"... Buffy Ann Summers - rest in peace," the preacher concluded.
Dawn sobbed on Xander's shoulder, his arm around her own. None of the Scoobies could believe it was Buffy - BUFFY - they were putting in the ground . no, her body. It was her body. Willow stood up and made her was to the podium. She cleared her throat, looked out at the forlorn faces before her, and began to speak:
"Buffy Summers was more than just a girl; she was, and always will be, an irreplaceable part of our lives. She was a loving sister and a devoted friend, always caring about other people more than herself. She said to me once, 'I don't know if I can keep doing this, Will.' And I told her, "Buffy, saving people is not just you're job - it's your nature. Even if you didn't have all the extras ... you'd still be helping them.'
"Buffy wasn't just my friend; she was like the sister I never had. Even though we knew each other for only five years, it feels like we grew up together. We shared almost everything: her family, our friends, our fears ... she was the first person to know about me and Tara.
"We were always there for each other," she paused to look out at the people gathered under the tent - Spike sitting between Angel and the aisle, a group of sorority girls in the back, Hank Summers sitting in the front row - and let the gathering tears fall, "but now I've found she's not here anymore. That I don't have her here to be there for me; to listen to all of my problems. And I'm begging you: please, do not let her become a shadow. Remember everything she did ... keep her memory alive. It's the least we can do for her." Willow seemed to deflate after that. She stumbled back to her seat, sinking into Tara's comforting arms.
As the casket was lowered into the cold ground, Spike came to stand by her.
"Buffy would've liked that." He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and left.
Dawn sobbed on Xander's shoulder, his arm around her own. None of the Scoobies could believe it was Buffy - BUFFY - they were putting in the ground . no, her body. It was her body. Willow stood up and made her was to the podium. She cleared her throat, looked out at the forlorn faces before her, and began to speak:
"Buffy Summers was more than just a girl; she was, and always will be, an irreplaceable part of our lives. She was a loving sister and a devoted friend, always caring about other people more than herself. She said to me once, 'I don't know if I can keep doing this, Will.' And I told her, "Buffy, saving people is not just you're job - it's your nature. Even if you didn't have all the extras ... you'd still be helping them.'
"Buffy wasn't just my friend; she was like the sister I never had. Even though we knew each other for only five years, it feels like we grew up together. We shared almost everything: her family, our friends, our fears ... she was the first person to know about me and Tara.
"We were always there for each other," she paused to look out at the people gathered under the tent - Spike sitting between Angel and the aisle, a group of sorority girls in the back, Hank Summers sitting in the front row - and let the gathering tears fall, "but now I've found she's not here anymore. That I don't have her here to be there for me; to listen to all of my problems. And I'm begging you: please, do not let her become a shadow. Remember everything she did ... keep her memory alive. It's the least we can do for her." Willow seemed to deflate after that. She stumbled back to her seat, sinking into Tara's comforting arms.
As the casket was lowered into the cold ground, Spike came to stand by her.
"Buffy would've liked that." He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and left.