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Buffy opened her eyes slowly, panicking for a moment when she found herself in a strange bed all alone. She calmed down quickly as the events of the past day filled her mind, and she stretched like a cat and rolled over, looking for Angel. He was not in the bed, and Buffy began to feel an urgency creep over her. What if something bad happened to him? What if he had gone to fight whatever challenge it was they were fighting without her? What if--
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a pot being dropped in the kitchen. She got out of bed smiling and pulled on one of Angel's silk shirts, buttoning it as she walked out of the bedroom, careful not to trip over the clothes that littered the floor. She entered the kitchen to see Angel busy at work at the stove, cooking what appeared to be omelets and bacon.
"Wow, great in bed and knows how to cook. I think you're a keeper, mister," Buffy said as she slid up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He started for a moment before realizing who it was, and he turned around to give her a sweet good morning kiss.
"Nice outfit," he drawled as he looked her up and down.
"You're one to talk," she shot back playfully, trying not to let the fact that he was wearing only a bathrobe and a pair of boxers get to her. His robe was cinched loosely around his waist, exposing a bit of his chest to her hungry gaze. She had the overwhelming desire to kiss it...
Angel handed her a plate laden with food and directed her to the table. He sat down opposite of her, but it wasn't good enough. She scooted around the table and plopped down on his lap, reaching over to get her plate.
"I like you in my clothes," Angel said as he fed her a piece of toast. She grinned and leaned down for a kiss.
"Get used to it," she replied, taking a sip of orange juice.
"Oh, I think I definitely could..."
As soon as the table was cleared and the dishes were done Buffy turned to Angel with a devilish grin on her face. Taking his hand, she hopped up onto the kitchen table and pulled him into her body.
"What do you say we have another go at this table thing?" she teased, unbutton ing her shirt slowly. He grinned wickedly at his beloved and quickly shed his robe.
"Let's just try not to break it this time," he said. Before she could respond, his lips were fusing with hers and she promptly forgot all her snazzy comebacks, becoming lost in the feel of him.
"'Morning, Cordy," Buffy said with a huge grin as she and Angel stepped out of the elevator. The actress gave them a look.
"I hope you realize that I've been emotionally scarred," she said, turning her attention back to her paperwork. Angel kissed Buffy's hand softly before going over to his desk.
"How so?" she asked, plopping down on the couch and turning on the dancing Santa. The tune of 'Jingle Bell Rock' filled the air.
"I heard you guys down there, it sounded like you were killing her, Angel!"
Angel chuckled, but didn't respond.
"That's what it felt like," Buffy said dreamily. "But in a good way..."
"I think that was an oxymoron," Cordelia muttered as she focused on the computer screen in front of her. Before Buffy could reply the door flew open and a person raced in.
"Angel," Cordelia called as she focused on the man before her, who was trembling and glancing over his should nervously. "We've got company."
"What is it?" Angel asked as he came into the main room, sweeping his gaze over the guy. "What do you need?"
"Help," the guy rasped. "My family...we're...I..."
"Speak," Cordelia encouraged. "Take a deep breath and then speak."
He did as he was told. "My family was taken by these...these things. They were big and purple and had horns coming out of the middle of their heads. I managed to get away, but I don't know where they went and I need help," he said, almost in hysterics. Buffy placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and pulled him down beside her on the couch while Angel fetched him a glass of water from the cooler.
"So a bunch of demons came and grabbed your family and ran off and you don't know where they are?" Cordelia repeated, squinting at him. He nodded and guzzled the water down.
"Any idea where they were taken?" Buffy asked. He shrugged helplessly. She looked at Angel for help and realized he was thinking.
"Angel?" she asked. He looked up at his name and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You said they were purple? With horns? Did you see what color eyes they had?" he asked, beginning to pace. The guy thought for a moment.
"Yeah...they were white. It was scary, like they weren't even looking at me..."
"They weren't," Angel said. "They're Ochruis demons, they rely on smell and hearing to capture their victims."
"Well, do you know where they might be?" Cordelia asked.
"I think I saw one the other night while I was patrolling," he said, "down by the old warehouses that they turned into clubs."
"Oh, yeah, where they put The Chain and stuff in?" Cordelia asked. Angel nodded and grabbed his jacket. Buffy stood as well, gently taking it from him.
"It's warm out, you don't need it. Plus the whole long-coat-wearing-mysterious-guy routine only works at night," she said as she walked to the door. "Cordy, we'll take care of this. You stay here and watch him."
"Sure, Buffy, whatever. Oh, and your little boytoy Riley called last night. I said you were staying at Angel's," she said. Buffy sighed.
"Thanks, Cor, how am I gonna explain it to him?"
