Part Fifteen Buffy was thinking about her possible future in Sunnydale, secretly seeing Angelus, but staying with all of her friends and such. She leant back against the tree as she sat on the grass at Sunnydale High School. Willow came up to her. "Deep thoughts?" the redhead observed. "Deep and meaningful..." Buffy confirmed. "As in?" "As in, I'm never getting out of here. I kept thinking if I stopped the Mayor or...but I was kidding myself. I mean, there is always going to be something. I'm a Sunnydale girl, no other choice..." At least, that's what I'm going to keep on telling everyone until I decide what I'm going to do about Angelus... "Must be tough. I mean, here I am, I can do anything I want. I can go to any college in the country, four or five in Europe if I want..." Willow shrugged. "Please tell me you're going somewhere with this?" Buffy begged. "No. I'm not going anywhere." Willow grinned as she handed Buffy an envelope. "UC Sunnydale?" Buffy gasped. "I will be matriculating with a class of 2003," Willow grinned. "Are you serious?" "Say, isn't that where you're going?" Willow sent her a mock frown. Buffy launched into her arms and the couple fell onto the grass. "I can't believe it! Are you serious? Oh, wait, what am I saying? You can't," Buffy told her best friend. I don't want to limit her options like this if I don't even know if I'm going to be here... "What do you mean, I can't?" Willow glanced at her best friend slowly. "I won't let you..." Come on, Will...don't do this, not for me...I probably won't be here... "Of the two people here, which is the boss of me?" Willow mocked happily. "There are better schools..." Buffy tried to be convincing. "Sunnydale's not bad. A-And I can design my own curriculum." "Okay, well, there are safer schools. There are safer prisons. I can't let you stay because of me." I can't protect you... "Actually, this isn't about you. Although I'm fond, don't get me wrong, of you. The other night, you know, being captured and all. Things just, kind of, got clear. I mean, you've been fighting evil here for three years, and I've helped some, and now we're supposed to decide what we want to do with our lives. And I just realized that that's what I want to do. Fight evil, help people. I mean, I-I think it's worth doing. And I don't think you do it because you have to. It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in..." Willow explained confidently. "I kind of love you," Buffy nodded. "And, besides, I have a shot at being a bad ass Wiccan, and what better place to learn?" "I feel the need for more sugar than the human body can handle." "Mochas?" Will asked with a grin. "Yes, please. It's weird. You look at something and you think you know exactly what you're seeing, and then you find out it's something else entirely..." Angel and I included. "Neat, huh?" "Sometimes it is." Boy, is it ever... *~*~* That night, Buffy and Angelus sat picnicking in one of Sunnydale's numerous cemeteries by a grave. Buffy straddled Angelus' legs and had her arms wrapped around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. "It's gonna be fun. Will and I are going to go on Saturday to check out the campus. I'm hoping Mom will let me live there. It's too far to come home every night. Plus the whole lack of cool factor. Either way, I'll be close to your place." Buffy began pressing tiny kisses to his neck. "That is...if we decide to stay here, Angelus. We don't have to. I've been accepted to a number of Universities all over the country and we wouldn't have everyone breathing down our necks all the time." Angelus kissed the top of her head. "I know, Baby. Maybe. I know that you'd miss your friends, but if it becomes necessary, we should have a plan on how to do it..." Buffy smiled into his chest. "I love you, Angelus...Angel...whatever name you go by. And I'm never letting you go, again." "Good," the vampire chuckled. "There is something we need to talk about, though. Your life span." Buffy looked up at him and opened her mouth as if to argue. Angelus laid a finger on her lips. "You know that a Slayer's life is short, Baby..." She nodded, but still didn't want to face the reality of it. "The Mayor was right about you aging, Buffy, but there are things you can do about it without becoming a vampire..." Tears were shining in her eyes as she realized just how much he loved her. "Thank you..." she whispered. Angelus chuckled. "I'm a whipped pup when it comes to you, Babe..." Buffy ran a finger down his chest seductively. "Well...I hope you're not too whipped...because a Slayer likes her violence, you know..." Angelus grabbed her hand in his larger one and squeezed it. The grip would have shattered the bones of a regular human. "That was very nice, Angelus..." Buffy remarked sweetly. Angelus