Letting Go
By PNS*
"Here's to the night." Buffy whispered bitterly. She felt a cold hand rest heavily on her shoulder, filling her with memories. Some good, some bad, but all pieces of her past, pieces of this place, pieces of a life that she was leaving behind. The bitterness changed in the seconds that the hand was touching her, letting the pain flow into him.
"Where will you go?" The voice shattered the silence, filled with sorrow, and worry, and a hint of hope.
"It's a big world, and I have yet to see much of it." She turned around and the hand fell softly to Spike's side. She looked for a long moment, at Willow, at Xander, at Anya, at Spike, and Dawn, who was standing beside the car piled high with stuff. It was time. They had stopped an apocalypse all by themselves while she was tied up by a demon, useless. They didn't need her help. She was sad, but proud. The day had finally come when she could be free to search for the life that had always eluded her.
"When will you be back?" Spike's lip trembled. He was never afraid to cry when he felt emotion, be it anger or sadness or ecstasy.
"When I know the history of my ancestors and the destiny in store for us." She touched his cheek, tears wetting her fingers, and he cupped her fingers with his cold hands. Stars above twinkled. There would always be a blanket of night between them. "It will only be a moment for you, useless heartbeats between clock chimes."
"I'll miss you." She moved to her friends, crestfallen and afraid. They had never known the darkness without her as their light, their guide, their Buffy.
"As Giles once told me, you will never learn to trust yourselves if I am around. You really don't need me anymore. You might miss me, but I need to go. Trust this."
"I'm sorry." Willow broke down into sobs. Guilt ridden over what she had put her best friend through, over the past few years, afraid that Buffy would never forgive her, but Buffy had forgiven her. She had forgiven the world, and was removed from it, enlightened, and at last at peace.
"Come on Buffy."
"Just a minute Dawn."
"For always." Xander pulled Buffy close to him and gave her a firm, tight squeeze and let her go. She jangled the keys in her hand.
"I'd say good luck, but we've always had it."
"Please, don't go." Spike gave one last futile attempt at keeping her in Sunnydale. She sighed at his stormy, blue eyes.
"Would you have me stay?"
"No." He looked down. "It's your turn to walk into the sunset. Or in our case, the sunrise." She gave him the most fleeting of kisses on his forehead and walked towards the car. Dawn got in and they drove off silently, wanting to, but never looking back, satisfied.
*She will be my heroine for all time. She will never fade, or grow old. Her name will be Buffy...*
By PNS*
"Here's to the night." Buffy whispered bitterly. She felt a cold hand rest heavily on her shoulder, filling her with memories. Some good, some bad, but all pieces of her past, pieces of this place, pieces of a life that she was leaving behind. The bitterness changed in the seconds that the hand was touching her, letting the pain flow into him.
"Where will you go?" The voice shattered the silence, filled with sorrow, and worry, and a hint of hope.
"It's a big world, and I have yet to see much of it." She turned around and the hand fell softly to Spike's side. She looked for a long moment, at Willow, at Xander, at Anya, at Spike, and Dawn, who was standing beside the car piled high with stuff. It was time. They had stopped an apocalypse all by themselves while she was tied up by a demon, useless. They didn't need her help. She was sad, but proud. The day had finally come when she could be free to search for the life that had always eluded her.
"When will you be back?" Spike's lip trembled. He was never afraid to cry when he felt emotion, be it anger or sadness or ecstasy.
"When I know the history of my ancestors and the destiny in store for us." She touched his cheek, tears wetting her fingers, and he cupped her fingers with his cold hands. Stars above twinkled. There would always be a blanket of night between them. "It will only be a moment for you, useless heartbeats between clock chimes."
"I'll miss you." She moved to her friends, crestfallen and afraid. They had never known the darkness without her as their light, their guide, their Buffy.
"As Giles once told me, you will never learn to trust yourselves if I am around. You really don't need me anymore. You might miss me, but I need to go. Trust this."
"I'm sorry." Willow broke down into sobs. Guilt ridden over what she had put her best friend through, over the past few years, afraid that Buffy would never forgive her, but Buffy had forgiven her. She had forgiven the world, and was removed from it, enlightened, and at last at peace.
"Come on Buffy."
"Just a minute Dawn."
"For always." Xander pulled Buffy close to him and gave her a firm, tight squeeze and let her go. She jangled the keys in her hand.
"I'd say good luck, but we've always had it."
"Please, don't go." Spike gave one last futile attempt at keeping her in Sunnydale. She sighed at his stormy, blue eyes.
"Would you have me stay?"
"No." He looked down. "It's your turn to walk into the sunset. Or in our case, the sunrise." She gave him the most fleeting of kisses on his forehead and walked towards the car. Dawn got in and they drove off silently, wanting to, but never looking back, satisfied.
*She will be my heroine for all time. She will never fade, or grow old. Her name will be Buffy...*