The Sitch: Set about three years in the future. Buffy, Xander and Willow live in another town in California where they attend college. Buffy has a boyfriend(if you're a hard-core Buffy & Angel fan such as myself, don't worry. Think of it this way: how do ALL of my Buffy/Angel stories turn out?). Angel has been in L.A. for about two and a half years(along with Cordelia).
Note: This story is mostly about how their lives are now and how they still feel for each other, nothing much really HAPPENS until the sequel('...True Love').
Explanation: Everyone knows Angel's leaving, and that Buffy and the gang'll be going to college next year. Chances are Buffy'll get a boyfriend in that time. I don't want to think of Angel's leaving as being the end to their love, so I wrote this; an explanation to how they might get together again sometime in the future. (Demeter is just a town I made up).
Demeter, California: Feb.5, 2002(day)
She sat on the beach shore, watching the waves. The sun shone down. Another hot Californian day.
"Hey." came the voice she'd wanted to hear, as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Hey." was her reply. She turned her head around and their lips met. Their kiss broke. "I was wondering where you were." she told her boyfriend, Seth.
"I was talking to the Xand-man." he replied, nodding his head to the canteen further up the shore.
"Ah," Buffy said "Was Casey on his back again?"
"Yeah," Seth told her "Surprise, surprise. I swear, one of these days he'll be fired by that old man."
She laughed "No doubt." She pulled him down so he was sitting with her on the sand.
"So, battling any scary monsters or other dark forces tonight?" Seth asked.
"Just patrolling." she told him.
"Oh, then can I keep you company?" he asked.
"No," she said firmly "Remember what happened the last time you decided to take part in my extra-cirriculars?"
"Oh yeah," he said "I almost got eaten. That really sucked."
"Yeah, it did," she laughed at his lightheartedness "And I had to rescue you." They shared a silent moment. "I'll meet up with you later." she told him.
"Cool," he stated "I'll be at the club with Willow and Xander."
"Okay." she said.
Clara's Noise was the hot club the youth population of Demeter could often be found at. Well, the *college* youth population anyway. Willow, Xander, Seth and Buffy all attended Demeter University. Seth was Buffy's boyfriend of two years, who knew of her Slayer ways. He was cool with it. Xander and Willow had been an item since shortly after Oz had moved to Detroit, to attend a college with a great music program. Though Willow admitted to loving Oz, they always knew Xander would be the one she'd end up with. And she had. Xander had grown up a great deal, and was now capable of handling a good, uncomplicated relationship. Buffy was now also glad to be in a nice, normal relationship. She realized it was what she needed after Angel had left for L.A., to fulfill his own destiny of fighting evil. She'd tried not to think of him much since then. Giles had stuck around Sunnydale for a while, even after being fired by the Watcher's council, but when they'd all moved on with their lives(elsewhere) he had as well. He
was now living peacefully in England, studying history and literature. Buffy's mom still lived in the 'old house' on Rebello Drive, and still owned the art gallery she so treasured. Yes, things had changed a great deal. Despite all the hardships that had come and went in the lives of the Slayer and her Slayerettes, they had survived, moved on, grown up, and were now living happy, semi-normal lives. She sometimes wondered how things would be now if things could've been different, but always caught herself on it. This was how things WERE, and they weren't all that bad. But still, she couldn't help but wonder...
Los Angeles, California: Feb.5, 2002(that night)
He slammed the door as he entered his apartment of over two years. What a night. He and Cordelia had saved a young girl of about 16, one with her whole life ahead of her, from the influence of a horrible and infamous cult...one particularily known for its gruesome sacrifices and workings of dark magic. They had had a hold on her, no doubt strengthened through magic, but the meeting of a vampire in its game face had unnerved the group enough to cast her out. They probably feared what may happen if they ever again attempted to bring her back to their twisted way of living. As well they should. Cordelia had been of great help to him, for she sympathized with those whose lives had been hurt without just cause or reason. She wanted to help them maintain their innocence. He thought back to the day he had learned of his own destiny.
Sunnydale(the mansion on Crawford St.)
"You can't stay here, no matter how much you love her. That's not why the Forces brought you back." he was told by the demon to which he owed so much. Had it not been for Whistler, he would never have had another chance to redeem himself..or even a first chance. He would never have found love...