"Well, I already told him so it shouldn't be too hard..."
"C'mon," Angel said, dragging her to the door. "You can figure out how you're gonna break up with Riley later. We'll take my car."
With that, the two Warriors left to face what could very well be called their destiny.
Buffy and Angel paused outside of the warehouse they had pinpointed as being the demon headquarters. Each gripped wicked-looking swords in their hands, ready for battle.
"This is it," Angel said grimly as he peered into the grime-covered window. Buffy nodded, gripping his hand.
"We can do this. We *have* to do this," she whispered pleadingly. "I know I won't be able to live without you."
"I love you," Angel said as he brushed his lips against hers. "No matter what, remember that."
"And I love you, always and forever."
With those words and a final kiss for good luck, they crept through the window and began their search. It wasn't hard, the first large room they came to was where the Ochruis demons were sitting, looking as though they were meditating. Several people were cramped together in a tiny cage in the corner, scared and shaking and dirty.
A glance between the two allowed them to communicate. Splitting up, Buffy and Angel crept through the old boxes that were leaning against the wall. There were twelve demons in all, but they were huge, each nearly seven feet tall. Buffy was waiting for Angel to get into position, and she said a silent prayer to the Oracles or whoever would listen that they would survive this fight and prove they were indeed better off together.
Angel looked across the room at Buffy with love in his eyes. He mouthed 'I love you' to her, she mouthed it back. She was scared, he could tell. In all truth, so was he. So much depended on this one thing, their entire lives and future rested on the outcome of this battle. But that did not discourage him, if anything it made him stronger. He could do this, and so could she, and they would together prove to The Powers that they were an amazing team.
The signal was given, and Buffy crept up behind the closest demon. With a swing of her sword, he was decapitated and he fell to the floor with a scream of agony, his body turning into green goo on the concrete.
"Eww, it's a good thing you guys don't have carpet. The cleaning bills would be hell..." she said as she stood ready to fight. The other demons stared at her with rage in their eyes before advancing on her hungrily. "Wow, don't just sit there, come and get me," she quipped nervously. Angel silently stalked up behind the demons who were slowly making their way to his lover, beheading two before they knew what hit them.
"You'd think you demons would learn that it's better to move *quickly* so you avoid an ambush," Angel growled as he kicked one of the purpled demons in the back, sending it sprawling to the ground as he quickly beheaded it. Immediately he was surrounded by five of the Ochruis demons, all nearly drooling at the sight of him.
"You forget, honey," Buffy grunted as she spin-kicked one of the demons in the chest, stabbing another with her sword. "They aren't that smart."
"That's probably a good thing," Angel replied as he punched one in the face and elbowed another in the stomach. Soon the fight became too hard for idle chitchat. Buffy was thrown to the ground, her sword sent careening across the smooth floor several feet away from her. She pulled a dagger out of her boot and plunged back into the fight, taking out one demon and kicking another at the same time.
Angel threw several solid punches, catching the demon he was fighting square in the chest. The demon punched back, knocking Angel to the ground. He jumped up swiftly and stabbed the demon in the heart, not waiting for it to turn to go before moving onto the next one.
"That *wasn't* very nice! Didn't you mother ever tell you not to hit poor, defenseless girls?" Buffy demanded after being punched in the jaw. A trickle of blood was marring her pretty face and she quickly wiped it away, kneeing the demon in the groin before stabbing it right in the gut. The demon moaned as it fell to its knees, screaming for mercy as it dissolved. Buffy looked around, wanting to fight something else, when she saw Angel defending himself against the remaining four demons. She jumped on the one who was closest to her lover, delivering a stunning blow to the head. She was quickly flipped over the demon, landing hard on her back.
She groaned and blinked back the stars that swam in her vision. The demon that loomed above her was a bit fuzzy, but she rolled over backwards, kicking her legs up to catch the demon in the chest as she used her momentum to do a back flip, landing on her feet facing away from the purple guy. Quickly stabbing him with lightning speed, she took out another one with ease.
Soon there were only two left, but Buffy and Angel were getting tired. Buffy was exchanging blows with the one when she heard the clanking of swords. Looking up in horror, she saw that Angel and the demon were fighting, the demon using the sword she had dropped and Angel using his. Angel's cry of pain sent adrenaline pumping through her system and she ignored the aches all over her body and the blood that was trickling from the various wounds she had received.
Beating the demon back, she quickly disposed of him and turned around to see Angel fighting a losing battle. He was tired and hurt and it showed. Blood poured from the deep cut in his arm as he fought valiantly. Buffy doubled over in pain suddenly, her abdomen clenching tightly. When she looked up again, breathing hard in an attempt to ease the pain, Angel had been backed into a corner with the demon prepared to strike.
