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Title: The Night the Sky Bleeds
Author: Desdemona
Rating: R to NC-17
Distribution: LoD, my site, Soulgaluk ( if wanted), otherwise ask me,
I generally don't mind.
Disclaimer: None of them belong to me....or at least I don't think
so....
Summary: Response to a challenge. During, Into the Woods/ Reunion,
what if to tortured souls came together.
Spoilers: Into the Woods, and Reunion but with my own little spin so
don't be surprised if the references aren't too familiar (mostly
cause I've only seen the episodes a couple of times and I'm too lazy
really research them. If you know of any really big things I'm
leaving out as I go along, Let Me Know {rosaryangel@hotmail.com})...
Author's Notes: Thanks for the great challenge Soulgaluk.
**********************************************************************
Shadows cloaked him from the eyes of the players before him. Oh he'd
seen these before, frequented a few. Hell, he'd worked one once to
make some extra cash, but never had he had the fun that he did
tonight. The perfect specimen of Captain American, having his veins
sucked by a two bit vamp whore. Paying for it to boot. Christ, the
night the Slayer found this out would be one hell of a show.
"Where is he?" Cordelia groaned sadly from her place on the
couch. "I'm sure he'll be along presently" Wesley replied without
lifting his head from his book. Gunn was whittling a stake on the
reception desk and seemed too focussed on that for their
conversation. "You said that an hour ago Wes, what is presently?
Dawn? Tomorrow night?" Cordy complained. Before the brit could answer
a black figure swept into the lobby. "Angel! How'd it go?" Cordelia
asked as he stormed across the rotunda and to the mini fridge at the
back of the office. He drank down a bag of blood. "Fine" he snarled
irritably. "Thanks Oscar" Cordy sniped. Angel gave her a confused
glare. "Oscar...Oscar the Grouch? You know Sesame Street?" she
returned in a huff. Angel growled softly, the night was too long for
this useless banter. "I'm going to bed" he muttered and brushed out
of the room to the stairs. Cordelia watched his black great coat
swoop up the stairs behind him before dipping around a corner. "What
crawled up his ass and died?" Cordy asked rhetorically. "Whatever it
was, I'd say it was something big" Gunn returned.
-
"What do you want Spike?" Buffy asked from her doorway. "I just got
somethin' to show you, pet" he answered. He was going to lure her to
that demon brothel that Riley was so fond of. `Watch Captain
Cardboard talk his way out of this one.' Spike laughed inside his
head as Buffy relented and followed him into the ever darkening
streets. They crept along as two predators. They hid among the
shadows and crates before entering the place. Nothing of interest on
the lower floor except some love bites. Spike scented the air
smelling Captain Cardboard close by. Something was off, the scent was
tainted....by sex. A mischievous grin split Spike's face. `Night just
gets better.' Spike took his Slayer's hand leading her up the stairs.
A few of the staff recognized him and graced him with a flirtatious
smile or a friendly grope, but Spike was only interested in one
thing. Watching Riley Finn be scorned by the Slayer. She docilely
followed along in shock from the blatantly sexual undertones from the
place. "Not your cup of tea, princess?" Spike mocked. She scowled and
followed while Spike scented out his enemy. The door was close and
sex reaked out of it, filling his senses. "Time for the show, pet"
Spike announced before opening the door. There, on the dirty, blood
stained, dust covered floor, her boyfriend thrust into the feeding
vampiress beneath him. His own blood leaked down his shoulder from
her bite mingling with the blood slowly oozing from other similar
marks down his back and arms. "Oh my God" she hissed behind her hand.
It was so soft Spike was sure Captain Cardboard never even heard her,
but the vampiress did and she gave a wicked grin. Buffy watched as
she nuzzled her raven haired head into her boyfriend's neck before
biting once more. He seemed to come from that, as he jerked against
her. Buffy turned and fled from the sight but Spike watched on with
merciless glee. He never had to hurt soldier boy, soldier boy could
screw himself over just fine. "We've got company" the vampiress cooed
to Riley. He looked around, "Spike" he hissed. Spike lifted a
cigarette to his lips. "Wasn't only me, but you just missed her. I
believe her last words were `Oh my God'" Spike mocked from his
vantage point slumped against the wall. Riley's eyes widened
visibly, "You didn't," he hissed, "You wouldn't." "I did and I would"
Spike returned gleefully before sauntering from the room and
searching out the Slayer. "Shit" Riley cursed. "It's okay, baby. I'll
make it better" the raven haired beauty whispered before flipping him
over and setting her pace.
"Fuckin' Hell Slayer slow down!" Spike called as he ran after her.
Her brisk pace was authoritative and entirely that of a mad
woman. "Christ, can't you just stop!" he yelled. She stopped and spun
to face him. "Why, Spike? Why the hell did you take me here, Spike?"
she screamed. Pure anguish tainted her voice, and the demon in him
danced at her pain. "Thought you'd want to know, pet" he returned
evenly. "No you didn't, you twisted bastard. You wanted me to hate
him and you want to hurt him, and you wanted to hurt me. It worked
okay? I'm hurt. I've been used once again. Does it give you your
fucking happy, Spike? God, I hope so, because if nothing else let
someone be happy about this!" she shouted at him. She spun in an
about face and fled the alley. "Yeah, it does give me a happy" he
whispered to no one in particular.
Two months. Seven weeks since Captain Cardboard left this God-
forsaken hell-hole with his nancy boy army mates, and seven weeks
since the Slayer went totally mad. Self- destruction was nothing new
to this century old vampire but it was almost unbearable to see it
happen to her. For some unknown reason, he cared, his electronic
conscious maybe, but whatever it was, it was driving him as loopy as
the fucking Slayer. She'd party and dance but not like before. She
was tame, and naïve then, but this girl was unruly and damn proud of
it. He'd yet to see her stagger home before dawn. She'd skip classes
and she'd simply piss her life away. And why the fuck did he care?
Don't know. Why was he on the road to get the saviour of lost souls?
Don't know. It was all he could think of. `What the hell else could
go wrong?'
-
`What the hell else could go wrong?'
"My dear boy, such a fine vintage, you found. Where did you find this
beauty?" Darla purred against his ear. The crushed velvet of her
sapphire gown was pressed against his arm. "A precious princess, she
is. A gypsy at that" Drusilla crooned from her chair in the corner. A
delirious smile decorated her face as she looked into the world only
her mind saw. "Yes, she will be a prize to show off" Angelus agreed.
The raven-haired beauty suspended from the wall was silent. Her doe-
like eyes reflected their demon visages, as well as her fear. "Don't
worry, pet. He tends to bore easily" Spike told the gypsy girl. "I
see a wonderful tea party in the sky. Oh, but this will not do. They
will ruin it all" Dru moaned from her place before collapsing to the
floor. "What is it, pet? Who will ruin it, princess?" Spike asked
from his place crouched beside her on the floor. Drusilla looked at
the tiny girl strapped to the wall. "You. You did this. I should
dance in your pretty insides for this" she hissed while flashing her
fangs and nails. "Ah, ah, ah. Dru, you know this one is mine" Angelus
warned her wagging his finger. "Oh Bloody Hell!" Spike yelled at him.
`That's not the way it went' "Oh Bloody Hell!" Spike yelled into th=
e
darkened room. Angel woke quickly from his dream. His face was
wedged tightly into the neck of a warm body. A warm, receptive body?
Blonde hair was fanned along his chest and ivory skin was nestled
against his own. Angel's eyes looked up to see the disapproving, if
slightly amused gaze Spike set upon him. "Just can't get enough can
you?" Spike jeered. "No, he can't. Can you, lover?" Darla returned
heavily. Angel shook her weight off him. "What the hell is this?"
Angel growled. "My thoughts exactly" Spike returned happily. The
bleach blonde tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked happily on
his heels. "What the hell are you doing here?" Angel hissed to his
sire. She smirked and raised herself to sit nestled in his sea of
pillows. Her naked, milky white skin, seemed to glow in the rising
moonlight. When she didn't respond Angel turned his angry gaze to his
childe. " And you, boy?" he asked. "Problems with the slayer" Spike
answered nonchalantly. Before he could blink, Angel's hand was
pressed firmly around his throat, cutting off his hypothetical
air. "What kind of `Slayer Problems'?" Angel asked. Spike laughed at
the antics. Angel standing nude, holding him to the wall, while his
equally naked grand-sire observed with a smug smile. "Looks like you
have your own problems here. No need to worry" Spike bit out despite
the elder's hand crushing his windpipe. "What the hell is going on
with her?" Spike asked, pointing to his grand-sire as Angel's hand
let up just slightly. "If Buffy is hurt at all, I will hold you
responsible. Got it?" Angel hissed to his childe. Spike slumped
against the wall as the hand around his neck was suddenly released,
but the blonde nodded. "Now go, I'll be in Sunnydale by Saturday
morning" Angel told him. Spike let out a gruff laugh as he left the
room sending one more glance to Darla still posed on the bed. "And
you? You're human. What the hell is going on?" Angel asked her. Darla
laughed before springing from the bed and dashing from the room. "See
you soon, lover" she called as she left.
"Fuck" Angel hissed as he sped along the free way between
Sunnydale and LA. He was exhausted. It was only midnight but after
fighting those demons in LA and his rude awakening at noon he needed
to sleep. But by God, Spike would pay if there was anything wrong
with the slayer. Her image cast a light through the fog in his head.
She was his everything and, if she was hurt there would be hell to
pay. Spike would be the first in a long list of casualties if she was
dead.
