SPOILERS: This takes place after Angel loses his soul but before Becoming, which never happened in my 'verse. I will keep and discard Buffy lore as I see fit.

Part 10

There was something about techno music, with it’s pounding incessant beats, that freed a person’s souls, driving away whatever anchored it. It contained a wild, primitive purity that managed to siphon those dancing to it off from reality. You couldn’t help but give yourself over to the fierce beauty of the music. It was a secret Willow was only just learning, and it thrilled her, making her heart pound erratically to the beat of the music.

Another secret was that you could dance as spastically as you wanted and nobody cared. Even the worst dancers were decent when gyrating to the synthetic rhythm of techno. As Willow danced within the sea of the nameless, faceless crowd, she felt absolutely unselfconscious. That usually didn’t happen while Willow was dancing.

Panting slightly from the exertion of her nonstop dancing, Willow looked around for Adrian. It was hard to focus her eyes on any one object for long since the dizzying changes of the strobe light kept her eyes in constant dilation, but she eventually caught sight of him not far from where she was dancing. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his mouth turned downwards in an angry pout. He’d been in pretty much the same position since they’d arrived. It had been Willow’s idea to come here, and Adrian had been far less than enthusiastic. He didn’t want to come here- not to a bustling underground club in the center of Venice, where they would be around strangers all night.

"That’s exactly the kind of element we should avoid. It’s the kind of place vampires like to frequent- and any vampire could be a tie to Angelus. Do you want Angelus to find you just because you had to go dancing one night?" Willow had already known every excuse Adrian gave. He was right- going dancing was precisely what she should not be doing if she wanted to remain undiscovered by Angelus, but that still hadn’t stopped her. They’d been in Italy for 4 months and they’d spent all of it hidden away in their small cabin in the countryside, their only company, aside from each other, being the small village 4 miles east of their house. It wasn’t that Willow didn’t enjoy spending all that time alone with Adrian. She just needed a night out, without worrying about vampires and demons out to make you their immortal brides. Besides, Willow just couldn’t bear being so close to Venice, a city she had often dreamed about visiting when she was stuck in Sunnydale, and not spending some time enjoying it.

When Willow had insisted on coming, her resolve face firmly in place, Adrian had been left with no choice but to accompany her. "But I won’t enjoy it. And I definitely won’t be dancing." Adrian, having laid down those conditions, was making sure he firmly abided by them.

Annoyed and distracted by Adrian’s refusal to loosen up, Willow danced her way over to where he was standing. She had to maneuver her way around a group of young Italian beauties who, she couldn’t help but notice, were all checking out Adrian, throwing admiring glances his way which he steadfastly ignored. Willow took great pleasure in slithering up to Adrian, sliding her arms up and around his neck and drawing his lips to hers for a passionate kiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pack of girls glaring at her, openly jealous. Willow couldn’t help the pleasure it gave her. <Imagine that. Five Venetian girls, beautiful enough to be models, jealous of little old Willow. My, how things change. >

When they pulled apart, Adrian’s expression had softened a bit, but not much. Willow had learned there were few people as good at being stubborn as Adrian. Of course, Willow was pretty good at it herself, which led to some pretty interesting arguments between the couple.

"So, does this mean you’ve gotten this yearning to let loose out of your system and you’re ready to go?"

Willow smiled seductively, shaking her head so strands of her hair whipped back and forth. Grabbing hold of his hand, Willow pulled Adrian into the crowd. "Dance with me." It was a command, not a request, and before Adrian could open his mouth to protest, Willow had spirited him into the center of the dance floor and had her body pressed intimately against his. It wasn’t exactly the right kind of music for full body contact dancing, but Willow didn’t care. She was tired of Adrian’s temper tantrum, and she was gonna do whatever it took to cheer him up. Besides, Willow never shied away from an excuse to be close to Adrian.

