Letting the Bad in with the Good
Part 1
Fred has never remembered ever feeling this way before. It had been a week since Angel had taken the whole gag to the ballet, a night that Fred knew she'd never forget. Since then, she and Gunn had decided to keep it simple between them. Despite what she felt, Fred was still a little shaky when it came to letting people get close. What was even better for Fred was that Gunn was giving her all the space she wanted. He knew that when she was ready, she would tell him.
That's what made it so hard for Fred to keep their relationship hidden. When Gunn was sensitive and caring about her feelings it was hard for Fred not shout to the world that they were together. They had an understanding, they weren't ashamed. Gunn and Fred didn't want to ruin what they had, even though the rest of the gang did put two and two together.
They kept quiet too, especially Wesley. He had hardly said more than two words to both Fred and Gunn. This bothered Fred. She wondered why Wesley was so quiet, and she was going to find out. Fred went over to knock on Wesley's office door. He had come to the office that day, slightly nodded at Fred, and then closed himself in his office. She raised her fist when someone grabbed her from behind.
Fred's scream ripped through the Hyperion. Wesley's door flew open, and he looked ready to attack Fred's attacker, but then his face dropped. Fred looked at Wesley, then up to the person who grabbed her. "Sorry." Gunn shrugged as he smiled down at Fred. She smiled, but then stopped when she noticed Wesley staring at her. "Some of us are trying to get work done, Charles," Wesley said stiffly as he continued looking at Fred. "Perhaps keep the horseplay to a minimum."
With that, he closed himself back in his office. Something was definitely wrong with him. Fred turned and wrapped her arms around Gunn's waist. He hugged her back, but his eyes were glued on Wesley's door. Fred noticed this right away. "What's the matter with Wesley, Charles?" After a minute, Gunn realized that Fred was talking to him. "I don't have a clue, Fred." He said in a very unconvincing tone.
Fred dropped it for now. As selfish as it may sound, she was happy now and didn't want anything to ruin it. Hadn't she deserved happiness after what she had been through for the past five years of her life? "You wanna grab lunch later?" Gunn asked as he kissed the top of her head. Fred nodded and then settled into his embrace. This was too good to be true.
***
Fred and Gunn walked back into Angel Investigations, hand in hand. They were smiling about things that went on during lunch (let's just say not much eating was done) but their mode soon dropped. Cordelia was lying on one of the sofa's with Angel and Wesley hovering over her. Lorne was off to the side with Connor fidgeting in his arms. "There you two are!" Lorne exclaimed looking up. Guun had dropped Fred's hand as Lorne continued. "Cordy just had a vision, and if it did that to her, you know it's bad."
"When did this happen?" Fred asked as she stepped forward and looked down at Cordelia, who was unconscious. Angel had stood up and looked over at Fred with worried eyes. "Only a little while ago," he said with a crack in his voice. "It started off normal, she was giving us information then she started screaming. She fainted about a minute later." Fred looked away from Angel. She should have been here to help with Cordy, not out having fun.
Sensing how she was feeling Gunn placed a hand on Fred's shoulder as he stared down at Cordelia. They all jumped back as Cordelia's eye's shot open and she gasped. "Cordy!" Angel yelled. Wesley moved aside a bit and Angel grabbed her gently by the arms. "What happened? What did you see?" Cordelia looked at Angel with wide eyes. A tear slid down her cheek as she grabbed Angel and threw her arms around him.
"I've never felt anything like that before," she whispered into his shoulder. When Cordy pulled back, she looked at all of them. "Whatever it is...it's powerful. Really powerful." Wesley bent down next to Cordelia too. "Yes, but what did you see?" Cordelia turned to him and answered. "Nothing. I just...I just felt." Wesley exchanged a nervous glance with Angel. Fred could see that he was worried.
Wesley then looked up at her. It was weird for Fred at first. Why was he staring at her? Then she just lost herself in Wesley's eyes. She could see everything that he was feeling, because he felt so strongly about, well her. She knew now why Wesley was not talking to her, or Gunn. "We better hit the books." Angel said as he patted Wesley on the shoulder.
