"Standing here watching the hellmouth or what was once, engulf Sunnydale I felt a sense of closure for the first time."....
"Well not complete closure. Mom was gone and now Spike was too. The Scooby gang was going their separate ways. Dawn and I decided to move to LA and begin a new. Dawn wanted to be closer to dad since mom is gone. Willow was going to England, a long with Giles and Xander, to train more with her magics. Xander is still not over Anya's death. I don't think he ever will be and I don't blame him...."
"Buffy? Earth to Buffy! I am staying at dad's again. Do you want to come with?
"Nah, I think I will pass. I still have a lot here to go through."
Looking around the empty apartment, Dawn gazes at Buffy with a suspicious eye.
"Well ok, but you're going to be missing tons of fun." Dawn sarcastically says.
Buffy responds with a smile, "Sometimes we all need to make sacrifices...but tell dad I said 'hi'."
"I will. Gotta go. Love ya."
Buffy watches Dawn walk out the apartment and strolls over to the window to watch her pull away in Giles old car.
Buffy sighs and puts on her leather coat and heads out the door. Taking spare change she found she buys a newspaper.
"Well Buffy, it's that time again. Good ol' job hunting fun!"
Walking through the streets and making an occasional stop or two to put in applications for jobs, Buffy thinks about her life and everyone that has been in it. Memories of her mom and the time they spent together run through her head. As she wipes a stray tear she accidentally runs into a young brunette girl in a hurry. Apologizing she moves on with her search for the "perfect job". After putting in her application at a local diner she glances at her watch.
"5 o'clock, I guess I have to call it a day." She says to herself.
She approaches her apartment and notices Dawn's car outside. A sinking feeling over comes her and she runs in slamming open the door. Buffy stops and her jaw drops. Before her were furniture, lamps, a TV and even a phone ringing in the background. Dawn smiles as she runs and hugs Buffy.
"W-where did all this come from?"
"Dad wanted to make up for all those years that he wasn't there. So he did a little compensating."
Dawn runs and answers the phone.
"Hello? Oh hey! How is everything there? It's getting a lot better here. Hold on here's Buffy." Dawn says as she hands the phone to Buffy.
"H-hello?"
"Buffy?"
"Will? Oh my God Will how are you?"
"I am fine. I have been working on my magics and Giles has been helping me. When Dawnie gave me the good news and your phone number I had to relay it to him and Xander."
"You mean Dawn knew?" She glares at Dawn across the room. "Giles, how is he?"
"Well why don't you ask him yourself."
"Buffy? How are you?"
"I am fine. How are you?"
"I am good here. I am so glad to hear you. Even though I am here helping Willow and training Xander, I have really missed you and Dawn."
"I miss you too Giles. Everything isn't the same here without you. I feel kind of weird that my dad bought all this for me, but I am glad that he did."
"There were so many things I wanted to say when I finally got a hold of you, but I am at lost for words."
"That's ok Giles. Just give me a hmm and a 'Oh my' and we'll call it a day."
Laughter is heard over the phone.
"Hey Buff!"
"Xander? How are you?"
"I am good. I am training to be a watcher. Lucky Giles here gets to train me. Kind of ironic don't you think? Me, a watcher with an eye patch and all. I will be THE coolest watcher ever!"
"That's great. How are you dealin? I know it was pretty hard for me to lose Angel and Riley."
"I am coping. I am going to start a band called the Vengeance Demons!"
"Don't you need to know how to play an instrument in order to be in a band?"
"Well yes, slight defect on my part. It sounded good on paper though."
"I bet it did. I hate to cut this so short, but I need to give a call to my dad to thank him and then get ready for another long day of job hunting tomorrow."
"That's ok Buffy. We are all just glad to hear you again. We all miss you and love you."
"I love you guys too. You have my number now so don't be afraid to call."
"We won't be. Afraid to call that is. Bye Buffy, take care and good luck."
"Same to you. Tell Giles and Willow bye for me."
"I will. Bye"
"Bye."
Buffy hangs up the phone. She gives out a sigh and looks at the phone again. She picks it up and calls her dad and tells him thank you for everything he has done for her and Dawn.
She hangs up the phone again as a knocking on the door begins. Uneasy, she gets up and answers the door. Standing before her is a very attractive woman that she has never seen before in her life.
"Can I help you?"
"Buffy Summers right? Can I come in?"
"Who are you? I don't invite anyone in before knowing who or what they are first."
"Don't worry I am not a vampire. Here's my card if you don't believe me." She hands Buffy her card smiling at her.
Buffy reads the card. "Come in" she says while closing the door behind the woman.
"I have a job opportunity for you Ms. Summers at Wolfram and Hart. I think that you will be very interested in the position. What do you say?"
"What makes you think that I am going to accept the position?"
"You have no choice. I am making you an offer you simply can't refuse."
"What if I do?"
"That's the thing. You can't."