Author's Note: This story takes place in season 6, instead of Willow bring Buffy back, someone or something else did. Please email me or leave reviews, especially if I messed up on a fact, thanks.
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"Okay, next time we go into a dark alley, we bring flash lights." Cordy hobbled down the hotel steps, closely followed by Wes and Gunn.
"Agreed." The three turned their heads to look at the fourth and newest member of the team, Fred Burkle. "What? It makes sense."
Over the summer, Fred had ventured out of her room and gotten familiar with the gang. Angel, on the other hand, had gone to the Tibetan mountains. There was a monastery there, he planned to find peace in Buffy's recent death. The group expected him back in the second week of September, it was the first of the month.
"Hey, Lorne, is that you?" Gunn looked at a small dark figure huddled in the corner in front of Angel's office. The rest of the group ventured forward, curious to what it was.
"Gunn, that's not Lorne." Wes removed his glasses and was shocked at what he saw. "Buffy?"
"Omigod." Cordy's hand flew to her mouth as she realized who she was looking at.
"Buffy?" Fred didn't know the young woman very well, but she knew the story. Gunn had met the slayer once, liked her, but never really gotten to know her before her death. He flipped on a light and the woman flinched at its brightness.
The group gasped at what they saw. Buffy was naked, with hair that touched the ground as she crouched as if prepared to run. Her visible body was scared, burned, cut, and blood dripped down from her wounds. The woman looked like Buffy Summers, but the group wasn't sure, for all they knew, she had died three months ago.
"Buffy?" Wes ventured forward, careful, not to startle her. The woman looked up, her dark green eyes were dim, but there was something. She looked at Wes for a moment before breaking down. Her body was soon rack with shaking and her loud sobs occupied the room. Wes smiled a little, and let out a relieved sigh. This was Buffy, it had to be. He crouched down beside her and took her in his arms, and began to comfort his ex-charge. To the surprise of the other group, Buffy wrapped her small marred arms around the ex-watcher.