She must have read it over a hundred time before the words sunk in. Grabbing her purse, Buffy ran downstairs. "I have to go out!" she shouted to her mother.
Mrs. Summers put down the magazine she was reading. "Buffy, the wedding is tomorrow! Where are you going? When will you be back?"
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be back in time for the wedding. Don't wait up."
Climbing into her Dodge Neon, Buffy had no second thoughts about what she was going to do. She floored the accelerator, heading for the freeway.
He heard the elevator as it made its way down to his apartment. Angel wasn't expecting any visitors. Cordelia and Wesley were out of town on an assignment and Faith had gone out on a date. With piqued curiosity, he made his way to greet his guest.
When the elevator doors opened, Angel took an unnecessary breath. Stepping out of it was Buffy. He couldn't even form words, he simply looked at her. In the year that had passed, she grew even more beautiful in his eyes. Buffy Summers never ceased to amaze him.
She spoke first. "Hi, Angel."
"B-Buffy," he stammered. "What are you doing here?"
"I got your letter today."
"Oh." DID SHE COME TO TELL ME SHE DOESN'T CARE? "I suppose you want details."
Buffy nodded. "If you'll tell me."
Angel motioned for her to have a seat on the couch. "It's not a very exciting story. I saved the daughter of a gypsy woman from a demon that was harassing her. As payment, she fixed my curse so I could never lose my soul."
"So the world will never be graced with the presence of Angelus again?"
"God willing."
Buffy stood up. "Angel, I'm getting married tomorrow. To Eric."
He cast his eyes to the floor. "I didn't realize it was so soon. I guess congratulations are in order." He raised himself off the couch, extending his hand.
"Thank you," she replied in a small voice.
"If I'd known, I would have gotten you a present."
"You can. That's why I came."
He was confused. Buffy had come to tell him what to get her for a wedding gift? It didn't make any sense. "I'm sorry?"
"My present. It's not something you can giftwrap with a big red bow."
"What is it?"
Buffy lifted her head, gazing into his brown eyes. She could see herself reflected in them. "One night."
"One night?" Angel didn't understand what she meant.
"One night. With you. I want you to make love to me." When he didn't say anything right away, she continued. "I'm getting married tomorrow and all I'm asking for is one night to be with you fully and completely. If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Eric, I want to remember that for one perfect night, I had everything. Make love to me, Angel."
It took several moments for Angel to grasp everything she said to him. "Buffy, that isn't why I wrote you that letter. I just wanted you to know about what happened."
"I do know that. And another thing I know is that I could die tomorrow. Or the next day, or the day after that. It could happen anytime, and when it happens, I want to die knowing how great I had it for one night. Eric could never give that to me, but you can. Only you."
"You're getting married. I couldn't do that to you, or let you do that to him."
"I'm not doing this to hurt Eric. I'm doing this for me; I want one more night with you."
"I can't do this. It isn't right. It'll only turn out bad for all of us. And you might regret it later," Angel said.
She shook her head. "I don't regret anything."
"But you might regret this. No, Buffy. I'd do anything for you, but not this."
Seeing that he wasn't going to budge, Buffy decided to change his mind for him. She moved closer to him and wrapped her right arm around his neck. Her left hand made its way through his hair, pushing his head down; his mouth to hers. Buffy nibbled softly on his lips before gently, yet firm and passionately, kissing Angel.
Never able to deny her, or say no to her, he responded. Lifting his lost love into his strong arms, Angel carried Buffy to the bedroom.
Buffy awoke at six-thirty, her head resting on Angel's bare chest. She let out a low groan, thinking about what they had done. All night. It truly had been the perfect night she wanted it to be. He made her feel things in places she never thought she could feel. Only Angel did that to her.
She silently climbed out of bed and got dressed. The ceremony started at one, and Buffy had to be back before people started wondering. People like her mother and Willow.
Leaning down, Buffy ran her hands across Angel's chest. Reaching his waist, she pulled the bed sheet to his shoulders. "I love you," she whispered, repeating the very words he said over and over again during their lovemaking. Capturing his lips in a soft kiss, she said a silent good-bye. "Thank you."
"You look amazing, Buffy," Willow complimented when Buffy finished getting dressed.
The bride only smiled in response. "You too, Will." "Not nearly as good as you. Eric is going to flip. I can't believe you're getting married. This is so exciting."
"Yeah. Exciting." But she didn't feel excited. Something just didn't feel right to her. Here she was, twenty minutes before she was to marry a man who loved her and all Buffy could think about was the previous night. How perfect it had been, how great she felt lying in Angel's arms. The arms of the man Buffy would love for all time. "Willow, can I be alone for a while?"
The maid of honor nodded. "Of course. I'll be in the other room with Anya and Tara." Willow made sure to close the door behind her.
Buffy stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Only instead of a bride in a wedding gown, she saw herself at sixteen, standing in her bedroom with Angel, sharing their first kiss. Then she saw Angel giving her the claddagh ring, and their dance at the senior prom. The last thing she saw in the mirror was an image of Angel and herself making love the night before.
With tears running down her face, Buffy left the church.
Angel had been staring at the same page for the past hour. The words wouldn't sink in, and his mind kept wandering to the events of the past twenty-four hours. Faith and Cordelia noticed his change in demeanor and questioned him about it, but Angel refused to tell them. His night with Buffy would remain only between the two of them.
SHE'S PROBABLY SAYING HER VOWS RIGHT NOW, he thought, saddened. He'd lost the love of his life once again.
"Angel?" he heard from behind him.
He turned around to see Buffy standing at the bottom of the stairs. She was dressed in a white lace wedding gown, veil at the top of her head with her blonde hair in a bun, curly tendrils framing her make-up streaked face. "Buffy? What's the matter? Did something happen?"
Letting the tears out, she threw herself into his arms. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't marry him, Angel."
Angel's heart leapt. Maybe he hadn't lost her. "Oh, Buffy. I'm so sorry."
"For what?" she asked, looking into his eyes. "The only thing you did was make me realize how much I need you in my life. I've been thinking about last night and how perfect it was. I'll never have that with Eric. Only you can give me that perfection.
"I'm a Slayer. My life expectancy is . . . well . . . by all accounts, I should be dead right now. My life is short enough as it is and I want to live the rest of it with the man I love. You, Angel, not some normal guy who can give me a normal life. The only life I want is with you."
He held her tight, never wanting to let her go. "You still want to be with me? After everything I've done?"
"You only did it because you were thinking of me instead of you. It makes me love you and want to be with you even more."
"You are the most amazing woman. I love you, Buffy Summers."
"I love you, too." They sealed their reunion with a kiss.
The End