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Title: The Summers Project
Author: Eleni Angel
Rating: R
Content: Alternate Universe, angst, Buffy/Angel, and a bit of fluff.
Spoilers: Absolutely none, this is a work of AU fiction guys.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, they are property of
Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Productions. Any songs contained within are
also not mine, but that of the artists who made them. It is also a work
of fiction, and resemblance to any person or place, living or otherwise,
is purely coincidental. I took a few ideas for names from a book by Nora
Roberts, and I apologize because I couldnt think of any good ones. I
plead not to be sued over it. When I think of something new, Ill edit
the fiction to go along with it.
Distribution: To Your Eyes, Fanfiction.net, Land of Denial, and anyone
else who archives my stuff is free to take it.
Dedication: To my fellow B/A 'shippers, keep the faith alive. To Liz for
listening to my rambles and for cheering me up right before my surgery. I
really appreciate it, and I hope that you can do the same before the next
one, Im still a little scared of the result. To all of my friends across
the net whove sent their get wells and kind words, I appreciate it. And
to my mother, who held me when the bandages came off and cried with me as
I saw the world for the first time in my life unaided. It was one of the
most beautiful moments of my existence, even if it was just the bathroom
sink. Heres to each new experience I gain and to the ones behind me.
Feedback: I would love any comments, please direct them to
eleni9724@juno.com.
Note: This may or may not have some NC-17 rated scenes. It is entirely up
to the number of requests that I get for them. I do plan on finishing all
of my other stories as well as this one and two others. I hope to get
them done this summer or shortly after. With the surgery and classes I
have to take, my writing time will be cut in half, but I assure you that
I will try to update them all as soon as I get a part done.
ACT ONE
Scene One
LAX 12:45PM
The sun was just setting beyond the horizon when a sleek jet began to
barrel down the runway at Los Angeles International Airport on its way to
land. As it rolled to a stop, the suit that had been sitting beside an
elegant town car for the last hour and a half pushed away with a sigh.
Finally, at last she was here. He had been called just scant hours ago
and informed that the head of his company, the illusive Ms. Summers, was
coming in for an inspection and to become reacquainted with the flow of
things. She'd been out of the country for years, away on an extended
vacation at her father's request, and now she was coming home.
And it was his chore to see that she got back to her sprawling, two
hundred-acre estate unmolested. He was the best god damned bodyguard in
Los Angeles, if not all of California. The board members of Giambelli
Inc. had unanimously voted to hire him to protect their beloved boss. He
had a whole briefcase full of papers describing her daily life and
habits. There was even a section on her romantic life, as if it were
really anyone's business but hers. But it would help him determine if
approaching persons were friend or foe. It wasn't, however, his job to
protect her from getting a broken heart, that was her own task. The only
thing that he was lacking was a reasonably accurate photo of her.
Airport staff rushed around to accommodate the plane, pulling out a
mobile staircase and placing it against the plane's only door. It wasn't
one of those little planes, but it was shaped like an egg and its owners'
enjoyed the sense of privacy brought by isolated landings. He watched,
amused as they all but rolled out the red carpet for the wealthy
socialite. The way he figured, she was just some brat living off of a
trust fund who had talked daddy into letting her run something. He wasn't
counting on the alluring blonde who stepped delicately onto the metal
stairs, or the seeming innocence she projected. God, she was beautiful,
he thought. But damn it, he was Angelus Donavon, and he would damn well
do his job and nothing more, nothing less. But when she smiled at him,
something deep in his ice-caged heart began to melt.
"Hello Mr. Donavon," she greeted warmly, her voice a soothing melody that
sounded like it should have belonged to an angel or something else as
divine. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Ms. Summers," he replied, keeping his tone as neutral as he could manage
under the circumstances. "I trust the situation had been explained."
"Of course," She answered without loosing stride. "My associates feel the
need to keep me as informed as possible. It isn't always as easy is it
sounds."
"They want me to keep an eye on you until the Christmas Gala," he said
anyway, as if she didn't already know. Conversation was a good way to eat
up the time that it would take them to get to their destination. "Should
anyone try to bring harm or distress to you, I'm to remove them and call
the authorities."
"I'm aware," she quipped nonchalantly, smiling as she climbed into his
car, the one that her employees were loading suitcases in. The rest of
her things would be shipped to her home directly, but she had brought a
few essentials along with her. She had been told that he would be living
in one of three guest houses at her estate, something she had no say in,
which she deemed practical no matter how unfair. She smiled as she
watched him follow, grumbling the whole way.
The drive to her home was silent, and appreciated. Buffy used the time to
sort things out in her head, things to do, people that she needed to call
and all the other formalities that applied when one returned from an
extended leave of absence. She was definitely looking forward to seeing
the gang again, especially Willow, whom she had missed the most. The
woman was her confidante and best friend rolled all into one package with
a sounding board for her ideas.
When they pulled up, a friendly looking guard, whom Buffy had hired many
years ago when he had saved her from a drunk driver by pulling her back
from the road, opened the gates. His wife, Marie was the sweetest woman,
and their children were wild, as they should be. But she loved Thomas the
best, he'd been a real asset to her, and she felt ashamed for being away
for so long without calling. She would have to invite them up to the main
house for dinner some night.
