91

"Trust me, Spike, stick with the classics." Lorne held up a full length, narrow gown of black satin. "Reveals as much as it conceals. Very sexy, but not over the top."

Spike eyed it dubiously. "I had kind of pictured something that showed a little more skin," he said.

"And if you get something too extreme," Lorne argued, "even you will never be able to get her to wear it."

Spike grudgingly conceded that Lorne had a point. And the nightgown did fit all the criteria he had mentioned to Rose, satin, slinky, black. He just didn't like giving in so easily. Then he got an evil gleam in his eyes with a matching smile on his face. "What say we get her some titillating undies while we're here? I'd bet money that everything she has in that line is white cotton."

Lorne sighed. He liked Spike, he really did, but he could be an incredible pain. Lorne strongly suspected that he did it on purpose, too. "Now I see why Angel delegated me," he commented. "Spike if you think I'm going to go rummaging through the thongs and bikinis, you're out of your ever-lovin' mind."

Spike smirked. He hadn't really meant it anyway, at least, not entirely. He'd made the suggestion, as Lorne had suspected, simply for the irritation value. "Okay, demon, you win." He felt he could afford a strategic retreat, now that he'd scored one. "The black one, the gray to match her eyes, and the green one to set off her hair," he directed.

Lorne took a quick glance at a price tag. "They ain't cheap, Spike. And it is Angel's money. Could I possibly suggest a little restraint?"

"Nope." Spike was wearing an incredibly self-satisfied expression.

"Fine." Lorne sighed again. "Then let's pay for this stuff and get out of here. I think that salesgirl thinks I'm getting it for you."

&&&&&

"I hope those pills really do make me sleep soundly," Rose said, worriedly. "Because I have the feeling that Spike is going to be watching over me again tonight. And it's just lucky I didn't start talking again last night. Even just a little hint would probably be enough. Spike isn't stupid."

"No, he isn't," Angel admitted. "Add to that the fact that he's incredibly attuned to you. You want me to talk him out of it?"

Rose looked at the vampire with a mixture of fondness and exasperation. "Angel, what is Spike's reaction when anyone, especially you, tries to talk him out of something?"

Angel grimaced. "To go ahead and do it anyway. And, as you pointed out, he's not stupid. Reverse psychology never works on him, either. He might do it if you asked him, though."

Rose shook her head. "When he's got his mind made up, I can't budge him. Which is why I spent the day in bed even though I'm perfectly fine. He's especially stubborn if he's worried about me."

"I've never seen him like this before," Angel said softly. "You're a good influence on him, Rose."

"Where exactly did he and Lorne go?" The question popped up out of thin air.

"Guess." Angel grinned at her. He'd promised Spike that he wouldn't tell her, but he wasn't above giving her a subtle hint. He reached out and touched a ruffled pajama sleeve.

Rose's eyes widened. "He isn't..," she sputtered. "You didn't.., oh dear."

That won a full-fledged laugh. "Try to act surprised, Rose. I wasn't supposed to let you know." A slightly pained look crossed his face. "I just hope Lorne can restrain him enough to keep him from maxing out my credit card."

"I don't understand why you gave it to him in the first place," Rose said, with a trace of irritation.

"Have you ever tried saying no to him?" Angel asked. "I've known him all his unlife, Rose, and if nothing else, Spike has always been a charming rascal." Angel's cell phone rang. "Hello. Yes, Wesley. Really? Keep digging, but be careful."

"What did Wesley find out?" she inquired.

"With the exception of you," Angel said slowly, "everyone who has read anything in the Chronicles of Ahmed Al-Shere has died within twenty-four hours of reading it."

"A cursed text?" Rose suggested.

Angel shook his head. "I've never seen anyone win out over a curse without finding a way to actually break it."

"And Ahmed Al-Shere is a demon sorcerer of great power," Rose mused. "If he cast a curse it would be pretty hard to break it."

"You said is, not was." Angel spotted the incongruity immediately. "Surely he's not still alive?"

Rose shrugged. "I can't watch everything, everywhere all the time," she said apologetically. "That's why we are many. So we can try to keep an eye on everything. But I never heard of the demon-mage being killed, or simply dying, so I'm not going to rule out the possibility that he's still alive." Abruptly, panic set in. "You didn't tell Wesley not to read it!" she exclaimed. "Angel you must call him and tell him."

"I told him to be careful," Angel assured her. "Wes was trained as a watcher. I'm sure he knows the proper precautions to take." He frowned. "When Lorne and Spike get back, though, I think we're going to have to move you, Rose." He considered the possibilities, and saw only one viable one. "The spare bedroom in my apartment." Seeing she was about to protest, he added, "If it's a curse, help is close. If there's a person behind it, my place is much more secure."

Rose got up so suddenly she had to sit back down from the dizzy spell she gave herself.

"Where do you think you're going?" Angel demanded.

"To get dressed," she replied. "If you think I'm parading around in public in my pajamas, you're crazy."

&&&&&

Spike and Lorne returned to find Angel and a fully dressed Rose sitting in the living room talking. A suitcase sat conspicuously near the door.

"What are you doing up and dressed, pet?" Spike started in a little heatedly. "I thought we agreed..," Then, he saw the suitcase, and the extra serious expression on Angel's face. "What's going on?"

"We're not entirely sure," Angel admitted. "But Wes says that everyone who's ever read from the text Rose was studying died in less than a day. We don't know if it's a person, a curse or coincidence, but just to be on the safe side, I'm moving her into my place." He waited for the outburst he was sure would come from Spike.

"Place is like Fort Knox," Spike mused. "Probably about as safe as she could be. And she wouldn't even be bothered by advances by strange men, you bein' such a big pouf and all."

"You never cease to amaze me, Spike." Angel was stunned. He'd said that Rose was a good influence on Spike, but he hadn't realized just how far-reaching that influence was.

Spike shrugged and went to stand near Rose. "It's what's best for her," he said flatly. "I'm not bloody well going to argue with that. Besides, if you suddenly decide that you're a real man after all, I'll be there with her to remind you..,"

"What a pouf I am," Angel finished for him. "Don't you ever get tired of being a pain in my ass, Spike?"

"Everyone needs a hobby." Spike flashed a grin. "What say we get this show on the road? You got those pills packed away, luv?"

"Yes, love," Rose answered meekly. "Aren't you going to tell me what you were shopping for?"

Spike's grin grew wider. "Wait till we get to the ponce's place first, pet." His eyes got a little glazed thinking about Rose modeling his purchases. A private viewing, naturally.

"Well if our blushing Rose is going to be staying at Hotel Angel," Lorne remarked, "then maybe you could drop me off at my place on the way. I need a shower and a change and some sleep in an actual bed."

"No problem, Lorne," Angel replied. "Thanks for staying with Rose, but I think you can take a break now."

"It was my pleasure," Lorne said. "Couldn't have had a prettier patient," he added, just to make Rose blush, which she did.

&&&&&&

They had barely gotten the door of Angel's place when Spike started issuing orders. "It's getting late, pet, so you're off to bed as of right now."

"I've been in bed all day," she protested. "And I'm not the least bit sleepy." A frown crossed her face. "Wait a minute, why am I begging to stay up like a small child? I'm a grown woman, and..,"

"You're going to do exactly what is best for you, aren't you, precious?" Spike interrupted. "Hurry up and give her the grand tour so she knows where everything is, Angel, then I'll get her all tucked in."

Angel gave Rose an I-told-you-so look and escorted her around, dropping off her suitcase and Spike's shopping in the spare room.

&&&&&&

"C'mon, pet," Spike pleaded. "Ain't nobody going to see you but me." He laid on his stomach crossways on the bed and propped his face in his hands, gazing up at her with a winsome look on his face.

Deep down, Rose knew that she'd been arguing merely for form's sake. She knew that Spike would eventually wheedle her into doing things his way. "Pick one," she said resignedly.

"The gray one," he decided. Actually gray was something of a misnomer, the color shimmered back and forth between gray and silver. "And you want to stop acting like you're going to your own hanging, luv?" He had to say it rather loudly, as Rose was walking towards the bathroom.

When she finally emerged, Spike had to admit that Lorne had known what he was talking about. The gown clung to Rose's curves and accentuated them in a way something more revealing wouldn't have done. He gave a mental groan and buried his face in the covers for a moment. If it had been the old days, he'd have had the thing off her in about ten seconds. He had to admit that the relationship he had with Rose was in all other ways eminently satisfying, based on all the things love was supposed to be based on. And he knew he'd rather go on like he was forever than to do without her. But, he thought wistfully, it would be nice and then some to be able to act on the attraction on a physical level too.

