Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? Divergence from canon will be light at first. Some dialog in early chapters will be familiar. Characters not mine, etc. Eventual NC-17 (if my courage holds out), Eventual Character Death(s).

Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? Divergence from canon will be light at first. Some dialog in early chapters will be familiar. Characters not mine, etc. Eventual NC-17 (if my courage holds out), Eventual Character Death(s).

Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? Divergence from canon will be light at first. Some dialog in early chapters will be familiar. Characters not mine, etc. Eventual NC-17 (if my courage holds out), Eventual Character Death(s).

Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? Divergence from canon will be light at first. External events similar to canon, but dialog mostly my own at this point. Characters not mine, etc. Eventual NC-17 (if my courage holds out), Eventual Character Death(s).

Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? Divergence from canon will be light at first.
External events similar to canon, but dialog mostly my own at this point. Characters not mine, etc. Eventual NC-17 (if my courage holds out), Eventual Character Death(s).

Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? External events similar to canon, but dialog mostly my own at this point. Characters not mine, etc. Eventual NC-17, Eventual Character Death(s).

Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? External events similar to canon, but dialog mostly my own at this point. Characters not mine, etc. Eventual NC-17, Eventual Character Death(s).

Response to Shan's challenge 285, wherein Joyce survives but other major S5 events occur. Buffy is ripped from heaven, etc, but will Joyce's presence ease the Slayer's burden? Characters not mine, etc. Eventual Character Death(s), and now NC-17.

In our ninth installment Buffy wakes up, Dawn makes a discovery, and Buffy has a number of awkward conversations.

In our tenth installment Spike learns what Buffy has decided, our heroine gets zapped, Willow is on the case, Buffy asks Joyce for a favor, and that's not all. It's a big chapter.

In our eleventh installment Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer.

In our twelfth installment Buffy gets framed for a murder.

In our thirteen installment Dawn ponders the nature of the beast, it’s Buffy’s birthday, and the Slayer dreams.

In our fourteenth installment Riley Finn returns to Sunnydale; his reception varies.

In our fifteenth installment there is much fluff.

In our sixteenth installment Dawn struggles to understand Spike, Buffy makes a statement, and Willow gets some insight from an unlikely source.

In our seventeenth installment the Harrises return to Sunnydale, Willow and Tara chat, Joyce volunteers for a mission, and Spike takes a ride (or two).

In our eighteenth installment there is a character death.

In our nineteenth installment Willow reacts to Xander’s murder.

In our twentieth installment there is continuing fallout.

In our twenty-first installment Sunnydale welcomes back some characters.

In which Buffy and Spike have a less heated chat.