"So, I heard Angel was back in town," Faith said to Xander as they loaded some weapons in the car. "He gave Buffy some amulet meant to be powerful and worn by a champion… she gave it to Spike to wear." She teased gazing his reaction.

Xander tired not to react as he knew she was studying him, but he felt his jaw tighten at the news. "I'm okay with that." He muttered looking away after a long moment. He rolled his eyes at her snort.

"Yeah, right B hanging out with one her toy boys bet it just breaks your heart," she mocked but it was only in jess. She felt nothing but loved by Xander and secure in their relationship. He held the chain that connected her to the normal world. In what direction she might stray, he could always pull her back. She liked that. Whether by choice or by accident, she could test her boundaries because he was always her home to run back to. But it didn't stop her teasing him. "Hey maybe I should take a page out of B's book and try dating a vampire instead of staking him. Think that would work for me?" She grinned at him.

Her teasing tone and beautiful smile warmed his heart as Xander matched her grin with one of his own. "Maybe I should just go and see any of those potential slayers are single, bet at least one of those knows how to cook a decent Chinese!" He fired back.

Oh, her baby is on thin ice. "Like any of those impressionable, naïve young girls hold a candle to me!" Faith taunted to his face, licking her lips. "You would probably scream my name while you are all hot and sweaty with them!" He just a broke out with that crooked smirk of his. His Faith could play games so well.

"I love you." He whispered looking at her.

This felt so romantic to her. Being in love and having someone love her back. Over time she was finding so many new sides to herself and to him. In sharp contrast to a childhood, she knew was sadly devoid of affection, she had found just about the most affectionate man she had ever known in Xander. "There you go again," she whispered intimately. "Always with the good stuff."

"Ahem," They turned away from each other to see Willow looking rather awkwardly at the pair. "Sorry to interrupt but can I have with Xander?" She asked and Faith walking off mentioning she might have a word with Buffy. Willow looked at Xander knowing this might be the last time she got a chance to say something to him. He had only just come out of a coma the day before and now they were about to attack the First head on. Buffy returning had given them renewed hope and energy, but it didn't mean that there was a chance that one of them or maybe all of them might not make it back from this alive.

"I just wanted to have a word with you before… things happened." Willow said biting her lip nervously.

Xander nodded. "I wanted to catch up too and see how you have been before we took off for the high school."

Willow stared down at her shoes, why was it so hard to talk to him? They used to be able to have whole conversations with just their eyes. Now they can barely say a few words to each other. What changed? Willow knew the answer everything and anything changed. She changed and he changed and the times they lived in changed.

She took a look at him. He's darker now. More serious and focused. More closed off to her. It used to be read she could read his emotions so easily, now she can barely scratch the surface. Faith knows him that way now. Willow could plainly see Faith's feelings for Xander and his for her. By the affectionate way she touched him. By the way he looked at her. By the loving way she brushed his hair from his face. The way they would speak to other in hush tones. By the way she held him. It was all there plain to see. They were in love with each other. Willow felt the jealousy rise in her again that would often rise within her whenever she thought about Faith and Xander together, but this time she controlled it. Suppressed it. She had no right to be jealous over Xander as he was no longer hers in anyway.

Willow looked at him abit sadly. She's never, not even when he dated Cordelia, felt second in his life. Even when she had to focus on her relationship with Oz and push him away abit did she feel like she ever loss him. She could always rely on Xander being hers… but now those days were long gone. Faith was clearly his first priority… it hurt. She knew there was a processive side to her about her people and so seeing one her closest friends be taken away from her hurt.

"Why did you stay away?" She asked him finally just blurting it out. It was a question that had haunted her for years. She understood why he left as he was feeling out of place, but it was the fact he stayed away which hurt.

"I think I had some growing up to do Will," Xander replied to her. It hurt a little to be so honest and blunt to her, but she deserved the truth at least. "That took a while."

"Growing up… with her?" Willow looked at him and he stared back. It was always Faith between them. Like a giant brick wall. There was nothing he could say to her, so he didn't bother in replying. In order to prevent yet another fight between them.

