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Hidden Agendas by angelic_amy
 
Return to the Living.
 
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Chapter 12: Return to the Living.


“Mommy?” she repeated.

A soft smile graced Joyce’s face as she knelt down in front of Buffy. “It’s me sweetheart. I’m right here.”

“Mom!?” Buffy repeated, this time not in shock, but in joy. Before she could respond, Buffy threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck sobbing so hard her body shook.

“I missed you so much.” She cried.

“I missed you too sweetheart. Both of you.” Joyce replied as she held onto her daughter, rubbing her hands across Buffy’s back in a soothing motion.

Buffy didn’t want to leave her mother’s embrace, but the guilt she had felt when she heard her mother’s words, ‘Both of you.’ Caused her to recoil.

She couldn’t bear to look up at her mother, but she knew she had to tell her. She had to know that she had failed. Her voice cracked as she prepared herself to speak. “Mom… Dawnie is… Dawn’s…”

“Fine.” Joyce replied. “Worried about you, all of them are actually. But she’s okay.”

Buffy blinked in shock. “She’s what?”

“She’s sleeping at Giles’ house right now, waiting for you to wake up.”

“Wake up?” Buffy replied in confusion, even as she began to understand. The voice in her head had been right. This was a dream… she had dreamed it all. “She’s okay?!” she repeated with relief, fresh tears beginning to track down her cheeks,

“Yes Buffy, she’s fine.” Joyce said with a smile.

Her smile faded and she looked off into the distance on her far left. “Buffy I don’t have much time.”

Buffy’s eyes flew to her mother’s face. “You’re leaving me?” she said forlornly.

“I have to go back, I don’t belong here sweetie. And neither do you.” Joyce reached out and stroked Buffy’s cheek gently. “You need to breath Buffy, stay calm…”

“But I--“

Joyce interrupted. “You need to wake up honey… they’re all waiting for you. Your sister needs you.”

Her eyes filled with tears when she saw that her mothers face was beginning to fade before her. “But what if I can’t protect her? What if something happens to her? I don’t even know who--“

“You can and you will Buffy. You just have to know where to look to find the answers.” Joyce blew Buffy a kiss. “I love you and your sister Buffy, make sure she knows that. I’m always watching over you both.”

“Mom… MOM!” Buffy cried as her mother disappeared completely.

But she was gone.

Buffy wiped at her cheeks. Listening to her mother’s words, she looked at the ground around her, and settled herself onto her back, closed her eyes and began to practice the meditation techniques that Giles had taught her. She had to focus; she had to keep her mind clear if she was to return. She crossed her fingers and hoped that it would work. Inhaling deeply, she held the breath for a few moments before exhaling, clearing her mind of all thoughts except one.

Going home…


~~~

Angel slipped his duster on over his shoulders as he prepared to leave. He was going to be cutting it close, and would probably have to stay holed up in a sewer, or one of the factories because he had stayed longer than he was supposed to. But he couldn’t leave her.

Turning back to look one last time at Buffy’s sleeping form before he left, he sent out a silent wish that she was okay and that she would wake soon. It was he was turning away from the bed that he saw it. He thought he saw it… movement.

Her little finger.

All thoughts of leaving left his mind as he sat down beside her and reached for her hand.

“Buffy…” he whispered, urging her to wake up.

Her fingers clenched in his for a moment and his heart soared with hope. He watched silently, willing her to open her eyes.

As the last remnants of her dream began to fade, Buffy felt herself begin to return to consciousness. The first thing she noticed was the pain, and she breathed in deeply in reaction to the sharp stings in her side.

Something shuffled to her left and it was then that she realized that she wasn’t alone. Someone was holding her hand.

Her eyes fluttered open…

“Buffy…”

Her vision was blurry and her head hurt as she turned her head slowly to the side, blinking as she tried to focus on the person sitting beside her. But she didn’t need to see to know who it was… she would recognize that voice anywhere.

“Angel.”

