AB/BtVS FF: Living Underground 4-6/?
TITLE: Living Underground
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRING: Willow/Asher, slight Willow/Richard and Willow/Asher/Nathaniel... plus, regular Anita pairings
SPOILERS: For the two fandoms... up until Micah for AB; the two series for Buffyverse stuff.
WARNINGS: A little bit of BDSM.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone, except the Master of the City of Lafayette and her entourage.
NOTES: This story is a sequel to "Alive at Last."
Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3
PART FOUR
He had gone to Jean-Claude's office with Anita for a few moments with his other two lovers, for the chance for a few kisses with them since he didn't see them so much---someone was always entertaining their guests, afterall.
For a minute, he was happy and so were they. They touched while talking about Dabney and Telford and Narcissus, and when they were finished discussing that night's events, Jean-Claude drew him close for a kiss. Anita made a quiet purring noise at the sight and Asher realised that she was loosening her tight grip on her sense of right in the world, a second before both vampires turned to look at the black haired woman.
"You two are too perfect," she murmured.
"Ah... she flatters us," Jean-Claude commented between kisses to Asher's jaw. "So kind..."
"Mmhmmm," Asher agreed, unable to say much since Jean-Claude's dull teeth were gently biting his neck.
"Perhaps we should spend some time worshipping her?"
"Perhaps that is a very good idea," Asher whispered, looking at the young woman and watching her squirm.
"Guys!" Anita protested.
Jean-Claude straightened up and chuckled. "Ma petite, are you having trouble resisting us?" he asked teasingly.
"You know damned well I am," she said, nearly growling.
The vampires laughed and Asher walked towards Anita. His intent was to continue the kisses, but with her; however, a knock to the office door interrupted him from getting carried away by passion. When Requiem appeared in the room, Asher could tell that something had happened---nothing too serious, but nothing too light either. A moment later, Jean-Claude was telling Requiem to bring their guest into the room before anyone else saw her.
Then, they were looking at Faith. Asher knew she was an ally---he almost considered her a friend, since she was friends with his human servant. She started to explain why she was there, but Jean-Claude stopped her; he asked Requiem to bring Willow to the office, so Faith would only have to talk once. The slayer seemed to appreciate that, but the seconds that ticked by while waiting for Willow's presence were weighing upon everyone.
Requiem brought Willow to them a few minutes later. He opened the door and guided the young woman inside, before following her and shutting the door behind them both.
She smiled at him before looking around the room. When she saw Faith, Asher could see the whites of her eyes a bit more clearly as the surprise registered upon her face.
"Hey, Will," Faith said quietly, smiling a little. "What's up?"
"Uh... not much," Willow replied after a long pause. "Hey, Faith," she added.
"Love the threads," Faith teased. "Where'd you come from?"
"Narcissus in Chains," Willow admitted.
The slayer grinned. "Right on! So you and Nathaniel are---"
"Not so much," Willow interrupted.
"Not yet," Asher added.
Faith's eyes lit up. "Oh, man! You're gonna like being on top, Will," she assured the witch. "Believe me, I know---"
"You wouldn't have it any other way," Willow teased.
Faith opened her mouth to say something in rebuttal of Willow's remarks, but Jean-Claude cleared his throat. The slayer blushed a bit and nodded. "Right, sorry... I... yeah," she mumbled. She straightened her shoulders and said, "I pretty much raced here from... well, I was supposed to be finding a slayer near New York. But, Xander let something slip and... and I changed my plans."
"Xander."
"Yeah," the slayer said when Willow repeated his name. "Look, Will... Giles told B all about your new life. They all know about the rogue slayers, but... it's like they don't see clearly when it comes to you or something. Like, it didn't matter that the slayers went all badass and stuff. The coven helps us with a lot, but their view on vamps and furry friends is pretty cut and dry, so they're colouring Giles' view on---"
Willow cut into Faith's speech. "Faith, why would you have to change your plans?"
"They're all in town," Faith blurted out. "Or," she added, "they're gonna be soon."
"What? Who?"
"Giles, Buffy, Dawn, and Xander."
"Dawn?" Willow echoed. "Why is Dawn---"
"School vacation, I think," Faith explained. "But, B was thinking that a family meeting sorta thing might make you see the error of your ways."
"This is not the place for Dawn!" Willow exclaimed. "She's a kid!"
"Not so much," Faith said, smiling a little.
"We're entertaining other Masters of Cities and Buffy decides that now would be a good time to bring everyone to the weirdest city in the country?" Willow asked. She rubbed her temples. "Goddess!" she hissed. "I do not need rescuing!"
Faith nodded. "I know."
"So, you are here... why?"
"To back you up," Faith said quietly. "To warn you." She paused and tilted her head as a little smile teased her lips. "Also, to see Damian, but... mostly, to make sure you don't get dragged back to headquarters."
Asher felt something in his chest tighten. He stepped forward, drawing Willow into his arms, as he asked, "Dragged back? Are they planning on kidnapping mon colibri?"
"I don't know," Faith admitted. "Xander didn't mean to tell me this much. I think they think I like it here. I do... but... well, I had to tell Giles some things about my first visit. I told him about Willow's job. But, I didn't say anything about Jean-Claude owning so many businesses. I didn't want him or B overreacting and torching a building. I told him you were involved with a vampire... but I didn't get into names." She paused and added, "He asked me about the man he met at the motel. Richard. I told him I had seen him around you guys... but... I didn't give him away. His secret identity's as safe as it could be---but I think Giles suspects something. And... he knows about Anita. Being an animator."
"Well, that's not exactly a secret," Anita said wryly.
Jean-Claude smiled a little. "So, you decided to give him a little information instead of all of it."
She nodded. "I can't lie very well, never could, so I just figured a little truth would be okay. I had no idea they were going to come here."
"Why wouldn't they tell you about the trip?" Anita asked.
"I think they worried that I like it too much here," Faith replied, "like maybe it'd be enough to make me turn to homicide again as a suitable career opportunity."
"Oh."
Willow frowned. "What am I going to... we can't cancel Allura's visit, can we? At least until Buffy's gone?"
Jean-Claude shook his head. "Non, we cannot cancel her visit."
"Who's Allura?"
The Master of the City looked at the slayer. "She rules over Lafayette's vampire population," he explained. "Ma petite is in need of a new pomme de sang through which she can feed the ardeur. So, we are playing host to Masters of Cities who wish to offer us such a gift, to curry favour and perhaps form an allegiance with us."
"Smart," Faith agreed. She looked at Anita. "See anyone yummy yet?"
Asher watched as Anita's cheeks turned pink. "No... well... sorta. No. I don't know," the necromancer managed to say in reply.
"Allura is the last Master of the City we will be entertaining," Asher said quietly.
Faith frowned suddenly and something apologetic surfaced in her eyes. "I didn't mean to show up now," she said. "I mean, I did... but not in the middle of all of this."
"You are welcome to stay," Jean-Claude said after sharing a look with Anita and then Asher. "You are even welcome to join us at the Circus. However, you must be warned that Allura's powers run closely to my own---especially with the ardeur under her skin. The meals and entertainment will be... quite... different because of that fact, but they will still be complicated chess games---"
Faith's eyes sparkled for a moment. "So, basically, you're telling me that weird stuff'll happen and if I can't keep my mouth shut, I'll get everyone in trouble."
"Almost, yes," Jean-Claude agreed.
The brunette regarded his condition of her visit. Then, she nodded. "I'm in. I'll do whatever... I just can't leave Will here to handle B and the gang on her own."
Asher smiled. "Merci, Faith," he said quietly. "You are a good friend."
