Becoming I

TITLE: Becoming
AUTHOR: Willie J (aka Lemonychocolate)
EMAIL: wmj166@yahoo.com
ARCHIVE SITE(S): http://parrot.nearheralways.com/index.php, http://www.brain-insan.com/beyondcanon, http://www.adult-fanfiction.org
PAIRINGS: A/X,
RATING: R for now
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any part of Buffy et all, not Angel the Series.
FEEDBACK: Oh please send me feedback, privately or through the list
DISTRIBUTION: List Archives
SPOILERS: Ats S3 & 4
BETA'D BY: Kris and James (mere words cannot express my sincere gratitude)

SUMMARY: Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer..As a consequence of g rag raped by Angelus and through Drusilla's dark magic, Xander finds himself pregnant with Angel/Angelus child, Xander lies and Angel is sent to Hell.

Angel returns from Hell and in fear, Xander decides to run away have the child, give it up for adoption and return back to Sunnydale with no one the wiser he runs into a small problem…..his drunken father has stolen all his money.

Now forced to depend on Angel for sanctuary while giving birth to their child, they form a tentative truce. Xander gets involved behind the scenes with the Scooby gang and eventually reopen contact with them, but keeping the true reason why he left Sunnydale a secret.

Angel and Xander discover they have a dymphire daughter (human/vampire) and find out that Xander is a Traveler, able to Shift from dimension and Xander also discovers he is a latent Natural mage. Spike returns to Sunnydale and spills the beans about what Angelus had really did to Xander.

Buffy comes to L.A. intent on killing Angel for what Angelus has done, balked by Xander powers she returns home. Xander still provides help to the Scoobies unbeknownst to Buffy. Angel has a one-night stand with Darla but recognizes his mistake and returns home. Xander and Angel grow closer with Angel making his intentions plain to a skittish Xander while the human becomes grudgingly involved with the Oracles.

Xander and Angel become lovers, linking them together as Xander's Traveler Mate. Darla returns, pregnant. An old enemy of Angel returns with plans to kill Angel and everything he holds dear.

Angel finds out he's been drinking human blood, even worse, blood mixed with Conns mas making him rage out of control. Concerned over his friend Wes, he tries to draw the man out, unbeknownst to him, Wes was harboring a dark secret of betrayal. Xander after a last mission for the Oracles calls it quit, determined not to work for them again after their latest betrayal.

After reading a prophecy about Angel and Connor, Wes is determined to protect both father and son. Kidnapping Connor, he hands the baby to Holtz and receives a slashed throat in return. Angel returns and realizing what happened chased after Holtz. He can only watch in horror as Holtz jumps
through a portal with his son.

In his efforts to find his son, Angel teeters on the edge of being out of control until he discovers that Xander knows how to get to Quor-Toth but refuses to help. Angel orders Xander out of the apartment and out of his life. Angel locates the demon Sahjian and a fight ensues as the vampire tries to force the demon to tell him how to get into Quor-Toth. Angel is defeated, however, due to Xander’s careful watch of the events Justine is able to contain Sahjian in an urn. Wesley is located and has been taken to a hospital to recover a slashed throat when Gunn contacts Angel with the news. Angel attempts to kill Wesley, Xander and Spike intervene; then all disappear…

Now the story.....

Chapter 9

Angel blinked and turned slowly around as he gazed at the twilight world that Xander had Shifted them to.

A shiver took him unawares as he regarded the grim, desolate landscape, the overturned rocks and boulders tossed about as if from a child's careless tantrum. The land looked raped and ravaged as farhe che could see and he wondered if there was any life on this dark, depressing world that Xander had brought them to.

His head jerked sharply to the left when he heard something scuttling and moving in the darkness beyond. Even with his enhanced vision, he was barely able to make out a dark shape that was crawling rapidly away.

Then at a low feral growl from his right, he turned swiftly to face the potential threat, unnerved to see two huge orange eyes glowing in the darkness and stumbled back when a third eye opened above the two. And he instinctively ducked as he felt the passage of some huge creature, flying above...the wailing screech it gave made him want to find the nearest bed and hide under it.

