Chapter 24 – Edge of the Knife
The offices
of Angel Investigations were deserted.
It was late
morning and no one was there to help the hopeless. There was evidence that at
some point they’d been there. The coffee cups were still half full on Cordelia’s
desk and the coffee maker was still on warm for the pitiful remaining dregs.
Angel and Wesley looked around then back at each other in a silent query of
where they had gone.
“There
doesn’t appear to be a sign of struggle,” Wesley said, stating the obvious. “But where would they go without letting you
know?”
Angel
barely heard him as he looked around for clues. He stepped into his office and
smiled as the sweet scent of his mate’s earlier lovemaking wafted to him. He
momentarily forgot where he was as a picture of them joining together filled
his mind. It was the sound of Wesley’s footsteps that cleared his mind. He
quickly looked around. The pile of blankets was still heaped on the floor but
otherwise there was nothing to indicate where they had disappeared to.
With a
sigh, Angel turned to head back into the reception area when another stronger
aroma came to him. It was blood. Buffy’s blood. The rich smell was growing in
intensity and he vamped out as fear clutched him. He ran in the direction from
where it seemed to be coming from with Wesley on his heels.
“What’s
wrong, Angel?”
“Buffy,”
Angel cried, pushing in the door to his training room.
He stopped,
staggering under the shock of Buffy facing off with Faith. The two Slayers were
circling each other, reaching and jabbing for an opening. They were so intently locked in their battle
that neither acknowledged his arrival. Angel quickly glanced around the room.
Cordelia and Doyle were leaning against one wall but quickly straightened when
he glared at them. He dismissed them, turning his attention to his wayward
Childe. Spike was hunkered down by the side of the mat watching and muttering
comments. Their eyes clashed for only a second before Spike returned his
attention to Buffy.
A grunt
from Faith returned Angel’s attention to the Slayers. Faith was on her back but
already rolling to her feet. Buffy was preparing to kick out before the
brunette could fully recover. The blood that he’d smelled was still dripping
from Buffy’s nose in a thin crimson stream staining her shirt. Buffy’s timing
was off and Faith caught her foot, flipping Buffy onto her back. The blonde hit
the mat with a thud and for a moment defeat flooded her face.
Anger
surged through him at her weakness. She was the Slayer, mated to two Master
Vampires and she was lying on her back like a pitiful human. Angel moved to the
opposite side of the mat as Spike, copying his Childe’s pose.
“Ahh, it
seems the ladies are in a duel to see which is properly suited to share me
bed,” Angel said, reverting to the accent that had been his in another
lifetime. “Both are worthy of such a position and get my blood boiling. I
wonder whose legs will be wrapped around me tonight.”
Angel
watched the reactions from the Slayers; the look of pride gracing Faith’s
countenance and the betrayal on Buffy’s. His words were meant to rattle his
mate. To see what she would do in a true fight while dealing with her wayward
emotions. He’d seen the knife and knew that it came from Faith. Buffy still had
nightmares about what she’d once had to do and would only repeat history if she
was forced to do so. The brunette’s power seemed to surge as she pounded on
Buffy who was again on her feet.
“It seems
that I’ll be sampling something new after all…”
~~~~~~~~~
If it was
meant to tear her heart in two then Angel had succeeded. Buffy’s insides were
bleeding from her mate so casually mentioning how he would love to fuck Faith.
The blows the other Slayer was raining down on her were nothing in comparison
to the single one from Angel. She tried ineffectually to deflect some of the
blows while regaining her sense of ground. Here in this room she felt
surrounded by the enemy. Cordelia would love to see her lose, Doyle didn’t
truly care for her and Angel, her Angel, was becoming lost to his dark side.
“Come on
focus, Slayer,” Spike whispered.
It was only
Spike that seemed to be on her side. She teetered on the edge of the mat and it
seemed like everything froze as a single thought forced itself into the
forefront.
Everything would be lost if she let
Faith win.
It wasn’t
just a fight to see who was the stronger of the two but a battle between good
and evil. If Faith won then Angelus would claim her. Angel would lose to the
evil and so would Faith. They would encourage and push each other to see which
one of them was more of a monster.
Angelus would use Angel’s knowledge to have the chip removed from Spike
then use the leverage to bring him back to the other side. Angelus liked his
playmate and would want the blonde to follow him again.
There would
be no one to protect her family and friends if her mates were no longer
fighting for good. Dawn and her mother would die if not by Glory then by the
new threesome. It would be Angelus’ desire to destroy whatever reminded him of
the good that once dwelled within him. Her friends would follow. Picked off one
by one, while they were tortured by the thought that there was no where they
could hide. She had to be the one to keep them all safe.
The next
thought changed her world.
Angel was wrong.
Love was an
emotion. It was the strongest one. In that realization, Buffy let the love she
had for her mates, family and friends flood her being with its power. She didn’t
have to win by force but by the sheer determination of her heart.
Faith’s
next blow was easily stopped as Buffy wrapped her hand around the other girl’s
wrist. In the next instant Buffy flipped the brunette. Faith hit the mat with a
satisfying thud while Buffy flipped over her to grab the knife. Surprise had
given her the edge as Faith floundered long enough for Buffy to reach her
again. A knee was pressed to her back while Buffy wrapped the brunette’s hair
around her hand. The knife was quickly pushed to Faith’s throat.
