Thank you to everyone who reviewed.
Somebody asked why this fic is rated R, admittedly at the moment it isn't R material but I rated it R for two reasons - firstly because I like to play safe and not risk my story being taken down if I wander off the PG path a little and secondly because a few later chapters will be worthy of the R rating. Personally I think it would suck to start reading something you quite like and then find the rating upped to something you don't wanna read. So that's why!
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"Ah, Angel cakes, just the hunk of vampire I was needing to see!"
Angel winced as his green demon friend swaggered over to the bar, resplendent in a pinkish purple silk suit with large sparkly buttons. Even his shoes twinkled and winked with the same shimmering silk and fine crystals.
Buffy muffled a giggle as she took in her conservative sweetie's informer pal, Angel had warned her on their way through the sewers that Lorne was a green skinned demon so that wasn't a shocker. Not that she would've noticed the greenness under all that gleaming fuchsia material if she hadn't been warned!
"And a lovely lady with you too big fella; Hello doll, it's a real pleasure to meet you."
"Hey Lorne." Buffy replied with a wide smile.
"Now what's a nice little thing like you doing with big and broody hmm?"
Buffy linked an arm through Angel's and stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his taut jaw line, "He's my boyfriend."
"Ah, yes, Doyle's little sister, I saw a blonde warrior as part of our boy's destiny but didn't make the connection until just now, there's no resemblance you know."
"Between me and Doyle? I would hope not!" said Buffy, "Destiny?" she added eagerly as an afterthought, being Angel's destiny was definitely something she could handle, though she was still a little offended that he hadn't wanted her to tag along on this trip.
"Could we just get this over with please Lorne," begged Angel, edging towards the stage.
Lorne grinned, "No shared shower time for you two just yet I take it?"
Angel just glared at Lorne while Buffy's face began glowing pinkly again at the reminder of the still blush-worthy memories from earlier in the day.
"Now then sugar, I'm just teasing, there's no need for you to start yowling and making my ears bleed onto the shattered remnants of my cocktail glass, I know just why you're here and I have just the man you need to talk to."
"Yowling?" echoed Buffy as Lorne bustled across the room with Angel in hot- pursuit, carefully ignoring her query. She followed them, there was a mystery here and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Once they met this guy, got his information and saved the world that was.
A small paunchy man with a sad bloodhound face slumped in a corner booth nursing an almost empty bottle of beer, the label shredded into the overflowing ashtray in front of him. He raised drooping bloodshot eyes at their approach, flicked his gaze over each of them and returned to eyeing his beer.
Buffy was not impressed and to judge by the faint curl of his lip, neither was Angel. Now they were closer Buffy could smell unwashed hair overlaid strongly with stale booze. The smell was killing her nose, so poor Angel's stronger senses had to be screaming.
Lorne however was as unperturbed as ever, he waved a graceful hand expansively and announced, "Merlin please meet Buffy and Angel, Buffy and Angel this is Merlin, the one who will be helping you."
"The Merlin?" Buffy asked with raised eyebrows.
The little man tugged on his pants and puffed out his chest importantly, "Well, not the Merlin but we are related, Merlin is sort of a family name."
"Ambitious mother," sniffed Lorne so quietly that only supernatural ears could hear.
Buffy tried not to smirk but ended up lurking back out of sight behind Angel's bulk, having such a big, muscular boyfriend was good for purposes beyond drooling and bag carrying she discovered as she struggled to gain control of her features again. He was great to hide behind too.
"Merlin here will be able to assist you with your journey to Notretsehc, however unless you win the battle and are in the right place at the right time I don't think he'll be able to get you home, so make sure you win okay kiddies? Terminal darkness may be good for my business but it plays havoc with my tan."
Angel was puzzled, "Lorne, you don't tan."
Lorne rolled his eyes, "What, just because you don't tan well, nobody else can either? Of course I tan silly, do you think I was always this gorgeous vibrant shade? I was a sickly mint colour once upon a time, it's California darling, everybody tans."
"Ahem," Merlin had finished his beer and was wriggling his belly out from under the tabletop.
"We came through the sewers," Buffy offered shrilly, "Just in case the sun reappeared suddenly and crispy fried Angel."
"I've got a car," grunted Merlin, " and I'm not wandering through any sewers for nobody."
"Well, Lorne can go with you to show you the way, Angel and I will head back to the Hyperion through the sewers. Okay?" Buffy announced quickly.
Nobody seemed inclined to argue in the split second she allowed them so she snagged Angel's sleeve and hauled him unresisting, towards the sewer access.