XXXXXX

As they stood on the grass, they could hear the birds chirping cheerfully in the background, welcoming the new morning Xander found himself idly wishing for a gun, so that he stop that damned chirping from those annoying animated feather dusters up, once and for all. The whole day felt surreal, as if a sad dream they could all wake from at any moment. Only this was no dream. It was reality. Buffy was gone. It seemed so unfair, and yet, life often was. He had been given the details of what the Scooby gang had faced in the threat of Glory and it sounded like the usual stuff: impossible odds and painful sacrifices. But this was unlike any other as Buffy was no longer getting back up to fight again. That was a detail unlike any other he had ever faced. She always got up and carried on no matter the odds, the battle or the issue. It was one of the things he was in awe about her.

He stood there with a heavy heart and a pained expression Faith decided as she watched him stare at the grave. With regards to herself she hadn't really processed Buffy's death. She hadn't come back when Joyce died choosing to stay away knowing her presence would lead to dramas. So why was she back here? Because Buffy had died protecting those she loved and saving the world? Because she did it for Xander? That was a little closer to the truth.

"You have got to be kidding me!" An angry voice exclaimed behind them.

Xander turned and sighed closing his eyes at what he saw this was all he needed. Willow was there along with Giles and from the look on his former best friend's expression she was not happy to see them. "I thought it was just going to you Xander!" Willow said with venom and anger not even sparring Faith a glance. "What is she doing here?"

"Oh, leave it Red!" Faith replied back at her. "I didn't come here to have a pissing contest to see who's the most upset here, okay? We both know you win. Hip hip hooray! Just get out of my face!" She felt Xander's hand on her shoulder and she tried to calm herself down.

"Willow she has every right to be here as much as you and I!" Xander said as calmly as he could. He had arrived with Faith in just under a few hours ago and already everything exploded into a messy situation.

"She shouldn't even be here! She hated Buffy! Why the hell did you bring her!?" Willow yelled at him before being pulled to turn to face Giles.

There was an unbelievable amount of tension within the group and Giles spoke up to try put it to bed. "This is neither the time nor the place!" He hissed at her pointing to Buffy's grave.

Willow fumed and turned angrily away clearly upset about the whole situation. The whole situation was too much for her. Buffy's funeral had been a hasty affair with none of them able process what had happened. Willow had been running on fumes, barely able to organise and arrange the funeral. It had been a small service with Angel and Cordelia coming over from LA, Angel looked shell shocked and unable to accept what had happened. Everyone was presently trying to come to grasps with the concept that Buffy was no longer with them. Xander had struggled to make arrangements to get there on time for it so it had been decided to hold it without him. He would make it to Sunnydale after it had taken place, but she never expected him to arrive with Faith.

"Look we didn't come here for a fight we just came here to help and pay our respects," Xander told her holding his hands up in defence.

"Respect?! She never showed Buffy any kind of respect! Buffy was nothing but nice to her and she spat on Buffy and nearly ruined Buffy's life!" Willow yelled at them. "And you can forget about your help! We don't need it! I don't want that psychopath anywhere near Dawn! Between myself, Tara, Giles and Spike we have everything under control here!"

"Spike?" Xander asked confused. "What is he helping out for? Why? What is in it for him?"

"He is doing it to honour Buffy's memory," Willow replied. "A lot has changed since you have left."

"Why would he want to honour Buff's memory? He hated her. He tied to kill her many times!" Xander asked her getting even more confused. Spike was a vampire, a killer and soulless. He had been captured and chipped by the initiative so that he could not physically hurt any humans. Last he saw that the bleached blond vampire he was chained in Giles's bathtub… and very unhappy about it.

"His feelings for her… changed," Willow admitted recalling the past couple of months and the events surrounding Spike confessing his feelings for Spike.

Xander still looked confused but Faith got it as soon as Red said those words. Bless her toy boy but while he was insightful about many things… there were some that just went over his head. Then Xander's eyes widen, and his face turned to disgust. Yep, there it was. "What? He has feelings for her?!" Xander almost shouted in disbelief. Both Faith and Willow rolled their eyes at his reaction… somethings never change.

"I don't care," Willow growled walking straight up to Faith standing toe to toe with her. Wow red had grown some balls. "I don't care how hard you try; how much you want it or how badly you need it. You will never be her! Not now! Not ever!"

