Prologue
As Buffy Summers walked into Angel Investigations, all she saw was
Cordelia sitting at her desk, her short hair pulled into a ponytail,
arguing on the phone. No Angel. Buffy stood in the doorway with her
hands on her hips. Her dark, blonde hair falling over her shoulders,
ending in loose curls at the end. She had on a simple, white tee with
black pleather pants that were hugging her lower body. Her shoes were
black platforms from Sketchers. She had on a black leather jacket that
went down to her calves. Her makeup was done in natural colors that
brought out her hazel eyes.
Cordelia Chase looked up when she saw a person walk in and was
surprised to see Buffy standing in the doorway, looking at her. She
quickly hung up the phone. Talking to Wesley was tiring.
"Buffy, what a surprise," she said. She put the phone down into its
cradle.
"What are you doing here?" Cordelia asked. She had on a green shirt
with no back. It tied behind her neck and in the middle of her back. Her
blue jeans matched it well. Her highlighted hair was pulled back due to
the air conditioner having broken. She had black, ankle high heels on
that made her look taller. She was the only one left at the office.
"What happened to the big place that Angel was renting? I thought you
guys were there. When I went there...nobody was there," Buffy said.
"And, where’s Angel?" She looked around the small room that stood for
Angel Investigations.
Cordelia’s face fell when Angel’s name was mentioned. "I don’t work
for Angel anymore, actually. Neither does Wesley or Gunn," she
explained, a frown on her face.
"What? Why?" Buffy asked, wondering what could have made her quit her
job or Angel fire her.
"Well, he sorta got too close to his ‘dark side’. He fired us when we
were supposedly ‘in the way’," Cordelia replied in a sarcastic tone,
scrunching her face up and sticking her tongue out.
"What do you mean he got closer to his dark side. Did he revert to
Angelus?" Buffy asked, dread filling her heart. She wouldn’t know what
to do if that happened again.
"No, of course not. I would have called you. He didn’t want anybody
to tell you, but, since I hate him, I’ll tell you. Darla’s back. This
agency brought her back from the dead as a human to get Angel. Than,
since the whole ‘Bring-Darla-Back-To-Get-Angel’ thing didn’t work out,
they brought back Drusilla from wherever she was since she wasn’t in
Sunnydale, and Drusilla then turned Darla into a vampire. They then
committed themselves to tormenting Angel. Who turned into a stupid ass,
obsessive vampire who wanted to kill them," Cordelia explained to a
shocked Buffy who had long ago sat down.
"Darla’s alive?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 1
"Darla’s back? But, Angel killed her. I was there," Buffy said, not
wanting to believe it.
"Well, believe it. If you’re looking for Angel, don’t come here. He’s
not welcome," Cordelia said. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go
home." She got up from her chair behind the desk and put her denim
jacket on. She picked up her purse and walked to the door, waving at
Buffy to follow her.
Buffy got up. She had noticed Cordelia’s change in attitude and was
wondering if Angel firing her wasn’t the only thing that was bothering
her. "I’m sorry, Cordelia. I didn’t know," she tried.
Cordelia sighed. She turned around. "I’m sorry, too. When you
mentioned Angel, something inside me wanted to tell you so it would piss
him off, so I did." She smiled at Buffy. "I feel a lot lighter, though."
"That’s good. And I thank you for taking it out on me," Buffy
replied, smiling too.
"Sorry, again," Cordelia said, sympathetically. "Hey, do you want to
come to my place and hang out. You could look for Angel later," Cordelia
asked, her keys at ready to walk out and lock the door.
"No thanks. I’ve really got to look for Angel. I have to ask him
something," Buffy said, looking at Cordelia apologetically.
"What do you have to ask him that could be so important?" Cordelia
asked, looking at Buffy. They hadn’t see each other in a long time. She
opened the door, waving at Buffy to walk through.
"Well, it’s just something I had figured out from a book that I
needed to ask him about," Buffy supplied, walking through the door that
Cordelia held open.
Cordelia walked out after her, turning off the lights. She closed the
door and locked it. She turned to Buffy. "Oh. Well, I have to go. It’s
late and I have an audition tomorrow for a bathing suit commercial."
