Armageddon SagaAngel ran in the forest, every sense heightened. He was in vampire hunting mode,
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Angel's Hunt
By the Lady Sirona ladysirona@LadySirona.com
something he never allowed himself since he got his soul. He could smell the Stag's blood,
and it drew him like a moth to the flame. The blood smell increased his bloodlust to a
sharp cutting edge. Knowing he would sate his bloodlust in an appropriate manner, he let
it flow through him, giving strength to him as he ran along.He came up silently on the stag as it paused in a thicket. He was a magnificent
specimen. A nine point stag that someone had shot in the chest. The wound had drying
blood on it. Fresh blood seeped from the wound tantalizing Angel as he looked at the
stag.Angel attacked with the speed and strength of a striking vampire. Before the stag could
respond, he was on its back, with his fangs in the jugular draining it's blood and life
force. For the first time in his ensouled experience, he released the demon and bloodlust
and reveled in the taste of the warm blood driven down his throat by a pumping heart.
Flowing with the blood was the life force of the creature he killed. The blood gushed
over his tongue and down his throat, warm and coppery, the nectar of the Gods,
everything he wants...Angel found himself standing over the body of the stag's blood drained corpse. He felt
the blood and the energy he received from the kill invigorating him, healing his body.
Remorse for the kill washed over him. It wasn't the crushing guilt of killing a human, but
for killing such a magnificent creature. To drain it's life force into himself.He hated what it made him want to do more... kill, and kill human. He clamped down on
the demon and the rising bloodlust. At least the stag's body wouldn't be wasted. He
picked it up and threw it over his shoulder and headed back to the compound.Buffy came downstairs and sat at he table next to Giles, "How is Angel?" The Watcher
asked."He is healing, but slowly. He had to go hunt to heal faster." She told him as she took a
sip of her tea and nibbled on the crackers she seemed unable to live without. She saw
Giles's shocked expression and decided to take pity on him. "He is going after a large
Stag he saw the other night. He told me to tell the cook he was bringing back venison"The Gypsies had started to eat the evening meal late in respect for the late hours of the
Slayer. The women who were starting to prepare for the evening meal in the kitchen
looked up. One translated for the group, and then she turned to Buffy and Giles. "Deer
meat?" Buffy nodded them smiled as they burst into a flurry of activity."But it will have to be drained..." The woman stopped and looked up at Buffy, a look of
confusion on her face. She just remembered 'what' was doing the hunting.Buffy laughed. "Don't worry. It will be well drained and ready to cook! " Buffy laughed
at the strained looks on the women's faces. It was too priceless.
Angel strolled into the compound with the stag over his shoulder. He felt invigorated and
alive. He would have to remember this sort of hunt when they returned to the United
states. It was as nearly as good as human, and the emotional cost was a lot less.The two young men on guard duty came up to him. They were astounded at the ease
with which he walked with the massive buck. They took him to the barn where he found
what was necessary to dress out his prize.If they were amaze at his easy manipulation of the massive animal, they were totally
dumbfounded at the speed with which he butchered it. In less time than they ever thought
possible, he had rendered it down to the major cuts of meat. Angel took the prime cuts
and the liver and took those to the house leaving the rest for the boys to deal with. He
walked into the kitchen leaving the prime cuts and the liver on the table and retreated to
the dining room. He was well aware he made the Gypsies horribly uncomfortable.
A small while later, Angel got up to refill Giles tea while the Watcher was lost in study.
Upon entering the kitchen, he found Buffy and several of the local women partaking of
the stag’s liver. Angel filled the teapot with boiling water and put the tea bags in. Angel
returned to the Watcher with questions burning in his mind."Giles, Why is Buffy eating the Stag’s liver? Is there something I should know?" Angel
asked the Watcher quietly upon his return to the dining room. Fear burned in him and he
clamped down on the worst of the feeling; jealousy."She likes liver?" Giles asked in response. He was at a loss at Angel’s question and the
emotional expression on the vampire’s face. Why did the eating of liver upset him so?"No, for one, she doesn't care for liver. Two, only the pregnant women of the clan are
allowed to partake of fresh killed stag liver." Angel watched as the reality of that
statement sank into to the Watcher. "So, I ask, Why is Buffy eating Stag liver? Is there
something I should know? Something you’re not telling me?""Well, ah, no. Nothing I am aware of Angel," Giles was looking quiet uncomfortable.
The ramifications of Angels thought process was scary."You’re her Watcher. Where is she in her cycle?" Angel asked roughly. *Why* the
Watchers followed the Slayer's menstrual cycle was beyond him, all he knew was they
did it."She had her cycle about two weeks before we arrived at Tirla's castle. Giles replied
slowly, as he figured out the timing. Then his face showed his shock as the reality of the
timing sank in.Angel just stood there staring at Giles. That meant their days of their reunion and
extended passion had fallen in the two weeks after her period, otherwise known as
ovulation. *It can't be, she can't be... I can't be...*Giles watched in fascinating at the variety of emotions that played across the vampire’s
face. He realized Angel's thought process and he was sure his face held similar looks."There wasn't... I mean... She didn't... " Angel didn't want to know, but the likely hood of
him being the father was so slim. "There wasn't anyone else was there?" He gushed out
"No one else while I lost my soul, while I was gone to Tirla's?" The fear in his voice was
almost palpable, and the agony of the thought was plain to see in his face.Giles shook his head ‘No’. He thought about it a while. "No, there had been no one, as
far as I, ah, know"Angel stared at Giles in surprise. It was easier to think there had been another man,
than accept the fact that at 245 he was potentially a father. Angel thought a moment.
This was the 20th century, you didn't have to 'wait' to find out if pregnancy was in reality
or not. He walked over to a young man who was lounging on the couch. After speaking to
him for a bit, he gave him some money and the man left. Angel returned to the dining
table and to Giles curious gaze."I sent him for a pregnancy test." Giles nodded. "We need to know if she is indeed
pregnant." Angel looked toward the kitchen where the women's laughter could be
heard. That was what they all shared in common, pregnancy.
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