Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse. Sometimes I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new. And I never make any money off them. (That would make me a pimp if I did wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to Joss Whedon.]
The only thing I claim is Lily, who was hatched from my very own brain. Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)
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Part Seven
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"So Giles, what's this great idea you have?" asked Buffy as they settled into chairs at Giles' house. Giles stared at the four different pairs of eyes that were turned trustingly to him for help. Buffy and Angel sat together on the couch, holding hands. Again. They seemed to be physically unable to separate themselves, he thought uncharitably. Willow sitting in one of the overstuffed armchairs was joined by Xander who had hurled several cushions on the floor near her feet, and then flung himself down on top of them. He wished he had more to give them, a plan that would give them confidence. What he did have was risky at best.
"W..well," he stammered to a start. "Within the vampire community there are several very sacred rituals. They're like laws, only if one of them breaks a law they are hunted, burned alive and then their ashes are scattered to the winds."
"In other words: you break the law, you get fried." said Xander.
"To put it plainly. But that's not what I'm getting at. My point is that one of these rituals is the right to challenge a fellow vampire to a duel." Angel nodded at Giles' explaination.
"That's true," said Angel. "The custom isn't used much anymore. But it is still valid. No vampire can lawfully resist a challenge."
"So you're saying that I should challenge Lily to hand to hand combat?" asked Buffy.
"Actually, no." answered Giles.
"What are you talking about? I'm the Slayer remember. I slay the vampires." said Buffy. "Is this ringing any bells Giles?"
"Buffy, you can't fight Lily. You aren't strong enough." said Giles placatingly.
"Gee, thanks Mr. I'm a big help to your self-esteem,"answered Buffy.
"Well if Buffy's not going to do it, who is?" asked Willow.
"Yeah, I mean I've been working out..but I don't think any of us are as powerful as she is" quipped Xander.
"You've been working out?" asked Willow. "I thought you were looking a lot more buff."
"Really? I wasn't sure it was helping that much," Xander trailed off under Giles' reproving stare. "Ok, we'll talk about my muscles later."
"If we could focus what's important right now," chided Giles."I was actually thinking that Angel would challenge her." Buffy's eyes widened in surprise.
"Angel?" she asked. "Giles, you've been inhaling too much newsprint. Angel isn't any more powerful than I am."
"I'm willing to try," said Angel. The announcement had caught him by surprise as well, but he would much rather fight Lily himself than watch Buffy get slaughtered.
"That's a noble gesture, but there is more to my plan," said Giles exasperated by all the interruptions. "If everybody would just shut up for three bloody minutes until I could finish telling you the WHOLE plan, then maybe you would understand." The teenagers snapped their mouths closed and put their questions on hold. "Thank you, as I was trying to say...you're right Buffy, right now Angel is only as powerful as you are. However, he can become more powerful. Whereas you can't."
"I don't understand," said Buffy. She glanced at Angel, who was beginning to get a sneaking suspicion of what Giles was driving at.
"If he drinks of your blood Buffy, his power will increase until it is almost equal with Lily. It will only be a temporary increase in power, but because it is Slayer blood it may be enough to give Angel the edge he will need to beat her." explained Giles. Angel shook his head as Giles' words confirmed his suspicions. He rose from the couch and turned his back to the room.
"No, I can't do it," he said with only a slight tremor in his voice. "I'll fight her on my own."
"But you'll die, and Buffy will be next." argued Giles. "This is our only chance."
"You don't understand, there is a reason that I haven't fed on a live human in almost a century. It goes beyond guilt. I have no idea if I'll be able to control myself once I get a taste of warm blood."
"I think I see the problem," said Giles thoughtfully.
"Do you?" asked Angel, as he turned to face the group. "I don't trust myself to do this. I would rather fight and die, then take the chance that I might kill Buffy because I couldn't control myself." His voice began to rise as he continued to talk. "None of you know what it's like to feel the blood lust, none of you know how hard I have to fight to keep the demon in check, pray God none of you ever know."
