Guardian
Part Four

By Tango

RATING: NC-17

DEDICATION: Happy Belated Birthday, Margriet! And for Kumiko.

***

Gwen's early morning call the following day proved fruitful just as Giles hoped. Even though it was difficult to be jubilant at that unGodly hour, he managed a satisfied smile knowing his daughter's whereabouts. Gwen reported that Willow had carefully conducted the locator spell and was successful, just as Giles suspected she would. However, the shocking news that Angelus had taken his daughter to Sunnydale nearly had him sputtering tea across his desk. Of all places to take Buffy, that was the last place he would have chosen.

Giles was still wary of the assassin that he held left his daughter with and couldn't fathom why Angelus would take her to Sunnydale of all places, where people were certain to know and recognize her. Although, it may have been Angelus' brilliant plot to take Buffy to the town she had last lived in, in the hopes that potential attackers wouldn't look for her there, Giles was doubtful.

The next day's call revealed that Willow and Wesley went to Sunnydale and had rented a small apartment fairly close to the mansion Angelus was staying in. They would be keeping active surveillance on what was going on and report back to him daily. Giles felt like this covert operation, as short as it had been already, was tiring. Especially the part about piecing together Angelus' checkered past. Investigation revealed that the hulking, dismal mansion was actually his childhood home, purchased back by him from its new owners ten years ago. The previous owners, however, could not be traced anywhere. It begged the question: Where had they gone?

Giles sipped his tea thoughtfully as he mulled over the news of the past few days with no inclination to go back to bed. Since Buffy had been gone he had been having many sleepless nights and rising early for these calls, despite the inconvenience and weary days, at least his absence had given Jenny more rest in the mornings. At seven months pregnant, she needed it and his tossing had waken her every night for weeks on end.

***

Buffy twirled her wedding ring nervously around her finger as she had been prone to since Angel had none too gently tossed the velvet box at her three days before. She was still reeling in the shock. The argument that had ensued from his faux proposal had been explosive at best. She had been seated at the kitchen table when she opened the box and found, not a simple gold band, but a platinum one with a two carat marquee resting on top of it.

She balked at his request, after staring slack jawed at the ring for several long moments, unable to understand why he had purchased such an expensive ring for a fake marriage. The disagreement over the plan had become explosive when he demanded that she change her first name as well as her last to hide herself. He even suggested changing her hair and that was when she lost it. She clapped shut the box and tossed it back at him.

"Why should I change when you stick out like a big, brooding sore thumb anyway?" she snapped angrily, "Are you going to suck so badly at protecting me that you'll lock me in a room next? Anyway, I can't change my name!"

"Why not?" he asked icily, not raising his voice to match her infuriated tone, which only made her redden and become more frustrated. Seething a smooth chill across the room, he continued, "As classical as ‘Buffy' is, I'm sure you can live with something less fitting for a while...and quit looking at me like I'm going to consummate this fake marriage by fucking you over the kitchen counter."

"I lived here with my mother!" Buffy stammered out, "There will be people here that know me. If you had done your homework you would know that I can't change my name or my hair here!"

"Your father said you grew up in Los Angeles," he growled furiously, "He said you went to Hemery High."

"I did," Buffy admitted, "But I lived here for a year and graduated from Sunnydale High. My mother died a couple of weeks after graduation and then I went to England."

"Fuck," he muttered thoughtfully, swirling his coffee around in his mug, not seeming to notice that it was close to sploshing over the sides. After a moment, shoved the ring box back across the table at her. "You still need to pose as my wife."

"Why?" Buffy shot back, fingering the box nervously. She wasn't sure what it was about posing as his wife that made her so gun shy, but she was certain it had a lot to do with the predatory way he looked at her, as if he was just steps away from nestling those lean hips between her thighs.

If she was going to be truthful to herself, she had to admit that she was more than a little intimidated by the fact that she might just allow him to seduce her. After all, despite being an asshole and a cold blooded killer, he was extremely easy on the eyes. The rumbling tone his voice took sometimes was enough to make her weak in the knees. She could almost hear him whispering naughty things in her ear as he moved in and out of her body. Biting her lip nervously, she looked over at him and shrank before his feral gaze, which had moved down to her chest, only to snap up to her eyes when she lifted her head.

