perfectly planned up to this point. What was running through his twisted little mind now?
"Now that I have your attention, maybe we can end all this fighting, as stimulating as it is." He smiled at Buffy, who gripped her own piece of wood a little tighter. "I believe this would be 'check,' my dear."
She frowned, understanding the reference, but not the timing. She was nowhere near beat. Well, okay, getting there, she admitted to herself. Her gaze slowly followed Gideon's outstretched hand, trying to keep him in sight at the same time. What she saw made her heart stop.
Angel was trapped, held against the wall by two vamps and his remaining chain. A third gripped him by the throat, the piece of table leg pressed firmly against his chest. Angel held perfectly still, knowing any movement could make the jumpy vampire send the makeshift stake through him. He stared at Buffy, a million thoughts flying through his head.
She swallowed hard, heart plunging into her stomach. Her eyes flicked to Giles, pleading silently. He could only stare back from the locked cage, whole body radiating sorrow and frustration at his inability to help the Slayer or Angel.
"We can do this one of two ways," Gideon glided over to Buffy, circling like a shark. He stopped at her side, allowing her the full view in front of her. "Actually," he smiled, "I lied. There's really only one. If I kill Angelus, he can't enjoy the loss of your lovely company. But don't think I won't send that stake through his heart if you force me to." He moved behind her, fingering her hair, her torn shirt. "I don't have a lot of patience these days, luv, so be quick about it."
All breath left her in a rush. No matter how fast she moved, Angel would still die. And that was unacceptable. Buffy stared into her love's eyes, torn beyond words. The connection between them flared, even across the room, and she could hear his thoughts as if he'd spoken aloud. Fight, Buffy. The world needs the Slayer, not another vampire. Love and regret filled his soul and spilled into his eyes. He smiled gently at his reason for existing, hoping, praying she wouldn't surrender.
The world needs the Slayer, she decided silently. But I need you, Angel. There will always be a Slayer. Abruptly, she turned to the demon at her side. Buffy longed to smack the self-satisfied smirk off his face and drive her stake straight through his demented heart. "Let them all go, Gideon." Her voice was dead, all life extinguishing, already dying out. Except for a small flame that was being fanned a little higher as she, Buffy, gave up a bit at a time.
"Buffy, you can't," Giles called, knowing she would sacrifice herself to save even one of them.
She looked back at him briefly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, unable to speak any louder. The little flame inside seemed to burn a little brighter as she took one last look at Angel. She faced Gideon in a blur of motion, determined to end it. "Well? I told you how this works. You don't get me until they're all walking out of here."
Gideon stared at her, incredulous. "You think to order *me*?" Without warning, he backhanded her, sending her into the nearest vamp. They tumbled to the ground, Buffy lying stunned on top. A chorus of angry shouts erupted from the Scooby Gang as the vampire hissed and threw her off, smoke curling up from a cross-shaped burn on his cheek.
She lay on the stone floor for a moment, tonguing her cut lip. The coppery taste of blood sent a wave of dizziness through her. But I'm already lying down, she thought stupidly, waiting for her eyes to clear. That little flame inside burst into a bonfire, sending sensation through her as time moved on around her.
Cordelia's voice floated through her ringing ears. "You'd think they'd learn eventually, wouldn't you? If you hit her, she just gets mad."
"Now isn't the time, Cordelia," Giles hissed, half-wishing she was still unconscious.
"What? If I was a vampire I sure wouldn't want to make the Slayer mad."
Typical Cordelia, Buffy thought, the spots blurring her vision mostly gone. Tensing her muscles to get up, she went over that one again. Typical? How'd I... It's back. Her heart began a furious pounding, adrenaline rushing through her veins. I'm back.
Gideon focused on the self-absorbed girl. "Ah, Dessert," he drawled after a moment's reflection. "Truth be told, I'd rather forgotten about you. I guarantee it won't happen again."
"What?" she repeated, feeling like a scratched CD, not understanding her role in Gideon's thoughts in the slightest.
Willow, however, wasn't as dense. "Buffy's the main course, Cordy. You're the dessert." The quietly spoken words sounded like a gunshot through the silence.
Slowly, Buffy moved to a crouch, adjusting her grip on the stake. She stared up at Gideon for a moment, a simmering anger bringing new light to her eyes.
Angel ached to comfort her bruised and battered body as she slowly stood and wiped the blood from her lip. His own precarious situation forgotten, he couldn't help but notice her stance. It was different, more assured, more the trained fighter the Slayer was. Hope flared anew. Had Gideon inadvertently brought the Slayer back? Oh, I hope so, he drawled slowly. Then she met his eyes and he knew. A luminescence glowed through her, a confidence that had been missing since the fight in the cemetery. She held his gaze for a brief moment before turning back to Gideon.
