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True Love Never Runs Smooth
By Vengeance Girl
SUMMARY: Wes isn't coping with the events of WitW as well as it seems ...
SPOILERS: Up to Waiting In The Wings. After that - it's all fair game. Groo didn't show up during WitW though.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine - because mullets are good, and stealing is bad.
RATING: Nothing major, definitely no higher than a PG
DISTRIBUTION: Want, take, have (and email me!)!
FEEDBACK: Is always good
DEDICATION: To my W/F partner-in-crime, Regina - because if you didn't tell me to bother, I probably wouldn't! And to my real-life partner in Angel-crime against friends, Sel - look at us, all convention-bound! Blackpool, here we come! Thanks for putting up with me, the pair of you!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This came to me while I was sitting in German, thinking "I wish Wes was teaching this." So, Mr Green, this one's for you, too!
*****
Wesley stared around his half-empty apartment. It no longer looked like his home - not that it had ever really been a "home" as such - but now almost every trace of him was gone. All his possessions were packed neatly into the cardboard boxes that littered the room. Some men had just been to take away his furniture and put it into storage, although if he was honest with himself, they could have stolen half his things and he wouldn't have noticed, the mood he was in.
This was the part he'd been dreading. Over the last few weeks he'd slowly detached himself from the group, spending the nights packing away his things. But that had all seemed like a dream. Now he was actually doing it; he was actually leaving, and it was harder than he'd expected.
Thinking for a second, he pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of the last open box, and sat down in the middle of the floor. No matter how hard he wanted to leave and have done with it, he couldn't. He'd given nearly three years of his life to helping these people, he owed them an explanation, even if he couldn't do it face to face.
Dear all,
He paused. He had to get the words exactly right, to make them understand. He sat, lost in thought, until a gentle tap at the door roused him. Glancing round his apartment again, he realised that if one of them was here, he couldn't hide from them. It was obvious what he was doing.
Sighing, he got up and walked to the door, pocketing the paper on the way. Slipping the catch, he pulled it open and was met by Fred's concerned face. Oh, God. Not her. I could have faced any of them but her.
"Wes?" She moved to step through the door but he wouldn't open it more than a crack. "Wes, what's wrong?"
Without looking up at her face he moved out of the way and she pushed the door open. He winced as he watched the expression on her face shift from one of concern to one of shock.
"Wesley ... are you going somewhere?"
He sighed. "Come on, Fred," he started. "We both know you're too smart not to realise what I'm doing. I'm leaving. I'm doing what I always do and taking the easy way out."
Fighting back the tears she could feel ready to spring from her eyes at any second, she looked up at him. "Why? What's so horrible that you couldn't stay and work it out? Or at least tell us you were leaving?"
"Fred ..."
"I want to understand, Wes."
He took her hand and led her over to where a couple of the sturdiest boxes stood. Dragging them away from the rest a little, he sat down on one, and patted the box next to him. She obliged, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek, which only made her cry even harder.
"It's ... I can't explain it easily, Fred. That's why I wasn't going to say goodbye, because I don't know how to explain it."
"Try."
He took a deep breath, pausing to collect his thoughts. "I'm going to work for the Watcher's Council. They've found me a job teaching at a secondary school, all they ask is that I work for their research department when they need help. In return I can use all the resources they offer to find out about Connor."
"So why are you packing so much? You can find out about Connor, and then come back home, where we need you."
"I need to go away for good, Fred. I need some time alone - and apart from that, if they knew I'd left any ties here, planned to come back, they wouldn't hesitate in retracting all their offers and getting me deported for good."
"Then stay. Turn them down. Make do with what we have here, I don't care. Just don't go! Please, Wes. Stay. For me."
"I ..." He looked over at her and his voice cracked. "I wish I could. But ... you're with Gunn now ... and I've given them my word."
Her head snapped up at the mention of Gunn. "How did you know about Charles and me?" she whispered, and gasped in horror as she saw his face contort in pain. "Oh, God. You saw?" Wesley barely managed a nod before she grabbed his hands and forced him to look at her. "There's nothing between us. I promise you - it was a one time thing. The magic of the ballet, and the magic of the ... well, magic. It got to us."
Wes shuddered at the memory of seeing the woman he loved in his best friend's arms.
"You have no idea how many times I've wished it was you." She whispered. He stared into her eyes, and he knew she meant it. Which just made it even harder that he still had to leave.
She shuffled closer to him, and gently slipped her arms around his neck as she pulled his mouth down to hers. It was the most tender kiss she'd ever experienced, full of warmth and care, and yet teeming with passion at the same time. She felt completely comfortable and lost in him until she felt something warm and moist run down her cheek. Pulling away, she realised that Wes had broken down, tears streaming down his face. She pulled away and looked at him quizzically.
"Wes? What is it?"
He wiped at the tears with his shirt sleeve, but they kept coming. "I still have to go," he choked out.
She nodded, her own tears now running down her face. "I figured you would." A taxi horn honked from outside.
"That's for me." Wesley looked down, and dug into his pocket. "I was going to mail these with my goodbyes ... but you can do it for me now." Handing her his car keys, he wrapped her hand around them. "It won't be much use to me now. Tell everyone I love them." He pulled her from the box she sat on and wrapped his arms around her. He shuddered as she cried into his arm and was relieved when she hugged him back.
"I'll miss you Wes." Pocketing his keys, she wiped her eyes again. "You'd better call me when you get there, mister."
"I promise." He picked up his hand luggage, and took Fred in his other hand, leading her out of the apartment and locking the door behind him. He kissed her quickly on the lips and was gone, before the cab left without him, leaving her leaning against his door, wondering if this was really happening.
*****
Fred pushed open the door to the Hyperion, her eyes still red from crying. She slammed Wesley's keys down on the counter and headed up to her room without speaking to anyone. Cordelia and Angel exchanged a glance, and Cordy ran up the stairs after Fred.
She knocked gently on the door to Fred's room. "Fred? What's the matter? Is something wrong with Wesley?"
"Wesley's gone." Fred's muffled reply came through the door.
"What do you mean, gone?"
"Gone as in, he was leaving to catch a plane to England a few minutes ago, and he's not coming back."
"Ever?"
"Yes, Cordelia, ever. Wesley's gone, and he's never coming back." Cordelia wasn't surprised at the bitterness in Fred's voice - it was obvious to all of them how much she cared for him. For him to do something like this was so ... un-Wesleyish.
