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NA GRACH CROI



Chapter 8:


A/N: Thanks to ‘songgal’ (sp?) I have decided to take Angel’s character and his fate in a whole new direction. Although Angel’s personality will continue (for a while) in the direction I had previously chosen, he may just pull through in the end.


Buffy noticed that Angel O’Hara did not even smile when her husband, Spike, had introduced her to his younger brother. Instead, the tall, dark haired man just shrugged and nodded at Buffy,then led both she and Spike to the wagon he had driven from their farm.


Once they reached the O’Hara farm, Spike helped his wife down from the simple buckboard that Angel had brought to fetch them from Balleycastle. If Buffy was apprehensive, she tried bravely not to show it. Angel, Spike’s baby brother could be quite intimidating, especially to a young, sheltered widow such as his Buffy.

As he had explained to Buffy, on their Honeymoon night, Angel was quite bitter about his crippled form and secretly, kind of, had always blamed Spike for it. Spike had realized, years before, that Angel would rather have been left for dead then to end up like he was.

Angel, Spike realized, would never forgive his older brother for saving his life, but not his arm. There was no gratefulness in Angel O’Hara’s heart or soul for Spike’s heroic actions. There was only envy, bitterness and anger.

“Is Tara about,” Spike asked his younger brother, almost timidly, Buffy noted.

“She’s gone to Portrush, with her good friend Willow Cohan. Willow’s auntie is dying, Tara went to lend her comfort,” Angel finished with another shrug.

“Oh,” Buffy sighed with obvious dissapointment, “I’d so wanted to meet your sister.”

Angel smirked, the nearest sibling trait to his brother that Buffy had noticed so far. They were so different, these O’Hara brothers, that one might not know they were even related. There was something about Angel, Buffy tried to suss it out, but was left confused. When they had been introduced, he, Angel, had eyed Buffy up and down, brazenly, then seemed to frown when he’d found out she and Spike were married.

“Tara’s always out and about with her good friend Willow,” Angel mumbled as he led the way into the farm house. “You’d think…” but he left the sentence unfinished.

“This is it, Buffy darling,” Spike took his wife’s tiny hand in his. “Not much really, but we call it home.”

“It’s lovely,” Buffy gasped, truly awed by the simple, yet elegant front living area of the house. “I guess your sister is to be thanked for bringing such a warm touch to the house?”

Spike nodded, Angel just shrugged again and sauntered off to another room of the house. Presumably, his bedroom.

“I know,” Spike hung his head in sadness, “Angel’s not the most friendly lad around. I’m sorry Princess. Should have warned you more.”

Buffy shook her head quickly, “you did warn me, William,” she acknowledged. She brought her new husband’s hand up to her lips and kissed it, delicately. “I just wish that your Angel would see you for the good man you are. Appreciate you more.”

“Let’s go see my old room,” Spike changed his frown to a wicked grin. “Kind of christen the old place, eh?”

Buffy giggled, “I’d like that. “Then,” she continued, all wifely like, “I’ll make you a fine supper, husband. That is, if there is anything to make a fine supper with?”

“Tara always kept the place up, darlin,” Spike chuckled, “there’ll be plenty food to make a meal with. But for now,” he pulled Buffy to him, “I’ve other things in mind besides food. You know?”

“Mine,” Spike panted as he thrust into his wife in a frenzy. “You’re mine Buffy,” he rasped as he felt his release come.

They, Buffy and he, were in his own bedroom, making love, frantically.

‘Thank God Tara kept the room up,’ Spike had thought right away when they entered the closed off area.

Buffy had laughed, merrily, when Spike picked her up and carried her over his bedroom ‘thresh hold’ to his bed. She was more then relieved when she realized that her husband’s bedroom was well situated away from Angel’s and Tara’s.

“We won’t have to ‘hold back’so much,” she giggled as William divested her of her dress and shoes.

“Good thing,” Spike grunted as he pulled his own cumbersome clothes off. “I don’t think I could hold back with you, darlin’ Buffy.” He grinned at his wife, wickedly.

Buffy was in the kitchen, the next morning, cooking breakfast for her husband. And his younger brother, if Angel wanted. She heated the iron stove and began to prepare the big breakfast, when she heard a slight noise behind her.

“Will,” she laughed merrily, without turning around, “I hope you’re hungry darling. I’ve made…”

The heavy touch of a large hand on her shoulder alerted her to the fact that this was not her Will. It was Angel.

“I am hungry, sweet Buffy,” Angel murmered to her when she turned around, finally to face him. “I’m starving, actually.”

Buffy blushed at Angel’s obvious innuendo, then turned about again, abruptly, to finish the meal she was preparing for her husband.

