Disclaimer: Not mine. Just borrowing them for a little while.

Rating: R.

Summary: Ok, if you haven't seen the summary twice by now, why are you on this page?

A/N: To everyone who's reviewed so far, thank you!

Mart: Thanks! Glad you likey :D

buffynangelforever: I'm glad you love it:D

crystalix: I'm glad you like it! I've already worked out a lot of the character's back-stories, just from the challenge itself, I hope that I can do it justice! Keep reading!


Buffy Summers leaned over and turned off the alarm that was ringing near her head. She was tempted to throw it out the window, but it would cost her too much to replace it considering the salary she was living on. Sure, she loved being a nurse, although especially considering there was a war going on it was stressful, but that didn't mean the money was good enough to be breaking perfectly good alarm clocks…

"Morning Buffy! What time do you have to be at the hospital today?" Willow Rosenberg, Buffy's best friend and roommate, taught third grade at the local school. Even in the 'swinging Sixties', women still mostly worked the 'mother figure' jobs. But that didn't matter to Willow, who while being all for women's rights and equality, loved children. Her husband, Daniel Osbourne, who preferred to be known as 'Oz', was a rock star at heart and in his spare time, but taught music at the local middle school to tie up any loose financial ends the three had.

"Buffy?" Drawn from her musing by Willow's insistent calling, Buffy got out of bed and showered, getting ready for her next shift at the hospital.

"I'm up, I'm up! What's for breakfast?" Buffy yelled as she came barrelling down the stairs.

"Pancakes, but only if you hurry! Oz has his eye on them…"

"Don't you even think about stealing my pancakes, mister! I need the energy – that new coma patient needs his bandages removing today, and lord knows, there're enough of them! Although, I kinda wanna see what he looks like under all that cloth…"

"Ooh, Buffy, you'd better tell me when you get home! With a name like 'Angel', what's the bet he's pretty good-looking under those bandages? And, oooh, does that Sergeant Finn guy still hit on you? He's leaving soon, so you wont have that whole Nurse-patient thing to worry about. Think he'll ask you out properly?"

"Will, even if he does you know I ain't saying yes. Ya can't trust men – saving yer presence, Oz, of course. And even you don't keep yer paws off of other people's food!" Buffy slapped Oz's hand as he reached for one of her pancakes. "Although at least you got the decency to look ashamed of your actions, boy!"

"Well, I gotta go. Those kids won't teach themselves. Coming honey? You can drop me off. See you tonight Buffy! Don't forget to buy a bottle of wine – tonight's Wednesday, you know, so it's girly gossip night!"

"Well, Mr Angel, so what do we have to do today? I see we're taking your bandages off later, maybe I can finally see if you're as handsome as that name suggests!" Buffy's daily stop in Angel's room was her favourite part of the day. Unlike most of her other patients, he didn't talk back, and there was something relaxing in the way she could continue her routine with no interruptions from cranky old women or soldiers who tried to chat her up. Also, there was something almost comforting in his presence, as if she felt totally at ease with him. Of course, she told herself, that was probably because he was unconscious. Nothing to do with the fact that just being in the same room as him made her feel calmer, or the tingly feeling she got whenever she touched him to check his blood pressure or change an I.V…

"Let's get started on these bandages then, shall we? I know they've probably been mighty uncomfortable for you, so we'll start slowly."

Layer by layer, Buffy gradually began to unravel the bandages that covered the top half of Angel's face, trying to ignore the humming in the pit of her stomach. 'I don't know why I'm so nervous, I've removed bandages from hundreds of patients, why should this one be any different?"

Buffy let out a small gasp as she finished removing Angel's bandages. Lying on the bed before her was one of the most gorgeous men she had ever laid eyes on.

"Why, Mr Angel, your name don't do you justice! Although I 'spose it's fitting – you do look a lot like an angel, right enough." Turning away and checking his blood pressure again, to take her mind off the man lying there, Buffy's mind began working a mile a minute. 'God, he's gorgeous! Why oh why did he have to be MY patient? To have to look at a man that fine all day, I don't know if it's something I can take. Although, he's still a man. And you can't trust men. Remember that Buffy, before you go getting any ideas. Oh, why am I even thinking like this? He's in a coma, fer cryin' out loud! It's not like he can ask me out, now, is it? Although, Lord, he is fine…"

Looking at Angel, Buffy noticed something she hadn't noticed before, too swept up in his looks. He appeared to be frowning, as if he was upset by something.

"Oh, now Angel, what's wrong? Is your mind in a bad place? Now, just you stop thinking about whatever it is that's got you so upset, ya hear? You wont be getting better till you start thinking some nice thoughts now." As Buffy spoke, she noticed the expression on Angel's face seemed to relax, as if somehow he had heard what Buffy said, and it had helped. Turning back to her duties, Buffy sighed deeply, wondering exactly how Willow would react to her gossip later that night.