Disclaimer: Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Angel are not mine, I'm just playing with them.

Chapter 4: Wounded

Dawn moaned as she slowly regained consciousness. She forced her eyes open and tried to focus on the cacophony of sounds swirling around her. She finally managed to make out her sister's face, which was an inch from her own.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked, her voice slightly hoarse. Buffy's facial expression relaxed into a smile.

"Yeah." Buffy answered her, settling back onto the side of the bed. "You gave me a little scare, you know."

"I know. I'm sorry." Dawn apologized, giving up on trying to make the room stop spinning.

"It's ok." Buffy reached out and began smoothing Dawn's hair away from her face. "It's not ok, but it's ok, you know?" She clarified.

"Yeah." Dawn answered.

"Fred told me what you did, tackling that boy." Buffy began. Dawn blushed, embarrassed.

"I know I shouldn't have, but I just reacted." Dawn explained to her sister.

"You did more than that, Dawn. You saved Spike's life." Buffy told her.

"How long was I out?" She asked, reaching for the cup of water on her bedside table with a groan.

"Since last night." Buffy said. "You didn't break anything, thank God, but you pulled a bunch of muscles, and got pretty scratched up." Dawn coughed and groaned again.

"Remind me not to move." She told her sister. Buffy cracked a small smile.

"Don't even scare me like that again, Dawn." She finally said.

"I won't." Dawn promised.

*

Spike coughed which he followed with a moan. Though he'd been given a 'You'll live' diagnoses by the doc, it hurt like hell. The wound was still bleeding, which was why he was still in the hospital wing, and not up on his own two feet, but he could tell the wound was starting to heal. Part of him was still shocked that Dawn, his Nibblet, had tackled his attacker without a second thought. The very idea of the danger she had put herself in was making him a little crazy, and he wouldn't be happy till he could properly scold the girl. Still, the chit had saved his life. It was safe to say they were in a better place than this time a year ago, when she was threatening to set him on fire. He shook his head to clear the memories as Fred knocked on his door.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, concerned.

"Like someone staked me in the side." He snarked, smirking at her. A smile broke out slowly on her face, reminding him how beautiful she was. If he wasn't completely in love with Buffy...he returned her smile, and she walked over to his beside. Fred sat down in the nearby chair. "How's Dawn?" He asked, hoping he didn't appear mother hen-ish.

"She's fine." Fred drawled, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the side of his bed. "She woke up a little bit ago. Buffy's in with her...otherwise I know she'd be here." She finished.

"It's ok. I'm glad she's with Dawn. 'Bit needs her." Spike replied, wishing that Buffy were there, tending to him. He was glad that she was with Dawn, but he wanted to see her face. If he could see her face, he'd know everything was all right.

*

Angel sat in his office chair, turned so that the back faced the rest of the room. The lights were out, and the curtains drawn. He was brooding...and repeatedly giving himself a mental ass kicking. The pull he felt for Buffy had never really gone away, but he'd never been closer to acting on it. Tonight, in the car, he'd almost kissed her.

There was just too much baggage – too much history.

Too many things standing in the way.

Even now, when he thought he would get a reward, it too might not be reserved for him. His reward, and Buffy, could end up going to Spike. Hell, Spike all ready had Buffy, whether the Slayer was admitting it to anyone or not. He knew that he loved Buffy with ever fiber in him, but the little voices in his head kept reminding him that at this time last year he'd been in love with Cordelia. That at this time last year, Buffy was falling in love with Spike. Angel stood up abruptly. Things had changed so much.

*

Dawn gripped her sister's hand tightly. They were making their way slowly down the hallway, towards Spike's room. She'd been adamant about seeing him, and Buffy had finally relented. She knew that Buffy hadn't seen him since the cemetery either, and that secretly was probably dying to make sure he was ok. Sure, Fred had popped her head in for an update and said that she was on her way to see Spike, but Dawn wanted to see him with her own eyes. They reached the doorway of his room, and Buffy knocked lightly on the open door. Both Fred and Spike turned to look.

"There's someone here who wants to see you." Buffy said, pulling Dawn into the doorway and then into the room. Fred got up quickly, letting Buffy help Dawn into the chair. Dawn immediately took Spike's hand, while Buffy perched on the edge of his bed.

"I can come back later." Fred volunteered, slightly uncomfortable.

"No, stay." Dawn reassured her. Her gaze met Spike's, and she teared up. "I had to make sure you were ok." Dawn told him, squeezing his hand a little. He squeezed back, suddenly choked up.

"I'm fine, thanks to you." Spike managed to get out. Buffy was teary as well, her hand resting on Spike's leg.

"I would have been here, but Dawn..." Buffy began to explain, but Spike silenced her by taking her hand.

"She needed you more. You're here now. That's what matters." Spike told her. Buffy smiled, and Fred felt very much the intruder. She was just about to quietly slip out when she spotted Angel in the doorway. As he slowly stepped into the room, Buffy visibly stiffened up.

"Angel." She said, her tone sharp. She didn't want him making a scene.

"I went to check on Dawn. They told me she was here." Angel explained, his expression subdued. "I wanted to ask you about what happened." He said to Dawn.

"It's a little fuzzy, but basically, this guy attacked Spike, and tried to stake him." Dawn said. "I tackled him, and we went rolling down a hill – then he ran off." She paused. "The picture in the article is definitely him – but he's definitely not a girl like we thought."

