TITLE: The Meaning of Heroes (Book One: 7/25)
AUTHORS: Jess (Watcher Giles) and Lara
WEBSITE: http://heroes.darling-moon.com
DISCLAIMER: We only wish we were as successful as Joss Whedon. He and Mutant Enemy own this.

WARNING: SEXUAL SITUATIONS

The next few days went pretty much the same way as the first had – the three of them sitting in the living room, combing through the books, not finding anything but the most general references to Quor'Toth if anything at all. Only their positions changed – Fred on the floor, Giles in the chair, Wesley at the table for a while then maybe Fred on the couch, Wesley in the chair and Giles at the table. It seemed that even the demons of Earth were afraid to speak of Quor'Toth, which led to the question of how Sahjahn had heard of the place, much less knew enough to be able to open a portal to it.

Wesley was finally starting to talk again, which pleased Giles and Fred to no end. As they had thought, his voice was rough and scratchy from what had happened, but both of them found the sound of it incredibly sexy. Fred herself felt like she was going to melt into a puddle of goo every time he said something to her.

Things were getting a bit tense, though. They were all getting frustrated at the fact that none of them were finding anything useful. Sighing, Fred pushed aside her latest dud and grabbed the next one in her pile. She hoped they found something soon – for both Wesley's and Connor's sakes.

Giles lifted his eyes from the pages of his book, offering a concerned sigh at seeing Wesley hunched over at least four books at a time. He shook his head, knowing Wes was still pushing himself too hard. But there was only so many ways they could limit him. At least he was beginning to speak on his own. Even though his voice had a growly edge to it – which, Giles had to admit, was sexy as hell – at least Wesley didn't have to drag those damn notebooks around with him everywhere.

"Ah! Ah!" Wes suddenly stood up, his fingers skirting over the pages of one book, excitement apparent in every move of his body. "Found it. A Slayer had to chase a 'hell demon' into its homeworld in..." His fingers moved down the page. "1426. She killed it on its home turf but was injured. When she returned, she told the Council of the unspeakable horrors in a place called Quor'Toth." He looked up at his lovers excitedly. "The spells her watcher used are here. Both the initial spell and the return spell."

The roughness of his voice seemed to magnify the excitement he was obviously feeling. Fred closed the book she had just opened and shifted over so she could look over his shoulder. Sure enough – there was the word Quor'Toth on the page. Even though she could only make out a few words of the language, it stood out like a beacon. She looked at Wesley and Giles, her own excitement and fear both gripping her heart at the same time. They had found the means to bring Connor home, but at the same time, this meant that she was about to watch her two lovers walk into a place of "unspeakable horror". She knew it had to be done, but it didn't make the thought of what they were going to do any easier.

"What does the spell entail?" she asked. "We know that we can open the portal from this side, but can it also be opened from the other?"

Wesley read further down the page before his shoulders unexpectedly sagged. They would need Lorne for more than company for Fred.

"The ingredients are simple enough. We should be able to gather them at any decent shop in LA. But the spell has to be cast by two people, from this side only. Rupert and I can do the spell to get us there, but we'll need you and Lorne to activate the spell to bring us home. There some kind of signaling spell listed here with the first one - obviously to signify to whoever is on this side that it's time to come home. The wording of the return spell is simple enough. I can write it out on a piece of paper, work with you and Lorne on the pronunciation." He coughed slightly, his throat dry and throbbing. He looked up as Giles passed him a lozenge. "Thanks."

Fred nodded, digesting that information as Wesley popped the lozenge in his mouth. She was definitely glad that they had Lorne on their side right now because otherwise, one of them would have had to go through alone, and that was definitely something she didn't like.

"So we're going to have to wait until we get this signal back from you, and then Lorne and I open it back up for you two. Will we have any idea what that would be?" She also wondered how long they would have to wait. One day? Two? The thought of waiting even that long was a frightening prospect. She hoped that it wouldn't end up being a week or more.

Or never.

"It doesn't say what the signal is, I'm sorry," Wesley shook his head. "But it does say that time flows differently on Quor'Toth than it does here. According to the Slayer, she believed she was gone five and a half months. But by the Council records, she was gone merely less than two days." He lifted his eyes toward Rupert. "We're going to have to move fast. Connor has been there over a week already. There's no telling how old he will be."

Suddenly, he stopped, a frown crossing his face as though he were realizing something. "He must have already experienced his first words, his first steps in that hell...because of me," he rasped, feeling the blood drain from his face.

Fred felt her heart constricting, both at the news that time moved faster there and the look on his face. Quickly, she moved onto the arm of the chair he was sitting in and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her temple to his. This was going to complicate things even more than before, but they could get through it.

"It's not your fault," she whispered to him. "You were trying to do the right thing. Sahjahn and Holtz are responsible for him being there, not you. You were just trying to save Connor. Holtz would have found another way to get him even if he hadn't used you. No matter what age he is when you find him, we still have to bring him home and we still have to keep him away from Angel. We'll deal with it together, okay?"

"And yes, this does complicate things, but it doesn't change the goal. We are still going to bring that boy home safe." Giles reminded Wesley. "We'll just have to think of something to tell Connor."

