A/N: Hi, guys! I just got to say...Wow! The feedback from the last chapter was amazing! And not only that, but thank you for all the well wishes for All-State. Sadly, I didn't make it, but it's no biggie. I'm pretty sure I was the only chick there who had a legion (perhaps not a legion but a great many followers) of FF readers! So, thanks for being awesome and making me special (well, more special than I, obviously, already am). Kidding! ...sort of...

Anywho, moving onward! This chapter was fun! Lots of action and I guess we'll see with this chapter who ends up with Fred, right? ;D

Random Disclaimer: (I don't own Buffy).

Buffy: Okay, Fred, looks like it's you and me this chapter.

Fred: Really? What are we doing?

Me: I can't spoil everything for you.

Fred: Why not?

Buffy: She keeps telling me its for the story's benefit, but I think she's just being stingy.

Me: Am not...much

Billy Part Two

"Okay, so this guy, Billy, makes guys go wacko?" Buffy asked as she put together the pieces of conversation Angel had related to her from Lilah.

"That's what I got out of it," Angel replied as he stopped at a stoplight.

"How though?" Wesley asked from the backseat. "There has to be some way for the malicious intent to be transferred."

"And you said this guy was Billy Blim? As in rich and famous and political?" Gunn asked. "I hate politics."

"According to Lilah, the family's practically royalty," Angel replied with a frown as he parked the Plymouth in front of a large, mansion home.

"So how are we planning to get in?" Buffy asked as they got out of the car.

Angel's eyes narrowed.

"So how are you planning to get in?" Buffy amended with a slight pout. "Don't mind me, I'm just along for the ride."

"The Blim Estate," Wesley let out a puff of air as he took in the fifteen foot high gates that encircled the property.

"Welcoming," Gunn deadpanned as he too looked at the gates warily.

"I don't suppose it'd do any good to ring the bell either," Wesley muttered as he scanned the gate for any weak points.

Gunn's face brightened as an idea struck him. "How about we sneak in as like security guards or something?"

"Well, that's a possibility," Wesley conceded. "Or we could…"

"Jump the gate," Buffy finished as she watched Angel leap onto the top of the fence and casually drop over the other side.

"So," Gunn trailed off as they all watched Angel disappear into the night. "Wanna go next?" he asked Wesley.

"Perhaps it'd be better if we waited here," Wesley suggested.

"Yeah," Gunn agreed.

Buffy was still smiling. She looked at Wesley and Gunn. "Am I the only one who found that hot?"

Surprisingly, Angel returned about fifteen minutes later. "Back so soon?" Wesley asked, his eyebrows raised.

Angel growled in annoyance and frustration. "Police came and picked him up," he explained as he slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut with unnecessary force. "Apparently, he phoned in a tip about where a woman's body was buried."

"Oh, no," Buffy murmured as she made the connection.

"Wes, I need you find out if it's true," Angel said.

"I think we all know it is," Gunn spoke up, his voice hard with distaste.

Angel didn't reply.

"My contact at the city morgue confirms it," Wesley announced as he returned the phone at the reception desk to its cradle. "Her body was found earlier tonight. A young woman was reported missing three days ago. Someone phoned in a tip."

"Billy," Angel accused knowingly, glaring at a spot on the wall.

"It doesn't make sense," Gunn shook his head, frowning. "I mean, even if he did do it, he didn't do it, you know what I'm saying?" he asked frustrated. "So why confess? What does he get?"

"Out," Angel answered as the pieces started to click into place inside his mind. "It gets him out."

"Yeah," Gunn snorted. "Out of his palatial twelve million dollar mansion and into a holding cell at Men's central."

"Yes, but for how long?" Wesley pointed out.

"Well, an impenetrable cube of Hell fire in a demon dimension couldn't do much," Cordelia said sarcastically. "So my guess—regular bars? Not really gonna be a problem."

"She's right," Angel said in a monotone voice that had Buffy feeling nervous. That tone never brought good things. "All he'll need to get out this time is his lawyer."

"Angel," Buffy began slowly when she saw him head towards the door.

"Angel, what are you doing?" Wesley asked confused.

"I'm going to get there before Lilah does," Angel replied as he slipped on a coat.

