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"I guess we should maybe do a quick patrol, see whats happening out there." Faith tried to rally the remaining troops as they argued amongst themselves.

"Out there? With the bad guys?" Rona asked raising her eyebrows at their new leader.

"Are you sure we don't need to do some more research?" Amanda offered in a shaky voice.

"We're Slayer's it's our job to patrol." Kennedy stood up flashing an arrogant smile, "I'm not afraid, Faith wouldn't lead us the wrong way."

Dawn bit her bottom lip at the implication of Kennedy's words. She had sent her sister out in the dark with those bad guys. The other's kept reaasurring her that she had done the right thing though and she had to believe that Giles and the other's knew what was best now. Buffy would be fine, when this was over everything would be okay again.

"OKay, lets go." Faith and Wood divided the girls and took off in opposite directions.

An hour later Wood returned to their designated meeting place, the right side of his face covered in blood, a fresh raw burn mark on his cheek. "What happened?" Faith exclaimed as she met him halfway.

"Caleb... some bringers...he took the girls." Wood sighed as he slumped against tree.

"We have no choice, we have to go get them." Faith shook her head as she turned to the girls, "Lets go and get some more weaponry and a plan, he's brought the battle to us, we have to fight it."

"But we don't have a chance against him." Rona complained.

"We don't have a choice, we'll be fine." Faith sighed as she led the group back to Revello Drive.

Spike was excited as he rode back into town even though Andrew was still on the back of his bike. They had found the missing piece, information on a book that held an incantation to rob Caleb of his power and defeat the First. All they had to do was find the book.

He could sense her before he took the curve around the small park, Buffy was there and she was alone. He turned the bike on to the pathway and stopped. "Andrew, you take the bike home, I'll be there shortly."

"Me? I get to ride the bike? Me?" Andrew replied excitedly.

"Yes, but if there's one scratch... " Spike warned his eyes flashing yellow.

"I'll treat her like she's my own." Andrew grinned as he started the motorcycle and took off unsteadily for home.

He approached her cautiously, something was wrong here. "Buffy?" He called softly as he neared the bench.

Buffy felt like she had been sitting here far longer then the few hours it had been, she turned her tearstained face towards him, "Spike."

"What's happened?" He sat next to her taking her hands in his.

"They kicked me out... they..." She began to sob softly as she related the scene at Revello to him.

"Their a bunch of ungrateful... " He finished the sentence with several expletives she had never heard before.

"They don't want me, made it clear." Buffy sniffled.

"Well, thats tough because they are going to have to listen to you now, I've got news.. Good news." Spike quickly explained what he had found out from the monk.

"It has to be at the vineyard." Buffy perked up, "That's why Caleb is there, he has the book there. I know it. Let's go !" She grabbed his hand.

"Let's get my bike, it will be quicker." Spike told her as he squeezed her hand in his.

"Okay, but I don't wany anyone else with us, we have to do this alone." Buffy nodded at him willing him to understand.

"Okay, Pet. Just the two of us, thats how I prefer it anyway."

Dawn was pacing in the livingroom wihen she heard the motorcycle pull up. She opened to the door to find Andrew alone. "Where's Spike?" She asked worriedly.

"He's with Buffy, I dropped him off at the Park. Where is everyone else?" Andrew asked as he took off the helmet and closed the front door behind him..

"They've all gone to the vineyard, Caleb attacked them on patrol and took several of the girls with him." Dawn was near tears.

"Why didn't Buffy go?" Andrew asked.

Dawn just shook her head and cried louder as she tried to explain the earlier events of the night.

"Wow, you sent the girl who's saved the world how many times? away? And let the newly reformed girl lead the girls into an ambush? Even I could have planned a better strategy then that one." Andrew shook his head as he sat down.

Both of them jumped at the roar of the motorcycle but were unable to catch Buffy and Spike as they sped out of the yard.

Faith had never fought harder in her life, and all around her girls kept falling. One by one the Bringers and Caleb sliced or simply broke necks flinging the lifeless Potentials to the ground in a heap.

When she was sure that it was the end... Giles appeared beside her, he had hoped that Willow would be able to mobilize Caleb, but she was crying over Kennedy's body as Xander tried to revive a fallen Anya. Wood dragged himself up from the ground to help, Caleb was momentarily sidetracked by Willow's wailing and Faith was able to plunge his own knife into his chest. He fell to the ground blood gurgling from his mouth as the Bringers began to disperse without a fight.

Buffy and Spike could hear faint sounds of a fight below them in the cellar as they searched for the book.

"Here it is!" Buffy gasped as she pulled the book out of an empty barrel in the back room of the winery.

"Let's go then!" Spike led her down the stairs they entered the cellar in time to see Faith kill Caleb. Buffy flet physically ill at the sight of the fallen Potentials. Spike held her up when she stumbled, "We're too late. If only..."

The others were too out of it to even notice Buffy and Spike's prescence.

"We can't do anything now, pet. Let me take you home." Spike began to lead her out of the cellar.

"Home... yeah." She let him walk her to the bike, "No... not home.