She gently turned the door handle. As the door swung open, she poked her head into Fred's room and softened her voice. "Do you mind if I come in?" Fred's face was buried in a pillow, and Cordelia noticed she'd given in to the tears. She sat down next to the crying girl, and put her arm around her shoulder, feeling, not for the first time, like the older of the two.
Angel's head appeared silently round the door, concern showing in his face. Cordy gently shook her head slightly, and Angel nodded, quickly withdrawing. As Cordelia heard his retreating footsteps, she turned back to Fred.
"Did he tell you why?"
Fred looked up, beginning to feel as if she'd done nothing but cry all day. Her eyes were red and blotchy, and she reached up to her nightstand for a tissue as she nodded slightly. "Something about going to work for the Watchers Council. He said they told him he could use all their resources to find out about Connor if he went back to England and promised to stay there."
Cordelia was completely taken aback. Of all the reasons she'd expected, going back to the Council wasn't one of them. He hated the Council, and pretty much all they stood for with a fiery passion, and she knew Fred knew it, too.
"Fred ... is it just me, or does something feel not quite right about this whole thing?"
"In what way?"
"Wes hates the Council. They fired him, and they kicked him when he was down. And plus, not exactly famous for being productive in what they do."
"He seemed pretty determined."
"That's Wes for ya. I'm just saying ... be prepared that this isn't as black and white as it seems, okay?"
Fred considered this for a second. "Like maybe the part where he said he was going to be a teacher?"
As Fred spoke, something clicked in Cordelia's brain. It took a second to process, and then she remembered. "Actually, that part makes sense. I remember one time, God, it was years ago now. I think it might have even been back in Sunnydale. Yeah, it was, because he was trying to impress me, not that it was hard, cuz he was so hot back then, always wearing those suits ... oh, and the tux! I almost fainted when I saw him in that tux ..." She looked back at Fred, who was glaring at her, waiting for the point of the story. "Sorry. Anyway, he showed me some stuff he had in a big box in Giles' office, it was a whole bunch of documents that were pretty much forged. They said he was qualified to teach English, History and, I think, Latin. It was something to do with needing to explain his presence hanging around school premises at all hours."
"So Wesley's going to be a teacher without any qualifications? That's not like him, Cordy. Even if he had them then, he wouldn't use them now."
Cordelia sighed. "I guess." She glanced at her watch. "I should go check on Connor - he's going to need feeding soon, and Angel looks kinda cute when he hasn't a clue what he's doing." Fred smiled, and Cordelia felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank God! I got a smile. So will you be okay here?"
Fred nodded, suddenly feeling a sense of purpose. She agreed with Cordelia - something wasn't quite right here. And as a member of a detective agency, she planned to find out. "You go, I'll be fine."
She watched as Cordelia left the room, waited a few seconds and then slipped down the stairs. She stopped as she caught a couple of snippets of conversation floating out from Angel's room.
"I'm worried about her, Angel."
"She's strong enough, Cordy. God, she survived five years in Pylea, and from what I've seen of her reaction to this, it's been pretty much what I'd have expected. She's angry, and upset, but she'll pull through. She's Fred."
Fred smiled at Angel's faith in her. "I know that, but ... Wes was her strength when she came back from Pylea. Sure, for a time she thought it was you, but I noticed. Wes was always there for her, whether she knew it or not. I'm just worried what'll happen without him."
"It's not like he can't call, Cordy. He's not unreachable." Fred was glad she had the support of her friends - because as much as she felt she should be mad with Cordy for not believing in her, she knew the younger girl made sense. Thinking back on it, Wes *had* been the one who'd helped her when she came back, and she already felt like something was missing. He'd been gone less than an hour.
She continued down the stairs, and silently opened the door to Wesley's office. She noticed he'd left most of his books behind - and his diaries. That gave her hope that he'd be in contact, and sooner rather than later.
She stayed in there for hours, feeling like she was invading his privacy by going through his stuff. She kept telling herself if he'd wanted her to keep away from it, he would have taken it with him. Besides, she wanted to figure out what he was actually up to. And it was nice, being in his office. It still smelt of him - it was comforting for her.
She must have eventually dozed off, because she was woken with a start by something ringing near her ear. Realising it was the phone, she fumbled around with the piles of paper covering Wesley's desk until she found the instrument in question.
"Hello?" she croaked.
"Fred?" She could hear a lot of other noises, but her mind instantly woke up when she heard his voice.
"Wesley?" She whispered. "You sound so ... distant."
He laughed slightly. "Fred ... I'm seven thousand miles away."
"Oh. Well, that would explain it I guess." There was an awkward silence. "So, how was your flight?"
"It was ... non-eventful." He paused, unsure whether or not to continue. "I miss you."
Fred felt something catch in her throat. "I miss you too."
"Who're you talking to, Fred?" Cordelia popped her head through the doorway. Noticing the tears in Fred's eyes, she realised. "Can I speak to him?"
Fred relayed the message as Cordelia held out her hand for the phone. "He says he's going to miss his train." Cordelia snorted, guessing that he was just too chicken to talk to her, and left the room. Fred turned her attention back to Wesley.
"You'll call back soon, right?"
"I'll write. I'll let you know where I am. I have to go, Fred, bye."
"But Wesley -" She listened to the phone clicking as Wesley hung up. She looked around the mess she'd made in his office, finding nothing, and decided to clean up a little. If nothing else, it might take her mind off him.
Fred carefully filed away all of the papers she'd pulled out, determined that if Wes came back, his office would still be his own. She was almost done when she pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk, revealing a large bottle of scotch.
"Never pegged you for a big drinker, Wes." She muttered. Unscrewing the lid, she sniffed its contents. It smelled strong. Pouring herself a drink, she wondered if maybe getting completely wasted would take her mind off him, as nothing else had seemed to. She'd always thought people had been incredibly stupid back in high school, drinking for fun - but now that she thought about it, perhaps there was a reason. Taking a deep breath, she took a gulp of the liquid.
And spat it right out onto the floor.
"Someone's trying to tell you something, Fred." Noted Cordelia. Fred looked up sheepishly.
"I wasn't going to ... I wouldn't ... I mean ... I thought about it." Screwing the cap back onto the bottle, she shoved it back into the drawer. "But there is no way something that disgusting could make me feel any better." Just before she slammed the drawer shut, she spotted a small box hiding underneath a file she'd dislodged with the bottle.
