Part 1
Sunnydale Repair Shop
December 23, 2001
12:45 pm
Xander and Anya exit the local repair shop. Xander is carrying about six bags, while Anya is only carrying the bag from the repair shop.
"She's gonna hate that gift Xander," Anya said looking into the bag.
"No she's not Ahn," Xander said struggling with the bags.
"You didn't get Buffy anything, you just fixed something she already had. That box has been broken for a very long time. I don't even think she likes it much…Can I have it?"
"No. And she will like it. It's the thought that counts Anya."
"But it's a shame that you're spending all this money on your friends and you've only gotten me a few small things."
"Anya," Xander said. "It's Christmas. I can afford to get them nice gifts for once."
"What about my gifts Xander? I'm your fiancé I should be getting lots of gifts."
"Anya, I got you a very expensive ring I'm still making payments on. I'm paying for the wedding and the honeymoon. What more do you want?"
"Real Estate," Anya said simply.
"Good grief," Xander said.
"What'd you say Xander," Anya asked.
"Nothing. Let's just get these home. I need to get back to work."
The Magic Box
That Night
Willow and Dawn are hanging lights on the upper balcony of the shop.
"You know I could do a spell to put these lights up and they'd never burn out," Willow said.
"No," Dawn said angrily. "Haven't you learned you should do things the NORMAL way? Besides…I like putting up lights, it makes it feel Christmas-y."
"I'm sorry Dawnie," Willow said. "I'm still trying to control myself. I promised I wouldn't use my magic unless an extreme emergency comes up…an apocalypse, a demon attack…"
Dawn plugs in the lights and all the lights except for one comes on.
"Taking care of annoying Christmas lights," Willow continued.
Dawn shakes her head no. Willow sighs as the tow start to find which lights needed to be changed.
Downstairs, Buffy is putting ornaments on the tree. She stares sadly at her reflection in the red glass ornament.
"Buffy," a warm voice says from behind her.
She turns around and sees Xander looking at her, obviously worried. She hadn't even noticed him behind her.
"You okay? You seem a little upset about something."
Buffy thought.
"I'm fine. Really. I have to go anyway…patrolling and all. See you later."
Buffy grabs her coat and heads out of the shop. Xander follows her out.
"Want me to patrol with you…keep you company and all. We haven't done that in a LONG time."
"No," Buffy said. "I was gonna ask Spike. I don't want you getting hurt so close to Christmas and nursing bruises on Christmas Eve."
Buffy turns and heads toward Spikes crypt. Xander sighs when she is out of hearing range.
"Buffy…what is going on with you," Xander whispers into the night.
Xander looks up towards the sky, sighs again, and goes back into the shop.
Spike's crypt…
"Oh Theresa," Spike said to the television. "You are such a cry baby. Just tell Ethan you're pregnant with Julian's baby and get it over with. He finds out you gonna be toast anyway."
"Watching 'Passions' again Spike," Buffy said as she entered the crypt.
"Yeah. What of it?"
"The fact you watch the show makes me lose all respect for you," Buffy said.
Spike stood up and stalked towards her.
"Yeah…well you keep coming back slayer. You still want me no matter what I watch."
Spike pulls Buffy close to her, but she pushes him away.
"I told you Spike…no more. Us…whatever we had…is over."
"Go ahead love…keep telling yourself that until you believe it. You know I'm like a drug…you are addicted Buffy. You can't you get me out of your veins."
"Shut up Spike. I wanted to patrol with you…try to get back to normal, but I guess this was a mistake."
Buffy tries to leave, but as soon as she opens the door, Spike shuts it with his hand.
"Leave me alone Spike."
"You're the one who came see me slayer. We both know why you came so quit trying to fight it."
Buffy tries to open the door again, but Spike shuts it again. Buffy punches Spike in the face. He retaliates by punching her back. Buffy grabs him and throws him across the room. She goes to him and slams him against the wall.
"No. More," Buffy said slowly.
Spike grabs Buffy, turns and slams her against the wall. They stare at each other and begin to kiss savagely.
"I knew you wanted it slayer."
Spike leads her to his bed.
The Magic Box…
Xander comes back into the magic shop.
"Guys. I think we need to talk about Buffy."
"What's the matter Xander," Willow said.
"I think she's getting worse."
"Worse how," Dawn asked.
"She just seems to get more and more depressed each day. She never patrols with anyone except Spike…she barely says anything to us that doesn't involve Hellmouth related stuff. I'm getting worried she might be doing something crazy."
"Like what," Anya asked.
"I don't know…I have a funny feeling. Something's not right," Xander said.
"Look," Anya said. "We'll talk to Buffy tomorrow. Until then there is nothing we can do."
"I don't accept that. I'm gonna find Buffy and talk some sense into her. Maybe I can knock some sense into her," Xander said.
