Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and this story is not making any kind of profit, believe me. I am only borrowing 'em and I promise to play (relatively) nice
Author's Note: Here it is! The beginning of the long awaited sequel to "Running on Empty" (well maybe it's not that long awaited, but here it is anyway). For those of you who haven't read that story it is a good idea to do so as this one deals highly in both the Buffy and the Highlander Universes and there is a history between the characters there that will make more sense if you have read the other story. OK, that's about it...onwards!
The sun had set as the large yellow school bus entered the city limits of Los Angeles California carrying the last remaining residents of what used to be the town of Sunnydale.
Buffy Summers, no longer the solitary chosen one stared out the window of the bus, content to just watch the scenery roll by her for once in seven long years allowing the burden of the world's safety to be lifted from her shoulders. It wasn't by any means over for her, but it was no longer her job alone. The protection of the world was a task many newly called slayers all over the world would all undertake hopefully in their own way, allowing each of them to live a relatively normal life in the process.
Someone would have to let them know, teach them what their new powers meant and how to use them properly. It would be Buffys job to do just that, aided by her friends. They all had a mission now. Willow intended to use witchcraft to locate all the newly called slayers so that their job might be made easier. It had made sense and the gang readily agreed to the proposal. Buffy liked having a purpose again. It made the fact that her home had just been swallowed into the Hellmouth easier to bear. It felt good to still have a reason to keep going as well as a destination. However, they couldn't even hope to begin their task until the injured ones in their party were fully patched up and they had rested.
This was one of the reasons Buffy had suggested heading to Los Angeles first. She knew Angel and his team would be anxiously awaiting news on the outcome of the battle with the First, especially if they had seen Sunnydale disappear into the Hellmouth on TV. He would be sick with worry for hers and the others' well being and she hated the idea of putting him through that.
What would happen afterwards hadn't been discussed, but Buffy already knew what she wanted to do. Her duty was to the new slayers and the only way to help them was by organizing everything from a central location. Much as she would like it to be L.A., she knew that wasn't possible. There were too many demons there, figurative and otherwise. The old Watcher's Council had been based out of England and reforming them in Europe seemed a logical step. England however, was not what Buffy had in mind. She hadn't told any of her friends about the man known only to her and a select few others as Methos, but she had kept in contact with him. He had also been a Watcher, though for another branch that had nothing to do with slayers. With the slayer branch gone, a new one would have to be formed. Buffy had been thinking about it for a while and had come to the conclusion that the Watcher's council, though not an organization she had respected in the past, needed an overhaul and she and Methos could be just the ones to do it. He had probably seen the collapse of the town on the news as well. Or he would at any rate. She wasn't entirely certain everything would work out, but if everything went according to plan, then she would be calling him from the hospital in L.A. and proposing her plan.
Part of her was very concerned over seeing Angel again. She had seen him right before the battle and had received the amulet that had saved them, but at an enormous price. The conversation she had had with Angel played itself over and over again in her mind. She had kissed him the moment she saw him. It hadn't been planned. It had been pure instinct. It was Angel. She would always love him and he would always love her. The problem was that that wasn't always enough. She realized that where Spike was concerned as well and bitterly regretted not having the chance to tell Spike how she had really felt for him before he made his sacrifice.
She had said she loved him right before he died, but it wasn't enough and even he knew that. She hadn't lied, despite what Spike had said to her. She had loved him. It hadn't been the love she had felt for Angel, and never would be, but it was love in whatever form it took and it broke her heart to think that Spike had died not knowing that she had spoken the truth.
She hated that he would never know and she hated that he was gone now, leaving her to bear the pain of his death alone. This was truly something nobody could understand. Her friends had known she cared about Spike, but not to that extent and the only other person in the entire world that she thought she could confess anything to no longer shared that distinction. This was something that Angel could not comfort her through. This was something she could never cry on his shoulder over. He would never understand and it felt like an uncloseable rift had just opened up between them. She wondered belatedly if he had known what the amulet would do when he gave it to her, and if he had counted on her to ask Spike to be her champion. She dismissed that notion almost immediately. Angel had a jealous streak, but he would never have deliberately tried to kill Spike if he knew she cared for him. And he would never have risked the possibility that she might have used the amulet herself. Angel had always cared more for her safety than for his own. It was one of the reasons he had left.
All she could tell Angel about was the battle, how Anya as well as many other potential slayers had fought and died so bravely and how Spike had been the champion she knew he could be to the last. The rest of her feelings for Spike were her own to reconcile. Even still, no matter how far apart she and Angel may be and no matter what secrets may lie between them, Los Angeles was the only place to go…the only place they could go for now. It was like the North star calling her home.
"Earth to Buffy! Xander calling Buffy, come in Space cadet." Xander's voice was gentle and chiding and Buffy found herself smiling without even realizing it.
"So you're an astronaut now, huh Xand?" She allowed a teasing tone to enter her voice. He grinned back, the boyish grin she remembered seeing the first day they met, only now it adorned a more mature and slightly more weary face. She felt a sharp pang of regret knowing it was her lifestyle and her willingness to allow her friends to help that had caused it.
"Doubt it." Xander shot back easily. "I think NASA would frown on a one-eyed astronaut. Besides, the pirate industry is booming these days or so I hear."
"Are you OK Xander?" Buffy asked him, her tone now one of utmost seriousness. They hadn't spoken much the entire ride, each of them individually consumed by their own thoughts. Xander and Buffy had more on their mind than anyone however, as each of them was dealing with the loss of someone close during the battle. Xander hadn't said one word about Anya, but Buffy knew that she was constantly on his mind, as Spike was constantly on hers.
