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See Prologue for Disclaimer
Part 1
"Angel? Angel, can you hear me?" Buffy asked, frantically. She assessed his wounds and decided she shouldn't move him. She didn't want to leave him, but she needed to call an ambulance and had no way to call. She really would have to work on her mom getting her a cell phone. She glanced around and saw that they were the only ones in the alley (how unusual). Close to tears, she stroked Angel's face and prayed that he would be all right. She had just gotten him back and she could lose him again. Growing desperate, she began to call for help, her voice ringing loud and clear through the cool night air.
"Mmm, this is nice," Willow whispered to Oz, reaching her hand down to entwine her fingers with his. They had stepped out to get some fresh air during one of the Dingoes breaks, and were strolling down the sidewalk outside the Bronze. She leaned her head on his shoulder, enjoying the quiet, when a cry shattered the silence.
"HELP!!!!" Buffy cried, and Willow jumped when she realized it was Buffy's voice. She waited and heard the cry again, and took off for one of the alleys with Oz in tow. Racing down, she followed Buffy's voice, and saw her blond head bent over. She was crouching by a body, and with dread Willow realized it was Angel.
They rushed up, and Buffy lifted her head at the sound of the footsteps. She quickly rose and let go of Angel's hand. Willow stopped beside her, and Oz followed a moment later.
"What happened?" Willow asked breathlessly, and the tears that had been running down Buffy's face kept coming.
"The vamp...threw me ag-against the wall and...and I got up and Angel attacked him and he hurt him and I couldn't stop him because I suddenly had a dizzy spell and then after I dusted the vamp Angel decided he'd like to go to that fun place known as Unconscious-Land," Buffy said. "We need to call an ambulance, now."
Oz obeyed and ran back towards the Bronze to use their phone. Buffy and Willow crouched down and began to whisper soothing words into his ear, trying to get him to regain consciousness.
"This is all my fault. I should have shook the dizzy spell off and dusted that vamp as soon as he laid a hand on Angel. But no, I waited. I thought he'd still have his super-vamp strength, but I guess I was wrong," Buffy whispered, her eyes never leaving Angel's face. Willow's heart went out to her. She had just gotten him back and now he was seriously injured.
Both girls were startled out of their thoughts by footsteps approaching, and they quickly stood and turned. Oz, Xander, and Cordelia ran up, but Cordy was having some trouble keeping up in her platforms.
"Oh my God, what happened? Wait, don't answer that. Is he going to be okay?" Cordelia asked worriedly.
"I think so," Willow said. "I looked at his wounds and none of them look really horrible, except his wrist. And I think he'll live from that."
They all stared at his slumped form until they heard the sirens of the ambulance grow closer. It parked at the beginning of the alley and two EMTs jumped out with a stretcher and wheeled it toward them. They pulled the stretcher over to the group, and they backed away, giving the paramedics room. All except Buffy. She stayed crouched right next to him, holding his hand and whispering sweet nothings into his ear.
They loaded him into the stretcher moments later and wheeled him to the ambulance. Buffy was at his side the whole time. Wordlessly, she glanced at Willow, and Willow nodded, gesturing to her to get in the ambulance. After it peeled away, sirens waling, the gang, minus Oz who had to stay with his band but who promised to get to the hospital as soon as they finished their set, went to where Cordy's car was parked and jumped in. They raced to Sunnydale General. They parked and jumped out, practically running to the emergency room, where they met up with Buffy and began the long wait together. Xander went to call Giles, and he showed up wanting to know every little detail, in pure Giles-fashion. Cordy and Willow were sitting in those uncomfortable hospital chair, flipping through magazines without reading a single word, and Xander had gone to the bathroom.
"Now Buffy...I need you to give me details on what happened," Giles said. Buffy nodded.
"Okay, well, I was fighting this vamp, and he knocked me against the wall--I was stunned for a sec. I got up and felt dizzy all of a sudden. It passed in a moment, but I...I felt that there were eyes on me," she said as she lowered her voice. "They bore into me...I could feel the-the evil in them, the hatred. It didn't bother me before, but now that the adrenaline has stopped pumping, it's giving me the wiggins. Any idea on what caused that?"
"No...no, none at the moment. I'll have to-to go and research it further," Giles said, then turned as they heard the sharp click of heels on the linoleum. They all stood as a woman in a white doctor's coat walked up to them, her stride alone giving off a sense of authority. She was tall and slender, and as she drew near, she gave them a smile.
"Before you ask, he's going to be fine. He has a sprained wrist and a couple of bruised ribs, but he'll definitely recover. He's awake, so you can see him after I ask you some questions. You’re Buffy, right?" she asked.
"Buffy? Oh, yeah, that'd be me, I'm Buffy," she babbled, then composed herself.
