Insane Need by Anjel

 

ldyanjel@aol.com

 

 

He was obsessed. He had to make her his.

 

Angelus Devlin was a 32 year old billionaire. As the head of an international banking and finance corporation, which he had inherited at age 20 after his parents died in a car accident ; and subsequently molded the corporation into the number two banking institution in the world, he could have or possess any woman which caught his fancy. Very often Angelus had women, countless women over the years, from socialites yearning to nab a rich husband to prostitutes skilled in all forms of erotica. He and his best friend and second in command at Devlin Banking Corp, William Pennington, prided themselves on their numerous female conquests with nay a one coming close to receiving a ring. Angelus was quite content to spend the rest of his years indulging in all kind of erotic play with the convenient female, that is until the day he entered the home of Hank Summers and saw her.

Angelus and William had stopped by the Summer’s residence in New Orleans for afternoon cocktails and to discuss a multi-million dollar business deal the bank and HS Shipping Inc, Hank Summer’s company, had in the works. HS Shipping and Devlin Banking Corp had had many successful dealings over the years but this was to be the biggest of them all. This was also the first time Angelus and William had visited Hank’s home, while Hank had often been invited to parties at Angelus’ or William’s residence, neither had ever entered Hank’s home until today.

----

Hank Summers walked through the front door to the veranda as the butler held the large, carved door open. A welcoming smile crossed his lips as he watched Angelus Devlin and William Pennington ascend the stairs of his St. Charles Street house.

“Hank old man, what a wonderful old mansion you have here. Right on St. Charles street no less, I bet you get quite an eyeful during Mardi Gras!” Commented William as he reached Hank, extended his hand to shake Hank’s hand and patted him on the back.

Angelus was just a step behind William, looking around at the exquisite turn of the century architecture. “William is right, what a wonderful old place. Does it come complete with it’s own ghost stories as well?”

Hank laughed and shook Angelus’ hand as he gestured for both of them to follow him inside. “In New Orleans EVERYONE has a ghost story or ten!” He stepped in and all three had a look at his lovely foyer with it’s deep green marble floors, carved wood banister and elegantly appointed vintage tapestries lining the walls. “Come, come we can indulge in a mint julep and if you care I can give you the twenty cent tour. Twenty-five cents if you want to see Archibald’s ghost!”

Both Angelus and William smiled and followed Hank through the parlor and into the library, complete with a view of the lush garden. The sun shone in through the well appointed French doors and casts it’s gaze on the tray full of glistening, iced juleps. William placed his briefcase on one of the overstuffed Windsor chairs as Angelus and Hank both reached for a julep. “Ahh, Perfect. The perfect companion to the heat of New Orleans.” stated Angelus before he drank and William reached for his.

“We Summer’s do love our juleps.”

“Hank the house truly is amazing, that tour would definitely be welcomed,” commented William.

Angelus nodded, “And your décor suits this place perfectly as far as I can tell, who was your decorator? I intend to redo parts of the plantation down here myself.”

“Your plantation is stunning as is Angelus. I remember it suiting you so well.”

“Yes but most of my visitors keep saying it needs a woman’s touch so I prefer to have a decorator add that element then one of my paramours, they tend to get to attached.” smiled Angelus.

Hank grinned and shook his head, “The incurable bachelor.. But anyway the bulk of this place was actually decorated by my late wife Joyce, tho she did say that our daughter Buffy helped tremendously; I can’t see how, Buffy was only nine at the time! Carol, the current Mrs. Summers, kept most of it the same but added a few touches here and there. If you like I can ask her to recommend a few good decorators, I am not to well versed in that.”

“That would be helpful,” smiled Angelus. “Let’s see the place Hank.”

Hank nodded, put down his glass and lead the way out of the library.

After a complete first floor tour, he led them upstairs to showoff the bedroom suites and the additional study. As they rounded a corner towards the study, a petite blonde emerged from the study’s doorway carrying a book and a cordless phone saying, “Call me later Wills, I gotta finish this history paper tonight or Mr. Snyder will kick my ass tomorrow.”

“Buffy! Watch your mouth!” scolded Hank.

Buffy blushed and replied, “Sorry dad, didn’t know we had company.”

Angelus didn’t hear a word anyone was saying but her, she stunned him in place. As Hank was making introductions all Angelus could do was stare at her, she was in a short, white sundress which clung to her curves and she smelled of vanilla. Her hair was in a loose ponytail which cascaded down her neck in large curls. She wasn’t wearing a bra but that was not immediately obvious unless you looked for it. When she extended her hand in greeting to Angelus, he took it, smiled at her softly and kissed the back of her little hand. Buffy smiled a smile so radiant, Angelus thought it had burned a hole through him. Within a few scant moments, Angelus knew, he had to have her and he had to have her now.

 

 

As the day progressed they found themselves back in the library for several hours, discussing the finer points of their business deal, or actually William and Hank were discussing most of the points as Angelus’ mind wandered to the small blonde girl upstairs. She was so beautiful, small and delicate yet blossoming so perfectly into her womanhood. How old was she? 15, 16 perhaps 17 already. What torture to have to wait to her 18th birthday before he could seduce her, no, no he would not wait. He couldn’t wait, he wanted her now, this night!

Angelus’ eyes sparkled with lust and deviousness. He looked to Hank and William as they spoke then he stood abruptly announcing, “The deal is off!”

“What!?” shouted Hank as he rose to his feet. William looked at Angelus with concern and question.

“Hank, I intend to cancel this deal and to call in all of HS’s loans and credit lines.” stated Angelus firmly.

“What? Why?! Angelus, this deal means millions for both of us! You cannot be serious, what has happened in…”

Angelus interrupted Hank and said, “There is something that can change my mind Hank. I want your daughter, Buffy.”

Hank was shocked, disgusted and about ready to leap at Angelus, “What the hell are you saying?! You want to fuck my 16 year old baby girl?”

“More then that Hank, I want to marry her… Tonight.”

Hank and William both looked at Angelus with horror. Hank then turned to William, this is some kind of joke right Will? Angelus is just saying I have a beautiful little girl in a strange way?” stated Hank hopefully at William.

William looked over at Angelus, and knowing his friend all to well quickly realized that Angelus was not only not joking but that he wanted the girl now. William was not one to deny Angelus anything so he turned to Hank and said, “Fraid not mate. Looks like the boss wants your daughter as his wife. I suggest we make this happen quickly, otherwise you and your family will be ruined.”

“I.. I don’t understand. You don’t even know Buffy. You saw her for a few minutes is all. How can you? This is insane!” Hank was near hysterical and was so confused he didn’t know what to do.

“Listen to me very carefully Hank, you can call Buffy down here now and inform her of her marriage this night or you can see yourself left with nothing, all of you out on the streets with whatever lil torture I can devise over your heads and with me probably ending up with Buffy in the long run anyway. Now I am a very impatient man and I have set my desire for your daughter. Bring her to me.” Angelus turned to William, “William call Judge Hatcher and have him come here at once, tell him to bring the appropriate marriage license and consent forms for a minor of age 16.

William nodded and pulled out his cell phone, placing the call as Hank looked on in shock. The moment William hung up Hank began to protest vehemently, William pulled him over to the side and informed him of some of the terrible things that could befall him and his wife and other child if Angelus did not get what he wanted. After twenty minutes, Hank was resigned to the inevitable and Buffy was called down to the library.

 

---

Buffy walked into the room that smelled of alcohol and old leather, Angelus took her hand quickly and motioned for her to sit by him on the couch. She did, as she looked up at her father.

Angelus smiled at her leeringly, Buffy backed away a little bit, feeling uncomfortable as Angelus continued to hold her hand, “Buffy,” began Angelus, “tonight your father and I have come to an agreement.”

“What agreement is that?” asked the sweet blonde girl.

Angelus smiled at her, “It is appropriate that you are wearing white my love, because tonight you and I will be married.”

“What!” Buffy looked over at her father, “Dad what is he talking about?”

Hank nearly cried but managed to respond, “Baby I am sorry. I had no choice.. I”

William cut him off and said, “Lets leave the lovebirds alone until Judge Hatcher arrives.” William pulled Hank out of the room by the arm and closed the door behind him, leaving Buffy and Angelus alone.

Buffy rose to leave the room but Angelus pulled her back down to the couch next to him, “ I know this is a shock but it is for the best, you will be my wife, want for nothing and know erotic delights.” Buffy was scared out of her mind. She started to push Angelus away from her when he slapped her across the face.

“Forgive me love, but these first few weeks you will have to learn to obey me. I am not patient enough with you to wait for the proper seduction as I should. I must have you.. Tonight.”

Buffy touched her hand to her face and was truly scared of this man in front of her, “You are crazy. I am NOT marrying you or doing or going anywhere with you! Leave me alone!” Buffy pulled away from him and started to the door when Angelus hauled her into his strong arms and turned her to face him.

 

 

“You have driven me crazy. I would never have done this! I am shocked at myself for doing this but I cannot help myself, I look at you and desire courses through my veins like liquid fire. Your eyes, your mouth, everything about you .. The mere moments upstairs and now, now as I hold you in my arms, I want to devour you Buffy Summers.” Angelus’ breath grew heavier as he brought Buffy close to his chest and moved his hands down her arms and over her body.

Buffy cringed and tried to back away but Angelus would not allow it, he was mad, mad with passion for this little slip of a girl. He moved one hand to her back as the other cupped her head, “Look at me my love. I know, I know this is a shock and that all of this, that I will take some getting used to but in time you will see how we are meant for each other.”

Tears streamed down Buffy’s cheek uncontrollably, she was horrified, “What do you expect? What are you going to do? Force me to marry you, take me from my parents home and rape me?!”

Angelus cooed in her ear while holding her small, shaking form and replied, “Yes.”

Buffy screamed, “Get away from me!!” Angelus just held her tighter, not allowing her to escape his demanding embrace. His hands roamed her form, he was incapable of self control with her this near, in fact for a fleeting moment he frightened himself, fearing that he would harm her when he took her to his bed with his urgency. But soon that thought was clouded over as his senses filled with her essence. He moved his mouth to hers and claimed her with a searing kiss that deprived her of breath.

Her insistent little hands banged against his shoulders and he released her from the kiss, “Mine. I will never let you go.” He kissed her again to punctuate his statement, his hand caressing her breast as she mewled her fearful protests.

A knock at the door and William entering jarred Angelus from his lusty pursuit. He moved his hands to Buffy’s waist as William stated, “Judge is here with all the paperwork.”

Angelus turned Buffy facing out and pulled her back into him, so that she could feel the intensity of his arousal pressing into her lower back. He kept her there with a vice grip. “Good, send him in now and bring Hank to sign the papers. I want to get going to our honeymoon.”

Buffy sobbed and tried to free herself from Angelus’ embrace to no avail, Judge Hatcher, Hank and William all reentered the library and Buffy started to plead; “Please Daddy, get me away from him! Don’t let this happen!”

Hank looked onto his little girl with tears in his eyes but said nothing, the Judge simply spread out the paperwork on the desk and indicated where Hank should sign as Buffy’s guardian.

Buffy screamed, “NOO! Dad please don’t sign those papers! PLEASE! Dad he is going to rape me! Please stop this!!”

Hank turned to her and said, “I can’t stop it sweetheart. My hands are tied, but .. But he is marrying you honey. As his wife you will have rights and be taken care of forever.”

Horror-struck Buffy yelled, “HE IS GOING TO RAPE ME! Please, PLEASE Don’t let this happen to me!”

Hank just turned and whispered, “I’m sorry honey,” and signed the papers.

Buffy broke down in uncontainable sobs, Angelus stroked her hair as William signed as the witness, and then brought the papers to Angelus for his signature. Angelus grasped Buffy’s arms to her waist with his left arm and signed with his right. Then the judge signed and quickly looked at Buffy and Angelus stating, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Angelus turned her roughly and kissed her with great force. He then picked her up quickly in his arms before she had a chance to regain any composure and swept out of the room, the house and into the awaiting limo.

William took the papers, offered the judge a ride home and informed Hank that the business deal would proceed as normal before he left.

---

 

One and a half hours later they arrived at Angelus’ plantation. Throughout the entire ride Angelus could barely control himself, he caressed Buffy’s body but not much more, he wanted her first time to be in their bed. Buffy all the while cried and pleaded with him to let her go home. Angelus didn’t respond with anything but , “Your mine now.. Forever.”

As they exited the limo, Buffy pushed Angelus away and tried to run but he caught her easily and smacked her on the ass with good force. “Don’t fight this baby, it will be easier and more enjoyable if you play along.” He then carried her inside and up to the bedroom, where he quickly gave the servants some instruction before he locked the door and headed to the bathroom where a warm bath awaited as per his phone instructions from the limo.

Kicking the bath door shut he then placed Buffy standing on the plush white rug in the middle of the room. “Buffy love, listen to me very carefully. We are about to embark on our first love making session, I would prefer not to have to hit you or restrain you but take my word, if I have to I will. I may prefer not to inflict more pain on you then need be today but I will have you under me, and I will be buried deep inside you, whether you are subdued by force or passion is now up to you.”

Buffy stood there shaking with fear but not making a move to run from him. Angelus smiled, then removed his shirt, shoes and socks. He stepped over to the whirlpool and notice that the water was a perfect temperature. Stepping back to Buffy he knelt down and removed her sandals, then his hands moved up her legs, over her thighs gently and slowly lifted the dress from her body and threw it to one side. He gazed at her through a haze of desire as she stood before him clad in only a pair of white panties, shaking. His hands touched her arms, her breasts, her stomach. His fingers moved back up and lightly touched her nipples, his thumb pads caressing both nipples until they were each painfully erect.

Angelus finished removing his clothing and stood before his wife and captive in his full glory. His cock seemingly reaching for her. Buffy’s eyes widened as they took in the size of his penis and fear shot down her spine. She wanted to run, knowing he would rip her in two, she shook more violently and he took her in his arms “Shhhh baby, its ok.” He then lifted her and the two of them went over and sank into the bath water.

For the next twenty minutes Angelus carefully washed her and himself. Caressing her, wiping the tears from her face, coaxing her to relax.. But she never really did relax all that much.

He lifted her from the tub with him and wrapped fluffy towels about them both, drying her and himself . Once finished drying he held her, trying to will himself to calm before he just plunged into her. After a few moments he did calm and then carried her into the bedroom where he deposited her gently on the fresh sheets. She reached to cover herself, he stopped her and placed her hands at either side then knelt before her, straddling her lower legs before he lifted each one and gazed upon the sweet lips leading to her core.

She inhaled a ragged sob and tried to pull her legs from his grasp. Angelus would have none of it, he looked at her from his position between her legs; he had placed her high on the enormous bed, her head elevated on several pillows so that she had a clear view of what he was doing, and issued a firm warning. “I am going to enjoy your body now and for many years to come, let us not start with more pain then necessary beloved.”

Buffy shook with uncontrollable nerves as tears spilled down her cheeks. She knew with certainty that Angelus would do anything now to dominate her and that she was helpless to escape, she let her legs go limp in his grasp, closed her eyes in shame and clutched her hands to the sheets.

Angelus smiled and touched his cheek to her inner thigh as he whispered, “Shhh baby, it is all going to be fine.” he kissed the sweet skin he found there over and over, “You will know great pleasure in my arms love. I hope that soon you will come to accept our union fully and embrace it passionately.” Angelus moved up her body quickly and rested his body atop of hers, his cock pressing on the outer lips of her tight sheath, insistently searching for entrance on its own. He kissed her cheek and her lips, trailing his tongue softly over her soft flesh as he did so, “Forgive me baby, I know I should give you more time to adjust to this. I was hasty in taking you from your house this very night but the moment I lay eyes on you I knew, I knew you were mine; that you were for me. I know I should have taken time to seduce you properly, allowed you the time to accustom yourself to me but I can’t. I must be with you, joined with you, the need is screaming in my veins, my instant desire for you has driven me to insanity.” He kissed her fully and hard, his tongue reaching down into her sweet, moist mouth completely as the salty tang of her tears mixed with the sugar of her mouth. “I am sorry Buffy that I must be so forceful with you now,” he stated as he continuously kissed her face and lips, “but I am certain you will feel this need in your own veins soon enough.”

He kissed her fully again, then began to trail kisses down her body, pausing at her neck, collar bone, the hollow between her breasts then at each nipple he suckled for several moments before continuing down her abdomen and over her belly button. He sucked in some of the tender flesh under her belly button and tickled his tongue to it as his hands ran slowly up and down her inner thighs. Soon his face was nestled between her thighs and over her sex. He pressed his cheek down over her nether lips for a long moment before he moved his head so his nose parted her lips and was free to move gently and slowly up and down within their valley.

He noticed she was dry and went about rectifying that, he touched his tongue to the inner edge of her lips and strolled it along the entire rim several times before maneuvering between them and exploring deeper regions. Buffy was mortified and started crying violently, Angelus placed his hand on her lower abdomen and rubbed it gently, Buffy wanted so desperately to pull away, she pleaded with him through her tears, “Please don’t do this.”

Angelus answered by quickly burying his mouth between her soft curls and clamping his lips around her clit. He suckled voraciously and slowly moved his thumb inside her. She was still dry as he started moving his thumb in, so he sped up his assault of her sweet lil bud until the first liquid reaction emerged. He suckled, flicked and lapped up the juices that were slowly spilling from his woman’s body. He was greedy for the juices, they were the sweetest, purest honey to him, everything about her inflamed his senses. He moved his hands over her inner thighs and pressed them open so he could fully bury his face as deep inside her as possible. His tongue probed her, moving in and out, up and down exploring, tasting and savoring her like the unique treasure she was. He ravenously assaulted her slick sheath, devouring her with the insatiable hunger of a starving man.

Buffy’s sobs had turned into disobedient moans. Her body was no longer hers, it belonged to the sensations Angelus was causing. Her hands gripped the sheets tighter, her head fell back and her back arched up off the mattress, she was climaxing in his mouth and was no longer in control of herself. Angelus felt her climax and lapped up her sugared honey greedily as he inserted two fingers into her hot depths. He quickly started moving them in and out of her with determination, at first Buffy was to lost in the climax but then, as she calmed, a whimper escaped her against the demanding intrusion. Angelus took note and suckled her clit ardently as he removed his fingers. Shortly she was at the precipice of another climax and Angelus tipped her over the edge, as she came he moved up her body, kissing her stomach and stopping at her nipples to suckle. His face smeared her juices up her body, he leaned up and looked at her, licking his lips. Angelus rested his hips between her thighs and touched her roughly, her arms, her stomach and breasts, his, he thought, she was his, he squeezed her breasts and pinched her nipples hard, she whimpered and then; Angelus plunged his cock inside her, breaking through her hymen in one powerful thrust and causing her to scream and bleed. He stilled for just a few moments, to revel in the feel of breaking into her, then he moved his hips more rapidly, increasingly pounding into her. She screamed with pain but it didn’t divert him from claiming her, branding her with his cock. He was lost in pure, overheated animalistic lust. Tearing into her with all his might, burying himself inside her as deep as he could reach. He grabbed her knees and pushed them back to her shoulders, and plunged in so deep that he lost control and felt his seed fill her. He let go her legs and grabbed her head, holding it close to him as he came and bucked over her.

For Buffy it seemed like an eternity before he calmed and rested his head in the crook of her neck. He rested his weight on her, he was still buried inside of her and her blood covered both their legs. Pain reverberated inside of her and she closed her eyes and let the silent tears fall.

 

Chapter 2:

The morning sun filtered faintly into the master bedroom, it’s tentacles creeping slowly towards the sleeping lovers. Angelus was the first to stir as the morning rays illuminated the room. He found himself pressed against Buffy’s back, his leg tossed over hers and his arms holding her to him securely. He gazed down at the woman, no the girl who had invaded his soul and shattered his senses. Tear tracks stained her beautiful face, her little hands were crossed and pressed to her chest, resting on his arms as he held her, and blood, blood stained the outer lips of her sex and her thighs. He glanced down at his own lower extremities and saw the matching stains on himself.

What had he done? He thought to himself. He had indeed gone insane was the only answer he could come up with. He’d stolen this little, gorgeous 16 year old girl from her home, married her and raped her. He’d never forced himself on any woman in his life, he didn’t need to; But that was indeed the difference, he NEEDED to have her. He had felt it instantly, this pull, this all consuming desire for this innocent. She was his, the feeling of possessiveness towards her was to overpowering to ignore. He looked at her, he did feel truly sorry that he had forced her, hurt her. He also knew that he would spend years making her fall in love with him, but he had no doubt that she would be his completely, heart, body and soul. For now tho, he realized he had to dominate her, he had no choice, he would never, ever let her go.

Angelus shifted slightly, cradling her in one arm as his other started to lightly roam her body. He toyed gently with one of her nipples, seeing it erect under his soft touch, then he skittered his fingers down her skin drinking in the silkiness of her flesh. He paused over her abdomen and spread his five fingers wide, nearly covering her entire lower torso with his hand, as a possibility occurred to him. He’d been reckless, impatient, careless. He’d taken her virginity and not given thought to the distinct fact that he may have already planted his child within her. And while the thought of her bearing his child was bliss to him, he had to admit to himself that she would view a child now as the product of her enslavement and not as the product of their love. No, he thought, it was to soon to begin their family. He would make arrangements today to guard against a pregnancy now. She would have to be given something because there was no possibility that he would put a thin layer of material between himself and his woman, nothing would ever come between them.

Buffy sighed in her sleep as Angelus moved his hand downward and his fingers found her hidden pearl. She was still moist and his arousal was demanding. He rubbed her, slowly at first then with increasing pace as he felt her juices heating. Buffy let out a small moan as she turned her head still mostly asleep. Her breathy response elicited a heated reaction from Angelus, he was instantly rock hard, his eyes were dilated and he was out of control. In one quick motion, Angelus was hovering over, grabbing her knees and positioning himself at her entrance. Buffy opened her eyes as the head of his cock parted her nether lips. She let out a soft, yet frantic, “NO,” as he pushed the head of his cock in and felt the contractions of her muscles as he slid in further. Angelus plunged in slowly, deeply until he was fully seated within her. He then stilled, breathing in acutely, willing himself to calm. He wanted her to become accustomed to his size without further tearing and bruising her.

Buffy was in pain, he was so big inside of her, it hurt so much, she thought he was tearing her apart from the inside. Her lower lip trembled, her hands shook as she balled up clumps of sheet in her fists. Her hips moved involuntarily to push him out of her but he was to heavy, to big for her to move at all. She was trapped and couldn’t take it anymore, she let out a desperate pain-filled cry.

The cry snapped Angelus out of his concentration and he eased back and pulled mostly out of her, but left his cock head in. He released her legs and moved his body down over hers so that they were mouth to mouth, eye to eye. “Shhh baby, it is going to be alright. I know it hurts love, your new and you need to get accustomed to my size, but soon it will be ok.” Buffy turned her face away from his as tears glistened in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks over the previous stains.

“Buffy, Baby,” stated Angelus as he nudged her face with his so he could kiss her on the mouth. “Don’t tense up. You’re my wife now and you are going to have to not only get use to making love but learn to enjoy it….”

Buffy screamed, becoming hysterical and startling Angelus. She pushed him away from her with her arms and legs, expelling him from her body and managed to reach the edge of the bed. She moved to stand and step away but she fell to the carpeted floor, not able to control her legs or the pain effectively.

Angelus moved towards her and she screamed, “Get away from me! Don’t touch me! I am NOT your wife! I am your rape victim!!” She gasped in a hysterical sob, “I want to go home! Let me go, PLEASE, oh God, Let me go home!”

Angelus grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet, “You ARE Home! Wherever I am is your home from now on! You are mine completely, MY wife, MY lover! Every inch of you belongs to me.” Angelus looked straight into her eyes showing her how much he believed every word he uttered with such ferocity, “Your father gave you up to save his money. I would not give you up to save my money, my life OR my soul! Should God himself walk through those doors and try to take you from me I would destroy him, heaven and hell before ANYONE or ANYTHING could take you from my side.” Angelus breathed in deeply and looked at her with such profound emotion, “Buffy, I cannot explain it. I cannot rationalize it or ignore it, I love you. I don’t just want you, I need you. It is insane I know,” stated Angelus as he pulled Buffy into an embrace, “I feel I have gone insane. I feel…” Angelus moved her head up to face his and kissed her with a thirst such as produced by the desert sun. She was his water, he had never known anything like these emotions she elicited from him; he knew, knew that she was part of him and he would guard that part with everything he was, everything he had. He was insane, he admitted to himself as he kissed her and felt her body, moving them both back to the bed, but he didn’t care. He would allow this insanity to consume him for the rest of his days.

Buffy found herself swept up in the maelstrom of his passion for her. She gripped his shoulders as he ravaged her mouth with crazed intensity and maneuvered her body to the edge of the bed. Angelus sat her down, brought her legs up to either side of his waist as he slid into her. Buffy hissed with pain at the first moment of intrusion but soon Angelus’ slower and shallower rhythm began to transport her to a land of pure sensation. He built a steady, thrusting rhythm, penetrating her deeper only as he felt her body begin to relax under his ministrations. Kissing her all the while, cooing sweet love phrases in her ear and willing her to feel his need.

Soon Buffy was reaching her peak and Angelus allowed himself to spill his seed as she did. He filled her and held her as they both calmed, he was lost to her and demonstrated this in the manner by which he caressed and regarded her. She tried to block out her empathy for his emotions but their intensity was to overwhelming. She could feel them, feel his hunger and need for her as if they were starting to attach to her own skin, she didn’t want to feel it, she pushed, pushed them off to the side and tried not to think.

Angelus moved them up the bed further and entwined himself with his adored captive, caressing her and soothing her with his touch and whispers. He watched as her eye lids grew heavy and sleep claimed her. He rested with her for a long while before regretfully disentangling himself from her and moving to dress in his boxers and robe.

Angelus went to splash water on his face and freshen up some, then he exited the bedroom with one last glance at his love and closed the door behind him. He made his way to his upstairs study and sat behind the desk, quickly picking up the phone.

A few moments later he was speaking to William and instructing him to find a private doctor they could visit later today.

 

 

Chapter 2b

 

Having placed several calls and sending out Wesley, his loyal Gentlemen’s Gentleman, on a few errands, Angelus realized he had spent over two hours out of the bedroom. He rose from his desk and was making his way back down the hall when he heard Wesley climbing the stairs, packages in hand.

“Sir. I have acquired everything you requested from the pharmacy and picked up the clothing from Madame DeCroix’s Shop.”