With a nod, Wesley stood and went over behind the desk. "I'll help." Gun said reluctantly after noticing that Angel wasn't about to leave Cordelia's side. Wesley looked up, like he was about to object, but then Fred looked at him with pleading eyes. "That's good," Wesley said silently. "We'll need everyone's help." Gunn smiled, kissed Fred on the cheek, and walked over and grabbed a book.
"Is there anything you can give us to go on, Cordelia?" Fred asked as she bent down with Angel. "You know, just a feeling is a little hard to find." Cordelia shook her head. "I didn't see anything. I'm sorry. The whole time, I just..." Cordelia began to sob. Fred grabbed one of her hands. "I'm sorry." Fred whispered to Angel. Angel smiled and nodded.
A few squeals from Connor got Angel up. "Sorry, boss," Lorne said as Angel grabbed his son. "The little guy was being really good for a while." "Don't worry about it," Angel said as he rubbed Connor's back. "Maybe could you poke around your sources? See if anything powerful is coming?" Lorne nodded and headed out of the Hyperion.
Angel looked from Connor to Cordelia. Fred noticed this and smiled. "I think I should take Connor," she told him as she stood up. "Cordelia needs you to take care of her." Angel opened his mouth to protest, but Fred took Connor and Angel, reluctantly, went over and took care of Cordelia.
Fred was cooing at Connor when she felt eyes on her. Gunn had looked up from some dusty old book and saw her standing and bouncing Connor. He kind of flinched when she noticed he was staring. Fred thought it was kind of cute, but she couldn't think about that stuff now. One: she wasn't ready, at all. Two: there was a demon out there, a really powerful one that they had to find and destroy.
If the vision of this thing hurt Cordelia, who was now like super girl, that much, what would it do to the rest of humanity? As if reading her thoughts, Wesley gasped and called Angel over immediately. Angel had to reread what Wesley had shown him. Fred knew that the look on his face was of disbelief. Her thoughts were confirmed when they all heard Angel say, "It can't be."
Part 1
Fred has never remembered ever feeling this way before. It had been a week since Angel had taken the whole gag to the ballet, a night that Fred knew she'd never forget. Since then, she and Gunn had decided to keep it simple between them. Despite what she felt, Fred was still a little shaky when it came to letting people get close. What was even better for Fred was that Gunn was giving her all the space she wanted. He knew that when she was ready, she would tell him.
That's what made it so hard for Fred to keep their relationship hidden. When Gunn was sensitive and caring about her feelings it was hard for Fred not shout to the world that they were together. They had an understanding, they weren't ashamed. Gunn and Fred didn't want to ruin what they had, even though the rest of the gang did put two and two together.
They kept quiet too, especially Wesley. He had hardly said more than two words to both Fred and Gunn. This bothered Fred. She wondered why Wesley was so quiet, and she was going to find out. Fred went over to knock on Wesley's office door. He had come to the office that day, slightly nodded at Fred, and then closed himself in his office. She raised her fist when someone grabbed her from behind.
Fred's scream ripped through the Hyperion. Wesley's door flew open, and he looked ready to attack Fred's attacker, but then his face dropped. Fred looked at Wesley, then up to the person who grabbed her. "Sorry." Gunn shrugged as he smiled down at Fred. She smiled, but then stopped when she noticed Wesley staring at her. "Some of us are trying to get work done, Charles," Wesley said stiffly as he continued looking at Fred. "Perhaps keep the horseplay to a minimum."
With that, he closed himself back in his office. Something was definitely wrong with him. Fred turned and wrapped her arms around Gunn's waist. He hugged her back, but his eyes were glued on Wesley's door. Fred noticed this right away. "What's the matter with Wesley, Charles?" After a minute, Gunn realized that Fred was talking to him. "I don't have a clue, Fred." He said in a very unconvincing tone.
Fred dropped it for now. As selfish as it may sound, she was happy now and didn't want anything to ruin it. Hadn't she deserved happiness after what she had been through for the past five years of her life? "You wanna grab lunch later?" Gunn asked as he kissed the top of her head. Fred nodded and then settled into his embrace. This was too good to be true.
