Her Saving Grace, 19/25, Spike/Fred, R

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

*gasps* And I return with HSG at last! Well, I've been here for the weeks; I just haven't written the Spred. But it's here now, I promise!

Title: Her Saving Grace
Rating: R
Pairing: Spike/Fred, mentions slight Fred/Wesley
Spoilers: Angel S5
Chapter: Nineteen of Twenty-Five
Prompt: #42 - Cafeteria 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.

Previous Parts Here

Word count: 2908


Pretty by kitty3101; no takey.





Pretty by spikeshunny; mine only thank you kindly.

Chapter 19: Putting a Name to The Machine

When he came to, the lights were flipped on suddenly. He winced at the brightness, but she didn't turn them off. If anything, she wanted to push them into his face, make his eyes burn until he couldn't see anything anymore.

Fred forced her demon back. She appreciated it standing with her, but right now, she didn't need its instinctive desire reigning over her. Right now, she needed her human logic and intellect to drive her through this, to make sure she got the information that she needed, that they all needed.

“Do you remember that night?” she asked softly. The vampire blinked a few more times, his eyes watering from the glare of the lights, desperately trying to gaze beyond them to where she was standing. “Do you remember it at all, besides a quick meal laced with terror?”

“The best kind,” he said with a smirk despite his eyes. “Much better than the cafeteria junk I used to eat in school. If I'd known that the bright schoolgirls were tastier, I'd have started a long time ago.”

A fist came down behind his head, and he lurched forward from the hit, hanging forward in the ropes binding him to the chair. “Just answer the lady,” Spike said quietly, and the vampire's smirk faltered at the blonde's stony glare.

Spike glanced up and met her gaze, giving her a small nod. The floor was hers again. “You obviously remember the night. Do you remember the people that night? A British man drowning his sorrows at the bar? A lonely girl sitting in a booth?” she asked, stepping forward but not in front of the lights. The lamps had been easy enough to place so the bulbs were straight at him; the hard part had been plugging every single one of them into a spot in the tiny extra bedroom.

It would've been easier at Wolfram and Hart, of course. But they weren't calling there just yet. Not until Fred had the answers.

“Yeah, I do,” the vampire said, raising his eyes to meet hers even though she was hidden in the shadows. “And if you think you're getting anything out of me whatsoever about who sent me and why I was there, you're...”

“You don't need to,” she said, smiling. She knew he could see it, and she let her demon through now to tint it with something bordering on wicked. “We had only one suspect: you just confirmed that someone did send you. And no worries,” she added when he glared at her. “We're letting you go. We'll take care of the ones responsible for all of this.”

He paled beyond what she thought vampires could pale and hung his head, moaning softly. “I hope you won't be getting in trouble with the big honchos,” she said, hoping that he WOULD catch a little hell fire for this somewhere down the line.

“Are you kidding me?” he shrieked, snapping his head back up to look at her. “I'll get a fate worse than a simple dusting! With them, I'll be lucky if I get to keep my skin. Literally.”

Big power, then. A very VERY big and nasty power. Which one, though? They needed more information. “Sure you couldn't remind them of what a wonderful job you did messin' with Angel and his crew?” Spike said, coming to the same thought she did. She gave him an appreciative nod that the vampire was too upset to see.

The vampire snorted. “Yeah. Sure. They're the forgiving type, is what you're suggesting. Uh, no. We're talking about the Black Thorn here. They don't forgive. Ever.”

“Well, obviously not,” Fred said smoothly, keeping all surprise and excitement out of her tone as she stepped in front of the lights. They had the name. An organization, by the sounds of it. One that was obviously hell bent on seeing Angel on his knees.

Not if she had anything to say about it.

“But if you showed them how well you'd done before, then maybe they'd be willing to send you out on another job for them, if just for a second chance. It's hard for them to come by good work; I would imagine they'd try to keep everyone they could whom they knew had succeeded at least once before,” she continued, before hazarding a guess. “I mean, they're not the Senior Partners.”

“No, but just one level down,” he snapped. “And they report directly to the Senior Partners, so I'd probably wind up dealing with them as well, and then I AM done. For eternity.” He shuddered, and she felt sorry for him.