Angelus smiled and took the items from Wesley, “Thank you Wes.”

“Is there anything else Sir?”

“Not at the moment, just make sure Marie is attentive to my door, when I leave it ajar she may enter shortly thereafter. And have the car brought around by noon, the black Mercedes.”

“Yes Sir,” responded Wesley as Angelus nodded his approval and resumed his path back to the bedroom.

He entered the suite and closed the door securely behind him, his eyes traveled to Buffy’s still sleeping form and a smile crept across his lips at the sight of her in his bed. He put down the shopping bag from the pharmacy on a nearby chair and went to the dressing room. His dressing room and closet was very masculine, all mahogany wood shelves and paneling, his clothes and shoes organized neatly in every corner. He had never let any one of his paramours leave a pair of panties there much less a dress and now the image of this little pink garment bag he was hanging up among his things thrilled him. He was sure that in time she would take over the whole closet and he would be relegated to some far off corner in the attic with his cloths; a chortle escaped him at the thought. Then he decided that soon he would call in the contractors and add one of the adjacent bedrooms to the master suite of rooms as more closet space.

Smiling, Angelus opened the pink garment bag from Madame DeCroix’s exclusive boutique and checked the contents. A few sundresses, some undergarments, a short silk robe and slippers and a couple of neutral colored sandals. Everything seemed in order, Angelus picked out a short, pale peach sundress with spaghetti straps and a pair of tan sandals with little embroidered peach flowers which he separated. He then went about opening a drawer and removing all the contents into a nearby basket. He took the undergarments which had arrived in the garment bag and placed them in the drawer, Buffy had her first official drawer.

Angelus went back out into the bedroom, retrieved the pharmacy shopping bag and entered the bathroom. He started unpacking the items on the counter when he heard a soft sigh. He stopped what he was doing and hurried to Buffy’s side.

“Morning sleepy head,” he whispered in her ear as he brushed some of her hair off of her forehead. Buffy sighed again and fluttered her eyes open. It took her a few moments but when she was able to focus and see Angelus hovering over her, she became startled and flinched away from him.

“Baby, everything is alright,” cooed Angelus as he kissed her temple. Angelus pulled the covers back and off of her, exposing her naked form to his eyes. Buffy gasped out a low, “No, no more.”

Angelus snaked one arm under her arm and back and the other under her knees, he lifted her up off the bed and started to carry her toward the bathroom, “Come on baby. Time to get you cleaned up.” He carried her into the bathroom and sat her down on a vanity seat, he motioned for her to stay there, then he exited the bathroom and stepped back into the bedroom for a few moments. Upon his return, he closed the bathroom door and walked over to Buffy.

Buffy was to scared to move, she watched as Angelus approached her and knelt in front of her, “Buffy,” started Angelus as he stroked her upper thigh, touching lightly one of the blood stains, “It is going to hurt to walk for a few days. You are going to be sore and achy, so I am going to carry you around for a bit, just lean on me baby, I will take care of you.”

Angelus picked her up and carried her to the small alcove in the bathroom where the toilet was and let her down onto her feet in front of it. “Be right back,” stated Angelus as he turned and left her on that side of the room. Buffy quickly utilized the facility as Angelus went to turn on the shower. When she finished she understood what Angelus meant by sore and achy but he forgot to mention painful and burning. She took a towel that was hanging nearby and covered herself, she wanted to cry but she was to emotionally drained to do so.

Angelus returned to find her clutching a towel around her, he swept her up off her feet and went over to the shower doors, which he opened. He put her down and firmly took the towel from her grip, tossing it to one side. Maneuvering both of them into the shower and closing the door behind him, he moved her under the warm spray as she closed her eyes.

Smoothing her hair back as the water cascaded over it he whispered, “Now doesn’t this feel good.”

“I can bathe myself,” was Buffy’s only response as she moved her head out from under the direct spray.

“Let me enjoy this my love.” Angelus reached over and retrieved a washcloth, which he then squeezed some bathing gel onto. He lathered it between his hands for a few moments before starting to wash Buffy with slow, circular strokes on her neck. Buffy brought her hands up as a makeshift barrier between him and her, she tentatively placed them on his chest as he washed her neck and shoulders. He was so close to her, she tried to back away a little or push him but he was such a big man compared to her small frame that there was really no use, there was no budging him unless he wanted to back off, which he did not. He continued his work, moving to her back, he pressed against her closer as he moved to her lower back, his arousal was apparent and pressing into her stomach. The water and soap lather poured down over them both in a steamy caress, as Angelus slid his soapy fingers between her ass cheeks, startling Buffy. He gave them a good squeeze and proceeded lathering the back of her thighs. When he finished there he straightened out and stepped back from her slightly, taking one of her hands from his chest and working his way up her arm with the washcloth. He repeated the same on her other arm then gave her a heated glance as he worked his way down her chest, lathering each breast and cupping each one to feel their weight. His fingers lingered around her nipples, toying and memorizing every wrinkle of their erect form. Buffy looked away and let out a few short cries as his mouth came down and clamped over one in a hard suckle. Buffy glanced onto the shelf with the shampoos, gels and such to divert her mind when she spotted a prepared douche bottle. She was horrified, why couldn’t he just rape her and leave her be. He was intruding on the most intimate details of her body, why didn’t he just leave her alone to attend to herself!

He concluded his nipple suckling and kissed down her abdomen, going down on one knee and holding her lower back. He moved his face between her sex and quickly captured her little pearl between his wet lips. He licked, flicked and lightly nibbled causing a gush of moisture to escape his lover, then he started suckling it rapidly, hungrily creating hot sensations within Buffy until she reached a quick, hot peak. As she came, he stood, lifted her legs up around his waist and pushed her against the far wall, sliding into her fully. He started to pump into her, slow at first then with increasing pace. Her tight sheath clamped down around him, enveloping him in her heat. Buffy’s body wasn’t her own, she was helpless to the sensations he caused in her, whether they were wanted or not. She shook with emotion as he held her legs against the wall and pounded into her with bone-jarring force. Her mind was having a hard time accepting what was happening to her, only a few days ago she and Willow were talking about whether or not a classmate, Owen, would ask her to the next school dance and now here she was married to this monster of a man invading her with brutal force. Angelus’ insistent pace brought the friction to a fever pitch and Buffy came with uncontrollable power. Her contractions were to much for Angelus to weather through and he spilled his seed in unison to her climax.

Buffy collapsed into Angelus’ embrace trembling. He cradled her for several long minutes before sliding her to her feet and moving them under the water spray again. Angelus washed Buffy’s hair then grabbed the bottle from the shelf and slid it inside of her, cleaning her, seeing his seed pushed out of her with the pink concoction. Buffy cried and didn’t stop until the two were toweled off and she was sitting on the vanity seat again.

She inhaled several ragged, sob filled breathes and looked up at Angelus whose face demonstrated great concern for her, “Why?” Buffy tightened the towel around her body and held it in place with her arms, ”You ripped me from my home, you took my virginity from me by force, yet you claim that you fell in love with me at first sight……..How can you do that to someone you say you love?”

Chapter 3

In a quick motion, Angelus lifted Buffy up off the seat and sat her on the vanity counter, moving her thighs apart and standing between them. Buffy was startled and tried to push him away, he took her hands in his and looked her in the eye, “Buffy, I have claimed you like this because I am possessed by unquenchable desire for you. Most men who want to take a woman are extremely violent or they drug her and then they discard her like trash. Baby, you are my wife. I will treasure you forever but for now I must dominate you until you grow accustomed to your new role.”

Buffy smacked Angelus across the face and spit out, “I didn’t ASK for this *Role!*” Angelus turned his face back to look Buffy in the eyes, he took her hands gently but firmly and held them in place; and replied, “You were born for this role.”

“I was not! I don’t belong to you… I”

Angelus shushed Buffy by placing his finger over her mouth, “We will have this discussion later my love. Right now we need to get you ready, we are going out for a short while.”

---------

He brushed her hair but soon Buffy took the brush from him, found the dryer and styled it herself in a loose ponytail. Angelus smiled, went to the outer rooms and returned with clothes in tow for her. “Here you go love, try these on.”

Buffy looked at him suspiciously but took the clothes, opting to cover up rather then argue with him. As she dressed he glanced at her hungrily but he ignored his mounting arousal and stepped back into the bedroom, pulling a cell phone from a nearby drawer. He walked to his dressing room and started to dress as he dialed William’s number.

“Is everything arrange?” asked Angelus.

“Sure is. You and Buffy have an appointment with Dr. Lilah Morgan this afternoon. She has closed her office for the rest of the day to regular patients, so it will be just the three of you there,” responded William.

“Lilah Morgan, that is perfect Will. She is a good professional who is eminently corruptible. Make sure she is placed on a continuous payroll, I want her to monitor Buffy’s health from time to time.”

“Will do. Angelus do you need me to drive you to her office?”

“Yes Will, I think that would be best, I wouldn’t want Buffy to distract me while I am at the wheel.”

“Very good, I will be there shortly,” replied William.

After hanging up and placing his cell phone in another drawer within his dressing room, Angelus emerged fully clothed in search of his beloved.

He found her trying to open a set of sliding glass doors that lead from the bedroom to a balcony, “Modern security systems are very thorough Mon cher. Now come, sit with me here.” Angelus gestured to a lovely round table with two well-cushioned chairs filled with breakfast delights. Buffy looked at him and then around the room more carefully, she suddenly realized that the bed had been changed and made, that the room was tidy and that hot breakfast items filled the table. She also noticed the tone of Angelus’ voice left no room for argument. She wanted out but she was still deathly afraid of him, and even tho she had had enough courage to slap him already she didn’t want to test him further this morning and leave herself open for a beating from this monster like some female victim in those movies of the week. She slowly walked over to the table and took a seat opposite him. Angelus nodded at her and said, “Enjoy it love.”

Buffy hesitated for a short while but her hunger got the better of her and she filled her plate with bacon, toast and an omelette. She took orange juice and coffee with milk and sugar and went about indulging in her meal. Angelus ate along with her but his appetite was more directed at how delectable she was then how good the food on his plate was.

A knock at the door garnered Angelus’ attention as he was finishing his meal. He rose and went to the door, opening it to find William standing just the other side; he looked at Buffy, “Finish up Mon cher, we will be leaving soon,” and stepped out of the bedroom closing the door behind him.

“I’ve got the keys and everything is ready,” stated William.

“Good, she will be finished with her meal shortly, then we will take off.”

William nodded then looked at Angelus with concern, “I have known you for many years, seen you with many women, hell I have even shared some of them with you. But this, this girl, she has made you do things I never expected from you. Never did I expect you to force yourself on any woman. Women throw themselves at you, at both of us,” added William with a sly smile, “you have no need to, to ……… capture one. Now do not get me wrong, if this is what you want, this is what you will have. I am completely loyal to you and you know that but..”

“I understand what you are saying Will, and it is hard for me to reason this away myself. I realize I probably could have had her with a few weeks of seduction but there was something inside of me that just snapped. I saw her and I knew she was mine. I had to have her, now. My blood screamed for her, my mind, my mind was lost instantly. I have already told her as much, I went insane with need for her beyond all reason. Even now, I am controlling myself because I have already, well let me just say she is very sore. I know I am in love with her, it is not merely an obsession. I cannot explain it, cept to say that some voodoo curse originating from the depth of the bayou has befallen me.” Angelus looked at Will straight in the eye, “She is mine now, my wife, the mistress of this house and the owner of my soul.”

William nodded in understanding and patted Angelus on the back, “Very well mate, lets get her checked out at the docs, oh and I promise to get her the best lawyers when she kills you.”

Angelus smiled and understood the warning his friend was giving him. He shook his head and reentered the bedroom, finding Buffy sitting on the edge of the bed. “Come my love, time to go.”

Buffy stood and walked towards him, she was shaking and she stayed a couple of feet behind him waiting for him to open the door. Angelus watched her as she approached him and stood away, he then quickly stepped up to her and placed his hands on her arms, which had been behind her back, sliding them down until he found the breakfast knife in her hand. He took it from her and tossed it over towards the table. “No playing with sharp objects. You might get hurt baby.”

Buffy cringed away from him as he wrapped his arm around her, thinking he might hit her for her impudence, but all he did was firmly engulf her in his embrace and open the door.

As they stepped out into the Hall, William smiled at her, “Good Day Mrs. Devlin. In case you do not remember me after your whirlwind wedding, I am William Pennington, Chief Operations Officer of Devlin Banking Corp and apparently also your driver for the day. Your husband wants only the best for his beautiful bride and having me as a driver ain’t cheap.” William extended his arm past Angelus and offered it to Buffy to take, “Please allow me to escort you to the car Mrs. Devlin?.”

Buffy stared at William for a long moment, a look of abject fear gracing her lovely face. Her eyes were wide and glistening with about-to-be shed tears. She looked like a lost, supremely frightened little girl, which William realized suddenly was exactly what she was. He had to look away from her quickly, before his heart broke completely for her, the sudden realization of precisely what she had been through at the hands of his best friend was disturbing him. He glanced over at Angelus, who abruptly swept Buffy into his arms and started to carry her down the stairs. “Come Will.”

William followed his best friend down the stairs, through the door and towards the car. He watched as Wesley opened the rear door and Angelus placed Buffy inside on the seat. Before Angelus could enter and sit next to Buffy, William grabbed Angelus’ arm, “You love her right?”

Angelus stared directly at William and replied, “With all my heart.” William acknowledged the response with a nod, Angelus entered the car and William took the drivers seat.

--

Within the hour William was pulling the car into the private, underground parking of the Morningstar Clinic. He stopped in front of the large glass doors which were the garage entrance to the elevator banks up to the clinic floors. He put the car in park, turned it off, exited and went around to assist Angelus. Angelus had already opened the door and stepped out, he reached in and took Buffy’s hand, helping her out of the car. Buffy looked around, wanting to run now that she was out of that house. Angelus did not give her any opportunity, he picked her up again, William opened the glass doors, allowing him to carry her inside easily and pressed the button for the elevator. Just a few minutes later Angelus was entering Lilah Morgan’s private suite of rooms.

Dr. Lilah Morgan was waiting in her reception room as Angelus entered carrying Buffy with William a step behind them. “Hello Angelus, William,” said Lilah in a deep tone, “And this must be you new, blushing bride?”

“Lilah,” responded Angelus, “Yes, this is my wife.”

Lilah half-smiled, she had been informed by William in no uncertain terms of the need for discretion regarding this delicate situation with Angelus and his new bride. As an experienced OB/GYN who had tended to the delicate situations many rich men were involved in, from discreet abortions, to treatment of the underage to sterilizations of unwilling women, she had seen and treated her share of the aftermath of sexual violence and perversion. However, she had indeed been floored when William Pennington informed her she would be offering her unique services to Angelus Devlin. She had never pegged him as the type, sure he was a playboy but a rapist? Never had she even heard a whisper of the sort; looking over at the girl in his arms, she wondered what it was about this little thing that had driven him to it.

Realizing she had been brought into a Doctor’s office, Buffy became as pale as a ghost. She started to struggle, to be released from Angelus’ strong hold. “Let me go! I don’t want to be here!” She repeated those phrases and tried to get Angelus to release her.

“Bring her into the exam room, I will give her something to calm her a bit,” stated Lilah matter-of-factly.

William sat down on one of the couches as Angelus followed Lilah into the exam room, he put Buffy down on the table and Buffy swung her legs over the edge trying to get up. Angelus held her waist down as Lilah came over with a needle in hand. “This will not knock her out, it will just calm her a bit, I need her conscious to answer a few questions.”

Angelus nodded and watched as Lilah injected his beloved in the shoulder.

“I will also need her naked, lying on the exam table. If you could help me with her clothes, you can then wait in my office or with William.”

Angelus shook his head no, “I will stay here with her throughout the exam Lilah.”

Lilah smiled almost evilly, “Very well Angelus.”

Holding her as she calmed due to the drug, Angelus kissed her forehead, he then bent down and pulled off her sandals and placed them to one side. Standing her up he pulled her dress off and pushed her panties down her legs before lifting her back onto the table and lying her down with her feet by the stirrups. As Angelus looked around for a gown to cover her up with, and not finding one, Lilah placed her legs in the stirrups.

The first thing Lilah noticed was bruising on her inner thighs and vaginal area. But she wasn’t up to the internal exam yet. She motioned for Angelus to sit in one of the wheeled exam stools, which he did as he brought the stool near the exam table, and picked up a medical chart.

“Ok Buffy, I need to ask you a few questions.” Lilah started to fill out the chart and spoke out loud as she wrote, “Ok name Buffy Summers,” Angelus interrupted and stated, “Buffy Devlin.”

“Of course, forgive me, William had just mentioned her maiden name to me earlier. Devlin yes, age 16. Buffy do you have any allergies?”

Buffy blinked, trying to understand the question, then she softly responded, “No.”

“Any heart, liver, kidney problems?”

Angelus smoothed his hand over her forehead and hair as she replied, “No.”

Lilah continued, “Are you asthmatic or diabetic?”

“No.”

“Do you have any health problems that you know of?”

Buffy shook her head no and Angelus said, “That is a No Lilah.”

Lilah nodded and put the chart down on her medical trolley, she stood and walked over to Buffy. Putting on her stethoscope she listened to Buffy’s heart, then took her blood pressure. She then checked her ears, eyes, nose and throat. After making a few notations on the chart again, she informed Angelus that so far everything was normal. Lilah then moved back up Buffy’s body and performed a breast exam. Angelus noticed how Lilah seemed to linger a bit to long for his tastes.

Lilah then turned off the lights and took her seat between the stirrups and Buffy’s legs. She turned on the exam light and coated her fingers with a lubricant. She opened Buffy with her fingers and immediately took note of some internal bruising and tears. Lilah performed a pap smear and finished up her internal exam. She then stood and retrieved a lotion from the counter, which she proceeded to apply to Buffy internally. “This is a numbing agent Angelus, it also has antiseptic and antibiotic properties which will accelerate her internal healing and allow you to continue sexual intercourse without it causing any significant pain resulting from her bruising. However, since she was a virgin recently she will still need to adjust internally to the new activity she is involved in. Also what I have here is an injection I am going to administer in a few minutes, it is birth control that will protect her from pregnancy for three months. It must be administered every three months or else you risk her becoming pregnant. I am also going to have her drink the morning after pill, it will prevent an embryo from attaching to the uterus should an egg have already been fertilized.”

Buffy registered the conversation vaguely, she seemed to understand that she was having birth control administered to her but she didn’t understand what the doctor meant by ‘attaching to the uterus’ and all that. She turned her head and looked at Angelus, who had one hand on her forehead and the other hand moving up and down her torso. She wanted to talk, ask what was happening but everything was so confused.

Lilah looked over at Angelus and the way he was stroking Buffy’s body. She stood and went to wash her hands then turned and said, “I have to go to my drug room and prepare the injection and a few other things I am going to have you take home. I’ll close the door and give you two some privacy…”

 

Chapter 4

“Buffy, the exam is over now,” stated Angelus softly as he continued to stroked her forehead. She looked up at him with wide eyes full of confusion and some fear. “Lets get you dressed baby.” He gently took her feet out of the stirrups and sat her up. Angelus managed to maneuver her panties on and slipped her sundress over her head, he zipped it up the back and looked at her lovely face; “We’re going home soon.”

Buffy leaned forward onto Angelus’ chest and put her head on his shoulder, her eyelids were obviously becoming very heavy. Angelus caressed her then in an elevated but not to loud voice, so not to startle his love to much, he called for, “Lilah!”

Having heard him, Lilah opened the door between her office and the exam room, she was somewhat surprised that Angelus had dressed Buffy and that he was not fucking her on the exam table. In her experience, the men that brought in their sexual subservients very much enjoyed having their fun on the exam table.

“Are we about done here?” inquired Angelus.

“Just the injection and instructions on what you are taking home with you,” responded Lilah. “Just a minute while I bring it in.” Lilah went back to her office and then shortly reemerged in the exam room, carrying a small bag and a tray which she placed on the counter. She turned to face Angelus, who was tenderly rocking Buffy as they both sat on the exam table.

“I was going to administer Depo-Provera, which is injectable contraceptive that lasts for 12 weeks but must be administered every 12 weeks to maintain a high level of contraceptive effect. However should you desire to become pregnant it may take up to 12 months for the effects of Depo-Provera to wear off completely. Also, as to side effects, increased vaginal bleeding is the most common but depression from mild to severe, headaches, sore breasts, nausea, dizziness and hair loss are all associated with Depo-Provera. Depo-Provera is however the least fussy of the birth control methods without resorting to Norplant. Then there is Lunelle, which is a monthly injection. It would take 2-3 months off of the injection to return reproductive functions to normal for the purposes of becoming pregnant. The side effects for Lunelle are the same as they are for the oral pill. What kind of bother are you willing to put up with in regards to this injection?”

“Give her the Lunelle,” stated Angelus. “I will handle her monthly injections.

“OK, I am going to have to pack it in the bag for you, it must be administered during her normal menstration. Just give her the shot in her upper arm, thigh or buttocks.”

Angelus nodded and watched Lilah pack a few things off the tray into the bag next to it.

“I am giving you a 3 month supply of Lunelle, Angelus, I will have my office schedule delivery of refills to you appropriately. Also in the bag you are going to find a few tubes of cream which is the same antibiotic, numbing cream I used on her earlier. If there is any discomfort after intercourse just have her apply the cream. There are vaginal suppositories in the event she develops a yeast infection, and the second morning after pill. She must take this in 12 hours to prevent any pregnancy now. Aside from that I have included a bottle of Halcyon, which is what I injected her with, a low-dose of Halcyon. She will probably fall asleep soon and sleep for several hours. And finally I put in as a little treat several doses of Rohypnol.”

“Thank you Lilah,” said Angelus as he stood and lifted Buffy into his arms, “Please give the bag to William, we will be leaving now.”

“Of course Angelus, if you need anything else please feel free to call upon me day or night.”

He nodded and waited for her to open the door, when she did he exited the exam room and motioned for William to get them out of there.”

William thanked Lilah, handed her an envelope and took the bag before opening the door and summoning the elevator for Angelus.

Once inside the elevator Angelus turned to William, “That woman makes the marquis de Sade appear puritanical.”

“Did she try something?” asked William.

“No, but I had the feeling that if I had not stayed in the room she would have enjoyed the exam on Buffy a bit to much.”

“Well I suppose she is definitely a woman who enjoys her work,” quipped William.

“That’s fine, just not with my woman.”

---------------

Angelus had disrobed Buffy and had gone down to his boxers himself. He had placed her under the covers and napped with her since their return from the doctor’s. William had long since left and had told Angelus he would not disturb him regarding business unless it was urgent.

He had dozed off here and there within the last few hours but most of the time he just stared. Stared at the tiny woman in his arms, marveled at her beauty and the feeling of completeness, rightness that she invoked from him. His need for her had not subsided since he joined his body to hers but had somehow increased. However, he was controlling it, he knew now it would always be there, this insatiable need for her but as long as she was by his side he could control himself; For the most part.

Soon she stirred, sighing, moving her hands to her face, her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and blinked trying to wake up but finding it harder then usual. She was in a fog, a fog she was trying to fight out of, she felt hands on her arms and head and was trying to understand what they were, where she was. She felt as if she was fighting to surface through a pile of heavy, dry sand. She was dry, no she was thirsty. She was opening her eyes, she was focusing then she saw him.

“Wake up baby, I’m here. I know it’s a little foggy,” cooed Angelus.

Buffy saw him over her, she moved away, to the other side of the bed and sat up, holding the sheet over her.

“Do you feel ok?” asked Angelus softly.

She looked at him and responded, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

“I can carry you and….”

“I can go myself, please I can do this alone.” stated Buffy as she stood and rushed to the bathroom closing the door behind her.

She looked around, then grabbed the vanity seat and put it in front of the door, that had no lock. Grabbing a towel, Buffy wrapped it around herself tightly, then feeling the slight cramping she utilized the facility. She noticed it hurt less but she also noticed a cream that she didn’t remember about. Walking over to the sink and turning on the water, she tried to remember, she recalled being taken to a doctor’s office then Angelus holding her down and being injected with something but she didn’t have any memory after that until she woke up a few minutes ago.

Her hands shook as she washed her face, trying to clear her mind at the same time. She rinsed her mouth, scrubbed her hands, she did things automatically until she looked down again at her hands and realized they were already red from how hard she was scrubbing them. She looked at the door, she didn’t want to go through it. Suddenly she panicked, she searched the room for another way out. There was only a few to small windows near the ceiling that she couldn’t reach. There was no other door; her breath came faster, she jumped as she thought she heard him approach the door. Her heart was pounding, pounding in her chest, her ears, her head. “Oh God.”

Buffy backed far away from the door, she moved behind a large potted plant which stood next to the whirlpool tub and crouched down with her back to the wall, pulling her knees into her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She heard the doorknob turning and saw the door being pushed open. She needed to be invisible, invisible, she wasn’t here. Her mind was willing her to be invisible, invisible, invisible.

Angelus pushed the door open and kicked the vanity seat, he saw the sink’s running water and went over turning it off. Then he saw her, crouched in the corner behind the plant. He went straight towards her, her eyes grew wide with pure terror.

Buffy screamed and screamed and screamed! “NOOO!! “NOOOOO! NOOOO!”

She kicked the plant down towards him, Angelus sidestepped the falling tree and reached for her again, Buffy backed as far away from him as possible, she tried to bury herself in the marbled walls as she continued to scream.

Angelus stepped right up to her, not stopping her as she beat on his chest with her tiny fists. She continued to scream, she was hysterical, she hit him with her fists and tried to kick him but he didn’t move, the only move he did make was cupping her head in his hand as she moved to bang it against the marble wall.

She hit him for a long time, until finally she started to slow and cry. He had stood there the entire time allowing her, her release. As her little bangs began to stop, Angelus scooped her up and took her to the bed. He laid her down then went to the dressing room. Upon returning he had a short, pink nightgown in hand and went to put it on Buffy when he noticed a blank stare in her face.

 

Chapter 5

“Buffy, please. I love you,” whispered Angelus to his beloved as she lie there, her face blank, her eyes in some distant world. He lifted her, dressing her in the nightgown then cradling her in his lap.

He didn’t understand, this was not part of his experience. He took charge, he dominated, he bent things to his will. His need for Buffy had driven him to conquer her, he was not himself, he realized that. But still, he understood domination, both professionally and sexually. Buffy was reacting like a young girl who had been taken yes, but she was young and strong, she should still be reacting not withdrawing. He didn’t want to break her, he wanted to love her.

