The End
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Title: The End
Author: Hex
Couple: Buffy/Angel Buffy/Angelus
Rating: PG for angst and major character death.
Summery: The time has come and the Scooby Gang must say goodbye to an old friend.
Note: This is severely depressing, I cried when I wrote it. Keep a tissue handy if you're the kind of person who cries at Disney films. You know who you are.
Disclaimer: None of the Buffy Characters or situations belong to me. They all belong to Joss Whendon and Mutant Enemy. I make no money from this, I just have fun.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Passion, takes place before Becoming parts One & Two but after Go Fish.
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The car pulled into the drive way and Joyce killed the engine. She glanced across at her daughter in the seat beside her. She hadn't said a word since they had left the clinic. Joyce removed the keys from the ignition and put her hand up on the steering wheel. Buffy barely even registered that the car had stopped. Joyce sighed.
"Buffy, honey, it's not the end of the world. There are methods now which can..." Buffy just shook her head and opened her car door.
"I don't want pity mom. I just want to be left alone, to think". Joyce sighed and nodded. She too slipped from the car and walked with her child up to the front door. Once inside Buffy headed straight up to her room. Joyce sighed. She hadn't even cried.
~~~~~
Once in her room Buffy locked the door and sat on the bed. She looked around at her stuff. Her bed and table, her desk and closet, it all seemed like a dream. She didn't know how she could ever face her friends. She stood and crossed to her desk. Her cross hung there, the silver one Angel had given her to protect her from the Vampires and Demons. Fat lot of good it would do her now. She felt the burning hot tears streaking her face and burning in her throat. Ever since Angel had been replaced by Angelus on her birthday Buffy had felt...different, like she knew this was coming. She felt so helpless and she really didn't like it.
With a sigh she sat at her desk and pulled a piece of paper and pen from the draw. Steeling herself she began to write.
'My Dearest friends.
I could never face you and tell you the truth. I'm so sorry for everything, for ever bringing you into my life and bringing you all so much pain.
To Willow, I am so sorry that I can't be there to graduate with you or to help you through all the hard stuff ahead. I wish I could be there, to help you, but I can't be and I am so so very sorry.
To Xander, I'll miss your jokes and your smile. I'll miss the way you could always make me laugh, no matter what and how you always tried so hard to impress us all. I'm sorry I didn't notice you or give you the praise you deserve, you're the most courageous guy I've ever met.
To Cordelia, I'm sorry we couldn't have been closer. I know you blame me for a lot of the bad stuff and for that I am truly sorry. Look after Xander for me Cor, you mean so much to him, more than you can ever know.
To Oz, I'm sorry I never got to know you but I hope you can make Willow as happy as she thinks you can. You've got passion in you Oz, let Willow know it.
To Giles, I am most deeply sorry. I'm sorry I could not kill Angel for you and I am sorry Miss. Calender had to pay the price. I'm sorry I couldn't be the Slayer you wanted me to be and I hope the next girl can serve you better. I'm sorry it had to end this way, I should have tried harder and helped more people but I was to scared to become. I don't know what. I was afraid that if I was like the other girls I would die. Pretty stupid huh?
To my Mom, I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything from the very start. I'm sorry I forced you to move and I'm sorry for all the stress I've caused you over the past three years.
I Love you mom. I love all you guys so much and I am so sorry that I failed you. I'm sorry for everyone I failed to protect because I let my emotions control me. I hope Kendra and the next Slayer do a better job than I did. I'll miss you all, I'm sorry.
Buffy'
She put the pen down and carefully folded and addressed the letter. Putting it in her draw she stood and moved to her shelf where Mr. Gordo sat, smiling down at her with his little sown on mouth. She picked him up, rubbing her hands across the worn material of his back.
Then she turned to her closet and pulled it open. Placing Mr. Gordo on the bed, Buffy selected her favourite little black dress with a silver dragon up the side. She pulled on her knee high boots pulled her hair up into a pony tail. Finally she selected her leather jacket, the one Angel had given her. She smiled as she fingered the smooth material remembering the way he had placed it across her shoulders to keep her warm. Even then she had not known the magnitude of his suffering, or of his Love.
Then she picked up her best stake, the first one she had ever carved, and slipped it up her sleeve. With one last look at her bedroom she climbed from the window and disappeared into the night.
~~~~~
She knelt on the ground, the jacket pulled tightly around her. Her fingers traced the rough outline of the words on the grave stone before her. No-one knew about this place, she had kept it a secret from her friends knowing that they wouldn't understand. She needed to see his name etched in stone, it helped her realise that he was no longer with her, helped her to gather strength.
'In loving memory of my darling Angel. We will always have our time together Angel and it will live on in me. Wait for me my Love.'