He thought for a moment, before getting up and taking a knee in front of Wesley. He placed a hand gently on his lover's knee. "How about this – Fred, you were in the Doctorate program for Physics at UCLA. Wesley was a new professor in another program while Daniel Holtz was Fred's professor. Holtz was obsessed with Fred and beside himself with jealousy when she chose you. His obsession grew even worse when your son was born, and in a fit of revenge, he took the boy and ran. We'll play it by ear, see for ourselves how old Connor seems to be. Tell him we've been looking for him that long. I'll have to put Holtz down fast, so he can't confuse the boy."

Fred nodded – after what Holtz and his little lackey bitch had put Wesley through, she didn't have a problem with Giles' story or what he was obviously planning to do to Holtz once they found him. She knew that if Connor was too old – heaven forbid, a teenager – they would probably have to come up with a totally different story, but if he was still under ten years old, they could get away with it. And she was sure she could convince her parents to go along with it, too, especially when they found out why they were doing this.

"That works," she agreed, looking down at Wesley to see if he was willing to go along with it too. "Holtz couldn't have me, so he took our son. It's actually not far from the truth. In a way."

"I'll do whatever I have to do to make this right." Wesley nodded weakly before looking up at the clock, "If we can get the components today, we can leave in the morning. The sooner we get him away from that man the better."

He knew they would have to go over the spell to bring them home with Lorne and thought about possibly recording himself on tape for them, reading just the return spell to help them work on their pronunciations while they were gone. Both parts had to be perfect or he and Rupert might be stuck there forever. And that was unacceptable. Not because he didn't deserve the fate, but because losing both he and Rupert just might be enough to destroy Fred.

The sooner they got this done, the better, as far as she was concerned. She didn't want to think about what would happen if they didn't come back. She couldn't. She had to concentrate on the matter at hand. "All right, I'll call Lorne's friend here in a bit and get him to come over as soon as possible so we can get all this set up. What do we need for the spells, though? Are they straight incantations or do they need ingredients or talismans or anything like that?"

"Um..." Wesley picked up the notepad and scribbled down the list of items that they needed. "These are the ingredients we'll need to perform the initial spell." He read on further. "It looks like there is a talisman needed for the return spell. The Word of Valios." His head snapped up when Rupert groaned loudly. "You've heard of it?"

"Even better, I own it. Picked it up in an estate sale a few years ago. Didn't know what I had 'til a demon clan showed up in Sunnydale trying to complete a ritual to open the Hellmouth." He took a few deep breaths and began chanting. Grabbing Wesley's hand, he opened it, palm facing up. There was a small flash, and when everyone looked down, the talisman was in Wes' palm. "Almost got my head handed to me by four of their clan members for this little bauble. Once they were stopped, I decided to hide it in a time pocket to stop a repeat attempt to use it."

He closed Wesley's hand around the item. "The Word of Valios," he said, as if he were making an introduction.

Fred looked at the talisman in Wesley's hand in amazement. She had remembered seeing a notation about it in one of the books she had read through during their research. She hadn't imagined that she would be looking at it up close. It always seemed amazing to her how things that looked so unassuming could cause such disruption and chaos. Rupert had nearly died for that. "Will you need to be carrying that or will that be something that Lorne and I will need?"

Wesley shook himself out of his reverie, looking down at the recall process.

"You and Lorne will need it to do the return spell. Both of you need to be touching it when you do the incantation." He looked at the small item in his hand, thinking. "The best way will probably be palm to palm. Like this." He delicately took Fred's hand, and opening it, he laid it over his own, so that both of them were effectively touching it.

"We'll need to take weapons for certain and probably a small sack with food and water." They could take the meal bars for Rupert, but that wouldn't work for him with his injured throat. He frowned when he realized what his only option was. "We may need to call the grocers again, have them deliver a case of those pudding packs. I know it's not exactly nutritious, but my options are limited."

Fred looked over at the list of ingredients he had made that they needed for the spell. Those, they couldn't exactly have delivered. Someone was going to have to go out anyway. "We need to go out and get the spell ingredients, so we can stop by the grocery store as well to get those for you. If we find anything else you might be able to carry with you that your throat can handle, we can get those too. Do you want to go, or do you need to stay here and get things prepared?"

Giles smiled to himself when Wesley didn't even bother to look up from the book. He wanted to leave as many details to him as possible. That way the man could feel vindicated, that he had righted the wrong himself. Then perhaps, he could let go of some of the guilt.

"We'll go get the items, Fred. I'm the only one here who can drive anyway," he justified, not wanting Wesley to suspect what he was doing. "You'll have to give me directions though. Wes? Is there a certain magic shop you usually use?" He chuckled when the piece of paper was passed to him without the younger man looking up once.

Fred couldn't help but snort softly as she rose from her perch on the chair's arm. Wesley probably wouldn't even notice that they were gone, he was so involved in what he was doing.

"Which place did he ask for?" she inquired, looking at the piece of paper Rupert held out to her. "Oh, that one. No problem about the directions. And there's a grocery store right nearby."

She suddenly realized that they were leaving Wesley alone for the first time since bringing him home from the hospital. A part of her was worried even though she knew he was a grown man and more than capable of taking care of himself. "Should I call Lorne now and have him come on over? We can fill him in on everything before tomorrow morning?"

