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PART 1: BUFFY'S STORY: LOVE AND FEAR
He closed his hand tightly over mine and nibbled softly alone the side of my neck. I leaned back, enjoying the feel of his weight on me. His fingertips stroked along my jawline and cupped my head, his thumbs brushing across my cheeks. He regarded me with warm, loving green eyes and I felt a surge of desire course through me. Gabriel, my love, touching me and looking at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the entire universe.
His eyes had a way of doing that to me, making me feel special and weak in the knees. I rewarded him with a deep kiss, tightening my legs around him as he wrapped his arms about my waist and lifted me off the floor. For an instant I held back, afraid my above average strength might hurt him, but I quickly relieved myself of that worry. He was the seventh son of a seventh son, with powers similar and equal to my own. A little rough fooling around wouldn't cause him any harm.
Gabriel grinned around the kiss and carried me to his bed. We'd been together on that bed dozens of times now, but never like this, never so close. His shirt was open in the front and I pressed my hands against the warm, smooth solidity of his chest, pushing the shirt off his arms and dropping it to the floor. The hem of my shirt inched upward and the skin of our mid-sections touched in a wave of tantalizing excitement. I could feel it now, the enticing tingle that occurred whenever we came close to one another. It was an indication that our particular natures were interacting on some unseen level. I didn't care why it happened. It felt like heaven.
I tangled my fingers into his thick, auburn hair and tugged his mouth close to me. He made a little growl unintentionally and buried his face in my neck. Aaahhh, God what a feeling. Incredibly tender, yet almost savage in its urgency. I wanted him, I wanted to take that next important step in our relationship, to know him completely. But something made me stop, a ribbon of uncontrollable, baseless fear that shot through me with the speed of a lightning bolt.
"I think we should . . .we should cool . . . off a little." I panted, pulling away from him regretfully.
"What's wrong?" his eyes were filled with concern as he looked at me. He reached out and stroked his fingertips softly along my cheek, his eyes dilated and hungry looking. When I had first met him, he had been closed off, distant from a life of constant change and upheaval. But now, I could see every emotion plainly on his face. He had opened up to me so much in the last few months, I felt like I could trust him with my life, more even. Almost immediately, I started to relax, the fear having passed as abruptly as it had come.
"Nothing's the matter." I answered with a desire-laden, shuddering breath. My heart was thumping wildly and my skin was tingling. I felt lightheaded and dizzy from the emotional rush. "Trust me. Everything is great. Maybe just a little too great, that's all."
My body ached in longing as I disentangled myself from him. I couldn't help but draw my fingertips down along his arms as I rose. I watched a shiver of excitement course over him in response to the teasing touch and smiled.
He stood as well, dangerously close to me. I could feel the enticing tingle of a thousand soft tipped needles caressing the front of my body as he grasped my arms and held me close.
"Are you sure you're all right?" he took my chin with thumb and forefinger and tilted my head up. His scent was intoxicating, a mixture of sweet spiciness and traces of my perfume. I loved that smell. It reminded me of how good we were together. I had to concentrate for a moment before I could remember what I was going to say.
"I just don't want things to go too far." I swallowed self-consciously and allowed myself to lay the palms of my hands against his bare chest.
"You know I love you, right?" he smirked a little to himself, as if the words were inadequate and small in comparison to what he felt.
"I know." I smiled at him appreciatively, taking pleasure in hearing him say it. I could feel heat rising in my cheeks, "But I want to make sure everything between us goes right."
"I don't think anything could be more right, Buffy." He circled around behind me, taking me in his arms and squeezing me, rocking slightly from side to side with his eyes shut and basking in our closeness. "But I guess we should probably leave soon, anyway, if we're going to meet the others at the Bronze on time."
I sighed, turning around in his arms, sliding the length of my body against him and then hooking my arms around his neck. I wasn't quite ready to let him go yet.
"You think you'll be safe in a public place?" I touched my forehead against his so that our faces were only a miniscule distance apart and gave him my best devilish smile.
His eyes brightened with a surge of desire and I heard his breath catch in his throat. He smiled, his mouth reaching instinctively for mine, but he restrained himself.
"I think we'd better get going." He released me slowly, reluctantly, and his eyes lingered longingly on me. "We're going to be late."
What's this? The old sex appeal couldn't be slipping, could it? I don't think so.
I nuzzled into the little hollow at the base of his throat, "All right, if that's what you really want." I purred, allowing the vibration of my voice to travel up under his chin. I felt a little groan rumble from deep inside his chest. Bingo.
"I . . .guess we could hang around a little longer." He gave me a gentle squeeze and kissed me softly on the lips. I giggled as he lifted me up in his arms again. Hmmm, victory is sweet.
We didn't make it to the Bronze until almost an hour later. I stopped him just outside the door to make sure we had both straightened ourselves up enough to be inconspicuous. No need to feed the local rumor mill.
He took me by the hand and held it up to his lips.
"I have something for you." He murmured softly. I wondered if he realized how his breath was like sweet torture across my palm. He dropped something small and metallic into my hand and closed my fingers over it.
