Joined

Series: The Unexpected

Author: ~*Mystra*~

Disclaimer: This is a work of love and done for fun, not profit. BtVS and AtS are properties of the god also known as Joss. I'm poor, don't sue me.

Distribution: If you already have my stuff, take it. Otherwise please ask.

Feedback: YES PLEASE! I'M WORRIED YOU GUYS HAVE FORGOTTEN ME.

Category: W/A/Fr, C/Gn. Mentions of C/A, B/A, W/T and Fr/Gn. Totally AU

Rating: R

Spoilers: Up to and including anything this season. If you don't want to get spoiled as to things which have occurred this season, you don't want to read this. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Summary: Willow and Fred set out to include Angel in their bid for happiness.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
 

~Part: 1~

It was dark by the time they arrived in Los Angeles three days after Willow's decision start a life with Fred, and go with her. Three days in which her decision had turned life as she knew it, upside down. Although her friends had been surprisingly supportive; packing up all her belongings, putting in the paperwork for a college transfer and saying good bye, had been anything but easy. Willow was an emotional wreck, only managing to actually drive away after two false starts, four group hugs, and promises of calls, e-mails and visits.

Willow had been shocked by her friend's supportiveness of her decision, especially Xander. She'd been halfway convinced that he would've fought and pleaded with her to stay, but instead he insisted she follow her heart and seize happiness where she could. His gaze had been shadowed and sad when he'd said it, despite the familiarity of the goofy grin which he'd hung on his face.

Buffy had smiled through tears, giving her hugs that were just short of bone-cracking. "I'm thrilled for you Wills. I just knew you two were a great fit", the Slayer had whispered in her ear.

It was with a smile at these remembrances that Willow pulled the rental car to the curb and parked besides the Hyperion Hotel. She wondered idly if Buffy would have been as supportive if she'd known that Fred wasn't the only individual she planned to add to her life. The thought filled her with trepidation, but also a strange longing which turned her insides to jelly. Her brain may have wanted to convince her that pursuing Angel was wrong, but her heart just didn't buy it.

The redhead sighed softly, making a mental note to return the car to one of the Budget Rental places in the morning. She would have just borrowed one of her parents' cars again; after all it wasn't as if they were even around to drive them very often, but practicality and a healthy dose of cynicism had killed that idea.

First, she had no idea when she would get a chance to return it, and it wouldn't have surprised Willow whatsoever if after their return from whatever trip they'd now undertaken, Ira and Sheila would report the car stolen and have her arrested just to have the car returned. If her parents had been downright disinterested in their only child while she was growing up; they'd become downright cold and vaguely hostile when she'd informed them of her sexuality and personal beliefs. The realization didn't really disturb her anymore. Willow had come to accept the fact that she was Sheila and Ira Rosenberg's daughter in name and genetic materials only.

"You okay?", Fred's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I'm good, actually", Willow replied. "Just thinking."

