Dominion: Angel ending

The second Angelus slipped his fangs into Buffy’s soft neck it began. 

His intent was to drain her. 

Her intent was to bind him. 

Both were successful. 

“I take you into me, I bind you to me; Angelus of Aurelius, demoned mate of this body, I command you to surrender!” Buffy said as the orgasm crashed through her; whatever else his motivations, Angelus’ bite set her body afire like nothing else. But she felt herself growing weak and cursed herself for a fool; he was taking more than he usually did. She should have known he’d use this opportunity to turn her. 

“The Demon, Angelus, I bind you into me as part of this body until time ceases and eternity ends. Angel of Aurelius, souled mate of this body, not dead nor not of the living, I bind your soul as part of your body until time ceases and eternity ends.”

Buffy continued to chant as her orgasms continued to thunder through her and Angelus continued to move in her, draining her blood. 

It was a race, whoever could finish fastest won. The power that was her blood spread through him and he couldn’t believe it; a thousand times better than before but somehow not and at the same time all Buffy. He had tasted sips of her blood over the past days and received a small sampling of that power, but now, with more and more of that sweet nectar filling his body Angelus thought he was going to combust from the sheer wonder of it. 

His own orgasm exploded from him as Buffy’s walls clenched repeatedly around his rock hard shaft. 

Buffy started her chant for a third time as they again climaxed together, and both knew that that – that time – was the one thing neither had. 

“The Demon, Angelus, I bind you into me as part of this body until time ceases and eternity ends. Angel of Aurelius, souled mate of this body, not dead nor not of the living, I bind your soul as part of your body until time ceases and eternity ends…” 

She trailed off just as the final word left her mouth and hoped that the end of the ritual would be completed – unknowingly – by Angelus. She needed some of his blood to fully bind them and hoped, in his need to turn her, that he would finish what he started. 

Angelus complied. 

But not for the reasons either of them originally thought. 

It suddenly all made sense. The chant coming from Buffy, the feeling he had of being in his body yet not. The sounds of Angel as that damnable soul broke free of the chains imprisoning him and the sound of Buffy’s slowing breath. Rage coated him; a hot stickiness that burned through every fiber of his being. 

But Angelus didn’t stop his task. 

Betrayal, she had betrayed him, the bitch…but in the next instant pride at her own cunningness seeped through him. Pride that she was indeed his equal and that he would finish what they had both started because that was the only way. 

All this went through his head in a second as weakness spread through him. 

In the next second Angelus realized that he now had double reason for turning her: He had already taken too much blood to stop and if he just killed her they both died. He was caught for a moment, wavering between life and death. Should he turn her, allowing her to go on without him? It would certainly be the ultimate in irony, Angelus turning the slayer only to have met his final death at her hands before they had the chance to revel in that forever. 

Or not turn her, for he was loath to leave her alone for eternity; what good was forever if he wasn’t with her? No good, he wanted to see her hunt, wanted to teach her the finer aspects of vampire sex, wanted to spend that promised eternity with her. He had promised, after all and he always kept his promises. 

But if he stopped now all his work was for naught. Then they’d both die. And that was simply unacceptable. 

Plus, there was a very real possibility that once she was turned she’d be able to put him back into his own body. Could two demons exist in the same body? Possibly, if one was put there through magickal means, means meant to contain and control, not takeover. Plus it’d give him a chance to get to know the demon that was going to be Buffy more intimately than one could possibly conceive. 

If she could do the spell, she could undo it. And that pansy assed Angel would finally be banished forever. Then Angelus could indeed have that eternity with Buffy and the world would tremble at the mere mention of their names.

In the third second, Angelus (Angel? The demon was so weak he wasn’t sure any longer, the soul so disoriented neither could tell the difference) removed his fangs and sliced his neck, allowing his doubly rich blood to flow freely. 

Whoever was doing these tasks, soul or demon, knew that without his blood Buffy would die and he’d lose her forever. And since both had already decided that that was something neither was willing to contemplate…. In perfect coordination the two halves of the vampire moved, maneuvering Buffy to his (their?) throat. He groaned aloud in delight as she instinctually began to drink. He allowed her to take as much blood as he could spare and then just a little more. 

