Buffy parked her car, and hopped out. She looked toward the west, admiring the beautiful colors of the
sunset. Suddenly, she felt pulled, as though to a magnet deeper in the woods. Buffy smiled, she had no idea what
she was happy about, or what she was going to see, but she knew it was important that she was there. With renewed
energy, the Slayer walked into the shadowy forest, following a gravel trail.
Angel pulled up in the parking lot, noticing Buffy's car already parked. He got out of the borrowed car,
and looked at the trail leading into the woods. Angel knew that Buffy had followed the trail, because of the
connection they shared. Vividly, he remembered the book, the one about Slayers and vampires.
"When connected, the vampire will not be able to harm his other half. The one more dependant on the
other will be controlled by the more dominant counterpart."
Angel knew he had summoned Buffy. 'This will end badly for one of us.' Angel thought to himself.
Lately, the only thing he could think about was Buffy. He'd been seeing her everywhere, in dreams, while awake,
he'd even mistaken some women walking down the street for the blonde girl. He'd come back to Sunnydale knowing
about the connection, and exactly what it meant.
Angel smiled, enjoying the warmth of the sun. He'd almost forgotten the feeling. Energized, he strode
into the woods after Buffy.
Buffy's eyes returned to normal as she tromped along the stony path. She suddenly realized she was in
the woods, and it was getting darker. Footsteps crunched behind her. She whirled around, and seeing nothing,
began to turn around. Fear clutched at her heart, and she saw something black moving through the trees. Buffy
turned back around, and ran off of the trail into the dark forest. 'My dream is coming true. But it can't! Angel is in
LA!' Buffy told herself as she jumped over a log in her path. She heard the footsteps still following her; they
increased in speed. Buffy did, too. Her breathing grew shallower, and she ran faster, trying to throw whatever was
following her off.
'What is she so afraid of? She must know it's me.' Angel ran after Buffy, knowing she'd eventually tire
and have to stop. Vampires could easily run longer than Slayers. He jumped easily over the log, and dodged the
trees Buffy darted around.
Buffy saw a branch, but couldn't stop. She screamed uselessly, and tripped, flying over the forest floor,
and landing with a thud. Shaking from fear and exhaust, she pulled herself to her knees. 'Damn it, I love these
jeans.' She thought weakly. Gathering all her courage, she stood and very slowly, shook the leaves and twigs from
her clothes.
Angel stopped in the clearing. He'd seen Buffy fall, and pick herself up. Before he could reach her, she
dashed off again, and he ran twice as fast, grabbing her shoulder. Now off-balance, Buffy fell again. Angel helped
her up, and she turned, slowly. The sun peeked through the trees, and shone on the vampire dressed impeccably, as
always. "A-angel?" Buffy stuttered, and her voice slightly cracked.
"What are you doing? Why haven't you melted?" She tried to sound strong, like she didn't care. Buffy
failed miserably.
Angel handed Buffy a page torn from a copy of the book lying on her desk. It contained the passage
about the connection a vampire and Slayer shared. She looked up, and handed the page back to him.
'I wish I could just die. I can't handle this anymore.' Buffy looked up into his dark eyes. She felt like
crying. 'I can't stand being near him and not being with him…'
"We share the connection."
"Okay. That's enough. I'm going home. Enjoy your life, Angel. I just wish I could, too." Buffy started to
walk out of the clearing.
Angel looked confused. "I thought…" Buffy squinted at his hand. He still wore the claddagh ring, and
she gasped quietly, trying not to be obvious.
"But you, you tried to kill me. I thought you wanted me dead. I wanted you dead! Everything went wrong,
and you left. And I-"
"Shhh." Angel put his hand over Buffy's mouth.
"I'm back. I promise." Buffy's heart thundered in her chest. She was so scared of him, of her feelings for
the darkly handsome vampire.
"How can I be sure?" Buffy whispered when he had let her go.
Angel smiled lightly. "I thought you'd never ask." He pulled Buffy close to him, and before Buffy could
pull away, he kissed her, softly at first, then as the kiss grew, he broke away.
"Ok. I'm convinced." Buffy muttered.
"So you'll never go back to being Angelus again? What do you eat?" Buffy and Angel walked back to
the trail and their cars.
"Unless you die. Then, I go back to what I was. I still drink…it. Does that scare you?" Buffy slid her
hand into his.
"A little. But I got used to it before. I can adjust. I'm so glad you're back. You don't know how much I
missed you."
"Even before the bond was formed, after I was evil again, I used to watch you. That's why I left. I couldn't
live with you, and I couldn't live without you." The pair approached their cars. Angel walked over to his, but stopped
before getting in. "Where are we going?"
"Do you still own that apartment?"
"Yes." Angel wasn't sure where Buffy was going with this, but he was ready to go along.
"Let's go." Buffy smiled at Angel. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you before, Angel. Now I
just want to be with you. I don't care about anything else, and I'm not going to worry about how long this is going
to last." Buffy pulled out a thin silver chain from around her neck that was inside her shirt.
