Angel knew Fred Burkle had the biggest crush on him, he didn't realize how much till they slept together on the same night he slept with his Sire Darla; the Souled Vampire felt guilty that he used that he used the sweet brunette when he was in a bad place. Fred was more than upset when he said that what happened between them was just sex and in a patronizing way asked her if they could still be friends, she felt he had just slapped her in the face with the look she gave him.
"But I... but Angel Love you." Whispered Fred as she came in closer raising her hand to touch the contours of his face;- Angel pulled away and told her the truth no matter how much it pained him to do it. "Fred, it's not what I feel for you; I'm sorry."
Angel could see how Fred's heart shattered in front of him and went to hold her in some kind of comfort, the little brunette pushed Angel away from her as angry tears fell down her pretty face. "I know the reason and the reasons are I'm not Cordelia or Darla. I now got the message loud and clear, I wish you told me sooner instead of letting me make a bigger fool of myself."
Fred's voice began to break, not wanting to cry in front of the vampire and make each other feel awkward Fred headed up the stairs and straight to her room; as soon as she was in the comfort of her own sanctuary that Winifred Burkle broke down and cried.
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The next morning Angel decided to make it up to Fred as he made her some breakfast before heading to her room with a tray in his hands; opening the door Angel let himself in to see and smell fresh white painted walls. The room was cleaned of greasy wrappers from Taco King, the souled vampire looked around and saw Fred sitting by her window with a blanket around her as she watched the cars drive pass on the streets as people got ready to go to work or taking their children to school; the girl's big brown eyes were swollen and bloodshot from the tears she shed through the night.
"I made you some breakfast, I thought you might be..."-
"That's nice, just leave it on the dresser; I'll eat later." Whispered Fred in a dead-like tone as she wrapped the blanket around her tighter.
The silence was an awkward one and Angel didn't know how to fill void between them, right now Fred would be giggly and talking a mile a minute as she excitedly gestured about different things even if it was about a movie she saw the other night.
Angel then smiled as he told Fred there were Alfred Hitchcock movies showing tonight and wondered if she wanted to go, Fred slowly turned to Angel and asked if anyone else was going. "No it would just be me and you;- so what do you say." The souled vampire didn't understand why the brunette was being distant, wondering why she was saying no to a night out. "it's all right Angel, I told Cordy I would go out with her and I don't know how long us girls could be out for."
Angel knew he was getting the fob off, Cordelia Chase had audition today and wouldn't be back to work till tomorrow.
"Look, I know I've hurt you; but I thought we can still be friends."-
"You don't know how much you've hurt me Angel, you made me feel so small and my feelings meant nothing. And the friends part..." Screamed Fred as the vampire let her rant her anger at him, sighing sadly Fred turned her attention back to the window. "You got to give me time before we can call each other friends again ok."
Fred Burkle eventually spoke to Angel almost a month later; it was a bit awkward between the brunette and Angel, but the souled vampire didn't want to lose a good friend like her who understood him like no one ever had; they had their ups and downs but the pair got through it in the end.
For the last couple of days Angel noticed his blood supply was getting through quickly then it should. The souled vampire thought that Wolfram & Hart were up to their old tricks, but he didn't get those wild dreams like last time.
Not wanting to go through the same crap again like last time, Gunn, Cordelia and Wesley started research as Ange was in his office signing papers and starting his own research. Finding nothing Angel was about to head to Wesley's office to see if they found anything, the vampire suddenly stopped in his tracks when he spotted Fred Burkle heading to the kitchen for a snack, curious Angel quietly followed the tiny brunette and found her by the fridge with a big bottle of his blood; glupping it down like a man in the desert with his taste of fresh water.
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The team thought that Fred was poccessed by a demon not knowing that Angel and Fred had slept together, the vampire knew right away but he didn't want to except it as he called Lorne to do a reading for Fred.
