"Buff? Buffy?" Willow shot Xander a worried look. "Buffy!"

The small blonde Slayer looked up from her place on Willow’s bed and glanced at her two friends. "Huh? What? I’m sorry, did I zone out again?" She smiled apologetically, but Willow just shook her head.

"What’s been going on with you lately, Buffy? I’m starting to worry about you. Everyone is. I...I thought you’d gotten over...well...You-Know-Who." Buffy arched a slim brow and looked to Xander, who had his head bowed and was suddenly intrigued by the bottom of his shoe. "I’m fine, Will," she sighed. "I just wish everybody would stop worrying about me. And I wish everybody would stop bringing up ‘You-Know-Who’ like that, as if he’s some taboo subject. He’s Angel."

"You just look so tired lately. And you’re always out till all hours of the morning; we never get to see you anymore. And...and when we do, you’re always in another world. You’re just a lot like you were right after Angel left. You know...maybe if you started dating some-" "No!" Buffy cut her off. At Willow and Xander’s startled glances, she shrugged. "I just...there’s no one I’m really even attracted to. So, why bother, you know?"

"But if you tried...?"

"Will, let it go." She laughed. "I’m more likely to go out with Xander than anyone else. At least I know him."

Xander’s eyes flew open despite her joking tone.

"Don’t even think it, Xand," Buffy said, grinning. She hopped off the bed and picked up her books. "Thanks for helping me study, Will. And thanks for being such a distraction, Xander. But there’s a sexy vamp awaiting my attention, so I’ll check ya laters." They stared after her in shock as she waltzed out of Willow’s dorm room. Seconds later she cracked opened the door and laughed at them. "Spike, guys. Spike. We’ve got to patrol. Now get your heads out of the clouds." With that she shut the door and headed out.

"You don’t think she’d...you know...get it on with Spike, do you?" Xander asked, still staring at the door.

"Uhhh. No. She knows he doesn’t have a soul. And...and..." Willow floundered.

"Then again, that just enables her to do the watoosie," Xander pointed out. She looked at him and they smiled. "Nahhh," they said together. Willow turned back to her bed and her books.

"So. We following them?" Xander asked.

"Just let me get my coat."

"Slayer, this is the fourth night in a row," Spike shouted. "You know, it’s not ‘Spikey, the Vampire Vampire Slayer’. I’m not the one who gets to dress up like Britney Spears and ‘go stake the baddies’. This is your show, your job. So why don’t you do it?" He flung himself onto her bed and glared insolently up at her.

Her back was turned and she wasn’t paying much attention to Spike. "Uh huh," she commented as she looked through her closet and threw things into a bag. "Well, we Slayers need a rest from time to time. You wouldn’t want me overtaxing myself and dying one night, would you?" she grinned at him over her shoulder. He snorted and she turned back around. "Besides, YOU asked to help ME. So...this is you helping. Get used to it."

Spike sputtered. "Bloody...what...the...well, YOU can just bloody well get used to it." He crossed his arms angrily over his chest, knowing full well what he just said made no sense whatsoever.

Buffy zipped up her bag and turned to him, smiling brightly. "Great, I will. Have fun tonight." Her smile turned into a lustful grin. "I know I will." With that, she breezed out of her own dorm room and skipped down the hall.

Spike watched after her, speechless. With a curse, he flew off the bed and into the hall. Almost right into Red and the Boy Wonder.

"Spike," Willow said. "We were just coming to see if we could patrol with you and Buffy tonight."

"Buffy? Patrol? Now that’s a crock if I ever heard one. She seems to think that my coming back to town is her ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card." Spike glanced down at the small witch. "I thought she was spending the night with you. She told me you two were going to hunt down some fine male specimens...." He looked up at Xander. "Couldn’t find anything better, pet?" he asked dryly.

Willow disregarded his comment. "If she’s not patrolling with you...and I know she’s not with me...then where is Buffy going?" she asked calmly. "Good question. Why don’t we find out ?" Xander nodded to the glass doors and they saw Buffy’s Jeep speed out of the lot.

Spike shook his head when the pair looked to him. "Oh no. No. I’m not driving you around all night just so you can find out -" "Don’t you wanna know what your ‘partner’ has been up to?" Willow asked him. Spike grumbled. "Bloody Hell. Fine." He dug his keys out of the pocket of his duster and stormed out of the building.

"Shotgun!" Xander called.

"If you dare sit next to me, I make no promises that I won’t drain your worthless ass by the first red light."

