Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel Cinematic Universe, Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize

Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.

Sorry for taking time to update this, life and another fic got in the way.

This chapter is going to be the last time I follow the episodes. Since Warren is arrested, that makes the sex bot plot from next chapter impossible, and there are some changes I will do.

Chapter 21- The funeral

Buffy walked into a darkened room. She was surrounded by shiny coffins. She walked between them looking at each, then stopped next to one. There was a display of urns behind her. Buffy lifted the lid of the coffin. It was empty. The lights came on. Buffy looked up, startled.

"Buffy, you're here."

Giles, Dawn, and the funeral-home director entered. Buffy dropped the lid of the coffin and folded her arms.

"You all right?" Giles asked.

"Yeah."

"Did you find something?" The director asked.

Buffy nodded. "This one."

Dawn walked over and stares at the coffin.

"It's a fine choice. It speaks of your deep feeling for the deceased", the director said.

Giles and the director turned to leave. Buffy followed but Dawn remained. The others stopped and looked back at Dawn.

"You don't like it?" Buffy asked.

"No, it's not that. It's just ... what if Mom ... what if she'd like something else better?" Dawn asked.

"Dawn..."

"I mean, how do we know for sure? She's the one who has to be in it forever."

"Dawn, maybe it wasn't such a good idea you coming along", Buffy said.

Dawn turned to look at her. "It's fine. It's just ..."

"I'm serious. Y-you shouldn't have to deal with this stuff", Buffy said.

"If you'd like a few more minutes to decide-"

"No. I, it's done, it's fine", she turned to Dawn. "Okay?"

Dawn nodded.

"Okay."

Buffy turned and walked out with the men following. Dawn remained staring at the coffin.

Dawn was in the Summers dining room, standing by a side table, looking at the card in a flower arrangement.

"I checked prices at different florists, and the funeral home seems to be fairly competitive", Giles said.

Dawn turned. Xander sat at the left, eating. Giles and Buffy sat side-by-side at the end of the table, looking at paperwork.

"Let's just go with that, it's easier", Buffy said.

Dawn asked. "What color flowers?"

Willow entered with a pitcher of water, poured a glass, and sat opposite Xander as Peter arrived and just stood.

"Uh, white", Buffy looked at Giles. "They're nice."

"Yeah."

"Uh, what about an announcement? People are gonna be expecting a wake after the burial unless we say something", Buffy inquired.

"Um, well, we could put a, a line in the program expressing your mother's preference not to have one", Giles said.

"There's no wake?" Willow asked.

"Mom didn't like them. She said that potlucks are depressing enough as it is", Buffy said.

"Uncle Ben didn't want one either", Peter said sadly.

"She said that? When?" Dawn asked.

"Uh, right before she went in for the operation. We had a talk about what she wanted ... in case", she looked down.

"She never said anything to me", Dawn said.

"I'm sure she just didn't wanna upset you, Dawnster. Now you better get to work on that dinner. You barely touched it", Xander assured.

"You really should eat something", Buffy asked.

"Why should I? You're not."

"This isn't about-" The phone rang. Buffy sighed.

"I'm all phoned out. Will you? Unless it's my dad", she requested Giles.

"Of course", Giles answered the phone. Buffy returned to the papers.

"Hello? Yes, yes they did", Buffy looked at him. "Thank you", he got up. "The, uh, funeral is at, uh, three tomorrow. Do you know the Brown Brothers mortuary?"

Giles walked out of the room, still talking. Buffy and Dawn looked disappointed.

"Can't believe he still hasn't called", Buffy said.

"Your dad's still AWOL, huh?" Xander asked.

"The number he left for us in Spain is no good, and I've left messages everywhere. Um, how about a line that just says, 'Following the burial, there will be no wake'? Or gathering? 'At the request of Joyce, there will be no gathering'? Uch, that sounds lame", Buffy put a hand to her forehead.

"Sorry", Peter said.

Willow gave her a concerned look, then looked at Dawn, got up and began clearing the table.

"What are we gonna do? After, I mean. Are we just gonna ... come back here?"

"Uh ... I, I don't know. I guess so. Um, how about 'At the request of the family, there will be no wake'", Buffy suggested.

Xander got up to move into the chair next to Buffy. "Good, yeah, it's got, uh..."

"I don't wanna be here", Dawn muttered to herself.

"Should I put it at the top, or just a small line at the bottom?" Buffy asked.

Xander and Buffy bent over the paperwork. Willow re-entered, resuming clearing with Peter helping.

"Can I go to your place tomorrow?" Dawn asked Peter.

"Tomorrow?" Peter asked, confused.

"After everything", Dawn said.

"Um, well, maybe you and Buffy should ... I-I don't mind", Peter sighed.

"Can I?" Dawn asked Buffy.

Buffy looked up from discussing with Xander. "Huh?"

"Can I go to Peter's tomorrow after the service?"

Buffy looked at Peter, uncertainly. "Um ... i-if you want to. I guess so."

"I'll, uh, get my sleeping bag out of the attic", Dawn got up and left. Buffy returned to her paperwork.

Peter, Willow and Xander left the house. Peter closed the door and they started down the porch steps.

