“I need food”, Xander announced. “Where’s Buffy?”

“I don’t know. I hope she’s okay”, Willow said from the computer.

“I’m sure she’s fine”, Giles said. “But maybe some one should go look for her, just in case.”

“I’ll go!”, Xander volunteered eagerly. He headed out, just thinking of what he’d say if he found her with Angel.

He went to open the front door of the school when he saw something move toward the door < Make that three somethings.> Three large vampires had reached the steps. Xander took one look at them and dashed back to the library.

“Or maybe I won’t!”, he yelled as he ran in. “Vampires. Three really big, really mean looking ones should be here in oh about...now!”

The vampires crashed into the library. Willow yelped and jumped up from the computer and backed against the wall. The vampires were throwing books off the table, intent on their mission.

“The stones!”, Giles yelled. One of the vampires turned to him and backhanded him, sending him flying. “Oww.”

Xander took the opportunity to snatch the stones off the table. All the vampires saw him take them and went after him. One grabbed his wrist so tight Xander closed his eyes and waited to here the bones snap. Another vampire pried his fingers open but Xander threw the stones as far as he could. Two vampires went after them, while Xander’s captor bared his fangs and prepared to bury them in Xander’s neck. Willow tossed Oz a stake and he plunged it into the vampires back, who fell heavily to the floor. Xander looked at Oz thankfully. “Timing didn’t suck.”

Giles had gotten the crossbow from the weapon closet and aimed it on one of the remaining vampires. One was headed at Willow. He grabbed her arm and she felt his nails rip into her skin. The vampire smelled the blood and Willow screamed. Giles let the bolt fly and it hit the vampire, sending him to the floor. Oz was at Willow’s side, looking at her arm which had four deep cuts in it. The other vampire had gotten the stones and was out the door before Giles could kill him.

“That was too close”, Willow said, cradling her arm.

“I’ll say”, Oz said looking at the trashed library.

“Willow, you should go to the emergency room. I think that’s going to need stitches”, Giles said. “Oz?”

“I’ll take her”, he said. He was glad he’d left the keys in the van because they probably would’ve been lost in the fight.

“And Xander’s fine. Near death experiences do not faze me”, Xander said. “The fact that they just stole our rocks does though.”

*****

Buffy leapt straight up, as high as she could. Had she been in a different position, the sight of eight vampires slamming into each other would’ve been pretty comical, but not now. She hit the ground running in the direction of Angel’s. She needed help, now, and he was closer than Giles and the Gang.

Buffy saw the cemetery wall approaching very fast. She could hear them behind her, and wasn’t sure what to do. She looked at the wall and stole a glance at her pursuers. Making a split second decision, she ran even faster, going for the wall. As she got closer she put her hands out and caught the edge of the wall, vaulting over. She landed hard but kept going. The fang gang was clambering over the wall after her. Buffy was running out of breath and was forced to slow her pace. The vampires saw her slow and they shot after her, finally overtaking her. She was forced to the ground by a young Asian. He was clawing at her stupidly while the others watched. The vampire barked an order in a language Buffy didn’t understand and she was dragged to her feet by two female vamps. As others closed in, she used her captors as braces and swung her legs up, catching two oncoming vampires in the chin. She then threw off the vamps who were holding her and knocked them to the ground. Before she could do anything she was grabbed by the end of her coat. She elbowed the vampire in the nose and he dropped her coat. As he fell back, two more were on her. She barely managed to force them back when one stopped in its tracks.

“Slayer?” it marveled.

Buffy nodded. She had dropped to a fighting stance and breathing heavily. She was completely surrounded. They all set to action again, rushing her from all directions as they had before. She prepared to jump, but they anticipated it and she was pulled back down in mid jump. She was flat on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Her vision blurred and she was afraid she would pass out. It passed, but not before a vampire jumped on her. It was a female with auburn hair and she was attacking fiercely. Buffy managed to get her knees to her chest and kicked the vampire hard in the stomach with both feet. It knocked down two other vampires in its flight. Buffy stood up shakily and tried to fend off the vampires. She was getting weak; there was too many of them and she didn’t hear the one come up behind her. She didn’t see the huge branch he was carrying until he hit her in the back with it, using it like a club. She cried out in pain as she fell to the ground, hitting her head on the corner of a headstone. She could feel blood start to run down her face, as more vampires came at her. Buffy closed her eyes and raced herself to be killed. She felt them continue to beat her, and felt a strong pull from behind her back. She opened her eyes and saw two of the vampires were attempting to tear her coat off. Angry that they had her on the ground and were beating her, Buffy tried to fight back. Her efforts were rewarded with a strong kick to the ribs. She gasped as she felt the bones break. A deep growl was the last thing she heard before she passed out from pain.

“Get away from her!”, Angel roared, fully vamped out, as he flew right at the vampires. Angel was fighting wildly, trying to kill all of them. Five of them took of running, and he concentrated on the three surrounding Buffy. He saw a big African male kick her in the ribs and Angel grabbed the vamp’s neck, snapping it easily. The remaining vampires looked at Angel, surprised to see it was one of their kind attacking them. The female looked at him and tried to run by him, but Angel grabbed her and kneed her hard in the back, breaking it. He let her fall to the ground and turned in time to see the other one take off deeper into the cemetery, Buffy’s coat waving after him.

