He'd heard from Draco that she already had most of the nurses and doctors in St. Mungo's wrapped around her little finger. Draco said it was typical of her. Wesley entered the hospital room from behind a large bouquet of orchids. Chameleon orchids at that. The florist in Diagon Alley had assured him that they'd make an impression. Draco had eyed him curiously. He could feel the young man's questions. What were Wesley's intentions towards his mother? Were there intentions? Wesley didn't even know. Up until he'd seen her again a few days ago, he would have told anyone who asked that he was quite in love with Winifred Burkle. But after seeing her again, though battered and beaten, he wasn't rightly sure. There had always been something about Narcissa that compelled him. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. "Who is that? What lovely flowers." He peeked around them. "Wesley. How thoughtful. Come in. Sit." He placed the arrangement on a nearby table and sat down. Four years. The two of them had a lot of catching up to do. *~*~*~*~*~* He was back home. Home. It didn't feel very homey here for some reason. Not like it had before he'd left. Funny how LA had been home for some time now, but while he'd been in London with Narcissa and Draco he had not missed it. Not even the brief and uncomfortable visit with his parents had marred the time spent in Narcissa's company. Wesley had stayed as long as he felt he could before returning to LA... to things that made sense. Sort of. His work. His unrequited love affair with Fred. His loneliness. Perhaps Gunn would be up for having a drink after work tonight. Wesley had only been back a few days, but he was feeling the need to get blindly pissed to remove Narcissa's sad, yet understanding, face of the time when he had explained about Fred from the backs of his eyelids. He missed her. He should not have said anything about Fred. Yes, Narcissa had asked who was hurting him, but he should have kept it to himself. Fred was dating that idiot from her lab who Wesley still believed was evil, all jealousy aside. He needed to get over Fred. Sounded easy, right? In theory these things always were. But he still should not have whined about Fred not liking him the way he liked her to the only other woman who he'd ever had such a dazzling infatuation with. Cordelia aside. Cordy was idle folly compared to what he felt when he looked at Winifred or Narcissa. Too bad neither of them were available to him. One because she did not feel the same about him, and the other because even if she did feel for him, her marriage - however loveless - prevented her from acting. Narcissa was a woman who honored her vows... no matter how dishonorable the other parties in those vows were. His intercom beeped. "Wesley?" "Yes, Harmony?" "You have visitors in the lobby." "Thank you." He sighed. Probably his 2:30. Wesley stood and straightened his tie. Hopefully this appointment would take his mind off of women he adored who didn't or couldn't feel the same about him. He stalked out into the lobby and froze. Draco saw him first. Wesley was a bit shocked to see Ginny Weasley hanging off of the blonde's arm. Both were dressed in muggle clothing. Draco in black on black, looking as if he'd raided Angel's wardrobe. Ginny was absolutely stunning in her emerald green dress. But it was the woman with blonde waves falling down to her waist in the midnight blue slacks and matching silk blouse with her back to him that had Wesley's full attention. Draco nodded in Wes's direction. Narcissa spun around. She was fully healed now, her face and visible patches of skin showing no scars. A radiant beauty who in no way looked seasoned enough to have a son of Draco's age. Gunn came out of his office then with a file folder propped in his arms. He was about to speak but stopped when he noticed Wesley and the blonde in their full-on stare. Angel came out of his office then with Spike behind him and Eve behind the both of them. The two vampires had been arguing about something, and Eve was looking amused about it. They all stopped when they noticed the scene. Lorne also took that time to walk in, cell phone pressed to his green ear. "Listen, sugar, can I call you back?" He flipped his phone closed and leaned over to Gunn. "Who's the hottie who obviously knows how to moisturize properly?" Gunn shook his head indicating he did not know. Rounding out the group of observers were Fred and Knox who were just coming back in from a very long lunch. Wesley closed the distance between himself and Narcissa. He was about to speak when she grabbed the back of his head and kissed him soundly. Draco rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose while Ginny giggled a bit. Wesley pulled back, licking his lips. "Don't think I'm not pleased, VERY pleased after such a greeting, to see you... all of you, but what are you doing here?" The rest of the AI team closed in a bit to hear what was being said. "You left without kissing me good-bye." "You came all the way from England to get a good-bye snog?" "No." She smiled winningly. "I came all the way from England to stalk you, silly." "Stalk?" Spike chuckled. "Him?" Angel elbowed him. "Narcissa..." "Shhh." She pressed two fingers to his lips. "I know I'm not your smart little Winifred, but no one adores you like I adore you, Wesley. Now that I am free to pursue you, I aim to do so." "What?" "Oh, Wesley, I've adored you since I saw you dangling from those chains in our dungeon." "Hello." Spike said looking from one to the other. "Chains? Dungeon? Him?" "You were so innocent then. So seemingly pure, so frightened, and weak like a little kitten. I just wanted to wrap myself around you for all time that day." Wesley scowled. "I don't think the phrase 'weak like a little kitten' is very fair of you." "Then when you came for me... it was nothing I had seen of you before, yet, you remained. So strong, so sure, but still so you. At last the real you. I fell further. All that heart behind