Buffy had been right about getting to Giles'. The Watcher got there only minutes after them, and he unlocked his door quickly, motioning for them to bring Cora inside.

Buffy and Spike followed the Watcher in without delay. Angelus still carried Cora, but stopped a half step from the door, growling loudly.

Buffy and Giles turned to look at him, realization dawning on Buffy's face. Her face grew hard and serious, and she turned slightly to Giles. "Giles…you have to…" She nodded toward Angelus who was still standing menacingly outside of Giles' place.

"Oh, right," Giles' face grew contemplative for a moment, taking the seriousness of the situation in. Invite a dangerous killer into his home? Probably not such a good idea…

"What the bleedin' hell do you think you're doing? Invite him the hell in!" Spike yelled. He was concerned about Cora only, not about the damn human Watcher's worries about getting a bite from a vampire.

"Yes, well, I suppose…you can bring her in." Giles stepped cautiously out of the vampire's way as he gently carried Cora in the house and laid her down on the couch. He barely moved back from her after he laid her down, preferring to stay right at her side.

Giles went to get a bowl of water and a washcloth. Spike had moved to Cora's side next to Angelus and gently felt her ribs.

"She's got a few breaks," he inspected. "Nothin' she won't heal from though. Not too bad."

Giles had returned with the water and was once again confused at how to handle the situation. Buffy stood silently out of the way. After a second's hesitation, Angel reached over and grabbed the bowl and rag from the Watcher, startling him.

"Idiot," Angel muttered, wiping the ash and smoke from Cora's face. Angelus could feel the girl's relief, could feel her waking up and coming to. Suddenly, her hand reached up and grabbed his, stopping it from wetting the washcloth again.

"Me?" she asked quietly, a small cough coming from her lips.

"Well you're always an idiot, but I was talking about the old watchman here," Angelus replied, a small smile playing in his eyes.

Cora let out a sigh, placing Angel's hand against her cheek.

"You would have let me burn," she observed, looking at him critically and as seriously as she could in her condition.

"Never," he said.

"I bloody well hope this is the last time you're going to do something so stupid, love. I'm getting' right tired of takin' care of you." Spike moved into Cora's line of vision, and sat on the arm of the couch at Cora's feet, placing a hand on her leg gently.

"Promise," Cora agreed.

"Seriously, you're taking the vampire right out of me," Angel said, moving his hand through Cora's hair. She closed her eyes in pleasure.

"Finally—someone needed to," Buffy spoke, rising from her spot in the corner of the room. "Will she be okay?" she asked, addressing Spike.

"Yeah, love. You oughta know; not much can keep a Slayer down." Spike smiled at Buffy.

Cora moved to push herself to a sitting position on the couch, but a strong firm hand pushed her back down.

"Don't be even stupider than you are, Cora. Just lie there for a while," Angelus instructed.

Cora lay back down without argument. A few minutes later, and without her knowledge, she drifted into unconsciousness. Angelus still did not leave her side.

"I suppose she should stay here for the night," Giles observed, cleaning his glasses at the end of the couch by Spike. He was clearly fond of keeping his distance from Angelus.

"No," Angelus said, standing defiantly. "She's staying with me."

"You can't move her like this," Buffy interjected. "It'll make her worse."

"I'm not leaving her unprotected in this state in a place like this," Angelus said, gesturing to Giles' book filled living room.

"Stay here with her, Angelus," Spike said. "You stay—I'll go out and try to figure what it was those demons were up to."

Giles had nearly choked at Spike's suggestion.

"Stay…here?" he repeated, his hands clenched tightly around his glasses. "I don't…no."

"Scared Rupert?" Angel asked him, taking a step towards him dangerously.

"Of the deranged insane evil maniacal vampire in my home? Of course not. You only tortured me. We're great old chums," Giles said sarcastically.

"Oh I won't touch you, you old fool," Angel said, rolling his eyes. "It's just for her," he added quietly.

"I'll stay in the guest bedroom, Giles," Buffy offered. "Not that I care," she added quickly, "but we can't let Angelus move her…she'll get hurt. He'll just have to stay here," she said simply.

"Well, well all bloody right," Giles gave in reluctantly—very reluctantly; he wasn't very sure about Angelus staying in his home.

"I'll be down here with her." Buffy understood her Watcher's concern.

Giles nodded, a short reluctant show of approval.