The green skinned demon was curious what was making Angelcakes this anxious as he drove to the Hyperion Hotel. When he entered Angel was pacing the room in shock as Cordelia Chase was comforting the sweet brunette who was just as shocked as the souled vampire. As soon as Angel spotted Lorne standing there, he walked over to the two girls and dragged Fred out of Cordy's arms and demanded the green skinned demon to read the girl's aura.
Fred winced and bit her lip to stop her from screaming out in pain. Gunn noticed as the African American angrily told the vampire to let of Fred's arm before he made him; Angel realized what he was doing and let go of Fred's arm to see large finger shaped bruises and went to apologize. It was there that Angel wasn't her Knight in Shining Armour, she followed Lorne to one of the spare rooms to sing her song- once finished Lorne was surprised with what he saw.
The tiny brunette wanted to know what was wrong; Lorne saw the concern on the girl's face as he told her she was fine- but what he saw would concern the team and mostly Angel as the green skinned demon lead Fred back to the waiting team.
What Lorne told the team was a shock, but more so was Angel when he found out he was going to be a father. What shocked the vampire even more was that Fred wanted to keep the baby; Angel was dead set against it as he told her to get rid of it since the child would end up killing her. Even when Angel showed his demon and demanded Fred to abort the pregnancy, as much as Fred was hurting she wouldn't change her mind.
"If that's what you want Fred, then I can't stop you from having it; but that doesn't mean I have to watch you make the biggest mistake of your life."
Angel stormed upstairs and minutes later Fred's clothes were packed in a suitcase, Cordelia Chase, Wesley Wyndham Price and Charlies Gunn thought that what souled vampire was doing was harsh and cruel by giving her an ultimatum;- to leave and never come back to the Hyperion until she got rid of the thing. There was no other option when she heard she was with child she instantly was in love with him or her; Fred tearfully went to pick up her suitcase, but a soft green skinned hand took it and Lorne told the distraught woman that she could stay with him till she got her own place.
Lorne took one stony look at the souled vampire and told him that it was he who was making the biggest mistake- Lorne took Fred to his car and drove away leaving Angel to the mercy of Cordelia Chase who looked ready to stake him. "I thought Angelus was a cold hearted bastard, but I guess a soul doesn't hide what you truly are." Cordelia didn't want to look at Angel as she and Gunn left the Hyperion as Wesley didn't say a word as he reentered his office leaving the souled vampire alone.
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Fourteen weeks later had past and Angel was still getting the cold shoulder;- he tried to reason himself telling them that Fred Burkle could die either by the baby taking too much from the mother or she could die giving birth. Wesley finally had enough of Angel as he stood up glaring coldly at the souled vampire.
"I read what I could about half-blood vampires, what I found interesting is that as long as the mother of the vampire hybrid drinks aproximately a pint of blood a day the vampire side of the child would be sated. However just a bit of blood from the father would have been enough since of the potency of vampire blood would have made a bond between father and child protecting the mother from harm."
Wesley then slammed the book he was reading into Angel's unbeaten chest. "Instead of me telling you this, why don't you ruddy read it yourself since I'm taking Fred to her first scan." Without another word Wesley grabbed his coat and keys to his car before driving to Fred's new appartment; for the next few hours Angel read through the chapter of vampire hybrids and it finally sunk in that he was going to be a daddy. As much as he liked the idea of being a father- Angel couldn't bring himself to say he was wrong as he decided to stay away from Fred since he would only end up hurting her more.
A few hours later Wesley returned with the biggest smile on his face. he excitedly told Cordy and Gunn of the little miracle he seen on the monitor and heard the rapid heartbeat. Gunn would never admit it that he was gushing like a schoolgirl on her first date when he saw the ultrasound picture. Cordelia was in awe when she saw the picture as were Gunn and Wesley that they didn't hear Ange;l enter the room wondering what the three were looking at with so much interest. Cordelia thought about hiding the picture, but decided against it as she shown Angel the scan picture.
"It's a picture of Fred's baby, not that you're interested about it."
