Disclaimer: I don't own Angel, Giles or any of the characters from either show. I am just taking them off the shelf, dusting them off, and letting them play with some of the people from my shelf. I promise to put everything back where I found it when I am done.

Author's Note: If you haven't read my other story Yellow you will have to in order to understand what is going on. Thanks to MeriBeth who is my beta for this story. Please read English Demons too!

Pairings: Angel/Cordy-ness will show up around the 3rd chapter if all goes as planned. Wesley and Fred are already there because of Yellow.

Secret Demons Series Info: All the stories are posted on my website. 1) English Demons (on hold), 2) Yellow (completed), 3) That Christmas Thing (on hold).

Distribution:  As far as I know, WesleyFred mailing list, Angelfic mailing list, Fanfiction.net, Bookish, A Whole New World, Majiks World of Fan Fic, and Hello World: Fan Fiction is Fun.  Anyone else, ask first, please!

That Christmas Thing – Chapter 2: Tree Plus Cat-girl Equals Bad
by Annabelle

“Watch out!” Angel called out to Gunn as they swung the tree out of the truck.  “We don’t want to have to go back and get another one.”

“Yo man, you are preachin’ to the choir,” Gunn grunted and lifted the tree onto his shoulder.  “She made me stand outside for 40 minutes while she found the prefect tree before we came to pick all ya up.  How fair is it that Giles got to stay here and take care of Connor?  Didn’t Evie say we all had to go?”

“Careful there,” Wesley held up the end of the tree.  “You don’t want them to hear you say anything that goes against this whole thing.  They might take your head off.”

“I heard that!” Evie shouted from as she stepped out of other car carrying bags of Christmas decorations.

Wesley scrunched his face up while Angel positioned himself in the middle of the tree to help the other two carry it into the hotel.  “Correct me if I am wrong,” Wesley snorted, “but couldn’t you do this by yourself Angel?”

“Yeah I could,” Angel groaned a little.  “But what fun would it be if I didn’t let you two share in my misery.”

Gunn and Wesley moaned and the men struggled to get the eleven-foot Blue Spruce inside the doors of the hotel.  Once inside Evie instructed them on where to move the tree.  Then she asked them to shift it a little to the right, then back to the left again.  Fred and Cordy laughed while they watched Evie make the guys move the tree around practically the whole lobby.  By the time that she had found a place that she liked Giles had put together the tree stand that she given to him and was ready for them.

“Wait,” Wesley called out and stopped the others from putting the tree in the stand.

Angel was not happy, “What!”

Wesley ran and got a small handsaw that they had picked up at the tree place.  “We have to cut the bottom off a bit so the tree can get water,” he knelt at the base of the tree.  With a sigh the other men tilted the tree back so he could make the cut.

“Hurry up English,” Gunn’s voice was muffled by the needles that were in his face.

Wesley gave one final shove of the saw and a chuck came from the bottom of the tree, “Done!”

The men grunted and shoved the tree into the stand.  Angel held the tree up straight and Wesley and Gunn screwed the bolts tightly into the trunk.  They stood up and took a look at their handy work.

“See,” Evie said from behind them.  “Don’t you just get a sense of pride looking at it?”

Wesley looked over his shoulder and noticed that Fred was trying not to look at him, “Yeah.”

Fred came forward holding boxes of Christmas lights in her hand.  “Wanna help?”  She asked the question in general but she was making eye contact with him.

“Yeah,” Wesley’s response was absent minded and the two walked of to find an outlet to test the lights.

“That is so messed up,” Cordy snubbed them.

Evie shrugged, “I think it is kind of sweet.”

“Except she has been like spitting cobra to him all day,” Cordelia eyes Evelyn.  “Mainly because of you.”

Evelyn held her hands up in defense, “Hey, what did I do?  I wasn’t even here for most of the day.”

Cordy pointed at the older girl, “You started the whole mess.  Tricking Wes to get Fred to go with you shopping.  You knew what was going to happen, didn’t you!”

