A/N Going by the PM's and a few of the reviews I've been getting, people are missing something very big about this fic, which strikes me as odd since I stated what everyone seems to be missing in the first authors note. There's a reason Xander and Willow are acting the way they are. Which means it's going to get worse before it gets better.

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Buffy episode Graduation.

For once Xander was actually feeling good about himself, maybe even proud of himself. Buffy wasn't pushing him out of the Slaying anymore, in fact she'd called him Key Guy for the idea she'd had to deal with Mayor 'I'm turning myself into a giant snake and eating you all on your graduation day so I can rule the world' Wilkins. 'Okay, as nicknames go, that one, accurate at it is, needs more thought.' Xander thought, as he put the bomb together. 'The bomb that will hopefully stop Mayor McSnake.' Once he'd finished with the bomb he checked his to do list.

1. Convince classmates to fight a giant snake. Check.

2. Give them basic instructions on dealing with vampires, using Angel as the demonstration piece. Check and fun, watching more then one hundred students each almost staking Angel.

3. Put together battle plan and make sure everyone knows their part. Who knew more then a dozen of his classmates knew how to shoot a bow and arrows? Check.

4. Build bomb and put it in the library. Check and check.

5. Pray it's enough to stop the latest Big Bad. Check.

6. Spend some time with Cordy and plan our future. Check! 'Happy check.' Xander thought. 'Skipping classes yesterday and spending several hours just talking cleared the air and made things right between us. I swear, I'm never going to do anything stupid to jeopardize us again!'

Things were going pretty good until Angel got shot with an arrow that turned out to be poisonous. Willow analyzed the poison and she and Oz researched it.

"I found it.' Oz said. "Killer of the dead. I found a reference to a vamp that walked away from it."

"Well, what is it?" Xander asked. "Angel's got a ticking clock over his head." 'And Buffy's distracted by it.' Xander thought. 'We need her to get her head back in the game because in two days we'll be dealing with both literally and figuratively the biggest Big Bad we've ever dealt with.'

"The vampire drained a Slayer." Oz told them.

'Oh.' Xander thought. 'Well too bad. Guess Angel's just going to die then. Or dust, being that he's already dead. Wait, what did Buffy just say?'

"It's perfect. If Angel needs the blood of a Slayer, then I'll bring him a Slayer." And left.

"Please tell me she isn't planning to feed him Faith or herself." Xander said. "Those are the only possible alternatives."

"Buffy's right, it is perfect." Willow said. "Faith's evil and Angel's a good guy. He can drain her and he'll be alright."

"It's murder." Xander said flatly. "How's it any different then Faith killing the Professor guy?"

"I can't believe you said that, Xander!" Willow said angrily. "Buffy is not evil, Faith is! Buffy needs Angel and Faith's blood can save him. It's for the best. Buffy knows what she's doing! She's trying to save the world, again! And she needs Angel to do it! Faith doesn't matter, Angel does! And I'm sick of you talking about Faith! Forget about Buffy going after Faith and just concentrate on your part of the plan!" A flash in Xander's eyes had him swallowing the retort he'd been about to make.

"I'm nearly done with everything and everyone knows their parts, the plan's as good as I can make it. The soldier knowledge has come in real handy again. Might be the only good thing Ethan Rayne is responsible for, inadvertent or otherwise. See you later, Will, Oz." Xander waved at them and headed out, no thought of Faith or Buffy going to kill her in his head, just going over final details about the plan.

'Finally!' Willow thought. 'He is so damn infuriating. How dare he compare Buffy to Faith! Buffy's right, Faith's blood can save Angel. He can do alot of good, she can't. Why does Xander have to be such a doubting Thomas. Why can't he understand, Buffy knows what she's doing?'

'Because he doesn't believe in Buffy.' A voice whispered across the back of her mind. 'Not like you do. Which is why Buffy depends on you and not him. Buffy knows, thanks to your gift of Magic, that you're her best ally.'

'It's too bad Magic hasn't been much help in this battle.' Willow thought. "Aside from stealing and almost destroying the Box of Gaverox, I mean. And they had to give that back to the Mayor to save me.'

'Because they understand how important you are.' The voice whispered. 'How much Buffy needs you. How much she needs your gift. Just because Magic hasn't been as helpful right now as you want, doesn't mean it won't be more helpful in the future. That's why you're learning all the spells you can, right? To be helpful to Buffy.'

'Yes, it is. And I've learned a lot already and I'll learn more.'

'Because, unlike Xander, you're not just a good friend, you're an important ally.'

'I am a good friend too.' Willow thought. 'I at least understand, Buffy's doing the right thing. Faith's evil and has to die.'

Then Willow found out Faith escaped from Buffy and was in a coma and Buffy had let Angel feed on her instead.

'It just proves how much Buffy loves Angel.' Willow thought. 'And he's a big poopy head for leaving her, even if he thinks it's for the best. Too bad I couldn't convince him to stay. My arguments didn't do anything to change his mind. He's even more stubborn then Xander and at least Xander eventually listens to me.'