There's No Light Without Darkness Chapter 6, an angel fanfic

Hyperion Hotel Room 243

As Willow Rosenberg, a witch who had been through so many trials and tribulations at a young age, looked over Charles Gunn, she could feel her hands trembling for the first time in months. She felt such a fear she would not be able to heal the grievous wounds that had been inflicted upon the human body.

Willow knew that the human body could be a truly frail thing, even the strongest of men, could loose their skin so easily, be killed by a car so easily, or a bullet.

Letting out a soft shuddering breath, her eyes slowly raised towards the Anagogic Demon who had been standing at the foot of Gunn's bed, looking down upon his companion, his compadre, his friend.

"I'll need some fresh water, not from a tap. A bowl if you can find it and some incense." Her tone was soft, shaky almost. For the first time in ages, she doubted her own self.

Lorne looked to Willow, and gave a small nod of his head. "Sure thing pumpkin, I'll get them in a jiffy." As Lorne turned to begin to go through the door, he spoke softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Willow noticed his shoulders were slumping.

The door shut quietly behind the demon as her eyes slowly went back to Gunn who was once again asleep, or unconscious, Willow was unsure of which. "Don't you die on me." Her whisper seemed to echo through the dimly lit hotel room.

Kitchen Nook of Hyperion Hotel

The silence was something that could almost be cut with a knife. It seemed as if no one wanted to break the quiet stillness, so many words unsaid, so many statements that still stung deep within the hearts of many.

Xander sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee, quietly staring out into nothing. Thinking on how many things had changed over the years. Cordelia, his at one time girlfriend had passed away. He had lost Anya to the Hellmouth, Faith was under the radar once more, even Buffy and Dawn were still in Rome, where they seemed to be happy. He had lost so much in the years from high school, and beyond. Seeing Angel reminded him of all the losses, something about the Vampire reminded him of the wounds that refused to heal.

Giles was quietly steeping a kettle to boil for tea. His unease had returned after stepping through the door of the hotel. He had been so certain this was the right thing to do, however the guilt that he was feeling as he looked upon Illyria was not going away, he felt he had let the poor girl down. It was not her fault that Angel had become evil, or so he thought, and he had let an innocent come to harm. It was indeed a hard load to bear. To look upon the face of Angel, reminded him of his own short-comings, something Rupert Giles was not comfortable with.

Andrew was quietly writing away in his journal about everything that had happened since their arrival. The outburst by the Slayer, which he found to be highly hard to believe that she was truly a Slayer, the argument between Angel and Giles, as well as the statement that Connor was Angel's child. Vampire's did not have children, however there the kid was, sitting there so smug right beside the vampire with a soul.

Connor glanced from face to face, trying to piece it all together. He vaguely remembered Willow, she had come to help put Angel's soul back into place during the whole pregnant Cordelia ordeal, but the rest of these men, he didn't know. They all seemed to have such an animosity, such hatred and a dislike. He couldn't understand why they were here to help, if they truly were here to help that is. Wesley and Angel seemed to be taking their arrival with a silent seething hatred that was barely at the surface. It was all so confusing for him.

Wesley sat quietly, watching his one time mentor and friend. The dagger's in his eyes showed clearly. He blamed Giles for what had happened to Fred, to Illyria, and even to himself. His road paved to hell had also been due to Rupert Giles, or so the ex-Watcher would like to believe. To be in the same room with him once more seemed, felt so preposterous. His eyes slowly gazing away from Giles to behold the face of Illyria, studying her quietly now, even Illyria had seemed changed since they arrived. Seeming more irritated.

Angel, Liam, Angelus, the man who had many names; was thinking of quite a few to call the people who had just swooped right back into his life when he needed help. Under different circumstances, possibly he would have been thankful. But these were not different circumstances. These were circumstances in which, he was too proud to ask for help, and he was too angry to ever ask for help from them. Never in a million years, after leaving Fred out to dry, after hanging up on Angel that one last time, it was far too much for him to bear.