She was, after all, going to be not only his childe, but his mate as well. 

Gently disengaging her from his neck, Angelus (Angel?) sighed with her as the feeling of loss overcame the both of them. Kissing her bloodied mouth, with his waning strength and fading consciousness, some of her powerful blood still on his lips, mixing their blood together in yet one more way, Angel (or was it Angelus still? Maybe a combination of the two but still, neither demon nor soul could tell…) completed the last portion of the mating ritual just as he felt consciousness slipping from him. 

“Mate to mate, blood to blood, and body to body, joined as one until eternity be ours.” 

Locking eyes with Buffy, he noted, almost absently, that she was still awake. Which wasn’t supposed to happen when turning a human into a vampire; they died and hence were unaware. Barely so, but awareness had yet to fully slip from her body as she watched him. Her eyes shone with tears, love, grief and sorrow…and triumph. 

“I’m sorry,” Buffy said as she used the last of her strength to hold him (both of him) close. “I’m sorry but it was the only way. I love you, I love you…” 

Disoriented, weak, yet oddly calm, he kissed her softly, deep brown eyes still locked with her luminous green ones. “I know, I know…and whether you believe it or not, I love you, too, Buffy.” 

They both lost consciousness then, weak from blood loss and the spell. 

And silence reigned in the large penthouse room for an unending amount of time. 

The world, for several long, long minutes, held its collective breath and time did, indeed, stop as the warriors, as the lovers, lay entwined in each other’s arms. Blackness stretched out across the land for those moments, a void that swallowed everything, good, bad, and all those in-between gray areas… 

To suddenly snap back, once more allowing time to continue its inexorable march forward. 

The sun set, a crimson blaze of glory that made those who witnessed the event marvel at such a miracle. It was the most beautiful thing any of them had ever seen. Clouds hung low on the horizon but couldn’t obscure the brilliant light from the glowing orb as it lay to rest one more day. Little by little the stars made their appearance known, twinkling in the ever-darkening sky as the moon began her ascent across the velvet night. 

And just as suddenly as it began, it stopped and people went back to their lives, knowing that something had happened but not exactly sure what had occurred. Across the globe, for a collective moment that lasted entirely too short a time, every creature was in perfect synchronicity as Buffy wove her spell over her lover. They knew what existed and what had occurred and what was most likely going to happen now. 

But then everything reverted and time snapped back into focus and the population of Earth went back to their individualistic lives. 

And Buffy and Angel regained consciousness. 

Gasping for breath as if it had been hours rather than minutes Buffy’s eyes shot open. Half a second later, Angel’s eyes snapped opened as well and looked into hers. They held that look for long moments as a wealth of emotion passed through them, each knowing the other in ways never before conceived…no words were said; there was nothing to say even if the occupants of the room could think on how to form words at that moment. 

Pain wracked each of their bodies then, convulsions that caused them to collapse back into each other’s arms, holding on as if the other was their only anchor in this world. Where had this agony come from, what was it? It quaked through the both of them as if binding them even more tightly together through their pain…and their passions. 

Buffy screamed then, realizing fully what had happened. Knowing what she had done to Angelus, what she had done to Angel and what Angelus (Angel?) had done to her. Even now she could feel her body fighting the change and hoped it would be enough. 

And Angelus, his essence now inside Buffy, just smiled. 

Angel screamed then, realizing only partly what had happened. There was chaos all around him and yet inside his own head it was strangely quiet. What had he (Angelus?) done? 

And Angelus, his essence now inside Buffy, just smiled. 

Pulling away from Buffy, pulling out of her still warm body though he was reluctant to do so, Angel scooted back along the floor a few paces from where his mate still trembled. Everything was so confused yet it wasn’t. Angelus wasn’t inside his head, which meant Angelus wasn’t inside Angel’s body. But he, Angel, could still feel Angelus. 

So then where…?

