A/N: I own nothing you recognize. Everything belongs to Joss and the brilliant minds at Mutant Enemy. I am merely playing.

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer

Season 2, episode 10

What's My Line Part II

Continued

Picks up from the fadeout of the fire in the church.

Outside in the middle of the night. The gang is hurriedly making their way out of the ruined, smoking building. Giles, Xander, Willow, and Cordelia come out first, dusty and panting. Slow pan up from the ground of Angel, supported by Kendra and Buffy. His nearly twenty-four hours of torture are painfully evident. The Holy Water burns on his chest are red, inflamed. His eyes are bright and feverish. He is moving on his own, but leaning heavily on the two slayers. The hand pierced by the dagger is bleeding freely, smearing a little on Buffy's clothing.

Buffy (as they're running): We HAVE to get him out of here! Cordelia, get your car. (Cordelia nods and makes a beeline for the parking lot without breaking stride)

Giles: I'll head back to-to the library. I have some-some supplies we might need.

Willow (anxious to help): I'll come with you.

Buffy: Fine. (Looks around Angel to Kendra) Kendra? Go with them in case anymore Tarakah creeps show up.

Kendra inclines her head in assent.

Giles, Willow, and Kendra start making their way as Cordelia squeals into sight. Xander efficiently takes Kendra's place under Angel's arm, who winces at the movement. Buffy and Xander help Angel into the backseat; Buffy climbs in with him and Xander rushes around to the front passenger. As they zoom off, Buffy exhales, probably a combination of relief, shock, and exhaustion.

Buffy (To Cordelia): Head to the Bronze.

Cordelia (as she turns left onto the road): What, are we stopping in for drinks, or something?

Xander (patronizingly): No, Cordelia, that's where Angel lives.

Cordelia (indignantly): Uhh! How come you knew that and I didn't??

Exterior of Cordelia's red car racing down the dark street.

Xander (v.o.) Scooby-level clearance.

Serious Again. The backseat. Angel is leaning his head back, eyes closed, breathing ragged. Cut to his hands, they are shaking. The right one is still bloody. Buffy is right next to him watching attentively, eyes full of concern.

Angel (with difficulty): It took-they took- blood. A lot.

Buffy tears off a strip of her shirt and starts to wrap his hand.

Buffy: It's gonna be OK. Just stay with me, alright?

Angel (agitated but slurring his words): Dru. Did-it-work? She...is she back...

Buffy (soothingly): Nothing happened. Just hang on, understand? Angel?

Cut to Angel's POV. Everything is blurred, out of focus. We hear Buffy's last sentence as echo-y and far away. Cut back to both of them. Angel exhales slightly and slumps forward, unconscious.

Buffy (catching him): Angel? Angel!

Cut to black.

Back to the car. Xander twists around in concern at Buffy's terrified shouts.

Cordelia (a note of panic): We're here!

Aerial shot of them pulling in to the familiar locale. Cut to library. Giles is coming out of his office precariously carrying a handful of medical-looking equipment. He hands it off to Willow and heads back inside. Willow puts the gear in the black leather bag she's holding. Kendra is standing a few feet away from Willow in a guard-like stance; eyes narrowed; head turning side to side.

Willow: What is this stuff, Giles?

Giles comes back out of his office carrying a small blue cooler whose contents are not revealed and heads for library doors. The girls follow.

Cut to the three of them walking briskly down the corridor. Remnants of Career Week (and Patrice's attack) are visible in the background.

Giles: W-Well, from what I-I-I was able to gather of v-vampyric rituals, uh, the one offering a-a sacrifice was nearly always killed. An-and if it didn't work, extremely debilitated for some time after. Th-This-this ritual was supposed to drain Angel en-entirely of blood in mere minutes. Even uncompleted, he still lost a-a very great deal.

Cut to aerial of Angel's bedroom. Angel, still out, is lying on his bed, sweaty and ashen. Buffy is crouched beside him applying a proper bandage to his right hand. Cordelia and Xander stand awkwardly behind her, unsure what to do or say.

Giles (v.o.) He may not have strength enough to replenish.

Buffy (finishes wrapping and feels his forehead): He's really hot. (To herself) Spike had better be looking over his shoulder the rest of his un-life. (Over her shoulder to the first person she sees): Cordelia. Go to the fridge, get a thing of blood. Hurry.

Follow Cordelia as she scampers around the corner and opens the fridge, which yields bags and bottles Angel's usual supply of animal blood. She looks away pulling a disgusted face and squeamishly picks up a bottle with two fingers and returns.

Buffy (as she grabs the bottle and pulls the top off): Angel? Can you hear me? (He is unresponsive) You need to drink this, OK? Come on...

She tilts his head back slightly and carefully tips the liquid down his throat. Angel can't do it. He chokes on it, aspirating it out and coughing violently. Buffy's eyes go wide in fear, afraid she's made things worse.

Buffy (quickly): Oh, God...

She hastily puts the bottle down and supports his head as he keeps coughing. She, Cordelia, and Xander look up as Giles, Willow, and Kendra enter. Angel is still again but gasping for air.

