Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Rating: T/M
Chapter 2
They spent a week at the hotel in the desert before moving onto Los Angeles and started taking care of the necessities they would need to move forward.
Letting the relevant people know that they had not perished in the collapse of Sunnydale took top priority. Then they moved onto making sure they had passports for each of them so they had ID and a way out of the country should they want it. Finding out that that process would take more than a week to organise they tried contacting the Council, if there were any left, using the emergency number Giles never thought he would have to use to get funding so they had food and clothes and a place to stay while they waited. Amazingly enough the 'In Case Of Emergency' board, as Xander, Buffy and Faith referred to them, had already managed to organise what was left of the Council and gladly offered any and all resources to Giles.
Once all the essentials were settled they started to make plans to splinter off.
A few of the surviving baby Slayers wanted to go home to their families so plane tickets were bought for them. Faith and Robin decided to go to Cleveland after Giles was told that the Hellmouth there had a dramatic increase in activity in the weeks since Sunnydales destruction. What few baby Slayers remained, half of them decided to go with them. The rest of them deciding to follow Giles to England.
Willow arranged to stay with her parents for a few months in New York so she could decompress before heading to the coven. Xander, who stayed pretty much to himself for the first few days mourning Anya, told them he wanted to help rebuild the council in England with Giles. Buffy and Dawn had left messages for their father everywhere they could think of letting him know they were fine and how he could contact them if he wanted to.
Dawn chewed her finger nails as she paced the room she was sharing with Buffy, her worry increasing with every second that passed. Buffy had left that morning, a vague answer about going shopping with her brand spanking new council credit card when she was asked where she was going, and no one had seen her since…six hours ago.
Dawn knew they would be following Giles to England and didn't care, it was where she wanted to be anyway so she didn't pout when Buffy just went ahead and made plans without asking her. But she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was going on with Buffy that she wasn't telling her, or anyone. Add that to the secret smiles and barf worthy looks she had caught passing between her and Giles she had a really bad feeling she wasn't going to like finding out what was wrong with her sister.
"Hey Dawnie, what's up?" Buffy called as she opened the door to their room and stumbled in laden with bags.
"Where have you been?!" Dawn demanded fisting her hands on her hips and glaring at her sister.
"Uh, shopping" Buffy replied with a raised eyebrow, "What's crawled up your butt?" she asked as she kicked the door shut and put the bags down on the coffee table.
"You disappeared on us, no one has seen you since this morning" Dawn muttered mulishly as she realised she was overreacting.
Buffy smiled kindly at her before brushing a hand over her hair, "Ok one, it's still daylight" she said ducking her head to look her in he eye, "Two, I am still a Slayer and three, I was shopping like I told you"
"Yeah ok, so sue me I was worried" Dawn grumbled as she flopped down onto the sofa. Buffy just laughed as she handed her a bag before taking the rest into her room, smiling when she heard the squeal of delight from her sister as she locked her door.
She pulled the large travel backpack she had bought the day before from the wardrobe and began to pack. Sensible travelling clothes like jeans, leggings, tank tops, shirts and sweaters were slowly pulled from the bags and folded as small as possible on top of the trainers and hiking boots already inside it. Not a single skirt, dress or pair of heels made its way into the bag and a part of Buffy was mourning the loss of the frilly and floaty girly things she loved for the foreseeable future.
Her only concessions to the feminine frills she loved were her three swimsuits, two bikini's and her underwear. Sighing as she kicked off the shoes that she would have to leave behind she double checked she had everything she needed to get going including the magically concealed scythe, stakes and daggers.
In the side pockets she had timetables for buses and trains covering the southern states for the next six months, protection charms stronger than anything Will had ever done, location dampeners and an emergency magic bag that contained all she would need to cast a few defensive spells including dummy proof instructions all thanks to Whistler.
Whistler had been waiting for her outside the first shop she had visited that morning, a grim smile on his face and an envelope and the package containing the magic stuff tucked under his arm. He told her he knew what she had planned and the Powers wanted to make sure she was free to do it safely. He had also reassured her the others would be fine, they would never stop looking for her but they wouldn't find her unless her charms were destroyed.