Giles reached down and gripped her hand gently, leading them out the door, grabbing his jacket and Wesley's spare key along the way.

"He'll be all right, Fred. We can't coddle him, no matter how much we'd like to. When this happened, he lost faith not only in the fight we face every day but also mostly in himself. We have to allow him to stand on his own two feet again. He has to get that faith back on his own," he explained, leading the way back down to his car. "I know you're worried, so am I. But he has to do this for himself. All we can do is love him. Otherwise, he'll just resent us for it."

She nodded as she followed him. "I know. It's hard sometimes, though, after everything that's happened. But then I have to let the two of you go to that world. I have to. I think I got a bit used to the three of us being around each other all the time in the last week myself. There's something nice about that."

They got into the car, and Giles pulled out to head for the main road, following her instructions to the magic shop.

But when they came out and drove away, Cordy found herself making a rash split-second decision. Starting the car, she pulled out after them and followed them at a safe distance down the road. She wondered where they were going, especially since Wesley wasn't with them.

Maybe this wasn't the brightest idea in the world, but she felt like she had to do this.

"Fred, we're being followed. Ever since we left Wesley's place. Don't turn around, use the rearview mirror. Jeep, two rows back, three cars over," he explained, having mixed feelings about the situation. Yes, he was relieved they weren't going after Wesley while he was alone, but Fred was with him, and he didn't want her hurt. "Let's go, but stay close to me," he instructed before getting out of the car, waiting at the rear for her to join him.

Fred looked at the rearview mirror at the Jeep that he indicated and shook her head in disbelief. Well, at least it was her and not him. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she slid out of the car and circled around to where Rupert was waiting for her.

"That's Cordy's Jeep. I recognize it from the couple of times she took me out in it when we went shopping together."

She couldn't help but glacing over. She knew Cordy would never hurt either of them, but she did wonder what the hell she was doing following them. Trying to find out what they were up too or something? Part of her wanted to march over and find out, but she decided to follow Giles' lead in this one. Especially if Cordy wasn't alone.

"Come on, let's get our things. The faster we're done here, the faster we can leave," Giles told her, making certain he was close to Fred, close enough to protect against any threat.

What the devil was Cordelia up to? Was she trying to get herself hurt? He sighed, following Fred into the shop. Having his own shop helped in finding the items quickly, so once they had everything they need, they took them over to the counter, where he pulled out his credit card. He was about to pass it over when he noted the shortsword hanging on the wall behind the register.

"I'll take the sword too," he told the shopkeeper. "Wrap the weapon; bag everything else."

Once everything was completed, Giles carried the sword, passing the bag to Fred. He needed his hands free in case of attack.

Finally, she did force herself out of the vehicle. She walked towards the shop, feeling a bit worried. She didn't want Giles to do to her what he had done to Gunn. She wasn't going to let him if she could help it.

She decided to wait outside until they came out together, Fred carrying a bag and Giles carrying what Cordy knew damn well was a weapon. Staying well back from them, she raised her hands when they saw her, so they could see that she didn't have anything on her and didn't want to cause them any harm.

"Uh...hi, guys. Do you–can we talk?"

"'Bout what?" Fred asked, looking up at Giles, wondering what in the world Cordy could want to talk to them about. "If it's about what happened–."

"No, no! Well, it is, sort of. But it's not what you think. Really, can we just talk somewhere? I promise, I'm not going to trying anything funny. I just want to talk. Please."

Giles eyed Cordelia warily, anger clear in his stance. He stepped close to Fred, partially in moral support but also to allow her to draw strength from his physical presence. Cordelia seemed genuine, but he was still hesitant.

"If you want to talk, Cordelia, talk. We'll do this right here. For future reference, it isn't wise to attempt to follow an edgy Watcher. Say your peace, and then Fred and I are leaving. Wesley is still healing and I don't want to be away long."

Cordelia stared at them for a few moments, her heart in her throat. "I–I wanted to say...I'm sorry." She swallowed and pressed ahead, not waiting for their reaction because if she didn't get it out now, she never would. God, how things had changed – Cordelia the Once Practically Perfect, who never apologized to anyone, trying to do so to two people who had every right to walk away from her. "I didn't really understand what had happened, and I walked right in and stepped right in it, just like I always do, and in the process, managed to hurt and turn my back on two people I consider good friends. I know Wesley would never do anything to hurt any of us, but I just reacted, and...I'm sorry."

Fred stared at the younger woman for a moment, wondering if she even realized just how hurt Wesley had been and just how dangerous things were. "You should be telling this to Wesley. Not me. Wesley was the one who was nearly killed."

"I know...but I didn't want–Giles said–I know. Please, can you let him know. Tell him I'm sorry." She sighed and looked down. "It's probably best that all of you are away from the hotel. It's gotten scary there. Angel's gotten scary. Sometimes, I don't know what he's going to do next."

"Then why don't you leave?"

"I–I just can't. My place is there. I can't run out on him because I promised I'd be there. I can't go back on that."

