Chapter Sixteen

The Emancipation of Buffy

Buffy and Faith moved through the compound with purposeful strides. Confidence radiated off of them in waves. It was a lure to the men in the camp and their hungry lustful gazes followed them as they walked.

Buffy felt every one of their hot stares and it only served to enflame her self-assurance. She felt empowered and with every step she took the blade moved against her skin empowering her even more.

Inside her head there was a ticking clock counting down to the moment when her past would be behind her and she could truly live her life openly and honestly with the man that held her heart. And with every tick her internal clock made she became more impatient, more eager to have this over and done with.

It was Saturday night, and the pig roast was in full swing. As they neared the fire pit she saw Adam talking to Grant who sat at his left side. To Adam’s right was Maggie who was staring into the flames looking as drugged up as she had the last time they saw her. Restlessly, Buffy looked around but didn’t see Parker. Irritation filled her, where the hell was he?

The second they stepped into the circle Grant saw them and whispered to Adam. They stood up and walked around the pit to stand in front of Buffy and Faith. Adam nodded his head and then began to lead them away from the crowd surrounding the fire.

They followed Adam, with Grant behind them, as he took them to a remote corner of the camp. They walked down a dirt path that led to a small clearing in the woods where there was a water barrel and pipes running out of it that led back to the encampment. It was dark and they were all alone, which to Buffy and Faith meant one thing…trouble.

“You got them?” Adam asked as he turned to look at Buffy.

She held out the bag and he snatched it away from her then quickly opened it. Seeing the diamonds inside he smiled then closed the bag placing it on the ground at his feet.

“Good job Buffy.” He took a step closer and Buffy could smell the booze and heroine that permeated off of his skin. She wanted to vomit.

“I told you it wouldn’t be a problem.” She took a step back. “I fulfilled my end of the bargain now it’s your turn.”

Adam smiled, “my turn?”

“Yeah. Faith and I are going to turn and walk out of this place and we’re never coming back. And you and your asshole brother are never going to bother me again.”

Adam chuckled, “well as you can see my asshole brother as you put it isn’t here. And as for our bargain…” his eyes trailed down her face and to her chest. “I’ll stick to my word. You are both free to go.”

“Good.” She turned ready to walk away from him forever but he grabbed her arm and hauled her back against him. His breath hit her face and she visibly blanched at the smell. She just knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“But not until I taste you once last time. You see Buffy I’ve discovered that I have quite a desire to fuck you again. It must be this newfound self confidence you’ve discovered. Your blatant disrespect to me and even your husband for that matter it… just makes me rock hard,” he whispered.

Faith took a step forward only to be stopped by Grant. “You better get your hands off of me,” she sneered at him.

Grant cursed silently under his breath not knowing what to do. He had made a deal with the devil and he intended to keep it but he was having a hard time deciding if the time to stick to that deal was now.

If he stepped in now, Adam would be pissed and probably kill him, thereby leaving Grant dead and all his hopes of running the Brotherhood gone forever.

But if he didn’t step in and Angelus found out he would be dead anyway, so what did he do? Thankfully for Grant, Buffy answered his question.

Buffy stood strong in front of Adam. She wasn’t afraid that she was once again going to get raped. Adam wasn’t like Parker, he didn’t need to be sneaky about raping her, he would just manhandle her, throw her around a bit, try to get the upper hand so he could do his dirty deed. That she could fight and she was just itching to kick his ass.

Buffy laughed up at him, boldly daring him on. “Have I ever told how much I detest you and your entire family? You think you can scare me with that? You think I’m going to start crying and begging? You think you can degrade me like Parker? Well you’ll get nothing from me but my fists in your face and my knee in your balls!” She screamed at him.

Adam laughed back at her his hand tightening around her arm. “Yeah Parker told me. But he also told me how meek and submissive you were, just like old times ah Buffy?”

“Yeah that’s because he had to drug me.”

“Well he has is ways.” His smile disappeared as he roughly yanked her against his chest. “And I have mine. Either way they both serve their purposes, humiliation for you and a knife in the heart of your boyfriend. He’ll never want to touch you again when he finds out how easily you give it away to other men.”

Buffy snorted, “He’s never going to find out Adam. I didn’t tell him what Parker did and you, you’ll never get a chance to rape me.”

Grant smiled. She didn’t tell Angelus about Parker, which meant that she wouldn’t tell him about Adam raping her either, and Grant was sure he would. Buffy was so small and Adam was so big there was no way she could fight him off.

