I was very surprised how many hits I got on this story in the first day! I can't wait until you all really get into the story! I also forgot to mention that this timeline does not run parallel to the events that occured in the last episode. Sunnydale was never swallowed by the earth, it was just the highschool that was destroyed. Also, the potentials' absence will be explained. Somethings are still the same. Some are not. For artistic reasons.

One Month Ago…

Opening the trunk of the car, Buffy stared in and swore under her breath. "Shit." The sun was warm on her back but the wind chilled her, reaching through the fibers of her sweater and making her shiver. The grocery bags had toppled over on top of one another, leaving an array of food and some sort of liquid seeping into the fabric on the bottom of the trunk. Reaching in hesitantly, she lifted a bag and looked inside, finding that a stake had punctured the gallon of milk, with nothing left inside. She cringed. That was going to smell really bad later. 'I really should have taken it easy going around that corner…' she considered, remembering how she'd swerved onto her road to avoid being taken out by the car on her tail. 'Kids..' she thought with dismay.

The early November day was brisk but clear, just like she had hoped it would be when she'd awoken that morning. And yet, there was no one outside enjoying it. She sighed, grabbing hold of a couple plastic bags that had not been soaked and started up the walk to the house. Even though a strong reflection shone in the window, she could make out Willow's brilliant red hair on the couch and knew that she was either stuck in a good book or trying to coerce someone else into doing something fun. Buffy smiled to herself as she climbed the steps and opened the door.

"Hey!" she called, knowing that someone would hear her. She heard the flop of a magazine in the other room and Willow appeared in the doorway. "Great. Food!" she exclaimed. "We had nothing in there… except Twinkies." she giggled, peering into the bag.

"Well, at least Xander would have survived if I hadn't gone." she joked, moving towards the kitchen. She placed the bags on the counter and began removing the contents. She looked up at Willow who had become silent. "Is he here?" she asked the witch with a little hesitance in her voice.

"I went to see if he wanted to go for a walk. He was already gone." she said lowly.

"It's been three months." Buffy speculated more to herself than to Willow and pushed some ice cream into the freezer.

"She was his fiancee." Willow justified in her meek voice. "He'll move on when he's ready. For now we're just going to have to be here for him."

Buffy nodded, nearly forgetting what she had been like when she'd watched Spike sacrifice himself for their safety. Xander deserved his time to grieve as well. And it didn't help that he'd lost his eye as well. She just missed his smile and the light he emanated. It was really one of the only things that had been stable in her life, when the ground always seemed to be shifting and other people's alliances flip-flopping here and there. Xander had always remained true to himself, sarcastic, joking, and rarely serious. But these past few months even when he'd tried to put on a happy face, she could still sense the sadness in his eyes.

Trying to shift the subject, Buffy began putting the bread away in the basket at the back of the counter. "I haven't heard anything from Dawn. Have you talked with her?"

Willow's smile beamed once more. "She called while you were out. I told her you would call her back."

Buffy's own smile grew. Her younger sister had gone off to college that fall and had been adjusting to it nicely. The slayer knew that it would be good to get her away from the killing atmosphere and to further her studies somewhere away from Sunnydale. Part of her was crushed that she'd missed the phone call but she knew she'd be seeing Dawn soon. Thanksgiving break would be coming up in two weeks. "Did she say how everything is going?"

"She's been working on a few different projects for an anthropology class and studying for tests. Sounds as if she's having a good time." Willow reported, snatching a bag of chips from a bag and opening them with a high pitched squeak from the bag.

"That's good." Buffy replied with an almost dazed voice. Part of her mind was dwelling on Spike, remembering their last heartfelt moments together in the basement of the school, holding his hand as if instantaneously lit into flame. Though she'd never wanted to let go, the fire scorched her skin and he'd more than pushed her hand out of his, to keep her from suffering. If she'd had the choice… she probably would not have left him…

"Buffy…?" Willow questioned.

The slayer looked up and acknowledged her friend with a fragile smile. "I was just remembering…." she trailed off.

Willow waited for an answer, even though she knew who it was that Buffy was thinking about.

"…nothing." Buffy responded instead. "You wanna help me unpack the rest of the groceries?"

"Sure."

Both women walked outside to the car. On the way down the steps, they were greeted by Faith, who had just returned from the library. After the Sunnydale high school had been destroyed at the end of their battle with The First, the construction company that Xander had worked for had hurriedly cleaned the debris and rebuilt another library across town. The high school was still in the process of being rebuilt and … what a surprise… it would be on top of the Hellmouth again.

"Hi," Buffy greeted noticing the two large books she had in her arms. "Researching something?"

Sweeping a lock of brown hair that had fallen in front of her large eyes, Faith swept it away and glanced down at the book on the top. "Yeah, how to make your ex vanish." she smiled a humorless smirk.

"Robin still bothering you?" Buffy guessed, moving to the trunk and grabbing a soaked bag absentmindedly.

"God, I don't know what I saw in him. He's so… smug with himself." she curled her lip at the thought and locked her eyes on the trunk. "B, what is that?" she stated blandly.

Buffy glanced at the large soaked spot in the trunk. Willow, too, had noticed it and shrunk back a little, looking at her friend for an explanation.

The slayer chuckled a little. "Milk?" she said.

"Okay, and why is it… everywhere?" Faith continued.

"You remember how we keep all of the stakes in the trunk?" she brought up. Both friends raised their heads in realization. Willow let out something reminiscent of a low 'eww.' Faith just turned her head and continued up to the house. "Nice." was all she said.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other and sighed deeply.