Chapter Six
The four Halliwell sisters sat in the garden of the hotel, research books spread around them. It was a beautiful night and Piper had suggested they go outside to research. They hadn't seen Buffy or Angel for close to three hours now. And the youngest Halliwell was not happy. "How could you two do this to me?", Paige asked for the twentieth time. Prue rolled her eyes and smiled. Piper looked on the verge of strangling their baby sister while Phoebe just looked annoyed. "Paige, we already told you. We did it because, if you ask me, it was meant to be. Plus, did you see how happy they were?", Piper said calmly. In her hand she was squeezing one of those stress balls that you let your frustrations out on. Piper always carried one in her purse just in case she needed help controlling her nerves. Right now was one of those times. "But still, you ruined my chance at having a date with him?", Paige replied. "You also ruined Prue's. She's probably mad too, huh, Prue?" Prue looked up at her baby sister and shrugged. "No not really. I mean, as long as they are happy, it's fine," she replied, looking back down at the book on her lap. Paige just gawked at her.
Phoebe stopped flipping the pages of the Book of Shadows and looked up, a smirk on her face. "Oh come on, Paige. Even if Piper and me didn't cast the spell, you still wouldn't have had a chance with Angel. He wasn't interested in you or Prue. The only one of us who would have even stood a chance was Piper," she said. Piper's head shot up. "What? Phoebe, what did you just say?," she asked, narrowing her eyes at her sister. Phoebe grinned and shrugged. "Just what it sounded like. I mean, come on, Piper. You guys were chatting all the time and it seemed like you guys like each other." Piper slammed the book on her lap shut. "Yeah, we do like each other. But not in the way you think. Did you forget that I am MARRIED?", Piper asked, pointing to the ring on her finger. "And, yeah, we did talk a lot because I wanted to see if his and Buffy's relationship was anything like mine and Leo's. I wouldn't have stood a chance with him because he is madly in love with Buffy. You can see it in his eyes. She is his whole world. None of us would have stood a chance."
Phoebe held up her hands. "Easy, Piper. I was just kidding," she said. Prue laughed as Piper's face turned red. "I knew that," Piper said softly, opening up the book again. Phoebe looked back at the book. "Right," Phoebe replied in a disbelieving voice. Paige looked down at the ground. "You guys could have told me," she said. Prue looked up. "Paige, they didn't tell you because they figured you would tell. Which you probably would have. Don't worry, sweetie. There's a guy out there for you," Prue said, then smiled. " I happened to notice Gunn staring at you." Paige smiled at her oldest sister. Piper looked over at Prue and grinned. "And Prue, I happened to notice Wesley staring at you," she said. Prue blushed. She had been looking at the British man herself. There was something about him that she was attracted to. She wasn't sure what, but her attraction to Angel was gone. Well, not *gone* gone, she was a woman after all, but it wasn't as strong. No, now she had her hopes set on Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. "Prue? Prue? Earth to Prue! Come in, Prue," Piper said, waving a hand in front of Prue's face. Phoebe and Paige laughed. "Leave her be, Piper. She's off in La La land.," Paige said.
Piper smiled and got back to her book. A second later, the British man in question am outside. "I beg your pardon? I do not mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if one of you ladies could perhaps help me with a few Latin incantations. I'm afraid I cannot possibly translate all of them, and the only other person here who speaks Latin hasn't come downstairs for several hours. Would any of you perhaps know Latin?", he asked. Prue jumped up and held up a hand. "I do!", she said excitedly, which in return, gave her three eye rolls. Wesley smiled and motioned for her to enter the hotel first. With one last look back at her sisters, the eldest Halliwell went inside, followed by the ex-Watcher, who secretly held a spark for Prue.
"Bloody hell, why does that poof have to ruin everything?!", Spike yelled, smashing a trash can against the side of a building. He had left the Hyperian to let out his anger and plan some revenge. He looked down at the mess in the alley. He let out a laugh. "He's not gonna win this bloody time," he said. Spike had lost Drusilla to Angelus and now he was losing Buffy to Angel. "Not this time," he repeated. He wouldn't lose again. Especially not to his grand sire. He would find a way to get her. Of course, he couldn't turn her. Not with this chip in his head. If only there was some way to remove it…..
"Vampire," a voice from behind Spike hissed. Spike whirled around and cocked an eye brow at the sight he saw. A strange demon stood in the entrance to the alley. He wore something that looked like a loin cloth and held a large sword in his hand. "Well, Tarzan. Aren't you a strange sight to see," Spike wise cracked, flexing his fists for a fight. He may not be able to hurt human beings, but demons were another story. "Vampire," the demon hissed again. "Yeah, you already said that, mate," Spike said, taking a step closer to the demon. The Tarzan demon raised his sword and pressed it to Spike's chest when the blonde came close to him. "That's close enough, creature of the night. I have not come to challenge you. I have come to offer you an opportunity," the demon said. Spike smiled. "Sorry, but I'm not all that interested in what you have to say." Spike took another step closer before the demon spoke again. "Not even if it meant you could once again hunt and kill?"
That got Spike's attention. "I'm listening," the vampire said. The demon lowered his sword. "My name is Drazka. I have come to you, William the Bloody, to offer a proposition. I can remove the mechanism in your head that prevents you from doing what vampires were made to do. I will remove it if you help me in ridding myself of the obstacles that prevent me from completing my destiny." Spike stared at him. "So, you know who I am. And about the chip. Not a surprise. But me helping you depends on whatever these so called 'obstacles' are. Listen pal, if you need help with not being impotent or anything like that, you came to the wrong vampire." Drazka let out a sound Spike assumed was a laugh. "You joke, vampire. My obstacles are nothing of the matter. They are of supernatural means. Tell me, vampire, have you heard of the Charmed Ones? Or perhaps the Slayer? And of course, I know you have heard of Angelus."
