Chapter 13
Lullaby (part 2)
"We're going to go to a karaoke bar?" Xander asked. Angel had just parked the car in front of Caritas.
"It's not what you think."
"It's a bar that does karaoke! How wrong could my thinking be?"
"Ok, yeah it is a karaoke bar. My friend Lorne owns this place."
"The green demon-y guy?"
"Yeah." Angel help Buffy out of the car and they walked to the stairs that led down into the bar. He held her up the whole way down the stairs. "Just a few more steps. That's it. Okay. All right." Everyone came over to Buffy and Angel. "Guys. A chair. Chair."
Wes pulled out a chair for Buffy.
"Geez, what happened?" Gunn asked.
Angel helped Buffy into the chair. "Easy."
"Thanks." Buffy said.
"You're welcome." Cordy answered.
Angel nodded to the men to come over to the corner of the room away from Buffy.
"You gave us quite a scare. But I guess you're used to that, what with being a scary thing and all. You're the slayer, you're a very scary person." Fred said.
"Thanks." Buffy said sarcastically. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that. I don't know what got into me."
"She's in a lot of pain." Angel said to Lorne, Gunn, Wes, and Xander.
"How frequent are the contractions?" Wes asked.
"That's the thing, they've stopped. Or so Buffy says."
"She was well into the active stage of labor. I don't understand."
"I don't either. She just stopped having them."
"Hey, Willow said something about Baxter Hits!" Xander said.
"You mean Braxton-Hicks?" Wes asked.
"Yeah. That's it."
"But the pain she's experiencing?"
"She said she wants to go back to the hospital." Angel said.
"That's worrying."
"Angel!" Cordy called.
"Buffy? Buffy, what is it?" Angel asked.
She was hunched over her stomach and crying. "Angel."
"Let's get her into my bedroom. Come on." Lorne said.
Xander and Angel helped Buffy up and Lorne led them to his room.
"Easy. Easy now. Come on, sweetheart. We'll get you right in there." Lorne said to Buffy as he moved some things off his bed.
They laid her down and Willow and Wes came in to check on her. Angel stood by the doorway and watched them. After a minute, they came over to him.
"Is she going to be ok?" Angel asked.
"She's tough as nails." Wes said.
"Also a slayer, so that goes in her favor a little." Willow said.
"What about the baby?" Angel asked.
Willow and Wes looked at Buffy and then back at Angel. They led Angel out into the main part of the bar and left Fred with Buffy.
"What? What is it?" Angel asked.
"Angel, I think you need to prepare yourself for the worst if we don't get her to a doctor soon." Wes said.
"No."
"The baby's heartbeat is faint. Very faint. And Buffy's is too. She's starting to show signs of how she was earlier today."
"What do we do?"
"We get her to the hospital."
"We can't. It's not safe there."
"Then the baby, and Buffy, could die."
"This doesn't make any sense. I mean, this whole thing has been a miracle, right? You don't just get half a miracle, do you? I mean, the powers, they brought her this far, they protected the baby all this time.."
"We don't know that. We don't know that it's the powers that's been protecting it. Angel, I'm sorry, but what if what Buffy's carrying is the thing in the prophecies? That scourge of mankind that's supposed to plunge the world into ultimate darkness? What if.. what if what's happening to Buffy now, what if that's the powers? Finally stepping up to the plate and doing something for once!" Gunn asked.
"How? By killing my kid and my wife?" Angel walked to Lorne's bedroom and shut the door.
"Do you always have to be so damned honest?" Cordy asked Gunn.
"Hi. How 're you doing?" Angel asked, sitting in a chair next to the bed.
"He finally stopped kicking." Buffy said weakly.
"Did he?" Angel leaned forward and put his hand on Buffy's belly. "I guess he figured he finally got your attention."
"He's dying. And so am I. Aren't we?"
"No."
"You've never been able to lie very well. I can feel his life slipping away and mine's going with him."
"Then don't let it. You have to fight for this. Please."
"I don't know how. My miracle baby. My little Conner Alexander."
Angel had tears in his eyes as he held Buffy's hand and kissed it. Suddenly there was an explosion just as everyone ran into the room.
"What's going on?" Angel asked.
"We're being attacked!" Wes said.
"Attacked? I thought you had double protection sanctorium spells?"