Angel dropped down beside the unconscious Buffy. He checked to see if she was still breathing, and seeing she was, he pulled her into his arms. He knew she probably wouldn’t make it, but you couldn’t underestimate the Slayer.

“Come on Buffy”, he whispered. “Open your eyes.”

As if she heard him, Buffy’s eyes fluttered open. She winced as she inhaled, feeling the broken ribs. “My guardian Angel”, she said hoarsely, looking up at him. His face was human again, comforting. “Did they...”

“It doesn’t matter”, Angel said softly. “You were amazing.”

“But I let them have it”, Buffy said.

Tons of memories were flashing through her head; moving to Sunnydale, an ice show with her father when she was fourteen, Xander saying: “Can I have you?”, it had been the first time she’d seen him, meeting Angel in the alley, their first kiss and many other kisses and special times with him, memories of Giles, Willow, her friends and family and life. Then she remembered what she had said a few days earlier. <“I’ll stop this, or die trying”>

She looked at Angel with panic filled eyes. “Am I gonna..is it going to...”

“Don’t worry about. You’ll be okay”, Angel said as he gently wiped the blood off of her face. When most of it was gone he continued to caress her cheek with his thumb.

“I love you Angel”, Buffy told him. Her body was relaxing and the pain was numbing. She knew her body was going into shock, but it made it not hurt so she didn’t fight it.

Angel looked at her. In a voice roughened with sadness he said “I love you. Always. I’ll always love you.”

She nodded slowly, it didn’t hurt anymore. She felt a calm acceptance but said with tears in her eyes “Giles. Tell Giles, for me Angel, tell him he was the best”, her voice caught but she continued. “he was, is, the best Watcher...ever. He doesn’t know-”

Angel interrupted her “He does Buffy. There’s no way he couldn’t.”

“And Willow and Xander, I love them, they’re my best friends. Tell them that. And my mother...oh my god Angel. What’s she gonna do when she finds out?” All these thoughts made Buffy want to live, but she couldn’t shake the increasing peacefulness. “I don’t know. Tell her I love her too.”

Angel nodded, not knowing if he’d be able to see these people again, but he promised Buffy he would. He could smell death on his love. It was something he could, as a vampire, sense. He knew it would be soon.

“You Angel, I can tell you... you were the best thing about Sunnydale. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to be in a relationship as a Slayer, but you changed that. You were a hope, something really good in this town. God there’s so much I want to say... I love you. Angel, I love you so much and I am so terrified that when I close my eyes I’ll never see you again. I’m not scared of dying. I’m scared of dying and still being me and not having you. I don’t want to leave you.”

The red-tinged tears he had been fighting sprung to his eyes. He looked down at her, unable to express the full extent of his feelings for her. “Buffy...” , he started as she coughed violently, shaking in his arms.

“Angel”, she said, now struggling to talk. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Can I maybe have a...kiss good-bye?”

Angel nodded silently, unable to speak. He leaned down and his lips met hers. He kissed her gently, memorizing the scent of her hair, the feel of her face beneath his fingers, her lips against his. Angel felt her trembling and he pulled away. He looked deep into her tear filled eyes, finding none of the usual strength or fire. He did see love, though, in her hazel eyes. His heart broke as he looked at her. He could feel her dying.

Buffy held Angel’s gaze. She knew what was happening. Her body trembled harder. “Good bye”, she whispered, barely audible. As she closed her eyes, one tear slid down her cheek.

Angel could feel the life slip out of her. “Buffy? No Buffy...” He shook his head desperately, his tears fell like rivers of blood down his face. He gently brushed the tear off her cheek. “Good bye.”

*****

*****

Angel moved out of the shadows, holding a single dark red rose. The full moon cast the cemetery in milky white light. He went to her grave sight, where a white coffin stood. He knew the burial crew would be back soon, but he wasn’t worried about them seeing him. A light mist was falling as he stood beside it. He placed the rose on top, contemplating looking inside. No, it would do no good to see her again. They had said their good byes the night Buffy had died. Looking at her body would just give him more pain.

He knew Xander wanted to blame him, as he was the last one with her. Xander had actually gone to his apartment in a rage, not because Angel had done anything, rather because Buffy had died. He had screamed at Angel, bringing up anything that could hurt him, before breaking down in tears. Angel didn’t hold it against him. He felt the same way; the need to make somebody pay for the Slayer’s death.

He had gone to Giles, he had been the one to tell him of Buffy’s death. He had said that he felt it, when she died. He said a Watcher could tell when their Slayer was gone.

Angel couldn’t bring himself to go to Joyce Summers. He knew she would blame him, and mean it. He couldn’t handle that at the moment. Maybe he never would be able to. He could imagine the pain she must be feeling, simply because he felt it too.

Angel saw the group of men coming back. He silently retreated to the shadows of a large tree. Leaning against the tree for support he watched as they lowered the coffin into the earth. He could here the sound of dirt raining onto the box that held the only person who truly loved him.

Her soul had left her body, he knew that. Angel assumed it was somewhere safe; in some sort of ‘heaven’, because that’s what she deserved.