Summary: What if Buffy had gone with Angel into that hell dimension on the finale of Season2? My first fan fiction, I think this would be considered AU.
Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all. This just all just for entertainments sake, I hope.
The place was called Ragnor, very un-chic, as far as Buffy was concerned. Of course, this was her first alternate dimension, so she didn't have much of a point of reference. Zero technology, for sure. To have a hot bath, she had to heat the water in a pot, for goodness sake. And the place where they were supposed to live was barely bigger than her bedroom at home. One room.
"It's a simple life-style here, Buff. But I know you kids'll get use to it." Whistler was so irritating. "I'm gonna introduce you to a wonderful lady here and she'll show you the ropes. I promise, you are gonna love her."
And that's how Embeth came to be in their lives. A wonderful woman who soon became the best friend Buffy and Angel so desperately needed to help them adjust to their new lives.
She really was a godsend. Embeth took them both under her wing, understanding more about their predicament then most in Ragnor. She had been sucked into this dimension more than 60 years ago and had become an elder in the little village. She had prayed to all the gods and goddesses to send a warrior to help protect the villagers from the various nasties that inhabited their world and it seems her prayers had been answered. Embeth could tell that this man and woman would do great things for her adopted people, even if they were here for only a short while.
She dressed Buffy and Angel in garments more befitting village life and found a supply of blood to feed Angel. The local townsfolk were not surprise by the newest additions and welcomed the new couple with an attitude of tolerance.
Buffy was having a harder time with all the revelations revealed by Whistler, especially Angel's soul. She still loved him desperately, but she was still afraid of the happiness clause, what if they were wrong?She also washaving a hard time wrapping her mind around being turned. She still had hopes her friends would somehow get them out of this mess. Angel on the other hand, relished the idea of being with Buffy in this place. Whether they ever made love again or not, and he certainly hoped with time Buffy would choose to be with him, just being near her at all times seemed to help heal him. The guilt he carried from his time as Angelus was almost more than he could handle when they had first arrived. With Buffy's tenderness and the fact that he didn't have to look at the faces of the people he hurt, he was coming around and learning to enjoy this simple life.
Buffy was torn, she loved the fact that she could be with Angel, but she also missed her friends and mother. She also felt guilt when she realized she was happy. She and Angel lived in the same house, slept in the same bed, but she wasn't ready to take the next step with him.
"Well girl, what are you waiting for? A hand delivered invitation?" Buffy and Embeth were curing some meat to be put in the village larder. "The two of you have been here going on 6 months and I see the way he looks at you and you at him. The man will surely turn into a wrinkly mass with the amount of times he dives into that cold lake."
Embeth had quickly turned into a confidant for both Buffy and Angel. She didn't appear to be all that much older than them, she was from a people that lived to be hundreds of years old, but she had a wisdom that all the villagers sought out. She knew the story of the slayer and her lover, the vampire with a soul, and it touched her heart.
"I don't know. We fight together, we live together, I know we still love each other more than ever. It's just really weird. And this whole turning me into a vampire business. I think it's put a whole damper on the spontaneous sex thing, y'know?"
"What I know is that the two of you think too much and talk too much. Do you do this much thinking when you slay a beast? No, you just do it. Your instincts take over. That's what you have to do now. Let go of the thoughts and words and just feel what you feel. Do not question it, Buffy." Embeth got up and gathered the bags of meat. "Heed my words, young slayer."
Thinking over Embeth's words made Buffy realize just how unfair she had been with Angel, and he was so patient and giving to her. Yes indeed, maybe it was time to heed Embeth's words.She wasplanned on doing just that when Angel came running onto their front porch. "Grathor demon in town, Buff. We gotta go, now!"
"Ewww! Do I have time to change?" She hated grathor demons. They were big and blue and smelly. And when you killed one, they spewed the most disgusting demon goo, ever!
"Are you serious?"
"Nooo. Let's go." She got up from her seat and started to run right behind Angel.
