Dark Heart 2 - Raging Moon

by Phoenix333

Alternate Reality. New challenges arise for Buffy and Angel(us) as a character from his past appears. How will the couple deal with this new challenge? Is their relationship strong enough to handle yet another complication?

3. Chapters 12 to 17

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'M REPOSTING THE CHAPTERS BECAUSE I REACHED MY DOCUMENT LIMIT ON

I ALSO RE-EDITED A BIT HERE AND THERE. NOTHING TOO BIF BUT I DID MAKE A FEW CHANGES. HOPE YOU LIKE. X X

TITLE: RAGING MOON– SEQUEL TO DARK HEART

DISCLAIMER: I ONLY OWN THE STORY AND THE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS I MAKE UP.

DISTRIBUTION: PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF IT GOES ANYWHERE.

SUMMARY: SEQUEL TO DARK HEART - AU. BUFFY AND ANGELUS ARE WOLVES. NEW CHALANGES ARISE FOR BUFFY AND ANGELUS WHEN AN UNEXPECTED CHARACTER FROM ANGELUS' PAST SHOWS UP, HOW WIL BUFFY DEAL?

TIMELINE: SET ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE END OF DARK HEART.

REVIEWS/FEEDBACK: YES PLEASE. IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. IT FUELS THE MUSE!

CHAPTER TWELVE

HYPERION HOTEL

Buffy arrived at the hotel in record time. No one had to know she broke a few speed limits and got a fine to prove it. Not that she could worry about that now. Angelus better not go sniffing around her car otherwise she was going to be in trouble.

She had no less than two hours to get ready and Cordelia's stylist was going to arrive within the next ten minutes which didn't leave her with much time. Rushing up the stairs she dumped her bags on the bed and jumped in the shower.

Finishing with only a few minutes to spare Buffy put on a robe and towel dried her hair while she waited for Cordelia and Kandy. Minutes later they arrived and Buffy was pulled over to the vanity while Kandy started on her hair and Cordelia checked over the dress and shoes Buffy had bought from Saint Boulevards.

Buffy was relieved to hear that Cordelia loved the dress and shoes. If Cordelia approved she was sure she would fit in fine with the other guests. She had been so scared that she wouldn't find anything suitable to wear. Cordelia had great taste and Trish had selected no less than five outfits for her to choose from. She loved them all and it was difficult to choose but she made the right chose in the end.

Angelus arrived soon after just to collect his suit then left the ladies to finish their preparations. Cordelia quickly ushered him from the room, she didn't want him to see Buffy before she was done. Buffy couldn't hide the amused expression on her face and Cordelia told her that she always surprised Groo and Buffy should to it as well…not a bad idea actually.

Angelus went down to the kitchen to join the other male members of the pack for a snack then they all went out to the games room to enjoy a game a pool and a drink while they waited for their partners.

Lark and Gunn was busy with their first game when the other members arrived. They discussed work and everyday stuff. Groo was telling them that Cordelia was leaving for a photo shoot in a few days and he was unable to accompany her which he didn't like but was relieved that she would have a body guard to watch over her.

Gunn joked with him about how 'whipped' he had become since meeting Cordelia and Lark chose that moment to move in on the conversation. "Talking about whipped, you most certainly have joined the club my man. You and Fred are almost inseparable, and you have yet to give us details. So, let's hear it Gunn…what happened…?"

All the members laughed at Gunn's shocked expression. Clearly he had not been expecting to be the topic of discussion. Lark usually didn't get up in anyone's business but that had been too good an opportunity to let pass by. Gunn always joked with everyone and it was time someone joked around with him.

Moving around the table to take a shot he just smiled, "a gentleman never tells. I will tell you that I'm … pleasantly surprised and I'm very happy with Fred. I never expected her to make such a difference in my life." Everyone chipped in and laughed along.

Gunn was still amazed at how good things were going between them. They were planning on having his sister over for a visit soon and he was looking forward to seeing her and introducing Fred to her.

Just as Angelus was taking a sip of his whisky, Groo looked over at Angelus and smiled slyly at him, "What about you Angelus? How are things going with Buffy?" Each and every pack member present focused their attention solely on their alpha.

Some tried to hide their interest by pretending to focus on the game at hand but they didn't fool Angelus. When Forest shot the eight ball from the table and it bounced all the way to his feet Angelus could only laugh. Leave it to Forest to make that stupid mistake.

It was no secret that Angelus was totally taken with Buffy and she with him. They had seen Angelus with many women but none of them had had the effect on him like Buffy had. The once cold and ruthless leader was now more open and calm, a definite after effect of Buffy's presence. Everyone in the pack liked the improvement and couldn't agree more that Buffy had a good influence on him.

"Things with Buffy are going great" Angelus replied as a small smile played on his face.

Gunn picked it up commented "By the look of that smile on your face things must be going pretty well. And here we all thought no one would every tame you're wild heart." Everyone laughed at that. Some had thought Angelus would never settle down.

He was a very driven individual and they couldn't think that he would be happy with just anyone. No one could have thought that a small wolf roaming in their back yard would tame the wild alpha. That first night Buffy threaded on their territory Gunn had been sure Angelus was going to rip the wolf apart for trespassing. Now she was warming his heart and teaching what love was all about.

"Yes well, you never know what might happen…" Angelus trailed off cryptically as he moved to take a shot at the replaced number eight ball. Forest threw his hands up in the air as Angelus sunk the ball. So much for an even match.

####

A limo arrived to pick up Angelus and Buffy shortly before seven. Once they were securely seated in the car Angelus took Buffy's hand in his. "Thank you for being so understanding and agreeing to come tonight. I know it was short notice… You look stunning tonight my love." Angelus was robbed of breath when Buffy emerged from their room. She looked stunning in the black floor length dress Trish had set out for her.

Buffy looked into his eyes with love and adoration, "I'm glad you approve. I'm sure it's no secret that I think you look great in your suit as well." she said before leaning over to place a soft kiss on his welcoming lips.

"So Cordelia told me Powel Inc. is a big client of Wolfram and Hart?" Buffy asked as she settle back into the lush seat of the limo.

"Yes they are. We handle all their cases. My uncle landed their account when he just started the company. They hold these events at least once or twice a year and I already declined their first invitation so I didn't want to come off as a crude bastard to decline again. I know you don't like these sorts of things…" Angelus explained.

"Angel, I really don't mind. I know it's something you have to do and I want support you in everything you do so please don't worry about me." She smiled at him and he knew she was telling the truth.

He also didn't care for these events but it came with running a big company and he had to make some sacrifices. Looking at the beautiful woman sitting next to him he was glad that he didn't have to attend alone or worse yet, with some random female acquaintance who he would have to take home later.

Before he had met Buffy he usually asked female friends of his. Most of these 'friends' of his were only flings or one night stands, or someone he wanted to get into bed with. But that no longer appealed to him as it once did.

He enjoyed Buffy's company like he never enjoyed anyone's before. Sure Buffy was not the type of woman he once dated but she was a fast improvement. Cordelia had once called his women 'trashy' and 'gold digging bitches', she could not have been more right. He knew what they were but he didn't care.

Angelus was not ashamed of his past but he wished he could take some it back. Thinking back to the conversation he and the male members of the pack had earlier, he was happy that they all like her. A pack's female alpha played a big role in the success of that particular pack and he was sure that his pack would only improve with Buffy at his side assisting him.

####

POWEL INC.

Once arriving at the Powel Inc building they were each handed a glass of champagne and Angelus introduced her to members of the Powel staff. Buffy met some of the directors of the company and many other staff members. She was pleasantly surprised how welcoming and kind all the people from the company were. Usually people from such a large company were snotty and stuck up.

They had been socializing for a while when an elderly man came over to talk to Angelus. Mr. Wilcox was a kind and friendly man and Buffy could tell that Angelus respected the man a great deal and he also spoke fondly of Angelus in return.

Something about Mr. Wilcox reminded Buffy of the old man who used to own the local bakery back in Sunnydale. He had always been very kind to Buffy. Whenever she purchased stuff for her mom he gave her some hot cross buns for the walk back home.

Mr. Wilcox asked Buffy to excuse him and Angelus for a few short moments while he discussed some business with him. Buffy was left to her own devices for a while and was grateful for the breather. Her ears were starting to sing from the noise around her and her jaw felt tired from smiling so much.

Moving over to an outside terrace Buffy took a few moments to catch her breath and appreciate the view. The hall they were in had a great view. With the moon shining brightly it cast a beautiful glow over the fish pond just a few feet away.

Someone cleared their throat behind her, announcing their presence. Buffy spun around and came face to face with a man with deep blue eyes and light brown hair. He was dressed in a tailored suit and matching tie. Racking her brain Buffy couldn't remember having met him before. She was sure Angelus hadn't introduced them.

"Good evening, I'm Andrew Reed, I don't believe we've met." he said as he extended his hand to her in greeting. Thank goodness. She would have felt horrible if they were introduced and she had forgotten his name so quickly. She always tried to remember people's names but it was a bit difficult when introduced to so many people in one night.

Shaking his offered hand Buffy introduced herself, feeling slightly unsure. She didn't want to be rude as she knew this company and its members meant a great deal to Angelus and Wolfram and Hart, Buffy tried to be as friendly as possible. The man seemed friendly enough but she wasn't up for company and couldn't just excuse herself without good reason, that would just be rude.

"Nice to meet you miss Summers. Are you not enjoying the party?" He asked enquiring to her being outside.

"Oh no, not at all. I'm having a wonderful time. I just needed to catch my breath so I thought I'd take a look outside." Buffy explained, hoping she had not offended anyone by excusing herself from the party.

"That's good. You seemed a bit lonely outside alone so I thought I'd check if everything was all right. I'm sorry but, have we met before? I'm sure I would have remembered your lovely face if you were a client of the company." Andrew said to her.

Feeling herself blush at the compliment Buffy looked down at her shoes as she smiled at him. Before she could answer Angelus did it for her. "She's not client of the company, she's here with me." He said smoothly as he slid his arm possessively around her slim waist.

Angelus was trying his best to control himself. When he had finished talking with Mr. Wilcox and his colleagues he went to look for Buffy but found she was nowhere in sight. He was just about to go look at the ladies room when his eye caught movement at the outside balcony. Lo and behold, it was Buffy and Andrew Reed. He knew Buffy wasn't the type of person to strike up a conversation with random men so it was clear that Reed had searched her out.

Angelus had never liked the young man and it was obvious that he was trying to make a move on his fiancé. Angelus was not impressed with that. He had always prided himself on the fact that he was not a jealous person but seeing Andrew looking appreciatively at Buffy made his blood boil.

As he stalked over to them a few members attending the party nearly spilled their drinks on themselves as they tried to get out of his way as he made his way through them. Angelus nearly crushed the glass of champagne he held in his hand as he heard the tone of voice Andrew was speaking to Buffy to. Not only that, but the man's scent revealed that he lusted after Buffy.