The streets of Sunnydale hung with the stench of stale blood
as Angel rolled through them. He didn't smell any familiar blood, but
it was still disturbing. Angel saw shadows come to life as he drove
past and then recede when they realized this was a foe. Night was
fading into dawn and he would soon have to find shelter. Angel
stopped at a silent intersection to wait for the light. One of
Sunnydale's many cemeteries sat to his right. Listening closely he
heard the muffled sounds of a fight through the high stone walls and
camouflage of trees. Angel muttered a curse and grabbing the stake
from his glove compartment, swung out of the classic convertible. He
silently crossed over the wall and landed in the shade of a large
tree. Carefully, Angel crept along, still listening to the fight and
testing the air for the scent of his mate. Just south of the wall he
scented her. Thankfully, he also caught the scent of his arrogant
childe. Creeping into the clearing he spotted the two of them
engaged with a single fledgling. The new vampire took a swing at
Buffy and knocked her to the ground, in a manner that never should
have been possible. Spike staked the poor bastard and tried to help
Buffy to her feet but he was hit solidly in the chest with a
stillettoed foot. "Why the hell are you following me Spike?" she
hissed rising, though dizzily. "You know I haven't the faintest, pet.
I'm thinking I should let you piss your life away in the cesspool of
filth you call a life, but something in me tells I should damn well
help you and I don't have a fucking clue why" he threw back
irately. "Don't worry about it, Spike. I'm a big girl I can handle my
own" she returned. "Yeah, like the guy last week who got you so
bloody smashed you were ready to let him take you on the bloody dance
floor. And the guy who you mauled tonight just to get some of the
good stuff your into now" Spike taunted. "Stay the hell out of it"
she said, spinning, but falling rather than stalking away. "Yeah,
and I'll lose my head for it too" Spike muttered as he hefted the
completely drugged slayer to her feet. She shrugged his hands off and
stumbled in her tiny heels on the uneven grass. Spike muttered a
curse and stalked in the direction toward where his sire stood. "Have
fun with that bloody bint, Peaches" Spike hissed as he waked away,
leaving Angel to watch the slayer tumble to the ground again and
again as she tried to get out of the graveyard and onto the street.
She finally fell to the ground. He'd only followed her about
ten feet away from the cemetery before she passed out. Angel quickly
lifted her into his arms catching the scent of the drugs and alcohol
in her system. He also scented men, more accurately, Boys, all over
her. They had obviously enjoyed his mate while he was away. However,
mingled, somewhere deep beneath the most recent scents, was the
lingering scent of his childe, the same childe who had been sent to
monitor the slayer, not to fuck her. Spike had touched his mate. A
low growl escaped him as he slung her over his shoulder and headed to
his car still parked at the intersection. Setting her down, none to
gently, over the passenger seat, he climbed in on his own side and
started the car. Driving through the darkened streets of Sunnydale
did nothing to calm him as he sped toward the mansion on Crawford
Street. Whatever she had been doing for the last weeks was infinitely
worse than he had thought. Hs errant childe had a tendency to distort
the facts. However, the one time Angel would be grateful for the
fact, he had to be telling the truth. Angel lifted his burden from
the car and took her into the old building. He settled her on a dust
covered sofa and finally looked at her. Dark circles outlined her
eyes, and her clothes didn't hide the bruises formed on her perfect
skin from fights, or maybe over anxious hands. Even in
unconsciousness she could not rest. A frown was deeply etched on her
face. Her soft mewls lead him to believe that she was having a less
than pleasant dream. Good! She deserves to feel remorse for what
she's done. His childe hadn't lied, this was some massive shit he'd
tied himself into. Angel sank back into a chair and closed his eyes.
He hadn't slept since the dreams stopped. How could he? The
nightmares of his past flitted across his closed eyes. He needed
something to take the edge off and even if she woke she'd never get
far. Knowing this Angel stepped back into the ever lightening dark to
look for a store that would sell him anything alcoholic at this hour.
Warm hands caressed his naked chest while a soft mouth
nibbled along his neck. Moaning at the pleasant sensation he shifted
his weight in the entirely uncomfortable chair and pulled the light
weight of the woman above him against his chest. She chuckled happily
and moved her mouth down his chest and slid her body to the floor.
The kisses continued until they reached the top of his belt. Deft
fingers slid the leather out of the heavy silver buckle and pulled it
away. Feeling her nose rubbing against his abs as her mouth undid the
top button of his pants made his eyes shoot open. Kneeling between
his legs, Buffy brought her tiny hands up to undo his fly. " Buffy"
he rasped. She lifted her eyes to meet his. "Ssh." she bade him.
Carefully she undid his pants and began to pull them down his
hips. "Buffy, you're drunk" that staunch realization did nothing to
calm his body or her ardour. She gave him a smile, "just makes life
more fun" she returned. Continuing her assault by rubbing her hand
along his groin, he hissed in pleasure. Grasping both her hands
firmly in one of his own, he lifted them up and away from his body.
She pouted and sat back on her heels as Angel stood and walked away
from the chair, fixing his pants but ignoring his undone
shirt. "Come on, Angel. Loosen up would you?" she teased. Turning
back he looked at her crouched by the chair. He hadn't really noticed
her attire before, but now the thought of her out in public in that,
seemed criminal. Crouched down as she was, the skirt she wore barely
covered her ass, and the midriff bearing backless top was scandalous
at best. "What are you wearing?" he bit out caustically. Standing,
she did a little curtsy, "What do you think?" "I think you'd just as
well go naked, in that outfit" he continued. "Riley never liked it
either, but look where listening to him got me, so what the hell?"
she taunted. Angel growled menacingly, he was going to kill that boy
for what he did. "But you just seemed like a `leather and lace' kind
of guy so I figured you would appreciate it" she said taking the time
to move in front of him. Angel took in her outfit again. He had to
admit she looked damn sexy, but the thought of anyone else seeing her
in the tiny leather skirt and lacy scrap she called a top was
disgusting. He didn't share. He didn't answer her, just watched as
she reached out to run her hands along his chest again. "Riley
cheated on me," she mused aloud, "But even better, was that he
cheated on me at some vamp whore house. He let them suck him and fuck
him, and he still came home to me. Do you know how dirty that makes
me feel? He did it all because he thought I liked it rough. I liked
to be bitten like you and Dracula had done. He thought I needed the
carnal knowledge that only a century could supply. And you know
what?" Angel stared into her hazel eyes taking in their semi-lucent
glint. "I do need it. I need it rough, Angel. I need you" She hissed.
A soft growl escaped him as her lips returned to his chest, and her
hands to his lower regions. "I never liked him" Angel answered. He
felt her smile against his chest. She looked up at him, "I know." He
roughly pulled her face to his for a searing kiss. His tongue invaded
her mouth sweeping into the warm, moist cavern. She groaned and
returned his assault with her own, nipping his tongue with her teeth.
Giles groaned unhappily as the shrill ring of the telephone
invaded his dreams. Rolling over and glancing at the clock, the angry
red numbers of 2:37 glared back at him. "Bloody Hell," Giles muttered
angrily. Sliding from his comfortable cotton sheets the older man
slipped his feet into old leather slippers and trudged down from his
loft bedroom. He walked quickly to the phone and lifted the receiver
to his face. "Giles, here" the watcher greeted, accustomed to late
phone calls, if not pleased by them. "Oh thank God, Giles," a
worried woman breathed on the other end. "Yes, can I help you?" he
asked. "Giles, it's Cordelia. Please tell me Angel is there" she
rushed on in a panic. "N-no, Cordelia, I'm afraid I haven't seen
Angel. Is everything quite alright?" he asked, beginning to feel
worry's chill fill his own blood. "No! And it sure as hell won't be
until we find that two timing vamp" she exclaimed angrily. Giles
sighed as he settled in to listen to Queen C's rant about her
absentee boss. "I'm sure Angel has a legitimate reason for leaving
with out telling you. He'll return soon enough I'm sure" Giles told
her as the door opened and his bleach blonde roommate
entered. "You'll never guess who I saw, Rupps!" Spike called
merrily. "I'm busy at the moment Spike, thank you" Giles bit out
unhappily. Between Cordelia and Spike, Giles would rather listen to
Cordy any day. "It was the Poufter himself. I never thought he'd
actually show up after catching him with his bitch of sire" Spike
continued jauntily undeterred. "What?!" both Giles and Cordelia
yelled. Throwing his hand over the receiver to muffle their
conversation from the already screaming Cordy, Giles asked, "Where is
he now, Spike?" The blonde grinned lighting a cigarette, "Don't
know," he remarked casually, "left him with the slayer last I saw."
Glaring at the other man in his home Giles returned to the phone
trying to calm the ranting woman on the phone. Before he could get a
word in edgewise he heard her say "We'll be there in an hour" and the
click of the phone being hung up. "Well, sleep tight, Rupps" Spike
bid as he headed to the guest room to sleep.
~
Pushing her into the leather cushions of the couch Angel
pinned her arms above her head. A menacing growl escaped his lips as
he pressed his hardness against her exposed hip. She lay completely
naked and pliant beneath him, her smell surrounding them like a heavy
cloak. Though the drug and alcohol in her system tainted her scent
and taste, she was still enough to drive him absolutely insane with
desire. "You're so fucking beautiful" he rasped heavily, before
catching an already abused nipple between his teeth again. "God,
yes, fuck me!" she screamed. The sound echoed through the old stone
manor. Leaving her chest for the moment he attacked her lips again.