Buffy sat on the floor, wondering how she had gotten onto the plushly carpeted surface. Had they fallen off the bed while she had preformed the spell and Angelus had drained her? Most likely, but Buffy had no memory of that. As a matter of fact, all her memories were confused, disoriented, scattered too far for her to catch any one of them. There was something wrong…or was it there was something missing? No, not missing, added, there was something more, yes that was it. 

She couldn’t tell; all she knew was that there was something more to the situation than she knew…or was it something more than she could remember? 

Dimly she became aware of someone calling her name, but couldn’t pinpoint the place from where the sound was coming. But she knew it was her name, of course she did. And she knew the voice. But that same voice was also cooing to her inside her own head. 

‘Buffy,’ it said, soft and caressing, an embrace all itself, ‘My darling mate, I told you I’d never leave you…’  

“Buffy? Buffy!” Angel’s anxious voice penetrated her fogged mind and Buffy raised her confused but oddly calm eyes to meet his worried ones. His large cool hands were clasped on her shaking shoulders, soothing her as she tried to process all that had happened.

What had happened? 

“Angel?” Of course it was Angel, who else would it be? Who else could it be? “Are you okay? Are you, you? The spell…did it work? Yes,” she said, answering her own question as she listened to Angelus inside her, still cooing in his contentment. 

Angelus cooing? Maybe she had gone actually insane instead, not binding the demon within her as was her plan. “Yes, it did, didn’t it?” 

“What? Buffy, what happened? Are you okay?” 

Thoughts for himself never registered in Angel’s mind, all he knew was that Buffy was before him looking utterly enchanting as she sat on the floor, her blood mixed with his on both their bodies, his scent covering her, their combined essence permeating every inch of the air between them. Various bite marks could be seen on her lovely her skin but, instead of marring her golden beauty, the marks only added to it. 

They were his, after all… 

Wait… There was something wrong and way different here…hadn’t he drank from her? Drained her? 

Turned her…? 

Still holding her shoulders, his thumbs stroking in light circles across the naked flesh, Angel asked again, trying to calm both himself and her though she didn’t seem to need calming; well, he certainly did. His blood called for hers, more than usual; his body craved its mate and Angel was hard pressed not to just take her then and there, screw whatever had happened, whatever the consequences were. 

How was it that he could vividly remember making love with her but not anything before or afterwards? He had mentioned something was wrong, hadn’t he? 

The little voice that was usually in his head taunted him despite the fact that Angelus was no longer within his body. ‘That’s it, take her, fuck her until she passes out from the pleasure and then do it again. Taste her once more.’ Shaking off those thoughts and wondering why he still had them when Angelus was mysteriously missing, Angel refocused on Buffy. 

“Baby, are you alright?” 

Eyes still locked with his and still trembling uncontrollably, Buffy slowly nodded. Yes, everything was fine now. Wasn’t it? “Yes, Angel,” she again answered calmly yet somewhat distantly, “Everything’s fine. He’s quiet now. He was always so angry before, always so full of rage and hate…but he’s not anymore. He’s content; he’s happy. Why is he happy, Angel?” 

Not understanding, still worried for her safety and confused over his own circumstances, Angel asked, “Who, Buffy? Who are you talking about?” And then almost to himself, “What have I done to you, my beloved?” 

What had he done…? 

And then it all came crashing back as if the blanket of confusion had suddenly been lifted and Angel couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to remember and by all the gods in the heavens, WHAT HAD HE DONE? It wasn’t Angelus, no he couldn’t blame this on the demon; well, partly, maybe, but that wasn’t really the point. 

Angel had known full well what he was doing; he was saving his love’s life. Angelus had taken too much, had drained Buffy to the point of death – okay purposely as that was his intention, to turn her – and the only way for Angel to save the woman in his arms was to transfer his own poisonous blood into her system. They both knew this, both Angel and Angelus, and that was exactly what they had done. Turned her, made her a vampire…just like him. 