Fire blazed in Spike's eyes at the mention of the vampire. "They the obstacles? Count me in then. But how do I just destroy them? It takes quite a lot more than one vampire," Spike said. "Actually, it's three vampires, love," a feminine voice said behind the demon. Spike's mouth dropped open when he saw two familiar faces appear. "Hello, William. Long time no see," one them said, while the other figure just laughed. Spike smiled. "Hello, Darla and Drusilla."
" 'Open doors of the heart. Let the light spread apart'," Prue read from one of the large books. "Puh. Since when did incantations go so Jewel?," she mumbled to herself. Wesley looked up and smiled. "I have no idea. Though these spells are quite old. Perhaps you should discuss it with some spirits," he said, smiling at the raven haired witch. Prue looked up, startled that he had heard her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you heard me. I was just mumbling to myself. I do that occasionally. As for the complaining to a spirit, do happen to know which one?," Prue said with a smiled. Wesley returned it. He realized that he was quite smitten with the young witch. That's why he was hoping she had known Latin. That way he could spend some time with her. And possibly ask her out to dinner, he thought. True, Wesley's last relationship with Virginia Bryce ended badly, but she couldn't handle the fact that he could get killed in a non-demonic way. But he felt that Prue would be able to handle that. After all, she hadn't always been around magic. She hadn't known that demons, witches, ghosts, and vampires existed up until four years ago.
He just hoped that she would say yes. Wesley liked Prue Halliwell. Quite a lot actually. He wanted to get to know her better. "Prue?," Wesley ventured, looking up from the book on the table in front of him. "Hmmm?", the witch replied. Wesley cleared his throat and swallowed. "I was wondering, if it doesn't seem too nosy of me, are you, by chance, involved with anyone at the moment?", he asked. Prue looked up at him with surprise written all over her face. After a moment, she smiled. "Well, that certainly wasn't what I expected you to say," she said. Wesley blushed and looked at his hands. "I apologize if it seems rude to ask. I was just wondering"— "No! Not at all. It doesn't seem rude. As a matter of fact, I was wondering the same thing about you," Prue said. Wesley looked up. "You were?", he asked. Prue nodded. "Yeah. And as an answer to your question, not at the moment, no. I'm not seeing anyone. Though it's not like my sisters aren't trying to get me to start seeing anyone again. Much to my annoyance," she said, glaring a little.
Wesley smiled. Well at least she wasn't seeing anyone. And she had the same feelings toward him that he had toward her. "And as a response to your answer, I am not involved with anyone either. Though I did recently get dumped. By a young woman I saved from being a human sacrifice for her father to become all powerful." Prue's eyes widened. "Her father was going to sacrifice her? And I thought my dad was bad." Wesley looked at her. "You have troubles with your father?", he asked, hoping there was something they had in common. Prue nodded. "Yeah. He took off a little while after Phoebe was born and he recently came back, but I'm not really all that into getting reacquainted. I still blame him for forcing mom to take care of us on her own. At least, until she died. A demon. Real bad thing. Piper and Phoebe barely remember her. Paige, on the other hand, never even met her. Except for whenever Piper and Phoebe summoned her so she could see her. But, I got to spend a lot of time with her…up there," she said, pointing to the ceiling.
Wesley nodded. "I am sorry for your death, Prue. But I am glad you were returned. Because if you weren't, I'm sure I wouldn't be falling in love with you even as we speak." Prue's head snapped up. Wesley's face drained of color. He had actually said that he was falling in love with her. What did she think now. "You're, you're falling in love with me?," Prue asked in a small voice. Wesley looked away from her. "Yes. I believe I am. I'm very sorry, Prue. I never meant to say it out loud. I'd understand if you didn't want me to be near you any more," he said, looking back at her. Before he could say anything else, his mouth was closed off by Prue's lips. She had reached forward and crushed her lips to his. Wesley gasped at the sudden connection, but quickly relaxed into it and kissed her back. He had never felt lips as soft as Prue's. Her lips tasted much like a mixture of strawberries and honey. He could tell she had obviously kissed quite a lot. He had never kissed someone quite like Prue. He felt as if he could keep kissing her forever.
Unfortunately for Wesley, Prue pulled back, taking a deep breath. "Woo. I guess I'm the one to apologize now," she said, smiling as she reached up and wiped smeared lipstick off Wesley's face. The ex-Watcher smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I'm quite pleased you actually could do that. I just couldn't seem to discover the nerve," he said, mimicking her gesture and doing the same to her. Prue smiled. "I'm a high maintenance kind of gal," she said softly. Wesley pushed a piece of black hair off her face and looked into her eyes. "If you wouldn't mind, Miss Halliwell, may I kiss you again?," he asked. Prue smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'd be insulted if you didn't, Mr. Wyndam- Pryce." And with that, the two of them were lost in the feel of each other's lips and soft caresses.
Darla and Drusilla stood beside Drazka, both smiling at Spike. "Hello, William. So nice to see that you are well and undead. Well, undead at least," Darla said, stalking toward him, swaying her hips more than necessary. Drusilla walked behind her, laughing softly. "My Spike. Still fighting what he really wants all because of the lil' chip in his head. It causes him pain it does," she whispered, running her hand through Spike's hair. Darla laughed. "Yes, so I've heard. Along with quite a few other interesting tid bits. And so I wonder, dear William, if any of them are true. Have you truly fallen for the Slayer? Lusting after her like a puppy dog. Much like Angelus?", she asked, and Spike could swear he saw anger on her face. Spike ignored her question when something occurred to him. "Darla, didn't the poof stake you years ago?" Darla glared at him. "Yes, he did. But thanks to modern lawyers, I was brought back."
