Underneath It All- Chapter 2 "Welcome"
Title: Underneath It All
Chapter: Two "Welcome"
Characters: ATS S5 Ensemble and Willow
Pairing: Fred/Willow in later chapters
Overall Rating: R
Chapter Rating: PG
Warnings This Chapter: None
Words: ~1,300
*ping* The elevator greeted the floor with a happy chime, allowing a bubbling Willow and Fred out onto the mostly empty evening floor. The pair was trailing suitcases and duffle bags behind them, wrapped up in a mutual babble over what seemed to be about… well… some science junk from what Harmony could tell from her desk, boring and not eavesdrop worthy. So she did what she did best, she interrupted, “Willow!” She beamed as she got up from her desk, walking towards her with open arms.
The witch’s only reaction was a slight scream of some unintelligible consonant sounds and seizing Fred by the shoulders, holding her in front of her as a hug shield. “Don’t bite me!”
Harmony pouted. “Are you still holding that against me? That was like… ten years ago.”
“Four.” Willow corrected.
“Whatever,” Harmony said, rolling her eyes.
Fred managed to get herself out of Willow’s grip. “Willow, Harmony works here, she’s Angel’s secretary, and she’s… well… I guess she’s good.” Harmony gave a bob of her head to accentuate Fred’s words.
The blonde was about to add to that when the phone at her desk rang and she headed back to answer it.
Before Willow and Fred could resume their conversation, the clicking of heels on the floor drew their attention. They turned to face the newcomer and saw Eve walking towards them in full meet-and-greet mode.
“Miss Rosenberg,” she said, holding out her hand to shake. “My name’s Eve. I’m liaison to the Senior Partners. So glad you made it. How was your trip?”
“It was-”
“Uh-huh.” Eve cut her off. “Well if you’ll just leave your bags here someone will take them up to your suite. The rooms are usually for people staying over night on business, so I apologize we couldn’t have better accommodations on such short notice.”
Willow smiled and waved it off, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Right. Now if you’ll just follow me, I’ll-”
“Actually,” Willow interrupted, “Fred was going to show me around. Old friends to see and things like that.”
Eve gave Fred a sharp look before turning back to Willow with a pleasant smile, “Of course. Well if you have any questions, I’ll be around.” She turned and started away. The redhead simply stared until the clicking of her heels on the floor faded.
“Well she’s…” Willow blinked, trying to grasp a word. “Enthusiastic?” She looked to the Texan for confirmation, but merely got a shrug.
“Hey, Willow” Harmony said looking up from her phone call. “Angel has some stuff to deal with tonight,” she rolled her eyes, “So you can’t see him until tomorrow.”
“That’s fine.” She smiled, “It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” She felt a slight pressure on her hand and turned to see Fred grasping it tightly with a smile on her face.
“Come on, I can’t wait to show you my lab!” She said.
“You have your own lab?” Willow asked, her eyes wide, voice hushed with awe.
The Texan beamed.
+++
“And then he was all, ‘But I’d like to have my kneecaps.’” Willow said, recounting Giles’s story and sending Fred into another fit of giggles as they rounded a corner.
“Oh my god, I just cannot see Wesley like that. And he wore tweed?” She asked.
“The tweediest,” said the redhead. “Oh and he used to have a big slobbering crush on Cordelia! They’d see each other and practically start babbling as much as I do.”
Fred gave Willow a friendly shove. “Get out.”
“My hand to Hecate.” She said.
“Wow. You know-”
“Well aren’t you two just a couple of peas in a pod.” They’re conversation was interrupted by the jolly green empathy demon, as he approached from the other end of the hall snapping his cell phone shut and opening his arms for a hug for the redhead who readily obliged. “Willow, Honey, how’ve you been?”
“I’ve been good. You know, saving the world instead of trying to end it. It was a phase, I’m over it.” She smiled.
“Hence the job switch?” he asked.
She bobbed her head yes in answer.
“Well that’s just peachy. Having you around is really gonna brighten this place up. Listen, sweet cheeks, I gotta go, gotta make a call to Tim Burton, pitching an idea about a boy with horns who can tell people their future.”
“It wouldn’t be by hearing them sing by any chance would it?” Willow raised an eyebrow.
“Tell no one,” Lorne warned, he waved over his shoulder as he flipped his phone open and held it to his ear. “Tim, baby-” his voice faded as he disappeared around the corner.
+++
Fred pushed open a door, “And I guess this would be your room.”