Wrapping her legs around his waist, Buffy pulled his hips down to be
cradled between her own. She rocked her hips against him, showing him
exactly what she wanted, and exactly what he was missing by denying
her. Growling again, Angel pressed his head in to her neck and
pressed his hips back against her own. "Angel" she hissed happily.
Licking his mark on her neck, he let her hands go and she quickly
slipped them down to get his pants off him. Making quick work of the
offending material, she got them off him and moved her hand to caress
the length resting against her thigh. Her first light touch brought a
mewl from his lips then a quick nip to her neck. She ran her hand up
his length before guiding him toward her heated core. He thrust once
burying himself to the hilt. "Damn" he hissed as her tight, wet
sheath gloved him. "Oh God, yes, Angel" she cried happily as he
began a punishing rhythm. Each thrust hitting the most sensitive
spots on her; her pebbled nipples raking along his chest, his pubic
bone hitting her clit on each thrust, the gentle glide of his
erection on her swollen tissues. It was mere moments before she was
quaking around him and melting in his arms. Her orgasm triggered his
own and with a final deep thrust, in the biological imperative to
spill his seed as deep inside her as he could, he too lay exhausted
in her arms.
"So when are you leaving?" she asked softly after a long
sated silence. "as soon as possible" he returned, lifting his eyes
to meet hers. A sudden panic filled her eyes and she quickly pulled
away from him, struggling to get out from under him. Grabbing
her "clothing" and dressing quickly she stumbled from the quiet
mansion. "What the fuck?" Angel asked himself as he rose from the
couch and grabbed his own clothes. He looked around the room taking
in the broken furniture their lusty play had caused. Stepping over
the shards of wood littering the rug beneath his feet, Angel headed
to the steps, leaving for his bedroom for some much needed rest.
~
Getting home at just after 3 am, Buffy struggled to pull her
weary body up the stairs. 'God, those binges are really taking their
toll.' Deciding against the stairs, she fell heavily to the couch
and in an instant she had her eyes closed and was dreaming happily of
the way things used to be before everything got fucked up; before her
parents started fighting, before slaying, before the divorce, before
Angel came, before Angelus came, before Angel left, before Mom found
out about slaying, before Angel returned, before all the pain
returned, before Angel left again, before Parker came and left,
before Dawn knew about the slaying thing, before Riley came and left.
If everything went back to before her life got messed up, she could
be happy and carefree like everyone wanted. That's what her mother
wanted, what her watcher wanted, and what her friends wanted. What
was so difficult about that? Everything. And Nothing. Opening her
eyes as the first rays of the sun broke into the Summers' living
room. Buffy rose from the lumpy couch and trudged up to her room.
Grabbing her black duffel bag and throwing it on the bed, she turned
to riffle through her closet. In the end she was stocked half with
clothes and necessities and half with weaponry. Grabbing her large
leather purse and the duffel bag she trudged down the stairs once
more. Buffy grabbed her key, to lock the door. Once she was outside
and had the door locked, she slid the key ring back under the door
and then walked away from the house for the second time in her life.
-~-
Pounding on the door woke Spike at the ungodly hour of four
in the morning. "Bloody Hell" he moaned looking at the sky lightening
every so slightly to a lovely midnight blue. The stars were becoming
nothing more than shadows. Rolling out of the stiff bed the watcher
provided him, Spike threw on his clothing and headed out to see what
the hell was going on. Three members of the `Scoobies' part two stood
in the living room of the watchers condo. Cordelia, ever the bitchy
cheerleader, was screaming her head off, the ex-watcher was observing
as watchers are wont to do, and the new guy, Spike had never seen was
eyeing him up from his own spot. "What are you doing here?" the black
man asked. "Could ask you the same question, mate?" he returned
jovially. "Spike! Where the hell is he? I know you had something to
do with this!" the furious brunette declared marching over to stand
in front of him. If she was five times stronger, and he was human
and nearly two hundred years younger, she might verge on
intimidating. "Don't know, pet. You'd have to ask goldilocks next
time you see her. Me? I'm headed somewhere I can sleep without you
people pounding on doors at ungodly hours" Spike explained. He heard
Giles mutter softly, "here, here." Spike swept out of the house and
walked into the night toward his old habitat, the nasty stink of his
crypt. "Spike? And he left Angel with Buffy? Shit! This is not good!"
Cordelia hissed to herself. "Buffy! He left Angel with Buffy! Where
are they? Cause I really didn't want to be running for my life right
now" Cordelia ranted to the elder watcher. "We don't exactly know
where they are." Giles explained hesitantly. Expecting the worst he
received as much. "What do you mean you don't know where they are?!
They could be boinking like rabbits and Angelus could be loose and
you don't know where they are?!" she screeched. "Cordy, chill.
Angel's got more self control than that" Gunn told her. "Thank you
Mr. Gunn" Giles added. "Just Gunn" he corrected. Giles nodded his
acceptance, while Cordelia's gaze just flitted between the two of
them. "Despite what you may think I come here from time to see.
stuff. And I saw Buffy. Can you say hooker? Her outfit
screamed `skanks-R-us' and I for one, know that Angel doesn't need
that get up to want to get between her thighs" she lamented further.
All the men just stared at her, "God, men are so blind to these
things, when those two get together the room reaks like sexual
tension" she explained. "Right, well" Giles interjected nervously.
-~-
"Where did she go?" Angel snarled, roaring into the crypt his
inept childe called home. "How the hell should I know? You fucked her
last," the blonde retorted angrily. Angel looked at his childe, his
malicious, deplorable, waylaid childe; the childe that would soon be
nothing more than ash, if he didn't speak up. "I know more about your
connection to her, than you want me to" Angel hissed stepping into
Spike's personal space. "You're not the only one, who gets to have
some fun, while the inhibitions take a vacation," Spike
retorted, "How was it that you got a turn, anyway? Shouldn't it be my
bastard of a sire, standing in front of me now?" Angel stepped
closer, before kneeing his childe in the groin and then kicking him
to the ground. "I fail to believe you actually care about my well
being, so cut the bullshit, Spike. I think you know where she is and
if you don't tell me, I'll be forced to let Angelus rattle his way
out of his cage" Angel finished his phrase with a sharp kick to his
childe's ribs. "Can't tell you, if I did know, mate" Spike returned
from his spot on the floor but a quick shift of his eyes to the
shadows was almost imperceptible. "Why is that?" Angel returned
crouching down to look Spike in the eye. "Bloody bint knows where to
find me, and I can't defend myself against her. But, you on the other
hand.." Spike finished his statement by unexpectedly getting in a
swift punch to his sire's right side. Angel fell back from the
assault, giving Spike the opportunity to rise to his feet. A growl
erupted from Angel as he too stood. "You're awfully sure of yourself,
William, my boy. You never did learn how to keep your fool mouth
shut" Angel conceded, spiting the blood from his mouth onto his
enemy's shoe. "Isn't this perfect, the one occasion I keep my gob
shut, and you need bloody information" Spike taunted. With a growl
Angel spun on his heel and stormed out of the crypt as fast as he
came. "Thank you, Spike" she whispered, emerging from the darkest
corner into the pale moonlight of one of the broken stained glass
windows. "Didn't do it for you, pet, and you know it" he returned
nonchalantly and flopped into a chair. "Still you helped me." she
stated while he nursed a beer. "Got to piss off the poufter, that's
enough thanks" Spike drawled. "He'll be back" she told him. "And I'll
say all I know. You were here. Now, you're not. And you better not be
here when he shows up again" Spike continued. "Is that your subtle
way of kicking me out?" she asked sarcastically. He didn't answer,
and kept his eyes on the screen of the television, while she picked
up her bag and left. "It's your job to track her, now. I'm done,
mate" Spike called into the shadows again. Watching from the corner
of his eye, Spike saw the shadows shift into the form of an Angel and
then into shadows again as it slid out the door.
She was drawn and haggard as she arrived home from yet
another long day of selling clothes to people who would look better
in a paper bag. Her face hurt from the happy smile she had to wear
all day. This job was a hell of a lot better than the last job,
as `Anne' at that horrible diner. Chucking off the heels that had
encased her feet all day and throwing down the stylish but
impractical sweater she'd bought with her new staff discount, Buffy
collapsed onto her lumpy, hideously ugly garage sale couch. First pay
check was going to re-upholstering the ugly thing. She looked down at
the bills she held in her hands; her rent was due, the local youth
shelter wanted a donation, and the phone bill had to be paid. The
last letter was demure, unlike the brightly coloured envelopes the
other mail arrived in. The envelope was on crisp ivory parchment and
her name was scribbled in jet black ink. Her name, the real one. Not
the alias she had chosen for this adventure. Flipping it over she
realized she had to break the wax seal that adorned the back, to open
it. Doing so, she reverently unfolded the letter, also written on
ivory parchment, and looked at the large scrawl on the paper. `The
Pier. Nine O'clock. Meet Me There, or I'll Come See You. Always, A.'
Dropping the paper onto the coffee table and rising from the couch in
a rage, Buffy screamed into the empty room. Storming to the bedroom,
she grabbed out of the closet some dark jeans and a black sleeveless
sweater. Changing quickly she looked at the clock, 6:49. It would
take an hour to get out there. Carelessly Buffy threw her hair into a
clip at the back of her head, and grabbed a slice of day old pizza
out of the fridge. While eating her dinner, she puttered around the
apartment throwing each piece of her life in its place. One year, and
he comes back now, of all times. She was finally moving on, seeing a
nice guy and after everything he comes to talk to her now.