She pulled it out, and gasped as she flipped the lid open. Inside lay a beautiful ring, a slender gold band set with a very expensive looking diamond. Cordelia moved closer out of curiosity as she saw the look on Fred's face, and echoed the elder girl's gasp.
"Fred, that's gorgeous." Taking the box out of Fred's hands, she removed the padding from underneath the ring, and fiddled around with a piece of paper underneath.
"Who do you think it was for?" Even as the words came out of Fred's mouth, Cordelia pulled out the small card she'd spotted, and handed it to Fred.
Fred,
All my love, always.
Wesley
"He wouldn't let me see it, but I knew it was there." Cordelia looked wistful. "He was going to give you it when we came back from the ballet, but ... seeing you with Gunn broke his heart, Fred. And I've gotta say, I didn't see that one coming. I thought for sure you were meant to be with Wesley. I guess you can never predict these things." Handing the box back to Fred, she turned to leave the room. "I hope you and Gunn are happy."
"We're not," Fred blurted out, before Cordy got the wrong idea - more than she did already, anyway.
"Who's not what?" Angel spoke up, entering the office with Connor.
"Charles and I. We aren't anything. We aren't dating, we aren't in love - and therefore we have no cause to be happy - in a 'with each other' kind of way, anyway. I won't be happy until Wes comes back."
Fred ran out of her room, taking the ring with her. Cordy moved to follow, but Angel held out his hand to stop her. "Let her go. She needs time right now - if anyone should talk to her, I think Gunn should go."
"Why Gunn?"
"He knows the full story of what happened between them - which apparently did not, contrary to popular opinion, create a relationship. And I just want to say," Angel headed out into the lobby and yelled back through to Cordelia. "I told you so!"
****
Dear Wesley,
I'm so awful at the beginnings of letters. It's taken me 13 tries just to get this far, so forgive me if the rest doesn't make sense. I'm so glad you wrote. I was starting to think you'd forgotten me. I'm glad you're enjoying your new job. Things have been slow here - still no news on why Connor was born, and it's kind of a good job, because I know we'd be slower than ever without you.
I was talking to Cordelia the day you left, and she was telling me about your teaching qualifications. Please don't take this the wrong way, Wes, but you aren't teaching with fake certificates are you? I know you too well to believe this, but I don't understand how you got the job otherwise. I know the council is powerful, but this ...
Anyway, I guess it's up to you - and as long as you're enjoying yourself, and you don't get into trouble I'll be satisfied. God, now I sound like my Mom!
We tried to have a nice night out last week, Cordelia, Angel, Charles and I, but that was a complete washout. First we couldn't agree on a place to go. Angel wanted to do something cultural, Cordelia and I just wanted to hang, and I'm surprised Charles agreed to come at all, I could tell the whole time he'd rather be out fighting something. So in the end we decided just to go and get something to eat, maybe catch a movie. We got to the restaurant, and Lorne called Angel on his cell. Connor was sick, and Angel had to go home and sort him out. But he told us to stay, so we did. Then halfway through the movie - I can't even remember what it was now - Cordelia had a vision, and although they don't hurt her anymore, she didn't feel up to staying. But she insisted Charles and I stay. And that was never going to be good - it was far too much like a date. We both decided around the same time it would be better if we just cut our losses and split.
So that was just one big disaster, although looking back on it, it was kinda funny.
Angel's calling, he and Cordy are going out - that's right, a proper date - and I'm looking after Connor. I'd better go and get my instructions! Connor may be three months old now, and we've all babysat a gazillion times, but he's still so careful every time he leaves Connor.
It's only natural I guess.
Please don't wait so long next time.
Love you always,
Fred.
****
Dear Fred,
I'm exactly the same when it comes to writing letters. They always sound so formal - and they make me sound even more stuffy and English than ever! Thank you so much for writing - I was a little worried you'd be mad with me and decide not to. Getting your letter brightened up my day. Now listen to me - don't you dare ever think I've forgotten you - its not going to happen!
It's so good to know you're worried about me - but you don't need to be. To be honest, I'm surprised Cordelia remembered what I told her about the certificates - but I didn't explain to her properly how I got them.
It was part of my watcher training. I had to go through an official teacher-training programme, so the certificates are real, I do have the necessary qualifications. I spent three years training to be a teacher - as well as giving me a good cover story for why I was hanging around my Slayer's school, it was intended to raise my confidence a little. It ended up making me seem pompous to a lot of people, but I think it's stood me in good stead.
I'm teaching English Language and History at the moment, and there's a possibility I may take on some Latin classes too, next year, if the head approves it. I'm still enjoying it a lot - there's one student in particular, Katie, I know you would love. She's so smart, and everything she does reminds me of you. It's like there's a little bit of you here with me. I'm tutoring her after school, because I'm sure with a little help in raising her confidence - she reminds me of myself in that way - she'll do so well in her exams. She's such a sweet girl. I'd love for you to meet her sometime.
I could hear your voice in my head when I was reading what happened on your "night out". It sounds as if you're coping just the same as always - things never went right, did they? It's nice to know I wasn't a jinx on you all!
I want to hear all about Angel and Cordy's date - how did it go? I hope that they managed a vision-free night this time! And it's good that Angel's still being careful around Connor - after all, he does have slightly more to worry about than the average new parent.
All my love,
Wesley
****
Much quicker that time, Wes! I decided to scrap an opening line this time - it meant I didn't have to spend forever deciding how to start it. Which is good, because people don't usually pay much attention to that part anyway!
So you're an actual qualified teacher then, huh? How come you never told me, or any of the others? That's an interesting little fact I never knew about you! I wonder what else you've never told me. I can't imagine you ever seeming pompous to anyone - but Cordelia's been telling me stories, and I gotta tell you, I just can't picture you doing half of the stuff she told me about - but it's amazingly cute!
Everyone has been tiptoeing around me since you left. It's as if they think I might have some kind of breakdown if they mention your name - no matter how many times I tell them it's okay, I *want* them to talk about you - they don't.
Your student sounds great - how's she doing now? I'm really glad you're enjoying yourself - but am I being selfish if I wish you were back here with me instead?
