Her head falling back, Fred let out a soft whimper when Angel's lips found her breast. It was a bit of a strange sensation, him doing this to her while the van was moving. She parted her legs when his hand undid her jeans and slid into them, draping one over his.
As he started to rub her, she moaned, feeling her head beginning to spin from the arousal and pleasure he was sparking in her. She felt his mouth trail up her chest, where he began to suck hard, so hard that she knew he was going to leave a mark. Part of her wondered what it would be like to have him bite her, wanted to know what it felt like. Would it be too much for him? Would it start something that they wouldn't be able to stop? Or would it simply mark her as his, something she was and always would be?
He gave her so much, loved her so much, and she wanted to give it all back to him. This was why she was going with him to Romania. This was why she would go with anywhere for him. She would protect him and love him the way he did her.
She felt herself beginning to tighten and gasped, grabbing onto him and holding tightly, instinctively fighting against crying out because Wes and Giles were there, even though they couldn't hear her. Finally, though, she couldn't hold back anymore and let out a cry as she came, spasming as she pressed against Angel's fingers. Her mind blanked for a moment, and when she opened her eyes, she looked into his, reaching up to caress his face as she kissed him softly.
"I love you so much," she whispered before looking down and seeing the mark on her chest. A mark that she was his. She had hated being a slave, but this kind of mark, this kind of a belonging...it was the good kind. Taking his hand, she placed it over the mark and gave him a smile.
Fred's arousal was thick in the air and Angel groaned as she came on his fingers. He softly rubbed her arm as he pulled his hand out. He brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean. Angel smiled when Fred placed his hand over the mark he'd given her. "You're so beautiful," he whispered before leaning down and softly kissing the mark on her breast.
Pulling back, he pulled her bra and shirt back down before reaching down to button her jeans. They really needed to sleep or they wouldn't be much use at driving once night came. Once Fred's clothes were back to normal, he reached behind him and turned off the lantern and pulled the blankets up.
Once the blankets were straight and smoothed out, Angel laid his head on the pillow and pulled Fred to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "We should get some sleep," he murmured into her hair. "I think we only have about twelve hours to sundown."
Nuzzling her neck, Angel smiled and closed his eyes. He wasn't one to pray, but he prayed everything would work out in Romania.
Curled in Angel's arms, Fred closed her eyes as he nuzzled his neck. It took a little bit of time to fall asleep since the movement and swaying of the van made it a bit difficult to settle like she normally did when she slept with him, but finally, she did. In her dreams, she found herself walking in a strange forest, a strange voice repeating the Romanian words of the spell Wesley and Giles had found.
Puternic de lumină, inimă eu chemare A permite meu dragoste ajutor this persoană A proteja pe el de la evil I a da înăuntru dragoste I a da fără teribil I a da so el Mai a fi drum liber
Suddenly, a knocking sound woke her up, and she opened her eyes just as the back of the van opened. Wesley and Giles were outside, and it was dark out.
"We're just outside Albuquerque," Giles told them as they slid out of the back of the van. Fred stretched out, raising her hands above her head and feeling her stomach growl. They were in the parking lot of diner. "We figured we'd get something to eat from her to take with us and then you two can drive. You should make it to Kansas by morning, then we'll take the next shift to St. Louis."
Fred nodded, then looked over at Angel. "That sounds good."
Once they had gotten some food to go from the diner, Wesley and Giles crawled into the back of the van. Reaching into her bag, Fred pulled out a couple of her fries as she and Angel circled to the front.
Four days later, the foursome arrived in New York City. It'd been years since Angel had been there. Part of him wanted to seek out some of his old haunts but the reason why he was there was more important. When they had gotten there, they found a room near the pier, and the following morning Wesley and Giles went to get the book so they could get an idea where the village was.
Once it was night, they came to Fred and his room, with their bags. "We found them," Wesley said with a grin. "Rather brilliant really. Instead of living in an isolated area for Romania, they live in a village. The leader of the clan provides the villagers with goods and services in exchange for the villagers to leave them alone."
"And the trial?" Angel asked, hoping they'd found something out. He wanted to be completely prepared for what was going to happen, especially with Fred being involved.
"We're still looking but we should know by the time we arrive in London," Giles said, picking up his bag. "The taxi will be here soon."
