A PERFECT CIRCLE—"SLEEPING BEAUTY"
Delusional
I believe I can cure it all for you, dear
Coax or trick or drive or
drag the demons from you
Make it right for you sleeping beauty
Truly thought
I can magically heal you
You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening
Failing miserably to rescue
Sleeping Beauty
Drunk on ego
Truly thought I could make it right
If I kissed you one more time to
Help you face the nightmare
But you're far too poisoned for me
Such a fool to think that I can wake you from your slumber
That I could actually heal you..
Sleeping Beauty
Poisoned and hopeless
You're far beyond a visible sign of your awakening
Failing miserably to find a way to comfort you
Far beyond a visible sign of your awakening
And hiding from some poisoned memory
Poisoned and hopeless
Sleeping Beauty
The scents of blood, sweat, and sex hung heavy in the air when Angelus opened his eyes the following morning. He opened his eyes to see Spike's ass facing him, the back of the blonde vampire lined with crimson stands. As Angelus sat up, something heavy thumped to the ground. One of the servant girls. She stared up at Angelus accusingly with her dead eyes, as if hinting to the vampire that he was the one who'd ripped out her throat and left her this way.
Angelus closed his eyes and tried to remember the events of last night. Overcome with the bloodlust for The Slayer swirling around them, Angelus took Spike back to his chambers to have his way with the younger vampire. Spike was always a great fuck, but it seemed Angelus was in the mood for much more than his most loyal childe could provide him. That is, if the drained bodies of the servant girls scattered around them were any indication. Judging by the state of them, Angelus would be a fool to assume anything less.
He'd need to hire more to clean up the mess, he thought as he got out of bed. Spike stirred on the sheets but didn't wake. Angelus blew out a sigh of relief and padded over to the adjoined bathroom to ready himself for the day. Last night with Spike was great, but he wasn't in the mood for a repeat. Today was all about focus, namely putting that focus on finishing up what he started with The Slayer. Because of Spike's insatiable appetite, Angelus got to miss out on that opportunity.
But not tonight.
No. Tonight he swore he'd finish up where he and Little Miss Summers left off. Whether he'd kill her as well would remain to be seen, but for right now, Angelus just wanted to focus on getting The Slayer in bed.
"Yes, thank you, very much. I'll notify you when I've received word. Ta." Giles looked around as he hung up the phone, trying to make sure whether Willow or Xander heard his conversation.
At the moment, they looked too busy going over homework. Or rather, Xander copying Willow's and her chiding him about them looking too identical.
"That's the point of copying, Will. Think of it like you posted some cool article on the 'net and me as some internet dude who just so happens to be copying the material I found on your site."
"That's called plagiarism, Xander."
"Not-uh. That doesn't work on the internet."
Definitely not paying any attention to little ol' me, Giles thought as he tuned out of their conversation. What a relief. Even though Willow seemed on the outs with Buffy last night, Giles wasn't foolish enough to assume that she wouldn't alert Buffy to his hand if he showed her what cards he was about to play. And Xander…
Any idiot with a working pair of eyes in the twenty-mile radius could see that Xander was in love with Buffy. And even those who couldn't see had no trouble recognizing that Buffy didn't reciprocate his passions. But there was no doubt in Giles's mind that Xander refused to accept such a fate, and that the boy would do anything to see that happen. Would he go so far as to tip off Buffy if he knew of the plans he had for her? Giles was sure he would, and therefore had to do everything he could to keep him and Willow from finding out until the time was right. Once he got word from The Council that things were officially set in motion, then he'd share his news with the others. Until then, he'd just have to be patient.
Willow, on the other hand, wasn't thinking patience was the right way to handle her own problems with Buffy. Usually reserved to the point of being looked at as a doormat, Willow burned with an uncharacteristic rage that consumed her from the inside out. She barely slept that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she pictured Oz climbing in bed with Buffy. As the hours ticked by, her brain conjured convoluted images of the two of them together. Oz kissing Buffy's cheek and stroking her back like he did when Willow was upset. Buffy holding onto Oz's shoulders while pressing her body closer like how she used to with Angel.
Was that what this was about? Willow wondered for the hundredth time. Is Buffy trying to replace what she had with Angel with my boyfriend? Willow surged with rage at the thought. The air simmered around her. Suddenly, the air grew so hot she felt drops of sweat pouring down her back. Instead of reigning in her temper, Willow pushed it forth, wanting to see how much further it could go.
"Whoa!"