"Lawyers? I knew they were evil, but I never thought they could accomplish something like this," he said. Darla stopped pacing around him. "Enough with avoiding the questions, William. My patience is hanging by a thread. Have you or have you not become smitten with the Slayer?", she asked. Spike stared at her. He knew not to test Darla's anger level. She could get quite nasty. "Maybe. But I've found out recently that it's just cry for what I really want," he said. Darla stood in front of him now. "And what is it that you want, William?" Spike looked in the woman's eyes. "Something that would kill Angelus. What more than stealing his beloved Buffy?" he asked. Darla's eyes shined as she smiled. "That a boy. At least you're with me and Dru now." Drusilla came up behind Spike and ran her hands over his chest.
"Does my Spike want to punish Daddy? Punish him for destroying our happy home? We can get our daddy back and get rid of the Angel beast for good." Spike just stared straight ahead. He actually wasn't very sure he wanted Angelus back for good. He much preferred the soul-ed version more. At least the "Angel beast" wasn't trying to steal Drusilla away. But, he was getting Buffy. So either way he went, it was a lose or lose situation. "Not to come on as an annoyance or anything," Spike began. "As if THAT was new," Darla added, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Spike ignored her comment. "But haven't you all already tried to get Angelus back more than once? And, gee, what do you know, he still has a soul." Darla once again glared at him. "Yes, William, we have tried, on occasion, to bring Angelus back again. Unfortunately, we didn't have the magic needed back then. However, we have it now. Thanks to Drazka," Darla said, signaling with her head to the demon who still stood behind them, in the same position as before. "And a few other colleagues.
"Now, William, Dru and I are here to offer you the chance to help us. In return, you will get that pesky chip out of your head and you can hunt and kill and do whatever else it is you want to do. However, you may not take the life of that Slayer. That is reserved for me," she said, with a tone of venom in her voice. Behind Spike, Drusilla laughed. "Grandmum puts her wants first. She wants the Slayer in the ground. Poor little thing. She has no idea what's in store. Little bird, tweeting away in her cage, surrounded by safety. But the big bad cat will soon end all that," she babbled. Darla raised an eyebrow. "Right, Dru. Whatever you say. And don't call me 'Grandmum'. Now, William. What is your answer? Are you with us or against us? Because, I guarantee that if you are against us, you won't live to see another moon." Spike stood, smiling at Darla's threats. He knew she most likely would kill him, but he didn't really care. He could fight back. And if he lost, he would have at least gone down fighting. However, if he went along with their plan, both Angel and Buffy would be out of his hair. And maybe, if he played his cards right, Buffy could become his own play toy. Along with Drusilla, of course.
Spike shrugged. "You've got yourself a deal, Darla. You know you can count on me for anything. There's just one little thing you may not know." Darla looked him in the eyes. "And what might that be?", she asked, and that was when Spike knew that none of them knew about Angel's new "condition". Spike laughed and smiled. "The bloody poof is human."
Angel stared down at his sleeping love and smiled. He had not been able to fall asleep after they had made love once again. He settled for watching her sleep. Watching as her peaceful dreams brought a smile to her face; how she sighed with contentment. Angel didn't think he had ever seen anything more beautiful than the being lying next to him on his—no, their—bed. He reached up a hand and smoothed a strand of hair away from her forehead, dragging his thumb over it. Buffy shifted closer to him and sighed again. Angel smiled. If I die right now, I can die happy, he thought. Angel leaned down close to her, near her ear and whispered, "I love you." Buffy leaned her head upward. "Ditto," she whispered back. Angel smiled as her eyes opened and focused on him. "Morning, love," he said, and leaned down to capture her lips in his. After a brief moment, Buffy pulled back. Angel looked at her questionably. Buffy smiled and caressed his cheek with her hand. "Sorry, love. Morning breath. It's a killer," she said, reassuring him.
Angel just smiled and pulled her towards him. He kissed her passionately. Buffy giggled against his mouth and kissed him back eagerly. Angel drew Buffy on top of him and began to kiss her neck.
Then there was a knock on the door.
Angel pulled away from Buffy as she slid off him, a pout on her lips. "Why does everyone want to ruin our fun?", she asked, in a tone much like a five-year-old. Angel smiled and shrugged, throwing Buffy one of his shirts and pulling on his boxers. "I have no clue, beloved. But I'll get rid of them," he said, stealing one more quick kiss before sliding out of bed, motioning for Buffy to put on his shirt. She did as requested, the pout still on her beautiful lips. Angel made a mental note to wipe that pout away as he opened the door to reveal Allie, who looked quite uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Sorry to disturb you two, but the people downstairs sorta need some help," she said, avoiding Angel's eyes. Angel smiled and looked over at Buffy, who was now out of bed and in his shirt. Buffy smiled. "It's okay, Al. You don't have to be embarrassed. We're not mad for being interrupted. Well, not much anyway," Buffy said. Allie looked up, relieved to see that they were both partly decent and looked at her friend. "Just don't kill the messenger," she said.
