Her Saving Grace, 11/?, Spike/Fred, R

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

I owe my many many thanks to dollydani for unconsciously reminding me that I had a prompt response due today. *headdesk*

Title: Her Saving Grace
Rating: R
Pairing: Spike/Fred, mentions slight Fred/Wesley
Spoilers: Angel S5
Chapter: Eleven of ?
Prompt: #31 - Hairbrush for tamingthemuse
Warnings: Character death (not the permanent variety)
Summary: An accident one night changes Fred's entire world. Shunned by the people who should care the most, she turns to the one person who does care, and finds something beyond friendship.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Seriously. Not even my mind these days.

Warning: It's not beta'd. In the slightest. So please forgive me and my homework/midterm addled brain any mistakes.

Word count: 2745

Previous parts here


Pretty by mentalme85






Pretty by garnettrees

Chapter 11: Forgotten Truths

Somehow she remembered that he'd promised her tacos to christen the new place with, and that became the top priority. There was already blood in the fridge, so they headed out to the nearest Mexican fast food place, where Fred was extremely happy to discover that they were even closer now than before. The tacos came back to the new apartment, and by the time they were done with their blood, grease, and soda, they were giggling on the living room floor.

“There's no way that Angel would ever have...”

“You'd be surprised at what Angelus would do, and mark the difference,” Spike said, reaching for the soda. Fred snatched it first, sticking her tongue out at him when he growled playfully at her. “Brat.”

“What?” she said innocently, taking a sip. “I had a sudden craving for soda.”

“Yeah, at the exact moment I did,” he said, raising his eyebrows at her. She grinned and handed it back, where he took it with an indignant sniff and pouting lips. That set her off again, her giggles building steadily. He finally turned his full glare on her, wrapping his lips around the blue straw as he did so and sipping oh so daintily as he did so, and she rolled onto her back, her laughter echoing in the empty room.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he said. She turned her head back towards him, and found him shaking his head, trying to force his grin down with little success. “Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?”

“Yes!” she said immediately, quickly flipping onto her stomach, her head resting on her hands. “I want to hear about Angel...us in Paris.”

He nodded approvingly. “It's Angelus; Angel wouldn't get drunk in the first place. That's what got him into this mess. He tried to out-drink the barmaid, and had seemingly forgotten she'd just outdone two of the patrons. She got him completely hammered in his attempts to best her, and she still kept her senses enough to persuade him to take her position for a bit.”

“As barmaid?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Problem with the scenario was that she insisted he take EVERYTHING that went with the job, right down to the dress and corset.”

Fred's eyes widened. “So he really did...?”

Spike nodded, grinning so wide she thought the corners of his lips would crack. “Yup. Funniest damn thing I ever saw. His pecs got nice and boosted with that corset, and he wandered around with various guys whistlin' at him while he tried to serve beer. Mind, of course, he was still completely drunk, so he didn't mind. Not too much, at any rate. He even got slapped on his skirt-clad bottom once.”

Fred's jaw dropped, hearing giggles come out as a result. “Who would dare to slap Angelus like that? Even if he was drunk?” she asked.

Spike's grin broadened as he raised his hand. “I would, of course.”

Fred lost all ability to speak again, making her glad she didn't need to breathe. The image of Angel dressed in a dress while Spike acted like the usual bar patron with him...

“Did he get you for it?” she asked.

Spike shook his head. “Didn't even remember it the next mornin', but he'd had a fierce nightmare about him in a dress. I don't have a picture or anythin' to prove it, but I've got my very sound memory. That's the upside of bein' a vampire: you don't forget anything. Ever.”

“And the downside,” Fred added, her smile slowly fading. There were a few things she wished she could forget. Her turning night would be one of them. She didn't mind where she was now; she was actually the happiest she'd been in years. There was a sense of belonging, a sense of having someone that cared about her more than anything else, a sense of love she'd never really had from anyone before. That was good.

