Buffy, Xander, and Willow sat at a table talking. After a while, Xander stood up and asked Buffy and Willow if they wanted to dance.
"Ok, sure" Willow answered.
"Buffy?" Xander asked.
"You know what, you guys go ahead. I'm-not really up to dancing right now," Buffy told them.
"Are you sure Buffy?" Willow asked her.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure."
Xander and Willow started to walk out onto the dance floor.
Xander turned back around to Buffy.
"Hey, Buff. If this is about the thing with Angel, I wouldn't worry. I'm sure it can't be that bad," Xander said trying to cheer her up.
Buffy nodded and smiled as best she could. She sat there alone at the table as her two friends danced on to each song that was played.
Buffy kept watching the entrance, hoping that Angel would walk through it.
Finally, Buffy spotted Angel walk in just as another, slower song came on.
Angel looked around a bit, then finally noticed her.
He started walking towards her table.
Buffy had to smile at the sight of him. He looked just gorgeous. Like an angel.
He finally reached here table.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi," Buffy said with a slight smile cross her face.
Angel stood there, staring into Buffy's eyes as Buffy looked into his.
I get lost
In your eyes
And I feel my spirits rise
And soar like the wind...
Is it love that I am in?
Buffy realized how much the song reflected the moment.
Angel slowly moved closer to her.
He took her hand. "Come on...Let's dance," he said, almost in a whisper.
Angel led her on to the dance floor. He slipped his arms around Buffy's waist, pulling her close to him- but making sure that he could still see her beautiful face.
Buffy placed her hands behind his neck.
The two swayed in time to the song, as they stared, almost in a trance, at each other.
Buffy felt as though she were lost. In a world where nothing but Angel existed. And she seemed to have forgotten everything. Including the fact that Angel was there to tell her something.
Buffy noticed that Angel's eyes were beginning to tear up again, like they did earlier that morning Then she remembered.
Angel pulled Buffy closer, hugging her close to him.
Buffy pulled away slightly so that she could look at him. She saw the tears rolling down his face.
"We need to talk," he whispered.
Buffy nodded. "Ok"
"After this," he finished.
Buffy nodded again.
Angel pulled Buffy closer to him again so that her head rested on his shoulder. Buffy felt relieved so that she wouldn't have to look at him like that and start crying herself. But it was too late- the amount of time that she had seen the tears falling from his eyes, had made tears fall from hers.
The song ended. Both of them pulled away, looking into the other's eyes. Both with tears coming from them.
A faster, more upbeat song began and people started dancing again.
Angel took Buffy's hand again. "Come on...Let's get out of here," he said softly.
Buffy nodded.
The two then left the Bronze
When they got outside, Buffy wiped some of the tears that were still in her eyes.
She tried her best to gain composure.
"Ok, so, where are we going?" Buffy asked.
"Just- for a walk," he told her.
"Well I like walks..As long as their down the non-vampire path," Buffy said.
"Tonight's delivery night. They'll all be at the hospital," he told her.
"Ok, well, then let's stay away from there..I mean, unless you need to go get..," Buffy started when Angel stopped her.
He shook his head. "No, I've got plenty," he told her.
"Ok..good."
Buffy looked up at the night sky as they walked. She was fascinated by all of the stars out that night. "Wow, look at the sky. It's beautiful- with all the stars out," she said.
Angel looked up. "Yeah..I never really looked at them as beautiful though. They're all I've seen in the sky for centuries. You get so tired of seeing them all the time that the night sky no longer looks beautiful with them in it anymore..But seeing them tonight-with you-it looks incredible," he told her. He paused for a second. "Like you," he said softly.
Buffy smiled slightly.
"When I was a little girl, I used to wish on the stars. But- I realized that none of my wishes would ever come true, so I stopped. Then one night, years later, I decided to try it again...It took awhile of course, but it actually did come true," Buffy told him.
"What did you wish for?" Angel asked her. "or are you not allowed to tell in case it doesn't come true again?"
"No, you can't tell before it comes true. But after it does, you can," she explained.
"Oh...So what was your wish?" he asked her.
Buffy waited a few seconds, staring up at the sky.
She then turned and looked at him. "I wi-I- ah, forget it. It's going to sound totally ridiculous," she told him.
"No it won't. Tell me."
Buffy stopped walking.
Angel stood there waiting for her answer.
"I wished for you," Buffy finally told him.
Angel seemed to tense up when she said that. He turned and looked the other way.
"What? Did I wish for the wrong thing- cause it's too late. It already came true," she told him.
