A/N: I do not own any of the characters in this story, except my OC, unfortunately. I am incorporating the few Buffy characters I have in this story a little more in this chapter since Abbey wants to go home, so I hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated.

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CHAPTER TWO: THE END OF THE WORLD...AGAIN

Sam and Dean didn't speak on the way back to the motel, both just reviewing the events of the past two days. Abbey was in the back seat, just staring out the window. When she had first come to Sunnydale, she had wanted to be just like Buffy. She would follow her around and study her as she worked, taking in all of her techniques and fighting styles. Finally, she had gotten so good, Buffy was able to leave Sunnydale and start a new life. But she hadn't counted on dying, going to Heaven, and then being brought back; just like Buffy. Last Abbey heard Buffy was married and had two kids; Josh and Carrie. Buffy had been able to escape the job and live normally, and for that she had thanked Abbey.

On the other hand, Abbey had come back to Sunnydale once it had been rebuilt. She was born for this job. To her, being a Slayer was truly her destiny. Kennedy had insisted Abbey allow her to come back with her, almost begging. Kennedy had the same love for the job as Abbey so they got along really well, which meant that Abbey let her tag along, of course. Naturally, that meant Willow was going to be there, too.

The three of them had moved into a house that looked like an exact replica of the house they had left. It felt comforting, and strangely homey. For a year, they had lived together, killing demons, going to the Bronze, and just doing regular girly things. It was all as though they had never left Sunnydale and everything was still the same. Only it wasn't; far from it. Xander had moved to Pennsylvania, trying to get as far away from California as possible in an attempt to forget about Anya. Andrew had joined the new council, becoming Head Boy. Dawn had gone off to school over seas, studying to become a marine biologist, and all the potentials had been shipped off to other Hellmouths around the world.

Abbey snapped back to reality when she felt to car come to a stop. She waited as Dean climbed out of the car, pulling his seat forward so she could exit. She followed the boys to the motel room, standing in the middle of the room watching them as they interacted with each other.

Finally, Sam walked over to her, holding a dark blue button down tee shirt and a pair of black boxers. He held them out to her, and she took them. "Here, you can get cleaned up." He pointed to the door right behind him. "The shower's right in there, and then when you're out, we can get your knuckles patched up."

Abbey nodded, slowly walking past Sam and entering the bathroom. She turned the nozzles, letting the water run over her fingers as she fiddled with the nozzles, getting the water at just the right temperature. As she sat on the edge of the toilet, unfastening her shoes, slowly pulling them off her feet. Then, she stood, wigging out of her dress. Finally, she removed her undergarments before stepping into the warm, welcoming water.

As the water ran over her raw knuckles, she winced, trying to hide the wounds. Grabbing the shampoo, she squirted a large amount into her hand, washing all of the dirt out of her hair. Once she rinsed the shampoo out of her hair, she dumped half a bottle of conditioner into her hair. She reached for a wash cloth, drenching it with soap. Roughly, she washed her face and body, not stopping until she felt clean, which just happened to be long after she actually was clean.

Dean rummaged through his duffel bag, searching for his favorite over shirt. He looked up at Sam, wondering if he would have taken it. "Dude, did you take my blue over shirt?"

Sam frowned, thinking. "Oh, yeah. I, uh, gave it to Abbey."

Dean scoffed. "Why?"

"So she could have clean clothes to change into, Dean."

"I was going to wear that."

"Well, find something else to wear."

Dean shook his head, biting back the string of curse words he wanted to shoot at Sam. Finally, he pulled out a red over shirt, pulling it on over his black tee.

About an hour after she had got into the shower, Abbey stepped out, drying her body completely. Slowly, she slipped back into her bra and panties, staring at the clothes Sam had given her to change into. She grabbed the black boxers, stepping into them and pulling them to her hips. Finally, she pulled the blue over shirt onto her body, staring in the mirror at her broken knuckles as she buttoned the shirt. The sleeves were too long, and when she hung her arms loosely at her sides, the fabric covered her wounded hands, brushing gently against the raw spots when she moved her arm.

Dean looked at the bathroom door when he heard it open. He watched as Abbey walked out, glancing around the room, obviously a little uncomfortable. "Did you enjoy your shower?" Dean asked, smiling to himself as he thought of her naked, water falling over her. He looked up at her when she didn't answer, wondering what her problem was.