Faith smiled back, but she shrugged. "I'm just---"
"You are," Willow insisted. "Thank you." She grinned and then said, "Damian's at Danse Macabre tonight. You should go surprise him."
"Maybe later," Faith said in reply, grinning back at the witch.
&&&&
PART FIVE
Primo knocked on the office door. Willow knew it was him because Jean-Claude explained that he knew it was that particular vampire; she didn't like Primo, or she didn't know him, and she sensed she wasn't the only one who kept her distance from him.
"What have you to share with us?" Jean-Claude asked.
"A woman has tried to get into the quiet room," he reported. "She offered me money, master. Graham is standing at the door now."
"A woman?" Willow asked. "That's not unusual, is it? I mean... Nathaniel and Jason are back there."
Asher turned his head and looked at her. His lips twitched into a smile. "Mon colibri, how many security guards did you walk past in order to visit your familiars?"
The witch answered his question without thinking about it. "Graham, a few rats I didn't recognise, Primo... and Requiem was in the hallway."
"So, if a strange woman had attempted to seek out her favourite dancer," he said, "she would have been noticed by someone."
"Oh." Willow blushed and shrugged. "Yeah, good point. Who is it?"
"Someone with powers," Jean-Claude replied, looking to Anita after dismissing Primo from the room. "Would you like to fetch our young men?"
"Yeah, if someone comes with me," Anita replied, "because Nathaniel won't be moving anytime soon and I can't carry him."
Requiem offered his arms and Anita accepted. They left the office, decorated in blacks and whites, and then Faith sat down on a nearby chair. "So, you mean, it could be one of the vampire's people... or it could be..."
"Buffy," Willow said when Faith trailed off. She sighed and looked at Asher. "I was going to stop into work tonight," she told him.
"Not tonight," he spoke quietly, "because she will be looking for you, if she is here... and there is a good chance that someone is watching the café. If anything happened to you... if they took you from me again..."
"I was only gone for a couple of hours," she murmured.
She went to Asher and wrapped her arms around him, before he could go to her. She felt his impulse to touch and be touched; she gave into it, not to protect him from seeming romantic or weak, but because she wanted it almost as much as he did.
"You two are cute," Faith teased with a smile. "Leather and all, but still cuddly."
Jean-Claude smiled, too. "That is the power a master vampire craves, Faith," he explained. "To touch his human servant... nothing feels as sweet."
"You aren't a cuddly monkey over Anita," Faith commented, looking a little confused.
The Master of the City chuckled. "Ma petite would complain greatly if I were to fawn all over her," he pointed out. "But, when we are able to indulge..." he trailed off and sighed happily. "It is a strong bond. It is nice to see mon chardonneret being offered such a gift."
"Sap," Willow said, teasing the darker vampire.
"Love turns many into such creatures," Jean-Claude reminded her with a wink. He looked at the clock on the wall. "Gregory is nearly finished... Stephen will be performing soon, and then it will be time to close the club for the night," he said quietly.
"If it is the other slayer, in the club, looking for Willow," Asher said, "perhaps we should sneak out before the finale."
"Oui," Jean-Claude agreed.
Willow frowned. "What? Am I going to have an armed guard now?"
"Yes," Asher said before resting his cheek against the top of her head.
"Asher... I have a job and---"
"You will not be fired, ma chérie," Jean-Claude said teasingly.
Willow tried to look upset, but she eventually ended up smiling back at the other vampire. "Well, that's a relief," she teased. After they shared a little laugh, her smile faded and she said, "I'm sorry this is happening now, Jean-Claude."
"Do not fret," he advised. "With any luck, your friends will not interrupt the festivities we have planned."
"But---"
"We have handled such complications before, during other visits, and we have survived," he interrupted, trying to assure her that he wasn't upset in the slightest. "I am concerned for your safety, but I know that mon chardonneret will protect you as well as he can."
Asher kissed the top of her head. "Nothing will happen to you," he promised.
Willow hoped he was right.
Jason walked into the office on his own, wearing a robe and probably nothing else. Nathaniel was carried against Requiem's chest; he looked to be sleeping, but Willow could sense that he was awake and only resting. Requiem set the wereleopard down on the sofa and Anita sat next to him.
"What's up?" Jason asked around a small yawn.
"Buffy's in town," Willow said quietly.
The young werewolf went immediately to Willow's and Asher's side. He reached out and put his hand on Willow's back; his warmth spread through her, as comforting as Asher's coolness to her soul. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Did she hurt you, or say anything---"
"Non, mon loup," Jean-Claude interrupted. "She has not found Willow yet. She was trying to get into your private room... perhaps because she saw Willow go there earlier."
"Oh... that was the commotion outside," Nathaniel whispered sleepily.
Asher lifted his head and looked at the wereleopard, who was wearing nothing but a swatch of fabric around his waist. "You heard her outside the room?"
"Someone tried to get past Primo," Jason explained. "She said she was a big fan... that she wanted to get an autograph. But, she didn't sound like Brandon's fans... or even my fans. She didn't sound truthful."
"Luckily Primo didn't let her in," Anita murmured.
Faith pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears. "She wouldn't have hurt Nathaniel or Jason," she reasoned. "She was looking for Willow."
"But, she would kill a vampire," Anita pointed out. "Why wouldn't she---"
"She's never been comfy killing the lunarly challenged," Faith interrupted. "Willow's honey, Oz---"
Willow cleared her throat. "She's right, Anita," Willow said quietly. "She didn't kill Oz. Even when she didn't know who he was. She wanted to make the wolf aware of himself... to realise he needed to be caged up three nights a month."
"Caged?" Jason asked.
"Well, he was unknowingly killing people," Willow explained. "We didn't know about pack life in Sunnydale. I didn't know... I thought they were all lone wolfies until I came here."
"But, the moral of the story is," Faith spoke up, "she wouldn't kill him. We used trank-guns on his ass."
Willow nodded when Anita looked at her. Jason cleared his throat and said, "So, we need to get Willow back to the Circus, then, right?"
"Oui," Asher agreed.
The witch looked at both males. "Do I get a say in this?"
"Non," the blond vampire said with a slight shake of his head. "We will take the car back to the Circus, Jason, if---"
"I'll go to Feral Byte and make sure everything's going okay," he offered.
Jean-Claude nodded his silent approval at his pomme de sang's suggestion. Asher also seemed pleased with Jason's idea; even Willow could admit it was a good idea, since she wasn't going to be able to go to the the café herself.
"I want to go with you," Nathaniel said, sitting up and looking at Asher.
Anita frowned. "Nathaniel---"
"I want to go," he insisted. He looked down and his legs and smiled a little. "After I get a pair of pants, anyway."
Anita looked at him. "Why?"
"I feel it, too, Anita," Jason said, answering for the young wereleopard. "I want to go, too, but someone needs to check in at the cybercafé."
"Is this a familiar thing?" the necromancer asked. When both shapeshifters nodded, Anita frowned and shrugged. "Just... just be careful, okay?"
Both males nodded.
Jean-Claude looked from Willow to Anita, some tension taking residence between his eyebrows. "Well," he said in a carefully measured voice, "perhaps Requiem should accompany you three." He looked at Asher. "The bouncer has the keys to the car Jason brought here," he added. "If you go out the front, you may attract the attention of this girl and her other friends... so please, be careful."
"We will," Asher promised.
Anita sighed. "Okay... I'll... I'll go home, then," she said quietly while looking at Jean-Claude. She glanced at the brunette slayer. "Do you need a place to crash, Faith?"
Faith blinked. "Oh... um... I thought I'd tail Will and---"
"If Buffy notices you," Willow pointed out, "then that wouldn't be good."
