Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Yay! New chapter.

Giles patted Angel's back reassuringly and announced that he was going to go call Joyce, or Mrs. Summers, as she's better known as. He walked outside and down the hallway to the payphone in the lobby. They saw him dial and explain the situation to Mrs. Summers.

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"What?" Joyce said in disbelief, "Is this some sort of joke, Mr. Giles? It isn't very funny."

"No, Mrs. Summers," Giles voice echoed through the phone. "It's not a joke. The club that your daughter and her friends like to hang out at was attacked. Buffy is in a coma. She's in room 148, near the emergency room entrance. We will be waiting for you." With that Giles hung up on Buffy's stunned mother, not even bothering to say good-bye.

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Giles walked back into the room smiling gently at Oz, who was comforting Willow in the chair by the bed. Willow looked up, her eyes blood shot and red. Xander smiled at her sadly, and then turned his gaze upon Giles inquisitively.

"Joyce is on her way. I don't think she's fully comprehending the situation yet. But, then again, I don't think any of have come to terms with it yet..." Willow stood up, walked over to Giles and hugged him gently. Giles hugged her and stared up at the ceiling, forcing back tears.

"I'm going to go see if the test results are back yet," Angel said quickly. "Want to come, Giles?" Giles looked at him thankfully, patting Willow's shoulder as she walked back over to the bedside chair. Giles and Angel walked out into the hallway and toward the front desk.

"Thank you, Angel." Giles sighed, scrubbing at his eyes.

"No problem," Angel said reassuringly. "It looked like you needed to escape for a minute and collect yourself." Giles nodded. They approached the front desk and waited for the nurse to notice them.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked.

"Um...yeah...we'd like to know if the test results have come back on a Miss Buffy Summers."

"They should be back very soon," the nurse said, checking her computer records. "I'll send the doctor in to speak with you when they arrive."

"Thank you," Giles said. They walked back into the hospital room, shaking their heads at the inquisitive looks they received. "Not yet." Giles told them.

About 5 minutes later Joyce Summers arrived at the hospital. She rushed over to her daughter's bed, taking her hand. She blinked back tears, looking at Giles.

"How did this happen? Tell me the truth." She said pleadingly.

"You'd never believe me if I told you." Giles answered.

"Try me."

"Alright, if you insist. The Bronze was attacked by vampires, Buffy and her friends fought them and won, I might add. But Buffy paid the price for saving hundreds of lives."

Joyce nodded slowly as tears streamed down her cheeks. "That's my daughter; always trying to fight the good fight."

"Mrs. Summers, I feel I am inclined to tell you something. About Buffy..." Giles began hesitantly. Joyce looked up at the librarian. "I'm going to lose my job for this, I just know it..." He muttered to himself. He took a breath, "I'm not exactly supposed to tell you this, but I feel that you have the right to know. Your daughter is a Slayer, Mrs. Summers. The Slayer to be precise."

"The what?" She said, stunned. "I-I don't understand."

"In every generation, there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness, etcetera, etcetera. Buffy is that Chosen One; she is The Slayer. I have just told you something that you should never have been told and I must receive your word that this will never be mentioned to anyone."

"I-I," she stammered, stunned. "I always new there was something different about Buffy...I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that she was a-a Slayer."

"You must promise me that you won't say anything, Mrs. Summers," Giles said again. "Otherwise it could put you all in danger. Willow, Xander, Oz, Cordelia, and Angel already know. But they have not told anyone and neither can you. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Thank you."

"On one condition," Giles' eyes widened worriedly. He nodded uncertainly. "You have to tell me of your adventures with my daughter," Joyce laughed awkwardly at the term "adventures". The Scoobies and friends nodded, happy to oblige. As they were beginning to tell of their slaying fiascos and triumphs over evil, the doctor walked in.

They all stood up, staring at him apprehensively. Willow swayed a little and Oz wrapped his arm around her to stop her from falling. She looked so small and scared, glancing from her best friend, to the doctor, to Joyce, trying to hold back another onslaught of tears.

"I have some good news and some bad news. Which would you like first?" Giles asked for the good news first, knowing that they needed to hear the good before they got hit with the bad. "Okay, the good news is, there is no permanent brain damage, if she ever does wake up, she at least won't be a vegetable or anything."

"And the bad news?" Angel asked somberly.

"The bad news is... she probably won't wake up... She's not even close to being in the clear yet. I don't want you to get your hopes up. The longer she's in this coma, the less likely it becomes that she will ever open her eyes."

"N-no." Angel said in disbelief. "No, you're wrong! You have to be wrong." He turned around and punched the flawless white walls, leaving a sizeable hole in its surface. Then he slid down the wall, pulled his knees up to his chest, and pulled at his hair angrily. "God, I should have protected her! This is all my fault. I should have paid more attention." He stopped, choking on his own words, and put his head on his knees, shoulders shaking with silent tears.

"I'm sorry...I really am...I wish there was more I could do..." The doctor said awkwardly, and then walked out of the room, shaking his head sadly.

Giles walked over and put a hand on Angel's shoulder, squeezing it gently. Angel look up, his eyes red. "She can't die, Giles," he said quietly. "The world needs her...I need her..."

"I know, Angel. I need her too. We all do." Giles replied gently. "Come on guys; let's leave Angel and Buffy alone for a little while. We'll be in the cafeteria if you need us, okay?" Angel nodded.

"Thank you," Angel whispered.

"Don't mention it." Giles answered, smiling a little, then leading the others out of the room and dimming the lights.

Angel sat beside his love's bedside for a long time, just staring at her pale, bruised face. He didn't speak. He didn't know if he could, even if he could think of anything to say. He just held her hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. Then he laid his head down by her arm, her cold hand still held in his, and fell into a fitful sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: Despite my lack of reviews, I continue to update. Why? Because I like my fic. So there. But reviews would be nice...