Part 26
"Okay," the redhead said, her hands brushing against the jeans covering her thighs. She frowned slightly at the amount of chalk dust her fingers left behind, then shrugged. "I think we're ready."
Angel wasn't quite thrilled about the fact that his Mate was about to petition a Goddess, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it, aside from maybe locking her up until the damned rat died, and unfortunately, that would leave him with an incredibly pissed off witch on his hands. A small smirk twitched at his lips as he considered the many ways they might find for her to... release her anger, but... No, he sighed softly, his Will needed to do this, and... "All right, love," he murmured, taking a seat in the chair by the far wall. He might have to let her do this thing, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be right there while she did. "Just... be careful?"
Willow grinned and swiftly crossed the room. She perched lightly in his lap, her arms rising to meet behind his neck. "Always, my Angel. Don't worry so much!" It was a matter of leaning only a few inches, and she pressed her lips softly to his cooler ones. "It'll be *fine*, baby," she added, still smiling as she stood and returned to her position in the middle of her carefully drawn circle. "Wes?" she invited, gesturing for the dark haired former watcher to join her.
He truly didn't think that he was adequately prepared for what he was about to do, but he didn't have much of a choice; if he didn't help her, he had a feeling the redhead would try doing this alone, and... He shuddered slightly, well aware of just how dangerous that would be. His feet dragged a bit against the raw cement floor of the basement, but he was still in the center of the circle far too quickly for his tastes. He gazed for a moment at the similar circle containing the rat, and nodded almost imperceptibly. This was really their only chance to make Amy human again. It was also their best likelihood of finding a witch to help out in Sunnydale. "All right," he finally said, meeting the girl's green eyes, "Let's... do this, then." And that was really all there was to say, wasn't it?
Willow's eyes flashed black for a moment before taking on a slight golden sheen as she pulled on her Mate's strength. "Oh, Goddess Hecate," she began, thoughtfully intoning her carefully composed words. As the Goddess gave, she could also take away, and... seeing as she'd taken the body-mass of Amy, maybe she would also see fit to return it. That was their hope, in any case.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It had taken her and Lorne working together for nearly an hour to return his-- their-- rooms to their usual state. It might have been finished sooner, but she'd felt the need to see what was happening at the hotel, and... "Wesley promised not to tell them yet," she said softly, gazing at her love from the corner of her eye. He was glorious, she thought, even if he was all covered in sweat and small streaks of dust from their efforts. Her own hair was hanging in damp strands where it had escaped from the clip holding it, and she was sure she'd looked better, but... That was the way of things, wasn't it? And he loved her anyway, so she figured she could live with it. "I think I need a shower," she continued, placing the last pillow at the head of their bed.
And that one sentence was beyond enough for him. He'd been watching her the entire time they'd been repairing the damage they'd done, and just the sight of her-- bending and twisting, clad only in a pair of shorts and a tank top-- had had him more than ready to just... sink into her sweet self for hours. The idea of her standing there, water streaming wildly over her soft, pale skin was... "Fine, Freddie," he murmured, a wicked smile spreading across his face as she slunk quickly to the bathroom. He wasn't completely thrilled that his woman had told the Englishman about what they'd found on the original disk, but he'd deal with that later, because right then? His fingers swiftly unbuttoned his shirt and pants, and he carefully placed them on the foot of the bed before following after her. He stepped silently into the shower, thrilled to see that she looked just as appealing as he'd imagined. His smooth, softly scaled hands closed softly on her hips, and he pulled her to him, chuckling darkly when her eyes flew open in surprise. "You know, this whole 'human-style' sex thing? I believe I've heard that it's possible to do under running water."
A teasing smile plastered itself to her lips, even as she pressed herself closer to him. "I don't think *I* ever heard that, Krevlorneswath; are you *sure* it's ummmph..."
She tasted wonderful. And there was still so much for them to experience! Maybe they could try some of the things he'd searched out on the net while she'd been gone. With that thought in mind, he slid his lips slowly down her neck, gasping along with her as he slid lower. Gods, he'd never even imagined...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And now he didn't even have the company of the *rat*! Oh, he knew that Willow was even then trying to reverse whatever had been done to make the girl into a furry little beast, but... none the less, even the silent company had been something of a relief. At least he'd been able to stare at the tiny rodent. It had kept him from thinking too much, and from feeling sorry for himself.
That he had every reason to feel that way was irrelevant. He was a demon; he had no business getting all boo-hoo-y over the things Fate had thrust his way. Still, it was hard, with as much of a fucking *bitch* as destiny had turned out to be. Hell, he figured he was probably the world's favourite whipping-boy.
