Author: Sarah
Feedback: Yes Please! Send to Sarah. Now let me clarify... NO FLAMES PLEASE! I don't mind if you don't like, but please only give constructive criticism on how can I make it better, tell me!!
Pairing: Buffy/Angel(us)
Summary: AU :) im not giving the storyline away!!
Disclaimer: If I owned them, Angel would never have left!!!!!
Rating: NC17
AN1: This is a response to a fantastic challenge by Harrie. The challenge will be posted at the end of the story.
AN2: Will be archived at Sempiternal Beloved (http://www.geocities.com/danishafer). All chapters are posted first to http://www.groups.yahoo.com.group/sempiternalbeloved. Most probably a week early.
AN2: This is completely AU so don't be surprised if the characters and their personalities are a little bit different from the Jossverse. Apologies in advance for the Riley bashing which will follow.
AN3:This is just a teaser for the whole story, which has yet to be completed. I just want to gauge the response before continuing to post to the group.
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Chapter 1
"Freeze, right there!" yelled the guard, his arm pointing the gun towards the blondes retreating form.
The young woman didn't stop at his command. Ignoring him she continued running for several more paces before kicking her leg out, intentionally making contact with the glass of the large window she had managed to make it next to. A resounding crash echoed down the hallway as large chucks of the glass broke from the window frame, sending pieces outside to fall to the ground below.
The guard slowly pulled the trigger, his finger gradually applying more pressure until, with a loud bang, the bullet ejected the chamber and went speeding towards the woman who was already halfway out of the window.
She felt the slight shift in the air as the bullet passed within millimeters of her head, at the same second she jumped through the opening she had made, falling unhindered through the air until her hand managed to finally clutch hold of the iron staircase that was aligned with the window. This had been the planned escape route all along, but no one had thought an over zealous guard would decide to shoot at her as she leapt to her freedom.
The van pulled up beneath her hanging body, with a screech of the tires that sent a cloud of smoke through the air from the burning rubber. Releasing her hand from its grip on the steel bar, she dropped gracefully onto the roof, instantly being pulled inside by a strong pair of arms as the van sped away from the scene.
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"You OK B?" asked Gunn, his brow furrowing as he saw the blood dripping down her arm and onto the floor of the van.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just caught my arm on the fucking glass as I jumped out before the damn guard shot me!" complained Buffy, the corners of her mouth starting to twitch into a smile as she thought about what she must look like at that moment.
Her once elegant evening dress had ridden midway up her thighs as Gunn dragged her into the van; the delicate fabric was ripped and torn from the glass shards that it had caught on as she jumped through the window. The split that had once been mid thigh had been torn up to her waist, so she was definitely showing more flesh than usual to the rest of the team. Her long blonde hair had escaped its prison, and was trailing down her back in loose curls, the kinks from the restraints making patterns within the tresses. Gripping her skirt in her hand, she yanked it downwards, trying to cover herself up a little as Gunn let out a chuckle at the state she was in.
"Don't normally see you so het up after a job girl!" he stated, his eyes roaming up and down the forbidden flesh before him, which he would dearly love to get a piece of.
"Yeah well I feel like shit, and now I look like shit. Instead of sitting there staring at me could you pass the first aid kit so I can try and fix myself up." moaned Buffy, she had not felt good all day and now she was having to put up with him leaching at her before going back to face the boss.
"Here you go Buffy, let me clean that cut up and then I'll put a bandage on it for you", said Willow, feeling slightly responsible for the state her friend was in as she had not noticed the guard approaching on the security monitors she had tapped into until it was too late.
Reaching into the box, she took out a bottle of antiseptic and tipped some onto a cotton ball before starting to clean up Buffy's wound as Xander drove them to the airport so they could make their way back to Headquarters.
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Buffy quickly checked her appearance in the mirror, taking the time to dab a little more gloss on her lips before grabbing her coat and bag and leaving the room. She was excited about the night out they had planned, the hot new club was calling to her as the music flowed upstairs from the living room where she could hear her team and friends, laughing and chatting merrily.
They had been lucky to pull the last job off and they knew it. The Intel gathered by the previous team had not been accurate on any aspect of the building or the security inside, and she had escaped more through sheer luck than anything else. Willow was still blaming herself for not spotting the guard, but Buffy knew that if they had been given the correct information he would not have been there in the first place.
Pushing all further thoughts of work out of her mind, Buffy walked down the stairs determined to concentrate on having a good time with the people whom were her family. They had planned this celebration during the flight on the way back from Washington and had invited everyone they knew from work. Hopefully Angel would turn up, she mused. It had been a while since she had seen him outside of the headquarters, and truthfully she missed being around him.
As she walked into the living room, everyone instantly stood up and she found herself hustled back towards the front door by Xander, before being pushed outside into the cool night air.
"I wasn't running that late!!" Buffy protested, even though she knew that they had all been waiting for at least a half an hour for her to finish getting ready.
"Buff, why do you think we always arrange to meet an hour earlier than we intend to leave nowadays? If you were ever ready on time, we would die of shock!" stated Xander, a grin forming on his lips at the look on her face as his words registered.
"Oh. Look I have a good excuse for tonight. I was at a briefing with Giles. Blame him for me being late", Buffy indignantly replied, ignoring the fact that she was never ready on time except if a mission was involved.
"What was the briefing about?" enquired Willow, wondering why only Buffy had been called in for it. Normally the whole team was gathered when the next job was being discussed, this was not the usual procedure, and Giles was all for following the procedures.
"I'll talk to you guys about it later. I'm not sure if I'm happy about the way Giles wants me to infiltrate the organization. It means pretending to be the girlfriend of this guy who was obsessed with me during high school. I just don't like the idea of it", answered Buffy, her insides coiling at the thought of having to pretend to like the creepy guy who had followed her around for 2 years before she left town to go to college.
"Well, at least that way you would have a boyfriend. I mean when was the last time you actually went out on a date Buffy?" sniped Cordelia, her dislike for the other girl coloring her tone.
"When do I get to meet anyone Cordelia", snapped Buffy. "The only people I hang around with are you guys, because I don't have to lie, or pretend I'm something I'm not. I can just imagine dating someone where I have to say, sorry honey I'm going away for 3 weeks to Europe where I will be carrying out surveillance on a very bad man, before I break into his house at considerable risk to my person and steal all his computer files! But don't worry, I will bring you a nice present back."
All of the anger and frustration that had filled her mind constantly for years was obvious in her voice, and sensing his friends distress, Xander placed his arm around Buffy's shoulders, pulling her into his body as he glared at his girlfriend.
"You know Cordy I now see why Giles has you assigned to the filing room. At least that way we don't have to see you every day", barked out Gunn, his distaste for the brunette apparent in the scowl he sent her way. Why on earth Xander bothered with the woman was beyond him, the only thing he could think of was that she was a good fuck. But even then you would need to gag her to shut her up, as he knew from the one night he had spent with her.
"Lets just forget about it all right. We are going out to have a good time, lets just forget about work and everything else", said Buffy, breathing deeply to resist the impulse to throw Cordelia on the ground and throttle the life out of her. Her lack of relationships was a sore point with her, but she didn't see how she could change that. The loneliness was slowly eating away at her and the only person who seemed to make her feel like a real woman was Angel.
