EPILOGUE:
Buffy watched in silence as the casket was lowered into the ground, her long black dress waving in the winter breeze as she held the hand of a little dark-haired girl, who couldn't have been more than seven years of age. She didn't know what she should feel or how she should react. She thought of shedding tears, but knew that wasn't necessary. She felt someone stand next to her, and knew it to be Willow without looking.
"It's a shame." Willow said, "He had so much potential. He was a good man. He just did things he couldn't help doing. I for one think he made up for it that night." Willow looked down as they began filling in the grave. "At least he got a proper burial, even if it did take three weeks."
Buffy nodded slowly, not really listening as she looked down at the little girl, smiling slightly. "Angelina, are you cold?" At her daughter's nod, Buffy tapped Willow's shoulder to show she was leaving. Willow went over to Xander and Anya, who in turn collected everyone else - including the Angel Investigations personnel - to go with Buffy. Buffy patted Angelina's head softly. "Let's go home."
After a long drive back to the Summers' residence, Buffy was finally home and glad to be there. Dawn took Angelina to the kitchen along with everyone else, while Buffy made her way up the stairs in silence. She entered her room, rubbing her neck as she unzipped the back of her dress. She felt a strange warmth as she did, recognized it, and smiled.
"The doctor said you aren't supposed to be out of bed for at least two more weeks, Mr. Summers." Buffy said, nudging her back into Angel's bare chest, careful not to touch his bandaged stomach.
"Angel Summers. That'll strike fear in the heart of evil. Anyway, I missed you," Angel said innocently, kissing the nape of her neck, "and I refuse to spend my honeymoon in bed."
Buffy turned to face him, taking his hands and gliding his arms around her. "Oh you do, do you?" Buffy said coyly, arching an eyebrow.
Angel smirked. "You know what I meant." They kissed each other tenderly for a few moments, but Angel cut it short. "I almost forgot." He made his way over to Buffy's dresser, picking up a gift-wrapped box that obviously contained a ring. He handed it to her, smiling warmly. "Go ahead. Open it."
Buffy beamed and obliged, carefully removing the ribbon and paper. Once it was unwrapped, she opened the box and gasped in delight. Within the box stood her silver claddagh ring, only it had been changed somewhat. The heart had a ruby of it's shape entrenched over it, the hands sparkled from the diamonds that were upon them, and the crown gleamed, for it had been coated in gold.
"Merry Christmas." Angel said, enjoying her happiness. "I thought it'd be a better version, now that we're man and wife." Buffy smiled excitedly and slipped the ring onto her finger with the heart pointing towards her, because she belonged to someone. She hugged and kissed him, both of which felt very good to be doing again.
"I love you." Buffy said, looking into his eyes adoringly.
Angel's smile grew wider and he kissed her lips again. "I love you too."
"Oh, I have a surprise for you too!" Buffy said, going to her closet. She opened the doors, retrieving a flat, rectangular box wrapped in seasonal paper, one observably used for clothes. She offered the present to him, positively radiant when he accepted it. As he opened it, she admired the ring on her finger. He stared blankly at the article inside, unsure of how to react.
"It's from all of us," Buffy said, smirking. "Our way of saying thank you."
Angel dropped the box, revealing a very colorful Hawaiian shirt, palm trees and sunsets covering the fabric, as well as brilliant dyes of red, yellow, blue, and some colors Angel didn't know existed. He smiled out of consideration, looking at Buffy. "Thank you."
Buffy's smile faltered a bit once she saw it. "I knew I shouldn't have let Xander pick it out."
Angel just smiled and examined the shirt. "It's okay. I...like it."
Buffy shrugged, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. "It's the thought that counts."
"If that's true," Angel said, tilting his head to nuzzle hers, "I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the honeymoon to Hawaii I promised."
Buffy smiled contently, resting her head on the broad expanse of Angel's back, lifting her head only to kiss his tattoo. "I'd forgotten about that."
"Not to sound too much like you in your pre-Slayer days," Angel said, smiling at her kisses, "but...as if."
"Hey," Buffy said, kissing his back once more. "Give me some credit. We can bury that shirt if you want to."
"Speaking of which," Angel replied, "how'd the funeral go?"
"Good, as far as funerals go." Buffy said. "It was nice of you too arrange one for Darien."
"I figured he deserved it." Angel said, lowering his head for a moment in silent remembrance.
"Hey you," Buffy said, turning him around and kissing him. "No brooding. You left that behind you along with the lack of a pulse."
Angel smiled. "I hear you."
"Good," Buffy said, taking her dress down to her ankles so she wore nothing but her undergarments. "Now go downstairs. Your daughter wants to show you how well she can make a grilled cheese sandwich."
Angel pretended to scoff as Buffy put on a pair of sweatpants. "She obviously doesn't take after her mother."
Buffy counterfeited an angry look as she put on a blue baby tee, but as soon as she saw Angel looking at her, she couldn't help but smile. "You're lucky I love you."
"Very." Angel stated, kissing her once more.
Buffy left the room and started down the stairs. Angel was about to follow, but he stopped at the top of the staircase.
"You kept the receipt for the shirt, right?"
