A few minutes passed in silence. Finally, Angelus chuckled. "There
are always trials, little girl. I'm sure you were taught that. If Faith
were here, she'd be done by now."
"If Faith were here, she'd kick your ass." Caitlin muttered.
"That's cute. I'm glad you have a hero. But you are mine until I tell you what you want to know, so you're gonna do it sooner or later."
"How do I know if you've even got anything important to say?"
"Oh, I do, and it's a doozy."
"Sure." She murmured. "I believe you think so. You're all excited, like a little kid." She walked back to the circle, and knelt next to her own still form. She watched as Connor approached and shook the other Caitlin's shoulder. "That's so odd." She said slowly. "You'd think I'd feel that." She turned back to the smirking vampire. "You would think I'd feel something."
Connor swore, capturing their attention. "Lorne,' he said. "Something's wrong. This is taking too long!"
Lorne shrugged. "We don't even know if she's made contact yet."
"How long do we wait? What if he did something to her, hurt her somehow?"
"Kid sure doesn't trust his dear old dad." Angelus commented.
Almost casually, Caitlin looked at him and countered, "You're not his father." She turned back, catching the end of something Connor was saying. "- in to get her."
Lorne, and now Faith, argued with the boy, but he was determined. Lorne capitulated with a heavy sigh. "Fifteen minutes." He told Connor. "I need that long to prepare more powder. If we don't see a change, you can try to reach her."
"Tick-tock, Caitie." Angelus said, standing directly behind her. "Or wait, if you'd like. I have a feeling the boy would like the view."
She stood, looking him in the eyes. "Your trial is juvenile." She said, slipping out of her flannel shirt.
"Maybe. But it will give me something to remember on the long, boring days. Plus, it'll give Angel something to think about."
She pulled off her shoes and socks. "I think it's just the best you can come up with. But there's no skill involved, no bravery, no sacrifice. I kind of feel bad that this is the best you can do." She wriggled out of her jeans and pulled her t-shirt over her head.
"Nice." He said. He pointed to her bra and panties. "All the way."
She complied, then stood before him, still feeling numb. She knew if this were "real," she'd probably be curled into the fetal position, but somehow, even with the others in the room, it didn't feel real. Angelus made a turning motion with his hand. She rolled her eyes and turned slowly in a circle. "Happy?"
"Ecstatic." He said. He was behind her, bent with his teeth sunk into her neck before she could even flinch. She moaned a little, thinking it hurt but not like she'd expected. She just felt a tug deep inside with each drink he took from her. In away, it felt good, especially with his hands kneading her bare skin.
He pulled back just enough to say softly in her ear, "I thrived in Hell. There were plenty of humans to feed off of, plenty of beautiful women thankful for the attention I paid them. Still, I couldn't forget Spike's betrayal, and the way the Slayer tried to kill me. A hundred years went by until some priest approached me and told me if I wanted to go back, they knew a way, one where Angel would be so weak I'd easily stay in control. Can you guess who the priests worshipped?"
"No." She whispered.
He chuckled, and the vibration from his body against hers went all the way through her. "You didn't even try. It was a god with three heads – one of a wolf, one of a ram, and one of a hart." He tore into her neck again, drinking deeply until everything went black.
"If Faith were here, she'd kick your ass." Caitlin muttered.
"That's cute. I'm glad you have a hero. But you are mine until I tell you what you want to know, so you're gonna do it sooner or later."
"How do I know if you've even got anything important to say?"
"Oh, I do, and it's a doozy."
"Sure." She murmured. "I believe you think so. You're all excited, like a little kid." She walked back to the circle, and knelt next to her own still form. She watched as Connor approached and shook the other Caitlin's shoulder. "That's so odd." She said slowly. "You'd think I'd feel that." She turned back to the smirking vampire. "You would think I'd feel something."
Connor swore, capturing their attention. "Lorne,' he said. "Something's wrong. This is taking too long!"
Lorne shrugged. "We don't even know if she's made contact yet."
"How long do we wait? What if he did something to her, hurt her somehow?"
"Kid sure doesn't trust his dear old dad." Angelus commented.
Almost casually, Caitlin looked at him and countered, "You're not his father." She turned back, catching the end of something Connor was saying. "- in to get her."
Lorne, and now Faith, argued with the boy, but he was determined. Lorne capitulated with a heavy sigh. "Fifteen minutes." He told Connor. "I need that long to prepare more powder. If we don't see a change, you can try to reach her."
"Tick-tock, Caitie." Angelus said, standing directly behind her. "Or wait, if you'd like. I have a feeling the boy would like the view."
She stood, looking him in the eyes. "Your trial is juvenile." She said, slipping out of her flannel shirt.
"Maybe. But it will give me something to remember on the long, boring days. Plus, it'll give Angel something to think about."
She pulled off her shoes and socks. "I think it's just the best you can come up with. But there's no skill involved, no bravery, no sacrifice. I kind of feel bad that this is the best you can do." She wriggled out of her jeans and pulled her t-shirt over her head.
"Nice." He said. He pointed to her bra and panties. "All the way."
She complied, then stood before him, still feeling numb. She knew if this were "real," she'd probably be curled into the fetal position, but somehow, even with the others in the room, it didn't feel real. Angelus made a turning motion with his hand. She rolled her eyes and turned slowly in a circle. "Happy?"
"Ecstatic." He said. He was behind her, bent with his teeth sunk into her neck before she could even flinch. She moaned a little, thinking it hurt but not like she'd expected. She just felt a tug deep inside with each drink he took from her. In away, it felt good, especially with his hands kneading her bare skin.
He pulled back just enough to say softly in her ear, "I thrived in Hell. There were plenty of humans to feed off of, plenty of beautiful women thankful for the attention I paid them. Still, I couldn't forget Spike's betrayal, and the way the Slayer tried to kill me. A hundred years went by until some priest approached me and told me if I wanted to go back, they knew a way, one where Angel would be so weak I'd easily stay in control. Can you guess who the priests worshipped?"
"No." She whispered.
He chuckled, and the vibration from his body against hers went all the way through her. "You didn't even try. It was a god with three heads – one of a wolf, one of a ram, and one of a hart." He tore into her neck again, drinking deeply until everything went black.