Chapter One
"Yeah Buffy, what are we going to do?"
Dawn's words hung in the air as the dust settled in the crater that used to be Sunnydale in the distance. As the question was asked and silence lingered in the group, a small smile cracked at the corners of Buffy's lips. A few tears formed at the edge of her eyes but she pushed them back, being a true warrior and leader, and let her smile grow bigger, turning to face the group that was standing behind her. She didn't say a word, and she didn't have to. Instead she wrapped her arms tightly around her little sister, who suddenly seemed so much bigger than she ever remembered and buried her face into her shoulder. It only took a minute longer before Willow and Xander joined in on the hug, tears flowing freely from both of their faces. It wasn't until Giles whipped his glasses off and started to polish away, trying to conceal his own tears that Faith made a sound of disgust that led to the end of the hug almost as quickly as it had begun.
They latched arms, Buffy in the middle between Xander and Willow, much like they had for the past seven years, as they walked back to the bus and rounded the girls, with Dawn and Giles walking closely behind Willow and Faith shuffling her feet several yards behind Xander. Buffy knew that there was a lot that needed to be done… so much that these young girls would need to learn about their new powers. She also knew they were going to need some time to grieve. They had lost many in the battle, including several of their very own close group. As she watched the girls load on the bus under Willow's direction, she pushed back that sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, and looked back at the crater that used to be her home one last time. They had done it. They had won… the Hellmouth was closed for business once and for all. At least this one was.
"You comin' B?" Faith's raspy voice asked from the steps of the bus, jumping Buffy out of her thoughts and back to reality. She turned her head quickly to look at her sister slayer and couldn't help but smile fully. For the first time in what seemed like years, Faith smiled back at Buffy, her dimples on full display and something about the way she smiled gave Buffy the hope that she needed just then.
"You sure you're alright?" Faith asked, once again pulling Buffy out of her thoughts and back to the task at hand. Buffy didn't say a word, she merely smiled once more and followed Faith up the steps of the bus and heard as the door closed behind her. Giles was carefully seated behind the wheel and he smiled slightly and nodded her direction as he turned the keys in the ignition and the bus came back to life. They didn't need to discuss where they would go, because they both knew that there was only one place they could go that they could get what they needed. Buffy knew it would take a good amount of time to get there and as she made her way to the back of the bus, following Faith and passing the new slayers on the way, she let the exhaustion take over her body.
She plopped down in an empty seat, the second to last on the bus and watched as Faith practically collapsed on the one opposite her. Dawn was sitting closely with Xander and Buffy watched as Dawn did her best to console him as his grief took over. Willow was moving up and down the aisle, checking on the injured and taking count while Kennedy chatted quietly with Vi and Rona in the seats in the middle of the bus. Buffy noticed Andrew staring out the window at the front, close to Giles, looking not quite relieved, but more confused than anything else.
She tried to close her eyes and let sleep come, but it didn't. Her mind kept racing with a thousand thoughts. Thoughts of those that they had lost… Anya, Wood, Spike and countless girls whose names Buffy would never know. Thoughts of the future… of a chance to live a semi normal life where she wasn't the only one with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Thoughts of the past seven years scurried through her mind and finally carried her into slumber land.
When she awoke the bus wasn't moving. She was startled at first, but immediately noticed she was the sole person left on the bus. She wanted to panic, but when she heard the voices of the others just outside the window on her right, she managed to relax and stretch a bit, their conversation filtering in through the slightly open window.
"Do you think she's going to be okay? She hasn't said anything since we got on the bus," Willow asked.
"I do believe she will be fine, though she does appear to have quite the stab wound on her abdomen. She probably needs some medical attention just to be safe, but with her slayer healing, she shall be fine in no time," Giles said as he reached his hand out and placed it calmingly on Dawn's shoulder as she stood next to him.
"So what's the plan G? We headed to see Angel or what?" Faith asked.
"That is the best option," Willow responded for Giles. "He probably is expecting us."
"What if he thinks we didn't make it?" Dawn asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Angel would never doubt B… no way," Faith responded quickly and confidently.
"I agree… I don't like the guy but he knows Buffy and she always wins," Xander said, trying to sound as chipper as possible despite his grief over losing the woman he loved just an hour earlier.
"What do you think is going to happen now?" Dawn asked no one in particular.
"I imagine that with all the new slayers that Buffy will gladly welcome the break she has long deserved," Giles responded carefully and quietly.
There was silence amongst the group then and Buffy took the pause in conversation to stand and make her way to the front of the bus. Just as she did, the new slayers made their way back on and Buffy quickly sat in the first seat to avoid being run over. She remembered what it felt like when she first got her power and she couldn't help but be excited for them. As the last of the slayers got onto the bus, chatting and chomping away on food they had bought from the gas station the bus was stopped at, Buffy made her way down the steps and to her group that were all standing in the line against the bus, using it to hold their tired bodies upright.