Fred leaned over and pressed a kiss to the other woman's lips. Pulling back, the brunette opened the car door.

~~~~~~~~~

Angel sighed, and stared at the desktop. He was bored. No visions tonight, no big ugly nasties to fight. To top it all off, there hadn't been any call from Fred and Willow. He knew it was silly but he felt kind of abandoned. It certainly didn't help matters to see Cordy and Gunn in a variety of compromising positions as of late. Those two certainly had chemistry. It was just too bad that Fred had had to be hurt for them to discover it.

Angel sighed again, just glad that his friend seemed to finally be making inroads into feeling better and getting over her depression over her break up with Gunn. He just wished she would have called. Hell, even an e-mail would've cheered him up a little.

He was just wondering if he should go see a movie by himself, when the bell attached to the entrance rang.

'Customers!', he thought gleefully, almost rubbing his hands together in anticipation of something, anything to do.

He walked out of the office and froze, a large, very atypical grin splitting his features.

"Angel!", the two women cried, dropping bags and other assorted items in their wake and they rushed the tall vampire, and engulfed him in a group hug.

Angel chuckled, relishing the feel of his two favorite ladies, and the sunny warmth of their presences.

"I'm so glad you two are here. I've missed you both. Still, I wish you would have told me you were coming, I could have picked you up."

Fred giggled. "But then it wouldn't have been a surprise silly."

Willow stepped back suddenly shy. "We have some more surprises for you actually", she managed quietly.

Fred looked at her lover and gave her an encouraging smile.

"I've decided to start a new life, and uh... move in with you two. I hope that's alright", the redhead said in a murmured rush.

Angel blinked, as the words he didn't even know he longed to hear actually came from the witch's throat.

"Wait, did I hear you correctly?"

Willow nodded slowly. She gasped when two muscular arms seized her. "Eeep!"

"Angel!", Fred admonished, watching as Angel twirled the slight hacker around. "She needs to breathe."

The vampire chuckled, but his smile faltered as he registered the scent which clung to the woman in his arms.

Willow stumbled as she was abruptly released from her friend's crushing hug.

Fred noted Angel's sudden retreat, her eyes narrowing with sudden understanding.

"What's the rest of the surprise?", he asked, his demeanor notably different.

"Well, uh--", Willow began.

"-- We're together", Fred finished. The brunette stepped closer and the hacker took her hand.

"Wow." There was a moment of silence. "That's great... unexpected, but great." As he spoke, Angel stared at a spot over the couple's heads. "So uh, I guess you guys need help with your stuff huh? I'll just go out and help. Yeah."

And then he was gone. They were alone.

"What just happened?" Willow's voice was bewildered.

Fred's voice seemed small and forlorn in the huge lobby. "I think I made a slight miscalculation."

~Part: 2~

Angel took his time grabbing boxes and bags from the car out front.  He'd grab as many as he could carry and then trudge up to the courtyard, and leave them by the front door.  He was thankful when he found an interior release for the trunk near the driver's side.  He'd been dreading having to go inside and ask his friends for the keys.  Not only did he think it would make him look foolish after his abrupt departure; but he just didn't think he could face them and their happy "togetherness" yet.

He grabbed two suitcases from the trunk and sighed.  He closed his eyes and shook his head.  He was torn, and he shouldn't have been.  If he was any kind of friend, Angel realized, he should have been happy for the two women.   Especially after all the sadness and disappointments each had faced.

Yet, Angel couldn't help himself.  His soul wanted to rail, to scream at once again finding itself short-shrifted when it came to happiness.  The feeling of belonging and warmth which Fred and Willow could engender within him, was addicting and sweet.  Angel wanted it desperately.  He'd never felt that with anyone.  Not Buffy, not Cordelia, and certainly not Darla.  This was not to say that all his thoughts concerning the two were all sweetness and light.  Naughty sexual thoughts about the pretty physicist and the red-haired witch were definitely a whole other factor, and all too common.

In fact, that was the main reason he'd run for the hills when he had.

It was one thing to feel like the hope in his heart had been shattered, but another to want to conquer, seduce and punish them for daring to choose one another when his demon felt that they belonged to him.  He was a vampire, and that other side of him wanted nothing more than to charge back in there and make the two beauties his every single way that he knew how.  And let there be no mistake, Angel knew quite a few...

He forced himself away from those thoughts. They could not be allowed.  He would not allow it.  It was wrong.  Not only because Willow and Fred had fallen in love; but because he had realized that he loved them as well.  He may be a vampire, but he also had a soul and a good dose of ethics and morals.

There was only one thing he could do.

He would be happy for them.  Even if it killed him.

Taking a deep and completely unneeded breath, Angel slammed the trunk closed with unnecessary force and headed back to the pile of boxes and bags stacked in the courtyard.  Grabbing two of the heaviest, he managed to wrest open the front door and almost stumbled inside.  Thankfully, he managed to regain his balance and not fall on his ass.

"Jeez Wills, what did you pack in here?  Rocks?", he quipped, in what he hoped was a normal voice.  When no one answered he tore his eyes from the brown boxes to find the lobby empty.

He rolled his eyes.  'It figured.  All that fake cheer he'd managed to muster, and there was no one here to witness it.'

Sighing once more, the souled vampire set the boxes in the ancient and little used elevator before returning outside to collect the rest of Willow's things.

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

Fred was scowling.  Since she'd never seen Fred scowl before, Willow was worried.

"Fred, you okay?"

"Fine, just... frustrated."

She shook her head and started to pace.

Willow wracked her brain for something reassuring to say.  "We can make him come around Fred.  I mean... well, he doesn't know that we love him."

"I know, but the problem is he's so guilt-ridden, and broody sometimes.  I can just imagine him convincing himself that he should be happy for us and supportive and stay far, far away", the lithe brunette replied.

Willow shrugged.  What could she say?  Her lover had a point.  That sounded just like the Angel she knew during her days in Sunnydale.  She knew that the vampire had lightened up a little and was a lot freer with his opinions and personality since he'd been in L.A., but could Fred be right?  Would Angel simply hide behind his old bad habits and convince himself that that was the right thing to do?

What was she thinking?  Of course he would.

"Ack", the hacker murmured dispiritedly.  "You're right."

Fred stopped pacing and turned around.  She gave Willow a sudden and very secretive smile.  "You know what?"

Willow shook her head.

"Nothing's changed.  We stick to the plan."

The witch returned Fred's secretive grin.  "Ahhh... the brilliant seduction idea..."

Fred licked her lips and took a few steps toward her lover.  "Yup."

Willow bit her lip, her eyes absorbing the manner in which Fred's body moved, like a thirsty sponge.

"Goddess...", she whispered.

The physicist's grabbed hold of the back of Willow's neck and kissed her passionately.  They pressed together fervently, the suddenness of their desire inflaming their senses. Willow was just inching her hand up Fred's shirt when something abruptly infiltrated her passion-drugged brain.

It was the sound of growling which caused them to end their heated embrace.

The two women turned, and found Angel in the doorway, a stack of boxes in his arms.  The growling abruptly stopped.

The souled vampire's eyes fell to the floor.  Willow wondered if he really found their shoes so fascinating.

"Sorry I was just clearing my throat", Angel said awkwardly.

Fred smiled up at him disarmingly.  "Here let me help you with that", she said, taking a box out of her friend's arms.

"I'll, uh, just get the rest of it", he said, placing the others on the floor, before hurriedly turning and walking out of the room. His gait was stiff instead of fluidly graceful and the reason was suddenly obvious to the redhead. Finally, Willow was sure, that Fred was right.  Angel didn't stand a chance.

She turned her head and met her girlfriend's smug countenance. The ridiculousness of situation was just too much.  Their laughter floated down the hallway, clearly audible from where a very aroused souled vampire leaned against wall trying to get control of himself.

~Part: 3~

Angel helped them for an hour, before pleading tiredness and fleeing from the room.  Feeling magnanimous, the two women let him go, certain that their silent campaign was driving him nuts.  Every time they'd walked by him, they had touched him in one way or another; be it a hug or touch of a hand, they'd managed to inject physical contact, albeit casual, into the entire night.  Coupled with the longing glances Fred and Willow had leveled at one another and a few kisses, the brunette had been rather surprised he'd lasted as long as he had.

Feeling better than she had when they arrived, Fred was now excitedly pointing out features and making suggestions about the living arrangements as Willow looked over the suite of rooms with a smile.

"You can plug your laptop in here... Oh, oh! And I know where we can find you your own desk upstairs. We can have Angel move it."

Willow giggled at her lover's unbridled enthusiasm.  A wicked smile crossed her features as her eyes landed on the bed.  She closed in on the brunette who was mentally compiling a 'to do' list, and pressed a moist, open-mouthed kiss in the curve of her neck.

A surprised gasp escaped Fred's lips.  She turned in Willow's arms.

"How about we think about all that tomorrow?", the witch suggested throatily.

Wide-eyed with cheeks flushed with desire, Fred could barely speak.  "Okay", she squeaked.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The following day was a whirlwind of activity for Willow as she made a journey to UCLA to begin registering for her classes.  It was a bit of a trial as some of the courses weren't exactly comparable to those she took at Sunnydale U.

Fred had offered to go with her, but Willow had insisted she stay.  She felt as if Fred and Angel needed time to reconnect.  Despite her security in her emotional attachment to the former Pylean slave, in some ways Willow was all too aware that she was technically the outsider.  She was the one who'd somehow changed the way the scales balanced by her presence in L.A.

Walking into an office with the name Gerald Sirois stenciled on the door, the witch knocked and entered so she could speak to the man who had been assigned as her counselor.

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

Cordelia looked down at the sheets of paper on her desk, and then up to the computer screen.  Something in the numbers wasn't adding up, but she was darned if she could figure it out.  She was too preoccupied by the thought of having to confront Fred, now that the southerner was back.

Swallowing back a surge of nerves, the Seer looked up surreptitiously through a curtain of dark lashes, glancing from the stairs to where Gunn stood awkwardly by the tall front desk.  He looked as nervous as she felt.

Her eyes slid to the dark haired vampire who strode energetically back and forth in his office.  He was on the phone.  Cordelia sighed.  Not that Angel was going to be of much help anyway.  She was quite aware that he wasn't pleased with the way things had gone down between herself and Gunn, and how they'd hurt Fred.  It wasn't as if Cordelia had been all that happy with herself either.  The situation had just happened, and frankly despite knowing it was wrong, their new relationship just felt so... right.

The sound of light footfalls reached her ears first.  Quirking a dark eyebrow upwards, she sent Gunn a look.  Fred was coming.

Quickly pretending to be busy, the Seer began to shuffle papers and type incomprehensible gobbledy-gook on the computer keyboard.

The sound of footfalls on the steps seemed to fill the room, and unable to help herself Cordelia looked up and blinked.  Fred was grinning, from ear to ear.  She wore a form fitting pair of golden corduroys that she'd matched up with a sleeveless, shirred brown top.  Her hair hung in loose curls, her eyes fairly glowing.  The Seer was taken aback.  The other woman certainly didn't look like a wronged ex-girlfriend any longer.  Fred was breathtaking.

Cordelia's eyes flickered to Gunn.  She was not pleased to find the demon hunter staring at his ex-girlfriend intently.  She'd get him for that later.

Fred paused at the landing, her hand resting on the banister.  It was as if she'd only just registered their presences.

"Hi, Fred", the Seer said, in a manner that was almost breathless.  She winced inwardly wondering where her impeccable self-control had gone.

The physicist replied politely in greeting.  "Cordelia."  She looked at her ex.  "Gunn."

"We're glad you're back", he said sincerely.

Fred's face softened for a split second before another bright smile, this one obviously forced, was pasted on her face.

"Fred, I think we should talk", Cordy began.  "I owe you an apology, or actually lots of them."  She looked at Gunn.  "I mean, we never meant for this to happen--"

"Stop", Fred said tightly, holding up a slender hand.  "I know.  I understand.  It hurt, a lot, but I realized it wasn't so much losing Gunn that hurt as the feeling that I had been betrayed by two of my best friends."

Gunn had the decency to blink, while a mortified flush spread across Cordelia's neck, her hand coming up to automatically brush her tummy and the scar that marred the golden skin there.

"Fred I'm so sorry.  We don't want to loose that friendship", Cordelia offered.  "Its important to me."

Gunn stepped to the Seer's side, his arm coming up about her shoulders. "Its important to US."

Fred looked from one to the other, and exhaled.  "I don't either", she admitted, "but its going to take time.  I have to learn to trust you two again."

Cordelia smiled dazzlingly, and Gunn looked frankly amazed.  "You're a bigger person than me Fred.  I don't know if I could handle this as maturely as you are if the roles were reversed."