The vampire was still smiling smugly, sure of his victory. Idiot, the Slayer insulted silently, pasting an exhausted look on her face. She looked directly at him and dropped her stake, ignoring the startled gasps that accompanied the delicate tinkling as it hit the hard ground. Gideon raised his eyebrows at the symbolic gesture, mouth beginning to water at the thought of tasting her blood.
Still facing him, she backed slowly toward Angel, shoulders defeated. "Don't stop me, Gideon," she warned when his eyes tightened suspiciously. "You owe me this." He didn't pretend to not know what she was talking about. Suddenly, he smiled, not a friendly sight, and nodded to the Fang Gang on Angel. She let out her breath in a rush, turning to walk the rest of the distance. The vamp holding the piece of table leg took a step away, wood still at the ready. The other two didn't move, looking decidedly uneasy as the Slayer approached.
She stopped a step away, reaching with her right hand to caress Angel's cheek. "I have to," she whispered, her eyes sending a different message: Get ready. He smiled softly at her, drinking in her scent as she leaned toward him on tiptoe. Their lips met and clung, sending delicious little waves of sensation through her. Despite the situation, she wanted that kiss to go on and on. But she pulled back, coming to rest on the balls of her feet. Neither of them moved, waiting to see if Gideon would lose patience. He did.
"That's enough of that now. I think I've been more than generous." He sounded like an indulgent parent.
Buffy nodded resignedly, taking a step back. Table Leg sidled in to take her place again, relieved. Then the Slayer exploded into action. Swinging her arm up, she easily broke the vamp's elbow. He howled, dropping the wood. She snatched it from the air and gave him a yank, pulling him into the stake's path. Angel took advantage of the shocked non-movement of his captors and slammed them into each other, heads making a satisfying cracking sound. They sank to the floor, showered with vamp dust. Lightning fast, she stabbed one, then the other, whipping around to stop Gideon's furious advance.
His face a mask of rage, he stared at her, finally noticing the subtle differences. They stood unmoving, vampire and Slayer, desperate fury and controlled violence. Buffy let the tension grow, a satisfied smile spreading over her features. Gideon broke first, his plans for revenge destroyed in a moment of blind gloating. "How?!" his voice thundered through them. "How did you regain the Slayer?"
Buffy's mouth opened to tell him, but Cordelia was a heartbeat faster with the sarcasm. "Duh. I told you, you shouldn't have hit her." She crossed her arms over her chest, pleased indeed to get the upperhand with the fool that had the nerve to call her "Dessert."
The Slayer drew in deep breaths, prepping for the last round of fighting. Gideon's remaining three goons were statues, waiting for some sign to let them know what he wanted to do. His eyes blazed yellow fire at her, features contorted hideously with rage. Looking confidently back at him, she twirled the splintered table leg around her fingers. There was only one possible way this was going to ending. Her smile widened as her normal sarcastic nature took over. "I believe this is checkmate."
A furious roar erupted from the vampire. "Get her!" The others rushed forward, passing Gideon to try and surround Buffy. She met their charge, dusting one in an eyeblink. The other two fought desperately, but were obviously no match for the fully recovered Slayer.
Xander watched the exchange of blows for a moment, hand tightening in reaction as a fist connected with Buffy's face. Gripping the warm metal of the key, he winced as his friend returned the blow with interest. The key. "Damn." Startled to find it still clutched in his hand, he looked to Angel, once again pulling on his chains. The vampire looked up when Xander called his name. Spotting the key in the teen's grip, he smiled, nodding toward his free left hand. Xander reached through the bars, gauging the distance carefully. The toss was perfect, landing softly into Angel's waiting fingers. "I knew I should have played baseball," he stated, expecting a response from at least Cordelia. But no one was paying attention to the interchange between him and Angel. Their focus was on Buffy and the last vamp.
The Slayer ducked under a punch, smoothly taking the vamp's feet out from underneath him. He landed hard, actually bouncing once before she drove the stake home. Vampire dust exploded around her, giving her a shimmering shadow as she scanned the huge room for Gideon. Frowning, she thought he had escaped, until her eyes caught a movement at the entry to one of the numerous tunnels of the city. They stared at each other across the distance, a moment frozen in enmity.
In a blur of motion, she sent the stake flying through the air, a whizzing sound trailing behind it. Gideon's eyes never left hers as he waited, stone still, for the piece of wood to reach him. Against her will, she felt a grudging respect for the demon. She had just sent an almost certain death to him, and he merely stood there, waiting. Why?