"I do. It's a thing with the door and the stairs and the world and the thing. Never mind!" Lorne said.
"Apparently you can be outside and shove stuff in." Gunn said.
"I just said that!"
A burning beam came crashing down next to wear Angel and Buffy were standing. Buffy let out a scream.
"It's him." Angel yelled.
"What!? Who?" Buffy asked.
"Come on. We've got to move the bed." Lorne said.
"Angel?" Buffy asked, looking Angel in the eyes.
"It's a long story Buffy. One that we don't have time for."
"What's behind the bed?" Xander asked as they pulled out the bed.
"An old loading dock door. I had the whole place converted." Lorne said.
"What's on the other side?" Gunn asked.
"An alley."
"You got an ax, a hammer or anything?"
"Buddha head." Wes said.
"Rhino." Cordy said holding a rhino statue while Wes held a Buddha head.
"Angel! We could use some vampire strength here!" Wes called.
"Cordy, Fred!" Angel said.
The girls went and helped Buffy out while Angel stepped between Wes and Gunn who stepped aside and watched him batter down the wall with his fists and feet.
A back alley lit by Chinese lanterns was revealed when Angel broke through into it from Lorne's bedroom. Wooden shards flew as he enlarged the opening. Cordy stepped through it, followed by Wes, Fred, Gunn and Lorne. Then Angel half carried Buffy through it.
"No. No. Go on. I can't. It doesn't matter anyway." Buffy said.
"I'm not leaving you, alright? Easy. Alright." Angel pulled out his keys and tossed them towards the others. "Go get my car. It's out front." Angel lowered Buffy to the ground and crouched beside her. "I've got you." Cordy came up to them, but Angel waved her away. "Go!"
All of them turned and hurried off, but after a few steps Willow stopped and ran back to crouch beside Angel and Buffy.
"Willow, go with them." Angel said.
"It's okay. They'll come back for us. Besides, Buffy never left me when I was getting off the magicks and I'm not leaving her when she's like this." Willow replied.
Angel took off his jacket and slung it around Willow's shoulders. Then to Buffy he said, "You're gonna be okay."
"No. No, I don't think so." Buffy said.
"Yes it is. When have you ever given up this way Buffy? Never. And you're not giving up now. We're going to get you out of here and into a hospital. I am not going to lose you or the baby."
Buffy stared at him, tears running down her face. "Angel, I don't want to die."
"I know. And you won't. Not now." Angel scooped Buffy up into his arms just as Holtz walked through the flaming hole that Angel had made. He lifted a crossbow and aimed it Angel. Angel just stared back pleadingly at him, holding Buffy tightly to him. Fred handed Angel his jacket and he laid it over Buffy. He looked back at Holtz and they stared at each other for a moment.
"Angel." Buffy said in an almost whisper.
Angel looked down at her. "Shh, it's going to be all right lover. You're going to make it. I'll get you to the hospital." Angel looked back at Holtz.
Angel's car appeared at the mouth of the alley and Wesley got out. Angel looked back at Holtz who lowered his crossbow. Angel looked at him gratefully and carried Buffy out of the alley with Willow moving Buffy's wet, matted hair out of her face.
They reached the car and Willow helped Angel get in with Buffy still in his arms. Gunn drove Angel's car while Wesley, Lorne, and Fred followed in Wes's car. All the way, Angel rocked Buffy in his arms, telling her that everything was going to be ok while Cordy was on Angel's cell phone calling the hospital to have them ready when Angel arrived with Buffy.
Gunn pulled up to the hospital with a screeching halt. He opened the door for Angel to get out and stepped out of the way. Angel bolted out of the backseat and into the emergency room. Two doctors rushed up to them with a gurney and Angel gently laid her on it. Buffy wasn't registering any of it. Her eyes were half closed and what Angel could see of them was glazed over. The only signs that she was alive were her breathing and the faint beat of her heart that Angel listened to. He clung to that with all his hope. That one sound of life coming from his beloved.
Buffy laid in a hospital bed four days later. She was still sick, but things were looking much better. She had had small case pneumonia and a severely high fever. The baby was doing fine. The doctors had called it a miracle. Conner's heartbeat had picked up with the drugs they had given him through Buffy and he only had a minor cold. Angel had had Buffy transferred to Sunnydale Medical Center the day before. She had complained about missing home to him when she was still deep in her fever a couple of days ago and Angel knew that she wasn't being delusional.
