(Untitled)

[watcher_pryce]

Who: Fred, Wesley and Spike
Where: Meanwhile back at W&H they try to make Spike a real vampire.
When: Same time the others arrive in LA.
Status: Complete

Comments

Combing Wes and Spike cause I'm lazy

[watcher_pryce]

A sigh got out as Fred asked if he was any luckier. He's have laughed because 'lucky' wasn't really a word which featured heavily in his dictionary. If at all. Though he was slightly amused that Fred was lecturing him, who grew up with it, about magic. "I'm afraid I'm not faring much better," he muttered.

"Well just great then innit?" A voice suddenly spoke from behind the Watcher. Into the Watcher's ear to be exact, making the man jump slightly.

"Spike!" Wesley growled, glaring at the suddenly appearing vampire. "Will you *stop* doing that?"

Spike shrugged as he stepped away and started to run his fingers *through* some of the books on the table. "What for?" he asked, "You anal Watcher types take away all the fun," he winked at Fred and put his usual charming smile on his face, "Not all Brits are like that, you know," he added toward her, "some know how to have fun."

Scoffing, Wesley made certain to carefully and not angrily turn the page of his tomb. "I have humour. I know how to have fun," he groused.

"Oh yeah!" Spike exclaimed, snipping his ghostly fingers as much as he could. "Saw your kinda fun. Locking yerself up in the office with a bottle of JD or spendin' the night makin' love to your precious books. S' loads of fun. I wanna be you when I grow up," Spike nodded eagerly.

"Not to crush your hopes, but you're one of those unlucky people who never grow up and shall remain childish I fear. Fear for us that is," Wesley remarked dryly.

"He's so much fun," Spike said to Fred, leaning over her shoulder to glance at what she was looking at. "So 'nough chit chat, how's this shit really comin' along? Cause I wanna be a real boy again."

Pushing his nose deeper into his book Wesley remarked, "and the rest of the world anxiously awaits this as well," muttering under his breath.

"Heard that," Spike growled, "still got me good ears."

Wesley shrugged, turning another page, "probably the only good thing about you?" he suggested and Spike smirked amused at his fellow Brit as he leaned in even closer to Fred.

[bunnyfeigenbaum]

The exchange between Spike and Wesley was watched with a half smile of amusement on Fred's face. It wasn't exactly that she found Spike's insults funny, but the way that the two interacted to be telling of their character. However, after the first insult lobbed Wesley's way, the scientist pulled a more serious face and tried to look sternly at Spike.

"Now Spike, we're trying to figure out a way to make you human again. Ridiculing isn't going to get anyone anywhere. In fact, he may stop helping and you'll be stuck as a ghost forever. You don't want that, now, do you?" Looking over her glasses at him in what she hoped was her best scary librarian look, she flipped another page of the book that she was attempting to find a cure in. "What Wesley does in his free time is entirely up to him."

As Wesley leaned in, she shifted the book closer so that he would be able to see it as well. Then, she glanced up at Spike again with an expression that wasn't exactly heartening. "We're trying Spike. But, this is exceedingly complicated. We'll find something, I know it. You just have to give us some time."

[xspikex]

That Spike was surprised at Fred's sudden defending, totally not needed by the way, of the Watcher he didn't show it. The only thing she would have seen had she looked, was a raised eyebrow. The vampire almost made a remark toward Wes about how he needed the little woman to defend himself but thought better of it.

Wesley on the other hand had a heavy frown on his forehead at Fred's words. Though this was the way he and Spike had communicated since Spike had showed up, the words meant very little in the way of insults really. Despite how it may seem. They were British, this was how they coped with frustration and anger and most of all helplessness.

With Spike's words he felt very little. With Fred's he felt-- weak, humiliated, as though he wasn't capable of defending or coming up for himself. Which he thought he had but clearly was the only one thinking as such.

