She liked the sound of his voice. When Riley was awake, he'd talk to her. And when he talked she'd pick up the chain as she paced, because his voice was nicer than the rasp of metal on concrete. He was awake now, but he wasn't talking. So she let the chain continue to drag along behind her. When she heard him chuckle, she gathered up the links and turned towards him.

"I thought I was doing such a good job of tracking time," he said. It was the sort of comment you make to yourself, but Faith knew he was talking to her. She went over to him and, in answer to his implied question, took one of his hands in her own. She carefully straightened each finger and his thumb. Then she took his other hand and held the thumb as she folded his remaining fingers all the way down.

Riley was a little surprised; it seemed much longer than six days. But Faith was certain, and he believed her.

Then, unexpectedly, he felt her fingertips against the scars at his throat. It wasn't sexual in any way, just a gentle touch. So after a moment, he began to tell her all about it. He told her about the first time, told her about Buffy drifting away from him, and about him drifting away from the world he knew. He told her about the escalation of the concentric physical and emotional addiction spirals; he told her about Spike and Los Angeles and the time he'd wanted to die and how he just kept corkscrewing down.... And telling her all that meant telling her about Angel, about how Angel had saved him, was saving him still; about the Angel he knew, and the one Angel wanted him to know, and the one Angel wouldn't let him know.... He didn't mean to tell her so much, but once he started he couldn't stop: the telling became the addiction.

Riley was surprised that he didn't want to cry. The lump in his throat was there, along with the blooditch as his body remembered what his words recounted. Yes, the weight on his chest was there - but it was a relief to open up, to not hold it in, not hide it. He told her everything, things he would never have told her outside this room. He told her things he hadn't even told Buffy or Angel. But it was different in here; there was no judgment here, because there couldn't afford to be.

And when he was done telling her, they sat together for awhile. It was the first time she'd stayed near him since the first day, nearly a week ago now. He was almost afraid to move, afraid she'd go away.

But she didn't. She stayed by him, her skin warming against his, her body warming him. So he took a chance, knowing it might scare her away but knowing that now - in the wake of his darkest and carefully-guarded secrets - might be the only time he could ask her:

"Do you remember that time you seduced me?"

Once, when they had started patrolling together, at the beginning of their friendship, he had brought it up. It had been too soon then. Behind a grin, she had made it clear that was a boundary he couldn't cross with her: "Why?" she'd replied, cocking her head as they walked down Highland Avenue. "You want to go for another ride, Finn? Hey, the body was hers, but the moves were all mine." She'd winked and shimmied, turning to face him. "Come on, you know you want to." Riley had just smiled and shaken his head a little as she bounced on ahead of him.

But now, she took his hand. He wanted to ask her something, the thing he'd wanted to ask since he'd met her again in L.A. The border-crossing question. She was still against him, so he continued softly, "You said it was meaningless. Do you remember that? You pushed me off, you were shaking." She gave his hand a soft squeeze. "You could have run away after that. But you didn't. You came back to help those people in the church. You told me you had to. Do you remember that, Faith?" Again, gentle pressure on his hand. He hoped she understood what he was about to say; he didn't think he was such a great lay that she'd changed for him, but he believed she had realized something that night. Something that had made her want to take the first steps back, even if she'd fought that impulse within herself. So he asked, "It wasn't meaningless, was it?" Still holding his hand, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his forehead. ~That's what I thought,~ Riley affirmed to himself as she slipped away from him again.

+++

Angel stood in front of the crew in their suite at Circus Circus. Secretly, he had hoped - and he suspected they all shared the hope - that Cordelia would have a vision if she were closer. But he knew it didn't work that way. They all knew it. Though each and every one of them was prepared to step and take over if need be, he also knew he had to be the one to lead this mission. Mission. He would never use such a term. That was Riley talk.

He put his fingers to his temple and pressed, as if to hold his mind together in there. Finally, not knowing how else to proceed, he said to them, "Split up and canvass the casinos, the streets." More to himself than them, he added, "I know I already tried that - but someone, somewhere must have seen *something*."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Cordelia offered.