“Maybe,” Evie said in a singsong voice and picked up some other boxes of lights.  “Come on.  We got to get these up.”

“What is your deal,” Cordy was totally confused by her.  “I thought you wanted them together?”

“I do.  I do,” Evie gave the Cordelia an evil smile.  “But it is no fun if there aren’t some bumps along the way.”

“And what are you ladies talking about,” Gunn joined them.  He and the other men had gone to get cleaned up and shake out all the pine needles that had covered them.

Evelyn handed him two boxes of lights, “Getting ready to hang the lights.  Come on.  We got limited amount of time people.  Big tree, lots of lights, lots of ornaments.”

“Don’t I get credit for shopping with you all day,” Gunn whined.

“Nope,” Evie shook her head vigorously and gave him a big grin.

“Here take this end,” Fred’s voice had a little shyness in it.  She handed him the plug at the end of the string of lights and kept the outlet part in her hand.  “We need to have them all strung together and test and see if they will work.”

“Okay,” Wesley took the plug from her and their hands brushed for a moment.  He looked into her eyes and saw confusion and uncertainty.  The same exact feelings that he had been dealing with throughout the last week.

Past events had given their relationship a very awkward start.  They had spent a lot of time talking about what had happened and how the felt about each other but there was still the simple fact that they had done everything but have a date.  Wesley smiled at the memories and then shook his head to focus on the matter at hand.  He saw that Fred was giving him a worried look but he smiled to reassure her.

He helped her untangle another string of lights from the plastic holder they were packaged in.  Well she took one end of the light and stretched it out so that it could be connected to the strand he held, he let his thoughts trouble him again.  He wanted to take on her date but he had no idea how to ask her.  It seemed silly that asking her out could be the source of so many problems for him, after all if anyone asked them or any other members of Angel Investigations they would say that they were seeing each other.

Together they finished putting together about six strands of lights which would probably only cover the about a quarter of the tree, maybe less.  Once all the lights were plugged into each other Fred asked Wesley to plug them in.  He plugged them in and the lights started to glisten around them.  Fred giggled a little and turned around to look at all the strands to make sure there were no problems.

Wesley though was not looking at the lights, well not directly at them.  He watched as they shown off of Fred’s hair and skin putting her in a soft glow.  Her eyes sparkled with the reflections of the multicolored lights.  She looked beautiful and happy, so much so that he let a small sigh escape him.

“What?” Fred gave him a soft smile.

He did not know what to say.  So many thoughts were racing through his mind.  He wanted to tell how beautiful, smart, funny, and loved she was.  How being around her made him feel complete.  What came out instead was, “I am really sorry about earlier.”

She walked over to him and took his hand, “It’s okay.  Don’t worry about it.  I guess I was being a little silly myself.  I mean I didn’t want to go, but it was kind of like a tradition.  I always tell Evie no, then I end up going, and we have a great time.”

“So not only did I send Gunn out against his will I broke a tradition that you have with your best friend.  I am really doing good today,” he grimaced.

Fred laughed at him, “Wesley, I said not to worry about it.  You didn’t know, you couldn’t have.”  His expression didn’t change.  “If you don’t stop feeling sorry for yourself I will make Evie come up with something awful to do to you or make you do.”

Wesley smiled and forced a laugh, “Who feels sorry from themselves?  I feel perfectly fine.”

She giggled at him and then looked unsure of herself.  Taking a step closer she looked into his eyes.  Now, his brain said, now would be the prefect time to ask her out.  She raised a hand and held it to his face.  He leaned into it.  Then she was about to kiss him when there was a shriek.

They both turned to see Evelyn looking very cross with them, “And just what do you think you are doing?”

“None of your bloody business,” Wesley snapped at her.

“Wesley!” Fred gave him a shocked look.

“Yeah,” Evie agreed with her but then she got a mean look from the other girl.  “Piffle!  We are all working very hard to get this set up.”

Fred sighed.  She knew she would not win, when it came to Christmas there was no talking sense to Evie, “We will be there in a moment.”