Xander pulled her towards the waiting car, shouting back over his shoulder "Cordy, you go with Gunn and Fred. I want a chance to talk with Buffy without you butting in."
"Hmph" snorted Cordelia, unable to believe that her boyfriend was choosing to side with that skinny runt over her.
After Willow and Wesley had also got into the car, they drove away from the house and started traveling towards the nightclub. Xander reached his hand over to squeeze Buffy's, "Don't worry about Cordy, she just doesn't think before she speaks", he reassured, his love for Buffy shining through his words. Not that she would ever look at him as more than a friend, he had long given up on that dream, but he still cared deeply for her and hated to see her upset.
"Xander, thank you, but I'm fine. Really!" she laughed, all thoughts of Cordelia and her comments pushed to the side as she tingled with anticipation over the evening they had planned.
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The music pulsed through their bodies, the beat making their senses tingle with expectation as their eyes looked upon the hundreds of bodies writhing together on the dance floor.
Artificial smoke filled the room, making it impossible to see clearly to the other side of the club, their small group moving by unspoken agreement towards the bar area, each person feeling the impulse to find somewhere to watch what was going on and get a lay of the land before leaving the safety of their inner circle.
Xander was first at the bar and ordered drinks for everyone, knowing from experience what everyone's preferences were. That was the thought that comforted him at night, when he was concerned about an upcoming assignment, the fact that he could always depends on his friends being there for him and not changing. They were a central group, no one having any family or friends outside of the workplace due to their chosen profession, but they all gelled well together, their individual personalities and traits complimenting the others. That was why they were such a great team, except Cordelia who was only an Admin worker not part of the team as such, but she was better than having no one to cuddle up to at night. A smile twitched across his lips as he realized how lucky he was to have people to care about, that he could rely on no matter what and who cared about him
A nudge to his ribs brought him out of his musings, and he looked up to see Angel smirking at him. "Hey man! What are you doing here?" questioned Xander, knowing that Angel had been away on a job so they hadn't been able to tell him of their plans.
"Got back earlier today and ran into Buffy at headquarters. She told me about tonight and invited me along. Hope you don't mind", responded Angel, knowing before Xander even spoke that everyone would be glad he was there.
"Course I don't mind. I was hoping you would be back in time. So have you set your sights on any of the lovely ladies that are here tonight? It wouldn't be a night out without you taking some gorgeous girl home. God I wish I was single", Xander ended with a groan as he thought of all the times Angel and he had gone out picking up women before he got involved with Cordelia.
"Oh I have set my sights!" responded Angel as he looked over to where Buffy was standing laughing happily with willow, his gaze traveling from her head down to her toes and back again.
She looks amazing, he thought. Her long blonde hair was cascading over her shoulders in soft curls that trailed down to her waist, vainly attempting to cover her golden flesh that was completely revealed by the silver top she was wearing. It was backless except for a small tie that was practically invisible to the eye and allowed him to see all the way down to the top of her skirt. The skirt, if you could call it that, was black and barely skimmed her bottom, before drawing your eyes down the seemingly endless expanse of thigh to perfect feet that were contained within the flimsiest of sandals that must have added about 3 inches to her tiny frame.
Angel was so intent on his perusal of Buffy that he missed Xander's question, and it was not until his friend playfully nudged him that he regretfully turned his eyes from the goddess before him to Xander's enquiring gaze.
"Angel man, what up with you. I asked who the lucky girl was. Don't you want to share the information, afraid I might steal her away from you?" joked Xander, laughing before the words even left his mouth. He knew when it came to a contest between him self and Angel, he wasn't even in the running. The ladies seemed to go nuts over his dark broody looks for some reason that Xander couldn't understand, and he had seen time and again, the woman he wanted bypass him to make a play for Angel. He couldn't be jealous of his friend though, as Angel had suffered a lot of pain over the years.
His childhood was a closed subject, and Xander couldn't even begin to imagine what had driven him to run away from home at a young age and fend for himself, until Giles found him and took him in. That was the reason Angel had been become an undercover agent, he felt an immense loyalty and gratitude towards Giles and wanted to repay him for all the trust he had placed in him by proving that he could make a difference.
Angel laughed with him, knowing inside that he could have any woman he wanted that was in the club, for the night at least. The only woman he wanted though was the beauty he had been secretly seeing for the last 6 months, whenever their schedules would allow. It had started one night when they were alone at his apartment, sharing a bottle of whiskey and talking about their lives, both feeling lonely and in need of comfort. Before he knew what was happening he was kissing her, every one of his senses coming alive at the first feel of her in his arms, only she understood the loneliness he felt and the isolation from the world around them. He had woken up the next morning for the first time ever with someone warm sharing his bed, when normally he would have gone to the girls home and left afterwards, unable to deal with the small talk that would follow.
The conversation between them had been stilted at first, neither knowing what to say until Angel had pushed Buffy back down in the bed and made love, well not made love per say but something more tender and caring than the sex he was used to, to her until all her misgivings had faded away. It had happened numerous times since, one of them calling the other up when they were feeling in need of company, where they would not have to lie or put on a facade about who they really were. Slowly Angel had begun to wish that she was with him permanently, the pure essence of Buffy Summers getting under his skin until all he wanted was to lose himself in her and forget about the outside world.
Forcing his mind back to his conversation with Xander, the only response he could give was, "I'm keeping this one to myself for now. You never know she might say No!"
Xander burst out laughing again at the comment. There was not a chance in hell that the woman would say no, and they both knew it. His reply was cut off by Buffy and Willow walking over to them.
"Hey Angel", Willow murmured shyly, never quite sure what to say to this gorgeous man. Luckily for her, Buffy never had any trouble talking to him and she covered for her by instantly rushing into a long tale of their last job, making it seem so funny that soon Angel was in fits of laughter at their escapades.
"I wish I had been with you on that one, but it seems we will be working together again on the next job. Did Giles give you any information about it yet?" asked Angel, looking forward to working with Buffy's team again. It was rare that he did, but occasionally another pair of hands was needed and he was always the first choice for such a mission.
"Yeah, B has to go out with some guy who was obsessed with her in high school to find out what he's up to." helpfully interjected Xander, not realizing that the wheels were already in motion to change the courses of his friends lives forever.
"What do you mean have to go out?" demanded Angel, looking at Buffy with barely concealed jealousy in his eyes.
"What it normally means Angel. I have to pretend to be his girlfriend so I can find out what he is up to", stated Buffy, nervous at the strange look in his eyes as he stared at her. Emotions flickered so rapidly over his features that she could not discern what they meant, before his face became completely closed once more.
"Hey Will, you want to dance?" enquired Xander holding his hand out for her, not sure what was happening between Buffy and Angel, but wanting to be nowhere near the firing line. He had seen both of them in action before and it was not something he would want directed at him.
