A/N: Finally, here we are at the end.
I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story, at least, as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thanks for everyone's reviews, and thank you most of all for reading. This was the first serial fan fic I ever wrote.
Epilogue: Coming Home.
The world had changed a lot for Max.
Not just since she died, but since she got out of Manticore too.
Finally, after almost twelve years she had her family back.
She had caught up with her childhood best friend Buffy Summers, and she would soon be the godmother of her beautiful dark-haired daughter.
Max and her family had been able to help stop Zachariah, and she'd been able to resuscitate Buffy. And then there was Logan.
Logan who was sweet and gentle, kind ,a great cook, and a great person for helping so many people so selflessly.
But he loved her, in spite of what she was, and that was the most important thing to her.
She heard Logan come up behind her and felt him wrap his arms around her.
He still didn't like heights, she could feel him trembling.
She rested her head on his shoulder, happy, content.
Because this was where she belonged.
She had finally come home.
**********
Buffy was silent as she sat cross-legged in one of the over-stuffed armchairs.
In her arms she cradled her sleeping daughter, who was so new to this world.
By the fire Willow and Tara curled up together, quietly discussing something.
The firelight flickered, casting both darkness and light over their features, making Willow's hair glow a deep red.
Buffy couldn't remember when she had last seen them look so peaceful.
Xander lay, sprawled out in front of the television. With a sleeping Dawn resting her head on his lap, and Anya curled up beside him, she marveled at how natural the three of them looked. Beside them Gunn and Fred appeared to be having a popcorn catching contest, while Cordy laughed along with them.
Giles and Wesley sat hunched over a chessboard, unmoving. Buffy fought the urge to laugh, they'd been sitting in the same positions when she last looked over at them.
Angel sat quietly in a corner of the room, a large sketchbook lay open in his lap, pencil in his hand.
Things had changed a lot for Buffy, in the past week, month, year, even in the last five years things had changed.
She had changed.
She had become a Vampire Slayer, she had died, three times, she had lost friends, Ms. Calendar, Kendra, Ford. She had lost her mother and become Dawn's guardian, she had become the mother of the miracle she held in her arms, her precious daughter Elissa.
She had found Max again, and for the first time in ages, Buffy Summers felt at peace with the world.
She no longer found that the world she loved so much was a torment.
She couldn't remember when it had happened, but somehow, sometime when she hadn't noticed, the world had become alive for her again, and it had become the place she remembered once more, a place of peace and love and happiness.
As Buffy drifted out of her thoughts she felt Angel's gaze on her and smiled at him.
He turned his eyes back onto his sketchbook.
Buffy looked around the room, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the room, watching the people she loved and cared about.
She closed her eyes and felt a wave of peace wash over her, and she knew that no matter where she was, or where she went, wherever the people she loved were, that was home.
And right now, as far as she was concerned she had come home.
I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story, at least, as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thanks for everyone's reviews, and thank you most of all for reading. This was the first serial fan fic I ever wrote.
Epilogue: Coming Home.
The world had changed a lot for Max.
Not just since she died, but since she got out of Manticore too.
Finally, after almost twelve years she had her family back.
She had caught up with her childhood best friend Buffy Summers, and she would soon be the godmother of her beautiful dark-haired daughter.
Max and her family had been able to help stop Zachariah, and she'd been able to resuscitate Buffy. And then there was Logan.
Logan who was sweet and gentle, kind ,a great cook, and a great person for helping so many people so selflessly.
But he loved her, in spite of what she was, and that was the most important thing to her.
She heard Logan come up behind her and felt him wrap his arms around her.
He still didn't like heights, she could feel him trembling.
She rested her head on his shoulder, happy, content.
Because this was where she belonged.
She had finally come home.
**********
Buffy was silent as she sat cross-legged in one of the over-stuffed armchairs.
In her arms she cradled her sleeping daughter, who was so new to this world.
By the fire Willow and Tara curled up together, quietly discussing something.
The firelight flickered, casting both darkness and light over their features, making Willow's hair glow a deep red.
Buffy couldn't remember when she had last seen them look so peaceful.
Xander lay, sprawled out in front of the television. With a sleeping Dawn resting her head on his lap, and Anya curled up beside him, she marveled at how natural the three of them looked. Beside them Gunn and Fred appeared to be having a popcorn catching contest, while Cordy laughed along with them.
Giles and Wesley sat hunched over a chessboard, unmoving. Buffy fought the urge to laugh, they'd been sitting in the same positions when she last looked over at them.
Angel sat quietly in a corner of the room, a large sketchbook lay open in his lap, pencil in his hand.
Things had changed a lot for Buffy, in the past week, month, year, even in the last five years things had changed.
She had changed.
She had become a Vampire Slayer, she had died, three times, she had lost friends, Ms. Calendar, Kendra, Ford. She had lost her mother and become Dawn's guardian, she had become the mother of the miracle she held in her arms, her precious daughter Elissa.
She had found Max again, and for the first time in ages, Buffy Summers felt at peace with the world.
She no longer found that the world she loved so much was a torment.
She couldn't remember when it had happened, but somehow, sometime when she hadn't noticed, the world had become alive for her again, and it had become the place she remembered once more, a place of peace and love and happiness.
As Buffy drifted out of her thoughts she felt Angel's gaze on her and smiled at him.
He turned his eyes back onto his sketchbook.
Buffy looked around the room, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the room, watching the people she loved and cared about.
She closed her eyes and felt a wave of peace wash over her, and she knew that no matter where she was, or where she went, wherever the people she loved were, that was home.
And right now, as far as she was concerned she had come home.