By: Jaide
The tears came quicker, now that he was alone. He hated Tyler for taking away his Buffy. He couldn’t contain it any longer. He picked up a vase and smashed it against the wall. The destruction calmed him. He opened his fridge and took out a bag. He fed hungrily, and grabbed another. He had two more before he was calmer. Calmer, not better. This time he threw a glass paperweight. He was on his way to smashing a glass figure when he stopped. He looked at the figure in his hands.
It was a glass butterfly. It had been Buffy’s. He’d seen it many times in her room in LA. When she had become the slayer, she’d had a fit. Throwing everything out the window. Angel had found it lying under a tree and taken it. He treasured it. As he fingered it, he cried even harder.
He sat down in his chair and buried his head in his hands. He stayed there until he heard the soft knocking on his door. It could only be one person. He thought about how he’d seen her kissing Tyler. He loved her more than anything he’d ever loved in his long lifetime, and she had betrayed him.
He ignored her. "Angel," he heard her plead. "Please, let me in. I know you’re home," he continued to ignore her.
"I’m sorry, ok? It was a big mistake, it never should have happened, I wish to God it hadn’t. Please, Angel, I don’t care about him anymore, I swear. I know you’re hurt and mad, but please, forgive me," he was still silent.
Buffy walked away, her face was wet with tears. The one thing she loved most in the world swept away in one selfish act. She had never felt so miserable in her entire life. She headed home.
Buffy was exhausted the next day at school. She hadn’t slept at all, and she felt horrible. Willow and Xander greeted her at her locker.
"Hi, Buffy, we met your friends at The Bronze last night," Willow told her cheerfully.
Xander nodded in agreement. Buffy shot them a look, and they were instantly worried. "Buff, what’s wrong?" Xander asked.
"I think I just lost something I really treasured forever.
"Don’t worry, we’ll find your hairbrush," Xander joked.
Willow elbowed him hard. This wasn’t ordinary Buffy sorrow, she was really depressed. "Buffy, what is it?"
She sighed, and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Last night, Angel showed up at The Bronze. He met my LA friends, and he was jealous of Tyler, and probably Pike. Tyler and I took a walk, and we ended up kissing in the park. I didn’t mean to, it was completely unexpected and a big mistake. Angel had followed us and, well…."
"Oh, Buffy…" Xander knew how upset she must feel.
"I’m sorry. Did you explain to Angel what happened?" Willow asked.
"I went by his apartment, I knew he was home from the shattering of his possessions I could hear him destroying, but he wouldn’t let me in. He wouldn’t even say anything. It was kind of….scary."
Just then the LA gang showed up. Xander gave Tyler the "Evil Eye", which looked more like he had an ingrown eyelash.
Angel spent the day sitting on his bed, legs up to his chin, thinking. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat. It was probably good that he’d eaten when he was till angry. The anger was gown, replaced by sorrow and hatred. He remembered feeling like this only once. When Buffy had been killed. He had hated The Master so much, he’d hurt his girl. Now, he hated Tyler. He’d taken his girl.
He resolved he couldn’t sit here and watch her be taken from him. If he forgave her, Tyler would probably steal her away again, and hurt Buffy even more. He had to move on, forget about her. He had to end it.