Anita nodded. "She's right," the necromancer said in agreement.
Faith crossed her arms and nodded. "Alright. So, what'll I do?"
"Go home with ma petite," Jean-Claude suggested, "and perhaps the two of you can fill each other in on our situations."
"Tell her about Allura?" Anita asked.
Jean-Claude nodded. "Oui, ma petite. If she will be staying, she should know what she will be facing. You, as well, would feel better knowing more about this slayer and her friends."
Anita smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she admitted. She hesitated and Willow watched as a few different emotions fluttered across her face. "Will you be alright getting home?" she asked Jean-Claude.
"Are you worried about me, ma petite?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice even though the happiness hadn't returned to his eyes.
"You know I do," she whispered.
"Bon," he responded, brushing his fingers along her cheek, "then perhaps it is best that you depart while the twins are dancing and wooing the ladies."
"Call me when you get back to the Circus," Anita insisted.
Jean-Claude nodded. "Of course," he murmured.
The black haired woman looked at everyone else. "You'll all call and check in?"
"Yes, Mom," Jason replied, batting his eyelashes in her direction while a silly grin stretched his lips.
Anita's lips twitched, almost forming a grin of their own, before she controlled her reaction to Jason's response.
Nathaniel bounced up into a standing position, feeling more energised than he had a few minutes before. He kissed Anita's cheek and then bounded out of the room, saying something about a pair of jeans he left in the dressing room.
&&&&
PART SIX
Willow leaned against Asher, allowing him to hide her with his body (and with Requiem's), while they walked to the front entrance. Nathaniel was behind them, wearing jeans that had seen many better days and a thin hooded sweatshirt that was almost too short for his torso. His hair had been quickly braided so he could hide it, but Willow knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Jason also walked behind them, since he decided to head to Feral Byte sooner rather than later.
When Graham gave Requiem the car keys, a brief horn honk caught their attention. Willow looked across the street and saw Richard's car. She could barely make out his form, but she knew he was driving.
"What brings him to the bad part of town this night?" Asher silently asked Willow.
She glared at him, mock-exasperation in her expression and tone of voice. "Honestly, Asher... who cares? He's here. Willingly. That's what matters." She plucked the keys out of his hand and passed them to Jason. "Here," she said to the younger werewolf, "take the car... and that way, we don't have to worry about you getting home. We'll go with Richard."
"What if he's not... here to pick you up?" Jason asked.
"Good point," Asher commented quietly.
Richard got out of the car when they hesitated. He walked towards them, his hands shoved into his jacket's pockets. Willow admired the way he moved, fluidly and confidently, and then she shook her head slightly as if to physically shake herself back into a more focused frame of mind.
"Real subtle," Richard teased when they were close enough to hear each other speak.
Willow blushed and bit back a nervous squeak. They hadn't ever done anything more physical than that one kiss, almost a year ago, but since they became more comfortable with each other, their conversations contained plenty of teasing and innuendo. Those comments, however, never changed anything between them---although they did let many of the werewolves believe that Richard really had a new lupa. Willow wondered if their actions were weird, but she decided that anything that allowed Richard to even seem more at peace with himself wasn't bad or wrong.
"What are you doing here?" Asher asked.
"I could feel trouble," Richard replied. He shrugged. "I pushed against Jean-Claude... and he ended up showing or telling me what happened. So, I figured you'd need a ride back to the Circus."
Nathaniel cleared his throat and as he spoke, he reached through the space between Asher and Willow so he could touch the witch's hand. "Can we get in a car?" he asked quietly. "Please... before the girls notice me?" he added in an even softer voice.
Willow took his hand in hers and looked from Asher to Richard. The blond vampire told Jason to go to Feral Byte and then he actually thanked Richard for arriving in such a timely fashion. Willow blinked a few times in surprise, and then she recovered; she smiled at her vampire lover and kissed him once before hugging Richard with one arm, since she was unwilling to release Nathaniel's hand.
"C'mon, Requiem," Richard insisted. "We should get out of here before anyone sees Willow," he added.
The other vampire agreed. Richard walked a little in front of them, while Willow kept herself between Asher and Nathaniel. Requiem moved behind them, protecting the young wereleopard from prying eyes and the witch from anything else that might be heading towards her. They walked down the steps and it wasn't until they were halfway across the street that Willow felt eyes on the back of her head.
She turned and looked, even though she had a general idea of who was standing behind her. Buffy was leaning on a railing, amid a sea of women trying to sweet talk their way past Graham and into the club. She looked older---and for the first time in a long time, Willow remembered that she wouldn't age---but more sure of herself. The slayer's confidence bothered Willow because it was directed at her, in a fashion.
"Oh... do not let her effect you," Asher whispered into her mind, before tugging her against his body. Willow gasped, her attention quickly focused on the vampire in front of her, but she couldn't say anything because the blond vampire pressed his lips to hers in a forceful, passionate kiss that was meant to be a possessive display. With Requiem guarding them from behind, Nathaniel holding onto her hand, and Richard almost pressed against her back since he turned back to watch them kiss, Willow felt her pulse quicken and her face flush.
Richard put his hand on Willow's hip as the kiss with Asher ended. He brought his lips against her ear and whispered, "Don't let her tell you what's right and wrong."
She turned slightly, craning her neck to look at the Ulfric. She had grown used to his discomfort with their lives, so when he said something that showed how hard he was trying to accept everything that had happened to him, she always needed to check and make sure he really said what he had said.
Silly---but habits have a tendency to be that way, she thought to herself, before she impulsively leaned and kissed Richard's cheek.
Then, Willow looked beyond them and saw Buffy again. She knew what it looked like---that she was involved in some sort of love pentagon or hexagon or maybe an uneven shape of some sort with many lovers, and that she engaged in more risqué or kinky behavior while involved with those men---but she couldn't run across the street and explain everything to the blonde slayer. If she was lucky, Buffy would punch Willow's lights out; if she was unlucky, Buffy would take Willow to some sort of prison that Giles and his witches had constructed for her. She didn't want to see to which extreme the slayer's behavior fell.
A nagging voice in the back of her mind---one that Anita had been teaching her to accept as part of her weird life, since visiting the lupanar and attracting its attention---said, "Gosh, she doesn't like us one little bit."
Willow tried not to frown. Raina was right; but, the former lupa's truth didn't make Willow feel any better.
Richard cupped Willow's face in his hand and he shook his head. Raina tried to push Willow (and herself) forward and into the Ulfric. For a brief second, his eyes bled to their wolfier tones, but he controlled the impulse and regained his humanity.
"I don't like it when she takes over like that," Richard commented quietly.
Asher nodded. "Me, neither," he said as he guided Willow to the back seat of Richard's car. Requiem helped Nathaniel into the back, too, before he took the front seat. "Come, mon colibri, it is time to go home."
She smiled at him and nodded. Richard went back to the side of the car and Willow waited for Asher to get into the middle seat before she slid onto the cushioned bench against him. Richard touched Willow's chin gently before stepping back and closing the door. He got into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition.
Willow looked away, in time to see Jason pulling out of the employees' parking lot, and when she looked back at Buffy, she was standing closer to the car---on the sidewalk, but still on the club's side of the street.
The witch, partially under Raina's urging and under some of her own, waved at the slayer through the glass as Richard pulled onto the road and prepared to drive away from Guilty Pleasures.
A few minutes later, they were on the road that would take them most of the way home, but not everything was going according to plan. A small rental car---according to Nathaniel, when he lifted his head off of Asher's shoulder---was following them and had been since they left the club. They all knew who it was---one of the four visitors, at least---and no one wanted to guide them to the one place they all regarded as safe as possible during more dangerous times.