smirked and brought the bruised hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. "I'll kiss everything better..." "Do you promise???" Buffy murmured, her lips closing in on his. He nodded slowly as he captured her approaching lips with his. Buffy dug her fingernails into the skin of his neck. Angelus groaned in pleasure and tightened his grip on her tiny waist... "This graveyard is starting to see quite a bit of action from us, lover..." Buffy giggled as Angelus' hands found their way beneath her shirt. "Mmm..." he agreed, occupied with the task at hand, which was getting into her pants... Buffy's fingers felt their way past the waistband of her lover's slacks and to the aroused flesh beneath. She gripped him in her warm hand and began playing with him, using long, hard strokes, when they heard voices... "He wants us to find his weakness..." "Since when does Angelus have a weakness?" "The boss wants Angelus dead for what he did to the other Slayer, the one on our side..." "Well, if he's taking the Slayer for a ride, then it'd be that knowledge..." The two vampires walked through the graveyard. Buffy and Angelus froze and listened until they left. "Soon, I won't have any weaknesses...well, physical ones, anyway...if I can find what I'm looking for," Angelus whispered to Buffy. The blond Slayer withdrew her hands from her lover's pants with reluctance. "Please be careful, Angelus..." "Don't worry, Baby...I'm not about to get myself staked. I have too much here...I have you, don't I? There's no way that I would ever leave you again...you can count on that." Buffy laid her head on his chest again. "Let's go home, Angelus..." "I like the sound of that, Baby. Can you stay over?" She nodded. The couple left quickly, knowing that their very happiness rested on the events of the next couple of weeks... Part Sixteen Angelus continued digging underground. He wouldn't trust this kind of thing to another vampire or demon, it was too important. He'd done the research and looked at the maps, all he had to do now was wait and see what his efforts would bring... *~*~* Buffy sat in the mansion, waiting for her lover. His absences of late hadn't gone unnoticed, but she firmly believed that he wasn't cheating on her. She would wait and see what Angelus' explanation was when he returned from wherever it was that he was at... *~*~* The vampire looked at his watch, he was getting hungry... Shit! Buffy's gonna have my undead fucking hide! He observed when he realized that the time piece revealed the late hour. He was supposed to have been patrolling with her for the last two hours... Angelus abandoned his work area and closed off the entrance until just before sunrise when he could get back to searching...and hurried home to his lover... *~*~* Buffy continued to wait for Angelus. She turned her head when she felt him approach the mansion. The Slayer rose from the lounger with a grin on her face. It was time for a touch of revenge... *~*~* Angelus quietly entered the mansion, not taking the time to check the place, instead heading directly for the main room, knowing that if Buffy was pissed, that was where she would be, and not in the bedroom. He rushed through the door, just as a well-toned leg was thrust up at him, landing across his face and knocking him on his ass. The vampire was momentarily dazed and failed to see the leg rise again and kick him in the side of the head...darkness descended upon him... *~*~* Buffy dragged her unconscious lover upstairs. He was no lightweight, but it was time for some answers. And what better way to get them than Angelus' favorite chains...? *~*~* "Wakey, wakey, lover..." Buffy's voice seeped into Angelus' consciousness. "Buffy? Wha...?" Angelus shook his head to try and clear it. "I don't understand, Baby..." Buffy shook her head mockingly. "You've been a bad vampire, Angelus...You've been stepping out on me, haven't you?" As if I actually believe that, lover, but you need to be shaken a little...the Slayer laughed silently. Angelus looked stricken. "Never! Baby, you know I love you, I would never cheat on you...!" Buffy rose her eyebrows. She backhanded him. Angelus groaned as his own blood flooded his mouth and trickled down his face. "Don't lie to me, Angelus...remember just after my seventeenth birthday? Remember Dru and Theresa?" Fuck! Buffy, I thought you knew about all of this? What's the matter with you, baby? He didn't say it out loud, of course, but he didn't know what was going on... "And speaking of the time after my birthday..." Buffy sidled up to him and stroked his cheek. Her finger encountered the slowing trickle of blood there. She lifted the finger to her mouth as her tongue met the digit, cleaning it of the fluid. She felt slightly dizzy at the contact, but chose to ignore it. "We've