"Spike?" Rose sat carefully on the bed next to him. "Is something wrong? Doesn't it look all right?"

He rolled over so he could look up at her. "It looks fine," he muttered hoarsely. "You're gorgeous, babe. I just wish..,"

Rose's eyes grew soft. "That you could.., touch me?" she said gently.

"That I could make love to you," he elaborated. He scooted around and lay in the right direction, facing her. He patted the covers invitingly, and Rose lay down beside him, facing him. "It's just getting so damned frustrating," he muttered. "I want to be able to be a man, a real man for you."

"And being a man rests entirely upon being able to perform a physical act?" she queried. "I admit that I'd like to know what it's like, but I don't think that that is what being a real man is all about. And I don't think you do either, do you, love?"

"I used to," he admitted. "Thought that bein' a man was all about..," He broke off suddenly, something she had said had sunk in. "You've never.., slept with anyone before?"

"Just you." She looked a little puzzled, as if she had never heard the euphemism before. Which of course, she hadn't.

"That's not what I meant." It was Spike's turn to look puzzled. Some of the things his sweetie didn't know would make you think she'd come down with the last shower of rain. "I meant that you haven't had sex with anyone, that you're a virgin."

"Oh." She was beet-red now. "I haven't. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," he replied. "A bit unusual, I'll have to say though. Girl as pretty as you are, I'd have thought by now some guy would have sweet-talked his way into your..," He'd been going to say pants, but somehow, for Rose, that sounded just a bit too crude. "Into your good graces," he finished a bit lamely. Well, this was certainly going well. Making a complete ass of himself, he was. But hell, how could you credit that a girl like her was still untouched? He still had a way out of the uncomfortable conversation, this time. But he didn't doubt that the subject would come up again. With no refuge for Spike. "Why don't we finish this later?" he suggested, hoping that she would forget in the interim. "You need to take your medicine and get some proper rest."

Rose wondered what had been going on in Spike's head during the pauses, but she could see that something wasn't sitting right with him now. She disappeared into the bathroom again and came back with a glass of water, then let Spike see that she actually took the pills, this time.

"Under the covers, pet," he instructed her. "Fragile as you are now, last thing you need is a chill." He watched as she settled herself down into bed. "Do you need anything?"

"Can you sing to me again?" she asked. "A couple of times last night, I woke up enough to hear you. It was very sweet."

"The things I do for you," he said softly. He smiled at her to let her know he wasn't really complaining. "Just lay back and close those pretty eyes, luv." He watched as she complied, then started singing. "They told me last night there were ships in the offing. So I hurried down to the deep rolling sea..," He lay beside her and sang to her until her soft, regular breathing told him she was asleep. He got up. "Back in a minute, pet," he whispered to the sleeping figure. Then, he went to see if Angel was still up. He loved her to distraction, but at this point in time, he needed another man to talk to.

&&&&&&&

Angel was sitting in the living room with his nose in a book. "Is she asleep?" he asked without turning around.

"How'd you know I was coming out here?" Spike asked. "You getting tuned into my presence like she is? Because that is so not right."

"I heard the singing stop," Angel said. "And, I just had a hunch that you'd be out here. If for no other reason than to brag about how she looks in whatever you picked out for her."

"Not what I wanted to talk about," Spike said. "God, she's beautiful. I still can't believe that she's never.., been with anyone before."

"Never been with anyone?" Angel asked. Then he remembered who and what she really was, and just how long she'd been human, and it hit him right between the eyes. "And you're hoping to get your body back so that you can be the first?"

"I want my body back all right," Spike agreed. "And I do want to be with her. But, it's a little.., oh hell, it scares me. Suppose I do something wrong and put her right off it for life?"

"That never bothered you before," Angel pointed out. "And first time or tenth time or thousandth time, that's still a possibility. If it ever happens, I guess you'll just have to lead with your heart and hope it works out."

"A fat lot of good you are," Spike grumbled. "Is that the best advice you can give?"

"Probably the best that you can get," Angel said. "But if you're that worried about it, maybe you ought to do some serious thinking about it now, while the question is still theoretical."

"Like I'm going to be able to think about much else." The troubled expression on Spike's face eased a bit, and traces of a smile became evident. "Almost like she's been waiting for me."

Angel sighed. He had a very unpleasant feeling that when everything blew up, he was going to be the one to deal with a heart-broken Spike. And he couldn't see a possibility where it wouldn't happen that way.