*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Helen limped down the alley towards the parade, moving as fast as she could.  She knew
that if she could just get to the crowds, she'd be able to lose them.  The fragment inside
her that still called itself 'Buffy' wanted to turn around, face Hook Guy, and beat the shit
out of him for what he'd done to Barry and Elsa, but both Helen and Buffy knew that he
wasn't alone.

That's who she was really running from.

The presence she'd felt ever since Julie had come home.  At first it had only been for a
second or two, so fleeting she thought that she had imagined it.  But each time it had
grown, until she couldn't fool herself any longer-the one who was her greatest fear, her
greatest enemy and her greatest weakness had found her at last.

She'd felt him again in the store when she was on the phone, but she knew he hadn't
killed Elsa, too much of her blood had been splattered around.  Say what you would, he
wasn't wasteful.

Helen was only a few yards away from the parade when the hand grabbed her shoulder
and spun her around.  Fireworks burst in the sky, sending splashes of colored light over
the black rubber slicker and hat.  The hat's wide brim shadowed his face, hiding it.  The
steel hook in his hand, still stained with Elsa's blood, flashed in the light as it was raised
high in the air.

Then she felt the presence behind her, and for a split second she cursed herself for letting
herself be trapped between them like this.  Then she was hit on the side of the head from
behind, and she slumped to the ground.

The fireworks in her head were almost as bright as the ones in the sky, then darkness
swept over her, claiming her for it's own.

* * * * * * * * * *

When the darkness cleared, Buffy took a quick look around, and thought < We're in
trouble >.

They seemed to be in the hold of a fishing boat-the smell was unmistakable-and Buffy
was almost directly facing the stairs.  Julie and Ray were with her, and all three were
chained at the wrists.  Buffy couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Boy, does this seem
familiar", thinking of a certain frat party she'd gone to.

"Helen?" Ray asked, his voice worried.

"Yeah, I'm awake.  Are you guys okay?"

Julie and Ray both nodded, and Julie asked, "Why are you chained differently than us?  I
mean, Ray and I are both chained to the wall, but you're fastened to the ceiling."

"It isn't just that" Ray remarked.  "I wasn't quite sure before, but now my eyes are used to
the dark" he squinted at the ceiling above Buffy "I'm sure your chains are thicker than
ours."

Buffy gave a few experimental tugs at the chains, and replied "Yeah, they are.  If I'd been
chained up like you guys" she nodded towards Ray and Julie's chains "I could have gotten
out, but not these things, not without a hell of an effort or adrenaline rush."

"What do you mean, get out of these chains?  How?" asked Julie.

Buffy grimaced and told her "If we get out of this alive, I'll be happy to tell you guys the
whole story, but let's get out of here first."

"Agreed" Ray said.  He looked towards the stairs, and frowned.  "We've dropped anchor."

Buffy seized the opportunity and asked, "How did he get you guys?"

Julie started and said, "I have to tell you-we didn't kill David Egan."

"What?" asked Buffy.

"Remember when we looked up those newspaper articles on David Egan?  There was one
about the car crash that killed his fiancée, Suzanne Willis, two summers ago.  I went to
see Missy Egan, and she showed me a note that David got just before he died.  It said 'I
will never forget last summer'.  It was the same writing as my note.

"Missy thought it was a suicide note, but it wasn't-it was a death threat!  Suzanne's father
Benjamin, killed David last year and we hit him just after he'd dumped the body.  He's
not just after us for revenge, he's after us because we can prove he murdered David!"

"Oh my God" Ray murmured.

"That's what I came to tell you, Ray, when-" Julie broke off.

"When what?" Buffy asked.

Julie hung her head, and said, "When I figured this out, I came to the docks to find Ray.  I
was telling him some of this, when I saw the name of the boat he's been working on.
Billy Blue.  Ray's the one who visited Missy."

"I thought you might be" Buffy said.

"You knew?" Ray asked.

"I only figured it out today.  By that time, we had more important things to worry about."
Buffy looked towards the stairs.

