Chivalrously Not
by Minion

RATING: FRC [AU]

SPOILERS: This is an alternate ending to Season Five Episode "Lineage" If you don't want to be spoiled please don't read it because there are lines from the episode used in the fic.

FEEDBACK: Bring it on if you want to.

DISTRIBUTION: Anyone who wants it :)

After needing to clear his mind of incestuous relations that Spike's attempt at comfort brought about, Wesley finds himself in his darkened office, standing behind his immaculately kept desk. Turning on his desk lamp, a slow sigh slips past barely parted lips when the sound of approaching feet drags his gaze toward the door.

Of course he should have been expecting this visit after everything that had happened on the roof. Deciding to ignore the twinging within his chest he speaks up gathering what little strength he has left.

"If you're here to tell me about how you killed your parents...perhaps you could wait for another time."

Standing in the doorway Fred looks on confused, "What?" Pausing a moment trying to figure out what Wesley is talking about. "No, they're fine." Lifting up the other arm casually and stepping into the office slowly as Wesley smiles slightly leaning over some discarded paperwork.

"It's not like you killed your dad, either."

"Right."

Now standing a foot away from Wesley looking concerned and saddened, "Part of you knew. Even if you can't admit it to yourself, part of you knew it wasn't him."

Wesley removes his hands from the edge of the desk, standing up looking briefly to her before he turns about to gaze out through the still open blinds onto the night time twinkle of Los Angeles. "No. I was sure it was him. You were there. I killed my father."

"He was threatening your friends." Shaking her head negatively she takes a step closer to him.

"No, he was threatening you." As she stands still Wesley turns around looking lethargically serious. "He pointed a gun at you, Fred... so I shot him."

Fred searches the almost stoic expression of her friend, not knowing quite what to say as her eyes begin to take on the faint glimmering of welling tears. Realizing what really happened upon the roof, seeing what so far had been blinded by work and chaos. That Wesley would kill his father without a thought simply for threatening her life.

It made her think of earlier in the day when he was upset about her injury, blaming himself for what had happened and what she had thought was falling back on some chivalrous attitude. It wasn't that at all, it was so much more than that.

"Wesley...I..."

Knox sees that there is a conversation going on between Wesley and Fred, needing to cut in before it gets too serious. Interrupting with a friendly, "Hi." A silly smile plastered across his face. Wesley looks up not even bothering to care that Knox has even showed up. Beginning to think that having a conversation at all was damn near impossible in the building even after hours.

Fred turns around slowly with one hand balling into a fist as Knox begins to prattle on from the doorway. "Oh, sorry to... interrupt. I... but... Fred, you're injured. I know we're supposed to work ourselves to death and all, but I'm guessing that the firm isn't enforcing that rule as strictly as it used you. And I thought I was gonna take you home."

Fred blacks out almost every word that Knox speaks instead thinking about what she was about to ask, about what had happened at the Halloween party. So many things she wanted to talk to Wesley about, to explore what was going on with her own conflicted feelings.

Realizing that Knox has ended his poorly delivered excuse for barging in she takes a breath, "Um, well...Wesley and I were just.." Praying that Knox would take a hint and bugger off instead she is surprised by the hushed voice next to her.

"Go. You should go."

Fred turns around reluctantly and starts shuffling her feet toward the door. Casting a glance back at Wesley who has placed both his hands in his trouser pockets moving back toward the desk. Knox places his hand against her back slowly escorting her out of the office and into the main lobby area.

Wesley sits down numbly looking over at the phone, picking up the receiver and slowly dialing a number he hasn't dialed in quite some time. Hearing the tell tale ringing, each tone echoing painfully till his mother picks up. Her cheery voice answering, "Hello Mom, it's me. No, everything's fine. I was hoping to speak with father actually." Pausing a moment so that she can find him, "Yes, all right."

The phone changes hands when his father takes it up on the other end. "Hello, father, how are—Oh, I didn't realize it was so early there. I've had a bit of a—Of course we have clocks in Los Angeles. Listen, I wanted to—Nothing's wrong. I just... wanted to call... and...see how you were."

Leaning back into the office chair as the stability of hearing his fathers voice over the line settles his nerves. Nothing had really changed from the tone of the conversation. The bionic father a extremely well done replication of the real thing. About to hang up the phone after a short time when a light tapping on his door pulls him out of his, "Yes father" induced trance.

Fred was now leaning against the door jam with her good arm bent against the frame work. Using her head to indicate that she was thinking of stepping back out so that he can continue his conversation in private. Waving her in with a somewhat expressionless face Wesley quickly finds a way to terminate the call, hanging up which would trigger the moment of silence between them.

Fred takes a look about his office and doesn't feel comfortable saying anything even though each of their offices were tested on a daily basis for bugs or similar spying devices. Tested by people who were Wolfram employees, could just be reporting that the room was clear when it actually was not.

Wesley watches as she rounds the chairs to take up a pin and scribble in almost intelligible script on a blank sheet of paper. The note reading:

Talk w/me? Not here.

Looking up she awaited his answer with her breath held unbeknownst to the rest of her. He nodded in agreement, searching for his coat. The pair leave his office through the barely lit lobby, down the elevator into the underground parking garage.

Leading Fred over to his SUV in silence they both climb in and drive up to the meeting place that the entire lot of them had used when they wanted to discuss the goings on away from the building. The night was somewhat clear with a bit of a chill as they made their way over to the picnic table sitting side by side on the table surface.

The silence seemed to be elongating itself infinitesimally. Both of their heads turned at the same time. He with the same expression he had plastered onto his face for everyone's benefit. She sported the look of a confused woman nervously wringing the end of her shirt with unsteady fingertips.