He resisted at first, remaining stiff and unmoving, but he wasn’t able to resist for long. What, with Willow backside brushing up against Adrian’s crotch and her hands running up and down the side of his legs. In no time, Willow was able to feel the effects of her dancing, as his arousal pressed into her behind. Knowing he was beat, Adrian wrapped his arms around Willow’s waist and began to move with her body. He buried his face in her neck and she heard the barely audible groan escape his lips as she pressed her body even closer to his.

They danced that way for awhile, each enjoying the feel of the others body. Willow had never fully realized the sensual nature of dancing before. The friction between their bodies was making Willow ache with unreleased longing. The music went from driving, techno beats to the slow, insinuating rhythms of reggae. The friction became a pleasurable agony when, copying the moves of other couples, Willow turned around and straddled Adrian’s leg as they continued to move against each other. Each thrust of his thigh against her crotch sent pulses of heat through her vagina and up towards her abdomen. Though their movements were slow and deliberate, the effects were leaving Willow panting for breathe, her body moistening from sweaty desire.

The rest of the room died away, leaving only Adrian and Willow. Not caring who was watching, Willow’s lips met Adrian’s, her delicate hands grasping the back of his head, pressing his lips hard against hers.

Becoming more and more aroused by the feel of Adrian’s body against hers, Willow felt her need growing stronger than ever before. For four months Willow had been holding steadfast in her moral resolve to wait for her wedding night. Not that she had been playing the vestal virgin all this time. Many a night they had fallen asleep, naked and spent from intensely passionate couplings. However, Willow never allowed things to go too far. What she was waiting for, though, she couldn’t exactly say.

As always, a powerful cloud of lust began to overshadow Willow’s reservations. She felt her body being carried on a wave of intense sexual desire. Before they got too out of control, Adrian disentangled himself from Willow and led her silently out of the club.

As they made their way out of the club headed for the privacy of their car, neither noticed the dark haired figure standing within the corner shadows of the club, watching their hurried retreat. Silently she followed them, an invisible shadow unseen by no one.

Inside the plush interior of the Mercedes, Adrian and Willow fell into each other’s arms. The dark corner of the parking lot gave them shelter from the curious eyes of passerbys, though they were barely thinking of such matters. Driven by an animalistic lust, Willow barely noticed the various pieces of clothing she was slowly losing as their embrace became more and more heated.

Adrian nibbled on Willow’s earlobe, causing her to shiver in delight. "You’re so beautiful, Willow." Adrian’s whisper held an intensity of emotion that penetrated straight to Willow’s heart. "I thank the Gods everyday that you came into my life. Without you I’m nothing."

He moved his lips down to caress the soft skin of her jawline, his words carried on the warm kisses he placed there. "I know I don’t tell you this enough. You deserve to hear it every moment of everyday. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I couldn’t go on. If you were gone then I would be gone." He moved his face upwards so it was level with Willow’s own, his forehead resting against hers, their mouths mere centimeters apart. "I’m not saying this well, I know. I just can’t find the words to make you realize how important you are to me."

Willow silenced Adrian with a kiss, a mere brushing of her lips against his. "I know, Adrian. You don’t have to explain it to me because my heart knows deep down, even if my mind doesn’t always. I know because I can feel the counterpart of everything you’re saying inside myself. I feel you in my heart because it’s where you’ve always belonged. You were in my heart before we ever met. It’s always been you, and it always will be."

Eyes radiating love towards each other, they didn’t even kiss. It was enough just to hold each other, and Willow knew why they weren’t rushing to have sex. The emotion was so strong it sustained and filled every desire.

They stayed, kissing and embracing in the backseat of the car until the club closed its doors and the street surrounding the club was near empty. Reluctantly, they moved back to the front seat to prepare for the long drive back to the villa.
 
 

Merging with the shadows that lurked around the edges of the parking lot, Angelus stalked his prey with a cunning and stealth that was all part of his nature. He watched as the couple got in their car, the woman’s red hair igniting the vampire’s passion like a flare. His expression darkened as the couple quickly melted into an embrace, their bodies quickly melding to form one, lascivious entity. Enraged by the sight, Angelus reached for the nearest object to him and found himself crushing a discarded liquor bottle in his bare hand. Starring with detached interest, he watched the blood dripping in thin rivulets from the wounds on his palm. Halfheartedly, he licked the blood away enjoying the fiery path it burned down his throat.