When she finished, Angel nodded.

"Do you still have that clipping?" Angel asked Buffy. She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to him silently. He took it from her and left the room. He closed the door behind him, the clicking sound echoing loudly in the hall. Sighing, he opened the folded up clipping and glanced at the photo of their supposed slayer.

He sagged against the wall as he stared down at the face of his son.

*

Angel threw the door to his office open and it hit the wall with a violent thud. He stalked over to his desk, and picked up his mug of blood. He brought it to his mouth, nearly sipping from it, before changing his mind and heaving it against the wall. Blood splattered brightly against the charcoal wallpaper, giving it a mangled look. Bits of china sprinkled to the carpet, making small noises as they fell. Angel stood there, his chest heaving with rage. Sensing someone in the room with him, he whirled around. He grabbed and then slammed Eve against the blood-covered wall by her throat.

"You wanted to see me?" Eve said, her tone haughty, but innocent sounding. Angel snarled, vamping out. Eve never flinched, meeting his gaze with her own.

"I want answers." Angel ground out around a mouth full of teeth.

"I'm sorry. Is this a test?" She smiled even though he was clearly hurting her arms. "I'm afraid I didn't know what subject to study." Angel slammed her into the wall a second time, making her gasp. She looked up at him, clearly shocked by his behavior. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She managed, desperately hoping he hadn't discovered things he shouldn't know about.

"You tell me." Angel said, letting go of her arms and thrusting the newspaper clipping of Connor at her. Eve smoothed out the wrinkled piece of paper, and glanced at it. Eyes widening, she looked up at Angel.

"You think I had something to do with this?" Eve asked, as if she didn't know. Angel wouldn't have attacked her the way he had if he thought otherwise. He gave her a look, and she raised her chin. "I'm afraid I had nothing to do with this Angel. Not me, not any member of the staff, and certainly not the Senior Partners." She answered, letting go of the clipping. They both watched as it floated gently onto the smooth oak surface of Angel's desk.

"Why should I believe you?" Angel wanted to know, gaining a small amount of control over his anger.

"Why would I lie?" Eve replied. "Look Angel, I know your first instinct is to blame me or the Senior Partners. They didn't order anything like this, and I wouldn't be able to do something like this without their knowledge. Why don't you go ask your Powers That Be who it was that allowed those vamps to find your son. Maybe you'll get your answers there."

"What makes you think that?" Angel growled, his anger coming back full force.

"Why not?" Eve said, examining her now bloodstained clothes. "Your son is a very powerful being, and when you had us erase his memories and plant false ones, you took away the memory of his powers. Very likely, you took away his destiny. This is probably the Powers way of giving it back to him." Eve walked towards Angel's office door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I feel the need to change my clothes." She said, and then disappeared into the hall. Angel stared after her; his mind swirling with questions he didn't have any answers too.

*

Buffy leaned over and stroked Spike's cheek gently. She stole a glance at her sister, snoring softly in the chair by Spike's bed, before returning her gaze to the platinum blonde vampire. His eyes me hers, and she blushed slightly. It was unnerving, the effect he had on her. With just one look she melted inside, but fire boiled in her veins. His hand met hers, caressing it as her hand rested against his cheek. Buffy felt sparks when his hand touched hers, and a part of her was desperate for him to let go. The feelings she felt for him were overwhelming, and for so long she had run from them. Last Spring, when he'd sacrificed himself, she promised herself that she'd never run from love again. Instead of pulling away, she turned her hand around and interlocked her fingers with his. As she looked down at him, lying in the hospital bed, tears suddenly sprang to her eyes. Confused, he wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Why the sudden flood, Pet?" He asked, talking quietly. Now would not be a good time to wake up Dawn.

"I almost lost you. Again." Buffy whispered, more tears appearing. He teared up a little himself, touched that she cared. He was so used to her spite and her hatred that he was having a hard time accepting she might actually love him back.

"But you didn't, Love. I'm right here." Spike reassured her, winding his hand in her blond tresses and pulling her towards him. Their lips met slowly, lightly grazing against the others' mouth. The kiss deepened slightly, the salt of their mingling with the taste of each other. The kiss lasted less then a minute, but Buffy pulled away gasping, as if she'd had no air for several minutes. They shared a look, one that only two people who've been intimate would share. It was a look that said several things, but there was one thing Buffy knew Spike was longing to hear. She glanced at her sister again, noting that she was still sleeping peacefully.

"I missed you." She began.

"I missed you too." He said, his gaze tender. "It's all right, Buffy. You don't have to say it." He reassured her.

"Yes, I do." She told him, smiling a little. "I love you." Buffy choked out, her emotions getting the best of her once again.

*

Eve straightened the hem of her shirt, and then adjusted her skirt. Assured that she was presentable, she knocked lightly on the door in front of her. After a long moment the door opened, and Eve smiled brightly.

"Hello. My name is Eve, and I'm a representative of Wolfram and Hart. I was hoping I could have a few minutes of your time?" She said, introducing herself. Eve slipped inside the apartment, and set her briefcase on the coffee table. "I won't be long." She continued. "I just had a few things I needed to talk over with Connor." Eve finished, looking from his parents to the dark-haired boy next to them.