It was obvious that he wanted to get into her pants, or dress for that matter, and Angelus felt he could rip the kid's throat out for just thinking about it. For the first time in his life Angelus knew what it felt like to be jealous. The thought of Buffy with another man was too much for him to handle. He already thought of her as his and would make sure she knew and everyone else knew it as well.

Andrew's eyes snapped to his the second he spoke. Angelus did not miss the hint of fear that tinged the younger mans aura when he arrived. The thought made him smile in satisfaction. Good. Buffy leaned into his body and he gave her a slight hug back. He smelled her discomfort and tried to ease her a bit, he was very pleased to notice her smell changed the moment he arrived.

"Nice to see you again Andrew, I haven't seen you in a while." Angelus didn't even bother extending his hand to the guy. His remark was also not a friendly one and Andrew picked it up immediately. By the look in Andrew's eyes Angelus could tell the man knew he had overstepped the lines with Buffy. It could have been possible that Andrew didn't Buffy was his but Angelus didn't believe that for a second. Andrew couldn't care less if a woman was taken or not.

A gleam flashed in Angelus' eyes but was gone so soon Andrew thought he had imagined it. "I've been a bit busy. Anyway, hope you enjoy the evening" and just like that Andrew retreated with his tail between his legs.

Angelus looked after him for a few seconds more before returning his gaze to Buffy. "I leave you alone for a few minutes and the wolves descend" His tone was joking but inside he felt like he wanted to push her up against the wall and mark her as his, just in case anyone else got any ideas.

"If you hadn't left me alone you wouldn't have to worry about that. Luckily you arrived at just the right moment to save me." She said as she reached up to kiss him reassuringly. Luckily for her he had shown up rather quickly. When Andrew approached her she could sense he wanted her. As flattering as it might have been she had no interest in any other man except Angelus.

She had never seen this side to Angelus before and she liked it. She never would have guessed Angelus was the jealous type, he never showed it before. Buffy couldn't help but smile at his reaction, sometimes it was good to know her man didn't like other men threading on his turf.

They made their way back inside just as the waiters started bring out the first course. Although Buffy wasn't very hungry the food looked amazing and she wasted no time take a bite to test it. Angelus Also looked very impressed with the meal they were served with. After dessert they greeted everyone of importance then made their way home, it was almost midnight and Buffy had trouble keeping her eyes from falling shut.

####

HYPERION HOTEL

Buffy removed her jewelry and took a quick shower while Angelus checked in with all the pack members before heading to take a shower himself. Once they were in bed he turned to Buffy and regarded her before saying anything.

"Did you enjoy the party?" he asked as she snuggled into him.

"Sure. Mr. Wilcox was very nice. I could tell he respects you very much." Buffy replied thinking of the old man.

"And how about Andrew Reed? Did you like him?" Angelus didn't know how to address the issue and just blurted it out before he could stop himself. He wanted to slap himself right after the words left his mouth. He didn't knew how to deal with the jealousy and wasn't sure how Buffy would react to his question.

Buffy stopped rubbing cream into her hands and looked over at him. "I don't like him actually. He seemed creepy and… insincere. Why do you ask?" Silently smiling to herself. She had wondered if Angelus might bring it up.

"I was just asking…" He said as he turned on his back and looked at the ceiling, trying to avoid her gaze. If she took one look into his eyes now it would be a total give-away. Buffy read his emotions very easily at times and he tried to hide them now.

Buffy regarded him silently at first, trying to hide the smile on her face. She moved over to lay atop of him while looking into his eyes. "Are you jealous? I can't believe the great Angelus is actually jealous."

Before she could say anything else he rolled them over and settled on top of her. He kissed a trail from her ear to her neck then kissed her lovingly on her mouth. "I never thought I would be jealous. But where you are concerned, I can't help myself.

When I saw him talking to you alone outside, I couldn't think straight. All I could think about was getting to you and letting him know you're taken…that you're mine…" Angelus said seriously.

"I kind of like you jealous, I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets jealous from time to time." Buffy answered truthfully. "But I love you and only you. I don't want anyone else but you."

Angelus kissed her with passion and continued to show her just how much she belonged to him.

END CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

WOLFRAM AND HART

Fred looked over the results from Buffy's tests again. She could still not believe it, yet the facts were right in front of her. After the series of tests they had done on Buffy they were still no closer to figuring out what ancestry she came from.

Unsure of how to continue, Fred made her way over to the science division to go see Willow. Willow had been a great help with the tests and her other research of the pack and maybe she would give some advice on how to continue.

Just as Fred arrived in Willow's office she was greeted by the shy Tara. They exchanged short greetings while she waited for Willow to finish up with a phone call. Tara said goodbye then blew a kiss at Willow before disappearing out of her office.

"Good morning Fred. You're here early today." Willow commented. By the look on Fred's face she had something on her mind. Then she saw that Fred held a file in her hands she was sure she could guess why Fred wanted to see her.

"Morning Willow. Yeah, I was hoping to get some advice if you're not too busy." Fred said uncertainly. She knew Willow had tons of her own work to do and didn't want to interrupt her if she was too busy.

"Not at all. Please take a seat. I take it this has to do with Buffy's test results?" At Fred's nod she continued. "I received Buffy's full medical record and so far everything seems fairly normal. They documented her attack but according to the people that brought her in to the hospital that night she was attacked by a large rabid dog. I guess we should be relieved that they didn't know it was a wolf.

Anyway, I see the attending physician was a Dr Ben Webber. I've called him but he was of very little help, saying only that she arrived with severe wounds and that he treated her accordingly. She stayed over a few nights but in his notes he said he believed she had been in a nasty accident. Something about his story just didn't add up, but I still have some friends at Sunnydale General, maybe they can help."

"Ok. I'm telling you Willow, I've never seen anything like this before in my life. I've done all the further research I can and ordered some more tests but right now I'm stumped. I don't know how to continue. Unless…" Fred trailed off. She had thought of this right after they started the tests but wasn't sure how Buffy would react or if she would even agree.

"Unless what Fred?" Willow could see the wheels turning in Fred's head. Fred was a very insightful and clever person and no doubt she would come up with something good.

"What if we do tests on Buffy while she is in her wolf form? I don't know if it will work but maybe it might?" Fred answered. She didn't know how Willow would react to the suggestion but she hoped she would agree or at least give her thoughts on the subject. It was perfectly understandable if she didn't like the idea. Sure there weren't any risks but Buffy might not feel comfortable and refuse.

Willow's face lit up like a Christmas tree as soon as the words left her mouth. "Of course! That's a great idea. It's worth a shot. Have you asked Buffy yet?" She was already excited just thinking about the possibilities.

"No I haven't. I wasn't sure if it was such a good idea that's why I wanted to hear what you thought of it before I asked her. So you think it might work? I really hope so. Buffy seems so desperate to know who created her and I really want to try and help her." Fred said dismayed. She couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment at herself, she hated failing.

"I can't say for sure but I definitely think its work a try." Willow was very optimistic at Fred's suggestion. All they had to do now was hear if Buffy wanted to try it.

"I'll phone her later and hear if she can come in then we can explain the procedure and everything with her and hear what she thinks. Thanks Willow. See you later" Fred smiled and left Willow to her work.

####

Hearing her phone ring Buffy scrambled to grab her bag. Looking inside the phone was nowhere to be found. The ringing got louder with each passing second and Buffy grabbed at the tons of papers littering her desk. Finally finding her cell under a heap of papers, Buffy flipped it open, hoping whoever was phoning her hadn't hung up yet.

"Yes! Halo I'm here. I'm here…" Buffy was swamped with work and she had trouble concentrating. The office was a total mess. Papers littered the floor and her table was hardly visible. No doubt it was the editor calling and he would not be happy if she didn't answer her phone.

"Buffy?" came a small uncertain voice. Buffy could not help but to smile. Fred, the resident scientist was always so uncertain of herself. Buffy recognized herself in the tiny young woman sometimes but was glad she wasn't as shy as Fred was.

"Hey Fred what's up?" She asked as some of the tension she had felt seconds before began to fade away.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you. I could always wait till I see you tonight…" Fred explained

"No don't be silly. Talk away"

Fred smiled at Buffy's friendly voice. She had never seen Buffy in a bad mood before and believed that Buffy was incapable of being rude or mean to anyone. She always felt easy and relaxed in Buffy's presence and she believed it had something to do with Buffy being an outsider once. Just like Fred was.

Buffy had been the first to greet Fred when she had taken the position as head of the science division. Buffy arrived that morning with double thick mocha lattes and three boxes of sweets. The kind gesture made Fred feel at home instantly and ever since they had gotten along very well.

"Ok then. I got the results back from your test. It's very strange and it's not conclusive so I was wondering if you would be up for another round of testing. It's nothing like the tests we did last time, because I remember you were feeling very sick afterwards.

Willow and I discussed it this morning and we were hoping to run a few tests on you while you were in your wolf form. If you don't feel up to it I completely understand. I could just…" Fred rambled on.

Before she had a chance to go on Buffy replied "Yes, I'll do it. Just say when and I'll be there."

Buffy could hear Fred was very nervous asking her to do more tests. Sure she had felt sick after the first round of tests but Fred had warned her and she knew Fred and Willow would have spared her that if they could. She agreed to the testing and expected to feel a little sick afterwards.

"Really? You'll do it? That's great, it's just…great! Ok then. I'll see you tonight then we can discuss the particulars. Great. Bye Buffy" Fred replied excitedly before she hung up the phone.

Buffy could only laugh at the enthusiastic response. She was a bit disappointed that they had not learned anything from her tests but she had known that she might never get closure on this matter. Buffy just hoped they could learn something from the next tests.

Feeling somewhat down Buffy shut her laptop off and grabbed her bag. It was way past her lunch time but she really needed some caffeine right now. A double thick mocca was just what she needed.

####

HYPERION HOTEL

Angelus arrived home early from work and decided to head to the gym to pass some time. Buffy wasn't due back from work for another hour and he needed to unwind a bit. Luckily for him he didn't have to go to an overcrowded gym after work. They Hyperion hotel had a fully equipped gym and he could work out in private.

Emerging from the gym more than an hour later, Angelus headed upstairs to take a much needed shower. As he walked past the kitchen he could smell Alyssa and the chef's cooking up something wonderful. His stomach rumbled as the delicious smell penetrated his nose, reminding him he hadn't eaten all day.

The gym session had helped ease some tension but what Angelus really needed was a good long run in the forest. Since he had nothing else scheduled for the night he guessed it was a good a night as any to go out for a run. Before he went to his room he stopped and Morgan and Coopers room to hear if they wanted to join him later. Their excited cheers were all the answer he needed.

