Rupert looked out into the library from his office. He could have sworn he’d heard someone out there. It was impossible, though, as he’d sent Buffy home.
“Hello?” he distinctly heard.
Thinking he was going crazy, he opened the door to inspect the area. There, lying on the floor, was his love.
“Jenny,” he said. “Jenny?”
“Rupert?” she asked. “My, you’re old.”
“Yes,” he laughed. “You were but twenty when I last saw you and you haven’t aged a day.”
“You flatter me,” she said, but still smiled as he embraced her.
“How did you get here?” he asked her, leading them into his office. They sat together on the sofa.
“A spell. I’m looking for a girl… Whose is this?” Jenny asked, picking up Buffy’s robe from where it had been carelessly discarded on the floor.
“You wouldn’t believe it, but they gave me a Slayer,” Giles began. “She arrived only a few months ago, and was sent away earlier this week. To Angelus.”
“Oh god,” she said. “I’m looking for her. Your Slayer. Angelus ordered me to return her to him. Within the hour.”
“The spell to take you back cannot be performed until Tuesday.”
“What day is it now?”
“Saturday,” he told her. “Perhaps you would like to stay at my apartment?”
“Angelus will be very angry that his mistress is not returned. But I would like that very much,” she said, worried but smiling. Her concerns about Angelus and Buffy melted away in Rupert’s presence.
“And since you are staying, would you care to join me for dinner tonight?”
“That would be lovely.”
“Wonderful,” Giles said, taking her hand and raising it to his lips.
Jenny blushed. “Rupert,” she admonished teasingly, unused to such treatment. She had not been allowed to socialise since Angelus had taken her. This was a refreshing change.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked, leaning in to brush her lips with his before she could reply.
She gasped as he pulled away. “Of course,” she told him, arms going around his neck in encouragement.
~~
Hours later, Angelus was inspecting the pentagram on the library’s floor. Jenny had foolishly left a book open to the spell she’d used. Copying her actions, he found himself in an entirely different library to the one he was used to.
“Jenny!” he exclaimed, looking around frantically. His maid was usually obedient but today she had been anything but that. It had been over two hours before he had stopped brooding and begun his second search for the evening.
The time had changed as well. The windows allowed a comfortable amount of natural light to filter in, indicating that it was not early evening but perhaps late in the morning.
Moans were coming from what appeared to be an office, separated by a wall and accessible by a door left ajar. Opening the door, he found his maid and an older man half-naked on a sofa.
“Jenny?” he asked. “Who is this?”
“Oh god!” Jenny exclaimed, pulling her blouse closed and sitting up. “Help! Rupert!”
Giles sat up and pulled Jenny onto his lap, arms around her. “You’ll not hurt her again,” he said, correctly assuming the intruder to be Angelus.
“I wasn’t going to hurt her,” Angelus said. “I just… Jenny? This is your librarian, Rupert, is it not?”
“It is,” she told him.
“And you still love him?”
Jenny looked into Giles’s eyes. “I do.”
“I love you, too,” he replied, and they kissed.
Angelus watched the lovers, wishing he could have a similar relationship with Buffy. If she continued to defy him by escaping, he wasn’t sure they could ever become so familiar with each other.
“Very well. Jenny, your powers are gone,” Angelus said with a wave of his hand. “You’re a mere mortal, a human. Free live out your years on this plane however you wish.”
“Oh, thank you, Master. I can only wish that you find Buffy in good health, as I have found Rupert.”
“Thank you and goodbye.”
Giles watched Angelus, a truly fearsome creature, depart. Hopefully he would be out of their lives forever.
He returned his gaze to Jenny, never sparing a thought for Buffy, who was more than likely to be both caught and punished for her indiscretion.
Chapter Twelve
A/N: Time is a little different in the two dimensions. I’ll explain it in the story later if it becomes important, just know that times won’t coincide when travelling between dimensions.
Angelus left the library as soon as the sun went down. While he was able to travel in sunlight, it made him uncomfortable. Even so, he was not going to stoop to crawling about the sewers.