"That's quite alright, Fred," Wesley said stiffly as he got up and walked away from the table. "I'll just go get few others books, be right back," he mumbled and vanished into the rows upon rows of books the firm's library held.

"Ouch," was all Spike said, then shrugged. He wasn't no bleedin' therapist and besides he didn't think the former Watcher would appreciate Spike trying to play one.

"So now that wee watcher aint here to defend. What's it we're lookin' for? I can help," which he would only admit in front of Fred, not Wes. He wiggled his fingers to show them. "If I concentrate real good I can turn a page even."

[bunnyfeigenbaum]

That's not at all what Fred had intended when she attempted to defend Wesley. It was so they could be more productive. Plus, she didn't like Spike talking like that about her friend. "Wesley..." Though she started to attempt a sort of apology, he was gone before she could even manage to think of the proper sort. Frowning, the physicist returned to her book with a soft sigh.

"I didn't mean to insult him. Sometimes things just come out of my mouth and I don't ever really mean 'em." Not that Spike really cares about her feeling bad for hurting Wesley. And she should know that. "Not that I don't mean to defend Wesley. Not that he needs defendin'...oh, see what I mean? When'll I learn to just keep my big ole mouth shut?"

With a another flip of her page, she glances back up at the ghostly vampire. "No, you're right. We should focus on the task at hand." Nodding, she smooths down the book in front of her, as if that will coach the spells within to be the ones she needs. Without hesitation, Fred pushes a book over toward Spike, believing that he can be just as helpful as anyone else on the team. "We're looking for something that will turn you human again. Look for anything about ghosts or making ghosts corporeal."

[watcher_pryce]

If Wesley heard her call he didn't show it. Not directly, Spike noticed the shoulders going stiff for a moment before the other Brit walked on. He'd be back soon enough, Spike knew, couldn't leave Fred doing the job on her own for long now could he? Overly polite git.

Spike looked over at Fred when the girl started to talk again and shrugged. Like he gave a flyin' fuck. Or at least he tried not to give a flyin' fuck. He was the big bad, famous vampire who head earned himself several bloody nicknames. Only to end up with a soul which-- made him care on some level. Bugger all.

"Think it's charmin'" Spike said, not seeing anything wrong with what the girl was blathering on about. Besides, he was to busy trying to thumb through the book Fred had pushed toward him. Look for something that mentions ghosts or the other stuff, he could do that.

By the time Spike had managed to turn three whole pages - fucking hooray - Wesley returned. The watcher raised an eyebrow at the concentrating ghostly vampire and found himself almost amused. But they had a job to do and that had priority. So he kept his eyes on the new heavy books he had found or the floor as he made his way over to the table.

"Found some other books," he murmured, waving a hand at said books which he had planted on the table, "we might have more luck there. Though it seems to be a dead end every way we look. If only we could figure out how he got into that medallion." Perhaps they needed to find out more about that bloody thing as well but thus far Wesley hadn't even found a reference to it.

[bunnyfeigenbaum]

Keeping her eyes on her own book, Fred flipped considerably more than Spike's three pages. A fast reader, she already knew what the basics of what she was looking for involved, so if she didn't see those key words there, she moved on. There was so many books to go through and so much information that she had to pick and choose. Glancing up over her glasses at Spike when he attempted to be comforting - at least that's what she thought he was trying to be - she gave him a warm smile. "Thanks Spike."

At the return of the Watcher, the brunette glanced up and attempted a sheepish smile in his direction before she closed the book she was looking through. "Thank you, Wesley." Not wanting to dwell on the recent past, she decides to just keep it on a professional level. Spike's corporealization is important to the team - and to her to help him as well.

