Buffy is helping Angel get ready for the memorial service

EVERY DAY

BUFFY
Every day
You walk with stronger step
You walk with longer step
The worst is over.

ANGEL
Every day
I wonder every day
Who was it brought me here
From the barricade?

BUFFY
I’d tell you, Angel, if I knew
But I don’t know exactly who
Perhaps you’ll find out some day
When you Shanshu

---

The day of the memorial service for those who died in the battle. The survivors of the battle, except XANDER, are present. BUFFY stand up to begin the service.

EMPTY CHAIRS AT EMPTY TABLES

BUFFY
There’s a grief that can’t be spoken.
There’s a pain goes on and on.
Empty chairs at empty tables
Now our friends are dead and gone.

There we talked of apocalypse
There we planned of our great battle.
There we sang about the future
But your future never came.

On my living room sofa
We made plans to stop The First
All of the so called Scoobies
Anya and Spike they sang
The very song that we had sung
It was our last great union
At the lonely Hellmouth at dawn.

FAITH
Oh Potentials now forgive us
That we live and you are gone
There’s a grief that can’t be spoken
There’s a pain goes on and on.

Potential faces at the window
Not Potentials any more
Though some new Slayers didn’t make it
Those who did will fight some more.

Oh my friends, my friends don’t ask me
What your sacrifice was for
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where our friends will sit no more.

---

As he is leading a crying DAWN to the car, GILES sees someone watching from the tree line. He gives DAWN to BUFFY and races to the trees where he discovers ETHAN

ETHAN’S SUICIDE
GILES
It’s you, Ethan!
I knew you wouldn’t wait too long.
I’d hoped you’d perished in the crater we left
Your rage against me
Really needs to end.

ETHAN
I warned you I would find you again
And now I have

GILES
Not a good time
Later we’ll have
Some drinks and we’ll talk.

ETHAN
The man of mercy comes again
And talks of drinking

GILES
Come, my children need me now
Look out, Ethan
I need to get back there.
Give way, Ethan
See all of their blank stares

ETHAN
Go on, Rupert
Before I change my mind
But we’ll meet later
Ripper, you will see

ETHAN
Who is this man?
What sort of devil is he?
To have me caught in a trap
And choose to let me go free?
It was his hour at last
To put a seal on my fate
Wipe out the past
And wash me clean off the slate!

All it would take
Was a flick of his knife:
No more restraining order
But he gave me back my life.

For years I stalked him and made his life hell.
He could have stopped me by killing as well.
I never got over the way we broke up
Now there’s nothing on Earth that we share
But the partnership that we once had
Had ended and made me real sad.

How can I now allow my dreams
To hold dominion over me?
This relationship has been over
But he doesn’t want me. He just wants freedom.

I should have perished by his hand
It was his right.
It was my right to die as well.
Instead, I live, but live in hell.

I am reaching, but I fall
And the stars are black and cold
My vengeance was just a put on
To conceal the love we do not hold.
I’m rejected from his world
From the world of Rupert Giles
There is nowhere I can turn
There is no way to go on…

He throws himself into the river.

---

January 2004. The new Watcher’s Council has sent Andrew to Wolfram and Hart to enlist their help to find a new Slayer named Dana. ANDREW is speaking to GUNN, FRED, WESLEY and ANGEL

THE WALTZ OF ANDREW

ANDREW
I’ve heard of you,
Wyndam-Pryce
Once a watcher,
but unemployed twice

And you, Gunn, you’re on file.
You’ve hunted demons for quite a while.
Six months ago, Willow’s magic
Created Slayers from a scythe stick
It was a day that was from hell.
Angel, remember, you weren’t doing well?

There’s a man who carried you.
I saw it happen clear as I’m seeing you.
What I tell you is true.

GUNN
Someone carry Angel? So sorry that I missed.

FRED
Now look, he looks embarrassed. Oh, no, I think he’s pissed

ANGEL
In God’s name, say what you have to say!

ANDREW
Let me do it in my waaaaay!

What I saw, clear that day
Xander Harris held Angel this way (pantomimes holding a baby)
As he walked toward the rest,
he was singing with you on his chest.
I was there, never fear.
He was whispering in your right ear.

ANGEL
Is this true? Are you right?
Xander disappeared later that night.

ANDREW
He left us to find his way.
Now he is in Africa, or so they say.

ANGEL
I must leave. Right away.
Must find Xander. For him I’ll be gay.
I need him. He needs me.
There is love there that I did not see.

Good-bye all. See you soon
Do what you can to help our friend Andrew.

---

XANDER, now in Africa, is alone in his hotel room.

ANGEL'S APOLOGY

XANDER
Powers that be
Hear my prayer.
Help me find
Something to wear.
Willow called
She told me
He’s coming
He’s coming.
Bring him here.
Bring him here.

ANGEL arrives

ANGEL
Xander, Xander, I did not understand!
Are you all right? I heard you’d gone away.

XANDER
Angel, I’m fine. Are you here for me now?
Thank God, I’ve lived to see this day.

ANGEL
It’s you who must forgive a thoughtless fool
It’s you who must forgive a thankless man
It’s thanks to you that I am living.
And now I lay down my life at your feet.

Xander, you’ve loved me from the start
When they wounded me
You took me from the barricade
Carried like a babe.
Now I am home with you.

XANDER
Come with me
My bed is ready for you.
I’ve loved you
As long as I remember.
And your feelings?
How do you feel about me?

ANGEL
I never saw before all of the things you had to offer.

XANDER and ANGEL
Take my hand
And lead me to salvation
Take my love
For love is everlasting
And remember
The truth that once was spoken,
To love another person
Is to see the face of God!

---

England, the Watchers Council has united with the Angel Investigations team. They all meet for one last great sing-along.

EPILOGUE

ALL
Do you hear the Slayers sing?
Joining with others who will bring
Knowledge and strength to the fight
Against the demons of the night.
For the wretched of the earth
There is a flame that will not die.
Even the darkest night will end
And the sun will rise.

We will live again in freedom
In the garden of the Lord.
We shall fight against the demons
With crossbow or a sword
The demons will falter
And all men shall have their reward!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong, steady and brave?
Somewhere beyond apocalypse,
Is there a world you long to save?
Do you hear the Slayers sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that we bring when tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong, steady and brave?
Somewhere beyond apocalypse,
Is there a world you long to save?
Do you hear the Slayers sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that we bring
When tomorrow comes…
Tomorrow comes!

~THE END~