7.14

Episode 7.14

"Dreaming"

written by: Doyle

May 25th, 2002

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

Willow transferred Xander and Anya's baby into her womb before Anya died. Xander was a wreck. He partially blamed Buffy for Anya's death. Buffy, Spike, Dawn and Josh were stuck in an invisible bubble while some demon went around shrieking alot. Grant was nosing around inside the Summer's house, unaware that Buffy could see him. Spike informed Buffy and Dawn that he would be leaving Sunnydale. Xander was fighting the demon which Willow later found was innocent of the disappearances but Xander decided to kill it anyway.

* * *

Buffy and Dawn are making breakfast. Buffy asks Dawn if she's talked to Josh recently. "You mean, since he saw a demon and got stuck in a mystical barrier with you, me and Spike (who apparently is leaving town)?". "Yeah." Buffy says simply. "No, but I'm going to go see him later." Dawn replies. After a moment, Buffy works up the nerve to ask, "So...what do you think about him not being around anymore?". "Josh? Oh he'll still come around. I don't think he's too traumatized." Buffy's voice softens, "No, I meant Spike." She looks at Dawn. "Oh..." Dawn trails off and Buffy states, "You're gonna miss him." "Yeah." Dawn says, a sad expression on her face. "Me too." Buffy agrees, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Opening Credits.

Willow lies in bed with Tara. She's dreaming of the few moments she had with Anya before she died. We see the scene happening again (in black and white) only this time what Willow's saying doesn't match the words coming out of her mouth. Willow is apologising to Anya and begging for her forgiveness. Suddenly Anya's visage switches to that of vengeance demon and she begins strangling Willow. She states that Willow must be punished, while slowly choking the life out of her.

Cut to Dawn over at Josh's house. He opens the door and invites her in. Dawn asks him straight out, "Are you freaked out by me?". "What?" he asks, not really knowing what she's talking about. "You know, the thing...". He just looks at her blankly. "The *thing*...with the funky monster - hello? Remember being trapped in an invisible bubble (with my sister and Spike no less)?? I mean, I understand if you're freaked." Josh finally has a clue what Dawn's talking about, "Oh, nah. That was cool. I always thought you were into weird stuff and that was..." "Pretty weird." she finishes for him. "Yeah." he agrees and they both have a laugh.

Commercials.

Buffy enters Spike's crypt. It's empty. A shocked expression appears on Buffy's face. There's a white flash and suddenly Buffy's not daydreaming anymore. She's at work. Grant offers her a donut but she declines. He says he hopes she's feeling better and it takes a moment for her to catch on to the fact that Willow must have covered for her not being at work during the bubble incident. Buffy says she's fine and Grant asks, "What is it? What's up?" Buffy realises she's been staring at Grant for the last minute and quickly shifts her gaze to somewhere else before looking back at him. "Huh? Sorry, I'm a bit out of it today...being sick and all." "I thought you said you were fine." Grant says. "Oh, yeah, I mean...I am. Of course I am." Buffy nervously reassures him. "What aren't you telling me, Summers?" he asks, a suspicious look on his face. "Oh don't give *me* that suspicious look Mr. Oh-I-think-I'll-just-enter-other-people's-houses-and-rummage-through-their-private-property." she thinks to herself. Of course, she can't call him on it because as far as Grant knows, no one was home at the time he stopped by. Buffy continues glaring at Grant as he walks off.

Willow has just come from the shower. She's acting as if nothing's wrong. Tara asks what Willow is going to be doing for the day. Willow says she's going to go check how Xander's doing. She reveals that he hasn't even called to let them know he's okay since he went searching for the demon. Tara reassures Willow that he's okay.

Cut to Xander at work. As he's sawing a plank of wood, he comes dangerously close to sawing off his thumb but is stopped by a co-worker. The co-worker asks him what his problem is and Xander answers by shoving the guy up against a stack of timber. A fight breaks out. Xander is violent and has to be dragged off.

Commercials.

Willow's at Xander's place. Of course Xander isn't there but she does find a shirt of his stuffed in the laundry basket. It has a blood stain on it. Just then, the door opens and it's Xander. He startles Willow by asking what she's doing. Willow says she just wanted to see if he was okay. Xander asks why wouldn't he be? Willow wonders how he got the bruises on his face and he says it was the demon. Willow states that she was pretty sure the demon never intended to hurt anyone. Xander says simply that she was wrong and that he took care of it. He asks Willow to leave. Looking hurt, she leaves.

Willow visits Buffy at work and tells her about the strange way Xander's acting. Buffy shrugs it off as him still struggling with Anya's death. Willow believes it's something more and fills Buffy in on the blood she found on Xander's shirt. Suddenly, Grant is there and makes both Willow and Buffy jump a little. He doesn't seem to have heard them talking but they can't be sure.

It's night when Buffy gets home. She calls out to Dawn and finds her (along with Willow and Tara) in the living room. Buffy asks what's up? Willow is looking upset and Dawn's not saying anything so it ends up being Tara who tells Buffy. She says that Spike stopped by and told them that he'd found the beaten and bloody corpse of the demon. He told them how the creature's head had been bashed in and a piece of pipe was the weapon used to kill it. Buffy just blinks for a few moments. Willow finally speaks and says she told Xander it was most probably non-violent. He hadn't said anything about killing it when she visited him earlier. He'd just said he,"took care of it." Willow wonders aloud if the blood on Xander's shirt was his or the creature's. Dawn asks, "Shouldn't someone go talk to Xander?". Willow says he wouldn't open up to her. Slowly all three look at Buffy.

Commercials.

Buffy's at Xander's apartment but finds no Xander. His place is a mess.

Cut to Willy's Place. Xander's having his fourth shot of something Willy says, "Even the demons can't swallow." When Xander asks for another, Willy tells him he thinks he's had enough and that he's cutting him off. Xander grabs Willy violently by the shirt and in a voice that doesn't sound like Xander's states, "You're cutting ME off." He smashes Willy's head into the bar counter. Demons get up from their tables and start surrounding Xander. Xander let's Willy go (who now has a bloody nose) and turns around to face the demons. Xander's eyes are insane and he's practically spitting as he demands, "Well, COME ON!" encouraging the demons to attack. They back away. Though it's not Xander they're afraid of. Buffy's now there.

Buffy tells Xander to calm down but he just starts hurling bottles at her which she dodges. They smash against the walls and spill all over the floor. Xander takes Buffy by surprise, knocking her down and managing to throw her onto a table, breaking it. Buffy wonders to herself, "What the hell's going on??" (as Xander being able to fight Buffy for more than a minute is NOT normal). He picks up a shard of broken bottle and launches himself onto Buffy. Xander holds the glass inches away from her jugular. Buffy reaches down with one hand, while keeping the glass away from her neck with the other, and suddenly Xander's in alot of pain. It's enough of a distraction for Spike to be able to clobber him over the head with a bottle. Xander's knocked out. Spike offers his hand to help Buffy up. She shoves Xander's unconscious body off of her and takes Spike's hand. She gets up and looks down at Xander.

Commercials.

Spike and Buffy are in his crypt. She says she's thankful Spike happened by when he did. He says he followed her after she left her house to go find Xander. Buffy asks if this means he's gone back to being stalker boy again? He grins and says no, he's just "help-Buffy-out-when-she's-in-trouble boy" now. Buffy states that he won't be helping her out when he leaves. Spike acknowledges that and tells Buffy he won't be leaving just yet.

Camera pans out and we see Xander chained to the wall of the crypt.

End Credits.

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