When Angel awoke at sunset, he was alone in bed. Confused, he sat up and scanned the room for Buffy. Where'd she gotten to?
Perhaps the whole thing had been a dream. He frowned deeply when he realized it was probably true. But no, that was her scent on his pillow. She had definitely been there.
He tried to piece together the puzzle that was last night, trying to find where he'd gone wrong. He must have done something to drive the slayer away. But what? He thought back to when he'd found Buffy.
Angel walked to the cemetery with a bunch of white flowers in his hand and one red rose in the mix. They were for Buffy. He'd give them to her before he left. There was no point in staying any where near Sunnydale now. He'd only come here in the first place to be with her. But seen as that wasn't an option any more…
He made his way around the many twists and bends of the grave yard, around the many hedge stones and the mausoleum. He wasn't alone. A tall man was standing in front of Buffy's grave, and he knew it to be Spike the moment he laid eyes on him.
"Spike," he hissed across the row of gray stones before him. "What the hell are you doing here?" If looks could kill, Spike would have been dust ten times over.
"Just here to pay my final respects." Spike grinned cruelly to Angel, making him loose his head. Angel started towards Spike and Spike prepared for the fight of his life. But a strange noise stopped them both in their tracks. Some sort of scratching sound filled the air. Like a little badger or something was clawing through ground.
They both jumped back when the dirt that was Buffy's grave began to move. At first only a couple grains of the dark soil moved out of place. And then the ground began to crack and rise as a hand reached out into the cold night air.
"What the?" Angel flew forward and grabbed the hand, tearing the girl out of the dirt. Buffy dropped to her hands and knees gasping for air, and then looked up at the two horrified men staring at her.
Her eyes were a magnificent yellow, and her fangs were the perfect points of a new fledgling.
"Buffy…" Angel felt himself go numb. Buffy was a vampire. But how? The vampire from a few nights ago had finished her off. He was sure of it! But of course, they hadn't really thought to check.
Her hands immediately went to her face. Her forehead first, and then her teeth. She gasped in horror at what she found, and then broke down into uncontrollable sobs. She shook terribly. Angel wanted to reach out and pull her to him, but he was too numb, to confused at what had happened to really take in the situation.
It angered Angel when it was Spike to be the comforting one. It seemed he took pity on her, sympathizing for the creature before him. And that was exactly it. The whole reason that Spike hadn't fallen into a life time of heavy laughter, was because he understood. Or, he understood more than Angel must have anyway. This wasn't supposed to happen to her… Sure he'd wanted to kill her. Hell he would stake her right then if he'd had a stake on him. But the slayer was never supposed to be a vampire. She was never supposed to go through any of what she'd be going through for the next however long the next slayer would let her live. Buffy was supposed to have a normal life, have normal friends, get married and have kids. And then die like the rest of the humans and go off to heaven. But she'd been taken away from whatever chance at normal she'd ever find, and got stuck slaying demons and vampires. And yet, here she was, a million miles from heaven and on a one shot road to hell. He could only imagine how it must feel. But yet she wasn't alone. She still had her friends and family, her watcher and her boyfriend. But they would die eventually… And they might not even accept her back.
Spike went up to her quickly and dropped to the ground beside her, pulling him into his arms. "Shh, it'll be alright Buffy. It'll be alright." He stroked her hair, and didn't even think to smirk at Angel when she grabbed onto his shirt and pulled herself against him. So this was the Buffy that Angel knew. She was a lot different than the Buffy that Spike had always known. He could get used to a girl like her…
Angel gave up on his numbness for the time being, and pushed Spike away from Buffy. "Get away from her." He shouted, and picked her up in his arms.
"Angel," She moaned wrapping her arms around him.
"I'm here Buffy." He kissed her forehead and pleaded the powers that be to let her stop crying. He couldn't help her while she was like this.
Angel left Spike standing in the graveyard and carried Buffy back to the mansion. He laid her down on the bed, not even thinking about her being covered in dirt and mud. She was still in her pretty white gown from the funeral. Still in perfect condition, minus the being covered in soil part.
He lay down beside her, and pulled her half on top of him and just held her there. He felt his own emotion starting to brew inside of him. But it wasn't like the desperate fear she felt. It was a longing of absolute happiness. His Buffy hadn't died. She was still with him. She'd come back to him. And they could be together always.
So he definitely found a few things he could have done a little better. But they all seemed so minor at the time. Like letting Spike make the first move to comfort her. They were enemies! And yet he'd been more comforting to Buffy than her own boyfriend. He should have been there first. He could have been the one pulling her into his arms and promising her that everything was all right. He was the one who loved her, and yet he just stood there staring. And Spike, the Spike who hated her and wanted her dead since the dawn of time, was the one who was holding her when she found herself in front of her grave, with a demon inside her and fangs on the outside.
Angel felt a fool. She'd probably have run off by now. Either to him, or to her home, or to find a stake. Either way could prove deadly. He didn't bother grabbing a new shirt. He just went straight out the door, slamming it harshly behind him. He'd check the crypt first. No point in showing up at Joyce' home asking if she'd seen her deceased daughter around. He was sure that wouldn't go over well.