Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, and the WB. I’m just borrowing them for awhile, please don’t sue.
Author’s Note: This is how I see Angel leaving for “Angel”. It is not a happy ending, the very first one of my stories that ends with Buffy and Angel being alive and apart. Personally I wish this wouldn’t happen, but I know it’s going to so here is how I think it should.
[Opens With an outside shot of the Summers’ house and gradually fades into Buffy’s room]
Narrator (Whistler): This is the story of pure love, a love so great it only comes once in a lifetime. I know what you’re thinking, that that kind of love only exists in the movies. Well you’re wrong, I’ll show you two people who are destined to be in love. But it’s not a happy ending, because see these two people aren’t together anymore, they were torn apart by the very thing that brought them together. Fate. I’ll show you what I mean.
[Camera goes to Buffy’s bed] Buffy’s crying herself to sleep [camera slowly fades to Angel watching her out side the window.]
Angel Wipes away a tear before jumping off the roof and turning to go.
[fade to opening credits]
[Camera fades back into Buffy’s room and her on the bed]
[Camera pans from her to the window to a flashback]
Camera goes to Buffy getting ready for her nightly patrol when she hears a tap at her window. [Camera pans to the window] She turns around to see Angel there, her face lights up as she nods for him to come in. She walks over to him about to touch his face, when he stops her by grabbing her hand midway and bringing it down.
Angel: Buffy don't make this harder than it already is.
Buffy: (confused) Don’t make what harder?
Angel: (sadly) This. Buffy, I came to tell you I’m leaving Sunnydale.
Buffy: When?
Angel: Tomorrow.
Buffy: (angrily) What about me? What about us?
Angel: (still sad) Buffy you know that there can’t be an us, that’s why I’m leaving.
Buffy: (crying) Angel, I love you.
Angel: I love you too, that’s why I’m leaving. We both know if I stay one thing will lead to another, and that can never happen again.
Buffy: (pleadingly) Willow’s looking for a way to take out the happiness cause.
Angel: You know as well as I do that she may never find a way.
Buffy: (crying once again) You’re right. Where are you going?
Angel: L.A
Buffy: (a little more cheerful) That’s not too far, will you visit? Could I visit you?
Angel: I’ll come back time to time, but Buffy I don’t think we should see each other. It would be too painful, besides I want you to move on. To fall in love with some normal man who can love you back without any restrictions.
Buffy: Angel, I don’t want to fall in love with any one else. I want you.
Angel: Buffy, you know that’s impossible. We both do. (they’re both silent for a moment as they look at each other sadly, he’s the first to look away) I should go, I need to finish my packing.
Buffy: (bitterly) There’s no point in asking you not to go, is there?
Angel: (sadly) No. But there is something I would like to ask you, my train leaves at 8 O’clock tomorrow. Would you come and see me off?
Buffy: I don’t think I can, it would be too hard.
Angel: I respect that, so this is goodbye.
Buffy: (sadly) I guess.
Angel looks at her once more before he turns to go. As soon as he’s out of sight Buffy starts to cry and falls on the bed as she did the night after her 17th birthday. [camera pans to outside the house]
[camera pans to Angel at the mansion, he’s packing]
Angel walks over to his dresser and picks up a picture of Buffy.
Angel: (sadly) Buffy, I’m doing this for your own good, I just wish you could understand. (while he looks at the picture his mind fades back to the time she saved him from killing himself on Christmas)
Buffy finds Angel outside, waiting for the sun to rise on an overlook of Sunnydale.
Buffy: "Angel."
Angel(looking out at the rest of Sunnydale): "I bet half the kids down there are already awake, lying in their beds, sneaking downstairs, waiting for day."
Buffy: "Angel please. I need you to get inside. There's only a few minutes left."
Angel: "I know. I can smell the sunrise long before it comes."
Buffy: "I don't have time to explain this, you just have to trust me. That thing that was haunting you-"
Angel: "It wasn't haunting me..it was showing me."
Buffy: "Showing you?"
Angel: "What I am."
Buffy: "Were."
Angel: "And ever shall be. Look, I wanted to know why I was back..and now I do."
Buffy: "You don't know. Some great evil takes credit for bringing you back, and you buy it? You just give up?"
Angel: "I can't do it again Buffy, I can't become a killer."
