If you are upset at the direction of this story, I hope you'll continue to read and trust that I have a plan. Also, I am writing this story with a sequel in mind, so I made a decision about Joyce with that thought in mind. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 10: Change Brings Pain
*****Where We Left Off*****
Daniel looked down at Joyce's still body, panic building inside of him. "Joyce!" called out. He gently shook her. She didn't stir. He tried to find a pulse and couldn't find one. "Oh God!" He grabbed the phone and started to call 9-1-1 when Joyce's body disappeared before his eyes.
"Fear not, Daniel Jackson," a voice said. Daniel turned around and saw Morgan Le Fey.
"What the hell is going on? Why are you here? What happened to Joyce?" Daniel demanded.
"I showed her the path to ascension," Morgan said.
"Why? Why would you do that? Bring her back!" he yelled. He looked up and around frantically. "Joyce! Come back! Don't leave me! Don't leave the girls!"
"She is gone, Daniel," Morgan said with compassion.
"Why would you do this?" Daniel asked angrily.
"I did it for you. I did it for your daughter. Buffy Summers is a great champion for earth like her father," Morgan said with a gentle smile.
"So you think we deserve to lose Joyce?" Daniel asked bitterly.
"She died, Daniel. A bleed in her brain. There was no way to save her," Morgan said morosely.
"She was fine! She just had a clean bill of health from the doctor!" Daniel insisted.
"I assure you, Daniel, that the surgery she had to remove her tumor caused an aneurysm. It ruptured in a moment. I had very little time to show her how to ascend," Morgan said. "I thought it would please you."
Daniel rubbed a hand over his face. This couldn't be happening. "What will I say to Buffy and Dawn? Without a body, they'll never accept that their mother is gone!" he exclaimed.
"Maybe they shouldn't accept it. You ascended and yet here you are now," Morgan pointed out.
"So you're saying that she could come back?" Daniel asked.
"You know as well as I that each person must follow the path where it leads them. No one can decide it for them," Morgan said.
Daniel's anger and loss battled with the hope her words inspired. "Surely, she'll decide to come back. Her daughters need her!" he exclaimed.
"Yet could she not help them from another plane of existence?" Morgan pointed out. "Her daughter is the guardian of the hellmouth. Joyce Summers has never been able to truly help her daughter. Now she can. She may choose to stay a guardian. Many do."
Daniel was overwhelmed. His legs gave out on him, and he sat on the bed. "I can't believe this. We just reconnected. I love her," he said more to himself than Morgan.
"I know. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to save her. She is a worthy mate for you, Daniel Jackson," Morgan said, giving him a sad look.
"And just like my wife, I've lost her," Daniel said sadly.
"You won't be alone. You have your girls," Morgan said.
"Buffy's life is in constant danger. There's no guarantee that she'll survive the battle with Glory," Daniel said. "Dawn can't lose them both!"
"I promise you, Daniel, that I will watch out for your firstborn," Morgan said. Then she disappeared.
What was Daniel going to say to Buffy and Dawn? How could he explain this? He reached for his phone and called Jack.
"Jack, she's gone! Joyce is gone! She died and Morgan Le Fey helped her ascend. What am I going to tell the girls? I just found her again, Jack, and now she's gone," his voice broke.
Jack was on the other side of the country, cursing the miles, as he tried to decipher what Daniel was saying. "Joyce is dead? What happened?" he asked. He put his hand over the phone and yelled for his assistant.
"She said she had a headache, and I went to grab some aspirin. I was gone less than a minute. When I got back, she was unresponsive. I couldn't find a pulse. Then, before I could call 911, her body disappeared. Morgan Le Fey showed up and told me she helped Joyce ascend," Daniel said, speaking at a slower voice.
"Oh God, Daniel, I'm so sorry," Jack said, feeling heartbroken for him. He put a hand over the receiver as his assistant came in. "Get me a flight to Sunnydale, California as soon as possible. Clear my schedule!"
"What am I going to tell Buffy? How can I explain this to Dawn? She doesn't know about anything! Joyce thought we should wait to tell her. She's not of legal age to sign nondisclosure papers," Daniel said, his mind racing. "Giles. I'll call Giles. He'll know what to do."
"Daniel, I'll be there as soon as I can," Jack said.
"Okay, thanks. I got to call Giles now. Bye," Daniel said, disconnecting. He picked up the gown Joyce had slipped on after they'd made love. It was on the bed, her body gone. He cradled the gown and walked downstairs as he called Giles. "Giles, I need you to come to Buffy's right now. I'll explain when you get here. Please don't say a word to anyone. Come now." Daniel hung up before Giles could ask any questions. He sat down on the sofa, looking down at the gown.
How could she be gone just like that? His eyes filled with tears as he replayed their date.