But she could still feel the fear as she was hauled out into the alley, feel her chest tightening as her heart raced, feel her screams bubbling up and begging to be released, to be heard, to have someone come and stop the pain as he bit and dug into her neck, sharp pain exploding, the feeling of wrong as her own blood began to fall in tiny rivers down her neck, into her clothes, down her skin, so much in the rivers, too much...

Gentle arms wrapped around her, pulling her back from the night to a strong embrace. “I'm here,” Spike murmured, and that was all she needed as she leaned her back against his chest. Nothing else. Not an “I'm sorry” or “What can I do?”; she didn't need those. She just needed a security to cling to, and Spike seemed to know that intuitively. She was glad he did; she didn't think she could've vocalized anything right now.

The vampire that night hadn't let her vocalize anything either. She hadn't even gotten a scream out, thanks to him. Though he'd certainly talked enough.

Fred blinked, frowning slightly. He'd said something, something that had sounded odd at the time, something she hadn't forgotten, but something she'd simply placed in the back corners of her mind.

“Fred? Luv?” Spike asked, glancing at her with a frown of his own. “What's going through that pretty head of yours?”

“Something he said,” she told him, turning to meet his worried gaze. “The vampire; the one who turned me. He said something that night that seemed really weird.”

A low growl began in Spike's chest, and Fred took his hand in hers, gently caressing her thumb over his knuckles. The growl subsided, and she hid a small smile. Her protective vampire. “Please tell me it was somethin' like 'I want Spike to kill me',” he said, anger still heavy in his voice.

Fred shook her head, glancing out at the empty room they sat in. “No, it was something else.” She bit her lip, trying to pull up the exact words. She had to know the exact factors, or the answer for the equation wouldn't come out right.

A few moments, and Spike gave a soft sigh. “It's all right if you don't, pet,” he said, bringing his hand that wasn't in hers up to brush over her hair. “And it's all right if you don't want to think about this at all. I wouldn't blame you in the slightest if you just wanted to let it...”

“You were easy,” she said suddenly, her voice monotone and dead as her eyes widened in shock. “I was told you were a pretty bright girl, and I'd have to play this right.”

Silence reigned. Outside, she could hear the cars rushing by three miles away, muffled by the walls and the distance. She could still hear them, though. She could hear the slow heartbeat of someone sleeping above them, along with the faster heartbeat of someone partying downstairs. Their music drifted through the floors, but not unpleasantly so. The music's vibrations were a soothing thing she could hang on to, something that made her focus, made her think about something else besides the words she'd retold.

“Was that what he said?” Spike's quietly spoken words didn't hide his own shock, or what she now knew was an undercurrent of rage and worry. It was funny how voices could say so much without saying anything really at all.

She nodded. “Word for word.”

She could feel the muscles around her tightening, and she turned slightly, watching the cords in his neck seize and stick out. She ran her thumb over his knuckles again, but she knew it wouldn't really work. Not with this.

She did it anyways: if it wasn't soothing him, it was certainly soothing her and the fear that was wrapping its tight vise around her heart.

Someone had known about her. Someone had known she'd be at the club that evening. Someone had deliberately gone out to make sure she was turned. Someone had wanted her dead.

“Then there's two I need to kill,” Spike muttered. “The vampire who turned you, and whoever told him to do it. This was planned, luv.”

“I know,” Fred said softly. Who could it have been? Anyone at Wolfram and Hart would've known about their being there. She hadn't really thought of herself as an enemy of anyone, but apparently someone had hated her so much they'd wanted her to die and unlive.

His arms wrapped around her even further, and she closed her eyes and leaned back against him.

When she woke up, it was to the sounds of the apartment door opening. She blinked blearily as she turned to see who it was, and found Spike stepping inside. “Didn't mean to wake you,” he said apologetically. “Was just callin' Buffy to let her know where we were, and to come on over. She said she'd bring breakfast of sorts, too.”

“Good,” Fred said, yawning as she sat up. The floor was solid and hard underneath her, but she didn't feel sore from her sleeping on it. A glance back showed that Spike's duster had been her pillow and mattress of sorts.

“Did you sleep at all?” she asked him as he headed for the fridge.