Giles and Jenny had disappeared while he brooded, wandering the stacks, waiting for sunset and wondering what his mate was doing. Whether she was happy.
The bond with Buffy was strong; she was obviously taking care of herself because he could sense her clearly. She must have recently been nearby because he could follow her trail, and later some music, to a dance hall of some sort: the Bronze.
The bouncer didn’t question him as he walked in, thankfully appropriately dressed in black pants and a dark red shirt. He stood by the stairs and watched as his mate, attired in a tiny and very sexy red dress, swayed slowly in the grasp of another man.
~~
Buffy tensed as alarm bells went off in her head. She looked around to see who was making her senses go haywire and her gaze settled on Angelus.
“It’s been fun,” she told Xander, pulling away from his embrace, “but I have to go.”
She didn’t hear his reply as she ran towards the back exit, her mate hot on her heels. As Buffy rushed through the door, he caught up to her and pressed her against the outside wall of the club.
“Why are you running from me?” Angelus asked, one hand on her stomach to protect their child, though her pregnancy was probably not yet detectable, and the other grabbing and holding her hands to the wall. He was pushing her towards the wall, forcing her to turn her head and watch him as he spoke.
Buffy was panting, having lost her breath when he’d shoved her. “Let go!” she exclaimed, coughing and struggling. He released her immediately and winced as she fell to the ground. “Get away from me!”
“Buffy,” he said, coming closer, but she turned and backed up against the wall, shying away from the hand he offered her. “I’m not going to hurt you. I saw your Watcher, the librarian. He’s in love with Jenny,” he told her, as if begging her to return to him. “She returns his affection! I’m allowing her to stay here with him.”
“You’re letting Jenny go?” she asked, eyes wide with disbelief.
“She has served me well. She deserves happiness, as do you. I just want to see you happy, Buffy. Please come with me.”
She couldn’t resist the pleading tone in his voice. Nodding slightly, she let Angelus pick her up. After all, he was the father of her child. If she couldn’t trust him now, while he was offering her happiness, when could she trust him?
~~
Buffy didn’t hear a word Angelus said as he carried her back to the library. She was tired and couldn’t imagine anyone else asking her to stay with them, even her mother. No, especially her mother, now that she was back together with Hank. She hadn’t even told her friends she was leaving; hopefully they’d figure out that she’d gone back and not think that she’d run away.
Jenny had told her that Angelus would not harm his bride; that she would be cared for and perhaps even loved. But fortune had been kind to Jenny and she was staying here, with her love.
Even if Angelus loved Buffy, she could never feel the same way about him. Her dream of a husband with a nine-to-five job, her staying at home with their two kids, should be forgotten. She’d be giving birth to her first child in nine months, and her husband was far from normal. As a king, she doubted he even had much of a job. The beauty of his rooms confirmed that he spent a lot of time there.
Happiness was clearly not in her destiny. She’d live with Angelus and then she’d die, but he’d live on for years, according to Giles’s research. Her husband would rule as a king for centuries, her son would bring people back to the Old Ways, and she’d be young, then old and grey, and finally dead, in the blink of an eye to them. And while her romantic future was almost non-existent, she could grow to an old age with Angelus, where she was safe. Here, in her home dimension, Slayers were not well protected and therefore they tended to die very young. The future seemed bleak to her, either way.
Chapter 13
A/N: Damn B/Aus shippers who like happy endings. *rolls eyes, but types anyway* I accomplish exactly one thing in this chapter. In response to most of the feedback I receive: imagine your parent(s) sending you across the country to marry someone you've never met. He/She's rich, and you don't mind lounging around his/her penthouse apartment all day, but does that make you automatically fall in love with him/her? Well, for me it would depend on my daily credit card limit, but for Buffy it's different. There was that whole big thing ending with Riley leaving in season 5. She's destined to be with Angelus now but the prophecy said nothing about love; that's something she has to discover for herself. [/rant] Oh, and enjoy!
