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It wasn't much longer until they saw Oz and Cordelia coming down the hall. Xander saw them coming and stood up to meet them. Exchanging a nod with Oz he hugged Cordelia. "Hey."

"Hey. 'Bout time you got your lazy ass up." She told him. "Must have been some hit you took if even twinkies couldn't wake you."

"Twinkies?" He asked in confusion as he pulled away slightly to look at her.

She just grinned. "Works better on you than smelling salts."

"Ha, ha, ha." Came Xander's dry reply. "...You wouldn't happen to have any on you? I'm starving."

He only laughed when she playfully smacked him on the arm. It was a nice tension releasing moment for them, but it had to end sometime. After a minute Xander's face went sombre.

"You guys just came from Giles' room right?" She nodded. "Where abouts is it?"

"Three doors down from Willow on the other side of the hall." Nodding in response he started walking.

"Xander..." Cordelia called him back and he turned to look at her. "... He... don't be surprised when he doesn't look his best."

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Angel was still in the hall exploring the hall. He was a little wary after the hyena incident but after opening another door and seeing no immediate danger he began to relax some. After a moments hesitation he walked into the room.

It was about the same size as the one with the hyena only... well... empty. Just the same graveyard and mist he was really starting to get sick of staring at. The only thing he saw of any interest at all was another door at the far end of the room.

As good a direction as any he figured so Angel started walking towards if. After a few steps he could have sworn he heard a slight rumbling. Several more and he heard it again, louder this time. Stopping he waited listening intently. He didn't have to wait long before it came again even stronger. This time he felt the ground give a slight quiver.

"Ah shit." Was all Angel could mutter as he turned to run for the door.

The rumbling stayed strong as Angel turned and the quiver became a massive quake. Pieces of the floor began to fall through like parts of a stone bridge collapsing.

The quake made it difficult for Angel to run and stay on his feet at the same time. As he neared the door he gave one final desperate push as he jumped, the floor collapsing behind him. He was thankful he hadn't bothered to close the door or he would have had no chance at all.

Angel couldn't help but smile in relief as he landed but a step from the door. The smile quickly changed to an expression as shock and fear as rather than stopping on the stone it gave way and he kept going. His hands desperate clung for a hold and managed to catch the small lip at the bottom of the door.

Hanging there by one hand he carefully reached up and gained a grip with the other. He took in several slow calming breaths before he pulled himself up and back into the hall.

Carefully he peered over the edge. Below him was not the rocky death he had been expecting. Instead after the steep drop was water. It reached from this end right over to the other. A vaguely humanoid fishlike figure could be seen swimming in the distance.

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Xander gasped in surprise as he entered Giles' hospital room. He really shouldn't have, Cordelia had warned him after all. But he had seen him last night and thought he was prepared for whatever lay ahead. He was wrong though. Last night things had been happening so fast and it was dark. There really wasn't much time to take anything in. Now it was different.

Giles lay still in his bed, his steady breathing the only indication he was still alive. All of the exposed skin was either covered in bandages or deep ugly bruises. To sum it up he looked like hell and Xander had to force himself to remember what the doctors had told Buffy. 'He was going to be ok.'

After a moment to compose himself Xander realize that Giles seemed to be sleeping. Turning he walked out. Carefully he started to close the door.

"Xander?" He barely caught the week voice from the room and for a moment thought he was hearing things. "Xander? Is that you?"

"Yah, it's me G-man." Xander said as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. He walked over to Giles' bedside and sat in the nearby chair. All thoughts of laying his problems on the man immediate washed from his mind. "How you holdin' up?"

"What this?" Giles said, his voice much stronger now. He must have just woken up when he had called him. "It looks much worse than it is."

"Well you look like hell."

Giles let out a chuckle wincing as the movement irritated some of his bruising. "Yes, I suppose I do. It's probably a double edge sword that Angelus is... was... so good at what he did. It was more fun to prolong his victims' suffering so learning to cause the most amount of pain with the least amount of damage was a must."

Xander looked down as Giles spoke. "I'm sorry Giles. Sorry we couldn't get there sooner."

"I'll hear none of that." He told Xander in a stern voice that actually caused an audible gulp form the boy. Later Xander would find the humour in his brief irrational fear of a man who probably couldn't even get out of his bed at the moment. "Not your fault. Angelus'. You got me out as soon as you could. And before you say anything I think you made the right choice going back in so don't feel guilty about that either."