“You’re done Adam, you and your sick little brother you’re both going to die under my hand.” Buffy threatened him and Adam responded with a sharp left hook to her chin.

“Now you threaten me? You surprise me Buffy and that’s pretty hard to do these days. But it doesn’t matter you can be all cocky and self-assured as you want. Your threats don’t scare me.” He leaned in, whispering harshly. “You’re the same naïve little girl you’ve always been.”

“Fuck you Adam.” She spat on him, grinning as his eyes darkened and his hand came up to wipe her spit off his face.

Adam leered at her, his entire body tightening with anger and lust. “Fuck me? That’s right little girl. That’s exactly what you’re going to do.”

Buffy struggled against him, trying to break free of his hold. But he shook her roughly and then slammed her up against him. “I’m going to fuck you until your eyeballs pop out of your head. Then, then I’m going to slit yours and your pretty little girlfriend’s neck and mail your bodies back to your boyfriend in pieces.”

Faith thrashed against Grant’s hold. Her heart beat precariously irregular in her chest, she was on the verge of hysterics. She could not stand idly by and watch her friend get raped…again. She had to get free to help Buffy.

But Grant held her tight and whispered in her ear. “Stop struggling! Unless you want some too? Or maybe I should call Luke and let him have at you?”

Faith snarled at him, “Go ahead and call him. I’m not afraid of him or you!”

While Faith continued to fight against Grant, Adam was oblivious to what was going on. He couldn’t care less what happened to the other girl as long as he didn’t have to worry about her attacking him from behind. He knew Grant would watch his back, so he could devote all of his attention to the vixen thrashing against him.

And God she was a vixen. Every violent move she made enflamed his body and his senses. He viciously grabbed Buffy by the arm and threw her against the water tank. Her back and shoulders slammed into the hard steel, and the sound echoed inside the half empty tank rumbling loudly. Her eyes closed with the pain that coursed throughout her, but she made no sound.

Adam ardently observed her face as it contorted with pain but his eyes crossed irritably when she made no sound. Wanting to draw some sort of emotion from her, he reached down and grabbed her nipple in between his fingers. Twisting it sadistically he finally got the reaction that he wanted as Buffy screamed.

He was so turned on and the more she fought him the hotter he got. He groaned, “That’s right Buffy scream for me. Fight me. You know how that turns me on.”

His words turned her stomach and bile filled her mouth. God he was sick just like Parker. Maybe their methods did differ but underneath that they were the same sick bastard.

She was so angry, so tired of being their instrument to appease their poor excuse of a manhood that she roared with fury. Her hand broke free of his grasp and she punched him in the face with a hard right, knocking his head back. The knife in the back of her pants scraped her skin with her quick movement reminding her that if she could just get free she could end this here and now.

She fought harder. She kicked him. She kneed him anywhere she could. But Adam was fast and he didn’t appreciate being hit back. He threw an upper cut just catching her on her chin. Her head lolled back as she saw stars behind her closed lids and her body stilled.

Adam chuckled then grabbed her arms and held them above her head as he leaned into her neck, biting her sensitive skin hard and drawing blood.

The pain of his teeth cleared her mind and renewed her strength. She yelped with pain as she brought her knee up and struck him in the balls. But what should have been an incapacitating maneuver wasn’t and she looked into his crazed laughing eyes with disbelief.

“Yeah see now that’s not really going to work right now Buff, compliments of the Coca plant.” He laughed into her bulging eyes as his hand reached down and grabbed her breast again.

He squeezed it roughly while he moved over and bit the other side of her neck. “God you do taste good Buffy, I’d forgotten how sweet you are.”

Buffy’s eyes closed unable to believe that this was about to happen to her again. She refused to let it and she fought harder. She kicked him anywhere she could touch him. And in her efforts her saving grace fell out of the back of her pants and landed on the dirt.

Feeling the knife leave her skin she panicked, her struggles intensified and she urgently tried to get her hands released from his big grip. But no matter what she did, no matter how strong she was…he was stronger, and unease started to settle inside of her…fear started to creep into her soul and her eyes misted with gloom.

“Let her go you asshole!” Faith screamed at Adam just as Grant threw her to the ground. He sat on top her, holding her hands trying to subdue her. “Shut up bitch!”

Buffy held back the tears that threatened to spill. She would not cry. She would not scream. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

Reaching down Adam grabbed her thigh and roughly moved up her leg and to her crotch, where he pressed his palm against her clothed skin.