Now he sat with her in her private room on the fourth floor of the maternity ward. She was arguing with the nurse that the hospital food was making her sick and she wanted some real food. The only thing she would eat out of the food they brought her was the Jello. The nurse left in a huff and Buffy turned back to Angel.
"You're not helping either." Buffy said.
"What?"
"You! You're supposed to be the young, hot husband that sneaks in food to his sick and pregnant wife."
"I'm not young."
"No, but you look it."
"I sent Xander out to get you some food from the bakery on Main Street."
"You're a god."
"No, just a vamp."
Buffy sighed.
"So, you really don't remember anything that happened after we got to Caritas?" Angel asked.
"No. I blanked out. I was so sick that I was out of my mind up on that rooftop. The last thing I remember was Xander saying something about something about faking my contractions."
"That's just before you hunched over and gripped your stomach."
"Yup. Why? Did I miss something?"
"A little. Nothing you need to worry about."
"You sure?"
"Positive. Right now I want you to concentrate on getting better. We miss you at home."
"You haven't been home at all the past four days."
"Nope. But I know they miss you."
There was a knock on the door and the two looked over to find Tara standing there.
"Hey Buffy. Hi Angel." Tara said.
"Tara!" Buffy said. "Hey."
Tara hugged Buffy. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. I'm ready to go home. I'll have to be here again next month anyways." Tara smiled.
"So, where's Willow? I figured she'd be with you now that you two are back together."
"Oh, she, uh, she had class. I told her I was going to come here and she said that it was fine. She'll be by later."
"I'm surprised you two even made it out of bed."
"Me too."
The two girls laughed.
Xander walked in with a huge bulge in his jacket. "Hey there Buff!"
"Hey." Buffy said.
"Hey Xander, when did you get so fat?" Tara asked.
"Ha ha." Xander unzipped his coat and pulled out a bag. "It's for milady here."
"Thank you kind sir." Buffy said taking the bag from him. "What'd ya bring me?"
"Croissants, a muffin, and a jelly donut."
"No drink?"
Xander pulled a diet coke out of his pocket and handed it to her.
"God bless you."
"Thank you." Xander took a bow.
"How are you doing?" Tara asked Xander.
"I've been better. I haven't seen Anya in a while. Actually I haven't seen her since.."
"Since the wedding."
"What wedding? I destroyed her dream day because I was a coward. I was so determined to be like Buffy and Angel here and then I saw my parents and all I could think was 'that's going to be me.' I couldn't hurt her like that. That demon showing me a future that I was afraid of didn't help either."
"Ah Xand. You'll figure out a way to fix it. Don't worry about it." Buffy said.
"Maybe." He looked at Angel. "Hey Angel, you're quiet."
"Just watching you guys." Angel said.
"He's been quiet for four days." Buffy said. "I'm beginning to worry."
"No. Don't worry Buffy. You need to get better and one reason you're sick is because you worried too much and that put too much stress on you."
"Hey! Slow down. You'd've suffocated yourself if you'd needed oxygen." Buffy said. "Don't worry ok. I was kidding."
"Whew, can we say wound up tight?" Xander said.
"Has anyone called Giles and told him you're in the hospital?" Tara asked.
"Now that you mention it, no." Angel said.
"Maybe we should."
"Anyone have his number?" Xander asked.
"It's at home." Buffy said.
"I'll go get it." Xander said. "For I am Xander the running man. Not to be confused with the movie where they're all running from psychotic killers in costumes." With that Xander was gone.
They waited there for about thirty minutes before Xander returned.
"Here it is." Xander said. He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Buffy.
Angel handed her the phone and she dialed the number. After a few minutes of many rings, Giles picked up.
"Hello?" he asked groggily.
"Giles?" Buffy said.
"Buffy?"
"Hi. Were you asleep? Cause if you were I can call later."
"No, no it's fine. Is everything all right?"
"It's been better."
"What's the matter?"
"I'm in the hospital for one thing."
"Buffy! How long have you been there?"
"Four days. Well, actually I've been here for two days, but I was in critical care in LA. Angel had me transferred here yesterday because I was getting homesick."
"What's wrong? Is the baby ok?"
"Yeah, yeah! Conner's fine. Better than me even."
"What's wrong with you then?"