"And then what?" Gunn asked, seeing a flaw in the plan.

"Well, I took him out of one cell," Angel replied easily, his eyes glinting in determination. "I can take him out of another."

Buffy was shaking her head. This case was making her nervous, and she knew the case was affecting Angel, too. Angel was raised in the age of chivalry, and even though he hadn't been the most—respectable—man as a human, Buffy knew that Angel would never raise his hand to a woman, well, a human woman at least. Vampires were different story.

"Wait!" she called to him, hurrying to his side and placing a restraining hand on his arm. "Angel, you can't barge into a police precinct and go all Terminator."

Angel gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be okay."

"It's dangerous," Buffy countered, refusing to be assuaged. "He's dangerous."

"Buffy's right," Cordelia sided with Buffy. "What if he lays his whammy on you?"

Buffy watched as worry flickered in Angel's eyes for a moment. If that were to happen and he turned on Buffy…

Angel banished the thought. That would never happen. Never.

"He won't be conscious long enough to try," Angel retorted determinedly.

Buffy and Cordelia were both about to retort, but Fred rushed in, talking over them. "He's not there!" Everyone paused to look at her. "I just heard it on the police scanner," Fred explained. "The patrol car carrying Billy never made it to the station. There's been an accident."

Angel's expression grew dark. Sure. Accident.

Not likely.

"Looks like we're going to a crime scene," Angel said as he bit back a curse. He was willing to bet that Billy had escaped.

"I got the car," Gunn declared as he hopped out of his chair, catching the keys Angel tossed his way.

"I call shotgun!" Wesley hurried after Gunn.

Cordelia scoffed. "Kids."

"Okay, let's go," Buffy said, looping her arm through Angel's and taking a step to the door.

"No," Angel shook his head, gently disentangling his arm from hers. "You're staying here."

"But you said we're going to a crime scene," Buffy pointed out.

"Yes, meaning me, Gunn, and Wes," Angel clarified firmly, his brown eyes reflecting his seriousness.

Buffy frowned. "What could possibly happen at a crime scene?"

"Crime?" Angel suggested sarcastically. "Billy showing up?"

Buffy scoffed. "You know he's long gone," she retorted, shooting the idea down.

"Buffy," Angel sighed as he reached up to cradle her face in his hands. "The most important thing you can do right now is stay here and stay safe."

Buffy thought about fighting him on it, but sighed and gave in. She knew he was right. Besides, what help could she be, really?

"Fine," she relented.

"Thank you," Angel smiled, kissing her quickly before darting off to the Plymouth.

Cordelia looked at Buffy. "You two have really made progress the past two years."

Buffy glanced at Cordelia, knowing what she said was true. Hers and Angel's previous conversation would have gone down completely different if they'd been younger. They would not have parted amicably.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed.

"Yeah," Cordelia repeated. "Otherwise I'd never be able to stand the two of you."

"Thanks Cordy," Buffy replied dryly. "Really."

"What?" Cordelia defended as they retreated to the lobby and sat down on the couch. "I only speak the truth."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You know, a few years ago, you liked Angel."

"I didn't like him," Cordelia argued. "I liked to admire him."

"He is admirable."

"Oh, I was completely superficial," Cordelia laughed. "I just liked to look at him."

"He is nice to look at." Buffy smiled before she shot Cordelia a look. "And completely mine. No more admiring."

Cordelia smirked. "Please, that ship sailed a long time ago. Besides, me and Angel as more than friends? One, ew. Two, it would never work."

"I agree," Buffy nodded. "It wouldn't work because I'd probably kill you."

"Would not."

"Don't think so much of me."

"I don't think so much of you at all, really."

"And here I thought we were friends."

"Best friends in fact."

"Crazy."

"Weird," Cordelia finished before she and Buffy dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"We're funny," Buffy said after a moment.

"Yeah," Cordelia agreed as she picked up a Cosmo from the table and began to idly thumb through it. "The boys just don't understand."

For the next thirty to forty-five minutes, Cordelia and Buffy were content in the silence between them. Cordelia was looking through a magazine showcasing Gucci's fall collection and Buffy was debating paint colors for a nursery.