"Xander, where are we," he asked in a hushed voice and he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt something touch his hand. He drew it quickly away before he looked down into Holly's sad, startled eyes.

"Poppa," she looked up at him, her eyes glistening with incipient tears. She didn't know why everyone was so upset with her poppa, all she knew was that her daddies were fighting, and it scared her to death.

Angel looked down into his daughter's eyes and everything he had done over the past couple of days came to him in a rush. In his struggle...in his rage and grief he forgot one of the most important reasons why he continued in the Light's service: to make the world a better place for her, so that she could walk the streets in relative safety. So that she could rest knowing that there were no monsters to harm her in the closets, under the bed or on the streets.

Kneeling down, he drew her into his arms, burying his face into her neck...just inhaling the sweet baby scent that still clung to her. And feeling her tiny arms lock about his neck, it was all that he could do not to scream for all that he had lost.

Xander regarded his mate with dispassionate eyes, feeling a slight softening of his heart when he saw Angel's shoulders shaking as he hugged their daughter.

Holly drew back and held her poppa's face in her tiny hands, trembling at the sight of tears in his eyes, "Poppa, don't be sad," she said earnestly peering into his eyes. "Dis good place, with lots of people to play with. It's fun!"

Angel looked at her and smiled, "I believe you, poppet," as he s up. up.

Holly slipped her hand into his, "I show you, okay? We have lots of fun," she peeked up at him impishly, bouncing happily. She couldn't wait to show off her Poppa to her friends!

"Okay," Angel quietly agreed before looking at Xander, slightly taken aback at his mate's grim attire.
XandXander, where are we?" he asked again, searching Xander's shadowed eyes.

"Home," was the simple reply, before Xander whirled around and began walking
away.

Angel had no other choice but to follow along, especially with Holly tugging at his hand.

"No matter what you see or what you hear, don't ever stray from the path," Xander tossed over his shoulder, the long black coat flowing out on either side of his legs as he walked.

"Why," Angel asked, his brow furrowing in puzzlement as he looked around at the empty landscape.

"Because, things here are not quite what they seem," Willow said quietly behind him, stang hng him into halting in shock.

He had forgotten that she was behind him!

His mouth almost dropped open as he took in her grim expression and her cls, as, almost identical to Xander's except she had only a chain holding the two sides of her coat together as the material swept down at an angle, baring the rest of her torso to the top of her lowriding pants.

He regarded the cool look in her eyes, this wasn't the Willow that he was used to seeing...with her ready s and and friendly eyes. He hadn't even realized that she was behind him until she spoke.

He looked at Spike who regarded him with unreadable icy blue eyes...feeling relieved that at least Spike still seemed familiar.

Spike looked at him coolly for a few moments before extending his hand, "Here, put these in your nose, it'll help cut down on the smell as you get closer," he said quietly, before taking another pair and inserting them into his own nose.

y,"y," Angel looked suspiciously at the oblong objects.

"S'blood," was the simple reply.

Reluctantly, Angel took them and gently inserted them in his nose.

"C'mon Poppa, we gotta hurry," Holly tugged insistently on his hand.

"Do you know where we are going, Holly," Angel said quietly since it seemed no one else was going to answer his question.

"Yep!" Holly said, skipping in excitement. "We're goin' to the Hall."

"Where's the Hall," Angel asked patienas tas they strode along, he marveled at the fluid way Xander was walking, wondering when had his mate developed that particular mode of moving. It reminded him of a sleek black panther...graceful, beautiful and deadly.

"Right there," Holly said eagerly, pointing to a huge building as they rounded a corner.

"Holy shit," Angel breathed softly, staring at the building in awe.

"Oooooh, Daddy…Poppa said a bad worrrrrdddd," Holly singsonged, her eyes glittering with mischief.

Angel rolled his eyes, "Sorry sweetie," he said with a quick smile, his eyes returning to the huge building and the steps leading up to the immense double doors. He stiffened as he observed four huge, monstrous figures guarding the doors.

