The Love That Fades, The Love That Grows
Disclaimer: Joss, the evil man owns em.
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Author's Note: Set after 'Heros'
"Buffy, I love you. I'm sorry I shouldn't have left."
Buffy woke up with a jolt and looked around. She was in her room, and the only one there was Willow. She had had a dream that Angel had come back to her. But it was just a dream right? She was with Riley now, she was happy with Riley. Riley was a nice, normal, stable guy. Well, he hunted vampires, too, but at least he was still human. She knew there was no way Angel was coming back. Buffy layed back down and feel asleep.
"Angel. Angel. ANGEL!" Angel jerked towards the person calling him. There standing in the doorway of his office was a very pissed Cordelia. "Angel, what the hell? I've been standing here calling you name for the past five minutes. What were you thinking about? No, wait don't tell me, Buffy. Why don't you just go back to her, Angel?"
"You know why Cordelia. I'm her weakness. With me around, she'll die. If I go back ,she'll be so worried about me, that she'll get herself killed, and I couldn't bare to see that."
"Angel, if anything, you strengthen her. You're what kept her alive all those years. You think she's happy? I doubt it. And you two can be all happy and get as pelvic as you want because your soul is permanent. So what's the problem?"
"She still needs someone normal, to take her out in the sunlight, give her children. I can't do any of those."
"Oh come on Angel. Wake up and smell the sunlight! She'll never have a normal life. Do you think she could possibly have a boyfriend that's 'normal' as you put it? He would be in danger every time they went out. You're her soulmate Angel, you two belong to each other. Now, I want you to get off your brooding ass, and go to Sunnydale."
"I can't."
"Yes, you can. Now go! Go!" Cordelia, pushed Angel out the door, and down to his car, "Angel, at least talk to her. Find out how she feels, ok?"
"Fine." So Angel headed towards Sunnydale to talk to the love of his unlife.
It was night time and Riley and Buffy were patrolling.
"You know, Riley, I never understood why you do this. Hunt vampires." Buffy stated.
"Well, I don't either. It was just something I started doing one day. I can't remember a day after I was sixteen that I didn't do this. I started out just training for the first two years, and then they put me out here, and told me to capture vampires. It goes back to my great grandfather. According to the records, my great grandmother was attacked and killed by a vampire, so my grandfather started the program to rid the world of vampires. They didn't have the technology we have back then, but they survived. Plus being here, I can protect you from things that go bump in the night," he told her with that stupid grin on his face.
"You, protect me?" Buffy asked in an amused tone.
"Yeah, me. Come here." Riley beckoned her to him. Buffy walked over to him, and he pulled her into his arms. He tilted her head up so that his lips met hers. They locked in a passionate kiss. (SHUDDER) Little did they know that a dark figure was watching them from the showers.
With a mournful sigh, he turned away, a lone tear sliding down his cheek. Buffy had moved on, she was happy, just like he asked her. Then why, if this was what he wanted for her, did he feel like dying right
there?
"Cordelia, I saw her with a guy, kissing him. She's obviously moved on, and she doesn't need me to come back into her life."
"Angel. Just because she was kissing some guy doesn't mean she doesn't love you. True you told her to live a normal life, but it's like I told you, you're her normal life. Now, I have an idea, and you will not say no. They're having a country karaoke night at the Bronze." At Angel's look, she pleaded, "Oh come on Angel! Please? You need to get out Stop brooding!"
"Fine," he grumbled. "But I will NOT wear a cowboy hat or boots."
"This is gonna be so much fun!"
Angel banged his head on the table.
The sign by the entrance of The Bronze said:
YEEHAW!!! Country Karaoke Night
Welcome Ya'll!
Buffy groaned as she entered. She couldn't believe she had let Riley and Willow convince her to come tonight. But somehow they did, so there she stood with jeans, a white baby-tee, and a cowboy hat, waving at her friends as she entered the club. She walked over to their table and allowed Riley to take her in his arms. She smiled up at him.
She was here, Angel could feel her. He knew what he had to do. He walked up to the stage and took the microphone
from the previous singer, who had just finished singing 'Any Man of Mine.'
As the slow melody of Lone Star's Smile started, Buffy pulled Riley out onto the dance floor. It wasn't until the singer started singing that the smile disappeared from her face. She knew that voice anywhere. Angel. She turned towards him on stage.
'I still remember the night we met,
You said you loved my smile.
But your love for me was like a summer breeze,
Oh it lasted for a while.
I could hold you a little tighter I know,
But when you love someone, you gotta let them go.
I'm gonna smile, cause I wanna make you happy
Laugh, so you can't see me cry
I'm gonna let you go in style
And even if it kills me
I'm gonna smile
Kiss me once for the good times baby
Kiss me twice for goodbye
You can't help how you don't feel
And it doesn't matter why
Give me a chance to bow out gracefully
'Cause that's how I want you to remember me
I I'm gonna smile, cause I wanna make you happy
Laugh, so you can't see me cry
I'm gonna let you go in style
And even if it kills me
I'm gonna smile
I'm gonna smile so you can find the courage
Laugh, so you won't see me hurtin'
I'm gonna let you go in style
And even if it kills me
I'm gonna smile'
As the meaning of the song sank in, a look of shock spread across her face. As he walked out of the Bronze, she chased after him, leaving a very stunned Riley alone on the dance floor.
"Who the Hell do you think you are?" Angel heard Buffy yell after him.
"What?" He asked turning around.
"How could you come here and not tell me? And don't give me that 'I don't want to hurt you' speech. I've heard it, and I'm tired of it. You can't just come here and show up unexpected."
