Title: Torn part 8
Author: Neamh1
Disclaimer: Not mine
Warnings: Please don't read if you are under 18
Feedback: Please guys, i've had loads of reads but hardley any feedback!
Back in Sunnydale Layla felt the pain rip through her as her childe turned to ash whilst trying to rescue Buffy from Angelus. She knew that something had gone wrong with the spell and now Buffy was stuck in L.A. with Him. She was both saddened and angered by the loss of her favoured childe and swore that she would rescue Buffy and put an end to Angelus once and for all.
The Scooby gang assembled around the vampire and Angel in the centre of the living room, all of them but Giles was ignorant to her identity and they looked instantly to him for confirmation.
Giles ignored them all sensing that something was wrong, he didn't know what had happened in L.A. but it was definitely good news. He took a few steps towards the female vampire, not wanting to startle her. "Layla?" he said, trying to get her attention.
It took her a couple of minutes to realise that she had an audience and she didn't hear Buffy's father figure speak to her at first until he attentively touched her shoulder and she darted backwards. "There's been a problem in L.A. Buffy is in trouble and I'm not sure what we should do right now." Layla said thoughtfully.
"Tell me everything." Giles said, both needing and dreading hearing her story.
"First we need to get Angel somewhere comfy, is there a bed he can rest in for a while until he wakes?" Layla said and Giles nodded indicating for Xander to help him lift Angel and carry him into Giles room. When they returned they all took seats in the living room and Layla explained everything that had happened since her and Olufemi arrived in L.A.
When she had finished telling them all what had happened they were all silent for a few moments until Xander jumped up from his position on the floor and started to pace.
"We need to go to L.A. now and save her, maybe we can get the other slayer to help. Tell her what's happened and ask her to help us rescue Buffy, and then once Buffy's safe she can have free range on Angelus." Xander mulled over the idea and looked to Giles for his opinion but it was Layla who spoke.
"You are right, we do need to rescue Buffy but 'm not sure that is the way to go about it. For one we don't know whether we can trust this new slayer, the council have likely already turned her against Buffy and all of you. She might not listen to reason if all things are black and white in her eyes the way they are to the watchers. There is also the problem that we don't know how stable Angelus is right now, in his eyes he's been betrayed in the worst way possible by Buffy and I doubt that anything she can do now will redeem herself in his eyes. I fear that he will resort to his basic vampire nature and simply…" Layla trailed off not wanting to put into words what she was thinking.
"But he's taken care of her since she's been back and he searched so long for her, I don't think that he would take her life so easily. He'll punish her, make her beg him before he's through but I don't think he'll kill her." Willow said, not even willing to see Buffy's death as an option. "Is there any way that we can get into the Hyperion unnoticed? Any magical way that you can sense Buffy and see what's going on inside without being seen in return?" Willow asked Layla, she was still a beginner and couldn't fathom the extents of magic which this ancient vampire had at her disposal.
"There is yes but that's not the problem, the problem is that by now Angelus will have some sort of magical protection barrier around the hotel, he's not stupid by any means and he will have instantly called in people to protect him from intruders. I have an idea which will allow us to see what protection he had and then we can decide from there how best to proceed. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do at the moment but hope that what Willow thinks is true"
Everyone's faces were full of gloom as Layla got up and left them to go into one of the private rooms so that she could contact Aerias again and ask for his help.
Back at the Hyperion a lone figure lurked outside the hotel grounds watching as the various numbers of vampires came to and froe from inside, some making outside perimeter checks and others leaving the premises to return an hour later with more demons. In the short time that he had been in L.A. Angelus had gathered together an impressive army to guard his home and Faith admired his leadership and quick thinking but it wouldn't be enough to save him from her. She had a mission and she wouldn't let a thousand vampires come between her stake and Angelus' heart. She had sworn on her parent's life that she would complete the task appointed her by the watchers council and that's exactly what she would do. No vampire or vampires whore would stand in her way, she had been warned by the council that Buffy Summers was an exceptional slayer but she had turned her back on the cause when she fell in love with a vampire and now no matter what, Faith would put and end to his life and if need be, hers too. She had been watching the place since she arrived just after midnight and had seen many demons come and go but she still hadn't seen any sign that either Angelus or Buffy were inside the hotel. The only way she would find out would be to get closer but she had to do so without causing any casualties that would inform Angelus of her arrival. She didn't want him to know she was there until she was ready.
Throwing a stone to distract the guard she waited for him to pass from view and then she crept as close to the glass doors as she dared to venture. She could see a number of demons gathered in what seemed to be the hotel lobby. She saw no sign of the other slayer but she did notice that standing at the centre of attention was Angelus...and he looked mightily pissed off. She heard the sound of the guard returning and so she moved back amongst the foliage to hide whilst he took up his position again. At least she knew now that Angelus was in there. Soon she would be able to make an attack, once she knew the layout of the building better and where Angelus' private quarters were she would make her move…it wouldn't be long now.
