William woke up alone and was concerned immediately. He checked the library, the garden, the party, even the baths but couldn’t find Buffy. When he asked Willow if she had any idea where Buffy had gone, she lied to him for the first time in their very long relationship and hoped that she had done the right thing.
Buffy frowned. “A task?” She looked at Aphrodite with more than a touch of apprehension.
“Yes. I think you’ll rather enjoy it as well. Of course that doesn’t really matter to me. If you perform the task I grant your favor. It’s all very simple.”
“What’s the task?”
“Come.” Aphrodite led her across the room and waved her hand near a solid marble wall. A window appeared. She gestured for Buffy to look through it. “I believe you’ve met Angelus.”
Buffy looked through the window and saw a tall, dark-haired man wearing a black shirt and slacks pacing back and forth impatiently. He looked like he was yelling, but she couldn’t hear anything. “In a way.” She frowned.
“He causes me a great deal of trouble.”
“How?”
“He is handsome, yes?”
Buffy shrugged. “I don’t know, he’s not really—” She saw Aphrodite roll her eyes and nodded. “Sure. He’s handsome.”
“He is also quite charming when he wishes to be. Unfortunately, he has a distinct lack of respect for women.”
Buffy snorted. “You can say that again.”
Aphrodite turned towards her slowly. “I am The Goddess of Love, girl. I don’t repeat myself.”
She blushed. “Of course not. I didn’t mean. I’m…sorry.”
The goddess watched Angelus pace and rant in the other room. “He seduced one of Athena’s favorite temple virgins last week. The girl had been in her service for a century, now she’s been banished. Angelus, of course, has not even called on her.” She turned to Buffy. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find good temple virgins these days?”
Buffy shook her head. “What will happen to her?”
“Who?”
“The girl…the virgin.”
“Drusilla.” Aphrodite shrugged. “If she ever ceases her weeping she might make a good siren. If I hadn’t already given William you, I might have given her to him.”
Jealousy lit a fire in Buffy’s eyes. “Oh?”
Aphrodite’s laughter was deep and sensual. “She’s quite lovely and broken. William could have played at being her hero for a century or two. He’d have taken pleasure in the role.”
“But he has me now, so that won’t be necessary.”
“Yes. He’ll have you, if you complete your task. Otherwise, I will have to return you to your realm.”
Buffy’s face paled. “But we still have twelve days.”
“You have what I give you.”
She nodded. Willow had tried to warn her that Aphrodite could change the rules on a whim. “What’s my task?”
“You are going to help me teach Angelus a lesson and bring peace to The Underworld.”
“How?”
“Seduce him.”
Buffy’s blood froze in her veins she shook her head. “But William—I can’t—I could never—l”
The Goddess of Love laughed again. “He is rather dismally puritanical, isn’t he? I suppose I shouldn’t have allowed the witch to oversee his education.” She shrugged. “It hardly matters now. You’re not to lay with Angelus. In fact, I strictly forbid it. You will taunt him not pleasure him.”
Her heart rate slowed only slightly. “But still, he’s William’s cousin. It would be—j”
“It matters not. You are not the one he will see.”
Buffy frowned. “I don’t understand.”
The goddess gave a long suffering sigh. “You are not the one who can tame Angelus.” She touched the wall and the image a lovely dark-haired woman with a sexy smirk appeared. “She is. So she is the one he will see.”
Buffy looked at the woman on the wall in confusion. “Cordelia?”
Aphrodite’s eyebrows raised in interest. “You know this girl?”
“Yeah, she’s…a friend, sort of a friend. What does she have to do with Angelus?”
“Tell me. Is she…spirited?”
“I…umm…yeah, she’s kind of …” Buffy was tempted to admit that her friend could be a bitch, but wasn’t sure if that was what Aphrodite wanted to hear. “Spirited is a good word.”
The Goddess of Love grinned. “Oh, good. This is going to be fun.”
Buffy looked at Cordelia’s image and then back at Aphrodite. “I’m still a bit confused.”
“William isn’t the only one with a soul mate. Of course, Angelus doesn’t think he wants to meet his yet.”
Buffy’s eyes widened. “Cordelia is his—”
“Soul mate. The very best part is, once he lays eyes on her he won’t be able to help himself. He’ll snatch her away and end up quite thoroughly enamored before he even sees it coming. Angelus is very rash and…entirely predictable.” She glanced back at the room she was holding him prisoner in and sighed. “Handsome though.”
“He’ll kidnap her then, just like he did to me and her family will be just as scared as mine. Surely there’s another way?”
“Your impertinence is only charming in small doses, my girl. I am beginning to find it very tiresome. I will provide her loved ones the same comfort I give yours.” She tilted her head to side and studied the girl in front of her. She lifted her hand, pointed and smiled. “Yes. That is much better. Look.” She gestured to a full length mirror.
