Next Chapter
Buffy stretched lazily on the bed and rolled around colliding into Angels sleeping form. She couldn’t help but smile at the picture he was making and she was having an urge to run her fingers along his cheek and jaw but she resisted, she didn’t want to wake him since now she knew he was really sleeping.
Slowly she rolled over and tried to shift to the edge to get out of bed but she was stopped by his hand pulling her against his chest. She smiled and looked over her shoulder only to see he was still sleeping. Again she tried to move but was only held tighter. Once again she tried to get out of bed but he wasn’t letting her go, so she just sighed softly and closed her eyes, melting against his firm body.
It was two hours later when she woke up, slowly opening her eyes and staring straight into Angels gentle chocolate browns. “Now look who’s staring”, she said playfully still little groggy from sleep and she earned a small smile from him.
“Yeah, but you’re so cute”, he said back and leaned into a soft kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer nearly on top of her.
“You too”, she whispered into his ear once he released her lips. She pressed a wet kiss next to his ear and trailed down to his neck.
“Are you hungry?” he asked trying to concentrate on something else than her lips on his neck.
“Definitely”, she mumbled against his skin and Angel suppressed a moan from escaping. But soon he heard her stomach growl and it was a clear sign that she was hungry more ways than one. He pulled her back, pushing her against the mattress and received a pout for his efforts.
“I made breakfast and you’re obviously hungry”, he said and climbed off the bed, pulling her with him. Grudgingly she followed him to the kitchen that he had fixed after the bullet shower it had had, he constantly kept surprising her with new talents.
She sat on the counter as he handed her the plate that had pancakes with fresh strawberries on the side. She grinned at him and took one of the strawberries, biting the end of it and letting the small trail of juice glide down the side of her lips. He watched her bewitched and slowly leaned closer to her, kissing her lips, licking the juice from them.
“Don’t play with your food”, he chided mock seriously and settled on a chair in front of the table. Buffy hopped down from the counter and sat on a seat across the table from him.
“Yes, daddy”, she answered playfully and nipped at the pancake.
“For someone whose on a liquid diet, you sure can cook. At this rate, you’re gonna make me big as this house.”
“I’m sure we can figure a way to burn the calories”, he smirked at she looked at him with mock shocked expression on her face.
“So that’s why you make me delicious breakfast. You’re a bad boy, Angel.”
“You don’t know the half of it”, he answered huskily.
Riley held a printed picture of Angel in his hand in front of a squad of commandos. “This is our main target, it’s name is Angel. This is not a capture mission, we intend to dust this bastard. But be aware, it is strong and may travel with the slayer. We do not harm the slayer, we capture her. Is everybody clear?”
There was a choir of conformation from the group but Forrest just grunted in agitation, he didn’t know why they had to just capture the bitch that had been messing with their business.
“Okay, patrol the area, Adam is still out there and call for back up if you sight any of them, Adam, Buffy or the vampire. You are dismissed”, Riley finished and the commandos started to back up their gear before heading out. Forrest went to Riley while Graham waited in the background.
“Why do we just capture the bitch? She’s a vampire whore, it’s disgusting.”
Riley turned sharply to Forrest, him eyes darkening. “Once the vampire is dusted, she will be free of its influence. We can rehabilitate her and then she will be a useful asset to our mission.”
“But Riley...” Forrest started but Riley lifted his hand as a sign to be quiet.
“That will be all, soldier”, he said his voice full of authority.
“Yes, sir”, Forrest said grudgingly and left mumbling something to himself.
It was after sundown that Buffy went to look for Adam. She was supposed to meet Angel by the forest but he didn’t show up. She was slightly worried but still knew he could take care of himself or that something else had come up. She really should get a cellphone, she thought to herself as she started approaching the cave she was suspecting Adam might be in. She heard leaves crushing and in a flash she spun around, lifting the broadsword she was holding but stopped herself as she noticed it was Forrest.
“This is the 21st century, you know”, he said trying to hide his fear at the sharp thing in front of him.
“Yeah, but I’ve noticed this thing is more useful in a fight than your ray-guns”, she shot back, lowering the sword.
“Leave these things to professionals, little girl”, Forrest said trying to walk past her but she lifted the sword blocking his path.
“Listen to me, little boy. This thing that you “professionals” created is not going to even blink at the little electric gun you’re holding so proudly. I’ve been doing this since I was 15 and I’ve stopped several apocalypses and I will stop many more after you’re done with playing commando. So take your own advise, leave this to the professionals”, she said lowering the sword and walking into the cave with fuming Forrest following her.