Angel watched Giles and Wesley leave the room before he turned and looked at Fred. "About ready?" he quietly asked as he softly caressed her cheek.
"So basically, they're hiding in plain sight, kind of like the Purloined letter, only with an entire gypsy clan," Fred said as Wesley nodded. Anyone looking for them would have gone searching the backwoods and isolated areas, thus leaving them alone - only people who new what they were looking for would ever be able to find them.
While Giles and Wesley headed back out with their bags, Fred looked over at Angel when he touched her cheek, taking a deep breath and nodding. "I think I'm gonna get more nervous the closer to that village we get, but I think so," she told him. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest for a minute. "Hopefully, Wesley and Giles will know what we should expect before we get there."
Raising her head, she gave him long, deep kiss, then reluctantly slipped out of his arms and walked over to pick her bag up from the bed. Once he had picked his up, Fred took Angel's hand, and together they left the room, heading downstairs to find that the taxi had arrived.
Soon, they were boarding the boat for England. In just over a week, they would be in Romania.
After ten days on the boat, and train, the four of them arrived in the small village in Romania. The village was larger than any of them expected, and had many amenities of a larger town. Angel figured it was because the gypsy clan was taking care of the village they were hiding in.
"According to the book we got in London, the clan can be found by asking for the elders in the local pub," Wesley said as he drew his coat around his body. It was rather cold there.
"I see one up there," Angel said before he took Fred's hand.
All of them started to walk toward it but Angel stopped when he sensed someone following them. Soon, there were several people surrounding them and Angel pulled Fred behind him. "Who are you people?" he asked.
"Hello, Angelus," one of them said with a grin. "We've been expecting you. You are here to have the curse lifted." The man looked over at Fred. "Is this the one who will go before our council, and say she loves you enough to become the owner of your soul?"
Angel turned and looked at Fred. He figured this was something she needed to answer on her own.
Fred had a strange feeling as they walked through the village after they arrived. She had never seen a place like this before, and there was a...feeling in the air. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, like they were being watched, and she wondered if Angel could feel it too. She shrugged into her coat and drew closer to him, more for comfort than because she was cold.
A moment later, her feeling that they were being watched were confirmed when they found themselves surrounded in the middle of the road. The man in front of them obviously knew who Angel was...and who she was. Of course, she was the one holding his hand, so maybe it wasn't so weird that he figured out who she was, but the fact that he knew still sent shivers down her spine.
But she knew that she couldn't show fear. She was here for Angel, and they could face this. So she straightened up a bit and nodded, looking the man directly in the eye.
"I'm the one," she said.
He looked her up and down before motioning toward a building in the distance. "Bring them."
Soon, they were being ushered into what looked to be the pub and back into a room in the back. Four people - two men and two women - sat waiting for them and once they were brought in, the others who had "met" them in the street filed into the room, taking up positions around the perimeter. Angel and Fred were pushed forward while Wesley and Giles were made to stand back and watch.
"We understand that Angelus has come before us to ask to have his curse lifted. Why should we agree when he killed not just one...but two of our cherished daughters?" One of the men looked over at Giles when he said this, and Fred glanced back, seeing Giles look startled. "Why should we allow Angelus to experience happiness?"
"Because Angel is not the same person that killed those people," Fred said, stepping forward. "He's a good man who's helped so many people. He saved my life. He's saved others. He deserves to find happiness."
"And why should we listen to you?"
Without hesitation, she answered, "Because I love him. I wish to undertake the trial to become the owner of his soul."
One of the women stared at her for a moment. "You love him. Do you love him enough to die next to him if it's so called for?"
She nodded. "I do."
"Do you love him enough to die by him?"
Her eyes opened wide, uncertain what she meant by that. Did she mean...? She looked over at Angel, remembering how she had drawn him off in Pylea, not sure if he would kill her or not, but not caring because she knew it was the only way to help both him and the others. She knew she would do the same again, if needed. "I...yes. I do."
"Take her," the woman said.
Before they could react, several hands grabbed Fred, and she was torn away from Angel.
"Wait! No! Stop! Angel!" she cried out, trying to reach for him.
As he stood there, listening to the clan questioning Fred, Angel began to wonder if this was safe. He loved Fred with all his soul, but he still didn't know if he was worth it. There were other men out there for her; men who were alive and had heartbeats and souls that weren't cursed. These men could give her marriage, and children, and a beautiful home. All he could give her was a rundown hotel.