Finally the silence was broken.

"So who was it that sent word we needed help?" Angel's tone showing his tight restraint on the anger that was bubbling forward, and that restraint was breaking moment by moment.

"Does it matter?" Giles asked, slowly turning to look to Angel a moment. "We are here, and it is evident that you indeed do need help."

"Of course it matters! Why wouldn't it matter? Why now of all times Giles? Why now?"

"Isn't it better late than never?" Andrew asked, looking up from his journal.

"Go back to writing in your diary." Connor narrowed his eyes at Andrew. He didn't even know the young man, however if Angel had a problem with them, he did too.

Andrew was about to refute that it was a journal and not a diary, that his diary was safely hidden away, though he was cut off.

"Angel, we could not be sure that you were not truly evil once more. That the statement that Fred needed our help, was not a ploy to come to LA and be slaughtered by Angelus and Wolfram and Hart, can you not see that?" Giles' town turning tight as well with indignant softness, "can you not at least understand this?"

"Giles, it was an emergency, I told you it was! How could you even think for a moment…"

"This isn't going to solve anything. It's evident now that this was a bad mistake, they don't need us Giles, we might as well give them what they want." Xander stated as he put his coffee cup down.

"Ah, finally someone with a little bit of sense around here. Don't let the door hit you." Angel didn't look towards Xander as he spoke those words.

"You blame us…For Fred getting hurt, dying. You blame us, but you don't even think about the things you yourselves have done, to get into this problem in the first place? If it had not been for you making a deal with Wolfram and Hart, selling your soul… You would not have even been in this mess to begin with." Giles' words slowly rising in volume. "Need I remind you that it was in fact your own company that caused this to happen?"

Angel was about to yell as he stood up from his chair, until Wesley spoke up.

"Angel, as much as I would love to disagree with him, he is correct. We are the ones who chose to work with Wolfram and Hart, to take it over. But our intentions were not evil, our intentions were good. But as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Wesley pinched the bridge of his nose. "I believe it is something that we can all understand now."

Angel turned to look to Wesley for a moment, absolutely dumbfounded and silent, his jaw faintly slack.

Hyperion Hotel Room 243

Lorne finally arrived with the things that Willow had asked for, totally bypassing the bickering that was going on in the kitchen nook. As he entered, he slowly glanced around for a moment and spoke softly. "I have the things you asked for pumpkin, I hope you don't mind Purple Haze incense, it's all I could by down the street." Moving over to where Willow and the unconscious Gunn were.

Willow had been focusing all of her energies towards what she would have to do next, hearing and feeling Lorne's movements brought her out of the trance she had placed herself into. "Oh, yea that's fine… Not a problem. This one time when I was doing a spell all I had was some dragon's blood incense, but it seemed to work. Guess they don't mind the smell as long as it smokes." She gave a faint smile as she seemed to ramble on, giving hint to her true worries.

Even with all the talking, Gunn's body didn't seem to stir in the bed.

Putting his hand ontop of her shoulder, Lorne spoke softly. "It's all right, just breathe sugarplum, and you'll be just fine."

Willow took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, hoping that the green demon was right. Ever since her time using dark magick there was a part of herself that was just worried she'd be a failure without it. Of course this was called being an addict, and that was something she was never proud of.

"I'll need you to light the incense when I tell you to. So how did he get so messed up? I mean did you guys get kicked out of Wolfram and Hart?" Willow asked as she prepared a bag of herbs she was carrying with her.

Lorne gave a rueful smirk, shaking his head a little bit. "Pumpkin you need to read up on the news. Wolfram and Hart got kicked out." At the confused look on Willow's face, Lorne explained. "We took the Senior Partners on… And… lost."

That got another confused look from her, as she spoke. "How about you explain while I prepare everything okidoki?"

