Chapter 1
Author: Cleo
Rating: NC-17 (overall story)
Spoilers: Somnambulist
Summary: The events of Somnambulist as they might have happened in the 'Power of Three' universe.
Disclaimer: They belong to Satan, otherwise known as Joss. Don't sue. I'm just a lowly college student. All I have are debts and books.
Thoughts between Angel, Doyle and Cordelia are marked //like this.//
He could smell her fear.
He moved after her at a leisurely pace. She was running, stumbling over herself in her terror and he was content to let her run. For now. Breath that he didn't need was coming faster and the anticipation of the kill combined with the scent of her fear and the perfume of her blood was like a drug. She kept running. When she glanced behind her he could see tears in her eyes. A cruel smile curved his lips. Enough play. He was hungry.
He moved too fast for her to see, he veered off another way and as she rounded a corner she ran right into him. She gasped as she tried to step back but his arm slid around her and held her in place as he raised his left thumb to her face. On it he wore a sharp metal tip with which he carved a cross into her cheek. Then he gripped her hair, yanking her head back and bit.
The sweetness of her blood, the terror he could taste there, the choked scream... He closed his eyes in pleasure and let her corpse slip to the ground.
He stood in triumph over her body, savoring the moment... the kill...
Angel woke covered in sweat. Dear god... he thought. He felt like he was going to be sick. The pleasure of the dream still sang in his blood, even as his conscience screamed against it.
He sat up slowly and looked over at his bedmates. They both slept soundly wrapped in one another's arms. He had been curled with them when he fell asleep but he awoke as far away from them as the bed would allow.
He could always smell the sweet scents of their blood but now with the demon nearer the surface than it had been any time since the anchoring of his soul and the dream's girl's muffled scream still echoing in his head...
He had to get out of here. He rose carefully as not to disturb them and nearly ran to the kitchen.
The cold animal blood that usually assuaged his thirst barely touched it tonight. It had been getting worse and worse. So far he had managed to keep the dreams to himself. His lovers knew that something was wrong but they could also feel how much he wanted a little privacy and so hadn't pushed him. Yet. He knew that that wouldn't last much longer. They were worried about him and eventually they would decide that he had had enough privacy and when they wanted to know something – really wanted to know it – their minds were inescapable. But he didn't want them to see this, to feel what he felt in those... dreams. He wanted to call them nightmares but he couldn't. He enjoyed them too much. That was what they couldn't know. He knew that it was illogical and unfair to them. They loved him and would continue love him, no matter what. They knew what he was and what he had done. But it didn't alter how he felt about this. Cordelia and Doyle might know what Angelus had done, Cordelia had even seen some of it for herself. But he wasn't Angelus in these dreams. That was the true horror of them, what he wanted to keep from those he loved. He was terrified of what he, Angel, was capable of.
//Angel?// He looked over in surprise to see Cordelia standing in the doorway. She was watching him closely and he was frightened for a moment that she had heard his thoughts of a moment before. She felt the flare of fear and came forward, her face creasing with worry. //Angel, what's going on?//
He shook his head and turned away. //Nothing. It's OK.//
//Yeah, right.// She put her hands on his arms and made him look at her. //Tell me.//
"Cordy... please." He hadn't meant to speak aloud. And he cursed himself for revealing how upset he was. She caught that thought.
Her eyes narrowed. "What aren't you trusting us with? I thought that we were over keeping secrets."
Angel was shocked. //I trust you. I love you.//
"Then why won't ya tell us what's goin' on?" The voice from the bedroom door caught them both by surprise. They had been so wrapped up in their own battle of wills that they hadn't realized that Doyle had awakened.
He stepped up behind Cordelia and put his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him and the two of them watched Angel closely. He sighed and closed his eyes.
//Please, just give me a little more time.// He opened his eyes and met their eyes one at a time. He could feel their frustration and hurt. //Please.//
//One day.// Cordelia thought and Doyle agreed with her even before the thought was fully formed.
//Tonight, ya tell us what's up, man.//
//Otherwise, we'll find out for ourselves.// Cordelia added.
Angel felt his stomach clench but he agreed. //Alright.//
//It's still early.// Cordelia thought. //Come back to bed?//
Both men agreed.
