Chapter 13

Buffy stepped out of Angelus' lair into the afternoon sun. She never particularly enjoyed day time, but it seemed the rays of the sun bothered her more today than any other day for some reason. It was always funny to her that everyone, including Angel, had always linked her with the sun. They all thought that she wanted to live her life under the sun's warm glow. But they couldn't be more wrong, she was, after all, a creature of the night, the apex of all predators, so why would they think she loved the sun or wanted her life to be spent under it? She felt more at ease during the night, never feeling more alive than when she was hunting and patrolling. She was a huntress, a predator without equal.

Closing the door behind her, she made sure it was locked and secured. She didn't want to chance leaving Angelus in his lair sleeping alone and defenseless, with an open door as an invitation for who ever wanted to hurt him. She already felt bad leaving him all alone, but she needed to get to her friends. She had spent almost two days away from them, without a word. And, after what happened to her before she bolted from Giles's house, they would be worried about her, and they would want to know what had happened to her.

She didn't know what to tell them though, especially if they asked about Angelus. She could now faintly recall that Spike had followed her to that accursed ally, so they knew she had found Angelus. There was no getting out of that. They would have questions, questions she wasn't sure how to answer, or if she even knew the answers to their questions. Deciding she needed more time to sort out her thoughts, she took the long way around town to get to Giles' house.

What was she going to tell them? How was she going to explain her two-day disappearance to her friends and Watcher? Two things she was positive she wasn't going to mention. Where Angelus was located, and what had been going on between them. But she had to tell them about Angelus's condition and what had happened to him with the new bitch in town.

With every step she took away from Angelus that brought her closer to her friends, her heart filled a little more with dread. She didn't want to leave him like she did. All she wanted was to crawl back into bed beside him and enjoy the feeling of his body close to hers, filling her heart with a joy she hadn't felt in years. With every second and with every step she took further away from her love, she felt her heart and soul begin to tear just a little more.

With every passing second since he had come back, she had felt her bond with him getting stronger and more permeant every time she had tasted his blood. Their bond would get stronger, something that was unbelievable, since it had always been particularly strong to begin with. Their connection had always kept her heart warm and happy, and, even when Angel left her, their bond had always been there, connecting them like nothing else.

Now that he was back, it was only getting stronger, she could feel him even now, sleeping fitfully, hurt and feeling a type of pain he had never felt before, and it broke her heart to think of him like that. He was always so strong so powerful, so full of life. She smirked mentally at the thought, he was dead, but Angelus to her was more alive than anyone she had ever met. His body was dead, but his spirit always radiated so much energy, it was hard to think of him so beaten and almost broken.

Her mood was so hectic. With every thought, it seemed to jump from one extreme to another. One moment, she felt hurt and dying, and the next one, she felt enraged at the monster that had done this to him. Her emotions were bombarding her whole being, and she couldn´t set her mind on a thought or an idea, before her train of thought jumped to the next one, her mood following suit.

"Buffy, focus on your friends first. One problem at a time," she told herself. She had to convince them that their first priority was to find a way to help Angelus, whatever it took. That was the most important thing right now. She knew that Giles and Xander would be the hardest to convince, but she had to find out what the slayer bitch injected him with, the poison was the most dangerous thing to him right now, not his injuries or that damn slayer bitch. Once they figured out what the poison was, then, they could find a way to cure him, maybe a way to extract it form his system. And the sooner she found that out, the sooner he would get better, and they could take out that abomination.

With a new clear objective driving her, she widened her steps, speeding towards Giles' house.

"Hello," Xander answered Giles' phone. "Yeah…Okay…When was that? Okay… How was she? Fine I'll let them know…Thanks Willy… We owe you one." Xander hung up the phone, looking around the quiet room, one by one at all his friends´ and the two watcher´s expectant expressions.

"So… What? Come on… Say something you idiot, we are not waiting all day until your mouth catches up with whatever difficulty your brain is having, sorting out the few information it´s capable of holding." Cordelia almost screamed at her ex-boyfriend.

"Cordelia, please let him speak," Giles suggested.

"Come on, Xander, out with it" Willow encouraged.

"Okay, okay. This was Willy. He said that Buffy stopped by his place a couple of hours ago," Xander managed to say.

"And…" Wesley prodded.

"We heard you call out his name, you simpleton. We aren't you. We… understand… what… we…hear," Cordelia shot back, the last sentence being spoken slowly, dragging the words and spelling them slowly, as if to make it easier for him understand. The boy was getting on her last nerve.

Xander just ignored Cordelia and continued. "She left him, after empting his blood supply. He just thought she was acting weirder than usual, too aggressive. And he said she had mentioned Angelus, and he figured that the blood was for him. Since I asked about her the other night, he wanted to give us a heads up, cause he didn't like the way she was acting." Xander finished thoughtfully, he didn't know what to make of Willy's comments.

"Did he say anything else? Was she hurt or sick? Did he learn anything else?" Giles asked.

"No, no. He said she was fine. She just acted strange, even for her. But she was fine and in a hurry, that's all. He also asked us not to tell her that he called, just in case she decided to stop by again. He didn't want to get his ass kicked," Xander finished.

"Don't tell who who called?" Buffy asked from her place beside the door, an innocent expression on her face, as if clueless of what she had accidentally heard. Her eyes, however, were a dead give-away of the anger she was feeling. 'This time, Willy, you are asking for it, you little weasel,' she thought, vowing to herself to kick the living shit out of him.

"Buffy…" Willow was the first one to jump from her spot and run to the slayer with everyone in tow. She jumped at the slayer hugging her. "How are you? Do you feel okay? Where have you been? Is everything okay? We were so worried about you. What happened to you? Do you feel okay?" Willow as babbling incoherently as she attached herself to the previously absent slayer.

