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Buffy had cried herself to sleep. She felt so guilty, she felt like she was the cause for Riley's death. And she also felt bad that she couldn't like him, they way he liked her. And because she knew she could never grow to love him, like she loved Angel.
And now Buffy had drifted off to sleep. And she dreamed again. Now, she was in a basement.
Buffy looked around. She saw a little tree decorated, with gifts underneath. Then she saw a picture of Anya.
Xander. This is Xander's basement.
Oh god.
"Hey! What am I doing here!" a familiar voice rang out.
Cordelia.
"Cordelia!" Buffy said.
"Buffy! Where am I? What am I doing here?" Cordelia asked. "I mean, one minute I'm going to Sunnydale, and now I'm in- Xander's basement?"
"I don't know," Buffy said. She glanced at Xander's sleeping face. She felt her stomach churn. She knew what was going to happen.
::Thud!:: Buffy raced to the imaginary chimney, and greeted Santa Claus.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"Oh my god! It's Santa Claus!" Cordelia said. "What is going on here. I don't like this." Buffy and Santa ignored her, and faced each other.
"You mean, you don't know," Santa sneered. He pulled out his bloody knife.
"Oh damn! A knife! Whatever happened to the jolly old man, who gives presents to every good girl and boy!" Cordelia said sadly. Once again, she was ignored.
"Buffy's been bad this year," Santa mocked. "Buffy's being punished." He pushed Buffy aside, and went to Xander's bed, with his knife.
"XANDER!" Cordelia screamed. But Xander remained oblivious to his surroundings. He stayed that way as Santa stabbed the knife into his stomach. He pulled it out, splattering blood.
Xanders blood.
Buffy watched as his breathing stopped, and his chest stopped moving up and down. Crying, she stormed to Santa, and punched him.
But her arm moved right through him. Santa laughed.
"This is my world," Santa told her. "You're out of the physical world, you can't hurt me," he said. With that, he left up the chimney.
And Cordelia woke up in Angel's car.
And Buffy woke up in the dorm.
And Xander stayed dead.