Chapter Nine
Forgiveness
Wesley tucked her in tightly to the bed. Fred hadn't acknowledged anyone the last couple of days, withdrawn into herself. She'd even taken to writing on the walls again. But she never spoke. She started to occasionally mutter, unintelligible. Lorne said it was the Pylean language, but he never did tell them what she was saying. So Wesley steadfastly stayed by her bedside, standing vigil over his darling Fred. She slept restlessly, nightmares obvious. She let out a cry and her distant brown eyes snapped to Wesley.
"Wesley?"
"Winifred! Oh, Fred, Fred, Fred!"
He took her into his arms. Gunn entered and Wesley looked down guiltily.
"Fred, are you okay?"
"Yeah. Uh, we're..." Gunn flinched from the fact Fred felt the first thing she had to say to him was defending her position with Wes.
"No, Fred, Baby, you're in love with English. I don't want to hold you back. This is probably a miserable time to be saying this, but I guess it's better to do it now."
"Charles." Gunn leaned forward, kissing Fred's forehead.
"I love you. You'll always be my girl. But you need Wesley."
Fred's eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Thank you, Charles."
"Feel better, Babe." Gunn left the two and found Faith eavesdropping outside the door.
"Faith?"
She smiled at him and outstretched her arm. Gunn took it and they headed into the training room.
Wesley gave Fred a half-hearted grin when she looked up at him.
"I was so scared." She whispered.
"Well, having Angelus sucking at your blood..."
"I was afraid he would trap you and kill you."
"I'm a Watcher. Well, was. I can hold my own against vampires and other creatures of the night. But women, in particular one beautiful, intelligent woman, I cannot."
Fred raised her hand and ran it down Wesley's stubbly cheek.
"I love you, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."
"I love you, Winifred Burkle."
Wesley lowered his mouth onto Fred's, sharing a special, passionate kiss.
Fred breathed as it ended. "Wow."
"Yeah."
Wesley leaned back against the bed.
"Rest now, Darling, we have plenty of time to talk later."
He stroked her long, chocolate tresses until she fell asleep.
Fred made her first appearance downstairs three days later. Angel was the first to stand, but he couldn't look at her. Willow was preparing to leave. Gunn and Faith were already getting closer everyday. Cordelia sat next Lorne, talking quietly. Connor was asking Willow some questions about being a witch. Wesley stood at Fred's side, holding her hand gently. Connor smiled when he saw Fred at the stairs. "Hey! Fred! How do you feel?"
Fred shrugged at brooding teenager. "Much better. What about you?"
"Great."
Fred took a seat on the couch. Willow waved at the group. "I've got to get to Sunnydale. Looks like you guys can handle this apocolypse."
Angel said quietly, "Thanks for restoring my soul, Willow."
"Glad to. I'm glad you're okay, Fred. Bye everybody."
"Thanks, Willow."
Connor insisted on taking her to the bus, for protection against the evil running rampant on the streets of Los Angeles. Fred watched Faith cautiously. "I heard you helped save me."
"No big, Fred. I think Wesley would have killed me if I had refused. Plus the whole Bringer's being put into jail to kill me thing. I think I'm going to have to head to SunnyHell soon. Sounds like they need a little bit of help."
Gunn didn't say anything. "But after we get rid of the guy who wants to kill all of us Slayers, I'll be back."
Gunn awarded that answer with a smile, that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the group.
Angel finally spoke to Fred.
"I know that no matter how many times I apologize, it won't make up for what I did to you, but I am truly sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Well, Angelus did, but I didn't."
Fred looked at the souled vampire, "Angel, it wasn't you. Angelus is a totally different person. I don't blame you for any of it."
"You should."
Fred shook her head, putting her hand out to touch Angel's arm.
"No. I shouldn't."
Angel gave her a short nod and disappeared into his office to brood. After all, that was what he did best.
Fred settled her head on Wesley's shoulder, staring at her friends. Friends that risked their lives for her. She could only be so lucky to have them.