"Will, you just asked me how I feel twice," Buffy commented with a warm smile. "I´m fine, can I please have my body back?" As soon as Willow untangled herself from Buffy, another body replaced hers, hugging her tighter even. To Buffy's surprise, it was Cordelia.

"How do you feel Buffy? Is everything okay?" The ex-cheerleader asked, and Buffy was surprised at the amount of worry and concern in Cordelia's voice.

"I´m fine, guys, I swear. And I'll be even better if you stop worrying. Nothing happened to me, and I´m all good," She said untangling her body once more from Cordelia's warm embrace with a grateful smile to the ex-cheerleader.

"Are you sure Buffy? You didn't look fine when you left us two days ago." Giles asked a little suspicious now that he knew she was, at least, physically unhurt.

"I´m telling you, guys, I´m perfectly fine. But I could eat, I´m starving. I have hardly had anything to eat since I left. I assume you guys have some leftover pizza," Buffy looked expectantly at Xander.

"You know it, I would never let my girls go hungry," Xander replied with a smile.

"Yeah, never let your girls go hungry, but leaving your girlfriend sexually frustrated is okay, huh?" Anya huffed, disappointed and frustrated at her lack of orgasms lately.

"Oh, Anya, I´m sure it isn't his fault, you know when men are a little stressed they can't… well, you know…" Cordelia finished her comment by wiggling her forefinger up and down at Xander's midsection, indicating a problem with Xander's ability to maintain an erection.

"Ahh it's not that. I can…It…it's just not a good time, and she…" Xander was saved by Buffy, who felt a little embarrassed for one of her oldest friends, whose face was turning every shade of red under the sun.

"Come on, guys, stop picking on him," Buffy cut off Xander incoherent babbling with a smile and a touch on his shoulders. "So, Xander, extra cheese and sauce?" Buffy asked again, trying to divert the conversation form a very embarrassing and inappropriate subject.

"Yeah of course, you'll find a whole pizza just for you in the fridge." He answered with a smile, thankful that she had changed the subject and saved him from any further humiliation.

"I'll be back in a second. I'll just heat some up, and be right back." Buffy walked to the kitchen as she felt her stomach grumble in anticipation.

"Don't worry, mate," Spike said as he walked by Xander, taping him on the shoulders in almost a comforting manner. Almost. "It happens to the best of us, well, not to me, of course. But you know what I mean, lesser men and all that." Spike finished to a few snickers by the girls.

"I told you I don't have a problem, why do you people don´t understand anything I say?" Xander replied, agitated at being the butt of every damn joke. 'Never thought I'd miss farm boy, at least, when he was here, they forgot about me,' Xander thought.

"Come on, guys, you have had your fun. Let's get serious for a second, I´m sure Xander can take care of his little problem. You know, Xander, they make little blue pills now for whatever problem you are having." Wesley couldn't help but take advantage of the boy's misfortune. The moment Buffy had walked in and they had known she was fine, the whole mood of the group had picked up considerably.

"Augh, now, even Wesley is making fun of me. Anya, I told you our sex life isn't a proper topic of conversation in public," Xander said, looking at his girlfriend in anger and humiliation.

"You're just a little too wound up since Angelus came back, and you haven't been able… you know" She said, looking at his midsection, arching and wiggling her eyebrows. "If you would just try and give me my orgasms, you wouldn't be so stressed." Anya replied frankly and without a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

"What don't you understand about not discussing our sex life in public, and especially in front of my friends?" Xander said exasperated.

"Give it up, mate. You'll never win" Spike told him, starting to feel a little sorry for the boy.

"I believe that's his problem, he isn't giving it up. If he did, she wouldn't be talking about it so much," Cordelia teased again.

"Please, I beg you, please, stop," Xander said covering his face with his hands trying to hide is embarrassment.

"Come on guys he has had enough, leave the poor fellow alone," Giles tried to come to his rescue.

"Yeah that's what he'll be, alone, if he doesn't start giving me my orgasms." Anya said, not willing to drop the subject, and enjoying the light atmosphere in the room. It had been a long time since they had a free worry moment, and she was sure that once Buffy came back into the room, the conversation would turn serious once again. She knew her friends and Watcher would want to know exactly what had happened to Angelus. And every time the conversation steered towards Angel or Angelus, everyone got upset and judgmental of the small blond slayer.

"You know what, I´m going to the bathroom, call me when Buffy gets back," Xander said, standing up and almost running to get away from the firing squad of girls.

"Are you sure you know what to do once you get there? Let me know if you need directions mate, I'll be happy to help," Spike called after Xander's retreating form.

"That's what I get for dating a tactless thousand-year-old vengeance demon. She practices her lost vengeance abilities on my poor ass," Xander grumbled to himself as he disappeared into the bathroom hearing the sound of laughter follow him.

"Hey, guys," Buffy called, poking her head out of the kitchen. "Did you get any crunchies with the pizza?" She asked the group.

"Yeah, you'll find some Doritos, maybe a bag of Lay's on the dining table if no one's ate it." Willow called back.

"Thanks, Will"

"So, guys," Willow whispered to the group, not wanting her friend´s super hearing to pick up on her comments. "What are we going to do about... You know" She inclined her head in Buffy's direction in the other room. "I mean, she looks okay now. But I didn't like what happened to her before she ran out of here like the devil was chasing after her." Willow finished in the same low tone of voice.

"I don't know, Willow, I was so worried about her. All I could think about for the past couple of days was her safety and how to help her. I don't know what to do now. Physically, she looks fine, but she doesn't look normal. I don't know where to start," Giles answered.