"Well, I'll be back later," Spike said, turning toward to door. He took a step toward it before seeming to remember something. He turned back around, crossed the room to Angelus and bent low toward the vampire, whispering quietly enough so that no one could hear but him. Angelus let out a small growl at whatever it was Spike had confided in him, and gave one blunt nod of his head. Then Spike turned and left.

"And I suppose I'll be heading to my room," Giles said turning toward the stairs. "And will be arming myself with stakes and holy water and crosses," he muttered to himself.

"I'll take the second bedroom," Buffy said, heading in that direction. She turned to Angelus before closing the door behind her. She caught his eyes, and the look that she gave him needed no words. It was as firm of a reminder that she could give—if he did anything, she'd fight him till her last breath. In response, Angelus gave her a cocky smile.

The Slayer closed the door behind her, and Angelus made himself comfortable on the couch beside Cora. He smiled to himself as the small girl turned herself inward toward him unconsciously. She buried her face in his chest, leaving plenty of room between herself and the edge of the couch. Angel put a protective arm around her and then spent a while listening to the girl's breathing. Before the sun could rise, he had fallen asleep beside her.

------------------------

Giles woke up later than usual that day. They had not gotten to bed until nearly four in the morning, and, very unlike Giles, he had slept till eleven. He got out of his bed slowly, careful not to knock over the full bowl of holy water he had set beside his bed the night before. He put on his robe and moved towards the stairs, a stake tucked into the robe's pocket. Just in case, he reminded himself.

Giles went down the stairs slowly, cautiously approaching the scene that would lay before him on the main floor. For some reason, he was expecting blood and corpses. When he could finally see the living room, he stopped in midstep. In all his years as Watcher he had never seen something that had surprised him as much as the scene that lay before him.

Spike had obviously returned—probably just before daylight. He had taken some of Giles' blankets out of the trunk that was behind the couch and had hung them over the windows, carefully keeping the sunlight out of the room. The blonde vampire was asleep on Giles' recliner. Giles turned his attention to the couch.

His eyes widened as he took in the two people—well, one Slayer and one vampire—who were asleep on the couch. Angelus' body lay in the corner of the couch, one arm under his head, the other wrapped around the body of the girl that lay next to him. Cora was lying comfortably against the vampire. She faced him, and her face was buried in his chest. Her chest rose and fell evenly with each breath. Giles shook his head in wonder at how incredibly comfortable and safe the girl looked, despite the monster who slept beside her. Giles had been so intently studying the two that he hadn't noticed Angel open his eyes.

"See something interesting, Watcher?" the vampire asked quietly. He tightened his hold on Cora and used his other arm to prop up his head so as to look at the Watcher better.

"Oh," Giles said, startled, "I was just…the kitchen. On my way," he said nervously.

"Breakfast," Angel mused. "Sounds delicious…"

Cora had woken up to their soft voices. She caught Angel's eye before he could say anything else. She shook her head gently from side to side, and Angelus let out a short aggravated sigh.

"Well I am hungry," he said calmly.

Cora's eyes gave him a silent warning, and Angelus was silent.

Giles noticed that the sleeping form beside the vampire had woken. "Feeling well today, Cora?" Giles asked, approaching the couch slowly.

Cora didn't move from her comfortable position against Angelus. She knew her body should instinctively pull away from the vampire, from the cool hard body, from the murderer who Angelus was, but despite it all, she never felt more safe or comfortable than when she was lying against him.

"Not much," she admitted, turning her head to look at the Watcher. "Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Giles," she said. "I'm sorry I haven't taken the time to come and formally meet you."

"Oh, it's nothing at all," Giles said. "And please, just Giles," he added.

"Well, Giles," Angelus had found his voice again. "If you don't mind, I think my girl here needs some more sleep."

"Yes, well I'll be heading up in a minute," Giles answered.

Cora gave a polite, apologetic laugh. "It's your house, Giles, please feel free to do whatever you need to do. I sleep easily." It was a lie—Cora never slept easily…she never had. She always seemed to be well rested, and yet when she tried to sleep she often found herself unwilling to completely relax and rest or she woke up to unknown nightmares.

Angelus cocked an eyebrow at her, something only Cora could see. He knew that she didn't sleep easily either; he had spent many nights—or days considering what time they were sleeping during—trying to help the girl sleep, or he would stay up with her, teaching her something new or watching television or reading. Angelus didn't say anything about Cora's lie. He just continued to watch her talk to Giles.