"It's not that." Angel turned and looked at her again. "Buffy-there's something we need to talk about-that-I- have to tell you."
"I know. You- told me this morning-and in the Bronze. I didn't want to bring it up again. I was just- waiting for you to start talking," she told him.
Angel spotted a nearby bench. He walked over to it and sat down.
Buffy sat down next to him.
Angel's head was down. He sat like that for a few minutes. Then he
turned and looked at Buffy, who waited patiently for him to start talking.
Angel looked back off to the side. He sighed.
"Spike and Druscilla are alive," he finally told Buffy.
Buffy let out a breath she'd been holding in. She was relieved that was the thing that he had to tell her.
"Angel, I'd hate to break this to you, but I already knew that. Giles found out and he told me yesterday..I knew," she said.
Angel turned to her. "I- wasn't finished," he told her.
"Oh...ok, well- finish then," she said.
Angel looked away again. There was a long silence.
Finally, Angel spoke again. "Druscilla was-never- restored back to her full strength. I- overheard her and Spike talking," he told her.
"Oh- well, isn't that a good thing though? Because-" Buffy stopped when she saw Angel shake his head.
"I heard Spike talking and it seems that he's not going to just give up on her...He'll try performing her healing ritual again-and if it's interrupted, he'll try again. But he won't stop until it works and Druscilla is restored back to her full strength. And to do that, he needs me," Angel told her.
"Well, can't we just go and kill him-somehow- so that he can't try to perform it again?" Buffy asked, hopeful.
"Buffy, Spike is one of the most vicious vampires around. You know that. They'll be a lot of people dead before he's killed," Angel said to her.
"So, what are you trying to say here? How else are we supposed to stop him?" Buffy asked.
Angel looked away. He didn't answer her.
"Angel?" Buffy called nervously.
He didn't answer again.
"Angel?! Answer me, please," she begged.
There was a long pause.
"I- have to leave Sunnydale," he finally told her.
Buffy couldn't believe what she just hear. "What?" Buffy asked in a choked whisper.
Angel turned and looked at her. "I have to leave here, Buffy," he repeated.
"What- Because of the ritual?" Buffy asked with tears coming from her eyes.
Angel nodded.
"Can't- you just hide- or something? I mean you don't have to leave- because of that."
Angel shook his head. "I can't hide, Buffy. Spike will find me. Maybe not- right away, but in time, he will. And if the ritual is performed completely, I'll die," he told her.
Buffy just stared at him.
"Besides that, Spike is trying to look for a way to get rid of my soul and change me back over to a regular vampire. I can't let that happen, Buffy. I'll end up hurting you- and that's the last thing I want to do," he said to her.
"Just to let you know..you're hurting me now, Angel..With this..with leaving," she told him.
"Believe me, if there were any other way to say here- and be with you, I'd try it. But as long as Spike and Druscilla are alive, I'm put in danger of dying or being changed back over," Angel told her.
He saw the tears rolling down Buffy's cheeks. He hated to see her like that. Tears began to fill his own eyes.
"I love you, Buffy...I do..And I don't want to do this- But there's no other way," he said. "There's no other way."
They sat there in silence for a few minutes.
"When do you- have to leave?" Buffy asked him. "And do you have to go far?"
Angel looked away again. "I leave Saturday night..and yes, I have to get as far away from here as possible."
"Angel, that's in two days..We only have two days left to be together," she said, sobbing.
Angel turned and looked at her. "I know," he said. "I- tried to tell you earlier but I just couldn't do it. It was too painful."
"Please don't do this, Angel. Please..stay here- stay with me," she said crying.
Angel shook his head, tears rolling down his face. "I wish I could," he told her. "But I can't, Buffy. I can't."
Buffy looked away. She knew that nothing she would say could stop him- only hurt him more.
They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Then Buffy started to wipe the tears from her eyes.
She turned to Angel. "I guess- I mean, we should probably make the best of what time we have left together," Buffy said.
Angel looked at her and nodded.
Buffy tried her best to smile. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Angel put an arm around her, bringing her closer to him. He kissed the top of her head.
The two of them sat on the bench, just holding each other in silence.
After a while, Buffy realized that it was getting late and she had to go. Her mother wouldn't be home until much later that night, but still, she had school the next day.
Buffy moved out of Angel's grip. "Well, it's getting late. I should go now," she told him.
"Alright," he answered sadly.
"There's- a big Friday night dance at the Bronze tomorrow night. Do- you want to meet me there?" Buffy asked.
"I have- some packing to do- but I'll be there," Angel told her.
"Ok- I'll- see you tomorrow then?" she asked.
Angel nodded.