At the front, she bounded out of the car and up the stairs to fling
herself into the arms of her loyal butler, Giles, who had tended her
through many of the scrapes of her young life. He had been a nanny and
tutor as she was growing up, and an informant as she got older. In all
the years he'd been in service to her family, he had never been horrible,
even if she had thought him such when she was being punished.
"I should swat you for leaving without telling anyone," he scolded with a
kind smile, swinging her around in his arms like he had every time they'd
hugged.
"Sorry Giles, you know daddy, he gives an order, you snap to it or
there's hell to pay," she apologized. She curled into his side as he set
her on her own two feet. "It's not like I didn't want to say goodbye, or
even call, but he wanted me away for a while."
"You need make no apologies for your father, dearest," the British man
reminded her. "It's just in the nature of his work to expect complete
compliance. The government has given him absolute power, he's a gray
eminence, a person who shouldn't exist to the outside world."
"I'm well aware," she grumbled, pulling away and searching the grounds.
"Where is everyone?"
"Not all of us were informed of your return, quite a number of the staff
had been given the weekend off to visit their families and take a break,"
Giles apologized.
"Don't worry about it Jeeves," she grinned, clasping him on the shoulder
and using his old nickname that she had given him when she was six,
furious with his uptight attitude. She felt like that little girl again
as she stepped inside the house for the first time in three years. If she
thought hard enough, she could remember the very first day she had come
here. She was five, and her father had just picked her and her mother up
and moved them here without a word of warning because "it was safer." The
door closed behind her, obviously Mr. Donavon's doing. Buffy looked
around the foyer and sighed, sometimes it was good to be home.
Scene Two
Summers Estate 8:00AM
Buffy woke to a loud, obnoxious buzzing sound. Rolling over and getting
her bearings, she realized that it was the alarm clock next to her bed.
Funny thing was, she didn't remember setting it. Groaning, she reached
over and slapped it off and went to burrow her head underneath her pillow
and try to forget that morning had come so soon. And then the safety of
the pillow was gone, horrid sunlight blinding her once more. "What the
hell do you think you're doing?" she growled at the person destroying her
sanctuary.
"Getting you ready for your first day back at work," a gruff voice
answered. She cracked one lid open to see Mr. Donavon standing over her
dressed in a clean-cut black suit and monochrome tie. How perfectly bland
of him, she thought. Buffy made a few grumbling noises and shifted into a
half seated, half-reclined position that had her leaning back on her
elbows.
"I still have a few hours," she replied, blinking in the light. Hair
tousled and sleep in her eyes, she looked more appetizing than any other
woman that Angelus had ever laid eyes on. He wanted to tumble her back
into bed and ravish her until they both walked bowlegged for a week. But
that was definitely a bad idea if he wanted to keep this job. Because if
he fucked his charge, he'd loose any and all credibility that he ever
had. His groin tightened at the thought of her face flushed with
pleasure. Then he shook his head and tried to clear his mind of thoughts.
"Not if you want to make the nine-thirty board meeting, you don't," he
retorted. "So up and at 'em, love. Get your ass into the shower and get
ready, because the bus is leaving at nine."
"Did you set my alarm?" she asked, swinging her legs over the side and
grabbing the robe that had been draped over a hard backed chair beside
the bed and pulling it around her. Her long, slender legs were doing
wicked things to his imagination, and he almost couldn't find the words
to answer her.
"Yes," he admitted. "I figured it was about the only way to wake you up
without having you scream bloody murder at having a stranger in your
room."
"Smart thinking," she commented. "I probably would have belted you across
the face if you'd done it the other way."
"I'll have to remember that," he teased, stepping back. "Now go take a
shower."
"Aye, aye captain!" she barked, standing up with a mock salute. Her quick
movements caused the robe to gap open, showing she was wearing nothing
underneath. The soft swell of her breast was more than enticing, and he
had to force himself to look away. She gave him a mischievous smile and
darted out of the room and into what seemed like the bathroom of her
suit.
His own accommodations, while not quite this nice, were much better than
he expected or thought that he deserved for that matter. The guesthouse
was really a bit more of a cottage, with working plumbing, electricity,
heat, and even cable and a phone line. Every single creature of comfort
you could think of, the place had. It was a nice place to stay,
especially since all he was supposed to do was keep an eye on the blonde.
He admitted to having dozed off, because when he snapped to again, she
was standing in front of him wearing a tailored linen suit and a slight
smile. "Head in the clouds?" she asked. "Not a good thing when you're
supposed to be on the look out for big nasties."
"Just thinking about our schedule," he muttered, unwilling to show any
hint of the embarrassment he felt at that moment. He could feel it
itching in his blood, ever so close to the surface of his skin, yearning
to make itself known. "We've got a busy few weeks."
"Five and a half," she parroted off with a grin. "Then the Christmas
Gala, and you're free to go on your own way again." She gathered a day
planner and a briefcase from a dresser against one wall. Angelus took
stock of the room, and it nearly made him smile. It was done in shades of
blue and cream, with every luxury a princess could ever ask for right
down to the canopy bed and antique dressing table. If a maid had come out
and curtsied, he wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest.