Sure, she had risen almost immediately, okay, that was a little unusual…and yes, it seemed as if she still retained her warmth…and that wasn’t standard, either…and quite possibly her soul if her reactions to the last few minutes were any indications. She wasn’t acting any different, confused, yes, but she didn’t seem…well, evil. Her eyes looked the same…bright and caring and full of warmth and love. 

With maybe a hint of brown-gold but that wasn’t really registering at the moment for Angel. 

A vampire-slayer-vampire with a soul? That taunting voice that sounded suspiciously Angelus-like commented, ‘Man, they’re giving those souls out for free, aren’t they?’ Angel wished that voice would shut the fuck up; he was confused enough as it was since he knew beyond a doubt that Angelus was no longer within him. Had they been together so long that he now no longer knew how to react to the silence of his own thoughts? 

His full attention returned to Buffy and what she had done to herself. What had she done to herself? 

“Buffy,” he said, a whispered caress that brought the slayer’s attention back the being before her. “Buffy, what did you do to yourself, love?” 

“Slayer spell,” she answered, her shakes beginning to lesson, but Angel was unsure if she was talking to him or to herself. There was still something he was missing; she seemed distracted as if part of her was somewhere else, he had never seen her like this before. This was more…different, it seemed as if…but then she was explaining and Angel was still too lost in his own confusion to follow more than one train of thought. 

“We bound all the previous slayers into me, from the first to the one right before me; I am THE SLAYER now. Immortal, powerful, I am what every slayer has always wanted to become since the First died and passed on her mantel.” 

Angel stared at Buffy dumbfounded. He hadn’t even been aware something like that was possible. It certainly explained the feelings of power that rolled off her, the ones he could feel even as he’d been a prisoner beneath Angelus. That feeling was magnified exponentially now that he was in charge of his own body and Buffy was before him. 

“That’s not possible.” Angel said softly, disbelief, anger, fear for her coating his words as his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her shoulders hard enough to leave bruises. “You’re still human, Buffy!” He roared that anger out, the sound echoing around the room, “Your body can’t house that kind of power!” 

He was terrified at the chances she took, the chances that could take her away from him now that he was back, now that he had her back. And at the same time a streak of uncontrollable lust washed through him; she was more powerful now, and all his body wanted was to control her, to dominate this woman, HIS woman through any means left to him. 

She gazed silently back at him as Angel fully digested what she confessed and didn't wondered at his response; he and Angelus had had very similar reactions, almost down to the same wording, the same fear in their eyes, the same passion in their bodies. 

Angel’s large cool hands moved up her shoulders, to her face and clenched into fists in her soft hair, his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, “That could have killed you! I can’t believe you did something so…stupid! So reckless! I should chain you to my bed and never let you out of my sight again for the chances, the stupid chances you take! Your body wasn’t meant for that kind of power, Buffy! Wasn’t Willow’s walk down that path a good enough lesson for you?” 

Cupping his cheek, Buffy wondered for a moment how they had both known of Willow’s embrace of the darkness within and said the same words she had to Angelus, “The line goes through Faith now. Besides, you knew I would come for you.” 

“You came for Angelus,” he said his voice icy and distant though his eyes continued to hold conflicting emotions. “You came to LA for Angelus.” 

“No, no, I didn't. I changed myself, I did that spell because I had to overcome him because the only way to fight him, to win against both him and the First was to become all the slayers, become what I was meant to; The Slayer.” 

“Because I was remade by the Turok-Han,” he said in sudden understanding, still not liking this one damn bit. “Because I was essentially all the vampires ever, from the first to now, because I was stronger, faster, more…you had to become all the slayers ever. To fight me, to fight my demon.” 

Again Buffy slowly nodded. She was still disoriented and only aware of her words on the most basic of levels, though she knew on that same level exactly what she was saying and doing. She was still trying to adjust to Angelus within her it was a bizarre feeling – quiet as he seemed for the moment; he was never this quiet when they were face to face – and the changes that were trying, unsuccessfully, to take over her body, but she answered Angel’s statement of a question. 