Angel shook his head. "We need to cover as much ground as we can. And I need to keep a low profile for the moment."

"Didn't you say that it didn't matter where we stayed, because they know we're here?" she asked him.

"Yes," Angel said, "but that's not it. I committed," he paused. "An indiscretion."

"The casino?" Wesley asked neutrally, and by the light dawning in Cordy's and Gunn's eyes, he knew they too were recalling the news they'd seen in L.A., of an explosion that destroyed a downtown Las Vegas casino. It hadn't occurred to him then - but given the circumstances, he found it not unlikely that Angel's demon would have sought a little revenge and release. Though he didn't condone it, he understood. Recriminations and consequences for that could, and undoubtedly would, come later. For now, all that mattered, all that *could* matter, was the safe return of Riley and Faith.

Angel didn't reply straight away. It seemed to Wesley and the others that he was mesmerized by the carpet pattern, he was staring at it so. "I'm going for a walk," he finally said, and left without meeting their eyes.

Tramping up the strip, Angel soon found himself at the Bellagio. He lingered by the fountain, the pool still and silent now. Last show was at midnight, and it was already closing in on 3 a.m. He stared into the dark waters, trying to imagine other times - and then trying to get those images out of his head.

He'd been there awhile, ten or fifteen minutes, when he heard a familiar voice in the shadows. "Angelus?" He didn't react. "Angel?" the voice said this time, and though he still didn't respond, Jamie stepped out of the shadows, sizing him up. Satisfied that it was an ensouled Angel he was dealing with, Jamie stepped up to him. "Where the fuck have you been? I've been looking all over for you."

"Now you've found me," Angel said, still not turning.

"The boy and the Slayer," Jamie started - and Angel was upon him in an instant, grabbing him roughly, pinning him against a tree. Jamie knew better than to struggle; although it went against every instinct, he allowed his body to go limp in Angel's grasp. "I know where they are," he managed to get out.

Angel loosened his grip.

"I can tell you where they are," Jamie reiterated.

"No," Angel shook his head. "Show me." Jamie hesitated, then nodded his assent. He started off, but Angel's hand on his arm restrained him. "I need my team," Angel said.

Jamie wasn't too comfortable with the idea. But he'd already come this far and thought he may as well see it through, so he nodded his cooperation.

"Is this a set-up?" Angel asked as they walked back.

Jamie didn't bother to look at him. "First of all, I wouldn't tell you if it was a set up, would I? And second of all, no."

They continued side by side, until Jamie broke the silence again. "Thought for sure it was Angelus I'd be meeting." He glanced over at the taciturn vampire striding beside him. "Heard about the Golden Spike and all." Angel remained close-mouthed, but Jamie read the twitch in his body language. "Not to worry - you're in the clear. Mob's got the cops in their pocket. They're pinning it on Tiernan. Making out like he got caught in his own blast." Seeing no recognition in Angel, Jamie explained, "He was one of the thugs you got in the body bags." He caught the discomfit in the glance Angel spared him. "Yeah, I know about that," Jamie said. "It's not a big secret."

"I knew someone had to know something," Angel murmured. "I just couldn't find them."

"Oh, you found them, Angel," Jamie told him. "They just weren't talking. They have to live and do business in this town."

"Why are *you* talking, then?"

~Because none of *them* have ever met Angelus,~ Jamie thought, looking askance at the bigger vampire. ~Given the choice, I'll take my chances with the mob any night.~ But he only said, "I don't care about this town. Fuck this town." He glanced again, and lest Angel get the wrong idea and think he was going soft, he added, "Fuck you, too. And fuck the Slayer chick. But the boy saved my life twice. And like every smart loser who catches a break, I want to leave this town even. So now we're even."

Angel didn't acknowledge this confession, and when he spoke it was as if he hadn't heard Jamie at all. "If only it had been Wolfram & Hart," he mused aloud, "I'd have known how to handle it. I wouldn't have made such a mess."