Lorne gave a nod of his head once more and moved over towards the witch, and began to explain from start to finish.

Kitchen Nook

With Angel's stupor having caused a silence to grow over the room for a moment, Wesley would then turn to look at Giles.

"However I do believe that to be fair, it should also be said that while we had the best of intentions coming in, we lost a great deal. If not ourselves but also those we care for, among other things." He said with a touch of bitterness. "So perhaps giving us a small indication as to how you found out would be greatly appreciated Rupert."

Before Giles could even reply, Spike comes walking in talking without looking up from the magazine he was looking at. "Right, so I'm stuffed to figure out exactly what it is we're meant to be doing now, and why is Kaya sleeping on the wan…" Glancing up from the magazine and blinking a few times as he saw the remaining Scoobies sitting at the table with the Fang Gang. "Bloody hell."

Xander would glance up towards Spike. "Spike! Spike's here! Why is it every single time I think you vampires die, it just doesn't happen?"

Spike would smirk some, shaking his head, looking towards Angel. "Once the ponce's leave we need to figure out our next move."

"No one said anything about leaving, William." Andrew would stand up then. "We came here to help." Repeating what he had said earlier in the foyer.

"Not bloody likely." Spike shook his head, moving to sit down beside Connor, giving the young one an up nod.

Giles would sigh. "Right then, while I am sure that we can argue about this for hours on end, it won't help out anything, now will it. We have all made mistakes, but perhaps we were meant to be here to help us all out. I was… contacted by someone. I don't recall his name, if he ever gave it. But he said that you all could use a bit of help, said that if we did come perhaps Cordelia would get off of his back. Speaking of which… I'm horribly sorry to hear about her passing."

That caused Xander to snort. "Well whoever it was definitely knew Cordy."

Angel glanced first to Spike, then to Wesley arching an eyebrow in thought, before he gave a small nod of his head. "All right, I could maybe give you that one. But it still doesn't change anything."

"Of course it does peaches, don't you know that it's the infallible Rupert and his little group of do-gooders who don't know when to bleedin' sod off when they know they're not welcome!" Spike gave a little outburst, his voice raising.

Welsey winced faintly. "Would you not… Yell? Kaya threatened painful death if we woke her up again."

Foyer

Lindsey watched Kaya as she rested on the bench, every now and then he would smooth her hair, which didn't seem to wake the Slayer. He sighed heavily and leaned against the wooden back as he glanced around the empty lobby. He was wondering if she was part of it, his supposed redemption, it would almost be fitting.

It had been three years ago, one of the stars of Wolfram and Hart when he had been given a case. It wasn't so much a case or trial, but to make sure that it never did come to trial. A small group of vampires had attacked a sorority house, killing all but one victim.

It was a simple case really, find some guy to take the fall, then set it up for him to be killed in jail, the victim would never be able to even ask questions about it, even if she knew what was going on, for fear of being called insane. The three vampires that had been the predators of that night had become his best clients for a few months before Angel had killed them.

He had never thought about that victim though, and the anger that just seemed to radiate off of her when she spoke of it, or the pain that had been caused to her. He sighed lightly, glancing down for a moment, and then towards the sleeping Slayer. His hand moving over her hair once more before he stood up, looking towards the office where Eve laid, unconscious, feeling even more guilt. It wasn't something he was used to, Wolfram and Hart had been able to justify each and every one of his actions, but now his moral fiber was re-asserting itself.

"You keep sighing like that, and I'll make a no noise rule for you too." The sleepy voice of Kaya was heard behind him.

Turning around, he looked to the Slayer whose eyes were lidded just faintly, instead of fully open. "Did I wake you?" He asked quietly.

Shaking her head a little bit she sat up and rubbed at her eyes, looking up to him afterwards. "Nah, I don't sleep much, what's up?"

Lindsey sat down beside her, shrugging his shoulders. "Well they're all not yelling in the kitchen; saw Lorne and that Willow chick go upstairs, think maybe Gunn'll be better soon."