"Nothing in here," she sighed and reached for one of the ones that he brought back with him. Letting it fall open to a random page, she starts pushing the pages backward until she's at the beginning. "Mathematically, we're looking through hundreds of books with hundreds of spells. And we're looking for a single - or perhaps two or three that we can stitch together into one - spell in all of it. That's, well, a very small number odds-wise." Frowning, she ran her finger down a page. "Not that I'm giving up. I definitely think we can find it. Wesley's right; the medallion should---"

After a moment, she stopped and read more deeply. It's like she wasn't even aware that she stopped talking mid-sentence.

[xspikex]

Glancing from Wesley to Fred, Spike rolled his eyes. "Aint you lot a cheerful bunch," he grumbled under his none-breath. Double none breath now that he was a ghost. Dead vampire ghost who had already been dead. Either way he was dead.

"You can't be more positive?" Spike asked, elbowing Wesley since the watcher was within reach. Or not reach since. Spike's elbow - as it was prone to do since it wasn't the first time he tried this - went right through Wesley's arm.

The ex-watcher looked up confused and then shivered when an ice-cold flash went through his body, making him shudder. That alone told him what had happened and he threw Spike an exasperated look. "I really wish you wouldn't do that," he grumbled, reaching for another book.

Spike shrugged, not at all inclined to stop cause he already had such little fun left. It made Wesley wonder if the former vampire did that with others as well. Gunn, Lorne... Angel no doubt. The bleached blond seemed to thrive on annoying his sire.

Fred, all this time, was still quietly staring at the books and the two man had stopped to look at her. This was nothing new, the pausing. Wesley himself was prone to it when he, as Cordelia had called it, made love to his precious books.

Having been around these two long enough, not to mention Giles and Willow who had the same nasty habit, Spike waited for a bit as well. Quietly, since he'd learned long ago that anything one might say wouldn't get noticed anyway.

"Yes, Fred?" Wesley prodded gently, obviously not having any problem with the keeping quiet rule.

Spike didn't give the poor bloke much of a chance of Fred having heard his question.

[bunnyfeigenbaum]

This time, the banter between Wesley and Spike didn't phase Fred. She was already too involved in what she was reading for any of it to even register. Without even thinking, she yanked a pen out of where ever it was she kept the pens and started to scribble some sort of equations and combination of words that no doubt made little sense to anyone but her. Luckily, so the Watcher would not have a heart attack, it was on the table that she was writing on. The muse had struck and she couldn't be bothered to look for paper. Plus, she cared about books too much to write on them. Especially such rare books as these.

The scientist didn't even realize how long she had been absorbed in her own little world of math and magic until it slowly dawned on her that there were no bickering British accents bouncing about the room any more. She had no idea how long they had been watching her and most likely forgotten that she was in the middle of a sentence when she fell into that trance. Blinking in surprise at both Spike and Wesley, she eloquently replied, "What?"

Then, with more enthusiasm, she swung the book around so that both Wesley and Spike could look at it. "I think...! Well, I think I may have something!" Then, glancing down at the table, she added, "Oh dear, I...well, I can reimburse you for that." Not that the table was actually Wesley's and she doubted she would ever actually pay Wolfram & Hart back for it. "But, I think, if we combined this spell with another from...there's another book over by you, Spike, that one, we may just be able to do this!"

[watcher_pryce]

"So can she stay outta it just as long as you can?" Spike asked while both man waited for Fred to come back to the real world.

Wesley merely raised an eyebrow and for once, wisely, kept his mouth shut. A pen was twirled between his fingers. At first without noticing, then to annoy Spike who glared at him due to the fact it was yet another thing the former vampire couldn't do.

"Thought you lot said she weren't the crazy wallwriter no more," Spike pointed out when Fred started to write on the table. Not that he gave a toss about the table. But Wesley's surprised annoyed reaction was worth it.

"Shut up Spike," he growled before returning to alternating looking at his own book and watching Fred.

Spike smirked, the man was so easy sometimes. Though Angel was way easier. So much that he weren't no fun half the time.

When Fred finally returned, though it was much quicker then either man had anticipated, Wesley and Spike both waited to see what had happened. In fact Spike had not even noticed the table writing and as long as it wasn't on the books Wesley didn't much care.

