Universe: Alternate Angel, Season 3.
Pairing: Fred/Wes
Rating: T
Episodic Timeline: My alternate-fresley filled reality of Season 3.
A/N: Thanks for your patience. The plot is thickening... and the workings of at least three more chapters and a sequel are already filling up my thought bubble.
Fred walked Wesley upstairs with Cordelia's assurances that she would tell her the moment that the guys arrived with the book.
"You needn't care for me like I'm a child." Wesley said, racked with coughs.
Fred tucked him into bed and settled in next to him. "I'm taking care of you because I'm worried for you, and I love you." Fred leaned forward to place a kiss on Wesley's blue-tinged lips.
He pulled back. "No. What if it's contagious."
"It's..." Fred glanced away from Wesley's gaze. "It's not."
"You know what it is?" Wesley asked, taking Fred's hand in his.
She shook her head. "But... I know what it's doing to you..." Fred paused, tears welling up in her eyes at the thought. "It's well... your organs are cooking... in, in a days time they'll liquefy..." Fred held back her tears as much as she could manage.
Wesley sat perfectly still, processing the information. Then, he reached up his fingers to wipe at Fred's tears, kissing her gently. "We'll figure something out. We always do."
Fred heard the fatalist tone in his voice. "I can't lose you." Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision, cascading down her cheeks.
Wesley caught Fred's chin with his fingers, scattering her with kisses. "Well I don't plan on losing you. Ever." He leaned back against the pillows, smiling.
"Well, that's settled then." Fred managed a choked laugh through her tears.
Angel burst through the basement door, tossing a thick book on the front desk.
"That's it." He tossed a glare at Gunn who he had ordered to look after Connor and stay out of the way. "Where's Fred and Wesley?"
Cordelia came around the desk. "You're angry, like really angry. Things go that bad at Corporate Evil?"
Angel nodded, "Wes and Fred?"
Cordelia sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get through to Angel right now. "Upstairs resting together. They need it. Especially Fred. This is hardest on her."
Angel nodded, "Flip it open."
"What is it?" Cordelia asked, flipping back the cover with a loud thud. "Ill-leer-E-uuhh." Cordelia read aloud. "Demon. Old one. Insurmountable power. Ew, Wesley is turning into this blue tentacled octopus-looking thing?"
Angel shook his head and groaned. "It's killing Wesley from the inside out. Illyria will take over his body. "
Cordelia's scanned the pages. "Huh, girly name, you'd think it'd want to take over a pretty women. Not a rugged British man."
"You're missing the point." Angel said roughly. "If this thing succeeds, there will be no more Wesley. In a days time, Wesley will no longer exist on this earth."
Cordelia's mouth dropped open. "Oh..."
Angel's anger finally bubbled over, hitting boil. Full steam ahead. "After everything that's happened lately I hate to be the one to say this, but we need to save Wesley." Angel got that look, that forlorn puppy-dog look for just a brief second and Cordelia instantly understood.
"I'll make a call to Sunnydale." She picked up the landline. Angel nodded and headed upstairs.
A light knock sounded on the door. Fred stirred. The knock sounded again, a bit more urgent. She glanced at Wesley, slumbering peacefully. His skin looked blueish, a sheen of perspiration on his forehead. Fred ran a hand through her sleeping love's hair lightly. She stepped into the hall, shutting the door behind her quietly.
"Angel?" Fred glanced up at her former protector, still heroic, still a savior, still a perfect gentlemen and forever a champion.
He placed a hand a Fred's shoulder. "There's something you need to know..."
A/n: Another cliffy! Hopefully a new chapter in, let's shoot for 2 days.