PART SIX - THE ACTION BEGINS
Michelle, Mira, Kyle, Kira, and Kristin stared at Buffy, Jake, Lyra, and Leon. "You've got to be kidding," Kristin finally said.
"I wish I was," Buffy answered. "I'd like to get back to Sunnydale. There's no telling what's happened to Dawn or anyone else."
Michelle couldn't believe this, either. If they were telling the truth, Lara was stuck in a world where who knows how many vampires were. "Prove it," she said. "Slayers have advanced healing and strength, right? And you can jump long distances?"
"We can," Buffy answered.
Lyra handed her a long metal pole that was once used to hold up a window shade. "Here, you can use this."
Buffy took it in her hands. She then bent it until it was in the shape of an upside down U.
Everyone stared. "So it's true," Kyle said. "Woah." Kyle looked up and down Buffy's body.
Mira noticed and folded her arms. "Are you looking her over, Kyle?" she asked loudly enough that everyone could hear.
Kyle met everyone else's gazes before guiltily turning to his girlfriend. "No, Mira, no way! I would never do that, I swear."
"Uh-huh." She gave him her patented 'we'll-talk-later' look, and Kyle did his best to become as unnoticeable as possible. Mira smirked.
Buffy changed the subject. "Lyra already showed me a few tapes, and I've gotta give it to you, you capture my life perfectly in every way." She wasn't really sure that was a good thing. "I really want to meet Sarah Gellar and this Joss guy now."
Leon let out a curse and held the paper out to Buffy. "I think you'll get your chance."
Buffy read the headline. "Several bodies of guards at the Warner Bros. Studios' lot were found this morning in one of the buildings. All were drained of blood and had two little wholes in their necks."
"Sounds like some really sick vampire cultists," Mira said, disgusted.
Buffy frowned and exchanged glances with Jake and Leon, who were thinking the same thing. "I think it's Drusilla and Darla," she said.
"Drusilla and Darla are here, too?" Lyra said, slightly excited, but getting more and more fearful every minute.
"Yes, they are," Buffy said, standing up. "I need to get down there. Can someone drive me?"
"I will," Jake said.
The others stood up. "We'll all go, and we can take my van," Kyle volunteered. "The band equipment's not in it, so there should be plenty of room."
Buffy looked around the room. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, guys. They aren't as powerful here, but they're still dangerous."
"Well, I'm kind of worried about dying," Kira said, "but if Lara really is in your world, we need to figure out a way to bring her back and send you back there. Darla and Drusilla may be able to help us."
Buffy nodded and opened her weapons bag. She tossed everyone stakes, crosses, holy water, and a few other things. She handed a crossbow to Jake, since he had proven earlier that he could use it. She kept a stake and the other crossbow for herself and slung the bag on her shoulder. "Okay, let's go."
"Maybe this one?" Lara suggested, holding up a book. It was part of Giles' collection, and it was written in a language she didn't recognize.
Giles took one look at it and shook his head. "No, that's full of Old French cooking recipes."
Lara gave him a look but put the book back in its place on the bookshelf.
They were sitting in his living room, waiting for the rest of the scoobies to show up so they could watch a few episodes of Buffy. They were looking for a way to reverse whatever had brought her here. Unfortunately, Giles had a very large collection, and she was having trouble finding the correct books. Giles wasn't helping, either, because he was currently engrossed in one of them. She could understand why that always got on Buffy's nerves during the show.
She grabbed a bunch of books and had to call Giles' name three times before she got his attention. She held the books up and he said they were good, so she went over to the couch with a few dictionaries. She sighed as she looked at the first book. It was written in Latin, and the other two were written in Old German. How could the Scooby Gang stand doing this time and again? She glanced at the videotapes lying on the table and hoped the others would get there soon so she could put this off for a few hours.
As if in answer to her prayers, which was possible since the PTB always had their eyes on them and the guys in LA, the door opened. Willow, Tara, Anya, Dawn, and Xander stepped inside.
"Any luck?" Giles asked. Lara looked at them hopefully. Buffy was still missing, and she was worried about her, too.
"Maybe. Xander may have found something," Willow is.
"He does? What is it?" Dawn asked, worried and hopeful.
Xander held up a newspaper. "Page 6 says a woman walking her dog was pushed out of the way by a girl with blonde hair. Then a white light surrounded the girl and she disappeared."