When Giles arrived at Buffy's, he wasn't sure what to expect. He opened the door without knocking. The sight of Daniel on the couch holding a bit of clothes, crying was not something he expected. "Daniel?" he questioned. "What has happened?"
Daniel looked up at him with tearful eyes. "She's gone, Giles. I've lost her," he said.
"Who's gone? What happened?" Giles asked moving closer.
"Joyce. She died of a brain bleed. I didn't know. She said her head hurt. I only left her side for a minute. When I returned, she was had no pulse," Daniel explained. "I couldn't even call for an ambulance before she was gone!"
"What do you mean? Where did she go?" Giles asked, hating feeling so confused.
"She ascended," Daniel said.
Thinking of the mayor ascending into a giant snake, Giles looked horrified. "What?" he demanded. "Did she transform? How is that possible? She doesn't practice any dark arts!"
Now it was Daniel's turn to look confused. "What?" he asked. As Giles repeated his question, it occurred to Daniel what Giles was thinking. "Oh, no, not like the mayor. She ascended to another plane of existence. It's something the Ancients did after creating the Stargate." The day after their return from Vegas, Daniel spoke to Giles and all of Buffy's friends, making them sign the nondisclosure forms. It really made things easier that they knew.
"How do you know this?" Giles asked.
"Morgan Le Fey appeared to me and told me. She helped Joyce ascend so that we could have the hope of her return someday. I ascended when I died of radiation poison. I returned," Daniel explained.
"Dear Lord," Giles said, taking off his glasses to clean them. This was too much to take in. "Do you think she will return?"
"I have no idea. There's no way of knowing! I don't have any memories of my ascension. I just know that you can see what you leave behind. You can also choose to intervene, but that can get you kicked out and booted back to the corporal plane," Daniel explained.
"Have you told Buffy?" Giles asked.
Daniel shook his head. "The girls aren't here. Buffy stayed on campus at Willow and Tara's, I think. Dawn stayed with a friend. She'll be home in a few hours. How do I tell them, Rupert? How can I tell them their mother is dead when there is no body?" he asked, looking anguished.
Giles sat down on the couch next to Daniel. "I am so sorry, Daniel. Joyce was a lovely woman who did so much for her girls," Giles said.
Daniel's eyes filled with tears again in the face of Giles' compassion. "I just found her again, Rupert, and now she's gone," he said.
Giles put his hand on Daniel's shoulder, and they sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Giles said, "We need to call Buffy and tell her to come home." He got up and went to the house phone and dialed Willow's number.
Daniel wiped his eyes. "I've got to get Dawn. Or should I wait until she comes home?" Daniel said.
Giles hung up the phone. "I'm not sure a few hours will make much a difference," he said. "Buffy's on her way. It'll probably be better if she knows first. She can offer comfort to Dawn."
A half hour later, Buffy came home. She had on a big smile when she saw her dad still there. "Hey, Dad! How was the date? Did you rock mom's world?" she asked him. Then she noticed how upset he looked. "What's wrong?" She glanced at Giles who looked equally upset.
"Come here," Daniel said, holding out his hand.
Buffy's heart pounded as she braced herself. Somehow, she knew whatever he was about to say would change her world forever. "Are you leaving? Did they call you away to go fight aliens somewhere?" she asked.
Daniel shook his head. "It's your mom. She said she had a headache. I went to get her some aspirin. I was gone less than a minute. When I got back to her, she was gone," Daniel said.
Buffy looked at him in dismay. "What do you mean gone? Is she okay?" Buffy asked, standing to her feet and pulling away from her dad.
Daniel stood and put his hands on her shoulders. "Honey, she had a brain aneurysm from her surgery. It was so fast. She didn't suffer," Daniel said.
Buffy's eyes filled with tears. "She's dead? She's really dead?" Buffy asked.
Daniel pulled her against him. "She's gone, sweetheart. I went into the bathroom to get her aspirin. In that short time, she slipped away. Before I could even call 911, she ascended," Daniel explained.
Buffy pulled back, frowning. "What do you mean? Ascended where?" Buffy asked.
"To a higher plane of existence," Daniel said. "Morgan Le Fey, an Ancient, appeared to me and told me. She helped your mother ascend."
Daniel had shared quite a bit of his history with Buffy, so she knew what that meant. "Does that mean she can come back like you?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"It's possible, but it's up to her. As an ascended being, she has power. She can watch over earth and the people she loves in a way that she can't here," Daniel said.
"How do we explain this to Dawn? Joyce's friends?" Buffy asked. She sat down on the sofa.
"I don't know, but Jack is on his way. He'll probably be able to produce a death certificate," Daniel said.
Hearing the words death certificate caused Buffy's eyes to fill with tears. She began to cry. Daniel sat down next to her and put his arm around, holding her close. He looked up at Giles, feeling lost.