"Well, five days ago Wesley called a meeting to tell us about something he found in the Nyazian scrolls."
"Wesley has the Nyazian scrolls?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I've never seen them before. They were believed to be lost."
"Well, they played a great game of hide and go seek. Anyways, there's a prophecy about a vampire slayer and the vampire with a soul, or the two warriors of light, to come together and make one. Then he tells us that our baby may be evil. Angel said that we might have to destroy Conner and I got upset and went upstairs. He came up to apologize, I yelled, I fainted, I got put in the hospital. Then, there was this cult that wanted to worship my baby after they ate my eyeballs and wore my guts as party hats at the hospital and we ran away from them. Angel went to get the scrolls for Wesley, I had Tony Braxton contractions.."
"Braxton-Hicks contractions."
"Whatever. Anyways, we got attacked by demons, I took off in Angel's car, went to a rooftop to hide, Angel found me, we talked, he took me away and that's all I remember. The next thing I knew I was in the hospital."
"You never said what was wrong with you."
"Oh! Fred's rubbing off on me."
"Fred?"
"A friend. Anyway, I had a minor case of pneumonia, I was dehydrated, and I had a severe fever. Conner has a minor cold."
"You're fine now, right?"
"Oh yeah, the doctor said I should be able to get out of here by tomorrow night, early Saturday morning."
"That's wonderful to hear. Is everything else ok?"
"Oh yeah! It's peachy."
"Is Angel there?"
"Yeah."
"May I.."
"Speak to him? Sure!" She handed the phone to Angel.
"Hello?" Angel said.
"Hello Angel. How are you?"
"At this very moment? Um, completely relieved."
"I can only imagine. What happened when Buffy blacked out?"
"I took her to Caritas, a friend of mine's karaoke bar, and we were attacked by someone and I got her out of there and to the hospital."
"Oh my!"
"Tell me about it!"
"Yes, well."
"I'll let you talk to Buffy again."
"All right. Goodbye."
"Bye."
Buffy took the phone. "Well, I'm going to go. The nurse just came in to check up on me. I'll talk to you later?"
"Yes. Goodbye Buffy."
"Bye Giles." Buffy hung up the phone. "Now that that's over with."
Angel just smiled at her.
Lullaby (part 2)
"We're going to go to a karaoke bar?" Xander asked. Angel had just parked the car in front of Caritas.
"It's not what you think."
"It's a bar that does karaoke! How wrong could my thinking be?"
"Ok, yeah it is a karaoke bar. My friend Lorne owns this place."
"The green demon-y guy?"
"Yeah." Angel help Buffy out of the car and they walked to the stairs that led down into the bar. He held her up the whole way down the stairs. "Just a few more steps. That's it. Okay. All right." Everyone came over to Buffy and Angel. "Guys. A chair. Chair."
Wes pulled out a chair for Buffy.
"Geez, what happened?" Gunn asked.
Angel helped Buffy into the chair. "Easy."
"Thanks." Buffy said.
"You're welcome." Cordy answered.
Angel nodded to the men to come over to the corner of the room away from Buffy.
"You gave us quite a scare. But I guess you're used to that, what with being a scary thing and all. You're the slayer, you're a very scary person." Fred said.
"Thanks." Buffy said sarcastically. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that. I don't know what got into me."
"She's in a lot of pain." Angel said to Lorne, Gunn, Wes, and Xander.
"How frequent are the contractions?" Wes asked.
"That's the thing, they've stopped. Or so Buffy says."
"She was well into the active stage of labor. I don't understand."
"I don't either. She just stopped having them."
"Hey, Willow said something about Baxter Hits!" Xander said.
"You mean Braxton-Hicks?" Wes asked.
"Yeah. That's it."
"But the pain she's experiencing?"
"She said she wants to go back to the hospital." Angel said.
"That's worrying."
"Angel!" Cordy called.
"Buffy? Buffy, what is it?" Angel asked.
She was hunched over her stomach and crying. "Angel."
"Let's get her into my bedroom. Come on." Lorne said.
Xander and Angel helped Buffy up and Lorne led them to his room.
"Easy. Easy now. Come on, sweetheart. We'll get you right in there." Lorne said to Buffy as he moved some things off his bed.
They laid her down and Willow and Wes came in to check on her. Angel stood by the doorway and watched them. After a minute, they came over to him.
"Is she going to be ok?" Angel asked.