"That's what happened to me and my car!" Lara said. "Is the blonde girl Buffy?"
"It's possible," Giles said.
"And if that's true, Buffy is in Lara's world," Willow included. "Unless she got sucked into another one."
"We can get her back, right?" Dawn asked them. "And soon, too?"
"We will," Xander promised her.
"It sounds like a transfer spell," Giles said, thoughtful. He stood and went over to his shelves and started glancing through them. "I wonder-?"
"Wonder what, Giles?" Willow asked.
"Giles?" Lara asked too.
"Hmm? Oh." He looked at them. "If my memory is correct, a transfer spell needs a large conduit of energy, like a lightning bolt."
"There were lightning bolts," Lara confirmed.
"One person must be taken from one reality and switched with one or more people in another reality. The spell has been lost for millennia, however."
"Glory," Xander said as the thought occurred to him. "What if she has the spell? She's several millennia old, isn't she?"
"Yes," Giles said. "Unfortunately, we don't know where to find her. And the spell would be too dangerous for a mortal to perform."
"But," Willow said defensively, "I'm good."
"Yes, I know you are, Willow, but this sort of spell will kill any mortal who tries to cast it."
Lara sat back and closed her eyes. She wanted to go back to her dimension, but her chances kept getting slimmer and slimmer.
Willow walked over. "Don't worry, Lara. We'll find another way to get you back."
Lara smiled up at her. "Thanks."
That's when something kicked against the door and it flew off its hinges.
Ben exited the Magic Box carrying a bag of magic supplies. He hadn’t seen the new owner, but he had met his employee, a young woman that he was pretty sure had a little bit of demon in her genes.
Ben got in his car and drove to a warehouse. He had to hurry. He didn't know how much time he had before Glory took over again. He'd wasted enough already.
When he reached the warehouse, he cleared a space on the floor and spread out the magic supplies. Then he took the transfer spell out of his pocket. This spell would take away most of his energy, making him mortal and vulnerable for several months. But he knew the Key had to be protected, and he couldn't do that; the Slayer could. He took a deep breath and sat in the large circle he'd drawn on the ground.
That’s when he felt it. Glory was taking control again. Shit. Not now, not now. Please go. Go away. She was too powerful. She was always too powerful, even if she was weakened from performing the first transfer spell. Still, he tried to resist. He failed.
His features shifted into Glory’s, and her own persona took over.
Glory glanced around at the spell materials laid out on the ground before her. She stood up quickly as her brain worked out what she was seeing. By then, she was fuming. "Do you think you could have stopped me?" she asked Ben, even though she knew he couldn’t hear her. "Going behind my back like that. Well, you failed."
A smile crossed her face as her mind turned to happier thoughts. "With the Slayer out of the way, I’ll find the Key, and there’s nothing you can do about it, Ben."
Kyle drove his van up to the side of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer sound stage. To get past the guards, Buffy, who was sitting in the passenger seat, pretended to be Sarah showing up for work. Apparently, the guards posted at the booth she went through had a few crushes on her, so it was easy.
This alley was empty, so it was a good place to enter the big hanger-like building. Kyle parked the van.
Buffy turned to regard everyone in the back seat. "Okay, everyone, remember our cover: if you run into anyone, say you're bringing extra weapons that Joss wanted for the show. Everyone ready?" They all nodded, although Kira and Lyra were looking more nervous and excited than the others. "If anyone wants to stay in the van, they can."
"No way," Michelle said. "I'm getting my best friend back."
"Okay." Buffy glanced around. "Let's go."
Everyone stared at the giant demon now blocking the entrance.
"Hello, Bigfoot's cousin," Xander remarked under his breath.
The demon stepped through the door and everyone moved back a step. A beautiful yet deadly looking woman followed the demon into the apartment.
"That blonde vampire wouldn't tell us anything," she said, sounding disappointed and a little angry, "but he didn't need to. The Key is here. I can feel it. Now which one of you is it?"
"We're not going to tell you," Giles said softly, calmly. Lara had heard him use that voice a hundred times on a television set; hearing it up close and personal sent a shiver down her spine.
Giles made his way, slowly and carefully, to his weapon's chest.
The woman's face set into a hard line. "There's no way I can let the Key live. So if you won't hand it over, you will all die."
