In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
-- William Blake, 'The Tiger'
The faint sound of someone clearing their throat came
just as Willow
finished taping the final box of her stuff closed. She
whirled around to
see Xander standing sheepishly in the doorway.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
"To say I'm sorry," he offered.
"Shouldn't you be off hanging onto Buffy's every little lie?" she snapped.
"Buffy's not here anymore," he whispered.
"What?" Willow asked, looking up at him.
"Giles took her to England and the Council. She'll be
tried for her
crimes." Xander took a few steps into her room, but stop
when Willow glared
at him. "We realized how insane she was when she tried
to....uh,"
"Kill me?" Willow finished. "You can say it, Xand," she
stated. "Stuck a
knife in my gut and watched me die."
"God, Willow, I didn't want it to go like that," he whispered.
"Really? And did you expect it to end some other way?" she growled.
"No," he admitted. Willow stared at him in silence. "I
was angry, okay?"
Xander stated. "You abandoned me for a demon. How was
I supposed to feel?"
"How about happy for me? Happy that I found someone who
cared enough about
me to show it once in a while? That's all I wanted from
you, all I ever
wanted from you. Your acceptance."
"And I couldn't give that," he whispered.
"No, you couldn't," she snapped, picking up the box and
walking passed him
to the door.
"Where are you going?" Xander asked.
"LA," she replied, stopping before she got to the top
of the stairs. "Me
and Angel, possibly Cordelia."
"Even Cordy's leaving me," he whispered.
"And that's your own damn fault," Willow hissed, taking
the box down the
stairs and walking out to Angel's car. She got in, starting
the engine and
pulling away from her house without saying goodbye to
him.
**********
"You sure you have everything?" Willow asked, watching
Angel and Oz load
boxes into the back of a moving van.
"Positive," Angel replied.
"Good," she grinned. "I'd hate to leave anything behind."
"Hey, I can always send it to you," Faith commented, walking up to them.
"So it's official?" Angel asked as Oz put the final item into the van.
"Yep, I get to stay in Sunnydale with the Weasel and relish
in the fact
that I'm finally the good one," she smiled.
"And get your GED," Oz stated, leaning against the bumper.
"And get my GED," she rolled her eyes, "And apply to UC
Sunnydale," she
stated as Oz opened his mouth to say that very thing.
"You ready, Will?" Angel stated, tossing her the keys to his convertible.
"Whenever you are," Willow replied, catching the keys
deftly. She turned to
Faith, pulling the brunette into an embrace. "Be careful."
"You know me," the Slayer grinned.
"That's what I'm afraid of," Willow replied, pulling out of the embrace.
"I expect daily phone calls, Red," Faith stated, waving
a finger at the
redhead.
"Make that for me too," Oz stated as Willow wrapped him in her arms.
"I will," Willow whispered, fighting back tears. "Take
care of her, Oz,"
she muttered, pulling away.
"I plan on it," he smiled, reaching out and touching Faith's
hand. The
brunette grinned him, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Faith," Angel stated.
"Yeah, Fang?" she replied.
"Thank you."
"Hey, we've been five by five for a long time," she replied,
smiling at the
vampire.
"Good," he stated, returning her smile. "You two are always
welcome with
us, you know that?"
"We know," Oz replied. The two of them waved goodbye to
Willow and Angel
before heading down the street hand in hand.
"So," Willow stated, butterflies dancing in her stomach.
"See you in LA?"
she asked, turning to Angel.
"See you in LA," he whispered, nodding.
*FIN*