Willow sipped on her glass of red wine as she sat on the couch. Xander was putting another log on in the fireplace while Dawn and Buffy had just come down stairs after putting Cooper to bed for the 4th time that night. Andrew and Faith were outside debating and discussing with Giles.

Faith continued the argument as they walked in to the house. "Come on now Giles. After all we have seen over the years. You aren't saying this is impossible. "

Giles following close behind. "I never said it wasn't possible. I said there is a more likely explanation."

Buffy heard them arguing as they came in. She offered them a kind soothing smile. "I don't know what you three are talking about but if you wake Cooper up your next argument will have phrases in it like Ow that hurts and please stop punching me."

Xander turned smirking at his wife. "There is that charm I fell in love with oh so long ago."

Buffy joined him as his side as he wrapped an arm around her hugging her side. "So what are you guys arguing over?"

Andrew blurted out. "Giles doesn't believe your magical cell phone story."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Oh God here we go."

Willow interjected with her two cents. "Look not to play devil's advocate but there is no actual proof."

Before Xander could respond Dawn spoke up. "Xander and Buffy here is my pitch. Once and for all here and now give us the story. Tell us the details."

Xander groaned palming his face. "One more time. Than we are done with this forever."

Gives took to the love seat while Andrew and Faith sat next to Willow on the couch. Buffy sighed "If we are doing this I'm going to need another glass." She looked to Xander "You want one."

He shook his head and started pacing. The truth was his memory was hazy and it was getting harder to tell this story. "No thank you Buffy." He bit his lip. "So where do I start."

Dawn sat on the arm of the love seat. "Come on get on with it." She teased

Xander took a deep breath. "Okay before I start I am trying my best but the further I get away from this, the more time passes the hazier it gets. It is a reality that happened and it's something I remember but today and now it's more like waking up from a dream. You remember it clear in bed but later it's fading and gone. Many of the details I have are because Buffy reminded me. "

Giles sipping a glass of scotch replied. "Sounds like someone is making excuses."

Buffy returning with her glass of wine came to her husband's aid. "Okay so there is a reality that had me die years ago. It was the Buxton Vampire Nest."

Xander nodding picking up from there. "Yes. In that world I was no longer connected to the council. I was kind of a mess. After I lost Buffy I just couldn't find a path to happiness again. All of you tried to help. Giles you wanted me to come back and work at the school. Dawn you tried to get me to move on and even tried to get me to date and Willow you just wanted to lift me out of my haze."

Faith interrupted, "Sounds like you were becoming Angel."

Xander shrugged "I would have given his brood a run for it's money. Anyways Giles kept my office open at the school for years hoping I'd return but eventually he had to give it up. When all my stuff in my office was returned to me I found the cell phone I gave Buffy years ago."

Giles to be the voice of opposition. "A phone that you no longer have?"

Xander laughed and shook his head. "Nigel Travers destroyed it."

Giles crossed his arms "Convenient."

Dawn swatted at his harm. "Hush. Continue Xander."

Xander paced a circle in the living room. "Anyways I powered the phone up and it goes off in the middle of the night "

Buffy took the story from him. "This is where I come In and I can offer some tangible proof. I texted Xander and we had this whole you are lying this isn't possible conversation."

Xander picking up his pace. "Yes YES. It was the day before what we originally called The Buxton Massacre. In the original history, my history Buffy was killed."

Buffy nodded, "But he warned me ahead of it and because of that we changed history."

Xander stopped pacing and turned to the fireplace. "We changed things so the history that unfolded after Buffy was completely new to me. At least from where I was. In this new changing history Dawn was murdered."

Andrew looked curious to Xander. "This part confuses me. How does Buffy living equal Dawn dying?"

Buffy didn't wait for Xander. "Xander and I have talked on this. We may never know for sure but that day in Buxton I wasn't the only one who would have died"

Xander nodded. "Do the math. Any one of those girls that didn't die might have killed the vampire that possibly murdered Travers."

Andrew hung on to every word fascinated. "There were intangibles so this alternate reality you created most likely saved Travers?"

Buffy sipped her wine "That is our best guess."

Faith picked up the baton now asking the question. "So Buffy was alive but Dawn wasn't?"

Xander cleared his throat. "Not that simple. See just as I was lost when Buffy was gone. Losing her sister had the same effect. Buffy was lost and distraught. She was a shell of her former self."

Dawn swelled up. "Awwwww that is so sweet. I get it though. I mean I am just that loveable."