Julie said, "When I saw that, I freaked.  I started running away, and this fisherman
stopped me.  I begged him to help me, and he told me to get onto his boat.  I did, and we
set sail.  Ray was still running after me-I guess you managed to get on at the last second-"

Ray shook his head and told her "Speedboat, then I climbed over the side."

Julie continued "and I went into the cabin.  I saw a whole bunch of news clippings about
the accident on the wall, and photos of all of us-surveillance photos I guess.  Then I
figured out-"

"That your rescuer was actually the killer" Buffy finished.

"Well, that's our story" Ray said.  "What about you, Helen?"

Buffy shook her head and told them "My name isn't Helen.  It's Buffy.  I changed it when
I moved here, but it doesn't matter anymore.  I should have told you guys before-Willis
killed Barry, and took his body.  My guess is that it's on the ship, somewhere."

"In the freezing section, actually."  Buffy's head snapped towards the stairs, as the dark
figure slowly came down them, backlit by the lights on the boat that streamed through the
hatch.  She knew who it was, of course; she'd felt his presence from the second she woke
up.
< He's still as gorgeous as ever, damn him > Buffy thought, not quite dispassionately.

Ray and Julie stared confused, at the stranger who came down the stairs.  Tall and dark
and strikingly handsome, he had short black hair and deep brown eyes.  He was wearing
boots and black leather pants with no shirt, but he didn't seem to feel the cold from the
sea breeze.

Buffy watched as Angelus slowly walked towards her.  She knew that her heart rate had
increased due to his presence.  She hoped that Angelus would put it down to being
chained by an enemy, and not because the sight of his pale bare chest made her womb
clench with longing.  She silently thanked God that the bodice of her dress was lined, or
he would have seen that her nipples were so hard they ached.

She'd never stopped wanting him, missing him.  Even after two and a half years, she still
woke up reaching for him beside her.  He'd spoiled her for any other lover; the only touch
that truly aroused her was his.  She and Barry hadn't broken up over the accident last
summer, they'd broken up because she wouldn't sleep with him.  Couldn't, because he
wasn't Angel.

"What happened to Willis?" Buffy asked him coolly.

"Dead.  I snapped his neck and shoved him in with your boyfriend."

"Yeah, I know how good you are at that maneuver" Buffy said bitterly.  "Why did you kill
him?  Didn't need a fall guy anymore?"

Angelus' expression darkened and he told her "Willis broke our agreement, and that
couldn't be tolerated.  I told him at the start that he could do whatever he wanted with the
others, but he had to leave you for me.  He was going to kill you in that alley, and I wasn't
about to let that happen."  He stepped closer to Buffy, until their bodies were mere inches
away from each other, and continued in a voice that was almost a purr "You're mine,
lover, and always will be.  Mine to possess, mine to torture-"

"Yours to destroy?" Buffy hissed.

"Absolutely" Angelus snapped back, then grabbed her around the waist and pulled her
body hard against his as he kissed her savagely.

Ray heard the man growl as he jerked away, his blood red on his lips.  Judging by the
amount of blood on his lips and hers, Buffy had bitten him hard.  The man stared at her,
and the look in his eyes scared Ray.  Ray turned his head to look at Buffy, and his skin
started to crawl when he saw that she was staring at their captor the same way he was
staring at her, a mixture of loathing and hunger.

Then they both slowly licked the blood off their lips at the exact same time, and Ray
shivered.  This man was bringing out a side to Buffy that scared Ray almost as badly as
he himself did.

Buffy watched Angelus intently, waiting for his next move.  Her underwear had been
damp before, but that kiss had turned her on so much that her arousal had gushed from
her core in a flood.

Angelus strode over to Julie, and undid her chains from the wall.  He used them to lead
her upstairs, ignoring her cry of "Wait! What are you going to do?"  After a minute he
returned, doing the same with Ray.  When Angelus came down the stairs, he stopped to
close and tightly fasten the hatch above, plunging the hold into a darkness only relieved
by the dim light streaming through the portholes.