"Cordelia, had you come to say this to Wesley, I would have let you in. But I know you, you get a bee in your bonnet, and no one is safe from your acid tongue. I'd have thrown you out on your arse had you started in on him. What you conveniently decided not to hear that day is that Angel tried to suffocate him in his hospital bed. That's your precious hero, reduced to holding pillows over the faces of helpless people. I don't think you realize what your friend went through for all of you. He spent weeks alone before he did what he did, deserted by all of you, terrified out of his mind by what he thought he had found. Then Justine cut his throat – she sliced his vocal cords and left him outside his flat to bleed to death. He's damn lucky a vampire didn't find him. But you know Wesley, none of that hurt him more than all of you acting like he doesn't exist. No one gave him a chance to explain. For three years, he was your comrade, your friend, your family, and all of you threw him aside like yesterday's rubbish. He deserved better than that, especially from you and Charles. At least Charles has the excuse of romantic jealousy."

She shrugged, knowing he was right. No amount of protesting was going to change that, so she was just going to have to live with what she did. The thought of Wesley with his throat cut made her shudder involuntarily. Thank God he had been found in time. For once, she actually wished the Powers had sent her a vision, no matter how gory it must have been. Maybe seeing what he had gone through would have stopped her before she had done what she had done.

"I can't change what happened. You're right that he did deserve better. Unfortunately, I can't change what any of us did." She looked over at Fred. "You know Wesley loves you, right?"

She nodded, blinking as she remembered the conversation that they had had in the dress shop when both of them had been operating on totally different wavelengths. "I know. I love him too."

"Yeah, I figured you did even with what happened with you and Gunn. I should have made it clear I was talking about Wesley that day. Hell, I probably should have told you earlier when he was still beating 'round bush about his feelings. Maybe it would have kept any of this from happening." Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders again and tucked a piece of her now-blonde hair behind her ear. She looked like she wanted to hug Fred, but instead she just backed away. "I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am. Take care of Wes, okay? Someone has to."

With that, she turned around and bolted for her car, tears running down her cheeks.

Giles grit his teeth in frustration, watching Cordelia run from them. Part of him respected the bravery of the girl to at least admit that she had been wrong, but another was still angry that despite knowing that things had gone terribly wrong in her family, she still stood by her false Champion. Angel didn't deserve her loyalty, and he couldn't help but feel that the decision to stay would cost the stubborn woman her life. He shook his head, not willing to care any longer. It was her decision, and he had more important things to worry about, like Connor, Wesley, and the amazing young woman in front of him. He gently laid his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him before wrapping his arms around her body and cradling her to his chest.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Nodding, Fred rested her head against him and closed her eyes, wanting to cry for her friend. To feel like she couldn't leave... She prayed that the decision not to go back on her word to Angel didn't have the dire consequences that Fred was afraid it would, especially with Angelus supposed to return.

"Cordelia was the first one of all of them I met. She had been enslaved, and I knew she wasn't from Pylea, just like me, even if I sometimes forgot that I hadn't been born there." She sighed and turned her head, just able to make out Cordy climbing into her Jeep and pulling away. "It's just–no matter what happened, she doesn't deserve to have what I'm afraid is going to happen if she stays there. But I don't think she would leave him, even if she knew."

"I know. I don't want her to go through that either. Despite my anger, I know Cordelia is a good person at heart. Better than she lets on at any rate. But you and I, we have two very important people counting on us. We have to be selfish this time...for Wesley and for Connor. As sad as it is, Cordelia made her choice. Just like we've made ours. We go where our hearts lead us, to what they tell us is right." He sighed, bending his head to press his lips to her temple. "We can't save her if she doesn't want to be saved."

Of course he was right. She had learned that the hard way when she had finally figured out how to disrupt the collar they put on Pylean slaves so she could escape. She had asked others to go with her, but they all said no – they were scared. They didn't want to take the chance of being killed if they were caught. Her trying to argue with them had almost led to her being caught herself.

Looking up at him, she tilted her head to give him a kiss on the lips. She had to focus on her family now – on Wesley and Giles and Connor. She couldn't worry about the others, no matter how much she cared. They had to make their own decisions.

"Let's go to the grocery store and then get back to him," she said. The sooner they could get this over with and bring Connor back, the sooner they could start their new life together in Sunnydale.

Making their way back to the flat, he could tell Fred was anxious. If he had to admit it, he was too. That was the first time they had left Wesley alone since he had taken Fred to the Hyperion to get their things. He sighed with relief when they pulled up in front. Grabbing the sword and the grocery bag, they quickly made their way upstairs.

When they reached the apartment, Fred got out the spare key from the pocket of Giles' jacket and unlocked the door. She slowly opened it so as not to startle Wesley if he was still involved in his preparation for the spells.

"Hey, we're back," she called out, walking in with Giles right behind her. "We got all the ingredients and found some kind of paste thing at the store that should give you more nutrients than the pudding. How have things been going on your end?"

Wesley looked up when he heard them enter. He had been writing both Lorne and Fred's parts on separate pieces of paper with the phonetic spelling underneath, so they could get the proper pronunciation down. His face screwed up in distaste when she mentioned the paste, looking very much like a little boy, and Giles had to laugh.