-------------

 

The entire night, in one position or another, Angelus cradled and tried his best to soothe her. At one point hours later, the room engulfed in total darkness, Angelus bared his heart in an honest confession and softly whispered into her ear, “I ----- I was possessed, my sanity shattered. I am sorry. Please --------- Please believe me when I say I love you.” His words carried so much emotion, so much pain that they invaded Buffy’s consciousness.

She didn’t react. She just lay there, laid there until the sun rose.

 

---------

Buffy left the bed while Angelus was still asleep and freshened, showered and styled her hair. When she exited the bathroom Angelus was awake and staring at her. She didn’t acknowledge him, she just proceeded towards the dressing room, exploring the suite and searching for something to wear. Angelus followed her in and silently opened the drawer containing her new things and pointed out the garment bag. He took a few things for himself then left to attend to his own necessities.

She dressed in a soft floral print sundress with beige sandals. She was about to reenter the bedroom when she noticed a maid making up the bed with fresh sheets, having left breakfast on the table again. She also noticed that the maid had left the bedroom door ajar and that Angelus was still showering, her heart leapt.

Buffy waited for the maid to bend down to tuck in the far side of the sheet and she made a dash for the door, quietly but quickly.

She made it out! Buffy ran down the stairs and right out the front door. As she exited the house she closed the door behind her and looked around. She was down the driveway of an old plantation manor, which looked like and probably was many miles away from anything else. She turned her head and saw the garage and ran to it.

When she entered the garage she saw 4 cars, the black Mercedes she had ridden in earlier, a silver jaguar, a dark blue Lexus SUV and a minivan. She tried the door on the Jag but it was locked before she went to the next car she turned and noticed a box on the wall. Rushing to it and opening it she was almost to ecstatic to breathe, in the box were the keys to all 4 cars. She grabbed the keys to the Jaguar and started to head for it when she suddenly turned back and grabbed all the keys from the box. She then opened the Jag and slid into the drivers seat. Buffy wasn’t a good driver but she had past the test and knew enough. She started the car, hit the garage door opener on the visor and yanked outta there.

As she drove down the long driveway she saw the butler running out of the house through her rearview mirror. She hit the accelerated harder and sped down the path and right into and through the closed gates. As she pulled onto the street the gates fell to either side of the car, she momentarily lost control of the car and hit the breaks, hitting her body hard on the steering wheel and probably bruising a rib or two in the process. She regained her composure and pressed the accelerator again taking off down the street.

--------

Angelus heard the commotion as he exited the shower, he wrapped a towel around his lower half and opened the bathroom door to see the bed halfway made, the door open and Wesley rushing in.

“What happened?!” demanded Angelus.

“I am sorry sir, but ------- but your wife has run out of the house and taken one of the cars.”

“Bring a car to the front, NOW,” barked Angelus as he rushed to the dressing room and clothed himself. Within a few minutes he was hurrying out of the front door looking for Wesley and his car. He ran over to the garage but no Wesley insight. He went over to the key box and saw it empty, a moment later Wesley ran in with a spare key to the Mercedes. Angelus took it, climbed into his black car and tore off after his wife.

-------------

Buffy came to a large intersection, she wasn’t exactly sure where she was but then she got very lucky, there was a road sign it pointed the way towards New Orleans. She turned onto the highway and drove as fast as she dared.

Not far behind, Angelus also turned onto the same highway, realizing she must be heading somewhere she is familiar with. He picked up the phone, called William and relayed what had happened and was happening. William told Angelus he would call the company that monitored that car for anti-theft and try to get a location.

-------------

Just over an hour later, Buffy had managed to avoid Angelus’ pursuit and pulled into the New Orleans city limits, she drove straight for the French quarter and found a parking. She opened the driver side window, left the car keys on the seat and left the car.

Buffy realized that Angelus must have some sort of tracking device on the car, everyone had lojack in the south. So she left it once she was in familiar surroundings. She walked several blocks, among the throngs of tourists and headed for a restaurant that belong to the parents of a school friend of hers, Xander Harris.

 

Xander wasn’t there, but his parents were and they recognized her. They offered her some food and told her Xander would be there after school. They were nice enough not to ask why she wasn’t in school since she looked so worried.

Buffy ate the food they had given her and debated as to whether or not to tell them what was happening to her. She was afraid to tell them, thinking that they might be scared of Angelus and his money; so after much internal debate she decided to wait for Xander and see what he would say.

As she finished eating, she saw Angelus stopped at a red light in his black Mercedes. He didn’t see her but that didn’t lessen the fear it invoke in her. She held her breath until the light changed and he drove away. She stood, cleared off her table and thanked Xander’s parents, telling them she would call Xander later.

She walked the back streets, careful every time she crossed an intersection and made her way to St. Charles Street.

Buffy arrived at her home, or at least the place she thought was her home and quietly entered it through the servants entrance. No one was around in the garden, so she made her way up to the house and entered through one of the French doors. She heard her father and step-mother talking in the library but decided not to go in there yet. She crept up to her bedroom and closed the door. She wanted to cry when she saw her things, it had been three days but it seemed like so long since she had been there. She shook herself out of her trance and ripped off the clothes she was wearing. She put on her own underwear and pulled on a pair of old, worn jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt and some sneakers. Buffy then pulled down a travel bag and filled it with clothes, she also took all the money she had hidden in her secret places, after counting it she realized she had $627.86; not a fortune but enough to get her out of town if need be. She shoved part of it in her front jeans pocket, a part of it in her travel bag and the last part into a handbag she was going to take. She grabbed the diamond earrings her father had given her on her sweet sixteen, was that just 10 months ago? she thought, and her gold necklaces and bracelets plus her mothers cameo. She also took the Swiss army knife she had borrowed from Xander last year.

She looked around but was unsure of what else to take, then she grabbed the flashlight from her closet, the small first aid kit from her bathroom and the throw blanket from her bed and shoved it into her travel bag. She took her toiletries and make-up and sneakers as well as a nice pair of shoes. She was nervous but she was thinking, she grabbed an old tin box from her closet shelf and opened it, inside was her mothers personal papers, birth certificate, passport, social security number and drivers license. She took them all. Then she took the pepper spray her father had given her and shoved it into her purse. After she thought she had everything she closed the bag, lifting it, it was heavy but manageable. She opened the door to her room and looked out into the hall, no one was there. She glanced back then left, going down the back staircase and putting the bag just outside the French doors she had entered by.

She turned back and went into the library.

 

Chapter 6a

Creeping slowly in she stopped in the shadow of the doorway and looked carefully around the room before entering, when she was sure that only her father and step-mother were inside she revealed herself.

“Dad, why? How could you-----” stated Buffy in such a small, pained voice as she stepped further into the room.

“Buffy, sweetheart. We have been so worried.”

“WORRIED?! That’s rich Dad.” Buffy looked at him incredulously and wondered how he could do what he did. She was his little girl! His princess and he sold her.

“YES Worried! Buffy, sweetie Angelus has assured me that all he wants is what is best for you--”

“Best for me? Does raping me fall into that category?! Drugging me? Intimidating me? Are these the kind of things that are best for me Dad?”

Hank approached his daughter, “Buffy, he would have ruined us, we ALL would have been out on the street. We would have had nothing! It was either total ruin or consent to your marriage; and Buffy he did marry you. You will want for nothing, you will be provided for, for the rest of your life.”

“Provided for?! Dad you sold me into slavery!! This is not the 1800s, this isn’t suppose to happen! I can’t believe ---- I can’t”

“Buffy! Enough! You have a duty, a duty as a wife now, a duty to your family.” stated Carol, Buffy’s step-mother, firmly. She stepped closer to Hank and Buffy, “That man will take good care of you Buffy.”

“I don’t want him to take *care* of me!” She looked at her parents and realized it was hopeless, they were more afraid to lose their money rather then their daughter. “I hate you. I never want to see either of you again!” Buffy turned to leave when her father grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the desk.

“You will stay right here young lady. Angelus has already been here and will return soon. I am going to call him now and tell him you have showed up.”

Buffy found it hard to wrap her mind around the fact that her father was colluding with Angelus to keep her captive. But it didn’t keep her inactive, she yanked the phone cord out from under the desk and pulled away from Hank.

Hank was infuriated beyond reason and slapped Buffy across the face, he took hold of her arm, this time extremely roughly. Buffy tried to free herself from his grip but it was to strong. Hank was mad, his eyes were crazed, he was NOT going to lose his fortune because of this little girl. If he had to he would strip her naked and present her to Angelus on a silver platter to save his own hide. At this moment Buffy was less then nothing to him when compared to his assets.

He held on to her tightly and warned, “You will not disobey me or Angelus, do you understand!!”

Buffy’s heart and faith shattered in that moment. She calmed in his hold and appeared defeated. She gasped out a cry and said, “Dad, you can’t--”

“I can and you WILL do as I say!” Hank turned to Carol and told her to get the other phone, as Carol was about to rush out of the room she heard Hank cry out and ran back to him quickly. When she reached Hank, Buffy moved in front of her and sprayed her with the same pepper spray she had just used on her father. Buffy pushed Carol into Hank, sending them both tumbling to the floor shrieking and tearing at their eyes.

Buffy did not give them a second thought, she ran out of the library, to the back of the house and through the French doors she had left her bag at. She grabbed it and pounded down to the garden, maneuvering her way, not through the front gate or servants entrance, but through to the neighbors yard and out their side gate to the street. She ran down the street and right into the maze of alleyways that she knew so well.

-------------

Angelus pulled into the Summer’s driveway after having seen his abandoned Jaguar in the French Quarter. He had been here earlier and told Hank in explicit terms what he would do to him if he hid Buffy. Hank had given him the address and names of Buffy’s closest friends and Angelus dispatched a few private detectives to watch their residences and movements. William was working on gathering more man power to scour the city and watch Hank’s place.

Angelus was unsure as to whether or not Buffy would show up here but he was certain she would eventually turn up around one of her friends. He exited his car and made his way into the house as he heard the cries. He rushed to their originating point and saw Hank and Carol writhing on the floor, obviously in pain.

“What Happened!” asked Angelus as he tried to tear Hank’s hands from his face.

Hank eventually managed to cry out, “Buffy did this!”

“She was here! She ---” Angelus left them and searched the first floor before noticing the open French door, he ran out of it and looked around. There was no sign of her, she was gone.

-----------------

Angelus berated himself for leaving the Summer’s house to check the Jag and the French Quarter. She had been here and now she was out there, alone, in the night and probably scared to death. She should be home with him, he had to find her! He HAD to make her understand what he felt for her. He HAD to have her back!

Angelus spent hours on the phone, instructing William, getting reports and chewing out detectives. He ordered the airport, train and bus stations watched, he dispatched men to her High School grounds, to the homes of all her friends and acquaintances, to the French Quarter and the seedier sides of town; her picture was shown, bribes were offered, but still no word.

--------

It took Buffy a long time, but finally through a lot of walking and a couple of bus rides she made it to the truck stop just off of the I-10 interstate highway. After eating a small meal, she talked to one of three lady truck drivers taking their dinner at this diner and managed to get a ride to Austin, Texas. Soon, she thought, she would be out of Angelus’ and her father’s reach for good.

Chapter 6b

It had been almost two days since Buffy managed to leave New Orleans. She was now on a train bound for Los Angeles, which she had boarded in Austin, Texas after having thanked Mama Nancy for the ride in her 18 wheeler. She was sitting towards the back of the train, in the cheap seats, with just another couple in the car towards the front fast asleep.

She looked out the window as the countryside passed by. She saw meadows, untamed land, houses in the distance, horses, cities, deserts, it all rolled by before her eyes. She wondered how’d she gotten here, how her life could have so inexplicably changed within such a short period of time. One moment she had been talking to Willow on the phone about Owen, working on a history paper and wondering how she was going to condense the major events of the French revolution into three pages or less; and meeting a handsome stranger. She remembered calling Willow back a short while later and commenting on this ’guy dad has over’ and how tall, dark and gorgeous he was. She could never have conceived at what he would do, at how she would be used like a ---- like a thing. A thing to be bought, traded and sold.

She had been so scared, at first when Angelus told her he was going to marry her, she didn’t understand. It soon became crystal clear when he took hold of her and would not let go, when that judge was brought into the library, when her father signed those damn papers. The look on her father’s face just the day before yesterday when she confronted him about his actions; he was as insane as Angelus had been over her, but he was engulfed in his anger and fear of losing his money. Buffy knew her step-mother never cared for her, she was a shallow bitch who tolerated her and went shopping. Carol’s daughter was no better then her mother but to not only accept but facilitate her ‘sale’ to Angelus?

A single tear slid down Buffy’s face as she thought of her fathers and step-mothers betrayal of her, then she thought of her mother and how her mother would have murdered Angelus with her bare hands before she would let him touch her! Her mother would have shot both Hank and Angelus for even thinking of doing that to her; of doing what Angelus did.

Terrified, terrified beyond anything she could have ever imagined before, that is how she felt. How she felt when Angelus placed her on that bed, naked and vulnerable. She orgasmed with him and she knew it but she believed that that happened because he forced her to it, because he knew what to do with a girl’s body and she knew nothing. Her reactions to him were instinctual not conscious.

Buffy shook her thoughts of him out of her head. She didn’t want to think about him, about what he did, if she didn’t think about it perhaps it would fade away to someplace where it never happened. No, she couldn’t dwell, she had to think about what to do next, about how to live her life. She opened her travel bag, which was on the seat next to her, and looked through it, pulling out her mother’s papers she sat back and started to thumb through them.

She saw Joyce’s passport, birth certificate, social security card, driver’s license, as well as Hank’s social security card and birth certificate, there were some medical insurance papers, life insurance papers, an old bank book, Cordelia’s report card from last year; Buffy shook her head, Cordelia must have hid it there so her mother wouldn’t find it, it was mostly D’s. Buffy did notice that Cordelia’s social security number was on it, it was her student ID number, maybe that would be of use, thought Buffy. As she continued to flip through the papers she came across some Hospital admission papers, reading them she realized this hospital was a long term care center, it was The Thornhill Life Services Institute. Buffy read the name on the admission papers, Grace Elizabeth Collins, she scanned the forms and spotted Grace’s social security number and stapled to the back form was a certified copy of Grace’s birth certificate. Buffy nearly cried, she looked up and silently thanked her mother, in her heart something told her that her mother was watching out for her.

Buffy remembered when her Aunt Arleen, Joyce’s sister, had died of a heart attack suddenly and custody of Arleen’s mentally handicapped daughter was left to Joyce. Arleen’s husband had left Arleen and Grace when Grace was two and had no interest in custody of his daughter. Buffy had been 10 when all this happened and she recalled the fights Joyce and Hank would have over Grace and how Hank did not want under any circumstances Grace moving in with them. Joyce had cried a lot back then and fought with Hank but finally she had to find a facility that would care for Grace. Joyce placed her at Thornhill and arranged for Arleen’s substantial life insurance to pay for the care. Buffy remembered visiting Grace twice a month with her mother until Joyce died of a brain aneurysm later that same year; Hank all but forgot Grace existed after that.

Grace was 20 now and would probably spend the rest of her life at Thornhill. “Thank you Grace,” whispered Buffy to herself as she clutched the birth certificate. Buffy had a new identity now.

 

---------------

“WHERE THE HELL IS SHE GUNN?!!” shouted Angelus at his hired private thug. “IT HAS BEEN TWO DAYS AND YOU CANNOT TRACK DOWN A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL?!”

“Calm down Angelus please, you are going to give yourself a heart attack,” stated Charles Gunn.

Angelus stared him down and replied, “I am going to rip out your heart unless you FIND her!”

Gunn swallowed hard and continued, “We have had all the bus, train stations covered, the airport and all departing flights since she disappeared have been scoured. I managed to get all the manifests for every single departing plane in the last 48 hours and there has been no one that fits her description traveling alone. Every bus that has left New Orleans and train has been caught up to and searched, every driver, conductor and steward questioned, nothing. We are now working on the assumption that she is still within city limits. She must be hiding somewhere we haven’t thought of yet. All her friends have been questioned and are being followed. Her school has been staked out, her father reported her missing and flyers, bulletins and alerts have all been circulated. The police, our force and many in the general public are looking for her. We have let word out that a 50k reward for her return is in effect. And her picture has been distributed to the police statewide. We are going to find her, it is just a matter of time now Angelus.”

“I am NOT a patient man Gunn, do what it takes but find her!” growled out Angelus.

Gunn nodded and left the room. William stepped up next to his friend after having witness that exchange, “He is right you know. If you don’t calm down something is going to burst. And I don’t fancy cleaning up that kind of mess mate.”

“She is mine, William, and she is out there alone, scared. God knows where she is, or who she is with ---- what if she is in danger? What if ----” Angelus paused, turned and looked out his office window, “If she has been hurt, I swear to you, I will eviscerate whoever has touched her.”

---------------

Chapter 7

Twenty-two days. Angelus had gone mad.

She had been missing for twenty-two days. Within that timeframe Angelus had nearly destroyed every stick of furniture in his office, he had frozen the majority of HS shipping’s accounts, offered a one million dollar reward for information on Buffy, knocked Charles Gunn through the door and if it hadn’t been for William interfering would have probably beaten Gunn within an inch of his life. Hank Summers did not fare so well as Gunn.

Hank had come to Angelus’ New Orleans penthouse with his wife Carol and step-daughter Cordelia and asked to see Angelus. William was weary of letting them in to see Angelus, at the Penthouse Wesley was tending to Angelus and William and Lindsey, Angelus’ attorney, were guarding and tending to business. William had already planned a raid of HS shipping, which he was sure Hank had no clue of and had seen to uncovering a few irregularities which the state attorney general would find interesting regarding Hank’s conducting of business. Angelus was spiteful and he wanted Hank to pay and pay dearly for his transgressions. It was an unreasonable hatred of the man, after all Hank had just simply tried to comply with Angelus’ requests; it wasn’t really his fault Buffy had run off. But Angelus didn’t see that, all he could do was loathe Hank Summers.

William finally caved, wondering if Hank had heard from Buffy and would only tell Angelus if his accounts were unfrozen, so he showed them into study Angelus was using.

“Angelus,” stated William as he walked into the study, “Hank Summers and his brood are here to see you.”

Angelus looked up from the reports he was reading and stood, relieved not to have to keep looking at the picture of every unidentified dead girl in Louisiana and regarded Hank. “What is it Summers? Have you heard from her?”

“No, nothing,” replied Hank.

“Then what good are you? Get out,” said Angelus firmly as he took his seat again.

“Angelus, HS shipping is going to go under if you do not stop this ridiculous bank investigation! You froze our accounts to get me to help you as much as possible, I have and I will continue to do so but please…” pleaded Hank as William moved towards him.

“Listen here Hank, I didn’t let you in to beg, I thought you had something useful to say. So turn around and get moving.” William gestured for Hank to retreat.

“I do have something to offer,” continued Hank nervously. “Angelus ---- I, I have another daughter. My step-daughter here, Cordelia, she is also 16 and very lovely.”

Angelus slowly moved his head up from his papers and stared at Hank. He rose from his seat and walked around the massive, hand carved desk towards what was left of the Summer’s family. He stalked towards Cordelia, whom Carol had pushed towards him, and stood before her. He was disheveled but endless days of not eating or sleeping properly did not lessen the frighteningly imposing figure he presented.

“Another daughter you say?” cooed Angelus, “Another sweet, young morsel for me to do with as I please?” He touched her long, dark hair as she gazed up at him wearing to much make-up and horribly high heels.

Hank nodded quickly, “Yes Angelus and you do not have to marry her. She understands and will do as you ask.”

“I see,” replied Angelus as he turned his head up and with a malevolent gleam in his eye looked from Cordelia to Carol. “And if I prefer the mother to the daughter? Or perhaps both?”

Carol was shocked but did not let it keep her from action, she moved forward and stood next to Cordelia and Angelus, “Then you may have both.”

Angelus turned his attention to Cordelia, staring directly into her eyes and stating with a biting tone, “You disgust me.” Walking away from her and towards Hank he continued, “You ALL do! How my…” He held his tongue as his fury overcame him, William escorted the women out quickly as Angelus punched Hank sending him flying to the floor. He bent over Hank and pummeled him for several long moments before William returned with Lindsey and pried Angelus off of Buffy’s father. Wesley managed to pull Hank out of the study while William injected Angelus with a sedative prescribed by Lilah. It took affect quickly and William left Angelus in Lindsey’s hands while he went out to speak with Hank.

William called one of Gunn’s men over and told him to escort the Summer’s family to their home, before they left William informed Hank of what would happen should any of what happen here get out. Hank was assisted out and he and his family left the premises.

 

---------

Lindsey emerged from the study after having ascertained that Angelus was sleeping comfortably on the couch. He went over towards William in the makeshift office they had created in the living room, noticing the pocket doors into the room were both closed he proceeded to William and sat down on the edge of the desk that had been brought in. “He is losing it Wills.”

William rubbed his temples, “He lost it the day she ran away.” William shook his head, “He handled everything all wrong. He could have had her, if he had just controlled himself for a short while. But NO, big bad Angelus had to kidnap her and rape her to make her his. He chose the wrong girl to do that to. I only met her a few times but in investigating her life, her school --- she is a smart cookie. A spitfire. Her mother’s daughter not her father’s. She got out of Louisiana, of that I am sure, I do not know how but that girl is as far away from here as she can get. He hurt her, I saw it in her face and it nearly broke my heart. There is something about her, something that makes you want her.”

“You want her?” inquired Lindsey.

“Under other circumstances I would say yes; but she belongs to Angelus, of that I have no doubt. And I love Angelus, he is my brother, just as if we had been born of the same mother. Lindsey, I am a millionaire fifty times over, I can work anywhere I chose to, I chose to stay here and do this because of my loyalty to that man. Just like you, he did more for us then anyone has ever done for us in our lives and you know that. He needs that little girl right now, like he needs air.”

“Then we have to find her William.” Lindsey stood up and started to pace the room, “You say you believe she is far away from Louisiana? Well then, think she would go to a major city or a small town?”

William contemplated his query, “A big city, I bet she thinks she can get lost easier in one.” He stood up as well and tapped the desk, “Yeah, that’s it Linds, now we are thinking the right way. Now I remember why we get paid the big bucks. Ok, lets get the boys started on New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco…”

Lindsey grabbed a pad and pen, “Right and San Diego, Chicago, what about Atlanta?”

“Can’t hurt, throw it in, also we should check the broader crossings, both Mexico and Canada, even tho I doubt she would leave the country. She is familiar with the procedure in the US not any other country.”

“Right, I’ll have Gunn start with the missing persons in each city, and have him tip off the locals about the reward money.”

William agreed and added, “Don’t forget to have them check the hospitals and morgues too.”

----------

His dreams were invaded by her, her scent, the silkiness of her skin. In them he kissed her softly on the mouth, he walked hand in hand with her along the riverbed, he rode alongside her on horseback, he plucked a wildflower and placed it in her hair -- she was his wildflower, strong, beautiful, stubborn! She was his, they belonged together, they fit.

In his dreams she is with him and then suddenly ------ without warning, she is gone.

----------

 

 

“Ma’am here is the smaller size you requested,” stated Buffy as she handed a blue skirt to a customer in the fitting room.

“Thank you Miss. I should be all set now.”

“Alright, if you need anything else I will be just out front,” said Buffy in a sweet tone before heading out and to the cash register cubicle.

“Tara need any help?” asked Buffy.

“Nope, I already closed out the second drawer. And look no one waiting in line. Just Mrs. Denkirk in the fitting room and that’s it, and only another 20minutes until closing! Yay!” Tara smiled at Buffy and asked, “All packed? Or do we need to finish up some boxes before we get you all moved out?”

“Nope, I am all packed Tara, I told you I didn’t have much. Just one box and a travel bag.”

“Well then I am glad we get our paychecks today. Someone needs to buy a few odds and ends,” stated Tara.

“Now Tara, no spending of the paycheck except for rent, food and education!”

“Grace Elizabeth! We must celebrate the breaking in of new roommates! After all, it is an auspicious occasion.”

“Tara you are incorrigible! So ok I relent, I will stop by the grocery store and buy you an ice cream pint.”

Tara smirked, “Not quite the celebration I had in mind Buffy.”

“Well it is all I can manage Tara, I told Mr. Hughes that I would work the weekend. And with settling in tonight and being here tomorrow at seven…”

“Your working another weekend? Since you started here this month you have worked everyday. Aren’t you going to take one day off?”

“Yes, next Thursday, that is when I am scheduled to take the GED.”

Tara smiled, “You are really gunho girl. Before anyone knows it you are going to be running the place!”

“I just want to get my life together Tara.”

Tara put her arm around her new, dear friend and said, “You are on the right track.”

 

 

Chapter 8

 

“Ok heat for 10-15 minutes at 325 degrees. I can do that. Ha! Cooking, nothing to it.” Buffy smiled at herself as she placed the frozen garlic bread in the oven, stirred the spaghetti sauce and glanced at the hot angel hair pasta draining over the sink. Her spirits were high, she had received notification of having passed her GED, and now that she had that her boss had promised her that she would go from 8.50 an hour to 10.50. It wasn’t a great paycheck but it covered the bills and left enough for her to take a few evening courses at the community college, if she got approved for the financial aid package.

Buffy set the small kitchenette table for her and Tara and hummed Happy Birthday. Today was her 17th birthday. Tara had no clue of course, Buffy told Tara her birthday was months away, well because Grace’s birthday was, but still Buffy felt good even tho nobody knew it was her birthday but her.

“Honey, I’m home!” chuckled Tara as she walked in the door with packages from the grocer. “And damn that smells good!” She placed the bags on the counter and looked around, “You cooked! What is the occasion?”

Buffy picked up her GED test scores and proudly displayed them to Tara, “I passed!”

The girls both shrieked, “Congratulations Buffy!” said Tara as she hugged her friend.

“It came today. I was so happy, I decided to actually attempt to cook!”

Tara smiled, “I am very proud of you. I told you, before long you are going to be a big boss lady!”

The girls chuckled, unpacked the groceries, except for one bag which Tara threw to the side, it was full of bathroom stuff, sat and ate happily. A few hours later, the dishes were washed and the two of them were watching Jay Leno and chuckling. After the monologue, the two of them rose and Tara turned off the TV, deciding that Pamela Anderson was not worth staying up to late for, while Buffy picked up the glasses they had been drinking out of.

“Man I am wiped out,” stated Tara as she stretched.