Kaya shook her head a little bit, "While all that is swell and shit, I meant you." Turning her head to look at him fully, "And if you say it's nothing, I'll just call you emo then." Giving the lawyer a faint smirk, if not a little bit tired still.

Lindsey gave a derisive laugh at that, before he shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly don't want to talk about it right now. Maybe one day, but right now… I just want to figure out what in the hell to do."

"I think a lot of people share your sentiment right now. In fact I think we all do." Including her self into the mix, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes that were faintly smashed and a lighter, a cigarette being placed to her lips and then lit before taking a long drag and exhaling. "Without my Watcher… I'm not entirely too sure what it is I do." Scratching at her cheek for a moment, as she mulled over the options, "Could go and become a twenty something chica with no responsibilities, I always heard that was fun." Giving him a smirk with veiled eyes as smoke wafted in her face.

Lindsey felt some of the worry, guilt, and stress release from him. "But you're not like that, are you? I mean seriously the girl that whooped my ass seemed to have a reason, a purpose. Think you can shirk that off?"

Kaya smirked, shaking her head some. "My purpose and my reason were to whoop your ass, to pull your head out of it. Seriously man, I've never been one to believe in fate. We make our own destinies, I don't give a flying shit one way or another if they say that it was destined for me to become a Slayer, or that it was destined for me to meet up with everyone. I do it myself."

"So you don't think that it was fate that made what happened to you happen? That without that happening, you'd be having to balance between school, your parents and hiding who you are? Didn't it make it easier for you in the long run?"

"Sure, if you can consider the fact that I liked to crawl into a bottle and didn't give a damn about myself or anything else afterwards. Yea I guess so. Nothing in life comes easy Lindsey, nothin' in life comes with any sort of guarantees, but you know…. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass. I tend to do that sometimes."

Lindsey shook his head a little bit. "Are you sure you're twenty one? I mean… You're rather wise." He smirked at him for a moment. "But I guess wisdom doesn't have an age restriction on it."

She shrugged her shoulders, watching him for a moment. "Lindsey, what you need to do though is figure out where you're going, and how you're going to get there. And I need to figure out what to eat. I'm starved." Standing up, she stretched a little bit and began to head into the kitchen nook, limping gently. "If I'm not out in ten minutes, call Jerry Springer." She called over her shoulder, leaving Lindsey with a thoughtful yet humored look on his face.

Kitchen Nook

The battle lines had seemingly been drawn in the kitchen once more, almost like two axis' of power waiting to blow one another up. The silent tension mounting to extreme levels as each one glared at the other.

Connor had no idea who these people were, sure he had heard enough information to make his stomach turn when his father and Wesley spoke about them, however he couldn't remember these people at all, not in all the time he had been with Angel, except for Willow who was upstairs mending one of his friends… That is after Connor had tried to kill him and Fred once… or was it twice? Honestly the young dhampir couldn't remember. However, if his father and his friends did not like these new arrivals, neither did Connor.

Spike just stared at the trio of men with a hateful look in his eyes. It seemed to be far too perfect that they arrived after the hour of need was over, and now wish to come swooping down to save them, or clean up their mess. It was so much like Giles and Xander to do that, and with Andrew trying to become Giles' new protégé it doesn't surprise him that the little ankle biter decided to take sides with him. Only thing he could be thankful for was that Buffy wasn't with them, it would be too much to bear at the moment. Now if only he could figure out a way to get the arses out of the hotel, they could get to work.

Xander just sat there, listening to the buzz of a fly that seemed to have taken residence within the hotel as well, would make sense, pests just like the entire group in LA, he shouldn't have let Willow talk him into coming. They didn't want him around, or anyone else, and he honestly didn't want to be around. Spike and Angel had brought nothing but trouble to Sunnydale when they arrived, and they've haunted his life ever since. Including the time that Spike slept with Anya, or the ongoing torrid romance between Angel and Buffy. They represented his heartache in flesh, even if it was undead flesh, and oh how he hated them for it.