After showering Angelus thought Buffy would be back home but she was still not in their room. Looking at his watch he saw it was well past seven. He was just about to pick up his cell when the door to their room opened to reveal a stressed looking Buffy. "Hey"

"Hey back. You're home late, busy day at the office?" He asked her. By the look on her face she had an extremely busy day behind her. He knew that feeling all too well. How many times had he not returned from work and felt that same bone deep exhaustion? Every time he returned home Buffy greeted him with a warm loving smile, drew him a bath and then gave him a long message.

"Yeah that too. Fred phoned me today." As soon as she said the words his head snapped up to meet her eyes. His attention was entirely focused on her. To say he had been anxious about the results were an understatement.

Hopefully it wasn't bad news. It worried him that Buffy might be disappointed with the results. He hoped that wasn't the case. "And?" he enquired while studying her face.

"She said the tests were inconclusive. They want to try and run another series of test but while I'm in my wolf from…" Buffy wasn't sure what Angelus would think of that. She had said yes to Fred before she had even discussed it with Angelus and now she was worried he might not approve. Buffy chided herself for saying yes to Fred so quickly and without even having thought the whole thing through.

Angelus was deep in thought and Buffy got worried when he didn't answer her at first. She had never thought to ask him how he felt about this whole situation. Maybe he was uncomfortable with what the tests might show. What if they found out who her creator was and Angelus wasn't happy about the discovery? So many thoughts were running through her head at once Buffy started to feel light headed.

"I umm… told her I'd… think about it but I don't know if that's such a good idea. I mean we haven't even talked about this and what it could mean so…" she trailed of not sure what else to say. Angelus looked somewhat startled at her revelation.

"But I thought you wanted to know more about what happened to you?" He asked, unsure. Where had that come from? One moment she seemed excited about the idea and the next moment she didn't want to try it.

"I do want to know. I'm just not sure what it might cost me if I were to find out. I'd rather not know than risk losing …you. My future means more to me than the past does. I can see you're uncomfortable with this and I don't want to risk it. How about we just forget I ever mentioned anything" Buffy said as she removed her coat and made her way to the bathroom.

She just needed a warm shower to relieve the tension and hopefully Angelus would just leave her be for a few minutes while she gathered her thoughts. The thought of never finding answers hard to swallow and she would need some time to get used to the idea. Buffy had always thought she would find answers about but happened to her, now that wish was crushed in the blink of an eye.

Her hand had just settled on the door know when Angelus' strong muscular arms encircled her waist and pulled her back against his hard chest. Buffy felt hot tears threatening to spill and tried to blink them away quickly.

She didn't want Angelus to see her crying over this. He didn't need to know that her nightmares had returned. That she dreamt of that wolf attacking her over and over again, that he ripped her to shreds to see her suffer while other times he killed her slowly and very painfully. The nightmare had become more vivid every night.

Somehow she managed to keep from screaming Angelus awake most nights. Luckily he thought she no longer had the dreams. If only she could tell him how much this bothered her. That she woke up terrified and sweating from the dreams. She thought about going to see a doctor to get some sleeping pills but was to scarred Angelus would find out.

What if something happened one night and she didn't wake up. She didn't want to be trapped in those dreams any longer than was necessary. At first she had set her clock to wake her each hour but after a while she got too tired and just slept through the ringing of her alarm. Angelus would then wake up and turn it off. She would then tell him she forgot to turn it off and luckily he believed her.

She was so tired of hiding, hiding in her dreams and in real life. It was exhausting trying to pretend that she was okay and dealing with everything. Maybe she just needed a break. She was due for a few days of leave so maybe she should take it and rest properly.

Angelus saw something in Buffy's eyes and he was surprised to see it was fear. Why was she scared? Surely she knew she had nothing to fear with him. He hoped he imagined it. Was there something else bothering her that she didn't want to tell him about?

Pulling her back onto the bed with him he held her tightly and hugged her to him. "Baby what's wrong? It seems like there is something else bothering you?" when she didn't answer he kissed the top of her head. "Where did that come from? I understand that this can be stressful for you.

I want you to know that I love you no matter what. If you want to do further tests then we do it. I want you to be happy. What makes you think that anything from you past would drive me away? Nothing could take you away from me unless you tell me to leave.

I'm not going to lie and say I'm comfortable with this. I just don't want you to be disappointed with what we may find out. I'm scared something might happen to you and I can't bear it. I want to find out just as much as you do. I love you. We'll do the tests and handle whatever may come our way." He placed a lingering kiss on her lips to emphasize his point.

She was stiff at first then he felt her relax beneath him. Angelus stroked her arm reassuringly. He had no idea why she suddenly felt so insecure. Maybe she was scared about what they might find out. He would be there for her no matter what. Whatever the tests showed he would stand by her and support her. Hopefully everything would turn out good and then she could get closure for once.

Buffy relaxed in her lovers arms. When he held her like this she felt nothing on earth could harm her. Angelus was her rock and she could trust him with anything. Her thoughts drifted off as she fell into a light sleep in Angelus' arms.

END CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

HYPERION HOTEL

Buffy was in a dreamless sleep and for that she was grateful. She hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in weeks. The fog around her drifted apart and she saw the wonderful meadow in the Hyperion's back yard. It was just turning dark but her enhanced wolf senses could see clearly in the dimmed light. To her amazement she was already changed into her wolf form.

She was walking around just taking in the scenery when she saw Morgan and Cooper running up to her. They started playing in the long grass trying to enjoy some time together. After a while Buffy felt the air round them shift before she saw anything. It was turning darker around her, making it difficult for her to see. It scared her because she was supposed to see clearly even at night when changed.

As she looked into the distance she saw a large dark grey wolf approach them. She looked franticly to where the cubs where and ushered them behind her. The large wolf was running towards them now and Buffy could do little as he approached them. She searched franticly for a spot to hide the cubs but could find nothing. She just hoped she could hide them from him.

The large wolf halted before her and sneered at her. Buffy felt the hair on her back rise to the frightening sound, fear gripped her heart as she saw him look pass her at the cubs. Suddenly the wolf started to growl at them. Before she knew what was happening he leapt towards the cubs but she managed to block him before he caught them. The cubs scrambled to get away, each running in their own direction. Buffy's fear increased when she saw they weren't running towards the safety of the hotel.

The larger wolf lunged at her and they started fighting, he flung her against a tree, momentarily immobilizing her. Buffy heard frightening yelps as the large grey wolf somehow got to the cubs and tore into them, biting them and tearing their flesh apart as she lay helpless and defeated on the ground as he killed the two cubs…

Buffy woke screaming. Her eyes dashed wildly from side to side looking for the cubs and the unknown wolf. Two arms tried to hold her down which only made her thrash harder trying to get away. He was trying to hold her down! The harder she tried to get away the tighter the arms tried to hold her down. She felt tears streaming down her eyes at what was happening. She felt helpless.

Angelus came awake as an ear splitting scream ripped through the quiet room. Buffy was trashing on the bed clearly having another nightmare. He thought the dreams had stopped. This was the first dream she had in weeks and even he was rattled by her scream.

He tried to wake her and calm her down but the harder he tried the more erratic she became. As soon as he smelled her fear he let go of her. His hands dropped from her shoulders as soon as the smell pierced his nostrils. Angelus had never seen her that scared before. This was not normal. Something in the back of his mind told him that something with Buffy was way off. As soon as he let go off her she woke up fully.

Buffy's eyes shot open again and landed on Angelus' frightened orbs. Her hand shot to her mouth as she realized what had just happened. She fell asleep and had forgotten to set her clock, she had another dream, another terrible dream. This had been the most terrifying dream she had ever had.

As aftershocks ripped through her mind and body Buffy stilled and a terrifying thought came to mind. Shooting off the bed like a bat out of hell she ran out of the room and down the hall. She had to make sure the dream hadn't been real. She had to make sure they were alright. Oh god what if they weren't?

Buffy heard heavy footfalls behind her as she rushed to Morgan and Cooper's room but she paid it no mind. Wrenching the door open she saw them both soundly asleep in their beds. Grabbing her throat in relieve she felt her pulse beating against her hand. She closed her eyes in relief as she pulled the door closed again only to come face to face with Angelus.

He looked totally shaken up and his face was pale as a sheet.

"I…I'm…I mean…" Buffy tried to explain even though she knew there was no way to cover this up. Angelus would know the second she lied to him.

"Tell me what the hell is going on. What was that Buffy?" His voice wasn't t calm or even soothing as she would have hoped. He wasn't angry, he seemed…terrified. No wonder, what must he have thought when she woke him like that? Buffy looked down at her feet still breathing hard, she had hoped that he wouldn't find out about her dreams. She kept him out of sleep enough already.

"I…I had a d…dream…" she never got a chance to finish her sentence. Angelus grabbed her hand and dragged her back to their room. Buffy was so shocked she could do nothing but follow and try to keep up with his large strides.

Angelus slammed their bedroom door shut behind him and placed Buffy on their large bed. He didn't say anything at first, just paced in front of her, thinking to himself. Buffy remained silent as she watched him pace. Angelus had to take a few moments to gather himself, he had no idea what to make of what just happened.

Finally he spoke in a grave voice, "I want to know what's going on and I want to know right now." Buffy opened her mouth only to shut it again as he said "And don't you dare lie to me Buffy, I could smell your fear all the way across the hall as I was running after you." He would know if she even so much as twisted the truth a little. He scent always gave her away.

Any thoughts Buffy might have had about bending the truth just flew out the window. Looking at Angelus now she knew she had to tell him the whole truth. "The nightmares started again a few weeks ago. It wasn't that bad at first, just small glimpses every once in while, but then it got worse.

I see it every time. That wolf that turned me, he haunts my dreams every night. Sometimes I see him attacking me, other times it innocent bystanders. He attacks them because he is trying to get to me and they are in the way. He wants to hurt them because they are close to me.

In my dream tonight he attacked Morgan and Cooper. It was horrible. I tried to hide them but he still got to them. When I tried to draw his attention away from them he attacked me and then went after them. He killed them…" The last few words ended in a hiccup as a sob tore out of her hoarse throat.

I'm so sorry I woke you. I know how tired you are and I've tried not to wake you. I set my alarm every night and I just forgot about it. When I got home, when I fell asleep in your arms, it felt like nothing could harm me. I didn't mean to wake you…"

Buffy hadn't realized she was crying until Angelus hugged her to him. She gripped him with all her strength, trying to get closer to his warmth but she couldn't seem to get close enough.

Sometime later when her tears had dried and she could cry no more, Angelus was still holding her tight against him. "You should have told me my love. You know you can tell me anything and I won't get mad or judge you my love. We'll figure this out together.

Morgan and Cooper are safe, you never have to worry about that. No one could get near them even if they tried. They have the entire pack watching after them. " Angelus tried to reassure her even though he knew it would do little good. He saw the fear in her eyes when she told him about the dream. She was scared something might happen to the kids because of her.