Finally, Buffy huffed in frustration. "Okay, I know that this kid is a boy…but do I really want to paint the nursery blue?"

Cordelia frowned. "You wouldn't be doing any painting at all. Paint and pregnancy don't mix."

"Okay, do I really want Angel to paint the nursery blue?" Buffy revised. "I mean, isn't it too cliché?"

"You could go gender neutral," Cordelia suggested. "Yellow or green?"

"You'd really have the baby's nursery to be green?" Buffy deadpanned. "Angel would love that."

"What?" Cordelia shrugged. "The kid is half-Irish. Show some love for the homeland."

"That would involve leprechauns," Buffy retorted. "I don't believe in leprechauns."

"What is it with you and leprechauns?" Cordelia asked exasperated. "I think they're cute."

Buffy grumbled under her breath, and the two girls fell into silence once more before Buffy broke it again. "I wish I was out there with them," she lamented.

"Me too," Cordelia agreed. "I mean, I know that you guys say that this isn't my fault, and I know you're right," the Seer added quickly, seeing that Buffy was about to interrupt. "But I just can't shake the feeling."

"Yeah, well at least you could go if you wanted," Buffy pointed out. "I'm stuck here. Who knew I'd miss beating people up so much?"

Cordelia snorted in answer, and Buffy glared. "I have to do something," Cordelia decided and rose from the couch. "I mean, going out anywhere is better than just sitting here," she complained before shooting an apologetic look at Buffy. "Sorry."

"I'm getting used to it." Buffy rose from her place on the couch as well. "Where you going?" she asked.

Cordelia hesitated for a moment. "I don't think Lilah told Angel everything about Billy. I'm gonna try some girl bonding time."

"With Lilah?" Buffy raised her eyebrows.

"So what if she's a vicious bitch?" Cordelia retorted. "We just have to find some common ground…like shoes."

Buffy sighed as she followed Cordelia over to the weapon's cabinet. She handed Cordelia a small crossbow. "Better take that," she muttered.

Cordelia grabbed a taser. "I've always wanted to zap someone with one of these."

Fred came down the stairs then and looked between them. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go run an errand," Cordelia replied lightly. "A very normal errand…for us at least."

Fred frowned. "Cordy, I don't think you should do this."

"How can I not?" Cordelia returned easily.

"Good luck," Buffy said and Cordelia nodded before heading out the door.

Fred looked at Buffy. "Are you sure we should let her go?"

"She'll be fine," Buffy said confidently. "She's been doing really well in training, better than Angel lets himself see."

"He's very protective," Fred nodded and Buffy couldn't help but smile in agreement.

Fred was quiet for a moment before she looked up at Buffy. "Buffy, would you, I mean, if ya wouldn't mind…" Fred paused. "Could ya show me a few moves? I don't want to trouble you, but it seems like everyone here knows how to fight except me."

"I was actually going to talk to you about that," Buffy smiled, happy to have something to do. "Come on, let's move out where we have some space."

Fred nodded and she and Buffy moved to stand facing each other in the middle of the lobby, away from anything breakable should something go wrong. "Okay, I can't show you too much," Buffy admitted sheepishly. "Fighting is very different when pregnant, or so I've discovered."

"It would make sense," Fred conceded.

"So I'm gonna show you a few easy moves," Buffy smiled, trying to get Fred to relax a little. "Really, it's one easy move that always works with guys."

"Always?" Fred repeated. "Like a law?"

"Exactly," Buffy smiled. "See, in a fight, you don't fight fair. You play dirty. There are no rules."

"But I like rules," Fred couldn't help but argue. "And theories and laws and structure…"

"Your structure is in your moves," Buffy smiled. "Now, fighting is all about exploiting weakness…and every single bearer of the XY chromosome always has a particular weakness."

"The groin!"

Buffy grinned. "So, if you're ever fighting in close quarters…"

"How close is close?" Fred needed Buffy to specify.

"Two to three feet or closer," Buffy decided. "So about how we are now."

"Okay."

