The Next Morning

"So you and Angel?" Willow asked as Willow, Cordelia and Buffy sat around the kitchen table of the apartment.

"Yeah Buffy said with a blush."

"So how was it? Cause I mean, looking at his body, he must be…" Cordelia asked the blonde.

"Cordy!" Buffy yelled. Her cheeks turned red. "He was…amazing." She giggled.

"I knew it!" Cordy yelled with a smile.

"So where were you Buffy?" Willow asked.

"I…I went to LA for a little while. I just…I didn't think Angel wanted me around anymore after what happened to Kathy. When I saw him at the hospital, I could just tell that he thought it was my fault."

"But why did you leave Sunnydale? Why didn't you come to us?"

"I just…I needed to be alone for a while."

"Why didn't you call?" Cordelia asked. "We were worried."

"Oz was freaking out. He…Buffy, I've known your brother for years and I've never seen him cry before. Not even when your mother died, but Buffy he was besides himself. He wouldn't leave the house, just hoping you'd call him. Tell him you were okay." Willow told her friend.

"I need to talk to him. I'm so sorry for making you guys worry. I just needed some time."

"It's okay Buffy, we understand." Cordelia said patting the blonde's hand.

"Oz has class until one, then I'm supposed to meet him at the Quad on the South Lawn at one-thirty for lunch. You should go. Talk to him." The red head encouraged.

"Thanks Will. I really missed him."

"I know you did love, I missed you too." Spike said coming into the kitchen, wearing nothing but his trademark black jeans, the button undone.

"Hey Spike." She replied to her roommate

"Morn' ladies." He said to the other two. "Any coffee luv?" He asked making his way through the kitchen.

"Yeah there should be some left." Buffy replied.

"Oh and luv, I always knew you were a screamer." He said with a smirk as he took his coffee to the living room.

Buffy blushed which caused Cordelia and Willow to giggle.

South Lawn Quad

"Hey Buffy what are you doing here? Where's Willow?" Oz asked hugging his sister.

"She's not coming. I wanted to talk to you alone." She told him as they sat down at a table.

"Okay what's up?"

"I'm so sorry Oz. I didn't mean to just leave and make you worry, I just…I was just… I needed some time to think." She told her brother, her eyes beginning to tear.

Oz leaned over and pulled her into his arms. "Buffy I was so worried about you. I thought something horrible happened to you." He told her.

"I know…god Oz…I'm so sorry." She hiccupped as sobs broke through her body.

"Shh…don't cry, I'm just happy that you're okay." He told her kissing her forehead.

"Oz…I'm just so scared." She told him clinging to him.

"Oh what Buffy?" He asked pulling away so that he could look into her eyes.

"Scared that Riley's going to get out and do something to someone I love." She told him.

"Maybe we could see if Gunn could get Riley transferred to another jail. We'll show him the letter he sent to Kathy." He suggested.

"Do you think that'll work?" She asked, wiping at the tears on her cheeks.

"It doesn't hurt to try." He said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you Oz. For everything you've done for me, for being there for me. I know you really sacrificed your life for me. So that I could have a family and I love you so much." She told her brother hugging him.

Oz held onto her. For such a long time she was all he had and he wanted to protect her from anything that may cause her any harm. If he lost he, he didn't know what he'd do. "I love you too little sister."

Apartment

"Hey Kathy." Buffy said as she entered the apartment. After a tearful reunion with Oz they ate lunch at this old diner their mom used to take them when they were kids off the old highway.

"Buffy can I talk to you?" Kathy asked her, as she rose from her seat next to Spike on the couch.

"Sure." She said following the girl out to her bedroom.

Once inside Kathy shut the door and turned to Buffy. "I know it's not really any of my business, but why did you leave? Was it cause of me?" She asked as she moved to her bed.

Buffy looked at the girl. They were about the same age, but right now, as she hugged her teddy bear, she looked like just a child. Buffy could still see the stitches on the girls wrist from where she cut herself. "Kathy don't worry about it."
"Buffy please, I didn't do this to cause any problems between you and my brother. I just…these past few years have been really tough." She stood up and walked over to her closet. She pulled out an old shoe box from the top shelf and laid it out on her bed, opening the top. "You can't tell my brother Buffy." She said stepping away from the bed and letting the blonde so through the contents of the box.

They were all letters, all the same, written to Kathy, signed R. They all threatened the same thing. That if she said anything to anyone about that night, the night he raped her, took her innocence, that he'd kill her brother.

"Kathy…why didn't you say something?" She asked.

"Buffy you have an older brother. How can you even ask me that question?"

Buffy only nodded. "How did he find you?"

"I don't know how he found me, he just did. He didn't stop by or try to touch or hurt me, he just kept sending me these letters." She pointed to the pile of letters in the box.

"Why'd you do it though Kath?" She asked the girl.

Kathy flopped down onto her bed and looked at the blonde, the girl who her brother loved dearly. "I was scared. He said he was going…"

"I know I read the letter."

"Well…I thought that if I killed myself, then he wouldn't be able hurt me, by hurting my brother." She told him.

"Yeah but he wouldn't have to." At the girls confused look, Buffy continued. "Cause you'd do it for him. What do you think Angel would do, had you succeeded? You think he'd jump for joy, go singing through the streets? Kathy losing you would do more damage to your brother than anything Riley could come up with. Angel loves you Kathy."

Kathy nodded, tears falling from her hazel eyes. "I just wanted this all to be over." She cried.

Buffy sat next to the girl and pulled her into a hug. "I know. Trust me I know better than you think."

Kathy pulled away and looked at Buffy. "What do you mean?"

"I thought that too. When Riley…I didn't want to deal with it. I didn't know how. So I wanted to… but I thought about it. My brother gave up so much to raise me, he went through hell trying to get custody of me when our parents died and if I'd have given up like that, everything he did, would have been for nothing. My brother is all I have, and I'm all he has, family wise, I couldn't do that to my brother, not after everything he did for me." She told her.

Kathy nodded.

"The things we do for family huh?" Buffy said with a sad smile.

"The things they do for us." Kathy replied.

After some silence Kathy looked over at Buffy. "Buffy please don't say anything to Angel." She asked.

"I won't, don't say anything to Angel or Oz."

Kathy nodded. "I won't."

Note: Hope you guys enjoyed. R&R