Angel wasn't going to let Cordy win this by using his curiosity against him, eventually curiosity won out as he carefully took the ultrasound picture and looked at the blob like creature. "It's... it's a baby."
Cordy thought that Angel would be happy or even show any type of reaction, but nothing was disturbing as he put the picture in his pocket and told the former Cheerleader that he had to collect more blood before the butchers closed. Once the souled vampire left Wesley and Gunn asked Cordelia what Angel had said to her, when Cordelia told them what happened and Angel had gone out for more blood- Wesley's eyes widened. Angel had plenty of blood in the fridge and that only meant one thing, Angel was going to Fred's place of work to see her. Not taking any chances the three headed out to Caritas to check on their friend.
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Lorne was more than surprised with Angel and the way he treated Sweetbread (Fred), she didn't expect anything from the vampire and the tiny brunette was hurting with the way Angel was treating her like he did.
Wesley helped Fred with getting an appartment three doors away from him so he could keep an eye on her and the process of her pregnancy- Gunn and Cordy helped Fred with the decorating, but they left the spare room bare since she didn't know the sex of the baby just yet. Fred now had a job at the Diner, but Fred needed extra funds for the baby and spotted the prefect crib and baby set. Even if it was early in the pregnancy- Fred was always practical with every aspects of her life. Fred needed the money and Lorne needed a new barmaid as he gave her a job at his club.
Fred had been working there for twelve weeks and the demon customers adored the shy girl who had a bright smile on her pretty face.
As tired as she was Fred kept working to put some money by for her child;- Fred Burkle had been on her feet for hours and was exhausted, but she kept on working rubbing her now small baby bump smiling as she told her growing baby. "I'm doing this for you my lil darlin'."
Lorne's red eyes landed on his barmaid and could see that Fred was dead on her feet, exhausted from working two jobs and the morning sickness wasn't helping matter much. The green skinned demon told his little barmaid to get some rest since he had it covered after she had serving customers all night, Fred smiled as she pressed a sisterly kiss to Lorne's cheek thanking him before head out back for a small nap. Suddenly Fred looked up to see Angel coming towards her, the girl's smile dropped when she saw the stormy look on the vampire's face.
Fred didn't have to wait long to wonder what she did wrong this time as Angel slammed the ultrasound scan on the counter; he told Fred to stop manipulating his team and to keep away from the Hyperion. Fred finally lost her temper as angry tears fell down her pale cheeks and slammed her hands on the counter cutting her palms; Angel didn't what to say as Fred never lost her temper or shouted at him before.
"Its not enough is it that you used me for sex, threw me out of the one place I ever felt safe in over five years since Pylea. I excepted that you would never love me, but now you are taking away my friends- what more do you want Angel. The blood from my body or the shirt of my back, here- have it and leave me and my own alone." Screamed Fred as she ripped off her shirt revealing her baby bump and threw her shirt at the souled vampire before storming into the back;- Angel went to follow the girl and apologize to Fred for the pain he inflicted on her emotionally. Instead he was stopped by Gunn with a fist to the face as Cordelia and Wesley went to check on Fred.
Minutes later, Cordelia and Wesley came out from the back room with bloody rags and a first-aid kit. "She's exhausted and needs some rest, Wes can you drive her home." Angel went to Cordy ignoring the glares from the demons and asked her if Fred was all right, Cordelia Chase sighed and told Angel that Fred was fine considering that she cried herself to sleep.
Lorne told his customers that Fred was fine and to go on and enjoy their drinks and everything was sorted out, once the demons were calm the green skinned demon turned to Angel and glared at the vampire. "From now on Angel I want you to keep a civil tongue when around Fred, I can't do anything here in Caritas Angel-cakes; that doesn't mean they won't outside this place." Said Lorne coldly as he made Angel leave, the vampire could feel the cold stares from the humans and demons;- Angel needed to talk to Fred as he silently left Caritas and straight to his car waiting for Wesley to take Fred home.
