In the back of his mind another worry moved through though. He remembered reading one of Merricks' old diaries about a Slayer named Natasha. Merrick said that she was one of the best there ever was. A scrapper like Buffy. And then there had come what he could only call the Turning Point. She'd had been beaten nearly to death by a group of vampires in much the same way that Buffy had been. When the girl had recovered she had been so traumatized by what had occured that she had rejected her birthright and had even gone so far as to commit suicide. Her body had never been recovered and Merrick had noted suspicions that somehow or another, she'd been taken across the side of the undead. There was no proof of it and that wasn't really the part that bothered Giles. What shook him was the thought of Buffy being so badly..what was the word she used.."wigged" that she would step away from being a Slayer.
That would be a loss that the side of the angels could not survive. It sounded melodramatic even in his own head but it was true. Even Merrick had spoken of her being the best of the best. Giles couldn't help but agree. She was sixteen years old but her abilities went far beyond her years. He always knocked her when he watched her do battle but that was just to keep her from getting too cocky and not watching her back. In truth..she was amazing.
"I don't want to go to school..five more minutes..please.. mom..mom...NO! NO!!" A scream ripped from her mouth and she tried to wrench forward even in her sleep. Giles put an arm out and pushed her back but she tried to thrash. "I killed you.." she protested weakly, tears falling like water from a foucet down her cheeks. A siren squealed next to her bed and two nurses ran into the room. One took his arm and led him from the room while the other injected a sedative into Buffy's IV drip. She fluffed the girls' pillow and laid her back against it.
"Mr.Giles? What happened?" The nurse that had taken him outside asked quietly. The other nurse joined them.
"She..uh..she was having a ni..nightmare." Giles said blinking quickly.
"Understandable. She's been through a traumatic ordeal. She'll be okay now. I gave her a pretty powerful sedative that should block her from dreaming for right now."
Giles nodded and thanked them and then went out the doors to where the others were waiting. Well somewhat waiting. Angel was pacing the room like a rat in a cage and Xander kept repeatedly shuffling a deck of cards.
"Where's Willow?"
"Talking to Ms. Calendar."
Giles' eyebrow went up and his mouth quirked, "Oh?"
"They're working on a way to get Buffy out of here. We do still need to do that, right?" Xander asked, his words moving so quickly that they were practically running into each other. The Slayerette had been drinking waaaay too much Mountain Dew.
It was Angel who replied. Only he didn't so much speak as growl,"Oh you better believe it."
"Angel? What's wrong?" Giles asked, instantly worried. The vampires's eyes had hardened as had his jawline. Something was pissing him off mightily.
"That..guy..over there in the suit is..a.." he stammered angrily for a moment before he spat out the word, "vampire."
"Are..are you sure? Of course you're sure. What should we do?" Giles asked.
"I say we find a box of pencils and kill him very slowly, "Xander said dryly.
Angel shot him a look and then replied in a low, angry, savage voice, "I'll take care of him." His eyes narrowed into predatory slits and he began to move towards the sharply dressed vampire. The demon turned and saw Angel approaching and tried to flee. Needless to say, Angel followed him out of the hospital.
Xander rubbed his eyes and then lifted his watch to gaze at it. It was past four in the morning and he was exhausted and yet he knew that sleep would be impossible. One of his best friends..hell the girl that sent his heart into overdrive every time she smiled at him was lying in a hospital bed delirious and badly injured. It seemed so trite and ridiculous to even be thinking about his own insignifigant problems. "If she was away she'd be wigging because of all of us tripping so hard," he muttered.
"What?" Giles asked, pulled away from his own reflective thoughts by the boys' mumbling.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Nothing..hey Will!"
Giles turned and frowned. Approaching quickly was the third member of the Three Muskateers and dammit to hell, that dreadful Calendar woman.
"Hello Rupert. I got here as quick as I can. I buried the needle of my Geo."
Giles blinked, "Buried? What? Once again.."
"She pulled the max on her Geo..floored it, ya know?" Xander offered.
Samantha Calendar dipped her head, "You have floored your car before, right..oh wait..that would mean going what..fifty miles per hour in it?"
"Forty," Xander quipped.
"It's a very reliable car," Giles said defensively. First Buffy had made his car a daily joke and now Calendar was joining the fray.
Willow cleared her throat loudly, "Buffy?"