The battle with the demon was long and hard. It was one of the biggest either of them had ever fought, at least 8 feet tall and thick as a tree trunk. But Buffy and Angel had it down to an art form by now. The only way to kill one of these guys was to wear it down and then pierce at the base of it neck with a long blade. They fought with it, like a tag team, so that when one of them started to tire out, the other would be somewhat refreshed. About an hour into the fight, Buffy started to get a little worried.
"Angel, are we gonna get this one?"
He kicked the beasts' legs out from under him and jumped on its back, raising the blade over his head. He looked at Buffy and winked. "Was there ever any doubt?" Angel plunged the knife into the creature and tried to jump as far away as he could. Unfortunately for both Angel and Buffy, the huge demon wasted no time in exploding in a massive rain of gelatinous body parts and intestines. They were covered from head to toe in what was left of the demon.
The villagers came out of their various doors and windows, applauding their fierce warriors, but making no attempt to move toward them. One of the village elders leaned out of his window, smiling and waving.
"Thank you, our fearless protectors, we are once again indebted to you both. I do not know what good fortune smiled upon us the day you arrived, but we are eternally grateful. As soon as the grathor demon has dried a bit, we will remove him. Once again, we are in your debt." He smiled and waved again, then shut his window from the stench.
Walking back to their cottage, Buffy grumbled. "Yeah, in our debt alright. But not enough to put up with a little demon goo and demon smell. Look at me! I'm a mess, another shirt, ruined. And I so stink! I am so not in a 'I saved the village, I am such a hero' mood. And I could so use a littleCitra Shineshampoo and conditioner and a really nice bar of moisturizing soap. Not to mention a pint of chocolate cookie dough ice cream."
He couldn't help but laugh at her. She was just too cute when she got into one of these moods. He got an evil little glint in his eyes when she looked up at him. "What? What are you thinking?" She backed up, just slightly.
Angel threw her over his shoulder before she had time to react and jumped into lake near their cottage. She was so shocked by the icy water, she couldn't breathe for a moment. When she finally got her breath back, she looked over at Angel, who was in the process of removing his filthy clothes.
"Not amusing! You are so not going to get away with this." She swam over to him and attempted to push his head under the water, while he attempted to remove the gooey garments she still had on.
"Baby, vampire, remember? Can't drown." He laughed and he tossed her shirt and pants onto the shore. She was so pist by the fact that she had no leverage in the water that she didn't even notice she was naked and still tried to wrestle him under. They tussled for a few minutes, until Buffy had to come up for air. Still laughing, Angel grabbed the bar of herbal soap he kept on the edge of the bank and started to lather her up. Buffy fought it at first, but then gave into the feel of his hands in her hair and scalp.
"Umm, feels good. I guess I can let you make it up to me." She leaned into him and Angel continued to lather her whole body. She turned to face him and took the bar from his hands.
"I guess I could return the favor. After all, you did kill a really big demon." She proceeded to follow the same route Angel had on her body. His eyes became very dark and when Buffy massaged the soap into the hair below his waist, he growled and pulled her flush to his chest. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him, running her tongue over his lips to open them. He complied. Angel pulled away from her to look into her eyes.
"Are you ready for this, sweetheart?" Angel wanted her so badly, he wasn't sure he could take no for an answer, but he wanted this to be right.
Buffy looked up at him, her eyes half closed with desire. "Oh baby, I am so ready for this." She held his face in her hands and gave him a kiss that left no doubt in his mind. Angel shifted her slightly to enter her and as he did she screamed his name and made it perfectly clear just how ready she was.
Much later, Angel was holding Buffy in their bed. She woke and looked up at him, with sleepy eyes and a very contented smile. "Well, I'd say we gave that bonded soul quite a test and it past with flying colors, wouldn't you?" She draped her leg over his hip and felt him start to move. Buffy raised her eyebrows and looked into his eyes. "Again?"
Angel gave her that sexy half smile of his. "Just to be sure, I think we better test that bonded soul of mine another time or two, don't you?" He rolled on top of her, not waiting for an answer.