Buffy wanted to die. She had found Xander and Anya's bodies thrown onto her front porch. Her despair outdid her lust for vengeance. She wanted the pain to end. She'd searched for days for her sister, with no leads and no help, and she'd given up hope that somehow she'd find her. Buffy knew she was alone. She was lying on the ground, but she didn't know where she was or how she got there. At one point she just stopped where she was and lay down. Buffy didn't realize she'd gone to her mother's grave. Possibly she was subconsciously looking for comfort, although she felt she was beyond comfort. After Buffy had been resurrected, she was upset she couldn't feel anything. She felt numb. At that moment, she would have killed to be numb again.
"Buffy?"
Buffy didn't move. Had she fallen asleep? That voice couldn't be who she thought it was.
"Buffy? Buffy are you okay?"
Buffy turned over and looked. She immediately burst into tears and reached for her sister Dawn.
"Where have you been? Oh God, Dawn. I thought you were dead. I searched for you, but I didn't know where you were or where to go. They're all dead. Everyone." Buffy's joyful tears turned to sad ones. "I couldn't save them. I ruined . . . we have to get out of here."
"Buffy what are you talking about?"
"Giles, Xander, and Anya are dead. We have to get out of here before they get you too."
"Who?"
"Probably whoever took you. Where were you? What happened?"
"I was looking for Spike, but then some guys started following me. I tried to lose them, but they chased me until I went underground and I managed to find my way to Spike's crypt, but I couldn't get out. Spike had Zoë put some sort of spell on the place. No one could get through the front door and no one could get out the front door. I tried to go back out the way I came, but I heard those guys and I was so scared I just stayed where I was, until Spike came back."
"Spike's alive?"
"Yeah, well, technically no, but he's at his crypt. He went to LA for a while. We went looking for you, but you weren't at the house and I was afraid that something happened to you. I thought maybe you went looking for me and whoever killed Willow. . ." This time Dawn started to cry.
"It's okay Dawn. It's okay," said Buffy holding her crying sister. "Do you want my jacket, sweetie. You feel cold."
"Uh, yeah, it's chilly out here," said Dawn. Buffy took off her jacket and gave it to Dawn. She hugged her sister again, and over her shoulder, there was Spike watching them.
"Spike," said Buffy.
"I didn't want to interrupt," said Spike.
"We should go back to Spike's crypt. It's safer there. Zoë's got magic protecting it."
"Zoë's alive?"
"Yeah, she and Spike went to LA together. Zoë has friends there."
"Does Zoë have any magic books with her? Maybe we can figure out who's behind the killings? What did those guys look like Dawn?"
"Guys?"
"The ones that chased you," said Buffy.
"Oh ummm, I couldn't see there faces."
"Why? Were they wearing masks or something?"
"No, umm hoods. There were wearing black hoods . . . on their robes. They were wearing black hooded robes. Spooky."
"Okay, so maybe we're dealing with more than just vampires."
"Maybe," said Dawn weakly.
"Once again, I hate to interrupt, but why don't we do this all back at my nice, magically protected crypt and not out in the open."
"That's a good idea, let's go," said Buffy. Her hope was being restored. Dawn was alive and so was Spike and Zoë. She'd lost her friends, but she still had her sister and a couple of powerful acquaintances. With their help she would destroy whoever destroyed her friends. Or so she thought.