Wesley was quietly thinking over everything that had been passed through the conversations since their arrival. They had mentioned someone had went to them and stated they needed help, however he couldn't think of anyone who would, especially someone knowing Cordelia Chase, it confounded him and confused him more than anything. However, it was good to see them again, even if they had all changed, it had been some time. It seemed the years were far kinder to his mentor than to himself; however he knew that Giles had had a sense of loss before as well, if only he could bring himself to forgive Rupert for not being there for Fred.

Illyria was far too removed from the situation at hand to have any true thought about it, other than for the fact if the Vampire wished them death, she would bring it. She was still far too puzzled over her inner emotions, which was something new to her all together. When she had experienced sadness and anger the night previous, she thought it was just a tinge of a remnant, tainted by Winnifred Burkle, however the fact that they remained even after Wesley came back to life, it has grown distracting. The uneasiness and inability to be sure causing her to be very ill at ease, and very willing to cause violence.

Rupert Giles couldn't look upon the woman with the blue hair, every time he did he could feel an overlaying amount of guilt that should not be there. He had to protect the others first and foremost, as a Watcher it was his duty, and as a man who has suffered far too many losses, it was his curse. He felt uncomfortable, as if walking into the snake's den, even if Angel was not evil, it was the past that he was reminded of, and of his own failures. The simple fact that he felt the need to still help Angel and Spike was somewhat a new experience as well, and all on the word of a ghost, or whatever he was… At least he hadn't been attacked… yet.

Andrew watched from the sidelines, keeping his eyes on everyone one at a time, studying their facial expressions, and trying to read their body language, however it proved difficult when they all seemed so angry. He had hoped, when he came to LA, that things would be different. That two groups could unite for whatever malevolent and dark force seemed to be threatening them, however it seems as if the innocents were not to be saved, if they could not even talk for a few moments without arguing. If this was a Tolkien story, Gandalf would have blown them all up by now.

Angel sat there quietly, one on hand he was angry that they had the audacity to show up now of all times, and on the other hand relieved. Gunn was in a rather bad way, and not only that but there was also Eve… If anything, perhaps they can all work on getting her to wake up, and then they can leave. Though how he could put up with Xander and Giles for so long, would be beyond him, but he would try… He owed Lindsey that much at least, even if he would never admit it out loud.

"Talk about as silence as death." The Slayer's voice was heard as she limped through the kitchen and immediately headed towards the fridge, digging around for something to eat. "Oh gross… That… is disgusting!" Shutting the fridge door as she turned around and noticed once more all eyes were on her.

"Rest well?" Wesley asked as he looked to the blonde Slayer who seemed to be in a more…Comfortable mood. "We ah… kept it down like you asked."

"Noticed." She would then begin to rifle through the cupboards as she could feel her hunger raging on. "Don't stop talking on my behalf, seriously." She reached up, pulling down a box of Saltines, and she eyed them for a moment with a shrug before she tore open a package and began to eat them without even turning to look at the others. "Or… you all can continue to stare holes into each other." Shrugging as she heard no one talking.

Spike smirked, giving a faint shake of his head, "right would rather not be doing this at all, but the bint has a point. You very well can't bloody stick around here, when we have no idea what's going on."

Andrew perked up faintly. "Maybe if you tell us, we could offer some assistance somehow."

Angel pinched the bridge of his nose, having to re-tell the story once more was not something he'd like to do, however opening his mouth to do so when he was interrupted.