"I'm sorry – as irresistible as I find you, you are still on the thin side, and I won't have you going down from malnutrition." Giles leaned over, giving the younger man a welcoming kiss before looking down at what Wesley was working on and arching an eyebrow. "The return spell?" he asked, nodding when Wes did. "Oh, in addition to components, I got you a present."

He unwrapped the shortsword, turning it around so that Wes could take the handle. "You're still recovering, and the long sword will just exhaust you more. Once we're back, you can add it to your collection."

Fred grinned, watching Wesley's eyes light up when he saw the sword. "I think you made a very good choice there," she said while he took the weapon and tested its balance. She wondered if she could get both of them to teach her how to wield one once they had more time up in Sunnydale. She could use a crossbow fairly well but had never done much with a sword other than pick one up and run forward with it. She had gotten it stuck in a wall that time.

As he tried out a few moves with the sword, Fred picked up the paper with her name on it that had what she was supposed to read for the return spell. Looking at the words, she mouthed a few of the phrases, trying to wrap her brain around them and get a sense for what she could expect. The language was one she hadn't encountered before, but the syntax was similar to a couple of the languages she knew. She would definitely need Wesley's help to pronounce a few of the tongue-twisting syllables, but other than that, she was fairly sure she could handle it. She had to, after all. Her guys depended on it.

Giles could see that Fred was nervous when she picked up the paper. He hated putting pressure on her like this, but they needed her. Stepping up behind her so that his chest was pressed against her back, he leaned his head down so that his mouth was right by her ear.

"Fred, relax," he said softly. Wrapping his arm around her waist, his hand on her abdomen, he held her for a moment, allowing her to draw whatever she needed from him. "I'm going to make dinner. Why don't you set that aside and call Lorne? We'll eat, then Wesley and I will work with you. I know you can do this, so you have no reason to be nervous. We trust you, now trust yourself."

She leaned against him for a moment and closed her eyes, trying to get herself to relax as he suggested. It would be fine. It would. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him then over at Wesley and nodded. She could do this. For them, she could definitely do this.

Reaching up to cover Rupert's hand for a moment, she gave it a squeeze before slipping out of his embrace. She put the spell down and grabbed the cordless phone and the card of Lorne's friend instead, dialing the number.

"Hello, you've reached Aggie's advice line. This is Aggie. What can I see for you today?"

"My name is Fred, and I'm a friend of Lorne's. I'm trying to reach him."

"Hold on," the woman on the other said. "He said you might be calling. Let me get him."

A moment later, a more familiar voice came on the line. "What's going on, petunia? You have a lead?"

"Yeah. We have something, and we're going to need you here first thing tomorrow morning."

"That soon?"

"We have to move fast. I'll explain it all after you get here. Also, we're going to need your help with the return spell in order to get Wesley and Giles back."

"Please don't tell me you need blood. So many of these spells need the blood of an 'unclean', and that always ends up being a demon."

Fred could practically hear the fear in his voice at the thought that he would be required to give over a pound of flesh or something in order for the spell to work. "Nothing like that. We just need two people to recite at the same time."

"Ah." Lorne was obviously quite relieved to hear that. "That I can do. I'll be there, baby doll. Promise."

"Thanks, Lorne."

While she spoke to Lorne, Giles moved into the kitchen, looking into the fridge to see what he could make. There was the leftover pasta that Fred cooked the other night, but that sauce had been horrid. He smiled when he noted the several kinds of cheeses and got an idea. He had seen some basil up in Wesley's cupboard. Tonight, they would have pasta with alfredo sauce – minus the pine nuts, of course, on account of Wesley's throat. But it should still taste good. He got out the pots and all his ingredients and set out to work.

Wesley, in the meantime, had put the sword away and was waiting for Fred to finish the call. He smiled when she said thanks, so their green friend was on board. They had their answers; now all that was left was to enjoy each other's company until morning. He smiled, moving to stand behind Fred, far enough back that when she turned around after hanging up, she would step right into his embrace. He grinned when she did exactly that, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hello, beautiful."

Fred both laughed at the suddenness of being in his arms and felt herself melting a bit at the sound of his voice saying that to her. "Hello yourself, handsome." She stretched her arms up around his neck, careful of his left side, and gazed up at his gorgeous blue eyes, which were twinkling a bit from his mischievousness. "You know that voice of yours should be classified as a dangerous weapon. Turns Freds and Ruperts from solids to puddles in naught-point-five seconds. You'd probably make a killing as a phone sex operator."

"You mean I have to work?" he asked. "I thought I was destined to become the sex slave of said 'Freds and Ruperts' – not that I'm complaining, mind you," he teased, lowering his head to nuzzle at her neck, his breath washing over his skin. "I missed you. It wasn't until both of you were gone that I realized how quiet the place was. I don't like the quiet. Gives me too much time to think without delicious brown-eyed distractions."

A shudder ran through her entire body at the feel of his breath on her skin and his lips on her neck. Forget being a phone sex operator; she rather liked the sex slave idea. "Missed you too. I've gotten used to the three of us being together all the time now."

She stroked her hands through his hair on the back of his head, pressing herself closer to him and closing her eyes. She wanted to spend as much time with him and Rupert as she could now what with not knowing what would happen after they opened that portal in the morning. Tilting her head, she allowed him better access to her neck.

