Sunnydale General Hospital.

"Okay," Buffy shook her head as she crumpled all the pictures in her hands while staring at Joyce, "this is ridiculous, this is stupid, this is…."

"Buffy, be a little reasonable," Giles scolded as he took a step forward while Joyce looked away, sorrow painted on her face. It was something that Dawn could see while, at the same time, feeling a sense of confusion within herself. She then glanced at the enraged look on Buffy's face as the latter growled at Giles while saying that nothing Joyce said made sense and that maybe the both of them should see a doctor. Dawn then watched as Buffy growled while throwing the crumpled pieces of paper onto the floor, and then glanced up at Joyce as she glanced away and her bottom lip quivered while a tear ran down her cheek.

Buffy then scoffed while Dawn stared at the crumpled papers on the floor, "really? Reasonable? Mom tells me that the two of us come from another world, Giles! Another world? How is that…"

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled while she stared at Joyce who was facing away from them. But from her vantage point, Dawn could see the older blonde covering her mouth with her left hand while her right was lying on her chest. The two girls saw her shoulders tremble as she sniffled and made low gagging sounds from her sobs, "just stop."

"Dawn, you can't…." Buffy looked over at her sister while Giles shook his head and turned away from Buffy. He approached Joyce and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning forward to whisper something in her right ear. Buffy looked away, her expression still one of disbelief at what she just heard, and looked over at Dawn who picked up the crumpled pictures. "You can't believe this, Dawn." Buffy then turned to her mother and she felt horrible seeing the woman shaking her head as her body continued to tremble, but there were some things that were needed to be said, "mom, I'm scared. I don't know if the tumour in your brain has…" Buffy looked towards Giles, and then back to Joyce, "I'm afraid that… that this thing you're imagining means that… that it's already gone… I mean I read that people with these tumours have hallucinations and stuff. I'm scared that's what's happening to you. I… I want a doctor to check you, and…"

Buffy then looked back at Giles while, from the corner of her eyes, she could see Dawn straightening the pictures in her hand. The Slayer then was about to continue speaking when Giles interrupted, "I was there, Buffy. The people who killed that thing, they were from the Air Force. Look…"

"Giles, please, be serious," Buffy said shaking her head.

"This is something that you cannot tell the others," Giles said looking at Buffy, and then at Dawn, "promise me and your mother."

Dawn stared at the picture of Caresa in her hand, and then looked up at Giles while Joyce turned around and faced them while she wiped her eyes. Dawn then looked back down at the realistic drawing in her hands before she looked back at Buffy. She knew that Buffy was angry. 'Who wouldn't be,' she thought to herself. But even Dawn could see a tiny resemblance between the woman in the drawing and Buffy.

"Mom," Dawn asked looking up towards Joyce's eyes, 'and there's a semblance to Buffy too, and to me.' Dawn turned the picture around, the drawing facing Joyce, and asked, "is it true?"

"Of course, it's not true," Buffy said.

"It's true," Giles said nodded his head, "the three of you cannot tell anyone of this. Do you understand?"

"Giles," Buffy spoke.

"This is not a joke," Giles told both Dawn and Buffy, the two girls looking back at him, "what we're about to say is not a joke, and what the military is willing to do if this information gets released is not a joke."

"Giles, how can you…"

"These are not the same people who created Adam," Giles clarified, "I saw something that I didn't really believe until now. And I'm the person who believes in ghosts, demons, vampires, and other supernatural occurrences." Giles then went to the bed and leaned against the railing while Joyce silently walked over to Dawn and went down to her knees and placed her hands on both sides of her face, "Dawn, remember the two men who came to see us earlier?"

"Yeah," Dawn said as Joyce ran her hand through the girl's hair before getting back up and walking towards Buffy's bed. "But what…"

"They are from a classified Air Force program that's been sending people to other worlds," Giles said. Buffy and Dawn narrowed their eyes at the two of them before looking at each other, and then back to the two adults, "the thing that attacked us was an alien known as a Nocturna." Joyce could see that Buffy was about to say something, but she sat on the bed after lowering the railings next to Buffy's legs and asked her to listen.

"Just listen, and if you still think I should see a doctor, then I'll go… just… just listen for now?" she begged, and breathed a sigh of relief when Buffy and Dawn nodded their heads. Joyce could see that Buffy was suspicious still, and Dawn… well, Dawn's expression was a mixture of disbelief and confusion.

"The two men we met last night wanted our help," Giles said before nodding at Joyce, "specifically Joyce's help."

"Why, mom?" Dawn asked.

