SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA

Pulling her old dusty weapons chest out of her wardrobe, Buffy smiles slightly as she pulls the fake bottom out of the case revealing her weapons. Her weapons were simple, merely some garlic a few crosses, and her favorite stake, Mr. Pointy.

The stake that had been gifted to her by Kendra.

Smiling at the memory of her fallen Slayer, Buffy moves to load up on weapons for her Patrol. She had to admit, she was looking forward to patrolling the graveyards of Sunnydale. After almost three months in Malibu where she wasn't able to stake vampires because there was too much risk of the press spotting her, she was in desperate need of some Slayage.

Hearing a light knock at her bedroom door, Buffy quickly shuts the case in a panic before she smiles as she spots her mom peaking through the door.
"Happy is on the phone with your father's assistant." The elder Summers assures her daughter noticing the way that Buffy was quickly moving to cover her weapons.

Clearly out of instinct to keep her secret identity protected.

Sighing in slight relief, Buffy grabs Mr. Pointy shoving it into the sleeve of her leather jacket before standing. She had to admit, that life was a lot easier now that she didn't have to hide the truth from her mother. Though she doubted she would ever be able to tell her father, given how crazy he was when it came to throwing himself into danger.
The idea of him finding out about vampires terrified her.
She could imagine Tony jumping up and down like a child in excitement at the prospect of staking a vampire.

"What up?" Buffy questions as she pushes her weapons case back into her wardrobe before turning to her mother. However, as her eyes meet the matching pair of green eyes Buffy couldn't help but freeze, something was wrong that was obvious enough from her mother's expression.

"I want to talk about your dad." Joyce reluctantly admits as she leads Buffy over to the bed. Once Buffy was seated she grabs her daughter's vanity chair pulling it across the floor so she could face her daughter.
Buffy gulps nervously, having not felt this uncomfortable since their talk about sex after the whole Angelus revealing what had happened between her and Angel to her mother.

Joyce inhales tightly as she watches her young daughter, who was quickly growing into a young woman, honestly, it broke her heart seeing how fast Buffy was growing up, but what broke her heart more was the knowledge that she may not be there to see the woman Buffy would ultimately become.
Not that she was ready to admit that to her young daughter, Buffy had enough going on. Joyce didn't want to worry her with a sickness that would probably end up being nothing.

"Honey..." She breaths drawing the nervous Slayer's attention "You...my dear sweet girl...are your father's daughter." Spotting Buffy about to interrupt her flow, Joyce quickly stands and moves to sit beside the younger blonde.
Stroking Buffy's hair Joyce smiles weakly continuing in her monologue before Buffy could cut in "Buffy, you may deny it but you are so much like your daddy. You look like me, but the rest of you... that's all your daddy. You are smart, strong-willed, and resilient."
Buffy couldn't help but frown in confusion at her mother's words, they never did this, never spoke about her dad like this, honestly, it was strange.

"Mom... what's going on?"

"Just listen to me." Joyce tells her daughter, having to force herself through this before she lost her confidence "Do you know why I'm not worried about Tony? Because the two of you are one and the same. If you can survive vampires he can survive this. You and Tony, are one and the same, you are the best parts of me and your father." Spotting the tears slowly beginning to spill from Buffy's face at her words, Joyce reaches out wiping the tears away before continuing "Your dad...I have known him since I was 15. He was my best friend before well..."

"He got you pregnant?"

Buffy pipes in causing Joyce to snort in amusement as she nods in agreement.

"Well, honey you were worth it, but I didn't appreciate the 9 months of no wine."
Spotting her daughter roll her eyes, Joyce merely grins playfully before continuing, she had to keep going before she lost her nerve, she had to get this all out.

Just in case...

"Honey, when you were little, you were your father's double. You were so much like him and you still are. When I found out about you being The Slayer, it scared me because you are your father's daughter. You are the good in him, You are strong-willed and have a good heart. You have this need to put yourself on the line to do what's right. You save the world and put your life on the line. And while your dad may have forgotten due to well...the booze, when we were teenagers he was the same. But you know what? No matter how terrified I am about you or your dad every time you walk out of that door to save people...I couldn't be more proud."

