Pairings: I promise it will be Wes/Fred and C/A, you are just going to have to wait a bit.

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

Author's Note: Okay this chapter is long and a lot of stuff is explained so guess what? The chances of you guys getting another chapter before Christmas are very slim. Yes I am mean and demon spawn, but honestly I don't have the time what with the holidays and all.

Major feedback may lead to chapter before Christmas. Hint, hint!

Thank you: To my wonderful Beta Reader, MeriBeth. You are greatest and you keep me in check!

Yellow - Chapter 3: Imperfect Regular
by Annabelle

"Hello," the English man finally moved from the doors of the hotel and walked toward them carrying what looked like a very heavy bag. "Angel I do believe your son is umm, crying for you?"

"Oh yeah," Angel finished helping Cordelia get up. "I'll be right back."

"Good then," Giles smiled faintly and sat down on that round couch at the center of the lobby setting the bag next to him.

As Angel left to tend to his son Cordy could not help but ask the question she had asked just a few moments early, "What are you doing here Giles?"

"Yeah aren't you suppose to be in England," Angel continued when he and Connor came back.

Giles held out his hands to take the baby. Angel was reluctant at first but saw no harm in letting the former watcher hold him. "I was looking for someone," said Giles. He bounced the baby a little bit and smiled at him. "Your son is doing quite well I'd say Angel."

"He is," Angel still eyed Giles. "And your part of making sure that he stays that way was to be in England."

"Well as circumstances are I cannot afford to be there at this moment," Giles handed the baby back to him.

"Who are you looking for Giles," Cordelia ignored his annoying manner of being mysterious about the whole situation. She wanted answers.

"The person that you saw with your friends in your vision, no doubt. I figured that I would come here and look for her first but I see that the reason that she came to Los Angeles is not here right now," Giles was speaking in riddles and it was starting to get on everyone's last nerve.

"I want a straight answer Giles," Angel hissed at him. "What are you doing here? Who is this person, or beast as it may be, that you are looking for? And why are you looking for them?"

"I think it is best that we wait until your friends and she arrive back here. It should be any moment now," Giles did not look at any of them. He concentrated on rubbing his glasses with a cloth.

Before Cordelia or Angel had a chance to open their mouths again the door to the hotel was thrown open and Fred and Wesley walked in. Wesley was holding what looked like a very ill girl in his arms who was wrapped in his coat. They all noticed the rips in his shirt, which Cordelia recognized from her vision.

"Oh my god, Wesley are you alright," Cordelia ran to the behind the desk to get the first aid kit. "Did that claw demon attack you and that girl?"

"How did you, oh you had a vision," Wesley answered his own question.

"Thank god," Giles leaped from his seat. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah is fine Mr. Giles," said Fred. "Just a little tried from her trip."

"Here lay her down on the couch," Giles helped Wesley arrange her body. "Winifred, please get me the thermometer from the bag. It should be in the second zipper pocket on the left side." Fred nodded and started to search the bag.

"Okay obliviously I missed something here," said Cordy in a rather annoyed tone. "Since when do Fred and Giles know each other? What is that girl doing here? And what happened to the demon I saw attack you two?"

"Well, she is the demon," Wesley pointed to the girl.

"Her name is Evelyn," Fred sounded a little defensive. "And she is not a bad demon. She is kind of like Angel."

"That answers some of the questions," Angel spoke up now. "But how do you know Giles, Fred?"

"I met him," Fred didn't look at any of them. She just handed the thermometer to Giles. "A long time ago."

"Not so long," Giles smiled at her. "I was there at your graduation."

"The one thing you managed to be there for," a rather garbled voice spoke. It was the girl, she and woken up.

"Oh Evie, you're awake," Fred rushed to the girl's side. "I was kinda worried. Lay still a moment okay. I'll get you some soup and your dad can finish taking your temperature." Evie nodded her reply and gave Giles a little glare.

"Wait a minute!" Cordelia cried out again. Scaring Connor a bit, he started to whimper but Angel calmed him. "Giles is her father. I mean he is Evelyn's father?"

