0 comments/ 17416 views/ 1 favorites All the Stops: Transfiguration Ch. 6 By: badgirl298 Angel stared down in horror at the still girl in his bed. Dawn’s luxurious hair was spread out, her face was snow white. She was really dead. And he had changed her into a demon. This hadn’t happened in a very long time. Too long, the demonic voice in his head whispered. Angel felt like he was going to be sick. He heard someone knock on the door. “Go away!” “You’re going to bloody well open up or I’m going to knock the door down and beat you with it.” Spike bit out from the other side of the wooden structure. Angel composed himself for a minute. He didn’t want to show any weakness to his grandchilde. Spike was a master at exploiting the weaknesses of others.“Come in.” He said opening the door, his voice dripping with disdain. The blue eyed demon had eyes only for Dawn. “You did it.” Spike said hollowly, eyes fixed on the small girl in his sire’s bed. “She’s gone.” “Yes, I did it.” Angel affirmed. “I just hope she’s happy.” They both knew he was talking about Buffy. The younger vampire shook of his own melancholy. “She’ll be happy to know that nibblet will have a long unlife. That’s all that matters.” Spike turned his attention to Dawn once more. “Huh.” He mused. “She looks a bit like Drusilla. All black and white.” Dawn’s face and hair did reflect a stark contrast. “Though she doesn’t play with dolls.” Angel’s left eye twitched with repressed anxiety. “Yet another innocent I took to the dark side. I wonder if she’ll grow to hate me as much as Dru did.” “The dark side?” Spike scoffed. “You sound like sodding Darth Vader.” “Is that a demon?” “Never mind. Point is, you didn’t take anything she didn’t want taken. The bit and I thought this all out. I’m not going to let her regret this. You’ll see.” “What do you have to do with this?” Angel asked. “I’m going to be her sire.” Spike explained as is if he were talking to a very stupid person. Well, in his book, Angel was deeply stupid. “She needs someone to teach her how to be a vampire and that’s what I intend to do. Me and the nibblet, together for always.” He had become adjusted to the idea of Dawn as a vampire. He was actually looking forward to it now. She would be his compatriot, his creation. He would never be alone again. “You. . .and Dawn?” Angel said condescendingly. “I don’t think so. She’s my childe. Mine.” He could feel Angelus grumbling within him, eager for the chance to assert his dominance. “Don’t be ridiculous. She can’t learn to be a proper vampire from you, Your Poofiness.” Spike folded his arms across his chest. “What would you teach her? Guilt 101?” “She isn’t going to be a proper vampire. She’s going to have a soul.” Angel nodded. “She’ll have to learn how to straddle both worlds like I have. A foot in the demon plane, a foot in the human one. I am the only one who can guide her.” “You just love to hear yourself talk, don’t you?” Spike snorted. “She’s a vampire. Not a human. She never was human. I’m going to see to it that she doesn’t end up as a boring drudge like you.” Angel was about to argue the point, or perhaps slam his fist in Spike’s face when Dawn stirred on the bed. “She shouldn’t be waking up this soon.” He said worriedly. Spike shrugged. “She’s The Key, that probably makes her stronger than a human.” Both vampires stepped closer to the bed eagerly. *********** “This isn’t working, Giles.” “I know.” He sat down with a sigh, a clump of smoldering herbs in his hands. He crushed it into a nearby ashtray to stop the flames. They were both more than a little tired from their efforts. Willow picked up the Orb of Thessulah. “Do you think its broken?” “No, I don’t think so.” He thought about how to express what he could sense coherently. “The spell doesn’t FEEL right.” “I know what you mean.” Giles was speaking in terms of energy. The two of them together were creating a field of magickal force which was powerful yet amorphous. But it just fizzled. Whenever they tried to make it conform to the mandates of the spell, it resisted and drifted away. As a result, they were in a highly charged room, the energy almost crackled in the air. “What are we doing wrong?” “I’m not certain.” He took off his glasses. “Think back to the first time you performed this, is anything different now?” He tucked the right tip in his lips absently “Uh-oh.” “What ‘uh-oh’?” Giles had spent enough time on the Hellmouth to discover that ‘uh-oh’s produced death and disaster with alarming regularity. “What’s wrong?” “The last time, there may have been a teensy difference.” Willow said, minimizing the situation. “What difference?” “I may have been a bit. . .well, a little–“ ”Willow! For God’s sake, just tell me.” “Possessed.” She said, shrugging. “But only a little bit.” Giles was livid. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? Like say, oh I don’t know. . .three years ago!?” “Because I knew you’d get mad at me. And I was right.” “I’m not mad at you!” He snapped. She rose one perfectly sculpted red brow. “Alright. Perhaps I am a little cross with you.” He took a deep breath, trying to be patient with her. “But there is no such thing as a little possessed! You’re either possessed or you are not.” “Well, I guess you should know.” Willow clamped her hands over her mouth. “Sorry!” She said, from behind her fingers. “Point taken.” Giles said dryly. He was over his initial anger. He wasn’t even upset with her, not really. He just didn’t want her to put herself at such risk. Especially so casually. Willow never stopped to consider the possible repercussions of her actions, especially when it came to magick. She reminded him of the young man he used to be and he desperately wanted to dissuade her from that path in life. “If it’s any consolation, it wasn’t a demon. I think I was possessed by the spirit of the gypsy who performed the original spell. ” That did improve his humor. Somewhat. “Alright then. A spirit possession is not nearly as serious. Did you call her somehow? Subconsciously perhaps?” Willow looked thoughtful. “I might have. I was very focused on performing the ritual, but my thoughts drifted back to the first time it was performed. I remember wondering what it must have been like for the gypsy.” Giles nodded. “That could be it. Let’s try again. This time, I want you to focus on the first ritual.” They once again assembled their supplies. Giles replaced his glasses and picked up his book. He began to say the verses in Latin while Willow implored the spirt world for access to Dawn’s soul. *********** “Dawn, are you alright?” “Open your eyes, little bit.” Dawn licked her lips, her mouth felt dry as if she hadn’t had a drink in ages. She blinked her eyes open, two concerned vampires swam into her line of vision. The light was harsh and she squinted a little a she sat up in bed. She was forced to steady herself against the headboard. “Do I have something on my face or what?” She asked, trying to force some humor into the situation. “No.” Spike said quietly. “Do you feel alright?” “Considering the sitch?” He nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” Her expression grew serious. “Did it work? Am I a vamp?” Angel winced at his contradictory emotions. “I suppose so.” The demon inside, howled in triumph, eager to greet his newest childe. Spike grinned before he vamped out.“Show me your face, bit. Let’s have a look at my girl.” Dawn scrunched her face up, trying to make the demon come to the fore. But it didn’t. She twisted her features again. Then, stopped. “Ow. That just made my cheeks hurt. What’s going on?” Angel cupped her chin in his hands and looked into her eyes, as if he were a doctor dealing with a perplexing patient. “Usually, the demon is eager to appear.” Spike honed his senses, searching for her with all of his vampiric faculties. He could smell her blood. It was no longer human. “Smell her.” He said to Angel who took a whiff as well. “ She has our essence.” She smelled of Angel. She even smelled like himself. Because Angel and himself were so closely related, their scents were almost the same. In fact, she smelled like their kind. All members of the Order of Aurelius had traces of the same blood in their veins. Angel’s head turned to the side, much like a dog who has heard a far off sound. “I hear a heartbeat.” Spike could feel it too. It reverberated in his ears in an unmistakably steady rhythm. “It didn’t work.” He stared at Angel accusingly. “What?” Dawn asked, a tear sliding down her face. “No! It had to work.” “This doesn’t make sense. I can smell my blood in her veins but she’s still alive.” Just then, Dawn made an agonized