Joyce Summers wanted a normal daughter… and she would do everything to have one.

I took some things of Becoming 2 and Graduation 2, but Joss… Don't sue!

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- No!

Buffy lunged to Angelus before he could take the sword out of Acathla. They rolled in the ground when he finally gained the upper hand.

- Do you know what will be bad, Buff?

- Not have me to spar in Hell?

- Not see you go to Hell.

Angelus bit her, but he didn't take more than two mouthful of blood when a sharp pain seared through his body. He gasped loudly and groaned in pain and almost collapsed, but he didn't want to leave her blood. His eyes glowed bright red for an instant and went back to dark. Angel still fed of Buffy sinking his fang deep in her throat, her scent too strong for him to miss at first. She was his.

When he fully realized what he was doing he released his grasp on her horrified. Buffy was breathing with difficult and Angel held her close to his chest.

- Buffy! Oh, god! Buffy! What did I do? Why am I… I don't remember?

Buffy groaned loudly and opened her eyes to look in the brown orbs of her Angel. She touched his face and saw there was her blood in his mouth.

- Angel, you are back.

That was the last thing Buffy saw before darkness came upon her.

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Angel ran into the hospital carrying a limp Buffy in his arms.

- I need some help! She lost a lot of blood.

- What happened?

- She needs blood.

- Try to stay calm. We're going to take care of her.

-Something bit her. She needs a transfusion.

A nurse approached him to take the first care for Buffy. After a while, a doctor also appeared.

- You found her?

- Yes.

- Was she conscious?

- Yes.

- Are you *sure*?

- I'm sure.

- Okay.

- Nurse Olga, I need a type, I need cross-match. Get her on two lines of Wringer's lactate, and watch for hypovolemic shock.

- Now, young man tell me what happened?

- Something bit her. I don't know what it was… seemed some sort of dog.

- Okay. I need a rabies shot treatment.

- Any allergies?

- None I know.

Angel looked desperately to Buffy and ripped the handle of the door without really noticing what he's doing. The doctor jumped back surprised.

- Please, just help her.

- You two have been doing drugs? You want her to live, you have to be straight with me.

- She's clean.

- All right. Wait outside. Let us work.

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After a while, the doctor came out of the emergency room to inform him that Buffy was well. She had a throat trauma due to the bite, but nothing bad.

- Can I… can I see her?

- Yes.

Angel went into the room to find Buffy's neck bandaged in the place he bit. He didn't understand how he could do it mainly because the last memories he had was of being in bed loving her. He was completely frightened because he knew something bad must have happen, but Buffy was his first priority. He couldn't leave her alone in the hospital.

Sensing his presence, Buffy opened her eyes.

- Angel.

Her voice was hoarse and her eyes full of unshed tears. The blood transfusion brought her strength back real fast.

- Hi.

- It is so nice to see you.

Memories rushed to his brain and Angel finally understood what happened. For some reason, Angelus got loose. He looked at the woman he loved and she saw tears running down his face.

- Shshshsh. Don't speak. You are still weak.

- Oh, Angel! It is not your fault!

He looked at her like she had grown an extra head.

- How is it not my fault? I did it!

- No! He did…

Buffy tried to talk more, but was interrupted by a fit of coughs. Angel rushed to her side and took her hand in his to help her. After it passed, she tried to get out of bed.

- What are you doing?

- Leaving. I don't like hospitals.

- Buffy, you can't…

- I can and I will. I feel stronger. Where are my clothes?

Angel gave her a strange look. She found her clothes in a wardrobe near her bed.

- Buffy, please. You just got a transfusion. You have to stay here for a while. You can't go back to your home like this. You mother…

- …Kicked me out of her house.

- What?

- She found out about the whole slayer thing and freaked out. She said that if I left the house I should not go… back.

Her voice failed with her emotion and Angel held her against his chest.

- I'm sorry.

- Can I… can I stay with you for the rest of the night?

- Yes.

Some sort of accident occurred because the emergency room suddenly burst with people running. Buffy and Angel took the chance to leave without being noticed. Outside of the hospital, Angel lifted Buffy in his arms and carried her back to the mansion.

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Angel knew he had left the apartment just before his transformation and he didn't know if the place was clean. He decided to go back to the mansion even with the bad memories in the place. He just wanted to take care of Buffy and she needed to rest. Buffy slept most of the walk. He went straight to the bedroom to leave her there. He had just covered her with red blankets, when she spoke.

- Angel. Stay with me?

- Buffy. I don't want to hurt you more than you already were.

- Angel, please!

Angel took his shoes and went back to the bed. He embraced Buffy while she put her head in his shoulders after sniffing his neck. After a minute or two, she was sleeping again. She was finally safe.

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Buffy left the apartment when the first rays of the sun hit the sky. She wanted to go back to her house to grab some clothes. She didn't have school or a home anymore and she would have to think about what to do with her life.

She was putting some clothes in one bag when she heard movements in the stair. A moment later her mother appeared on the door.

- What are doing?

- Getting some clothes. You threw me out, remember?

Joyce left the room, but came back quickly. She wouldn't lose her daughter. Buffy was so engrossed in getting her slayer stuff in the bag that she didn't see what was to come. Darkness engulfed her.