The sound of Xander's startled cry broke into her thoughts. The heat disappeared along with Willow's rage. Shaking her head, she looked at Xander to see him pointing at something behind her, looking pale so pale she had to turn around to make sure it wasn't James Stanley or Grace Newman back again to taunt them.
Maybe the ghosts would have been better.
"Giles!" she shouted for the librarian. "Fire extinguisher! Hurry, quick!"
"What?" Giles appeared behind the counter. Immediately, he saw the flames and became as horrified as Xander. "Good lord!" Picking up a chair, he launched it at the glass encasing the fire extinguisher, causing an alarm to go off. "Confound it," he grumbled as he grabbed the extinguisher and sprayed a shower of its foam on the fire. "Just where in hell is Buffy when you need her?"
It was one of those dreams Buffy used to have all the time as a child but stopped sometime around when she'd first received her calling. She could never see herself, always observing from the first-person as she skipped through a field of wild flowers, soaking up the sun's rays in her private little meadow. Happy, carefree. Unburdened by the duties of Slayer-hood. Her skin radiant and glowing in the bright sun, the shadows the moonlight cast under her eyes absent for a change.
Sighing outwardly, Buffy snuggled deeper in her sheets as the dream played on. Her dream-self approached a rose bush freshly abloom with lush petals colored a deep crimson. She stopped to admire it, reaching out to pluck a rose from the bush when a dark shadow stepped out behind it.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" He whispered in her ear as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "But not nearly as beautiful as you, Buffy. My perfect little rose."
"Angel," she wistfully moaned as she nuzzled her cheek against his. "Is it really you?"
Gently, he turned her around, running his fingers through her undone hair as he'd done hundreds of times before. "I have something for you."
Buffy's lips parted in surprise at the puckered purple flower. It was small and cylindrical, the petals hugging the nectar like a bonnet and emitting a subtle sweet scent that instantly made her breathless. "It's pretty," she said as she plucked the flower from his fingers. "I don't think I've ever seen it before. What is it?"
"Not sure." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Just something I thought you'd like."
"Thank you, Angel." She ducked her head, about to tuck the flower behind her ear when he took her hand.
"You're supposed to eat it."
Buffy's brow furrowed. "Seriously? I'm supposed to eat a plant?"
He nodded, solemn. Too serious for even him.
"Why?" she asked, something inside her making her hesitate. "What will it do if I eat it?"
"It'll bring you closer to me, Buffy. Don't you want that?" he touched her cheek, tilting her head back to see the longing swimming in the depths of his dark eyes. "Don't you miss me, Buffy? I miss you so much."
"Oh god, Angel," she choked, nearly dropping the flower as she clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her sob. Tears leaked from her eyes and splattered the petals, staining them a wet maroon. This time, she did drop the flower as she flung her arms around him, burying her face in his corded neck. "You have no idea. Every second of every day feels like torture knowing I can't ever have you again. Knowing the second I open my eyes and you won't be there…"
Her words gave way to the sorrow building up in her throat. Gasping, she clung to his shoulders and released her pain into his shirt. Deep, gut-wrenching howls that made her weak in the knees and light-headed. He tried to shush her, to calm her down, but she couldn't hear him over her desperate cries.
"Buffy," he said louder, giving her a little shake. "Buffy, come on. You have to wake up."
"What?" she sniffled, looking up at him as if she'd never seen him before. "But you… I don't understand. I just got here. Why do you want me to go so soon?"
"Buffy, wake up," he said again, ignoring her words. "Come on. Open your eyes for me. Please open them."
Suddenly, she no longer heard his voice but someone else's. Straining her ears, she turned around as if expecting to see someone else there. Something red flashed in her vision, followed by an earthy green too bright to be the dew-drenched leaves on the trees. As she focused harder on the image, the meadow around her began to fade out of focus like a photograph left to wither in the afternoon sun. She felt his arms loosen around her. Turning to him, she gasped in horror that he was disappearing too.
"No!" she screamed as another pair of hands clamped around her shoulders. Buffy woke with a jolt, nearly pummeling Oz in the face when she turned over on her bed.
"Buffy," he sighed, lean shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank god. I thought you were having a nightmare. You were crying and—"
"I'm fine," she rasped, pushing him away so she could sit up. She scooted to the end of the bed, her back facing him as she swiped her wet eyes. "What are you doing here, Oz?" she said after a moment of silence had passed. "You shouldn't have stayed. You should be at school with Willow and the rest."