Spike flew from the bed, growling angrily at himself. "I am *not* the sodding *Pouf*!" he shouted to the ceiling. "I'm not looking for redemption, damn it!" He snatched up the lamp from the bedside table, flinging it hard against the wall, and he smiled widely as it shattered. "That was fun!" he announced, looking for more things to break. He'd have to pay his Sire back for everything he destroyed, of course, but it would be worth it. Hell, maybe the Mighty Pouf would let him help with beating some demons or something. Anything for a nice spot of violence.
His eyes glittered gold, and he smirked wickedly, his sharp, jagged teeth bared. He should have been fighting alongside Angelus from the moment he'd arrived, he finally admitted. But the idea of helping the older vampire had been too odd for him, after everything that had happened in recent years.
"Fuck," he said quietly, thinking aloud. "I could have been wreaking havoc and mayhem all this time..."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gunn couldn't help staring at the dark haired girl sitting across from him at the small diner. She was still acting like she actually cared about him, so he supposed his little expedition into the world of Wolfram & Hart had actually been worthwhile, even if the disk he'd made *was* missing a lot of information. It was always possible that he'd screwed up the copying, anyway. He smiled widely when Cordelia laughed at something she'd just said, and forced himself to pay closer attention. He didn't want her to think that he didn't care about her opinions, after all.
So it had taken her a while to realize just why Gunn had always irritated her so much. Of course, she should have recognized the symptoms, seeing as that was just how her whole 'Xander Harris' mistake had begun. But Charles Gunn was definitely not another Xander, and... She truly had no idea of what she was saying. The only real thought in her head at that particular moment was... he could have died. Worse yet, Willow had been right. If they'd somehow found out that he was working for the evil lawyers, they would have hurt him themselves. It was a damned good thing that they hadn't. Her voice trailed off for a minute, and her eyes widened. "What are we gonna do with whatever it was they wanted you to plant at Angel's?"
It was a question he actually had an answer to. He'd been thinking about just that ever since Lilah'd left him at that coffee shop, and... "I have an idea," he admitted, "But... I don't think you're gonna like it."
Her eyes grew even wider as he began to explain, and he was right-- she *didn't* like it. Still, there was something almost... poetic... about it. She nodded slowly, her hair swinging with the motion. "I'm in," she informed him, smiling at his shocked expression.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The rat's nose twitched quickly, and she darted wildly about the circle she was trapped within. The equivalent of a scream began in her tiny lungs, even as the darkly sparkling bits of energy spiraled towards and into her, and she truly didn't realize right away that she was... bigger... fur-less... *naked*! No, it was the fact that her scream had suddenly become *audible* that stunned her, initially. Then, of course, she felt the cold cement beneath her, and... Her hands fluttered about, trying to cover her flesh as she stared wide-eyed at an older, more powerful Willow Rosenberg.
Willow would have kicked herself if she'd had the energy. She should have remembered that Amy's transformation hadn't included clothing, but she hadn't, and now... She shot a small both of thanks to her Mate when he swiftly rose and pulled the shirt from his body, tossing it quickly towards the naked girl. "Amy...?" she asked softly, once the girl had covered herself, "Are you... are you okay?"
And the question, alone, was enough to have her both laughing and crying.
Angel's brow furrowed at the girl's reaction, but that didn't stop him from going to his witch and helping her up. His arm wrapped tightly around her waist when he felt her trembling, and he glared at Wesley. "Get up, Wes," he ordered. "Help Amy. Bring her upstairs." His other arm joined the first, and he lifted his Mate effortlessly. It took less time to reach the steps and climb them than speaking the words to the one-time Watcher had. "How you feeling, baby?" he murmured, still holding her tightly to his broad chest.
"Well, I don't think I'll be running any marathons anytime soon," she sighed, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders, "But then, I never did that *before*, either." She giggled softly when his eyes flashed at her, and pressed one small, nearly chaste kiss to his lips. "Seriously, love, I'm fine. Tired, but fine!"
The fact that he could feel the truth of that through their bond set his mind at ease, and he bowed his head, just breathing her in for a moment or three. Finally, though, he could hear the hesitant footsteps on the stairs, and he pulled back, setting his woman down gently on the couch and sitting down beside her. Amy had been a rat for a long while; he had a feeling that she would require some explanations. She was going to get them, of course, and... maybe by the time they were done, his Will would be feeling a bit more... energetic. He'd hated watching her risk herself, regardless of the fact that she was immortal. It had riled every protective instinct within him, and... There was one sure way to calm himself, he knew, and that was to bury himself so deep within his Mate's perfect form that he didn't know where he ended and she began.
Willow smiled slightly and took Angel's much larger hand in her own. She could tell what he was thinking about, and... Yeah, she told herself. Amy. Talk. Then Angel. Bed. It was going to be a long day.