Bonds

Series: The Unexpected

Author: ~*Mystra*~

Summary: Fred seeks solace with a new friend, as the new life she's made since Pylea appears to crumble around her.  The unexpected happens and leads to some rebuilding which takes her places she'd never considered.

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~Part: 1~

When Gunn showed up in the office the following day, it took all Angel had not to bite his head off.  Literally.  As it was he was snappish and growly all day long.

Gunn wasn't unaware of the vampire's feelings.  Cordelia had warned him the night before.  She told him of the conversation they'd had, and what Angel had said about giving him two days in which to tell Fred.  Still, even if she hadn't, he would've had a clue, what with Angel's death glares and the almost non-stop, almost inaudible growl which seemed to vibrate from his throat whenever Gunn came into view.

Cordelia was running interference, constantly walking between Gunn and Angel whenever they got too close or intervening whenever they actually said a word to one another.

Fred was clueless; not to the tension that existed, but to the reasons why. And she was hurt.  Both by Gunn's suddenly cooled behavior towards her and the strangeness going on around her in the office.  Why did she feel like everyone was keeping something important from her?  She hated secrets. Secrets destroyed.  Look what happened when Wesley kept a secret.

She was labeling folders and organizing the laughable filing system originally maintained by Cordelia when she heard Gunn's voice.

"Fred, could I talk to you?"

The brunette girl looked up in confusion.  Since when did Gunn ask if it was okay to talk to her?  And why did her stomach twist painfully at the tone of his voice?  She blinked at him.  Uncertain if the sudden tearing of her eyes was caused by her fear, or maybe the new contact lenses she'd gotten.

Sweeping long, wavy mahogany tresses from her face, Fred nodded.

Gunn's voice lowered slightly.  "In private?"

"Oh! Oh, okay", she stammered uncertainly, her dark eyes sweeping from Angel's tense features to Cordelia's startled face.  The Seer quickly looked away, seeming to find something on her computer very interesting.

Standing up, Fred led Gunn into the inner office.  She walked toward the desk and didn't turn around.  She could hear the door close behind her and remembered when that desk had belonged to Wesley.  Her hand reached out to caress the dark wood.

"You're going to dump me aren't you?", Fred's voice suddenly spouted.

There was only silence.

She turned to face him.

Gunn's head was bowed.

"Look at me", she whispered demandingly, her voice thready.  "Is this why you disappeared for days?  I-- I didn't want to ask before but...."

"Fred I'm sorry."

Charles Gunn lifted his gaze, and met Fred's squarely.

She saw everything there, the apology, the certainty, the guilt.

"When I was sick, I had a dream.  It was a bad dream", Fred began.

Gunn's brow furrowed in confusion.

"In the dream, you met somebody else and you left me."

The demon hunter shifted unconsciously on his feet.

"Wasn't I good enough?", she asked, her voice tiny and stilted.

He started forward automatically.  "Oh God Fred, no, that's not what this is about."  Gunn was shocked when she shied away from him.

Her hands went up.  "Don't touch me", she hissed.

"But--"

"-- Shut up!", she shouted, pressing her hands to her ears.  "Shut up!  Shut up!"

The office door suddenly burst open.

"Fred!"

Gunn backed away from her fragile, rigid frame as Angel swept into the room, and took her hand.

"Fred", Angel called to her again, his grip on her slender hand tightening.

For a minute, the brunette didn't seem to react.  It was as if she didn't even realize that either man was in the room.  Then she seemed to snap out of it.

"Angel", Fred said slowly.  "Its fine.  I'm fine."  She laughed self-deprecatingly, running her fingers through her long hair.  "I mean, I should have known, you know.  I should have been a better girlfriend, I wasn't enough.  I should have--"

"Fred."

"--made more of an effort.  I could have--"

"Fred", Angel said again.

"--been more passionate and acted like those girls in the movies do when their bodies go liquid and they melt like chocolate left too long in the sun."

"Fred!", Angel growled, taking her by the shoulders and shaking her.

Velvety brown eyes swam with tears.  "Angel?", she whispered, blinking.

She looked around the office.  She and Angel were alone.  Gunn had fled.

"Why?"

The vampire looked at her sadly.  "I don't know."

"I'm alone again.  Its so scary.  I was so alone for so long."

"I know Fred, I know.  But you're not alone now."

She didn't appear to hear him, repeating herself.  "Alone, alone, alone, alone..."

"Come on Fred", Angel said slowly, patiently, putting his arm around her and gently steering her out of the empty room and into the lounge.

Fred just nodded, seeming lost and awkward.

She gazed at the lobby of the Hyperion as if she'd never seen it before, and started to find Gunn standing behind Cordelia's chair.  His hand was on the chair's back, and the Seer's eyes were studiously trained on the desktop.

And suddenly Fred knew.

"Oh", she murmured.

Shrugging the safety of Angel's arm off, she ran up the stairs and into the bowels of the hotel.

An angry vampire's eyes followed her flight.

Those golden eyes abruptly turned to face the only two people left in the room.  "Get out", he growled.  "Both of you.  Just get out."

~Part: 2~

Buffy took a bite of her turkey sandwich and chewed carefully, her eyes trained on Willow's face.  Her friend seemed thoughtful, and was being rather quiet.  She had in fact been kind of quiet ever since her return from L.A. the night before.  Still it was kind of nice to have Willow sit and eat lunch with her during her free period from being the high school's latest hire.

"So what's the what Wills? You seem kind of up in the clouds?", the Slayer asked.

"Hmmm...", the redhead murmured distractedly, before shaking herself out of it.

Willow gave Buffy a lopsided grin.  "Just thinking I guess."

"Thinking good?", Buffy asked.  "Or thinking bad?"

"Good.  Definitely good--", Willow began quickly, before thinking of Cordelia and twisting her lips derisively.  "--Mostly..."

"Ahhh...", Buffy said, as if she suddenly understood.  "It was weird wasn't it?  I mean hanging out with Angel, who you barely knew, and then Wesley, not to mention the Cordelia factor."

"Yes and no", Willow admitted.  "Angel was great.  I mean we may never have been friends while he was here, but I feel like I can honestly say he is now.  Wes was a no show and Cordy was-- well Cordy was Cordy."

Buffy nodded, her eyes dropping to her half-eaten sandwich, as she slowly chewed and swallowed another tiny bite.  It occurred to her that she couldn't say the same about Angel.  She didn't think they'd ever really been friends.  They'd dated, they'd been comrades in arms, they'd been enemies and they'd even been lovers, but they had never really been friends.  She sighed.

Willow looked at her guiltily, her eyes wide and horrified.  "Oh Buffy, I'm so--"

Buffy held up her hand to halt the harried flow of words.  "Its fine Wills. Angel and I were never friends like that.  I see that now.  But its totally fine.  All of that was a long time ago.  I had to move on and so did he."

Willow absently munched on a potato chip.  Her thoughts turning inward once again.

The Slayer took another bite of her sandwich.

"Did I tell you about Fred?"

Buffy shook her head.  "Nope, all I know is that she's a friend of Angel's and in fact a she, and not a he, as the name implies."

A chuckle escaped the redhead's mouth.  "Yep, definitely a girl."

"Ooohhh really?", Buffy drawled, wiggling her eyebrows.

A blush crept up Willow's neck.  "I don't mean like that!"

"How did you mean?", the Slayer teased.

Willow scowled at her best friend and stuffed another potato chip in her mouth, chewing resolutely.

Recognizing her pal's resolve face instantly, Buffy relented.  She wasn't going to get anything more from her.  She sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~L.A.~

Days later, a bedraggled souled vampire dragged himself into the hotel.  He was dirty, hungry, and he was pretty sure that the last demon he'd beheaded had managed to break a few of his ribs with that last lucky kick.

It would have been easier to dust that nest if Gunn had been with him, but Angel couldn't bring himself to call Gunn or Cordelia back in, not when Fred refused to come out of her room and he still found himself rather angry at the couple for hurting Fred so grievously.

Frankly, he was also a bit unsure of himself.  How was it that he was dealing with this as calmly as he was?  Didn't he, less than two weeks ago, think he was in love with his Seer?

Shaking his head, Angel headed for the fridge, and downed two bags of blood.   The substance was particularly foul when cold, but he was used to it, and he needed it.

Now what he needed was to talk to Fred.

He looked at the bag of Taco Bell he'd brought with him.  Hopefully, he could tempt her out with food.  If tacos didn't work, nothing would.  L.A. was amazing.  He'd walked into the fast food restaurant, dirty, bloody, and smelling disgusting, and no one had even blinked.  Bizarre.

Making up his mind, he slowly, painfully, he made his way up the stairs.

"Fred", he called experimentally.

No answer.  Exhaling, he began down the hallway and stopped in front of a door.  He knocked.

"Fred?.......  Could we talk Fred, its Angel?"

There was the sound of movement inside.  Scurrying.

"Fred?"

Angel's shoulders slumped.  His body hurt.

"I've got tacos!", he shouted.  A last resort.