"Oh, fun. I might see you tomorrow, if I decide to drop in. Or Wesley
or Gunn or...somebody. Okay?" Buffy said.
"Yeah, sure. I’ll be back around two or three in the afternoon. I’ll
see you then?" Cordelia asked.
"Sure. Bye," Buffy answered, turning around, preparing herself for
the long search for her old love. She began walking when she heard
Cordelia yell something at her. "What?" Buffy asked, turning back
around, not hearing her clearly.
"I said, try the hotel Angel’s renting out again. He might be there
in the morning," Cordelia repeated from a distance.
"Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow," Buffy called back. When she saw
Cordelia turn around, she herself turned around and continued walking.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 2
The walk to the factory where he heard Darla and Drusilla were holed
up was very far from the hotel.
This time he wasn’t going to toy with them the way they had toyed
with him. Angel was out for revenge for everything that they had
did...and the torment. The thoughts of what Darla had done to Buffy in
the first place was just the start. When Spike and Drusilla had arrived
in Sunnydale, everything became worse with Spike wanting to be King of
the Hellmouth, than the world. And now this.
He was about to yell out in frustration when he heard a sultry voice
say, "Hello, Angelus," and a giggle.
He turned around to see Darla in a black, leather miniskirt with a
dark fuchsia, silk, button-up, long sleeved shirt with black, knee high,
leather platforms. A little out of her league. Drusilla was wearing an
ankle long, silk dress that was sleeveless and blood red with matching
velvet high heels. They were both wearing heavy makeup.
"We heard you were looking for us. And after you set us on
fire...well, I’m sure you would understand that we got a little angry,"
Darla said sweetly, changing into her vampiric nature. Before Angel
could answer, Drusilla spoke instead.
"Someone is coming," she said dreamily, yet laced with a serious
tone, looking into the darkness behind a warehouse on their right and
Angel’s left. Angel and Darla turned their heads in the direction where
Drusilla was looking. When Darla sensed it too, she snarled, hating when
she was interrupted.
Angel’s body started tingling. This only happened when Buffy was
nearby and her being around right now wouldn’t be good.
And that was when Buffy’s beautiful eyes came in contact with his.
And they didn’t look too happy.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Slayer," Darla called to Buffy in surprise. "What could possibly be
so important to honor us with your presence?"
Buffy broke her gaze with Angel to look at Darla. "Well, Darla, I
don’t know. Maybe the fact that you’re here and Drusilla came to
Sunnydale to get Spike...that sorta tipped me off. Hmmm, I wonder," she
said sarcastically, approaching them slowly.
"Well, I had sorta missed the City of Angels and decided to stay, and
seeing how close we are to breaking Angel...he sorta of becomes a habit
after a while," Darla said, giving Angel a seductive look who glared
back. She just smiled.
Buffy glared at her too. "Well, I hate to be the one to burst your
bubble, but, you’re not going to be able to break him. His soul is
permanent and you may get him a little pissed some days, but everybody
is like that," she replied, looking at Angel, thinking he knew.
Angel just looked at Buffy, a look of shock on his face. Buffy tried
looking into his eyes and they just showed the same thing. Maybe he
didn’t know.
"What?!" Darla whispered. She looked at Angel, narrowed her eyes, and
said quietly, slowly, "Your soul is permanent?" She looked at Buffy.
"What makes you think his soul is permanent? You were always the blonde
bimbo."
Angel charged Darla, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her
against the wall. "Nobody talks to Buffy that way."
Darla only laughed. "Angelus, you were always wrapped around her
little finger. Why don’t you let it go and join me."
"Screw you, Darla. You never had me and you never will. There is only
one reason why I’m wrapped around her little finger is because I
love her," Angel growled. Buffy’s eyes grew wide, not expecting that.
"That cheerleader? She-" Darla started.
Buffy interrupted Darla, surprised. "Cheerleader? If you haven’t
noticed, I’m in college now, and they don’t do the cheerleader thing.
Maybe before you go around dissing people, you should do a little
homework," she said sarcastically.