Willow took his hand and he lead her onto the dance floor, glancing back at times to see what was happening between his two friends, shock registering on his face as they suddenly seemed to disappear from his view. Quickly scanning the crowd he realized that they were no longer standing in the bar area, but they were soon forgotten as he started to dance, losing himself in the music and the soft laughter of Willow.
"What's wrong with you?" Buffy demanded, knowing something had happened to annoy Angel, but she was clueless about what it was.
"So when you are pretending to be this guys girlfriend, how far do you have to go? Spend time with him, kiss him or even sleep with him? How far Buffy are you prepared to go for a job?" He yelled, not caring if any of their friends overheard this conversation. He couldn't believe what Giles was asking of her, and the fact that she was prepared to go through with it amazed him. She wasn't the type to just have sex with someone for the sake of it; he had found that out the first night they spent together. She had later admitted that it had been 3 years since she had slept with anyone, not through lack of opportunity though as he knew that Gunn had made a major play for her the moment she was assigned to his team, but through choice. She didn't want to involve anyone in the lie that was her life.
"How can you say that?" Buffy cried out, torn between anger and tears as the man she cared about, more than she should, basically accused her of being a whore. The tears won and she felt the hot liquid trailing down her cheeks as she tried in vain to stop them.
The moment Angel saw her eyes starting to water, he grabbed her arm and pulled her through the crowd, looking for somewhere that they could talk in peace, and without fear that anyone would overhear them. Spying a door labeled private out of the corner of his eye, he led Buffy over to it, hoping that the door was unlocked. Luck was on his side as he turned the handle and the door gave way, granting them access to the room. Tugging Buffy in and firmly closing the door, he pulled her towards him, enveloping her in his arms protectively as she cried into his chest.
"I'm sorry baby; I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I just don't understand how Giles can ask you to do this". He murmured, while tangling his fingers in her golden hair and planting kisses on the crown of her head.
"I..it shouldn't have to g..get that far, b.but even if id d...did, why shouldn't I?" Buffy asked, hoping beyond hope that maybe he shared some of the feelings that she had for him.
Angel didn't know what to say. He had so many feelings bottled up inside towards her that he didn't know how to answer the question. The only thing he knew for sure, was that he couldn't stand the idea of her with another man, the thought of their bodies slowly melding into one another as she made those breathy little moans that he loved so much, tore a hole in his heart that he didn't think anything could ever fill again.
As he opened his mouth to respond, he knew that the next words he uttered could change his life forever.
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Chapter 2
"It shouldn't because that's not what you're paid to do. Giles can't ask that of you its not fair", Angel managed to say, not sure exactly how he could answer her without revealing what he feared his true feelings for her were. He opted instead for the easy way out, avoiding the main reason he had for hating the idea of her new assignment.
"Oh right! Well hopefully it shouldn't come to that, but if it does, It does. " Murmured Buffy, her heart falling as she realised that to him this was still an arrangement. She wished she could still feel like that about it, things would be so much easier.
"Don't say that. The thought of you having to be with this guy just for a mission makes me feel sick inside. Lets not talk about this tonight. It's the first time we have been alone together in weeks, lets make the most of it". He crooned, trying hard to fight the overwhelming jealousy that was flowing through his veins. He would make her forget anyone else she had ever known tonight, make her want only him, and prove to her that she was his and his alone forever.
He emphasised his meaning by gently tilting her chin up and leaning down to gently caress her lips with his tongue, the tip darting around the edges before moving to the join and gently teasing her until her mouth opened in invitation. A shiver of arousal went through her body as his tongue thrust inside her mouth, massaging the soft walls within before joining hers in a fight for dominance. His lips were bruising with the force he was applying to the kiss, as if they had been apart for years rather than weeks as his need for her overtook every ounce of willpower he possessed.
As his mouth kept up the barrage against her lips his hands travelled up her back, teasing her flesh as he deliberately trailed his fingers over what he knew were her most sensitive spots, eliciting a soft moan from her. He deftly untied the tiny strings that kept her silver top in place, moving his body away slightly from her shaking form for a mere second to pull the offending garment away as one of his hands closed over a perfectly formed breast, the other reaching back up to tangle in her silky blonde hair.
His hand lovingly encircled the mound, caressing her for what seemed like forever to Buffy as he teasingly refused to touch her painfully erect nipple that was screaming out for his attention. Abruptly breaking the kiss, he took a much needed gulp of air as his head moved slowly down towards her breast, his lips and tongue teasing her flesh along the way, peppering kisses down her neck, before sucking some of the skin into his mouth, only to release it just before he would leave a visible sign of their coupling. His lips passed over every inch of her upper body before finally lowering to her straining nubbin, sucking it fully into his mouth in one swoop, his tongue gently lathing it as his other hand moved to tweak and smooth over her other peak.
Buffy was lost to the pleasure he was generating inside of her, as she felt the moisture began to pool between her legs and fire shot throughout her body, her lips parted to release a stream of high-pitched moans.
Angel smiled at the sound and decided to up the stakes, determined that after tonight she would never want another man touching her body. His hand left her hair, running down her body, leaving a scorching trail in its wake of un fulfilled desire, finally reaching its target he grasped the hem of her skirt in his fingers and pushed it up to her waist before ripping the tiny lace thong from her body.
Buffy let out a deep groan as the cold air hit her sensitive flesh, his hand replacing the flimsy fabric as he cupped the whole of her sex with his hand, not moving even when she thrust her hips towards him.
Angel grinned at her impatience and gently bit down on her nipple, delighting at the whimpers she was making and the new gush of wetness that coated his hand. Slowly moving his fingers he traced the outline of her damp sex, his fingers instantly becoming soaked in her juices. He slipped one long finger inside of her, and she moaned her pleasure, the response getting louder as he started to pump the digit before inserting another finger into her wet heat.
Buffy felt her insides starting to tense as her body got ready for its release, his fingers moving inside of her, one of them curling up to find her most sensitive spot as he continued to suckle on her nipple. As his thumb brushed over her engorged clit, she went crashing over the edge, screaming her pleasure as he held her tightly to him with the hand that was now spanning her back, stopping her from falling as her legs refused to support her weight. His fingers never stopping their motions as he prolonged her orgasm until she started to gently come back down.
His face abandoned his ministrations on her breast to gently place a kiss on her swollen lips, his eyes taking in every inch of her flushed face that had the look of a well satisfied woman.
Slowly backing her up to the door they had entered the room through, he pressed her solidly into it, his firm flesh completing the imprisonment of her body.
Buffy felt the hard surface behind her back, the rational part of her mind whispering to her that they could be caught, that anyone could walk in, but she was already lost to the sensations he was creating in her and all she wanted was to be stretched and filled by his hard length in the way that only he could do.
His hand moved down to unfasten his pants, as his mouth once again claimed hers. Buffy's arms encircling his neck, as she ran her fingers through the silky hair at the nape of his neck. Their lips meshed together with a fiery passion that was scalding in its intensity as he struggled with his zipper. With a groan he finally released his throbbing erection. Desperate to feel her walls surrounding him, his arms quickly lifted her up from the ground, and never breaking their kiss he lowered her onto his pulsating cock as her legs cradled around his waist. Buffy's mouth opened wide with pleasure at the sudden intrusion, as her walls frantically stretched to accommodate his large girth.