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THE END
Buffy watched in silence as the casket was lowered into the ground, her long black dress waving in the winter breeze as she held the hand of a little dark-haired girl, who couldn't have been more than seven years of age. She didn't know what she should feel or how she should react. She thought of shedding tears, but knew that wasn't necessary. She felt someone stand next to her, and knew it to be Willow without looking.
"It's a shame." Willow said, "He had so much potential. He was a good man. He just did things he couldn't help doing. I for one think he made up for it that night." Willow looked down as they began filling in the grave. "At least he got a proper burial, even if it did take three weeks."
Buffy nodded slowly, not really listening as she looked down at the little girl, smiling slightly. "Angelina, are you cold?" At her daughter's nod, Buffy tapped Willow's shoulder to show she was leaving. Willow went over to Xander and Anya, who in turn collected everyone else - including the Angel Investigations personnel - to go with Buffy. Buffy patted Angelina's head softly. "Let's go home."
After a long drive back to the Summers' residence, Buffy was finally home and glad to be there. Dawn took Angelina to the kitchen along with everyone else, while Buffy made her way up the stairs in silence. She entered her room, rubbing her neck as she unzipped the back of her dress. She felt a strange warmth as she did, recognized it, and smiled.
"The doctor said you aren't supposed to be out of bed for at least two more weeks, Mr. Summers." Buffy said, nudging her back into Angel's bare chest, careful not to touch his bandaged stomach.
"Angel Summers. That'll strike fear in the heart of evil. Anyway, I missed you," Angel said innocently, kissing the nape of her neck, "and I refuse to spend my honeymoon in bed."
Buffy turned to face him, taking his hands and gliding his arms around her. "Oh you do, do you?" Buffy said coyly, arching an eyebrow.
Angel smirked. "You know what I meant." They kissed each other tenderly for a few moments, but Angel cut it short. "I almost forgot." He made his way over to Buffy's dresser, picking up a gift-wrapped box that obviously contained a ring. He handed it to her, smiling warmly. "Go ahead. Open it."
Buffy beamed and obliged, carefully removing the ribbon and paper. Once it was unwrapped, she opened the box and gasped in delight. Within the box stood her silver claddagh ring, only it had been changed somewhat. The heart had a ruby of it's shape entrenched over it, the hands sparkled from the diamonds that were upon them, and the crown gleamed, for it had been coated in gold.
"Merry Christmas." Angel said, enjoying her happiness. "I thought it'd be a better version, now that we're man and wife." Buffy smiled excitedly and slipped the ring onto her finger with the heart pointing towards her, because she belonged to someone. She hugged and kissed him, both of which felt very good to be doing again.
"I love you." Buffy said, looking into his eyes adoringly.
Angel's smile grew wider and he kissed her lips again. "I love you too."
"Oh, I have a surprise for you too!" Buffy said, going to her closet. She opened the doors, retrieving a flat, rectangular box wrapped in seasonal paper, one observably used for clothes. She offered the present to him, positively radiant when he accepted it. As he opened it, she admired the ring on her finger. He stared blankly at the article inside, unsure of how to react.
"It's from all of us," Buffy said, smirking. "Our way of saying thank you."
Angel dropped the box, revealing a very colorful Hawaiian shirt, palm trees and sunsets covering the fabric, as well as brilliant dyes of red, yellow, blue, and some colors Angel didn't know existed. He smiled out of consideration, looking at Buffy. "Thank you."
Buffy's smile faltered a bit once she saw it. "I knew I shouldn't have let Xander pick it out."
Angel just smiled and examined the shirt. "It's okay. I...like it."
Buffy shrugged, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. "It's the thought that counts."
"If that's true," Angel said, tilting his head to nuzzle hers, "I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the honeymoon to Hawaii I promised."
Buffy smiled contently, resting her head on the broad expanse of Angel's back, lifting her head only to kiss his tattoo. "I'd forgotten about that."
"Not to sound too much like you in your pre-Slayer days," Angel said, smiling at her kisses, "but...as if."
"Hey," Buffy said, kissing his back once more. "Give me some credit. We can bury that shirt if you want to."
"Speaking of which," Angel replied, "how'd the funeral go?"
"Good, as far as funerals go." Buffy said. "It was nice of you too arrange one for Darien."
"I figured he deserved it." Angel said, lowering his head for a moment in silent remembrance.
"Hey you," Buffy said, turning him around and kissing him. "No brooding. You left that behind you along with the lack of a pulse."
Angel smiled. "I hear you."
"Good," Buffy said, taking her dress down to her ankles so she wore nothing but her undergarments. "Now go downstairs. Your daughter wants to show you how well she can make a grilled cheese sandwich."
Angel pretended to scoff as Buffy put on a pair of sweatpants. "She obviously doesn't take after her mother."
Buffy counterfeited an angry look as she put on a blue baby tee, but as soon as she saw Angel looking at her, she couldn't help but smile. "You're lucky I love you."
"Very." Angel stated, kissing her once more.
Buffy left the room and started down the stairs. Angel was about to follow, but he stopped at the top of the staircase.
"You kept the receipt for the shirt, right?"
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THE END