Darla glared at her. "Why don’t you butt out. This isn’t your fight,"
she said. Angel just tightened his grip.
"Well, seeing as how I started it, I guess it is," Buffy replied.
That was when Drusilla jumped onto Buffy’s back and started clawing at
her face. Buffy fell onto her chest, surprised by the collision.
"Buffy!" Angel cried, letting go of Darla long enough for her to hit
him in the back of the head. He fell down as well.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 3
"Angel!" Buffy yelled back through Drusilla’s claw-like nails. When
she saw Angel fall, she went into action by ramming the back of her head
into Drusilla’s nose. Drusilla cried out in pain, but didn’t let go.
Buffy did it again and this time Drusilla loosened her grip. Buffy
wiggled out of her confinement and jumped to her feet. Drusilla also
staggered to her feet, looking at Buffy in her vampiric nature.
"You know, I have to say, you are the ugliest vampire I have
ever seen. And let me tell ya, I’ve seen a lot," Buffy said,
laughing when she said her last statement.
Drusilla screamed and ran toward Buffy, her arms out in front of her.
Buffy ducked and stuck her leg out, effectively tripping Drusilla.
Drusilla landed on her chest, hitting her nose again. Buffy grabbed a
stake from her sleeve and before Buffy could stake Drusilla, she rolled
to the side and Buffy rammed the stake at the ground, taking part of the
stakes tip off.
"Dammit, I worked hard on this stake just for you and what do you do,
you move out of the way so I hit it the ground. Thanks," Buffy said,
glaring at Drusilla. Buffy was up in a flash, lashing at Drusilla.
When Drusilla tried to get up, Buffy punched her with a good right
hook. Drusilla fell back and Buffy got on top of her and punched her
again. When Drusilla’s head hit the ground, Buffy got her stake again
and rammed it into Drusilla’s chest. Drusilla looked down at the piece
of wood in her chest and opened her mouth.
"Not fair," she whimpered, pouting, than burst into a pile of fine
dust.
Buffy smirked, getting up to see Darla and Angel trading punches but
it was obvious that Angel had the upper hand. Buffy could tell that
Angel was doing this for revenge by the way he was acting and looking at
Darla, not to save humanity from another vampire. There were times when
he could have easily staked her but held back, punching her and beating
her to a bloody pulp. His vampire face was showing now, as was her
bloody one.
"Angel. You can kill her. It’s over. Let it go," Buffy said quietly,
but loud enough for Angel to hear her.
Angel ignored her, throwing Darla into a wall. When Darla got back
up, Angel backhanded her, rendering her unconscious. Angel went after
her again, not noticing her eyes were closed.
"Angel!" Buffy yelled again. "Stop!"
This time, Angel looked at Buffy and for a second, and she thought he
didn’t recognize her. While he stared at her, Buffy walked up to Darla,
leaned down, and staked her. She turned to dust. It was over.
Buffy got up turned around to look at Angel again and walked up to
him. "Angel?" Buffy said hesitantly, looking into his eyes. She reached
up and placed her hand onto his cheek, feeling the wonderful shocks go
through her body. He was still staring at her with his glowing eyes and
breathing hard through his fangs even though he didn’t need to. When he
still didn’t answer, Buffy leaned up and softly kissed him. She closed
her eyes, reveling in the feeling of having his lips on hers again.
After a minute, Angel crushed her to him, pushing his tongue into her
mouth, turning the kiss into raging passion, their tongues soon dueling.
When they separated, Buffy was panting and Angel’s face had turned to
its human side showing his beautiful features.
"God, Buffy, I’m so sorry," Angel said, leaning down, reaching his
arms around her small waist, hugging her to him. He fit his head into
her neck, kissing it. Buffy just sighed in relief that he hadn’t finally
gone off the deep end. She nestled up against him, curling her arms
around his neck, burying her head in his chest.
"It’s okay, Angel. I understand," Buffy said, muffled, really
understanding. After all the stuff Darla and Drusilla did, she might
have lost it too.
"So, my soul’s permanent? How did you figure that one out?" Angel
asked, pulling back, still keeping her close, and smiled down at Buffy.
