Chapter 5: Once And Again
The five-foot brunette sat impatiently in the oversized leather chair, her hazel eyes kept darting from the bleach-blonde vampire that was sitting on a couch ten feet away to the closed doors of Angel's office. Spike sighed, "You nervous, pet?" He asked folding his arms across his chest.
Danielle glared at him. "Don't call me that."
"Right luv." He nodded.
"Do you feel like being set on fire? Cause I'm pretty sure if you piss me off enough, I can aim for you this time." The witch growled.
"Sorry, didn't mean to—
"If you even try a corny fire joke I will personally kill you." Danielle cut the ensouled vampire off before he could finish.
Spike leaned back, "Right then." He nodded.
The young witch sighed loudly as she watched blurry figures pass by the iced glass that surrounded Angel's office door. A minute or so later, the door creaked open and Brian entered. He smiled at Danielle and glanced around the room to see that the only other person in there was Spike. "Where's Angel?" He asked quietly.
Danielle looked extremely happy to see her white lighter, sitting alone in a room with Spike was about to driver her insane. "Dunno, but I just lit Angel's desk on fire."
Brian looked concerned, "With what?"
"My hands." The witch answered.
"Your hands?" The white lighter was trying to make sure he heard her correctly.
"Yeah, I got mad, really mad, then there was fire." She explained.
"I guess your mother had more powers than she knew about." Brian said, mostly to himself. "Look, I think what you and your sisters found led me to a ritual for Illyria. But it has side effects, not good ones."
"We should get Angel in here and tell him, see if he thinks it's worth it." Danielle replied, she got out of the huge leather chair and walked over to Angel's desk. She picked up the phone and pushed a button. "Is this Harmony? Ok, have you seen Angel lately? …Right, get the gang in here… Angel's office… Yeah, it's urgent." Danielle hung up the phone.
"What now?" Brian said, looking at the youngest sister. Spike also looked toward the witch, then at their White Lighter.
"What else? We wait." The youngest witch sighed.
"I didn't know this place had so many rooms." Dakota said as she and Wesley walked down a hallway with many, many doors.
Wesley remained quiet, he wanted Fred back, and saving Illyria temporarily was the only thing he could do to have a chance at having Fred back again. Dakota realized he wasn't going to say anything; she just followed him until he stopped at a door. "This should help us." He said quietly.
Dakota nodded, it was her time not to say anything, she knew by looking at him how much he just wished he could have his Fred back. As Wes reached out to open the door the silence was broken by Dakota's cell phone ringing. She gave Wes the 'sorry' look and answered it. "Yeah… You did? That's great? … Ok, We'll be up there in a minute." She hung up her phone and looked at the former watcher. "Brian found a ritual to get Fred back." She told him.
She was looking into Wesley's eyes and it looked like someone had turned on the lights in them again, ever since the Adkins sisters had returned to Wolfram & Hart to help Illyria, his eyes had seemed dead. Wes immediately turned around back toward the elevator, Dakota followed him thinking 'This better work'.
About half-an-hour later, everyone was re-gathered in Angel's office. Dalton and Gunn had collapsed on a couch when they entered, tired from no sleep and a rough fight. The blonde witch gave Brian the 'this-better-be-important' look; everyone was quiet and defiantly ready to hear what was going on. Dakota and Wesley were the last to return to Angel's office, they seemed more awake than everyone else. Brian stood from his leaning position against the wall. "I know it's late and we are all tired, and if we do this then we're all going to need to go home and get some rest. I found a spell in the Book of Shadows; I think it would work to turn Illyria back into Fred. But there would be consequences."
"What kind?" Angel asked curiously.
"I'm not sure if she'd keep her powers or not, but the Book was specific on one thing, if we do this, something will be freed from hell in return for us doing this." Brian told them.
"Something?" Dalton said, sounding as if she was half asleep.
"Yes, we can't be sure of what." Brian confirmed.
"Are we gonna do it?" Gunn asked rubbing his eyes.
"Is it worth the risk?" Brian looked to Angel.
"We've killed so much, a beast from hell can't be too bad. It's up to the sisters if they think they can handle the spell." Angel replied.
"I think I could handle a pillow right now." Dalton yawned.
"I heard that." Danielle agreed.
"We'll do it, just let us go home for a couple hours and get some sleep, Brian you're all special and you don't have to sleep so you can get what we need for the spell." Dakota commanded.
