I just want to say a quick thank you to all of you that have taken time to read this! It's really nice to know that you are enjoying it. A special thanks to ms8309 for taking the time the review more than once and to say some helpful words. I want to see them hunt together too (a la the Boxer Rebellion). Thanks to alwaysanangelgurl for putting me on your favorites list. I hope you keep enjoying it! Also thanks to rain, LilBratyChild, Chip, Kelso, Wiccasweep, Brit, AquaScor, Sake, SD, Kara, Kristy, Sarah & jt! Eirwinrommel - I'll try to pick up the pace, I kind of like little details as you can tell! - Ohh - sorry for the typos in the earlier version of this chapter - you try to write with a 3 year old watching Barney's Farm Friends!

Chapter 14a - Midnight

Buffy goes into the dark old mansion first. Remembering that she may need to cover for her night vision, she flips on her flashlight. Xander and Willow follow close behind her. Once they are all inside the door slams shut with a bang.

Xander supplies his usual comment, "Oh God, now we are officially in a sleazy B-movie, just don't have sex with anyone and we'll all get out alive."

Buffy ignores his oddly prophetic comment and says, "We better find Angel first."

As if on cue, Angel walks out of the darkness (sans flashlight). His voice cracks just a bit as he pretends surprise at finding them here in the Castle of the Damned more or less. "What are you doing here?" Looking at Buffy, he adds, "I told you to stay put!"

Buffy ignores him, she is tired of playing and on the way over she couldn't get the taste of Xander's neck out of her head. It was like the way she used to feel about chocolate only it was a lot worse. Beyond that she can also remember the way Angel looked at her when she was dancing with Xander. Clearly, he enjoyed watching Buffy enjoy herself. Angel was so sure of his role in her life that he didn't sweat her having a little fun.

As she fidgets, Angel catches her mixture of bloodlust and arousal and decides that it is time to get down to business. After all, this is for all intents and purposes, her birthday.

Angel looks at the pair behind him. He looks at them intently and waves his hand over their eyes and says, "Listen, Children. Blessed Be, Bid These Words and Follow me."

Suddenly, they look even more dazed and pliable than they did at the Bronze. Taking Buffy's flashlight in hand, Angel walks over to the huge stone fireplace and turns a wall sconce. Just like in Xander's B-movie, a gap opens in the fire place showing a set of seep steps going down. Angel winks at Buffy and says "after you, my dear." Buffy goes down, Willow and Xander following her. When Angel enters, the trap door slides shut and they are in total darkness. Buffy continues and some how guided by Angel's voice, Xander and Willow do too. After two turns, they come out in a room with a dirt floor. Angel does something else that she can't see and a passage way opens. They enter the room that you can get to from the garage.

Soon, they are in the suite of rooms she remembers from earlier in the day. Angel turns on the lights and asks Xander and Willow to have a seat on the sofa. Both obey immediately.

Somehow this acquiescence irritates Buffy. She has her heart set on a big performance with plenty of shock value. Knowing Angelus' reputation, she figures Angel would too. Angel reads the disappointment and frustration on her face and lets out a deep laugh. He waltzes over and pulls her in for a passionate kiss. When he comes up for air and looks at Buffy, all of her reservations subside. The sense of bloodlust in him is strong and she has no doubt that he knows what to do.

He turns to the pair on the sofa, kneeling down to face them as if they were children. She knows that his eyes are that odd black color without looking. Taking hold of Willow's hand, he pulls her up with him as he stands. He looks at Xander and says, "Xander, sleep." In response, Xander nods and curls up on the sofa.

Angel then directs his attention towards Buffy. The look in her eyes warms his heart, she is truly anticipating what comes next. "Easy babe, you'll get your turn soon.. We're going to take our friend Willow and after we get nice and comfortable, we're going to wake her up for real. From there we can play it by ear. You can have the young man if you wish."