Willow let out a low whistle as she walked inside. The room had a very dark, modern and technological feel to it, from the track lighting that ran around the room, to the large plasma screen television, to the little kitchenette with dark countertops with shiny flecks of mica embedded in the stone. Crossing the living room she peered through an open door, the bedroom. Her suitcases were already in the room, lying next to a bed made up with red satin sheets. “Wow… this is… intense.”
“It’s better than my apartment,” Fred replied, with no little amount of envy of the grand size of the room.
A clock blared 9:13 PM on the nightstand. The redhead frowned and turned to the Texan. “You know, I’m kinda beat from my flight, I think I’m just going to take a shower and hit the hay.”
“Sure thing,” Fred smiled. “I’ll see you in the morning!” She closed the door behind her as she left. Willow watched her leave and waited a few moments before padding softly across the room. She leaned the tip of her forefinger against the doorknob and whispered a soft incantation. The lock gave off a bright glow, then the entire doorframe did the same. As quickly as the brightness grew, it had dissipated.
She looked anxiously back at the clock. 9:14. Sighing, she began to strip off her dirty clothes and headed for the bathroom, which was no less grand than the main room. She stepped into the shower. She leaned against the far wall and slid down to the floor with a sigh, fighting tears that were threatening to come to her eyes.
---
Steam flooded the room as Willow stepped out of the bathroom, curls and whisps spilling over the floor ethereally, as she ran the towel over her soaking wet hair. She paused for a moment looking around the suite. Letting her towels drop to the floor, she walked over to her suitcases and unzipped one of them. She pulled out a long, white, cottony nightgown and pulled it over her head. A tired yawn escaped her lips, as she stretched, getting comfortable in the night clothes. Unpacking would definitely be saved for a more morningy time.
That’s when the cell phone rang. Willow picked it up off the night stand and took a quick look at the time. Ten PM, right on schedule. Willow’s face broke out into a smile and she flipped the phone open, “Hey!” she exclaimed. She bobbed her head as she listened to the person on the other end. “No, the flight was good. Oooh! Ooh!” she flapped her hand excitedly, “And they showed Finding Nemo on the plane!”
The melt in her eager expression indicated, quite clearly, that the person on the other end had very little interest in movies about fish. She moved closer to the window, looking out over Los Angeles, her hand pressed against the pane of glass. “No.” she said, with a pensive sigh. “They have no idea.”
Chapter: Two "Welcome"
Characters: ATS S5 Ensemble and Willow
Pairing: Fred/Willow in later chapters
Overall Rating: R
Chapter Rating: PG
Warnings This Chapter: None
Words: ~1,300
*ping* The elevator greeted the floor with a happy chime, allowing a bubbling Willow and Fred out onto the mostly empty evening floor. The pair was trailing suitcases and duffle bags behind them, wrapped up in a mutual babble over what seemed to be about… well… some science junk from what Harmony could tell from her desk, boring and not eavesdrop worthy. So she did what she did best, she interrupted, “Willow!” She beamed as she got up from her desk, walking towards her with open arms.
The witch’s only reaction was a slight scream of some unintelligible consonant sounds and seizing Fred by the shoulders, holding her in front of her as a hug shield. “Don’t bite me!”
Harmony pouted. “Are you still holding that against me? That was like… ten years ago.”
“Four.” Willow corrected.
“Whatever,” Harmony said, rolling her eyes.
Fred managed to get herself out of Willow’s grip. “Willow, Harmony works here, she’s Angel’s secretary, and she’s… well… I guess she’s good.” Harmony gave a bob of her head to accentuate Fred’s words.
The blonde was about to add to that when the phone at her desk rang and she headed back to answer it.
Before Willow and Fred could resume their conversation, the clicking of heels on the floor drew their attention. They turned to face the newcomer and saw Eve walking towards them in full meet-and-greet mode.
“Miss Rosenberg,” she said, holding out her hand to shake. “My name’s Eve. I’m liaison to the Senior Partners. So glad you made it. How was your trip?”
“It was-”
“Uh-huh.” Eve cut her off. “Well if you’ll just leave your bags here someone will take them up to your suite. The rooms are usually for people staying over night on business, so I apologize we couldn’t have better accommodations on such short notice.”
Willow smiled and waved it off, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Right. Now if you’ll just follow me, I’ll-”
“Actually,” Willow interrupted, “Fred was going to show me around. Old friends to see and things like that.”
Eve gave Fred a sharp look before turning back to Willow with a pleasant smile, “Of course. Well if you have any questions, I’ll be around.” She turned and started away. The redhead simply stared until the clicking of her heels on the floor faded.