He didn't hear anything.  Discouraged he leaned his forehead against the cool wood, and suddenly found himself almost losing his balance when the door was opened without warning.

Fred stood there timidly.  Her feet shifting from side to side and her eyes trained to the small, grease-stained bag clenched in Angel's hand.  Darting forward, she plucked it from his grip and practically ripped it open to get at food.

Angel found her actions amusing, if a little disturbing.  But not as disturbing as the fact that the walls were covered in words and numbers.  He did a 360 degree turn, taking it all in.

The brunette shoveled the two soft tacos into her mouth at an alarming speed.  He was almost afraid she would choke.

Her hands were dirty, stained with ink and permanent marker, and she looked to be wearing the exact same clothes she had the morning Gunn had broken up with her.

Moving slowly, the vampire sat across from her on the floor.  She scooted away slightly, a frown on her face as she pulled the last taco out of the bag quickly.  As if she were afraid he was going to want to eat it.

When she finished, she spoke.  "I guess I was hungry."

"Yeah."

"I'm still hungry."

"I could take you to get more tacos", Angel offered.

She shook her head.  "I don't want to go outside.  It hurts out there."

"I'd be with you.  Nothing could hurt you then."

The physicist looked at him appraisingly, her eyes softening.  "You're tough Angel, but you hurt too."

"Well, I guess but mostly for you, I knew the kyerumption thing was over", he mumbled.

Fred rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant.  You're hurt", she repeated glancing at his chest.

Surprised, the vampire nodded.  Angel wasn't sure how she knew that.

"You can't take care of yourself", she murmured under her breath, and getting to her wobbly feet.

She looked at him seriously.  "Don't move", she said.

She darted to the bathroom, and came out with the same little first aid kit that Willow had only days before.

"Shirt", she ordered.

Obediently, Angel shrugged out of his shirt, hissing at the movement.  Fred shook her head, tsk-ing under her breath.

The bruise looked huge, and rested under his elbow.  Telling him to hold the end of the big ace bandage against an unbruised part of his chest, Fred made short work out of binding his ribs tightly.

"There, all done", she sighed, proud of herself.  "Just no sudden moves now.   You'll be good as new tomorrow."

"Thanks.  Uh, Fred?"

"I don't really want to talk or think about it Angel", Fred looked around the room alertly, the fog seemed to have lifted.  "When I do, I do this", she said, gesturing to the walls with a sweep of one small hand.

"Did it help?", Angel asked.

Fred closed her eyes, her lower lip quivering.  "No, it didn't."

Angel placed a gently finger beneath her chin, and tilted her face.  "So maybe talking to me will."

Fred's eyes opened.  Dark eyes met.

"Please Fred, I'm your friend, I'd like to try to help you."

A small smile graced her pretty face at his sincerity.  Touched, Fred threw her arms around his neck and gave him a quick, hard hug.

"Thanks Angel."

Angel thought back to the impromptu hug he'd received from Willow and the hug he'd now gotten from Fred.  He decided he'd have to incorporate them into his own repertoire.  He liked them.

~Part: 3~

The next day, Fred had been doing some thinking.  It had been a bit circumventive and hard to follow when she'd told Angel about her train of thought, but it hadn't changed her final conclusion.  She wanted to leave L.A.  Not forever, she'd miss Angel and being helpful too much for something so drastic.

She just knew that too soon Charles and Cordelia would be back, and she couldn't be here when that happened.  She couldn't act as if it was okay, as if she didn't care.  She needed time and distance.

First she thought she could visit her parents, but she quickly discarded that notion.  She couldn't just go back to Texas, not after everything she'd seen and done.  Fred was fairly certain she'd be bored out of her mind in hours.  And that was something she didn't want to happen.  She was pretty sure her mom wouldn't appreciate writing all over her walls.

Her only other option, was her new friend Willow.  With everything that had happened, Fred had almost forgotten the tiny scrap of paper the redhead had slipped to her before she'd headed back to her hometown.  She'd felt mighty sheepish when she'd found it in the front pocket of her pants, just about the same time she realized just how long she'd been wearing the pants in question.

Fred's discovery had resulted in a phone call to said witch, who'd been kind and understanding, and unfailingly supportive, offering her a place to stay for a few weeks with her friend Buffy's blessing.  It was a novel idea to Fred, staying in a home full of women.  Willow, her friend Buffy and Buffy's little sister Dawn all lived together.  Maybe it would be empowering.  At the very least she hoped it was noisy and busy and she wouldn't get any time to wallow.

Even Angel had said that it was a great idea.  He understood her need to leave for a while.  Especially if it was only a little while.

He still looked a little sad though.

Fred had been a little shocked to realize that the handsome vampire was going to miss her while she was gone.  She'd never really felt that Angel took that much notice of her at all.  Evidently, he did, or at least, that had changed and he did *now*.  She wasn't really sure which.

He looked horrified by her suggestion about taking the bus. He'd insisted on driving her to Sunnydale.

That was the reason Fred now sat in the passenger seat of Angel's beautifully kept black convertible, wind ripping through her hair.  The further they moved from the lights and smog of L.A., the freer she felt. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes enjoying the sensation of the wind's caressing fingers against her cheeks.  It was wonderful, and she wasn't afraid.  How could she be with Angel by her side.

Angel watched her out of the corner of his eye, smiling unconsciously, at the first stirrings of unfettered joy from the intelligent brunette since the end of her relationship, and the subsequent discovery of what lay between Gunn and Cordelia.  He was glad.  He may never have the opportunity to be happy, but if there was one person who should, it was Fred.

"So what's Sunnydale like?", Fred asked above the roar of the car's purring engine, and the whipping wind.

For a second the unexpected question made Angel stiffen.  For him, thoughts of Sunnydale so often equaled thoughts of Buffy, pain and guilt.

Surprised and a bit cautious, Fred laid her hand on his arm, and his depressing thoughts proved fleeting.  After all, wasn't Sunnydale also Willow's home?

The souled vampire was abruptly smiling.  Looking at his friend, he gave a sly wink.  "Well that's an interesting question you asked Fred my dear. Besides being a small, seaside California town, Sunnydale is a Hellmouth--"

Fred listened to Angel's deep voice in growing fascination, dark brown eyes wide.  She had the feeling Sunnydale was going to be anything but boring.

~Part: 4~

Angel drove through the town at a leisurely, relaxed pace which was completely at odds with how he usually drove in Los Angeles.  He'd pointed out various places of interest to her; The Bronze, the new high school (after a brief explanation of what happened to the old one), the local coffee bar.  Fred rolled her eyes. There weren't very many places of interest she realized.  It was a very, small town.  It reminded her of the place she'd grown up.  Looking back on it now, the brunette wondered if there had been demons and vampires there too.  Thankfully she'd never seen any.

She shivered, as he drove them down a quiet, typically suburban looking street.

"You okay?", Angel asked.

"Just thinkin'", she mumbled.

"Gunn?"

Fred winced.  "Not so much actually, but thanks for bringing him up."

The vampire looked sheepish, as he pulled over to the side of the street, parking in front of a compact, two-story white house.  "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it", Fred said quietly, avoiding his gaze and disengaging her seat belt.  She felt suddenly shy with him, as if he was dropping her off at her parents after a date.  It was a strange sensation, one she hadn't experienced in terms of her relationship with Angel since the whole body-switch situation almost a year before.

Uncomfortable with her thoughts and the fact that they *had* to have been reawakened by his attentiveness to her and her broken heart, she pushed the feelings aside.  They'd go away by themselves soon enough, at least she hoped so.

Sighing, she got out of the car, and watched as Angel got her bag out of the trunk.

She swallowed and looked up at the bright lights, nervousness suddenly overtook her.

"Oh Angel, I don't think I can do this.  What was I thinkin'?", she whispered.

"You can do this", his voice resonated in her ear, reassuringly.

Fred blinked.  He was so close.

"They're good people Fred.  Kind people.  They will love you, just like everyone you've ever met does."

Avoiding the urge to look into his eyes, and find out what exactly he meant by that, the slender woman nodded resolutely.

"Okay.  Take me up there before I chicken out again."

Grinning slightly, the dark haired vampire led her up the walk to the Summers' home.

~Part: 5~

The door opened before Angel got further than raising his arm to knock.

"I saw the car", Willow explained, before pulling Fred in for a hug.

"How are you doing?"

Fred's tiny shoulders went up in a confused shrug.  "Okay I guess."

One side of Willow's mouth went up in an understanding half-smile. "I understand, believe me."

Letting Fred go, the redhead turned to give Angel a hug, but found herself engulfed in one first.  The vampire bent to do so comfortably, his face near the hacker's throat.

"Thank you", he told her.

Willow disengaged from the hug slightly, stepping back and looking up into his face.  She could feel her heart race from the contact, and nodded, not trusting her voice.  What in the world was wrong with her?

Buffy stood in the hallway behind Willow, and blinked at the implied intimacy of what she was witnessing.  It didn't bother her necessarily, just confused her.  Angel and Willow hadn't ever participated in any hugfests before.  They really were friends.

Fred spotted the petite blond woman before she could say anything.

"Hi."