Wesley dipped his head, nipping at the skin of her throat. He smiled against the skin and dragged his teeth over her pulse point.

"Hmmm...don't want to let you go," she whispered.

Laving the spot with his tongue, he laughed. "Then don't." He threaded his fingers through her hair before leaning his head back so that he could look her in the eye. "Because I don't plan on ever letting you go," he confessed before kissing her deeply. He wrapped his arms around her body, bringing her tighter against him.

Her leg wrapped around one of his as they kissed until they parted with a slight gasp for air. "I rather like that idea," she said against his mouth before initiating the kiss again. She could feel what her closeness did to him, could feel what he did to her. Suddenly, they were moving across the floor until her back came in contact with a wall, and he had her pressed up against it.

When they pulled apart again, she looked up into his eyes, loving the glint she saw there and wanting to forget about the next day as long as they could. An impish grin crossed her face as she turned her head to look toward the kitchen. "Rupert? Wesley and I are going to play for a bit while you cook dinner if you don't mind."

Wesley laughed at her called out request, but in no way did he disagree with it. He wanted her. He would always want her, love her. Grinning at his love when he heard an answering laugh from the kitchen, along with the other man's consent, he drew her away from the wall and toward the bedroom. Standing next to the bed, he cupped her face in his hands, drawing his lips back and forth across hers until she instinctively followed him. Taking her hand in his, he pressed it to the front of his jeans.

"Do you feel what you do to me? You don't have to do a thing. The way you look at me, the way you smile, even the way the light hits your hair – I find myself hungering for you." Letting go of her hand, he reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "My God, you are so beautiful," He whispered in awe. "Fred..."

He said her name with such reverence, it sounded like a prayer, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. "You just touch me or talk to me, and I want to melt," she told him as her hand started to caress him through his jeans. Her other hand traced up his torso to the top button of the shirt he was wearing.

Wesley gasped as she continued to caress him through the denim covering. Reflexively, he pressed himself into her hand even more, feeling his heart rate climb, and his breathing escalate. He gave a breathless laugh when she started to undo his shirt. Slowly, she began undoing each one down the line, her index finger running across his bare skin as she did so.

"That's my girl, the master of multi-tasking," he teased, allowing his head to roll back as a groan worked its way out of his mouth.

Her finger left a trail of fire across his skin, and he was lost within her power as if she had cast a spell on him. In a way, she had. As soon as she had his shirt open, she leaned up to kiss him, soft and deep, for a few moments before moving down and placing kisses across his chest. By this time, he was breathing hard.

"Fred," he gasped, allowing her to push the shirt over his shoulders and down his arms without distracting her. "I love you so much."

At his words, she gazed up at him for a moment before continuing kissing and licking across his torso. She ran her tongue around each of his nipples while her finger undid his jeans, pushing them down over his hips and to the floor along with his boxers. Once he had kicked them away, she ran her hands up the flank of his thighs and then along his erect shaft, her fingertips drawing along its underside. The shudder he let out at that caused her to smile. She was going to send him off with good memories of tonight until he and Rupert were back in her arms again.

Wesley had let out a sigh of relief when she released him, but his breath caught in his chest as her hands moved back up his thighs. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, his body so hungry for her touch. He couldn't fathom how things had taken such a turn in such a short time, but he would never complain. He needed her. Her kisses, her touch, even her mere presence had become as necessary to him as breathing.

"I love you too," she told him softly. "I love exploring you. I love seeing how you react to things. I love being with you. I love how you make me feel."

He had been about to mention that she was decidedly overdressed, but her confession stirred something deep within him. Taking her hand, he walked over to the bed. Crawling onto it, he layed on his back, hands folded behind his head.

"If my lady wishes to explore, who am I to stop her?" he told her with a smile.

Laughing, she crawled up onto the bed, staying down by his feet for a moment, running her hands over his toes and up the arch of his foot, finding that he was slightly ticklish. He kicked a bit when she did that, so she decided to keep moving, fingers tracing along the bone of his ankles and up his shins over his knees. She leaned over and kissed any scars she found – though most of them were on his torso, there were still a few on legs.

"Fred, if you insist on doing that, we could be here forever," Wesley told her when he realized she was kissing his scars as if she could soothe the pain of them with a touch of her lips. His thighs opened wider in anticipation the higher her hands climbed.

She ran her palms up the inside of each, then out across to his hips, bypassing his cock. He gave her a pout. "Tease," he growled good-naturedly.

She almost gave in at his expression, but instead she just smiled. "Patience."

She continued her exploration of his upper body, leaning down to swirl her tongue around his belly button then up to his nipples again. He groaned when she reached his collarbone; however, she bypassed his neck since it was still a bit tender and kissed him deeply on his lips for a few moments. Finally, her hands returned to his shaft, her thumb rubbing across the tip, slicking it a bit with precum. She slowly began pumping up and down, watching his face and enjoying the expressions that played across it.

With each inch of his body she investigated, touched, tasted, his breathing became harsher with excitement. Then when her thin hand finally wrapped around him, he fought the urge to arch his back and press himself into her grasp. His hands fisted in the sheets, the effort of trying to remain still with the fire of her touch roaring throughout his body was driving him mad.

