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Disclaimer: Buffy and Angel don't belong to me. They belong to Joss Whedon, The WB, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox. I'm not making any money off this, so please don't sue me.
Author's Notes: An alternate ending to Graduation Day Pt2, Buffy and Angel get a proper farewell. Warning angst ahead. Enjoy. Oh, and I will return to happy fic soon, I don't know how much more angst I can handle, so happy fic soon.
Buffy saw Angel waiting for her, near the remains of the school.
She approached him. "Angel." She said, trying to keep the tears from coming, his face told her he was trying to do the same.
"Buffy." He said in the same tone, then he started to talk. "I couldn't do it, not say goodbye."
"I'm glad." She said, though she didn't know how to feel glad about anything anymore. She looked at him intently. "Why are you leaving Angel? Really, what are you're real reasons?"
Angel looked down at the ground for a second, then he raised his eyes to her. "There are a lot of them. The reasons I told you are part of it, but not the whole story." He gave a sad smile. "This place is full of too many memories, too much pain. I feel like drowning in them sometimes. This place is too full of regret."
Buffy looked up at him, a horrible thought knotting in her stomach. "Angel, am I one of those regrets? Our relationship?"
Angel looked shocked, the stared deep into her eyes. "Never. Buffy, you are the one thing in my life I don't regret. Will never regret. I hope you don't either, but I wouldn't blame you."
Buffy shook her head and held his gaze. "No, Angel, I'll never regret either. I love you so much, you are the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
Angel's eyes filled with tears, and he stepped closer to her. "No, you are the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Buffy, I can't imagine not knowing you."
Then why are you leaving?" She asked softly.
"Because it's the right thing to do, maybe not forever, but for now." He said, finally tearing his eyes away from her.
"Will you be back?" She asked, holding on to that one fragile hope.
Angel was silent for a minute, then he answered slowly. "I don't know, I can't answer. I do know, that if I do, it won't be soon. Maybe in a couple years."
Buffy held on to the maybe, maybe this wouldn't be forever.
Then Angel moved away, he picked up the bag he had put down on the ground. "Goodbye." He said quietly, Buffy didn't say anything. Just watched him pick up his bag and turn to go. When he was almost out of her sight, she finally called out. "Angel, never regret."
"Never regret." He repeated, giving her a sad smile, and then he walked into the shadows.
Fitting in a way, the first time she saw him he had appeared from the shadows, now that was how he left her for the last time. Full circle.
But, she wasn't thinking about, all she could think about was how much it hurt. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she watched the darkness he had disappeared into.
She could only hope it wasn't the end.
But no matter what she knew she would keep her promise, she would never regret Angel or any of the time they had spent together.