sound. Her head fell back as she was slammed up against the headboard by some invisible force. Her eyes flew open, their blue depths became an eerie green as the demon finally asserted itself. Her whole demeanor changed. Her innocent face took on a knowing smirk as she gazed at the other vampires. Slowly, her visage morphed into the familiar ridges that marked her as a demon. Spike whooped in triumph. Her ‘lumpies’ as Buffy put it were not so pronounced because she was new and she was female but she was definitely a vampire. “You’re beautiful, little bit.” Angel looked away, revolted by his own actions. Inside, Angelus celebrated. And urged him to taste his new childe, show her her place. Then, Dawn gasped in surprise. They both looked up to see the vampire’s eyes widen with shock as a stream of what looked like lightening spread over Dawn’s body. It was white and green, obviously pure energy. The most powerful force either of them had ever seen. The demonic presence disappeared, the energy surge had completely obliterated all trace. It left Dawn gasping Her eyes were completely white, save for the green lightning that shimmered across the surface. “The Key.” Spike whispered, reverently. He was truly awed by its presence. Dawn’s eyes snapped shut. She shook her head as though to clear it. When she opened them once more, they were their usual shade of blue. “What was that?!” *********** “What’s wrong with you?” Willow shouted as she furiously shook the little globe. “Bad ball! Bad!” “Willow, I hardly think chastising the Orb of Thessulah is going to work.” The redhead replaced the crystal sphere in the velvet container. “I was making a joke, Giles.” She looked at him earnestly. “Ha. Ha. I thought it might relieve some of our frustration.” “Oh. Yes.” He tried to smile. “Funny.” She waived her hand. “Stop. You might strain your smiley muscle.” Willow sat down on the table top close to him. “Seriously though, we have to figure out what’s going wrong. There’s a seriously wigged Slayer upstairs and an undead girl. I promised Buffy I could give her a soul and I’m not letting her down.” She clasped her hands together. “Of course that depends on whether or not I can figure out what’s going on here. I’ve produced many wrong results in the spells I’ve performed but I’ve never had NO result.” “If it helps, I don’t understand it either.” Giles commiserated. He was trying to ignore the fact that her thigh was pressed against his own. It’s the magick in the air, he told himself. It was only natural to be hyper aware.“We’ve tried half a dozen times. I’ve gone through four sage plants. I made sure that my Latin was flawless. It should have worked.” “Maybe we should switch? I’ll read out loud while you reason with those wacky limbo spirits.” “I can’t, Willow. I’m not as advanced as you are, magickally speaking. That spell could prove dangerous to me or to you, or to everyone if I lost control of it.” “You wouldn’t.” She assured him. Giles was all about control. Discipline was could be his middle name. “I might.” His shoulders slumped. “But Giles, you’ve been battling evil professionally for years. With all of your knowledge, me as a back-up, and our combined power, this spell wouldn’t be that big of a deal for you.” He looked at her uncomfortably.“It’s not the spell that worries me, Willow. You’ve never seen the way I act under the influence of magick. It’s one thing to help you do a casting, the energy only flows through you then.” “You’re afraid of what would happen if you let it get a hold on you again.” She said, watching him carefully. “That kind of power is heady, Willow. It creates a need in you for more. And when I channel those kind of forces. . .well, people die.” “So, you’re addicted. . .?” Willow was searching for the right analogy. “As if magick we’re a drug. “It is. And believe me, I was addicted to it. I could very well get to that state once more. It’s a fine line, Willow. One that you’ll have to draw for yourself.” His fingers went of their one will to cup her cheek. “You have the ability to be a powerful witch. A force of good.” He stroked her skin with his thumb. “More powerful than any I’ve ever seen but you must use your gift wisely.” He drew his hand away. “And I’m afraid I’m not the one you should model your behavior after.” “That was