Chapter 211
Buffy came home around 9pm on Christmas day. By this point the guests were eating the last of their Christmas dinner. There was Steven and his parents, Xander and Willow. Xander had apparetly finished his work as Santa Claus. Buffy realized that Xander and Willow were ready to back Buffy up on whatever cover story she told about Cordelia. Buffy figured that she could easily claim Cordelia was fine when she left her. Without any motive the police couldn't charge Buffy with anything, even though Buffy felt somewhat responsible. Without a body people would likely think that Cordy either ran away, or killed herself. With Harmony dying less than one month after Jessie, people would leap to that conclusion. Buffy didn't like that she was becoming good at cover stories for friends deaths, but that was becoming a neccessary part of this job. Buffy would sit down to eat dinner. Tomorrow Buffy would tell Xander and Willow about Cordelia. But not tonight. She couldn't tell them this news on Christmas day.