Asher advised Richard to drive away from the Circus. Requiem called Guilty Pleasures to keep Jean-Claude informed.
When they stopped, at a closed service station, Willow hoped the car wouldn't stop with them. She silently prayed for the car to keep rolling down the dark, almost rural road, so she wouldn't have to face Buffy, or whoever else was in the car.
But, the car did turn off, into the same parking lot. It stopped over forty feet away, but its driver's intent was clear.
Richard got out of the car first, then Nathaniel, and then the vampires. Asher guarded Willow close to his body, but she found that they were all positioned rather defensively---even Requiem.
Buffy was the only one in the other car. Willow was almost relieved, because if Giles had been there, magic would have been involved. If Xander had accompanied Buffy, Willow wondered if weaponry would have been an issue.
"I don't like being followed," Willow said quietly, the night air carrying her voice to the other woman.
"No hello?"
"Hello," Willow said. She paused, tilted her head, and then added, "I don't like being followed, Buffy."
"I didn't want to believe what Giles said," the slayer said, her eyebrows furrowing a little.
"You didn't?" Willow asked.
Buffy shook her head. "The coven told us you were... not good... and Giles said he saw firsthand... but... I mean, I dated Angel and Spike until they... well, you know," she said. Willow shrugged; she assumed that Buffy was referring to their stint as Wolfram and Hart's colleagues. "Dating them didn't mean I was a bad person. It didn't. So, part of me wanted to believe Giles was wrong. That your boyfriend---and can I just say, it's kinda confusing when you switch from guys to girls to guys again?---has a soul afterall, and maybe he made a mistake about the magic, too, so we'd all go home together and---"
"We have souls," Richard interrupted.
The slayer blinked and turned to look at him. "You're not a vampire."
"We have souls," Asher assured her in a curiously calm voice.
"They attacked slayers," Buffy said, looking back at Willow.
"And those slayers were killing our family and friends," Richard told her. "We protect our own."
Willow nodded. "We did what we had to do, Buffy," she said quietly, hoping maybe they could just talk and then go to their respective homes.
"You should come back with us," the blonde said, her eyes growing larger. "Please, Will... just... we'll help you stop using magic again."
It wasn't until Asher's hand found its way to the back of her neck, gently squeezing and massaging her muscles, that she realised how tense she had become. Willow frowned and tilted her head a little before speaking again. "Is that what's wrong with me?" she asked. "I fell in with the wrong crowd and started using magic again?"
"Willow, no," Nathaniel whispered.
Willow blinked and something clattered to the ground behind her, making a loud noise on the quiet street. Nathaniel crouched down to his knees, his loose braid slipping over his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her legs. She closed her eyes and felt something warm and comforting travel from her thighs to her heart.
"Are they all your boyfriends?" Buffy asked. A smile threatened to curve her mouth.
The redhead frowned. "No... they're not. Requiem's a friend. Richard is---"
"Her Ulfric," he cut in, surprising Willow yet again.
"Yeah," she said, smiling at him. "He's my Ulfric. Nathaniel is... my pet," she said in a careful tone of voice. Nathaniel's shoulders relaxed and he rubbed his face against her leg so she guessed she said the right thing; as she thought about what she had said, she realised that it would be true and that she had made her decision regarding Nathaniel's needs. As she shared a private thought about the wereleopard with Asher, she blushed; then, she turned back to Buffy and continued speaking. "And, Asher... Asher is the one that saved me."
"So romantic," Asher teased.
"Did he... did he turn you? And what's an Ulfric? Sounds... I don't know... but with the pet and the leather---"
"I'm still human, Buffy," Willow interrupted. "And, I can see how the coven would've gotten confused... but I don't need rescuing. I needed it over a year ago." She saw Buffy open her mouth but Willow quickly continued talking. "I'd love to see Xander and Giles---the last time I saw him, we were in a little bit of a hurry, so I couldn't explain everything to him---again, too... but you kinda picked a bad week to spy on me."
"We're not here to spy on you, Will," Buffy said, her lower lip pouting a little as it formed a frown.
"You sure? Because I could've sworn---"
"Giles wants to bring you back," the blonde slayer interrupted. "The coven hoped if you stayed with them, more permanently, you'd go back to your old self---"
"She's not leaving," Asher cut in, his voice laced with unspoken threats. "Mon colibri is home."
Willow echoed his sentiment by leaning back into his body and rubbing his arm with her hand.
"She was home... and she ran away," Buffy countered. "Now, she's doing illegal magic and dressing like a bondage Barbie doll."
Willow blinked and felt anger simmering in her stomach. Raina, or the ghost of her that lingered in the witch's mind, seemed impressed with the red hot feelings Willow was experiencing. She sucked in a sharp breath and started to talk: "I left because---"
Garbage cans resumed their rattling. A window cracked. Nathaniel whined and begged Willow to stop before burying his face in her stomach. Asher put his hands over hers and whispered soothing words. Requiem quietly suggested that Willow control her emotions, with very little poetry. However, it wasn't until she smelled the woods and felt Richard's metaphysical fur that she started to calm down.
Richard's beast caressed hers, relaxing it and drawing some of that anger away. Willow moaned and closed her eyes as the two spirits teased her; it felt as if something deep inside of her was being brushed with fur.
"Relax," he whispered.
She turned and looked at him. She wasn't surprised to see his amber, wolfish eyes looking back at her.
"It's so hard," she breathed. "They... they---"
"We need to go home," Richard reminded her, "not start another war."
She nodded and looked back at Buffy, who was watching them all with an expression that reflected horror, confusion, and a little awe. Willow inhaled slowly and licked her lips.
"I'm home, Buffy," she said calmly. "And I know that's not what you want to hear... but... I'm not leaving St. Louis."
"Will, don't do this," Buffy replied, almost pleading.
The witch shrugged and frowned. "You were my best friend, Buffy... and some of the things I need to say... well, I can't say them, because I don't know if you'll understand. You should really go back wherever your home is now," she told the slayer. "Take Dawn and Xander and Giles and go home. Go back to doing whatever it is you do now, because you'll just waste time trying to convince me to go someplace that isn't for me."
"We won't convince---"
"Then fight me, Buffy," Willow said with a little roll of her eyes, "because you remember how well that went the first time, right?"
"Willow..."
"Do whatever you want to do," the redhead insisted. "Believe whatever you want to believe. But, nothing is going to change the fact that I'm not leaving St. Louis."
"Then, you won't leave."
Richard and Nathaniel both growled. Asher actually flashed his fangs. Willow blinked at their reactions and shared a long look with Requiem, who seemed troubled---but also confused---by the situation.
"You're not going to hurt her," Richard said, his eyes amber and his voice thick and rumbling.
"No, you're not," Asher agreed. He stared at the slayer. "You should leave town before you stir something that has settled."
Buffy looked the scene over. Willow could almost hear what she was thinking: too many opponents; fall back and regroup. The blonde woman got into her car and drove away after surveying the small group by Richard's car. Willow didn't know if it was good for them if Buffy considered them all threats; she was afraid the slayer would do something dangerous that would endanger many more lives.
After a few minutes, Asher kissed Willow's neck and Nathaniel managed to kiss between some of the straps on her stomach. Richard tossed the keys to Requiem and then slowly moved for the passenger side; Nathaniel untangled himself from Willow's lower body and then he and Willow got into the back seat after Asher so they could cuddle up the way they wanted to.
When she saw the Circus of the Damned's signage and the fanged clown heads that decorated the property, she sighed and relaxed, feeling the comforts of home before she descended into its bowels.
