CHAPTER 15

Angel was sitting in his leather chair in the basement apartment. The air was full of music, he had chosen a recent recording of Orff's "Carmina Burana." The somber voices of "Fortuna Imperatix mundi" matched the storm of passion whirling through him. He was doing the right thing, he knew he was doing the right thing. But it was breaking his heart.

Angelus had raged against him for hours, he pleaded with him throughout the long day as he waited in the mansion for sunset. He had sworn he would never turn her, had sworn he would be kind to the boy, would tolerate sharing her with the human. He had even sworn that he would step aside in favor of the boy just as long as he could just be close to her.

But Angel would not listen to him, would not give in. This was for the best. It really was for the best.

The temptation to turn her, the danger inherent in his marking her had to be removed, once and for all. It was the only way to protect her from his enemies..... and from himself.

He had laid everything out so carefully on his kitchen table. While doing so, he remembered making love to her right there. Angel ran his hands slowly over its surface and watched his tears leave little rings. The envelopes were crisp and clean, each marked with his distinctive elegant hand. There were notes for every one of his friends, some held apologies, some held explanations, most held gifts.

He was leaving the firm and the building that housed it to Cordelia and Wesley so they could continue their work. His collection of rare books and antique weapons would go to Giles where they would be put to good use. Willow would receive all of his magical equipment and materials as well as his collection of music. Maybe she could find Oz and pass the vast array of vinyl to the young werewolf. He knew the boy would appreciate it.

To Tara, he gave a gentle command for her to help Willow through this. He knew she would be a pillar of strength for his dear friend. To Anya, he left his sympathy for actually having chosen Xander as a boyfriend as well as a plea for her to protect him whenever his innate bravery over-ran his common sense.

The vindictive nature of his demon emerged in the letter to Xander. He left him a long list of all his faults and suggestions on how to overcome them, that letter had been his one spot of whimsy during this interminable night. He couldn't leave without getting in the last word where that irritating badly dressed little shit was concerned.

To Riley, he left Angelus' amassed wealth with a stern admonishment to protect his chosen mate with all of his might. To Spike he left his sire's love, the one thing his childe had been missing for the last century.

And to his darling Buffy, he left the mansion and all his journals so she could read them, hoping they would help her understand the necessity of his actions. If he was gone, no one could ever use her to obtain Angelus, she would be safe from that and safe from him. And so would Riley.

Now it was all done, he was ready for the dawn. In a few hours time, he would take the elevator to the roof and watch the sun rise.

Even though he was resolute in his decision, it did not make the time pass any faster. Angel was not beyond grief, he was numb with it. He would miss her so much. As a human, he had been raised Roman Catholic and he knew regardless of the other sins he had amassed in his long life, most of which belonged to Angelus, suicide would damn his soul to the fires of Hell.

Buffy would be lost to him forever, as a Slayer she was guaranteed a seat in Heaven. Even her love for him and his demon would not block her from its gates.

Fortunately she had not formally accepted the mated bond....... his death would not trigger hers. Angel was certain of that much, his demon had confirmed it before falling silent. He would miss her so much.....

Tears rolled down his cheeks, Angel sobbed quietly using the loud music to muffle the sounds so Cordelia and Wesley would not be able to hear him. He couldn't bear their sympathy, couldn't bear anything but the music and the company of his wailing demon.

Angelus had given up on talking to him, had resigned himself to Angel's decision, even though it made no sense to him. The soul controlled the body and there was nothing he could do to stop him. So he wept in helpless frustration, the tears soaking Angel's skin belonged not only to his soul but to his demon as well. His eyes were shut as he blocked out the world around him so he could spend the last hours of his existence with only his memories.

He never heard the knock at the door, never heard it slide open, never heard the two people he wanted most in the world slip into the room.

The first indication he was not alone came when a pair of warm lips descended on his and a familiar enticing aroma over-ran his senses. Another pair of lips were on his neck as his lap became suddenly filled with two delightfully human bodies. Angel gasped, drawing in an unneeded breath which was almost his undoing. Their skin was laced with the sensual odor of that incredible drug.

Buffy was kissing his mouth, her tongue darting past his lips to explore the depths of that cool cavern. Riley was licking his jugular vein, teasing it to the surface with his teeth. He bit down hard and Angel saw nothing but stars. He groaned, trying to fight the glorious rise of his demon.

