Author: Tigress
Feedback: maa {at} nxp.com. Feedback greatly appreciated being this my first Fic ever.)
Rating: G rated
Pairing: Dealing with Buffy/Angel
Disclaimer: All hail Joss Whedon as god of gods, Fox, and the rest of the Mutant Enemy Crew for their hard work in supplying us with the show. Joss owns the characters I just supply my input of their thoughts.
Summary: Buffy's thoughts as she says good-bye to Angel.
Spoilers: Beginning of Season 3, right before Angel returns. Literally, hours before he returns. If you have a copy of the episode "Faith, Hope and Trick", watch the end of it and see for yourself!

"You oughta deal and move on..."

"...That’s something I would very much like to have with you..."

"..I loved you….go to hell!…I did."

Buffy took in a deep breath and exhaled, as she stood rigid, starring at the ring in her hands. She looked up again at the mansion and started her way inside.

Inside looked just the same as when Drusilla and Spike had left it, the way Buffy had left it that day only a couple months ago. She looked to her left and saw the fireplace. She closed her eyes and remembered the statue of Acathla that had been right in front of the fireplace, Angel in front of that and Buffy herself in front of Angel, ready to strike with her sword into the stomach of the man she loved. Buffy watched as her memory played out in front of her; Angel’s expression when she shoved the sword all the way through his gut, Acathla sucking him into unspeakable hell. Buffy opened her eyes to see in reality, there was nothing there. For a second it seemed like it had never happened. That Angel never died and he was right behind her, about to ask,

"Buffy, what are you doing?" And Buffy would turn around and see him and he would hold her as she stated, "Nothing just thought I saw a vampire in here." Then they would both walk out of the mansion and over to the graveyard for a usual night of slaying and cuddling.

All too soon that second was gone and Buffy kept walking over towards the fireplace, right where the statue of Acathla stood. She crouched down and held out the ring, fighting back tears she knew would flow quickly if she didn't, just from looking at the ring. Buffy remembered when she first held that ring, when Angel gave her that ring. It was the happiest moment in her life, now all she wanted to do was re-live that moment and never come back to the present, where she knew that she had to move on, just like Faith moved on from her past. She whispered 'Good-bye' before placing the ring on the floor facing away from her and slowly stood back up. Buffy took one last look at the fireplace and the wall in front of her, a last look at the place where her lover died, where he spoke his last words to her, telling her he loved her. She turned around and walked away from the ring and out of the mansion. Buffy found her closure with her past and left her love behind her in that mansion. What she didn't know was that it would come back to her.