"Move it, Summers," he grumbled. "We're wasting time well spent on the
road."
Scene Three
Giambelli Inc. 9:20AM
"So you're certain that shes in town?" he asked, eyes rapidly flicking
around the room to reassure himself that indeed his office door was
locked, and that the only one listening to this conversation besides him
was the person on the other end of the phone.
"Yes boss, saw her last night my self," his contact answered. "She's
sporting a new body guard, and she sure did get pretty while she was
away."
"You would notice," he snorted. "You're the lowliest of scum, the only
way you would get to see her was if you were spying on her under orders.
Youre too much of a coward to do it of your own free will, probably
never would have thought of it."
"Jesus, Riley, you don't have to be so mean," his brother sulked over the
line. "Just cause mama let you be the one to get schoolin doesn't mean
that I donna know anything."
"Get a grip," Riley Finn muttered as he rolled his eyes, aware that the
object of his disgust could not see him over the phone. "What of the body
guard? Who is it this time?"
"Angelus Donavon," Scott answered, feeling pleased with himself for
finding out the name for his brother. Riley was sure to stop being mean
to him now and let him have his money.
"The board members must have hired him, she never would have herself,"
Riley mused aloud. "She'd just as soon get herself killed than listen to
the people that love her so much they were willing to toss me to the
wolves when we broke up."
"But you were stealin," Scott reminded him helpfully.
"Its called embezzling, you idiot, and I was just borrowing it, I was
going to pay it back," the older man growled. "Then that stupid bitch
dumped me, and my cover was completely fucked. The accounting team found
what theyd been staring at for months and I got screwed."
"Yeah, busted down to a member of that awful human resources department,"
Scott mimicked his mothers exasperated voice. He'd heard this tale too
many times to not have it memorized. Their mother was furious with the
Summers family because her baby boy had lost his position and high
salary. She was always plotting something that never seemed to get put
into motion.
"I'm a practically a fucking secretary, Scott," Riley whined. "Why the
hell does that whore have so much pull around here? It's not as if she
really does anything!"
"Her grandfather was the one who started the company," Scott pointed out
with an unseen shrug. He looked out the window of his rental car at the
vast estate before him. Out of the corner of his eye, he realized that
Donavons car was missing. Damn it, theyd slipped away from him again.
"Heads up, theyre on their way in, Donavon's car is gone."
"Christ!" Riley exclaimed, this was just what he needed his first day
back after a forced probation period. "That's just-"
"Mr. Finn?" a womans voice accompanied a knock on the door. "I'ts time
for the staff meeting with the board members."
"Thanks Charlene, Ill be right there," he acknowledged. "Scott, I'll
have to call you back, tell mama I hope she feels better." He hung up on
his brother before the idiot could respond and gathered himself. He would
not let someone like that slut Buffy Summers ruin his professional
career, nor would he let them see he was ruffled by her return. He was a
man, and by God he would enter that meeting room like he was one.
Buffy Summers sat at the end of one very long, obscenely expensive,
mahogany table. Angelus Donavon, her current shadow puppet, stood behind
her like a solemn totem pole. Polished as ever, she sat waiting for the
stragglers to file in. She did not acknowledge his presence, nor did she
look up to see if he was even there. The damned bitch was pretending like
theyd never met, that they hadn't been lovers, and that he wasn't even
there. She would fucking pay for this. Maybe not now, but very soon she
would know the brunt of the pain she had caused him and his family.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said with a smile, and he realized that shed
finally started the meeting. "I am pleased to be back among familiar
faces at Giambelli Inc., and I cannot wait to begin planning for our
spring season. As many of you now know, I did not have a choice in my
absence, but I hope to make up for any problems it may have caused. I
hope that with the New Year approaching, we leave behind old boundaries
and begin fresh.
"My father and I have been in talks with Anthony Medici about a merger
between Giambelli and Medici Fabrics. As we plan to build a new family,
we will enter a new generation of designs that the American and European
family will treasure forever.
"Thank you for your time, and as always, Mr. Harris will brief you on
current events and account statuses." Riley simply tuned the CEO out and
focused on the tiny blonde who had just sat down. God she was beautiful
No wait, she was a treacherous bitch who needed to be knocked down a peg
or two. By the time they were dismissed to continue their assignments,
hed already begun formulating a plan for revenge. Maybe his degree in
engineering at MIT would finally pay off for something. Even if it was
just the quickest way for Buffy Summers to die.
Scene Four
Board Room 10:30AM
"You catch those death stares?" Angelus asked Alexander Harris, CEO of
Giambelli Inc. and member of the board of shareholders.
"Huh? Oh, that was just Riley Finn," Xander shrugged, brushing lint off
of his suit. "He and Buff used to date, but when they broke up we found
out hed been systematically embezzling money from the advertising
department for years. Padded expense accounts, fake dinner parties,
personal expenses charged as business functions. Hurt her real bad, but
she still didnt want to throw him out on the streets, hed been at
Giambelli since her grandfather handpicked him out of MIT. He was the
last person the old man ever hired before he died. So she busted him down
to human resources and put him on probation before she left, and that was
that."