Fred's eyes hardened.  "You're going to have to get over that than Charles. Because I didn't come back alone."

Gunn frowned.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I fell in love in Sunnydale", the physicist said, enunciating slowly.  "And my girlfriend came back with me."  Without another word of explanation, Fred turned and headed for Angel's office.  The door slammed.

"Girlfriend!  What does she mean girlfriend?", Gunn demanded in confusion. Fred couldn't have been serious could she?  A girl?

Cordy started at the sound, a niggling suspicion forming in her gut.  She sat down heavily and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

~Part: 4~

Series: The Unexpected Title: Joined (4/?) Author: ~*Mystra*~ E-Mail: yanira_vazquez@hotmail.com Disclaimer: This is a work of love and done for fun, not profit. BtVS and AtS are properties of the god also known as Joss. I'm poor, don't sue me. Distribution: If you already have my stuff, take it. Otherwise please ask. Feedback: YES PLEASE! I'M WORRIED YOU GUYS HAVE FORGOTTEN ME. Category: W/A/Fr, C/Gn. Mentions of C/A, B/A, W/T and Fr/Gn.  Totally AU Rating: R Spoilers: Up to and including anything this season. If you don't want to get spoiled as to things which have occurred this season, you don't want to read this. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! Summary: Willow and Fred set out to include Angel in their bid for happiness. ____________________________________________________________

Fred leaned against the door and looked heavenwards, something sounding suspiciously like a growl erupting from her throat.

The souled vampire watched the brunette and sighed.  "Can I call you later Lorne something just came up."  Hanging up, he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

"What happened?"

Fred made another "grrrr" sound before stomping her foot and flouncing off towards the green leather couch against the wall.  She sat down, sinking into the seat.

"Nothing..."

"Fred."

"I just-- nothing."  Her sable eyes were downcast as she avoided his gaze.

"Look at me Fred."

"I don't want to."

"Please."

Fred's lips twisted with humor at the wheedling tone in Angel's voice.  She met his dark gaze and felt that familiar melting sensation in the pit of her stomach.

"Tell me."

"I'm just mad.  I'm mad that they look so happy.  I'm mad that they seem so surprised to hear I could be with someone else, and I'm mad that I care about what they'll think of Willow cause I shouldn't.  I should just be happy because I am, and not care because I shouldn't."  She hit the seat of the couch next to her to emphatically delineate her point.

Angel grinned.

Fred rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to grin back.  "Stop smiling at me. I'm furious."

Angel immediately hardened his features.  "Right. Furious. Check."

"I am!", she squeaked, her resolve crumpling in the face of the ridiculousness of the situation.  Fred chuckled, and stood up, her fists settling on slender hips.

"No fair.  I'm supposed to be angry darn it", she huffed, laughter still infusing her voice.

"Remind me to teach you how to curse", Angel drawled, leaning back in his chair.

Fred narrowed her eyes and slowly came around the desk, her finger pointing at the tall, vampire in a mock accusatory manner.  "What's wrong with darn it?!"

Angel smirked, and the last vestiges of Fred's temper tantrum evaporated. Breaking into a grin, the brunette threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks Angel."

"I like it when you laugh."

Angel had meant the comment, he just hadn't meant for it to actually eject itself from his mouth, and sound so... so.

The physicist froze, her heart pounding in her chest as the words and the husky tone slammed into her.  Eyes widening, Fred turned her head, determined to gauge her friend's emotions.

The vampire stiffened, as Fred's fragrant hair brushed his cheek.  She was so close... Too close.

Fred met his dark eyes and was dismayed at the utter lack of visible emotion.  This bothered her, but as far as she was concerned if she was in for a penny, she was in for a pound.  However, even if her mind was screaming retreat she was determined she wouldn't do so without claiming some new territory.

Smiling at him gently, Fred leaned in closer and brushed her lips against his own.  Happiness soared in her heart at the flash of yellow heat she spied in his eyes.

"I like it when you laugh too Angel", she whispered into his ear.

At that moment, the office door banged open, causing Fred to jerk back.  A blush rose in her cheeks with the realization that she'd practically been sitting on the vampire's lap.

They both looked over.

Willow stood there, a small, smile playing about her lips.

"So, did I miss anything?"

Fred resisted the urge to chuckle, enjoying the mischievous spark in her Willow's eyes.

Angel looked panicked.  "No, you didn't miss, uh, anything!", he said in a rush, pushing back his chair and coming to a stand smoothly.  "Fred just, uh... had something in her eye."

Willow rolled her eyes, accepting a hug from her girlfriend and kissing the lovely brunette on the lips gently.

"Bad girl", she breathed in Fred's ear.

Fred blushed.

The souled vampire stood there uncomfortably for a moment, mind racing.  Had he imagined Fred's kiss?  And why wasn't Willow frying him over it?  Hadn't she seen it?

He looked over at the two women.  They were talking.  It was as if nothing had happened.  Scrounging up a shred of his vaunted self-control, he caught part of their discussion.  Grasping at the opportunity to get everything back to normal, he made an effort to get involved in the conversation.

"How was UCLA?", he asked Willow.

The redhead smiled brightly.  "Oh Angel it was great.  The school is so much bigger than Sunnydale U.  They have all these amazing classes.  I don't know how I'm going to whittle down what I want to sign up for first."

"So you think you'll be happy here?", Fred asked.

Willow's eyes softened.  She hugged the slight woman to her, and found Angel's gaze over her shoulder.

"Oh Fred, I'm already happy here."

~Part: 5~

After a couple of weeks, things settled.  At least relatively speaking. Willow went to classes during the day four times a week.  She would get back to the Hyperion in the evenings and regale Fred and Angel with her experiences at school, or something new and interesting she'd learned.  Her course load was varied; consisting of computer sciences and programming, along with a mythology course, philosophy and even an introduction to forensic science.

This was not to say that things were hunky dory, because they weren't.  The tension was rampant.  Angel made sure he made himself busy, often disappearing whenever he found himself with either Fred or Willow alone.  He didn't trust himself, and purposefully ignored the come hither signals his internal Angelus insisted the two women were sending him.  He was convinced that his libido had come unhinged.  After all, why would Willow or Fred risk the beautiful relationship they were creating together, for anything with him?

In the meantime, Fred had taken to avoiding Gunn.  The demon hunter could not understand Fred and Willow's relationship, refusing to believe that it was valid, and loving, and very satisfying.  She was tired of his glares and blunt, less than tactful questions regarding her sexuality.  What the hell business was it of his anyway?

Cordelia and Willow weren't much better.  After all Cordelia was basically now guilty of what she'd tormented Willow for senior year of high school. The brunette's guilt over essentially destroying Fred's relationship with Gunn warred with her feelings of jealousy over the growing closeness between Willow and Angel.  The Seer felt she was being replaced and losing her best friend, while Willow was angry at her shoddy treatment of Fred and the snipey commentary Cordelia couldn't seem to help ejecting whenever the witch was in the room.  The two women compromised by ignoring each other.

The entire situation was driving Angel insane.  He hated that his team, his friends were at odds and on eggshells around each other, and he hated that his libido couldn't seem to separate his friendships with Willow and Fred, with desire for them both.

The office was a powder keg waiting to explode.  All it needed was a spark.

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

"Hidey ho everybody!"

Fred and Willow looked up from a large book they were looking over.  The slender brunette grinned.

"Lorne!"

The green-skinned demon stood in the lobby, resplendent and overly bright in a turquoise and orange Hawaiian shirt, chinos and black flip flops.

She ran from behind the desk to hug the aura reading demon.

"You're back!", she exclaimed, giving him a heartfelt hug.

"Hey there kitten, how's one of my favorite girls?"

Fred stepped back, her hands going into the back pocket of her jeans.  "I'm good."  A faint flush colored her cheeks as she looked at Willow.

Lorne chuckled.  "My my, looks like your better than good kitten, in fact it looks like your heart's gone a long way in mending since the Gunn fiasco."

Fred sighed. "You knew about that?"

"I may have been on vacation princess, but I kept in touch.  I talk to Angel pretty regularly.  He told me.  I just wish I'd been here to--"

The slim brunette put a hand on his arm, halting Lorne's effusive flow of words.

"Its okay Lorne, things are much better now.  I'm happy."

Willow watched and decided it was time to introduce herself to the colorful demon.  Wiping suddenly, moist palms on her jeans she approached the two friends.

"Hi, I'm Willow", the witch said, holding out her hand.

"Enchante Mademoiselle", Lorne said gallantly, turning her hand and making her attempts at a handshake into a courtly kiss on the back of the hand. Willow giggled in surprise, and found the verdant-hued demon staring at her with a strange expression on his face.

"What?"

"You're a powerful one, aren't you precious?"

Red stained, Willow's cheeks.  Hurrying to calm her in case he's stuck his foot in his mouth, Lorne rubbed her hand.  "It'll be all right sweetness.  I was just stating a fact."

Lorne looked at Fred.  "So where's everybody else?"

"Angel's hiding out in his office, and Cordelia and Gunn are downstairs training."

Willow rolled her eyes.  "Or at least that's what they said they were going to do."

The demon shook his head bemusedly.  "Ahhh...  Guess that means I go see Angelcakes first."  So saying Lorne swept off in the direction of the office.

Willow looked from his back to Fred and then back again.  "Wow."

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

Lorne burst into Angel's office with nary a knock to announce him.

"Angelcakes!  What in the world is going on?  The tension in this place, its practically screaming at me.  I swear I could feel it before I even came in."

The vampire took one look at the ranting demon and sighed.

"Hello to you too Lorne."

Pausing in mid-diatribe, the aura reading demon mumbled, "oh yeah, hi Angel."

"I'll give you the short version", the souled vampire told him.

Lorne paused and tapped his foot.  "Well?  Go ahead, I haven't got all day."

Angel watched as Lorne calmed himself and sat down on the couch.  Placing his best "I'm listening" look on his face, he gestured for Angel to begin with the explanations.  The vampire only hoped he could manage to edit out his own dilemma.  He doubted it, however.  Lorne always seemed to be able to finagle or guess the truth.  He was too damned astute by half.

Little did Angel know that he's just set off a chain of events that was going to blow Angel Investigations wide open.  Because if there was anything else besides astute that could describe Lorne, it was flaming.  The spark had arrived.

~Part: 6~

It took two days before Lorne decided on his plan of attack.  Deciding to tackle the easiest issues first, he began with Cordelia.  He knew the young woman wouldn't disappoint him.  She was honest and ruthlessly blunt. The fact that she was avoiding the issue of her feelings concerning Angel and the dissonance within herself about the Willow issue, was highly unlike her.   She was going against her very nature in a strange attempt to keep the relative peace.  It was *highly* unlike her.  He knew he could get her to cave.

He wandered into the Angel Investigations office humming a tune and promptly settled his rump on Queen Cordelia's desk.

"Hey sweetness, what's shaking?"

The brunette rolled her eyes.  "You know, visions, bad guys, Angel kills bad guys, more visions...", she sighed.  "Same old same old."

"Sounds like you need a vacation Cordy."

At that moment, Angel was making his way down the stairs.  He'd only heard a portion of the conversation.  Assuming he was being helpful, the vampire promptly opened his mouth and shoved one big foot right into it.

"You can take a vacation whenever you want Cordy.  With Willow here, you could even take Gunn and go somewhere sunny and relax.  We'd survive without you, you know."

Barely pausing in mid-step, the vampire made his way into his office and slammed the door shut. Lorne could hardly believe his luck.  Glancing skywards, he shot whoever was up there watching out for him a thankful grin.   Angel couldn't have made this any easier.

Cordelia was looking after after the vampire completely agog.

"Shut your mouth honey, you'll catch flies like that", Lorne quipped, waiting for the explosion.

The Seer shot up out of her chair.  "Why that inconsiderate, Neanderthal, blood-sucking, taking-me-for-granted... VAMPIRE!", Cordelia shouted.

"Mmmm hmmm", Lorne said soothingly, patting the Seer's hand.

"We'd survive?  We'd survive?  What?  Just because Glenda the good witch is here, I'm suddenly unnecessary?!"  She glared at Lorne.  "Hello!  I'm Vision Girl, without me this place would fall apart!"  Her dark eyes suddenly clouded, she looked at the green-skinned demon.  "It would wouldn't it?"

"Oh honey! Of course it would.  But I'm thinking there's more to this little outburst than an offer of vacation.... am I right?"

Cordelia groaned, and nodded.

Hopping off the desk, Lorne slung an arm around her shoulders and steered her towards Angel's door.  "Well, then I think its high time you get it out honey.  Holding things back is just not good for Cordelia Chase's complexion."  With those last words, Lorne opened the door and practically shoved Cordelia into Angel's office.

Practically glowing with success, Lorne did a smooth 360 turn Michael Jackson himself would've been proud of, grabbing his crotch in a full on impersonation of the strange 'Gloved One', only to realize he had company.

"Oh... hey Fred."

His next vict-- eh, subject, had arrived.