"People know me here too," he answered in the same deadpan cold voice, "Not many, but some. What better explanation for you being here is that you're my wife? I don't like questions, but they will be inevitable, especially if we run into an old acquaintance."

"And this ring?" Buffy asked holding up the box, "What's this about? You thought it would be more believable if I had some huge rock?" Unable to resist, she added, "Did you cut this off some woman's finger?"

"Yes," he bit out sarcastically, "I raped her, then I cut off her finger and now she's swimming with the fishes." Pausing for the dramatic effect, he waited a couple of beats before cursing. "I bought it. God, what is it with you?"

"Why?" Buffy asked again, narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion. "This ring must have put you back a lot of money. Why didn't you just get some cheap little wedding band?"

"Come on, Buffy," he said, as he stood to leave. "Do you really think it would be believable if you had anything less?"

Now days later, she was still wondering what he meant by that. She twirled the expensive ring around her finger all the time now. It had started as just a random check that the thing was still there, because she knew if she lost it for some reason, he'd probably kill her. God knows they'd fought almost constantly since they met and it didn't seem to be getting any better. The absence of the wedding ring would certainly send him over the edge.

After many random arguments since that morning in the kitchen, they had decided that she couldn't go anywhere unaccompanied at night, that she had to stay away from walking alone anywhere and after a final hell raising tantrum, he let her enroll in college. She still couldn't believe she'd talked him into that one, but she knew she had to do something other than sit around that gloomy mansion all day or they would kill each other. She wasn't particularly curious about what filled his days anyway. She was certain it had to do with dismembering small children and fuzzy bunnies.

Now all her nervousness stemmed from the idea of returning to school and possibly seeing people she used to know. Namely Parker Abrams. They had started dating pretty seriously before she left but everything collapsed when her mother died and she was whisked away to England. She couldn't help wondering if he was still there and if he had tried to contact her at all. Cordelia Chase had been her closest friend in school, along with the other Cordettes, but she hadn't contacted any of them. She left her forwarding address in England, but no letters or calls had arrived in the months she had been away. Now she wondered if they had missed her at all.

When Angel said she had to pose as his wife in Sunnydale of all places, she had completely lost control of her sanity. What if she saw Parker when she started the Spring Semester next week? Did he leave town like he always wanted to or did he go to Sunnydale University like he thought he would? She wasn't in love with him by any stretch of the imagination, but things had been getting pretty serious. undoubtedly, she would have slept with him within weeks if she stayed. How would he react when he found out she was married?

***

Angel paced in the great room in the dark, fuming with impatience. He had been waiting for Gwen to show up for two damn hours and she still wasn't there. He didn't feel especially proud that he had resorted to call her to visit in the first place, but it had been over a week since he had a warm body to please him. Although this wasn't an usually long time for him to go without a willing body underneath him, being around the little innocent Buffy Summers was causing him to ache in more than one place.

What the hell was with her and her sharp tongue and her not quite revealing fashionable outfits that drove him nuts? She really didn't dress like his other lovers. She didn't wear clothes that looked like they had to be greased on like Gwen and he had yet to glimpse even a peak of cleavage, but she still made him hard every time she graced him with a glance.

Just thinking about her legs peeking out from the shorts she wore to bed or the tank tops she liked with no bra underneath made him suck in a breath. She had no idea how sensual she was in the morning, tousled from bed, her long blonde hair hanging mussed down her back, her breasts moving in a sensual, natural motion as she performed her sleepy little trudge to the coffee pot. Buffy made Gwen look like a garish whore even when she wasn't looking her best.

Angel had already been keeping himself from entering her bedroom at night when she was asleep or first thing in the morning before she rose with the blinding light that filtered into the guest bedroom she slept in. Of course, he hadn't been able to keep himself from going to her door and looking in on her while she slept. He told himself that he was recognizing the sounds and habits of his charge so he wouldn't be caught unaware by anything she did, but he knew that was just his mind making excuses for his libido.

