Does anyone know for sure if Angel went to Buffy's funeral?  And if it doesn't specifically say, do you think that he did, or visited her grave?  And does Willow show up at Angel's before or after the funeral?

Thanks bunches.

I think she went after the funeral. I mean, it makes the most sense to me.

Well, the finales were on the same night that year, and I don't see Willow waiting to tell Angel. She doesn't know he's been away in another dimension, so I have a feeling she rushed to L.A. the morning after Buffy died and waited for the gang to come home. Funerals take days to arrange, always have, with the embalming, and the headstone order.....and finding a spot.....

We had the events of "The Gift", then AtS came on with getting them home from Pylea, and Willow is sitting there with tears in her eyes. If it's after the funeral, then she's had time to cry herself out a bit and already deal....and that wasn't the face of a girl that's already dealt. It was only a couple hours to L.A.

None of those questions are explicitly answered... my best guess is to go with Caro and say Willow rushed to L.A. right away. Aside from the points Caro made, it also seems like Willow to take on a task like that in order to cope with things. She always wants to be useful, and I think in this situation she'd feel pretty helpless, so going to L.A. gives her something "important" to do (whether it's actually important is debatable, but I think in her mind, it was).

That would give Angel the opportunity to go to the funeral - whether he did or not is up to your interpretation of his character. When I wrote my post-The Gift fic, I had Angel go to the funeral (along with Cordelia and Wesley), so that's obviously my interpretation.

Thanks, guys.  This really helps sort out the plot bunnies in my brain for an upcoming chapter update :D

Well, if your still looking for opinions, I don't think that Angel may have been able to handle Buffy's funeral emotionally.  I always suspected that he went right to that Tibetan monastery after Willow went to tell him that Buffy was dead.  I'm not saying that he ever loved her as much as Spike did, just that Angel tends to withdraw into himself.  Spike would have been bawling hysterically, clinging to Dawn, both of them on the ground, unable to stand, next to the grave.  That's just the difference between Spike and Angel :-)

I do think that Willow would have gone immediately.  A task like that would give her something on which to focus, and she would want Angel to know. 

I will most certainly accept more opinions, cause I haven't fully written out the chapter yet, so bring 'em on ;)

I'm with IB on this one. I don't see Angeling rushing off to SunnyD to Buffy's funeral. I see him going into himself, withdrawling from the Fang Gang and trying to come to grips with her death like that. This is just my opinion, but seeing her grave would make it all the more real for him. I don't think Anel could handle that.

Spike on the other hand... poor vamp. *sniff* I don't think sunshine would have kept him away from at least being close enought to be "part" of it.

I figure Angel didn't go because AI would have went with him and none of them recognized Spike when he popped out of the amulet.  There's no way Spike would have stayed away from the funeral, not even the presence of Angel would have stopped him.  This is my opinion only!

Ah well, maybe I was going by MY standards instead of *Willows* when I made my guess. I mean, to me it seems out of place to rush off right after your best bud dies (to make even a short trip) to go tell her ex-bf who's been out of her like for awhile that she's dead. But this is Willow, so I shouldn't have gone by MY standards of what makes sense, lol

 Funerals take days to arrange

Actually, you can get it done in one day, the Jewish community usually does.  But, apparently some subtrafuge takes place since the Buffybot is able to pose as Dawn's sister and the Hellmouth guardian.  Some clever writer here has Giles arranging a secret funeral so that no one knows that the Slayer is dead.  That kind of funeral would still probably take place in daytime in order to avoid all the creatures of the night catching on that something's up. 

Personally, without anything to back up my opinion, I think they arrange a fast funeral.  Willow may try to call Angel and not be able to reach him, then after the funeral goes there herself to find him.  I think you can write this any way you want SI.

Thanks, guys :D  I think I have enough to finally write the opening to my update, and of course, will graciously thank you all.