"Okay. Will, why don’t you take the front? Ladies first."

Buffy slipped the key into the lock and turned, hearing the sound of the deadbolt’s release as she swung open the door. The room was pitch black, bathed in darkness.

"You’re late," his smooth voice called out from the shadows. Buffy let the sound wash over her as she closed the door and leaned against it, hoping it would soothe her nerves, but her heart rate shot up anyway. "Yeah, I actually have a life," she shot back.

"Wrong," his voice crept over her body as he stepped close to her. He wrapped his fingers loosely around her throat and pressed her against the door. "Outside of me, your life doesn’t exist."

"Rather arrogant, aren’t you?"

"Just stating the facts, lover." He stepped away from her and moved purposefully around the room, lighting candles in nooks and crannies she hadn’t noticed in the dark. As the wax burned, a faint scent of vanilla filled the room, and she looked at him. His head was lowered as he stood in front of the large, ornate black marble hearth. With a flick of his wrist, he threw a lit match into the fireplace and watched as the flames quickly grew. He was so beautiful, bathed in the soft golden glow that filled the room. His bare torso was sleek and defined; she always loved to watch the muscles dance in his body when he moved. His movements were always so graceful and precise—like a wild animal’s. And wasn’t that what he was? Buffy sighed and dropped her bag to the floor as she stepped forward, her body unconsciously loosing it’s tension and lending a wanton flow to her motions. Her gaze never left the glorious sight of his body as she moved forward. He had on those delicious black leather pants. She loved those pants. Craved them. The top button was undone, hinting at his lewd nature and providing a tantalizing view of the dark trail of hair leading down to his....

"So. What do you have planned for tonight?" his eyes darkened. Buffy grinned. "Mmmm. I’m glad you remembered. I was afraid you’d back out of our deal."

Angelus shrugged. "A deal’s a deal, love. Besides, I seriously doubt you could do anything to surprise me. So I see no problem in letting you have your night." His hot gaze traveled over her body. "Especially since I know the rest will be mine...for a long time to come."

Her smile was secretive as she turned to pick up her bag. "So true, so true. But," she said as she bent down, "if I do happen to surprise you...." She grinned and looked back at him. "Don’t hesitate to let me know." She slung the bag over her shoulder and walked past him, shoving him down on the couch. "Stay there," she commanded. "I’ve just got to...slip into something a little more comfortable." The bedroom door clicked shut softly and Angelus growled. She was enticing. She enflamed him. And he had a few surprises in store for her tonight, also.

*****

"Are you sure this is the place?" Xander asked from the back seat. Spike snarled. "Yes I’m bloody sure, you idiot. Can’t you see her Jeep in the driveway?"

"Oh, I’m sorry," Xander said. "I think...I think.... Why yes. The oddest thing.... Somebody’s covered my window WITH BLACK PAINT!" "Hey," Spike grinned. "I don’t have a problem with it. It’s not my problem if you can’t see."

"It’s not my problem..." Xander mimicked in a girlish voice.

"You two. Stop!" Willow butted in. "Now, let’s just see why Buffy’s here. Okay? Then we can all go home and rest easily and I won’t have to listen to you two. Please?"

They got out of the car and stalked quietly towards the house. It was in a small, wealthy neighborhood situated right outside of Sunnydale. "Maybe Buffy’s got a boyfriend she hasn’t been telling us about," Willow whispered as they neared the driveway.

"Why would she keep it from us?" Xander asked.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Take a look around, mate. Maybe she thought that, God forbid, you might try to pry into her life again. Sure, you’re her mates, but I’ve got to say, you don’t much let the Slayer live the life she wants to."

"Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?" Xander looked at him. "We care about Buffy. She can be so...stubborn. She needs us to look out for her." "Wrong. You want to control the Slayer. Like she’s some kind of personal servant who has to answer to you. Why else would you be here?" "Because we’re worried about her," Willow told him. "Buffy’s headstrong.

She could be getting herself into a situation that’s not good for her.

She’s looked exhausted lately."

Spike snickered. "If she is getting herself into trouble, you should let her. How else is she ever going to learn her lesson? Besides, I’d bet that she’s just screwing some poor fool."

Xander opened his eyes wide. "She wouldn’t...Buffy would never do that!"

Spike shrugged.

*****

The door opened and she walked out. Though he didn’t really know who "she" was. She was most certainly not his Slayer.