Jamie gave him a weird look: Angel certainly was no Angelus, and he was slipping even by his new standards. "Just who do you think the mob's legal counsel is?" he asked rhetorically. "Who do you think arranged for the bombing investigation to be fixed up?"

*That* registered, at least. Staring at Jamie, Angel opened his mouth, then shut it wordlessly and looked forward. They went the rest of the way in silence.

When they entered the suite, Angel was dismayed for the first time at the efficiency of his crew: they had taken the initiative, apparently, and gone out to canvass as he'd suggested. He'd just have to call them back.

But he only got their voice mail. Cordelia's carrier apparently didn't service this area, Wesley seemed to have turned off his phone, and Angel didn't know Gunn's number. He waited impatiently for them to call back and refused to let Jamie out of his sight for even a moment, even when the younger vampire complained of hunger pangs.

It was an hour before Cordelia called just to report that they'd had no luck so far, and Angel told her to get the others back to the hotel immediately.

"Did you find something?" Cordy asked, sudden hope in her voice.

"Just get back here as fast as you can," was all Angel would tell her.

Within twenty minutes, they arrived together. "This is, someone who can help us," Angel said by way of introduction, nodding to Jamie. "He knows where Riley and Faith are."

Simultaneously, "Thank God!", "Good work!" and "Hell, let's go!" came from Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn, the latter almost out the door again even as he spoke.

"It's too light," Angel said. To his own ears, it almost sounded like, "it's too late," and he shivered inside.

Gunn paused in the doorway, not ready to give up yet. Cordelia stood by him. "He can tell us, and we'll go," she suggested, lifting her chin towards Jamie.

"No," Angel and Jamie said simultaneously. The humans looked from one vampire to the other. "It's too dangerous," Angel explained, turning away.

Cordy was prepared to argue the matter, but Wesley lifted his hand and shook his head slightly at her. They all knew the firm set of Angel's jaw; his mind was made up and nothing would change it. Wesley found it worrisome, what they were going up against, if Angel preferred to risk the wait of one more day.

+++

She withdrew a little more after that. She kept dragging the chain when she paced, and it comforted Riley because then he knew she was still there. She was there all the time, of course. But at times, when she wasn't moving, he couldn't feel her at all. She always let her presence be known when he spoke, though, almost like she was materializing - she was that still.

+++

"I thought there weren't supposed to be any until we got inside," Angel turned to Jamie in quiet accusation as they surveyed the squat complex north of Vegas, in the desert almost half-way to Indian Springs - and the unexpected band of a dozen men, by his count, in shadows of an outlying building.

Jamie looked equally confused. "There shouldn't be." Knowing what Angel was thinking, Jamie looked at him as sincerely as he could. "It's not a set up. They don't know I'm with you."

~How can you be sure?~ Angel wanted to ask. But he was here now, and for better or worse they'd have to go in. He turned to the others to regroup, adjusting their strategy for the increased numbers, outlying a plan to circle around and jump them.

"There's something wrong," Jamie interrupted softly. They turned to him, but only Angel could follow his line of sight in the dark. "They're not guarding it... they're gearing up."

Angel looked more closely now, and he too saw it - and then he recognized them.

"Watchers."

Giles must have told them more than he'd let on. Angel had mixed feelings about them - on the one hand, he could probably use all the help he could get with Fairfax, especially from those who had dealt with him before.

On the other hand, he didn't trust the Watchers Council as far as Cordy could throw them.

"What now?" Gunn asked as they all crouched down, looking at each other and then to Angel.

"They've seen us," Jamie notified them before Angel could formulate a plan. "One of them's coming over."

"Let me talk to them," Wesley suggested. He stood up and went out to meet the man who was approaching them with raised hands. They watched as Wesley and the man met up and talked briefly. Then Wesley nodded and returned to them.

"That was Paul Ellis. Never met him before, but I know him by reputation. He's a good man." Wesley seemed reassured. "They're confident Faith and Riley are inside - and Fairfax as well. They have a fairly good idea of what to expect and how to deal with it. They're quite familiar with Fairfax and his modus operandi, as you know," Wesley told them. "So they're taking the lead; however, they've no objection to our going in as backup."