"What about her? She needs me." he had tried to argue.
"No she doesn't. You can't protect her, only she can do that. She needs to realize her full potential..and she can't do that until you aren't there to watch her back. Besides, you have your own destiny." The demon had successfully caught his attention.
"My own destiny?"
"That's right." Whistler had said to him "You're not a worthless rodent, or the Slayer's watch dog. You both have a destiny, and to fulfill it you have to be willing to give up that which means the most to you...your love."
"No," he had argued "I-"
"Love her. Look, this isn't your choice. If it were, the Forces wouldn't even have bothered..and you'd still be spending your days in that no-fun dimension known as Hell."
Angel glared at him. "What do I have to do?"
"Well for starters, get out of Sunnydale. You need to save souls, help the lost ones find their way, and punish those who make victims of the innocent. L.A.'s a prime location. The 'City of Angels' is in a hell of a state." the demon told him.
"When?"
"Soon." the Whistler said.
Angel took a deep breath. "How do I-"
"Just tell her, she'll understand. Maybe not right away, but..she *will* understand."
He nodded. He'd tell her before he left. Whistler turned to go "Oh, and Angel,"
"Yes?" answered the vampire.
The demon remained silent for a moment, as if in silent debate. "Good luck." he said finally. Then he was gone.
When he looked back on that day, it still amazed him how calmly he'd reacted to the news. It was as if he'd always known that things would come to this, that their lives would take seperate paths. It was as if he'd always known that destiny would have it's way, sooner or later. And yet a part of him felt as if they'd never truly part. He would always love her, throughout time and change, no matter how much distance he put between them. His heart knew not of time, or of distance, for it was still with her despite the years having passed and the space that seperated them. To experience that kind of love once throughout your lifetime was to have been greatly blessed, to be able to *maintain* it throught that time and more was to have held something so great that it could only be called a miracle.
"Hey big guy." a familiar voice said from the shadows of the apartment. A voice he hadn't heard in quite some time.
Demeter: still Feb.5, 2002(also that night)
The club was packed that night, and the band was a group of guys(from a nearby college) called Poetic Discord.
Xander and Willow could be found on the dancefloor, while Seth and Buffy sat and talked over the music and two frappaccinos. A couple of drinks and a couple of dances later, and the group was all funned out. Xander and Willow headed back to their shared apartment, while Seth went with Buffy to hers. They entered and sat down on the couch to watch a couple of movies. Seth put his arm around her, and it wasn't long before they began to make out. Seth moved his hand up underneath her top, which she quickly pushed away. That ended their making out.
Buffy looked upset, and she was. "What were you doing?" she asked him.
He looked at her, somewhat bewildered. "Sorry, I just thought.."
"What?" she demanded.
He sighed. "It's just..we've been together for two years now, and we've never really been..."
"Intimate?" she asked.
He nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I can wait," he quickly explained "But I feel like you're holding back on me for some reason."
She sighed. "Can we not talk about this now?"
"Yeah sure." he said.
They watched the rest of the movie in silence.
Same place, later that night
Later that night, Buffy sat and thought in the silence of her apartment. It was *too* silent in her opinion. Seth had gone home after the movie was done. He was right, she was holding back. She liked Seth, loved him in a certain way, but...she couldn't stop thinking of Angel. When they'd been together, despite everything that had happened afterwards, it had been out of complete love..like they'd shared each other's souls. Her feelings for Seth couldn't compare to her feelings for Angel, and she knew they never would. She knew she liked Seth, and knew she couldn't be with Angel, but when she thought of being that close to Seth..all she could *think* of was Angel. All she could think of was how much she wished she could be with *him*, not Seth, making it unfair to both Seth and herself. She couldn't help feeling that if she *did* sleep with Seth, it would be to prove she was really over Angel..which she wasn't, and maybe never would be. Angel had been her first love, her true love..that kind of thing you never just forget. She would always be in love with him, and would never love anyone else with such intensity or passion, with all of her heart. The realization that she may never be able to bring herself to totally love any one other than the one she could never be with scared her. She sighed and stared into the darkness, wishing he could be with her now.