A/N: Sorry for the long delay between postings, but I found that rushing to finish before leaving town was not a good idea because I found myself making stupid mistakes. I’d rather have the story read the way it should, even it means making you all wait a little longer. Anyway, it should be back on track now, with regular updates. The more reviews you leave, the faster I’ll finish. If you’ve lost track, I’ve written a very brief review to refresh your memory.

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Short synopsis: Set mid season two, Angelus takes advantage of Buffy’s emotional turmoil to initiate an intimate relationship based on mutual lust for sex and Buffy’s blood – a powerful aphrodisiac to both vampires and humans. Unable to control her own feelings, Buffy suspects that she has become addicted to both the blood and sex. Unable (or unwilling) to control her passions she lets Angelus manipulate her into various compromising positions, including forcing her to have sex with both of his childer. To her surprise, she finds Spike an unlikely ally, who will possibly help her rid herself of Angelus, if she can ever bring herself to break up with him. In the meantime, Angelus has come up with his own ideal – ridding himself of Dru and keeping both Buffy and Spike as his lovers. All he has to do is find a way to convince them.



Chapter 20: Dinner and a movie



A few nights later Buffy was still feeling the effects of her double withdrawal. She’d had no blood or Angelus for almost a week now, and it was becoming unbearable. She could only hope that Angelus was suffering as much as she was. Every day she asked Giles if he had found anything else out about her blood; how to counteract its affects. Although he was working on an answer, he didn’t have the sense of urgency about it that she would have liked – but she was too embarrassed to press him about it.

She was learning to deal. Slaying took the edge off. Most nights she hardly noticed the longing. Most nights she wasn’t even looking for him as she wandered up and down the streets of Sunnydale. She didn’t think about him at all tonight as she fixed her hair, put on her make up, and dressed for patrol. Nope, no thoughts of Angelus at all.

Buffy startled when her mother gave a perfunctory knock before entering her room. “Is there something you want to tell me, dear? About why you’ve been so upset lately?”

Trying to look completely clueless, Buffy just shook her head.

“Come on Buffy. You should be able to confide in me, just a little. I may be your mother, but I was young once too.” Still Buffy remained silent. “There’s a boy downstairs, Buffy. He brought us both flowers. Says he wants to apologize. You should have told me you had a boyfriend, Buffy. It would have made your being so moody much more understandable if I knew what you were going through. Maybe I could have given you some advice.”

“Mom! Please. It’s not like that,” she blushed.

“Well, it looks very much like that to me. And I think you need to go downstairs right now and listen to what he has to say. Make nice. But then I think you should break up with him, Buffy. He’s obviously too old for you. He’s likely to want things from you that you aren’t ready to give.”

“Mom, please! I’ll handle this my own way.”

“No, Buffy, you really won’t. He’s a nice young man, and maybe in a few years the age difference won’t matter so much. But right now, you need to let him take you out and talk, and you can explain to him that you need to take a break. He’ll understand, Buffy. And if he doesn’t, then I’ll talk to him. But you need to break it to him gently.”

“Gently, right.” Buffy started to brush past her mom and head downstairs, but Joyce stopped her.

“Not like that! He’s all dressed up and says he has reservations at Prima’s. You can’t go dressed like that.”

“Mom, you want me to break up with him, what does it matter what I wear?”

“It matters, Buffy. You need to learn that the right way to do things is not always the easy way. Now change into something suitable while I entertain our guest.”

Buffy had never changed so fast in her life. If she was right about who was downstairs, (and how could she be wrong?), she didn’t want to leave her mother alone with him for a second longer than she had to. The first dress that came to hand was a short white halter dress with a puffy skirt. It was maybe a little more provocative than was probably wise, but then she was in a hurry. A few gold bangles, the cross Angel had given her, and a few stakes secured where they weren’t visible and she was ready for anything.

An apparently penitent Angelus sat on the easy chair across from her mother in their living room. A bouquet of pink and yellow flowers sat in a vase on the coffee table, while another bouquet of red roses rested easily across his lap. Angelus rose as Buffy came down the stairs, then kissed her on the cheek as he handed her the flowers.

“I promise I’ll have her back before midnight, Mrs. Summers. I appreciate your helping me to convince Buffy to give me another chance. You’ve raised a terrific daughter, Mrs. Summers, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep us together. I believe that she’s worth waiting for. You should be very proud.”

Joyce beamed, obviously taken in by the act. Buffy rushed Angelus to the door.

As soon as they were outside, Buffy snapped at him. “Are you really planning on taking me to Prima’s, or was that just a line for my mother? I am so not getting into a car with you, or letting you take me back to that house of horrors you call your home. If my mom wasn’t watching out the window, I’d have half a mind to dust you right here.”

“That’s all right. I really do have reservations for us. But we can walk if it makes you feel more comfortable. And you don’t mean that Buffy. I believe what I said – you are worth waiting for. And I really did come to apologize. I should never have left you alone with Drusilla. I suspected that she might act the way she did, but I couldn’t know until I gave her the opportunity. Sometimes people surprise you, and so I try not to prejudge.”

“Right. And crazy people can so become sane overnight.”

