Elizabeth rode home in a state of shock and disbelief. She had just spent the last two hours having a conversation that she had only dreamed of having, a conversation that she had only played in her mind over and over for the last six years. To think that someone had taken the time to come up with a plan to get her away from her abusive husband had Elizabeth shaken. No one had cared about her like that in a while.
Even with the possibility of freedom, Elizabeth couldn’t help but rain on her own parade. The plan was risky and if it was just her, she’d probably say the hell with it and give it a shot. It wasn’t just her though. Fred was getting involved and Elizabeth would never forgive herself if something happened to her.
But God was it a good plan....
***
Two hours earlier:
Fred quietly led Elizabeth to the office in the back of the diner. Without a word, Fred closed the door behind them and motioned for her to sit down. Elizabeth was still confused as to how Fred of all people would get her away from her living nightmare but she couldn’t help but be curious. She watched as Fred took a small white envelope out of one of the desk drawer and placed it in front of her. Elizabeth stared at the envelope for what felt like hours.
“Well, don’t just stare at it at all day,” Fred said with a grin.
“What is it?” she asked, cautiously reaching for it.
“Open it and see.”
Elizabeth did as she was asked and calmly opened the envelope. What she saw didn’t surprise her as much as confuse her even more.
“It’s a check for seven thousand dollars.” Elizabeth concluded. “And it has my name on it.”
“I’m aware of both these things.” Fred teased with a small smile. Elizabeth suppressed a sigh.
“Why am I holding a seven thousand dollar check with my name on it?”
“I’m giving it to you,” Fred answered calmly, still wearing that smile.
“Why?”
“You’re gonna use this money to get away from Angel,” was her simple response. Elizabeth’s eyes blind a few times and her jaw dropped.
“Huh?”
“Maybe I should just start from the beginning.”
“Maybe you should.” This was making the type of sense that didn’t and Elizabeth was starting to get a headache.
“You know how Angel has been making you come down here every month with George’s thousand dollar allowance?” Fred waited for affirmation from her blond friend before continuing. “Well, he gives me half of it.”
“Okay?” Elizabeth was still confused. Fred took a deep breath and looked her square in the eyes before saying,
“Liz, George knows all about the abuse. Angel has been paying him to keep quiet.”
The news shouldn’t have stung but it did. She really wasn’t all that surprised that Angel would do something like this. She’d been married to the man for six years. Nothing about him surprised her anymore. No, the real surprised came from George. To think that someone would allow themselves to be bribed into keeping quiet about a man abusing his wife nearly made her sick to her stomach. How could someone be so greedy and cruel? Elizabeth realized with a start where Fred got the money from.
“And George has been paying you to do the same.”
“Exactly but I could never betray you like that. I could never take hush money to ensure that some bastard got to keep beating his wife without being caught.”
The thought had never crossed Elizabeth’s mind but she was grateful for the reassurance just as well.
“I’ve been taking the money that George has been giving me for the last six and saving it... for you. I had to add some of my own money to make sure it was enough to get you out of here. It’s more than enough to get an apartment and a car, a used car but-”
“Oh my God,” Elizabeth’s hand came up to cover her mouth in disbelief. Fred was serious. She was really trying to help her. Elizabeth knew that Fred cared about her well-being but this was unbelievable.
“I couldn’t just sit back and allow this to continue. I would never be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to you and I did nothing to help.”
Elizabeth ignored the tears starting to fall from her eyes and offered a humorless smile.
“It’s not your responsibility to save me, Fred.”
If she thought that this would phase the brunette one bit, Elizabeth was mistaken. If anything, it made Fred’s smile widen.
“Maybe not but I’m sure as hell gonna try. I have to try.”
They then began to talk about just how Elizabeth was going to escape and where she would go and what she would do if she did. The plan had to be absolutely flawless. Elizabeth’s life depended on it.
“Why don’t you go back to Los Angeles? That’s where you’re from, isn’t it?” Fred asked, looking at a mini-map of the United State. Elizabeth just looked at her as if she had grown a second head.
“Are you kidding me? That’d be the first place he’d look for me. Wolfram&Hart has offices in LA. Angel would know the second I got into town.”