Cordy and Angel actually had a good night out, no visions, no demons, no other trouble. I was amazed when the two of them showed up in one piece, without demon blood in their hair, or Cordelia's dress shredded to pieces. It's pretty much taken that they're a couple now, although they still haven't found a way around the curse. So they're just at the dating stage, and I think they'll be stuck there for a while.
But its nice that someone round here is doing okay in love!
Everyone is fine, Connor's growing every day - and I think Gunn and Lorne may be getting a bit of a "thing" on!
Love you,
Fred
xx
P.S I'm just kidding about the Gunn and Lorne thing!
****
Fred! Gunn and LORNE?! You almost gave me a heart attack! You should talk to someone about that imagination of yours - you could do some harm! I've missed that!
I've just realised how seriously I overused the exclamation mark in that paragraph. I'll try and stop now.
Yes, that's me, Mr teacher man. All official and everything. I dread to think what stories Cordy has been telling you about me - if it involves a squid, she's lying. Honestly, she is. You just tell her how many things I could tell you about her - mention the incident with the ferret to her and you just watch her reaction!
They're just tiptoeing because they care. I'm sorry if I've made things uncomfortable for you at work, I hope they'll get over it soon.
Katie's doing well, she's taking her GCSEs in a few weeks, and I think she's going to do really well. Cross your fingers for her!
I'm glad Cordelia and Angel finally realised how they feel. I always thought it was a shame that they didn't realise it sooner - I'm sure it'll last a long time.
Say hi to everyone for me - tell them I miss them all - I especially miss seeing Connor grow up. And, of course, I miss you.
Yours forever,
Wesley
****
Wesley put down the exam paper he was marking and glanced around the classroom. He smiled as he watched them all studying carefully and quietly. He noticed two students passing a note, but he decided to let it go. He loved teaching this class - they were the most well behaved group of sixteen year olds he'd ever known, and because of it they had a great relationship. They joked around, but when the work needed to be done, they did it without a murmur. Well, occasionally there was a slight murmur.
Noticing that the end of the school day was creeping up fast, he cleared his throat.
"All right, everyone. You can pack away. If everyone does their exam paper for homework, we can watch a video next lesson. Okay?"
"Yes, sir!" The class chanted, and Wesley watched them with a smile on his face as the bell rang and they streamed out. "See you on Thursday!" he yelled after them.
He leant down into the briefcase that lay on the floor, and started to rummage around in it. Katie should be arriving soon for her tutor session - he was giving her some tips on Latin to help her with the grammar in her French and German exams. There was a quiet knock on the door, and he waved his hand without looking up.
As he heard the door open, he started to speak. "I'll be with you in a second, Katie. If you just want to take a seat and ..." he trailed off as he looked up, met with not Katie, but Fred.
"Hey, Wes." She smiled. He couldn't believe she was here - was this a dream?
"Fred?" He was stunned. "What ... how ... why ..."
"That's three sentences you've started there, Wes! You wanna finish one of them?" She was grinning from ear to ear - she'd been wondering if this was the right decision ever since she told Angel she was leaving, and her fears had just been getting stronger ever since she stepped onto the plane. Seeing his reaction was so relieving - and also extremely cute.
He laughed. "Sorry. What are you doing here?!" Suddenly concerned, his tone changed. "Is something wrong?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Relax. I just wanted to see you. I've missed you so much ... when I actually let myself realise that you weren't coming back - soon, anyway - and you seemed to be having such a good time here, I decided I'd come to you. I was going crazy over there with only the occasional letter." Pausing for breath, she looked at him and grinned again. "Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder - I think they were right!"
Suddenly over his shock and instead filled with a sense of complete and utter joy, he grabbed her and held her tightly. "Oh, Fred."
"You're not gonna cry on me, are you Wes?"
He pulled away and chuckled. "No. Well, maybe." He laughed. "I'm just ... I'm so glad to see you."
"I'm so glad you said that. I was afraid you might tell me to get on the next plane home!"
"As if I could ever do that! I've often imagined you coming over here - but I never expected it to happen." He was still grinning, and he had a feeling it would last for a while. He noticed she was playing with something on her ring finger, and gently pulled her hand away from it to reveal the ring he'd bought for her. He looked up at her, and noticed she was blushing.
"Where did you get this?" He whispered.
"I found it in your drawer ... the day you left. I've been wearing it ever since."
"You never said anything ..." he murmured.
"I ... I didn't want you to tell me to stop wearing it."
He looked up into her eyes and saw tears appear as he slipped the ring from her finger. "This isn't how it was supposed to be ..." he whispered as he knelt down on one knee. "But ... Winifred - will you be my wife?" He placed the ring back onto her finger as she nodded, more tears fresh in her eyes and rolling down her face.
"Sorry I'm late, sir, I had to - oh!" Katie stood stock still in the doorway, and flushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry ... you're busy ... I ... uh ... I'll come back tomorrow. We can cancel for now. I'll ... er ... bye!" She turned to make a quick exit, but Wes had other ideas.
"Katie, come here a second please."
She turned, and walked towards Wes and Fred. "I'd like you to meet Fred - Fred, this is Katie." Katie's eyes opened wide.
"*The* Fred?"
Fred laughed. "Does he talk about me?"
Katie nodded vigorously. "Only all the time. And you're every bit as pretty as he said you were."
Wesley guffawed, slightly embarrassed by his student's boldness. "Don't hold back, will you, Katie?"
She giggled. "Shouldn't I have said that? I'm sorry." She winked at Fred, who marvelled at how easily the girl had become comfortable with her. Wes was right - she was a good kid.
"Katie ..." Wesley spoke in what Katie had come to recognise as his 'teacher tone' and she stopped grinning, although there was still a jovial glint in her eye.
"Sorry, sir. I am. Would you like me to come back tomorrow? I can spend the extra time tonight going over those verb tables you gave me."
Wes laughed and cocked his head towards Fred. "By that she means she'll watch TV all night, and then try and memorise them all right before she goes to sleep." He looked back to Katie. "That'd be good, if you don't mind."
"Not a problem, sir. I'll see you in English tomorrow."
"Bye, Katie."
"See you later, Katie!" Fred chimed.
Wes quickly tidied up his desk and locked his papers and marking away in the cupboard. Grabbing his keys from the table, he picked up his briefcase, took Fred with his other hand, and led her from the room.
"Where are we going?"
"Back to my house." He grinned at her. "Because, Miss Burkle ... we have some catching up to do."