~~~~~~~~~~

She wasted no time.

"What the hell was that!"

Angel set down his mug of blood in confusion.  "Huh?"

"Don't huh me mister!", Cordy crowed angrily, folding her arms.  "I see how it is.  You don't need me anymore.  Or even, respect me anymore."

"How could you think that?"  He was mystified.

"Since the whole Fred thing you barely talk to me!  I know I screwed up with what happened with Gunn, but I thought we were okay after Fred went to Sunnydale, and I gave you some time.  But now, now its like you're back in avoidy, brood mood.  And with Willow here its like I'm being replaced.  I thought I was your friend!  I kinda thought I was even your best friend." Her dark eyes flashed with angry frustration.

Angel stared at her for a moment in silence digesting what her diatribe had revealed.  Slowly, he got up from his chair and approached his Seer.

"First of all, I will always need you, and I will always respect you."  He settled his hands on her shoulders gently. "You were here from the beginning and you were instrumental in making me and what we do here a success."  The souled vampire paused, gathering his thoughts.  "I will admit that what happened between you and Gunn was disappointing.  I had you on this pedestal.  You gave up so much, changed so much, I think I forgot for a while that your essentially still a person.  And that, like all of us, imperfect."

Cordelia snorted in disagreement, her expression unchanging.

Angel chuckled darkly for a moment before sobering.

"Cordelia, no one is or could take your place.  Things are simply changing. It has nothing to do with Willow and everything to do with the things that have happened.  The dynamics have changed.  You have a boyfriend now, and you love him to distraction...."

"And I'm never here for you any more... Not to mention, you have a new friendship, and a new living situation to deal with", the brunette sighed, her tense posture finally relaxing.  "Of course your all going to get closer, it makes sense."

She laid her head on Angel's shoulder.  "I just don't ever want to lose you Angel.  Your one of the most important vampires in my life."

"I'd better be the only vampire in your life", he murmured gruffly.

Cordelia blinked and stared at the wall, her head still firmly ensconced on Angel's chest.  "Guess this means I should apologize to Will's for all the green-eyed sniping huh?"

"Probably", Angel said as noncommittally as possible.

Suddenly businesslike, Cordelia stepped away and stared at him shrewdly. Angel, only just resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably under her assessment.

"So", she began, "you want to tell me why you've been tiptoeing around here and sneaking off to fight baddies without us?"

Angel's face froze.  "Uh, well--"

Inside him Angelus crowed with mischievous glee.  'Yeah Angel why don't you tell her you want to bend Fred over your desk and pound into her from behind while she eats out Willow's--'

"Angel."  Cordelia's voice interrupted the smooth, sensual sound of Angelus' voice in his mind.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Angel."

"Cordy."

"Angel!"

In a supremely childish gesture which Cordelia hadn't seen since she'd dated Xander Harris, the Champion for the PTB, stuck his fingers in his ears and started humming.

"Ugh!", she growled, throwing her hands up in the air in a gesture of defeat.  "You big lug, you know nothing stays a secret around here long.  I *will* get to the bottom of this", she told him poking him in the chest with a finger.  With that, she left.

Angel went back to his desk and sank into the leather chair.  He looked heavenwards and only just resisted the urge to shake his fist at the gods. 'Somebody up there really hated him...', he thought idly, before leaning forward and whacking his head on the desk.  Repeatedly.  Dimly, a part of his mind registered, that he really had to stop doing that.

~Part: 7~

"What are you doing?", Fred asked curiously, her rapid brain taking in her friend's attempt at a moonwalk skeptically.

"Celebrating", the green-skinned demon admitted, batting his crimson eyes at the young woman coquettishly.

"Do I want to know?"

Lorne shrugged, making his way to Cordelia's desk and taking a seat in her chair.  "Just making sure our resident Seer and Champion are back on the same page."

Fred chuckled, shaking her head.  "Good, I'm glad."

Lorne tilted his head, peering up at his friend.  "So what's your story?"

Looking suddenly uncomfortable, the physicist turned, picked up a file from the front desk and made a big show of looking through it.  "I don't know what you mean...", she said tightly.

The demon sighed, and crossed his legs.  He looked the epitome of casual cool, despite the outrageous color of his latest outfit.  No one could figure out how he managed that, least of all Fred.

"Don't give me the run around Fred.  Its Lorne here.  You know, all around good guy, aura-reading, snappy dressing, Lorne."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just..."

"Okay how about I throw out a few things and you tell me if I've got the gist?"

Fred nodded, and gestured for him to begin.

"First I've noticed, that despite everything that happened, you and Cordy seem to be okay with each other."

"She apologized.  I was really angry with her for a while, but I'm over that now.  We're just trying to rebuild my trust issues with her now."

"Ahhh... I see", Lorne said.  "So then I take it Gunn didn't apologize?"

She shook her head.  "No he did, and he seemed sincere about it..."

"But..."

"But, then he found out about Willow!", Fred shot back, hands shooting up in the air in exasperation.  "The fact that she's a she, is driving him up a wall. Its ridiculous!"

Lorne agreed, it was ridiculous.  "Frankly, honey sounds like jealousy to me."

"Jealousy?  That's preposterous.  He loves Cordy.  Its obvious, even I have to admit that", Fred replied.

"True, he does, but he's also young, at least mentality-wise.  Gunn's never really had deep, meaningful relationships like the ones that he's cultivated here.  He thought he'd die young, so he lived for the moment, flitting around hummingbird style."

Fred considered that for a moment.  "So you're saying that he still hasn't let me go, even though the end of our relationship was something that was his fault."

"Yep."

"But that's not fair", the brunette sighed.

"Nope, its not.  Guess you're just going to have to force him to grow up honey."

"Only if I don't end up shoving a sword up his--"

Lorne's laughter cut off her threat.  He wiped the beginnings of tears from the corners of his eyes.  "Hell honey, remind me never to piss you off."

Fred cracked a small smile.

"So where's your better half?  At school?"

"Mmmm hmmm, isn't she great?"

"She's a doll, hon.  I like her a lot."

Fred's smiled widened.  "Oh good."

"So when are you two gonna get to it?", he asked innocently, staring at his fingernails.  A frown touched his forehead.  He was in desperate need of a manicure.  He made a mental note to make an appointment with Mei Ling.

"Huh?  What do you mean?"

Lorne's eyes moved from his shoddy nails to Fred's big brown eyes.  They twinkled evilly.  " I mean, when are you two going to stop beating around the bush and jump Angelcakes' bones?"