"Where's Sam?" she asked, continuing to look around the room.

Dean looked back down at the knife in his hand, going back to sharpening it. "He went to get coffee." He looked up at her. "And pie." Again, he turned his attention to the knife. "Why?"

She sat on the bed Dean wasn't sitting on, looking down at the ground. "Um,...he wanted to...fix my hands."

Again, Dean looked up at her, suddenly feeling sorry for her. She seemed so lost. He remembered what he had felt like when he came back. After all, it was barely a week ago. He stood up, walking into the bathroom, returning seconds later with Mercurochrome and bandages. He knelt down in front of her, placing his tools on the night stand beside him as he held his hands out, waiting for her to put her hands in his. "Here, I'll do it."

Abbey looked into his eyes, seeing the sympathy hidden there. Softly, she said, "Okay," placing her hands in his. He pushed the sleeves of his shirt she was wearing up to the middle of her forearms so he could work. She winced in pain as Dean poured the liquid over her broken knuckles, biting her bottom lip to prevent herself from screaming.

Dean looked up at Abbey as she pulled her hand away slightly, knowing the antibacterial liquid he was using was making her raw knuckles burn. "I'm sorry," he apologized, trying to make it as quick and painless as possible.

Once Dean was finished bandaging her wounds, she flexed her hands one at a time, getting a feel for the wrappings over her hands. "Thank you," she said, pushing her hair behind her ears nervously. Dean shook his head, walking back to the bathroom to put all of the stuff he had used away. Suddenly, Abbey found herself feeling oddly homesick. She missed Willow and Kennedy. Missed the little things they did like eat cookies together on the couch late at night while they researched big evils in town. Missed watching old movies late at night when they couldn't sleep. Missed the breakfast they would have every morning as they read the newspaper. She just missed being with them; they were like her family.

When Dean returned to the bed, Abbey looked at him, her eyes pleading. "Dean?"

"Yeah?" he asked, suddenly concerned by her facial expression.

"Take me home?"

He sighed, not able to resist her when she seemed so innocent and child-like. "Sure." He stood up, grabbing his keys from the table, closing the door behind him as he followed Abbey out of the motel room. As he walked to his car, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing Sam's number. "Sammy, hey. I'm taking Abbey to her house. I'll meet you back at the motel." He hung up the phone when Sam agreed to meet him there, climbing into the driver's seat and speeding off in the direction of Revello Drive.

Abbey stared at the front door through the windshield. She was afraid to go in. What would they think of her? She had come back from the dead. Granted, Buffy had too, but Willow had been responsible for that. Abbey was only back because of a demon. She found herself wondering if because of the circumstances she was brought back, if she was still her. Maybe she came back wrong. With a little...special ingredient that would later be used in some unholy fashion. After all, people didn't just raise from their graves everyday for no reason.

Dean waited, lightly tapping on the steering wheel. He didn't understand why abbey wasn't getting out of the car, instead just staring at the house. Turning his head to get a better look at her, he thought he saw a slight hint of fear on her features. "Hey," he started, waiting for her to look his way, "do you want me to come in with you?"

"No," Abbey answered, looking into his eyes. She was scared; really scared. Tears formed behind her eyes as she whispered, "I can't. Can you just...take me back to your place? Please?" She looked away, unable to handle how much of a coward she was being right now.

"Yeah, okay." Dean started the car, speeding out of the driveway, putting as much distance between Abbey and the house as possible in a small amount of time. Seeing the look in her eyes made him feel even more sorry for her. She had been dead for six months before she was resurrected, and Dean knew better than anyone that six months was the equivalent of sixty years in the pit. He wanted to say something, anything, that would make her feel better. He just didn't know how. Finally, he spoke. "You know, I understand what you're going through." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Abbey glance at him before turning her attention back to the window. "I was in Hell, too." He chuckled. "Actually, I just came back a little over a week ago. So, I know how--"

"I wasn't in Hell," Abbey interrupted, her voice low, quivering.

Dean's mind went blank, and for a few seconds, all he could do was stare, not really seeing anything. When his brain started working again, he said, "What?"

Abbey looked at him, fresh tears forming behind her eyes. "I wasn't in Hell. Wherever I was...it was nice. Peaceful. Safe." She turned back to the window, closing her eyes as tears fell. "I think I was in Heaven. And then, suddenly, I was back...in a coffin. It was hard to talk, hard to breathe, and I was scared. Alone." She looked back at Dean, her cheeks stained by her tears. "I had to crawl out of my own grave. And I don't even know why I'm back. Or if I'm even the same as I was before I died." She looked to the ground, shaking her head. "I feel...different. Darker. Evil, maybe."

