CHAPTER 7

They made their way silently through the tunnels under the mansion. Neither of them spoke, their own private hells being played out in their minds' eyes.

Riley was awash with guilt for ever having worked for The Initiative, for not having asked the questions when he should, for having followed Maggie Walsh so blindly. If he had been less accepting, if he had been more curious, maybe they would have found out about Adam sooner. If he'd only avoided that damn skewer, he could have saved her from this……..

Angel's hell was a darker place, a much darker place.

The mated bond was in full force, Angelus locked them both into that connection when the first cold cock entered her desperately struggling body. Angel knew there were five of them, one on each limb, holding her open so the final one could ride her in relative safety. Within him, his demon snarled his contempt at their craven tactics. *Cowards, miserable cowards…. Give her a fighting chance!*

And they were taking turns, voices raised in contemptuous laughter, taunting her as one rolled off to be immediately replaced by another. Angelus roared in protest, absolute fury boiling out of his very depths as he felt her helplessness, her terror, her humiliation….. his mate, his mate, his mate!

His handsome face set in grim lines, Angel stalked through the tunnels moving with effortless grace.

Inwardly he was reeling from the staggering power of the connection between himself and Buffy. The bond had never been this strong before. He felt every stroke of the hard organs violating her tensed vaginal channel, sensed every ejaculate that hit her face, her thighs, her breasts and his own rage was building with each passing second. He was going to kill until there was nothing left to kill.

The first wave of defenders hit them just outside the abandoned underground facility.

Riley fought with quiet determination and skill but Angel was a killing machine. Each movement brought death; no opponent could stand against him as he plunged stakes into hearts, cut off hands and heads with his axe.

With the barest flicker of movement, Angel nailed a fungus demon to the wall with one of his knives. Another knife sliced through the eye of an incubus before he turned his wrist and took out its throat. A chaos demon was split from crotch to throat with sweep of the axe. Bodies piled up around his feet, he paid them no more attention other than to step forward into a clear space, raise his weapon with a challenging roar and then lay waste to his enemies again.

After his deep-throated battle cry had echoed through that enclosed space twice, the remaining cadre of underworld creatures stepped back to stare at him in awe.

The force of nature filling the tunnel with his rage was the one whispered of in vampiric legend. Here stood before them Angelus, The Scourge of Europe, the most vicious vampire to ever stalk the earth. His exploits although a century old, had been repeated time and again until his status equaled a Prince of Hell.

But after this conflict, his title had changed forever. He was no longer Angelus, Master of the Order of Aurelius.

He was simply the Angel of Death.

They scattered before him, gibbering in terror as they ran away. Riley downed several of the retreating figures with his crossbow before following his vampiric companion into the darkness.

Angel led Riley around a corner, bringing them face to face with the very monster they were seeking. With his massive body blocking most of the small tunnel, Adam stood awaiting their arrival. His half-human face sported a twisted grin as he surveyed the two men.

The vampire had survived the gauntlet, proving that all the rumors Adam had heard about his prowess in battle were true…… Now the games could truly begin.

"I hoped you would come."

Angel bared his teeth, the exposed fangs grinding together slowly as he watched his enemy. He would take this freak apart, he would tear it limb from limb and feed the pieces to the swine. He would track down any demon, any vampire that ever associated with this thing and do the same to them. He would then hunt down the scientists that built it and tear them apart as well, irregardless of how far it would set him back on his road to redemption……

In full game face, Angel roared. "WHERE…. IS…… SHE?"

"Where is who?" Adam was delighted by the absolute aura of power emanating from this magnificent creature.

The rape has been the best of his ideas for the little Slayer. He had counted on the ensouled vampire tracking her through the blood bond. His vampiric sources told him it was possible, especially since she bore a mate's mark. If the bond were as strong as suspected, Angel had felt everything that was happening to her. How better to capture the attention of an infinitely possessive creature such as a vampire than to violate its property?

