Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize

Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.

This chapter is my explanation for Jasmine. It's not perfect, but it's better than retconning all major events in the show into her master plan.

Guest: Thanks for the review and recommendation, and gonna put it in my 'to-watch list' after I'm done with The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Thanks a lot and glad it was great.

Chapter 106- Break XXI

The past and future Scoobies reached the dining room, sitting down, absorbing all of the info they had been shown right now, the past ones that is, the future ones already knew how it had turned out, and were just waiting for the past ones to speak about it so they could explain the whole thing to them.

Rosenberg and Maclay also brought forth the food on trays, and the past people all started eating slowly, first deciding to fill up their stomachs before asking anything, and there was a lot of stuff to be asked, and then explained, due to the claims by both Skip and Jasmine herself that she had manipulated events to make sure that she could enter the Earth Dimension and rule it.

But if that was really true, everything Angel and the rest had done, all of the struggles they had gone through, those would become completely pointless since they were somehow part of a greater plan and everything they had done was ultimately done to serve a greater entity who happened to be evil.

So if she had actually done what she claimed she did, it would all be in vain.

And if the actions of Angel and his team were in vain, Buffy feared the actions of her team and herself could also be in vain. Those too could be something that had been planned by a higher evil being, who was manipulating them all to fulfill its own goals.

Sure The First Evil had risen because Buffy had been resurrected by Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya, but that wasn't a calculated manipulation, it was an accident which happened to give rise to a powerful entity.

This was manipulation on a completely new and different scale, on a Universal, no, inter-Dimensional scale, something no one in the Scooby Gang had ever experienced or even seen before seeing the actions of Jasmine in these recordings.

And Cordelia was obviously the most unfortunate victim, having been used and abused by the entity, so it could give birth to itself, and now she was in a coma because of all that she had gone through, and based on what the Scoobies knew, no one was sure if she would ever actually wake up.

But Buffy deep down just couldn't believe it. The entity couldn't actually be responsible for so much, it was impossible, and it was also ridiculous. They had done a lot of stuff, and a lot of it was major too, Jasmine making everything out to be her plan seemed more like a taunt on her part to make Angel and the rest feel worthless in front of her, because everything actually being her plan did not make any sense at all.

With those thoughts in mind, Buffy finally spoke. "So, Skip was lying when he said everything was Jasmine's plan, wasn't he?"

"Oh yeah, he was, he was her lapdog, so he was hyping her up, making them all feel worthless in front of her", Summers confirmed to her.

"So, how much exactly did Jasmine do? Because we all agree that everyone's lives being Jasmine's master plan was ridiculous", Willow agreed.

"Well, let's count", Rosenberg held up her fingers. "Angel leaving Sunnydale for LA, his call. Lorne ending up on Earth and Fred on Pylea, total coincidence."

"Doyle dying and giving up his visions to Cordelia, his choice, Jasmine didn't affect it in any way", Maclay added.

"Alonna dying, unfortunate tragedy, and Wesley sleeping with Lilah, that was their own call too, which she used to benefit herself eventually", Dawn finally finished.

"But a good deal of it was her plan, wasn't it?" Tara asked.

"Yes, she did have a plan, just not the one she said she did", Harris said.

"Ummm, I'm confused", Xander said. "And that's like me."

"The rest can explain", Harris shrugged.

"So, while Jasmine didn't directly create any of these events, she did see them happen from where she was, she watched the world and everything going on in it from her place, since she wanted to be reborn", Summers explained. "And obviously, for that, a miracle was needed, and you know what that was."

"Connor, a miracle child conceived by 2 Vampires, one with a soul no less", Giles realized.

"Yeah, that's right", Rosenberg agreed. "And it was the Powers who granted that chance, not Jasmine. Lorne sent Angel and Darla to the Trials on the Powers' behalf, a second life for Darla was rejected by the Powers, and Connor being brought to life too was approved by the Powers."

"She didn't make it happen, but she saw it, and decided to use it to her advantage", Maclay now said. "So, Sahjhan, you wonder how he knew of the prophecy of his death?'

"Huh, didn't think of that", Buffy realized.

"So, Skip, on Jasmine's behalf, tracked down Sahjhan, and told him of the prophecy", Summers revealed to their shock. "And also told him of Holtz."

"And so Sahjhan set out on his quest to make sure Connor dies, and that eventually led to Connor and Holtz getting thrown into Quortoth, and then coming out of it, and Connor was already a grown guy by that point, accelerating Jasmine's plan", Maclay said. "Plus, Jasmine influenced the rip between Dimensions to weaken, so that Connor could punch his way out of there."

"Huh? Makes sense", Dawnster realized.

"While Cordy got worse and worse due to the visions, so Skip ended up being her guide, and the woman he showed whose skull got blown out due to the visions didn't exist, she was an illusion", Rosenberg added. "And that obviously was done to eventually manipulate Cordy into accepting the deal to be half-Demon, so that Jasmine could easily possess her body."

"With Holtz's abuse, Connor was someone who could be easily manipulated, and so Jasmine did that, and the whole thing led to her birth", Dawn said, sounding angry.

"So that was her plan", Dawnster finally said in realization.

"Yes, she is a master manipulator, just not as good as she made herself out to be", Summers summed up.

"That makes an awful lot more sense than what Skip was saying", Giles nodded.

"Yeah, and considering she saw the kind of people Sahjhan and Holtz were, and being a Higher Power and all that, it makes sense she was able to foresee that using them to go after Team Angel would lead to the fulfillment of her plan", Buffy agreed there.

"Well, now we know the real story", Tara sighed.

"And it's pretty horrible too", Willow added.

"Basically, things happened, she saw 'em happen, decided these would be the perfect pawns, and manipulated the events to her gain", Xander realized.

"Yup", Harris nodded.

"So, I guess that answers all your questions for the day", Maclay said.

"Yeah, it does", Buffy nodded as they got up and moved to sleep once more, knowing that Year 4 would be finished by next day.

And there's my explanation for Jasmine. Is it perfect? No. Does it retcon the whole show into her plan? No.

Basically, she manipulated events after they'd already started, she didn't make them start, and so her manipulations eventually bore fruit.

This way, I keep Jasmine as the master manipulator she is supposed to be while not making the struggles and victories of the other characters pointless.

Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. And, on a more serious note, if you live in Ukraine or have loved ones there, my prayers are with you.