~
"Fuck, Giles! I lost her. I saw her get off her bus and then
the next thing I know she's gone" Angel snarled angrily into the
phone. "You don't perchance think that all along, maybe she's been
trying to get away from you?" Giles asked rhetorically. His Slayer
had been gone for almost six months now, and from the near constant
reports he got from Angel, who had been tracking her the entire time,
he knew that she was getting along fine, on her own. The only person
who hadn't accepted her departure was the one following her. "Giles,
put Willow on" Angel demanded, not in the mood to rehash what had
happened prior to her leaving. "Angel?" Willow asked as she picked up
the phone. "Willow, I lost her. Can you track her on the internet?
See if she used anything electronic recently, that might tell us her
whereabouts?" he stated. "I can't do that, Angel" she told him
quietly, with grim resignation in her voice. "Why the hell not?" he
asked angrily. "Angel, she wants to be alone right now. You're the
only one that doesn't seem to get that!" Willow returned, her own
anger rising in the face of his own. "What is wrong with you people?
Don't you care that she's gone? She might not come back?" Angel
yelled down the phone to the quiet red head on the other end. "Maybe
that's why she left! You people don't care about her! Hell, Spike was
the one who came to tell me she had a problem in the first place" he
continued to rant. "Angel, we love her, and we miss her, but this is
what she wants. I think. I think it's fate, that you lost her" Willow
whispered. "You know what? You can go to hell! I'll be back in
Sunnydale in a week, I hope to God, her so called family, has grown a
heart in that time" Angel snarled before slamming the receiver down
into the cradle. Looking over the bus schedule again he checked the
four different buses she could have boarded. Cincinnati, Chicago,
Washington, or Los Angeles. He would find her, if it was the last
thing he did. She had to explain what the hell happened that night
six months, two weeks and four days ago; the night of his Epiphany.
~
The pier was cool and wet but his customary wool coat kept
him warm. It was 8:57 and he knew if she was going to show up she'd
be customarily late. The buses to the area wouldn't come for another
10 minutes if they were on time which was highly unlikely in LA
traffic. Watching the road for buses, he didn't see the blonde beauty
watching him from her vantage point on the post at the top of the
hill. She had been there for twenty minutes having decided to arrive
earlier and take the chance to get some perspective before he showed
up. She knew he was waiting on her, he'd taken the first move, it was
up to her to accept or decline. She did neither, she waited still
watching to see what he'd do as the minutes ticked by. At quarter
after nine or so, she could tell he was getting angry. His pacing had
become more agitated, his turns sharper, his gait swifter. Finally he
turned and saw her, sitting as she had been all along. Her numb
fingers stuffed deep into the pockets of her leather coat. He strode
up to her quickly. As he came closer, she could see his eyes flashing
angrily and the frown adorning his face. "How long have you been
there?" he hissed. "An hour and a half" she answered softly. You sat
there the whole time and let me wait for you?" he asked. She nodded,
knowing he could see it even in the darkness of night. They stared at
each other for a long moment after that. His eyes slowly going back
to their normal deep, rich brown as he calmed, and her own hazel
eyes, confidently assessing him for some grasp on the
situation. "God, I missed you" he remarked stepping closer, making as
if to embrace her. Quickly, Buffy slipped off the rail and side
stepped out of his grasp. "What do you want?" she asked, her
indignation rising. "I wanted to see you" he answered. She made a
quick gesture for him to look at her, "are we good now?" Angel looked
her over, she looked fine. Her hair was longer and a darker colour
than usual. She dressed smartly, looking every bit the confident
twenty something she was. He noticed she looked a tad thin and her
eyes told him she was tired, but honestly, she looked better than the
last time he'd seen her. "Anything else?" she asked impatiently,
moving toward the parking lot. Angel grabbed her arm as she
turned. "Come home, I'm sorry. I don't know what I did, but I'm
sorry" he stated pulling her back toward him. Looking him over once
more, she stepped up and kissed his mouth, putting forth all the
passion she could muster. Pulling back quickly, she looked into his
soulful brown eyes, "You used me. Just like everybody else. The one
person I was sure, would never do that, but you did." With that
thought, she turned on her heel, leaving a stunned Angel in her
wake. "Where the hell are you going?" he shouted after her over the
suddenly crushing waves. "Home. Don't talk to me, don't follow me,
and sure hell don't show up unexpectedly with some lame ass excuse
about just dropping by" she called back. She slid into the seat of
the black Sunfire parked near the beach, and as he watched she pulled
away heading back onto the freeway and out of his life.
~
" I can't believe you called yourselves her friends if after
five fucking years, you don't care what happened to her." Angel
yelled at the three people seated in front of him. "We care, Angel.
we care enough to know she wants to be alone for whatever reason"
Willow threw back at him. This was the same argument they'd been
having for nearly ten months, ten long months for which Buffy had
been gone. "You don't know the reason? Oh, I'll tell you the fucking
reason" he vented angrily as his pacing started again, " Riley
decided to go and get himself a cheap suck and fuck at the local vamp
brothel. The one that had a mysterious case of arson just after Riley
skipped town." Willow gasped, while both Xander and Giles had the
decency to look guilty. "Shit" Xander hissed quietly to himself as he
went over the events in his head. "That still doesn't explain why
after you rolled into town she decided to leave, Dead Boy. I'm pretty
damn sure you had something to do with this" he accused. Giles looked
from Angel to Xander. In all the hussel and bussel of searching out
Buffy, apparently no one alerted Xander to the evening Angel and
Buffy shared before she disappeared. " I didn't say it wasn't my
fault" Angel answered quietly, losing all the anger he'd held in him
before. " What'd you do to screw it up this time Dead Boy" Xander
taunted. " I had an Epiphany" Angel replied vaguely before leaving
the watcher's flat and stepping into the frigid dark of night. "Look
what you did now, Xander. You got him all brood boy again, at least
when he was angry he stayed in one place instead doing the disappear
into the night thing" Willow exclaimed, samcking her friend on the
arm.
~
"Hey, sweetie" Nick remarked happily as she opened the door.
He bent down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before moving
inside. She grinned in return, " hi, what are you doing here?" Nick
smiled, "I tried your cell but it was off, so I thought I'd drop by."
With a great flourish he presented her with a large bouquet of white
lilies. Buffy gathered the flowers gently and took them from his
grasp, "Nick they're beautiful."
Angel watched from his rented apartment next door as she
ushered the good looking man into her apartment. He was older than
her, and he appeared to be quite comfortable in her apartment as he
shut the door and flopped down onto her sofa. She still puttered
through the kitchen looking for a vase for the flowers. The boyfriend
was watching her from his place on the couch. He told a joke and she
laughed. Three years ago he would have been happy to see this,
jealous yes, but still it was what she deserved. Now, he could give
everything she deserved to her, and she turned him away, not unduly
but still. To watch her with her boyfriend was nothing if not
torture, yet Angel stayed and watched as she served dinner and
eventually, much to his relief, her boyfriend was sent home for the
night.
Angel watched her for weeks. She always came home at six, and
kicked off her shoes then headed for one of the back rooms. He
assumed she took a shower because she always returned dressed in her
comfy clothes as she called them and then made something quick for
dinner. It was no wonder she was thin she hardly ate. Angel dived
into relearning all her idiosyncracies after his long sabatical, but
he assumed mostly people would do this face to ace not through his
stalker like tendencies. He watched this evening as she curled up on
the couch with a small mug full of soup, then was disrupted by a
knock at the door. He watched as she opened it and then accepted the
large box with a happy smile. He longed to see that smile directed at
him and not the stupid boy at her door delivering the gift. She
tipped the young man then closed the door after herself. Carefully,
she deposited the box on the table, being sure not to upset her soup.
she lifted the lid off the large box and smiled as she stared at the
large bouquet of crimson roses that lay there. He'd paid for them
with cash, a lot of cash really. He'd painstakingly selected the card
and told the girl to write the message Buffy now read. ' Forever. to
see you.' It was cryptic but once she knew this message only too
well. Her eyes widened and she searched through the apartment as if
Angel was in there with her. Her eyes soon returned to the gift on
her table. She lifted the beautiful roses from their box and took the
chance to inhale their perfect scent. Looking at the withered lillies
Nick had presented her with almost a week ago, and without thought
removed them to be replaced by the heavenly roses, a stark contrast
to the once snowy white lillies that had this place of honour only
days before. Angel smiled. The first step was complete, she hadn't
ignored his gift but treasured it for what it was worth. His heart
soared with hope.
~
Buffy stared at the wilted blooms of the dying roses. They
sat on her dresser she'd moved them once before Nick arrived. Her
life didn't need the complications Angel would bring. She could feel
his eyes following her as she moved around her home. He was close, if
she had to guess, probably in the building next door. His gifts kept
arriving, always with the same message and each time becoming more
and more personal. The flowers were lovely and thoughtful, the watch
was beautiful, and her favourite had been the beautiful silk robe
that had arrived yesterday; however, things were confusing enough and
Nick was starting to wonder where the gifts were coming from. There
was a knock at the door and as if on time she admitted yet another
delivery person to give the gift that arrived today. The box was much
smaller but the scent wafting from it was the scent of roses.
Everything seemed to come with a crimson rose with silken velvet
petals. She signed off on the package and set it down on the table.
Buffy looked at the enigmatic brown paper that wrapped the box. She
tore off the brown paper and looked at shoe box that was inside.