"Good idea." Angel agreed. "Everyone go home and meet back here at 10. A.M."
Lorne and Spike were among the first to leave the office, soon after Illyria left to go wander around Wolfram & Hart since she didn't need sleep either, then Wes left, not really wanting to sleep he was now to excited. Brian orbed out to go the supplies for the ritual. Danielle and Dakota left after Brian, leaving Gunn and Dalton on the couch and Angel standing in front of his desk. Angel eyed the pair on his couch, "Are you two gonna get up?" He asked, slightly annoyed.
"Yeah, yeah." Dalton mumbled, slowly standing up with Gunn at her side. The two left the vampire's office half-leaning on each other. Together, they walked down to the parking lot, Dalton scanned for Dakota's Yukon, it was gone. "Great, they left me. I'm too flippin' tired to walk home." She mumbled.
"My home's a lot closer. I can crash on the couch, I usually fall asleep there watching TV anyway." Gunn suggested.
"Thanks." Dalton smiled a sleepy smile as the two walked toward Gunn's old truck. They both got in.
"I would take you to your home, but I don't think I have that much gas." He told her as he started it up.
"It's ok, slumber parties can be fun." The Slayer sleepily giggled.
Five minutes later, Gunn lead the Slayer up to his apartment, he unlocked and opened the door. Dalton walked in. Before either of them knew it they were both curled up and asleep on Gunn's bed.
The Next Morning…
Gunn woke up alone, but he could tell exactly where Dalton was. The sound of The Black Eyes Peas 'Hey Mama' was blasting from the stereo in his living room. He groaned and rolled over to look at the clock, it was 9:30 A.M. He rolled out of bed, still in the clothes from the previous day. He walked into the living room where Dalton stood dancing with her hair wet, and wearing his bathrobe. He crept up behind her and grabbed her side, she shrieked instinctively and then burst into laughter. She turned around.
"I used your shower…" She began.
"Noticed, and my bathrobe." He smiled.
"Yeah, well I realized, I have no clothes. So, I washed my jeans in your washing machine, but my shirt is dry-clean only, so, I didn't know what to put on, so I stole your bathrobe, cause it looks like you never wear it." She explained.
"I don't, it was a gift. You can borrow a shirt, it will probably be way to big for you, but you can. And, I would offer you a hair dryer, but seeing as how I have no use for one, I don't own one." Gunn smiled.
"Thanks." She smiled. "I was gonna be nice and fix breakfast, but I haven't been up that long."
"It's ok."
"I'm gonna go be fully clothed and fix my hair." She told him, leaving him with the Black Eyed Peas still blasting. 10 minutes later she re-emerged from his room, her hair still wet, but curly, and wearing a black wifebeater that she had tied in the back to make it fit. "Thanks." She smiled.
"For what?" Gunn asked.
"For letting me come here, I wouldn't have gotten any sleep last night if I would have went home, and for the shirt, I didn't think I could go into the offices topless, it could cause controversy."
"True, I had fun with you, even though we spent most the time sleeping. Waking up to loud music was much better than waking up to that annoying alarm clock noise."
"True." She nodded.
Danielle entered the kitchen where Dakota stood, not looking like she had gotten much sleep. "What's up?" The younger sister asked.
"Dalton didn't come home last night." Dakota told her.
"Well, we did kinda accidentally leave her…"
"I know, but I thought someone could have brought her home, or she could have borrowed one of Angel's cars." Dakota replied.
"True." Danielle glanced at the clock, it was 9:45. "We better get going. Traffic." The youngest witch said.
Dakota rolled her eyes, "What about Dalton?"
"She'll find her way there, she always does." Danielle replied.
"When she's ready to stomp… wait, this is my fault, no it's your fault." Dakota said.
"The faults lie equally on both sides, now let's go, we're going to be late." Danielle said, shooing her sister toward the door.
At 10 o' clock exactly Dalton and Gunn were the last two to enter Angel's office. They were both laughing uncontrollably and Dalton's shirt from the previous day was stuffed in her purse and hanging out a little bit, it was obvious that the shirt she was wearing didn't belong to her. Dalton tried to stop laughing to take a drink of her Cappuccino, Gunn did the same, and a moment later when they realized everyone else was silent, they stopped laughing.
Dalton looked at her sisters, they had the 'Oh-my-God' look on their faces, as did Angel, Brian and Spike. Wesley and Illyria could have seemed to care less and Lorne seemed rather happy. "What's up with everybody?" Dalton asked, smiling widely.