The feeling came and went in an instant, though. He'd taken her life, and had tried to destroy the lives of those she cared about. Blind obedience wasn't an excuse, it was an option, a chosen path in life. One this particular vampire had chosen.

Still, she felt a tiny glimmer of sympathy for him, so she met Spike's eyes once more and nodded. The vampire's head was still bent over, so he never saw the stake coming from behind.

He felt it, though. He screamed in pain as it hit him through his lower spine, then screamed again as Spike twisted it, turning guts and bones around as he did so. Fred crouched in front of the vampire who was biting his lip bloody in an attempt to not pass out.

“You gave us what we needed,” she said simply. When his streaming eyes met hers, she continued. “For that, we're willing to give you what you want.”

Spike pulled the stake out then, before slamming it through his upper back. The vampire's eyes widened for a brief moment before he dusted.

The room was silent for a moment, before Spike tossed the stake aside and stepped around the now vacant chair. She knew his arms would open before he even did so, and she stood and reached out for him just as he reached for her. She laid her head on his chest, taking an unnecessary but needed breath.

After a few moments of silence, Spike said quietly, “It wasn't enough.”

“It actually was,” she said, glancing up at him. His eyes alone were a balm to her, calming her and soothing away the nightmarish thoughts of her last night as a human. “We got what we needed in both ways. He gave up the information, and you got to end his life. He probably will pay for eternity when whoever this Black Thorn is catches up with him in the afterlife.

“And I had you here to help me through it,” she said softly, smiling. “And THAT was worth all of what I went through and more. I didn't think I'd ever find someone like you, you know.” She'd hoped enough, hoped that Wesley or Charles would be the ones to step up to the level she'd dreamed of. They hadn't been able too, though.

Then Spike had come along, and he'd set the bar even higher.

He gave a smile at that. “I'm glad I was here to be that someone, because if I hadn't been, I would've missed out on you.”

Her smiled broadened beyond what she thought it could tonight, given everything. He brought his arms around her tighter, and she let herself lean against him, letting him hold them both up.

“You dusted him.”

Fred gave Angel a look. “I think if anyone had the right to end his existence, it was me,” she said. He did back down and nod at that, and she continued.

“We got the information we wanted, though,” she said, causing him to perk up considerably. “I'm not sure it's good news.”

“Did you get a name or location?”

“Name, no location.”

“That's better than nothing, then,” he said. “And then we've got something to go on. Who is it that's pulling the strings on this operation?”

“Some group named the Black Thorn,” Spike said, after he'd shut the door out to the main lobby. “They're apparently a lower division of the Senior Part...Angel?”

Angel was sinking back against his desk, almost as pale as the vampire had been when Fred had told him she'd let his bosses deal with him. “What's the matter? Who are they?” Fred asked.

Angel closed his eyes and hung his head. “Cordelia warned me about them,” he said softly.

Fred frowned. “She knew about them, and she didn't tell us? When did she find out about them?”

“Do you remember that last day she had with us?” he asked, his head still bowed. “She kissed me. Her kiss gave me a touch of her power for just a second.”

“A vision?”

He nodded. “A vision of what was going to come. The Black Thorn was a part of that. I got glimpses of their symbol, their voices, their figures shrouded in black cloaks, but that was it. It only lasted for a minute, and it was all she could give me. The rest of it was muddled: something about a blue goddess, a sarcophagus...it flew by so fast, it got lost in the bigger picture of the Black Thorn.”

“They're the ones right below the Senior Partners,” Spike told him. “They take their orders directly from the top.”

“The Senior Partners aren't corporeal; at least, nothing we can find has shown that,” Fred said, warming up to the idea and giving Angel an eager look. “But wouldn't it make sense for them to have to be corporeal to deal with our dimension?”

Angel slowly raised his head, and Fred could've done a small dance. She needed his mind off of the vision, off of Cordelia, and the best way to get someone out of thoughts was to engage them in a problem or a puzzle. “Which means that this Black Thorn group is nothing more than the corporeal lackeys of the Senior Partners,” he said a moment later. “They do the bidding that the Senior Partners really can't.”