Lifting the lid, the scent of roses became stronger, and nestled in
the crimson petals lay a new black cell phone and the crisp ivory
card. In black ink he'd scrawled; 'Forever. to talk to you. A.'
At six thirty the door bell rang, again, everyday for the
last week that had happened. Again Buffy had just stepped from the
shower as always. Recently, she'd come the conclusion he was just
looking to catch a glimpse of her still dishevelled as she dashed to
the door. Grabbing the silk robe he'd sent last week, she threw it on
and headed to the door. Expecting the same delivery boy as always,
she opened the door to greet Kevin. Standing on the other side, Kevin
was smiling. "Another one from the poor guy you've got wrapped around
your finger" Kev teased. "Trust me, he liked being wrapped around my
finger" Buffy returned with a grim smile, before signing the much
accustomed clipboard and handing the five dollar bill that sat on the
table by her door. "Thanks Kev" she called as she closed the door and
placed the large box on her couch. Again the box was wrapped with
simple twine and brown paper. None of the fancy adornments he'd
started with. She opened the box carefully as if its contents were
hazardous. To her heart it was. A single long stemmed crimson bloom
lay on the sea of white silk and lace. Lifting the garment from its
box, Buffy pulled the beautiful white halter dress to her body. It
fell to the floor, flaring at the bottom with a small train in the
back. Swinging around still holding the dress to her, she could
imagine dancing like a princess at her ball. The shadow of her Prince
Charming hanging over her, but the once clear face of Nick was now
shadowed and covered not letting her see who should be her dance
partner for the evening. Snapping out of her daydream at that
conclusion, Buffy lifted the rose blossom and took the dress with her
toward the back of the apartment.
A night's sleep did nothing to ease her confusion. She knew
if they'd never slept together that last time, she'd be back in his
arms by now. But they had slept together, and they would never be the
same because of it. Angel. The one constant in her life. No matter
what they did to each other, they could never stay apart. They would
follow each other to the ends of the earth, and then probably past
that. `The one freaky thing in my freaky life, that makes sense to
me.' She never lied, her feelings for him were always clear; love or
hate. There was no muddled gray like the rest of her life. All it
took was one well placed look for all her disgust to turn to desire.
She'd like to think it was the same way but the only way to know was
to ask, and at the current rate it wasn't likely. Buffy woke feeling
no clearer, or rested than the previous night. Tired and depressed
she rolled out of bed and looked toward her closet where the dress
still hung on the outside of the door. Pointedly ignoring the crisp
white confection, she pulled open the door and rummaged through for
something tragically hip to wear to work to sell the same outfit to
someone a hundred pounds heavier. Buffy dressed quickly and pulled
her hair into a messy bun. Throwing on her usual makeup and grabbing
her purse on the way out, Buffy locked up her apartment and headed to
the diner between her apartment and the shop for her usual espresso
jolt.
At 2:30 on Saturday, a shrill ring went through the shop.
Everyone else was on lunch and no one was in the small clothing store
in LA except one lonely blonde. Buffy looked at the shops phone, then
around the store trying to figure out where the ring came from. She
walked from the front of the store and into the back offices. Nothing
was ringing in Jill's office. In the staff lounge the shrill ring was
louder. She walked toward the shelves where all the staff kept their
belongings. With a start she realized the ringing was coming from her
own purse. Picking out the cell phone Angel had sent her she pressed
the talk button and lifted it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked. Buffy
had never even realized that the thing was already working. "There's
a small restaurant at the other end of the city, I'll meet you
outside your building at 7:30" he answered. "I told you not to talk
to me" she pointed out. "I don't listen, you should know that by now"
Angel returned jovially. "I'm not meeting you" she held out. Angel
smiled, and she could practically see it through the phone
line, "yes, you are." With that he hung up and Buffy looked at the
phone in her hand. "You know me too well," she whispered bitterly.
Before she could get any deeper into her thoughts the chimes on the
front door of the shop called that someone had arrived.
As always she got home at 6 o'clock. Placing her key in the
lock Buffy opened her apartment door. She entered the room that
already seemed to give a soft glow. Looking strangely at the faint
light that drifted down the hallway, Buffy shut the door with her
foot and hurried down the hallway. Pushing her bedroom door further
aside she stepped into the small room that was decorated with candles
and finished with the basket that lay on the bed. Stepping closer,
she looked down into the basket, nestled in a sea of crimson rose
petals was the small set of body lotion, bath salts and soap. They
were of course all her favourites, scented with real vanilla.
However, the most extravagant part of the gift was the beautiful
chocker that surrounded the soaps. A silver piece that dripped
diamonds on long stands that would drape down her chest. It was meant
to sit perfectly in the cleavage the dress he'd sent would provide.
She could never dispute Angel's taste was fantastic. Everything was
beautiful. Carefully lifting the precious items from their case, she
saw the card hidden among them. ' Forever, to touch you.'
~
7 o'clock Nick noticed as he pulled up in front of his
girlfriend's apartment building. She wasn't expecting him, but that
was half the fun. Grabbing the bouquet of white vanilla orchids that
sat in the passenger seat of his Lexus, Nick DiMaria left the car and
headed into the building. He climbed the two flights of stairs and
knocked happily on the door. He heard her bustle through the
apartment, rushing to the door. "You're early" she cried as she threw
the door open. Her eyes widened as she saw not who she expected. "I'm
sorry I didn't know I was early" he teased to hide his
disappointment. His job as an architect meant that he worked
irregular hour and he hadn't been able to see her in nearly a week
and a half. "You're going out?" he asked. "You didn't call" she
interjected at the same time. Realizing they were still in the door
frame she invited him in. "I'd been hoping we could do something
tonight, but apparently you're busy" Nick commented with a sad
smile. "Yeah, God, Jessica from work you know, she has this wedding.
thing and she wanted some one to come with her. So off I go. to a
wedding thing. you know" Buffy rambled. "It's okay, sweetie. Here"
Nick remarked handing her the orchids. "They're pretty, Nick" she
stated giving him a quick kiss to his cheek for his trouble. "So when
are you leaving?" Nick asked taking in her outfit. She wore a silk
robe he'd never seen before, and her hair was piled on the top of her
head small rhinestone pins holding it in place. Some curls tumbled
from her up do to cascade down her back. "You look beautiful" he
commented, slightly upset she'd never dressed this well for
him. "Liar," she teased, "I don't even have any make up on,
yet." "You're still breath taking" he told her with a grin. She
smiled in return and besotted him with another peck to his
cheek. "You've got to go. I'm not ready and I've got..uhgh.. twenty
minutes to finish up." "Alright, consider me gone" Nick drawled
casually as he kissed her quickly then headed for the door. "Hey Joy,
Do you want to get some lunch tomorrow? I think I'm off until one"
Nick asked before he left. She was already heading back toward her
bedroom, over her shoulder she called, "Yeah, lunch sounds great,
11:30?" Nick took another look around the apartment, noticing the
dark red roses that sat in a large vase on the coffee table. "Yeah,
11:30, I'll pick you up here" Nick called back still distracted by
the roses. `I didn't send her those. Who did? Another man? God, don't
think that, Joy's never been anything but honest with me.' Shaking
off his jealous thoughts, Nick turned and left the building. He
climbed back into his silver Lexus and roared off, down the LA
streets.
Just half and hour later, Buffy `Joy' Summers stepped out of
the apartment she wore the gorgeous white dress and the choker, which
tendrils nestled softly in her cleavage. Her date stood by his car,
dressed in his trademark black. Black and White. Night and Day.
Poetic thoughts of the sun and the moon merging filled her head but
she pushed them angrily away. She was just coming to tell him to
leave her alone. "You look radiant as always, Miss Summers" Angel
commented, past the lump that formed at the sight of her. "Thank you"
she remarked aiming for detached but falling short. "Shall we?" he
asked opening her door. "Of course" she replied smoothly and climbed
into the car. It was a nice car, a Mercedes at that, but her thoughts
were distracted as his hand held hers to help her into the car. Her
blood seemed to thicken in her veins as their hands touched. She
fought hard to keep her face neutral and not stumble as she got into
the car. Leaning in to sweep the slight train of the dress in after
her, Angel came even closer to her. "Thank you" she whispered unsure
why she felt she needed to be quiet. His only reply was a half smile
before he closed the door after her. She didn't notice but Angel
hesitated to catch his breath before he continued around to his side
of the car and got in. The black car slowly pulled away from the curb
and then descended into the Los Angeles night.
Dinner was stilted and quiet as Buffy was wholly
uncomfortable in his presence again after so long. She avoided
meeting his gaze and was utterly distracted by her food wich sat like
cement blocks in her nervous stomach. After her meal was taken away
from her and they'd ordered their dessert and there was really
nothing else to do, Buffy opted to speak. "So why did you bring me
here?" she asked. "I like your company" Angel responded
quickly. "Besides that" she retorted. Angel simply looked her
over, "I love you," he remarked baldly. A slight scoff broke from her
lips. "Forever, that's the whole point" she quoted bitterly from her
dream of so long ago. He simply stared back at her from across the
table. "Did you love me when you fucked me, and discarded me just
like all the other guys in my life?" she threw in her barb. Angel
seemed to wince at that, "you'll never know how sorry I am." A frown
adorned her face but her biting retort was cut off by the bowl of
chocolate mouse was placed before her. Angel nodded to the waiter who
placed down his own slice of cheesecake before departing again. "I
thought I was clear before, when I told you not to bother me anymore"
she drawled. "And I told you I was nothing if not persistent" he
replied. She smirked and returned her attention to her desert.