“Go to bed, I’ll finish up here.”

“Ok Night Buffy, see you in the morning.” With that Tara sauntered off to her room and closed the door.

Buffy washed the two glasses and was about to head off to bed herself when she noticed the bag on the floor in the kitchen, she picked it up and padded to the bathroom. Opening the cabinet under the sink, she took out the new economy sized bottle of mouthwash and put it in the cabinet, then the cotton balls, the hair mouse and the sanitary napkins. As she placed the sanitary napkins in their spot her eyes went wide and she whispered to herself, “Oh God, it’s almost two months.”

------------

 

 

The next day after work, Tara had invited Buffy to go with her and a few other friends to the movies. Buffy turned her down saying she was overly tired and was going to catch up on some rest. After leaving Tara, she stopped at the pharmacy on the way home; a short while later ---- it was confirmed. She was pregnant.

Buffy slid down to the floor next to the tub holding the white pregnancy test stick in her hand. She was in shock, she just kept staring at the positive sign, hoping it would fade away. She had been holding her breath and when she inhaled again a sob escaped her; she started to cry and she didn’t seem to be able to stop.

------------

Tara had skipped the after movie dinner with the others and picked up some pizza for her and Buffy. As she walked into the apartment and put the pie box down on the counter she heard crying. She walked down the narrow hall and stopped in front of the bathroom door.

“Buffy?” asked Tara as she slowly opened the door and peeked in. Upon seeing Buffy on the floor she rushed in, “Buffy are you ok? What’s wrong? Buffy?”

Buffy shook her head no and buried her face in her lap, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Tara slid down to the floor next to Buffy and started to rub her back up and down, “Buffy, what is it sweetie? What happened?” Tara was worried instantly, in the weeks she had known Buffy she had never seen her so upset, what could have happened? Then Tara looked Buffy over to see if she was injured and she noticed what Buffy was holding in her hand. She slowly took it from Buffy’s hand and Buffy took in a deep breath and looked up at Tara.

“Oh Sweetie. It’s ok, come on, come on lets go get you some water.” Tara helped Buffy stand and lead her to the sofa, a moment later she had taken off her jacket, left it on a kitchen chair, gotten a glass of water and walked back to Buffy on the couch, sitting by her side.

“Drink.” Tara held the water to Buffy’s mouth, Buffy took the glass and took a sip. She then placed the water down on the coffee table.

Tara took Buffy’s hand and looked at her, “It’s OK Buffy, we can manage.”

“No I can’t. Oh Tara I can’t have a baby. Not now, how can I take care of it? I don’t have health insurance, I don’t have anything. I can barely afford my half of the rent, plus how am I going to make a life for a baby when all I have is my GED and a low paying job.”

“What about the father?” asked Tara. “Can’t he help any?”

“OH GOD NO. He--- he ra,” Buffy coughed, “He was mean.”

Tara nodded, “OK then what are you thinking? Abortion?”

Buffy stared at Tara with wide, sad eyes. “I guess so.”

Having noticed Buffy’s hesitation and sadness, Tara squeezed her hand, “Buffy, if you do not want to have an abortion you don’t have to. We can figure this all out. Health insurance doesn’t matter, we’ll get you Medi-Cal, they pick up all the costs, that is what I have. And right here in this building is Mrs. Kominiski and her group of older, retired ladies, she is a widow who lives off of her husband’s pension and she took care of Francine’s baby for a song just to have something to do, and she loves kids. She put together a group of other retired ladies that live here or nearby and they take care of babies for the young mothers. I bet she would take care of baby Buffy here too! I am not saying it won’t be hard but we can do it. You have my full support.”

“How did I get so lucky to meet someone like you so quickly.” Buffy hugged Tara.

“You must have a very attentive guardian angel,” responded Tara. “So are we keeping the little one?”

“I don’t know Tara, I just don’t know yet.”

-------------------

Sitting in the dark, in his bedroom overlooking the city Angelus barely registered William entering and sitting opposite him.

“She is dead Will. We would have found her by now otherwise.”

“Stop with the gloom and doom Angelus. Her body has not shown up at any morgue in any of the major cities in all of the United States. She is just craftier then we gave her credit for is all,” stated William matter-of-factly.

“She is 16 ---- 17 now her birthday was a couple of days ago, how crafty can she be? With all the resources we have used to find her? With the reward money, with everything--- no Will, she is dead and buried in some backwoods hole somewhere, or at the bottom of the bayou.”

“Well if she is, it looks like you have already joined her.”

“I might as well. Without her, what is there?” inquired Angelus flatly.

“Don’t you go talking like that old man. She is alright, she is just hiding. Two months is nothing Angelus. She is just -----.”

Gunn and Lindsey bursted into the room, “We got a solid lead!” exclaimed Gunn.

 

 

 

Chapter 9

“This trucker lady saw Buffy’s flyer and called in concerned that Buffy was a runaway. Apparently, she had not been back in Louisiana since she gave Buffy a ride out of state,” started Gunn breathlessly. “The lady was all apologetic, saying she didn’t realize Buffy was 16 and reported missing. She said something about kids and parents fighting ---- who knows but the important part was that she said she dropped Buffy off at the Amtrak station in Austin, Texas. I got the ticket information for that day, only one cash sale for one ticket at the counter, a one way ticket to Los Angeles, all the rest of the days receipts were paid by credit card.”

As Angelus stood, William took the papers out of Gunn’s hands and reviewed them, “She bought the least expensive ticket all the way to the city of angels.” He handed the papers to Angelus and said, “That is our girl, I know it.”

Angelus raised his eyes from the papers and towards the men, “Get the jet ready, we are going to LA.”

William nodded curtly and he, Gunn and Lindsey all left to make preparations. Lindsey stopped him after they were out of Angelus’ earshot, “What if she got off at another stop and didn’t go all the way to LA?”

“The likelihood is that she wouldn’t waste her money on buying a ticket all the way to LA if she was going to get off sooner, but if we don’t find her in Los Angeles then at least we have other possible destinations. I don’t want Angelus to give up hope, so start checking out those other cities but don’t let Angelus see the reports,” ordered William.

----------

 

Sleep did not find Buffy this night. She lay in bed clutching a pillow and remembering. Remembering the pain as he took her virginity, remembering the humiliation as he explored her; he had been ruthless with her body and now he was haunting her soul. For it was from him, his visage, the extension of himself which he branded onto her, that she would be killing. He had raped her, forced her into marriage and revealed just how cold-hearted her father was. He wanted to own her and she was NOT to be owned.

And still, at this very moment a child grew within her, and she knew that that child would own her completely; if she let it live. Angelus had invaded her in yet another way, but something else, something completely different gnawed at her. There was more then the child connecting them.

She did not want to believe it or accept it, but now the knowledge of her pregnancy amplified it.

He had forced himself on her, he had entered her without her permission but she could not deny it or ignore it any longer; she had to face the truth of it. Angelus was without a doubt in her mind, possessed. There was something in his eyes, in his touch and actions that was --- desperate. She might be young and inexperienced but she knew she was right, some unknown force was driving him, she was certain. This in and of itself does not excuse him to her but should a child conceived out of the desperation of a possessed man be destroyed? Had his actions been purely malevolent perhaps her decision would be easier but right now, as she reflected on the naked truth of what she had been through, she just did not understand. She didn’t understand her hesitation in destroying the infant, she didn’t understand her own feelings for that monster. Why was she feeling a connection to him? Why did she not just wish him impaled with a rusty hunting knife? And why was she considering baring his child?.

No ----- no! These thoughts were insane. She would have the abortion and expunge herself of him completely and forever! She had a life to get started, a life that didn’t include him.

----------------

“Buffy, you just fill out these papers and soon a counselor will call you into one of those cubicles over there. They will get you registered with Medi-Cal and counsel you about the abortion before you can see the doctor,” stated Tara as she handed Buffy a clipboard. Buffy was so grateful that Tara had come with her to the clinic, they both had left work early and tomorrow Buffy was staying home. She just had to get through the rest of today.

Buffy nodded and took the clipboard, quickly starting to fill in the information. “Is it done today?”

“Yes it is Buffy, after you speak with the counselor you will be taken to an exam room and the procedure will be performed,” replied Tara. “I asked the nurse and she said after you go in, it usually takes less then an hour.”

“I see, it is over quick, that is good. I don’t want this baby.” Buffy continued then finished filling out the papers, stood and walked over to the nurse and handed them in, then took her seat by Tara to wait.”

Just over an hour later, after much fidgeting and lots of bathroom breaks, Buffy was called in to see a counselor. As she stepped into one of the cubicles a middle-aged blonde woman stood and greeted her.

“Hello Grace, please have a seat. I have been looking at your forms,” said the woman as she retook her own seat, “And everything seems to be in order. I am issuing you an emergency Medi-Cal card and in a few weeks you should receive your permanent card in the mail. I see you are coming in today for an abortion, do you have any questions?”

Buffy swallowed hard and then asked, “How is it---- I mean what.”

“Is the procedure?” finished the blonde woman. Buffy nodded.

“Well, The procedure is preformed using dilation and vacuum suction. The suction is provided by a hand held syringe to evacuate the uterine contents. The entire procedure takes approximately 20 minutes. You know Grace, if you are uncomfortable perhaps you would benefit from a few more days to think it over?”

Buffy shook her head no.

“OK, I am going to call a nurse over and she will take you to the procedure room, when you are finished just tell the nurse that you need to check out with Joyce Winters.”

“What is your name?” asked Buffy again curiously.

“Joyce Winters.” Joyce buzzed a nurse to her desk and gestured to Buffy, who was sitting there a little dumbfounded.

“This way Miss.”

Buffy stood, glancing back at Joyce, who smiled at her, then followed the nurse to the procedure room.

“Please disrobe and put on this gown. The doctor will be in shortly.” The nurse closed the door as she left the room.

Looking around the room, she found it so cold and sterile but she supposed that was for the best. Yet, she thought something missing, a life was about to end before it began and there was really no marking of the occasion other then a record of a doctor’s visit. This is for the best, she kept telling herself as she started to remove her clothing. This is for the best, I’ve been through enough. I am all alone, no family, I just have Tara and I’ve known her for such a short time.” This is for the best, there is nothing I can give you,” said Buffy out loud as she touched her stomach.

Buffy finished undressing and put on the hospital gown. She laid down on the exam table and waited for the doctor and nurse to enter. After what seemed like an eternity later, they did. Dr. Joseph Mendelson introduced himself and started to prepare for the procedure.

“We are going to do an ultrasound first, to confirm the position of the material,” stated Dr. Mendelson as he and the nurse prepared the equipment.

Material? thought Buffy as she glanced down at her abdomen. It is a baby, call it what it is. And just like I didn’t do anything to be in this position, neither did he or she. Oh what the hell is wrong with me, this is the right choice.

“OK Ms. Collins, this gel is a little cold but we need it for the ultrasound.” The doctor started to move Buffy’s gown to one side when she placed her hand on his and stopped him. “Never mind, I think maybe I shouldn’t do this.”

Doctor Mendelson pulled back his hand and put the gel down. “Alright, why don’t you see the nurse upfront and make a prenatal appointment with one of the OB/GYNs.”

Nodding Buffy got up off the table and watched as the doctor and nurse gave her some privacy to dress. A few moments later she was out front with Tara, “I couldn’t do it.”

Tara smiled up at her friend, “Good.”

Returning the smile Buffy said, “Let me make a prenatal appointment, I’ll be right back.” After scheduling an appointment for two weeks from now, Buffy went over to the rows of cubicles that served as the counselor’s office to say goodbye to Joyce Winters. But she couldn’t find the right cubicle, hmmm, thought Buffy, I’ll just catch her next time I am in the clinic. She returned to Tara and the two left for home.

-------------

Tara pushed the door open to the apartment, it was always hard to open, whoever cut the door made it to big for the frame; and as she did she hit the kitchen chair. The kitchenette table was almost right in front of the door but there was no other place to put it, the apartment was not exactly the size of superdome. She called out to Buffy, who was on the sofa looking at some papers. “Hey, I just came from Francine’s, she said she had a bunch of baby clothes to give you, she never gave away Jason’s things. Says she has boxes of things.”

“That’s great Tara, I sure am going to need whatever I can get. Baby things are so expensive.”

“Yeah, I know but how about we start out the little one here with something new first?” Tara handed Buffy a bag, and Buffy pulled out the contents to reveal a mint green infant sleeper outfit.

“Oh Tara, it’s beautiful but you can’t go spending money on ----”

“Hush up, I fully intend to be this kid’s favorite auntie! And look, isn’t it the cutest thing you have every seen?! It’s so small!”

“It’s precious.” Buffy looked at it and smiled wistfully.

“What you doing?” asked Tara.

“I was looking at the community college catalog, there is a writing course that meets at night on weekends. I had always wanted to try to write something, maybe a children’s book. But thinking about it, it is hard to get published, I probably should just stick to something like business administration.”

“If you want to write, then write Buffy. What is the harm in trying your luck at it?” said Tara.

-----------------

Shortly after arriving in LA, Angelus was checked into the Presidential Bungalow at the Beverly Hills hotel. He, William and the others took up about 7 bungalows at the hotel and set up shop to find a certain young blonde.

 

 

Chapter 10

 

 

Angelus paced the hotel suite like a wild animal. It was 4 in the morning and all he could do was think of possible ways to find her. William had been staying in the 2nd bedroom of Angelus’ suite and emerged from his room to find Angelus stalking the couch.

“Angelus, I think you have gotten two hours of sleep in the last two months. What are you going to do when we find her? Pass out at her feet?” quipped William.

“I am never, NEVER going to let her out of my sight again, that is what I am going to do Will.”

William approached him and gestured for Angelus to sit on the couch as he took a seat on an opposite couch. “Angelus, this girl she is not -------- you can’t buy her. She might be young, but she has a mind of her own, she is smart. Holding her --------- Raping her, that is not how you can win her over.”

“I had to Will, I told you before I can’t explain it.” Angelus stood and went over to the French doors that lead to the private pool, “I don’t want to rape her Will, I just want to hold her, keep her safe. I love her.”

“Angelus, you don’t know her,” stated William.

“Yes I do.”

-------------------------

 

“I hate to leave you alone Buffy.”

Buffy handed Tara her purse and pushed her suitcase towards the door, “Tara, this conference has been scheduled for three weeks, after you come back from this training they are going to make you assistant department manager. Go!”

“Yes but it’s only been two days since ----”

“Since I decided to keep the baby, but guess what Tara, he or she isn’t going to arrive for like another seven and a half months or so and you are coming back in a week! Now go, I promise when you get back I will still be pregnant.”

“Ok but like don’t let Hughes make you lift anything or work you overtime to much, got it?”

“Yes Mom, now go, get!” Buffy pointed to the door and Tara smiled and took off to her waiting taxi.

Buffy smiled, locked the door behind Tara and padded over to her bedroom.

She looked the small room over, trying to decide if she should move the bed against the wall and have the bassinet next to her, or put the bassinet at the foot of the bed. “hmmm, next to the bed is best, then I will have room to squeeze a rocking chair in. I bet I can find one at salvation army,” said Buffy to herself. She looked over to a box in the corner, it was full of baby clothes Francine had given her and the one Tara gave her. Smiling, Buffy opened one of her dresser drawers and emptied it, putting the undergarments in the bottom drawer. Then she put the box on the bed and neatly folded each item into the middle drawer. She chuckled to herself as a vision of a baby sleeping in a drawer from an old movie entered her head and said, “Hey in there, don’t get all elitist, a drawer works just fine.” Then she couldn’t help but laugh out loud as it hit her, the idea of the Devlin fortune baby heir sleeping in an old dresser drawer! Angelus would probably blow a gasket, thought Buffy. Then she caught herself, what was she doing? What did she care, Angelus could blow all his gaskets and it wouldn’t matter, this was her child period. She shook off the thought, closed the drawer and went to the kitchen. “Food time, pregnant means calories don’t count!”

-----------------

 

 

They’d been in Los Angeles 4 days and had yet to get a solid lead on whether or not Buffy was even here, much less anything concrete on her current exact location. William however had received a report from one of his sources checking out some of the other stops between Austin and LA and there was a possibility that Buffy disembarked in Phoenix. He made a few calls and then went out to inform Angelus.

Angelus was outside by the pool looking up at the stars as William approached, “There is some information that a girl matching her description disembarked the train in Phoenix. I’ve called the airport, the soonest the jet can take off is midnight. It is only 6:30 now, why don’t we order in some room service and go over the report?”

“Go ahead order something, I need,” Angelus hesitated and looked around, “I need to get some more air. I am going for a drive. I’ll be back soon, compile whatever information you can.” He walked away from William, grabbed the rental keys and was out the door.

He slammed the door of the black Lexus he had rented and tore out of the hotel’s driveway. He didn’t know where he was going, and would probably get lost being unfamiliar with the city but he didn’t care. Something inside of him forced him into deep despair. He drove the city unaware of what he was doing, he was turning blindly, recklessly. What if she wasn’t in LA or Phoenix, what if she wasn’t anywhere, why, he asked himself, WHY did he have such a strong feeling that her body was rotting at the bottom of the bayou. He kept seeing it in his dreams, her mangled corpse dredged out of the muck and mud. Her light extinguished, her body cold, madness and despair filling his being. Madness and despair.

Angelus careened around several more turns carelessly before he stopped the car on some foreign street and asked himself, What am I doing? William is right, I have lost my senses over a girl I was only with for 3 days. I’ve gone mad over a piece of ass--------

 

His own callous thoughts shocked him, Angelus shook his head and closed his eyes, at the realization that she wasn’t just anyone, she was everything; and he had lost her. His face contorted into a mask of grief.

He sat there for a long time, his eyes closed, almost willing his heart to stop beating. If it stop beating then the madness would end, the despair, if it would just stop beating -----

Then suddenly his eyes opened, he stood very still, not daring to breathe, not until a ragged whisper escaped him and he spoke, “If I were blind, I would see you.” Turning his head slowly, he saw Buffy walking up the street a grocery bag in her arms, heading towards one of the apartment buildings.

Buffy took out her keys and opened the main building door and entered. Angelus rushed out of the car towards the building. The door had closed by the time he reached it and he slammed his hand into the buzzer for every apartment, soon the main door was buzzed open and the echoes of ‘who is it?’ rang out behind him. As he reached the elevator, it was already moving, he stopped and looked at the number scroll by, it stopped on the 3rd level. Angelus didn’t wait for the elevator to return, he ran up the stairs three at a time until reaching the 3rd floor and yanked the access door open. He saw her as she just stepped into an apartment.

 

-----------

Buffy pushed her apartment door in with her hip, then stepped to the side and kicked it shut behind her. She maneuvered her way to the kitchen counter, past the chairs, put down the heavy bag and threw her keys to the side of it. As she turned to hit the lights and lock the door she saw the doorknob turn as someone was trying to open her front door.

She backed away in the dark hitting her hip against the counter, she quickly turned and grabbed a knife from the butcher block, one hand gripped the knife tightly, the other unconsciously rested on her abdomen. The door was sticking against whoever was trying to open it, she prayed they would give up and leave but then violently it burst open and before her eyes stood Angelus. She gasped, her heart constricted then started to pound furiously, fear engulfed her as her nightmare was becoming reality. Oh God. She moved back away from him, through the kitchen into the hall. He pounded in moving toward her in the dark, the table in his way he quickly overturned it, nothing would bar him from reaching her. She backed up then turned and ran into Tara’s room, closing and locking the door behind her. Oh GOD, she was on the third floor, she couldn’t jump from the window! She shook and backed away from the door as she heard him call her name, she screamed, “GO AWAY.” Then he kicked in the door and rushed towards her, she raised the knife but he caught her wrist, took the knife from her and tossed it to one side. Then he grabbed her, tightly, and held her to him, whispering again and again, “Your Alive, Your Alive, Your Alive, Your Alive, Your Alive, Your Alive, Your Alive ------”

Buffy trembled with fear and at first didn’t hear what he was saying as she put her little fists to his chest. But he kept repeating the same mantra, “Your Alive, Your Alive, Your Alive” it finally registered after several long minutes what he was saying; she finally managed the courage to look up at his face and she swore she could see tears glisten in his eyes.

He kissed her forehead, and held her tight. “Never am I going to lose you again, NEVER.”

 

Chapter 11

 

“Let me go, please” begged Buffy as she tried to pull away from Angelus.

“I can’t.” Angelus kissed her forehead and pulled himself together enough to start moving into action. He scooped her up and carried her through the hall past the living room and into the kitchen. She struggled and screamed “HELP” as they approached the open front door. Angelus quickly kicked it shut and let her down onto her feet but still firmly holding her to his side with one arm.

“Someone must have heard me, they will call the police! Get out of my home!” yelled Buffy at Angelus.

“Do you think I CARE if the police come here? Do you think I would allow anyone or anything to come between us again? I would sooner rip out their throats. You are MINE Buffy, and it is time we go home.” Angelus turned the light on and quickly scanned the room, within moments he found what he wanted. He stepped over to the far counter, maintaining Buffy glued to his side within his powerful embrace, and picked up an envelope. It was exactly what he needed.

Buffy was overwrought with emotion, she was terrified and enraged! She wanted to tear his eyes out for bursting into her home, her sanctuary from the horrors he and her father had inflicted on her but at the same time she was overwhelmed by the power of his presence over her. For a moment she saw in his eyes a genuine concern for her but then that fleeting moment was gone and the force of his domination intruded on her being.

Angelus removed a cell phone from his pocket and quickly connected a call to William, “I found her.” Looking at the envelope he picked up, “We are at 1630 Revello Lane, apartment 3E. Come and get us, I want to leave for New Orleans tonight.”

“NOOO! I am NOT going back with you!” screamed Buffy. “Leave me alone! Get OUT!” She kicked him in the shin and wiggled her way away from him momentarily, quickly reaching for a pan and swinging it towards his head. Angelus easily deflected the blow and yanked the pan out of her hand, tossing it to the floor behind him as he cornered Buffy against the counter and put one hand on the Formica either side of her. He leaned in over his captured prey and whispered, “There will be no more running away from me Buffy. You are going to be with me, in my arms, from now on. I will NOT lose you again.”

-----------------

William was dumbstruck, how the hell had he found her? How did ---- William snapped himself out of the reverie and called Gunn, they had to get the van over to this address and make sure the plane was ready to go by the time they reached the airport. There would be time for questions later.

-----------------

 

A couple of hours later their black van pulled up to Angelus’ private jet on the LAX tarmac. Gunn, William and a few of Gunn’s hired goons had picked up Buffy and Angelus at the apartment complex, returned to the hotel to retrieved their things and close out operations and then made their way to the airport. Angelus had not let go of Buffy the entire time. Buffy had tried to free herself of him when they were at the hotel but there was no getting away from Angelus.

William and Gunn emerged from the van first, followed by Angelus who indicated to Buffy to stay seated. He and the other two approached the pilot to ascertain if everything was ready for takeoff. Buffy sat at the edge of the seat near the open door looking around with one of Gunn’s thugs standing just outside the van near her.

When Angelus’ attention was diverted by something the pilot was indicating on a clipboard, Buffy shot out of the van and ran away from where the thug was standing, he then bolted after her followed by Angelus and the others. The hired goon caught up to her first and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks, she swung and struck him in the face, scratching him and drawing a thin line of blood. The man was infuriated and rose his hand to strike Buffy. Angelus seized his arm and unceremoniously broke it. William took hold of Buffy as she gawked at what Angelus had done. Angelus then walked over to Buffy and threw her over his shoulder, in a firefighters carry. He strolled back to the jet and boarded it commenting on how she was always getting in trouble. William followed and Gunn, none to gently threw the thug into the van and watched as the jet doors closed.

As the flight progressed, Buffy was silent through most of it and Angelus stared at her mainly. William had ridden up front with the pilot and the attendant was forbidden from entering the compartment Angelus was in unless called for. Buffy was scared that he would try and rape her on the plane, but he didn’t make an attempt to touch her so she didn’t want to force the issue by talking unless he came near her.

Somewhere between four and five in the morning the plane landed in New Orleans, Wesley was waiting on the tarmac with the car and he drove towards the jet as it parked and the stairs descended from the now open hatch. Angelus was the first to come out carrying Buffy, Wesley opened the car door and Angelus with Buffy in tow proceeded to enter the car with Wesley closing the door behind them. William nodded at Wesley, who then went around to the driver’s side, entered and shortly thereafter took off.

---------

 

It was past 6am when they finally arrived at the plantation. Buffy had not closed her eyes once and all Angelus could seem to do was look at her, which made her skin crawl. The sun was starting to creep past the horizon as the car pulled up to the front entrance. Angelus stepped out of the car first, without waiting for Wesley to open the door, he then turned and offered his hand to Buffy, who rebuked it and stepped out on her own. He put his arm around her waist and led her into the manor.

As they entered, Buffy got her first good look at the place, the last time she had been there she couldn’t focus from the shock of it all. It was a beautiful, antebellum mansion with, instead of a full marble floor in the foyer - which was the more commonly found in upscale estates, it had a hardwood inlay floor with an exquisite Sun design centered in lighter wood. The doors by which they had just entered by also had a Sun carving, they were massive cherry wood double doors and they appeared more then a hundred years old. Angelus started to maneuver past the elegantly curving main staircase towards a hall that lay behind them. Buffy went along then came to a stop when she spotted an open door revealing a rest room. She looked up at Angelus.

“I have to go.”

Angelus smiled at her and nodded, releasing her from his embrace, Buffy entered the bathroom and closed the door, immediately noticing that it had no lock. She utilized the facility and was washing her hands when Angelus entered and closed the door. He stepped over to her and kissed her on the cheek then whispered, “Don’t leave.” He went to relieve himself as Buffy finished washing her hands and stood there with the water running. A moment later he stepped up behind her and she stepped to the side grabbing a guest towel to dry her hands. Angelus washed his hands and splashed water on his face before reaching around Buffy for another towel. After they were both freshened up a bit Angelus opened the door and continued to lead Buffy down the hall. A few turns later they wound up in the kitchen.

The maid Buffy had glanced the day she escaped was there, with another older woman who was cooking. Angelus took Buffy to a lovely Italian tiled kitchen table which was situated in a nook off the kitchen and surrounded by an enormous bay window with cushioned window seats. In a very gentlemanly gesture he pulled the table back and gestured for her to take a seat. Buffy glanced at him and hesitated for a moment then took a seat. Angelus followed suit and sat next to her, pulling the table in closer to them. The maid approached them and placed two hand painted metal place mats in front of either of them, atop the mats was a full place setting and a bone china plate. Marie smiled at Buffy and said in her thick Cajun tone, “Ma’am we have been beside ourselves with worry since your departure. Seeing you home is an enormous relief to us all. Buffy stared at her, she wanted to respond with a nasty, sarcastic remark but she couldn’t seem to bring herself to do it. Then the older, cook lady came up behind Marie, “Yes, Master Angelus has been distraught, it is good that you are back with us, where you belong.”