"When you turned back, I knew I had to get over you. I didn't want to take this off forever, so I
improvised." The small silver claddagh ring hung from the chain. She unclasped the necklace, and pocketed the
chain. Buffy slid the ring back onto her finger, with the heart pointed in.
Angel and Buffy kissed one last time, and got into their cars.
Buffy spent the night with Angel. The next morning, the phone rang. Angel answered it. "Hello?"
"Who knows you're here?" Buffy mouthed to him.
Angel shrugged. "Yes, she's here. Just a moment." Angel covered the mouthpiece.
"It's Giles. He wants to talk to you." Angel handed Buffy the phone.
"Hi Giles." Buffy's brow creased.
"But he came back for me. We're going to work-" Buffy looked mad.
"Fine. I'll be right there." She scowled, and it marred her beautiful face, Angel noted lightly.
"What's wrong?" He took her hand and kissed it, and she smiled again.
"Giles. He said he had urgent news, and couldn't wait to tell me. I have to talk to him." Buffy sighed. A
Slayer's work was never done.
"I have to go back soon, too." Buffy pulled her hand away slowly.
"I know. I'm trying not to think about it. Tell me again why you can't stay here. You could help me…"
She trailed off, knowing the answer, but hoping for a different, brighter one.
"It's hard. I hate being away from you, but it has to be this way. Until-"
"Yeah." Buffy sighed again, a deep sigh full of regret.
Buffy pulled the sheets around her, and smiled at Angel. "Can I use your shower? I'll be right out."
Angel nodded. "Go ahead." Buffy gathered her clothes and shut the door behind her.
The vampire slid out of bed and put on his clothes. He headed for the door, but thinking again, he wrote a
quick note and threw it onto the pillow. Silently, he left the apartment.
Buffy toweled her hair and opened the door to the steamy bathroom. "Angel?" She looked around the
room. Buffy peeked into the kitchen. Coming back into the bedroom, she noticed the note lying on the pillow.
"Buffy-
It would be too hard to say goodbye again. I'm leaving for LA again. I'm needed there, and you're needed here.
Someday, when our time is right, we'll be re-united. Until then, I'll always be,
Your Angel.
P.S. I love you.
Buffy dropped the towel, and fell onto the bed, stomach down. For the second time in her life, she cried
her loss into the pillows, and tried to cry away the pain of losing her Angel, her life, once again.
THE END? Bwahahaha! ;)
sunset. Suddenly, she felt pulled, as though to a magnet deeper in the woods. Buffy smiled, she had no idea what
she was happy about, or what she was going to see, but she knew it was important that she was there. With renewed
energy, the Slayer walked into the shadowy forest, following a gravel trail.
Angel pulled up in the parking lot, noticing Buffy's car already parked. He got out of the borrowed car,
and looked at the trail leading into the woods. Angel knew that Buffy had followed the trail, because of the
connection they shared. Vividly, he remembered the book, the one about Slayers and vampires.
"When connected, the vampire will not be able to harm his other half. The one more dependant on the
other will be controlled by the more dominant counterpart."
Angel knew he had summoned Buffy. 'This will end badly for one of us.' Angel thought to himself.
Lately, the only thing he could think about was Buffy. He'd been seeing her everywhere, in dreams, while awake,
he'd even mistaken some women walking down the street for the blonde girl. He'd come back to Sunnydale knowing
about the connection, and exactly what it meant.
Angel smiled, enjoying the warmth of the sun. He'd almost forgotten the feeling. Energized, he strode
into the woods after Buffy.
Buffy's eyes returned to normal as she tromped along the stony path. She suddenly realized she was in
the woods, and it was getting darker. Footsteps crunched behind her. She whirled around, and seeing nothing,
began to turn around. Fear clutched at her heart, and she saw something black moving through the trees. Buffy
turned back around, and ran off of the trail into the dark forest. 'My dream is coming true. But it can't! Angel is in
LA!' Buffy told herself as she jumped over a log in her path. She heard the footsteps still following her; they
increased in speed. Buffy did, too. Her breathing grew shallower, and she ran faster, trying to throw whatever was
following her off.
'What is she so afraid of? She must know it's me.' Angel ran after Buffy, knowing she'd eventually tire
and have to stop. Vampires could easily run longer than Slayers. He jumped easily over the log, and dodged the
trees Buffy darted around.
Buffy saw a branch, but couldn't stop. She screamed uselessly, and tripped, flying over the forest floor,
and landing with a thud. Shaking from fear and exhaust, she pulled herself to her knees. 'Damn it, I love these
jeans.' She thought weakly. Gathering all her courage, she stood and very slowly, shook the leaves and twigs from
her clothes.
