{"id":9952,"date":"2016-10-01T15:51:52","date_gmt":"2016-10-01T14:51:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/?p=9952"},"modified":"2018-09-02T09:06:26","modified_gmt":"2018-09-02T08:06:26","slug":"getting-to-know-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2016\/10\/01\/getting-to-know-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting to Know You."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-90\" src=\"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/GTKY-itemp.jpg\" alt=\"GTKY ficpic\" width=\"500\" height=\"376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/GTKY-itemp.jpg 500w, https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/GTKY-itemp-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Title: Getting To Know You: <i>Reworked \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i><\/b><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Author: <\/b>Califi<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>First Posted: <\/b>2003<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b><a href=\"mailto:sachielk@blueyonder.co.uk\">Email<\/a><\/b><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Rating: <\/b>heavy R\/N-17 for extremes. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><b>Non-con &amp; violence in many areas.<\/b><\/span>.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Category: <\/b>Pure Dark, sexual scenes- not at all pretty in parts. not for the fainthearted.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Content: <\/b>C\/Aus, eventually C\/A<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Summary: <\/b>After biding his time, Angelus puts into action Angel&#8217;s secret Cordelia fantasies, and kidnaps her with dark plans in mind. And beware &#8211; I&#8217;m giving full rein to the dark side!<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Spoilers: <\/b>Based around Killed By Death BTVS 2 -twisted to tell my own version of events.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Disclaimer: <\/b>The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon &amp; David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Distribution: <\/b>Just ask first, please.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Thanks\/Dedication: <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/authors-l-n\/lysa\/\"><b>Lysa<\/b><\/a> has been a diamond in taking on me &amp; this fic the second time round. Although it is basically staying true to the original, I&#8217;m adding new scenes and refining it as much as possible. Many thanks, L *shnogs*<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Feedback:<\/b> Like iced lemonade on a too-hot day.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><i>It&#8217;s a very ancient saying,<br \/>\nBut a true and honest thought,<br \/>\nThat if you become a teacher,<br \/>\nBy your pupil you&#8217;ll be taught.<br \/>\nAs a teacher I&#8217;ve been learning<br \/>\n(You&#8217;ll forgive me if I boast)<br \/>\nAnd I&#8217;ve now become an expert,<br \/>\nOn the subject I like most.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Part 1.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">A pair of hands hooked over the top of the cemetery wall and Buffy\u2019s head and shoulders appeared a second later. The effort of pulling herself up kick-started a furious bout of coughing that slightly unbalanced her as she swung her legs over, causing her to hit the ground a little too heavily.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Her body swayed like a sapling in the wind and she had to reach out for the cemetery wall to keep her balance. Leaning her back against the crumbly stone surface, breathing heavily through her mouth due to her nose being all stuffed up, Buffy pulled a stake out of her jacket with one hand as the other went to her clammy forehead<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">She wondered what had possessed her to come out on patrol with what seemed like the mother of all colds. Right now it seemed pretty stupid. \u201cWell, I\u2019m here now, so I might as well check things out\u2026then crawl back to my nice warm bed,\u201d she promised herself, groaning under her breath as she pushed away from the wall that had supported her so nicely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Walking with careful deliberation she began to make her way across the graveyard still sniffling and rubbing her nose as she went, then her hand dropped when her muddled senses picked something up. Slowly approaching a small mausoleum and desperately trying to concentrate, Buffy raised her stake and jumped around the corner, swinging it to strike at whatever was lurking there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cEEYAH!\u201d Xander yelled in sheer shock and reflexively jumped back, his own stake clenched tightly in his hand and now pressed tightly against his own chest. Cordelia, who\u2019d been standing right behind him let out a high-pitched scream, jerking backwards awkwardly to avoid colliding with Xander. Willow, to her right joined in and both girls held up enormous wooden crosses at arms length.