Angel smiled again. "No worries. We don't plan on it." Allie sighed, relieved. "So, do I tell them you'll be down in a few? Minutes that is," she added when she saw the gleam in both their eyes. Buffy laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Tell them that. We'll be right down." Allie nodded and smiled mischievously. "Okay. And no morning quickies, you two," she said, pointing her finger at both of them, a mock-stern expression on her face. Both of the lovers groaned. "Spoil our fun," Buffy mumbled. Allie laughed and turned around, calling, "See you two downstairs," behind her. Angel shut the door. "Sure we can't have a small quickie?", he asked, leering at Buffy. "Hmm. Maybe we can," she said, walking up to him and rubbing her hands over his chest. Angel leaned down to kiss her, but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He spun around to see the smirking face of Prue Halliwell. Wait a second, Angel thought. How did she get in here? I didn't hear the door.
"Sorry to interrupt. But we really do need your help downstairs," Prue said, shaking her head and laughing. "Prue? How did you get in here?", Buffy asked. Prue looked at her. "Astral projection. Nifty little power, don't you think?", she said. "Cordelia had a feeling you wouldn't come down after Allie said to, so they all sent me to astral in to make you get your butts in gear." Buffy and Angel exchanged glances. "I swear, they are all really pushing it," Angel muttered. Buffy grinned up at him then turned back to Prue. "Alright. We'll be down. Now astral outta here so we can get completely decent," she said. Prue nodded. "Alright. But if you two aren't down there, I will be back." With those words, Prue's head slumped and she disappeared in a flash of light. "That's just creepy," Buffy said. Angel looked down at her. "We'll finish this later, love," he said. His beloved smiled up at him, with eyes that said, You bet your ass we will. The two separated and went to get dressed.
"Certainly an interesting perspective. What I don't understand is why the ghost would want the three of you gone so badly," Wesley was saying when Buffy and Angel came into the lobby, hand in hand. Piper looked up and smiled. "Hey, strangers. Have a good night?," she asked. Buffy just smiled as Angel sat down, pulling the blonde into his lap. Angel smiled at Dawn, who sat with a book in her lap, smiling at him. "Very good night, thank you, Piper," Angel said, smiling at the witch he had come to know as a friend. Piper smiled once again. Phoebe looked up, offended. "Hey! What about me? I helped cast the spell too! Don't I get a thank you too?", she asked. Angel smiled at her. "Yes, Phoebe. If you want one. Thank you, too," he said, laughing and shaking his head. That seemed to satisfy Phoebe. Cordelia cleared her throat. "Okay, now why you two were up there making wild monkey sex all night long, we down here have been trying to find some stuff out. Care to listen in?," she asked.
Buffy and Angel looked forward, trying to pay attention when to what everyone was saying. "Yes, well, it seems we are still no closer to finding out why exactly this ghost wants Allie, Amber and Kristi out of the house so much. It seems that most of the evidence is pointing toward usual ghost actions. He is haunting the house and most likely thinks of it as his. Therefore, not wanting anyone else there. But, it might be more," Wesley said. "Like what?", Buffy asked. The brunette girl who was known as Fred looked up from her laptop. "Well, I've been looking into the history of this guy. And it turns out that one of the gangsters he was a big enemy to is actually one of Kristi's ancestors," she said. Kristi's head popped up. "Really?" Fred nodded. "Percy Collins. He was your great-great grandfather. Or maybe it's just one great. I'm not sure about that. But according to the file, his gang was the one that took him out. Maybe he blames you for what happened and wants revenge. And he just sees Amber and Allie as things to kill too." Kristi stared at her, stunned.
"Wow. You mean Kristi's family aren't all goody-two-shoes?," Amber asked. Kristi looked over and slapped her on the arm, then looked at Fred again. "So, you're saying I'm the cause of all this?", she asked. Buffy reached out and gripped her hand. "No, Kris. Of course not. Your granddad is. Or how ever many greats there are. Not you. He just sees you as a threat I guess." Kristi looked more relieved. Angel looked over at the four sisters. "Did any of you find a way to vanquish this guy?," he asked. They all shook their heads. "We haven't found anything in the book, but Cole's still out searching and Leo's still up there," Paige said, pointing upward. "So, there is still hope." Angel nodded. At that moment, Cole shimmered in next to Dawn, causing the young girl to jump. "Geez. Could you people not do that? First it was the white lighter, now the demon. Stop it!", she exclaimed. Cole looked down at her. "Sorry," he said. Phoebe stood up and walked over to him, giving him a light kiss on the lips. "Cole. Did you find anything?", she asked. The half-demon shook his head.
"Not a thing. Just that the ghost is bad and wants the three of them out. Nothing new," he said, throwing a glance over to Angel. "Although, Angel, I found out something you might find of interest." Angel looked away from Buffy and up at Cole. "And that would be?" Cole took a seat next to Doyle. "I heard around that your Sire and those two weird children of yours are plotting against you." Buffy looked from Cole to Angel, her expression betraying her confusion. "Your Sire? Darla? But you killed Darla years ago," she said. Angel looked down at her. "Under strange circumstances, she was brought back. I'll explain it to you later, love. Cole, by 'my two weird children' you do mean Spike and Drusilla right?" At Cole's nod, Angel sighed. "Spike? What is he doing in L.A.?," Buffy asked. Dawn looked up. "Well, he does have that weird obsession with you. Maybe he followed you," she said. This time it was Angel's turn to look confused. "What obsession with you?", he asked. "Spike is in love with Buffy. He's going all stalker boy on her," Dawn answered.
Angel still looked confused but settled. "We'll talk about that, too," he said. "Cole, do you know what they're plotting?" Cole nodded. "Oh yeah, I do. And it's not good." He paused. Silence filled the room. "Okay, so spill already!", Gunn yelled. Cole looked directly at Angel. "They all teamed up with Wolfram and Hart. And they plan on using Buffy against you. They plan on using her to make you give up your soul."
