A/N Thanks for those reviews everyone. Also, Allen I sent you a pm a few days ago answering your questions. Did you get it?
Chapter 1
Rainy Days Gone By
Two petite figures wearing military fatigues, shades, and green camouflage hats slowly trekked through the hot sun of the desolate California desert. It had rained just yesterday and they had hoped that it would cool things down but no such luck. After what had happened at the tv station they didn't dare seek refuge inside of it from the rain, instead choosing to sleep in the car. Those things... those zombie vampires had put up more of a fight then she thought they would. If she hadn't of blown their heads off, which dusted them, they would have kept coming for her and Dawn.
Buffy only wished that she had of paid more attention to the gas tank as the following day when they left, the car ran out of gas after a couple of minutes of driving, forcing them to have to walk now.
While they walked it forced both of them to think. They had just lost everything after giving so much to keep the world together. As the blond stopped for a moment to adjust her backpack, she thought about how for over five years she had stopped apocalypse after apocalypse from vampires and all manners of icky things only for the world to finally end at the hands or rather the teeth of zombies.
She had lost everything in the blink of an eye, but she took great satisfaction in knowing that at least her mom was somewhere happy and didn't have to suffer through this. Her grin faded a moment later as she thought about how she had lost all of her friends. Giles, Tara, Willow, Xander, Anya, and even Spike were all gone. She could only hope that Riley and Angel had somehow survived and she wished that Glory were dead so she'd never have to face her again. Looking back to her companion, she was happy that she was able to save someone, even though she had almost lost her too.
When the zombies had finally come for them and tried to overtake their house all those months ago, she had immediately ran to find her sister and she walked into Dawn's room only to find her in the middle of slitting her wrists. She assumed that her little sister would rather commit suicide, then to be eaten alive.
As her blood flowed from her wrists and onto the floor, a portal opened in her home and before they knew it they were both sucked into it. Buffy would never know where they went or how they got back, but when they did, it was several months after the apocalypse and according to the man that had saved her and Dawn's life, all of her friends had died. She took pride in knowing that at least Willow, Tara, and Spike had survived another three days without her.
When they were thrown out of the portal and back from wherever they had been, they were naked, hungry, and alone. Alone in a house that had several zombies in it. Too weak to defend herself and her sister, Buffy could only watch as the decaying ghouls slowly shambled towards them. If it wasn't for Sgt. Aaron Jones, both young women would be dead right now.
He was an old vet from the Vietnam war and he was scavenging houses in the neighborhood, as they materialized back in their house. After hearing Dawn cry out, he burst through their back door and killed several zombies before getting them out of the house. He had taken them to an underground bunker, he had made, under his house. It was then that she found out that she was back in her old neighborhood and she had lived in said neighborhood for five years, not knowing his name or that he even lived several houses down from them. After feeding and clothing them, it was then that he regretfully told them that all of her friends were dead. He had seen as human zombies and demon ones had ransacked her house and he could only watch as her friends got eviscerated. He could have sworn that he had seen two people escape in a red truck, but he couldn't be sure.
Not having any real time to mourn them, Buffy had to concentrate on surviving. They had lived with Sgt. Jones for several weeks and he had trained the both of them on how to use guns, to properly scavenge, and military strategy. Basically he trained them on how to be soldiers. Buffy originally didn't want Dawn to learn how to use guns, hell she didn't want to use guns, but in the world they now found themselves in, all innocence was lost and it was either adapt or perish.
Perish. Buffy thought grimly to herself. That's what Mr. Jones did. He got bit about a week ago, saving Dawn from a few walkers. She had come into his room, to be with him for the last few moments of his life, only to find him gone. She found a letter on his bunk saying that he didn't regret what happened and that he wanted her to have his Colt M1911, that she found on his dresser. He had wanted to pass the gun down to his son but the both of them had been estranged for years. According to the letter, it didn't really matter because he was glad to have known her and Dawn because they were the daughters that he never had.
Openly weeping, Buffy had used her new found ability that he had taught her to track him down. When she did, she found him ripped open in the middle of the Sunnydale street with over twenty dead walkers scattered around him. It was his last gift to the world. Putting a bullet in his brain, to keep him from coming back, she went back to the bunker and gathered up Dawn, some weapons, and what little food and water they had. There wasn't much left in the city, so it was time to move on. Taking a look down at the gun that was on her hip, she would forever remember what she had lost.
"Buffy, look!" Dawn shouted, snapping her big sister out of her dark reverie.
In the distance a merciless sun beat down and gave way to what looked to be a gas station. Squinting her eyes, Buffy saw that it was Ralph's stop and go gas station. "Stay here." Buffy ordered as she dropped her backpack, gathered a small red fuel canister, and took out her gun.
She walked around amid overturned vehicles and trash laying everywhere. Feeling a sense of dread she clutched the small fuel tank in her hand, hoping that she could find some fuel for the car they had left a few miles back. Slowly she walked past several vehicles where decomposing dead people sat in their cars with flies buzzing around them. Looking closer, she dropped her guard slightly as she saw that their heads were slashed open with what looked to be an ax.
As she walked towards the gas station, she saw that the sign said 'No Gas'. With a roll of her eyes, she started to walk back towards Dawn when her foot suddenly hit something. Putting the canister down, she reached to the ground and picked up a beer bottle filled with water. With a frown she looked from the clean bottle to the dead corpses and she could only assume that someone was here recently. It was more then confirmed for her as she saw a pile of freshly burnt bodies by the side of the building.
Chancing a glance at Dawn, who was waiting for her out on the street, she suddenly heard footsteps somewhere behind her. Quickly putting the bottle down, she kneeled down on the hot asphault and looked under a car. With wide eyes, she saw a small girl walking toward a teddy bear. She was in a night gown and some slippers and as the girl picked up the bear she started to walk away.
"Hey kid?" Buffy said in a half whisper as she stood to her feet. "I'm Buffy. Little girl." as Buffy called for her again the little girl finally stopped walking. "Don't be afraid. Okay? Well you should be a little afraid if you're out here by yourself but I'm here now and..."
Buffy's mouth dropped open and she went quiet as the girl turned around. She was a walker with missing parts of her cheek. As she started to shuffle towards Buffy and groaned, the Slayer nervously back-peddled before the dead girl could get to her. With numb fingers, Buffy drew her pistol and fired, the bullet ripping through the little girls head. As she fell down dead, Buffy could only look at her body in shock.
"Buffy!" Dawn yelled from the distance.
"Every... everything's okay!" Buffy shouted back as she took a quick look around. Reaching out with her Slayer senses, she no longer felt any danger. "It's safe to come down now. Bring my backpack with you!"
Hearing her sister shuffling, Buffy looked down at the bottle of water again. If someone had been to this gas station recently, she hoped to be able to find them soon.
A/N To let everyone know what time frame this is based around, before Buffy and Dawn fell through that portal I mentioned it took place sometime after the episode Forever. Also I hope you guys stay with me on this fic. It's going to start a little slow but believe me it's going to heat up really soon.
