Last Kiss
by Guenivere

The garden gate swung open and a solitary figure stepped through. His tread was slow, almost as if he were in pain, as he walked over the dew-dampened grass to the stone in the center of the garden. A gentle breeze ruffled his dark hair as he fell to his knees in front of the stone.

"Hi. I know it’s been a while since I came to visit you. I’m sorry. God! That sounds so pathetic...and useless at this point. So much has changed since you’ve been gone. Natalie will be a year old tomorrow. I’m sorry you never got to meet her. There’s that word again. She has your hair and my eyes. Sometimes I catch her looking around the room and I can’t help but wonder if she is looking for you. I know it sounds crazy since she never knew you but I still can’t help but wonder. Maybe it’s partly my fault. I still wake up expecting to find you beside me. The disappointment when you’re not there is almost excruciating. I can’t think of a worse torment. I wish to God that I hadn’t insisted on going to that exhibit at your mother’s galley. If I hadn’t you might still be alive. I wish. There’s another useless word. Christmas is just a week a way and I don’t think this year will be any easier than last year. I was still numb last year. I’ll do my best to be happy for Natalie’s sake. I know you would have wanted things that way. We’re spending Christmas at your mother’s house. Strangely enough she and I have become closer in the past year. The whole gang is going to be there. Willow and Oz are expecting their first baby in March. Naturally both of them are thrilled. Xander and Cordelia got engaged over Thanksgiving. They still haven’t set a date for the wedding. Knowing Cordelia it won’t happen before summer. It will take her at least that long to prepare. I’m so glad we had a small wedding. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. You looked so beautiful in the moonlight with your hair falling softly about your shoulders. We had to do some careful planning didn’t we? What with Oz being a werewolf and my "allergy to sunl"ight. Funny how it turned out that your birthday was the perfect day isn’t it? We needed some better memories of that day any way..."

Flashback

December 19, 2002

‘I hate these things,’ Buffy Summers thought to herself as she inched her way through the crowd at her mother’s art gallery. ‘I don’t know why mom insists I come every year any way.’

She was ready to call it a night when a flash of movement across the room caught her attention. Smoothing the skirt of her wine-colored crushed velvet dress she made her way to the other side of the room just in time to see him disappear out the door. ‘Oh no you don’t. You’re not getting away from me that easily again,‘she thought to herself as she followed him outside.

‘I shouldn’t have come,’ he thought to himself as he watched her from the shadows along the walls of the room. ‘Not like this... maybe she hasn’t seen me yet.’ He moved through the crowd with all the grace of a panther towards the door. It was just too soon. Yet even as he moved towards the door he could feel her following him. He knew a confrontation waited for him outside. "Well what did you expect? Coming back here after being gone for over three years," he muttered to himself.

"Angel? Is that you?"

"Buffy..."

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