"Good, now, I need to ask you some questions about the patient, Angel. First off, last name. I need one to put on his file."
"Last name? Umm...Angel really doesn't...doesn't use it..." she stammered, then made a snap decision. "Summers...yeah, it's Angel Summers. Next?" She smiled a bit nervously.
"Okay, um...age and date and place of birth?" Buffy paled.
"Oh...umm...hmm. Giles? Maybe you could help answer these questions. Angel's...Angel's 21. He was born in Ireland....God, what was the name of the town? Gal-something."
"Galway, Ireland," Giles said. "We're...not quite sure what day he was born...exactly."
"Yeah, he's not big on birthdays...." Buffy said lamely with a half-smile. "Anything else? 'Cause I wanna go see him."
"A couple more. I know how you feel. Was he attacked?"
"Yes."
"By whom?"
"No clue. It was dark and we were...walking...and some guy jumped Angel. He turned on me and I kicked his as--I mean, I hit him and then he ran," she quickly covered up. Smooth Buff, tell the world that you're the Slayer.
"Okay, well, the police will probably want to fill out a report later on. Are you all family?" she asked the Scooby Gang.
"Uh, no...just friends," Willow said.
"Oh, well, we can only let relatives in right now. Mrs. Summers?" Buffy glanced around, expecting to see her mother, then realized the doctor was talking to her.
"Oh, Mrs. Summers, right, that'd be me. How'd you know?" Buffy asked, a bit edgy.
"The ring. Claddagh. Irish wedding band. Heart pointing towards you. No- brainer really."
"Oh...of course," she said, fingering her ring. "Can I see Angel now?"
"Of course, right this way," she said, leading Buffy through the emergency doors and down the hall to Angel's private room. She paused at the doorway and fearfully glanced in. She shuddered when she saw Angel hooked into an IV machine, his face covered in bluish bruises and his lip split. He sensed her in the doorway and opened his eyes, trying his best to crack a smile. Needless to say, it didn't work.
"Buffy," he said softly and she covered the distance to his bed in two big steps. She held his hand and softly kissed him, being very gentle because of the split lip. She slowly broke off and opened her eyes, staring into his.
"How do you feel?" she asked worriedly.
"Well, my lips feel suddenly painless. That medicine is incredible, you should bottle it. You'd make a fortune," he teased, then said, "No, I think I'll keep it for myself."
"Why thank you. Seriously, though, how do you feel? Oh my God, I'm so sorry this happened. If only--"
"Don't play that game,” Angel interrupted. “It wasn't your fault, I should've known I wasn't as strong as I was when I was a vampire. I was just so worried...You were smashed into that hard brick wall and a rage filled me....I had to hurt him. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out quite like I planned."
"Well, look on the bright side. I get to play nursemaid again," Buffy said, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and an enticing smile on her lips.
"I like the sound of that...." Angel said with a smile of his own on his lips and pulled her down into another kiss. When it broke off, Buffy straightened and pulled a chair over to the bed. She clasped his hand with both of hers and brought it up to her lips, kissing it gently. They sat there, staring into each other's eyes for a long time.
"Oh, before you distract me too much, I had to make up a story about what happened and stuff. Okay, first off, you're 21 and you were born in Galway, Ireland. We didn't say your birthday because you never did tell me....Anyway, we were walking and this guy jumped you and I hit him and he ran away. And that's the end of my brilliant little white lie. Oh yeah, and your last name is Summers. The doctor thinks we’re kinda....um...married...." She paused awkwardly, then continued. "So...um...just go along with it, okay? Save us both a lot of explaining.” She gazed at Angel's face intently. "You’re not...mad, are you?"
"Mad? Of course not. That's what I've thought from the moment I gave you that ring, Buffy. I love you with all my heart and soul," Angel said with such sincerity that it brought tears to Buffy's eyes.
"I love you too, so much sometimes I can't even stand it. I need you in my life...so much....I depend on you so much. You really scared me today. I thought you were gonna leave me." Angel wiped the tears from her eyes with his hand, then placed it back in Buffy's grasp.
"I could never leave you. And we will be...someday. If you want," Angel said, teasing again.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll twist my arm into doing it somehow..." She smiled, then leaned down for another kiss. "God, what did I ever do to deserve you?" She mumbled into his lips.
"I think it's the other way around."
They continued to kiss for a long time.
"Yeah," Buffy said as they broke slowly away, "It's definitely the other way around."
"Haha, very funny. I think it's mutual, don't you?" Angel asked in his teasing voice. Buffy noticed he liked to tease a lot more now.
"Sure, twist my words around..." Buffy was cut off by another kiss. She
sighed happily. "Yeah, mutual," she whispered, then covered his lips with
hers again.