Chapter
Twelve
Coming
Around
The next morning Buffy was
at the gym in the Council working out. Some of the other slayers had come in
to watch her, still not believing that she could do any of the things that they
had heard.
But Buffy was oblivious to
the eyes that watched her she was consumed with anger, shame and the humiliation
of what happened last night.
She could not believe that
he had reclaimed her and then left with out a word. Just left! Nothing said,
no ‘that was the best sex I ever had’, no ‘it’s never been so good’, no ‘your
incredible and beautiful’. Okay so she had a complex! But she deserved to
hear those things from the man that she gave herself too wholeheartedly, didn’t
she? She even lowered herself by admitting that she loved him. Yeah, yeah she
did love him but did she have to tell him that? Idiot, you knew he wasn’t
going to say the same thing back!
She was just so mad at
herself. She had let herself feel so comfortable around him that she forgot
that he was nothing but a demon. He didn’t have her beautiful Angel’s soul. He
probably only took what she offered and that was it.
“Ah Buffy…” Giles walked in
and took note of the tense shoulders and the crisp hard punches that she was
throwing. There seemed to be something off with her today and he mentally
rubbed his hands together.
Everything was going as it
should. He and The Master had been keeping a watch on them and they knew
everything that was going on…everything. Including last nights little romp.
It was all coming together.
“Buffy I have arranged a
small gathering this evening at the Bronze.” She didn’t answer she just kept
up her assault on the bag.
“So you can get more
comfortable with everyone, especially the Master Vampires, ah, that of course
would be Riley, Spike and Angelus.” She still didn’t answer but by the last
name her punches were so hard that the bag was literally swinging back about
five feet.
“There will be food and
refreshments, and of course that noise you young people call music.” He smiled.
Still no response.
“Willow will bring you,
say around nine o’clock?” He waited for some kind of acknowledgement but all he
got was a grunt.
“Excellent…then I’ll ah see
you there.” He left the room quickly and headed towards the Masters chambers.
**
The Master and Giles sat at opposite
sides of a table talking quietly about the prophecy. “It’s all moving according
to plan Master, it’s really been quite simple, who would have known.”
“I knew Rupert, the call of
a mate is too strong to resist. Angelus does have will power but not even he
can resist the call to reclaim his mate.” They smiled at each other when there
was a knock at the door.
“Enter”
A servant walked in “Master?
Master Angelus would like a word with you.” The two men shared a smile “Of
course let him in.”
Angelus was let in and he
stepped up the table, he bowed and addressed his Master “Sire I wish to speak
with you regarding the new slayer.”
“Yes what about?”
Giles watched as he actually
shifted on the balls of his feet like he was nervous, he chuckled to himself,
because never before had he seen the Scourge look so uncomfortable.
“Sire I wish to claim her
now and do away with the feast.” There he said it. He had thought long and
hard on the matter and had decided that Oz was right; there was no shame in
what he felt and he wanted to plead his case before he slipped up again.
The Master was surprised,
things were moving fast. He was actually proud of his child. He didn’t think
that one as stubborn and prideful as Angelus would be able to admit defeat at
the hands of emotion. But it was as it should be. Still he could not give him
he what he asked. He had to abide by the rules as much as any other, at least
that’s what He needs to believe.
“I’m sorry Angelus that is
against the rules of the Feast, you know that.” Angelus scowled. “Besides what
about the other Masters, we do not yet know who she belongs too, and we need to
proceed with caution. Since we all believe that she is the Chosen One we need
to make sure that she is paired with the Champion and not just another Master
Vampire.
That ruffled his feathers
and his eyes darkened. Just another master vampire! He was the fucking
Scourge! There was none like him!
He was about to protest to
that remark but the Master cut him off. “No go leave us Rupert and I have much
to discuss.”
He stiffly turned away “Oh
Angelus?” Giles called out.
“Yes”
“There will be a gathering
tonight at the Bronze at nine o’clock please be sure that you are there. It’s a chance for
Buffy to become more accustomed with everyone in a nice setting, something that
she is used too.”
“Fine I’ll be there.” He
spun away and left.
**
After her workout she went
home. She was still so mad at what happened last night and she was still berating
herself for the words that she spoke.
“Hi Buffy.” Willow came in a happy
smile on her face and sat down next to her.
“Will can I ask you
something?” Buffy asked quietly.
“Sure shoot.”
“When you and Oz are together
does he…express his feelings to you?” She turned questioning eyes to her.
“You mean does he tell me
that he loves me?”
“Yeah.”
Willow smiled, “Yeah he does and it’s so sweet.”
She looked at Buffy who
looked heartbroken and she felt very sad for her friend and she wanted to help
her. She turned toward her and took her hands in hers, “Buffy, you have to
remember that Oz has had a lot of time to get comfortable with the notion of
being in love. Angelus hasn’t and he is not the most open-minded demon.”
Willow smiled at the disgruntled look on the other woman’s
face. “You know he’s stuck on that whole demons are the master race crap. So
it must be pretty confusing for him to find that he actually has feelings for a
human that don’t involve eating them.”
Buffy smiled at that.
“Not to mention that he
never even believed in the prophecy.”
“Yeah I know all that Will.
It’s funny he is so much like the demon was in my dimension but he’s not as
bloodthirsty. I mean the Angelus of my dimension he loved and hated me. But
he let hate rule and he always wanted to kill me. So it was easy to
distinguish between the souled Angel and the Demon, I knew where I stood with
each of them. But him…” She threw her hands up in the air. “With him I don’t
know where I stand, one minute I know he feels the same, the next I think he
wants to rip my head off.”
She stood up and walked over
to the window “It’s almost like the soul is there too.”
“Well in some ways it is.”
Buffy turned around “What do
you mean?”
“Buffy you have to remember
that the demons here have had centuries to get used to the idea that they don’t
eat and attack humans anymore. In some ways it has mellowed out the demon,
he’s more tamed. It’s like a domesticated house cat. They are close to their
wild cousins, so they still retain their wild animal instincts but they are
also tamed.”
Looking at the bewildered
expression on Buffy’s face “Well that’s how Oz explained it to me once. But
basically what I’m saying is that if given time he’ll come around.”
Buffy sighed, “I know you’re
probably right. I know that he feels the same way; I can see it in his eyes. I
only ask for some kind of acknowledgement you know. It doesn’t have to be
flowery words of love just something, anything!” she threw her hands up in the
air exasperated with the whole situation.
“I know.” She reached out
and grabbed her hand “Don’t worry Buffy everything will work out the way it’s
supposed to, you’ll see.” Buffy looked into Willows kind eyes and a frisson of
hope filled her.
“I haven’t told you that I’m
sorry for yelling at you when I first got here.” She had meant to apologize
earlier but of course she never got around to it. She wanted to make sure that
the witch knew she didn’t harbor any bad feelings.
“Don’t be silly you had
every right to be angry with me. I just hope that you are happy here or at
least that you will be.”
They smiled at each other
“With friends like you how could I not.”
They shared a warm smile of
friendship then Willow stood up “Now we have to get you ready for tonight’s
gathering.”
“Oh yay…yippy.” She
sarcastically said.
Willow smiled at her, “You know Buffy they will all be there,
this could actually work in your favor, you know? I mean Spike will be there,
Riley will be there….”
Buffy’s eyes sparkled with
mischief “Angelus will be there.” Willow nodded happily.
“Why Willow you are a
devious little thing aren’t you?”
She shrugged “Well I guess
hanging out with Oz has rubbed off on me,” she blushed when she realized what
she said.
Buffy laughed at her
discomfort “So what sinfully decadent outfit shall I wear tonight?”