"Mom, you home?! Buffy called out as she entered the house and closed the door behind her.

"In the living room," Joyce answered.

"Hey," Buffy said in greeting as she took a seat next to her mom on the couch.

"Where's Dawn?" Joyce asked as she shut of the TV.

"I think at Janice's," Buffy replied as she turned towards her mother. "What's wrong?" Buffy asked as she noticed tears in her mother's eyes.

"I went to the Dr. this morning," Joyce began.

"And?" Buffy asked cutting her mother off.

"The cancer spread Buffy it's in my brain now and there is no stopping it," Joyce said as she reached over and took her older daughter's hand.

"What? No!" Buffy screamed as she stood up.

"Sweetheart there is nothing anyone can do," Joyce said as she pulled Buffy into her arms.

"I will find something," Buffy swore as they broke apart.

"I should tell Dawn," Joyce said with a sigh as she sat back down.

"I can be there if you need to be," Buffy said as she sat next to her mother.

"Thank you honey," Joyce said as she gave her a pained smile.

"Mom what's wrong?" Buffy asked as she jumped up.

"Just a small headache," Joyce said as she closed her eyes and winced in pain.

"What can I do?" Buffy asked panicked.

"Water please," Joyce said as she opened her eyes and looked towards the kitchen.

"Be right back," Buffy said as she turned on her heel and headed towards the kitchen.

Buffy quickly ran to the cabinet and grabbed a glass before rushing to the sink and filling it with water; she quickly ran back towards the living room and handed it to her mother.

"Thank you," Joyce whispered as she took a sip of the water before setting it down on the coffee table in front of her.

"Mom be honest with me, how bad is it?" Buffy asked as she sat on the coffee table facing her mother.

"Like I said it has reached my brain so there is no hope in trying to remove it," Joyce answered.

"How long did they give you?" Buffy asked as she tried to keep from falling apart.

"Six months," Joyce answered.

"No," Buffy cried out as she broke down in tears.

"I'm so sorry honey," Joyce said as she went to sit next to her daughter.

Buffy threw her arms around her mother as she held her close. "I can't lose you," she cried into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry sweetie," Joyce said as she held her oldest daughter close to her, they never noticed Dawn by the door having heard there every word.

They inly broke apart when they heard the front door slam shut.

"Dawn!?" Buffy called as she ran towards the door and watched as her sister ran down the street.

"Buffy is she okay?" Joyce asked as she came up behind her.

"I will go get her, stay right here," Buffy said as she grabbed her jacket and followed the direction her sister took off in.

"Dawn!" Buffy shouted as she walked down the street in search of her sister.

She stopped when she heard signs of a struggle and followed the noise; she froze when she saw three vamps cornering a terrified looking Dawn.

"Are you lost girlie?" one of them asked as she snapped at Dawn.

"Leave me alone," Dawn stammered as she tried to back away and slammed into another who pushed her to the ground.

"She seems lost," the girls said as she crouched down in front of Dawn and smiled.

"We will help you get home," the other girl said as she reached her hand down to help Dawn up.

Dawn refused to take her hand as she began crying.

"Enough," the last vampire said as he grabbed Dawn roughly and pulled her up.

"Time to eat ladies," he said as he sank his fangs into Dawn's neck.

Dawn screamed in pain as she managed to push him off of her, she grabbed her neck and stared in fear as the three vamps circled around her.

"Okay dinner's over," Buffy said as she quickly staked one of the vamps.

"The slayer," the girl snarled as she rushed towards Buffy, who quickly pushed her aside and into a tree where she was impaled.

"Well that was easy," Buffy said with a smirk as she watched her turn to dust.

"That was my girl!" the man yelled as he tackled Buffy to the ground.

"Buffy!" Dawn shouted as she watched her sister struggle with the pissed off vampire.

"Stake!" Buffy shouted as she pushed him off and leaped up.

Dawn scrambled around as she tried to find something for her sister to use as a weapon, she grinned when she finally found a pencil lying on the ground she picked it up and threw in to Buffy.

Buffy rolled her eyes as she took it and plunged in into the vampire's heart, she dusted herself off as she threw it to the side and turned to glare towards her sister.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"You weren't even going to tell me," Dawn whined as she turned to walk back towards the house.

Buffy rolled her eyes as she grabbed her little sister to stop her, "this is hard on all of us okay."

"I should have been there too," Dawn said as tears fell from her eyes.

"Been where?" Buffy asked confused.

"When mom told you, she should have included me," Dawn cried out.

"Dawnie she just wanted to protect you," Buffy said as she tried to comfort her sister.

"I'm not a baby!" Dawn screamed as she slapped her hand away and turned and ran home.

Buffy watched her go to make sure she made it safely before turning and heading towards the campus.

Tara awoke to the sound of someone knocking on her door, she slowly made her way over and opened the door slowly, she smiled when she saw Buffy on the other side.

"Hey," Buffy said hoarsely as she pulled her jacket around her tighter.

Tara opened the door wider allowing her girlfriend in, "what's wrong?"

Buffy took a seat on the edge of her bed as fresh tears began to fall, "my mom's sick," Buffy sobbed as she put her face in her hands and cried.

"Oh sweetie," Tara said as she went to sit beside her and pulled her into her arms.

"I can't face her right now," Buffy sobbed into her girlfriends shoulder.

"So stay here," Tara said as she wiped away Buffy's tears and helped her take off her jacket and shoes.

Tara helped Buffy up and led her to her bed where she pulled her into her arms.

Buffy wiped her eyes as she laid her head on her chest and listened to the sound of her heartbeat.

"I love you," Buffy whispered as she closed her eyes and snuggled closer.

"I love you too," Tara said as she held her closer and kissed her forehead.

A/N: Make sure to review