"Unpleasant for business," Angelus mused thoughtfully, the picture of a
tortured Finn running through his mind. He couldnt fathom using anyone,
especially someone as innocent as Buffy Summers to steal money from a
company. It was just plain wrong, and he could see how Finn was angry
with her for reprimanding him. Just another threat in a long list of
threats and dangers that was longer than he was. He felt sorry for
Summers, it wasn't like she was trying to be the target of everyone out
to get her, it just happened sometimes.
"Hey, you know I *am* in the room, guys," the topic of their conversation
halted her examination of new sketches to admonish them. "If you're going
to talk about me behind my back, at least wait until I'm actually gone to
do it."
"Sorry Buff," Xander apologized sheepishly, his cheeks flushing slightly.
The blonde looked at Angelus expectantly, but received nothing, and in
such gave up with a huff.
"Grandfather was more of a father to me than dad ever has been," she
explained. "He picked Riley from a graduating class of over three
thousand, and there must have been some reasoning behind that. I'm not
about to toss him aside without finding out what that was. I owe grandpa
that much."
"I'm so glad youre home Buff," the brown haired businessman said with a
grin. He gave his friends shoulder a squeeze and stepped back a bit when
Donavon gave him a slight glare. It didn't take a genius to realize that
he'd fallen for their blonde bombshell.
"Me too Xand," she replied with a smile. "Are you and Willow coming for
dinner tonight? Jeeves is fixing our favorite in celebration. We might
even break out the wine again, in spite of what happened to us last
time."
"Do you even have to ask?" Xander responded with a laugh. "Will's cooking
could be termed toxic waste. We're not going to pass up the chance for
dinner made elsewhere. Especially Sloppy Joes a la Jeeves. I don't know
what he does to them, but the'yre better than anything I've ever had in
my life."
"You know, I asked him the ingredients once, and all he would tell me was
that it was a family secret and then he shoved me out of the kitchen,"
Buffy said with a giggle. "He's been making it for us for what? Ten years
now? Ever since I brought you two home for dinner in high school?"
Angelus used her age as another excuse to stay away from her, she was
only twenty-five years old, and he was thirty-three. It would most
definitely never work; all of his experience backed him up on that. But
he could admire her for her strength and cunning, not many people so
young had the drive to run a Fortune 500 company. Let alone be as
mind-numbingly gorgeous as she was. "Who else is coming?" he asked his
client, needing a head count to avoid unwanted visitors.
"Willow, Xander, my sister Dawn," she counted off, thinking hard about
it. "Thomas and his wife Marie, me, you, and Jeeves. That's about it, I
think."
"You think?" he asked curiously, mentally figuring for checking Ids and
weapons at the door no matter how embarrassing she found it.
"Well, if Olivia is in town, shes invited because she and Jeeves have
this thing going on," she explained. "Maybe Thomas and Marie's kids, if
they havent been misbehaving. Don't worry about it. They all have
individual key cards that only work with an audio code. It's a top secret
type of thing daddy installed, plus there are metal detectors in the
doors that people use, as well as an X-ray at the gate."
"Just doing my job," he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. "Did
you have anywhere else to go, or can I check in with my office?"
"Dont be pissy," she sighed, standing. "It's not that I don't know that
you're only doing your job, its just that I'm telling you that the house
is pretty much the only place where I can be safe. It's the reason daddy
moved me in there in the first place."
"Do you always do what daddy tells you?" he snapped, irritated with her
rapid changes of mood. It was then that he got to experience another. Her
hazel eyes darkened instantly and her face paled with absolute rage.
Seconds later, he could feel the sting of a hand as it struck him across
the face. He was shocked that someone so tiny was so strong, but
something inside his chest clinched at the under lying tears he could see
in her eyes, and he felt great sorrow for being the one to cause it.
And then she turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.
"How could you be such an idiot?" Harris snarled at him before following
his boss into another part of the office building that was far away from
him.
Sighing, Angelus wrung his hands over his face and his fingers through
his hair. Christ, how could he be so stupid? It was right there in her
file, her fathers occupation was that of one of the most important men
in the world. It also said, of course that his life, and the lives of his
family were in an almost constant state of danger. Which was a perfectly
good reason for Buffy and her family to jump up and move around when he
asked them to do it. Because they'd learned a long time ago that it was
always for the best. Anything else could get someone killed. God, he was
such a moron. It was a wonder his brain was connected to his mouth at
all.
"Sorry," he sighed, speaking to no one in particular at all. He guessed
it was now time to swallow his pride and go apologize to the sweet woman
he'd hurt. Even if he really hadnt intended to in the first place.
Scene Five
Giambelli Inc. 10:55AM
Seems like I was always running
From someone or something
So scared what life could hold
Didn't even want to know
Each day I would stand against it
Put up my defenses
Wouldn't let nobody inside
Then you walking in my life
It hadn't taken Xander very long to find where shed run off to. The soft
sounds of music trickling through the thin walls of her office would have
given him any clue hed needed if he hadnt. In all the years hed known
Buffy, she'd always been one of his best friends. And he had to admit
that at one time hed been in love with her. He loved her still, but he
was devoted to his wife, and cherished her as a friend. He did not want
to see her get hurt, but it was always the same pattern. She let men walk
all over her, and the minute that she'd get reprimanded; she'd run away
and listen to depressing music.