Buffy smiled back. "Giles was researching a vampire in this book of
prophecies, I forget what its called, but it said that you would have a
permanent soul after you lost it the first time. So you didn’t have to
leave after all." He just looked her. She quickly moved on. "According
to the book that Willow and Giles used, it didn’t have the loop where if
you experience true happiness, you would loose your soul," she
explained.
He had quickly gotten over what she had earlier said for something
else bothered him. "That’s good. But, what about Riley? And all the
things you wanted with a normal life. I still can’t take you out into
the sunlight and I still can’t give you kids. I’m still a vampire. I can
never offer you anything," Angel said, his smile disappearing.
"I knew this was coming. Angel, I don’t give a crap about a normal
life. I’m the Slayer. My whole life would be in the darkness if it
weren’t for my friends, my mom, Giles...you. You complete me. Why don’t
you let me make my own decisions for once. I’ve grown up and I guess you
can say I realize why you left. Just let me make my own decisions.
Anyway...when I look into the future...all I still see is you," Buffy
said, smiling sadly.
"I’m sorry, Buffy. But you have Riley now," Angel replied, not
wanting her life to be in the darkness, like his.
"Well, Riley left." When she saw Angel was about to say something,
she said, "Let me finish. He left because he felt that we weren’t
communicating, which is sorta true. And when I found that prophecy, I
felt my whole world open up. Why can’t you except that and just move
on...with me by your side?" Buffy said, looking up at Angel with wide,
questioning eyes.
"Because after what your mom said-" Angel started, but was once again
violently interrupted by Buffy.
"What do you mean ‘after what my mom said’? What did she say?" Buffy
asked, looking at Angel expectantly.
"She just said a few things, and, at the time, it made sense," Angel
said, scared to look at her.
"God, why would she do that? She knew how much I loved you, and
still. Jeez!" Buffy exclaimed, half yelling, anger pouring from her
eyes.
"Buffy, calm down. It’s no big deal. We’re together now, aren’t we?
Nothing can pull us apart now, not even your mother. I promise," Angel
said, smiling down at her, honesty shining in his eyes.
"Really? So you’re coming back? To Sunnydale?" Buffy asked, hope in
her voice.
"Actually, I have to stay here in LA and apologize to Cordelia,
Wesley, and Gunn. I did sorta leave ‘em out in the cold," Angel said,
looking guilty.
"You can say that again," Buffy replied, smiling. Angel just looked
at her again. "Before I came looking for you out here, I went to Angel
Investigations. Cordelia was there and she told me the whole story."
"Everything?" Angel asked. Buffy looked up at him and into his eyes.
There was something he wasn’t telling her.
"What?" Buffy asked him. "What aren’t you telling me?" Angel didn’t
answer, he just looked at the ground. "Angel!" His head jerked up, his
eyes still not meeting hers. "Angel! What aren’t you telling me? There
are no more secrets."
Angel looked back at Buffy, his eyes were guilt ridden. He had
promised never to do anything unless it was with Buffy. And he had. "I
slept with Darla," he whispered in a low voice, but it was loud enough
for Buffy to hear.
"You...what?" she said in a low voice with disbelief. Her smile had
long ago disappeared and now they were just looking at each other, Buffy
with betrayal on her face and Angel with guilt. How could he do this
to me? After all we went through and...everything? Buffy thought to
herself. She backed out of Angel’s embrace and looked at him, then
turned around. A tear found its way down her cheek. Then another. "I’m
sorry I ever came, Angel. I shouldn’t have killed her because it’s now
obvious you don’t want me in your life because you had found a new love
interest. Now I know how you felt when I was with Riley." Buffy looked
at the sky, the trails of her tears that were streaming down her face
were shimmering in the moonlight. There was no point in wiping them
away. More were going to come.
Angel just stayed where he was, staring at Buffy’s back. She thought
he had loved Darla when all it was was a way to try and help her. When
it had helped him instead.
"Buffy, I didn’t love her. I had tried to help her, I can’t explain,
but instead, it had helped me, I just can’t explain," Angel said,
desperate to get Buffy to understand what had been going on. He walked
up behind her and grabbed her elbow, but before he could turn her
around, she wrenched her arm away. She turned around to look at him,
sorrow in her voice.
