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All that was left for Buffy to do was to wait for one or more of her friends to get back from wherever they were. She passed the time by watching a boring foreign movie on TV, at least until there was a knock at the door.
Much to her surprise, it was Xander and Willow, both looking giddy and elated as they entered. "Guess where we've been," Willow said, trying to contain her excitement.
Buffy remained silent a moment, confused by their behavior. "I give up. Why are you two so cheerful?"
"Because in less than two hours, we'll be newlyweds," Xander stated. "Willow and I have decided to get married!"
Buffy laughed, moving to hug them. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed. "Congratulations! I figured you two would get married someday, but... Can't wait for a traditional ceremony, huh?"
Xander shrugged. "Well, when you're in love, you're in love," he said, gazing at Willow a few moments. "Speaking of which, we want you and Angel to be there, to stand up for us. And maybe afterwards, you two could also tie the knot."
Buffy shook her head in disbelief. "We will be there, but Angel and I are perfectly happy without making it official," she said. "As long as we know we have each other, it's enough... Well, that and it would cause too much riff in the vampire world if word got out we were married."
The trio continued the conversation for a few moments more, until Angel and Stefanie entered, her face mostly hidden from view against his chest to hide the remaining streaks of blood. Buffy didn't say a word as Stefanie collapsed in her arms, crying on her shoulder. She just exchanged looks with Angel, knowing it was over.
After a long while, Stefanie pulled back, wiping at her eyes. Seeing the spots of blood on her friend's sweater and skin, Buffy silently led her into the bathroom to get cleaned up.
"Care to talk about it," Buffy asked when they were alone, cleaning Stefanie's face with a washcloth.
Stefanie gave a slight sob. "How do you get by a broken heart?" she asked.
Buffy bit her lip. "You've come to the expert on tragic romances. I've had more than my share since I moved to Sunnydale... You've just got to take it one day at a time. It gets easier."
Stefanie pulled off her sweater, wrapping a towel around herself. "Will you help me?" she asked in a small voice.
Buffy smiled. "Of course," she promised. "I will always be there for as long as you need me, Stefanie."
With that, the two girls hugged each other, knowing that through all the hardships and the battles they were destined to fight, their friendship would be one of the main things to keep them going. Being aware of that was enough...