"Huh? What? Oh. Oh!" Giles looked stunned for a brief moment and then he sighed. "Not doing well I'm afraid. Her dreams are bad and she's in a lot of pain. And there are vampires..Angel just..where is Angel?"
"Right here," Angel said from behind Calendar. The woman jumped when he spoke and he shrugged his apology. "There's um, one less vampire causing trouble."
"Excellent. Now, did you two figure out a way to get her out of this dreadful place."
"Not like hospitals, Rupert?"
"Not particurly, no." Giles replied crisply, locking eyes with the technopagan. Willow grinned and Xander rolled his eyes. Angel however wasn't in the mood to find anything cute or amusing.
"Well?"
"We have a plan." Willow told him softly.
Please..I'd love to hear feedback. E-mail me at TreyCash@Aol.com
"Giles? Are you listening? Giles?"
The Watcher spun quickly and stared back at Calendar and Xander. "Hm? What?"
"Are you listening? Do you have any idea what's going on, Rupert?"
"Are you aware that Elvis just flashed the lobby and left the building?" Xander quipped, lifting a can of Mountain Dew to his lips.
"I'm sorry..the words..'this is illegal' keep running through my head."
"Well so should the word 'archaic', Rupert."
He rolled his eyes,"Explain this to me again. You and Willow are going to illegally enter the hospitals' computer system and put in a false transfer to a different hospital."
Calendar nodded, "So far you're with us."
"Right..and then.."
"Well see that's when it gets tricky..instead of paramedics driving Buffy..well real paramedics..Xander and Angel will drive Buffy in whatever car they can find that will allow them to transport Buffy on a gurney. We'll strap her down so that she can't move and then we'll take her to my beach-house in Santa Monica until this weird prophecy thing is over."
"Headache..headache.."
Calendar sighed."Calm down, Rupert. This way we won't have to move her from Willow's house and she won't have to stay at your house. You've got the nosiest neighbors."
Xander lifted an eyebrow,"Giles..you dog.."
"I am most certainly not," Giles retorted flustered.
"I went over there to give him a book, "Calendar offered.
Xander shrugged, "Hey, you don't have to explain to me..I get it." He rolled his hands and then whispered, "Giles.."
Giles favored the boy with an irritated glare, "What about Shawn?"
"I bribed him. He's agreed to be on call for us. Turns out we're lucky in a way..Shawn's got some old boys med convention in L.A. so he's down that way anyhows."
"Excellent. Where are Willow and Angel?"
"Imputing the transfer data and finding the car."
"A hearse? You stole a hearse!" Xander claimed. "Hello..as Cordelia would say but without the whine..morbid much."
"I heard a whine..do you hear a whine?" Willow asked innocently.
Calendar nodded. Xander gave her a look but she ignored him. "I think it will work fine. Plenty of room for the gurney. Boys, get into uniform."
Angel and Xander took the paramedics uniforms and began to put them. Xander glanced at Willow who was still gazing at him."You're not bothering me," she told him with him a small smile.
He laughed, "Um..question...they've seen us already right?"
"Yes but it'll be fine. Keep your heads down and it'll be okay. The doctor you spoke to is off-duty. You should be fine." Calendar reminded them. She glanced over at Giles who'd been oddly quiet ever since Angel and Willow had brought them to the garage to see the hearse. "Now go."
The two nodded and departed. "Is it wise sending them to get Buffy?" Willow wondered out loud.
Giles sighed, "They've proved before that they can work together for her benefit. I see no reason to believe they won't repeat that action. Really..a..a..Hearse?"
Willow shrugged, "It was either that or a really gross van and I'm telling you, Buffy woulda wigged." Willow said with a small smile. Giles didn't quite understand the humor which seemed to highly amuse Calendar.
She cleared her throat, "What are you kids planning on doing about school?"
Willow's eyes widened and she squeeked, "School?"
"That place where you go or are supposed to go every day to..uh..learn?"
Willow looked at Giles,"What are we going to do? We told Ms.Summers that Buffy was on a teen panel but she thinks it's just you with her. And the school and Mr.Snyder..what if he calls.."
"Willow..calm down..let me think about this for a minute." Giles said softly. He glanced at Calendar, "I imagine our dictator would not approve a sudden field-trip."
"Well he might...if I asked." She wrinkled her nose, "John still likes me."