Giles crossed the remaining two feet quickly and through the chest open. He grabbed the sword, but the demon was already behind him. With a vicious backhand, he sent Giles and the rapier in different directions. Giles collided with his stereo system, sending sparks and electronic bits flying, while the sword soared toward Dawn and Anya, who stood at the base of the stairs. Both girls let out shocked screams and ducked just in time.
"Anya!" Xander screamed from his position in front of the kitchen island. Willow, standing next to him, shouted at the same time, "Dawn!"
"Do something!" Lara told Willow while she helped Giles to stand. She and the watcher watched the demon advance on them.
Tara grabbed Willow's hand, and together they began to chant.
"Banish these beings from this place!" Tara said, raising her free hand at the demon.
Willow raised her own free arm at the woman. "Prevent them from entering here again. Make this place cleansed of-"
With a cry of outrage, the woman made a sweeping gesture motion at the two girls and Xander, and all three went flying back.
Tara and Willow hit the wall and slid the ground, breaking up any furniture they hit on the way down. Both of them were unconscious. Xander's soaring mass hit the demon in the back. He slid to the floor, also down for the count. The demon, however, was not. He turned around, snarling, searching for what hit his back.
"Here!" Anya called to Giles before she tossed him the rapier. Giles caught it and plunged it into the demon's back. It let out a cry of pain before collapsing to the ground, dead.
"You'll pay for that!" the woman cried, angrier than before. Before she could raise an arm, however, something collided with her back, sending her to the floor.
Glory stood above the woman. The Hell Goddess ignored the others and glared at the woman lying at her feet.
"Iotta," Glorificus snarled. "I should have known you'd come here. You and Benjamin are always going behind my back. Do you know much that hurts, bitch?"
Iotta tried to get up but Glory grabbed her arms. Spinning, she threw Iotta out the apartment door and let her go soaring across Giles' courtyard. Glory followed after her, her rage showing clearly.
Anya and Dawn took the opportunity to cross the living room and help Giles and Lara wake up Xander, Willow, and Tara.
"What do we do now?" Dawn asked when the three began to stir. "Do we just hope that whoever wins will go away and never come back?"
Giles didn't say anything. He had no idea.
Darla and Drusilla walked around on the Buffy soundstage. Night had finally fallen, allowing them to leave an empty section of the Warner Brothers' lot and head over here. They'd just found this sound stage and had plans to move to the Angel soundstage after they were done here.
Quite a lot of people moved about inside. The two vampires stuck to the shadows. Too many people had recognized them already and tried to question why they were there. Although their deaths had been fun, Darla didn't want to draw too much attention to them…yet. So they stayed in the shadows and managed to avoid most of the people milling about, busily trying to produce a television show for millions of fans.
"They mock us, grandmother," Drusilla said, putting. "No one is scared. Can we make them scared?"
"Not yet, Dru, but very soon." Darla promised. "We'll wait until they start another shoot. Then we'll make our entrance."
Dru clapped her hands together, delighted. "We'll be at the center of the King of Spade's party! Everyone will see us and they will be ours."
"Hey! Julie, Juliet!"
Darla turned at the voice and saw the woman who played the Slayer walking their way. She had addressed them by their double's names. This should be fun, Darla thought, a beguiling smile appearing on her lips.
"What are you two doing here?" the blonde asked. What was her name? Darla wondered. Ah, yes. Gellar.
Gellar was still talking. "And why aren't you in costume? I thought you guys were over on the Angel set tonight."
Darla glanced a Dru with a raised eyebrow. So far, all of the people they'd come across had told them that Landau and Benz weren't supposed to film anything on either show for the rest of the season. Perhaps they hadn't been capable of thinking very well during torture. TV crewmen never could think very well under any circumstance, in her opinion.
"Come on, I'll walk you over there," she continued. "I need to talk to Joss about something and he's over at that set right now."
Darla and Dru followed the actress outside. It didn’t matter if Gellar was telling the truth; playing with her would make up for any wasted time.
Gellar didn't even stop talking. She went on and on about that season of Buffy as if it was really personal to her or something. Darla wasn't really interested, although Dru kept her eyes glued on the thespian, expressing a child-like fascination that normally irritated Darla. That changed when the older vampiress realized the Drusilla was gazing at Buffy's neck, hidden by her long, wavy hair. It made Darla smile approvingly.