Xander grabs his coat and heads off in search of Buffy.
"He always does that," Anya whined. "Sometimes I think he loves her more than me."
Willow rolled her eyes, while Dawn suppressed a knowing smile.
Spike's Crypt…
Xander had looked all over the cemetery with no luck in finding Buffy. So he decided to check Spike's crypt.
"Maybe Peroxide Pest knows where she went."
As Xander neared the Spike's crypt, Xander heard a strange noise, a moaning sound. Xander nears Spike's door and finally places the sound. Xander felt all the blood drain from his face. He busts down the door.
"Oh Buffy."
"Oh Spike."
"OH MY GOD!!!!!!"
"Oh my…XANDER?!!!"
"Don't call out Droopy's name while we're…oh…my…God."
Xander had no words coming out of his mouth. He was completely speechless.
"Xander," Buffy said covering herself with the sheets. "I can explain."
"No. There is no possible explanation for you sleeping with him! I can't believe you Buffy. I thought of you as my hero Buffy, but no more. You are dead to me
now."
Xander walks out and slams the door behind him. Xander runs through the cemetery with hot tears streaming down his face. He leans against another mausoleum.
"How can she do this again?"
Xander wipes his eyes and walks out of the cemetery. He hears a loud scream. He instinctively runs towards it. He finds two vampires attacking Lorie, the angel. Xander rushes the first one to the ground and stakes it. He jumps up and wails punches on the second one. He sweeps the vamp to the ground and dusts it.
"Are you okay," Xander asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine," the angel answers.
"You know you shouldn't be in graveyard at night."
"I was looking for a client and I could say the same thing about you hun."
Xander sees Buffy running in his direction.
"Look I have to go, you should be getting inside. It's dangerous."
Xander heads off in the direction opposite of Buffy's.
"Xander! Wait up," Buffy yelled.
She stops by Lorie to catch her breath.
"You friend is hurt. He needs time to cool down…you should try talking to him, you know instead of boinking a vampire," Lorie said.
"Who are you," Buffy asked.
"Go. Talk to him."
Buffy walks a few feet and turns; Lorie is nowhere to be seen.
"Okay…if it turns out she's a vampire I will stake her for meddling in with my life…or what life I do have," Buffy said sadly.
Xander's Apartment
11: 50 pm
Xander is sitting in his chair on the balcony thinking when there is a knock at his door.
"And for a years supply of turtle wax is Buffy behind door number two," he mumbled to himself.
"Buffy. What a surprise," Xander bitterly.
"Xand…I know you're upset, but just let me explain."
"Okay Buffy, what reason do you have to sleep with ANOTHER VAMPIRE!!"
"Would you keep your voice down...look…Xander? Spike and me…there is no Spike and me, we are not together."
"You seemed very "together" a few minutes ago."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did."
"So you regret sleeping with him."
"Yes. But I don't regret getting close to him. He's all I have right now."
"What?!"
"Since I came back, the only person I could talk to was him…after confiding so much into him…hanging with him…it just happened."
"You could have talked to me Buffy. Or Willow. We're your best friends."
"Friends. I was in Heaven and you all pulled me out of there. I have no idea why you would do something like that."
"We thought you were in a hell dimension Buffy. A part of me didn't want do the spell because it thought you were in a better place, but a bigger part of me was scared to death you were being tormented in a hell dimension and I couldn't bare it so I decided to do the spell."
"Now thanks to that I don't even feel alive. I feel more dead now than I was when I was six feet under."
"I'm sorry Buffy. I just thought…"
"There you go…you thought. Your thinking does nothing but cause trouble Xander. I will never be able to forgive you for taking me out of heaven. Never. All you and Willow do is get into more and more trouble."
"Buffy stop this."
"Xander, since I've got back, I've regretted I made the friends I did. Real friends would have left me dead. The FIRST TIME!"
"Buffy…"
"No. I don't want to hear it. I slept with Spike because we have a stronger connection than I thought. More than we ever had. You have done nothing but make my life worse Xander."
Buffy opens the door.
"It would have been so much better if I had never met you."
Buffy slams the door behind her and goes home.
Buffy's House
Christmas Eve
12:30 am
Buffy reaches the porch and sees Lorie standing there.
"I thought I told you to talk to him, not yell at him."
"Leave me alone," Buffy said.
"Can't. I have two things to do here…help you feel human again and another I can't mention."
"Get off my porch before I stake you."
"I'm not a vampire Miss Summers. Nor am I a demon."
"Then what are you?"
"In time…did you mean what you said…it really would have been better if you had never met Xander."
"Of course not…It would have been better if he had never been born."
"Really?"
"Yes. He is nothing but a screw up. All he can do is get into trouble. Its just….grrr…I wish he had never been born."
A thunderclap flashed across the sky. Buffy turned around and saw Lorie bathed in a white light.
"Done."