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cNon-vampire. Plus two,\u201d Buffy blinked dizzily after hardly reacting to the sudden cacophony of sound, her stake now lowered by her side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cHi,\u201d Willow returned belatedly, her breathless voice holding a stern edge as she also dropped her arm then they all moved away from the mausoleum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Xander, who was still clutching his chest glared at his blonde friend before retorting, \u201cMan, Buffy! My whole life just flashed before my eyes!\u201d Glancing over at Willow he added almost desperately, \u201cI gotta get me a life!&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Buffy ignored the chastisement and instead asked them what they were doing there in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cWhat are <i>you<\/i> doing here?\u201d Willow replied with a question and Buffy frowned at her as if it was obvious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cWell, I&#8217;m patrolling!\u201d She shook her head when the young witch reminded her gently that she was sick. \u201cNo, I feel fine. I mean, I&#8217;m&#8230; the world&#8217;s spinning a little bit, but I like it, it&#8217;s kinda like a ride.\u201d A slight giggle left her lips and Cordelia\u2019s eyes rolled in exasperation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cHalf the school&#8217;s out with this flu. It&#8217;s a serious deal, Buffy.\u201d For a moment Buffy felt herself soften towards the older girl -until she continued. \u201cWe&#8217;re all concerned about how gross you look.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sarcasm slid into Buffy&#8217;s tone \u201c I&#8217;m touched. Really. But I have work to do,\u201d she replied and sent what she hoped was also a quelling glare, but keeping her features fixed that way just took too much effort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Seeing the difficulty her friend was having in focusing on her, Willow stepped forward and gently touched her arm. \u201cBuffy, come on, one night of rest is not gonna kill you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cNo, but it might kill somebody else,\u201d Buffy cut in, her voice turning serious.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Xander pointed at her with his stake. \u201cYou mean Angel might,\u201d he said then sighed heavily when she turned away. \u201cBuffy, this is not the time to challenge Angel for the ultimate fighting championship,\u201d gesturing with his stake as he spoke. Adding with a serious expression, \u201cHe&#8217;s at full strength; you&#8217;re only half a Slayer right now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Buffy scowled at the slight and retorted heatedly, \u201cYeah, but I&#8217;m still the Slayer. And as long as I am, Angel&#8217;s not gonna kill anybody else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">&#8220;Aw, c&#8217;mon.\u201d She spun around at the sound of a velvety-dark voice directly behind her to find the very person of her recent nightmares leaning against a nearby tree. He straightened up with a leer on his painfully familiar face and Buffy blinked owlishly at him. \u201cJust one more,\u201d he taunted softly and then moved so fast he was a blur even to her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Angelus ran straight past her and the others to tackle Cordelia to the ground. She froze beneath his powerful body, her shocked gaze taking in the terrifying vampire face of unholy amber eyes and wickedly sharp fangs mere centimeters from her face. His dark head dipped towards her neck and she gasped, waiting for the pain when his deep voice vibrated in her ear. \u201cI&#8217;ve been wanting to get my hands on you for a long time,\u201d he purred softly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">His cool lips brushed against the hot skin covering her wildly thrumming pulse before he rose fluidly to his feet just as quickly as he\u2019d pinned her down. Before the hovering Slayer could react he\u2019d already pulled the still-stunned brunette up with him and backed off several steps until a good few yards separated them, holding her between himself and the Scoobies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Practically draping himself over Cordelia, Angelus grinned smugly at the still-stunned trio that faced him, marveling at the ease in which he&#8217;d managed to grab hold of his intended target. Unaware of the fact that the slayer was ill, he\u2019d expected to have had to get through her first; the plan being to try his damndest to injure at least one of her little band of worshippers knowing it would go a long way towards distracting Buffy, but after hearing their brief conversation, he&#8217;d thrown out his original idea and had made directly for Cordelia. Feeling her pull against his grip, Angelus tugged her closer and gave her shoulder a warning squeeze.