Angel moaned deep in his throat as entered her for the first time in ages, and felt her convulsing around him. He stilled his movements as he drew his head back to look deep into her eyes, before slowly raising her body upwards until only the tip remained inside of her. An evil grin appeared on his face just before he roughly pulled her back down, until he was again fully sheathed in her, revelling in her gasps of pleasure before he braced her firmly against the door and started to quickly pump in and out of her.
Buffy's mind was in pieces, unable to form a rational thought as she gave herself over to the fire that was burning through her system. The delicious feeling of fulfilment, had been replaced with raw need as he awakened nerves inside of her that had been long dormant. Small tingles were spreading across her stomach, indicating that her orgasm was fast approaching, as he moved their position slightly so that his pelvis was hitting her clit with every thrust. Angel could feel his balls beginning to tighten and wanting her to join him he sped up his movements until he was pistoning in and out of her body, both their breaths coming in harsh pants as he placed kisses all over her face before working his way down to her neck. He sucked a piece of the creamy flesh into his mouth, his blunt teeth carefully biting down on the sensitive skin, sending her careening over the edge, as she came screaming his name. As her muscles tightened around him, he moved their position again and thrust into her harshly, desperately seeking his own climax which began within seconds, his warm seed spurting out of him for what seemed like forever and coating her insides with his essence. As he came his mouth involuntarily bit down harder on her neck, leaving a dark mark on her otherwise perfect skin
Buffy rested her head on his shoulder as she struggled to regain her breathing after what she had to say was the most powerful orgasm of her life. Her thoughts were still muddled and her body still tingling with the after effects as she slowly raised her head and placed a gentle kiss on the side of Angel's face. He turned to face her, unreadable emotions flickering across his face as he tenderly brushed her lips with his, the earlier passion now temporarily sated but he couldn't resist the impulse to kiss her as he slowly slid his now softening cock out of her body.
Angel gently lowered her down to the ground, before tucking his reawakening member back into his pants and zipping them up quickly as he realised where they were. Buffy pulled her skirt back down in an attempt to cover herself, cursing him for tearing her panties from her body as she would now have to go commando for the rest of the evening and in a skirt this short it was not a good thing. Grabbing her top from the floor, she was attempting to retie the thin strings when Angels hands tenderly covered hers, smoothing over them before taking the strings from her.
"Let me", he whispered, his sensual tone reigniting the fire within her that had just been put out.
"Thanks", she muttered, suddenly desperate to get out of the small room as his large hands expertly tied her top in place and brushed down her back in a lover's caress.
"We should get back to the others. They will be wondering where we have gone". Angel stated, as his body started to throb with need again. He couldn't understand the effect she had on him. He could never get enough of her. Even now, minutes after they had made... had sex, his cock was already hardening at the mere sight of her. He had never experienced this unquenchable desire with any other woman, and he wasn't sure why it was happening now.
"I know. We should go". Buffy said, as Angel pulled her into his body once more, his hands running over her body as he kissed her with barely restrained passion. Their tongues tangling as they kissed with an intensity that had never been there between them before, both desperate not to leave the safety of the others arms.
Slowly Angel drew back, a wolfish grin appearing on his face as he asked, "So are we at my place tonight?"
"Definitely", muttered Buffy, as she quickly turned and walked over to the door, opening it and leaving quickly without looking back, in an attempt to escape her close proximity to him before she started tearing his clothes off of his body.
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"The target is planning to infiltrate the Witness Protection Program and locate the new identities of all of the informants involved in operation Infernal. We need to discover who his source is for this information. We have a leak and we need to stop it permanently". Giles stated as he shuffled the papers in front of him, his face flushing with anger at the thought that someone he trusted could be selling information to the highest bidder.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" asked Gunn, intrigued by the emotions Giles was showing. The boss was renowned for his impartiality when briefing the team for a mission, and the fact that Angel and Wesley were sitting in on the meeting meant that this was an important assignment.
Angel was only ever called in when the situation was especially dangerous and they needed another pair of hands for the wet work that would inevitably follow at the end of the mission, and Wesley was from the intelligence division of the agency. It was extremely rare that he participated in a field assignment, you could count the times on one hand, which must mean that anyone involved would need information at their fingertips to prevent their cover from being blown. He could feel sweat starting to build on his forehead at the thoughts that were flashing through his mind of what their job could possibly be.
"The target, a Mr Riley Finn had a slight obsession with Buffy during High School I am informed. We will use his weakness to our advantage. It will be staged for Buffy and Riley to meet again at a party that his partner, a woman only known to us by the name of Faith, is hosting on Wednesday night at Valentino's in New York". Giles replied, nodding his head at Wesley to prompt his part in the briefing.
Buffy shifted in her seat, uneasy at the thought of seeing Riley again after so long. He had been the bane of her life for the last two years she lived in Sunnydale, practically stalking her in his strange obsession. She had been overjoyed when she got accepted at UCLA and could finally be free of him, but now it seemed he would be back in her life. She cringed at the idea of him touching her, her skin speckling with goose bumps as it also voiced its disapproval. Trying to forget about Riley Finn for a moment, she delved into her memories of the night before and recalled the sweet lovemaking Angel and she had indulged in until the sun came up that morning. Their bodies joining together in perfect unison as they drove each other closer and closer to the edge.
"Buffy, you will attend the party with Fred, posing as the owner of a new night club called L'Aristo's. You were invited to the party by a friend, Mr Billy Fordham, who will unfortunately be unable to attend as he will be slightly occupied that evening and for the foreseeable future". Wesley said, a wry grin emerging on his face as he imparted the words "slightly occupied". It made it clear to everyone that Mr Fordham would be kept safely out of the way until this assignment was complete and he could not wreck the cover story.
"Buffy, you will strike up a conversation with Finn and arrange to see him again as soon as possible. We want you to start a relationship with him, gathering Intel along the way that may help us to track down his informant before any more damage can be done. It is imperative for Finn not to be suspicious of you in any way, as the whole operation is reliant on him trusting you implicitly. Willow, we need you to place the usual video and audio devices in Finn's apartment. This will be arranged with Buffy so that the premises are unoccupied when you enter and you will have enough time to successfully install all of the equipment. Gunn and Xander, I want you to undertake 24 hours surveillance and be ready to enter the premises in the event of Buffy's identity being discovered, immediately. An apartment in the complex has been arranged for you and it will not be necessary for you to leave at any time while this mission is in progress. All your meals will be delivered and no one will know your identities. I believe that covers everything. Any questions? " enquired Giles, his tone indicating that the meeting was finished.
As the meeting progressed Angel had felt his anger slowly building as he realised that Giles really meant to involve Buffy in a relationship with a man who was plotting the murder of over a dozen people. When they had joined the agency, they had all known what the job entailed but he had never been told that if necessary you would be expected to have sex with someone to gather information. His heart was beating frantically at the thought of another man touching Buffy, the woman who had fallen asleep in his arms during the early hours of that morning as the sun was slowly rising in the distance, her golden hair spilling over his pillow as her mouth curled into a smile. Pushing that image to the back of his mind, he looked his mentor straight in the eye, something most people would not dare to do, as he opened his mouth to speak.
