I do not own the characters from Angel, god knows I wish I did. I'm just taking them out to play for a while before I have to give them back to Joss Whedon.

The Fume of Sighs

It was a place that was not a place, nor did time have any meaning. It merely was. The beings, for lack of a better word, were neither matter nor energy, nor indeed anything that could be quantified by the science of men. They too, merely were. Most of the billions of people bustling about on their crowded little planet had no idea that they even existed, nor would they have believed if they had been told about them. There were some few that were aware of their presence, although, they were among the first to admit that they had really no idea what purpose they served in the larger scheme of things, or indeed, if they served at all, and were not the purpose themselves. These few referred to the beings as The Powers That Be.

&&&&&&

Citrine: "Has Rose expressed any regrets over the sacrifice required of her to re-corporealize the vampire?"

Violet: "None as yet. And despite the reversal of their roles, they still seem to be quite devoted to each other."

Sienna: "Rose is starting to show signs of frustration in her new role, however. Might this not be significant?"

Viridian: "Frustration and regret are two different things. The subject has come up repeatedly, and each time, Rose swears that if she had known, she still would have gone through with it."

Cerulean: "I'm still not entirely clear why we are doing this. The granting of heart's desires is not our business."

Violet: "That was when none of us had a heart."

Sienna: "I suggest we wait a while longer, and continue to observe."

Viridian: "Agreed, but at a distance, this time."

&&&&&&

Wesley had two large volumes laid open on his desk, and was glancing from one book to the other, comparing versions of a particular legend. Suddenly, a playful breeze found its way into his closed up office and lost his place in one of the books.

"Bloody hell," he swore, trying to find his place again.

"Shame on you, Wesley." Rose appeared out of nowhere, a now not uncommon occurrence. "You sound like Spike."

The researcher gave the pretty phantom a long, hard look. "Are you responsible for this?" He indicated the books.

The mischievous gleam went out of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Wesley. I didn't mean to lose your place. I've just been experimenting with pushing air currents, and I guess I overdid it. I was only going to make the pages flutter a little."

Rose was so obviously contrite that Wes couldn't bring himself to stay mad at her. "No real harm done," he said mildly. "But please, don't do it again, Rose. Okay?"

"I won't," she promised. She looked like she had more on her mind, but she didn't say anything.

"Something wrong?" Wesley probed.

"I'm bored," she confessed. "I'm starting to understand how Spike felt. I didn't think it would bother me, because I was used to not having a body."

"But it's a little different when you're stuck here than when you were with the rest of The Powers, hmm?" he suggested.

"No," Rose said. "It's a lot different. I guess I really just wanted someone to talk to. The only reason I'm not with Spike right now is because..," her voice trailed away, and somehow managed to convey the suggestion of a blush.

"Because we were always harping at him not to bother you while you were working," Wesley finished for her.

"How is he doing at it, Wesley?" she asked. "He really doesn't say anything about it to me. And I don't know if it's because he's not doing well, or if he isn't satisfied with the position, or what. It's not like Spike to keep things from me."

"He's doing well enough," Wes answered. "Not the sort of job you did, but more than adequate. Would you like me to talk to him?"

"As long as you don't let on that I set you on to him," she replied. "But I'm worried about him. He's become so much more serious, and he doesn't laugh as readily as he did even when he was a disembodied spirit."

"I'll see what I can do," the ex-watcher promised. "Now, why don't you break the rules this once and pop in on him for a few minutes? It might do you both a world of good."

Rose's face brightened, just before it disappeared.

&&&&&&&

Spike slogged away at the research. He knew that the days, or more accurately, nights of taking what he wanted were over, now that he had a soul, and an accompanying conscience. But he just didn't much care for spending most of his waking hours at a desk, as he once had, more than a lifetime ago. He needed some action. He'd give a king's ransom right now, just for one good fight, just to work the kinks out.

Something tickled his ear, and he swatted at it irritably. Unusual, for some little flying thingy to penetrate this far into the once evil sanctum of Wolfram and Hart. The sensation came again, and it really felt more like someone was blowing in his ear. That put the last piece into the puzzle.

"Rose?" He was a bit put out that he couldn't sense her presence the way she had been able to sense his. "Don't be a tease, luv. Besides, I know it's you."