Faith looked at Willow right in the eye. "I don't want to be her." She whispered at the redhead. She just scowled back at her with eyes of venom. Before finally turning and storming off. The others suspected that it was for the best.

Faith had to admit Red did have a point. What was she doing here? B and her weren't really friends, there was times when one might question whether they even respected one another. But despite their differences they were so similar. Buffy was the Slayer. Faith was the Slayer. They were enemies, Buffy and Faith. Rivals of the worst sort, and each had tried to kill the other more than once. And Faith knew 100% that only person who could take her in a fight was Buffy which meant something to her, even if she couldn't always put it into words. Putting things into words. That was the hard part. Sure, she talked a lot but actually saying what she was thinking and feeling… that was the hard part.

"it's so good to see you both," Giles smiled happily at the slightly weary and jet lagged young couple. "I only wish that it would be under different circumstances." He said glancing at Buffy's grave.

"You should have called me," Xander muttered under his breath feeling his anger rise up.

"Xander it would not have made a difference," Giles turned to the man having heard him. "Believe me I have gone over the battle again and again… there was no other way."

"I wonder if the pair of you have given any thought to staying… in the long term?" Giles asked gently. This was something he had been considering over the last 24 hours. He wasn't too sure how he could ask them about this.

"Stay here?" Faith asked confused looking at Xander who also looked confused back at her.

"Yes," Giles began. "The hellmouth is now without a slayer… Faith is the only slayer we have now. The hellmouth is under protected for now. If you were to stay it would be in the best interests."

"Giles we both know there are plenty of threats to deal with across the globe now… plus Red, Dawn and the others would never accept me." Faith replied as a matter of fact. "Besides Alaska isn't a picnic like we already dealt with some vampire called Morgan O'Shea," Giles was impressed at that having heard that vampire's reputation. "We have faced a Qalupalik, werewolves, shadow people who are rarely seen and only heard and many a vamp."

Xander nodded slipping his hand in hers. "Evil is everywhere Giles… besides this isn't our home anymore."

XXXXXXX

Willow sighed looking back at Xander. After her brush with the darkside were only the words of Giles and Buffy on a hilltop could prevent her from ending the world she was more restraint and careful about showing her emotions. This past year she had to deal with loneliness and the grief of losing Tara, her beloved Tara. Time and time again Tara had suggested or encouraged her to get in contract with Xander, to accept his decisions and make an effort to recontract with her oldest friend but Willow had been too pig headed and full of pride for that. Now she was gone and despite her tentative courtship with Kennedy, Willow still missed Tara and owed it to her to listen to her for once.

Willow smiled for a moment before she ran her hand through her hair, "It's so hard Xander, I feel like I barely know you anymore. It's so strange for me. To see you just up and leave then to start a relationship with Faith. Every time you came back it was like you came from some alternate reality. One where Faith was trying to do good, and you were in love. I just struggled to accept it because it was like you were taunting me. That I had been holding you back all these years. I mean could things in Sunnydale have been so bad for you that you were just this one-dimensional shell of yourself. Was I that bad for you?" She wiped angrily at tears threatening to fall down her cheeks.

Xander pulled her into a hug, "It wasn't you Will… it was never you. It was me. It was about me finding myself and being happy with who I am. With you guys," he swallowed choosing his words carefully. "Part of me wanted and needed you guys to believe in me more and encourage me. But another part of me had to grow up and accept that I was who I was. If I wanted something to change then I had to man-up and change it myself." He smiled softly. "With Faith… we just get each other and just understand each other."

Willow looked at him and could tell that he's proud of himself. She haven't seen him proud of himself in a long time. It was difficult to see as she was not part of this. She used to always think that she and Xander would grow up together but alas it was not to be. Their lives had taken different paths and she just had to accept it now. It hurt but life sometimes was like that. She broke away from him and stood next to his truck. "I guess that I was used to being number 1 when it came to you… then you just upped, left and found another one. I've been holding in some resentment over that."

Xander nodded and accept it. "I'm sorry I haven't been here… like when Tara died. But I had to leave and find something new."

"I understand now I really do." Willow replied to him smiling softly.