He inhaled deeply, “God you smell so good. Like…”

He never got to finish.

A fist was suddenly in his hair gripping his head painfully and yanking his head back. A voice, surely from the depths of hell itself, rasped in his ear finishing his sentence for him.

“Like mine!”

Buffy’s eyes popped opened and she let out a deep breath, panicking slightly as she wondered how much of their conversation he had heard. “Angel.”

Angel didn’t answer her because he couldn’t hear her. He was completely unhinged and any remotely human sanity that he had when he got here disappeared.

And he did have some, not much, but some.

When they arrived at the compound he was already suppressing his annoyance over not being able to make Uncle suffer before he died. That was topped off with not knowing what was happening to Buffy. Oh he knew she would still be here, that was why he planned everything the way he did, so he could come here and protect her from herself.

When he didn’t see her right away hanging out with everyone else, his anger and worry increased. And with every head and body that tried to stop him from getting inside, his fist connected to skin and appeased him a bit more.

When Paulina rushed over to him and told him where Buffy and Faith were, he and Spike had ran down the path, while the rest of the gang stayed to mollify the angry bikers with all the ammunition they had, which was a lot of guns and a military rocket launcher. It was Gunn’s idea to bring it along and it proved to be a wise decision. None of the bikers made a move after he took it out.

Subsequently Angel thought he was doing pretty good…staying sane that is, until he came across them in the clearing. Until he saw his baby held up against her will with another man touching her.

That was when it happened, that was when he snapped. He heard nothing but the deafening buzz in between his ears as Angel disappeared and Angelus – Scourge of Europe – took over. He saw only red and Adam was in the center of it.

To Buffy he looked like a berserker – mad and insane – right before her eyes he became the killer that she knew him to be and it frightened her for one second. After that she felt thwarted when she realized that her chance of killing Adam was just taken away from her.

Angel stood behind him, his fist latched onto his hair, his other hand a vise grip on Adam’s hand that was offensively touching Buffy.

Adam snarled, “You must be the boyfriend.”

Angel snarled back at him, gripping his hair harder and applying immense pressure to his wrist.

Adam bit back the cry of pain that threatened to erupt and instead, thinking that Angel was a nobody, pushed his buttons further. “You’ll have to wait your turn because I got here first.”

Angel let loose with a thunderous scream of madness. With all his strength he yanked Adam off of Buffy throwing him to the ground. In his hand he held a patch of Adam’s hair and bloody skin.

Sitting on the ground Adam looked over to see Grant wrestling on the ground with some blonde guy. Then he looked up at Angel, his hand reached up and touched his tender scalp.

“Looking for this.” Angel said, throwing the skin at him.

Adam caught it then threw it away, quickly getting to his feet. He shrugged, “what’s a little skin? It’ll all be worth it after I kill you and take Buffy. On second thought, maybe I should fuck Buffy first and let you watch.”

Angel snorted at him, “You think it’s going to be that easy?” He was a little insulted obviously Adam had no idea who he was dealing with. “You have no idea who you’re talking to, do you?”

Adam guffawed, “what does it matter…Angel.” He mimicked Buffy’s voice; clearly stating that he didn’t find a man with a name like Angel a threat.

They circled each other, arms outstretched, eyes glowing with rage, and bodies tense with anticipation.

Angel grinned at him, “Actually the name is Angelus. But you might know me as The Scourge of Europe.”

Adam faltered in his steps, his smile faded and Buffy saw fear in his eyes. She grinned from ear to ear seeing him so speechless, trying to comprehend what he just heard.

Spike meanwhile had no problem subduing Grant and biding his hands together, and they now stood at the sidelines watching. “He’s speechless mate.”

Grabbing Grant’s ear he pulled him closer to him. “See that’s what I was talking about…now that’s intimidation!”

He threw him away from him and Grant fell to the ground as Faith rushed to Buffy’s side.

“B are you okay?”

Buffy nodded her head dumbly as she leaned down and picked up the knife tucking it away in the back of her pants.

Her eyes were glued to his powerful body as he moved; her ears were filled with the animalistic noises that were emanating out of his mouth. He looked and sounded so incredibly sexy that she couldn’t control the shiver of lust that made her tingle. She swallowed and licked her lips, feeling quite bloodthirsty herself; she couldn’t wait to get him alone.

Adam hearing Spike’s jeer got his balls back and screamed as he rushed Angel at a full run. He grabbed him by the waist his head in Angel’s stomach as he tried to lift him off the ground and tackle him.