~~~

“We’ll be there immediately.” Giles said as he hung up the telephone. He contemplated letting Dawn rest but he knew that she would never forgive him if he didn’t wake her. His research was instantly forgotten as he made his way to the spare bedroom.

Rousing her from sleep, she looked up at him with confusion and fear for a moment before he set her mind at ease.

“She’s awake.”

~~~

“Wh-where am I?” she asked as she tried to sit. Pain shot through her at the simple movement and Angel placed a hand on her shoulder to still her movements as he reached for the button beside her bed and pressed it once, signaling the nurse.

“You’re in the hospital.” Angel soothed, his voice soft and gentle as he urged her to relax.

“Hospital…” she repeated in confusion. The last thing she remembered was… fighting in the graveyard. She had been looking for Spike.

Spike… she thought. Spike…. DAWN!

She gasped, trying to sit up again but Angel forced her back down as gently as possible.

“I-I have to go, Dawn is--“

“Fine.” He informed her. “She’s been staying with Giles and she’s probably on her way over right now.”

“Fine.” Joyce replied. “Worried about you, all of them are actually. But she’s okay.”

Buffy relaxed, her mother’s echoed voice, combined with Angel’s reassurance soothing her. The tension melted from her shoulders as she lay back against the pillows. Her sister was safe and that was all that mattered.

The nurse entered the room with a chart, checked the readings on the machines that were all still hooked up to Buffy and made a few notes before leaving again to notify the doctor.

“How did I get here?” she asked perplexed.

“I brought you here.” He informed her.

“Y-you brought me?” she repeated again.

A million questions flew through her mind all at once. What happened, who were the vamps that jumped her, where had Spike been, what was Angel doing in town…

Her expression softened when she felt his thumb gently rubbing her knuckles.

“You saved my life.” She whispered.

“I-I…”

Giles and Dawn burst through the door, both of them wearing identical anxious expressions on their faces, cutting off what Angel was beginning to say. Both expressions dissolved simultaneously into relief.

“BUFFY!” Dawn shrieked as she launched herself at her sister and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace before Angel or Giles could warn her to be gentle.

When Buffy hissed in pain, Dawn backed off smiling apologetically before she perched herself carefully on the edge of her bed.

“How are you feeling?” Giles asked.

Buffy looked from her sister to Giles, a relieved if weary smile on her face. “I’ve been better but I’ve also been worse.”

She shot Angel a look of gratitude then. “If Angel hadn’t gotten me here when he did.”

Angel ducked from Buffy’s praise, looking at the floor sheepishly.

“Yes, well.” Giles said as he cleared his throat. “I suppose I should let you two catch up.” He said tilting his head in Dawn’s direction. “Angel, a moment if you will.”

Angel nodded, rising from his seat and following Giles out into the hallway. Once the door was closed behind them, Giles instantly began questioning. “You haven’t told her?”

“Told her?” Angel replied, feeling his shoulders go rigid. How did Giles know…?

“About Spike?”

“Oh. No, I was about to tell her when you both walked in.” He breathed a sigh of relief when Giles’ questioning went in a different direction than he had been worrying about, before his brow crinkled.

“Giles, about Spike.” He asked, his tone hardening at the mention of the other vampire.

“Yes?” Giles raised an eyebrow in question.

Angel didn’t know which question to ask first and as usual it wasn’t the more pertinent one that found his lips. “How long has he been in love with her?”

Giles blinked in surprise. He certainly hadn’t been expecting to hear that asked. “How long?” he paused thoughtfully. “How long I can’t answer, but we’ve been aware of it for several weeks now.”

“Weeks…” Angel said in shock. “And you haven’t done anything about it?”

“Done anything?”

Angel grunted in frustration, running his fingers through his hair as he began to pace the corridor. “When Spike becomes fixated on something, he becomes obsessive. He becomes--“

“Dangerous?” Giles filled in.

There was silence for a moment before Angel continued. “The object of his desire… consumes him, and all he can think about it getting what he wants.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.” Giles said knowingly.

His abruptness caught Angel off guard. “I’m not Angelus.”

“I wasn’t talking about Angelus.”

Giles could feel the anger radiating from Angel but he stood his ground. The vampire ran his fingers through his hair again, before turning his stare towards the watcher. He knew that Giles looked at him differently now, that the trust that had been there would no longer be restored. And he didn’t blame him. He had, Angelus had killed his girlfriend. Jenny. But Angel wasn’t him. He had his soul back; he wasn’t a danger to Buffy.

Giles could sense the inner conflict that Angel was going through right now and a part of him was glad for it. He knew that Angel loved Buffy but that didn’t mean that he thought it was a good idea for the vampire to be around her so much. Buffy had a soft spot where Angel was concerned and she probably always would. And whilst he was grateful for Angel’s help whilst Buffy was injured, when she had recovered and left the hospital, it would probably be best for all parties involved if he left town and returned to LA.

“Why are you here Angel?” Giles asked, finally breaking the silence.

“To help.” Angel replied quietly. He would tell them, and soon. Now just wasn’t the right time.

“How did your patrol go?”

And with that little peace offering the friction was gone.