Knowing that they were completely alone and that Julie and Ray couldn't hear them, no
matter what he did to her, no matter how she responded, made her blood pound in
anticipation.  She'd realized that he needed Julie and Ray to sail the boat, now that Willis
was dead, so they were safe for the moment.  Buffy knew that she was almost completely
at his mercy, but that kiss surely proved that he didn't want to kill her-at least, not before
he'd satisfied a need she felt as keenly as he did.

The adrenaline rush that came from a mixture of fear, challenge, and lust had raised her
body temperature, sending heat rushing through her body until she felt herself glowing
with warmth. Buffy surreptitiously wrapped her hands around the bottom of her chains as
he approached her, wanting to feel his coldness against her heat.

"I've been meaning to ask" Buffy said, wanting her question answered before desire made
her speechless "Who was it that chopped off my hair, you or Willis?"

"Willis did, but it was my suggestion" Angelus told her, his voice low and intimate.
"Now you look like my Buffy again, not that bimbo Helen."

Buffy silently acknowledged that maybe trying to bury everything Slayer-ish about her
might have been a mistake.  Helen had helped dump Willis' body and cover up the
accident because she was terrified that any media attention would have brought Angelus
after her.  Now three more innocents-Barry, Elsa and Max-were dead, at least partly
because she hadn't lived up to her responsibilities...again.

* * * * *

In a not quite mocking imitation of their first kiss, Buffy lifted her chin and Angelus
cradled it with his fingers, as he bent his head to kiss her.  At first it was soft, then grew
more intense.  This time, it was Angelus who pushed his tongue inside her mouth as their
kiss grew fierce.

After they broke apart, Angelus stared into her eyes as he slowly lifted a hand and ran it
along the side of her face, and down her neck, stopping at the swell of her breasts.  He
strolled around her, until he was standing in the small space between her and the wall.
He slid a hand under the slit in her skirt over her right leg, brushing his fingertips along
her inner thigh, making Buffy shudder and pull on the chains.

Cold still aroused her unbelievably-during her first month in Southport, she found out she
couldn't even eat ice cream in public anymore, not without seriously embarrassing
herself.  The only time she'd been really tempted to sleep with Barry, was when a fellow
member of the football team had dared him to go swimming in the winter.  His arms had
been icy cold when he'd grabbed her in a hug, and she'd barely been able to stop herself
from rubbing her body against his like an animal in heat.

Smiling at the unwilling response he drew from her body, Angelus gripped her hips and
pulled her against him, before he kissed the side of her throat and flicked the tip of his
tongue in the exact spot behind her earlobe that always drew a reaction.  This time was
no different; Buffy moaned and her body went limp.

He then switched to the other side of her head, and started to lick the trail of blood off
her temple and cheek, from where he'd previously clobbered her into unconsciousness.
The dried blood was flavored with pain, fear and anger.  It made it all the sweeter to him,
and his passion grew.

Buffy's buttocks were pressed firmly against Angelus' groin, and she could feel the
beginnings of a truly impressive hard on, that she already ached to feel inside her.  She
knew it was her blood, her body, that was making his erection grow so big and hard, and
the feel of his chilly tongue on her burning skin started another gush of liquid heat inside
her.

After all the blood was gone, Angelus buried his face in her back at the base of her neck,
and switched to game face.  The feeling of his face morphing against her skin sent thrills
through all her nerve endings, and she gasped.  Angelus chuckled, and started to kiss and
lick his way down her spine, not in the least discouraged by the silver shoestring straps
that crisscrossed her naked back.

When he reached the start of her dress, Angelus ran his tongue along the line where
fabric met skin, until he reached the base of a strap.  He used a razor-sharp fang to cut the
strap, and Buffy felt it give.  He then repeated the action with the other fang and the other
strap, and as it parted Buffy felt the bodice of her dress fall away from her breasts and
down to her waist, baring them to his gaze.