"Yes, I am," Giles sighed and took the thermometer out of Evie's mouth. He looked at it for a moment, "97.5, you are getting better."

"So sorry," Evie pouted at him.

"Evie not now please," Giles begged her. "Here take some of the soup that Fred has for you."

"I want some clothes," Evie stated flatly.

Fred started to head up the stairs, "I'll go get you some."

"Winifred wait," Giles stopped her. "I think Evie owes us all an explanation. There a lot of people worried about you back in England. It took some effort to track you down."

"Fine," Evie stood up a little shaky. "Fine, fine fine! You want an explanation? I will give you one. You never told me that she was back. You knew and you never told me. So I had to find out from a demon seer who I am not even very good friends with. He told me. I had to fight him for the information too, do you know how un-fun that is?" She paused for a moment but did not let anyone bother to answer the question before she started talking again. "Not fun at all. Especially after having muscle relaxants pumped into me. So that is why I am here dear father. Because I have a job to do and even though you tried to stop me I am still going to be here and do my job."

Giles sighed and looked at the floor, "Evie, I wasn't trying to stop you from doing your job. I just wanted to make sure that you would be safe. You know that this is a very hard time for you."

"Yeah I do," Evie flapped her arms. "But then you wouldn't know how hard would you. You were never there. You weren't there the first time, just like you have never been there for me all the other times I have needed you."

"Evie please," Giles looked as if he had tears in his eyes. "We have been through this. I can't apologize enough for what you have been through."

"No, you can't," Evelyn kept glaring at him.

Cordy waved her hand as if to single a time out, "Um, not that we all aren't enjoying your soap opera here, but there are still a few unanswered questions."

"Yeah the whole part where you come and attack Wesley, what your job is, why are you here, and how the hell is Giles your father to name a few," said Angel. He was not happy with all the ruckus that was going on. It was starting to upset Connor and he did not want his son to be put through any more trauma then need be.

Evie took a deep breath. Then she looked at Fred. Her friend had been quiet this whole time. Fred understood what was going and she knew that she could count on her to explain. Evie also knew that these people would be more likely to believe Fred than her. She nodded her head at Fred and the girl came forward.

"Evie is like my guardian," Fred explained. "It is her job to make sure that I stay safe, because well, I saved her life one time. In return she watches out for me for the rest of my life.

"Giles is her adopted father. That's how I know him. Evie was sent to live in Texas when she was just about four. We have been best friend ever since we meet. I didn't know that she was a demon until the day that I saved her life. Her aunt and uncle, well they aren't really her aunt and uncle. They explained everything to me. They also told me that I could never tell my parents. So I didn't.

"She didn't mean to attack Wesley. Evie was trying to make me remember what I had forgotten, what I was refusing to remember. And Wesley, well he thought that she was attacking him me, so he tackled her. But she only scratched him in self-defense, she would never really hurt someone unless they were trying to kill her or me. Besides she is too weak to now anyway."

"You keep saying that Fred," Wesley spoke softly to her. "What does that mean?"

"Once a year," Giles started to explain to them. When he spoke Evie softened her glare at him a little. "The Bastlian race goes through something similar to a cat going through heat. The only difference is that not all Bastlians are ready to produce offspring. Half Bastlians, such as Evelyn, would not be able to live through the gestation process until they turned twenty-seven or sometimes older. However the age of maturity is eighteen for any of them, and since they give off such high amounts of pheromones to attract mates it makes the chances of a half Balstian living to the age of twenty-seven very slim."

"So why not just keep her cooped up in a room or something," asked Cordy.

"Yeah that would work. Why didn't I think of that years ago?" Evie rolled her eyes but Giles gave her a stern look.

"The pheromone levels are so high that anyone in close proximity to a Bastlian in heat goes semi-nuts with sexual energy. Also because Bastlians are all going through this at once it makes it very easy for them to track another Bastlian down, even if they are hundreds of miles away."

"But I thought you said that Bastlians were rare," Wesley asked Fred.

"We are," Evie answered. "But durning mating season a Bastlian will use any means to find a mate. It can get kind of bloody."

"So great," Cordy's voice had an exasperated tone to it. "Now we are going start going all crazy with the sex drive. That is going to be so much fun."

