By: Sarah Latta(Crystal Dawn)
The Deal: Angel did lose his soul, but never got it back, and never went to Hell. Buffy never left Sunnydale.
WARNING: There is death and suicide in this story(the ending *is* happy however).
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He felt himself being ripped, painfully, away from his body. As soul and body seperated, the demon once again began to take control. His first thought was of Buffy, then of the pain. He struggled for control, knowing he might lose. If the demon gained full control... he couldn't think about it. His thoughts were frantic. He had to get away, or gain control, or do SOMETHING to protect Buffy. Those were his last thoughts as he felt himself fully seperate, no longer having any control. Angelus was back. He watched as the girl approached him, or what USED to be him, asking if he was okay. He watched everything that followed in utter torture. Then, as Angelus let the body fall, he felt himself leaving that world, to the place that he had left a century ago. He feared for Buffy's safety, but could no longer do anything to protect her. As the brilliant white light that had enveloped him began to fade, he began to see the beautiful, peaceful place. The sky was clear blue, the grass thick and green. There was a gentle breeze, and you could see an ocean the color of saphire, with gently rippling waves, in the distance. The sun shone brightly, illuminating everything around it. Around him, scattered about, were the souls of others, all doing their own thing. There were children, lovers, friends, family, all together, in peace and happiness. It was so peaceful, so... right. He felt the guilt and pain leave him, happiness, freedom, taking its place. "Hello Angelus," someone said from behind him, lovingly. He knew that voice. He turned around, to see his whole family smiling happily at him. The voice had been of his mother. He quickly went to join them.
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Angel had been gone over a month now, and she still couldn't accept that her love wasn't coming back. She knew Willow thought she should start dating again, but this had been the love of her LIFE. She couldn't just get over him. She had loved him so much, and now, to just GET OVER him... it wasn't something she was yet ready to do. She no longer wore her ring, but her heart was still with who he had been. She drifted off to sleep.
*There are times when I
Look above and beyond,
There are times when I
Feel your love around me, baby.
I'll never forget my baby...*
She sat by an ocean, the tide dancing at her feet. The moon and stars shone on it, adding to its beauty. The sand was soft, gentle, and pure white. A gentle breeze softly blew. The moon was beautiful and full. "Peaceful, isn't it?" a voice behind her asked, one she would know anywhere. She turned around to see Angel standing behind her. She arose quickly, and held him as if he'd fade into nothingness if she let go. "I love you," she whispered to him, gently. He stroked her soft hair, replying "I love you too." She pulled away and began to speak, but he softly put his finger to her lips. "Shhh..." he whispered "Do you hear that?" She questioned him with her eyes. "It's the ocean's song," he told her, the waves gently lapping at their feet. She smiled at him. She was just glad to be with him, at last. "Dance?" he asked. Her smile grew, and she nodded. They danced to the sound of the waves all night long.
She hated to go. How long would it be until they could be together again? Would they EVER be together again? She awoke with a sadness in her heart.
*Dream of what is together again,
What I want is together again, baby,
I know we'll be together again, 'cause:
Everywhere I go,
Every smile I see,
I know you are there,
Smiling back at me.
Dancing in moonlight,
I know you are free,
'Cause I can see your star,
Shining down on me...*
He watched her go by the light of the moon, wishing deeply that he could go with her. Here he had peace, here he had happiness, but he'd rather have her. Would their pathes again cross, or would he be forced to live without his love? The waves, rolling in and out at his feet, were like the tugging he felt on his heart. "Good bye, my love," he whispered, as she faded away. Then came the dawn. Another day, without her.
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The demon that had once been Angel, her true love, had decided to begin inflicting torment upon her. She longed to be able to turn to Angel's arms, like she once had, and find comfort, protection. Now, in place of his arms, was the cold, empty space where his memory lie. At least she still had those, the memories. They just weren't the same without him. Nothing was.
*Always been a true angel to me,
Now above,
I can't wait for you to
Wrap your wings around me, baby,
Wrap 'em around me, baby...*
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Her Angel was never coming back to her. The cold, harsh reality of it had more than sunken in. Ms. Calendar was dead. Gone. Things would never be the same. She hadn't been able to kill Angelus, that demon that resided where Angel should be, because she'd hung on to the hope that his soul could someday be restored. But no, her love was gone, forever, and he'd never return. A wave of grief, about everything, swept over her, and the tears fell from her eyes. Where had the light at the end of the tunnel gone?
