He took a single step towards her and crushed her fiercely in his arms once more. "I waited for you, and now you're finally here, Buffy," he moaned quietly into the soft skin of her neck. "I'm afraid." She pulled a little away from him, letting him see the steely resolve in her eyes. "No. Angel, we'll finish this. Kill the Master, set these people free. Then we can leave here... I don't care where, but..." He cut off her flow of words with a gentle kiss. "I've loved you forever," he whispered. "But you just met..." He shook his head. "You're my destiny and no one can change that even if you go away I will be lonely but I will always love you." She laughed a little. A real, sweet laugh - and realized that she hadn't done that in so long it almost sounded rusty. "Yes. This is like a dream, Angel." "It's real," he assured her. "I wish it were already over in this place," he said suddenly, looking around himself in distaste. "I don't like Sunnydale so much." "Then let's finish it." She took his hand and led him to the mouth of the alley, checking first to make certain their enemies were nowhere about before leaving its comparative safety. As they walked - Angel giving quiet directions - she tried to focus on the fight ahead, knowing that the kill of a Master vampire was never a sure thing. Drawing on all her training and countless hours of vicious, brutal combat with demons, she forced herself to drop Angel's hand as they crept around the final corner before the factory. Surprisingly, the entrance wasn't well guarded at all, and she took out the two vamps there easily, without raising the alarm. Nodding to Angel, she turned and walked in, feeling him strong and tall behind her. They eased through the door as one... only to find the festivities in full swing as the repulsive Master addressed his minions. "What's the plan?" Angel's voice right in her ear reminded her that this time, this once, there was someone guarding her back. She shook a stake free, handing it to him, fighting back a surge of fear for him. "Don't fall on this," she said, trying not to let him see her uncertainty. He nodded, accepting the weapon from her... following her as she started to sneak through the crowd. ***** A few inches. A few seconds. Another vampire thrusting a stake into his heart. Of course wishes didn't come true - she'd known that all along... that's what she'd told Jeeves. Steeling herself against the pain that seemed to explode within her, she forced herself through his ash, trying to see the Master through the glittering fragments of a love lost.