She stood but didn't turn from the stone, her eyes still watching the writing as she gathered her strength.
"I didn't think you'd come".
"How could I not? You promise me all I want, how could I not take it?" Buffy sighed and finally turned to face him. He stood a respectful distance away, his chocolate brown eyes watching her intently. She gestured to a spot by the stone.
"I want...A stone, here, beside my Angels. We can watch the sunrise from here, the way he always wanted. Will you do that for me?" He nodded. He reached his arms out for her and she went to him. He wrapped her in his embrace, holding her softly, rubbing her back gently. They stood that way for a few moments, just standing and comforting. Eventually she stepped back and removed her jacket. She tilted her neck to one side and looked him firmly in the eye.
"Please, don't let me hurt my friends. They've been through so much because of me already". He nodded again his face changing. Buffy stepped closer and he wrapped her in his arms again.
Then she felt his fangs in her neck and she sighed, relinquishing herself to him. She felt her world begin to slip away as he drew her blood into himself. He pulled back carefully as her pulse slowed and placed his cut wrist across her mouth. She felt his blood slip down her throat and she smiled. Her head rolled back and she closed her eyes. "Thank you, Angelus". He nodded and knelt on the ground, smoothing the creases from her dress. Carefully he wrapped the jacket around her shoulders as he felt her heart beat slow.
He looked up. A spectral figure stood just behind Angels gravestone. He looked at Angelus curiously. Angelus just shrugged and pulled her back into his arms. He sat back on his heels, cradling her in his lap. The spectral figure touched the stone and let out a soft sigh. Angelus watched as Buffy's soul stood from her body and turned to face the figure. It held its hand out to her and she went to him, taking his hand. Angelus watched as the spectral figures of Buffy and himself turned to look at him.
"Thank you, Angelus". She whispered, her voice quiet and soft. He nodded.
"Take care of her for me". Angel nodded taking Buffy more firmly in his grasp. Buffy looked up at him dotingly.
"I thought you'd come". Angel nodded.
"I'd travel all the world in search of you my Love". She sighed and held him close. "It's time to leave Sweetling". Buffy smiled and nodded. Then together the two turned and walked away, fading out of sight.
Angelus stood, shifting Buffy's body in his grasp. She would raise again soon and he would finally have what he had always wanted. His Buffy in his arms forever. Drusilla would be mad as hell, she would rant and rave for at least a decade but he didn't really care about her. She had never been anything more than an obsession for him, whereas Buffy was his life. She brought the sun into his life of dark and now nothing could take her from him. He looked down at Angels grave stone.
"You'll have your monument my Love. You and Angel are soul-mates,you'll be able to finally find Love together in your next lives. Angel, we both got what we wanted. You got your absolution and I finally found true Love. You brought her to me so I guess that makes us even. Sweet dreams, both of you. Goodbye". And with that he carried Buffy's cooling, limp body away.
~~~~~
Willow looked out of her bedroom window. Her hair was swept back into a tight pony tail and she wore a simple black funeral suit. She looked at the rainy sky and sighed. Angelus had left with Buffy, Spike and Drusilla a day or two ago and Vamp activity was down to a minimal. Kendra and they new Slayer, Faith, were dealing pretty well. Everyone seemed to be dealing pretty well, on the surface, but underneath they were breaking down.
Willow looked down at the crumpled note in her hand. She had found it whilst clearing out Buffy's stuff from her room. A note, apologising to them all for all her mistakes. Silently, Willow stepped out onto her rain drenched balcony and pulled a lighter from her pocket. Carefully she applied it to the well read piece of paper.
"You've nothing to apologise for Buffy. So long as you are with Angel in heaven where you belong, it is enough. I'll see you in the next life Buffy".
"Thank you Willow". Willow smiled and closed her eyes, tilting her head up to the sky. She felt a soft breeze rush over her, picking up her adrenalin levels, making her heart beat skip and leap, throwing her around on a crazy rollercoster of hormone levels and electric impulses. Then she felt cool hands brush her cheeks, wiping away her tears.
"Goodbye Willow. Do me proud". Then the rush was back, throwing her whole inner works around in the most delicious way. Willow laughed as she twirled, relishing the feeling. The rain splattering down around her as she laughed. Then the feeling began to subside and Willow calmed slightly. She smiled for the first time since Buffy's death.
"Thank you Buffy. Goodbye, my friend..."
The End?
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If People think this is good enough then maybe I'll write about Buffy's new life as a Vampire. In fact I'll probably do that anyway but it depends on feedback as to weather or not I post it. I only ever write little angst fic but I have a huge story in the works right now. Trust me, its virtually angst free! If, however, you like my angst fic then read my stories 'Nice Place to Vist but I Wouldn't Want to Live There' and 'Memories'.