Willow swiftly bypassed the gawking Angel, while Spike remained behind Angel. Side by side, Willow and Xander swept up the stairs, their coats trailing behind them like shadowy wings until they reached the top of the stairs.

Angel eased Holly behind him, trying to grab her when she wiggled away from him and darted up the stairs.

"Allors! Lookit, my Poppa came with us this time," Holly boasted to the huge guard, who unbent slightly to peer at her with one eye.

"So I see, little one," he boomed out, reaching out a claw and gently stroking flyaway hair from her face.

"Perhaps, your Poppa will visit us more often then, yes," came a silvery trill from another huge guard, a black carapace covering her body.

"Ooooh you think so, Lida," Holly turned to the other guard that spoke and by this time Angel had reached them.

Angel uneasily wondered what type of demon these were, he had never seen demons quite like this before.

"Lida, Allor, Sadi, and C'ka," Xander said quietly, indicating each of the guards, "This is my matngelngel."

The guards eyed Angel for a long time, before the biggest one covered with brindled fur stepped forward, "Any mate or friend of journyman Xander is welcome here," he growled to Angel. None of them extended their hands, paws or claws to Angel, something that he noted with a faint uneasy feeling. They called Xander a journeyman, Angel wondered, journeyman oft?
t?

A smaller door opened in one of the huge doors and they walked through. Again Angel looked around him with a slack jaw, marveling at the immensity of the structure before he looked away and met Xander's unreadable eyes.

Angel looked around him at the multitude of creatures walking the halls, engrossed in their conversation and paying no attention to the humans in their midst other than quick grimaces that he hoped were smiles to Spike, Willow and Xander.

Holly tugged on Xander's hand, "Daddy, can I go find Meldy andy wiy with her," she begged.

Xander looked down, "Don't you want to say Hello first to Master Zed," he asked with a smile, knowing the answer before her squeal of joy.

"YES! Unca Zed first, I want to show him the necklace that Grandma gave me," she bounced eagerly.

"Master Zed," Angel said quietly, his eyes intent on Xander, "Who's Master Zed?"

At that Xander's eyes went blank, "You wanted to know about Quor-Toth didn't you? Well, he's just the person you need to speak to."

Angel didn't move, there was something wrong here that was teasing at his senses...the demons that walked the halls, the building...everthing shouted wrongness to hi
"
"I thought you said that Travelers were not permitted to go into Quor-Toth," he said quietly, his face wary.

Xander looked at him with no expression, "And I thought you wanted to know about Quor-Toth," he repeated with a raised brow.

Holly looked back and forth between her fathers, feeling that same sensation of badness rising between them.

"Poppa, don't you wanna met Unca Zed? He's really nice and smart too," Holly pleaded, looking up at Angel.

"Fine, let's go met this Master Zed," Angel sighed, holding Holly's hand.

"Xan, if you don't mind, me and Spike are gonna go to our bedroom. We'll see you at dinner, okay? Tell Zed that we'll be by early tomorrow morning and tell him that he had better be prepared to get his ass kicked in chess tomorrow too," Willow's eyes had narrowed in anticipation of the challenge, before Spike dragged her away.

Xander just rolled his eyes as he, Angel and Holly left the hallway. He was well used to the competitive nature of the two, sometimes they would go for days before one would grudgingly concede defeat.

Angel couldn't help but look around him with a sense of wonder at the way all the various demons were getting along. This was like a demon utopia, he thought with an inward smile.

He watched as Xander paused in front a desk manned by a blue and yellow striped demon.

"Chala, how's it going," Xander said enthusiastically, shaking the paw the other extended.

"Xander and little Hollycat," Chala snarled out, standing erect on his four legs, "When did you two get here?"

"We just got here," Holly piped up from Angel's side, jumping up and down in excitement, eager to see her Unca Zed.

"And you really want to see Master Zed," Chala said shrewdly, wang tng the bouncing figure and chuckling.

"YES!" Holly shouted in joy, her eyes sparkling.