"Oh don't worry about," Evie snapped a little. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you. Not as long as my temperature can't reach above 98.6, you all be fine."

"What are you talking about," Angel was starting to understand a little bit more what was going on. Evie was sick, but she was for a reason. If she was carrying a virus he did not want her anywhere near his son.

"The Watcher's Council has developed a type of virus that will only infect Bastlians. It is very localized and it makes Evie sick enough to keep her temperature down. Also they use muscle relaxants to make her body susceptible to the virus and to keep her immune system from ridding her body of the virus completely," Giles kept explaining and still gave Evelyn a look to show that he was not pleased with her behavior. "That way she will be unable to give off any pheromones."

"See, all's good in the land now. For humans, demons, and baby boys alike," Evie smiled at them. But Angel and Cordelia just gave her a strange look from where they were standing. Evelyn had noticed that the whole time they had been talking the two had inched closer to each other. They had not meant to but they did. She was about to use a trick that a demon cousin of hers had once taught her but before she could focus the talking started up again.

"So how did you manage to adopt her," Wesley asked. "And how come if the Council knew about her I have never heard anything about her before."

"Oh, oh," Evie started to jump up and down like Wesley had just said something that really excited her. "I can answer that. He killed my mother when he was twenty-one so his dad and the Council forced him to adopt me. But they wanted to keep that the fact that they had a half demon in their pocket very hush, hush so only a few of the top people know about me."

"So why did I get a vision of you attacking Wesley and Fred if you are a good guy, girl," Cordelia was not really asking the question.

"I knew it," Evelyn cried out. "I knew it. I knew it. I knew it!"

"Knew what," Cordy was starting to get upset with this new comer

Evelyn looked at her oddly, "You really haven't figured it out yet have you? All this time and you haven't the faintest idea."

"Faintest idea of what," Angel inched closer to Cordelia. As if he was moving to protect her.

Evie sighed, "Hello, The Power That Be. Their plan?" Everyone but Giles and Fred gave her a blank look. "Okay, guess not. How about this then? Why do you get your visions, to help people right? Well, why only those certain people? What about the other twenty or more people that are being attacked by demons every day? Why not send you a vision two seconds earlier, or even two minutes earlier so that you have a better chance of saving the person? The Powers That Be are very powerful beings. They transcend time, space, and well everything. Why not make your job easier?" Again no one answered.

"Why on earth send you a vision of a woman who disappeared five years ago? Why not send it to you sooner? Or send it to another seer before she got pulled out of this world? So that her guardian could protect her, so she didn't have to go through hell," Evie's voice was starting to become choked. "I'll tell you why. Because they have a bloody plan. A plan that we are all just parts of. Isn't that just wonderful!"

Everyone stared at her. Tears were rolling down her check slowly but no one said a word. Fred was the first to move and she took Evie's hand.

"Come on," Fred's voice was barely audible. "Let's get you into some clothes and you can lay down." Evie didn't say anything. She just let herself be lead up the stairs to Fred's room. No one from the lobby protested as they watched the girls go up the stairs.

Once they were inside Fred's small room with the baby cradle in the center Evie just stood there not saying anything. Fred went to her dresser and pulled some oversized sweets that she had. She showed Evie to the bathroom and got dampened a washcloth then let her change.

While Evelyn was inside Fred turned down the sheets and tested the soup that she had made. It was barely warm, but it would be good if Evie ate some of it. Then she came out of the bathroom and Fred helped her into the bed. Then she pulled up a chair and sat next to her.

"Are you feeling any better," asked Fred. She picked up the soup and spoon and handed it to Evelyn.

"No, but that is a good thing," Evelyn took the spoon to her mouth. "This is awful, it's cold."

Fred laughed but then she looked away and out of the window. "You know, it's not your fault," Fred was really quiet. "None of it is."

Evie didn't look at her, "I guess I do. But I still feel like I should have been able to do something. You know I looked for you. Before I found out that you were taking to another dimension. I looked. Did you parents tell you?"

"No," Fred shook her head. "But I am sure they meant to."