"Angel!" Buffy cried and with a speed she didn't think she possessed, the Slayer moved across the room and plunged her bloody dagger into the demon's back as it prepared to strike. It melted in front of her but she was unaware of what she was kneeling in as she bent down and looked closely at Angel.
His eye was bruising and he had a spilt lip. Blood was still coming from the wound on his arm and he looked rather pale from the blood loss, but he looked up at her tiredly and managed a pain-filled smile. She trembled in relief and leaned into him, ignoring her sore muscles and the fire that breathed through her.
"I thought I was going to lose you," she whispered, clutching him to her. She kissed him gently, tasting the coppery flavor of his blood as it mixed with hers.
"I'll never leave you again, Buffy," he promised, wrapping his tired arms around her.
The Slayer and her lover stayed like that for a long time, so engrossed in each other that they didn't hear the cries of the people in the cage. Finally, the fog in their brains cleared and they realized they weren't done.
Buffy helped Angel up and hobbled over to the cage. Using the last of her strength, she kicked the door open, freeing the two men, three women, and five children inside.
"Thank you," they gushed, supporting Buffy and Angel as they walked out of the dreadful place. Angel directed them to his car.
"I can take a few of you back to my office and the rest can take a cab," he said as he slid into the black convertible and opened the door for Buffy. She immediately began searching for something to stop the bleeding of Angel's arm with, and when she could find nothing she took off her shirt and wrapped it tightly around his wound.
"Hush," she scolded lightly when he tried to protest. "I didn't like it anyway. Now drive, I'm feeling incredibly naked."
Angel smiled despite his state and handed the ones who were getting a cab his business card. He waited until they had hailed one before pulling out into traffic, trying to stay awake long enough to get them home safely.
"My God!" Cordelia cried as they stumbled into the office. "What the hell happened to you two?"
"Twelve Ochruis demons," Buffy said as she sank down into the couch cushions. Angel plopped down next to her as Cordelia rushed to get the first aid kit, pushing through the reunion that was taking place in the middle of the office. She returned in a few second, tossing Buffy a blanket in the process.
"Uh, Buffy? Where'd your shirt go?" she asked, eying the Slayer. Buffy pointed to Angel's arm and Cordelia nodded. "Oh, I thought maybe you two had stopped for a quickie beforehand or something."
Buffy shot her a look as Cordelia began tending for both of them. The man who had asked for their help in the first place--Matt, his name was--came up to them as Cordelia applied antiseptic to the cut on Buffy's forehead.
"How can we ever thank you?" he asked. Angel was about to speak when Cordelia cut in.
"We'll send you a bill," she said sweetly. "Just leave your address with us and we'll be in touch in the next day or so." Buffy looked at her friend strangely before shrugging.
"I owe you my life," he said, focusing on Buffy and Angel.
"But we didn't save you," Buffy pointed out. Matt shook his head.
"You saved my family. They're my life," he told her softly. Buffy smiled and leaned against Angel.
"You're welcome," she said warmly, Angel echoing her statement. "Merry Christmas."
"Same to you! There should be more people in the world like the two of you," he said as he ushered his family out. They all shouted their thanks and holiday wishes as they walked out, leaving the office silent.
"Okay, I don't think you need to go to the hospital, Angel, it seems to be closing up already," Cordelia announced as she stood and threw the wrappers and Buffy's bloody shirt out.
"The perks of supernatural healing," he said grimly. Buffy sighed, rubbing her temples.
"You have anything for my headache?" she asked. "Preferably something that will knock me out..."
Cordelia laughed as she retrieved the bottle of aspirin from Angel's office. She handed them to Buffy, along with a glass of water. She swallowed two down and took a long greedy gulp of water before setting the glass down.
"I think I'm just gonna go sleep until tomorrow," Buffy moaned as she stood and helped Angel up. He was unusually quiet, but she didn't comment on it.
"Well, I have an audition in a half hour for a part on a soap opera," Cordelia said.
"Good luck, Cor! Knock 'em dead," Buffy smiled.
"Oh, I'm planning on it. I'll come check up on you guys later, okay?"
Angel shook his head. "We'll be sleeping. Just take the rest of the day and
night off, go to your audition and do whatever you want," he told her. She kissed both him and Buffy on the cheek before grabbing her purse and her script and leaving. Angel offered Buffy his good arm, which she greatly took, and led her downstairs into his apartment. They changed, Angel into sweatpants and Buffy into one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers, and, regardless of the fact that it was only four in the afternoon, crawled under the covers, cuddling together and instantly falling asleep after a hard day
of slaying.