Somebody asked why this fic is rated R, admittedly at the moment it isn't R material but I rated it R for two reasons - firstly because I like to play safe and not risk my story being taken down if I wander off the PG path a little and secondly because a few later chapters will be worthy of the R rating. Personally I think it would suck to start reading something you quite like and then find the rating upped to something you don't wanna read. So that's why!
*
*
*
"Ah, Angel cakes, just the hunk of vampire I was needing to see!"
Angel winced as his green demon friend swaggered over to the bar, resplendent in a pinkish purple silk suit with large sparkly buttons. Even his shoes twinkled and winked with the same shimmering silk and fine crystals.
Buffy muffled a giggle as she took in her conservative sweetie's informer pal, Angel had warned her on their way through the sewers that Lorne was a green skinned demon so that wasn't a shocker. Not that she would've noticed the greenness under all that gleaming fuchsia material if she hadn't been warned!
"And a lovely lady with you too big fella; Hello doll, it's a real pleasure to meet you."
"Hey Lorne." Buffy replied with a wide smile.
"Now what's a nice little thing like you doing with big and broody hmm?"
Buffy linked an arm through Angel's and stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his taut jaw line, "He's my boyfriend."
"Ah, yes, Doyle's little sister, I saw a blonde warrior as part of our boy's destiny but didn't make the connection until just now, there's no resemblance you know."
"Between me and Doyle? I would hope not!" said Buffy, "Destiny?" she added eagerly as an afterthought, being Angel's destiny was definitely something she could handle, though she was still a little offended that he hadn't wanted her to tag along on this trip.
"Could we just get this over with please Lorne," begged Angel, edging towards the stage.
Lorne grinned, "No shared shower time for you two just yet I take it?"
Angel just glared at Lorne while Buffy's face began glowing pinkly again at the reminder of the still blush-worthy memories from earlier in the day.
"Now then sugar, I'm just teasing, there's no need for you to start yowling and making my ears bleed onto the shattered remnants of my cocktail glass, I know just why you're here and I have just the man you need to talk to."
"Yowling?" echoed Buffy as Lorne bustled across the room with Angel in hot- pursuit, carefully ignoring her query. She followed them, there was a mystery here and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Once they met this guy, got his information and saved the world that was.
A small paunchy man with a sad bloodhound face slumped in a corner booth nursing an almost empty bottle of beer, the label shredded into the overflowing ashtray in front of him. He raised drooping bloodshot eyes at their approach, flicked his gaze over each of them and returned to eyeing his beer.
Buffy was not impressed and to judge by the faint curl of his lip, neither was Angel. Now they were closer Buffy could smell unwashed hair overlaid strongly with stale booze. The smell was killing her nose, so poor Angel's stronger senses had to be screaming.
Lorne however was as unperturbed as ever, he waved a graceful hand expansively and announced, "Merlin please meet Buffy and Angel, Buffy and Angel this is Merlin, the one who will be helping you."
"The Merlin?" Buffy asked with raised eyebrows.
The little man tugged on his pants and puffed out his chest importantly, "Well, not the Merlin but we are related, Merlin is sort of a family name."
"Ambitious mother," sniffed Lorne so quietly that only supernatural ears could hear.
Buffy tried not to smirk but ended up lurking back out of sight behind Angel's bulk, having such a big, muscular boyfriend was good for purposes beyond drooling and bag carrying she discovered as she struggled to gain control of her features again. He was great to hide behind too.
"Merlin here will be able to assist you with your journey to Notretsehc, however unless you win the battle and are in the right place at the right time I don't think he'll be able to get you home, so make sure you win okay kiddies? Terminal darkness may be good for my business but it plays havoc with my tan."
Angel was puzzled, "Lorne, you don't tan."
Lorne rolled his eyes, "What, just because you don't tan well, nobody else can either? Of course I tan silly, do you think I was always this gorgeous vibrant shade? I was a sickly mint colour once upon a time, it's California darling, everybody tans."
"Ahem," Merlin had finished his beer and was wriggling his belly out from under the tabletop.
"We came through the sewers," Buffy offered shrilly, "Just in case the sun reappeared suddenly and crispy fried Angel."
"I've got a car," grunted Merlin, " and I'm not wandering through any sewers for nobody."
"Well, Lorne can go with you to show you the way, Angel and I will head back to the Hyperion through the sewers. Okay?" Buffy announced quickly.
Nobody seemed inclined to argue in the split second she allowed them so she snagged Angel's sleeve and hauled him unresisting, towards the sewer access.