Disclaimer: The great J.W. owns these puppets; I am merely the one who will make them dance!
Author's Note: I haven't written any BtVS fanfic for a while so bear with me guys, you know the drill. R&R. Feedback will determine if I continue with this fic or not and how often I add new chapters.
Buffy the Slayer
Prologue
Rupert Giles sighed as he half heartedly tore open the brown paper package that had been waiting on his doorstep when he got home from work. It had no name or return address but he knew who it was from.
Inside was Three thousand dollars, half was for him to keep and the other half was for Joyce. The money came every month with out fail, most of the time there was no note but on some occasions he would find a note hidden beneath the cash.
Last month, as he recalled, there had been no note. Usually every other month there was a note and Giles quickly removed the money and read the note. Strangely enough, this note seemed to be written on a bar napkin.
Business is picking up; next month I'll send more than 3k.
Giles turned the napkin over; on the other side it said 'Caritas', the name of the bar.
He allowed himself a small smile, "Finally."
She had finally slipped up, and Giles thanked whatever Gods were behind this happy turn of events. He shoved the napkin in his coat pocket along with Joyce's half of the money and prepared to leave for the Summer's residence. With the name of this bar, he would be able to track her down and bring her home.
One Year Earlier
"You walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back!"
Buffy looked at her mother, hurt mixed with indignation played in the slayer's eyes before she finally turned and walked out. The door slammed shut behind her as she quickly moved down the steps of the back porch.
A part of her wanted her mother to coming running after her, saying she didn't mean it. That she would be there waiting for her when everything was over.
The other part of Buffy was too hurt by her mother's rejection to realize that she was just as much at fault here. Throwing her secret life on the older woman's lap and expecting her to 'just deal with it' wasn't right or very rational, but Buffy didn't have any time to explain things to her mother.
As she reached the edge of her backyard, Buffy forced herself not to look back, she had to be strong. Right now, she had the world to save. When this whole 'Acathala' business was over she could think about what had gone on in the kitchen.
Next Morning
Buffy watched as her friends and watcher entered the school, she was glad that they were alright. With Angelus gone they could safely go back to their lives, and with her gone, they would be able to live normal lives. She would miss them, that was certain, but her life was no longer in Sunnydale. Her mother has kicked her out of the house last night, and even though she knew that there was a chance that her mother had since, calmed down and changed her mind, Buffy wouldn't go back.
From this point on, Buffy Summers was done with being the vampire slayer. Now she would be whoever she wanted, but she couldn't be whoever she wanted to be while still living in Sunnydale.
Buffy hefted her army green duffel bag over her shoulder and hopped the next Greyhound bus out of Sunnydale. She felt a twinge of annoyance when, as the bus was leaving Sunnydale limits, she saw the sign knocked down.
Spike. Another person her friends no longer needed to fear, so long as the bleached blonde vampire stayed true to his word. Even when he was fleeing town, he managed to make sure that he had time to knock down that poor sign.