TBC...
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRING: Willow/Asher, slight Willow/Richard and Willow/Asher/Nathaniel... plus, regular Anita pairings
SPOILERS: For the two fandoms... up until Micah for AB; the two series for Buffyverse stuff.
WARNINGS: A little bit of BDSM.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone, except the Master of the City of Lafayette and her entourage.
NOTES: This story is a sequel to "Alive at Last."
Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3
PART FOUR
He had gone to Jean-Claude's office with Anita for a few moments with his other two lovers, for the chance for a few kisses with them since he didn't see them so much---someone was always entertaining their guests, afterall.
For a minute, he was happy and so were they. They touched while talking about Dabney and Telford and Narcissus, and when they were finished discussing that night's events, Jean-Claude drew him close for a kiss. Anita made a quiet purring noise at the sight and Asher realised that she was loosening her tight grip on her sense of right in the world, a second before both vampires turned to look at the black haired woman.
"You two are too perfect," she murmured.
"Ah... she flatters us," Jean-Claude commented between kisses to Asher's jaw. "So kind..."
"Mmhmmm," Asher agreed, unable to say much since Jean-Claude's dull teeth were gently biting his neck.
"Perhaps we should spend some time worshipping her?"
"Perhaps that is a very good idea," Asher whispered, looking at the young woman and watching her squirm.
"Guys!" Anita protested.
Jean-Claude straightened up and chuckled. "Ma petite, are you having trouble resisting us?" he asked teasingly.
"You know damned well I am," she said, nearly growling.
The vampires laughed and Asher walked towards Anita. His intent was to continue the kisses, but with her; however, a knock to the office door interrupted him from getting carried away by passion. When Requiem appeared in the room, Asher could tell that something had happened---nothing too serious, but nothing too light either. A moment later, Jean-Claude was telling Requiem to bring their guest into the room before anyone else saw her.
Then, they were looking at Faith. Asher knew she was an ally---he almost considered her a friend, since she was friends with his human servant. She started to explain why she was there, but Jean-Claude stopped her; he asked Requiem to bring Willow to the office, so Faith would only have to talk once. The slayer seemed to appreciate that, but the seconds that ticked by while waiting for Willow's presence were weighing upon everyone.
Requiem brought Willow to them a few minutes later. He opened the door and guided the young woman inside, before following her and shutting the door behind them both.
She smiled at him before looking around the room. When she saw Faith, Asher could see the whites of her eyes a bit more clearly as the surprise registered upon her face.
"Hey, Will," Faith said quietly, smiling a little. "What's up?"
"Uh... not much," Willow replied after a long pause. "Hey, Faith," she added.
"Love the threads," Faith teased. "Where'd you come from?"
"Narcissus in Chains," Willow admitted.
The slayer grinned. "Right on! So you and Nathaniel are---"
"Not so much," Willow interrupted.
"Not yet," Asher added.
Faith's eyes lit up. "Oh, man! You're gonna like being on top, Will," she assured the witch. "Believe me, I know---"
"You wouldn't have it any other way," Willow teased.
Faith opened her mouth to say something in rebuttal of Willow's remarks, but Jean-Claude cleared his throat. The slayer blushed a bit and nodded. "Right, sorry... I... yeah," she mumbled. She straightened her shoulders and said, "I pretty much raced here from... well, I was supposed to be finding a slayer near New York. But, Xander let something slip and... and I changed my plans."
"Xander."
"Yeah," the slayer said when Willow repeated his name. "Look, Will... Giles told B all about your new life. They all know about the rogue slayers, but... it's like they don't see clearly when it comes to you or something. Like, it didn't matter that the slayers went all badass and stuff. The coven helps us with a lot, but their view on vamps and furry friends is pretty cut and dry, so they're colouring Giles' view on---"
Willow cut into Faith's speech. "Faith, why would you have to change your plans?"
"They're all in town," Faith blurted out. "Or," she added, "they're gonna be soon."
"What? Who?"
"Giles, Buffy, Dawn, and Xander."
"Dawn?" Willow echoed. "Why is Dawn---"
"School vacation, I think," Faith explained. "But, B was thinking that a family meeting sorta thing might make you see the error of your ways."
"This is not the place for Dawn!" Willow exclaimed. "She's a kid!"
"Not so much," Faith said, smiling a little.
"We're entertaining other Masters of Cities and Buffy decides that now would be a good time to bring everyone to the weirdest city in the country?" Willow asked. She rubbed her temples. "Goddess!" she hissed. "I do not need rescuing!"
Faith nodded. "I know."
"So, you are here... why?"
"To back you up," Faith said quietly. "To warn you." She paused and tilted her head as a little smile teased her lips. "Also, to see Damian, but... mostly, to make sure you don't get dragged back to headquarters."
Asher felt something in his chest tighten. He stepped forward, drawing Willow into his arms, as he asked, "Dragged back? Are they planning on kidnapping mon colibri?"
"I don't know," Faith admitted. "Xander didn't mean to tell me this much. I think they think I like it here. I do... but... well, I had to tell Giles some things about my first visit. I told him about Willow's job. But, I didn't say anything about Jean-Claude owning so many businesses. I didn't want him or B overreacting and torching a building. I told him you were involved with a vampire... but I didn't get into names." She paused and added, "He asked me about the man he met at the motel. Richard. I told him I had seen him around you guys... but... I didn't give him away. His secret identity's as safe as it could be---but I think Giles suspects something. And... he knows about Anita. Being an animator."
"Well, that's not exactly a secret," Anita said wryly.
Jean-Claude smiled a little. "So, you decided to give him a little information instead of all of it."
She nodded. "I can't lie very well, never could, so I just figured a little truth would be okay. I had no idea they were going to come here."
"Why wouldn't they tell you about the trip?" Anita asked.
"I think they worried that I like it too much here," Faith replied, "like maybe it'd be enough to make me turn to homicide again as a suitable career opportunity."
"Oh."
Willow frowned. "What am I going to... we can't cancel Allura's visit, can we? At least until Buffy's gone?"
Jean-Claude shook his head. "Non, we cannot cancel her visit."
"Who's Allura?"
The Master of the City looked at the slayer. "She rules over Lafayette's vampire population," he explained. "Ma petite is in need of a new pomme de sang through which she can feed the ardeur. So, we are playing host to Masters of Cities who wish to offer us such a gift, to curry favour and perhaps form an allegiance with us."
"Smart," Faith agreed. She looked at Anita. "See anyone yummy yet?"
Asher watched as Anita's cheeks turned pink. "No... well... sorta. No. I don't know," the necromancer managed to say in reply.
"Allura is the last Master of the City we will be entertaining," Asher said quietly.
Faith frowned suddenly and something apologetic surfaced in her eyes. "I didn't mean to show up now," she said. "I mean, I did... but not in the middle of all of this."
"You are welcome to stay," Jean-Claude said after sharing a look with Anita and then Asher. "You are even welcome to join us at the Circus. However, you must be warned that Allura's powers run closely to my own---especially with the ardeur under her skin. The meals and entertainment will be... quite... different because of that fact, but they will still be complicated chess games---"
Faith's eyes sparkled for a moment. "So, basically, you're telling me that weird stuff'll happen and if I can't keep my mouth shut, I'll get everyone in trouble."
"Almost, yes," Jean-Claude agreed.
The brunette regarded his condition of her visit. Then, she nodded. "I'm in. I'll do whatever... I just can't leave Will here to handle B and the gang on her own."
Asher smiled. "Merci, Faith," he said quietly. "You are a good friend."
