Chapter Three
"Buffy! I'm so glad you are here!" Willow exclaimed as she threw her arms around her best friend.
"I'm glad you are good Wil. I'm glad everyone is all right-, well, is alive. When do you go home?"
"Tomorrow. I can't wait. I hate this place, it gives me the creeps."
Buffy smiled. "I can understand that."
"I am going to get some coffee, can I get either one of you two ladies something to drink?" Xander asked his best friends.
"I would love a coffee, thank you Xand." Buffy said.
"I'm good, thank you anyways though." Willow told Xander before he walked out of the room.
"I'm so glad your okay Wil. I-"tears filled Buffy's eyes again. She didn't thin she had any tears left in her to cry.
Willow looked down at her white blanket on her bed. "He didn't get it back?"
Buffy looked up. She didn't know what to say. She was shocked as the thought of Willow knowing something that she hadn't told Buffy before. Buffy wiped her eyes again. "Wil, you're my best friend. What I am about to tell you, you can't tell anyone, not even Xander."
"Okay Buffy, you can tell me anything, you know that."
"Well, Angel is alive. The vertex opened and poof, he changed. He didn't remember anything about the last few months. He was worried about you guys. He-he didn't know what Angelus did. He changed Willow."
Willow straightened herself up. "Wait Buffy, you mean to tell me that Angel is alive? And he changed? Changed as in-"
"He has his soul."
Willow smiled. "It worked!"
"What worked?"
"The spell. Buffy, the spell to restore Angel's soul, it worked! It-it was Ms. Calendar's spell, on her disk, the yellow one. The one we found on the floor –wait, the vertex opened? Why haven't we all been sucked into Hell?"
Buffy explained what happened following the opening of the vertex and then explained about Angel coming back. "I-I didn't know you were trying the spell again, when?"
"Last night. Oz and Cordy helped. We did it in the hospital. Didn't Xander tell you?"
"Xander knew? He didn't say anything!"
"Buffy, I told him to tell you."
Just then Xander came back into Willow's room. He balanced a tray with two coffees on it for him and Buffy.
Willow looked at him with her dark eyes. "You knew" was all that she said in her angry tone of voice.
"Yes I knew, of course I knew," he whispered into Buffy's ear. "What did I know?"
Buffy stood up and tried to remain calm. "You knew that Willow was working on the spell to restore Angel's soul."
Xander didn't say anything at first. He stared at Buffy before he found words. "Buffy, does it matter now? I mean he's-"
Buffy began walking towards the door. "You should have told me Xander. Willow I will be back in a little bit."
Buffy took the stairs to the ICU. She walked to Giles room and saw the cheerful nurse outside of his room checking a chart. "Hi Buffy. Mr. Giles is awake now." She smiled.
"Thank you." Buffy told the nurse as she returned her smile.
As Buffy walked into Giles' room again, it was different. The blinds and curtains were drawn which made the room lighter. The sun shone in from the window. Buffy walked towards the bed and looked at Giles. His eyes were barely opened and he squinted to look at his visitor.
"Buffy?" He asked.
Buffy took Giles hand and cried again.
"Don't….don't cry. I'm…it's al…..okay." he told her as he struggled to finish his sentence.
Buffy wiped her eyes with her free hand. She wanted to tell Giles everything. She wanted to tell him that Angel was alive, but he was good. Giles was in so much pain that she didn't even want to mention Angel's name.
"You look good." Buffy lied.
A faint smile found it's way to Giles' face. Yes Buffy, I suppose. Are you….you all right? Are you hurt?"
"Yes, I'm fine, good, healthy, probably better than all of you guys combined. Oh God Giles, I almost lost all of my friends and you."
A smile found its way to Giles' face. "Buffy, I…I'm offended. After all we have been through you don't consider me a friend?"
Buffy shock her head. "Don't you know? I mean, haven't you figured it out yet? No your not my friend, your so much more. You've been there for me when the others haven't or couldn't, and God Giles, I have given you nothing but attitude. I give you more attitude than I give my own mother. You know so much more about me than my mother does, Giles. You-you were willing to give up your own life for me with the Master and….and you never one blamed me for Jenny's-"
"But Buffy that wasn't"
"Giles, my point being is that I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. When I first came to Sunnydale, you picked up the pieces of my life. You…you became a father to me. I have rebelled against you-"
Giles interrupted. "Rebelled? I wouldn't exactly call…call it rebelling."
"Well, not listening to you and God Giles, how many times have I teased you? I have never told you that I appreciate you. I never told you that I love you. Giles you are like my father, except you are better, you've stuck around. Thank you."