End Part 1
Sunnydale Repair Shop
December 23, 2001
12:45 pm
Xander and Anya exit the local repair shop. Xander is carrying about six bags, while Anya is only carrying the bag from the repair shop.
"She's gonna hate that gift Xander," Anya said looking into the bag.
"No she's not Ahn," Xander said struggling with the bags.
"You didn't get Buffy anything, you just fixed something she already had. That box has been broken for a very long time. I don't even think she likes it much…Can I have it?"
"No. And she will like it. It's the thought that counts Anya."
"But it's a shame that you're spending all this money on your friends and you've only gotten me a few small things."
"Anya," Xander said. "It's Christmas. I can afford to get them nice gifts for once."
"What about my gifts Xander? I'm your fiancé I should be getting lots of gifts."
"Anya, I got you a very expensive ring I'm still making payments on. I'm paying for the wedding and the honeymoon. What more do you want?"
"Real Estate," Anya said simply.
"Good grief," Xander said.
"What'd you say Xander," Anya asked.
"Nothing. Let's just get these home. I need to get back to work."
The Magic Box
That Night
Willow and Dawn are hanging lights on the upper balcony of the shop.
"You know I could do a spell to put these lights up and they'd never burn out," Willow said.
"No," Dawn said angrily. "Haven't you learned you should do things the NORMAL way? Besides…I like putting up lights, it makes it feel Christmas-y."
"I'm sorry Dawnie," Willow said. "I'm still trying to control myself. I promised I wouldn't use my magic unless an extreme emergency comes up…an apocalypse, a demon attack…"
Dawn plugs in the lights and all the lights except for one comes on.
"Taking care of annoying Christmas lights," Willow continued.
Dawn shakes her head no. Willow sighs as the tow start to find which lights needed to be changed.
Downstairs, Buffy is putting ornaments on the tree. She stares sadly at her reflection in the red glass ornament.
"Buffy," a warm voice says from behind her.
She turns around and sees Xander looking at her, obviously worried. She hadn't even noticed him behind her.
"You okay? You seem a little upset about something."
Buffy thought.
"I'm fine. Really. I have to go anyway…patrolling and all. See you later."
Buffy grabs her coat and heads out of the shop. Xander follows her out.
"Want me to patrol with you…keep you company and all. We haven't done that in a LONG time."
"No," Buffy said. "I was gonna ask Spike. I don't want you getting hurt so close to Christmas and nursing bruises on Christmas Eve."
Buffy turns and heads toward Spikes crypt. Xander sighs when she is out of hearing range.
"Buffy…what is going on with you," Xander whispers into the night.
Xander looks up towards the sky, sighs again, and goes back into the shop.
Spike's crypt…
"Oh Theresa," Spike said to the television. "You are such a cry baby. Just tell Ethan you're pregnant with Julian's baby and get it over with. He finds out you gonna be toast anyway."
"Watching 'Passions' again Spike," Buffy said as she entered the crypt.
"Yeah. What of it?"
"The fact you watch the show makes me lose all respect for you," Buffy said.
Spike stood up and stalked towards her.
"Yeah…well you keep coming back slayer. You still want me no matter what I watch."
Spike pulls Buffy close to her, but she pushes him away.
"I told you Spike…no more. Us…whatever we had…is over."
"Go ahead love…keep telling yourself that until you believe it. You know I'm like a drug…you are addicted Buffy. You can't you get me out of your veins."
"Shut up Spike. I wanted to patrol with you…try to get back to normal, but I guess this was a mistake."
Buffy tries to leave, but as soon as she opens the door, Spike shuts it with his hand.
"Leave me alone Spike."
"You're the one who came see me slayer. We both know why you came so quit trying to fight it."
Buffy tries to open the door again, but Spike shuts it again. Buffy punches Spike in the face. He retaliates by punching her back. Buffy grabs him and throws him across the room. She goes to him and slams him against the wall.
"No. More," Buffy said slowly.
Spike grabs Buffy, turns and slams her against the wall. They stare at each other and begin to kiss savagely.
"I knew you wanted it slayer."
Spike leads her to his bed.
The Magic Box…
Xander comes back into the magic shop.
"Guys. I think we need to talk about Buffy."
"What's the matter Xander," Willow said.
"I think she's getting worse."
"Worse how," Dawn asked.
"She just seems to get more and more depressed each day. She never patrols with anyone except Spike…she barely says anything to us that doesn't involve Hellmouth related stuff. I'm getting worried she might be doing something crazy."
"Like what," Anya asked.
"I don't know…I have a funny feeling. Something's not right," Xander said.
"Look," Anya said. "We'll talk to Buffy tomorrow. Until then there is nothing we can do."
"I don't accept that. I'm gonna find Buffy and talk some sense into her. Maybe I can knock some sense into her," Xander said.
Xander grabs his coat and heads off in search of Buffy.