XXXXXX

Xander landed hard on his back and let out a rather painful sigh. He grimaced while looking up at Faith. "That hurt," he groaned holding his side where she had kicked him.

"I barely touched you," Faith replied smiling down at him. "Trust me if I hit you for real you would notice now come on back on your feet!" She barked at him and Xander groaned again. They had been at it for now nearly an hour. Faith showing him various moves and he struggling to learn them and endlessly ending on the floor. He stood back up and she moved toward him again raising her fists, he moved as well into the defensive position she had showed him earlier. He was able to block her first two hits before being knocked back down on the ground again with her third.

"This is stupid," he muttered his face flat on the ground.

"Hey, you asked for this remember?" Faith replied casually. "You said you wanted to help so here we are!"

She did have a point. Just the other week they had seen some vampires and Faith had done her thing dusting them while ordering Xander to stay out of the way. He had been quite hurt by that as it was an all too familiar feeling. They had been together for a few months since he had found her at some biker stop and convinced her to come back to him. It had been slow going, she talked, he listened, she poured out intense feelings and guilt at her actions and he did his best to help her. He felt slightly bad as he was pretty sure that there were many people better qualified than him to help her. Giles, Buffy or maybe even Angel probably had a better understanding of how to help her, of what to say to her in her darkest moments. He did his best and hoped it was enough. But still it hurt that she had so casually tell him to stay out of her way while she slayed. He recalled hearing those words from Buffy and found himself welcoming a return of a familiar feeling of being useless. It was like saying seeing an old friend, funny how quickly the memories associated with it return.

Which is why he pretty much bitched about it until Faith had given in and told him rather bluntly that if he wanted to help, he would have to start working harder. Sitting on the side-lines offering a sarcastic comment or two wasn't about to cut it anymore she told him. But she never told him it was going involve him being knocked down so much!

"But I didn't think it would mean I would become your punching bag! Besides I'm not really good in a fight. I'm human! You are the one blessed with supernatural strength and speed," Xander pointed out in an almost defeated tone getting up tiredly.

Faith looked at him. "Two things. Firstly, Buffy might have been able to watch your backs while fighting but I can't. I'm not that kind of slayer so I got to know you can take care of yourself if you are going into battle. So, you want to stick with me and not sit in the car while kick ass you got learn to defend your ass. Secondly how long have you been fighting vampires?"

"Well… about 3 years but Buffy did most of the fighting," Xander answered.

"And what did get you? Apart from a few broken bones and a good look at B's ass?" Faith highlighted looking at him seriously. Here was a man who was resourceful, determined, and so fucking hard on himself that he couldn't see any of it. He had also been helping her in ways he probably would never know. Just having him listen to her, not judge her but care for meant more to her than he will ever know. "I'm just saying you want to live a little longer and be useful you got to put in the time and the time involves practice. You've chosen to leave Sunnydale because to make something of yourself, yes?" He nodded and she smiled holding out her hands. "Well, this is just another part of it" She raised her arms in a boxer's stance. "So… you ready?"

Xander looked at her thoughtfully. In truth he was long past caring about being dumped on the side-lines but had never really put any thought into the idea of learning how to defend himself. There was always Buffy or Angel around for that. Here however he was on his own with just Faith and he had promised himself and her that he was going to help her. Despite the steps they were taking on starting a new life here they decided to still fight things that went bump in the night. It was in their blood to fight vampires. So, it just meant that Xander was going to have to work harder than he in Sunnydale at it.

"Okay… but go show me those moves slower this time okay!" Xander asked her and she just grinned at him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Faith left Xander and Willow to it. She got a feeling that Willow was going to make nice with Xander. Funny how going into battle and facing your doom makes one want to wrap up things and put them into a nice, neat bow. Despite her less than friendly feelings towards the redhead witch… and she did have one or two fantasies about bashing her head around a room she knew how much the girl meant to Xander, so she wanted them to make up. Just as long as red knew she wasn't going anywhere. The universe might change, it might grow, it might evolve but she and Xander were together forever.

She found B taking a moment to herself which was rare given the house was full girls preparing, arguing, or worrying. "Sup," Faith asked the blond girl drawing her attention.

"Nothing just thinking," Buffy replied turning to the other girl. "Have you and Xander got the weapons loaded in the truck?