Evie laughed, "You know that's not true. They blame me, because I was gone. They knew that you would be safe if I was there. I told them that I would try my best to find you, when you first disappeared. But after about two weeks I told them that there was no chance that I would be able to find you. The resources that I had just weren't enough. They were mad."

"Yeah I suppose so," Fred sighed. "But they were mad at the wrong person. We both know that."

"Why," Evie voice trembled. "Why did you forget about me?"

Fred was starting to feel wicked now. She felt awful. How could she forget her best friend. "I don't know," Fred shook her head. "I guess it wasn't you that I wanted to forget. It was everything else that came with remembering you. All the things about The Powers. About knowing that we all have our destiny and even though we can change things along the way eventually we will end up walking the path that was chosen for us. I did not want to face all of that the first time. I guess it was a way for me not having to deal with it again."

"Yeah," Evie sniffled. "I understand that. I wish that I could forget that stuff too sometimes." She tugged at the shirt she had on a bit, "You got so small. Look at you. These clothes barely fit."

"Yeah well I was living in a cave for the last five years," Fred explained to her.

"Oh," was all Evelyn could think to say.

After a few moments of silence Fred smiled at her old friend, "Well why don't we talk about something else, huh Evie?"

"What did you have in mind Winnie," Evie smiled back, although Fred could tell that it was forced.

"You know, people call me Fred now," she said.

"Yeah, I noticed that," Evie shook her head with defiance. "But to me you will always be Winnie!"

"I figured," Fred rolled her eyes.

"Piffle," Evie lightly slapped Fred's hand. "Now, what about that girl and the vampire?"

"You mean Cordelia and Angel," Fred corrected her. "Wait I thought you knew their names?"

"I didn't. I just know about them," Evie informed her. "That demon I beat up just told me a little about the people here. There was a female seer, a vampire, and two humans. That is pretty much it."

"Oh well the girl is named Cordelia, she's a seer like you said, Angel is a vampire with a soul, Wesley is the boss of the whole operation, and Gunn is the muscle," Fred explained. "Oh you haven't meet Gunn yet. But you'll like him, he is nice."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Evie waved her hand. "So tell me what is going on between Angel and Cordelia?"

"Well nothing," Fred replied.

"But I see it, can you see it," Evie asked Fred.

Fred laughed, "Of course I can see it. Everyone can except for them."

"Well why don't you do something about it," Evie was frustrated with the people around her.

"Because, well of the curse," Fred stammered

"Curse? What curse?"

"Only the one where that if he has one true moment of happiness he goes all evil and tries to kill everyone in the world," Fred explained to her then she took the thermometer that Giles had given to her and stuck it in Evie's mouth..

"Oh, well you know what they say," Evie smiled wickedly, her words all muffled. "True love conquers all."

"I don't know if that applies to curses," Fred smiled back. Then she took the thermometer out of Evelyn's mouth and held it to the light. "98.2, that was higher than last time and that was less than an hour ago."

"That can't be good," Evie tried to laugh but instead she coughed. "Better go call my dad. He will be oh so interested in this."

"Evie," Fred scolded her, "I thought you two were getting along now."

"Yeah we are I guess," she sighed. "But it still doesn't make up for all the other times."

"I know," Fred sympathized, "But he is trying."

"That he is," Evie leaned back in the bed and closed her eyes. "That he is."

"Do you want to sleep now," Fred was a little worried for her friend.

"No, I am fine. But you still better go tell my dad about my temperature. He will want to know," she looked at her friend. "I am fine, really. I mean I have almost gotten used to being injected once a year with viruses and drugs. It is just the people here that I am not used yet."

"Once you get to know them and they get to know you things will go a little smoother," said Fred as she pressed a cold washcloth on her friend's forehead.

"I suppose. Once they stop staring at me like I am the biggest freak in the world," Evelyn pouted now. "I guess I should not have told them about The Powers That Be having a reason for everything. I think it made Cordelia jumpy."

"I don't know," Fred smiled sadly at her. "I'll go get your dad. You will be alright for a moment?"

"Yes!" Evie exclaimed. "What a minute! I know what this is. This is pay back for all those times that I doubled checked to make sure that you were safe, isn't it!"