That morning as he looked into her bedroom as she slept, he had made the decision to call Gwen. Buffy had been lying in her bed, sprawled on her back in the center of the large bed, her legs tangled in the sheets and her shirt had ridden up to give him a glimpse of her bare belly and the velvety underside of her breasts. One of her legs was out of the sheets and her little shorts did nothing to hide any of her shapely leg or thigh. Liam Angelus, seasoned assassin and lover, nearly combusted on the spot.

Ten minutes later, he was on the phone calling his lover for an overnight visit from LA because Gwen was available right now and Buffy was not. He wanted to seduce the little blonde tease as soon as humanly possible, but he knew he had to take things slowly. Presently, he was far from any condition to be slow about female flesh. The second his lover walked through that door, he wasn't going to waste any time before he fucked her senseless.

He paced around the dark room for another ten minutes until he heard footsteps. His head snapped up and immediately, he saw the soft outline of a female in the darkness. "Finally," he snorted as he crossed the room to get to her, "What took you so fucking long?"

Before she could answer, he pulled her into his arms and attacked her mouth greedily, unleashing his frustration and passion on her. Pulling her more tightly against him, he clamped a hand on her lower back and threaded the other through her hair, pressing his erection into her stomach. Slowly, as he moved against her mouth, he realized that the lithe body in his arms was more slender and shorter than Gwen had ever been. Strangely, she tasted different, sweeter almost, and her hair was not the courser feel of his lovers' but silkier and finer, sifting easily through his fingers.

Panting with need, he pulled back and stared into the shocked face of his charge. He knew before he opened his eyes who he had just mauled and nearly tossed to the floor, but he took a moment to look at her, barely making out her shocked face in the darkness.

"Buffy?" he breathed in a tone that wasn't very apologetic. He kept his arms around her, even though he meant to let go. He wasn't sure if he should expect her to knee him in the groin or if he would get away with kissing her again. Gwen be damned, he hoped for the latter.

"Who were you expecting?" Buffy asked. She meant to snap at him and sound angry for his sexual harassment, but it came out as a breathless whimper. She had never been kissed like that with such need and passion. She was thankful it was dark because she was blushing furiously from head to toe. Not only for the kiss, but from the erection that had jutted into her belly and the wandering hands covering her back and then her bottom before he released her.

"I'm expecting someone...else," he muttered, noting that she hadn't pulled away. He was caught in the balance between kissing her again and explaining when he heard the click of familiar high heeled booted footsteps coming across the floor in the proud stride that was only shared by women like Gwen...and his sister. He wasn't surprised at all when the rude glare of a flashlight landed on them.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked saucily. He didn't need to see her to know there was a jealous sneer on her fire engine red lips. His own lips curled into a satisfied smile as he looked into the beam of the flashlight.

"Gwen," he purred, pulling away from Buffy and turning away from her as if she wasn't even there. "I've been waiting for you."

***

Buffy had practically run screaming from the room as Angel had his not so secret rendevous with the woman he had called "Gwen." Before she could stop herself, she felt a strange sort of jealous streak run through her. It was unthinkable that someone would kiss her that thoroughly and then turn to another woman seconds later, but that's exactly what happened. She leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs trying desperately to collect herself. Her whole body was shaking and hot, almost feverish, and her heart was pounding so hard she was half expecting it to break free from her chest.

"Build a fire," she heard Gwen's purr traveling up the stairs to her ears, "I want to be able to see you."

Despite her better judgment, Buffy inched down the stairs. She had to see just for a second if he kissed Gwen the way he had kissed her, if it looked like it felt. She held in her gasp of surprise when she heard Angel bark, "I didn't call you here to romance in front of the fireplace. You know damn well you're two hours late, Gwen."

"Tell your cock to hit the brakes," she answered calmly, "You left town without so much as a see you later and then order me to come down here for a hard fuck and then I walk in on you and the teenager making out like you're afraid Daddy'll look out the front window. I may not be your only girl, Angelus, but I do deserve more than that."

"I thought she was you," Angel snapped impatiently, "I attacked her thinking she was you. Sorry. Now will you get undressed?"

Buffy inched down the stairs and scooted along the wall just in time to see the fire light up even though Angel sounded like he wasn't willing to light one. She watched with her mouth slack, nearly missing Gwen peeling out of her leather bindings, because Angel was pulling off his sweater and tossing it away from him. She licked her lips unconsciously as she raked her eyes over his muscled chest and torso tensed with lust.