never really talked about it, have we?" Buffy blinked lazily. "Or maybe we should just skip the talk and go straight to the punishment..." Angelus nearly laughed aloud when he realized her game. The Slayer was having her fun with him for every minor wrong that he had done her. She was going to try her hand at torturing him...she knows about my penchant for a violent fuck! Buffy chuckled when realization spread across his face. He now knew what she was up to, and it would make it much more pleasurable for the both of them... "Honey...you've been a really bad vampire..." Angelus licked his lips in anticipation as he laid back on the bed, chained to the posts. Buffy was absolutely breathtaking in her mock fury. The Slayer straddled his thighs and picked up a large bottle from the bedside table. She poured a small amount of the clear liquid onto her tongue, then bent over and licked her lover's nipple. The vampire moaned as his flesh sizzled, the holy water doing it's job. Buffy trailed a path over his chest, spreading the burn marks all over him. She felt as his erection rose beside her thigh. "Buffy..." he murmured in pained pleasure. "It suddenly occurred to me, just how much pain you were in when Spike and Dru borrowed you to help you childe, that time just before my birthday...now, if I remember correctly, this thing here," She ran her hand softly against his stiffening cock. "Was up and ready for action. It didn't really register until recently that you got off on the painful ordeal, but now..." Angelus nearly cried out as she bit down on one of his hard nipples. "Baby, please..." he whispered hoarsely. "Please, what? Tell me what you want, lover. I still have months worth of experience to vent out on you, so tell me what you want..." "The closet...everything's in the closet..." he rasped. Play with the toys, Baby...he begged silently. Buffy heard a soft groan when she left him, getting off the bed and crossing to the closet. She opened the doors, not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she opened up the first of three drawers that were there. In it, she found a riding crop. She turned back to Angelus with mischief in her eyes. This should be fun...she thought. She turned her attention back to the closet, wanting to find out what else her lover had been keeping from her... The second draw held a small flat box. She pulled it out and opened it up. Inside was an array of knives and scalpels, not to mention other objects that she couldn't name, but were perhaps just as useful. Hmm...I wonder if he used these on Faith...? The Slayer shrugged the thought away. It was all over and done with, anyway, so she checked out the final drawer and found it to have a number of candles inside. She took all of the objects she had found over to the bed and grinned at him... "We're going to be in for a long night, lover..." Part Seventeen Angelus looked up at his lover with heavy lids. He couldn't believe that this was his sweet, perfect Buffy. Oh, don't get me wrong, she's still fucking perfect...he thought to himself. But sweet definitely wasn't on the cards tonight. The light burn marks on his chest were already fading, but as he watched he test the weight of the riding crop in her tiny hands, his already hard cock twitched, aching for the pain that he knew she would inflict on his undead body. Buffy was reveling in her new role. She had always wanted to find out what it would take to make Angelus lose his control...to make him hers in the most primal way known to God and man...and demons so it seemed. "Angelus..." her voice was syrupy sweet. "Where should I start, honey? How about you're little act of torture on me...hmm? Remember Theresa? We had gym class together. Why did you have to go and kill her? That wasn't a very nice way to send your love...lover." The Slayer had approached him with every word that she spoke. Her endearment was accompanied with a sharp crack of the crop on his right thigh. The vampire flinched as the object barely missed his aching cock. "Then there was Jenny...hmm. She was Giles' girlfriend, ya know? Anyway, you had to admire that lovely curse that her people bestowed upon you, because otherwise, you wouldn't be here with me today..." she grinned wickedly as she cracked the crop again, this time, on his inner left thigh. Angelus opened his mouth to speak, seeing this, Buffy inflicted another injury with the piece of leather in her hand, this time, across his mouth. The vampire's tongue snuck out of his mouth and lapped up the blood that escaped the wounds on his mouth and lips. The welts on his body were already healing, so Buffy decided to try something else, something a little less messy... The Slayer could feel her own temperature rising. She was dripping beneath her short dress