His Worth

Giles and Xander exited the elevator on the 4th floor to be greeted with hospital medical and security staff running all over the place. They tried to get through the crowd but a security guard held them at bay.
“My son is a patient on this floor. I need to get to him” Giles demanded.
Just as he said that a medical team came by rolling a patient on a gurney.
“Oh, my God! That’s Buffy!” Xander yelled.
“You know her?” the guard asked them.
“Yes, she is my son’s girlfriend” Giles answered.
“Come with me” the guard told Giles and Xander.
“What has happened? Is my son alright?” Giles questioned.
“Someone triedkillkill him, apparently, but the girl showed up and chased the guy off but not before he got a piece of her” the guard answered.
The security guard led Giles and Xander down the corridor to Spike’s room. Upon entering they saw Spike sitting on the edge of his hospital bed, running his hands over his tear stained face as another security guard badgered him with questions.
“Leave my son alone!” Giles shouted “For God’s sake, look at the condition he is in and now the woman he loves has been injured. Back off!” Giles was furious.
Spike looked up at his father and Xander. Both security guards left the room with a “We called the regular police and they should be here in a few minutes”
“They took her, Dad. Wouldn’t let me go with her. Is she O.K.? Please tell me she is gonna be O.K., Dad” Spike sobbed.
Giles went to his son and put his arm around him.
“She is being taken to another floor. We passed her in the hallway. We’ll find out for you but I’m sure she will be alright. That Buffy is a strong little gal.” Giles tried to reassure Spike.
“Son, who did this? What happened?”
Spike only needed to say one word, “Angel”
Xander’s face fell and then was replaced with such fury and anger. Spike had never seen such a look come from him.
“I’ll kill him” Xander said between clenched teeth.
Yet another thing Spike had never witnessed from Xander.
“Xan…” Spike began
“No! Don’t Xan me. This has gone on long enough. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t involved you and Buffy in my problems none of this would have happened.” Xander stated oblivious to the fact that Hank had anything to do with Angel’s attempted murder of Spike.
“I’m going to finish this once and for all” Xander turned and walked around of the room.
“Xander, No...come back!” Spike yelled.
Giles ran after him but Xander broke into a run and the middle-aged man couldn’t keep up with him. Breathing heavy he returned to Spike’s room.
“I’m sorry. I lost him” Giles informed him.
Spike just hung his head.
“I’m going to go check on Buffy. I’ll be back shortly, alright?” Giles told Spike.
“Yes, Dad. Come back as soon as you know anything.” Spike ordered.
“I will, son” and with that he left.

Buffy woke up with a pounding in her head and blurry vision.
“Huh...what?” she croaked out.
“You’re O.K. dear but try not to move. You have a nasty gash on your head but it’s all stitched up now. Doctor says you have a concussion but he thinks you’re going to be just fine” the nurse informed her.
“Spike??” Buffy questioned.
“The young man you were visiting?” the nurse questioned back.
“Yes, he’s my boyfriend. Is he alright?” Buffy asked.
“Far as I know, yes. Security was questioning him when we left with you” she answered.
“Oh thank God” Buffy sighed in relief.
“There’s an older gentleman out here to see you if you’re up to it” said the nurse.
Must be Giles, Buffy thought.
“O.K.” she told her to let him back.
In walked, not Giles, but Hank.
“Dad!” Buffy exclaimed
“Baby! Are you alright? Daddy was so worried!” Hank came over to hug her.
“Yes, how did you know I was here?” Buffy inquired.
“Mr. Giles called me. He figured I should know my baby girl was hurt and in the hospital” Hank explained.
“Oh. Thank you for coming. I’m feeling kinda woozy now, Dad. I think I better rest some more” Buffy said.
“Alright, sweetheart. I’ll go talk to Mr. Giles. I’ll come back in a little bit” Hank reached down and kissed her forehead.
“Bye, Dad” Buffy closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

Hank Summers and Rupert Giles sat at a cafeteria table together. Giles had went and informed Spike that Buffy was going to be fine and he would be allowed to see her in a few hours then he met Hank for a cup of coffee, or tea in his case.
“What happened, Mr. Giles?” Hank demanded to know.
Giles explained everything to the best of his knowledge. He told Hank that Spike said someone named Angel had attacked him and Buffy caught him and Angel hurt her then too before getting away.
Hank’s jaw twitched as Giles relayed the story to him. Giles didn’t know exactly what it was, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it but something troubled him about Hank Summers. There was something very wrong with this man.
Hank excused himself and said he had some business to take care of and he would be back later, leaving Giles alone to stare into his cup of tea, wondering exactly what that business was.

