With the sun setting behind the buildings, it was time to leave. The bus was a few streets down. Buffy was ready to get their wounded and head back to home base. She started to gather the supplies along with those who were mobile. Gunn helped out as did Illyria who didn't feel she could do much else at that point. Spike looked at Angel for a long moment before Angel addressed Buffy:

"Listen Buffy; Spike, the others and I have left some stuff in my old car. It's the only piece of property that didn't belong to W&H. Is it possible for us to drive the car behind the bus? Besides, I doubt your bus has specially tinted windows for vampires."

"Sure, go get your car. No the bus doesn't have the tinted windows but the drive from here to the base is about an hour. Bring the car around here and you can follow us to it and we can go from there."

"Wes, you better bring Fred to the bus with us, she'll have more room there to get comfortable and we have a medical station set up in the back." Faith added as Wes nodded and scooped a shivering Fred into his arms.

They were ready to go. Angel and Spike left to get the car which was parked and undamaged where he had left it with all of their things still in the trunk and back seat. Angel with Spike drove to where the warehouse was and the others were trickling out, Faith led them to the bus. The vamps were surprised by the sophistication of this bus. It was an all-black coach; it was very inconspicuous in the night. As Buffy unlocked it and everyone was loaded onto it, she and Faith opened the under carriage compartments where they kept their weapons mostly and a change of clothing. Faith gestured to Angel and Spike that there was room under there for their things so they unloaded the backseat. Gunn opted to go in Angel's car as did Illyria. Meanwhile, Fred and Wes were getting situated in the back of the bus with the help of Dawn and Willow.

There were 3 medical cots back there and a few seats that turned into cots for the most critically injured. The first aid kits they had there were also broken out. Tara tended to the wounded with Willow. Wes never left Fred's side. Dawn turned on a small portable heater in the back as Fred was still shivering. Thankfully, slayers healed quickly so it was really only Fred that was the priority for the women. A slayer named Katrina was the main driver of the coach so she took to the steering wheel and with a nod from Buffy, started up the bus, and after the doors were closed and everyone was more or less seated, took off with Angel's car right behind in a caravan of sorts.

Just as Buffy had predicted, it took one hour before they pulled up to the base. The whole base was outlined with stones, from their angle it looked like a cross between a military base and a Native American reservation, both vehicles drove through the entrance and for a ways around a paved road as the Angel gang looked around them. There were houses, what looked like a library, lots of trees, vehicles, a store, and what looked like a hospital which was where the bus pulled up to. Several women and men exited the building with gurneys and started to unload the wounded. Fred was placed on one of those gurneys and wheeled in with Wes right beside her.

Everyone else exited the bus and got their stuff and started to scatter save for Buffy and Faith who knew that the newcomers were in need of a serious explanation. Once it was emptied, Katrina drove it to its parking space on the far side of the base.

"Where do I start?" Buffy said while stretching her arms out and cracking her neck.

"Anywhere, would be nice. For starters, what is this place? How do you pay for all of this?" Angel asked as the 4 of them walked down a path between trees.

"This is or was an old military base that we were given by a private sector of the military. I'm sure Spike remembers the Initiative." After Spike's grunt, she continued:

"Well they figured out pretty quickly they couldn't deal with the supernatural so they gave us two bases in the U.S. This is the main one and the one Faith and Robin run in Boston is the second one. Other governments in other countries are also working underground with slayers. They don't meddle in our business; they just basically pay for room, board, the bases, food, and supplies."

"What B means is that they keep their noses out of our biz and we don't send any demons to their doorsteps." Faith smirked.

"So you're basically blackmailing the government?" Spike said with a smile.

"Well, blackmail is such an ugly word." Faith grinned back.

"Whatever; it gets the job done." Buffy shook her head.

"Willow named this base SunStorm, considering we're in the middle of the desert. The base back east is WindStorm; that's as code as we get here." Faith explained.

"So how long are you here for, Faith?" Angel asked.

"For as long as B needs me. Besides, Buffy's right. These Senior Partners aren't done so until they are good and out of business, I'll stay here. Robin can hold down the fort at home. I have faith in my man." She replied with a smile and Buffy nodded.

"Your man? You mean you and the principal.....?" Spike asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah dude....but that's a story for another time." She said as Dawn approached.

"Hey, um has anyone seen the creature from the Blue Lagoon? No one's seen her since we got here and the slayers are giving her a pretty wide berth." She said crossing her arms.

"You mean Illyria? Yeah I'll go try to find her, if I knew where to go. This place is as large as all of bloody Sunnydale." Spike said looking around unsure.

"I'll come with you, big guy. Let the love birds here have some time alone." Faith said winking at Buffy who rolled her eyes. With that, Faith and Spike walked in one direction as Dawn continued toward whatever her destination was before.

"So Faith and that principal?" Angel asked as he and Buffy watched Spike and Faith walk away.

"Yep! He's done a world of good in her life. She got her GED and is now taking classes online to get her Bachelors. Robin got himself a great Principal position in a private school in Boston so they are both in great places in their lives."

