Author's Note: I am going through a bit of a writer's block at this moment, so the next chapter may drag, then again it may not, depends on how quickly the dialogue comes to me. Also, I have had some really long days at work so my writing is limited because all I want to do when I come home is sleep!
I wanted to say thank you to Tiney1981, Kristine, TK, Kendra and Courtney for the feedback, it was greatly appreciated! Let me know what you guys think of the rest! I hope you all keep reading!!
Chapter Fifteen
"So we're done then, right?" Xander asked Oz as they finished digging a hole in one of Sunnydale's largest cemeteries. They had dug the whole towards the back of the cemetery so no one would really notice anything, such as a huge grave.
"Yea, I think so. Did you finished the wood working?" Oz asked Xander. As they crawled out of the hole they had finished digging. Xander had made a casket after he and Cordy dropped Buffy off the night before. Seeing how distraught Buffy looked pained Xander. He channeled all of his pain into the wooden casket. It only took him a few more hours to make after he stopped at a 24 hour Home Depot to buy supplies. He never liked Angel but he decided his crafty skills might have helped Buffy in some way.
"You did good work Xander. You should go into woodworking or something." Oz commented. "Where did you learn that?"
"I taught myself. When I am in the garage it keeps me busy. I have to get away now and then from my mom and dad. I've made all these boxes and storage things so I thought that making something like what I made Angel would be the same, except larger scale. The paint should be dried by now so all we have to do is-"
Oz interrupted him. "Wait for tonight."
Xander nodded and repeated. "Tonight."
"I don't feel right about this. I-I don't think I shouldn't be there. I caused the whole thing. I should have kept me and my magic out of it." Willow explained to Cordy as she got dressed. "It's not right."
"Willow, it's okay. You tried to help and like other things in your life you just sucked at it." Cordy tried to explain. She had such a blunt way of telling things the way they were. If anyone else would have said those things to Willow she would have been hurt but since it came from Cordelia, she didn't take it to heart.
"Thanks Cordy." Willow said sarcastically. "I mean it, do you think Buffy wants me there tonight?"
"I think you are one of Buffy's best friends. I don't think it is a matter of wanting you there, I think it's more of she'll need you there." Cordelia explained. "Hello, you killed her demon killer slash lover and we are burring him. Of course she'll need you there."
Willow's heart sank as Cordelia brought up Willow's doing in Angel's death. She knew Cordy meant well but it still hurt.
"I think your right. I'm going to be with her tonight and do whatever she wants me to do."
Cordelia nodded. "You are doing the right thing. You are a good friend. Sh-she's lucky to have you in her life."
Willow smiled. "Cordy, I think you said something nice to me."
Cordy's smile vanished from her face. "Well, you were all sad and droopy." She paused for a second as she continued. "But, I do mean it. You're a good person Willow."
Willow smiled. "Thanks. Now I think we have to get ready for tonight. Buffy is going to need a lot of support, from all of her friends." Willow said as Cordy just smiled.
It was ten o'clock when Buffy finished her quick sweep of Sunnydale. She didn't want to take any more time. She just wanted to get that night over with. She placed her hand on her pocket to make sure the object was still in there. She had one bad fight with a vamp and didn't know if it had slipped out during the battle. She was a little relieved when she found it sitting in her pocket. She rushed over to the mansion that sat on Crawford Street for what she hopped would be the last time. She didn't want to be at Angel's place. Even though he resigned there when he was Angelus, the memories still hurt and she was tired of hurting.
Buffy ran up to the side of the house. She hurried inside and found Willow, Cordy, Oz, Xander and even Giles standing next to a darkly stained wooden box.
"What's this all about?"
"Well, we wanted to help you Buf." Xander began to explain before Willow interrupted him.
"You wanted to bury Angel, so we all kind of got together and planned a kind of service for him-"
Xander butt in. "For you. Really this is for you." Xander wanted Buffy to be very clear on their intentions.
"We wanted to help you say good bye." Willow finished as she glared at Xander.