Angel was sitting on his sofa cleaning and bandaging some of the wounds that little hellcat gave him. Damn but she had marked him up good, he thought. The next thing he knew he was being pulled out of the chair by his collar and shoved up against the wall. He looked up into the face of Hank Summers.
“You were supposed to get the boy. NOT my daughter you stupid fuck!” Hank screamed and punched Angel in the nose. A few drops of blood spurted onto Hank’s jacket.
“Man...Wait…hold up…she attacked me…I was just defending myself…I swear I didn’t mean to hurt her. It was a mistake” Angel pleaded with him.
“Yeah, you’re the mistake. I paid you good money to kill that piece of shit, Spike and what do you do but land my daughter in the hospital you worthless piece of scum!” Hank hit him again.
“I’ll do it man...I promise. I’ll get him next time. It was an accident, I swear.” Angel pleaded some more.
Finally Hank released him shaking his head in disgust.
“You had better and if you harm one more hair on Buffy’s head, I will personally put you 6 feet under.” Hank threatened.
Angel slid down the wall to the floor as Hank walked out.

From a crack through the kitchen door, where Xander had slipped in the back door unnoticed, he witnessed the entire scene between Hank and Angel in disbelief. When Spike and Buffy found out about this…Xander didn’t even want to think about what would happen. Then a plan began to form in his mind. Grabbing a kitchen knife with his shirt sleeve so as not to leave prints, he silently entered the living room.
When he was right upon Angel, Angel turned his head and looked up from his spot on the floor where he still sat in a crumpled heap.
“Xander?”
Fittingly after all his years of abusing Xander that the last thing he saw or said was his name. That was the last word Angel ever spoke again.


Spike sat in a wheelchair at Buffy’s bedside with Giles sitting by her on the other side. She was awake now and they were contemplating and worrying about Xander’s absence. Hank Summers returned and did nothing other than make Giles, Spike AND even Buffy feel uncomfortable with his presence. He seemed nervous and twitchy and everyone picked up on it. Spike noticed a few drops of what looked like blood on his jacket but said nothing. He didn’t want to upset Buffy.

A shaggy haired young man ran breathlessly into a local police office.
“Can I help you, son?” asked the desk sergeant.
“Yes…please...I just saw someone get killed.” The man panted.
“O.K. son, do you know who it was?” the officer came around to help the man to a seat at his desk.
“Yes, he was…my…my pimp, Angel. I got home and saw another man slit his throat. I was so afraid…I kept hiding so the man wouldn’t kill me too and by the time he left it was too late to save Angel” He sobbed convincingly.
“Do you know who the assailant was?” the officer pressed him.
“Yes…it was…oh God…it was my friend’s girlfriend’s father. It was Hank Summers.”
“O.K. son…I’m going to have you write out a statement and we’ll send a squad car over to this Angel’s and get a warrant for Mr. Summer’s arrest.” the officer informed him.
“Thank you, Officer” Xander squeaked out.

Detective Holtz was busy going over what had happened again with Buffy and Spike. Hank Summers fidgeted in his chair of the hospital room. Something Spike noticed.
The door opened and another officer came in and whispered something to Detective Holtz.
“Excuse me for a moment” he said and left the room.
He came back several minutes later with several uniformed officers.
“What’s going on?” Spike demanded to know.
“Well, Mr. Giles it appears we have found your attacker, Angel however he is unable to give us any information.” Holtz said dryly.
“And??” Spike’s frustration was showing.
“Mr., Giles, Angel was found dead in hpartpartment. His throat slit. We have a witness that says he saw Mr. Summers do it” as he swung his gaze over to Hank.
“WHAT?” Hank and Buffy both blurted out at the same time.
“This is preposterous! I did no such thing. I am a respected man in this community. When my lawyers get through with…” Hank began a tirade.
“Save it for the jury, Mr. Summers. You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…” Holtz read him his Miranda rights and the uniforms cuffed him.
“Daddy? How do you know Angel? Did you know him? Daddy? Answer me!” Buffy was getting hysterical.
Buffy watched them lead out her struggling father.
“Spike…who do you think saw my Dad do that to Angel? Who would have been at his place within the last few hours? What is going on? Did my Dad do it to get back at Angel for hurting me? Please someone tell me…” she was crying.
Giles and Spike both looked at each other and said in unison, “Xander.”

A/N: Coming Soon: Chapter 17- We the Jury...