He was about to say something to Fred when the clan asked their last question. Die by him? What was that supposed to mean? And when Angel saw the horror on Fred's face, he suddenly understood. Was the clan planning on releasing Angelus on all of them? "No!" He firmly said just as Fred was answering them. "Fred! No!"
Angel tried to reach out for her but before he could, she was gone. He turned and looked at Giles and Wes. Both men drew their weapons and the elder clan members shook their heads.
"It's part of the trial. She's in good hands," one of them said before turning to look at Angel. "You have to get her though. She's on an island and you have to take the boat to her. But, a word of caution - be careful of what's in the water. It doesn't like vampires."
Angel opened his mouth to speak but everything around him faded, and soon he was standing on the shore of a lake. He looked across and saw an island. He then looked to the side and found a small row boat. It seemed easy enough so he got into the boat and start to row across the murky waters.
When Fred woke up, she bolted upright, her heart pounding. "Angel!" she cried out, her last memories of being torn away from him in the middle of the crowd crashing down on him. "Angel!"
She then realized that she wasn't in the pub anymore, and there was no one around. In fact, it was almost eeriely quiet. Blinking, she looked around her, seeing that she was lying on a bed of moss, surrounding by trees. There should have been the sound of rustling leaves, of birds...the sounds of nature out here, wherever she actually was. But there was none of that - the stillness around her was unnatural.
Carefully, she got up, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. She felt like her head should have been throbbing or she should have felt weird since she had obviously been knocked out somehow to be brought her, but she felt fine. There was nothing to indicate she had been shot up or hit or anything else.
She was just alone.
It had be magic, she realized. The books had said she had to use that spell at some point, and magic had been used to give Angel his soul back and place the curse on him, so this had to be based in magic somehow, but that didn't make it feel any less real.
She slowly walked forward until she reached the edge of land and found herself look out across an expanse of murky water. She couldn't see anything beyond it, didn't know how far she was from land. She could see, though, that this piece of land she was on wasn't very big. It was an island of some sort.
Reaching down, she dunked her hand into the water, wondering if she could try to swim across when the sun came up. But then she saw the water churning, and a roar echoed into the night disturbing the stillness, and with a gasp she fell back onto the mossy ground. There was another roar, but then the water settled, and the stillness returned.
Fred stared out, wondering what the hell that had been and what she was supposed to do now.
The lake was too big. No matter how long Angel rowed the boat, he couldn't reach the island. It seemed so close but it was almost like he was stuck in place, even though the boat was moving. He knew that with his strength, he could row all night but he was afraid of what might happen when the sun came up. And he couldn't leave Fred there.
"I love her," he whispered into the night. "She owns my soul, not any of you." Angel didn't know who he was talking to but he continued to say the words over and over again, and soon the island started to move closer to him. He was almost there and he could smell Fred's essence on the wind.
When he hit the shore, he got out of the boat and looked around. Fred was sitting in the distance and he ran over to her. "Fred!" he cried out as went to embrace her. But before he could, she disappeared. It really wasn't her. It was nothing but a trick.
He looked around and saw her near the shore. Running over to her, he pulled her close to him, happy to know it was her. "Fred...I have to get you off the island," he said, taking her over to the boat. It was then that he noticed it was only big enough for one person. "Okay. You can sit in the boat and I'll swim along the side of it."
As he started to rub her, she moaned, feeling her head beginning to spin from the arousal and pleasure he was sparking in her. She felt his mouth trail up her chest, where he began to suck hard, so hard that she knew he was going to leave a mark. Part of her wondered what it would be like to have him bite her, wanted to know what it felt like. Would it be too much for him? Would it start something that they wouldn't be able to stop? Or would it simply mark her as his, something she was and always would be?
He gave her so much, loved her so much, and she wanted to give it all back to him. This was why she was going with him to Romania. This was why she would go with anywhere for him. She would protect him and love him the way he did her.
She felt herself beginning to tighten and gasped, grabbing onto him and holding tightly, instinctively fighting against crying out because Wes and Giles were there, even though they couldn't hear her. Finally, though, she couldn't hold back anymore and let out a cry as she came, spasming as she pressed against Angel's fingers. Her mind blanked for a moment, and when she opened her eyes, she looked into his, reaching up to caress his face as she kissed him softly.