Slowly at her mother's words, tears of joy begin pooling down Buffy's face.

After what happened when her mom found out the truth Buffy had never expected this, yet this moment was everything she could have dreamed for. She had been so scared when her mom originally found out and now knowing this, it made that original horrible experience seem like a completely different life.

Wiping the tears away from her daughter's cheeks, Joyce smiles, her heart wishing that this was how their original conversation had ended, instead of the argument which led to Buffy running away.
This moment was how it always should have been.
Inhaling tightly, trying to keep her own emotions in check, Joyce smiles down at her little girl "My dear dear sweet girl...are the best of the Starks and the Summers. And I know for a fact that your dad will come home, because of you. Wherever he is... I can guarantee he is fighting like hell to get home to you because I know he loves you more than anything in this world."


Strolling through one of her favorite graveyards, Buffy couldn't help but smile ever so slightly as she walks down her old Slaying path. While she loved not having to do this Malibu, The Slayer in her missed the hunt.
It was one of the hardest parts of not being torn away from her family during her youth. The need to hunt.
While most Slayers and even potential Slayers were pretty much raised by their Watchers before they were called she had been different. Buffy had been allowed that separation, between a normal life and that of being the Slayer.

Lost in her own thoughts as she strolls through the graveyard, Buffy suddenly found herself frozen. What she had forgotten during her time in Malibu was the exact path this graveyard led to.
Angel's mansion.
The mansion he had taken over after he lost his soul, the home he had shared with Drusilla and Spike.
The mansion where she had driven a sword through his heart.

Gulping as she stares up at the mansion that was the center of so much heartbreak in her life, Buffy slowly finds herself walking toward the home. Unable to stop herself or her feet from entering the home.
As she walks inside of what she assumed was an empty home, the blonde couldn't help but let out a small gasp as her eyes landed on the spot where Acathla had once been.

The exact spot where she had killed Angel.

To be honest, it felt strange being here again.
There was a part of Buffy that felt like she wanted to run away while the other part was conflicted. Swallowing her nervousness, the young Slayer slowly makes her way further into the room that had been haunting her dreams.

This room held one of her worst moments and Buffy knew deep down, that she had yet to get over what had happened that night.
There had yet to be any closure when it came to her doomed relationship with Angel.
In the months since his death, she had felt stuck, unable to get from point A to B. She knew she couldn't move on from Angel until she finally confronted her past.

So given that her feet had led her here, Buffy took that as a sign.

Swallowing her dread, Buffy allows her feet to lead her to the spot, the spot where she had killed the love of her life. However, something shook her in her path.
Instead of being filled with dust as she expected of an empty mansion of this size...the home was spotless...not a signal speck of dust.
It was strange, to say the least.
Like someone had been keeping up with the maintenance.

"What the hell?"

"Buffy."

At the sound of her name echoing out of the familiar voice, Buffy's entire body froze, going stone cold.
That voice was so familiar, so much so, that she could place it almost exactly.

She knew that voice yet... it wasn't possible.

That voice belonged to that of a dead man.

Inhaling tightly, as she tries to convince herself that she was hearing things, Buffy finally spins around only for the stake in her hands to slip to the ground.
As the stake hits the ground, the sound echoing loudly through the silence, Buffy found herself frozen as her eyes met the familiar dark brown irises that she had fallen in love with so long ago.
Gasping softly as she stares into Angel's eyes, Buffy couldn't help but feel her heart pound painfully against her chest in terror.

This wasn't possible.

She had killed him, had driven a sword through his heart sending him to hell.

Angel was supposed to be dead...yet here he was standing right in front of her.

"Wha—how...I killed you." Buffy stutters out the words, as her body begins shaking violently, on the verge of a complete panic attack.
She couldn't handle this, not now.
With her father missing and her mother acting strange this was just too much.

This couldn't be happening.