Cordelia and Gunn turned to Angel expectantly. "Fine," he said simply.

"They're moving," Jamie said, having never taken his eyes off the Watchers. Wesley led them out to the join-up, but Angel turned to Cordelia and stopped her.

"I want you to stay out here," he said.

"I want to help!" she protested. "I can fight!"

"Cordy, please. Just stay out here. And if, if anything should go wrong, get yourself to safety. Call Kate - she'll help, or she'll know someone who can. It might not be too late..." his voice faltered.

"It will be okay," she said, touching his arm. "We'll save them, Angel." Impulsively, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "For luck," she explained.

Angel mustered a faint smile for her, then went to catch up with the others who were waiting for him now. When he joined them, he felt the curious and suspicious once-overs in his direction and did his best not to return them.

Their entry was anything but subtle; the Council munitions experts set plastique explosives and blew the outer door off it's hinges. Angel winced at the blast, though a part of him admired their precision, just enough to remove the door neatly. Before the dust could settle, the Watchers were through the door, and were immediately engaged in hand-to-hand with the guards. Angel and his cohorts entered the fray with fists and weapons ready, with Wesley and Gunn automatically breaking off to fight as a two-man unit, neatly taking out the first demon to come at them. Both sides were shouting directions to each other in multiple languages, fists and ammunition were flying everywhere, and no one had time to flick the light switch on.

As he sought to orient himself in the chaos, Angel felt a hand on his arm, pulling him into the entrance of a passageway he hadn't even seen. It seemed the Watchers were not the only ones who knew what to expect.

"Not helping *them*," Jamie clarified, with obvious and understandable distaste for the Watchers. "Just you. And the boy, because I owe him. Right?"

The boy. Angel couldn't think of anything else as he nodded and followed Jamie down the dark passage.

*****
Part 8:

She had gone still again. But this time as he stirred himself to speak, Riley felt her hand pressed to his mouth, arresting him, keeping him silent. He hadn't known she was so close. She was trembling slightly, he could feel it in the fingers against his cheek. Then the hand was gone. He knew she was still there, but again he couldn't feel her.

He wondered about the trembling. Then it occurred to him: she must feel someone approaching. That had to be it. And Riley would sure hate to be that someone.

When the door opened, she threw a swift, hard blow to the head of the first entrant. Even as she heard how he fell and knew she'd knocked him out, she was on the other one, lashing out and driving him backwards. *He* wasn't here, but he'd sent two vampires. She was blinded by the light, fighting by instinct alone, pursuing this one into the hall. He was bigger than the one she'd put down inside. She had gathered up the chain as soon as she'd sensed their approach, and now she whipped it at this one, kicking out simultaneously to distract him, and got the chain wrapped around his neck. She dropped to the ground and yanked down, pulling him with her, aware he wasn't resisting and prepared for any trick he had up his sleeve. She rolled as he fell then pounced on him, twisting the chain as if she could wrench his head off. Normally she wouldn't get so close if she were uncertain of her opponent's strategy, but she didn't care if this one got her. She wasn't going down alone. She'd take him with her from this world into Hell. And then Finn could get out.

The chain was cutting through, choking off his words, but he kept trying to say them anyhow: "It's Angel. It's Angel," announcing himself over and over as he had been since Jamie had opened the door and gone down. He knew she didn't know it was him... but then, terribly, he wondered if she *did* know, if she knew everything - and he knew he would deserve this if she did.

"Faith!"

The urgency in Riley's voice halted her momentarily.

"Faith, stop! It's Angel!"

She squinted at the body she was straddling, and dimly made out the familiar face. "Angel?" Her voice was a cracked whisper. Then the chain went slack as she passed out cold, sliding off sideways. Angel shifted and caught her just before her head hit the floor. Cradling her, he turned.

And looked up at the most beautiful sight he had seen since sunrise was denied him.

Dirty, disheveled, exhausted, pale and black and blue. Slumped in the doorway, his broken bones unable to hold himself up. Beyond relief. Smiling through the pain, the smile that Angel could not resist, could never resist.