"This thing…" Joyce said looking at the bedsheet as she recalled the horror of her last night on Asherah, "somehow woke up and began spreading to other worlds. Other human worlds…"

"Mom," whined Buffy.

"We promised to hear her out, Buffy," Dawn said, completely understanding why her sister was in disbelief. Dawn herself was in disbelief as well, the story was out of this world – literally and figuratively.

"I just found out that there are humans on other worlds too," Joyce whispered, her eyes locked on the bedsheet. She was afraid to look back up and into Buffy's eyes in case she broke down again, "I thought we were the only people on our respective worlds." Joyce then chuckled before saying how wrong she was before continuing on, "apparently these Nocturna spread to other worlds. The two men took us to an alien ship, and…"

"Beamed?" Dawn asked.

"Beamed up," Giles said with a silly grin on his face while sputtering, "it.. it was an interesting experience. We even met an alien… apparently he…"

"A he?" Buffy arched her eyebrows.

"From his voice," Giles said. The truth was he was only guessing Thor's gender, there was no way to know if he was male or female due to lack of any genitals, "and… well… when we were on his ship, we discovered that the Nocturna decimated at least one world."

"So this alien," Buffy used her hands to make air-quote as she sarcastically said the word 'alien', "were they like grey, big eyes, and naked like in the movies?"

"Yes," Giles deadpanned, and Buffy narrowed her eyes at the older man.

"Decimated…" Dawn asked, signalling the two adults to continue while internally she was surprised at how at ease Giles and Joyce wee when they said they met an alien.

"Killed an entire population… we heard only one survived," Joyce said as she looked up at Buffy, "I know this is a lot to take in, Buffy. These things did attack our village, they murdered… ate… ate everyone. They killed Caresa and they would have eaten us too if that woman never brought us here."

"This stranger… this… this Caresa isn't my mom, you are!" Buffy exclaimed, "mom, why are you…"

Joyce placed a hand on Buffy's lower leg and gently squeezed while the Slayer had tears running down her cheeks.

"Why are you saying you're not my mother?" she cried before closing her eyes as Dawn sat down next to Buffy and hugged her sister. Joyce could see that Dawn had tears coming down her cheeks as well while holding onto Buffy. Joyce could feel tears collecting in her eyes before she looked over at Giles, and then back at Buffy. She sniffled before looking away and stopped at the picture of Caresa on the bed.

"I may… may not…" Joyce had tears going down her cheeks now while staring at Buffy. She felt Giles' hand land on her shoulder before squeezing gently, encouraging her, "I.. may not have… have given birth to you, Buffy." Joyce sniffled before wiping her tears, "on our world, naming a child is an honour. Caresa asked me to name you. She…"

Buffy shook her head and looked down as her face twisted in anguish, "stop lying to me!"

Sniffling again, Joyce shifted forward and held Buffy's hand; she was afraid that the Slayer would pull away. But the latter didn't, and Joyce felt some form of relief.

"It's not a lie, Buffy," Joyce whispered, "these people needed to find the location of our homeworld. They used my old memories of the times I'd look up at the stars to find out our home's coordinates and then the allien used his ships sensors to examine my body. And then found nothing… no tumours."

"They needed to stop this plague, and... and they did," Giles said, "and earlier today, A Major came from the Air Force to tell us that they did. The threat's over. But they don't know how many people died, or how many were affected. I suppose we won't know either."

"That's one good thing," Dawn whispered while Buffy wiped her eyes and shook her head.

"No matter what you think of me, Buffy," Joyce whispered, her daughters puffy red eyes looking back at her, "I've always loved you. I may not have given birth to you, but…"

"Stop lying," Buffy whispered.

"I love you… I'll always love you," Joyce said as Giles gently squeezed her shoulder even more, "Buffy, I… I'm not denying that…" Joyce sighed as she shimmied up closer to Buffy and Dawn, "I'm your mother in every way that matters, Buffy."

"I…" Buffy looked away wiping her eyes.

"It may take some time for you to believe what I'm telling you," Joyce said before reaching for the picture of Caresa and simply staring at it with a faraway look, "Caresa loved you so much." Joyce smiled at that memory of coming down the stairs after her final affair with Linton to find the baby cradled in her arms, and Caresa cooing down at her, "she held you that night and… and then the Nocturna arrived and massacred everyone."

Joyce glanced up at Buffy who had her eyes closed shut, looking away from Joyce. She then turned her head towards Dawn, who still had her arms around Buffy and her head on the Slayer's shoulder while looking back at Joyce.