“Where’s my William,” she asked quickly, “thought you were him.”

Angel chuckled softly, “your William is out in the barn. He’s seeing to his favorite horse. Guess he thought it was more important to see to a steed then see to his fine wife, this morning anyway.”

Buffy flinched, then shook her head, “I’m sure he’ll be in, soon Angel. In the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you would back away from me, just a bit. You stand too close to me, makes me feel suffocated.”

Angel laughed heartily, but moved back a step or two from her.

“Tell me, Buffy O’Hara,” he mumbled lowly, “how did you meet my brother? What made an angel like you come to meet and marry my darling brother?”

If Angel wanted to bait Buffy, she could play along, though why she would was beyond her own understanding.

“Your brother, William,” Buffy began evenly as she turned to face Angel again, “is a very good man. We met in Belfast, and yes, it was a fast courtship. However, when two people meet, who know deep within them that they are meant to be together? Then time is not an issue. Your brother, William and I, were meant to be together, Angel. And, as for me being an angel? Hardly. However, your brother loves me and I love him. It is that simple, yet that complicated.”

Angel scowled at Buffy then whispered, “he always wins. My brother does. Now he’s won an angel for himself.” With that, Angel turned and strode off, out of the kitchen door.

“Buffy, luv,” Spike called from the back door of the house, “I’ll be in in a moment sweet.”

Buffy sighed and went back to checking the water for the tea. ‘I almost hope that Will’s brother leaves this place and soon. He is trouble, no question.’

Buffy sat on the front porch of the O’Hara farm and stared out at the horizon. She smiled softly to herself, unsure of just what this new, warm feeling was that had come over her. Later she would realize, of course, that it was contentment and peace of mind that enveloped her. Something she had never really known before.

Spike sat down next to her, took her tiny hand in his and kissed it, tenderly.

“What you thinkin’ sweetheart,” he murmered as he ran his fingers down the side of her soft face.

“Just that I’m happy, for once,” Buffy sighed, honestly, and leaned her head onto his strong shoulder. “It’s so nice, so peaceful here, Will,” she finished with another whispered sigh.

“Well, it’s that,” Spike chuckled, hugging her little body to his. “Peaceful that is. Most of the time anyway…”

He glanced back at the house with a frown, then shook his head.

“Buffy,” he began, tentively, “I need to tell you something, rather important.”

She flinched, momentarily thrown off by her husband’s sudden seriousness.

“It’s probably nothing, truly,” Spike continued somberly, “but something Angel told me. While I was gone. Some ‘trouble’ came up with a certain family near here. They usually hang out in Balleycastle, in fact, I was surprised we didn’t see at least one of the trashy lot there. When we arrived home, I mean.”

Buffy gave Spike a worried look, making immediately sorry that he even mentioned this whole thing. ‘Probably won’t turn out to be anything,’ he reasoned to himelf, hopefully.

“Why trouble with ‘this’ particular family, Will?” Buffy asked with genuine concern.

He sighed deeply then met her green eyed gaze, trying to keep a calm demeanor for her.

“They’re the Finn-Rayne family, Buffy,” he began quietly. “They’ve been in these parts a long time, British people, really. Old man Ethan Rayne is a nasty piece of work. His brood of kids aren’t much better, though.”

“They, the Raynes, have always my family’s farm. Yeah,” Spike nodded with pride, “this is a wonderful farm, Buffy. Rayne’s wanted it from the get go. I guess, according Angel, they, the Rayne family, have been talkin’ loud and big around here, in Balleycastle. Said that if I didn’t come back, they’d have this place it a heartbeat. Which is probably true, Angel could care less about this farm. Tara’ll go and marry, someday, have her own place.”

Buffy swallowed hard and began to feel a little lightheaded. She always had reacted this way when she was worried, or even slightly frightened.

“Do you think they’ll cause trouble, Will?” Buffy asked worriedly.

Spike shook his head, firmly, “they’re all talk, sweet,” he assured her with a warm hug. “Angel’s probably just talkin’ out of the side of his mouth and all. It’ll be fine, promise.”

Buffy seemed placated enough and Spike sighed in relief, even though, he felt a great sense of uneasiness about the whole Finn-Rayne family. ‘I hope Angel was just exagerating, as usual,’ Spike said to himself, anxiously.


A/N: Long chapter, but I wanted to introduce Angel, next Tara will come into the picture. I am going to have Cordelia be a young woman in Balleycastle who is enamored of yes, Angel. However, the angst of that is he, Angel, is too bitter and blind to see how much Cordy loves him. Anyway, the Finn (guess who!)Rayne, family is really trouble. Thanks for reading, please review. Luv, Spuf





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