"Lorne!", Fred shouted horrified.  She slapped a hand over her own mouth. "Someone could hear you", she hissed between her fingers, looking around the empty lobby with paranoia in full swing.  Moving swiftly, the physicist grabbed the demon's shoulder.

"Come on, we can't talk up here", she mumbled under her breath, directing Lorne upstairs to hers and Willow's room.

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

Willow sighed tiredly, as she trudged through the courtyard of the hotel. The bag hanging from her shoulders felt like it was full of rocks.  Passing a limp hand through her sweat-soaked locks, she managed to peel some of it from her forehead.  All she wanted was a long, cool shower, a hug from her lover, and some alone time with a souled gorgeous vampire.  Honestly, she didn't think it was all so much to ask.  Was it?

Her inner monologue quieted as she turned the doorknob and entered the building.

"Aaahhh", she groaned.  "Blessed relief."  She stood for a moment in the foyer, basking in the dim shadowy interior of the Hyperion.  It was always several degrees cooler in here than outside, a benefit she was sure of the insulating capabilities of heavy silk drapery, a direct result of it's being a vampire's residence.

She walked through the lobby and noted the quiet.  There was no Gunn sharpening swords, no Fred leafing through books, no Cordelia answering phones....  Angel's office was empty and Lorne was no where to be seen.

Moving towards the desk she privately thought of as Fred's, she hoped to find a note from her girlfriend.  She hoped they hadn't been called out urgently for a case without her.  She'd worry all day if they had.

Rifling through the sheets of paper which littered the work surface, she was about to give up when a noise caused her to turn in fear, and not a little anger.

Cordelia reared backwards, the green fire simmering in Willow's eyes fairly screaming with the summoning of some major magical fire power.  It crawled over the half-demon female's skin like ants.

"I didn't mean to startle you, you can turn down the magical mojo", the brunette spoke first.

"Right", Willow said shortly, turning back around and straightening the mess she'd made out of Fred's work while trying to calm herself.

Cordelia snorted.  "All right this is ending now.  We're burying the hatchet."

Willow turned to face her high school nemesis again, and folded her arms.

The Seer rolled her eyes.  "No, I don't mean literally."  Willow said nothing.

"Look, I'm here to apologize all right?"  The irony of this situation was not lost on the former Queen bitch of Sunnydale.

The hacker cum witch who'd been the favorite target of her cruelty during their youth was not oblivious to that irony either.

"You're not going to make this easy are you?"

A trace of a decidedly evil smirk flitted across Willow's face before disappearing.

"Look Willow, I know you're angry with me right now, and you have a total right to be.  I've been a complete bitch to you since before you even moved in."

"Tell me something I don't know."

Cordy grinned.  Apparently, little Willow had grown a spine.  She found that she approved.  "Okay, fair enough.  You want the truth?"

"That would be a good place to start", Willow told her, finding herself wanting to understand despite everything.

"I was feeling threatened", the Seer admitted coolly.

"Threatened?  Of me?", Willow squeaked.

"Angel's was, uh, IS my friend.  He was my first *real* friend.  He's goofy, he's a blood-sucking fiend, he's earnest, he can be totally awkward... but he was my goofy, blood-sucking fiend, ya know?"

The redhead blinked in confusion.

Cordelia groaned.  "Look, here I'm important.  Me, Cordelia Chase.  I'm Angel's Seer, I'm connected to the Powers That Be, and I can be me.  I don't have to be high and mighty Queen C.  I'm appreciated for who I am as a person, not what I look like or what I have.  For the first time I truly belong....  And then you come along...", she paused, and locked eyes with the shorter woman.

"And then you come along, right when I screw up with the Gunn thing ,and suddenly feel like I've endangered my place at AI, and my friendship with Angel.  You, a piece of my old life, a life I hated and never fit into were completely comfortable and at ease.  Never mind that you were sitting at my desk, in my chair, you were also doing the tete a tete thing with my vampire.  You flipped the script on me, and I just haven't been handling that well."

Willow's posture relaxed.

"Okay, I guess I even understand it... but this is more than even just that."

The Seer gestured impatiently for her to continue.  I just couldn't help practically relishing the fact that you did exactly what I did, and that now I had something to lord over and torture you with."

Cordelia swallowed.  "Oh, the Xander thing."  Her dark eyes flickered away. That was still a subject in her life she wasn't comfortable with.

Willow nodded.  "Yeah, the Xander thing.  Do you have any idea just how terrible I felt about that?  How horrible it was to finally have him look at me like something other than just his little buddy, and know that it was too little too late.  I had Oz, he had you.  Hell, I didn't even feel that way about him anymore, at least not really.  Still, a little part of me had to try it on for size.  I couldn't control myself.  Not after--", her voice drifted off, an embarrassed flush rising in her cheeks.

"Not after being in love with him for so long", the Seer said finishing the witch's sentence for her.

The redhead gasped softly.  "You knew?"

"Everybody knew Willow.  Everyone but Xander that is.  You weren't exactly good at hiding it.  You'd fall over yourself to do things for him.  It was sweet, and basically kind of sad actually."

The hacker glared at the taller woman.  "Thanks", she said between grit teeth.

Cordelia shrugged.  It was the truth after all.  The brunette met Willow's eyes.  "I never wanted to hurt Fred.  She's my friend.  One of the few I have of the female variety.  It makes her kind of special."

The comment brought a slight grin to Willow's features.  "And I never meant to hurt you.  Plus, I have no plans to try to replace you in Angel's life."

The half-demon woman nodded.  "I know.  Angel and I finally talked."  She cocked her head, sharp eyes weighing and speculating upon the emotions she could read on Willow's face.  "I think you and Fred are making a whole new place for yourselves in Brood Boy's life."

"Oh", Willow said thoughtfully.

"So, now that that's over with, I think we can bring this heart to heart to a close", Cordelia said, with sudden briskness.  "Clean slate, start over, yadda yadda yadda", she murmured quickly, gesturing with her hands dismissively and walking away from the redhead.

Rolling her eyes, Willow grabbed her bag and started up the stairs.  Well, that had certainly been interesting.

~Part: 8~

Angel lunged.  His opponent parried his sword thrust using his axe.  Metal clashed loudly in the relative quiet, punctuating their every movement.

Sweat gleamed along Gunn's brow, also dampening his tee shirt as he and Angel went at it with the single-mindedness of seasoned warriors.  Gunn didn't hold back, losing himself in the physicality of trying to get the best of the vampire.  Something which had yet to happen in the years they'd trained together.

Finally, the street fighter shrugged, sighed and stopped.  Angel's sword stopped, a scant inch from Gunn's neck.

Confused, Angel swallowed the urge to rage at the other man, and turned to put his sword away.

"Look Angel, I know we're not in the habit of deep, personal discussions... but you've been off lately bro.  Personally, I'd like it a hell of a lot more if I knew you were in top form when you watch my back", Gunn said.

"You're right.  I'm working on it."

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Got ya", Gunn said, his relief palpable.  "Check you later."  With that, the demon hunter hefted his prized axe over his shoulders and started up the stairs.

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

Willow opened the door and found herself staring at Fred and Lorne.  The two friends were lying on the bed staring at the ceiling and talking in intense, low voices.

"Should I be worried?", the witch asked.

"Naw", Lorne answered. "Take a seat Sweetcheeks.  Fred here doesn't have eyes for anyone but you anymore.... well, not counting Angel that is."

Willow's pupils dilated, her gaze quickly traveling to Fred's flushed, pretty features and back to the smirking demon.

"Well don't just stand there doll.  Close the door.  We've got a plot to plan", Lorne said enthusiastically, crimson eyes glowing with anticipation.

Obediently, Willow closed the door.

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

It was late and Angel was sitting in the dark.  He'd been doing that a lot again.  Considering Cordy had thought she'd cured him of this particular habit, he was sure she'd consider this some form of backsliding.

He closed his eyes and considered the darkness, trying to will his unruly thoughts into some kind of order.  It didn't work.  Lately, it never did.

The vampire hoped his roommates were asleep.  They were the reason he kept these late night vigils, or at least later than normal for him vigils, he was a creature of the night after all.  He just wanted to make sure they'd be asleep before he climbed the stairs to his own room.  At least then, his ultra sensitive hearing wouldn't be able to pick out the breathy moans they made when they made love.  Normally, he would be able to easily ignore these slight noises, but he found that he actively searched them out. He couldn't seem to help himself.

'All the better to torture yourself with', Angelus growled in his brain.

Angel ignored him.

'What was it?  Almost four in the morning?  It was probably safe now.'

'I see you're ignoring me again', Angelus said.

'Hmmm...  I think I'll go to bed.'

'You know, that's extremely childish behavior.'

'La la la la la....'

