I love all you're reviews!!! Thank you so much!!! You guys are like the
bestest! Love you all for it. :]
Um. This chapter has a bit of NC-17 in it. O_O gasp! Yes. It does. It's crappy and shitty and blah. So bare with me.
For the people who were asking about the AI team and their appearance in Sunnydale: yes, it's going to happen. But not until later. :D
Evsen: Oh my god! You're a freaking genius and that would have been the best twist or whatever, but unfortunately I've already written up to Chapter 11 or something, so it'd be hard to fit in. I guessed I assumed they would already heal since they weren't like horribly deep cuts. Arrrrghh! But thank you very much for your opinions. You have a great mind X]
-EDITTTT (We interrupt this fic for a brief(long) note from the author)-
ok. I uploaded this chapter today. And then I got a review from Ashleigh and she pointed out a few things that I've done that just don't make any fucking sense at fucking all and it's because –
1) I'm a fucking retard.
2) I haven't even watched the whole season 5 of Buffy (I never really liked Buffy after season 4 and A:tS rocks my socks). Like I catch little bits and pieces of it, but I had no idea that Glory couldn't suck out vampire brains. Therefore = Error. Sorry.
3) This is one of the main points of the story and I'm a stupid bitch.
4) I'm just being insulting on myself and knocking myself over the head for not catching this.
5) Tara's outside because she's sad. [blinks] That's the most lame ass excuse I can come up with right now. Bite me.
6) It's my fic! Ahahahaha [dances around] ...That reason should have been number one. But oh well.
Yes. So just remember I'm not perfect and neither is the fic. And I appreciate Ashleigh's comment very, very much because she obviously corrected one of my many mistakes. (Thank you very much, by the way)
So. While reading this. Stick a big fat pink post-it note on your monitor that says "GLORY EATS VAMPIRE BRAINS CUZ I SAID SO." Ok? Then you all won't run away from this because it makes no sense. :]
- - - - - - - - - -
Chapter 7
Angel looked around Buffy's room. It was the same, maybe a little more mature, but it was what he had remembered for all these years. He looked to the dresser and saw Mr. Gordo sitting in the same spot where the little stuffed animal had always been. Inhaling, Angel almost felt like he was on one of their midnight meetings. Either stealing small kisses or just lying on her bed, holding her in quiet moments. Memories rushed past him and he subconsciously shook his head.
He watched Buffy as she took an extra comforter out of her closet; the aftermath of the kiss was still lingering on his lips. He could almost taste it, her sweet lips on his and it made his whole body tremble with delight. But it also made him feel a little guilty; just a night ago he had been fucking Darla and now here he was kissing Buffy. Buffy and Darla didn't mix. At all. He felt disgusting and wanted to rub it all away.
"Makes it fee like old times."
Angel looked up at Buffy, interrupted from his thoughts. She had made his bed right next to the foot of hers. He smiled at the memory, his first time in her house, in her bedroom. There was nothing sexual about it, just... almost normal. The girl having the guy over for the first time, both of them a little nervous about it all. It was one of the more... casually normal times of their relationship.
"Yeah," he said, kicking his shoes off and laying them next to the door. "It's been a while."
Buffy sat on her bed, facing Angel. "Look, about earlier..." she stammered, a little embarrassed about her actions. "I'm really, really, really sorry for what I did back there. I know we haven't seen each other in a while a - and you probably already moved on with someone else, I mean, God, it's not like you were just going to stop seeing people after we, you know, broke up. I had Riley and you have... someone... else. Right? It's only fair, I guess - "
Angel then leaned in toward her and planted his mouth on her's, stopping her constant ramble. Buffy was a little shocked at first, not knowing what to do, but finally responding to the kiss, deepening it as she let her hand's glide across his face. Angel leaned into her as he slipped his tongue across her lips and into her mouth, he gently pressed his body against hers and they slid down onto the bed, his hand gently cradling her head. She moaned into her mouth and slowly pulled away. "Wow..." she breathed. "Was I rambling?"
Angel nodded, smiling. "I just had to let you know," he kissed her once more.
"Mmm," she agreed. "Maybe I should ramble more often," she laughed to herself when she realized what they were doing. "You know, maybe we shouldn't..."
Angel got off of her awkwardly. "Yeah..." he sighed. "So I guess we're even then?"
Buffy gave a curt nod. "I guess we are."
Angel started to lie down onto his little made bed before Buffy stopped him. "It doesn't mean you can't still sleep up here with me, does it?" she asked, giving him a small smile. After turning the light out on the small lamp she scooted to the edge while Angel came up from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Buffy breathed a small relief, feeling safe in his embrace, one of the only places where she did feel safe.
"Angel?" she asked in the darkness.
"Hm?"
"I'm so grateful you came," she said, quietly.
"Buffy..."
"No, really. I didn't think I could protect all of them with Glory around prowling the streets for Dawn," she confessed. "I mean, I had Spike, but I can trust him as far as I can throw him, which isn't far enough." Angel became bitter at the mention of the peroxide haired vampire, but let Buffy continue. She paused for a moment before asking, "Are you really actually seeing someone else? I - I mean, I know it's none of my business, but I was just wondering..."
