Buffy laid in her hospital bed, her eyes open, taking in her surroundings. Angel sat beside her, holding her hand, and she watched as Fred rushed out of the room.

Her whole body ached with pain, and she didn't think it was possible for her to move at all.

"A-Angel?" she asked, in a whisper.

"You're awake," he said. "How are you feeling?"

She just looked at him, and he smiled.

"Right, dumb question."

"Oh Buffy," Joyce said, running over to her daughter's bed. "Thank God you're ok."

"Of course I am," Buffy said, smiling weakly.

"Excuse me, but I'm going to need you to clear the room," the doctor said from the doorway. "We need to examine her for any serious injuries."

"I'll be back soon Honey," Joyce said.

Buffy nodded. "Ok."

She watched as her friends left the room, followed by Joyce. Angel stared down at her though, still beside her bed. He wasn't planning on leaving her. He'd left her hours before and look where she wound up.

"It's ok Angel," she said softly. "I'll be alright."

"I can't leave you," he said.

"You don't really have much of a choice. They can't examine me forever, when they're done, you can come back again. I'm not going to get into any more trouble just lying here."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said. "Now go on."

He turned hesitantly and walked out of the room. Closing the door behind him, he joined his friends as well as Joyce and Giles in the waiting room of the hospital.

"We're going to go off in search of some coffee and treats," Xander said.

Anya, Spike and Drucilla stood up behind him.

"We'll be back soon," Xander said as the four walked off.

Angel sighed and walked over to sit down between Willow and Faith. Both girls put a reassuring hand on each of his shoulder, but he didn't move.

"She'll be ok," Faith said. "She's strong. I can tell these things."

"Faith's right. I mean... She's the strongest person in the world what with her being the Slayer and everything," Willow said. "She can spot strength when she sees it."

"Excuse me, did you just say that Faith here was the Slayer?" Giles asked, walking over to the three.

"I... Um... Oh dear," Willow said.

"No, she didn't," Angel said, looking up at him. "It's a joke. An inside joke."

"Oh, well... Are you sure about that?" Giles asked.

"Yeah old man," Faith said. "It's a joke between us."

"Alright then," he said, returning to Joyce's side. A joke? My Watcher senses (.:a/n:. yes i know watcher's don't have the senses like slayers, it's kinda a joke...unless they do and i don't know) are strongly telling me that was no joke.

"Way to go Willow," Faith said. "Why don't you tell the whole damn world who I am?"

"Leave her alone Faith," Angel growled. "It was an accident."

"How-How did he know what a Slayer was?" Tara asked, standing behind them, making herself known. "I-I overheard."

"That's a good question," Angel said. "Willow, can you look into it?"

"Yeah, I'll get on to it right after... Hi Miss Summers," Willow said.

"Hello," Joyce said. She didn't know Buffy's friend, only Angel. She hadn't realized how much she was missing in her daughter's life until then. "Angel, why don't you and your friends go home and get some rest?"

"No," he said, staring at the ground.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry Joyce," he said, standing up. "I didn't mean to snap, but I'm not leaving."

Joyce sighed. "You can't help her by crowding the waiting room Angel. I'll call you if there's any change."

"We'll go home," Willow said, butting in. "I mean... Really, it's us crowing the waiting room, not Angel. We'll-We'll go home."

"Yeah, but make sure to call us if B makes a quick recovery," Faith said.

"I will," Angel and Joyce said at the same time.

Faith looked to Willow, then to Tara before the three turned around and left in a hurry. As they were walking out, Willow grabbed the wrist of Fred, who was wrapped in Wesley's arm, dragging him along.

Xander, Spike, Anya and Drucilla were caught off guard when they turned the corner, talking.

"We're leaving," Faith said. "C'mon."

"We're leaving? Now? But we just got lots of food..." Anya said. "What a waste of money."

"We have the human garbage machine over here," Spike said, pointing to Xander. "Nothing's going to be wasted."

"Oh haha," Xander said. "Very unfunny."