“It was important, Buffy. I needed to know what she’d do if she was left alone with you. Until given the opportunity, I couldn’t be sure I was right. After all, Spike came through the same test with flying colors. Even when he found you alone with Dru. He could have joined in with her. Helped her torture and kill you, and then tried to either escape or blame it all on Drusilla. But he didn’t. Instead he found a way to rescue you. Now I know that you’ll always be safe around Spike, but Dru isn’t to be trusted. I’m planning to send her away, Buffy. Dru and the rest of the minions. So you’ll be safe in my house. Your safety is my highest concern.”

“And that’s why you let the evil bitch torture me? So I’d be safe?”

“I know it sounds a little convoluted. But I had to see what they would really do if given the chance. And it wasn’t for very long. Dru barely had a chance to touch you. Spike was much worse off. Dru worked him over for hours.”

Spike. She’d been grateful for what he’d done, and she thought that she had thanked him when the two of them had talked, but she couldn’t really remember. She hadn’t really thought about what it had cost him. He had pretended as if it was no big deal. But if what Angelus was saying was true, then it really was. Why would Spike do something like that?

Angelus was still talking. “If you’re not opposed, Buffy, I’d like to keep Spike with us. He’s proved he can be trusted, and once he’s completely healed, it will be useful to have him around. As he’s proven, Spike can be very resourceful. I’ve asked him to meet us here. So you can see if that suits you, get a feel for what it could be like. I know Spike can be very annoying, but he grows on you. If you decide you don’t want him around, I’ll send him off with Dru.”

Buffy kept silent as her mind was churning. This was all news to her.

Suddenly Angelus was telling her that he trusted Spike, and wanted to keep him nearby, while he sent all the others away. Asking her whether she felt that she could trust Spike. Be comfortable around him. And that was the problem. She did trust Spike, felt comfortable around him. It was Angelus’s presence she was questioning.

Misreading her hesitance, Angelus continued. “Look, I’ll admit I made some mistakes with my childer. Drusilla in particular. I admit that. But I’m trying to correct what I can, and to avoid making the same mistakes with you. I don’t want to make you insane. I want you just exactly the way you are.”

“Exactly?”

“Exactly.”

“Not as your childe? That is what you’re talking about, isn’t it?”

“NO, Buffy. Exactly the way you are. Heart beating, reflection having, alive, Buffy. I want you, Buffy. Just as you are.”

“You’ll swear to that?”

“Not as my childe. I swear it, Buffy.” What did words mean anyway? Besides, if he wanted to, there were a million ways he could get the same end result without actually doing the deed himself. But only as a last resort. Her blood was too precious to squander any of it before it was absolutely necessary. Who knew what would happen to it once she was turned?

As if she had read his mind, her next words were going to make his life more difficult.

“And I want you to stop drinking my blood. There’s something in it…it’s addictive, and makes us both go crazy…” She stopped walking and put her hand on his chest to halt his forward progress. “If you don’t agree, I don’t think I can see you anymore, Angelus. I need to know what’s real and what’s been induced by this insatiable craving. We won’t know that until we’re both over the addiction.”

“I know Slayer’s blood creates a strong reaction, Buffy, one that we’ve both enjoyed. But I’ve never heard that it was addictive. How can you be sure?” Again, her protests were mere words. He knew she would easily give in, given the right incentive. The lure of her blood was too strong for either of them to resist.

“Because I can feel it. It isn’t natural, the way I want you. The way the burning just won’t go away until I’ve tasted it.”

“Now you know how we feel all the time.” Buffy looked puzzled, so he elaborated. The pull of her Slayer’s blood was stronger – but the feeling wasn’t new. “It’s the way all vamps feel about blood. It’s why we kill for more than just food – and why it’s so difficult for us to stop killing. But we’ve done it, Spike and I. To keep you happy. Are you happy, Buffy? I want you to be.”

They’d reached the front of the restaurant now, the crowd of waiting diners filling the bar and spilling out onto the sidewalk. The throngs seamlessly parted allowing Angelus a clear path to the desk.

“Ah, Mr. Angelus.” The host returned his greeting. “I hope you are not disappointed, but the main dining room was crowded, so at the request of your friend, we have set up for your party in a separate room, upstairs. I’ll have Francine show you the way. Please, if there is anything else you desire, let us know.”

Prima’s was a fancy upscale restaurant, the best in Sunnydale. It was also attached to a fancy upscale hotel. Apparently Spike had booked them a room. Buffy balked.

“It’s just dinner, Buffy.” Angelus cajoled. “And I happen to agree with Spike. It’s far too crowded down here for a serious discussion.” It was true. The restaurant was completely full, with hordes of people standing around waiting. As she watched Buffy heard the maitre’d flat out turn people away.

“Spike’s here?”

“Yes. I thought the three of us should talk. Plan our future.”

The girl Francine smiled and called the elevator. While they waited she spoke, “We’ve set up the table, and delivered some appetizers and champagne. Dinner may take a while.”

If it was just Angelus she would have never agreed to be alone with him again. She felt relatively safe in a public place, where the odds in a fight were more or less even, but if it had been Angelus’ suggestion she go upstairs, she wouldn’t have done it. But Spike had promised to protect her. Even if she didn’t completely take Angelus at his word, Spike was there to keep him from siring her. And Angelus had agreed not to drink her blood. Hadn’t he?