Angel came back to the quiet Summers' house and quietly snuck in through
the window Buffy had left cracked open for him. He remembered all the
times he had snuck through that window both as himself and as Angelus. The
Angelus ones he tried to forget. He always tried to forget those times.
Especially now that he had Buffy in his life for good.
Buffy laid sound asleep in the bed, her heartbeat a slow rhythm. Angel
smiled and climbed into bed. He expected her to curl herself around him,
but she stayed where she was. It unnerved him a little, but Angel figured
that she was just out. Plain and simple. She had been exhausted enough
that she had probably conked right out after he had left.
They slept all night. Every now and then, Buffy would groan as she turned
over and Angel would check to see if she was ok. The next morning, Buffy
made it her goal to avoid Angel as she got dressed. It worried him a lot.
She barely talked to anyone and she acted like she was in a daze all
morning. When they reached Giles', she went to the couch and curled up.
Riley was there helping out with things. Willow had filled him in on the
whole Dracula thing.
"Here's a jelly one, you want it?" Riley asked her, sticking the donut right in front of her face.
Buffy looked at it with disgust and said, "No."
"Got it! Got it. Mine, mine." Xander said, taking the donut.
"Well, I think we have Dracula factoids." Willow said to Angel.
"Like any of that's enough to fight the dark master." Xander said. They all stared at him and he quickly added, "..bator."
"A lot of it we already knew. Turnoffs: wood, fire, crosses, garlic. Turn ons: nice duds, minions, long slow bites that last for days." Willow continued.
"Dracula likes to live in style. Which means we can rule out the usual dumps vampires haunt." Angel said.
"Ah! But he's smart enough to figure that we probably already know that. I'm guessing he's lying low." Xander said.
"Actually, my research backs Angel up. Drac isn't the lay-low type." Willow said.
"So we can, uh, check out the nicer places. Don't you think, Buffy?" Giles asked. Buffy wasn't paying attention. "Buffy?"
"Yeah. We'll check all the swanky places first. What else did you guys get?" Buffy said distractedly.
"Well, Willow has most of it, actually."
"Only because you gave me super pointers! I never would have.." Willow said.
"Just go ahead, Willow."
"OK. Dracula's modus operandi is different from other vampires. He will kill just to feed, but he'd rather have a connection with his victims. And he has all of these mental powers to draw them in. He, he can read and control minds.. appear in dreams.."
"Uh huh." Buffy muttered.
"Makes sense. That stare.. he just kinda.. looked right through you. Didn't you feel it, Buffy?"
Buffy looked at Angel. "No." She got up. "No, I didn't."
"See! Buffy didn't feel it. I think you're drawing a lot of crazy conclusions about the unholy prince." Xander said. Everyone stared at him again. "..bator."
"The point is, though he goes through the motions of an intimate seduction, the end result is the same. He turns them into a vampire." Giles said.
"Well. That is intimate. Dracula's gifting these ladies with his own blood. And blood.. Blood is life." Xander slammed his hand down on the table. "According to them."
"Um.. Just be aware that he, he tends to form a relationship with his prey. It's not enough for him to take her. She must want to be taken. She must.. burn for him."
"That's.. interesting. I'm gonna go find him." Buffy said.
"You shouldn't go by yourself, Buffy." Angel said.
"Angel's right. I mean, this guy's seriously dangerous." Riley said.
"It's cool. I got it." Buffy said. She walked outside and Angel went after her.
"Buffy." Angel said. He grabbed Buffy's arm and she stopped. "Take off that scarf."
"What? No."
"You're under his thrall, aren't you?"
"I am not under his thrall."
"Then take off the scarf."
"Oh, let go of me! This is ridiculous." Buffy pulled her arm away and Angel used his vamp speed to yank the scarf off.
As Angel had suspected, there were two puncture holes over the scar he had made on Buffy. The others had come outside and were now all staring at Buffy in disbelief.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Giles asked.
"Cause she didn't want to worry us, right Buffster? It's nothin'. Just a scratch." Xander answered.
"Two deep, puncture-y scratches." Willow said.
"I'm not sure why I tried to hide it. Uh, there was just this voice, and it was, it was telling me to cover it." Buffy said.
"Thrall." Riley said.
"You're saying Dracula has some sort of freaky mind control over her? You're watching too many creature features, Man." Xander said.
"But it does seem like he has this.. control over me, I.. even though a big part of me is resisting." Buffy said.
"I'm not going to take this personally against you." Angel said. "It's understandable that there would be transference. I mean, look at me."
"I am not transfer-y. I swear to you. I'm your girl, and I'm gonna stay that way."
"I know. But you are not going anywhere near him again."
"Uh, Angel's right, you should.. you should stay out of sight. Let the rest of us look for Dracula." Giles said.
