A/N: Sorry, I didn't get it up on Monday, but here it is now. Enjoy!

The next two hours were pure hell. Willow was getting worse and worse by the second and they knew time was running low, fast. They all sat, rather cramped, in Buffy's room crowded around the bed. It was around 11 PM that they heard a loud knock. Buffy stood up grimly and went to answer the front door, Dawn in her wake. "So this is your ex, right?" she asked loudly when she was right next to the front door.

"Yeah, now shut up!" Buffy said in a hushed voice. Dawn stuck her tongue out at her sister and opened the door.

"Buffy..." Angel said as an awkward greeting.

"Hey... she's upstairs... my room." Buffy said not looking at him.

Angel nodded and began the upward climb to Buffy's room. Dawn cut in front of him and ran up the stairs. Angel looked at Buffy questioningly. He probably thought they had added a member to the Scooby gang.

"That's Dawn, my little sister." Buffy said simply.

Angel looked very confused.

"Your sister? But…?"

Buffy just shook her head a bit and said in a cool voice, "It's a long story."

They reached the door and walked in. Angel got a few reactions. Giles looked up and nodded to him in a greeting, not hating him, but definitely holding a grudge. Anya simply waved, not knowing him enough to do much else. Xander was looking anywhere but at him, not liking him in the least and Oz simply said "hey," not taking his eyes from Willow's pale face.

"Hello everyone." he said to the room at large.

"Angel…?" Willow asked weakly.

"Yeah Will, he's here. We'll make you better now." Oz said.

Angel walked over to the bed and looked at her. "Willow, don't move alright?" he said.

She laughed weakly, "really not an issue."

Angel moved over her and opened one of her eyes. "Do you guys have a flashlight or something?"

Giles got up and went over to the bag of medical supplies he brought from home and extracted a small light.

"Thanks." Angel said as he took the light and shown it into her eye, "hmmm…" was all he said, thoughtfully.

"Was that a good 'hmmm' or a bad 'hmmm'?" Xander asked in obvious annoyance.

"Good. Her pupils are still responding." For a moment it looked as though he was in deep thought.

"I need her blood." He said finally.

For a moment they all just sat there gawking at him before Dawn shouted "WHAT!?"

He looked around in confusion for a split second before it dawned on him.

"No! I mean someone needs to DRAW it with a NEEDLE so I can smell it!"

"Wait! You need to SMELL her blood?!" Xander asked in disgust.

"I can smell how bad it is." He explained.

"Ok. Giles you got a needle in that bag for us?" Buffy asked silencing Xander's retort.

"Yes of course." He said bringing forth a needle and vile, and handing them to Buffy.

She handed the vile to Oz and put the needle in position. Oz grabbed Willow's hand softly.

"Sorry if this stings Will." Buffy said.

She slid the needle in and drew the blood easily taking the vile as she did so. She squirted it into the tiny bottle and handed it to Angel. He sniffed it and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ugh that's foul. But I know what's wrong!" he said in victory.

"Can you cure it?" Oz asked quietly.

"Yeah, I remember the cure exactly, but I may need some stuff. Buffy could you get me some paper and a pen? I need to write a list." She nodded and looked and Dawn who hurried out and back within the minuet with a notebook and pen. "Thanks." He said kindly to her. Dawn smiled and stood next to her sister. "Okay I'm also goanna need Willow's cauldron.

"We'll get it. I know where the hide-a-key is for her house." Xander said as he and Anya departed.

"Ok someone go to the Magic Shop and get these ingredients." Angel said.

"It's closed but if I have to I'll break in." Giles said taking the list and exiting the room.

"Giles wait! I wanna come!" Dawn yelled and ran from the room.

"So that's it?" Oz asked.

"I can't do much else without the stuff, so until they get back, yeah that's it." Angel replied.

"Maybe we should leave them alone." Buffy whispered to Angel, gesturing to Oz and Willow.

They left the room, shutting the door behind them. Buffy walked down the stairs without looking at Angel, and he followed awkwardly after her. She walked into the living room and sat down on a chair. Angel sat across from her on the couch.

"So…how've you been?" Buffy asked.

"Been better…you?"

"Been better…" An awkward silence followed this statement.