The cheery optimism of that simple greeting, made the Slayer smile at the pretty brunette.

"You must be Fred.  I've heard a lot about you", Buffy told the other woman.

Fred ducked her head.  "Really?"

Buffy held up one hand, in an inaccurate rendition of the Boy Scouts hand signal.  "All good, Scout's honor."  Her eyes then turned to the only male.

"Angel."

Angel nodded.  "Buffy."

Willow looked from her best friend to the vampire and then to Fred. "Ummm...  So Angel, staying long?  We have coffee and uh, some blood in the fridge if you want some?"

It was almost with relief in his eyes that Angel turned his gaze back towards his newest friend.

"Thank you Willow, that would be great.  And no I'm not staying long, I just wanted to make sure Fred got settled and was okay before I left."

"We'll take good care of her Angel", the witch told him.

Fred rolled her eyes.  "Umm, I'm standing right here."  She crossed her arms.  "I don't need anyone taking care of me, I can take care of myself."

To everyone's surprise it was Buffy who answered.  "Its not about taking care of you Fred, its about giving you support.  We, world-saving, butt-kicking girlies need to stick together."  She gave Fred a conspirital grin, which mollified, the taller woman returned.

Angel groaned.  "Now, I feel left out."

Willow shrugged.  "Sorry Angel, can't really help you there.  Unless you want to be a girl."  Her eyes widened, and she turned her head to look at him.  "I have this spell that--"

Angel looked panicked.

"Wills--", Buffy said.

"--I wonder if you'd be a pretty girl?", Willow mused out loud, appearing to not have heard the Slayer.

"Willow--", Fred said.

"--I bet you would be a great looking girl."  Then the redhead's eyes got a faraway gleam.

"Willow!", Buffy and Fred shouted at the same time.

Snapping out of her reverie the witch frowned.  "No need to shout.  What?"

They pointed at the souled vampire backing slowly away from them.

"You're scaring Angel", Buffy said, swallowing her laughter.

A husky chuckle erupted from Willow's throat.  The sound was oddly sensual sounding to Angel's ears, and his body tightened.

"I was just kidding Angel."

Angel glared at her.

Buffy looked at Fred and shook her head, before gesturing with her head down the hall to the kitchen.  The two women started down it together.

Fred giggled.  "I think Angel would probably be an ugly girl."

Buffy nodded and then said in an overly loud stage whisper, "I think you're right Fred."

"I would not", Angel retorted, a trifle too hotly in his own defense from behind them, where he followed with Willow.

There was silence for two full seconds before full-fledged female laughter erupted.

Angel stood in the kitchen, looking at the women around him in confusion. "What?  What did I say?"

~Part: 6~

Fred found herself smiling a lot that night, much to her own shock and delight.  They'd all sat at the dining room table with their respective drinks and had a conversation.  A non-work related conversation.  They talked about people and movies.  They made jokes.  It was nice and it was relaxing.

Even Angel and Buffy seemed to be thawing out to one another.  It was kind of sad really.  The way Cordelia had put it, the blond Slayer and the souled vampire had once been like the most passionately, in love couple, and now....

Fred swallowed her juice past the lump in her throat with difficulty.  She hadn't meant to think about Cordelia.  Thoughts of Cordelia hurt, because they brought up thoughts of Gunn.  Gunn her boyfriend, now ex, who'd cheated on her with slutty Cordelia and then broken up with her.

Her eyes started to water.  She blinked desperately, not wanting to cry. She didn't want to ruin everyone's fun.  Especially since she'd come here to escape the pain of her recent break up, or more specifically the pain she felt from Gunn and Cordelia's betrayal.  She had trusted them, him especially.  The fact that Gunn had broken up with her didn't hurt half as much as the fact that he had dumped her as a result of betraying her with someone she had thought of as a friend.

"You okay Fred?", Angel asked, his hand reaching out and touching her own comfortingly.

Fred quickly wiped the few tears that had escaped from beneath her eyes. "I'm fine.  I guess I just got to thinkin', and the thinkin' just got depressing."

Angel nodded.  "Should I stay for a while?  I don't want to leave you like this."

She shook her head.  "No, don't stay.  What if something happens?  You need to go back to L.A."

Willow felt her heart twist in sympathy for Fred.  A broken heart sucked, she related very well, as did Buffy she was sure.

Buffy sighed lightly.  She wanted to help Fred, but didn't know how.  When her heart had been broken, time had been the biggest helper in making the pain bearable.  But how could you tell someone something so cliché?  Her hazel eyes made their way to Angel.  Especially when the one who'd broken your heart was sitting at the table with you.

Pushing away from the table, the Slayer stood.

"Well lets get Fred settled."

Angel nodded.  "I'll wait downstairs."

"Okay", Fred said, following Buffy and Willow back down the hall and then up a staircase.

"Originally we thought you could keep your stuff in my room and sleep on the couch in the living room 'cause its a pullout--", Willow said.

"--But its really, really uncomfortable", Buffy interjected.  "I mean, it would be okay for one night, but staying there any longer than that and I swear you're going to have back spasms."

"So your options are to share my bed, since its the biggest in the house", Willow explained, opening a door to a warm, neutral-toned room and pointing at what looked to be a king-sized bed, "or sleeping on the aforementioned incredibly uncomfortable couch."

Buffy crossed her fingers behind her back and held her breath.

Fred stared at the nicely made up bed, and then at Willow.  "I don't want to put you out or anything Willow, I mean, it was so nice of you and Buffy to even let me stay here.  I don't want to inconvenience you."

Willow met Fred's sweet, velvety brown eyes and suddenly felt the need to clear her throat when a wave of longing broke over her.

"It wouldn't be an inconvenience, not at all", she hastened to say.  "I understand though if you're not comfortable with that.  You know since, I'm gay and all."

Buffy bit her lip, remaining silent.

Fred looked at Willow inquisitively.  She'd known Willow had had a relationship with a woman, but she hadn't realized that the redhead considered herself homosexual.  It was confusing, especially since she'd noticed a few of the sidelong glances her friend had sent at Angel.

"I don't have any issues with that.  I'd rather have company anyhow", the physicist replied.  "I always seem to find myself alone all the time.  I'm kind of tired of it."

Buffy struggled to keep the triumphant grin from her face, and then almost choked on her own breath when Fred spoke again.

"So why do you think you're gay?  Don't you find guys attractive at all?  Is gender really all that important?"  The questions were asked without malice and without any other intent other than curiosity.

Willow's mouth opened.  Then Willow's mouth closed.  She didn't even begin to know how to begin to answer that.  Finally she managed a very eloquent, "Well, uhh... "

Taking pity on her friend, Buffy intervened.  "How about you guys talk about that later.  We did leave poor Angel downstairs."

Grasping at the salvation the blond offered, Willow grasped it.  "Angel, yeah.  How rude.  We should head down.  Poor Angel."  She started walking away, her mind racing.  From Tara, whom she'd loved with all her heart to Oz her first real boyfriend, her first true love, to her childhood puppy-love crush on Xander, back to Tara, back to Oz.

Boy, did she suddenly feel confused or what?

When her mind suddenly jumped to Angel and then Fred, her breath actually caught in her throat, right as she reached the bottom of the stairs and bumped into a large, gorgeous and completely male vampire.

"Angel!", she squeaked.

Concerned at the redhead's ashen countenance, Angel grabbed her shoulders and looked down at her.

"Are you alright?"

Willow found herself staring at the movement of his mouth, entranced.

"Willow?"

Mouth abruptly dry, Willow licked her lips, and noted with interest the way Angel's chocolate gaze followed the movement.

She felt warm.

Was it her imagination, or was his face suddenly closer?  'Goddess', she thought, 'was it hot in here?'

"Wills?", Buffy's voice called.

Startled, the two friends jumped back from each other.  Confusion warred with a strange feeling of disappointment. Hazarding a quick glance at Angel Willow almost sighed in relief at the realization that he seemed just as confused.

Fred and Buffy came down the stairs.

Pulling himself together, Angel asked Fred if everything was set.

"Its really pretty Angel.  I'll be fine.  I like it here."

"Good", he said.  "I'm glad."  Walking toward her, he gave the slender young woman a heartfelt hug he was loathe to end.

Kissing Fred on the cheek, Angel forced himself to step back and then turned to thank Buffy.

"Drive carefully", the Slayer told him.  They shook hands, the knowledge that things were truly over between them, now solidified.

"Good-bye Willow", Angel murmured.  He moved away.

"Bye Angel", she whispered, watching him walk out the door.  He hadn't hugged her.  She was torn between hurt and thankfulness, still too confused about whatever had almost just happened between them to deal with physical contact with him.

Taking a deep breath, Willow closed the door behind him and prepared herself to be the perfect hostess to her guest.  She only hoped Fred wouldn't be expecting any answers to her earlier questions.  At least not immediately. Frankly, Willow was even more uncertain now, as to how to answer them.

~Part: 7~

Angel strode purposefully towards his car and didn't look back, despite the voice screaming in his head to turn around and hug Willow and soothe her. Anything to banish that look of confusion.