"I can't go home. He already got inside once." Buffy said.
"You can come over to my place. I'll make sure you stay put." Xander said.
"Good. Um, Riley, Angel, and I can, uh, can search for Dracula, and Willow, you and Tara could uh, could do a protection spell on Buffy's mother's house, and prevent him from returning." Giles said.
"Got it. How'd he get inside anyway?" Willow asked.
"I.. I don't know." Buffy said. "I didn't invite him in."
"Your mom." Angel said.
"What?"
"You're mom. He must have tricked her into letting him in."
"Mom would know better."
"Maybe not Buffy. Like I once told you, loneliness is the scariest thing in the world. Knowing your mom, someone looking like Dracula does walks up and asks for you, she's going to let him in."
"I'm going to go do that spell now. While it's still daylight." Willow said. She left and headed off to find Tara.
"Right, so, Buff and I are going to go now too. I'll lock her up safe." Xander said. He took Anya and Buffy's arms and ushered them off quickly.
Angel stared after her before Giles said, "I believe that's our cue to head off as well. What do you think?"
"Huh? Oh right." Angel said. He followed Giles to his car and they hopped in.
"Do you mind if we have the top down?" Giles asked.
"Sure." Angel put the top down and locked it into place before climbing in.
"You're worried about Buffy."
"Yeah. She's not herself."
"You're also very jealous. Why is that?"
"I'm not jealous."
"Of course not. I mean, Dracula did bite Buffy right over that mark you gave her and if my history is correct, vampires don't really like that. It's a direct affront to the one who marked the person. I am correct?"
Angel didn't say anything. He just stared at the road ahead as they started checking out all the fancy places that were recently sold. By the time they reached the castle like building on a hill, it was already dark. The minute Giles and Angel reached the front steps, Angel's "ears" perked up and he got that tingle sensation at the base of his neck.
"She's here." Angel said.
"Who?" Giles asked.
"Buffy. He's called her here. He's going to change her."
"Are you certain?"
Angel didn't answer. He snapped his foot into the door and it fell to the floor, the hinges broken. Once they were inside, Angel was certain that Buffy was in this old place. He and Giles split up to search for Buffy quicker. Hallway after hallway, door after door, Angel couldn't find Buffy. He knew she was here.
Angel pulled on a door, but it was locked. He turned around, getting ready to kick it in when Xander popped out.
"Nobody harms my master." Xander said.
"Your master?" Angel asked.
"You want him? You come through me."
Angel gave a small smile and punched Xander in the face. He went down hard. "Ok." Angel walked through the door that Xander had come through. More hallways and doors. There was a big door that was partially open and Angel started to step through. "Buffy? Are you in.." Angel was cut short when he nearly fell into the large pit. He pulled himself back in and saw Giles lying on the floor surrounded by Dracula's girls. "Giles!" Angel jumped in and kicked one of them in the face. The others scampered off and away from him. "Come on, come on."
"Thank God you came." Giles said.
Angel jumped up and reached out his hand for Giles. "Come on."
"There was no possible escape." Still staring back toward the sisters, Giles took Angel's hand and Angel pulled him up. Giles noticed his foot had only a sock on it. "Oh, my shoe. Silly me, I'll just pop.."
"No, no, no!" Angel pulled him away. "No more chick pit for you. Come on."
Suddenly, there were some loud crashes and the two men started for the source. When they reached a grand dining hall, Buffy was walking down the stairs, stake in hand and a grim look on her face.
"Buffy! Are you ok?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. Chock full of free will." Buffy said.
"And Dracula?" Giles asked.
"Eurotrashed."
Xander rushed in carrying a torch. "Where is he? Where's the creep that turned me into his spider-eating Man-bitch?"
"He's gone."
"Damn it! You know what? I'm sick of this crap. I'm sick of being the guy who eats insects and gets the funny syphilis. As of this moment, it's over. I'm finished being everybody's butt-monkey!"
Buffy tried to look solemn as she said, "Check. No more butt-monkey."
"It could of been worse. At least you weren't making time with the drac-y- babes like Giles here." Angel said.
"I was not making time! I-I was, uh, just about to kill those, uh, loathsome creatures when Angel interrupted me." Giles said.
"You were gonna nuzzle 'em to death?" Angel asked as he and Buffy started off with grins on their faces.
"Of course not! I was in complete.. control."
They headed for the door and Buffy held Angel back. She allowed Giles and Xander to leave, telling them she'd see them later. Angel looked at her funny and she held up a finger. Angel followed her back to the dining hall. Just as they got in, Dracula had just wafted back into being. Buffy staked him.
"You think I don't watch your movies? You always come back." Buffy said. She crossed her arms and leaned against a wall as Drac burst into dust and fell to the floor. After a second, the fog started to rise again. "I'm standing right here!" The fog went away again, this time for good.
