I do not own any part of angel / buffy or characters associated with either series.

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My first story ...Set after Chosen.

Timeline

Chapter 1

After The Smoke Clears

Faith: Looks like the hellmouth is officially closed for business.

Giles: There is another one in Cleveland. Not to spoil the moment.

Xander: We saved the world.

Willow: We changed the world. I can feel them, Buffy. All over. Slayers are awakening everywhere.

Dawn: We'll have to find them.

Willow: We will.

Giles: Yes, because the mall was actually in Sunnydale, so there's no hope of going there tomorrow.

Dawn: We destroyed the mall? I fought on the wrong side.

Xander: All those shops gone. The Gap, Starbucks, Toys "R" Us. Who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world about them?

Giles: We have a lot of work ahead of us.

Faith: Can I push him in?

Willow: You've got my vote.

Faith: I just want to sleep, yo, for like a week.

Dawn: I guess we all could, if we wanted to.

Willow: Yeah. The First is scrunched, so... what do you think we should do, Buffy?

Faith: Yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?

Dawn: Yeah, Buffy. What are we gonna do now?

Buffy stood staring at the crater that she had protected for what seemed like a lifetime...

" I guess we need a new base. Somewhere central to work from and to bring the new slayers to train. "

" Can I push her in ... B lighten up and deal ... we just won the apocolyptic war, take a day off , God knows we all need one or like ... ten"!Faith was still hyper.

" Valid point" Buffy said as she turned from the crater, a smile on her lips "I know just the place"

"She smiles... she actually smiles" Willow said as she dug her in the ribs

"Has been known Will"

"I think we should get on the crazy bus to nowhere and see where it takes us " Xander said heading for the door to the schoolbus.

"I just need a moment, clarity unno "

Everyone boarded the bus and waited for their heroine. Buffy stood at the edge of the Hellmouth , the sunnydale sign balanced precariously on the edge. A gust of wind caught it and Buffy watched as it swayed and then fell in. She stood silent and took a deep breath.

"Thankyou William"

Buffy sighed and wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes. She made her way back to the bus and got into the seat next to Dawn.

"So where to next" Giles asked as he closed the doors and revved the engine

"Somewhere beachy" came the reply

The group sat back and cheered at the thought of sun , sea and sand.Giles put the bus into gear and pulled away, staring back at the vast hole that was Sunnydale in the rearview mirror. He thought back to the day he had met Buffy, his new charge.

(flashback)

Giles: You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think it's coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning.

Buffy: Oh, why can't you people just leave me alone?

Giles: Because you are the Slayer. Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires...

Buffy: ...with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil blah, blah, blah... I've heard it, okay?

Giles: I really don't understand this attitude. You, you've accepted your duty, you, you've slain vampires before...

Buffy: Yeah, and I've both been there and done that, and I'm moving on.

He had thought her a handful and didn't think she would last a week... boy had he been wrong.He smiled to himself and looked over at the slayer. Pride beamed from him.He had come to love her as if she was his daughter.She had sacrificed herself hundreds of times and still she came back fighting, had even died twice.He felt sombre at that thought. Shake it off Ripper the girl is sat here... alive.

"So B which beach looks the best , cos I'm thinking L.A , Beach fun, clubs, suntans and hey a little undead action thrown in for the kicks" Faith got an applause and whistles as she poledanced with the buses handrail, just to prove her point .

" L.A sounds great " Buffy replied and had to laugh as Giles huffed. She smiled as thought that he would probably love to take off his glasses and clean them right now , something he always did when he felt out of his comfort zone or embarrased.

Dawn snugged into Buffy , resting her head on the slayers shoulders and whispered something into her ears that made Buffy turn and smile

"Has your choice got to do with a certain hunk that has his 253rd birthday soon?"

Buffy rested her chin on the top of Dawns head and replied

"I think I'm done baking so maybe"

Dawn looked up at her sister confusion on her face evident

"Private joke ... kinda"

You using weird cryptic to describe your state of mind again"

Buffy had to smile and nodded , hugging her sister into her again. "You should sleep Dawn , it's going to be a long drive. I think I'll join you in fact"

The slayer yawned and stretched to enphasise the fact that she was tired. She did a check on the rest of the crew. Most of them had already fallen asleep.Robin had field dressings on his wounds and was asleep next to Faith. Faith was listening to her ipod gently tapping out the beat and mouthing the words to a Marilyn Manson track.How she could chill to that was beyond Buffy, but hey each to their own she thought.