It wasn't likely that anyone could get near the kids as they always had a pack member with them, but he knew it didn't ease Buffy in the least. It was Buffy he was worried about. He didn't realize to what measures she had gone to keep this from him.

Setting her clock to wake her each hour?. No one could function like that. So she had knowingly put herself at risk, not telling him out of fear. When had things gotten so bad? Buffy couldn't carry on like this. Angelus didn't know what to do and held her tighter against him.

####

WOLFRAM AND HART

Angelus rubbed his eyes in frustration. All he could think about was how frightened Buffy was last night. He couldn't believe she had put herself through that without telling him. Good grief, she set her alarm to wake her each hour just so that she didn't wake up screaming and wake him in the process. He still couldn't believe it.

He could only imagine how scared and tired she must feel. No wonder she had dark circles under her eyes and she had little to no energy. It was because she got didn't get enough sleep. Checking his watch he was glad to see it was almost time for their meeting with Fred and Willow to start the next round of tests.

Angelus had talked with Fred himself that morning, scheduling Buffy's appointment. Angelus was very worried about her. The dreams had a greater impact than he had thought. How stupid of him to not have realized earlier what the impact of her cruel change had caused her. Buffy was deeply scarred and she needed his support and love now more than ever.

Finishing up his paperwork he shut of his desk lamp for the day and made his way down to the science division. To his surprise Buffy was already there, dressed only in a large white robe. Today they were going to do tests on her in her wolf form. Angelus was excited to see her in her wolf form while he remained human.

In his eyes, both human and wolf, Buffy was beautiful but he couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like seeing her through human eyes while she was changed. To his wolf eyes she was spectacular with her light coat and fiery green eyes, something he had never see before until that night in the forest when he chased her down over a year ago.

It also made him wonder about her creator. Was she light in color because her maker was also a fair haired creature? That thought made him jealous and envious at the same time. Angelus couldn't help but wonder if Buffy would have been dark haired if he had been her creator. With his dark features he could have transferred some of that to her in the process of changing her.

Pushing the thoughts away as it would do him no good, he walked over to Buffy. She was slightly surprised at seeing him there. "I didn't know you were going to be here." She said as she hugged him back, trying to gain some of his power. She was nervous as hell.

"I phoned Fred earlier to find out what time you were coming in. I want to be here for this and for you. We'll handle it together." He said as he took her hand in his. Buffy smiled appreciatively back at him.

After getting everything in order for the tests, Fred moved over to the control panel near the door. She locked the door with a security code and adjusted a setting on the windows to that no one could see inside while they were busy. A lot of the staff at Wolfram and Hart were also wolves but the majority were human and clueless to the other side. They didn't want any unwanted attention.

Moving over to Buffy and Angelus she motioned for Buffy to get up on the table and start the change. Fred had seen members of the pack change at numerous occasions but this was more up close and personal and she could help but stare. Willow moved to stand next to Fred with her clip board in hand as Angelus moved a few feet away to give Buffy some space.

Buffy took a deep breath and gave herself over to the change. She felt her features and insides shift as it took her over. Opening her eyes to the people before her she shook out her fur with a quick shake.

Fred and Willow got to work immediately, hooking her up to various machines and scribbling away at their note pads. She looked up at Angelus as he had still not moved closer to her since she changed. His dark orbs stared back at her in wonder, there was no masking the adoration and stunned wonder in his eyes.

Buffy had seen that look in his eyes a few times before but usually he masked it or turned away before she could take a clear look. Wanting to ask him if everything was alright, she could only give a slight whine in his direction. She wanted him closer to her but it's not like she could just pull him over.

Angelus stared at the beautiful creature before him. Buffy was unlike anything he had ever seen. The luminescence from the light caused her coat to gleam beautifully. His mind failed to register and he moved in a trance over to her and placed his hand softly at her flank. Her hair was velvety soft as he stoked her from her head to her tail. Buffy leaned into his touch, loving the attention he was giving her.

####

More than two hours later Buffy was feeling exhausted. She had been prodded and probed, had instruments shoved down her throat and had to run for a full thirty minutes on a treadmill. Fred had apologized as she had taken more blood from her veins. Luckily Angelus had been there with her the entire time. When she shagged against his body he had placed his arm reassuringly around her, then held her upright all the while stroking her back to comfort her.

When they were done she changed back to her human form and nearly fell asleep right on the examination table. Angelus had helped her to get dressed then carried her out via a hidden door in the back. He placed her shaking form in the car and secured her with the seatbelt then drove her home to the Hyperion.

By the time they arrived home Buffy was asleep and he carried her up the stairs to their room. After he removed her clothing and closed the drapes he got into bed next to her and held her tightly against him as he followed her into sleep.

####

Angelus woke up a few hours later and saw it was well after eight at night. Buffy was still fast asleep but at least she wasn't as pale as she had been when he just brought her home. He phoned the kitchen and asked one of the staff members to bring up something for him and Buffy to eat. Angelus believed Buffy might be hungry when she woke up and he himself was starving.

Fifteen minutes later, Estelle, their friendly chef, brought up two trays with meals for Buffy and Angelus. Buffy had yet to wake so Angelus placed thy trays on a nearby table and got back into bed. Gathering her body closer to his he tucked the blankets around her to ensure she didn't get cold. He was lying on his side just watching her when she finally woke up.

Buffy blinked her eyes open, unsure of where she was. The last thing she remembered was Angelus helping her to get dressed. She must have fallen asleep on the ride back home. She was slightly disorientated so she looked around to see where she was. As she looked up Angelus was staring down at her and her breath caught in her throat. "Hey" Angelus said softly.

"How long was I asleep?" Buffy enquired, not moving from her spot. She was cold and it felt wonderful to have his warm body next to hers.

"A while. Go back to sleep if you're still tired my love." Angelus whispered.

Buffy smiled at his caring manner and reached her hand up to his neck and pulled him down to plant her lips on his. He smiled into the kiss but didn't pull away until they both needed to breathe. Angelus licked his lips as he looked down at her "Hmm, that was nice. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling ok. Thank you for being there today, I don't know how I would have managed to get home without you. What did Fred say?" Buffy couldn't wait to hear if there were any results yet.

"She said she'll rush the results and let you know as soon as she gets anything."

"Okay. I need to take a shower, I feel sweaty after the run they made me do. How did you ever manage to sleep next to me without smelling me?" Buffy said as she started to get out of bed and moved over to start the shower.

Angelus started longingly at her body as she moved around in the bathroom. He also stood up and went over to her "You're beautiful…"

As Buffy looked up at him he explained. "When I saw you today in our wolf form, I was awe struck. I've never seen you while you were changed and I was human. I can't explain how beautiful you are to me, both human and wolf." Angelus wasn't sure he was saying it right and he looked away to try again.

Buffy stood still as a pole as Angelus spoke to her. She had been worried what he would think of her while she was transformed and to hear him reply in kind had been a great relief. She moved over to him and placed a long kiss on his lips.

When he pulled away after a while to look into her eyes, she smiled and removed her robe from her shoulders and started to unbutton his pants. Buffy easily pulled his large body into the shower with hers.

"I saw something in your eyes after I changed, tell me what you were thinking" Buffy said between kisses. Her hands roamed over his shoulders and down his back trying to take in every part of him

"I saw you, how wonderful you are. I was reminded of what I have and how grateful I am to have you as mine." Angelus said as he took a little nip at the skin on her shoulder.

Buffy moaned deep in her throat as she felt his bite leave a slight sting. Angelus continued, "I wanted you so badly I could hardly contain myself. I swear if Willow and Fred were not in that room I would have changed and taken you right there on the table. I didn't expect to become aroused while we were busy with the tests so I was surprised and shocked at my reaction.

Since that day I found you in the forest I've wanted you. When I was chasing you I couldn't help but think what a fine female you were. I was so angry that night and I think that was all that kept me sane; otherwise I would have taken you despite the fact that we didn't know each other and you were trespassing on my grounds." Angelus said hoarsely.

Buffy gasped at that, she had never known Angelus felt that way. She wanted to tell him that she had been imagining them making love while changed as well but didn't know how to tell him. The fact that he spoke of it first was a great relief to her.

"I've wanted you like that for a very long time. I was just too scared to tell you. I was afraid you would be repulsed with me. I want to share everything with you, in every form." Buffy gasped.

Angelus stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes, he could see she was talking the truth. Her eyes were half closed and it was evident that she lusted after him. He slid his hands around to her bottom and heaved her into the air.

Bracing her against the wall he impaled himself in her hot, silken folds. Both gasped at the feeling of being complete. Their bodies joined again. Angelus shut his eyes at the feeling of her flesh surrounding him. The quivering of her inner walls drove him insane and he almost released himself at that very moment.

Angelus started moving within her in a slow rhythm, already feeling his climax approaching. Buffy always drove him to his limits so quickly. He loved taking her slowly and lengthening their time together but sometimes he couldn't hold himself back. Being joined with her like this felt like heaven.

Buffy gripped his shoulders tightly as she felt her crisis approach. She didn't want to go to quickly but Angelus knew just how to work her into a frenzy. His breath came out in short shallow gasps as he embedded himself to the hilt. Buffy felt every muscle in her body pull together tightly as her climax washed over her. Angelus followed soon after and groaned as his release passed through his body.

He sagged against her and pressed her harder into the wall, she accepted the added weight without a word. Covered in sweat and trying to catch their breaths, Angelus carried her into the bathroom and joined her in the shower.

END CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WOLFRAM AND HART

Fred looked at the folder containing Buffy's test results. After the tests they had done a few days ago she was very eager to find out the results. Making her way over to Willow's office, she hoped Willow wasn't busy. To her relief, Willow sat alone in her office staring intently at the computer screen.

"Willow, are you busy?" Fred asked the redhead.

The redhead looked up from the screen and smiled at Fred, "No I'm not. Come on in. What do you have there?" Willow asked as she eyed the folder.

"It's Buffy's test results. I didn't want to look at them alone. Seeing as this is both of ours' project, I wanted to find out the results with you, it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm scared to see the results" Fred joked.

Willow laughed at that and motioned for Fred to take a seat. Fred was tippling around before Willow which was a clear sign at just how nervous she really was. Fred handed the folder over to her and she flipped it open and scanned the papers inside. As she finished reading each pager she handed them to Fred to see for herself.

"Well…" Fred said as they finished reading the reports.

"Well…" Willow seconded. "It's not bad news. It's not exactly what we hoped for but…"

"Yeah-" Fred wasn't sure what to say. She was disappointed with the results. She had hoped to give Buffy a conclusive answer. At least she could give Buffy some perspective. She just hoped it would be enough for her, or enough to help her make a decision.