She sucked in a breath when he unbuttoned the top button of his pants and was caught between dashing up the stairs and squeezing her eyes shut, but she couldn't seem to do either. His hands fell away from his still closed zipper and his arms fell to his sides as he looked across the room at his lover. Buffy's eyes traveled over to look over her sleek naked body, nearly perfect in every way.

"What are you waiting for?" Gwen asked huskily.

"I'm waiting for you to do it for me," Angel answered carnally. Buffy's hands tightened to fists as Gwen slithered across the room to him and as she lowered herself to her knees, Buffy turned and dashed up the stairs.

***

Part Five

RATING: NC-17

***

Had Buffy known that Gwen was going to scream like a banshee during sex with Angel, she wouldn't have bothered to spy on them for the few scant minutes she allowed herself before sneaking back up to her room. Her imagination did more for her than the quick glance had done now that she had sound effects. She laid in bed and stared at the ceiling as every once in a while Gwen screamed so loudly her voice nearly shook the rafters.

Buffy closed her eyes and opened them again feeling slightly nervous that her gruff protector slash fake husband was so indisposed should someone sneak in and try to kill her. Course that wasn't the reason she wouldn't be able to sleep. It was indescribably hot in the room and the pit of her stomach felt like it was filled with drugged butterflies. There was no way she was going to sleep like this.

Her mouth was dry and she licked her lips nervously, idly wondering what sounds Angel made during sex. She couldn't hear him, not that much sound made it through the heavy walls of the mansion... except, of course, for the screeching of the woman downstairs. Chiding herself for ridiculous questions, she thought about sneaking down to the kitchen for something to drink, but she could almost picture herself standing there like a embarrassed freak if one of the naked people wandered in there while she was raiding the fridge.

Her body's cry for liquids finally made the decision for her and she tiptoed from her room, stopping to listen just outside the door for the reckless cry of the lovers. Hearing silence, she hoped they had fallen asleep. Absorbed in the activity of listening for Angel and Gwen, she nearly collided with two dark figures standing several feet from her in the dark hallway.

***

"Thank you for coming," Angel purred carnally, rolling over onto his back and panting as he stared at the ceiling. His double entendre was not lost on Gwen and she chuckled lightly before straddling him and bracing her hands on his broad chest.

"Up for a third round?" she asked huskily. Not waiting for his answer, she tossed her hair to the side before bending forward and suckling his neck. Despite the fact that she didn't trust Angel and knew he took other lovers whenever he felt like it, nothing was better than pulling an all nighter with him. She had witnessed several times when he took her all night and then went on a job without looking the least bit weary for his efforts. He had more stamina than anyone she had ever met and that was the least on a long list of his skills.

"Shhh," he grunted suddenly, placing an arm around her to still her movements. Cocking his head to the side, he listened intently for several seconds before rolling them over and depositing her on the floor. He crouched over her and narrowed his eyes accusingly. "Get dressed and get out."

"What?" she balked, "You're just tossing me out? What the hell is that about, Angelus?"

"Someone followed you here," he whispered, jumping to his feet and quickly pulling on his pants. "No one knows about this place and no one followed us here, so that means they followed you."

"Oh," she said, hopping to her feet as well and crossing her arms across her chest before throwing back icily, "It's us now, is it? I think there's more to Buffy Summers than you're letting on."

"Get out," he growled quietly before mounting the stairs and disappearing from sight. She watched him for several seconds before taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. She stretched languidly before pulling on her clothes. When she was dressed, she heard scrambling feet upstairs and smiled as she put on her fire engine red lipstick. Tucking her lipstick back in her pocket and retrieving her keys, she headed for the back door.

***

Buffy panicked as the two intruders quickly overpowered her. They deflected her blows in perfect concert with one another and seemed intent on keeping her as quiet as possible. They knew Angel was downstairs otherwise engaged and that in the middle of coital bliss he would not hear her whimpers of frustration as she tried to break free. The strange part about it, however, was that they didn't seem to be trying to kill her or even kidnap her.

"Calm down, princess," a female voice whispered through the darkness as she and her counterpart dragged Buffy into her bedroom. "We just wanna ask you some questions and we can't do that if we knock you the fuck out."