Wesley and Cordelia left Caritas with Gunn who was carrying a sleeping Fred in his arms, Charles Gunn placed Fred gently in the back of Wesley's car; as soon as Gunn was taking Cordelia home Angel followed Wesley at a safe distance to Wesley's appartment building. The souled vampire noticed the bandages wrapped around Fred's tiny hands as she was lead to her own appartment- Angel waited a few minutes before following Fred's scent to her appartment door and knocked.
Fred was about to go to bed for a few hours before her shift in Denny's, just as she was about to get into bed, when there was a knock on her door. Thinking that it was Wesley to see if she was ok, opening the door she was more than surprised to see Angel standing there instead.
"Why are you here, come to tell me that I'm making a mistake in keeping this baby or I'm manipulating you in some way by being friends with your team-mates. I'll make it easier for you Angel, you're right- I'm wrong so lets keep it there and we never cross paths."
Fred was about to shut the door when she heard Angel say he was sorry for what he done to her when she needed him the most; Angel pressed his hand against the barrier that kept him outside as if he was tenderly touching her cheek. Fred was about to reach out to the vampire, but stopped herself. "I wish I could forgive you Angel, but I can't and I don't have enough strength to do so. All I'm focusing on now is my baby and I don't need to hear your negativity right now."
Fred was about to shut the door, Angel had never felt so much pain of the tiny brunette completely ignoring him and shutting him out of her life as she was now. "It's not just your baby Winifred, that baby is mine too. Please Fred just let me in and we can talk about it." Pleaded Angel; Fred sighed and opened the door inviting the souled vampire into her home.
Angel smiled slightly as he stepped inside as Fred entered the kitchen area since the baby was craving more blood. Angel watched in fascination as Fred warmed the blood to body temperature and drank it quickly before it congealed; washing out the mug Fred sat down on the couch keeping her distance away from the vampire who kept breaking her heart.
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For the next six months Angel had financially supported Fred through her pregnancy and was there when he discovered he was going to be a father to a little girl; Angel brought everything the baby needed from clothes, toys, essentials and even the Nursery set that Fred wanted for her daughter. Emotionally Angel wasn't there for the mother and the vampire thought that Fred wanted more from him as in a relationship, but that notion went out the window rather quickly when Fred told him.
"I don't want a relationship with you, all I want is for you to be there for Isabelle when she needs you. I dont' want you to throw money at her direction; I want you to watch her in her first school play or her first game. I want you to protect her from her nightmares or when she is scared. You can never put a price on Isabelle's love or looks up to be the father who can fix anything or find a good man who's like her own daddy. That is what I want from you Angel, I'm not after you as a lover, but I want you as a father and nothing else."
Angel was relieved, but somehow disappointed that Fred didn't think of him that way anymore like when he first met the young woman. Angel found him promising Fred to be there for the baby, Fred just smiled and thanked Angel for buying their daughter she needed before heading inside her appartment where Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia were putting the finishing touches to the baby's room. When Fred saw the baby's room she had tears of joy running down her face as she each hugged her friends. "Its Absolutely beautiful, just as I pictured it would be- thank you so much for this."
Cordelia just grinned as she told the mother that she should be an interior designer making Fred smile as she excitedly showed her friends everything that Angel brought for Isabelle Cordelia Rose; now it was Cordelia's turn to cry and Fred began to worry. "Please don't cry, if you don't want me to..."
Cordelia Chase stopped Fred from saying anymore as she hugged the tiny brunette, thanking her for that small special tribute to her name. Just then Cordelia had a painful vision showing her that Darla was back in town, shortening their visit the trio promised that they would see Fred later as Wesley told her to call his cellphone if she started getting contractions. Fred smiled and waved her friends off as she went to take a small nap since she had been having small twinges all night.
