SUNDAY NIGHT(THE NEXT DAY)
Buffy walked into her bedroom, slammed the door shut behind her, and threw herself onto her bed, crying hysterically.
While she was on her way home from Willow's, a vampire, that knew Angel had left Sunnydale, jumped out at her- and began harassing Buffy about his leaving.
It had gotten to the point where Buffy did not have the mental capability or strength to fight him, so she just broke down in tears and ran home, where she now lay crying on her bed.
Buffy hugged the leather jacket she held - that Angel had given her awhile back, close to her.
She closed her eyes for a moment, pretending that it was Angel that she was holding.
Reality of course kicked in when she opened her eyes, seconds later.
Buffy couldn't take the pain anymore, it was all too much for her.
She knew what it was time for. It was time to open it- the goodbye present that Angel had given her the night before.
He told her to wait until she needed to open it- and at that moment she needed to. She a piece of him with her now. Something new.
Buffy reached over and opened the drawer to the night table next to her bed. She took out the small velvet jewelry box, that was tucked neatly inside of it and closed the drawer again.
She climbed under her covers, sitting up in bed and set the box down next to her.
She reached back over to her night table and popped a cd that had been laying out, into her cd player and pressed play.
She then settled herself back upright in bed.
She picked up the small box again and stared down at it in her hands.
Angel walked into his new apartment, closing the door behind him.
He threw his leather jacket on a nearby chair and placed his keys down on the coffee table.
He walked over to his bed and sat down on it.
With his head hung down, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.
He was thinking of Buffy. How he missed her so much.
Angel looked back up and noticed the small pouch bag that Buffy had given him the night before, lying on the night table next to his bed.
He decided that it was time. Time to open it up.
Before doing anything, he grabbed the cassette tape that was lying next to it, that Buffy also had given him, put it in his tape player and pressed play.
He then picked up the small velvet bag, staring down at it in his hands.
Buffy slowly and carefully opened up the small box- afraid that something might fall out of it.
When she saw what was inside of it, her eyes began to flood with tears again.
After a few seconds, Angel finally opened up the bag.
Inside was a small cardboard box.
Angel took it out of the bag and carefully opened it up.
What he saw inside of it brought tears to his eyes.
Inside the box that Angel had given Buffy, was the long chained gold cross that Angel had always worn. Underneath it, a small sheet of paper, that Buffy could tell had something written on it.
Inside the box that Buffy had given Angel, was the silver cross necklace that Angel had given Buffy for protection the first time they met. The one that was almost always around Buffy's neck. Taped to the inside lid of the box was a picture of Buffy and underneath the necklace, a small envelope.
The words to the song that both Buffy and Angel had playing in their tape players finally came on.
"Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you
That is how I know you go on"
Buffy, sitting on her bed with tears in her eyes, began thinking about all her times with Angel.
Angel, sat on his bed as memories of all his times with Buffy played through his head.
The beautiful song continued, serving as almost background music to their thoughts.
"Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on"
The two thought about the first time they met, outside of the Bronze..
*'Is there a problem mam?' Angel asked after Buffy had slammed his body to the ground. 'There's a problem,' Buffy shot back,'Why are you following me?' 'I know what you're thinking, but don't worry, I don't bite' Angel answered her. 'Who are you?' Buffy asked later on. 'Let's just say, I'm a friend,' Angel told her. 'Yeah, well maybe I don't want a friend,' Buffy shot at him. 'I didn't say I was yours,' he answered.*
"Near, far
Wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on"
The two looked down at each other's necklaces that they held in the boxes in their hands.
A tear fell from Buffy's eyes onto Angel's necklace.
Buffy wiped it off quickly, leaving her fingers to rest on the cross.
"Once more
You open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on"
Angel ran a finger over Buffy's cross.
It hurt, burned, a little. But it was nothing compared to the hurt he was feeling without Buffy in his life.
"Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never let go till we're gone"
They thought about their first kiss, in Buffy's bedroom-when she first found out he was a vampire.
*'I did a lot of thinking today. I really can't be around you because when I am..' Angel started to tell her.'Hey, no big,' Buffy interrupted,'Water..over the bridge, under the bridge...' 'All I can ever think about is how badly I want to kiss you,' Angel admitted. 'Over the dam...kiss me?' Buffy said looking up at him in shock. 'I'm older then you and this can't ever...I better go,' he said. 'H-how much older?' Buffy asked. 'I should..' Angel began. 'Go,' Buffy said approaching him, 'You said.' Angel looked down at her and they kissed. They kissed again. Buffy put her arm around him as Angel put his around her. The kiss went on for several seconds. Suddenly Angel pulled away. 'What? What is it? What's wrong?' Buffy asked. Angel turned to face her and growled. Buffy screamed seeing that his face was then that of a vampire. Angel took one last look at her and jumped out of her window.*
"Love was when I loved you
One true time I hold on to
In my life we'll always go on"
They thought about the time they were in the graveyard and Angel admitted that he was jealous of Xander.