"Who me?" Xander asked, a smile still on his face although Buffy could see the pain in his eyes. "Yea, I'm good. Dawn and I stayed pretty much away from the fightier parts of the battle. I doubt either of us need any serious medical attention."
"That's not what I meant." Buffy stated, but she could tell Xander knew that already. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"To be honest I don't." Xander finally replied with a heavy sigh. "Maybe I will later on, but for now….I just want to keep it to myself…..want to keep her close to me for as long as I can OK?"
"I understand." Buffy said softly. She smiled gently at Xander, her own heart breaking for his loss and felt her thoughts drift once more to the loss of Spike.
"So where should we go first?" Dawn wondered, interrupting Buffy's own private pain. "Angel's?"
"I rather think the hospital would be a better idea." Giles interjected. "We have injured people that need medical attention as fast as we can get it."
"I agree." Buffy said with a nod. The blood had stopped flowing from her chest wound thanks to her slayer healing abilities, but she was far from OK. "I want to call him as soon as we get there though. If he's heard what happened he's going to be worried sick."
"Well as soon as all you bleedy people are checked in, I propose dropping me off back at the hotel. I can let Angel know that B and the others are OK in person that way." Faith looked at the others with nervous defensiveness. It was no secret she loathed hospitals and for good reason, having spent eight months in a coma three years before. Add to that that she was an escaped murder convict and the idea of not being in public areas that might draw attention was a logical one.
"That sounds like a good idea." Kennedy agreed, noticing the look on Faith's face.
"It might be better if we just took anyone without injuries back to the hotel," Buffy suggested, "if a large crowd of us shows up at the hospital we might get bombarded with questions we can't answer."
"That sounds like a reasonable plan." Giles agreed soundly. The other's nodded their agreement and began chatting softly amongst themselves as Buffy turned back to the window and stared out of it, trying to keep her mind from returning to thoughts of the battle and those who hadn't made it…those she hadn't been able to protect.
Angel was shocked and relieved to see Faith standing before him at the entrance to the hotel. He had seen what had happened to Sunnydale on the news, and between his melancholy over the loss of Connor to the life he couldn't give him and the sight of the town of Sunnydale falling into a giant hole, he had been going absolutely crazy with worry.
She was injured, but the injury was minor enough to tell Angel it was better not to mention it. He gestured for her to enter and watched as a group of people, most of them he had never seen, entering behind her. He waited, expecting to see Buffy's blond hair among them, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Gunn, Fred, Lorne and Wesley mad their way into the lobby as the group, led by Faith entered. They too were curious as to what had happened in Sunnydale, but knew that if these questions were to be asked, it would be Angel that would be doing that. They remained silent, allowing him to speak.
Heart feeling like lead, he looked fearfully at Faith, afraid to ask what he was thinking.
"Where's Buffy?"
"Chill out big guy, B and the others are just getting some patch work done at the hospital."
Looking beyond Faith, he noticed that among them were Willow, Giles, Dawn and Xander who strangely had an eye patch on.
"Hey guys." Angel said. "I uh, I hear you destroyed a town."
"Buffy destroyed it really." Xander replied with a grin that didn't quite match the expression in the eye Angel could see. "It was her plan. After burning down her school gym, blowing up the library of the second one, I think she felt the need to move on to bigger and better things. Destroying an entire town just felt like the next logical step."
"Is she really OK?" Angel asked once more. He noticed that Spike was not among the group and found himself wondering if he were at the hospital with Buffy.
"She'll be perfectly fine Angel, I assure you." Giles told him. "It occurs to me though, that you don't many of us here."
"Or what happened at all." Willow added.
"I'll wait for Buffy for the full version of that." Angel said softly, not meeting anyone's eyes. If Spike was at the hospital with her, the idea of seeing them together tore him up inside and yet somehow, he knew he had to hear it from her. "But I would love an introduction to everyone."
Willow proceeded to name off everyone in the group and Angel listened in half interest, anxious now to see Buffy, to visually confirm with his own eyes that she was OK. She was the slayer and the fact that her injuries merited a hospital visit at all frightened him.
After the introductions were complete, Angel got Fred, Lorne, Gunn and Wesley to divide the group up and show them all to their respective rooms. Faith had given him a look as Willow had made the introductions indicating that they were in desperate need of a place to stay.
As the others dispersed to their rooms, Faith lingered behind, the concerned expression never leaving her face.
"You OK there?" She asked him. He smiled slightly and nodded. "She's going to be OK, I swear."
"It's not just that." He told her honestly. She nodded knowingly.
"It's Spike right?" She guessed. "Listen I don't blame you man, but before you get all…wait for Buffy to come back and hear her story."
"I'll do that." Angel said, his eyes absent and his expression preoccupied. "Can I ask….I know I said I didn't want to hear what happened, but…Xander…that eye patch…"
"It was a difficult battle," Faith said softly. "Some of us got injured worse than others. Xander lost his eye protecting those girls you saw in there."
"Sorry to hear it." Angel told her, and he was. Despite whatever hostilities lay between him and Xander, he hadn't wanted to see him get hurt. What's more, he didn't like the look he had seen in Xander's eye. It was the same look that he himself had worn in some of his darker periods. "How are you Faith? I know you're not physically injured, but…how are you?"
"Can't complain." She shrugged with the same nonchalant attitude he knew always masked her true feelings. "It was a tough battle, but then again they all are. Part of being a slayer."
"Listen, I'm going to go make sure the others are OK…see if they need anything. You want me to show you to your room?"
"Nah, you go ahead." Faith said, waving him away. "I kind of thought I would pick one out for myself anyway, you got so many here."
Angel nodded and left the lobby, intending to busy himself until Buffy and the others returned from the hospital.