Even so it had worked better than he thought; it had not only brought to him the huge vampire purported to be her lover but also Riley Finn, the ablest soldier of the Initiative. Which was in itself vastly amusing, especially since Finn was her current lover. There were such possibilities for chaos in this equation.

And best of all, the normally cautious vampire was blinded by rage; it would be so easy to take him.

"WHERE IS MY MATE?" He and Angelus were of one mind in this affair, the first thing was to find her and be certain she still lived.

After that, his mind's eye saw nothing but blood, blood flowing over his hands, blood flowing into his mouth. He would drain every one of the little bastards that dared touch his woman. Then he'd rip their dicks and balls off, fuck them with their own severed equipment, cut off their heads with a dull butter knife and dance on their ashes.

There, that was the best plan he'd had yet.

"The Slayer is enjoying my hospitality at the moment. Would you like to see her?" He gestured toward the now open door. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

"Just bring her to me and we'll leave." He watched Adam, calculating how long it would take to reduce him to molecules. *And if you believe that, there's this little snowy corner in Hell I could sell you for a mere pittance.*

Angelus howled to be let out but Angel controlled him with a single thought. *Soon*

"No. I think I would rather take you to her."

Angel never saw the weapon. Fire bloomed in his chest as the bolt from the blaster hit him. He fell forward, staring helplessly as Riley hit the ground next to him. Then his eyes closed, shutting out the agony of consciousness.

******

When the guards came for her Buffy rose wearily from the floor. After the ordeal she had survived, she could not bring herself to remain in that awful bed.

It had been hours of sheer torment before they finally stopped, leaving her lying there in a pool of cold semen, bruised from head to toe. With her throat raw from screaming, muscles knotted from useless struggles against their superior numbers, she crawled to the floor, too battered to even weep and waited.

Her mind was blank as she followed her guards back to the shower. She stood under the spray, numbly watching the grime, blood and come sluice off her and disappear down the drain. It had happened, Adam had broken her. Buffy no longer cared to fight; she no longer cared about leaving her friends behind. She didn't even care about the poor girl who would be called after she died.

Buffy slowly dressed in the clothes that had been laid out for her, not caring if they fit or how they looked on her battered frame. It just didn't matter anymore…….

It was over.

She would embrace the next monster they sent after her without a struggle and let it kill her.

With that simple act she would know peace. No longer would she feel she had betrayed Angel, that she had betrayed Riley by allowing them to touch her.

It was time to die.

********

Buffy never felt the pick of the needle as she stood waiting for the door to the maze to open. She accepted the stake and shuffled off into the dark.

******

Angel woke before Riley. He was aware of the slow unconscious breathing beside him as the boy lay beside him. The stiffness in his body caused by lying on the cold floor told him they had been out for hours. Their weapons had been stripped from them but at least they were still alive.

Quietly cursing himself for falling into such an obvious trap, Angel surveyed the sporadically lit space they lay in. It was large with a myriad of branching walls running away from them in all directions. They were in a labyrinth, it had to be the place he had seen Buffy fighting in while he was connected to her in the cemetery the night before. He reached for her through the bond.

She was there, she was so close he could almost smell her.

Angel shook Riley's shoulder, trying to wake the boy. "Riley…Riley."

Riley's eyes opened, he put his hand to the back of his head. "Ow, did you get the number of the truck that hit me?"

"Yeah, ADAM 1."

"Funny, really funny, Angel. Wasn't sure that you actually had a sense of humor until now…." He peered around them, trying to determine their exact location. "Where are we?"

"The place I saw Buffy in last night. It's a maze. She's here and she's close, three maybe four walls away." He stood and gave his hand to the young man. Riley pulled himself to his feet with Angel's help, shaking his head to clear it.

"Man, I hate those damn blasters." He almost went to his knees as a wave of nausea hit him. Riley was surprised at how alert Angel seemed to be when he felt like death warmed over. He seriously doubted his ability to remain upright, let alone run through the maze stretching out in front of them. Or maybe it was two mazes, he couldn't tell.

