Buffy was asleep on the little hospital bed. She was exhausted after each of the convulsions. It was easy to see how bad they were just by the look on her face.
Angel pushed the hair out of her face. "It shouldn't be long now, sweetheart. It should be almost over." He stood up. "Giles, I need --"
Giles nodded. "Send in Oz. He can help me hold her if she has another convulsion before you return."
Angel nodded and left the room. He hated to leave Buffy but if he didn't feed soon, he would be tempted to feed from her again and she didn't need that. Not now.
"Angel?"
"Oz, go in and watch with Giles for a bit? I have to step out for a minute."
"No problem." Oz went into the room and Angel turned to Joyce.
"Yes, Joyce?"
"I know that you and I don't get along very well. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for my attitude earlier and for trying to push you away from Buffy."
"I understand. You were just trying to protect Buffy. I just wish you could understand that that is the only thing I want to do. I love her more than my own existence."
"I think I do. Would you like to help me take care of her after this? I know it won't be long. Slayer healing and all that."
"I would be happy to, Joyce. In fact, knowing that you have the gallery and all, if you want to, she can stay with me while she's healing. You, and Dawn if she doesn't go to L.A. with her dad, can visit her anytime and I'll bring her over to your house at night while I patrol for her."
"We'll see what Buffy wants to do. After all, she is an adult now. Thank you."
Angel nodded with a small smile on his face and walked away to go find a meal. Maybe the blood bank would still be open.
"How is she?" Angel asked, walking back into the room. Buffy was asleep on the bed. She looked worn out.
"One convulsion since you left. It wasn't a very big one. Oz was able to handle it by himself. I just stood back and kept Joyce from jumping in." Giles was standing by the bed and Joyce was standing on the other side. Oz was holding an ice pack to his face.
"Oz, what happened to your face?"
Joyce shyly raised her hand. "I did it. He was holding Buffy down and he kind of forgot to let go of her after the convulsion. He was holding her down a little hard and hurt her. I hit him."
"You hit him?" Angel was really amazed. He didn't think that Joyce had it in her. Of course, this was her little girl they were talking about. Buffy meant so much to both him and her mom that either one would lay down their life for her.
"He hurt my little girl." Joyce shrugged and left it at that. She had apologized to Oz. She didn't feel that she owed anyone else an explanation.
"Angel?" Buffy asked quietly. "Are you back?"
Angel hurried over to Buffy and kissed her cheek while taking her hand. "I'm back, sweetheart. I just needed to feed. You aren't mad at me, are you?"
"Never. I could never be mad at you." She seemed to be having a hard time breathing.
"Are you ok, love?"
"My ribs hurt. I think one or two may be broken."
"It's possible that they broke because of the convulsions," the doctor said walking into the room. She started pushing lightly against Buffy's ribs, quickly finding two broken on each side. "Let me wrap those and then you can rest again."
Giles stepped up to her side. "I'm very proud of you, Buffy. You've held up so well. I just wanted you to know that."
"It should be all over in about four hours, sweetheart. Then, maybe we can take you home."
"Buffy, Angel has offered to let you stay with him while you heal. He says Dawn and I can come over anytime to see you and he'll bring you to the house at night while he patrols." Joyce held her breath for a moment. "If you want to do that, I understand. He would be better able to help you get around than I can."
"I think that might be a good idea for now, Buffy." Giles was supporting her staying with Angel. They must think that it might take a little while for her to heal.
"I think I will stay with Angel. Just until I'm healed enough to get around on my own." She smiled at Angel. "Thank you. Thank you for coming back and saving me. You always seem to be there when I need saving."
"I enjoy it. Trust me." Angel and Buffy shared a look which Joyce couldn't deal with. She stood up and walked out of the room. Giles followed her.
"Joyce, are you really alright with this?"
"Not really but how can I argue? Angel can help her better than I can."
"Only because he's stronger than you are. Joyce, no one will ever take your place in your daughter's life. She is your oldest daughter and will always be." Giles touched Joyce's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "It doesn't matter who comes along that she loves. You will never lose her. You'll always be her mother."