She walked up to them with a purpose, with meaning. She knew what she needed to do, and she needed them all to know exactly what she had in mind. She needed them to know just how much she truly needed them.
"Hey Buffy… get a good nap in?" Dawn asked as she saw her sister approach. She could tell that Buffy had something on her mind, and it was a welcomed distraction to her own problem she was dealing with at the moment. A problem that she wasn't quite sure was a problem, but one that she was hesitant to discuss either way.
Buffy nodded in response and Faith pulled a cigarette from her pocket and lit it with the last match she had, a puff of smoke filling the air around them as Buffy finally reached them all. Buffy watched as Faith plopped down in the dirt at the end of the line, settling with her back resting against the back tire of the yellow school bus that had helped them escape. Buffy moved so she was facing them, so she could see them all but still close enough for them to see the look in her eyes.
"You sure you okay Buffy?" Willow asked worried. Buffy's smile grew in size as she nodded. She took a deep breath and could see the look of anticipation on the faces of everyone just before she spoke for the first time since they had defeated the First.
"I know you are all wondering what happens now. It's no secret that I have always dreamed of having a semi normal life. And here it is, my chance to have exactly what I wanted all those years. I could sit out of the fight from this point on… there are plenty of slayers here to pick up the slack. I could retire, I could live a life where I work nine to five and am a member of the PTA. But the truth is, up until now I never realized how impossible that would really be. This is my fight… I am a slayer. It was what I was chosen for and there is no way I could ever walk away from this… not now, not after everything we've been through… not after everything I have seen. So I can't tell you what you are going to do, but I can tell you what I am going to do and if you want to keep fighting just like I do, I want you with me."
"So you gonna tell us what this master plan is B or do we have to get Red here to read your mind?" Faith asked as she blew out a puff of smoke up into the air, right into Xander's face, causing him to cough a little and Willow to pat him on the back fiercely.
"We are going to do what we always do. We are going to fight. We are going to train these girls and we are going to teach them what is means to be a real slayer. Sure, they fought in this battle, but they have no idea what it means to live this life day to day. They need guidance, direction, support. So that's what we are going to do. We are going to build an army, but this time we are going to do it the right way."
"Buffy… I… I…" Willow began to speak but Buffy held her hand up in objection.
"Will, before you say anything, I need to finish. I know you are tired. I know it has been long fight… a long road to get to this place. I don't say this very often, but I need you all to know, that no matter what you decide, you will always be my family, all of you."
She turned slightly then, leaning most of her weight on her left foot and her eyes met Giles who stood at the far left of the line, closest to the door of the bus.
"Father," she said strongly as she looked him directly in the eyes. She could see the smile that formed on his lips and the tears that started to form at the corners of his eyes behind his dirty lenses. "No matter what has happened or what will happen, you will always be more than my Watcher. You are the father I've never had and I don't know where I would be without you. Your guidance has gotten me here."
His smile grew larger and he carefully took his glasses off and began to wipe them with the edge of his tattered and bloody shirt.
"There is no father that could ever be more proud of his daughter… and I am with you," Giles stated firmly. He stepped forward slightly, a little unsure of himself, but Buffy met him in the middle and latched her arms around him tightly in a hug. It was brief, but it was still a hug and Buffy knew just how rare that was coming from Giles.
She nodded at him, trying to keep her excitement at bay as the hug ended. She didn't skip a beat as she shifted her weight a little bit and looked at her baby sister, who stood a good few inches taller than her, her long hair blowing in the wind.
"Daughter." Dawn looked at her puzzled, but it faded quickly as Buffy continued. "I know that you are my sister, but I love you like you are my child. You are a part of me, more than anyone. You and I are blood, and you are the only blood I have left. You are a part of me and I hope you know by now, I would die to protect you. I promised you once to show you this beautiful world, and I will… along the way while I continue to do the work I was born to do."
Dawn wanted to speak but before she had a chance Buffy had lunged forward with slayer speed and pulled the younger Summers into a hug. Dawn embraced her, and closed her eyes briefly as she wrapped her arms around her sister. The moment ended quickly, still not giving Dawn a chance to respond, as Buffy pulled back and moved on to the next person in the group.
"Sister," she said, watching as Willow's eyes filled with tears and a few broke loose and fell down her cheeks. "You are the one that I know I can confide in about anything. You keep me grounded and in check and are far more powerful than you will ever know. I know that without you, standing here would have never been possible. I may have fought the fight, but you made it all possible." Buffy finished, wanting desperately to reach out and pull her best friend to her and hug all her tears away, but at the same time not wanting to hurry the moment along.
