Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of its characters

Title: The Next Chapter

Pairings: Buffy/Faith Willow/Kennedy Xander/Other

Summary: After Sunnydale fell Buffy knew that things were going to be different. She knew that he role as the Slayer would change because she was no longer the only one. Was she ready?

Chapter One: Moving On

Sunnydale is gone.

I know I should be more upset by the whole thing, after all Sunnydale was my home. Sunnydale was all our homes. I think it helps that everyone left town before anything happened so no one was hurt, well almost no one. We lost Anya. Anya wasn't someone that we all understood. At times she was hard to understand mostly because she didn't real know what it was like to be human. We all grew to understand her through the years and at first I only thought we put up with her because she was with Xander. But now, knowing she's gone, no longer hearing her outrageous comments, the silence, I miss her.

"So," Faith takes a seat next to me on the bus as we enter the city limits of L.A. Angel is allowing us to stay in his hotel until we find a more secure location, a location where we'll be able to train the new slayers, to train new witches, and to train new watchers. "What now?" We're in the back of the bus, everyone else is asleep or at least trying to fall asleep. I look over at her sitting next to me. You know she's someone I never could count on, she was always here and gone, never staying in one place long enough for people to miss her. But then this all happened, the end of the world, and this time she stuck around, she stuck by my side until the end.

There was always something about Faith. Something I couldn't seem to put my finger on, something that always brought us together. And now that I'm entering a new part of my life, there something inside me that I can't seem to keep at bay anymore. So without warning, I lean over and place my lips on hers. Feeling the softness of her lips as the move against mine after the initial shock wears off. I can feel her hand as she places it on my cheek. I wonder how long she has waited for this moment, I wonder if she's thought about my lips as much as I used to think about hers. Pulling away I lean back in my seat and glance out the window. "I don't know."

…

The hotel was slowly coming into view as we drive through the city, towering over all the smaller buildings around it. The last time I was here at this hotel was when Angel was hiding Faith from me, when I walked downstairs and found them kissing I don't know who I was more mad at. Faith or Angel. I know Anger figured I was mad at him which is why he followed me out, but in all honesty I believe I was more mad at Faith. And it was in that moment that I realized my true feelings for Faith, it was when I realize exactly who she was to me. "We're staying here?" Xander says as he makes his way to the back of the bus.

"Angel said he hasn't used it in years, but he's maintained it as a getaway for him," I stand up, Faith following suit. "No one should bother us here." I move past everyone on the bus to where Giles is driving. "He said to pull around back, there should be a parking lot, so no one will know we're here."

"Buffy, are you sure about this?" he asks but does as instructed.

"It's only temporary Giles," I comment as I move back to the back of the bus, grabbing Willow on my way. Kennedy moves to come with her but Willow stops her. So here I stand in front of my friends. Xander and Willow whom I've known and who have followed me since the beginning, Faith who despite everything her and I have been through is still standing by me. "That was the end. Back there, our home is gone. You've all given more than I could have possibly asked for, I'm going to continue, I'm going to lead these girls into this life, but only if they choose. No one will be chosen again. If you want to fight you can stay, but if you want to leave, I won't stop you."

"Buff," Willow puts her hand on my shoulder. "I'm in this for life, until we're old and grey together."

"Here, here," Xander says stuffing his hands into his pockets.

My eyes land on Faith's. I can still feel her lips on mine. "C'mon B," she says smirking her normal cocky smirk. "Every good slayer needs their bad slayer," she comments.

…

"This place is huge!" Kennedy says as she walks into the main lobby of the hotel. "I call the honeymoon suite."

"Sorry short stuff," Faith says slapping her on the back. "I don't think so."

"Is it cold in here or is it just me?" Xander comments as he comes to stand beside me.

Angel said it was going to this all ready for us, like turning the heat back on and such. "I'll go downstairs and check," I say moving away from the group. Something doesn't feel right about this place.

"Hey," I knew she was following me, just as I knew she would. "Does this place have your slayer senses tingle too?" She asks as she follows me downstairs.

"Yeah. Angel commented about when he first moved in here it was haunted or something, maybe it's just the ghosts trying to scare us away." I say laughing.

"Not cool B."

"Are you telling me your scared of a few little ghosts Faith? After everything we've faced." I ask seriously. I've never known Faith to be scared of something; she's always the tough one, hiding her emotions so no one knew what she was feeling.

"I don't like what I can't see B," she says honestly.

I could say the same thing but I've been up against things I couldn't see before. First there was the invisible girl who was after Cordelia. Then there was the poltergeist in Riley's frat house. The last one I came up against was right after I first got back from Heaven. And I have to agree with Faith, I'm not the biggest fan of coming up against things I can't see either.

"Hey Buffy," she never says my full name, like ever, not unless it's something serious. "Are we, uh, gonna talk about what happened on the bus?" She asks.

"Uh," but before I could say anything a scream from upstairs startles me. Without another second lost both Faith and I fly up the stairs forgetting about the conversation that was interrupted.

…

Author's Note: Reviews would be greatly appreciated.