The What If Factor.

Chapter 1: Anger and Sadness.

Rating: PG-13

Feed back: Give it to me, but be gentle.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff except for their daughters. Now, there is some name similarities between this story and my other story, A Day Of Grief, but it's a completely different story.

Author's Note: So, I'm sitting in my mother's office at work with nothing to do but type or read my drivers manual. Which one do you think I'm gonnna choose?

Buffy looked at the grave stone. A single tear rolled down her cheek. This was so unreal. How could this have happened? Everything had been so perfect, and now it was different. She was falling apart from the inside out. She had barely held it together for her daughters, who didn't really understand what was going on. They knew that their father was gone, but were convinced that he wouldn't stay that way. Buffy had thought that at first, too. But now, she knew that he wasn't coming back.

Her beloved Angel was gone.

Angel had Shan Shued just after the final battle. He had found Buffy in Italy and showed her that The Immortal wasn't who she wanted. They had moved back to L.A. and into the Hyperion, before finding their own house on the outskirts of the city. Then, their oldest, Paige. Then it was Ava, fallowed by Katherine.

They had been happy. They still worked in the 'demon business' yet lived lives of normalcy. Until all of that had been stolen from her. A demon, that she had slayed the next night, had thrown a fire ball at Angel, and it had burned right through his chest. He had died moments later, in Buffy's arms.

Now, she stood and looked at the grave stone, Angry and alone. The girls were at the car with Willow and Xander. She turned around and began to walk away, doing her best to leave the memories behind her.

When she got to the car, one-year-old Katherine, or Kate, and three-year-old Ava had already been strapped into their car seats. Six-year-old Paige was standing outside the car, waiting for her. Buffy thanked Willow for watching them as she hoisted Paige into the car, as well.

They drove home in silence. When they got to the house, Buffy carried a sleeping Kate inside, as the other two girls trailed behind her. She put Kate in her crib then went back downstairs. "Mommy?" Paige asked, coming up to her. "When is Daddy coming home?" Buffy felt a sharp pain in her stomach as her daughter asked that. "Honey, Daddy isn't… Daddy can't come home."

"Why?" Paige asked, confused.

"Well, because Daddy went to live with Grandma, and Aunt Cordy, and Uncle Wes."

Paige's eyes began to fill with tears. "But… but they went up there and never came back."

"I know." Buffy said sadly.

"So, Daddy's never coming back?" Buffy shook her head as she held back the tears.

"No, Baby. He's not."

And she was angry that he wasn't.