Angelus smiled, “Thank you Marie, Adelle. We are all thrilled that our Buffy is home. This time Buffy went to open her mouth but Marie started, “We have some lovely items for breakfast. Which would you prefer Ma’am, there is baked, cinnamon French toast, Eggs Sardou or a fresh three cheese omelette. Of course if you prefer something else, it would be of no bother to accommodate you.”

Marie and Adelle looked at Buffy sweetly and expectantly, Buffy could no more insult them then she could have her own grandmother. She hesitated noticing the grumbling of her stomach but couldn’t bring herself to speak, she buried her face in her hands and cried. Angelus wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, “Bring us the eggs and French toast.”

Adelle nodded, a look of empathy on her face and went off to serve the items while Marie placed a basket full of croissants, rolls and muffins on the table, then jelly, jams and butter. A few small pitchers of juices with two glasses before Buffy and Angelus then a thermos of coffee, followed by two coffee cups on saucers. Marie then brought over two service platters, placing one down on the table while she held the other and serve two pieces of French toast onto Buffy’s plate. Then she switched platters and served Angelus a few eggs onto his plate.

Angelus was trying to soothe Buffy, he held her and kissed the top of her head, “Shhh baby, it is alright. You need to eat and now doesn’t that smell delicious.” Buffy inhaled, pulled her hands away from her face and replied, “Please don’t touch me.” Angelus looked down at her softly, “Are you going to eat?” Buffy nodded.

Angelus pulled away as Buffy picked up the pitcher of apple juice and poured herself some. She then took a sip and wiped her face with the cloth napkin. She proceeded to eat the French toast which was on her plate plus a croissant. Angelus consumed his breakfast but he was more interested in her eating. Buffy ate slowly, fearing what was to come next.

Once she finally finished, Angelus smiled and leaned over to wipe off a dollop of the syrupy, powered sugar she managed to get on her cheek. He then pushed the table forward carefully, stood and took Buffy’s hand to maneuver her around and out from the nook. He thanked Marie and Adelle, wrapped his arm around Buffy’s waist again and led her out of the kitchen towards the staircase. When Buffy realized he was leading her upstairs she stopped moving and tried to push herself away from Angelus. “No,” she said in a terrified whisper. He scooped her up into his arms without hesitation and carried her upstairs and into their bedroom. He kicked the door shut, it locked automatically, and put her back down on her feet. She was so frightened she found it hard to breathe, Angelus towered over her and touched her cheek gently, “Would you like to wash your face? I don’t think I got all that syrup off of it,” smiled Angelus. Buffy looked up at him with wide eyes, it took a moment for what he said to register then she nodded. She quickly turned and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Buffy, already knowing there was no way out of that bathroom, freshened up then sat on the vanity seat. She was exhausted and scared, she didn’t know what to do next. She was afraid that if she did something drastic, something would happen to the baby. Soon however, her thoughts were interrupted by Angelus as he entered the bathroom in his black, silk boxers, carrying a white shirt? He put the item down on the vanity counter and went to Buffy, bent down and took off her shoes, then stood her up and started to unzip her dress, Buffy started to cry violently - remembering when he had done this the first night she was with him. She started to struggle but he whispered, “Don’t fight me,” and firmly took hold of her. He removed her dress, then her bra. Buffy was trembling, she was going to be raped again and there was nothing she could do about it. She closed her eyes against the impending violation. Angelus, seeing her tremble, enveloped her in an embrace, her bare breasts pressing against the solid wall of his chest. He would never, ever get enough of feeling her skin touch his. He rocked her for several moments then pulled back and grabbed the short, white silk nightgown with a scoop neck, he had brought in with him, from the counter, opened the neck hole and pulled it over her head. He gestured for her to put her arms through the sleeve holes and she did, soon it fell down over her hips. Buffy was shocked, he had dressed her in a nightgown. Angelus picked her up and took her to their bed.

He tenderly put her down onto the bed then joined her, pulling the covers over both of them as he started to settle in. He wrapped his arms around her, but she became fidgety, pulling away and saying she would rather sleep on the couch in the room, then saying she wasn’t sleepy.

“You have been up for at least twenty-four hours Buffy. It’s time to sleep baby, calm down please.” Angelus looked around the room, it was cool, the drapes were pulled and it was darkened but the drapes were not heavy and diffused light still invaded the room. Buffy was trying to pull away and distance her body from Angelus. He pulled her back into his embrace securely and put his right hand on her face, over her eyes. “Sleep baby.”

Buffy tried to pull against his arm, to get his hand off of her eyes but there was no budging him. He intended to cover her eyes from the light and she couldn’t get him to move. After a good twenty minutes of struggling, whining sounds, and movements, Buffy finally drifted off into sleep and Angelus was not far behind.

 

Chapter 12

Twelve hours after they first fell asleep Buffy stirred. Angelus had been awake for about an hour, he had spent it studying her beautiful features, holding her gently, so as not to disturb her sleep and feeling the enormous relief of having her back with him. He kissed her temple as her eyes fluttered open. “Hi there beautiful.” Angelus smoothed her hair off of her face as she turned her eyes up to look at him. It wasn’t a nightmare, thought Buffy as she looked at him suspiciously.

“Come on, lets get our evening started, our body clocks are going to be completely out of sync for the next few days I think.” Angelus left the bed and gestured for Buffy to follow him, she stared at him then decided this was not something to argue about and rose from the bed. He led her into the bathroom and left her there, closing the door behind her.

Angelus then sauntered over to the dressing and closet room, retrieved robes for both of them and returned to the bathroom to find Buffy brushing her teeth. He smiled, closed the door and hung the bathrobes up on a couple of hooks behind the door. He glanced at her before walking over and taking care of his own morning bodily needs. Then he went over and turned on the shower, testing the water to see that it was reaching the right temperature and stepped up behind Buffy. She stiffened, tightening the grip on the face towel she held, he moved his hands under her nightgown, to her hips and proceeded to slid her panties down. Angelus then pulled the nightgown up and off of her and tossed it in the open hamper. He removed his own boxer shorts, touched her ankle so she would move her leg and picked up the panties, throwing both into the hamper as well. Buffy had closed her eyes tightly and shivered. He took hold of her arms, turning her and leading her towards the shower. “Let’s freshen up Buffy, get all this travel grime off of us.”

Angelus moved Buffy into the shower and closed the shower door, he handed her a washcloth and indicated where the shower gel was, then took a washcloth of his own. Buffy watched him as he lathered and bathed himself, she looked at the washcloth in her hand then moved to put some gel onto it. She lathered it and started to clean herself, trying to keep some distance between her and Angelus. She looked at Angelus as he rinsed his hair, he was definitely aroused, she wondered how long before ----. Buffy finished quickly and rinsed herself. She started towards the shower door but Angelus stopped her by touching her arm. She was afraid this was it, he was going to take her again, but he just finished rinsing and then exited the shower with her. Grabbing two large, fluffy towels, he first wrapped one around Buffy and started to dry her, when she took the towel from his hands and indicated she could do it herself, then he toweled his hair and body, unashamed of his nakedness before her.

Buffy noticed the little white terry robe behind the door, went over, took it and put it on. She then went over to the vanity and took a hairbrush, brushed her hair and put it up in a loose ponytail. While Buffy was styling her hair, Angelus shaved, brushed his teeth and ran a brush through his own hair. He had wrapped the towel around his waist and decided not to bother with his own robe. After all the appropriate morning bathroom rituals were attended to, Angelus escorted Buffy over to the dressing room. As Buffy walked in she was surprised to see that it had changed. The dressing portion of the ample rooms had taken on a decidedly more feminine flavor, there was an exquisite antique vanity with chair and mirror on the far wall now, a chaise lounge and a jewelry cabinet. Towards the closet area, half of Angelus’ things had been either incorporated into the other half of the room or moved out and women’s things were put in their place. The entire closet was not full but there was a good portion of new clothing there for Buffy. Dresses, gowns, shoes, purses it was most ladies dream wardrobe.

Buffy walked in and looked around silently, Angelus came up next to her. “Honey, pick something to wear and I will show you your home.” he opened a drawer for her full of under things then went over to his side of the closet, tore off the towel around his waist, tossing it in a nearby basket and proceeded to dress. Buffy in turn took a pair of panties from the drawer and slid them up her legs under the robe. She retrieve a bra next and put it on as she face away from Angelus and under her robe as well. She went over to the clothing and thumbing through some of the dresses and skirts, she decided on a simple blue, silk sundress with matching wedge shoes. She slipped it on, also under her robe, then put the robe to the side as she zipped herself up. Angelus approached her and finished closing the zipper.

 

Once the two were dressed, Angelus led Buffy out through the bedroom door to the hall, after unlocking it and leaving it ajar. “Sweetheart, on the second floor we have five bedrooms, five full baths, one half bath and a study. The third floor has the servants quarters, the old nursery and playroom and the attic storage which also continues up to a smaller forth floor. Every floor has a small butlers pantry with a dumbwaiter and the back staircases are right off of that.”

Buffy crossed her arms over her torso when Angelus mentioned the nursery, but continued to follow Angelus as he was giving her the layout of the house.

“Over here is the study, I use this room when I am working at home, I like the feel of it.” Angelus led them both into the study which was decorated with deep burgundy, browns, hand-carved furniture and leather chairs. Buffy nodded and continued to follow Angelus as he walked out and started down the stairs. He proceeded to show her the entire main floor, the main parlor, the dining room, the ballroom, the conservatory, the kitchen areas, the former ladies parlor which was now a makeshift entertainment room and the former gentlemen’s parlor which was now the downstairs study/library. He told her that the house had been built in 1866, just after the end of the civil war and that there was a Sun design throughout the entire manor but he was unsure as to it’s meaning. They ended up in the downstairs’ study and Angelus commented on how he would show Buffy the grounds during the day hours. The servants came into the study and Angelus introduced them each, Marie the head housekeeper, Adelle the cook and Wesley the butler/valet. He informed her that there were more servants but that during her adjustment period just Marie, Adelle and Wesley would be in service at their plantation. He also told her of their penthouse in New Orleans, an apartment in New York and a villa in Mexico. Throughout Angelus’ tour, introductions and real estate information, Buffy mainly just listened, not asking questions or making to much a fuss over things. In the library they were served a light dinner and once they were alone Buffy said, “I am just a girl, yet it seems that you expect me to be your wife, in every sense of the word; including running your households and being by your side.”

“You are my wife Buffy and overseeing our estates, the functions -- all of that is part of it.”

“You really are delusional aren’t you? Do you not understand that you kidnapped me? Twice! You raped me, you forced me into a marriage that I had no say in. A wife is not a possession that you buy or barter for. This is not the time of the civil war, no matter how many antique things you surround yourself with. You and my father cannot make decisions for me, about my life, who I marry, who I sleep with!” Buffy was becoming more agitated by the minute and had to take a deep breath to remain calm, “You have money and power, and my father has legal guardianship over me but NONE of that will continue to make a difference indefinitely. I WILL find a way to get away from you! And if I don’t I swear, I SWEAR TO GOD that you will fuck a corpse before I will let you rape me again! Because I would rather die then let you -------”

Angelus stood and moved to grab her by the arms and lift her from her seat, knocking over several dishes and almost the table in the process;” NEVER, NEVER say that!! I will NOT let you die! No one, NOTHING is going to take you from me again!”

Buffy was stunned speechless because it was not out of anger or domination that Angelus screamed at her but was obviously out of fear, that cry was wrenched from the deepest, darkest recesses of his heart. He pulled her into his consuming embrace, cupping her head in his hand, holding her tightly, she could feel how afraid he was. His fear and desperation was permeating her consciousness. He held her so---- so lovingly that she couldn’t help but empathize with his emotions. She stood there in his tender embrace for a long time, trying to understand what was happening. Then she finally pulled her head back and looked him square in the eye, she saw pure, unadulterated grief. She broke the silence and asked him, “What is going on Angelus? You must understand that --- that this is all wrong.”

“I do not know Buffy, since I met you all I know is that I love you. That I have to keep you with me and that I would do anything for you, “ whispered Angelus.

“Love is not about hurting someone, and possessing them. It has to be mutual. Angelus, you took me away from what I knew, from what my home was and you forced me into marriage and yourself into my body. You hurt me. How can that be love?”

He looked at her and his heart broke, shattered as he finally saw what he had done to her reflected back at him through her eyes. Yet, he still could not bring himself to change his course of actions. “It is love and one day Buffy you will come to see everything is as it should be.”

Buffy backed away from him with a jerk, she stared at him in disgust, “As it should be?! Living terrified all the time is as it should be?!”

He moved towards her, “Buffy,” she swung her hands at him trying to get him to back away but he persisted. “Buffy, I am not going to force you into sex again. Buffy--” She calmed and looked at him questioningly.

“I was wrong and I know that I am wrong now but I just cannot let you leave me. Maybe, just maybe we can come to some kind of --- understanding?”

“What do you mean Angelus?

“I mean that I want to be with you, sleep in the same bed with you, take walks in the garden, watch movies, share the things of day to day existence with you and in order to get this, to have the chance to prove to you my feelings are genuine I would do almost anything.”

Buffy stared up at Angelus, trying to comprehend what he was asking, “Are you saying that you won’t rape me? That you will give me some freedom if I agree to reside with you here?”

“Yes. But I must warn you, if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain, if you run away from me again; I will never let you out of my sight, I will force you to perform all your wifely duties. I will dominate you completely and without remorse.”

“And what if I hold up my end of the bargain, time passes and I still cannot accept your love?” asked Buffy.

“Then I will let you go, give you your divorce and half my fortune,” stated Angelus.

“I don’t want your money, I just want ---- How long?”

Angelus contemplated her query then finally whispered, “Three years.”

At Buffy’s age three years was like an eternity but if she could just bare his presence for that time then she would be free, “Can I go to school?”

“Part time, as long as it doesn’t interfere to much with my wanting to spend time with you. You can finish out high school and take some courses at Tulane down the road.”

 

“I already passed my GED, well in a way. I prefer to go straight to Tulane,” said Buffy as she continued to negotiate her time with Angelus.

Angelus was surprised by her statement and asked, “What did you do while you were away?”

“I started to build my life again. I am not some weak woman that will die if her father or boyfriend or husband is not paying the bills. I wanted to get away from you, from my father and I did. How you found me --- How did you find me?”

Angelus looked at her lovingly, stepping up to her he repeated the words he heard in his head last night, “If I were blind, I would see you.”

Buffy was moved by that sentence but soon brushed it off, thinking he wouldn’t answer her she continued, “I also want freedom of movement. A car I can use and time to visit with my friends.” She thought of Tara and of what she would think of all this once she called her.

He nodded, “You can have whatever you want baby, but I still want you safe. Home at decent hours, spending time with me whenever possible and not closed off from me either Buffy. If this is to work, then you have to give it --- me a chance. I will give you what you want but you must cooperate with me as well.”

“Fine,” Buffy touched her hand to her abdomen and thought to herself, should she tell him? It would be hard to keep the secret much longer, not like he won’t notice the weight gain soon. But would this change this bargain? Would he then lose his senses again and not let her do anything because she was pregnant?”

 

Chapter 13

 

“Your stalking me,” stated Buffy to Angelus as he followed her out of the kitchen after their meal together. He let out a short, quick laugh and asked, “Where are you going my love?”

“To the library, I want to make a few calls.” Buffy turned to face him and continued, “You are the head of like a billion dollar bank company. You must have work to do?.”

“Yes, there is always something to do but you know what I prefer to spend my time on.”

“Angelus we have spent the last four days practically glued to each other. What you say we take a little break? I would really like to call some friends.”

Angelus moved close to her and kissed her on the forehead, “Alright Buffy. I’ll be in my office upstairs then. When you finish why don’t you come and get me and perhaps we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon on horseback?”

“Fine, fine. I’ll see you later.” Buffy turned and headed into the library. She liked this room, it had large French doors leading to the pool area and windows atop them, so that one wall was all glass. The ceiling in the room was a good sixteen feet and it had a small spiral staircase which led to a railed ledge that surrounded the room in order to allow access to books stored on higher shelving. There were two old fashioned library ladders, one downstairs and one up on the ledge. She liked those, made her think of those old movies and then there was the furnishings. Lots of old leather and an enormous desk; it was very -- manly. Buffy was going to talk to Angelus about redecorating this room, if she was going to be stuck here for three years then she might as well enjoy a little sanctuary of her own.

She took a seat behind the desk and proceeded to call Tara, a few rings later her friend picked up.

“Buffy?! Oh my God, I have been so worried. When I got home and saw the mess, then the message you left on the machine and these guys coming over and giving me money, I didn’t know what to think!”

“I am sorry Tara, I know you must have been worried. Angelus told me he was sending you money for the broken things.”

“Who is Angelus? Buffy what is going on?”

Buffy told Tara the whole sordid tale. About the marriage, the rape, her father and step-mother, she told Tara everything including this bargain she made with Angelus. Tara was speechless throughout most of it but she was finally able to ask, “Is he the father?”

“Yes Tara, he is.”

“Have you told him yet?”

Buffy hesitated then responded, “No, not yet. I have been trying to get my own head straight over everything that has gone on.”

“He is going to find out soon whether you tell him or not,” stated Tara.

“I know, I am going to tell him in the next few days. I am just afraid that he will get all over protective again and I will lose what little freedom of movement I have.”

“Buffy, I can call the police, or a lawyer. Maybe we can get you out of there before he--”

“I don’t think he will rape me again Tara. It has been four days since I was brought back and he hasn’t tried anything like that. If he was going to then why would he make the bargain in the first place? He could have just done what he wanted, I was in no position to fight him.”

“Three years is a long time Buffy.” Tara paused then asked, “Do you have feelings for him?”

Buffy stayed silent for a long time thinking about the question then whispered, “I don’t know Tara. He just scared me to death at first and I didn’t want anyone to force me into anything, I just snapped back through instinct. I cannot say that I have feelings that might be love, he has done so much, -- it is so complicated. But, but there are times, when he looks at me, when I can feel the emotions he is feeling for me that I wonder, I wonder what I would feel if I wasn’t so angry and scared of him.”

“Ok here is a shallow question, what does he look like? How old is he?”

Buffy smiled and replied, “He is 32 and before all of this happened I had described him to my friend Willow as tall, dark and gorgeous.”

Tara smiled but still said, “If you want a lawyer Buffy, I am sure we can get one to take on this case.”

“No Tara, I made this deal and I will live by it, besides how am I going to fight Angelus and all his money with a public defender?”

“I see. Well if you need anything, anything at all sweetie you can call on me,” stated Tara.

“Thank you, you are such a wonderful person Tara and I miss you so much already. I’ll call you later ok?”

“Ok Buffy. Be careful.”

------------

After Buffy hung up with Tara she made her way upstairs to Angelus’ study and peeked her head in. He was on the phone and reading a report, “Good, Good William. The projected profits on this raid will be substantial. Yes, I know. Alright maintain everything at the ready, if it goes the way we think it will then strike. Excellent. I’ll call you in a few days for an update, goodbye.”

Angelus spied Buffy and walked around his desk towards her at the doorway, “Sweetheart, finished with your calls?”

“For now.”

“Care to take that ride then?” inquired Angelus

“Sure, I’ll go change.”

Angelus placed his hand on Buffy’s lower back and said, “I will join you, best to ride in old boots then Armani shoes.”

Buffy chuckled as they walked into the bedroom then dressing, closet area. Angelus undressed and Buffy pulled down a pair of stretch taupe riding pants and a white shirt. She kicked off her shoes and started to change into her riding gear when she suddenly realized that she wasn’t as uncomfortable as she had been previously changing in the room with Angelus. She glanced at him quickly as the muscles of his back rippled as he moved to put on his pants. Why did such a gorgeous man need to have me? She wondered before pushing the thought aside and finishing dressing.

“Ready?” asked Angelus.

“Yup, let’s enjoy the sun.”

---------------

 

They had walked over to the stables, Wesley had assisted them with their tack and two horses were made ready. Angelus helped Buffy mount “Cinnamon,” a medium sized horse with a red tint to her coat; and he mounted “Demon” a large black horse with a white streak on his right foot. Wesley wished them a pleasant ride and they started off out of the stables slowly.

Buffy was an experienced horsewoman, she had been riding since she was five and Angelus competed when he was in his teens. Buffy prodded her horse on and moved ahead of Angelus to stop at the top of a small hill just ahead. From that vista she could see most of the plantation and it’s property and commented, “It really is beautiful.

Angelus looked at her, at her long blonde hair loose in the afternoon breeze, at her brilliant hazel eyes, her sun-kissed skin --- she was the Sun to him. She brought the warmth and brightness into his life. “You certainly are.”

She looked at him for a moment then turned away riding back down, towards a path she had noticed by the riverbed. “Do you know what kind of crop this plantation once grew?”

“Sugarcane,” responded Angelus. “There are still some stalks growing here and there.” He moved his horse alongside hers, “You know, during the civil war most of the plantation homes down here were sacked, used as union housing or damaged in some way or another, except this one. One of the union officers leading a regiment had stayed here once as a guest of the owners and found it distasteful to ruin the house.”

“Well that was nice of him, he saved it for you to inherit a hundred and fifty years later.”

“Actually, I bought this place about six years ago. I was living in the city mainly and quite content but something here spoke to me,” stated Angelus.

“That happens to you a lot huh? quipped Buffy.

Angelus let out a roar of laughter as she caught him off guard. She couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction. “I guess you are right Buffy.”

She started to ride forward, towards some swampland that bordered the estate. Angelus followed close behind as her horse trotted near it. Cinnamon having seen a snake reared up suddenly!

Buffy gasped, moved her body forward quickly to balance herself out on the saddle and maneuvered her horse backwards, calming it down quickly. Angelus rode up next to her and said, “Good control Buffy, I was afraid you would lose your balance.” As he looked over at her she was crying.

“Buffy? What is it?”

“I want to go back, this was so stupid, such a mistake. I have fallen from horses a bunch of times, I shouldn’t be here!” She was nearly hysterical.

“Ok baby, Ok. We will go back right now.” Angelus wanted to reach out to her, then he asked, “Do you want to ride with me?”

Buffy looked over at him and nodded, “Yes I do. I am afraid.”

He moved his horse as close as possible, then picked her up off of Cinnamon, placing her in front of him on the saddle. She had held onto his arms and he moved back on the seat so she fit in closely with him. Angelus wrapped his arms around Buffy, taking hold of the reigns and started to maneuver Demon and Cinnamon back to the stables.

Once there and dismounted, Wesley took hold of the horses and Buffy ran out of the stables and towards the house. She entered it through the library French doors and continued up to the bedroom. Angelus followed her asking what was wrong, she didn’t answer.

She stormed into the dressing room and tore off her boots and shirt, then she grabbed some underwear and a dress and proceeded to the bathroom, “I want to shower and take the smell of stables out of my hair,” she said to Angelus as she passed by him. She slammed the bathroom door, turned on the shower and peeled her clothes off.

Angelus was dumbstruck as he stood in the middle of the bedroom and thought, what just happened to her? He shook his head and barged into the bathroom.

“Buffy, what is going ----”

“I’m pregnant.”

Chapter 14

“Pregnant,” repeated Angelus half in shock.

“Yes, about nine weeks,” stated Buffy.

“Do you want to keep the child?”

“Yes. I went to have an abortion but I couldn’t go through with it, I ----”

Angelus released the breath he was holding and moved towards her, cupped her head and kissed her tenderly, whispering, “I love you.” He then slid down to his knees and kissed her abdomen over and over, “I love you both.” There was a healthy roundness to her abdomen but it was hardly pronounced. He smiled realizing that the baby was probably the size of a pea in there. And as he wrapped his arms around her waist he also realized that this child would help to bind her to him, to soften the anger she still carried and perhaps allow her to forgive him and allow them to find their happiness.

Buffy looked down at him as he kissed her stomach. She wanted to cry at the sight but instead she took in a deep breath and said, “This does not change our deal. I still want my freedom of movement.”

Angelus looked up at her with this possessive gleam in his eye, she backed away from him, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself as he stood. “Buffy, I did not know you were pregnant when we made the deal.”

“What does that have to do with it Angelus?”

“It has a lot to do with it Buffy. I am not sure I want you running around all over the place, by yourself no less, carrying my child.”

“Angelus, pregnant women are not invalids. I am perfectly capable of doing whatever it is I am going to do and be pregnant!”

“Buffy, why don’t you just stay here with me and let me take care of you. There is no need to run around a school campus or ---”

“Because you will drive me crazy! Besides school and everything else was already part of our arrangement, if you back out of it now then you are forfeiting and I get a divorce! I can very easily move back to LA, move in with Tara and start working again to support the baby.”

Angelus turned and pounded out of the bathroom into the bedroom and purposefully knocked over a table. Buffy followed him out, “Don’t think that a violent outburst is going to intimidate me Angelus because it is not! You want whatever this is to work, then we have to start leveling the playing field. If you want me to be your wife, then treat me as your equal and not your captured concubine! I have a mind and it works and it outsmarted you for two months.”

Angelus growled at her but she stood her ground, “What if something happens?”

“Then we will deal Angelus, I cannot live my life trapped in this house by your side 24/7. If it was up to you, you would have me chained up in that bed until the baby arrives and probably beyond that!”

“And what makes you think that is not exactly what I will do?” spat Angelus.

“Because you want me to love you. If you do that, it would kill any chance you ever had at winning my love.”

Angelus grabbed her and kissed her passionately, wanting to devour her, fuse her to his body. A war raged within him between his natural instinct to dominate her completely and his desire to have her come to him willingly and full of love for him. He kissed her face, neck holding her to him, Buffy brought her hand up to his face and touched him, whispering, “I’m not ready.”

He nodded and said, “Alright Buffy, our original arrangement stands but promise me --”

“I promise I will be careful and stay with you a good chunk of the time Angelus. Now let me go shower would you?.” Buffy turned, Angelus kissed the top of her head then she turned her head back and smiled before reentering the bathroom and closing the door. That man is going to be the death of me, thought Buffy.

