"It's time for me to go home."
"What?" Donna said looking very confused. "No, you can't go. Why do you have to go?"
"Because I'm the one who should sacrifice myself for everyone else. That's how we met, remember? I jumped to save my sister… to save everyone." Buffy looked at the Doctor again. "I think I'm ready to go home, but this time I'll have backup. I'm joining UNIT."
The Doctor nodded in silence, but Donna had more to say. "But you don't trust government soldiers."
"I trust these ones. Colonel Mace has shown me that maybe I can be part of UNIT, and like Martha I can make it better."
"You won't get any arguments from me about that," Martha said. "But you're sure you don't want to travel in time and space any more?"
"I never said that. I love travelling with you, Doctor, and I wish I could forever, but I have a duty. I've run from it long enough."
"If you ever want to come back…" he said.
"I'll call."
He stood and they shared a tight hug. When they parted it looked like he wanted to say something, but he seemed to change his mind. Instead he asked, "So where to?"
"Back to UNIT and get that recommendation from Colonel Mace, and then to UNIT Headquarters in San Diego."
"That's a good base," Martha said. "You'll do great there."
"We'll miss you," Donna said quietly, finally coming around to the idea that Buffy was doing the right thing.
"I'll miss you too, Donna." Buffy gave the older woman a hug. "You make sure to keep this guy in line, right?"
"Yeah."
They took the teleport back to the factory. As they all exited the lower levels and entered the main area, several guns were raised.
"Oi! Just us," the Doctor said. The weapons lowered.
"There you are, Doctor," Colonel Mace said as he approached. "I see you were able to clear the gas. My congratulations, sir." He saluted.
The Doctor raised his eyebrows at the salute. "Yeah, you should thank Luke Rattigan. He gave his life to save this planet."
"UNIT will make sure to record that."
"In the meantime," the Doctor went on, "is there someone who can give Miss Noble a lift home to check on her family?"
The colonel nodded. "Jenkins, you know where Miss Noble lives."
"Ross!" the Doctor shouted happily. "You survived!"
"Nearly didn't, sir."
"Glad to see you're safe and sound though," the Doctor said shaking his hand.
Ross and Donna got into a jeep and left. Martha had a private word with Colonel Mace and left to see to her duties.
"Colonel, I'd like to join UNIT," Buffy said.
"We'd be very proud to have you, Miss Summers. I took the liberty of writing that recommendation. Dr. Jones is currently seeing that all the paperwork is in order. You'll just have to hand it to them."
"Then I'll be ready to head off for good old California. Anything I should know ahead of time?"
For the next half hour, Colonel Mace went over some basic rules and procedures with the occasional comment or anecdote from the Doctor. Martha then came back with a folder with Buffy's paperwork.
"And I want to see you and Donna before you go," she told the Doctor as he and Buffy walked into the Tardis.
"Yeah, it's a promise. Until then, Martha Jones." The Tardis door closed and he slowly walked towards the controls. "UNIT, San Diego, three years ago."
"Yeah, and could you triple check that you've got it right? I think I've heard enough stories about you getting it wrong. We don't need to add another."
He frowned but it turned into a smile. "I'm going to miss that."
"Me nagging at you? I think Donna can manage enough on her own."
"Oh yes!" he agreed. "But… thank you. Thank you so much. You've been… fantastic." He then dropped that lever and they were off. The trip didn't take long. All too soon the Tardis stilled and they were standing by the door.
She had to hug him again. "I don't know why this is so hard. There is so much I still want to see with you, so much we never were able to talk about, but I have to go. I have my destiny. I can't ignore it anymore."
"We'll meet again."
"You promise?"
"Yeah."
"Well, destiny waits. I am the Chosen One after all. Goodbye, Doctor." Buffy walked out the door and let it close behind her. She turned to watch it fade out of sight; she knew that she would never forget that sound, and that she would always be waiting to hear it again.
Turning around again, she faced a bewildered UNIT captain.
"Hi, I'm Buffy Summers. I'm here to sign up."
HXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXH
Apparently there was no better recommendation for joining UNIT than showing up in their front lobby in the Tardis. Just saying she was there to join, and suddenly she was whisked off getting a photo for an ID badge, getting proper accommodations set up, and finishing the last of the paperwork. The first people to see her barely glanced at Colonel Mace's recommendation. But her new boss read it thoroughly.
