Spike had dozed off.

"Spike."

Spike: "About time you lot got on with things. So, how's the latest round of kick the Spike going to be played?"

Citrine: "We have no desire to kick you, vampire."

Violet: "We considered all the possibilities most carefully."

Sienna: "We were going to wait until the situation with the bounty hunter was resolved, but since it's taking such an extended period, well, we do have the rest of the universe to oversee."

Spike: "So if I'm following this right, you've come to a decision."

Cerulean: "That is correct, Spike."

Spike: "Are you going to keep me in suspense, or tell me?"

Viridian: "Once again, Rose has swayed our decision in your favor."

Spike: "What do I end up with? Spook, vamp or human?"

Violet: "Mostly human."

Citrine: "Completely human, but with.., modifications."

Spike: "What sort of modifications?"

Viridian: "Rose will not age, and her life force will be intertwined with yours."

Sienna: "When one dies, the other will as well."

Cerulean: "Conversely, as long as you live, so will she. Whether it be ten years..,"

Citrine: "Or a hundred..,"

Spike: "Or a thousand. I suppose thank you sounds a little lame for all of that."

Sienna: "Nor is it necessary. We did not do it for thanks."

Spike: "How..,"

Viridian: "We will attend to the details this time."

Spike: "When?"

Violet: "Soon, vampire, soon."

Citrine: "Wake now, Spike. She comes for you."

Spike blinked. Which she were they referring to?

&&&&&&&

Angel's face was a sight to behold. As his grandchilde might have put it, you could practically see the smoke coming out of his ass. Spike would have loved it. To make matters worse, Rose was totally ignoring the display, but had gone over to Wesley and was quietly conferring with him about the spell.

Gunn stepped in close. "Did you really think you could tell a woman what to do and get away with it?"

Angel gave him a dirty look. The little Watcher to ghost conference seemed to be over, and they were getting ready to cast the spell. He went over to Rose.

"Rose could you do me one little favor?" He tried puppy-dog eyes on her, hoping to stir her to sympathy since orders didn't work.

"Maybe," she replied cautiously.

"As soon as you and Wes are done with the spell, will you please wait in the car?" The vampire directed the gaze of his soft brown eyes into ghostly gray ones. "Or at least go invisible. There's a good possibility that there's a trap set here. I don't want it springing on you. Okay?"

Rose's gaze dropped. "You cheat, too," she muttered. "All right, I'll stay out of the way."

Wesley joined them. "Are we ready? The longer we wait, the more vulnerable we are if there is a trap."

Rose stood beside him and they began chanting in a strange sing-song. If it had been in a more conventional scale, it would have sounded like Gregorian chant, with Rose doing an eerie descant.

There was a brief glow all around the house, then, it died away completely. "No wards," Wesley observed with satisfaction.

"Rose?" Angel gave her a look.

"I'm going, I'm going," she grumbled. "You just be sure to come back with Spike, or you're really going to find out what it's like to be haunted." She tried going invisible, but it didn't seem to be working for some reason. A side effect from the spell, perhaps. She walked back to the car, but when she tried to ghost through the door, she ran her hand up against it and broke a nail painfully close. She had the throbbing digit in her mouth before she realized what had happened.

She gave the door a tentative tap, which produced a dull thump rather than her hand going through it. She took hold of the handle and opened the door, and slid into the back seat.

&&&&&&&&

"How are you going to get in there?" Gunn asked Angel. "I don't know who the rightful owner is, but I'm betting that we won't be able to get them down here to give you an invite."

"Not necessary," the vampire assured him. "When a house has been abandoned as long as this one, it almost counts as public property. No invitation necessary."

"We still need to keep our eyes open for more.., mundane traps," Wesley muttered. "We could walk right into one just because we've gotten overconfident knowing that there aren't any wards."

"Good advice," Angel agreed, privately thinking that it was stating the obvious.

They entered the house without incident. "Which way do you think?" Gunn inquired.

Angel sniffed. "Basement."

The trio trooped down to the basement.

"Kind of a let down, innit?" a familiar voice asked. "All psyched up and no one to punch."

They quickly freed Spike and headed for the street.

"Is it just me, or was that too damn easy?" Gunn mumbled.

"Too easy for my liking," Wesley concurred. "What is the bounty hunter up to? Kidnap him, then practically hand him back to us."

"Let's just get back and worry about the details later," Angel replied. They were all moving at a fast walk, but when Angel turned to Spike and said, "She's waiting in the car." Spike broke into a run.

&&&&&&&

The others were still about a half block away when Spike slid into the back seat of the car next to Rose. Before he could tell her his news, she slid up into his lap, and he found that he had a warm, substantial, live woman on his lap. He decided that explanations could wait while he kissed her.

When Angel, Wesley and Gunn arrived, they were still kissing. They stood there for a moment, gawking, realizing that something had changed radically in the last hour. Finally, with a collective shrug, they decided to go with the flow.

"I've got shotgun," Gunn said, going around the vehicle. "I am not sitting in the back seat while Rose and Blondie Bear make out."