"John?" Giles asked with a strange tint to his voice.
"Ew..look at the jealous man," Willow quipped, recalling a phrase of Buffy's that Xander had repeated to her.
"I most certainly am not..I..I was just not aware that you and Principal Snyder were on a first name basis."
"Live and learn," Calendar replied with a grin. "Anyways..I think I can convince John that I need Xander, Buffy and Willow at a computer convention in say Sacramento and that it's last minute. You however will have to take a week's vacation."
"Fine." Giles said with a sigh.
"Dammit, be careful!" Xander howled to his companion as they lifted the gurney out of the Hearse. Angel shot him an irritated glance and then followed Xanders' lead and placed the wheeled stretcher on the ground. He leaned over it and glanced down at the young woman lying sleeping on it. She was still unconsious from the sedative that the nurse had slipped into her IV hours earlier.
Brushing a hand across her jawline he murmured, "It's going to be okay." He glanced up at Xander, "Let's get her into the house."
And what a house it was. Calendar's beach house was literally on the beach. It was a towering two story summer home with a sprawling deck and six rooms.
The two boys wheeled the gurney to the steps and then Angel stepped upwards onto the first step backwards. He steadied the bed and then he and Xander carried it onto the deck. Below them Giles and Calendar watched carefully while Willow and Shawn stood ready to offer assistance if needed on the deck. Once they reached the top, Shawn stepped over and checked her out quickly to make sure she hadn't been further injured. He nodded to Calendar, "Let's get her into the bed she'll be staying in."
Calendar raced up the steps and unlocked the sliding glass door. With a wave of her hand she led the boys through the kitched and down the hall to a room in the far back of the house. She glanced down at Buffy and sadly shook her head. Rupert had said that the Slayer had been hurt seriously but it was far more shocking to see it with her own eyes. "In here." She pushed the door open and nodded towards the bed. The boys wheeled the stretcher next to the bed and then with hospital like precison lifted her into the other bed once Calendar pulled down the covers.
Shawn glanced up at them, "I need to uh, make sure all is good."
Xander shrugged, "Knock yourself..og I get it..now it's time for Xander to leave the room." He frowned, "Well only if he has to also." He said pointing at Angel. Giles sighed and was about to remind the two men that now was not the time for their competitive attitudes to step in but then he saw that Xander was grinning. And for that matter, so was Angel.
"How about we all leave Shawn alone," Calendar suggested softly. She made a slight nodding motion to the door and then proceded to step through it. Hesitantly the others followed her.
Once the door shut soundly behind them, Shawn leaned over and traced a finger lightly across Buffy's jawline. His eyes hardened into small stones as he spoke, "Won't be long now little Slayer."
Giles glanced at his watch for what must have been the hundreth time and sighed. They'd been gone such a very long time already. And of course his mind was spinning with potential problems but no, no, no, Calendar wouldn't listen. No, she'd insisted that Willow and Xander accompany her back to Sunnydale. So where were they? It was practically noon.
The emptiness of the large house loomed around him. It hardly mattered that Angel was at the house also because ever since Calendar and the Slayerettes had left, Angel had been in Buffy's room, sitting next to her bed. Giles wanted to be there also, perhaps providing comfort to the distraught vampire(talk about oxymorons) but he could tell that all Angel wanted was to be alone with Buffy.
"Wakey-wakey, Giles." A voice said from the doorway. Giles spun quickly and blinked. For some reason he's irrationally expected teh speaker to be Buffy.
"Xander? Oh? I...uh, trust everything went well?" Giles stammered.
"Yup, mom was so excited that I acutually got chosen for something besides detention that she wasn't mad at all," Xander said with a grin. "And guess what, we brought food."
"Good..um..Shawn left a little while ago..said he needed to consult with some colleagues about Buffy's condition but that he'd be back tonight." Giles informed him as he took a brown paper bag from Xander.
"Cool..so, how is she doing?" Xander asked, his voice suddenly dropping and growing serious. Try as he mightg, the boy failed miserably ay sounding flip about the situation.
"To my knowledge she's still sleeping which is good. Her fever seems to even out when she's sleeping and er, peak when she's awake." Giles answered as he took a twelve pack of Mountain Dew out of the bag and glared at it. He gazed evenly at Xander, "Will this last you the whole week?"