“Damn,” Fred muttered. After looking at the map for a few minutes, a light bulb went off in Fred’s head. “I got it! There’s a small town about two hours from LA. You could go there.” Fred pointed out the place to Elizabeth, who frowned.
“Sunnydale?”
“Have you heard of it?”
“My mom and I moved there after she divorced my dad,” answered Elizabeth. Fred’s eyes widened. “We were only there less than a year before she got sick. We had to move back to LA so she could get proper treatments. After she...passed, I didn’t even think about going back. God, I haven’t thought about that place in years.”
Elizabeth rarely thought about anything that reminded her of her mother. She felt too guilty. What would Joyce say if she could see her only daughter now?
“Would Angel think to track you in Sunnydale?” The wheels began turning fast in Fred’s head. Now more than ever, she believed that this could really work.
“No. We weren’t really there long enough to make a life for ourselves so I seriously doubt anyone would remember us. Besides, Angel doesn’t know about Sunnydale. I never mention it to him.”
“And your dad? Could Angel somehow get a hold of him to track you?” Fred was covering all the bases. A un-lady like snort sounded from Elizabeth.
“My dad isn’t even in the country anymore. After the divorce, he could care less about me. Not that he cared all that much when they were married.”
“Okay then. This could work,” Fred smiled.
Elizabeth couldn’t help but catch on to her enthusiasm. She still couldn’t help but be weary of the whole idea.
“I don’t know, Fred. It’s way too risky,” she said pacing in front the desk. “It’ll never work.”
“Yes it will. We can do this,” Fred retorted. They couldn’t back down now. They were so close. “You just say when you wanna leave and that’s it; you’re gone.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?” Fred’s brow crinkled in confusion.
“If Angel found out-"
“He won’t!”
“But if he did, he could easily trace this back to you. What then? He’s capable of so much. I couldn’t bare it if something happened to you because of me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
“You said Angel doesn’t know about me, right?”
“That’s right.” Elizabeth found that strange because Angel knew everything. He never once mentioned Fred or threatened her with harm if she told her anything. Still, for all they knew, the bastard probably had her followed every time she left the house.
“If we do this right, Angel would never suspect that I helped you. You just have to be willing to trust me. Can you do that?” Fred’s eyes pleaded with Elizabeth to trust her.
*What have I got to loose?* Elizabeth asked herself.
Everything.
If she did this and got away with it, she’d have nothing. She’d have to take care of herself. Could she do that? Did she even know how to anymore? Would she really be able to pull this off?
"What about George? I mean, he could warn Angel."
"He thinks I'm on his side. That's why he's been paying me off."
Elizabeth nodded and smiled her first genuine smile in years.
“Looks like I’m going back to Sunnydale.”
***
Before heading home, Fred had advised Elizabeth to act as normal as possible...well, as normal she could act considering her circumstances. Angel had to believe that this visit had been like all the others. If he even suspected something foul, the plan would be shot to hell
Elizabeth paid the cab driver and watched as he pulled off. She took a deep breath before heading up to their apartment. Angel was supposed to be having dinner with Drusilla and his father but just in case he was home, she had to prepare herself for what ever mood he might be in. Entering the apartment as calmly as possible, Elizabeth called out for her husband.
“Angel, are you here?”
She heard voices coming from the bedroom but couldn’t think for the life of her who he’d be doing business with in there when he had a big at-home office. Elizabeth cautiously walked toward their bedroom. The closer she got, the more the voices sounded like moans. Slowly entering the room, Elizabeth could barely hold down the bile at what she saw.
It wasn’t the fact that Angel was screwing another woman in the bed where she rested her head every night. Yeah, it hurt but the shocker was who he was screwing. Elizabeth’s sound of surprise and disgust was the only reason why they stopped going at it like rabbits on speed. They both jerked their heads in her direction and grinned.
“Well, look what the kitty dragged in.”
***
I wonder who that could be! What are your thoughts? Leave a review!!
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Wonder what Fred’s got up her sleeve. Read and find out. Don’t forget to leave a review!