“The Senior Partners are the factory owners, and the Black Thorn is the well oiled machine,” Spike said, grinning at his own analogy. Fred grinned as well, the puzzle pieces falling into place and making her very happy that they'd done so. The sensation was like that of when she'd finished a huge term paper, and a celebration was in order.

The Black Thorn didn't know that they knew about them. Yet. So far, they were the ones with the upper hand.

“We need to tell Buffy immediately,” Angel said, raising his eyebrow as she almost started bouncing. “Or she'll come beat down my door. Then we need to find out more about the Black Thorn, as much as we can without calling their attention or making others suspicious by suddenly bouncing with giddy.”

“Sorry,” Fred said, halting her bouncing with a lot of effort. Spike chuckled beside her, and her foot started tapping. “Then I need to get out of here, so don't count me in on the research. I can't be researchy girl like this. But I can walk and get Buffy so she can help, and by then I should be okay.”

“You do that. Spike, you and I can round up Wesley and the others and get started,” Angel said, causing Spike to start protesting.

“Are you insane? I'm bloody well goin' with her. You can research on your own; we'll be back all the faster.”

“No, because if you go with her, you two are bound to get into a conversation that's happy and cheerful and lovey-dovey, and right now, we can't afford that out in the public where they're watching,” Angel countered. “We need them to think that we're devastated. You two won't accomplish that.”

“I'll be fine on my own,” Fred said, turning to Spike and straightening his duster lapels. She tugged them when she had them where she wanted them, pulling him down slightly towards her. “I can handle myself,” she said softly. “The whole stake thing was last night, and with your blood in me, I'm back to full health, if not beyond that. I'm okay because of you, and if I need anything, I've got your cell phone number and Buffy's number as well with me. Okay?”

He didn't look happy about it, but he finally nodded. “All right. But you call if anything happens. Please?”

“I will,” she promised, bouncing on her toes to give him a quick kiss. Then she headed out the door, waving as she went, then steeling her face into a stony stare as she made her way to the elevator. She couldn't mess up what they had; Angel was right.

She just needed to walk it off, and then she'd be all right.

It was a beautiful night out, with the rain now gone and the moon shining above. That alone was enough to put a bounce in her step as she walked down the almost deserted sidewalks. Buffy's hotel wasn't far; she'd cross over to it in the park coming up.

Maybe the Slayer's backup was already here; it had been a day, and last-minute flights weren't just something out of the imagination. She'd bring them all with her on the way back, and maybe grab some tacos to munch while they researched. Make the research light on the outside looking in, while getting down to the nitty-gritty from the inside-out. It made sense in some way.

She turned into the park, inhaling deeply just to smell the flowers around. Her powerful sense of smell made the move almost intoxicating, and it was the sweetest perfume she'd ever known of. They needed more moments like this, not dealing with nasties that were out to get them no matter the cost.

“You look lonely.”

Fred stopped and glanced up at the man in front of her. His smile was cold, and she was betting his skin was colder, if his lack of a heartbeat was any indication.

It was only then that she realized that there were about five others surrounding her in a circle. “Why don't you explain exactly what it is you want, so I don't have to listen to your lame pick-up lines,” she said with an exasperated sigh, her hands going to her hips. Her right fingers reached slowly around to the back for the stake tucked in her pocket; she wasn't stupid, after all. Spike had insisted weeks ago that she carry one with her at all times.

He slid into his game face, his grin widening. “You,” he said, before lunging.

She wasn't going to ask what exactly he wanted of her; no matter what his answer would be, he wasn't going to get it. She reached and slid the stake out, surprised at how effortlessly it now slid into his chest. Like a knife in butter, or tweezers on the disc in front of the microscope. His eyes widened almost comically, then dust fell gently to the earth.

All five of the remaining vampires attacked at once. She kicked one of them away, and managed an okay punch at another before two tackled her. They growled at her, and she shifted herself to yell a very loud “HEY!” in their faces. They were surprised enough that she could get herself free, and she shoved them both away as hard as she could. She pulled herself up, grabbed her stake that had fallen beside her, then regarded them.

