Summary: The end of days battle comes and Angel receives his Shanshu but things for him and Buffy still won’t be easy. B/A B/R C/D F/G X/A

 

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss etc etc etc

 

Feedback: Always!!!

 

NB: Dawn doesn’t exist. Willow might be a lesbian she might not I will not make anything definite yet. Spike is in this but there is nothing other than friendship between him and Buffy. Hero didn’t happen so Doyle is still alive. Wesley didn’t come into the AI team until later so nobody knows about Angel’s shanshu until it happens and is researched. Riley did leave but came back. Although Dawn doesn’t exist Glory did. Glory wasn’t after the Key she wanted something else. I don’t know what that was but it holds no significance. Buffy did die and Giles did go to England. Willow didn’t freak out with magic and Tara didn’t break up with her.

 

IMPORTANT: IF U R A RILEY FAN DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER!!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part One

 

Buffy’s head spun round as the almighty blow to her jaw sent her reeling. She quickly recovered before the huge foot like object that belonged to the demon she was fighting squashed her. She flipped up and landed a roundhouse kick in the demon’s middle. It folded and Buffy used it’s lack of balance against it bringing her joined hands down on it’s head so it fell to the floor. While continuing the attack she quickly scanned the wreckage surrounding her and located Willow, she seemed deep in some sort of spell. Buffy drew the long sword from it’s seethe and swung it removing the vampire’s head that had thought to attack her from behind. The end of days battle. It was drawing to and end as the forces of good destroyed the bad. The casualties of humans was startling but luckily none of the Scoobies or the AI team had been killed or really badly injured. Buffy realised too late she shouldn’t have thought that since she had no wood close by to touch. The fight continued but Buffy was forever aware of the people around her making sure that she could locate all of her friends among the mass of demons, dead and alive, and screaming humans all too much like sheep to actually get away from the carnage. Buffy was flagging now, she had been fighting since the beginning since the Hellmouth had open and let demons of all natures loose in Sunnydale. That had been yesterday. The others rested took turns in fighting with her all of them except Angel and Spike who stayed fighting by her side since the start. She was grateful to have them both with her but worry was etched on her face knowing that at any moment a scrap of metal from a newly destroyed car or building could chop a head and she could loose them. She banished thoughts like that from her head and concentrated on the demon facing her. She felt renewed energy at the cry of her name from a female voice. Through the mist and smoke she couldn’t distinguish it’s owner but only knew that whichever of her friends it was they needed help. She swung the sword above her head and it hit it’s target and pierced the demon through it’s head. Orange slime oozed out of the opening as Buffy spun on her heel and headed towards the now frantic screams.

 

The fight was over and the small group of friends and warriors moved towards each other. Xander pulled his wife into his arms and held her refusing to let go for fear she might be taken away. Through the battle his only thought had been Anya. His love for her kept him going when any normal person would have collapsed from exhaustion. Anya gripped Xander tighter than she had in her life relief flooding in her. It reached to the furthest depths of her soul. In her years of being a demon she had seen some destruction but this was nothing like anything she had witness in her 100 years.

 

Giles looked at his weary Slayer. The bravest Slayer the world had ever known. The oldest Slayer the world had ever known. He remembered the 16-year-old Buffy Summers who had cried out that she didn’t want to die when she heard the prophecy of her death at the Masters hands. That was 8 long years ago and she had changed. She had had to. They regarded each other for a moment before he reached out and pulled her into a tight grip. She returned the hug. They held each other tighter than they had when he returned from England to find his Slayer alive. But he reflected Buffy wasn’t his Slayer she was so much more. She had faced things no other Slayer had and she was still standing, still fighting. He knew she would still be fighting with her last breath if it saved a life. But she was still even more than that, she was his daughter. She was his heart, she was the biggest part of his life. She was so much to him and to the others here. She was the person that made him proud she was the one he could turn to, she was the one who would stand by his side when he married. She would be his best woman. She was amazing and he knew that he couldn’t lose her. The world couldn’t lose her.

 

Buffy was tired and sore. The pain in her arm was mind numbing and as Giles squeezed her tighter it became worse. But she didn’t flinch or ask him to loosen his grip or let go instead she held on tighter. Giles had become a part of her soul of her being in a way only a father should but that’s what he was her father. Eventually Giles let go and moved to speak with Wesley. Buffy surveyed her friends and saw that everyone seemed coupled in some way. Holding their love so tight, so afraid the fight wasn’t really over and they would have to face knowing they could lose part of their self. Xander and Anya, Cordelia and Doyle, Fred and Gunn, Willow. Spike moved over to her and gave her a quick hug and wiped the side of her face clear of the tears she didn’t know she had shed. He moved over to join the Watchers in their conversation. Riley came over to her finally and held her so tight she thought he might never let go. As the people’s faces came through her mind she realised later than she should have that the feeling inside her she had whenever Angel was near had gone. It had been lost as the fight ended. She parted from Riley and looked around frantically. Her long blonde curls spinning in the wind as she searched the wreckage for her angel coming through. But he didn’t after a few moments like this the couples noticed something was wrong and pulled apart. Riley was deeply disturbed but Buffy’s behaviour and couldn’t understand what had got to her. But then he knew, as did everyone.

“Angel…” Cordelia’s lips barely part as the name of her friend, boss and her almost brother slipped from her lips.

“Where is he? Someone must have seen him. Where was he the last time he was seen? What if he’s hurt or…” The strangled sob in Buffy’s throat stopped all words leaving her mouth. Riley moved to comfort her but she pushed him away. Spike moved over to the frantic Slayer and wrapped his arms around her as she cried into his chest. It was then Riley knew that although Buffy was his girlfriend she belonged to Angel. But Angel was probably dead now and even if he wasn’t he would return to LA and Buffy would begin to forget again. Buffy tried to speak but no words came after minutes and standing sobbing in Spike’s arms she let 4 words escape in almost a whisper. Spike was the only one to hear them.

“I don’t feel him.”

“Come on Slayer he’s probably just been looking round for people to help, injured people.” Buffy voice became louder and everyone heard her this time.

“But I don’t feel him. I always feel him. I get this deep choking inside me when he’s near and I can’t feel it now, it’s gone.” All tears dried up in Buffy’s eyes before they got their chance to fall as she decided now was time for action. Now was time to find her angel.

“Willow, Spike, Wesley take the town centre. Giles, Xander, Anya go to the hospitals. Riley, Doyle, go to the area near the Bronze. Gunn, Cordy, Fred, head to the actual mouth and check there. He might have gone to see if it had actually closed.” Buffy turned to leave. Xander caught up with her.

“Where you going Buffster?”

“The mansion, then I’ll come back here and search the wreckage that was once Sunnydale.”

“He’ll be fine probably off somewhere brooding as he does.”

“No he isn’t.” Buffy began to run unable to continue a conversation where she had to admit to someone else and herself the feelings of devastation and lose that was pent up in her chest just waiting to explode.