"I love you so much," she whispered before looking down and seeing the mark on her chest. A mark that she was his. She had hated being a slave, but this kind of mark, this kind of a belonging...it was the good kind. Taking his hand, she placed it over the mark and gave him a smile.
Reply
Pulling back, he pulled her bra and shirt back down before reaching down to button her jeans. They really needed to sleep or they wouldn't be much use at driving once night came. Once Fred's clothes were back to normal, he reached behind him and turned off the lantern and pulled the blankets up.
Once the blankets were straight and smoothed out, Angel laid his head on the pillow and pulled Fred to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. "We should get some sleep," he murmured into her hair. "I think we only have about twelve hours to sundown."
Nuzzling her neck, Angel smiled and closed his eyes. He wasn't one to pray, but he prayed everything would work out in Romania.
Reply
Puternic de lumină, inimă eu chemare
A permite meu dragoste ajutor this persoană
A proteja pe el de la evil
I a da înăuntru dragoste
I a da fără teribil
I a da so el Mai a fi drum liber
Suddenly, a knocking sound woke her up, and she opened her eyes just as the back of the van opened. Wesley and Giles were outside, and it was dark out.
"We're just outside Albuquerque," Giles told them as they slid out of the back of the van. Fred stretched out, raising her hands above her head and feeling her stomach growl. They were in the parking lot of diner. "We figured we'd get something to eat from her to take with us and then you two can drive. You should make it to Kansas by morning, then we'll take the next shift to St. Louis."
Fred nodded, then looked over at Angel. "That sounds good."
Once they had gotten some food to go from the diner, Wesley and Giles crawled into the back of the van. Reaching into her bag, Fred pulled out a couple of her fries as she and Angel circled to the front.
"You want to drive while I navigate," she asked.
Reply
Once it was night, they came to Fred and his room, with their bags. "We found them," Wesley said with a grin. "Rather brilliant really. Instead of living in an isolated area for Romania, they live in a village. The leader of the clan provides the villagers with goods and services in exchange for the villagers to leave them alone."
"And the trial?" Angel asked, hoping they'd found something out. He wanted to be completely prepared for what was going to happen, especially with Fred being involved.
"We're still looking but we should know by the time we arrive in London," Giles said, picking up his bag. "The taxi will be here soon."
Angel watched Giles and Wesley leave the room before he turned and looked at Fred. "About ready?" he quietly asked as he softly caressed her cheek.
Reply
While Giles and Wesley headed back out with their bags, Fred looked over at Angel when he touched her cheek, taking a deep breath and nodding. "I think I'm gonna get more nervous the closer to that village we get, but I think so," she told him. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest for a minute. "Hopefully, Wesley and Giles will know what we should expect before we get there."
Raising her head, she gave him long, deep kiss, then reluctantly slipped out of his arms and walked over to pick her bag up from the bed. Once he had picked his up, Fred took Angel's hand, and together they left the room, heading downstairs to find that the taxi had arrived.
Soon, they were boarding the boat for England. In just over a week, they would be in Romania.
Reply
"According to the book we got in London, the clan can be found by asking for the elders in the local pub," Wesley said as he drew his coat around his body. It was rather cold there.
"I see one up there," Angel said before he took Fred's hand.
All of them started to walk toward it but Angel stopped when he sensed someone following them. Soon, there were several people surrounding them and Angel pulled Fred behind him. "Who are you people?" he asked.
"Hello, Angelus," one of them said with a grin. "We've been expecting you. You are here to have the curse lifted." The man looked over at Fred. "Is this the one who will go before our council, and say she loves you enough to become the owner of your soul?"
Angel turned and looked at Fred. He figured this was something she needed to answer on her own.
Reply
A moment later, her feeling that they were being watched were confirmed when they found themselves surrounded in the middle of the road. The man in front of them obviously knew who Angel was...and who she was. Of course, she was the one holding his hand, so maybe it wasn't so weird that he figured out who she was, but the fact that he knew still sent shivers down her spine.
But she knew that she couldn't show fear. She was here for Angel, and they could face this. So she straightened up a bit and nodded, looking the man directly in the eye.
"I'm the one," she said.
He looked her up and down before motioning toward a building in the distance. "Bring them."