“Checkmate,”
Buffy said, refusing to look away even when she heard the murmurings of
surprise and encouragement drifting her way. She tugged on Faith’s hair to make
sure that she had Faith’s full attention. “Listen carefully. Angel is mine…”
Buffy paused at her use of the word she once riled against but now it was one
of pride. They did belong to each other and that ownership no longer scared
her. “And so is Spike. The three of us are staying together. If you can
understand and accept that then I can deal with you being here. And maybe we
can be friends again.” She drew the knife along Faith’s throat but only enough
to draw a minute amount of blood. “But every time you look in the mirror
remember this day and your place in this company.”
Victory was
hers but Buffy didn’t feel it yet. In a single motion she released Faith and
wiped her own blood from her face. For the first time since he’d stepped into
the room Buffy looked at Angel. He was still in game face and she knew that
Angelus was reining at the moment. She could love both man and demon in Spike
so why not in Angel? As long as the man was more in control there was something
to admire in both. With her and Spike’s help there was no way that Angelus
could win. She walked to him with deliberate steps.
“So, you’ve
won your spot…” Angel began.
“No, I’ve
won nothing because you can’t win what is already yours,” Buffy said,
determined not to let him get to her this time. “We are mated…for life.”
There was a
glint of admiration in those eyes that were so cold. They wouldn’t be for long
if she had her way. She turned to look for Spike but found him already beside
her. She lifted the knife and wiped one side of the blade with a finger. There
wasn’t much but it was the blood of her opponent and she offered it to Angel. A
rush of triumph flooded her when he bent his head to suckle on her finger. When
it was released she repeated the gesture for Spike. The blood was hers by
vampire right. It was her foe and her win but by respect of their position
she’d given it to her mates.
Angel’s
hand closed around her neck, pulling her to him, and she went willingly. His
kiss brought the coppery taste of blood that still clung to his tongue. By
sharing it with her, Angel was telling her that she was worthy to stand beside
him. The air surrounding the three crackled with their claim as it was
reinforced by the sharing of the blood.
A part of
Buffy was grossed out by the taste of Faith’s blood but the strength that was
filling her was heady. Eagerly she went into Spike’s arms to continue the sharing.
Only after they were done did they turn a united front to the others.
Faith’s
hand still covered her throat as she watched them in fascination and envy.
Wesley was only studying them in contemplation of the implications of their
joining. Doyle’s arm rested across Cordelia’s shoulders where she seemed to be
standing comfortably. Buffy hid a smile knowing that Doyle didn’t have much
longer to wait to claim his princess. It seems that watching the fight and her
kissing her mates had done something to them because sexual tension hung heavy
around the two.
“I’m
disappointed,” Angel said. “Faith, I asked you to wait until my return to
announce your inclusion into this family. I hope though that you’ve learned
your lesson.” Buffy watched as he looked at everyone else in the room. “Nothing
has changed. The three of us are still together and will remain together. Faith
if she is still willing will help in the fight under the direction of Wesley.
Spike is having his chip removed tomorrow night. If anyone can’t deal with
these changes leave now otherwise let’s get back to work.”
“Come on,
Cordy,” Doyle said. “I think it’s time for lunch. Wanna go pick up something
with me? ”
“Sure,”
Cordelia said. She turned back to the others. “Do you all mind cleaning up the
office? It doesn’t look too good if clients come by and see the place in such a
mess.”
With that
the two swept out of the room. Attention turned to Faith and Wesley. A silent
conversation seemed to occur between Angel and Wesley. Buffy watched in
fascination as Angel seemed to give control of Faith to their former Watcher. A
level of understanding had to have occurred when they were gone for this to
happen.
“Faith, is
your choice still the same?” Angel asked.
Faith
stared at Buffy for a long moment and finally dropped her hand from her throat.
For once the brunette’s histrionics wouldn’t give her the center of attention
that she wanted.
“Yeah, I’ll
stay,” Faith conceded. “The foods gotta be better than what they have in
prison, right?”
“Wesley, I
think you have your work cut out for you,” Angel said. “I want her training to
start this afternoon. We’ll do the ritual tomorrow back in Sunnydale.”
“Very
good,” Wesley said, turning to Faith. “Let’s go shall we? We can start
discussing what training you need.”
With a nod
to the trio, Wesley led Faith from the room. They were alone. Buffy stepped
away so she could face Angel and Spike. Her eyes swept over them but they
seemed to be waiting for her.
“Tomorrow
seems to be a big day,” Buffy said. “Spike’s chip, doing some kind of ritual
with Faith. Were you planning on bringing her into the family?”
“No, Buf,”
Angel said. “It puts her under my control nothing more.”
Buffy
searched his face for signs of deception but there was only calm in the brown
depths. She nodded her head. It wasn’t over. It wouldn’t be until Angel had the
strength to dominate Angelus. He always felt the lesser of the two and until he
knew himself which was stronger there would still be trouble.
“I’m going
to trust you,” Buffy said. “Tomorrow we’ll talk but for now I want to get home.
It isn’t safe for all three of us to be away from Sunnydale.” She turned to
Spike. “Are you going to stay here or return with me?”
The offered
choice seemed to surprise Spike. It was always a given that he remained with
Buffy while Angel was in
“Go with
her, Spike,” Angel said. “Tomorrow everything changes and I want to know that
the two of you are together. I’m going to be busy making all the final
arrangements anyway.”
Spike
nodded and turned back to Buffy. “Guess I’m returning with you, Luv.”
Buffy
stepped back into Angel’s embrace. Now that everything was settled she could
feel the needy little girl in her wanting her boyfriend’s assurances. Angel
didn’t disappoint as he pulled her closer to him. Then Spike was there behind
her again as the three of them held on. If only there was enough time for her
to make love to Angel. It seemed so long since it had been the two of them and
she wanted his attention.
“
When Buffy
left with Spike a short while later it was with a hopeful heart. They’d come to
