Chapter 1 - The Beginning of A Lifetime
"She...she, what?" Cordelia asked disbelievingly, as Willow began to cry in Angel's arms. The shock that filled her body was unbelievable. It felt so weird to hear that Buffy Summers was dead. She didn't believe it at first. None of it seemed possible. Summers couldn't die. She was needed. She was the Slayer.
Cordelia turned around, with her hand over her opened mouth, and made her way into Wesley's arms. Wesley, who also had a look of shock on his face, just held her tightly as he watched Angel closely. The Slayer was dead. And that meant one thing. Someone else was going to be called.
Fred and Gunn stood off to the side, lost in the scene that was taking place before their eyes. They didn't really know Buffy. Well, Fred didn't. Gunn had heard the others talk or make reference about her before, but he didn't know her personally. He still felt for his friends, as thoughts of his own sister's death plagued his mind, and his heart. Fred watched Angel's eyes. She had never seen eyes so full of mystery and emptiness before. But in that moment, as he slowly caressed Willow's soft, red hair, she could have sworn she saw the passion of life reflect from his eyes. Soon, a small tear escaped the corner of the vampire's eye, and Fred looked away quickly, pretending not to see it.
Cordelia stared blankly past Wesley's shoulder, as he also caressed her hair, trying to comfort her. Buffy's voice rang through her head as she blinked, and a tear escaped her right eye, and traveled slowly down her rosy cheek. The major Bitca that was somewhat responsible for the better person she was today was actually...deceased. She didn't want to say ~ dead. It sounded so vampirish, and evil. No, Buffy Summer's was deceased.
"She, she died closing the portal, and Dawn, she saved Dawn. She...saved..." Willow, said, suddenly trailing off, before more tears escaped her eyes. Angel continued to hold her closely, until Willow seemingly let go, and sat once again on the red couch against the wall, rocking slowly back and forth, while cradling herself. Angel, turned to Cordelia and Wesley, with red eyes, and quickly pushed past them. Cordelia tried to stop Angel, but she knew that there was nothing at this point in time that could hold him back from doing what he wanted to do. She turned over to Willow, and moved over to the couch and sat next to her. At first, silence prevailed, with the exception of Willow's sniffs as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Then, as Cordelia looked over to her, the words just came out like a smooth liquid. "I'm so...so sorry Willow. I know how much she meant to you." Willow wiped away another tear, and then tilted her head over to Cordelia. She spoke no words, but the ghost of a smile showing her gratitude for Cordelia's concern danced across Willow's face before she looked away again.
The loud sound of a growl filled the room, and caught everyone's attention suddenly. Cordelia looked towards the door that led to the back office, but she didn't move. Another loud roar came again, but this one was different. It wasn't of anger or passion. It was a deep and sorrowful moan into the oblivion from one lost soul to another. An additional tear ran down Cordelia's face, as she stared blankly into the darkness of the opened door that led into Angel's office. He was taking it harder than she expected. But Buffy Summers was the love of his...undead life.
"She...she, what?" Cordelia asked disbelievingly, as Willow began to cry in Angel's arms. The shock that filled her body was unbelievable. It felt so weird to hear that Buffy Summers was dead. She didn't believe it at first. None of it seemed possible. Summers couldn't die. She was needed. She was the Slayer.
Cordelia turned around, with her hand over her opened mouth, and made her way into Wesley's arms. Wesley, who also had a look of shock on his face, just held her tightly as he watched Angel closely. The Slayer was dead. And that meant one thing. Someone else was going to be called.
Fred and Gunn stood off to the side, lost in the scene that was taking place before their eyes. They didn't really know Buffy. Well, Fred didn't. Gunn had heard the others talk or make reference about her before, but he didn't know her personally. He still felt for his friends, as thoughts of his own sister's death plagued his mind, and his heart. Fred watched Angel's eyes. She had never seen eyes so full of mystery and emptiness before. But in that moment, as he slowly caressed Willow's soft, red hair, she could have sworn she saw the passion of life reflect from his eyes. Soon, a small tear escaped the corner of the vampire's eye, and Fred looked away quickly, pretending not to see it.
Cordelia stared blankly past Wesley's shoulder, as he also caressed her hair, trying to comfort her. Buffy's voice rang through her head as she blinked, and a tear escaped her right eye, and traveled slowly down her rosy cheek. The major Bitca that was somewhat responsible for the better person she was today was actually...deceased. She didn't want to say ~ dead. It sounded so vampirish, and evil. No, Buffy Summer's was deceased.
"She, she died closing the portal, and Dawn, she saved Dawn. She...saved..." Willow, said, suddenly trailing off, before more tears escaped her eyes. Angel continued to hold her closely, until Willow seemingly let go, and sat once again on the red couch against the wall, rocking slowly back and forth, while cradling herself. Angel, turned to Cordelia and Wesley, with red eyes, and quickly pushed past them. Cordelia tried to stop Angel, but she knew that there was nothing at this point in time that could hold him back from doing what he wanted to do. She turned over to Willow, and moved over to the couch and sat next to her. At first, silence prevailed, with the exception of Willow's sniffs as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Then, as Cordelia looked over to her, the words just came out like a smooth liquid. "I'm so...so sorry Willow. I know how much she meant to you." Willow wiped away another tear, and then tilted her head over to Cordelia. She spoke no words, but the ghost of a smile showing her gratitude for Cordelia's concern danced across Willow's face before she looked away again.
The loud sound of a growl filled the room, and caught everyone's attention suddenly. Cordelia looked towards the door that led to the back office, but she didn't move. Another loud roar came again, but this one was different. It wasn't of anger or passion. It was a deep and sorrowful moan into the oblivion from one lost soul to another. An additional tear ran down Cordelia's face, as she stared blankly into the darkness of the opened door that led into Angel's office. He was taking it harder than she expected. But Buffy Summers was the love of his...undead life.