"Angel. We will require you to be in the apartment with Xander and Gunn at times, but mainly I want you trailing Buffy everywhere to ensure that she is safe. This man is allied with some very influential people and I don't want to put Buffy at risk in the event she has happened to have met one of his acquaintances before and they decide to take matters into their own hands. ". Giles said, wanting to ward off the storm that he could see brewing, Angel's eyes telling him that he was far from happy with the way they were planning on handling this breach in security.
"Fine Giles. However, I have to ask you one question. Just how far are you willing to let Buffy go to prove to this man that he can trust her? A cuddle, a kiss, sex? I know that this is important but does she really have to whore herself for you? " roared Angel, his clenched fists thumping down on the table as everyone in the room turned to look at him in amazement.
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Disclaimers: One sentence taken from an episode of Charmed. I loved the comment when i heard it a couple of years ago and it fit perfectly into this story.
Chapter 3
The occupants of the room sat in stony silence, shocked to the core by what they had just witnessed, but unable to take their eyes off of Giles as he slowly rose from his seat at the head of the table and strode round to stand in front of Angel.
"Angel! I don't know what the hell has come over you but could you please try and restrain yourself? I would like a private word with you outside. Right now!" yelled Giles, his face coloring in anger at the insolence Angel had just displayed towards him in front of everyone. He had known this man since he was 12 years old, and never had Angel spoken to him the way he had just now. Something was obviously bothering him and Giles was determined to find out what that was.
Angel languorously uncoiled himself from the chair that was much too small for his large build and followed Giles out of the room, pulling the door firmly closed behind him as the others in the room immediately started talking about what had just happened.
"What the hell is up with him?" asked Gunn, his face showing disbelief at what Angel had just said as his eyes darted towards Buffy, who appeared to be deep in thought.
"Yeah. What exactly is his problem? Just because Buffy is pretending to be the guy's girlfriend doesn't mean she has to have sex with him. Right, Buff?" blurted out Xander, needing to hear from her that he was right- that the girl he had a major crush on wouldn't have sex with someone just for a mission.
Buffy was in a world of her own. Her mind turning in circles as she tried to digest what had just occurred. She had known Angel was still unhappy about the new assignment when she left his apartment that morning, but to publicly voice his disapproval in front of Giles was so unlike him. He worshipped the ground Giles walked on, understandably so in her eyes. She was the only other person who knew the full story of why Angel had run away from home all those years ago and how much Giles had done for him. He had confided everything to her as they lay together in his bed one night, their arms wrapped tightly around the other as they enjoyed the afterglow of their love making.
She was so lost in her thoughts that it wasn't until she felt a sharp nudge at her ribs that she realized Willow was trying to speak to her.
"Buffy, what is wrong with Angel? Why did he say all that to Giles?" asked Willow, sensing there was more to this situation than either of her friends were letting on, especially after the scene in the nightclub last night. 'Could there possibly be something between them other than their working relationship?' she wondered, automatically laughing at the thoughts going through her mind. 'Buffy and Angel a couple never! He is too much of a playboy to ever stick with one woman and Buffy's way too smart to fall for his usual crap'.
"I don't know Will. I just don't know," murmured Buffy, her mind still unable to focus properly on her colleague's conversation, as she had her own internal battle about why Angel was acting so out of character. Even last night as they made love at his apartment, he had been strangely possessive of her, whispering 'Mine' over and over again as her worshipped her body with his, his strong arms holding her tightly throughout the night as if he never wanted to let her go. It was confusing, and for once Buffy was completely mystified as to what was going through his head. Part of her hoped that maybe there was some remote chance he actually felt the same way that she did, but the other part knowing that she was just dreaming a useless dream.
The room was silent as the rest of the team gazed at Buffy and Willow, trying to listen to the girls conversation and make any sort of sense of what they had just witnessed.
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"What the hell is wrong with you Angel? I have never been so disrespected by anyone in all my life, and you were the last person I expected it to be from," Giles yelled, his temper exploding the moment they entered the sanctuary of his office. He was unable to believe that the young boy he had raised had questioned his judgement in front of everybody.
"I'm sorry Giles, but I don't agree with what you are asking Buffy to do. We both know what her becoming Finn's girlfriend may entail for her and I don't think she should be put through that!" shouted Angel, his protectiveness towards Buffy making him forget who he was talking to as his emotions got the better of him.
"Why are you suddenly standing up for Buffy? If I remember correctly, you didn't bat an eyelid when she had to pretend to be Andrew' girlfriend to infiltrate Mr. Marsters organization. Why is it so different now?" questioned Giles, as he intently studied Angel's face trying to find the answers he was seeking there.
"Nothing. I just don't like it Giles. It's not fair on her. We both know the implications of her becoming his girlfriend and she shouldn't be put in that position," Angel replied, his face set into his usual stoic mask, trying to hide his feelings for Buffy from the one person he trusted most in the world.
"Angel. Yours is not to question why, just to follow orders. If Buffy is not complaining there isn't any reason you should be. This is the last I will hear from you about this situation. Do you understand me?" stated Giles, his tone and posture indicating that the discussion was now over and would never be referred to again.
"Fine, but I don't have to like it!" muttered Angel, as he moved towards the door not realizing that Giles had overheard his last few words.
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The sweat was slowly dripping down his chest, making the skin gleam before trailing over his chiseled abs, a single tear drop making its way under the edge of his black drawstring pants as his muscular arms repeatedly flew towards the punching bag, his fists hitting with such force that it was only just swinging back to its original position before he hit it again.
No one in the room dared approach him and suggest holding the bag for him, as they normally would, his thrusts showing such violence that they knew he was treading the thin line between containing his rage and releasing it fully. He had been throwing the lethal looking jabs for over an hour now and showed no sign of letting up his assault, the punching bag coming dangerously close to taking flight at times.
So intent was he on taking his anger out on the piece of plastic on front of him that he didn't notice everyone in the room staring at him, glad they weren't the person who had upset him. Angel was not someone to piss off, that much they knew. He had a long memory and a very short temper, especially when a member of his team was threatened. This was worse though than anything they had ever seen before, the torrent of unrelenting blows he was pummeling the bag with was enough to make everyone a little nervous as they waited for him to finally turn his attention to the object of his anger.
************************************
The briefing had concluded with Angel strangely absent, everyone wondering just where he had disappeared to and what the conversation with Giles had divulged. As they exited the room Buffy muttered something about going down to the gym to work out before going home. Gunn had offered to accompany her, knowing that aside from Angel she was the best opponent he could get.
As Buffy entered the room, she noticed everyone was congregated around the area where the punch bag was. Wondering what was going on she walked forward and squeezed past several of her fellow operatives until she found herself face to face with an angry looking Angel.
She took one look at his clenched jaw and realized why he had never returned to the meeting. 'He must have come straight down here after leaving Giles' office', she thought, understanding running through her at last. Angel must be devastated at the dressing down he would have received from Giles, the only true parental figure he had ever had. He didn't just have a deep respect for the man, he loved him as if he was his father. Giles' words must have cut deep, Buffy reflected.