"So it wasn't a truck?" Angel shrugged. "Could have fooled me…. Come on, let's go."

Riley followed him, stumbling and using the walls to keep himself upright. The hit from the blaster had sucked away all his energy, the barely healed wound in his side was throbbing, slowing his steps even more. Angel was way ahead of him, threading through the maze so fast it would take a miracle to keep up.

Angel was frantic to find her, his skin was humming, every instinct screaming for her. He had been gone from her for so long and he couldn't stand one more second of separation. His desperation drove him onward, made him careless of how far behind Riley was lagging. Nothing mattered but finding his beloved, his golden girl, his mate.

A growl started deep in his chest, the closer to Buffy he got; the more he felt the extent of the damage done to her. His fury at Adam rose rapidly, she was around the next turn in the maze, waiting…..

She wasn't waiting to engage an opponent in battle. She was waiting for death.

He rounded the final corner and the sight of her made his knees go weak.

Buffy was covered in scratches and there were bruises on her arms, her neck, her legs, everywhere. Her long blonde hair was in disarray, her lips swollen from abuse and her eyes were closed as she leaned against the wall. Angel's heart swelled in his chest. Even battered and broken, she was still the most beautiful creature in the world. His mouth went dry, tears formed in his eyes as he watched her drop the stake, baring her throat.

Her voice was a remnant of its usually vibrant tones. "Here I am. Come get me."

"Gladly, my love. Gladly." He grabbed her and pulled her to his breast, crying in heart-felt gratitude for her safety as she sagged against him.

Forgetting the young man who had been trailing behind him as well as his own determination to no longer be a part of her life, Angel held her tightly. He rained kisses on her cheeks, her nose, her eyes, her mouth. It was a taste of heaven to feel her tiny body pressed against him, to touch her hair, to taste her, to smell her.

He had been so lost without her and now she was cradled in the strong circle of his arms. A litany kept repeating within him, she was safe, she was safe, she was safe and he was home.

Riley staggered against the wall, swallowing the bile rising in his throat. His head ached, his side burned and he could barely see the two figures in front of him. Knowing they had found her but unsure of her condition, he inched closer. As he peered over Angel's shoulder, her eyes opened and his mouth dropped in shock.

The body held so tenderly within the vampire's arms was Buffy's, but she was no longer in it. Riley could only stare at her numbly, looking into the calm deadness of her eyes. "Angel, Angel. Back off from her."

Angel turned to him with a snarl on his lips, how dare the boy try to keep him from her. "Not on your life."

"That's not Buffy." Riley moved closer, watching her carefully. It looked like her but there was no spark, nothing that made her the girl he loved so well. "She's a vampire, Angel."

Angel stopped for a second and felt the familiar throb of her heart against him. He sighed in relief as he buried his face in the curve of her neck. "No, still human…. She smells a little different. But she's not been turned."

She did smell different and the odor was enticing; he couldn't seem to raise his head out of its resting place. Angel licked her, tasting her skin and felt an even stronger pull. His demon was raging to be released, his mate, his mate was in his arms. She was alive, alive and warm, melting into his embrace as her hands threaded through his hair.

Her voice was like a lost little girl's. "A-Angel?……. Angel, is it you?"

She couldn't believe it, it was another one of Adam's tricks. Angel was in L.A.; he had left her so she could get a life. He couldn't be in Sunnydale, couldn't be holding her so tightly she almost couldn't breathe, couldn't be licking her neck and awakening feelings that should have been destroyed by the brutal rape she had endured. Her body responded to him instinctively, moisture flooded through her as she stroked the familiar softness of his hair and crooned softly to him.

"Yeah, baby. It's me. I'm here." The smell was driving him mad, he had to taste her, had to feel her legs wrapped around his waist. He had to be inside her now.