Fred jumped slightly when she felt Wesley's hand settle over hers pulling the nervous digits away from the mangled material. Slowly his fingers wrapped around her hand giving it a strong squeeze that caused her to gasp then abruptly clear her throat softly.

"You ever have so much you want to say that you just can't say anything? Like you don't know where to begin but once you do the dam will just BOOSH open and wham it's unstoppable."

Wesley offers up a tight smile and a slight smile, "You would think that someone with the linguistic background that I possess would be able to convey feelings but my track rather proves that I seem to fall short more often than not."

With the gentle breeze whipping about them Fred subconsciously scoots closer to Wesley so that her shoulder is touching his. Thigh to thigh with feet planted next to each other on the bench she squeezes his fingers back with the same gentle pressure he had given to her moments ago.

"Wesley..."

Faltering again, unable to pick the right question to ask. This time however it would take nothing short of the wrath of God to stop this conversation from happening. "Today has been...what happened...I..." Argh'ing for good measure Fred turns sideways to face Wesley keeping a tight hold of his hand.

"I should have been more careful at the meeting, I understand how you felt when I was injured. I was so flummoxed by everything going on with Spike and the party and now getting taken out in my first attempt at being all recon like. I didn't mean to take out my anger at myself on you. I know it's not a good enough excuse and I don't want you to think I'm looking for you to tell me it's all right."

His head turns slowly, the distant gaze now looking more like a worn out man taken through the emotional wringer. "I was confused when I got to the roof, then I knew what was going on and I didn't want to believe that it was really happening."

"You don't have to tell me..."

"Yes I do. I know what you were thinking because you told me. Do me this one favor and bear with me as I try to tell you." At his nod she breathed in unsteadily, holding his gaze drawing strength from the knowledge that it was all right to reveal things she had long wrestled with.

"I didn't want to believe what was going on and I know what you told "him" was between the two of you. I just...when he grabbed me I froze and before I knew it I realized what had just happened." Standing up from her seat Fred moves to stand in front of Wesley trying to cover his cold hands with her one.

"I don't know what happened between the two of you, the real him. All I know is that you killed him for me. I've never...this is harder than I thought." Smiling nervously, looking away as her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I came back because I didn't want to go home. I sure as hell didn't want to have Knox take me home. I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"If you are concerned that this incident will send me down to the psychiatric department on the 20th floor you needn't worry Fred. I did what I did and I don't regret it. That may sound rather awful but if placed in the same position again I would have done the same."

"See! That's what I'm wanting to make sure is very clear. He said that he would shoot you, which is just wrong but anyways, then he said that he was going to shoot someone that you care about and then reached for me and well I know you care about me but I think, well..you know what I am trying to say."

A chuckle escapes the head of the mystical department, the tight smile transforming itself into an actual pleased expression. "So if you think I know what you are trying to tell me and you obviously are picking up on what I tried to tell you, what are we doing out here in the wee hours of the morning?"

Fred feels Wesley pull a hand free to rub lightly at the back of hers, tingling travels down her forearm setting off a shiver that is noticeable causing Wesley's fingers to stop moving with his hand pulling back. Inwardly she cries out for the loss of his touch but decides to tread over dangerous ground.

"I trust nothing in that building save for you." Honesty striking a cord within both of them that ensures another silent pause as the sounds of the city fill in for the lack of conversation. "Something is going on with everyone and Knox is beginning to get on my nerves not to mention every time I want to talk with you or better yet argue over whose fault it is.." This drawing a smirk from Wesley. "He seems to just appear even more creepy than when Spike was trying not to sneak up on me."

Wesley looks concerned gently taking hold of her hand between his. "Promise me that if you feel threatened in any way that you will come to me. I do not care if I am at my flat and you appear at my door at two o'clock in the morning or fly into my office when I am in a meeting."

Fred nods raising up the fist made of their hands to rest against her heart. "I promise. If you promise to do the same. Well you know, with anything. We can go out to Taco Bell or something and get the hell out of there for awhile."

"Why Fred, are you asking me out on a lunch date?" Wesley sits up straight trying to reveal none of the joy that consumes him with the mere thought of something that would seem so trivial to anyone else. "Well of course. Seeing as I like spending time with you amongst other ...stuff."

"Stuff hey?"

Both laugh as the sun starts to creep up from the horizon. "Have we really figured anything out?" Fred asks as Wesley pulls their hands to rest against his chest. "I think we have, more or less." Turning her hand over his head tips forward, lips pressing against the pulse beating at her wrist. Fred's lips part in soundless pleasure. "We successfully escaped the building, found a place we could be alone and I think that just classifies as exploring "stuff." I think."

Tentatively he draws her close, an arm wrapping around her shoulders as her head pillows against his shoulder. "I believe that your observation is correct. Though the term has many different meanings as you are well aware. It may need further study, if you wish to work on it."

Lifting her head up she meets his gaze, "When have I ever turned anything down?" A lone slender finger creeps along his shoulder to slip up his throat coming to rest upon his lower lip. "This will be our secret, Wesley." He nods as she traces his lip lightly, her eyes fixed upon his as the windows to each others feelings start to uncloud revealing the depth of their true interest in each other.

"It will be our secret, Winifred."

She feels his hand settle upon her cheek, with his thumb lightly stroking. "Deal." She whispers to him as her forehead touches his, allowing her fingers to rub lightly at the base of his neck. "Deal, love."

In a unmarked beat-up car down along the dirt path leading to the summit Knox looks on in fear as Fred and Wesley begin kissing underneath the rising sun. "The boss isn't going to like this." Muttering as the car silently reverses back to the main street. Knowing that his one job was to keep the two of them apart, having failed and knowing the price for that failure Knox sped down the winding road in the direction of the highway while Wesley and Fred remained oblivious to the city of Angels.

© November 2003

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