 

Angelus left the bedroom and made his way over to his study, picking up the phone and retrieving a business card from the desk’s middle drawer, he called Lilah’s office.

“Doctor Morgan’s office, how may I help you?” answered a female voice.

“This is Angelus Devlin, I need to make an appointment for my wife as quickly as possible.”

“I am sorry Mr. Devlin but Dr. Morgan is out of town until Monday, if this is an emergency, Dr. Wood would be happy to see her.”

“No, it is not an emergency, I just found out my wife is pregnant and I want her checked out. She said she was about nine weeks.”

“I see, well I can schedule you with Dr. Morgan on Monday, and if you like, we can messenger some prenatal vitamins to your home?”

“Yes, send the vitamins and put us down with Lilah on Monday.”

“Any particular time more convenient for you sir?”

“Let’s say 10AM.”

“Very good, then you and Mrs. Devlin will be here at 10AM, Monday. I will make sure Dr. Morgan is prepared for your arrival.”

“Thank you.” Angelus hung up the phone and smiled to himself, he was going to be a father. He could not resist, he called up William and told him the good news, William was very happy for Angelus and also commented on how this was his opportunity to win Buffy over, if he played it right. Angelus agreed and told William he would stop by tomorrow or the next day with Buffy. William said he would look forward to it and they hung up.

Angelus reentered the bedroom as Buffy was walking over to the dressing room. He stopped her, kissed her and said he was going to shower himself.

When Angelus emerged from the shower clad in a towel, Buffy padded out of the dressing room dressed in a very comfortable looking pink, cotton dress with slippers on and her hair in a pebbles ponytail. He stopped in front of her, “You look so adorable, like one of those Barbie dolls.”

Buffy pushed him playfully and said, “Go get dressed. I need to put cream on and I left it in the bathroom.”

Angelus wanted so desperately to say, let me put it on for you, but thought better of it. He started for the dressing room then turned and asked her, “Want to watch a movie up here?”

“Sure, I’ll go down and pick something from that TV room you got all those movies in. Got a preference?”

“How about something with baby in the title?” shouted out Angelus with a hint of laughter in his voice.

“Ok something with action and car chases, got it.” Buffy couldn’t help a chuckle as she sauntered out and down to the media room. She looked through the rows of DVDs and picked up a few, a comedy called head over heels, another called Jwanna Mann, and an action movie called the fast and the furious. None of which she had seen, as she continued to look Wesley came up next to her, “Hi Wesley.”

“Good Evening Ma’am.”

“Buffy, call me Buffy.”

“I will try Ma’am.”

Buffy shook her head.

“If I may Ma’am, Jwanna Mann is quite amusing. Master Angelus has me keep the video shelves stacked with the latest movies and I have the pleasure of watching a good number of them. Jwanna Mann left me quite entertained.”

Buffy could not help herself, hearing Wesley say Jwanna Mann in his British accent was too much, she laughed quickly and said, “Thank you Wesley, I am sure Angelus will enjoy Jwanna Mann.”

Wesley smiled, not getting what she found so funny and asked, “Would you care for Marie to bring you and Master Angelus some popcorn? It is the American staple when enjoying a feature film.”

“That would be wonderful Wesley, yes please.” Buffy was going to start back upstairs when she turned back to Wesley and decided to inform him herself, “Wesley, Angelus and I are going to have a baby.”

“Oh Ma’am! That is superb news! Why it’s brilliant!” Wesley then paused and calmed from his outburst, “Ma’am, are you pleased?” he asked in a hushed tone.

Buffy smiled so very sweetly at Wesley, “Yes Wesley I am pleased. I will love my baby very much.”

“Whatever you need Ma’am, please call on me, any of us. We are here to serve and we care very much for Master Angelus and yourself.”

“Thank you Wesley ----- Wesley, Angelus, has he always, I mean has he ever before”

“No Ma’am. You are the mistress of his heart and the only one to have ever commanded it. I can assure you of that.”

Buffy nodded and patted Wesley on the arm before leaving the room, she strolled back upstairs and into the bedroom to find Angelus on the bed in silk pajama bottoms flipping through the news channels.

“You know it is neat the way that flat screen TV comes up out of that cabinet,” observed Buffy.

“Yeah, marvel of modern technology.” teased Angelus playfully. “Come here. What did you get?” asked Angelus as he sat up in the bed, muted the TV and put the control down.

Buffy smirked at him then showed him the three movies, “I heard Jwanna Mann was really good.”

“Jwanna Mann?” repeated Angelus questioningly as he proceeded to move Buffy’s hands to the side and nuzzle her stomach. Buffy looked down at him, “Yes Jwanna Mann and are you going to touch my stomach every opportunity you get for the next seven months?”

“Aha, and then hopefully for the next seventy years.”

Buffy just nodded her head in mock exasperation. “Oh, Wesley is going to send up some popcorn.”

“Popcorn, hmm we really haven’t eaten dinner yet, why don’t I go down and have them send up something more substantial.”

Buffy thought about it for a moment and agreed, “Yeah, now that you mention it, I wouldn’t mind something more then popcorn.”

“For my pregnant wife, anything.” Angelus stood, kissed her on the cheek, slipped on his robe and slippers and headed downstairs. Buffy watched him as he went, he was so obviously happy, and his happiness was infectious. She had to force herself to remember that he had raped her and that was why she was pregnant. It had only been four days since their truce, and she was already softening towards him, how was she going to maintain her anger at him for the next three years?

Buffy shook off the thought and decided to just enjoy the evening, the food and the movie. Hmm, thought Buffy, I wonder if there is any of last night’s chocolate cake left? She went over to the intercom on the wall but there were so many buttons that she just decided to go out to the hall and see if she spotted Angelus or one of the others. She stepped up to the railing and looked down when she was startled!

“And who pray tell are you Missy?” asked a woman who had just stepped out of Angelus’ study. “Hmm, it seems my boy has been having fun with the sandbox set. Well you can just get your things and run along, Mama’s home.”

Buffy stared at her, she was wearing a skin tight black dress with two slits up the sides, and holding a bottle of Don Perignon. “Who are you? What are you doing here!” demanded Buffy.

“I think I hear an echo, that is exactly what I just asked you little girl.”

“I am Angelus’ wife.” answered Buffy.

The woman’s eyes immediately grew enraged and she approached Buffy with anger, “The hell you are child. My boy wouldn’t dare marry anyone but me!”

Buffy backed up towards the stairs, intending to turn around and head down to find Angelus; but the woman grabbed her arm before she could make it down the first step.

“Listen here Missy, I am the mistress of this house. I have been for years, just because I take a few months overseas does NOT mean I am giving up my title, especially to the likes of you!

Angelus is my dear boy and will remain so! And if ---”

“DARLA!” Angelus screamed at her as he came up behind Buffy, putting an arm around her waist and moving her forward. “Do NOT dare insult MY wife in HER home!” He turned his head and looked down at Buffy, “I am sorry for this intrusion baby. Why don’t you go to our room while I deal with old baggage.”

Buffy acknowledged him, then headed towards the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Angelus stared at Darla and wanted to rip her throat out. “You are NOT wanted here. How the hell did you get in?. The codes. Damnit to hell.”

“Yes Angelus, I still know the security codes, and why wouldn’t I. I came here a lot to please you didn’t I?

“You do not please me anymore Darla. Get out of my house.”

“What are you saying? Are you saying you actually married that infant? Angelus what the hell can she do for you?!” Darla approached him, trying to wrap her arms around him. He just took the bottle of champagne from her hand and threw it down over the railing, shattering it on the hardwood floor below. He grabbed her hand and dragged her down the stairs, yelling for Wesley. Wesley appeared and Angelus tossed Darla towards him, “Make sure she is off the property and as far away from me as possible!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 15

 

Buffy was laying down in bed curled up on a pillow, watching television when Angelus returned to the room. He made his way to the bed, lying down next to her. Buffy started flipping through the channels when Angelus took the control from her and muted the set. He moved the pillow and gathered Buffy up into his arms, she was somewhat unwilling but he insisted.

“Buffy, you are mine and I am yours. That horrible woman who intruded into our home tonight, she belongs in a past I desperately want to forget. She is less then nothing. You are all that matters to me, all I want.”

“Angelus I saw her, she is --- experienced. She knows things. I cannot compare to her and if that is the type of woman you have had, want--”

“Buffy, you are the only type of woman, the only woman I want.”

“But Angelus,” Buffy paused and sat up in the bed, “And this is very strange for me to say; that woman, she comes to you willingly, she is beautiful and you have obviously wanted her in the past. Why then would you force *me* into this marriage? When she---”

“Listen to me Buffy, I have told you before and I will repeat it until you believe me; when I saw you I knew instantly that you were mine. I wanted you more then I have ever wanted anything in my life, more then I had wanted my parents alive when they were killed, more then I wanted to prove myself to that bank board when I took over the company, and definitely more then any woman I have ever seen, met or imagined. You are everything to me,” Angelus kissed her cheek. “I know I am not an easy man Buffy, and I have had quite a sordid past. Through it all, I have never loved anyone or anything the way I love you. What I did, I felt I had to do. I am sorry I hurt you --- perhaps I just did not know any better or any other way. But please believe me, there is only you,” Angelus took Buffy’s hand and placed it over his heart, “here.”

Buffy looked at him and truly believed he was sincere, “You confuse me so much. What you did to me was horrible, but now we have a baby coming and that is wonderful. I want to be angry with you and hate you for putting me through all of this--- and I am.”

“But?” prodded Angelus, not giving her the inch she obviously wanted to back away from this conversation.

“But your confusing me, and I am tired.” Buffy moved and went to lie down. Angelus smiled, he may not have won the war yet but there was definitely a chink in her armor. He’d have her again, he was sure of it. He just needed to be patient and control himself the way William had advised, even if having her this near him was driving him insane.

------------------

“Pink!”

“Pink? But what if it’s a boy?” asked Buffy.

“Ok then Blue!”

Buffy shook her head, “And if it’s a girl?”

Angelus stood there holding Buffy around the waist looking around the spare bedroom, “Ok how about half pink, half blue?”

“How about pale yellow? It would be like a tinge of sunlight was always here.”

“Sunlight is always here when you are Buffy.” Angelus kissed and nuzzled her cheek.

Buffy pulled away and said, “You know I wish I could paint, I would love to see a mural of some kind here.”

“Then let’s hire an artist. What kind of mural do you want?” asked Angelus.

Buffy looked at him in question. He smiled at her and responded to her look, “You are married to a billionaire sweetheart. Whatever you want you get.”

“And here I thought we would put on overalls and paint the room ourselves! Be kinda funny to see you in overalls with paint stains all over you,” snickered Buffy. “Of course they would be black overalls, to keep the mystique going.”

“Black Armani Overalls.” protested Angelus.

Buffy just laughed and went over to the window, “The light into this room is so wonderful. I’m glad we picked this one right across the hall instead of the one around the corner. But you realize I still want the baby in with us for awhile.”

“Of course, we will get a great bassinet. Have it right next to the bed. Which I might add is a lot better then the other babies that have come through this house have had it. You know back in the olden days children were not allowed on this floor, they were upstairs near the servants quarters with their nannies.”

“Even infants?”

“Especially infants, all that crying made it hard for the adults to sleep.” stated Angelus.

“But what about breast feeding? The mother would have to go upstairs every night?”

“Not really, most well-to-do mothers of that day had wet nurses and would not breast feed themselves.”

“Oh that’s awful, your baby drinking from another woman’s milk?. Not my baby.” Buffy shuddered at the thought.

“Something tells me you are going to be a very attentive mother.”

Buffy smiled and sat down on the corner of the bed, “Is William coming over for dinner? I enjoyed that tour he gave me of your offices the other day.”

“Yeah, he will be here. He is not the kind to pass up a free meal,” smiled Angelus. “Oh and remember, your appointment with the OB/GYN is tomorrow morning.”

“Aha, I wrote it down when you told me last week.” Buffy stood again and looked around, “How about an enchanted garden mural? With animals, funny looking trees, faeries, sprites maybe even throw in Harry Potter and his gang.”

“That sounds cute, I’ll have my secretary get some names together of potential artists.” Angelus approached Buffy but she moved away reaching for a chair.

“Hmmm, I think I want one of those chair glider things, I saw some really great ones in the posh tots catalog Wesley gave me. Probably put it here, near the window.”

Angelus couldn’t help a smile as he thought about seeing Buffy sitting there breast feeding their baby, he just hoped that by that time she would feel so connected to him through the child that her lingering reservations about him would fade. He had noticed that while she was pleasant and responsive to their baby planning, even to their idle chit chat she did not let him linger physically close to her. The only time he seemed to be able to hold her and caress her was when she was asleep without her obviously being somewhat uncomfortable. He wanted so badly to just take her, to possess her completely, body and soul; but he understood that her willing love was more important then dominating her and forcing her to his will; at least he kept telling himself that.

“The sun is going down, maybe we should change for dinner. Isn’t William coming over early?”

“Yes, he said he wanted to challenge you to a game of chess but I think he just wants to flirt with my wife.”

Buffy grinned and headed out of the soon to be baby’s room.

----------------------------

Will leaned in towards Buffy over the chess board, “You realize I am a magnificent tactician. I have orchestrated hundreds of extremely complex maneuvers in my time and hammered the nail on the coffins of none to few master strategists, pet.”

“Yes William,” stated Angelus from behind Buffy as he poured himself a scotch, “but can you beat a seventeen year old girl at chess?”

“Aren’t you going to give up yet William? That is three games already!” giggled Buffy.

Will glanced up at Angelus, “Apparently not Mate. Some of the greatest business, financial minds in the world have not been able to outwit me, but yet your wife…”

“What can I say Will, I have exceptional taste.” Angelus leaned over and kissed Buffy on the temple.

“Or you picked a wife who spent countless hours with chess master 3000,” smiled Buffy.

“Bloody Video games, who knew they would create such young terrors.” Will leaned back looking defeated then he perked up and looked at Angelus, “You know mate, with the right training your little wife here could probably do better strategizing then some of our overpaid legal bums.”

“You are probably right Wills, but really wouldn’t that be unfair to the other sides legal bums?” responded Angelus.

“Probably right, we wouldn’t want them to claim we had an unfair advantage.”

Buffy chuckled and stood to help herself to some cheese cake which Wesley had left for them on a tray since William was so anxious to get to play after dinner. “Maybe we should try another game next time William, one that is not as mentally challenging, like say, tic tac toe?”

William turned his head slowly and looked over at her, then started to laugh. “Good one pet, but just you wait and see, I shall get you my pretty.”

Buffy managed a smile through her cheese cake full cheeks. “I shall await your retribution with baited breath.”

Angelus grinned at his wife, he wanted so much to go to her, ravish her lips and show her his idea of retribution. It took him a moment to snapped out of his reverie when William inquired about his review of the latest reports. “Oh, everything was in order Wills.”

As she polished off her cheese cake Buffy interrupted, “Since you two have now moved on to business chatter, I think I will say goodnight for the eve. Thank you for the games William, they were fun.”

William stood, “I look forward to playing chess many times with you Buffy. And hopefully winning at least a few of those sessions.”

“You can dream William, it’s the American way.”

“Yes but I am British.”

“Eh, nobody is perfect. Goodnight.” Buffy offered a little wave and started heading out of the room as Angelus wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered, “I will be up in a little while.” He kissed her then released his hold on her. She nodded and headed up.

After her departure Will asked, “How is she doing? It has only been 12 days and she seems to be adjusting nicely.”

“Well I told you about our arrangement, she is living up to her end of the deal. The only thing is that she is keeping part of herself distant. But I think time will take care of that, time and the fact we are having this baby together.” stated Angelus.

“This baby is your ticket into her heart mate. The connection you two will share after it is born will be profound. Don’t mess it up. I like her.”

“I’ll do my best Will, I will do my best.”

---------------------------

“Mr. and Mrs. Devlin, Dr. Morgan will see you now.”

Buffy and Angelus followed the nurse into the exam room where Buffy was asked to disrobe and put on a gown. Buffy forced Angelus to turn around as she did so and sat on the table. “Ok I am decent. These gowns are so flimsy.”

He smiled mischievously at her, “That I don’t mind.” Buffy smirked at him.

Lilah knocked quickly then entered, “Good Morning. I understand congratulations are in order?”

“Yes,” responded Angelus, “And we are very happy about it.”

“Well then, why don’t we just check out the little mommy here,” stated Lilah.

Lilah took Buffy’s temperature, her blood pressure, listened to her heart and asked her if she had felt any morning sickness or other symptoms, to which Buffy replied that she hadn’t had morning sickness but that her breasts were tender. Buffy was a little uncomfortable with Angelus hovering over her and it did cause her blood pressure reading to come out a bit high. Lilah proceeded to prepare the ultrasound machine and spread gel on Buffy’s abdomen, when Angelus’ cell phone rang.

Angelus retrieved it and answered it to hear Darla’s voice say, “Angelus please don’t hang up, I need your help. I am in trouble.”

“Damnit,” spit out Angelus.

“Angelus, I am sorry but no cell phones in here, it interferes with the equipment,” said Lilah.

Angelus glanced at Buffy and said, “I will be right back sweetheart.” She nodded and he left the room.

Buffy looked up at Lilah, “Will I be able to see the baby today?”

“Not really Buffy, it is still to early to make out the features, in another week or so if you care to we can try again. I am just checking to make sure everything is healthy in the early stages,” smiled Lilah.

-------------------

Angelus stepped out of the exam room and walked down the hall near a window, “What the hell do you want Darla?”

“Angelus please, I need you.”

“What do you need Darla? I do not have all day to stand here and chat with you. Either blurt it out or leave me the hell alone,” angrily responded Angelus.

Darla cried over the phone for several moments before continuing, “I can’t do this Angelus. Everything is falling apart.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I went to Europe to punish you, I thought you would come after me. I swallowed my pride and came to you and you threw me away like trash --- I can….”

Angelus hung up the cell phone, turned it off and started back to the exam room when a nurse stopped him, “Mr. Devlin. Dr. Morgan wanted me to ask you if you had any special instructions for your wife’s pregnancy?.”

“How do you mean?” inquired Angelus.

“Dr. Morgan mentioned that you had not wanted your wife to conceive at this time and--”

“I WANT this child. Is she doing anything to Buffy in there?” demanded Angelus before turning and heading towards the exam room. The nurse followed him and said quickly, “No Sir, she just wanted to make sure as to what your instructions were.”

Angelus nodded curtly at the nurse then entered the exam room to find Buffy already dressing. “It’s over?”

“Yes,” responded Lilah. “I did not do an internal today, I was just making sure she and the baby were healthy overall. Everything seems to be just fine Angelus.”

Angelus moved up to Lilah and gestured for her to go with him into her office, she did as Buffy finished dressing.

“Is she alright, the baby?”

“Yes Angelus, I just said so. As far as I can tell she and the baby are doing just fine,” stated Lilah.

“Your nurse asked me for ’special instructions’ and I became very uneasy. You didn’t do anything did you Lilah?”

“No, of course not Angelus. I just wanted to make sure you wanted your wife to continue with the pregnancy.”

“Well I do.” Angelus silently berated himself, he should have found another doctor for Buffy, there was no longer any need for discretion.

“Then everything should be just fine Angelus,” Lilah’s smile was as sincere as she could make it.

Buffy walked into the room and looked at both of them, “Is everything ok?”

“Yes Buffy, I was just telling your husband that everything is normal and seems to be perfectly healthy.”

Angelus went over to Buffy and asked, “Would you care to have an early lunch?”

“I am pregnant, I live for early lunches, late lunches, snacks..”

He smiled, bid goodbye to Lilah and escorted Buffy out of the building.

----------------

Lilah stepped into her office and took her seat behind the mahogany desk, a moment later Darla walked into the room. “Did you do it? Is she going to lose the brat?”

“I did not give her the injection if that is what you are referring to Darla,” replied Lilah.

“Then what the hell was the elaborate diversion planned if you weren’t going to take the opportunity to give her that abortion drug?! I mean really Lilah, I thought you were my friend, you know if that little cheerleader has the demon child I am never going to get Angelus!” Darla was now hysterical, “I WANT to be Mrs. Angelus Devlin! And having that stupid, little bitch in my way is NOT part of the plan!”

“Well Darla, even if she miscarries, she is still his wife. You will have to maneuver a way for him to divorce her.”

“I can figure something out Lilah, but this damn baby is mucking up the works!”

Lilah smiled innocently, “Well perhaps if he was a widower, your chances would improve?”

“What are you talking about Lilah?”

“Little Miss Buffy is a ticking time bomb. She has an ectopic pregnancy.”

“What the hell is that,” asked Darla.

“The embryo attached outside the uterus, in a fallopian tube. The pregnancy is not viable, there is no possible way that child will be born. And as a bonus for my dear, sweet friend Darla, your rival will probably bleed to death before anyone is the wiser. Ectopic pregnancies are very difficult to diagnose, they account for over ten percent of maternal deaths each year. You see, the fallopian tube is not equipped to carry a fetus and eventually the fetus will erupt the tube, causing extensive internal bleeding. She will probably experience some abdominal cramps, ignore them like most pregnant women, sit in some chair until she feels better and die before anyone can get her to the hospital.”

Darla shrieked with glee, “That is wonderful news Lilah! And then I can console the grieving widower…”

 

 

-------------------------

Chapter 16

 

[ Two days after the doctor’s appointment]

 

“This was a nice idea Angelus, it is such a perfect day for a picnic,” commented Buffy. “And this food, Adelle is something else in the kitchen. I am going to gain 30 pounds from her cooking even if I wasn’t pregnant.”

“I know what you mean,” said Angelus as he lay down on the plaid blanket, “I can barely move now, but I am not so immobilized that I don’t want to do this,” he rolled over towards her and kissed her stomach.

She studied him for a moment, his happiness at her pregnancy, his adoration of her. He confused her so much, his nature was domineering and she was starting to understand that but underneath this façade seemed to lie a very gentle and loving man. “Angelus can I ask you something?”

“Anything baby.”

“The other day you mentioned your parents, and something about them being killed? What happened to them?”

Angelus grew quiet for a moment, he rolled onto his back and stared at the fluffy white clouds peppering the blue sky. “They were killed in a car accident when I was twenty. Drunk driver hit them head on while they were stopped at a red light, doing sixty. My mother died instantly, my father survived for two days before succumbing to his internal injuries.”

Buffy sat up attentively, “I am sorry.”

He smiled at her, “It was a long time ago.”

“What did you do --- I mean after?” asked Buffy.

“I went to school part-time and I took over the bank. The board didn’t want me to,” Angelus sat up in front of Buffy, “in fact there was quite the conspiracy to get me out of the corporation. You would not believe the backroom deals, planning and elaborate lies cooked up to get me out. You see, I was not just some kid who was easily manipulated into doing what those old bastards wanted. And what they wanted was to line their own pockets regardless of the consequences to the bank.”

“How were you able to fight them? I mean you were only twenty? And they had so much experience over you?”

“They did, they had experience, numbers, thirty years of working by my fathers side; and what did I have? I was a spoiled, rich boy who never had to work for anything in his life. However, I did have something that they did not expect, guts.”

Buffy was fascinated, transfixed by Angelus’ tale, “What did you do?”

 

“With the inheritance of my parent’s shares in the bank, I took over as chairman of the board. Those sons of Bitches gave me every excuse in the book to try to divert me from taking that position or later to try and get me out of it. I would just nod my head at them and do whatever the hell I wanted to do damn the consequences. I wrangled control of the day to day operations from the executive board and brought in William and Lindsey soon after. The board attempted a coup d’état and tried to force me out using a two percent advantage they assumed they had. But in the ninth hour I pulled out a share transfer document that proved that I had purchased four percent of the voting blocks from my chief rival’s ex-wife. He was forced to relinquish his proxy over her shares and I in turn replaced the entire board. Since then I have managed to acquire a significantly higher percentage and am completely secure in my control over the bank.”

“You went through a lot didn’t you Angelus?”

“I did what I had to do in that situation Buffy. I could not give up my legacy without a fight. Especially to people I had once trusted who turned on me and were more then willing to stab me in the back and twist the knife deep.”

“That is awful. Thinking that those people were ones you could always trust and then suddenly seeing them turn on you before your eyes. It is something you can never forget or eradicate from your heart Angelus.”

“No, betrayals such as those cannot be forgiven, they show the true character of the one you had trusted---”

Angelus noticed the watery glistening in Buffy’s eyes and wanted to kick himself when he realized what he was saying, “Buffy I am sorry. I just --”

“No, no. You are right. People who would turn so completely on you are not to ever be trusted again. How did you meet William?” asked Buffy.

“We went to school together, we have been best friends, brothers really since college.” Angelus watched as Buffy nodded, he knew she was thinking of her father and how he could have allowed him to take Buffy the way he did. Of course Angelus knew he had given Buffy’s father little choice, give her to me or be ruined, but Angelus knew he, himself would rather be ruined, lose his life then allow Buffy to be hurt in anyway.

“Buffy, want to head in?” inquired Angelus.

“Yes, I am a little tired, but I would like to hear more about your past Angelus. You know, get to know my baby’s father better?.”

Angelus smiled broadly, “For you, and only you, I am an open book.”

----------------------

 

[In the Library]

“What you doing?” asked Angelus nicely as he sauntered into what was quickly becoming Buffy’s office.

“I am starting to fill out this baby book we got yesterday on our shopping trip and flipping through this baby name book too.”

“Oh baby names. What about Cormac if it is a boy? Said Angelus.”

Buffy glanced up at him with a crinkled nose and this incredulous look on her face? “What you want our son to get beat up on the playground?”

“What? It was my grandfathers name, it is very Irish.”

“And I am sure your grandfather had good use of it, but no.” Buffy continued to look through the book.

“What about--”

Buffy put up her hand up and stopped him from talking, she closed the books and stood, “Want to go to town? We can fight about baby names anytime.”

“Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“I thought we might do a little more shopping, maybe hit a movie?” suggested Buffy.

“Sounds like fun. What is in the theater’s now anyway?”

------------------

[The Mall]

 

“I did not!” protested Buffy.

“Oh yes you did!” countered Angelus.

“At no point during that lame horror movie did I get scared! I mean really was the vampire make-up done by the same people who do the Count on Sesame Street? And the acting was to over and the plot, was there a plot?”

“I don’t care what you say, you jumped, I saw it, I will testify to it in court!”

“Your logic does not resemble our earth-logic. You know maybe we should stop at the vision place over there and get you glasses.”

Angelus took hold of Buffy around the waist, “Don’t worry honey, I’ll never tell about your secret fear of movie vampires.”