"Okay, so," Buffy smiled. "If I'm the bad guy and I've got you backed into a corner, this is what you're gonna do…"

Buffy then proceeded to show Fred how to properly knee a man in the groin. There really was a most effective technique that Buffy had perfected over the years. "Okay, and while he's all bent over and in pain," Buffy smiled. "He's at a perfect height for a good left or right hook."

Fred smiled, able to see a simulation unfold in her mind. "Thanks, Buffy."

"Fred!"

Both Buffy and Fred looked up at the call. Wesley strolled into the lobby, bearing a bloody piece of paper.

"Is that from the crime scene?" Buffy asked as she followed Wesley to where his microscope was set up. Fred was right behind her, peering over her shoulder to get a look at the blood smeared paper.

"Yes," Wesley answered. "Angel believed it belonged to Billy." Wesley reached for the slides, but Fred already had them in her hands, ready to pass to him. Wesley smiled. "Thank you, Fred."

"I was hoping we could identify Billy's demon lineage," Wesley explained as he looked up at Fred. "Would you care to assist me?"

Fred smiled. "I don't mind."

Buffy hid her smile behind her hand, faking a yawn. Let the potential lovebirds have some alone time. Buffy could have giggled at her deviousness. "I'm beat," Buffy sighed dramatically. "Nappy time for me," she announced with a stretch as she made her way down to the basement to hers and Angel's bedroom. "You two play nice!" she joked before disappearing down the stairs.

Originally, the plan hadn't been to actually take a nap, but when Buffy sat down on the bed she realized that she was tired. Glancing at the clock, she noted the time, a quarter past nine, and then snuggled into Angel's side of the bed, letting his scent wrap around her. Buffy let out a little sigh as he eyelids fluttered closed and she sank into a peaceful slumber.

"Stop it!"

Buffy was jerked awake by the cry. She knew that voice. Fred.

Nothing giving her actions a second thought, Buffy hurried up the steps and went to the lobby. She saw Fred's eyes dart towards her and the girl subtly shook her head, telling Buffy to stay where she was. Buffy didn't understand.

Buffy knew that something wasn't right. Wesley's posture was far too stiff. He was angry. He was angry at Fred.

That just didn't make sense.

"Oh, you're uncomfortable?" Wesley snapped. "That's rich! How do you think I feel? What do you think it's like for me smelling the way you do?"

Buffy's eyes widened. What the hell?

"Wesley, please," Fred pleaded.

"You think you can taunt a man and get away with it?" Wesley continued, stalking towards Fred. "You brush up close, bat your eyes, and then when our backs are turned you laugh at us!"

"No," Fred shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. "I would never…"

"Humiliate us!" Wesley cut her off. Buffy could practically see the waves of anger rolling off the normally calm, collected man. "You think you can do anything you please because you're connected to life, because you bleed, is that it?"

Buffy wasn't going to hear anymore. She stalked forward and caught Wesley's wrist before he could backhand Fred. She shoved his hand away. "Enough! Snap out of it, Wes!"

Wesley turned his glare on her. "And you! You carrying that vile spawn! Who knows how it's going to turn out!"

Buffy froze.

"It'll be a monster!" Wesley continued on. "Just like its father!"

Buffy's fist connected with Wesley's face, sending him sprawling. "Come on!" Buffy grabbed Fred's hand and together they ran up the stairs to the first floor of the hotel's rooms.

Buffy ran all the way down to the end of the all into the last room that Angel had been fixing up in his spare time. His plethora of skills never ceased to amaze her. Buffy jerked open the door and then quietly shut it. Fred was near to panic.

"Buffy, why is Wesley saying those things?" she asked. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Fred," Buffy assured her. "Okay, I need you to focus Fred. Focus on the facts."

"Facts," Fred repeated, nodding quickly. "I like facts."

"I know you do," Buffy smiled fondly. "Okay, did you and Wes learn anything about Billy's blood?"

"His red blood cells are supercharged," Fred answered, her conversation with Buffy distracting her from her panic. "So that means that his power is in his blood, which means that it can be transmitted by his sweat, his saliva, or even his touch."

"And Wesley touched the blood," Buffy nodded to herself, thinking idly that if Angel had wanted her safe, it would probably have been better for him to take her with him. "Okay, Fred, this is what we're going to do..."

Buffy led her over to the bed. "You're going to get under the bed and not say a word, okay?"