"Cliff-notes version Point-dexter. Fought big baddies in an alleyway after they decided to go after the Black Thorn, Wesley and Lindsey dying in the process, Lorne shows up with me, tells me to go and help, go and kill things, voila. Gunn's laid up in a hotel room, we're all trying to relax some… Lindsey and Wesley come back to life because they've been told if they don't redeem themselves by helping out Angel-boy here, they're going to hell… Both of them. Girly girl is out like a light in Angel's office, she was a real fireball though last night, and that's where we are. One comatose chica, one laid up brother, and a bunch of grousing. Oh and creepy blue chick… Well I don't' know her story, but she is rather aaah, creepy." Kaya said after she swallowed a cracker.

"That is…. Yea what Kaya said." Angel said, shrugging his shoulders a little bit. "It's been kind of a long night." He added with a mumble.

Giles arched an eyebrow in the most precarious of fashions looking to Wesley a moment, before his eyes focused on Angel. "Then I suppose we were brought here to help you… Do what exactly?"

"That's what we've been trying to figure out you ponce!" Spike raised his voice once more to Giles. "We have no bleedin' idea what in the hell is going on. It's all far too damned confusing."

Giles would ignore the outburst as he would then take off his glasses, cleaning them. "Well I would suggest perhaps we start with one of the more… Ah easier things. Why is this girl… Eve I believe her name is, unconscious?"

Wesley shrugged his shoulders faintly. "I'm not entirely too sure, nothing has roused her. I can't seem to find anything in the few books that we have here." He turned, looking to Angel. "Exactly what happened with her last night?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Angel would offer an open hand gesture as if he didn't know. "She was winging fireballs left and right, saying how I killed Lindsey. She was then faced with the truth that it wasn't me, it was Lorne and she… Kinda freaked out and then passed out."

Giles furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, before asking. "Was she supernatural at all? Did she have the power to throw fire I mean?"

Shaking his head a little bit, he sighed. "I'm not exactly entirely sure. I don't think she was supernatural, other than for being a link to the Senior Partners. In all the time I worked with her, she didn't do anything like that."

"Right, so that's where we begin looking, trying to find out how she got that ability, that could be the key to wake her up."

Angel silently thanked whomever was upstairs that he didn't have to ask Giles for help with that. It would be something a little too difficult for him to do.

Higher Plane

"Oh my god Doyle! When you said you were going to get help I never expected this! This is great!" Cordelia once more was shrieking in her happiness, and hugging the half demon tightly.

"Cordy… Eardrums." He then would hug her back with a smile. "Hey, I couldn't let you down now could I? But… Do you think it's going to help, they look like they're about to kill one another."

"That's kinda normal for all of them, it doesn't matter if they didn't help out Fred or not, they've kinda always been like that. Specially Angel and Giles and them, bad blood and all that, but with them there they could find out ---" Getting cut off by Doyle once more.

"Yea, I kinda got that feeling when I went to go and see him. God that bloke needs to learn how to sleep with pajama's on or something." Doyle shuddered.

"Oh… Eww… Mental picture NOT welcome!"

Hyperion Hotel

Time had slowly passed once more in the hotel, the night lights of the city had come on, and the night life had come out once more. Rupert Giles along with his protégé Andrew and Wesley were sitting down looking over the various books that Giles had brought with him. They continued to find text after text, but it seemed like nothing absolute or definite was coming up.

Willow and Lorne had been upstairs for quite a long while, and yet no sign or sound of them, causing a small un-ease and un-rest amongst the others. What would happen if Charles Gunn passed away? For the Scoobies it was a fear that Willow would blame herself and delve into the powerful magicks that had at one time caused her to turn evil. For the Fang Gang, it was the thought of another loss that was disheartening. Some of them slowly paced the floor, while others were sitting down and trying to keep their minds occupied.

"Perhaps what we need to do is see if fire is something that can rouse her, after all with such a powerful manifestation as the one that was described, it could be that it is part of a need now, a way of survival." Giles was pondering this over quietly to the other two.

"Oh cool, so kind of like Pryo's need to use fire to use his mutant powers?" Andrew asked, turning his head to look at Giles with an excited gleam in his eye.