'Right', an internal voice said, 'like that's the only reason you'd want to hug Red?  Who are you kidding?  You know you like how she feels, the way she smells?  You watched her grow up boy'o.  And boy, has she ever grown up. Who ever would have thought, that meek little girl would have turned into a beautiful, powerful woman?'

Angel growled at the voice, ignoring it and jumping into his convertible. He stuck the key in the ignition and sighed in blessed relief at the calming, powerful purr of his baby's engine.

'I wonder if Fred would sound like that after a night of lovin'?  What do you think, Soulboy?  Do you think pretty little Fred would purr?  I bet she would...', the voice said after a moment.  'She didn't purr with that other boy.  You could hear them, we both could.  Too bad we couldn't hear much.  I guess the boy didn't know how to make her purr, or maybe even scream... But we would, wouldn't we Angel?", that same voice continued hatefully.

Angel turned on the radio.

'Can't ignore me Angel baby.  You know I'm here to stay.'

Squaring his jaw, the vampire pulled let his frustration and anger out the only way he currently could, peeling his car out from in front of the Summers' home with the sound of squealing tires and the smell of burning rubber.  He sped partway down the street before pulling a impressive, if rather reckless u-turn.

Under his breath, Angel murmured, "I can try you greedy bastard, I can try." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy checked the clock on the wall, and suddenly realized how long they'd all been talking.  She had decided rather early on that she liked Fred a lot, but at the moment she needed a break.  Fred and Willow had stumbled across a mutual interest in quantum physics, and Buffy was left confused and maybe catching every fifteenth word.  Since the words were mostly ands and the's, Buffy wasn't feeling especially intelligent.

It had been over two hours since she had met Fred.  In fact, it was almost ten o'clock.  Soon she'd have to leave the house to go slay, but she figured she would at least attempt to be a decent hostess.

Pushing back her chair, the other two women immediately turned to look at her.

"Oh Buffy, I'm sorry, we were totally leaving you out", Willow started.

The Slayer smiled.  "Its okay Wills, I was just thinking, I should make us all something to eat."  She turned to Fred.

"Hungry?"

The brunette smiled.  "Always!", she said with relish, barely resisting the urge to pat her belly for emphasis.  Fred looked at Willow.  "Can we help?"

Buffy nodded an affirmative.  "I guess I'd appreciate the help.  I wouldn't exactly say cooking is my strong suit."

Willow groaned at the understatement.  "Let's go", she told Fred.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was a simple affair consisting of breaded chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and salad.  Fred had washed everything down with unsweetened iced tea.  She'd had to add sugar of course, lots of sugar.

Everyone but Willow had watched in abject shock as the slight physicist consumed almost her weight in chicken and salad.  Willow had seen Fred eat during her time in L.A.  Dawn, whom Xander had dropped off earlier was especially impressed.  Actually, impressed could have been stretching the truth.  Horrified may have been closer.

The Slayer's sister ate very little herself.  She was always on the latest diet fad.  Not everyone had Slayer metabolism.

Dawn sighed.  Her glance fell on Fred's plate again.  The brunette had just helped herself to a forth helping of mashed potatoes.

She sighed again.  'Or physicist metabolism apparently', she thought amending her earlier mental statement.  'Life really wasn't fair.'

Still, she liked Willow's new friend.  She seemed a bit shy and slightly scattered, but nice.  It also helped that Fred treated her like an adult, and not some nuisance kid that was always underfoot, the way she felt her sister and the others often treated her.

Willow grinned as Fred carefully cleaned every bit of food from her plate. It was too bad Xander hadn't been able to stick around.  Or maybe it wasn't too bad considering the pretty ex-slave would probably have had her best friend falling head over heels in love with her with that little display of food inhalage.  The redhead grimaced, the wheels in her head turning.  She didn't want to have to smack Xander upside the head with a shovel after all.

Which reminded her, it seemed that in the mess she'd made out of her life she'd forgotten to whack Riley with one when he'd broken Buffy's heart.

'Hmmm...', Willow noted silently.  'Note to self; find Riley, hit with shovel.'

She blinked. 'And did she actually just think she'd hurt Xander if he got attached to Fred?'

The witch looked across the table and was startled to find herself immediately meeting Fred's beautiful dark eyes.  She was smiling at her. Willow could feel her heart start to pound.  How could she be so blind to herself?  There was no way she could share a bed with Fred?!

Buffy pushed away from the table and put her dish in the sink.

"You guys can just put the dishes in the sink when you're done.  I'll do the dishes after I get back from patrol.  I know Fred probably wants to go to bed, she's probably exhausted what with the drive and all."

Willow shook her head at the blond slightly.  Buffy's brow furrowed in consternation.

"What--"

"I think Fred will be fine.  She's probably WAY too worked up to go to bed", Willow said too quickly.  "I think we could both go and keep you company. Just going to bed would be so boring.  And Fred's not here for boring. Why--"

Feeling like she suddenly understood Willow's need to stall Buffy interrupted her friend's babble.  She looked at Fred.

"So how's about it?  Wanna come with?"

The physicist had been watching the proceedings with a decidedly confused air.  She shrugged delicately, and tried to keep herself from yawning.  She was kind of tired, but she didn't want to miss patrolling with the famous Vampire Slayer for anything.  "Yeah sure."

She just wished she thought to bring her latest invention.

~Part: 8~

Fred squeaked as the vampire rushed at her.  Instinct made her lunge out of the way, at the last moment.  She could feel the passing rush of air as he missed her, and ran straight into Willow.

The redhead managed to land, what to Fred looked like an impressive punch to the vampire's jaw, right before he responded with a backslap that had Willow airborne.

In the next instant Buffy was on him.  Her usual quips were strangely absent, and Fred knew in that instant that this vamp had a crossed a line. No one, messed with Buffy Summers' friends.

Coming to her knees shakily, Fred blinked as the battle raged, and spotted the stake Buffy had dropped earlier when this vampire's now dusted friend had managed to kick the Slayer in the stomach.

Looking up and over her shoulder, Fred watched Buffy do a spinning kick that looked to have almost taken the vamp's head off.

Seeing that he was occupied, the long haired brunette began crawling toward the fallen stake.  It had been Buffy's last.  She'd come out with five, four back-ups and her favorite, whom she called Mister Pointy.

Fred reached out to grab it.

"Come on Mr. Pointy, reunion time."

Lurching to her feet, she felt herself sway momentarily, and then shook her head to clear it.

"Buffy!", she cried, and threw the piece of sharpened wood.

The golden Slayer looked up and with reflexes, the likes Fred had never seen anything like, except maybe for Angel, caught the stake and dusted the last vampire with a quick, lightning dart movement.

Buffy and Fred were moving toward the fallen redhead, before his dust had even settled.

"Willow!"

They rushed forward, falling to their knees by the witch.

"Are you okay?", Buffy asked, her voice brusque and demanding, as her hands seemed to feel for any injuries.

"I'm fine, just winded.  Nothing got hurt, well... except for my jaw and my pride."  Buffy touched the bruise forming on Willow's cheek.

The hacker hissed.  "Ouch."

Buffy's mouth twisted.  "Sorry", she said apologetically.

She stared at her friend a moment.  "Why didn't you use magic?  You and I both know a solitary vampire has no chance against you.  Heck a squad of vampires wouldn't."

Willow flushed.  "I wanted to do it myself."

The blonde's lips pursed.  She raised her friend's face to look meet her gaze.  "Willow, I trust you, and Giles' trusts you.  You can use magic, and it is a part of you.  You can do it.  You can control it."

Fred felt a little superfluous, the moment between the two old friend's hinting to the strength of their friendship, the love between them.

"I trust you too!", she blurted out.

The two women looked up at the slender newbie to their group.

Willow smiled at her, a real smile where the lingering sadness in her emerald eyes faded to nil for a beautiful, heartrending moment.

Buffy stood, and held out her hand.  "Come on Wills, I think that's enough for tonight.  Time for bed.  All good Slayer's deserve a good night's rest before dealing with teen angst galore."

"Huh?", Fred asked.

"I'm a counselor at the high school."

"Wow, that sounds like a cool job", Fred told them. "Course my school counselor wasn't any help at all... had absolutely no idea how to relate to us in any way."

She looked at Buffy, who looked vaguely terrified, "of course I'm sure you're nothing at all like him.  You're probably a great counselor."

The three women began their walk to the cemetery gates and beyond, back to the Summers' home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~L.A. days later~

Angel strode into the Hyperion in exhaustion.  He felt like one massive bruise, and could smell his own blood.  Cordelia and Gunn stumbled in after him, the Seer's arm around Gunn's shoulders as they both struggled to keep her left foot airborne.  Angel was pretty sure she'd strained her ankle pretty badly.

This was the third time in as many days that they'd run into the horde of Gremlocks in the city's junk yard with the intent of clearing the place out.   Once again, they didn't even make a dent.

Generally speaking they weren't dangerous.  With their diminutive size and usually placid demeanors they were actually considered cute and fuzzy.

He'd known one vampire master in Romania who'd actually had a pair as pets.

