Part 15

Wolf Wesley cautiously made his way up the stairs and towards where he thought the Watcher's room was. Using his enhanced sense of smell the wolf was able to locate Wesley's room when he reached the second floor. It wouldn't have looked too good to be seen wondering the halls in search of "his" room.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a journal on the nightstand. "The better to know you my dear" he thought with a smirk. That had been his mistake at the last job for the witch in the mirror, he hadn't known his victim very well and he was spotted as a shape shifter before he could complete the job.

Settling down on the bed he began to read.

~~~~~

Willow smiled as she felt cool arms encircle her waist and a soft kiss on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking that we haven't seen Fred or Gunn in a couple of hours."

"I'm sure everything is alright. Wes might have seen them, I think I heard him come up the stairs just now. Want me to go see if he's seen them?"

She turned in Angel's embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. "No that's okay. You're right. I'm sure everything is okay."

Angel leaned down to place a soft kiss on Willow's lips when he heard a noise. Pausing just inches from her lips he stopped and listened. He heard the creaking noise again.

Angel gave Willow a quick kiss and then pulled back, "Did you hear that?"

Willow frowned in concentration and tried to hear something. "Nope, must be your vampire's ears. What was it?"

"I don't know but it was coming from upstairs and there isn't anything up there."

Angel started going toward the hallway when Willow slipped her hand in his. "Let's go see."

They had only gotten halfway down the hallway when Angel stopped quickly causing Willow to bump into him. "What is it?"

Angel turned toward Wes' room. "Something is off in there. Can you sense anything?"

Willow quietly concentrated on the magical senses she felt in the Hyperion. Normally she put a block on it because she felt all the energy that was in the hotel and it got too distracting day to day. She lowered her shields and just felt.

Briefly leaning against Angel she tried to sort out the sensations. Tuning out what she called 'white noise' she tried to concentrate on just Wesley's room.

There was a darkness there and also something out of balance on the third floor. She was just getting ready to tell Angel that when the door opened and Wes came out.

"Oh…Angel, Willow I didn't hear you out here. Everything alright?"

Angel growled and lunged toward Wolf Wes.

"Angel, wait!"

"It's not Wesley, Willow. I can smell a difference."

Willow just rolled her eyes, "Hold". The wolf was held immobile by Willow's magic.

"I know it's not Wesley I can feel a darkness here. I'm not stopping you from killing, just try to get the information first."

"Wait! If you hurt me you hurt your precious Wesley."

Angel reluctantly let go of the Wolf's neck. "Where's Wes and what have you done with Gunn and Fred?"

"Like I'm going to tell you. I know you can't hurt me without hurting your friend."

Angel growled softly, "Actually, Wes is pretty resilient. I've seen him heal pretty quickly. Besides I know some techniques that won't leave too many scars."

The wolf began to sweat.

"Who sent you after Wes?"

"The witch in the mirror." 'It would be better to shift their anger' he thought.

"Who?"

He just rolled his eyes, "You know . . .mirror, mirror on the wall?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

Willow got a thoughtful look on her face. She knew that Hansel and Gretel were real and if the witch in the mirror was real that meant other fairy tales were probably real as well.

Angel was fascinated by Willow as he watched her. He thought he could literally see the wheels turning in her brain as she puzzled out what the Wolf had said.

Willow processed the fairy tales that she was familiar with. She really hadn't been into fairy tales as a kid. Mythology and tales of the supernatural were more what she liked.

The Wolf Wes watched the witch as she thought about what he had said. He knew she would come up with it soon. Reds seemed to be his downfall, from a red riding hood to a witch with red hair. He made a decision that this was the absolute last time he helped that stupid witch. She stayed in the background while the rest of them did the dirty work.

Willow's eyes opened and then narrowed as the tale of little red riding hood came back to her.

"Angel, slit his stomach."

Both Angel and the Wolf responded, "What?!"

"It's the story of red riding hood where the wolf took the place of the grandmother and the woodsman slit his stomach and out popped the grandmother."

Angel got a sadistic gleam in his eye and turned to go downstairs to the weapon chest and grab a very wicked looking axe.

When Angel returned he heard the Wolf try to strike a bargain with Willow. He would release Wesley if they didn't cut him open. It wouldn't kill him anyway he would just return to the realm in which fairy tales lived.

Willow seemed to consider for just a bare moment and then shook her head no. "You're probably tied to the disappearance of Gunn and Fred so sending you back might release them wherever they are."

"Wrong, Red. You have to send the witch back to the mirror for that to happen and only the keeper of the mirror can hold her." The Wolf continued sarcastically, "Oops, he's dead."

"I bet if I go to your realm I can find someone to help me. Angel, kill him."

Before the Wolf could reply Angel swung and sliced his stomach. Willow steeled herself against the look of pain on Wes' face and watched as the Wolf shuddered and then collapsed.

On the floor lay Wes. Angel and Willow both ran to his side. "Are you alright?"

Willow ran her hands over Wes' stomach and didn't see a wound at all.

"Yyyes, I'm fine. How did I get up here? Last thing I remember is a very strange dream where a wolf swallowed me and then took control of my body." Wes shook his head trying to clear it.

"It wasn't a dream, Wes. The Wolf really did morph into you. It seems fairy tales have some truth to them."

"I should have become a vicar like my mother wanted me to." Wes mumbled.

Angel helped Wesley to his feet and over to the bed.

"Angel, you should go look for Gunn and Fred. I'm sure they can't be that far away. Wes, do you have Cordy's cell number? Give her a call and make sure she's all right. She probably left before this witch started her attack."

"Willow, you're not going to that other realm alone. You don't even know how to get there or what you'll find once your there. It might be a trap."

Willow smiled and laid a hand on Angel's cheek, "I'll be fine. You're needed here and I'm better equipped to fight her magic. You can feel me through the bond, if I get into trouble you'll know."

"I may know but I won't know how to reach you."

"Just have Wes open a portal. With our bond and his ability to open portals you'll find me." She reached up and gave him a quick kiss. "Love you."

Angel laid his forehead against hers and whispered, "A year and a day, Ionúin. Then eternity."