Angelus was rejoicing, they had come for him, his lovers had come for him! Hopefully they could beat some sense into soul-boy's head. Suicide indeed! *No wonder Spike calls you the great pouf.*

Their hands were everywhere at once. Angel was stripped bare in seconds, when he tried to protest Buffy threw him into a headlock. He started to rise out of his chair, attempting to shake her off and was pushed firmly back into place.

Riley slid between his thighs and dropped to his knees, his large hand encircling Angel's already hard cock. He bent down, swirled his tongue over the head before sliding the engorged shaft into the depths of his warm mouth. Angel froze in shock.

Even after Buffy released him, Angel didn't try to move away. Instead he threaded his fingers through the young man's hair, staring at him in wonder. Angelus has practically raped Riley in the maze and yet he was here, he was gifting him with the pleasure of his beautiful mouth. They were no longer prisoners, the boy had no reason to do this for him..... no reason at all.

Buffy stood in front of him, watching as he gave Riley a short, cautious thrust. The boy only opened his mouth wider, urging him deeper. "We came to talk to you."

"Hmmm....Talk....you came to talk? Oh god, right like that, Riley." Warm fingers were caressing his balls and slipping into the crease of his ass. His dark thoughts were instantly forgotten under the onslaught of sensation.

"Yeah, talk..." She giggled, the sound thrilling him almost as much as the warm wet finger teasing the edge of his hole. "Well, Riley's mouth is a little full, make that a lot full. So I guess I get to do the talking."

Angel tried to focus on Buffy's pacing form but found it impossible to concentrate on her. The mouth around his aching shaft was so warm, the boy's tongue was vibrating against the underside, swirling over the tip on every up-stroke. He wondered briefly if he had been taking lessons from Spike, but realized it was too soon for his childe to have corrupted the young man. That wonderful thick finger slid into him and he bit down on his tongue to keep from screaming out loud.

Now would not be the time for Wesley and Cordelia to come to his aid.

Buffy was still talking, he had to listen to her. ".....And you up and did it again."

"Did... did what?" He was genuinely puzzled. What had he done this time?

"You made my decisions for me. Without even hearing me out. You never give me a chance, Angel. Did it ever occur to you that you might not always be right?"

He gaped at her, she was right. Once again, he had not let her make any choices.

Angel gave her a good hard look and came to another startling conclusion. Buffy was no longer a little girl, she was an adult. She had a right to make her own decisions, but not where this was concerned. This decision belonged to him. "I'm sorry, baby. But there is just no way this could work."

"Why?"

"I'm weak. I would turn you...... Oh God, Riley, Riley stop that. I can't think while you do that." Angel tried to push Riley away and failed. The boy just shrugged him off, opened his mouth to the fullest and took him all the way in. His nose was resting against the curve of Angel's abdomen when he swallowed, flexing his throat.

This time Angel did roar out loud, he roared so loud the rafters shook. But he didn't come, he held on by a thread, refusing to come.

Buffy giggled, "Wow, good thing we sent Wes and Cordy home, isn't it? This would be a little hard to explain, don't you think?"

Angel was panting, struggling for control. Riley lifted his head, giving his aching cock one last kiss before laying his head on Angel's thigh. The vampire moaned, the planes of his face shifting back and forth as the finger still buried in him was slowly withdrawn and then pushed back in. Another finger joined that one and he was ready to beg for release.

"Don't you think I would stop you?" Buffy was watching his struggles with deep amusement. It felt so good to have the upper hand on him, or in Riley's case, in him.

"If I really wanted to turn you, Buffy, I could."

"Only if I allowed it. You know me Angel, you know me better than anyone in the world...... Since when have I ever done anything I knew wasn't right?" She leaned over to kiss him, running her tongue around his fangs, careful not to pierce herself, not yet anyway. That would be their last line of offense.

He conceded her point. "Never."

"Then why leave me?"

"Angelus' mark.... You would always be a target because of it. Adam said others would use you as bait to obtain Angelus....."

"Okaaaay...... Angelus? Would you actually agree to help anyone who used me to get to you?" Buffy moved away so the vampire's head could clear a little from the double onslaught of the drug. During their conversation in mansion's garage, Spike explained that Angel carried on conversations with Angelus in his mind all the time. Maybe she could get the demon to respond.