a mask of gun-toting fierceness. I could hardly resist. I'd written it off as a fleeting thing, but I must say there was no choice for me from the moment you bled under my knife. It was sealed when you shot Lucius. I have had to surrender to my feelings, and I shall stick to them. You got away from me once before, and I was not so free to chase you then. Now I am so free. I am determined you shall not get away again. I know stalking is frowned upon, but it is what it is. My heart holds great sway in this matter. I have no choice but to follow it. I am going to keep at you until you give in to me, and just so you are aware, I am prepared to kidnap you." Gunn cleared his throat to break the uncomfortable silence that had just followed. "Hi. I'm Charles Gunn." "Terribly sorry." Wesley said with a start. He was completely baffled. Had Narcissa just said she was in love with him? He couldn't be sure. "These are my colleagues... Charles Gunn, Angel, Fred Burkle, and Lorne." He said with a gesture to each. "And that's Spike, and that's Eve. Over there is Knox. Everyone, this is Narcissa Malfoy, her son Draco and his... er..." "Fiancé." Ginny supplied. "Good God. Really?" Ginny giggled and waved a hand that had a diamond and emerald ring on it that was so large Wesley was surprised she could lift said hand. "Congratulations." He said reaching out to shake Draco's hand before looking back at his friends and coworkers. "And this is Draco's fiancé Ginny Weasley." Everyone nodded at one another. Hands were shaken. Pleasantries were exchanged. "I have to correct you, darling." Narcissa purred. "It's Narcissa Black." "But..." "Divorced." "I thought wizards didn't get divorced." "Apparently in extreme circumstances, for instance if your husband is an evil bastard who tries to kill you, they allow you to dissolve your marriage contracts." "Ah. So that is what you meant by free." "Indeed." "I am suddenly wondering if I should be afraid." "Perhaps just a little. I am rather fond of playing with riding crops." "Mother." Draco hissed. Wesley blinked. Riding crops? "Interesting. And what did Severus have to say about all of this?" "That if you hurt me he'd skin you alive, dry out the flesh, and use it to make book covers." Spike chuckled again. "This Severus sounds like my kind of bloke." Wesley glared at him. He looked back to Narcissa. He was completely in shock. He could not believe she was really standing here... telling him she had feelings for him? In front of God and everyone? He actually did not know what to do with any of this. Not yet. He was still in love with Fred. Wasn't he? But Fred didn't look at him like Narcissa did. She had not traveled across a whole ocean because he had not kissed her good-bye. She was not in love with him, so perhaps he was starting to not be in love with her anymore. And looking into the blue eyes of the blonde before him, he really didn't think he was settling for second best if he decided to not be in love with Fred. "Would... would you... you, as in all of you, care for a tour of the building?" "Actually, Ginny and I have naked plans back at the hotel." Ginny gasped and flushed pink. "Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Narcissa snapped. "No dirty talk in front of strangers. You know the rule." "But if you knew us better, it'd be all right?" Gunn asked. Both Draco and Narcissa snorted and answered with a smooth "Naturally.". Draco went on as if nothing were out of the ordinary. "Yes, Ginny and I respectfully decline, but I'm sure Mother would love to spend the rest of the day with you, Wesley. We'll just be going now. Ta." And with that Draco apparated himself and Ginny out. Gunn jumped. Wesley blinked and looked at Narcissa. "Did he just... but I thought... I mean, wizarding law..." Narcissa placed a hand on his arm. "Yes. But certain places do not count as being in front of muggles. Evil law firms that have dabbled in dark magic for example. I'm quite certain most of this building is quite aware of magic and such. I mean, the wards on this facility alone rival some of the wards on Hogwarts and our own Ministry of Magic." "Naturally." "Hogwarts?" Angel asked with a furrowed brow. "Ministry of Magic?" "So... how about that tour?" Wesley was looking at her hand on his arm and completely ignoring everyone else. Funny how home felt like home again with her touching him. "If you'd like." "So you'll just explain about the Ministry and this Hogwarts thing later, huh, Wes?" Gunn said. Narcissa was smiling at Wesley still. "I'd like anything... so long as you're there." He smiled at her. It was the first real smile any of the AI gang could remember seeing on Wesley's face in a long while. He was ignoring everyone save the blonde woman. "Shall we then?" He asked as he placed her arm in his. They started walking off... oblivious to anything except each other. He was starting again. Anew. Things would be different now. He was finally at a place where he was attracted to someone who could be attracted to him in return. Oh, he still cared for Fred. He cared for her a great deal, but with Narcissa looking at him as she was just now, that could be gotten over. He'd tackled silly infatuations with younger girls and heated sex with women of his own age bracket. Perhaps it was time to give a slightly older woman a go. They said with age came experience, and the mere thought of Narcissa's experience gave him a very pleasant tingle. Not to say she was old. Never that. It's just he knew she knew what she was about in certain areas. It was certain there would be benefits to that. Benefits he could profit from if fate kept smiling upon him the way it was just now. I mean, riding crops? "So... divorced are we?" "Yes. Quite. Very single." "Interesting." They disappeared into the elevator. Angel leaned over to Harmony. "I'd cancel Wes's appointments for the rest of the afternoon." "Ya think?" "Oh I think." "Righty ho, boss." *~*~* finis
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