Author's note: Um…eat healthy and enjoy

Chapter 14

Oz opened his eyes, he could hear Willow calling, but could not see her, only the dark façade of the old house bathed in a pre dawn like soft glow. He tentatively sat up surprised he didn't hurt more. It was then he heard a groan beside him. Looking over he could tell it was Angel, even in the dark. Oz was instantly apprehensive and started to shuffle away, the lack of pain in his leg still not fully registering.

Angel sat up and looked around, his gaze resting on Oz who looked at him wearily. Angel seemed confused momentarily before he quickly remembered where he was.

"Oz it's okay…I'm me." Angel's face showed his sorrow as he quickly stood up and moved to help Oz stand.

Oz continued to watch Angel wearily but was confident that the vampire seemed to be back to normal. Taking Angel's hand when it was offered, Oz let the vampire lift him up.

Oz had his weight on his good leg, but noticed that his broken leg was not hurting. He cautiously moved some weight onto the leg; still not getting any pain he moved more weight before finally resting equally on both legs. He started to bounce on both legs much to the watching Angel's surprise.

Oz cocked his head to one side, a concentrated frown on his face, "It's healed."

"Oh." The vampire replied.

Both thought on the implications of this information both coming to the same conclusion simultaneously. They both moved towards the building directly under the window they had both come from and shouting, "Buffy!"


Willow quickly moved to window looking out for her boyfriend, while still being cautious of Angel. She was unable to see either as the roof blocked the view of the ground below.

"Oz." She shouted out into the darkness but received no reply. Her despair at losing one of her best friends and now possibly her boyfriend starting to catch up with her.

"Willow…" Buffy started to query as she moved up beside her friend, noticing her holding her arm, "Are you okay?" The question was hesitant, knowing that after the events of the night none of them were okay.

The grave look from Willow confirmed Buffy's need for hesitation and caused the slayer to reiterate her question. "Are you hurt?"

"I…yes…" While answering her friend's question, Willow noticed Cordelia lying on the floor and even in the poorly illuminated hallway she could tell the dark puddle around the young girls head was blood. "But I think Cordelia is worse."

Buffy turned to see what Willow was talking about, seeing Cordelia's condition Buffy quickly moved to Cordelia's side to check her pulse.

"Well she's alive…barely. We need to leave now." Buffy reported to Willow.

Willow started to look around in the darkness for Giles, "Buffy, where's Giles?"

Buffy looked up from her unconscious friend to scan the dark hall for herself before calling out into the darkness. "Giles?"

Giles moved back into the corridor, the recent discussion weighing heavily on his mind. The first thing he saw was Buffy Willow stood near an unconscious Cordelia, whom had blood coming from a what looked like a head wound. Before he could query as to her condition Buffy noticed him.

"Giles! What happened?"

Willow noted his stunned expression, "Are you okay Giles?"

"I'm fine…just a little…Is she okay?" Shaking off his reverie he moved towards Cordelia as he asked about her condition.

Buffy's gaze followed Giles movement as he moved past her to kneel on the floor beside Cordelia. "She has a pulse, but she's out cold and it doesn't look good."

Giles confirmed the diagnosis and sighed in frustration, "How about you two?"

Buffy nodded tiredly, "We're good, mostly…Willow has an injured arm and a bit of a limp."

Giles looked at the girl in question waiting for her to say something.

"Angel threw Oz out of the window, I can't see him and he's not answering." Willow spoke remarkably calm given the situation.

Giles was not quite sure how to reply to that, "We'll check on him when we get outside." Giles bent down and picked Cordelia up, trying to support her head while he held her in his arms. "Where's Angel."

Buffy and Willow both looked to a shattered window, their point clear even before Buffy answered. "Something pushed him out of the window."

Both girls looked at him imploringly, hoping for an insightful comment to explain the night. Unfortunately Giles was just as lost for words as they were.

"Buffy, help Willow and stay close."

They started to walk down the staircase they had been approaching earlier. Half way down they could clearly make out the front foyer below and they could hear a banging on the door and Oz calling for them on the other side.

Buffy turned to Willow and saw a smile lighting up her friends face before it quickly fell as everything else caught up with her again.

Buffy hugged her friend tight as she desperately wished that this was all a bad dream.

Unable to hear what Oz was saying they kept walking to the door, Buffy moving ahead of the group and opening the door to reveal a mildly flustered Oz and a weary Angel. Angel was nervously looking over his shoulder at the horizon. Still standing inside the doorway Buffy looked past them and could see the pre dawn light turning the horizon purple.

"What…?" She queried.

Seeing what Buffy was questioning Oz quickly explained, "Time was warped. You have to get Xander."

Willow stepped around Buffy quickly moving through the door so she could hug her boyfriend. As soon as she moved outside the house she noticed the pain of her injuries disappear instantly.

"What…Why?" Buffy questioned again as Giles moved past her out the door, moving to place Cordelia on the floor, checking her head even though he noticed she had started to awaken.

"It's gone, the pain." Willow said wondrously.

"All our injuries have healed." Oz explained to Buffy.

Realisation of the implication came to her and she started to back away from the door, back into the house.

Giles had moved to join the conversation and noticed his Slayer's intentions, "Buffy it is almost dawn. We will come back tonight."

"No! I have to find him."

"Buffy…" Giles moved to go through the door but it slammed in front of him. "Damn!"

Angel went to attempt to force the door open but was stopped by Giles who remarked coldly, "Get in the van."

"I want to help." Angel replied not to be cowed.

"The sun is coming up Angel, just get in the van." Giles said resignedly, before turning back to the door.

"Will she be okay?" Willow asked quietly.

"I don't believe McKinley aims to harm her, but…" The comment left hanging.

TBC…