The only time Gremlocks were a danger was when they changed they're usually solitary habits out of some necessity.  When they gathered into large groups, they were a menace.  For two reasons:  their tendency to eat anything, and their bent towards mischief making.  Put that together with an impressive double row of sharp teeth, and that's when you had to start getting nervous.

Well it was official, Angel was nervous.  And it wasn't because they were especially powerful fighters.  They weren't.  In general, one good hit, and a Gremlock was down, probably forever.  It was their sheer numbers, and the fact that this particular junk yard looked almost completely destroyed and devoured.  That meant, that soon the horde would move on.  He couldn't even imagine the chaos and destruction that would cause.  He couldn't allow it.

Sitting heavily, Angel propped his head on the desk, his eyes falling on Cordelia and Gunn.

The couple was whispering to each other.  Gunn staring into the Seer's eyes and smoothing back an errant strand of hair, and touching her cheek.

Angel was trying to block out their whispers, although he could hear them easily if he chose.  Hell, he could probably read their lips, their thoughts were so obvious.

"I'm okay", the Seer whispered.

"You took a hell of a dive."

"Well it was either that, or let the little gremlin things take a bite out of me."

"Gremlocks", Gunn corrected with a grin.  "Good job then, no ones taking bites outta my girl but me."

Cordelia's hand slid across the smooth surface of the black man's shaved head.

"Hmmmm...", she sighed.

Angel tore his gaze away.  He was jealous.  Oh not of Cordelia's relationship with Gunn, but at that burgeoning connection with another person.  That closeness they shared.  It was like they only saw each other. He was peripheral and therefore unimportant.  That more than anything was exacerbating his feelings of loneliness.

Only his phone talks with Fred, made her absence bearable.  He thought of her constantly, or at least he had, the thoughts were more and more of her with Willow in a variety of ways which had nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with the hungers inside him.

How could he go so quickly from thinking he loved Cordelia, to lusting after Fred and Willow?  He should be ashamed of himself.

'Whatever', that damned internal voice hissed.  'You weren't ever in love with Queen C.  You just have that subconscious wish to be rescued, that's what it is.'

Angel frowned in confusion.  'What the hell are you talking about Angelus?'

'Can't you guess Soulboy?  First the Slayer, then Cordelia the Seer for the Powers That Be.  You've got a wonder woman fetish.  As if their bravery and sense of duty could keep you on your path.  Don't you know yet, that only you can do that?  Now, the Slayer, I could have skipped out on, all hesitant and unsure....  Cordelia on the other hand, I could see.  I mean, even I can't deny she's a hot piece of--'

'Don't even think of finishing that thought!', Angel demanded mentally.

Angelus chuckled.

'I don't even know why I'm talking to you?', Angel growled internally.

'Cause we're stuck together for eternity.  That little stunt you pulled with Darla made sure of that.  Epiphany my ass, more like superglue...'

Angel ignored the voice, and began a slow climb up the hotel stairs.

"Angel?", Cordelia's voice called from behind him.

The vampire turned to face the couple.

"What's the plan now, oh undead leader?", Gunn asked.

"Honestly, I don't have a clue", Angel replied tiredly.  "I guess we call for backup."

Cordelia's face froze.  "You're going to ask Fred for help?"

"If anyone can figure out what to do, its Fred.  Maybe she can think of something...."

The Seer nodded, then spoke after a moment.  "Well don't forget Willow. She's a wiz at the research thing.  Maybe she can find something we missed on these Gremlin things."

"Gremlocks", Angel corrected automatically, his brain going into overdrive. Like he could ever forget Willow when every time he closed his eyes he saw her on her knees before Fred's nude body.

God he needed a shower.

'Make that a cold one Soulboy, make that a cold one', Angelus' voice taunted him.

~Part: 9~

Angel called Fred after his shower.  The hotel was silent, and he sensed that Cordy and Gunn had left.

The phone rang a few times before someone picked up.

"Hello, may I speak to Fred Burkle please."

"A-A-Angel?"

The vampire cleared his throat.

"Dawn?"

"Hi Angel.  Long time no hear from, huh?"

"Yeah..."

"You want to talk to Fred?"

"Could I, please?"

"Well normally I wouldn't let rude vampires who didn't say good-bye talk to any of my friends... but in this case I'll let it slide, since she was your friend first."

"Dawn, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, yeah.  No big.  It was a long time ago.  Hold on, I'm going to call her.  FRED!!  PHONE CALL!!", Dawn screamed at the top of her lungs.

Angel flinched, moving the phone from his ear.

Soon there was the rustling sound of movement.

"Angel", a sweet voice said soothingly.

"Fred, hi."

"Hi Angel, how are you?"

'He'd be better if you got your cute, little butt home sweetie', Angelus crooned into Angel's ear.

"I'm fine.  Missing you though.  This place isn't the same without you", he said.

"Awww, how sweet", Fred murmured.  Angel could almost picture her blushing. "You sound different.  Is something wrong Angel?", she asked after a moment.

"I didn't want to bother you with this."

"Its not a bother you silly vampire.  Tell me what's going on."

Angel sighed.  "We've got Gremlocks, in one of the junkyards, a horde.  We don't know what to do.  They're almost finished with this one, and we can't let them just spill out on the streets looking for a new hunting ground. Every time we go and try to clean them out, they overtake us embarrassingly easily.  There's just too many of them."

"Hmmmm...", Fred sighed.  "Gremlocks, that sounds familiar somehow.  Don't they look like those critters from that bad eighties movie?  The one where you couldn't get them wet, or feed them after midnight?"

The dark vampire frowned.  "Truthfully, I don't have any idea."

Fred's expression brightened into the phone.  "No, I know I'm right. They're like those things in that Gremlins movie.  They got all the weaknesses wrong though."  The brunette bit her lower lip in thought.

After a moment of silence, Angel heard her call Willow over.

"Is your laptop set up?", Fred asked, placing the phone against her chest for a moment.

"Yes, is something wrong?"

"Angel's got trouble with some little critters called Gremlocks."

Willow sat down on her computer, easily slipping into research girl mode.

"Oh", Fred continued, "and for some reason I seem to remember there's something important about them and their reaction to metal."

The hacker cum witch nodded, typing away with lightning quickness.  "Like eating it?"

Fred shrugged. "Can't rightly remember, but it could be."

"Hmmmmm", Willow murmured, "lets see what I find in the online demon codexes."

"What's going on?", Angel's voice sounded dimly in Fred's ears.

"Oh!", Fred cried, pulling the phone away from her chest and to her ear. "Sorry about that Angel.  Willow's checking it out on her laptop. She's really fast."

Angel smiled.  "I know.  I remember Willow's days as Net Girl."

Fred grinned.  "Really?  You have to tell me about that someday.  Oh, and did you notice anything about these Gremlocks and metal?"

"You mean besides the fact that they like to eat it?  They'd almost devoured an entire old Cadillac in the junk yard when I saw them."

The physicist seemed to deflate.  "Oh.  Darn, maybe I remembered wrong then."

"Bingo!", Willow crowed.

She looked at Fred with excitement.  "You were right!  At first I couldn't come up with much, but once I cross-referenced metal with the toothy little monsters, it narrowed down my list of findings.  That was great!  Otherwise, we could have been searching through all this forever and not found much, since the only place it seems to appear is in the--"

"--Willow, you're babbling."

Fred chuckled.  "Hey Angel, did you know Willow babbles.  Just like me!"

"I think I did know that actually", the vampire said dryly, an almost grin touching his features.

"She says I was right about the metal.  They hate it!"

"What do you mean?", Angel asked confused. "I just saw them sawing through three tons of car like it was a Christmas ham."

The slender ex-slave shook her head wildly.  "NO!  No, not like that.  They hate the sound.  Resonating, metal sounds drive them nuts.  In fact, if you do it long enough it can kill them.  It ruptures something in their brains."

Angel nodded.  "So like a gong, or cymbals?"

Willow, who had been listening on the line with Fred, piped up finally.  "Or even a bell.  It could even be a small bell, or a few small bells Angel.  It doesn't say the noise has to be really loud or deep even, just very resonant.  You know the kind of noise that carries over a distance. Something about the vibrations drives them batty."

"And that's it?"

Willow and Fred looked at one another for confirmation.  They nodded to one another and then spoke into the phone at the same time.

"Yeah, that's it!"

"Thank you."  The vampire considered his words carefully.  "Uh, Willow about me leaving like that--"

"--Not a problem really Angel, it was just weird you know.  I totally understand, it didn't mean anything", the hacker said too quickly, eyeing Fred nervously, the double-talk slipping easily from her lips.

"I know", Angel said too quickly in agreement, ignoring the small pain her words caused, "I just wanted you to know that it killed me to not say good-bye properly.  I miss you, and I miss Fred, a lot.  The hotel's so empty without her."

The two women looked at each other over the earpiece they were sharing, and shared a look of understanding.

"We miss you too Angel", they both said at the same time again, startling each other into giggles.

"Any chance you want to come home soon Fred?", he asked suddenly.

