"Just five more minutes mom."
Buffy yawned as she slid the covers over her head.
"Buffy, you’ve got a phone call."
An arm flew out from under the blankets. Mrs. Summers placed the phone in her daughter’s hand and left the room.
"Hello??"
"Buffy...It’s Giles."
"I know I’m dreaming because not even you would call me on a Saturday at..." Buffy turned to look at the clock. "Giles, it’s only 8:30. This better be important!"
"Well, yes it is...well..."
"Come on Giles, just spit it out so I can go back to sleep. You can tell me...Let me guess, the world’s going to end again?"
"Can you round up Willow and Xander and come to the school. It’s rather urgent!"
"Yeah, yeah. I’ll do it, just give me some time."
"Well, do hurry."
"Oh and Giles."
"Yes??"
"The library is where you work, not live!"
Buffy hung up from Giles and quickly dialed Willow’s number.
"Hello?"
"Hey Will, it’s me..."
"Buffy! I’ll get Xander and we’ll be over as soon as we can. What’s up with Giles this time?"
"I don’t know...hey, how did you know that’s why I called?"
"What else would be able to get you out of bed this early on a Saturday?"
"True...see you in a bit."
In the library Giles had begun to pace, "Where on earth could they be?" The library doors swung open, Giles stopped pacing and looked at the three teens who had just entered.
"Right here! So what’s this big, all-important thing that got me up so early?"
Giles face grew serious. Instead of answering he stepped to the side, revealing Angel. He was laying on the floor by the stacks. Buffy’s face dropped. "Oh my God, Angel!" She ran over to him. "What are you doing here?" Angel raised his head slightly, but all he could manage to do was groan. Buffy looked up at Giles. "What’s going on? Why is he here? Giles what’s happened?"
"Last night while I was doing some research, I had...well dozed off and the next thing I knew someone was pounding on the back door. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to find Angel standing on the other side. Well I helped him in and waited for an appropriate hour to telephone you. I’m afraid that’s all I know. He hasn’t said anything, since he got here."
Buffy kneeled at Angel’s side. She fought hard to hold back the tears that were pressing against her eyes. "Angel...Angel, can you hear me? Angel..." Buffy’s voice quivered. "Angel, what happened last night?" She wiped a tear away as she waited for a response.
"Buf-fy...I...I..." Angel drew a deep breath and lost consciousness. With tears welling up in her eyes, Buffy stood up and faced Giles.
"Giles, did you see any cuts or marks when you helped him in?"
Giles shook his head. Willow and Xander stood silently as the stared at the floor. Buffy brushed away a tear. "Well fist of all we need to get those windows covered." Buffy pointed towards the small windows. As she began to get over the initial shock Buffy’s Slayer mode kicked in. "Well, what are we all waiting for, let’s go." She began walking towards the supply locker. "Giles I’m sure we’ve got something in here that’ll block the light."
Willow snapped back to life. "I’ll go check."
"Okay, next we’re gonna have to move Angel, so I can find out what happened." Buffy looked at Xander, her face began to soften. "Xander, I know how you feel towards Angel, but I’m gonna need your help..." The tears began to fall again.
Xander looked at Buffy. "Hey Buf, don’t worry. I’ll do whatever I can, besides as far as vampires go, he’s not that bad. I guess."
"Okay I think these should do the trick!" Willow said as she came back holding some dark material and a few pieces of wood. Xander and Willow went to board the windows.
"Giles, do you think he’ll be okay?"
"I wish I could say for certain, but Buffy we won’t know until we are able to find out what has happened to him."
With all four of them helping they managed to move Angel to a table. Buffy set to work removing Angel’s jacket. When she lifted his arm, his eyes opened. "Buffy??" Buffy leaned closer.
"It’s me Angel, I’m here! What happened to you last night?"
"I was walking...wasn’t careful..." Angel closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "...attacked...found way out..."
"Giles, I think he lost consciousness again!"
Giles moved to help Buffy. Angel’s eyes reopened, he grabbed Buffy’s hand. "In danger...must protect." He released Buffy’s hand and lost consciousness. They all stood silently, waiting.
"Angel. What danger? Protect who?" Buffy whispered. Giles walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Giles, what does this mean?"
"Buffy let’s just concentrate on one thing at a time, mainly Angel. We’ll worry about the rest later."
After examining him, they found that Holy water had been poured over Angel’s upper body, he had cuts in several places as well as burns, in the shape of a cross. Buffy covered the cuts with gauze. "There’s not much else I can do. The cuts have to heal on their own, they were pretty deep. I’m not sure what can be done for the rest of it though. Got any ideas Giles?"
"For now just cover them loosely with a thin layer of gauze. I’ll um...look to see if there’s anything else that can be done." Giles headed for the stacks.
"Giles..."
"Yes Buffy."
"There is one other problem. Angel’s wounds aren’t healing as fast as they should be."
"I know Buffy, I’m just not sure how to handle the situation."
"What are you two talking about?" Willow questioned. "What situation?" Buffy looked at Willow.