“Yes. I had to save you. I needed you; I always needed you but you left.” Buffy shook her head as if trying to stay on topic. “Only this time I needed you to help me save the world.” She didn’t say it but they both heard the ‘again’ part of her announcement. 

That’s what her plan was, Buffy remembered now. “I need you to help me fight the First Evil and Its Blood Harvest. Whatever that is, it’s beginning soon, very soon and I needed the souled vampire to help. Some prophecy or something.” She couldn’t remember at the moment but knew it was important. What had Giles said? 

“But you were gone…or trapped within Angelus who was now the dominant being in the body.” As her words continued, Buffy became more aware of her surroundings. And the incredible need to jump Angel’s bones and screw him once more. Her blood called to him and her body craved his with an intensity she was unaware any being could ever feel.  

Was this part of the blood tie? 

Because Angelus – Angel? – had tried to turn her, because they had exchanged blood they were now bound inexorably together? Hadn’t he uttered words, something about mates…? Was there something more to whatever those words were than Buffy realized? And who had said them, Angelus or Angel? Did it matter? No, but she wanted to know what they were, it suddenly seemed important. 

Angelus was still there, again whispering everything he had ever wanted to do to her body and the images from him were overwhelming and unsurprisingly detailed. But who was pushing for her to mate with Angel: Buffy or Angelus? And there was something seriously disturbing in that imagery. 

“Your soul was too weakened to control Angelus so we found a binding spell.” Buffy continued, her body shaking for another reason now as arousal licked through her. “The Essence Spell; I now have Angelus within me. Until my body is destroyed, he will live as a part of me. And you’re free of him, of his influence, of the threat and fear of him. Your body is your own, your soul a permanent part of it as it should have always been. Nothing but death can take that from you.” 

Buffy’s lips quirked then, in a semblance of a smile as Angelus protested; his imprisonment, of course, but also the fact that Angel was the proud owner of his, Angelus’, body. ‘Some things aren’t fair, lover, think of what we could do if I were actually in my own body.’ He groused, making Buffy’s smile widen. And then she gasped in need as his imaginary blunt teeth clamped down on a hardened nipple. How’d he do that? 

Angel, seeing her smile and scenting her arousal, along with this newfound knowledge, knew, he just knew, that she was listening to Angelus. A flash of jealously and possessiveness hit Angel at the thought of his demon (former demon?) now sharing Buffy’s body more intimately than he, Angel, ever could. But he forced those thoughts away and concentrated on Buffy once more. 

Angel wanted to tell her that he wasn’t worth it; he wasn’t worth her sacrifice. But if she needed him to help her defeat the First Evil, then was it worth it? No. Nothing was worth her having to deal with his demons and his nightmares for the rest of her life. Nothing. 

“Baby, you shouldn’t have done it,” Angel said but was immensely grateful that she had. 

“And if I hadn’t then we all would have died. You would still be trapped beneath Angelus and I would have had to face the First on my own, most likely dieing again. It was worth it, Angel. It was worth it because you have your greatest wish.” 

“No, Buffy,” he protested, pulling her body closer to his without fear. How liberating that was, to know that he could be as close to his love as he wanted and not worry about any earth-shattering, world-ending consequences. “No, that isn’t my greatest wish. My greatest desire was to always be with you. That’s all I ever wanted, beloved; all my dreams, all my hopes for the future were always centered around you.” 

He looked deeper into her eyes, brushing a thumb over her cheekbones and reiterated, “Only you.” 

He pulled her to him then, kissing her with all the pent-up passion he had always carried for her but was too afraid to truly show. Except for those two magical times when the world was theirs. She responded and Angel couldn’t help the pleased growl that escaped him. But just as he was about to move to the bed, Buffy stiffened and pulled back. 

Angelus, not at all pleased with her capitulation into Angel’s arms, protested. Loudly. ‘Do your really believe that, lover? Do you really believe that he only thinks of you? He’s been out playing and suddenly he says he loves you and you fall back into his arms? What a whore you truly are, my dear. A man tells you he loves you and look at what happens. Oh, but wait…Angel never actually said that he loved you, did he?’  

