Summary: After the Scoobies save the world, they go on a little vacation. Spoilers for the season 7 finale of Buffy.
Rating: PG, because it's not about puppies and fluffy bunnies, but there's nothing to worry about.
Disclaimer: We all know it definitely does not belong to me.
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Cancun
By: Cesium
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This was, without a doubt, the best frozen margarita she had ever had.
Perhaps it was because it was made with the finest tequila and triple sec in Mexico, or perhaps it was because she was drinking it on one of the finest beaches in Cancun, on one of the finest days surrounded by her best friends who had recently battled valiantly by her side to beat down the apocalypse once more.
Or maybe it was because none of it was paid for with her money.
It turned out that her now dead, formerly undead, former vampire lover had amassed quite a few (million) dollars over his long life . . . er . . .undeadness. And it also happened that, upon his more permanent demise in an apocalyptic situation, a post-apocalypse splurge fund had been freed and could be accessed by Buffy – assuming she had survived.
So one day, shortly after the apocalypse had been averted and the army was staying at Angel's Hyperion in LA, a secretary from the formerly evil law firm, Wolfram and Hart, that Angel was now in charge of, called and told her that the money in the account was now hers to claim after Spike's death and the reports of a valid apocalypse had been confirmed.
So Buffy was now in possession of several hundred thousand dollars in an account at said formerly evil law firm due to the undying love of her formerly undead, former lover, Spike.
Once everything had been organized to find a place for all the potential slayers (some sort of school in England with paranormal connections had offered to take them in), Buffy set out to plan a vacation for herself, Dawn, Willow, Xander, Giles, Faith and her appendage, Wood.
She sprung it on them one night when the gang was sitting around watching Jackie Chan.
She jumped in front of the TV, switched it off, turned around to face the team and said:
"Pack your bags. We're goin' to Cancun."
It took a little more convincing to get them to believe her, in the form of 7 plane tickets, but after that they moved pretty quickly.
The next morning, they all hopped on the plane.
Now Buffy was sitting on the beach in the process of finishing one fine margarita when she was soaked by the former ginormous ball of green energy now in the form of her annoying sister Dawn, who was wearing a way too small bathing suit.
Buffy lifted her water-covered sunglasses to look up into the smiling face of her sister who was holding a now empty bucket.
Dawn's smile faded quickly when she saw the purely evil smirk on her sister's face and promptly bolted for the water.
3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . and Buffy was up off her recliner and on Dawn's heels.
She caught up about when Dawn was knee deep in the water and football-tackled her into the surf.
Buffy seemed to have the upper hand until Dawn dunked under the water and took out her legs.
She went down and Dawn held her there.
She pulled Buffy's head up out of the water and said,
"I win."
Buffy nodded.
She looked like a drowned rat.
Well, a good looking, fit, blonde drowned rat, but that was still more drowned rattish than Dawn, who had her arms held up in the air celebrating her victory.
She looked down at Buffy.
"Come," she said, "we will sit in the sun, watch the fine surfers and drink delicious Mexican fruit concoctions."
Buffy dunked underwater to smooth her hair back then said,
"Sounds like a plan to me," then followed Dawn onto the beach.
They ventured toward the bar and got new drinks; a Mai Tai for Buffy and a fruit punch in a coconut with NO alcohol for the, although not underage in Mexico, easily intoxicated Dawnster.
With drink in hand and wandering eyes, Dawn quickly gave up on bonding on the beach with Buffy for different pursuits in the form of young surfers.
So Buffy wend back to her sun-warmed recliner, put her sunglasses back on and sat down to develop and even more perfect tan while drinking another fine fruity cocktail.
She lay there peacefully, golden skin warmed by the late afternoon sun, listening to the waves against the pure sand of the shoreline, basking in the knowledge that her friends and sister were with her, together and safe, without all the burdens life and destiny once forced upon her.
This made her smile.
Until her sun had been unexpectedly blocked.
Buffy opened her eyes, put her sunglasses on top of her head and looked up to see who had the audacity to stand in the way of her ultraviolet relaxation.
"You could get burnt like a crisp out in this sun," said a familiar accented voice.
"I suppose," Buffy replied, "but I've got slayer healing. Applies to sun burns too."
"Well that's good," said the well-tanned young British man as he turned his head to look down the beach.
His hair was light brown now, but curly with light blonde tips.
Mexico seemed to suit him well.
Better than Brazil had.
The sun was starting to set further and they both looked along the beach toward Buffy's friends who were back in the clear water.
He was still looking that way as he said.
"Enjoying yourself here love?"
He turned his head to face her again, looking genuinely curious.
Buffy looked back over to her . . . well, they were her family weren't they, and smiled.
"Yes, I am happy here . . . now."
His face broke into a true grin.
"Good," he said, "very good."
He paused,
"Well, be seeing you then."
"Yeah," she said, still smiling.
A group of surfers came out of the water.
He turned toward them, yelled 'chavos,' and waved.
He turned back to Buffy and smiled at her for the last time before running toward the group.
She heard him speak some rapid-fire Spanish before the group departed.
With the sun now unobstructed, Buffy decided that she had tanned well enough for the day.
She took her sunglasses off her head and set them next to her half-full Mai Tai, then leaned forward to watch her friends, carefree, playing in the clear water of Cancun.
They looked like they were having a good time.
Buffy proceeded to get up from her comfy recliner, stretch out her back and slayer-sprint to the water where she tackled Faith, who looked like she was trying to stay away from the larger splashing group.
She came up sputtering, then flashed Buffy the evil Faith smirk, after which, a no-holds-barred slayer splash fest ensued.
Surrounded by her friends.
Her family.
Buffy was destiny free and perfectly content.
-Cs