Angelus was running close to the surface, trying to reach his lovers as best he could. He found enough of Angel's control had slipped due to the combination of the drug and the stunned realization the two of them had followed him home for him to take control of their voice. Angelus snorted at her question. "Of course not!..... I would destroy them utterly for daring to touch you....... Angel, you are a fool for thinking I would ever reward anyone for hurting my mate."

"See, there's your answer from the demon's mouth..... Thank you, lover."

"Anytime...... Guess you want to talk to the jackass again, don't you?..... As you wish." Angelus released his hold on Angel's voice but stayed close. He wanted to be immersed in the incredible sensation of Riley's mouth again so he raised Angel's hips a little, begging for further contact. Riley rewarded his action by drawing him back into his mouth for a long, gentle suck. Angelus purred in contentment.

Angel was stunned, he didn't know Angelus could actually take control. Maybe his hold on the demon wasn't as strong as he thought. *Don't be so stupid, Angel. I wouldn't be able to do it if you weren't taking the angst train straight to Hell. You remember Hell, don't you? Do you really want to go there?..... Again?.......*

He shook his head. Hell was definitely not a place he wanted to see, once had been more than enough. *So stop with the bull-shit..... You're here permanently, I'm here permanently. Let's make the best of it, shall we?.......... Fuck, this boy really has a great mouth. Wonder what it would feel like to have both of them sucking on us at the same time.....*

Buffy waited for Angel's eyes to come back into focus. Spike was right, it was weird watching him do that internal monologue thingie. Once she knew he was back, she continued with her argument. "So Angelus will punish anyone who tries it.... I think Adam will make a fine example of that fact for the next several years, don't you?"

Angel could only nod in agreement. The rest of his body was involved in the struggle to keep from coming in Riley's mouth while she talked. Buffy grinned at him, understanding the crux of his dilemma. "Riley, honey? Let's give Angel a break for another minute......"

Riley lifted his head, smiling at her. "Guess I can do that..... He just tastes so damn good." Angel shuddered as Riley gave him one last long lick and laid his head against his thigh again.

"Mmmm, I agree but we need to concentrate on the problem at hand." Buffy stroked Riley's hair for a second and then fixed Angel with one of her patented stares. "Angel, did it ever occur to you to send a message through the underworld grapevine explaining that your soul is permanent? Don't you think it would probably stop most of the idiots who would try such a thing?"

It was obvious from the stunned look of his face, he hadn't even considered that tactic. "Spike would be so happy to spread that bit of news, it'd make him look like the big bad again and you know how much he loves that......"

Angel actually chuckled at that thought. She was right, Spike would really enjoy disabusing anyone of the notion that Angelus could be recalled at a whim. His childe liked being thought of as the top dog in Sunnydale. "Yeah, he would get off on that......"

He looked up at his beloved, drawn to the soft beauty of her face. It would be so easy to give in to her, when she was close, almost all of his arguments sounded like nonsense. But there was only one that always worked.

"You have but face."

"Huh?"

"You are about to say but... Let's hear it, Angel. Do you still have any logical reasons left for leaving me again?"

"You should have a normal life. I would be in the way." His resolve was slipping by the second.

She made a little buzzer noise, like a game show. "Ehhhnnn, wrong answer there. I'm the Slayer. There is no such thing as a normal life for me, Angel. It's supposed to be short and brutal. I'm really only still here because you helped me so much. Try another line."

"You need a human man. Someone to give you children and daylight." Riley grinned up at him and flexed his fingers, causing Angel to groan.

"She has that. Right here... but she needs you too. I can't do this alone, man." He winked at Angel, his voice dropping in a conspiratorial whisper, "She'll wear me out. Only a vampire can keep up with all the demands of that incredible body..... And there's only two vampires I can think of who might volunteer for the job."

"Two? TWO!!!" Angel's face instantly vamped out, he was furious at the thought of another vampire with Buffy. "Who the hell is the other bastard? I'll fucking kill him!"

Buffy giggled again, thrilled by the resurgence of his jealousy. It meant they were getting through to him. "Relax, Angel.... Spike promised..."