Willow regained her composure and wiped the last of the tears on her cheeks away with the back of her hand that was still weak and pale from being drained by the magic. She sucked in a breath and looked Buffy straight in the eyes while she responded.
"There is no where in the world I would rather be than with you, fighting this fight," she said with a shaky voice, but a voice that Buffy knew had meaning. It was Willow who then lurched forward, with speed faster than Buffy knew was possible for someone without slayer abilities, and pulled her into a tight hug. Buffy hugged her back, but knew that she had to continue before she let her emotions get the better of her.
She reached Xander finally, taking the opportunity to get a good look at him. She looked deeply in his eye, reading all the fear, pain and anger that was built up, and took another long breath before speaking directly to him.
"Brother," she said firmly. "You are my heart Xander, and I couldn't have made it this far without you. You are my strength and my determination to keep going, no matter how hard it gets."
His chest puffed up a little bit and he shifted on his feet. He felt a hand snake around his shoulders and could tell by the calming touch that it was Dawn's. He didn't hesitate, even though he was almost positive that he would when it came time, and finally spoke, the last of the Scoobies to respond.
"Where you go, I will always follow," he said proudly and felt as Dawn's grip tightened around him. Buffy didn't hesitate… she took that last step forward and pulled him tightly to her, his larger body practically covering her small frame. They hugged tightly, and Xander could feel that the hug was more than a response to his words. It was a hug of sorrow and worry, and a part of him felt just a little less alone knowing that Buffy understood the pain that had taken up residence in his gut since he realized Anya had not made it out of that school.
Their hug was longer than the rest, but it came to an end, just like the others before had. Buffy knew that she had to address the last person in line and she also knew that the others were waiting on pins and needles to see just what she was going to say. But before any further words could be said, commotion came from the bus most of them had their backs resting on. The group glanced up at the windows and noticed the bus slightly rocking, as a small fight broke out inside. It took only a few seconds before Kennedy poked her head out of the doorway.
"Someone wanna get in here and help me calm the crazies down?" she asked obviously irritated and frustrated by the immature way in which the girls were acting. It was clear that she was different from the others… even to Buffy who didn't want to exactly admit that out loud.
Giles cleared his throat and headed toward the bus, but Dawn held her hand up to Giles and motioned for him to stay where he was.
"I'll go, see if I can't get them to settle down," Dawn said as she moved toward the door, sounding twice her age. Buffy watched as Dawn walked up the steps and disappeared inside the bus and she heard as the chatter died down inside. She then turned back to the remaining group and caught Willow's eyes. Willow could see nothing but determination behind the green eyes that met hers. She knew then that whatever Buffy had planned, was going to be heroic.
When the moment was over, Buffy sighed slightly and turned to Faith, who was still on the ground smoking a cigarette and using her index finger to draw small pictures in the dirt in front of her. Buffy looked down at her, searching for the right words, wanting to say the right thing since so often when it came to Faith, nothing turned out the way she wanted it to.
Buffy knew things were different now. She knew it from the moment Faith arrived back in Sunnydale with Willow to help them in the battle. She could see it in the way she walked, and in the clothes she wore, no longer decked out in black leather and skimpy outfits. She could tell by the way Faith spoke that she had grown in age and as a person and even though Buffy hadn't wanted to admit it for a long time, she was relieved to see her. Buffy couldn't help but stare at her, as she sat there on the ground, not even looking or paying the slightest bit of attention to what Buffy was saying. I guess some things never do change.
"Get up," Buffy commanded to Faith. Her dark brown eyes flicked up to meet Buffy's green and that signature smirk appeared across her face.
"Thought we were reserving all the mushy shit for the Scoobies," Faith said, still not moving from her seated position on the ground.
"Get up," Buffy stated once again, showing just by the sound of her voice that she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Faith just continued to smirk at her for a few seconds, before she took one last drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke out and flicking the filter yards away. She stood then, leaning her back against the bus, fully aware that all eyes were on her at the moment. She was sure the others were waiting for a fight to break out between the two chosen slayers, but what they didn't know was that Faith was done fighting… and so was Buffy.
"My turn now? Bet you are just dying to say lover, aren't cha B?" Faith asked in her raspy voice that Buffy had always found so unique. She was a little surprised that Faith had been listening previously, but Buffy didn't skip a beat in responding, knowing that no matter how many things they managed to work out between them, banter and bickering was always going to be a part of their communication. Another thing that would probably never change.
"You could only wish."
"Oh, come on now B… lover sounds good to me. No? Alright, what else ya got for me?" Faith asked keeping up the show as the others stood silent still waiting for the violence they were sure was going to come.
Buffy let a smile form across her lips again, as she felt a strong wave of confidence surge through her.