Buffy nodded. It made her feel good to know her friends, some of which despised Angel, went through all of the trouble that they had. "I don't really know what to say, but thank you guys." Buffy hugged all of hr friends. She appreciated their gestures.
"So should we load him into Oz's van?" Xander asked very nonchalantly.
"Xander, have some compassion, Buffy's demon lover is dead. Be a little nicer.
"It's okay Cordelia, I understand where you guys are coming from. I really appreciate everything that you all have done. I'm ready whenever you guys are. But there is just one thing," Buffy paused for a minute. She reached into her jean pocket. She pulled out the object. She looked at it for a moment, fighting back the tears. "I want to put this into the casket, with him when we get there."
Willow put her arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Sure Buffy, we'll do whatever you want to do."
Buffy, Willow and Cordy followed Xander, Giles and Oz in Oz's van with Angel's casket. The drive was short and literally just up the street beyond downtown and close to the elementary school.
Buffy was in her own world. She didn't know what to think or what to say. She just wanted to be home in her bed again. She wanted to be alone. She sat in the backseat and dazed out the window. She knew the ride was short but could barely believe they were entering the cemetery already.
After parking, the girls gathered to one side of the grave. Meanwhile, Giles, Xander and Oz carried the wooden box and placed it to the side of the grave. No one really knew where to start so silence filled the group of friends.
After a few moments, Buffy looked up. She walked over to the coffin and tried to lift the top up. Oz and Giles helped to lift the top up. Buffy was glad it was dark because she could not bear to look at the coffin that bared her former lover's body. She looked at the ring and then placed it in the casket. Buffy stood back as Oz and Giles put the lid back onto the rest of the wooden box. Willow placed her arm around her friend again. Cordelia also placed an arm around Buffy too. Tears fell freely from Buffy's eyes.
"I think I am ready to go now." Buffy said as she hugged both Willow and Cordelia.
Giles walked over to Buffy. They shared a brief hug before Giles spoke. "I insist that all of you stop by my place for some tea and coffee and some snacks. It's been a long day and you all need to rest for a while."
All of the Scoobies nodded their heads while still silent. Each of them thought about how nice it would be to sit with each other, even if they were sitting silence. They all had to be there for Buffy.
Giles joined the girls as they drove back to his apartment. Oz and Xander slowly lowered the casket into the ground. Then they buried the casket and said their own good byes to Angel. Xander, although he never liked Angel, he was sad for his passing. He was saddened because Buffy, one of his best friends, was hurt and in pain. Oz, on the other hand had hardly known Angel. Angel changed shortly after Oz became a member of the gang.
It was a good forty-five minutes after they had begun burying Angel's remains that they had finished.
"Are you ready?" Oz asked.
Xander wiped the sweat off his face. Sweat was pouring down his face. "Yea, let's get out of here. We have to be there a little longer for Buffy. She needs us right now."
School reopened almost a week after they buried Angel. Buffy seemed to get a little better. Her mopping seemed to be decreasing and she actually went to the "Bronze" one night.
Since returning to school the gang fell into a different routine. At the end of the day Cordelia drove Xander and Buffy home while Willow and Oz went home together.
At the end of the week, Willow decided that she would walk home. She wanted to be by herself. She still blamed her for Angel's passing, even though Buffy assured her that she understood that she was just trying to help her.
Willow hit downtown before going home. She stopped at the magic shop. The shopkeeper recognized her.
"Ah, Ms. Roseburg, how are we today?"
Willow shook her head. "Not good. That spell didn't work."
"You tried a spell?"
Willow was frustrated. How could he remember her and not the spell she found. After all, he was amazed that Willow had that spell. He had told her that he always heard of the spell but had never seen it or knew of anyone who personally involved with it.
"The spell that would bring life to the lifeless and soulless."
The shopkeeper looked at her sternly. "I knew that spell wasn't going to work."
Okay- so I moved a little farther than I thought and ended with a cliffhanger. I know that there wasn't too much action but we have to go through slow parts to get to the more exciting parts. I may not post until this weekend but I will update ASAP. Please leave feedback, it is always nice to read. Hope you are enjoying the story thus far! Good night all!