He pushed the door open, willing to do anything to get her on her feet
again. The way she lived her life was not her choice. But her only other
alternative, being cast away from the family, was something that he knew
she would not even consider. He couldn't even begin to imagine her
situation. His family had never been anywhere near as close as her was.
They'd practically hated each other and avoided each other at all costs.
Buffy was curled up at a special window seat she had designed. A
photograph of her father clutched in her shaking grasp. It was easy to
see that she was crying, even if she was doing her best to hide it. He
cleared his throat, and she looked over at him with her shining eyes.
"He's just a jackass, Buffy, don't listen to him," he sighed, crossing
the room to her.
"Daddy hasn't called for a week, Xand," she cried, curling against him as
he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so scared, and I can't help it"
"I know Buff," he murmured, giving her a slight squeeze.
Your love is
All I know
Never let you go
Baby with you
I choose my road
All my life
You're the reason why
Baby with you
I walk that road
"What if" she broke off with a sniffle, the words choking in her throat.
"Xander, what if somethings happened?"
"I'm sure hes fine, Buff," he tried to reassure her. "I'm sure he's just
really busy or something, and he'll call you the first chance he gets."
"But what if he *cant*?" she demanded. "What then?"
"He'll call," he promised. "You know that he's doing some work in the
Middle East, he called before he left to say thered be erratic
communications. So what *really* has you so upset? Why are you hiding in
your office listening to-" He picked up the CD case. "Ronan Keating?"
"Because he's right," she admitted, pulling away. "Donavon was right on
the nose when he said I did everything daddy ordered me to do. I can't
believe I let myself get so sucked in." She sniffled quietly, wiping her
eyes with angry hands. "Remember when you guys were over and daddy and I
were fighting? How I said I was still going to the dance even though he
didnt want me to? I'm just wondering when I stopped fighting him. When
did I become mom?"
Now nothing can defeat me
Knowing you complete me
You make me
Stronger every day
You lead me all the way
Anything you wanna do
Ill be there beside you
As long as
You dont leave
My dreams are guaranteed
There were a few realizations running through her head, and that was just
the one she chose to spit out. She found that she was attracted to
Angelus Donavon, that she was falling for him, and that was the reason
why his comment had struck her so hard. She wasn't prepared for him to
attack her way of life.
Xander was rambling something or other about how she wasn't her mother.
She wasnt' really paying attention, the fit had been to make him focus on
something other than what had happened between her and Donavon. "Hey
Xand?" she broke in impatiently. "I'm going to go out for lunch and some
shopping, I dont think I'll be back today. I'll see you at dinner
tonight."
"Don't you want to take the oversized pit bull with you?" he asked with a
smile.
"No," she decided. "Don't tell him where I went, just have him go back to
the house and do his job."
"You know I can't approve of that," he told her. "It's not safe for you
to be out by yourself. It's why we hired him in the first place."
Your love is
All I know
Never let you go
Baby with you
I choose my road
All my life
You're the reason why
Baby with you
I walk that road
"I just don't want to be around him right now," she growled, grabbing her
bag and putting the picture frame back on her desk. "I've got the Baretta
in my purse, I'll be fine. If I get a weird feeling Ill go to a crowded
place and call on my cell." She stood on tiptoe and gave him a sisterly
kiss on the cheek. "See you and Will tonight at dinner."
"Have fun," he finally conceded, stepping out of her path. They left her
office together, but she went on her own to the elevator bank. She was
never happier that Giambelli was situated within walking distance of
Rodeo Drive. Maybe a shopping trip would help clear her mind, and rid her
heart of this crush she had on Angelus Donavon.
Never let you go
Baby with you
I choose my road
All my life
You're the reason why
Baby with you
I walk that road
Act Three
Scene One
Giambelli Inc. 11:30AM
"Pumpkin," Hank Summers replied, gathering his stunned daughter into an
embrace. He hadn't planned on coming to see her for a few more weeks,
wanting her to get settled in before he came to say hello. He knew his
daughter well, and knew that she hated him checking up on her, and would
resent it so early on. But he also hadn't counted on seeing his daughter
infligrante in the middle of the bull pen during the day when it was
full of employees with her supposed body guard no less.
"Daddy, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked, her skin as white as well
cherished porcelain. Her hands were trembling as she stepped away, and
vaguely she could feel Angelus arm coming to rest on her shoulder.
"You're supposed to be in the Middle East or somewhere around there. You
said you wouldn't be back for another two weeks."
There was a long, drawn out silence that only proceeded to wear down the
last shreds of Buffys nerves. Shivering, she rubbed her arms trying to
calm down. It wasn't happening. Even with Angelus there to help ground
her, she was edgy and nervous that something would happen to drive him
away. It happened more than she would like.
"What? I can't come check up on my favorite daughter?" Hank asked, using
a mock-hurt tone of voice. They both knew that this was out of the
ordinary, he never came to see her without phoning ahead in advance.
Something was terribly wrong. "Would you mind too much if we moved this
to your office?"
"Of course, daddy," Buffy whispered, leading the way. She was aware that
Angelus was following along behind her father, and she was going to be
grateful for his support, but she wasn't sure that Hank Summers would
allow an outsider to hear whatever it was that he'd come to say. Both men
sat down in equally flamboyant chairs in front of her desk. "What is it?"