"Good question." Dakota murmured quietly.
Dalton rolled her eyes. "Are we doing this or not?" She asked, feeling everyone's shocked emotion throughout the room.
"Yeah." Brian nodded, "Let's get this started." He said, trying to eliminate the uncomfortable situation.
Dakota opened the Book of Shadows to the marked page. Most of the furniture in Angel's office had already been moved out of the way and everything was prepared except for the needing-to-be-lit candles, which Wesley was beginning to take care of. The witches stood in a large triangle with Illyria in the middle of the pentagram of candles. Dalton looked over at Gunn, who look anxious yet oddly happy. Danielle was glaring at her blonde sister, she didn't want to get anything started between anyone in Angel's gang. Dakota then coughed to get both of her sister's attention. "Can we start, please?" She said sarcastically. Danielle and Dalton both rolled their eyes.
"This vessel is not strong
For this goddess will destroy
This that is pure.
Extract this being of power
The being of light"
Dalton spoke loudly. She then closed her eyes.
"Bring back the spirit
of the vessel
She is not done here
There is much more for her
Bring back the spirit."
Danielle spoke louder than her sister. She then also closed her eyes.
"As it was
As it should be
Set this goddess free
Bring back the free spirit.
And change their places."
Dakota was almost yelling. She also closed her eyes, a second later the Charmed ones eye's snapped open and were all completely white. Together they finished the spell.
"Set free the goddess Illyria.
Bring back the vessel's spirit.
Restore what used to be.
Restore."
The three witches were yelling by the end of the spell. Lights in Wolfram & Hart went out. Blue light filled the room, so bright everyone had to shield their eyes, a force shot through the center of the room, knocking everyone down except Illyria. After a moment, it was over. Everyone in the room slowly stood back up as the lights came one. The body of Fred still stood in the center of the pentagram, with blue hair and red leather outfit. Dalton was the first to speak, "Did it work?"
"What am I wearing y'all?" Fred's voice came from her body. She looked down at the outfit, "And who picked it out? Cause I don't think they need to dress me anymore." She smiled.
"It worked. It worked? It worked!" Dakota smiled. As soon as these words escaped her lips everyone in the room excluding Brian and the sisters ran to the center to hug Fred.
"Well, I didn't really know what was going on. I just knew I wasn't alive. It was a weird feeling…. So y'all really brought forth a hell beast to save me?" Fred asked. Everyone had come to her special dinner, Wesley and the sisters made her favorite meal.
"We did. You are worth it. But we haven't heard nor seen of anything." Wesley replied, then taking a bite of his fried chicken.
"Um. I think you spoke too soon…" Dakota said quietly, but everyone at the table heard her, and immediately became quiet. Dalton and Danielle looked at their older sister, she appeared to be staring off at something on the ceiling, but nothing was there.
"The premonitions." Dalton muttered. Dakota snapped out of it, "What did you see 'Kota?" She asked.
"A really huge demon. A guy. And a really old house. There were these weird paintings everywhere. The guy looked like he was about to have his heart ripped out. Literally." Dakota explained.
Fred looked at the sisters and Brian, "So should we all try to figure out where this is and go?" She asked.
"No. I know where it is. I can handle it alone. I'm glad you're back Fred." Dalton stood up.
"You're not going anywhere alone." Gunn and Dakota said at the same time.
"Watch me." Dalton growled.
"Excuse me… Danielle." Dakota nodded. Danielle froze the room. "I had the premonition, I know what you're looking for. You don't…"
"Unfreeze everyone." Fred commanded.
"Why didn't you…" Dalton trailed off.
"I think I still may have powers." Fred answered.
"Look, Dalton, you can't go alone, it's some old house near city limits, I think I can get you there." Dakota said, once again changing the subject.
Fred and Dalton shared a look. "Unfreeze everyone after we're gone. We can handle this, I'm not going alone. Fred's coming with me." Dalton stared down her older sister.
Dakota sighed, "What happens when you get in over your heads?"
"We won't. I'm a witch, I'm a slayer, and if you can't remember this chick's got the powers of a goddess, so I think we'll be just fine." Dalton gritted her teeth. Fred stood up and followed Dalton out of the dining room and down to Wolfram & Hart's garage. "Sorry about all that Fred… I just hate them thinking I can't do anything alone. Dakota is a power freak and Danielle is her in training. I'm nothing but muscle to them. So that's what we're going to use." She ranted as the two females walked over to a metallic blue Dodge Viper with white racing stripes.
