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Buffy knocked on the door once before she entered the mansion. "Angel, Angel," she called out as she walked into the living room. He must still be in bed. She walked into the bedroom, sure enough, there he was propped up on the pillow. He looked pale, okay, he looked paler then usual. She walked over and sat down beside him on the bed.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"I don't know, I just don't feel well." He answered with another sneeze.

"Angel, vampires don't sneeze. What's going on here?" Buffy asked confusion in her eyes.

"I feel sick, Buffy. Really sick. I'm afraid I can't go patroling with you." He told her as he sneezed yet again.

She reached over and felt his forehead with the back of her hand. He felt warm, Angel felt warm. Now that was odd. "Angel, I know this is crazy, but I think you have a fever. I think I need to go talk to Giles about this. Something is really wrong." She kissed him lightly on the forehead, "I'll be back soon."

Angel settled under the covers, feeling miserable. He didn't know what was wrong, he hoped Giles knew something.

"Giles" called Buffy as she entered the library. "Where are you?"

"What is it, Buffy?" Giles sighed as he walked our from the stacks.

"Giles, is it possible for a vampire to catch a cold, I mean fever, sneezing, the whole bit?"

"I wouldn't think so, Buffy, why?"

"Because, Angel is sick. He has a fever and he is sneezing. This isn't right." she explained.

"I'll consult my books and see what I can find out." Giles told her as he disspeared back into the stacks.

"What should I do in the mean time?" She called up to him.

"Has he tried chicken soup?" came Giles mumbled reply.

Buffy left the library, rolling her eyes, "Thanks alot, Giles" she called as she left.

On her way to Angel's place she ran into the same strange woman they had seen in the alley outside the Bronze. The woman stopped right in front of her, looking her hard in the eyes. "I can help." she croaked out, pointing her finger in Buffy's face. "I can help." she repeated.

Buffy stared at her "Help?" she asked hurriedly, she wanted to get back to Angel.

"Yes, Angel is sick and I can help." she replied, defintitely getting Buffy's attention now.

"What do you know?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

"I know that he will die, if you don't get the antidote before sunrise." She grinned wickedly.

"The antidote, what did you do to him?" Buffy said harshly as she grabbed the woman's arm.

"Let go, Slayer, you help me and I'll help you." She said slyly.

"What do you want? Why should I believe you?" Buffy stared up into the old womans hard eyes.

"Because if you don't listen to me, he will surely die. Hewill die, unless you help me perform a rite tonight. I need your blood, just a little bit. Then you can have the antidote and he will be fine." The old woman smiled cruelly at Buffy.

"What did you do to him?" Buffy asked again.

"The sting he felt last night in the alley, it was an injection of a potion. It's made him human until sunrise tomorrow, with all the human frailties, so the virus in it is already making him sick. And he will get sicker." She explained to Buffy.

"Why do you want my blood?" Buffy asked wearily.

"I need it for a ritual, meet me at midnight of course, meet me at the Turner mausoleum in Restwood Cemetary." The old woman told her as she turned to leave. She turned one more time, "If you don't come, rest assured, he will die."

Buffy hurried back to the mansion. She found Angel bundled under the covers asleep. She slipped into the bed beside him, he felt even warmer then before, he was burning up with fever. He moved a little bit at her touch, and opened his fever clouded eyes. "Buffy?" he asked in a whisper.

"Shh...just rest. I'm right here." She told him as she stroked his hair. She decided against telling him the whole story.

"What did Giles say?" Angel asked weakly.

"He's consulting his books, and told me to give you chicken soup." She smiled at him as she plumped his pillow.

Angel managed a weak smile. "Chicken soup?"

Buffy smiled at him and nodded her head. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty terrible, but better now that you are here. Can you stay awhile?"

"Well, actually, I've really got to go patrol. Giles is afraid of some weird prophecy or something. Anyway, I'm going to go get Willow to come stay with you and I'll be back soon." She explained as she left. The clock said 5pm.

"Buffy, I think I'll be okay alone. Don't bother Willow." Angel told her as she got ready to leave.

"Humor me, How long has it been since you were sick, a couple centuries maybe?" She smiled as she placed her hand on his warm cheek. She was scared.

Buffy went to the library again. She found Giles and Willow both with their heads buried in books. She quickly explained the situation to both of them. "So, Giles, you and I research and Willow goes to sit with Angel, okay?"

"Sure, I'll go." said Willow with a smile.

"Giles, why would she need my blood?" asked Buffy fear in her voice.

"I'm not sure, but a Slayer's blood seems to have power in it. We'll start researching with that in mind. You are not going to meet this woman. We'll find a way." Giles told her seriously.

Willow walked shyly into Angel's bedroom. "Angel" she said quietly "Buffy, sent me to watch you, she'll be back soon."

"Willow, I really don't need a babysitter. But, thanks for coming anyway."

"Buffy, just wants to make sure you are okay."

"I know, I'm sure I'll be fine." he answered drowsily.

Willow found a book and began to read while Angel slept.

"Buffy, I am at a loss, I don't know what this woman is, or what she really wants." Giles told her after several hours of research.

Xander entered the library at that time. "Hey, Buffy. What's up?" he asked cheerfully.

Buffy explained what was going on to Xander. She then looked at Giles, I'm going to hit the streets, maybe I can find something out. Xander decided to go with her.

