A/N: Another song inspired one-shot gotta love the ipod shuffle, tune is "Boston" by Augustana a very stellar bad to check out if you don't know them already. Bring on the reviews, you know I love them! Written from Buffy's point of view.

Buffy was being pulled away from her lover's passionate kiss tears in her eyes as it ended.

"Please…don't go" she quivered through the tears.

"You know I have to"

"No you don't. I'm sorry…. we can fix this… I can fix this you just have to stay"

"Even if I stay it can't be fixed you know that"

"But…"

"No Buffy, this isn't goodbye forever just for now…until…well until you can figure out all those feelings that keep dragging us down. I'll wait for you; I have this long, what's a little longer? Just come to me when you're ready."

With that, Buffy watched her lover turn and pick up the duffle bag throwing it into the cab before entering into it themselves. The cab sped off towards the north leaving the blonde a wreck on the sidewalk in front of her LA hotel. Gathering herself before returning to her Scooby gang, Buffy wiped the tears falling down her cheeks vowing they were the last shed for her former partner in crime, passion, everything.

Five years later:

"In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun...
Oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,

This world you must've crossed...you said...
You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah
She said you don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah

Buffy had been thinking about a change for a while, one that would finally put her into retirement much to the resentment of her crew but one she knew she needed. After the fall of Sunnydale she had promised another year of service only to be suckered into five. She was tired but most of all lonely a combination which made her question everything now. How could she be happy if it all made no sense anymore?

There was too much pressure and not enough down time now. Everything was a question or an ordeal she had to head up. You would think with an army of slayers her time in the spotlight would have ended or at least cut down, but now it was even worse now and no one seemed to understand. Every time she asked for a break she was met with eye rolls and hesitations, why couldn't they all back off?

Her eyes burned and were red from the tears. Every year on this day and at the time Buffy came to the beach to watch the sun set over another year without…anyone really. Sure the original crew was still intact relocating to Los Angeles full time to fight the good fight, but something was still missing for the blonde original slayer. That something was love.

She idly flipped her cell phone around in her hand opening it and closing it, opening and closing it before sighing in frustration as she slammed it down on the blanket beneath her. "Dammit Buffy just make the call" she said to herself. Picking up the phone for the final time she flipped it open and dialed the number she had spent 3 days memorizing through repeated dials followed by immediate hang ups. But this time there was no going back….

"Hello" a familiar voice answered

"Hey, it's…it's uh me"

"Hey…me?" the voice sounded confused much to Buffy's dismay

"It's Buffy"

"Ohhh…Buffy…wow….not what I was expecting today"

"I know…if you hang up I get it" Buffy sounded dejected.

"I would never do that"

"Thanks"

"So…long time…."

"Five years…"

"Today in fact"

"Yup…"

"So what do I owe this surprising pleasure?"

"I need you. I'm done here with all of this…I want to come home…well come to a new home…home to you"

"You know I have been waiting to hear you say that for five years now?"

"Am I too late?"

"Not at all…you know us we never get it right the first time"

The joke caused Buffy's mouth to smirk and relax, "I love you"

"I love you too…tell me when you're getting in I'll meet you"

"Tomorrow…I'll be there tomorrow"

Hanging up the phone she felt the smile on her face grow even bigger. Finally she thought as she watched the sun finally disappear behind the clouds, life can begin again. Walking to her car and driving home she counted the minutes until she would finally be reunited with the one person she had dreamed of for over 10 years.

Essential yet appealed, carry all your thoughts across
An open field, when flowers gaze at you... they're not the only ones who cry
When they see you, you said...You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,
She said You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah.

This was the part she was dreaded telling them. They were gathered around the head table in the office floor of the luxury apartment complex they had bought with the councils' money. The goal was to keep the big players centralized much to the dismay of Buffy. When they first got started there were promise of freedom and travel, none of which materialized.

Her sister was now a watcher under the training of her fatherly figure Giles. Willow and Kennedy had married and headed up the magic and training division. Xander, well Xander never really quite got over Anya and became a shell of a man, one who only stuck around as a consultant when he wasn't locked away in his room. They were all there and they were all going to be pissed. But she knew she had to. No more denying herself what was rightfully hers…happiness.

"I don't care about that anymore"

"What do you mean you don't care Buffy, you have to care" Dawn pressed her fist into the table as she stood trying to loom over her sister, "This is what you do, what you were born to do, you can't walk away from that"

"Dawn is right Buffy, how can you turn your back on us?" Willow added

"Maybe she is done with us, I know I would be" Xander snorted as he took another sip of his drink.

"Do shut up Xander, no one asked you." Giles interrupted, "Buffy you have a duty…"

"No!" Buffy looked up to meet his eyes as well as the others, "I had a duty and them I died twice but I came back again and again. Then I did it, I beat the first evil and everyone said it would be done but it wasn't. You keep taking and taking but you never give back. You don't know me anymore, what I want who I am….I don't want to do this anymore….I can't do this anymore"

"If you walk out this door you are turning your back on everything we have built" Giles spat back

"You mean what I built Giles, I didn't you see dying and fighting…but I do see you opinionated and in this case very very wrong" Buffy retorted.

"Where are you even going?" Dawn asked in a huff

She said I think I'll go to Boston...

"Boston…" Buffy replied quietly causing another moment of awkward silence and stares.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me" Willow squabbled as Dawn rolled her eyes. "you think that's really gonna make you happy?"

I think I'll start a new life,
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,
I think I'll get a lover and fly em out to Spain...
I think I'll go to Boston,
I think that I'm just tired
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,
I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,

"I don't expect you to understand…or even approve"

"You're damn right we don't approve…what do you think you will really find there?" Dawn asked.

"I'll find peace" Buffy said as she stood and headed for the door. She picked up only a small backpack and turned back to the crowd. "I love you all" and with that she was gone.


Boston... where no one knows my name... yeah
Where no one knows my name...
Where no one knows my name...

The stewardess approached the sleeping blonde and gently shook her in attempts of waking her.

"Miss….we will be landing shortly"

"Hmm…thank you" Buffy replied as she looked out the window towards the city below.

"Are you just visiting or is this home for you?" the elderly woman asked.

"It's home…definitely home" Buffy replied her eyes lighting up.

"Well glad to have you back then" she smiled

As she exited the jet way and headed towards the baggage claim, a old but familiar feeling crept into her body and soul intoxicating her with a sense of calm. She stepped onto the escalator leaning comfortably against the side as it began its ascent.

It was in that moment that a ray of sunshine illuminated the familiar face at the top looking down upon her. Soft brown curls surrounded the stunning face of her true love who held a simple piece of paper with a heart drawn in the middle surrounding the letter "B".

Buffy stepped off the escalator and into the arms of her lover pulling her close for a passionate kiss. "God I've missed you" she sighed laying her head on the shoulder of the younger woman before her.

"Me too B, me too"

Yeah Boston...
Where no one knows my name.

~ The End ~