“You’re pretty high and mighty, aren’t you!” he yelled after her and she spun around to face him.
“If you don’t shut up, I will show you what a slayer strength really is.”
“Yeah, why don’t you, I’d love to see you try”, Forrest shot back booming with confidence.
“Yes, so would I”, came Adams voice from behind them. Both humans spun to look at the new comer and for a long moment the three just looked at each other. “You intrigue me, slayer, so much power in one small form. I shall study you after I have killed you”, Adam said and Buffy just shrugged like it was talk of the weather.
“Why don’t you bad guys ever get new lines?” she said and attacked him, swinging her sword like it was light as a feather.
“Get out of here!” she yelled at Forrest as she swung the sword at Adam but the commando wouldn’t move. Adam blocked her blows till he grabbed her hand, slamming the swords handle to her face and punched her hard enough to send her flying to the cave wall. Forrest who had stayed in the background attacked Adam but he was no match to him. Adam took the tazer gun from his hands and struck the Polgara's bone through him.
Buffy got up from the ground and picked up the fallen sword but before she could attack, Adam threw the dead body of Forrest to her. She fell to the ground with his dead weight on top of her and she pushed him off of her jumping to her feet. She had just the time to see Adam point the gun at her and fire. She quickly ran out of the cave feeling the sharp pain of electricity running through her but she wouldn’t stop running.
Just after sundown Angel was on his way to the forest where he was supposed to meet Buffy but he could feel that he was followed. “You’re really getting on my nerves”, he said to the darkness where he knew his followers were hiding and a few moments later, he was surrounded by five commandos and Riley was one of them. With one glance he noticed that they were all wearing wooden stakes along with tazers, this was not a capture mission. He couldn’t help but laugh.
“Come on, Finn. You really think that by killing me you're going to capture her heart?” he said still laughing a humorless laugh.
“I know I will. She deserves someone who can give her a normal life. Once you are dust, you’ll be just like a bad dream to her and she will be free”, Riley said back and Angel couldn’t help but think that the boy was delusional.
“You’re living in a dream world, boy. Sorry, but I don’t have time to play, I’m meeting my girlfriend”, Angel said and started walking away like they weren’t armed and ready to kill him.
“Team, resume attack”, Riley ordered and the commandos attacked Angel, who quickly spun around, grabbing one of the commandos and throwing him to the others, knocking two men down. One man holding a stake ran to him but he grabbed his arm, striking it back to his face and knocking him down with the force. The other three had managed to untangle their limbs and get off the ground. All three of them attacked him at the same time but he managed to keep them far enough not to even touch him with a stake but he was through playing.
Quickly he grabbed two commandos by the labels of their jackets and smashed them against each other, both falling to the ground unconscious. He spun around and kicked the third one in the stomach and struck his knee to his face once he was doubled over and he too was unconscious on the ground. Slowly he turned to look at Riley, who was only on left standing.
“Those government drugs have really done a job on your brain when you think that Buffy would ever fall for you once you killed me. I’m suspecting the drugs have really destroyed the brain cells when you though you could take me, there is only one person who can beat me and that is Buffy, you and your little army buddies can’t be even compared to her. You’re out of your league, boy”, he said walking slowly towards the commando that didn’t seem to be afraid of him.
Riley whipped out his gun but in a flash Angel was in front of him and back handed him, the gun flying off his hands. Riley hit him hard on the face and without wavering he returned the favor. Riley fell to the ground but rolled to his feet pulling a stake from his side before attacking Angel once more. Angel side stepped him, grabbing him by his jacket and sending him crashing to a near by tree.
Little groggily he got up and attacked Angel, whipping the metal baton to its full length and hit Angel in the back with it. Angel growled and back handed him sending him stumbling to the ground. He grabbed the commando by the collar and slammed his head to the ground but he managed to grab a hand-held tazer and stuck it to Angels side. He stumbled back a little and growled loudly, his face in full vampire visage.
Riley tried to reach the stake lying in the ground but Angel stepped on his hand and pulled him to his feet before hitting him with great force, knocking him down. He let the body fall to the ground and with a one last look and a soft growl he couldn’t suppress, he left the sight leaving five unconscious commandos behind.
When he reached the forest, he stopped dead on his tracks, he could smell blood and not just anyones, Buffy’s. He growled in anger and followed the scent, finding her broadsword lying on the ground with smudges of blood in it.
He lifted it off the ground and followed the faint scent of blood till he reached the mansion. He sighed in relief that she had returned back. He went inside and found her nestled into the couch in front of the fire. There was a bruise forming in the side of her face and a small cut on her forehead.
