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Buffy ran through the doors into the Intensive Care ward. "Xander Harris?"

"Are you a relative?" The desk clerk asked.

"We're his friends." Faith said.

"I'm sorry, family only." The desk clerk said. "If you'll wait over there, I'll find out how he's doing."

"But…" Buffy began. Willow moved up to the front.

"Hey Charles." She said to the desk clerk.

"Willow. I was wondering where you were." The clerk said. "You're usually the one who calls it in."

"Yeah, sorry." Willow said. "School stuff." The clerk chuckled.

"Yeah, it gets in the way of everything." He said. He looked at them. "Alright, go through. Just be quiet, all right? This is a hospital."

"Thanks, Charles." Willow said, leading the others through.

"Willow." Giles asked. "How on earth…?"

"This happens a lot." She admitted. "Charles is on duty most of the time, so he knows me pretty well."

"How often?" Buffy asked. Faith could feel the anger boiling.

"B, settle down."

"Faith, I can't. This is my fault."

"No, it's not. Xander's father's a jerk. That's not you fault."

"But I asked him to stay…"

"And if he hadn't, he would've been beaten to a pulp earlier. You can't blame yourself, and you can't go down that road. I won't let you." Buffy looked over at her sister. There was a look of determination plastered on her face. "I won't let you."

"Alright, F, I get the picture." Buffy smiled over at her. "No grievous injuring of Mr Harris."

"I'm glad we got that sorted." Faith said out loud.

"Did we miss something?" Giles asked.

"Girls gotta have some secrets, G-Man." Faith told him.

"I do wish you wouldn't call me that." Giles said.

"Yeah." Angel answered the phone.

"Angel, this is Mrs Summers." The voice said. It was cold and careful. No surprise. "I'm afraid you'll have to patrol alone tonight."

"Has something happened?" He asked, worried.

"The girls are fine." She told him. "Xander and his mother, however, was beaten by his father this morning. They're in Intensive Care. Buffy, Faith and the others are with them." Angel felt a familiar rage fill him. What kind of father could do this to his son?

"Thanks, Mrs Summers. Tell the girls not to worry. I'm on it."

"That's going to worry Buffy instantly." Joyce told him, before hanging up. If she'd taken time to think about, she might have realized what 'it' was. Even if she had, it's hard to tell if she would have done anything to stop it.

Mark Harris grinned as he got out of the car. Finally, he had the house to himself. Now all he had to do was call the girls, and…

"Mr Harris?" A voice said. Harris turned around to see a man in a long black coat.

"Whaddaya want?" He growled.

"You brutally beat you son and wife today." The man said. "Fact of the matter is, you've been beating them like this for years. Neither of them has pressed charges because they're too scared of you."

"That's their problem." Harris said. The man set a steely glare on him.

"No." He said, moving forward to fast for Harris to see. "It's yours." Harris doubled over as the man slammed his fist into his gut, following up with a kick to the jaw. He picked Harris up by the shirt.

"Who are you?" Harris gasped.

"They call me Angel." He was told. "I'm friend of Xander's. All right, more of an acquaintance, but still, he's important to someone who's important to me. That means your due for a lesson." He threw the man into the garage door, denting it. Harris managed to drag himself to his feet. "You can still stand under your own power I see. How unfortunate. Because it means the lesson continues." Angel grabbed him again, throwing him through the front windscreen of the car. "Remember what happened here today. You ever even think about raising you fist against Xander or his mother again I'll be back. And next time, I won't stop." He walked off. I'll stop in at the hospital, he thought, and then head home.

"How is he?" Angel asked as he walked in.

"Alive." Faith said. "That's the best we can hope for at the moment. Buffy almost went after his father. She's in with Xander now."

"She won't have to worry about going after Mr Harris." Angel said with a grin.

"Alright, what did you do?" Faith demanded.

"I gave him talk." He told her. "And put him through the windscreen of his car. And dented his garage door." Faith couldn't help but grin.

"I don't believe you." She said. "You don't even like the guy."

"But Buffy does." Angel said. "And so do you, in a different way. I overheard you guys talking last night, about the…"

"You listened?" Faith interrupted. Angel shrugged.

"I was worried." He said. "I've been put in a situation where you two are the only people that mean anything, to me and the world. I will do anything I need to do to protect you. Both of you."

"Y'know, your not so bad, after all." Faith said.

"Thanks."

"But you do anything to get between Xander and my sister, I'm going to have to kill you."

"Got it."

"How the hell'd that bastard get the drop on you anyway?" Buffy asked the unconscious Xander. "I mean, hasn't watching Faith and me training taught you anything? You should have been able to handle him, especially if…"

"Xander?" Buffy turned to see a woman enter. She recognised her as Xander's mother. "Oh no. Oh please, God, no." She moved quickly to the bedside. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I should have done something." Buffy moved back, letting Mrs. Harris get in. "Please, just say something. Is he going to be okay?" She asked Buffy.

"I don't know." Buffy told her. "His right arm's broken in two places. He's got some cracked ribs, both legs are busted, but…his back was shattered. Doctors doubt he'll ever walk again. That's if he wakes up."

"This is my fault." Xander's mother whispered. "I should have done something. I should have left, taken Xander and gone somewhere, away from that monster." Buffy watched her stroke Xander's head gently.

"I should go."

"Wait." Buffy stopped. "Who are you?"

"I'm…a friend of Xander's." Buffy told her. "I had a fright, and asked Xander to stay over the night. I had no idea this was gong to happen."

