The Saviors Of The Three Worlds

I Will Always Love You (4)

THE DEMONIC WORLD: ROME, ITALY
THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO

"No, no, no, no." Buffy stutters in a panic as she spots the familiar hue of yellow and orange beginning to rise over the city skyline. The sun was starting to rise which meant their time was up.
Turning to Angel as tears begin to stream fully down her cheeks Buffy shakes her head rapidly, she couldn't do this, she wasn't ready for this...for their story to be over.
"No, no...I can't...it's not enough time." She sobs out as Angel through his own tears pulls her into his arms as she sobs, her hands hovering over where his undead heart remained frozen under her touch.
"Buffy..." He tries but he could barely keep himself together through her sobs as she clutched onto his chest "It's not enough. It never will be."
Buffy lets out a weak sob before pulling back leaning her forehead against his as her hands begin violently shaking against his chest "I can't...I can't do this."
"It's okay." The vampire whispers weakly before wincing as the sun slowly begins to surround them causing his skin to start burning... yet it didn't matter.
Holding her in the sunlight as he had always dreamed was worth the pain.

"This is perfect." He whispers into her ear before kissing her forehead softly as a stray tear makes its way down his cheek. Knowing they had to do this now before he combusted into nothing but dust he pulls back cupping Buffy's face in his hands as he wipes away the tears from her beautiful face "You still my girl?"
Buffy couldn't help but let out a small weak chuckle at the familiar words before smiling softly "Always." She whispers before leaning up and kissing him passionately.

The two of them sharing a final embrace bathed in the sunlight.

Feeling his skin starting to burn away Buffy finally with a loud sob forces her hand through his chest grasping onto his beatless heart with her cold shaky hand.
As he gasps in pain, Buffy kisses his lips softly once more before praying that the serum Dragomir gave her to keep Angel's heart from combusting to dust worked. She didn't want this all to be for nothing.

"I love you." Angel whispers softly before smiling down at her with so much love in his eyes that it only succeeded in a loud sob escaping Buffy's lips as she finally with much reluctance rips Angel's heart from his chest.
Ignoring the now glowing red heart in her hands, which to be honest would normally freak her out given it looked so unnatural and creepy, Buffy blinks back her tears and stumbles away. Not even a moment later Angel's body finally began to crumble away leaving him as nothing more than a pile of dust.

Crumbling to her knees Buffy lets out a loud scream, finally letting out all the grief from not just Angel but for everyone she had lost. Holding the glowing red heart in her hands, she finally let herself break down. She let herself feel all of the loss and all of the pain...she finally crumbled and broke.


***

THE ENCHANTED FOREST: PRESENT DAY

"So what? Does this compass have legs?" Buffy couldn't help but complain as she and Hook continue to make their way around the seemingly endless treasure room "Nothing is this good at hide and seek."
Hook chuckles from beside the blonde before moving towards a 10 feet tall golden cage where the top was practically spilling with an array of fine jewels "Luv, give me a boost." The pirate pipes up as he gestures to the tall cage "You're the one with extra strength should be no problem, right?"
Ignoring the teasing tone of his voice, Buffy merely raises an eyebrow skeptically "If this is another way of you trying to get me to put my hands on you...a world of no."

Pushing the handsome pirate to the side, Buffy moves to haul herself up to the top of the cage only to have Hook grasp her wrist halting her movements. Pulling her towards him the dashing pirate glances down at her looking directly into her green distrusting eyes "Try something new, darling...it's called trust."
At his words, Buffy couldn't help but clench her jaw together tightly causing her teeth to clang against each other painfully. Trust had gotten her into a lot of trouble over the years, especially when it came to ridiculously good-looking men with sexy accents.
"Dammit, I have a type." She hisses under her breath before pulling her arm out of the pirate's reach "Fine." She finally huffs out in reluctant agreeance.

Glancing up at the cage Buffy inhales tightly before giving the pirate a small nod "Side by side." She tells him, not willing to put her complete trust in him, after all, she had read Peter Pan enough times as a kid to know never to trust a pirate...or their sense of style. "But if I get up there first, you have to put everything you shoved into your pockets back."

At her words, Hook's eyes widen in disbelief having not realized that she had spotted him continuing to steal jewels "Now lass, isn't that a bit..." The pirate's objection was cut short however as the ground beneath the pair's feet begins to shake violently, signaling the incoming of a certain very pissed-off giant.

"Uh oh." Buffy whispers as she and Hook turn to face the doorway where sure enough they could both spot the giant running full speed into the room. Gulping slightly the blonde quickly points at the pirate next to her "He did it!"
"So much for trust." Hook chimes in as he quickly grabs the blonde's hand pulling her with him so the two of them could run.
"It's called self-preservation!" Buffy argues only to quickly halt in her movements as the ceiling above them begins to crumble. Quickly tackling the pirate out of the way of some downfalling debris, the two scuffle along the ground narrowly managing to avoid getting squashed like bugs.

Groaning as they come to a stop Buffy glances down to where she was currently laid on top of Hook who smirks up at her "Luv, I'm flattered really but not the time."
"Ew." Buffy mumbles in disgust before quickly jumping up to her feet only for a scream to escape her as she finds her body being tossed across the room like a rag doll.

As her back connected with the stone wall Buffy couldn't help but hiss in agony, she was pretty sure her spine had just been turned into nothing more than play-doo. Forcing herself back to her feet she couldn't help but gulp nervously as she spots Hook now trapped under more stone while the giant was making its way towards her, a look of pure fury filling its eyes.

Waving awkwardly Buffy forces a smile on her face knowing that right now, she was completely and utterly screwed "Hi...I'm Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and you are?"