After Sunnydale

Chapter Two

Buffy had finally found the perfect place for Dawn to grow up. They had arrived in a small town far away from Sunnydale after many days on the road, and there were a small amount of the group left. Many of the slayers felt like they were not needed anymore and left to go to their families, and Buffy had wondered what the families of the deceased slayers would think.

Only Giles, Willow, Kennedy, Xander, Dawn and Andrew were left, and Buffy dreaded when they would leave her. The house she had found seemed perfect for them all; it was a small house on the back roads of the town which needed work, but Buffy felt she could cope, afterall, she had defeated the first evil.

They had all chipped in for the house, and it seemed like they would be one big happy family. Buffy had no idea how Giles had got the money from her savings account, but she didn't think it would be polite to ask. They had all moved into the house and each did their part of decorating; everyone except Andrew, who seemed to be in a permanent state of shock.

"Dawn, hurry up! I've got to be at work soon!" Buffy was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for Dawn, who was going to the cinema in town with her new friends, Lucy and Aaron. "Dawn!" Buffy was already late for work as it was, and Dawn was trying to steal a lift to the cinema.

"God, what's your problem?! I'm ready!" Dawn hurried down the stairs and Buffy meerly gawped at her sister; she was wearing tight blue jeans and a very revealing blue boob tube. Buffy guessed she had a thing for Aaron, but felt it wasn't her place to interveine.

"Finally! Carol's already wary of me." Carol was Buffys boss, where she had recently got a job as a waitress at a small restaurant.

Buffy pulled up outside the cinema dead on 7pm, and Dawn hurried out the car to where Aaron stood waiting for her. Buffy didn't like the look of Dawn's new friends; she had seen enough evil in the world to notice when a teenager was going to be a bad influence on her sister.

"Dawn! Wait!" Buffy yelled, loud enough for people around her to turn quizically.Dawn gritted her teeth and turned back to the car. "Back home for ten, no later." With that Buffy drove off, leaving Dawn blushing as she walked towards Aaron.

"I thought Lucy was coming too?" She had finally reached him and couldn't stop blushing as his eyes sent goosebumps across her skin.

"Ahh, guilty. I actually asked her if it could be just me and you..."He smiled at her and her skin felt as though it was on fire at his touch as he escorted her inside. As they sat in the cinema Dawn cooled down thanks to the air conditioning, although Aarons arm behind her certainly stayed on her mind. As the movie started, Dawn relaxed into his embrace and finally felt like a normal teenager.

X X X

"Dawn not home yet?" Buffy asked as she threw her coat on the couch before sitting next to Xander. It was past eleven, and Buffy was beginning to get worried; what if a vampire or demon got wind that a slayer was in town?

"Buffy, don't worry. You're not the only slayer anymore, you're safe. She's just a normal teenager now, she's not 'the key'. Besides, she called and asked if she could stop at Lucy's tonight, and it's not a school night."

"I guess you're right. Why're you still up?" She turned her body to face him slightly, yet he ignored her and looked away. "Xander?" She shuffled closer to him and place a reassuring hand on his thigh, and he tried to ignore the warmth that her touch sent through him. After a couple of months living like a normal girl, Buffy and Xander had been spending more and more time together growing closer. Afterall, both of them were greiving; Xander for Anya and Buffy for Spike.

"I...I still can't get over the fact that Anya's gone. There's no trace of her left in the world; just a giant crater where Sunnydale was, where all my memories of her are." No tears came from him, he had cried enough times over Anya.

"Oh Xander...I know you miss Anya, but you'll meet someone again, and you'll get to make new memories, and this time you'll end up happy." He turned to her and met her reassuring smile and couldn't help but smile back. "Besides, I should be the one unhappy. The only guys I've ever loved have been about 200 years old, and then there's Riley...don't get me started. I'm never going to end up happy."

"Buffy, you're an amazing woman, and I know you'll make someone happy soon. And he'll be one lucky guy." Buffy smiled at him as he pulled her close, leaning her head on his chest, feeling his heart beat. They stayed silent for some time, thankful for the others presence.

"Xander..." Buffy reluctantly pulled up from his chest, her face inches from his. 'Can I really do this?' Buffy thought, her heart racing. She leaned forwards slowly, her lips brushing his and sending warmth through both of them. Xander could no longer believe what was happening; when he had first met Buffy he had fallen in love with her, and now he was kissing her. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, his hands moving through her hair and tracing the hairline. Buffy's hands wrapped around his neck as he pulled her onto his lap, eager for more. Xander's hands moved to her lower back and wandered up her top, eager to feel her warm skin against his.

"B..Buffy?" Dawn's voice shattered the silence and Buffy pulled away from Xander gasping. She jumped up from Xander's lap and came back to her senses before looking at Dawn. She was stood in the living room doorway, her long brown locks a mess and her clothes stained with mud and bloodstains.

