While I figure out how to write a believable Xander as vampire story, I'm going to get started on a totally different story. Julie Q said she wanted to see a story where Cordelia's dream of being an actress comes true. I was recently reading a story by an author that agrees with my supposition that Skip telling Angel that he and the others had been manipulated by Jasmine for years also means Xander and Cordelia were manipulated apart. In the story Xander is told that if they hadn't been manipulated apart that they would have lived into their nineties with children and grandchildren. He's offered a choice, stop fighting the current big bad and that big bad could rearrange reality so he could have the life that was stolen from him and Cordelia. The catch was that it would mean betraying everyone he was fighting beside and he couldn't do it. But like many of my stories, it sparked an idea.

There won't be any scenes of what happens in canon episodes without Xander or Cordelia there, but if you stick with me to the end of the story you'll find out why.

I originally started writing my stories because the pandemic meant I was spending a lot of time rewatching old shows and remembering things that frustrated me originally with those shows, things that still frustrate me. That led me to improving my writing and doing research to help with that, which led to finding the cast and writers interviews with stated and written opinions on the show. Turns out they found it frustrating too. James Marsters, aka Spike, stated in an interview that he hates what happened to Spike and that they should have just stuck to the original plan and killed him off. The writers had no idea what to do with the character and kept trying to figure out what could work since he was only kept on because the fans wanted it, same as Angel. Joss fought it and Marti Noxon was brought on to try to integrate him into the show. I also found an interview with SMG that says by season 3 she wanted out as well, it wasn't the show it was suppose to be. But they, like Nick, said the same thing, in the end, it's a job and a paycheck and you show up every day and do the best you can. Fans like to say the problems with Xander are because of Joss and Nick's own problems. But the writers and actors were having a problem with the audience. I guess in the end, Buffy is a show about how much the audience can shape a show and love it, while behind the scenes those working on the show feel like puppets instead of actors.

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"Why's Anya so upset?" Cordelia Chase asked her ex boyfriend, Xander Harris.

"Oh, she's just afraid we're all going to die tomorrow."

"Oh. Are you planning to go to fifth period?"

"I was thinking I'd skip it, you?"

"Yeah, I mean if we're going to die tomorrow and it's our graduation day anyway, what does it matter. So why does she think we're going to die tomorrow?"

"Because the Mayor is planning to turn himself into a giant snake and eat us all." He told her as the two walked slowly down the sidewalk towards the school gate.

"I hate this town. I can't wait to get out of Sunnydale and I don't ever plan to come back."

"I hear you, I'm seriously leaning in that direction myself."

"Why? I thought you were dedicated to the cause." She said bitterly.

"The cause isn't dedicated to me. Aside from the battle tomorrow, which I have a key role in, there really isn't much I can contribute. I'm too afraid of Magic to learn it. I've managed to teach myself to use a crossbow and an ax, but can't afford any training classes and Giles is too busy with Buffy and Willow to teach me anything. I'm considering the Army, I mean I still have all that Halloween stuff in my head and it's useful for tomorrow's battle, but after that? Not much since the others aren't interested in it despite how it helped with the Judge and when Buffy ran away and of course tomorrow."

"How is it useful for tomorrow?" The brunette beauty asked.

"Oh, Buffy decided we needed an army to fight the giant mayor snake, so I recruited the class to fight and built a bomb. I'll also be leading them tomorrow."

"Oh, so yes, useful. And your new girlfriend?"

"What girlfriend? I haven't had a girlfriend since you, haven't wanted one."

"Anya or Faith, I heard Willow crying about you hooking up with Faith and you went to the Prom with Anya."

"I guess you haven't heard, Faith and Buffy accidentally killed a man. Buffy and Angel chained her up when she blamed Buffy for it and then Wesley tried to arrest her and ship her back to England for judgement. She escaped them and went to the Mayor for help. Then she killed a couple of guys when he ordered her to. Then she poisoned Angel and Buffy decided to feed her to Angel because the blood of a Slayer could negate the poison. Buffy nearly killed her, but she got away, only to end up in a coma and Buffy fed herself to Angel. She barely survived and still plans to fight the Mayor tomorrow. I'm convinced I'm not getting out of High School alive."

Cordelia was staring at him trying to absorb everything he'd said. "Boy, everyone's brains seems to have leaked out of their skulls since I left the group and Wesley never mentioned any of this to me. Xander, if we do survive tomorrow, maybe you should leave Sunnydale too and not come back. You stay here and you will die, especially given the total lack of brains around you."

"I thought I'd leave town with you, you know before I screwed up."

Cordelia decided if she was going to die anyway, she needed to know why he'd screwed them up.