***
Fred and Gunn walked back into Angel Investigations, hand in hand. They were smiling about things that went on during lunch (let's just say not much eating was done) but their mode soon dropped. Cordelia was lying on one of the sofa's with Angel and Wesley hovering over her. Lorne was off to the side with Connor fidgeting in his arms. "There you two are!" Lorne exclaimed looking up. Guun had dropped Fred's hand as Lorne continued. "Cordy just had a vision, and if it did that to her, you know it's bad."
"When did this happen?" Fred asked as she stepped forward and looked down at Cordelia, who was unconscious. Angel had stood up and looked over at Fred with worried eyes. "Only a little while ago," he said with a crack in his voice. "It started off normal, she was giving us information then she started screaming. She fainted about a minute later." Fred looked away from Angel. She should have been here to help with Cordy, not out having fun.
Sensing how she was feeling Gunn placed a hand on Fred's shoulder as he stared down at Cordelia. They all jumped back as Cordelia's eye's shot open and she gasped. "Cordy!" Angel yelled. Wesley moved aside a bit and Angel grabbed her gently by the arms. "What happened? What did you see?" Cordelia looked at Angel with wide eyes. A tear slid down her cheek as she grabbed Angel and threw her arms around him.
"I've never felt anything like that before," she whispered into his shoulder. When Cordy pulled back, she looked at all of them. "Whatever it is...it's powerful. Really powerful." Wesley bent down next to Cordelia too. "Yes, but what did you see?" Cordelia turned to him and answered. "Nothing. I just...I just felt." Wesley exchanged a nervous glance with Angel. Fred could see that he was worried.
Wesley then looked up at her. It was weird for Fred at first. Why was he staring at her? Then she just lost herself in Wesley's eyes. She could see everything that he was feeling, because he felt so strongly about, well her. She knew now why Wesley was not talking to her, or Gunn. "We better hit the books." Angel said as he patted Wesley on the shoulder.
With a nod, Wesley stood and went over behind the desk. "I'll help." Gun said reluctantly after noticing that Angel wasn't about to leave Cordelia's side. Wesley looked up, like he was about to object, but then Fred looked at him with pleading eyes. "That's good," Wesley said silently. "We'll need everyone's help." Gunn smiled, kissed Fred on the cheek, and walked over and grabbed a book.
"Is there anything you can give us to go on, Cordelia?" Fred asked as she bent down with Angel. "You know, just a feeling is a little hard to find." Cordelia shook her head. "I didn't see anything. I'm sorry. The whole time, I just..." Cordelia began to sob. Fred grabbed one of her hands. "I'm sorry." Fred whispered to Angel. Angel smiled and nodded.
A few squeals from Connor got Angel up. "Sorry, boss," Lorne said as Angel grabbed his son. "The little guy was being really good for a while." "Don't worry about it," Angel said as he rubbed Connor's back. "Maybe could you poke around your sources? See if anything powerful is coming?" Lorne nodded and headed out of the Hyperion.
Angel looked from Connor to Cordelia. Fred noticed this and smiled. "I think I should take Connor," she told him as she stood up. "Cordelia needs you to take care of her." Angel opened his mouth to protest, but Fred took Connor and Angel, reluctantly, went over and took care of Cordelia.
Fred was cooing at Connor when she felt eyes on her. Gunn had looked up from some dusty old book and saw her standing and bouncing Connor. He kind of flinched when she noticed he was staring. Fred thought it was kind of cute, but she couldn't think about that stuff now. One: she wasn't ready, at all. Two: there was a demon out there, a really powerful one that they had to find and destroy.
If the vision of this thing hurt Cordelia, who was now like super girl, that much, what would it do to the rest of humanity? As if reading her thoughts, Wesley gasped and called Angel over immediately. Angel had to reread what Wesley had shown him. Fred knew that the look on his face was of disbelief. Her thoughts were confirmed when they all heard Angel say, "It can't be."