The four Halliwell sisters sat in the garden of the hotel, research books spread around them. It was a beautiful night and Piper had suggested they go outside to research. They hadn't seen Buffy or Angel for close to three hours now. And the youngest Halliwell was not happy. "How could you two do this to me?", Paige asked for the twentieth time. Prue rolled her eyes and smiled. Piper looked on the verge of strangling their baby sister while Phoebe just looked annoyed. "Paige, we already told you. We did it because, if you ask me, it was meant to be. Plus, did you see how happy they were?", Piper said calmly. In her hand she was squeezing one of those stress balls that you let your frustrations out on. Piper always carried one in her purse just in case she needed help controlling her nerves. Right now was one of those times. "But still, you ruined my chance at having a date with him?", Paige replied. "You also ruined Prue's. She's probably mad too, huh, Prue?" Prue looked up at her baby sister and shrugged. "No not really. I mean, as long as they are happy, it's fine," she replied, looking back down at the book on her lap. Paige just gawked at her.
Phoebe stopped flipping the pages of the Book of Shadows and looked up, a smirk on her face. "Oh come on, Paige. Even if Piper and me didn't cast the spell, you still wouldn't have had a chance with Angel. He wasn't interested in you or Prue. The only one of us who would have even stood a chance was Piper," she said. Piper's head shot up. "What? Phoebe, what did you just say?," she asked, narrowing her eyes at her sister. Phoebe grinned and shrugged. "Just what it sounded like. I mean, come on, Piper. You guys were chatting all the time and it seemed like you guys like each other." Piper slammed the book on her lap shut. "Yeah, we do like each other. But not in the way you think. Did you forget that I am MARRIED?", Piper asked, pointing to the ring on her finger. "And, yeah, we did talk a lot because I wanted to see if his and Buffy's relationship was anything like mine and Leo's. I wouldn't have stood a chance with him because he is madly in love with Buffy. You can see it in his eyes. She is his whole world. None of us would have stood a chance."
Phoebe held up her hands. "Easy, Piper. I was just kidding," she said. Prue laughed as Piper's face turned red. "I knew that," Piper said softly, opening up the book again. Phoebe looked back at the book. "Right," Phoebe replied in a disbelieving voice. Paige looked down at the ground. "You guys could have told me," she said. Prue looked up. "Paige, they didn't tell you because they figured you would tell. Which you probably would have. Don't worry, sweetie. There's a guy out there for you," Prue said, then smiled. " I happened to notice Gunn staring at you." Paige smiled at her oldest sister. Piper looked over at Prue and grinned. "And Prue, I happened to notice Wesley staring at you," she said. Prue blushed. She had been looking at the British man herself. There was something about him that she was attracted to. She wasn't sure what, but her attraction to Angel was gone. Well, not *gone* gone, she was a woman after all, but it wasn't as strong. No, now she had her hopes set on Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. "Prue? Prue? Earth to Prue! Come in, Prue," Piper said, waving a hand in front of Prue's face. Phoebe and Paige laughed. "Leave her be, Piper. She's off in La La land.," Paige said.
Piper smiled and got back to her book. A second later, the British man in question am outside. "I beg your pardon? I do not mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if one of you ladies could perhaps help me with a few Latin incantations. I'm afraid I cannot possibly translate all of them, and the only other person here who speaks Latin hasn't come downstairs for several hours. Would any of you perhaps know Latin?", he asked. Prue jumped up and held up a hand. "I do!", she said excitedly, which in return, gave her three eye rolls. Wesley smiled and motioned for her to enter the hotel first. With one last look back at her sisters, the eldest Halliwell went inside, followed by the ex-Watcher, who secretly held a spark for Prue.
"Bloody hell, why does that poof have to ruin everything?!", Spike yelled, smashing a trash can against the side of a building. He had left the Hyperian to let out his anger and plan some revenge. He looked down at the mess in the alley. He let out a laugh. "He's not gonna win this bloody time," he said. Spike had lost Drusilla to Angelus and now he was losing Buffy to Angel. "Not this time," he repeated. He wouldn't lose again. Especially not to his grand sire. He would find a way to get her. Of course, he couldn't turn her. Not with this chip in his head. If only there was some way to remove it…..
"Vampire," a voice from behind Spike hissed. Spike whirled around and cocked an eye brow at the sight he saw. A strange demon stood in the entrance to the alley. He wore something that looked like a loin cloth and held a large sword in his hand. "Well, Tarzan. Aren't you a strange sight to see," Spike wise cracked, flexing his fists for a fight. He may not be able to hurt human beings, but demons were another story. "Vampire," the demon hissed again. "Yeah, you already said that, mate," Spike said, taking a step closer to the demon. The Tarzan demon raised his sword and pressed it to Spike's chest when the blonde came close to him. "That's close enough, creature of the night. I have not come to challenge you. I have come to offer you an opportunity," the demon said. Spike smiled. "Sorry, but I'm not all that interested in what you have to say." Spike took another step closer before the demon spoke again. "Not even if it meant you could once again hunt and kill?"
That got Spike's attention. "I'm listening," the vampire said. The demon lowered his sword. "My name is Drazka. I have come to you, William the Bloody, to offer a proposition. I can remove the mechanism in your head that prevents you from doing what vampires were made to do. I will remove it if you help me in ridding myself of the obstacles that prevent me from completing my destiny." Spike stared at him. "So, you know who I am. And about the chip. Not a surprise. But me helping you depends on whatever these so called 'obstacles' are. Listen pal, if you need help with not being impotent or anything like that, you came to the wrong vampire." Drazka let out a sound Spike assumed was a laugh. "You joke, vampire. My obstacles are nothing of the matter. They are of supernatural means. Tell me, vampire, have you heard of the Charmed Ones? Or perhaps the Slayer? And of course, I know you have heard of Angelus."
