Giles watched as Buffy carefully bathed Oz. Her hands moved softly and carefully over the scratch marks Angelus had gouged into his back. His breath came in labored pants, but he held his body still for her ministrations. She dropped the washcloth into the bowl and reached for the antibiotic ointment.

"She's his alpha. He trusts her not to hurt him." Spike shrugged. "Werewolves have very defined social parameters. Why I never got on with any of them."

"What happened to them?" Giles asked nodding his head toward Oz and Buffy.

"Not my place to carry tales." Spike looked down the hall as Willow arrived with Xander and Cordelia in tow. He rolled his eyes and bit back the less kind comments that flew through his mind. Buffy's little troop had taken quite a beating and he didn't want to aggravate the situation further for her.

Willow came into the room and Oz wrenched himself up from the bed with a growl. "Get the fuck out of my room."

"You need help. I'm here to help." Willow clenched her fists at her sides. "Let me help you."

"No. Willow, you have to go. I'm asking you to listen now since you didn't earlier." Oz pulled the sheet tightly around his body. He was shaking with the effort. Buffy soothed him with one steady hand.

"Buffy, make her leave." Oz looked up at Buffy and she nodded. His agony was clear. He wouldn't look at Willow.

Buffy calmly approached Willow and shook her head. "Give him some time, Wil. You need to let him be. He doesn't want you here. I haven't asked you to explain anything yet, and he hasn't told me much, but you need to give him some serious space."

"No. Buffy, he needs me." Willow fell to her knees forcing Buffy to lift her and carry her to Giles and Xander.

"I'm sorry, Willow, so sorry. He needs space and care. I think he needs some time. When he's ready, he'll let you know." Buffy pushed her into their arms and grimaced as Willow fell apart. The sounds of her sobs tore through Buffy, but she needed to finish taking care of Oz.

"Listen to me, Willow. You are both alive, so there will be healing. Your young man needs time. You need to be strong for him." Giles wiped the tears from her face. "You need to give him what he needs."

"You mean I need to let Buffy give him what he needs because she gets everything. I'm his mate, not her. She can't have Oz. He's mine." Willow broke free from Giles and ran into the room again skidding to a halt as Oz's back came into view. The gouge marks were hideous.

Buffy rapped the bandage around Oz's arm and felt him tense again. "Willow, please. This isn't hard enough for him? Can't you respect his wishes?"

"I'm not letting you steal him from me. You get them all. Every man that comes anywhere near you winds up orbiting around you like you're the sun, but Oz is mine." Willow's voice broke as she crumpled to the floor.

Spike watched as Buffy started to shake. "Bloody, buggering, hell." He ran a hand through his hair and strode into the room.

"Buffy is doing what's needed because all of you belong to her. She went into that hell because she loves your useless, jealous hide. She went back there to save you. If you had listened to me and followed the rules we would all be having a nice night. Buffy pulls everyone in because she's valiant and kind. She is good and fierce." Spike looked into Willow's eyes. "You're a sweet girl and she'd move heaven and earth to change what happened to you if she could. Let her do what needs doing. Let her take care of both of you for a bit."

Spike gently wrapped an arm around Willow and led her from the room. He pushed her toward Xander and Cordelia gently. Giles put a hand on his shoulder and let it rest there. The man and the vampire stood and watched the three teens hug for a long while.

"Giles, I need your advice. Spike, you too." Buffy called from the room. She stepped to the doorway. "The drugs have kicked in and he's out, but how do I treat his," Buffy gulped. "Injuries." Buffy swung her arm toward the bed. A blush flared across her face and a single tear started its trek down her cheek.

Giles looked into the room and felt helpless. Buffy had handled this evening with a maturity he hadn't believed. His heart wrenched as his gaze fastened onto the tortured form of young Oz.

"I'll handle it from here, pet. Not new to me." Buffy sagged with exhaustion and leaned against the doorframe. Spike trailed his fingers along her cheek and felt her starting to quake. "Watcher, get a soda in her or something to help with the shock. Some food."

Spike moved into the room and gently pushed Buffy into her watcher's arms. She stumbled in the doorway and he steadied her with his grip on her elbow. Giles hugged her and looked over her shoulder and nodded at Spike.

Giles pulled his slayer toward the kitchen and sat her at the table before he pulled out the box of doughnuts and poured her a cola. She looked so fragile now shivering and hunching her shoulders in. His heart twisted as he thought of the horrors she had faced to save her friends.

"She fucked Angel. He didn't rape her. She let him have her. Then she raped Oz. How does that happen? How does he get victims to torture themselves?" Buffy's voice was shaking and barely audible.

"He's had a lot of experience torturing and raping. He didn't use physical force but it was rape. Willow didn't want that, but I'm sure she'll doubt herself and feel guilty. You'll have to help her."

"He would have turned Willow into something worse than Drusilla. I don't know what he'd have done to Oz. He so horrible. I should have just dusted him. I need to plunge and move on. Every last one of you should hate me." Buffy pushed her doughnut away untouched.

"Buffy, I 'm so sorry." Giles sat in the chair next to her and rubbed her back slowly. It was time for him to carry the can and be there for her. He stiffened as she crawled into his lap and curled up against his chest, but then he started stroking her hair and rocking slightly. "I wish I could protect you from all of it. This isn't your fault."

"I'm the slayer, Giles." Buffy mumbled.

"Changes nothing, my dear. I fought against this destiny for many years, but I am so happy to have lost. You are my slayer. I love you." He leaned his head on the top of hers as she finally broke into tears.