"Well, what are you going to do?" Fred asked worriedly. "You can't fight him Buffy!"

Buffy fought not to growl in irritation at that fact. "I know, I'm going to see if I can find help."

Buffy's enhanced hearing heard Wesley begin to climb the stairs. "Bolt this door behind me," Buffy ordered. "And then get under the bed and stay there!" she ordered Fred. She waited until Fred acquiesced and she heard the bolt slide into place. Then, she silently crept down the hallway. Thinking quickly, she thought of a way to loop around Wesley and get to a phone.

Buffy ran back down the hall, towards Wesley. She darted into an empty room the moment she saw his shadow on the opposite wall. Buffy hid behind the door, and waited silently, barely daring to breathe.

"Fred?" Wesley called. Buffy couldn't help but think that the echoes made by Wesley's boots were far too loud as he walked down the hall. "I know what you're doing, what you're up to," he continued disdainfully. "Luring me, forcing me to find you—oh, it's such a dog and pony show! You beguile me with your girlish ways! I pursue you, but you never give over, do you? You just keep laughing and running!"

Buffy could hear him bursting into different rooms, searching for Fred. It appeared that he was more focused on Fred than her. Was it because she'd been the one with him originally when he was exposed, or was it because he had feelings for her?

"Well, guess what, my love! I'm not some downy-faced schoolboy!" Wesley said as he kicked in a door to another room. "I'm a man!"

Buffy took her chance and slipped back out into the hallway. She glanced down the hall to see what room Wesley had gone into and gasped when she realized it was Fred's room. The idea of finding a phone and calling Angel was completely forgotten as Buffy hurried toward Wesley and Fred.

She could hear Wesley ranting. "You can't come out into the open, can you? No, you hide, you deceive! It's nothing new. It goes all the way back to Eve, you and the serpent plotting behind our backs! 'Here honey, eat this. It's just an apple!'" Wesley mocked.

Buffy edged slowly down the wall of the hallway now, not wanting to give away her position. She was almost to the doorframe.

"That's the problem with your sex!" Wesley continued on. "You're all weak and you're all dirty and you won't be satisfied until you've brought each and every one of us out of the garden and down into the muck with you!"

Buffy was at the doorframe now, and she peeked around to see that Wesley held an ax in his hands. She watched as he slung it at a stool that held some of Angel's tools on it, breaking the stool and sending the tools clattering to the floor.

Buffy heard Fred's stifled gasp and cursed under her breath. Wesley heard Fred too and his gaze immediately darted toward the bed. He flipped the mattress up and grabbed Fred by the hair, ignoring her scream as he dragged her out from under the bed.

Seeing Fred's panic, Buffy rushed into the room. "Fred! Remember every XY chromosome has a weakness!"

Within a second of Buffy's outburst, Fred had brought her knee up exactly as Buffy had taught her to and nailed Wesley right in the groin. He doubled over in pain and Fred hauled off and punched him, sending Wesley to the floor.

"Come on!" Buffy waved Fred over frantically. Together they ran down the dim halls of the Hyperion, some of them completely unfamiliar to Buffy. She rarely ventured this far into the hotel.

Fred was cradling her hand. "I think I broke it," she said dazed.

"Good girl," Buffy praised absently. "You really put some force behind it."

"I'm still here!" Wesley called out and Buffy froze, wracking her mind for a solution. "I don't run away like a girl! I see things through!"

Buffy grabbed Fred's good hand and led her down another hallway. Rounding the corner, Buffy and Fred ran straight into Gunn. "Ssh," he placed a finger over his lips before leading them around another corner. Buffy guessed that they were probably on the third floor. Gunn tried the first door they came to, but it was locked.

Buffy tried the next one and the door opened. "Here," she whispered, shooing them inside. Immediately, Gunn shoved the dresser in front of the door.

"Now, what the hell happened to Wesley?" Gunn asked once his door-barricading task was finished.

"He got infected from working with Billy's blood," Buffy explained.

Gunn went pale. "You mean that, that fingerprinty-looking handprint downstairs is Billy's blood?" he asked anxiously. Fred and Buffy nodded. "So you're saying that Wesley turned into a psycho-killer because of the bloody handprint that I picked up and looked at?"