"No matter what you think, Buffy," Giles said, "Joyce has been a mother to you. The only one you've ever known. She loves you as a mother does any of her children. She loves you as much as she loves Dawn."

Buffy sniffed while wiping the tears from her eyes, the room suddenly getting very quiet. She didn't know what to think, not really. After all, what could anyone say after being told that the woman they thought they knew as a mother wasn't really their mother. What could anyone do? Buffy denied it – already having told Joyce that it was a hallucination she was having, and that she needed to see the doctors about the tumour in her head. And then there was anger – Buffy was furious at Joyce for trying to even deny their relationship. And it hurt Buffy… it hurt so bad when Joyce said that she wasn't her daughter.

Instead, some stranger was her real mother. And that they were from another world. And that they were attacked by an alien. What could anyone say to that? Buffy demanded she stop lying, but Joyce continued. Buffy cried as she yelled at Joyce to stop, but Joyce continued. Buffy still didn't know what to say or think. All she felt now were Dawn's arms around her and the younger Summers' head on her shoulder. Buffy heard what Giles said, but her mind was still whirling with the thoughts that Joyce said she wasn't her mother.

"I'm your sister," Buffy sniffled and tilted her head against the top of Dawn's head; and then there was Dawn's secret that only she and Giles knew about. Buffy closed her eyes and breathed in deep. Dawn was the Key made into human form by the Order of Dagon and…

It was then that Buffy's thought processes stopped once again. She remembered Joyce telling her a few minutes earlier that some woman brought them to this world where they met the Order of Dagon.

'Order of Dagon, how did mom know about it?' Buffy glanced at Joyce who was caressing Dawn's cheek while her other hand was wrapped around Buffy's left hand. She then glanced at Giles who was looking back t her with a small smile, 'did Giles tell mom about the Order, or…'

"Giles," Buffy croaked before looking away from Joyce as the latter looked up at her, "did… did you tell… mom…" Buffy sniffed at saying the word 'mom' especially after Joyce said that she wasn't her own, at least in her mind that's what she heard, "about… about Dagon?"

"What's Dagon?" Dawn asked.

"The woman brought the both of us there," Joyce said looking into Buffy's eyes, "I begged her to bring them back… our family, our people… but she said that the dead can't be brought back. She said she sensed my need to protect you and so… she sent the both of us here so that we could live."

"The Dogon monks," Giles said, "as you know, Buffy, are capable of changing reality itself."

"And they did," said a familiar voice. Buffy and Dawn widened their eyes and sat up while Joyce and Giles spun around, their eyes settling on the figure with cascading red hair down past her shoulders and a cream coloured dress. She stared at them with a smile on her bright red lips.

"Will… Willow?" Giles whispered while Joyce looked over at Buffy and Dawn hoping that they were seeing what she was seeing. After seeing their stunned looks, Joyce looked back towards the redhead who nodded her head before Giles rushed forward and hugged her.

"How?" Giles asked while Willow returned his hug.

"Turns out that I'm not exactly who I thought was," Willow chuckled as Giles stepped back with a look of confusion. Joyce watched Willow turn towards her and give a small smile, "I know the woman who brought you and Buffy to Earth, Mrs Summers."

"Will… I… that…"

"Remember in your dream I asked you to not blame Joyce?" asked Willow as she turned towards Buffy and strode slowly towards Joyce, and then hugged her tight. Willow whispered in Joyce's ear, saying that she should not have any regrets. Willow then pulled back and nodded her head at the still surprised Joyce. The redhead turned towards Dawn and gave a wide grin before reaching down towards the stunned girl and then ruffling her hair.

"Hey!" Dawn reached up and grabbed Willow's hand to stop her hair style from being ruined. As soon as their hands touched, Dawn stared at Willow with a smile on her face, "your hand… it's warm…"

"I can't stay for long," Willow chuckled as she sat on the bed in front of Dawn and Buffy, "I asked the others upstairs to…"

"Others?" Giles asked.

"Ascended beings," Willow said looking up at Giles who moved to stand next to Joyce in front of the redhead, "humans who evolved beyond the point of needed a physical body."

"But… so that means that you…"

Nodding at Giles, Willow then turned to Buffy and spoke, "Buffy, the first time I was born was… well… it was a long time ago. Before I died, I achieved ascension. I saw a lot of things, Buffy… and then one day I decided to give it all up."

"Why?" Dawn asked while Buffy looked down at her hand… the one that Willow was holding. She then looked back up into Willow's green eyes and gave a small smile; she could feel her warmth too.

