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Summary: Angel decided what needs to be done and lets everybody in on the idea before getting someone (who will it be?) to stake him.

Author's Note: This is probably the last chapter for this story, depending on how much I write. Lol. I'm planning on having a really emotional exit for Angel, which you'll just have to read to find out about. Though, just a warning, there may be a lot of emotional things so if you're not into the mushy stuff then READER: BEWARE. Happy reading, and please, review!

Rating: PG: WARNING: LOW LEVEL COARSE LANGAUGE

Chapter Six: Hells Bells (wow – where did that come from?)

'What? You have to die? Why on Earth do you have to die?' Buffy kept repeating.

'Buffy, you obviously don't understand the full concept of the Black Thorn and who they are and what they offer to the Senior Partners.' Angel snapped.

'What do they offer, huh? What?'

'Power. Power over this dimension.'

'Listen Angel, I understand what you're saying but I don't think it's a good idea.' Spike spoke up. 'I know that you still being alive means the existence of the Senior Partners but…' he paused, and Angel saw his face. He softened.

'But what?' Angel asked thoughtfully.

'You can't die on me Angel. You just can't.' Angel stared at Spike in disbelief, not thinking about what he was hearing.

'What? I don't have a choice Spike. I have to do this. It's for the greater good, and that's what we fight for.' Angel explained.

'You can't die Angel.' Spike said strongly. 'I can't have you leave me now, after all we've been through.'

'Spike…?' Angel started, but was silenced by Spike's raised hand. He stepped toward Angel, and gently pushed him down so he was sitting back down on the couch. He sat next to Buffy on the coffee table and looked Angel in the eye. Buffy looked on in amazement and confusion.

'You're all I've got left besides these guys.' Spike began. 'I can't lose you Angel; we've been through so much together. Two hundred years of pain, suffering, tormenting others to finally get us both souls and become good again. I can't lose you now, not after all that. After everything with Drusilla, Darla, Buffy and everyone else you can't just give up now.'

'I'm not giving up Spike, I'm giving in. For once I have to admit that I can't do this. I can't keep doing this because there is nothing left to keep doing.'

'What are you saying Angel?' Spike asked.

'I'm saying that I'm admitting defeat. The Senior Partners do rule me and they can control what I do. They're controlling me right now, forcing me to die to save the world. My plan to show them up failed, and now I have to do this to save humanity.'

'It wouldn't be the first time you've died to save the world Angel.' Buffy whispered.

'But I've also nearly destroyed the world Buffy. And I've done horrible things to good, innocent people. I'm going to be punished for everything wrong that I ever did, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.'

'Yes there is.' Spike said. 'You can stay alive, and fight the Senior Partners as a vampire, which is what I'm going to do. You don't have to die to stop them.'

'And besides, how do you even know that this is going to work?' Buffy asked. 'I mean, it's just an idea that you had, it doesn't mean that it's actually going to be right.'

'Yeah, well it's all I've got to go on.' Angel had made up his mind on what he had to do, and no one could talk him out of it. Not even Spike or Buffy. Xander burst through the door followed by Willow and Dawn.

'…And that's how you successfully burn toast.' The last part of their conversation was heard as they entered the living room. Spike moved away from the light as Willow rushed to close the door.

'Sorry.' She apologised. He simply smiled and lowered his head. 'Is everything alright?'

'Bloody hell no.' Spike replied. 'Angel here has decided to…' Angel jumped up suddenly and placed a hand over Spike's mouth.

'Spike, don't.' Was all he said. Willow gave him a strange look and he avoided her gaze. He removed his hand slowly from Spike's mouth and released him. 'Just don't.' He whispered in Spike's ear. He lowered himself back down to the couch and tried to relax.

Spike turned around to face Angel. 'Look mate, you gotta tell them. They have to know.'

'Know what?' Xander asked, intrigued.

'Angel has an idea about the Black Thorn.' Buffy began.

'But I thought you killed all the members back in L.A.' Dawn said. Angel sighed and gave in.