While most of his laughter since she has woken has been warm and happy, this laughter is different. It has a cold almost metallic flavor to it. She has no doubt the all that was and is Angelus is in front of her now. "Buff, don't you get it - we are truly one now. I am your sire and moreover your mate. You are an extension of me, of my demon. Any pleasure you feel, any life you take, any power you absorb - it's all good, it's all mine. I won't begrudge you your fun as long as I can have a little as well." With the last comment, he pulls Willow to his side and licks the side of her face. The action leaves no doubt as to his intention.

Again, as in the Bronze, she isn't repulsed by his words. This mildly surprises her but the excitement swamping her leaves her no time to contemplate this change.

Angel leads them all back to a bedroom opposite the one they were using earlier. This room is almost a mirror image of the other but instead of golds and bronzes, this room is done in purples and blues. He goes over to a refrigerator hidden in one of the cabinets and pulls out a beer. He turns and throws one to Buffy.

Buffy has never really liked the stuff but hey, why not, she thinks. The beer is very cold and it feels wonderful going down her throat. She had no idea that vampires could get hot - thirsty yes, hot no. Angel walks to the door and blows her a kiss "I'll be right back, Baby and oh, Willow - wake up." With a wink, he is out the door.

Buffy isn't prepared to face her friend as she stands there in a bedroom fit for a prince while holding a Corona Light. She is going to get Angel for this. Well, she might as well kick up the drama. She runs to Willow as she regains conscious, "Willow! Oh my God, are you OK? Let me look at you."

Willow is blinking and shaking her head to try and clear it. As she surveys the room, she says, "Somehow, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Buffy ignores her witty remark and continues with her own line.

"Willow, where are we?" She asks in hopes of buying time to come up with a better lie. She then figures it really doesn't matter, Willow is going to be toast within the hour anyway you look at it.

"We had just found Angel and he was saying something, I don't know."

Before Willow can continue the door opens and Angel walks in. As soon as she looks at him, Buffy thinks "Classic Angeles." He is using good posture - a definite bad sign and he is smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary. Last but not least, he is wearing one item and one item only - a pair of black silk pajama bottoms. Suddenly Buffy is distracted by thinking about wanting to find the top to those pants for herself. Oh no, the whole vamp-fashion thing is happening to her.

She is pulled out of her musing, by Willow's sharp intake of breath, "Angel?" Buffy decides to curl up in the corner at this point and watch the show, who knows - maybe join when she's ready.

Willow knows something is wrong when she sees Angel. She knows something is even more wrong, when she sees Buffy's response to whatever the deal is with Angel. Buffy smiles, turns her back on him and curls up in a deep chair in the corner. She is still smiling directly at him when she settles herself in the chair like a cat might do. After she is comfortable, she takes a drink of her beer. Willow wonders what she is doing with a beer. This must a dream of some kind.

Willow jumps back when she turns around. Angel has managed to walk up behind her when she was looking at Buffy. His proximity to her makes her uneasy, she takes a step back, and then another until the edge of the bed is blocking her way.

He keeps coming and she must crane her head up to see his face. He looks down at her and smiles. As she gazes at him, his face shifts into its demonic counterpart. She risks to a glance toward Buffy for help, Buffy sweetly smiles back at her. As she watches Buffy, Buffy's face also shifts.

This can't be happening - Buffy and Angel can't be vampires. Well, Angel already is but . Angel's rough voice interrupts her reasoning. "Well, Red, I guess who have gathered that Buffy has changed teams."

She stutters but manages a reply, "I didn't know we were picking teams."

At this, Angel pushes her back onto the bed, following her down with his own body. He straddles her to block her movements as she struggles. He holds both of her arms over her head with one of hand as the other gently caresses her bare shoulder.

He gives her the good news. "Not only are we picking teams Red, but you are next in line." With that his demon rears up and he goes for her neck.