Angel smiled at her innocence. "No, Buffy, I'm not," he answered. "Not since I've been with you."
Buffy's heart warmed at his answer. "Really?" she could feel him nod against her. Laying there against him, she contemplated her thoughts. Angel hadn't been with anyone since he had left for LA? Okay, yeah, maybe he couldn't really, you know, have an everlasting relationship with someone who could make him truly happy... but he didn't even go on dates? Maybe he did, but Buffy didn't want to ask. Closing her eyes, she started to drift off into a deep sleep. "Goodnight, Angel," she murmured.
"Goodnight, Buffy," Angel whispered back, falling into a deep sleep himself.
- - - - - - - - - -
//Angel felt her move against him, her body meshed with his. He could feel her rhythmic strokes as he dove in and out of her. The sensation he was sending her was animalistic and he growled into her neck as she ran her hands across his body, scratching and clawing; raking ugly marks down his back; her blonde hair thrown to one side. He kissed her with a fiery lust and all he could think about was her, her breasts and their altogether firmness, her silk skin moving along side his. He could feel her arch over him as her climax ripped through her small, petite body and she moaned his name in pure pleasure. Angel joined her and they both fell into each other's arms.
"Angel..." she breathed, kissing him again and he felt himself grow hard once more. She smiled and toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Well, someone's a growing boy."
Angel growled as he flipped her over, reclaiming the top. His vampirism features rising to the surface, he kissed her hard, raking his fangs over her lips. She just groaned as the taste of her own blood filled her mouth. Angel rose both of her legs over his shoulders and thrust himself into her grabbing her hips, not waiting to give her anything else. No sweet kisses, no tender touches. She cried out and pushed herself against him, thrashing at the sheets as he rocked her back and forth. Back and forth.
God, she smelt so good. Her scent of cinnamon, sharp and never delicate. This woman before him knew how to take care of herself, kill anything that stood in her path. She gave a sweet and soundless death to her victims, unlike Angelus who would've rather toy and manipulate his prey. He gave her a wicked smile as he felt her arch up against him.
They panted like wild animals as Angel's strokes became fast and brutal. She was his sire, he was her childe. There was nothing more and nothing less. "Angel," she moaned, feeling the build up of her second orgasm. With one final thrust Angel spilled himself inside her as her walls flexed around him, bringing her to her own peak. He groaned, falling atop of her, planting another hard kiss onto her lips before leaning over, kissing her fine, strong neck and then biting and tearing at her skin, while she did the same. He filled his mouth with her ravaging blood. Drinking, drinking, drinking. He felt her growl and he just bit down harder, her legs wrapping around his waist.
"Darla..." //
"Darla!" Angel yelped, sitting straight up from his all too vivid dream. It was exactly like that night... the night he and Darla fell into each other's arm and danced together in erotic passion. He wiped his head and found himself sweating, his mouth felt clammy and he licked his lips. It was just a dream... it was all just a dream... Darla isn't...
"Angel?" Buffy voice made him jump as he turned to her. She was awake, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Angel prayed and prayed that she hadn't heard his little outburst. Yet Buffy noticed how antsy he was and gave him a worried glance. "Angel... are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said, nodding his head vigorously. "Yeah, I'm fine."
She quirked an eyebrow toward him. "But I heard you shout out Darla's name..."
Angel froze instantly, swallowing down his guilt and ultimate fear. "W - what?"
"I heard you call out Darla's name when you got up," she said bluntly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him skeptically. "Is there something I don't know about?"
"N-no," he said, looking back at her. "I... I was just having a nightmare."
"No," she disagreed. "You have something face. What happened, Angel?"
"Buffy, can we please drop it?" he pleaded, really not wanting to explain the past events to her. Even he hadn't fully recovered from what had been happening and all he wanted to do was lay it in the grave. "It was nothing."
"Angel," she said, sitting up. "Right now isn't the time to be playing these games, we have a hell goddess out looking for us, there shouldn't be any lies between us. And even if there was no Glory to worry about, we shouldn't be lying to each other!"
"I can lie to you if I want to now. We're exes, remember?" Angel bit out, reciting the exact words Buffy had said to him.
She looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't you dare pull that with..."
"Why not, Buffy?" Angel said, straightening himself to face her. "So you can and I can't?"
"Angel, that isn't the point!"
"Then what is the point?! What is the point, Buffy?!" he yelled at her, all the emotions that had been bottled up from the past months, just from the past two nights, were now pouring out of him. He was angry, he was hurt, he was confused, and he knew he was being a total asshole for taking it out on her; the dream had put him into a total tailspin. "So only you can be the all high-and-mighty one? Because, really, Buffy, there are other people in the world besides you! You're not the center of the fucking universe!"
"Why are you yelling at me?!" she said, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I just - "
"Because I've been fed up with everything!" he got up off the bed and started pacing across the room. "Everything that's happening, happened, I don't know! I tried to be strong, I tried to be the hero that everyone comes to when they're in trouble, but all it takes is that fucking bitch to drive the hero over the edge and all of a sudden I'm there! I'm lost and I don't know where to go because I've screwed everything up in my goddamn life! And all I remember is sleeping with Darla - "
"You slept with Darla?!" Buffy said, furious. Darla was dead, she had seen Angel stake her, she saw Darla turn to dust. "Darla isn't even alive!"
Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
"No, Wolfram & Hart brought her back! They brought her back human..." he reminisced. "And... I thought I could save her. I almost did... but they turned her. Dru she... Then Darla was a vampire and I became obsessive... too obsessive. I was in a spiral... and when I hit rock bottom... I thought I could lose my soul in her and everything would end."
"Wait..." Buffy said, thinking about this. "You SLEPT with Darla?!"
"Buffy," Angel groaned; this whole thing was blowing up in his face as he spoke. "I was in a very dark - "
"I don't care how DARK it was, Angel!" she cried. "You should have called me! Remember me? Buffy? Vampire Slayer, kind of the only thing on my list of talents!"
Angel shook his head. "It wasn't your fight..."
"Angel, you SLEPT with her! You obviously didn't win!" Buffy yelled. "How does that not fit through your thick skull?!" Sometimes Angel's ignorance never ceased to amaze her.
"I'm going for a walk," he growled out, heading out the door.
"Don't you walk away from me, Angel!" she said, getting up and grabbing his arm.
"Buffy," he said, glaring down at her. "Let go."
"No!" she said, shaking her head. "I'm not letting you go out there! You owe me an explanation, Angel!"
Angel, already high off his scratchy emotions, pushed Buffy off of him. "I don't owe you anything, Buffy!" he growled out. "I... I just... I need to get some things sorted out..." And without looking back at her, he left because he knew if he looked back into her sad, heartbroken eyes he wouldn't be able to make it out of this house without breaking down again. "I'll be back before the suns up."
Buffy watched Angel leave, tears starting to trickle from her eyes. "Angel..." she whispered. She knew she shouldn't have probably yelled at him like that. He said he had been in a downward spiral and she should have comforted him, not accuse him. Laying back down into the sheets, Buffy grabbed an extra pillow and hugged it close to her. She couldn't afford to be broken like this, she had to be strong, there was a time for grieving and right now wasn't.
- - - - - - - - - -
Angel shoved his hands in his pockets as he hunched his shoulders and walked across one of Sunnydale's many graveyards. The fight with Buffy really wasn't necessary if he had kept his big mouth shut and hadn't yelled at her like that.
((For a taciturn, shadowy guy. I got a big mouth.))
He sighed, leaning against a gravestone. It was the truth; he had a huge mouth for a broody, centuries old vampire guy. He shouldn't have yelled at Buffy, for sure, but everything that was bottled inside him had just came gushing out... he hadn't really had the time to recuperate after his little incident at the Hyperion and the yelling and the mean comments were just bursting inside him, waiting for a person to be spat at. Which unfortunately was Buffy. The one person who he had not wanted to blow up on. His timing really sucked.
Tilting his head to one side, Angel heard small sobs in the distance... he turned his head and tried to peer through the trees. Either someone was really heartbroken at this time of early morning slash late night, besides Buffy, or vampires really got emotional these days. No, but it was human; Angel could hear the heartbeat as it quietly pulsed. He started to walk towards the small cries and was finally surprised to see Tara, sitting there and crying on the bench. She wasn't bawling or anything, just small and quiet sobs.
Angel started to walk toward the witch, hoping he wasn't going to ruin anything further than it already was. Tara hadn't even noticed him as tears trailed her closed eyes. Angel slowly sat next to her on the bench and put a hand on her shoulder.
Tara jumped, already thumbing through spells just incase Angel had been Glory. Her body relaxed when she saw the familiar vampire. "Oh, Angel, I - I didn't see you..."
"Sorry," he gave her a gently smile. "You okay?"
She shook her head. "N - no, not really..." she wiped away tears and sighed. "Willow and I, we kind of got into a fight... I - I mean, I know I shouldn't be all crying a - about this, but it's our first big, you know, fight..."
"It's not..."
"No, no, it's not over, I don't think" Tara said, catching what Angel was implying. "We just... fought, that's all," she smiled to herself. "I don't really know why I should be crying."
"It's okay," Angel tried to comfort her. "You two are going to be fine."
She gave Angel a sweet glance. "Thanks..."
They both sat in silence, each not really knowing what to say. After a while Tara spoke up first, "I - I think you and Buffy make a really good match."
Angel raised an eyebrow. "You do?"
"Well - well I know it isn't my business," Tara said softly.
"No, go on..."
Tara pursed her lips. "I can feel the pull of your auras... a - and they pull toward each other, l - like you two belong to each other."
Angel sighed. "It's a lot more complicated than that."
Tara nodded. "Yeah, I know. Just maybe try and work it out, maybe it'll all fall into place..."
"Awww, now isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever heard?"
Tara gasped loudly and Angel turned around. There was a woman standing right behind him with fiery, curly red hair, she wore red leather pants and a red top. Her features were almost cynical and by what Angel had heard, he guessed the malicious looking woman in front of them was Glory, the hell goddess that wanted Dawn.
"Well," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You gonna give me a hug or what?" Tara backed up and Glory shifted to Angel. "Wow, who's tall, dark, and handsome over here? Have you gone straight again or something?" she asked, laughing. "What? The other witch not good enough or something?"
