Love Is Forever . . . Isn't It?: Part Seven
by Bria
All characters that appear on Buffy belong to Joss Whedon, all that don't, belong to me. Please ask if you want to borrow them. All feedback is welcome, as usual. Enjoy!



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Part Seven

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The night sky in England did not appear much different from the one over North America. The same silky blackness, the same distant points of shining light. As she stared up at it out of the sunroof of the rental car, Buffy could discern no difference in the patterns of stars, but she'd never been much into astronomy.

Buffy tore her gaze off of the sky and replaced it on the road ahead, shifting nervously in her seat. Angel drove without hesitation, well used to these roads. Buffy glanced about, unsure as to what she was looking for. Turning her eyes on Angel, she asked, "Are we there yet?"

Angel grinned, not looking at her, "You sound like a child."

Buffy made a face and stuck out her tongue at him, "Oh, sure, you think you're so much more mature. Well, let me tell you, two hundred and twenty odd years is not that much older. . . really."

Angel chuckled at her, the closest thing she assumed he could to an outright laugh, then answered her question, "We'll be there in two minutes." He glanced over at her and noticed that she was fiddling with her rings on her fingers. He looked at her face and noticed she was chewing nervously on her cheek. Reaching over, he placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "Don't worry Buffy, you'll be fine."

She glanced over at him and threw him a thankful smile. "I know," she said. "I just want to make a good impression. Besides, you know these people, I've only seen three of them. It's kind of like your first day at a new school. Only, with really older people and no classes and no icky cafeteria food." She paused and scrunched up her face. "At least those last two are pluses."

Angel didn't reply as he turned down one more street. As they did, a large mansion came into view. "There it is," Angel said, staring straight ahead. "Our England safe house."

"That?" Buffy gaped at the intimidating vision in front of her. The house was huge, with few windows and large wooden doors. The entire décor screamed 'dark, depressing and dreary.' Buffy had never seen anything that needed a make over worse in her entire life. It was all way pass. There were a couple of tall dark trees spaced around the perimeter, but they did more to enhance and isolate the house than to make it feel homey. In fact, it reminded Buffy of those old haunted houses in corny horror flicks. She wouldn't be surprised to find a ghost wandering the attic. Buffy said to herself,

They didn't say anything else as they drove down the old street and up the long driveway to the front doors. Slowly, they came to a stop and Buffy swore she saw a shadow move away from one of the upstairs windows, but she couldn't be sure. She suspected it was a vampire, and her suspicions were confirmed when the large doors opened and a small welcoming committee stepped out, obviously having been alerted.

Buffy stared up at the figures on the high steps leading to the doorway and felt a feeling of dread and nervousness settle over her. Angel glanced over and noticed she was a bit tense, but they'd been apart for so long, he didn't know what to do to help. After hesitating a moment, he popped the trunk to retrieve the luggage (which had grown with their stop at the airport so Buffy could buy some souvenirs for her friends) and said, "Let's go."

Buffy watched as he opened the door and stepped out of the car, then undid her seat belt and followed in same. Carefully she shut the door and glanced over at Angel as came around the front of the car. He lightly touched the small of her back and guided her up the steps, appraising the figures there, slightly relieved that Elizabeth had prevented a larger welcome.

When they were half way up the dozen stone stairs, a red haired vampire stepped forward, grinning. In a Southern accent, she drawled, "Hello, there strangers!" She surprised Buffy by giving her a quick hug and a light kiss on each cheek, then turning to Angel and pecked him on the cheek. Noticing Buffy's shock, she smiled in a friendly fashion and said quietly, "We're Family now, hon, though I wouldn't worry about anyone else doing that."

Buffy found herself reflexively smiling back at the friendly tone and phrase. Red's appearance tickled the back of her mind, then it came to her. "It's Lily, right?"

Red grinned and moved to hook her arm with Buffy's. "That's right, sugar. I didn't expect you to remember, we didn't really meet."

Buffy glanced at the ground, reminded of how she'd taken off. Lily had been one of the three other vampires that had aided Angel in rescuing her in Rome. She knew Lily hadn't meant to remind her of the events that had occurred after the rescue but it was still a little awkward for her. Buffy didn't have much time to dwell on that thought for her attention was immediately transferred to the three other people waiting more or less patiently for them.