"Maybe," Fred winked at her. "I'll be right back!"

"It won't work Winnie!" Evie called after her. "When I get better I will smother you with attention!"

Fred laughed to herself as she closed the door behind her and headed down the stairs of the hotel from the lobby. She could hear the voices below in heated conversation. It made her glad that she had taken Evelyn up to her room. It would have only upset her friend to hear people speak so angrily to her father. Evie would never have admitted to anyone but she very much loved him and was as fiercely protective of him as she was of Fred.

"I can't believe you didn't tell anyone Giles," Angel shouted at him.

"All these years and you never said a word," Cordelia's voice was just as loud.

Rupert Giles had taken of his glasses and was rubbing them with a cloth that he kept in his pocket. "It was not my decision to make," he told them. "The Council told me not to ever tell anyone about her because she might be used against me and the slayer at one point. Besides which, the whole part of her being half Bastlian made it all too tempting for them to keep her as their pet project. I was only twenty-one! I had only just resided to the fact that being a Watcher was something that I had to do. Then to have a child thrust upon me was a bit much."

Wesley who had remand quiet for the most part felt his voice come to him, "You killed her mother! For god sakes man!"

"He did not mean to," Fred explained in a soft voice, just loud enough for everyone to hear her.

"How did you," Giles started to speak.

Fred took in a breath. "I was there. The day that she found out about it. It was a painful day for both of us. I just found out that she was a demon and she had just found out that you had accidentally killed her mother. Then we both got the whole talk about The Powers That Be that Evie just gave you Cordy. You can't imagine how scary that is to two twelve year old girls."

Everyone had fell silent in thought. Fred took a breath and then turned to Giles. "Mr. Giles, Evie's temperature is starting to rise."

"What is it," Giles had worry in his voice.

"98.2," Fred handed him the thermometer that she had brought down.

Giles held it up to the light as if hoping to find that Fred had misread it. He sighed as he brought it back down, "Well this can't be good." He started to rub his temples. "I begged her to wait you know. When I found out she knew. But she just couldn't anymore. She had to come and-"

"It is okay Mr. Giles," Fred interrupted him. "I understand, it is her job. She needs to be here. Besides she still feels awful about the first time. I guess it was too much like reliving the past of her, being away. She wanted to set it right, so she came."

"Nevertheless," Giles felt a little like he was scolding his former Slayer. "Well I will go up and see her now. Are you coming Winifred?"

"I'll be up in a minute," She smiled at him. "I kinda need to talk to you guys. Explains some more about what is going on," she looked at her friends. He nodded and started to head up the stairs. The he turned around and just as Giles was about to ask her, Fred called out, "She is on the third floor, room 314."

"Yes, thank you," he turned back around and continued back up the stairs.

After he left there everyone just stood in silence. Then when Fred was about to speak Gunn walked into the hotel. "Hey you all. Why didn't you call to tell me that Fred was back," Gunn was smiling at them and then he got a good look at everyone around him. "Well why so grim? What's going on?"

"Fred was just about to explain to us," Cordelia told him. "Weren't you?"

"Cordy," Wesley gave her a warning. "I think she has been through quite a lot today without having to answer to you."

"I am just saying," Cordy tried to defend herself but even Angel was giving her a look that said to back off. "Fine."

"Look you guys," Fred started to speak but her voice was shaky a little. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I just had no idea that everything would come crashing down like this. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay Fred," Wesley took her arm and helped her to the couch. "Just relax and sit for a minute. We don't have to talk about this right now if you don't want to."

"No," Fred shook her head. "It's better we do this now. That way in case you run into any male Bastlians tonight you will know what to do."

"Alright then," Angel held Connor close to him. "But can we keep this a G rated conversation, for Connor?"

"You named him," Fred gave him a smile. And for a moment everything in the hotel went back to normal. But the moment would not last forever and Fred knew that. Things were hard enough as is without having Evelyn around. Now that she was here it was just going to add a whole new level of stress. Fred was not sure that her new friends would be able to handle it, but she hoped that they would try. If not then she might have to leave.