Buffy looked around the room for the hundredth time for a weapon or anything that could free her from her bonds. She'd found nothing within her reach and didn't like what she had found waiting in the room. It seemed as though Angelus had had the room kitted out to be his own personal torture chamber, equipped with torture tools and all. She shuddered to think what he might do to her down here, she should have known that something would go wrong, she should have been prepared but the energy that was taken from her by the spell had weakened her considerably and all she wanted to do was fall into a blissful sleep. Unfortunately she didn't have long before Angelus would return to punish her for her betrayal, if she didn't have so much to live for then she might have welcomed sleeps grasps but she had to free herself and return to Angel, she didn't know how long she had already been out of it. She mourned deeply for the loss of Olufemi and knew that Layla must need her support right now but it was not the time to break down and weep for lost ones, now was the time for action and she had been docile for way too long. She felt the part of herself that she'd tried so hard to bury spring to life, the part of her that had broken and disappeared leaving a shell of her former self. The part of her that she had once embraced and come to be proud of before she lost herself in darkness, the slayer that told her not to give in, not to forfeit to a demon any more, not when she had everything she ever wanted within her grasp. With that final thought she put all her strength into pulling against the chains and tearing them along with the brick from the wall. Free from the wall but still with chains hanging from her wrists she rushed about the room trying to find another way out but there were only two ways to leave that room, one way was locked and the other way was through Angelus. She used one of the metal rods that was hanging on the door to wedge beneath the metal pad lock and used it as a lever to break the lock. The lock snapped free and she tossed the metal rod aside and reached forward to open the manhole but was thrown aside by a strong blow to her head, when she looked up she saw Angelus towering above her in anger.
"Well I have to give it to you Buff, I didn't think you'd have the strength to break the chains after your little magical interlude earlier. I thought by now that you'd be in the land of dreams with your precious Angel. Guess I underestimated you. I really should have had the chains magically bound though, but then again, the only time I thought you'd be in them was when we'd be playing a nice little game, I hadn't counted on you being a traitorous little bitch!" he screamed the last remark at her and pulled her up from the floor by her hair. "We're going to have so much fun Buff…why would you try to leave now, just when things were getting interesting"
"I'm actually kinda bored, thought I'd go home to my honey and come back later when we're all rested up and happy." She retorted and Angelus laughed at her remark.
"You know I've missed this, the snide comments, puns and all, really! You were so pathetic before; you must have really done a number on yourself. Although I can't say that I didn't enjoy you being my little whore whenever I wanted, I did miss the fighting and bickering"
"Yeah well, I've come to my senses recently and realised that I might not be the same person I was when I left but I'm still the slayer." She replied defiantly growing more confident each second. She knew that she was in for a hell of a punishment but she didn't think for one second that he would try to take her life, despite the fact that she had betrayed him he had spent far too much effort to find her and keep her to simply take her life over one betrayal. Although she didn't like the look in his eyes, he seemed to have a madness swimming there that made her nervous but she wouldn't show him her fear if she could help it. He would love that, to have her begging for mercy at his hands, if she gave in now then she would be at his mercy forever and she would never see Angel or be able to have the future she so longed for in his arms.
"You're thinking about him again aren't you? How many times will I have to tell you this Buff before it reaches to your small incompetent brain…you-are-mine." He punctuated each word sharply then took hold of her left hand and held it up before them both. "See this, this tells you and everyone else who you belong to Buff, to me. You can never take it off, only I can do that and I'll never- ever take it off because to do that would mean that I'd give you up. I have been naive though, I thought that you returning to me had taken away all the doubts you had when you first left but I was wrong and I never saw it coming. It was careless of me but I've learnt from it and I won't make the same mistake again. Despite your betrayal I still want you as my mate and so I'll simply have to discipline you until you know your place. I don't want to diminish this fire that you've suddenly found Buff but you are mine and you will be the perfect mate. I've decided that in a couple of years I'll turn you, you've still got some growing up to do yet but once that time comes I'll make you mine for eternity." He smiled at the thought of having her with him always. He would miss her searing heat, the way she warmed his cold body at night when he held her close but it was a small price to pay to have her with him forever.
"That's never going to happen, I'll kill myself before I'd let you turn me." She spat back at him and he smiled nastily at her.
"Would you have killed Layla and Olufemi too? Did you know that they planned to turn you on your Birthday in front of every order that was gathered there that night? If it hadn't been for me you would likely already be a demon by now Buff." He said smiling at the shock that was on her face.
She quickly recovered from the shock of what he had said, "They would have given me a choice, unlike you they never forced anything upon me when I wasn't ready." She threw back, glancing at the door from where he must have appeared, wondering if she could somehow knock him out and escape through the door. She'd have no problems dispensing his guards she was sure.
"Don't bother Buff, never gonna happen. I've increased the number of guards and anyway you'd never even make it to the top of the stairs before I caught you. See? I know your every thought, I know you better than you know yourself and I know you still want me as badly as I want you." He said smiling as his hand glided down her body to cup her rear and pull her close up against his chest.
"What ever we had is over now, I've come to my senses and realised that I could never be with you for the rest of my life, you're evil"
"Never said I wasn't Buff but that didn't stop you moaning my name whilst I plunged in and out of you, it didn't stop you begging for more of me and telling me to never stop touching you. If you're a good girl I might just let you come up to my room and be naughty, I haven't had you in a while and being this close and smelling you…" he buried his head deep in her hair taking in her scent. "God you make me so hard Buff"
Buffy moved her head slightly so that her lips were by his ear and whispered to him, "Angelus…the only chance you're ever going to have with me again is if I'm unconscious." Angelus roared in anger and threw her back against the wall, Buffy hit her head hard and her body fell to the floor in a heap as her mind slipped from reality in to a world where only she and her Angel existed.
"Unconscious huh? I'll show you how you just how badly you still want me Buff, before the end of the day you'll be begging me to give you release from both pain and pleasure." He scooped her limp body up into his arms and carried her up the stairs and into the lobby, barking orders for someone to get him the warlock and send him to his bedroom straight away. He was going to give Buffy her first lesson and he expected to fully enjoy it.
