Three Hours Later

Apartment

Spike opened the door to the apartment. Angel followed carrying a sleeping Buffy. She had fallen asleep in the car, and after all she'd been through Angel and Spike just didn't have the heart to wake her up. She needed her rest.

"I'll take her to her bed." Angel said to Spike as he walked down the hall to her bedroom.

"Let me know if you need anything." Spike said locking the door and heading towards his own room.

"I will. Good night." Angel replied, pushing the door to Buffy's room with his feet.

Angel walked into Buffy's room and flicked on the little lamp on the side of his bed. He placed the blonde in her bed. Angel bent over and took off her shoes and socks and her jacket. He reached over for the blanket and pulled it over her body. Suddenly Buffy's started to toss and turn violently.

"NO… Riley. Stop. Please. No!"

Angel shook her, turning to wake here form her nightmare. "Buffy...Buffy it's okay. Buffy wake up." Angel called to her, shaking her gently; trying to get her out of her dream and into the real world.

Buffy flew up in the bed and slammed her head straight into Angel's head, knocking him down. "Ow." She groaned rubbing her head.

Angel just shook his head and rubbed at the sore spot on his forehead. "Are you okay?" Angel asked her, as he stood back on his feet.

"Angel? Oh Angel did I hit you? I'm so sorry." Way to go Buffy, the guys been helping you and you hit him. Dumbass.

"It's okay Buffy really. Are you okay?" He asked her. Dumb question Angel. She was just raped and examined by a bunch of probing doctors of course she's not okay.

"I'm okay…bad dream is all." She said laying back down.

"Okay…well…if you don't need anything else I'll just go. Let you get you're sleep and all. Good night Buffy." He said turning around and heading towards the door.

"NO!" Angel stopped and turned to look at her. Buffy's cheeks reddened. "I mean…will you stay here with me Angel?" She said moving over in the bed to make room for him.

"Are you sure?" He asked, he didn't want to overwhelm her and scare her. He'd heard stories of women who'd been raped and being so close to men, so soon afterwards, scared them. He didn't ever want Buffy to be scared of him.

"Yes, please…I…I don't want to be alone tonight." She said softly, pleading him with her eyes.

Angel nodded and took off his sweater, leaving him clad in his wife beater, then removed his shoes before getting into bed.

Once Angel was settled Buffy laid her head on Angel's muscular chest. Angel wrapped his arms around Buffy, whispered a soft goodnight and soon the two were off to dream land.

Angel woke to the feeling of Buffy's body shaking in his arms. He sat up and went to wake her when she started screaming.

"No, Riley please stop… Don't… please…" Buffy screamed in her sleep. Hot tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

Angel shook her to try and wake her, the second his hands touched her body her eyes snapped open, her body bolting up in the bed and her left fist connected with his chin.

"Ow." Angel said rubbing his jaw.

Buffy looked around the dark and saw Angel rubbing his chin. Oh god I hit him. I hit Angel. Again! "Angel… are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit you… I just… well." She stopped and looked at her hands.

"I know… I heard. It's okay Buffy." He said wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Buffy laid her head on his chest. "I can't… I keep replaying it in my head. What happened… what he did." She whispered softly.

"It's over Buffy. I know it's hard… but you'll get through this. You're strong." He told her running a hand through her golden locks. Besides tomorrow Riley Finn will be a dead man.

Buffy just nodded her head against his chest. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Angel placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. "There is nothing to be sorry about Buffy. You didn't do anything wrong. It was all Riley's fault. He did this… you did nothing. I'm just sorry I wasn't there to protect you. That there was nothing I could do to protect you and nothing I CAN do now to help you."

"But you are." She told him. At Angel's questioning look she continued. "You and Spike... you guys were there for me. You guys are helping me so much… I'm just sorry that I'm being such a pain in the ass." She pulled away and looked down at her hands again. "You can go and sleep in your own bed now if you want. I won't bother you anymore." She said softly.

Angel reached over and pulled her close to him. He kissed the top of her head and smiled. "You're one pain in the ass, I would never remove." He said with a lopsided grin.

Buffy giggled a little and smiled back at him.

"Come on, let's get some sleep." Angel told her as he laid them back down on the bed.