Fic info.
Confidante
Prologue
He spit again. What the hell is in that kid's blood? Damn. Buffy looked good tonight. Wonder if she dressed up for him? He screamed her name when I struck.... Rage washed through him. "If I find out she's been fucking around on me, she'll beg me to kill her." He chuckled. "Of course, I was already planing on that course of action...."

"Do you always babble about people begging to be killed?" a soft voice asked from the alley to his right. "That's really...odd. And psychotic."

Angelus stopped short and dropped his human mask into place and turned to glance at her, his half-smile in place. "And you are...?"

The girl tossed light brown curls over her shoulder and studied him, brown eyes running over his black leather pants, black silk shirt, and black duster. "You're a one color sort of guy, huh?" She stepped forward a little, then stopped, seeming to remember suddenly that he'd been muttering about someone begging to be killed. "I'm Katheryn. You're...uhm...." She paused and bit her lip. "You know, I've seen you around the Bronze, but I never caught your name. You hang around that girl...Buffy, I think?"

Angelus smiled fully, sensing new prey. "Do you know Buffy?"

Katheryn made a scoffing noise. "Know of her? Who doesn't? She's violent. I've seen her get into fights on at least three separate occasions." She sighed. "Of course, she has saved all our lives on occasion, too, so I guess she can't be all bad. Like the time that Spike guy showed up at the High School. That is the last time I go to Parent-Teacher Night with my mother."

Angelus raised his eyebrows. "You actually noticed that she's the one who saved everyone? Unusual. Sunnydalers are generally pretty oblivious."

Katheryn nodded. "Yeah. I'm from out of town. So, are you a vampire?"

Angelus' mouth dropped open minutely. "Am I a what?"

"You know, a vampire. Bloodsucker? Creature of the Night? Thing with fangs that drinks human blood? Allergic to the sunlight, crosses, and holy water? You one of those?" She stopped and glanced down the street towards the Bronze. "Sorry. Didn't mean to stump you. I better get going, though. Nice meeting you."

She started off and Angelus was after her in an instant, knowing Buffy was gone. "Why'd you ask me that?"

"What? Whether you're a Vampire?" she asked, not slowing or stopping, but turning her head to look at him. "It's a relevant question in Sunnydale, wouldn't you agree?"

Angelus grimaced, absently agreeing with her. "But why'd you ask me that? You think I'm a Vampire?" He put on his best "I'm hurt" look.

Katheryn laughed softly and stopped, facing him. "Well, are you?"

Angelus was tempted to do something stereotypically evil, such as vamp out and say, "What do you think?" right before he ripped out her throat, but he also wanted the subtle game they were playing to last longer. He raised one eyebrow and stayed silent.

Suddenly, there was a warm hand against his throat, checking for a pulse. He was amazed that she'd have the guts to touch him, especially if she had suspicions that he was a Vampire. She felt around a little more, then leaned closer to him to check if he was breathing. She made a satisfied sound and nodded. "Just as I thought. No human male in Sunnydale dresses this well." She fingered the collar on his silk shirt. "So, you gonna kill me now, or do you wanna dance at the Bronze?"

Angelus chuckled. She was afraid. Had been since she'd discovered the absence of a heartbeat, but she was hiding it well. If it hadn't been for the tell-tale signs only obvious to a Vampire—increased pulse rate, rapid breathing—he would have believed her. Deciding to draw the game out a little farther and see how she'd react, he slipped an arm around her neck and began walking towards the Bronze. "Nah. I already ate. How about some after dinner entertainment?"

Katheryn didn't resist him at all, but she also didn't get any closer to him than he had initially pulled her. He escorted her inside the Bronze, then scared off a couple of lonely looking guys who'd been moping at a table. "There we are," he murmured, slipping his jacket off. He pulled her's off her shoulders, then lifted her onto a stool effortlessly. "Wow. Were you coming here to meet someone?" he asked, his eyes roving over the low-cut peach blouse and short, black skirt.

Katheryn raised an eyebrow. "'Were'? I did come here to meet someone. I'm still planning on meeting him."

He chuckled and reached for her hand across the table and was vaguely impressed when she didn't flinch or pull away. "But you're here with me now, Kathy."

Katheryn narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't call me that. And what is this? You want to ruin my love life before you take my real life?"

Hmm. Good question. What the hell am I doing? he thought to himself. Why haven't I killed her, yet? ‘Cause she's different? Maybe I want to see where this is going. He stared at her with his slightly wicked half smile.

Finally Katheryn sighed and shook her head in defeat. "What's your name, gorgeous?"

"Angel."

Katheryn blinked and then laughed a little, quieting when he gave her an odd look. "Sorry. Just.... Your name is Angel and you're a Vampire...." She blushed a little and looked down. "Probably isn't as funny to you."

