Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, locations or plots from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is just a work of fiction which has only been able to come into being because of the universe that Mr. Whedon's created.

The Summers Residence, 0730 hours.

Buffy and the Scoobies saved the world. Again.

The Key was destroyed, Ben was dead by unknown means which also meant that Glory the Hell-god was dead, and the portal that opened underneath the mysterious tower was closed. The next morning, Buffy woke up to the sounds of birds chirping, a breeze causing the sheer curtain covering her window to flutter which in turn caused periodic flashes of sunlight to warm her cheeks. The blonde Slayer slowly sat up on her soft bed and removed the covers over her body as she sighed. She then placed her hand on her chest and sighed once again when she felt the silver chain around her neck, but not the green coloured crystal attached to a pendant which was a birthday gift. Or at least she thought it was a birthday gift when she first received it. Instead, it was the physical manifestation of a power energy force molded into a crystal by the monks of Dagon; one of whom revealed the truth to her before dying from his wounds. The Key was being sought by the Beast, and to protect the Key, it was transformed into a piece of jewellery and placed in the Slayers care. The Monk revealed, before he died, that his brethren made certain it was found by the one known as Angel, who in turn would give it to the woman he loved in all the world; Buffy herself.

And now the Key was gone. Buffy knew that the Key was gone, that Glory managed to activate it to open the portal after discovering the pendant was the Key she was looking for. She then got off her bed trying to remember the rest of the events at the factory from the night before, but all she remembered was hitting Glory with the troll god's hammer and the hell-god falling onto the floor before reverting to a bleeding Ben. Buffy then remembered running to the bottom of the portal.. she remembered the demons that tore through the portal trying to get to Earth. And then the portal suddenly closed. She knew the Key had something to do with it since it turned into a green energy ball and closed the portal. But Buffy could feel in her soul that something wasn't right, and it unsettled her. It felt as if there was something missing from her life.

"Buffy?" asked a female voice as she snapped her head up at the door, "you up?"

"Mom?" Buffy said with her voice a soft whisper. The Slayer felt an odd feeling as her mother, Joyce, opened the door and peeked her head inside while smiling at her daughter. She said that pancakes were ready in the kitchen, and that Buffy had to get up if she wanted to set to her class on time.

"I have to leave now, and…."

"Leave?" asked Buffy confused.

"I'm getting that shipment from Cairo, remember?" asked Joyce as she walked into her room.

And Buffy did remember. The Slayer came home last night after the battle was won to find Joyce on the phone saying that she'd be in the gallery by eight in the morning. After putting the phone down, Joyce then explained, while Buffy got some water, that the artefacts she was expecting from the Cairo Museum of Art was arriving the next morning instead of two days later as it was supposed to. So, Joyce needed to get to the gallery early and manage the inventory before arranging the gallery to showcase the artefacts for the month long exhibition, before it moved to San Francisco for a three month exhibition.

Back in the present day, Buffy felt a feeling of joy and relief going through her body. It felt as if she was seeing Joyce for the first time after a very long time. It was a feeling she couldn't explain as she got off the bed and hugged her surprised mother. Buffy held her tight as tears gathered in her eyes, however, she didn't know why. Buffy wiped her eyes while hugging her mother, and then stepped back.

"Buffy? What's wrong?" asked Joyce concerned as she looked at the wet eyes looking back at her.

"Just an allergy I think," chuckled Buffy while wiping her eyes. The truth was that she couldn't understand the reason why she was feeling this overwhelming sense of joy, "I think I've been spending too much time in the dorms. I'm not used to my room again."

Buffy also couldn't tell Joyce that there was a feeling that ebbed in the back of her mind that Joyce shouldn't be here… that she should be somewhere else.

And her heart pained with a loss that she couldn't explain.

"I love you, mom," said Buffy hugging Joyce again tightly, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

"I love you too, honey," whispered Joyce in a gentle voice as she felt a joy for which there was no explanation. However, deep inside… there was also a loss. A feeling of deep loss she couldn't explain. A maternal loss. It was something she knew was impossible since Buffy was her only child. But the feeling existed, and she couldn't tell Buffy that she had this feeling since last night, when she saw the Blonde Slayer enter the kitchen without her green jeweled pendant hanging of the chain around her neck while talking on the phone to her supplier.

'She'll think I'm crazy,' thought Joyce to herself as she and Buffy let go of each other. She looked at Buffy, and then brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear before kissing her cheeks, "I have to get going, honey. Have your breakfast before you leave. Oh, remember dinner tonight okay?"

"Dinner tonight," said Buffy nodding her head.

Joyce then left Buffy's room and headed down the stairs. As she passed a picture, she stopped and looked at it. It was of her and Buffy lying on a sandy beach. She remembered that day clearly when her husband took the photo using his new camera. But Joyce still felt a sense of explainable loss at the sight of the picture.

A loss she couldn't explain at all; but it was there. Shaking her head, Joyce then rushed down the remaining stairs and went out the door. In the meantime, Buffy walked out of her room with a towel over her shoulder. Stepping into the hallway, she was about to make a left turn towards the shower when she stopped. Buffy looked over her shoulder and turned around, only to walk towards an unmarked door at the end of the hallway. Buffy grabbed the door knob, turned it, and then pushed the door gently open to find her mother's store room of knick-knacks, boxes, a tall mirror, and old clothes in the corner. Looking through the room from the door Buffy's feeling of loss grew as a tear traveled down her cheeks.

Wiping the tears away, Buffy stared at the wetness on her fingers before looking at the contents of the storeroom once again.

"This feeling," whispered Buffy closing the door behind her before heading for the shower, "I need to know why…. Why is it there? Why do I feel such a loss? Giles will know… maybe. I.. I should talk to him after class and…"

Buffy then stopped with her eyes wide open in panic. She then ran as fast as she could to the shower while exclaiming, "oh God, oh God, I have a test today. Crap!"

TBC