"How about what happened with Dead Boy Sr.?" Xander answered walking out of the bathroom.

"Would you stop calling him that? How would you like it if I started calling you Limp Dick Boy?" Cordelia replied none too gently. She would usually let it slide, but her fear for her boss and best friend overshadowed her tolerance for the immature and still jealous young man.

"Would you two please stop it? We are facing real trouble. And, Cordelia, that is not appropriate language for a young lady such as yourself. If you insist on continuing your insults to each other, I will ask you to take it outside, please," Giles was getting fed up with the pair. They had no respect for the situation they were in.

Buffy walked back in the room carrying a tray with a couple of slices of pizza on a plate, a bag of Lay's and soda can. "Wow, who´s just died? I left you guys a few seconds ago all smiles and fun. What happened?" She asked. "If I knew disappearing on you for a minute would turn this gathering into a wake, I would have starved myself to death," Buffy tried to lighten the mood with a quip that fell on deaf ears. She sat down and took a bite of pizza followed by a potato chip. Enjoying her first taste of real food for the last twenty four hours, a moan escaping her. 'Yummy, pizza's so good no matter what. Cold, hot, leftover or fresh, always so good' she thought to herself.

"We are fine, Buffy, we are just a little worried about you, that's all," Wesley answered for the group.

"I told you, guys, I´m perfectly fine," She answered between bits.

"I´m sorry, Buffy, but you are far from okay, you don't look fine. In fact you look a little pale. We have been worried sick about you," Giles confronted her. He wanted to know what was happening to his Slayer. He knew her too well, and he felt that she was hiding something, but he couldn't just put his finger on it.

"I don't?" She asked, turning her head quizzically at the group while scrunching her face in mock surprised. "I look fine. I feel good, and, actually, physically, I feel better than I have ever felt before in my life." Buffy challenge, actually telling them the truth. She had thought she would have to lie to them, but she did actually feel amazing. She had never felt more alive, more powerful in her life. Her hearing and sight were sharper than they had ever been. She felt stronger than ever, more attuned with her body and surroundings than any other moment in her life. She could almost hear their hearts beating in their chest, feel the vibration from their hearts coming out of their body and through the ground pulsing at her feet. But what she didn't tell them was she was worried sick about Angelus, that her heart hurt so painfully for Angelus that she could hardly form a coherent thought. All she could say was that she was fine. She really didn't know what else to tell them, or how else to continue with this conversation so she could go back to Angelus as soon as she possibly could. She doubted that they would like to hear how hurt and emotionally drained she was with fear and worry for her lover. 'No, if they knew what had transpired between Angelus and I, they would flip, properly call the loony-bin people to take me away,' She thought.

Buffy was so wrapped in her thoughts, that she didn´t see Giles walking up to her or his extended hand approaching her forehead. As soon as his hand came in contact with her face, he took an audible breath. "You are not okay, Buffy, you must know that. You look pale and a little cold. You are going to tell me everything that happened since you left this house. And, please, don't insult my intelligence and try to cover up whatever is happing. So, please, tell me the truth?" Giles pleaded the last command, but his eyes were as hard as stones.

"Look, I left here…"

"No, before that. I need to know what happened to you when you blacked out here. You looked like you were having a seizure. I need to know what happened to you here first, before you ran out like a women possessed," Giles cut her off this time.

"Isn't it clear it's that son of a bitch? He did this to her, he is responsible for whatever is happening to her," Xander almost screamed.

Buffy just gave him a hard look, daring him to continue calling Angelus´ names. But she let the comment slide, no reason to get into an argument match with him, it wasn't going to change his mind about Angelus, and it wouldn't help her or Angelus if they all got upset with her in the end. So she decided to tell them as much as she thought they would need to know so they would agree to help her.

"Look, all I know is after I was talking to that vamp, I felt this unbearable pain. It was like every bone in my body was being crushed, I felt like I was burning from the inside out. I couldn't call out to you guys for help. It was like being stuck inside my own nightmare from Hell. Everything hurt, and, then, it stopped. All I remember after that was that I needed to get out of here, that I had somewhere I need to be. Something was pulling me almost in a certain direction," Buffy knew exactly what that feeling was, she knew that her bond with Angelus had driven her out the door, the moment she had opened her eyes, she felt him, hurt and in danger. But she had figured it would do her no good to tell them that was what it was, and that her connection with him was getting even stronger by the second.

"So you ran out of here, then what? "Giles asked, the rest of the group seemed content for the moment to let Giles direct the conversation.

"I´m sure Spike told you where I went and what I found there." She shot back, suddenly feeling trapped. She felt that everyone was waiting for her to make a mistake and pounce on her. She didn't want to have this conversation with them. She wanted to ask them if they had found anything new about the new Slayer, and whatever that poison was she had injected Angelus with. And see if they knew of any way she could help him, but she didn't know how to bring that up without facing their judging complaints and rude comments about Angelus. She wasn't sure she could handle at the moment.

"So you knew it was me, when you attacked?" Spike asked, a strange gleam in his eyes.

Buffy knew it was a trap. If she said she didn't, then she would confirm their suspicion that something was actually happing to her, although she knew it wasn't hurting her, so it wasn't important for them to know. However, if she said that she did know it had been Spike, they would ask her why she had attacked him, and she didn't have a reasonable answer for that either. Instead of answering Spike, she continued with her story. "Okay, I found Angelus, again, I´m sure Spike filled you in. He was unconscious, face down on the ground. He was hurt, bleeding, and halfway to death. His body was almost shredded beyond recognition, his legs were broken, as well as his arm. He was also poisoned through a puncture wound on his neck. Are you happy now?" She asked choosing to be a little hostile to the group, instead of showing her true feelings, she concealed it with anger at what had happened to her love. This hostility towards the group was the only think masking her true emotions, the heart-crushing fear and pain she felt for her mate's condition.

