BtVS -- Juliet dies at the story's end -- Buffy, Angel -- 778
Title -- Juliet dies at the story's end
Author -- Viktoria (geekthegirl @ gmail . com)
Rating -- G/PG
Pairing -- Buffy/Angel
Summary -- Juliet dies at the story's end, and Romeo's already dead.
Notes -- carlyinrome asked for Buffy & Angel's last kiss. I came up with this.
Word Count -- 778
Slayers were born to die, but they almost always took down as many vampires and demons as they were able, while they breathed their last precious breaths. That was what gave Slayers hope and a reason to go on; their deaths were rarely meaningless. And Buffy had died two good and honourable deaths already. Twice had she died facing the worst of what demonkind had to offer and twice had her friends brought her back.
This illness, however, would soon claim her life and there was nothing to prevent it. Willow's powerful magicks had not been able to free Buffy of the disease and she would not be able to snatch her back from the grave.
"She made me promise not to even try," Willow had admitted over the phone. "You should be here. She's only got a few days left."
Angel flew in that night. The medicine that the doctor had prescribed for the pain made her sleep most of the time, so he just sat beside her bed and watched her as she slept.
He reached for her hand, and he knew Willow was being generous. A bringer of death for so many years, he felt how weak she was, how desperately her body ached for the comfort of death. It was obvious she was only alive because Slayers never die without a hard-fought battle.
Buffy would die before the night was over.
With his other hand, Angel moved some hair off her face and back behind her ear. He then caressed her cheek.
"I wish I could save you," he whispered, squeezing her hand tighter.
She stirred. Her eyes squinted because of the brightness of the bedroom's lamp and it took her a second to notice him. "When did you get here?" She asked, smiling.
"About an hour ago."
Buffy used what little strength she had and raised herself up in the bed. She motioned towards the nightstand and Angel realised that she was thirsty and asking for the cup of water that was sitting there. Letting go of her hand, he picked it up and tilted it up near her mouth so she could get a drink. Licking her lips, she settled back into the pillows.
"Willow called you." It wasn't a question. "Good ol' Willow. Did she tell you-- do you know about Dawnie? And Spike?"
Angel nodded. He had been surprised when Willow & Giles were both there to pick him up at the airport, but he understood why as Giles filled him in on the situation as Willow drove the car back to the Slayers' estate. Buffy and Dawn had both come down with the disease while working together in Asia, but Dawn had been less willing to accept the unfortunate outcome. She persuaded Spike to save her life ... by turning her. Giles admitted the despair Buffy felt had helped the disease progress faster than it normally would have.
"I failed her," Buffy confessed.
"This is no time to be talking like that."
"I'm only dying, that's all," she snapped. Seeing the hurt on his face, she apologised. "I'm sorry, Angel. It's just--"
He shrugged and grasped her hand again. "I missed you."
"I missed you too. It sucks that we never had the chance to-- but I was saving the world, you were saving the world. It looks like you'll have to keep saving it for both of us." Buffy coughed violently, clutching the comforter to her chest. She whimpered in pain. Angel reached for the water, but Buffy shook her head.
"I want to-- I need to tell you something. I love you. I don't think I ever stopped. And I'm glad you came, because I would've never had the chance to tell you otherwise." Buffy paused. "Will you do me one last thing? Will you kiss me, please?"
Angel touched her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her lips. He leaned forward and kissed her. He kissed her like he had that very first time; he never wanted this moment to end. But, as they kissed, he felt the change. The change he had felt a hundred times before.
She pulled away from the kiss and moved her lips towards his ear. "Thank you. Now I can go to heaven with one less regret. I love you, Angel."
She gasped, and he felt the life leave her body. He laid her back gently on the bed. Her eyes were closed and she had this look of genuine peace on her face. He laid his head against her chest, hearing only the silence of her still heart. He felt the tears come and did nothing to stop him.
Author -- Viktoria (geekthegirl @ gmail . com)
Rating -- G/PG
Pairing -- Buffy/Angel
Summary -- Juliet dies at the story's end, and Romeo's already dead.
Notes -- carlyinrome asked for Buffy & Angel's last kiss. I came up with this.
Word Count -- 778
Slayers were born to die, but they almost always took down as many vampires and demons as they were able, while they breathed their last precious breaths. That was what gave Slayers hope and a reason to go on; their deaths were rarely meaningless. And Buffy had died two good and honourable deaths already. Twice had she died facing the worst of what demonkind had to offer and twice had her friends brought her back.
This illness, however, would soon claim her life and there was nothing to prevent it. Willow's powerful magicks had not been able to free Buffy of the disease and she would not be able to snatch her back from the grave.
"She made me promise not to even try," Willow had admitted over the phone. "You should be here. She's only got a few days left."
Angel flew in that night. The medicine that the doctor had prescribed for the pain made her sleep most of the time, so he just sat beside her bed and watched her as she slept.
He reached for her hand, and he knew Willow was being generous. A bringer of death for so many years, he felt how weak she was, how desperately her body ached for the comfort of death. It was obvious she was only alive because Slayers never die without a hard-fought battle.
Buffy would die before the night was over.
With his other hand, Angel moved some hair off her face and back behind her ear. He then caressed her cheek.
"I wish I could save you," he whispered, squeezing her hand tighter.
She stirred. Her eyes squinted because of the brightness of the bedroom's lamp and it took her a second to notice him. "When did you get here?" She asked, smiling.
"About an hour ago."
Buffy used what little strength she had and raised herself up in the bed. She motioned towards the nightstand and Angel realised that she was thirsty and asking for the cup of water that was sitting there. Letting go of her hand, he picked it up and tilted it up near her mouth so she could get a drink. Licking her lips, she settled back into the pillows.
"Willow called you." It wasn't a question. "Good ol' Willow. Did she tell you-- do you know about Dawnie? And Spike?"
Angel nodded. He had been surprised when Willow & Giles were both there to pick him up at the airport, but he understood why as Giles filled him in on the situation as Willow drove the car back to the Slayers' estate. Buffy and Dawn had both come down with the disease while working together in Asia, but Dawn had been less willing to accept the unfortunate outcome. She persuaded Spike to save her life ... by turning her. Giles admitted the despair Buffy felt had helped the disease progress faster than it normally would have.
"I failed her," Buffy confessed.
"This is no time to be talking like that."
"I'm only dying, that's all," she snapped. Seeing the hurt on his face, she apologised. "I'm sorry, Angel. It's just--"
He shrugged and grasped her hand again. "I missed you."
"I missed you too. It sucks that we never had the chance to-- but I was saving the world, you were saving the world. It looks like you'll have to keep saving it for both of us." Buffy coughed violently, clutching the comforter to her chest. She whimpered in pain. Angel reached for the water, but Buffy shook her head.
"I want to-- I need to tell you something. I love you. I don't think I ever stopped. And I'm glad you came, because I would've never had the chance to tell you otherwise." Buffy paused. "Will you do me one last thing? Will you kiss me, please?"
Angel touched her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her lips. He leaned forward and kissed her. He kissed her like he had that very first time; he never wanted this moment to end. But, as they kissed, he felt the change. The change he had felt a hundred times before.
She pulled away from the kiss and moved her lips towards his ear. "Thank you. Now I can go to heaven with one less regret. I love you, Angel."
She gasped, and he felt the life leave her body. He laid her back gently on the bed. Her eyes were closed and she had this look of genuine peace on her face. He laid his head against her chest, hearing only the silence of her still heart. He felt the tears come and did nothing to stop him.