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The powerful arm wrapped so tightly around her waist that Cordelia swore she could feel every defined muscle in Angelus&#8217; broad chest pressed flush to her back. The other rested heavily on her shoulder, thick hard fingers pressed against her fragile bones when her first instinct was to pull away, and gave up the attempt instantly. Then his hand moved swiftly to wrap around her throat, his grip deceptively loose the moment the rest of the group snapped out of their initial shock and instinctively made to move forward.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cAh-ah! \u2013 I could snap her neck before either of you take a step.\u201d The threat of death sounded directly above her head, accompanied by the flex of hard fingers and she gulped down the fresh wave of terror.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Buffy immediately froze, waving the others back. The wooziness she&#8217;d been feeling all day had seemed to peak once the shock of his abrupt appearance had worn off. Putting it down to a head rush, and hoping against hope the surge of adrenalin that had hit at the same time kept her on her jelly-like legs, she stepped forward. Taking a shuttered breath, Buffy captured his cold amber gaze and challenged as firmly as she could manage. \u201cLet her go, Angel. I know it&#8217;s really me you wanna hurt, so come on, let&#8217;s do it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The soulless vampire just laughed mockingly and pulled Cordelia closer. \u201cSorry to burst your self-important little bubble, Buff, but this isn&#8217;t about you.\u201d His deep voice slithered along Cordelia&#8217;s spine and her whole body tightened in shock when a large cool hand briefly swept over her right breast in a barely there caress. \u201cOh, and unlike sappy Soulboy, I personally prefer to &#8216;do it&#8217; to someone with actual curves,\u201d he added nastily.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Xander\u2019s eyes widened in outrage at both the cruel taunt and deliberate sweep of his fingers, and unthinkingly took a reckless step forward. \u201cYou lay one hand on her \u2013\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cYou&#8217;ll what- be pissed off that I got there first?\u201d the mixture of scorn and wicked intent on the vampire&#8217;s face as he cupped Cordelia&#8217;s full breast and squeezed, causing the tip to visibly pucker in response had the boy&#8217;s hand tighten reflexively on the stake he held.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Glancing down, Angelus let loose a satisfied chuckle at her bodily response before lifting his eyes to stare meaningfully at Buffy, who by now, seemed oblivious to his taunts and stood swaying on the spot, her eyes gradually losing focus. \u201cAgain,\u201d he pointedly added. \u201cGetting to be a habit, Harris.\u201d A triumphant smile stretched pale lips on seeing both the blazing rage that reddened the boy\u2019s face and the Slayer\u2019s knees starting to buckle behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cXander!\u201d Willows panicked voice halted the teen&#8217;s furious move towards the vampire, head jerking around just in time to see Buffy collapse to the ground. All anger fled to be replaced with deep concern and, forgetting everything else he turned away from Angelus and his captive, unthinkingly releasing the stake, to rush over and join Willow, who&#8217;d fallen to her knees and was anxiously hovering over the slight figure sprawled on her back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Angelus looked on in increased delight. Not only did they assume his choice of victim was random, which meant his later plans could still go ahead, but he&#8217;d managed to avoid the possibility of the Slayer thwarting his attempts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Although normally being up for a bout of fisticuffs with her, especially enjoying the blubbering responses he got from his intimately cutting remarks, Angelus had to admit of late to not gaining half as much pleasure as he once had to out of it. The standard cat and mouse game that had been rife in the past months had begun to bore him, also the fact that he had bigger fish to fry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><i>Speaking of which<\/i>, he thought with a smirk, the one at present that quivered in his tight embrace. Quickly losing interest in the others, Angelus turned his full attention to Cordelia, dipping his dark head to whisper, \u201cLooks like they&#8217;re busy,\u201d against the shell of her ear. Darting out his tongue to taste the fragrant flesh below, he felt her shudder and grinned with delight against the side of her face before nipping the soft lobe of her ear lightly. Satisfied with the response, Angelus lifted his head to see if the others had managed to rouse the slayer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">At the cool wet sensation against the sensitive skin below her ear following his throatily whispered words, Cordelia shuddered in terrified response. When she&#8217;d then felt him smile against her skin and go on to lightly nip her lobe with thankfully blunt teeth, her spine stiffened and she desperately swallowed down the building panic with an audible click. Her breast still tingled from his earlier grope and shame joined the fear at her body\u2019s reaction to the lingering caress.