Hey. Sorry it took so long for an update; I'm still busy as all hell. Not my fault. Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's gonna get longer and longer between chapters, simply because I'm catching up to the point we're at in the role-play. But don't worry, cause we've got a LOT planned, and it's going to take some time for all the events to take place. Anyway, enjoy chapter 4!

Chapter 4

He held her hand as tight as he could without hurting her tiny bones. She was so little…it amazed him. He loved her tiny, innocent self; he marveled at how this creature could make him burn the way he did.

Fred made herself comfortable against him as they walked. Amused, she wondered what Angel and the others thought had happened to them. They could wait though. She was with Wesley; everything else in the world could wait. Perhaps he should spend a day in the lab with her…get rid of Knox for good…

Ironically, Wesley was thinking the same thoughts…only this time there was a gun involved, should the irritating lab assistant go near his girl. Well, Wes had had these thoughts before, but now Fred was his, and he'd do anything to keep her safe with him.

She lifted her head to look at his face. This…was a face she could look at for an eternity and never tire of. OOH, Wes had thinking face.

"What's on your mind, Wesley? You look so serious."

"Nothing really…other than I'm not afraid to pull a gun on anyone who touches or harms you." He caressed her cheek and smiled as though he'd just given her the time or something.

"Wes, how could anyone harm me if I'm constantly with you? Put those thoughts away and enjoy yourself!" still clutching his hand, she turned and pulled him playfully down the sidewalk. Wesley laughed, a sound not often heard, and kissed her gently.

"I love you, you know. More than anything." He commented.

Pulling him to her, she let go of his hand but wrapped her arms around him, and told him how much she loved him. Then she whispered in his ear,

"You should laugh more often, Wesley…it's an amazing sound." Wesley, in return, smiled and blushed, but he wasn't completely sure yet that this wasn't a dream.

Unknowingly, Fred was thinking the same thoughts. The more she thought about it, the more tears rose in her eyes. She turned away from Wesley, so he couldn't see her tears.

"Fred, what's wrong?" he asked her, a sick feeling in his stomach. Oh, what had he done to cause this? Wordlessly, Fred reached out to touch his cheek with trembling fingers. If she was going to lose him…she needed to at least have this memory.

"What did I do?" Wes asked, sounding much like a panicked child.

"You didn't do anything…but, but what if this is all a dream and I wake up at home in the morning and it turns out we're still avoiding each other? Wesley, that'll be devastating!"

At that moment, Wesley decided that if they were both thinking the same thing, then there was no possible way it could have been a dream.

"No, I'm really here, as are you. And if what they say about pain waking you up is true…no. This is real." He kissed a single tear, which had begun trailing down Fred's cheek.

"Wesley…what are we going to do about work? They probably need our help and…" she babbled.

"Let's worry about that later; I don't care about anything but you." He kissed her gently, hoping to kiss away all her worries. And oh…that sound she made…well, he now had a goal in life: to make her make that sound again and again until the end of time.

Fred was more than happy to begin a makeout session in the middle of town, but it would get a little uncomfortable after a while. Kissing him again, she let go of him, grinned, and took off as fast as she could in the direction of her apartment building. Wesley followed her, but slowed to let her think she was beating him. Plus, there was an advantage to Fred in a short skirt.

Turning back to face him, she laughed and stuck her tongue out at him, teasing him. Wesley caught up with her, pretending to be out of breath.

"You're fast," he teased. His humor was lost on Fred.

"Really? You think so?"

Wesley laughed. "Yes. You and your cute heels." He grinned at her and looked up at a nearby building. "Is that your apartment?"

"Well, that's the building, yeah…you wanna come up?" she asked him, smiling lightly. Wes nodded and looked down, blushing.

As they walked into the building, he looked around to try to figure out which apartment belonged to her. She grabbed him playfully by the hand.

"Come on!" she led Wesley to the elevator. While they waited for the doors to open, she threw her arms around him.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

Wes smiled and buried his face in her neck. Fred held on to him, savoring the moment until the elevator doors opened. Wes then pulled back a bit. Clearly, there was something on his mind.

"That time…when we were drunk at the Halloween party…why did you ask me what I thought of Knox?"

"Wesley…I was drunk. He never meant anything to me. Never. I asked you because I wanted to know…you never said anything about what you thought…"

"That was because I thought you… you know…" he sighed.

"I liked him? I only kept mentioning him to make you jealous…so maybe you'd say something to me about it…Wesley, I'm no good at initiating relationships." She said softly.

"Neither am I…clearly." He smiled, embarrassed. The elevator door finally opened, and they stepped in.

"But that doesn't matter anymore. We're together, we're in love…everything else is history." Realizing she'd let go of him, Fred clung to Wes's arm, hoping she wasn't causing him any pain.