Dean shook his head. "No, you're not evil. I've seen evil, and you are not it. Not even close." He looked at her, his sympathy clear on his handsome, rugged features. "I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. I can't even imagine what it would be like to go from being in a great place, and then being ripped back to this Hell hole." He stopped the car as he pulled into the parking lot of the motel, parking in his favorite spot. Again, he turned to her. "But the other stuff; waking up in a box, scared, alone. Not being able to speak, call out for help. Having to dig your way out a your own grave; I know what's that like." He looked away, the memory of having to crawl out of the ground resurfacing. "I had to do the same thing."

Abbey placed her hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze, offering him comfort. She didn't say anything, just smiled at him as he looked into her eyes, knowing anything she said wouldn't be able to take the pain away because that is exactly how she felt. After a while, she and Dean got out of the car, walking to the motel in silence.

Sam closed his eyes tightly, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he stared at the computer screen, trying to fight his exhaustion. He had started researching for any signs of supernatural occurrences in other parts of the world when he came back from the diner across the street four hours ago. He looked at his watch, suddenly beginning to wonder where Dean was. Abbey's house wasn't that far away; Sunnydale wasn't a very big town. Sleepily, he reached into his pocket, fishing for his cell phone. As he pulled it out, he heard the door knob rattling, just before Dean walked in. "Hey man, what took you--" he stopped when he saw Abbey walk in behind him. "Abbey, hey. I thought you were going home."

Abbey looked at Sam as he spoke to her. "I couldn't do it," she admitted, looking to the ground. She looked back up when Dean placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, offering her the same comfort she had him in the car. Her eyes met his and she smiled. Abbey walked over to the bed and sat down as Dean walked away.

Walking over to Sam, Dean said, "What are you looking at, Sammy?"

"I'm looking for our next case."

"Sweet. Any hits?"

"No," Sam said, clearly surprised. "It's just like, the undead suddenly stopped. Disappeared."

"Really?" Dean yawned. "What's that mean?"

Sam shook his head, concerned. "I don't know." He frowned at the screen.

"Well," Dean started, slapping his hand over Sam's shoulder, "we can figure it out in the morning. In the meantime, we should get some sleep. I'm beat."

Sam nodded in agreement, closing his laptop and standing, stretching his aching joints. He looked over at the beds, noticing Abbey had fallen asleep on the one closest to the window. Slowly, he looked at Dean who smiled at him in response.

"Flip you for the sofa." Dean waggled his eyebrows, hoping Sam would accept the offer.

Dean moaned, rolling over onto his back as the knocking continued. "No," he mumbled, taking the zebra patterned throw pillow and pulling it over his head. When the knocking didn't stop, Dean pulled himself to his feet, muttering obscenities under his breath as he padded to the door. He opened it, leaning against the door frame, still tired.

As soon as the door opened, she pushed her way inside. "Oh, I'm so glad you guys are still here. Sorry it's so early in the morning, but this is important. It couldn't wait."

Dean closed the door before he turned and stared at the visitor. He snapped his fingers, trying to remember her name. "Willow, right?" he asked, trying to wake up. "What's so important?"

Willow looked at him, sorry she had to wake him up. "Something's up. Something bad. Kennedy and I did some research and..." she sighed. "Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. You should wake up Sam. He needs to hear this, too."

Dean was awake now, suddenly curious as to what was making Willow so jumpy. He walked over to the bed Sam was sleeping on and gave the mattress a good kick. "Sammy! Get up. Willow's here and she has news for us. It's important."

Sam jerked awake as the bed shook under him. Slowly, he sat up, wiping his eyes clear of any sign of sleep. He smiled at Willow, looking at the clock; 4:30 A.M. "What's going on, Willow?" Sam asked.

"Well, it seems as though the supernatural world is gathering in Sunnydale. You know, more so than usual. There really isn't anything going on anywhere else, actually. Not even on all of the other Hellmouths. It's strange; even for me."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Sam exclaimed, climbing to his feet and walking to the table. He turned his computer on and loaded the page he was looking at the night before.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well, while you two get your research on, I'm going to take a shower." He turned around, pulling his shirt over his head as he walked to the bathroom. "You guys can fill me in on anything you find when I'm out." He opened the door.

