Willow watched in horror as Angelus slid the dagger into Buffy's chest. Her friend's face twisted in agony as she dropped to the ground. Willow started to run forward but Xander, Oz and Giles held her back, "No Willow, we must finish it. Remember that it was Buffy's wish," Giles said.
Willow took a deep breath and then spoke the words which would restore Angel's soul. She held an Orb of Thesulah high above her and it began to glow. Suddenly Angelus's eyes glowed red and he collapsed to the floor. This time Willow did run forward followed by the guys and Cordelia. She dropped down between Buffy and Angel. Torn between helping Buffy and seeing if Angelus was gone and Angel was back she looked between the two. She decided a split second later that there was no use saving Buffy if a second later she was killed by Angelus. So she turned to the crumpled body not knowing if a friend lay there or a brutal enemy who would kill her in the blink of an eye. She heard quiet sobbing coming from the form and she knew then that Angel was back. Willow reached out her hand and put it on his back.
"Buffy?" Angel cried. His head popped up hopefully, his disappointment was apparent when he saw just Willow. "Willow where am I? I don't remember anything. What happened? Where's Buffy?" Willow realised sadly that he had not regained his memory yet. She couldn't say anything at that moment so she simply moved away so that he could see Buffy's unconscious body on the floor. Xander and Giles were at her side and Cordelia was on her mobile phone frantically arranging for an ambulance to come.
Angel looked at Buffy his one love. His face filled with horror he moved to her side and picked her up in his arms frantically calling her name, "Buffy, Buffy, oh God wake up. You can't die, I love you, I need you." He turned to Giles whilst still clasping Buffy close to his chest and asked, "What happened? Who did this to her?" Giles couldn't answer so Angel turned to Willow who had tears streaming down her face.
"Willow?" he asked questioningly.
Willow knew what she was about to tell him would hurt him more than anything but he deserved an answer, "You, I mean Angelus stabbed her." They were the hardest words Willow had ever said and the hardest words Angel had ever heard. Angel's face became a mask of horror and his eyes were filled with undescribable pain, no-one could bear to look. Angel looked down at Buffy's pale face as she took shallow, ragged breaths and said, "I did this to her? I did this to my Buffy?" He was shocked. How could this have happened? He didn't know. All he did know was that his only love, his one reason for living was lying in his arms close to death because of him. He heard the wailing of the ambulance sirens before any of the others. He picked up Buffy's limp form in his strong arms and hurried to the door to intercept the paramedics. The others followed close behind him. By the time they were outside the paramedics had arrived and were getting out, seeing Angel with Buffy they ran to help. Angel lay Buffy down on a stretcher and stepped back as the paramedics examined her. Whilst they did this Angel said to the group of Buffy's friends that Xander had affectionately named the Scooby Gang in happier times, "One of you should go with her. I've been nothing but trouble to her, she wouldn't want me with her."
"Damn right she wouldn't," Xander cried angrily. Willow glared at Xander and then turned to Angel's forlorn face, "No you should go with her. The last thing she asked us to do was to restore your soul. I know she still loves you. She never for a second blamed you for any of the things that Angelus did. She'd want you to be with her." Angel smiled gratefully at her and turned to go. Willow caught his arm, "Before you go, I know you don't remember anything but you will regain your memories soon. Be prepared they're not pleasant." She smiled wanly. Angel turned and jumped into the back of the ambulance next to Buffy who's stretcher was just being secured down. The doors were shut and they drove off. Buffy's friends watched them go, not knowing whether they would ever see their friend again.
"Let's go," Willow said. They left in Cordelia's car in pursuit of the ambulance.
Angel held Buffy's hand tightly as he watched the paramedic work on her. As he sat looking at her a sudden flash of memory came to his mind and then another. He remembered Buffy's tearful face as he broke her heart when he mocked their night together, he remembered her friend Theresa, he remembered trying to kill Buffy's friends, he remembered Jenny Calendar's face filled with fear as he snapped her neck, in short he remembered everything. Finally came the memory of him stabbing Buffy, "No, Oh God no. How could I hurt her?" he whispered. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut trying to squeeze the memories out of his mind. He stayed that way until he heard the paramedic call to his colleague, "I think we're losing her."