Angel lifted her into his arms, pushed her back against the wall as he struggled to hold her up and release his aching cock at the same time. There, the wall was holding her up and he was free. He tore off the little panties clinging to her hips and joined their straining bodies, sliding easily into her well remembered heat.

Buffy wailed his name, kissing him frantically. Angel forgot Riley, forgot everything but the sweet body he was sheathed in. When the boy's hand landed on his shoulder, he pushed him away hard enough to knock him to the ground. Angel snarled at the young man, infuriated by the distraction from his mate.

Buffy whimpered and he turned back to her, kissing away her tears. A deep rumble issued from his chest as Angel purred at her, whispering her name reverently while he sought to lodge himself fully within her.

Riley stared up at them in amazement and disbelief. Angel was doing the one thing that without a doubt would cost him his soul and Buffy was allowing it. He struggled to his feet, realizing he needed the wall to support himself. Riley cursed his weakness; the blaster and his recent injury had taken too much out of him. There was no chance of being able to dissuade the vampire by force.

He cleared his throat and tried to get their attention again. "Angel."

Angel broke away from consoling his mate and fixed the boy with the saffron-tinged coldness of his eyes. "What?"

"Angel, your soul." Riley couldn't believe he was more interested in saving Angel's soul than the fact the vampire was obviously fucking his girlfriend right in front of him. Damn, what had happened to him in the last week?

There was no time to explain to his companion about his changed condition, all that mattered to him was being with her, being with his beloved mate. Angel simply wanted nothing more than to be where he was with his cool length lovingly clasped inside her warm, willing body. After this he could never leave her again…..

"Fuck my soul….. Have to have her." Angel turned back to the woman in his arms.

"Baby, you smell so good…. Here, let me kiss that." He slid down the shoulder of her top and kissed a dark purple bruise on her collarbone. Angel licked and kissed every bruise, every scratch, laving them with his tongue. He was lost in her, deliriously happy be held within her living, breathing body.

Her hands were everywhere at once, pulling his shirt away so she could nuzzle his neck. He groaned as she kissed his jugular vein and sobbed against his skin. "Angel…Angel, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Sorry about what, baby? Oh God, you feel so good." He couldn't get enough of her; she was an addiction.

"You smell so good…. What is that wonderful smell, baby?" Angel lifted her shirt, exposing her beautiful breasts and ducked his head to kiss them. The enticing odor clinging to her was even stronger in the hollow between her breasts.

He knew it wasn't from the vamps who violated her earlier. There was something under her skin calling him.

Riley finally caught what was going on.

Their captors must have injected her with that damn drug Dr. Walsh developed to attract vampires. During the drug trails, the entire Initiative had been stunned at how well the concoction worked. It really did attract vampires but with that attraction came unforeseen consequences.

Any vampire exposed to it would literally jump the person wearing the mixture and fuck them into the ground. Then they would grab anyone or anything else around them and continue until they were exhausted….. Angel's unusual behavior clinched his theory; Buffy's blood was probably laced with the stuff.

If he remembered correctly, the effect would fade within hours as long as Angel didn't actually ingest it through her blood. Should that happen, it wouldn't be gone for days and no one would be safe.

He had to stop them now.

Riley grabbed Angel's shoulder again. "Angel. Listen to me." The vampire turned back to him, eyes wide and dilated. "You have got to stop. Put her down and walk away."

Angel looked at Riley, trying to understand why the boy was still standing there talking to him. Buffy moaned, tightening her vaginal muscles and his attention was lost. He thrust savagely into her, holding on tightly as she shuddered through an orgasm.

He wanted so badly to join her in complete bliss and there was one thing that would tip him over the edge every single time. Forgetting his vow not to drink from humans Angel snarled, bared his fangs and lunged at her neck. Anticipating his action, Riley moved quicker than he thought possible and took Angel's bite on his forearm.