Abbey quickly pulled her towel tighter around her body as she heard the door open, spinning around to see who was there. Her eyes widened as she found herself staring at a very shirtless Dean. "Dean..." she gasped, holding her towel as tightly as possible. "Hi."

"Hi," Dean breathed, unable to stop his eyes from trailing down her half naked form. "Uh, sorry." Dean quickly turned around and left the room, leaning against the door, attempting to control his breathing. He felt his arousal begin to rise as he tried to get the image of Abbey in only a towel out of his mind.

Sam looked at Dean. "What?" he asked as Dean looked up at him.

"Nothing," Dean snapped.

"I thought you were getting a shower."

"I was going to but...I changed my mind."

Willow gave Dean a look as he pulled his shirt back over his head, walking to the bed and taking a seat. "What happened?" she asked, suddenly curious. She gasped when the bathroom door opened and she was greeted by a familiar face. "Abbey?" she asked, tears stinging her eyes.

Sam suddenly knew why Dean had changed his mind about the shower. He couldn't help but smile, thinking about what seeing Abbey in a towel must be doing to his older brother.

Abbey looked over at her friend, her breath catching in her throat as she stared into her big, green eyes. "Hi, Willow."

Willow blinked rapidly. "How?"

Sam stood. "Uh, maybe you should sit down."

Willow allowed Sam to lead her over to the bed, sitting. She listened carefully as Sam and Dean explained the events of the last couple of days. When they were finished explaining, she sighed, trying to process it all. "I should call Kennedy," she whispered, standing. "She'll want to know that you're back." She walked out the door, pulling her cell phone from her back pocket and dialing Kennedy's number. When Kennedy answered, Willow explained everything to her, feeling bad that she had to do it over the phone.

When Willow returned, her eyes were puffy and red from crying. Instantly, she strode over to Abbey, pulling her into a long, warm embrace. "Oh, I missed you so much," she cried, closing her eyes against her tears. Abbey placed her hand on Willow's shoulder blade, returning her hug. Finally, they pulled away.

Wiping her tears away, Willow said, "I should get home. Kennedy needs me after the bomb that I just dropped on her." She looked at Abbey. "Are you...coming home, or..." She didn't finish her sentence, figuring Abbey knew what her other option was.

"Um..." Abbey started, thinking about her two options. "I think I'm going to stay here. Just...for a little while."

Willow nodded, understanding that it must be hard for Abbey after everything she had to go through. She remembered how distant Buffy had been when she came back, and it hurt her heart thinking about Abbey having to go through the same thing. She turned to leave, stopping when she heard Sam's voice.

"Wait, Willow, you said you had something important to tell us."

"Oh, yeah! How about this; you guys come over to my place later and we'll talk about it. I really need to get home. Sorry." She left the motel in a hurry, eager to get back to Kennedy.

At around six o'clock, Willow heard the rumbling of a car pulling into the driveway. She didn't have to look to see who the car belonged to, knowing it was Sam and Dean. Slowly, she raised herself from the couch where she and Kennedy sat, walking over to the door and turned the lock, pulling the door open to greet Sam, Dean and Abbey.

Kennedy tried not to make a big deal about Abbey being back. She didn't like to share her emotions too much, except when she was with Willow, so she just limited her excitement to a hug and a smile before taking her seat back on the couch. As they all sat down, Willow sighed, ready to explain everything she had found about why all the demon activity was limiting itself to Sunnydale alone.

"Okay," Willow sighed again, "when Sam and Dean killed the demon, the consequences were that all of the other big time players would soon rise to join the first demon slaughtered when he returned. But...Abbey killed it again and you guys burned it up, so it won't be coming back, luckily. However, the other demons are still coming."

"But, why are all the other things coming here and only here?" Sam asked, not clearly understanding.

"Well, they're the welcoming party. They're here to make sure all of the other demons can make it through the threshold and out of Hell without being bothered. And it's our job to make sure they can't do their job."

Dean scoffed. "Well, that sounds easy enough."

Kennedy shifted in her seat. "So, what happens if we can't stop the demons from coming through?" she asked, knowing the answer but needing to hear it out loud.

Willow looked at her girlfriend sadly. "Then it's the end of the world." She rolled her eyes. "Again."