'When are you going to learn you can't get away from me?  I'm part of you', the internal voice seemed to wheedle in disgust with that last comment, and Angel found himself smirking.  Angelus continued, 'We're part of each other, and we've already proven we can work together.  Do you think you could have defeated all those monsters without me?  Do you think you'd be a Warrior for the PTB if it weren't for me?'

Angel grimaced.  'You're the worst thing that ever happened to me.'

'And conversely I'm also the best, think about it.... ah, and I see you're talking to me now', Angelus' voice hissed sibilantly through his brain.

Angel growled.

'Eloquent as always', his demon noted bitingly.

"Angel?"

His internal monologue came to a screeching halt.  Angel glanced up the stairs, only to see Willow standing there.  Her red hair hung loosely to her shoulders.  She wore a loose pair of woven pants held up by a flimsy drawstring, and a white tank top.  She looked casually comfortable.  She looked beautiful. She also looked completely edible.

Angel checked himself, managing to hold in his groan.  Was she trying to torture him?  Didn't women realize those flimsy shirts were slightly see through?

"Angel?  Are you alright?", Willow asked, moving down a few steps.

Ignoring the question, Angel asked, "Why are you up?"

"Feeling restless... couldn't sleep.  Maybe you're rubbing off on me."

Angel sighed, he hadn't been aware that the his late night actions had been noted.

Willow walked down the last few remaining steps and settled by his side. Laying her head on his shoulder, the redhead breathed deeply enjoying the spicy sandalwood scent which clung to him.  He was so tense.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?", she asked.

The vampire desperately wanted to say nothing.  Angelus grumbled in his mind.  Angel decided to compromise.

"Its complicated", he murmured, slowly relaxing into her warmth despite himself.

Willow smiled at the sensation.  "Well whatever it is, you know I'm here for you, right?"

Angelus crowed, no doubt reading all kinds of invitations into what Angel was sure was an innocent comment.  It was unfortunate that he had no idea that Angelus' version was closer to the truth.

Placing his head on Willow's, the souled vampire wrapped his arms around one of his best friends and remained silent.

Happily enjoying his attentions, the witch felt herself melt bonelessly into his broad chest.  She just really wished she knew what he was thinking.

~Part: 9~

Angel thanked all that was holy, Willow didn't know what he was thinking. His heart, his brain and his body all warred within him.  He took deep unnecessary breaths and tightened his hold on her.  Her scent was calming and female.  It was also....

The vampire groaned deep down in his chest.  Apparently Willow had recently begun her menses.

"Willow?"

"Mmmm", a sleepy reply responded slowly.  The witch snuggled closer.  "I love you Angel."

For a moment Angel thought his heart would stop beating.  Then he remembered it had done that a long time ago.  Of course she loved him.  Willow loved everyone.  She thought well of everyone.  Despite everything that had happened in the interim, she was still the most caring, unselfish person he'd had ever met in his long life.

"I love you too Willow."

It was true, he did, and he didn't mean it in the best friend sense he was sure she did, either.  After a moment, Angel made a decision.  He would admit to everything and tell her the impure thoughts which had been running through his head for months concerning Fred and herself.  He'd tell her about the desire that pounded through his veins when he heard them make love, and how difficult it was to even hug them or be in the same room with them sometimes without wanting to strip them and worship their bodies even as he claimed them as his.  Naturally, Willow would be horrified and proceed to tell him off and that would nip all this fucked up shit in his head right in the bud.

The souled vampire looked across the darkened lobby and gathered his courage and--

"Willow", he whispered.  He winced at his weakness.

He glanced down upon his shoulder.  The beautiful redhead was asleep.  Her breathing was deep and even and he'd completely lost his chance to get everything off of his chest.

Now what was he going to do?  Well obviously he was going to take her to bed.

Angelus chuckled from a dark corner of his mind.

'To her OWN bed', Angel amended mentally, his fevered mind rapidly filling in the rest.  'The same bed where even now Fred is fast asleep. Her beautiful mahogany hair spread out on a pillow....'  He wondered what she wore to bed.  He found himself wondering if they wore underthings, and if they did whether those underthings were practical cottons or pretty laces. He wondered if they slept cuddled together, or whether they each retreated to different corners of the bed in slumber.  He wondered if--

Another internal chuckle spurred the PTB's Champion into action.  Gathering Willow gently into his arms, Angel ascended the staircase smoothly.

The trip was uneventful, except for a few moments when the hacker murmured under her breath and tightened her grip around his neck.  Her warm breath tickled his throat, and made his heart constrict.

Unable to resist the urge, Angel caressed her arm gently, illicitly enjoying the sensation of warm, petal-soft skin, before gently opening the door to Fred and Willow's room.  The mingled scents of sage, lavender and sleeping woman were heavenly.  Stepping further into the room, he traversed the small hallway and was confronted with a sight from his dreams.

Fred asleep.  The covers had been kicked off in the night, her long, slender legs exposed to the night air.

'Cotton', he thought, his question answered.  Fred had cotton underwear, or at least she slept in them.  He wasn't sure what they were called but they looked like shorts, only much smaller, tighter and....  Biting back a tortured moan, the vampire slowly crossed the room, his fevered brain completely bypassing the changes the women had made in the room.  He wasn't aware of anything but them.

Carefully, he bent over to place Willow on the cool sheets, only to find she had held fast to his neck.

"Willow", he murmured quietly, "Willow honey, let go."

"Don't want to", she mumbled, through a yawn.  "Stay here with us."

That simple sentence hung in the air.  Angel felt as if holy water had been injected into his veins, as heat raced along his nerve endings.  His body hardened.  He tried to pull away.

"Wills, you're asleep, you don't know what you're asking", he stated.

"Yes.  I do."

Surprised at the change in tone, Angel blinked and looked into the redhead's face again. Suddenly, she looked suspiciously alert.

Another hand touched his arm.  Surprised, he looked over to find Fred's chocolate eyes peering up at him through a fringe of thick lashes.

"Stay Angel", the brunette whispered.

Confused, aroused and thoroughly shocked, the souled vampire yanked himself away from Willow's grasp, and fled the room.  They could hear his footsteps recede.

The silence in the room was almost deafening.

"Hmmm.... that actually went better than I thought it would", Fred observed after a moment.

Willow turned her head to look at her girlfriend.  Fred turned hers as well.   They shared a tender kiss, and basked in the afterglow of a job well done.

"Well, phase one is complete", the witch stated proudly.

"I can't wait to tell Lorne", Fred said.

The redhead giggled.  "Who knew he was so evil?"

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

Angel burst into his room and threw himself on the bed.

"Chicken!", Angelus growled into his ear.

Ignoring the mental voice, the vampire rolled over and got up.  He headed for the bathroom.  He needed to think, and he needed a cold shower, and not necessarily in that order.

~Part: 10~

Angel groaned, lowering his head to the pulsating spray of cool water. Dark hair dripped into his face, and he closed his eyes automatically recalling the sights, sounds and sensations he'd fled from.

Willow.

Fred.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph...

He could feel himself react to the memory, and it was without conscious decision that his hand slowly trailed down his stomach.  He could feel the muscles there clench in anticipation.

'Not to ruin the moment or anything....', Angelus' voice hissed in his head, 'but why wank when you have two very willing women out to seduce you right in this very building?  Call me obtuse perhaps, but isn't that a bit idiotic?'

To his own surprise, Angel actually answered.  "So it looked like that to you too, eh?"  He could feel his alter ego's evil smirk appear on his features.

'What, an attempt at seduction?'

The vampire closed his eyes, wanting the affirmation even if it was from Angelus.

'Yep, they want you.  Lucky bastard, what I wouldn't give to be the meat in that sandwich...'  Angelus' voice trailed off.  'What?  No comment?  Come on this is perfect.  You l-l- love *ack* them.  You want them.  They l-l- love *hiss* you, and they want you.  What's the problem?!'  The question was asked harshly, in a growl of frustrated anger.

Angel opened his eyes decisively, determinedly taking his wandering hand away from his heavy arousal and grabbing the soap.

"The problem is, this is wrong."

The vampire swore he could feel Angelus' answering growl to his toes.

'How old are you again?... Never mind.  I can't believe you insist on this black and white view of the world.'

Angel felt his hackles rise.  "Look--"

'No you look.  Those two women are your friends.  As much as it pains me to admit this, they care about you.  They care about your feelings, your well being.  And to top it all off-- you lucky idiot--  THEY WANT YOU!  How the hell can being with two people you l- l- love', Angelus spat, tripping over the word, 'be wrong?'

"Morally. Its wrong morally", Angel replied quietly, his mind wrangling with what his alter-ego said.

'Don't bullshit me.  I'm you remember, and if there's one thing we never were, it was a good Catholic. You're just scared.'

Angel remained silent.  There was nothing to say.  For once, Angelus had said something truthful.

'You're remembering the Drusilla disaster.'