Faith smiled back, but she shrugged. "I'm just---"
"You are," Willow insisted. "Thank you." She grinned and then said, "Damian's at Danse Macabre tonight. You should go surprise him."
"Maybe later," Faith said in reply, grinning back at the witch.
&&&&
PART FIVE
Primo knocked on the office door. Willow knew it was him because Jean-Claude explained that he knew it was that particular vampire; she didn't like Primo, or she didn't know him, and she sensed she wasn't the only one who kept her distance from him.
"What have you to share with us?" Jean-Claude asked.
"A woman has tried to get into the quiet room," he reported. "She offered me money, master. Graham is standing at the door now."
"A woman?" Willow asked. "That's not unusual, is it? I mean... Nathaniel and Jason are back there."
Asher turned his head and looked at her. His lips twitched into a smile. "Mon colibri, how many security guards did you walk past in order to visit your familiars?"
The witch answered his question without thinking about it. "Graham, a few rats I didn't recognise, Primo... and Requiem was in the hallway."
"So, if a strange woman had attempted to seek out her favourite dancer," he said, "she would have been noticed by someone."
"Oh." Willow blushed and shrugged. "Yeah, good point. Who is it?"
"Someone with powers," Jean-Claude replied, looking to Anita after dismissing Primo from the room. "Would you like to fetch our young men?"
"Yeah, if someone comes with me," Anita replied, "because Nathaniel won't be moving anytime soon and I can't carry him."
Requiem offered his arms and Anita accepted. They left the office, decorated in blacks and whites, and then Faith sat down on a nearby chair. "So, you mean, it could be one of the vampire's people... or it could be..."
"Buffy," Willow said when Faith trailed off. She sighed and looked at Asher. "I was going to stop into work tonight," she told him.
"Not tonight," he spoke quietly, "because she will be looking for you, if she is here... and there is a good chance that someone is watching the café. If anything happened to you... if they took you from me again..."
"I was only gone for a couple of hours," she murmured.
She went to Asher and wrapped her arms around him, before he could go to her. She felt his impulse to touch and be touched; she gave into it, not to protect him from seeming romantic or weak, but because she wanted it almost as much as he did.
"You two are cute," Faith teased with a smile. "Leather and all, but still cuddly."
Jean-Claude smiled, too. "That is the power a master vampire craves, Faith," he explained. "To touch his human servant... nothing feels as sweet."
"You aren't a cuddly monkey over Anita," Faith commented, looking a little confused.
The Master of the City chuckled. "Ma petite would complain greatly if I were to fawn all over her," he pointed out. "But, when we are able to indulge..." he trailed off and sighed happily. "It is a strong bond. It is nice to see mon chardonneret being offered such a gift."
"Sap," Willow said, teasing the darker vampire.
"Love turns many into such creatures," Jean-Claude reminded her with a wink. He looked at the clock on the wall. "Gregory is nearly finished... Stephen will be performing soon, and then it will be time to close the club for the night," he said quietly.
"If it is the other slayer, in the club, looking for Willow," Asher said, "perhaps we should sneak out before the finale."
"Oui," Jean-Claude agreed.
Willow frowned. "What? Am I going to have an armed guard now?"
"Yes," Asher said before resting his cheek against the top of her head.
"Asher... I have a job and---"
"You will not be fired, ma chérie," Jean-Claude said teasingly.
Willow tried to look upset, but she eventually ended up smiling back at the other vampire. "Well, that's a relief," she teased. After they shared a little laugh, her smile faded and she said, "I'm sorry this is happening now, Jean-Claude."
"Do not fret," he advised. "With any luck, your friends will not interrupt the festivities we have planned."
"But---"
"We have handled such complications before, during other visits, and we have survived," he interrupted, trying to assure her that he wasn't upset in the slightest. "I am concerned for your safety, but I know that mon chardonneret will protect you as well as he can."
Asher kissed the top of her head. "Nothing will happen to you," he promised.
Willow hoped he was right.
Jason walked into the office on his own, wearing a robe and probably nothing else. Nathaniel was carried against Requiem's chest; he looked to be sleeping, but Willow could sense that he was awake and only resting. Requiem set the wereleopard down on the sofa and Anita sat next to him.
"What's up?" Jason asked around a small yawn.
"Buffy's in town," Willow said quietly.
The young werewolf went immediately to Willow's and Asher's side. He reached out and put his hand on Willow's back; his warmth spread through her, as comforting as Asher's coolness to her soul. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Did she hurt you, or say anything---"
"Non, mon loup," Jean-Claude interrupted. "She has not found Willow yet. She was trying to get into your private room... perhaps because she saw Willow go there earlier."
"Oh... that was the commotion outside," Nathaniel whispered sleepily.
Asher lifted his head and looked at the wereleopard, who was wearing nothing but a swatch of fabric around his waist. "You heard her outside the room?"
"Someone tried to get past Primo," Jason explained. "She said she was a big fan... that she wanted to get an autograph. But, she didn't sound like Brandon's fans... or even my fans. She didn't sound truthful."
"Luckily Primo didn't let her in," Anita murmured.
Faith pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears. "She wouldn't have hurt Nathaniel or Jason," she reasoned. "She was looking for Willow."
"But, she would kill a vampire," Anita pointed out. "Why wouldn't she---"
"She's never been comfy killing the lunarly challenged," Faith interrupted. "Willow's honey, Oz---"
Willow cleared her throat. "She's right, Anita," Willow said quietly. "She didn't kill Oz. Even when she didn't know who he was. She wanted to make the wolf aware of himself... to realise he needed to be caged up three nights a month."
"Caged?" Jason asked.
"Well, he was unknowingly killing people," Willow explained. "We didn't know about pack life in Sunnydale. I didn't know... I thought they were all lone wolfies until I came here."
"But, the moral of the story is," Faith spoke up, "she wouldn't kill him. We used trank-guns on his ass."
Willow nodded when Anita looked at her. Jason cleared his throat and said, "So, we need to get Willow back to the Circus, then, right?"
"Oui," Asher agreed.
The witch looked at both males. "Do I get a say in this?"
"Non," the blond vampire said with a slight shake of his head. "We will take the car back to the Circus, Jason, if---"
"I'll go to Feral Byte and make sure everything's going okay," he offered.
Jean-Claude nodded his silent approval at his pomme de sang's suggestion. Asher also seemed pleased with Jason's idea; even Willow could admit it was a good idea, since she wasn't going to be able to go to the the café herself.
"I want to go with you," Nathaniel said, sitting up and looking at Asher.
Anita frowned. "Nathaniel---"
"I want to go," he insisted. He looked down and his legs and smiled a little. "After I get a pair of pants, anyway."
Anita looked at him. "Why?"
"I feel it, too, Anita," Jason said, answering for the young wereleopard. "I want to go, too, but someone needs to check in at the cybercafé."
"Is this a familiar thing?" the necromancer asked. When both shapeshifters nodded, Anita frowned and shrugged. "Just... just be careful, okay?"
Both males nodded.
Jean-Claude looked from Willow to Anita, some tension taking residence between his eyebrows. "Well," he said in a carefully measured voice, "perhaps Requiem should accompany you three." He looked at Asher. "The bouncer has the keys to the car Jason brought here," he added. "If you go out the front, you may attract the attention of this girl and her other friends... so please, be careful."
"We will," Asher promised.
Anita sighed. "Okay... I'll... I'll go home, then," she said quietly while looking at Jean-Claude. She glanced at the brunette slayer. "Do you need a place to crash, Faith?"
Faith blinked. "Oh... um... I thought I'd tail Will and---"
"If Buffy notices you," Willow pointed out, "then that wouldn't be good."
