A.N. So sorry this took a while to get out. Not really sure why, since there are only a few things changed/added but it's finally here. Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful feedback, glad there are so many that missed this and are happy it's coming back. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 1

March 16, 2008

Sunnydale

"What do you mean I won't be able to handle this on my own?" Faith demanded and began to pace around the Summers' home where they had conducted their Scooby meetings for years now.

Giles eased his glasses off and to clean them. "You aren't strong enough to handle this Faith, I'm sorry you're just not. I know you've been a Slayer for ten years, longer than almost any other slayer, but according to the Watcher's Council you are not nearly strong enough to handle this. You're going to need help."

"Fine I'll have you guys to back me up like always." Since coming to Sunnydale her life and calling had been a huge roller coaster of up and downs. Lately it'd been on a real downward slope and it didn't look like it'd be going up again for quite sometime.

Not only had she been within a hair's breath of dying three times but Angel had refused to sleep with her for over four months and didn't look close to breaking. While not a major deal it was the start of this downward spiral.

She and Angel had never officially dated; neither wanted that label attached to whatever relationship they had formed. Sometimes they were partners, other time's friends, and occasionally lovers. Both had itches that needed scratching and had been more than willing to help each other out, but now he avoided her advances like the plague.

"Yes we will be there, but the Council specifically said you need…" he didn't want to say this, but what choice did he have. Either tell them or let the world go to hell, there wasn't exactly a choice. "The Council said we need Buffy in order to win this fight."

Silence greeted the Watcher, Angel's expression was one of blankness, he didn't want anyone to know what he's thinking, but it was obvious to anyone who looked that he still loved Buffy. Willow and Xander were in utter shock; Anya and Tara who had never met the other Slayer had looks of worry for their significant others.

"The other Slayer?" Faith asked. "Why would we need her here? And how do they even know that she's still alive?"

"They says she is, but they won't tell me where." Giles noticed Joyce getting antsy about this conversation. "I'm sorry Joyce if this line of topic is disturbing you but we must talk about this."

Buffy's mother nodded, but didn't say a word, so Giles continued. "According to the Council Buffy has reached a higher plane if you will. She's accessed the magical attributes of being a Slayer, not to mention she is now in league with the Charmed Ones. Powerful witches that stem from the Warren line and they protect innocents."

Xander couldn't contain his anger any longer. "If she's all powerful now and working with even more powerful witches why didn't she come back and help us. She could have come to help us while Faith was fighting Glory. Or let us know that she was alive and wasn't just whoring around." The boy who had yet to grow up didn't give a thought to Joyce being in the room.

Joyce whipped her gaze toward the jealous boy; he still hadn't grown up, although she didn't know exactly why she's surprised. Instead of chastising Xander or demanding that he get out of her house she decided to ask Mr. Giles, she still couldn't call him Rupert, what had been plaguing her since the topic of Buffy had arose. "Rupert, what would happen if Buffy wasn't involved in this fight? What would happen to the world I mean?" Joyce questioned.

Giles took a deep breath. "The world would become Hell. Demons would override every continent, humans would die in droves, and the humans that were left alive would become slaves." It was not a fate he wished on the world.

"Boy, you sure don't sugar anything do you." Xander spoke up again from his spot on the couch.

She sighed; she had to tell them. "I know where Buffy is." Joyce told the group who are now stunned into silence for the second time in five minutes. She hoped Buffy would forgive her for revealing the secret, but if the world was to be saved she had to do it.

Everyone stared at Joyce. "You've known where she's been the whole time? How come you never told us?" Giles shot out of the chair he had been sitting in.

"Because, my daughter didn't want any of you to know. I wasn't going to let her down, not again. Faith was already here so it wasn't as if you needed another Slayer here. Buffy was needed else where, she's happy now. I've never seen her so happy." How could she take that away from her? Simple, she couldn't.

"Where is she Joyce?" Angel asked not noticing his sometimes lover frown of jealousy. He still loved Buffy, always would, while yes he cared for Faith he only went to her because she was there and Buffy wasn't. "How come you didn't at least tell me? She's the…" He didn't want to finish in front of the group but the statement was implied.

"You want to know why?" Joyce stood coming as close as she could to being nose to nose with Angel. "When I told her you had come back from Hell she dropped everything in San Francisco, she had friends who didn't judge her at every turn, she went to school, and she had a nice man interested in her, she was starting over. What does she do she comes back to Sunnydale with just the clothes on her back."

"Do you know what she found on that warm December night? You and Faith kissing in the cemetery and on your way back to the Mansion. So she turned around, came to visit me, said if you were happy then she wasn't going to come back and ruin it for you, and went back home. She's never been back to Sunnydale since. Now she has children, a great rewarding job, a husband, and friends who understand everything she's going through, so why the hell would I tell you or anybody anything when you made her life miserable?" The irate mother began to make her way to the kitchen but Giles' voice stopped her.

"Please Joyce we need that address, where in San Francisco is she?" Maybe if he pleaded she'd soften and give them the information they desperately needed.

"I'm coming too. I need to pack, then I will take whoever wants to come to her home." Joyce changed directions and headed upstairs to pack for a few days in San Francisco.

While downstairs everyone looked at each other, some with anger, others with confusion, and also ones of knowledge. Giles was particularly interested in the looks of knowledge, someone besides Joyce Summers knew about Buffy's whereabouts.

"Willow? Anya? You know something don't you?"

The witch stared down at her clenched hands. She was hoping Giles wouldn't have noticed her lack of surprise at Buffy's location. Granted she didn't know exactly where the wayward Slayer was hiding but she knew she was alive.

"Umm, do you remember when Spike came to town about three years ago?" The group nodded. "Well, Spike mentioned Buffy, he basically said he was surprised we hadn't found her yet. Said that it wasn't like she was on the other side of the world."

"Anya? What about you?" Xander gazed at his wife.

"I've always known where the Slayer was. Or at least I did when I was a vengeance demon; it's required knowing where the forces of good are hiding. I knew where she was before I got changed into a human, but from what I heard she moved so I don't know where she is now."

"How come you didn't tell us before?" Angel growled.

Not a bit scared of his anger she told the vampire point blank with only a tiny shrug. "Nobody asked."

TBC