She could feel his stare on her body like a touch, as he rested the side of his head against
hers and looked down, and couldn't help herself from tugging on the chains in frustration.
Angelus slid his cold hands around her waist and up over her ribs, until he fully cupped
her breasts in his hands.

At the feel of his cold hands on her hot skin, her core clenched involuntarily, craving the
feel of his body inside hers.  Angelus gently rubbed his thumbs over her nipples, making
her moan, until she nearly came just from his touch.

"Uh-uh, not yet, lover" Angelus whispered in her ear.  The sensual tone in his voice made
her ache for him even more, as he moved around to her front again trailing his fingers
over her body, the feather-light touch making her shiver.  Angelus gently gripped the
material of her dress and twisted it around her waist, so that the slit in the skirt was
centered, giving him easier access to her body.

Buffy moaned as he knelt in front of her and slid the fabric up, making it bunch over her
hips and exposed the silk covering her womanhood.  However, that didn't last long as
Angelus pushed the skirt of her dress aside so he could ever so gently work a fang
through the fabric of her underwear, then drew it from one side to the other, tearing it.
Then he slid a hand between her legs and up over her bottom, tearing the garment again
to leave a tiny length of ragged silk hanging from the elastic that circled her hips.

Buffy tugged at the chains again, as Angelus leaned forward and slowly licked the cleft
between her thighs.  As she moaned, his tongue found her clitoris and circled it with the
tip.  Buffy saw stars, and gave a shriek.  Angelus licked again and again while Buffy
writhed and yanked on the chains, before he decided to be generous and sucked on her
clit so she came with a scream.

He could hear her panting as he stood.  Angelus looked down at her, dreamy and glowing
with satisfaction and chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Buffy murmured, too filled with a contentment that was slowly being
edged out by renewed desire to be annoyed.

"It must have been a long time since you were treated right.  Jockstrap Boy can't have
been very good."

"I never had sex with him.  I haven't had sex with anyone since the first time."  Buffy
realized that saying this was probably a mistake, but she knew that he would guess
anyway, so what the hell.

"Well, then" Angelus whispered, making tingles crawl up her spine "Let's make up for
lost time."

Buffy whimpered with fresh need as Angelus gripped her hips, yanking on her chains to
help bring her legs up in the air and wrap around his waist.  Angelus smiled ferally in
expectation as he gently pushed her backwards, her chains squeaking as her back was
pressed against the wall.  He let go of her hips to undo his leather pants and shoved them
down around his thighs, revealing an enormous erection.

"What happened to your boxers?" Buffy couldn't help but ask, wanting to draw out the
delicious tension of anticipation for just a fraction longer.

"Never wear them anymore" Angelus chuckled, knowing why she was asking.  "One, I
like the feeling of the leather against my skin.  Two, I didn't think we should waste any
time."

"You had this planned all along then?" Buffy murmured.

"Oh yeah" Angelus whispered.

Buffy waited a few more seconds, feeling him poised just at the entrance to her body,
until she thought < I can't take this anymore > and demanded "SO ?"

"So what?" Angelus asked, teasing her.

"So fuck me already" Buffy snarled.

"Happy to oblige" Angelus growled as he thrust hard inside her.  She was so wet that he
slid inside her to the hilt before he realized it.  He held still as Buffy climaxed again from
his entrance, the feeling of his cold, marble hard cock inside her like every dream she'd
had these past two and a half years come true.

Angelus growled as her internal muscles clenched and released him rhythmically in her
orgasm, waiting until she was still before he began to move his hips, Buffy's body
banging against the hull in time with his thrusts.   Buffy bit down hard on his earlobe,
nearly drawing blood, and Angelus growled in lust.  Pain was sexually arousing for most
vampires, and especially for Angelus.  It hadn't completely gone away with his curse,
either.

While she had been playing nurse during the Ted debacle, Angel had confessed that one
of the things about Drusilla's torture during her ritual of restoration that had traumatized
him the most was that it had turned him on.  Buffy had been slightly taken aback, but not
disgusted, and her loving acceptance of this part of his nature had led to a major makeout
session that had later played a large part in Buffy's decision that she wanted him
completely.