"Spike, SPIKE!! You actually asked Spike!.....I'll kill him. I'll rend him limb from limb and dance on the pieces, I'll... What are you laughing at?" He was fuming, Riley's fingers forgotten. Everything was forgotten in the face of his absolute rage. How dare they consider being with anyone else!

"You, Angel.... You're oh so noble about throwing me into the arms of a human man. But let a vampire touch me and you go all Grrr!" She was laughing almost uncontrollably. "You are missing the point here, Angel."

"At that point is?" His voice was almost cold, he was fighting his body, fighting his demon who wanted desperately to take control again. Angelus was whirling in his head, yelling at him to not do something really stupid, something even more monumentally stupid than waiting there in the dark for the sunrise.

Something like refusing the offer Angelus just knew was forthcoming.

"Riley and I talked about it. We talked about it for a long time and we came to our own decision."

"What might that decision be?" Angel reached between his legs to remove Riley's hand and was pushed back into the chair by Buffy. She stepped over Riley and straddled his lap. Her little black dress rode up over her hips, revealing she wore nothing underneath.

The vampire stared at her nest of blond curls and swallowed hard, he knew he was going to lose it. Right then, right there, he was going to lose it. He was going to throw her down on the floor and fuck her until she couldn't come anymore. Then he was going to do the same to Riley. He was going to fuck them both until he turned to dust.

"Angel, my love. We want you, in our lives, in our beds. We both need you, we can't imagine living without you." She leaned down to plant a little kiss on each of his cheeks, on his forehead, on his nose and finally his mouth. "We've come here to convince you to come home with us. And we're not leaving until you say yes."

He smiled at her, hope starting to shine in his eyes. They wanted him, they both wanted him. "And how are you planning on convincing me? Pump me full of drugs? Tie me down to the bed and fuck me? Sit on my face for hours?"

Riley laughed and lifted Buffy gently, changing her angle on Angel's lap. She teased the head of his cock with her fingertips for a long moment, then slid him into her. Angel growled deep in his throat as she sank further and further down onto him until their curls met. "Sounds like a good plan to us, doesn't it Riley?"

She kissed the moaning vampire, sliding her tongue into his mouth and finally piercing her tongue on his fang. A few drops of her blood dissolved in his mouth......

Angel roared as the drug raced through him, he was lost in a sea of sensation and his body reacted the only way it knew how. He lost control of everything, even his demon in that one instant. Gripping her waist tight enough to cause bruises, he came loud and long, cool jets of semen inundating her tight passage.

His hips pistoned back and forth rapidly while his head rolled back on the chair. Riley leaned over and following her earlier action, mingled his blood with Buffy's in the snarling vampire's mouth. "Yeah, sounds like a great plan to me, Buffy. Think it will work?"

Saffron colored eyes opened and Angelus purred through his fangs. "Oh yeah, it's gonna work. Even if I have to tie soul-boy up in his own head. It's gonna work!" He grabbed the back of Riley's neck and brought him down into a hard, brutal kiss. Then he turned the young man's head and placed an identical mate's mark on the curve of his throat.

**********

Cordelia was worried when Angel hadn't appeared by noon. It wasn't unusual for him to wait until mid-morning to take the elevator from his basement apartment up to the office. After all, he was rarely in bed before dawn. But last night he had come back from Sunnydale after having been gone for over a week and descended into his inner sanctum with a huge cloud of doom hanging over his head.

Angel had stalled his retreat to brood central only long enough to share a terse conversation with the two of them. The gist of it was Buffy had some trouble he had to help her with and now it was over, so he came home.

She didn't believe his simplistic explanation for one second, mainly because Angel looked like hell. He spoke in a careful monotone while his body language screamed about how much pain he was in and his usually deeply expressive eyes were cold and dead. Hurricane Buffy had once again worked its devastation on her friend.

Wesley had received a call shortly after Angel retired to the vamp cave, a phone call that clearly upset him. Once the call was over, the ex-Watcher ushered her out the door with a hurried excuse that Angel was to be receiving some very important visitors and he shouldn't be disturbed for the rest of the night.

She just knew Angel had called from the basement to shoo them away so he could indulge in another mega Buffy brood session. Cordy would have argued with Wesley but they were both exhausted from carrying the full caseload during Angel's absence, so she went home to enjoy a decent night's sleep.

