"Immortal Beloved XXXIII..."

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's

Spoilers for Angel to this week...Flee at once!...

Summary: Ok, another one...Swear it's the last in the series...Can't resist it...Aftermath of "Not Fade Away..." (Oh, will the madness never end?!)

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LA...The ruins of the Wolfram-Hart building...Last Wednesday evening...

"William...You really are determined to make me cry before you forgive me, aren't you...?" Buffy sighed...Kneeling by him...

Angel, standing by...Watching with Illyria...

You're here...Oh...William closed his eyes... I thought...

"I oughta whale you one good...Never coming to me...Even when you finally got to Rome...Though it was Harmony who blocked my calls and letters...So..." she wiped tears back... "You're off the hook for not calling back...My William..."

"I'm here, Will...Here for you...I'd never leave you alone like that...You know I meant what I said that day..."

And I'll be with you always...When I join you in Heaven...

"I would have come sooner...But I was afraid...And after I found out...Who I'd been..."

I thought you'd surely hate me one way or the other...I was so afraid to face you...Till yesterday...When I followed you to that poetry slam...Hid in the crowd...

"And heard you forgive me...Oh, William..."

"It was you, wasn't it?..." he murmured... "Cicely..."

Yes...she nodded... "Cicely was a Slayer...She did love you, Will...Was only trying to save you...And she did return...I'm back as Buffy...To save you...I've dreamed of it for so long, like you dreamed of saving me...It just took so long, it was so hard to remember...It wasn't til I found the records in the old Council archives..."

My love...she whispered...I'm here...

He stared at her a long moment... "Thank you..." he murmured...And dying, crumbled to dust...

She looked up at the others, a strange look on her face...Part sorrow, part malice...But, Angel realized...All grief...

"Looks like I wasted my time...He knew, I think..." the First coldly stated...But with a tone that...Strangely...

Was something like despair...

"He was comforted, regardless..." Illyria noted... "And he will think kindly of you..."

As Wesley will of me...I hope...

"It amused me to think of Buffy learning about this years from now...Though if I retain any of the power my foolish allies, the Partners, lent me, I'll let her know myself, tonight..."

That's the reason I went along, Angelus...she glared at Angel...After all, you can't really harm me, even if you can force me back down into Hell...

Illyria stared at her... "You are lying...You loved him...I feel your essence grieving even now...Part of you was the Buffy Slayer..."

"The Watchers made me a part of their Slayer centuries ago...When they stole part of my strength for her...But I...Am strong...I feel..."

She looked at the ashes...A slight trembling over her features...The others watching, silent...

"He was so loving..." Her form beginning to flicker and fade...Her projective energy now clearly failing...

Odd, isn't it...she gave a last sardonic look to Angel...A wave at Illyria...

"We...The 'monsters'...Were the ones who were there for them..." she faded out...

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