"Happy New Year, Buffy!" Xander yelled.

"Happy New Year, Xander, Happy New Year Willow!" Buffy yelled back. She and Angel were just leaving the New Year's party at the Bronze, when the Slayerettes had called to her one last time. Buffy looked at her friends, feeling champagne bubbles of happiness surge through her blood. Xander and Willow clung to each other, the atmosphere alone making them almost drunk. Willow didn't need any atmosphere to be giddy with happiness, though; Xander had kissed her under the mistletoe the day before Christmas and finally opened his eyes.

Buffy smiled at the way Cordelia effortlessly flirted with two guys at once, it was fun to see her back in top form. Her relationship with Xander had been like dynamite-explosive, intense and short lived. Buffy was just relieved that the decision to break up had been mutual. Angel tugged at her arm, and Buffy aughed as he pulled her out of the Bronze. They walked in silence for a while, hand in hand, just enjoying the night, each other and the air of happiness that hung over the town, Hellmouth or no.

Angel led her across the only major bridge in or near Sunnydale, a two-lane one that crossed the single river that flowed to the Pacific Ocean, twenty minutes away from Sunnydale by car. At this time of year the river had slowed in anticipation of the flash floods from the desert, but the fall to the water was still a long one. A human would be lucky to survive.

Even a vampire would be affected-at the very least-which was why Buffy was so alarmed when Angel pulled his hand from hers and jumped onto the rail to walk along it.

"Angel, get down!" Buffy squealed, as Angel balanced-almost danced-along the railing.

"Say that you love me" Angel told her with a huge grin.

Unable to believe that her serious, brooding vampire boyfriend was acting like this, Buffy called "I love you, I love you, now get down before you fall!"

"Promise that you'll be with me next New Year's Eve?"

"I promise!"

Angel grinned and jumped down onto the road, pulling Buffy into his arms. He asked "Swear?"

Now that he was safe, Buffy laughed as she answered him "I swear that I'll spend next New Year's Eve with you, no matter what! Happy now?"

"For the first time in centuries, I think I am." Angel told her, his brown eyes shining. "I actually have friends, I have love-from the Slayer, of all women. For the first time since my curse, I have hope. It's all because of you, Buffy. I love you."

Buffy laughed again as she kissed him.

Angel stared into space as he sat on the couch in his apartment, the blood in his glass flowing dangerously close to the edge as he absentmindedly swirled it. He was dressed in unrelieved black, as he had every night for the past four months, ever since the last evening of summer. Ever since he had walked to a fresh grave in Sunnydale cemetery and sat at the foot, crying like a lost child all through the night.

No vampire would have dared to interfere with him that night, his grief and anger at the world was so strong. Three days before she had finally defeated Spike and Drusilla for good. When he had held her broken body, their dust had lain thick over the concrete floor in the abandoned building Buffy had chosen for their last confrontation. She had killed them both, but at a terrible price. Her injuries had been so severe not even the Slayer's legendary healing abilities could save her.

Angel had held her as she died, the light in her eyes fading away as he watched, powerless to bring her back to him. Her breath had shuddered out of her as she asked him to give her love to Giles and her friends, her mother too. Her last words had been whispered so low, only he could have heard them.

"I love you, Angel. I always will."

Angel heard them again as he walked to the window, opening the shade to let the starlight in.

That night at her grave, he had meant it to be his last. He had intended to watch the sun rise for the first time in more than two centuries and join Buffy. Even the flames of Hell would have been preferable to living without her. He still wished that Willow had been too busy comforting and being comforted by Xander that night to realize his intentions.

The two of them had come to him still dressed in the clothes they had worn toher funeral. Her mother had chosen to have the service at noon or Angel would have gone, if only to support Giles who had been alone since Jenny Calendar had moved to Europe. Angel had decided to mourn Buffy and say good-bye to her in his own way.

But Willow and Xander had joined him an hour before the dawn, begging him not to kill himself. If it had just been Willow, pleading with him not to make her lose two friends in a week, he might not have listened. But when Xander joined his appeals with hers, Xander who had once come close to staking him over Buffy, Angel couldn't bring himself to ignore them.

Every night since he had regretted it. Every night since he had woken with Buffy's name on his lips. The two of them had taken turns with Giles and Cordelia to keep an eye on him, but they had finally relaxed their vigilance a few days ago.

Angel closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall under the high window. He let the glass drop from his fingers, too lethargic even to throw it.

He had often heard 'Time heals all wounds', but time hadn't healed his. All the anger had drained away, leaving only the grief that swamped his senses every time he saw anything that reminded him of her-which was nearly everything. He hadn't been in the Bronze since the night before Buffy died. He walked ten minutes out of his way to avoid her house.

The past few weeks he'd been sleeping on the couch, because he hadn't even been able to sit on the bed without being reminded of the winter night that he had come home to find Buffy asleep on it waiting for him.

He felt a tear trickle down his face, but ignored it. He'd gotten good at that. As he heard a distant shout of 'Happy New Year' he remembered the last New Year's Eve. For the first time in just about forever, he had been happy, and it had been mostly because of Buffy.

"I'll spend next New Year's Eve with you, no matter what…"

As Angel heard Buffy's voice he smiled, even though he knew it was only inside his head.

Then he felt a gentle touch on his face, wiping away the tear.

Part two is here.

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