*~*~*~*~

I know I never really treated you right
I've paid the price
I'm still paying for it every day

"I Don't Know You Anymore"
-Savage Garden-

*~*~*~*~

*~ The small blonde young woman walked through the park, her hands shoved deep in the pockets of her jacket, her head bowed as she thought about the past. She was twenty-one years old, but felt much, much older.

*~ Her feelings were in turmoil over her best friend's reappearance in her life. Ex-best friend, anyway. Buffy sighed and hunched her small shoulders even
more. She was ashamed of her behavior towards Willow after the 'incident', as she called it.

*~ Looking back on it now, she recognized her behavior as childish jealousy. When she'd found out that Willow and Angel were together, she'd done her best to get him back. And he'd come to her like a puppy. It had been easy. And then, as if that hadn't been bad enough, they'd kept it a secret. They had been sleeping together for several weeks before the spell, and Buffy had felt everything building up, ready to explode.

*~ Buffy was, by nature, a very possessive person. She was the first person to admit it. And she was selfish. And looking back, she knew she and Angel couldn't have kept their relationship quiet much longer.

*~ When she'd woken up from the initial blast of power to see Willow lying there on the ground, her skin almost blue from last of oxygen, her first reaction
had been relief. Then guilt had set in. And then panic. And then, when she'd seen everyone rush in to revive the fallen witch, she'd felt white-hot jealousy. Especially when she'd seen Angel's anguished tears as he'd pushed on the redhead's chest to try to get her heart beating again.

*~ And then Willow had woken up...

*~ And then all hell broke loose. Not literally. No, her best friend had stopped that from happening at great cost to herself. Buffy knew that now, she realized it, and she knew she'd been selfish to be jealous. She'd been horribly selfish.

*~ When Willow had been blinded, she'd felt horrible. Until she realized that with that loss, Willow had gained more power than she could ever measure. And
*that* had pissed Buffy off more than anything else.

*~ Buffy sighed now, hugging her arms around herself, trying to ward off a chill that came from the inside. She hadn't realized how blind *she* had been. For four years, she'd let her best friend live in a *cave* for God's sake! And she'd always held onto the belief that it was up to Willow to forgive and move on. But she'd tried to kill her best friend, after taking her boyfriend. It took three years and finally seeing the tiny redhead again to make her realize it.

*~ With another dejected sigh, the ex-slayer turned toward home and the arms of her lover. She wondered if he'd even be there...
 

Part 7

*~ Angel stared out at the moon from his perch outside the balcony of Willow's old room. He knew Buffy would probably be waiting for him at home, but he couldn't quite make himself go back just yet.

*~ He had no excuse for the way he'd betrayed Willow, before and after the spell. He could have went after her when she left, but he hadn't. He could have told Buffy no, that he was with Willow. And finally, he could have been honest with Willow... and with himself.

*~ He'd felt remorse when he'd first betrayed her, but he'd made it worse by keeping silent, and continuing to sleep with Buffy. He loved Buffy. But he'd loved
Willow more. And he'd thrown it away. He'd thrown her away. He realized that now....
 

Part 8

*~*~*~*~

WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN

Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face
With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life
With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you eveything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world
With arms wide open..

*~*~*~

*~ "Xander?"

*~ "Yeah?"

*~ "I love you."

*~ "I love you too, Anya."

*~ There was a slight hesitation, then, "Xander?"

*~ "Yeah?"

*~ "Do you think Willow and the others can make peace before something horrible happens?"

*~ "I hope so."

*~ Silence.

*~ "Xander?"

*~ "Yeah?"

*~ "What would you say if I told you I was pregnant?"

*~ "What!?"

*~ "I'm pregnant."

*~ "Ohmgod!" His voice was a joyful shout as he hugged his wife tighter, and kissed her tenderly. "We're really having a baby?"

*~ "Mm-hm."

*~ "I love you."

*~ "I love you too."
 

Part 9

*~ The Watcher sat at his desk, his glasses perched on the end of his nose as he pored over the ancient texts that held the prophecy that had gotten them into this mess in the first place. His heart nearly stopped as he read the last paragraph over again. He took off his glasses and closed his eyes, then re-read it again.

*~ With a soft curse, he reached for the phone, dialing first Buffy and Angel's apartment. After a few terse words, he hung up and dialed the others.

*~ Heart in throat, he sat back down and continued reading, hoping he was wrong. Praying he was wrong.
 
 

Part 10

*~*~*~

I wanna push you around, I will, I will
I wanna push you down, I will, I will
I wanna take you for granted,
I wanna take you for granted I will
She said I don’t know why you ever would lie to me

-Matchbox20- "Push"

*~*~*~

*FLASHBACK*

*~ She was alone in her dark world. No one cared. Not the Watcher, not the Slayer, and not her 'friends'. Xander might, but he was too caught up with the whole "Willow's blind" thing. And Angel... That's what hurt the most, not the blindness, not the ever present tingling of power, not even the hatred of what used to be her best friend, but the thought that he hadn't cared enough to tell her that he wanted out of their relationship.

*~ She would have been hurt, but she would have gotten over it eventually. But he had slept with Buffy when he was still with her. He had acted like nothing was different. He had acted like she still mattered to him. He had still told her he loved her.

*~ Lies. All of it. Lies. He didn't care about her. He didn't love her. She was just a cheap fuck. Gratitude was the most he felt for her. For his soul, for his
life. And for the chance to be with Buffy.

*~ The redhead turned blind eyes to the door of her old room in her parent's house. The Slayer was there. Willow knew the instant that the other girl had
stepped into the house. And she knew her intent. And welcomed it.

*~ The door slammed open, the heavy wood cracking under the pressure of the powerful kick. The redhead couldn't see the other girl, but could feel her...
hear her heartbeat, smell the anger and jealousy.

*~ "You didn't have to break my door, Buffy," Willow said quietly. "It was unlocked."

*~ "I'm sorry, Wills, but I've got to do this."

*~ Willow got to her feet slowly and held her arms out to the side. "Do it. You've taken everything else, might as well end it."

*~ Willow felt the other girl hesitate, then there was a searing pain in the region of her heart. An involuntary scream made its way out of her throat and her knees buckled against the pain. But she didn't die.

*~ She felt the flesh start to knit around the blade and she pulled it out with a whimper. Within seconds, the wound was gone, not even a scar.

*~ Buffy gasped and Willow started to laugh hysterically. She laughed and laughed while Buffy turned and ran. It was the last time they had seen each other for four years. That night was the redhead's last night in Sunnydale, and the first of her many nights alone.
 

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