"I'll go to the shop and let everyone know what's happening. We'll come back later to see where we go from here," Giles said.
"Thank you," Daniel said, flashing him a grateful look. "I appreciate you coming."
Giles left to break the bad news to everyone else.
Giles stopped by Willow and Tara's first with the bad news. While they tried to process it, Giles left to see Xander and Anya. To say that everyone was devastated would be an understatement. Naturally, they were really freaked out about the disappearing body.
Willow was crying on Tara's shoulder. "How-how can we bury a body without a body?" she asked. "What will Dawnie think? Oh God! Dawnie! She's going to be destroyed."
Tara held her, fighting her own tears. Joyce had selflessly embraced all of them. For Tara, she had made Sunnydale even more of a home. Now, though, she knew exactly how Dawn would feel. "She will. But she has Buffy and her dad. And she has us. That was more than I had when my mother died," Tara shared, remembering.
Willow wiped her eyes and looked at her. "I hate to think about you going through something like that without me," she said.
"It's the worst thing she'll probably ever go through, but at least there's some hope. She ascended. She could come back," Tara pointed out.
"That's almost worse! You know Dawn. She'll never accept her mom's gone if she knows she's ascended," Willow said.
"We'll have to help her. Be there for her and for Buffy," Tara said.
Willow hugged her close. If she felt this bad, she could only imagine how bad Buffy and Dawn feel.
******Summers' House******
When Dawn made it home, Buffy was hugging Mr. Gordo in her room, trying to wrap her mind around her mother's death and ascension. Knowing that she could decide to return to them brought her comfort. However, she also knew how much her mother hated her risky calling. Buffy could see her mother choosing to stay in a form that would allow her to bring some help or aid to her and her friends. What if she never returned? Grief at the thought welled up and threatened to overwhelm. She curled up in a ball, hugging her favorite stuffed animal as she sobbed.
Downstairs, Daniel was attempting to share the bad news with Dawn. Buffy heard her screams.
"No!" Dawn wailed. "Buffy!"
Buffy threw down Mr. Gordo and wiped her face before running down the stairs. When she got to the living room, she saw Dawn on the floor with Daniel trying to hold her.
"Dawn," she said.
Dawn looked up. "Buffy!" she wailed. When Buffy reached her, she threw herself into Buffy's arms, crying. "I want to see Mom! Tell him I can see Mom!"
"Dawn, she's gone," Buffy said as she stroked her hair.
Dawn pulled back. "I don't understand. How can she be gone? Is she at the hospital or morgue or something?" Dawn asked.
"Sweetheart, she ascended. She's in a better place. A higher plane of existence," Daniel explained.
"How do you know that?" Dawn asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. As much as she was loving her new dad, her mother was her world, her best friend. She loved Dawn even when she found out Dawn wasn't really human until several months ago. Her mother was strong and capable. She started over when their dad left. She made her business a success. She welcomed and loved their friends—even Spike. Why would she leave them now?
"A friend of sorts, Morgan Le Fey, a woman that's part of an ancient race that died out eons ago, appeared to me and told me. She said your mother died of an aneurysm that couldn't be healed or avoided. So she helped Joyce ascend," Daniel explained. He glanced at Buffy. "We have to tell her."
"Tell me what?" Dawn asked.
"What I really do for a living," Daniel said. "Your mom wanted to wait until Glory was dealt with. She thought you had enough going on in your life to worry about mine." He told her about the stargate and what he'd done working with SG-1. He tried his best to explain about ascension.
"So she can come back?" Dawn asked hopefully.
Daniel frowned. "I don't know. I did when I ascended. But that was only because my friends' lives were at risk and the rest of the galaxy," Daniel said.
"She loves us. She won't abandon us!" Dawn said vehemently.
"It's not abandonment, Dawn. She died and was given the knowledge to continue to live in another form. Her earthly body is gone," Daniel said gently. He was sitting on the floor next to her, Buffy on the other side.
"How could she leave us?" Dawn asked in a small voice.
Daniel put his arm around her shoulder and reached for Buffy's hand. "Your mother loved you two girls more than anything. If she had a choice to stay, I know without a doubt that she'd never have left," Daniel said without a doubt.
"What happens next?" Dawn asked.
"We're going to mourn her loss and celebrate her life," Daniel said. "Jack's on his way. He can help us provide a death certificate when there's no body. Then we can plan a memorial service."
"Without a body?" Dawn wondered.
"We can't pretend like she's on a long vacation," Buffy pointed out.
The doorbell rang, forcing them to get off the floor. Daniel opened it and Xander brushed past him to hug his girls.
Anya handed him a cake. "It's tradition to bring food when people die," she said.
Daniel smiled and took the cake. He was never put off by Anya's abrupt manner. "Yes, it is. Thank you, Anya," he said as she stepped into the room.