Angel stopped in front of them and nodded a differential hello. "Buffy, I'd like to introduce you to Elizabeth, one of the head member of the Council. Darron and Jeanette are two of the first members of the Family."

Buffy studied each of them in turn, taking in as much detail as she could. Elizabeth was old and wrinkled yet her eyes still had the brightness of one whose mind has not been affected by the passing of time. Her gray-brown hair was cut short for convenience and the only jewelry she wore was a thin gold cross around her neck. The small object caught the light against the dark background of the suit she was wearing.

Offering a hand, Elizabeth smiled slightly and said in a British accent, "We are very pleased you could be with us, Ms.Summers. Though I can't say we've heard a lot about you, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we are looking forward to getting to know you better."

Buffy nodded, slightly uncomfortable with the older woman's disciplined voice. It reminded her too much of Giles and his stuffy dialogues about her duty. In the past years she would have done pretty much anything to hear one of them again, but the tone set her off a bit when it came from some one else.

The next in line was the one Angel had called Darron. He was tall, though not as tall as Angel, but he was just as good looking. Chestnut brown hair shone in the lights from the hall and chocolate brown eyes swept over her. With a smooth smile, Darron took her proffered hand and bent at the waist, gallantly pressing his lips against her fingers. "Enchante mademoiselle," he said in an educated voice. "If I can be of any service to such a lovely lady as yourself, please, do not hesitate to call." His meaning was clear.

Buffy smirked at his flirting, warmed by it, and replied, "I'll be sure to remember that offer." Darron returned her laughing smile.

"Alright, alright," Angel said with a small smile, pulling Buffy's hand from Darron's. "Back off, buddy." Darron grinned at his old friend, knowing he too was joking. Beside him, the female vampire laughed out loud, a soft feminine sparkle. For some reason the sound reminded Buffy of small tropical birds.

Jeanette stepped forward and said to Buffy with a delicate smile, "Never mind them, darling, Darron is always like that. I'm sure you will get used to it, or finally hit him so hard he stops." Darron rubbed his jaw, obviously remember such a past occasion and Buffy had a hard time imagining the creature before her could harm someone as big as him.

Jeanette was of the same height as her, and yet so much smaller. Her frame was slim and tiny, giving her the impression of being as breakable as glass. She had high cheekbones and delicate eyebrows and nose, which enhanced her large dark eyes, so as to give her the appearance of a startled deer. Long brown hair hung down her back in soft waves and she dressed in a well-tailored suit. All in all she looked as harmless and as sweet as Willow.

Jeanette gently took both of Buffy's hands in her own and leaned in, placing two soft kisses on her cheeks. "You must be exhausted from your trip. Why don't you let me show you to your room while Angel and Darron handle the luggage?" Smoothly, she roped the two males into doing what she wanted them to and quickly led Buffy inside, Elizabeth right behind them. The poor thing was obviously tired and starving, but more pressing was the bewildered look Jeanette saw in her eyes. It would be best to get her somewhere private and let her be alone for a bit.

Angel and Darron looked at each other, then at a grinning Lily, then back at each other. "How does she do that?" Darron wondered out loud. Angel just shrugged and was about to turn away when Lily laughed.

"You two really are priceless, you know?" she shook her head, laughing at the fact that someone so tiny could order around two relatively huge vampires without ever getting an argument. Still laughing she walked back into the house and up the stairs.

Angel and Darron stared after her, annoyance written upon their features, then as one said under their breath, "Women," and walked down the steps to get the bags.


* * *
Buffy followed Jeanette up the steep, winding stairs, with few lights marking the way. All the way up there was little alcoves carved out in the wall, as in the halls, for exotic pieces of art to sit. Some were serene, with smooth flowing lines, pictures of lovers or children. Others were dark and twisted, sharp images of demons or hatred. It reminded her of the residents of this house. Their human side once so innocent and carefree, while their demon robbed them of their naiveté.