"She's tough as nails." Wes said.
"Also a slayer, so that goes in her favor a little." Willow said.
"What about the baby?" Angel asked.
Willow and Wes looked at Buffy and then back at Angel. They led Angel out into the main part of the bar and left Fred with Buffy.
"What? What is it?" Angel asked.
"Angel, I think you need to prepare yourself for the worst if we don't get her to a doctor soon." Wes said.
"No."
"The baby's heartbeat is faint. Very faint. And Buffy's is too. She's starting to show signs of how she was earlier today."
"What do we do?"
"We get her to the hospital."
"We can't. It's not safe there."
"Then the baby, and Buffy, could die."
"This doesn't make any sense. I mean, this whole thing has been a miracle, right? You don't just get half a miracle, do you? I mean, the powers, they brought her this far, they protected the baby all this time.."
"We don't know that. We don't know that it's the powers that's been protecting it. Angel, I'm sorry, but what if what Buffy's carrying is the thing in the prophecies? That scourge of mankind that's supposed to plunge the world into ultimate darkness? What if.. what if what's happening to Buffy now, what if that's the powers? Finally stepping up to the plate and doing something for once!" Gunn asked.
"How? By killing my kid and my wife?" Angel walked to Lorne's bedroom and shut the door.
"Do you always have to be so damned honest?" Cordy asked Gunn.
"Hi. How 're you doing?" Angel asked, sitting in a chair next to the bed.
"He finally stopped kicking." Buffy said weakly.
"Did he?" Angel leaned forward and put his hand on Buffy's belly. "I guess he figured he finally got your attention."
"He's dying. And so am I. Aren't we?"
"No."
"You've never been able to lie very well. I can feel his life slipping away and mine's going with him."
"Then don't let it. You have to fight for this. Please."
"I don't know how. My miracle baby. My little Conner Alexander."
Angel had tears in his eyes as he held Buffy's hand and kissed it. Suddenly there was an explosion just as everyone ran into the room.
"What's going on?" Angel asked.
"We're being attacked!" Wes said.
"Attacked? I thought you had double protection sanctorium spells?"
"I do. It's a thing with the door and the stairs and the world and the thing. Never mind!" Lorne said.
"Apparently you can be outside and shove stuff in." Gunn said.
"I just said that!"
A burning beam came crashing down next to wear Angel and Buffy were standing. Buffy let out a scream.
"It's him." Angel yelled.
"What!? Who?" Buffy asked.
"Come on. We've got to move the bed." Lorne said.
"Angel?" Buffy asked, looking Angel in the eyes.
"It's a long story Buffy. One that we don't have time for."
"What's behind the bed?" Xander asked as they pulled out the bed.
"An old loading dock door. I had the whole place converted." Lorne said.
"What's on the other side?" Gunn asked.
"An alley."
"You got an ax, a hammer or anything?"
"Buddha head." Wes said.
"Rhino." Cordy said holding a rhino statue while Wes held a Buddha head.
"Angel! We could use some vampire strength here!" Wes called.
"Cordy, Fred!" Angel said.
The girls went and helped Buffy out while Angel stepped between Wes and Gunn who stepped aside and watched him batter down the wall with his fists and feet.
A back alley lit by Chinese lanterns was revealed when Angel broke through into it from Lorne's bedroom. Wooden shards flew as he enlarged the opening. Cordy stepped through it, followed by Wes, Fred, Gunn and Lorne. Then Angel half carried Buffy through it.
"No. No. Go on. I can't. It doesn't matter anyway." Buffy said.
"I'm not leaving you, alright? Easy. Alright." Angel pulled out his keys and tossed them towards the others. "Go get my car. It's out front." Angel lowered Buffy to the ground and crouched beside her. "I've got you." Cordy came up to them, but Angel waved her away. "Go!"
All of them turned and hurried off, but after a few steps Willow stopped and ran back to crouch beside Angel and Buffy.
"Willow, go with them." Angel said.
"It's okay. They'll come back for us. Besides, Buffy never left me when I was getting off the magicks and I'm not leaving her when she's like this." Willow replied.
Angel took off his jacket and slung it around Willow's shoulders. Then to Buffy he said, "You're gonna be okay."
"No. No, I don't think so." Buffy said.