Angel stopped in the clearing. He'd seen Buffy fall, and pick herself up. Before he could reach her, she
dashed off again, and he ran twice as fast, grabbing her shoulder. Now off-balance, Buffy fell again. Angel helped
her up, and she turned, slowly. The sun peeked through the trees, and shone on the vampire dressed impeccably, as
always. "A-angel?" Buffy stuttered, and her voice slightly cracked.
"What are you doing? Why haven't you melted?" She tried to sound strong, like she didn't care. Buffy
failed miserably.
Angel handed Buffy a page torn from a copy of the book lying on her desk. It contained the passage
about the connection a vampire and Slayer shared. She looked up, and handed the page back to him.
'I wish I could just die. I can't handle this anymore.' Buffy looked up into his dark eyes. She felt like
crying. 'I can't stand being near him and not being with him…'
"We share the connection."
"Okay. That's enough. I'm going home. Enjoy your life, Angel. I just wish I could, too." Buffy started to
walk out of the clearing.
Angel looked confused. "I thought…" Buffy squinted at his hand. He still wore the claddagh ring, and
she gasped quietly, trying not to be obvious.
"But you, you tried to kill me. I thought you wanted me dead. I wanted you dead! Everything went wrong,
and you left. And I-"
"Shhh." Angel put his hand over Buffy's mouth.
"I'm back. I promise." Buffy's heart thundered in her chest. She was so scared of him, of her feelings for
the darkly handsome vampire.
"How can I be sure?" Buffy whispered when he had let her go.
Angel smiled lightly. "I thought you'd never ask." He pulled Buffy close to him, and before Buffy could
pull away, he kissed her, softly at first, then as the kiss grew, he broke away.
"Ok. I'm convinced." Buffy muttered.
"So you'll never go back to being Angelus again? What do you eat?" Buffy and Angel walked back to
the trail and their cars.
"Unless you die. Then, I go back to what I was. I still drink…it. Does that scare you?" Buffy slid her
hand into his.
"A little. But I got used to it before. I can adjust. I'm so glad you're back. You don't know how much I
missed you."
"Even before the bond was formed, after I was evil again, I used to watch you. That's why I left. I couldn't
live with you, and I couldn't live without you." The pair approached their cars. Angel walked over to his, but stopped
before getting in. "Where are we going?"
"Do you still own that apartment?"
"Yes." Angel wasn't sure where Buffy was going with this, but he was ready to go along.
"Let's go." Buffy smiled at Angel. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you before, Angel. Now I
just want to be with you. I don't care about anything else, and I'm not going to worry about how long this is going
to last." Buffy pulled out a thin silver chain from around her neck that was inside her shirt.
"When you turned back, I knew I had to get over you. I didn't want to take this off forever, so I
improvised." The small silver claddagh ring hung from the chain. She unclasped the necklace, and pocketed the
chain. Buffy slid the ring back onto her finger, with the heart pointed in.
Angel and Buffy kissed one last time, and got into their cars.
Buffy spent the night with Angel. The next morning, the phone rang. Angel answered it. "Hello?"
"Who knows you're here?" Buffy mouthed to him.
Angel shrugged. "Yes, she's here. Just a moment." Angel covered the mouthpiece.
"It's Giles. He wants to talk to you." Angel handed Buffy the phone.
"Hi Giles." Buffy's brow creased.
"But he came back for me. We're going to work-" Buffy looked mad.
"Fine. I'll be right there." She scowled, and it marred her beautiful face, Angel noted lightly.
"What's wrong?" He took her hand and kissed it, and she smiled again.
"Giles. He said he had urgent news, and couldn't wait to tell me. I have to talk to him." Buffy sighed. A
Slayer's work was never done.
"I have to go back soon, too." Buffy pulled her hand away slowly.
"I know. I'm trying not to think about it. Tell me again why you can't stay here. You could help me…"
She trailed off, knowing the answer, but hoping for a different, brighter one.
"It's hard. I hate being away from you, but it has to be this way. Until-"
"Yeah." Buffy sighed again, a deep sigh full of regret.
Buffy pulled the sheets around her, and smiled at Angel. "Can I use your shower? I'll be right out."
Angel nodded. "Go ahead." Buffy gathered her clothes and shut the door behind her.
The vampire slid out of bed and put on his clothes. He headed for the door, but thinking again, he wrote a
quick note and threw it onto the pillow. Silently, he left the apartment.
Buffy toweled her hair and opened the door to the steamy bathroom. "Angel?" She looked around the
room. Buffy peeked into the kitchen. Coming back into the bedroom, she noticed the note lying on the pillow.
"Buffy-
It would be too hard to say goodbye again. I'm leaving for LA again. I'm needed there, and you're needed here.
Someday, when our time is right, we'll be re-united. Until then, I'll always be,
Your Angel.
P.S. I love you.
Buffy dropped the towel, and fell onto the bed, stomach down. For the second time in her life, she cried
her loss into the pillows, and tried to cry away the pain of losing her Angel, her life, once again.
THE END? Bwahahaha! ;)