"Faith is getting a degree? In what? I can't see anything interesting her other than kicking ass and I doubt they have that as an option." Buffy snickered.

"Engineering actually. Go figure, she finds it interesting. Other than training slayers, she also teaches karate on the side. She's not the only one, in school again." Buffy looked at Angel briefly.

"You? Really? Wha-what are you doing?" He asked with interest.

"What? I'm educationy....I'm all for the getting of the education!" Buffy said indignantly, then when Angel smirked, continued:

"I am taking classes online from the University of Phoenix in Social Work. Kinda got the idea from Willow who is finishing her degree in something I can't pronounce at UCLA. Dawn finished high school in Italy and will be going to college within the next year or so. All depends how this fight goes with the Senior Partners."

"Wow. Seems like that cookie dough is bubbling away." Buffy blushed. They walked in silence for a while.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Wes was sitting on the side of Fred's bed. She was plugged into every monitor known to man as well as an IV to keep her hydrated. She coughed a little bit and then turned her head toward Wes and opened her eyes. She couldn't believe she was with him again. The last time she had any memory at all, she was in so much excruciating pain as Illyria bore a hole in her to take over her body. Now she was no longer in pain and her skin felt soft. She was however, very tired and so very cold. Did not having a body for so long, make her cold? That's when she remembered something and almost popped up except she became instantly dizzy and weaved as Wes grabbed a hold of her.

"Feiggenbaum! Where's Feiggenbaum? I need him!" She said frightened. Wes remembered her asking for that name the night she died.

"Fred, who is that? Who is Feiggenbaum?" Maybe she'd remember this time and she did.

"He-he's my stuffed bunny. I've had him since I was a little girl. Please Wes, I must have him!" She looked at him with desperate eyes.

"Shhh, now. You must rest; I will find him and bring him here. It may take a while but I promise you, I'll bring him to you."

Wes promised as he remembered packing up the ragged-looking bunny in her office the day after she died. He was in one of the boxes that he left in her apartment. When she was stable enough so he could leave her, he would go back to LA and pack up her apartment. He knew they would never be able to live in LA again, Senior Partners or not. And the doctor did mention something about them having a house on the base. He would find out more about that from Buffy later. In the meantime, he still had in his possession--something that he stole from W&H and it was in Angel's car--one of the books that could summon any text ever written. He had a feeling it would come in extra handy in the coming days and weeks.

"How's my patient doing?" The female doctor who had administered the IV and who originally greeted them at the door asked as she came in smiling. She had already filled Wes in on the same things that Buffy had told Angel and Spike regarding the base and its operations.

"She's still so cold, doctor. Is there anything else we can do to warm her up?"

"Well we are getting some electric blankets out of storage and a bowl of hot chicken soup will definitely help. Please call me Anne." She said with a smile as she stepped aside and a nurse came in with a steaming bowl of chicken soup. Wes took the bowl and started to very slowly ladle the spoonfuls into Fred's mouth as she swallowed gratefully.

"Anne-if you don't mind my asking-are you also military?" Wes asked as he continued to feed Fred.

"No actually I'm not. I and those like me consider ourselves defunct slayers. We learned of our calling after we were no longer of the age to be called. Those of us with medical degrees decided to come to SunStorm or WindStorm to help the cause. My husband is an X-Ray/MRI technician and he's in this hospital too. We have a total of 5 doctors including me on staff here; all defunct slayers. We provide care as well as research better ways in helping slayers heal or find cures for ancient curses. It's quite an interesting place to work. And the government pays us a healthy salary so we aren't complaining." She finished with a smile.

"Wow, I-I didn't even think that was possible." Fred spoke. She had been listening keenly to the whole thing.

"Nobody did. But when Willow used the essence of the scythe and the help of The Goddess to call upon every slayer in the world when fighting The First; that included those of us who had lived past our calling dates and so here we are."

"That's amazing." Fred said with a smile.

"Yes it really is." Wes said.

"Well looks like you got some color in your cheeks, young lady. A bowl of chicken soup will make all the bad things go away, as my mother used to say. We'll still bring the electric blanket for you. I think by the end of the week you can go home." Anne said with a smile as she checked Fred's vitals.

"Home? Where's that?" Fred asked.

"Oh Buffy hasn't told you yet? Well from what I know you are getting a house to share with Gunn. It's a two floor house with an entrance to the underground tunnels. Since we have never had vampires here before; Buffy, Dawn, and Faith have refurbished two locations on opposite sides of the base to be homes for Angel and Spike. Your house will have an entrance point to Spike's living quarters while Buffy, Dawn, and Willow's house have Angel's. Faith is staying there too as I assume is Tara now that she's back. Theirs is the biggest house on the base. Most of us live in one story houses here. The slayers live in two 5 story dorm like buildings. I don't want to give Fred a headache so I can fill you in on the rest later. Let's let her sleep." Fred had dropped off and Wes left the room with Dr. Anne.