Xander returned to their table in the Bronze, Buffy-less and slightly confused.
“Where’d Buffy go?” Willow asked.
“Don’t know,” Xander replied. “She just ran off.”
“Probably chasing a vampire,” she offered.
“Right. And she must have gone home right after, because it was messy, and she wants a shower.”
“Exactly.”
“So,” Xander began, “would you dance with me now?”
“It’d love to,” Willow replied, taking his hand and following him out to the dance floor.
~~
Buffy watched on quietly as her mate performed the ritual to send them back to his dimension. Although Giles had told her that it could not be done for several more days, Angelus had explained that he did not require such permission from the gods and therefore he could send them back immediately.
Upon arrival, he remembered that Jenny no longer served him. Instead, he was forced to escort his wife to their rooms himself, pointing out to her various rooms off the hallway, before retiring to the library. He refused to be disturbed if Buffy didn't know where to find a linen closet.
Grumbling as he searched the stacks, he quickly came across his mother browsing the section he was searching for.
“Mother?” he asked as she handed him a book. ‘Dimensions and Sub-Dimensions,’ it was called. She always knew what he was thinking.
“My son,” Queen Mab said in her scratchy voice. “Your time has come. Treat Buffy well. I know you care a great deal about her. Please take care of her, and perhaps, in time, she will come to return your feelings. Remember your agreement with the Council.”
“I’ll keep her safe,” Angelus promised, having said the same thing to Buffy earlier.
“It is time for me to join my sister,” she told him. “I will see you on a higher plane, hopefully in many years. Goodbye, my son.” Mab glanced at Angelus one last time, knowing the comfort of memories but also knowing that they didn’t last forever.
He watched his mother, the woman who raised him, exit the library. He had no illusions that she was his real mother, as Mab was far too powerful to stoop to actually carrying a child, but he had a restrained affection for her as she had taught him most of what he knew of magic.
Now that she and Jenny were gone, though, he was free to practice his magic whenever and however he liked. He took the book with him out of the library, determined to research and perform one of the more powerful spells to prove his love for Buffy.
~~
Buffy curled up in bed alone, determined not to cry. When he’d left her there, Angelus had assured her of both her safety and that of their child. Having decided that stress was bad for the baby, she’d tried to sleep, but failed miserably in her strange surroundings.
Choosing from a selection of books on a shelf across the room, Buffy settled in to read about flowers native to this region. Three pages in, she was out like a light, Angelus finding her hours later when he slunk in as the sun rose.
Taking the book and placing it on a table by the bed, Angelus changed into a pair of pyjama pants before joining his wife. Arms holding her comfortably, he slept.
~~
Buffy woke early, unable to get back to sleep after being woken up by what sounded like a storm outside. They sky was dark, and from the ornate clock on the mantle she knew it mid-morning.
She watched her husband sleep, his breathing slow. What kind of creature was a Fey? He breathed, and ate, but did not like sunlight. A mystery fit for a Slayer, really.
But did she love him? He obviously wanted her to, and she didn't think it would be unwise to please him. "I love him," she said, trying it out. Facing Angelus, "I love you." It didn't sound wrong. She'd thought she could come to feel for him, and now she obviously did.
It was settled, then. She would tell him when he woke up. There was nothing wrong with loving the father of your child. Absolutely nothing. He had been only hospitable and kind to her so far. Perhaps after a declaration of affection from her, he would spend more time in their rooms. She wanted a friend, someone to talk to other than Tara, who snuck around the room on purpose so they wouldn't have to chat. When most women were pregnant they probably received more attention than the occasional evening with their partners.
Of course, Buffy wasn't most women. And she could never, ever be normal; not with a saviour for a son and a Fey for a husband.
Chapter 14
A/N: There’s a little bit of squick in this chapter. But only one paragraph. Skip if you must, but this chapter really moves the plot along.
Months later...