and knew that Angelus could tell by the way he kept staring at her, his nose twitching and his beautiful mouth parted. She kneeled on the bed by his side, then lifted one leg and straddled his chest. Angelus watched in fascination as her dress rose when she lifted her leg over him. Buffy could tell that his eyes were fixed on the trail of fluid moving down her inner thigh, she could feel the liquid seeping from her body and knew that it teased him even further that he couldn't reach it with his mouth and clean it up... She watched as her lover's eyes turned black, his tongue sneaking out of his mouth and licking his lips. "Want some...?" Buffy murmured seductively. Angelus looked up at her face, then down to her hand as her fingers moved from where it rested on her thigh and up to her bare mound, completely missing the trail of bodily fluid that continued to run down her leg. Buffy's breath quickened as her fingers encountered the heated flesh between her legs and crept inside, surrounding the digits with her body and the moisture that lubricated their way. The Slayer withdrew her fingers from her body, then offered her slick fingers to Angelus. He opened his mouth. Buffy slowly let her fingers drift further into his cool mouth, pleasure shooting directly to her core when his tongue caressed her flesh and he began to suckle. Buffy gasped as Angelus suddenly shifted into game face and bit down on one of her fingers, drawing blood. She backhanded him hard enough to leave a red mark across his cheek. He immediately lost his grip on the finger he had bitten and Buffy withdrew her hand. Knowing that he had to pay for his little show of rebellion, she pulled her old cross out of her pocket. She took it off whenever she was about to visit him, knowing that the close proximity to the religious item caused him pain. The vampire hissed as the revealed object did its job. Taking advantage of this, she dropped the cross into his mouth as he had witnessed her do once before, two years ago... She clamped her hands on his face, holding his mouth closed tightly around the silver cross. Angelus groaned in part pleasure, part pain as he felt the holy object burn the interior of his mouth. He shut his eyes and tried to hold in his more embarrassing reaction, but was unable. The vampire felt his balls tighten as his orgasm approached. Buffy felt the quivering of his lower body beneath her. She let go of him and pulled out the cross just as Angelus lost the battle with his own body and disgraced himself with his sudden lack of control and ejaculated all over the bed sheets. The vampire relaxed as the string tight feeling left his body, but was only to be replaced by a sense of anticipatory foreboding as he realized that his Buffy was unhappy with the unexpected turn of events. Buffy glared at him mockingly. "Not very manly of you, lover...it didn't take long for you to unravel beneath me..." Her words were emphasized as her fingernails bit into the flesh of his chest. Angelus didn't bother to reply, knowing that doing so would earn him not more of the same, but instead, a reprieve...her version of a cold shoulder. He knew her game, and he was willingly playing along with it. She moved down his body, until his cock was in sight, in front of her instead of behind her. She bent forward and circled the tip of his limp shaft, cleaning away the remnants of his early orgasm. At her attention, the flaccid appendage stirred. Buffy smiled conspiritally and cupped his balls in her hands, gently massaging, causing the blood in his veins to flow faster to the center of his manhood, bringing him back to painfully teasing life. Buffy stroked the underside of his stiffening cock with her tongue, her lover emitting a guttural groan as his body reawakened with her careful ministrations. She paused, then opened her mouth wide and took the tip of him between her lips, her tongue flicking over it. Slowly, she took him deeper into the warm recesses of her mouth. Deeper...deeper, until his arousal nearly touched the back of her throat. Angelus swallowed hard, his eyes still closed, as he felt her take his aching member deeper into her mouth. He didn't say a word. He didn't curse her fucking patience or her need for this kind of lovingly sexual punishment. He just laid back and tried to reign in his verbal reactions, knowing that physically, he was pleasing her. The vampire ached to have her take him deeper still, to encase his long, hard cock entirely in her warm mouth and down her small throat, just like when he thrust into her lower body, her passage was always warm, slick, and ready for him... "I know what you want, lover..." he heard from his Buffy. Angelus snapped his eyes open when she had pulled away from him. He hadn't been able to stop the ragged