By Vengeance Girl
SUMMARY: Wes isn't coping with the events of WitW as well as it seems ...
SPOILERS: Up to Waiting In The Wings. After that - it's all fair game. Groo didn't show up during WitW though.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine - because mullets are good, and stealing is bad.
RATING: Nothing major, definitely no higher than a PG
DISTRIBUTION: Want, take, have (and email me!)!
FEEDBACK: Is always good
DEDICATION: To my W/F partner-in-crime, Regina - because if you didn't tell me to bother, I probably wouldn't! And to my real-life partner in Angel-crime against friends, Sel - look at us, all convention-bound! Blackpool, here we come! Thanks for putting up with me, the pair of you!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This came to me while I was sitting in German, thinking "I wish Wes was teaching this." So, Mr Green, this one's for you, too!
*****
Wesley stared around his half-empty apartment. It no longer looked like his home - not that it had ever really been a "home" as such - but now almost every trace of him was gone. All his possessions were packed neatly into the cardboard boxes that littered the room. Some men had just been to take away his furniture and put it into storage, although if he was honest with himself, they could have stolen half his things and he wouldn't have noticed, the mood he was in.
This was the part he'd been dreading. Over the last few weeks he'd slowly detached himself from the group, spending the nights packing away his things. But that had all seemed like a dream. Now he was actually doing it; he was actually leaving, and it was harder than he'd expected.
Thinking for a second, he pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of the last open box, and sat down in the middle of the floor. No matter how hard he wanted to leave and have done with it, he couldn't. He'd given nearly three years of his life to helping these people, he owed them an explanation, even if he couldn't do it face to face.
Dear all,
He paused. He had to get the words exactly right, to make them understand. He sat, lost in thought, until a gentle tap at the door roused him. Glancing round his apartment again, he realised that if one of them was here, he couldn't hide from them. It was obvious what he was doing.
Sighing, he got up and walked to the door, pocketing the paper on the way. Slipping the catch, he pulled it open and was met by Fred's concerned face. Oh, God. Not her. I could have faced any of them but her.
"Wes?" She moved to step through the door but he wouldn't open it more than a crack. "Wes, what's wrong?"
Without looking up at her face he moved out of the way and she pushed the door open. He winced as he watched the expression on her face shift from one of concern to one of shock.
"Wesley ... are you going somewhere?"
He sighed. "Come on, Fred," he started. "We both know you're too smart not to realise what I'm doing. I'm leaving. I'm doing what I always do and taking the easy way out."
Fighting back the tears she could feel ready to spring from her eyes at any second, she looked up at him. "Why? What's so horrible that you couldn't stay and work it out? Or at least tell us you were leaving?"
"Fred ..."
"I want to understand, Wes."
He took her hand and led her over to where a couple of the sturdiest boxes stood. Dragging them away from the rest a little, he sat down on one, and patted the box next to him. She obliged, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek, which only made her cry even harder.
"It's ... I can't explain it easily, Fred. That's why I wasn't going to say goodbye, because I don't know how to explain it."
"Try."
He took a deep breath, pausing to collect his thoughts. "I'm going to work for the Watcher's Council. They've found me a job teaching at a secondary school, all they ask is that I work for their research department when they need help. In return I can use all the resources they offer to find out about Connor."
"So why are you packing so much? You can find out about Connor, and then come back home, where we need you."
"I need to go away for good, Fred. I need some time alone - and apart from that, if they knew I'd left any ties here, planned to come back, they wouldn't hesitate in retracting all their offers and getting me deported for good."
"Then stay. Turn them down. Make do with what we have here, I don't care. Just don't go! Please, Wes. Stay. For me."
"I ..." He looked over at her and his voice cracked. "I wish I could. But ... you're with Gunn now ... and I've given them my word."
Her head snapped up at the mention of Gunn. "How did you know about Charles and me?" she whispered, and gasped in horror as she saw his face contort in pain. "Oh, God. You saw?" Wesley barely managed a nod before she grabbed his hands and forced him to look at her. "There's nothing between us. I promise you - it was a one time thing. The magic of the ballet, and the magic of the ... well, magic. It got to us."
Wes shuddered at the memory of seeing the woman he loved in his best friend's arms.
"You have no idea how many times I've wished it was you." She whispered. He stared into her eyes, and he knew she meant it. Which just made it even harder that he still had to leave.
She shuffled closer to him, and gently slipped her arms around his neck as she pulled his mouth down to hers. It was the most tender kiss she'd ever experienced, full of warmth and care, and yet teeming with passion at the same time. She felt completely comfortable and lost in him until she felt something warm and moist run down her cheek. Pulling away, she realised that Wes had broken down, tears streaming down his face. She pulled away and looked at him quizzically.
"Wes? What is it?"
He wiped at the tears with his shirt sleeve, but they kept coming. "I still have to go," he choked out.
She nodded, her own tears now running down her face. "I figured you would." A taxi horn honked from outside.
"That's for me." Wesley looked down, and dug into his pocket. "I was going to mail these with my goodbyes ... but you can do it for me now." Handing her his car keys, he wrapped her hand around them. "It won't be much use to me now. Tell everyone I love them." He pulled her from the box she sat on and wrapped his arms around her. He shuddered as she cried into his arm and was relieved when she hugged him back.
"I'll miss you Wes." Pocketing his keys, she wiped her eyes again. "You'd better call me when you get there, mister."
"I promise." He picked up his hand luggage, and took Fred in his other hand, leading her out of the apartment and locking the door behind him. He kissed her quickly on the lips and was gone, before the cab left without him, leaving her leaning against his door, wondering if this was really happening.
Fred pushed open the door to the Hyperion, her eyes still red from crying. She slammed Wesley's keys down on the counter and headed up to her room without speaking to anyone. Cordelia and Angel exchanged a glance, and Cordy ran up the stairs after Fred.
She knocked gently on the door to Fred's room. "Fred? What's the matter? Is something wrong with Wesley?"
"Wesley's gone." Fred's muffled reply came through the door.
"What do you mean, gone?"
"Gone as in, he was leaving to catch a plane to England a few minutes ago, and he's not coming back."
"Ever?"
"Yes, Cordelia, ever. Wesley's gone, and he's never coming back." Cordelia wasn't surprised at the bitterness in Fred's voice - it was obvious to all of them how much she cared for him. For him to do something like this was so ... un-Wesleyish.