Wes didn't mind. She was so tiny; she probably couldn't have hurt him had she tried. When they got to her apartment, he looked around. Upon entering the room, his face lit up; the apartment was so Fredishly cute!

"Well, welcome to my apartment…I know it's probably overdone by your tastes, but it's comfy to me…and you're always welcome here. You know that, right? I like having you in my home. I mean, even if you just got here…" she smiled sweetly at her guest, who smiled back.

"I think it's amazing." He followed her wherever she went, looking around at everything. Fred quickly looked around the place to make sure she hadn't left anything about which could cause embarrassment. She needed everything to be perfect in Wesley's presence.

Wesley smiled when he saw a picture of a slightly younger Fred holding an old, worn out stuffed rabbit. She looked so cute, and seemed very attached to the rabbit.

"So. Is this my competition?" he asked her, holding up the photo. Fred giggled in response.

"That's Feigenbaum, the master of chaos. I brought him with me when I moved from Texas. He kept me company when I had no one…" she gave Wesley a look and s loving smile, as if to state her point.

"But he's second now, right?" Wesley looked completely serious, yet Fred knew he was joking.

"Wesley, for me there is no second. Only you; my one and only." She looked him in the eye and in the same joking manner as Wesley's, asked him, "but we can still keep him around, right?"

"I assume that the little creature is on your bed now? He sleeps on the couch from now on." He nodded matter-of-factly as he put the photo back on the table. Fred pouted playfully at him.

"You spoil all my fun," she teased. Wesley stepped closer to her, letting his hands rest on her hips.

"Oh really, Winifred?"

"Unless you convince me otherwise, I'd have to say you're jealous of Feigenbaum."

"Perhaps I am." Wes subtly slid his hand under the hem of her shirt. Fred shivered slightly and dropped the topic of the rabbit. She looked up at him, curious yet completely understanding as to what was going on. "I don't I could live without you now…if something happened to take you away…there would be nothing left in the world for me." Wesley continued softly.

"Wesley…" she took his hand and pressed the palm tightly over her heart, so he could feel its beating. "Nothing will take you away from me. Nothing CAN take me away from you…"

He kissed her without warning, and gently pinned her against the wall.

"So tiny and beautiful…" he whispered. Fred kissed him again.

"And yours…handsome man saved me…" She looked pointedly at him. Wesley laughed. He didn't see himself as anything buy ordinary. Still, he didn't contradict her.

"You are an amazing woman, Fred."

"Oh hardly. You, on the other hand," she gave him a quick peck, "are extraordinary."

Wesley kissed her again, more passionately than anything previous.

Fred couldn't get enough of him. His taste, his scent…she was drowning in him. If he were to let go of her right now, she'd absolutely and literally die.

Wes didn't let go of her, but at the same time tried to move them towards Fred's bedroom. He stumbled and fell backwards, bringing Fred down on top of him. Fred blushed as she realized their positions, but soon got over it. She couldn't help bringing her hands to the side of Wesley's face and kissing him long and passionately.

He could help but feel loved and wanted – for once. Fred was so warm and beautiful, and the way she kissed him…that meant something, didn't it? Yes it did.

"Wesley." She breathed. "Floor?" she hoped the floor wasn't too hard on his back, which it probably was, but in any case she'd rather they be in a more comfortable setting. Say, for example, her bed.

"Uh…yes…good point." He nodded as she rolled off of him. This was getting to be very aggravating for the both of them. It took all of Fred's willpower not to just roll over and pull him on top of her. She did, however, tug him forcefully in the direction of her bed. Wes groaned slightly from the…discomforts…and went along with her plan.

Impatiently, Fred rolled onto her bed, not caring about the now displaced pillows, and pulled Wesley to her.

"One moment." Wes grabbed poor Feigenbaum and tossed him to the floor, grinning wickedly at Fred. She in turn pouted at Wesley. "…I'm sure the creature does not wish to witness the…uh…mattress Olympics…" he explained to her, staring at her adorable pout.

"Make me feel better?" she whimpered.

"Oh, Fred, I'll do more than that…" he attacked her neck with little kisses. She tried to pull him closer to her, so tight she could barely breathe.

"Wesley…"

"Fred…clothes need to…disappear…first," he mumbled between kisses, "…else…this will be…erm…difficult." Fred let go of him, and oh so slowly began unbuttoning her lover's shirt.

"…Are you teasing me?" Wesley asked her, a look of mock surprise on his face. Fred purred.

"Maybe…" she made a point of going slower. It was driving him insane and she knew it.

"Little devil," he grinned and pressed himself closer to her, kissing her neck again. "Perhaps…you should get a taste…of your own medicine…" Wes purred right on back. Fred was going to faint. Not from anything physical, but if Wesley purred like that one more time, she was going to faint.

"Bring it on," she whispered.

And this has been the sketchiest bit of this ever. That's right, as far as we can tell it's all downhill from here. In a manner of speaking. R&R!