"Fred." There was a slight whine to his tone. "I need to touch you," he begged, needing to feel her skin on his.

She looked up to his eyes and saw the need there, the want almost burning into her. Letting go of him, she grasped the end of her top and pulled it up over her head, throwing it over the edge of the bed. His gaze devoured every move she made. He could swear he felt his heart stop when she took off her top, revealing herself to him.

Just the way he looked at her when she sat there, exposed to him, made her feel light-headed. Reaching over without a word, she took one of his arms and pulled it out from under his head, sliding her hand down to his. She then turned it gently and placed his palm over her breast, letting out a little shuddering breath at the contact with her skin.

"Your turn," she told him.

As his fingers closed around the warm flesh in his hand, lifting himself up on his free hand, he leaned forward to claim her lips. Guiding her back into his place on the bed, he hovered over her with a devious smile.

"I feel like it's my birthday and I'm unwrapping the greatest gift I have ever received," he whispered.

Slowly, he worked down her body, depositing feather light kisses on her flushed skin. Gripping the material of her jean shorts in his teeth, with a twist of his head, he had the snap popped open. He lowered the zipper, and hooking his thumbs under the material, slid the shorts and underwear down her legs. He sat back on his heels, casually tossing the clothes over his shoulder, not caring where they landed.

"You have no idea how breathtaking you are. Beautiful, flushed skin. You looking up at me with such hunger....like you want to crawl inside me and never come out." He lowered his body down once more, settling in between her spread thighs. Placing a kiss on the inside of her knee, he smiled when he felt her leg tremble. "Hmmmm, now where should we start?" His tone was teasing, but the scent of her need was intoxicating and calling to him.

Between his voice and the way he took her clothes off with his teeth and the way he kissed her leg, she felt like she was going to turn into a puddle of goo right there beneath him on the bed. She had never realized how erotic hearing someone talking to her like that during the act could be – her previous experience before Wesley and Rupert had consisted of trying to be quiet so as not to attract attention from roommates, not that Paul had really wanted to talk anyway. This...this turned her on as much as what he was doing to her, and the rasp of his voice just added to it all.

Lifting her left leg, she wrapped it around him, using it to pull him a bit closer. "You're the one who's just unwrapped his birthday gift," she said with a smile despite the fact that her voice was shaking from her obvious arousal. "You tell me where you want to start." She pointed to her lips. "Here?" She pointed to her breasts. "Here?" She pointed lower. "Down there?"

"Seems a shame to waste my current location," he said against her thigh before pressing a kiss to the skin.

Bracing one arm across her hips, he used his fingers to open her to his gaze. Lifting his head momentarily, he smiled at the raw need he saw in her eyes. Holding her gaze, he lowered his head, trailing his tongue through her folds. He chuckled deeply when she nearly arched off the bed, his name on her lips.

"We–We–Wes..." she moaned, one hand reaching up to grab the headboard as the other threaded into his hair on the top of his head.

Her taste was better than any fine wine and absolutely addicting. He could feel her body tightening, the pleasure causing her to tremble. She was getting closer to that edge. Wrapping his lips around her nubbin, he increased the suction, not willing to leave his position until he tasted her release.

Oh god, the things these two men did to her. She felt like her entire body was going to come apart if she let it, every time his tongue moved. She gasped when his sucking became stronger, and her legs wanted to close of their own accord, to stop the stimulation before it overwhelmed her. But then finally it did, and she let out a strangled cry as she spasmed against his lips.

Wesley tasted her juices as they flowed across his tongue. Once her hips stilled, he crawled up her body, placing kisses on her skin until he was hovering above her, looking down into her beautiful brown eyes. Slowly, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply. He kept the kiss short, allowing her to catch her breath. Bracing his weight on one arm, he reached between them and placed his tip at her opening.

"Fred, look at me, luv," he instructed, his voice thick with his own need.

When their eyes met, he pressed forward with his hips, sliding himself into her warm body with a loud groan. He had to make himself to keep his own eyes open against the bliss that washed through his body. He then forced himself to hold still, gritting his teeth, allowing her to grow accustomed to him buried within her. When she slid her hips up to meet his, he grabbed one of her legs, lifting it over his hip as he began a slow place, using long strokes to prolong both of their enjoyments.

"Feel...feel so good," she managed to pant out, wrapping her arms around him and holding on to him. His body covering hers, him deep inside her, his lips coming down onto her again – it all sent every sense she had spinning. Her fingers splayed across his back, slipping over the thin sheen of perspiration that now covered them both.

She kept her eyes locked with his through every movement, every thrust, wanting to remember every bit of this. The familiar feeling began to tighten deep inside her as their movements became faster.

Wesley watched her, keeping his weight braced on his arms. She was magnificent. He felt a tightening constricting around his soul as realization slammed into him like a lorry. He was making love to the woman he adored more than life itself, and she was writhing in pleasure underneath him. His blue eyes welled with tears at the power of the realization. Breaking a desperate kiss, he found himself drowning in her chocolate brown eyes.