Time slowed, causing the flight to last much longer than the split second in which it actually occurred. Then suddenly, it was there, embedding itself deep into his chest, sending him back a step. Blood appeared on his shirt, the wood actually quivering with the force of her throw. But he didn't disintegrate, didn't fade into dust, didn't fall to the floor.
"I missed." The whispered words of disbelief hovered in the air between them. The Slayer wasn't supposed to miss. It didn't happen. But it just had.
Gideon pulled the stake from the bloody wound, leaving a deep hole that glistened wetly. She focused on the entry point, still wondering how she'd missed. The throw had been too high, failing to hit the heart by almost an inch. The vampire saluted her with the red-tinged wood, then calmly turned his back and walked away down the tunnel, souvenir firmly in grasp.
"I missed," she repeated, feet frozen to the floor. Had she done it on purpose? Had she let him live? Or had it just been a leftover bit of disorientation from the amnesia? Buffy shut the questions off abruptly, putting them into a box to go over later. If ever, she thought darkly.
"Buffy," Angel's soft voice broke through her inner-monologue. She whirled, throwing her arms around him. He enveloped her in his embrace, her warmth flooding through him. She clung to him, murmuring his name. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, throat tight with emotion. "Buffy, I-" His words were cut off by a ghostly echo that filled the chamber, sending a shiver down their bodies as one.
"It's not over, Slayer."
They stared at one another, acknowledging the threat, but more focused on each other. Angel's lost words hovered between them, wanting to be completed. His eyes glowed with love, hand caressing her neck. She smiled up at him, basking in the feelings that flowed between them.
"Hey! Excuse me," Cordelia's strident voice cut through the warm silence like a finely honed blade. "Could you get me out of here? I do have a life to get back to, you know."
Five pairs of eyes stared at her, relief making them giddy. The laughter started simultaneously, leaving Cordelia to glare at them all. She leaned, annoyed, against the cage, arms crossing her chest. "I *so* need to stop hanging out with you people."
Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything related to Buffy. I've also borrowed a couple lines from a very well known movie series. If you're a fan, you'll recognize them. (And no, I don't own any of that pie either.) Forgive me, I just couldn't resist.
Author's note: Thanks again to Mom. Without her, I'd have forgotten all about Dessert.
(c) October 1999, Eleri McCleod
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*****
Part 5
*****
Angel clenched his teeth, struggling to hold the rage in. Unused to feeling helpless, it created a path for the vampire to take control. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply to hold the change back. Slowly, the demon faded into the background again. He held himself still for a couple of extra seconds, locking the rage away. He needed a clear head to keep everyone alive until they could escape their confinements. Then he could put his demon to work.
Gradually, he opened his eyes, taking in the scene analytically. A cage on his left held Giles, Xander, Willow and Cordelia, where they were motionless but unbound. Buffy was lying on the ground on his other side, chains attached to the wall about three feet up secured to her wrists. All of them were still unconscious from the gas. Subtly, he tested his own chains from his seated position on the floor, pulling them taut. Unfortunately, they stubbornly held fast to their concrete fastenings.
Buffy hadn't moved since Gideon's lackeys had placed her on the cold ground. She was breathing, but there was no other sign of life. Sensing only one other vampire in the huge room, he decided to take advantage of the lack of guards. "Buffy," he murmured, hoping his voice would penetrate her drug-induced sleep. "Come on, wake up." Her head jerked slightly, as if straining to hear something. Him, maybe.
He shifted around, trying to force the chains to let him touch her. But the closest he could get left him with over six impossible inches of empty space between them. "You've got to wake up," he urged a little louder, chancing that their vamp guard only had orders to 'guard.' "We need you awake. I need you." Her eyelids merely fluttered before sliding peacefully closed again. But her lips parted, letting a whisper of sound through. "That's it. Come on." He stared intently, willing her to wake. Abruptly, he realized all his muscles were tensed, actually quivering with his intense focus.
Her eyes fluttered open, squinting to make sense of the blurred world around her. "Angel?" she sounded weak, confused. "What happened?" She slowly tried to raise herself off the ground, groaning when pins and needles shot through her sleeping arm. She looked distastefully at her chains, for some reason unsurprised by their presence.
"Gideon used a knockout gas. There were too many of them for me to fight alone."
Buffy stared at him, confused by the guilt and self-loathing heard clearly in his voice. She heard it, but couldn't understand it. "Don't do that, Angel." His gaze jerked to hers at the words. "If there had been anything you could have done, you would have." She felt as sure of her words as she was of her name. The past few hours she had spent with him had told her everything she needed to know. He was incapable of not doing everything possible.
Slowly, the cloud dispersed from his eyes and a faint lessening of the tension appeared on his face. He looked at her outstretched hand, reaching fully to brush fingertips with her. "Thanks," he whispered, wishing he could hold her, needing more than the unfulfilling contact allowed by their chains.