Angel took in this news and screamed, "Damn it no!" He pushed the paramedic out of his way and leant over Buffy's face, "Buffy come on. You're a fighter you have to live. I'm back and I'm not going anywhere, but without you I have nothing to live for. You have to live Buffy, live for your friends, for your family........ for me. I love you, come back to me." Slowly Buffy began to breathe again and her eyelids fluttered open, "Angel?"
"Buffy I'm here. Stay with me."
"I love you Angel."
Here is the point at which the first ending starts. The second will follow afterwards.
Buffy's eyes shut and her face went slack. Angel looked at her and shook his head, "No, no. Noooooooo!" he screamed. Buffy was dead an there was nothing he could do about it. Slowly he stood up and bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. He told the stunned paramedic to stop the ambulance and then he climbed out. He ran from the ambulance as fast as he could in attempt to outrun the truth. Eventually he found himself at his apartment. He entered and sat down on the bed thinking of all the time he had spent with Buffy, all the things he loved about her.
Suddenly a glowing light appeared in the centre of the room, it was Buffy or more accurately Buffy's soul. Angel gasped.
"Angel. I've been told to tell you that your time is up," he looked at her uncomprehendingly, "What do you mean?"
"You were only supposed to stay until you could be of no further use to me. Now you can leave with me.............. if you want." She added hurriedly. Tears fell from his eyes, "You still love me?"
"Of course I do silly. Now are you coming or not?" She said impatiently. Angel nodded, "Take me with you." She stretched out her hand to him. He accepted it without thought and he felt himself leave his body. He watched as his body fell lifelessly to the ground. He looked down at himself and then at Buffy. He smiled, "Well we'd better get going. Eternity can't wait for us forever," he joked. She led him into the light and they spent the rest of eternity together. There love never faltered for each other and they were just happy to be together. One by on Buffy's friends and family joined them and this just added to their happiness.
Love is eternal.
The END (well the first end anyway)
* * *
Angel felt Buffy squeeze his hand. The paramedic stood up unsteadily and came over to her, "This is impossible. She should be dead."
"She's a fighter"Angel said and then in a lower voice he said to Buffy, "She's the Slayer."
When they had reached the hospital Buffy had been immediately admitted and rushed to surgery. Angel stood pacing nervously in the waiting room until Buffy's friends and family came rushing in.
Willow upon seeing him instantly cried, "How is she?"
"Is she going to be alright?" Giles enquired. Angel answered, "She spoke to me in the ambulance but they took her to surgery as soon as we arrived. They said she should have died but I think she'll be alright because of that slayer blood of hers."
"Thank God. What would we do without her and I'm bot just talking about on the vampire front." Willow suddenly realised that Joyce, Buffy's mom was present and staring at them all as if they were crazy. She turned to Angel, "I told you to keep away from my daughter. I don't want you to hurt her anymore." She turned to the others, "And I don't know what's wrong with the rest of you. Slayer? Vampires? I don't think that any of you should go anywhere near Buffy if this is the kind of thing you talk about. Your obviously delusional and a bad influence on my daughter." The Scooby Gang looked at each other and then Giles and Willow shared a long understanding look, "Giles it's time. She needs to know."
"Know what?" Joyce cried furiously.
"Mrs Summers," Giles started unsurely. "Mrs Summers your daughter is a vampire slayer. In point of fact the Vampire Slayer." Joyce started to laugh and then stopped when no-one joined her. Their faces were all deadly serious.
"OK. That's it, I'm calling security if you don't all leave now.
You're crazy."
Xander jumped in, "It's true. Angel show her." Buffy's mom turned to Angel who now sported his game face. She stared at him for a long second and promptly passed out into Giles's arms.
By the time Buffy came around several hours later her mom had been convinced that not only did vampires and other assorted creatures of the night exist but that she was the Slayer. As Buffy's eyes opened she saw her mom and Angel on either side of her bed. She noted that the blinds were drawn tightly and that no sun could get in. She struggled to sit up and Angel noticed she was awake.
"Hey there. You've got to stop doing this, you died again you know."
Joyce looked at him unsure of his meaning. She shook her head deciding that she probably didn't want to know, she'd had quite enough surprises for one night as it was.