*'Love makes you do the wacky,' Buffy told Angel. 'What?" Angel asked. 'Crazy stuff,' Buffy explained. 'Oh. Crazy, like a two hundred and forty one year old being jealous of a high school junior?' Angel asked referring to himself. 'Are you fessing up?' Buffy asked him. 'I thought about it. Maybe it bothers me a little,' Angel admitted. 'I don't love Xander,' Buffy told him. 'Yeah, but he's in your life. He gets to be there when I can't. Take your classes, eat your meals, hear your jokes and complaints...He gets to see you in the sunlight,' Angel reminded her. 'I don't look that good in direct light,' Buffy told him. Angel looked at her for a moment.'Well, it'll be mourning soon,' Angel said looking up at the sky. 'I should probably go. I could walk you home,' Buffy told him. They stared at each other for a long moment. Finally Angel held out his hand. Buffy took in and they began to walk hand in hand.*
"Near, far
Wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on"
The two thought about a time at the Bronze when Buffy wanted to give Angel his jacket back, but he refused.
*'I heard a rumor that there was, uh, one last vampire walking around making a nuisance of himself,' Angel said coming up behind Buffy at the Bronze. 'There is. Guess I should thank you for the tip,' Buffy said. 'Pleasure's mine,' Angel told her. 'Course it would make things easier if I knew how to get in touch with you,' she told him. 'I'll be around,' he said. 'Or who you were,' Buffy continued. Angel smiled and walked around to the other side of her. 'Well, anyways, you can have your jacket back,' she said referring to the leather jacket he gave her that she was wearing then. 'It looks better on you,' Angel told her. He then turned and left. Buffy stared after him. Angel gave her another look aback then disappeared into the crowd.*
"Once, more
You open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on"
They thought about the time at the ice skating rink when Angel had his game face on and didn't want Buffy to see him like that.
*'Are you ok?' Angel asked Buffy after she had just fought with a member of the order of Teraka. Buffy skated over to him. She put a gloved hand on his face, noticing the cut above his eye. 'What about you? That cut!' Buffy said moved her hand towards his cut. Angel moved his head, shrugging her hand off. 'Forget about me. This is bad Buffy. We gotta get you outta here,' he told her. 'What, you mean hide?' she asked. 'Let's just get you some place safe!' he answered her. 'No! Your eye!' Buffy said reaching back up to touch his cut. He shook her off again. 'Hey, don't be a baby. I'm not gonna hurt you,' she told him. 'It's not that,' Angel said. 'What?' Buffy asked. 'You shouldn't have to touch me when I'm like this,' he told her. Buffy looked up into his vampire features. 'Oh,' she said. She removed the glove from her hand and moved her hand across his brow and wound, brushing gently down his cheek. 'I didn't even notice,' she told him softly. She moved closer to him and kissed him. Angel responds, and the kiss becomes more passionate.*
Angel and Buffy's thoughts subsided as they looked back down at the small boxes they held in their hands.
Angel ran his hand over the picture of Buffy that was taped to the box. Tears were pouring from his eyes as he looked at her beautiful face.
Looking at Buffy's picture and having her silver cross with him, made him feel as though a part of Buffy was still with him.
Angel slipped his hand under the necklace and pulled out the small envelope that was underneath it.
He opened it up and took out the piece of paper that was folded neatly inside of it.
He unfolded it and read what it said.
Buffy picked up Angel's necklace and held it in her hands.
She carefully brought it over her head and around her neck.
She then up the cross part again and brought it to her lips. Gently, she kissed it, then let it go again, allowing it hang around her neck.
With it around her neck, it made her feel as though a piece of him was with her.
Buffy then reached back into the small velvet box and took out the piece of paper that was folded inside it.
She unfolded it and read what was written in it.
"You're here
There's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on"
Written on the sheet of paper that was inside the envelope that Angel found inn the box Buffy had given him was the following:
Dear Angel,
My heart for you will go on.
Yours truly,
Buffy
Angel stared down at those words as even more tears flooded his eyes.
Buffy's eyes flooded with tears as she read the words written on the piece of paper Angel included in the box he had given her.
The note read:
My heart for you Buffy, will go on forever.
Love,
Angel
Tears in their eyes,the two of them listened as the last verse of the song played over both their tape players, staring down at the notes they held in their hands.
Buffy wiped some tears from her eyes as the song ended. She placed the velvet box and note she held on the table beside her bed.
She then nestled under her covers.
Angel wiped some of the tears from his eyes as the song ended and placed the small cardboard box with Buffy's necklace and note in it on his night table. He positioned it so that her picture would be facing him when he lay in bed.
He then got into bed and pulled the covers over him.
Before closing her eyes Buffy brought the cross part of Angel's necklace that she still wore around her neck- up to her lips again. She kissed it again.
"I love you, Angel," she whispered, then let go of it again and went to sleep.
Before closing his eyes, Angel reached over to the box that lay on his night table. He touched Buffy's silver cross, letting his fingers rest on it, despite the pain he felt.
"I love you, Buffy," he whispered then took his hand away again and went to sleep.
In the darkness of the two rooms, two crosses sparkled. One gold. One silver.
It was a sign. A sign, that Buffy and Angel's love, their heart, for each other would go on forever. And although they were no longer physically together, in their hearts, in their dreams, they would always be.
All of a sudden the song came on again in both of the rooms as Buffy and Angel slept, dreaming of each other. Neither of them had turned it back on..they were both asleep. Maybe it was another sign. It must've been.
But one thing *was* for certain. Their hearts-for each other- would go on.