She also knew that he was unexpectedly upset at her next mission, and her heart was crying out for her to try and appease his anger and hurt at what circumstances had dictated for her, but she knew that was an impossible feat. At the end of the day she worked for the Agency and she had to follow orders. As much as she was repulsed by the idea of pretending to be Riley's girlfriend, she knew that it was the only chance they had to infiltrate his organization and hopefully save the lives of the individuals they were threatening to hunt down and kill. Taking a step closer to Angel, she whispered his name, the word coming out as a soft caress to his tortured soul, his large body freezing the instant he heard the voice that he knew could only be Buffy's, before he slowly turned around to face her.
Their eyes met, the electricity they always felt around one another flowing freely between them as Angel let the pain and betrayal he was feeling be pushed back into the far corners of his mind. His only interest right now was the woman in front of him, who made his heart leap from just her presence alone.
As the people crowded around them started to move away, realizing the show was over for the time being, Buffy moved a step closer to Angel. A plan rapidly formed in her mind about how best to make him forget, albeit temporarily, what had happened.
"Nice moves Angel," Buffy purred, as she moved a hand forward to trail her fingers lightly over his glistening chest, only letting them caress his skin for a few seconds before she pulled the hand back. She was aware that there were other people in the room with them, although her body was currently concealing her actions.
He stifled a groan as she removed her hand. Her small touch had served to inflame his senses, sending signals down to his groin, his member beginning to harden beneath his sweats as he stared at the beauty before him.
Wearing her usual work out clothes of black tracksuit bottoms and a cotton sports bra, her towel flung casually over her right shoulder while her hair was piled messily on top of her head and secured with a clip, Angel thought she had never looked more beautiful. There were other times that she made him breathless, like when she was kicking one of the other agents asses into next week, her combat skills far surpassing most of the men, or lying naked in his bed, her long blonde hair fanning out over his pillow. His lips curled into a smile as the hurt and distrust he had been feeling finally left his body at the images running through his head. Unfortunately the pictures also served to increase his ardor and he felt his manhood starting to tent out the front of his pants. Desperately trying to dampen his arousal before it became apparent to everyone in the room, he breathed deeply and forced his mind back to the reason for his distress.
Buffy felt a rush of joy when she saw Angel smile; her plan was obviously working if she had managed to make him forget for a moment his problems. Perhaps it was working too well she thought, as she saw his pants starting to tighten before her wide eyes. This was not the time or the place to get him too hot, or was it?
She slowly snaked her tongue out to lick her lower lip, the movement purposefully sensual as she attempted to get his full attention.
Angel's eyes followed the movement, his mouth opening in amazement, his brain unable to register what he was seeing, before it gave up trying to figure her out, he started thinking of ways he could be alone with her so he could feel her tongue on his hot flesh. Her warm mouth enveloping him as she took him in as deep as she could, until he felt himself touch the back of her throat as she... NO! Bad, bad thoughts. The desire he had been trying to tamp down now rushed back with full force, every cell of his body screaming for her to satisfy him in the way only she could. He shook his head, hopelessly trying to stop the images that were flowing through his mind before he threw her down on the mat and took her there and then in front of everyone.
A giggle threatened to escape her lips at the sight before her. Angel's eyes had clouded over, darkening to black from the lust he was feeling as he started shaking his head, obviously attempting to halt whatever he was thinking. It really didn't look like it was working from the hard bulge pushing against the thin material she was seeing.
"Hey! Are you two gonna fight or what?" blurted out Gunn, a bad feeling settling in his stomach as he watched the two of them, engaging in what was obviously a silent conversation. For the first time he wondered if they had ever been involved, there was something between them that he couldn't identify right now, and the way Buffy had just touched Angel was way too intimate for just friends. Right now though, he wanted to break the silence that was surrounding them and make them realize that he was still standing there.
She tilted her head slowly, so she could clearly see Gunn's face, hoping he had not read the signals between her and Angel correctly. She had honestly forgotten that he was standing there and the last thing they needed right now was questions from the other members of the team about their 'relationship', if you could even call it that. Gunn's expression was guarded and she knew instantly that he was quite rightly wondering what was going on between them.
Angel had managed to calm himself down a tiny amount, enough to understand that they had better do something quickly to take Gunn's mind off of Buffy's little game. As she turned and walked away from him, wiggling her hips seductively from side to side, her pert bottom moving deliciously within the tight confines of her tracksuit bottoms, he prayed to God for the help to restrain himself.
She slowly lifted the towel off of her shoulder and bending down slowly, placed it on the floor alongside Angel's. As she moved back up to a standing position, she slowly swayed her hips from side to side once more before turning around to look Angel in the eye and loudly saying, "Come on! Kick my ass!"
A smile tugged at the corners of Angel's mouth as she stalked back towards him, proudly straightening to her full height of 5' 2, ignoring the fact that he was nearly a foot taller than her and towered over her petite form.
Her small stature was an added bonus in their line of work as no one believed that someone so tiny could possibly be able to inflict the deadly force she had to on occasion. He had seen more than one man fall at her feet after she had planted a particularly lethal blow- and he was not under the illusion that she would be a pushover. The only difference in their fighting, apart from his size, was the extra power he could put behind his blows, something she didn't have. No. Buffy was extremely sneaky when fighting, and often distracted her foe before sending the killer blow; he would have to watch her carefully. It had been too long since they last fought.
They started circling each other warily on the mat, neither willing to step forward and place the first hit, knowing that the other would find some weakness from their first thrust.
As they gingerly moved around each other, other people in the room started walking towards the mat interested in seeing how this fight would turn out. Buffy was a skilled fighter and could kick most of their asses but Angel was something unique in the fighting world, he always won. There was no chance of her beating him and they all knew it, but were eager to see if she could get in any good blows to him before he put her down.
In a sudden blur of movement Buffy's right arm swung out and flew towards Angel's face, his right hand catching her wrist a spilt second before she hit her intended target. He pulled her body towards him, as her left arm flew out and caught him directly on the chin. Angel staggered back a step, his hand automatically releasing her wrist as he regained his bearings after the blow.
As she moved towards him once more, he swung his right arm out, smiling as she ducked beneath it and aimed a quick blow to where he had been standing just seconds ago. He kicked out at her from where he was now standing at the right of her, landing a solid blow to her stomach that made her double over in pain, while he stood waiting for her to attack him once more. Only seconds passed before she straightened up and charged towards him again.
The fight intensified as blow after blow was exchanged, some being blocked and others hitting their intended mark. The crowd gasped in amazement as they watched the two agents, take hit after hit but still keep going, neither pausing for breath, so lost were they in their fighting. It was obvious to anyone that neither wanted to lose this battle; it was only a question now of who would gain the upper hand.
Buffy was starting to ache from the bruises she knew would already be forming all over her skin. Although Angel was restraining himself from hitting her with his full force, his shots were still lethal and a couple of them had knocked every last bout of breath from her body. She refused to let it show though as she knew he would stop if he thought she was hurt, and she never wanted this moment to end. Exhilaration was rushing through her like nothing she had ever felt before, her whole body alert for any move he would make as their limbs continued to strike out at each other, both of them trying to topple the other one so they hit the floor first.