Buffy and Angel walked out of Giles' apartment the next day and headed back towards the mansion. Buffy had just asked Giles to be her Watcher again. She wanted to learn to train harder and know what it was about her that made her a Slayer. She was so happy that Giles had said yes. When they arrived, Angel noticed a young black man sitting on the front steps. When he saw them approach, he stood up and smiled. Angel thought he recognized him from somewhere.
"Gunn!?" Buffy squealed.
"Here's a jelly one, you want it?" Riley asked her, sticking the donut right in front of her face.
Buffy looked at it with disgust and said, "No."
"Got it! Got it. Mine, mine." Xander said, taking the donut.
"Well, I think we have Dracula factoids." Willow said to Angel.
"Like any of that's enough to fight the dark master." Xander said. They all stared at him and he quickly added, "..bator."
"A lot of it we already knew. Turnoffs: wood, fire, crosses, garlic. Turn ons: nice duds, minions, long slow bites that last for days." Willow continued.
"Dracula likes to live in style. Which means we can rule out the usual dumps vampires haunt." Angel said.
"Ah! But he's smart enough to figure that we probably already know that. I'm guessing he's lying low." Xander said.
"Actually, my research backs Angel up. Drac isn't the lay-low type." Willow said.
"So we can, uh, check out the nicer places. Don't you think, Buffy?" Giles asked. Buffy wasn't paying attention. "Buffy?"
"Yeah. We'll check all the swanky places first. What else did you guys get?" Buffy said distractedly.
"Well, Willow has most of it, actually."
"Only because you gave me super pointers! I never would have.." Willow said.
"Just go ahead, Willow."
"OK. Dracula's modus operandi is different from other vampires. He will kill just to feed, but he'd rather have a connection with his victims. And he has all of these mental powers to draw them in. He, he can read and control minds.. appear in dreams.."
"Uh huh." Buffy muttered.
"Makes sense. That stare.. he just kinda.. looked right through you. Didn't you feel it, Buffy?"
Buffy looked at Angel. "No." She got up. "No, I didn't."
"See! Buffy didn't feel it. I think you're drawing a lot of crazy conclusions about the unholy prince." Xander said. Everyone stared at him again. "..bator."
"The point is, though he goes through the motions of an intimate seduction, the end result is the same. He turns them into a vampire." Giles said.
"Well. That is intimate. Dracula's gifting these ladies with his own blood. And blood.. Blood is life." Xander slammed his hand down on the table. "According to them."
"Um.. Just be aware that he, he tends to form a relationship with his prey. It's not enough for him to take her. She must want to be taken. She must.. burn for him."
"That's.. interesting. I'm gonna go find him." Buffy said.
"You shouldn't go by yourself, Buffy." Angel said.
"Angel's right. I mean, this guy's seriously dangerous." Riley said.
"It's cool. I got it." Buffy said. She walked outside and Angel went after her.
"Buffy." Angel said. He grabbed Buffy's arm and she stopped. "Take off that scarf."
"What? No."
"You're under his thrall, aren't you?"
"I am not under his thrall."
"Then take off the scarf."
"Oh, let go of me! This is ridiculous." Buffy pulled her arm away and Angel used his vamp speed to yank the scarf off.
As Angel had suspected, there were two puncture holes over the scar he had made on Buffy. The others had come outside and were now all staring at Buffy in disbelief.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Giles asked.
"Cause she didn't want to worry us, right Buffster? It's nothin'. Just a scratch." Xander answered.
"Two deep, puncture-y scratches." Willow said.
"I'm not sure why I tried to hide it. Uh, there was just this voice, and it was, it was telling me to cover it." Buffy said.
"Thrall." Riley said.
"You're saying Dracula has some sort of freaky mind control over her? You're watching too many creature features, Man." Xander said.
"But it does seem like he has this.. control over me, I.. even though a big part of me is resisting." Buffy said.
"I'm not going to take this personally against you." Angel said. "It's understandable that there would be transference. I mean, look at me."
"I am not transfer-y. I swear to you. I'm your girl, and I'm gonna stay that way."
"I know. But you are not going anywhere near him again."
"Uh, Angel's right, you should.. you should stay out of sight. Let the rest of us look for Dracula." Giles said.
"I can't go home. He already got inside once." Buffy said.
"You can come over to my place. I'll make sure you stay put." Xander said.
"Good. Um, Riley, Angel, and I can, uh, can search for Dracula, and Willow, you and Tara could uh, could do a protection spell on Buffy's mother's house, and prevent him from returning." Giles said.
"Got it. How'd he get inside anyway?" Willow asked.
"I.. I don't know." Buffy said. "I didn't invite him in."
"Your mom." Angel said.
"What?"