Fire blazed in Spike's eyes at the mention of the vampire. "They the obstacles? Count me in then. But how do I just destroy them? It takes quite a lot more than one vampire," Spike said. "Actually, it's three vampires, love," a feminine voice said behind the demon. Spike's mouth dropped open when he saw two familiar faces appear. "Hello, William. Long time no see," one them said, while the other figure just laughed. Spike smiled. "Hello, Darla and Drusilla."
" 'Open doors of the heart. Let the light spread apart'," Prue read from one of the large books. "Puh. Since when did incantations go so Jewel?," she mumbled to herself. Wesley looked up and smiled. "I have no idea. Though these spells are quite old. Perhaps you should discuss it with some spirits," he said, smiling at the raven haired witch. Prue looked up, startled that he had heard her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you heard me. I was just mumbling to myself. I do that occasionally. As for the complaining to a spirit, do happen to know which one?," Prue said with a smiled. Wesley returned it. He realized that he was quite smitten with the young witch. That's why he was hoping she had known Latin. That way he could spend some time with her. And possibly ask her out to dinner, he thought. True, Wesley's last relationship with Virginia Bryce ended badly, but she couldn't handle the fact that he could get killed in a non-demonic way. But he felt that Prue would be able to handle that. After all, she hadn't always been around magic. She hadn't known that demons, witches, ghosts, and vampires existed up until four years ago.
He just hoped that she would say yes. Wesley liked Prue Halliwell. Quite a lot actually. He wanted to get to know her better. "Prue?," Wesley ventured, looking up from the book on the table in front of him. "Hmmm?", the witch replied. Wesley cleared his throat and swallowed. "I was wondering, if it doesn't seem too nosy of me, are you, by chance, involved with anyone at the moment?", he asked. Prue looked up at him with surprise written all over her face. After a moment, she smiled. "Well, that certainly wasn't what I expected you to say," she said. Wesley blushed and looked at his hands. "I apologize if it seems rude to ask. I was just wondering"— "No! Not at all. It doesn't seem rude. As a matter of fact, I was wondering the same thing about you," Prue said. Wesley looked up. "You were?", he asked. Prue nodded. "Yeah. And as an answer to your question, not at the moment, no. I'm not seeing anyone. Though it's not like my sisters aren't trying to get me to start seeing anyone again. Much to my annoyance," she said, glaring a little.
Wesley smiled. Well at least she wasn't seeing anyone. And she had the same feelings toward him that he had toward her. "And as a response to your answer, I am not involved with anyone either. Though I did recently get dumped. By a young woman I saved from being a human sacrifice for her father to become all powerful." Prue's eyes widened. "Her father was going to sacrifice her? And I thought my dad was bad." Wesley looked at her. "You have troubles with your father?", he asked, hoping there was something they had in common. Prue nodded. "Yeah. He took off a little while after Phoebe was born and he recently came back, but I'm not really all that into getting reacquainted. I still blame him for forcing mom to take care of us on her own. At least, until she died. A demon. Real bad thing. Piper and Phoebe barely remember her. Paige, on the other hand, never even met her. Except for whenever Piper and Phoebe summoned her so she could see her. But, I got to spend a lot of time with her…up there," she said, pointing to the ceiling.
Wesley nodded. "I am sorry for your death, Prue. But I am glad you were returned. Because if you weren't, I'm sure I wouldn't be falling in love with you even as we speak." Prue's head snapped up. Wesley's face drained of color. He had actually said that he was falling in love with her. What did she think now. "You're, you're falling in love with me?," Prue asked in a small voice. Wesley looked away from her. "Yes. I believe I am. I'm very sorry, Prue. I never meant to say it out loud. I'd understand if you didn't want me to be near you any more," he said, looking back at her. Before he could say anything else, his mouth was closed off by Prue's lips. She had reached forward and crushed her lips to his. Wesley gasped at the sudden connection, but quickly relaxed into it and kissed her back. He had never felt lips as soft as Prue's. Her lips tasted much like a mixture of strawberries and honey. He could tell she had obviously kissed quite a lot. He had never kissed someone quite like Prue. He felt as if he could keep kissing her forever.
Unfortunately for Wesley, Prue pulled back, taking a deep breath. "Woo. I guess I'm the one to apologize now," she said, smiling as she reached up and wiped smeared lipstick off Wesley's face. The ex-Watcher smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I'm quite pleased you actually could do that. I just couldn't seem to discover the nerve," he said, mimicking her gesture and doing the same to her. Prue smiled. "I'm a high maintenance kind of gal," she said softly. Wesley pushed a piece of black hair off her face and looked into her eyes. "If you wouldn't mind, Miss Halliwell, may I kiss you again?," he asked. Prue smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "I'd be insulted if you didn't, Mr. Wyndam- Pryce." And with that, the two of them were lost in the feel of each other's lips and soft caresses.
Darla and Drusilla stood beside Drazka, both smiling at Spike. "Hello, William. So nice to see that you are well and undead. Well, undead at least," Darla said, stalking toward him, swaying her hips more than necessary. Drusilla walked behind her, laughing softly. "My Spike. Still fighting what he really wants all because of the lil' chip in his head. It causes him pain it does," she whispered, running her hand through Spike's hair. Darla laughed. "Yes, so I've heard. Along with quite a few other interesting tid bits. And so I wonder, dear William, if any of them are true. Have you truly fallen for the Slayer? Lusting after her like a puppy dog. Much like Angelus?", she asked, and Spike could swear he saw anger on her face. Spike ignored her question when something occurred to him. "Darla, didn't the poof stake you years ago?" Darla glared at him. "Yes, he did. But thanks to modern lawyers, I was brought back."
"Lawyers? I knew they were evil, but I never thought they could accomplish something like this," he said. Darla stopped pacing around him. "Enough with avoiding the questions, William. My patience is hanging by a thread. Have you or have you not become smitten with the Slayer?", she asked. Spike stared at her. He knew not to test Darla's anger level. She could get quite nasty. "Maybe. But I've found out recently that it's just cry for what I really want," he said. Darla stood in front of him now. "And what is it that you want, William?" Spike looked in the woman's eyes. "Something that would kill Angelus. What more than stealing his beloved Buffy?" he asked. Darla's eyes shined as she smiled. "That a boy. At least you're with me and Dru now." Drusilla came up behind Spike and ran her hands over his chest.
"Does my Spike want to punish Daddy? Punish him for destroying our happy home? We can get our daddy back and get rid of the Angel beast for good." Spike just stared straight ahead. He actually wasn't very sure he wanted Angelus back for good. He much preferred the soul-ed version more. At least the "Angel beast" wasn't trying to steal Drusilla away. But, he was getting Buffy. So either way he went, it was a lose or lose situation. "Not to come on as an annoyance or anything," Spike began. "As if THAT was new," Darla added, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Spike ignored her comment. "But haven't you all already tried to get Angelus back more than once? And, gee, what do you know, he still has a soul." Darla once again glared at him. "Yes, William, we have tried, on occasion, to bring Angelus back again. Unfortunately, we didn't have the magic needed back then. However, we have it now. Thanks to Drazka," Darla said, signaling with her head to the demon who still stood behind them, in the same position as before. "And a few other colleagues.
"Now, William, Dru and I are here to offer you the chance to help us. In return, you will get that pesky chip out of your head and you can hunt and kill and do whatever else it is you want to do. However, you may not take the life of that Slayer. That is reserved for me," she said, with a tone of venom in her voice. Behind Spike, Drusilla laughed. "Grandmum puts her wants first. She wants the Slayer in the ground. Poor little thing. She has no idea what's in store. Little bird, tweeting away in her cage, surrounded by safety. But the big bad cat will soon end all that," she babbled. Darla raised an eyebrow. "Right, Dru. Whatever you say. And don't call me 'Grandmum'. Now, William. What is your answer? Are you with us or against us? Because, I guarantee that if you are against us, you won't live to see another moon." Spike stood, smiling at Darla's threats. He knew she most likely would kill him, but he didn't really care. He could fight back. And if he lost, he would have at least gone down fighting. However, if he went along with their plan, both Angel and Buffy would be out of his hair. And maybe, if he played his cards right, Buffy could become his own play toy. Along with Drusilla, of course.
Spike shrugged. "You've got yourself a deal, Darla. You know you can count on me for anything. There's just one little thing you may not know." Darla looked him in the eyes. "And what might that be?", she asked, and that was when Spike knew that none of them knew about Angel's new "condition". Spike laughed and smiled. "The bloody poof is human."
Angel stared down at his sleeping love and smiled. He had not been able to fall asleep after they had made love once again. He settled for watching her sleep. Watching as her peaceful dreams brought a smile to her face; how she sighed with contentment. Angel didn't think he had ever seen anything more beautiful than the being lying next to him on his—no, their—bed. He reached up a hand and smoothed a strand of hair away from her forehead, dragging his thumb over it. Buffy shifted closer to him and sighed again. Angel smiled. If I die right now, I can die happy, he thought. Angel leaned down close to her, near her ear and whispered, "I love you." Buffy leaned her head upward. "Ditto," she whispered back. Angel smiled as her eyes opened and focused on him. "Morning, love," he said, and leaned down to capture her lips in his. After a brief moment, Buffy pulled back. Angel looked at her questionably. Buffy smiled and caressed his cheek with her hand. "Sorry, love. Morning breath. It's a killer," she said, reassuring him.
Angel just smiled and pulled her towards him. He kissed her passionately. Buffy giggled against his mouth and kissed him back eagerly. Angel drew Buffy on top of him and began to kiss her neck.
Then there was a knock on the door.
Angel pulled away from Buffy as she slid off him, a pout on her lips. "Why does everyone want to ruin our fun?", she asked, in a tone much like a five-year-old. Angel smiled and shrugged, throwing Buffy one of his shirts and pulling on his boxers. "I have no clue, beloved. But I'll get rid of them," he said, stealing one more quick kiss before sliding out of bed, motioning for Buffy to put on his shirt. She did as requested, the pout still on her beautiful lips. Angel made a mental note to wipe that pout away as he opened the door to reveal Allie, who looked quite uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Sorry to disturb you two, but the people downstairs sorta need some help," she said, avoiding Angel's eyes. Angel smiled and looked over at Buffy, who was now out of bed and in his shirt. Buffy smiled. "It's okay, Al. You don't have to be embarrassed. We're not mad for being interrupted. Well, not much anyway," Buffy said. Allie looked up, relieved to see that they were both partly decent and looked at her friend. "Just don't kill the messenger," she said.