Oz moved to sit beside her, not touching, but close enough that she felt compelled to make eye contact with him. What she saw in his eyes confused her. Instead of the passive, unbothered look he usually expressed, Oz seemed a little angry that she'd suggest he shouldn't be there for her.
"Look, Buffy. I know I don't know what's going on, and I'm not asking you to explain, but let me explain something to you real quick. Last night I get a call from Willow that Xander needed me at school. I get there and you know what he tells me, Buffy?"
Her eyelids spasmed as another wave of tears lapped at the brims. Shame bubbled in her chest as the memory of last night's events washed over her. The ghosts, the spell lifting, kissing Angelus, knowing it was Angelus, not caring it was him and letting him touch her, kiss her, make her beg for more. What was worse was that Buffy did want more.
Still wanted more.
"He told me you were…" Oz broke off, unable to finish that sentence. "Did Angelus hurt you, Buffy? Did he…?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Buffy snapped. She hopped to her feet and the folds of her robe fell open. Quickly fixing them, she glanced over her shoulder to see if Oz saw, but he was dutifully staring at the lines in her wooden floor. Buffy noted his flushed cheeks with a strange sensation flowing between her thighs. Does he want me too? Like the way Xander does?
No. Buffy shook her head. Don't even go there. That's your best friend's boyfriend you idiot.
Willow.
Guilt slammed through her as she ambled over to her bathroom, making her stumble as she reached to turn on the shower. Oz appeared in the doorway, shirtless and his red hair fluffy and sticking up at odd angles. Buffy couldn't help but sneak little glimpses of him as he watched her arrange her towels and shower supplies. He looked different after becoming a werewolf. Still on the skinnier side, but now with more muscle and definition. Like vampires, Buffy sensed a sort of power emanating from him, but a different sort of signature. To her, vampires felt a blast of cold air that straightened the little hairs on the back of her neck. With Oz, and maybe all werewolves, Buffy felt hotter and sweaty, shorter of breath and like she could use a cold shower instead of running out of one. And he'd only just turned into a werewolf weeks prior. Just how powerful will he get? She wondered as she adjusted the temperature. Will he be stronger than Angel? Than me?
"What are you thinking about?" Oz asked, his husky voice making her jump.
"Nothing." She shook her head and stood up, pulling at her robe belt. "I'm gonna hop in so, you should probably get going. Make sure to lock the door before you leave."
"Buffy— come on. Don't you think you should talk about last night? At least tell me if it's true."
How can I? she thought as she untied the knot. I don't even know if it's true. How can I tell you?
"Buffy?"
"I'll be out in a minute. Just… wait for me in my room, okay?"
"Alright," Oz conceded with a heavy sigh. He backed out of the room and pulled the door shut. It was almost closed when a flash of skin caught Oz's eye.
His cock twitched to life as he realized what was happening. Oz bit his lip, hesitating. It was wrong on so many levels, but his curiosity couldn't help it. Peering through the crack, he set eyes on Buffy just as she stepped into the stall. His teeth dug deeper into his lip as a moan threatened to escape him. Clamping his lips shut, he enjoyed the precious few seconds he had studying Buffy's naked body. Tiny yet ripe with lush tits and a full, perky ass. Oz imagined that ass jiggling as he pumped her from behind, bending her over the shower ledge with her hair wrapped around his fist and his name pouring from her mouth.
Overcome with the fantasy, Oz reached into his pants and stroked his hardening cock. He closed his eyes, picturing himself behind Buffy in the shower. Rubbing soap on her nipples, his slippery fingers sliding easily into her tight hole…
"Fuck," he rasped, too loud for comfort.
The water shut off.
Oz barely had time to step back when the shower curtain ripped open, revealing Buffy's narrowed eyes and flushed face.
Aimed right at the door, as if she saw through it and spotted him just beyond the crack.
Shit, he thought, knowing that look. He'd seen it before many times right before Buffy was about to impale a vampire. Summoning all his speed, he took off for her front door without another word.
Something was wrong. Buffy should've been here by now. Frustrated, Xander paced the length of library, fists clenched at his sides as his Nikes left layers of tread marks on the floor. He so badly wanted to go over to Buffy's to check on her, but if he got caught ditching again, Principal Snyder would send a letter home to his mother. She'd been spending her days at home lately, so Xander couldn't risk it. Still. He couldn't just stand around like an idiot, doing nothing while Buffy was off doing God knew what.