“Buffy”, he whispered and went to her in long strides.
“Angel”, she whispered in relief and wrapped her arms around his neck as soon as he was close enough. Angel pulled her into his embrace and kissed her hair breathing in her scent.
“What happened?” he asked softly, not releasing her from his arms. <å> “Adam. He killed Forrest. And I barely got away, I feel so helpless”, she answered miserably and pulled a little back, noticing the cut on his face. “What happened to you?” she asked, softly tracing the cut with her fingers.
“Met with some commandos, that’s why I was late.”
Buffy looked at him in concern and he smiled comfortingly. “I'm okay”, he assured and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“You better be, cause I can't do this alone”, she whispered her voice full of emotion.
“You're never going to loose me”, he answered and pulled her into a tighter embrace.
Buffy went to Giles' place after trying to call everyone but not having any of them answer the phone. When she got there, everyone was ready for a fight, only it was against each other.
Finally she walked out the apartment, going to the only person she could count on. She walked in the mansion and as soon as she found she was alone, she sat to the floor in front of the fire place. She closed her eyes and let out a ragged breathe, all the happenings washed over her and she felt too tired to move, barely even breathe.
She heard the foot steps coming closer but she didn't bother opening her eyes because she knew who it was. Angel looked at her in concern, she looked tired and beat and not only physically. He sat next to her and she finally opened her eyes turning to look at him.
“Hey”, he whispered.
“Hey.”
He took a hold of her hand and twined their fingers before bringing hers to his lips. “What happened?” he asked after pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.
“We had a fall out. Everybody said what they think and it went bad. They attacked me, not physically but with words and it was just as bad as they would have hit me in the face. You are the only one I can really count on”, she said miserably and leaned her head against his shoulder.
“Something must have happened”, Angel tried but she didn't say anything. She took a deep breathe and got up from the floor.
“Well, I can't wallow in it, Adam is still out there and someone has to stop him”, she said and started gathering her weapons into one bag. She picked up the broadsword he had brought back from the woods and she wiped the dried blood off it.
Angel walked to her, trying to place a comforting hand to her shoulder but she moved away, swinging the weapon bag to her shoulder. “I'm going back to Adam's cave”, she said and Angel was about to protest but she raised her hand as a sign for him to stop.
“I'm going to finish this. The longer we wait the more he has time to plan what ever he is planning. So, are you coming with me?” she continued and Angel touched her arm, this time she allowed it.
“Of course I am. I'm not going to let you face that thing alone”, he answered and she gave him a small smile. He picked up a battle axe and they headed out.
When they reached the cave, there was no sign of Adam but they both could sense they weren't alone. They spun around ready to attack who ever was closing in on them but immediately they noticed it was Spike.
“Hey! Watch where you point those things!” he yelled raising his hand in the air as a sign of surrender.
“You”, Buffy sighed dismissing him and lowered her sword.
“Hey! I resent that tone!”
“What are you doing in Adam's lair, Spike?” she asked not in the mood to listen to him bitch.
“This is the bloody Frankenstein's lair, no wonder it gives me the creeps, besides you, luv”, he said with fake surprise and earned a glare from her.
“He's planning something, why else would he abandon these caves. You wouldn't happen to know something, would you, Spike”, she asked suspiciously and he tried to look as innocent as he could.
“Come on now, slayer. Why do you always blame me? I helped you morons, didn't I. I got you the disk at the risk of me own life and this is all I get from you people. Why don't you ask the witch what's in the disk, it should tell you. Just because you had a little fall out with the chit doesn't mean you can't ask.”
“Right”, she admitted distractedly.
“Well, if you don't, it's not skin off my back”, Spike said and left the cave. Buffy and Angel both looked suspiciously after him.
“He's planning something”, Buffy said and Angel nodded.
“Yeah. I can smell Adam all over him”, he confirmed.
“So he teamed up with him.”
“He has the tendency of taking the side of who he thinks is going to win and it's not uncommon of him to jump if things don't look good”, Angel said and Buffy nodded, she knew it all too well, after all, Spike had switched sides when Angelus was going to wake Acathla.
“We should go to Giles, fix things that happened. I think Spike had his finger on what happened earlier”, she said and they exited the cave.
The gang realized that Spike had played them and they headed to the Initiative only to be stopped by the commandos. “You really thought you could just walk into our building unnoticed?” colonel McNamara said accusingly.
“Adam is in this building”, Buffy tried but was interrupted by McNamara.
“You come here, waltzing into my building with your little weapons like... what is this?” McNamara said pulling out the old gourd with symbols attached to it.