Angel smiled again. "No worries. We don't plan on it." Allie sighed, relieved. "So, do I tell them you'll be down in a few? Minutes that is," she added when she saw the gleam in both their eyes. Buffy laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Tell them that. We'll be right down." Allie nodded and smiled mischievously. "Okay. And no morning quickies, you two," she said, pointing her finger at both of them, a mock-stern expression on her face. Both of the lovers groaned. "Spoil our fun," Buffy mumbled. Allie laughed and turned around, calling, "See you two downstairs," behind her. Angel shut the door. "Sure we can't have a small quickie?", he asked, leering at Buffy. "Hmm. Maybe we can," she said, walking up to him and rubbing her hands over his chest. Angel leaned down to kiss her, but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He spun around to see the smirking face of Prue Halliwell. Wait a second, Angel thought. How did she get in here? I didn't hear the door.
"Sorry to interrupt. But we really do need your help downstairs," Prue said, shaking her head and laughing. "Prue? How did you get in here?", Buffy asked. Prue looked at her. "Astral projection. Nifty little power, don't you think?", she said. "Cordelia had a feeling you wouldn't come down after Allie said to, so they all sent me to astral in to make you get your butts in gear." Buffy and Angel exchanged glances. "I swear, they are all really pushing it," Angel muttered. Buffy grinned up at him then turned back to Prue. "Alright. We'll be down. Now astral outta here so we can get completely decent," she said. Prue nodded. "Alright. But if you two aren't down there, I will be back." With those words, Prue's head slumped and she disappeared in a flash of light. "That's just creepy," Buffy said. Angel looked down at her. "We'll finish this later, love," he said. His beloved smiled up at him, with eyes that said, You bet your ass we will. The two separated and went to get dressed.
"Certainly an interesting perspective. What I don't understand is why the ghost would want the three of you gone so badly," Wesley was saying when Buffy and Angel came into the lobby, hand in hand. Piper looked up and smiled. "Hey, strangers. Have a good night?," she asked. Buffy just smiled as Angel sat down, pulling the blonde into his lap. Angel smiled at Dawn, who sat with a book in her lap, smiling at him. "Very good night, thank you, Piper," Angel said, smiling at the witch he had come to know as a friend. Piper smiled once again. Phoebe looked up, offended. "Hey! What about me? I helped cast the spell too! Don't I get a thank you too?", she asked. Angel smiled at her. "Yes, Phoebe. If you want one. Thank you, too," he said, laughing and shaking his head. That seemed to satisfy Phoebe. Cordelia cleared her throat. "Okay, now why you two were up there making wild monkey sex all night long, we down here have been trying to find some stuff out. Care to listen in?," she asked.
Buffy and Angel looked forward, trying to pay attention when to what everyone was saying. "Yes, well, it seems we are still no closer to finding out why exactly this ghost wants Allie, Amber and Kristi out of the house so much. It seems that most of the evidence is pointing toward usual ghost actions. He is haunting the house and most likely thinks of it as his. Therefore, not wanting anyone else there. But, it might be more," Wesley said. "Like what?", Buffy asked. The brunette girl who was known as Fred looked up from her laptop. "Well, I've been looking into the history of this guy. And it turns out that one of the gangsters he was a big enemy to is actually one of Kristi's ancestors," she said. Kristi's head popped up. "Really?" Fred nodded. "Percy Collins. He was your great-great grandfather. Or maybe it's just one great. I'm not sure about that. But according to the file, his gang was the one that took him out. Maybe he blames you for what happened and wants revenge. And he just sees Amber and Allie as things to kill too." Kristi stared at her, stunned.
"Wow. You mean Kristi's family aren't all goody-two-shoes?," Amber asked. Kristi looked over and slapped her on the arm, then looked at Fred again. "So, you're saying I'm the cause of all this?", she asked. Buffy reached out and gripped her hand. "No, Kris. Of course not. Your granddad is. Or how ever many greats there are. Not you. He just sees you as a threat I guess." Kristi looked more relieved. Angel looked over at the four sisters. "Did any of you find a way to vanquish this guy?," he asked. They all shook their heads. "We haven't found anything in the book, but Cole's still out searching and Leo's still up there," Paige said, pointing upward. "So, there is still hope." Angel nodded. At that moment, Cole shimmered in next to Dawn, causing the young girl to jump. "Geez. Could you people not do that? First it was the white lighter, now the demon. Stop it!", she exclaimed. Cole looked down at her. "Sorry," he said. Phoebe stood up and walked over to him, giving him a light kiss on the lips. "Cole. Did you find anything?", she asked. The half-demon shook his head.
"Not a thing. Just that the ghost is bad and wants the three of them out. Nothing new," he said, throwing a glance over to Angel. "Although, Angel, I found out something you might find of interest." Angel looked away from Buffy and up at Cole. "And that would be?" Cole took a seat next to Doyle. "I heard around that your Sire and those two weird children of yours are plotting against you." Buffy looked from Cole to Angel, her expression betraying her confusion. "Your Sire? Darla? But you killed Darla years ago," she said. Angel looked down at her. "Under strange circumstances, she was brought back. I'll explain it to you later, love. Cole, by 'my two weird children' you do mean Spike and Drusilla right?" At Cole's nod, Angel sighed. "Spike? What is he doing in L.A.?," Buffy asked. Dawn looked up. "Well, he does have that weird obsession with you. Maybe he followed you," she said. This time it was Angel's turn to look confused. "What obsession with you?", he asked. "Spike is in love with Buffy. He's going all stalker boy on her," Dawn answered.
Angel still looked confused but settled. "We'll talk about that, too," he said. "Cole, do you know what they're plotting?" Cole nodded. "Oh yeah, I do. And it's not good." He paused. Silence filled the room. "Okay, so spill already!", Gunn yelled. Cole looked directly at Angel. "They all teamed up with Wolfram and Hart. And they plan on using Buffy against you. They plan on using her to make you give up your soul."