“Well she’s…” Willow blinked, trying to grasp a word. “Enthusiastic?” She looked to the Texan for confirmation, but merely got a shrug.
“Hey, Willow” Harmony said looking up from her phone call. “Angel has some stuff to deal with tonight,” she rolled her eyes, “So you can’t see him until tomorrow.”
“That’s fine.” She smiled, “It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” She felt a slight pressure on her hand and turned to see Fred grasping it tightly with a smile on her face.
“Come on, I can’t wait to show you my lab!” She said.
“You have your own lab?” Willow asked, her eyes wide, voice hushed with awe.
The Texan beamed.
+++
“And then he was all, ‘But I’d like to have my kneecaps.’” Willow said, recounting Giles’s story and sending Fred into another fit of giggles as they rounded a corner.
“Oh my god, I just cannot see Wesley like that. And he wore tweed?” She asked.
“The tweediest,” said the redhead. “Oh and he used to have a big slobbering crush on Cordelia! They’d see each other and practically start babbling as much as I do.”
Fred gave Willow a friendly shove. “Get out.”
“My hand to Hecate.” She said.
“Wow. You know-”
“Well aren’t you two just a couple of peas in a pod.” They’re conversation was interrupted by the jolly green empathy demon, as he approached from the other end of the hall snapping his cell phone shut and opening his arms for a hug for the redhead who readily obliged. “Willow, Honey, how’ve you been?”
“I’ve been good. You know, saving the world instead of trying to end it. It was a phase, I’m over it.” She smiled.
“Hence the job switch?” he asked.
She bobbed her head yes in answer.
“Well that’s just peachy. Having you around is really gonna brighten this place up. Listen, sweet cheeks, I gotta go, gotta make a call to Tim Burton, pitching an idea about a boy with horns who can tell people their future.”
“It wouldn’t be by hearing them sing by any chance would it?” Willow raised an eyebrow.
“Tell no one,” Lorne warned, he waved over his shoulder as he flipped his phone open and held it to his ear. “Tim, baby-” his voice faded as he disappeared around the corner.
+++
Fred pushed open a door, “And I guess this would be your room.”
Willow let out a low whistle as she walked inside. The room had a very dark, modern and technological feel to it, from the track lighting that ran around the room, to the large plasma screen television, to the little kitchenette with dark countertops with shiny flecks of mica embedded in the stone. Crossing the living room she peered through an open door, the bedroom. Her suitcases were already in the room, lying next to a bed made up with red satin sheets. “Wow… this is… intense.”
“It’s better than my apartment,” Fred replied, with no little amount of envy of the grand size of the room.
A clock blared 9:13 PM on the nightstand. The redhead frowned and turned to the Texan. “You know, I’m kinda beat from my flight, I think I’m just going to take a shower and hit the hay.”
“Sure thing,” Fred smiled. “I’ll see you in the morning!” She closed the door behind her as she left. Willow watched her leave and waited a few moments before padding softly across the room. She leaned the tip of her forefinger against the doorknob and whispered a soft incantation. The lock gave off a bright glow, then the entire doorframe did the same. As quickly as the brightness grew, it had dissipated.
She looked anxiously back at the clock. 9:14. Sighing, she began to strip off her dirty clothes and headed for the bathroom, which was no less grand than the main room. She stepped into the shower. She leaned against the far wall and slid down to the floor with a sigh, fighting tears that were threatening to come to her eyes.
---
Steam flooded the room as Willow stepped out of the bathroom, curls and whisps spilling over the floor ethereally, as she ran the towel over her soaking wet hair. She paused for a moment looking around the suite. Letting her towels drop to the floor, she walked over to her suitcases and unzipped one of them. She pulled out a long, white, cottony nightgown and pulled it over her head. A tired yawn escaped her lips, as she stretched, getting comfortable in the night clothes. Unpacking would definitely be saved for a more morningy time.
That’s when the cell phone rang. Willow picked it up off the night stand and took a quick look at the time. Ten PM, right on schedule. Willow’s face broke out into a smile and she flipped the phone open, “Hey!” she exclaimed. She bobbed her head as she listened to the person on the other end. “No, the flight was good. Oooh! Ooh!” she flapped her hand excitedly, “And they showed Finding Nemo on the plane!”
The melt in her eager expression indicated, quite clearly, that the person on the other end had very little interest in movies about fish. She moved closer to the window, looking out over Los Angeles, her hand pressed against the pane of glass. “No.” she said, with a pensive sigh. “They have no idea.”