"You've just proven my point.  That was a disaster."

The Angelus portion of his mind, rolled it's eyes.  'That's because it was never about sharing Drusilla, it was about controlling William.  Not to mention the fact that Drusilla was nutty as a fruitcake.'

"And who's fault is that?", Angel reminded Angelus snidely.

'Fine.  Suffer.  Because I'm telling you right now, those two have got you in their sights.  You can't run forever, and I don't understand why you would even try.'  With that, Angelus lapsed into silence and receded into the depths of Angel's mind.

The souled vampire was stymied.  Uncertainty warred within him.  Had Willow and Fred really meant to lure him into their bed?  Had what happened been an attempt at seduction?  Or was this all wishful thinking?  If it was a seduction... What exactly did they want?  A romp in the hay with a vampire? Was it a pity fuck for their lonely, broody friend, or was there more to this?

There couldn't be more could there?  Why would these two women who'd survived Hellmouths, other dimensions, bad relationships and the painful specter or loneliness, want to risk their own love by inviting in another variable?  Did he want to risk their happiness?  Did he want to risk their love?  Did he want to risk losing their friendship?

No, he didn't.  Of course Angelus couldn't understand why he'd retreated, his reasons didn't make sense from his demon's self-serving point of view.

In the end, it didn't matter if this wasn't all some bizarre fluke, or if he was imagining the longing looks.  There was too much at stake.

Frustrated and not a little restless, he grabbed the water spigot and turned it quickly to the right.  He shuddered as cold water poured upon him.

~Part: 11~

It was a Saturday.  Technically a day off from work, a day to relax, go off and have fun....  As usual, however everyone was at the Hyperion.

Cordelia stood there, foot tapping, arms folded.  "Angel, I am going to call the exterminator, I can't take this anymore!  There is a mouse somewhere in this office."

The vampire rolled his eyes.  "I don't see why we just don't borrow one of the neighborhood cats..."

The Seer shuddered.  "Eeeewww much!?  Ugh.  NO!  That's just cruel."

Angel arched an eyebrow.  And sending for the exterminator so he could poison the little creature wasn't?

Gunn smirked and opened his mouth to say something, only to find himself staring at Cordelia's pointed index finger.

"And you!  You'd better not mention setting out another trap either."

"All we'd need is a trap, a little cheese or peanut butter and then SNAP its all over", the demon hunter stated shrugging carelessly.

His girlfriend punched him in the shoulder.  Hard.  "I told you NOT to bring that up again!!", Cordy shrieked in disgust.

"What's up?", a quieter voice asked.

Angel looked up, to find Fred and Willow on the landing.  The two women held hands loosely easy smiles on their faces.  They looked so innocent and sweet that Angel almost wondered if he'd imagined what had happened the night before.  Almost.

Cordelia grimaced.  "We've got a mouse in the house."

Fred wrinkled her nose.  "Gross."

Willow chuckled, she couldn't believe her brave Fred was scared of mice. "I'll catch it, if you want?"

"Sure", Cordelia agreed, "it would save us the cost of calling in an exterminator.  How?"

"There's a spell....", Willow's voice trailed off, suddenly realizing the casual context of her using her magic.  "It would lure it out, but.... but, maybe its not such a good idea actually."

Fred's hand tightened around Willow's.  "Sure it is Wills."  The physicist lowered her voice, her large brown eyes intently locking on to her lover's green gaze.  "We trust you."

A wave of longing and love swept over the witch.  Her hand reached up to cup Fred's cheek and pull her closer.  The two women kissed, causing varied reactions from their audience.  Cordelia grinned and rolled her eyes.  Gunn sneered and turned away.  Angel stared.

Cordy frowned upon noticing her lover's reaction.  She understood that emotions weren't logical, and she understood that on some strange level Gunn was reacting with typical male ego to the fact that Fred had done the unthinkable and fallen for a woman after the end of their relationship, but there was only so much of this that she was prepared to take.

"Gunn, we need to talk."

The demon hunter scowled at the Seer's tone of voice.  Some of the most hated phrases in the English language were 'we need to talk.'  Confused as to what he could possibly done now, he asked.  "Why?"

The tall brunette didn't answer instead, she walked towards and grabbed his arm.  "Now!", she bit out, before leading him outside into the courtyard.

Lorne walked in moments later, shaking his head.  "Whoa, what was that about?"  Angel started, pulling his gaze from the two women on the stairs.

Angel and Willow shrugged and looked at Fred.  The physicist sent her girlfriend a wink.  Together they continued down the stairs.

"Anything up we should know about?", the souled vampire asked the green demon.

"Nope.  Just thought I'd visit.  Had a bit of the borings going", Lorne answered flippantly.  His red eyes moved back towards Willow and Fred.  "So anything new to report my darlings?"

Willow grinned a trifle smugly and Fred giggled, before running forward and taking his hand.  Wordlessly, the slender young woman started to lead him up the stairs.  Willow followed.

Looking over his shoulder, Lorne sent a confused Angel a jaunty little wave.

