DISCLAIMERS ETC IN PART 1.
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 17
Angel looked up when Buffy came down the steps. He felt his heart sinking,
knowing what he was gonna say next. He gathered all the calmed expression
and strength he could.
"Buffy, I've talked to Giles. They'll wait for you at the bus station." He said, almost casually.
She looked at him, puzzled. "Bus station?"
He sighed. "I would take you myself, but I don't think your boyfriend will appreciate that. And... and I'm not sure I could do it..." He sighed again.
"But... I don't want to go. I want to stay here." Buffy protested.
Angel looked at her, his face paler than usual. "You know you can't.
Your family needs you. The Hellmouth needs you."
"But *I* need you!" Buffy stepped towards him. "I just got you back..." Her voice was shaken.
Angel closed the distance between them and stroked her face gently.
"I know, Buffy. But nothing changed..."
"I love you. I want to be with you!" Buffy started crying.
He trailed his finger down the path of her tear. "I love you too, Buffy. This will never change.
It's not that I don't want you," He tried to explain. "If there was any way for us to be together... If the happiness clause was gone... if I were human... You know I'd *run* back to you. "
"You're not just saying that?" She sobbed.
"If I could by with *anyone*... Buffy, why would I wanna be with someone
else but you?" He reassured her.
She threw her body against his. "There must be a way... Please! Angel, please!"
He wrapped his arms around her, his hand on her hair. "Shhh, Buffy,
please understand... We both have a mission. It hurts me too, you know, to
be apart from you, and know that someone else is allowed to have what I
can't. But you deserve to have that."
"I don't care... I don't care about it!"
"You should. You deserve so much more than I can give you."
"You gave me more than anyone else ever did, Angel. I don't think I
can feel this way ever again."
Angel sighed. Her words cut him deep inside his dead heart. She was
a warrior, just like him. Ultimately, they were both cursed to be alone and
dedicate their lives to the fight against evil, to the righteous and sacred
duty they shared. She was just like him. No, she was better than him. She
deserved so much more. Why couldn't she see it.
"If you ever need me, Buffy, I'll be right by your side. I'll always
be there for you. Don't forget that." He said softly.
She nodded. "Thank you."
He leaned down and kissed each of her eyes, tasting her tears. She
raised her head to meet his lips with hers and he gave in to the soft and
gentle affection her warm lips offered.
"I understand..." She whispered and touched his face, wiping his own
tears.
"I don't want you to wait for a miracle to happen, Buffy. I don't
want you to waste your life because of me. Go back to riley, he can make you
happy."
"If there was a way... You would tell me, wouldn't you?"
"Of course... One of my fantasies is to turn human, surprise you in
the sunlight, sweep you into my arms and kiss you like there's no...
tomorrow..." His voice trailed off at the last word.
"I think you just described one of my dreams..." Buffy sighed and
brushed his shoulder gently. "It always seems so vivid."
"All we have is our dreams."
"I want more."
"Maybe one day."
She smiled bitterly, "But not today."
"Come, I'll take you to the bus station."
It was a little past sunset when Angel and Buffy reached the bus station.
Angel got out of the car. He saw Buffy was still in it.
"Buffy, come on. You'll miss the bus."
"I don't want to go." Buffy shrugged.
"Buffy, we talked about it."
She looked at him. "It seems so final."
"I've never said goodbye." He opened the car's door for her and
offered his hand.
She took his hand and got up. "Will I see you again?"
The bus arrived and passengers started to load it.
"If you ever need anything, *anything*, You know my number." He
said.
She nodded. "By heart..."
He smiled and pulled her into a long loving hug.
They were interrupted by the driver's honk.
"You better get on the bus." He reluctantly let go of her.
Angel watched as Buffy, the last passenger, unbeknownst to the
Sunnydale passengers, the most important passenger, stepped towards the bus.
When she started up the stairs, she turned around to look at him.
'Don't say goodbye, please don't...' He whispered in his heart.
Buffy just smiled at him, not even waving, and then turned back and
disappeared into the bus.
He looked as the doors closed behind her and the bus started driving
away. Taking his Buffy away from him. Back, back to where she was, back to
what he was doing.
And he could only hope that one day they'd be together again. If
this wasn't his reward, why even bother.
Angel walked into his hotel. He went up the stairs to his room.
Sitting on his bed, trying to feel the warmth her body left on his
sheets, he suddenly noticed a movement in the shadows. At first he could see
the bright golden hair, moving into the light.
"Buffy?" He asked hopefully.
"Hello, my boy," Angel looked up surprised to see his old sire
standing there and approaching him.
"Darla?"
"Did you miss me?"
He got up and looked at her, still shocked. "What are you doing
here?"
"I came to visit you. I really missed you."
He scratched his head, still puzzled. "Well, I gotta go to some
club. You can come with me... uh, do you like karaoke?"
"You're asking me out?" She smiled at him.
"If you don't mind..."
"It's a date then."
"It's a date." Angel nodded.
Angel gasped and jumped up from his bed. He looked around, rubbing
his eyes.
The room was dark and no one was in sight.
He sighed and got up, putting his boxers on. He walked out of the
room and started to wander around in the big, empty hotel. He felt more lonely
than ever.
And then, all he wanted to do was go back to sleep.