"Yes it is. When have you ever given up this way Buffy? Never. And you're not giving up now. We're going to get you out of here and into a hospital. I am not going to lose you or the baby."
Buffy stared at him, tears running down her face. "Angel, I don't want to die."
"I know. And you won't. Not now." Angel scooped Buffy up into his arms just as Holtz walked through the flaming hole that Angel had made. He lifted a crossbow and aimed it Angel. Angel just stared back pleadingly at him, holding Buffy tightly to him. Fred handed Angel his jacket and he laid it over Buffy. He looked back at Holtz and they stared at each other for a moment.
"Angel." Buffy said in an almost whisper.
Angel looked down at her. "Shh, it's going to be all right lover. You're going to make it. I'll get you to the hospital." Angel looked back at Holtz.
Angel's car appeared at the mouth of the alley and Wesley got out. Angel looked back at Holtz who lowered his crossbow. Angel looked at him gratefully and carried Buffy out of the alley with Willow moving Buffy's wet, matted hair out of her face.
They reached the car and Willow helped Angel get in with Buffy still in his arms. Gunn drove Angel's car while Wesley, Lorne, and Fred followed in Wes's car. All the way, Angel rocked Buffy in his arms, telling her that everything was going to be ok while Cordy was on Angel's cell phone calling the hospital to have them ready when Angel arrived with Buffy.
Gunn pulled up to the hospital with a screeching halt. He opened the door for Angel to get out and stepped out of the way. Angel bolted out of the backseat and into the emergency room. Two doctors rushed up to them with a gurney and Angel gently laid her on it. Buffy wasn't registering any of it. Her eyes were half closed and what Angel could see of them was glazed over. The only signs that she was alive were her breathing and the faint beat of her heart that Angel listened to. He clung to that with all his hope. That one sound of life coming from his beloved.
Buffy laid in a hospital bed four days later. She was still sick, but things were looking much better. She had had small case pneumonia and a severely high fever. The baby was doing fine. The doctors had called it a miracle. Conner's heartbeat had picked up with the drugs they had given him through Buffy and he only had a minor cold. Angel had had Buffy transferred to Sunnydale Medical Center the day before. She had complained about missing home to him when she was still deep in her fever a couple of days ago and Angel knew that she wasn't being delusional.
Now he sat with her in her private room on the fourth floor of the maternity ward. She was arguing with the nurse that the hospital food was making her sick and she wanted some real food. The only thing she would eat out of the food they brought her was the Jello. The nurse left in a huff and Buffy turned back to Angel.
"You're not helping either." Buffy said.
"What?"
"You! You're supposed to be the young, hot husband that sneaks in food to his sick and pregnant wife."
"I'm not young."
"No, but you look it."
"I sent Xander out to get you some food from the bakery on Main Street."
"You're a god."
"No, just a vamp."
Buffy sighed.
"So, you really don't remember anything that happened after we got to Caritas?" Angel asked.
"No. I blanked out. I was so sick that I was out of my mind up on that rooftop. The last thing I remember was Xander saying something about something about faking my contractions."
"That's just before you hunched over and gripped your stomach."
"Yup. Why? Did I miss something?"
"A little. Nothing you need to worry about."
"You sure?"
"Positive. Right now I want you to concentrate on getting better. We miss you at home."
"You haven't been home at all the past four days."
"Nope. But I know they miss you."
There was a knock on the door and the two looked over to find Tara standing there.
"Hey Buffy. Hi Angel." Tara said.
"Tara!" Buffy said. "Hey."
Tara hugged Buffy. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. I'm ready to go home. I'll have to be here again next month anyways." Tara smiled.
"So, where's Willow? I figured she'd be with you now that you two are back together."
"Oh, she, uh, she had class. I told her I was going to come here and she said that it was fine. She'll be by later."
"I'm surprised you two even made it out of bed."
"Me too."
The two girls laughed.
Xander walked in with a huge bulge in his jacket. "Hey there Buff!"
"Hey." Buffy said.
"Hey Xander, when did you get so fat?" Tara asked.
"Ha ha." Xander unzipped his coat and pulled out a bag. "It's for milady here."
"Thank you kind sir." Buffy said taking the bag from him. "What'd ya bring me?"
"Croissants, a muffin, and a jelly donut."
"No drink?"
Xander pulled a diet coke out of his pocket and handed it to her.
"God bless you."
"Thank you." Xander took a bow.