But Angel was ready for him and the second Adam grabbed him, he leaned over him and picked him up, violently tossing him away.

Adam flew through the air and landed on the ground about four feet away from Angel. He was a big man so when his body hit the ground, dirt flew up all around him encasing him in a veil of soil.

He hit the ground hard and the air left his lungs. He was stunned that he had been overpowered so quickly and so easily. He tried to get his breath back but Angel wouldn’t relent. He stormed over to him and kicked him in the face. Blood spurted out as Adam’s head rolled to the left. He kicked him again and his head rolled to the right.

Leaning down Angel picked him up, his hands wrapped around Adam’s throat squeezing what little breath he had out. “I want you to know how lucky you are Adam. I don’t think you know just how much self control it took for me not to kill you already. Really you should thank me that I let you live this long.”

Adam gripped Angel’s wrist trying to pull him off and gasping for breath at the same time, but he still managed to croak out an insult. “The…Big Bad Scourge… why would a guy like you…want a whore like…Buffy? A little low…on…self…esteem, are you?”

Angel clamored furiously as he pulled back and let loose with his left fist landing it squarely on Adam’s nose. He heard a distinct crack of bones breaking and he grinned satisfied with the sickening sound.

Buffy was tired of standing on the sidelines. She didn’t like that comment and she rushed over to them wanting to get a piece of Adam herself.

She walked up behind him and punched him on his bare scalp that was still bleeding from Angel ripping his hair out.

He screamed with pain and Buffy smiled happily. But the next minute she found a big hand on her chest, pushing her to the ground where she landed on her ass.

Angel turned their bodies so Adam was away from her and he looked down at her angrily. “DON’T TOUCH HIM!” He screamed at her but he didn’t know what he was doing or saying. He only knew that he didn’t want to see her skin touch Adam.

She sat there looking up at him with consternation and tears of outrage forming in her eyes at her lover’s deed. But Angel ignored her and looked over at Spike. “Get her out of here NOW!”

Spike immediately went over and helped Buffy up. Grabbing both Buffy and Faith he stopped near Grant. “What about him Angelus?”

Angel looked at Grant his eyes were red slits of promised death and smoke came out of his nostrils as he breathed into the cool night air.

Buffy sucked in her breath as she looked at her lover. She was reminded of the dragonhead in the study at the mansion, and the binding on the book, and the knife that was nestled against her skin for that matter. In that moment he resembled a mythical beast more than a human being and she understood why he got the name Scourge of Europe.

This was a side of him that she had never seen before and while she found it incredibly sexy it also pissed her off. This was her past, her moment of emancipation and she wanted to see it through. She held her ground and tore her arm out of Spike’s hold just as Angel reached for Adam again.

She stormed over to Angel and yelled up in his face. “No! I’m not going anywhere! It’s my right to stay!”

She turned and looked at Adam, “I want to see him die.” She scathingly said.

Angel stared down into her stormy green eyes, her impassioned words fueled his fire and for the first time since he walked into the clearing he saw something other than Adam. He saw her. And what he saw made him hungry.

He pushed Adam to the ground, grabbed Buffy and pulled her against him. Her feet left the ground as he lifted her up to his face and smashed his lips against hers, brutally mauling her mouth.

Buffy whimpered with his unexpected attack, her body bracing for a different kind of violence, not this hot passionate needy violence. Her body became heated as she moaned tasting every corner of his mouth, devouring him as he devoured her, completely unaware of the surprised faces that watched.

Spike rolled his eyes as Faith held back a giggle, he couldn’t believe these two. Hot violent sex was all good in his book but now was really not the time for it.

“Ahem…excuse us Bonnie and Clyde, but do you really think now is a good time to maul each other?” Spike asked, as he winked at Faith.

Adam watched for one second before he realized this was his chance. Reaching down into his boot he pulled out a dagger and rushed the couple, his arm raised high and aimed at Buffy’s back.

“ANGELUS!” Spike screamed as Faith gasped with surprise.

But Angel saw him coming.

He grabbed Buffy’s knife out of her pants and spun her out of the way just as Adam would’ve landed his own knife in her back. Grabbing Adam’s wrist he held it up in the air as he sunk Buffy’s knife into Adam’s gut.

Adam dropped the knife he was holding and fell to the ground, his hands grasping his belly, his face a mask of shock.

Wasting no time, Angel walked around and stood behind him. He wrenched his head back with such finality that Adam felt like his teeth were pulled back into his gums.

“I’ll see you in hell Angelus.” Adam sneered.

