Curled in the uncomfortable, hard school bus seat, Buffy allowed her eyes to flutter close and sleep to over take her. The fight against The First did not give Buffy the simple luxury of sleep. When she caught a moment of rest, it was filled with nightmares, flashes of a impending final battle that left her friends, the Potentials, dead, their bodies ripped to shreds by vampires. Buffy, surrounded, with death quickly becoming the only choice she had. The death of The First and the conclusion of the final battle granted Buffy a moment's reprieve and reassure the Hellmouth closed permanently. The creaking of the bus a deformed lullaby, but the most amazing one Buffy had heard in so long. A few flashes of bright light, the crumble of rock and stone, and Spike bursting into flames in front of her eyes. "I love you." The words echoed in her head and his response: "No you don't, but thanks for saying it.". The feel of his hand, the smell of burning flesh filling her nose, Buffy would never forget either of them. She'd held tight, hoping physical strength alone could keep him anchored to this world. Of course it couldn't, a foolish hope, but Buffy's entire existence had hinged on foolish hope and death. Death was her gift.
Lulled to sleep, slipping into the comforting darkness, Buffy when the creaking and clanking of the bus stopped, replaced with the obnoxious sound of honking horns, traffic, and voices. Cool air tickled her skin, playing with the strands of her blond hair, and the slayer groaned, rolling over. The bus seat was huge and incredibly soft. Her jacket becoming plush and comfortable. They must be in a town. L.A.? Ohio at last? Inhaling deeply, Buffy's eyes opened, blinking against the bright light flooding the room. The room? What? Buffy shot up straight in bed, comforter and sheets tumbling to the floor. The bus. What happened to the bus? All around her was a bedroom, her body situated in a bed. "Oh boy..." Buffy trailed off, pushing herself up, hurrying to the window and scrambling to push aside the curtains. Instead of desert, dust and grim, Buffy found herself looking out a large, unfamiliar city, bustling with activity and the large buildings bathed in golden morning light. How? A dream. She must be dreaming. Rushing to the bathroom, she turned on the faucet, catching cold water in her palms and in a fever, splashed her face. Another dose and Buffy opened her green eyes, expecting anything, but the stubborn sight of this strange bathroom around her. Buffy pinched her arm hard, leaving the pale skin blotchy, but this world in place. What was going on? Where was she? Bits and pieces of a voice, explaining something about being...special, chosen? This was her new life and she couldn't leave.
It was true. Buffy couldn't leave. The walls surrounding the magnificent city kept the residents locked inside. Unless she found a way to scale the walls or something, this was starting to seem like her new life. Her new, unwanted beginning complete with a thought spawning into whatever she wanted when she desired it. A cup of orange juice, breakfast, and coffee? Stepping into the diner, settling into a booth, she possessed the money to purchase all of it. Around her, in the flurry of the diner, people appeared normal. Eating, laughing, reading the paper. Not a single sign of panic over the walls trapping them within. Had they made peace with this fate? Or were they oblivious to the walls? It was that way everywhere around the city. There was no sign of panic, of fear, of anything spelling anxiety. It made no sense, at all. Finally, as the sun set, Buffy came upon a familiar sight: the looming metal, graveyard gates. The light shadowed in the grave stones, reflecting off the marble. A few rounds and night fell, settling in around her like a dark, fuzzy blanket. Buffy inhaled the cool air into her lungs. Were there vampires here? It wouldn't surprise her. This city had everything else you could think of.