&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*
Part 1-
"I must go, love... it's time," he said gently to the warm young woman in his arms. "It's not forever... just a week... seven days, and then... well, then you'll be back in my arms, and there you will *stay*!"
She sighed in an odd mixture of sorrow and happiness, the sorrow for the week to come when she would be without him; the happiness for their life together that would begin in that one short week. "Promise?" she teased, looking up into his aching eyes.
"Oh, yes, my love," he said silkily, leaning down to brush her hot, soft lips with his own cooler ones. "And I will give you everything I am, in return for all that you've given me..."
"Given *you*?" she asked, honestly perplexed, "What have I ever given *you*?"
He sighed deeply, tightening his strong arms around her warmth. "What have you ever *given* me?" he repeated in disbelief, "Only the most important and precious thing in the entire world... the most wonderful, beautiful thing *ever*." He smiled softly, meeting her still puzzled eyes. "Oh, my love," he murmured wonderingly, "Don't you know?... You gave me *you*!"
She gazed up at him, amazed. "Me? I gave you *me*? And... and that's enough?"
He smiled again, loving her more with each second he spent holding her in his arms. "Enough?" he echoed, astonished, "That's *everything*!"
She sighed again, stepping away from his embrace. "Go, then," she said softly, staring up into the night sky. "Go... and when you return, I'll be *here*... waiting." She smiled as he stepped towards her again. "If you don't go *now*..."
"I never *will*." he finished for her, as he faded into the darkness. "One week..."
"One week," she repeated softly, as she started through the trees, heading for home.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It had been a long, long week. She had tried to just let the time fly by, but how could it, when every moment, every thought, was filled with images of *him*? She loved him too much, she knew. It was only odd in that she hadn't seen it coming.
He had been her friend... almost her *best* friend, if the truth be known, despite the miles that separated them. But then, it had started to change... They had seen each other rarely, but when they did... She could chart the progression of their relationship in her mind... the exact moment when a hug became an embrace; a soft brush of lips a passionate kiss. But still... she hadn't seen it coming... had never expected it, and she didn't think that he had either. And yet, come it had.
She'd been frightened at first, afraid of being hurt as she had been in the past... but it was bigger than her... bigger than *him*, too. She knew that he had tried to fight it just as hard as *she* had, but...
She smiled, her heart beating faster as the time approached. He would be so surprised, she thought, glancing at the blanket she'd laid on the ground in their special spot. She had carefully arranged all of her favourite foods there, and brought a little something special just for him... they would have a wonderful time there, in their clearing in the woods, just outside of town.
She arranged herself carefully beside the blanket, staring up into the night sky as she waited... and waited... and waited some more.
He wasn't coming, she realized, as the rising sun lit the sky. He wasn't
coming. She stood, shaking the tears from her eyes. He wasn't coming, and
he wasn't *hers*... not anymore.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*
Part 2-
"I waited, you know," she said quietly, tucking her hair back behind her ear. "I waited, and watched for you... it felt like an eternity." She sighed, pulling back the hand that had crept towards him. She could imagine the feel of his cool, smooth skin beneath her fingertips... *remember* it... and it had been so long.
If she were smart, she knew, it would be even longer before she again allowed herself that touch.
"Not that I'd know," she continued, turning her eyes to the fullness of the swiftly rising moon, "About eternity, I mean. I only know what you promised me." She shook her head sadly. "I *can* say that every moment I spent here, just waiting, felt longer than the entire span of time when I believed that you loved me." She sighed again, refusing to let herself look at him. "That I believed in you is my shame... that I loved you, my burden... and that I love you *still*? Well, *that*," she said sadly, "*That* is my curse."
She turned away from him, eyes cast down to the rich dark earth beneath her feet. "I forgive you," she murmured, her breath catching on the sob hidden deep withing her throat, "But I will *never* forgive myself."
She glanced into the trees, hearing the expected sounds. "I must go now, my love... He'll be here in a moment. But I'm glad that I got the chance to see you... to *tell* you. For while I may forgive, I will *never* forget..."
He sighed in his turn and watched her go. "It's over." he said sadly, as he cried at the last.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He watched her go, the tear tracks clear on his face. It *was* over... he knew it.
He wished, more than anything, that he could tell her what had happened...
that he'd been hurt badly on that last adventure... that he'd been *weeks*
recovering enough to even get out of bed... that *all* that he'd thought
about was healing enough that he could go to her, hold her again... and
that he'd almost fallen apart when he'd finally been able to, and he'd
found her *gone*. He wanted to tell her so *badly*... and he couldn't.
He *knew* her! She'd been hurt so much before; he was amazed that she'd
even given him a chance in the first
place! And there was *no* chance that she'd ever trust him again...
He sighed deeply, the tears flowing faster as he faded back into the trees. He held back his sobs as her new companion entered the clearing, following her trail. He watched as the last being he'd *ever* wanted to think of her with made his way into the cleared area and stopped, suddenly, in the middle.
"I can feel you there," the new arrival said quietly, the smug tone not even hidden in his voice, "And I know what you want." He turned in a full circle, scanning the trees half-heartedly with his ice blue eyes. "But you can't have her," he continued, satisfaction evident in his very stance, "She's *mine* now!" His smile was completely content. "She will never leave me... she knows that I love her, and she will *never* have you back. It doesn't matter that you love her... *or* that she loves you still... she's *mine*."
He continued on to the edge of the clearing, throwing one last phrase over his shoulder . "Deal with it." he said flatly, as he began tracking his woman once more. Of course, had he stayed nearby for even a moment longer, he would have felt the waves of anger that had replaced the other man's despair.
Angel glared after the blond, hating him more, at that moment, than
he'd ever thought possible. "We'll see about *that*, Spike," he said softly
into the night, staring fixedly at the trail the blond had disappeared
down. "We'll just *see*..."
End Fic.
*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*