Anita nodded. "She's right," the necromancer said in agreement.
Faith crossed her arms and nodded. "Alright. So, what'll I do?"
"Go home with ma petite," Jean-Claude suggested, "and perhaps the two of you can fill each other in on our situations."
"Tell her about Allura?" Anita asked.
Jean-Claude nodded. "Oui, ma petite. If she will be staying, she should know what she will be facing. You, as well, would feel better knowing more about this slayer and her friends."
Anita smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she admitted. She hesitated and Willow watched as a few different emotions fluttered across her face. "Will you be alright getting home?" she asked Jean-Claude.
"Are you worried about me, ma petite?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice even though the happiness hadn't returned to his eyes.
"You know I do," she whispered.
"Bon," he responded, brushing his fingers along her cheek, "then perhaps it is best that you depart while the twins are dancing and wooing the ladies."
"Call me when you get back to the Circus," Anita insisted.
Jean-Claude nodded. "Of course," he murmured.
The black haired woman looked at everyone else. "You'll all call and check in?"
"Yes, Mom," Jason replied, batting his eyelashes in her direction while a silly grin stretched his lips.
Anita's lips twitched, almost forming a grin of their own, before she controlled her reaction to Jason's response.
Nathaniel bounced up into a standing position, feeling more energised than he had a few minutes before. He kissed Anita's cheek and then bounded out of the room, saying something about a pair of jeans he left in the dressing room.
&&&&
PART SIX
Willow leaned against Asher, allowing him to hide her with his body (and with Requiem's), while they walked to the front entrance. Nathaniel was behind them, wearing jeans that had seen many better days and a thin hooded sweatshirt that was almost too short for his torso. His hair had been quickly braided so he could hide it, but Willow knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Jason also walked behind them, since he decided to head to Feral Byte sooner rather than later.
When Graham gave Requiem the car keys, a brief horn honk caught their attention. Willow looked across the street and saw Richard's car. She could barely make out his form, but she knew he was driving.
"What brings him to the bad part of town this night?" Asher silently asked Willow.
She glared at him, mock-exasperation in her expression and tone of voice. "Honestly, Asher... who cares? He's here. Willingly. That's what matters." She plucked the keys out of his hand and passed them to Jason. "Here," she said to the younger werewolf, "take the car... and that way, we don't have to worry about you getting home. We'll go with Richard."
"What if he's not... here to pick you up?" Jason asked.
"Good point," Asher commented quietly.
Richard got out of the car when they hesitated. He walked towards them, his hands shoved into his jacket's pockets. Willow admired the way he moved, fluidly and confidently, and then she shook her head slightly as if to physically shake herself back into a more focused frame of mind.
"Real subtle," Richard teased when they were close enough to hear each other speak.
Willow blushed and bit back a nervous squeak. They hadn't ever done anything more physical than that one kiss, almost a year ago, but since they became more comfortable with each other, their conversations contained plenty of teasing and innuendo. Those comments, however, never changed anything between them---although they did let many of the werewolves believe that Richard really had a new lupa. Willow wondered if their actions were weird, but she decided that anything that allowed Richard to even seem more at peace with himself wasn't bad or wrong.
"What are you doing here?" Asher asked.
"I could feel trouble," Richard replied. He shrugged. "I pushed against Jean-Claude... and he ended up showing or telling me what happened. So, I figured you'd need a ride back to the Circus."
Nathaniel cleared his throat and as he spoke, he reached through the space between Asher and Willow so he could touch the witch's hand. "Can we get in a car?" he asked quietly. "Please... before the girls notice me?" he added in an even softer voice.
Willow took his hand in hers and looked from Asher to Richard. The blond vampire told Jason to go to Feral Byte and then he actually thanked Richard for arriving in such a timely fashion. Willow blinked a few times in surprise, and then she recovered; she smiled at her vampire lover and kissed him once before hugging Richard with one arm, since she was unwilling to release Nathaniel's hand.
"C'mon, Requiem," Richard insisted. "We should get out of here before anyone sees Willow," he added.
The other vampire agreed. Richard walked a little in front of them, while Willow kept herself between Asher and Nathaniel. Requiem moved behind them, protecting the young wereleopard from prying eyes and the witch from anything else that might be heading towards her. They walked down the steps and it wasn't until they were halfway across the street that Willow felt eyes on the back of her head.
She turned and looked, even though she had a general idea of who was standing behind her. Buffy was leaning on a railing, amid a sea of women trying to sweet talk their way past Graham and into the club. She looked older---and for the first time in a long time, Willow remembered that she wouldn't age---but more sure of herself. The slayer's confidence bothered Willow because it was directed at her, in a fashion.
"Oh... do not let her effect you," Asher whispered into her mind, before tugging her against his body. Willow gasped, her attention quickly focused on the vampire in front of her, but she couldn't say anything because the blond vampire pressed his lips to hers in a forceful, passionate kiss that was meant to be a possessive display. With Requiem guarding them from behind, Nathaniel holding onto her hand, and Richard almost pressed against her back since he turned back to watch them kiss, Willow felt her pulse quicken and her face flush.
Richard put his hand on Willow's hip as the kiss with Asher ended. He brought his lips against her ear and whispered, "Don't let her tell you what's right and wrong."
She turned slightly, craning her neck to look at the Ulfric. She had grown used to his discomfort with their lives, so when he said something that showed how hard he was trying to accept everything that had happened to him, she always needed to check and make sure he really said what he had said.
Silly---but habits have a tendency to be that way, she thought to herself, before she impulsively leaned and kissed Richard's cheek.
Then, Willow looked beyond them and saw Buffy again. She knew what it looked like---that she was involved in some sort of love pentagon or hexagon or maybe an uneven shape of some sort with many lovers, and that she engaged in more risqué or kinky behavior while involved with those men---but she couldn't run across the street and explain everything to the blonde slayer. If she was lucky, Buffy would punch Willow's lights out; if she was unlucky, Buffy would take Willow to some sort of prison that Giles and his witches had constructed for her. She didn't want to see to which extreme the slayer's behavior fell.
A nagging voice in the back of her mind---one that Anita had been teaching her to accept as part of her weird life, since visiting the lupanar and attracting its attention---said, "Gosh, she doesn't like us one little bit."
Willow tried not to frown. Raina was right; but, the former lupa's truth didn't make Willow feel any better.
Richard cupped Willow's face in his hand and he shook his head. Raina tried to push Willow (and herself) forward and into the Ulfric. For a brief second, his eyes bled to their wolfier tones, but he controlled the impulse and regained his humanity.
"I don't like it when she takes over like that," Richard commented quietly.
Asher nodded. "Me, neither," he said as he guided Willow to the back seat of Richard's car. Requiem helped Nathaniel into the back, too, before he took the front seat. "Come, mon colibri, it is time to go home."
She smiled at him and nodded. Richard went back to the side of the car and Willow waited for Asher to get into the middle seat before she slid onto the cushioned bench against him. Richard touched Willow's chin gently before stepping back and closing the door. He got into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition.
Willow looked away, in time to see Jason pulling out of the employees' parking lot, and when she looked back at Buffy, she was standing closer to the car---on the sidewalk, but still on the club's side of the street.
The witch, partially under Raina's urging and under some of her own, waved at the slayer through the glass as Richard pulled onto the road and prepared to drive away from Guilty Pleasures.
A few minutes later, they were on the road that would take them most of the way home, but not everything was going according to plan. A small rental car---according to Nathaniel, when he lifted his head off of Asher's shoulder---was following them and had been since they left the club. They all knew who it was---one of the four visitors, at least---and no one wanted to guide them to the one place they all regarded as safe as possible during more dangerous times.