It was mid-afternoon when Buffy finally woke alone. Angelus must have kept human hours today, as he sometimes did, because he was not next to her. Tara, a quiet woman who had replaced Jenny, helped her to sit up and then handed her a glass of water. The champagne breakfasts had stopped after she'd brought it up, as well as other pregnancy issues such as discomfort during sex, to Angelus. Her doctor had confirmed the pregnancy several months ago and Angelus had ordered Tara to bring her whatever food she was craving as well as ensure she was well rested.
Now that her pregnancy was coming close to an end, there was no chance she'd miss any rest. Her mate had to conduct meetings and preside over the throne room all day, and she was not allowed to leave their bedroom. If he was feeling particularly generous, he'd allow her to spend a supervised day in the library. After an unsuccessful escape attempt a few weeks ago, he'd barely left her alone. Her punishment had been severe but brief; Angelus had made her watch as he burned the ingredients for her spell, including some very rare leaves, within some sort of container so they had no effect. He'd then had the books stored in a safe, which she had never located, and proceeded to handcuff her to the bed, though the cuffs were lined.
He only wanted his mate to have one scar, which was on her neck, so rather than cutting her he set about pricking her inner thighs with pins. After licking up the droplets of blood, he'd fucked her blind, delighting in her whimpers as her sore thighs rubbed against his sides. She'd hadn't come, and the tiny wounds healed quickly, so minutes later he'd scratched off the scabs and licked up the blood once more before gently making love to her, whispering his devotion but not receiving anything in return.
If she spent her day in the library now, he acted as though it was a favour and he wanted something in return. Something that he took from her most days anyway. She didn't fight anymore, though, as he would ultimately overpower her every time she protested. "I love you," he’d say, "like no one else could. Sixteen and pregnant; who'd want you now?"
And she cried because she was seventeen and she was in love with him. She had a calendar from her world, one of the comforts he allowed her. Her birthday had been a few weeks ago but he didn’t know that and she never mentioned it, not wanting to celebrate the day if she wasn’t with her friends.
But it was the truth. Even as Angelus claimed an alternating ownership and worship of her, she wondered if perhaps there was more for her out there somewhere. Could this really be her final destiny? Staying with Angelus for the rest of her life? She had planned to return as soon as possible, preferably once she'd had the child, but now she wasn't so sure. Everyone she knew was now half of a couple. Her mother, Giles, Willow and Xander. All busy with their new relationships. All busy being in love.
"I love you," she'd told him one night, months ago as he fell asleep. He hadn't indicated that he'd heard, though, and she hadn't felt compelled to repeat it since then. But she did love him; because he was her baby's father, because he was her mate, and because he took care of her. She loved him so, so much, but then why did she feel so alone?
~~
The child was born after about 9 hours of labour, causing Buffy only minor pain. Angelus had taken care of several spells including those which absorbed pain and others which protected both the mother and the baby.
Holding the boy, Thomas, in her arms, Buffy was at peace. "I love you, Tom," she whispered, touching his tiny fingers. She looked up at Angelus, who'd just entered the room. "I love you," she told him. "I have almost from the start."
"You don't," he replied, taking the baby from her.
"I do. From the moment Jenny told me I was pregnant."
"Say goodbye," he told her. "You won't see him again."
Buffy's eyes widened. "Why not? I have to feed him!"
"The nurses do that. He has to go away until he's older."
"Oh," she said sadly, not wanting to ask any more questions. She figured she'd be better off just letting him teach the boy; it's not like she could offer him much.
Alone in her room, she cried.
Chapter 15
A/N: “Pride & Prejudice” is one of my favourite books. No offence is intended by the mocking in this chapter. Oh, and I know: 6 weeks after childbirth. Well, she’s a Slayer so she heals faster, and we all know how impatient Angelus is.
A/N 2: Thanks everyone for your reviews of last chapter! I actually have to apologise to anyone I misled: the characters in this story are slightly different and act oddly at times on purpose. It’s all for the sake of the plot. I’ve had this whole story planned from the beginning and I have a specific place in mind for the end. Anything else I say about it is going to give things away. I’ll understand if people don’t stick with it because everyone’s out of character or they don’t like the direction I’ve turned it in.