Buffy sauntered forward, her hands clasped behind her back. Her long blonde hair was curled and fell softly over her bare shoulders. Yes, from the neck up, she looked like an angel. But beyond that...she blew his mind. Her slender torso was laced into a stunning black leather corset that emphasized her hourglass figure. The soft leather both bound and raised up the firm globes of her breasts in an offering to him. Angelus’ gaze lowered and he sucked in a useless breath. The tiny leather skirt she was wearing was barely enough to cover anything. He imagined being able to reach out and touch her. And her long, sweet legs were encased in mid-thigh high black leather boots. She was so different from his sweet Slayer, the woman his souled self had fallen in love with.

"Ready?" she asked softly.

"And willing, as always," Angelus purred. Buffy smiled and held out her hand to him, helping him to stand up. However, the force from her pull added to his lack of hesitancy to move propelled him into her and their leather-clad bodies meshed together. "Mmmm. This is definitely not a bad place to be," he murmured as he eyed her breasts. "But I still await your creativity, love."

*****

Spike and Xander watched the scene with eyes wide open. Willow had a bemused frown on her face. They were huddled outside the large bay window looking in on the dimly lit living room.

"I don’t see Buffy," Willow said. "And why is Angel here? And why doesn’t Angel have a shirt on?"

"Ummm, pet, I don’t think it’s Ang-" Spike stopped talking and started choking. Willow gasped and Xander’s eyes almost popped out of his head. "Buffy?!?" Xander screeched in a strangled whisper.

"And her ass," Spike commented as he appreciatively eyed the tight curve of the leather over the Slayer’s bum. If she leaned forward just a bit, he’d be able to see.... Nothing. Willow slapped her hands over both of their eyes.

"This is not a good thing," Willow said grumpily as she watched Buffy pull Angel up to her. "And...and he’s not even stopping her. Angel knows better!" "As I was saying, luv," Spike told her as he removed her hand. "I don’t think that’s your Angel."

"Of course it is!" she insisted. "It looks just like him. See—I can just make out his tattoo!"

"No," Xander said, his face dark with fury. "I think what Spike means is that Fang Boy’s back." At Willow’s confused look, he sighed. "Angelus, Will, Angelus. Buffy’s fucked him into being Angelus again. Dammit! We should have known she’d never be able to leave him alone. We should never have trusted her. When she forgave him the first time, we should have realized -" "No," Willow whispered. "Buffy wouldn’t do that. Buffy would never get near Angelus."

"Well, from the looks of it...if he’s not Angelus yet, he will be soon," Spike said contemplatively as he watched Buffy lead Angel into another room.

*****

"You know, you’re a very bad boy, Angelus," Buffy murmured as she tied his left wrist to the to the bedpost of his massive bed with a crimson silk scarf. "Isn’t that why you love me, Buff?" he smirked, regarding her through half-lowered lids. She shivered at the intensity of his gaze.

Buffy trailed the second crimson scarf over his bare skin, watching the way his nipples hardened at the faint caress of the airy fabric. "Mmmm. Nah. I don’t love you, Angelus." She cinched his right wrist to the other bedpost and pulled it tight. She stepped back and assessed her work. The muscles in his arms flexed as he strained against his bindings, testing their strength. "Not bad," he told her. "You’ve learned well. But I could get out of them if I wanted to."

Buffy smiled and walked to her bag. "Oh but you don’t want to, do you?"

She opened the black duffel and found what she was looking for right on top. "You like being tied up. ‘Cause deep down, you think it brings me closer to your level." Buffy turned around and let her eyes wander over him. Angelus. He even looked like an angel. The hard planes of his body were shadowed and accented by the candle light that filled the room. She felt the twist of the knife in her heart, but disregarded it. She’d willingly taken Angelus on. He was a gelid shadow of her Angel, but if he was all she could have....

"Doesn’t it?" Angelus asked softly.

Buffy stepped forward and dropped to her knees in front of him. She set her things on the floor and quickly unzipped his pants, pulling them off unceremoniously. "Remains to be seen," she replied tersely as she used her black nylons to tie his ankles to the bottom of the bedposts. When she stood up again, he was fully restrained and spread eagle before her. God, he was beautiful.

She stepped backwards slowly while her gaze remained trained on him. "Now, this may hurt a bit. But if you cooperate, maybe we’ll both get a little pleasure from this. See," she paced back and forth in front of him. "I’m gonna ask you a question. If I like your answer, well," Buffy smiled conspiratorially, "then you’ll like your surprise. And if I don’t, well then...." The air hummed with the crack of her whip. "Then it might sting a little."