"See you later Sweetcheeks, we've got some girl talk to discuss."

~~~*~~~

Cordelia rounded on her boyfriend with fire in her eyes.

"This has got to STOP!"

"What are you talking about?", Gunn intoned, arms crossing in front of his chest.

"The jealousy bit.  I'm tired of it and frankly so's Fred and Willow.  I think you're damned lucky Willow hasn't turned you into a rat."

Gunn glared at her.  "I'm not jealous."

The Seer arched a dark eyebrow, and placed her hands on her hips challengingly.  The demon hunter's glare wavered under his girlfriend's anger.

"There's not like there's anything to be jealous about...", he muttered under his breath.

"Argh!!", she shouted to the heavens.  "That's the attitude I'm talking about.  Just because they're two women, does not make their relationship invalid.  Just because it makes you feel better to think of it that way so you don't have to face up to that fact that after her relationship with you, she took some time and ended up falling in love with a woman.  Its still love and its very real."  As Cordelia spoke her voice grew calmer, even as she stepped closer to him.

"Don't you get it?  This isn't about you", her eyes wandered meaningfully down his chest, "or your penis.  Apparently for both Willow and Fred, love is without gender.  And you're just going to have to accept that..." Cordelia suddenly fell silent.  She sighed.  Gunn unfolded his arms and stared down at his feet.

"Besides if I'm right?  There are only going to be more changes around here...."

The quiet comment, brought Charles Gunn's head up.  "Huh?  Whaddya mean?"

The tall brunette shrugged.  With another heartfelt sigh, Cordelia looked up at the aging, yet still beautiful exterior of the Hyperion Hotel and moved towards the front door.

Gunn stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.  "I'll try Cordy.  I don't really understand it myself.  I love you, you know that", he said.

"I know I do."

"Delia...", he whispered.

Her voice was a sigh, "yes?"

"What did you mean?  What changes?"

Exasperated the Seer let out another yell and stalked back into the hotel, the door slamming behind her.

~Part: 12~

~That night~

The red headed witch smiled slightly when she heard the cage click shut. Sending a prayer of heartfelt thanks, and hoping the Goddess was amused, Willow opened her eyes.  She spotted the small white mouse in the cage and allowed a full blown grin to light her features.

"Got ya!"

The mouse made a noise like chirping and continued gnawing on the chunk of yellow cheese.  Rolling her eyes, Willow stretched, and then unfolded her lithe, unclothed form from the cool marble floor of the hotel lobby.  She'd gone all out for this simple ritual, reveling in the idea of reaching out to the magic in the ways of the old tradition instead of relying simply on her strength of will.   She knew she could have captured the mouse with a word, but that wasn't the point.  Besides which, doing this ritual skyclad had the added bonus of torturing a certain stubborn vampire.

Angel had insisted on leaving when he heard of the lengths Willow was going to to capture the rodent which had been driving Cordelia to distraction.  He hadn't gone very far, however, and the red witch could feel him along the periphery of her magic heightened senses.  She wondered if he'd peered into the windows, or managed to force his urges down.  She hoped he was watching.   The thought was tantalizing in a way she'd never considered.  Willow wondered if she had exhibitionist tendencies before chuckling dryly.

"You did it!", Fred exclaimed, scrambling down from the stairs where she'd been seated.  She hugged her nude lover warmly, one hand remaining tellingly on Willow's hip as she stooped to look at the mouse.  She wrinkled her nose, in an expression Willow found adorable, and said, "Well Ollie doesn't look much worse for wear does he?"

Willow's eyes widened.  "Shhhh!"

Fred nodded, and whispered.  "He's still nearby?"

"Mmmm hmmm", Willow mumbled under her breath.  "I think he really tried to stay away, but--"

"--The temptation was just too much", Fred finished.  She gave her lover's form a long, heavy lidded look, and licked her lips.  "Well, can't say I blame him."

A blush bloomed on the fair skinned witch's cheeks, spreading across her chest.

Leaning towards her lover, Fred's dark eyes twinkled with mischief.  "How about we go upstairs?", she asked, whispering conspiratorially.

Willow rolled her eyes.  "As long as you keep in mind that we're not done yet..."

"I know, I know", Fred murmured, "we still have part two of Plan: Breaking Down Angel to get done."

"Fred!", Willow hissed, eyes widening as she looked around the Hyperion's lobby with a mixture of nervousness and suspicion.  Sighing, she took Fred's hand.  "Come on."

Fred grabbed the cage and obediently followed her girlfriend.  "I love it when you get all forceful", she said trotting up the stairs and ogling Willow's shapely behind.

For a moment silence reigned in the lobby.  From a distance away, Willow's exasperated voice sounded through the lobby.  "Fred!  Stop that!" Everything was still.

Several minutes later, the basement door slowly creaked open.  Gracefully and with nary a sound, Angel made his way into the center of the lobby and pondered what he'd witnessed.  He couldn't believe it, his demon had actually been right.  Although Angelus chose not to comment, Angel couldn't help but notice the annoyingly smug presence.

'Oh stop gloating!', Angel thought heatedly.  Angelus' chuckle seemed to resound in Angel's head.

'I just want you to admit it...'

'What?', Angel silently queried, deliberately being obtuse.

Angelus growled.

'Okay fine!  I admit it!  You were right!  There!!  Happy?!', Angel sent out an exasperated mental yell.

There was a moment of eerie silence before his inner demon finally replied. 'Never thought I'd see the day where you would actually say that to me.  I was halfway hoping that would somehow trigger the Apocalypse...'

Angel groaned.

'Oh come on', Angelus growled in his alter's head, 'I said halfway, I'm actually getting used to this bizarre life you've chosen.  Besides the fringe benefits are starting to look up.'

'Angelus--', Angel began warningly.

The demon interrupted.  "--So now what Soul Boy?  Still planning to play dumb and deny yourself and them what you all so desperately want?", Angelus finally asked, his voice a low, sensual purr.

Angel's thoughts were a jumble, he opened his mouth as if to physically speak, when a scream broke the silence.  The voice was immediately recognizable.  Fred.

The vampire was up the stairs before he could consciously even form a thought.  However, deep inside him, his demon was roaring with silent laughter.  'They were good. He had to hand them that.'

~Part: 13~

He knew this was all some elaborate ruse, but still he ran.  Just in case. Part of him still couldn't believe that the sweet witch he'd known since she was fifteen, and the wide-eyed girl he'd saved from Pylea could actually be going to so much trouble to seduce him.  He was just glad that he knew in his heart that this was more than about sex.  He'd done sex for centuries now.  Sex was easy. It was nice.  But, there was no way he'd endanger his relationships with the two women closest to him, if that was all this was.

Silence descended from above and Angel slowed his pace upon reaching the floor where the two women had their rooms.  There was a tiny muffled giggle, and the vampire debated his options.  He could leave, pretend he'd gone out.   Or he could go in there and give in to his desires, that strange desperate wish which he'd thought only a what seemed a short time ago completely far-fetched and totally selfish, and now seemed to be actually within his reach.  The question was, could he risk this?  Considering his past, and the cursed love life some cruel jokester god had given him...

Angelus heaved a great internal sigh.

"What?", Angel growled.

"They are your friends and they love you and accept you.  Dammit, they even accept that *I'M* a part of you.  This is nothing like that whore Darla, or poor Dru.  And its certainly NOTHING like that self-righteous little Slayer girl who kept trying to delude herself and you that you weren't a vampire and that her instincts weren't screaming for her to slay you."

Angel closed his eyes momentarily.  He hated to even think it, but his demon was right. Still, its stung.  For so long, he'd deluded himself into thinking Buffy was his everything, insisting on seeing their relationship through trite rose-colored glasses.

No, Angelus was right; Willow and Winifred were nothing like the women of his past.  They didn't want anything from him.  They only wanted him.

A shrill, hysterical sounding scream rent the air.  Angel eyelids snapped open.  He allowed himself a smirk.  'Got to commend Fred on her lungs', he thought.

'She's almost scarily good at that', Angelus rejoined.  'Think of the possibilities.'

Angel's smirk widened.

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

The two women shrank back reflexively as the door buckled under a mighty kick.  They had half-way expected that, but....

Fred turned on the waterworks, shivering for effect.  "Angel!"

"What happened?", the souled vampire demanded.  "Did someone get in?"  He looked around the room, nose flaring, eyes flashing.  Angelus crowed internally.

Willow sighed and shook her head, putting a very put upon look upon her face.  "No, the mouse got out of the trap.  I tried to calm her but--"

Fred squealed  interrupting her girlfriend's explanation, hopping onto a chair and bringing the vampire's attention to the long, slender legs on display.  All the brunette wore, was a threadbare t-shirt which only went to mid-thigh.

'Looks like the lassies are pulling out all the stops for you Soul Boy', Angelus' words whispered through Angel's mind.  The vampire bit the inside of his cheek hard, in order to not allow his grin to show.

"Don't worry Fred, I'll keep you safe.  Willow will get the mouse."  Walking over to the physicist, Angel lifted her in his arms.  The almost triumphant grin which emerged on Fred's face was short-lived, as the vampire slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  This time her shrill squeal was definitely authentic.

Willow's eyes narrowed.  Angel wasn't following the script.  Why did she suddenly get the feeling that--

--"Wills there it goes!", Angel shouted, pointing to her feet.  Reflexively, the redhead jumped back, eyes going to the floor.

"Where? Where?", she yelled back, eyes now darting about trying to spot Ollie.  They had let him out of his cage to give their story credence, but she didn't want the little guy to get hurt.  What if they trampled him by mistake?

There was a sudden slapping noise.  Blinking Willow looked up.

"Fred, what are you doing?", Angel asked, amazed at the brunette's gall.

"Did anyone ever tell you what a great ass you've got?", the Texan asked, her face alluringly flushed from where it hung upside down, maybe a foot from the aforementioned great gluteus maximus.

Angel was so surprised, he found it hard to find his voice.  Angelus let out a contented purr in his brain and sat back to enjoy the ride.

Willow licked her lips, noting the shiny, glazed look in her lover's eyes, the color in her cheeks and the parted lips.  She could recognize the signs.   Fred was turned on.  It appeared the little Fred liked cave vampire Angel.   She shifted on Angel's shoulder, craving some kind of stimulus.

The tantalizing aroma which signaled the slight physicist's arousal was driving Angel insane.

Forgetting about the mouse, their ruse, and everything else, Willow took a step towards Angel.  She could feel her insides liquefy as her eyes met his face.  A more potent portrait of need, she had never seen.

She took another step.  "I know, you know Fred's turned on Angel.  Vampire senses, right?"

Angel couldn't comment.  He was speechless.

Emerald eyes flickered from Angel's face, to the becoming posterior proudly displayed on his shoulder and then to the front of his trousers and the growing bulge wherein.

The red witch moved ever closer, until she rested her hand lightly on his chest.

"I also know that we haven't fooled you at all and that you are fully aware of what is happening here", Willow continued, her voice becoming somewhat shaky.

Fred let out an audible gasp.  He knew?

Angel nodded.  The playful mood was gone.  Carefully, he settled Fred on her feet before him, next to the hacker.

Shamefaced, the brunette took his hand.  "Angel, you knew?  Oh God, I'm so sorry, I wasn't trying to manipulate you.... exactly", Fred said softly, her voice's hesitance lending it more of a drawl than usual.  "Its just that... ", she straightened suddenly and looked the vampire in the eye, "you were being such a stubborn ass!"

A small smirk lifted the corner of the dark male's mouth.  "I was, wasn't I?"

Fred's brown eyes narrowed and she stepped forward, pressing her lips against Angel's in a sudden move.  Willow watched as the stiffness in the vampire's spine softened, as his arms wrapped loosely around the physicist's waist, and their mouth's mated sensually.

Fred sighed audibly and pulled away, looking up into the eyes of the man she still thought of as her own personal hero.  "I love you, you stubborn vampire."

"Thank you", he whispered.  "I love you too, I just didn't dare to hope--"

"--Oh be quiet.  My turn", Willow interrupted, not willing to allow this to turn into melodrama.  "And I love you Angel."

The souled Champion for the Powers was suddenly smiling.  "I love you right back, my little red haired witch."

The happiness in Willow's green eyes lightened his heart, and when her lips pressed against his own, he could feel something snap into place.  He was where he belonged.

Fred's giggle brought the kissing twosome back to reality as she led the two people she adored towards the bed.

Inside the enormously turned on vampire, his demon prepared himself for a sensual feast of the senses.  All Angel heard was Angelus' unmistakable voice in his ear.  "Score! "

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