"I understand, Angel. I guess you can put love on hold, but the need
for sex is greater. Good-bye," Buffy said, turning back around. She just
walked off into the surrounding darkness.
She was so lost in her grief that she didn’t see or sense the vampire
sneak up on her. Before she could do anything he had her pinned to the
ground, his hand over her mouth so she couldn’t scream. She was at least
100 yards away from Angel and she knew he wouldn’t be able to hear her
struggling.
"Slayer," the male vampire whispered. He was tall with broad
shoulders and judging by his strength, younger than Angel, but still
old. "I’ve always wondered what the Slayer tasted like."
Buffy tried wriggling herself out of his grip but whimpered when he
held fast. She looked into the vampires yellow eyes and knew what was
going to happen. The vampire could see in her eyes the fear of dying, or
worse, being turned.
The vampire pushed her head back, baring her neck. He ducked his head
to her neck and bit down, closing in around her scar. Buffy could feel
the penetration of the fangs, and it hurt like hell. She squeezed her
eyes shut and felt the sucking. It felt like her insides were going to
explode. It was nothing like when she had let Angel drink from her, for
that had been out of love and fear that he would die. This was just a
vampire who wanted to have the Slayer as his slave for the rest of
eternity. As Buffy’s heart slowed, the vampire came away from her neck
and bit down on his own wrist, watching his blood bead to the surface.
He lowered it to Buffy’s lips and she had no choice but to drink.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 4
Angel began walking in the direction where Buffy had walked. He
should never had told Buffy, but he knew she would have found out sooner
or later. He was almost out of the shadows when he saw a vampire feeding
someone his blood. Which was when he felt a part of him die, grieve.
When he got a closer look, he saw it was his Buffy. It was Buffy, dying.
"Buffy!" Angel yelled, running up behind the vampire, grabbing the
stake that was in his pocket. The vampire looked up when he heard the
Chosen One’s name and was surprised to see another vampire grab him and
stake him in the chest.
Before the ash could settle, Angel was by Buffy’s side immediately.
He held her face in his hands, seeing her closed eyes. He knew she was
dead by the way her breathing had ceased and how her heartbeat was no
longer there. And how his soul hurt. By the looks of what the vampire
was doing, he had been changing her. As a tear slid down his cheek, he
held her in his arms and sat there, crying, mourning the death of Buffy
Summers. He knew his life would never be the same if he didn’t do
anything. He remembered the times they had had, when they had made love,
when he had been dying, and the day that was lost. And the fact that he
had never shared it with her. She had been oblivious.
After some time, he could sense the sun was coming, he got up and put
his right arm under Buffy’s limp knees, than his left arm under her
shoulders. He made sure her head wasn’t hanging, but laying against his
chest.
Angel carried her to the new Angel Investigations where he hoped to
find somebody there. After a half an hour of walking, he arrived at the
new Angel Investigations and was happy to see the lights on. He walked
up to the door and opened it. The little bell above the doorway made a
sound and Wesley looked over from where he was seated in his wheelchair
behind the desk. The book he held in his hands dropped to the floor when
he saw who was standing in front of him. And what was in his hands.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hello?" Willow Rosenberg said into the phone when she heard it ring.
She had just gotten back from Xander’s house because she had left her
book bag there from researching the other night. She hoped it was Buffy.
Buffy had ran off to LA when Giles had told her that Angel’s soul was
permanent from that book of prophecies. Buffy didn’t want Willow to tell
anyone that she was going, and she hadn’t, except for Tara, who hadn’t
told anyone.
"Willow," someone said quietly on the other line, a male voice. She
didn’t recognize. It sounded like this person had been crying.
"Yes?" she answered. Willow seated herself on her bed, getting a few
spell books out of her bag, and a few ingredients. She thought this was
a sales call. Was she in for a surprise.
"It’s Angel." She heard him pause. "Something’s...happened
to...Buffy. She...she was..." he trailed off into the phone, where she
couldn’t hear him.
