Los Angeles
It was finally over.
The fight with the Senior Partner was finished.
Angel was beyond exhausted. He looked at the mess around him. Dead demon bodies lay everywhere. Skulls and arms lay askew, in different angles. Angel held his ax tightly. There wasn't anymore need, but you never knew. He started walking trying to find Gunn's body. He had died not long after they had commenced the war. He had hid his body as soon as he had a short break in the fight which was not much. Spike had covered him and that had helped as well. Spike had also gone down fighting. Angel had tried to get to him, despite whatever anger or hatred he had felt for the blond vampire before. His last words were for him to get to Buffy before it was too late. Angel had been momentarily confused by this sudden remark and before he had a chance to respond he was dusted. Angel had kept on fighting. Illyria had somehow survived through the whole ordeal right to the end, until one of them got to her. If Angel knew any better she was almost smiling right before she died. He would like to think that the former demon god had found some measure of peace even if she was pure evil. Her time with Wesley had changed her and hoped it was for the better.
Wesley was another story. He would have to go find his body too. Hopefully Illyria hadn't moved it. As soon as he found Gunn's he would look for his. Angel mourned for him as well. Wesley had been pretty messed up for a while since Fred's death and watching over Illyria had not made it any easier. Not to mention dealing with her parents too. He would have to explain to them as well, when he was finished here.
He finally found Gunn's body's hiding place and put on his shoulder for him to carry. He made his way to the hotel. The only place left for him to go too. He would stay there while the smoke cleared up a bit and then look for Buffy. Spike had really scared him and not to mention confuse him with his last words. He was pretty sure that something as big as this would not have fallen on deaf ears in Europe. Somebody had to find out about the apocalypse they just fought.
He got the hotel and went inside. He placed Gunn's body in a spare room and made his way outside again to look for Wesley's body. He would have to re-trace his steps in order to see where he might have last been. He made his way outside to the eerily calm Los Angeles night. Most of the city had evacuated. They must have felt them come. Who wouldn't? Even humans could detect something amiss even if the majority were completely clueless. The streets were deserted and not a soul was to be seen or heard. He finally got to the demon Wesley was to care of home. He found Wesley stone still on the ground with a pool of blood around him and felt a pang. As much as he tried to hope they would all survive, he knew that some of them, maybe all of them would not make it.
As he crouched down to pick up the body, he felt a sharp pain on his side. As he felt for the wound the source of it being inflicted stabbed him once again in the heart. Angel let out a cry of pain and fell into unconsciousness.
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Italy
Buffy woke with a start.
She had felt the most excruciating pain. She was sweating and her breathing came in short gasps. This pain she had only felt a few times before and they all had to do with Angel. She felt weird at having to think about him now when she hadn't in a long time. The last time she could remember was when she saw him in Sunnydale, right before her battle with the First. She pulled off her covers and made her way to the kitchen as soon as she knew her breathing was controlled. She got herself a glass of water and drank it all in a single gulp.
She made up her mind and went back to bed. It was 3 in the morning and she had stuff to do in the next day for her to miss her sleep and be one cranky slayer. Willow was coming back from a trip in Africa and she had agreed to pick her up at the airport. Buffy felt a little comforted at the fact that her best friends was coming back and staying at her place for a while. She had kicked out Andrew a while back because the twit was seriously getting on her nerves. He hadn't had much trouble finding somewhere else, I mean he did have like two girlfriends to give him a place to for him to annoy and sleaze around. Plus, if she felt the need she would talk to Willow about her surprise pain filled sleep. She was sure it was nothing, but stuff like this wasn't to be taken lightly even if she did think it was nothing. The part that was still confusing was the part where this pain she had only felt a few times before when Angel was still in her life.
The first time was when she had found out Angel had lost his soul. She remembered crying herself to sleep. Realizing that she may never have her soul mate ever again. The second was when she knew she had to kill the love of her life to save the world. Knowing he was going to plunge the world into hell meant she had to do something. The price she had to pay was one she vowed never to pay again. She lost more than she thought she would. When all seemed lost and that there couldn't possibly be something else to lose, she lost him. Angel. The one man, and yes man not vampire, that had ever understood her and loved unconditionally. A man who would die for her like she would for him. A man who gave himself to her and that she welcomed. A man who was still pretty lodged in her heart despite their distance and difference they shared since he moved to LA.
Buffy didn't even have time to think about all the ways she had felt pain because she had drifted off to sleep. A slumber where she was about to find out about something that will change her life and set her on course of her true destiny: Angel.