"Do you want me to phone her and tell her to come in?" Willow asked. She could see that Fred was disappointed and hoped to make it better for her. She had also hoped for something more but knew before hand that they might be disappointed. That's just the way things were.

"Thank you but I think I should phone. After all, it was me that put the idea into her head so I should be the one to tell her." Fred said dejected as she stood up from the chair and moved to the door.

"Fred, this isn't bad, it's actually more than we had before which is very good. We can run some extensive tests and maybe get a blood type. Don't be discouraged. We know how to proceed from here." Willow understood that Fred was disappointed. She was a optimist at heart so that was to be expected.

Fred gave a small smile and nodded her head, "I just wanted to give her something more concrete than a few 'maybe's…" Fred explained. But the prospect of running extensive tests did cheer her up. Hoe could it not? They might just find out something big.

####

Buffy looked at the phone in her hand. Fred had called well over ten minutes ago but Buffy was still lost in thought. They had gotten the results back and wanted to see Buffy as soon as she could. She couldn't tell if the results were good or bad as Fred's voice had been very professional and to the point. Fred obviously didn't want to give anything away.

Buffy sighed to herself, all she wanted to do was phone Angel and tell him but she was too scared to hear the outcome. What if the results were bad? What if there was something wrong with her? Did she want Angel to know she was 'defective'? Would he even still love her if he found out? He could be repulsed by the answers. And there was the possibilitie that the results might raise even more questions.

Buffy's hands started shaking at the thoughts that were running through her head. She grabbed her bag and told her boss she had to run out to do some research for client then she jumped in her car and sped over to Wolfram and Hart. She would tell Angelus after she got the news; that way she could at least try to control some of the outcome. She just hoped she didn't run into him on her way down to the science division.

Buffy finally made it to Fred's office unnoticed, just as she entered she heard voices talking. Willow, it had to be Willow and Fred. As she opened the door all the relief drained from her body. There sat Angelus, relaxed in a chair across from Fred's table, talking to her like they had no care in the world. What was he doing here? Did he already know?

At the sound of the door opening Angelus turned and saw his lady love step into the office. He got up and went over to her to place a kiss on her lips in greeting. "I ran into Fred and saw your folder in her hands.

She told me she had just gotten off the phone with you and wanted to discuss the results with you so I decided to wait for you then we can hear the news together." Buffy didn't have the heart to tell him that she wanted to hear it alone first and merely nodded her head in consent. Fred threw an apologetic gaze over at her and Buffy knew Fred understood her situation.

"Ok then, let's hear it." Just then Willow entered and they greeted each other before Fred started telling them about the results. The first few stuff was very scientific and Buffy didn't have a clue what they were saying. Willow told her all was well and she relaxed a bit.

When Fred sighed and took a breath Buffy knew the worst was yet to come. Fred looked at her and spoke somewhat dejectedly "According to the blood tests we did while you were in human form, we found that you had two blood types, yours and the wolf that created you. It's totally unheard of and that's why we asked you to come in again so that we could do some more tests.

When we took blood samples from you when you were in wolf form we found that your blood 'battled' the other blood cells that were present. The easiest way to explain it, it's as if you body is rejecting the host's blood. The most simple way I can put this is…your body is trying to eradicate your maker's blood.

It's nothing to worry about. Your body is strong enough to handle it. Actually, your body has already expelled nearly 80percent of your maker's blood. You see, when someone is created, their maker's blood forms a bond and you can always 'link' to that person. Your body rejected your maker's blood. Within a few days the other blood cells will be completely gone and you will be…well a like a normal wolf who was born and not created. You will have no link to you creator what-so-ever.

We kept some of the blood samples to monitor and we are doing a DNA test as we speak. I will have the blood type results within the next hour and then we will run it through all our know databases to see if we can find the person that attacked you.

I know you were hoping for a better answer, something more conclusive than this, but I assure you that we will find who did this to you…" Fred trailed off as she saw Buffy begin to smile. She had thought Buffy would be very disappointed not smiling and…happy.

Angelus and Willow also looked over to stare at Buffy in wonder. Angelus' hand gripped hers tighter and she looked at him as if she had forgotten he was in the room. "Buffy? What is it?"

Buffy let out the breath she had been holding, "This is great. It's not what I expected but it…great. This means that that monster will no longer be a part of me. All this time, I could almost feel his presence like an undercurrent in my head. I can now finally be rid of that…of him. I don't have to worry that he might find me through some like we might have to each other. I can't believe this." Buffy said in wonder still reeling from shock.

Angelus finally caught on to what she meant. He could not express how happy he felt when he heard that her creator's blood would no longer be running through her veins. In a few weeks she would be rid of it completely. She would be rid of his essence one and for all. She would no longer have a link to her creator.

Angelus would never tell anyone but he was very jealous that some other man's blood ran through her veins. As wolves they recognized others by their scent. Each individual had their own unique scent. Buffy's scent smelled like vanilla and roses but it had always been tinged with another smell he couldn't recognize. He knew it was her creator's scent that still lingered on her.

It didn't make Buffy smell bad or anything, it was just an underlying scent that taunted him, reminding him about the wolf that created her. He had noticed her smell gradually change over the last few months but didn't know what to make of it.

Now he understood why that scent had been fading and her own scent came through much clearer now. He couldn't be happier. He didn't want some other male's scent clinging to her. Angelus wanted his scent on her, clearing indicating that she was his and his alone.

They finished discussing the details of the other tests then Buffy hugged both Fred and Willow in appreciation. They were very glad that Buffy was happy with the results and felt relieved in return.

As Angelus walked Buffy back to her car he held her tight against him. "How do you feel?" He asked her.

"Like this huge weight has been lifted off me. It feels like I can finally starting accepting what happened and appreciate it for what it really is. I can't even begin to explain how happy I am now that I know that thing that attacked me won't be part of me much longer." Buffy felt relieved and at ease in herself for the first time in ages. Now she could finally just be …herself, no underlying presence in her being, just herself, and that felt amazing. Angelus nodded his agreement.

"How do you feel about this, I didn't even get to ask you yet?" Buffy said as she looked over at him.

Angelus could only smile at her "I'm happy when you're happy. I hated seeing you suffer and I'm relieved that you will be free of his blood and link to you. You're body obviously knew what happened was wrong and that must be why it fighting his blood." He said as he once again hugged her to him.

"So you're happy about this?" Buffy asked, just to make sure.

"How could I not be? No matter what the outcome was I would have been okay with it. I love you no matter what. I'm going to be totally honest and tell you how relieved I am that that bastard won't be a part of you anymore. You've always been mine and your body knows it." Buffy felt reassured after what Angelus had just said to her.

Before she got into the car Angelus held her back. "I phoned my mother again this morning. She wants to know when we're going to come visit them. I hope it is okay with you but I told her we'd come down this weekend. I cleared my schedule for Friday so I thought we could fly down Friday afternoon. That gives us a little more time to get out stuff organized."

Buffy smiled up at him, grateful to the powers that be for giving her such a wonderful man. "That's fine with me my love." Buffy was very excited to meet his parents and had been wondering when they could go to visit them. She wanted to know more about Angelus history and childhood, how he grew up and things like that. It would be a great opportunity to find out more when they visited his family.

This could not have come at a better time. Angelus could see that Buffy needed to get away for a few days and he was glad that she had agreed to go meet his parents. His mother had phoned him nearly every day for the past week asking him when they were coming. When he phone her this morning and told her they were coming this weekend she had been ecstatic.

She told him that she was going to invite his brother and sister as well and he was looking forward to seeing them all again and introducing Buffy to them. I was way past time he did that. Buffy had been patient with him all this time regarding his family.

He said goodbye to Buffy and went back to his office to finish his days work. He also needed a break from work and wanted to finish his most important cases before he left this weekend. It didn't leave him with much time but he could get it done if put his mind to it. Wesley had offered to take a few of his cases and Angelus was going to take him up on his offer.

####

LE GRANDE MONDIOR' HOTEL & CASINO

Darla checked that she had everything she needed for the next couple of days then wheeled her matching luggage to the door as she waited for the bellhop to collect her things. He was already waiting at the door when she opened it but she didn't even bother greeting the friendly young man.

She had some serious business to attend to over the next week and she didn't want to forget anything. Going over her mental list for the third time she was sure she had everything she needed. As the bellhop wheeled her luggage to the elevator, Darla took her handbag and placed her glasses over her eyes. She had a terrible hang-over from the previous night and she didn't want anyone to see her bloodshot eyes.

Scowling at herself she thought of the previous night. Like every other night she had a few glasses of wine to calm her nerves but she had been over doing it since her last meeting with Angelus. Darla had always like alcohol as it loosened her up and calmed her down.

It was exactly what she needed after seeing Angelus. He probably didn't even know he drove her to it. It was all his fault. Now she had to work harder at getting him back. She didn't like working to hard for what she wanted but Angelus was worth it. Figuring she would cut back as soon as she had Angelus back in her bed she didn't dwell on it for too long.

As she reached the lobby she went over to management and asked to speak to the manager. "Good day Mrs. Delaney, how can I help you today?" He wasn't friendly but remained professionally polite to her. It irritated her that he didn't treat her as well as he did the other guests at the hotel.

"You can send the bill to my husband, Jake Delany at this number. I'll be away for a few days attending to some personal business so please ensure that my room is kept tidy and I want clean sheets and my bar refilled before I return." Darla didn't wait for an answer from the manager, just turned on her heels and got into the waiting cab.

"Where to miss?" asked the chubby cab driver.

"Los Angeles International Airport" was her curt reply and she was thankful that the cabbie kept quiet on the drive, he did however glance at her from time to time in the rear view mirror but she chose to ignore it.

Removing the file from her large designer handbag she went over the information once again. She'd already gone through the contents of the file a few hundred times already but she wanted to make sure she got her facts right before going to see this specific person.

Luckily for her, no one was too hard to find with the use of an expensive private investigator. For the right amount he gave her personal details, history, medical records and current contact details. Darla needed all the information she could get.

She couldn't slip up here. It was too important. If this didn't work Darla didn't know what she would do. She would never give up that easily but still, she wanted Angelus back and she was done waiting. He should have been back in her bed already.

Thanks to that little blond, Darla had to go through all this trouble to get what was hers. That little tramp though Angelus was hers. She had another thing coming. Darla couldn't wait to see the look on her face when Angelus kicked her to the side and took her back. She belonged with Angelus, no one else and she was going to prove it by any means necessary.

END CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

O'ROURKE MANOR, ITALY

Buffy gasped in wonder at the huge manor in front of her. Not even the Hyperion Hotel was this big. The O'Rourke Manor was huge. When Angelus had said they were going to visit his parents in Italy she thought they lived in an uptown loft or country house, not the huge estate that she saw before her now.