Fred shook her head.  "Naw, not yet Angel.  I just gotta make peace with it first I guess.  It'll take more than a week."

"I know, I understand.  I guess I was just, you know... hoping", Angel replied a little uncertainly.  "When you are ready, I'll come get you. Willow too, if she wants to make that time for another visit", he threw in, hinting rather heavily.

The two friends giggled.  In that instance, they finally seemed to realize just how close their faces were to one another.

Fred's eyes widened in surprise, as Willow's eyes fell to Fred's lips.

"Uh, definitely Angel.  I'd love another visit.  L.A. was an experience", the redhead managed to say, tearing her gaze away and planting it firmly on the living room rug.

The souled vampire suddenly sounded much more energetic.  "Great.  That's a date!"  He sputtered.  "Well not a date.  Not really.  You know what I meant", he continued in his endearing, awkward way.  It was one of the things Willow had discovered so recently that she loved about him.

"I know what you meant Angel", she assured him, despite the naughty pictures the way it sounded, immediately set off in her brain.  She sighed.

"Bye Angel, I'm giving the phone back to Fred so you can say good-bye."

Before he could say anything, Fred was talking to him.

"I've had so much fun here Angel.  Buffy's nice, but so busy.  Do you know she has like a normal day job?  And then her sister is so vital.  She's totally in your face and fun and alive.  Xander's like this normal, funny guy.  He's kind of cute too, in a good guy, goofy kind of way...", Fred babbled.

"Xander?", Angel practically squeaked.

"Yup", Fred said, nodding sagely.  "Do you know he calls you Deadboy?  I told him to stop that, or I'd hurt him.  You wouldn't mind too much would you?  Willow told me you two weren't exactly pals?..."

Angel brightened, chuckling a little. "Nope, wouldn't mind at all."

Fred continued speaking as if he hadn't said anything.  "Its so different here Angel.  Its as if I stepped back into that little town in Texas I was born in you know."  She frowned in thought.  "Well, only that we didn't have a Starbucks or a Hellmouth.  At least, I'm pretty sure we don't."

"No Hellmouths in Texas Fred.  I promise."

"Oh good.  Glad to hear it.  I miss you too Angel, I really do.  Do Charles and Cordelia go to the office a lot now?", she asked finally, unable to avoid, the one topic she'd managed to avoid for any longer.

"Yes.  They've been helping me with the Gremlock problem.  It was one of Cordy's visions."

"I see", the brunette said softly.  "Do they seem happy?"

"Yeah Fred, they really do", Angel answered truthfully.  "They asked about you, but they know they really can't do anything to make it better."

"Well that's not true, they could both eat some bad chicken and get sick and have to have their stomachs pumped.  That would make me feel better."

The vampire sat down on the edge of his bed.  "Would it?"

Fred wavered, her hand playing with the phone cord idly.  "No, not really." She sighed softly.  "I should go now.  Bye Angel."

"Good-bye Fred."

Angel hung up, and stared at the silent appliance almost accusingly.  He made some quick decisions.  First a shower, and then a call to Lorne to see if he could find them some musical instruments they could get their hands on.  Tomorrow they'd face the annoying Gremlocks for the last time.

~Part: 10~

~Sunnydale, CA~

Fred sat on the back porch with a cup of tea in hand.  She absorbed the beauty and quiet around her, enjoying it as the aromatic aroma of the hot beverage wafted around her.

It was a hauntingly masculine black tea that made her think of Wesley and better times.

She smiled absently as she took a sip, her mind replaying some of her favorite moments.  Like when Connor had looked up at her from his crib, his eyes filled with innocence instead of the bitterness they now held.  When Wesley had drunk tea just like this at his desk, while he poured through books and piled papers on high.  When Charles and Cordelia were friends who teased each other mercilessly, and Cordy was in love with a sweet, brave Groosaluug.

Ruefully she realized that many of her thoughts revolved around Angel.  His concern for her, the way he'd taken care of her, his strength and his weakness.  The way he had seemed to come to need her.

She missed him.  She'd fought that, but she could no longer deny it.  Her feelings for Angel were back full force.  A fact which only served to confuse her, especially since she'd recently admitted to herself that she was attracted to Willow.  Very attracted to Willow.  Never before had Fred found herself daydreaming about a woman in this manner, and yet, there it was.  At first she hadn't been able to decipher what it meant when lied down beside her newest friend so stiffly, unable to sleep staring at the ceiling and fighting the urge to just watch her, to cuddle up beside her and reach out and--

She sighed.

"Penny for your thoughts?", a voice asked softly.

Fred looked up.

"Not sure if they're worth a whole penny actually."

Willow settled herself on the stoop next to the brunette.  The two women didn't speak, simply enjoying one another's company.

"Love's a funny thing", Fred said, seemingly randomly.

Willow remained silent.

Fred continued.  "Its like this uncontrollable force, you know?"  Dark brown eyes moved to the hacker's face.  Willow smiled at her encouragingly.

"Sometimes its soft and gentle, a comforting, unconditional emotion, and sometimes its wild and all consuming, sweeping everything else aside and just leaving two lovers who can't have enough of each other."

The redhead refrained from speaking despite the little voice in her head which wanted desperately to point out what Fred said was an oversimplification.

Fred chuckled a little.  "I know that's oversimplifying things a little..."

Willow turned to face her, green eyes wide.  Sometimes it was as if Fred could read her mind.  She wondered not for the first time, if the little Texan had precognitive abilities.  She was just so intuitive.

Still, the witch managed to keep her mouth shut and let Fred speak.  Since she'd arrived in Sunnydale almost three weeks ago, she really hadn't addressed the reasons she'd taken shelter here with her.  Although Willow hoped she would, she didn't push.  She had faith that when Fred was ready, she would share what she needed to share, in order to help herself heal.

"I think what Charles and I had was the first kind of love", Fred continued.   "He made me feel safe.  I trusted him.  Not,", she hastened to add, "that I didn't trust the others, cause I did, and do.  But Charles took time out to get to know me, while the others seemed so busy and unapproachable sometimes.  It forced me to look at him in a new light.  He was attainable, and he thought I was special.  He looked at me, like I imagined I looked at An--"

Abruptly, Fred cut herself off, realizing that she was giving away something about herself that she hadn't meant to.

Willow gave her a gentle half-smile, and squeezed her hand.  "Its okay.  I think Angel has that effect on every woman that meets him."

Fred nodded, the look on her face thoughtful.

"Yeah, I've noticed.  You even look at him that way, which is interesting considering what you told me about who you're attracted to."

To her surprise, the hacker/witch found herself blushing.

"Oh Goddess, am I that obvious?"

"Actually no, not really, I just sort of picked that up from when I was sick and you and Angel were taking care of me.  I could feel it."

"What do you mean?", Willow asked. "Feel what?"

"The tension, not bad tension, more like waiting for the other shoe to drop tension."

Fred quieted, wondering if she'd said too much, and at the same time wondering why her mouth insisted on moving and giving things away, when it was obvious her heart feared that those things would only get her hurt all over again.

Willow frowned slightly, confused by what the other women could mean.  "Oh."

"Anyway", Fred said, going back to the original topic of conversation for fear of making Willow uncomfortable, "being with Charles was indescribable. He made me feel safe and wanted and loved.  Very loved.  I find myself hating him because he broke my heart, but at the same time being almost happy for him for finding what he was looking for, even though it turns out it wasn't me.  I'm more worried about never being able to forgive him and missing out on a friendship with him, than seeing him with Cordelia now."

The physicist turned curious eyes toward Willow.

"Is that weird?"

Willow shook her head slowly.  "No, not weird.  Its incredibly generous actually.  Probably the most unselfish thing I've ever heard."  She groaned.   "I don't think I would ever be able to do that.  I've always been a bit...   I don't know, possessive I guess."

"Is it different?", Fred asked.

The redhead looked upward, pondering the darkening sky.  "What?"

"Loving a woman, is it very different than loving a man?"

Willow shook her head.  "Not really.  I mean it is, but not in terms of the love.  Not that I'm an expert or anything.  I mean, there was just Tara. She was special."

Fred smiled.  "She had to be."

"Being with her was so many things.  It was comfortable and it was secure. At the same time we did have that passion.  Sometimes it was all we could do to not tear each other's clothes off before we got to our room."  Willow grinned at the memory.

"Tara was everything that is good about humanity; good, kind, funny, compassionate.  She made me better."

The witch gave her companion a side-long glance.  "You two have a lot in common that way."

"I wish I could have met her", Fred said earnestly, flushing a little at the compliment.

"I do too."

Willow's face turned, Fred was staring at her intently.

"What?", the witch asked.

Fred stammered, "W-W-was other stuff different too?"

Willow knew exactly what she was asking.  "Ahhh..."  She looked at her hands.  "It was softer.  Men are harder.  Men are all muscle and sinew. Women are rounded, malleable, familiar.  Even kissing is different that way.   The way your lips feel against one another, even the taste.  I don't know if I can really explain it."

Suddenly, the slender physicist's hand trailed down Willow's arm leaving gooseflesh in its wake.  Willow closed her eyes at the sensation.