“Not really, but neither did you,” he said, pouring a container into a mug he must've dug out. “It's only been about three hours, and you needed it more than I did. Plus, I needed to think.”

“I really shouldn't even have to ask about what, should I?” she said, giving him a look.

Spike gave it right back to her as he placed the mug in the microwave. “Like I'm gonna forget about that. I've thought up some neat ways to kill 'em, though. Both of them.”

She knew he'd make good on his threats, and probably with lots of blood. The thought actually calmed her and chased away the fears that had started building again when she'd gotten up. She knew it was her inner demon taking that calm from something that probably would've grossed out her human side, but right now, both sides were being soothed, and that was good.

The microwave gave its cheerful ding, and Spike pulled the mug out, stepping around the counter and heading towards her. He knelt and handed her the mug, and she blinked. “You're going to need your strength in more ways than one today,” he said softly. She gave him a small smile, and he leaned over to press his lips to her forehead. He stood then and headed for the kitchen again. “Go ahead and drink up, then find somethin' comfy and flexible to wear today. We're gonna be movin' furniture fairly constantly.”

She nodded and sipped obediently at her blood, then slowly rose to head to the bedroom. She grabbed her suitcase with her free hand, then paused, one foot in the room, before she turned back towards him. “The comfiest and most flexible thing I own would be my lacy bra and thong, but you didn't mean that, I'm sure.”

It was her demon that urged her to say it, but it was her human nature that giggled at his dropped jaw. She hurried into the bedroom, feeling better already. Nothing like teasing the opposite sex to lift your spirits.

She wound up grabbing her worn jeans from home and her university t-shirt she still adored. Nothing fancy, but it was comfy and flexible. She finished her blood and snagged her hairbrush from her suitcase before heading back into the living room.

The first thing she got when she came out was a glare from Spike as he leaned against the kitchen counter. “That was wicked,” he said. “Teasin' a bloke like that.”

Fred gave him an innocent look as she passed him, dropping the mug in the sink. “Who, me?” she said, batting her eyelashes at him. He narrowed his gaze, and she giggled as she passed him again, starting on her hair. She winced as she encountered knots of horrendous sorts, and proceeded to tug at her hair. A few released, and she brushed over it again.

A hand slid over hers, taking the brush from her grasp. “Up,” Spike instructed, grasping her on each side of her waist and lifting her as easily as he had the day in the lab. She found herself seated on the counter, and then a gentle stroke brought the brush through the bottom of her hair. “You women are always so rough on your hair,” he said. “Don't have the time or the patience to give your hair the attention it deserves.”

“It's just hair,” she said softly, but she didn't move or make any motion for him to stop.

“It's still a part of you,” Spike told her. “Still a part of you that you cherish and love. If you didn't, you'd chop it all off. I bet you'd look cute with a short bob.”

“I tried it once in middle school,” she said, scrunching up her face. “It didn't take very well. I looked really awkward, and I couldn't wait for it to grow back out.”

“You weren't fully grown yet,” he said. “That's why. Now that you're all grown up, I think it would compliment your features beautifully. I like it all cascading like a waterfall too, though. Hell, I think I'd love it if you went bald.” She giggled a little at that. “Could see you with colored hair, too. Bright, sharp colors mixed with dark colors.”

“I went through a goth stint in high school,” she offered, and Spike's hand paused briefly in her hair.

“You wouldn't happen to have any pictures, would you?” he asked hopefully.

She smiled. “In my suitcase. I've got tons of photos my mom insisted that I keep.”

Whatever Spike had been about to say was cut off by a harsh knocking at the door. The instant feeling of Slayer was a surprise; Fred had always known that she was a fast learner, but she hadn't thought she was THAT fast. She glanced at the doorknob for a moment, before calling out, “The door's unlocked Buffy; you can come in.”

She'd barely finished speaking before the door was slammed open by the blonde who held a box in one hand, which held a brown paper bag on top of it. She used her free hand to close the door behind her, and her lips were pinched. Fred really didn't like it when she was upset. Spike simply nodded at her, his hands never leaving Fred's hair.