Evie muttered something under her breath.  Then she turned and walked away.  Wesley could have sworn though that the girl had a smile on her face.

Then he looked at Fred and she was still giving him an odd look, “I am sorry.”  He tried his best to look woefully at her.  He had just gotten out of hot water and here he was back in it again. If Evie was going to be staying with them he was just going to have to find a way to not let her get to him.

Fred smiled and then kissed him on the nose, “Just try to get along okay?  She is always like that it is just the way she is.  She loves to tease people but she doesn’t mean any harm.”

“Yeah but she picks on me the most,” Wesley complained.

She shook her head at him and started to wind the lights up.  “Because you are just so easy to get a rise out of.  Come on,” she held her hand out to him and he took it.  He also helped her control the lights so they would not drag.  “We better get to the lobby before she comes after us again.”

He moaned at this but he followed her.  Fred was right.  If he was to get along with Evelyn he was just going to have not let her get to him.  No matter how hard that might be to do.

“Okay everyone stand a few feet away from each other and we will pass the lights around,” Evelyn told them.  She picked up a strand and handed it to her right where Gunn was standing.

“This is going to take forever,” Cordelia whined.

“Not if you just shut up and do it,” Gunn hissed quietly and handed her the lights.

She glared at him and snorted.  Then she took the lights and handed them to Angel who seemed way too excited about the whole situation for her liking, “What’s with you?”

Angel gave her a big goofy grin, “I forgot how much fun trimming the tree could be.  And this is Connor’s first Christmas.  It’s kinda exciting.”  Cordelia rolled her eyes but he ignored her and passed the lights to Fred.

“Your right Angel,” Fred’s eyes still sparkled.  “I don’t remember my first Christmas, well obliviously, but my parents took lots of pictures and would always show them to me around Christmas time.”

“That’s really sweet Fred,” Wesley beamed at her as he took the lights from her.  “Did you two do anything special for Christmas Eve when you were younger?”  He looked at Evie when he asked the question in an effort to try to be friendly to her.

“Dance,” Evie laughed and took the lights from him.  “We would dance to Christmas music.  Oh and we would string popcorn and cherries to hang on the tree.”

Gunn looked up at the tree and than back at Evie, “We don’t have to do that do we?”

“No, our trees were much smaller than this one,” Evie passed him the lights to start the second round.

“Good,” Gunn let out a breath of relief and the passed the lights to a pouting Cordelia.

“Besides, they would all rot and get brown,” Cordelia cringed at the idea and handy the lights to Angel.

“Cordy,” he told her in a warning tone.

“I am just saying.”

A little bit later Evie and Fred were standing on ladders on either side of the tree passing the lights back and forth.  They may have been the shortest ones there but they were the only ones willing to keep dressing the tree.

“Hold that ladder steady dad,” Evie gasped as tried to balance herself.

“Stop trying to do acrobatics on the ladder then,” he called up to her.

“Don’t worry Mr. Giles,” Fred tried to smile at him but she had concentrate on keeping herself on the ladder.  “We’re almost done.”

“Thank heavens,” Wesley muttered under his breath.  He kept both of his eyes on Fred as she stood on her precarious perch atop the ladder.

“I heard that,” Evie said.  But Wesley pretended not to hear her.

Fred gave a triumphant squeal, “Done!”  She started to climb down and Wesley helped her.

“Good, come down from there Evie,” said Giles with a tinge of worry.

“Be down in a second,” Evie was staring hard at something at the top of the tree.  “Go ahead and plug it in Wesley.”

Wesley looked at Fred and she nodded at him.  He walked over to the where they had kept the end of the lights and found the plug.  Then he heard a yelp.

“Evie!” Giles shouted and watched as he daughter started to teeter off the ladder and fall to the ground.

Evie’s foot knocked the ladder as she fell from it so Giles was forced to stand back and watch her descend to the ground.  Gunn who was standing closer managed move fast enough so he was able to reach out his arms and catch her.  Evie gripped on this neck and her face was as white as a sheet.