They left the stairs and traveled down a long hallway, to the very end. There were many doors, most closed, but a few were open and through them Buffy glimpsed of bedrooms, though no occupants. Of course, it was night, so most of the vampires were probably out.

As they passed the second last door, Jeanette said, "This is Angel's room. He prefers to be somewhat secluded from the others. The two rooms before him are empty."

Buffy nodded and they continued to the very last door. There, Jeanette paused and grasped the old intricate handle and twisted. The door opened soundlessly on well-oiled hinges. Buffy glanced over at Jeanette and she nodded encouragingly.

Buffy entered the room and gasped aloud with surprise. She could barely believe this room existed in the same house as the rest of the dark rooms. It was huge, with large windows with light lace curtains and a stone fireplace with two love chairs in front of the hearth. A desk was situated in one corner, a rocking chair in another and a door led off into a bathroom. But the most commanding feature of the room was the huge, old fashion canopy bed. It had four huge posts that held up folds of white material that could be let down for privacy. There was enough space for at least four people and the headboards were hand-carved with intricate scenes.

Buffy moved forward into the room and Jeanette entered after she made room. She watched as Buffy wandered around the room, lightly touching different objects, admiring the gentle beauty and light of the room.

"This room belonged to a girl about your age, in the late 1800's. She was the daughter of one of the Council. She was very beautiful and sweet, despite everything she knew about the evil in this world. Her father had this room specially decorated, just for her. She died when she was twenty five." Buffy glanced up with a look of dismay in her eyes and Jeanette hurried on, "Oh, don't worry, she didn't die here and her ghost doesn't haunt this room. She drowned while swimming out at a friend's summer home. This room has been closed up ever since. First her father didn't want to see it, and then the large windows prevented any of the members to stay here. I thought you would prefer it to any of the others, since Angel tells me the sunlight doesn't affect you. It's also close to Angel."

Buffy smiled at her. "It's nice," she said, "I like the bed. I could probably live in it for a week."

Jeanette laughed lightly and was about to say something, when a small bump down the hall alerted her to someone's approach. The two women stood stock still, puzzled, as many more bumps followed, along with a whispered curse as someone obviously stubbed their toe. Finally, Angel and Darron rounded the corner, lowered the bags to the floor with a flourish and semi-bowed. "Your luggage, m'lady," Darron quipped lightly in a teasing tone.

Buffy grinned at the two and answered in kind, in a high, snobbish voice, "Thank you, Geeves, that is all. You may go now." Jeanette laughed with her and extended her hand to Darron, who placed it on his arm and escorted her out of the room, which was what she wished. She always found a way to get what she wished, without offending anyone. It was an admirable talent and a rare one at that.

Angel stepped further into the room, glancing around. His gaze settled back on Buffy and he asked, "So, do you like it?"

Buffy looked around quickly, nodding her head. "Yeah," she said, "It's peaceful. The bed looks like it's just calling out for people to sleep in it, don't you think?" As soon as she added that last bit, she wished she could hit the rewind button and edit it, but Angel didn't appear to notice the unintended implication. He merely nodded and appraised the rest of the furniture.

"If you need anything, just let Elizabeth know, okay?" he said, "Or, if you're not comfortable with her, just tell me and I'll arrange it for you."

Buffy smiled and replied, "Thanks, I will." She sat down on the edge of the bed and veritably sank into the huge white comforter and down filled mattress with a surprised squeak. Shifting, she pulled herself up and balanced more carefully, putting her weight on some of the solid wood frame.

Angel smirked at her and moved to stand in front of her, so she had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. "There will be a party tomorrow night, it's an annual celebration, in honor of the priest who started the family. Members come from all over the world and the location changes every year. We're lucky this year it's being held here, so we don't have to travel."

Buffy smiled, happy with a familiar subject and one she enjoyed. "Goody! We're actually going to a party together. That means I have to go out and get a dress! No bright colors, right? I know vamps aren't too fond of pastels and all, but I could work with that."

Angel sat next to her on the bed, more cautiously than she had at first, and covered her hand with his. He hated to risk bursting her bubble, but he had to warn her of the . . . peculiar people she would be meeting.