Or frantic scribbling on the wall. he'd worry rather a lot if Fred started doing that as well.

"What have you go then?" Wesley murmured as he got up. Glasses were pushed up, tomb picked up and shoved toward where Fred was sitting. Once there a finger flew over the pages while words were mumbled underneath a breath.

"Indeed. Yes, yes,... hmmm... Ah, yes," Wesley mumbled and Spike was about ready to shake the man and demand answers. Would have if he could touch to shake. "This might just work, indeed," Wesley concluded, "well done, Fred." Wesley smiled down at the woman looking rather proud.

"Okay then kiddies!" Spike clapped his hands together and paused for a brief moment to mourn the fact that he could clap his bloody hands together but he wasn't able to wank. Bugger it all. But that might change soon!

"Lets go ingredient shopping for magic stuff eh? Cause we're gonna need that right? Yeah? Chop, chop, lets get goin'! Times awastin' and a devilishly handsome vampire wants to be a real boy again." He smirked, rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet and nodded his head to where he knew Wesley kept the magical supply. "Come on Watcher boy, time to do some mojoy!"

[bunnyfeigenbaum]

With a sheepish smile, Fred let Wesley take the book from her so that he could mull over it himself. He was more adept at magic than she was. Rubbing a little bit at the pen on the table to see how easy it would be to come off, she blushed. "I'm not crazy. Well, I'm not crazy again. I just didn't have paper handy." And when she has a strike of inspiration like that, she didn't have time to go get some. The praise from Wesley was met with a pleased, if embarrassed grin.

"Oh, it wasn't anything. If you'd have picked the book up first, you'd have gotten it."

How excited Spike was made her happy, as well. Soon he'd be able to be human again. Pushing herself up from her chair, she started over toward the cabinet the vampire was gesturing toward. "We should have everything here, shouldn't we?" They were, after all in Wolfram and Hart.

((OOC: sorry it's so short and late. I've been sick and basically useless to the world.))

[xspikex]

"Oh it really wasn't nothing, Fred," Wesley paused to look at the woman. A small and lately rare smile playing on his lips. "You knew what to look for, that takes skill," he pointed out, the smile softening.

To where Spike rolled his eyes and made small gagging noises. He really wished those two would get a room, or at least a bloody clue! After, of course, Watcher boy had done his magic mojo and made him back to normal.

"Yeah, okay," Spike snorted, "enough with the googly eyes, work to do, come on Watcher Junior," the former vampire urged, waving his hands toward where the magical things were. He was glad to see Fred was already getting up.

Wesley shook himself when Fred moved and then took a deep breath. A scowl was send Spike's way but it held no real heat. Then he made his way over to the large cabinet after he copied the spell onto paper.

"Would be a surprise if they hadn't," Spike shrugged at Fred's words while they both watched as Wesley was already gathering things. The man was mumbling under his breath, something Spike had noticed Giles had often done as well. Must be a watcher thing he decided.

Patiently the ghost waited, and waited, until his patience ran a bit thin. Arms were crossed in front of him, a glance was send Fred's way but it seemed neither wanted to break the Watcher's concentration.

"So you ever done a magic spell before?" Spike asked Fred while Wesley checked his notes, sorted that he had put on the table and started to rummage through the cabinet again. "Or is this gonna be all on him?" he asked, tilting his chin to point at Wesley.

Maybe they should ask Red. What did Wesley know about magic? Other then Watcherly magic stuff. Spike had no idea. Then again, Giles had been pretty dangerous when it came to magic as well. Wait 'n see, wait 'n see.

[bunnyfeigenbaum]

The compliment from Wesley was well received from Fred. She gave the Watcher a warm smile and a sincere, "Thank you, Wesley," in response to it. Not even the snort from Spike could dampen her mood. She moved to pat Spike on the shoulder until she realized that her hand would only go through him in such an attempt. Awkwardly, she just mimed it a good few inches above the intended space. "Aw, Spike, you're just impatient. Not that I can't blame you! We're almost there!"

