Fallen From Grace Chapter Five By Skitty

Buffy hates hospitals, Faith thought, wondering if Angel was remembering the same fact. It was something anyone who knew her knew; she'd never attempted to hide it. She even broke out of them. Repeatedly.

Could she break out now? What did Willow do to her? Why do I care so much? Faith mused. Yeah, she owned B. one, but their friendship had gone to the realm of the unsalvagable. Hadn't it? Even if it has, you still care. Caring about anything is good.

Did Buffy still care? Under all the baggage, under the scars, was Buffy's heart still active? Faith didn't know, but she'd be damned if she let Buffy end the world.

A doctor in a long white coat came over to them.Faith was instantly reminded of doctor Barbi, her hair was that long and blond, her figure that flawless. "Are you family?" the woman asked. Faith looked at the unresponsive Angel.

"He's her husband," she lied. "And I'm... his sister."

The doctor (Dr. Watson, the tag read) nodded. "She's floating in and out of consciousness, but she should be fine. I'll need you to fill out some forms..."

"Can I see her?" Angel asked. Dr. Watson nodded, handing Faith the clipboard. Angel was already gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel held Buffy's hand lightly, not speaking. When she was conscious the pain killers had her so out of it, there was really little point for words. "Rain is pretty," her hand was raised and open, reaching for something. The extent to which she reminded him of Drusilla in that instant scared him. "It makes me think of an Angel.."

Angel couldn't help the tiny smile that formed at that. So she does think of me, he thought.

"He used to love me," she was saying. "But then he went away. And now he's only pretending."

"That's not true," he whispered. "He still loves you. He was just blind for awhile." Buffy'd lost consciousness again, but he kept talking. "He thought he loved someone else. He thought he could. But then he saw you again... God, Buffy, you have to make it through this because I... I need you too. I don't ever want to feel that again... I don't ever want to know what a world without you is really like. Please."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy moaned and opened her eyes, her head pounding and her body aching. "Drugs must've worn off," she muttered.

"I can go get a doctor if you want," Faith said. She and Angel and Connor were sitting by her bed, worried looks on all their faces. Even the boy she barely knew. She shook her head, wincing a little.

"I prefer having control of my brain, thanks," she said, struggling to sit up. "What happened?"

"I went to meet you in the alley, like we planned..." Angel started.

"We planned? I don't remember planning," Buffy cut in.

"You left the message," Angel reminded her.

"Angel, I never left a message," she told him. "I haven't touched a phone since I got here. And why would I want to meet you in an alley?"

"But... it was your voice, I heard it too," Faith told her. Buffy shrugged.

"Willow's a witch," she pointed out.

"Magic," Connor scoffed. Buffy secretly agreed. Despite the good magic had done for them (Angel's soul) it had ruined everything at the same time (it stole Heaven... it stole peace).

"Anyway," Buffy prodded. "You came to the alley. What happened?"

"Willow was there, she was sending electricity from her hands, lightening or something, and she was yelling. Something about a baby, and um... Spike," Angel looked away as he said it, but it cut Buffy never the less. "And hitting you with the sparks, and I... I couldn't get near you, I couldn't stop her. She was stuck int his bubble thing, and I couldn't get near her."

Buffy touched his cheek. "But you tried? Even with your aversion to fire you would have risked it if you could? Still?"

Angel nodded. "Of course. Always."

"Come on kid, let's go chew hospital coffee," Faith tugged Connor to his feet. "Give these losers a few minutes to revel in angst."

"Buffy," Angel whispered as he held her hand. She used her free hand to trace his face.

"Shhh," she whispered. "I've been so scared of losing the people I love that I pushed everyone away, and they'd still die for me. Even you. And I pushed you hardest."

"I love you too much to let go," he answered. "If I lost you... even after everything that's happened, after everything I heard Willow say, I don't think I could go through that twice."

"Eventually I'll stay dead," Buffy looked into his eyes.

"I want to make sure it's your time when you do. I want enough time to memorize you again," Angel tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"I want to give you that. I don't want to die yet," her voice was shaky as she admitted it.

"Let me protect you," he begged, not caring how desperate he sounded. "Let me help."

When she nodded he let out a cry of joy and held her to him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~

more to come...