"When you put it like that, it kind of worries me," Fred said nervously, unconsciously backing away from him.

Gunn turned towards the door and began to move the dresser out of the way. "I better get out of here. Lock the door behind me," he ordered.

Suddenly, there was a crash and then the unmistakable sound of splintering wood as Wesley swung the ax at the door. "Okay, we need a plan B," Buffy announced as she helped him shove the dresser back into place.

"Right, uh, plan B…" Gunn trailed off as he tried to think of plan B.

Wesley swung the ax against the door again, and Fred took a step back. With a loud crack, the floorboards beneath Fred collapsed under her weight and Fred screamed as she began to fall. Gunn lurched toward her and caught her wrist just in time, carefully pulling her back through the hole.

"What's plan B?" Fred asked quickly.

"Ah, Plan B…" Gunn looked around the room and at Buffy who was just as wide-eyed as he was. She didn't know how to get out of this either. "Ah, Plan B…"

"Charles?" Fred petitioned in a quiet, scared voice.

Suddenly, Gunn spun around to face her. "Plan B is the plan where if you don't stop whining I'll bash in…" Gunn trailed off horrified. "Oh, God."

Buffy grabbed a wooden chair and threw it against the wall. Gah, it felt good to use her Slayer strength. She picked up one of the chair legs and advanced on Gunn.

He immediately saw her plan. "Good plan," he nodded. "Hit me!"

"What?" Fred looked between Gunn and Buffy. "No!"

"Have to Fred," Buffy told her.

"No, please!"

"Hit me!" Gunn urged quickly. He could feel the rage building within him. He was about to lose control.

"Don't have to ask me again," Buffy muttered before whacking Gunn over the head with the chair leg. He collapsed into a heap onto the floor and Buffy felt guilty. "Sorry," she apologized before looking at Fred. "Here, help me drag him over there," Buffy said as she gestured to the far wall.

"Okay," Fred nodded and grabbed one of Gunn's arms.

"Alrighty," Buffy huffed as she propped Gunn up against the wall with Fred's help.

Once she was sure he wasn't going to fall over, Buffy stood up and placed her hands on her hips, surveying the room. "Okay, Fred," she said as her eyes settled on the objects in the rom. "I have an idea for Plan B. We need to pull a MacGyver."

Buffy turned to face her. "What can you build with a tarp, a rope, and a fire extinguisher?"

Buffy was silent as she and Fred hid behind the door. They both heard Wesley finally break through the door and move the dresser. They were still as stone as Wesley advanced into the room, eyeing Gunn's unconscious form. "Would you like you hear my theory, Fred?" he asked. "It's about how stupid you are. I believe that after five years of living in a cave you'll instinctively retreat to small, dark places," he theorized as he eyed the closed closet doors.

Wesley eyed the tarp on the floor and walked around it to peer into the closet. "Let's finish this."

He yanked the closet doors open, only to see Buffy and Fred's reflections in the mirror standing behind him.

"I'm sorry, Wesley," Fred apologized.

Buffy glared. "I'm not." No one called her child a monster spawn and got away with it, friend or not.

However, Wesley wasn't focused on her. His attention was solely on Fred.

"You're sorry?"

"You were right about me liking dark places to hide in," Fred admitted as Wesley gripped his ax and started towards her. "But you also forgot that I like to build things."

Fred pulled on a rope, causing a fire extinguisher to sail toward Wesley, hitting him in the head and causing him to fall back onto the tarp—the tarp that covered the hole that Fred had previously fell through.

Buffy and Fred shuffled their feet to the edge of the hole and looked down to see an unconscious Wesley sprawled on the floor below. "Hmm," Buffy murmured. "He's lucky Angel wasn't here. It would have been so much worse."

As if on cue, Angel rushed into the room, Cordelia not far behind. "Buffy! What happened? Are you alright?" he asked quickly. "Are you? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

Buffy smiled and wrapped her arms around him, giving him the comfort he needed. "I'm fine. We're fine," she stressed, pulling out of his embrace after a few seconds. She glanced at Wesley and Gunn. "But the boys are going to need some ice."