"Pumpkin, we got word in from Interpol," Hank began, only to hear his
daughter groan loudly and watch her as she covered her face in annoyance.
"Buffy, this is very serious. They're closing in on the man whos made
the threats against the company, and its been assumed that he's becoming
quite twitchy. One of their informants was killed the other evening."
"Whats this have to do with me?" Buffy demanded. "I mean, I'm glad that
this is almost over, but what does it mean?"
"Its dangerous for you to be here, Pumpkin," Hank answered. "I know that
we were trying to draw him out into the open, but I don't think that its
a good idea anymore. You need to go back to the safe house."
"I can't," Buffy replied, her voice hard and angry. "I won't."
"If you stay here, youre putting your life in jeopardy," he tried to
plead with her. She slumped back in her seat like a sullen child and
folded her arms across her chest, silently voicing her displeasure. "Not
only yours, but your friends lives, the lives of the people that work
here, they'll all be in danger if you dont go."
"I want this over, daddy, I wont go into hiding on a whim, just so that
Interpol can ferret him out so I can't see his slimy face," Buffy cried.
"I will not cower like an insipid little woman, thats what hes
expecting, and I'm not going to give it to him! Even if I do go, those
same people that youre talking about, the people that I love will still
be in danger!"
"Buffy, maybe you should listen to your father," Angelus began before she
cut him off.
"Don't you dare," she growled. "Don't you dare start in on me too. I'm
not going anywhere, period."
"And who's going to watch over you?" Hank demanded. "Surely not this
pretty boy," he gestured to Angelus. "The one who was taking advantage of
you not five minutes ago."
"Daddy!" Buffy yelped. "Stop it, leave him alone. Angel didn't do
anything, hasn't done anything except be an exceptional bodyguard and a
good friend. He didn't kiss me, I kissed him. And I wanted to, so stay
out of it. For once in my life, let me live on my own accord."
"Don't you dare use that tone of voice with me young lady," Hank Summers
bellowed, standing from his chair so quickly that it was shoved backwards
a few inches. "All I'm doing is trying to protect you, thats all I've
ever done." Any argument from her was cut off by the loud, obtrusive
sound of a beeper going off. Hank Summers glanced down at the vibrating
thing attached to his belt. "Buffy-"
"Just save it," the blonde grumbled, sulking.
"Well talk about this tonight," he insisted.
"Fine," Buffy replied, spinning her chair so that she was facing away
from him and the door. Hank turned to Angel and gave him a little shrug
as if he was saying I can't do anything about it right now, and left
the office to answer his page.
Scene Two
Summers Estate 5:30PM
"Are you still mad at me?" Angelus asked as he steered the car into her
driveway. She hadn't spoken to him since her father had left her office
earlier that day. It was slightly disconcerting, seeing as how theyd
shared three very intimate moments and they had yet to discuss any of
them.
She didn't answer.
"I see weve regressed back to the third grade with the silent
treatment," he mused, glancing over at her briefly. She made a small
sound and curled deeper into her seat, sullen eyes and proud chin staring
out the passenger side window. When the vehicle pulled to a stop, she
jumped out of the car and stormed into the house. Leaving a quite Angel
and a stunned Rupert Giles behind.
"What did you do to her this time?" Giles demanded, folding his arms
across his immaculately pressed suit jacket and glaring at the bodyguard
in a very angry fatherly manner. If Angelus hadn't been so worried about
Buffy, he would have found it amusing that the butler was more concerned
about the mistress of the house than the girls own father was.
"Mr. Summers stopped by the office this morning," Angel tried to explain,
shrugging to admit that he knew very little of what had set Buffy off.
"He suggested that she go to a safe house, she refused, and I said that
maybe she should listen to her father."
"Yes, well you cannot have it both ways, Mr. Donavon," Giles replied
coolly. "She either listens to her father and does whatever he says, or
she listens only to you. It makes it rather difficult for her to have to
choose when both of you are suggesting something that you mocked her for
when you first met."
"I did nothing of the sort," Angel said, becoming quite angry because he
knew that the older man was right. He had been making fun of the way that
she'd followed her fathers every order. That she was trying to change to
suit him was astounding.
"That is not the way that Mr. Harris tells it," Giles answered. "And over
the years I have become quite willing to trust that which he says in
regards to the men in Buffy's life. He's is an uncanny judge of
character."
"I didn't mean to make fun of her," Angelus sighed, finally admitting
what they both already knew. "I was frustrated by the way she lived her
life, and I had no right to give her my obviously unwelcome opinion."
"That's just it," Giles said, becoming frustrated. "She wants your
opinions, its important to her because you mean a lot to her."
"How do you know that?"
"Because she wouldn't be so angry if it didnt matter," the older man
answered. "I've known Buffy for a very long time, almost her entire life,
and I have never seen her more enamored with another man."
"I've got to go talk to her," Angel admitted. "If she'll let me."
"And if she won't?"
"Then I'll keep trying until she does."
"Good man," Giles complimented, shooing Angelus inside and closing the
door behind them. "I do believe I heard the door to her bedroom slam shut
a few moments ago, you should start there."