"You're mom. He must have tricked her into letting him in."
"Mom would know better."
"Maybe not Buffy. Like I once told you, loneliness is the scariest thing in the world. Knowing your mom, someone looking like Dracula does walks up and asks for you, she's going to let him in."
"I'm going to go do that spell now. While it's still daylight." Willow said. She left and headed off to find Tara.
"Right, so, Buff and I are going to go now too. I'll lock her up safe." Xander said. He took Anya and Buffy's arms and ushered them off quickly.
Angel stared after her before Giles said, "I believe that's our cue to head off as well. What do you think?"
"Huh? Oh right." Angel said. He followed Giles to his car and they hopped in.
"Do you mind if we have the top down?" Giles asked.
"Sure." Angel put the top down and locked it into place before climbing in.
"You're worried about Buffy."
"Yeah. She's not herself."
"You're also very jealous. Why is that?"
"I'm not jealous."
"Of course not. I mean, Dracula did bite Buffy right over that mark you gave her and if my history is correct, vampires don't really like that. It's a direct affront to the one who marked the person. I am correct?"
Angel didn't say anything. He just stared at the road ahead as they started checking out all the fancy places that were recently sold. By the time they reached the castle like building on a hill, it was already dark. The minute Giles and Angel reached the front steps, Angel's "ears" perked up and he got that tingle sensation at the base of his neck.
"She's here." Angel said.
"Who?" Giles asked.
"Buffy. He's called her here. He's going to change her."
"Are you certain?"
Angel didn't answer. He snapped his foot into the door and it fell to the floor, the hinges broken. Once they were inside, Angel was certain that Buffy was in this old place. He and Giles split up to search for Buffy quicker. Hallway after hallway, door after door, Angel couldn't find Buffy. He knew she was here.
Angel pulled on a door, but it was locked. He turned around, getting ready to kick it in when Xander popped out.
"Nobody harms my master." Xander said.
"Your master?" Angel asked.
"You want him? You come through me."
Angel gave a small smile and punched Xander in the face. He went down hard. "Ok." Angel walked through the door that Xander had come through. More hallways and doors. There was a big door that was partially open and Angel started to step through. "Buffy? Are you in.." Angel was cut short when he nearly fell into the large pit. He pulled himself back in and saw Giles lying on the floor surrounded by Dracula's girls. "Giles!" Angel jumped in and kicked one of them in the face. The others scampered off and away from him. "Come on, come on."
"Thank God you came." Giles said.
Angel jumped up and reached out his hand for Giles. "Come on."
"There was no possible escape." Still staring back toward the sisters, Giles took Angel's hand and Angel pulled him up. Giles noticed his foot had only a sock on it. "Oh, my shoe. Silly me, I'll just pop.."
"No, no, no!" Angel pulled him away. "No more chick pit for you. Come on."
Suddenly, there were some loud crashes and the two men started for the source. When they reached a grand dining hall, Buffy was walking down the stairs, stake in hand and a grim look on her face.
"Buffy! Are you ok?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. Chock full of free will." Buffy said.
"And Dracula?" Giles asked.
"Eurotrashed."
Xander rushed in carrying a torch. "Where is he? Where's the creep that turned me into his spider-eating Man-bitch?"
"He's gone."
"Damn it! You know what? I'm sick of this crap. I'm sick of being the guy who eats insects and gets the funny syphilis. As of this moment, it's over. I'm finished being everybody's butt-monkey!"
Buffy tried to look solemn as she said, "Check. No more butt-monkey."
"It could of been worse. At least you weren't making time with the drac-y- babes like Giles here." Angel said.
"I was not making time! I-I was, uh, just about to kill those, uh, loathsome creatures when Angel interrupted me." Giles said.
"You were gonna nuzzle 'em to death?" Angel asked as he and Buffy started off with grins on their faces.
"Of course not! I was in complete.. control."
They headed for the door and Buffy held Angel back. She allowed Giles and Xander to leave, telling them she'd see them later. Angel looked at her funny and she held up a finger. Angel followed her back to the dining hall. Just as they got in, Dracula had just wafted back into being. Buffy staked him.
"You think I don't watch your movies? You always come back." Buffy said. She crossed her arms and leaned against a wall as Drac burst into dust and fell to the floor. After a second, the fog started to rise again. "I'm standing right here!" The fog went away again, this time for good.
Buffy and Angel walked out of Giles' apartment the next day and headed back towards the mansion. Buffy had just asked Giles to be her Watcher again. She wanted to learn to train harder and know what it was about her that made her a Slayer. She was so happy that Giles had said yes. When they arrived, Angel noticed a young black man sitting on the front steps. When he saw them approach, he stood up and smiled. Angel thought he recognized him from somewhere.
"Gunn!?" Buffy squealed.