“I’ve really lost her, haven’t I?” Spike stared at the still open door.
“Maybe not. Someone wise once said, ‘If you love something, let
it go. If it returns, it’s yours forever. If it doesn’t, it
was never really yours to
begin with.’ I think that applies to Willow. I know you
love her, and I’m not trying to take her away from you, but I think she
needs some time to
adjust.”
“She can’t adjust here?”
“Not with Buffy around. She’ll expect Willow to be the same girl
she knew in high school, and from what I can tell, Willow hasn’t been that
girl for
quite some time, demon or no demon.”
“But, Angel…”
“Yes, Spike?
“What if she wasn’t really mine? What if she doesn’t come back?”
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that, but if it happens, doesn’t she deserve whatever happiness she can find, with or without you?”
Spike thought for a moment before responding. “That’s why you left her, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Slayer. You left, but that was your way of letting her go. When she didn’t follow, you knew it wasn’t meant to be.”
“You’re still welcome to come with us.”
“No, I need to stay here. Can’t really let her go if I go with her, can I?”
“Not really. I’ll bring her back to you soon, Spike.”