“It’s a date.” Angel said just as he slit his throat.

Releasing him, Adam fell forward.

Angel’s eyes immediately rose to Buffy. She was standing there her eyes fixated on Adam and the blood that drained out of his body like a fast flowing stream. She seemed mesmerized by it and there was a slight smirk on her beautiful rosy lips as she just continued to stare at the lifeless body.

He turned away from the engrossing picture she made, and walked over to Grant who held up his bound hands, pleading for mercy.

“Please…Angelus, listen to me…I was going to step in, I was just waiting for the right moment, I swear!”

“The right moment, and when was that after he punched her in the face or after he raped her?“

Grant saw death walking towards him and tried desperately to appease it.

“No please… you have…to…listen to me!” he stammered.

When Angel didn’t respond and kept walking, Grant continued.

“What was I supposed to do? He would have killed me!” He shouted with fear.

Angel shrugged as he walked up to him, “So what? Now I’m going to kill you. Either way you look at it you’re a dead man.”

Hearing those words Buffy looked up just in time to see Angel snap Grant’s neck. His body fell to the ground along side his President.

He stood there staring at the lifeless bodies of the men that deserved death. Men that had tormented him with their past deeds of abuse laid at his love’s feet and he felt cleansed. As he took a deep breath, the bloodlust cleared. His mind was once more controlled and…sane.

He looked over at Buffy who stood still staring at him, and he started to get a little uneasy. She had witnessed him at his lowest point. She had seen the demon inside of him. Seen what that demon could do. How ruthless he could be. How he didn’t even let love stand in his way to get what he wanted. It was a side of himself that he never thought she would witness.

He didn’t know what to say to ease her fears, but he couldn’t look her in the eye anymore, his gaze lowered to the ground as his eyelids closed.

Spike sensing the sudden stiffness in the air took Faith by the hand and pulled her back along the path. “Come on luv let’s make sure that that crazy bastard Gunn didn’t blow everyone up.”

Faith took one last look at her friend then nodded, walking with Spike back to the encampment.

When they were gone Buffy walked softly up to Angel. She reached for his head bringing his eyes up to hers. “Angel.” She softly entreated him.

He opened his eyes and looked into a pool of green meadows, where the sun of love shone brightly just for him. “I love you.” she said.

He breathed out the breath he had been holding, relieved that she wasn’t afraid of him. Gently he took her head in his hands and leaned down, whispering his love for her before he kissed her with every raw emotion that was running through him.

They held each other for a few minutes more, eyes closed, feeling only the other’s body as it pressed so intimately next to their own. When they pulled back Buffy had tears in her eyes as she stroked his face.

“I’m sorry; I never wanted you to see me like that.” He quietly said.

Buffy smiled at him, he was always thinking of her. “Like what? A man protecting the woman he loves?”

“No…yes, God Buffy, you know what I mean.”

She chuckled, “I do know what you mean baby.”

Grabbing his head she attacked his mouth, kissing him hard and fast. Her tongue swept inside entreating his tongue to play with hers. And he did…eagerly.

He grabbed her and brought her flush to his body, as his hands caressed her back his mouth stroked her mouth. When they pulled away they were both breathless.

“Angel…” She purred his name and his body shivered. “I love seeing that primitive side of you. It makes me want to throw you to the ground and ride you all night long.” She hotly whispered to him as she leaned against his forehead.

Angel flashed her that lopsided grin that she loved and she feigningly growled at him. Grabbing his hair she yanked him closer to her. “You better control that killer smile of yours baby, or you just might find yourself flat on your back.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?” He asked playfully.

“No but this is.”

Angel’s smile faded as he felt the cold metal of a gun pressed against his head.

Buffy’s breath hitched, her body tightening as she looked behind Angel and into the eyes of…

“Parker”

“Sweetheart.”

Parker looked at his wife with disdain as she stood in the embrace of the man that had killed his brother, the man that stole everything away from him. To him, she was the root of all his problems and his eyes locked on to hers, damning her for her culpability.

Buffy’s gaze was one of pure outrage. She shook with uncontrolled rage at seeing a gun pointed at Angel’s head and she had no problem speaking her mind. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She furiously asked.

Parker guffawed at her audacity. “Isn’t that a question I should be asking you? I mean, here you are, a married woman, practically throwing herself at the man that killed your brother-in-law.”

Buffy pressed further against Angel, her hands slowly running through his brown locks as she smiled sensually at Parker. “Giving Parker not throwing.” She nibbled on his ear as she looked into Parker’s eyes. “There’s a difference.”