She opened her tear-stained eyes to the day. A calmness and comfort swept over her. This place was so... peaceful. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Angel's hand. Her eyes wandered up to meet his. He wrapped his arms around her, and she freely cried. "It's okay," he whispered gently. He let her cry out all of the pain she'd been holding in. "It's so hard," she told him over the tears. "I know," he replied sympathetically. She looked up into his eyes. "Don't worry," he told her softly "She's here. She's happy. She's free." Buffy stayed in his arms, letting that old feeling of comfort, of things being right, take over. She felt his arms around her, until it was again time for her to go. She faded away in his arms, their love and shelter being the last things she knew.
*Sometimes, hear you whisper
In all my pain,
No worries will you ever
See, my baby,
I'm so happy for my baby...*
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She ran through the school. The one that had once been her love was now chasing her. She felt a deep terror in her heart as she ran. She thought about her two dead friends. No! Her heart cried with pain. She didn't hear Angelus behind her, but knew he must be close by. It all became too much, and she slumped to the floor in tears. "Why lover, giving up so soon?" a voice above her said, sending a cold chill through her. She just looked at him in tears, knowing what was to come. She thought of rejoining Angel, and could only feel happiness. Maybe she'd wanted to die.
*What I'd give just to hold you close
As on earth,
In heaven we will be together, baby,
Together again, my baby.*
-exerpts from 'Together Again', Janet Jackson
She didn't fight as he grabbed her, then, in an instant, snapped her neck. She felt the bones shatter, and exhaled her last breath. As Angelus reveled in triumph, an arrow from a crossbow shot straight into his heart. He screamed, before exploding into dust. At the other end of the crossbow, Giles stood, a look of revenge set hard upon his face. Angelus was dead.
The bright light faded, and she began to see the beautiful place where she'd twice met her love. She looked towards the ocean, and saw a figure in the distance, beckoning her towards it. The figure then turned, walking silently towards the ocean. She ran after it. As she stepped onto the beach, she smiled at the people there waiting for her. They were all smiling, happy. She ran to Angel, and he wrapped his arms around her. Willow and Oz were sitting on the sand together. Ms. Calendar, Jenny, stood off to the side. Buffy snuggled closer to Angel, and they turned to watch the sun set over the ocean, casting an orange glow over the water, on the clouds, and through the sky. Willow and Oz layed back on the sand, and looked into each other's eyes. Jenny sat down on the sand, dreaming of Rupert. Buffy and Angel were together again, eternally. Nothing else mattered.
*Guardian angel, I
Sail away on an ocean
With you by my side.
Orange clouds roll by,
They burn into your image
And you're still alive
(You're always alive.)*
-exerpt from 'Close My Eyes', Mariah Carey
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Giles, Xander, and Cordy stood over Buffy's grave. She'd been layed down to her eternal rest not long ago. They had already visited Oz and Willow's graves, spending what seemed like hours at each. Giles had visited Jenny's. The sun was sinking beneath the clouds, as if it too were mourning the deaths. It was so hard to believe they were gone, especially Buffy. She'd been so strong. It reminded them of their own mortality. They couldn't believe they'd never hear their laughter again, or see their smiles. They'd never again see Willow at the computer, looking up infomation, Oz always nearby, or Buffy, around to crack jokes, and make them smile. Their friends would never again be around, to just... BE there. Things would never be complete again. Never be whole. Something would always be missing. They'd be missing. They suspected Buffy had given up, and had let Angelus kill her. She'd never been quite the same since Angel had gone. A gentle, empty breeze blew, and the sun had set, leaving the sky cold and gray. "Do you think they're together?" Cordy asked. Their deaths had upset her as much as anyone. Giles spoke "We can only hope they are." There was a silent, sorrowful pause. "Wherever they are," Xander said, his voice cracking with emotion "Maybe they've found peace." Tears rolled from his eyes, and soon did from Giles' and Cordy's. A cold breeze blew. They stood in silence, each with their own thoughts, own memories. After what seemed like ages, they each went their seperate ways.
That night, from Giles' house, a single gunshot could be heard, echoing through the darkness like an empty, sorrowful song. His body was found with a gun in his hand. He'd shot himself in the head, taking his own life. After that, Xander and Cordy, the last two of the scooby gang, were never the same. They stayed together, being the only thing in each other's lives to keep things together, for what little was left.
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Jenny smiled as Rupert walked towards her. He looked around at this peaceful place. He saw Oz chasing Willow in the grass. They turned and waved at him. Angel and Buffy were sitting under a tree, smiling and looking deeply into each other's eyes. They briefly turned to smile at Giles, before going back to smiling at each other. Giles and Jenny kissed, before walking hand-in-hand down to the beach. Buffy looked into her love's eyes, and he looked back into her's. Now that they were all together again, all they needed was each other. Forever.