Anger rose up in Angelus and as such in Buffy, too. She was too new to this, too new to having Angelus within her to resist him, restrain him. So when the images of her with Angelus flooded her brain, Buffy felt as if she were betraying her lover, nothing but a whoring cheat as he had accused. It didn’t matter that she loved Angel, Angelus’ jealously and rage were too much for her to deny. 

“No, NO!” She shouted, struggling in Angel’s embrace, “Don’t touch her…! Me…” Buffy opened her eyes, once again confused and looked at the man before her. “Angel?” Her voice was startled, as if she hadn’t been expecting to see him before her, but carried a wealth of love nonetheless. 

“Yeah, Buffy, it’s me.” Wrapping his arms around her shaking form, Angel whispered into her ear. Telling her everything was going to be all right, that he wouldn’t leave her, that he never would again. Anything she needed, everything she wanted, he’d get for her, do for her, be there for her. That he’d help her with Angelus. 

To which she replied, “He just wants me, that’s all he’s ever wanted.”

Angel couldn’t dispute that at all, so continued to soothe her with words and soft kisses. “I’m sorry, baby,” he finally said even though his body – and his blood – were both screaming for her. “I’m sorry you had to do this, sorry I wasn’t strong enough to stop him. I love you, Buffy, I always have. You’re the only one I ever truly loved.” 

“What about Cordelia?” She didn’t want to know, really she didn’t, but Buffy had to ask. There were horrible visions in her mind of Angel and Cordelia courtesy of Angelus and each one stabbed Buffy anew. 

“She’s a friend,” he said simply and truthfully, willing to wait for a better time to explain everything fully. “She’s my dearest friend and…but you were always the one, Buffy. Always.” 

“I wish I could believe you, Angel, I really do, but…” But there were images in her mind of Angel mooning over Cordelia like a lovesick school boy – though admittedly those could have been altered by Angelus. Of Angel listening to a green skinned demon go on and on about Krumpets and Moira and true warriors or something.

There were too many images, too many…   

“Shh, Buffy,” Angel’s soft voice again floated over her and Buffy just wasn’t strong enough to fight both Angelus internally and Angel externally, to stop it. To stop him when he again kissed her. 

She already knew the fine line, blurred as it was, separating the soul and the demon and her feelings for the two. Buffy knew that she loved them both, but this…this was just too hard. Angel had betrayed her as Angelus reminded her. But she loved him and she needed him, needed to feel his cool arms around her and to look into his eyes and see his beautiful soul shining back at her. 

When she kissed Angel, Angelus was strangely quiet. Was it because her mind’s eye couldn’t distinguish between the two? And in kissing Angel, in responding to Angel, she was also responding to Angelus? 

Buffy didn’t know and suddenly didn’t care. She’d sort it all out later, much later after everything was finished and the battles fought. Should she survive everything and have that chance of course. Angelus obviously didn’t like that for he roared in denial at the thought of Buffy’s death, but then quieted and added his own caresses, mental as they were, to Buffy’s aroused body. 

He never was one to be left out. 

The swirling emotions between them collided and suddenly Buffy found herself pinned under Angel, his mouth attacking hers as he thrust home into her wet and welcoming body. Thoughts slipped away as her body sighed in acceptance of its mate and her blood pumped faster at being so close, so damn close… 

Angel’s face shifted and his fangs plunged into her soft neck, sipping at the blood that was as much a part of him as it was her, now. The urge was almost overwhelming and Buffy didn’t even try to ignore it. It seemed so natural, so right. Her teeth elongated though her face did not shift into that of a vampire and at the same moment Angel sank his fangs into the softness of her neck, reopening the scar once more, Buffy bit into his neck, reopening the closing scar there. 

Yes! Her body screamed, convulsing around Angel as her orgasm shuddered through her. They drank for long seconds until Angel pulled away, his handsome human face to the fore, staring at Buffy with lust, need, and horror. 

