Chapter Three
We Meet Again
Buffy stood at the entry door, which lead to the feast. Ironically it was the door to the gym of the high school. Something else that never changes, evil still dwells on top of the Hellmouth no matter what dimension you’re in.
After her talk with Giles, Willow had taken her to her house where she would be staying. Buffy had almost laughed because it was her house! Everything looked the same except instead of the pictures of her, Dawn and her mom on the walls, there was nothing; just bare walls with candles on them.
Willow had shown her to her room, literally her room, picked out her outfit for the feast then left her to get ready.
Now as she stood waiting to go inside she wondered at the situation she found herself in. Was this a joke by the Powers That Be? Hadn’t she done her duty? How could this be happening to her? How was she supposed to handle the fact that Slayers were nothing more then food and a fuck on this dimensional plane and that she wasn’t the only one. That by it self felt rather strange. Okay so she had a little bit of a seniority complex but hey she had earned it hadn’t she?
She looked down at what she was wearing. Not bad actually. She was quite comfortable and if she was honest she felt completely sinful. She was wearing a red leather dress that clung to her curves and pushed her breasts up. It ran all the way down to the floor with a black lace train that trailed behind her as she walked. Willow had pulled her hair up in a knot so her neck was bare, then applied monstrous amounts of black eyeliner and blood red lipstick.
When she had first looked at herself in the mirror she was shocked to see that she actually looked sexy and dangerous. And that made her feel good. She wanted to feel dangerous she wanted these people to know that they couldn’t bend her to their will. She was the one with the power; she would bend them to her will. Why then did she feel like she was about to enter the lion’s den?
Oh well...there was no going back. Taking a deep breath she opened the doors.
**
Angelus was standing in the corner talking to Oz when he felt a shiver run threw him. It was something that he never felt before. It started out as a little tingle that in a matter of seconds turned into a warm humming sensation that filled his entire being. His ears started to ring and his body hummed with anticipation. He took a deep breath and smelt something so powerful so alluring that without his being aware of it his features shifted to that of the demon.
Oz watched Angelus closely. When he first saw Angelus here he had found it odd because he never attended the feasts. But he assumed that Spike had told him about the new slayer and that he wanted to see for himself.
Willow had told him what she had done and he knew that she believed this Slayer to be the One. Oz never really cared much for the prophecy he knew that he was not The Champion and he always thought that if any vampire could father a child that it would be Angelus. He was the most powerful Master Vampire he was also the one that laughed in the face of the prophecy. Now as he continued to watch Angelus’ face shift and watched the feral look that appeared in his eyes. He thought maybe Willow was right.
Buffy stood inside the door and felt extremely self-conscious when all the eyes in the room turned to her. She looked around and saw Vampires and humans all mingling together and they were all staring at her like she was a prize to be raffled off.
Giles walked up to her, he smiled kindly at her trying to reassure her “Buffy you look magnificent. I hope you are comfortable in Willow’s house?”
“Yeah it’s just great.” He frowned at her sarcasm.
“Yes well shall we?” He offered her his arm.
She shrugged and gave him her arm.
Taking the arm he offered her Giles lead her up to the dais. She faltered only once and that was when she saw the Master sitting there like a king over his court. His disfigured face keenly watched her making her insides squirm. She never thought she would see his hideous face again and yet here she was staring into the cold eyes of the demon that had killed her.
Angelus watched her standing there in the doorway; her head held proudly her back straight and was shaken. He had never seen a slayer stand so tall. Never felt the power radiating off of one like he did this girl. Her smell was intoxicating and she stood there defiantly looking out into the room. She seemed invincible, except for that one little misstep she made while walking to the dais, she seemed completely in control.
Giles cleared his throat “Master I’m pleased to introduce Miss. Buffy Summers.” Giles stepped back and waited for Buffy to take the hand that the Master offered her. He was horrified with what happened next.
“Don’t touch me you disgusting pig.” Buffy sneered at the Master. The room was silenced by the words spoken to the Master, all waited for her death, surely that was to be her fate.
Angelus smiled maybe Spike was telling the truth.
The Master looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. She was a creature of pure sensuality and her smell was enthralling with the power that ran through her blood. He knew that she was the One. He looked to his right where his favorite child stood and he was glad to see him just as taken by the beauty in front of him.
The Master chuckled at her “Child there is no reason to be defensive here. I will not hurt you.” Instead of being thankful and grateful for having her life spared she retaliated again with sarcasm.
“Like I could believe you, you already killed me once. I won’t let that happen again.” He contemplated what she said and knew of what she spoke of.
He smiled kindly at her, which only confused her “I understand why you feel that way Willow has filled me in on all of your…adventures. But here, things are different. It has been centuries since I took the life of a human.” He spread his hands around the room “As it has been for all my children.”
She scoffed at him “Well excuse me if I don’t jump for joy at you being on the wagon. Look I already told Giles and Willow, and now I’ll tell you…” she looked around the room “all of you. I don’t care about this prophecy or this world. I don’t belong here but until I can leave I’ll stay out of everyone’s way, and I’ll even promise not to kill anyone.” Her eyes changed to slits “Unless someone provokes me or tries to touch me then I can’t be held responsible for my actions.”