Angel stood perfectly still, his eyes closing as his body shivered with a dangerous mixture of anger and lust. For some reason he found the conflicting sensation of hard metal pressed against his head and a soft pliant body pressed against his extremely stimulating. He felt The Beast rise to her attentions and the only thing he could think of was, ‘God I really have to get a grip on this growing predilection for violence because it can’t be healthy.’

Parker could only stand there stunned with her brazenness and completely bewildered over the jealously that he was feeling. He had never felt it before and he witnessed her doing a lot more than just kiss another man.

Buffy smiled seeing the confusion on his face and she chuckled at him, her hands inching closer to the gun. “I know its confusing Parker, after all you have no idea what true love is. You don’t know what it feels like to have a woman freely give herself to you, do you?”

Parker’s eyes hardened as he saw the slight movement of her hands. “Don’t move. You wouldn’t want me to blow your lover’s brains out would you sweetheart?”

Her hands stilled and her eyes became slits as she leaned away from Angel. “Don’t call me that.”

She sneered at him with such malice that Parker laughed. He was happy to see that he could still push her buttons. Finally feeling that he had his own emotions under control he addressed Angel.

“That’s my pet name for her, she just loves it.”

Angel’s eyebrow rose as he looked at Buffy, “Yeah, I can see the love for you all over her face.”

Parker snarled at Angel’s sarcastic remark and pushed the gun against his head. “Shut up. Buffy step away from him.”

Angel stared into her eyes nodding his consent, but Buffy shook her head holding on to him tighter, and as she did she felt his gun pressing against her arm. “No.” She stated simply and Angel scowled at her knowing what she was thinking and not liking it.

But Buffy didn’t care what he wanted in that moment. There was no way she was going to step back and let Parker kill Angel. She knew Parker, and she knew that he wouldn’t pull the trigger with her standing so close.

“If you don’t I’ll kill him.” Parker said.

She looked back at Parker, her eyes alive with confidence and validation. “If you kill him then you’ll kill me, and I know you don’t want that.”

“Oh no?”

“No you want to punish me. You want to make me suffer and you think you’ll do that by killing Angel and making me watch.”

Parker chuckled, “You know me so well.” Then he whispered to Angel. “Just like a wife should know her husband!” He snarled in his ear.

He looked back at Buffy, “Of course you’re right. And that is what’s going to happen. Now step away from him.”

Buffy shook her head and was going to respond when Angel squeezed her gently. His patience was at an end. His anger was ready to boil over. It was time to take control of this situation and Buffy, whether she realized it or not, had just given him the means to do so.

“Parker, why don’t you put the gun down and face me like a man? Or are you afraid?” Angel said.

Parker’s hand shook with rage. “I’m not afraid of you! You’re nothing but a murdering wife stealing bastard!” he shouted at him.

“Now that’s a little harsh don’t you think? I mean after all what kind of marriage did you really have with Buffy.” He looked over at Adam. “And as for Adam, I didn’t murder him he brought that down upon himself.”

Angel’s confidence enraged Parker. “You’re a righteous son of a bitch, aren’t you?”

“I’m only calling it as I see it.”

“Yeah well let me enlighten you as to how things really are.” He grabbed Angel by the shoulder and spun him around so they faced each other, throwing Buffy off in the process.

Finally facing Parker, Angel smiled cruelly as he gently pushed Buffy away from him. He took a step closer to Parker completely undaunted by the gun that was leveled at his head.

“No let me tell you how things really are. Grant’s dead, your poor excuse for a human being brother is dead, and you…” he took a step closer. “You’re dead too, you just don’t know it yet.”

Parker smiled at him, reassured as his fingers wrapped tighter around the gun. “You’re pretty cocky considering I’m holding the gun.”

Angel shrugged, smiling at him as he did and rattling Parker in the process.

“You won’t be smiling after I put a bullet in you.”

Buffy took a step forward but Angel held her back. He cocked his head and looked down at the gun Parker held, chuckling as he did.

“Your little pea shooter doesn’t scare me Parker. But you know what is scary, how much of a coward you really are. I mean Buffy told me how you liked to watch, but come on hiding in the bushes watching me kill your beloved brother, even that’s a little too cowardly for you isn’t it?”

“You better shut your fucking mouth!” Parker screamed, his hands shaking with his rage.