one incident, Giles. One. And it happened a long time ago. Give yourself some credit, you’re not the same person. You’re not Ripper.” It was a great deal more than one incident. Giles met her eyes, his demeanor changing slightly. He became dangerous somehow, but in a way that was pleasant. A way that made her pulse jump. His accent changed too. It became more pronounced, less precise. “Are you so sure about that?” Willow blinked, wigged by his sudden shift. “Don’t do that! It makes me thing you have multiple personalities or something, Giles.” He gave a half smile, once more the studious Watcher. “Ethan used to tell me that too.” “Ethan’s magick is dark isn’t it?” “Yes.” Giles agreed. “And now that you’ve mingled energies, a little bit of yours is too.” Willow looked away. It might have been that way before, Giles. Instead she said. “I know but I can handle it.” “You must be so careful, Willow. Black magick is tantalizing. It will draw you in, make you crave it.” “Ethan said the same thing. He implied that it ,uh, produced an incredible high. That it was better than uh. . .” “Making love?” He offered. She nodded. “Yes, well, he might have had ulterior motives for saying that.” “Like what?” “Er, perhaps, enticing you to. . .he’s rather. . .” “Giles?” She prompted. Oh, sod it all. “It’s a line, Willow. He may have been talking you into his bed. He always uses sorcery to woo women.” And men too. She rolled her eyes. “Still gay.” “More’s the pity.” Giles said under his breath. “What?” “I said Tara’s very pretty.” He said banally. “But enough of that. We have work to do.” He couldn’t stop a yawn. He was tired from the expenditure of so much energy. “Want to have another go at it?” “Sure. Spell me.” She held her hand out for the bones. Giles did so. “I just pray that it works this time. Buffy’s suffered so much loss lately.” “I know.” Willow could feel tears stinging her eyes. “I shouldn’t have brought that up. I’m sorry.” He hastily brushed a tear away that landed against her nose. For some reason, he couldn’t stop himself from touching her. The urge was there all the time but he had always managed to clamp down on it. It must be the magick, it was creating a bond between them. “But what if Dawn stays like this? What if we never get her back?” Giles took her hand in his own, twisting to face her. “Shhhh. We’ll get her back, I promise.” She squeezed his hand, enjoying its warmth and the way it swallowed up her own. “You think so?” “Absolutely.” He forced himself to put on a brave face. He really wasn’t sure. But he couldn’t stand to see her cry. “Okay.” She took a shuddering gasp of air. “I’m alright now.” She wiped away her stray tears and began to breathe more easily. “So, maybe we need to vary my part of the spell. Or maybe we could try some lighter candles? Spirits like shimmery candles. I may have a silver one upstairs. Or maybe–“ “Or maybe you need some help?” A voice called. Ethan’s angled face appeared as he opened the door and peeked in. “Get out of here, Ethan.” Giles said, he released Willow’s hand as if it was burning him. Then, he scooted away as if she hadn’t practically been in his lap before the other man showed up. And Ethan had seen it all, the other man gave him a mock reproachful look. He mentally groaned. Good show, Giles. Nothing like getting caught with your hand hovering over the cookie jar. “What’s wrong, Ripper? Isn’t that why you brought me here? For my prowess?” “Magickal prowess.” Giles clarified. “And I’ve had enough of the thinly veiled sexual innuendos.” “Don’t worry. They’re not aimed at you. Your virtue is safe. And I don’t think Willow minds. Do you?” He said cheerfully, giving the young witch a thrice over. “You look radiant, my dear.” She flushed under his scrutiny. “Leftover magick. Good for the skin.” She mumbled, eyes stuck on the floor. “Giles, he has a point.” “You’re enjoying his sexual harassment of you?” Giles looked baffled and slightly queasy. “Uh, no.” She cleared her throat. “The needing him part. For the spell.” “What’s wrong? Can’t he get it up?” Ethan asked, a wicked smile on his face. He loved to bait Ripper. “Get it up?!” Giles’ face was murderous. He hadn’t missed the not so subtle sexual jibe or the deliberate one about his magickal abilities. “What? I was talking about raising your. . .magickal force.” He gritted his teeth. “I’m not a despot of gutter magick like you, I know. But I do know my way around unsavory wizardry. Willow and I raised plenty of energy on our own.