"Yeah, we managed that even though he's all huffy because you gave that amulet to Spike," Faith remarked as a matter of fact.

"Xander always did get in a huff about some of my decisions," Buffy replied rolling her eyes and then thinking about it then turning to Faith. "Would you have given it to Xander?"

"No contest," Faith replied looking seriously at Buffy.

Buffy stared serious back at her. She can hear the yells coming from the backyard. Girls learning how to throw punches. How to kick. How to not get killed. Some of them failed to learn the concept last time around. Some of them sadly will fail again in the final battle. "I have my reasons for giving it to Spike."

"Each to their own," Faith shrugged. She wasn't about to judge given her own history. After some of the things she had done in her life particularly during her time in Sunnydale. She had been reckless and done many a stupid thing. Who was she to tell B what to do? She looks out the window and sees the girls moving together as one almost looks like an army… almost.

"So Xander's your champion then?" Buffy asked a little bemused after thinking about it. It was still strange to her the idea of Faith and Xander. Her once goofy loyal friend ending up with someone like Faith, to be living with her, having a life with her and clearly have such an affect on Faith. She wondered if she and Spike were the same, causing each other to change and alter. She knew that Spike pushed her buttons in ways that no one ever could, and she suspected would. Was it the same for Faith and Xander? In if so, it was clearly a side of Xander she never saw before. While he had his moments of bravery Xander couldn't seem to go more than ten minutes without making at least one "joke." Whether it was an obscure reference or a bad pun. So, the idea that he could provoke the same fire in Faith that Spike provoked in Buffy was a little hard to believe.

Faith smiled as she saw Buffy spacing out almost reading her mind. "You should get him to go down on you." She remarked knowing full well that Buffy was no doubt thinking of her man.

"Huh?" Buffy's face turned in a big frown.

"Just saying that would definitely make you change your opinion of him!" Faith smirked and Buffy blushed a deep shade of red.

XXXXXX

"The First Evil is killing young woman… woman are part of the slayer line. Woman who had potential to be called… called as a slayer." Giles summarised as Willow and Buffy looked on. That was the facts plain and simple, the First Evil's powerplay and it's big move. "So far out attempts at stopping it or gaining any upper hand have failed."

"We have been over this I get it. No slayers no defence," Buffy commented her arms folded glaring at Giles. His recent plot to kill Spike with the aid of Principal Wood still very much raw to her. It was why Willow was sitting between them in an effort to get both parties to talk. This was progress Willow guessed as at least now they were exchanging words rather than silence and not the nice comfortable silence between friends but rather the stony dead silence that made breakfast awkward. Willow had been the one to suggest a quick recap on all they knew about the First as a way of brainstorming ideas.

It was why the three of them had taken an opportunity to talk just among themselves.

"But we have been gathering potentials here so that's a good thing, right?" Willow asked looking at them both. "The more we are able to identify, warn and bring here the less chance it has of breaking the slayer line." She stated but sadly that statement didn't stop the chill run down her spine. While they had a copy of potential slayers that the council always maintained in case a new slayer was called thanks to Giles stealing a copy before it was bombed it still didn't make her feel any easier. The weight what lay ahead was thick in the air, difficult choices, hard decisions and as they all suspected death. The stress of waiting for the first to make its move had been getting to all of them.

"It is almost too little to late," Giles said solemnly. "We cannot simply defeat the First by storing potentials here. As the First Evil has shown by blowing up the council it will stop at nothing to get its results."

"So, what should we do break out the good tea and wait until it kills us?" Buffy asked sarcastically to her former mentor. "Is this another one of your lessons?" She sneered.

Giles choose not to rise to Buffy's bait. "I am simply there is one aspect that we have overlooked, one that is critical to both the First's plans and possibly our survival… we have to bring Faith here."

"You want to bring Faith here?!" Willow said almost like an accusation.

"You really are desperate to kill Spike, aren't you?!" Buffy laughed in disbelief. "What Wood failed so you are calling another Slayer to do your dirty work?"