"What's this?" I held it up at eye level. It was a key. His eyes warmed and he put both his hands around mine, unable to hold back a smile.
"It's yours." He pressed his lips gently against my fingers and grinned, "If you ever need to get into my place when I'm not around." He released my hand and straightened quickly, affecting a casual posture, "You know, i-in case you need some peace and quiet to do homework or something."
"Oh," Homework? He had to be kidding. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed.
My own key. It was so sweet. I doubted I would ever need it, seeing as we were never apart anyway, but it was still sweet. I let him have one kiss as a thank you, but cut it off at that. I'd regret it tomorrow if we started making out right in front of the Bronze. Not that I wasn't tempted, but that was why we were already late. Really late.
Settling for giving me a kiss on top of my head, he opened the door for me and I walked in ahead of him. Willow spotted us and waved wildly from the table where she sat with Xander and Anya. I was a little surprised to see Anya out socializing. Little Miss Man-Killer had been sticking awfully close to Xander lately. I wondered if there was something going on there that I don't know about.
I felt Gabriel's hand slide caressingly across the backs of my shoulders.
"I'm going to the juice bar." He murmured into my ear, "Be back in a minute."
I gave him a smile and he winked at me before disappearing into the crowd. Willow hopped out of her seat immediately and rushed up to me in excitement.
"What happened?" she blurted, "How come you two are so late?"
I tried to be obviously coy, "We got a little . . .distracted."
"What could be so distracting? I mean, I reminded you four times today and - oh." Her eyes lit up as she realized what I meant, "You and Gabriel were smooching? Did he do the tingly thing?"
She always got so excited whenever I talked about Gabriel. The first time they had crossed paths, he had saved her life and she never forgot that. If ever my seventh sweetie had a dedicated cheerleader, it was Willow. She liked sharing the precious details of my relationship with him. Ever since she and Oz had taken their relationship to the next level, I'd been getting the feeling that she was patiently waiting for Gabriel and I to do the same. It's kind of a girl thing. It's not much fun talking about primal passions with your best friend when her only experience triggered one of the longest, most painful times of her life. So I did my best to supply her with what I had.
"Things got pret-ty intense." I alluded, smirking as she danced excitedly on the spot.
"Intense?" she peeped with a wide-eyed smile, "As in . . .hot?"
"Willow, the surface of the sun is hot." I smiled cryptically, proudly holding up the key he had given me, "This was scorching. Check it out."
"A key?" she raised her eyebrows in mild confusion.
"It's for his apartment." I explained giddily, slipping the little treasure back inside my pocket again. Maybe I'd put it on my chain or something later, "You know, in case I need to get away from the dorm for homework or something."
"You won't be doing homework." She reasoned cannily, pointing her finger at me and giggling, "Not with Gabriel around."
I shrugged and ducked my head in a display of mock guilt, unable to stop smiling. She had me cold, "We HAVE been getting pretty close lately."
"That's so great." She hugged me tightly, overcome with happiness for me. I squeezed her back, reminded yet again that I had the best friends in the world. "How close? Did you . . .?"
She let the question hang, not sure whether she should have waited for me to volunteer any information or not.
"We came very close." I told her, feeling a little troubled by the whole encounter, "I mean, I really wanted to. Everything felt so perfect, but . . ."
"But what?" Willow had that worried look in her eyes again, the one that reminded me of the look dogs get when they hear thunder or jet engines overhead. More fear of what it could be than fear of what it actually is.
"I was afraid." I admitted softly, "I love him and he loves me and I feel amazing when we're together. But, somehow, I'm still afraid." There was a pain in my stomach when I said that. I felt like there was something wrong with me. If everything else was so great then the problem had to be me.
She released me and made her 'stop worrying and get serious' face. I taught her that, back in the pre-Oz days when she used to pine after Xander. She had learned well, my little Grasshopper, and I had no choice but to stand still and accept the impending pep-talk.
"You shouldn't feel bad about this, Buffy. Don't rush things." She counciled, "You've had some bad history. N-not that that was anyone's fault or anything."
Good old Willow. Well, she always tries, at least.
"Look, I know this isn't the best time to bring this up," she apologized, "but Willy the Snitch has been hanging around. I think he knows something, but he wouldn't tell me what it was."
I cracked my knuckles and smiled, "And you think I can convince him to give it up?"
"Absolutely." She grinned, "You can be very diplomatic when you've got a hammerlock on a person's arm."
Looking over her shoulder, I could see Gabriel leaning against the bar with a bottle of juice in his hand. A slender female arm reached out and stroked a groping finger across his chest. Whoa, skank alert.
"Looks like Willy will have to wait. I gotta go mark my territory." I said as I released her and made a straight line for the little ho, whoever she was.
I wove through the crowd quickly and I saw the hand reach out to touch him again in an obvious female declaration of intent.
She wasn't going to be declaring anything but a next of kin if she didn't learn to keep her hands to herself.
To his credit, Gabriel seemed to be avoiding the majority of her flirtatious moves.
But the look on his face bordered on elation.
You'd think that we weren't just necking up a storm at his apartment fifteen minutes ago.
I slunk up to him and snaked my arms around his neck in a blatantly possessive way.