Angel could feel the magical power resonate through Tara and he knew no one messed with Willow when she was around, not even apocalyptic hell gods. Deciding to bide her some time, Angel flew towards Glory, punching her square in the face, only to receive a highly sore fist and a pissed off goddess. Buffy and Giles weren't kidding when they said she was powerful.
"Ow!" Glory yelled and tenderly touched the place where Angel had hit her. "Feisty now isn't he?" she laughed when Angel went vamp. "Vampire? Well I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting that."
Angel kicked her in the gut and she stumbled backwards. "You must be Glory."
"Yeah, so what?" she said, walking toward Angel and giving him an uppercut, sending him airborne and into the bench, it split right through the middle. Tara yelped in surprise. "You gonna do something about it?"
"Maybe," Angel growled, getting up from the debris. He threw her a roundhouse kick which just sent her a few steps backward, then he grabbed her shoulder and pummeled her face with continuous punches, each connecting to her face but doing her no serious damage.
Using her free hand, Glory met Angel's fist in mid-punch as she stopped it from hitting her semi-bruised face. "Okay, that's enough fun for now, little vampire," she mocked, smiling.
"... let thee find thy target, bind energy and freeze, let thy be empty, let thy beseech thy life," Tara chanted as a thunder of magic bolted out of Tara's finger tips and zapping Glory. Glory threw Angel into a tree and screamed as the magic consumed a part of her energy. Tara's head brimmed with sweat as she tried to keep the hell goddess under her thrall, trying to give Angel enough time to escape. But it wasn't good enough and Glory took staggering steps toward the Wicca, her eyes gleaming with anger. She finally got to Tara, backhanding her into the ground. Tara cried out as she fell onto the grass. "God, didn't your mother tell you it's rude to STEAL other people's energy?" she kicked Tara who got knocked into a gravestone. "I guess she didn't. Mothers these days. Well," Glory picked Tara up off the ground and pressed her fingers against her scull, "I guess we're going to have to teach you a lesson."
"No!" Angel yelled as he tackled himself into Glory, saving Tara from certain insanity, but was pinned to the ground when they landed, Glory straddling his hips. The hell goddess laughed and slowly guided her fingers toward his temples. Angel struggled beneath Glory, not sure why he couldn't throw her off when he probably outweighed her by 70 pounds. He pushed her face back with his palms, but her hands kept caressing his face, taunting him as she laughed.
Tara breathed hard as she got herself up off the ground, quickly conjuring up a spell to get Angel out of Glory's clutches. "Separate!" she yelled and both of the combatants were thrown apart.
"Hey!" Glory growled, having enough with the witch. "We don't need you right now!" she leapt toward Tara and sent a kick to the side of her head "Stay down, damnit!" Tara moaned in pain as the toe of Glory's designer shoes hit her side.
Glory smiled at Angel. "Now, I haven't actually tried eating a vampire's brain," she chuckled and Angel stood up again a little wobbly. "This is gonna be fun, don't ya think?"
Faster than any vampire, Glory pinned Angel to a tree with her hand against his throat, if Angel had been in need of oxygen he would have died. Pulling his leg up he tried to kick Glory off him, but she caught his leg with her free hand and shook her head. "Tsk, tsk tsk" she laughed. "Don't worry; this will only hurt a lot."
Angel tried to rear his head back, but she caught his head and pressed her fingers into the sides. He screamed painfully as he could feel her feeding off his sanity. She let her other hand free and stuck it in the other side of his head; Angel couldn't fight back, the pain was too intense, like she was taking everything emotion that built his life up. He cried out and she breathed in, intoxicated by this vampire's mind. He had one of the most deliciously tortured minds that she had ever felt; it made her hum with newborn energy.
Tara watched in horror as Glory's finger sank into Angel's head. She pulled herself up into the sitting position and, using the rest of her magical energy, quietly chanted a up a spell to send Glory back to her home in Sunnydale, where ever that was. "... return the darkness to its sheath, redeem its evil in thy sleep!"
Green and blue energy surrounded the goddess and Glory's fingers slipped out of Angel. She looked at herself and didn't believe that the little witch had the nerve to send her back where she lived, or at least where she lived now. She huffed, there hadn't been much left in that stupid vampire's mind anyway, might as well enjoy the ride.
With another flash of florescent light, Glory was gone.
Angel fell to his knees. The first thing he could feel and comprehend was pain. Searing pain that turned his head into a blazing inferno; it entwined itself into the center of his being, lacing itself around and through ever vein of his body. Then came the emptiness. The hallow feeling of nothing, like he had been the only on left on this planet and everyone had flown to the stars and became little star children. It bit into him like ice, frozen and merciless. His mind was empty and his soul bare. He screamed and backed up against the tree roots. "Get it off, get it off me!" he yelled.
Tara ran over to Angel, and held him in her arms. She was too late, Angel's mind was taken by Glory and it was all her fault. If she hadn't been here crying, for God's sake, Angel wouldn't have needed to protect her; he might've not even run into Glory! She tried to sooth him the best he could, but he jerked and pulled in her grasp. "Angel!" she cried, trying to get him to calm down. "Angel, it's going to be okay," she started to sob, gently running her hand over his hair. "Oh, Goddess, what have I done... please let them forgive me, oh, please let them forgive me..."