Angel’s anticipation grew as he avidly witnessed Parker’s inevitable meltdown. There was nothing that he wanted more than to rip Parker to shreds with his bare hands. He needed to feel the pain of bare knuckles hitting hard bones. He needed to physically hurt the one person that stood in his way of truly claiming Buffy. Ending this on a bullet was completely unacceptable and he would do whatever he had to do to turn the tables. Which shouldn’t be too hard considering how green with jealousy with boy was, and Angel knew from personal experience how unstable that could make a person.

“Tell me Parker did it get your dick hard to see Adam’s blood spill out after I slit his throat?”

Parker was visibly trembling because of the lack of fear in Angel’s face. The man had a gun pointed at his head yet he was as cool as a cucumber and Parker didn’t know what to make of it. His face was molten red from his rage and his voice spoke of just how unsteady he was as he started to stutter. “You’re…either…the dum…dumbest man I ever…met, or you’ve got…the biggest…ba…balls, I can’t decide which.”

Angel smirked, “Well I think Buffy can help you out with that decision since she had my big balls in her mouth not too long ago.”

Parker turned even brighter red as Buffy inhaled sharply at Angel’s crude remark. “Angel, what are you doing?” Buffy was beginning to get frantic, her confidence that Parker wouldn’t shoot with her in the way waning under Parker’s growing volatility.

“I’m only telling him how it is baby.” He smoothly said as he continued with his taunts.

“Come on Parker, it must be killing you to know that I slept with your wife. Don’t you want to put me in my place for giving Buffy more pleasure than you ever could?”

He smiled inside as he saw Parker’s eyes angrily twitch. He was close to losing it. He just needed a little bit more incentive.

“Because you know that’s what she got every time I touched her, with every kiss from my lips, with every deep satisfying plunge I took inside of her welcoming body, she’d scream with pleasure. And you know whose name she screamed…it wasn’t Parker I can tell you that, it was Angel.”

Parker snapped. He screamed at the top of his lungs and took a swing at Angel’s arrogant face. Angel ducked and Parker missed and in doing so he lost his footing stumbling to the left as Angel moved in and knocked the gun out of his hands.

He had the broadest smile on his face as he grabbed Parker by the shirt collar. “Now this is much better.”

He pulled back and threw a left punch landing it on Parker’s right eye. “Now this is the way a man does it Parker!” He taunted him as he threw another left, this time landing it on his mouth.

Parker finally got his footing back and lifted his leg kneeing Angel in the stomach.

Angel released Parker’s shirt as he took a step back, smiling at him. “Is that all you got?”

Buffy stood there and watched as Angel continued to attack Parker. With every nasty verbal blow a physical one followed. And Parker, she had to admit, held on to his own for a little bit. Taking Angel’s shot and dishing out his own, even if he didn’t land them all.

Parker yelled and threw a left with all his might, Angel ducked and Parker lost his footing and fell to the ground right next to the knife. He picked it up and just as Angel bent over to grab him he attacked, slicing it across Angel’s rib cage.

Angel hissed as he jumped back, his eyes dark and menacing, his smirk malevolently smiling into Parker’s fearful eyes.

Buffy stopped breathing the second she saw blood on Angel’s shirt. Rage unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life coursed through her and took control.

Angel took a step toward Parker ready to dish out the final blow. But Buffy beat him to it.

Picking up the gun that Parker dropped she pushed Angel aside and walked right up to Parker firing the gun repeatedly and screaming at the top of her lungs.

BANG…BANG…BANG…BANG…BANG…BANG

He fell back to the ground, his lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.

In her rage she didn’t see that, she only saw blood, Angel’s blood and she continued to fire the gun, completely unaware that the only sound it made was the click of the empty chambers.

Angel stood behind her his own breath erratic with his exertions. Listening to the empty gun clicking, he walked up behind her and spoke softly putting his hands on top of hers. “Buffy stop, give me the gun.”

But she wouldn’t let it go. Her heart was beating rapidly with the adrenaline pumping through her veins and her eyes were transfixed on the bleeding body of her dead husband.

“Is he dead?” she asked coldly as she finally moved, kicking Parker’s dead body.

He quirked an eyebrow at her bloodthirsty tone then he looked down at Parker’s still form. He had six bullet holes in him; three in his chest, one in his arm, one between his legs, and one in his head. “Um, yeah, they don’t get much deader than that.”

“I can’t believe he’s dead. I can’t believe I killed him.”

Angel gently pried the gun out of her hands. Then taking his shirt he wiped her prints off of it and put it in the back of his pants, he’d dispose of if later. “Well you did.”