Angelus arched an arrogant brow as he felt the air stir next to him. "Okay," Buffy smiled and stepped back again. "Soooo...do you like the look?" she asked, raising her arms above her head and turning around for his inspection.

Angelus snickered. "Even if I wanted to lie, I couldn’t," he told her.

Her eyes flashed over his body and saw the visual evidence of his arousal. She strolled forward and pressed her body against his. "Good," she whispered, her mouth hovering before his. Her tongue flicked out and she slowly licked his lips. With a chuckle, she moved back to her previous position. "Do you love me?" she queried sweetly.

Angelus’ eyes glittered dangerously and he laughed harshly. "Of course I don’t." The whip cracked and left a shallow scratch above his heart, the bright red blood contrasting vividly with his pale skin. His body jerked and he snarled, but his smile was chilling.

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe I should work up to the hard questions." She turned her back to him. "Do you enjoy this?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

She looked over her shoulder, her gaze unreadable. "Do you even know what I’m referring to?"

Angelus shook his head. "No, but it probably has to do with torturing you. So...that would have to be a resound ‘Yes’, lover."

Buffy smirked but nodded acquiescently. "Can you feel him inside of you?" Angelus frowned. He thought about the question for a moment, but answered truthfully. "Sometimes. Not often, but he’s been known to pop up a few times unexpectedly." He didn’t expand on that.

She walked to him and kissed him gently, her lips brushing over his. Her forehead rested against his and she prayed for strength. Strength to love this monster in spite of what he was. Strength to pull the tiny piece of Angel that was still inside, out. Strength to dispel the feeling of guilt that overcame her each time she reveled in his caress.

"Come on, Slayer," Angelus whispered softly. His voice was slightly strained, and if she’d been listening closer, perhaps Buffy would have heard his own struggle within. But she didn’t. "Don’t go getting all maudlin on me now. It doesn’t become you."

Buffy trailed her fingertips over the hard set of his lips and pushed away from him. "You never change," she told him.

"You’d be surprised," he told her enigmatically.

She arched a brow, but did not pursue his comment. "Would you fuck anyone else but me?" she asked him sweetly.

"In a heartbeat," he answered with a smile, before feeling the lash of the whip strike the inside of his thigh. "Watch it, love. Too much closer and I might have to put an end to your little game," he growled.

Buffy smirked and continued. "I’ll ask you again, ‘cause you might wanna rethink your answer. Would you fuck anyone else but me?"

Angelus looked at her. "Of course I would." The whip burned a path over his abdomen. He noticed, however, she was being careful not to mark him too deeply. In fact, the small scratch over his heart had already healed. "I’m going to ask you one more time. Would you...fuck anyone...else but me?"

"I’ll fuck anyone I damn well please," he bit out, before amending angelically, "But I’d only be thinking of you."The preposterously sweet look on his face made Buffy want to laugh, but his words still bothered her. "Mmmm. So tell me. Who do you wanna fuck right now?"

"Now that’s a loaded question if I ever heard one." Angelus watched her as she prowled around like a cat in heat. It pleased him to know that she was controlled by her lust for him. "Right now, all I want to do is bend you over and pound into you until you can’t even scream anymore." Buffy turned to him, her eyes flashing. He saw her lift her arm and he unconsciously closed his eyes and tensed his body. The small, crackling explosions of the whip seemed deafening as he waited for the pain. But none came. He opened his eyes and saw her smirking in front of him. The lack of pressure on his wrists and ankles made him aware of the fact that he was no longer bound to the bed.

"So have at it," she murmured, tossing the whip aside.

In one giant stride, Angelus moved to her and lifted her in his arms. "You might regret that move, lover, because I have no intention of making things easy on you."

Buffy gasped when he threw her down on the bed. "When have you ever?" she grunted as she tried to sit up. But he only pushed her back down. And none too gently. He straddled her, pinning her to the bed, and kissed her brutally. His tongue was invasive, ravaging her senses with his violent ardor. She loved it. Without warning, Angelus slammed her onto her stomach. As he kneeled behind her, her grabbed her hips, pulling her up to impale her on his rigid cock. Buffy screamed at the intrusion. She was wet and already gripping his cock within her, but the feeling as he rammed his entire length inside of her was still a shock to her system.

*****

"What do you think’s going on?" Willow whispered. They were sitting on the ground outside of the large window. About thirty minutes had passed since they’d seen sign of Buffy or Angel.