"Can you show me?", Fred asked softly, so close that her lips brushed the sensitive shell of Willow's ear.

The spellcaster shuddered.

"Fred", she groaned, "are you sure?  I don't want you to regret this."

"I won't."

"But there's so much we haven't discussed.  Angel--"

"I know, somehow he's there between us isn't he?", Fred whispered.

Once again Willow was struck by Fred's insight.  Startled and aroused, Willow turned to look at her, and took another shaky breath at the naked need on her friend's pretty features.

And then Fred pressed her mouth against her own, and the world slipped away.

Willow's hands wound themselves in Fred's abundance of mahogany tresses, as their lips softened against one another.

Fred sighed in wonder, her lips opening instinctively as Willow's tongue sought her warmth, her taste; deepening the kiss from one of need and exploration, to one of heat and fire.  A moan was torn from her throat.  It was good, powerful, igniting nerve endings that somehow hadn't fired when she'd kissed Gunn

She moved closer seeking more of Willow's fire.  Because that was what she was Fred decided, Willow was warmth, heat.  She made her burn.

Unbeknownst to the two women, Buffy stood for a moment at the screen door. She hadn't meant to interrupt anything.  She'd only been thinking of calling them in to dinner.  A joyful smile lit her face, as the hope that Willow would find someone new to love seemed to suddenly find fruition.  Quietly, she backed away to give her friend's privacy.  If anyone deserved a happily ever after, it was Willow.

~Part: 11~

Dinner was a slightly uncomfortable affair.  Fred ate slowly, eyes hooded as she snuck glances at Willow across the table.  Neither woman was having an easy time controlling their hormones in the aftermath of the kisses they'd shared on the back porch.

In the meantime, Buffy kept up a steady stream of chatter, hoping against hope that she could distract her sister from figuring out what was going on, as she spooned mashed potatoes and meatloaf onto everyone's plates.  She talked about her day at the high school, and how she'd had three separate seniors come in.  They feared graduating and the symbolic end of their childhood.  The choices were limited.  It was either go to college or go to work.  Buffy remembers that it wasn't life after graduation she'd worried about during her own high school years, it was just surviving graduation itself.

The wry comment managed to wrest an equally wry grin from Dawn.  She remembered that day.  How the eclipse has stolen the sun from the sky, allowing vampires to stalk during the day and signaling the Mayor's transformation to a demon.  She also remembered how her mother and sister had conspired to keep her safe by locking her in her room.

Dawn sighed.  She still wished she'd been there and gotten to see the old school blow up.  She bet it was cool.

Fred didn't comment.  She'd barely heard a word either woman had said.  She couldn't concentrate.  All she could do was mechanically shovel food into her mouth so that she wouldn't look back at the beautiful redhead who sat across from her.  Her cheeks flamed remembering what had happened the last time she had.  Willow's eyes had cleaved her own, the black irises in her emerald eyes still wide with arousal.  The witch had licked her lips suggestively, causing a moan to almost burst from lips.  It was all Fred could do to not melt into a puddle of goo on her chair.

Shifting uncomfortably on her chair, the brunette shoveled another mouthful of meatloaf into her mouth.

"How is it?", Buffy inquired.

"H-h-huh", Fred stammered, struggling to figure out what the Slayer was asking about.

"The meatloaf, how is it?  I found one of mom's old recipes and decided to try it...", the Slayer began slowly.

Willow turned her head and smiled brilliantly at her best friend.  "Its delicious.  You did a great job", she said, resting a slim, white hand on Buffy's upturned palm for a moment.

The blond's eyes brightened.  "Really?"

"Yeah Buff", Dawn seconded, "it tastes just like mom's."

The Slayer blinked suspiciously for a moment or two, before taking a long drink of water.

Fred shoveled another forkful of meatloaf into her mouth and almost choked when a bare foot began to meander up her calve and inner thigh.

"Ack!"

"Are you choking?"  Dawn looked at her strangely before pounding her on the back in what she hoped was a 'helping' manner.

Fred glared at Willow, as Dawn smacked her on the back.

"I'm *whack* uh *whack* fine, *whack* uh.... *whack* Stop!"

"Sorry", the teenager said completely unapologetically, an impish grin on her features.

"Thanks though", Fred said softly, "I feel better now."

Willow wiped her mouth, surreptitiously giggling behind her napkin.

Buffy rolled her eyes, and ate the last of her mashed potatoes.

"Any one want seconds?", she asked.

For a moment a look of blind panic crossed Willow's features.  Buffy's face felt like it would crack from the strain of not allowing herself to smile.

There was a sudden silence, as Willow and Fred glanced at one another and then at the petite Slayer speaking at the same time.

"No!", they both shouted.

Willow hastily backpedaled.  "Uh, what I mean is.  I'm stuffed Buff."

"Yeah", Fred added.  "Me too."

Dawn stared at the brunette in disbelief.  "You've got to be kidding me. You usually don't stop until you've had your fourth helping."

Fred's brown eyes widened.  "I know but..."

Feeling the need to continue the torture, Buffy piped up.  "I thought you liked my meatloaf?"

Guilt flooded the slight former slave.  "I do."  She sighed in defeat, and offered up her plate for another piece.

Willow bit her lip, resisting the urge to throttle her best friend only just.  It was all she could do not to just grab Fred and haul her up to her bedroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, Fred helped Dawn with the dishes, desperately trying to calm her features despite the fact that whenever Willow brought over another dirty dish she deliberately brushed up against her.

It was cruel.  It was exciting.  It was maddening.

Fred couldn't remember ever being this turned on in her life.  She was beginning to wish she'd worn one of her little used bras, since it seemed that every breath she took only served to brush her overly sensitized nipples against the cotton of her tee shirt.

Her hands shook as she rinsed off another plate.

"Are you okay?", Dawn asked, handing her another soapy plate.

The brunette nodded.  She'd be even better if Willow hadn't made it her mission to seduce her senses.  She was torn between the need to take the witch's hand and lead her up the stairs, and hiding; her arousal warring with her fear.  After all, she'd never been with a woman before, only men. And if what had happened with Charles was any indication, she apparently sucked when it came to the physical part of relationships.  What if she was so terrible she lost Willow?  What if doing this changed everything?  What if it caused her to lose this new friendship?  Willow had become so important to her, was this intense attraction worth risking everything?

"Fred...  Fred?"

Fred blinked, at the sudden intrusion of Dawn's voice into her thoughts.

"What?"

"We're done", the young woman told her, pointing to the sink.  "See, no more dishes."

"Oh...  okay."  Taking a kitchen towel, Fred wiped any splattered moisture from the countertop and wiped her hands clean.  Turning, she spotted Willow in the doorway watching her.  Her heart fluttered madly in her chest.

"I--  I don't know if I can do this!", she blurted out, rushing past the redhead and out of the room leaving a bewildered Dawn and guilty Willow.

The two females heard the sound of Fred's quick steps up the stairs.

"Well...", Dawn said.

Willow lifted her eyes from the kitchen floor.

"What are you waiting for?  Go after her."

Surprised, Willow nodded and then left the room.

Buffy appeared in the kitchen moments later, busily stuffing yet another stake into the waistband of her jeans.  She looked around the room, arching an eyebrow enquiringly.

"They went upstairs."

The Slayer tried to hide a smile.  "Oh."

Dawn glared at her.  "You're happy about this!  I didn't even figure it out until just now."

Buffy shrugged.  "I want Willow to be happy.  Fred makes Willow happy."

"But what about Tara, I mean...", Dawn swallowed, her voice petering out at the memory of the witchy blond she'd been so close to.

Buffy sighed.  "Tara loved Willow, and Willow loved Tara.  No matter what they would always want the best for one another."

"I know, I just...."

"Me too, Dawnie, me too", the petite blond said, taking a risk and giving her sister a quick hug.

"Have a safe patrol okay."

"Always", Buffy answered over her shoulder, leaving through the back door.

Turning off the kitchen light, Dawn walked up the stairs to her room. Picking up a magazine, she threw it on her bed and prepared to get comfortable.  She sat down, and then having second thoughts, walked over to her bureau.  Grabbing her cd Walkman, she placed the headphones on her head and turned on some tunes.  Just in case.

~Part: 12~

Fred sat on the window seat.  She sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, head resting on her knees as she stared out into the night.  She hadn't bothered to turn on a light. Not that she needed it.  The moon was heavy and bright in the sky, bathing her in luminescence.

Her forehead rested on the cool glass, and she watched with a strange sort of fascination as her breath caused condensation to form.

She heard the door open and close behind her, but didn't turn.  She knew who it was, her body thrummed with the knowledge, the same way it seemed to vibrate whenever Angel was nearby.

"I'm sorry."

The words hung in the air, and Fred closed her eyes unsure of how to respond.

"I thought you wanted this, but if you don't that's okay too.  I would never do anything you didn't want Fred.  I would never hurt you."

Tears sparkled in the brunette's eyes.  Her head turned to regard the woman who stood a few paces away from her.  "Are you sure?"