"Hi." I smiled, kissing him deeply and with flourish. Nope, no mixed messages here. When I finally broke away, he was smiling foolishly and looked a little glassy eyed. Good, because I put everything I had into that kiss. I snuggled against his side and fixed the offending tramp with my cattiest glare. She was tall, one of those wannabe model-types, but her nose was too long and somebody had taught her to apply make-up with a shovel. Underneath all those layers, she could have been a bulldog for all anyone knew. She returned my look with interest, but I was hardly worried. After all, Gabriel's arm was very distinctly around my waist.
There were two other people with her, a guy and a girl. The girl was another bimbo type, the kind that prowl around the Bronze just waiting to be picked up. Brown hair, slanted eyes and a little too much cleavage showing to be considered modest. Ok, so I am a little biased. But once a girl lays hands on my guy, she sort of waives her right to a fair trial, in my opinion.
The guy was tall and strangely familiar looking. He looked a little older, too. His face was very GQ model, almost too pretty for a guy, kind of like Antonio Sabato except with deep blue eyes. I didn't find him attractive, though. Something about him sent a chill up my spine. He seemed cold. Besides, while he did seem to have decent fashion sense, someone forgot to tell him that gaudy, trash jewelry was out. A pendant the size of a silver dollar with a cloudy pink stone in its center hung from gold chain around his neck.
"So, you going to introduce me to your friends?" I asked Gabriel pointedly. I planned to remind him what the words 'be right back' meant later.
Gabriel quickly gathered his wits and smiled broadly.
"Oh, sorry. Buffy, this is . . ." he indicated the blonde and paused. He couldn't remember her name. I smiled inwardly. She had to be eating her heart out.
"Michelle." She supplied for him with a bright, ultra-fake smile. She reached out to touch him again, but I shot her a warning look and she let her hand fall to her side. Right where it belonged.
"Right." Gabriel smiled apologetically and turned to the girl with the brown hair, "and this is Tina."
He was getting excited, like a little kid before Christmas, as he gestured at last to the black-haired guy.
"And this is Raphael." He beamed, "My brother."
My jaw almost hit the floor. A brother. Wow. No wonder he had looked familiar. Their faces had similar features, except that Gabriel was more of a boy-next-door type, less chiseled and unapproachable than his brother. I guess this shouldn't have been a big surprise. I mean, being the Seventh Son of a Seventh son does imply at least six brothers. I was bound to meet the rest of the family, sooner or later.
"Um, hi." I held out my hand and he took it carefully as if trying to limit the amount of contact with me. My earlier creeped-out opinion of him just doubled. I had to give him a chance though, for Gabriel's sake, at least. But luckily, tonight we had business matters to attend to.
"Willy the Snitch has been nosing around." I murmured into Gabriel's ear, "We should find out what he wants."
"Think you could take this one alone?" he asked me with a touch of pleading in his voice, "I want to stay with Rafael for a while."
"Um, alright." I hesitated leaving him alone with them. Rafael didn't seem like someone who was big on encouraging the concept of monogamous relationships. Not to mention the fact that he was keeping company with the co-captains of the bimbo-squad. No, that wasn't fair. Gabriel was just happy to see his brother. I trusted him. It was just them I didn't trust. Besides, what was I? One of those crazy possessive girls like you see on TV?
Gathering my pride, I turned and left without looking back. I made a detour by the table and hooked Willow's arm, dragging her along with me. Just because Gabriel was busy didn't mean I had to go it alone.
It only took a minute or two to locate Willy. He stuck out like a sore thumb around this place. He was skulking in the shadows under the metal stairwell, nervously shifting from foot to foot in that endearing way he had. Not.
"You know Willy, men your age get put in jail for hanging around places like this." I noted with my best cheeky smile.
He jumped and whirled on me, looking like he was about to have a heart attack. Willow looked to me and raised her eyebrows.
"Geez, you scared the livin' daylights outta me!" he complained, clutching his chest, "You get your kicks trying to put people in their graves or sumpthin'?"
"Willy, I'm the Slayer." I reminded him for no small reason, "That's my job."
"Right." He didn't seemed impressed, "Just try and stick with the undead from now on, okay?"
"What's the word, Willy?" I cut right to the chase. The less time I had to spend on him, the less time Gabriel had to remain alone in trollop-land.
"What do you mean?" he evaded clumsily.
"Come on, Willy. Spill it. You wouldn't be hanging around here playing me-and-my-shadow unless you had something important for me." I frowned and cocked my head toward him, "Unless you really are looking to go to jail?"
"No!" he panicked, waving his hands wildly in denial, "I got something. Really, I do."
Willow and I looked to one another, then to him and waited expectantly.
"Well?"
"Someone's sniffin' around." He revealed skittishly, "Lookin' for vampire bones. I put the word out there ain't no such thing, but I figured you'd want to know about it anyway."
My blood turned to ice and I swear my heart stopped beating. He was wrong. There was one set of vampire bones in existence. The Master. Until the day I die I would never forget him or the fear that his name still carried for me. Someone was going to try and resurrect the Master again. And that meant the lives of everyone dear to me were at risk. Including my own.