The taste of Riley's blood roared through him like a freight train, it was laced with fear and caring for both of them. The depth of the emotions flowing into him from the boy startled Angel but his world had narrowed down to the tiny girl sobbing in his arms. He tried to form words but couldn't, he could only act. Angel slammed her body down onto him and climaxed with a roar of her name.

Buffy had stopped crying, lulled by the impossible joy of finding herself in Angel's arms. If this was death, it really wasn't a bad way to go. However something wasn't right, something was happening that shouldn't, something she wanted to the depths of her soul but knew would release death and destruction upon their world.

Rousing from her bemused state in a blind panic, she tried desperately to scramble away from him. But his strong arms were locked around her, there was no escape from her doom. Her beloved Angel was buried in her body, snarling her name and filling her with jet after jet of his cool semen. She had awoken from her stupor to hell on earth. It couldn't get any worse than this.

Then she looked up into Riley's startled and pain-glazed eyes. *Nope, wrong again.*

********

Angel was purring softly against her, licking the curve of her shoulder as Buffy gave Riley a tearful look. He nodded to her, despairing that this might be the last few moments they would have before the demon Angelus burst forth into the world to kill them all. Despite how they felt about Angel, it couldn't be allowed to happen.

Riley stepped back, ducked down to pick up the stake she dropped earlier and waited for her command.

Buffy was crying harder than she could ever remember. This time he would really be gone, not just living two hours away but gone forever. She kissed Angel gently, lifting his face out of her neck. His dear features bore the angelic human mask she loved so well. It only made her cry harder.

Angel whispered to her, "What's wrong, baby?"

"Nothing, my love. Just close your eyes." She kissed him again, praying she would have the strength. Buffy knew she would never forgive Riley even though she was the one making the decision.

Riley knew he would never forgive himself, but what must be done, must be done. He gave her another grim nod.

Angel laughed. "Not going to fall for that one again, Buffy."

He caught one of her hands in his and brought it to his lips. "Soul's permanent, my love. There's no danger of Angelus being released, I have complete control of him now." Slowly, he kissed her fingertips, drawing each one into his mouth and sucking on them.

Buffy stared at him in amazement, partially because of his statement and the fact that his cock hadn't softened at all. It was still buried inside her, pulsing with the power from Riley's stolen blood. She gasped as he moved his hips in a slow circle, punctuated by tiny thrusts.

Angel smiled and spoke in a quiet silken tone. "Riley, you can put down that stake……. If you don't believe me, let's wait half an hour and see what happens."

Buffy looked deeply into his eyes, frantic with the need to believe him. All she could see reflected in their chocolate depths was his absolute love for her. There was no hint of the demon that co-inhabited his body. Choosing to trust in blind faith, Buffy sobbed wildly in relief, wrapping her arms tightly round his neck.

Angel knew the elusive scent rising for her skin was not her own. There was something wrong with it. He was fighting the pull of whatever it was, trying to remain in control long enough to convince his friends it was safe to be around him. But the smell of her, the feel of her in his arms, the sweet slide of her sheath along his aching member was driving him insane.

Riley tucked the stake in his belt and approached them cautiously. He didn't completely trust Angel, but Buffy's tears were drawing him in closer. He reached over Angel's shoulder and caressed her cheek with trembling fingers. It only made her cry harder.

Angel held her tighter, nuzzling her face, sipping at her tears, still purring softly as he tried to comfort her.

Riley cleared his throat. "Buffy. It's all right, we're here and we're going to get you out of this place somehow." He was supremely uncomfortable with the situation. Part of him wanted to tear Angel away from her and part of him wanted to leave them in privacy.

But Buffy's tears made him choose to do nothing but stand close, stroking her face. *No, I don't have a normal life, do I? I can just see it now. Hey Mom, Hey Dad, this is my girlfriend Buffy and oh yeah, the vampire with his dick buried in her is my friend Angel. Say hi to everyone, Angel.*

Buffy sobbed harder, wailing against Angel's shoulder. He shot Riley a bewildered look. Fury at his announcement he expected, not hysterical tears. Angel thought she would beat on him for not telling her about his soul, not cry as if her world had just ended.