THE END (check out the epilogue...)
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 17
Angel looked up when Buffy came down the steps. He felt his heart sinking,
knowing what he was gonna say next. He gathered all the calmed expression
and strength he could.
"Buffy, I've talked to Giles. They'll wait for you at the bus station." He said, almost casually.
She looked at him, puzzled. "Bus station?"
He sighed. "I would take you myself, but I don't think your boyfriend will appreciate that. And... and I'm not sure I could do it..." He sighed again.
"But... I don't want to go. I want to stay here." Buffy protested.
Angel looked at her, his face paler than usual. "You know you can't.
Your family needs you. The Hellmouth needs you."
"But *I* need you!" Buffy stepped towards him. "I just got you back..." Her voice was shaken.
Angel closed the distance between them and stroked her face gently.
"I know, Buffy. But nothing changed..."
"I love you. I want to be with you!" Buffy started crying.
He trailed his finger down the path of her tear. "I love you too, Buffy. This will never change.
It's not that I don't want you," He tried to explain. "If there was any way for us to be together... If the happiness clause was gone... if I were human... You know I'd *run* back to you. "
"You're not just saying that?" She sobbed.
"If I could by with *anyone*... Buffy, why would I wanna be with someone
else but you?" He reassured her.
She threw her body against his. "There must be a way... Please! Angel, please!"
He wrapped his arms around her, his hand on her hair. "Shhh, Buffy,
please understand... We both have a mission. It hurts me too, you know, to
be apart from you, and know that someone else is allowed to have what I
can't. But you deserve to have that."
"I don't care... I don't care about it!"
"You should. You deserve so much more than I can give you."
"You gave me more than anyone else ever did, Angel. I don't think I
can feel this way ever again."
Angel sighed. Her words cut him deep inside his dead heart. She was
a warrior, just like him. Ultimately, they were both cursed to be alone and
dedicate their lives to the fight against evil, to the righteous and sacred
duty they shared. She was just like him. No, she was better than him. She
deserved so much more. Why couldn't she see it.
"If you ever need me, Buffy, I'll be right by your side. I'll always
be there for you. Don't forget that." He said softly.
She nodded. "Thank you."
He leaned down and kissed each of her eyes, tasting her tears. She
raised her head to meet his lips with hers and he gave in to the soft and
gentle affection her warm lips offered.
"I understand..." She whispered and touched his face, wiping his own
tears.
"I don't want you to wait for a miracle to happen, Buffy. I don't
want you to waste your life because of me. Go back to riley, he can make you
happy."
"If there was a way... You would tell me, wouldn't you?"
"Of course... One of my fantasies is to turn human, surprise you in
the sunlight, sweep you into my arms and kiss you like there's no...
tomorrow..." His voice trailed off at the last word.
"I think you just described one of my dreams..." Buffy sighed and
brushed his shoulder gently. "It always seems so vivid."
"All we have is our dreams."
"I want more."
"Maybe one day."
She smiled bitterly, "But not today."
"Come, I'll take you to the bus station."
It was a little past sunset when Angel and Buffy reached the bus station.
Angel got out of the car. He saw Buffy was still in it.
"Buffy, come on. You'll miss the bus."
"I don't want to go." Buffy shrugged.
"Buffy, we talked about it."
She looked at him. "It seems so final."
"I've never said goodbye." He opened the car's door for her and
offered his hand.
She took his hand and got up. "Will I see you again?"
The bus arrived and passengers started to load it.
"If you ever need anything, *anything*, You know my number." He
said.
She nodded. "By heart..."
He smiled and pulled her into a long loving hug.
They were interrupted by the driver's honk.
"You better get on the bus." He reluctantly let go of her.
Angel watched as Buffy, the last passenger, unbeknownst to the
Sunnydale passengers, the most important passenger, stepped towards the bus.
When she started up the stairs, she turned around to look at him.
'Don't say goodbye, please don't...' He whispered in his heart.
Buffy just smiled at him, not even waving, and then turned back and
disappeared into the bus.
He looked as the doors closed behind her and the bus started driving
away. Taking his Buffy away from him. Back, back to where she was, back to
what he was doing.
And he could only hope that one day they'd be together again. If
this wasn't his reward, why even bother.
Angel walked into his hotel. He went up the stairs to his room.
Sitting on his bed, trying to feel the warmth her body left on his
sheets, he suddenly noticed a movement in the shadows. At first he could see
the bright golden hair, moving into the light.
"Buffy?" He asked hopefully.
"Hello, my boy," Angel looked up surprised to see his old sire
standing there and approaching him.
"Darla?"
"Did you miss me?"
He got up and looked at her, still shocked. "What are you doing
here?"
"I came to visit you. I really missed you."
He scratched his head, still puzzled. "Well, I gotta go to some
club. You can come with me... uh, do you like karaoke?"
"You're asking me out?" She smiled at him.
"If you don't mind..."
"It's a date then."
"It's a date." Angel nodded.
Angel gasped and jumped up from his bed. He looked around, rubbing
his eyes.
The room was dark and no one was in sight.
He sighed and got up, putting his boxers on. He walked out of the
room and started to wander around in the big, empty hotel. He felt more lonely
than ever.
And then, all he wanted to do was go back to sleep.
THE END (check out the epilogue...)