"You going home?" Xander asked.

"I'm gonna stop by my mom's first. Been doing that a lot lately", Willow said.

"Yeah. I actually might stop by your mom's too", she looked at him. "Well, I'm not going to my place. Those people are scary."

"I am going home, we'll meet tomorrow", Peter said when they saw Spike coming up the walkway holding a bunch of flowers.

"You have got to be kidding", Xander said.

Spike sighed. "I'm not going in."

"And you're not leaving those", Xander said about the flowers. "You actually think you're gonna score points with Buffy this way?"

"This isn't about Buffy", Spike walked closer.

"Bull. We're all hip to your doomed obsession", Xander snarled.

"They're for Joyce", Spike said.

"Like you care about her", Xander said.

Spike sighed angrily. Willow stepped between them. "Guys, guys, not here."

"Care? Joyce was the only one of the lot of you that I could stand. Other than bug boy that is."

"And she's the one with a daughter you wanted to shag. I'm touched."

"I liked the lady. Understand, monkey boy? She was decent", Xander and Willow exchanged a look. "She didn't put on airs. She always had a nice cuppa for me", Peter and Willow looked sympathetic. "And she never treated me like a freak."

"Her mistake", Xander scoffed.

"Xander, sometimes you go too far", Peter said disappointed.

"What are you saying kid?" Xander asked in surprise as all three looked at him.

"You just don't like Spike in general, so you don't want him to leave the flowers", Peter said.

Xander started. "This is for-"

"And I noticed, the flowers are unmarked, so you're way off in thinking it's to impress Buffy", Peter said and that silenced Xander as Peter turned to Spike. "Leave the flowers and go."

Spike gave Peter a nod of appreciation and walked off, dropping the flowers, and then went away.

Next day, graveyard

A group of people stood around the coffin. Buffy and Dawn stood together. Xander and Giles were behind them.

"We commend to almighty God... ...our sister, Joyce Summers... "

Willow and Tara held hands. Anya and Xander stood together. Peter and May stood together too.

"...and we commit her body to the ground."

Buffy and Dawn were at the front of the group. Dawn wore a black dress, Buffy in black pants with a long beige coat over.

"Earth to earth...ashes to ashes..." Dawn winced "...and dust to dust."

"The Lord bless her and keep her."

"The Lord makes his face to shine upon her and be gracious to her.

Dawn looked upset, Buffy hugged Giles.

"The Lord lift up his countenance upon her..."

Tara leaned on Willow's shoulder.

"...and give her peace."

A shovel dug into earth. Dawn suddenly turned and buried her face in Buffy's shoulder. Buffy put her arms around Dawn, still staring at the coffin.

A shovel put the first dirt on the coffin.

The group slowly broke up.

One by one the others hugged Buffy and Dawn.

Buffy and Dawn stood alone at the grave, with Peter and May behind. Dawn turned away from Buffy and walked over to them. Dawn took Peter's arm as the three of them exchange nods. May moved over to Buffy, tapping her gently on the shoulder. "Hey, um, Dawn's kind of ready to go. Can we take her with us?"

"Yeah. She should probably get out of here", Buffy said.

"What about you? We can wait if you want", May offered.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

May rejoined the others, whispering to them and they turned to leave. Dawn looked back over her shoulder at Buffy as they lead her away.

Buffy stared at the grave with a small frown on her face. The daylight lengthened to darkness behind her. Buffy's feet were beside the grave. Another pair of feet appeared and walked up beside her.

"I'm sorry."

Angel was now standing beside Buffy, both staring at the grave. "I couldn't come sooner."

Buffy didn't look at him, but she nodded slightly and slipped her hand into his. They stood looking at the grave, holding hands.

Parker house

Peter and Dawn sat at the table together, Dawn not touching her food as Peter said. "You know, you should eat."

"Don't want to", Dawn said.

"But you need to", Peter told her.

Dawn shrugged and started eating as Peter said. "I wish I could help more, but I promise….it'll get better."

"You don't know that", Dawn said.

"I do actually", Peter said, surprising her. "My uncle died almost 2 years ago."

"I'm sorry", Dawn said, now feeling guilty.

"I was sad first, then angry, then sad again, because I thought it was my fault", Peter said. "But no matter what happened next, it wasn't going to change what had already happened."

"So I'm supposed to forget mom and just go on like nothing happened?" Dawn asked, a little angry.

"No, but you have to go on, if you never forget her, she's always going to be alive, in here", Peter pointed at her heart.

Dawn now had tears in her eyes as she broke down, hugging Peter, who comforted her. "Hey, I'm here, don't worry."

Honestly, decided not to do the resurrection plot here, even though it did give us a very amazing and emotional moment between Buffy and Dawn, but I decided I could do without it. Hope all liked the Peter/Dawn scene. Not saying Dawn wouldn't have done the resurrection thing, but just didn't want to do it here.

Next up is 5x18, and since Warren is gone, Spike can't get his Buffybot (again, not saying he is not capable of that stuff, but his means of it are gone right now), but Buffy will still have her journey with Giles, and then some more stuff shall happen.