Strange Place to Live:
Coming Home
by Cynamin

"If you dream of me
like I dream of you
in a place that's warm and dark
in a place where I can hear the beating of your heart"
~The Promise
Tracy Chapman

Sunnydale Hospital
Saturday afternoon

Buffy walked apprehensively through the corridors of the hospital. She couldn't stand hospitals and tried to avoid them at all costs. But sometimes she couldn't, like when a friend was there. All too often her friends could end up in the hospital. Today, that friend was the only one she thought she'd never see here - Angel.

She followed the young priest's lead as he stopped at a nurses station. "Excuse me," he asked, "We're here to see Dr. Baker?"

The nurse nodded and directed them to a room down the hall. As they got near a doctor stepped from a room and waved to Father Riley in acknowledgment. "Father Riley," he called.

The priest nodded. "Dr. Baker," he said. "May I introduce Buffy Summers?"

Buffy tried to keep up a brave face, but she was filled with dread. She was not used to dealing with the doctors, especially not alone. She shook his hand by way of introduction.

"You're the author of the letter?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah," said Buffy. She didn't know quite what to say. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, like *what happened?* and *what the hell is going on?* but couldn't. Father Riley had told her as much as he knew about what had happened, and Giles was a much better person to ask what was going on in Sunnydale. So, Buffy settled for, "How is he?"

"Stable now, Ms. Summers," said Dr. Baker calmly. "His heartbeat is normal, but we're keeping a close watch on him just in case. And he is still unconscious."

*He's not supposed to have a heartbeat,* thought Buffy in nervous frustration. *Angel, what happened to you? What's going on?*

"Will he be okay?" She looked at the doctor for reassurance, then felt silly for doing so. The doctor didn't know what had really happened. He didn't know if he'd be okay.

"There is nothing apparently wrong," explained the doctor. "He should wake up at any time, but - Ms. Summers, we don't know what caused this."

*That's exactly what I'd like to know.* "Can I see him?"

"Certainly, Ms. Summers. I'd just like to ask you a few questions first."

So Buffy sat distractedly listening to Dr. Baker's questions, Father Riley sitting beside her. No, she didn't know Angel's last name. No he didn't have any family, they're dead. *He killed them, over 200 years ago.* Buffy stared at the door to Angel's room. She needed to see him. Medical history - perfect health. *For a dead guy.* No known allergies. *He's a vampire, vampires don't have allergies! . . . . But what if he's not a vampire anymore? What then?* Dr. Baker even asked what her relationship was to Angel. Maybe he was annoyed with how vague her answers were.

"He's my friend," Buffy explained after a moment's thought. The priest and the doctor regarded her silently. "We - were involved once. May I please see him now?"

"I'll go with Ms. Summers," offered Father Riley. The doctor acquiesced and moved on to other patients. The priest looked at Buffy. "That is, if it's okay with you," he amended.

Buffy simply nodded. Even though she really didn't know him, she did trust Father Riley. At least for the moment she didn't mind the company.

She was silently escorted down the hall and to Angel's room. It was a small room, much like the one Willow had once stayed in. Buffy stopped in the doorway, unsure of what to do and more than a bit confused by the rush of events no one could explain to her. She took a moment to take a deep breath, then hesitantly moved to the bedside.

For a long moment Buffy stared transfixed at the heart monitor. It beeped and displayed a steady rhythm. She finally sat in the chair next to the bed and simply looked at Angel. He just looked like he was asleep. Buffy had never watched him sleep like this. Angel looked awfully pale, but perhaps not as pale as usual. His chest rose and fell with even breaths. Buffy found herself oddly fascinated by all the small things that made up the moment. Like the way a shaft of sunlight that snuck through the blinds made his hair look different, and how it looked as it gently illuminated one side of his face. She reached out to touch his sunlit cheek, and was surprised to find it warm. Living warm.

Then her mind caught up with what she was seeing and began to piece things together. Angel was breathing, had a heartbeat, and the sunlight did not hurt him. Could he be alive? Really, non-vampire, no-demon alive? On a sudden whim to test her theory Buffy unclasped the cross necklace from around her neck. She took Angel's left hand in her own, then, ever so slowly in case it burned him, placed the cross in his palm. Nothing happened.

Buffy heard a gasp behind her, and jumped in surprise. She had forgotten the priest's presence.

"It didn't burn him!" blurted Father Riley.

Buffy scowled at the man behind her. "You knew?" she queried.

Father Riley looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'll just . . . leave you two alone."

"No!" shouted Buffy, and Father Riley looked at her in surprise. "Not until you tell me what you know. All of it."

Father Riley looked surprised and a bit uncomfortable, but he reentered the room to stand beside Buffy. "I just know that . . . the cross burned him before. When I was doing CPR, my cross swung and hit him, here." The priest pointed to a small red mark on Angel's chin. "I'd never seen anyone . . . react that way to a symbol of my faith."

"But you still . . . helped him."

"Of course!" he explained. "He still was in need of my help. No matter how . . . odd the situation." Buffy looked at him seriously. "And you didn't do anything else?" she asked.

"Only prayed."

"Prayed?"

Father Riley nodded. "There was nothing else I could think of. Just CPR and prayer."

There was a long moment of silence as they both stared at Angel. Then Buffy turned to Father Riley and smiled slightly. If she was right, things were beginning to make a bit more sense. "Any chance that your prayer included, oh, banishment of demons?"

The priest looked at her curiously. "I suppose it might have. I wasn't really thinking about what I was saying, so a bit of a prayer for an exorcism may have made it's way in." He stopped in thought. "Why?" he asked.

Buffy said nothing in response. Calmly she took her necklace from Angel's limp hand and placed it back around her neck. "Thank you," she said finally.

Buffy did not turn away from Angel, but listened as the priest left the room. He paused before the door to speak again. "Ms. Summers?"

"Buffy."

"Buffy. The cross . . . it burned him before. You knew that, too. Now it doesn't. What changed?"

She smiled slightly and faced him for a moment. "Prayer," she said. Then her smile faded, and she clasped Angel's hand. "And, hopefully, a miracle." She turned away from the door, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Welcome to Sunnydale," she said. "Stranger things have happened."

With that, Father Riley left her alone.

Part Five

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