"No, we are not happy, Buffy. Far from it, we are worried about you," Giles stated.

"What happened next?" Wesley asked. He was almost positive that the Slayer hadn't killed his boss. If she had, she wouldn't have disappeared for two days, but he still wanted to hear it from her. Angel was more than their boss, more than their second chance to lead a meaningful productive life, a life where they could make a difference, where they could help make the world a better place. Angel was the best friend Cordelia and he had ever had, and they weren't going to give up on him without a fight. They weren't going to let them hurt him without trying to save him first.

"Nothing," Buffy answered shortly.

"What do you mean ´nothing´. You just sat there for two days?" Xander asked angrily.

"I mean ´nothing´, he was hurt, almost dying, so I helped him. I took him to a safe place to heal," Buffy answered quickly, knowing that this conversation was about to turn ugly.

"What the Hell do you mean you ´helped´? Why didn't you ´help´ by driving a stake to the heart of that evil peace of shit? Don't you know what he did to us? He…" Xander bolted up from his seat screaming.

"Xander, please, stop," Giles said in a low voice that also conveyed a waning.

"How can you ask me to stop? She had a chance to kill him. He couldn't even fight back. When will we ever have another chance like this, to get rid of the most evil-son-of-a-bitch demon in the world?" Xander screamed again, his face turning red with rage and uncontrolled hatred for Angelus.

Buffy couldn't control herself any longer. She almost lunged at the boy, not caring what happened or what they thought of her at the moment. His current condition was putting her instincts to protect her mate, even from insults, on high alert. She was getting sick of Xander´s attitude towards Angelus and would not tolerate it if he was going to keep up his childish display and hateful judgmental nature. She was going to teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget any time soon, she would make him think twice before hurting Angelus or threating him ever again.

Spike felt and saw the change the Slayer's demeanor the moment the boy started spewing his comments at the blond. Understanding the bond between his Sire and the Slayer, and having witnessed her wild reaction when she was looking for his sire, he knew the boy was in real danger this time. Not wanting the situation to escalate and hoping to find out more of what was happing between the slayer and his sire, he anticipated her movement, and with quick lighting reflexes, he had his hands on Buffy's shoulder forcing her to stop her impending attack on the boy.

At the feel of Spike´s steel grip on her shoulders Buffy turned her head in his direction, making him take a step back, her rage now directed at the vampire. Everyone in the room could feel the chill passing between them, but nobody noticed what had almost happened to Xander.

At the look in her eyes, Spike was forced to take a step back. The unconcealed rage in her eyes was terrifying. He could feel the rage radiating off of her in waves, and, for the first time, he saw something in her eyes, he could swear her eyes were changing colors, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure. "Look, Slayer, calm down. It's okay you aren't on trial here. They are just worried and trying to help," Spike whispered.

Buffy felt her rage subside at Spikes words and touch. She almost gasped in shock at what she had been about to do and at all the pent up tension leaving her body. She mouthed back a "thank you" to Spike over her shoulder. For the first time, truly glad for having Spike around.

"Buffy, I can't say am happy about what you have done or agree with your choice. You should have contacted us first, asked for our council before you made the decision to help one of our worst enemies," Giles said, disappointed, at his Slayer´s chosen course of action.

"If I had told you what happened to him and asked you what I should do, what would you have done? You would have run straight to him and tried to kill him," She accused. "That is why I didn't come to you for help, because the first thing you would have done would have been to try to stake him," She fired back, not caring about the look of disappointment in his eyes this time. Usually, it would have hurt her deeply, but, now, she was beyond feeling rational, even if that tipped her hand and jeopardized her attempt to get them to help her with Angelus. All she wanted was to run back to Angelus side and bury her face in his side, feeling his cold strong body next to hers and making sure he was okay, healing and getting stronger.

"Do you even hear yourself Buffy? He isn't Angel," Xander accused again, pulling her out from her thoughts. "Do you even know what you're saying? You are talking about Angelus like he is Angel."

"Would it have mattered to you if it had been Angel? It never made a difference to you. You would be just as happy staking Angel just as much as Angelus," Buffy shot back.

"He has a valid point, Buffy, we might never get a better cha…" Giles was cut off this time.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, Giles? I expected better from you, not form him. But you should know better." Cordelia screamed. She was beyond caring that she was in this man's house anymore. She was used to controlling her emotions when the comments came from stupid bull-headed Xander, but to see Giles take his side against Angel? No, she wasn't going to keep quiet any longer. "You have no right to make these decisions. We will not let you kill him. We didn't come here so you could kill him. We came here to find a way to bring Angel back, you have no right making that decision alone with this idiot." Cordelia pointed her finger at Xander with barely concealed animosity and rage towards Xander.

"Cordelia, please. We are in Mr. Giles' house. You should apologize. This isn't becoming of you." Wesley tried to calm her down.

Cordelia looked at Wesley in the eye, fearing that she and Buffy stood alone, but at the look he gave her, she knew that they, at least, had Wesley with them, so she drew on the comfort she saw in his eyes. "I´m sorry, Giles, I didn't mean it. You have been more than gracious and accommodating to us, I´m thankful you opened your house to us and welcomed us. I hope…I´m really sorry again, but you have to understand what Angel means to us..." She finished apologizing.

"It is okay, Cordelia. I understand we all are under a lot pressure, and I know what Angel means especially to you and Wesley." Giles fully understood the girl´s worry, Angel was more like an older brother to the girl. Angel had helped her when no one else would. But they also had to understand that this wasn't Angel, it was Angelus. And there might come a time when they were all forced to make the hard choice. But he decided not to go into it at this moment.