"Well, I suppose I'll retire to my study for a while anyways—catch up on some reading for a few hours," Giles said. "Get some rest, Cora, er…Angelus." With that, Giles disappeared down the hallway. Cora heard a door click quietly into place.

She turned back toward Angelus so that she could completely face him, burying her head in his chest again.

"You saved me last night…and that little girl," she said quietly.

"No—I saved you. The curse remember? You were just too damn stubborn to let me save just you."

"Right; you would have let me die," she said with a cocky, questioning grin.

"Right, I would have," Angelus replied simply, although he and she both knew that he would have saved her—curse or no curse.

"Thanks," Cora simply said. Her head fit perfectly against his chest and underneath his chin, and she found herself moving instinctively toward that comfortable spot. Surprisingly, she fell asleep within minutes of finding it.

-------------------------

When Giles finally ventured out of his study later in the day, he opened the door to hear laughing coming from the living room. He checked on Buffy on his way down the hallway—his Slayer was still asleep. He shook his head, chuckling silently, and then closed the door to her room. He made his way into the living room to see who exactly was awake.

He found Angelus and Cora in nearly the same position. However, Angelus had moved to a more seated position on the couch, with Cora now leaning back comfortably against the vampire's chest. Spike had moved to sit on the coffee table, leaning back against his hands. He and Cora were laughing about something. Angelus was silent. But Giles was once again mystified when he saw that Angelus was gently rubbing Cora's shoulders.

Angel sensed the old man before he heard him. He was standing there in the hallway staring at Cora, Angelus, and Spike.

Angelus shook his head. "Audience," he said simply.

Cora turned her head and noticed the Watcher standing in the hallway.

"Giles, good morning," she greeted.

"Well, late afternoon actually," he said with a smile.

Cora laughed. "Yeah I guess so," she replied.

"Are you hungry or anything?" Giles asked hospitably; he knew the girl would need food in order to return to her full strength. "I'm sure I have something that you'd like," he offered.

"Actually, Spike made me some toast and eggs just a little while ago," Cora said, gesturing to an empty plate on the coffee table beside the blonde vampire. "I hope that was okay," she added quickly.

"Of course," Giles said, surprised again at the notion of Spike cooking. He contemplated it for a moment. "Spike cooks then?" he asked.

"Of course I can bloody cook," Spike answered for himself. "Very well, actually."

Angelus snorted. "The only thing you've ever cooked on your own is frozen pizza you idiot," he said.

"Not true," Cora interjected. "He used to make me breakfast all the time when we were in Paris, those months when Dru was lost."

"Drusilla?" Giles asked curiously, drawing closer to his three guests.

Cora laughed. "Yeah, she got lost in Europe. She was supposed to meet us in Paris but ended up God knows where," she explained to the Watcher. Then she turned to Spike. "You two did live in Europe—she knew that much right?" Cora laughed again.

"Bugger if I know," Spike replied. "She didn't know if she was on Earth or in the sky half the time, love."

"Crazy bitch," Angel said.

"You would know," Spike replied harshly. "You tortured her into one."

"May have..." Angelus let his words drift off as he thought back. "But she was the most fun I've ever had..."

"Spike, Angelus, stop," Cora said, wanting to change the subject. There was no need to put so much terrible history out on the table in front of Giles.

"Just saying," Angelus said with a shrug.

Cora smiled apologetically, hoping Giles hadn't been paying too close attention to one of the more terrible parts of Angelus' history.

"I think I'll be fine to go home tonight, Giles," Cora said, returning her attention to the Watcher.

"Perhaps you should spend one more night here, so as to not strain yourself. I believe you had quite a few ribs broken. They'd do their best healing with you lying still, I'd imagine," Giles replied, crossing his arms.

Buffy had emerged from her bedroom during their conversation and was standing beside Giles, still looking pretty tired.

"I agree with Doc here," Buffy said with a yawn.

Cora looked ready to argue, but Spike interrupted her before she had the chance to begin.

"She'll stay," Spike said sternly. When he saw the look on her face, he added with an evil grin, "You can't come back to my place tonight, love. You've nowhere to go but here, so might as well stay comfortable."

Cora narrowed her eyes at him. So she was going to have to try and keep Angel out of Giles' and Buffy's way for a whole day? She adjusted her body weight so that she was more comfortably leaning against the vampire's cool body. She hoped Angel would behave.