Chapter 12

Angelus' Lair - Early Evening

So they are going to the Bronze, she's up for that. Buffy tours her new accomodations while sipping a mug of warm O negative. Angel doesn't have to lecture her on the advantages of prepackaged meals. She's cool.

One thing she is not cool on is her clothes. Her clothes are in her closet on Revello Drive. She makes him promise to go by the house first before they head out to the Bronze. Thinking of going to the house to get her stuff makes her head pound. She knows her mom is out of town but Angel has said that she needs to decide what they are going to do about her mom by tomorrow.

While she was fine with the Giles thing. He would be a killjoy - literally. She felt no need to involve her mom in any of this. However, she also knew her mom wouldn't let up until she knew what had happened to her.

Evidently, both she and Angel were pretty mellow vamps - with really good taste. This is the nicest dive she has ever seen and the only person she has had an urge to snack on is him and he is yummmeee! Perhaps her slayer senses are dampening the demon. Whatever, she doesn't feel much like dwelling on it - a vampire perk she guesses.

She hears the shower cut off. Angel will be ready soon. She takes off the robe she is wearing and hurriedly pulls on her jeans and her shirt from the other night. She doesn't bother with shoes.

She can see Angel through the door to the bathroom and smiles at the sight of him with a towel around his waist. When he notices her perusal, he calls out. " I told you there was room for you."

"I know I just wanted some time to, you know, decompress. This is a lot to take in."

"You're doing great."

"It's just so different but not as different as I thought it would be. I'm thinking it has something to do with the slayer stuff. Have you ever heard of a slayer being turned before?"

"Hey, I thought you said that you read all of Giles' musty old books?" he jokes as he comes into the bedroom to dress.

"Actually, I read of one, in the 1700's. She seemed to keep her head so to speak and went to report in to her Watcher but her Watcher offed her right away. That's why I took care of dear ol' Rupert first and foremost. Not a real tolerate bunch those Watchers."

At that, Buffy lies back on the bed and covers her face not wanting to imagine what just took place hours ago. He was the closest thing that she'd had to a father. "Thanks, for taking care, of that, I mean, of Giles.I just couldn't be part of that, even now."

He smiles at this admission, another indication that she has kept what was special about her.

"I don't mind being the 'Big Bad' in this relationship," he teases. "If you promise to love me inspite of myself."

She faces him in all seriousness, "I do love you. I always will. I loved you before and I love you now."

"And you're not mad at me?" He frames this question with all the little boy charm he has.

"No, how could I be? I knew that I was playing with fire. Somewhere, I guess I knew that I would ultimately get burned - my bad - not yours."

He smiles again. He is so handsome to her. "I thinketh the lady is seeing her beast through rose colored glasses. Make no mistake Buff; you've seen my beast, felt it. You know that I will do whatever it takes to protect what's mine. Past that, I don't have a grudge against the world anymore."

With that he finishes getting dressed - black pants, black shoes, gray shirt - he'll need to put up with the depressed Angel look a while longer. She lies there watching him, amazed that she isn't blushing at the display.
When they arrive at Buffy's house, they go upstairs to pack. They find a couple of boxes in the hall closet and she begins to quickly weed through her things. She is somewhat surprised that she still feels as sentimental as she does. She asks Angel about it as she laughs at the mighty Master Vampire loading up her prized stuffed pig into a box. "Oh how the mighty have fallen!"

"What?" He responds veining ignorance.

She goes on, ignoring him. "No, seriously, I wanted to ask why I - we - seem so normal like. I mean, I pretty much seem like me - well, at least a version of me. I thought vamps were all 'grrr-argh', you know?"

"You were when you first woke up if I remember correctly but yeah, you're right. Regular vamps - minions aren't made with the nearly the care you were. Most vampires don't want to sire anyone who will be anywhere near their match in strength. Then there are others who had no one to teach them and when they sire someone - well, it's not much better than a zombie. You've seen the kind."

"Yeah, I guess, I've never really thought about it."

"With you, I gave you everything I had - and then some - that's why - that's why you are still you - at least partially - who knows what being the Slayer added to the whole equation."