His rage combined with the blood lust, and before he had even decided on his course, he was across the lot, ripping the car door open. Grabbing the redhead by her hair, he sank his fangs into her throat, tearing the skin open with an animal abandon. Effortlessly, he knocked her lover aside. When he had drunk his full, he discarded her lifeless body to the dirty street and reached for the unconscious man. Blood poured from a wound on his head, a product of the steering wheel Angelus had flung him against. In moments, Angelus had drained the couple, the empty husks of their bodies that had been full of life only minutes before now lay side by side on the hard concrete beside their car.

Kicking the girl’s body so she lay on her back, Angelus stared at the pale beauty of her face. Death’s mask colored her lifeless skin an opaque white, paler even than she had been in life. Even the red of her hair was becoming lackluster, the color drained away with her life’s blood. Only the green of her eyes retained any brilliance.

Sneering, Angelus licked his lips, enjoying the remaining blood lingering on his fangs. The ringing of his cell phone broke into his triumph over his conquests. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out the tiny electronic device he was regretting having purchased. "What," he barked into the phone.

"Sorry lover, did I catch you at a bad time?" The voice on the other end rippled with suppressed laughter, which only served to enrage Angelus further. If it had been anyone but Elena, he might have killed them for that laughter. Of course, he might still do it to Elena, even though she had always been one his favored fledgings.

"As a matter of fact Elena, I was just reveling over my latest kill. It was one of my favorites, a red haired beauty if I’ve ever seen one. Now that I can’t enjoy her death, you’d better tell me what you want. I told you never to call me on this wretched device unless it was an emergency. Now, I hope whatever this is will be worth your punishment when we get home tonight."

Elena laughed, knowing full well how much it rattled her sire. She always had enjoyed his anger, especially since it always led to her nude body being chained to his bed. "Well, I figured you’d like to know that you’re favorite red head just left La Traviatta with her Watcher consort. They’re parked outside the club right now, steaming up the windows of their car pretty heavily. Hmm, if my vampiric sight isn’t failing, I dare say she has presently lost her blouse."

Angelus clamped the phone closer to his ear, an all too human reflex reflecting his disbelief in what he was hearing. "I swear Elena, if you’re lying to me right now I am going to make the bone splinters fly when I find you. Is Willow really there, right now?"

Elena giggled, enjoying the rage and excitement her news was producing in the all powerful Angelus. She wasn’t quite sure what hold this girl had over Angelus, but it was certainly a first. Elena had often seen her sire become obsessively attached to young mortal women. She herself had been one of these women. But it was different with this one. The red headed witch was causing the impeccably cool Angelus to lose his control, and that was something Elena had never thought she’d live to see. Nope, never had Angelus been this obsessed. In fact, wasn’t he right this second near the remains of another redheaded victim who had done nothing wrong but resemble this young Witch. Countless girls had fallen victim to similar fates in the past four months. Their body’s lay all over Europe.

Angelus growled a warning as Elena continued to giggle. "Yes, I’m serious. While you were enjoying you’re carbon copy across town, Willow had dancing the night away with her lover, and now they’re about to partake in an older form of dancing, though I can assure you the club is no longer playing music of any kind. Now, are you going to spend the rest of the night yelling at me over the phone or are you going to claim the prize you’ve been searching all over Europe for. If you’d like my advice, I’d suggest getting over here before she drives out of your life… again."

Angelus growled a final time before slipping the phone back in his pocket. The newly acquired blood burned in his veins as he hurried over to his car. He slammed the car door, barely missing his leg. He didn’t even care. He was furious with himself. While Willow was all the way across town he had been wasting his time at this club, reveling in the blood of a girl that looked like her but wasn’t her. If he missed capturing the little witch because of this preoccupation he’d end up killing Elena, just for having seen her when Angelus hadn’t.