Xander laughed, "Try the day..Will and I bought lots. Don't worry, Ms. Calendar bought some coffee and tea for you guys."
"I thought you three drank coffee also?" Giles queried as he stood on his tippy-toes to open a cabinet.
"Only Buffy," Willow answered coming in with Calendar behind her. "We also made a quick trip by the blood bank."
"And they just gave you blood?" Giles asked in astonishment. This was getting way to weird for him.
"Of course not, silly," Calendar chided, "They gave us the blood we asked for after they got the e-mail from County Med."
"I didn't hear that, "Giles said quickly. "Um, I'm going to go check on Buffy." And with that he turned and left.
Calendar glanced at Willow, "He's always that bad, isn't he?"
Willow nodded, "Worse."
He moved his palms down across his face so that the heels of his hands could rub his chin and then he moved them back up so that he could rest his head in his hands. Every now and then he would glance at the sleeping Slayer through his fingers. Buffy had lasped into something of a rythym that bothered him and yet comforted him just because it was a rythym. She would sleep soundly for about five minutes and then a tremor would tear through her tiny frame and she would whimper or cry out and then she would fall silent, still shaking for a few moments. Once the shaking subsided, the cycle would begin anew.
It was so hard to watch her like this. Suffering and in so much anguish. Unconsious and helpless. The only saving grace was that he doubted she had any real idea what was going on. She was in pain but she probably lacked enough lucidity to be frightened. It was better that way. "Buffy," Angel murmured, "For once..for once..why couldn't you have listened to Giles. If I had been just a minute later in getting you away from those sons of bitches, I wouldn.t...you wouldn't..you'd be dead and then we'd never have a chance."
Shaking his head he moved impatiently to his feet and began to pace the room, "I know we both agreed that it couldn't work not because neither of us wanted it but because it doesn't make sense. We're enemies by nature and this ain't Romeo and Juliet." He turned away from her and stared at the wall before finally murmuring, "So why can't I get you out of my head."
"Angel?" Buffy whimpered from the bed, her voice barely audible. Angel spun so fast that he almost toppled but he recovered quickly enough to practically leap to her side.
"Buffy? It's me..I'm right here," he said softly but urgently. She needed to know that he'd always be there for her..that he wouldn't let her out of his sight ever again. That he would be her protector.
"Angel?" Buffy cried out again, her voice rising slightly in pitch as fear took over.
"I'm right here," Angel replied, worried himself. Her eyes were open and she was staring directly at him. He picked up her hand and placed it against his face. "I'm right here."
"Angel? I..I can feel you..why can't I see you?" The terror in his voice was evident. She tried to grab ahold of him but the moment she lurched forward she swooned to the side and was thrown back into the blackness of unconsiousness. He placed a hand under her slim body and pulled her to his chest.
"It's alright. I promise you, those bastards who did this to you will pay. I promise you, you're gonna be alright." He kissed her on the forehead and continued to rock her.
"Angel?"
Without moving Buffy at all, Angel glanced up at the door, "Giles."
"Is she alright?" The Watcher asked, his face a mask of deep concern and fear.
"She's not well but she'll make it through this." He kissed her hair and then looked up at Giles, "She's Buffy."
"Usual fees plus an additional risk factor. She is the Slayer," Shawn Kersey said as he lifted a mug of beer to his mouth. He gazed back at his darkly dressed companion. After a long moment of silence, Kersey decided to press the issue, "Come on, Issac..you guys want her..she's a sitting duck and I can give her to you."
Issac glared back at the young med student, "And your cousin won't become suspicious?"
"Has he so far? Think about this logically..it's all been laid out so perfectally. Besides, all anyone there can think about is that Buffy is messed up and barely consious. And that's true, Issac. Now..do we have a deal?"
Issac hissed, "I should talk to.."
"Come on, Issac..you didn't come all this way without knowing whether or not the boss man would say yes or no. What's it gonna be?"
"Fine but you make sure that when we come, the Slayer is completely incapable of defending herself..and that her pesky friends are also out of the way."
"Deal. I've already injected the Slayer with that drug of Vercadio's that he uses to blind his subjects with..no prob. Everything is under control."
"Excellent." Issac murmured.
"Controlled punches, Xander." Angel said softly as he reached across and glided Xanders' left hand towards the punching bag in a slightly arcing line. "Controlled or else you're just wasting energy."