He had also offered her a potion to block the bond she had with Giles but when he told her it was permanent and couldn't be reversed she had given it back, happy with his assurance the location dampeners would effectively prevent Giles from following the bond to her but, if it was what she wanted, she could still talk to him with their newly formed telepathic link no matter how far away she was.
She pulled the envelope he had given her out of the last bag and tipped it out onto her bed, smiling at the contents as she packed them into her messenger bag. A passport and a driving license in a different name,
I guess I'll be leaving Buffy behind now she thought sadly as she studied the pictures, and now I have brown hair! Thanks Whistler!
She huffed and shook her head as she slipped the license into her new purse along with some of the cash that he had given her and her new credit card that he had told her contained unlimited funds, telling her not to worry about the monthly payments as they would be taken care of. She had decided not to ask who was paying the bill, instead she was just grateful that she didn't have to worry about money now.
The rest of the cash, about five grand, went back into the envelope and into the bottom of her backpack inside her hiking boots while the plane ticket to England, departure date five months from now, went into the inside zipped pocket with the spare credit cards and information for Whistlers varied network of underground contacts and the list of properties that were open to her throughout the world.
After checking everything again she tucked the bags away and left the envelope containing her power of attorney and transfer of guardianship of Dawn to Giles under her pillow then washed up for dinner with the gang.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"So Buff, what're your plans now? You going to England with G-Man or Cleveland with Faith?" Xander asked as he cut into his steak with a quick glance at her out of the corner of his eye.
"England with Giles and Dawn" she said with a smile at Giles' shocked expression, glad she had waited until now to tell him.
"Truly Buffy?" he asked placing his wine glass back on the table, carefully controlling his expression so that only she would see the delight at her decision.
She smiled at him and nodded, not trusting her voice as she concentrated on not giving anything away through the bond.
"But what about the Hellmouth in Cleveland?" Faith asked her before lifting her beer to her lips, giving her a knowing smile.
"I've had enough of Hellmouths, it's your turn now Faith, you can handle it" she said raising her water glass to her and nodding, "besides I think I should concentrate on the Council and getting a support network in place if we can" she lied easily, slightly surprised that her voice hadn't shaken with the emotion she felt at lying to them.
"Well alright then" Willow said cheerfully before turning to Dawn and telling her about the schools in England she could attend and what it was like to live there.
"Are you sure Buffy?" Giles asked in a whisper.
"Positive Giles, I'm not gonna be doing the fighting any more unless I absolutely have to" she said with a smile and then discreetly squeezed his thigh under the table before sitting back.
She saw his pleased blush as she fought the rising guilt back down. She hadn't lied, as such, she would be going to England just not yet and she wouldn't be fighting unless she had to. What she had planned was a lot like a holiday with a little search and retrieval mission type stuff thrown in. And without any of her friends, Dawn or Giles knowing about it until after she was gone.
And judging by the flare of arousal she was feeling from Giles and the nudging she was getting from the bond, leaving without causing him any more pain than was inevitable at her disappearance had just gotten a little bit harder.
They ate, drank and laughed until Dawn started falling asleep at the table and Xander started doing a drunk version of the Snoopy dance, prompting Giles to bring an end to the evening when he knocked over a table with an over enthusiastic jump. Standing with a meaningful glance at Buffy he moved away to settle the cheque and order a couple of cabs.
Buffy asked Willow and Kennedy to make sure that Dawn got back to the hotel then followed after Giles.
"I feel like taking a walk" she said laying a hand on his back, slowly sliding it down until it rested at his hip.
"Are you sure? The cabs will be here soon," he said then turned to face her, bending slightly he whispered in her ear "and I was hoping that you would join me tonight"
She shivered as his lips brushed against the skin of her throat, "I know I can feel it" she said grinning back at him, "Shall I meet you in your room in an hour?"
"That sounds wonderful" he said taking a small step back when they heard the others approaching.
Sighing sadly she left the restaurant, taking one last look at them all happy, relaxed and safe through the window before walking away. She took a slow walk back to the hotel and made her way up to her room to check on Dawn, add a few more things to her bags and to change for her visit to Giles. She smiled in anticipation of his reaction, glad she had been impulsive that afternoon during her shopping trip.
