//His voice is still
Like the night
Rustling winds
Of angels' flight
Take him home
To the light
This friend of mine//
"Friend of Mine" by John Hiatt
Capeside Cemetery
January 19, 2018
Just after sunset
They met in silence. By unspoken agreement they had gone to their own hotels after arriving in town. They knew that the time for reunion could only happen when all the members of their privileged group could be together. The setting sun found them meeting around a stark marble stone.
Xander was the first to speak, "It's hard to believe she's gone. I never expected to lose her like this."
Cordelia placed her arm around her husband's waist as she spoke, "She was always so strong. It's not fair that something like this should happen to her."
Wiping a tear from his eye, Giles turned from the simple stone. "Fair was never part of being the Slayer. Buffy learned that over time, no matter how much she fought against it. If life was fair she wouldn't have been so alone these last few years, so alone in this last fight."
"She wasn't alone, Giles," the red-haired Watcher stated. Willow looked at the grave and shook her head. She still couldn't believe that her best friend was gone. She leaned back into Oz's shoulder, grateful he could find time from his tour schedule to be there with them, with her. "Angel was with her. If anyone deserved the opportunity to be here at the end it was him. They lost so much time as it was."
"Speaking of dead-boy, where the hell is he? I expected to find him haunting the place." Xander flinched as Cordelia elbowed him.
"Perhaps he wished to give us some time alone. Remember that he left us under rather difficult circumstances. Buffy's death certainly hasn't helped him find any peace." Giles sadly turned and looked at the trees, half expecting to find the guilt ridden vampire materializing out of nowhere as he had done so many times in the past.
"You sound like you've forgiven him," Xander said incredulously. He had only recently come to terms with the havoc Angelus had caused so long ago and the losses he had suffered were nowhere near the magnitude of the losses suffered by the older Watcher.
"There was never anything to forgive, Xander. Jenny died because of Angelus the demon, not Angel our friend. I regret that through my actions I caused him to leave. I knew the difference between the two at the time, but I was so angry I wanted someone to suffer. Poor, tormented Angel became my victim because the demon wore his face. I will always regret that Buffy spent the last twenty years alone because of my stupid desire for revenge." Giles spoke softly as his eyes returned from the trees to the sad faces watching him.
Willow knelt to place the flowers she was holding on the grave. As she lowered the bright colored blossoms a soft breeze came up. A feather light dust suddenly swirled up from the green grass. "I don't think she'll be alone any longer, Giles." She stood up suddenly, a sob choking her throat.
"What?" Xander looked from Willow's tear-stained face to the dust dotting the smooth petals of the yellow roses. "He didn't, did he?"
"Apparently Xander, he did." Giles knelt next to the stone and reached into the grass. He lifted his hand and let the fine ash slip through his fingers. Reaching around the stone he pulled out the manuscript. Attached to the manuscript was a small envelope addressed to "My Friends." Giles handed the manuscript and the letter to Xander.
"What? You want me to read this?" Xander asked. "I guess you do. Okay dead-boy, what were your last words?" Opening the letter he began to read:
My Friends and I'm truly grateful to be able to say that for you were my friends even through all the hurt I caused. I was glad to see you all this past week even for such a sad reason. I know I didn't say it out loud but in my heart I was saying good-bye. I'm sorry, I can't go on with her. She was my light in the darkness even if I couldn't be with her. Without her the darkness is overpowering. It's wrong of me to ask after all the pain I caused but please remember me. Not as the monster I became for a time, but as your friend.
Xander's voice broke on the last line. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I wanted to tell him that this was going to be my next book. I had the dedication all worked out. It was for both him and Buffy."
"He knew Xander, he knew." Giles looked from the dusty stone, to the stars in the sky, and then to the solemn group around him. "I can only hope they're happy together now."
As they slowly turned to walk away, each lost in their own thoughts, the soft breeze began again. A silvery peal of laughter, followed by what could only be described a wry chuckle danced through the sound of the rustling leaves. Unhappy faces lifted and smiles began to appear. "I think they are Giles; I think they are." Willow said. She tucked her head against Oz's shoulder as the suddenly lighthearted group walked away.
"Great, we've got ghosts!" Xander laughed. "Our own Casper and friends, this could be fun." Still laughing they walked to their cars, their sorrow lessened by the knowledge that Buffy and Angel were together again and that nothing would ever separate them. Things were as they should have always been.
~end~
Author's Note: This is my first fanfic so all constructive criticism and ego boosting is welcome. Flames will be used to light my cantankerous BBQ
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