~~~

“Are you in much pain?” Dawn asked, her concern for her sister palpable.

“A little.” Buffy answered honestly. “I’ll be fine so long as I don’t have to run, or walk, or move.” She said with a wry smile. “I’ll be fine in a couple of days. I promise.”

Dawn nodded quickly, her eyes lowering the blanket that was covering Buffy’s wound. “So it was…” she breathed in deeply, her fingers tightening in her sisters hand. “…it was a knife?”

Buffy nodded. “Sure felt like one.”

“A knife in your abdomen.” Dawn stated.

Buffy nodded again, a small frown crossing her face. Where was Dawn going with this? Reaching forward with her free hand, she hooked her fingers under Dawn’s chin and raised her face so that she could meet her gaze.

“What’s going on in that head of yours Dawnie?” Buffy said lightly, even though her sisters expression was grave.

“I-I was just thinking.” Dawn mumbled. “About…”

“About what?” Buffy urged softly.

“Faith.”

Buffy’s face went white as guilt washed over her. Dawn saw the reaction and quickly tried to explain her thoughts.

“I mean she was in a coma, like you, because of a knife in the gut, like you.”

A knife I put there… Buffy thought as Dawn continued.

“And she didn’t wake up for months and months.” Tears trickled down Dawn’s cheeks. “I was afraid that you weren’t going to wake up, and I’d be all alone.”

“Dawn.” Buffy said softly. “I’m not going to leave you. You hear me? I’m not planning on going anywhere.”

Dawn nodded, wiping her tears away.

The door creaked open and Giles re-entered the room alone. Seeing the frowns on both Summers’ faces he pointed out the time to them on the clock by Buffy’s bed. “Sunrise, Angel had to leave.”

Both girls nodded, and it was Dawn who spoke, asking the question that was also on Buffy’s mind. “Is he staying? Or going back to LA?”

Giles looked at Buffy for a moment, seeing the question reflected in her eyes as well as he replied. “He’ll be staying, for a few more days at least.”

Buffy nodded slowly. She didn’t know why Angel was in town, but she was glad that he was. Shifting uncomfortably on the bed, she lifted herself to a more seated position. The stings of pain that she felt were almost a comfort because they tracked all the way down to her toes. At least she knew she wasn’t paralyzed.

“How long till I can go home Giles?” She was anxious to get out of there. She hated hospitals, always had.

“I’m going to see if we can have you released by this afternoon.” He said with a tender smile, seeing the worry on her face. “They’ll want to run some tests of course before you leave, but I’m sure that they will be impressed with your remarkable recovery and will have to release you.”

Buffy returned the smile that Giles sent her way. It was when she was hurt that she was most grateful about being a slayer, the super fast healing meant that she never had to wait too long before she was back at full strength.

“Some food might help with that ‘remarkable recovery’ as you put it.” Buffy hinted.

Dawn’s face lit up as well. “Oooh! Me too.”

Giles shook his head before agreeing to bring them both something to eat.



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