Xander retuned to his pace. "Buffy practically lived at her sister's grave. She blamed herself because she was alive and Dawn was gone and she felt responsible. So one night a nest of vampires got the drop on her. She was sad and tired and I think at that point kind of gave up."

Willow put up a finger. "So in this new reality now has not only Dawn dead but" she put up another finger. "Buffy as well?"

Andrew stole the answer out of Xander's mouth. "But if Dawn never dies than the vampires never get the drop on her and it's kind of a two birds one stone thing."

Giles interjected. "And you worked the case of Nigel Travers over this magic phone?"

Buffy didn't miss a beat. "Pretty much. We worked together up until Travers destroyed the phone. The very last conversation we had I over heard Travers in the back ground and than the line went dead. So I knew the exact date when and where he would show up. From there it was all about making sure Xander was ready for him."

Giles scratched his head confused. "So you trained the Xander of the past to be ready for a Travers of the future. Oh Dear Lord I think I'm going to need another drink."

Xander chuckled, "As someone who lived through it I'm still not sure I understand all of it."

Willow sucked in a breath . "Okay so this new reality you two created Buffy lives, Dawn lives, Travers dies and there is this whole new reality that is carved out around you? Is that what you are saying?"

Xander himself looked doubtful. It was hard to believe. It was a hard bill of good to sell but he stood by it. "Essentially yes."

Willow looked to her oldest friend with sad eyes. "If that is true I kind of feel bad for you."

Dawn looked at her curious. "What is to feel bad about?"

Willow tried to explain her theory. "So if we take this at face value and accept that Xander's world. The one that is his reality now. He wasn't there for a good part of it. I mean he has a son. He has a wife but it's a world he woke up too not lived. Isn't that kind of sad?"

Buffy snapped her fingers pointing at Willow in agreement. "I worried about that too but Xander. " She looked in to his eyes. "Why don't you explain it."

Xander stepped away from Buffy for a second. He walked to the mantle of the fireplace. He picked up a picture of a day at the park with Cooper and Buffy. "I remember this day. I remember it clear as day. I have a life time of memories that are mine. Memories of a past that is 100 percent mine."

Willow could see the sincerity in his eyes. "You remember all of it?"

Xander turned putting the picture back on the mantle. "The Day I married Buffy you came to me and told me if I had any intention of walking out on this wedding you would hobble me and drag my broken legs to the alter."

Buffy had never heard that story before. "Oh Willow that Is so sweet."

Xander took Buffy's hand "Oh come on. Nothing in this world was going to stop me from marrying you."

Buffy just smiled. "So this new reality is the one that is truly meant to be."

Xander looked at his wife. "And my favorite by far."

Giles stood up ready to offer his counter. "So I have heard your story. In this past reality you speak of Xander you and Buffy aren't head of the New Council. You are a sad shell of a man because Buffy is dead." He turned to Xander. "I posit there is a more plausible explanation."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Here we go."

Giles turned to Xander. "For two months no one in the council was aware of the demon posing as a watcher. We know he was powerful and capable of changing people's perceptions of reality."

Buffy sighed and shook her head frustrated. "Come on Giles. You can't fall back on that demon every time you run across something you don't believe."

Giles stood firm. "Come on Buffy. You of all people should know this is not only possible but likely. "

Buffy stepped to him angry. "Why me?"

Giles locked eyes with her just as stubborn. "You were infected by a demon years ago in Sunnydale. Don't you remember" Giles struggled to remember the demon's breed.

Willow's memory how ever was a little fresher and she blurted out. "Oh yeah. The Glarghk Guhl Kashmas'nik,"

Faith looked on impressed and surprised Willow could say that much less remember the name of the Demon. "Wow trying saying that 3 times fast."

Giles ignoring her just looked to Willow. "Thank you. Yes you lived in a reality where you were no longer a slayer and believed yourself to be a mental patient. So you of all people know that reality can be twisted and shaped to all sorts of different perceptions. Add to that both of you had contact with the demon on different occasions."

Xander sighed rubbing his forehead. "Yes but when we caught him and destroyed his power source all of the girls suddenly were pulled out and knew their reality was the real one. It was seen for the cheap fake illusion it was."

Giles again looked to Willow. "Willow can you explain to these two that magic isn't exact. Everyone is touched by it differently."

Willow reluctantly nodded. "He's not wrong."

Buffy suddenly remembered. "Andrew. The reason Andrew is the richest friend we have is because of a phone call from past Xander."

Andrew put his hands up in surrender. "Keep me out of it."

