“Buffy?!” Giles asked starting somewhat at not only her entrance but her appearance. Her hair was pushed back in a messy bun and she wore nothing but a long black t-shirt and boxers he had no doubt we’re Spike’s.
“Ughhh.” She grumbled out already moving to the coffee pot. With her eyes closed she reached up to the cabinet and grabbed a mug but when she tried to pour herself some coffee she realized something wasn’t right. Cracking open an eye she simply stared at the empty pot as though she couldn’t understand what she was seeing.
“Uh sweet there isn’t any coffee.” Doyle explained patiently as she shook the pot as though the act alone would be enough to allow her to finish her routine. “It’s after seven, at night.”
“Spike?”
Since it was both a whine and question, Doyle laughed lightly. “He went out to get some supplies with the others so why don’t you sit down while I brew up a pot of coffee.”
Yawning she sat walked away from the counter and to everyone’s surprise she climbed up onto Angel lap, cuddled up against him and promptly fell back asleep. He could see the others confusion, especially that of the PI team but even though he didn’t understand either his arms quickly encircled her to hold her close. When his demon purred in contentment she rubbed her cheek against his chest like a contented cat but never woke.
Not liking the situation one bit, Wesley sent him a piercing look. “Perhaps you should move her into the living room. After a long night she‘s never at her best until she has a few cups of coffee.”
“It’s not a problem to hold her.” Angel said quickly and while he could practically feel the others disapproval he wasn’t about to put her down on the sofa when she’d given him a chance to hold her in his arms once more.
“I’ll bet.” Doyle said dryly as he hurried to get the clearly brain addled Slayer some much needed coffee. “But I recon Spike might have one.”
“Spike?” Buffy asked and while her eyes hadn’t opened she’d lifted her head up slightly.
“Not yet darlin’ but don’t you think you might move to a place a bit less man-shaped until he gets back?” Doyle asked, his only answer being a slight snore to tell him she’d gone back to sleep upon hearing he wasn’t back yet.
Unable to help it Giles had to chuckle. “I don’t know how many times that’s happened to me. I’d be in the middle of telling her something I felt was rather important only to look up and find her fast asleep.”
With not much else to say or do, the two Watchers continued to search through the text they’d gathered with any mention of Glory while Doyle focused on the coffee pot and tried to will it to work faster. As for Angel, he simply stared down at the girl in his arms and tried to figure out what it meant but he did know that it only further expanded the feeling of peace he’d felt since being claimed by her.
At least until Spike and Cordelia walked in with the others. “Just what in the hell do you think you are doing Buffy!” Cordelia screeched causing the others to push forward to see what was happened. And when they saw the reason for her shouts they turned to Spike to see his reaction to the scene before them.
With an slight snort he put the bags he carried down on the bar before moving over to Angel and easily plucking the girl out of his arms. “Thanks mate, she needed that.”
Angel was just as confused as the others but sensing her mates presence she opened her eyes and blinked rapidly. “Spike?”
“That’s right kitten.” He said with a smile as he lowered them both down into an empty chair and held her exactly as Angel had done.
“You were gone.”
“I know pet but I figured your childe could see to you.”
“Cozy.” She agreed before letting out a small yawn and curling against him. “But not you.”
Since she seemed perfectly content, he looked over to Angel but explained for everyone‘s benefit. “She’s always a bit needy because of the claim, we both are but after taking you as her childe you can feed the hunger for her as well. You could feed me too but don’t expect me to be cuddling on your lap anytime soon…not after that time in Russia.”
Angel looked shifted uncomfortably at the memory Spike had just evoked but he nodded to let him show he understood. “I didn’t know your claim gave her the hunger.”
“I never noticed it either Peaches, not since I’m usually there to see to her myself but when I felt her through the claim it was easy enough to send her your way.” He reached down and brushed her hair away from her face before looking back up to Angel. “You might have noticed but the girl isn’t exactly all there when she first wakes up. She goes through the same bloody routine every time but she’s more than willing to be led along until she wakes up a bit.”
“Hunger?” Both Watchers asked at once as Faith and Riley started to unpack the groceries since it seemed the apparent crisis had been adverted.
“It’s standard in vampire clans to routinely share blood but if it is done enough it becomes almost like an addiction.” Angel explained since Spike was busy adding milk and sugar to the steaming cup Doyle had brought over. “That need also creates another hunger, one for contact with their kindred--- family. It’s a way to bond a clan together and that connection allows them to act as a fluid unit. It’s not like the telepathic connection Spike and Buffy share, more like it strengthens our instinctual drives and give us a---”
“A pack mindset.” Xander said surprising everyone. “Hello, I was a piggy-eating hyena remember---”
“But I thought you said you didn’t remember that?” Buffy asked feeling much more awake now that the caffeine was working it’s way through her system.