"I can feel you, Fred, wrapped around my soul," he rasped, his voice cracking slightly with emotion. "Like a blanket, safe, warm..." He could feel his control slipping, but he was determined that she go over before him. This was about her pleasure.

His words made her want to cry from the happiness and pleasure they brought her, the love she felt in them. She had never imagined feeling like this. "Not good with words...not like you," she choked out, tears in her eyes. "Make me feel loved, protected, accepted for me... Love you very much."

He thrust into her several more times until she finally felt everything spin away for a second time. Throwing her head back, she let out an incoherent cry, tightening her legs around him instinctively and holding him inside her.

Wesley grit his teeth, wanting to tell her that she was loved, that he would protect her until the day he died, but he couldn't find the breath to put voice to the words. When she constricted around him, he forced himself to remain still, hanging on that delicious edge. He rested his weight on his elbows, stroking her face lovingly until she came down. Only then did he begin to move once again. He threw off all remnants of his restraint, quickly losing control in her body. With four quick snaps of his hips, he threw his head back, hearing his own voice call out her name as he emptied himself into her. Dropping his head down on her shoulder, he sucked in air desperately trying to regain control of his breathing.

"My God," he breathed, his forehead resting against her skin.

"You can say that again," she said softly. When he raised his head and opened his mouth, looking like he was about to take her up on that, she laughed and raised a heavy arm to press a finger to his lips.

Wesley's blue eyes lit with humor when she prevented him from speaking. He couldn't get over how being with her was like a soothing balm to his injured soul. When he first realized that he was falling in love with her all those months ago, he suspected it could be like this. He wanted it to be like this but hadn't gotten the chance to express what he felt until now.

She lifted her head to kiss him deeply. The feel of him still inside her as they lay there together was as wonderful as the feeling of actually having sex. Her fingers ran through his hair until they parted again and looked in each other eyes. She found herself wanting to say so much to him but couldn't find the words. Instead, she just held him, hoping he understood.

He smiled when he felt her wrap herself around him, feeling safe, feeling loved. He knew they should really get up, but he was hesitant to lose the magic of their current position.

"What a delicious picture," Giles' amused voice came from the doorway. "And as much as I would love to join that pile of bodies, there will be time later. Why don't you both get dressed. Dinner is ready and on the table." His message delivered, he stepped away, giving them time to collect themselves.

Fred glanced over at Rupert, giving him a smile before he left the room, then looked back up at Wesley. "Guess that's our cue," she said, suppressing the urge to giggle.

She gave him one last kiss, pouting a little when he slipped out of her, then sat up and looked around the room. Their clothes were scattered all over the place, so they spent a few minutes retrieving them and passing the right pairs of jeans to each other. Once they were dressed, Fred wrapped her arms around him and held him again briefly before they went back out in the main living area where Giles had set dinner on the table.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she inhaled deeply. "Smells good."

"It's kind of an Alfredo Sauce. I had to leave the diced chicken out of the sauce since Wesley's throat isn't ready for it yet, but if you want it, it's in the small bowl in the center of the table."

Standing behind Fred's chair, he pulled it out for her. At the sight of both of his lovers looking flushed and utterly shaggable, he had to smile. When Fred sat down, he leaned down so that his mouth was next to her ear.

"Did you have a good play time?" he teased, chuckling deeply as she blushed. He didn't resent them for spending time alone. It was one of the things that came in a multiple-partner relationship. At times, one partner would be busy and would be left out. But it was the times that everyone was included that were meant to be treasured.

Fred knew Rupert was just teasing her and that he didn't resent not being a part of what she and Wesley had just done – after all, they had had their moments alone just like he and Wesley had as well. It was something that she was finding easy, being able to share with these two men because she knew that they would never break her trust in them just as she would never do that to them. Everything was open when it came to their feelings.

Taking the bowl of chicken, she scooped some onto her pasta then passed it over to Giles. She knew that this meal was definitely going to be better than the spaghetti she had cooked herself the other night and the partial meals they had been eating in the days since due to their research. She took a bite and made a happy noise. "Tastes as good as it smells," she told him once she had swallowed.

Wesley took a bite of the pasta and hummed happily. He normally wasn't a huge fan of Italian food, but as expected, Rupert had made it appetizing.

"That's it, we're keeping you," he joked, a large smile crossing his face. "Great sex, great food...."

"Oh, so you're just using me for my body and my cooking, eh?" Giles smirked, adding chicken to his own plate. "Just for that, you have to drink one of those fizzy drinks after dinner, doctor's orders." He chuckled when Wesley made a face and reminded him, "I know, they taste like old gym socks, but the medicine will help your throat."

"Yes mum," Wesley replied, dryly.

"Just eat, smart ass."

Fred let out a soft snort at the banter between the two of them, glad to see that they were able to keep things light-hearted even though God only knew what they would be facing in the morning. She hated to think about it – didn't even want to think about it – but she couldn't help it. Everything had to go right with this. She didn't want to have this be the last meal she shared with them, the last night she spent with them. She couldn't be left alone. She had been alone too long in Pylea, and she couldn't face that again, not after finding this.

She gave them both a smile when they looked her way at her and took another bite of her dinner. It really was fantastic. "I agree with Wesley. I definitely vote on keeping you."

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