Willow makes another plea as she feels his breath on her neck, "I always get picked last, ask Buffy." She feels the bed shift as Buffy crawls up the opposite side of the bed from where Angel is at her neck. She feels him shift his face so that he can see Buffy. Buffy runs her fingers through Willow's hair and the sensation the movement brings, terrifies her. Buffy runs one small perfect finger down her neck and says, "Why Willow, I'm insulted. Didn't you guess? I'm to one who picked you."

The laugh that comes from Buffy is hollow and awful, Buffy leans down to her ear and whispers, "I love you, Wil. You know that." And with that Buffy kisses her cheek with cold lips. Buffy lets the kiss linger and she touches the soft skin of Willow's cheek with her tongue. Willow is in shock at this point, she can only watch in horror. She hears a rumbling sound and realizes the Buffy is purring. That this beast who looks like Buffy is purring.

The beast looks across Willow at Angel's demon and the two meet directly above her in an open-mouthed kiss that seems like more of a bite. Willow feels her heart skip a beat and wonders if it will explode and spare her this fate. But as Buffy and Angel break apart they share a look and a smile and Willow knows that she is dead.

They bite into her on opposite sides at the same moment. Both of them purring like large jungle cats. Angel has slid to the side a bit so that now both he and Buffy are pinning Willow down with their bodies. He is able to release Willow's arms now; she's not going anywhere. Angel's hand is now caressing the back of Buffy's neck as she feeds.

Buffy has never felt like this, she is in awe of Angel's power, the power she now shares. She wants to roll around in it. Drawing at Willow's neck is like drawing a part of that power into her and as the sensation builds she draws ever harder. She feels the synchronization between Angel and her. They are drinking Wil's life down together, sharing in this intimate blood rite together. Buffy is amazed to suddenly realize that her hand is now caressing Willow breast almost as if to coax more blood from her now still body.

Angel pulls up and draws Buffy away with the hand on the back of her neck. He is in his human face and smiling brightly at her. He draws her demon face to him and runs his tongue over her forehead and down her still tiny nose. He kisses her mouth and they again share the bounty that was Willow. When he pulls back, she is also back in her human form. He whispers, "You are beautiful in any guise, remember that."

The words are so tender, so heartfelt and so incredibly misplaced as they lie there on top of a dead girl. The irony escapes Buffy and Angel hesitates to point it out. He moves to the matter at hand. He sits up and reaches for Buffy's wrist. He turns it to its most tender spot and bites. His teeth are sharp even as his face is beautiful. He is truly an angel of death she muses. He draws back as the bright crimson fluid begins to flow and he then guides her hand pressing it to Willow's lips.

Buffy is mesmerized by the act, as she looks at Willow's pale face, she worries that something won't go right. She wills her to move, to live but she stays still. Angel reassures Buffy as she feeds Willow. He moves behind her and rubs her back and her shoulders. He whispers encouragement to her and she suddenly feels Willow's lips purse. Soon she is nursing on Buffy's wrist to the point that it becomes painful. Angel seems to sense the pain and immediately draws Buffy's arm back from Willow. Willow whimpers at the loss but Angel gives her his own in Buffy's stead.

Feeling weak, Buffy lays her head down on Willow's breast as Angel continues to feed her. After a few more moments, Willow begins to move- one hand now snaking through Buffy's hair, while her other hand holds Angel's wrist to her mouth. Time passes and the three settle, quietly lying together as Willow tenderly licks at Angel's wound.

Buffy finally speaks. "Angel? Do we go again?" "No remember what I said, you are my mate that is why I took the pains I did with you. Willow is to be a member of our family. Our childe in many ways, that is why we both have fed her tonight."

Willow hears the odd conversation and while she isn't scared anymore, she is in denial - this is a dream. But she has never had a dream like this before. Lying entangled with both Buffy and Angel seems oddly comforting. Her mind always working, she thinks as she falls asleep - Maybe somebody slipped something in her drink at the Bronze?

Chapter 14b - more to follow!