Chapter 18 Sleeping Beauty

Giles nodded absently mindedly to the doctor as the interns wheeled his niece in to a new room. She was one of two occupants in the new room; the other girl was only 22 and had been comatose for the last six years. In other words he thought silently to himself, there wasn't much hope of Buffy ever waking up.

But then he knew that, it was the middle of March, three months since the accident, and still she had yet to awaken. Giles cringed slightly upon entering the room. It was white, pure white. No windows, no hope, just machines to monitor the girls lined up along the walls. The room offered to hope, no understanding, and no sympathy to a grieving old man.

The last three months had been the hardest of his life, he had had to make a decision that would change everyone he knew, and could possible come back to haunt him. Twelve months, that was all he would allow for her condition. Twelve months of being on a machine, being completely with out her sense, and with no hope; any longer than that he knew he would be being unfair to her. If she couldn't find peace in this life, perhaps she could find it in another life.

Frowning, Giles looked at his watch. 9:30 am it was past time for him to be at work. He just hated leaving her here, with out someone to watch over her. Just in case there was a change, a miracle, and she beat the odds. He didn't want her to be alone if she woke up.

Kissing his niece's forehead Giles whispered, "I'll see you later my darling, tonight, I promise," feeling better with the words spoken, he left for work.

Some how he knew everything would be alright, part of him just couldn't accept that it wouldn't be.

!$$&&

Angel signed and hit the alarm clock next to him on the floor. The thin mattress in the den was ungodly uncomfortable, and what little sleep he did have was….well….restless.

6:00 am. He blinked, hoping that would make the numbers look some what better. No, still the same time. Throwing off the blanket, he pulled on a t-shirt and pants, and shuffled in to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Part of him always felt a little selfish that this time in the morning, mostly because it would be wonderful to be asleep in his own bed, in his own room, but that was just not going to happen anytime in the near future.

After all Faith had moved in, so she and Spike now occupied their room, and were trying to make way for a nursery, and for the most part all the other rooms had stayed the same, with the exception of Doyle, who had taken a night job and needed his own room to sleep during the day. Therefore that left him to clear out, and not even consider bunking with the girls. However, Willow had offered, but then she was just trying to be sweet.

Angel tried hard not to frown upon entering the kitchen. Faith was already up. Not that he didn't love her like a sister, and hell she was soon to be one, but some peace and quite was something he desperately needed; life had just gotten to complicated lately. Buffy, college, money, new baby, and trying hard to keep the family together, what was nice however, was that Doyle had finally been able to finish college, and the good job was helping out a lot, but soon things were going to be a lot different.

"Morning'" Faith greeted him, cheerful as usual.

"Morning," he grumbled back, but then smiled at his own behavior. "How are you feeling," he asked pointy, mostly to keep her off his case and mostly because he genuinely wanted to know.

Faith's smile was blinding, as was the small rock that twinkled on her left had as she patted her rounding stomach. At around 4 and a half month of pregnancy Faith was the picture of perfection that most other women would envy. All the baby weight sat up front with the baby, she had not complications, and very little morning sickness.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, taking the seat across from her.

Munching more on her toast she answered, "Just the things I need to get for the ceremony on the 12th; you know a dress and the marriage license. Other than that, I'm thinking of baby names."

"That's right the wedding," he smiled, it was hard to think they were going to be Mr. and Mrs. William Chase, "You got a hold of the justice of the peace?"

"Yeah… Tell me what to you think of the name… Randal William?"

Angel couldn't help but make a face. "Really, is that a name you want to call your kid? What's Spike think of that?"

"Your right, I've got a few others's here."

"Really?" Willow yawned, walking in to the kitchen in her pajamas and bear slippers. Kissing Angel good morning, she smiled at Faith," What are they?"

Angel signed and got out of the way, passing out of the room he heard.

"Well how about Nicholas William, or for a girl Gwendolyn Angelina?"

He could only let of a sign that Spike was tempering her odd names for a child. Without him the poor baby would never know a moment's peace.

"Angel, wait up, "Spinning around he turned to Spike

"Yeah?"

"Remember, I need to use the car after school, Faith has a doctor's appointment."

