55

Almost

Angel was just getting ready to lock the door to his office when Rose arrived.

"Angel, wait," Rose requested.

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. "What can I do for you, Rose?" he asked politely. But the politeness was all on the outside. On the inside, he was having a mental image of laying her across his desk and making love to her.

Rose hesitated. "I know this is going to sound silly," she mumbled, eyes dropping to the floor. "But I mislaid the pen Wesley got me for Christmas, and I'm just driving myself nuts wondering where it could have gotten to. I know I had it the other day when you signed that authorization for me, so could I look in your office?" Once she'd said her piece, she felt a sudden thrill, just being near him.

"You can have anything you want, Rose," Angel replied softly. "I'll even help you look. But if it was here, I'm sure the cleaning staff would have found it."

"If they did, wouldn't they probably have put it in your desk?" Rose suggested. "I know it's just a little thing, Liam, but it's been bothering me."

"We'll look there," Angel promised. "We'll search the entire office from floor to ceiling if that's what will make you happy."

It gave Rose an unexpected warm glow just to hear him say that he wanted to make her happy. The sort of feeling that she had previously reserved for Spike alone. She entered the office, feeling, on top of the glow, a sudden attack of nerves. "Why don't you check your desk drawers?" she suggested. "And I'll just look around elsewhere."

&&&&&&&

Spike frowned. He hadn't seen Rose anywhere between her office and the lift, and yet here was her office, locked up tight. He didn't think someone could have made off with her again. Security had very specific orders regarding keeping an eye on Rose. And there couldn't have been any kind of alert. Stupid git though he was, his grandsire would have notified him if something was amiss. Maybe she'd dropped in on someone else. Couldn't be Lorne, still out sick. And the research department was totally deserted. That still left Gunn, Fred, Harm, and the ponce himself. He shook his head. It would have to be something work related. He couldn't imagine her being late getting home just to socialize.

&&&&&&&

Angel obediently went through his desk drawers, each and every one of them. He didn't expect to find anything, and he didn't. But if Rose asked him, he'd yank out the drawers and dump them on the floor. He looked up from his search and felt a brief surge of panic when he couldn't see her. "Rose?"

Rose's head popped up from behind the sofa. "I'm checking in the cushions," she explained. "You didn't find it, did you?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry, Rose." Somehow, just delivering the news made him feel like a heel. Like he'd let her down.

Rose pushed the ever present wayward strand of hair out of her face and sat back on her heels. "I guess I really didn't expect to find it," she sighed. "But, since I'm already here, I think I'll take a quick look under the furniture."

"I'll help," Angel offered. Soon, they were both crawling around on the floor, peering under the furnishings. And in their separate wanderings around the room, somehow they managed to end up their respective searches in the same place. On their hands and knees, almost nose to nose with each other.

"We didn't find it, did we?" Rose asked softly. For some reason, the pen seemed monumentally unimportant now. He was so close to her. And he had that look in his eye again. The one that said that he wanted to kiss her.

"No, we didn't." He suddenly remembered, for no apparent reason, her first date with Spike. When he'd had to cut her clothes off her to keep her from being burned by acidic demon's blood. He'd tried to look as little as was possible, then. But he'd had to do a certain amount of looking just to make sure he got the contaminated clothing off her without hurting her. And the peek he had sneaked when she'd emerged from the ocean. Aphrodite rising from the foam. He knew what he was feeling, but it suddenly became of paramount importance that he find out if she felt the same way. "What do you want now, Rose?" he asked, tones soft and husky.

"I.., I'm not sure," Rose stammered. But she did know. She wanted him to kiss her. And more. Things that she had never even dreamed of doing with anyone but Spike, she now wanted to do with Angel.

"I think you do know, Rose," he whispered. He reached up and hand and carefully traced the outline of her lips with his index finger. "Tell me. Please."

"I.., I.., I want you to..," She never finished the sentence. She was interrupted by the door flying open.

&&&&&&&

The only thing that kept Oz from pacing the floor was the knowledge of the effect that it would have on his young charges. The way they'd been all day, this had to be sheer hell for them. He looked to where they sat on the sofa, side by side, eyes riveted to the door, as though they feared to look elsewhere. Come to that, he hadn't felt this antsy since the coming of the blue moon. He was really going to have to have a talk with Spike. If he was going to have to deal with the fallout as it affected the children, he reflected, he had a right to know.

&&&&&&

Spike had been practically all over the building, and hadn't seen a soul except for a few members of the cleaning staff. There was just one place he hadn't checked yet. Angel's office. He quickened his pace. If he hadn't been so worried, by this point in time he'd be getting seriously annoyed with Rose. He kept his eyes peeled and made his way to the CEO's office, and flung open the door.

Two heads raised up to look at the disturbance he'd caused. "What'n hell are the two of you doing on the floor?" he inquired in a growl. "Do you have any idea what time it is, luv? The kids looked half worried to death when you didn't come home with me."

Rose sat back on her heels, unable to speak. Angel got to his feet, and gave Rose a hand up, and felt an almost electrical jolt run up his arm from where their hands made contact. "We were looking for her lost pen," he explained to Spike. "She thought she might have dropped it in here."

"Still going on about that sodding pen?" Spike went over to Rose and wrapped his arm around her waist. It must have been his imagination, but he could swear that she initially stiffened up a bit at the contact before relaxing into his embrace and leaning her head on his shoulder like she usually did. "Give it a rest, pet. I'll get you another one if you think it's that bloody important."

"It's all right, darling," Rose murmured, although her voice had an oddly mechanical quality to it. "It's not really that important, I guess. It wasn't the pen so much as it was the not knowing."

"If one of the cleaning crew found it, they probably pocketed it," Spike remarked. He kissed the top of Rose's head, and Angel felt a surge of jealousy. "Don't you think we've kept Oz and the kids waiting long enough?"

"Of course," Rose agreed. As she turned to pick up her briefcase, she shared a quick, agonized glance with Angel, then allowed Spike to take her home.

Angel just stood there staring the longest time after they left. Then, his fist thumped down on his desk so hard that it caused pretty much everything in the room to rattle. Damn Spike.

&&&&&&&

"My, my," Drusilla scolded gently. "The two of you have certainly become a pair of slugabeds. Rise and shine, my fine fellows. The moonlight's wasting."

"We've been up all day, Drusilla," Val groaned. "We're bushed."

"And we've got a date with Harmony tonight," Den added. "We're already doing what you wanted. Keeping an eye on Spike. What more do you want from us?"

Drusilla pouted. "Henrietta and I were wanting a bit of company," she said sulkily. Her mind switched gears with the blink of an eye. "Listen to the stars singing. Don't they sound lovely?" Another lightning change in tack. "How is Spike doing?"

"He gave us what he called an evaluation of our training status today," Val said. He didn't sound at all happy about it.

"Felt more like an ass-kicking to me," Den grumbled. "I think he's got it in for us. We're the only vamps on the team. Except for him."

"Spike always did play a little rough," Dru remarked. A slow, sly smile worked its way across her face. "Some of us like it that way."

&&&&&&&

Rose handed her case to Spike before she even got in the door. As soon as she was inside, she was all over the children. "Oh my darlings," she exclaimed, bestowing hugs and kisses. "Mummy is so sorry she's late. Will you forgive me?"

The twins snuggled into the familiar form, but the eyes peering over her shoulder at their father told him that nothing had changed.

Oz gave Spike a nudge. "Can I have a word with you?" he asked quietly. "In private?"

Spike considered the possibilities and motioned him into the entryway. "Sounds serious." He sighed. "The kids still going on about Rose, aren't they?"

"I just barely managed to find out that it was about Rose," Oz replied. "But not what's going on. All I know is that they're very upset about something. Something they think they can find the answer to in a book of spells."

"A book of spells?" Spike was dumbfounded. "They think a spell did it?"

"It might help if I knew what 'it' is," Oz pointed out.

"Started last night," Spike answered. "They got all bent out of shape. Said they couldn't see inside her head. Like she was lost in there. From the look I just got from them, I don't think anything has changed."

"You don't suppose they could just be outgrowing their ability to read minds, do you?" Oz offered. His heart wasn't really in that one, though.

"And the first person they lose contact with is the one they shared a body with for nine months?" Spike wasn't buying it, and Oz couldn't blame him. "If it did happen, I'm thinking Rose is the last person they'd lose touch with."

"You're probably right," Oz said. "So where does that leave us?"

"What kind of spells were they interested in?" Spike inquired. "They're smart little devils. Might give us a starting place at least."

"First we were going to start on mind control," Oz replied. "Then, when the book pointed out how difficult mind control spells are and how much easier it is to control the emotions, they wanted to try that avenue. The problem is, Rose didn't have a book on the subject. And I didn't think it would be too cool going down to Wesley's office during working hours to ask if he had something on the subject."

Spike looked thoughtful. "Tell you what," he said. "I'll pop in and have a quick word with the Watcher tomorrow. If I can talk Percy round it, he can send you up what you need."

Oz nodded. "I guess that will work as good as anything," he conceded. He glanced at the shut door. "Rose will probably be wondering what's going on. I'd better boogie."

Spike nodded and watched him go. With a sigh, he turned back into the apartment. Hell of a situation, but what was he supposed to do about it?

&&&&&&&

Spike looked down at Rose, and saw her as he had so many times. Her face flushed, her breath coming in gasps, body slicked with sweat as he moved inside her. He loved seeing her like that, knowing that he was the one that was making her feel that way. She was almost there now, he could tell. He'd seen it so many times, and yet, he never tired of it, never would. Her breaths came faster, her heart beat so furiously that the sound of it seemed to fill the whole room. Her fingers curled around his arms, her body arching up to meet his. Then, her eyes met his, and he saw that look that was meant for him alone. The one that told him how much she loved him. If he had to, he'd trade everything in the world for that look. A low moan issued from her lips, growing in volume as she grew closer to her climax. Then, suddenly, eyes still on his, she gasped out, "Angel, darling."

Spike sat up with a start, drawing in unnecessary breaths. Could almost swear that his heart was beating. It took a moment for him to steady himself. He looked down at the bed beside him. There was Rose, sleeping so soundly that he hadn't even woke her up. His beautiful love. He didn't have the first clue what had prompted his subconscious to spring that dream on him, but sod all if he wouldn't prefer remembering being burned alive. He considered curling up next to her, holding her close and letting her heal him just by being there, but the jolt of adrenalin had to burn off first. Otherwise, he'd just be so restless that he really would wake her up. He grabbed his robe and threw it on. Never knew when one of the kids might get middle of the night wanderlust. He headed for the kitchen. Maybe a cup of cocoa would soothe his jangled nerves and help him get back to sleep. He spared one more glance for Rose, sleeping innocently and profoundly, and thanked The Powers that she loved him. Then, he continued on to the kitchen. He wondered if they had any of those little marshmallows.

&&&&&&

Drusilla stood across the street from Wolfram and Hart, looking up at the night sky, or the upper floors of the building, it could have been anybody's guess. She'd never attempted this sort of thing before. She wondered, in a distracted sort of way, if it had worked. Then, her keen vampire's eye saw a tiny pinpoint of light flicker to life at the very top of the building. She smiled. "Sleep well, my darling Spike," she murmured. That ought to help lay the groundwork. Make it easier for Spike to believe it when the real thing actually happened. She didn't need to be there to know. The stars told her much of what was going on, and the tension was so great that it practically radiated from the building in all directions. "Come along, Henrietta," she said. "I'm feeling quite peckish. Why don't we see if we can find someone to eat?"

&&&&&&&

Angel flung his pillow across the room in frustration. He couldn't get to sleep. It felt like he had been tossing and turning for a couple of night's worth of time, but a glance at the clock told him he'd been in bed a bare three hours. It felt like three eternities. Three eternities without Rose.