She smiled, warmed by the restricted touch. "So, what's the plan?" she tossed out, trying for a light tone. "I get the feeling this isn't the first time we've been to the Final Jeopardy round with only a hundred bucks."
Angel simply stared at her for a moment, wondering where she came up with her pop-culture references. As for a plan... "Well, I was going to go with keeping you all alive." He, too, tried for the lighter side, but failed as badly as she had. He glanced over at the others piled on the hard ground. "We need to get them awake. Except they don't have your Slayer's healing system. It could be a while before they come to."
She followed his gaze worriedly, still holding onto his fingers. "How long was I out?"
"About an hour. I take it you still aren't remembering anything?"
"Nope. Not one useful Slayer-like bit of information is being downloaded from the computer." She shook her head, annoyed. "I always have had lousy timing. Speaking of that, what time is it? And how'd they get us here?"
"It's almost dawn." He could feel the movement of the sun as it came closer to bathing the land in light. Over time, he'd come to appreciate what he never had in life: the simple joy of feeling the sun warm his face. "We've got about an hour," he continued, pushing old wishes back into their slot. "They didn't give me any openings. There was always a vamp on one of you. I just couldn't risk it." His eyes darkened again, remorse filling him.
"Angel," she pulled him back again. "We'll get out of this." Holding his gaze, she smiled cockily, winking. "I'm the Chose One, right? Piece-a-cake."
Her grin was infectious, pulling his mouth up in a matching attitude. Their tiny moment was shattered by the voice that interrupted their solitary dialogue. Gideon, Angel thought darkly, whipping his head around to follow the vampire's movement across the room.
"Isn't this chummy," Gideon drawled, taking in their linked fingers stretched across the cold floor. "I can't leave you alone for a moment, can I? But then again, you always were partial to a woman in chains, Angelus. Or is it Angel now? Things change so fast, you know." He settled himself against the cage, eyes burning coldly.
Angel ignored the banter and got to the point. "What do you want, Gideon?" But he was afraid he knew already. He also knew he would die to prevent it.
"An eye for an eye," Gideon's voice hardened hatefully. "You took a Slayer from me," he stared at Buffy for a long moment, "and I take a Slayer from you."
Angel's fingers clenched convulsively over his love's. He could feel her slight tremble, her deep fear, but knew she was fighting to keep Gideon from seeing it. "I didn't kill Mariah," he said firmly.
Gideon leaned toward his old 'pal,' close enough to breathe his rage upon, but not close enough for Angel to grab. "You didn't help her, either. You could have. You were powerful then, one of the most feared vampires of the time. Now look at you," he sneered. "Held by chains and your worry over these frail creatures. But I'll take care of that for you soon enough." Gideon stared hard into Angel's eyes, enjoying his moment of triumph.
Then he turned to Buffy, who tried to look calm in the face of his total rage. "Welcome home, my dear. I believe it's time for us to get acquainted. Oh, don't worry, I know you're not quite feeling like yourself tonight. But I'm positive you'll remember everything when I'm finished with you."
"Thanks," Buffy returned sarcastically, holding her fear deep inside. "But I'm okay where I am. The chains are actually pretty comfy. Yep, I'm comfy girl. That's me alright." She smiled brightly up at the vamp, hoping to knock some of that arrogance off of his face.
Through his fear, Angel found a smile crossing his face at her words. Her irreverence would throw Gideon off, maybe enough to get them out alive. A grunt of pain came from the cage, pulling his attention. Giles was moving slightly, trying to shake off the effects of the gas. Come on, Giles, he silently encouraged, hope lifting a notch higher in his chest. He caught the other vampire's quick movement toward the Slayer peripherally, unease bringing him to his knees.
Gideon ignored Buffy's smile, kneeling in front of her. "Let's not cause a problem, shall we? There could be all sorts of nasty consequences to pay." He pulled a large old-fashioned brass key from his pocket, waving it in her face. "Don't get too excited, love. We're just moving to a slightly more comfortable position." He shot Angel a knowing look. "It's so hard to feed when you're feeling cramped, isn't it?"
Buffy focused on the key, shutting out Gideon's taunting words. He's going to take these off, she thought quickly, a plan mapping itself in her brain. Get the key, toss it to Angel, keep Gideon busy. No problem. She flexed her muscles, readying them for action. She met Gideon's eyes when he turned back to her. Prepared to see triumph, she almost flinched at the hatred that accompanied it.
He grabbed the chain on her left hand, roughly pulling her and Angel apart. Wrapping the chain around her neck, he smiled. "It's not that I don't trust you, my dear, but I've met a few Slayers in my time." Satisfied that Buffy wasn't going anywhere with her hand trapped against her chest by the short chain, he pinned her legs to the ground with his knees.