moan that erupted from deep inside him at the loss. She had chuckled as she had said the words. Buffy began petting his swollen penis as if it were her favorite pet. He could feel his blood pounding toward his cock as it clambered for attention from the petite Slayer. The vampire clamped his eyes shut, prey to every god damned mother fucker that he could think of for her to do him then and there. Nothing between them and no more games... "...but you still have to pay for your little performance a few minutes ago..." she continued. Had it only been but a few minutes...? The question ran through his passion-fogged brain. Angelus kept his eyes closed as he heard a sound akin to gargling, feeling that whatever punishment Buffy saw fit to give would be hard and pleasurable... He felt Buffy's warm breath on his erection and knew that she was about to take him back into her mouth... The vampire screamed in ecstatic pain as her mouth enveloped him, taking him in all the way, the tip of his aching cock reaching to the very back of her throat. Her tongue flicked around, tasting and inflicting... Angelus cried out in painful pleasure as he realized that it had indeed been gargling he had heard... Holy water... *~*~* "So...are you properly chastised, lover?" Buffy asked in an upbeat and thoroughly bubbly tone. Angelus was still laying on the bed, still chained, and completely replete. Exhaustion left him barely able to respond to her teasing. He just glanced to her smug face and sent her a content smile. "Remind me to get you to punish me more often, Babe..." Part Eighteen Angelus rubbed his wrists. He was still a little sore from his lover's little game last night. The Slayer hadn't released him until an hour ago. Tired and content with her new status, Buffy unchained her Angelus. The vampire had paid her back nicely for the night's events before the couple had fallen into a deep and restful sleep. He rested himself on one arm and stared down at his sleeping lover. He still couldn't believe what she had put him through. His cock was still a little raw from the holy water/deep throating fiasco, but none the less, was at attention. Angelus smiled at the thought as Buffy stirred, then opened her eyes and looked up at him. "What?" she smiled cautiously. "Do I have funny bed hair or something?" "Or something?" "I guess we got a little carried away with the whole post-game nap thing." Buffy ran a hand through her hair. "Oh...not good..." she groaned, struggling to sit up. Her body throbbed in places until last night and this morning had been undiscovered. "Where you going?" Angelus chuckled. "To go kill a cat on my head..." she answered back. "No mirrors..." he smiled. "You know, this place really isn't girl friendly. No mirrors, no natural light..." "I think you look perfect," Angelus told her honestly. His hand snuck under the covers. "Oh yeah, I really like..." She felt his hand brush up against her bare thigh... "Okay!" She laid back down waiting for more action. Angelus began stroking her skin... "Maybe we should think about getting a few mirrors. And maybe a drawer, you know, for some of my stuff. Because that's what couples do, they have drawers." "Mmmm, that's right..." Angelus murmured as his hand moved higher up her thigh... "You know, I-I figure, that way sometimes I could spend the night. Like, after the prom, it would be nice to be able to just come back here and spend some time together..." she moaned as his fingers entered her aroused body. "The prom?" Angelus stilled at the unknown event. "End of high school rite of passage thingy. Think cotillion with spiked punch and electric sleigh..." she ground out, her own hand joining his, forcing his fingers back inside. "Don't stop..." He happily complied. "Right." "Oh, don't worry, it's at night. And lots of girls have older boyfriends. You'll blend...mmm..." "I think maybe you should go, huh?" he murmured wickedly as he thrust his fingers into her body repeatedly. "Noo...must be a few more hours before sunrise...plus, I'm having too much fun..." the Slayer grinned as her hips moved in rhythm with his fingers. Buffy's hand moved to his own aroused body, her fingers clamping around his hard cock, stroking and caressing him, bringing his body to the brink of orgasm as he was doing to her... *~*~* It was later in the day when Buffy, Xander, Willow and Oz were seated at one of Sunnydale High's picnic tables, discussing their choice for a Prom date. "Anya, huh? Interesting choice," Oz remarked. "Choice is kind of a broad term for my situation. See, it's either Anya or the sock puppet of love for this boy." Xander held up his hand as if a sock puppet covered it and continued in a falsely feminine voice... "I love you, Xander. I'll never leave you." "Well, if Anya tries to get you