Cut across the base to Willow's room where she was sitting on the bed with Tara, holding hands and explaining to Tara about the base.

"So Fred, Wes, and Gunn will live in one house with Spike's apartment underneath the house and Angel's apartment is underneath this house?" Tara asked to double check she got all of the information.

"Yep. The tunnels that run under the base are a city of their own. I needed a locator spell just to find the house again the first few weeks I was here. It's a lot easier to walk above ground let me tell you." She said with a cute little snort that made Tara smile.

"I feel so bad, Fred is so weak and I don't know what to say about Illyria just yet." Tara said shaking her head.

"Yeah, Dawnie said the other slayers have started calling her the creature from the blue lagoon. And Spike also told Dawn that Wes had called her a smurf at one point."

"She's an old one, Will. Very blue yes but she was a power to be reckoned with in her time." Tara reminded Willow.

"So was I." Willow said quietly, getting off the bed. She knew that sooner or later she would have to talk to Tara about what she did and went through when the former was killed.

"Look, Tara, I don't know how much you saw from where you were but.....when I lost you, I-I went crazy. I hurt the people I loved the most and I killed two people. Not to mention that I sorta decided destroying the world would be a nifty idea." Willow stood at the far side of the bedroom wringing her hands as Tara got off the bed and walked slowly toward her.

"I know sweetie. I saw everything. I couldn't do anything or influence you in anyway. You had to find your own way out and thanks to Xander you did. I'm not saying that what you did is ok or excusable but considering what you went through.....I don't know if I would have reacted differently if the situation was reversed." Tara said as she took Willow's hands in her own as Willow shook her head vehemently.

"No Tara....you're so much stronger than me. I was weak and stupid. You would never hurt anyone."

"Not true. You are very strong. If it wasn't for your inner strength, you would have just let the magics completely destroy you and the world along with. Don't sell yourself short. You're amazing. That's one of the million reasons; I love you so very much." Tara said as tears ran down Willow's cheeks and they hugged.

"So you forgive me?" Willow gulped between tears.

"Will, there's nothing to forgive. You have to learn from the past and let it go." Tara said wisely as she cradled Willow in her arms.

The two of them stayed that way a long time before they changed into pajamas that Willow had-they were still the same size-and went to bed. Dawn came home to find Willow's door closed, she smiled and went to her own room to watch TV and read a book; she'd finished her chores in the library. She had seen Spike and Faith walk into the greenhouse and stay there while Angel and Buffy continued to walk around the base and talk. She felt like everyone was home. Buffy had just finished explaining the tunnel system to Angel as Spike and Faith rejoined them.

"Well everyone is more or less caught up. Did you find Illyria?" Buffy asked. Spike nodded.

"Nice greenhouse you have here. We found her sound asleep in one of the rooms. Those plants sure do comfort her and she doesn't even sleep that much."

"If she likes plants so much perhaps you can make her, her own place in one of those rooms and that way she doesn't have to share a house with anyone. I don't think Wes will be particularly pleased to have her as a constant reminder otherwise." Angel said. Buffy nodded.

"That's a good idea. Don't you think so, B?" Faith said.

"I agree. Besides, until she understands her new place in the world without Fred's background or Wesley's caring, the slayers should stay away from her. She can stay there for as long as she wants. We'll move in a bed for her so she doesn't sleep on the floor." Buffy said rubbing her temples.

"You look exhausted." Angel observed.

"Isn't everyone?" Buffy asked yawning. She was right; it'd been a long week and a half. And even longer 3 days.

"Buffy, what was with you and The Immortal in Italy?" Spike asked out of nowhere catching everyone by surprise.

"Way to work in with the subtle there Spike." Angel said sarcastically.

"What? I wanna know! I think we both deserve an explanation considering how much we both bloody hate him!" Spike said indignantly. Buffy sighed and explained.

"Nothing, I was undercover and we worked out a deal. We were both there fighting the same evil. We had to pretend to be together though don't get me wrong, he tried very hard to make that pretend part real. But he was so sleazy, just made me want to take a shower just from speaking with him." Buffy shuttered with disgust.

"So nothing ever happened between you two?" Angel asked, his eyebrows rising.

"Only in his dreams and my nightmares." She replied.

"Yes!" Angel and Spike gave each other high fives then remembered that they were still rivals and grunted at each other as both Faith and Buffy rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

"Now Angel, as the tunnels are completely under the base, you can park your car in that cave over there which was used before for storing government equipment but it's large enough to store vehicles too. We will order the special tint for our other vehicles so they will be vampire friendly." Buffy said with a smile.

"Sounds good. Just one last question.....for now.....can I call the outside world from here and is it safe?" He asked.

"As in not tip off the Senior Partners safe?"

"Yes."

"Yes we have a room in the library where you can make phone calls and have video conferences. The Goddess and Willow both put protective barriers on the base itself and all communication lines." Buffy explained.

"Who are you going to call mate; everyone is here?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.

Angel looked at him and then at Buffy.

"Connor."