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Disclaimer: Buffy, Angel, and Willow belong to Joss Whedon, The WB, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox. So do everyone else in the gang, I don’t own any of them so please don’t sue me. Unless you really want every Baby Sitters Club or Sweet Valley High book. ‘cause that’s about all I own.
Author’s Notes: This is one in set of three stories. Each of them is the same idea, but with a different couple and slightly different ending. I did this because I didn’t want to do another Buffy and Angel story, but I thought this was the perfect idea for one so I compromised. Warning, very sad. I hope you enjoy.
She was dying.
Everyone knew it, they had all known it would happen, but nobody thought it would be like this. But maybe it was time, she had lived so long, had fought so much. Now she was dying. It would be soon, and then she’d been taken from them. They just wished they could fulfil her last wish, but they couldn’t get in touch with him.
So she would die without him, without the chance to clear the air. They hadn’t seen each other since Graduation, twelve years ago. She had moved on, but so much was left unsaid.
Before she went she wanted to clear the air, to make amends with him, but it looked like she wouldn’t get the chance. The others shared worried glances, it would be any time now, she was trying to hold on for him, but there was a chance she might never get to see him.
After all she had been through, it wasn’t fair that she would die without her one wish being fulfilled. It wasn’t fair, if only they could have found him.
Just as it looked like the end was here, he came through the door. His eyes took in the dying woman on the bed, he shuddered when he saw how much she had changed. The beautiful Buffy he remembered was gone, in her place was a shattered shell. Not even looking at the others, he moved to take her in his arms.
She opened her eyes. “Angel?” She asked softly, almost as if she didn’t even want to hope that it was really him. “It’s me.” He said quietly, holding her in his arms. For a few minutes they just stayed like that, not wanting to move, just enjoying the comfort of being in each other’s arms.
While the two sat in comfortable silence, the others slipped out. They knew that this was a private moment, and the had already said their goodbyes. This was Buffy and Angel’s moment, they didn’t need an audience.
Buffy looked up at Angel, her eyes filled with unshed tears and wonders of what could have been. “I love you.” She said quietly. “I love you , I’m sorry it took me so long to get here.”
Buffy put her hand on his face. “I knew you’d come, I just wish this wasn’t goodbye.” Angel looked at her seriously. “Buffy, I once told you that not even death would change our love, what I said was true. I wish we had had more time, but never under estimate what we did have. It was so powerful, and it will never go away.”
Buffy started to cry. “All I know is that I’m glad we got this, I have so much I want to say to you, but I don’t have time. So all I”m going to say is, I love you. You truly were my night in shining Armour, my one true love.”
He leaned down and kissed her, with that kiss she let go. He pulled away, and saw that she had gone, in his arms, with his lips on hers. The way she had wanted to.
He started to cry, tears of blood, the only way a demon could cry. He gently kissed her forehead and whispered “goodbye” before going to tell the others she was gone.
They weren’t surprised, they knew it was coming. She had been so sick, but it hurt just the same. As everyone else dealt with their grief in their own way, Willow turned to Angel. “How did you know?” She asked quietly, through her tears. Angel shrugged sadly. “I just did, something told me she needed me.”
Willow nodded it made sense, if anyone two people could have a psychic connection, it would be them. If anyone could hear her silent pleas, it would be her one true love.