"I think Buffy’s betraying her friends, family, and oh, the rest of humanity," Xander said bitterly.

"I think she’s beating him," Spike said.

Willow looked at him. "What?"

"Hearing," he explained. "I keep hearing the snap of a whip. I figure, she’s beating him. Or he’s beating her, if he’s Angelus."

Suddenly they heard a woman scream.

"Buffy!" Willow shouted, and jumped up. She began to head for the door, but Spike stopped her.

"Red, I don’t think you want to do that," he warned her.

"What are you saying? Buffy’s in there! And she sounds like she’s hurt!" "Maybe, maybe not. I can think of a few other reasons she might be screaming. But, if he is hurting her, you can’t help her now. You’d only be committing suicide if you tried to face Angelus, pet."

"That’s my best friend in there," Willow told him, pulling out of his grasp.

"I’m not denying I’m a bit fond of the Slayer myself. But either way, nothing good will come of going in there.""He’s right, Will. Besides, it’s probably just our beloved friend’s screams of pleasure we’re hearing. No, nothing wrong with that picture," he said sarcastically.

"I can’t believe you two!" Willow shouted.

"Fine," Spike said. "You go in there if you have to. But I’m not. I don’t think she’s in any real danger, personally." He sat back down and pretended he didn’t care if she went in or not. But he did. Angelus might be playing with the Slayer for the moment, but if her friends barged in on their romantic tryst he had no doubt that Angelus would feel like a caged animal and react as one as well.

Willow looked back and forth from Xander and Spike to the house, undecided.

Finally she sat down with them. "If she doesn’t come out of there in another half hour, I’m going in," she said determinedly.

*****

Buffy reclined languorously on his bed and watched him move around the room. Her clothing had been discarded violently about the room and she saw her torn corset lying on the floor. "You’d better buy me another one," she told him, snuggling deeper into the black satin sheets.

"I bought you the first one, Buff," he reminded her as he searched through his armoire for something.

"Hmmm. Oh yeah. Well, I liked it."

She could hear the smirk in his voice. "I know."

Her gaze fell on an old book resting atop his nightstand. She picked it up and looked at the title. "How original," she murmured. Briefly she flipped through the pages and began reading aloud.

"I lay quiet, looking out from under my eyelashes in an agony of delightful anticipation. The fair girl advanced and bent over me till I could feel the movement of her breath upon me. Sweet it was in one sense, honey-sweet, and sent the same tingling through the nerves as her voice, but with a bitter underlying the sweet, a bitter offensiveness, as one smells in blood.

"I was afraid to raise my eyelids, but looked out and saw perfectly under the lashes. The girl went on her knees, and bent over me, simply gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck she actually licked her lips like an animal, till I could see in the moonlight the moisture shining on the scarlet lips and on the red tongue as it lapped the white sharp teeth. Lower and lower went her head as the lips went below the range of my mouth and chin and seemed to fasten on my throat. Then she paused, and I could hear the churning sound of her tongue as it licked her teeth and lips, and I could feel the hot breath on my neck. Then the skin of my throat began to tingle as one’s flesh does when the hand that is to tickle it approaches nearer, nearer. I could feel the soft, shivering touch of the lips on the super sensitive skin of my throat, and the hard dents of two sharp teeth, just touching and pausing there. I closed my eyes in languorous ecstasy and waited, waited with beating heart."

"This where you get all your brilliant ideas?" she asked, setting Bram Stoker’s "Dracula" back on the small table.

Angelus grinned as he turned around. "Not quite. I much prefer his work with ‘Erotic Tales of the Victorian Age’. Mayhaps I’ll show you sometime."

"The ‘Tales’, or what they inspire in you?"

"Both," he assured her, grinning lasciviously. "But for right now, I want you to stay there. Or you won’t like the consequences." Buffy watched him curiously as he walked to the door. "Stay," he warned her, before closing the door after himself.

*****

"Look!" Willow said as she saw the door to the supposed bedroom begin to open.

"No! Don’t look!" Xander gasped as he clutched his hands over Willow’s eyes.

"That was Angel!" she said dumbly. "That was naked Angel!"

"Mmm hmm. And I have to say, the Poof hasn’t changed much. Was always impressive..." Spike murmured, oblivious of Xander’s astonished gaze.

"What’s he doing?" Willow asked.

"Actually, uhhh, it looks like he’s setting up a picnic. A naked picnic, no doubt," Xander said in self-righteous anger.