"Angel’ cuts should have healed by now. When a vampire is cut they heal almost immediately and even though Angel’s cuts are deep, they should have been healed long before we got here! He’s just too weak, that’s why there not healed." Willow looked from Buffy to Giles, with a look of bewilderment on her face.
"What Buffy means is, not only was Angel attacked, but I’m afraid that whoever did this to him, let him...well...starve."
"Oh...oh...I see. So he’s going to need...blood." Willow’s face went pale.
Xander who had remained withdrawn from the whole ordeal, stepped forward. "I’ll get it!"
"What?" Buffy said in amazement.
"You just said that Angel needed blood and I said I’d go get it for him."
"From where?" Giles asked.
"His apartment. I know he keeps some in the fridge."
"Xander, we don’t know what kind of danger is going to be waiting at Angel’s. I can’t ask you to go there. I should be the one who goes."
"No, if he wakes up he’s going to need you. Besides you didn’t ask me, I decided I would go. I told you that I would do whatever I could and this is the whatever I can do."
"Xander I’m afraid Buffy is right. It’s much too dangerous for you to go."
"Look Giles, it shouldn’t take me more then half an hour. I’ll get Cordelia to drive me. If we’re not back in an hour, then come looking for us. But I’m telling you, I’m going to do this without or without your permission."
Time passed slowly after Xander and Cordelia left. Buffy sat at Angel’s side, holding his hand.
"Willow." Giles whispered.
"Yeah."
"I think we should start looking for possible explanations for the attack on Angel."
"Why does there have to be a reason?"
"Vampires, good or bad, don’t just get beaten and starved for no reason. I need you to do a search on the computer. I’ll start with the books."
"Okay, no problem."
"Cordy, you stay here and lock the doors. We don’t know what’s going to be in there."
"Tell me again why we’re doing this."
"Because...because Angel needs our help."
Cordelia turned in her seat until she was looking at Xander. "And when exactly did you start caring about Angel’s welfare?"
"Hey, I’m just one big caring machine!" Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Okay, since Buffy needed me."
"That’s what I thought." Cordelia mumbled.
"Look Cordy, she may be the Slayer, but that doesn’t make her any less human. She can only handle so much..."
"I get the picture. The point I was trying to make was, why couldn’t Giles or Willow have done this? They at least like Angel."
"As I remember, you tried to get him for yourself. Why aren’t you going in to get it?"
"Because I’ve moved onto to smaller and not so better things! Besides I’m not a big fan of the whole undead boyfriend scene."
"Gee and I always thought you went for older guys."
"Well obviously I’ve lowered my standards, considerably."
"I know you meant that as a term of endearment. Anyway, it’s time to face...well whatever it is I have to face."
Xander got out of the car, locking the door behind him He walked up to the door and opened it. It was then that he heard the footsteps behind him. "I don’t know who you are, but I’ve got a stake and I’m not afraid to use it." Xander reached into his pocket, but the stake wasn’t there. "Well I did have a stake." A hand grabbed his shoulder. "Ahhhh." Xander spun around.
"Aren’t you a big tough man. Mister, ‘I’ve got a stake and I’m not afraid to use it.’ Of course for that to bear the slightest thread of truth you’d have to of had this." Cordelia dangled the stake in front of Xander’s face. "Well I guess you always could have bored the to death, although I’m pretty sure they would have died from laughter, after seeing that little macho tough guy act you just did."
"Gimmie that." Xander grabbed the stake.
"What would you do without me?"
"Oh I don’t know, live a happy, headache free life!"
"Funny, Xander, very funny."
Xander reached out grabbed the doorknob and turned it. The door began to open.
"Giles, I think I may have found something." Willow said looking up from the book she was reading. She had long since given up her search on the net. Giles looked at her. "It’s here in the tale of Angelus and Drusilla. Well it seems that Drusilla is one sick little vampire, and I mean that literally."
"Willow, we know all of that. That was why Spike tried to kill Angel before, so Drusilla could get all of his strength."
"Well, yes but while I was reading all of this again, it occurred to me that, well maybe Drusilla’s trying to get back at Buffy for hurting Spike, by almost killing Angel."
"No." They both turned towards Buffy. This was the first time she’d spoken in almost an hour. "Drusilla wouldn’t, well more like couldn’t hurt Angel. He means too much to her."
Willow closed the book. "Well so much for that theory!" Xander and Cordelia walked through the doors. Xander walked over to Buffy.
"Here." He said setting a small cooler on the table. "Has he woke up again?" Buffy shook her head.
"Don’t worry, I’m sure he will soon." They all turned to stare at Cordelia. "What?? Like it's so hard to believe I can be caring?"
"Yes" They all said at the same time.
"Well that's definately the last time I do that!" Cordelia stalked off towards the doors. "Hey, guys. You remember how this building is open to everyone, no invite necessary? Well...I think everyone just arrived!" Cordelia tried to hold the doors closed. "Um, could someone possibly help me here???"