She gently turned the door handle. As the door swung open, she poked her head into Fred's room and softened her voice. "Do you mind if I come in?" Fred's face was buried in a pillow, and Cordelia noticed she'd given in to the tears. She sat down next to the crying girl, and put her arm around her shoulder, feeling, not for the first time, like the older of the two.
Angel's head appeared silently round the door, concern showing in his face. Cordy gently shook her head slightly, and Angel nodded, quickly withdrawing. As Cordelia heard his retreating footsteps, she turned back to Fred.
"Did he tell you why?"
Fred looked up, beginning to feel as if she'd done nothing but cry all day. Her eyes were red and blotchy, and she reached up to her nightstand for a tissue as she nodded slightly. "Something about going to work for the Watchers Council. He said they told him he could use all their resources to find out about Connor if he went back to England and promised to stay there."
Cordelia was completely taken aback. Of all the reasons she'd expected, going back to the Council wasn't one of them. He hated the Council, and pretty much all they stood for with a fiery passion, and she knew Fred knew it, too.
"Fred ... is it just me, or does something feel not quite right about this whole thing?"
"In what way?"
"Wes hates the Council. They fired him, and they kicked him when he was down. And plus, not exactly famous for being productive in what they do."
"He seemed pretty determined."
"That's Wes for ya. I'm just saying ... be prepared that this isn't as black and white as it seems, okay?"
Fred considered this for a second. "Like maybe the part where he said he was going to be a teacher?"
As Fred spoke, something clicked in Cordelia's brain. It took a second to process, and then she remembered. "Actually, that part makes sense. I remember one time, God, it was years ago now. I think it might have even been back in Sunnydale. Yeah, it was, because he was trying to impress me, not that it was hard, cuz he was so hot back then, always wearing those suits ... oh, and the tux! I almost fainted when I saw him in that tux ..." She looked back at Fred, who was glaring at her, waiting for the point of the story. "Sorry. Anyway, he showed me some stuff he had in a big box in Giles' office, it was a whole bunch of documents that were pretty much forged. They said he was qualified to teach English, History and, I think, Latin. It was something to do with needing to explain his presence hanging around school premises at all hours."
"So Wesley's going to be a teacher without any qualifications? That's not like him, Cordy. Even if he had them then, he wouldn't use them now."
Cordelia sighed. "I guess." She glanced at her watch. "I should go check on Connor - he's going to need feeding soon, and Angel looks kinda cute when he hasn't a clue what he's doing." Fred smiled, and Cordelia felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank God! I got a smile. So will you be okay here?"
Fred nodded, suddenly feeling a sense of purpose. She agreed with Cordelia - something wasn't quite right here. And as a member of a detective agency, she planned to find out. "You go, I'll be fine."
She watched as Cordelia left the room, waited a few seconds and then slipped down the stairs. She stopped as she caught a couple of snippets of conversation floating out from Angel's room.
"I'm worried about her, Angel."
"She's strong enough, Cordy. God, she survived five years in Pylea, and from what I've seen of her reaction to this, it's been pretty much what I'd have expected. She's angry, and upset, but she'll pull through. She's Fred."
Fred smiled at Angel's faith in her. "I know that, but ... Wes was her strength when she came back from Pylea. Sure, for a time she thought it was you, but I noticed. Wes was always there for her, whether she knew it or not. I'm just worried what'll happen without him."
"It's not like he can't call, Cordy. He's not unreachable." Fred was glad she had the support of her friends - because as much as she felt she should be mad with Cordy for not believing in her, she knew the younger girl made sense. Thinking back on it, Wes *had* been the one who'd helped her when she came back, and she already felt like something was missing. He'd been gone less than an hour.
She continued down the stairs, and silently opened the door to Wesley's office. She noticed he'd left most of his books behind - and his diaries. That gave her hope that he'd be in contact, and sooner rather than later.
She stayed in there for hours, feeling like she was invading his privacy by going through his stuff. She kept telling herself if he'd wanted her to keep away from it, he would have taken it with him. Besides, she wanted to figure out what he was actually up to. And it was nice, being in his office. It still smelt of him - it was comforting for her.
She must have eventually dozed off, because she was woken with a start by something ringing near her ear. Realising it was the phone, she fumbled around with the piles of paper covering Wesley's desk until she found the instrument in question.
"Hello?" she croaked.
"Fred?" She could hear a lot of other noises, but her mind instantly woke up when she heard his voice.
"Wesley?" She whispered. "You sound so ... distant."
He laughed slightly. "Fred ... I'm seven thousand miles away."
"Oh. Well, that would explain it I guess." There was an awkward silence. "So, how was your flight?"
"It was ... non-eventful." He paused, unsure whether or not to continue. "I miss you."
Fred felt something catch in her throat. "I miss you too."
"Who're you talking to, Fred?" Cordelia popped her head through the doorway. Noticing the tears in Fred's eyes, she realised. "Can I speak to him?"
Fred relayed the message as Cordelia held out her hand for the phone. "He says he's going to miss his train." Cordelia snorted, guessing that he was just too chicken to talk to her, and left the room. Fred turned her attention back to Wesley.
"You'll call back soon, right?"
"I'll write. I'll let you know where I am. I have to go, Fred, bye."
"But Wesley -" She listened to the phone clicking as Wesley hung up. She looked around the mess she'd made in his office, finding nothing, and decided to clean up a little. If nothing else, it might take her mind off him.
Fred carefully filed away all of the papers she'd pulled out, determined that if Wes came back, his office would still be his own. She was almost done when she pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk, revealing a large bottle of scotch.
"Never pegged you for a big drinker, Wes." She muttered. Unscrewing the lid, she sniffed its contents. It smelled strong. Pouring herself a drink, she wondered if maybe getting completely wasted would take her mind off him, as nothing else had seemed to. She'd always thought people had been incredibly stupid back in high school, drinking for fun - but now that she thought about it, perhaps there was a reason. Taking a deep breath, she took a gulp of the liquid.
And spat it right out onto the floor.
"Someone's trying to tell you something, Fred." Noted Cordelia. Fred looked up sheepishly.
"I wasn't going to ... I wouldn't ... I mean ... I thought about it." Screwing the cap back onto the bottle, she shoved it back into the drawer. "But there is no way something that disgusting could make me feel any better." Just before she slammed the drawer shut, she spotted a small box hiding underneath a file she'd dislodged with the bottle.