Soon, they were being ushered into what looked to be the pub and back into a room in the back. Four people - two men and two women - sat waiting for them and once they were brought in, the others who had "met" them in the street filed into the room, taking up positions around the perimeter. Angel and Fred were pushed forward while Wesley and Giles were made to stand back and watch.
"We understand that Angelus has come before us to ask to have his curse lifted. Why should we agree when he killed not just one...but two of our cherished daughters?" One of the men looked over at Giles when he said this, and Fred glanced back, seeing Giles look startled. "Why should we allow Angelus to experience happiness?"
"Because Angel is not the same person that killed those people," Fred said, stepping forward. "He's a good man who's helped so many people. He saved my life. He's saved others. He deserves to find happiness."
"And why should we listen to you?"
Without hesitation, she answered, "Because I love him. I wish to undertake the trial to become the owner of his soul."
One of the women stared at her for a moment. "You love him. Do you love him enough to die next to him if it's so called for?"
She nodded. "I do."
"Do you love him enough to die by him?"
Her eyes opened wide, uncertain what she meant by that. Did she mean...? She looked over at Angel, remembering how she had drawn him off in Pylea, not sure if he would kill her or not, but not caring because she knew it was the only way to help both him and the others. She knew she would do the same again, if needed. "I...yes. I do."
"Take her," the woman said.
Before they could react, several hands grabbed Fred, and she was torn away from Angel.
"Wait! No! Stop! Angel!" she cried out, trying to reach for him.
A moment later, everything went dark.
Reply
He was about to say something to Fred when the clan asked their last question. Die by him? What was that supposed to mean? And when Angel saw the horror on Fred's face, he suddenly understood. Was the clan planning on releasing Angelus on all of them? "No!" He firmly said just as Fred was answering them. "Fred! No!"
Angel tried to reach out for her but before he could, she was gone. He turned and looked at Giles and Wes. Both men drew their weapons and the elder clan members shook their heads.
"It's part of the trial. She's in good hands," one of them said before turning to look at Angel. "You have to get her though. She's on an island and you have to take the boat to her. But, a word of caution - be careful of what's in the water. It doesn't like vampires."
Angel opened his mouth to speak but everything around him faded, and soon he was standing on the shore of a lake. He looked across and saw an island. He then looked to the side and found a small row boat. It seemed easy enough so he got into the boat and start to row across the murky waters.
Reply
She then realized that she wasn't in the pub anymore, and there was no one around. In fact, it was almost eeriely quiet. Blinking, she looked around her, seeing that she was lying on a bed of moss, surrounding by trees. There should have been the sound of rustling leaves, of birds...the sounds of nature out here, wherever she actually was. But there was none of that - the stillness around her was unnatural.
Carefully, she got up, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. She felt like her head should have been throbbing or she should have felt weird since she had obviously been knocked out somehow to be brought her, but she felt fine. There was nothing to indicate she had been shot up or hit or anything else.
She was just alone.
It had be magic, she realized. The books had said she had to use that spell at some point, and magic had been used to give Angel his soul back and place the curse on him, so this had to be based in magic somehow, but that didn't make it feel any less real.
She slowly walked forward until she reached the edge of land and found herself look out across an expanse of murky water. She couldn't see anything beyond it, didn't know how far she was from land. She could see, though, that this piece of land she was on wasn't very big. It was an island of some sort.
Reaching down, she dunked her hand into the water, wondering if she could try to swim across when the sun came up. But then she saw the water churning, and a roar echoed into the night disturbing the stillness, and with a gasp she fell back onto the mossy ground. There was another roar, but then the water settled, and the stillness returned.
Fred stared out, wondering what the hell that had been and what she was supposed to do now.
Reply
"I love her," he whispered into the night. "She owns my soul, not any of you." Angel didn't know who he was talking to but he continued to say the words over and over again, and soon the island started to move closer to him. He was almost there and he could smell Fred's essence on the wind.
When he hit the shore, he got out of the boat and looked around. Fred was sitting in the distance and he ran over to her. "Fred!" he cried out as went to embrace her. But before he could, she disappeared. It really wasn't her. It was nothing but a trick.
He looked around and saw her near the shore. Running over to her, he pulled her close to him, happy to know it was her. "Fred...I have to get you off the island," he said, taking her over to the boat. It was then that he noticed it was only big enough for one person. "Okay. You can sit in the boat and I'll swim along the side of it."
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment