Bending to Break

Chapter 4

Giles, who had been silent up until then, interrupted the argument he could see mounting. His head was pounding and they, Buffy and Dean, weren't making it any better, but then again they never did. The bourbon he'd snuck in his tea was not nearly strong enough to deal with two quarreling children in front of him.

“Enough you two! You are both lucky to be alive, so act like it!”

Dean flashed his brother a rakish grin that was pure mischief, "But man, what a way to go."

Sam shook his head at his brother with a heavy sigh and wondered when Dean was going to stop using humor to cover up his real emotions. Something had shaken Dean, and Sam was going to find out.

"Okay so what do we do now?" Buffy asked as she delicately applied a white butterfly strip to the widest part of one of Dean's deeper cuts. It was hard to believe that she'd really done that.

Sam's fingers continued the familiar clicking over the keys as he pulled up any information he could on Succubae legend. He spoke without looking up; going from one source to the next until he found what he was looking for. "We need to find out which one we are dealing with." Sam repeated, his eyes quickly skimming over the black and white text on his laptop.

Buffy shook her head in confusion, retrieving a new gaze pad and starting on the next scratch, "There is more than one type?"

Buffy felt Dean nod his confirmation and the muscles in his back flexed under her fingers. Buffy ignored the bubbling it created in her chest as Dean turned around, meeting her eyes for just a moment, "That's exactly what I said."

Sam read from his computer, "There is the Lilith, the Lilin, the Mara, the Rusalka... the list goes on. Each one seems to have a unique characteristic, but the overall effect is the same."

Giles nodded, processing the information as he looked at Sam and then back towards Buffy and Dean, "First we identify it and then we need to summon it, find out why it attacked you two and how we reverse the effects, assuming there are any."

Willow looked back and forth in bewilderment, tired lines drooping around her eyes. It would be so much simpler if she could do a spell. If she could taste their energy and follow the trail back to whatever had infected them.

"What exactly is a succubus?" Willow asked.

John spoke up from across the room, his voice deep and echoing in the kitchen. "A succubus is a demonic seductress. It is a demon from legend that supposedly preys on mortal men while he sleeps, a sexual vampire of sorts, drawing energy from the men to sustain themselves, often until the point of exhaustion or death."

Giles nodded, adding in his two cents, "The actual name has its origins from early Latin- succuba meaning prostitute, which in turn comes from Medieval Latin sub cubaire meaning 'that which lies beneath'. The male version is the incubus (from Latin- 'that which lies above'). There are some sources that claim that the succubus and the incubus are one and the same creature who can change form at will to prey on mortals - which could explain why Buffy was affected as well.

“In medieval times, the succubus was seen as a fearsome creature that killed her victims by drinking their breath. This is interesting in that, at the time, the breath was seen as a part of the person's spirit, and in doing so, the succubus was thought to be stealing the victim's soul. Later, the habits of the succubus were deemed of a more sexual than vampiric nature and this notion probably arose from the change in social climate that saw sexual deviancy as a mortal sin, and so, those who committed such a sin against God, were deserving of their fate in some way."

Dean's eyebrows knit together, "In English please?"

The corners of Buffy's lips curved just a tiny bit as she tried not to give into Dean and his husky voice. It was deeper than normal, laced with sex and fatigue, and the only thing Buffy could focus on was the way it felt to have him whispering into her ear while he thrust inside of her.

"In English, it means that after eight hours of non stop... intercourse" John coughed uncomfortably, "you should be dead. The fact that you aren't means that this thing might come back again, and keep coming back until you are drained, the both of you." John said seriously, crossing his arms over his chest.
Buffy glared at the back of Dean's head, the pressure she was applying to his tender wounds starting to increase until he twisted a little in his chair.

"Okay I am SO not talking to you." Buffy hissed.

Dean stiffened, turning almost all the way around, "Why, what did I do? You attacked me!"

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest, her foot tapping against the ground as the anger moved through her. A flash of heat sparked inside of her, and Buffy pushed on ignoring it. "Me? This is your fault! I knew it wasn't a good idea to take you on patrol!"

Dean threw his hands up in the air, fed up. The first whispers of what felt like wings fluttered inside of his mind. Dean pushed it aside, pushed aside the bead of sweat that he felt trickle from his nape and continued forward.

"Me? I told you it was a succubus! But no, princess Buffy can take care of herself."

"I, not you, am the slayer!" Buffy shouted.

"Well excuse me sweetheart, but I've been doin' this a hell of a lot longer than you!"

"Enough!" Giles shouted, "You are both adults and shall act like such! Stop bickering like school children," and both Buffy and Dean jumped back a bit at the spark of power that rolled from Giles and through them.

Dean looked a little chagrined, but kept his mouth shut, his lips slanting in a frown as he turned back around. The whispering in his mind faded, pushing back until Dean forgot it had even been there.

"It is imperative that I know exactly what happened on patrol last night, so one of you better explain." Giles said calmly, taking a deep breath as he reigned in his anger and put his glasses back on. It had been a long night to say the least.

Buffy paled a little, her hand freezing on the piece of white tape that she was securing over a bandage. It had all happened in such a haze, a frenzy of heat and passion, but now that the smoke had cleared, things weren't very hazy any more. How could she explain the things she'd felt? Beyond the hazy pull and non-stop action, there had been something more, something else driving them. They'd felt connected, like they were one.

Buffy remembered, in detail, as she pressed a cool liquid soaked pad against the next angry welt on Dean’s back, how it felt to have her lips move over that same skin. Maybe they could leave out certain details, Giles didn't need to know everything did he?

Sam watched, his eyes moving over Dean and then Buffy as they both got suddenly quiet. Dean coughed, with just the faintest blush coloring his cheeks that Sam fought not to goad him. Later perhaps - when they were alone.

“Son?” John asked, and Dean didn’t mistake the command that had been drilled into his head. Some things, Dean mused, never changed.

Sam huffed; shooting his dad an angry look at the tone he was all too familiar with. They weren't kids anymore. The anger in the room shifted, and Giles took a deep breath. They were never going to get through this at this rate. Sam and Dean met eyes, and Dean gave his younger brother a slight shake of his head, silently asking him to drop it for now. They’d discuss it in private, one issue at a time. And the sooner he could get Buffy Summers out of his head, the better.

Sam slanted his jaw, his eyes focused on his laptop while his fingers hovered over the keys waiting, "Fine, how did this thing sneak up on you. We'll start there."

Dean narrowed his eyes, scuffing, "It didn't exactly sneak up on us..."

Dean took in a deep breath, resting his chin on his arms that crossed over the top of the chair and gave his report, leaving out the details that he could, and elaborating on the ones that were more helpful, like what the succubus looked like, and what she had said to them. The entire time, Buffy was silent, lost in cleaning and bandaging the other two wounds that she’d inflicted.

Dean could feel her, and he concentrated on that, the continuous stroke of her hands against his skin. Every time her fingers accidentally touched him, Dean got lost in the memory of feeling her lips on him. There was definitely aftereffects, there had to be.

When he was done, Dean looked up to the embarrassed faces of the other occupants of the room. Willow was blushing furiously, her pale complexion almost a cherry red. Sam, for his part, was too busy typing and trying to find any more information on a specific succubus that might be helpful. Giles had taken off his glasses and put them on more times then he could count, and his father just stood on the other side of the room, his arms crossed over his chest as he clutched so tightly onto his coffee mug that his knuckles were white.

Giles shifted in his seat uncomfortably, drawing both Dean’s and Buffy’s attentions. He cleared his throat and Dean braced himself for what was to come. He'd never been on the receiving end of one of Giles lectures, but he had a feeling that was about to change. If it weren't for Sam and the things Giles had done for him, he'd just get up and walk out. Dean knew that as much as he wanted to protect his little brother, they needed help developing his powers.

"Is it safe to assume that while in this thrall, you didn't use contraceptives? I mean there was an actual exchange of vaginal and seminal secretions?" Giles asked, his British tone clipped and to the point.

"Okay 'ewwww?" Buffy grimaced, shaking her head, as her face scrunched up.

Her face, much like Willow’s was beet red. Did they have to talk about all the details? Thankfully, Buffy thought, Dean had only given the relevant details and left out the other, more intimate parts. Across the room, John spit out the coffee he’d been nursing so it sprayed dark liquid on the tile floor of the kitchen. Willow jumped up in a flash, more than happy to have something to do as she mopped it up.

Everyone, including Sam, was now looking at the couple like they’d grown a couple of extra heads.

"Tell me son, please tell me you used protection." John asked, his arms falling to his sides.

Dean shook his head slowly; dread sinking inside of his stomach at the repercussion of that statement. He felt Buffy still behind him, and he didn’t even wince when her nails dug into his shoulder. Three pairs of eyes, Willow’s not included, looked disapprovingly at him.

A father? No way. He’d spent his adolescent years being a father to Sam and his dad. There was no way he was ready for this. Shit.

"What?” Dean said defensively, they were looking at him like it was his fault. “I couldn't even get her clothes off fast enough. We almost had sex against the front door! Jesus Sam I almost screwed her in front of you and the kid. A rubber was the last thing on our minds."

Willow looked up sympathetically. "It’s okay; babies are a non-issue if that’s what you’re worried about - Buffy's on the pill." Willow’s voice was cheery, which would have been annoying if not for the sigh of relief that passed through Dean, John and Sam collectively.

"The pill?" Giles asked in bewilderment, silently cursing American slang.

"Oral contraceptives..." Willow corrected and then trailed off at the horror-stricken look on Buffy’s face, as if she was just now getting it. Willow shook her head, moving across the room to put a soft hand on Buffy’s shoulder.

"Oh no - Buffy, please tell me… please say you didn't stop taking them after Riley left."

Buffy shook her head back and forth, a feeling of dread crawling inside of her stomach. Pregnant? She could be pregnant? Her life was officially over.

Dean’s jaw twitched, his teeth grinding back and forth as a sudden feeling of jealousy moved through him, impending fatherhood forgotten. Riley? He said the first thing that popped into his mind, which wasn’t always the best thing. "What in the hell does this have to do with Riley… who is Riley?" Dean asked.

Everyone ignored Dean, eyes focused solely on Buffy. "Don’t look at me like that! I wasn't planning on having sex with anyone ever again!"

A wave of nausea curled at her stomach, and Buffy felt her knees weaken as fatigue washed over her. Having babies and getting married were things she used to dream about, not any more, and certainly not with a snarky pain in the ass like Dean Winchester.

"At what point of your cycle are you in?" Giles asked raising his head to look his charge straight in the eyes.

"Huh?" Buffy asked distractedly, her mind still wrapped around the fact that it was possible she could be pregnant. Pregnant with Dean's succubus induced love child. Demon spawn. Wonderful.

"When was your last menstrual cycle?"

"Two weeks ago this Sunday," Dean answered automatically; distracted by the fact that he was so disturbed by the jealous bubble he was getting over whoever this Riley guy was. Why did he care about her ex-boyfriends? Maybe it was another after effect... It had to be.

Buffy moved around to face Dean, shock on her face as she rested her balled fists on her hips.

"How in the hell did you know that?"

Dean shrugged nonchalantly his chin lifting so their eyes met. Something passed between them, just a flicker of energy too light for anyone to pick up. "While you are normally pretty bitchy, you were extra..."

Buffy shook her head. "Don't you dare finish that sentence Dean Winchester or I swear..." Buffy seethed as a wave of energy started to rise through her. Her skin puckered, goose bumps rising on her arms as a slow wave of heat nipped along her spine.

Dean squared his shoulders, a bead of sweat tickling across his skin as it dripped down the side of his cheek. He could feel the heat coming from Buffy, and just the faintest of whispers started in his head.

"Or you'll what? I'm telling you sweetheart after seeing you unglued - you don't scare me so much."

Dean made a move to stand, but shook his head, the heat in his body fading as he drew his attention away from Buffy and to Sam who was cursing under his breath while tapping on his keyboard.

"Damn." Sam grumbled.

"What?" Both Dean and Buffy shouted simultaneously as they turned towards Sam.

"It says here," Sam said, turning the lap top so they could see a picture of the female reproductive system, "there are points in a woman's cycle where she is more likely to get pregnant. Ovulation occurs approximately two weeks after a period. Right now, Buffy would be ovulating, thus increasing the chances for conception. The first time you ah… came… was probably the most potent, so that's good that you didn't... exchange then. I mean who knows how much you actually... ah... secreted, while you were actually having sex."

"Okay dude that was just wrong." Dean deadpanned.

Sam looked up at Giles over his computer, "Do you think this is relevant? What if this attack wasn't so random? If Buffy was ovulating, maybe she was giving off some kind of hormone, something that drew it in. Were you guys doing anything else? Anything before you saw the succubus?"

"So this is my fault?" Buffy asked indignantly.

"I said it was your fault form the beginning." Dean mumbled, "We were hunting a vampire, and Buffy was blaming me when she lost track of the damn thing. Some Slayer she is..."

"You were the one getting all cocky with your shotgun, kind of hard to sneak up on something when they can hear you coming a mile away!"

"My shotgun!" Dean shouted as he remembered how it dropped from his hand, “Damn I liked that gun, do you think it will still be there?"

"Focus Dean, the gun is irrelevant." Sam intervened, trying to wrap his mind around the facts.

"But I liked that..."

"Focus."

"So you guys were arguing then?" Sam asked.

"When aren't they?" Giles huffed.

"Willow, you said something about their energy being combined, being one - what if the succubus bonded them together some how?" Sam asked, moving a strand of hair out of his eyes.