"Well, Miss Summers," Colonel Benjamin Gold said as they sat in his office. "You seem to have accumulated quite a few honours in a brief period. More than enough to secure you a high position in UNIT. But according to US records, you've been dead for the past four years."
Buffy shifted in her chair. "Not exactly…"
"Not exactly?"
"I've been with the Doctor."
"Ah, that might explain missing… but dead?"
"There's something you should know that's not in those papers. I'm the Slayer."
"The Vampire Slayer?"
"You've heard about that? You're not all 'I fight aliens so demons can't possibly be real?'"
He smiled. "I graduated from UC Sunnydale, the ROTC program. I am perfectly aware of the existence of vampires and other demons, and I studied as much as I could about them."
"But you joined a secret government group that deals with aliens?"
"Here we deal with a little of everything. Alien, demon, it doesn't matter."
If that was the case, Buffy had a question for this guy. "Have you heard of the Initiative?"
"Good God! Don't tell me you've had to deal with them." From his disgusted tone, Buffy's question was answered to her liking.
"It was five years ago."
"That was you that forced them to move out of town? My congratulations to you, Miss Summers, and UNIT's thanks. We were trying to shut them down, but they had the ear of certain presidential aides at the time. Things have luckily changed now." He looked at her paperwork again. "Well, Miss Summers, UNIT will be proud to now call you one of its leaders. You will have a civilian rank equivalent to a captain for now. I believe we are securing an apartment for you as we speak. An account is also being set up. Even though your services to UNIT are… three years… oh my… away, you'll receive pay for that now. We'll get you set up with an office and a team. I assume you will still want to keep up with your duties as the Slayer, so we'll give you some leeway there. Did you ever receive pay for that? If not UNIT will be happy to compensate you."
Buffy's eyes widened. "No. Are you really going to pay me for slaying vampires?"
"And averting the occasional apocalypse, yes."
"I think I love you."
He smiled. "I hope you'll be very happy with us."
"Before I start, I need to see my friends and my sister. I've been gone four years, and they think I'm dead."
"Of course." He looked at the paperwork again. "No driver's license. A UNIT soldier will accompany you and act as chauffeur and assistant. You'll need to report for duty back here in two weeks. Based on your report, we'll see if you can stay here in San Diego, or if you are needed back in Sunnydale. Welcome to UNIT, Miss Summers."
She took his hand and shook it. "Buffy."
"I'll see you in two weeks, Buffy."
HXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXHXH
Buffy went to her new apartment to get everything in order while arrangements were made for her transportation. She would leave early the next morning. Her apartment was just north of central San Diego and actually quite comfortable. Not overly opulent, but it did have two rooms, a fireplace, and a private balcony larger than the average of most apartments. UNIT certainly had the money to look after their own.
The doorbell rang. Buffy opened it to the awaited UNIT assistant. He was of medium height and build, a little on the slightly heavy side, but nonetheless a good looking chap.
'Good looking chap?' she thought. 'I have been spending far too much time in the land of tweed.'
"Buffy Summers?" he asked.
"That's me," she said.
He held out a hand and shook hers. "I'm Corporal Timothy Shepherd. I'm to take you to Sunnydale?"
"Yes, just let me grab my bags."
"I can do that, ma'am."
"Please, it's just Buffy. Being ma'am-ed makes me think of some rather unpleasant things. And I can grab my own bags."
"At least let me take one or two."
He seemed so nice that Buffy had to give in. But she didn't let him know that though the bag was large, it was the lightest of the lot. She didn't want to freak him out with her amazing slayer strength just yet. He should at least get to know her a little first.
They put the bags in the car (nondescript but comfortable) and started their four hour journey.
"So do you go by Timothy, or Tim?" Buffy asked.
"Tim usually, my mom calls me Timmy sometimes. Or you can always use just 'Hey you.' If you don't mind me asking, how did you get the name Buffy?"
"An original question," she muttered sarcastically.
"Sorry. I bet you get that a lot."
"Let's just say I like it, my mother likes it, it's my name."
"Ok, I can live with that. Can I ask why you joined UNIT?"
"You may."
"Why did you join UNIT?"
"Long story, Timmy."
"We've got a long car ride."
"Ok, I guess I'd have to start four years ago…"