Thralls

Title: Thralls, chapter 5
Disc: ATS and BTVS are not mine.....Title: Thralls, chapter 5

"From what I can gather," Wesley began, carefully turning another yellowed, fragile vellum page in the old, old book he was consulting. "He fed off of all three, and he didn't or couldn't drain them. So they all lived. Even a master vampire can only drink so much blood. If he didn't kill them, they are all pretty much safe, and pretty much his, for life. He chose them all." He was surprised, no, he was shocked and it was apparent in the tone of his voice.

"Ugh. Fine. They are his, and he isn't going to kill them." Cordelia said, shaking her head in disgust. "But what about the sex thing? I really don't want to think about Xander doing the deed with Angel. That just isn't...Xander. Or Angel. I've never seen Angel with a guy. Do they have to do that?" She waggled her fingers vaguely in the air, her distaste obvious.

Doyle blinked, blushed, trying to follow the waggling fingers and not think too closely on what was happening upstairs. "I don't know if they have to, Cordelia. But if they do, what business is it of ours? We aren't sleeping with Angel, or any of the other guys. It is their business."

Cordelia glared at him. "For your information I was sleeping with one of them. And he is still my friend. Just because I am not with him any longer doesn't mean I don't have rights. Or that I don't care! Xander Harris isn't gay. He wouldn't have been with me if he was." She stated the last triumphantly, lifting her perfect chin high.

"Hate to say this, Cordy, but being with a woman doesn't mean a man isn't gay." Gunn said, from his place half sitting on the desk hanging over Wes' shoulder while the smaller man read. She frowned at him, glared. And Doyle rushed in to fill the icy silence.

"Not even a gay man would be able to resist you, princess." Doyle tried to soothe her ire. Casting a begging glance at Gunn. Who ignored him. Cordelia fumed, not at all mollified.

"Have you seen Angel with a girl? With anyone?" Gunn asked pointedly, re-entering the conversation once it became clear Cordy wasn't going to be appeased if she wasn't distracted. "The guy does not have a love life. Or a sex life. Why should that matter, anyway?"

"For your information, yes." Cordy said. "I have seen him with women. Buffy for one. And Darla."

"And you would rather he stays with women when he's got that kind of luck? You have just convinced me he should try to play in the other field." Gunn shuddered. "Forgive me, but a guy, any guy would be better than that bitch Darla. I didn't know the Slayer, but hey, I have heard about the Angel/Angelus problem. I'd much rather he stayed Angel. I vote for the guys."

Wesley looked over at the fighter with some degree of surprise. Not that he had expected homophobia, exactly, but Gunn was so straight it made a ruler seem a wee bit bent. This...openness was quite unexpected. "So, you are OK with this?" Wesley asked, curiously, doing his own vague air-waving. Gunn snorted. It was sometimes hard to deal with the prissy British sensibility Wesley tried to hold on to with both hands. Though you had to admire the guy for having the balls to try to do it after all they'd seen and done backing Angel up. It had to be a hell of a challenge, that stiff upper lip.

"Of course I am. I don't like that there are three guys up there who may not have had a choice about ending up in this situation, but it is not the guys with guys part that bugs me. It is the choice/no choice part." Gunn said, looking from face to face. He seemed to be the only one with that viewpoint.

"It's not like Angel had a choice either." Fred added softly. She was toying with the end of one long curl. "He had to either take them or kill them. That seems like not much of a choice for him. It must be hard for him, too. Poor Angel."

They all looked at her. Stared. She had a valid point. Sort of.

"You are right, Fred. Absolutely right. Angel was just as helpless as the others. It isn't his fault he is a vampire." Wesley said after a moment. "And it was the lesser of the two evils, I suppose, not killing them. Noble." He pressed his lips together rather primly.

"But not the sex thing. That is not noble." Cordelia insisted, stubbornly. "OK, so he had to bite them, and do the vampire drinking blood thing. But not sex."

"He didn't have sex with us." A voice interrupted what Gunn was about to say. They all spun around to see the two strangers standing in the doorway. It was the taller of the two who had spoken. He held out a hand. "Riley, Riley Finn. I'm a...uh, friend of Buffy's. And this is Graham Miller. From Sunnydale."

"What are you doing down here?" Cordelia snapped, glaring at them. Her tone made the men stare at her in surprise. The shorter man shifted his stance, wary, clearly going on guard.

Riley looked around, letting his hand fall away. "Uh, this is the kitchen isn't it? Angel said we could get something to eat. We're hungry. It's been a while since we've eaten."

"Where is Xander?" Cordy asked sharply, pointedly peering around behind the two men at the empty hall. "Oh my god, you left Xander with Angel, alone? Oh my god! How could you? You go back there and get him right now!" She raged at them, leaning forward, eyes blazing. Riley took an involuntary step back, out of her reach. Graham eased in front of his former superior.

