TITLE: The Betrayal of Life

AUTHOR: Carrie

SUMMARY: When Buffy was kicked out of her home in S7, I don't get how she just accepted them all after they let her come back. So this is how I figured it would be, with Angel.

DISCLAIMER: It's all Joss Whedon's.

SPOILERS: I guess Empty Places.

TIMELINE: Season Seven of Buffy and after Home of Angel.

DEDICATION: To Danielle and to Akay because she is so amazing and helped me so much with this fic!

FEEDBACK: I would love some and this is my first fic so please be gentle!

AN: Thanks so much from everyone who gave me feedback!

Part Three

They walked hand and hand towards the house where Buffy had lived her high school years. She looked towards him and smiled brightly at him. Before they reached the house he pulled her aside.

She looked up at him with such love and trust that he wanted to thank the gods that they had given him such a gift.

"It's not going to be easy," he whispered.

"I know."

"It's going to be really hard because you have no idea how much I want you," he said stroking her cheek.

She smiled a little, her eyes lighting with happiness. "I think I know."

He smiled at her and brought her closer so that their whole bodies met each others as if it were one. "It's going to be tough, but we aren't going to give up."

"No," she whispered. "No, we aren't."

He looked down at her. "I really want to kiss you now."

"The girl in question isn't going complain," she whispered as Angel brought his lips closer to her. "Wait, I am the girl in question right?"

He smiled at her before he bent down a little and kissed those lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and all he could do was not shout out how thankful he was to have this goddess back in his arms, to have her back in his life.

She let go a little and smiled up at him, "Hmm I haven't felt so, happy, in such a long time," she smiled at him. Her eyes suddenly went wide. "But you can't be happy."

"I promise, no happiness," he said shaking his head with happiness written all over his eyes.

"Really," she replied with a pout. He rolled his eyes at her and took hold of her hand and started walking towards the house. She stopped before they reached the stairs and held onto Angel's hand tighter. He looked over at her and smiled and she felt her insides melting. She had never seen him smile so much before.

"I'm not going to leave you," he whispered and she really wasn't sure if he was talking about when they got into the house or forever.

She looked over at him and smiled. "You better not, I would have no where else to go."

He pulled her up the stairs and they stood in front of the door, Angel squeezed Buffy's hand and she looked up at him and he smiled telling her that everything would be okay. She opened the door and walked in without knocking or ringing the bell.

Everyone looked up as the door opened and Buffy and Angel walked in. Buffy walked up the stairs without looking at any of them. She went slowly into her room and saw that in a few hours that she was gone everyone had totally trashed it. She walked around it and looked for the items that she needed to move on with her life.

She saw her treasure chest, or what she called it anyway, with all her important things and she pushed all the papers and pencils that were on it, pulling at the lock before it broke. She had long forgotten the code.

When she opened the trunk dust flew in the air and she waved her hand in front of her face before looking inside it. Tears prickled her eyes when she looked at the items that she had packed away when Angel had left. Her eyes got blubbery when she saw Mr. Gordo and took hold of him and hugged him close to her.

She looked through it some more ignoring some things and digging deep down. She came across her jacket, or Angel's leather jacket. She pulled it out, the jacket toppling over some other things. She wrapped the black jacket around herself and smelled into it. She put her hand in the trunk once again looking for her necklace. She found it deep inside, in a box covered in dust. She opened the box and the first gift Angel had ever given her was there. Her silver cross.

She was about to close it when a glint of silver caught her eye. She pulled at it and there was a picture frame of her, Xander and Willow. She traced it slowly before letting it drop to the floor and watching as the glass cracked in the middle. Splitting her picture from Xander and Willow.

Angel was leaning against the door as she walked down the stairs. The others were just staring at him and then at her when she had came down. She looked over at them before turning back to Angel.

"I'm done," she said clutching Mr. Gordo to her.

"Mr. Gordo, a friend that I haven't seen in a long time," Angel tried to joke. "Are you sure that is all you need?"

She nodded her head and looked at the people she had known for so long. But as she thought about it, she hadn't known these people for a long time. They were strangers almost.

When she was almost out the door she heard her name and she stopped and turned around to look at the group of strangers.

"Where are you going?" Willow asked.

Buffy stared at her so called best friend before turning her gaze to her lover, who was glaring at her, and then back at Willow. "Why do you care? You kicked me out of my own house."

"Buffy…" Willow tried to say but didn't end up with any words.

"I'm leaving," Buffy said deadpan to the question that they had asked.

Dawn's eyes went wide, "Where are you going, Buffy?"

She looked over at her sister. But as she thought about it, this girl wasn't her sister. She was made by a bunch of monks and as much as it pained her to think about it the thought just kept coming back to her as she stared at this girl.

"I'm leaving with Angel and I'm not coming back. Ever." Buffy looked around the room, at the potentials that might die, then at Xander. Willow. Faith. Anya. Dawn. Her gaze finally coming to rest on Giles. She looked at the man that she had considered her father for so long.

"You're right. I don't trust any of you. I don't think I ever did. And if I ever did, it was once upon a time ago. You have all lost my trust and I hope I never see you all again," Buffy said. She felt Angel take hold and she looked up at him gratefully. The one person she trusted with all her life.

"Buffy, you don't mean that," Dawn said begging her sister to understand.

"No I do. Because when the people I trust most in the world kick me out of the biggest battle of all then I think I can do what I want," she said glaring at everyone around her in the room. "I'm leaving. Don't try to contact me; I'm not going to help you. You want Faith to be your leader, then let her be the leader. I'm done trying to have to prove my actions to everyone. You fight the battle."

And those were the final words before her and Angel left.

TBC