Swallowing, Buffy eased her head closer to the wall, trying to loosen the chain enough to make breathing easier. It didn't work. She felt the release of her right hand and shook it, wanting to draw Gideon's attention to it. That didn't work either. I hate single-minded vampires, she thought darkly, glaring at him.
Angel spared a glance back to the cage. Giles was on his knees now. He squinted to focus without his glasses, which had obviously not made the trip from the library. He seemed to meet Angel's gaze for a quick second before moving to carefully shake Xander. Go, Giles, the vampire encouraged, thankful the Watcher was awake. When he turned back to Buffy, Gideon was gripping the chain around her neck with one hand, unlocking it with the other.
Gideon tugged on the chain, causing her to wince. "Don't get any bright ideas now." He quickly shoved the key into his back pocket then took hold of her arm. Without warning, he yanked her up off the ground while unlooping the chain, sending her stumbling a few feet. He was on her before she could regain her balance, locking her in a chokehold. Buffy pulled on his arm, fighting to get air through her constricted throat. Her mind was blank but for the desire to live. She fought for breath, having no idea how to stop herself from blacking out.
"Gideon!" Angel shouted, struggling futilely to rip the chains out of the wall, standing as much as their length would let him. The bastard had planned it perfectly. Too perfectly, in fact. He had taken Angel and the others out of the equation completely, using them against each other and leaving Buffy on her own, without even her ability as the Slayer to help her. Slayer, the word flashed through his mind, realization burning out of his subconscious.
"Buffy," he called urgently, meeting her panicked gaze. "Let the Slayer take over. Don't fight it." She simply stared at him, still gripping Gideon's arm. "Instinct, Buffy."
Giles paused in his attempt to wake the others. Instinct, he thought furiously. "Yes," he added his voice to Angel's. "Buffy, act. Don't think. Act on instinct." It had to work. She was their only hope.
Dizzy now, she looked at them both. Act, don't think, something echoed inside her. Act, act, act, it repeated over and over. She closed her eyes, letting go of the fight, trusting in these two who cared so much for her.
Gideon snarled at them both. "Shut up. I've won and we all know it." He smiled when he felt the Slayer's hands limply slide from his arm. His face changed, teeth lengthening and brow arching, anticipating the taste of Slayer blood. "It's been too long," he gloated to Angel, who still struggled with his bonds. Staring down at the girl in his arms, Gideon shifted her slightly, to allow access to the smooth, young neck. "Now," he purred, moving in for the kill.
"No!" Angel and Giles shouted simultaneously.
Now, Buffy's mind echoed. She instantly stopped using her legs for support, becoming deadweight in Gideon's arms. Not expecting the sudden change, he couldn't react fast enough, teeth scraping along her neck instead of sinking into the flesh. Reaching around his body, she grabbed for the key that was carelessly sticking out of his pocket and yanked it out as she fell to the floor. She pushed the pain in her neck to the back of her mind, grabbing Gideon's legs and pulling hard. He collapsed with a yell, but moved lightning fast to his knees.
Buffy threw the key at Angel and jumped unsteadily to her feet. "I don't see a fat lady anywhere, do you?" she rasped, aiming a kick at Gideon's face. It didn't connect, but he fell back anyway, giving her a moment to breathe fully.
Angel scrambled for the key at his feet, hope giving him speed. His fingers closed over the metal as he heard Gideon yelling for his lackeys. He got his left wrist free before the new combatants made it into the room. Fumbling with the second chain, he didn't see the vamp's foot until it connected with his hand, sending the key bouncing away. Simple reaction sent his hand after the foot, yanking hard to pull the vamp off balance. Quickly, he searched the ground for the key to find it a few feet away from the cage. Too far for him to reach and not close enough for the others to get to. "Great," he muttered disgustedly, kicking another vamp in the chest, frustrated rage letting the demon inside loose. "Giles," he called over to the librarian. "You need to get out of there."
"I believe that's easier said than done," he shot back, finally able to shake Xander to consciousness. Quickly directing the teen to Cordelia and Willow, Giles tried to assess the situation through bleary eyes. Buffy seemed to be holding her own for the moment against Gideon without her Slayer memories, Angel had one arm free and also seemed to be okay and Gideon had more reinforcements that just streamed through the door. "Buffy, look out!" he warned as one of the new vamps tried to sneak up behind her. He let out a sigh of relief when the Slayer ducked, sending the vamp flying into Gideon.