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Frantically her wide frightened eyes fixed on the others. The hysterical words <i>\u201cHey! What about me?\u201d<\/i> trembled on the tip of her tongue, but was unable to unlock her vocal cords to say it out loud. Watching as Xander and Willow, now on their knees either side of the unconscious Slayer, attempting to rouse her, her hopes of being saved dwindled to nothing. <i>Oh, God, I\u2019m gonna die!<\/i> she thought sickly and bitterness rose so strong she could taste it on her tongue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Fair enough, if Buffy had been her fighty self, Angelus could still have easily killed her on the spot anyway, and Cordelia didn\u2019t doubt that even if the other two attempted to take him on, they wouldn\u2019t have stood a chance. But right now she was just too damned scared to feel guilty for wishing they\u2019d at least thought to try.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Hard fingers sliding up from her throat to capture her chin jolted Cordelia out of her spiraling thoughts, tilting her face up until her terrified gaze locked with sinful gold. \u201cTime to go, Sweets,\u201d he murmured, then pain exploded along her jaw and her world turned black.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Scooping her limp form into his arms, Angelus took a moment to check on the others. A thin smile of derision curled his mouth on noting their complete lack of attention to his movements behind them; so busy concentrating fully over the one that had fallen to notice the other he held cradled in his embrace.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">For a second Angelus contemplated setting Cordelia down on the soft grass and going over to finish them off, On glancing down at the serene and beautiful face of his prize, he decided with a shrug that in the bigger picture they, along with others would soon be dealt with in a more satisfying way and instead slipped off into the night.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><b>Part 2<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Eying the unconscious girl laid out on Angelus\u2019 bed, Spike contemplated the unexpected turn of events. If rape, torture and death were what his sire had planned for the young girl, he knew without a doubt that Angelus wouldn&#8217;t have wanted to spill her blood at the mansion- and especially not in his sleeping quarters. So why did he bring her here, of all places?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Spike was surprised, fucking gob smacked, in fact. Even Drusilla had been strangely contemplative when Angelus had strolled in with the girl cradled almost gently in his arms. Both knew Angelus too well, and one fact that had always stood out was that he rarely fraternized with humans on any level but that of torture, death, and occasionally for creating the odd useful minion. The cheerleader just didn\u2019t seem to fit into the latter category and Spike\u2019s comment that maybe they were going to end up with an addition to the family was instantly quashed by Dru, her eyes unusually clear as she watched Angelus disappear up the stairs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Hearing her cryptic rambles of new and old intertwining with beginnings and endings at first made him sigh wearily and turn to go. When she continued on to talk of the girl stirring passions that would ultimately change everything, it caught his interest and drove him to follow stealthily behind, entering Angelus\u2019 room only when he heard the muted sound of steadily running water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Angelus had never shown sensual interest in human females\u2013 rape being more of a dominance\/torture thing, or self-gratification rather than striving for mutual physical pleasure. It wasn\u2019t that much of a surprise that Angelus got off more on doling out pain than pleasure; he had always been a cold bastard. The trend of taking on the occasional pet or mate had never seemed to appeal to Angelus either, seemingly content to stick to Darla and occasionally taking Drusilla to his bed. Spike would have been lying if he hadn&#8217;t admitted to being deeply curious, as well as hopeful, considering he would also benefit if Angelus\u2019 interests were focused on another female. For one, he wouldn\u2019t have to share Dru with him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">His attention was brought back to the girl when she stirred, a soft moan and flinch when her head turned and her lightly bruised jaw touched the pillow. Sitting back, Spike folded his arms and waited for her eyes to open.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cordelia awoke to relative silence and muted lighting. A low throb of pain uncurled fingers that had clutched soft silken fabric, to her jaw and instantly found a sensitive spot. <i>Ouch!