Once on the Summers' front porch, I knock and then wait for someone to answer. Buffy isn't the only Summers. I heard she has a sister named Dawn. And if things haven't changed, this is where the Scoobies have meetings when something is coming.

Ten minutes later, the door opens to an unfamiliar face.

"Dawn?" I question.

"Yes. May I help you?"

"I'm Cordelia Chase. You might've heard of me. I dated Xander and was cheerleader captain back in high school. I'm the new Slayer, though I could never, and will never try to, replace Buffy. I'm sorry for your loss. Angel wouldn't tell me the details, so I don't know the full details. May I come in?"

Dawn steps aside, and I walk in.

She closes the door and we walk into the living room, where I go and sit on the couch where their mother, Joyce Summers, had died while Buffy had been in college.

Dawn sits down to the left of me, and I look at her.

"We need to call the others to have a meeting."

"I'll call them," she says, and I watch her go to the kitchen where the house phone is.

While she's in the kitchen, I look around at the living room with my eyes, and hold in the pain. There are so many memories here. My first kiss with Xander was in the basement. And there are so many memories of meetings we had, to stop whatever was going to happen. It feels almost like a lifetime ago. Why do things have to always change? I wish things didn't have to change. But the most memorable things in the living room are the pictures. One on the entertainment center is of Joyce and her two kids. The oldest is Buffy and the youngest is Dawn. I miss Joyce. I only met her once back in Sunnydale High during a career fair, but she was very kind to me, and loved art and fashion.

I smile at the memory.

The picture next to it is of just the two girls. They're happy. The next set of pictures is on the end table. One shows Buffy and some guy I've never seen before. Probably Riley Finn. The other one shows a group picture. Xander, Anya, Buffy, Willow, some girl I don't recognize, Dawn, and probably Riley, are in it with Giles. The girl I don't know is probably Tara Maclay.

I look down at my lap and try to hold back the sorrow and tears. We have all lost someone. I lost Doyle, Fred, my mother when I was eight, and recently I lost Buffy, Willow lost Tara and Buffy, while Xander lost Buffy, Tara, and Joyce. Dawn lost Buffy, her mother, and Tara. Anya lost Joyce, Tara, Halfrek, and Buffy. Faith lost her Watcher, parents, Buffy, Fred, and Wes. Angel lost Doyle, Buffy, Fred, Wes, and Darla. Gunn lost Wes, Fred, and his sister. Connor lost Darla, since he's human but is Angel and Darla's son.

Dawn comes back into the living room and says, "They said that they'll be here soon."

I look at her.

"Thanks."