Hate Versus Love
By Te Me
e-mail CozmikG901@AOL.com
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, Angel, Xander, or any other characters mentioned
in this fanfiction. They belong to Joss Whedon, 21st Century Fox, Mutant Enemy Productions,
the WPIX, and many other rich people and companies that I am not.
Summary: What happens when Buffy finally realizes that she has to face Angel. Will
good pull through, or will evil be the victor?
Rating: PG-13: Language and death
Author's Note: I am putting a tissue warning on this. Actually, I'm sensing a trend
with most of my stories. Do I have too many tissue warnings? Whatever, feed back
is truly appreciated, flames and all. And according to a sanity test I'm only 29.9%
sane, so if this story strikes you as disturbing there is your answer.
PART 1
Buffy let one lone tear fall from her cheek. But no more can be shed, if too many fell she knew she could never go through with this. But she had to, there was no more cowering about, no more making excuses. Either he died or she died trying. Slowly she rose from her bed. Her pillow was wet from the tears she shed subconsciencely in sleep. She brushed her tangled blonde hair and stared into the mirror at her reflection. She has changed so much, inside and out. She is falling apart inside, he is breaking her, step by step driving her to a point of no return. Her physical appearance shows what is truly going on inside of her, shows that her happiness is a facade, just an illusion. A thin, gaunt figure stares back at her. The normally shiny and full of life green eyes seemed to have lost their spark, and her natural glowing hair seems to have faded. She pulls herself away from the mirror, not wanting to look at what she has become anymore. The phone rang loudly in the otherwise silent room interrupting her reverie.
"Buffy, hey you ok? You seemed rather, uh what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, yeah, dazed today," Xander's cheery voice that always had the slight twinge of sarcasm questioned her.
"I'm fine Xander, it's just getting harder, but it will end very soon," Buffy replied in a flat monotone.
"Buff, what are you talking about?" Xander's voice lowered an octave and clouded with worry.
"Angelus must die."
PART 2
Buffy slammed the phone down on the receiver trying to spill the unbridled rage and terror that resided within her. The rage, the hatred that Angelus had placed in her heart, the loathing that had consumed her. The terror, the terror was the utter thought of losing Angel forever. She knew that if she lost him her heart would no longer be able to feel love, and that the anguish and disgust would leave her an empty shell with no way to find peace. With those two thoughts in mind Buffy dressed quickly, not caring about her appearance. Why should she anyway, no one ever noticed her anymore. She reached for the scraggly pony tail holder on her desk to tie back her unkempt and greasy blonde locks. As she grabbed it her hand made contact with a cool object. Slowly she averted her eyes from the pony tail to the new found object. But, she didn't have to look. She already knew what was there. The claddagh ring and cross that Angel had given her. The signs of protection and love, neither of which she had anymore. If she wanted to stand half a chance she needed all the love and protection she had. First she put the cross around her neck. She picked up the ring, yet did not slip it on right away. She was truly at a crossroads. Face the heart toward her or away from her. After only another second of hesitation she put on the ring, heart facing toward her. She needed all the world to know that her heart still belonged to her mysterious guardian angel in black.
Cautiously Buffy jumped out her window. At least Angelus wasnÕt perched right there like he sometimes was, Buffy thought nonchalantly. Once she reached the ground she picked up her bag full of slayage equipment and ran with inhuman speed to the graveyard. Damage control always comes first. Buffy sat atop a fresh grave, fiddling with her stake. She knew she should be preparing to stake the vampire that was about to escape its confines, but Buffy had other more important things on her mind. She knew that she was physically capable of destroying Angelus. True, they were basically equal in strength and skill but, Buffy was trained to kill vampires, Angelus wasnÕt trained to kill slayers, all he had was instinct, she had years of training, plus he has been out of practice for awhile. But she knew the one thing that would probably cause her to lose this battle. Angelus could play off her emotions. Since he has an all access pass to AngelÕs memories, he used them to torment her, to show her that she meant nothing to him. She couldnÕt play with AngelusÕs emotions. He has none to play with, she shivered at that thought. But still she knew that the battle needed to be fought. She told Angelus at the beginning that she needed time, and now the time has come to end it. End it for everyone, because she has caused to much pain. All of a sudden BuffyÕs reverie is broken by the sound of hands clawing through the earth. After a minute or so of digging the vampire finally escapes his confines and rushes at Buffy. Without even a thought Buffy plunges the stake home and the vampire burst into a cloud of dust with an unearthly scream. Now, if only it could be that easy to stake Angel. It is, her mind told her, stake, heart, dust, it is so simple. Then her heart began to speak, no, itÕs not that simple.
As the mansion came into view the slayer paused. She sat down on a rock and slowly mulled over the events that would soon come to pass. Either her or Angelus is going to die. When she was 16 it was prophesied that she would die. Then, she was frightened to her being. She panicked and shied away from her duties. Now, merely a year and a half later she was not afraid. Death was not something to fear, no, the only thing she had to fear was loss. The petite blonde composed herself and finished her journey to the mansion where love would truly battle hate.
PART 3
As she reached the gates of the dilapidated place she could feel the aura of evil. It surrounded her and almost consumed her. She touched the ring on her finger, and slowly the veil of the maliciousness parted. Buffy could have sworn that she could feel Angel, her Angel standing next to her, replacing the immorality with love.