"It has nothing to do with that and you know it." Giles snapped at the pair of them. "Faith is the last slayer called. The line starts with her, she is therefore in grave danger… we must warn them." He told the girls placing heavy emphasis on the word them. They all knew what that meant. Neither girl looked happy at the idea or the prospect that Giles was suggesting. So, he continued to implore them to see his reasoning. "Buffy, you said the mission matters most and we must put aside any petty differences," he said uncomfortably clearing his throat before speaking up. "Well now I ask you both to do the same. Informing Faith and Xander of the danger she maybe in is long overdue. I haven't raised the issue until now, but I fear I must now. We must put aside past history and work with them… at the very least she must know her life is in danger."

Neither girl said anything as they both looked uneasy at the idea before finally Buffy spoke up. "I'll do it," Buffy said to the pair and wandered upstairs to her bedroom picking up the cordless phone on the way. She opened her bedside table and found a small note with a number on it. Dialling the number, she held her breath as listened to it ring.

It was Faith who answered sounding carefree and very much alive. Buffy barely said it was her before she heard the phone being past to Xander. Well, that was just rude Buffy thought rolling her eyes. She breathed deeply she was going to have to be the better person over the next few days if Faith did arrive here. She was then speaking to Xander. Buffy blinked hard unlike to look anywhere but a picture of herself, Willow and Xander in happier times, holding each other and smiling sitting on a patch of grass somewhere. She picked up the picture as she spoke to Xander. She didn't give him much in the way of small talk but rather was all business. That is what she seemed be these days, straight forward and down to business. Gone are the days were she was carefree and quirky. No one expected her to be like that anymore. Quirky didn't save lives. All the while she spoke to Xander she stared at the picture. Willow wasn't a vibrant smiling girl anymore and Buffy herself was more closed off and quick to anger. She wondered what changes the years had done to Xander, was he that same boy so quick to make a joke that she knew?

She looked away from it when he asked if it was just Faith who she was suggesting to come to Sunnydale. The question was clear, was he getting an invite too? She paused chewing her lip. Did she want to see him? Better question did she want him to see her? That was closer to the truth. She had seen him from time to time over the years and thanks to a bit of snooping online had seen pictures of him. He looked more grown up and happy. That was the thing she always struggled with particularly last year, he was happy while she and the others were miserable. She envied him, hated him for it. He was free to live his life while she was stuck in this hell. Deep down she knew that the way things were meant to be. She was the Slayer, Slayers attacked the demons and killed them. He was regular person, he worked his job and lived in peace. That was the way things were. Didn't make it any easier to deal with at times, however.

Snapping out of her self-pity she gave him a quick response. "That's your choice." Way to avoid the elephant in the room Buffy! Well, she wasn't about to order him to come here given it was like currently one of the most dangerous places on earth. Staying in a small tent next to a faulty nuclear reactor would be more appealing. Still, she hadn't said for to come here nor that she wanted him here. Oh yeah this would be another one of her actions and decisions she would struggle with… yeah great let's just add that to the list!

She rattled off a few details and quickly got off the phone. She had spent longer talking to her taxman than she had on the phone to Xander. So why did speaking to him now suddenly seem like hard work. They could always speak to each other when he was here for better or for worse. Now suddenly she would fumble her words or speak in short sharp sentences.

"Did you speak to him?" Willow asked and Buffy looked up to see the redhead standing in her doorway.

"Mainly to him Faith passed the phone over," Buffy confirmed, and the read head nodded before leaving out of sight. Oh yeah things were as going to be very interesting if Xander and Faith came into town.

XXXXXX

Well, this was a sight Xander decided looking at the crater in front of him. Giles suspected that it had a circumference of five miles and is fifteen hundred feet deep. The other survivors in the bus affectionately call it the 'dust bowl.' Survivors that is what they called themselves now. They had survived he thought with a satisfied, but sad grin. So many of them had died however, he wished there had been a way to take out the First Evil quicker. He looks over to where he saw Giles, Willow, Dawn and Buffy gather a few feet away from him. He would go over but decided he wanted to process this on his own.