“It's a gourd”, Willow helped out and Giles clarified: “A magic gourd.”
“What kind of freaks are you!” colonel McNamara accused.
“Adam is in the building!” Buffy said loudly since the man didn't seem to listen to her. For a short moment he was thrown but soon he got back his high and mighty attitude.
“This facility has a twenty four hour security, I would know if that thing was in this building.”
“The secret lab too?” Willow questioned.
“Everything!” he yelled but after a moment added: “What secret lab?”
“The one Adam is using. The one that was build as the last phase of project 314. And apparently you don't have a clue what I'm talking about”, Buffy said rolling her eyes.
“Everything has been monitored, nothing has happened without me knowing about it. Adam can try and come here, we are ready for him”, said McNamara all but boasting his chest out.
“And may I ask how have you prepared yourselves? How are you going remove his power source?” Giles asked getting tired of the man.
“We are going to hit him simultaneously with tazer blasters, incapacitate him with as much voltage as we can.”
“Right there with you man, that's right there with the duck and cover”, Xander said giving his two cents in.
“You're just giving him more power, those things do nothing to harm him, they more like feed him! Are you really that dense?”
“You telling me my business, little girl”, McNamara said stepping closer to Buffy trying to be menacing but not succeeding on scaring the slayer.
“This is my business. I am the slayer, this is what I do. You are just a bunch of amateurs. You people are over your heads”, Buffy said taking a pose that showed her confidence and brought a proud smile on her friends faces, especially to Angel's who was one step away from declaring she was his girlfriend.
“This is my jurisdiction”, McNamara started but stopped when the lights went out.
After a long moment the soldier in front of the monitors turned to McNamara. “Sir, containment area's been breached. Hostiles are loose.”
”How many?”
”All of them, sir.”
Buffy stepped in. “I'm the slayer, I can handle this. Get these people out of here”, she said but McNamara didn't seem to be wavering.
“Men, follow me, we are going to the armory. And these people are under arrest”, McNamara gave his orders and left the room, leaving two soldiers behind. Buffy rolled her eyes and kicked the soldier unconscious while Angel grabbed the other punching him hard enough for him to loose consciousness. Without telling, Willow sat in front of the monitors and soon they found where Adam was hiding.
“We need to get there. The only problem is getting there.”
They rushed through the main area, demon and commandos were fighting but it was more like a human massacre than a fight. Angel and Buffy were on the lead, taking care of the demons that tried to attack the gang. They were nearly on the door when a commando opened fire towards Willow.
“Willow!” Buffy screamed and moved towards her but Angel got there first, tackling her to the ground.
“Are you okay?” he asked tentatively while helping her off the ground and Willow just nodded with a small thankful smile. They quickly went to the room 314 and blocked the door.
“Is this quiet enough for spell central?” Buffy asked while moving a heavy shelf and opening the secret door.
“It will do”, Giles answered and started to prepare the spell.
“Barricade yourselves into this room. How long should it take the spell to work?”
“About five minutes”, Giles answered.
“Okay, I'll try to move fast. See you later”, she said and stepped inside the secret room but was stopped by her friends.
“Are you sure you should go alone?” Xander questioned.
“I'm not alone”, she answered with a small smile. Angel stepped closer to her and pulled her into a quick but passionate kiss.
“Be careful”, he whispered to her ear and turned to look into her eyes with all the love he felt.
“You too. And keep them safe”, she answered and stepped back. Buffy closed the door and Angel blocked it with the shelf going to guard the other door while the others started the spell. Soon Buffy reached the room she thought Adam must be and the first thing she saw was Riley sitting stiffly in a chair.
“Riley?” she questioned but he didn't say anything or move a muscle just directed his eyes at her. “You okay?” she asked but again he didn't say anything.
“He is not programmed to answer to you”, came Adams voice and Buffy turned around, seeing Adam with zombie-like professor Walsh and doctor Angleman. “He's a part of the final phase. As were you supposed to be”, Adam said and Buffy shrugged.
“What can I say, I never was one for rules. Prophecies, the Council, crazy professors, I never really did what they wanted, I'm funny that way”, Buffy said tilting her head to the side.
“Oh... Kill her!” Adam ordered and zombie-like Forrest grabbed her from the behind.
“I thought you would never ask”, he said against her face and tightened his grip around her throat. Buffy struggled against him while Walsh and Angleman neared her, Walsh holding some kind of surgical device. Buffy kicked her in the face, sending her stumbling across the room and she backed Forrest into the wall, knocking his head back hard. She was freed and she started sending kicks and punches at her aggressors. During the fierce fight, she grabbed a hold of a electrical cord and cut it, trying to fry her opponents. But before she could, she was grabbed and thrown against a surgeons table, ready to be cut.
