"There it is, the white one with the dark blue shutters." Willow pointed out the quiet house on Rubello Drive to Buffy. She had delayed coming here long enough; though it scared her to death, it was time to face her mother.

"It seems so sad...so lonely." Buffy stared at the house, only the window on the second floor was lit up.

"Your mom has had a really rough time, Buffy. Xander, Giles and I would come by, but she never seemed to get any better. I think she blames herself." At Buffy's questioning look, Willow continued. "She seemed to think that she had done something wrong, that she was being punished for something through you. I remember her saying 'If I had been a better mother.... Buffy would have never been the Chosen One'. Giles tried to explain over and over that it was a random thing but she wouldn't listen."

"The mother I remember was so caught up in her bad marriage that she never even realized what was going on with me. Damn, I wish I could remember more about our relationship." Buffy was getting very frustrated at her memories or lack thereof.

"You don't remember anything yet?"

"I remember some things, Will, but mostly when I dream. I wake up from a dream or in most cases nightmares and go knock on Giles' bedroom door. I constantly have to check if it really happened or not." Buffy smiled and started to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"Will, you should've seen Giles' face the first time I knocked on his door. He was half-asleep, his hair was a mess and he was wearing...get this...boxers! He almost went into cardiac arrest when he realized he was standing there in his boxers!"

Willow started laughing at the mental images flashing through her mind.

"I can't believe you actually saw Giles in his underwear!"

At Willow's outburst, both girls immediately sobered. Buffy's eyes widened.

"I never thought about it that way. Did you just go to an icky visual place?" Willow nodded once.

"Pact...We never mention this again...pinky swear!" Buffy stuck out her pinky and Willow wrapped hers around it; they shook on it.

"So you ready to go in?" At Buffy's nod, the two girls headed up the front porch.

Joyce Summers sat on her daughter's bed holding on to her favorite stuffed animal, a pink pig by the name of Mr. Gordo. She scanned her daughter's room looking at all her girlhood treasures.

*Maybe it's time to pack some of this stuff up. She's not coming back, she's never coming back.*

Tears started in Joyce's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She had grieved for Buffy, now it was time to start healing. She didn't know how to start letting her baby go; she blamed herself for not being more involved in her daughter's life. Buffy had led this secret double life and until recently, she'd never suspected. Once she had learned of her daughter's life as the Chosen One, she had quickly started to interfere in things she didn't understand. Her interference had gotten her daughter killed.

It was she who told Angel to consider lessening his involvement in Buffy's life. She had gone over to his mansion and laid a guilt trip on him that would've made any mother proud. She thought if he was out of her life, she would be safer, she would have a chance at a normal life with a normal man. Instead she had signed her daughter's death warrant. Only now did she realize that Buffy had outlived all previous slayers because she had back up, without Angel she was as good as dead. Buffy may have been the strongest slayer to date, but not even she could overcome impossible odds.

Joyce was reminded of the saying 'Hindsight is 20/20'; it was never truer than at this moment. If she had a chance to change things, she would, she would go over to that mansion and beg Angel never to leave Buffy. She sighed and stood up, she suddenly felt every one of her 40 years. She heard the doorbell ring and started downstairs to answer it.

"I'm coming." *Who could it possibly be at this hour?"*

"Willow, what a surprise, what brings you by?" Joyce was touched by the concern Buffy's friends had shown her these past 3 months.

"Mrs. Summers, there's something I have to explain to you, can I come in?"

"Sure." Joyce was confused but that was nothing new.

Buffy stayed out of sight, they had decided that Willow would explain everything first then Buffy would go inside. After 5 minutes she heard Joyce's voice "Oh God! Where is she? I want to see my baby!" She heard Willow's muffled voice telling Joyce to hear out the entire story, for a few minutes more all she could hear was Joyce crying.

Willow finally came back to the door.

"You can come in now."

"How did she take it?"

"Come in and see for yourself." Buffy was nervous. In her time line, she had buried her mother and father. She remembered what it felt like to watch the last pile of dirt settle on her mother's grave. The last of her innocence had died along with her parents. Now to actually hold her mother again, she didn't know if she wanted to run away or to Joyce.

Buffy entered the living room and looked at the women sitting on the couch.

*She looks so much older!* Buffy was surprised at how tired her mom looked. Then it hit her. Her MOM! Her mom was standing there alive!

"Mommy?" Buffy had visions of her childhood in Los Angeles. Waking up on Saturday mornings, watching cartoons with her dad while her mother made pancakes. Another vision flashed through her mind, her mom standing by a door telling her if she left, not to come back.

"Buffy...honey?" Joyce couldn't believe what she was seeing. When Willow explained the Wish to her she thought it was all some kind of mistake. But there was no mistake, this was Buffy, she was skinnier, her hair was longer but it was Buffy.

"You're alive!" Both women exclaimed at the same time then rushed into each other's arms.

Buffy felt safe for the first time in a long time. The feel of her mother's arms around her again gave her the unrealistic belief that if she stayed here, in her mother's arms, nothing would ever hurt her again.

Joyce clutched her daughter to her and looked up towards the heavens and silently prayed.

*Thank you God. Thank you for giving me back my little girl. I swear I'll do better this time.

Joyce pulled Buffy away from her and held her at arm's length.

"Let me look at you." She inspected her daughter from head to toe. "You're too skinny, I'll start a late dinner and we'll work on putting back some weight. Willow says you're staying at Giles' house, well, pack your things, you're coming home, it's not right for a girl your age to be living with an older man, even if it is your Watcher. Oh and school, what are we going to do about Graduation...." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Buffy's now wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm doing it again, aren't I?" Buffy only nodded.

"If you want to, you can move back in here. I haven't touched your stuff, and well, everything else will work itself out...in time."

"Mom, I don't have all my memories back yet, only strong feelings and impressions. But I know how much you love me, and I can feel how much I love you. If you really want me to, I'll move back." Buffy was surprised at just how much she wanted to live here.

"I would really like that." The two embraced again. Neither noticed when Willow slipped out the front door.