But now she was concerned, so when Wesley went to the Starbucks on the corner for coffee Cordelia walked down the stairs to the basement. She was worried about what she would find down there.

The door to the bedroom was closed, probably because Angel was still asleep. Loath to disturb him, she made her way quietly through the living room area, thinking to take a peek in through the kitchen door. That way if she was caught, she could make the excuse of having come down for a snack.

Cordy tripped over something by the couch and looked down in surprise. Angel was a notorious neat freak, he never left anything on the floor. She stopped to pick it up and felt a shiver of fear run through her. It was an article of clothing, a little black dress to be exact.

Someone had been down here with Angel last night and that someone's clothes were strewn about the living room. Oh God, had Angel slipped? Had he had sex with someone last night? Was Angelus free again?"

There were more clothes, some on the floor, some on Angel's favorite leather chair, there was even an olive green shirt draped on one of the lamps. It was a man's shirt..... Cordy stared at it, Angel didn't own anything green.

She started cataloging the clothes as she picked them up. Black Armani slacks, definitely Angel's, black silk boxers, ripped in half, also Angel's, black silk shirt sans buttons..... Angel's. Green long-sleeved pullover, men's..... extra-large, not Angel's, light blue jeans, men's.... definitely not Angel's. Little black dress, nice material, good label, light vanilla scent clinging to it.....Oh shit.... Buffy's.

Cordelia froze, her heart in her throat. Buffy had come to visit Angel last night and from the looks of it, she had never left. The bedroom door seemed to grow larger, she was terrified of what she might find behind it.

But her fear didn't stop her, she reached up on the wall and pulled down a tranquilizer gun. Cordy loaded a dart into it, silently praying she would have enough time to get off a good shot if her worst fears were realized. Even if Angelus had returned they might be able to get him re-cursed before he could do any damage.

She slowly pushed the bedroom door open and peered inside. Angel was lying on his back in the middle of the bed, his hands raised above his head, he looked dead which meant he was asleep.

And he was not alone.

Cordy ducked out of the room and started praying louder.

After a moment, Cordelia carefully pushed open the door again, she had to take a closer look in order to confirm her suspicions. She was right, Angel was still in bed and he was still not alone. There was a very familiar little blonde head resting on his bare chest.

Buffy was wrapped around his right side, her nude body barely covered by one of his black silk sheets. Cordy started swearing silently. *How could she have been so stupid? She knows what happens if she and Angel get groiny with one another..... Trust her to act in the most selfish manner possible.... Wait, what was that on the other side of Angel?*

Cordy moved slowly into the bedroom, trying to get a better look at whatever was on the left side of Angel's big bed. She gasped softly, there was another person in bed with them.

A large hand was resting on the sheet draped over Angel's stomach and a long body was stretched out next to the vampire. A long, definitely male body..... a long, definitely male and very aroused body which was sliding closer to Angel's still form. The hand on his stomach dipped lower and she could see the outline of Angel's cock under the sheet as that hand started to stroke him lazily through it.

Angel stretched languidly, his hips rising to meet each stroke of that hand and Cordy heard a very new sound coming from the chest of her boss. It was a deep rumbling, Angel was purring like a great big cat. Terrified they would notice her, she slipped into the kitchen, holding the door open a crack with the barrel of the tranquilizer gun.

The man in Angel's bed lifted his head from the pillow and leaned over to give Angel a long, passion-filled kiss. Cordy licked her suddenly dry lips, all the moisture in her body had headed south, prompted by the erotic sight in front of her. The stranger was young, not much older than either her or Buffy and he was a real hottie.

Angel moaned when he was finally released from the soft prison of his lover's mouth, he begged in a tone Cordy had never heard him use before. "Please....."

"Please what, Angel?" The voice was rich and strong, issuing from a chest almost as broad as Angel's. "What do you want?" The tone was teasing, matching the light touch he was using on the vampire's covered cock. His own hard shaft was tucked up against Angel's thigh and he was thrusting slowly, sliding along the pale cool flesh with his hips barely moving.

"Please unlock the cuffs....." Cordy's eyes shot up to the headboard. There was a reason Angel's arms were stretched above his head, his hands were securely handcuffed to one of the brass rails. Well, at least they had shown enough common sense to restrain him.....