She hadn't been thinking clearly for a long time now. It wasn't until a few weeks after Angel lost his soul that Xander was really starting to question her judgment. She'd been letting the bloodsucker off too easy if you asked him. And now with the possibility of finding a way to restore Angel's soul lingering in the universe, Xander knew there was no way Buffy would ever come to terms with destroying Angel. Who knew how many more lives she'd risk all for the hope of getting her ill-fated lover back?
As the morning wore on and first period turned into second without a trace of Buffy's presence, the worry grew so high in Xander that he couldn't contain it anymore.
"You know, I hate to say it," he said to Willow as they stopped by her locker before heading to third period. "But Buffy's really starting to piss me off with this whole MIA thing she's got going on today. I mean, the least she could do is call Giles to let him know if she's okay instead of make the poor guy go crazy worrying about her."
"Sure you're just talking about Giles there?" she asked with a side-long glance that strongly assumed otherwise.
Xander prickled at her knowing tone. "Look, aside from any feelings I might have for Buffy's ignorant absence, I think it's pretty shitty she can't at least let Giles know she's okay. I mean, isn't a rule she's supposed to follow? Check in with her Watcher at all times?"
"Like Buffy gives a crap about following rules," Willow said, slamming her locker shut with more force than necessary. She peeked out of her lashes to see if Xander noticed her slip, but he seemed too preoccupied with his own thoughts to witness her uncharacteristic behavior.
Good, Willow thought as they made their way to their next class. Unlike Xander who wanted to mouth off his true feelings every chance he could, Willow thought it would be better to keep hers to herself until she had it out with Buffy first. Like Xander though, she was beyond angry with Buffy and eager with the opportunity to let her know just how much.
As third period came and went, two people hatched their own plans of revenge.
Meanwhile, another awaited eagerly for a much-desired phone call from overseas.
And off on the other side of town, someone else's revenge plan was about to start unfolding.
Hush my baby, don't speak a word
Or mama will steal your song, little bird
Open your mouth, let my words sing
Drink it all baby, you won't feel a thing
Drusilla hummed the lyrics under her breath as she spooned belladonna into the mixture. She set the ladle aside, letting the pot cool while collecting the dolly from her dresser. This was a special dolly, made this morning by none other than Drusilla's hands. Tiny with blonde hair and a red sinful mouth that would no longer taunt her Master with its forbidden temptation. That was, as long as everything went according to plan, of course.
Gently as if cradling an actual child, Drusilla picked up the dolly and softly sang her dark lullaby to it while pouring the poison into its mouth. She'd been brewing the mixture all morning while envisioning how she'd bring an end to her bitch of a problem. The more hate summoned, the more detailed the scene played out in her mind and she was able to transfer it to her victim. The pre-phases were set in motion. Thwarted, but she expected that. These things tend to happen at first, but Drusilla knew with a little bit of patience, her revenge plan would work.
As she watched the liquid flow into the plastic puckered lips, she imagined they were Buffy's instead.
In order for the spell to be complete, the vampiress needed twenty-four hours to work on it if she wanted to reach maximum results. She'd almost gotten the little bitch this morning, but that stupid werewolf interfered. No matter. As long as she reached Buffy by sun-up tomorrow, she'd have that little bitch in her grasp for an entire day after. Any less and The Slayer would live. She'd be weak, possibly able for Drusilla to move in on her, but as long as she remained alive, so would Daddy's infatuation with her. The only way to put a stop to it was to put a stop to The Slayer. This was the best way Drusilla knew how.
And the best part was? The Slayer would never see it coming.
XxXxXxXxX
hi there.
i just wanted to take a second to say thank you to everyone who has rated, reviewed, favorited, followed this fic.
and also i want to say to everyone who messaged me to get a move on with another chapter, you guys are the
fucking best. you have no idea what it means to have people who want to read your work when you don't believe
you're a good writer. i was just doing this for fun, for shits and giggles, never expecting anyone to really like this
enough to follow it. for those of you who have, and those who will after this chapter is posted, i wanted to say
thank you and that because of you, i will finish this fic. not just for me, but because i hope you guys appreciate
what i always wished would've happened with buffy. obsession, plots, manipulations, and soon to be: lots of
supernatural sex. i warn you though, i want this shit to get real dark so if you're game, please stick around and if
you'd like, maybe drop me a line on what YOU'D like to see happen. more slash? forceful sex? humiliations and
bloody fights and revenge served ice-cold? feel free to drop suggestions in comments or private message and if
they work with the narrative, i'll do my best to make them happen. thank you all and bangelus 4ever 3