A few days later, Buffy was sitting on the couch in the lobby, reading through her copy of Sonnets from the Portuguese. Angel was down training with Cordelia and Gunn was off somewhere, leaving her to her own little peace and quiet.

However, a shuffle of nervous feet caused Buffy to look up. "Oh," she smiled when she saw Fred standing in front of her. "How are you, Fred?"

"I-I'm fine," Fred answered with a weak smile. "But it's just I-I need your advice, Buffy."

Buffy raised her eyebrows slightly. What could possibly prompt Fred to ask her for advice? "Okay," Buffy agreed, gesturing to the couch. "Wanna sit?"

"Sure." Fred took her seat and began to fidget nervously with her hands. "Well, you remember what happened Tuesday…"

"It's still pretty clear," Buffy couldn't help the fond smile that pulled at her lips. Fred was so…Fred.

"Well, you know that Wesley was, um…"

"Psycho," Buffy supplied, using Gunn's terminology.

"Right, and well, he's been gone for the past few days and he hasn't been answering any of my calls," Fred admitted, shyness and worry seeping into her tone. "I've called him sixty-three times."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Wow, Fred, that's some, uh, dedication."

"He won't answer."

Buffy blew out a breath a looked at Fred sympathetically. "He's not answering because he's ashamed for what he did and for what he said."

Buffy had already had her own little talk with Wesley. She'd taken care of it the moment he'd regained consciousness and was coherent.

"Alright, I'm only gonna say this once," she'd warned, her eyes narrowed. "If you ever say anything again like what you said to me today, I will do a whole hell of a lot worse than punch you in the face."

"Buffy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it—"

"I know," Buffy conceded, though that didn't banish the ire she still felt from his words. "And before you worry yourself to pieces, I'm not telling Angel what you said."

Wesley had visibly sagged in relief. "Thank you."

"Yeah, you owe me one," Buffy told him. "Cause if Angel ever finds out you even alluded to harming our baby, he'll kill you."

"I agree."

"What do I do?" Fred asked Buffy, snapping her back to the present. "I need to tell him that I forgive him and that it wasn't his fault."

"Then go to his apartment and tell him," Buffy advised.

"But he doesn't want to see me."

Buffy felt a smile tug at her lips. "Fred, I know a thing or two about stubborn men. Go to Wes' apartment, tell him to get over it, stop skulking, and come back to work."

Fred frowned, and Buffy added. "Well, don't be that blunt about it, but those should be your main points."

Fred nodded seriously before shooting Buffy a small smile. "Thanks Buffy."

Buffy watched as Fred left the Hyperion, wondering idly who the young woman would chose in the end—Gunn or Wesley.

She looked up as Angel settled down on the couch next to her. He immediately pulled her into his arms, and Buffy didn't protest. He had hardly left her alone for a minute the past few days, but Buffy didn't mind. It was just Angel being Angel—overprotective.

But Buffy loved him for it.

Suddenly, Buffy felt a flutter in her stomach. She tensed, and Angel's worried voice was at her ear. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Ssh," Buffy hushed him impatiently as she waited silently.

There was another flutter, a movement in her stomach. Buffy smiled brightly and giggled excitedly. She turned to Angel, her eyes bright with wonder. "The baby's moving," she told him, causing Angel to smile broadly.

"Really?"

Buffy nodded vigorously, her hand unconsciously going to her stomach. "I can feel it," she whispered amazed. "I can feel him swimming around in there," she looked at her stomach for a moment before she made a face. "It feels kinda weird," she admitted.

Angel chuckled and brought her face down to his so he could kiss her. He smiled when he pulled back, "I think you'll get used to it."

Buffy nodded in agreement before she looked at him. "Don't worry. Eventually you'll be able to feel him too," she assured him.

Angel reached up and kissed her again. "I can't wait."

Yay! Baby moment! So, this chapter, as I said before, was lots and lots of fun! Lots of Buffy/Fred bonding! I really like them together, because Buffy sort of gets to have some pseudo-Mom moments.

And did I allude to Wesley's betrayal? Hmm...I wonder how that will turn out...how could I have played with that storyline, you wonder? *evil laugh*

Lots of love,

AC