"I was coming here for something for Giles," he lied. "And then Cordelia forced me into going to The Bronze because she wanted to see some of her old buddies. I didn't want to see you because it would be too hard."
"Then why the Hell did you get up on stage and sing in front of a hundred people?"
"Because I had to let you know."
"Let me know what?"
"That I'm letting you go. I saw you with Riley, and I know that you're happy. I asked you to find a normal life, and you did it." Though Angel was falling to pieces, he had to do if for Buffy.
"Yeah, my normal life. God Angel, why can't you see it?"
"See what?"
"That you are my normal life. Yeah, Riley has a pulse, but that's all. I tried to replace you with him, but it didn't work. Everyday after you left, I wished and hoped that you would come back to me, that we could have one perfect day together. But that's never going to happen is it?"
"Not again," he muttered to himself.
"What?" Buffy asked not hearing him.
"Uh, nothing," he covered qickly.
"No, Angel, tell me, please."
"I can't Buffy, not now, but you have to have hope. You know that I still love you, I always will." The tears started to fall, and soon Buffy's did too. She walked to him, closing the gap between them. HE took her in his arms and they cried together. They cried for all the pain that they had endured for not being together and for the pain of their love.
"I can't get over you , I dream of you every night, we're together-we do stuff. We're normal, and you're human," she cried into his chest.
She knew. She had to, he thought. Had the Powers been giving her the memories in her dreams, allowing her to remember? But it was too soon, he felt. It was too soon to tell her the truth. The time would come. He slowly titled her chin up so that she was looking in his eyes. "I love you," he said as he bought his lips to her. "I love you, too," she said as their lips met. It was the sweetest kiss. Filled with love, forgiveness, and pain. When they broke apart, they entwined their fingers and walked to the Bronze to tell everyone the news.
When they entered the Bronze, the sounds of the Dixie Chicks could be heard. Buffy told Angel that she would be right back as she wandered to parts unknown. Angel went over to the table where Cordelia was seated chatting with Xander and Willow.
"Angel?! You're not dead! OH no! Did you kill Buffy?"
"No. She went off somewhere, she said she would be right back. She said she had something to d-" He stopped mid word as Buffy's heavenly voiced filled The Bronze.
'Everytime our eyes meet, This feelin' inside me,
Is almost more than I can take, Baby when you touch me,
I can feel how much you love me, And it just blows me away,
I've never been this close to anyone or anything, I can hear your thoughts,
I can see your dreams,
I don't know how you do what you do, I'm so in love with you,
It just keeps gettin' better, I want to spend the rest of my life,
With you by my side, forever and ever,
Every little thing that you do, Baby I'm amazed by you.
The smell of your skin, The taste of your kiss,
The way you whisper in the dark, Your hair all around me,
Baby you surround me, You touch every place in my heart,
You know it feels like the first time, Everytime,
I want to spend the whole night in your eyes,
I don't know how you do what you do I'm so in love with you,
It just keeps gettin' better, I want to spend the rest of my life,
With you by my side, forever and ever, Every little thing that you do,
Baby I'm amazed by you.'
Buffy kept her eyes locked with Angel's during the whole song. Everyone in the club could feel the love radiating off the two. When the song ended, Buffy walked over to Angel and their lips once again locked in a passionate kiss.
Seeing this exchange, Riley knew that he and Buffy were over. Grabbing his coat, he sighed as he walked out of the Bronze. Too wrapped up in his emotions, he never noticed the Mack truck until it hit him sending him flying to the side of the road. Barely alive Riley started shouting, "Help me! Help me!"
But his cries fell on deaf ears, for everyone was watching the exchange by Buffy and Angel, capitvated by their love. It pulled them in, and held then there until it let them go in a peaceful state.
Later that night, Buffy and Angel were curled up on Buffy's bed at the dorm. It was only twin, but neither of them minded having to snuggle closer to fit.
"Angel?"
"Mmm?" he asked as he stroked her hair.
"You said that you would tell me. What is it?"
Angel took a deep sigh, "Buffy, I was human. For one day, I was human, and you were there. We made love, talked, went out in the sun. We did it all, Buffy. We had it all."
Buffy took this in, a question rising in her brain. "My dreams. But Angel ,why aren't you human? Why are we not toge-" Then she remembered. "Oh god! I'll never forget! I said it! Oh god, Angel. We had it all!" the tears started to fall down her cheeks.
"Shh. Shh. It's okay. Everything will be okay. We'll work it out." Angel soothed her.
"Promise?" she asked.
"Always."
Just then, a bright light flashed in the room. Before them stood the Oracles. "You see, brother, I was right. I knew they would find each other, again. There is nothing that can be done to keep them apart." The female Oracle told her brother.
"Sister, we cannot interfere with this. It is a matter of love."
"No, it's not just love. It's trust and friendship. Them being together is what will save themselves and the world. You know what we must do."
"You are right. You," the male Oracle pointed to Buffy and Angel acknowledging them for the first time since they had appeared. "You will be together. There is no curse, you are allowed happiness. In the course of time if your love stays true, you will be allowed to live happily with nothing in the way. But if you fail, you both will lose. You will lose everything. You will never know love, and you will perish. Do you accept this?"
"Yes," they said in unison.
"It is done," and with that, the Oracles disappeared.
"Angel?" Buffy asked. "We can be happy. Did you hear them?" Angel never responded. His lips met hers as they fell back onto the bed, losing and taking comfort in each other.
THE END