"He always does that," Anya whined. "Sometimes I think he loves her more than me."
Willow rolled her eyes, while Dawn suppressed a knowing smile.
Spike's Crypt…
Xander had looked all over the cemetery with no luck in finding Buffy. So he decided to check Spike's crypt.
"Maybe Peroxide Pest knows where she went."
As Xander neared the Spike's crypt, Xander heard a strange noise, a moaning sound. Xander nears Spike's door and finally places the sound. Xander felt all the blood drain from his face. He busts down the door.
"Oh Buffy."
"Oh Spike."
"OH MY GOD!!!!!!"
"Oh my…XANDER?!!!"
"Don't call out Droopy's name while we're…oh…my…God."
Xander had no words coming out of his mouth. He was completely speechless.
"Xander," Buffy said covering herself with the sheets. "I can explain."
"No. There is no possible explanation for you sleeping with him! I can't believe you Buffy. I thought of you as my hero Buffy, but no more. You are dead to me
now."
Xander walks out and slams the door behind him. Xander runs through the cemetery with hot tears streaming down his face. He leans against another mausoleum.
"How can she do this again?"
Xander wipes his eyes and walks out of the cemetery. He hears a loud scream. He instinctively runs towards it. He finds two vampires attacking Lorie, the angel. Xander rushes the first one to the ground and stakes it. He jumps up and wails punches on the second one. He sweeps the vamp to the ground and dusts it.
"Are you okay," Xander asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine," the angel answers.
"You know you shouldn't be in graveyard at night."
"I was looking for a client and I could say the same thing about you hun."
Xander sees Buffy running in his direction.
"Look I have to go, you should be getting inside. It's dangerous."
Xander heads off in the direction opposite of Buffy's.
"Xander! Wait up," Buffy yelled.
She stops by Lorie to catch her breath.
"You friend is hurt. He needs time to cool down…you should try talking to him, you know instead of boinking a vampire," Lorie said.
"Who are you," Buffy asked.
"Go. Talk to him."
Buffy walks a few feet and turns; Lorie is nowhere to be seen.
"Okay…if it turns out she's a vampire I will stake her for meddling in with my life…or what life I do have," Buffy said sadly.
Xander's Apartment
11: 50 pm
Xander is sitting in his chair on the balcony thinking when there is a knock at his door.
"And for a years supply of turtle wax is Buffy behind door number two," he mumbled to himself.
"Buffy. What a surprise," Xander bitterly.
"Xand…I know you're upset, but just let me explain."
"Okay Buffy, what reason do you have to sleep with ANOTHER VAMPIRE!!"
"Would you keep your voice down...look…Xander? Spike and me…there is no Spike and me, we are not together."
"You seemed very "together" a few minutes ago."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did."
"So you regret sleeping with him."
"Yes. But I don't regret getting close to him. He's all I have right now."
"What?!"
"Since I came back, the only person I could talk to was him…after confiding so much into him…hanging with him…it just happened."
"You could have talked to me Buffy. Or Willow. We're your best friends."
"Friends. I was in Heaven and you all pulled me out of there. I have no idea why you would do something like that."
"We thought you were in a hell dimension Buffy. A part of me didn't want do the spell because it thought you were in a better place, but a bigger part of me was scared to death you were being tormented in a hell dimension and I couldn't bare it so I decided to do the spell."
"Now thanks to that I don't even feel alive. I feel more dead now than I was when I was six feet under."
"I'm sorry Buffy. I just thought…"
"There you go…you thought. Your thinking does nothing but cause trouble Xander. I will never be able to forgive you for taking me out of heaven. Never. All you and Willow do is get into more and more trouble."
"Buffy stop this."
"Xander, since I've got back, I've regretted I made the friends I did. Real friends would have left me dead. The FIRST TIME!"
"Buffy…"
"No. I don't want to hear it. I slept with Spike because we have a stronger connection than I thought. More than we ever had. You have done nothing but make my life worse Xander."
Buffy opens the door.
"It would have been so much better if I had never met you."
Buffy slams the door behind her and goes home.
Buffy's House
Christmas Eve
12:30 am
Buffy reaches the porch and sees Lorie standing there.
"I thought I told you to talk to him, not yell at him."
"Leave me alone," Buffy said.
"Can't. I have two things to do here…help you feel human again and another I can't mention."
"Get off my porch before I stake you."
"I'm not a vampire Miss Summers. Nor am I a demon."
"Then what are you?"
"In time…did you mean what you said…it really would have been better if you had never met Xander."
"Of course not…It would have been better if he had never been born."
"Really?"
"Yes. He is nothing but a screw up. All he can do is get into trouble. Its just….grrr…I wish he had never been born."
A thunderclap flashed across the sky. Buffy turned around and saw Lorie bathed in a white light.
"Done."
End Part 1