She pulled it out, and gasped as she flipped the lid open. Inside lay a beautiful ring, a slender gold band set with a very expensive looking diamond. Cordelia moved closer out of curiosity as she saw the look on Fred's face, and echoed the elder girl's gasp.
"Fred, that's gorgeous." Taking the box out of Fred's hands, she removed the padding from underneath the ring, and fiddled around with a piece of paper underneath.
"Who do you think it was for?" Even as the words came out of Fred's mouth, Cordelia pulled out the small card she'd spotted, and handed it to Fred.
Fred,
All my love, always.
Wesley
"He wouldn't let me see it, but I knew it was there." Cordelia looked wistful. "He was going to give you it when we came back from the ballet, but ... seeing you with Gunn broke his heart, Fred. And I've gotta say, I didn't see that one coming. I thought for sure you were meant to be with Wesley. I guess you can never predict these things." Handing the box back to Fred, she turned to leave the room. "I hope you and Gunn are happy."
"We're not," Fred blurted out, before Cordy got the wrong idea - more than she did already, anyway.
"Who's not what?" Angel spoke up, entering the office with Connor.
"Charles and I. We aren't anything. We aren't dating, we aren't in love - and therefore we have no cause to be happy - in a 'with each other' kind of way, anyway. I won't be happy until Wes comes back."
Fred ran out of her room, taking the ring with her. Cordy moved to follow, but Angel held out his hand to stop her. "Let her go. She needs time right now - if anyone should talk to her, I think Gunn should go."
"Why Gunn?"
"He knows the full story of what happened between them - which apparently did not, contrary to popular opinion, create a relationship. And I just want to say," Angel headed out into the lobby and yelled back through to Cordelia. "I told you so!"
Dear Wesley,
I'm so awful at the beginnings of letters. It's taken me 13 tries just to get this far, so forgive me if the rest doesn't make sense. I'm so glad you wrote. I was starting to think you'd forgotten me. I'm glad you're enjoying your new job. Things have been slow here - still no news on why Connor was born, and it's kind of a good job, because I know we'd be slower than ever without you.
I was talking to Cordelia the day you left, and she was telling me about your teaching qualifications. Please don't take this the wrong way, Wes, but you aren't teaching with fake certificates are you? I know you too well to believe this, but I don't understand how you got the job otherwise. I know the council is powerful, but this ...
Anyway, I guess it's up to you - and as long as you're enjoying yourself, and you don't get into trouble I'll be satisfied. God, now I sound like my Mom!
We tried to have a nice night out last week, Cordelia, Angel, Charles and I, but that was a complete washout. First we couldn't agree on a place to go. Angel wanted to do something cultural, Cordelia and I just wanted to hang, and I'm surprised Charles agreed to come at all, I could tell the whole time he'd rather be out fighting something. So in the end we decided just to go and get something to eat, maybe catch a movie. We got to the restaurant, and Lorne called Angel on his cell. Connor was sick, and Angel had to go home and sort him out. But he told us to stay, so we did. Then halfway through the movie - I can't even remember what it was now - Cordelia had a vision, and although they don't hurt her anymore, she didn't feel up to staying. But she insisted Charles and I stay. And that was never going to be good - it was far too much like a date. We both decided around the same time it would be better if we just cut our losses and split.
So that was just one big disaster, although looking back on it, it was kinda funny.
Angel's calling, he and Cordy are going out - that's right, a proper date - and I'm looking after Connor. I'd better go and get my instructions! Connor may be three months old now, and we've all babysat a gazillion times, but he's still so careful every time he leaves Connor.
It's only natural I guess.
Please don't wait so long next time.
Love you always,
Fred.
Dear Fred,
I'm exactly the same when it comes to writing letters. They always sound so formal - and they make me sound even more stuffy and English than ever! Thank you so much for writing - I was a little worried you'd be mad with me and decide not to. Getting your letter brightened up my day. Now listen to me - don't you dare ever think I've forgotten you - its not going to happen!
It's so good to know you're worried about me - but you don't need to be. To be honest, I'm surprised Cordelia remembered what I told her about the certificates - but I didn't explain to her properly how I got them.
It was part of my watcher training. I had to go through an official teacher-training programme, so the certificates are real, I do have the necessary qualifications. I spent three years training to be a teacher - as well as giving me a good cover story for why I was hanging around my Slayer's school, it was intended to raise my confidence a little. It ended up making me seem pompous to a lot of people, but I think it's stood me in good stead.
I'm teaching English Language and History at the moment, and there's a possibility I may take on some Latin classes too, next year, if the head approves it. I'm still enjoying it a lot - there's one student in particular, Katie, I know you would love. She's so smart, and everything she does reminds me of you. It's like there's a little bit of you here with me. I'm tutoring her after school, because I'm sure with a little help in raising her confidence - she reminds me of myself in that way - she'll do so well in her exams. She's such a sweet girl. I'd love for you to meet her sometime.
I could hear your voice in my head when I was reading what happened on your "night out". It sounds as if you're coping just the same as always - things never went right, did they? It's nice to know I wasn't a jinx on you all!
I want to hear all about Angel and Cordy's date - how did it go? I hope that they managed a vision-free night this time! And it's good that Angel's still being careful around Connor - after all, he does have slightly more to worry about than the average new parent.
All my love,
Wesley
Much quicker that time, Wes! I decided to scrap an opening line this time - it meant I didn't have to spend forever deciding how to start it. Which is good, because people don't usually pay much attention to that part anyway!
So you're an actual qualified teacher then, huh? How come you never told me, or any of the others? That's an interesting little fact I never knew about you! I wonder what else you've never told me. I can't imagine you ever seeming pompous to anyone - but Cordelia's been telling me stories, and I gotta tell you, I just can't picture you doing half of the stuff she told me about - but it's amazingly cute!
Everyone has been tiptoeing around me since you left. It's as if they think I might have some kind of breakdown if they mention your name - no matter how many times I tell them it's okay, I *want* them to talk about you - they don't.
Your student sounds great - how's she doing now? I'm really glad you're enjoying yourself - but am I being selfish if I wish you were back here with me instead?