The potentials were either asleep or telling their own prospectives of the fight. Willow and Xander had sat next to each other, both sombre , Xander had lost Anya , Willow giving him the support he needed and a shoulder to cry on. Buffy saddened for a moment and realised that Xander was staring at her. He smiled a slight smile ,but it was definately a smile . She gave him a token smile back but she knew he could see the guilt there.No matter how many times she had said to the crew that lives will inevitably be lost in the final fight, it still didn't make it any easier to bare, for them or her. She looked away as Xander started to close his eyes , finally giving in to exhaustion.

Buffy finally gave in herself. Her last thought was of Angel. It was most nights , even after years apart. I hope he still feels the same and has room in his life for me.With that she finally succumbed to sleep.

L.A . Angel Investigations. Hyperion Hotel

Cordelia was sat behind the front desk flicking through the latest fashion magazine and huffing.

"It really sucks , I mean really, why do we have to make room for these slayers , I mean Buffy I can just about deal with , even though she normally creates alot of angst for you. But why add another twenty to the mix. What if one doesn't quite get the soul thing you have going on and decides to get a little pointy. What if having Buff here make you go a little grrrrrr. What then?"

"Nobody will go grrr and nobodies going to get pointy. Cordelia please " he said as she got a wooden stake out of her top drawer .

Cordelia had noticed the sharp tone in his voice and plonked it on the counter to make a point."See she isn't even here yet and your already grouchy"

Angel had to admit it, he was getting tetchy , the thought of Buffy staying there at the hotel with 20 new slayers was playing on his mind.More so because of Buffy. His last meeting with her had caused them to open up the old wounds regarding their relationship , or lack of. Plus he had learned of her affections for Spike. He had given her a medalion which had caused Spike to burn up and die. He had thought that maybe the PTB'S had a wicked sense of timing , doubtful that Buffy would have thought that and would possibly blame him. Yes he said to himself, I do need to get my mental health checked for this one.

Gunn walked in through the lobby doors and threw his axe onto the circular sofa in a defeatist way and slumped next to it.

"Well no good hunting goin' on out there big guy, seems these slayerettes are taking care o' business"

"Yeah like thats all we need... putting us out of action, hows that going to pay the lease and my wages Angel. Have to say it... Buffy again... her and her good idea's"

"What about my good idea's" Buffy walked in through the doors and stood at the top of the lobby stairs, arms folded .

"Buffy" Angel walked up as far as he could and reach out his hand as if to help her down the stairs.

" Hi Angel" she took his hand .

They walked to the centre of the room and stopped.Angel pulled Buffy to him and kissed the top of her head.She wrapped her arms around his waist and breathed in his scent.She had missed this so much and didn't want to break away.He was the first to move off, he had felt like the whole room was their audience.Angel was strictly private these days.

"H... How was your journey, erm non eventfull I trust" he said aiming it at the room rather than just to Buffy.

"Giles" he said nodding acknowledgement at the watcher as a sign of respect.He walked over to stand against the front desk.

Giles returned the kindness

"We had a good run, no probs , no hassle .Hows you guys doin A" Faith said as she came out from behind a group of nervous slayerettes.

Faith had built a rapport with Angel as she had helped him a few times recently, and of course due to his part in her rehabilitation.

"We're great thankyou Faith, glad to see your fine."

"So any chance we can get this bunch settled and I can get my room, I could do with a shower, carrying a few extra pounds of vamp dust and in all the wrong places"

The girls thought Faith was wicked cool, and they appreciated the fact that she was, for the most part , upfront.

"Of course I will get Wesley and Fred to show the girls and yourself to your rooms.Some of you will have to double up for the time being. Just until we open up the west wing."

He walked to the office and called Wesley and Fred out .They had their noses buried deep in a few books , researching a prophecy Wesley had found.

Fred was the first one to greet the girls and had clumsily made her way to Willow. The two hugged and stood having a conversation. Finally Wesley appeared looking a little tired and unshaven.

"Geez Wes did you get a lesson on street from a hobo ?" Faith said with a grin and she embraced her former watcher.

"Faith...how good to see you."

"Wes can you and Fred show the girls to their rooms. Willow gets the master on three and put Xander next to her.The rest can slug it out, in a non violent way."He added quickly.

"And me"?Buffy asked

Angel looked at her and, if he had had a heart, it would of been leaping out of his chest "Put Buffy in the master suite next to mine."

Buffy smiled at that, he wants me close she thought.