killed, put me down for a big 'I told you so'," Willow glanced at her friend. "Who's this Anya? Is she prettier than me?" Xander's pretend puppet-friend asked jealously. "She just better not try to cross me. That's all I'm saying..." Willow nodded her opinion. "Well, at least we all have someone to go with now. Some of us are going with demons, but I think that's a valid lifestyle choice. More importantly, I have the kick dress," Buffy enthused. "Ooh, the pink one?" Willow got in with her best friend's enthusiasm. "Angel's gonna lose it." Buffy's grin fell as she realized the implications to her remark. "But not his soul. He's gonna lose it. His it," she attempted to undo the damaging statement. He can't lose something that he's already lost...she chuckled silently. But he's definitely gonna lose something when he sees me... *~*~* Angelus picked up one of Buffy's notebooks with a grin. On the cover, it stated 'Buffy & Angel forever'. He realized that she must have written it before he had come back. His lover avoided calling him Angel when they were by themselves. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He crossed the room and opened the door, careful not to get in the way of the sun's rays. It was Buffy's mother... "Mrs. Summers..." Angelus was surprised. She had never before visited the mansion. While she seemed like a nice woman, she still had black marks in Angelus' book for her lack of understanding and sympathy for Buffy. "I'm sorry to, uh...Well, I would have called, but, you know..." she shrugged nervously. "Please, you're always welcome," Angelus told her, only half-truthfully. You ever hurt Buffy and I'll rip you to shreds... "My goodness, your place is amazing," Joyce remarked as she stepped into the mansion and took in the decor and the ancient pieces of art. "Yeah, I like a lot of space. I don't get out much during the day." "No, you wouldn't..." her voice was a little strained as her gaze fell on the chains on the wall. "Can I get you something?" He moved toward another room. "I don't have any coffee..." "Oh, no thank you, I, uh...You don't drink? Beverages, I mean?" she inquired. "No, I do. It's just the caffeine. It makes me jittery..." he explained. "Oh. I understand Buffy spent the night..." Ah...so now we have the real reason for the visit... "I'm sorry about that. We came back after...umm... patrol." Actually, we didn't patrol and I'm really not sorry...he silently amended. "I...I'm not interested in the details. That's not why I'm here," she stammered. "Okay." "I'm here because I'm worried about you two. In general." "What happened before, when I changed, it won't happen again..." I can guarantee it, lady. I'm back, and I'm happier than ever, but I don't see no signs of a dead Slayer...well, not a beautiful blond one, anyway...can't say much for the brunette slut! "That's not all I'm concerned about. I don't have to tell you that you and Buffy are from different worlds..." Joyce began. Oh, fucking fantastic! She's going to give me the 'If you truly love my daughter, leave her be' speech. "No, you don't," he replied wearily. "She's had to deal with a lot. Grew up fast. Sometimes even I forget that she's still just a girl," Joyce reminisced. "And I'm old enough to be her ancestor..." Angelus murmured. "She's just starting out in life..." the woman nodded. "I know. I think about it more now that she's staying in Sunnydale..." Keep with the story Angelus... "Good. Because when it comes to you, Angel, she's just like any other young woman in love. You're all she can see of tomorrow. But I think we both know that there are some hard choices ahead. If she can't make them, you're gonna have to. I know you care about her. I just hope you care enough..." her plea was definitely heartfelt, he couldn't fault her for that. But it wasn't her decision. It wasn't even his decision, it was Buffy's. *~*~* "She did what???" came Buffy's enraged voice over the phoneline. "Yeah, but Buffy, I can understand that she was only looking out for you. I may not be soulboy, or agree with her methods, but..." Angelus attempted to calm her down. If Joyce Summers turned up dead somewhere, there would be trouble, and they would have a harder time getting together. "Don't worry honey, I won't blow your cover or stake my Mom or anything, but I'll deal with her eventually. She just makes me feel more inclined to leave Sunnydale with you. The more she tries to reign me in, the less likely it will be that she ever sees me again..." Buffy's voice held a touch of smugness, mingled with a trace of resentment. "Don't ever leave me, Baby..." Angelus murmured in a rare moment of insecurity. "Never...love is forever..." Buffy lovingly told him over the telephone lines. It definitely will be, lover...I can guarantee it...Angelus