"Really, this is no different then what you do when you catch a cab." Elizabeth was sitting in the chair at the end of the table. John was standing beside her, over her practically.

"But that's not… I'm putting the thought in, I'm not searching in their minds."

Constantine sighed. "I'm not asking you to influence the half-breed. I don't think you could. That's their job anyway. I just want you to reach out and see if you can touch someone."

"You're the phone company now, John?"

"Elizabeth, please. I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't think it would work." Which was partially true. He would have asked period. "You can do this. You got in once."

Elizabeth looked up at him. "Yeah and I was still, as you put it, 'pure' at the time. Why do you think we have to do this?" She sighed, exasperated. Her understanding was still limited. Constantine studied her for a moment, bent to her level.

"Because whatever this asshole is trying to accomplish could mean the end of the world as we know it. I've been there. I know… seen what they can do, what they're capable of. I know, I know. This is all so new still to you. You think you're at a disadvantage. But you're not. Really, you don't ever want to see what I've seen. It's my job to stop them. Do this for me."

Elizabeth's eyes met his; the cold crystals that floated her in sweet face studied him. He held his ground. He still didn't know exactly what Andrew was up to, but what they had uncovered so far was more then enough to set his hackles up. He so wanted to deport this freak back to where ever his final destination lay.

"Please." He added after a long moment, playing his cards.

Elizabeth exhaled slowly and closed her eyes. John stepped back to give her room, folding his arms across his chest. He could sense her abilities fully turn on, keeping a tap open on her to make sure nothing happened. For five full minutes she cast around, drawing up nothing.

"I can't do it." Her shoulders sagged. "Maybe I just don't have the ability anymore."

"You didn't lose your abilities."

"But we… you know."

Constantine smirked. "Having sex is not going to take away your abilities. It'll take the edge of them. You won't blind the hell out of me when I touch you any more if your shields are down. But they're not gone."

"Are you sure?"

"Mine didn't go away when I got laid." He saw face twitch; the mention of others before he was with her might be a sore spot and they didn't really have the time to get into an argument. John looked her over, with more then his eyes. "Elizabeth, you can still mentally talk to me… wait." He reached down inside the front of her shirt. She looked up at him, startled. Withdrawing the triquetrous amulet that had once been Hennessy's, Constantine smiled wryly.

"You thought I was gonna cop a feel, didn't you." He snapped the chain gently and removed it. "Try. Again."

Elizabeth took a deep breath, exhaled, and her eyes shut once more. Within an instant her spine went rigid and she sucked in another breath, holding it. John kept the backup on her, trying to see something through their link. Elizabeth began to speak.

"Constantine." A voice not her own hissed out the held breath. The hair on the back of his neck rose. "John Constantine…" The voice changed and became steady. A male voice; Andrew! John made no reply. The angel already knew John was listening. "You always have to interfere don't you. Such a nosy busybody you are John! No matter. You have only temporarily created a set back in my plans. Sending the girl to read my mind again… tsk tsk. You did it once. Stupid of you to think I wouldn't notice, Constantine." The angel was arrogant, self-assured. Chaz hadn't been kidding when he'd said Andrew had developed a healthy ego.

"What the hell do you want, half-breed?"

Andrew chuckled; Elizabeth made the gesture. She was his crude puppet, like an oracle in Greek mythology that spoke for the gods. "I would like the girl back, of course. See, she's just a pawn, but a very important pawn."

"I am so going to deport your sorry ass the second I lay eyes on you." John growled.

"Now John, that's just boastful of you. Pride goeth before a fall." Elizabeth's body jerked and psychically John heard a faint scream through their link, from wherever her mind was being held while Andrew took over her body.

"Fuck you asshole! Let her go!"

"Not until you promise like a good little boy to bring her to me." Elizabeth began to shake uncontrollably. John grunted his answer, searching for something to do. The shaking worsened. "You don't really want me to hurt her, do you John? Such a sweet innocent girl, pure… so very pure…"

Andrew didn't know!

John grinned widely at that. They still had the upper hand. "All right, I'll bring her. And I promise you, I will personally pack your bags for you."

"You've got till the sun sets, Constantine." Andrew let his hold on Elizabeth break. Her body fell from the chair, sprawled on the floor like a broken doll.