Spotting the key to Angel's chains, he quickly shed his belt, hoping the buckle would have enough weight to drag it closer. The first cast was short, the metallic clinking lost in the din around him. The second was perfect, catching the key in its loop. Painstakingly, Giles pulled the slack out of the belt, inching the key closer. "That's it," he urged, knowing as he spoke that it was illogical to encourage an inanimate object, and doing it anyway.
The cage shuddered when Angel sent a vamp flying. Instinctively, Giles jumped back, saving his face, but losing his precarious hook on the key. "Bloody Hell!" He reeled in the belt again, preparing to throw.
Sounds from around the room invaded his concentration. He could hear Cordelia and Willow asking groggy questions, the crashes of Buffy's uneven battle with Gideon, the subtle sound of a vampire dusting in mid-scream. He could even make out Angel's infuriated growling as he fought to keep his attackers from overwhelming his still chained form. The key was almost close enough to reach now. "Xander," Giles called urgently, still reeling in the belt. "Can you get the key?" The teen immediately dropped to his knees and reached through the bars, fingers straining for the metal.
"Angelus!" Gideon shouted to his minions, throwing Buffy over the last standing alter-like platform in the room, stunning her for a moment. "Henry, get the traitor!" One of the vamps grabbed up a splintered piece of table leg and dashed across the room.
Buffy's eye caught the quick movement as she struggled to get her breath back. None of her boyfriend's attackers had been a real threat until now. "Angel!" she warned anxiously, ducking a punch. Then there was nothing else she could do for him as Gideon and three of his lackeys formed a circle around her. Her entire body hurt, blood staining the back of her shirt where she had been thrown into the rough wall. She wasn't sure how much oomph she had left, but she did know she was nearing the bottom of the barrel. The Slayer instinct alone wasn't going to keep them all alive. She needed the training that accompanied it, but nothing was pulling the knowledge out of the recesses of her mind. You're going to be using a new diet plan if you don't think of something soon, missy, she told herself, barely avoiding a crushing blow to her head.
Angel kicked the blond vamp in the stomach and hastily returned to his crouch, right wrist still held by the chain. He didn't have a piece of wood anywhere nearby so the best he could do was to fend them off. As long as they only come a couple at a time, he finished the thought as a new vamp joined the other three, a vamp who had Angel's desired broken-off piece of wood in his hand. "Oh, boy," he let out, steeling himself for the attack.
"Got it!" Xander crowed triumphantly, jumping to his feet and waving the key like a flag.
"Don't just stand there," Cordelia ordered, mostly recovered. "Open the door so we can get out of here."
"Right and how do we open the door with the key for the chains?" He eyed the distance to Angel and prepped.
"Aren't those things supposed to be one size fits all?"
Ignoring the harping, he tensed to throw, then nearly dropped the damned thing when Gideon's voice thundered through the room.
"Stop!"
As if someone had hit a pause button, all movement ceased, a macabre tableau of danger. Buffy gulped in air, taking full advantage of the strange respite. Gideon had had everything perfectly planned up to this point. What was running through his twisted little mind now?
"Now that I have your attention, maybe we can end all this fighting, as stimulating as it is." He smiled at Buffy, who gripped her own piece of wood a little tighter. "I believe this would be 'check,' my dear."
She frowned, understanding the reference, but not the timing. She was nowhere near beat. Well, okay, getting there, she admitted to herself. Her gaze slowly followed Gideon's outstretched hand, trying to keep him in sight at the same time. What she saw made her heart stop.
Angel was trapped, held against the wall by two vamps and his remaining chain. A third gripped him by the throat, the piece of table leg pressed firmly against his chest. Angel held perfectly still, knowing any movement could make the jumpy vampire send the makeshift stake through him. He stared at Buffy, a million thoughts flying through his head.
She swallowed hard, heart plunging into her stomach. Her eyes flicked to Giles, pleading silently. He could only stare back from the locked cage, whole body radiating sorrow and frustration at his inability to help the Slayer or Angel.
"We can do this one of two ways," Gideon glided over to Buffy, circling like a shark. He stopped at her side, allowing her the full view in front of her. "Actually," he smiled, "I lied. There's really only one. If I kill Angelus, he can't enjoy the loss of your lovely company. But don't think I won't send that stake through his heart if you force me to." He moved behind her, fingering her hair, her torn shirt. "I don't have a lot of patience these days, luv, so be quick about it."
All breath left her in a rush. No matter how fast she moved, Angel would still die. And that was unacceptable. Buffy stared into her love's eyes, torn beyond words. The connection between them flared, even across the room, and she could hear his thoughts as if he'd spoken aloud. Fight, Buffy. The world needs the Slayer, not another vampire. Love and regret filled his soul and spilled into his eyes. He smiled gently at his reason for existing, hoping, praying she wouldn't surrender.