The final battle against the First had been a brutal one. There were twice as many Ubervamps as any of them expected all with a ravenous taste for blood and extreme violence, they were strong in body, in skin, and in will. Buffy, Faith, and the potentials found themselves being attacked in close quarters by hordes of Ubervamps who tore, fought and murdered their group. Xander was entrusted to protect Dawn who he was slightly honoured to do and together they battled any vampire that came their way. Swinging his trusty axe at them while trying to push them into the light so they could burn he fought harder than he had ever done before. All the while thinking how a quick kiss at the entrance of the high school moments before with Faith might be the last time, he ever saw her. She did warn him that if he died, she was going to stomp his bones down to dust and piss on his ashes… she's a poet his girl.

Then the ground started rumbling in that kind of earthquake going to swallow you up whole sort of way. He ushered the girls back onto the bus, keeping an eye out for Faith the whole time. Desperately looking around he saw her, and he thank whatever god there was that she was still alive. The earth began to crumble, and Giles kicked the bus into gear speeding down the town with Buffy jumping on midway through their escape. They made it so it would seem. The hellmouth was closed never to reopen and the First was defeated.

He kicks a few rocks and hears them trickle down the edge of the crater. He stops, crouches, and picks up a few more pebbles to toss over into the pitch-black void. Wow that used to be where he lived. True his real home was now up in Alaska but still seeing the town where you grew up and went to high school be swallowed up into the ground was… pretty surreal. The crater will be a constant reminder. The town of Sunnydale, California no longer exists. He lets his mind wander. Memories of happy days past almost make him smile.

"See anything interesting?" A voice asked behind him. He turns and sees Faith. His Faith. Alive and well. He can't help but wrap his arm around her. "Going to throw your shoe in to see how really see how deep it is?"

Casting his gaze downward for a moment, Xander scrunched his nose. "I can't see anything down there. It looks pretty bottomless to me. Personally, I think we can make it to China if we jump."

"You first," Faith replied snuggling up to him in his embrace and taking a glance down as well. She wondered how the media was going to spin this. The public couldn't know real story. They weren't prepared for this. Society had an appetite for the lives and loves of celebrities, and not things outside of their ability to control, much less understand. A giant hole swallowing a whole town was going to be one for the gossip columnists. "Looks like the hellmouth is officially closed for business… I always hated that town."

"You might have mentioned that once or twice," Xander smiled at her.

"Well, the motels sucked, and the clubs were dull." Faith snorted before turning back to him. "But one or two things were pretty alright about it." The feel of his arms around her, and the sound of his voice reassuring her. He was alive thank god, the idea of her walking away and losing him tore her insides to pieces. Xander smiled back at her they glance over at the others hearing them discuss what to their plans are.

Ever the voice of reason and the barer of bad news Giles spoke up. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"I just want to feel this," Willow said the energy of her spell still coursing through her. The power, the light, the magic it was unbelievable. She could feel a powerful sense of spirit, a sense of an ancient power all around her awakening in women everywhere. "Or sleep for a week." She admitted yawning.

"I guess we all could, if we wanted to." Dawn turned to her. Sleep had been very rare over the last few days.

"Yeah." Willow agreed before smiling. "The First is scrunched, so... what do you think we should do, Buffy?"

"Yeah, Buffy. What are we gonna do now?" Dawn asked her older sister.

Xander and Faith noticed that as the others chatter around her, Buffy just stared straight ahead at the hole formerly known as Sunnydale. As the others contemplated what's next, she simply smiles. Sensing that Buffy wasn't about to give an answer anytime soon but rather basked in her latest triumph Faith turned back to Xander. "Looks like B is keeping tight lipped about what to do next," Faith commented resting her head on his chest. "Giles keeps dropping hints about Cleveland like something like taking a road trip there. B is keeping tight lipped on her plans but I'm thinking she might cave him and give him this one just to check it out. What do you think? Should we join them?"

Xander made a face thinking it over and then shook his head. "Nah I say we leave them to it."

Faith grasped his right hand and caressed it a little. "It's okay if you join them, I get it. I'm cool if you want to join them."

Xander smiled sweety. "Faith… I've spent the best years of my life with you. They are my friends yes but that," he pointed to the where the small group of Dawn, Giles, Willow and Buffy stood, "is not my home anymore. You're my home. It's with you wherever we decided to be in the future doing whatever we want." He wrapped his arm around her and drew her close. "I love you and only you. Let's go home."

She smiled back and kissed him.

The end.