"Forgive me, Mr. Giles, but Cordelia and Buffy are correct. We are not here to kill him. Would you kill anyone here if they were under the influence of a malevolent entity? I don't think you would give up on any of us this easily, I hope you would not. I also hope you would understand what Angel means to us, to a lot of people he has helped and could help in the future. I can guarantee you that you would have a riot on your hands if word got out that you were responsible for Angel's death. Every single person he helped this past year would be trying to break down your door to get their hands on the person responsible for hurting him. Forgive me, I do not mean that as a threat. I just want to make sure you understand how vital he is, not just to the people he is helping. But, in the larger scheme of things, of prophesized Apocalypses that are coming, he is vital to the world itself as it will hang in the balance if he is not rescued." Wesley tried wisely to calm the volatile situation between the groups.

"Fine, Wesley, I get your concern for him. I understand, now, I would like to know what happened next, if we are passed this uncivilized part of the conversation. Buffy, please go on, so you helped him, how?" Giles asked again. He had suspicions of how she had helped him exactly, but he needed it to hear her say it.

"I carried him back to a safe place and inspected his wounds. He was bruised and blooded, broken bones as I said before. I cleaned him up as best as I could, stayed the night by his side, that's all," She answer trying to skip over a few details and get done with that part of the story.

"How did you help him Buffy? You know what I mean," Giles asked again, more seriously this time.

"Fine, okay," Buffy gave in, getting the feeling she wouldn´t be able to escape that part of the conversation. "You understand that it was the only option I had at the time. There was no other way to wake him up or help him heal." She continued, still not wanting to voice her action, not because she felt ashamed of what she did, on the contrary, she loved that she could help him in that way, and it made her happy sharing herself, her life force with him. However, if they knew that, they would be more upset with her than they already were, and she couldn't predict how they would react. Or how she would react to their verbal attacks, for that matter.

"What are you talking about, Buffy? What do you mean?" Willow asked for the first time getting a chance to voice her concern. She hadn't wanted to get involved in the age old battle about Angel between the Watcher, Xander and Buffy. That seemed to have gained a few fighters on Angel's side in the form of a very pissed off Queen C and Wesley. There was no point sticking your nose where it would get flattened.

"She allowed him to feed off of her again, didn't you, Buffy?" Giles accused, disappointment and rage coming to the forefront of his eyes and features. He felt betrayed that his slayer would do such a thing, that she was so irresponsible as to endanger her own life to help a demon. It was a sacrilege for a Slayer to bleed for a vampire, let alone to do so in order to keep him alive, offering her blood to him. He had understood when it had been Angel. He hadn't liked it, but he understood. But Angelus… It was an unforgivable offence if the Watchers´ Council knew. That was why they had refused to tell them what the cure for the poison was, when Faith and the Mayor poisoned Angel just over a year ago now.

"Giles, it´s not like I nailed a tap to my wrist and opened an all-you-can-drink Buffy Buffet. I just squeezed a few drops of my blood into his mouth to help him. He had already taken so much the past few weeks, I didn't think it would make a difference" Buffy pleaded with him trying to show some validity and reasons behind her actions. All of which, she knew, were absolutely false. She knew, deep down, it didn´t make no difference the amount of blood he had needed or had previously taken from her. Her mate had needed her blood, and that was the only thing that had mattered.

"What do you mean ´you fed him´? You just let him drink from you?" Xander yelled. "How can you do that, Buffy? How can you betray us like that? Last time, it had been Angel, and we let it pass, we let you do it. Do you understand what you did? This is Angelus, he could have killed you. Are you so stupid and confused that you don't know you face an evil mother-fucking monster?" Xander screamed, childishly again, ignoring Spike´s warning gaze.

With a steel sharp unforgiving edge to her voice, Buffy turned to Xander. "Who do you think you are? You don't control me or my actions. You have no right to even suggest that you let me do anything, let alone allow me to do something. I understand better than you ever will who exactly Angelus is. I know who am dealing with. I know it is Angelus, not Angel, more than any of you I understand, I know. Have any of you thought of who did this to him?" She gazed at everyone present one by one, then, back at Xander. "Or are you still so wrapped up in you jealousy towards Angel, that you can't see straight? How long are you going to keep being an immature, jealous and spiteful child, Xander, how long? This has nothing to do with you or your feelings on the matter. It was my choice to help him. It's my body, my blood and my decision. Not yours. You have no say in what I do. I am the Slayer, I let you help me. If you don't understand that, then, maybe you shouldn't be 'trying' to help anymore," Buffy shot back with barely concealed rage, every fiber of her being screaming at her to rip him apart.

"Buffy, you know Xander doesn't mean it like that. We are just worried about you, we are afraid for you. That's what real friends do, they worry about each other." Willow tried to calm the enraged Slayer. She didn't want to lose either friend because of this misunderstanding. She knew they were all under lots of pressure, and someone had to keep a level head. Usually, Giles was the voice of reason. But when it came to Angel or Angelus, he wasn't his usual calm and collected self.

"No, Willow. I meant every single word, don't you see it? Don't you see how she is acting, how he is making her act? This is not the Buffy we know. He is doing something to her, controlling her somehow," Xander rationalized.

"Xander, please, be quiet for a second. I want to know what is happening. Buffy has a point. We may have been a bit rash in our initial assessment of the situation. Let us hear her out first, and, then, we can make up our minds on how to proceed form here. What is done is done, we cannot go back and change the past." Giles tried to calm himself and the group. They needed to know what was going on, and if they kept on pushing Buffy, they might lose her altogether. The best way was to hear her out. Find as much information about the situation, so they could help her. If she got too upset with them, and she seemed to be more volatile than ever, she might disappear on them again, and this time they might not be able to get her back in time to fix what was wrong with her. Best to take it easy on his Slayer for now.