Giles squeezed Buffy's hand. He didn't know what else to say. Tears rolled down his checks. "Buffy, I think that is…is the kindest thing anyone has ever said to…to me. That is the greatest complement I have ever been given. Buff-" Giles stopped and and moaned in pain.
"Giles. Are you-"
Giles forced a smile on his face. "I think it is…is time for another dosage of my medication."
"I'll get the nurse." Buffy stood up and walked out of the room and told a nurse that Giles was in pain and asked if it was time for another dosage of his medication."
"I'll be with Mr. Giles in a few moments." The nurse assured her.
As Buffy walked back to the room, she saw Xander. She was till angry with him. When his eyes met hers he looked just as angry as she did.
"Does Giles know?" Does he know that the man-that thing that tried to kill him is still alive?"
"She told you?"
"Yea, I kind of forced it out of Wil. How could you not kill him?"
"Xander, it's not that easy. He-he-he changed. This isn't the time or place to talk about this. We can talk about this after we visit with Giles. He cannot know. Giles cannot that Angel is still alive. He knows nothing about this, understood?"
"Fine but Buff, I hope you have a good reason. You have a lot of explaining to do."
"We'll talk Xand, I promise, later."
Buffy entered Giles' room with Xander. "Hey G-man, I'm glad to see you are awake."
"Xander please quit calling me that. Thank you for visiting."
The three continued to chat until the nurse came in with Giles' medication. After Giles had fallen asleep, Xander and Buffy quietly exited the room.
"All right Buffy, speak, why is dead boy alive-ish?" Xander demanded to know as they waited for the elevator.
"Xander, I told you this wasn't the place. When we leave I promise I'll explain everything to you."
Xander huffed and puffed all the way to Willow's room.
'Buffy, I'm glad your all right." Oz said as he gave Buffy a hug.
"Thanks Oz, you too."
"Willow tells me that the spell worked. So…Angel's good, again?"
"Willow, is there anyone you didn't tell?" Buffy asked sarcastically. Buffy knew that her friend was excited because of her growing power, but she kind of wished she didn't tell anyone.
"Don't worry, I didn't tell the nurse who comes in and checks on me, I don't think she would have been able to handle it. Buffy, I'm kidding. I'm sorry I told, I am just excited the spell worked. Plus, Oz helped me."
"I know Wil, and I understand that too. Okay, Angel is alive and he does have his soul back."
"Yippy skippy," Xander added.
"Xander, if you would like to listen I can continue otherwise-"
"I'm sorry."
Buffy continued and explained the events of the last evening to her friends. She didn't leave one detail out, no matter how small.
"Wow," was all that Willow could manage to say.
"I second that wow," added Oz before asking, "He really doesn't remember anything?"
"How do you know he isn't acting?" Xander asked
"He doesn't remember anything. He broke down in front of me. He didn't know how to respond when I told him about Ms. Calendar-"
"How do you know he isn't acting?" Xander asked for a second time.
"I just know Xander, I know. When he first changed into Angelus, he showed no emotions and he was hateful and had no feelings or emotions."
"Well, I think trying to kill everyone of your girlfriend's friends counts as showing emotion."
"Xander!" Willow scolded him.
"Sorry Wil. Does anyone else remember that he KILLED Ms. Calendar? He killed, murdered her and-"
"Xander-"
"No Buffy, listen to me for one minute, let me finish. Not only did he kill Ms. Calendar but look around, you are in a hospital. Your friends were all hurt because of him."
"Xander, Drusilla did this to you and me and Kendra," Willow's voice drifted away as she mentioned the fallen slayer.
"Fine, I'll give you that, but Buffy, I heard what you said to Giles upstairs. I heard you say he is like a father to you. Angel almost killed that man, the man who you love like a father. Does that matter to you now? Xander said almost yelling.
"Xander, he has changed! Willow's spell worked. He's better, he's good now. He has his soul."
"For how long? What happens the next time you and Mr. Soul decide to get romantic?"
"I don't know. Xander, I'm not a mind reader! I can't predict the future. All I know is the present and what is going on now!" Buffy yelled almost in tears.
"Well thanks for your recap. Buffy, I want no part of this."
"No one asked you and-"
"ENOUGH!" Oz yelled. It wasn't a really loud voice but probably the loudest voice they had ever heard Oz using. Buffy and Xander stared at each other before looking t Willow and Oz. Willow was crying.
"I think you both should go for a while. Cool down and rest. Emotions are kind of high right now. You both have to leave for now though, this is too much for Willow."
Both Xander and Buffy left with their heads down not looking or saying anything to their friends as they left. Both silently left Willow's room, walked down the stairs and out of the front door of the hospital. Once outside, they went their separate way.