Angel was still pleading in that soft voice. "Please, Riley, unlock the cuffs.... I need to touch you. I need to touch both of you... I have to make sure this is real."

Buffy lifted her head from his chest and giggled. "Oooh yeah, Angel, it's real..... But begging won't help you any. You know we won't let you go until you promise to come home with us." The sheet dropped away from her as she climbed onto Angel's chest.

The young man captured one of her breasts in his mouth but kept up his hand's slow torturous rhythm on Angel's pulsing length. Cordy's eyes widened as she took in the full measure of her boss through the so not concealing sheet. *Wow, amazing what good tailoring can hide.*

"I promise.....I promise.... Just unlock the cuffs." Angel was frantic to touch one of them, it didn't matter which one. The drug was still roaring through him, driving him to distraction.

They had made love all night, starting in his leather chair, moving to the living room floor and finally landing in his bed. Buffy decided to make good her threat of tying him to the bed and while Riley gave him a long slow blow-job, she had ridden his face through four sobbing orgasms. Then the two of them had indulged in a hard, fast fuck on the floor while Angel watched, moaning in frustration because he couldn't reach them.

After that abject lesson in humility, he begged them to join him on the bed. Angel sighed in satisfaction, rolling onto his side as Buffy spooned her back against his chest and slid his aching cock inside her. Riley watched for a few minutes before snuggling his body up against Angel's cool back.

The boy's hot flesh almost seared him and Angel started taking deep unneeded breaths as Riley ground his cock against his ass. The vampire moaned when those wonderful fingers slid into him once again, then purred when they were replaced with Riley's hard cock. Other than that horrific time he spent in Hell, it had been years since anyone had penetrated him, not even his recent reunion with Spike had gone that far.

Angel rocked between the heat of his lovers, feeling completely encased in their love. Even Angelus was content, the boy was a little too gentle for his taste but he could be taught......

They had only stopped a hour ago so they could catch a little sleep before starting on him again. Little did his two human lovers know they had him with the first kiss. Angel was aware all his arguments had been made of straw, he was ready to go home with them before they even started talking. But it had been a lot of fun actually experiencing their persuasive techniques.

*Fun, FUN! Soul-boy you have a talent for understating the obvious. That was the best night you've had in centuries.....* Angelus chuckled at him and lifted his hips from the bed to meet Riley's down-stroke.

Cordy bit back a moan as the guy; Riley must be his name, pulled the sheet off of Angel. Wow, no wonder Buffy had found him so hard to give up, gorgeous face, great voice, fabulous fashion sense even though heavy on the black and god, just look at that beautiful thing.....

The hottie's lips followed his hands and he curled up at the end of the bed, feeding Angel into his open mouth inch by glorious inch. Angel's moans were rapidly becoming snarls as Buffy teased him by dipping her fingers in her sex and brushing them lightly past his mouth, not leaving them there long enough for him to get a decent taste.

She sat back on the kitchen floor, eyes still glued to the trio on the bed, feeling sorry for herself. It was so unfair, here she was single and Buffy had two, two gorgeous men with beautiful bodies and great big cocks...... make that huge in Angel's case, just waiting to service her every whim. Where had she gone wrong?

Her self-indulgent musing was shattered when Angel's voice changed into what she had been dreading since first finding the clothes on the floor. Cordy's heart slammed into her throat when she heard Angelus speak. "Lover, let me go... I wanna fuck your boy here and these damned cuffs are getting in the way."

"Un-unh... Not until you say the magic word, lover." Buffy brushed his lips with her wet fingers again but this time he was faster. He captured them with his mouth and gave them a hard sucking. She was panting by the time he released them. Angelus smiled at her lustful expression. *Yeah, I still got it....*

"Please...." Just as he spoke, Wesley's voice drifted down from the office. The trio on the bed froze at the sound.

"Cordelia? Cordelia, are you down there?"

Cordy swore under her breath and scrambled out of the kitchen, the gun forgotten on the floor. Riley raised his head at the noise made by the girl fleeing the apartment, giving his lovers a grin. He had heard her slip into the room, coolly assessed her shaking hands on the tranquilizer gun and deemed she was no actual threat to them. The drug was still percolating his thoughts, so since the girl was obviously curious he had decided to give her a real show.