When they were in the middle of the road between the Buffy soundstage and the Felicity soundstage, Gellar stopped walking. She stood a few feet away from them with her back turned, but she slowly turned around. A hard, confident expression was on her face. "Surprise," was all she said.
Darla was about to ask her what she was talking about when the two vampires heard several weapons being moved into position. Glancing around, they realized that teenagers holding crossbows, swords, and stakes surrounded them on all sides.
Buffy folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. "Vampires really are dumb, aren't they?"
Dru let out a long, loud growl. Darla said sarcastically, hoping to throw off her opponents, "Is this your new Scooby Gang, Slayer?" she said. She definitely knew now that this was Buffy, not Gellar. "Got tired of that little Watcher of yours and your pathetic little friends?"
Buffy's expression became harder. She raised a stake, ready for battle.
Iotta did not wait for Glory to cross the courtyard. She stood quickly and raised an arm.
Glory froze, caught and held by Iotta's telekinesis. She let out a growl, and with every bit of strength she had, she pushed against the psychic barrier.
She was too strong. Gasping, Iotta's hand dropped and she dropped to her knees.
Glory was above her now. She grabbed Iotta's arms and swung her, this time in the direction of the Watcher's roof. Just before collision, Iotta used her telekinesis to stop her body and lowered herself gently to the ground. Unfortunately, her mind was spent and she needed to recover if she wanted to use that skill again.
"You want to fight, Glory?" she asked, raising her fists. "Come and get it. I will not let you have the Key!"
Letting out a cry of frustration, Glory jumped over the fountain and got into a fighting position. "As if you can, sis," she told Iotta, "Neither you nor Ben have ever had as much power as me. Either join me, or you'll be getting out my way pretty soon."
Glory swung and Iotta blocked. The fight began. Iotta continued to be on the defensive and managed to avoid many of Glory's blows. Be before Glory even realized what was happening, Iotta used her telekinesis to stop Glory's fist in mid-air. As fast as Glory could move, Iotta jumped up and kicked Glory in the stomach. The power behind the blow sent Glory colliding with the courtyard fence.
Glory slumped to the ground and stared at her sister. "How?" she asked.
Iotta grinned as she tried to catch her breath. "You forgot, sister, that I can mimic my opponent's powers in a fight. Forgetting something like that would be a big mistake, Glorificus. You told me that once."
Moving faster than light, Glory ran at Iotta and picked her up by the neck. Iotta, too weakened from borrowing/mimicking Glory's powers and drained from using her own telekinetic powers, couldn’t do anything to stop her.
"You're right, sis," Glory whispered in her ear. "I shouldn't have forgotten that about you. But I do remember that you're weak and that lose strength easily in a fight. I also remember that when you're weak, you're just as vulnerable as a mortal. Looks like you've forgotten that."
Iotta's eyes widened when she realized what Glory meant. It had been so long since Iotta had to fight in any battle that she had forgotten that. But now she remembered it clearly. Now, when she was so weak, she could be harmed and killed permanently by mortal wounds.
"Say 'hi' to mom for me," Glory said. She released her chokehold on Iotta's neck and grabbed both sides of her skull. She twisted and Iotta's neck brought, killing her instantly.
Glory didn't even watch her body fall to the ground. Instead, she looked intently at the open door. No one could stop her now from getting what she wanted. Confident, she stepped into the apartment.
Angel finished drawing the circle on the floor of the Hyperion lobby. He placed seven candles at even intervals on the curved line and drew several pagan symbols on the walls, stairs, and front desk. After he was done, he stepped inside the circle and sat down, cross-legged, facing the north.
Reading from the sheet sitting across his chest, Angel intoned in German, "Energie ist für Übel von den Unbekannten Personen erfaßt worden."
Power has been gathered for the purpose of evil by persons unknown.
"Es verwendet wurde, um Wesen zwischen Welten zu bringen in denen kein Portal bestanden."
It was used to transfer beings between worlds where no portal existed.
"Es hat die Abgleichung zwischen Auftrag und Chaos umgekippt, und jetzt muß es behoben werden!"
It has upset the balance between order and chaos, and now it must be corrected!
"Die Wesen werden zu ihren ursprünglichen Maßen zurückgebracht, und alles wird wieder ausgeglichen!"
The beings will be returned to their original dimensions, and everything shall be balanced again!