"Right." Was all Xander could come up with to say.

"Now." Giles continued. "From what I'm told you were knocked out by a vampire when you went back in. I may have been out of it, but I'm reasonably certain that Angelus was the only vampire left. What really happened?"

"I... ah... don't know what you're talking about G-man." Xander lied. He figured Giles didn't need this right now. Red eyes weren't life threatening... he didn't think. It could wait until he was out of bed at least.

"Xander." The tone clearly stated that he didn't believe him in the least.

"Really, don't worry about it." Xander said as he stood up and adjusted his sunglasses.

Giles was about to say something when a nurse came in to check on him. Xander took the chance to escape the imminent interrogation. "See ya tomorrow Giles."

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Angel walked the hall cautiously. He peered around with an almost paranoid look as he approached another door. Taking up a defensive stance he pushed it open.

He couldn't tell how big this room was, just that it was indeed big. A dense jungle blocked his view. At first he thought he finally found something of different scenery until he looked at the ground. The graveyard motif continued.

Angel was still on the defensive as he went to take a step through the doorway. Suddenly a loud bang was heard and a bullet whizzed by his head, ricocheting off the door on the opposite side of the hall. Quickly he slammed the door shut.

"I hate this place."

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Xander had paid a visit to Willow next. It was only a short one though since he found her asleep. She'd been exhausted ever since she tried that spell. With a kiss on the forehead and a promise to be there when she got out tomorrow he left the sleeping form of his best friend behind.

The others were still in the waiting room when he came back. Everyone was getting ready to call it a day, satisfied that those in the hospital were indeed going to be okay. He declined several offers for rides, saying he would prefer to walk.

Which he did. He needed time alone with his thoughts. That wouldn't be possible making small talk with the others.

He walked aimlessly trying to come up with a plan. Something needed to be done about this weirdness. The red eye thing had an easy enough temporary solution. Some coloured contacts and most people wouldn't even notice anything. That wasn't the real big problem though.

Angel may very well be in his soul. No good could ever come of this. They're liable to attack each other before long. Not to mention his soul turned out to be a really creepy place.

Speaking of creepy places after walking for what seemed like hours he was surprised to find he had ended up at the last place he wanted to be, the Crawford Street manor. The place where Angelus nearly ended up destroying the world last night.

Almost of their own accord his feet began to move towards the mansion. Inside there was no sign of life whatsoever. But then again, after last night nobody's going to be trying to inhabit this place for a while.

Reaching the courtyard he stopped in front of a large stone statue. The demon Acathla. They would have to do something about this eventually. He'd make a mental not for it later.

"I hate this place." He heard Angel's voice say suddenly and the world began to spin. Falling to his knees blackness began to enter his vision.

"What the hell!" Was all he could say before he hit the ground unconscious.

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Still standing there glaring at the door Angel suddenly heard groaning behind him. Spinning around bring his fists up he was ready to take on whatever creature this place sent at him next. He was surprised when his saw nothing.

More groaning caught his attention and he looked down to see Xander sprawled on the ground. Relaxing slightly he reached down to help the boy up. "Here."

Xander looked at the hand in confusion for a moment before looking around and realization hit him and he took the offered hand. "Damn you're still here."

"Unfortunately." Angel said neutrally, determined not to let any of his growing paranoia of this place show through. "Find anything out yet?"

"Just that Joyce has a mean right hook."

"Come again?" Angel asked confused.

Xander just shook his head as he looked at the door-lined hall. "Never mind. I didn't find anything about this... situation. Could be awhile from the looks of things."

If Xander had been looking he would have seen a strange look pass over Angel's face for an instant. As it is he was headed in the opposite direction.

"Hey, where do these doors lead?" He asked Angel as he approached one.

"Don't o..." The warning came too late as Xander pushed open one of the doors only to have the snarling face of a giant hyena snap at him. "...pen that."

"Holy shit!" Xander exclaimed as he picked himself back off the ground and stared at the creature. Angel walked up beside him

"Stay." Angel quipped as the chained beast continued to struggle and snap.

"Now that's just weird." Xander commented.

Angel nodded his agreement. "I know. I didn't think something like this would be here either."

"Not that." Xander said as he turned to face Angel. "You made a joke. An exceptionally bad one but a joke nonetheless."

Angel stared at him before he sighed and shook his head. "I have to get out of here. He's corrupting me already."