"Um… isn't this locked?" Fred asked shyly.
Dalton knelt down and pulled a pin out of her hair, and began to mess with the lock, she smiled, "Not anymore." She opened the door, then unlocked the other for Fred to get in. The witch pulled down a section under the steering wheel and began messing with some wires. As she got the car started, she looked over at Fred, "I thought you didn't remember anything from your demon days."
"I don't remember much. But I remember that house. I can remember you telling me that it used to belong to your family, and I remember finding the book there." Fred told her.
Dalton remained silent the entire way to the mansion. She pulled up in the driveway and spoke, "Warner mansion. Something's telling me to fix it up after we kill the hellbeast and save this guy." The blonde turned off the car and both women got out.
"It would be beautiful if it were fixed up." Fred commented as the two walked towards the entrance. The pair walked up the steps and a man of about 5'10 with slightly longish brown hair came flying through the doors. Dalton's blue eyes opened wide as she recognized the man.
"Shit." She muttered. She ran into the mansion to see the hellbeast that had been beating the man. Using her powers she slammed it into a wall. "I shouldn't kill you for beating on him." As the demon began to get up she flung it into another wall. It got up quickly and charged her, she did a back flip over it's head and landed firmly on her feet. The demon eyed Fred, she smiled at it, not really knowing what to do, as it slowly moved toward her she devised a plan. The small Texan punched the demon with her god like powers, sending it flying through a wall.
"Sorry Dalton." She squeaked.
"Didn't like that wall anyway." The Slayer replied. She took a sword from the wall and jumped through the wall after the demon, Fred followed. The two females surrounded the hellbeast. It looked to Dalton first, it took it's long arm and slammed Dalton into a back wall. Fred punched it in it's middle area, causing it to bend over in pain. The man from outside leaped through the hole in the wall with a piece of pipe in his hand, he attempted to clobber the beast, but he was also slammed against the wall with Dalton. Fred glared at the creature, she pushed the air before her and slowed down time. In slow motion, she saw out of the corner of her eye, Wesley, Brian, Danielle, Dakota and Gunn slowly coming up the steps. She didn't worry about them, she took the sword from the floor beside Dalton. Fred them slammed it through the demon and as it died time went back to normal.
"That looked super fast… but damn girl." Dalton smiled as she stood up. She helped the man beside her up also, then knocked him back into the wall but didn't let him fall down. "What are you doing here?"
"My hero." He smiled even though he could tell his arm was fractured, his lip was busted, and his left eye was blacked.
"Go back to hell." Dalton rolled her eyes.
Fred looked at the man closer. "Lindsey?" His green eyes looked into her big brown ones.
By that time, Dalton's sisters, Brian, Wesley and Gunn were standing outside of the giant hole the demon had made in the wall. "Are you two ok?" Danielle and Dakota asked at the same time.
Dakota then looked at Lindsey, whom Dalton was holding against the wall. "You again. I thought you were through with my sister." She growled.
"You know him?" Wesley looked at the three sisters. Dalton felt jealousy radiating from Gunn.
"We thought we did." Danielle answered.
"It was right after I turned 18. It didn't last long. Not after we found out, that he knew about us. He knew were going to become the Charmed ones. He brought the prophecy on, the one that killed our mother. Right when I fell in love with him." Dalton glared at him, though she was talking to Angel, tears formed in her eyes and she pretended they weren't there.
The whole gang, including Lindsey sat in Angel's office back at Wolfram & Hart. Dalton was sitting on Angel's desk. She had just finished the last of her and Lindsey's story. Dalton and Lindsey looked rough from the fight, Fred didn't even look as though she had been there. Gunn stood leaning against the wall, in between where Dalton was sitting and the chair Lindsey was in. The whole room was silent.
The doors opened, and Harmony poked her head in, "Angel, someone's here to see Dalton."
"I told you not to disturb us." Angel growled.
"Are you sure? He says it's important." Harmony asked sweetly.
Dalton looked through the glass of Angel's office, "Let him in Harmony." She told her. Angel looked at the witch with confusion, as soon as she spoke those words, the man ran in.
"The Circle is coming for you. Now." He said out of breath.
"Drogan." Angel and Dalton said at the same time.
A/N: HA! I've updated! Sorry it's been so long. I just realized how much I missed writing. I'm hoping for another update soon. Please review! Thanks for reading!