'I'm the only living member, which means the Senior Partners still exist and rule over this dimension. To stop that from continuing I…' he stopped, unsure how to put the last few words "tactfully" for his friends.

'You what?' Willow asked.

'He's going to kill himself.' Spike blurted out.

'No.' Angel quickly jumped in.

'What?' Spike turned to face him, confused. 'But you just said…'

'I can't kill myself. I just don't have it in me. Someone else has to do it.' He explained.

'Who's going to do it then?' Buffy asked curiously.

'Well I know you've had to do it before Buffy and I don't want to put that on you. Besides, I kind of have someone else in mind.' He lowered his head in embarrassment, then looked up at Spike.

'Me?' Spike was taken completely by surprise.

'There will be no guilt because I'm not a human I'm a vampire, and besides, it kind of feels right. I am your sire after all.' He remembered that night in the graveyard earlier that year when Spike was still a ghost. He was about to send Spike off to Hell when… He decided to scrap that thought.

'I understand your thinking mate, but I'm still gonna feel guilty for it. You're my bloody sire! I'm gonna remember killing you for all my life and I don't know if I can live with that.' Spike was serious about his feelings. 'It's rest on my conscience forever mate. I got me a soul and the memory is gonna eat away at me.'

'Spike, please. Do this for me? I know you're strong enough to live through it. Besides, you've got Buffy and Willow and Dawn and Xander.' Angel assured him everything would be just fine. All he wanted was for Spike to do it and nobody else. Not even Buffy.

After a few moments of silence and some solemn expressions Spike agreed to kill his grand-sire.

'Angel, can we just get it over and done with then.' Spike said sadly, accepting that he would be alone.

'Sure. I'm just gonna finish up here….' He answered.

'Finish up here? Finish up here?' Buffy cried angrily. 'How dare you!'

'Buffy please…'Angel began.

'No.' Buffy was in tears. 'Don't you Buffy please me Angel. We've known each other too long for this to just be brushed off as a "saving the world" deal. You're going to die.' She made die stand out in the sentence with a firm, stern accent.

'Buffy…' Angel could feel tears in his eyes but he fought them back for fear of embarrassment.

'No Angel. I don't want t lose you.' Spike listened and felt a burning rage inside him. She still feels for him. He thought. She'll always feel for him.

'Don't make this harder than it already is.' Angel asked her, getting to his feet. He walked past Spike and over to where Willow, Xander and Dawn stood in the entry. The tears in his eyes had begun to slide down his cheek.

Willow reached out a wiped a tear away. 'Angel, it doesn't have to be this way.' She fought back her own tears. He smiled. Xander just nodded his head once and smiled at Angel as he walked past. When he reached Dawn, she hesitated. Then hugged him.

'Goodbye Angel.' She whispered in his ear before letting go.

'Goodbye Dawn.' He turned around to find Buffy standing up facing him. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was sobbing. Spike moved behind her and placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulders. She relaxed and looked into Angel's eyes.

'Bye Angel.' She whispered, suddenly jumping out and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He hugged her back and they just stood for several moments, as if the world was their own. Angel remembered a few years back to when he was human for a day. He remembered sharing that day with Buffy, doing things he could never do as a vampire. Then he remembered giving it all up and being the only one to remember the day ever happened. The pain from that day still hurt inside of him, and as he promised himself, he never forgot.

Angel pulled back and smiled at her, wiping a tear from her cheek. 'Bye Buffy.' He whispered, hugging her again. He stepped back and walked around her. She just stood there, frozen by several things. Fear, hurt, anger, sadness but most of all love. Angel stood facing Spike.

'I guess this is where we say goodbye then.' Spike broke the silence. Everyone watched.

It's beautiful. Two vampires who wrecked havoc on the world for centuries finally doing good and dying for it. Willow thought to herself as she allowed the tears to stream down her face. She looked over and Dawn and Xander. Dawn was biting her lip and choking back the tears and Willow could tell that Xander was fighting too.