Angelus chuckled a little and squeezed the hand he had yet to release. "No, actually. I'm the first to laugh at the irony. It's rather blasphemous, a Demon named Angel."

She let one corner of her mouth turn up. "And here comes the 'I'm a Demon and proud of it' attitude. So, Angel...." She trailed off. "Isn't there anything else to call you? I mean, Angel is so not...you. It might have fit you a little while ago, when I used to see you with Buffy, but now...you're...."

"Different?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Darker. More dangerous. Not brooding." She paused, then looked him dead in the eye. "Sexier."

His half smile grew to a full-blown grin. "Angelus."

"Ah, much better." She glanced around the club and suddenly stiffened, looking towards the doorway.

Angelus followed her gaze and saw a young man staring at them with confusion. "You're date?" he asked smugly, tracing a pattern up her arm from her wrist to her elbow and back again.

"Yes," she answered simply, neither fear or anger in her tone. "He's wondering why I'm sitting at a table with you."

"Should I go talk to him?" Angelus asked, an evil glint in his eye. "Maybe I could persuade him he's better off going home."

Katheryn made that little scoffing noise from the alley again. "And then I read his obituary in the paper tomorrow." She sighed. "No. He'll leave."

And sure enough, after another moment, the boy turned and left. "How'd you know?" Angelus asked, a little disappointed he hadn't gone after the boy and killed him.

"That was Gary. He's my ex. We were thinking of getting back together." Katheryn looked at him blandly. "Seeing me with you ruined it."

"Mad at me?" Angelus asked, not the least bit repentant.

Katheryn shrugged. "Eh, if I'm going to die tonight, I'd much rather spend the remainder of the evening with you. At least you have better fashion sense."

Angelus laughed out loud and squeezed her hand. "Not afraid, are you?"

She narrowed her eyes again. "You know I'm afraid. I bet you can feel my heartbeat through my hand."

He nodded. "Can hear it, too." This time it was his turn to narrow his eyes. "Which begs the question: What are you doing?"

"At the moment? Sitting at a table in the Bronze with a demonic murderer." Katheryn tossed her curls over her shoulder, unconsciously exposing her throat. "How about a mocha, Angelus? Or are you planning to kill me with lack of refreshment?"

"That depends. If I get up, are you going to bolt?"

She thought about it for a moment, then swallowed looking at him—his mouth in particular. "No."

Angelus smiled, caught between disappointment that he wasn't going to get a chase out of her and delight that she found him that attractive. Maybe he'd turn her.... "All right, then. Be right back." He stood and headed for the bar.

What is up with that girl? Death wish? Overly-attracted to the dark side? He shook his head. She'd make a great Vampire. Wicked to the core. But maybe I'll hear her beg for it, first. He chuckled softly. And for a few other things, too. She is gorgeous. And not in that disgustingly innocent way Buffy is, either. Katheryn's sensual. Erotic. Seductive.

He ordered a mocha and a regular coffee from the bar, then headed back to Katheryn's table. He was pleased to see that she had settled in and was even more pleased to see the flash of her leg as she moved in the chair. Her skirt had a slit up the side and every time she moved, it opened.

"Here you go, babe," he whispered, startling her and setting the mocha down in front of her.

"You're awfully quiet, aren't you?" she asked, dipping a finger into the whipped cream and bringing it to her lips. Her tongue darted out and lapped it up and she closed her eyes.

"Like that?" Angelus asked, amused.

Katheryn opened her eyes and grinned. "The whipped cream's the best part."

"Not really," he answered and smiled his most evil and insinuating smile. He laughed when she blushed.

"Master of the double entendre, hmm?"

"I try."

They sat silently for a moment. Katheryn seemed completely comfortable, not the least bit intimidated. Her heartrate had slowed as had her breathing. She's actually at ease with me, Angelus thought, a little disconcerted. I'm not sure if I like that or not. She's got spark. But...I'd like a little terror....

"How come you and Buffy aren't together anymore?"

The question broke into his reverie and Angelus grinned. He debated on what to tell her, then settled on the truth. She knows about Vampires. This might scare her slightly. "Well, I used to have this disgusting thing called a soul." At Katheryn's look he explained, "See, when you turn into a Vampire, you lose your soul. It gets replaced by a Demon. I was cursed by some Gypsies for killing their favorite daughter."

"They cursed you by giving you your soul back?" Katheryn asked. "How is that punishment?"

"Because the idiot felt guilt for everything I'd done. So, there he was, brooding for a hundred years or so." Angelus paused and grimaced. "You have no idea how boring that was. Anyway, he comes here, meets the Slayer, falls in," he paused again and a disgusted look flitted across his features, "love, and helps her kill his own kind.

