After Sunnydale

Chapter One

They had finally closed the Sunnydale hellmouth forever, and everybody could feel the tension lifted from their shoulders. Buffy sat at the back of the bus with Dawn, who was now leaning against the window as she fell asleep. Buffy was overcome with emotion; she had lost people she had loved not an hour ago, but she felt relief as she would be able to watch Dawn blossom into a beautiful woman.

"Buffy? You okay?" Xander had turned round a few seats ahead of her, and she could see he had been crying.

"I..I'm fine. You on the other hand..." Her voice trailed off as she checked Dawn was okay before moving next to Xander and pulling him into an embrace. "She died a hero's death Xander." Tears were pouring from him again as he breathed in Buffy's sweet scent, yet even that could no longer comfort him.

"I guess I just cant believe she's gone. I already miss her so much Buffy." He pulled out of her embrace and looked her in the eye, noticing that tears were coming from her too.

"Xander...I don't know what to say." She was fumbling with her trousers, not wanting to look him in the face for fear of breaking down completely. The bus began to jolt as the dirt road they were following became worse and worse, and Buffy could see Giles was struggling with the wheel. "Where are we heading?" She asked, hoping to change the subject.

"As far away from Sunnydale as possible." Xander said, wiping away his tears. The sun was beginning to set over the deserted landscape and the others on the bus were still tending to their wounds as Willow used her magic to heal them.

"Buffy!" Giles' voice startled her out of her thoughts and she rushed up to the drivers seat, taking a look over the barren landscape. "We're coming back on the road soon and I think we should pull into the first hotel we see, these girls need a good night's sleep after what they've been through." Buffy meerly nodded, her mind spinning with thoughts and hunger.

"I'm no longer the chosen one..." Buffy had meerly whispered what she had been thinking, and Giles placed a warm hand atop hers in reassurance.

"I know Buffy. Girl's are waking up across the world, coming to their heritage. Good is prevailing Buffy." She smiled at him and knew he was right, and small tears began to run down her face. She was no longer alone or gifted, she was just an ordinary girl and could start her life afresh. And for that thought, she couldnt help but smile.

X X X

They had finally come across a decent looking hotel, one that didn't have seedy neon lights or roaches crawling across the front door. Faith and Robin immediately retired to their room, insisting they didn't want to be disturbed, and Willow and Kennedy did the same. Most of the new slayers paired off to share a room, leaving Dawn and Buffy to share a room and Giles and Xander to begrudgingly share a room with Andrew who had slept the entire time on the bus.

"God, it feels so good to have a shower." Buffy exclaimed, stepping out of the bathroom in one of the hotels crisp white bathrobes.

"Yeah, thank god Giles had his wallet on him." Dawn said, lounging on her single bed flicking through the TV channels. She had also showered and wore a bathrobe, but both of them were puzzled as to what they were to change back into. Afterall, the only clothes they had were covered indirt and bloodstains.

"Sorry, guess I was too busy saving the world to pick up my cards." She jumped on the bed and sighed in pleasure; she could not remember a time she had been so comfortable.

"Where do we go from here?" Dawn had turned the TV off and turned to face Buffy, who simply had no idea what to say. A slight knock interrupted them both, and Buffy jumped up to answer the door.

"Andrew apparently hasn't had enough sleep and wakes the entire room with his snoring. Mind if I come in?" Xander was stood in front of her in another bathrobe, and the sight was enough to make her giggle. She gestured for him to come in and shut the door behind him, her mind still mulling over Dawn's question; Where do they go?

"Hey Xander." Dawn piped up from her bed, a slight blush spreading across her cheeks as they were all dressed in small bathrobes. She still had feelings for Xander and resented the fact that Anya owned his heart, but immediately felt guilt as she knew he was greiving.

"Hey Dawnie. So do you guys mind if I crash here?" He sat next to Buffy on her bed, who could tell that he was still upset from the way he hunched over.

"Of course not. I'll share with Dawn and you can have my bed." She sat up and wrapped her arms around his front, her face pressed into his back as he held her arm gently.

"Thanks Buffy." He turned round to hug her fully and breathed in the clean scent of her light hair, and god, how he used to love that smell. "You too Dawn." He gestured for a hug and she was happy to oblige; but wasn't happy that she would have to share a single bed with Buffy.

"Love you guys." Buffy said, before they managed to fall into a deep slumber.

X X X

Dawn was fast out to the world when Buffy woke up, and she gently pulled out of bed and held her bathrobe tighter. Xander had already vacated the room and Buffy wondered where he had gone to, but a moment later he returned with a few bags in tow.

"Hey, where did you get the new clothes from?" Buffy asked, taking in his appearance. He wore deep blue jeans and a back sweater that complimented his new eye patch. "Loving the new eye patch." She giggled as he fingered his patch delicately, before joining her laughter.

"Willow, Kennedy and Giles went out to get clean clothes for everyone. Gotta hand it to Giles, he certainly has enough money for all of this." He handed her a couple of bags and she hurried to the bathroom to get changed, thanking god Willow knew her size and style. Giles would end up picking something plain and boring.

"Well, what do you think?" Buffy asked, stepping out in her new clothes and posing like a model. She wore black tight fitting jeans and a grey vest top, both of them complementing her figure with her grey slip on shoes. Willow had also been kind enough to buy her favourite make-up, which Buffy had taken her time with applying. Clothes were also in the bag for Dawn, and Buffy made a mental note to thank the three of them for what they had done.

"Wow." Xander whistled as she pulled her poses, and both of them couldn't help but laugh. It seemed like forever since they had just 'hung out' together, and both of them hoped they would spend more time together in the future.

"Xander..." Buffy's voice trailed off as she thought about when she had first met Xander, when he had discovered she was a slayer, when she had danced with him to make Angel jealous, and how he had stood by her through everything. She crossed the room and threw her arms around him, taking him by suprise as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you Xander, for everything."

A/N: Well, new story. This one is going to continue, so comments please (: And apologies if this chapter is too short, but the next ones will be longer.

Chapter Two: The group begin to get their new lives sorted out and most of the slayers head in their own directions, the original scooby gang are left to start afresh.