Categories > TV > Buffy the Vampire Slayer > The New Reunion
He had dozed off. His body was still trying to heal itself. The tiny hand in his squeezed, which woke him. His eyes flew open in time to see a pair of hazel eyes flutter open to meet his.
"Angel." She said in a thin raspy voice.
"I'm here."
"We made it?"
"We made it. The good guys won again."
"Good"
Her eyes closed and he kissed the hand held in both of his.
"Angel?"
"Hum?"
"Remember that story you told me about the vampire with one wish?"
"Yes." He replied a smile gracing his lips.
"Is the story over yet?"
"Not quite." He took a deep breath. He had never fully made up his mind on to whether or not to tell her this or not. "Let me tell you another story.
"Once upon a time there was a vampire who fell deeply deeply in love with the Slayer. Even though he knew it could never work, even though he knew there were millions of things that could go wrong, he still couldn't deny his feelings to her, or her feelings for him. So, one day on her seventeeth birthday he set aside his fears and even though he thought he'd be leaving her, he gave her a very special gift."
Buffy raised her hand so he could see the Claddagh ring that still graced a coveted place on her fingers. "Couldn't go into to that last fight without it," she said in a barely audible whisper.
Now for the part she didn't know. "But for all the vampire pretended he was brave, he held a secret from the Slayer he had come to love. He kept the true meaning of the ring from her. It was a secret that warmed his dead heart and kept him company on lonely nights. He kept this secret because part of him did not want to believe that she would understand what it meant to his people, to him. And part of him was afraid that she would understand." He could see the curiosity building in her pale face.
"To this vampire's people, the ring that he gave her symbolized a very special bond. You see, this supposedly brave vampire was afraid to tell her that by putting that ring on her finger, by the customs of that vampire's people, that they had become engaged. He held onto that idea for years. Even though the vampire had left her for what he thought was her own good, he kept his heart warm by the thought of their Irish engagement. Even when he went back to see her, to save her, and she was in love with someone else, he knew she would always be his girl. Always his girl."
"Always." She whispered
He reluctantly pulled his eyes from her small hand in his. Tears streamed down her face.
"Why? Why didn't you." She took a breath and started again. "Why didn't he just tell her? All the things she did after . Why?"
"He. I was afraid. We couldn't. we can't. and I was afraid if I told you, you wouldn't want it, and the only way I made it through those times without you was because you were mine. You might have been with him, but you were mine. You were engaged to me. Even thought I couldn't take you out into the sunlight, even though I couldn't love you in every way possible, you still belonged to me. And that had to be enough, because that's all I had."
"I understand, Angel. If you had told me the truth that night, you would have given me the best birthday present I could ever imagine. At least before you lost your soul. Cause, you know, that would have put a serious kabish on happiness." She gave him one of her precious half smiles that resided more on her eyes than her face. He smiled back and kissed her hand. "So," she asked, drowsiness filling her voice, "does this story have an ending yet?"
He sighed and took a moment to come up with an answer. It wasn't until he had paused that he felt it. A heartbeat, his own.
"No," he finally answered her, "there won't be an ending for a long time. But," he said while bringing her hand to his chest, her eyes widened as she felt his heartbeat, "there is a beginning."
On that day, there were many beginnings. With the encouragement of her true love and soulmate, (and a great deal of Slayer powers) Buffy healed quickly. While lacking the healing powers of a Slayer, but being more acquainted and less afraid of hospitals, Willow followed close behind her, but is still looking for a magical cure for the burn scars that modern medicine couldn't take care of. Giles was never found. They feared the worst. Everyone involved wished they lived in a place where the "worst" was simply being dead.
Fate, and the PTB finally deemed it time to be kind to their two favorite warriors. After learning a lesson from the day that was only remembered by the two, the PTB allowed Angel to keep some of his supernatural talents. Thus, he remained a help and not a hindrance to Buffy.
Separately, the two had been everywhere from heaven to hell. Together, they made a heaven on earth.
The End
"Angel." She said in a thin raspy voice.
"I'm here."
"We made it?"
"We made it. The good guys won again."
"Good"
Her eyes closed and he kissed the hand held in both of his.
"Angel?"
"Hum?"
"Remember that story you told me about the vampire with one wish?"
"Yes." He replied a smile gracing his lips.
"Is the story over yet?"
"Not quite." He took a deep breath. He had never fully made up his mind on to whether or not to tell her this or not. "Let me tell you another story.
"Once upon a time there was a vampire who fell deeply deeply in love with the Slayer. Even though he knew it could never work, even though he knew there were millions of things that could go wrong, he still couldn't deny his feelings to her, or her feelings for him. So, one day on her seventeeth birthday he set aside his fears and even though he thought he'd be leaving her, he gave her a very special gift."
Buffy raised her hand so he could see the Claddagh ring that still graced a coveted place on her fingers. "Couldn't go into to that last fight without it," she said in a barely audible whisper.
Now for the part she didn't know. "But for all the vampire pretended he was brave, he held a secret from the Slayer he had come to love. He kept the true meaning of the ring from her. It was a secret that warmed his dead heart and kept him company on lonely nights. He kept this secret because part of him did not want to believe that she would understand what it meant to his people, to him. And part of him was afraid that she would understand." He could see the curiosity building in her pale face.
"To this vampire's people, the ring that he gave her symbolized a very special bond. You see, this supposedly brave vampire was afraid to tell her that by putting that ring on her finger, by the customs of that vampire's people, that they had become engaged. He held onto that idea for years. Even though the vampire had left her for what he thought was her own good, he kept his heart warm by the thought of their Irish engagement. Even when he went back to see her, to save her, and she was in love with someone else, he knew she would always be his girl. Always his girl."
"Always." She whispered
He reluctantly pulled his eyes from her small hand in his. Tears streamed down her face.
"Why? Why didn't you." She took a breath and started again. "Why didn't he just tell her? All the things she did after . Why?"
"He. I was afraid. We couldn't. we can't. and I was afraid if I told you, you wouldn't want it, and the only way I made it through those times without you was because you were mine. You might have been with him, but you were mine. You were engaged to me. Even thought I couldn't take you out into the sunlight, even though I couldn't love you in every way possible, you still belonged to me. And that had to be enough, because that's all I had."
"I understand, Angel. If you had told me the truth that night, you would have given me the best birthday present I could ever imagine. At least before you lost your soul. Cause, you know, that would have put a serious kabish on happiness." She gave him one of her precious half smiles that resided more on her eyes than her face. He smiled back and kissed her hand. "So," she asked, drowsiness filling her voice, "does this story have an ending yet?"
He sighed and took a moment to come up with an answer. It wasn't until he had paused that he felt it. A heartbeat, his own.
"No," he finally answered her, "there won't be an ending for a long time. But," he said while bringing her hand to his chest, her eyes widened as she felt his heartbeat, "there is a beginning."
On that day, there were many beginnings. With the encouragement of her true love and soulmate, (and a great deal of Slayer powers) Buffy healed quickly. While lacking the healing powers of a Slayer, but being more acquainted and less afraid of hospitals, Willow followed close behind her, but is still looking for a magical cure for the burn scars that modern medicine couldn't take care of. Giles was never found. They feared the worst. Everyone involved wished they lived in a place where the "worst" was simply being dead.
Fate, and the PTB finally deemed it time to be kind to their two favorite warriors. After learning a lesson from the day that was only remembered by the two, the PTB allowed Angel to keep some of his supernatural talents. Thus, he remained a help and not a hindrance to Buffy.
Separately, the two had been everywhere from heaven to hell. Together, they made a heaven on earth.
The End
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