"Explain the part where that's bad?" Xander asked, slamming his fist againt the bag again. Sure, his form wasn't pretty but it was helping him keep his emotions in check. And there were so many of them.
He'd walked past Buffy's room and seen Giles talking to Angel who'd been cradling Buffy and it'd been like being stabbed in the front and back. Every time he saw Angel and Buffy together he could feel a knife twisting but the fact that she was so very sick only helped the knife along. Jealousy was such a simple emotion but fear was so much more complex.
Fear. Of her dying. Of losing one of the two people besides his parents(and they don't count) that accepted him for who he was no matter what. Sure, both Willow and Buffy judged him but they did so as a friend. When they made fun of him, they never did it to hurt. With Will and Buffy, he acutually felt like he had a purpose in life. A reason for being.
"Focus, Xander, focus." Angel said calmly. Xander turned and was about to tell Angel off but the look in his eyes stopped him.
"We're in the same place, aren't we?"
Angel nodded, "I guess we are."
"Which means what?"
Angel shook his head, "It doesn't mean anything. I have nothing against you, Xander..nothing..you're a good man."
"A good man," Xander said shaking his head, "That's like being told you're a good friend..like a brother but not boyfriendly." He laughed bitterly, "Look at me..concerned about my own pitiful lovelife. I'm sick."
Angel shook his head, "No, you're the one thing I wish I was..human. Don't ever let go of that. And no matter what happens, don't ever let love come between friendship. There are bonds that were never meant to be broken. Now punch. Even and controlled."
Xander sighed and did as he was told. Angel nodded his approval. "Excellent. Now try me."
Xander regarded Angel suspiciously for a moment, "You're for real."
"Yes. Punch."
"I'll be damned."
"I already am. Punch."
"Okay." Xander pulled back his arm and then let go with a right hook. At the last moment Angel lifted his hand and stopped the blow. "Wha?" Xander exclaimed, eyes wide.
"I said I was serious about you punching me..I didn't say I was serious about you connecting."
Angel and Xander starred at each other for a moment and then Xander began to laugh. He wiped his eyes and started to walk down the hallway still laughing hysterically. Behind him, Angel grinned and laughed in spite of himself.
"Angel?"
"Kersey. You're back." Angel said evenly. He gazed back at the med-student with a bit of fire in his eyes. The kid wasn't of the undead type or even a demon but there was still something just not right. Angel wanted to blame it on nerves and the fact that he didn't really think anyone was qualified enough to help Buffy but still...
"I am. How's our patient? Has she regained consiousness at all?" Kersey asked.
"Somewhat..probably more delirious than anything else. She said she couldn't see." Angel replied, carefully watching Kersey's reaction.
Kersey nodded, "Probably a waking dream or in her case a nightmare. She seemed consious but really wasn't. I'm sure she's fine. Once the meds I gave her before I left earlier wear off, I'll check her out again."
"Good."
Kersey smiled. "Well then." He nodded to Angelk and strode towards Buffy's room. That damned Vampire was giving him the creeps. Something would have to be done about him.
"Here you are, Rupert." Sam Calendar said as she gave him a full mug of tea. Giles eyed it warily for a moment prompting Calendar to murmur, "What? Ya think I poisoned you?"
He cleared his throat, "Of course not." In an effort to convince her, he brought the cup up to his lips and sipped. Calendar grinned and laughed. "Delicious..um, yes..uh where are the children?"
"Tired of my company already, Rupert?" Calendar chided softly. Giles favored her with an annoyed look. "Really..you need to develop a sense of humor..or a personality, Rupert."
"Stat." Giles murmured to himself. He glanced up at Calendar who was watching with him an odd expression on her voice. "Uh, it was something Buffy said to me when we first getting aquainted." His voice dropped and he found himself staring at his companion, hoping that she could offer him something. Even the smallest shred of hope.
Calendar crossed over to the couch he was on and placed a hand over his, "She'll be alright, Rupert." He looked away from her so she placed her thumb under his chin and lifted it so that their eyes met, "Look at me..she'll be alright."
"Right. I know." Giles murmured, silently cursing himself. God, what if the children had seen that? They couldn't be allowed to think that he too was scared out of his mind. Someone had to be strong. Willow and Xander were trying but they were only kids and there was only so long that they could stand tall without fear.