Chala and Xanlauglaughed, before Chala waved them through a door that was opening.

As they stepped through the doorway into the red lit room, Angel could definitely smell the distinct scent of blood, silently thanking Spike for giving him the nose plugs, otherwise he would have been frothing at the mouth at the scent of so much blood. He frowned, where was it coming from?

"Zed," Holly shouted excitedly, running along a path and stopping in the center, "Look at what my Granma gave me," she wrestled her locket out of her shirt and held it up in the air.

"Very pretty," came a low voice around them.

Angel started and Xander gave him a cool glance. Angel cast a look around the room, his uneasy feeling growing as he took another look around the room, peering at the electricity playing along the spidery tracks in the walls. A soft breeze was rhythmically blowing back and forth across his face, accompanied by a muted thumping sound.

"Master Zed, this is my mate, Angel," Xander bowed, smiling at Holly's shout, 'And my Poppa, too!'

He turned to her, "Sweetie, why don't you run along and wait outside with Chala while we talk with Master Zed, okay? Then when we come out, we'll find Meldy and you two can play in the garden."

He smiled at the eagerness on her face as she ran out the door, his smile fading as he met Angel's eyes.

"Master Zed, Angel wishes to know about Quor-Toth."

Angel shivered as the breeze blew a little faster across his face.

"Ahhhh," came the sigh in the chamber, "What do you wish to know, mate to Xander?"

"I was told that a Traveler could open a portal into Quor-Toth, but I was also told that no Traveler would be foolish or crazy enough to take me there," Angel spoke, loo aro around, growing unsettled as that damn drumming sound seem to speed up a bit.

"Both are equally correct. A Traveler can open a portal to Quor-Toth, however, if the Traveler was very fortunate, he or she will die in the attempt along with their Travel Mate."

Angel froze before saying unsteadily, "And if they weren't fortunate, then what?" feeling a horrible sense of dread as he waited for the reply.

And a strong breeze nearly blew him over, "Then they live for a very long time."

"That's no answer," Angel shouted angrily, his eyes furious.

"It is the only answer that I will give you," was the cold reply, "I would suggest that you heed your mate's advice and give up your foolish quest into Quor-Toth."

"My son is in Quor-Toth," Angel growled, his eyes tug gog gold.

"Then you have my sympathy. However, no sane Traveler will venture into Quor-Toth. It is a nightmare realm of shadows and demons where very few humans can survive," came the quiet response.

Angel sneered {,} as he lost his temper, "Well, I would imagine that the lot of you would do well in Quor-Toth."

Behind him, Xander winced.

The chamber went silent except for the steady muffled thumping noise as even the gushing wind stopped blowing for a mi abo about the room.

"Goodbye, mate of Xander," was the cool response.

Xander sighed, "Let's go Angel," and tugged Angel from the room.

As they exited the room, Angel muttered, "Well, it's true, you would think with all these demons running around, that one or two more demons wouldn't matter in Quor-Toth."

Holly looked up at Angel's mutd cod comment and laughed, "Silly Poppa, you and Spikie is the only demons here! Daddy, Chala sent a message for Meldy to c'mere, can I stay until she gets here," she anxiously waited for Xander's reply, not noticing the frown on Angel's face at her earlier words.

"Chala, is it okay if Holly waits here for Meldy," Xander called over to the other.

"Certainly, she can help me with my homework," Chala smiled, revealing a
mouth full of sharp serrated teeth.

"Okay, Holly you can stay but you had better mind, Chala," Xander warned her sternly. "If I hear one bad thing from him or anyone else while we're here , you will be sitting in your room for the rest of our stay, is that clear?"

Holly heaved a put on sigh, "Dadddyyyy, I'll be good."

"Fine, then you can stay," Xander said giving her a quick hug and kiss before he left with Angel with a few warning looks back The They walked along for several minutes with Xander greeting a number of individuals by name, clasping hands/paws/claws with them or enveloping one or two in a hug. Quietly introducing a discomforted Angel to everyone that stopped him.