"Buffy honey. I was so worried. When I heard that you'd been stabbed I was terrified." Buffy looked around frantically, "Yeah I was stabbed, um, it was probably a gang on PCP maybe the one from parents' evening." Buffy looked pleased with herself and Joyce almost hated to take that away from her, "Buffy I know," she said simply.
"Know? Know what?" Buffy asked desperately trying to sound innocent.
"I know you're the Slayer for starters, I know that your friend here," she indicated Angel, "is a vampire, I know what happened to you and I know that it wasn't his fault then or for all the other things he did, like scaring you and I know that you haven't been telling the truth to me for a long time." Joyce finished triumphantly. Buffy stared at her open-mouthed and both Joyce and Angel laughed. After a while they both became serious again and Joyce added, "What I don't get is why you didn't tell me."
"I couldn't mom I had to protect you from anybody who might wanted to get at me through you."
"But all those times you got into trouble because of your slaying and you just took the blame and punishment without saying anything."
"I had to mom."
"Well I'm proud of you honey." She exchanged a look with Angel who had told her about everything and she knew that the two needed to talk alone. "I'm just going to go and get myself some coffee and then have a little chat with that nice Mr Giles. I want to know exactly what I can do to help. I'll be back in a while sweetheart."
With that she kissed Buffy on the forehead and left. She walked down the corridor and muttered to herself, "Where is that nice Mr Giles, that very nice, handsome Mr Giles?"
When Joyce was gone Buffy and Angel were silent for a while. Buffy put her hand out to him and he took it with both of his. He raised it to his lips and kissed it. They looked into each other's eyes, each trying to figure out what the other was thinking. They both started thinking at the same time, "Buffy," "Angel."
Buffy smiled and said, "You go first." He nodded, wanting to get out what he had to say as soon as possible.
"Buffy I'm sorry about all those terrible things I did and said. I never meant to hurt you but I'd understand if you hated me. If you never want to see me again I'll understand and I'll leave right now but whatever happens I want you to know that I'll always love you."
Buffy looked at him sadly, "Angel I'm not going to pretend that the things that Angelus did didn't hurt me, because they did. But that's just the point, Angelus did them, not you and I could never hate you. I never want you to leave me but before you decide if you'll stay, can you forgive me?" Angel looked happy but surprised at her question, "Forgive you? Forgive you for what?"
"It was my fault you lost your soul. You were fine until I came along and I took your soul away. I killed everybody Angelus killed."
Angel put his finger to her lips, "You must never believe that. It was just one of those things. I'm just worried that it might happen again. I don't want to leave you again but I couldn't bear hurting you again." Buffy looked at him in surprise, "Didn't she tell you?"
"Who? Tell me what?"
"Willow. We didn't use the same curse as the gypsies used. Ms. Calendar altered the wording before she... well before she died, so that you could never lose your soul again."
Angel looked at her disbelieving, "Never?" he sounded like a little boy at Christmas.
"Never," she smiled at him happily.
"So I can be happy with you and there's no danger of me becoming Angelus again?"
"That's right. You have to put up with me for a whole lot longer," she said with a mock serious expression on her face. Angel stood up and smiled. Buffy had never seen him look this happy before, in fact he had never been this happy before. He leaned over and kissed her passionately. When they broke off Buffy giggled and said, "Putting the spell to the test are we?" He looked at her uncomprehendingly when her meaning dawned upon him. Buffy continued, "I think maybe we should test it some more. Just to be sure of course." They smiled mischievously at each other, "Just to be sure," he echoed.
They started kissing again and when at long last they broke off Angel lay beside her on her bed and they talked for hours. Angel knew that he had a lot to make up to Buffy whatever she said, but now he never had to leave her and that knowledge made him the happiest man, technically vampire in existence. As he dozed off next to Buffy he thought of their future together. He hoped they'd get to see many things and that marriage might be in the cards somewhere along the lines but the only really important thing was that she was with him. With that thought he fell asleep with Buffy in his arms. Their dreams were similar, they were of each other and whilst they dreamt they hugged each other tighter and smiled.
The END. Finally I finished. Now choose whichever ending you liked best and you can pretend that that happened.
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