Immortal Beloved VI..."

A shortie

PG-13

Spoilers for Angel to "The Girl in Question..." However everything here except the reference to the episode's enemy is my own playin' round...

Disclaimer: Everything but the 'Soames Walthrop' and I don't use it here is Joss' and ME's

Summary: Yet another view of the upcoming Wednesday rendezvous...

Oh, I be havin' fun with this...

***

Rome...Buffy's and Dawn's apartment bedroom...

Angel and William faced the object of their pursuit...The one they'd crossed the Atlantic to rescue their dear Buffy from...The One and Only...The Immortal...

The original Count Dracula...

What, you thought that Europunk grandnephew was the real McCoy?...C'mon...

Old Dracula, iron-gray haired, his past leadership of thousands clear in his every step, his harsh face forged in ten thousand battles, faced them...With a surprisingly benign expression which Will assumed stemmed from ...Hopefully...Overconfidence...

Fortunately, or so he hoped, Buffy was nowhere to be seen in the room...Although he sensed her presence near...

"All right, Angel...Lets rock..." he called...Trying to show no fear...I mean the Original Old One...

"Wait Will..." Angel hastily called...As William took a fighting stance...

Hmmn...He stared as Angel stepped between him and Old Dracula...Who gave a wry smile...

"You haven't explained things to him yet, eh Angelus...?"

"Wait a mo..." William blinked...

"You...You have a soul..."

"Indeed, my boy...For about a century now...It was the only way your old friend the Master...With the help of my treacherous grand-nephew...Could drive me from my position as King of the Underworld...Not being able to physically defeat me..."

Little did they...Or I, at the time...Dream what a blessing they'd bestowed on me...he beamed...

"I now act as an advisor to the Council of Watchers...Ms. Summers however made a special request for my assistance...Knowing you did not know my status...She felt my presence might possibly be the one thing to draw you here..."

"Buffy?...Wait...Angel?...You knew all along, didn't you?..." Will turned to Angel who shrugged...Yeah...

"And there's no danger to Buffy...From him anyway, right?..."

Yeah... "But William, listen..." The door to the adjourning room opened...Buffy...Followed by a group which included Dawn, Willow, Hank Summers (if Will remembered his photos correctly), Giles, Xander, Andrew, several new Slayers, and to his especial surprise-Wesley and Harmony...

Hi, Spike...Harmony waved...

"What the hell?..." he stared...

"So..." he eyed Buffy who'd come to him...Just looking at him quietly... "There really is no danger to you..."

"None except I might hurt my hand socking you, you son of a..." she burst into tears...Hugging him...

"Why the hell did you take so long?!..." she sobbed... "What?...Did you think I was lying?...God!..." she pulled away...Glaring...

I really oughta whale you one...she fumed, then grabbed him again...William, William...Oh...God...

My love...she kissed him...

***

Buffy dragging a still-shocked Will from guest to guest...Dawn serving as hostess, clearly in her element...Sighing a bit as she watched Buffy with William...

Still, what the hell, a good fighter, human-souled, and a fine man...Who'd come to save them expecting nothing...

"Funny..." Harmony noted to Wes, indicating Buffy... "You know this is beginning to seem just like some kind of ..."

"Indeed...And it is..." Wes nodded...And about time a couple of us found a little happiness...He smiled at Angel who gave a grin back...Nice going, boss...

"Dad...Meet my fiancee, William..." Buffy pulled him over...Arm firmly round...

***