God! I don't know about you guys but I think this story is getting really good. I'm excited... It almost feels like the story has taken a life of its own and my fingers are the slaves of the direction THEY want to take it. Anyways... ENJOY :)

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Chapter 7

Buffy walked by the now vacant streets of Sunnydale… With everything that had been happening, most people had grabbed all their stuff and headed out of town. Which was smart… the only people left were some older folks that refused to leave the place they'd call home for a long time.

She'd wondered where she should go, then a house caught her attention… It was white, two story, and looked like the home she'd dreamed of having once upon a time when normal was still something she could believe in…

Tears ran down her cheeks as she approached it… She hated being the slayer at this moment. Why couldn't they understand that she had to be cold and distant to make the hard decisions that no one else could or had to make?

Angelus understood her… she shook her head, it wasn't just Angelus it was Angel. He understood her like no other person could. He saw her fully as if she was transparent to his gaze; he saw the good and the bad, understood the job, its consequences, and its hard judgment calls.

She pulled the door open slowly and as it creaked she began to almost day dream…

She saw the ghost of the man she loved come towards her with a huge grin, "Angel…" she whispered.

"Hello beloved… we've been waiting for you…"

He reached her and went straight for a kiss… Buffy closed her eyes hoping she'd feel it, but his form faded in to the air.

Fresh tears left her eyes as she began to walk up the stairs… She opened the door to a bedroom and saw the ghost of children's room, two kids, a boy and a girl, throwing the covers to reveal their happy little faces…

They ran towards her legs… "Mommy, mommy, you're home…" she couldn't resist holding open her arms for them and as they reached her, they also disappeared.

Before her… the life she'd never get to have was tortuously unfolding…

As if she could handle any more pain.

Angel, well Angelus had left furious at her, her friends-family had betrayed her, and The First was probably orchestrating this painful scene knowing how vulnerable she was right now.

She closed the door to the room and continued to what she figured was the master bedroom… Maybe she could lie down to think.

/

Angelus reached a pearl white, two story house, were the feeling came across strong… Her grief was pouring into strong waves of treachery. He couldn't fathom what could have happened in the small time that he was gone that had her out from her home into a stranger's crying out her sorrow.

Lucky for him the sun had just finished setting, so he opened the car door and headed for the entrance of the house.

*Why would Buffy come here…?* Angel inquired, *something's not right…*

You think…? Angelus said rolling his eyes, Hello Mr. Obvious...

/

Spike had caught the last of the fight between the Scoobies and Buffy… They were utterly morons if they honestly thought that they could do this without her, but he understood their frustration with the Angel or Angelus topic.

Buffy had a tendency of losing all sorts of reason for the man she loved… Not that it clouded her judgment to be a leader, but it did hold her focus back to have him involved.

Spike wanted to be like 'to bloody hell with it and her' but the moment he saw her leaving in tears, falling apart… he couldn't help but follow her in the shadows to make sure she'd be okay and perhaps then maybe, comfort her.

He stood at the backyard of this great snow white looking house, looking at the second story window were he could feel she probably was… He walked up the three steps of the back door and walked in.

/

Angelus was about to head up the stairs when the scent of his childe invaded his nostrils… He growled at the thought that he was here were Buffy was. He began to make haste of his pace to the back kitchen door…

*Fucken Spike…* Angel let out just as pissed.

The moment Spike walked in, he grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to the wall…

"What the fuck are you doing here Spike?" Angelus said through gritted teeth while giving him a fierce stare.

"Come down mate… I'm here for Buffy, just like you are…" He smiled smugly.

"How dare you try and take what's mine…?" He pulled him away from the wall and smashed him back down again.

He laughed, "Why wouldn't I? I thought you said that in our family, we shared… did you not have Drusilla?"

*He knows you're you and not me…* Angel enlighten.

Very good soul boy, I'd clap for you if I wasn't busy… Angelus said in sarcasm.

He leaned close to Spike, noses almost touching, "You know that was different… Drusilla and Darla were mine, and I made YOU! You came into our lives AFTER the fact… SHE was NEVER yours…"

He tossed him through the opening to the living room, "You know the rules like every other elder vampire… A vampire only marks his mate ONCE… I marked Buffy… she's mine and I know you know this because of the very clear mark on her neck."

