Title: The Torn Dollar 2/3

Author: DollarBill

Email: goldy05403@yahoo.com

Spoilers: Again, major spoilers for 'Home' but nothing about the coming season. This is pretty AU, set sometime over the summer.

Synopsis: Wesley's confused. Because he's sexy that way *g*.

Pairings: Major W/F and A/L in this chapter.

A/N: For the record I HATE the SLIGHT thought of Wesley/Fred (Spred 4eva!), but like or not, Wesley does love her. So that must be dealt with.

Dedication: To Laney, "theHotness" because she left such a GREAT review! I love you, Babe!

Raiting: PG-13, I suppose.

"There's a few papers here, all pretty basic. Legal documents to the company, insurance policies, union's rights. I just need you to sign them and have it ready for me at the earliest opportunity."

Angel watched Lilah's short speech with a guarded look as she dropped a pile of papers on his desk. "I'm not signing anything."

Lilah didn't look in the slightest bit phased. "They thought you might say that."

"Did they?"

"Then they said it was up to me on how to deal with it."

Interested, Angel leaned back in his chair. He folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not signing anything."

Lilah sighed. "Look, Angel. I've had a hard night. You and me… we've been through a lot together. A few death threats uttered here and there on both sides--it's all been very intimate. Sign the damn things and we'll be on our merry way."

"Rough night?" He asked, leaning forward. "Certainly doesn't smell that way from over here."

"I may be dead, but at least I'm getting some. Which is more than I can say for some of us."

Angel gave her a steady look. "Do you love him?"

Lilah tapped the papers impatiently. "Sign the things," she hissed. "And we can leave it at that."

"No."

"Why do you care, anyway?" Lilah bit out. "It's not like you've had any kind of interest in Wesley's well being for a long time now."

Angel didn't answer the question. He stood and moved his way to the window. "Lilah," he said in a tight voice. "I'm thankful for what you did for Connor. As a favour, I'm going to give you ten seconds to get out of my sight."

Lilah folded her arms over her chest. "Or you'll do what? Kill me? Your cheerleader already accomplished that one quite nicely."

"Didn't seem to work," Angel muttered. "Ten… nine… eight… seven…"

Lilah came up and stared out of the window beside him. "You've been out of this for a while… so I'll give you a run-down. This is all legit. These are things you need to do to run a company. If you want, you can have a lawyer check everything over. God knows, there's plenty to be found in this place."

Angel considered her for a moment. "I don't trust you, or anyone else involved with Wolfram & Hart."

Lilah barely graced him with a look, obviously not in the least bit phased by such a petty comment. "You seem to trust us enough when it's convenient. When Connor's ass is on the line. When there's another person out there that needs their soul saved. Redemption."

"Wesley's wasting his time with you."

Lilah felt the first tugs of anger. "Wesley isn't any of your fucking business."

"He works for me, that makes him my business. What he does in his private life, in *my* building is my business."

Lilah looked faintly amused. "You're so high and mighty. It's not like you've never been to a dark place, gone at it with someone on the other side. Difference is, Wesley's willing to stick around. Make a girl happy now and then."

Angel reached for his phone. "I'll have it checked out. By my people."

"Fine."

Angel turned on his speakerphone and let it ring while Lilah tapped her foot impatiently. She looked up sharply when Wesley's English voice answered.

"What?"

Angel shot the phone an irritated glance. "Wesley, Lilah wants us to sign a formal agreement with Wolfram & Hart."

"This isn't the best time," Wesley's voice said. Angel's ears picked up on a silent giggle in the background, and he glanced at Lilah, curious to see if she heard.

Lilah had. "Fucking Fred," she said quietly.

Angel glanced at Lilah and smirked. "Bring Fred with you to look at this. I want as many eyes as possible to look these things over."

"Don't make any deal with these people, Angel. It's like giving your soul to the devil," Wesley cautioned, not sounding in the least bit worried.

"Some of us don't need to make deals to sign away our soul," Lilah snapped.

Wesley was silent. Finally, he said, "Lilah. What an unpleasant surprise, how are you?"

Angel sighed. "Still dead, and here, apparently. I want you and Fred here five minutes ago." Angel slammed the phone back down into its cradle.

Lilah kicked his desk. It rocked back into place with a dull thud.

Angel rose his eyebrows. "Gee, I'm so sorry that Wesley hurt your feelings."

"I don't have ANY feelings!" Lilah snapped. "I'm EVIL!" She looked up sharply and considered Angel for a moment before her eyes lit up. She walked slowly towards him, "As a matter of fact… getting rid of a little pent up energy might be a good idea."

"Tempting…" Angel backed away to the door, opened it. "But get out."

"It's not like you've never thought about it." Lilah stalked towards him. "You and me, there's always been something there. Something bubbling below the surface, a primal need. Don't tell me that you don't feel it."

"I'm not Wesley. Get out, Lilah."

For a minute she almost looked frustrated. Recovering, she sauntered to the door and got right up into his face. "I hate you."

Angel looked into her eyes. "Then get out."

Lilah took the time to tap her chin thoughtfully before slowly leaving the room.