As she pushed the wrought iron gate open it made a wrenching squeak. She prayed to G-d, or whomever she blamed for her lowly existence that Angelus had not heard it. She wanted to surprise him, sneak up on him, she wanted him to know the feeling of being stalked. She wanted him to know the feeling of no escape. With that thought Buffy froze in her tracks. *He really is getting to me*
Buffy contemplated to herself. * I've never truly hated anything before, I never had the ability. Now, here I am, wanting someone to suffer just as I have. He wants me to do this. He wants me to become filled with rage. His whole plan is to break me. What better way to ruin me than to take away my ability to love? I'll be just as soulless as him, and that's what he wants.*
Again Buffy fingered the ring on her hand. She looked at the ring as if begging it to restore her heart; to mend all the pieces back together that had just been shattered. Finally she entered the mansion, hoping that she would again see the light of day.
PART 4
"Hello Angelus"
"Hello Lover," he replied.
"So, are you maiming the innocent again, or have you found a new more original way of entertaining your self?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"You bet I have, Buff. I like to call him drinking the blood of the slayer and leaving her dead body for her friends to find. I mean you canÕt count that as killing or maiming the innocent, cause you know youÕre not innocent anymore Buff," Angel responded as a wicked grin spread across his face.
"Oh, so you have finally decided itÕs time to move on to the big leagues," she snarled, pointedly ignoring the last part of his comment as they started circling each other.
"DonÕt flatter yourself, missy. YouÕre way off from the big leagues, remember?" Buffy inwardly cringed as Angel made reference to the night when he was let loose. One mention she could take, but once it became more than thatÉwell letÕs just say itÕs a little more difficult to handle. Angel could sense her distress and he leapt at her knowing she was off guard. He punched her in the face and she went reeling. "Buff, too bad you released me so soon, I mean maybe I could of taught you something for future reference, not that you have such a bright future though." He let another fist fly to her face but Buffy grabbed his hand and punched him hard in the stomach. Angel punched her right back, and she sank to the floor. "Now, after youÕre dead who should I kill first? Maybe Willow, no Xander. I think I will enjoy his death the most. Too bad you didnÕt get with him when you had the chance, cause if you had Buff, I wouldnÕt be here now would I?" Angelus was in heaven, he was having so much fun playing with BuffyÕs emotions, and she was so easily manipulated. He remembered Kendra once saying to Buffy that her emotions were her weakness, but Buffy retorted saying they were an asset. They were an asset, until finally someone realized how to use them, against her of course.
"Yeah, Xander was way better good-looking than you. Too bad is right, I fell for the loser," Buffy retorted. But just as Buffy predicted her little banter did not waver his coinfidence at all. She knew it from the beginning that her downfall would be because of these emotions, because of what Angel made her feel.
Angelus kicked her and grabbed her unsuspectingly by the neck. "Oh, is that right slayer. That 17 year old twerp is way better looking than me? Believe me, I know that you think IÕm better looking than any other man. I hear how your heartbeat speeds up when you see me. Even now when IÕm this monster your pulse quickens."
BuffyÕs eyes again filled with tears, again he was right. She knew now that she was about to die, it was over. Now it was time for release. "Goodbye Buff," Angelus smirked. AngelusÕs face changed, letting the demon to the surface. In his demonic visage Angelus sunk his teeth into the slayerÕs neck.
I love you Angel, Buffy thought to herself. Right at that moment she could have swore that she heard AngelÕs love filled voice whispering back that he loved her and he forgave her. As Buffy heard Angel tell her that it was not her fault, that no matter what she loved her she let go. At that moment Buffy Anne Summer, former Vampire Slayer, gave up her struggle, and lost the will to live.
PART 5
Cut to an old woman who is chanting almost silently in an unknown language.
"Te implor Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminteÉ" On one side to
her lays an orb of thesulah on the other lies a crystal ball. In the ball the image
of Angelus drinking the life of the once slayer is being projected. <
Cut back to Angelus and Buffy.
Angelus slowly removes his teeth from the dead slayer's neck, savoring the metallic flavor of her blood. He could feel its power coursing through his veins, the power of the slayer.
Cut back to the old woman.
Her chanting begins to grow louder, but still the words she is mumbling can hardly be recognized. "Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta sufletul la elÉ" Finally it seems she reaches the crescendo of her chanting. " Asa sa fie! Asa sa fie! Acum! Acum!"
The orb glows a bright orange.
PART 6
Fade back to Angelus who is still reveling in his own triumph.
All of a sudden the vampire falls to the floor in a fit of agony. His eyes glow the same orange as the orb as his body stops convulsing. Slowly, Angel gets up, not exactly remembering everything that has happened, it seemed to him like the last months were only a fuzzy dream. Then he turns, and he sees her, lying on the ground unmoving with two puncture marks in her neck. Then the memories hit, everything he did as his alter-ego flashed before his eyes. But nothing was more painful than looking at Buffy. He wanted to take one of the many stakes the she had hidden on her and stab it through his heart to end the pain, but no, he deserved the pain. He deserved to suffer for eternity. Slowly he brought himself next to the dead slayer, and took her cold hand in his, and he cried. His body wracked with sobs. He mourned for his lost love, and everything now that they had no chance in having. He wept for the fall of the greatest slayer to ever grace the earth, and he lamented because it was his fault, she died at his hands.
Angel slowly untangled his hand from hers, and gave her one longing last look before he got up to leave the mansion, and never return, he couldn't be there when Giles discovered her body, yet no ashes.
center>The End