Rose appeared. "It's a fair cop," she said, imitating his accent. She smiled warmly at him, just happy to see him unalive and well. After all, she had put a lot of work into seeing that it had happened.

He tsked at her. "You know the Watcher's rules about spooks disturbing the hired help, sweetheart. You'll give poor old Percy a stroke."

"Actually," she answered, sitting on the desk. "I have Wesley's permission. In fact, he suggested it himself."

"Will wonders never cease," he muttered. "Why in hell would he do that?" He gave his lady love a pointed look.

"Maybe to stop me from pestering him," she admitted in a small voice. "I did kind of lose his place in a book."

Spike cocked his head to one side. "What's wrong, babe? That doesn't sound like you at all." He gazed into her eyes, and felt that familiar stab of frustration that he couldn't touch her. It didn't really matter which one of them was incorporeal, the fact that they were denied physical contact was as maddening as ever.

Rose tried to shrug nonchalantly, but didn't quite manage to pull it off. "I guess I was bored," she replied. "I'm just beginning to appreciate how long the days must have seemed for you when I was working here, love."

"The days weren't long because I was bored, pet," Spike said affectionately. "They were long because I couldn't be with you. They still are."

"Still," she sighed. "I guess it's necessary." She looked at the time. "I probably should go, or Wesley will be sorry he let me interrupt you." She stood, and blew him a kiss. "I love you," she whispered, then vanished.

"I love you too, sweetheart," Spike said to the now empty room. With a sigh of his own, he returned to his work.

&&&&&&&

Rose wandered around the building, wondering what she could do, but loathe to disrupt anyone else's work. She knew that when he was in her current position, Spike had delighted in bedeviling Angel, but she considered Angel a friend, and didn't want to do that to him. She decided to peek in on each of her friends in turn, Maybe one of them wouldn't be too busy. Then she wouldn't feel badly about taking up their time. Who was closest? Gunn. She stuck her head into his office. He was writing something down with one hand, flipping through papers with the other and had the telephone receiver cradled between his head and shoulder. Definitely too busy to bother.

Next? Fred, she thought, but she really didn't have too much hope there. Fred was always busy with something or other. Fred was one of those fortunate few who made a living doing what she loved to do best. And, as Rose had feared, Fred was bustling away in the middle of a beehive of activity in the lab. Scratch Fred.

Lorne was her next stop. The demon was in the middle of a periodic employee screening. Rose stayed and listened for a while, marveling that Lorne could manage to keep a straight face in the light of all the false notes. An impish impulse seized her, and at the end of the performance, she blew a raspberry, quietly, so that only Lorne could hear.

The rude noise expressed exactly what the Pylean thought of the employee's singing, and he fought back a grin, pretty certain of the source of the sound. "Yeah, you're okay, Finster," he said dismissively. "Go ahead on back to work." Instead of sending for the next in the long line of his tormenters, he waited until his office was empty. "That wasn't very polite, Rosebud," he scolded. Then, he lightened up and laughed. "I can't really blame you, though."

Rose appeared. "I didn't want to be a bother, Lorne, but I just couldn't resist. How can you stand it?"

Lorne picked up a glass and downed half the contents. "Lots of painkiller, lambkin," he explained. "Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with a voice like yours." He took another sip of his drink. "Why don't you sing me something to drive out the sour notes, doll baby?"

"You're busy, Lorne," Rose protested. "I really shouldn't be taking up your time like this."

"Consider it a mental health break," he suggested. "Sing me something worth listening to before I lose my mind." He looked at the specter's face and saw that her resolve was weakening. "Please?"

She caved in. "What do you want to hear, Lorne?"

&&&&&&&

Lorne sighed and tried to align his jangled thoughts. It wasn't just that Rose had just given him a rendition of "Only You," that would make The Platters blush, but with her singing had come a fast and furious spate of images. He quickly jotted down what had seemed most pertinent, but sorting through it all would have to wait, he still had several screenings to go through before the day was over. But something big was on the books for the new resident spook and her sweetie, of that much he was sure.

&&&&&&&

Harmony was busy on the phone, setting up an appointment with a client, so Rose decided to leave her alone. Rose still wasn't entirely comfortable with the littlest vampire, even though a truce of sorts had been declared between them. But there was a wide chasm as far as thoughts and attitudes went. Rose never really felt that she was communicating when she talked to Harmony about any but the most inconsequential things. On then, into Angel's office.