"Don't blame yourself." Mrs Harris said. "It would have happened anyway. Mark came home drunk last night. He stayed up all night, drinking, but that was after…" Buffy clenched her fist as she turned away.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I have to go." Mrs Harris turned back to her son.

"Wake up, my darling baby boy." She whispered. "Your Slayer needs you."

"What is he doing here?" Buffy demanded.

"Your mom called and told me what was going on." Angel told her. "I came to see how things were."

"After a visit to Mr Harris." Faith interjected with a grin.

"What kind of 'visit'?" She asked carefully.

"The kind of visit that leaves the guy half hanging out of windscreen of his car." Faith told her. Buffy glared over at Angel.

"You did that?" Angel nodded. "Why?"

"I didn't like the way he treated his family." Angel said. "Plus, I was worried. There was no need for you to go down that road. At least I'm already there." Buffy glared at him suspiciously.

"Y'know, I'm having trouble figuring you out." She said. "You seem to have a surprise waiting every time I turn around."

"Maybe you're not supposed to figure me out." Angel said with a slight smile. "Life should always have some sort of mystery around it. Otherwise, where's the challenge?" With that he turned and exited. "I'll see you later." Buffy watched him leave.

"I'll figure you out eventually, Angelus." She muttered. "And when I do, I'd better like what I find."

It had been a week since Xander had entered his coma. Buffy had been spending every spare second at his side, talking to him. Trying to encourage him to wake up, to no avail. Face it, Summers, she'd think to herself, looking down at his scarred face. You love him.

It was on one of those occasions that she got an unexpected visitor.

"Well, well, what do we 'ave 'ere?" His voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"Shove off, Spike." Buffy spat. "I'm not in the mood to play with you right now."

"Who said anything about playin', pet?" The vampire sneered. "I just wanted to make sure you realise I'm still around. Wouldn't do for you to forget your future Sire now, would it?"

"Go away." Buffy said again. Spike looked down at her. There was something missing, that spark he'd seen while watching her. Have to do something about that, he thought. He walked up behind her and bent over her shoulder.

"Who's this then, huh?" He asked. "Never thought I'd see you go soft over a vegetable."

"Someone who shouldn't be in here." Buffy said. "Someone I care about. Now, leave." Spike grinned. Perfect.

"'E don't look like much." He said. "Still, looks to me like 'e's holding you back." He lowered his voice to whisper. "I'll kill 'im for you, then your family. Then, there's nothing for to stop you from coming to me." Buffy spun suddenly, grabbing the vampire by the throat.

"You stay away from Xander." She hissed. "You stay away from my family, my friends, and you stay the hell away from me. Although," She said calmly, stretching a hand out. A stake floated over from her bag. "maybe I should just finish you now." Worked a bit too well, he thought, pushing her back.

"Gotta work on that, pet." He said. "You gave me too much leverage."

"Thanks for the tip." Buffy spat. "I'll make sure I hold you properly next time." Spike grinned.

"You do that, pet. I'll see you around." With that, he walked out. On the way, he past Angel. "You keep my Child safe, Poof." He muttered, just loud enough for Angel to hear. "I'll be coming to collect her soon." Angel didn't stop to look at him; he rushed passed down to Xander's room.

"You alright?" He asked. "Faith said there was something going on."

"I'm good." Buffy said, shakily. "Spike decided to remind me he was still around. Where is Faith?"

"Other side of town." Angel said, pulling out a com link. "Your mother's idea. I was on my way to deliver this when Faith called." Buffy nodded as she took it. "Everyone's either got one, or is getting one, me included. Your mother decided she didn't want something like this to happen again. Also, with Spike around, she want's you in contact with at least one person at all times." He pulled one more out of his pocket. "For Xander, when he wakes up." He placed it on the table next to the boy's bedside.

"I'm sure he will." Buffy said half-heartedly. "He still hasn't asked me out."

"I'll be sure to put that on my to-do list." Xander rasped suddenly.

"Xander?" Buffy couldn't believe it. "Your awake! The doctors said it would take years, if at all."

"And miss that date?" The resident joker said. "Yeah right. Those quacks give me anything else to do to prove them wrong?"

"They said you'll never walk again." Buffy said hesitantly. "Your spine was shattered." Xander grinned.

"So, in other words, all I have to do is learn to walk again, huh?" He looked up at Angel. "Well, if a corpse can walk, then so can I." The souled one smiled down at the boy.

"One good thing came out of this." Angel said.

"Yeah." Xander looked up at him suspiciously. "What's that?"

"Your mother reported Mr Harris to the police." Angel said levelly. "Now your awake, you can put him away."

"And even if you didn't, he's so scared of Angel he'll turn himself in." Buffy added. Angel shrugged.

"Getting thrown through the car windscreen can do that to a person." Now Xander's suspicions were really aroused.

"Alright, what's the scam, Deadboy?" He asked. "We aren't exactly friends."

"I have my reasons." Angel said, looking at Buffy. "I'll go tell everyone he's awake." He walked out, leaving the two alone.

"I really don't get that guy." Buffy muttered.

"You and me both." Xander agreed. "Now, about that date…"

"Get out of hospital first." Buffy said with a smile. "Then we'll sort that out."

"Bring on the discharge papers." Xander said eagerly. Buffy laughed.

"Beaten to a pulp and still making jokes?" Buffy observed. "If that doesn't change you, Xander, nothing will."

"That, dear lady, is a compliment."

Xander's awake, what's with his mother?

Stay tuned.

Doc.