"I know. It's just hard to deal with the fact that she's growing up." Joyce walked into a comforting embrace within Giles' arms.
Angel pushed the hair out of her face. "It shouldn't be long now, sweetheart. It should be almost over." He stood up. "Giles, I need --"
Giles nodded. "Send in Oz. He can help me hold her if she has another convulsion before you return."
Angel nodded and left the room. He hated to leave Buffy but if he didn't feed soon, he would be tempted to feed from her again and she didn't need that. Not now.
"Angel?"
"Oz, go in and watch with Giles for a bit? I have to step out for a minute."
"No problem." Oz went into the room and Angel turned to Joyce.
"Yes, Joyce?"
"I know that you and I don't get along very well. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for my attitude earlier and for trying to push you away from Buffy."
"I understand. You were just trying to protect Buffy. I just wish you could understand that that is the only thing I want to do. I love her more than my own existence."
"I think I do. Would you like to help me take care of her after this? I know it won't be long. Slayer healing and all that."
"I would be happy to, Joyce. In fact, knowing that you have the gallery and all, if you want to, she can stay with me while she's healing. You, and Dawn if she doesn't go to L.A. with her dad, can visit her anytime and I'll bring her over to your house at night while I patrol for her."
"We'll see what Buffy wants to do. After all, she is an adult now. Thank you."
Angel nodded with a small smile on his face and walked away to go find a meal. Maybe the blood bank would still be open.
"How is she?" Angel asked, walking back into the room. Buffy was asleep on the bed. She looked worn out.
"One convulsion since you left. It wasn't a very big one. Oz was able to handle it by himself. I just stood back and kept Joyce from jumping in." Giles was standing by the bed and Joyce was standing on the other side. Oz was holding an ice pack to his face.
"Oz, what happened to your face?"
Joyce shyly raised her hand. "I did it. He was holding Buffy down and he kind of forgot to let go of her after the convulsion. He was holding her down a little hard and hurt her. I hit him."
"You hit him?" Angel was really amazed. He didn't think that Joyce had it in her. Of course, this was her little girl they were talking about. Buffy meant so much to both him and her mom that either one would lay down their life for her.
"He hurt my little girl." Joyce shrugged and left it at that. She had apologized to Oz. She didn't feel that she owed anyone else an explanation.
"Angel?" Buffy asked quietly. "Are you back?"
Angel hurried over to Buffy and kissed her cheek while taking her hand. "I'm back, sweetheart. I just needed to feed. You aren't mad at me, are you?"
"Never. I could never be mad at you." She seemed to be having a hard time breathing.
"Are you ok, love?"
"My ribs hurt. I think one or two may be broken."
"It's possible that they broke because of the convulsions," the doctor said walking into the room. She started pushing lightly against Buffy's ribs, quickly finding two broken on each side. "Let me wrap those and then you can rest again."
Giles stepped up to her side. "I'm very proud of you, Buffy. You've held up so well. I just wanted you to know that."
"It should be all over in about four hours, sweetheart. Then, maybe we can take you home."
"Buffy, Angel has offered to let you stay with him while you heal. He says Dawn and I can come over anytime to see you and he'll bring you to the house at night while he patrols." Joyce held her breath for a moment. "If you want to do that, I understand. He would be better able to help you get around than I can."
"I think that might be a good idea for now, Buffy." Giles was supporting her staying with Angel. They must think that it might take a little while for her to heal.
"I think I will stay with Angel. Just until I'm healed enough to get around on my own." She smiled at Angel. "Thank you. Thank you for coming back and saving me. You always seem to be there when I need saving."
"I enjoy it. Trust me." Angel and Buffy shared a look which Joyce couldn't deal with. She stood up and walked out of the room. Giles followed her.
"Joyce, are you really alright with this?"
"Not really but how can I argue? Angel can help her better than I can."
"Only because he's stronger than you are. Joyce, no one will ever take your place in your daughter's life. She is your oldest daughter and will always be." Giles touched Joyce's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "It doesn't matter who comes along that she loves. You will never lose her. You'll always be her mother."
"I know. It's just hard to deal with the fact that she's growing up." Joyce walked into a comforting embrace within Giles' arms.