“ Ethan held his hands out palms up as if he were testing for wayward raindrops. “Yes, I can feel it. But it spent itself prematurely, eh?” He nodded meaningfully at Willow. “Left you unsatisfied?” She reddened. “ So, I suppose stamina is the real issue.” Willow was afraid Giles was going to reach out and throttle Ethan. Actually, she was considering helping him. But this was not the time. “Okay. I’ve had enough of you two. You sound like children. We don’t have a time for one upmanship.” “You’re right.” Giles said, but he was glowering at Ethan. Willow thought that if he possessed the ability to make humans combust, she’d be seeing a pile of ashes where the sorcerer stood. “Yes, Willow’s right.” Ethan agreed, appearing shamefaced. “We’re being ridiculous. Arguing like two children.” He walked to Willow and pulled her hand in his own. “Forgive me?” “Of course.” She said as she pulled her hand away. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was a bit flattered by his attentions. Just a little bit. As much as she loved Tara she still missed flirting with men. Yes, there was something to be said for the opposite sex. “We should get started.” Ethan picked up the tome Giles had been reading from. “Are you certain you are up to casting this once more? You look a little knackered.” He said solicitously. “Oh, I’m fine. Nothing that some food and some sleep won’t cure. But you’ll be supplying most of the magick.” Willow pointed out. “That’s fine by me. I have more than enough to go around, dear girl.” “And you certainly like to spread it.” Giles muttered. He hated this. Hated being sidelined. Hated being near Ethan again. And really hated watching him pursue Willow. “I’ll just be over here.” He said, walking to a chair in the corner of the room. neither one of them even looked up, they were engrossed in arranging the spell’s ingredients. Ethan should know better, Giles thought. Willow was a child. A beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent, charming wom. . .child. Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. Bloody hell. He needed a drink. *********** “So, let me get this straight.” Dawn said. She was standing now. Her strength was rapidly returning. “I’m not a vampire and now I smell.” All the Stops: Transfiguration Ch. 6 “Yes, but in a good way, bit.” “You smell like us.” Angel offered. “You don’t ‘smell’.” “I’m not seeing the good here.” Dawn said. Someone knocked on the door. “Who’s there?” “Dawnie, is that you?” The knock became more insistent. “Open up.” Spike and Angel exchanged looks. By all accounts, Buffy sounded upset. They didn’t want to think about what she would do if she found out this whole ordeal was all for naught. “Wait a second, Buffy.” Angel said. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts. He needed to present this to his former love in just the right way. Buffy didn’t have a second to waste. She landed a kick and the door fell down. Her eyes darted around the room until they rested on her sister. “Dawnie?” She ran forward and embraced her. “It’s me.” She confirmed, around a lock of Buffy’s hair. She spit it out. “Come on. Let go, you’re embarrassing me.” Angel stared down at the ornate door that he had rescued from one of the more dilapidated rooms in the hotel and hauled on his back. Up ten flights of stairs. As he dodged bits of daylight that streamed in through broken panes of glass. “I liked that door.” Buffy didn’t care. She released her sister but then her hand reached out to stroke her cheek. “Hold up. Why are you still warm?” She released her cheek and reached for her wrist. “And you have a pulse.” She looked over at Angel. “You couldn’t go through with it?” Her voice was laced with relief. It had seemed like a good solution. And it wasn’t like they had many options. But Buffy couldn’t stand the thought of Dawn being trapped into the kind of life Angel was forced to lead. Dawn lifted her hair from her neck, it had shielded the bite mark from her sister’s view. “No, we went through it alright. I’m not sure if it worked. Exactly.” “Huh?” Buffy said. “I’ve been fighting vampires for 6 years now. I know