Winifred Burkle
Winifred Burkle, or Fred, is a Texan who came to California to study physics. She worked in a library, where she was sucked into an alternate dimension, Pylea, after reading words from a book in the foreign language section. The dimension of Pylea functioned much like an old fashioned feudal system, with humans as the lowest member. They were called "cows" and used as slaves until their body "gave". Fred somehow escaped, and lived in a cave, making food from berries, twigs, and tree branches. She survived, but the whole cave dwelling thing left her a bit loopy. When we first meet Fred, she's not the sanest slave on the block. Back in LA, Cordelia had a vision concerning Fred, and was sucked through a portal much like the one that transported Fred to Pylea. Angel, Gunn, Wesley, and Lorne followed her. Cordelia is the first to encounter Fred in Pylea, after Fred risks her life to warn Cordelia about the situation she was in. Fred was captured for her troubles, and sentenced to death. The next member of the gang to meet Fred is Angel, who was inadvertently chosen to kill Fred. He saves her, and they ride off on a horse. Fred is initially reluctant to believe Angel even exists, she has been alone for so long, she doesn't want to get her hopes up. She finally accepts him, then shows the first hint of her courage when she shows no fear of his demonic side, which manifests itself in its true form in Pylea. Fred and Angel eventually meet up with Wesley, Gunn, and Cordelia, and after a fight, make it home. Fred developed a crush on Angel, becoming rather dependent on him, only to have him leave when they return home and learn that Angel's love, Buffy has died. Angel flees to a monastery, leaving Fred to trade one cave for another, retreating to her room and rarely venturing out. When Angel returned, Fred's crush continued. She tried to adjust to normal life again, going out to Caritas, only to be caught in the midst of a violent fight. She once again shows courage by hijacking the leader of the gang with a crossbow. Fred later realized her crush on Angel wasn't going to be returned, dealt with it, and eventually bonded with the other members of the AI team, Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley. Fred seemed to be adjusting to her new life very nicely, until a visit from her parents causes her to flee in a panic. The gang initially fears her parents meant to hurt her, but later discover that by facing them, Fred would have to acknowledge that her years of torture in Pylea were real. She decided to return to Texas with her parents, only to go back to AI, saving the day, and finding her niche in the AI team. Fred's life at AI continued, and progressed rather nicely. Wesley showed an interest in her romantically, until a demon causing men to act violently towards women possessed him, causing him to chase Fred. Gunn is eventually infected as well, but Fred holds her own, knocking out both Gunn and Wesley. Fred dealt with this ordeal better than Wesley, who felt an extreme remorse for his actions. When Gunn killed a former professor of Fred's to save her from doing it, their relationship was on the rocks. Things didn't seem to be working, and it got worse when Fred and Wesley kissed. From then on she was on her own. Only until she really found out her true feeling for Wesley, which came out when she kissed him out of the blue. The two were very happy. Then Fred became infected with a demon called Illyria. Slowly her insides were melted and she died in the arms of her lover. Her soul was destroyed in the flames of resurrection, which resurrected Illyria. She is truly ... gone.