"Well, it's finally nice to meet you," said one rather crotchety individual with a hard carapace on his back and spindly legs. "You hafta get the boy to bring you more often instead of hiding you away."

Angel was silent, remembering the many occasions where Xander had asked him
to come to several different functions, how each time he had put him off; the times Xandeked ked him to meet some of his friends and he had claimed that he had a lot of work to do. And it struck him that Xander didn't bother to ask him or try to tell him about what he did as a Traveler any longer.

He cast a sidelong look at Xander's averted profile, silently noting the lines of tension in Xander's face and the squared shoulders as they walked.

"It hurt you every time that I refused to come with you here, didn't it," he finally said quietly.

Xander shrugged, "I got used to it," his answer was equally quiet and still he refused to look at Angel.

"That's not what I asked," Angel responded evenly, stopping in his tracks.

"Angel, just let the matter rest, it's not important anymore," Xander said with a tiny sigh as he continuing on.

"Fine, let's talk about something else then," Angel said, swiftly catching up with the other. "What did Holly mean when she said that me and Spike were the only demons here? Whae hee hell is everybody else here," he demanded quietly, blinking as they reached a door.

Xander opened the door, gesturing Angel inside where Spike and Willow were
sitting on a couch talking.

"They're humans," Xander said quietly, he nodded to Spike and Willow in acknowledgement.

Angel whirled around, his face shocked, "Humans?! But they look....," he stuttered.

"...like demons, I know," Xander nodded his head as he crossed the room heading for another door and opening the door into a huge bedroom awash in sunlight.

Angel blinked and stood at the doorway, away from the deadly sunlight.

Xander's mouth twisted, "It's not real sunlight," he assured Angel with unreadable eyes. After everything he had bthrothrough with Angel the past couple of days, he wasn't sure if he wanted to sharbed bed with him tonight or ever again.

Sure he told Angel that it didn't matter if the other came with him or not to the Hall, but it did. It ate and festered inside him like a vicious rat trying to chew its way out. Everyone brought their mates and husbands or wives to watch them advance in ranking but him. It wasn't enough for him to just have Willow, Spike and Holly watching and cheering him on, he wd And Angel there beside him, sharing his triumphs.

And with every refusal by Angel, the feeling of being nothing more than a sex toy for his Mate grew until finally he stopped asking, choosing instead to be cnt wnt with whatever Angel choose to give him.

He was brought back by Angel's demand, "If they're humans then how in the hell do they look like that," Angel's mouth was twisted in distaste.

"Way, way back, there was an island of a bunch of proud arrogant people. Just about everyone on the island were Travelers," Xander began, unbuttoning his coat and tossing it on a chair. "Really tiny experiments had shown them that Quor-Toth was an extremely dangerous dimension so the leaders had vowed to never to Travel or even open a portal to that dimension. One day the most powerful and arrogant Traveler decided to see what was within Quor-Toth, calling anyone that tried to convince him to stop 'a bunch of old
fools'.

"About 200 men and women decided to heed the omens of danger and put out to sea before the portal opened. The portal opened and managed to suck the island into Quor-Toth before the people on the island could close it again. And they remained stuck in Quor-Toth for several centuries before their mages were able to push the island out of Quor-Toth and into this pocket of NoWhere. And here they have remained for thousands of years. About 17,000 people either died or went mad from the effects of what Quor-Toth did to their bodies," Xander gazed steadily at Angel as he toed off his shoes.

"This Hall," and he waved his hand, indicating the immense structure, "Was built to house Master Zed as a warning and a reminder to all Travelers. All Travelers are descended from the 200 men and women that left the island."

Angel swallowed thickly, fearing the answer but knowing he had to ask it, "Whe...where is Master Zed?"

Xander regarded him steadily, "You were just in him."

And he turned and walked into the bathroom, sitting on the side of the tub and running the water. He didn't turn around even though he knew Angel stood behind him.

"That chamber," Angel began unsteadily, "The thumping sound...," his voice rose slightly.

