Title: Bakery
Author: Dlgood
Feedback: dlgood@comcast.net
Disclaimer: All characters are property of Mutant Enemy
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: BtVS up through S7.22 "Chosen", AtS up through 4.22 - "Home"
Distribution: Fanfiction.net,
Summary: The war with the First Evil is over. What will Buffy do now.

So, now that you're not the only one anymore, what do you really want to do?

They stood on the highway, staring into the crater that used to be Sunnydale. Whatever they had here, had been pretty much wiped out. They would have to start all over. She looked over at Giles and mentally replayed their first conversation.

I train. I hunt. I kill the vampires. Yay me! And when it's all over what's left. Not exactly a medal and a book deal.

Not much left at all. Mostly, a crater that used to be home. No more Sunnydale mall. No more Bronze. No more Sun Cinema. No more UC-Sunnydale.

But other things were gone too. Restfield. Shady Rest. Too many crypts to count.

Thank god. No one should ever have to look upon their own grave. But there was also Kendra, Jenny, Tara, and Joyce. Anya's body buried under tons of rubble. More than anyone else, she knew that you carried your grief with you, no matter how far you ran. But it was comforting to have special places to mourn. Where would they mourn now? Of all losses these were the hardest to deal with. It felt so wrong. Plus, a part of her figured they would always be together. Even in death. She'd miss that.

They'd built a cairn to honor the dead. When the aftermath set in, some of the girls sobbed. Others tried to be stoic and keep a calm front. Xander seemed especially subdued. As for her. She'd made her peace with Spike before the battle started, and one moment wouldn't spoil that.

"We both should be dead by now. So no mourning each other. I'm not going to make you look like an idiot for believing in me, and for not dusting me when you had the chance. Get some rest."

Finally, she'd gathered up the gang, counted heads, and did an inventory of the wounded. They would need food, clothing, shelter and first aid. But since Buffy came to this apocalypse with every intention of winning and surviving, she was prepared.

There might be a place we can go. Until we can figure things out.