Buffy rolled off of Angel, coming smoothly to her feet into a fighting stance at the interruption. Angel struggled against the cuffs, snarling at his inability to rise and defend them against the threat which had crept into his home unseen. Riley spoke quietly to calm them down; his tone was low and soothing. "Relax.... There's no big monster to fight. It's just a girl."

Buffy glared at the door before turning back to her men. "Just a girl?"

"Yeah, just a girl..... Real pretty, tall, leggy brunette. Can't handle a gun to save her life. Know her, Angel?" Riley stroked Angel's leg and felt his trembling ease a little. Both Angel and Buffy groaned, before speaking in unison.

"Cordy...." Buffy sat down on the bed next to Angel, her little hand absently stroking his chest. He calmed and arched his back to garner more of her soothing touch.

"Cordy?"

"Yeah, Queen C...... Cordelia Chase, bane of most of my high school existence. She works for Angel..... It's a long story." Buffy kissed Angel, threading her hands through his hair and the vampire started purring again.

Riley pulled his cool cock back into his mouth, he was inclined to forget the entire incident. There were much better things to do with his time than worry about Angel's assistant, like how long was it going to be before Buffy released their vampire lover and he made good on his earlier comment about wanting to fuck him.

Buffy broke the kiss, causing Angel to whimper at the loss of her mouth and she gave Riley a curious look. "Did you say something about a gun?"

*******

Cordy raced up the stairs, frightened out of her wits by Angelus' appearance and determined to save Wesley from him. Although she felt a momentary twinge about deserting that hottie in Angel's bed, but the vampire was still cuffed and Buffy was there. Buffy might be acting like a total ho but she would do her duty if need be..... maybe.....

She bowled Wesley over as she reached the top of the stairs, he was obviously on his way down. They fell together onto the floor in Angel's office, Wesley making sure he took the brunt of the impact. Cordelia was on top of him, panting in fear and clutching his shoulders. "Wesley, Wes...... Run, we have to run."

"Good Lord, Cordelia, what has gotten into you?..... Is Angel?" He craned his head to peer down the stairs.

"Yes, Angel's...." She couldn't finish, she was shaking too hard. Angel had turned, Angel was Angelus and if Buffy didn't come to her senses and stake him, they were all going to die!

"Well, good..... I'm glad she was able to talk some sense into him. Imagine trying to break one of the oldest vampiric traditions.... What was he thinking?" Wesley was gently rolling her off his chest so he could stand. He offered Cordelia his hand and helped her to her feet.

"What? What are you babbling about, Wesley?" She was staring at him open-mouthed. Had everyone gone completely mad?

"Angel. He was trying to ignore the mated imperative." The young ex-Watcher carefully dusted off his clothes and leaned against the desk, eyeing the doorway to the basement.

"Wesley, listen to me.... Buffy's down there and they did the wild thing last night.... Not just her and Angel but there's some other guy down there in bed with them......" She shuddered at that thought, her mind filling with such delicious images of those two male bodies moving against each other. Cordy wanted to know what it would feel like to be between them..... "A-and Angel's gone..... Angelus is down there."

Wesley gave her a very careful measured look. "Angelus, did you say?"

"Clean out your ears, ex-Watcher guy! Yeah, Angelus, in the flesh. You know, cold, pale, totally evil homicidal manic...." She stalked into her office, looking for her cross. If they hadn't uncuffed him yet and if they could convince Buffy to beat him into submission, she might be able to get a good shot with the tranquilizer gun.....

The tranquilizer gun she had just left lying on the kitchen floor. *Damn it!*

Wesley snorted, surprising her with that unsophisticated sound of disgust. "Impossible. Angel's soul is permanently anchored. Angelus is completely under his control."

"Trust me, it didn't look like he was under anybody's control. He just told Buffy to uncuff him so he could...... What do you mean Angel's soul is permanently anchored?" Narrowing her eyes, she advanced on Wesley, a cross and a stake clutched in her hands. He eyed the stake warily, wondering if she intended on using it against Angelus or himself. "Do you know something I don't?"

Wesley nodded. "The call I got last night.... It was Buffy, she told me Angel's soul was anchored. He'd fled Sunnydale without even saying goodbye and she was coming here to talk to him...... I don't know who the other chap is or why he is here but Buffy was going to talk some sense into his head."