Um. This chapter has a bit of NC-17 in it. O_O gasp! Yes. It does. It's crappy and shitty and blah. So bare with me.
For the people who were asking about the AI team and their appearance in Sunnydale: yes, it's going to happen. But not until later. :D
Evsen: Oh my god! You're a freaking genius and that would have been the best twist or whatever, but unfortunately I've already written up to Chapter 11 or something, so it'd be hard to fit in. I guessed I assumed they would already heal since they weren't like horribly deep cuts. Arrrrghh! But thank you very much for your opinions. You have a great mind X]
-EDITTTT (We interrupt this fic for a brief(long) note from the author)-
ok. I uploaded this chapter today. And then I got a review from Ashleigh and she pointed out a few things that I've done that just don't make any fucking sense at fucking all and it's because –
1) I'm a fucking retard.
2) I haven't even watched the whole season 5 of Buffy (I never really liked Buffy after season 4 and A:tS rocks my socks). Like I catch little bits and pieces of it, but I had no idea that Glory couldn't suck out vampire brains. Therefore = Error. Sorry.
3) This is one of the main points of the story and I'm a stupid bitch.
4) I'm just being insulting on myself and knocking myself over the head for not catching this.
5) Tara's outside because she's sad. [blinks] That's the most lame ass excuse I can come up with right now. Bite me.
6) It's my fic! Ahahahaha [dances around] ...That reason should have been number one. But oh well.
Yes. So just remember I'm not perfect and neither is the fic. And I appreciate Ashleigh's comment very, very much because she obviously corrected one of my many mistakes. (Thank you very much, by the way)
So. While reading this. Stick a big fat pink post-it note on your monitor that says "GLORY EATS VAMPIRE BRAINS CUZ I SAID SO." Ok? Then you all won't run away from this because it makes no sense. :]
- - - - - - - - - -
Chapter 7
Angel looked around Buffy's room. It was the same, maybe a little more mature, but it was what he had remembered for all these years. He looked to the dresser and saw Mr. Gordo sitting in the same spot where the little stuffed animal had always been. Inhaling, Angel almost felt like he was on one of their midnight meetings. Either stealing small kisses or just lying on her bed, holding her in quiet moments. Memories rushed past him and he subconsciously shook his head.
He watched Buffy as she took an extra comforter out of her closet; the aftermath of the kiss was still lingering on his lips. He could almost taste it, her sweet lips on his and it made his whole body tremble with delight. But it also made him feel a little guilty; just a night ago he had been fucking Darla and now here he was kissing Buffy. Buffy and Darla didn't mix. At all. He felt disgusting and wanted to rub it all away.
"Makes it fee like old times."
Angel looked up at Buffy, interrupted from his thoughts. She had made his bed right next to the foot of hers. He smiled at the memory, his first time in her house, in her bedroom. There was nothing sexual about it, just... almost normal. The girl having the guy over for the first time, both of them a little nervous about it all. It was one of the more... casually normal times of their relationship.
"Yeah," he said, kicking his shoes off and laying them next to the door. "It's been a while."
Buffy sat on her bed, facing Angel. "Look, about earlier..." she stammered, a little embarrassed about her actions. "I'm really, really, really sorry for what I did back there. I know we haven't seen each other in a while a - and you probably already moved on with someone else, I mean, God, it's not like you were just going to stop seeing people after we, you know, broke up. I had Riley and you have... someone... else. Right? It's only fair, I guess - "
Angel then leaned in toward her and planted his mouth on her's, stopping her constant ramble. Buffy was a little shocked at first, not knowing what to do, but finally responding to the kiss, deepening it as she let her hand's glide across his face. Angel leaned into her as he slipped his tongue across her lips and into her mouth, he gently pressed his body against hers and they slid down onto the bed, his hand gently cradling her head. She moaned into her mouth and slowly pulled away. "Wow..." she breathed. "Was I rambling?"
Angel nodded, smiling. "I just had to let you know," he kissed her once more.
"Mmm," she agreed. "Maybe I should ramble more often," she laughed to herself when she realized what they were doing. "You know, maybe we shouldn't..."
Angel got off of her awkwardly. "Yeah..." he sighed. "So I guess we're even then?"
Buffy gave a curt nod. "I guess we are."
Angel started to lie down onto his little made bed before Buffy stopped him. "It doesn't mean you can't still sleep up here with me, does it?" she asked, giving him a small smile. After turning the light out on the small lamp she scooted to the edge while Angel came up from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Buffy breathed a small relief, feeling safe in his embrace, one of the only places where she did feel safe.
"Angel?" she asked in the darkness.
"Hm?"
"I'm so grateful you came," she said, quietly.
"Buffy..."
"No, really. I didn't think I could protect all of them with Glory around prowling the streets for Dawn," she confessed. "I mean, I had Spike, but I can trust him as far as I can throw him, which isn't far enough." Angel became bitter at the mention of the peroxide haired vampire, but let Buffy continue. She paused for a moment before asking, "Are you really actually seeing someone else? I - I mean, I know it's none of my business, but I was just wondering..."
Angel smiled at her innocence. "No, Buffy, I'm not," he answered. "Not since I've been with you."