"We have some researching to do," Willow said. "Or, I do... But we're all together with the fighting of the evil, so we're all researching, ok?"

"Researching what? Is there a demon?" Spike asked, following the group out.

"No, but there's an old man," Faith said.

"An old man?" Spike repeated.


"Angel, you're still here," Buffy said, looking up when she heard someone entering the room. She could feel him even before he came in.

"I told your mom that I wasn't leaving. That the only way I'd go is if you were with me, or I was unconciousis. She let me stay," he said, sitting beside her. "Besides, I told her that I love you."

"You're so great," she said, running her hand down his cheek.

He took it in his and rubbed the bruises that covered it gently. "I'm going to get and kill whoever did this to you," he said, looking up at her.

Buffy shook her head. "They'll get what they deserve. But you have to promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"I can't..."

"Promise me," she said, looking into his eyes. "Promise me."

"I promise," he said, kissing her softly. "What did the doctors say?"

"I'll be fine. I just need to rest and not do anything active for a few days. But if that wasn't obvious..."

He smiled.

"Is the gang still here?" she asked.

"No, they went home a while ago. They had some things they needed to do. Research for a project or something."

"Oh. Ok. Well, I guess I didn't really expect them to stick around. Or to be allowed to stick around," she said, smiling. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For staying with me," she said. "I don't like hospitals that much... Actually, at all."

"You don't need to thank me for that," he said. "Your mom's out there waiting to see you, so I..."

"Is Giles still here?" Buffy interrupted.

"Giles? Oh, the librarian? Yeah, I think so. What's your connection with him anyway? He said that he found you. But, I think that there's something else."

"I guess this is the time to tell you," Buffy started. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to... But it has to be known. Me and Giles, Giles and me, we're in love. Not father-daugher love, the love that only comes once in a person's life, true love. I'm sorry Angel, but compared to Giles, you just don't fit the bill."

Angel smiled. "That's not funny."

"Oh yeah? Cause I thought it to be quite comical myself."

"If you weren't lying in a hospital bed, I'd get you for that," he said.

"Is that a threat?" she asked. "Or a promise?"

"A little bit of both."

"Just how I... Hey mom," Buffy said, looking up to the doorway.

Angel stood. "I'll let you two talk alone."

He left, and Joyce walked over and sat down beside Buffy. "He's a good boy."

"I know," she said. "And I love him."

"I know. And he loves you."

"I know."

Joyce smiled, and hugged her. "I love you Buffy. I'm so glad you're alright. What were you thinking? Walking home alone that late at night?"

"I... Well I guess I wasn't thinking..." she said. "But mom..."

"Once you're feeling better and well, you're grounded. For two months. No Bronze, no parties. School, home and you stay home. You can see your friends and Angel but only if they come over. Do you understand me Buffy? Nothing like this is going to happen again."

"I wish I could believe you mom, but I don't. And I wish that I could promise you that it wouldn't, but I can't."

"Don't give me that crap about how life is unexpecting. And anyone can die any minute, because I know."

Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard on you, but I'm the one who got beat. Do I deserve to be punished because some lunatic wanted to take his anger out on me? Shouldn't it be safe for me to walk five minutes home?"

"It should, but that isn't the world today," Joyce said. "Fine. Two weeks you're grounded, and allowed to go out, if you're home by ten o clock. And you either call me, Ted or someone else to come and get you. You hear me?"

Buffy nodded.

"Good. Now I suggest you get some rest. I'm going to go talk to the doctor about when I can take you home."

Buffy smiled at her mom. "Ok. Oh mom," she said as her mom opened the door. "Can you send Angel back in?"

Joyce nodded before disappearing.

The door re-opened a few minutes later and Angel walked inside. Buffy patted a spot beside her on the bed and he sat down.

"Can you hold me?" she asked.

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

Buffy smiled. "The only way you'd hurt me is if you said no."

"In that case," he said, lying down beside her.

She rested her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arm gently around her waist.

"Stay with me," she said.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere's else."


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