Categories: Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, Season 5, Season 6, Season 7, Episode Rewrite
Characters: Buffy, Ensemble, Spike
Summary:
In season 2, Jenny suggests that Angel leaves with the Judge's arm and points out that Buffy can't do it because she can't just up and leave for a few months. Then, as we know, that plan gets derailed when Spike and Dru's minions attack and get the arm back.
But what if they didn't?
Angel leaves with the arm and Buffy is left with the ring he gave her (along with the cross and jacket) and the hope that it won't take nearly as long as Jenny said it might to get rid of the arm. So she's holding onto her love for Angel right now and she figures they can survive this. It'll be like a long distance relationship.
One month goes by. Nothing from Angel, no communication at all. Two months. Three months.
As each day goes by, Buffy starts losing hope. She gets that he probably can't call. But how hard is it to even drop her a postcard? Something to let her know he's okay and not dust.
Soon, Buffy feels like she's been forgotten by Angel and she starts to move on. She grieves the loss of the relationship because she really thought she and Angel were true love. Without Angelus making an appearance, things go differently of course. Jenny doesn't die, no one knows she's part of the clan that cursed Angel because she's done her job and kept him and Buffy apart.
Feel free to touch on how this might change certain things in season 2 - for instance, is it Spike and Buffy acting out what happened with James and Grace in I Only Have Eyes For You? Either way, there's no Angelus so it's up to you if Acathla opening is still the thing to stop at the end of the season or if it's something else.
So Buffy grieves over the summer (also up to you if Joyce finds out because Buffy has to stake a vamp in front of her or something else - if there's no world ending happening, maybe Buffy has time to sit down and actually explain things to her this time) and she hasn't been expelled and, unless Spike and Dru did something, Kendra wasn't killed at the end of season 2. Maybe Buffy decides that it's time to get back in the dating saddle again and still tries dating Scott. How does that relationship go without any Angel baggage effecting Buffy? Does it last longer possibly? Do they break up on friendly terms (so that Scott doesn't spread rumors about Buffy)?
If Kendra dies and Faith is called, this will also change things with Faith, I'd think. There was already friction between her and Buffy due to both their insecurities. But I think what started the big wedge between them was finding out that Buffy had been hiding Angel's return from everyone right when Gwendolyn Post was there, planting even more seeds of doubt. So with Buffy not lying, how does it go when Post shows up?
Those are just a couple of things to consider. And maybe the attempt to be with Scott shows Buffy that she really can't date a normal guy. There's no longer Angel there to tell her she needs normal. Joyce might be pushing for it, like she's been pushing for Buffy to leave town for college, but while two Slayers might allow for the college part to be true, Buffy now has evidence that dating a normal guy won't work. Maybe have Buffy think of Pike leaving her and remember that she didn't want to date Owen because he was normal too and she was worried about him getting hurt. So when Riley is interested in her, she sticks to her original answer of no.
Eventual Spuffy, of course! I'd love for it to happen in season 4 but any season after season 2 works. Heck, if you can swing season 3, go for it!
It's up to you when Angel comes back but by the time he does, Buffy is long over him and she's already got feelings for Spike. Whether she and Spike are already together is up to you as well.
Have fun!