As Angelus and Buffy moved together in perfect rhythm, they kissed ferociously, their
tongues imitating the movements of their lower bodies.  Wanting to touch him and
unable, Buffy yanked as hard as she could on the chains in frustration.  The metal chains
were thick, and impervious to her extraordinary strength.  However, the wood planks they
were driven into were not.

Angelus heard a splintering sound but paid no attention to it, his whole being focused on
the warm body against his, the hot wet core that surrounded his shaft, and the pounding
heartbeat that thundered in his ears, right through to his bones.  It wasn't until Buffy
wrapped her arms around his shoulders that he realized she'd ripped the chains right out
of the ceiling.

The chains trailed from Buffy's wrists down his back and followed the movements of his
body.  Swinging away and back again, the chains slapped his buttocks and thighs like a
riding crop to a racehorse, making Angelus increase the tempo and force of his thrusts
until they were plunging together in a way that would have left a normal human severely
injured.

Just as a distant part of Buffy's mind wondered if Angelus was going to pound her right
through the hull, she felt another climax rush through her and she sank her teeth in his
shoulder to stop an even louder scream.  The feeling of her teeth in his flesh was all it
took to make the last bit of his self-control splinter, and Angelus sank his fangs into her
neck and came in a blinding flash.

Buffy and Angelus stayed motionless for a few seconds, then Buffy lifted her head off his
shoulder and said "We're not moving anymore.  We've dropped anchor."

"So?" Angelus murmured, kissing her throat.

Buffy felt herself becoming aroused- AGAIN - and brought her mind back to the
immediate present with an effort.  "So Ray and Julie have probably already called the
police.  Don't you think we should leave?"

"We?" Angelus asked, reluctantly withdrawing his now-soft cock from her center and
lowering her to the floor, her chains clanking as she slid her arms off his shoulders and
started to rearrange her dress.

"I really don't want to answer questions about how the chains got ripped out, or what I did
with you in here to distract you, or how Benjamin Willis got his neck snapped."  Buffy
looked down at the bodice of her dress, now hanging down to her waist, and tried to lift it
back into place.

Angelus looked at her after doing up his leather pants, and chuckled when he saw her
dilemma.  He grabbed a pair of small fishhooks from a nearby table and moved behind
her.  He flipped the cut straps back over her shoulders and crossed them, then slid one of
the fishhooks between the dress and her skin.  He pushed the hook through her dress,
then stuck the strap over it, so the tip wouldn't scratch her skin.

The barb at the tip prevented the hook from retreating through the hole, and kept the
strap more or less attached to her dress.  He repeated the action with the other hook and
strap, before he pulled a small silver key out of his pocket and unlocked the manacles
around Buffy's wrists.  The chains fell to the floor with an almost musical clangor, before
Angelus gestured to Buffy to proceed him up the stairs.  Just before he started to climb,
he quickly bent and picked up the torn remains of her underwear, stuffing it in his pocket.

As the two of them stood on the deck, their superior hearing detected sirens coming
closer.  "Just enough time to get off the dock" Buffy remarked, and jumped off the boat
onto the dock.

She turned back to look at Angelus, who asked her "Where are you going?"

Buffy smiled and replied "Home to pack, then back to Sunnydale.  I'm not running away
from my responsibilities anymore.  Will I see you there?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"If it's going to be anything like the past half hour, I'd say definitely." Angelus answered,
looking at her enquiringly.

"Well, you know what they say, Angelus.  No good deed goes unpunished" Buffy grinned
at him, before she turned and walked away.

Her dress was torn and held together by fishhooks, her hair a wild tangle, her feet bare
and she was generally grimy and messy all over.  Yet Angelus couldn't help thinking that
she'd never looked more beautiful to him, not before or after his curse broke, and he felt
his desire for her rise again as he watched her disappear into the night.

the end

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