<\/i>. Her head felt groggy and for a moment Cordelia couldn&#8217;t recall what had happened earlier, then the distinctive sound of creaking leather brought it all back, her eyelids jerking open even as her foggy gaze turned towards the sound and came face to face with that of a blonde man.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><i>Spike?<\/i> the name came to her as quickly as familiarity. Halloween.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Dazedly, she took in the way he casually sat on what turned out to be a bed, his hard thigh now pressing lightly against hers as he leaned forward and placed a hand on the other side of her body, and wondered where the hell she was. More importantly, why <i>he<\/i> was here? Unless\u2026her stomach twisted in complete dread as various scenarios flew through her dazed mind \u2013 and all of them left her feeling terrified and revolted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The vampire&#8217;s eyes twinkled in wicked amusement as he easily read where her thoughts had taken her. \u201cNow, don\u2019t fret, pet. I doubt Peaches is willing to share\u2026. which is a bloody shame, must admit,\u201d he murmured regretfully, leaning back and refolding his arms. Sharp eyes swept the length of her body, noting the rumpled grass-stained pale green top and soft black pants that hugged low on flaring hips.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cordelia cautiously eased into a half sitting position but restrained the urge to bolt, knowing instinctively that even as her muscles bunched in readiness she\u2019d be stopped before having chance to move from the bed. Instead, after eying him warily, she took a moment to get her bearings. Looking around the dim room, she could easily make out that it was furnished with a large bed that had a heavy cast iron headboard and was flanked by dark cherry wood nightstands. The mattress was covered by deep plum silk sheets and a soft, rich blue velvet comforter. A large matching armoire and closet rested against the wall on the right.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Two doors led out of the room, one facing the bed and one to her left, and she guessed one of them was an adjoining bathroom, and the other, her only means of escape. It was painfully obvious to her that she was ensconced in a man&#8217;s bedroom, and going by the earthy opulence, suspected quite easily as to who the owner was.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">There was no sign of Angelus, but Cordelia seriously doubted he would be gone for long. He\u2019d obviously left Spike here to watch her and she gulped. Fear and panic intensified as the ramifications of her being here sunk in \u2013 and she had a sick feeling in her stomach that her last breath would be drawn in this very room.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Spike watched the play of mixed emotions flit across the girl\u2019s face on realising where she was. Her beauty, he noted with appreciation, was of the timeless, classical variety, and he could easily see why his sire chose her to try out his newly embraced interests. Although it did surprise him that Angelus hadn\u2019t gone for a blond bit, like he\u2019d done when cursed with a soul.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Spike grinned to himself; maybe it was a prerequisite to having a soul: find a blond as the perfect accessory. He thanked all that was unholy that it hadn\u2019t been him that had got the bum deal. It could just as easily have been Dru that had snatched the gypsy girl for him. Spike shuddered at the thought before turning his attention back to the girl. Thick mahogany hair rippled down her back like a shining waterfall, her eyes almost as dark as Dru\u2019s right now and his face softened a tad. If it weren&#8217;t for his deep and abiding love for Dru, he&#8217;d even consider stealing her away\u2026Angelus still had no idea that his childe had full use of his legs, so running for it wouldn\u2019t be such a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Speaking of which \u2013 cocking his head towards the bathroom door, Spike heard the shower being turned off. He quickly rose from the bed and hovered for a moment to say, \u201cDon&#8217;t fight him too much, pet, or he&#8217;ll drag it out. If you&#8217;re lucky, he&#8217;ll lose interest quickly- never was much of a one for humans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">As he pulled open the main door, Spike glanced back at the brunette who was still huddled nervously on the bed, her eyes round saucers of fear. He decided then and there, that if his Dru ended up wrong about Angelus\u2019 intentions, and had brought the little bit here simply to torture her to his heart&#8217;s content, he&#8217;d put her out of her misery himself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2016\/10\/01\/getting-to-know-you-3\/\"><strong>part 3<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Title: Getting To Know You: Reworked \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-to-be-continued-fic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9952\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}