“What insolence!” A voice was heard from behind Buffy. She knew that voice but she couldn’t believe it she didn’t want to believe it.
“Master will you not punish her for this insolence?” The voice was to her right now and she dared to peek to see if it was true.
She turned to the right and gasped “Riley?”
Riley Finn, Master Vampire, turned to the insolent human “How do you know my name?” But when he gazed into her stunned eyes he was almost speechless she was beautiful and he could smell her power. He stepped closer to her and took a big whiff. “Power…she smells of power….and Slayer?” He lifted his hand to touch her face.
Buffy stood stone still, having a hard time believing that Riley was in front of her and that he wore the face of a demon.
“Do you wish for me to punish her Master?” The thought of punishing the beautiful woman filled Riley’s mind, he would have this one.
“I don’t think so mate.” Spike stepped up on Buffy’s left and grabbed her arm “I saw her first Captain Cardboard I will have the honor of punishing her for my Master.”
Buffy was feeling extremely out of sorts Riley and Spike were arguing over who would punish her when she felt a feeling that she hadn’t felt since…
“Perhaps neither one of you, since neither one of you has any say in this matter to begin with.” A voice from behind her said.
Angel? She knew that voice, she knew that voice as much as she knew her own. And even though she sensed no soul in him she still felt connected to him. Still felt that he would save her.
She whipped around quickly and looked up into his chocolate eyes. She smiled at him “Angel!” and threw herself into his arms.
Angelus was lost in the green depths of her eyes and the feeling that he knew her somehow, from somewhere. Then when she flung herself into his arms and pressed her lithe body against his, he felt himself respond to her nearness. Felt how it all seemed right. And he knew that she was his.
“Oh my God Angel…my Angel, I’m so glad you are here. I’ve missed you so much. I died and I came hear and I feel so lost, so alone, you have to help me.” All the feelings that she had been holding in since she arrived all came out in a rapid string of hysterics as she finally had a sense of familiarity in the haven of his arms.
With her body clinging to him he could feel her tremors he heard the confusion in her voice and he felt a surge of protectiveness that he had never in his undead life felt before. And it made him scowl.
She grabbed his head and pulled his mouth down to hers “Angel” she kissed him passionately not caring that the others in the room watched. Not caring that this was Angelus and not Angel. Here in this dimension it didn’t matter all that mattered was that the person she most wanted and needed was here.
The second their lips made contact a shock went through his body. It spiraled throughout him from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. He was totally consumed by her presence. Plus her tongue sweeping through his mouth wasn’t too bad either. In fact he felt his all body come to life at her nearness.
It all seemed so familiar she seemed familiar but he was pretty sure that he never actually met her. He definitely would have remembered these scrumptious lips.
But what had she said, that he was her Angel, that she had missed him and that she had died? What the hell was she talking about; she was all warm and definitely alive. In fact for a dead woman she was pretty fucking hot!
Riley not liking being pushed aside went to grab Buffy’s arm to pull her away from Angelus.
Without breaking lip contact with Buffy he snapped Riley’s arm out of the air before he even touched her. He pulled away from Buffy and lifted his yellow eyes to Riley “If you value your life you will not touch her!” He menacingly growled. Spike watched not liking where this was going.
The Master watched everything with a smile on his face and looked over at the Watcher. They smiled knowingly at each other.
Riley stared into the yellow eyes of the Vampire that he hated with every
undead breath he took. This demon that denied the legitimacy of the
prophecy, who never attends the feast, has the nerve to stand there and
threaten him!
“What say you Angelus? What claim do you have on this girl; you who does not care about the fate of our world or the fate of the humans, dare question me?”
The room waited with baited breath to see what would happen next. Angelus was known for his quick and violent temper surely someone was about to die.
Angelus unwound Buffy’s death grip on his neck and pushed her behind him as he walked up to Riley. “I do as I like Finn besides you have no claim on her out of the two of us I have more claim than you.”
He quickly turned around to Spike “And you?” He smirked at him “You have no claim either you are just a child.”
“Hey I resent that I’m a Master Vampire just like the two of you, I have as much a right as the both of you.” He stepped closer “What do you care anyways, humans are beneath you, remember?” Spike sneered back.
Buffy standing behind Angelus didn’t like be talked about like a piece of property. She pushed Angelus aside and stood between all three of them. “Just wait a God damn minute here I’m not anyone’s property.”
The Master stood up and all eyes turned to him “The child is correct. She does not belong to anyone…yet.”
“Hey!” Buffy said but was stopped by Giles hand on her shoulder.
He looked at all his children, “After discussing the circumstances surrounding our newest slayer we have decided to give her one month to become acquainted with our world. After that month she will be brought back here to the feast to be chosen. Until then she will stay with our fair White Wicca and learn the ways of our world.”
A low rumble went throughout the room at this turn of events. Everyone wondered why special treatment was being granted to the new slayer but no one questioned the motives of the Master and The Watcher.
“Angelus you will join me in my quarters.” With that said he swiftly turned away and left the room.
Angelus dutifully bowed “Yes Master.”
Spike and Riley started to argue with each other. Angelus turned around to say something to Buffy but she was gone. He looked up and saw her looking back at him as Willow dragged her from the room.