“I didn’t exactly forget, more like I deliberately repressed.” He said with an apologetic shrug before getting back to what he‘d been saying. “But it was like what Angel was talking about. Uh after what happened I did a little research to figure out some clue to explain why we…I acted the way I did. In the wild the females are the alpha, in our case I think I became the dominate because I was the most aggressive. Anywho, the more time I spent with them the more we all started to think a like which is why we killed at dodge ball. It was like we all knew our part in the pack and just knew the others would act accordingly. But after hanging with them so long I was restless, antsy when we were separated. And I’m not talking like bored or worried, I’m talking like those phantom pains you feel when you lose limb or something. It was like a part of me was just gone suddenly and it didn’t stop hurting till they made with the sniffing and touching.”
“That about sums it up.” Angel agreed with a wry smile. “That connection is why the four of us were so feared, so powerful as a group when we hunted. I was Darla’s childe, just like Spike was Dru’s but we were more powerful them so they often followed our cues without us needing to say---”
He broke off suddenly as he felt an almost overwhelming wave of pride and affection pour through him and it only took a single glance at Spike to know he could feel it too, which meant it was coming from Buffy. But given what he was talking about he found himself once again wondering why.
“Because you said I.” Buffy explained reading his eyes as well as sensing his confusion through their new bond.
Since he could feel it through her as well, Spike clarified a bit since Angel was still not getting it. “I, not Angelus Peaches, which means you’ve finally accepted your demon.”
“No way, his demon is an evil, sick…thing---” Cordelia said breaking off suddenly when she found herself on the receiving end of a death glare from not only the Slayer but one though Spike’s amber eyes as well.
“Angelus is an evil demon but he is still a part of Angel, a part that makes him who he is now.” Buffy said in a cold stern voice that promised a bloody and brutal death if anyone dared to disagree. “He’s his bad side literally but all that badness is still his, only Angel is choosing to be a better man---someone that matters. Accepting that doesn‘t make him evil or sick and it sure as hell doesn‘t make him a thing, it makes him a stronger person!”
“Okay B, I’m sure Queenie gets it so ratchet down alright. Ang is a big boy and can take care of himself.” Faith said when the mug Buffy was holding shattered in her hand at her last word.
“He’s ours.” Spike and Buffy said at once without having to consciously think about it.
“Okay, did I miss something?” Doyle said glancing between the vampires since they hadn’t exactly been getting on because of the little blonde they both loved.
“Buffy claimed Angelus last night but she did it with my demon, so just like Angel can feel the bond so can I because we’re both feeling it through her and our demons.” Spike tossed out as he took the towel Angel passed him and began to clean Buffy up. Thankfully her cup had been nearly empty and lukewarm but he knew that didn’t make it anymore comfortable for her. “But he’s her childe and as you can see she takes her responsibilities seriously.”
“You mean she used some freaky vamp thing to trap him so she could have her cake and eat it too?” Cordelia said tartly.
“Fuck, don’t you ever shut your gob?” Spike asked angrily as he physically had to restrain Buffy from leaping for the catty brunette. “He was part of a clan for more than a century and he spent the next ninety-years alone! I was only apart from Dru for a few weeks before I came across Buffy and just like Xander said it hurt like fucking hell. But I recon over the years Peaches became so bloody numb he couldn’t feel anything until Buffy gave him a place to belong again. That’s what she did last night too, she offered him a family, one that would accept but the soul and the damn demon. Now I know your panting after him like a right bitch in heat but could give him the same or do you only want him as long as he’s playing the part of a man?”
“He is a man!” Cordelia shot back.
“No Cordelia I’m not. I’m a vampire with a soul.” Angel said and for the first time since he’d been cursed not the slightest hint of shame could be heard in his voice at that admission because of the unconditional support he could feel from his family. “And the more I tried to pretend Angelus wasn’t a part of me, the stronger he became. I’ve come to see Faith as a sister and I hurt her last night and then I tried to hurt Buffy, neither of which I would have done if I had made peace with what I am a long time ago. Its like a disease, the longer you ignore it the more it spreads and if Buffy hadn’t forced me to face that Angelus would have taken me over before I even realized it was happening.”
When she flounced out the back door in a huff, Doyle grabbed his jacket off the barstool. “I’ll go make sure she gets home alright.”
Buffy sent him a look that said you-don’t-fool-me. “Go n-ithe an cat thú is go n-ithe an diabhal an cat.” She said in Gaelic and while she so, so didn’t see the attraction, she loved him which meant she wanted him to be happy. Even if he seemed to think that happiness could come from having Cordelia Chase of all people in his life.
Angel managed to hold back his chuckle until she stalked upstairs to take a shower and when the others, including Spike, looked at him expectantly he couldn’t help but smile. “She told him; may the cat eat you and may the devil eat the cat. Which I think she meant as both a blessing and a warning.”
Xander looked around a second. “I think I speak for everyone when I say huh?”
“Doyle’s got a yen for the girl so it sounds like Buffy warned him the girl will probably eat him alive but she wasn’t gonna get involved. I also got a strong feeling that in this case, Buffy’s the devil because if the girl breaks his poor deluded heart there‘s no telling what Buffy would break on her.” Spike said with a pleased smirk. “Just like your solider boy would have come back bruised if he had less than noble intentions towards you Faith.”
“Same goes Blondie, B’s not the only one that knows how to defend her family.” She returned with an easy smile. “But I don’t know about you all but I’m starving so do you know if B’s cooking tonight or if it’s someone else’s turn?”