"I'll keep looking and I'll go check on Willow and Angel." Giles told her as she left. "But don't do anything rash, Buffy."

Giles went to the mansion to find a distraught Willow. Angels fever had risen and he was now delirious. Willow had a cold compress that she was wringing out, she had been applying it to his forehead. As she went to place it on his head once more, he grabbed her hand. "Buffy, Buffy, can you forgive me?"

"It's Willow, Angel. Not Buffy, it's me Willow" Willow tried to explain.

"Buffy, Buffy." Angel said agitated.

"Willow, it's best if you go along, if you argue it will only agitate him more." Giles told her as he sat down on the other side of the bed.

"Buffy, do you forgive me?" Angel asked again, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Willow looked uncomfortably at Giles, then answered Angel "Yes, Angel, I forgive you."

"Good, I love you Buffy, I never meant to hurt you. I should have done things differently, I should have stayed away. But I couldn't...I love you." he told her in a weak voice.

Willow was clearly upset now. She looked at Giles, "Buffy should be here, this is personal stuff. She should hear it, not me."

"Buffy, do you love me?" Angel asked in a soft whisper "Buffy, I don't feel well"

Giles just looked at Willow and sighed. Willow took Angel's hand "Yes, Angel, I love you. You need to rest now, try to sleep" she told him softly.

Angel seemed to calm down, and he fell into a restless sleep.

"Willow, I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I felt it was best not to agitate him." Giles explained in a low voice.

Giles looked at Willow worriedly. "What is it, Giles? You're worried about something."

Giles looked uncomfortable, "At this rate, I'm not sure if the antidote will save him, if Buffy can find it."

Willow looked at Angel and sighed. Angel stirred again. This time Giles went to replace the compress. Angel was still delirious "Da, is that you?" he asked Giles.

"Yes, Angelus, it's me. You need to rest now." Giles told him softly.

"Where is Mother?" Angel asked sounding frightened.

"She's out, rest, please." Giles told him again.

"Out! You're all out, I killed you all. Da, I didn't know what I was doing. I'm sorry, so sorry." Angel sobbed softly.

"It's okay son, all is forgiven. Please try to rest now, Angel." Giles told him as he patted his shoulder. Once again Angel fell into a restless sleep.

"Buffy needs to get here." Willow said as Giles sat back down.

"She should have been here by now. I hope she hasn't done anything rash."

It was a quarter to twelve, when Buffy dragged Xander into the cemetary. "Do you understand what I want you to do?" she aske him for the fourth time.

"Yes, I've got it. Buffy. You coaxc her into putting the antidote on that stone over there. I go for the antidote, you go for her. I can handle it!" Xander told her impatiently. "Of course, Giles is going to kill me for going along with this."

"You came," said the old woman as she stepped from behing the mausoleum.

"I said I would, here I am. Before this starts, I want you to put the antidote over there, where I can see it. Then you can have my blood." Buffy directed her.

"Don't trust me, Slayer?"

Buffy glared at the woman as she placed a vial of yellow liquid on the tombstone. "Now give me your arm." She told Buffy as she pulled out a small knife.

Buffy offered her arm to the woman. She lowered the knife to Buffy, at this moment, Xander went for the vial. He stuffed it into his pocket, backing into another stone and knocking over flowers. The woman looked up distracted, giving Buffy enough time to turn the knife on her, plunging it into her chest. The woman screamed as she showed her true demonic face and dissappeared.

Xander rushed to Buffy, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, you did get the vial right?"

Xander shook his head and pulled the precious fluid from his pocket. He handed it to Buffy and they left quickly for the mansion.

"Xander, I couldn't have done this without you. Thanks." Buffy told him as they entered the mansion.

Xander just smiled at her and followed her into the bedroom. "How is he?" Buffy asked Giles.

"Not good, Buffy. I'm sorry. Where have you been?" Giles asked, knowing the answer before she told him.

"I've got the antidote. That's what's important." She told him as she went to Angel. He was almost unconcious now, Giles helped her prop him up and force the fluid down his throat. He gagged slightly and went back to sleep.

Willow woke up, and went to Buffy. She hugged her tightly, "You okay?"

"I will be as soon as this stuff works it's magic" Buffy said with a sigh. "Thanks, everyone for your help."

Buffy slid into the bed next to Angel, she protectively put her arm around him, he stirred and lie his head on her chest. "You can all go now. I'll stay with him, until he's better."

"Buffy, are you sure? What if the antidote doesn't..." Giles voice trailed off unsure.

Buffy looked determined, "It will work, Giles. I'll call you in the morning. Thanks again."

Buffy stayed with Angel for the next few hours, she pushed the damp hair from his forehead. She hummed softly to him. shortly before sunrise, his fever broke. He opened his eyes, smiling brightly at her.

"How long have you been here?" He asked her sleepily.

"Not long, I relieved Willow of her babysitting job. You seem to be feeling better."

"I am. I told you I would be fine. Did Giles find out what caused it?" He asked curiously.

Buffy decided that she didn't need to go into details right now. "No, it was just one of those hellmouth flukes." She told him as she held him tighter.

"Well, if I get sick again, do I get to wake up in your arms?" He asked her smiling.

She looked tenderly at him, "You don't have to get sick to do that." She said as she leaned down to kiss him.

The End