an undead person when I see one. You have a pulse, you’re warm, and no lumpies. Definitely not a vampire.” “But she isn’t human either.” Angel finally said. “I think Dawn is immortal. She can’t be made into a vampire.” “Immortal?” Buffy asked. “Because of The Key?” “In theory at least.” Angel agreed. “But she has my blood. She is no longer pure.” “She smells like us.” Spike offered. Buffy swung her eyes Dawn’s way. “I know, I know. It’s so weird. They keep on talking about how I smell. I don’t get it either.” “Alright then. Who’s confused?” Dawn and Buffy raised their hands. After a moment, Angel and Spike did so too. “Let’s go get Giles. He’s the authority on weird.” *********** Gunn threw a white towel to Faith who caught it deftly. “How you feelin’?” She scrubbed at the fine sheen of sweat that made her forehead glow. “Good. I always feel this away after a fight though. I think it clears my head.” “Mine too. Nothing like it in the world.” “I don’t know about that.” Faith said, giving him a wicked grin. “Well, maybe THAT.” He teased back. “So, what’s with you and Buffy? That had the stench of grudge match written all over it.” “They didn’t tell you the full story?” “Nope. I’ve managed to piece together that Wes doesn’t like you too much. Cordelia’s doesn’t seem to care one way or the other. And Buffy has some full blown hate still goin’.” “You’re not wrong. But we’ll save that story, I think. That might take a few hours to tell. Let’s just say that there’s some bad feelings between me and Buffy over quite a few things. “Like?” “Like flirting with one boyfriend, stealing another. Joining forces with an evil mayor and fighting to the death on a rooftop.” “Okay. Now, I’m gonna hold you to the rest of that story.” “Deal.” She sat down and picked up a bottle of water. “She still beat me tonight. Even after all that practice.” “Don’t sell yourself short. She’s pumped up right now. Her sister in danger. That’s enough to send your adrenaline into overdrive.” “True.” Faith agreed. “You were really something out there. You’ve got a wicked right hook and your head butt looks pretty tight too.” “I’ve had some practice.” Faith said humbly, then she grinned. “And the supernatural Slayer strength doesn’t hurt either.” “You know, I’ve been thinking about what it must be like. Being a Slayer.” “Because of your mom?” He nodded. “And because you and Buffy are here. What was it like when you were called? What did you do?” “I freaked. A Watcher caught up to me in a pool hall.” Gunn’s eyebrows rose. “I used to sneak in to scam these old guys at the pool joint into playing a few games with me. It was easy money. My mom was usually too drunk or high to buy food. So, I used it to get us groceries. I got really good at taking care of myself.” She broke off. “But that’s not what you wanted to know. They send a Watcher to tell you. He gave me this big speech about how I was the Chosen One and how I was destined to kick the crap out of demons.” “For the record, I know what it’s like to only be able to depend on number one, you.” She smiled at him. “So what did you think about his speech?” “I thought he was a looney tune. But he wouldn’t leave me alone. The only way I could get him off my back was to agree to go to a graveyard with him.” She sat back in her seat. “I just figured he was some kind of perv, you know. I was prepared to mace him and help myself to his wallet when he handed me a stake. That’s when two vampires rose from the grave. Right under my feet. But I got ‘em both. It wasn’t a clean staking by any means though. It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done at that time.” “How did it feel though? Knowing what your purpose was? Having all that strength?” She ducked her head. “I can’t lie, it was cool, Gunn. I went around that very night on patrol and killed a few more demons. I felt like I was invincible. Unstoppable. Before that, I was afraid of my life. That night, I became someone else.” “Sounds like fun.” “It was. For a while. I imagine being a vampire hunter is the same.” “You’re right about that.” He smiled at her. “Thanks for telling me that. It’s good to know that my mom may have died young, but maybe she enjoyed being a warrior for awhile.” “I’m sure she did. You know, Gunn, we’re a lot alike.” She held out her fist to him and they