“And you boasted all about your superior strength, you are just a weak little girl. You have nothing”, Forrest ranted.
“She's got me”, came Angel's voice from behind them, they turned to look and Angel ripped off the tubes on Walsh and Angleman. Buffy used the opportunity to kick Forrest in the face sending him stumbling to the ground. She jumped off the table and went to Angel with a small smile playing on her lips.
“Hey. I need to go. You can handle him, right?”
“It will be my pleasure”, he answered and pulled her into a quick kiss before letting her go. He turned to look at Forrest who was trying to get up and he growled at the sight of the ignorant boy or what was left of him, he knew all about the taunt and resentment he had showed against Buffy from the beginning and now was time for payback. He stalked towards the Frankenstein junior and grabbed him by the shoulders, throwing him to the wall before stalking after him. Forrest didn't even have time to recover when Angel was grabbing him again and hitting him repeatedly before throwing him across the room. Forrest grabbed one of the oxygen tanks as a weapon before attacking Angel. “You are going to die, vampire!” he yelled, disgust showing in his voice. Angel blocked his attack and hit him with the tank he was holding.
“I'm already dead”, he said and hit him. He glanced around him and quickly ducked for cover behind one of the surgical tables. Forrest didn't even have time to understand what was going on when he noticed the electrical cord hanging above him and touching the tank, setting an explosion.
“And so are you”, Angel said while getting off the ground and looking around himself, the room was filled with pieces of Forrest.
In the meanwhile, Buffy stepped into a room where Adam was watching the screens that showed what was happening inside the Initiative.
“Fun, isn't it”, she stated and Adam spun around.
“I do appreciate violence”, he replayed.
“So do I”, Buffy answered and attacked him. She threw powerful kicks and punches at him but he backed her against the wall, trying to pierce her with the sharp bone from his arm. But Buffy grabbed his arm and cut the bone against her thigh.
“I've got your arm”, she said throwing the cut bone to the floor.
“I've got a new one”, Adam answered and his other arm transformed into a fire weapon. Her eyes widened and quickly she ducked for cover as he started firing the weapon. She dived behind a large computer console. She felt something strong go through her as Adam blew up the console in front of her. Slowly she stood up from behind the remains, her eyes glowing unnatural color and she directed her gaze to him.
“You can't last longer”, he said.
“We can, we are forever”, she said with a voice that seemed like more than one person speaking at once and she started speaking in Sumerian.
“Interesting”, he said more to himself and started shooting towards Buffy but she just raised her hand and the bullets hit a invisible forcefield in front of her before dropping to the ground.
“Interesting indeed”, he said and shot a rocket at her but it too stopped at the forcefield before changing into doves. With a small move of her hand, the weapon pulled itself back into his arm. He attacked her but she blocked his every move before kicking him to the stomach, sending him to the ground and picking him up with no strain at all.
“How...” he tried to ask in confusion but she kicked him repeatedly till he slammed against the wall.
“Of our power”, she said and punched her arm inside his chest. He tried to grab her arm to stop her but she pulled her hand out forcefully and held his power source in her hand. “...but yours is right here”, she finished and Adam dropped to the ground in dead weight.
Angel stepped into the room just in time to see Adam uranium floating on air and Buffy speaking in Sumerian before the devise disappeared into a light. Once it was gone, her eyes changed back to normal and she fainted but Angel managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. It didn't take long till she opened her eyes and gazed into his gentle but worried eyes.
“Hey”, she whispered and earned a small smile from him.
“Hey.”
He let her stand on her own feet but didn't let go of her.
“I guess we should get back out there, there's still a fight going on”, she said and they made their way back to the room where the others were. They stepped through the door and the others jumped up from the floor.
“Buffy!” Willow yelped and went to hug her friend. “Wasn't that amazing”, she said with a wide smile and Buffy nodded with a similar smile.
“You were great”, Xander said from the background.
“We were great. But it's not finished yet, we still need to get the people out of here and beat those demons.”
“Are you sure you're up to it?” Willow asked with a slight concern in her voice.
“You bet I am”, Buffy answered with a smile and they all walked out the door to the chaos that was out there.
The fight was long and hard but they managed to come out alive and dragged themselves to Giles' apartment. They all sat still in awe, not really comprehending what had really happened. Buffy snuggled into Angel's side and closed her eyes with a weary sigh. Angel smoothed her hair back and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. He knew she wasn't sleeping but he let her have the moment.
