Title: Leave Me Forever
TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author: Beloved Slayer
Rating: T
Summary: At the tender age of five, before knowing about her future destiny, Buffy loses the only savior and protector that she's come to know and love. One shot.
Author's Notes: Just a sweet little one shot story that takes place years before Buffy moved to Sunnydale. In this story, she grew up to be an orphan, only to be discovered and raised by Angel after when he had been cursed with a soul. About the soul mate principle that's mentioned in this chapter, I first read of it in L.J. Smith's Night World series. Supernatural creatures of all kind would inexplicably find soul mates, their one true love, in humans, even when some of them were only about five or six years old. All feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated and encouraged. Lyrics are from the song As the World Falls Down by David Bowie that's featured in the Labyrinth soundtrack. I don't own any of the Buffy characters of course, and to point out: I've already starting writing chapter seven for Night's Child, so it will be posted this week. Enjoy!
Chapter One
She was confused; everything was blurry and much too difficult to understand, especially at a age where she could barely process any clear concept thought or matter.
Why were the grown ups crying? Why did they not look happy? Or smiling for that matter? She wondered to herself. She could only detect that something was amiss, that something was definitely wrong, and that it had something to do with her.
Maybe something had happened to Angel. Something bad. At the thought, she widened her eyes, now filled with terror and bewilderment in the hazel irises. It couldn't be. She didn't know how to perform any prayer, but in the midst of the lack of knowledge, she hoped that somehow he was out of harm's way and that he was still alive, or resembled the latter part of appearing alive.
She knew that he wasn't human; that he didn't inhale the same oxygen as her, nor did he move the same as she did. His movements were more calculated, swift, and precise, and he didn't require to breathe. His heart was completely dead and cold, but it didn't matter to her in the least. It never did. Actions spoke louder than words.
He took care of her when others would not. He gave her what was needed the most for her: sanctuary, food, security, and most importantly, love.
There's such a sad love
Deep in your eyes
A kind of pale jewel
Open and closed
Quickly, she scurried over to the nearest adult, tugging on the hem of their flimsy skirt with impatience. "Mrs. Steinz, what's going on? Why are all the people sad? They don't look happy."
The woman in the skirt dropped to her knees, her deep setting brown eyes matching hers. "Oh, Buffy. Something happened to Angel. Something terrible…," she began, losing some of her composure.
"What kind of bad thing?"
The woman hesitated before continuing. She pulled Buffy into her lap, tucking a single strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Buffy, he's not with us anymore. He's with the angels now, sweetheart. I'm sorry."
Buffy couldn't comprehend at first, but when Mrs. Steinz mentioned angels, immediately she knew that Angel was no longer physically present with her. He was dead. Gone forever. Not by sunlight, because she knew that he wouldn't take his own life that way, but she felt sure that it was stolen by others like him. The vampires. Even at five years old, she knew that they existed in this part of California, and that most of them weren't as good and decent as Angel had been.
It wasn't a minute later when she felt the tears beginning to pool in the corner of her large almond eyes, her legs and arms kicking and thrashing against the slim body of Mrs. Steinz. "No, no, no, no, no! He can't be dead. He just can't!" she yelled, raising her voice to conceal the various morbid conversations strewn throughout the living room they were occupying.
"Buffy, it's going to be okay. Calm down." The older adult attempted to soothe her, pulling the tiny girl into her arms for comfort. Buffy wouldn't allow her to provide such comfort. Only Angel had the ability to bring a smile on her face whenever she was feeling unhappy. "Bring him back!" her voice muffled against Mrs. Steinz' shoulders. "I can't. He's gone."
"It's not gonna be okay, is it? It's just not," Buffy retorted, shaking her head, tendrils moist against her swollen cheeks.
She knew it wasn't. Not only was Angel her only fierce protector and guardian, but at a young age, she had inexplicably recognized that he would also become her soul mate when she would grow older; a strange principle that not even Angel himself, nor anyone involved with the supernatural, had understood in spite of its unexplained rise in activity in recent years.
For now, and for the rest of her upcoming life, Buffy would mourn. And mourn at what could had been.
The course of destiny would soon follow in her footsteps. But perhaps someday, she would once again see her future beloved, if the Fates should allow it.
Everything happened for a reason. Even for the future Slayer at hand.
Fin.