thought. Part Nineteen Buffy, Willow, Oz and Xander all sat in the library. "So it was blue and sorta short," Buffy described. "Not too short, medium. And it had this weird, sorta fringey stuff on its arms," Willow added. Giles walked in on the middle of the conversation. "What's that, a demon?" "A prom dress that Will was thinking of getting. Can't you ever get your mind out of the Hellmouth?" Buffy stared at him strangely. "I'd be delighted to. However, the day of the Mayor's Ascension is fast approaching and we don't know what to expect." "Well, what about the book that Angel stole from the Mayor?" Xander queried. Giles removed his glasses as he began to speak. "On the contrary, no, we, uh, we know the Ascension refers to a human transforming into a demon, the living embodiment of an immortal. And Graduation Day, our Mayor Wilkins is scheduled to do just that." Cordelia was trailing after the young Watcher that had just entered the library. "Trouble is, we don't know which demon he is going to become..." Wesley stated shortly after entering the room. "There are thousands of species," Giles added. "So, it's safe to say we shouldn't waste any time of such trifling matters as a school dance," was Wesley's comeback. "Well, that's too bad, because I bet you would look way 007 in a tux," Cordelia grinned at her crush. Wesley amended his last statement. "Except, of course, on the actual night, I will be aiding Mr. Giles in his chaperoning duties." Giles' head jerked up at the announcement. "What? Excuse me? Fine, fine, fine." "We'll get you a dress. You know, we should check April Fools..." Buffy suggested to Willow. "Don't go there! I shop there..." Cordelia was quick to interject. "I myself am dipping into my road trip fund to procure a shiny new tux, so look for me to dazzle!" Xander informed the group. "And I myself will be wearing pink taffeta as Chenille would not go with my complexion. Can we please talk about the Ascension?" Giles chided wryly. "Giles, we get it. Miles to go before we sleep. But especially if we're all gonna vaporize or something on Graduation Day, we deserve a little prommy fun. One night of glory, not to much to ask," Buffy told her former Watcher. Anyway...Angelus has that one covered... *~*~* In a house on the outskirts of Sunnydale, a person slips a video into a VCR. In another part of the room, a beast growls as the movie comes on, desperate to escape its already damaged cage... *~*~* Angel stood beside his love. Together they stood before a priest in a church in their wedding finery. The priest smiled at them as he began the ceremony. "Into this holy estate, these two persons present now come to be joined. If any man can show just cause why they should not be lawfully joined together, let him speak now, or else, here in after, hold his peace. When the absence of any and all guests reveal no objection, they exchange rings. Angelus slips a claddaugh ring on his bride's finger. Buffy smiles and admires the piece of jewelry before holding his hand in her own and slipping a jeweled ring on his finger. The vampire glanced at the vaguely familiar ring, but soon glanced away in favor of walking with his wife back up the aisle to start their new life together. They step out into the sunshine. Angelus looks around at the bright sunlight. He looks down at the ring and grins, before kissing Buffy with passionate intent. "I demand you stop this pretense immediately!" came the shrill tones of Joyce Summers. The couple parted reluctantly. Joyce ran up to her daughter and slapped her across the face. "How dare you marry this demon!" Buffy turned to her mother and backhanded her. "Don't ever hit me!" Angelus looked on in shock. They quickly left Joyce Summers glaring at their backs on the steps of the church... Angelus immediately sat up as the dream faded and he awoke. "I knew that the woman was a bitch...all I have to do now, is find the ring..." *~*~* Buffy was following a vampire through the sewers, when she came across Angelus. "I always say patrol's not complete without a trip to the stinky sewers..." she remarked. "Where's he go?" "You mean him?" he gestured to the pile of dust on the slab of timber. "Yup!" She frowned after a second. "What are you doing down here, anyway..." she suddenly grinned. "Is this what you got punished for the other night???" "What can I say? I wanted more..." he leered at her skimpy outfit. "So what are you looking for, honey?" Buffy asked as she noticed the numerous items of digging equipment. "I'm looking for a ring...I think." "What, you don't even know if it's here?" Buffy looked at him as if he were insane. "Oh, I know that it's here. I had an interesting dream. But I'm not too sure if it's a ring or just another piece of jewelry..." Angelus broke off as he picked up the pick once more and resumed his search. "Why has this thing got you so worked up anyway? It's just a ring," Buffy reasoned. "Oh, sweetheart, it's more than just a ring, it's a whole range of jewels and things. A vampire's version of the Holy Grail. If I can get it, I'll be invincible..." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Great. So you become all powerful and then you kick the world's collective ass to Hell...what about me?" Angelus turned to her in shock. He dropped the pick and crossed over to her, grabbing her shoulders. "I'm not going to kick the world's ass to Hell, as you so put it. I'm going to kick your ass to the nearest bed and fuck you senseless, then we're going to leave this hellhole and every ass in it behind..." Buffy felt herself begin to grow wet at the thought. "Sounds like fun..." she murmured. "Need some help?" Angelus bent over, picked up a shovel and tossed it in her direction. "Be careful of your clothes..." Buffy frowned, thinking... "You need clothes. You don't have a tux, do you?" Angelus raised an eyebrow. "Since when did digging for treasure go black tie?" Buffy chuckled. "For the prom, silly." He grinned. "That's right...the Prom is coming up. So what are you planning on wearing?" Buffy shook her head. "Uh uh. I'm not telling you a thing." "Come on, don't be that way..." he pouted. "I'm not being that way. But I'll give you a hint. It goes past my knees and it covers more than the essentials. "Spoil my fun..." Angelus resumed digging as Buffy laughed. She took up the shovel and thrust it into the dirt, wanting to aid him in any way. The silence soon got boring, so Buffy struck up a conversation. "So where do we go after we defeat the Mayor?" She wouldn't think in terms of 'if', because she trusted Angelus, who had told her that it was only a matter of 'when'... Angelus thought about if for a minute. "How about we go to Vegas? I hear that the nightlife is something to behold..." "What, you wanna get married while we're there?" she chuckled, chiding. Angelus shot her a contemplative glance. He went back to his work. "We're already married, Buff." Buffy dropped the shovel she was using. "You're kidding!" Her mouth hung open. "What, did you like bite me with a purpose or something? Was it part of some kind of vampire ritual?" Angelus chuckled. "No, sweet. It's Irish. Not demonic, and hardly legal in this country, but in Ireland, you'd be considered my wife..." He glanced at her ring. Buffy followed his gaze. "The ring?" He nodded. "All we have to do now, is find my ring and then we'll be matched," he grinned. The Slayer couldn't help smiling back. "Wow...I never thought myself the type to wait until my wedding night." He burst out laughing. "You were a child bride. You still are for that matter." She hit him on the arm. "Hey! I'm eighteen!" "Oh please. I'm hitting 250." "Yeah, well...okay," Buffy conceded. Buffy picked up the shovel and resumed her search. She moved to another area and began there. The rock and dirt were no match for her Slayer strength... It was an hour later when Buffy hit something...at first, she believed that it was another rock, but as she cleared around it, she saw the box. "Angelus!" she called excitedly. He immediately dropped his pick and crossed over to her. "What have you found, Buff?" She pulled the box out of the wall of rock and dirt. "This..." she held it up for him to see. He took it over to the working table he had put together. Buffy picked up a small chisel and handed it to him. The vampire paused, before breaking open the rusted lock on it. Buffy sucked in a breath as her lover lifted the lid. Inside, was an array of fine jewels. Rings, necklaces, chokers, bracelets. You name it, it was there. Angelus tipped the box up and emptied its contents onto the table. He rummaged through the pieces. He froze as he came across a ring with a large green stone in the middle. "Is that it...?" Buffy whispered, her hope evident in her voice. "Yes...I've never seen it before, but this is the ring that was in my dream," the vampire murmured in awe. Buffy took the ring from him and placed it on his finger. Angelus looked into her face and smiled. "Deja vu. Well, except for the fact that we're not in a church. This was all a part of my dream, Buffy." He picked her up in a hug, holding her tightly to him and spinning her around. Buffy laughed, enjoying his pleasure. "We did it, Baby...! Wanna go take a walk? The sun should be coming up about now." Buffy grinned at his enthusiasm as he set her down. "What exactly was it that we found, Angelus?" He grinned down at her. "We found the one thing that will let a vampire walk out during the day, that will make a vampire immune to stakes, cross, holy water, the works...We've found the Gem of Amara..." Continue 