Xander challenged Giles. "How do you explain that? In the original history Andrew invested all of his money in the worlds worst restaurant idea. "

Buffy knew just what he was saying. "But because of Xander he took all of that money and put it in to bit coin. Trust me I'm not complaining I bought a few myself."

Xander standing firm looked to Giles. "If all of what I remember is fake or some altered memory why does Andrew remember the call why does he have the money."

Giles answered just as quickly. "What ever was done to you or your mind it was altered to fit the reality that currently exist. I'm not arguing Andrew invested in bit coin I am saying the reason why he did it might not be"

Xander let out a deep breath exasperated. "Enough." He turned on his heal facing everyone. "Ladies and Gentleman of the jury we have presented our case. Giles has presented his counter. I think it's time we take a vote."

Faith picked up her glass of wine tossing the last of it back. "I vote for the magic phone."

Andrew looked to her curious. "Because?"

Faith slumped her shoulders sitting back on the couch. "They sold it well."

Andrew didn't argue her logic but responded with his own. "I think I am going with Giles."

Xander looked stunned. "Oh my God Andrew. Of all the people I expected to have my back."

Andrew looked a combination of stunned and hurt. "Why?"

Xander rolled his eyes. "This has all the elements you love. It has time travel and technology and is the stuff you'd read in a comic book or a summer movie."

Andrew pointed to Giles. "Yes and while all of that is fun what Giles puts out is plausible and honestly the best explanation."

Buffy fumed at him angry. "Damn it Andrew give me your coins."

Xander threw his arm around Buffy calming her down. "Relax anyways we got your sister and Willow still so. Dawn what is your vote?"

Dawn didn't hesitate. "I find it romantic and give bonus points for a reality where not only my sister gets to live but I do too so in that line of thinking I find you not guilty."

Giles face was painted in confusion. "Not Guilty?"

Dawn just responded "Or what ever the equivalent to saying I believe them."

Faith just barked out. "MAGIC PHONE."

Giles a bit snarky replied "It's your sister I would expect nothing less."

Xander just looked at Willow knowing she was the win he needed. "Come on Rosenberg. You ate my food. You drank my wine and you expect me to help refinish your condo. I mean if that isn't enough for a win."

Giles snapped at him. "You can't bribe her. That is unethical."

Willow spoke up calling them both out. "If I may speak. I will say that over the years we have encountered situations that are less believable that we know to be true."

Xander pointed to Giles and met him with a "HA!"

Willow counted him with an eye roll. "One of those things is the reality that Buffy was ready to leave completely and accept as her own because it felt so real."

Giles smirked back at Giles. "I'll see your Ha and raise you a Ha Ha."

Xander looking shocked. "Come on Willow. You can't tell me you don't believe."

Willow studdered "Wa well I believe you both believe it to be real. I just. Giles makes a good point."

Giles crossed his arms. "And I vote it was an altered memory. Which makes it 4 to 3."

Buffy shot Giles a look like she caught him hiding an ace up his sleeve. "You don't win. I mean. Xander and I would get to vote and that would make it 5-4"

Giles stood firm. "You two can't vote. You'd vote for your side of the argument."

Xander shot back. "Well if we can't vote. You can't vote."

Willow laughed backing him. "He's got you there."

Xander had a dis satisfied look on his face like he just bit in to a lemon. "That makes it a tie."

Giles looking just as unhappy. "Yes a tie."

Willow stood up grabbing her purse. "Yes well on that note I think I'm going to exit this reality for one involving some sleep." She looked at Dawn knowing they had arrived together. "You need a ride?"

Dawn replied, "Thanks but I think I'm going to crash in the guest room."

One by one as the guests filed out of the house and Dawn made her way to the room Xander was rinsing off the dishes and placing them in the dishwasher.

Buffy stood in the door way watching her husband. She cleared her throat and asked. "Do you ever question? I mean what if Giles is right?"

Xander put the plate down and turned facing her. "I've thought about it."

"And?"

He put down the dish towel and stepped to her. "That old world or reality. What ever you want to call it. It's becoming harder and harder to remember. The one thing I knew about it for sure. The one thing I am 100 percent on."

"What?"

"I was miserable. My life was a shell of all of this. I'd never want to go back to that."

"And?"

"And in the end I don't care. I don't' care how I got here. I don't care about the path that got me here. Even if Giles is right and this was all just some demon fueled dream I have ended up right where I want to be."

She stepped in to her husbands arms and buried her face in his chest. "It is a pretty good place to be."

"It is a great place to be."

He leaned down and kissed her softly and lovingly. "Let's get some sleep."

"In bed next to you our son in the next room. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be."