When Angel had left to talk with Buffy, Orin snatched the swing seat and laid down, while the rest of the men stayed put.

Xander had just returned his attention to the male group from looking into the house, after seeing Caela walk through it. "Hey." He got the other's attention.

"What?" Pike responded and followed Xander's view of Caela walking back towards the back door.

"I wonder what they talk about?" He looked to the rest of them. "You don't think they're talking about us, do you?" His tone matched his expression; scared.

Pike wacked Xander on the shoulder and, like the rest of the guys, gave him a shake of the head in shame. "Of course, they're talking about us!" He corrected the teen.

Xander, still rubbing at his new sore shoulder, nodded and looked to the circle, his eye catching on Orin, cocking his head to one side as he slowly approached the younger man and softly nudged him.

Orin was somewhat snoring, mostly just because of the deep breaths he was taking in. He apparently fell asleep the minute he got into a comfortable position in the seat.

The others, outside of his dream world, cleared out of the circle, disolving at a fast rate. Giles and Wesley took their chairs back inside while Xander took in the mugs of tea and held the door open.

No answer came from the girl who rested her head on her arms on the table they sat at.

"Caela?" Cordelia raised her voice slightly. She watched as Anya reached a hand out in attempt to wake the young slayer. Cordelia had a slight urge in her that told her to scream at Anya, but proceeded in standing up and shaking her head. "Don't wake her. I'll be right back."

Cordelia stepped through the back entrance and noticed that all the guys had returned inside. Spotting Pike at the fridge, discussing dinner options with Xander and Wesley, they had more than a full house to feed, she walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" Pike turned around to meet his addresser.

"Hey," she got side tracked as she started counting heads. "Hey, where's Orin?"

Pike nodded to the front door's direction, "Sleeping."

Cordelia snapped her head back in confusion, raising an eyebrow. "What did you guys do to him?"

"Nothing!" All the men in the room said in defense, simultaneously.

Cordy was taken back and held out her hands in surrender. "Sorry. Its just odd that he would be sleeping this early."

"He just must have been tired." Wesley reasoned.

She nodded and returned to Pike. "Okay, yeah, well, Caela's out there in dreamland too, and I thought one of you three could take her upstairs, more comfortable and all." She shrugged and laced her fingers together.

Pike nodded, again, to her suggestion and set forth in getting the Gael inside and into bed.

Cordelia turned to follow when Wesley stopped her with his usual interest for details.

"Uhm...'You three?'" He attempted to correct her. "There was four of us in the room."

"Duh, Angel, Orin and Pike." She walked out in slow pursuit of Pike, shaking her head at the stupidity of the question.

She pulled back from him and lifted her head to look at him. "Hmm?"

His heart tightened in his chest by the sight of her tear covered cheeks. He took her face in his hands and wiped at them with his thumbs.

She sobbed in his hold, keeping her eyes on his. She gulped at the urge to fall back into his chest and continue to cry uncontrollably.

He finished rubbing at her cheeks. Knowing that it was useless to go on to dry them completely. He looked at her and waited til she was calm enough.

She didn't wait. Almost without breath, she quickly and shakily blurted out, "Its my fault." She kept looking at him, sobs that were overtaking her body shook the bed beneath them as well.

"What?" Angel was shocked to hear this. Although he knew that Buffy had a tendency to take the blame for bad things that happen in Sunnydale or anything related to the demonic arts, he couldn't believe Buffy felt that she was "responsible" for a car accident. "Buffy, you are not to blame for your mother's death. It was a car accident out of TOWN, Buffy. It wasn't your fault-"

"Yeah," she cut him off by half yelling at him. She sat there contemplating whether or not she could be able to get out a sentence. She took a chance. "Well,..." She broke. "It feels...like...it." Her crying returned and she leaned forward and hugged him tight as she let her tears fall, once again, into his shoulder.

He turned and shut the door as quietly as he could and continued down the hall to Joyce's old room.

Once he had .laid her down he returned to the living room. The rest of the gang was watching TV..

"Is she still asleep?" Cordelia turned her head over her shoulder to him.

"Yeah. All four of them now." He came around the couch and plopped himself in a spot next to her.

"Four?" She looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Angel and Buffy are asleep in Buffy's room. And Orin's still asleep, right?" He saw her nod.

"Yeah, I put a blanket over him just before you came down." She returned to the television.

"Hmm..." Pike wasn't looking for attention, but his thoughts were getting the best of him.

Cordelia turned her body to look at him this time and questioned his mumble.

"What?"

"Well..." He took a deep breath, still baffled. "I spared with Caela too today and yet I can go on for another few hours."

Cordelia had no comment, nor did Giles, Wesley, Xander, Tara, Willow or Anya.

They, too, were confused by this...

Part Sixteen

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