"....was his heart beating, the wind that you felt was him breathing," Xander said quietly without looking around at the other, swirling his hand in the water.

Reaching into a cabinet, he removed a canister of fragrant herbs, great for soothing fretful babies and upset parents, his mouth twisted in a wry grin as he fought to control his tears.

Angel stood frozen, his mouth nearly dropping open in shock at the revelation.

"Why didn't you tell me this before," he asked quietly, trying as best as he could to not sound so accusatory.

"Angel, how many times did I ask you to come with me here," Xander asked in a quiet voice as he leaned forward and shut off the water. "If you had come with me, I wouldn't have had to tell you anything, you would have known. But every time I asked you to come with me, you were always too 'busy'," Xander looked down, trying not to show just how much it had hurt.

Angel watched the averted profile with brooding eyes, he had seriously fucked up! If he had only listened to Xander when the other tried to talk to him, when his mate had virtually begged him to listen. But noooo, a big stubborn galoot like him couldn't be bothered to listen, so focused and intent on getting his son back that there was no room in his heart for anything else.

"Would it help if I said that I was sorry," Angel finally whispered, feeling an awful pain in his chest when he tried to open their link and Xander slammed it shut again.

"No, because they'll be just words," Xander shook his head slowly, "Once we leave here, you'll probably be back to acting the same way, with me as your little piece of ass. Good for nothing but a good fuck!" He bit his lipsavagely as his anger and hurt almost escaped him.

"Go away, Angel and let me take a bath in peace," he finally said when he had himself under control.

Angel stumbled from the room in shock. He didn't treat Xander like that, did he, he questioned himself desperately. He loved Xander! He would never hurt his mate, or dismiss him so casually.

He walked blindly out of the room, not noticing several other people in the room as well,ing ing back to himself with a start as he heard his name called.

"Angel," Willow said quietly, touching his arm, "This is Brand," she indicated a silvery haired young man with merry gray eyes, "And his husband Zeln," indicating a bigger black haired male regarding him with cool eyes.

Angel looked at the big man with narrowed eyes, sensing hostility in the man before grudgingly extending his hand.

"Greetings, mate of Xander," Zeln said coolly and cold gray eyes appra the the vampire before him.

"Be nice," Brand hissed at him, his gray eyes sparking with temper.

Zeln looked down at his mate with a bland face, "I am always nice," he reminded the other, dropping Angel's hand and dismissing the vampire.

Angel retreated against the wall, watching as the huge room swiftly became crowded. Everyone here, he realized in some amazement, was here to greet Xander, Willow or Spike! He tried to count the shifting people and finally gave up after he had reached 80 and when Xander finally came out of the bedroom dressed in a pair of skintight brown pants and a sheer top, he nearly fell over in shocked lust at the sight.

Grabbing a glass from a table, he retreated to the darkening balcony away from the crowd of chattering people. He didn't know any of these people, unaware of the swift look of pain that Xander threw him before the other turned around with a bright smile to his friends.

But Zeln saw and understood.

And he would help his young friend as the other helped him to see the truth.

Casually he picked up a bottle and joined the other on the balcony.

"Your mate and I have been friends for a very long time," he began coolly, "He helped me out of a very difficult spot some years ago and I have been searching for some way to repay him."

Angel cast the man a cool look in return, "Oh, please do continue," he said sarcastically.

Zeln looked at him with little change in his eyes, "You will lose him to another if you are not careful," he warned the vampire very quietly.

Angel's eyes narrowed, "Like you," his words were a soft hiss of menace.

"I am married and extremely faithful to my husband," Zeln stated calmly, sipping at his drink.

"However, I was once in a similar position as you," he continued, staring out over the landscape. "And Xander opened my eyes to what was going on in my life."

"Oh, and how did he do that," Angel said, with mocking attention.