"Okay, Buffy. Do you know who did this to him?" Giles asked, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Finally, an intelligent question." Cordelia mumbled under her breath to Wesley, who just gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, it was this new Slayer," Buffy answered.

"The Slayer alone? She managed to do that to him?" Spike asked surprised. They all assumed it was her, but he still couldn't believe that just one person could do that to his bastard of a Sire. He had always seemed so indestructible to Spike. Angelus and he had always had a rivalry. Spike had always looked up to him. He would never admit it to anyone in a billion years. But Angelus had always been his role model, his Sire, and they had a younger-older sibling kind of a relationship. That was why he had always tried to go after Slayers, he always wanted to prove himself to his Sire. To see him like that was humbling at the least.

Buffy calmed herself. This was her chance, and she had her opining. And she needed persuade them to help him, or, at least, to find out what that damn poison was and how to fix it. Then, everything would be worth it. Angelus would be back to his old self, and they could deal with whatever this new Slayer would throw at them. Together, as long as they were together, they would deal with anything.

"Yeah, just her. And she is after me, if you all even care. If you could even see past your hatred and prejudices against Angel, you could see that I´m the one in real danger, and the real danger is not coming from Angelus, at least, not for the moment. It is the new Slayer that is the real threat. And if she could do that to him so easily, what do you think she could to any of us?" Buffy tried to reason with the group.

"What are you saying Buffy? Of course we care about you. We do this because we care," Willow said feeling hurt at the Slayer's accusations.

"Still, that does not explain why we should help him, or that you put yourself in danger by feeding him." Giles asked again, his emotions getting the best of him, even though he was trying to reel the Slayer back on their side.

"Who gave you the information about the new Slayer? For now, at least, Angelus isn't fighting against is. If he wanted to harm us, he could have killed me and all of you the first day he came here. I was in his arms, helpless, and none of you could have done anything to stop him. Then, he gives you the information about the Slayer, so, at least, for now, that tells me he is on our side. At least until we find a way to beat this new Slayer. If he is playing nice, if such an evil demon is capable of setting aside old grudges, why can't you? If you don't see that we need his help to beat her, that he can help save my life from this Slayer, then, maybe, you shouldn't be responsible for me anymore. If your hatred for Angelus conflicts with your responsibly to keep me alive and safe, maybe you shouldn't be my Watcher anymore." The last words almost made Buffy cry. She loved no one more than Giles, except for Angelus and Angel, not even her own absent parents. But she knew that she had to say what she had just said to him, to shock him into realizing that he was being as stubborn and pig-headed as Xander.

The look of shock and sadness on his face broke her heart, and she knew she would do almost anything for this man. She loved him more than her own parents, way more, but he was being obstinate. She didn't want to leave things between them like this. She had to fix it. "Giles, I´m sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just want you to understand that I know he isn't after us this time. I hope you can trust me enough to know I would never put any of you in jeopardy, that I have proven myself time and again, that I can make the hard decision, that my feelings, my gut and my instincts as a Slayer, have never led us astray. I swear to you that, if it comes down to it, I'll do what I have to. Please, know that, and I´m sorry, I swear I did mean what I just said. I wouldn't want anyone else to be my Watcher but you, you know you are way more than that to me. You are my father, no, more than that even. I hope you know that" Tears almost threatened to run down her face, she hadn't planned on saying so much. But everything that had happened this past few weeks was threatening to overwhelm her. She almost felt empty, incapacitated, with all the weight on her shoulders. If only Angelus was okay, he would help her carry the weight, it wouldn't have even been a problem. But Angelus was injured and hurt, plus all the trouble she had to deal with now alone. The new Slayer, her Watcher and friends, it was all just too much for her to deal with at his moment.

Giles walked over to her and hugged her tightly. He felt that he had almost lost his little girl this time. But her words had breathed new life into him again. He knew she considered him a father, but to hear it directly from her, meant more to him than the whole world. "It's okay, Buffy, I know you didn't mean it. I am sorry we are all on edge here. And all of us are just trying to help you, stand by you. And if you ask me to trust you, then, I will. I never trusted anyone in my whole life as I trust you. I´m sorry. What do you need us to do?" Giles finally consented. He didn't want to lose his Slayer, and, if he kept up on his path, he was positive that he would lose her forever. So, for now, he would indulge her.

"Okay…" Buffy sniffled, but gave him a sorrowful smile. "Angelus is not doing as well as he should be. I got him some blood from Willy's, I´m sure he couldn't wait to tell you," She finished looking at Xander. "But he isn't healing as he should be. I think the poison is slowing his ability to heal properly. The veins in his neck where she stabbed him are greenish blue, the poison is moving towards his heart, but feeding him the blood I got from Willy's it slows the poison down. If we can find out what that poison is, and how to cure it, Angelus can help us fight her. He has motivation now to take her down even more. So, will you help me?" She asked looking hopefully at Giles.

Xander looked from Buffy to Giles. He couldn't believe the older man was considering saving that son of Satan. "You aren't seriously considering helping him, are you? Just because she is hoped up on his blood, doesn't make her right. In fact, it makes her a danger to us and herself, it shouldn't make you want to help him. It should make you want to stake his ass even more. Don't forget what Angelus did to you. He tortured you for hours, he killed Ms. Calendar and put her in your be…" Xander was cut off by a very angry Giles.

"Would you please shut the fuck up? Her death is not something you can use to…" Giles was cut off by a streak of blond hair and rage filled scream.

