Buffy stood unsteadily, her posture defiant. Her eyes blazed with a fire
unlike any she had ever felt before, and she knew that it was a mixture of
love and hate. The wound in her side became merely a memory, and the
tension in her muscles made her body ripple with power. As Angelus stood in
front of her, watching the change with interest, she vowed that she would
kill him if she could. Her heart couldn't take anymore pain like this. If
it didn't stop soon, she wouldn't have the strength to keep on living.
Willow felt a ripple go through her body. For a brief instant, she saw what Buffy saw, and felt what Buffy felt. Her channeling spell had obviously gone too far. All she'd tried to do was find Buffy's location, because none of them had seen her for 2 days after her last patrol. But since Angelus was involved, they had a good idea of where she was.
"Giles!" She yelled. "Get the orb quick! And bring the sell book! We have to cure Angel now!"
Buffy looked grimly at her boyfriend's murderer.
"Are we really going to do this?" she asked softly, unable to keep the pain out of her voice.
"Of course lover! I wouldn't miss this date for the world." His voice was harsh and cold. And with it, Buffy buried all thoughts of saving him. Her Angel was gone, and she could not bring him back.
With a grim determination, she ran at the vampire and feinted a right hook at his head. He dodged her easily, smacking her butt as she fell to the side.
"I knew this would be fun." He said loudly.
Buffy ran at him again, her fists flailing, but he dodged her again, this time capturing her lips in a quick kiss before he flung her into a wall.
"Not up to this, lover?" He drawled.
Buffy ducked his punch aimed at her face and swept her legs under him, knocking him to the floor. His head cracked against the concrete of the warehouse, and he brought his leg up to knock her onto her stomach.
"You'll pay for that one, bitch." He growled.
Jumping onto her back, he brought his hand up under her head, and snapped her neck.
Willow felt a tug as the spell was completed and Angel's soul was returned to him. Smiling to herself, she went back to the channeling spell she had been using to pinpoint Buff's location. With a shock, she felt the crack of bone, heard tears of anguish, and knew that something was terribly wrong.
Angel cradled Buff's lifeless body in his arms, crying over her in agony. He had killed her. The one thing he loved in all the world. And she had hated him. Her eyes were still open, although their blue depths were empty and lifeless, like the dark of a deep pond. He bent his head over her and kissed her softly, letting his tears fall into her face, watching her intently, hoping that she would wake up and look at him. But she didn't.
Instead, a bright light began to fill the room. He saw Buffy, as she had been during their night together, her eyes wide and unsure, but full of love. And then, he felt her small hand take his. Angel looked up his eyes still brimming with tears, and saw Buffy standing before him. Behind her were all of the past slayers, all the girls who had fought and died to save the world. And suddenly, Angel stopped crying. There was a way that he and Buffy could be together now.
Determined, he laid Buffy's body gently on the cold warehouse floor, and walked outside into the sunlight. Buffy's spirit followed him, her hand still in his, smiling as he burst into ashes and called out her name. His ring clattered down and landed in the grass.
Willow ran with all of the strength within her to the old warehouse that Spike and Drusilla had taken residence in. As she skidded to a halt inside the door, she saw her best friend's body laid down in front of the fireplace. Crying out, she knelt beside her and cradled her broken head. Remembering Angel and her spell, Willow ran through the mansion, blurred by tears. "Angel!" she called. "Angel!" No response came, and she walked slowly outside. As she bent to sit in the grass, her hand pressed on something cold and hard. It was Angels' ring, identical to the one he had given Buffy. Suddenly understanding, Willow picked up the ring and ran back inside to Buffy's body. Sliding the ring onto her best friend's finger, Willow said a prayer to the goddess, and stopped crying. They were together now. And some day, Willow, Giles, and Xander would join them. Someday.
Willow felt a ripple go through her body. For a brief instant, she saw what Buffy saw, and felt what Buffy felt. Her channeling spell had obviously gone too far. All she'd tried to do was find Buffy's location, because none of them had seen her for 2 days after her last patrol. But since Angelus was involved, they had a good idea of where she was.
"Giles!" She yelled. "Get the orb quick! And bring the sell book! We have to cure Angel now!"
Buffy looked grimly at her boyfriend's murderer.
"Are we really going to do this?" she asked softly, unable to keep the pain out of her voice.
"Of course lover! I wouldn't miss this date for the world." His voice was harsh and cold. And with it, Buffy buried all thoughts of saving him. Her Angel was gone, and she could not bring him back.
With a grim determination, she ran at the vampire and feinted a right hook at his head. He dodged her easily, smacking her butt as she fell to the side.
"I knew this would be fun." He said loudly.
Buffy ran at him again, her fists flailing, but he dodged her again, this time capturing her lips in a quick kiss before he flung her into a wall.
"Not up to this, lover?" He drawled.
Buffy ducked his punch aimed at her face and swept her legs under him, knocking him to the floor. His head cracked against the concrete of the warehouse, and he brought his leg up to knock her onto her stomach.
"You'll pay for that one, bitch." He growled.
Jumping onto her back, he brought his hand up under her head, and snapped her neck.
Willow felt a tug as the spell was completed and Angel's soul was returned to him. Smiling to herself, she went back to the channeling spell she had been using to pinpoint Buff's location. With a shock, she felt the crack of bone, heard tears of anguish, and knew that something was terribly wrong.
Angel cradled Buff's lifeless body in his arms, crying over her in agony. He had killed her. The one thing he loved in all the world. And she had hated him. Her eyes were still open, although their blue depths were empty and lifeless, like the dark of a deep pond. He bent his head over her and kissed her softly, letting his tears fall into her face, watching her intently, hoping that she would wake up and look at him. But she didn't.
Instead, a bright light began to fill the room. He saw Buffy, as she had been during their night together, her eyes wide and unsure, but full of love. And then, he felt her small hand take his. Angel looked up his eyes still brimming with tears, and saw Buffy standing before him. Behind her were all of the past slayers, all the girls who had fought and died to save the world. And suddenly, Angel stopped crying. There was a way that he and Buffy could be together now.
Determined, he laid Buffy's body gently on the cold warehouse floor, and walked outside into the sunlight. Buffy's spirit followed him, her hand still in his, smiling as he burst into ashes and called out her name. His ring clattered down and landed in the grass.
Willow ran with all of the strength within her to the old warehouse that Spike and Drusilla had taken residence in. As she skidded to a halt inside the door, she saw her best friend's body laid down in front of the fireplace. Crying out, she knelt beside her and cradled her broken head. Remembering Angel and her spell, Willow ran through the mansion, blurred by tears. "Angel!" she called. "Angel!" No response came, and she walked slowly outside. As she bent to sit in the grass, her hand pressed on something cold and hard. It was Angels' ring, identical to the one he had given Buffy. Suddenly understanding, Willow picked up the ring and ran back inside to Buffy's body. Sliding the ring onto her best friend's finger, Willow said a prayer to the goddess, and stopped crying. They were together now. And some day, Willow, Giles, and Xander would join them. Someday.