Giles nodded suddenly, standing up and pacing the kitchen. He took off his glasses, folding them behind his back as he contemplated.

"That's an excellent theory Sam, one I had not considered."

Sam gave a small grin, catching his father's proud smile across the room before he turned away. He wasn’t looking for his father's approval.

"We'll have to cross reference fertility demons with succubus.” Rapid tapping sounded through the room as Sam typed and Giles talked, “It's rare for a succubus to target a couple. There had to be a reason. What is bothering me is the line about 'true love’s passion.' It sounds familiar, but I can't pin point it. That and the fact that the demon became more human after she fed is quite peculiar. This demon has let them live for a reason, so it's likely that she'll seek them out again for another feeding."

"This is just wonderful! So now I'm going to spawn Dean's demon child? And I'm going to jump him again?" Buffy asked in exasperation.

Sam shook his head, "Not necessarily on both counts. Besides, the chances of you becoming pregnant are about twenty percent; it just depends on how fertile you are. Some couples try for years and never conceive. Others don't even have to have sex. It’s rare but it happens."

"Okay Dr. Ruth. How in the hell do you know so much about cycles, hormones and pregnancy?" Dean snapped.

"Me and Jess had a scare once." Sam said and left it at that.

Buffy shook her head, not finding any relief. Twenty percent was a lot more than zero percent, she was only twenty, and not ready to have a child. What kind of life could she even provide for it between slaying vampires and hunting down demons?

“Stop looking at me like that!” Buffy snapped feeling Dean’s eyes boring holes into her. A bubble of want shot through her as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Like how?” Dean asked, forcing his eyes away from her breasts and into her eyes.

“Like you know exactly what I look like naked!” Buffy frowned, feeling the heat in her cheeks rise.

“Well I do!”

“Cursed! We’ve been cursed Giles! Shouldn’t we like, ya know, forget everything while we were… ya know.” Buffy said pleadingly towards her Watcher.

“I think we’ve all been cursed…” Sam mumbled under his breath, drawing a smile from Willow.

Giles ran a tired hand down his fatigued face, “It would be common for the person in the trance not to remember, or it would be like it was a dream. I’m going to assume you ah… remember all the details clearly then?”

“Yes.” Both Buffy and Dean answered at the same time, looking at each other, and then quickly looking away.

"Okay,” Buffy huffed, “so we find it, pump it for info, and then kill it."

“I second that.” Dean grumbled and then voiced some of his concerns. "Is there a trigger that sets us off? Like while we sleep or touch? Last night was a blast, but..." Dean asked still wondering if the stirrings he felt were his own or from the succubus. Looking at Buffy, watching the heat rise in her eyes, it did something unnatural to him.

"How do you feel now?" Willow asked, "I mean Buffy you are touching him, are you all with the wanting to rip off his pants?”

Dean chuckled, "You mean more than she usually wants to?"

"God just shut up! You are so infuriating!" Buffy yelled and a rush of staggering heat zapped through her with her anger.

"Me! I'm sorry princess; I'm not the one who got us into this mess. If you would have listened to me instead of fighting me every step we wouldn't have to worry about any of this!" As Dean yelled the whispering in his head grew louder with a taunting softness. His head became cloudy and everything in the room narrowed until only Buffy remained.

They were both standing, closing the distance between them as their anger started to mount.

"For the last freaking time! Stop calling me princess." Buffy screamed as her fingers started to itch with the need to feel Dean's skin beneath hers.

She looked at him, his chest, and the marks littering the smooth tanned surface from where she'd bitten him. Buffy could taste him in her mouth, and powerful gut wrenching memories started to swirl over her. Anger, passion, and arousal all started to consume her until she couldn't think past having him inside of her. Where she was sore, she was now wet and dripping with need.

"Oh you didn't mind last night." Dean whispered in a husky voice as his mind fluttered at the sensation of having her around him. He could smell the sweet nectar of her desire, and he could taste the musky juice rolling in his mouth like he was lapping at her core. She was wet, wanting, and he needed to bring her.

"Last night..." Buffy panted in a breathy moan, her eyes fluttering and it felt like Dean was between her legs. She watched his tongue move over his lip and Buffy moaned. "Last night I was out of my..."

Buffy never got to finish her sentence. With a magnetic pull greater than anything either had felt, Buffy and Dean attacked each other. Their lips bruised and their hands fumbled at each other's clothes as Dean spun them around and set Buffy on the kitchen table. With a wide sweep he sent books scattering across the floor. He moved between her legs, his erection pushing against her tender swollen center as he started to move against her. He needed her, and he needed her now.