Buffy couldn't control herself any longer. This was the last straw. If this idiot wasn't going to listen to reason, maybe he would submit to fear. She had her hand around his throat in the split of a second, and, with a loud thud, she pushed him into the wall, lifting him with one hand off the ground.

"How dare you, you selfish son of bitch? When was the last time you thought of Ms. Calendar, huh? When was the last time her name came out of your filthy little mouth? When was the last time you remembered her or mourned her? The only time you say her name is when you are trying to attack Angel. She isn't a tool for you to use against us, against Giles. Can't you feel… can't you see how much you hurt him every time you bring her into your grudge? Or are you so selfish, so petty, that you don't care about hurting any of us as long as you get to say and do whatever you want? As long as you get your revenge on Angel. What has he done to you, tell me? Angelus has hurt us all, but he barely came near you. Everyone here has more right to be upset about Angel or Angelus than you. Except you are the one acting like a righteous bastard, while you are dating a thousand-year-old vengeance demon, who God only knows what atrocities has committed, but no one has said one word to you. Do you know why? Because we care about you and your happiness, but you only care about yourself. You do all of this just because I chose him over you, that is why you hate and resent Angel. You know what that makes you? It makes you just as guilty as Angelus, worse; it makes you a coward, and a spiteful person. Angelus would never hide behind a shroud of righteousness to hide is pettiness and insecurities. I have had enough of you. If you…" Buffy stopped as she felt a hand on her arm that was holding Xander up, bringing her out of her raged filled state.

"Buffy, please calm down. It's Xander… and he cannot breathe. We all know he can be an ass, but you know him. He is one of your best friends, you know he would die for you. Please, let him go." Giles was the first one to reach Buffy, the rest of the group was shocked into stillness. Spike was already fed up with the boy´s eagerness to get himself killed, so he had decided to let things take its course. "Let him go, please. He was stupid for saying what he said, but you have to agree that what you are doing is going to kill him. Please, let him go," Giles asked again.

Buffy released Xander dropping him to the ground, shocked at her own reaction. She didn't know what made her react this way. Yeah, Xander pushed her buttons at times. He made her want to choke him a few times, she had thought about it more than once, but she never would have acted on those thoughts. She almost felt out of control, but it was his fault, didn't he know how much pressure she was under? Yeah, if he would have just kept his mouth shut, none of this would have happened. She had told him to stop it, but he wouldn't let go. He tried to turn Giles against her, after she had almost lost him herself by her inconsiderate words. He had tried to instigate another fight between her and Giles, using the dirtiest trick he could find. No, she still thought he deserved what she had done to him. Maybe, after this, he would learn not act like a rat and a snake, maybe. However, there was still a part of her who hated having hurt him, a human, an innocent she, as a Slayer, was supposed to protect. As her anger subsided, guilt was slowly crawling back in.

Anya and Willow ran to Xander's side as he gasped for air while holding his pained throat. "Xander, are you okay? Did she hurt you?" Anya asked, Xander only nodded his head in reply to both questions, his eyes wide with fear as he looked at the Slayer.

"He deserved every bit of that. He is lucky she got to him before I did, I wouldn't have let him go so easily," Cordelia shot with venom in her voice from where she stood.

"I´m sorry…look, Xander…am sorry, I didn't mean to. I have to go." Buffy almost bolted out the door, but Giles hand on her arm stopped her.

"No, you aren't going anywhere in this condition," Giles stated.

"Look, I have to go. I can't stay here. Please, find out what that damn poison is and how to extract it. If not for Angelus, do it for me. Angelus is the only one who has faced her. If she was able to do that to him, I don't know what I could do to stop her. I might need his help, if I can convince him to help us, that is, and I need you all. Please, listen to me, just this once. I have to go," She said, trying to get away.

"Buffy, I can't let you go. Something is wrong with you. Before I help him, I need to help you first." Giles tried to persuade her.

Buffy yanked her arm free and headed for the door. "I´m sorry, Giles. I told you am better than okay, and Angelus is in no condition to be a danger to me. I have to go," She finally said.

"At least, tell me where you are going," He asked.

"I´m not telling you that. I'll stop by when I can to see if you have found out something about the poison. Don't worry about me, I´m okay, just under lots of stress, that's all. Look out after yourselves, that Slayer is dangerous." Buffy ran out of the door. She could not take being there with them for another second. She was already too late for Angelus. She had told him she would be back soon, and, for the moment, he was all that mattered.

"You aren't seriously going to let her leave like that, are you?" Xander chocked out from his position on the floor.

"God damn it, you fool. Haven't learned anything by now? Couldn't you shut up for one second? Do you always have to be a moronic stupid idiot?" Cordelia sneered at the man-child who refused to mature beyond his 16-year-old self.

"No, actually, I´m not going to let her go. Spike, would please follow her? And try not to lose her this time." Giles said, looking at Spike.

Spike just huffed at the group. "Do I really…? You know it isn't going to work. She'll sense me a mile away, it's a waste of time." He tried to convince the group.

"Please, try," Giles asked again.

"Fine, but I´m not doing it for free. You owe me, big time. And if she lays a hand on me, one of you is going to open up a vein for me, open tab, whenever I want. And, preferably, from the moron," Spike said, pointing at the still dizzy Xander, whom he wanted to punish further.

"You are not serious?" Xander choked out, panicking when he noticed Spike was seriously waiting for an answer.

"If he doesn't agree, I´m not moving" Spike replied.

"Two pints, two months apart, not a drop more." Giles negotiated on behalf of Xander.

"Deal," Spike said, already running out the door before any of them could take back the deal.

"I´m not an animal to be bartered. You can´t trade my blood with Spike so he can just get beat up by Buffy," Xander objected hurtfully.