The O'Rourke's driver had collected them from the airport and was busy unloading their baggage while Angelus helped him. Buffy could tell that the elderly man had known Angelus most of his life by the way they spoke to each other. Angelus had hugged the man when they saw each other at the airport and he later told her that Andrew worked for his father since he was ten years old. He was family.

Buffy heard a friendly female voice to her right and turned to greet what she was sure to be Angelus' mother. Grace O'Rourke rushed out of the front door and lunged herself at Buffy before she even got the words out of her mouth.

"Buffy! Finally I get to meet the woman my son had been going on about. How are you dear? I can't believe Angelus has waited so long to bring you to us. Come in, come in. Let the men handle the luggage. I'm so excited you're finally here. Welcome my dear." Grace said between hugging Buffy and pulling her into the house.

Buffy was astonished at the friendly and warm greeting she got. She was sure that she would have to prove herself to his parents before they liked her, but that was not the case. She was greeted with loving arms and she felt right at home with Angel's mother.

From out of the kitchen an older man who looked just like Angel emerged with a big smile on his face. Buffy could hear Angel greeting his mother and them laughing behind her. Buffy wanted to stick her hand out and greet Angel's father but he embraced her and picked her up off the floor before she could even say 'halo'.

Owen O'Rourke was laughing and talking at the same time and Buffy couldn't help but join in. She had never received such a wonderful greeting in all her life. "It's wonderful to finally meet you my dear. Welcome. Make yourself at home." Owen said as he twirled her in the air.

"It's nice to meet you to Mr. O'Rourke." Buffy replied in kind as he set her back down on her feet. Angelus came in next to her and hugged his dad in greeting. Buffy had never seen such loving parents before. Her mother Joyce had always been great but she wasn't as warm as Grace and Owen O'Rourke were.

Even at their age they still looked great. Grace had dark brown her which was cut in an elegant bob right above her shoulders. She was small in build but a bit taller than Buffy. Her face had laugh lines, evidence that she liked to laugh, other than that she looked around 45 which she knew couldn't be possible.

On the flight over Angelus had told her a little more about his family. His mother was an events coordinator and ran her company from home even though she had a large building situated in town. She loved organizing and planning and had turned it into a business.

That was how she met Angelus' father, she had been hired by one of his companies to organize a Christmas party and they fell in love in the process. It didn't happen right away though, Owen liked her immediately and hired her again shortly after to organize another event. At the end of a very successful night, he thanked her and presented her with one white rose and they started dating soon after.

Owen was a very laid back person and he took everything in stride. He owned several development companies and had always wanted to start a family as soon as he could. After he and Grace got married and she found out she was pregnant with their first child, Owen had hired a close friend to look after his companies as he wanted to spend more time at home with his wife and child.

He loved staying at home with them but his drive and passion soon had him back at work. Grace didn't mind as she knew how passionate he was about his work. Owen was always calm and understanding with everyone he met, ensuring him a respectable reputation.

He loved taking his boys to work whenever Grace needed some time off. Dante and Angelus weren't the easiest to handle, they always got into trouble but their dad never yelled or screamed at them, he was stern and firm and they respected their father all the more. Adriana had been born a six years after Angel, making her the baby of the three and they always looked out for her despite her protests. Grace and Owen were the perfect parents.

"Come to the kitchen, Nicole made some tea to warm you up." She grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her to the kitchen. The four of them enjoyed a cup of tea and Buffy got acquainted with his parents while their luggage was taken up to their room.

Buffy wasn't sure what to make of the room arrangements and waited till they were alone to ask Angelus. "Angel, shouldn't we have separate rooms? I mean, isn't it rude to sleep in the same bed in your parent's home?" She asked unsure.

When Angelus laughed at her she wasn't very impressed, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing love. And no, we aren't going to sleep in separate rooms. My parents know we sleep together and honestly I won't be able to sleep if you're not in bed next to me." At his statement she couldn't help but blush. He pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss then made his way down the stairs.

"In any way, they can smell me on you and sleeping in separate bedrooms won't mask that." That earned him a swat on the arm but he only laughed as Buffy's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson.

Later that evening, after Angelus had showed her around, they were drinking hot chocolate in the living room next to fire. Buffy sat next to Grace and they chatted comfortably while Angelus and his father were discussing other things. Buffy felt so at ease with both Grace and Owen she couldn't believe it.

It was strange to think that she had only met them this morning and they got along like so well. Buffy was a bit nervous about when his brother and sister would arrive the next day but decided not to linger on it now. If Grace and Owen were such friendly people surely their children were the same.

"So Buffy, Angelus hasn't told me much about you yet. Where are you from?" Grace asked politely.

"I'm from California, born and raised in Sunnydale." Buffy smiled.

"Oh I've been to Sunnydale once, it's not a very big town but the people were so friendly. Are your parents still living there?" Buffy had hoped this wouldn't come up but knew it was inevitable.

"No, my parents got divorced when I was very young and my dad remarried shortly after. He's living in the Bahamas now. My mother, she passed a while ago. We lived in Sunnydale my entire life till I moved to L.A. after my mom died." Buffy couldn't hide the sadness in her voice even though she tried her best.

She didn't want to talk about her broken childhood and deceased mother since the latter always made her want to cry. Grace then embraced Buffy in a motherly hug Buffy did not expect and she hugged her back with equal passion. They all sat and chatted for a while longer till Owen said he was tired and wanted to retreat for the night.

When Buffy and Angelus got to their room he asked what had happened earlier. "It's nothing, your mom asked about my parents and I told her, I'm sorry but I still get a little emotional when I talk about it. You're parents are wonderful, I feel like I've known them my whole life." Buffy answered, trying to avoid the subject.

"I'm glad you like them. They certainly love you. You'll just have to excuse my mother, she gets so excited sometimes that she doesn't give anyone else a chance to speak." Angelus laughed.

"I love that about her, both her and you're father made me feel right at home. I just hope that your brother and sister feel the same way." Buffy said as she snuggled up to Angelus. It was colder here than it was in Los Angeles and Buffy loved that Angel's body was always warm so she tried to get as close to him as possible.

"You don't have to worry about them. They are going to love you." Angelus answered as he pulled her tight against him.

####

The next day passed in a blur. The butler served Buffy and Angelus breakfast in bed and afterwards she and Grace went to a nearby mall to get some stuff they would need for the weekend ahead. Angelus' siblings would be arriving later that day and Grace was so looking forward to having all her children home.

When they were done shopping they headed home with nearly half of the mall stuffed into the back of Grace's Range Rover. Obviously the O'Rourke's liked to eat big, especially the men, as she had seen with Angelus herself. He could stuff en entire buffet meal and then still eat her plate and Morgan and Cooper's leftovers then go back for more.

The butler, Andrew and Nicole helped them unload and afterwards Buffy and Grace had tea then took a walk in the gardens. Just as they made their way back to the house Buffy heard a car pull up. When they entered the house Andrew had already taken their luggage upstairs and the sound of excited children filled her ears.

Buffy came into the living room and saw Angelus talking happily with two young children. She guessed them to be around five and six and they clearly adored their uncle. A man not much older than Angelus was talking to a beautiful dark haired woman who was clearly their sister. They all looked very much alike.

Angelus' brother, Dante, was married with two children but unfortunately his wife, Madeline had to work and would only be joining them the next day. Their two kids, Angeline and David were very excited to see their uncle and grandparents again and bounced with joy.

Adriana , little sister was nearly as tall as Angelus and Dante and had the most beautiful long dark hair with full lips and their fathers blue eyes. It was obvious that she had inherited that from their father while Angelus and Dated got their mother's darker brown eyes. In Buffy's mind, they were the perfect family.

Buffy lingered in the back, not wanting to interrupt the family reunion when Angeline and David noticed her and made their way over to introduce themselves. They smiled up at Buffy with kind eyes and extended their hands in greeting. Buffy lowered herself to her knees and smiled back at them. Gees Louis, everyone in the family is gorgeous, she thought to herself when she looked at the kids, they were the spitting image of their father.

Angelus soon noticed what was happening behind them and could not help but to smile at the scene. It was obvious that the kids liked Buffy already. Usually they were very shy around strangers but that was not the case with Buffy. As he looked at them now he could help but think of how great Buffy was with kids. Even Lark and Alyssa's kids thought of Buffy as their 'second' mom. There was no doubt in his mind that Buffy would one day make a great mother.

Angelus introduced Buffy to everyone and to his delight they all got along right off the bat. Angelus had been slightly nervous about introducing Buffy to his family. He was worried his mother and father wouldn't improve, that his sister might not like her and that his brother might think she was too 'plain'.

His nervousness had been misplaced. For the first time he could remember, his sister actually took Buffy by the arm and they started chatting like old friends. His brother winked at him and gave him a thumbs up and his parents adored her. It was an added bonus that Angeline and David took to her immediately.

Buffy was also pleasantly surprised. Angelus' family was wonderful; she couldn't believe he hadn't told her how great they were sooner. Angelus never shared too much about his family and Buffy didn't want to pry so she hadn't asked too much. She figured he would tell her as soon as he was ready to share. Buffy didn't even know that Angelus was an uncle.

Looking at them now she also couldn't believe that everyone before her were also wolves like her. In her mind she had always thought the wolf community to be fairly small, that wasn't the case. By what Angelus told her later, Dante's wife Madeline was human but their kids were born wolves.

She couldn't help but wonder if Angelus wanted kids and if they were going to be in her future. Angelus was so great with them that she believed he would make a great father one day. They had never really discussed children but Buffy knew that she wanted at least two someday. Hopefully it would be a boy first so that he could also look after his younger sister when they grew up.

Buffy had never had sibling and she had always wished she had a sister, someone to share everything with. But after her father had left her mother for his much younger secretary, her mother had never recovered. She went on a date once and swore she would never try it again. Buffy wanted her mother to be happy but she had insisted that she was happy alone. Buffy just hoped that it wouldn't happen to her.

Saturday came around and the girls went to pick up Madeline then headed for a short shopping outing before having lunch at Grace's favorite coffee shop. Buffy didn't feel excluded for one second and she enjoyed the time with the girls. Even Dante's wife was as friendly and they got along well.

The men enjoyed themselves as well. They went to some or other car show then took the kids to the carnival on Sunday. They all had dinner together every night and they didn't go to bed until after midnight. They talked and laughed and just enjoyed each other's company.

Buffy and Angelus was set to fly back later that night and Buffy couldn't help but feel sad to leave his family and this wonderful place behind, she felt like she was leaving home and that startled her. Grace made her promise to convince Angelus that they should visit more often and Adrianna also said she'd visit L.A. within the next month to catch up. Buffy had formed a sort of 'sisterly' bond with her and for that she was very grateful.

Buffy fell asleep on the airplane back to L.A. and woke only moments before they landed. It felt like the last few days had passed too quickly and she wished they could have stayed a little bit longer. They arrived back at the Hyperion well after everyone was asleep and decided to leave the unpacking till tomorrow as they both fell into bed exhausted.

