Title: Worth Saving
Author: Sophie
Pairing: Spike/Fred
Disclaimer: Not mine
Rating: PG13
Spoilers : Angel 5.08 Destiny.
PART V - Moonlight Walk
"That's all we have for the moment," Angel says, dropping the file he was holding on the desk. "Hopefully we'll get more information tomorrow."
The gang rise from their seats.
"Do you want me to update Eve about this?" Gunn asks.
"I'm sure Eve knows all the details already," Angel replies dryly.
"Isn't there a way we can stuck her in the elevator for good? I thought last time was fun," Spike smirks, before making an 'ouch' face when Fred pokes him in the side.
Lorne and Gunn leave, and Wesley takes the file. "Angel, I think I'll stay a little longer to research this, if that's alright."
"Knock yourself out. I'm done for the night." From the corner of his eye, Angel sees Spike leaning into Fred.
"Are you ready?" the younger vampire asks the brunette. She smiles at him. "I have to bring those papers back into the lab, and I'll meet you in the lobby."
Spike nods, and turns to his grand sire. "Night, Angel," he says, before leaving the office.
Fred is about to leave as well but Angel stops her. "Fred, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure." Her face falls. "Oh please, don't tell me I went over the budget again. I was very careful this time and."
"No, it's not the budget. It's about.Spike."
She frowns. "Spike?"
Angel clears his throat. "I noticed that the two of you are.close."
Fred blushes, and Angel sighs. He knows Fred pretty well. And he doesn't like what he's about to do or say, but he cares about her and he has no other choice then.
"Fred, you do know that Spike loves Buffy, right?"
"Do * you * ?" she asks, raising her chin a little. Long gone is the shy girl who would hide in her room.
"It took me a long time to admit it, but yes. I can accept he has true, deep feelings for her. And I don't want you to get hurt."
She rolls her eyes. "Angel, please. I know you care about me, but I'm a big girl, ok? Spike and I are friends. Get over the idea that I have some schoolgirl crush on him."
There. She said it without blushing. Or without having her nose growing like Pinocchio because of the enormous lie she just uttered.
He nods. She can see he's not convinced. "Alright then. Just be careful."
"I will. I'll see you tomorrow."
She's about to leave when Angel stops her again. "Fred?"
She stops and turns around, exasperated. "What?"
"Try not to hurt him either."
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
After leaving the restaurant, they decide for a walk on the beach. Spike buys her some candies. He knows she still feels a little bit disappointed not to have been the one to make him corporeal again, to have been supplanted by a box with a light and a woosh.
It was also his idea to go to the restaurant, to take her out of her lab. Of course he nicked the money from Angel, but he's not going to tell her. And after all, it's only fair, since Spike has helped the gang a lot since he's been solid again. Why shouldn't he get paid like the others? He has to talk to Angel about that, and if the Ponce refuses he will find himself some trade union for vampire or something. He needs some money for himself, but also because it's nice to take a pretty girl on a date. Even Fred, who's just his friend.
A bloody pretty female friend.
Fred looks at him from time to time. He looks nice. He's not wearing his leather coat, but a dark blue button-down and a black denim jacket. He walks with his hands in his pockets, and Fred wonders how it would feel if he held hers. But like she said - lied - to Angel, Spike and her are friends. Even if they sometimes hold hands as some sort of friendship or comfort gesture, doing so while walking under the moon on an almost deserted beach might look slightly inappropriate.
She sighs. He turns to her. "Something on your mind, pet?"
"Oh, uh.no. Nothing important."
"Could it have to do something with your little chat with Super Boss?"
She opens her mouth, closes it. "Mmh, no, no. We had.a budget talk."
God, she's such a terrible liar. It might work with Angel, but Spike doesn't buy it. "Fred?"
"Yes?"
"You're lying to me."
She winces. "I'm sorry."
"You should be. Do you know what I used to do to people who lied to me?"
A smile lifts the corner of his lips and there's a twinkle in his eyes.
"What?" she asks.
"I ate them."