“Good. He deserved to die.” She sneered.

He turned her to face him and looked into her eyes for any sign of shock. ‘Are you okay?”

Buffy looked back at him, “I’m okay.” Her eyes trailed down and looked at his bleeding abdomen. “Oh God Angel, you’re bleeding.”

Angel smiled at her, his hand cupping her cheek and bringing her gaze up to his. “Buffy I’m okay, it’s just a scratch.”

There was the sound of leaves cracking as urgent footsteps ran up the path and toward them. Spike and Oz skidded to a halt when they reached the clearing.

“Everything alright, we heard gun fire.” Oz said as Spike walked up to them and looked down at Parker’s dead body.

“Everything looks alright to me.” He said as he stood to his feet and looked at Angel. Seeing his bloody shirt, he took out a cigarette and lit it, shaking his head. “I can’t believe you let that punk get a whack at you.”

Angel and Oz both chuckled but Buffy wasn’t amused.

“This isn’t funny! He’s bleeding!” She yelled at them, as she pressed her hand against his wound.

Spike scoffed at her. “That’s not bleeding.” He looked down on the ground surrounding them and all the blood that was pooling. “That’s bleeding.”

“Oh shut up!”

“Buffy…” Angel grabbed her hands and pulled them way from him. “It’s okay…he only grazed me.”

Her worried eyes lifted to us, “Are you sure?” She said her voice shaking.

Angel knew exactly what she was feeling, because he felt the same thing when he saw her bruised face. He smiled at her and pulled her into his embrace. “I’m sure baby, don’t worry.”

Oz walked over to where Spike stood and looked down at Parker. Seeing the chaotic spray of bullet holes in his body he knew Angel hadn’t pulled the trigger. “Looks like someone needs some quality time at the shooting range.”

“Really luv, you’re a messy shooter.” Spike said with a twinkle in his eye.

Buffy was going to respond to that but Angel kept her head plastered against his chest as he scowled at Spike. “Why don’t you guys go back to camp, we’ll be right behind you.”

Oz nodded then he and Spike turned and walked back up the path. Pulling out fifty bucks Oz grudgingly slapped it into Spike’s waiting hand.

Spike grinning from ear to ear happily took it and put it in his pocket. “I told ya she’d do it. Never bet against me I’m always right.”

Angel pulled Buffy’s face up to his and slowly started to kiss her. He could feel the tension in her body, he could practically smell the adrenaline still pumping and he wanted to calm her down. So he started slow, his lips moved back and forth over hers. His tongue reached out and slid inside of her mouth, languorously moving against hers. All the while his hands caressed her back, with soothing up and down motions.

With each second that ticked by, and with every silky slide of his lips against hers, her body relaxed, the tension trained away and she felt…liberated.

His lips wove a silken path down her throat and she sighed deeply. “I can’t believe it’s over.”

After she said it, it really dawned on him and his slow tender kisses turned hot and heavy as he roughly pulled her further against him. He looked deep into her eyes and his voice was gruff with passion when he spoke.

“It is. You’re all mine now.” He declared as he took her lips hungrily kissing her.

Buffy held on tightly as he ravished her mouth and marked his territory. When he pulled back to look at her, she felt scolded by the heat in his eyes.

“I can’t wait to get you alone.” He whispered urgently as The Beast tapped on her belly.

Sensually she chuckled as she rubbed her belly against his prodding appendage. “Me too.”

He took her waiting mouth one more time and then pulled away with a deep sigh of regret coming off his lips. Leaving her standing there he walked over to grab the bag of diamonds and then hurriedly headed back over to her.

Buffy watched him approach and couldn’t control the moan of desire that ran through her at the intense expression on his face. The second he got within two feet of her she reached out and grabbed him. Throwing herself against him she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.” She stated just before she voraciously attacked his mouth and gyrated against him.

His eyes closed as he groaned with need, his hands automatically squeezing her ass, pulling her closer against him. Buffy moaned her own carnal response and Angel replied by pulling her away and grabbing her hand, quickly leading her out of the woods. It was either that or he was going to take her right there.

“Come on we better get back I don’t trust Gunn with that rocket launcher.”

Buffy chuckled from his gruff response, she was so excited to get him alone she didn’t even care that he was literally dragging her down the path, but she still heard what he said.

“Oooh, rocket launcher, can I try it?”

The image of a naked Buffy firing the rocket launcher immediately entered his mind and he shivered with lust.

“I think that can be arranged.”

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