"Yes, something like that Andrew. However, it could also prove to be dangerous. Especially for Angel and Spike, vampires are prone to fire far more than the rest of us."

"Where's an asbestos's suit when you need one?" Wesley would say with a fiant smirk on his lips, an actual joke coming from him.

Lindsey had been pacing somewhat close by when he had heard them talking. "I'll do it, if you think it's needed." Speaking up and letting them know that he had heard what they said.

"It could prove to be dangerous for you." Giles warned, in a solemn voice.

"Yea, but I'd do anything to make sure she's all right." His words just as solemn as the elder Watcher's, as he looked into his eyes. "Just let me know what I need to do."

Spike plopped down to Kaya who was engrossed in looking over a map. "Charlie-boy's gonna be just fine, you know that right?"

"Yea, I know Spike. I also need to find Eric." Her eyes glancing over towards the blonde vampire, giving a waning smile. He could see the worry evident in her eyes.

"We'll help you find him once we get him back on his feet." Patting her arm lightly, he'd offer her a filter-less cigarette, before lighting one for himself.

Hyperion Hotel Room 243

"That's horrible, absolutely horrible." Willow turned, holding her nose up as she had finally taken a smell of the incense Lorne had bought. "You would think that incense wouldn't be so pungent." She would look to the somewhat sad looking demon. "And I'm sorry for everything that's happened. I wish Giles would have told me Angel had called, I would have been here as soon as possible."

Lorne would give a faint smile in the way that was always him when he wasn't comfortable about something. "I know pumpkin, however we got some things we need to be worrying over now, the rest we can work on later."

Willow would give a nod of her head, as she would then move over beside Gunn, sprinkling him with the water, after she had drawn runes all over his body. Taking in a deep breath as she slowly began to chant.

Foyer in the Hyperion/Angel's Office

"Now if she stirs, or anything begins to feel not so right, I want you to leave the room immediately." Giles would warn Lindsey as he carried a lit candle towards Angel's door, slowly opening it.

Lindsey was hardly paying attention though, he entered slowly, looking over the peaceful looking Eve, steeling himself for whatever could possibly happen next. He slowly began to take his steps, covering the flame to make sure it wouldn't get blown out.

Everyone in the foyer standing up and moving towards the door to watch, including Illyria who was ever curious about these sorts of things, each one holding their breath, Angel slowly glanced towards Giles.

"Think it'll work?" He asked quietly.

Giles spoke back in a quiet tone. "I have no idea, I'm running out of options."

Slowly Lindsey lowered the candle towards Eve's hand that rested by her side.

Hyperion Hotel Room 243

Willow continued to chant, as she motioned with her hand for Lorne to light the incense that he was holding, and he then began to circle around the bed as much as he possibly could.

Her hands came down, alight with a soft white glow, her eyes turning black, and her head snapping upwards as she continued to chant in a language that not even Lorne knew.

Wanting to pause, he didn't however and continued to do as the witch had asked, moving the incense with him as he moved.

As Willow continued the glow began to get brighter and brighter, warmer and warmer.

Hyperion Foyer/Angel's Office

As Lindsey slowly lowered the candle, not yet letting it touch her skin, he looked up into her face. "Come on Eve, open your eyes." He whispered, practically begging her to wake up.

Slowly the flame touched and licked at her skin.

Hyper Hotel Room 243

--

The chanting had become so loud it was almost hurting Lorne's head, as the light then enveloped the entire room.

Hyperion Hotel

The entire building quaked for a moment, as light enveloped the entire place, causing them to be blinded for a second.

A set of eyes slowly opened up within the hotel.

Author's Note:

Feels kinda rushed, but I like the little cliffhanger at the end. Was attempting to go for something like they do in television shows, and did a split up between actions in two places at once. Sorry for the delay in posting this, and hopefully it's not as bad as I'm thinking it is. If anyone has any comments, suggestions, or concerns don't hesitate to leave a review.