His breath was coming in short pants, and he was worried that his last punch had been sent with too much force. Keeping his eyes on her face, he felt relief when she sent him a reassuring grin before launching into a roundhouse kick that sent him staggering back several paces, and left a dull ache in his ribs.
Buffy followed him, her right leg kicking out, but snapping back before he could grab hold of it, as she twisted around and spun into another kick that was aimed at his head. This time Angel managed to catch hold of her leg before she could move it back from him, his left foot moving forward to push her other leg out from beneath her, sending them both crashing down to the floor, Angel lying fully on top of her.
Buffy looked up at him coyly, from beneath her eyelashes, a cheeky smile gracing her face as she said, "If you wanted to be on top you just had to ask!"
He let out a deep chuckle that made Buffy's insides turn to jelly, glad that she was lying down as somehow she didn't think her legs would be supporting her anytime soon.
The crowd that had gathered around the mat burst out with laughter at the comment and people started clapping as Angel stood up and then helped Buffy to her feet in a gentlemanly gesture, holding her to him until he was sure her legs would support her. As he turned to go and get their towels, he leaned towards her, his lips brushing against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine as he whispered, "Your place or mine?"
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Chapter 4
The shrill buzzing of the alarm clock roused Buffy from her pleasant dream, her arm automatically reaching out to stop the offending sound, before she snuggled back into Angel's warm body.
"We're going to have to get up, you know?" rasped Angel, trying to gather the energy and the motivation to move himself away from the warm body lying next to him on the bed. Realizing that he didn't want the little time they had left together to end, he placed a soft kiss on Buffy's head before throwing a leg over her hips, his arms pulling her closer to him. He wryly acknowledged that a certain part of his body was already awake and ready for action as his manhood started to grow hard against her firm bottom.
"I know, but I want to lie here with you just a little longer so I can pretend that today isn't the day," she muttered, her eyes already closed as she started to drift back to sleep, feeling safe and content in his strong arms. His body was pressed closely against hers and was that...
Smirking into the pillow Buffy teasingly started to move her hips against his, reveling in the fact that she was able to arouse him so easily, as he grew harder still against her and his hands started moving over her body.
As his fingers started trailing across her breast, Buffy bit back a sigh of pleasure, knowing that she was going to miss this while they were in New York. They had spent the last five nights together at his apartment, making love until the sun started to rise in the sky, memorizing each others bodies as if each time would be the last. Her thoughts cut off abruptly as Angel pinched her nipple, sending shock waves of pleasure through her body as she let out a low moan.
He smiled then, a carnal smile that reached his eyes, which were already black with passion. Removing his leg, he gently rolled her over so she was lying on her stomach, her golden hair spilling in luscious curls across his pillow. As he placed soft kisses down her back, drinking in the vanilla fragrance of her skin and the aroma of musk that was purely Buffy, he moved his hands to her hips, urging her upwards so that her bottom was raised enticingly in the air as he sat on his knees behind her.
Buffy's heart leapt as he encouraged her to raise her hips so she was on her hands and knees in front of him. She loved the way he could move so deep inside her in this position that she did not know where he began and she ended. She felt his fingers brush against her outer lips, coating themselves in her juices, before a long finger slipped inside her. She threw her head back in pleasure, jerking her hips back towards his hand, trying to make the penetration deeper.
Using his free hand to stay her hips, Angel started pumping his finger in and out of her warmth with excruciating slowness. He began teasing her flesh, as he moved over her to blanket her back, his blunt teeth nipping her neck gently as he struggled to resist the urge to mark her as his.
The sensations Angel were invoking in her soon changed from pleasure to painful torment, as he refused to release her hips and allow her to stop his playing. Turning her head around she emitted a low growl before demanding, "Stop tormenting me and fuck me!"
"Not yet baby. Not yet," purred Angel, smiling against her neck as he slipped another finger inside of her and started moving them in and out faster, as her arousal spilled onto his hand.
When he inserted a third finger, she groaned his name, her hips shifting restlessly against his confining hand, as she tried to force him to move them deeper.
As the urge to feel her inner muscles, which were gripping his fingers so tightly, clench around his erection overtook him, he pulled his fingers from her and positioned his hard cock at her entrance, his body tingling with anticipation. He entered her hard and fast, driving himself deeply inside of her until he was fully embedded in her heat, his breath coming out in short pants as he tried to hold himself still while she quivered around him, as her body adjusted to accommodate his size.
"God! You're so tight," he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against the soft tissue, as he ground his hips against hers before pulling nearly all the way out of her tight passage and thrusting back in.
"Pleeaase...." whined Buffy, her body on fire as she careened towards her climax. Every nerve was tingling inside her as he kept up the delectable pace, taking her closer and closer with every second.
Speeding up his pace some more, Angel's hips pumped forward harder, his hands moving down to clench her hips, pulling her towards him to meet every thrust.
Their moans traveled around the room, as the air was perfumed with the fragrant smell of sex, the two bodies writhing on the bed unaware of anything but the feel of each others bodies as they mated with a purely primal need.
As Buffy's walls started rippling around him, Angel rested all his weight on one arm and snaked his other hand underneath her trembling body. Brushing his fingers through the soft curls he lightly tapped her clit before stroking softly over it as she started moaning his name over and over.
His fingers should be registered as lethal weapons she thought vacantly, a split second before she spiraled over into her orgasm, screaming his name as she shattered into a million pieces. The raptures of bliss washed through her, making her lose all sense of who and what she was. The only thing she knew was the pleasure that was currently coursing through her system.
As her muscles clamped down around his cock, Angel pumped into her harder seeking his own release as she squeezed him deliciously. With one last thrust he came inside her, his seed shooting out and coating her walls as she milked him dry, his arms giving way as he collapsed on top of her pushing her down into the mattress.
Long minutes passed before he finally regained his bearings and his breathing had slowed down to a harsh pant. Angel rolled off of Buffy to lie on his back, conscious of his heavy weight on top of her slight form, pulling her towards him she rested her head on his chest. She closed her eyes, drinking in the feel of him next to her body, knowing it would be a while before she could be with him again.
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The dark Mercedes crawled to a stop in front of the brightly lit club entrance. The driver hastily exited the car and rushed around the other side to assist his two female passengers.
The gathered crowd watched a tiny blonde emerge, her full-length dress skimming the ground as she carefully placed her feet on the cement. The chauffeur provided a steadying arm until she gained her balance on the incredibly high heels she was wearing, before she nodded at him and walked forward, away from him and the car. After walking a couple of paces, she halted in her progress and spun around to patiently await her companion's ascent from the vehicle.
Fred exited the car quickly after Buffy, wanting to get into the club and fulfill her part of this operation as soon as possible. She knew she looked good in the dress she had chosen. It was appropriate for the event they were attending, but not flashy, so she had no need to worry about attracting unwanted attention. That part was to be left to Buffy, who needed to get the attention of the one and only Riley Finn, which after reading his extensive file, Fred had no doubt she would be able to do.