"Ok..bye," she said, then turned and started walking away.
"Buffy," Angel called to her.
Buffy turned around.
"Are you- going to be alright, tonight?" he asked softly.
"I'm sure I'll be ok after a little while," she told him.
She smiled as best she could and turned back around and started walking home.
Angel watched her go. He knew she wouldn't be ok, though. He knew that he wouldn't be either.
As Buffy walked home, she thought about how her life would be without Angel. Tears started to form in her eyes again and fall down her cheeks.
She was in such a daze that she didn't hear her name being called.
All of a sudden, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
Buffy turned around. There he was- her beautiful Angel. That she may never see again after Saturday. Buffy couldn't stop the tears from flooding her eyes.
She threw her arms around Angel hugging him tightly, never wanting to let him go. Angel did the same.
After she calmed down, Angel spoke. "Come on. I'll take you home," he said as she pulled away.
He held out his hand and Buffy took it.
"So why did you follow me? Did you know that I wasn't going to be ok?," Buffy asked as they walked to her house.
Angel nodded. "I did," he told her.
They walked silent the rest of the way to her house.
When they got to the door Buffy got out her key and opened her front door.
Angel followed her in.
Buffy shut the door behind him.
"Don't worry. Mom's not home. She works late on Thursdays," she told him.
"Oh"
"I'm gonna go upstairs and change. You can sit and watch tv or something," she said motioning to the couch.
Angel nodded.
Buffy went upstairs and changed into her pajamas.
When she came back down, she saw Angel watching "Interview With a Vampire," on HBO.
Buffy had to smile at that.
"Hey," she said as she walked in the living room. "Whatcha' watching?" she asked pretending not to know what it was.
"Oh, just some vampire movie," he told her.
"I see..Oh, this is Interview With a Vampire. I love this movie," Buffy told him.
"Well let's watch it then," Angel said.
"Yeah-Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are in it. Of course, if I could choose whoever I wanted to play a vampire, my choice would be you," Buffy said grinning slightly.
Angel smiled back.
Buffy rested her head against Angel's soldier.
The two of them sat watching the movie. They seemed to have forgotten that they would no longer be together after Saturday.
When the movie was half over, Angel looked at Buffy and noticed that she was sleeping.
Gently, so that she wouldn't wake, Angel picked her up and carried her up to her room.
He undid the covers and gently placed her in the bed. Then he pulled the covers back over her and tucked her in.
He leaned down over her and kissed her forehead. "Good night, Buffy," he whispered, then proceeded back downstairs and went out the front door and walked home.
THE NEXT DAY- SUNNYDALE HIGH SCHOOL
Buffy walked through the library doors to find that just like the day before, Xander and Willow, were seated there talking to Giles.
"Hi Buffy," Willow greeted her friend.
"Hey guys. Is there some sort of meeting going on that I didn't know about?" Buffy asked.
"No meeting. Xander and Willow knew you'd be coming here, so they decided to wait here for you," Giles told her.
"So, Buff, had it go last night with Angel. Was everything ok like I said it would be? I saw, you left without even saying goodbye," Xander said.
"Sorry- I was preoccupied, in a way. Angel wanted to get out of there so he could tell me the thing that he had to tell me," Buffy explained.
"So what was it? The thing?" Willow asked her friend.
Buffy looked away.
"Buffy? Is everything alright?" Giles asked concerned.
Buffy looked back at them.
"No, actually. Everything's not alright," Buffy told them.
"Well what is it Buffy? You can tell us- we're your friends. Giles too," Willow said.
Buffy looked down.
"Buff?" Xander called.
Buffy didn't answer.
"Buffy, what's wrong?" Willow asked again.
They heard Buffy sniffle, as though she were crying.
"Hey, Buff. What's wrong?" Xander asked.
Buffy finally looked up- tears coming down her face.
"Angel," she finally began.
"Well, what about Angel?" Giles asked , concerned.
Buffy let out a sob. "He's leaving Sunnydale," she told them. "For good."
Xander, Willow, and Giles' eyes widened.
Buffy stood up. "I, um, have to go- I'll see you guys later," she said, then ran out of the library.
"Buffy wait!" Xander yelled, following her out the door.
"I better go too," Willow said getting up after him.
"Yes, go...and..tell her training is cancelled for today," Giles told her.
Willow nodded and left.
When Willow found Buffy, Xander was already there with her. He was hugging her.
"It's ok, Buffy. It's ok," he repeated to her.
Buffy shook her head. "It's not. It's never going to be ok. Angel's leaving," Buffy sobbed. It's never going to be ok."