"So, LA, huh?" said Buffy, breaking it.

"Yeah, LA…" he said. "So, you're staring college soon, then?"

"Yup."

"So, are you going to live on campus?"

"Uh…no, I have to stay here and take care of Dawn." Buffy said with a pained look on her face.

"What about your mom?" Angel asked in confusion.

"She…well…she's dead…" said Buffy, her voice breaking.

Angel felt his mouth fall open. "What happened?"

"Vampire; I went out with Dawn and she was in the yard when she got attacked. Dawn and I came home to find it feeding off of her…I dusted it and drove her to the hospital but…well it was too late. She left Dawn to me." She finished.

"Buffy…I am so sorry," Angel said truthfully.

"Yeah, me too…" there was another awkward pause.

"Angel…how long are you staying here?" She asked sadly already predicting the worst.

He sighed sadly. "I don't know Buffy…I don't want to mess you up by staying, but…I don't want to go."

Buffy stared at him with wide eyes before she got the courage to talk.

"Then don't…you don't have to go Angel." She said a bit desperately. She felt the tears coming to her eyes.

"Buffy…" Angel said sadly. "I--" But he was cut off by the door banging open.

"Let's go." Buffy said.

They both got up, knowing Willow was more important then themselves right now.

"Okay, you guys got the stuff?" Angel asked them all as they walked up to Buffy's room.

Oz looked up at them as they entered. "Hurry." he said, "I think she's getting worse."

"Okay, Xander, Cauldron and Giles, ingredients." Angel said as they handed him the things.

Angel spent the next hour making a cure. When it was ready he scoped it into a bottle and handed it to Oz. "This should work. It won't taste so good, but she'll be better soon."

"Thank you Angel." Oz said gratefully.

Oz took it and fed it to her. She gagged loudly.

"I know; I'm sorry, baby. Shh. This is gonna make you better." Oz said rubbing her back.

Willow lay back on her pillow and looked at Angel. "Thank you Angel. Thank you so much." She said, her voice a bit stronger.

Xander turned to him and looked him in the eye. "Well…you went up a few points in my book. Thanks. Your not…so bad." he said quietly.

Angel was flattered. "Thanks Xander. That means a lot." Xander just nodded and turned to talk to Buffy. Anya smiled and simply said "thank you," sincerely and turned to talk to her boyfriend and Buffy. Dawn came right up to him, beaming and hugged him tightly. He hesitantly hugged her back with a small smile on his face. She released him and said "Thanks!" then hurried over to hug Willow.

Giles was the next and last to come up to him. Angel knew he deserved nothing from him. He needed nothing from Giles, and after all the stuff Angel had put him through, what with the killing his girlfriend and torturing him thing, he didn't expect anything. Giles looked at him and spoke briskly. "Angel, thank you. Really we couldn't have done it without you. You have truly earned my respect."

Then he walked away leaving Angel feeling extremely grateful.

"I should go." Giles told the room. "Willow, feel better. See you all tomorrow." and with that he left.

"We should go too. Hey Dawny, wanna sleep over?" Anya asked excitedly.

"Buffy can I? Please?" she pleaded.

"Okay. But, Anya? She does need sleep."

"Gotcha! C'mon you don't need to pack you have enough at out house." Anya said happily. "Willow, feel better!"

"See ya guys tomorrow; and, Oz? Take it easy on Will tonight. I mean don't have TOO much FUN tonight. Just keep the chains, whips and costumes in the closet until tomorrow." Xander said winking at him.

"Ew!" Dawn said, hitting him. "Let's go."

And they were gone.

"It ok if I steal Willow for the night?" Oz asked Buffy.

Buffy raised her eyebrows.

"We're just gonna talk and sleep. I swear."

"Well…okay."

Oz picked her up wedding style. She giggled softly and he kissed her gently. "Bye guys." She said, still a bit weakly to them. "See you tomorrow, and thanks again Angel." Oz said and carried her out the door leaving Buffy and Angel standing awkwardly in her room.

"Okay, now is the time to talk." Buffy said and Angel agreed. Now was the time to choose what he should do, follow his heart to Buffy or his head back to LA. What a horrible choice to have to make twice.