Fin
Forgiveness
Wesley tucked her in tightly to the bed. Fred hadn't acknowledged anyone the last couple of days, withdrawn into herself. She'd even taken to writing on the walls again. But she never spoke. She started to occasionally mutter, unintelligible. Lorne said it was the Pylean language, but he never did tell them what she was saying. So Wesley steadfastly stayed by her bedside, standing vigil over his darling Fred. She slept restlessly, nightmares obvious. She let out a cry and her distant brown eyes snapped to Wesley.
"Wesley?"
"Winifred! Oh, Fred, Fred, Fred!"
He took her into his arms. Gunn entered and Wesley looked down guiltily.
"Fred, are you okay?"
"Yeah. Uh, we're..." Gunn flinched from the fact Fred felt the first thing she had to say to him was defending her position with Wes.
"No, Fred, Baby, you're in love with English. I don't want to hold you back. This is probably a miserable time to be saying this, but I guess it's better to do it now."
"Charles." Gunn leaned forward, kissing Fred's forehead.
"I love you. You'll always be my girl. But you need Wesley."
Fred's eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Thank you, Charles."
"Feel better, Babe." Gunn left the two and found Faith eavesdropping outside the door.
"Faith?"
She smiled at him and outstretched her arm. Gunn took it and they headed into the training room.
Wesley gave Fred a half-hearted grin when she looked up at him.
"I was so scared." She whispered.
"Well, having Angelus sucking at your blood..."
"I was afraid he would trap you and kill you."
"I'm a Watcher. Well, was. I can hold my own against vampires and other creatures of the night. But women, in particular one beautiful, intelligent woman, I cannot."
Fred raised her hand and ran it down Wesley's stubbly cheek.
"I love you, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."
"I love you, Winifred Burkle."
Wesley lowered his mouth onto Fred's, sharing a special, passionate kiss.
Fred breathed as it ended. "Wow."
"Yeah."
Wesley leaned back against the bed.
"Rest now, Darling, we have plenty of time to talk later."
He stroked her long, chocolate tresses until she fell asleep.
Fred made her first appearance downstairs three days later. Angel was the first to stand, but he couldn't look at her. Willow was preparing to leave. Gunn and Faith were already getting closer everyday. Cordelia sat next Lorne, talking quietly. Connor was asking Willow some questions about being a witch. Wesley stood at Fred's side, holding her hand gently. Connor smiled when he saw Fred at the stairs. "Hey! Fred! How do you feel?"
Fred shrugged at brooding teenager. "Much better. What about you?"
"Great."
Fred took a seat on the couch. Willow waved at the group. "I've got to get to Sunnydale. Looks like you guys can handle this apocolypse."
Angel said quietly, "Thanks for restoring my soul, Willow."
"Glad to. I'm glad you're okay, Fred. Bye everybody."
"Thanks, Willow."
Connor insisted on taking her to the bus, for protection against the evil running rampant on the streets of Los Angeles. Fred watched Faith cautiously. "I heard you helped save me."
"No big, Fred. I think Wesley would have killed me if I had refused. Plus the whole Bringer's being put into jail to kill me thing. I think I'm going to have to head to SunnyHell soon. Sounds like they need a little bit of help."
Gunn didn't say anything. "But after we get rid of the guy who wants to kill all of us Slayers, I'll be back."
Gunn awarded that answer with a smile, that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the group.
Angel finally spoke to Fred.
"I know that no matter how many times I apologize, it won't make up for what I did to you, but I am truly sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Well, Angelus did, but I didn't."
Fred looked at the souled vampire, "Angel, it wasn't you. Angelus is a totally different person. I don't blame you for any of it."
"You should."
Fred shook her head, putting her hand out to touch Angel's arm.
"No. I shouldn't."
Angel gave her a short nod and disappeared into his office to brood. After all, that was what he did best.
Fred settled her head on Wesley's shoulder, staring at her friends. Friends that risked their lives for her. She could only be so lucky to have them.
Fin