"What happened to Buffy?" Willow asked into the phone, fear coursing
through her veins. She hoped nothing bad did.
"We were fighting about something and a vampire took her by surprise.
I was too far away to hear anything, but the vampire turned her. I
was...hoping you could...restore her soul," Angel said with a tremor in
his voice. This had been hard enough telling Wesley, especially when
they weren’t on very good terms.
"What?" Willow whispered, a tear streaming down her face. Buffy
couldn’t be dead. Not after all they had been through and all that they
had talked about. Her best friend...gone?
"She’s not dead, she’s of the undead, and I was thinking that before
she woke up, you could restore her soul. Who knows what kind of danger
she could inflict on the world," Angel replied, trying to reassure
Willow that Buffy wasn’t gone for sure. Also, himself.
"But, Angel, you know how much she hates vampires. Don’t you think it
would be better if we just...killed her?" Willow asked, staring at the
books in front of her. One of them was the book that contained the spell
for restoring souls. She had no idea how it had gotten there. She hadn’t
see it since she had needed to restore Angel’s soul when he had reverted
to Angelus. It was like it was meant to be.
"When she wakes, and that’s what she wants, than...I will," Angel
said, a tear once again slipping down his cheek. He didn’t know if he
could do it.
"I’m sorry, Angel, but that might be what she wants," Willow said
sympathetically into the phone. She knew he would be hurting the most
out of all of them. He had loved her and they weren’t allowed to be
together. Theirs was a forbidden love.
When Willow didn’t hear him answer, she changed the subject. "Where
is she now?"
"I chained her to my bed. She won’t wake up during the day so maybe
you could do it then? But, then again, she is the Slayer, who knows when
she will wake up," Angel explained to her, hoping she could come tonight
but not voicing his opinion.
"Actually, would it be okay if I came tonight? I just want to be
there when she wakes up," Willow asked, sitting back up with the book in
her lap, one hand on it, on hand holding the cordless.
"That would be even better if you could," Angel replied, relief in
his tone. He wanted to get this done.
"Is it okay if I bring the gang?" Willow asked.
"I’m sure that’d be okay, they would probably want to be there too,"
Angel replied.
"Okay, we’ll be there in a few hours," Willow said, her sorrow still
running deep, praying that this would work.
"Bye." She hung up the phone and dialed Giles’ number.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part 5
Willow sat with Tara, they were holding hands and Cordelia was once
again Herb Girl. She was circling them, weaving the herb stick about, a
smoke coming from the tip. The Orb of Thesulah sat in a cushion in the
middle of the circle, while Angel sat beside Buffy’s bed, holding her
hand. The rest of the gang and crew sat in the living room in the hotel
that Angel was renting out. Giles walked around the circle, trying to
calm himself down, the book wide open in his hands.
Xander and Anya sat in the living room, tear stains on Xander’s face.
Anya was laying her head on Xander’s shoulder, a sad look on her face.
Xander’s cheek rested on Anya’s head. Gunn sat on the opposite couch and
Wesley sat in his wheelchair next to the loveseat Gunn was in, staring
straight ahead. Spike, who had been in the Magic Shop when they had
heard, had his head in his hands and his eyes were closed. He sat in the
chair on either side of the couches and loveseat.
Back in the room, Willow was repeating the words that the Romani
tribe had said when Angelus had killed their favored gypsy daughter.
Tara was sitting next to her, concentrating on giving Willow some of her
power. Giles was saying some words in Latin and Cordelia was waving the
herb stick around. Angel sat next to his bed, Buffy’s pale and cold hand
in his own. She looked so helpless and...dead. He bowed his head down
and waited.
After five more minutes, the spell was done. Everyone in the room
looked towards Buffy, but nothing happened.
One Day Later
Buffy awoke, her eyes glazed. She looked around her. She had no idea
where she was. All that was going through her mind was the hunger. When
Angel looked at her, her eyes were glazed over, her hair a mess, and she
was in vamp face. He knew what she wanted. Buffy looked at Angel,
something in the back of her head told her she should recognize him, but
she couldn’t work it out. She needed something, but she didn’t know
what.