Buffy tapped her foot. “Okay, what the hell was that last bit about? 'Fred got set up, and now I have people to kill'? Did you want me to have a fit in my hotel room?”

Fred turned and glanced over at Spike, her eyebrows raised. “You didn't tell her?” she said.

Spike shrugged, a small grin growing on his face. “I knew she'd hurry on over if I told her that much. That girl has got a curiosity issue that would kill a dozen cats or more.”

“Right here, and I'm still not getting the answer,” Buffy demanded.

Fred turned back to Buffy, and the hair brushing started again. “He didn't mean that he'd kill real people. I think he meant just the vampire who sired me and the other guy,” she explained.

“What?” Buffy said, frowning. “And I don't care about that; I was going to have a fit because it sounded like he was going to kill people without me, and I haven't had a decent slay since Sunnydale.”

“Knew I liked you,” Spike murmured, tucking a brushed piece of Fred's hair behind her left ear.

“The set up is what I want to know about. What 'other guy'?” Buffy asked.

Fred was tempted to roll her eyes, but she was still too pleasantly happy over Buffy's immediate protection to do so. “The guy who vamped me pretty much explained that he'd been told to kill me, therefore, there has to be an 'other guy',” Fred said simply.

Buffy blinked, then deflated. “Oh.” She turned to Spike with a narrowed gaze. “Then why the hell couldn't you have told me that?”

“Because I wanted my bloody donuts,” Spike said, placing the brush down at last. “Which, by the way, can I have please?”

~Nebula

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I love this chapter! And I can't wait to see what happens when Spike catches up with the guy who ordered the bite on Fred!


Gabrielle

[lilithbint.livejournal.com]

Oh excellent chapter pet,
I was hoping Fred would remember what the vamp said to her.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

“Then why the hell couldn't you have told me that?”
“Because I wanted my bloody donuts,” Spike said,
*laughs* Such a Spike-ish thing to say. Lovely chapter.
Now Buffy and Spike just need to find the bad guys and help Fred kill them - because he'd better not make the same mistake Gunn made with the Professor. *g* (I'm wondering if I shouldn't have refrained from mentioning that - he won't right? He's more sensible than that).

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

This just gets better and better. I love the Buffy interactions here, and I really hope at some point Angel pulls his head out of his ass because this is the part he could actually help with.

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Thank you sweetie! ^_^ Really glad you're still enjoying this. And yes, vengeance will come, but I've still actually got a few twists yet, including The Twist, which will (hopefully) grab everyone and make you all go "woah!". I live for moments like that. LOL

~Nebula

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! ^_^

Oh yes, and now that she's remembered, that'll become their biggest mission, which will lead me into the second arc of this fic. Hopefully. The new prompt may kill me. *crosses fingers*

~Nebula

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

SQUEE! Quotage! *does happy bounce of quotage*

I'm really glad that touched on Spike so well; thank you! (And no, Spike won't be making that same mistake, I can promise you that much. As to how the situation will go down...I can't tell you that without giving it all away. *zips lips*)

~Nebula

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you sweetie! I adore Buffy, so I was really happy to be able to put her into this without ruining the Spred. I'm really glad you've liked her interactions too; I hadn't really intended to use her THIS much, but I think it'll be to my advantage.

And yes, Angel will eventually pull his head out of his ass. Buffy and Spike will help, but in the end, it'll have to come down to him and Fred, which hopefully I'll be able to do in the next couple of chapters. *crosses fingers*

~Nebula

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

I am already excited about what's to come!


Gabrielle

[umbralillium.livejournal.com]

Love the little glances of naughty!Fred and Spike scolding her on not taking proper care of her hair. *grin*

[samifidler.livejournal.com]

Boy, I'm really curious about who set Fred up. And glad Buffy's getting into the act. Looking forward to the next update ;>)

Sami

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

Of course whoever set Fred up to be vamped saved her from being taken over by Illyria and having her soul destroyed (at least a vampire's soul is someplace if not in the vampire).

Looking forward to those twists.

Shakatany