"Ahhh…" Angel screamed, standing up from the couch. "This isn’t how it’s supposed to be…she’s the one who’s supposed to be going insane not me!" He began to pace. ‘Okay, just kill her…it’s not like you haven’t done it a million times before.’ He told himself. ‘Kill her tonight and get it over with…kill her…kill…kiss her…love her…NO!!’ Where were these thoughts coming from? Angel turned towards the clock once more, not even ten minutes had passed. "Great, just great…I’ll be as loony as Dru by the time the sun sets." Angel yelled.
"Buffy he almost killed you…I’d say you’re underestimating the situation."
"So, I hesitated, the point is I’m still here. I didn’t know what to expect last night, but now I do, I won’t hesitate again!"
Giles looked up from the crossbow he’d been loading. "We can’t be too careful. Buffy, you cheated death once, don’t push your luck."
"Well, I’d say it’s been more then once, but who’s counting?"
"All the more reason to be extra careful."
"Give it up Giles, I’m going alone, deal with it." Giles gave Buffy a look only he could do. "Don’t fight me on this one Giles. I mean it, look what happened when you tried to stop me from fighting the Master." Giles rubbed his jaw, as he remembered the upper cut he’d received last year. "I’m the Slayer, you’re the Watcher…that means I slay, you watch…hence the names." Giles opened his mouth to respond, Buffy continued before he had a chance to say anything. "I am not a bout to put you, Willow, Xander or even Cordelia in danger. He’s already tried to kill them once, not to mention what…well anyway, you’re not coming, none of you are. So forget about it." Buffy crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"The Master was different Buffy, you didn’t have feelings towards him!"
"I don’t have any for Angelus either. I love Angel…and he’s gone…"
"Technically, yes…but still…"
"No buts Giles, they aren’t the same person, ah…vampire…I’ve come to terms with that and I know I can’t get Angel back. And if I had done my job properly, Angelus wouldn’t have had the chance to kill Ms. Calender…if I had been responsible, Angel never would have lost his" She almost whispered the last part. Giles set the crossbow down.
"It’s not your fault…none of us knew he would go after Jenny…even she didn’t suspect…"
"Well, whatever…" Buffy picked up the crossbow. "You know I’m right…Giles, I’ve learned to deal with the fact that being the Slayer will eventually end my life, but…well it won’t be tonight, and it sure as hell won’t be by Angel!" Buffy looked at the clock "There’s just under 2 hours till sunset, I’ll come back before I go find Angel. I’ve got some stuff to take care of before then."
"I do wish you’d allow us to help you!" Giles said, turning his attention to a stack of books in front of him.
Buffy held the crossbow up and stared down it. "I don’t need help…Giles, Angel’s going down! He’s going to pay for killing people I cared about." Giles started talking, but Buffy had already left the library, crossbow in hand. Leaving Giles talking to himself.
"But we don’t even know why he chose Jenny, it’s not your fault, Buffy…"
"She’s gone." Giles jumped. "But we do know why Angel did it, or at least we think we do."
"Willow, Xander, where did you come from??"
"I’m surprised at you Giles, I was sure you would know that one. Okay, when two people love one another…" Xander trailed off, when Giles him an icy stare.
"Now then Willow, what were you saying when you came in?"
Willow was momentarily confused. "Oh, right…We know why Ms. Calender was killed!"
Giles looked at Willow with a stunned expression. "How…what…when…?"
"This…" Willow held a yellow computer disk in the air.
"It’s time for me to put Angel away." She walked to her closet and removed Angel’s leather jacket. For a minute she held it close to her chest and buried her face in it. After all this time his scent was still there. Buffy could feel the tears as they began to sting her eyes. She pressed her eyelids shut, inhaled once more and then walked over to the box. Gently she set the jacket in.
Next she went to her dresser. She opened her jewelry box and removed a ring. The clahddag ring Angel had given her on her birthday. She still remembered the way it had felt, sliding onto her finger and the words he had said. "The hands represent friendship. The crown represents loyalty and the heart…well you know!" A smile spread across Buffy’s face as she remembered. She pulled a scarf out of her drawer, wrapped the ring inside it and set it in the box on the jacket.
Slowly she slid her hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out her necklace. The necklace that had saved her life, last night. At the thought of the mark it had left on Angel’s face, and evil grin replaced the sad smile.
"It feels good to hate him!" Buffy said to the cross. As she said that a memory came flooding back. She had gone hunting for Angel, after her mother had been attacked. He was at the bronze waiting for her. She felt his presence when she walked in.
"I know you’re here and I know what you are!"
Somewhere in the darkness he was there. Then came his answer. "Do you? I’m just an animal right?"
Buffy had almost laughed at that instead she simply said, ‘You’re not an animal. Animals I like!"
Buffy smiled as she set the cross on the jacket. She took one last look and closed the box. Buffy set the box at the back of her closet, as she did she thought of something Willow had once said to her.
"It is kind of novel, how he’ll stay young and handsome forever. Although you’ll still get wrinkly and die.."
"Well Will," Buffy thought as she closed her closet. ‘I may die…" She walked over to her bed and picked up the crossbow. She glanced at the clock, 45 minutes until sunset. Holding the crossbow tighter Buffy stared out the window. "But not before I send Angel to hell!"
Angel was sitting on the couch, his hands resting behind his head. Somehow he had managed to stop thinking about Buffy, but only for half an hour. His thoughts started returning to her. She had risked her own life to save his, when Spike had tried to kill him. It was Buffy who had come every day to help him with the bandage on his hand. He knew that although he hated her, he also loved her and for that reason she would have to die, the sooner the better.
Angel bolted upright. Something wasn’t right, no something was very wrong. He had a feeling and he didn’t like what it was telling him.
‘Damn.’ He thought. ‘They’ve found it, they’ve found that damn curse.’
Angel went to his bed, grabbed his jacket and put it on. It would be sunset soon and Angel was going to be ready as soon as it came. "Now the only problem is, who do I kill first?" A smile spread across Angel’s face.
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