SIX: ANGEL
Angel,
Always your girl.
Love Buffy
Angel couldn't believe this was happening again. He couldn't believe that Buffy was dead. Again. With shaking hands, he slit open the envelope. Inside wee two pieces of paper. He opened the first and was a little surprised to see it wasn't address to him. It was for Connor.
Somehow he knew he shouldn't have been that surprised that Buffy knew about Connor. He always had underestimated her.
Angel turned to his son and handed the paper to him. Connor looked almost as surprised as Angel did. He still didn't know what was going on, and to be handed a letter from a girl he'd never met and never even heard of before now was a little bizarre.
Angel took unfolded the other piece of paper and looked at the words.
Always your girl.
His heart ached horribly. He had seen her only once since her resurrection, and even though he'd told Cordy that he wasn't overly hurt about Buffy's death, it had very nearly crippled and shattered him. He'd downplayed what he was feeling to keep Cordy off his back. But the truth was, Angel had still loved the golden blonde girl, and Angel knew that he always would.
Their reunion after her return had been bittersweet and had ended with a parting kiss that had left them both breathless. He'd asked her the same words that he'd asked her when Buffy had asked him if they could take a break after the whole charade with Angel not having his soul.
You still my girl?
Always.
They knew they could never be together again, not only was their the whole happiness clause in his curse, but they also knew that there was now too much distance between them. But they still loved each other. They still owned pieces of each other that no one else could ever touch. Buffy would always belong to Angel, and Angel would always belong to Buffy, no matter who else they loved as well.
Angel closed his eyes and bent his head, whispering Buffy's name as though it were a benediction. He could only hope that wherever she was now, she was finally at the peace he knew she'd been taken from. Angel could only wait for the day when he was given back his humanity, then await his human death and spend eternity with her.