Angelus walked towards him as he stood up, dusting his clothes, "Her blood runs through my veins…"

*Our veins…* Angel corrected, after all they were one.

Do YOU mind…? Angelus thought inwardly, I'm trying to beat the shit out of a childe of mine.

"Yeah but YOU left…" Spike painfully pointed out.

Angel winced to himself.

"No… Soul Boy did… I would have never left her side…" Never… he thought to Angel.

Touché… Spike thought, "Fine… I'll leave, but I'll be back… You need me for the fight…" He waited for him to respond and when he said nothing… he left.

Angelus wanted to tell him to go to hell and that he wasn't needed but certain knowledge of the trinket he had… stopped him. They would need him.

/

Back at the Summer's home there was an uncontrollable amount of chattering going on about the news that the Scoobies had told Buffy to go. The potentials believed in her and if she wasn't going to be in this fight, then it was pointless.

"Guys! It will work out we are just…" Willow tried to explain.

"trying to push her to think straight, that's all…" Xand added.

Dawn shook her head from a distance, this could not be happening. Anya stayed out of the way and joined Andrew in the kitchen.

"Alright… everyone QUIET!" Giles ordered, "We must all focus on our part to defeat The First…" he paused, "Potential slayers will train, those of us who research will do just that, and those of us with other gifts should practice…" he tossed a look at Will. She gulped.

/

Angelus pushed the door of a bedroom open and found a peaceful looking Buffy fast asleep. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, she looked like an angel.

*Yes… she does…* Angel sighed.

The more he gazed at her breathing form the more he felt his body respond to her, in other ways… and the surroundings, weren't helping. He looked at the room, her on the bed, he began imaging those first thoughts that had crossed his mind since he'd come back to his body… he wanted her, no… he yearned for her with every single fiber of his being.

*Now you know how I feel…* Angel added, *All the time…!* He added sexually frustrated.

But you wouldn't because of fear from me… he smiled, but I'm here now and there's nothing stopping us…

He felt blood pump through his body at the thought; it was all suddenly drifting down his body into a certain direction… His leather pants were beginning to feel tight around the hips.

"Angel…" Buffy whispered, "Angel…" she breathed in delight again.

*I'm right here beloved…* Angel said wanting to touch her.

For a moment Angelus froze at the thought she was awake then noticed her just toss and turn… Phew… He crept closer looking over at her on the bed and for a moment… he saddened.

I want her to love me too… Angelus confessed to his inner self.

Angel was about to poke fun but then he realized that he was being serious… *She does…* he said simply.

No… she loves you… the puppy saving, weakly pathetic, I'd sacrifice my happiness for yours-you!

*But I am… we are still a demon, a vampire and she loves the whole of us…* Angel couldn't believe that he was trying to convince himself of what was obvious, *When you kissed her before… she knew you were you and not me and… she still kissed you, with hunger…*

I don't believ… he began to argue when Buffy whispered in her sleep once more…

"Angelus… hmmm…" she sighed.

And that did it for him… the moment she began to hum made him quickly slip his shoes off and joined her on the bed.

The instant the bed seemed to dip under his weight she automatically turned and snuggled up against his chest. He slipped his arm under her, around her back and pulled her even closer; she settled up half her body onto his. A smile tugged at her lips as a wave of peace encircled her; at the sight, he couldn't help the urge to brush his lips against them… so he did, ever so slightly as to not to disturb her.

The sparks of electricity that passed through him as their lips met, sent a painful reminder down the center of his chest to his manhood. He groaned as the small detail of being in bed with her had produced a strong fire in him…

*Picture mom in her underwear…* Angel said quickly.

AH! Angelus cringed from the image, That was SO uncalled for… It's not like I was gonna wake her up and have my way with her now while she's resting…

*You never know…* He said, *Plus… If I can't have her then neither should you…*

Oh… I'm gonna have her, alright… It's just, I could feel her distress before and I rather she sleeps before I decide to pleasure her… A grin crossed his face.

Now Angel snarled and Angelus had to hold back a laugh at risk of waking Buffy. For the moment though, even with the strain that pulled at him, he focused on the feel of her happily asleep on him.