Spoilers: Major spoilers (uhh the whole story) for "The Body" and "Forever"
Synopsis: Ok, I was lying in bed last night and this idea just came to me. I know you are all wondering where the sequel to Broken Hearts is and where the next part of Married W/ Children is but I am plagued by what every writer knows as "The Block." I am hoping that by listening to my Buffy songs (Christophe Beck rules) that I have downloaded off Napster and writing this fic will help me to get some ideas. This is an alternate ending to Forever and that's all I'm going to say.
Dedication: To Sarah Michelle Gellar, my idol and my role model (even though I don't like the idea of her marrying whats his name... I still love her) and to Michelle Tractenburg (did I spell this right?)...They are both wonderful actresses and I look up to them very much (even though Michelle T. is younger than me..haha but hey, she rocks)

Now...On to the story
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What had she been thinking? Kissing Angel again? Gosh Buffy, why don't you just wear a sign that says, "I still love you"...it couldn't be any more obvious than you just were. She couldn't believe that she had been back in Angel's arms and then she had told him to leave...AGAIN! Why didn't I tell him that when I said to stay forever, I was being sincere? Stupid, stupid
*Ring Ring*
"Who is calling at this hour?"
Buffy picked up the phone.
"Hello? Tara? Slow down...what?"
Buffy dropped the phone and ran upstairs and burst into Dawn's room.
"What did you do?"
"She's coming. I know it Buffy, she's coming."
Dawn got up and ran out of the room and downstairs. Buffy grabbed the picture of her mother and followed Dawn.
"Dawn, you don't know what you're messing with. Tara said these spells go wrong all the time. People don't come back as themselves. They come back strange...not right."
"Buffy, mom's coming home. I need her. She'll be mom...I don't care if she's crazy or something. I need her!"
"Dawn, why are you doing this? Are you trying to hurt me? Did I do something to you?"
"Buffy, don't talk to me like I'm a child. I need mom. She was the only person who didn't treat me like I was the "key". Even though she knew I wasn't "real" she treated me like her daughter. More than you ever did. I'm just some responsibility to you. You don't care about me. Mom was the only person who cared...who talked to me and tried to help me feel better. You don't care that she's gone. You haven't even cried."
"How dare you."
Buffy slapped Dawn hard. Her hands flew to her mouth. What did I just do? This is my sister
"Dawn, I'm sorry. Everything is going...why did she have leave us? Dawn, I have to keep going...I have to keep doing everything that I've been doing every day of my life for the past 5 years. I have to keep going and keep slaying and keep studying or," Buffy had burst into tears and she could barely speak, " it means she's really gone. She can't be gone. She can't be out in the cemetery where the vampires come from and be under the ground where I'll never see her again. It should be me out there. Not my mommy. She was the strong one, not me. I can't do this by myself. Who's going to be there when I need someone to talk to about my problems or about guys? Who's gonna be there to cry with me in my dressing room on my wedding day? Who's going to come to my college graduation?"
"Oh Buffy." Dawn and Buffy fell to the floor crying in each other's arms.
" My beautiful girls. Don't cry for me."

Buffy and Dawn's heads both shot up at the sound of their mother's voice. A figure stood before them. It was almost transparent, like a spirit.

"Mommy?" Buffy and Dawn climbed to their shaky feet.

"Yes my darling Buffy, I came back, not because of the spell, but because I needed to tell you and Dawn something."

"Mom, why did you have to leave? I can't do this life thing alone. I miss you so much."

"I know I know. But, I'll always be with you. In your hearts. All you have to do is speak and I will hear you. That's the way it is where I am. We hear everything that is said to us. No matter if you don't think so or not, we always hear. My Dawnie, please don't be sad my darling."

"Mom, I can't imagine my life without you. Why did you have to go away?"

"Dawnie, it was just my time. And Buffy, there was nothing you could do to save me. I knew the risks involved in the surgery. I know I should have told you but I didn't want you to worry. I came back to tell you that you have to accept that I am gone and move on with your lives. Buffy, I will be at your graduation and your wedding. I will always be in your heart and looking down on you. I love you both very much. You girls were my life, are my life."

"Mom, I don't want you to be gone. It's just not right; it should be me in the ground, not you. I'm the one whose suppose to live a short life. Not you mom. You have to be here to raise Dawnie and teach her everything you taught me."

"Buffy, now that I'm gone, that's your job. To teach her everything that I taught you. And it shouldn't be you who died. Just because you've always thought you were going to die an early death because of you being the Slayer doesnt mean its true. Its your turn now to take care of Dawn and to be on your own. You have Xander and Willow and Giles, and even though you don't think so Buffy, you have Angel. I know you think that he's only going to be there for you when you are in some big crisis, but even if you just needed to talk he'd come. He loves you Buffy. Don't push him away."

"Mom, whats it like where you are? Is it pretty? Are you happy?"

"Buffy, I am very happy. And Kendra wanted me to tell you that you should stop blaming yourself for her death. There was no way you could have known what Drusilla and Angelus had planned. It wasn't your fault."

"Mom, tell her I said thank you and that I love her. I love you too. Mom, I miss you so much. I know that there was nothing I could have done, but I just keep having this feeling that I could have done more. But, I guess I couldn't."

"Dawnie, I love you so much. Buffy will take good care of you. I'll always be with you. I'll always be with both of you. Take care my girls. Remember, if you need me, just talk to me...I'm always listening."

"We love you mom. Do you have to go? Will we ever see you again?"

"You'll see me one day. When its your time to come where I am. Always remember how much I love you. Goodbye. And Buffy, I know you hate it when I tell you this, but always be careful on patrol. I don't want to see you up here any time soon."

Joyce smiled at her two daughters, and then faded away.  After about 3 hours of crying on the couch and finishing off an entire gallon of cookie dough fudge mint chip, Dawn fell asleep. Buffy carried her up to bed and went downstairs and sat on the couch looking at the phone. Her mother's words rang in her ears *Don't push him away* She couldn't decide if she should call him or not. Finally she picked up the phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?"

"Angel? It's Buffy. We need to talk."

"Buffy. Is everything ok? What do we need to talk about?"

"Everything is fine. But we need to talk about us."