Fred can't help but smile, even if she knows he's probably serious. She knows enough about his past now to have figured out that, for a long time, Spike was a vicious and cruel monster. Which makes his journey, and the man he has become, even more extraordinary.
Suddenly, the image of Spike actually 'eating' her - and all the things it evokes - becomes very clear in her mind. She has never understood how some people can eroticise the mythology of the vampire. Having those fangs penetrates your throat, feeling the blood being sucked out of you, it must not be.
She looks at Spike and suddenly she gets it. Her body gets it too, and rather violently. Her heart beats faster, her blood rushes in her veins, and she feels a pleasant ache in her southern regions. Thank God for the small breeze caressing her flushed cheeks.
That same small breeze that reveals to Spike the extent of her.emotion. He sends her a quizzical look. He knows she likes him, and maybe she even fancies him a little. But that.that is different. And scary. He values their friendship greatly, and he won't do anything to jeopardize it. Ever. He won't screw what he has with Fred. And getting involved with her will do that for certain. After three hectic years with Buffy, his heart needs a break.
But he has to admit that in the moonlight, walking beside him, she is gorgeous. And he's terribly tempted. But because of those mixy feelings he has about her, he decides to ignore it. For now.
He stops and faces her. He can't help but raise his hand and caress her cheek, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.
She smiles. "Do you want to know what Angel talked to me about?" she asks softly. He nods and she continues, "He asked me about my relationship with you. Made me understand I'd better stay away from you. That you might hurt me."
"What did you tell him?"
"To go to Hell. Only with more words and more politely."
He smiles before becoming serious again. "I don't want to hurt you, love," he murmurs. "You're too important to me."
"You are too. And I'm well aware that there's no.vacancy here for the moment," she says, placing her small hand on his heart.
He takes it in his. "Oh, but you are here. Never doubt that. And you're taking a bloody big place."
She brightens. "I am?"
"Damn straight you are," he says, before leaning in to kiss her cheek. She closes her eyes to savour the feel of his cool lips on her skin.
They resume walking and he keeps her hand in his. And it doesn't look inappropriate after all.
It just looks right.
PART V - Moonlight Walk
"That's all we have for the moment," Angel says, dropping the file he was holding on the desk. "Hopefully we'll get more information tomorrow."
The gang rise from their seats.
"Do you want me to update Eve about this?" Gunn asks.
"I'm sure Eve knows all the details already," Angel replies dryly.
"Isn't there a way we can stuck her in the elevator for good? I thought last time was fun," Spike smirks, before making an 'ouch' face when Fred pokes him in the side.
Lorne and Gunn leave, and Wesley takes the file. "Angel, I think I'll stay a little longer to research this, if that's alright."
"Knock yourself out. I'm done for the night." From the corner of his eye, Angel sees Spike leaning into Fred.
"Are you ready?" the younger vampire asks the brunette. She smiles at him. "I have to bring those papers back into the lab, and I'll meet you in the lobby."
Spike nods, and turns to his grand sire. "Night, Angel," he says, before leaving the office.
Fred is about to leave as well but Angel stops her. "Fred, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure." Her face falls. "Oh please, don't tell me I went over the budget again. I was very careful this time and."
"No, it's not the budget. It's about.Spike."
She frowns. "Spike?"
Angel clears his throat. "I noticed that the two of you are.close."
Fred blushes, and Angel sighs. He knows Fred pretty well. And he doesn't like what he's about to do or say, but he cares about her and he has no other choice then.
"Fred, you do know that Spike loves Buffy, right?"
"Do * you * ?" she asks, raising her chin a little. Long gone is the shy girl who would hide in her room.
"It took me a long time to admit it, but yes. I can accept he has true, deep feelings for her. And I don't want you to get hurt."
She rolls her eyes. "Angel, please. I know you care about me, but I'm a big girl, ok? Spike and I are friends. Get over the idea that I have some schoolgirl crush on him."
There. She said it without blushing. Or without having her nose growing like Pinocchio because of the enormous lie she just uttered.