"Riley."

"Angel."

Words so inadequate. And yet that was all there was to say. And it said everything.

Angel smiled at that irresistible smile, smiled at the man who owned it. He wanted nothing more in the world than to go to Riley, to take him in his arms, to take away the pain, to kiss him, just to touch him....

But he had someone in his arms already. Someone who needed him more now. Someone he *owed*.

Kneeling, he rested her head in his lap as he unwrapped the chain from his neck and snapped the other end off her cuff. Then he took off his duster to wrap her in before he gathered her prone body in his arms and stood. Jamie had come around by then, and was standing just behind Riley.

"Help him," Angel instructed. Jamie ducked under Riley's arm, his own around Riley's waist, and pulled him up, letting Riley lean into him to take the weight off his bad leg.

As Riley allowed Jamie to help him, his gaze slid from Angel's face to the woman in his arms. His expression changed so that Angel, whose own eyes had not wavered from his lover's face, forced his gaze down.

He saw then what had shocked Riley and castigated himself for not noticing before: the mashed pulp of Faith's left hand, bones already reset and mending themselves in a contorted mess.

"Better get your girl to the hospital," Jamie said impassively.

They made their way slowly up the passage, unable to detect sounds of battle. At Angel's direction, Jamie left Riley propped against the wall and dashed up the corridor to find out if it was safe. He returned almost as soon as he'd left, too soon for Angel or Riley to find the words they sought for each other.

A little too sarcastically, Jamie said, "The 'good guys' won." He stepped past Angel to help Riley up again.

When they emerged, they found human and demon bodies littering the floor, blood splattered about. The fight had been quick but brutal. Three Watchers were down, one unconscious, awaiting medical assistance; two others had given their lives.

Subdued by the remaining members of the Council, Peter Fairfax was in handcuffs and leg irons. Riley looked at him with a curious detachment; so this was the man responsible.

"You think you've won, Angel?" Fairfax sneered. "You think this is over?"

Standing there, Angel felt Faith tremble ever so slightly and knew she had regained consciousness. In order to maintain her cover, he fought the urge to hold her closer, more protectively; Fairfax would see, and know she was awake - he knew them both too well.

"I don't think it's over," Angel said with cold menace. "They won't keep you forever. And I'll be waiting when you get out." He let his demon come close to the surface for Fairfax's benefit. Then Angel felt the others close rank behind him, and Wesley added, "We all will." Angel continued to stare fixedly at Fairfax, privately wondering if the affirmations would make a difference to Faith.

"We'll take it from here," said one of the Watchers. Wesley nodded in thanks, the last to leave.

Outside, he and Gunn took over from Jamie, supporting Riley between them.

"So you my replacement, huh?" Gunn said with a grin, sizing up the ex-Marine as he shored him up.

"You know you're welcome back any time," Wesley told Gunn from Riley's other side.

"Well, if y'all are going off on field trips to exotic locales every week, maybe I *will*," Gunn bantered with him as they started towards the car. The door on the driver's side opened and Cordelia came flying over to greet them, relief and joy evident even from thirty paces in the dark.

Angel was following when Jamie called him. "You know I'm not going with you, right? I did what I said I'd do, now I'm outta here."

Angel nodded. "I owe you one."

"No," Jamie countered. "But the next time you see me, no matter who you are or what I'm doing, you just walk on by. We're quits now."

Angel understood that sentiment, just wanting to get even. But he did feel like he owed Jamie, so he offered him a warning: "Be careful where you go. Darla and Spike are out there somewhere, and they're together."

Jamie gave him that curious look again. "You really are out of the loop, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"They're still in L.A.," Jamie told him. "They own a place in West Hollywood."

"What place?"

Jamie grinned. "Just walk down Santa Monica Boulevard. You can't miss it."

Faith stirred then, and Angel switched his attention to her. Taking advantage of the moment, Jamie slipped away into the night.