Buffy walked towards it and gasped. The face looking back at her was most certainly Cordelia’s. She leaned in and saw Cordelia do the same. Aphrodite had changed her clothing as well and she found herself wearing a few bits of metal and silk that looked a rather lot like the outfit Princess Leia was forced to wear when captured. She felt distinctly naked despite the glamour that made her look like another woman. She couldn’t help lifting her hands up to cup her breasts. They felt like hers still though they look much larger in the mirror. She shook her head and laughed. “This place is so weird.”
“Now, your task is almost insultingly simple. Give him a taste of this girl. He won’t be able to resist and once he has a thirst that only she can quench, your service will be done.”
Buffy looked back at the window to Angelus nervously. She really had no choice. Aphrodite could have demanded far more. “Is there any chance he could be chained to the wall for this?”
“Kinky.” Aphrodite grinned, snapped her fingers and watched with a gleeful expression as Angelus began struggling against the large metal cuffs suddenly holding his hands to the wall above his head. After a moment, she removed his shirt as well and nodded in satisfaction. “Now it’s your turn, little girl. Make him ache, but remember...no orgasms.”
Before she could respond, Buffy found herself standing across the room from Angelus. Nerves made her knees knock for a moment. She inhaled deeply.
Angelus smirked at her wickedly. “Well, what have we here? If you’d wanted to play, princess, you should have just asked.”
Buffy squared her shoulders and tried to channel the girl her friends called The Queen C. She walked towards him slowly. “Sorry, angel-face. You don’t get to play today.” Her voice was an almost perfect copy of Cordelia’s. As glad as she was for the disguise, it was unsettling.
He laughed. “You’re new. You one of Aphrodite’s girls?”
Buffy shook her head but didn’t speak.
“Succubus? That’s okay, gorgeous, we can work it out. Take off the cuffs. I don’t mind being dinner as long as you’re the dessert.”
Buffy rolled her eyes and started to walk away as though she’d lost interest.
Angelus tried to pull free again. He kept his gaze on the stunning woman who now appeared more interested with the texture on the walls than she did with him. He knew she was just playing but it was driving him crazy. “We both know you want me. If you didn’t we wouldn’t be playing this game. So why don’t you just come on over here and give me a kiss? I’ll show you just how good it can be.”
Buffy had to stifle a laugh. Angelus was hysterical. She’d never met a more arrogant creature. Aphrodite had been right; this was almost fun. She gave a heavy theatrical sigh.
Angelus growled. “That’s it. Enough with the games, minx. You don’t know who you’re playing with.”
Buffy turned to him then and walked towards him quickly. “I’m playing with a little boy when what I want is a man.” She stopped a couple of feet in front of him and lifted her arms up in what she hoped was an enticing manner. “Do you really think I need to waste my time with little boys?” She let him take a good hard look while she arched an eyebrow in irritation.
“Oh, I’m a man, baby. Come just a little bit closer and I’ll be happy to demonstrate.” He gave the chains a hard yank.
Buffy leaned in, knowingly giving him a good peek at Cordelia’s cleavage and licked her lips. She let her gaze settle on the front of his pants in an obvious fashion. She glanced back up at him and inched closer. When they were nearly touching, she whispered. “Grow up and we’ll talk.” She turned abruptly and walked away with a pronounced swing in her hips. She could still hear him calling out to her when she appeared in Aphrodite’s chamber.
The goddess laughed delightedly as she approached. “Nice job, little girl.” She walked around her and placed her hands on her shoulders. “It will be as you asked. Now, go be William’s before I change my mind and put you to work as a siren. Oh.” She leaned down and spoke in a loud whisper. “Do me a favor and pop that boy’s cherry before I have to handle it myself.”
Buffy’s eyes widened as she disappeared.
Ripper groaned as he stepped out from behind a heavy curtain. “Was that disturbing image truly necessary, my dear?”
Aphrodite leaned into him as he stepped behind her. She tilted her head to side and bared her neck for his kiss. “Just giving the girl a little push. They are like watching snow fall a single flake at a time.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist. “You like her, Buffy, don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t have selected her for our son if I didn’t.”
Ripper froze at the unusual mention of William’s true heritage. “You aren’t thinking to tell him?”
She sighed and shook her head. “No. I won’t let him go the way of Eros. Even masked as your brother’s son, his gifts drew too much attention. William has no interest in claiming any throne, as long as no one knows that he could, he will be quite happy playing the outcast of The Underworld with Buffy.” She turned in her lover’s arms and reached up to caress the side of his face. “You don’t disagree.”
“I don’t, but I know it hurts you to hide the truth.”
“I will do what is best.” She stepped away from him and glared. “Now certainly you know how I hate for you to remain so overdressed in my chamber.”
Ripper gave her a wicked grin as he began unbuttoning his shirt. “Have you said that, my evening star? I can’t seem to recall.”
She scraped her fingernails down his chest and tore off his belt. “I suppose I shall make today’s telling especially memorable.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hello All-Thank you for the lovely words of encouragement. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)
Chapter End Notes:
Thoughts?