The whole way back she'd thought about Willow and Xander and how she had successfully avoided them and the mini Slayers for the last couple of weeks. It hadn't been easy but she just couldn't bring herself to pretend that everything was ok now, that she had forgiven them for turning their backs on her. They hadn't even apologised to her for it, still convinced that they had done the right thing. Just like when they had brought her back to life.
Faith understood her pain, a history of being judged harshly and cast aside had made her uniquely qualified to be her confessor. So she had met her at a bar the night before and told her of her plan to leave, surprised when Faith wasn't shocked by the news.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
"C'mon B, like I didn't see this coming" Faith had said with a grin before lifting her pint to her lips.
"And I thought I was being sneaky and clever with my escape plans" Buffy had pouted, slouching against the back of the booth, playing with the moisture on her bottle of beer.
"Oh you are no one else has a clue, I just recognise the signs from all the times I bailed over the years" she said with a grin when Buffy huffed in annoyance.
"Yeah, well, I just can't be the good little Slayer and help rebuild the council like my opinion matters to them" she said with a sneer before lifting the bottle and swallowing the rest of her beer.
"And G? What about him?" she asked watching her closely, grinning behind her glass when she saw a blush spread over her cheeks.
Buffy chewed her lip as she picked at the shells from the nuts they had shared, "I don't know" she sighed, "I can feel the bond pushing me at him, wanting us together but…."
"Isn't that what you want too though?" Faith asked with uncharacteristic kindness.
"Well yeah, he makes me happy and man is the sex unbelievable, but I can't just forget everything that's happened between us no matter how much I want to and I can't expect him too either" she said sadly looking out over the bar and at the laughing, semi drunk people scattered around that were enjoying a Friday night out with friends, no clue about the things that lurked in the shadows.
She looked up at Faith and chuckled sadly, "I've spent the last seven years hurting him in one way or another and he's done the same to me. It's like an emotional tug of war and I'm waiting for the next round of take, worried I'll do something selfish that hurts him or he does something he feels he has to do that pushes me away I don't want to do it any more. I just need…."
"A break" Faith finished for her with an understanding smile not voicing the thought that her leaving will cause him even more pain now they were getting pelvic with each other. She shifted forward and leaned across the table to grasp her hand, "Go, don't leave a note, I'll tell them after you leave. Do what you need to do just don't take forever doing it. We do need you B, never doubt that"
Buffy smiled at Faith as tears pooled in her eyes, "Wow Faith, when did you get all movie of the week on me?" she asked with a soggy chuckle when Faith rolled her eyes and sat back.
"Don't get used to it" she said before finishing her pint and sliding out of the booth, "Wanna come patrol with me? Be like old times" she said with a wicked grin and wiggling her eyebrows.
Buffy wiped her eyes and laughed, "Sure, why not" she said and stood, linking arms with her as they walked out of the bar.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Buffy smiled to herself remembering the fun she had had on the hunt as she made her way to the elevator on her way up to Giles' room. She was wearing a full length fluffy dressing gown covering what she hoped would be a nice surprise for him. As she waited for the elevator to arrive she looked up and down the hall hoping she wouldn't see anyone and have to explain what she was doing.
She wasn't ashamed of her newly formed relationship with her Watcher she just didn't want her sometimes overly judgemental friends poking at them right now. She registered the tiny ding as the doors opened and stopped as she stepped forward, letting out a bark of surprised laughter.
Giles looked up at the sound of her laughter and grinned himself before pulling her into the elevator with him.
"Are you only just getting back? Was there a problem?" Buffy asked him breathlessly as he buried his face in her neck and busied himself with tracing the curve of her ear and jaw with his lips, his hands resting on her ass, pulling her closer.
"Just had to clear a few things up with the management" he mumbled as he pulled the shoulder of her dressing gown aside. She smiled when he pulled back in surprise knowing he had seen the bareness of her shoulder, "Nothing on under there?" he asked grinning at her blush.
"You'll find out in a minute," she said pushing him back when he tried to peek under the lapels of the gown, "What things with management?"