"Thank you Mr. Giles," Angel said with a determined smile. He turned and
all but charged up the stairs. There was music straining softly from
Buffys bedroom. Taking a deep breath and gathering his self control,
Angelus knocked quietly.
//So lately, I've been wonderin
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face//
"Go to hell," A voice growled from within.
"Buffy, please," he begged, one major thing formerly missing from his
repertoire. "I need to talk to you."
"Piss off," she snarled, voice now coming from farther within the room.
"Baby please, I'm sorry," he tried, pulling a tool kit from his belt and
attempting to jimmy the lock. After several minutes, the lock sprung open
and he pushed the door. Buffy was sitting on her bed with her folded legs
drawn up to her chest and her arms looped tightly around them. Her head
rested forlornly on her knees, eyes staring blankly off into space.
Crossing the room, he knelt in front of her but she still refused to look
at him. "I'm sorry baby," he murmured, reaching out to touch her.
//If a great wave should fall
It will fall upon us all
And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own//
She looked at him, blinking as if she was seeing him for the first time.
Shifting slightly on the bed, she allowed for him to sit next to her.
Warily, he took the invitation, and she scooted into his lap when he was
settled. His arms curled around her, his body surrounding hers like a
protective shell. "Don't do it again," she whispered.
"I promise," he swore, and she craned her neck, kissing him softly.
Though it lacked the ferocity of their previous kiss, it had no less the
passion than their embrace at the office. Angel realized that Buffy was a
woman who loved deeply, completely, and with her whole heart. An brief,
tumultuous affair while sexually gratifying would irreparably harm her in
the end. And searching deep within himself, he was surprised to realize
that he didn't want to hurt her.
He wanted to protect her forever.
//If I could, and I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go//
His mouth traced a hot path down the side of her neck, placing wet,
sucking kisses along her throbbing pulse points. The soft, mewling noises
coming from deep in her throat reminded him of a tiny kitten as they
singed a line of pleasure that went straight to his groin with every
response he wrung from her gorgeous body.
"Please," she whimpered, grabbing fistfuls of his silk shirt and dragging
him closer as she reclined back against the soft mattress. Angelus
groaned as he saw the lusty, hungry look on Buffy's face. If it were at
all possible, his erection grew even tighter at the sight.
"Please what love?" he teased, his voice coming out in grated puffs of
air.
"You know," she sighed, closing her eyes and arching against him.
"Nuh uh," he chided with a sexy chuckle. He ran his hands down her sides
until he reached the hem of her shirt and lifted it up. She rose a little
to help him as he pulled it over her head and reached around to remove
her bra. "Have to say it."
//And maybe, I'll find out
The way to make it back some day
To watch you, to guide you
Trough the darkest of your days//
"Angelll!" she protested, her voice high and whiny as she all but ripped
his shirt from his chest and tossed it to the side. She was swimming in a
sea of pleasure, lost in the swirling torrent of Angel and of their love.
His wonderful mouth attached itself to the peak of one breast and she
moaned the answer he wanted to hear. "Make love to me."
"As you wish," he rumbled, scooting down the bed to slide her slacks from
her trembling legs. He had thought that watching her pleasure herself
earlier that morning had been hot, but seeing her right here and now, he
knew that hed never seen a more erotic sight than the woman before him,
poised and ready for his intruding body.
Buffy whimpered as he drew back, but groaned in happiness as her naked
back was pressed against the cool sheets when he returned, climbing over
her naked. The room swam, dizzying her until all she could see was her
lover resting above her, the look in his eyes so hot that it was making
her wet with desire. "Never leave me," she pleaded.
"Never," he swore, vowing to whomever was listening that he would stay
with her until his dying day. But even then, he knew that it was a lie.
There would always be extenuating circumstances that would drive them
apart for period of time, but they would always find their way back to
each other.
Buffy moaned loudly, arching towards Angel as he guided his hard cock
against her dripping folds. She was so steaming hot that he could feel
her burning him through the condom that he'd rolled on moments before.
Her pelvis surged forward, and the tip slid inside. They both panted and
groaned respectively as he thrust forward slowly, only staying himself
when he was completely seated inside her.
This was heaven.
//If a great wave should fall
It would fall upon us all
Well I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you//
He waited a few moments, briefly wanting her to adjust and get himself
under control before he found himself pounding her against the mattress
with no regard for her pleasure. He brought himself back to sanity by
focusing solely on her. This was for Buffy, for her pleasure and nothing
else.
When he felt her thighs squeeze his hips gently, he took his cue and
began to move slowly. She was so tight that he suspected that she'd only
had precious little experience in making love, but she was so lusciously
wet that he was met with little resistance as he slid his pubic bone
along hers, making sure the he stroked along that little patch of skin
inside her womb that always drove women crazy.
//Runaway with my heart
Runaway with my hope
Runaway with my love//
"Oooh," she crooned as he struck it over and over again, her hips rising
to slam against his in a furious ballet of lust. He was so large that it
felt like her insides were being stretched to their limit, that she was
stuffed full of him. The sheets were a nuisance against her, tangling
around her feet and arms so that she felt restrained from being able to
touch him. Finally she kicked them aside and wrapped her trembling body
around his pumping frame, hoping to gain some sort of center by clinging
to him like some sort of overgrown, horny Koala.