At 9 o'clock the Mercedes Benz pulled up to the street
corner, and an angelic vision in white got out of the car. "Thank you
for a lovely night, please don't call me again" she remarked and
turned to leave. Angel caught her forearm in a vice like grip and
pulled her back to him. "I can't promise that" he told her. She
looked into his chocolate brown eyes and was lost. The streetlights
and stars above them caused his eyes to glow amber brown. She was
pressed so close to him, she could feel the soft thud of his heart.
His heart? "You're alive" she whispered in awe. Angel stared into her
own hazel green eyes, "because of you," he answered her unspoken
question. Her hand slowly lifted of its own volition, and her palm
gently caressed his cheek. Looking at him now, she could notice the
warm glow of his eyes, that only humanity could project, and the soft
tan that darkened his skin slightly. "When?" she asked. Angel looked
deeper into her hazel orbs, slowly softening to him, "just after you
left the mansion."
~ Walking up the cool stone stairs of the mansion on Crawford street,
Angel could still smell her surrounding him. She was everywhere, in
the touch of light that hit the floor to his left, in the vanilla
scented candle that was very nearly burned to extinction, and in the
scratches that he could feel just beginning to close on his
back. "Buffy" he whispered softly with a small smile playing along
his lips. Suddenly a gust of raw fire ripped through his veins.
Falling to the hard floor Angel gasped in pain and desperately needed
air as he took his first breath in almost 250 years.~
"Oh God Angel" Buffy exclaimed breaking into a happy grin.
She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her self to him in a
fierce embrace. Angel returned the hug happily, nuzzling his nose
into the crevice where her neck and shoulder met. She pulled her head
back to look at him. Before Angel could process what was happening
her face descended again and she caught his lips in a fiery kiss.
Caught off guard by her change of mood Angel stumbled back and ran
into the car door. Her legs raised and despite her long dress she
managed to wrap her legs around his hips. The kiss continued until
both were dizzy from the lack of oxygen. "Buffy, we should." Angel
gasped as they broke apart. Grabbing his hand in hers Buffy pulled
him into her building and up the stairs to her apartment. "Stay with
me Angel" she whispered. "Forever" he repeated their catch phrase.
Smiling happily again she fused her lips with his before breaking
away to open her apartment door. Angel couldn't stay away from her
and had to stand directly behind her wrapping his arms around her
waist and pulling her against his chest. She made a contented sigh as
she finally got the door unlocked. Angel quickly scooped her into his
arms and carried her over the threshold and into her small home. "And
they say romance is dead" she teased. Angel kicked the door shut
never putting her down and continued down to the bedroom. Gracefully
Buffy slid from his arms and stood on her own two feet in her
bedroom. "Stay here and I'll be right back" she commanded as she
tugged at the straps of her gown. The silk and lace pooled at her
feet, and the stunning blond strutted from the room in nothing but
her underwear, heels and the stunning diamond choker. Angel groaned
and she flashed a quick grin over her shoulder. Angel flopped down on
her bed and threw and arm over his eyes, she would be the death of
him yet. Barely a few minutes had passed before she returned. Angel
had to struggle to keep his tongue in his mouth. She was beautiful.
She wore a petal pink baby doll that floated around her thighs
taunting his already stressed control. The glittering diamonds still
lay on her chest but her hair fell in ringlets at her shoulders, and
she looked heavenly. "Good Lord, Buffy." he muttered trying to come
up with some intelligent compliment but failing miserably. "Thank
you" she remarked with a smile. Floating to him she stood before him
at the foot of the bed. "Was this what you had planned for the
evening?" she asked softly with a teasing note to her voice. "In my
fantasy, maybe" he uttered still in shock. She smiled and lowered
herself to kiss his lips. "Make love to me Angel" she whispered her
request as a caress across his lips.
A sunny morning greeted her as she opened her tired eyes. A
soft grumble escaped her lips as a shaft of light shone in her face
for a moment before dancing down farther onto the bed. "Angel?" she
questioned the quiet room. The was no reply, almost in fear she'd
dreamt the whole thing Buffy rolled over to find the other side of
her bed empty, but a note lay on the pillow. Opening the paper she
found it to be a sketch similar to the one Angelus drew but this one
was drawn with love guiding the charcoal instead of the sharp line
of hatred. Underneath her portrait there was a loosely scrawled
note. `Had to get to work. Wish I could be there with you. I'll phone
you later. My Love Forever, A.' Sighing happily at the prospect of
speaking to Angel again soon Buffy climbed out of bed. Looking at the
clock Buffy shrugged, normally it would have bothered her to be up at
8 o'clock on a Sunday morning but today was different everything
seemed softer and lighter, like things hadn't been for nearly five
years. "Mmm, coffee is of the good right now" Buffy murmured to
herself, as she padded through her apartment in nothing but her new
silk robe. Walking into the kitchen she saw the lovely tray that sat
on her table he'd made her a fresh cut fruit salad and some cottage
cheese with half a bagel on the side, and she also noted that he'd
made coffee. "He's so sweet" she gushed as she grabbed her mug and
poured the warm coffee. After finishing her breakfast and throwing
everything into the dishwasher Buffy finally got dressed for the day,
very conscious that she had to go and meet her current boyfriend in
less than two hours. Buffy quickly threw on some dark jeans and a
tank top and then went to do her hair and make up. After nearly half
an hour she looked presentable but she still had force the stupid, `I
just slept with the love of my life and it's not you' grin off her
face. Before long her contemplations of her own image had dwindle an
hour away and Nick was knocking on her door. "Oh God, here goes
nothing" Buffy whispered to herself as she left the bathroom and
headed for the door. "Nick" she greeted as she threw the door open
and saw both her handsome boyfriend and the sweet boy from the flower
shop. "Kev what are you doing here?" Buffy asked. "Just what I was
saying" Nick said as he kissed her cheek and stepped into the
apartment. "Uh, had another delivery for you" the younger man
remarked kind of nervous in the face of her hulking boyfriend who
seemed a little disgruntled. "Uh, okay" Buffy replied taking the box
from him and giving him his usual over inflated tip. "Thanks" the boy
called as he left her building. "who are these ones from?" Nick asked
with a slightly jaded edge to his tone. "What do you mean?" Buffy
asked feigning disinterest as she placed the box on her small table.
Nick chuckled mirthlessly, "You seem to have a new admirer." Buffy
smiled softly to her boyfriend and gestured to the door. "Shall we
go?"
The small bistro was quiet on Sunday, and only two other
couples sat on the enclosed patio overlooking the beach spread before
them. Another couple could be seen walking in the surf sharing some
intimate secret from time to time. Buffy's gaze followed them as she
waited for yet another one of Nick's important business calls to end.
She saw from the corner of her eye as he lowered the cell phone from
his ear, and flipped it shut. "Sorry" he whispered. Buffy smiled
sadly. `Not the first time, that damn piece of plastic has intruded,
but it will be the last.' "Don't worry about it, Nick" she offered.
Nick gave her a curious glance she always complained about his stupid
cell phone interrupting something between them. With her new admirer
waiting in the wings Nick thought maybe the phone really was
intruding too often. "Still, I'm sorry" he apologized. She smiled
again but simply returned her gaze to the shore. Nick turned as well,
a young couple probably without a care in the world, madly in love
with each other, walked along the beach. Nick snorted his disgust.
Buffy looked toward him at the unexpected sound, "What?" "Oh, come
on, Joy. It's so clichéd" Nick remarked with a frown. Her gaze
returned once more as they disappeared behind an out cropping of
rock. "I think it's sweet" she whispered, but could barely be heard
over the crashing waves of the incoming tide. Nick glanced at his
watch, "we should get going." Buffy turned to him quickly. `It was
time to go already?' "But, I need to talk to you," she
insisted. "Sorry darling, but I've got to get to work. We can talk in
the car," Nick announced as he paid for their meals. The ones that
both of them had barely touched. "It's not really something you can
talk about in the car, while you're driving" she muttered. A
particularly loud wave blocked her comment from Nick's ears and
without further ado he led her to his car.
"Hi you've reached Joy. Can't come to the phone right now.
Leave your name, number and your message and I'll phone you back when
I've got time." Angel listened to her happy voice but a frown creased
his face at the name `Joy.' "Buff, if you're there pick up." He heard
the phone click then her voice returned, "hey." "How was you're
morning?" Angel asked relaxing into his office chair, glancing idly
toward the door to check to see if any one was coming. "Fine I guess"
she muttered on a sigh. "What happened?" he asked. "Nothing.
Literally. I was going to tell Nick that we were over and before I
knew it our time was up, he had to go to work, and I had never
mentioned it because he spent his entire time on the fucking phone he
carries everywhere" she explained. "I'm sorry, love" Angel
offered. "No prob. I'm not dwelling on the past, I'm dealing on the
nowness that is you" she uttered with a happy smile. Angel laughed
softly. "What are you wearing?" she asked. Another heartier laugh
came over the line. "Can't indulge your fantasies right now, darling.
I'm at work" he reminded her. He could practically see her pout as
she spoke. "You spoil all my fun." "If you're free tonight I'll make
it up to you" he told her. "You have yourself a date" she told him
proudly. "Yes, I do," he replied.