In good spirits, she watched Wesley pull and organize all that they needed in order to turn Spike corporeal again. It was a complicated spell, however, the physicist was completely confident that he was capable of finishing it without a hitch. She'd seen him do complex magic before, he'd even taught her something as complex as opening a portal to another world.

The thought brought the first tug downward of Fred's lips. Thinking about that event was nothing she liked to dwell on, even if she couldn't help it. It seemed that it was never very far from her thoughts no matter what she tried.

"I have," she nodded solemnly, not wanting to bring up that part of her past with Spike. Even if she knew he had done worse things in his own in the past, she liked the way he thought of her now. She didn't want to lose that or taint it in anyway. Instead, she pulled a happier smile on and grinned. "I'm certainly not as good at this as Wesley, but I can help. I've done a few spells - with help, of course."

[watcher_pryce]

"Almost there aint there yet," Spike pointed out. Him? Impatient? Geeze, whatever had given her that idea?! Spike hated the whole gosthy thing with a passion. And trust you me, Spike could get really quite passionate. About the whole ghost thing. He wanted to be a real boy again. Yesterday.

With a sigh he *really* didn't need now he kept watching the watcher. Which he woulda thought funny if he hadn't been so impatient. Ingredients were fetched, put in neat annaly organised row, some were put back, then there was mixing liquids and staring with a frown at other things. Frownly staring was never good, but Spike had noticed Wesley doing that a *lot*.

"Fred?" Wesley looked up from what he was doing, which was tossing some herbs in mortar while he held out the pestle to Fred with a hopeful look. "Could you possibly help me? These herbs need to be ground and then mixed with this," he asked, putting a oily substance he himself had just mixed on the table.

The watcher looked over at Spike, who was impatiently hopping about on his none corporeal balls of his feet. At least, Wesley thought, he wasn't whining. Spike seemed the type to constantly ask 'are we there yet' or some such.

"I'm going to prepare the magical circle," Wesley explained, holding up a bit of charcoal. No chalk for this one. And then he was going to have to put the ground eyes of newt and batwings mixture on the drawings. Sometimes he wondered if all this hocusspocus by product was really needed and if chanting the spell wasn't enough, but he didn't want to take a chance.

"We'll be ready soon, Spike," Wesley assured the vampire as he started to draw the circle.

[bunnyfeigenbaum]

Maybe Wesley took lessons in brooding from Angel. He seemed to have that thoughtful frown worked out without even trying - something Fred noticed the vampire had perfected when she went through the awkward phase of noticing and adoring everything that Angel did. While Wesley prepared ingredients, Fred went about neatening up their previous workspace. Books were still scattered everywhere from the search and she knew how Wesley liked to keep his things in order. Obsessively, as Spike so observed. It gave her something to do.

"Now now, Spike, rush us and we'll accidentally turn you into a frog. A ghost frog. A vampire, ghost frog! Actually, that'd be kinda interesting to study and all, since frogs wouldn't really have the teeth to suck blood." Her observation was made all the more poignant with Spike all but hopping in anticipation.

As she spoke, she finished stacking the last of the books into neat, low piles. That done, she wandered over to where Wesley was still working just in time to take the pestle from him. In fact, she was just about to reach for it when he handed it to her. "Of course."

As Wesley started drawing, Fred crushed and and powdered. She made sure that all the herbs needed her ground up into a fine and even (as much as she could make it) mixture and then poured it into the oily mixture, almost as if she were making cupcakes. All she needed was a frilly apron and flour on her cheeks to complete the effect. When she was finished, she gathered the eyes of newt in one hand and batwings mixture in the other, prepared to hand them over to the Watcher when he needed them.

"Let me know when you need these!"