"Soul mate," Buffy said, causing everyone to stop any and all movement. Buffy let the others fade out of her mind. She focused solely on Faith and speaking with her.
"What did you just say to me?" Faith asked, taking a small step forward toward Buffy. Buffy didn't say anything and the lack of response caused Faith to take a step back again. "What the hell does that mean B?"
"Look Faith, we have so much hatred in our past… there are so many wrongs we need to make right, so many mistakes that we both made. But I am sick of dwelling on the past. I want us to be close, like we were before everything went wrong… before all the mistakes and the anger and the pain. I want you to have a spot in our family, a spot you should have always had… a spot I should have opened for you instead of pushing you away."
Silence filled the air. It was as though everyone decided to hold their breath all at once and waited for what was going to happen. For the first time in Buffy's life she swore Faith was nervous. You could see it in her eyes and the way she was fidgeting just slightly with the hem of her shirt.
"B… I think you lost more blood than we all thought, or maybe I hit my head and I just don't remember… because this… " Faith rushed out and quickly moved to step around Buffy and head toward the bus. But Buffy wasn't going to let her get away that easily. She had more to say and she wasn't going to keep it in anymore.
"Shut up Faith. Just shut up. You can't deny it… and I don't want to anymore. We have a connection… we always have and I know you feel it too. Here we are now, with hundreds, possibly thousands of slayers out there in the world and I still only feel you. So I need you by my side… for so many different reasons. Because you are the only other person who knows what it is like to have this power, the only other one that has the knowledge I need to help me train and guide these girls so they can be the best slayers they can be. You are the other half of me… you complete me in the way that no one else could ever understand. So I need you here for a million different reasons… but most of all, I want you with me because I need you… I need you for me."
The silence crept up on them again and as if they were the only two people left in the world, standing facing one another. Faith's brown eyes stared deeply into Buffy's green. Buffy could see the fear in Faith's, and it was the first time she had ever seen something like that in her sister slayer. Faith for her part searched first and foremost to see if Buffy's eyes were dilated. She was sure that for words like this to be coming from Buffy's mouth, she must have a concussion. But all she found behind them was honesty and love. It scared her for a minute, but after that it began to comfort her and she realized that this was the moment she had dreamed of for what seemed like forever. She had always felt like an outsider in Buffy's world, and this was her chance to be a part of it.
"So you wanna be friends B? No more with the fighting and the arguing? Just working together and kicking ass like the early days?" Faith asked with a smile.
"So what do you say?" Buffy asked.
"I think I'd like that B," Faith said, and the words released a small smile from Buffy's lips.
She was happy that Faith had decided to come with them, with her. Faith watched Buffy's smile grow and she promptly stuck her hand out in front of her, offering it to Buffy. Buffy did nothing for a brief moment, just looked down at Faith's hand and then flicked her eyes back up to meet Faith's. Buffy made a decision quickly, and put her right hand in Faith's. However, she didn't shake it as Faith expected her to. She used her grasp on Faith's hand to pull her into a hug.
It was awkward at first, with Buffy's left arm strongly wrapped around Faith's upper body and Faith just standing there rigid and stiff. The others that were still standing there couldn't believe what was happening, much less the words that had just been exchanged between the two chosen slayers. But they were all glad to know that the fighting had come to an end… at least they hoped it had.
It took a moment before Faith relaxed into the hug, and wrapped her left arm around the smaller blonde slayer in front of her.
"Oh no! Are we all going to die?" Andrew's high pitched voice rang out from the bus steps, causing the hug between the two to abruptly come to a halt for all eyes to look over at him. No one answered him… they all just looked at him wondering just how it was he had managed to survive the battle… and more so, just what they were going to do with him now.
"Andrew just get back on the bus with the rest of the girls," Xander said causing Faith to chuckle a little at the joke.
"But something awful must be happening and I demand to know what it is," he said trying to sound more stern than he really was, and stomping his way over to the group.
"Why may I ask do you think something awful is happening?" Giles questioned, trying to be the reasonable one.
"Oh don't give me that Mr. Giles. I saw what was going on out here. If the light slayer and the dark slayer are hugging, things must be pretty bad!" he exclaimed.
The group collectively broke out into laughter. Giles smiled at the young man in front of him and put his hand on his shoulder, leading him back to the entrance of the bus. Willow moved then and wrapped her arm around Xander and he did the same, and they followed Giles and Andrew back onto the bus.
Buffy and Faith locked eyes before moving. There was understanding between them now. So many years to make up for. Both of them knew that it wouldn't be as easy as moving forward… that they would have a lot that needed to be talked about for their friendship to work.
"You ready to get out of here?" Faith asked, breaking the silence between them.
"So ready," Buffy replied.
They shared one last smile between each other before turning and walking side by side back to the bus.