"About what?"

"Angel.... Well, how much do you know about vampires, Cordelia?" Wesley had moved from the edge of the desk and had taken a seat in one of the office chairs. She sat carefully in the other, her eyes trained on the basement doorway.

"What's to know? They're evil, they kill people, they have absolutely no fashion sense and they're kinda hard to kill." Cordy shrugged but did not move her eyes away from the doorway.

"Rather a simplistic view but good enough for the average lay-person." Wesley straightened his glasses and launched into his best ex-Watcher lecture mode. "Vampires are all those things and more, Cordelia. Let me explain to you about the taking of mates….."

*****

"Let me see if I have this right. So when Buffy gave Angel her blood on Graduation Day to cure the poison Faith shot him with, he marked her as his mate?" Cordy was sipping the last of the Starbucks' coffee while they sat in Angel's office and listened to the fascinating noises coming up from the basement. She had lost count of how many times a name had been called out in ecstasy. *Damn, someone must have taken their Viagra today....*

"Actually, from the rather rushed conversation I had with Buffy last night, it is my understanding that Angelus was the one who marked her." Wesley shifted uncomfortably in his chair, the sounds had not left him unaffected. The combination of those intriguing cries and the physical proximity of his extraordinarily beautiful coworker, had placed him in a rather embarrassing state of arousal. He lifted a book from the desk and laid it casually in his lap.

"A-Angelus? I thought he hated her..... Why would he choose her as a mate?" Cordy raised her eyebrow, she noticed his surreptitious movement and her curiosity was piqued. It was not the first time she wondered what actually lay beneath his stammering tweedy exterior. The kiss he had given her when she was trying to rid herself of Doyle's visions had been a vast improvement over the first one they shared in the Sunnydale library on Graduation Day. She moved slightly, bringing her knee almost in contact with his.

"I'm not actually sure, there wasn't much time to garner details and the cell-phone connection wasn't the best. Just suffice it to say that they are indeed a mated pair......" Wesley turned a little toward her, studying the graceful fall of her hair over her shoulders. *She is so beautiful.... so brave......*

"But he left..... he came to L.A...... Does that mean they're divorced or something?" A subtle slide closer to the edge of the chair. *Nice wide shoulders, gorgeous eyes, strong arms..... Now why was I ignoring him?*

"There is no divorce in vampire circles...... Once a mating is recognized by both parties, there are usually no separations..... The only way out is death." He moved a little closer, inhaling her perfume. *Glorious mouth, how I would love to worship it.*

"Death?....." Cordy leaned toward Wesley, no longer really aware of the gist of their conversation. Her lips were inches from his before her brain kicked in. "What do you mean death?"

Wesley blinked and pulled back. *So close.* "A mated pair can't live a separated existence. They have to remain in close proximity to one another or they eventually wither and die......." His eyes widened in comprehension. "Good Lord, the mood Angel was in last night....... He came home to die."

Cordy felt a moment of blind panic at the though of Angel's death. If Buffy hadn't come last night.....

The sound of Angel's impassioned voice came spiraling up from the basement. "Ohgodohgodohgod... Sweet fucking Christ! .....Buffy......Buffy......BUFFY!" A roar followed, a roar so loud it caused both of them to jump out of their chairs in alarm and into each other's panicked embrace.

Wesley cleared his throat, looked down at Cordy's slightly flushed face as she clung to him. "I guess it's a good thing she showed up then...." She nodded but did not move out of the circle of his arms, in fact she held him tighter. "Well, perhaps we.... we should leave them alone for awhile..... Return at dusk, do you think?" Another nod, an even tighter hold.

"Cordelia..... In order for us to leave, you have to actually let go of me...." Her head shot up and Wesley found himself drowning in her hazel eyes. Cordy gave him one of her brilliant smiles, removed his glasses carefully and set them on the desk behind her. He was puzzled by that action until he felt one of the arms around his neck slide to his waist. Dare he hope?

Her lips touched his gently at first, then more fully and forcefully. When they finally broke apart, Wesley was almost panting. Cordelia's tone was light, belying her own excited physical state. "Dusk sounds good..... Follow me home?"

"I'll follow you anywhere."

********