Buffy: "Then fight it."
Angel: "It's too hard." (he shakes his head) "Mm-mm"
Buffy: "Angel please, you have to get inside-"
Angel: "They told me to kill you. You were in the dream, you know. They told me to lose my soul in you and become a monster again."
Buffy: "I know what it told you. What does it matter?"
Angel: "Because I wanted to! Because I want you so badly! I want to take comfort in you. And I know it'll cost me my soul, and a part of me doesn't care. Look, I'm weak..I've never been anything else. It's not the demon in me that needs killing Buffy, it's the man."
Buffy: "You're weak, everyone is..everybody fails. Maybe this evil did bring you back, but if it did it's because it needs you, and that means that you can hurt it. Angel, you have the power to do real good, to make amends. But if you die now then all that you ever were was a monster. Angel please, the sun is coming up-"
Angel: "Just go."
Buffy: "I won't."
Angel: "Do you think this is simple? Do you think there's an easy answer? You can never understand what I've done. Now go."
Buffy: "You're not staying here, I won't let you!"
Angel(pushes her away): "Leave!"
She punches him and he pushes her to the ground. He pulls her up to face him.
Angel: "Am I a thing worth saving, huh? Am I a righteous man? The world wants me gone."
Buffy: "What about me? I love you *so* much. And I tried to make you go away. I killed you and it didn't help." (She pushes him away, then continues) "And I hate it. I hate that it's so hard, and that you can hurt me *so* much. I know everything that you did because you did it to me. God, I wish that I wished you dead. I don't. I can't."
They both get up.
Angel: "Buffy please. Just this once..let me be strong."
Buffy: "Strong is fighting. It's hard, and it's painful, and it's everyday. It's what we have to do, and we can do it together. But if you're too much of a coward for that, the burn. If I can't convince you that you belong in this world, then I don't know what can. But do *not* expect me to watch, and don't expect me to mourn for you because-" she stops when she realizes it’s snowing, they both stare at the still black sky.
Angel: (whispering) You should have let me die that night.
He let’s out a sigh, then puts down the picture and resumes packing
Whistler: Angel knew that his decision to leave would hurt the slayer, but he also knew in the long run it would be better for her. See he had to leave because he had hurt to many people in Sunnydale, and done things he didn’t thinks could be forgiven. He was wrong.
[Camera pans to the library, it’s the next day]
Xander, Willow, and Oz are sitting around one of the tables.
Oz: So Angel’s leaving?
Willow: (sadly) Yeah. You should see Buffy she’s devastated, she’s so upset her mom let her stay home today.
Xander: (happily) Am I the only one who sees the good here? (Glares from the others answer his question) I mean all the guy ever did was cause trouble.
Cordelia (voice only, you can’t see her): That’s not true, you’re just jealous because he’s three times the man you are, and he’s not even a man.
[Camera pans to Cordelia standing in the doorway]
Xander: (angrily) You’re defending him now?
Cordelia: (walking over to sit beside Willow) Someone has to. I’m not saying he didn’t do horrible stuff ‘cause he did, but you’re speaking like he’s just a monster, nothing else.
[camera pans to Buffy standing in the doorway]
Buffy: She’s right.
Willow: (softly) I’m glad you came.
Buffy: I couldn’t sit home and mope, besides I had to talk to Cordelia.
Cordelia: (shocked) Me?
Xander: (just as shocked and a little hurt) Her?
Buffy: Yeah. Cordy you’re going to L.A in the fall right? (Cordelia nods) Well that’s where Angel’s going. He doesn’t think we should see each other once he leaves, so will you keep an eye on him for me?
Cordelia: Of course.
Buffy: Thank you.
[fade to commercial break]
[fade into Buffy’s bedroom]
Buffy is talking to Willow on the phone.
Willow (voice only): You have to go, if you don’t you’ll regret it.
Buffy: I guess you’re right, but it’s going to be difficult.
[camera pans to Willow sitting on her bed]
Willow: Do you want me to go with you?
[camera pans pack to Buffy going through some of her stuff]
Buffy: Could you? I don’t think I could do it alone.
Willow (voice only): I understand.
Buffy: Thanks Willow you’re a great.. (drops the phone)
Willow: Buffy? Buffy?
Buffy picks something up, and then reaches down for the phone.