"Listen, Buff, the party should be fun, but you gotta remember, the people there aren't your average Joes."

She blinked up at him, then grinned, "Geez, do you think I'm a total bimbo? Of course, they'll be vampires." She scrunched her nose as a new thought popped into her head. "Oh! That means all the drinks are gonna be blood, huh? I've never eaten with others before."

Angel shook his head, "Some of them will be, but not all. Funny thing is, alcohol still affects the undead, so be careful how much you drink," he grinned down at her with sudden mischievousness. "Wait a minute, I just thought of something. Are you even legal?"

Her eyes widened with outrage and she punched him solidly on the arm, knocking him off balance into the large bed. With a laugh, he grasped her wrist and pulled her down with him and she sprawled across his chest. He pinned her there for a moment, then suddenly shifted his line of attack. Wiggling fingers found their way to her rib cage and Buffy shrieked loudly with laughter, instinctively jerking away. She rolled off his body and onto the mattress, but he pursued her relentlessly, tickling the entire time. She continued to laugh, her body shaking uncontrollably so she couldn't even offer a counter-attack. The fact that she could defend herself against, ravenous, blood thirsty beasts, yet she was defenseless against her boy friend's tickle attacks struck her as even funnier and tears began to run down her cheeks.

Angel watched her as he tickled her, thrilling at the touch of her body. She curled up into a ball around his hands, trying to enclose them so they wouldn't have room to move and her peals of amusement rang out so loud Angel was sure everyone in the house could hear her. Fearing that some one would come up to see what the commotion was about and find the two of them lying in a sea of white material laughing like idiots, Angel did the one thing he could think of to shut her up. It worked.

Moving over her, Angel bent his head and captured her mouth in one sudden movement. The kiss lasted for a few seconds, as sweet and gentle as baby's breath. A few giggles still escaped from Buffy's throat, but they were slowly tamed as Angel kissed her again, bracing his weight over her on his elbow. He deepened it, pouring all his pent up passion and desire into her mouth, needing some sort of release. Her giggles now having turned to a low moan, Buffy encircled his neck with her arms, burying her fingers in his thick, dark hair, so he couldn't have gotten up even if he wanted to. Which he didn't.

They kissed for what seemed like eternity. It was a good thing neither needed to breathe, or else both would have been suffering from asphyxiation. Finally, their questing lips separated, leaving Buffy speechless and out of a breath she did not need. Angel stayed close to her skin, reluctant to stop, so he trailed small kisses down her jaw and the length of her throat. Her eyes closed with pleasure and her pale lips stretched back in smile as Angel licked the white skin at the hollow of her throat. Slowly Buffy's fingers massaged the back of his scalp and he gently bit her ear as she nuzzled her face into his cheek, a small, slightly shy smile playing across her lips. Moving back Angel placed a light kiss on her waiting lips, then let all of his weight rest on one arm, so he fell to one side of her. She scooted over quickly and rested her head on his broad shoulder, preventing any quick escape. She hugged him to her gently, fearing that she would wake up and he would turn out to be just a good dream. Angel squeezed her with one arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head in a possessive manner. Closing her eyes, Buffy sighed contentedly, then didn't move for a few long moments.

Angel lay there, staring at the canopy above him, lightly stroking her shoulders. The movement was familiar and soothing to her. Her father used to run his hand up and down her back when she was little and she and her parents were lying in their bed in the morning. It was a memory of a happier, more innocent time and with Angel, Buffy felt as safe as she had when she was five years old wedged in-between her two parents watching cartoons on a lazy Sunday morning.

After a while, Angel stopped his movements and expected her to say something. She didn't move at all, and Angel glanced down at her, but from his perspective, her face was turned away from him. "Buffy?" he asked inquiringly, yet there was still no answer. "Buffy?" he called again, louder this time. She moved slightly, but only to bury her face more deeply into his neck. Craning his neck to an almost painful angle, Angel finally glimpsed her face. Wisps of blond hair falling over her cheeks, lips pulled back into an innocent, contented smile, dark eyelashes quivering slightly. Buffy had indeed succeeded in trapping Angel. She was fast asleep.


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