“Wesley!” Fred screamed and raced to him.

“I fall and she is worried about him,” Evie managed to gasp.

“The ladder hit him,” Angel went over and lifted the ladder of Wesley.  He signaled to Cordelia to get the first aid kit.

“Oh Wesley,” Fred bent down and took his head into her lap.

Steadying herself on Gunn, Evelyn looked at the scene.  “He is going to be okay, right?”

Before anyone said anything else Wesley groaned and came back to consciousness.  His head felt like something had split it open.  He touched the fast forming bump and remembered that he had been hit with a ladder.  He slowly opened his eyes to see Fred looking down at him with tears in her eyes.

“Wesley,” Fred asked gently

“I’m okay,” he tried to stand but felt a hand keep him down.

It was Angel.  “Just stay there for a minute and let Cordy look at you,” he made it clear that there was to be no arguing.

“I’m so sorry Wesley,” Evie sounded like she was about to cry.  “I didn’t mean to.  I was just trying to.  And then I slipped and-”

Wesley grunted because that was all he felt like he could do at the moment, “It’s okay Evie.  It’s not your fault, well not really anyway.”

“Is he going to be okay,” Fred was giving a desperate look to Cordelia.

Cordelia looked over Wesley, “He will be fine.  You just need to stay away from cats and ladders for a bit.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Wesley made a face.  “I think I will just head home now.”

“Are you sure that is a good idea,” Fred felt her lips tremble a little.

Evie stopped leaning on Gunn, “Yeah you could have concussion or something.  If you go home who will watch to make sure that you don’t go to sleep and then don’t wake up the next day.”

“She is right Wesley,” Giles stopped watching his daughter with concern and looked at the younger man.  “It is that or go to the hospital.”

“Hmm, hospital or have Winnie watch you for the rest of the night,” Evie pretended to think a bit.  “Which one to choose, which one?”

Wesley rolled his eyes but regretted the action because everyone thought he was going to pass out again, “I’m fine!”

“English you just got hit by a ladder,” Gunn reminded him.

Cordelia nodded in agreement, “Yeah you should just stay here with for the night.  Or Gunn can go home and baby-sit you if you want but someone has to watch you for at least twenty-four hours.”

“Fine!” Wesley gave up and started to stand with help from Fred and Angel.  “I will stay here.”

“Good,” Evie managed to hid a smirk of hers.  “I will just go make us some dinner then.

“Evie we can order take-out,” Gunn reminded her.  “I mean you did just fell eleven feet are you sure you wanna cook?”

“Well I guess,” Evie shrugged and let the others debate over Chinese and Pizza.

They turned of the main lights and plugged in the tree.  Sitting in front of the tree they ate in silence watching the lights twinkle.  After Gunn helped Evie clean up he and Cordy headed out.  Evie sat in front of the tree on the round couch next to her father.  She leaned against him and let a small yawn escape her.

“You should really go to bed,” Giles whispered.

Evie was starting to fade and murmured something to him that sounded like in a minute.  She was waiting to watch for Fred and Wesley to leave.  Only they were nowhere in sight.

“Evie, they already went up,” her father informed her.

“Huh?” Evie looked up at him with confusion.

Giles chuckled, “Just a few minutes ago, they went up one the back staircases.”

“Oh,” was all she managed to say.

He gave her a parental kiss on the head and told her to go to bed.  She yawned again and made her way to the main staircase.  “And no spying on them!” he called after her.

Evie waved off his remark and kept walking up the stairs in a sleepy trance.  She heard him unplug the lights and straight up the room.  Then when she came to Fred’s door she stopped for a minute.  She wondered what Fred was doing in order to keep Wesley awake.  Brief thoughts of listening against the door flashed thought her mind but she heard her father come up the stairs.  Evie frowned; she was just going to have to ask Fred tomorrow.  Before her father got any closer she dashed to her room and closed the door quickly behind her.  Tomorrow was going to be fun.  Evie went to sleep with a big smile on her face.