Spike grinned. "Calm down, Slugger. Besides, I’d take this to mean Buffy’s not...dead or anything. Of course, then again, I’d wager Soul Boy’s flown the coop."

"Wait a second. Wh-what’s he doing. What is that?" Xander panicked.

Spike rolled his eyes. "It would appear to be a red violin, you idiot."

"Awwww," Willow sighed. "That’s so romantic."

"Uhhh. Does anyone else see a problem with this? Will? We’re talking about Angelus. You know...Demon Boy? Fangs? Leather? Scourge of EUROPE?!?!?"

"He always was a sweet talker when it came to the ladies," Spike muttered.

*****

Angelus swung the door open and gestured for her to follow him. Obligingly, Buffy rose from the bed and walked towards him, uncaring of her nudity. It was amazing that she felt so comfortable in his presence when she knew at any moment he could kill her. However, Angelus seemed to dispel her inhibitions.

Before her, he’d set out a "picnic". One of his black satin sheets was spread out in front of the fireplace, and it had a dozen red and black satin pillows strewn about it in a careful arrangement of disarray.

Angelus stepped away from her and sat down, reclining on the pile of pillows as he gazed up at her, desire evident in the way he moved, the way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her. "Come here, Buffy," he told her, his voice a gentle command.

She walked forward haltingly, but the minute he held out his hand to her, she accepted it. She laid down next to him, their naked bodies sliding against the silky material and each other. He ran his long fingers through her hair and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Why are you doing this?" Her voice was full of longing and despair.

Angelus placed a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up. "Because you’re mine," he told her. "And it’s finally time you knew that fully." He shifted over her and bowed his head, his lips brushing over hers tenderly. She accepted him readily, but he could feel the guilt still thrumming through her body. Didn’t she know whatever happened wasn’t her fault? She didn’t have a choice anymore. It had been taken away from her so very long ago.

"Why are you doing this?" Buffy asked him again, her voice trembling with yearning. "Why are you being so tender? Why aren’t you hurting me? You know you could." Her words were brutally honest; she was admitting that she was at his complete and utter mercy.

Angelus smiled. "I’m rather protective about my possessions, Slayer," he told her. "And you are mine, don’t you ever doubt that." He trailed a fingertip over her face, touching upon her every perfect feature. "And I don’t have to hurt you anymore. I’ve already won." His words were unconsciously arrogant. He wasn’t gloating, merely stating a fact.

Buffy’s heart was breaking inside. This was, and always had been, a game to him. And she’d willingly sacrificed herself to him. If she couldn’t have Angel, then she’d have Angelus. Isn’t that what she’d thought? She’d brought him back deliberately, knowing that for all of his evil ways, at least he’d never leave her. Her betrayal flooded her thoughts. She might as well have staked her love, for she’d killed him all the same. And she had no one to blame but herself.

Angelus watched the thoughts racing through her mind. Whereas the pain he’d brought her before had pleasured him so much, now it left him feeling cold. He disgusted himself. "Buffy, look at me. Look at me, Buffy!" he demanded. When she turned her face to his again, he growled. She was crying. He couldn’t stand seeing her cry. It made her weak. It made him weak. "Stop that!" he told her, but to no avail. "Dammit, Buffy!" Angelus sat up and looked down at her. She was so small, so listless. She looked as if she wanted to die. Oh, he’d make her die all right. But he’d be damned, he smiled at the thought, if he let her just waste away. His fingers wrapped around her upper arms, gripping her tightly, and pulled her up. "You’re going to listen to me, because I’m only going to say this once. You asked me if I ever still felt him inside of me. Yes. Yes, I do. Every time I look at you, I feel him rising to the surface. And I hate that. But I can’t stay away from you. You make me not want to hurt you. You make me want to love you. And you might as well get rid of that guilt, lover. Angel’s not coming back. The soul is gone." His dark eyes cleared for a moment and Buffy could swear she saw Angel in that look. "But remember. He and I...are the same person. He’ll never stop loving you...." Angelus returned, but his tone was more determined now. "And I’ll never let you go. So get used to it."

His mouth lowered to hers, parting her lips with gentle nudges from his tongue. The cool feeling invaded her and he calmed her by lightly stroking his fingers over her body. If she closed her eyes, she could feel him everywhere; he set her body on fire. She felt him delving into her velvet heat, his fingers easing inside of her with the help of their combined juices. Buffy moaned as he grazed her sensitive flesh. Her eyes flew open as Angelus withdrew from her. His smile was downright wicked. He lifted his hand and let his fingers slip over her parted lips, holding her gaze all the while. He watched as her tongue flicked out, drawing his wet fingers into her warm, yielding mouth, her eyes drifting shut as she tasted them both. The feeling of Buffy sucking gently on his fingers made his cock jump and he pressed her back down into the pallet, settling between her supple thighs.