Spotting the ex-love of her life trying to step closer to her, Buffy quickly raises her hand halting his movements. She could barely process anything right now and having him close would only confuse her more.
She needed the distance...at least until she figured out what the hell was going on "No, explain now!"

Angel sighs deeply as he watches her "They didn't tell you?"

At his words, a gasp left Buffy's lips as she realized just who he was referring to.
Her friends.
The people she had thought she could rely on, the friends she had trusted, had been lying straight to her face for God knows how long.

Trying to stifle another gasp by covering her mouth with her palm, Buffy stumbles back as the truth hits her full force.
They had lied to her, after everything they had been through, they had lied straight to her face and let her live with the pain of thinking Angel was dead.

How could they do this to her?

Slowly a look of anger crosses her features as she turns back to Angel, unable to meet his intense gaze "They knew?"

Angel merely nods softly, unsure of what else to say, while Buffy clenches her fist tightly in fury.

Without another glance, the already emotionally struggling Slayer, storms out towards the exit, intent on confronting her so-called friends. However, quickly Angel blocked her path and she was no longer able to avoid his gaze.
Holding his gaze, Buffy felt all common sense leave her as she gazes into the eyes of the man she loved.

The man she thought she had lost.

At that moment, the Vampire and the Slayer, lost themselves as they gazed into each other's eyes. That connection between them was still crystal clear, it was tugging Buffy towards him.
Staring up into the eyes of the man she loved, the eyes that were looking into her own with so much love despite the fact that she had driven a sword through his heart, Buffy found herself completely flabbergasted.

However, her frozen state was quickly shaken as Angel stepped closer to her.

It was like reality had finally dropped onto her chest and at that moment...she needed an escape.
She couldn't handle this. At least not yet, she wasn't ready to confront this.

"I –I gotta go."


Anger. Rage. Betrayal.

Those were the three emotions currently pumping through Buffy's veins as she stormed through the halls of Sunnydale High. She could barely think right now, there was just so much rage fueling her as she made her way toward the library to confront the people who supposedly cared about her.
Finding out that they had been lying to her for months just put all of those relationships into question.
She didn't know what was real.
Had any conversation she had with her friends been real?

What was the truth?

This was it, all the lies had finally brought her to her breaking point.
First being shipped off to Malibu because the Council was threatened by her, then her father going missing, and now this.
For months she had been in agony over what happened with Angel and she had pushed it aside and tried to move on. Tried to move past the guilt, yet her friends had been holding back a massive part of her life from her.

Her entire life she had been hiding, trying to make sure her life as a Stark didn't completely take over, she had wanted a separation, a chance to be a normal girl.
But after tonight, honestly, she didn't care if the press found out about who she was, she just couldn't handle any more lies.

At that moment, she knew one thing for certain through all the confusion. When she went back to Malibu she didn't plan on ever coming back here again.

She was done with Sunnydale.

Kicking open the doors to the library causing everyone to jump in shock, Buffy merely clenches her jaw, her anger merely growing as she spots her so-called friends sitting around researching.
Spotting Giles strolling out of his office, Buffy grabs the side table by the door launching it right at the wall beside her Watcher's head causing everyone to let out screams of shock, not that she cared.

Ignoring the shocked expressions being thrown in her direction, Buffy allows her heartbroken eyes to meet that of Giles "How long?" She hisses softly "Was this payback for me running? You all got together and went hey, how can we get back at Buffy? Hmm, let's not tell her that Angel's back, that'll teach her."
At her words, each member of the gang froze, finally realizing just what she had discovered tonight.
Willow quickly stands but Buffy scoffs raising her hand and silencing the witch before she could speak "You know what's worse? Him being back means you know...you know that when I killed him the curse worked he was Angel again...and I still killed him because I had to. Didn't matter what I wanted, I did my job and I killed Angel. This means you chose to lie to me for months that he was back. You let me live with the pain. The guilt and the anguish, you let me stay like that..." Pausing as her voice catches in her throat, a loud sob escaped her lips as she glanced between the different members of the gang.