"How are you doing?" Tara asked Xander.
"I've been better. I haven't seen Anya in a while. Actually I haven't seen her since.."
"Since the wedding."
"What wedding? I destroyed her dream day because I was a coward. I was so determined to be like Buffy and Angel here and then I saw my parents and all I could think was 'that's going to be me.' I couldn't hurt her like that. That demon showing me a future that I was afraid of didn't help either."
"Ah Xand. You'll figure out a way to fix it. Don't worry about it." Buffy said.
"Maybe." He looked at Angel. "Hey Angel, you're quiet."
"Just watching you guys." Angel said.
"He's been quiet for four days." Buffy said. "I'm beginning to worry."
"No. Don't worry Buffy. You need to get better and one reason you're sick is because you worried too much and that put too much stress on you."
"Hey! Slow down. You'd've suffocated yourself if you'd needed oxygen." Buffy said. "Don't worry ok. I was kidding."
"Whew, can we say wound up tight?" Xander said.
"Has anyone called Giles and told him you're in the hospital?" Tara asked.
"Now that you mention it, no." Angel said.
"Maybe we should."
"Anyone have his number?" Xander asked.
"It's at home." Buffy said.
"I'll go get it." Xander said. "For I am Xander the running man. Not to be confused with the movie where they're all running from psychotic killers in costumes." With that Xander was gone.
They waited there for about thirty minutes before Xander returned.
"Here it is." Xander said. He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Buffy.
Angel handed her the phone and she dialed the number. After a few minutes of many rings, Giles picked up.
"Hello?" he asked groggily.
"Giles?" Buffy said.
"Buffy?"
"Hi. Were you asleep? Cause if you were I can call later."
"No, no it's fine. Is everything all right?"
"It's been better."
"What's the matter?"
"I'm in the hospital for one thing."
"Buffy! How long have you been there?"
"Four days. Well, actually I've been here for two days, but I was in critical care in LA. Angel had me transferred here yesterday because I was getting homesick."
"What's wrong? Is the baby ok?"
"Yeah, yeah! Conner's fine. Better than me even."
"What's wrong with you then?"
"Well, five days ago Wesley called a meeting to tell us about something he found in the Nyazian scrolls."
"Wesley has the Nyazian scrolls?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I've never seen them before. They were believed to be lost."
"Well, they played a great game of hide and go seek. Anyways, there's a prophecy about a vampire slayer and the vampire with a soul, or the two warriors of light, to come together and make one. Then he tells us that our baby may be evil. Angel said that we might have to destroy Conner and I got upset and went upstairs. He came up to apologize, I yelled, I fainted, I got put in the hospital. Then, there was this cult that wanted to worship my baby after they ate my eyeballs and wore my guts as party hats at the hospital and we ran away from them. Angel went to get the scrolls for Wesley, I had Tony Braxton contractions.."
"Braxton-Hicks contractions."
"Whatever. Anyways, we got attacked by demons, I took off in Angel's car, went to a rooftop to hide, Angel found me, we talked, he took me away and that's all I remember. The next thing I knew I was in the hospital."
"You never said what was wrong with you."
"Oh! Fred's rubbing off on me."
"Fred?"
"A friend. Anyway, I had a minor case of pneumonia, I was dehydrated, and I had a severe fever. Conner has a minor cold."
"You're fine now, right?"
"Oh yeah, the doctor said I should be able to get out of here by tomorrow night, early Saturday morning."
"That's wonderful to hear. Is everything else ok?"
"Oh yeah! It's peachy."
"Is Angel there?"
"Yeah."
"May I.."
"Speak to him? Sure!" She handed the phone to Angel.
"Hello?" Angel said.
"Hello Angel. How are you?"
"At this very moment? Um, completely relieved."
"I can only imagine. What happened when Buffy blacked out?"
"I took her to Caritas, a friend of mine's karaoke bar, and we were attacked by someone and I got her out of there and to the hospital."
"Oh my!"
"Tell me about it!"
"Yes, well."
"I'll let you talk to Buffy again."
"All right. Goodbye."
"Bye."
Buffy took the phone. "Well, I'm going to go. The nurse just came in to check up on me. I'll talk to you later?"
"Yes. Goodbye Buffy."
"Bye Giles." Buffy hung up the phone. "Now that that's over with."
Angel just smiled at her.