The lust consumed them and inside Dean's head, he could hear the succubus laughing with glee. Dean pushed forward, crawling onto the table while his hand struggled with her pants. He wanted them off. He wanted to be home.

Giles, Willow, John and Sam all sat there in a stunned silence, blinking in confusion at the sudden shift. One minute they'd been ready to kill each other, the next... well now they were about to devour each other. Heat pumped off them in waves, and Willow felt as the energy shifted and rolled together. Where there had been two, was now one.

Energy crackled through the air like an electric current and the heat between Buffy and Dean ignited. Dean's hands were pushing at Buffy's top, skimming the soft skin of her stomach as their tongues dueled in each other’s mouths. Buffy had his pants untied, and was starting to push the soft blue cotton over his hips to expose the white globes of his backside.

Buffy moaned into Dean's mouth, her hands scratching up over his bandaged back and then down to make Dean keen in need above her.

"Okay I think we found the trigger." Sam drawled in horrific shock as he jumped out of the way.

Everyone jumped up, and it was John who pulled Dean off of Buffy just before he was able to pull her tight pants down past her hips.

"Dean, can you hear me?" John asked through a struggle of breaths as he pinned Dean's body against his.

Dean fought - fought to get back to Buffy like a bull fighting to be free. He grunted and pulled, struggling as pain ripping his insides in half. "Let me go." Dean hissed through clenched teeth as every one of his muscles flexed in an effort to get free.

Buffy made a move to follow Dean, but was stopped by Sam and Giles, both holding her back from Dean.

After a few tense minutes, Dean started to relax along with Buffy, both panting and breathless. Willow felt it, felt the slow pull of energy until it split apart. Buffy shook her head, the haze of arousal slowly starting to fade.

Buffy drew her fingers over her lips, and the stinging pain there, her fingers coming back stained with blood from where he must have accidentally bitten her.

"You bit me?" Buffy asked, her eyes lighting in fire.

"I..." John slapped a hand over Dean's mouth, shutting him up as he dragged him further away from Buffy.

"Okay this is just freaky and unnatural." Sam commented as he panted, regaining his breath from his tangle with Buffy and Giles.

"You can say that again." Willow repeated.

"So what do we do now?" Sam asked, tentatively stepping away from Buffy and nursing his arm from where she'd bruised it in an effort to break free.

John slowly let go of Dean, his hands hovering in case he needed to restrain him again. He looked up and across the room to where Buffy was panting, her hair mussed with a few strands falling from her messy bun.

"If fighting is the trigger that releases the succubus, then they just don't argue."

Sam gave a bark of laughter, shaking his head back and forth in doom. "If that's your plan, then we are screwed."

"For now, let’s keep them separated. Dean can stay will me, Willow you can stay here with Buffy until we figure this out." Giles said, worry edging into his voice.

"Fine with me!" Buffy huffed, her skin still prickling in arousal.

Buffy and Dean met eyes, both blinking as the fire between them started to rekindle.

"Okay that's enough, son." John said, pulling a dazed Dean out of his trance.

The phone rang, a shrill sound breaking the heavy tension in the room and making Buffy jump. She made a move for the phone, thankful for the distraction but was stopped mid step as the phone rang again, reeling backwards as Giles gently tugged on her arm. Buffy looked at his firm hold on her wrist, and the warmth of power that emanated there and then up to his eyes.

"It’s okay Giles; I'm just getting the phone. I promise I won’t run across the room and jump Dean."

"Like you could resist!" Dean piped up and the sound of John smacking Dean upside the head echoed over the ringing.

"Dean." John warned with a shake of his head.

"Hello?" Buffy asked, panting into the phone.

"Buffy! Thank God you are okay. What in the hell is going on over there?" The voice growled over the phone and Buffy felt her knees weaken at the familiar smooth velvet sound. Her breath stopped all of a sudden and there was an ache that resounded through her body, erasing her arousal.

Suddenly, like someone had flicked a switch, Buffy felt very tired and drained. Maybe the effects of the succubus were delayed - she'd have to ask Giles about it later. Right now, she had another problem to deal with.

"Angel?" Buffy asked meekly, turning around to face the gang, her eyes, pleading, meeting Giles’.

Buffy was silent, her breathing becoming more rapid with every second that passed, every second that Angel explained about Cordelia's crippling vision that was cryptic and non-telling. Angel explained about the power he felt inside of him, crackling and energizing. It was that energy that was about to draw all the demons straight to the hellmouth. It was the spill of energy her and Dean had inadvertently caused.

Buffy brought the phone away from her ear, her eyes moving away from Giles so that she could address the entire group, including Dean whose gaze felt like it was pressing into her most private places.

"Guys we've got a problem. A big one."

TBC...