Buffy's heart warmed at his answer. "Really?" she could feel him nod against her. Laying there against him, she contemplated her thoughts. Angel hadn't been with anyone since he had left for LA? Okay, yeah, maybe he couldn't really, you know, have an everlasting relationship with someone who could make him truly happy... but he didn't even go on dates? Maybe he did, but Buffy didn't want to ask. Closing her eyes, she started to drift off into a deep sleep. "Goodnight, Angel," she murmured.
"Goodnight, Buffy," Angel whispered back, falling into a deep sleep himself.
- - - - - - - - - -
//Angel felt her move against him, her body meshed with his. He could feel her rhythmic strokes as he dove in and out of her. The sensation he was sending her was animalistic and he growled into her neck as she ran her hands across his body, scratching and clawing; raking ugly marks down his back; her blonde hair thrown to one side. He kissed her with a fiery lust and all he could think about was her, her breasts and their altogether firmness, her silk skin moving along side his. He could feel her arch over him as her climax ripped through her small, petite body and she moaned his name in pure pleasure. Angel joined her and they both fell into each other's arms.
"Angel..." she breathed, kissing him again and he felt himself grow hard once more. She smiled and toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Well, someone's a growing boy."
Angel growled as he flipped her over, reclaiming the top. His vampirism features rising to the surface, he kissed her hard, raking his fangs over her lips. She just groaned as the taste of her own blood filled her mouth. Angel rose both of her legs over his shoulders and thrust himself into her grabbing her hips, not waiting to give her anything else. No sweet kisses, no tender touches. She cried out and pushed herself against him, thrashing at the sheets as he rocked her back and forth. Back and forth.
God, she smelt so good. Her scent of cinnamon, sharp and never delicate. This woman before him knew how to take care of herself, kill anything that stood in her path. She gave a sweet and soundless death to her victims, unlike Angelus who would've rather toy and manipulate his prey. He gave her a wicked smile as he felt her arch up against him.
They panted like wild animals as Angel's strokes became fast and brutal. She was his sire, he was her childe. There was nothing more and nothing less. "Angel," she moaned, feeling the build up of her second orgasm. With one final thrust Angel spilled himself inside her as her walls flexed around him, bringing her to her own peak. He groaned, falling atop of her, planting another hard kiss onto her lips before leaning over, kissing her fine, strong neck and then biting and tearing at her skin, while she did the same. He filled his mouth with her ravaging blood. Drinking, drinking, drinking. He felt her growl and he just bit down harder, her legs wrapping around his waist.
"Darla..." //
"Darla!" Angel yelped, sitting straight up from his all too vivid dream. It was exactly like that night... the night he and Darla fell into each other's arm and danced together in erotic passion. He wiped his head and found himself sweating, his mouth felt clammy and he licked his lips. It was just a dream... it was all just a dream... Darla isn't...
"Angel?" Buffy voice made him jump as he turned to her. She was awake, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Angel prayed and prayed that she hadn't heard his little outburst. Yet Buffy noticed how antsy he was and gave him a worried glance. "Angel... are you okay?"
"Yeah," he said, nodding his head vigorously. "Yeah, I'm fine."
She quirked an eyebrow toward him. "But I heard you shout out Darla's name..."
Angel froze instantly, swallowing down his guilt and ultimate fear. "W - what?"
"I heard you call out Darla's name when you got up," she said bluntly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him skeptically. "Is there something I don't know about?"
"N-no," he said, looking back at her. "I... I was just having a nightmare."
"No," she disagreed. "You have something face. What happened, Angel?"
"Buffy, can we please drop it?" he pleaded, really not wanting to explain the past events to her. Even he hadn't fully recovered from what had been happening and all he wanted to do was lay it in the grave. "It was nothing."
"Angel," she said, sitting up. "Right now isn't the time to be playing these games, we have a hell goddess out looking for us, there shouldn't be any lies between us. And even if there was no Glory to worry about, we shouldn't be lying to each other!"
"I can lie to you if I want to now. We're exes, remember?" Angel bit out, reciting the exact words Buffy had said to him.
She looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't you dare pull that with..."
"Why not, Buffy?" Angel said, straightening himself to face her. "So you can and I can't?"
"Angel, that isn't the point!"
"Then what is the point?! What is the point, Buffy?!" he yelled at her, all the emotions that had been bottled up from the past months, just from the past two nights, were now pouring out of him. He was angry, he was hurt, he was confused, and he knew he was being a total asshole for taking it out on her; the dream had put him into a total tailspin. "So only you can be the all high-and-mighty one? Because, really, Buffy, there are other people in the world besides you! You're not the center of the fucking universe!"
"Why are you yelling at me?!" she said, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I just - "
"Because I've been fed up with everything!" he got up off the bed and started pacing across the room. "Everything that's happening, happened, I don't know! I tried to be strong, I tried to be the hero that everyone comes to when they're in trouble, but all it takes is that fucking bitch to drive the hero over the edge and all of a sudden I'm there! I'm lost and I don't know where to go because I've screwed everything up in my goddamn life! And all I remember is sleeping with Darla - "
"You slept with Darla?!" Buffy said, furious. Darla was dead, she had seen Angel stake her, she saw Darla turn to dust. "Darla isn't even alive!"
Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.
"No, Wolfram & Hart brought her back! They brought her back human..." he reminisced. "And... I thought I could save her. I almost did... but they turned her. Dru she... Then Darla was a vampire and I became obsessive... too obsessive. I was in a spiral... and when I hit rock bottom... I thought I could lose my soul in her and everything would end."
"Wait..." Buffy said, thinking about this. "You SLEPT with Darla?!"
"Buffy," Angel groaned; this whole thing was blowing up in his face as he spoke. "I was in a very dark - "
"I don't care how DARK it was, Angel!" she cried. "You should have called me! Remember me? Buffy? Vampire Slayer, kind of the only thing on my list of talents!"
Angel shook his head. "It wasn't your fight..."
"Angel, you SLEPT with her! You obviously didn't win!" Buffy yelled. "How does that not fit through your thick skull?!" Sometimes Angel's ignorance never ceased to amaze her.
"I'm going for a walk," he growled out, heading out the door.
"Don't you walk away from me, Angel!" she said, getting up and grabbing his arm.
"Buffy," he said, glaring down at her. "Let go."
"No!" she said, shaking her head. "I'm not letting you go out there! You owe me an explanation, Angel!"
Angel, already high off his scratchy emotions, pushed Buffy off of him. "I don't owe you anything, Buffy!" he growled out. "I... I just... I need to get some things sorted out..." And without looking back at her, he left because he knew if he looked back into her sad, heartbroken eyes he wouldn't be able to make it out of this house without breaking down again. "I'll be back before the suns up."
Buffy watched Angel leave, tears starting to trickle from her eyes. "Angel..." she whispered. She knew she shouldn't have probably yelled at him like that. He said he had been in a downward spiral and she should have comforted him, not accuse him. Laying back down into the sheets, Buffy grabbed an extra pillow and hugged it close to her. She couldn't afford to be broken like this, she had to be strong, there was a time for grieving and right now wasn't.
- - - - - - - - - -
Angel shoved his hands in his pockets as he hunched his shoulders and walked across one of Sunnydale's many graveyards. The fight with Buffy really wasn't necessary if he had kept his big mouth shut and hadn't yelled at her like that.
((For a taciturn, shadowy guy. I got a big mouth.))
He sighed, leaning against a gravestone. It was the truth; he had a huge mouth for a broody, centuries old vampire guy. He shouldn't have yelled at Buffy, for sure, but everything that was bottled inside him had just came gushing out... he hadn't really had the time to recuperate after his little incident at the Hyperion and the yelling and the mean comments were just bursting inside him, waiting for a person to be spat at. Which unfortunately was Buffy. The one person who he had not wanted to blow up on. His timing really sucked.
Tilting his head to one side, Angel heard small sobs in the distance... he turned his head and tried to peer through the trees. Either someone was really heartbroken at this time of early morning slash late night, besides Buffy, or vampires really got emotional these days. No, but it was human; Angel could hear the heartbeat as it quietly pulsed. He started to walk towards the small cries and was finally surprised to see Tara, sitting there and crying on the bench. She wasn't bawling or anything, just small and quiet sobs.
Angel started to walk toward the witch, hoping he wasn't going to ruin anything further than it already was. Tara hadn't even noticed him as tears trailed her closed eyes. Angel slowly sat next to her on the bench and put a hand on her shoulder.
Tara jumped, already thumbing through spells just incase Angel had been Glory. Her body relaxed when she saw the familiar vampire. "Oh, Angel, I - I didn't see you..."
"Sorry," he gave her a gently smile. "You okay?"
She shook her head. "N - no, not really..." she wiped away tears and sighed. "Willow and I, we kind of got into a fight... I - I mean, I know I shouldn't be all crying a - about this, but it's our first big, you know, fight..."
"It's not..."
"No, no, it's not over, I don't think" Tara said, catching what Angel was implying. "We just... fought, that's all," she smiled to herself. "I don't really know why I should be crying."
"It's okay," Angel tried to comfort her. "You two are going to be fine."
She gave Angel a sweet glance. "Thanks..."
They both sat in silence, each not really knowing what to say. After a while Tara spoke up first, "I - I think you and Buffy make a really good match."
Angel raised an eyebrow. "You do?"
"Well - well I know it isn't my business," Tara said softly.
"No, go on..."
Tara pursed her lips. "I can feel the pull of your auras... a - and they pull toward each other, l - like you two belong to each other."
Angel sighed. "It's a lot more complicated than that."
Tara nodded. "Yeah, I know. Just maybe try and work it out, maybe it'll all fall into place..."
"Awww, now isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever heard?"
Tara gasped loudly and Angel turned around. There was a woman standing right behind him with fiery, curly red hair, she wore red leather pants and a red top. Her features were almost cynical and by what Angel had heard, he guessed the malicious looking woman in front of them was Glory, the hell goddess that wanted Dawn.
"Well," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You gonna give me a hug or what?" Tara backed up and Glory shifted to Angel. "Wow, who's tall, dark, and handsome over here? Have you gone straight again or something?" she asked, laughing. "What? The other witch not good enough or something?"