Angel sat massaging his throbbing temples. Too much time spent doing paperwork, too little time doing the things that really mattered. And that, he suspected was what was really making his head ache. He needed to get out of the office more. The papers on his desk suddenly rippled and fluttered, as if disturbed by a ghostly hand. He knew of only one ghostly presence currently resident at Wolfram and Hart. "Hello, Rose," he greeted her.

"Everyone knows it's me," she mock-grumbled, shimmering into view. "I guess it's like being the only child in a family. If something happens, there isn't anyone else to blame it on."

Angel was impressed. Rose hadn't been around as either human or ghost for that long, but her understanding of things human was constantly growing by leaps and bounds. "Not a bad analogy," he observed. "Where did you pick that up?"

"From a television show, actually," she admitted. "Sometimes I watch it while Spike is at work. If I really think about it, I can just work the remote. But there's so little actual content in much of it. Do humans actually find it all entertaining?"

"Different people like different things," Angel said. "But I'm afraid that I have to agree with you. There's not a lot that's worth watching. At least, not if you have a brain."

A grin tugged at the corners of Rose's mouth. "Guilty as charged, I guess. I'm not interrupting anything important, am I, Angel?"

Angel shook his head. He was always willing to spend as much time on Rose as she chose to spend in his company. He wouldn't actually admit to brown-nosing, but he wasn't going to give the brush-off to one of The Powers That Be. Even if she seemed to be a currently deposed Power. You could never tell. And it never hurt to have friends in high places. And Rose's original place was about as high as you could get. All that aside, he liked Rose, and felt protective of her. Not that there was anything to protect now. Or maybe there was. Rose had a look on her face now that could only be described as troubled. "Is something wrong, Rose?"

"Angel, if I asked you a question, would you promise to answer it honestly?" she asked, all serious. "No sugar-coating, no taking my feelings into account, but the bare naked truth?"

"I suppose so," he answered dubiously. It sounded like he was about to be backed into a corner. In his experience, when someone made a request like that, it usually meant that they knew the answer they were going to get wasn't going to bear even the slightest resemblance to the one they wanted.

"It's about Spike and me," she muttered nervously, then blurted out. "Do you think that I'm doing Spike a disservice by staying with him?"

"What?" The question totally floored the vampire. "Hell no," he replied. "You're probably the most positive influence that Spike has ever had. Why would you think that you should leave him? That is what you were thinking, wasn't it?"

Rose hung her head down. "I suppose I was," she admitted. "But I was thinking that there has been no indication that things are going to change. It's been months, and I haven't been recalled, even though the task I came to perform is completed. But I can't imagine that I'm going to get back the body I had, either. I guess that I was thinking that maybe Spike should move on and find someone else. Someone that he could really be with, instead of what I am."

"Now you're just talking nonsense, Rose," Angel said severely. "Spike loves you, and I know that you love him. I don't think you realize just what a rare, precious thing you have. If you threw that away, you'd only be hurting yourself and Spike. And helping no one." A shocked expression crossed his face. "You haven't said anything about this to Spike, have you?"

"Of course not." Rose was equally shocked. "I know what Spike would say. All he would think about is me, not about what might be best for him."

"You're what's best for him," Angel stated quietly. "What exactly has brought all this on, Rose?"

"Spike just hasn't been himself lately," she said. "I just thought that maybe it might be because our relationship isn't and can't go anywhere."

"And maybe Spike's just feeling a little desk-bound," Angel said with a grimace, thinking that he felt the same way. "When was the last time the two of you went out?"

"Not since you took us to that lovely concert," Rose replied shyly. "He's just been so busy lately, that I haven't wanted to ask him. Do you think that's all it is?"

"I can't say for sure," he admitted. "But why don't you try dropping a few hints and see what happens? A night out might be just what Spike needs."

&&&&&&&&

Lorne looked around. Just about everyone had gone, and the lights had been dimmed. But the bright strip peeking out from under Angel's door said that the boss man was still in. He tapped on the door softly and let himself in. "Angel? I hate to bother you, but there's something I think you ought to know. It's about Rose and Spike."