"I was asked once by a demon… this was when I visited Earth once again many years ago… if I would help the Slayer," Willow said watching Buffy look back in surprise, "but at that time I didn't know the answer. One day, years after that, I made the decision to help. But I couldn't interfere as I currently am… the higher beings cannot interfere in the lower planes of existence. So, with the support of my mother and my sister…"

"Mother and sister?" Buffy asked, "but…"

"My mother died after she gave birth to my sister, and then years later my sister died when I was still alive… we were at war with a powerful enemy, and they killed her."

"Oh," Buffy whispered looking over at Joyce.

"Anyway, I decided to be reborn, which meant that I had to give up everything; my knowledge, my powers, and my memories as an ascended were locked away, and I lost my immortality. My DNA was compatible with Sheila Rosenberg's and…"

"You were reborn a human," Giles said, awe reflected in his voice as Willow nodded her head.

Willow then turned to Buffy, "I know how you feel, Buffy. Having two mothers is… well… I was confused when I met my first mother after I died. She unlocked my memories and I... I remembered. I remembered all the times we had together. But that doesn't mean I love Sheila any less. She and dad are my parents… just as Moros and Melina from my first life are my parents too." Willow saw Buffy's eyes flicker towards Joyce, "Joyce is your mother, and she also has the spirit of your biological mother. I'd like to think that Caresa pushed Joyce that day… her spirit I mean… to run as fast as she could. I think it could have been a combination of Caresa's spirit and Joyce's desire to protect you that called on my friend to bring you to Earth."

"In every way that matters, Joyce is your mother, Buffy," Giles said while Buffy stared at Willow before looking away.

As for Willow, she then turned her head towards Dawn and smiled, "and as for you, everything's going to be alright." Willow turned her head towards Giles, the former aware that Dawn didn't know the truth about who and what she was, "she's going to be alright, Giles."

"Wait…" Giles narrowed his eyes at the highlighting of the word 'alright', 'no, we didn't tell Willow about Glory. None of them know except for me and Buffy. So how…"

"I have a feeling that Dawn's going to grow up to become someone great," Willow said arching an eyebrow at Giles, and then she looked back to Dawn and caressed her cheek, "make Buffy and Joyce proud, Dawnie." Willow then looked at Buffy who stared back in surprise, "the both of you will grow up to become greater than you already are." Willow then smiled at the two of them before she got up off the bed and sighed.

"I need to get going."

"But…" Buffy said before she stopped, "why? Why are you leaving?"

"Because," Willow looked away with a smile, before she looked back at Buffy, "I was only supposed to say my goodbyes to Tara… I just finished talking to her in her dream. I wanted to relay my goodbyes through her since… well… I can't stay long in the lower planes." Willow shrugged, sighed, and then looked up at the ceiling and growled, "another minute!" Willow then sighed before looking back down at the confused expressions looking back at her, "the Others like to complain. Anyway, I sensed Buffy wasn't taking the news too well so… well… here I am."

"And now you have to go?" Dawn asked, her voice cracking.

"Why not return back to... I mean… why not just simply come back?" Joyce asked.

"It doesn't work like that," Willow said with a small sad smile, "I wish it did. Returning would mean the Others would wipe my memory clean of who I was and, as punishment send me away to another world. Ascension isn't something to be taken lightly… it's not a cheat code where someone dies and then immediately comes back to life in human, unascended, form.

"What will you do now?" Giles asked as Willow looked up at him.

"Explore," Willow said, Buffy snapping her head at the redhead, "thousands of years ago, my people were explorers. And so, I wanna see the universe." Willow then looked over at Buffy, "live your life, Buffy. You have a mother and a sister who loves you." Willow then shrugged, "and one day, hopefully a long… long… very long time later… I'll come back like this to you."

Buffy gave her a small smile, "stay, Will."

"My heart is with you, Buffy," Willow said before looking up at Dawn, and then at Giles and Joyce, "with all of you." She then looked back at Buffy, "but I can't stay." Willow then sighed, "take care of yourselves, alright?"

Buffy and the others watched Willow vanish, with a smile on her face. After she was gone, Buffy glanced over at Joyce before looking away once again.

"Mom?" Buffy whispered remembering what Willow and Giles told her, that Joyce was still her mother no matter what she thought. Buffy's eyes went back to lock with Joyce's own, she still didn't believe… but she was still willing to listen, "can… can you tell me…" Buffy sniffed, "more about…"

Joyce, tears welling in her eyes again, reached down and grabbed Buffy's hand while taking a seat again. She looked at Buffy, and then at Dawn, and back to Buffy again, "what do you want to know?"

The End.