The world needs the Slayer, she decided silently. But I need you, Angel. There will always be a Slayer. Abruptly, she turned to the demon at her side. Buffy longed to smack the self-satisfied smirk off his face and drive her stake straight through his demented heart. "Let them all go, Gideon." Her voice was dead, all life extinguishing, already dying out. Except for a small flame that was being fanned a little higher as she, Buffy, gave up a bit at a time.
"Buffy, you can't," Giles called, knowing she would sacrifice herself to save even one of them.
She looked back at him briefly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, unable to speak any louder. The little flame inside seemed to burn a little brighter as she took one last look at Angel. She faced Gideon in a blur of motion, determined to end it. "Well? I told you how this works. You don't get me until they're all walking out of here."
Gideon stared at her, incredulous. "You think to order *me*?" Without warning, he backhanded her, sending her into the nearest vamp. They tumbled to the ground, Buffy lying stunned on top. A chorus of angry shouts erupted from the Scooby Gang as the vampire hissed and threw her off, smoke curling up from a cross-shaped burn on his cheek.
She lay on the stone floor for a moment, tonguing her cut lip. The coppery taste of blood sent a wave of dizziness through her. But I'm already lying down, she thought stupidly, waiting for her eyes to clear. That little flame inside burst into a bonfire, sending sensation through her as time moved on around her.
Cordelia's voice floated through her ringing ears. "You'd think they'd learn eventually, wouldn't you? If you hit her, she just gets mad."
"Now isn't the time, Cordelia," Giles hissed, half-wishing she was still unconscious.
"What? If I was a vampire I sure wouldn't want to make the Slayer mad."
Typical Cordelia, Buffy thought, the spots blurring her vision mostly gone. Tensing her muscles to get up, she went over that one again. Typical? How'd I... It's back. Her heart began a furious pounding, adrenaline rushing through her veins. I'm back.
Gideon focused on the self-absorbed girl. "Ah, Dessert," he drawled after a moment's reflection. "Truth be told, I'd rather forgotten about you. I guarantee it won't happen again."
"What?" she repeated, feeling like a scratched CD, not understanding her role in Gideon's thoughts in the slightest.
Willow, however, wasn't as dense. "Buffy's the main course, Cordy. You're the dessert." The quietly spoken words sounded like a gunshot through the silence.
Slowly, Buffy moved to a crouch, adjusting her grip on the stake. She stared up at Gideon for a moment, a simmering anger bringing new light to her eyes.
Angel ached to comfort her bruised and battered body as she slowly stood and wiped the blood from her lip. His own precarious situation forgotten, he couldn't help but notice her stance. It was different, more assured, more the trained fighter the Slayer was. Hope flared anew. Had Gideon inadvertently brought the Slayer back? Oh, I hope so, he drawled slowly. Then she met his eyes and he knew. A luminescence glowed through her, a confidence that had been missing since the fight in the cemetery. She held his gaze for a brief moment before turning back to Gideon.
The vampire was still smiling smugly, sure of his victory. Idiot, the Slayer insulted silently, pasting an exhausted look on her face. She looked directly at him and dropped her stake, ignoring the startled gasps that accompanied the delicate tinkling as it hit the hard ground. Gideon raised his eyebrows at the symbolic gesture, mouth beginning to water at the thought of tasting her blood.
Still facing him, she backed slowly toward Angel, shoulders defeated. "Don't stop me, Gideon," she warned when his eyes tightened suspiciously. "You owe me this." He didn't pretend to not know what she was talking about. Suddenly, he smiled, not a friendly sight, and nodded to the Fang Gang on Angel. She let out her breath in a rush, turning to walk the rest of the distance. The vamp holding the piece of table leg took a step away, wood still at the ready. The other two didn't move, looking decidedly uneasy as the Slayer approached.
She stopped a step away, reaching with her right hand to caress Angel's cheek. "I have to," she whispered, her eyes sending a different message: Get ready. He smiled softly at her, drinking in her scent as she leaned toward him on tiptoe. Their lips met and clung, sending delicious little waves of sensation through her. Despite the situation, she wanted that kiss to go on and on. But she pulled back, coming to rest on the balls of her feet. Neither of them moved, waiting to see if Gideon would lose patience. He did.
"That's enough of that now. I think I've been more than generous." He sounded like an indulgent parent.
Buffy nodded resignedly, taking a step back. Table Leg sidled in to take her place again, relieved. Then the Slayer exploded into action. Swinging her arm up, she easily broke the vamp's elbow. He howled, dropping the wood. She snatched it from the air and gave him a yank, pulling him into the stake's path. Angel took advantage of the shocked non-movement of his captors and slammed them into each other, heads making a satisfying cracking sound. They sank to the floor, showered with vamp dust. Lightning fast, she stabbed one, then the other, whipping around to stop Gideon's furious advance.