Willow's brow furrowed in thought.  She shook her head.  "Yes, I'm sure. I would never hurt you."

"I know you would never MEAN to hurt me...but...  What if I'm terrible? What if that's why Charles left me? What if--", Fred paused mid-diatribe, "I'm scared Willow."

Willow took a deep breath, and stepped closer.

"So am I."

She kneeled on the floor before the window seat.

"I wish I could say I had all the answers, but I don't."  Her hand reached for Fred's, their fingers interlaced.  "But I'm as confused by this as you. I understand my attraction to you.  You're beautiful, intelligent, kind..." Willow smiled.  "Female....  but this thing with Angel, I just don't--"

"I feel it too", Fred interjected.

"I know", Willow said, "and that scares me.  What if in the end you don't need me?  What if he doesn't want me?"

Fred chuckled.  "I know he wants you.  What if he doesn't want me?"

"He'd be insane not to want you", Willow retorted quickly, somehow mollified by the physicist's certainty in the souled vampire's attraction to her, and remembering how Angel had barely been able to tear his gaze away from Fred when she was ill.

"Still, aren't we making assumptions here?  Isn't this beyond strange?"  Her voice dropped to a whisper.  "Isn't this wrong, greedy somehow?"

"Is it wrong to want to be happy.  To want to find completion.  Does it matter if the person is male or female?  Or even if you find it with more than one person at a time?  I felt that sense of rightness with you and Angel. I've never felt it before, or since."

Willow closed her eyes.  "I know", she whispered, her shoulders slumping as another thought intruded.  "Speaking of happiness--"

"No, no", Fred interrupted.  "Its safe.  His epiphany saw to that."

The redhead glanced up at the former slave, her mind automatically recalling Angel's story of what happened with Darla.  "His epiphany?  You mean when he and Darla...."

Fred nodded.

"Afterwards, that night, he thought he was losing his soul, again.  The pain was horrible, but instead everything clicked in his head.  He was filled with knowledge about his place in the world, about how he had been acting, about how much he needed his friends. He had *wanted* to lose his soul that night, and that option was forever taken from him.  He and Angelus are one."

"I'm almost not sure that's such a great thing", the hacker murmured.

Fred turned her body toward the other woman, her back to the pane of glass.

"It is.  Its made him lighter somehow.  Hopeful.  He dreams of things now, he never would have dared to before.  Its why he dared to consider love with Cordelia.  Its why he was mature enough to let it go when he realized it would be nothing more.  He has to co-exist with his darkness now, instead of trying to ignore it.  Angelus is a part of him, always will be, it is only now that Angel is coming to understand that."

Willow opened her eyes and found her gaze locked with Fred's.  She understood that.  She had come to terms with her own darkness, thanks to Giles.  Her breath caught in her throat at the vision she beheld.  This brilliant, beautiful woman wrapped in moonlight.

"Fred--", she croaked.  "I--"

Fred stopped her, placing a gentle finger on her lips.  "I'm not scared anymore Willow."

"Neither am I", the witch breathed, leaning forward slightly.  Fred met her halfway, her lips parting in welcome as their mouths touched.

Willow groaned as Fred opened her mouth further at the ministrations of her tongue.  She slid inside to taste her, exploring her deeply and slowly, savoring the feel and the taste of her.

"Willow", Fred sighed, pressing closer as sensation began to build inside of her.

In answer to her name, the hacker paused to lightly suckle Fred's lower lip before backing away from her and standing up.  Her legs felt unsure, and she wasn't sure if it was from the power of the kiss, or having been kneeling at Fred's side for all this time.  Perhaps it was a bit of both.

Fred followed her.  Coming up from her seat to stand before the shorter woman.  Her trembling fingers traced Willow's cheek gently, before sloping downwards, skimming her throat and then following the curve of her collar bone.

The witch's breathing became deeper at her touch, and Fred marveled at the sensation of power this engendered within her.

"You like that...", she whispered, her tone verging on amazement.

Willow's voice was huskier than she'd ever heard it.  "I'm sure I'll like everything you do."

Pleasure flooded the brunette at the simple, heartfelt words of confidence, and smiling she leaned forward to initiate a kiss.  Her decision was made.

The beauties melted against each other, bonelessly arching their bodies into the other for both support and the indescribable ecstasy of contact.

As their tongues slid sensuously against one another's Fred found herself unbearably frustrated by the inability to touch her soon to be lover's skin.

"Willow", she whimpered against her mouth.  As she spoke, she found herself gently pushing the redhead backwards.  She giggled at when Willow's eyes widened at the sudden sensation of the mattress hitting the back of her knees.

A wicked smile suddenly lit Willow's face.

Fred blushed.  "What?", she squeaked.

"Less clothes would be a good idea."

The brunette brightened, happy that she hadn't done anything incorrectly.

"You're right", Fred grinned, "we do."

Smiling gleefully, they pulled apart far enough to begin tugging on each others clothing.  They yanked on zippers and made short work of buttons, pulling shirts over and off even as they giggled and moaned beneath each others hands.  This step would for them not be something quiet and serious, no, this was a joining that would be full of laughter and joy.

Willow swallowed with difficulty as the last of Fred's clothing was discarded, the simple pink cotton bikini briefs being kicked off in a fit of harried pique.

"You're beautiful", she murmured.

Fred blushed, and reached out, lightly ghosting over the sensitive skin of the witch's breast.  Willow could feel the gooseflesh rise, as her nipple tightened.

Willow captured her hand, and sat on the bed.

"Come here", she said, pulling Fred gently.

The lithe brunette obeyed, her chocolate eyes focused on Willow's lips.

"Am I doing this right?", Fred asked uncertainly.

Willow laughed huskily, before pulling Fred more forcibly and then rolling her beneath her.

"You certainly are", she chuckled, before kissing the other woman's neck. Fred giggled.

"Ooooh, you're ticklish!", Willow declared before using the tip of her tongue to trace a moist, trail up Fred's throat.

The physicist couldn't hold back her laughter.  Soon Willow joined her.

They continued to giggle as their fingertips danced across silken flesh. Together they discovered one another, mapping peak and valley. Their giggles quieting as mouths followed fingertips, and passion made their attentions harsher, more urgent.  Tasting.  Savoring.  Devouring.  The giggles turned to wanton moans as hands dipped lower, slipping to heated, moist velvet.

"Oh Goddess Fred, don't stop!"

"Willow..."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, yes, gods, yes, oh, OH!"

"Please!  Yes!  Right there.  Yesss..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Much later, the two women snuggled together.

"Can we do that again?"

Willow laughed.  "As often as you want."

The brunette snuggled into the hacker's side.

"Willow."

"Hmmm..."

"I think I'm ready to go back to Los Angeles now."

"Oh", Willow whispered despondently.

Fred's eyes widened at her lover's tone, and she lifted her head to look down into her face.

"I don't mean to leave you.  I want you to come to.  For a while.  I mean, I wish you could come forever, but..."  Fred's dark eyes shone with confusion.   "I know you have a life here."

"My life is with you.  Wherever you are.  I'd gladly uproot myself.  It wouldn't be that hard.  I could even transfer to UCLA."

Fred's heart lightened, hope springing in her breast.  "But what about Buffy?"

"I can still help her.  I may be a little further away, but there are phones and e-mail and cars.  I want to try Fred.  I want to be with you and I want to be with Angel."  Willow blinked, surprised by her inclusion of the vampire.  She hadn't really given him a thought until just this moment, but now looking back on everything she was surprised to find that he had in fact been there, in the back of her thoughts.

"You've made me so happy", Fred said quietly, pressing a gently kiss on her lips.

Willow deepened the kiss, welcoming her lover into her mouth and greeting her tongue with her own.  Her need for this special woman overwhelmed her. Using her leg for leverage, the witch flipped them, positioning herself over Fred, her right thigh pressing intimately unto the center of her femininity.

Fred gasped, her head twisting left and right, as Willow began to move against quickly finding a rhythm which left her breathless.  Her long mahogany hair writhed beneath her.

"C-C-Come with me", Fred stammered, barely able to speak as the sensations within her built.

"For you", Willow moaned.

"For us", Fred replied determinedly, raising her right leg slightly.

The redhead grunted.  The ability to speak leaving her as she suddenly found herself riding Fred's thigh.

They bodies strained together, skin sliding against skin, movements becoming wilder, faster.

A keening wail escaped Fred's throat as she found herself teetering at the edge of a precipice.  Willow's mouth closed over her own swallowing her cries as another movement sent her over, her body arching as color and light seemed to explode behind her eyelids.  Dimly, she could hear  and feel her lover follow, as Willow's body stilled abruptly, her body quaking against her own with the force of her release.

Slick with sweat and gasping for air, they clung to one another.

Fred has almost fallen asleep when Willow's gentle voice came out of the darkness.

"What's going to happen now?"

The former slave smiled, her features relaxed and beautiful in that stage before sleep.  "Easy hon.  We're going to seduce ourselves a vampire", she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh."

Fred sighed and snuggled closer.  "Now go to sleep Willow."

A loud yawn sounded.  "'Kay."

The End