Once all the words were spoken, lightning flashed, illuminating the darkened lobby. An invisible hand simultaneously lit the seven candles, and the symbols decorating the room begun to glow.
Angel gasped and collapsed inside the circle. The Host at Caritas had told them that there would be pain and lots of it, and he was right. Agony shot through him as if the bolts lighting the LA sky outside were striking him.
It had worked. Now, all there was left to do was wait for the pain to end and see if Darla and Drusilla were back in this reality.
*****
The Scooby Gang watched as Glory once again entered the apartment. They'd seen her kill Iotta and knew that however much they fought that they'd probably meet the same fate. Lara knew that there was no way out of it and hoped they could hold of Glory until she morphed into Ben. She hoped that what would happen soon.
Suddenly, lightning split the air with thunder accompanying it at nearly the same moment.
Glory collapsed as if struck. She gasped and looked fearfully outside as another bolt struck, striking the ground close to Iotta's body. The Scoobies and Lara stepped back, but Glory just said, almost whining, "No, not now, damnit!"
Lara remembered the last time she'd seen a lightning storm. Checking herself, she gazed at her hand in shock. She could see through it.
"Lara?" Dawn cried, afraid. A light surrounded Lara, blocking her view of the others. Here we go again, she thought, remembering what would happen next.
The light grew intensity until she couldn't see anything else, then everything turned to black.
Lightning split the sky, startling many of them. The bolt struck the side of the Buffy soundstage. The sign attached to the wall started to fall. Jake and Kyle grabbed Kristin, Mira, and Lyra and pulled them out of its way just in time.
"What the hell?" Michelle and Kyle said at pretty much the same time.
"We need to find some cover from the storm!" Kira said, already looking around. None of their options looked good; many of the buildings were made of tin, and a metal building was the perfect conductor for lightning like this.
Jake and Leon had a feeling that they knew what was coming next. They exchanged a glance before looking at Darla, Drusilla, and Buffy. Just as they'd expected, all three were becoming transparent-like, as if they were fading away from this reality.
"I don't want to go through this again, Grandmother! Make it stop!" Dru cried piteously.
"I am going to kill whoever is casting this spell!" Darla said with a growl.
Buffy looked at her temporary Scooby Gang. "I guess I won't be seeing you again," she said before the light grew too bright to see beyond.
The Buffy and Angel fans watched as the light faded, leaving behind an empty space. However, the storm wasn't finished. Several other bolts hit the ground nearby or split the sky into pieces.
"Look!" Lyra shouted over the extremely loud thunder. She pointed to the group's right, in the opposite direction from the spot where Buffy, Darla, and Drusilla had disappeared.
A beam of light the size of a person appeared. A few feet away from that was a large, bright mass. Both lights softened before fading away, leaving behind a car they all recognized and a person they were delighted to see.
"Lara!" they said, running toward the fully materialized girl.
Lara stared at them before a wide grin broke out on her face. Then her friends collided with her and encompassed her in a huge bear hug. When they separated, Jake stepped forward and grabbed Lara in another hug. "That God you're alright," Jack said before kissing her.
"I could say the same for you guys," she said.
"Buffy was here," Lyra said, excited and happy.
"So were Drusilla and Darla," Kristin said, holding up her weapon.
"Looks like we have a lot to talk about," Lara said, happy that she was back in her own world.
She wrapped an arm around Jake's waste and followed the others to Kyle's van. Before they stepped inside, Jack hugged her again. "I’m so glad you're back," he said.
"Me, too," Lara said sincerely.
"There's something I want to ask you," Jack continued, "and I can't think of a better time."
He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a box. It was a ring-sized box.
Surprised, Lara watched as Jake got on one knee. "Lara, will you marry me?" he asked, holding the lid of the box open.
She gazed down at the ring. This was so surprising, even after everything she'd been through in the past twenty-four hours. It was a good surprise, though.
Smiling widely, she said without hesitation. "Yes, I'll marry you, Jacob Grayson."
Dru and Darla re-materialized on the street outside of the hospital in Los Angeles. Across the street was the building that had been destroyed the first time. "Damnit!" Darla said.
Meanwhile, Buffy found herself in Giles' apartment. She took in everything quickly: the destruction, her friends loaded with Giles' weapons, and finally, a very angry yet sick-looking Glory.
Glory was staring at her in anger. "No, damnit! You're not supposed to be here," she said, standing up. "Well, I'm getting the Key no matter if you're here or not."