She slowly walked alongside Buffy up to the two imposing Doormen blocking the entrance, who were ensuring that unwanted guests were kept out. Now was the moment of truth. Could they get in the building?
Buffy flashed a winning smile at the attractive looking man blocking her way, her hand reaching into her purse to clasp hold of the invitation they had procured earlier that day from Mr. Billy Fordham and handed it to the man. True to his word, Giles had ensured that there was no way for anyone to check if Mr. Fordham had really given her the ticket to attend the event. He was currently being held at an agency safe house with an armed guard preventing him from leaving. The only question now was if they would accept her attending in his place?
"This invite is addressed to a Mr. Fordham, Miss. Seeing as neither of you appears to be him, I can't allow you to enter," growled the dark-skinned man, passing the invite back to the blonde before crossing his arms over his broad chest in a gesture of finality.
"Billy couldn't make tonight. He had an important business meeting come up unexpectedly and suggested I attend with my friend. He didn't seem to think there would be a problem with this," bluffed Buffy, wondering if she was going to be able to get past the obnoxious man who was seriously in danger of getting his ass kicked, new dress or not.
"Buffy? Is that you?" a tall blonde man who had just appeared in the doorway asked, his mouth wide open in wonder, as his gaze traveled up and down her slim body as if he wanted to devour her whole.
Buffy recognized him instantly. He had featured in more than one of her nightmares over the years and the bile began to rise in her throat as she realized there was no way she was going to be able to treat herself to the stiff drink she had promised herself earlier, before seeing him once more.
"Riley! Oh my god, it's been years. You look so good," squealed Buffy, her insides starting to churn as he took a step closer to her, his eyes still showing his disbelief that she was there in front of him. He enclosed her in a hug, his hands wandering up and down her body as she bit her lip to prevent herself screaming at him to leave her alone.
As he reluctantly pulled away from her, he nodded his head to the two doormen and they silently moved out of the way. Riley held out his arm to Buffy, his lips parting in a wolfish grin as she placed her arm in his, her eyes silently motioning for Fred to follow them as they entered the club.
*********************
"She has made contact with the target. They are entering the building together. Do you want us to attempt to follow?" Gunn questioned, his eyes following the rapidly disappearing forms of Buffy and Fred, as they walked through the doorway before stepping out of his range of vision. He had a bad feeling about this mission for some reason, but one thing was for sure, he knew Buffy could take care of herself. Fred, however, was an uncertainty, as she had never been involved in a field mission before.
"No. There is no way you can enter that building without setting off all kinds of alarms. For just a nightclub, it seems to have very impressive security. Stay as you are and await further instructions," the voice that Gunn suspected was Wesley ordered through the radio.
"Shit, man. I can't believe they are using her as bait," muttered Gunn, not talking to anyone in particular, but feeling the need to say the words anyway.
"I know what you mean my friend. I know what you mean," Xander whispered, totally in tune with Gunn for one rare moment, as he wondered just what Buffy and Fred was walking into.
*****************************
Riley was behaving like a perfect gentleman, mused Fred. If you ignored the fact that he was practically drooling all over Buffy's dress every time he looked at her, which was most of the time. He had only left them for around five minutes in the two hours they had been in the club, not giving them a second to wander off and try and see who the other guests were.
There was no doubt that their microphones, that were discreetly hidden underneath their clothing, was working properly. Whether or not the team was able to hear anything over the loud music and the constant chatter was another thing. Deciding that Riley would most probably not even notice her absence if she disappeared for a couple of minutes, so intent was he on watching Buffy, she started to sidle away, melting into the crowd that surrounded them within seconds.
Buffy turned around to check that Fred was okay, and noticed that she had obviously gone for a little walk. Lucky her, Buffy thought. She was already sick to death of Riley and his blatant innuendo's that he seemed to find hilarious. He seemed like a kind of nice guy, if you could look past the beady little eyes and his fetish for stalking women, but there had always been something about him that sent a shiver down her spine whenever he was around.
Due to his ardent attention, she had not been able to take a look around the club and try and see this Faith person that no one seemed to know anything about. It was surprising, as the agency usually had information on everybody from the date of their birth to their bra size, so either she was a new player in town or she had slipped under the radar until now.
She was so immersed in her thoughts that she did not notice the sexy brunette who had appeared at Riley's side and was whispering into his ear, until Riley grabbed hold of her hand in an attempt to gain her attention.
"Buffy. I want you to meet my partner Faith. Faith, this is Buffy. We went to High School together," introduced Riley, never taking his eyes off of Buffy the whole time.
The brunette slowly looked Buffy up and down, realizing this was the woman Finn always started talking about when he had drank too much. She personally, didn't think the blonde was anything special. So what if she was young, slim, and according to him, was the love of his life, which unfortunately, things hadn't worked out with. Strangely enough, he never told anyone the reason for that. She had thought that perhaps this 'fluffy' was just a figment of his overactive imagination, but she was standing right here. So she was either the real thing, or someone he had paid to pretend to be her?
At that thought Faith grinned, a sly grin as she realized she wouldn't put it past him. There was something familiar about the blonde though, she just couldn't put her finger on it.
"How's it going, B? Enjoying the party?" yelled Faith, trying to make herself heard over the noise of the club.
"I'm good and the party's great! How are you?" Buffy shouted, realizing that this was the woman that they had no information on. Anything she could find out would be a bonus that might help her later on when it came to taking them down.
"I'm five by five! Gotta go, but I daresay I'll be seeing ya around," Faith said as she stalked off towards the front of the club, her mind trying to figure out where exactly they had met before. It wasn't coming to her so she let the thought go as she returned to her table and her guests.
Pulling one of her security team aside she whispered, "The blonde with Finn! Make sure you get her on camera before she leaves. There's something I don't like about her. I want to get her checked out."
*******************************************
Xander and Gunn were impatiently waiting in the van parked across the road from Valentino's awaiting further instructions, which didn't seem to be coming any time soon.
As a limousine pulled up outside the club, Xander turned his chair around to face the screen in front of him, as he continued to check the influx of guests for anyone they recognized. His breath caught in his throat as the computer came up with a match on the subjects identity and he waved his hands in the air to grab Gunn's attention, as he was rendered speechless by the information scrolling down the screen in front of him.
Looking over Xander's shoulder, Gunn swore softly, before speaking into his radio to the command center, his mind registering the implications of this person's presence.
"We have a big problem. Quentin Travers has just arrived at the party. He will recognize Buffy. I need immediate authorization to enter the premises and provide them with backup," stated Gunn, perspiration starting to form on his brow as he waited in tense silence for the chief's response.
"That is a negative Gunn. We can only hope that she sees him before he spots her. We cannot afford to blow this operation cover on the off chance that he notices her. That club is packed and it would be a major coincidence that he goes anywhere remotely near her. Stand down and await further instructions," Giles replied through the radio handset, the static breaking up his words slightly but leaving the meaning clear.
"Fuck! He's leaving them in there to die!" yelled Gunn, throwing the black plastic at the wall of the van, as his mind provided him with graphic images of the last time Buffy had run into Travers.
.....