She couldn't get over this.

They had broken her trust and right now, she didn't see a way of fixing that.

"How could you do this to me?"

At her heartbreaking speech, the group froze all of them slowly coming face to face with the consequences of their actions. They had done this to her, she was broken because of the choice they had made.
As the teenagers all struggle to speak up, Giles hesitantly turns to Buffy trying to calm to upset emotional Slayer "Buffy...you have to understand. When it comes to Angel, you struggle to think clearly..."
"This wasn't your decision to make!" Buffy snaps not evening willing to let him finish, she was so sick of people trying to control every aspect of her life "My entire life I have been told, what can I say, where I can go even before I was the Slayer...I'm done being told what to do and what to say. You should have told me but you lied to my face. Let me ask you this...how can I trust any of you now? You took away my choice and made the decision because you decided that you knew better than me about my own life and feelings."

Spotting Willow and Xander moving towards her, both of them wanting to comfort her while also needing to argue their cases Buffy scoffs before stepping back "Stay away from me." She hisses a dark look filling her eyes "I'm done. I guess I finally understand why there is no ancient prophecy about a Chosen One and her friends. You know, when I was little my dad warned me that as Stark I had to be careful who I could trust...I should have listened to him."

Gesturing between herself and the Scooby gang Buffy blinks back the tears now pooling down her cheeks "I'm going home...to Malibu because the people there actually care about me. Coming back here was a mistake...And even if...even if my dad doesn't come home...this 'The Slayer and the Slayerettes' game..." She hisses out harshly repeating the words Xander had once used to describe their original trio "Is done."

Without another word, Buffy turns her back on the gang she had once trusted more than anything leaving the library, slamming the door behind her with a harsh slam.

Quickly rushing out of the building that she was still technically banned from, with shaky hands Buffy quickly grabs her phone dialing Happy's number.

She needed to get out of here before the group came after her.

"Happy could you come get me? Please?"


Climbing out of the car, Happy quickly allows his eyes to scan the parking lot of Sunnydale High.

He was in a state of panic after Buffy's phone call.
Her voice had sounded so...broken and she could barely get a sentence out between all the sobs.

As his eyes land on the blonde who was sitting on the steps just outside of the main building, Happy sighs in worry before crossing the street moving straight over to the blonde who was practically curled up in a ball as she sat on the floor.
"Buffy..." He breaths as he quickly moves to sit beside her only for his worry to grow as she instantly leans into him burying her head into his shoulder as she sobbed, whatever had happened after she left the house had clearly shaken her.

"Kid, what happened?"

Trying to contain her seemingly endless sobs through her overwhelmed emotional state, Buffy leans back rubbing her hands over her face, wiping violently at the tears still pooling down her cheeks. For weeks she had been holding it all together, between her dad's disappearance, her guilt over killing Angel, and now this, she was finally at her breaking point.
It was all too much for her.
Inhaling tightly, Buffy's voice catches in her throat as she finally tries to force the words to leave her lips "Before I moved to Malibu, someone I...someone I cared about very much died. It was my fault he died, Happy and..." She whispers struggling to figure out how exactly to explain this without going into the whole 'I was in love with a vampire who turned evil and tried to end the world ' thing.
"I saw him tonight. Alive and well...my friends knew, they've been lying to my face for months..."

Happy couldn't help but pity the girl, while he wasn't too happy to hear about a boy, a boy he knew for certain Tony would probably try and blow up, it didn't change the fact that he was worried about her.
It was like she had the weight of the world falling on her shoulders, but she was just a 17-year-old kid.

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he gives her a small supportive squeeze drawing her attention "I don't know what to say, Kid. I'm not the best when it comes to the complications of being a teenage girl but whatever you need Buffy, I'll get it for you."
Smiling softly at his words, Buffy stares down at her knees once more, her fingers fiddling with the ends of her shirt as she does "I'm a little hungry." She admits just as a loud growl leaves her stomach "All that yelling and crying on an empty stomach, not a smart plan...Can I get a cheeseburger?"

