Title: Gift

Author: Sassy

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all except Liberty.

Spoiler Warning: There are a few mainstream spoilers in this story, I'm playing with what could happen.

Pairing: Wesley/Fred/Illyria, Connor/Original Character

Summary: Wesley stumbles upon a girl with a gift and she turns out to be quite an asset to Wolfram and Hart.

Gift

Chapter One

Meeting

            It was completely dark in the alleyway.  Everything around her was pitch black.  She couldn't see much since the streetlights had gone out, but she wasn't afraid.  She wasn't ignorant to what came out at night; she'd been aware since she was a small girl.  She simply wasn't afraid any longer.  She had an ability, as she liked to call it.  She could look into people's eyes and know if they were good or evil; she could find vampires, demons, possessions, witches, humans, demon worshippers, just about anything.  It had never failed her, though it sometimes terrified her.  She tried to see it as a gift, after all, it had saved her many times before.  Still, she wished she could be blissfully unaware of what people really were.  At times like now.  She pulled a stake out of her jacket pocket as the boy who had tried to pick her up approached her.  She had gone with him just to rid the world of him.  His features had changed into the horrible visage of a vampire and the lights had been shut off since they entered the alley.  He probably assumed that would give him the advantage.  Vampires believed themselves so clever; this one a tag-team with an elaborate plan.  She positioned the stake in the right spot just as a bright light came from the side of the alley.  It was too late for the vampire; he'd already walked into the stake.  She turned to see who exited the car, and found a man with brown hair, dressed nicely, step out of the car.

"I was coming to your aide, but you seem to have yourself handled quite well."

He was close enough that she could see into his deep blue eyes.  The feeling washed over her, a mix of evil and good, but the goodness won out.  Confusion and sadness hit her as well.  She smiled shyly and glanced down at her feet, worried about making so much eye contact with the human.  She was always afraid someone would discover she was a freak.  Her mother knew and that was it. 

"Well, no, I didn't.  I've been killing vampires since I was eight.  That's when I discovered how to."

"And how did you know of the vampires here?  I had received several reports of murdered girls in the last week.  I was coming to find the vampires responsible, but it seems you've taken care of it."

She shrugged a bit, not bothering to answer him.

"What is your name?"

His British accent soothed her somewhat.  It was soft and polite and very comforting.

"I didn't introduce myself, did I?"  He continued.  "I suppose it's only right for me to tell you my name before I ask yours.  I'm Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."

 She replaced the stake into her pocket and shifted a bit.  She cleared her throat, deciding whether to respond.

"I'm Liberty Jamieson."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance.  I work at the Los Angeles firm of Wolfram and Hart."

Liberty took a step away from him at the mention of the evil law firm.  She had thought he was good, she'd felt it. 

"I would be ecstatic if you would come in tomorrow and talk with me, Miss Jamieson."

"I have school tomorrow."

Wesley folded his arms across his chest, seeming to consider what she just said.

"You did seem a bit young.  How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen.  I'm a junior in high school."

Wesley seemed to be a bit put out, though she didn't understand his disappointment.  He hadn't been hitting on her.  She knew when boys or men were hitting on her.  So why was he disappointed that she was seventeen?

"Ah, well, that puts a bit of a crimp in my plans.  All the same, I would still like for you to come into my office tomorrow.  After school would be acceptable."

"Why?"

"You'll have to come tomorrow to find out."

"You have me intrigued, Mr. Wyndam-Pryce."

"That is the intention, Miss Jamieson."

"Liberty or Libby, please.  If I'm going to your office, you should at least call me by my first name.  I'm not old."

"Same for you, then.  I like to think I'm not old."

Liberty smiled sweetly.  "I'll come tomorrow, Wesley.  At 3:30."

"I look forward to it."  Wesley slipped her a neatly printed business card.  Liberty studied it before putting in her jeans' back pocket.  Her thick black hair fell delicately over her shoulder as she turned away. 

"I'd offer you a ride, Liberty…"

"But I was taught to never get into cars with strange men."

He returned her toothy grin and sighed at her flippant wave as she walked on to the main street.  Wesley paused a few moments before returning to his own car.

            Liberty got into her car, not looking forward to the Los Angeles traffic.  That was one thing she'd hated since she'd gotten her driver's license was waiting in traffic.  School had been out for five minutes and she was on her way to the offices of Wolfram and Hart.  She wasn't sure why she was going to go there.  She knew the reputation the law firm had in the dark side of Los Angeles.  Still, Wesley seemed honest to her, quite an oxymoron if he was a lawyer.  She waited at a stoplight and applied some extra lip-gloss, since her previous had worn out.  She'd worn a pink and green striped skirt and a green shirt that matched her eyes, trying her best to look professional.  Why was she trying to look professional?  She was just full of questions that very day.  She pulled into the parking lot and parked into a guest spot.  She walked into the huge offices and suddenly felt intimidated.  She rarely felt it, but the law firm was a raging building of evilness, with spots of purity and goodness everywhere.  It confused her and almost caused her a great pain.  She took a deep breath and walked to the front desk.