Buffy: Sorry Will, I just found something I thought I lost a long time ago. Any ways his train leaves at eight do you think you could pick me up at 7:30?
[camera pans to Buffy’s hand we see what she found, her claudagh ring.]
[camera fades from Buffy talking on the phone to Angel finishing his packing as Whistler narrates once more]
Whistler: What she found was a symbol, a symbol of the love she and Angel shared. But what she doesn’t realise is that the ring was returned to her from a higher power, a higher power which will never truly let her and Angel be apart. She doesn’t understand that she and Angel were meant to fall in love, but she will.
[fade to commercial]
[Camera pans to a train station] It’s night, Buffy get’s own of Oz’s van alone. She walks towards Angel, who is alone on the platform [camera pans to Angel] Angel turns around and sees her, he get’s a small, sad smile on his face. [Camera pans from Buffy who is now standing right in front of Angel then back to Angel]
Angel: (softly) Buffy. I didn’t think you were coming.
Buffy: Either did I. But I had some sense talked into me.
Angel: (laughing softly) Willow?
Buffy: Yeah. She told me that if I didn’t come I’d always regret it, she was right.
Angel: (softly) I’m glad you came.
Buffy: So am I. I think we need to say a proper goodbye. I’m not saying it doesn’t hurt it does, but I really want to say a proper goodbye.
Angel: You’re right. Buffy, as I’ve told you before I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. But it was more than that, you taught me what love was. You made me realise I wasn’t just a monster (Buffy starts to cry). Then I hurt you, more than I’d ever hurt anyone else. That’s why I have to go, so that I never hurt you like that again.
Buffy: (still crying) Angel, I accept that you have to go. I don’t want you to, but I accept it. Angel, I know you want me move on, but I don't think I’ll be able to. I’ve been in love with you for so long, I don’t think that could ever change. Besides I don’t want it to. I love you. I hope you’re happy in L.A, and maybe someday Willow will find a way for us to be together.
Angel: (whispering) Maybe.
Buffy: (softly) Goodbye.
Angel: Goodbye.
They walk to each other slowly and then they share a long kiss. [(In the background you can hear the Buffy & Angel love theme.) While they kiss the camera flashes back to some pivotal moments in their relationship.] (Author’s note I’m borrowing this part from Saved By the Bell Wedding I Los Vegas.)
When she slammed him on the ground during their first meeting. Their first kiss. Their “goodbye” kiss at The Bronze. Making out on Halloween. Making out in the Graveyard. Kissing against his apartment door. The kiss they shared before she sent him to Hell. Their first kiss after he returned from hell. Him pushing down during their argument on the cliff. Their training session before her birthday.
Angel pulled away first, his eye glimmering with unshed tears.
Angel: I guess this is it.
Buffy: Yeah I guess so.
Angel turns to go, just before he boards the train Buffy calls his name. He turns to face her.
Buffy: I love you. I’ll never stop, remember that.
Angel: I’ll never stop either.
Buffy: (holding out her hand to show her claudagh ring which is pointing towards her) I found this this morning. I don’t know where it came from, but it was there. Almost like a miracle, maybe it is because our love was a miracle. I’ll always wear it this way because I’ll always belong to you.
Angel: (Angel show his ring which is also facing inward) I’ll always belong to you too.
Conductor: All on Board.
Buffy: You should go, just remember that I’ll always remember you.
Angel: I’ll always remember you too. (he turns to go)
Angel boards the train after one last look at Buffy, a tear rolls down her cheek as she turns to go.
Willow is standing in front of the van she holds out her arms to Buffy who runs into them crying.
Willow:(soothingly) There, there, it’ll be all right. I promise.
[The camera goes from Angel who’s reading a book, but the look on his face tells you that his mind’s not on the book, but with the woman he loves. To Buffy who is sitting in front of the T.V watching “Casablanca” with Willow. You can tell from the look on her face that her mind is also elsewhere.]
Whistler: (While the camera pans from Angel in the train to Buffy in front of the T.V) This isn’t the end, for their story is no where near over and they both know it. They are soul mates, and in the end they will always be together, but until that time their hearts will always belong to one another. And I promise you one day soon my little buddy Angel and the woman he loves will be reunited. For their love is a love which only comes once in a lifetime if you’re lucky, and lasts forever.