Brethren, Where Art Thou?

Research and Revelations

He wrapped his arms around her tiny form, his dark pools of brown drinking in her beauty from above. She brought her cold hand to his cold cheek and smiled. Everything was going his way, and he liked it. Liked it better than all those times he had saved this stupid world, and that was reversible.

"The Brethren will be happy, won't they?" Buffy asked her strong lover, as his embrace tightened around her. "When we help them?"

"Yes, lover. They will. The Slayer and Spike are too foolish not to fall in love…he's too stubborn, too happy with playing daddy, and what did you say? She was so, easy to break?" His grin was irrepressible and he nuzzled his nose into her neck and nipped at the skin there.

"Hmm, too trusting. I'm an ex-slayer, deadly, and she trusted me of all people. The one who's gunna rip her apart." Buffy gritted her teeth. "Love will destroy her, like it destroyed me." she said with a smile, turning herself around in his arms to face him, hands pressed firmly against his chest. Buffy moved herself so that her hips were locked in his and she grinned lustfully. "My heart bleeds for you, black and dead. What about yours?"

"Enough talk!" Angelus announced, pushing his childe to the bed and crawling above her. His smile widened as Buffy tore open his shirt and he covered her mouth with his. He was insanely glad she was his, what a life they had together.

Making love through the day and hunting by night, she was the mistress of the house. If only he was the recognised master. But it was a part of this obsession he had with her, he could not deny her plans or her wishes, he could not deny her anything.

And as much as he hated to admit it, she was melting him.

Even without a soul, she had retained that spirit that made Buffy, well, Buffy. He no longer pounded her hard and fast, forgetting about her, grunting and cursing to her face. Angelus cared for her needs, helped her get there at the same time as him. Nobody else saw this somewhat more considerate side of him though, no-one. Only her.

And it was all for her.

Forever.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Her eyes were stinging from staring at the screen for however many hours it had been. All nighters, she thought, research sessions her poor little eyes could do without. The page she was reading was stimulating. “How to fight the cult of a demigod.” It was full of useless and useful information, however you looked at it, that could be vital to Morgan and Spike’s very survival. Willow tore her eyes from the computer screen to glance at Xander. His head was against the desk, his pretty brown eyes closed and a grin spreading across his face.

“I know you’re looking at me, Will.”

“I was not.” The red-head protested, returning back to her work, clicking and typing wherever possible to make it sound like she was busy.

“Were too.”

“I was not…I was just, thinking.” She had sat up straighter, nose in the air, annoyed at him.

“Taking a break from the complex and interesting world of not-knowing-what-you’re-looking-for?” The teenager’s eyes remained closed, tired smiles playing on his lips.

“Exactly. But at least I haven’t been pretending I was asleep for the past two hours.” She glared at him and Xander sat up immediately.

“Hey, I was not faking! I find research exhausting.”

“As do we all, Xander, but it is imperative that we try the best we can to help Morgan.” Giles had entered the main floor of the library, book in hand, open, eyes fixed on the moulding pages. “Now,” He laid the book on the table, next to Willow. Xander scooted a couple of seats closer. “I believe I have found something of importance.” Giles took a deep breath. “There is a very, very old prophecy, one of a slayer and vampire with a soul falling in love. It has always been thought void, impossible, a vampire with a soul too inconceivable. Until Angel, but this never transpired between Buffy and Angel, it could never.” The text read:

Souls shall come together,
Form one
The vampire and the Chosen One
And the others
Fight against brothers whose siblings never die
Souls and soulless must rely
On love, but love itself, no more no less.
Hair of orange sun and the fiery heat
Dark and gold will join
Life will depend on the four.

“Not exactly the most poetic I must say, but it shouldn’t be out-ruled.” He took a pen from his pocket and his hankerchief. He began to draw upon it. “Now, Morgan has orange sun coloured hair, yes?” Giles drew a little woman shaped stickperson with curly hair, an arrow pointing to it labelled ‘Morgan’. “And when fire is very, very hot, it is often white. Like Spike’s bleached blonde hair, correct?”

“But the bloodsucker doesn’t have a soul.” Xander was really trying his hardest. He wanted to find a fault, a point they missed, one that would prove that all this *in love with Spike* stuff would just be a game, an act and Morgan was still free and untied.

“However we cannot be certain of this, Xander, if this love is to save the world, it’s going to have to be eminently stronger than say, Buffy and Angel’s was.”

“Woah” The teenagers said in unison.

“Indeed.” Giles moved around to the other side of the table, slinking down onto it as he worked on an idea. “Could it be possible for them to be soul mates? For Morgan to love him enough to gain the power to bring his soul back?”

“God, this sounds like a cheesy romance novel.” Xander commented, sitting far back in his chair. “Love is the ultimate weapon, souls uniting, blah blah blah? Come on!” He jumped up and pushed his chair over. “Spike is evil, Morgan isn’t. She could never fall in love with him. And she wouldn’t give him back his soul!”

“Too late.” They turned to the intruder. He walked to the centre of the library and sat himself in a chair. “Name’s Whistler.” Still they glared at him. “Work for the powers that be. At your service.” His accent was so different to theirs, it made Willow smile softly. She liked him already.

“We didn’t ask for any help, mister!” Xander scorned, pointing a heavy finger with an unheavy accusation at the hat-bearing visitor.

“Jeeez. You think getting Angelus and your friend to help save the world is gonna be easy? You know, they told me you guys were smart…”

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