"Thanks ever so much," Wesley remarked wryly. "I don't suppose you could make room for me up front as well?"

Angel grinned. "And leave them back there without a chaperone?" he said. "Stiff upper lip, Wes."

Wesley sighed and climbed into the back seat.

It wasn't till the car started moving that the lovers realized that they were no longer alone and broke it up. But they didn't offer any explanations, merely cuddled closer, if that were possible, with near identical looks of contentment on their faces.

"Do you two have anything you'd like to share with us?" Angel suggested.

"I'd have thought that was obvious, even to you." And that in itself was weird, Spike addressing Angel with no swear words or name calling. Okay, so there was a certain amount of sarcasm there, but from Spike to Angel it was positively mellow.

"But how?" Wesley was torn between looking at the newly corporeal Rose, and averting his eyes from a pair that obviously should get a room.

"Them," Spike said, tracing a finger across her cheekbone and down the line of her jaw, just enjoying being able to touch her. "'Bout bloody time, too."

"The Powers That Be did it?" Gunn asked.

"They did?" Rose was just as amazed as everyone else, although, as she said it, she realized that it did sound a bit stupid. Who else could have done it? "How did you happen to know about it, love?"

"They did talk to you, didn't they, Spike?" Angel asked. "Why didn't you mention it to me?"

"We have been kind of busy," Spike observed. "'Sides, I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up." He turned his gaze back to Rose, not that it had left her for long. "Especially you, babe."

"I understand," Rose replied softly. Giving in to an irresistible impulse, she ran her fingers through his already mussed hair. And looked puzzled when her hand encountered something besides hair. "What's this?" She held up an extremely small construct of metal and plastic.

"Let me see that," Wesley held out his hand, and Rose dropped the object into it as if it were radioactive. "So that's why the bounty hunter made the rescue so easy. She bugged Spike."

"Knew she wasn't as interested as she let on," Spike mumbled. "Heart rate didn't even go up when she was throwing herself at me." He saw Rose's eyes go cold and hard. He whispered something in her ear, and her expression relaxed, then flushed crimson. He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose.

"One question answered, and a dozen new ones in its place," grumbled Angel. "Would it be too much to ask that we could get this cleared up once and for all?"

"So it would seem," Wesley remarked. He glanced over at his seatmates. "Do you two mind?"

"Yeah, but we'll get over it," Spike mumbled, and went on with kissing Rose.

&&&&&&&

Lorne peeked into the lab. "They're on their way back, princess," he said to Fred. "And they want us to meet them at the door. They said they've got a surprise for us."

"I don't suppose they gave you any hints as to what kind of surprise it was?" Fred asked. She didn't mind leaving the robot for now. She was so keyed up she was having trouble concentrating on it, which was unusual for her. Generally speaking, work tended to soothe her.

"No idea, punkin," the demon replied. "But since they ought to be here any minute, why don't we just go on down and find out?"

"Sounds like a plan," Fred agreed.

They got to the lobby as the returning group entered. So far, nothing too unusual. Until an impatient Spike swept Rose up into his arms and started off towards the elevator with her.

"Whoa, wait just a minute, Spikester," Lorne said. He gave them a long look. "Rosebud?" His voice was starting to sound a little unsure.

Rose started to wriggle until Spike put her back down, then went over and hugged the demon, who returned it, fighting back the odd sniffle or two. Then, they all converged on the ex-ghost, and all was chaos for several minutes.

Spike watched the tableau, getting that old, familiar feeling of being on the edges of everything. Useful upon occasion, but not really a part of the group. Just like it had been with the Scoobies. Then, a path parted in the milling bodies, and Rose beckoned to him, and he entered and became a part of the group.

&&&&&&&

The impromptu party finally broke up and the vampires and Rose headed for the penthouse.

"I'm glad everyone's happy to have you back, luv," Spike remarked. "But I'm really not feeling in a sharing mood at the moment."

Angel was starting to get the same feeling he'd had when he'd taken the two of them out on dates. Redundant. He understood, he was pretty sure he did, but all the same, he wasn't too comfortable with what he was pretty sure was going to be going on in the bedroom next to his. Even now, the atmosphere was getting a little.., intimate, for his comfort.

"Are you two planning on taking the day off tomorrow?" he asked, just to break the silence.

"If you don't mind," Spike said, still spending most of his time gazing at his lady-love.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Rose added, blushing. The blush grew when her stomach started calling attention to itself.

"Someone's hungry," Spike remarked. "Besides, me, that is. That damned bounty hunter spilled mine all over the floor. Waste of perfectly good blood."

"The executive dining room is closed at this hour," Angel said. "Do you like Chinese, Rose?"

&&&&&&&

It had been a maddening wait for Spike. First for the food to get there, then sitting through a leisurely meal and conversation with the pouf. And he really wanted to get Rose alone. All to himself. And at long last he got what he wanted. As he picked Rose up and fell into bed with her, he glanced upwards and said, "Thanks, anyway."