Cordy and Angel actually had a good night out, no visions, no demons, no other trouble. I was amazed when the two of them showed up in one piece, without demon blood in their hair, or Cordelia's dress shredded to pieces. It's pretty much taken that they're a couple now, although they still haven't found a way around the curse. So they're just at the dating stage, and I think they'll be stuck there for a while.
But its nice that someone round here is doing okay in love!
Everyone is fine, Connor's growing every day - and I think Gunn and Lorne may be getting a bit of a "thing" on!
Love you,
Fred
xx
P.S I'm just kidding about the Gunn and Lorne thing!
Fred! Gunn and LORNE?! You almost gave me a heart attack! You should talk to someone about that imagination of yours - you could do some harm! I've missed that!
I've just realised how seriously I overused the exclamation mark in that paragraph. I'll try and stop now.
Yes, that's me, Mr teacher man. All official and everything. I dread to think what stories Cordy has been telling you about me - if it involves a squid, she's lying. Honestly, she is. You just tell her how many things I could tell you about her - mention the incident with the ferret to her and you just watch her reaction!
They're just tiptoeing because they care. I'm sorry if I've made things uncomfortable for you at work, I hope they'll get over it soon.
Katie's doing well, she's taking her GCSEs in a few weeks, and I think she's going to do really well. Cross your fingers for her!
I'm glad Cordelia and Angel finally realised how they feel. I always thought it was a shame that they didn't realise it sooner - I'm sure it'll last a long time.
Say hi to everyone for me - tell them I miss them all - I especially miss seeing Connor grow up. And, of course, I miss you.
Yours forever,
Wesley
Wesley put down the exam paper he was marking and glanced around the classroom. He smiled as he watched them all studying carefully and quietly. He noticed two students passing a note, but he decided to let it go. He loved teaching this class - they were the most well behaved group of sixteen year olds he'd ever known, and because of it they had a great relationship. They joked around, but when the work needed to be done, they did it without a murmur. Well, occasionally there was a slight murmur.
Noticing that the end of the school day was creeping up fast, he cleared his throat.
"All right, everyone. You can pack away. If everyone does their exam paper for homework, we can watch a video next lesson. Okay?"
"Yes, sir!" The class chanted, and Wesley watched them with a smile on his face as the bell rang and they streamed out. "See you on Thursday!" he yelled after them.
He leant down into the briefcase that lay on the floor, and started to rummage around in it. Katie should be arriving soon for her tutor session - he was giving her some tips on Latin to help her with the grammar in her French and German exams. There was a quiet knock on the door, and he waved his hand without looking up.
As he heard the door open, he started to speak. "I'll be with you in a second, Katie. If you just want to take a seat and ..." he trailed off as he looked up, met with not Katie, but Fred.
"Hey, Wes." She smiled. He couldn't believe she was here - was this a dream?
"Fred?" He was stunned. "What ... how ... why ..."
"That's three sentences you've started there, Wes! You wanna finish one of them?" She was grinning from ear to ear - she'd been wondering if this was the right decision ever since she told Angel she was leaving, and her fears had just been getting stronger ever since she stepped onto the plane. Seeing his reaction was so relieving - and also extremely cute.
He laughed. "Sorry. What are you doing here?!" Suddenly concerned, his tone changed. "Is something wrong?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Relax. I just wanted to see you. I've missed you so much ... when I actually let myself realise that you weren't coming back - soon, anyway - and you seemed to be having such a good time here, I decided I'd come to you. I was going crazy over there with only the occasional letter." Pausing for breath, she looked at him and grinned again. "Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder - I think they were right!"
Suddenly over his shock and instead filled with a sense of complete and utter joy, he grabbed her and held her tightly. "Oh, Fred."
"You're not gonna cry on me, are you Wes?"
He pulled away and chuckled. "No. Well, maybe." He laughed. "I'm just ... I'm so glad to see you."
"I'm so glad you said that. I was afraid you might tell me to get on the next plane home!"
"As if I could ever do that! I've often imagined you coming over here - but I never expected it to happen." He was still grinning, and he had a feeling it would last for a while. He noticed she was playing with something on her ring finger, and gently pulled her hand away from it to reveal the ring he'd bought for her. He looked up at her, and noticed she was blushing.
"Where did you get this?" He whispered.
"I found it in your drawer ... the day you left. I've been wearing it ever since."
"You never said anything ..." he murmured.
"I ... I didn't want you to tell me to stop wearing it."
He looked up into her eyes and saw tears appear as he slipped the ring from her finger. "This isn't how it was supposed to be ..." he whispered as he knelt down on one knee. "But ... Winifred - will you be my wife?" He placed the ring back onto her finger as she nodded, more tears fresh in her eyes and rolling down her face.
"Sorry I'm late, sir, I had to - oh!" Katie stood stock still in the doorway, and flushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry ... you're busy ... I ... uh ... I'll come back tomorrow. We can cancel for now. I'll ... er ... bye!" She turned to make a quick exit, but Wes had other ideas.
"Katie, come here a second please."
She turned, and walked towards Wes and Fred. "I'd like you to meet Fred - Fred, this is Katie." Katie's eyes opened wide.
"*The* Fred?"
Fred laughed. "Does he talk about me?"
Katie nodded vigorously. "Only all the time. And you're every bit as pretty as he said you were."
Wesley guffawed, slightly embarrassed by his student's boldness. "Don't hold back, will you, Katie?"
She giggled. "Shouldn't I have said that? I'm sorry." She winked at Fred, who marvelled at how easily the girl had become comfortable with her. Wes was right - she was a good kid.
"Katie ..." Wesley spoke in what Katie had come to recognise as his 'teacher tone' and she stopped grinning, although there was still a jovial glint in her eye.
"Sorry, sir. I am. Would you like me to come back tomorrow? I can spend the extra time tonight going over those verb tables you gave me."
Wes laughed and cocked his head towards Fred. "By that she means she'll watch TV all night, and then try and memorise them all right before she goes to sleep." He looked back to Katie. "That'd be good, if you don't mind."
"Not a problem, sir. I'll see you in English tomorrow."
"Bye, Katie."
"See you later, Katie!" Fred chimed.
Wes quickly tidied up his desk and locked his papers and marking away in the cupboard. Grabbing his keys from the table, he picked up his briefcase, took Fred with his other hand, and led her from the room.
"Where are we going?"
"Back to my house." He grinned at her. "Because, Miss Burkle ... we have some catching up to do."