"Let me go," Buffy muffled behind the hand clamped brutally over her mouth. She bucked and fought as they pushed her into the bedroom she had just exited. Her mind raced for any of the training she had been taught while living with her father in England, but unfortunately, her attackers seemed to anticipate her every move. As much as she desperately wanted to believe that they only wanted to ask a few harmless questions, she knew better than to even dream that possibility. She was a target. People wanted to kill her. And Angel was downstairs enjoying himself fully while she was about to die.

"Yeah," a British voice chuckled in response, "That'll work. Now say ‘pretty please.'"

Light flooded her bedroom and she looked at the people accosting her as much as she could, looking for a weakness. Any weakness at all would do. Mostly, she just found that they were both strong and strangely beautiful with the same cold gleam in their eyes that Angel always carried even when he smiled.

The female was about her age, maybe a year younger, with dark hair and deep brown eyes nearly the same color as Angel's. Her clothes were dark and form fitting, heavy on the leather, and her breasts were hard to miss as they threatened to spill from her plunging neckline. The man was her exact opposite with bleach blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. He looked like a Billy Idol wannabe, only she wasn't usually afraid of Billy Idol. Well, there was that one video...

"Now, who the fuck are you?" the dark haired girl demanded with her hands resting on her narrow hips, "And be quiet about it or I'll kneecap you."

"Who am I?" Buffy demanded in a harsh whisper, "You came here and attacked me! Who the hell are you?"

"Chit's got spunk," the man said with a grin as he lit a cigarette like he didn't have a care in the world. He leaned lazily against the wall near the door as if he was just chatting her up rather than interrogating her. "No wonder Angel wants her all to himself," he mused through a haze of exhaled smoke.

"If you're so cozy with Angel," Buffy spat, "Why don't you just ask him?"

"Cause they always want to do things the hard way," Angel growled as he stepped into the room and glared at the two intruders. "Buffy, this is my nosey sister, Faith, and my friend, Spike. I'd like you to meet Buffy Angelus. My wife."

Time stopped for several long seconds as Angel crossed the room and peeled Faith's fingers from Buffy's wrist. He rubbed her skin lightly in a sensual caress, easing the reddened area as Faith and Spike looked from Buffy to Angel and back again in a momentary dazed stupor.

"Your WHAT?" Faith exploded, turning on her brother forcefully, "Angel, if you really married this little twinkie, I'll kick your fucking ass!"

"Right and I'm bloody Jolly Green Giant," Spike snorted, "Faith, just look at her. This bint hasn't rutted with Peaches or anyone else. I'd stake my life on it. Besides, if he was married he wouldn't have been downstairs drilling Gwen into the floor."

"I want to talk to both of you downstairs," Angel demanded cooly. He wasn't even looking at Buffy but she could imagine the glare they were receiving nonetheless. It was the most familiar expression on his face when he was with her. She watched as he headed for the door, sitting motionless on the bed as they followed him out. Faith cast one last accusing look at her before following Spike and her brother downstairs.

***

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Faith roared as they made their way to the Great Room. "The little princess up there is your wife? What fucking ever."

"Of course she isn't my wife," Angel said, shaking his head. He poured himself a drink and sat back on the couch, ignoring that most of his clothes were still strewn on the floor in front of the fireplace. "But I'd never rob a bank with you, Faith. Way to keep things quiet."

"Well, what the hell are you doing then?" Faith demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Isn't she a job? Shouldn't she be a grease spot on the bedroom floor? Need help getting it done cause I'd love to wrap my hands around her skinny little neck?"

"This is a different kind of job," Angel answered calmly. He rolled the amber liquid around in his glass and smirked at his sister's rage. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but chuckle. She acted like a jealous girlfriend sometimes. "I was hired to protect Buffy and since my brother assassins have been climbing out the woodwork lately, I decided to hide out for a while."

"And the wife business?" Spike asked, knocking back his own drink and pouring another before slumping in a chair across from Angel.

"Just a cover," Angel said shrugging, "But I want her to think that you think we're married."

"Oh, this is priceless," Spike said, grinning widely, "The Poof has sunk so bloody low that the only way to fuck a virgin is to pretend to be her husband. Hell, you just made my whole night!"

