Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. It's very sad. All credit for the characters goes to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. Not me. Damn.

Distribution: Are you kidding? I'd go insane with joy. Just tell me where, so I can watch and gloat.

Author's Notes: See my livejournal, http://www.livejournal.com/users/perries/ for my rationalization of Weak!Buffy. I will extol the praises of anyone who catches the allusion in the title. Send feedback with love!

The door to the warehouse slammed open and broke against a wall. Angel stood, silhouetted against the bright street light, and then cautiously took a step in. Nothing. The building looked recently abandoned; weapons were scattered around. Angel took another step forward and heard a loud crunch.

"Okay, eww," said Gunn, "I'm not touching that."

"There's blood," the vampire said, "Human blood. Fresh. Not enough to kill, I don't think."

"To kill..."

"Whoever it used to belong to."

Wesley up behind them, "Shall we see if they're still here?" He set off, Gunn following warily. Angel stood a moment longer, then squatted, dipped a finger in the blood and held it to his nose.

"Angel?"

He shook his head, as if to clear it, "Yeah, Gunn?"

"What is it?"

Angel looked down at the blood again, then rose, "Nothing. I thought it was..."

The Englishman's voice rang through the dark warehouse from where he had strolled into a back room. "Angel! Gunn! I think I've found someone!" They quickly followed his voice and found him standing in the dimly illuminated room, back to them, as he spoke slowly and gently to someone the newcomers could not see, "It'll be okay now, miss. The creatures that captured you are gone. Are you injured badly? Can you speak?"

He took a step forward and Angel heard a soft whimper. An alarm went off in the back of his head and he stepped around the Englishman to glimpse the small bundle that seemed to be made up of rags, blood, and dirty blonde locks that covered her face and body as she huddled into a corner of the dark room. It looked like... but he couldn't be sure. Angel felt his heart rise in his chest, hoping and yet not hoping that the shivering, broken wreck in front of him was his golden goddess. He took a hesitant step towards the woman, his boot clunking loudly on the wooden floor. She jumped and pressed her body harder into the walls behind her, hiding her face still. As he knelt down before her, she continued to shake wildly, until he, with infinite tenderness, lifted her chin. At his touch, the bundle froze.

"Buffy?" He whispered, unbelieving. The girl showed no reaction. Her eyes darted around the room, desparately seeking an escape route. Angel pushed her blood-caked hair back gently, fully revealing her face, "Buffy! Oh, Buffy, oh, God, I found you! I found you!" The vampire babbled wildly as he swept her up into his arms.

She scrabbled wildly at his chest, beat at him frantically with her small fists, but her weak blows failed to have any effect. Soon exhausted, she lay limply in his strong arms. He clutched her head to his chest and started for his black convertible, Gunn and Wesley following close behind. Angel wasn't aware of walking, tossing her car keys to Gunn, climbing in the back seat or pulling the light, black blanket over her. All his thought were to the broken creature he held tightly to him.

Gunn stared at the car keys clutched in his fist. He shared an unbelieving glance with Wesley, then sprinted to the black convertible, jumped in, and started it up, grinning wildly.

As the car pulled away from the warehouse, Angel whispered to her bloody blonde hair, "I found you. I found you. You'll be okay. We'll be okay. I promise, Buffy, I've found you."