"Your family is great. Thank you, I had a wonderful time." She couldn't even begin to express how much she appreciated that he took her to meet the family.

"You still want to marry me after meeting my family? Wow, you are a saint. I thought you wouldn't make it through the first day of my mother and sister's jabbering." Angelus joked.

"Hey that's not very nice…" she gave him a slight nudge in the ribs as she laughed with him. It was true, both Grace and Adriana loved to chat and Buffy missed their excited banter.

"I'm only kidding… David and Angeline adored you. I've never seen them like that with anyone except my mother and Adriana before. You sure have a magic touch with kids."

"David and Angeline is so sweet, they look just like your brother." Buffy had been waiting for this conversation for a very long time. Yet she didn't want to sound too pushy and waited for Angelus to move it along. After a short silence he pulled her to him and kissed her goodnight.

He fell asleep soon after and Buffy couldn't help but feel sadness creeping into her soul. So Angelus didn't want children, Buffy felt her heart constrict at the thought. It was obvious now how he felt about it. Sure he loved children but maybe he was not the type to want his own. In a way she could understand that.

Angelus was a very ambitious person and he was a powerful business man who had little time for much else except work. He enjoyed what little time he had to himself and probably saw children as an unnecessary complication.

She just had to make sure there weren't any slips when she and Angelus got intimate. She was sure Angelus would not be happy if something like an unplanned pregnancy happened. Buffy closed her eyes and tried to push the thoughts from her mind. She couldn't stop the tear as it drifted down her cheek and disappeared into the pillow.

END CHAPTER SIXTEEN

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO SENT FEEDBACK!

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK OF THE STORY SO FAR.

XX

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

LOS ANGELES

Darla got off the plane with a very satisfied smile on her face. Things had gone better than she could hoped. The information she was given by the private investigator had been very accurate and Darla's plan was in motion.

She had feared that her plan would backfire in her face and all that money she had spent would have been wasted. Actually things had fallen into place perfectly. She hated every moment in Iowa as there were no glamorous places to go shopping or dine out at but she had found something to keep her busy the few days she had been there.

Glancing at the man next to her she smiled to herself. Soon Angelus… very soon. She thought silently. Within the next few days she was sure she would have him back in her arms where he belonged.

"I'm staying at the 'Le Grande Mondior Hotel and Casino. It's only a short drive, we'll take a cab." Darla said to the man walking beside her.

"That's fine with me." He wasn't one to talk much but Darla didn't mind, it gave her more time to work things through in her mind. She hated it when people talked and talked, she wanted silence.

As soon as they arrived at the hotel their luggage was taken up by the bellhop and Darla was slightly irritated that she had to pay his tip. According to her, men should always pay, not the women, well at least where she was concerned. She decided to let it slide this time.

Her room had two bedrooms but she was sure that only one was going to be used. They would probably move to the other bedroom sometime to continue their 'activities' but she had no problem with that. She liked experimenting.

"When can I see her?" He was very eager and Darla didn't want him making any rash decisions. This thing had to be played out according to plan, one wrong move and it could all go to waste.

"Soon. But as you know there are some complications. Not that you have to worry about that. I'll take care of him. I just want Buffy to be happy. That's why I went to find you. But remember you can't tell her that, it would ruin the surprise." Lying came so easily to her, not that she cared.

"How about we keep ourselves busy while we wait…" he said as he moved to pick her up and brace her against the wall.

"Hmm…that's exactly what I was thinking" Darla trailed of as she fastened her lips against his.

####

Buffy smiled at her co worker, Lucy and gave her the notes she had been waiting for. It had taken her nearly two hours but she finally had the charts ready. Lucy smiled at her and mouthed a 'thank you' as she cradled her phone between her shoulder and ear.

Buffy motioned she was heading out for lunch and waved goodbye to Lucy. She had been craving a choc-chip nut crunch smoothie for the past few days and today she was going to indulge herself. She didn't usually crave sweet stuff but she did now. She hoped Alyssa would make her famous three layer chocolate dessert for tonight.

She was just about to get into her car when she heard someone call her name. The street was very busy and she thought she imagined it but as she turned to see who it was and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Buffy wait!" she'd know that voice anywhere. He was right here, in L.A. jogging up to her.

"Riley?" Buffy asked bewildered. She was sure her mouth was hanging open at the shock.

"Hey babe. Long time no see." Riley smiled and moved to give her a kiss but she pushed him away before he got to close.

"What are you doing here?" she couldn't believe Riley stood before her. It had been more than two years that they saw each other last and they had not parted on good terms.

"I came to see you. We need to talk. Can we go somewhere private? I prefer not to do this on a busy street." Riley motioned to the street next to them. Cars were rushing by and people walked all around them.

Buffy gaped at him. We she didn't say anything he asked again. "Please baby. This is really important." He tried to take her hand in his by she moved it out of his reach and he frowned at that.

"No Riley, we can't go somewhere to talk. We have nothing to say to each other." Buffy tried to make it clear but he was having none of it.

Riley got an agitated expression on his face, "Fine, then I'll talk here since you leave me no choice. I've been thinking about you every day since we last saw each other. I'm so sorry for what happened. Sorry for what I did. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. I want you back and came all this way to see you. I want us to try again."

"Are you serious?" Buffy stared at him in disbelief.

"Yes I am. I forgive you for what happened. I've dealt with it and I've decided that I want us to give us another try. "

Buffy couldn't believe the gal of this man. He 'decided'? Like he had anything to deal with. He left her after what happened, not the other way around. Riley blamed her for everything that went wrong in their relationship, not he was say he forgave her? He must be crazy.

Buffy just laughed and turned her back on him as she made to get in her car but his hand on her arm pulled her from the car none too gently. As soon as she felt him pull her back she slapped him. The shock on his face showed clearly how surprised he was at her behavior.

How dare he even touch her? Now he was pulling her from her car in front of all these people? "Don't touch me. Stay the hell away from me Riley. I don't want to see you ever again. You are delusional." Buffy said to him as she got into her car and locked the doors before she drove away. Riley stared after her and smiled to himself. So she thought she could just dismiss him like that. She had another thing coming. No one treated him like that and got away with it.

Buffy could not believe what had just happened. She had never expected to see Riley Finn ever again. She gripped the steering wheel in an effort to stop her hands from shaking. Buffy didn't know what to do. She knew she had to go see Angelus and tell him what happened but she was so shaken up she was in no shape to drive any further. Putting her indicator on, she drove into a parking lot at the nearby mall.

She didn't get out of her car, just sat there trying to get herself under control. After a few moments she got out, made sure her doors were locked then hurried inside. Riley could have followed her. She didn't put it past him that he might jump her when no one was around. She can't remember the last time she had been this angry. Not since what had happened with Riley had she been this shaky and upset.

Riley had always caused this reaction with her. She wasn't upset over him, she was angry because he had the nerve to come to her and expect her to fall into his arms. Did he really think she wanted him back? Shaking her head she knew for sure he had lost his mind.

Buffy decided she was just going to take a stroll through and clear her head then go and see Angelus and tell him what happened.

####

Riley was not bothered by Buffy's reaction in the least bit. True, he had expected a better greeting than the one he got. Although they didn't part on good terms he had believed that Buffy's good manners would win out over any ill feelings she still might have had towards him.

One thing about Buffy that you could always count on was that she would treat you with a kind of respect no matter what she thought of you. Looks like she has changed since the last time he had seen her.

Not that it mattered. He had his plan all worked out. He couldn't believe it when a elegantly dressed, blond haired woman had appeared on his front porch with an offer he could not refuse. It's as if the powers that be had sent him a blessing.

He had been thinking about Buffy not stop for months and had tried to get into contact with her but to no avail. If he had had the money he would have gone to see her much sooner. Unfortunately he had been without work for months now and was living with his parents again and they did not want to borrow him anymore money than they already had.

He had asked his dad and when he said no he had hoped to get some from his mother but his father had overheard him asking and burst into the room shouting about how disappointed he was in him. Riley knew his parents were old and had to save up for their old day but he promised to pay them back. His please had fallen on deaf ears.

Glancing again at the address written down on a piece of paper he hurried his step. He had to get to the Wolfram and Hart office building before Buffy.

####

WOLFRAM AND HART

"Angelus? There's a man here who wants to see you. He doesn't have an appointment and he refused to leave until he has seen you. Now he's making a scene in the lobby, pacing up and down until he sees you. What should I do?" Harmony asked. He tried handling the man when he arrived but he would not listen to her. When she asked him to take a seat while she spoke with Angelus he raised his voice at her.

Angelus looked up from his desk and frowned at Harmony. "Did he give you a name? A reason why he wanted to see me so urgently?"

"No he refuses to say anything to me." Harmony moved out of the way as Angelus got up from his chair and made his way into the lobby. The look on his face was enough to make her wish she had called in sick today. Angelus did not take kindly to being forced to do anything and with his current workload he did not appreciate the interruption.

As they reached the lobby Angelus saw a tall, slender man pacing around the room. Angelus had no idea who the man was, nor did he appreciate the scene he was making. Clearing his throat he came to stand in front of the younger man.

Riley turned and did a double take of the man standing before him. He had not expected Angelus to be so large and …intimidating. He had seen pictures of the man Buffy was currently dating but the pictures obviously did him no justice.

Riley himself was taller than most men but he didn't have nearly the amount of muscle the man before him did. Angelus was the same height but he had a few pounds of muscle on Riley. His shoulders were bigger and his features darker. It was obvious by the way his suit stretched over his arms and back that they were muscular and strong.

Unconsciously Riley gulped and stared wide eyed at the man before him. Seeing Angelus before him actually made Riley even angrier than he already was. So Buffy wanted Angelus over him? We will see how he feels about Buffy after I share some details about her past. Riley thought to himself.

"Can I help you?" Angelus asked in an unfriendly tone.

"No, but I can help you. 'Name's Riley Finn. I believe we share a mutual …interest…" he trailed of and hoped Angelus would get the hint. He knew he was taking a risk, making such a scene in his building but he had to make sure Angelus would see him.

A brief flash of recognition flashed in Angelus' eyes but it was gone before Riley even saw it.

"Let's talk in my office." Angelus motioned to his door. "Hold my calls Harmony" he threw over his shoulder as he followed Riley then closed the door behind them. Harmony knew this wasn't going to end well and called Gunn asking him to get to Angelus' office asap. The look Angelus had given the man looked pure murder.

Angelus could not believe who stood before him. He had always hoped to get his hands on the guy who had treated Buffy so cruelly and today was his lucky day. By some force of nature, Riley was in his office. By the look on his face he clearly had something very important to share with him. He could only imagine what it was.

Angelus smiled evilly to himself as he sat down and motioned to Riley to do the same. "I'm listening Mr. Finn"

"I have some information about Buffy Summers that you might be interested in hearing." Riley said.

