Paper Doll |BTVS| Book One ✔️

Becoming, Part 2

Word count: 5964 

Warnings: Torture, Sexual Assault, Triggering in general.

If you want to talk about the Sexual Assault part message me but please don't leave anything negative, people (myself included) have gone through these things and nasty words don't help.

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The hall outside the Emergency Room at Sunnydale General Hospital is quiet as Buffy slinks into the hall wearing a wool cap and a long, dark coat. She averts her eyes from the doctors and nurses hoping to be unseen.

On the wall, she finds a slot with a few patient histories and checks the names on them but none of them were the ones she was looking for, continuing slowly down the hall she checks another series of slots for names on paperwork but finds nothing.

Further down the hall she turns down the left passageway, feeling a hand on her back she gasps and spins around, but is very relieved to see Xander standing there "Xander!" she sighs as she hugs him tightly, he hugs her back, and they hold each other for a long moment, then Buffy lets go.

"I was so worried, I didn't know if you were okay. The cops were..." Buffy tried to explain but Xander cut her off "Yeah, I, I heard them chase you out. I was just coming out of it. Souvenir" he jokes as he holds up his arm in a cast.

"Well, what about the others?" Buffy asks desperately "Are they okay?" suddenly Xander pulls her in for another tight hug when the cops pass them "Okay. That was about equal parts protecting me and copping a feel, right?" Buffy jokes with a smile but Xander doesn't smile back, his face is down looking sad and very worried "What is it?"

Xander pulls Buffy into an adjacent room where Willow lay unconscious in a hospital bed, she has a bandaged cut on her forehead and a black eye, but otherwise seems unhurt "The doctor said it was head trauma. She can wake up at any time, but, um... the longer it lasts, the... less likely it is" Xander explains to Buffy whose eyes gazed over Willow's face sadly.

"I never should've let her try to do that curse. Angel must've known" Buffy said solemnly as she reaches up to Willow's face and brushes back a few stray hairs "Where are her parents?".

Xander sighs and crosses his arms "With relatives in Phoenix. I gave them a call. They're... they're getting on a plane back" Buffy nods and look up at Xander "Does Oz know?"

Xander realizes his mistake "Oh, man. Um... I didn't even think. Um... I'll call him" Buffy hears some footsteps behind her and turns quickly as Cordelia walks in "Hey" Xander whispers giving her a loving kiss.

"How is she?" Cordelia asks as they separate looking down at Willow "The doctor told me that..." She starts as Xander interrupts her "Yeah. We're, uh... still waiting" Cordelia stood next to Willow's bed quietly "You okay?" Buffy asked her softly.

"I ran. I think I made it through three counties before I realized nobody was chasing me. Not too brave" Cordelia admitted looking sad "It was the right thing to do," Buffy told her not wanting Cordelia to beat herself up.

"Did Giles keep up with you?" Cordelia looked over at Xander confused "I didn't see Giles" Buffy's eyes widened a little "You mean he's not in the hospital?" Xander shook his head "No".

Buffy gives them a very concerned stare and felt her chest tighten considerably "and Nikki? Have you seen my sister?" Xander and Cordelia looked at each other guiltily remembering Nikki getting them out before shaking their heads.

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Angelus lay on the floor of his mansion facing Giles who is also lying on the floor, waiting for him to regain consciousness "Mm..." Giles stirs a bit and exhales "Ohhh..." he groaned as he lifts his head.