The doorbell rang at six thirty as Buffy cleaned up her
apartment after neglecting to do so for the last three weeks. She
trudged to the door and looked through the peep hole finding her
tall, dark, former creature of night boyfriend on the other side. `At
least I think he's my boyfriend.' She threw open the door and wrapped
her arms around his neck pulling him into a passionate embrace. He
grunted softly as she hugged him so strongly. "What's wrong?" she
asked in alarm. He shrugged in the non committal manly way when in
pain. In return she sent him a scowl and pulled him into the
apartment. Once the door was closed behind him she took no preamble
and quickly removed his shirt. His chest was marred with scratches
and bruises interspersed across the otherwise flawless expanse of
skin. "What got you?" Buffy asked as she seated him on the couch and
went to the bathroom to get the first aid supplies. "Nothing, big
just your everyday demon" he returned drowsily from the
couch. "You're still fighting demons?" she called from the
bathroom. "I'm not going to stop just because I'm mortal now" he
replied as she returned to the couch and took a seat beside him to
tend to his wounds. "You could be killed" she insisted. "I've still
got super strength, Buffy. I just don't heal quite as fast and I can
walk in the sun" he offered in return. "And you can have children"
she whispered as she bandaged on of the deeper gashes. Angel looked
down at her as she studied her handy work trying to patch all his
wounds. "I never even really considered that" he whispered back. Her
head raised and she looked him in the eye. "Marry me" Angel asked in
the silence of the shadowy room. "What?" she uttered back. "Will you
marry me, bear my children and spend the rest of your life in my
arms? I will cherish forever and always. I promise my love to your
forever" he reiterated. She simply stared tears slowly collecting in
her mossy green eyes. As the first joyous tear spilled over to roll
down her cheek her reply caressed his very soul, "yes, forever and
always." Pulling her into his arms Angel crushed her to his chest
despite his injuries. "I'll never let you go again" he promised
against the delicate flesh of her throat. "I won't let you" she
returned.
The room was dark as night. The sun was on the other side of
the sky and the blinds were still drawn but no light was needed for
the couple. Their hands already knew every inch of flesh that lay
before them. Her lips caressed his shoulder as his own hands drew
circular patterns on her lower back. As his hand made a gentle foray
down to her backside she gasped softly and pressed forward to feel
his body against hers. "Angel" she sighed as she melted in his arms.
Lifting her from her feet he carried her to the bed and left her to
sit there as he knelt between her legs. One look in her eyes gave him
all the permission he needed and Angel quickly set to work disrobing
her of all her clothing. He pressed delicate kisses to each glorious
inch of tanned skin that was revealed. Before long she lay before him
wearing nothing but a smile. "Buffy" Angel let out in an agonized
groan. The last time they'd made love it had been brief and little
time had been spent to properly worship each other. Now, gazing at
her, laid before him like the feast that she was it was wonderfully
painful. He could now see the tiny tattoo that adorned her hip a
phoenix, the bird that rose from its own ashes. Much as she herself
had done. Slowly but surely Angel's hands ran from her small feet up
over calves and thighs to her hips to meet at her stomach where he
pressed his lips as his hands continued up onto her chest. Inhaling
her sweet perfume he throbbed in painful anticipation. She parted her
thighs as an unspoken invitation and her hands came down to remove
his shirt. "Too many clothes" she remarked with a sly grin. Angel
dipped his head and caught one of her nipples in reply. A loud moan
escaped her lips followed by a swift gasp. Angel raised his head and
saw her startled eyes looking over his shoulder. "I see" Nick
remarked almost casually from his place in the door frame. Angel
covered her body with his own, unintentionally worsening the
situation. "Nick" Buffy whispered sadly. At her soft declaration the
shock cleared and Nick's eyes gleamed in anger. "You'll pay for this,
bitch" he hollered before leaving the apartment with the crack of the
solid oak door.
"I'm so sorry" Angel whispered after a long moment of
silence. A stray tear slipped from under her closed eyes. When she
opened them an age old sadness was present. "I don't know why I'm so
upset I was going to break it off next time we were alone together"
she remarked bitterly. "Because you never wanted him to find out like
this. You're a good person Buffy and you'd never intentionally hurt
him" Angel reasoned. "But didn't I. I slept with you. I said `yes' to
your proposal and I was still in a relationship with him. I'm a bad
person. No, I'm a horrible person" she insisted as she rolled away
from his gentle embrace. Angel tried to follow her and envelope her
once more but she stayed just out of his grasp by rising from the
bed. " I can't right now Angel. I need to think" she remarked. "I'll
be waiting" he offered slowly rising from the bed ad replacing his
shirt. He walked toward her and pressed a soft kiss to her
cheek. "You've saved too many people, for you to be the horrible
person you think you are. I love you" he whispered. She smiled sadly
in return, "I love you too." Angel silently walked from the apartment
and shut the door behind him.
Weeks went past slowly for Angel who was waiting patiently
for Buffy to make the first move. He phoned her on the cell phone
he'd sent her and had yet to get a reply. He understood she was still
trying to decide what to do about the whole `Nick' situation. It was
still fresh in his mind as well. He knew that look, hell, he could be
that look. It was the look of a man who just realized the woman he
loved more than life itself had moved on to another. First it had
been Parker, then Riley, and then, God help him, Spike. Finally she
returned to him, but had cast aside another, and though he could
empathize, no pity was spent on the poor man left by her flight.
Angel smiled, she was his girl, always, and soon enough he'd make it
legal. The ring was bought and everything. A platinum setting carved
into a woven pattern and adorning the intricate metal work was a
sparkling diamond solitaire. He knew it would sit beautifully on her
hand. The only problem was if she didn't answer his messages how was
he going to get to talk to her long enough to ask her.
*~*
Darkness slowly cleared as Buffy came awake. The room around
her would have been quite nice if it wasn't her prison. She'd been
here for a week now. When Kevin appeared at her door last Monday it
seemed normal enough. She didn't expect anything as she signed for
the parcel and accepted the gift. However, before she could get into
her apartment a hand snaked out and caught her around the throat
cutting off her air. She clawed at the arm but it was to no avail.
Even with her strength she was out of shape and the arm was
incredibly strong. Her attacker was behind her and she couldn't see
his face, but as he spun her around and out into the hallway she
could see the guilty look on Kevin's face. Her vision blurred as the
lack of oxygen got to her brain. She could see a figure handing Kevin
a large roll of cash, but the face was too blurred for her to make
out. "Angel" she croaked before the blackness invaded her vision and
she was rendered unconscious. That had been eight days ago. She was
currently being secluded in a beautiful suite at some swanky hotel
but anything identifying her whereabouts had been removed. She could
hear people milling in the hallways outside her room, the room she
shared with her husband. The thing she used to call Nick. He was her
captor, her tormentor, and now her husband. Her demonic husband, who
would see everyone's demise if she disobeyed him. And so she stayed
in the hotel room, waiting until he could secure a spot to move them
far away. Everyday she saw another message from Angel had arrived on
her cell phone and another tear slipped from her eye. But tears
couldn't save him if she answered that phone. Nick knew everything
and he was exploiting it to the best of his ability.
He woke beside her, and studied the face that stared at the
wall. "Come on, Buff. We both know this is what you wanted" `Nick'
hissed. "No Riley, this is not what I wanted" she returned bitterly.
She looked at him. His once sandy blonde locks were a rich mahogany,
and though his eyes were blue at the moment he would eventually cover
them with brown contacts, his face could change at whim now. It was
his fantastic new demon trait. He was the chameleon of the demon
world. He appeared as anything he wanted at any time. Right now, he
looked like Nick, but in a moment he may shift to his human persona,
or possibly even appear as some one entirely different. "You may be
meant to kill demons, Buffy" he remarked with evil cunning behind his
words, "but what I think you really want to do is fuck them. Isn't
that right Buffy?" She stared at him in shock. His eyes were flashing
from colour to colour as his jealousy seized him. "Tell me Buffy, was
Angel a better lay as a human or a vampire?" Riley taunted. Buffy
smiled back serenely, "does it really matter Riley? Either way he's a
better fuck than you." Riley's nostrils flared and his skin shifted
to look more leathery and turned an emerald shade of green, his eyes
flashed red and his teeth elongated. "I'd watch what you say, slayer"
he rasped. She smirked in reply, "what are you going to do? Kill me?
Kind of defeats the purpose of your little endeavour, doesn't it,
Ri?" she mocked. He growled menacingly and rolled onto her to pin her
to the bed. "I could make your life a living hell" he hissed. "It
already is" she replied baldly, looking him straight in the eyes.
*~*
A month. One month since the experience with Nick. How much
time could something like this take? It was beginning to worry him.
Perhaps they weren't as eternal as he'd thought. Maybe she'd decided
to return to Nick and they were laughing at his pathetic attempts to
get her back. Sucking up his pride Angel decided to make a house
call. She was going to have to give him an answer either way. He
drove swiftly through the quiet LA streets in his black Mercedes
Benz. It was midnight; most of the city had retired for the night.
Only the LA clubs and hotspots were still bustling, and Angel
steadfastly avoided those as always. He pulled up to her building and
locked his precious car before climbing the steps and entering her
apartment complex. He climbed to the third floor and knocked on her
door. It was carefully set up to appear locked but with a quick flick
of the wrist Angel had it open. He pushed the heavy door wide and
stepped inside. The flowers on her tables were wilted and dying and
the smell of dirt and garbage permeated the air. All her things were
covered in a layer of dust, and her apartment appeared more cluttered
than he'd ever seen her keep things for any extended period of time.
A large red box sat on her dining room table it was a little crumpled
but still whole and untouched. Carefully Angel lifted the lid to find
a set of Polaroids inside.