******The Next Day******
Daniel was more than grateful that Jack had come into town late the night before. Samantha arrived the next morning. Having his best friends by his side made everything more bearable. Jack had no trouble obtaining an official death certificate. They helped Daniel and Buffy plan the memorial service. Buffy refused to pick out a casket when there was no body, so Sam did. Buffy picked out her mother's favorite flowers. Dawn, not wanting to be left out, insisted on coming with them. She contributed little, but Daniel didn't want her to feel left out in anyway.
While her dad and his friends went to lunch, she and Dawn went to the Magic Box. Giles was there with her friends.
Willow hugged her. "How was it?" Willow asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Sam picked out the casket. It just seemed too dishonest. We couldn't do it," Buffy said. "We picked out some nice flowers."
Dawn sat down at the table next to Tara. "This doesn't seem real. I didn't get to say goodbye," Dawn said. "How am I expected to accept her death if I can't even same goodbye?"
The front door opened and a smoking blanket covered Spike came in. "What are you doing here?" Buffy demanded.
"I heard from Teal'c that Joyce is dead. I wanted to offer you and Dawn my condolences. Joyce was the best undead person I knew," Spike said sincerely.
Dawn got up and hugged him. "Thanks, Spike," she mumbled against him.
"I can't believe this! How did those stupid doctors say she was fine and then miss a freakin' aneurysm!" Xander said, slamming a book hard on the table in frustration.
"Dad says that a brain bleed can develop suddenly and rupture just as suddenly," Buffy said with a sigh. She rubbed her eyes.
"It's mortal and it's stupid!" Anya said, surprising them. Everyone looked at her. "I don't understand how she can be here one moment and then gone the next. She was good and kind and never tried to make me feel stupid for not understanding some human thing. And now she's gone! I don't understand!" Her voice broke and Xander pulled her against him while she cried.
The group was quiet as each of them felt the loss in their own way. Finally, Giles said, "It's good that Daniel is here. You both have all of us, but he's your family. He won't leave you."
"Once Glory's dealt with, he'll probably have to go back to work in Colorado," Buffy said sadly.
"Let's not worry about that now," Giles said, glancing at Dawn, who was now setting on the steps below Spike.
A woman suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, startling them on. Everyone stood. "Who are you?" Buffy demanded, moving in front of her friends. Willow moved next to her.
"Fear not. I mean you no harm. I am Morgan Le Fey," the woman said.
"You're the reason my mother is gone!" Buffy accused.
"I did not kill your mother. I only helped her ascend," Morgan Le Fey answered.
"What do you want?" Willow asked angrily. She couldn't help but blame this woman for their loss.
"I am here to deliver a message from Joyce," Morgan Le Fey said.
"Our mother? She's okay?" Buffy asked.
"Where is she? I want to see her!" Dawn wailed.
Buffy moved to take her hand. "Can she appear to us like you?" Buffy asked.
"No. It's too soon. The others won't let her," Morgan Le Fey said. "But she is okay. She wanted you to know that. She wanted you to know that she is sorry that she left you both. If she had a choice, she wouldn't have."
"But she can come back! Tell her to come back to us!" Dawn exclaimed.
"That is a decision she is not ready to make," Morgan Le Fey said. "However, she will be watching over you all. She told me to tell her daughters and their friends that she expects you to support one another and remember that she loves you all." She looked at Giles. "For you, Rupert Giles, she wanted me to tell you that she hopes you will continue to help Daniel watch over the girls. She wanted to express her gratitude for never letting them down. She knows you won't now."
Giles nodded his head. "Tell her I will do my best," he said.
"You're an Ancient, right?" Buffy asked.
Morgan Le Fey nodded. "I am," she replied.
"Then you know a lot about a lot. Do you know how I can protect Dawn and stop Glory?" Buffy said.
"I know that Glorificus was bound to this world by a human host. Her form changes. Her magic won't allow you to know her human host, however," Morgan Le Fey shared.
"Really?" Giles asked, pushing his glasses. "I hadn't considered that."
"How do I kill her?" Buffy asked.
Morgan Le Fey smiled and gestured. "You have inside of you everything you need to defeat this enemy. She is not infallible," she said. "I must go. Your mother is in good hands. Take comfort in that knowledge."
She disappeared.
Dawn kicked over a chair. "This is bullshit! How can that woman come here but not our mother? Why won't she come see us or at least say goodbye?" Dawn said angrily.
"We must be patient, Dawn. She will when she can. I know it," Buffy said confidently. She hoped she wasn't wrong. Surely, their mother wasn't going to abandon them completely, right?
******To Be Continued******
I know on the show Joyce died on a weekday since Dawn was at school. Forgive the creative changes. Obviously, I borrowed some things from "The Body" episode. How do you like what I decided for Joyce? I hope some are not as upset as you were. Please take a moment and review!