Drawing his hand from her mouth, Angelus captured her in another kiss. His fingertips trailed down her silky skin, tracing the soft curves of her breasts, the taut peaks of her nipples, the firm muscles of her abs. Despite her lithe body, he knew there was an unequivocal strength of body and spirit right beneath the surface.

Buffy gazed up at Angelus as he braced his arms on either side of her. She gasped when she felt him at her entrance and then sighed when he slid inside, relishing each exquisite inch that he buried himself deeper. He rolled his hips forward and she felt him pressing into her cervix. "Angelus!" she gasped and clenched around him tightly. Angelus snarled as he felt her gripping him from within. He began driving into her, her sweet vise around his cock driving him crazy. He’d never met another woman who intoxicated him so. Buffy wrapped her legs around him, opening herself to the havoc he wrecked on her body.

Angelus fought the urge to rip into the tender skin of her neck. She was like a fever, a fire in his blood. The Slayer’s juices ran down his thighs as he thrust into her, the little catches of her breath sounding in his ears. She was so slick, so hot, as he sheathed himself in her. Just watching her pleasure brought him to the edge of his own release. He brought a hand between their bodies and let his fingers massage her clit. At his touch, Buffy writhed beneath him, her back arching off of the satin as she thrust up to meet his every stroke.

"Come for me, lover," Angelus growled, never stopping his assault on her body. He rammed into her hard and deep, quickening as she began to tremble. Angelus looked down at her, her skin glistening like gold in the firelight. Buffy’s moans grew louder and louder the harder he pounded into her sweet little body. She tightened around him, squeezing and milking his thick cock as her climax rolled over her. He couldn’t outlast the onslaught of her against him, and with a loud roar he came, spilling his dead seed deep within her womb. Angelus’ arms wrapped around her and lifted her onto his chest as he turned onto his back.

*****

"Oh. My. God," Xander whispered as he watched one of his best friends fuck her demon lover. It both infuriated him and enthralled him at the same time. He’d only dreamt of doing those things to her, and here he was, watching his immortal enemy pound her little body into oblivion. Xander shifted his weight, trying to relieve the pressure against his jeans without alerting the others to his discomfort.

"How could she?" Willow whispered. "How could Buffy do this?"

"It’s quite simple, Red. I’d have thought you and the wolf -"

"That’s not what I meant, Spike!" Willow told him furiously. She’d believed in Buffy, even if Xander hadn’t. She wouldn’t have believed this if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. But Xander had been right. Buffy was betraying them all.

"So what do we do now?" Xander asked. "I mean, do we barge in there and confront her? Or do we wait till tomorrow and spring it on her? Maybe something like ‘Hey Buff, missed ya last night. And oh, by the way, are you screwing your undead honey?’"

"Guys, can you tell what’s going on in there?" she asked worriedly as she squinted to see inside.

Xander shrugged. "What? They’re not going at it again yet?"

Spike watched Angelus and the Slayer. He knew exactly what was going on.

And he sighed.

*****

When Buffy had regained her senses, Angelus moved her off of him and sat up. He offered her a glass of wine or a bite of food, but Buffy declined, watching him suspiciously once more.

Angelus turned and gathered his supplies. He wasn’t going to think twice about his actions. He’d already told her she belonged to him. Yet she still didn’t know what that meant. He smiled grimly. What he was about to do was risky. Oh, she wouldn’t reject him. He wouldn’t let her. But if he went through with it, he’d be inviting his enemy to spend an eternity hating him...or loving him.

Angelus wrapped his long fingers around the stem of the silver goblet and picked up his dagger, an antique whose handle was encrusted with rubies that glinted in the glow of the fire. He turned back to her and set them on the black satin, open to her perusal.

Buffy’s eyes flew to his. She knew exactly what he wanted. The thought horrified her. But it also intrigued her. Wasn’t this what she’d wanted? Well, perhaps not this way. Her eyes fell to the dagger, mesmerized by the way the rubies glinted in the dim light. The way the glow of the flames danced over the polished surface made it seem as if the rubies were alive, pulsing with deep, crimson blood.