He nods. She can see he's not convinced. "Alright then. Just be careful."
"I will. I'll see you tomorrow."
She's about to leave when Angel stops her again. "Fred?"
She stops and turns around, exasperated. "What?"
"Try not to hurt him either."
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
After leaving the restaurant, they decide for a walk on the beach. Spike buys her some candies. He knows she still feels a little bit disappointed not to have been the one to make him corporeal again, to have been supplanted by a box with a light and a woosh.
It was also his idea to go to the restaurant, to take her out of her lab. Of course he nicked the money from Angel, but he's not going to tell her. And after all, it's only fair, since Spike has helped the gang a lot since he's been solid again. Why shouldn't he get paid like the others? He has to talk to Angel about that, and if the Ponce refuses he will find himself some trade union for vampire or something. He needs some money for himself, but also because it's nice to take a pretty girl on a date. Even Fred, who's just his friend.
A bloody pretty female friend.
Fred looks at him from time to time. He looks nice. He's not wearing his leather coat, but a dark blue button-down and a black denim jacket. He walks with his hands in his pockets, and Fred wonders how it would feel if he held hers. But like she said - lied - to Angel, Spike and her are friends. Even if they sometimes hold hands as some sort of friendship or comfort gesture, doing so while walking under the moon on an almost deserted beach might look slightly inappropriate.
She sighs. He turns to her. "Something on your mind, pet?"
"Oh, uh.no. Nothing important."
"Could it have to do something with your little chat with Super Boss?"
She opens her mouth, closes it. "Mmh, no, no. We had.a budget talk."
God, she's such a terrible liar. It might work with Angel, but Spike doesn't buy it. "Fred?"
"Yes?"
"You're lying to me."
She winces. "I'm sorry."
"You should be. Do you know what I used to do to people who lied to me?"
A smile lifts the corner of his lips and there's a twinkle in his eyes.
"What?" she asks.
"I ate them."
Fred can't help but smile, even if she knows he's probably serious. She knows enough about his past now to have figured out that, for a long time, Spike was a vicious and cruel monster. Which makes his journey, and the man he has become, even more extraordinary.
Suddenly, the image of Spike actually 'eating' her - and all the things it evokes - becomes very clear in her mind. She has never understood how some people can eroticise the mythology of the vampire. Having those fangs penetrates your throat, feeling the blood being sucked out of you, it must not be.
She looks at Spike and suddenly she gets it. Her body gets it too, and rather violently. Her heart beats faster, her blood rushes in her veins, and she feels a pleasant ache in her southern regions. Thank God for the small breeze caressing her flushed cheeks.
That same small breeze that reveals to Spike the extent of her.emotion. He sends her a quizzical look. He knows she likes him, and maybe she even fancies him a little. But that.that is different. And scary. He values their friendship greatly, and he won't do anything to jeopardize it. Ever. He won't screw what he has with Fred. And getting involved with her will do that for certain. After three hectic years with Buffy, his heart needs a break.
But he has to admit that in the moonlight, walking beside him, she is gorgeous. And he's terribly tempted. But because of those mixy feelings he has about her, he decides to ignore it. For now.
He stops and faces her. He can't help but raise his hand and caress her cheek, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.
She smiles. "Do you want to know what Angel talked to me about?" she asks softly. He nods and she continues, "He asked me about my relationship with you. Made me understand I'd better stay away from you. That you might hurt me."
"What did you tell him?"
"To go to Hell. Only with more words and more politely."
He smiles before becoming serious again. "I don't want to hurt you, love," he murmurs. "You're too important to me."
"You are too. And I'm well aware that there's no.vacancy here for the moment," she says, placing her small hand on his heart.
He takes it in his. "Oh, but you are here. Never doubt that. And you're taking a bloody big place."
She brightens. "I am?"
"Damn straight you are," he says, before leaning in to kiss her cheek. She closes her eyes to savour the feel of his cool lips on her skin.
They resume walking and he keeps her hand in his. And it doesn't look inappropriate after all.
It just looks right.