Disclaimer: I do not own any of these charecters. They are property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

Note: What might eventually happen after Surprise/Innocence.

Warning: Main charecter dies.

Buffy leaned heavily against the stone grave. Funny how Giles called this hunting. Really she was the one being hunted. A shiver ran through her body as she stared into the night. Soon he would come for her and what then? She couldn’t kill him. Not when he had the face of the man she loved. She was running out of options just as she was running out of time. Soon... Wait a minute, what was that noise? Buffy turned to see him there, with a smirk on his face. “Hello honey. Happy to see me?”. Buffy pulled her legs beneath her and stood up. “Please...just go away”. Her voice quivered with fear. Not of him, she could never be afraid of him. She was afraid of succumbing to the darkness. It welcomed her from the depths of his eyes. It offered her comfort and a sense of belonging. Buffy shook her head, trying to block it out. He snarled “What’s wrong Slayer? Afraid to die?” She tried to sound fierce “You’re the one who should be afraid”. The vampire bared his teeth “Wrong. I make the rules. Don’t forget that”. Buffy stared at him, something sinking into her conscience. Rules... what was it Xander had said once. ‘rules were made to be broken’. A sudden feeling of calm swept over her. She still had one more option. She could escape. The next slayer would do what she had failed to do. It was her time to go. She saw the confusion in his eyes. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t attacking. Buffy bent over and pulled the concealed wood stake out of her boot and pointed the sharpened end at his chest. He shifted his weight slightly, thinking she was going to throw it. Instead, she spun it about so that it was now pointing at her heart. She smiled at him and watched as recognition flew across his face. He ran towards her but at least twenty metres separated them and she knew he would never make it in time. She stared up at the stars for the last time. No hell or demon would ever put them out and she took comfort in that. She took a quiet breath and pushed the stake.

He caught her before she fell, but the light had already gone out of her once bright eyes. Angelous growled. He had so wanted to kill her himself. Yes, that was it. The tears streaming down his face were just tears of anger and that intense pain consuming his black heart was just frustration. He stared up at the stars with chaotic eyes, wishing someone would snuff them out. He looked at her body, lying on the ground. Even in death she was beautiful, he couldn’t deny that. Inside his head, Angel screamed in agony. Angelous shoved his hands in his pockets and faded into the night.

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