Buffy gave him the evil eye as they proceeded to walk.

---------------------

[ The next day in the kitchen ]

“Adelle, do you think you could make those cheese turnovers for lunch? They were SO delicious!” asked Buffy.

“Of course, I am very pleased you enjoyed them dear. I’ll make those with some salad and an apple pie for lunch?”

“Oh that sounds so good! Maybe one day you can teach---” Buffy noticed Adelle’s eyes open wide and she turned around to see what it was about. Buffy saw Angelus enter the kitchen carrying a can of paint and wearing Black Overalls with the Armani label clearly showing on the center pocket. Buffy was speechless at first but soon broke out in a fit of laughter so intense that she collapsed onto a kitchen chair and had to bend over to catch her breath. Angelus put the paint can down, scooped Buffy up into his arms, she had to wrap her arms around his neck and laugh/cry into his shoulder; Angelus winked at Adelle then turned and carried Buffy up to his office.

He took Buffy over to the couch in his office and sat with her still laughing with tears streaming down her face, on his lap. As she finally calmed, she wiped the tears away with her hands and took in several deep breaths. When she looked up at Angelus’ face, he could not resist, he kissed her. He kissed her softly, tenderly. It was a spontaneous kiss but a kiss as sweet as sugared nectar, and she reciprocated. For the very first time Buffy was not offended by his kiss, she was not stiff or withdrawing. She returned his affection just as sweetly, for a moment she forgot the hurt, she just enjoyed the moment.

As the kiss ended, Angelus nuzzled her face with his, planting a few small, quick kisses on her face before moving forward and picking up some large folders. It took several moments for Buffy to catch her breath and reign in her emotions. Angelus cradled her, urging her to rest her body on his. “I thought you would find that funny. Only for the woman I love would I wear overalls.”

“Suddenly, I believe you,” replied Buffy as she looked intently into Angelus’ face.

“Look, look,” continued Angelus, “This is what I brought you up here for. Samples of murals from various artists.”

Buffy took a couple of the boards from Angelus as he held the rest and did his best to control his own emotions. “I think your idea of doing a mural is perfect baby. In fact I like it so much that maybe we should do a couple more in other rooms in the house?”

“I like that idea a lot Angelus. Wow, look at this one, it is so real looking you almost feel like you are walking into this tiny faerie world.”

Angelus put the boards down on the couch and looked through them with his one free hand, picking out one in particular, “Look at this one.”

“OH! My goodness, that is spectacular. The colors, the detail, wow, it’s gorgeous. Do you think we can get something like this?”

“Of course my love. If this is the concept you like, then we will get working on it right away.” Angelus held her closely, unwilling to let her go. Buffy flipped through the boards herself and replied, “Yes I think this is the best one. I absolutely adore it!”

“And I adore you.”

-------------------

Chapter 17

 

“Tara, I am so confused. When it comes to him I cannot think straight,” said Buffy into the phone.

“What has it been, about three weeks now Buffy? And in that time you made this deal with him, you are sharing your life and pregnancy with him and you kissed him. Buffy, you know I am going to support you no matter what happens, and if you fall in love with him and he treats you well then I will be very happy for you. But do not forget how you got into that situation in the first place? I mean Buffy he is a master manipulator, can you be sure his feelings are genuine? And not some charade to get what he wants?”

“I know Tara. He is a genius when it comes to making situations turn out the way he wants them to, I told you about the bank and that but --- but I don’t know. I look at him, and I don’t know if I am fooling myself, if I am so affected by everything that is going on that I just want to believe it but he seems to really care for me.”

“Ok Buffy, let us take that for granted, let us admit that he loves you but that is not the important question. The important question is do you love him?”

Buffy was silent for a long time, Tara had to call her name to make sure the connection was not lost. She sat there and thought about what Tara had ask and tried to be as honest with herself as she could be.

“I don’t know Tara. At first I was so terrified of him, of what was happening that all I could do was not think about it. Then I was running, and trying to make my life again after everything, when he found me and brought me back here, the first few days I was resentful, I thought he was delusional if he thought I would stand still for being held hostage. But then, then we made the deal and I started to relax. Ever since, I have actually realized I have been enjoying myself now and then and even sometimes if he isn’t around me I wonder where he is; but not in the I hope to avoid him way, but in the I wonder what he is doing/where he is way. I don’t know, maybe I will feel different when I go back to school and I get more choice of company then just him.”

“Maybe,” responded Tara before she took her own long silent break, “Buffy, if you really feel something for him, just make sure it doesn’t come from a sense of being alone in the world because you are not.”

“I miss you Tara, and I am so lucky to have you for my friend.”

“We are lucky to have each other, and I miss your spaghetti!”

-------------------------------

“Sweetheart,” called out Angelus as he exited the house and walked down to the garden where Buffy and Marie were planting herbs.

“Hmm?”

Angelus crouched down next to Buffy, “I hope you don’t mind but I made a doctor’s appointment for you.”

“I thought my appointment with Dr. Morgan was next week? You changed it?” asked Buffy.

“No, I made a new appointment with a Dr. Jennifer Calender. She is one of the leading OBs in the state.”

Marie looked up and smiled at Angelus, nodding her head in approval.

“What happened? You didn’t like Dr. Morgan?” asked Buffy, “She seemed ok.”

“OK is not good enough for my wife. We have an appointment tomorrow afternoon at four,” stated Angelus.

“Alright but you are a little ridiculous sometimes, you do know that?” said Buffy as she finished planting the rosemary.

“Yeah, but it is all part of my charm. Besides, this little one in here deserves nothing but the best.” Angelus tilted Buffy back and caressed the bulge in her midsection lovingly.

“And that little one in there, plus us big three out here are going to get soaked if we stay out here much longer,” said Marie as she pointed up to the dark clouds looming overhead.

“Enough gardening,” firmly stated Angelus as he glanced up at the sky, “time to go in and keep you warm, besides Adelle made cheese cake and I might just forgo dinner and go straight to dessert unless someone stops me.”

“Cheese cake?” Buffy perked up, “Ok you convinced me, let me just gather up the tools here.”

Angelus picked her up as Marie said, “Leave them, I will clean up quickly and head in myself.”

“Thank you Marie,” said Buffy before staring at Angelus, “You know if you keep carrying me around you are going to get a hernia.”

“Oh please Buffy, you weigh nothing. Nine months pregnant and you will still be as light as air. Not to mention, you in my arms… not such a bad deal.”

Buffy just shook her head and enjoyed the ride, once inside he put her down and they both semi-raced to the kitchen. “Hey! I am the pregnant one, I get first dibs at the cheese cake!”

“Yeah, but…”

“Yeah, but nothing Mister!” laughed Buffy as they both squeezed past the doorway into the kitchen and towards the island where the cheese cake was in full view but before either of them could even touch the cake cutter Adelle yelled, “Touch that cheese cake and you will both lose fingers.”

Buffy and Angelus stopped in mid air as Adelle continued to speak with her back turned to them, “The Cheese cake is for dessert, and dessert comes after dinner, which will be served in one hour. Do not go spoiling your appetites. Now go clean up and everything will be ready in the dining room soon.”

“Surely, a little taste won’t hurt Adelle,” said Angelus.

Adelle turned to face them quickly, “Master Angelus! I am here slaving all day over this stove and you are going to go spoil that appetite of yours with cake before you go on and taste my jambalaya.”

Buffy took the cake cutter from Angelus and put it down then stepped in front of him, “Don’t worry Adelle, he will behave, won’t he?” She stared him down and guided him out of the kitchen.

“I know your big bad and tough Angelus, but that’s Adelle. She will chop you up and cook you!”

Angelus laughed, “Ok, Ok. I suppose we should shower and change anyway, it seems we both have garden dirt all over us.”

“Well who told you to go and carry me in, now you are all smudged.”

“It is ok, as long as you are the one doing the smudging.” He kissed her neck and she giggled then pushed him aside and rushed up the stairs with him following.

Buffy walked straight to the bathroom and he boldly followed her straight in. “What do you say we shower together.”

Warily, Buffy glanced up at him, “Angelus..”

“I will behave Buffy.” He proceeded to gently assist her off with her clothes before he removed his own then turned on the shower. Buffy’s eyes raked over his well-toned body. She had to admit, he was a stunningly, gorgeous man. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror, her stomach was showing signs of the baby bulge and she wondered what she would look like in nine months. As if answering her mental question to herself, Angelus wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear, “Absolutely gorgeous today and more beautiful in your ninth month. Turning in his arms and looking up at him, the look that passed between them was heated and laced with love. They came together in a kiss, the moisture of their mouths mixing, their naked bodies feeling one another’s textures. Angelus deepened the kiss, Buffy grasped his shoulders, feeling his taut muscles envelop her. His hands roamed down to her lower back, he wanted to pull her up, bury himself in her but in some small, rational corner of his mind he realized she was not ready. He pulled back and lead them both into the shower, they bathed, kissed but Angelus made no move to satisfy his obvious arousal and Buffy was grateful. She left the shower before him, a bit nervous and aroused herself, but she knew it was not the right time, not yet. After she left the bathroom to dress, Angelus turned the shower to it’s coldest setting.

------------------------

Dinner went by pleasantly and the two of them retired to the bedroom early to watch television. They took the left over cheese cake with them and changed into their night clothes intending to munch, relax, talk and watch whatever fancied them on TV.

Buffy sat on the bed in her short, white nightie and Angelus sauntered out of the dressing room in his dark blue, silk pajama bottoms. “What are we watching?”

“I don’t know yet, there are a bunch of interesting programs coming on soon and Wesley gave me this DVD of an old movie called Arsenic and Old Lace, he said it was cute and funny, no wait excuse me, entertaining and amusing.”

Angelus broadly smiled as the phone rang, he picked it up, “Hello.”

“Good evening Angelus, I hope I am not catching you at a bad time?” asked William over the phone.

“No, Buffy and I were just going to watch some movie. What’s up?” replied Angelus.

“I need to talk to you privately, can you get out of the room?”

“Sure, I have that report in my study, just a minute,” stated Angelus. He put the call on hold and turned to Buffy, “Be right back baby, just have to take this call in the study.”

Buffy nodded, “OK, but if the cheese cake is gone when you get back, it is not my fault.”

“Aha.” Angelus stepped out of the bedroom and walked down the hall to the study where he picked up William’s call, “Ok I am alone, what is going on?”

“Darla.”

“What about the bitch?” asked Angelus.

“Well she has been calling here incessantly trying to get to you and tonight by some fluke she got me on my private line. She was stone cold drunk and threatened to commit suicide Angelus.”

“If she does, that is one less headache for me.”

“I thought the same thing,” stated William, “but she also said that she would take your little cheerleader with her. I am calling just to make sure everything is safe over there.”

“So far there have been no disturbances here but I will double check the security system, and might as well call Gunn and have him tail her; just to make sure she stays away from Buffy.”

“Will do. Oh and everything with the raid is going on schedule.”

“ Good, I want it ---” Angelus’ attention was immediately drawn to a loud crash heard outside, through the pouring rain. He quickly looked out the window, “DAMN! Some car just crashed into my front gate, want to bet who that is?.”

“I’ll call Gunn now and dispatch him over there with reinforcements,” said William as he picked up his other line.

“Thank you Will, I better go down there and see if she is still alive I suppose.” Angelus hung up and came out into the hall, Buffy was at the railing as Wesley and Marie rushed to open the front door. Angelus went straight to Buffy, “Go to bed baby, I don’t want you up and out in this rain. I will go and find out what happened and come back and tell you ok?”

“A car has crashed into the gate sir,” stated Wesley loudly.

Angelus turned his attention to Wesley and Marie, “Alright, get your coats, let’s go see what happened out there.” Angelus walked Buffy back to the bedroom then went and quickly changed into street clothes, he came back to the bedroom and kissed Buffy, “I will be right back.” He then rushed out and down the stairs to meet with Wesley and Marie, after slipping on his black leather coat the three of them ventured out into the dark night and pouring rain and walked down the long driveway, both Wesley and Marie holding flashlights.

Upon reaching the scene, Angelus observed Darla in her car and her car half imbedded in the brick column and half melded with the iron gate bars. Darla seemed to be unconscious, blood was dripping from her forehead. Her car had wedged the gate together making it impossible to open by hand. “Call an ambulance,” ordered Angelus before climbing over the gate to reach Darla. Wesley pulled out a cell phone and dialed 911.

Angelus made it to the other side easily and opened the car door, Darla stirred groggily, Angelus pushed her into the passenger seat and buckled her in, cursing her all the while. He managed to start the car, and he pulled it back from the gate. He gestured for Wesley and Marie to step aside then ran the car straight into the gate so that the iron would collapse to the ground. Once it had, Angelus exited the car and went over with Wesley’s help to move the broken gate off to the side. Then he ordered Marie and Wesley to enter the car and drove them all to the front door. Angelus exited the car and took Darla inside, with Marie following them into the living room. Wesley moved Darla’s car off to the side then returned to the house himself.

Darla was lying on the couch moaning, Angelus left her there with Marie and went to take his coat off, he was about to go upstairs to inform Buffy of the going-ons when he heard the ambulance sirens. He turned and opened the front door, a few minutes later the EMT technicians entered the house and were directed to Darla. Angelus and Wesley informed them of what had occurred, the EMTs strapped her into a gurney and asked if any of them wanted to ride along with her. Angelus told them no and gave them the house phone number in the event they had further questions about the accident.

Finally, after well over an hour of fussing with Darla, Angelus went upstairs and entered the bedroom. He was soaked to the bone and he immediately noticed Buffy was asleep. He started walking towards the dressing room when something inside of him stopped him. He turned and looked at his wife, something was wrong. Angelus rushed to her side and placed his hands on her arms, “Buffy, Buffy baby wake up.”

Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion

 

Chapter 18

“Buffy!” Angelus raked his eyes over Buffy’s body, he moved her nightgown up, there was no blood.

Buffy opened her eyes and looked up at Angelus and in a labored whisper said, “Angelus, I don’t feel well.”

“Baby, what is it? What do you feel?”

“I am very dizzy and it is hard to focus.”

“We are going to the hospital Buffy, just hang on a few seconds.” Angelus ran to the intercom, “WESLEY, Bring the car around, we have to take Buffy to the hospital NOW!” He turned back and grabbed the throw blanket, then a thought occurred to him, “Be right back baby.” Angelus turned and ran to his study, he scoured his desk frantically then found the business card, a moment later he was waiting for Lilah to answer and she did.

“Lilah, it’s Angelus Devlin. Buffy is not feeling well, we are about to take her to the hospital.”

“Calm down Angelus,” came Lilah’s voice, “before you jump the gun here, please, tell me her symptoms.”

He took a deep breath, “She said she was dizzy and could not focus her eyes. For a moment I thought she was unconscious, it took me a long time to wake her up.”

“Is that it? No pain?” asked Lilah.

“No she was not complaining of pain, “ replied Angelus.

“Ok Angelus, dizziness and such is normal during this stage of the pregnancy. Let her sleep and bring her into my office in the morning. I am sure she probably just needs the rest.”

“Lilah, she does not look well. If something happens to her…” warned Angelus.

“Angelus, she is a young, healthy girl. Complications in pregnancy for someone of her health is extremely rare. Let her sleep, you will see she will be better in the morning. And if she isn’t I will meet you at the hospital. Trust me Angelus, I have been doing this for a long time.”

Angelus hung the phone up on Lilah, went to his briefcase and pulled out the number he had written down for Dr. Calender, a moment later he was connected to her.

“Dr. This is Angelus Devlin.”

“Yes Mr. Devlin, Hello, How can I --.”

“My wife is not feeling well. I am about to take her to the hospital.”

“What are her symptoms?” asked Jennifer worriedly.

“I had been out of the room for awhile, when I came back she seemed like she was unconscious but after shaking her and calling her name much longer then usual she did open her eyes. She said she was dizzy and had trouble focusing her eyes. She is also listless and she was fine a few hours ago.”

“How many weeks is she Mr. Devlin?”

“Just a little over 12 weeks,” answered Angelus.

“You had said Dr. Morgan was her OB, perhaps we should call her in?”

“No,” stated Angelus, “I would rather not unless you feel you absolutely need to.”

“I can diagnose her, it is just if Dr. Morgan had any special concerns or information. Alright, I will meet you at the hospital. Mr. Devlin, has she complained of any abdominal pain?”

“No, she has not. Do you have any idea what this could be?”

“I am not sure, I will have to examine her first. It could be any number of things, related or not related to the pregnancy. Take her in, I will be there as soon as I can.”

Angelus acknowledged her statement and went to get Buffy. When he reentered the bedroom, his heart nearly stopped. She was so pale, he didn’t understand a moment ago she was flushed but her skin looked generally alright, now she was pale… like the dead.

“Buffy!” He hurried to her side, “Baby, we are going now. It is going to be fine. Everything is going to be alright. Just stay awake for me, OK baby?”

Buffy nodded her head as he wrapped her in the throw blanket. Marie and Adelle rushed into the room and asked if there was anything they could do. “Get some clothes for her and bring them to the hospital later please,” said Angelus. They nodded and were both obviously worried to death.

As gently as he could, Angelus lifted Buffy up into his arms, her head fell onto his chest as if she had been a rag doll. She was growing weaker by the second and Angelus could not understand it. He quickly made his way downstairs, Marie opened the umbrella and held it over them as they entered the waiting car Wesley was driving. A minute later they took off, leaving Marie and Adelle looking after the retreating car grasping each others arms in worry.

-------------

 

Arriving at the hospital, Wesley pulled up to the emergency room entrance and Angelus tore out of the car and in through the sliding doors with Buffy securely cradled in his arms. He walked right into a chaotic mess of activity. It took him several minutes to get the attention of a nurse, and this delay enraged him. He screamed at the nurse that his wife needed attention NOW. The nurse was not impressed. She told Angelus to wait in the lounge with his wife, that they were dealing with multiple traumas and would get to her as soon as they could. The nurse walked away. Angelus had to control himself, he was losing his rational thought, at that moment he wanted to tear the nurses head off. He took a deep breath and sat down in the crowded emergency lounge for a moment, pulled out his cell and called William.

“Wills, I need your help,” asked Angelus in such a voice that William had never heard before.

“What is it Angelus?”

“I am at the hospital with Buffy, God Will I think she is dying. Dying here in my arms and I am helpless. This place is a disaster, to many people. A nurse walked away from me and I had to sit down and control myself, stop myself from killing her. Buffy is in my arms and something is terribly wrong with her.” Angelus looked at her, he had sat her next to him on the sofa, her eyes were closed. “She is asleep now Will. Please, help us.”

“Just sit tight mate, they will come and take care of our precious girl real soon.” William hung up.

“Did you hear that baby,” said Angelus as he rocked Buffy and kissed her forehead, “Will is going to help us, everything is going to be OK.”

Less then ten minutes later two orderlies and a nurse appeared in the lounge with a gurney, they placed Buffy on the gurney and moved her and Angelus quickly to the elevators and upstairs to a private treatment room. The nurse who had told Angelus to wait was in shock to see such a fuss made.

Once upstairs in the treatment room a small team of doctors arrived to diagnose and treat Mrs. Devlin. Dr. Calendar arrived and was shown to Mrs. Devlin room quickly, when she entered she was shown Buffy’s chart and the protocol the doctors were following to diagnose Buffy. Jenny gowned up and examined Buffy herself, quickly determining the rupture of an ectopic pregnancy. Buffy was bleeding into her stomach and kidneys. It was massive hemorrhaging, she was losing to much blood, to quickly. Within minutes, a surgical team was assembled and Buffy was moved to an operating theater PDQ.

Angelus was informed of the need for surgery and asked for his consent as her spouse. He gave it and asked Dr. Calendar to please keep her safe. Jenny told him she would do the best she could and left for the operating room.

---------------

This was hell, Angelus was sure of it. There was nothing he could do for the woman he loved but wait. Wesley found Angelus and waited with him and after about an hour William arrived himself. The wait was nearly unbearable, Angelus wanted to jump out of his skin. He moved and paced through the room, he wanted to throw things, find a way to dominate this situation but there was no way. No matter how hard he willed it, he could not control this.

---------------

An incision about five cm long was made into Buffy’s abdomen. A scope was inserted into her in order to enable the surgeons the see the damage up close. The rupture was detected, as was the fetal material. Massive hemorrhaging was observed and quickly clamped. Her stomach and kidneys were drained of the excess fluid and the fetal material was carefully removed. The surgeons then proceeded to undertake the meticulous task of rebuilding Buffy’s left fallopian tube. A procedure that would normally have not been attempted, had Buffy been almost anyone but Mrs. Angelus Devlin.

---------------

William was afraid Angelus was going to have a massive coronary in front of him from the stress he was under. He watched Angelus stand, pace, then sit and wring his hands. It had been hours, three, four, William had lost count. Then finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Calendar entered the room, “Mr. Devlin.”

Angelus was standing in front of the doctor in an instant, “God, is she alright?”

“She is stable. I am sorry about the baby but we were able to save the ruptured tube, thereby keeping her chances of a future pregnancy relatively high. There was a good deal of internal bleeding but we managed to repair all the damage and have gotten her hemoglobin levels up through transfusion.” Jenny paused, observing the fear on Angelus’ face, she took his hand and calmly said, “She is going to be just fine. She should make a full physical recovery in six to eight weeks. Right now she is still in the recovery room and will be there for about another hour. The nurses will soon move her to a private room where you can stay with her.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 19

 

He watched her as she slept. Buffy had been moved from recovery to one of the hospital’s VIP suites, a private duty nurse assigned and a doctor never more then a buzz away. Angelus had ordered the nurse out of the room and instructed her to sit in the hall until she was needed. He sat by her bed, guarding her, worshiping her, needing her to be alright.

He loved her so much. At first it was her beauty that had captivated him, her radiant smile which had over powered his senses. To him, from first sight he knew she was that creature from myth. She was that siren, that temptress that throughout the ages men have sought and died for. Now however, she was more then that elusive beauty from legends; she was his friend, his intimate companion, the would-be mother of his child. Through these scant weeks since he had captured his Venus, he came to understand just how unique and special she was. Her resourcefulness, her courage, her strength, he had never met a woman such as her. Older, more experienced women would have been subjugated under him easily but not her, not his Buffy. He understood now, she was not his equal…. She was better.

“Angelus?” came William’s voice from behind him. Angelus stood, touching Buffy’s hand lovingly then turned his attention to Will.

“Yes?.”

“I wanted to see how she was doing?” William looked over at his best friend’s wife, he too had been so completely worried. She had quickly become a very special person in his life and he knew, like Angelus, that he would protect that adored woman with his life if need be.

“She woke up briefly in the recovery room, the doctors wanted to make sure she had come out of the anesthesia, she has been sleeping ever since.” Angelus looked at Will, “How did you do it? I forgot to ask how you got them to us so quickly in the emergency room.”

Will smiled and replied, “Why I called the President of the Hospital of course. What? You think *I* would bother with anyone else?”

“Thank you William.” Angelus spoke those words from the most honest, sincere place he had. William was as dear a friend as they came and he would never forget this.

“Not a problem Peaches, but you owe me a huge Adelle dinner with all the fixings and a night of retribution with your wife there.”

Angelus grinned, “My money is on Buffy. I think she can take you.”

“Sir?” came Wesley’s voice as he stepped into the room quietly, “I have brought a change of clothes for yourself and Mrs. Devlin, and Adelle has packed some sustenance, as she puts it, so that you may have enough strength to take care of our mistress.”

“Thank you Wesley, why don’t you go on home and tell Adelle and Marie that I will be bringing Buffy home in a few days. Oh,” Angelus paused and took in a deep breath, “Please have Marie remove all the baby things from sight.”

“Yes sir, at once.” Wesley bid his farewell and left to complete his duties.

“Angelus,” stated Will, “She is going to need your support emotionally through this grieving time. Don’t distance yourself or let her distance herself. If that happens… well three years will not be enough time to win her love; because it will be lost to you forever.”

“I don’t know how she is going to react to this Will, she was so happy about the baby. Yes, she was scared and with everything.. With the way that the baby came to be, I know she was confused. But she was coming around, the baby was bringing us closer, she was giving *us* a chance. Now, I don’t know how she will feel, she will probably hate me. This is going to be an uphill battle but if I lose this battle I lose everything. I could live two hundred years, two thousand years and never know the kind of love I feel for her again, of that I am sure.”

“Stay by her side no matter what Angelus.”

Angelus nodded then looked up as Dr. Calendar entered the room. “Has she opened her eyes again?” asked Jenny quietly.

“No, not yet. Is that something to worry about?” inquired Angelus anxiously.

“No, she needs the sleep. It is not uncommon for patients to sleep a good ten to twelve hours after this type of surgery. The important part was when she responded in the recovery room.”

Jenny checked her overnight chart vitals and added the option for additional pain medication if Mrs. Devlin complained of to much pain.

Angelus sighed with relief but still was desperate to see Buffy open her eyes. “Doctor, this ectopic pregnancy that she had, could it have been detected earlier?”

“Ectopic pregnancy is actually extremely hard to diagnose. Usually a patient has certain risk factors that a doctor red flags, none of these risk factors are present in your wife’s case. She is a young, healthy woman who has never had fertility drugs, scarring from previous surgeries or any of the other indicators, her case was simply a mistake of nature.”

“Fertility drugs?”

“Yes, elevated hormone levels can cause ectopic. However, I am surprised that her doctor did not do an ultrasound yet, “ stated Jenny.

“I think she did have an ultrasound Dr. Calendar,” said Angelus.

“No, she couldn’t have Mr. Devlin, an ultrasound would have revealed an empty uterus. And with a positive pregnancy test, that is a clear indication of an ectopic pregnancy. I highly doubt that Dr. Morgan performed an ultrasound on your wife yet, if she had and she didn’t inform you, well.. That is like writing a death sentence for a patient and doctors do not do that. Ectopic pregnancy is responsible for a large chunk of maternal deaths in this country. It is extremely serious, a mother can bleed to death before she is even diagnosed. A doctor who would send a patient home without informing them of an ectopic pregnancy and immediately taking medical action, well they are akin to murderers.”

“I see,” calmly stated Angelus.

“So I am sure there was no ultrasound performed in Dr. Morgan’s office. She was probably waiting for the next appointment, when the baby is more defined and the parents can better appreciate the images. Anyway, if you gentlemen would please excuse us, the nurse and I are going to change Mrs. Devlin’s bandages.”

Angelus and William nodded and left the room, once outside Angelus turned to Will, “Lilah DID an ultrasound Wills.”

