Riley stood over the marble gravestone, and once again read the words.

Buffy Anne Summers. Gone, but not forgotten. Angels hold you now, Chosen one.

Riley let a small, bitter smile cross his face, while reading ‘Angels hold you now’. He had always known there was someone else. He had heard Willow and Xander asking them selves how they were going to tell ‘Angel’ and the whole story had come out. Great love, Great loss between two should-be enemies. It all sounded like the plot of a bad romance movie. He gently brushed his fingers over a letter engraved in the stone. The carvers had been slightly confused at the words ‘chosen one’, but they had told them that she had been the Homecoming queen once and she had loved it. They knew it wasn’t true, but they couldn’t tell them the truth.

Straightening, Riley saw something from the corner of his eye. Before he had a chance to react, a completely black-clad figure stepped into the light. In his hands he held two roses tied together with red ribbon. One was white, and the other was a deep, deep blue, so blue it was nearly black. The figure advanced and Riley noticed he was looking down to two rings in his hand. Riley recognized one of them. It was Buffy’s ring. The one she always had had with her, wherever she went. The one Willow had taken to do something with that she wouldn’t tell him. Riley looked at the face of the man and took a sharp intake of breath. When Riley had asked about Angel, Willow had described him. Riley found himself staring into the exact image of that description.

“Angel? Is that your name?”, Riley squeaked. For some reason he was terrified of this man. Maybe it was because he had known Buffy better than himself. Maybe it was because he was a vampire. Maybe it was because of the sad, lonely, sad smile on his face. Whatever it was, Riley was terrified.

“Yes. Yes it is.” Riley noticed the raw emotion in Angel’s voice. It was some way between deep despair, longing, fear, anger and utter sadness.

“Riley Finn”, Riley choked, sticking his hand out politely. Angel stared at it for a moment before shaking it. Man and Vampire stared at the gravestone. Without taking his eyes of it, Riley spoke. “She said your name”.

Angel’s eyes remained fixed on the marble. “How did she die?” Riley paused, the beginnings of ‘Why do you care? You left her remember? You wanted no more to do with it. With her.’ dying On his lips.

“Please” Angel whispered. Riley sighed. He took in a big breath and told the story.

“There were thirty five of them. They were from out of town, and they were very organized. And they had guns. We all fought them but they took us all but Buffy. We were taken away and tortured. Buffy was left all on her own to fight men with guns. Meanwhile we all escaped, and arrived on the scene to see Buffy take a bullet in the side. Then one in the chest. I held her as she died. But she didn’t want me. She wanted you. I remember her words. She said ‘forgive me, my Angel. I’ll never forget, I never have.” Then, her last word was you name”.

Riley turned his head to see a single, tear of blood roll down Angel’s cheek and drop into the grass below. As if on queue, a house nearby put on some music. This must have meant something to Angel, because his blood tears came faster.

“Childhood living is easy to do
The things you wanted I bought them for you
Graceless lady, you know who I am,
You know I can't let you slide through my hands

Wild Horses,
Couldn't drag me away,
Wild, wild horses,
Couldn't drag me away...

I watched you suffer a dull, aching pain
Now you decided to show me the same
No sweeping exits or offstage lines,
Can make me feel bitter or treat you unkind

Wild Horses,
Couldn't drag me away,
Wild, wild horses,
Couldn't drag me away...

I know I dreamed you a sin and a lie,
I have my freedom but I don't have much time.
Faith has been broken tears must be cried,
Let's do some living after we die,

Wild Horses,
Couldn't drag me away,
Wild, wild horses,
We'll ride them someday

Wild Horses,
Couldn't drag me away,
Wild, wild horses,
We'll ride them someday"

Riley turned and walked away into the trees. He found Xander and Willow standing by each other, crying softly. The wind itself seemed to whisper goodbye and sorry. Riley turned to look back at Angel, but the vampire was nowhere to be seen. The only traces were the roses and rings, a letter, a stake and a pile of dust. Riley looked confused for a moment, before looking at Willow.

“Last time, His head decided. This time his heart got a say”, she whispered through her tears. The three of them turned and walked away, the song from the house fading.

"We’ll ride them someday.”