She took a step forward and Buffy instinctively got in front of Dawn, protecting her. Glory didn't make one step before her eyes became wide again.
"Oh, no you don't," she said to no in particular. "Stay away!" she said just before she collapsed. Her features shifted in front of their eyes, and the next minute, Ben stood before them.
No of them retained any knowledge of the switch between the two sibling Gods. All they were really sure of was that Glory had been there one minute, and then something happened to make her leave and then Ben came to the apartment.
Ben took in the scene. He heard one last bit of thunder in the distance and let out a breath in relief when he realized that the transfer spell had been reversed. He didn't know who had done it, but he was glad they had.
He decided to getting out there would be the best course of action. So he took off. He stopped at Iotta's body. "No," he said quietly. Then, remembering his mortal audience, he picked up his sister's body and carried her out of the courtyard and out of sight. He'd mourn for her in private after he buried her.
Buffy turned to her friends when he was gone and was almost immediately grabbed and hugged several times.
"It's so good to see you guys!" she said, enduring the attention. Giles was the last one to hug her. After he stepped back, she remembered Darla and Drusilla. "We have to call Angel."
"What? Why?" Willow asked, confused.
"Yeah, why do we need to tell Deadboy about this?" Xander asked.
"Darla and Drusilla were transported with me. I think that when we were sent back to this reality, they were sent back to LA. We have to warn him."
"Right. Good idea," Giles said, handing her the phone. "Are you all right?"
Buffy nodded as she punched in the number for Angel's hotel. "I'm good. I had a lot of help."
"Were they Lara's friends?" Tara asked. "She switched places with you. I hope she was sent back to her own reality."
"It's probable that she was," Giles reassured them.
Buffy got Angel's answering machine. She left a rather lengthy message before hanging up. She hoped he was just out and would get the message soon.
"Looks like you guys had a great time," she remarked with a raised eyebrow as she took a longer look at the destruction in Giles' living room.
"Yes, well, it's been a very eventful two days," Giles said with a smile.
Giles closed the door and they cleared places on the furniture and sat down. They were too worn out to do much of anything else. Buffy called her mom to let her know that she was okay, then she told the others, "I hope Ben is okay. He looked pretty freaked."
"Yeah. I wonder how he got here?" Willow wondered.
"I'll ask him later," Buffy said. "In the meantime, I just want to sit here."
"Let's trade stories," Dawn suggested. "You tell us what happened in the other dimension, and we'll tell you what happened here."
"Sounds good."
Xander noticed a few tapes lying on the floor and picked them up. "Guys, these are the tapes that Lara left."
Everyone looked at him. "The ones with the Buffy episodes on them?" Dawn asked, curious.
"She had episodes on tape?" Buffy said, surprised.
"It doubt that it's any good," Anya said. "I've been to that world before. Wasn't really fond of Warner Brothers while I was there."
"Why don't we watch them and make sure," Buffy suggested. She wanted to see just how much alike the television show was to their lives.
It didn't take long to hook up Xander's VCR with Giles' TV set which was still intact. Joyce came over to watch it, too, and they all found seats around the living room and waited as Xander pressed play.
They stared at what was on the screen while the beginning tag scene for "The Replacement" rolled. Then they stared some more when the opening credits began. When the commercials came on, Xander finally said, "I guess Lara wasn't kidding when she said this series showed everything about us."
"And with expensive sets, too," Anya chipped in. "Warner Brothers actually did a good job." Dawn nodded in agreement.
Joyce frowned. "How could anyone sit here and watch innocent people die?"
"I want to know the answer to that, too," Buffy said, ice in her tone. She really wished that she'd had a word with Joss Whedon during her stay in the other reality.
Giles scratched his head and said, "Did they have to put me at the end of the opening credits? I mean, I'm the Watcher. Shouldn't I be after Buffy?"
"Hey!" Xander protested. "That's my actor's spot. Head can go after him."
"That's my spot!" Willow said, indignant.
"Guys, quit it," Joyce ordered. "At least you have credits in the beginning sequence. Tara and I are guest stars!"
"How come Spike gets a credit at the beginning?" Xander wondered.
This went on until the commercials ended and the episode resumed. Then Xander was so embarrassed by what he did in the episode and his actual memories of it that he didn't say anything else, and everyone forgot about the credits to tease him.