Angelus merely lifted his left eyebrow and waited for him to continue. He only stared at the young man before him and didn't say anything. The corn fed, farm boy was threading on thin ice and he didn't even know it.

"I heard that you two are dating. I wouldn't want you to get caught up in her lies like I did so I want to give you a friendly warning. We dated a few years ago and she is not the person she says she is. I can see that you're a very wealthy man and I assure you Buffy sees only one thing when she looks at you." Angelus knew Riley meant his money but chose not to comment on it, wanting to hear what else he said.

Riley went on, "Buffy is a beautiful young woman, no doubt about that, but she has had it rough with her mother being dead and all. They never had lots of money and struggled at the end because they lost her mother's gallery when she got sick. Buffy must love that she is now dating one of the wealthiest men on L.A."

"What are you getting at Mr. Finn?" Angelus asked, his anger growing by the second.

"Oh, I'm sure it's obvious. Let me ask you this; has she spread those pretty little thighs for you yet? We dated for nearly two years but she never would. Little did I know she was out with another man, giving him what she should have been giving me.

Did she spin you the same crap about wanting to be married before having sex with you too? I guess not, seeing as your rich and all. Probably slept with you the first chance she got. She's a little gold digger…

Another thing, she says was attacked a few years ago. She said it was some sort of animal but I believe it was an argument she had with a lover. A lover she cheated on me with. She'll do the same to you. She'll use you till she gets what she wants then she will throw you aside like last week's news paper."

Riley knew he was the only person Buffy had told about the 'attack'. He could see on her face that she was ashamed and that's how he figured she had lied about it. Riley was sure she had not told Angelus about the attack and hoped he was getting her into some trouble with her lover.

"I'm just telling you to be careful; who knows if she has some disease from that 'animal' that apparently attacked her." Riley said with a grin on his face. He could see Angelus was shocked and he thought it to be about the news he just gave him.

Riley risked a glanced over to the picture Angelus had of him and Buffy on his table. He heard a glass shattering and papers ruffling but could never prepare himself for Angelus jumping over his table and tackling him from his chair.

They landed on the floor in a heap with Angelus crushing Riley's body under his as he took the brunt of their fall. Angelus saw red as the idiot insulted Buffy. Angelus didn't know what he was doing until he had Riley under him and his fist firmly planted in his face.

Riley sputtered and tried to fight back but he was no match for Angelus' superior strength. Riley had been in a few fights in his life but he had never felt anything as hard as Angelus' fist before. He tried pushing the bigger man off him but was unsuccessful. His ribs started aching intensely and realized that he had received another shot to his midsection.

Angelus heard his office door open and Harmony screaming but he paid it no mind, all that mattered was beating Riley to a pulp. Gunn and Groo rushed into the room and tried to pull Angelus off the guy and it took them three tries before they could separate them.

Luckily Lark and Forest entered soon after them and they kept Riley away from Angelus. Gunn had only seen Angelus in a fight once before and he was very happy that he was not on the receiving end. Looking over at Riley, Gunn could not help but laugh.

Riley's lip was bleeding, he had two teeth knocked out and his eye was already blue and starting to swell. Angelus didn't even break a sweat. Where Riley was bleeding and panting, Angelus merely looked like he had just taken a stroll through the office.

Angelus never lost control like this in his life and Gunn could not help but wonder what had angered Angelus so much. After making sure Angelus would stay put, Gunn let him go and with Lark's help, escorted Riley non-too-gently from the building.

When Gunn returned to Angelus' office he found him and Harmony gathering the stuff that had fallen from his table and putting everything back in place. Harmony was not very happy with what had happened and said that she deserved a pay raise because she had to put up with his temper on top of everything else. Angelus paid her no mind. She soon left and Angelus settled behind his desk but made no move to continue with his work.

Gunn took the chair across from him, "So, what was that about?"

"That corn fed asshole came in here and started insulting Buffy left and right. He called her a gold digger and a whore." Angelus was still angry. He could not believe Riley thought it good to come to his office and say those things about the woman he loved.

"Feel good punching him?" Gunn asked amused. It sure looked like he enjoyed it.

"You have no idea." Angelus answered with a satisfied grin on his face.

Gunn clapped his hands and said "Glad you enjoyed it" then stood up and left laughing all the while. Angelus shook his head at the man. Leave it to Gunn to find humor in any situation. Angelus could not deny that it felt good punching the arrogant asshole. He wondered what Buffy had seen in the guy but was glad she was rid of him.

Riley did not deserve a woman like Buffy and he was a complete fool for letting Buffy slip through his fingers but Angelus was happy he did. Thanks to Riley's mistake he now had Buffy all to himself, Angelus thought with a satisfying smile.

####

Riley dusted himself off while trying to catch his breath. That had totally exploded in his face. He just hoped Buffy also got some of that anger he had just received. Riley was certain she was only with Angelus for his money and good looks.

He couldn't help but feel jealous of Angelus. After all, he had everything Angelus wanted. The perfect woman, the job, the money and fame. Hopefully after his visit Angelus would soon be without one of those things.

Removing his phone from his packet he speed-dialed the only number on the phone. A sultry voice answered after a few rings. "How did it go?"

"Terrible. He attacked me and threw me out of the building. That was not part of the plan. That was not supposed to happen. You said he's a calm reasonable guy. Do you have any idea what I stepped into?" He was nearly screaming by now.

"Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack. You knew there was a possibility that he might not take well to the news. At least he knows now and all you have to do is sit back and wait for her to come running back into your arms."

Riley snorted at her reply. "Yeah well. I'm gonna sit back and relax on your tab. He knocked my teeth out. I'm going to need a body massage after what I've been through." Riley said then closed the phone ending the call. He hailed a cab and told the cabbie where to take him. He just hoped the plan followed through otherwise he was going to be very upset.

####

Darla closed the phone and smiled to herself. So she had neglected to tell Riley that Angelus had a temper like a raging bull. The fact that Angelus had punched Riley worried her somewhat. Angelus had never punched a man over her. He rarely lost his temper to that extent. Angelus was always a calm and collected person, she could count on her one hand how many times he had lost her temper…and it wasn't much.

Dismissing the worrying thought she chalked it up to something Riley must have said that made Angelus angry. When she and Angelus had been together he had never been jealous and she doubted that he was now.

She was sure Riley was in a lot of pain at the moment. Angelus was a powerful and strong man. No doubt he had given Riley a good hiding. Not that she felt in the least bit bad about it. Riley was just a pawn in her grand plan. A means to an end. She had no trouble using people to get what she wanted and Riley was playing a vital part.

After Darla had paid a professional private detective to get information on Buffy, she went to Iowa to see Buffy's ex-boyfriend. She had no idea if Riley would go with her but to her relief, he did.

Darla told Riley she was a friend of Buffy and that Buffy was very unhappy and missed him very much. Riley had no idea that she was actually no friend of hers. She had explained that she and Angelus were old friends and that she only wanted what was best for both of them.

When she had taken Riley out to dinner that night in Iowa he had told her that he also missed Buffy and wanted her back but had no money to go and see her. Darla had 'kindly' offered to pay for his ticked to L.A. and insisted that he stay with her while he worked at getting Buffy back.

After they reached an agreement they had wasted no time in packing his things to get back to L.A. to start with the plan. Neither Angelus not Buffy needed to know that Darla had slept with Riley. That would remain a secret between them.

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WOLFRAM AND HART

Buffy got into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. There was some sort of commotion going on but she was too far lost in thought to pay any attention to it. As she entered the floor she saw Harmony and Forest talking and waved at them.

She knocked on Angelus' office door and entered at his command. He was sitting behind his desk and looking at some papers in front of him. Buffy strolled in and noted that he was deep in thought and didn't notice her yet.

"Wow, is everyone at this place in a foul mood today?" she asked.

Angelus' head came up sharply at her question. A smile quickly broke out on his face and he stood up to go and greet her. "Halo my love. Sorry, I thought it was Harmony. She's been going off all day jabbering about god knows what." Angelus answered as he kissed her. He knew he had to tell her about the incident with Riley but was not sure how.

"I need to talk to you…" her tone made him worry and he pulled her over to the sofa situated in the centre of his large office.

"What's wrong?" Angelus asked worriedly.

Buffy took a deep breath and just let it all out. She didn't know how to tell him and there was no way of 'sugar-coating' it. "I saw Riley today. He showed up outside my office. I was heading out to lunch and as I turned around and there he was." Buffy risked a glace up at Angelus. She had no idea how he would take the news.

"He wanted to talk to me. He said he'd been thinking about me a lot and he wanted us to try again. He said he 'forgave' me for what happened."

Angelus had not said anything yet. He didn't know Riley had been to see Buffy. That angered him even more. That little shit had been to see Buffy while he wasn't there to protect her. Hopefully his visit to Buffy was short.

"When I told him to get lost he grabbed my arm and I slapped him. I didn't mean to hit him but when he grabbed me I just acted on instinct. Then I told him to leave me alone. I was so shaken up that I could barely drive. I went to the Ambiente Mall to calm down then I came straight over here. I know I should have come over straight away but I couldn't drive and…

"It's okay, don't worry. It's better that you didn't drive when you were upset. That arrogant piece of… I can't believe it. Buffy, he was just here Riley must have come here right after leaving you."

Buffy was very shocked to hear that. "What?"

"He came to warn me against you. He told me about the attack and his suspicion that you were cheating on him. I couldn't contain myself and before I knew what happened, I punched him…"

Buffy's eyes were wide as saucers. She could not believe that Angelus had punched Riley. She hoped it was a good solid punch. Angelus couldn't continue telling her what happened because she was hugging him so tightly.

"You're not upset?" he asked

"No. Why would I be angry? I wish I could have punched him. The slap I gave him was so…tame. What else did he say?" She wanted to know. Surely Riley would know he's not welcome here after being slapped by both Buffy and Angelus.

"Only that. Luckily Harmony called Gunn and he escorted him from the premises. I can believe he's so arrogant. Thank god you saw the light and moved on to better things." Angelus said as he kissed her passionately.

"So…are you going to heed his warning and stay away from me?" Buffy was only half joking. She wasn't sure exactly what Riley told Angelus but it couldn't have been very flattering.

"I don't need Riley or anyone else to warn or tell me anything about you. I know he's lying and I know the real you. Riley never knew you the way I do and nothing he says can change my feelings about you. Don't worry that pretty little head of yours. Like I told you before, nothing about you could scare me away." With those words he placed a reassuring kiss on her lips.

"Then I'm very happy to hear that." Buffy smiled against his kiss.

"I've had enough for one day. Let's go home." Angelus said as he pulled Buffy to his side and they strode out of his office. It had been a chaotic day and he had had enough. All he wanted to do now was get home and forget about everything.

END CHAPTER SEWENTEEN

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