bumped them against each other. “So we are.” He held out his hand to help her to her feet. “Now, let’s go find out some more about how we’re kickin’ this hellgoddess’ ass.” They walked up the stairs together, arm and arm. ********* Ethan sat down next to Willow and picked up the globe. “Why won’t it glow?” “Looks like you don’t have what it takes.” Giles said, stifling a grin. “No, there’s just something wrong.” Willow said, she was out of breath. “Something that we can’t correct. I know we’re doing the spell right. It has to be something else.” Giles drew closer to her. “Like what?” “What if Dawn’s spirit didn’t reach limbo? We couldn’t take her soul if it didn’t.” “Or if she didn’t die.” All three of them swung around to see Angel, Dawn, and Buffy stride in. Buffy looked at Giles. “Apparently she smells like a vampire but isn’t one. She’s not human either.” “Oh, my, well that’s certainly. . .are you alright?” He asked Dawn. “Fine. A little wigged but fine.” “Good.” He stood up. “That certainly explains why the spell didn’t work. I need to consult my books.” ************ Cordelia was on the phone. Big surprise, Spike thought as he walked in the room. Not that he knew her well, but he thought he knew her type. Beautiful, shallow, and vain. He had eaten plenty of them in his day. They were quite tasty. He had opted out of a round of asking the watcher ‘what the hell happened’. They usually received no satisfying answers. He played that game too often for his taste. To be honest, he really didn’t care. Nibblet was immortal and she wasn’t ‘pure.’ So, his concerns about her had been answered. He saw Cordelia take a deep breath. “I love you, Dennis. If I don’t make it back. . .well, I’m not even going to let myself think that way. Negative vibes are bad luck. I’ll see you later. Goodbye, Dennis.” He saw her wipe a tear away with the back of her hand and put the phone down. “Is that your boyfriend?” Spike asked, coming up behind her. He had to give her credit. She worked for the big, strapping poof and was smart enough not to fall in love with him. Maybe she had some taste after all. “No, he’s my ghost.” “Oh, so you called to say. . .did you just say ghost?” “Yeah. He was living in the apartment when I got him. His mother’s spirit was there too. She was the mean crotchety type. Not like him at all. Did you know she killed Dennis? But I kicked her wrinkly old Bingo-playing ass out of my place. It’s just me and Dennis now.” Spike nodded. “You don’t say, ducks.” He always thought it best to humor the insane. He had plenty of experience in that area. “And what do you and your ghost do? I imagine hide and seek would be easy for him.” “We don’t play games.” She looked at him oddly. “He helps me around the house. You know, starts dinner, tidies up, and he does this thing with my loofah. . .let me tell you, it’s amaz–“ She blushed. “Never mind.” “Don’t stop now, pet.” Spike grinned. “ Tell me more about this loofah ghost.” “Shouldn’t you be upstairs hovering outside of Angel’s door?” “I wasn’t hovering. I’m a vampire! I don’t hover, I stalk.” “Whatever.” She looked at him carefully. “You just took a shower, didn’t you?” “Uh, yeah.” He fiddled with the collar of his duster. “What of it?’ “I’m just glad you decided to follow up on that.” She grimaced at his signature clothing. “Though you probably should have washed those before you put them back on.” “Hey! I don’t sweat! Or get that dirty, I can wear a shirt many times before I–“ ”Ahhhhhhh!” Cordy fell to the floor, screaming in pain. Her hands clutched her head and tears streamed down her face. “You’re a strange chit.” When she didn’t get up or stop screaming he grew concerned. “Cordelia?” Spike said, kneeling down beside her. “What’s wrong, ducks?” She instinctively moved towards him, seeking someone’s embrace. Spike hauled her into her arms as she rode out the rest of the vision pain. She clutched at his arm. “Oh, God. Oh, God.” “What happened?” Spike asked. “Vision.” She said simply, still lost in the terrible dream images. “I’ve had them for a while now.” Spike reverently stroked her dark hair away from her wan face. “Tell me what you saw, luv.” Cordelia nodded, struggling to stand up. Spike helped her scramble to her feet. “I’ll tell you everything but we need the others first. Everyone should hear this.”