"Big brother, say it isn't so," Faith laughed, calming visibly as she plopped down next to Angel on the couch, "You were my hero in the pussy department until just now."

***

Buffy sat on the edge of the bed and debated on what to do. Her nerves were jangling from being attacked, even if they weren't trying to kill her and she was stunned that Angel would lie to the two closest people to him about their bunk marriage. Not that she trusted him before, but now she trusted him even less. How could he tell them that they were really married? What did that hope to accomplish? And what the hell was wrong with Faith and Spike?

She didn't particularly think that Angel's family or friends would be normal by any stretch of the imagination, but was everyone he associated with caustic and violent? She was sure that his beautiful lover, Gwen, could throw down with the best of ‘em. In fact, they all moved the same way - with cocky, deliberate movements in a sort of gliding strut that could be easily shifted into a fighting stance. His sister and Spike were obviously trained fighters. Had Angel trained them? Who trained Angel? How the hell did all these people know how to handle themselves?

Lost in a sea of confusion and demanding questions, she was startled when Angel came back in the room. He closed the door quietly behind him and listened as the footfalls of the two visitors moved to bedrooms further down the hall. His gaze dug into her as he waited.

"Why did you lie to them?" Buffy asked quietly.

"If they buy it, everyone else will too," Angel answered automatically. "I'll tell them the truth eventually but in the meantime, we need to act like husband and wife."

"Is this some kind of get in my pants thing?" Buffy huffed, rising to her feet, cocking out one hip and crossing her arms over her chest. "I mean, who cares if anyone really believes it or not? It's not like we're going to be attending social events or having dinner with the in-laws."

"Yes," Angel answered simply with a feral grin that soaked through her like a shower of lust. She stared at him with her mouth ajar for a moment and was quickly reminded why she was so desperately thirsty before and now the urge to get a drink was more intensified than before. His low cut leather pants were the only thing covering his large, muscular frame and he stood like a man who knew he could have anything he wanted. Buffy was unnerved by the fact that it was most definitely true.

She cleared her throat before speaking again, frustrated when her words came out hoarsely. "You're not weaseling your way into my bed, if that's what you're thinking."

"Of course not," he said with a gleaming smile, shaking his tousled head in amusement. "We'll sleep in the Master Bedroom." He crossed the room, opened the closet and pulled out the suitcase he knew she had not yet unpacked. Without looking at her to see how she reacted to the news, he opened the door and walked out, heading to his room with her things.

***

Angel laughed silently as he headed down the hallway with Buffy's bag. Spike and Faith, annoying as they were, couldn't have arrived at more opportune time. She was already putty in his hands and now with the arrival of his family, he had the perfect accuse to scoot her cute little ass into his bed. He knew she would be expecting him to try something, which is why he wouldn't, of course.

If Angel knew anything, he knew women. Despite what she said about not wanting him, he knew she did. And he knew he could have her tonight if he seriously put his mind to it, even though he had rolled around the floor with Gwen for the better part of the night already, but it would be so much sweeter when he made her wait. She would begin to think that he didn't want her and he could already see that it would hurt her feelings.

Maybe this whole change of work was the best thing after all, he thought as he slipped out of his leather pants and put on a pair of black silk pajama pants that he hadn't worn to sleep in since...well, ever. He would oblige her delicate senses for a while and behave himself. It would make seducing her that much easier later. He climbed into his king size bed and waited patiently until she made her way down the hall. Closing his eyes, he turned on his side.

"I want my stuff," she said sternly from the doorway.

"Get in," he ordered with a yawn. "This bed is so big you won't even know I'm here."

Minutes passed with no movement and finally Angel opened his eyes and met her burning glare. He smiled as he rolled over and reached for the covers on the other side of the bed, pulling them down for her. The only sound in the room was the rustling of black silk sheets.

"Think of it this way," Angel said, turning back over and closing his eyes again, "At least you'll be safer in this room than any other."

"I violently dislike you," she bit out as she closed the door and crossed the room. He waited for her to slide in between the sheets and grinned. He reached up and turned off the light happily, inhaling as her sweet scent filled the bed. This was going to be so much fun.

***

TBC...Please let me know what you think of this so far. Thanks!

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