He watched her silently. He’d told her he’d already won, but that wasn’t exactly true. He’d never win, not totally. She was a Slayer, and because of such, her soul was stronger than others’. Angelus had done ample research on turning a Slayer. It was an ironic game, actually. A vampire’s greatest dream was to turn his mortal enemy into that which she most despised. And yet, if he gave into that urge, it would only backfire on him -- creating an immortal Slayer. If he turned Buffy now, she would still be a Slayer, full of humane feelings, much like his alter-ego. On the other hand, she would belong to him. She would be his possession to do with as he wished. Then again, she could possibly hate him forever, not resting until she killed him.

And that’s why he hadn’t fed from her during his height of passion. This was going to be her decision. Angelus wanted her to be at full functional capacity when she chose her destiny. That way, she could only blame herself for what she’d become. He arched a dark, arrogant brow as he lifted the dagger and sliced open his wrist, allowing his blood to flow into the ornate goblet. Buffy watched in idle fascination. When it was half full, Angelus raised his wrist to his lips and licked the excess blood from his wound.

"It’s up to you," he told her, placing the goblet before her.

Buffy gazed down at the chalice. She didn’t have the knowledge Angelus did. Did not know that her soul was forever hers. And so she was completely at a loss for what to do. If she drank this, she would be committing herself to an eternity with Angelus. And if she didn’t...who was to say he wouldn’t turn her anyway? Or worse, he could kill her. But if she agreed...she’d have what she wanted. She’d live forever with the man she loved. Because for all that she denied it, whether he was Angel or Angelus, Buffy loved him. She reached out a trembling hand and traced his ridged features in a subtle caress. Her fingers curled around the back of his neck and drew him forward.

It was all the encouragement Angelus needed. He growled softly and pressed a kiss to the tender flesh before his fangs slid into her. He drank her slowly, savoring the full flavor of his Slayer. All of her passions burned a path through him as her life flowed into him. He felt her pulse weaken to a slow beat and pulled away. Angelus had to hold her head up as he raised the goblet to her pale lips, forcing her to drink.

*****

"NO!" Willow cried helplessly as she watched Angelus lift the blood-filled chalice to her best friend’s lips. Xander pulled her away from the window.

"If it’s any consolation, you couldn’t have stopped it," Spike told them.

"How would you know?" Xander asked bitterly. "You’re the one who told us not to go in. You’re probably on HIS side!"

"I told you not to go in because you would have gotten killed if you had. By the looks of it, Angelus has had this planned for a long time. You’re a fool if you think he would have let you get in his way."

"What about you?" Willow asked softly, despondently. "Couldn’t you have stopped him?"

Spike frowned. "No. Well, I could have. Tonight. But do you really think that would have kept them apart?"

"You’re acting like this isn’t even a big deal! Our best friend is DEAD because you have no INITIATIVE!" Xander yelled.

"She’s not dead," Spike told them.

"Yeah. In the sense that she’ll rise from her grave and suck all of our blood!"

"Xander," Willow whispered. "We’ve got to tell Giles. He-he’ll know what to do."

"In case you’ve forgotten, Will," Xander said coldly, "there’s only one thing we CAN do."

"You can’t stake her," Willow told Xander. "She’s still Buffy."

"No. She’s not. She’s a demon now, just like Dead Boy. Whom, in my opinion, we should have introduced to the sun a long time ago."

Spike shook his head. "The Watcher will know what to do," he said, walking back to his car. "Besides, speaking of the sun, I don’t fancy a meeting today, if you know what I mean."

*****

Angelus picked Buffy up and carried her into the darkened bedroom. He’d seen the three outside of the window. No doubt they would be on their way to tell Giles the news. Well, wouldn’t they be pleasantly surprised? Oh, he hoped not. He wanted them to suffer and cry. Yet Buffy would probably prohibit him from killing them. He was whipped. By a Slayer. By Buffy. It was disgusting and every cell inside of him rebelled. But he couldn’t help it.

But he wouldn’t have to deal with those insolent fools any time soon. Buffy would be too ashamed to face them at first.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and rested next to her, holding her unconscious, dying body next to him. When Buffy awoke, she’d be his childe. His lover. His mate. For all eternity. And he had no doubt that there would be centuries she'd hate him. Centuries they'd fight and shag and love, just as Spike had told them. But hell, they had forever.

Angelus laughed softly and whispered in her ear, knowing she couldn't hear

him. "You did surprise me, lover," he sighed.

"You made me love you."