Angel uncuffed her arms and handed her a glass. Before Buffy took it,
the smell of the liquid inside made her senses go crazy. Buffy took the
glass and drank greedily, pouring it all down her throat. As she drank,
she felt her mind clear and the liquid go down her throat into her
stomach where it rushed to her limbs. She felt herself grow stronger
with every swallow.
After she was finished, she looked into the cup, than at Angel. "I
just drank blood, didn’t I?" she asked, looking at Angel with
yellow-eyed confusion. All she remembered was a vampire drinking from
her and it hurting like hell. She thought she had died. But instead, she
was sitting here, chained to a bed, and Angel was sitting next to her.
"Yes, but it’s not human blood. It’s pig blood, the kind that I
drink," Angel explained, afraid to look into Buffy’s eyes. He hoped that
Buffy wouldn’t hate him and in the process, not want him to kill her.
"What happened?" Buffy asked in disbelief, feeling her face. Her
fingers ran down the bulge in her head, the mouth, and the fangs. She
forced it to change to its human side. When she tried to sit up, she
realized her legs were still restrained to the bed. She looked at Angel
and before she could say anything, he reached down and unhooked her
legs.
She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and staring at the floor.
She was a vampire, the one thing she loathed most in the world.
"I’m sorry," Angel said, bowing his head down, his eyes closed. "I
should never have told Willow to perform that spell. But, I didn’t want
to loose you after all that had been made right for us."
Buffy closed her eyes and a tear slid down her cheek. She knew she
would have done the same thing if he had been killed by a vampire. She
opened her eyes and looked back at Angel, who had his head in his hands,
his eyes were closed tightly.
Buffy reached out and took his face into her hands, his eyes opening.
When Angel looked into her eyes, instead of hate and fear in them, he
found lust, love, and trust. "It’s not your fault, Angel," Buffy said,
"I would have done the very same thing for you."
A tear slid down his cheek as he took her in his arms and buried his
face in her blonde hair, reveling in the softness. Buffy held him, soft
tears cascading down her face. She fit her face into his neck, wetting
his shirt.
"God, Buffy, I love you so much," Angel said silently into her ear,
hugging her tighter.
"I love you, too, my Angel," Buffy replied, pulling her head back to
look into his eyes. Then, Angel leaned forward slightly, kissing her
softly, and something inside of him clicked. His soul was permanent.
They could make love freely.
Angel soon turned the soft kiss into a passionate kiss, their tongues
doing what they both wanted their lower bodies to be doing. Buffy pulled
Angel down onto the bed, his hands tangled in her hair, her hands
roaming his body. This felt so right, and they both knew this was where
they were meant to be. This was home.
They stayed that way for the rest of the night, and made love as they
were meant to. Both reveling in the comfort and love they felt for each
other.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Epilogue
Forty Years Later
A tear ran down Buffy’s face as she read the headstone again.
Rupert Giles
April 19th
1959-2041
Beloved Watcher and Friend
Loved by all
Angel stood next to Buffy, his arms wrapped around her waist, her
head resting on his chest. Both of their eyes rested on the front of the
headstone, reading the contents of it. The rest of the gang had come
earlier, at a time where neither Buffy or Angel could come out. The gang
had flown in from other states and cities where they know lived.
"I love you Giles, I’ll take care of them...all of them," Buffy said,
another tear running down her face. Rupert Giles had died two days ago
and the memorial service had been today.
"I’m so sorry. I should have been there when you died. But...I
wasn’t," Buffy said, the tears cascading down her face in small rivers.
Angel held her head, his own pain evident too. Giles had accepted
him, even after all he had done and what he had done to him. Angel set
his cheek atop of Buffy’s head. The thought of losing her the same way
scared him and he hoped that never happened. Even though she was a
vampire, she could still die.
"Good-bye Giles. You were always my real father...I love you," Buffy
said, kissing the tips of her fingers, then laying them on top of Giles’
name.
Buffy and Angel, the two vampires in all the world to have souls,
walked out of the graveyard, wrapped up in each other’s arms, down the
street to their home, where they lived with each other for the rest of
eternity.