Angel was tired of putting it off, of things getting in the way of his search for information and he'd had enough of it. Not to mention that the whelp had let the Mayor slip past him while he was on watch. Angel took some time to try to get his breathing under control before he looked at Xander.

"Get Giles and Willow here now. We won't be leaving Buffy alone any longer, and if the nurses try to keep you away, have Willow handle it. And boy, you'll be getting your punishment later."

Xander couldn't help the shudder of fear that went through his body at the last sentence from the very tense and very pissed off Vamp. He knew at this point that speaking would only lead him to more trouble, so he simply nodded his head once to the vampire and left the room to look for his friends, all the while dreading what the punishment would be. He knew that he had defied Angel by letting the Mayor slip past him while he was guarding over his friend. And part of him knew to a certain extent that he had failed and that Angel had every right to punish him as he saw fit. Xander only hoped that he would survive the punishment with minimal scarring and no lasting psychological effects

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Xander had just found Giles and Willow in the cafeteria on the second floor and was telling them about the attack and how Angel wanted all of them with him in Buffy's room when the voice decided to come back for an encore.

'Behind you; he's coming. Get ready...NOW!' And again Xander reacted without conscious thought. Muscles that he hadn't notice tense shot out in action. He turned, grabbed the lapels of the person's coat and used the forward momentum and his right hip to flip the person and pin him to the floor. Xander didn't even notice that he had moved until he was looking into the wide eyes of a very startled Oz.

"Tense man?"

Xander was so shocked that he didn't say anything, just kept on staring at Oz. Vaguely he heard Willow exclaim about how he could do something like that to her boyfriend. He was so lost in thought about how his body had reacted to the voice once again that he didn't say a word until he heard Oz exclaim.

"God, Willow! What happened to your neck? A vamp bit you. Did you stake it? Is that why your here?"

This time it was all Xander, shy, gullible, nerdy Xander that spoke without thinking.

"No, Angel's the one that bit her. And me and Giles oh and Buffy too. That's why we're here."

"What?! Angel bit you guys? What the hell happened while I was looking for another sure?!" The usual monosyllabic man was gone, replaced with a man that feared the return of one of the most brutal and savage vampires that walked the Earth.

"Oz, I think, maybe, we should talk ok?" Willow's soft voice broke through Xander's haze, reminding him of Angel's words about Willow handling the nurses.

"Will's we can all have that talk later, for now can we not make the pissed off, very scary and strong vampire wait any longer? Please, I know I'm already in the doghouse with him as it is." Not realizing the canine reference until it was too late, Xander shot Oz an apologetic smile. The other teen just shot him a look that translated to how can you be so calm?

"Right. We shouldn't keep Angel waiting, especially if he's already not pleased with one of us as it is. That along with this attack on Buffy will undoubtedly have a very negative effect on his already...teetering human instincts." Giles spoke while polishing his already clean glasses.

Xander just nodded his head and began to lead the others to the room that held their hurt friend and her irate lover.

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Angel was standing next to Buffy's side while a nurse looked over her charts and made sure that the blood transfusion was going as planned. As Xander led the others into the small room the nurse looked up at the small crowd that was coming in to see her patient. Her face became clouded with a frown when she saw four people begin to enter the room; and as she opened her mouth to tell them that there was a two person limit on visitors she was interrupted by the young redheaded girl standing in between the older gentleman and the very short teen boy with spiky hair.

"Lassen sie uns vier zu denjenigen blind sein, die zugang von diesem zimmer verbieten würden. Wir, die nur bequemlichkeit in unserem freund, und frieden in unseren herzen suchen. Göttin segnen."

The nurse frowned and shook her head. She could have sworn that there were four people coming in the room. She put the chart down, walked to the door, and looked out in the hallway. She just saw doctors walking to the nurses station to retrieve charts. She turned back to find the handsome man looking at her with a slight smirk of amusement on his face. She merely shook her head again and left the room.

Angel kept on staring at the group that had moved out of the way as the nurse had walked out the door past them. He spared one look at the gamma before he saw that the werewolf and got up in the boys face. He was able to smell Willow on the boy, just as he could smell the boy on her. He was also able to smell that the boy was anxious with him being so close. He looked at the boy, and then to Willow. He tread over to Willow, wanting to question her and make sure that Oz was the one that she wanted, and that the boy with the inner-animal didn't force her to do something in the heat of the moment. But before he could get too close to her Oz intercepted him and stood in front of the girl. Angle was able to hear the inhuman growl that came from the boys chest and saw that the young man's eyes had turned black. Angel stopped in his tracks and cocked his head to the side and looked at the protective stance that the younger man held over the diminutive red head. Angel let the smirk slip back across his face before he let his voice pass over his lips.

"Willow, come here."

His soft voice was heard throughout the quiet room. The stillness that settled over the room only interrupted by the steady beeping of Buffy's heart monitor. Angel's eyes never leaving the young werewolf's as the young woman slid out from behind of her beau, to stand in front of the vampire.

As the Willow walked past him, Oz tried to grab her arm, but Willow shook him off and stood resolutely in front of both her boyfriend and the vampire that meant so much to her friend.

Angel knew that Oz viewed Willow as his mate, and Angel knew from experience that he gained just that night that you never come between a male and his mate. Even knowing that Angel pushed his luck. He lifted his hand and caressed Willow's head; unknowingly copying the gesture that had helped nudge the Witch and Wolf to taking their big step. Angel felt Willow slightly lean into the touch of his hand and he saw that Oz's face harden in anger. Angel took his hand away and looked away from Oz to focus on Willow.

"Willow. Look at me." And Angel watched as Willow turned her whole body to look at him. He was please that she didn't look him in the eye; submissiveness written all over he body. As he watched her turn he felt Oz tense, almost as if he were readying himself to attack, when he heard someone step between them. Angel looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a sight that surprised him more than he thought possible in his 240 plus years of existence on this planet. He saw that Xander had taken position between them all. Not willing to let any more time waste, he turned his attention back to the witch in front of him.

"Willow, is he the one that you want? Is he the one that you choose to take care of you from now on. Do you choose him as your mate?

Willow snapped her head up to look Angel in the eyes when he said the word 'mate'; her eyes growing wide in surprise and shock. She stared at him for seconds before she realized that he was expecting an answer. She nodded her head rapidly hoping that her hunch about what was going to happen was right.

Just as Angel opened his mouth to speak once again, he heard a voice that made his entire body freeze…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The spell that Willow used was translated to German because I couldn't find a decent Latin translator online without paying for it. So I used German. This is what the spell is in English. Let we four be blind to those who would ban out entry from this room. We who seek only comfort in our friend's, and peace in our hearts. Goddess bless. I am so sorry that it took me all these months to come out with this chapter, but it just would not come out the way that I wanted it to when I tried to sit down and write it. Finally it happened and this is the result of all those months of work. I hope that everyone likes it and I know what will happen on the next one so there is no way that it will take as long to come out as this one did.

Also, I was hoping that you guys could help me with a problem. If, by some chance that the next chapter confirms what I am starting to believe, then I am going to have to either put this story on indefinite hold, or give it to someone that can focus more attention to this story like it disserves. It's not that I don't like this story, I do. I would like nothing more than to keep on writing this and let you all be surprised with what I have planned for my AU story, but with what it happening in my life, I don't think that I can do that. So what I am wanting those of you who would be willing to take over this series to do is email me a trail chapter. I will read them, and based on that chapter I will name the person that will continue on with this story. Thank you for your patience and reviews, without which this story would have stopped long ago.