+++

At the hospital, Faith and Riley were both treated for mild exposure and dehydration. When questioned, all were evasive. Though it pained Angel to dismiss it so, Faith's handcuff was passed off as a kinky experiment gone wrong; as for the rest, they allowed the medical staff to believe the two had encountered some unfriendly locals and been lost in the desert while tripping.

After the metal cuff was sawed off, Faith had to have her hand reset; Riley needed surgery on his knee. X-rays had revealed no break in his hip bone, though that as well as two of his ribs were badly bruised.

Done first hours later, Faith sat apart from the others in the waiting room, pulling at the clean clothing Cordelia had brought for her. After a little while, she came over to Angel and sat by him. She swallowed hard, mustering herself for her words as she looked at him:

"I know I really fucked up, Angel. I'm sorry I let you down."

Angel was so moved he couldn't speak at first. "You didn't let me down," he reassured her. He almost added, "Sweetheart," but stopped himself; suspecting that even, or perhaps especially, a vulnerable Faith wouldn't accept such an endearment.

She kept looking at him, and he couldn't tell if she believed him. Her lip quivered and she bit it, disgusted at the weakness. "I'm in trouble, though." She caught Angel's look of unexpressed confusion, and added, "Missed my weekly parole meeting."

"No, you didn't," Wesley said. He hadn't tried to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help overhearing. Faith and Angel both turned to him. "I had our friend at the LAPD take care of it through her connections." He smiled wryly, and to his surprise Faith smiled back with an expression he'd never seen on her face, one that looked like gratitude.

+++

When they returned to their suite at Circus Circus, worn out and eager for sleep, they realized there were only two bedrooms. Gunn suggested that Riley and Angel take one, the girls would have the other, and he and Wesley would make themselves comfortable in the lounge area.

"Forget it," Faith said. "I've just had a 24/7 roommate for a solid week and," she turned to Riley - "no offense, Finn" - she turned back to the others, "I need some space. I'll get my own room."

"No," Wesley said. "You stay here." He gestured to Cordelia and Gunn. "We'll get another suite."

Cordelia went over as if to hug Faith, but when the other girl stiffened she merely said, "Sweet dreams," wincing immediately at her own lame words.

But Faith gave her a slight smile. "You too, Cordy."

As soon as the others left, Faith went into her room and shut the door without a word.

Which left Angel and Riley alone for the first time.

"Well," Angel started, but Riley was already swinging himself on his crutches into the bedroom. So Angel followed. Riley sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his shirt off. Angel went to help him undress completely for Riley didn't want anything between him and the crisp, clean linens. Then Angel made him comfortable on the bed, positioning the pillows under Riley's head and knee to ease any pain. "Are you okay? Do you need more Vicodin?" he asked.

"I'm okay," Riley replied with that smile.

Then Angel settled himself next to Riley. They had barely spoken to each other and there was so much to say and yet no words, and for the moment it was enough for Angel to lie here with him, looking at him, touching him. He reached out to smooth back a wisp of hair from Riley's forehead, then pressed a soft kiss to that forehead. Gently, he ran his hand along the contours of Riley's body, pausing at his hip. Angel's hand traveled farther down, coming to rest at the top of the leg cast. The doctors had told them Riley's kneecap had been shattered, and might need further reconstructive work in the future. His hand moved back to Riley's stomach, his other hand stroking Riley's hair. He couldn't stop touching Riley, his hands seeking physical reassurances, just craving contact.

Riley watched Angel's face as Angel touched him silently. He breathed deeply to slow his quickening breath, shivery inside from Angel's cool caresses and wanting more. He pulled Angel down to him, seeking his mouth amorously. But Angel was almost too tender in return, his lips sweet but not passionate. Riley felt so safe here with Angel, and yet.... Yet he knew Angel meant to end it. He waited for Angel to say something to him. But maybe Angel didn't know how to say it, or thought Riley wasn't strong enough to hear it now.... He unzipped Angel and slipped his hand inside, but Angel's hand on his stilled him.

"I just want one last time," Riley said softly.