"On my world, sex between two males is something that is strictly forbidden...it is the only crime that is punishable by death," Zeln began quietly. "My people were always aware that Travelers existed and it was the highest honor that anyone could obtain. Travelers were powerful and mysterious, helping others, protecting the weak until they were strong enough. Every one in our village was overjoyed when it was discovered that Brand was a Traveler. Female after female was paraded before him for years in hopes that he would find a suitable Travel Mate but to no avail. And when the parents died he was extremely...distraught when he came to tell me of the news. I had always been there for him, you see, despite our age differences," Zeln looked gravely at Angel.

"He lay trying not to cry in my bed, simply needing to be held and to be comforted. He didn't come to me for sweet kisses, for a passionate rendezvous with me but that was what he found and that night I became his Travel Mate. And in the morning, I found that I had lost my home, my wife and children as our family turned their backs on us....and I placed all the blame squarely on him. I punished for for over 50 years by whoring around
with any female I could find, feeding everything I felt, the pleasure, the ecstasy back through our link, shoving it in his face. And he silently took all my abuse with nary a word to defend himself. But every mission that he undertook kept getting riskier and riskier, but I in my arrogance couldn't see what I was doing to him. I had always vowed to protect him, to guard him with my life and was now the one hurting him, slowly killing him with my indifference and cruelty. The only time that I ever went to him was when my need for him overrode my senses, but then I went right back to punishing him even more harshly."

Zeln looked at Angel and how silent he had become, "It wasn't until Xander came, did I realize just how far I had gone with him, what I had done to him. They came back from a mission with Brand halfdead, it was only Xander's desperate hold on his life that kept him alive. I fought to reach my Mate and managed to punch Xander before he beat me to within an inch of my life that day. I lay on the floor barely able to breath, feeling near
death and he came to me, whispering that the way I felt was only a fraction of what Brand endured from me, wanting to die but not able to."

"Xander wouldn't let me anywhere near Brand for the next several months, somehow he figured out how to block our bond with each other. He began introducing Brand to other people that would care for him, love him, to give him the support the way I refused to do. And it wasn't until I heard Brand's laughter that I realized just what I was throwing away. I don't know where I found the strength to break through whatever barrier Xander plabetwbetween us, but I managed to link back with Brand and begged him to be my husband. Which is what I think Xander was trying to guide me towards anyhow," Zeln's mouth twisted up wryly.

Angel finally stirred, "All this because your people won't accept a male bonding," he asked in a harsh whisper.

"No, all this because Brand is my younger brother," Zeln said quietly, his eyes sparkling with laughter at the look on Angel's face.

"Your brother," Angel managed to wheeze out, his eyes wide.

"Yes, I probably could have accepted a male in my bed, with a lot of protesting of course, but I would have accepted him, but my younger brother was a lot harder to accept as a Mate," Zeln shook his head. "That's why I asked him to marry me, this way we can't leave each other," he announced in tones of extreme satisfaction.

Angel stood still, "What exactly do you mean by that," he said carefully, his face neutral.

Zeln looked at him with cool amusement in his eyes, "I mean that the Traveler initially mates with someone that they are very close to, someone that they know will keep them safe. However, should they find someone else better suited to the task they can discard the first mate in favor of the second mate. But it is up to the Mate to make the bond more....solid. That is why it's called Mate's Choice, it is the Mate that makes the bond...the link permanent. And it will be very difficult for you to do that should Xander sets you aside, don't you think?"

And he gave Angel an icy smile before he walked away, leaving the vampire stunned.

Of course, Xander would never unBond with the vampire nor had a Traveler ever discarded a Mate, he chuckled to himself, and wasn't it a shame that the vampire didn't know that? He hoped it would make the vampire look at Xander with new eyes and appreciate what he had in Xander.

"What you you do," Brand whispered fiercely to his husband, easily recognizing that look on the other's face.

Zeln looked down with innocent eyes, "Me?! Why I was just getting to know Xander's Mate a little better, that's all," he said with an injured tone.

"Like Xander says, 'Pull the other one'," Brand snorted, "We'll discuss this further when we get home," he said firmly. Where their friends and family were concerned, he didn't trust Zeln one bit.

Not if I distract you first, Zeln thought with a inward chuckle.