Angel couldn't help but frown, the truth was he had forgotten and he liked the car at night to stop by the hospital, same he had every day of the last three months. Noticing the frown, Spike waylaid the concerns,

"Well have it back by five, the appointments at three thirty. So don't worry about it." Spike left it at that as Angel closed the bathroom door in his face.

"Faith, how are you feeling lately?" Dr. Anderson asked helping the small woman upon the seat. Most patients he didn't take a personal concern in, mostly because the people didn't want or need the concern of a doctor. But Faith was young and she needed the support of anyone who was willing to give it. For that reason alone, he gave her extra attention during the visits, and she had managed to worm her way into his heart. Reminding him so much to the child he had lost three years ago.

Perhaps because he was a member of the older generation, he at times couldn't help but frown on those who were young and engaged in intercourse outside of wedlock, and normally the young adults who he tended to in these situation made him feel justified him his thinking, but this couple.

The loved each other, they would do what was best for the child, and he couldn't help but smiling and feeling proud that they had taken the turn in their young lives with a level head. But most of all he felt honored that they would choose to include him in their small ceremony in June. These two would do just fine, of that he was sure.

"I'm doing fine, the morning sickness is going away and I'm feeling a lot better these days," she smiled at him, as the young man behind her hugged her tightly in a reassuring way.

Nodding, he continued with the check up. Prepping her he, hooked up the machines for the ultra- sound.

"Have you two decided if you want to know the sex of your baby?" he asked, moving the machine gently across her swollen belly.

"Of course," Spike answered, grinning ear to ear, as he watched his baby move inside his lover's belly.

"Well, my boy, it appears you're going to be having a baby boy," Dr. Anderson, grinned seeing the excitement on their young face.

At first she saw nothing but blinding white. Blinking didn't seem to help that matter either. Closing her eyes, Buffy tried hard to concentrate on anything but the pain in her body. Not so much a blinding pain, but rather a dull ache through out her bones. But even that didn't seem to make any sense.

She should be home, in her bed, just waking up for school. The moment she thought that Buffy knew it was a lie. She should be standing in the road, pouring down rain, and watching her father, and staring hard down the barrel of a gun. Knowing that death was coming, knowing she had never really had the chance to be free. But then where was she?

In heaven? God she hoped not, for heaven so far didn't seem to be of white fluffy clouds, and euphoria.

She opened her eyes again, licked her lips, and almost gasped out to find that they were chapped and dry, come to think of it, her entire throat felt that way.

As she kept her hazel eyes open, they began to focus on the white surrounding her. Soon, she could make out the objects with little trouble. White ceiling, while walls and hard metal bars surrounding her.

She was in a hospital. Silently she said a prayer to her maker that she wasn't dead. But then what had happened?

Her father?

That night?

Signing, she would think about that later, now she just wanted someone to come a see her. Feeling around with the tips of her fingers, she felt as if they were bruised, and quickly she clapped them around a plastic cylinder. Pressing the button, she waited, and prayed that sleep would not over take her.

Laura Matthews, growled, as she stomped into the room hold Ginny Sol, and Buffy Summers, the two only comatose patients in the section. The call button has gone off two minutes ago, but really there had been no rush.

Her heavy steps made the floor of the room shake beneath her two hundred and thirty pound frame, frowning she scanned the floor for the call button, certain that his had fallen from the bed and had been bumped. Finding no evidence of it on the floor, she scanned the bed, letting out a low gasp she found a few delicate fingers curled around the button and holding tightly.

Unable to believe her eyes, Laura peered over the railing of the bed, and found a large pair of hazel eyes staring back at her, confusion and wariness shown in them but other than that the girl appeared to be responsive.

&&&$

Rupert Giles came to a skidding halt outside the hospital room, straighten himself out he walked slowly towards the room.

He was terrified of what he would find, had she awaken for good, or was this just a miss guided dream, and if she had, how could he comfort her. How could he understand everything that she had gone through, and would she ever trust him again to protect her, to be there and help her to hold her fears back.

He had failed her, and he just hoped that it wasn't too late to repair the damage.

Leaning over her bed, he sent a thank you to his maker, she was awake, and she was alright.

Kissing her fore head Giles whispered to his niece, "Hello Sleeping Beauty, we've been waiting for you.