Angel shifted her body so Riley could slip between her and the wall. Riley's arms wrapped around Buffy, supporting her between the two of them. They both cradled her petite body as she sobbed.

"Shh, love. Tell us what's wrong." Angel kissed her tenderly as he reluctantly withdrew from her and tucked himself back into his clothes.

Riley nuzzled her hair awkwardly, placing a tender kiss on her cheek. Buffy hiccuped and nuzzled him back then kissed Angel carefully. Riley was slightly surprised how casually she was accepting both of their attentions but then remembered the drug had a similar if milder effect on humans.

Her voice was tiny and muffled as she buried her face back into Angel's shoulder. "S-something happened…. Oh Angel, there were so many of them….I couldn't fight them all off."

His voice was full of tenderness as Angel rocked her in his arms. "Shh, Buffy, I know, I know. You were so brave to try."

He kissed her again, struggling to stay in control of his deeper urges. Everything within him, most especially his demon was screaming for him to take her again. Angel ached with the desire to pull her down to the floor and remind her with his body how much she belonged to him, regardless of the rape, regardless of her sleeping with Riley. Nothing mattered but his love and need for her.

"How can you….How can you touch me after what they did?" She would not look at him, she could not look at him.

"Doesn't matter to me, baby. Not your fault. None of this was your fault." His kiss was fierce as he whispered to her. "My fault….All my fault. I wasn't here to protect you…."

Riley spoke quietly behind her, his hands smoothing over her arms as he rocked her. "He's right, Buffy… It was not your fault. You did everything you could….."

"I should have died. I wanted to die…." She was shaking in their arms.

"No. You're not going to die…. They are." An immediate rush of fury swept through his veins, washing all other desire before it as Angel envisioned his revenge on her rapists. "Riley and I are going to track down each and every one of those soulless bastards and we're going to kill them…..Aren't we?"

The look Angel gave him was implacable and Riley felt the vampire's bloodlust as if it were his own. He nodded. "Yup. Every single one of them. Could probably get Spike to help us."

Buffy laughed weakly at that thought. "Yeah, right I can just see Spike agreeing to that. NOT!"

They chuckled in relief as her sense of humor reasserted itself and each of them held her tighter. "How did you guys find me?"

Angel ducked his head, looking slightly embarrassed. He mumbled something under his breath that she couldn't quite catch. "What was that, Angel?"

"Blood-bond….. I tracked you through the blood-bond."

"What's a blood-bond?" His gaze dropped significantly to the scar on her neck and she raised her hand to touch it. It was burning again, had been since he found her in the maze. "You can track me because of this?"

"Not exactly…..I can't track you." He glanced away, tightened his lips and then looked back. "Angelus can track you."

"A-Angelus? Angelus can track me?" She tried to pull away from him but was firmly held by their two huge bodies. It wasn't the first time in her life she cursed being so little. "I thought you said your soul was permanent. H-how can Angelus track me?"

Riley kissed the top of her head and looked into Angel's eyes, seeking permission. The vampire nodded, relieved that he didn't have to explain his demon's overt presence. "We've been using him all week to find you." His fingertips found the scar. "Angelus marked you as his mate when Angel took your blood on Graduation Day."

"Mate?….I'm mated to Angelus?….Well that explains a hell of a lot. No wonder those vamps that caught me were so scared." She laughed softly, her feminine ego secretly delighted that even Angel's demon couldn't resist her.

"Spike might think he's the big bad but Angelus has most of the demons in this town shaking in their boots. That must really chap his hide." The image of his irritated childe flashed before his eyes and Angel threw his head back as a roar of delighted laughter escaped him. Buffy's giggle joined his.

Their mirth was infectious and Riley chimed in with a deep chuckle. Their three bodies shook for a long moment before Angel's expression sobered. He trailed a finger down her cheek, locking his gaze with hers. "You're not mad at me?"

