Dark Moon: Pt One - Waxing Moon

After admitting Buffy to the emergency ward at Sunnydale and District General Hospital, Angel stuck around briefly to ensure that Buffy was going to completely recover. She was still unconscious, as she had been the entire time since they had found her. Once he had been assured by the doctor on duty that all Buffy was suffering from was exhaustion, he kissed her goodbye and turned towards the exit.

“Are you leaving again?” Willow asked Angel, with a hint of concern in his voice.

“I have to. Like I told Buffy before, it’s too hard to be near her,” he replied.

“But you’re not going to lose your soul again. It’s ok for you to be with Buffy now. Ciorstaidh said so...”

“Even if that is true, she’s still going to die someday. Even if it’s not at the hands of a Vampire, she’s been blessed with the ability to grow old. And I’ve had that ability stolen from me.”

“Angel... please stay at least until she wakes up.”

Angel looked at her, and Willow could see the intense pain reflected in his eyes. It was tearing him up inside.

“I can’t stay... I’m going back to Ireland for a while, but maybe I’ll be back someday.”

He pulled an envelope out of his pocket, and handed it to Willow.

“Please make sure she gets this,” were the last words he said before he turned and walked away, vanishing into the night.

Willow clutched the envelope to her chest, knowing that her best friend’s heart would be broken once again.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Angel...” was the first word from Buffy’s lips when she awoke.

She opened her eyes and saw the concerned faces standing around her bed; her mom, Giles, Xander, Faith, Willow and Oz.

But no Angel.

“Hey Honey,” Joyce said soothingly, “How are you feeling?”

“Ok, I guess. Where’s Angel?”

Buffy saw the glances that were exchanged, and felt her heart sink. “He’s gone again, isn’t he,” she whispered.

Willow nodded, then passed Buffy the envelope. Buffy quickly opened it, and began reading the short letter that she found within.

“Buffy,

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t stay. I hope you understand how hard it was for me to leave. I love you, but we both know how much it hurts. I’ll never forget you, or how you changed my life for the better. You gave me hope when I had none, and will always be my inspiration. I will always hope and pray that you find your happiness.

“All my love always, Angel.”

Buffy crumpled the letter into a ball, and let it fall from her hand. She turned over and began to weep silently.

Joyce reached out for her daughter, feeling the pain that was breaking her daughter’s heart. She felt helpless, knowing that there was nothing she could do to make Buffy feel better.

“It looks like our patient is awake,” said the doctor as he entered the room, “Aside from the laceration on her left wrist, she’s in tip-top condition. I’d like to see her go home and get plenty of rest. And only light activity for the next week or so. It’s too hot out these days for the strenuous activity you’ve been doing.”

After making a brief note on Buffy’s chart, the doctor turned and left the crying girl with her friends and family.

“Let me see your wrist, Honey,” Joyce said, pulling her arm out despite Buffy’s weak resistance, “It doesn’t look that bad, I guess. Kinda like you’ve been bitten...”

At that, everyone’s eyes immediately focused on Buffy’s wrist, despite her feeble attempts to hide it. Giles took it in his hand and examined it, noting the two perfect punctures surrounded by slight bruising.

“It is a bite, isn’t it,” said Giles, the sadness creeping into his voice.

“No way!” exclaimed Faith, “I was there the whole time, and not a single Vampire sank his teeth into either of us. She probably just scraped it when she passed out. Spike made sure she was ok, he was there when she fell, and he was the one who carried her out...”

Faith fell silent when she realised what everyone else was thinking.

“Buffy,” Giles asked with concern, “Can you tell us what happened?”

Buffy turned to her friends, the tears still running from her eyes. She wiped her running nose with the back of her hand, then said, “He did it for me... he knew nothing would make me happier than the chance to be with Angel forever.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

With only a few hours until dawn, Angel quickly boarded the small twin-engine air plane with his wheelchair-bound companion, and made a thorough check of the passenger area. It appeared to be completely light proof, but only time would tell.

“We’ll be ready to leave in about ten minutes, sir,” the pilot said to his only passengers.

Angel knew they would be flying directly into the daylight, so he had taken great pains in renting a plane that he could modify the passenger area to ensure both his and Ciorstaidh’s safety. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness since the day before the dark moon.

“Why is it so dark in here?” Ciorstaidh asked softly, as she momentarily regained consciousness. Her voice marked with a heavy Irish accent.

“We have to avoid the sunlight; in your condition, it could really hurt you,” Angel replied, letting himself slip into his own native accent, in hopes that it would make her feel more at home.

“Where are we going, sir?” she asked, nervously.

“I’m taking you home, Miss Brandt,” Angel replied formally.

“Will I get to see my Mum and Dad?” she asked wistfully, “My Watcher, Martin, says I can’t see them anymore...”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“You could always go after him,” Willow said as she, Xander and Buffy walked along the lakeshore a few days later. It was an overcast day, with the clouds parting only momentarily to let the sunlight through.

“I know, but it’s probably not the best time. Mom’s still trying to deal with it, so she’s really pushing the whole ‘lets get ready for college’ deal. And considering all the time I’ve got... well, let’s just say that time isn’t an issue any more.”

“So explain to me, what about this new race of Vampires or whatever that was supposed to come from the whole prophecy thing. What’s with that?” Xander asked.

“Well, Faith and I met this really old Vampire... older than the Master, I think,” replied Buffy, “Actually, I know she was, because she gave her name as C’Patra... as in Cleopatra.”

“As in Queen of the Nile, movie of the week with Timothy Dalton?” asked Xander, raising as eyebrow.

“That’s the one.”

“That’s not how the movie ended.”

“As if history is as accurate as they claim in school,” said Willow, rolling her eyes, “I would love to see them teach a course on ‘Vampires, and How to Avoid Them.’ But that isn’t going to happen.”

“I’d take it,” replied Xander, “As long as it isn’t taught by a giant praying mantis.”

“Or a robotic Demon,” quipped Willow.

“Hey, I’m just glad school is over,” laughed Buffy, “You couldn’t get me to touch high school again with a ten foot pole!”

“Hey,” said Xander, changing the subject, as the clouds parted over part of the sky, “There’s the moon. I seriously thought I’d never see it again.”

“Really, Xander,” teased Buffy, “Do you really have such little faith in me?”

Xander just grinned, and said, “Well actually...”

Buffy swatted him jokingly in response.

“Look at it though,” Willow said, pointing into the blue sky, “It hangs there so perfect, even with the sun up. It gets full, then it wanes until it disappears completely. But it always comes back and waxes once more.”

“Waxes?” asked Xander, puzzled, “As in removing body hair?”

“It gets bigger. This is the waxing moon,” explained Willow, as both she and Buffy rolled their eyes.

“Funny, of all the things I thought I’d see, a waxing moon wasn’t among them,” Xander replied, scratching his head.

“Well,” said Buffy, putting her sunglasses on as the clouds parted once again to let the sunlight through, “I know I never thought I’d see a waxing moon again.


Author's Note: There is a sequel; if anyone is interested in me posting it, please let me know. :)