"Then, one fateful night, he fucks her, finds happiness, and his soul disappears, setting me free." He shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. "All I can say is, about time."

"Wow." Katheryn said quietly. "So, you were there when your soul was there. The Demon you, I mean."

"Yup."

"Is the soul there now?"

"Nope. All gone. Thank...hmm...can't really thank God, now can I?"

Katheryn gave a short bark of laughter and swirled her finger in her whipped cream again, repeating the earlier performance. Angelus winced slightly as he felt his leather pants constrict him. Maybe he would turn her.... After a little fun....

"Okay. So, I take it she didn't take the Demon you very well?"

Angelus chuckled and grinned. "Oh, I don't know. There's still an attraction. I can feel it. But after I killed her teacher—"

Katheryn blinked and held up her hand. "Whoa. Wait a minute. Who did you kill?"

"Jenny Calendar." Angelus grinned at Katheryn's nonplussed expression. "You knew her?"

"I-I was in her computer class." Katheryn let her breath out. "You killed her? I heard she was found at the Librarian's house. Mr. Giles, I think?"

"Yeah. A kind of gift. Anyway, after I killed her teacher, I think she began thinking about actually killing me. Which is great, considering it'll destroy her to do it. After all, I am her one, true love."

Katheryn raised an eyebrow at him. "You really hate/love her, don't you?"

Angelus frowned. "Love? There is no love here. Obsession, maybe. But love?"

"Fine. You're obsessed with her. Why'd you kill the computer teacher, though?"

"She was going to try and curse me with my soul again." Angelus grinned. "Couldn't let her do that, you know? She was decended from those damn Gypsies."

"You must've made one hell of an impression on them."

Angelus shrugged negligently. "As I said earlier: I try."

"What about the rest of her little group? The redhead and the guy?"

"Willow and Harris." Angelus paused a moment, savoring the sound of their names. "I'll deal with them. Buffy will be the last one alive. Then, maybe, I'll turn her. She'd make one hell of a Vampire."

Katheryn smiled. "Why does she fight you guys? I mean, why does she know so much about everything that goes bump in the night?"

"She's the Slayer." Angelus chuckled and affected a British accent. "One girl in every generation, chosen to face the Demons, blah, blah, blah."

"I had no idea she was that special," Katheryn murmured. "No wonder she's always fighting. Poor thing. She must go through hell."

"Don't tell me your getting soft now, Katheryn?" Angelus smirked. "And here I thought you'd be one of those rare humans that didn't fawn all over anyone who has to take a little agony in life."

"You mean a sociopath?"

Angelus laughed. "Well, they're fun, too...." He watched as she recrossed her legs and felt his leather pants become even more constricting. She was gorgeous. If she did that one more time, he was going to take her right here, in the middle of the Bronze.

"And the guitarist?" she asked. "I think his name is Oz. He plays in Dingoes Ate My Baby. Stupidest name for a band, but they're doable. Devon's an idiot, but what can you expect? Girls drool on him." She tossed her hair again. "I dated him once, but he missed one too many dates."

"And how many is one too many?"

"One."

Angelus chuckled again. "You're amusing, Katheryn. I like that."

"Oh, I'm so glad," she said with a slight edge to her voice. "Why do I feel like I'm being played with by a really big cat?"

"Because you are."

There was a tense moment of silence as they stared at each other, then Katheryn moved her gaze around the club. "I don't see Buffy here tonight."

"Nah. She was already here. Had to leave. One of the kids had...an accident...."

"Ah. Did it involve flesh tearing and large amounts of blood?"

"Not at all!" Angelus answered in an offended tone of voice. "There was very little blood actually. He was on something. Tasted awful. Then Buff interrupted. She's so cute when she's mad."

There was another moment of silence and Angelus took the opportunity to study Katheryn. He didn't think she was afraid of him anymore. Which, on one hand, made her more interesting, and, on the other hand, made him want to torture her very slowly to elicit as many screams as possible.

Wonder if she's a screamer in bed? he thought to himself. She had a deep sensual side. He could sense it.

"So, do you live alone? Or are you part of a big, happy Vamp family?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

"You could say that. I live with two of my childer. Spike's in a wheelchair at the moment. Idiot got dropped by Buff in a Church, of all places. Drusilla's back to her lovely, insane self, though, which is a relief. I don't think I could've stood to be around her if she'd been all weak and whiney."

Katheryn gave him a thoroughly confused glance. "Okay. I take it there's history there. Anyway, I think it's about time I headed home. I mean, I've missed my date, I've had my mocha, and I've got school tomorrow."

Angelus stiffened, sensing her challenge. If he wanted to kill her, she wasn't going to come along quietly. "Should I walk you home? There are all sorts of nasties out there."

Katheryn's stare measured him, then one corner of her mouth turned up. "Be my guest, Angelus."