"Relax, lady, Xan is fine." It was the shorter of the two that answered her. "He is in the shower. Angel is asleep. So, anything worth eating around here?" He looked hopeful.

"Who are you?" Riley asked calmly, when Cordelia responded by putting her hands on her hips and stepping in closer, eyes narrowed. She was beautiful. She just didn't smell..right...anymore. He sighed. He had already suspected that whatever this thrall thing had done, it had ruined him for women. Even hot, gorgeous ones like this one. He liked what he saw when he looked at her, but there was no hormonal response attached to it any longer. No more juices flowing. Damn.

"Cordelia Chase. And Xander is my boyfriend." The beauty stated, defiantly. Riley was shocked, he hadn't known Xander had a girlfriend. Especially one who looked like this. There was Anya, who was hot enough, sure, but she was crazy as a loon.

"Ex-boyfriend." Wesley clarified in response to the raised brows of the two men. "Come in. This is the kitchen and there is no reason you shouldn't find something to eat. Angel keeps real people food here, but be prepared to run into packages of blood if you open the fridge. Takes some getting used to. I am Wesley by the way. Wesley Wyndham Price."

"Hey, no problem. Good to meet you, Wesley." Riley moved further into the kitchen. His eyes moved to the tall, dark skinned man who held out a hand.

"Gunn. And unless I am slipping, I'd say the two of you are or were soldiers. Military?" He looked them over. T-shirts, jeans, trainers. Waterproof watches. Not much else. No rings. No jewelry, no jackets.

"Para-military. Used to be Special Forces. Part of the Initiative. Out of Sunnydale. Until they decided we should take part in this little escapade." They shook hands. Graham leaning forward after Riley was done, he had a hell of a grip, Gunn noted.

"Good to meet you, Gunn." Graham said, keeping half of his attention on the woman who still looked angry. "Just want you to know, we weren't in on this plan. We were...drafted, so to speak."

"What plan?" Wesley asked curiously, perking up.

"Getting hooked on Angel and Angel hooked on us." Riley explained, opening the fridge. Grimacing, not at the blood packets, but at the nearly empty shelves. There was lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, but he wasn't in the mood for a salad or a veggie sandwich.

"I feel like I haven't eaten in a week. Raw vegetables are not going to cut it, Ri. Any good take out around here?" Graham asked stepping in closer and looking into the refrigerator over his friend's shoulder.

"Son," Gunn answered, after they had all exchanged incredulous looks. "This is Los Angeles. Of course there is good take out. What do you want? Chinese? Japanese? Korean? Mongolian barbecue? Italian? Indian? Pizza? Mexican? Hamburgers? New Age Cuisine? Lots of healthy fiber?"

"Whoa, whoa! I should have remembered." Riley laughed, holding up a hand. He turned to Graham. Who was smiling back, drool practically running down both of their chins.

"We just have to keep repeating to ourselves, 'This isn't the Hellmouth....this isn't the Hellmouth.' The life expectancy for pizza delivery guys can be measured in more than days. They aren't afraid to deliver here." Graham said, grey eyes twinkling. "So, I am up for pizza, how about you? Anybody?" He looked around.

"You paying? I am down with it. No anchovies though. Anything else is fine by me. Even pineapple." Gunn said.

"No chicken on mine, or bell peppers." Wesley said, patting his stomach. "Makes me belch."

"Ewww." Fred said, wrinkling her nose. "Anything is fine with me. Nothing makes me burp." Of course it didn't, she didn't eat enough, Wesley thought.

"No Canadian bacon, peppers or onions. Or linguicia." Cordelia said. She had seen the look Riley gave her. She preened. "Extra mushroom and olives. Extra sauce, easy on the cheese. Oh, and Parmesan sprinkles, please." She smoothed her skirt.

"OK...." Riley looked around the room. "Phone? Phone book?" He asked.

"No need for the book," Doyle said. "There is only one pizza place we order from." He pulled out his cellphone. Flipping it open. "So we going with...." He ticked the items off on his fingers.

"Two extra large, no anchovies, no onion, no Canadian bacon, no peppers, no linguicia, extra mushroom, extra olives, extra sauce, pineapple...easy on the cheese...."

"No chicken" Wesley reminded him.

"No chicken....Fine. Sprinkles...." Doyle punched the speed dial, repeated the order and hung up. He saw Riley and Graham staring at him. "What?"

"He's our memory man." Cordelia said affectionately. "Comes with the half demon part."

"Half demon?" Riley asked warily. Graham stepped up to flank him. Both men looking Doyle over and not noticing anything out of place.

"Yeh. Rawr!" Cordelia flexed her immaculately filed and polished fingernails over her head and snarled sweetly. Doyle rolled his eyes, and Wesley coughed to cover his laugh. Fred giggled. And Gunn grinned.

"You can tell us about the plan you aren't a part of while we eat." Doyle said, while the Sunnydale men stared at him..

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