Each one of them, except for one lone vampire, looked sore and pissed. The one who hadn't been caught in Fred's fighting simply grinned at her, making it apparent that he was the new leader of the group. “Not bad,” he said. “But it's going to take a lot more than that to take us out.”

The one she'd kicked leapt out from the group, intent on paying her back for her foot in its side. She swung her body around and her arm out, catching him firmly in the heart with her stake. Two down, four to go.

Now all four looked angrier, if that was possible. “That wasn't the brightest thing to do,” the ring leader growled. “Boys, hold her down for me, will you?”

Then he gasped sharply, looking down briefly at the crossbow through his heart, before dusting. A sword swung through the night, taking the head of one vampire off before stabbing another through the neck. A swift pull, and the head was off, leaving the lone vampire who was already running towards Fred, arms wide open to grab her.

She spun away with a turn that would've made her dance teacher proud, then suddenly lunged back at the vampire, catching it off guard enough to stake it through the heart.

It dusted, leaving her a clear shot of her savior. He gave a crinkled smile, one that made him almost look as if he were twelve. “Not bad,” he said, looking impressed. “Are you okay besides the agony of being hit on by a bunch of losers?”

She grinned in spite of herself. “I'll manage; thanks for your help. I don't think I would've been okay if you hadn't shown up.” Spike was going to kill her.

“Then I'm glad I did,” he said, hefting the sword over his shoulder. He shook his head, dislodging dark strands of hair from across his lone eye. “I'm Xander, by the way.”

< --- >

Did any of you see that coming? Be honest, now. ^_^

~Nebula

Comments

[samifidler.livejournal.com]

**Did any of you see that coming? Be honest, now.**


UH...No.....

But now that it's here, I'm curious to see what happens. Wonder how Spike and Xander are going to take to each other.

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Damn that was fast! LOL ^_^

And yay! I didn't want it to be obvious who I was bringing into the story. Or why. *grins*

Oh, there'll be some hurdles, but in the end, I think they'll have more then a grudging respect of each other. They had more than that at the end of season 7, which is why I adored that season. They acted humane towards each other. They could've been such good friends...

*glares at Joss*

~Nebula

[samifidler.livejournal.com]

***glares at Joss**

You and me both - that man has a lot to atone for!

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

OMG! Xander saves the day! Huzzah!!!!


Gabrielle

[lilithbint.livejournal.com]

I love your take charge Fred but I was glad to see Xander and no I didn't see it coming. *grin*

[jesterlady]

Weeeellll, I didn't see him coming right there. But I've had a hunch all along that he was Buffy's new guy, so makes sense he would turn up sooner or later.

But the Black Thorn eh? Interesting. I wonder if Cordy's vision is null and void though with the Illyria since Fred's a bit different now? Can't wait to see what you do with it.

By the way, "Her powerful scent made the move almost intoxicating"-I think that should be powerful sense of smell or something to that effect anyway.

Love it! Next will be so exciting!

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

LOL, he's here! And he's here to stay until the end. ^_^

~Nebula

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Glad she doesn't seem too out of character; some days she's easy-peasy to write, and others, she's a real pain.

*grins* I didn't think anyone would see it coming, so I'm glad they didn't. *is weird*

~Nebula

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

See, I knew if anyone was going to guess that he was Buff's new man, I knew it'd be you. ^_^ I make my pairings too obvious...LOL

Her vision gets a bit twisted, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter. We're getting down to the nitty-gritty now...

Eeep, thanks for the catch sweetie; I DID mean it to be sense of smell. *wonders at self*

~Nebula

[umbralillium.livejournal.com]

“I'm glad I was here to be that someone, because if I hadn't been, I would've missed out on you.”

AWWWWWWW! *giggles*

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEXANDEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! *bounces and claps* (I seriously did that out loud. ^___^ Made Jes come find out what I was making noise about)

Honestly, no, I didn't see Xander coming, if that's what you mean. If you meant the Black Thorn, didn't see that one coming either 'cause I've hardly seen any Angel eps. : (