His face a mask of rage, he stared at her, finally noticing the subtle differences. They stood unmoving, vampire and Slayer, desperate fury and controlled violence. Buffy let the tension grow, a satisfied smile spreading over her features. Gideon broke first, his plans for revenge destroyed in a moment of blind gloating. "How?!" his voice thundered through them. "How did you regain the Slayer?"
Buffy's mouth opened to tell him, but Cordelia was a heartbeat faster with the sarcasm. "Duh. I told you, you shouldn't have hit her." She crossed her arms over her chest, pleased indeed to get the upperhand with the fool that had the nerve to call her "Dessert."
The Slayer drew in deep breaths, prepping for the last round of fighting. Gideon's remaining three goons were statues, waiting for some sign to let them know what he wanted to do. His eyes blazed yellow fire at her, features contorted hideously with rage. Looking confidently back at him, she twirled the splintered table leg around her fingers. There was only one possible way this was going to ending. Her smile widened as her normal sarcastic nature took over. "I believe this is checkmate."
A furious roar erupted from the vampire. "Get her!" The others rushed forward, passing Gideon to try and surround Buffy. She met their charge, dusting one in an eyeblink. The other two fought desperately, but were obviously no match for the fully recovered Slayer.
Xander watched the exchange of blows for a moment, hand tightening in reaction as a fist connected with Buffy's face. Gripping the warm metal of the key, he winced as his friend returned the blow with interest. The key. "Damn." Startled to find it still clutched in his hand, he looked to Angel, once again pulling on his chains. The vampire looked up when Xander called his name. Spotting the key in the teen's grip, he smiled, nodding toward his free left hand. Xander reached through the bars, gauging the distance carefully. The toss was perfect, landing softly into Angel's waiting fingers. "I knew I should have played baseball," he stated, expecting a response from at least Cordelia. But no one was paying attention to the interchange between him and Angel. Their focus was on Buffy and the last vamp.
The Slayer ducked under a punch, smoothly taking the vamp's feet out from underneath him. He landed hard, actually bouncing once before she drove the stake home. Vampire dust exploded around her, giving her a shimmering shadow as she scanned the huge room for Gideon. Frowning, she thought he had escaped, until her eyes caught a movement at the entry to one of the numerous tunnels of the city. They stared at each other across the distance, a moment frozen in enmity.
In a blur of motion, she sent the stake flying through the air, a whizzing sound trailing behind it. Gideon's eyes never left hers as he waited, stone still, for the piece of wood to reach him. Against her will, she felt a grudging respect for the demon. She had just sent an almost certain death to him, and he merely stood there, waiting. Why?
Time slowed, causing the flight to last much longer than the split second in which it actually occurred. Then suddenly, it was there, embedding itself deep into his chest, sending him back a step. Blood appeared on his shirt, the wood actually quivering with the force of her throw. But he didn't disintegrate, didn't fade into dust, didn't fall to the floor.
"I missed." The whispered words of disbelief hovered in the air between them. The Slayer wasn't supposed to miss. It didn't happen. But it just had.
Gideon pulled the stake from the bloody wound, leaving a deep hole that glistened wetly. She focused on the entry point, still wondering how she'd missed. The throw had been too high, failing to hit the heart by almost an inch. The vampire saluted her with the red-tinged wood, then calmly turned his back and walked away down the tunnel, souvenir firmly in grasp.
"I missed," she repeated, feet frozen to the floor. Had she done it on purpose? Had she let him live? Or had it just been a leftover bit of disorientation from the amnesia? Buffy shut the questions off abruptly, putting them into a box to go over later. If ever, she thought darkly.
"Buffy," Angel's soft voice broke through her inner-monologue. She whirled, throwing her arms around him. He enveloped her in his embrace, her warmth flooding through him. She clung to him, murmuring his name. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, throat tight with emotion. "Buffy, I-" His words were cut off by a ghostly echo that filled the chamber, sending a shiver down their bodies as one.
"It's not over, Slayer."
They stared at one another, acknowledging the threat, but more focused on each other. Angel's lost words hovered between them, wanting to be completed. His eyes glowed with love, hand caressing her neck. She smiled up at him, basking in the feelings that flowed between them.
"Hey! Excuse me," Cordelia's strident voice cut through the warm silence like a finely honed blade. "Could you get me out of here? I do have a life to get back to, you know."
Five pairs of eyes stared at her, relief making them giddy. The laughter started simultaneously, leaving Cordelia to glare at them all. She leaned, annoyed, against the cage, arms crossing her chest. "I *so* need to stop hanging out with you people."