Part 4
He pulled her into his arms, "It's me baby." She pushed him from her easily, and screamed, "Get away from me! You're not him! My Angel is dead! I couldn't protect him and he died! I loved him, you're not him!" Spike stood up, along with a heartbroken Angel.
"Angel? Is it you?" Spike asked, keeping distance between them. "Yes, Spike. It's me." Spike's lip quivered in bewilderment, "Bu--But how?" "It's part of my curse," Angel said, eyes never lifting from the shaking Slayer whom stared blankly at the building across the street, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I have will live for 24 hours after I was staked. I have to live with the fact that I will die. More of my punishment..."
Buffy shook her head, coming back to them, "It *can't* be you..." He crouched down next to his love, "It's me..." he whispered running his fingers through her hair.
Her chin and head both shook, "I--I..." she flew into his arms, "Oh my God, I thought I'd lost you for sure! I was so busy killing the vamp that hurt you I didn't even look to make sure he'd got you in the heart! I just assumed... Oh my gosh I'm so glad you are okay. You scared me!"
She hadn't been listening to his conversation with Spike, her mind had been in so many different places, she hadn't hear a word he had said.
Angel swallowed hard, "Buffy... I... I'm not going to be okay." Buffy had been smiling, but when she pulled away it slowly turned into a frown, "Wha--What do you mean?" Angel looked away from her, and then to Spike.
He nodded, and came over to the two. He took Buffy out of Angel's arms and made her look him in the eyes. He gently stroked her face, "He's not going to be all right, love. He's only got 24 hours... It's another part of his curse... He's going to die."
Buffy's thin frame shook, and she covered her ears, "NO, NO, NO! He's going to be fine!!" She stood up and her hands went out to the side of her preventing either of them from coming to her. Her arms, and every other part of her body was shivering, and shaking uncontrollably.
"The stake missed his heart! He's not going to die!" she screamed at them both. Angel shook his head, with tears running down his cheeks, "It did Buffy, look." He pulled his dirty, ripped shirt over his head. Angel pointed at the not quite yet healed hole right above his heart.
Buffy's eyes squeezed shut, and tears pored out. They popped back open, and Angel tried to come to her, to comfort her. But she put her arms out in front of her and backed away. "No..." she whispered, barely audible.
She didn't notice as Spike came up behind her and put his arms around her, spinning her to him. She struggled at first, pounding his chest with her fists. But all the while she cried, and finally collapsed onto him, and he picked her up.
Spike nudged his head in the direction of the sign that said, "Crawford St.". Angel nodded silently and followed Spike, Buffy in his arms, to the Mansion.
He pulled her into his arms, "It's me baby." She pushed him from her easily, and screamed, "Get away from me! You're not him! My Angel is dead! I couldn't protect him and he died! I loved him, you're not him!" Spike stood up, along with a heartbroken Angel.
"Angel? Is it you?" Spike asked, keeping distance between them. "Yes, Spike. It's me." Spike's lip quivered in bewilderment, "Bu--But how?" "It's part of my curse," Angel said, eyes never lifting from the shaking Slayer whom stared blankly at the building across the street, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I have will live for 24 hours after I was staked. I have to live with the fact that I will die. More of my punishment..."
Buffy shook her head, coming back to them, "It *can't* be you..." He crouched down next to his love, "It's me..." he whispered running his fingers through her hair.
Her chin and head both shook, "I--I..." she flew into his arms, "Oh my God, I thought I'd lost you for sure! I was so busy killing the vamp that hurt you I didn't even look to make sure he'd got you in the heart! I just assumed... Oh my gosh I'm so glad you are okay. You scared me!"
She hadn't been listening to his conversation with Spike, her mind had been in so many different places, she hadn't hear a word he had said.
Angel swallowed hard, "Buffy... I... I'm not going to be okay." Buffy had been smiling, but when she pulled away it slowly turned into a frown, "Wha--What do you mean?" Angel looked away from her, and then to Spike.
He nodded, and came over to the two. He took Buffy out of Angel's arms and made her look him in the eyes. He gently stroked her face, "He's not going to be all right, love. He's only got 24 hours... It's another part of his curse... He's going to die."
Buffy's thin frame shook, and she covered her ears, "NO, NO, NO! He's going to be fine!!" She stood up and her hands went out to the side of her preventing either of them from coming to her. Her arms, and every other part of her body was shivering, and shaking uncontrollably.
"The stake missed his heart! He's not going to die!" she screamed at them both. Angel shook his head, with tears running down his cheeks, "It did Buffy, look." He pulled his dirty, ripped shirt over his head. Angel pointed at the not quite yet healed hole right above his heart.
Buffy's eyes squeezed shut, and tears pored out. They popped back open, and Angel tried to come to her, to comfort her. But she put her arms out in front of her and backed away. "No..." she whispered, barely audible.
She didn't notice as Spike came up behind her and put his arms around her, spinning her to him. She struggled at first, pounding his chest with her fists. But all the while she cried, and finally collapsed onto him, and he picked her up.
Spike nudged his head in the direction of the sign that said, "Crawford St.". Angel nodded silently and followed Spike, Buffy in his arms, to the Mansion.