The hand stroking Riley's hair stopped. If Angel had had a heartbeat, it would have stopped; if he'd needed to breathe, that would have stopped, too. With a sinking feeling, he sat up and swallowed. "What are you saying, Riley?" He knew it had been a horrific experience, and he didn't blame Riley for blaming him; Riley had every right to walk away, to have a normal life. But Angel couldn't imagine his own without Riley. Yet he couldn't bring himself to speak, to say any of that.

"It's okay, Angel," Riley said, his voice steadier than he imagined it could be. "I understand, and I don't want to make it hard for you." He smiled. "Well, I want to make it *hard*." He gave a gentle squeeze and Angel's cock jumped in response. Then Riley was serious again. "But not difficult. I told you I would let go when you needed me to. I know you can't take these kinds of risks, with your - with Angelus. So I'm just asking for one last time with you. And then I'll let you go."

Angel thought his chest might implode. "Riley," he said in an intensely quiet voice, "I would do anything for you."

Riley looked at him with a soft smile. "Not quite *anything*, though, right?" He knew he shouldn't have said it, but he'd spent so much time thinking about bloodplay and marking the past week... and maybe it would help Angel walk away, to ask for that.

But Angel slid down beside him and whispered in his ear, "Sion tha cinnseal," and opened his mouth against Riley's throat, his fangs pressing against the scar tissue but not quite breaking it, his cool tongue licking the soft warm flesh.

Riley responded instantly, arching upwards against him, his hand pressing Angel to him there, a low anticipatory moan escaping him. He wanted it, he'd always wanted it from Angel, he wanted Angel to want it from him, he loved Angel so, ~Oh god, please, yes~ -

He loved Angel so much that he stopped. Twisting slightly, he took Angel's face in his hands, searching it, deep into Angel's eyes. "Are you sure, Angel?"

"Yes." Angel met his gaze steadfastly. "Anything you want," he murmured in English this time.

Riley looked at him, flushed and aroused, not fully believing. "How much of what I want?"

"Whatever you want, Riley. Anything. Sion, leannan."

Riley got a heart murmur from the devotion in Angel's words, his tone, his eyes. "Not all the way," he whispered. Angel nodded and moved forward again, his mouth seeking Riley's throat - but Riley said, "Not, not there."

Angel stopped at once. He knew it was because of Spike, and Riley was afraid he'd stop then. But Angel simply began touching and licking him all over, his throat, his chest, his stomach, his arms, his hands. "Where?" Angel requested in a husky tone. "Tell me where."

Riley knew what he wanted but hesitated, and Angel read his hesitation perfectly. He licked Riley's lips, accepting the invitation as they parted for his tongue, cool wet strokes inside reacquainting himself with that mouth as Riley's tongue did the same, until the boy was near breathless. Relinquishing Riley's mouth, Angel kissed the hollow of his throat, beginning a moist trail down Riley's body to his belly.

"I want to feel you," Riley said softly. When Angel raised his head, Riley smiled shyly and explained, "Your skin against mine." Angel moved up to kiss him again before standing and removing his clothing, forcing himself not to hurry it, knowing Riley was enjoying the show.

Naked, he stood before Riley for a moment, spinning out the anticipation, caressing his cock for Riley's benefit, watching Riley's arousal.

"Angel," Riley reminded him with a grin, "*I* want to feel you."

Smiling himself, Angel returned to the bed. Leaving Riley's right leg untouched, Angel moved the other leg to the side, straddling it so as to minimize any contact with Riley's injuries. He rubbed his own growing erection against Riley, who considerately raised his knee to provide more friction and was rewarded with a small groan. Grasping the base of Riley's cock, Angel pressed his lips to the head, opening his mouth to flick his tongue across it. Moaning, Riley thrust upwards, rising off the bed momentarily.

As Angel moved to take his cock all the way in, Riley said softly, "I want a scar." Angel raised his head, uncertain of what he thought he'd heard. "I want you to scar me, Angel."

Angel moved back up, his hand still around Riley's cock, and kissed him. "It will hurt, to do it hard enough to leave a scar," he forewarned, studying Riley's eyes, darkened with arousal as his own surely were.