"Dawn? What the hell's going on?" Aaron appeared behind her, his appearance much the same and his face in a state of shock.

"I...We went to the park to...Anyway, something...something attacked us." Dawn stumbled into the room and Xander stood up to survey the situation, and it was only then that Buffy noticed the deep gash in Dawn's thigh.

"Oh my god, Dawn!" Buffy rushed forwards to catch Dawn as she fell, her face pale from the blood loss. "Xander, go get Willow and Giles! Now!" The shock was present in Buffy's voice,and Xander rushed upstairs to wake the pair.

"Dawn? Come on Dawn, stay awake, Willow will be down in a minute." Buffy lay Dawn on the sofa, applying pressure to the wound as she looked at Aaron. "You! What were you doing with my sister at the park? She told Xander she was staying at Lucys!" Aaron meerly stared in shock, flinching at Buffy's words.

"I...We..We were just fooling around!"

"Well next time, don't fool around with my sister! I take it you have no injuries?" He shook his head as Buffy crouched next to her sister, checking her pulse. "Then get out of here and go home."

"Buffy? What's going on?" Willow came down the stairs, wrapping her dressing gown around her as Xander followed suit.

"She was attacked...Please Will, help her!" Buffy was in a state of shock as Willow moved to heal Dawn, telling Buffy to move so she could concentrate.

"What happened?" Giles said as he came into the room, cleaning his glasses before he put them on. "Oh my." He moved next to Willow to assess Dawn's leg, whispering to Willow as she concentrated on her magic.

"Buffy, she's going to be okay." Xander said, moving to where Buffy stood anxiously in the corner, watching Willow and Dawn.

"Yeah, yeah I know. I just..." Her voice trailed off with worry as Xander wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forhead softly. She melted into his embrace and took in his warming scent, the scent she had always loved. Tears formed in her eyes as she pressed herself further into his chest, wanting to be away from all the terror she had seen in her life.

"Buffy? She just needs to relax for tonight, and she should be okay." Willows voice pulled her out of Xanders embrace, and Giles gestured to Xander to help him carry Dawn upstairs. Willow followed them with Buffy, comforting her as they went. "Are you going to be okay?" Willow asked whilst she sat on Buffys bed.

"I think so, it's just the shock. I thought I could live a normal life, but obviously evil has other plans." Buffy stood up and changed into her PJs, thankful for clothes that weren't stained with Dawn's blood.

"Buffy, everything's going to be okay, I promise." Willow left the room suddenly, much to Buffy's shock. She sat on her bed, fiddling with the stitching of her bedcovers before sneaking across the dark landing. She opened Dawns door slightly, only to see that she was fast asleep and the wound was fast healing thanks to Willow.

"Xander?" Buffy opened his door slightly and peaked around, although the light gleaming under his door was enough to indicate he was awake. He was lying away from the door with his headphones in and didn't notice Buffy entering the room. She shut the door gently and walked towards him, gently lying a hand on his bare arm. He jumped up at her touch and she gasped before falling on his bed giggling.

"What're you doing Buffy?" He sat down next to her arkwardly, the memory of their kiss printed in his mind.

"I'm not sure..." She sat up next to him, her hands tracing the muscles in his arms. She couldn't help but be attracted to him; she had hidden it for the past few months but her feelings were now coming to the surface. But how could she do this to Spike's memory?

"Buffy...I don't know if this is right." Xander finally spoke up, ignoring the feeling of her smooth hands against his bare skin.

"Xander...Just shut up and kiss me." She pulled his head towards her and kissed him sweetly, just like she had downstairs. His hands moved to her back as they fell back on the bed, her hands fiddling with his trousers as he deepened the kiss. His hands once again moved under her thin top and traced small circles on her back as she moaned in pleasure.

"Buffy...Buffy, we can't." Xander reluctantly pushed her from where she sat atop him, and now only noticed the tears in her eyes. "Buffy, I'm sorry."

"It's not you Xander, it's me. My life...It's so...All I can ever expect is for those around me to get hurt, and for me to die. It's my destiny."

"It's not anymore Buffy, we went against all of that when we defeated the first. You're free Buffy." He pulled her against him and hugged her gently, tracing the circles on her back that seemed to comfort her.

"Xander...stay with me tonight." He was shocked at her proposal but agreed, knowing she needed comfort. He pulled back the covers gently and gestured for her to get in, following her as he turned out the light. He lay arkwardly, not wanting to fall in love with Buffy all over again. She turned to face him, wrapping an arm across his chest as he pulled her closer and held her close.

"I love you, Buffy." He whispered when he knew she was asleep. "I'll always love you."

A/N: Next chapter up, reviews please :)

Chapter Three: The household begin to notice tension between Buffy and Xander, and Buffy discovers what attacked Dawn. A face from Buffy's past reappears, much to Xander's concern.