In Cordelia's vision Darla was heavily pregnant and was about to give birth;- Angel decided to split the team in two groups. Gunn and Wesley in one as Angel and Cordelia in the other as they started their search. The souled vampire was curious what was making Cordelia grin like the Mad Hatter. "Fred is naming Isabelle after me. Isabelle Cordelia Rose, has a zing to it doesn't it." Said Cordy talking about the tiny designer dress and booties she was going to buy her honorary niece; Angel's mind was elsewhere as he kept his senses on Darla wondering what she was doing back in Los Angeles.
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The pain was getting worse and Fred began to panic when her waters broke; quickly grabbing her cellphone and called Wesley hoping he had his cell with him- when she got no answer Fred had no choice but call for an ambulance. Giving her address to the Emergency Department they said they would be there as soon as they can. Hanging up Fred Concentrating on her breathing and counting the minutes with each contraction- it been over an hour and the ambulance hadn't arrived yet; again Fred called Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn's cellphones but they weren't answering. Fred had no choice but to call Angel, when she got nothing but the answering machine- she cursed Angel's name as she told him that she had just gone into labor. Leaving a message Fred knew she went through the labor alone.
A nieghbour heard Fred's screams of pain and went to check on her, James Jackson was surprised to see Fred going into labor when he kicked the door open; using Fred's cellphone James saw the last call was to someone named Angel- making a call he left a message telling the machine his name and that he was taking Fred to the nearest hospital.
Angel sighed with relief when the nurses told him that his son was healthy- he heard his cellphone ringing and instead of answering it he switcheed it off as Cordelia brought in warm clothes for the baby boy that decided to name as Conner.
Once the team were inside the Hyperion Hotel Wesley Wyndham Price noticed the little light flashing on the answering machine- the former Watcher's eyes widened when he heard Fred's voice painfully asking for him. There was another message from a neighbour named James Jackson informing them that he had taken Fred to the Hospital they had just left; Wesley grabbed his keys and was about to leave when Angel asked him why he was leaving so sudden.
"There's been a few calls from Fred, she has gone in labor and there is no one with her- so if you need me I'll be by Fred's side."
Wesley didn't wait for Angel's reply as he left the Hyperion and drove directly to the hospital; as tired as Cordelia and Gunn were they told the souled vampire to at least see his daughter while they look after Conner.
Both Angel and Wesley arrived at the hospital asking for Winifred Burkle, the receptionist told the two men that a Miss Burkle had just left the Maternity Ward and was now resting. Giving the number to the floor and ward both Wesley and Angel both entered Ward C and found Fred sleeping soundly and in her arms was a baby girl. Angel licked his dried lips as he came in closer to take a glimpse of his daughter; the baby was beautiful and Angel was dying to hold her. Carefully so not to wake Fred- Angel took Isabelle out of her mother's arms and held her close to him.
Isabelle stirred slightly and her tiny hand moved out of her pink blanket and held onto her father's large finger instantly wrapping Angel around her finger. Angel vowed to his daughter he would always love and protect her as he pressed a soft kiss to his daughter's little forehead making Isabelle crinkle her nose just like Fred did when something irriated her. "Wes, come look at my little Belle- she's just perfect."
Wesley had a rare smile on his face as he looked down at the baby and like Angel fell in love with the child even more so since she was part of Fred; Wesley and Fred had become close during the pregnancy- but the former watcher was afraid of telling the tiny brunette that he was deeply in love with her.
Fred began to stir and Wesley gently took Isabelle out of Angel's arms and went to her;- Fred Burkle smiled as she saw Wesley holding her daughter as she sweetly said his name.
Angel felt the jealousy when he saw the loving moment between the mother of his child and the ex-Watcher; hearing Isabelle cry was the perfect as Angel made his presence known- Fred smiled as she sat up stiffly and tiredly raised her arms for her baby. Fred held Isabelle and realized that the baby was hungry. Opening her gown Isabelle was soon latching onto her mother's breast; Wesley felt he was intruding on something as he made his excuses and left.
To Be Continued.