"Still, I don't have a soul, do I?"

"I'd be surprised. Plus if you did, I imagine you would have staked me already."

"Still, I don't feel too homicidal."

"And that bothers you?"

"No. Just." she pauses trying to find the words. "Thank you. Thank you for taking such care with me. I'm glad I'm still me. Well, you know what I mean. Thank you. I can't imagine being any other why. It's too horrible to think about." With this admission, she crawls to her knees, reaches up and kisses him on the cheek.

He suddenly feels like the Grinch who Stole Christmas when his heart began to grow. It's uncomfortable to look too closely at the feeling so he changes the subject. "So, what, my dear, are you wearing tonight?"

This question is a good one and distracts her. "What's up with the whole fashion thing with you vamps - I mean an over interest in fashion seems a little gay to me. Don't get me wrong, I like what I see (looking him up and down). It's just talking about it seems a little too Village People for me. One thing that hasn't changed is that I like my man - well, a man. Or at least a male of some species."

He laughs for what must be like the thousandth time of the day. "OK. I get the message, surprise me." With that she goes in the bathroom to get ready in private. A woman should retain a little mystery.

When she returns, she is decked out in brown leather pants - black seemed like she was trying too hard, boots and a sheer, off the shoulder kind of peasant-looking thing.

"Hey, it works for me" he says and the pulls her in for another kiss. He ends up kissing her on the spot on her neck where he turned her. It has already healed but if you look closely you'll see the faint scar.

Back in the SUV, Angel brings up a subject that Buffy has all but forgotten about in the heat of the moment. The reason they were going to the Bronze to begin with - to catch up with Xander and Willow.

"So, it's your call, my love."

"My call, what do you mean my call?" she responds with more nervousness than she would have expected from a creature of the night - nothing to lose, right?

Well, the more she thought about it, she did have some things to lose. Just as she had packed up Mr. Gordo, her ice skates and her baby pictures, she realizes that there are a couple more things that retain a sentimental attachment for her - Xander and Willow."

"The way I see it, after Giles and Joyce, the only two other people who could cause us any major headaches would be the wimp and Little Red Riding Hood." Looking over at Buffy, he can see her worry - her little nose is scrunched up. While it's fun to play with the food, Angel finds that it is not so much fun to play with Buffy. Her anxiety is his own.

"I've got a couple ideas. I'm assuming that killing them is out. That leaves two other options. The first one is that we go in, make nice and then I bewitch them."

At this, she laughs. "'Bewitch' them? I thought I had hooked up with a Vampire here not a Warlock. Have you been holding out on me?"

Believe it or not, he's a little embarrassed - count up yet another new emotion for the Scourge of Europe. "It's just, over the years, I've picked up some tricks. Just like people, different vampires have different gifts. Since you've known me, I really haven't been - you could you put it? Living up to my full potential. Without feeding like I should and with the curse, it was kind of like, I don't know - walking around with the flu."

As he pulls into a lot next to the Bronze, he goes on to explain. "You and I now - our line - it comes with certain gifts. I can persuade your kiddies to forget they ever knew you or that you are just some girl from school. It's not as hard as you might think. I was going to erase the majority of their memories of Giles anyway, so they wouldn't freak out when there is a substitute librarian on Monday morning."

Hearing that he has plans beyond hurting her friends, Buffy calms and focuses more intently. She has always felt responsible for Xander and Willow and their future is of great interest to her. Now more than before, she feels perfectly OK with deciding their fate for them. After all, she is Buffy.

Her ego seems to smart at the idea of being erased from their memories. "So what's the other idea?"

As he turns off the engine and the car goes dark, he turns to her, his eyes glowing, "Turn them, of course."

At the mere mention of such an act, her own eyes also begin to glow. Her mouth slides into a smile as she feels her teeth sharpen.

This is going to be fun.

Ok, so I didn't get Buffy and Angel all the way to the Bronze in this chapter but almost - You get the idea of where I'm thinking of taking this now - should I go with it or not? Feedback is welcome & appreciated.