"Mad, why should I be mad? It kept me from getting killed in that first nest, probably kept the wild bunch from turning me….w-when they w-ere d-d-." She was weeping again, shaking with great wracking sobs.

Angel and Riley looked at each other, momentarily confused by the abrupt change in her demeanor.

Riley banged his head against the wall behind him as everything from his junior year in psychology came back to him. For an entire semester he had worked as a volunteer at the college's rape crisis center and had witnessed this same behavior in so many of the victims.

He spoke carefully to her, using a low soothing tone of voice. "Buffy, Buffy, sweetheart. We're right here. Nobody blames you for any of this. We don't hate you, we love you….. You're so special to us."

Angel had worked several nasty rape cases during his time in Los Angeles. He caught on immediately as he compared the reactions of the women involved in those cases with Buffy's current state. Cordelia had gone through something similar when she was impregnated by the demon earlier that year. "Shh, shh Buffy. Riley's right, there is no blame here….. My love, my sweet little love…….."

There was so much agony and guilt etched across her fine features. Moved by the depth of her pain, Angel lapsed into his mother tongue as he covered her face in little kisses. "Tha gaol agam ort, alainn."

Buffy stopped crying as she heard the soft Gaelic words. Angel rarely spoke Gaelic; she had only heard him use it on the night of her seventeenth birthday. "Angel…what was that you just said?"

Angel gave her his tender half-smile and caressed her cheek. "I love you, beautiful."

"Oh…." She gave a weak laugh and hiccuped. "Guess that's better than actual size….."

Both man shot puzzled looks to each other over her head. Buffy caught the look on Angel's face and laughed again, this time the sound was stronger. "Remind me to tell you about this last Halloween once we get out of here. Anybody got a plan for that yet?"

When they both stiffened, she sighed. "Don't tell me…."

"Well, we had a plan earlier." Angel looked at Riley for help.

"It was a good one…. You would have liked it. Willow and Giles had it all mapped out." Riley realized he was digging them in deeper with every word.

"Okay, you can let me down now…. I'm not going to break again." They released her reluctantly and she straightened her clothes, pulling her top down, smoothing her skirt. Buffy spotted the tattered remnants of her panties in the corner before glaring at Angel.

He ducked his head in silent apology for ruining her clothes. Buffy responded with a grin, she really wasn't that upset about the loss. "So tell me, what happened to this wonderful plan?"

Riley remained silent, refusing to incriminate himself any further. Angel bit the bullet again, keeping his head down. He was still kicking himself for falling in Adam's trap. "I guess we sort of…… blew it."

She tapped her foot and had to stifle the giggle rising in her throat at the sight of the two huge men cowering before her. "Blew it how?"

"I-I went a little nuts. Angelus can do more than track you with the bond, Buffy…. If we're close enough he…. we can feel everything you feel." Angel sighed; he hadn't wanted to remind her of the rape again.

Buffy eyes went wide. "Everything?"

He nodded and gasped in shock as she flew into his arms. "Angel. I'm so sorry you had to feel that. Bad enough for me to go through it, let alone share it with you."

Angel smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I've been through worse, love."

"Huh?"

"Nothing demons in hell like better than a creature with a soul. Especially one in an immortal body." He fought off the memories of his years in Hell. This was not the time to deal with that whole issue.

"Oh…..OH! Oh, Angel how can you still love me after all I've put you through?" Her lower lip was trembling, Angel wanted to do nothing more than kiss it. So he did.

Riley found himself once again wishing to be anywhere but there. He cleared his throat in embarrassment.

Angel looked up at the face of his friend and made an instant decision. It was unfair to exclude the boy from their embrace so he moved one arm from around Buffy. With his now free hand, he beckoned to Riley who gratefully accepted the invitation.

Buffy sighed as she felt him slide into place behind her again. Her voice was muffled by their bodies when she finally asked. "So, about this plan?"

They both groaned.

******