'I guess so.' Angel answered. He wondered what would be the best way to say goodbye to such an old friend. Such an old friend. In the end, he did what any other man would have done in the situation. He hugged Spike. Not an "ooh look there's two boys hugging" kind of hug, but a manly hug where they patted each other on the back, almost in congratulations of what they had achieved in their life. Angel drew back, almost at the same time as Spike. They looked each other in the eye and Angel rested his hand on Spike's shoulder before fully drawing back out of the hug.

'Thanks for sticking around this long Angel.' Spike said.

Angel just smiled. 'Just promise me one thing Spike.'

'What's that?'

'Take care of everyone. And yourself. I don't want you to be joining me in Hell sooner than you have to.' Spike felt guilty suddenly, even before he'd killed Angel. Everyone suddenly felt so guilty.

Hell. It was the word that threw them off. It was the place that they all knew he was going, but they just didn't want to say it. They knew it was a place that they'd all rather not talk about.

'Sorry…' Angel apologised quickly. 'I just wanted to be honest. I don't want to see you suffer like I know you will in Hell Spike.'

'And I don't want to know Angel.' Spike said jokingly. Angel smiled and remained standing in the middle of the room.

After several minutes of silence and nervous eyes darting from one person to another around the room, someone broke the silence.

'How about one last meal before I go.' Angel said cheerfully, and to quickly change the situation everyone agreed and turned their attention to the food in the bags. Spike led Angel into the kitchen and they poured themselves a glass of blood; for Angel the last he'd ever drink. Everyone gathered around the dining table and shared final stories. Each person had to say something that they remembered from back in the days when they were all in Sunnydale.

'I remember meeting Oz for the first time.' Willow recalled. 'We hit it off so well, then I found out he was a werewolf.' She laughed it on a passed a small jar around the table to Xander. She placed the pair of earrings she was wearing inside the jar.

'I remember Anya.' Xander whispered as he fumbled with the jar in his hands. 'I remember how I always had to correct her so she'd be more polite. I remember when we left Sunnydale and Andrew told me she'd died. I loved her and I always will.' He pulled off the skull and crossbones ring he was wearing and it clattered to the bottom of the jar. He passed it on to Dawn.

'I remember the nights I used to spend with Spike in his crypt when Buffy thought I was in my room studying. We shared some nice stories on that night, and I got to know Spike better. I liked that.' She took off her necklace and placed it inside the jar before passing it onto Buffy.

'I remember… lots of things. Too many things to mention. Meeting Angel and falling in love with him; falling in love with Spike after kicking his ass so many times; slaying my first vampire. Everything in Sunnydale was my memory and now it's gone. But I still have you guys.' She smiled at the thought until she remembered that Angel would be leaving.' She took off her cross necklace and placed it in the jar. Then she passed it onto Spike.

'I don't really know.' He paused. He took off his ring and dropped it into the jar. 'Everything about Sunnydale was me for several years. They weren't the best years of my life, or at least not until the later ones when it was destroyed.' He handed the jar to Angel who held it in his hands and stared for a few moments.

'When I was first sent to Buffy would have to be one of the best things about Sunnydale. I wanted to fight by her side and even since I laid eyes on her I knew I loved her.' He smiled at Buffy and she looked away embarrassed. 'I also remember you sending me to Hell to stop me from ending the world.' Angel added, still looking at Buffy.

'I had to do that. I didn't have a choice. I loved you, but I had to kill you. You knew that.' Buffy explained the events of several years ago again.

'I know Buffy, but it was big for me. I'll never forget that day. The day I died. Like I will today. It's no different Buffy. I'm dying to stop the world from ending. You have to understand that. He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a small ring. It was the ring that was similar to the one he gave Buffy on her 17th birthday. The ring that showed you belonged to someone. He dropped it into the jar and placed it in the middle of the table.

'It's getting late. Once the sun has gone down we can go outside and finish this.' Angel told everyone. 'Don't feel bad. It was my choice.' He saw everyone's expression of guilt and sorrow and hurt.

Spike led Angel through the kitchen and back into the living room. 'Okay Angel. Let's go.'

A/N: Okay, one more chapter. This one's purely gonna be Angel's death. I told you things would get emotional, and now things are just gonna get complicated… read on to see what happens.