“What have I done to you, my beloved?” He asked again as her fangs retracted. Angel knew she wasn’t a vampire, not in the classical sense that at least. Her heart still beat, her blood still raced through her veins, her skin still scalded him with its warmth and her soul shone brightly back at him from her eyes. 

Running his hands through her hair, cupping her face Angel gathered himself from the incredibly intense orgasm that even now filled his body and said aloud, “The slayers pushed the demon out, didn’t they?” At her nod he continued, “But you need my blood?” 

“I…” Buffy trailed off, not sure of the answer. It was obviously yes as she had just tasted some. But the thought repulsed her, knowing that she needed blood like some vampire; it was okay for Angel (Angelus) because that was what he was, but not for her. It was a frightening theme on her worst nightmare. 

‘Hey!’ Angelus protested her sudden feelings of anger and fear over this strange new development, ‘I resent that, lover. Trust me; you would have loved it…had the damn turning actually worked.’ He huffed for a second then said, because he could feel her rising panic, ‘Maybe it’s me inside you. Because you have a demon, a vampire in you, you still need blood. Not solely to survive like I, but because it’s something you still need.’  

And why did he care if she panicked? He’d be the one to sooth her, to comfort her, to be the only one who understood her totally. Except Angel was the one whose arms she’d seek that comfort in. Damn this whole situation, it was nothing like he had planned! 

Angel watched her for a few moments and knew she was listening to Angelus. She got this introspective, faraway look on her face whenever the demon made his presence known. “Maybe,” He said when she focused back on him, “Maybe it’s because you have Angelus inside you.” Oh, for another choice of words there as he, Angel, was the one currently inside of her. “You still have a demon within you even though you aren’t a vampire.” 

‘That’s what I just said, moron!’  

Buffy looked confused for a second, then startled, and then choked out a chuckle which turned into a sob. “That’s what Angelus just said.” 

Angel scowled. Yeah, they had spent way too long together, he and his (former) demon. 

“So…so this means that I’ll, that I need…blood to survive?” Her voice was small, scared and the response from both her lovers was instantaneous. 

Angel gathered her close to his hard chest, running his hands calmingly over her back, not in arousal, but because she needed it, needed him. He whispered soft words to her; words Buffy didn’t understand but knew were endearments, nonetheless. Angelus paused a moment then added his presence to Angel’s and together they soothed their lover. 

Buffy calmed, listening to demon and soul as they both offered words of reassurance. But there was something they both missed, she thought as her eyes grew heavy and her body wanted nothing more than to sleep, safe in the arms that surrounded her. The slayers within her had something to do with this, too. They weren’t clamoring to dust Angel, they were oddly…accepting. 

“They recognized you,” Buffy said suddenly, yawning, not pulling back from Angel’s arms, but shifting closer. “The power within me pushed the demon out because it was a threat, to them and to me. But because there is a bond between us, the slayers recognized it.” 

Angel looked down at her, eyes closed, face tranquil on the verge of sleep she so desperately needed; she looked so peaceful, so relaxed that he didn’t want to disturb her. “They recognized it enough,” he continued when she trailed off, “That they didn’t feel threatened, the consequences of this connection between us weren’t sufficient to endanger them or your immortality. The price of having all the slayers’ power within you was immortality; the price of having Angelus is this.” 

“Hmm, maybe, but I think it’s something more then that,” Buffy mumbled, her body shutting down, craving sleep. 

Angel wanted to question her, he wanted to know what was happening, what, exactly, Buffy had done to herself, wanted to discuss the consequences – if any – of drinking his blood and was it only his blood or was it blood in general? But Buffy was already asleep and Angel didn’t want to wake her. Wrapping his arms tighter around her, he moved them to the bed, holding her close as he, too, drifted to sleep. 

“I’ll never leave you, beloved,” he whispered to the blonde in his arms, “I swear it.” 

And Angelus laughed because no matter what happened next, he was the one who was never leaving her.

Maybe this wasn’t what he wanted, but it was a damn fine second.

And he was going to have some serious fun once with it.

Home                Christine’s page            Dominion Index