Asher advised Richard to drive away from the Circus. Requiem called Guilty Pleasures to keep Jean-Claude informed.
When they stopped, at a closed service station, Willow hoped the car wouldn't stop with them. She silently prayed for the car to keep rolling down the dark, almost rural road, so she wouldn't have to face Buffy, or whoever else was in the car.
But, the car did turn off, into the same parking lot. It stopped over forty feet away, but its driver's intent was clear.
Richard got out of the car first, then Nathaniel, and then the vampires. Asher guarded Willow close to his body, but she found that they were all positioned rather defensively---even Requiem.
Buffy was the only one in the other car. Willow was almost relieved, because if Giles had been there, magic would have been involved. If Xander had accompanied Buffy, Willow wondered if weaponry would have been an issue.
"I don't like being followed," Willow said quietly, the night air carrying her voice to the other woman.
"No hello?"
"Hello," Willow said. She paused, tilted her head, and then added, "I don't like being followed, Buffy."
"I didn't want to believe what Giles said," the slayer said, her eyebrows furrowing a little.
"You didn't?" Willow asked.
Buffy shook her head. "The coven told us you were... not good... and Giles said he saw firsthand... but... I mean, I dated Angel and Spike until they... well, you know," she said. Willow shrugged; she assumed that Buffy was referring to their stint as Wolfram and Hart's colleagues. "Dating them didn't mean I was a bad person. It didn't. So, part of me wanted to believe Giles was wrong. That your boyfriend---and can I just say, it's kinda confusing when you switch from guys to girls to guys again?---has a soul afterall, and maybe he made a mistake about the magic, too, so we'd all go home together and---"
"We have souls," Richard interrupted.
The slayer blinked and turned to look at him. "You're not a vampire."
"We have souls," Asher assured her in a curiously calm voice.
"They attacked slayers," Buffy said, looking back at Willow.
"And those slayers were killing our family and friends," Richard told her. "We protect our own."
Willow nodded. "We did what we had to do, Buffy," she said quietly, hoping maybe they could just talk and then go to their respective homes.
"You should come back with us," the blonde said, her eyes growing larger. "Please, Will... just... we'll help you stop using magic again."
It wasn't until Asher's hand found its way to the back of her neck, gently squeezing and massaging her muscles, that she realised how tense she had become. Willow frowned and tilted her head a little before speaking again. "Is that what's wrong with me?" she asked. "I fell in with the wrong crowd and started using magic again?"
"Willow, no," Nathaniel whispered.
Willow blinked and something clattered to the ground behind her, making a loud noise on the quiet street. Nathaniel crouched down to his knees, his loose braid slipping over his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her legs. She closed her eyes and felt something warm and comforting travel from her thighs to her heart.
"Are they all your boyfriends?" Buffy asked. A smile threatened to curve her mouth.
The redhead frowned. "No... they're not. Requiem's a friend. Richard is---"
"Her Ulfric," he cut in, surprising Willow yet again.
"Yeah," she said, smiling at him. "He's my Ulfric. Nathaniel is... my pet," she said in a careful tone of voice. Nathaniel's shoulders relaxed and he rubbed his face against her leg so she guessed she said the right thing; as she thought about what she had said, she realised that it would be true and that she had made her decision regarding Nathaniel's needs. As she shared a private thought about the wereleopard with Asher, she blushed; then, she turned back to Buffy and continued speaking. "And, Asher... Asher is the one that saved me."
"So romantic," Asher teased.
"Did he... did he turn you? And what's an Ulfric? Sounds... I don't know... but with the pet and the leather---"
"I'm still human, Buffy," Willow interrupted. "And, I can see how the coven would've gotten confused... but I don't need rescuing. I needed it over a year ago." She saw Buffy open her mouth but Willow quickly continued talking. "I'd love to see Xander and Giles---the last time I saw him, we were in a little bit of a hurry, so I couldn't explain everything to him---again, too... but you kinda picked a bad week to spy on me."
"We're not here to spy on you, Will," Buffy said, her lower lip pouting a little as it formed a frown.
"You sure? Because I could've sworn---"
"Giles wants to bring you back," the blonde slayer interrupted. "The coven hoped if you stayed with them, more permanently, you'd go back to your old self---"
"She's not leaving," Asher cut in, his voice laced with unspoken threats. "Mon colibri is home."
Willow echoed his sentiment by leaning back into his body and rubbing his arm with her hand.
"She was home... and she ran away," Buffy countered. "Now, she's doing illegal magic and dressing like a bondage Barbie doll."
Willow blinked and felt anger simmering in her stomach. Raina, or the ghost of her that lingered in the witch's mind, seemed impressed with the red hot feelings Willow was experiencing. She sucked in a sharp breath and started to talk: "I left because---"
Garbage cans resumed their rattling. A window cracked. Nathaniel whined and begged Willow to stop before burying his face in her stomach. Asher put his hands over hers and whispered soothing words. Requiem quietly suggested that Willow control her emotions, with very little poetry. However, it wasn't until she smelled the woods and felt Richard's metaphysical fur that she started to calm down.
Richard's beast caressed hers, relaxing it and drawing some of that anger away. Willow moaned and closed her eyes as the two spirits teased her; it felt as if something deep inside of her was being brushed with fur.
"Relax," he whispered.
She turned and looked at him. She wasn't surprised to see his amber, wolfish eyes looking back at her.
"It's so hard," she breathed. "They... they---"
"We need to go home," Richard reminded her, "not start another war."
She nodded and looked back at Buffy, who was watching them all with an expression that reflected horror, confusion, and a little awe. Willow inhaled slowly and licked her lips.
"I'm home, Buffy," she said calmly. "And I know that's not what you want to hear... but... I'm not leaving St. Louis."
"Will, don't do this," Buffy replied, almost pleading.
The witch shrugged and frowned. "You were my best friend, Buffy... and some of the things I need to say... well, I can't say them, because I don't know if you'll understand. You should really go back wherever your home is now," she told the slayer. "Take Dawn and Xander and Giles and go home. Go back to doing whatever it is you do now, because you'll just waste time trying to convince me to go someplace that isn't for me."
"We won't convince---"
"Then fight me, Buffy," Willow said with a little roll of her eyes, "because you remember how well that went the first time, right?"
"Willow..."
"Do whatever you want to do," the redhead insisted. "Believe whatever you want to believe. But, nothing is going to change the fact that I'm not leaving St. Louis."
"Then, you won't leave."
Richard and Nathaniel both growled. Asher actually flashed his fangs. Willow blinked at their reactions and shared a long look with Requiem, who seemed troubled---but also confused---by the situation.
"You're not going to hurt her," Richard said, his eyes amber and his voice thick and rumbling.
"No, you're not," Asher agreed. He stared at the slayer. "You should leave town before you stir something that has settled."
Buffy looked the scene over. Willow could almost hear what she was thinking: too many opponents; fall back and regroup. The blonde woman got into her car and drove away after surveying the small group by Richard's car. Willow didn't know if it was good for them if Buffy considered them all threats; she was afraid the slayer would do something dangerous that would endanger many more lives.
After a few minutes, Asher kissed Willow's neck and Nathaniel managed to kiss between some of the straps on her stomach. Richard tossed the keys to Requiem and then slowly moved for the passenger side; Nathaniel untangled himself from Willow's lower body and then he and Willow got into the back seat after Asher so they could cuddle up the way they wanted to.
When she saw the Circus of the Damned's signage and the fanged clown heads that decorated the property, she sighed and relaxed, feeling the comforts of home before she descended into its bowels.
TBC...