Many thanks to everyone who reviewed End of Night!

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Title: End of Night 2

Sequel to "End of Night"

Author: Anne Rose

Email:

URL: .net/btvs

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Rating: R

Spoilers: End of Days, sequel to End of Night

Summary: S/B, What happened after the camera stopped rolling on End of Days? (BTW - I remain unspoiled for the finale. All this is my imagination, and I really hope I'll get Jossed.)

Archive: Yes. I would be honored if you want to archive it. Please let me know where so I can visit it.

Author's Note: Thanks to Hubby and Jess for beta reading, and Squirrelly for the title idea. © May 19, 2003

Disclaimer: Joss and Mutant Enemy, etc... own BtVS. No infringement intended. Any resemblance to people living, dead, or undead, or to real life events is all in your mind, is downright scary, and means you seriously need to get a life.

~*~*~

Angel slowed his pace as he jogged out of the cemetery and came to a stop near the edge. He didn't want to head back to the house full of people just yet. Instead he leaned back against one of the crypts and looked up at the stars. Today seemed to be his day for letting go.

When Lilah had offered him Wolfram & Hart's LA offices, he had scoffed at the idea at first, but he'd underestimated her. The first ploy was obvious, something for him, the sunlight. He'd stood there for a minute and basked in the warmth, and then he'd told her to close the curtains. Not for sale.

His eye caught a pile of rubble, half concealed by the brush on the side of the crypt. He poked at a rock with his toe, and then suddenly connected with one, the force sending it sailing through the air.

Next Lilah had started on the ones he loved -- an amulet to help the slayer in her final battle in Sunnydale. He'd turned her down flat, not even giving it serious consideration. "Buffy can handle herself." The words had left his mouth without hesitation.

Another rock went sailing.

He had been walking out of the office when the other shoe dropped, the location of his son, and Cordelia. It was all he could do not to wring Lilah's neck, but then, she was already dead, so what was the point?

"One time offer only Angel, walk out that door and deal's off. Stay, it's all yours," Lilah had said.

Connor had looked so lost and angry in the news footage. He had known Lilah was manipulating him, using that most deadly form of deception, the truth. Angel hadn't been there for his son, and now Connor was going to kill himself and a couple dozen innocents -- men, women, children.

He took the deal.

And in doing so, he gave up a piece of himself.

Crash, another rock flew across the cemetery.

It didn't end there. No sooner had he rescued Connor than he found he was the only one with memories of his son. Later that night, looking through the window of Connor's new home, at his new family sharing dinner together, he had felt such intense mixed emotions of joy and pain.

Connor was happy. All the pain he'd caused in Connor's life was gone, replaced with memories of a loving, caring family. It was everything he'd always wanted for Connor -- except.... But he knew he had to let go.

Crunch! This time the rock hit a gravestone, pulverizing itself in the process.

Angel didn't know what he'd been expecting when he reached Sunnydale -- a tearful reunion with Buffy perhaps, but then what? Willow had told him Buffy wasn't seeing anyone, but only hours earlier, Angel had moved Cordelia into the finest medical facility Wolfram & Hart's resources could arrange, in short the best care available in this and several other dimensions.

The fable about the greedy dog came to mind. The dog had found a huge piece of meat, and on the way home to eat it, he had walked by a stream. Looking into the water, he had seen another dog with an even better looking hunk of meat. He had plunged in, snapping at his reflection. When he had emerged from the water he found he had lost both the reality and the illusion.

'That was not going to happen to him,' Angel thought. He pounded his fist against the marble, wincing as he saw a crack spiderweb up the wall.

Buffy had moved on, and she was happy. That was what he had always wanted. The fact that it was Spike was an irritant, and it pricked at his pride. But Angel knew Spike, and once he set his mind on something he was relentless. He had cared for Dru for over a hundred years, until Angelus had separated them.

'Oh great,' he thought, 'another reason I have to make nice with Captain Peroxide.' He had cleaned up Angelus' mess by watching over Dru after he'd driven her insane. Spike had also helped Buffy stop Angelus from destroying the world. And Spike had tortured him the last time they'd met, he hastened to remind himself. No need to go all soft and misty eyed about his soulless grandchilde.

Get the job done and get home.

Angel sighed. Buffy was happy. There was no way he could deny that, as much as he hated to admit it. It wasn't his place to choose or forbid who she loved. It was time for him to let go and move on.

He sent another rock crashing into the night, as he wondered if there was anything he had left to give up. There was still his life. He pulled the amulet out of his pocket and looked at it again. Maybe the powers weren't done taking things from him and he'd be called on to give that up too? He tucked the amulet back into his pocket.

Or maybe, just maybe, this really was his final battle; the one the prophecy foretold would end with the Shanshu of the souled vampire.

Cordy would like that.

When she woke, he wanted her to see him standing in the sunlight.

Angel shook himself out of those thoughts. That would all come in time. Right now he had work to do. He still didn't want to face the others quite yet. Right now he had work to do. Those bodies needed his immediate attention.

~*~*~

TBC...