Several weeks later…
Buffy lay on the sofa in their bedroom, trying to read a book by Jane Austen. Angelus had given her a set of several different stories when he’d discovered her forgotten birthday. Of course, after her admission of love, he knew that emotional blackmail could perhaps have an effect on her. She’d told him her birthday as well as when Thomas’s birthday was on her calendar in exchange for a beautiful night that he himself had also enjoyed.
The storyline just wasn’t making any sense to her. “Pride and Prejudice”? Right. More like “Humourless and Hysterical”. Mrs Bennet was absolutely obsessed with marriage. Big deal; it wasn’t all it seemed. Here she was, victim of an arranged marriage that was pretty much doomed from the start. Buffy only hoped Jane had more luck with her Mr Bingley.
Angelus observed his beautiful mate. She’d fallen into a routine over the last month or so since Thomas was born. They’d both wake up early in the morning, sometimes sharing a silent breakfast, then he’d be called to his duties while she’d work through a set of tai chi movements or utilise the training room he allowed her access to. She was almost back to having her pre-pregnancy figure. They’d meet again for dinner, recounting their afternoons, though neither of them ever actually went anywhere outside the castle.
After dinner he’d invite himself to join her in the shower or bath, whichever she chose. He liked the baths the best; she wouldn’t let him touch her in the shower. Perhaps she’d hurt herself before, in a purely non-sexual way, of course. Buffy had been a virgin when they were first together and he didn’t think she was the type to indulge in other activities involving showers with a man she wasn’t sleeping with.
It was late now; well, later than usual. They were generally asleep at this hour, but he’d been held up downstairs and was only now retiring to their rooms. Buffy looked up suddenly, only just realising he’d been in the room, watching her. She immediately went back to her book, though.
“Don’t ignore me,” he warned, advancing on her.
“You’re late,” she told him sternly, not looking up.
He reached the sofa and knelt next to it to kiss her. She resisted, shifting so she was sitting up rather than lying sprawled out. “Go away,” she said, half-heartedly waving her book in his direction.
Was she giving him orders? Snatching the book away and flinging it across the room, Angelus picked up his mate and dropped her onto their bed. He straddled her while taking off her clothes, attempting efficiency but failing because of her struggling. He eventually got her naked and lying on her stomach, and he removed his own clothes only after tying her wrists together behind her back.
“Stop! You don’t want me,” she sobbed as he put a pillow under her hips to raise her. She didn’t fight anymore, instead believing that the guilt he’d have the next morning would be punishment enough.
“Of course I want you. You’re my mate,” he told her, fangs latching on to her neck briefly. When she was weak enough that he trusted she wouldn’t fight him, he spread her legs wide apart and entered her warm, wet passage from behind.
It was all Buffy could do to keep breathing as he thrust into her. He wasn’t gentle but he wasn’t brutal either; instead, his strength helped him to hit many sensitive spots inside her with great speed. An orgasm built quickly, and her throat constricted as she came with a strangled cry, triggering his own orgasm. He flicked her clit several times, bringing her to another smaller peak, and then she collapsed, exhausted.
Angelus felt a buzz due to the blood he’d consumed as he untied his Slayer and tucked her into his bed next to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
~~
When he woke, she was back on that sofa. A blanket surrounded her, indicating that she planned to stay there for a while. In a way he was glad she’d banished herself from his morning ritual. She had a way of looking up into his eyes as if he could solve everything. Well, he couldn’t, and she knew that now, which probably contributed to her isolation.
“Buffy!” he called from the balcony. “Breakfast!”
“I’m not hungry,” she told him, as she did more and more these days. She was only eating for herself now, so he didn’t suppose she’d appreciate him trying to stuff cakes and other treats down her throat. That was fair, she was a capable young woman who could make her own decisions regarding nutrition. Angelus only feared that her decision involved not eating again.