"Hmm, oh, yes, a few of the girls broke some of the strength training equipment but, instead of demanding reparations, the manager couldn't apologise enough for the faulty equipment and has refunded all the gym passes for the whole group while giving us unlimited twenty four hour access to all the facilities on site" Giles said, his eyes travelling over her body and she could tell that he was trying to see if she was wearing anything under it.
"Isn't it a bit late for the manager to be addressing these problems?" Buffy asked as they stepped out of the elevator, "I mean, couldn't it have waited until the morning?"
Giles looked back over his shoulder as he walked slightly ahead of her "He had been trying to get hold of either you or myself all day as he won't be available tomorrow so he waited until he knew we would be in the hotel" he said as he dug into his pocket for his keycard when they stopped outside of his room.
"Oh, where were you today then?" Buffy asked crossing her arms over her chest, not bothering to repress the flare of paranoia and jealousy she knew he would feel through the bond.
Sure enough he looked back at her over his shoulder with a smirk and a roll of his eyes, "Really Buffy there is nothing to be jealous about. I was merely tied up with the real estate agent the emergency board directed me to to sign the paperwork on the American properties owned by the council"
She frowned as he opened the door to his room, "There's property in the states? What property? Where is the property?" she asked while imagining a holiday home in Hawaii.
"At least two in every state" he said with a grin at the look of surprise on her face, "Now do you really want to talk about properties? Because I have a much more pleasant activity in mind"
She gave him a blank look then turned away and began walking back to the elevator. Carefully concealing her happiness as she grinned at the gaping black hole of shock and surprise he was telegraphing at her. Less than two seconds later she squealed in delight when he surged forward and wrapped his arms around her lifting her off her feet.
"And where do you think you're going?" he asked her, turning her so she could wind her legs around his waist.
"You said 'pleasant activity' and that's boring" she said, playfully nipping at his pouting lower lip.
Giles growled low in his throat and pulled her tighter against his chest, "I'll give you boring luv" he said in a Rippery growl before covering her mouth with his, both of them groaning when she shoved her tongue into his mouth and tightened her grip in his hair.
He staggered through his open door, kicking it shut behind him completely oblivious to everything else that may have existed outside their little bubble.
"Told you" Andrew said smugly as he left Xanders room where they had watched them from the slightly opened door.
"I think I'm having delayed trauma from the Hellmouth" Xander said while rubbing his eye with more force than necessary, "I saw that right? You saw that right?" he asked turning to his left and seeing an equally shocked Willow.
"I did I just can't believe it" Willow said in a small voice, her eyes wide with shock, "Why didn't she tell us she was screwing her Watcher? Although that explains the cold shoulder for the last year"
"With the way you lot judged her for screwing a vamp why would she wanna tell you about falling for her Watcher?" Faith asked from behind them causing them to spin around in surprise.
"You knew!?" Willow asked her in surprise.
Faith nodded once, "Have since that motel in the desert but there's been something brewing between 'em since I first met 'em, Watcher Slayer vibes were flying about all over the place" she said with a roll of her eyes when she saw Xanders scowl.
"Oh that is soooo romantic" Andrew said with a flutter of his eye lashes, "The man sent to her by destiny becomes her fate…."
"Shut up Andrew" Xander said smacking him on the back of his head, "it's icky is what it is"
"Why is it?" Andrew whined as he rubbed the back of his head.
"He's what, twenty something years older than her, it's not right" Willow said with her nose scrunched up in disgust.
"Forget it, c'mon Andrew I hear we have full access to all the facilities, wanna join me at the bar? Maybe get a massage?" Faith asked him as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the judgey twins before she hit one of them.
"Ok cool but can we get facials too?" he asked her with excitement.
"Don't push it" she said just as the elevator doors shut.
"I'm not wrong am I?" Willow asked Xander as they continued to stare at Giles' door.
"No" Xander replied but he didn't sound so sure. All of his memories of the two of them were running through his head and he started to see the rightness of it.
The sound of Buffy giggling was cut off by a deep throated moan causing them to jump and rush off down the corridor, frantically pushing the button for the elevator. Xander looking thoughtfully back over his shoulder as the doors opened and they rushed inside.