Angel could feel the magical power resonate through Tara and he knew no one messed with Willow when she was around, not even apocalyptic hell gods. Deciding to bide her some time, Angel flew towards Glory, punching her square in the face, only to receive a highly sore fist and a pissed off goddess. Buffy and Giles weren't kidding when they said she was powerful.
"Ow!" Glory yelled and tenderly touched the place where Angel had hit her. "Feisty now isn't he?" she laughed when Angel went vamp. "Vampire? Well I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting that."
Angel kicked her in the gut and she stumbled backwards. "You must be Glory."
"Yeah, so what?" she said, walking toward Angel and giving him an uppercut, sending him airborne and into the bench, it split right through the middle. Tara yelped in surprise. "You gonna do something about it?"
"Maybe," Angel growled, getting up from the debris. He threw her a roundhouse kick which just sent her a few steps backward, then he grabbed her shoulder and pummeled her face with continuous punches, each connecting to her face but doing her no serious damage.
Using her free hand, Glory met Angel's fist in mid-punch as she stopped it from hitting her semi-bruised face. "Okay, that's enough fun for now, little vampire," she mocked, smiling.
"... let thee find thy target, bind energy and freeze, let thy be empty, let thy beseech thy life," Tara chanted as a thunder of magic bolted out of Tara's finger tips and zapping Glory. Glory threw Angel into a tree and screamed as the magic consumed a part of her energy. Tara's head brimmed with sweat as she tried to keep the hell goddess under her thrall, trying to give Angel enough time to escape. But it wasn't good enough and Glory took staggering steps toward the Wicca, her eyes gleaming with anger. She finally got to Tara, backhanding her into the ground. Tara cried out as she fell onto the grass. "God, didn't your mother tell you it's rude to STEAL other people's energy?" she kicked Tara who got knocked into a gravestone. "I guess she didn't. Mothers these days. Well," Glory picked Tara up off the ground and pressed her fingers against her scull, "I guess we're going to have to teach you a lesson."
"No!" Angel yelled as he tackled himself into Glory, saving Tara from certain insanity, but was pinned to the ground when they landed, Glory straddling his hips. The hell goddess laughed and slowly guided her fingers toward his temples. Angel struggled beneath Glory, not sure why he couldn't throw her off when he probably outweighed her by 70 pounds. He pushed her face back with his palms, but her hands kept caressing his face, taunting him as she laughed.
Tara breathed hard as she got herself up off the ground, quickly conjuring up a spell to get Angel out of Glory's clutches. "Separate!" she yelled and both of the combatants were thrown apart.
"Hey!" Glory growled, having enough with the witch. "We don't need you right now!" she leapt toward Tara and sent a kick to the side of her head "Stay down, damnit!" Tara moaned in pain as the toe of Glory's designer shoes hit her side.
Glory smiled at Angel. "Now, I haven't actually tried eating a vampire's brain," she chuckled and Angel stood up again a little wobbly. "This is gonna be fun, don't ya think?"
Faster than any vampire, Glory pinned Angel to a tree with her hand against his throat, if Angel had been in need of oxygen he would have died. Pulling his leg up he tried to kick Glory off him, but she caught his leg with her free hand and shook her head. "Tsk, tsk tsk" she laughed. "Don't worry; this will only hurt a lot."
Angel tried to rear his head back, but she caught his head and pressed her fingers into the sides. He screamed painfully as he could feel her feeding off his sanity. She let her other hand free and stuck it in the other side of his head; Angel couldn't fight back, the pain was too intense, like she was taking everything emotion that built his life up. He cried out and she breathed in, intoxicated by this vampire's mind. He had one of the most deliciously tortured minds that she had ever felt; it made her hum with newborn energy.
Tara watched in horror as Glory's finger sank into Angel's head. She pulled herself up into the sitting position and, using the rest of her magical energy, quietly chanted a up a spell to send Glory back to her home in Sunnydale, where ever that was. "... return the darkness to its sheath, redeem its evil in thy sleep!"
Green and blue energy surrounded the goddess and Glory's fingers slipped out of Angel. She looked at herself and didn't believe that the little witch had the nerve to send her back where she lived, or at least where she lived now. She huffed, there hadn't been much left in that stupid vampire's mind anyway, might as well enjoy the ride.
With another flash of florescent light, Glory was gone.
Angel fell to his knees. The first thing he could feel and comprehend was pain. Searing pain that turned his head into a blazing inferno; it entwined itself into the center of his being, lacing itself around and through ever vein of his body. Then came the emptiness. The hallow feeling of nothing, like he had been the only on left on this planet and everyone had flown to the stars and became little star children. It bit into him like ice, frozen and merciless. His mind was empty and his soul bare. He screamed and backed up against the tree roots. "Get it off, get it off me!" he yelled.
Tara ran over to Angel, and held him in her arms. She was too late, Angel's mind was taken by Glory and it was all her fault. If she hadn't been here crying, for God's sake, Angel wouldn't have needed to protect her; he might've not even run into Glory! She tried to sooth him the best he could, but he jerked and pulled in her grasp. "Angel!" she cried, trying to get him to calm down. "Angel, it's going to be okay," she started to sob, gently running her hand over his hair. "Oh, Goddess, what have I done... please let them forgive me, oh, please let them forgive me..."