***

Wesley hung up the phone and looked up into Fred's bright, smiling face. He felt himself smiling in return.

"Who was that?"

"Angel," Wesley answered. "He has some papers Lilah dropped off. He wants us to check them out, make sure that they're legit.

"Anything from that bitch is a lie."

Wesley didn't smile. "Yes, I imagine so."

Fred shrugged and went back to her pancakes. She dumped a huge quantity of maple syrup on her plate and shoved a forkful into her mouth. "Gunn used to make me pancakes."

My God, Wesley thought, she's actually jealous of Lilah. "Did he?"

Fred nodded. "Pancake kisses," she said with a slight laugh.

Wesley didn't find it quite so funny. She was trying to make him jealous… and was succeeding. He glanced towards his bed, where the sheets were still ruffled from the previous night. He probably wasn't in the best position to judge.

"These are pretty good, though," Fred continued. "Did you make them from scratch? It used to take Gunn hours. But these are better."

"Package," Wesley answered dryly, wondering if this was how it was always going to be. She constantly comparing him to Gunn.

"What kind of files?"

Wesley shrugged. "Legal jazz, I think. Angel wants us down as soon as possible."

Fred immediately hopped up from her seat in mid-bite. "Then we should get down there! It could be an emergency. Maybe he was trying to give us a signal, he could be in real trouble."

Wesley watched her quizzically. "I highly doubt it. I don't think we'd be much use in a fight."

Fred sat down. "Oh, yeah. He'd probably call Gunn or someone."

Wesley clenched his teeth. Fucking Gunn. He tried to smile. "We're only good for the brains of the operation. Reading and researching… developing new scientific products."

"Still," Fred said, between bites. "It could be important. We should hurry down there."

"I like making Angel wait," Wesley said softly, mostly to himself. "It gives him more reason to hate me."

Fred gave him a look, but he was fairly certain she hadn't heard his inner musings. "Did you know you have a torn up dollar bill on your floor?"

Wesley followed her gaze to the dollar that Lilah had shredded and left on the floor. She may as well have attacked his heart with razor blades. Or hers, for that matter. "That's odd."

Fred watched him with mild suspicion. "Wesley… is there something going on?"

Wesley looked into her beautiful face and felt himself melt. He'd do anything for her, he'd do his best to keep her from the darker parts of the world. He wanted to sing to her, read poetry to her, all the things that the mushy romance novels sprouted. He'd never utter the harsh words that he used with Lilah in her presence.

But perhaps… it wasn't exactly what he wanted anymore.

"Do you love me?" They were both caught off guard by the words. He recovered first, watching her face closely for a reaction. He realized he couldn't proceed until he knew.

Proceed onto what, he wasn't sure.

Fred blushed and stared down at her pancakes. Her hands fluttered about her hair, picked up and twiddled her fork. She looked back up at him, her eyes boring into his.

Wesley gulped. It was taking too long. She was postponing the moment, trying to find a cushion to soften the blow.

"Yes," she whispered. "I love you."

Wesley blinked, taking a minute to let the words sink in. He felt oddly calm. "How long?"

She chewed on a bite of pancake in order to ponder the question. "When you finally kissed me, I knew."

Wesley felt slightly sick. He had everything he wanted. Right in front of him. She was staring at him with her bright eyes and beautiful face. She told him the three words he'd been longing to hear from her lips since the moment he met her.

And he was trying to find a way to turn her down.

Wesley had learned over time that the biggest favour he could give himself was to be internally honest. He was smart enough to know that the love he held for Fred stemmed partly from his hopes of the human race. She was Good, his Good. And Wesley also knew she wasn't perfect. Despite what he longed to believe.

"Fred… I love you. Almost from the first time I lay eyes upon you." It sounded so well-rehearsed and fated. But he remembered her bright eyes. Even after the months of torture in Pylea… her eyes had been bright. "But… we can't ever be anything."

Her eyes widened and it hurt his heart to see them glisten with tears. "I don't… I don't understand."

Frankly, Wesley didn't think he did either. He wasn't all Good, there were shadows in him that we're Evil. Lilah got it. Fred didn't—or couldn't. His love didn't run deep enough to affect a different personality.

"I think that love wouldn't be quite enough for us, Fred."

She withdrew from the table, her arms hugging her chest. "It's Lilah, isn't it?"

"Fred…"

"Don't lie to me!" she hissed. "There's a candle by your bedside. A wet ring staining your wood table from a wine bottle." She pointed to the wall, "A burned cigarette mark."

He stared at her, horrified by her quick brain but amazed by her brilliance. His head began to twinge painfully. "Lilah is part of it, yes… but she's not everything."

Fred was backing against the door, fumbling behind her for the doorknob. "You never stopped seeing her."

Wesley hit the table with his fist. One of the legs wobbled dangerously. "I can't change what I am for you, Fred."

She found the doorknob, twisted. "Then I don't want you."

The door slammed back into place and Wesley found himself alone. His gaze was drawn to the torn dollar of last night. He couldn't have Fred and he couldn't have Lilah. He wondered, painfully, where that left him.