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Part 2
The next day Buffy went shopping with Melanie. She managed to keep up a good front, but the whole time she was miserable. Buffy felt really bad about what had happened last night with Riley. But in the part of her heart that had been keep buried the last year, she was happy. She had seen Angel and she realized that the normal relationship couldn't work. Angel was the only solution.
It was suddenly all so clear to her. She was the slayer. Slayers were not supposed to have social lives. That was why her relationship with Riley wasn't working. Her relationship with Angel had worked because he knew. And because they were the same. They weren't normal people who could have normal relationships. Angel was the only answer.
Her Angel.
It feels like I'm falling deeper
into the unknown
I'm losing the fight to stay alone
I'm falling, falling for you
When Buffy and Melanie returned to the house at 5 that evening, Riley pulled her aside.
"Buffy, we need to talk."
Buffy nodded. She knew what he wanted to tell her. He didn't want to be with her anymore.
"I'm going to drive you back to Sunnydale tomorrow morning, pick up my stuff, and come back here for the summer. I'm going to stay with my parents." He said with no emotion. He had clearly thought this over, and was not saddened by the break up.
Buffy nodded again. She looked up at him with a little sadness. "I'm sorry."
Riley shook his head. "It's okay. I think I saw it coming. We weren't meant to be." He gave her a weak smile then turned and left the hallway.
Later that evening, Buffy called Willow. She needed to talk.
"Hello?" Willow answered groggily.
"Willow?"
"Oh! Buffy! What's wrong?" She quickly asked. There had to be a problem if Buffy was calling the night before she was coming home.
"Well…"
"Spill it, Buffy."
"Riley took me out to the park last night." Buffy bluntly replied.
Willow sucked in a breath. "He found out?"
"Not exactly. There were four vampires approaching, and I told him to run. Of course, he didn't listen." Buffy started to retell the previous night's events.
"Sounds like Xander." Willow interrupted, giggling.
"Exactly what Angel said." Buffy quietly replied.
"Angel?" Willow gasped.
"Yep. I finally got Riley to stay down while Angel and I got rid of the vamps. Apparently Riley didn't witness everything. He just asked where they went. I told him that they left."
"So he doesn't know about you or vampires," Willow paused, " or Angel?" She asked cautiously.
"Well, he proceeded to ask about Angel, and whether or not I had gone out with him. He then got all mad when he realized that he was a rebound guy."
"Uh-oh."
"You got it."
"Now what? How is Riley?"
"He told me earlier this evening that he is staying in LA for the summer. He said we weren't meant to be." Buffy replied softly.
"Do you, do you still like him, Buffy?" Willow asked carefully.
"I… I…" Buffy stumbled.
"Do you still want this to work? Do you want to try to patch it up?" Willow boldly asked Buffy.
"No. I don't." Buffy finally replied.
"Angel's curse is permanent." Willow said calmly.
"WHAT?!!" Buffy almost yelled.
"It's permanent. As in he can be as happy as he wants to, and he will never lose his soul." Willow replied.
"Since when?" Buffy whispered.
"Well, I just found out a couple of months ago. I had talked to a gypsy from Miss Calendar's clan last year. She researched the spell that I performed on Angel. She called me a month ago with the news that his soul is permanent.&nbps; There is no clause. Miss Calendar took it out." Willow talked excitedly.&nbps; She had been hoping that Buffy and Angel could be reunited.
"So… Angel and I could be together?" Buffy asked slowly.
"Yep!!" Willow answered, bouncing in her bed.
"Oh my gosh. All this time, we could have been together? We could have avoided all this pain?" Buffy asked out aloud, but really saying it to herself for comfort.
"You should go talk to him, Buffy. Tonight, before you leave. He needs to know." Willow finally calmed down enough to think rationally.
"Yes… I should. Thanks, Willow. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Buffy replied softly.
"Goodnight, Buffy. Good luck."