“WHAT?!” William coughed then pulled Angelus into an empty patient room down the hall, “What are you saying Angelus?”

“I am telling you, when I took Buffy to see Lilah after I found out she was pregnant, Lilah performed an ultrasound. I had to leave the room because that damn bitch Darla called on the cell and Lilah said something about the cell interfering with the equipment. Then Lilah’s nurse stopped me on the way back into the exam room to ask some inane questions. When I reentered, Lilah said the exam was over. During Lunch, Buffy told me that Lilah had done the ultrasound but said the baby was still to small to see on the monitor, that she would point the baby out next time they had an appointment.”

“Wait a minute, I am trying to understand this. Are you saying that Lilah Morgan knew Buffy had an ectopic pregnancy and hid it from both of you? Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know, but now I am sure of it, that fucking bitch tried to kill my wife!” spat out Angelus.

“Take it easy Angelus, let me see what I can find out before we go jumping the buildings here. Give me a few days, I’ll do some digging, there has to be a reason she would do that, IF she did it. You mate, forget about this for now, take care of your wife. She is going to need you now more then she ever will. I’ll handle the good doctor Morgan.”

“Fine, but if she did this ---”

“Don’t worry about it, I will take care of it,” stated William firmly. The two of them then opened the door and walked back into the hallway. Dr. Calendar spotted them and walked their way.

“Excuse me, Mr. Devlin?” said Dr. Calendar. “Your wife is awake.”

Angelus started to rush back to the room, when Jenny spoke up and said, “I told her about the baby.” Angelus stopped in his tracks and faced the doctor.

“Is she, I mean ---” stammered out Angelus.

“She is upset. Crying. I did tell her tho that she could have more children but I do not think she heard me. Her bandages are changed and I left her on sufficient pain medication, so I leave her in your capable hands.” Jenny nodded then stepped to the side to allow Angelus easy access to the door. Angelus looked back at Will then went on into the room, he motioned for the nurse to leave and closed the door as she exited the room.

Angelus slowly approached Buffy’s bed, Buffy was facing away from him obviously crying softly. When he reached her side and started to sit in the chair next to her bed, she turned her head to look at him, her eyes were bloodshot and tears stained her flushed cheeks; she immediately outstretched her arms to him. He just as quickly pulled her into his embrace, as carefully as he could with such emotion coursing through them both, so not to tear out her IV or hurt her.

She needed him, she needed to feel his arms around her. She needed to know that he didn’t hate her, they had lost a child together, a child they both wanted. Buffy’s little hands grasped at Angelus shirt, she cried into his shoulder, cried for her lost baby, cried with the pain of a mother. “I’m sorry. I am so sorry.”

“Buffy, it wasn’t your fault. It was no ones fault----- except mine. I forced you, I…” Angelus was ashamed, for the first time in his life, he deeply regretted his choice. He wasn’t worthy of her, he wasn’t worthy of this princess. He held her so lovingly, as if she would break if he caressed her to hard. His cheek touched hers, their tears intermingled, the agony in his face would have touched the devil himself, as he realized he had to let her go. He had to give her up for her own good. He slowly, gently put her head back down on the pillow and released her from his embrace. His heart shattering, screaming in defiance as his mind told him all he was doing was hurting her. He pulled back from her, his eyes betraying his emotions and thoughts. “I love you----- and I am sorry.” Angelus backed away from Buffy towards the door, quickly turning and opening it.

 

“Don’t go,” Buffy’s small voice reached out to him, holding him in place, “Don’t leave me alone.”

Angelus was frozen in place. He didn’t trust himself anymore, not with her. He couldn’t think, his mind was a jumble of incoherent thoughts. He had hurt her so deeply, gone mad because of her, he knew he would be an empty shell without her but he also knew this was not about him. His mind told him if he truly loved her, he would walk through those doors and leave her in peace;

but his heart, his heart heard her words. He looked down to the floor, never had one step, backwards or forwards, meant so much, was he going to step towards nothing or towards everything.

Buffy looked over at him, willing him in her heart to turn around and come back to her. Oh my God, she wanted him. Oh God, she loved him. Was this the reason? Was she being punished for falling in love with this demon of a man. She understood now, she realized that she didn’t care, she wanted him. She didn’t care if he was a monster, she didn’t care that he had… “Turn around Angelus, you belong to me, you are mine.”

Chapter 20

 

 

They kissed.

 

 

The pain, fear, need and insanity they had experienced in these last months seeped into this kiss and was tangibly replaced by what had been just under the surface the entire time, mutual love. This wasn’t going to be easy between them, as they pulled apart and looked into each others eyes they both understood that. What had happened between them was primal, visceral but those over powering instincts, the instinct to possess your mate completely whether she was ready or not, it was not of this time. Today’s social standards forbade it, branded it criminal. Buffy understood now, Angelus had claimed her as his, in the most primitive, instinctual way a man could. He took possession of her, he marked her as his, it was animalistic and not easily forgiven. However, something in her heart understood completely now, this wasn’t a case of power over a woman, it wasn’t a case of violence and hatred towards the female gender, it wasn’t even a case of selfish wants, this was and has always been since the moment they lay eyes on each other a mating ritual. The lion and his lioness. Angelus was a creature of unrestrained passion and she was his true passion. She watched him as he placed his body next to hers on the bed, she saw the love in his eyes, she saw that he worshipped her and she knew beyond doubt that his ultimate sacrifice would be to give her up. There was no question in her mind, had he walked out that door, she would never have seen him again, he would lose what he held most dear for her happiness. What she suddenly understood with perfect clarity in that moment was that she would lose a part of herself if she had let him walk out that door. He had claimed her, yes that was true but now it was her turn to claim him. She melded into him, her head on his chest, his arms around her, she grasped his shirt with what little strength she had and whispered, “You’re mine.”

“Only yours, forever…. That’s the whole point.”

They held each other and slept, securely tucked in each other’s embrace. A peace had enveloped them that neither had ever known before. They both understood that they would have to pass the grief of losing their child, the trauma which Buffy had suffered, the insanity that had overtaken Angelus but somehow they knew, they knew they would get through it all and survive, together.

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“Angelus?” called out Buffy as she entered his study.

“Baby, what are you doing out of bed? It’s late, I thought you were sleeping,” said Angelus as he rose from his desk and went over to her, moving her to the couch to sit down with him.

“Woke up, bed felt empty. What are you doing in here at 2am?” asked Buffy.

“You shouldn’t be up and about so much Buffy, you still need to heal.”

“Oh I am fine Angelus, it’s been five weeks. You treat me like a china doll. Now what has you up so late working?”

Angelus breathed out, unsure as to whether or not to tell her but soon decided it was best to not keep things from her, “It’s about your father and his company.”

“What about him?” asked Buffy now more curious then ever.

“When you were missing, I became very angry with your father for not being of more help and for letting you escape the house. I know it was irrational of me but I was very irrational during that time.”

Buffy nodded her head, listening and urging him to continue.

“I let some things about your father’s business practices slip out to the state attorney general and I froze most of his bank accounts under the guise that we needed to do an internal bank investigation due to some irregularities detected. Then William planned a raid of HS Shipping.”

Buffy gasped, “You took his company away?”

“No, when---- when I brought you home, I calmed regarding your father. We unfroze his accounts and he was able to access his operating capital but apparently a significant amount of damage was already done. William and I planned a raid of his competition’s company and we managed to get the state attorney general to back off some but another lawyer in the attorney general’s office managed to uncover a good deal of evidence that linked your father to some state contracts that were assigned without proper bidding procedures, it seems your father bribed some government officials to get those contracts outright. Your father doesn’t know it, but I have had Lindsey and the legal team working on suppressing the evidence uncovered due to improper procurement procedures. However, Hank is sweating it all out, HS shipping is under intense investigation and has lost a fair amount of contracts, his own personal capital has also been affected since the state feels that he may have personally benefited from fraudulently obtained contracts they froze his personal accounts. I am going to be able to make these problems go away for your father but I have not informed him of this yet. I want to make sure that the suppression hearing goes smoothly, it has to do with bank information therefore our lawyers not his are handling it. “

“Wow, Angelus. I--- I don’t know what to say or even feel now. He --- What he did. What he said to me.” Buffy fiddled with the hem of her short, silk robe, she was confused by her feelings, “But he is still my father. Help him Angelus. I don’t want to see him go to jail.”

“I will baby.” He kissed her forehead and drew her close to his body. “It’s late, I can finish this tomorrow. Let’s go to sleep.”

Buffy agreed and felt herself picked up and carried to their bed. Angelus helped her off with her robe, took off his own robe, tossing both on a nearby chair and climbed under the covers with her. He moved and captured her in his embrace, entwining his legs with hers and holding her tightly to him. She held onto his arms, “Don’t let go.”

“Never,” whispered Angelus back before they closed their eyes and drifted off.

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“DAMNIT!”

“Calm down Lilah,” said Darla over the phone line.

“How can I calm down! That bastard brought me up on charges before the AMA and is trying to get my license taken away! Not to mention my lawyer told me that he also took it to the DAs office!”

“Did you destroy all the evidence of the ultrasound?”

“Yes of course I did Darla, but there is still Buffy’s testimony.”

“And Angelus?” asked Darla.

“No, damn lawyer of mine said that since Angelus wasn’t in the room he could not testify that I had actually done the ultrasound.”

“That’s good Lilah, then all we have to do is take care of that little bitch of a cheerleader.”

“What the hell are we going to do Darla, it is not like we can walk into Angelus’ fortress and put a bullet through her head,” stated Lilah.

“Where there is a will, there is a way Lilah. You did this for me, so I’ll find a way to get rid of Mrs. Devlin.”

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“What are you doing out of the house?” asked Angelus in a very agitated voice over the cell phone.

“Oh shush Angelus, Wesley is driving, I am not driving myself. I have some errands to run, since you invited Tara to come and stay with us for a few days I wanted to get her a present, I missed her birthday so I want to get something special.”

“Hmph. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea of mine,” stated Angelus as he leaned forward onto his office desk.

“That was the most sweet and special idea of yours Angelus,” stated Buffy, “I won’t be out to long. I spoke with Dr. Calendar this morning and she wants me to pop into her office for a quick check up this afternoon, then the present and home OK Mr. Overprotective?”

“Fine, but do not overexert yourself. And you know I could have picked up the present, in fact I still can baby.”

“No, Angelus I want to do it myself, besides I was going a little stir crazy at home all day,” responded Buffy.”

“Alright, I’ll see you at home tonight, I love you.” Angelus was about to hang up when he heard her faint voice reply, “I love you too.” She hung up and Angelus was left clutching the phone to his chest with this stupid grin on his face.

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Wesley pulled into the New Orleans city limits and headed towards the French quarter, Buffy wanted to go to a shop on Riverwalk that was known for it’s outlandish fashions and buy Tara something she would never in a gazillion years buy for herself. As they drove towards Riverwalk Buffy noticed the turnoff for St. Charles Street. She leaned forward and asked Wesley to take the street.

“Where are we going Ma’am?” inquired Wesley.

“I want to see my father, go down to the end of the block, it is the ivory house with the stone columned entrance. There that one.” Buffy pointed to a particular house and asked Wesley to stop in front of it. She exited the car and leaned over the passenger side window to talk to Wesley, “Why don’t you go grab something to eat Wes, I’ll call you on the cell when I am ready to go.”

“I would rather wait here Ma’am. Master Angelus would be very cross with me if you were not attended to consistently.

“You have to eat Wesley, it’s past lunchtime and I had a big breakfast. I don’t know how long I’ll be. There is a café just down the block there, you won’t be far, I’ll call you the moment I want to leave ok?”

Wesley thought it over, since the café was just down the block he agreed and told Buffy he would not be far away. Buffy nodded and headed into the house.

As she walked past the threshold she noticed boxes everywhere. “Hello?” She called out but there was no answer, she had seen her father’s car in the driveway, what was going on? She continued to walk the house, into the living room, dining room then towards the library, where she found him behind his desk, the room was full of packing material and boxes; and was in a disarray.

“Dad?”

Hank looked up and saw Buffy enter, “Buffy, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see you, what is going on? Are you moving? You love this house.”

“I had to sell it, I needed the money,” stated Hank.

“Where are Carol and Cordelia?” asked Buffy.

“They left. Carol left me when the money ran out. She moved in with Paul Goddard.”

Buffy was shocked, “Oh Dad, I am sorry.”

“I’m going to jail Buffy,” said Hank softly as he rose from his seat, walked around his desk and faced Buffy. “Your husband…”

“Angelus didn’t do anything to you Dad. You did it to yourself. If there had been nothing for the police to uncover then you wouldn’t be in this mess. But that is not why I came here, I wanted to tell you---”

“You wanted to what? Gloat? Was it you that sent Angelus on this destroy Hank mission?!”

“No. Dad, Listen---”

“Listen to what? To your stupid little mouth?! If you had done what I told you to do NONE of this would have happened! I would still have my company intact, my house, my woman, and you would have the Devlin fortune. You are my daughter, a girl, you are meant to be fucked and to obey, HELL I should have done it myself and taught you from young what obedience was! Now you have ruined me, this is all your fault!” spat out Hank venomously as he drew closer to her, “Do you spread your legs willingly now for that son of a bitch? Huh?”

Buffy backed away and turned to run out but Hank grabbed her arm and pulled her to face him. “Running away again?!” Hank hit her violently, knocking her to the floor, splitting her lip and causing an instant bruise on her cheek. He straddled her, slapped her across the face and held her arms down.

“Dad!! Please, stop!”

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Angelus called Buffy’s cell but she didn’t answer, he then tried Wesley’s cell. Wesley answered and told him that Buffy was visiting at her father’s house, and that he was just down the block at a café. Angelus told him to keep an eye out for when Buffy exited then hung up with Wesley. He took his seat and a sudden, panic overtook him. Angelus grabbed his keys and tore out of his office.

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“Stop? You do not deserve mercy Buffy. You ruined your family and disgraced me! You should have done as your were TOLD! Now what is left? What?! Everything is gone, all because of you. I should have beat you within an inch of your life and locked you in your room until you were ready to do your duty! It wasn’t such a hard duty Buffy,” Hank ripped open her dress, exposing her bra and panties. All he wanted from you was sex, Hank touched her breasts and Buffy used her now free hand to hit Hank, she scratched at his face, drawing blood from three deep gashes she inflicted on him.

“You DAMN BITCH!” Hank punched her in the side, winding her, he grabbed a plastic bag which was nearby on the floor and pulled it over her head, cinching it vice tight around her neck and holding it there. He was beyond enraged, he was driven by anger and hate towards his daughter. He wanted her dead, he wanted to see the life leave her as his life was leaving him. She had done this to him, she had to pay.

Buffy flailed her arms, trying to rip the plastic, scratching at his hands, but he was to strong, to strong. She couldn’t breathe, oh God he was killing her. Her father was over her squeezing the life out of her and she was helpless. She desperately tried to free herself, Hank banged her head against the floor, holding the plastic even tighter.

Angelus saw what Hank was doing from the hall as he searched the house for Buffy, he charged Hank, sending him flying off of his wife. He turned back and quickly removed the plastic from Buffy’s head before Hank hit him with a small statue. Angelus turned back knocking the statue out of Hank’s hands and exchanged blows with his wife’s father. The fight was heated, they each wanted to inflict as much damage as possible with each blow. Hank was no match for Angelus and his fury, Angelus grabbed Hank and tossed him through the French doors of the library. Hank fell through them and down onto the back stone steps leading to the garden, his neck breaking upon impact. Angelus returned to Buffy, she was not breathing. The fear that coursed through his veins at that moment was palpable. He moved her hair off of her face, tilted her head back and started mouth to mouth resuscitation. Wesley ran in to find Angelus trying to save his wife, he quickly grabbed his phone and called for an ambulance.

As Wesley watched Angelus desperately try to save Buffy, his heart sank since all he could see was the prayer of a desperate man over the lifeless body of the woman he loved.

 

The End.

 

Epilogue

 

Angelus woke up as the sun peeked into the bedroom through the blinds. His heart was heavy with emotion today. He found it difficult to move his body, it had been three years, three years today. He remembered Lilah’s fifteen year jail sentencing, he remembered the news of Darla’s death due to a drug overdose. He thought to himself, as he had so many other times in the last three years, if he could go back, back in time what would he change, would he change the way anything had happened and how. He thought about her but when didn’t he think about her, she was always there, in his heart, his mind, never to far away at any given moment in the day. He looked up from his empty bed towards the ceiling, ‘My love, I miss you so much. I need you here by my side.”

Emerging from the bathroom she said, “You always need me and I like it that way.” Angelus stood and went to her, “I have to know. It is three years today from the day of our arrangement, are you going to divorce me?”

Buffy smiled mischievously at him and responded, “I don’t know, do I get to keep Mr. Gordo in the divorce settlement?”

“Absolutely not,” stated Angelus, “The pig is mine.”

Buffy chuckled and took his hand placing it on her swollen stomach, “Then I think you are stuck with me, with both of us.” Angelus leaned down and kissed her intensely, taking her into his arms and maneuvering her back to the bed. She asked, “How is it that you can find a five month pregnant woman sexy?”

“Five, six, nine, what does it matter, you are mine and you are my siren.” He kissed her mouth, her neck, moved his hands under her nightie and eased her on top of him as he sat on the bed. Within moments they were joined together as they should be. She cradled him within her, rocking back and forth with desire and love. He only felt whole when with her, she was his soul mate and through some miracle of fate they found each other, of this he was certain. They made rapturous love for most of the morning and found it difficult to separate once they knew they had to get their days started.

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“Wesley tells me you are going up to the attic today?” asked Angelus as he put on his jacket.

“Yup, I want to rummage through the antiques up there. I remember noticing a cradle there once, and I want to see if I can use it now.”

“You don’t have to go up there for a cradle sweetheart, just order one.”

“I like the idea of using a cradle that was once used in this house, it has character, better then this shinny new things we keep getting for the baby,” said Buffy.

“Alright, but no heavy lifting. If you want anything then let Wesley pick it up,” Angelus kissed her tenderly, “And don’t forget---”

“The vitamins, I know. Oh what time are you coming home with William and Tara? I want to show Tara some pictures of dresses for the wedding.”

“Around six and,” Angelus tried to suppress a laugh, “I think Tara finally convinced Will to stop playing chess with you, they are bringing over monopoly. And sweetheart, if you want William and Tara to have a pleasant honeymoon, let him win at least once ok?”

“Man you take all the fun outta teasing that guy!” laughed Buffy as she leaned into her husband and nibbled on his lip.

Angelus snickered and nodded his head, “I’ll call you later baby, remember nothing heavy!” He kissed her and headed out.

“Yes Oh Master.” Buffy smiled and headed up to the attic with Wesley not far behind, before to long they spotted a gorgeous antique cradle with hand-carved rose vines. Buffy asked Wesley to take it downstairs and clean it up, she stayed a little bit longer poking around. Wesley told her if she wasn’t down soon he would send Marie up to track her down. Buffy nodded and watched Wesley leave. She proceeded to look through the things and found some old toys, including a rocking horse, and a pretty silver vanity set she decided to take down and use. Buffy sat on a stool and opened up an old steamer trunk. She found a good deal of old papers, letters and books. One in particular caught her attention, an old journal, she picked it up and started to read. It was from 1866 and written in very elegant script, it seemed to be in letter form….

My Darling Baby Sister,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this to you. Heavy heart? No it is more then that, words seem so inadequate to describe the feelings I have now. You are to young my dear little one to know of these sordid tales now but I am writing them here in this journal so that someday you may know and remember our beloved brother and the great love he shared with the one he called Sunshine.

As the war ended, our brother had taken a fancy to this town of New Orleans. After having written to father of the financial prospects, he agreed to allow us time to make our mark in this town and would follow us down with you and mother once business was settled in New York. We proceeded to invest in this town and our brother bought himself this plantation which I live in now. His regiment captain had once stayed in this lovely home and saved it from destruction during our pass through Louisiana. He was very happy and content to bring the plantation back to crop growing and invest with me in several business ventures in town. We did very well in lumber and we were dabbling in shipping and transport. It was during one of our town horseback rides that our brother first lain eyes on his Sunshine. She had been purchasing food items at the local market place, our brother stared at her a good long while, I thought he had gone catatonic on me for a bit. He had said to me that he had never in all his days seen such a beautiful creature. And that she was my dear sister, our brother’s Sunshine was indeed a stunningly lovely woman. Her hair was spun gold and her skin had the radiance of a ray of Sun, this is why our brother always referred to her as his Sunshine. Somehow he managed the courage to approached her that very afternoon. She rebuffed him after noticing he was a Northerner. Our brother’s Sunshine was an authentic Southern Belle. Her family had fallen on hard times after the war and moved to New Orleans from one of the outlying plantations; or so I managed to gather from a local merchant while our brother was trying to extract her name from her lips. Unsuccessful in his attempts he finally resorted to addressing her as Sunshine. It took many, many weeks, our brother faithfully arrived at the market place twice a week, as was her custom, and assisted her in her purchasing. He courted her right there in that market place, until she relented and admitted that there was interest in possibly allowing him to attend to her socially. After she had decided to allow our brother to call on her, she informed her father and he forbade it. Our brother attempted to call upon her at her home and her father threw him from the house on his ear, not allowing Northern scum, as he put it, to trespass on his property or with his daughter. Our brother was told that Sunshine was very sad about this turn of events and he, being the resourceful scoundrel he was, managed to see Sunshine again. He went about courting her in a rather unusual manner, of course he continued his market place visits but he also saw her at church, he sent her notes through her friends, he disguised himself in lesser garb so that he may walk by her house unnoticed and he bribed a nurse to tell her mother that she was assisting at the local hospital when in fact he had arranged these meetings between them. Our brother loved her, loved her more then I can explain to you, and she loved him. Sunshine would risk much to see our brother, she would escape her home at night for a few moments with him, she found ways to respond to his letters of love and she always, without fail would leave him a flower on her church pew.

Soon there came a time when her father left New Orleans on a trip, it was during these few weeks that our brother and Sunshine new their greatest happiness. They were able to walk together during the day, stroll by the riverside, he brought her to the plantation and was so proud of showing her how he had the craftsmen add Sun designs throughout the house, to represent how she was in every corner of his soul. It was at the plantation that our brother proposed marriage to his Sunshine. She accepted but told him that she had to go back to her family and inform them, she told him that even if they did not accept the fact that she was marrying him she would escape them and come back to him always. Our brother did not want Sunshine to return to her family but she had been insistent, she had promised to return no matter what happened. And so he took her back to New Orleans and she returned to her home awaiting her father’s return.

Our brother waited one full day after her father returned before seeking her out again. He went to her home but she was not there, he went to the market place, to the church, to the hospital, everywhere he could think to find her, she was not to be found. He saw her mother, who just cried and ran from him, then he sought out and cornered her father, who attacked him, spat at him and sent him to hell before he would see his daughter again. Our brother went mad, he tore the town apart searching for her, I tried to keep him calm but I could not so I joined him in his search. We spoke to everyone, we looked everywhere, we feared that her father had sent her from town in the dead of night. Our brother swore, he swore at himself, berated himself vehemently, he kept saying he should have kept her, he should have just taken her and married her! He should have never let her from his arms, it was his fault, he should have forced her to stay with him, married her, placed a child in her, so that her father would have no reason, no rhyme to take her from him.

Madness, insane need invaded his mind, every corner of his soul. Two days, passed, three, four, he had not slept, not eaten. He went out again in the dead of night, I followed with him. We wound up in the dangerous side of town, he thought that perhaps her father had hired one of those men to take her away and he could find out who. He found a man her father had hired alright, but he was not hired to take her to another town, no he was hired to rape and murder her and throw her body into the bayou. The man was drunk and he told us the entire sordid tale, her father had stormed from the house after hitting her repeatedly, calling her a Northerner’s whore, a disgrace to her family, to him. He came upon this man, this wretched soul in the streets and told him he had a job for him. He paid the man to go to his home and teach his daughter that she would be better off lying with good Southern scum as himself rather then Northern devils. The father took him to the house and let him loose on Sunshine. He sat there, drink in his hand telling us, *US* how he raped and defiled that poor girl. I was surprised that our brother sat so still and calmly during the tale, I wanted to leap at him and tear his throat out before he uttered another word. But not him, he did not move a muscle, he listened as this vile man told the tale. The scum told us that after the rape, Sunshine tried to leave the house but her father caught her and whipped her with his belt, he hit her well over a hundred times. The man laughed as he described how what was left of her clothes fell away from her back, and how blood stained the floor infuriating the father further because he yelled about having to clean up after her. The man then described how the father told him to take the girl and be rid of her. He said that he used the father’s carriage and rode up to the western bayou off of river road. He raped her again then threw her in the murky waters. At that moment our brother drew his pistol and shot that man. I drew mine as well and dared any of the other men to approach us. We both took to our horses and rode off. I followed our brother, who rode with the speed of a demon, he rode in the dead of night, I had trouble maintaining him in sight for sometime and was not aware of what direction we were headed in. Until finally we arrived at the bayou. He dismounted and screamed her name. I was shocked, he thought her alive. How could he know that this was the spot that bastard had brought her to. I dismounted and tried to approach him but he would not allow me to close, he removed his jacket and pistol holder. He ran towards the water, screaming her name. I tried to stop him sister, I did but he plunged into the muck headlong. I thought he had died in that instance, I heard the crocs scampering nearby and pulled my pistol. If it had not been for the faint moonlight I would not have seen anything but soon, he rose from the dark waters, he rose and he was not alone. He made his way to shore and pulled with him her body. I stood there in complete shock. He had found her. He had reclaimed his love from the depth of those murky waters and dredge up her body. She was intact, the crocs had not taken a bite, through the abuse, bruises and blood you could still tell, you could tell how beautiful she was. He lied down with her on the grass and held her, wiping her face and pulling her into his body. I sat down nearby, pistol drawn against the crocs and gave them some time, gave our brother some time to grieve. I do not know how long it was, my eyes must have closed but when I opened them again, they were gone, they were both gone, into the depth of the bayou.

Dear sister, our brother died that night, of that I am certain. He died entwined with his beloved Sunshine.

Remember this tale, remember our brother and his Sunshine. Teach it to your children, show them that love is always worth fighting for.

Your Devoted Brother,

William

Buffy sat there, tears streaming down her cheeks. She turned the page and somehow was not shocked to see a picture, a picture of Sunshine and her love, a picture of her and Angelus.

 

 

Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion