Chapter 22

The three had started working around the books, Cordelia and Wesley were in the kitchen gathering together some common herbs into a stone soup bowl and Willow was busy over a pad and paper.

The lights going off startled the lot of them.

"I think we have company." Cordelia whispered to Wesley as they threw the lost of what they had into the bowl. A creep sounded like an echo and both were worried about moving. They looked into the dining area and found Willow gone from her seat. "She wouldn't leave us, would she?"

"Shh." Wesley then reached over to pull the bowl from her hands. After taking one step, he paused. He turned to give a look back at Cordelia who did not seem anxious to move forward. Reaching back, he took her hand and pulled her reluctantly toward the kitchen entryway.

Another sound formed and they stopped. A white cloth on the table lifted midair and began to wave like a surrender.

"Is that Willow?" Wesley whispered.

"I think that's Dennis." He looked back at her oddly. They then watched as the cloth moved as if yanked in the opposite direction out of view. They both heard a grawl and stopped in their tracks. Both moved against the wall, flush out of sight from the door. Being out of the doorway, neither saw Angelus as he walked by. He moved through the hall and back toward the bedroom.

When the other two realized he'd passed them and moved into the other room, Cordelia looked to Wesley and mouthed to him, "Where's the lighter?" He looked around and didn't see it anywhere. He then looked over to the table where Willow had just been sitting. There on the other end of the table was the lighter they needed. They looked at each other anxiously, unsure as to what to do.

Wesley quickly moved to the other side of the door's entryway and moved to look around it. As he peaked around, he was met with Angelus' face. He took a step back and in so scared Cordy who dropped the bowl. The crash grabbed Angelus' attention and as he grabbed at Wesley's throat, he looked casually over at her.

"Well there you two are." He watched as Cordelia moved to the other side of the room quickly away from him. "I was wondering where you had disappeared to. There had to be a reason Dennis let me in and threw a napkin in my face." Cordy squealed a little. "So, where's Willow?"

"Right here." He turned around quickly and threw Wesley over to Cordelia.

"Well, there you are. I give you credit. You sure do know how to play hide and seek."

"Funny, I thought the perfume would have given me off."

"Props for that, by the way. I wouldn't have thought you that clever to mask your sent."

"Sometimes I surprise you."

"That you do." He watched her as she walked around the table, grazing her hand over the smooth wood. "What's the matter Wills? Scared of little old me?"

"Hardly." He seemed wounded but only in a mocking way.

"That hurts. It took me a long time to get this fearful attire. I thought it'd stick for at least another one, two hundred years, maybe."

"Sorry to disappoint." He moved a little and saw Cordelia moving to run behind him and swung around to grab her. She squealed a little as he swung her back into his arms.

"That's okay, at least some people are still predictable." He looked down at her in his arms. She flinched away. "Mmm. See, this is what you should smell like." He looked up at her.

"Like what?"

"Fear." Willow didn't seem to flinch. "Time was you used to."

"Things change."

"That they do." He laughed his sadistic laugh. "Why it seems only yesterday that I was holding you like this," he moved his hand to grasp her throat. "And you smelled of waves of fear."

"Let 'er go." The way she sounded seemed more like Buffy's voice than her own. That amazed even her.

"Since when did you get all super hero? Back in the day you were the lamb for the fodder."

"I also wasn't protected from harm then either."

"Yeah. You noticed that, huh?" He seemed to be thinking. "Well while you stay all protected by that little amulet around your neck, I think I'll have a little fun with the not so protected." He moved his head to bite and Willow jumped.

"No!" He looked up. "I'll..." She seemed hesitant. "I'll give you the amulet if you let her go." He stopped and looked at her.

"Really?" He seemed intrigued.

"I promise." He looked at her expectantly. "You first."

He pushed Cordelia back over to Wesley. Willow then reached behind her and pulled the chain up over her head. Angelus reached out his hand for it. Hesitantly she outstretched her hand to place it in his. When he grabbed it, he yanked her with it, pulling her towards him. The force dropped something from her sleeve and sent it gliding against the floor. Wesley kneeled down and picked it up, quickly flicking the switch of the lighter as Angelus pulled Willow into his embrace. He noted the look in her eyes as he threw the lighter at the shattered bowl next to them. Angelus looked down as the flames sparked up and yanked her with him to the other side of the kitchen. In his moment of surprise, Willow grabbed at her pocket and pulled the crystal from it, sliding it into his hand. Everything happening so quickly, he was surprised by the action and even more so when she kicked her leg up and nailed him right in his groin. He let go as he hunched over.

Willow turned toward him as she started the incantation.

"Magic to magic, spirit to spirit. Essence held captive in Crystal prison. Return thyn lost, place soul where found. Return thyn magic, where thyn fell." A glow emitted from the crystal then, traveling like gasses in a whirlwind from his hand, up his arm, and over his body. His eyes opened wide and the gasses continued until they began to enter through him. They traveled up through his mouth and over his face to his eyes, beginning to glow.

Struck by the awe of the event, Willow moved slower, realizing she was forgetting the pivotal part. Quickly, she grabbed at the amulet from his hand and pulled it over his head as the sparkle intensified in his eyes. She stood back and watched as the amulet began to glow as well.

When he collapsed over himself from the effect, she grabbed a dish towel and draped it over the flames to smother them. She then moved under Cordy's sink and began to look through it. Finding what she needed, she dragged it over with her.

Cordelia, catching sight of the object, moves to stop her. Wesley grabs her by the wrist and pulled her back.

"Cordelia, no."

"But Wesley--"

"She knows what she's doing." The two watch Willow as she knelt in front of him and straitened him so he was sitting straight up. Taking a deep breath, she began the final part of her spell.

"As was once captive in thy fathom, keep now captive in thy body. Eyes; body; heart; soul. All become as one. Stone of the gods has protected thee. Stone of the gods protectith thee again. Essence of stone; essence of soul, merge together. Merge as one." Picking up the object, a small hammer, Willow then grasped the amulet between two fingers and closed her eyes as she mumbled incoherent words and lifted the hammer. Quickly she threw the blow, striking the ambrosia and feeling it smash from the silver setting. Opening her eyes, she saw pieces of it falling like glitter to the floor. She picked up a piece and placed it between her fingers. "As the words came from my mouth, so does this wind. With this wind passes the powers of the words." She then brought the speck up and blew on it.

As the wind of her breath caught it, the speck moved as if a fire fly brought to life by her magic. It twirled in the air as a bug would and then moved from the air to the entrance of Angel's mouth, and into his body. His head swung back as if he were chocking and was done moments after it had entered. "So mote it be."

Willow leaned back and watched him. He was still laying back, his head lolled to the side. Unsure, she looked to Cordelia and Wesley.

"Did it work?" Cordelia seemed anxious to lean down ad look at him, but also too afraid to.

"I don't know. I think so." She leaned down and tried to look into his eyes. As if realizing this fact, Angel's eyes opened and looked into her's.

"Willow?" She smiled at him.

"Angel?" She smiled at him before looking up and smiled at the others. "He's back."