"If you act like a jack ass, you will be treated like one," Giles shot back.

"Fine, but you aren't really going to help Angelus, are you?" Xander asked.

Cordelia jumped at him with a wild war cry, she would have reached him if it wasn't for Wesley's arms, fastening tightly around her waist.

"Cordy, please stop. I think the poor boy has had enough for one day." Wesley tried to reason.

"No, I don't think he has. If he thought Buffy was hurtful, he hasn't met me yet." She lunged again trying to get away from Wesley's hold on her. "He is a stupid ignorant small man that will never grow up or learn from his mistakes. He only cares about himself and how he feels. He never stops for one second to consider how his words or action affect other people," She shot at Xander.

"Look who's talking?" Xander shot back.

"You know what? You aren't worth the breath I use to speak to you," Cordelia finally said as she went back to her seat, giving up on the boy.

"I think we should trap Buffy. We have to lock her up until we can get her back to her old self," Xander suggested to a shocked group. He waited for a few second, finding no one willing to agree with him, but continued trying to convince them. "Guys, the real Buffy would never have done this to me. Something is wrong with her, and you know it. You, guys, must have seen that. I can't be the only one to see it. She isn't in her right mind. Even your research says that when vamp and Slayer exchange blood, it changes the slayer. You must have noticed, Giles, you have to see it too," Xander tried to rationalize with the angry group, but every one of them just ignored him, except for Giles, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I…I think he might have a point," Giles said to the shocked group.

"Are you serious? You can't possibly be cons…" Wesley tried to say, but Cordelia immediately took a hold of his hand and squeezed it gently but firmly.

"Let them finish," She whispered so only Wesley could hear.

"You can't…" He tried to whispered back.

"Trust me," She told him squeezing his hand again and looked him directly in the eyes. Wesley just nodded, trusting her.

"What are you saying, Giles? You can't be serious. You said you trusted her. You promised you would help her," Willow inquired, not likening the flow of the conversation between Xander and Giles, and noticing Cordelia and Wesley whispering didn't easer her troubled mind any.

"I am saying that Xander has a point. Buffy is not acting normal. I tried to reason with her, but she would not listen to reason, so I had to agree with her. But she is our first priority, we cannot trust Angelus. And Buffy never could see clearly where Angel was concerned, so I am afraid we have to act as best as we see fit. We cannot have Buffy so close to Angelus, we have to do something. Whatever he is doing to her, it is changing her somehow. She cannot seem to even control her emotions and actions. She is wild, and he is feeding off of her. She is pale, drained of too much blood and cold to the touch. All symptoms of massive blood loss. He is draining her dry, using her as a blood bag, and she does not seem to care. She is not even able to see the danger in that. We cannot stand by and let him do as he wishes, even if we risk facing this Slayer without his help. And what guarantees that he would even help? Buffy's words, I do not think we can take it at face value at the moment. I believe that, in the long run, Angelus is more dangerous than ten of these new Slayers. I think Xander is correct, I think the best way is to trap Buffy, hold her here for a few days until we find a cure for whatever is happening to her, or until his blood leaves her system," Giles explained his thoughts and feelings, hoping the group would see the wisdom of his decision.

"But, you promised her…You told her you trusted her," Willow argued softly.

"I do, Willow. I have not lied about that. We will look for a way, if we can, find a cure for Angelus. But I am not giving him that cure unless we find a way to turn him into Angel first. In the meantime, we must get Buffy away from him," Giles replied.

"I cannot agree with your decision, Mr. Giles. I think it is a bad Idea. Your fear of what Angelus might do to Buffy is clouding your judgment. You will lose the girl forever if you try and trick her into imprisonment, and she will never forgive you or trust you again. What you are about to do to the young women will turn her against you. You surely can see that would turn her against us more than Angelus ever could. And if there is a cure to Angelus' situation, Cordelia and I will not stand by and let him die," Wesley tried to reason with the older Watcher.

"I am willing to risk her anger and her contempt for as long as I have to, if it means she will be safe and alive to be angry with me. I am positive that, in time, she will come to realize we did what was best for her. And, as for Angel, I will do what I feel is right, and you can do the same. I will not compromise any of you to save just one vampire," Giles stated with all finality.

"You cannot seriously think I will…" Wesley tried to argue but, at another touch form Cordelia, he changed his tone. "In the end, she is your Slayer. As long as you do not make any decision regarding Angel without our council, I guess it is your prerogative as her Watcher to do what you feel is best for her. But, I must go on record and say that I do not agree with this course of action," Wesley finally stated.

"I don't like it either, but I think it's the best way," Willow fearing for her friend was persuaded by her loyalty to the group.

"So, how are we going to do it?" Xander asked.

"Leave the ´how´ to me. She said she would come back in a day or two. First, we will have to set up the basement to hold her until she is recovered, and, Cordelia, I would like you to keep looking into the Watchers´ Diaries for a way to expel the excess blood form her system, a cure, or any other way to speed the process of getting Buffy back to normal." Giles looked at Cordelia, who just nodded her head in confirmation.

"Giles, are you sure we have to do this? Imprisoning Buffy, a Slayer, is a bad idea. I don't think we should do it." Willow was having second thoughts about this whole thing. She was getting worried about how they were going about this whole thing. Maybe, if she talked to her without the group, she could get through to her. "Look, I can talk to her. She might listen to m…"

"Will, you saw how she was acting, You can't reason with that. This is our only option," Xander spoke for the group.

"I don't know, guys." Willow looked at Wesley and Cordelia, who shrugged their shoulders in response, as if daring her to talk some sense to her own group. After all, they were only temporary guests. "Fine, but I don't like it," Willow finally agreed.

TBC…