Title: Shades of Gray
Author: MidnightzStorm
Author's Note: I just had to write this after I figured that Wesley and Fred had a lot of research time together. Also there is a lot of symbolism that was inspired by Lilah's quote in Habeas Corpses. I must admit I have a slight fever when I started writing this that is why it may seem a bit crazy.
Spoilers: A bit of Habeas Corpse, however mostly A Long Day's Journey.
Disclaimer: I own nothing to with Angel! And if I did I would have Fred, Wesley, and Gunn get more screen time then they do now, (not that I do not love the other characters).
Dedicated: To Annabelle my biggest and only fan. ;) Anyway I want to thank her for yelling at me to finish this.
*****
"Funny thing about black and white: you mix it together and you get gray. And it doesn't matter how much white you try and put back in, you're never gonna get anything but gray." – Lilah Morgan to Wesley, Habeas Corpses
*****
Fred's eyes drifted up, and her sight was filled with a pure white. Her first thoughts were that she was in the white room again; that gave chills to her heart, it was such a place of evil. She was no longer wearing her pink and red sweater, but she in a loosely, off white gown that gracefully dragged at her feet. She hadn't had worn something so beautiful since that night at the ballet.
Before she had time to come up with a logical answer of why she was here, she heard a familiar voice call her name out. It was Charles, he was in clothes that were paler then sin, it was a beautifully contrast with his dark skin. He was smiling at her, like he use to. He looked younger, and so much more full of life. He whispered the words that had once meant so much to her, "I love you, Fred".
She smiled back, forgetting what they had done, what he had done. She ran to him, but when he started to grimace, she slowed done. His face started to show pain that he had been through the last year. His clothes slowly changed into a black shade. He stared down dramatically at his hands; they were covered with blood.
He looked down at her and spoke to her once again, "This can't be." As he said this he faded into the white behind him.
She screamed his name into the oblivious surrounded her. There was no echo, just silence after her yells. She turned around scared to go on, and suddenly Wesley was behind her. He was in neither black nor white, but a dark shade of gray.
"I'm trying," he whispered to her, looking down into her sad brown eyes. "I wanted so much to be the good man that you said I was. But when everything came down, I had to do those things, to make everything right. However then it went spinning out of control, like portal sucking up everything good and everything pure in my life."
She now felt tears falling down gracefully from her pale face. She felt as if she could never stop crying, but he pulled her into his careful embrace, and slowly everything faded away.
"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed into his shoulder.
"It's alright Fred, we'll make it all better!" Wesley uttered to her.
She bought her face up to him again, and stared around. The walls were no longer white, but they were of the office, which had belonged to Wesley. "It was just a dream," she said softly to the air.
"Do you wish to talk about it?" he asked her cautiously, not wishing to upset her anymore then she already was.
"No, we have work to do. I'm sorry for falling asleep," she told him trying to keep herself composed.
"Stop saying sorry, it's not your fault. Even these old books can get boring to me as well," he informed with a slight smile.
She smiled again then burst into laughter along with more tears as she stood up and threw her arms around him. She knew that he must have been thinking that she had gone crazy, again. But she didn't care, she cried and laughed letting it all out of the emotion she had bundled through the past few weeks.
She let him go, his arms still lingering around her waist. He eyes stayed at hers, for a few moments, there was a comfortable silence between the two. He broke the stillness by quietly saying, "We have gone through all standard methods. We now need to think outside the box."
Fred left his side, and began pacing around the room, and muttered to herself, "Outside the box."
She tried to think for ways, but her mind kept going back to the dream. Charles telling her, "This can't be." And then Wesley, "However then it went spinning out of control, like portal sucking up everything good and everything pure in my life."
"Portal," she said as if there was a click in her mind.
"Excuse me?" Wesley asked. She knew if he didn't think that she was going crazy before, now he would have to.
"We haven't found a weapon that could destroy it. What about sending it to a place as dreadful as it."
Again he bought his voice to a mild tone, "Are you sure about this?" He hands once again on her shoulders. Once more Fred had notice how physically close they had been lately. Wesley had been showing her more affection then she would let Charles give her, but again she pushed these thoughts out of her mind.
"It doesn't matter if I'm sure about it. Wesley the world could end any moment now."
He glanced at her once again, but nodded solemnly as if he was agreeing out of his better judgment. He picked up the ancient manuscript, and said, "Let's get to work."