Riley nodded. "I want it, though. That's what I want."

Angel kissed him once more, lips brushing Riley's feather-soft. Then he settled himself again and with a look across Riley's body to his face, Angel engulfed his hot, hard, throbbing cock. He sucked adoringly, lips forming a tight seal, tongue stroking and swirling, teeth lightly scraping as his mouth moved up and down on the shaft, all the while rubbing himself against Riley's leg as Riley moved beneath him, moaning and begging and confessing his love: "Oh god, Angel, please, please - I want you, I want this, please, now."

As Riley's pleas became more desperate and his own erection more demanding, Angel went all the way down on Riley's cock then pulled back until just the head was inside him, tilting to get the right angle, his teeth just behind the cockhead - then he unsheathed his fangs and sank them into the tender flesh. Riley cried out and arched against him, and Angel was lost... lost in the blood flowing into him, filling his mouth, indescribably delicious, not just human blood but Riley's blood, his lover's blood, his blood now. His mouth worked furiously at the wound, his tongue continuing to stroke the underside of Riley's cock soothingly and lovingly in sharp contrast to the teeth piercing him. Riley's pulse was flowing into him, as if his heart meant to beat to it, and even though he knew it wasn't the lifeblood, this was better than anything, it was all he wanted, and he bit down a little harder, wanting more, wanting to give Riley what he wanted....

The pain in his hip and knee as he thrust into Angel's mouth was replaced by a far more gorgeous pain when Angel bit down, the thrill as strong as it had ever been - more powerful, almost too much to take and Riley let himself go over the edge, exquisite pleasure and more exquisite pain mixed together, performing a symphony in his body, beyond himself, beyond his mere body as his blood rushed through him - but it wasn't loss this time, it was a joining of bodies and souls and he was more than himself...

Words fled his mouth and his mind as he rode the addiction, the fantasy made real, arching and writhing and groaning animalistic. Angel was making bestial sounds himself, purring and growling deep in his throat as he sucked, fed, marked... and then, almost too soon, he was swallowing Riley's semen with his blood, and was on the brink of orgasm himself, not wanting it to stop, wanting more and more - when he realized the sounds coming from Riley were sounds of pain. Angel stopped immediately and moved up to him. Riley was twisted away slightly, trying to catch his breath, which was coming rapid and ragged. Angel stroked his hair and forehead in wordless concern.

"I'm okay," Riley turned to him, smiling through the pain. "It only hurts the first time, right?"

Angel kissed him tenderly. "Yes, mo cridhe."

Riley understood the feelings without knowing the words, and blushed slightly in pleasure and love. "Will it scar?" he asked.

Angel examined the base of Riley's cock gently, bending his head to carefully lick the blood around the wound, cleaning it. Riley raised himself on his elbows to watch. Finally Angel answered, "Yes, I believe it will."

Riley sighed and leaned back on the pillows. "Good."

+++

Angel watched over Riley as he slept, unable to find that peace for himself. The euphoria had worn off; he had time to consider what they'd done. Looking at Riley, head turned on the pillow, Angel couldn't help but look at the scars on his lover's throat. Spike's mark. That's what it was, and for the first time Riley had admitted - albeit without actually saying it - that he knew what it was, and he wanted to keep it. He had so much to talk to Riley about... but for now, at least and thank whatever god there might be, he had Riley.

When he heard Faith's door shut softly, he reluctantly left Riley and stepped into the hall. She was quick, already half-way down it.

"Faith?"

"Just going for ice," she said, half-glancing over her shoulder.

They both knew she was lying; her hands were empty.

Angel had no cards to play, no dice to throw. As she started walking again, he tried a last desperate plea: "What should I tell Riley?"

She hesitated but still didn't meet his eye. "Tell him I'll see him in L.A." She turned briefly, held his gaze for an unreadable moment, then turned back.

In the movies, he would blink and she would be gone. But when he blinked, she was still there, just farther away, not waiting for the elevators but opening the door to the stairwell.

And then she was gone.

+++

THE END