"Angel," whispered Buffy as she joined him standing in front of the group. She reached to touch his face but he shyed away. "My sweet Angelus." She reached out again and lightly touched his chest. "You're right, none of us know what it's like. None of us have any idea. But none of that matters to me. You may not trust yourself but I do. I trust you with my life, my heart, my soul." Her arm slid around his body and he tensed at her touch, relaxing only a little as she continued to speak. "You are my Angel, and I will not lose you becuase we were too afraid to try. You think I'm not afraid too? Well I am, I am more scared than I have ever been in my life. But I can stand fear, I cannot stand by and watch you go into a battle that you can't win by yourself. You need my blood. I understand the risks and I am willing to take them. You have to do the same. This is our only chance." She rested her head gently on his chest, holding him in her arms, wishing with all her heart that she could take him away from all this. Wishing that she could take some of his pain into herself.
"It's too much to ask," he whispered. "If I lose control once, I may never regain control again."
"I know, but I ask it anyway. For us." she whispered back. He nodded silently, grimly.
"I'll do it." He wrapped Buffy in his arms, hanging onto her body like a life-line, as if she was the last thing in the world. As if only she could keep him sane. God he hoped she was enough.
Xander glanced up at Willow, then at Giles. His eyes traveled the room, resting on anything but the pair of them in each other's arms. It wasn't just the jealousy either, really it wasn't! He felt like he was intruding on them, or spying on their most intimate moment. Willow's uncomfortable expression proved that she felt the same way. They didn't belong here. This was private, and there was nothing they could do to help plan at the moment. They looked at each other, and as one they crept over to Giles. Tomorrow was Saturday, the moment of truth was tomorrow night. They would be there as Buffy and Angel prepared. Even if they couldn't help, they wanted to show their support. Besides, if Angel did go out of control..there was no way Giles could stop him by himself. He would probably faint, if Angel touched him with a feather. Neither of them wanted to think about that much. If Angel did lose control, there really wasn't much any of them could do about it. But they would be there none the less.
Buffy heard them say their good-byes and go as if she was in a haze. All she wanted right now was to stay right here in Angel's arms. To never let go, to never see the sun rise and then set on them. She could feel his fear, though he controlled it well. He was right, it was too much to ask. But there was too much at stake not to ask. If they lost, they would lose each other. Buffy refused to let that happen. If it meant being a blood donor, well that was what it meant.
Angel sighed softly, loving the feel of her body in his hands. The heat of her arms as they encircled his waist. He would rather die, than risk killing her. But he had agreed. He had agreed to feed on a living human. Even as he dreaded the moment, he could feel anticipation well inside him. It had been more than 80 years. He fought the hunger as it rose. Tomorrow, he would face the ultimate test. He would face his biggest fear. And he wasn't at all sure that he would win.
They decided it would be safer for Angel to walk Buffy home so they told Giles they were leaving and began to stroll the streets of Sunnydale, heading towards Buffy's house.
"I meant to tell you earlier that you're re-invited into my house," said Buffy. "It just sort of slipped my mind." Angel's lips stretched into a smile.
"Buffy," he said soberly. "I'm very scared."
"I think we all are," she answered.
"I don't think any of you are as scared as I am."
"Probably not, you win the prize for having the most to worry about."
"Thanks," he said wryly as another grin threatened to break his grim facade.
"I think I saw a quarter smile," said Buffy triumphantly. "Besides, you know if this doesn't work Lily will kill us, so it's not you that I'm worried is going to go homicidal." She stopped walking and looked him directly in the eye. "I know you're going out of your skull with worry, I am too. I know you don't feel like laughing. I don't much either. But it's either laugh, cry or go insane so for now I'll laugh."
"You are so amazing," said Angel leaning closer to her face. Buffy stood on her toes to help him reach her lips.
"Oh SHIT!" she suddenly exclaimed.
"What?"
"Ohmigod, Ohmigod." Buffy said, beginning to hyperventilate. "I totally forgot that I'm grounded and I was supposed to go home right after school. My mom is going to be beyond pissed, I'm probably grounded for three lifetimes. I really have to go." Her words ran together in her panic, and she turned to run to her house. Then she turned back, gave Angel a hard kiss on the lips. He watched as she ran down the street with a bemused expression on his face.
"She is the strangest girl."
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