"What?" Spike asked confusion in his voice.

"I want to go and get my things... but that's not my home now. They tossed me out." Buffy's eyes filled with fresh tears.

"Buffy, you're tired not thinking straight and after what we just witnessed I'm surprised you're still standing." Spike spoke soothingly.

"I am thinking straight, I'm packing a bag and leaving. You can come with me or not." She was dead serious as she settled behind him on the bike.

"Like I said, I prefer just the two of us. I'll drop you off go get the Desoto out of storage and we'll be on our way."

Spike placed one hand on top of her hands clasped around his middle. He could do this for her, he'd humor her and when she was ready to come home, he'd bring her back without a question.

"I think it's done." Wood sighed heavily.

"But at what cost?" Giles surveyed the bodies of the Potentials lying around him.

"There had to have been a better way." Faith looked shellshocked as she surveyed the carnage around her.

"Buffy!" Dawn cried out as her sister entered the house and walked towards the staircase.

Andrew watched the exchange with interest but decided it was in his best interest to stay out of it.

"Dawn." Buffy smiled at the younger girl as she walked towards her room and pulled out a suitcase.

"Buffy... Faith and the other they've gone... " Dawn started to explain then the suitcase caught her attention,'What are you doing?"

"I'm packing." Buffy answered as she cleared her dresser and put the makeup and toiletries in a small bag.

"But... the others they need.. you." Dawn began to look worried.

"No, you voted that you didnt' need me earlier, remember?" Buffy's voice remained neutral as she continued to pack.

"Dawn!" Giles voice came up the stairs, "Andrew said Buffy was ..."

"Yes, I'm here." Buffy answered as stood in the doorway to her bedroom.

"We... killed Caleb, it seems the First is defeated but it was at a great price. All of the... girls... they're gone and Anya too. Willow and Xander have gone to his place they needed some time to grieve."

"I know... " Buffy really looked at him for the first time since he had arrived.

"How?" He asked raising his brow.

"We...Spike and I were there. Looking for this, you might find the passage on page four interesting." Buffy held the book out to him.

"B?" Faith joined Giles at the doorway as he was reading the book.

"Faith. I'm sorry for what you had to go through tonight." Buffy told her as she pulled another pair of shoes from the closet.

"Good Lord!" Giles eclamation filled the room, "They didn't have to die... if we had known... if we had listened to ... " His gaze shifted to Buffy, "I'm so sorry... Buffy."

"What do you mean?" Faith turned to Giles.

"This book has an incantation, it would have rendered Caleb powerless... it could have saved the girls." Giles swallowed hard.

"I told you there had to be something of value tthere." Buffy replied softly as she closed the suitcase.

"Buffy... I don't know what to say." Faith's tone was sincere.

"Buffy... you don't have to go. The apocalypse is over now. We can go back to the way we were." Dawn kept eyeing the closed suitcase on her sister's bed.

Buffy stepped closer to Dawn, she leaned in and kissed the girls cheek, "Dawn, I love you. But you were right. I can't stay here." She picked the suitcase up and began to walk towards the bedroom door.

"But where willl you go? And who's going to be my guardian?" Dawn's voice was choked now.

"Earlier today you sided with Giles and the others, you obvioulsy thought they were a better choice to take care of you then I am when you sent me out of the house. I'm sure they'll take care of you now." Buffy nodded at Giles, "You will right?"

He could only nod in affirmation as she walked past him into the hallway.

"Faith, good luck." Buffy murmured as she walked by the dark haired Slayer.

"You, too. B." Faith replied softly.

"She can't just leave!" Dawn started out into the hallway after her sister.

"Yes she can." Faith stopped her before she could leave the room, "After what happened do you blame her?"

"Dawn, she will be back. Don't worry." Giles absentmindely patted Dawn's shoulder, "Faith we did what we felt was right, and in the end we did win."

"As you said, at what cost, Giles." Faith asked pointedly as she looked into the now empty hallway.

Giles frowned at the Slayer, "We'll here from her, give her time."

They never did...

Six months later in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

The small beachhouse was dark save the flame of a citronella candle on the patio. "Bring me a beer, pet."

"What am I your slave?" Buffy giggled as she handed him his beer and opened her own wine cooler.

"Yeah, my love slave." He laughed as he pulled her into his lap.

"You wish." She giggled into a beer flavored kiss.

"Well last night you were the one wishing that I ... " He finished the sentence in a whisper in her ear causing her to blush furiously.

"It's beautiful here isn't it?" Buffy asked her tone suddenly serious as she surveyed the choppy waves hitting the shoreline.

"It is." He agreed as he watched her snuggle against him taking another sip of her cooler, "You miss it?" He asked knowing she knew what "it" was without saying."We can go back home whenever you want."

She shook her head no and smiled at him giving him a quick kiss.

For years after they left Sunnydale he would frequently ask her if she wanted to go home, always willing to abide her wishes. She always answered the same way, she would kiss him and say "Silly vampire, don't you know by now, that my home is whererver you and I are at the time?"

The End