Buffy (slightly hysterical and distractedly running one hand through her hair): Giles, I-I-I don't know what to do, he can't-

Giles: It's alright, it's alright. I think there's another way. (He looks back to Willow who hands him the leather bag then back at Buffy.) Transfusion.

He nods to Buffy indicating for her to move. She does so, backing away and holding herself tightly. Willow goes to put an arm around her. Giles takes Buffy's places on his knees next to the bed, setting the small cooler down on the floor next to him. As these proceedings go against the very grain of her existence, Kendra opts to keep her distance.

Xander (nonplussed and using his hands for effect): You're giving a vampire a blood transfusion?

Giles chooses to ignore the ironic quip as he quickly and expertly preps Angel's arm.

Giles: Vam-vampires do possess veins that carry their-their blood supply. This should work as-as well as drinking it.

Brow furrowed slightly in concentration, he inserts the IV into Angel's forearm. Cut to close-up of Buffy watching. Her gazed is fixed over Giles onto Angel's face. In it, she seems to be looking at something no one else can see. She is distracted by Giles opening the cooler to reveal several hospital-issue blood transfusion bags.

Buffy (genuinely surprised and a tad suspicious): Where did you get those?

Giles: (now busy with a tube): It's cadaver blood. Every since- (he inclines his head down) -Angel joined our side, I thought it prudent to keep some on hand for, er, emergencies. For him. (He looks over at Buffy.) Just in case.

Cut to Buffy looking quietly touched by Giles' effort on her behalf.

Giles hangs a transfusion bag on the bedpost above and connects it to the IV ready in Angel's arm. At once, the blood drips slowly but reassuringly from the bag to the IV.

Giles (Exhaling): There. (He straitens up, removes his glasses and pulls out a handkerchief to polish them.) I-It may take a while, but this should give him back, um, all that the, er, ritual drained from him.

Buffy's returning look is beyond gratitude and relief. She closes her eyes and smiles wanly.

Buffy (in a small voice): Thank you.

She opens her eyes and looks around at her faithful gang (and over at Kendra). They look adrenaline-high but weary.

Buffy (sensing this): Why don't you guys pack it in, huh? (She looks down at Angel who seems a bit more restful then pulls a chair over next to him and sits) I'll keep first watch.

Xander smiles, claps Buffy on the shoulder and exits. Willow gives Buffy a look so full of understanding that it constitutes an entire conversation and follows Xander. Cut to a significant shot of Cordelia who is staring down at Angel with a mixture of perplexity and compassion, as if she is not used to feeling this sorry for someone. She shrugs it off in typical Cordy fashion as she, too, heads for the door.

Giles (tired but satisfied): I'll check-in in the morning, shall I? He should be awake by then. (Buffy nods gratefully and exit Giles.)

Kendra, arms folded, looks between Buffy and Angel, shakes her head disbelievingly, and turns to go.

Buffy (feeling generous now that Angel is out of immediate danger): Kendra?

Kendra (turns again): Yes?

Buffy: Much as I'm sure you'd prefer spending the rest of tonight in the graveyard racking up a little overtime, why don't you crash at my place? My mom's not home, but you can sneak in through the window if that would make you feel better.

Kendra (considers, then nods gravely): Tank you.

She leaves and now Buffy is alone with Angel. Cut to another aerial as Buffy settles herself in her chair facing the bed, clasping Angel's hand with both of hers.

Fade to black.

Early morning. Slow pan of Angel's apartment. Tiny beads of sunlight are visible through the blackout curtains. For the first time, we notice the mess Buffy and Kendra made during their struggle. Slow track into the bedroom. Buffy is sound asleep with her head on her arms, which lie folded on the mattress. Right above Buffy's head, we see Angel's IV and follow the tube up to the transfusion bag; it's empty.

We pull back and see that several other empty bags litter the bedside table. Cut back to Angel's left hand. It's flexing slowly. Cut full to Angel. He is stirring, finally waking up. His color is improved and it seems the transfusion worked. His eyes flutter a few times as he confusedly looks around. He recognizes his room and then stops short when he sees Buffy next to him. He looks at her intensely for a moment then strokes her hair gently with his fingertips.

Buffy groans and sleepily lifts her head, but keeps her gaze down, not yet noticing he's awake. She sighs and absently brushes the back of his hand. When his fingers respond to her touch she stops short. Her head snaps up and she meets his eyes.

Angel (a little hoarse): Hi.

Buffy's face breaks into a beautiful smile of relief.

Buffy (softly but with a little playfulness): Hey. Feelin' better?

Angel (tries to sit up but stops, wincing): Yeah, but how-

His IV cord tugs from his movement and he notices it for the first time.

Angel (curiously examining it): Is this..?

Buffy (matter-of-fact): Yep.

Angel (he raises his eyebrows at her): You gave a vampire a blood transfusion?

Buffy (rolling her eyes in pretend exasperation): Ooh, I can see we're going to get a lot of mileage out of this one.

Smiling, she leans her face into his, careful not to touch any injuries. They nuzzle for a moment then gently begin to kiss. Cut to Angel's bandaged right hand as it slowly comes up and wraps around Buffy's shoulder. Slow close up and hold of the mysterious antique ring on his finger.

Slow fade out.

Scene.

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