Each was a picture of Buffy. She appeared to be sleeping or
unconscious and she was restrained. Sifting though twenty or more of
these shots Angel found the note at the bottom of the box. `You can't
have her.'
In a panic, Angel banged on the door of her neighbour. The
grumpy young latino woman opened the door. "Yeah?" she asked through
the small crack she'd opened the door. The chain was still in place
and prevented his entering. "Your neighbour. Buffy- I mean Joy. Have
you seen her lately?" he asked in a rush, nearly hyperventilating.
The young brunette looked at him strangely before thinking about it
for a second. She finally replied, "No actually I haven't seen her
since before Nick left here ranting and raving about some other
guy." A month. She's been missing all month. He cursed under his
breath before thanking the girl at the door and rushing back into
Buffy's small apartment to look for some sort of clue as to where
they took her.
*~*
"Get up. We're moving" Riley ordered as he shook her. His
semi-romantic gestures had now slipped into full unadulterated
hatred. All his gestures were violent and rough and his words were
harsh and brittle. He'd given up trying to win her love and instead
focused on keeping her as a prisoner. She was granted no freedom. She
was forced to meet his every command and answer his every
whim. "Where are we going?" she asked groggily as she rolled from
bed. "None of your concern" he barked. She nodded stiltedly and
headed for the chest of drawers and then the shower. While the hot
water ran over her she tried to arrange some sort of diversion in her
head. She couldn't be whisked away never to return to see any of her
family or friends or Angel ever again. He'd kill her before he did
that. She had no idea where she was or who she was with when he'd
registered. Anything identifying about the room had been removed
before she woke so she knew absolutely nothing about her location.
She couldn't tell anyone where she was. Buffy carefully produced the
cell phone Angel had given her. Its text messaging feature was her
best shot and hopefully she could get some sort of missive to Angel
before she moved, or before Riley noticed, whichever came first.
Hoping against hope she dialled his number and punched in her
message, brief but somewhat informative.
I'm okay 4 now.
At a hotel with Riley..
Demon boy.
cant escape.
we R moving soon.
She pressed the send button just as Riley rattled the door
handle. "Slayer, get your ass out here. we're moving. Sunnydale can't
hold us forever," Riley called, thwarting his own plans. Buffy
quickly sent another missive. There was only one hotel of this
relative calibre in Sunnydale: The Sundial Hotel and
Restaurant. "Coming Riley" she called with an odd cheerful note to
her voice. She slipped the slim phone into her skirt pocket and
stepped back into the bedroom, praying that if Angel didn't arrive
that she could leave some token of her whereabouts.
*~*
His phone let off the tiny buzz that alerted him to a
message. Lifting the phone from the pocket of his leather duster he
saw the number of Buffy's phone. She'd sent a message. He read her
short notes and dashed from the apartment to get to his car. They
were in Sunnydale and he wasn't going to chance missing them. He
climbed into the flashy sports car and screeched off onto the
darkened LA streets. He navigated to the freeway and got on the
interstate that would lead him directly to the Sundial Hotel.
Whipping his phone out of his pocket again Angel dialled an old
friend. "Giles, it's Angel," he remarked before the befuddled watcher
could reply, "Buffy's in Sunnydale held captive by Riley at the
Sundial. I need you to meet me there. I'll see you in an hour."
He whizzed along the quiet highway, at 2 am little traffic could be
found on this stretch of the interstate. He swung off the highway at
the right exit and then sped through the abandoned streets leading to
the hotel. His anger had simmered inside him for the entire hour and
a half drive. By this point, Riley or Demon Riley, whatever the hell
he was would be feeling the wrath of one pissed off former master
vampire. "That ass wipe is going straight to hell" he hissed to
himself as the lights of the building came into view. Most of the
rooms were dark but he could see one room with the lights on and
shadows danced along the drawn blinds. He knew already who it was. He
could still feel her, and she was waiting inside that room, and he
could tell she was scared. He parked haphazardly across two spaces
and stepped out of his vehicle. Giles and Willow met him. "What's
going on?" Willow hissed, her fear and exhaustion taking its toll.
Her syllabus was taking a lot of work and the Wicca was lucky to get
maybe an hours sleep yet here she was trying to defend her long time
friend. "Willow, Riley's some kind of demon now and he's holding
Buffy in this building. I don't know what he is or what room their
in, but she's here I can feel her. And she sent me a message on my
cell" he explained, the last with a sheepish shrug. The hacker turned
witch turned recovering magic-holic, nodded sadly and turned to look
at the room that still cast its faint yellow rays. "Xander is inside
trying to find which room she is in and who escorted her in" Giles
told him. Angel nodded and looked up to the window again.
The blinds parted briefly and he caught sight of her blonde
head. She was passing something through the window. A note. The paper
slipped through the small crack she'd opened the window and floated
leisurely to the ground. Willow lifted it. "She says he can change
his face and he's really strong. She can't fight him on her own"
Willow read. Giles went back to his car and pulled a tomb from his
trunk as Xander returned. "The guy at the desk said a girl matching
her description was taken to room 206 and they've been checked in for
about a month" the younger male reported. Storing this information
they went to see what Giles could find. The brit studied his book
flipping angrily from page to page until he stopped and scanned
quickly. "He's a Valkareg demon. They're strong and able to change
shape. In human form they are invincible, but if you can get him to
change back to his demon persona, he is relatively slow and a quick
stab to the heart will kill him" Giles explained. Giles faced his
eager audience only to find Angel missing. "How does he do that?"
Willow complained in mock annoyance before moving with the others
toward room 206.
"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy," Riley, in Nick face, crooned as he
stroked a finger down her cheek. She stared him in the eye, never
flinching though the desire to do so was great. "You're so hopeless
without your watcher to back you up, darling" he continued, "Giles
would tell you, I'm invincible. You can't hurt me, and never will I
let you escape me, my dear Buffy." She stared in disgust, he looked
like the sweet but preoccupied Nick she'd grown to love, but the
malice in his voice, lead her to know otherwise. "Fuck you" she
hissed. Riley quickly grabbed her throat and pressed her more firmly
against the wall. "Don't fuck with me Buffy, because I'll wring your
scrawny neck with one hand" he spit back. "I wouldn't dare," she
replied smartly though the pressure on her throat made it difficult.
Riley laughed, "You never give up, I like that about you" he told
her. Buffy smiled mockingly and gulped a breath of fresh air as his
hand left her neck. She was suspended from the wall by some chains
Riley had found and had secured to a heavy wall sconce. With a
powerful blow the door caved in and both capture and prey turned to
look on. Angel stepped through the dust carrying a broad sword in his
right hand and glaring at the demon holding his mate. "You" Riley
spit venomously. His eyes shifted to a red despite the brown contacts
he wore. Riley spun to face his bride, "you called him didn't you,
you little bitch" he hissed and roughly backhanded her. In return she
placed a round house kick to his midsection. This only continued his
anger and his skin began to take on a greenish tint, the texture
became more hide like. "What are you going to do about it?" she
returned while tugging angrily at her chains. While Riley was
distracted Angel got a swift punch to the demon's cheek. Riley
staggered and then fell to the ground while Buffy still struggled
against the heavy metal links. "You'll die for this, vampire" Riley
yelled. The demon's skin got a shade darker and his eyes flashed a
crimson shade of red. Buffy gave a good yank and the sconce fell from
the wall allowing her some movement. Riley got to his feet and
charged them both his skin becoming and ever darker tone of green,
and before he knew what was happening, Riley knocked the two demon
hunters to the ground while a sharp pain spread from his chest. He
looked in shock at the hilt of the sword that protruded from his
chest, with crimson blood leaking from it. He shifted back to his
human form still slumped over Buffy and Angel. "I'm invincible" he
gurgled past the blood filling his mouth. "Not in demon form" Angel
assured him. "Those loopholes are bitches" she quipped tossing the
slack body from her. The two demon hunters lay on the floor staring
at each other for a moment before they broke into smiles. "I love
you" Buffy whispered. Angel rolled to his side to pull her body over
his, "Forever, my love."
Epilogue
"Never, again" Buffy sighed as she rested in her own bed.
Angel cradled their precious daughter in his grasp. "She's perfect my
love" he assured her. "I know, but nine months of pain plus a c-
section? I'm thinking this one's enough." Aislynn Freedom Summers
looked up at her father with clear green eyes. She was already a most
inquisitive child. Angel could see the mischief lurking behind the
innocent green eyes and downy blonde curls; so much like her
mother. "I'll love you forever, baby girl" Angel promised her.
Aislynn yawned contentedly and snuggled in the safe cocoon of her
father's arms. "Forever," Buffy echoed.
Before the adults could say anything else the whirlwind two-
year old tore into the room. Camryn Joy Summers was every bit the
little angel she appeared to be, unless it was a day that ended in Y.
She was more like her fathe in appearance, with mahogany hair and
chocolate brown eyes, but she had her other's spirit. Angel knew with
two daughters, especially ones as beautiful as his daughters, he was
in for a world of trouble. "Tubbies?" she asked before bouncing on
her parent's bed and turning on the television. It was her way, ask
first then do whatever she wanted anyway. "There are fates worse then
death - the teletubbies are one, I'm another" Buffy assured him with
a wry grin on her face. "Just think, now we'll have two of them
watching together" he teased. Buffy groaned and slung a hand over her
face. Angel laughed and watched over his family as Aislynn slept, and
Camryn and Buffy lounged on the bed. Yes, life was good.
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