John reached down and picked her up, slinging her in his arms. Carefully he carried her to the bed. Checked for a pulse; it was shallow but there.

"Elizabeth." He called her name softly. He checked her pulse again. "Elizabeth." There, her pulse quickened when she heard her name. Constantine removed her shirt, checking the boar tusk bracelets.

Gone was the yellowed ivory color; they were now solid black. John brushed them with a fingertip. The black rubbed off. Ash. They had done their job. Andrew couldn't penetrate her mind while she was wearing the bracelets; Midnite's voodoo had protected her.

"Lucky guess." Constantine sneered, brushing the ashes off the surface of both bracelets. The carvings shimmered gold then faded to normal. Midnite must have tested her mental shields and found them lacking. He was more sneaky then a computer hacker. When Andrew had taken her over, he hadn't found anything amiss. He still thought Elizabeth was a virgin.

John called her again. "Elizabeth." Her eyes moved beneath the lids. Wherever Andrew had sent her, it was taking her a long time to get back. Placing a hand on her forehead, John closed his eyes and sent out his own vibrations over their link, trying to give her a line back.

Elizabeth. Come on. Constantine gritted his teeth. She had to be out there somewhere. It's Constantine, Elizabeth… Please.

John! She screamed through their link. John rocked on his heels, keeping his palm still pressed to her forehead.

This way. Follow the vibrations. See them? That's it. Slowly, he felt Elizabeth's vibrations grow stronger, felt her move under his hand. He waited till she had almost totally come back before turning his vibrations down. If she was going to learn, now was as good a time as any.

Back in her own mind, Elizabeth's eyes flew open and she let out an uncontrolled sob. For a few minutes she howled, then rolled on her side, curled into a ball and cried her eyes out.

Constantine watched. He could only imagine what she was feeling, but he'd never know that pain. His abilities didn't extend to the mental realm like hers did; the link he shared with Elizabeth was mostly controlled through her powers. She could read his mind; he just had to do the thinking. The link had grown better, bigger, now that they were lovers, but she still had powers he did not.

After the larger sobs had subsided, John sat beside her. The mattress dipped under him, causing Elizabeth to slide down against him. Slowly he stroked her hair, for once not sure what to do.

"I'm sorry I can't help you. I just… don't have those abilities." He felt Elizabeth's anger flare at his words. "You can be angry with me. At some point you would be. It's just a part of being me. I get used to it."

"No." Elizabeth choked out the word in a whisper.

"Seriously, it's ok."

"No!" her voice rose, more steady then before. Using her shirt she wiped her eyes, finally looking up at him. The blue was colder then before, angry, flashing with her emotions. Her eyes were delicately rimmed with red from crying.

Constantine just looked back.

"I don't know where he sent me. It was cold, dark, endless."

"Probably the astral plane beyond the reach of space and time its self."

Elizabeth shuddered at the memory. She paused to collect her self. "I got what you wanted."

John tipped his head, looking down at her. "What I wanted?"

"At first his mind was still the blinding white emptiness. But when he took me over, it changed. When I was shoved out, I heard singing at first… heavenly praises maybe? But when I hit the darkness, it changed. It went all wrong; like a record being played on the wrong speed. It got worse and worse the longer I was there."

"Did it sound like something speaking backwards?"

"No. More like off-key, strained."

"The songs of the Fallen." The angel's link to the Heavenly Father was severed. He looked down to find Elizabeth burying her face into the side of his thigh. Wordlessly he went back to stroking her hair, letting his fingers untangle the tiny snarls. They stayed silent as she recovered from the possession.

Constantine rose and leaned over her, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Soft kisses trailed down the line of her nose followed until he reached her mouth. A compensating kiss he bestowed, cupping her cheek with his hand. Elizabeth kissed him back, gaining strength from the simple gestures. Slowly John pulled back, looking down into her gaze.

He started to tell her they were on a deadline, the clock was ticking, but he stopped. The nod she gave him was small; she rolled from under him and off the bed, pulling her t-shirt back on. Constantine watched the bones in her shoulders move as she dressed, fighting the desire to give her more then a kiss. Elizabeth rose and walked around him, into the bathroom. The taps came on, water splashing into the sink.

Slightly lingering, he got up and began to make a list of supplies he would need. It was deportation time.