"I'm looking for Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."

The receptionist stared at her for a moment, then nearly glared.  She looked quite curious at the sight of a young girl asking for Wesley, but didn't dare question it.
"He is on floor three, in the library.  Go on up, and his secretary will take you to him."

Liberty nodded and twisted her purse strap as she made her way to the elevator.

            The secretary had been expecting her, and led her right to Wesley.  He was seated at a desk, with many different books piled around him, one extra large one in front of him.

"Am I disturbing you, Wesley?"
"No, just trying to avert the next apocalypse."

"You make it sound typical."

"It is."

Liberty scanned the room she was in, surprised by all the books and files that surrounded her. 

"Have a seat, Liberty."

"You have a bit of everything in here, don't you?"
"Wolfram and Hart must have every available resource.  Anything less would be tragic."

He was a bit sarcastic on that front.  Liberty tilted her head, trying to find any other indication of the meaning of his words but found nothing.  They sat quietly, despite the curiosity of both.

"Why did you want to talk to me?"
"I wanted to ask you some questions.  Say, how did you discover the truth about vampires?"
"When I saw one lure a girl into the street and eat her."

"That would do it.  And ever since you fought vampires?"
"No.  Not really.  It's kind of complicated, Wesley, and hard to explain."

"I do work here until nine or ten at night usually."

Libby shrugged and slouched down in her chair, no longer caring if she made a perfect impression.  She didn't know if she could trust Wesley with her secret.  It wasn't something she spread around, in fact, her mother was the only one aware of her ability.  She didn't tell people about it.  They were blissfully ignorant of the entire existence of the supernatural and the mystical and she wasn't about to tell people about it.  Wesley, of course, was aware of the magicks, but was it time to tell him about it?  Trust him with her deepest, darkest, longest kept secret?
"I have a gift."

"A gift."

"I've had it since I was a little girl.  I didn't understand it until I turned eight.  I'd read a little bit of Bunnicula and began checking books out about vampires.  A lot of vampire books also covered demons.  And I realized that some of these things I was seeing in the eyes of people I met.

            "Then, one day my Mom took me to the movies.  I looked into the eyes of a man I'd met and could feel his bloodlust and not much else.  My mom went to go get popcorn for us and I followed the man outside, where he'd taken this girl.  His face changed and he bit her.  That was when I realized what I'd started to read was real.  That was why I got so many different feelings from these people.  I had a gift.  I started telling my mom and we started looking into it, and we realized what was happening.   So if someone needs help, I'll kill the monster.  If not, I just leave it alone."

Wesley placed his hands in a triangle after putting his book down.
"That is quite an impressive story."

"I suppose so."

"You're not like anyone I've ever met, Libby."

"Was that a line?"

Wesley chuckled.  "No.  But you knew that.  I was quite impressed by your work last night with that vampire.  You seemed to have no fear and you took care of him with no problems."

"I'm glad you like my moves."  Liberty giggled like the teenager she was and Wesley couldn't help but smile at her.

"You remind me so much of them."

"Who?"

"Several women I used to know.  All have died, but you're like a mixture of each personality."

Libby blushed and bit her lip.  She wasn't sure how to take it.  Wesley looked lost in his own personal reverie; walking down memory lane, so to speak.

"I'm not sure whether to say thank you or not."

Wesley shook his head and shifted in his chair.

"I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable, just making an observation.  I actually asked you here, Libby, to offer you a job."

Liberty leaned back, sitting up a bit straighter. 

"Excuse me?"

"A job.  I'd like you to head a teen research division."

"A teen research division."

"Many young adults are changed into vampires, romanced into demon worshipping cults, etc.  You could help us keep a watch out for them.  And since I'm now aware of your other talents, you could help us on other cases as well."

Liberty could hardly breathe, the entire situation seemed surreal to her.  She was seventeen and she was being offered a prestigious position at a top law firm in Los Angeles.  How realistic was that? 

"You'll even have your own office."

"Well, then, of course, that sells me."

She grinned as she tried to process everything.

"All right.  I'll have to check it with my mother.  But I do still have to go to school."

"Consider it an after school job."

"With my own office?"

Wesley nodded.  "I'll expect you to start work tomorrow.  I'll introduce you to the rest of the team then.  Just know some of them are a bit-different than usual.  You may get some confusing reads off of them."

"I got a confusing read off of you."

Wesley ignored the remark.  "I'll see you tomorrow, Liberty."

Though she was a little ticked that she was being dismissed when she wanted to ask Wesley so many questions, she decided to leave.  There was going to be plenty of time to question Wesley about his feelings later. 

"Thank you, Wesley."

He nodded as she turned away from him and left the library.  Wesley leaned back in his chair and pulled out his laptop from underneath a pile of books.  He needed to open a file on Liberty.  She was, after all, now a Wolfram and Hart employee.