Slowly a bright smile covers the security guard's lips and he stands, bringing her up with him "Sure. I'll get you all the cheeseburgers in the world. Come on." He tells her before slowly leading her towards the car so he could fulfill his promise and get her that cheeseburger.

"What about fries?"

"Hell, I'll even get you a milkshake."


Swallowing the last bite of her second cheeseburger as she follows Happy back into the house, Buffy grins as she brings her milkshake to her lips before calling out into the dark home "Mom!" She screams as she begins shuffling onion rings into her mouth.

Happy had for sure kept up his promise.

He had gotten her 4 of everything off the entire menu in an attempt to cheer her up and it was definitely doing the job.

"We brought burgers!"

Happy snorts as he shuts the door behind the blonde while trying to balance the seemingly endless amount of fast-food paper bags in his hands. For a tiny girl, Buffy could eat that was for sure.
She was like a bottomless pit when it came to food.

"Enough to feed a small village." Happy argues before frowning as he realizes Joyce had yet to come downstairs or even respond to them. Glancing over at the blonde who was still happily eating away he quickly gestures for her to head into the kitchen "Why don't you go get some plates, make us look less like animals. I'll grab your mom." He suggests as he places a few of the bags in Buffy's hands before she makes her way towards the kitchen.

As she goes, Happy makes his way into the living intent on turning on the tv so they could watch a movie like he promised plus not that he would admit it...but his arms were aching from carrying all of the food.

However, as he walks into the living room, his plans come to a screeching halt.

Finding himself frozen as he stared into the living room in shock, the bags of food promptly drop from his hand; fries, ice cream, and mac and cheese spilled out of the bags onto the carpeted floor, not that he noticed.
He couldn't tear his eyes off the couch.

"Hey, warning, I'm gonna pour the hot sauce all over the Mac and Cheese..." Buffy announces as she slowly makes her way toward Happy who was still frozen with his back facing her as he stood in the doorway of the living room "...so if you guys want any get some now cause things are gonna get crazy. Ooh, I may have ordered a pizza too..."

Frowning as she spots Happy merely standing by the food that was now laid out all over the floor Buffy frowns in confusion as she clutches the plates in her hands "Hey, Happy what are you doing?"
As though her question had shaken him out of his frozen state, the bodyguard quickly turns to the blonde, making her freeze as she spots the look on his face.

Not even a minute ago he had been smiling but now...he looked close to tears.

"Don't look."

That was all he said as he quickly moves towards the blonde trying to shield her eyes from landing on the figure laid out on the couch, but it was too late.
Buffy's eyes slowly scan over the living room landing on her mother who was lying on the couch in silence "Mom?" She questions in confusion as she tries to step forward only to have Happy grab her arms trying to hold her back so she didn't have to see what had shaken him up.

She wouldn't be able to handle this.

"Buffy...no, don't look." He tries desperately as he pushes her back trying to protect her but it was too late.

As her eyes finally took in the sight before her, the plates in her hands slipped to the ground, shattering on the floor; the sound echoing through the now silent house.
"Mom?" She whispers as she takes another step forward taking in her mother's unbreathing pale blue form "Mommy?"

Despite her calls to her mother, there was nothing, no response from Joyce.
The woman merely laid out on the couch, unblinking, her heart no longer pumping blood through her body.

Slowly Buffy's eyes widen in horror as it finally started to settle in that the woman laid there was no longer her mother.
It was just an empty dead shell that once used to belong to her mother.

Finally, cracking Buffy quickly moves to rush forward, but Happy quickly steps forward catching Buffy in his arms as she screamed and struggled to get to her dead mother.
"I'm so sorry." He breaths into the blonde's hair as she begins hitting his chest, overwhelmed in anger and grief.
Shaking her head as violent sobs begin escaping her lips, Buffy's knees finally give up on her and she starts to crash to the ground while Happy moves with her trying to comfort her the best he could as she continued to wail in anguish.

"No! Mom!"