"I love you," he mumbled, burying his face against the curve of her neck.
Buffy could have sworn that she felt tears roll down her shoulder, but
she could not get him to look at her. So she simply stroked his short
brown hair in time with the pace that their lower bodies were taking.
//I know now, just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart and your mind
If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go//
Already she felt a blinding peak approaching, and she nearly lost
control. "I love you," she answered, kissing his temple as she began to
careen towards climax, screaming her way down. Her ecstasy triggered his
own orgasm, and he rocketed higher as he emptied himself with a howl of
pleasure.
He collapsed beside her on the bed, stars shining in his eyes as he held
her close. Angel relished every nuance of her perfect body, every
millimeter of her beautiful soul. He couldn't believe that he'd finally
found someone that he'd actually consider settling down with, and that
the idea of domestication didn't scare the shit out of him.
Holding his lover in his arms, an angel smiled as he drifted off to
sleep.
Scene Three
Unknown Location 10:30PM
"You know what the penalty is for aggravating the situation before we had
the chance to gain control," the angry woman growled, glaring down at
Riley Finn. He cowered at her feet, worshipped the ground that she walked
on, and he was terrified because she was furious at him. "You had a
simple job, Riley, even your brother could have done it, and you lost
your head."
"I'm sorry," he whimpered. "It won't happen again, well get them, I
promise, just give me one more chance."
"You're lucky that I didnt have you killed for nearly ruining my perfect
plan," she informed him. Riley looked up at her, and she could tell he
was straining to figure out who she was. He had never seen her face, none
of her employees had. It was a safety measure, to keep them from
squealing to the police about her plans.
"I'm sorry," he repeated, casting his gaze down at the floor. "Do you
have any new orders maam?"
"How are we on the surveillance of Penn Williams?" she asked.
"Donavons friend at the precinct hasn't been very forthcoming with
details about his buddys little security cautions. He did sing like a
lark about a little incident where Summers got away from Donavon for a
while to go shopping and he had a panic attack. Called everyone at the
LAPD to start a search for her. They're still laughing about it," Riley
answered eagerly, hoping to redeem himself with knowledge.
"So he isn't watching her every moment?" his boss asked.
"I doubt she's got that much rein after they started sleeping together,"
he answered with a shrug. "My bet is that they only time he'll leave his
piece of ass alone is when she's in the ladies room. You could make a
snatch and demand ransom."
"Too risky," she replied. "There's too much of a chance that he'd find us
and spoil the idea. Probably has a tracking device shoved up her cunt or
something." Riley shuddered at the idea of Buffy having something up her
His boss stood and paced the room for a moment. "We need to bring down
Summers and Giambelli, hard. And it has to be soon, or well miss our
window of opportunity."
"Yes ma'am," Riley agreed. The iron was finally hot for the striking and
he could have his revenge against Buffy Summers and her little clan of
misery. She would pay for what shed done to him and his family, and he
would be there watching with a smile on his face as it happened.
He followed his boss further into the building she was working out of.
There were tables strewn with papers written in chicken scratch
handwriting of a mad woman. Riley did not debate the fact that his boss
was most likely insane, but nothing mattered except his objective. He
would complete his mission and then he would be free of this bitch and
that whore Summers.
Riley chuckled softly, gasping when his bruised ribs caught. He winced as
he gingerly touched the welt on his face. Angelus Donavon sure knew how
to throw a punch, but of course being a bodyguard would give him good
excuse to learn how. Sucker punching a man who was merely asking you a
lewd question was something that he obviously enjoyed doing. He had to
wonder how the idiot took dirty jokes.
As far as he knew, there were only four other people involved in this
operation besides him and his boss. There was his brother, Scott, who
mostly did recon work because he was fairly good at blending in. Faith, a
woman who had been fired from Giambelli six years ago for trying to climb
her way to the top by climbing on the men in the department. A man named
Adam, who had been recruited for his ability to hack into any computer
system in the world. And last but not least there was the charming Darla,
who was just there to seduce anyone who got in their way. The boss had
called her a modern day vampire.
Adam had a girlfriend named Drusilla, who was a little nutty and a
diagnosed schizophrenic. Scott was, of course, single and so was he.
Faith fucked far too many strangers to ever consider settling down with
just one man, and the same went for the little whore Darla.
They were a very mismatched crew, but they would get the job done. The
boss paid well, but if they failed, she would demand blood, and this time
it would be theirs. Riley knew that the craziest thing was that he didn't
know who she was, had never seen her face nor heard her name. He was
fairly certain that she used something to alter her voice when they spoke
for some reason as well. Perhaps he knew her and didn't realize it. Yes,
that had to be it.
But who was she?
What exactly was her beef with Giambelli Inc. and the Summers family?
Riley was determined to find out. He left the building to meet up with a
contact of his in the LAPD. Spike wasn't a bad cop, but he was hard on
his luck, and a little extra cash lying around would help pay for his
habit of watching the horses. He would find out who his boss was, before
it was too late and he was over his head in a puddle of deep shit.
He wanted to know who to thank for Buffy Summers ruin.
TBC...
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