Willow knocked on Buffy’s door. She tugged at her back skirt until it was straight. The door opened and Joyce stood at the door.
“Hi Mrs. Summers.” Willow said softly
Joyce frowned sympathetically and offered a hug for Willow
“I am so sorry about Xander,” she said, “If there is anything you need.”
Willow nodded.
“Thanks. Is Buffy around?”
“She’s up stairs.”
Willow walked past Joyce and headed up to Buffys room. Inside Buffy sat on the bed quietly. She held a photo of the three of them together and stared at Xander. Willow knocked softly on the door. Buffy looked up. Tears were streaming out of her eyes.
“Hey Will.” she said with a touch of sadness.
Willow walked in and sat next to Buffy on her bed.
“Hey Buffy. So today’s the day huh?”
“Yeah. I’m sure Xander wanted . . . “
Buffy caught herself before she began to cry again. Willow leaned over and hugged the slayer tightly.
“I should have saved him Will,” Buffy cried, “I should have been there.”
* POP! *
“Hey party people!” Xander called out excitedly, “got some good news. Solved this popping problem I had so no more embarrassing shower visits.”
Buffy and Willow looked back at Xander and nodded to him sadly. Xander, a little deflated by the lack of response, dropped his arms.
“Geez who died?” he asked
On Buffy’s bed he noticed the invitation to his funeral. Something stirred from inside his ghostly form.
“Oh, right, I did.”
Xander sat down on the other side of the bed and just looked at the invitation. He already new he died but this really was the first time he saw something acknowledge it. Buffy and Willow turned to him. They noticed the beginnings of a shocked look on his face. Buffy and Willow looked at each other not exactly sure what to say to him.
“So . . . are you coming Xander?” Willow asked awkwardly.
Xander looked up in stunned confusion.
“I’m not sure,” he replied despondently, “What’s the rules for this type of thing? Is it bad luck to go to your own funeral? I’m not really dressed for it.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” Buffy replied, “We can catch up with you later.”
Xander stood up and began to pace. He folded his arms uncomfortable as he decides what his plan was.
“I don’t want to disappoint anybody, I mean, they went to all this effort for my . . . what do you think I should do guys?”
Willow pouted in sadness. She stood up from the bed and walked around to Xander. There was an awkward moment between them as Xanders incorporealness presented a problem. A tear began to roll down Willows cheek as she looked into the eyes of her dead best friend.
“I wish I could give you a hug right now,” she said sadly
“Same.” Xander replied
The church was packed with family, friends and well whishers of the Harris family. Buffy, Willow sat up the back as the funeral commenced but Willow wasn’t watching the priest at all instead she had her gaze squarely on Xanders ghost who was sitting next to her.
Xander sat in shock. This was incredibly eerie for him and he wasn’t taking it to well. In any other situation this would have felt like an out of body experience for Xander but since he was already out of his body the reality hit him harder.
“I really am dead aren’t I Will?” Xander said shocked, “I’ve been kind of feeling it over the last to day but now . . . There’s no me anymore.”
This pain was getting too much for Willow. She pouted harder then usual. It struck her hard when Xander was killed but to sit here and watch him witness his own funeral. Words couldn’t describe it.
“I am so sorry Xander.” Willow said through a flood of tears.
Xander turned to her.
“I don’t know why I’m still here? I don’t think I should be I’m not some great hero like Buffy I’m just Me.” he continued
“Don’t say that,” Willow replied, “You did lots of heroic stuff.”
“I don’t think getting rescued a bunch of time heroic Will. Let’s face it I would have been better of, and alive, if I just stayed away from the group.”
Willow turned anxiously to Buffy. Buffy didn’t now how to react. How do you comfort a depressed ghost at their own funeral? Now more then ever she felt like she failed him.
Xander watched curiously as people came and paid their respects to his parents. This is the first time that he had seen his father sober in a long time. It was also clear that they both seemed to be getting along much better. It was also curious to see exactly how may people showed up. There was family at this occasion he hadn’t seen in years not to mention a few people from Sunnydale high who he never really talked to that well. He noticed the rest of the Scoobys were standing around his casket and went to join them.
“Hey.” He said to Giles and Jenny.
Giles smiled at the lost looking ghost.
“I don’t know what to say Xander,” Giles said, “I can’t imagine how unsettling this is for you.”
“It definitely hasn’t been the highlight of my afterlife.” Xander replied putting his hands in his pockets, “my folks seemed to be getting along that gotta be a plus, right?”
“I suppose so.” Giles replied
The group looks down into the open casket. At first Xander is reluctant to do so but, moments later, he joins his friends.
Xander frowns. Something definitely isn’t right with this scene. He looks at the body in horrified confusion.
“At least they made you look okay.” Willow commented.
“Yes an excellent job done.” Giles continued
Xander looked up at the both of them as if they were crazy.
“Uh . . . guys,” he said in a confused tone, “That’s not me.”
“ ’Course it you Xander why wouldn’t it be?” Buffy asked
“Buffy I know what I look like and I’m telling you the guy in this coffin is not me.”
The Scooby’s are completely befuddled by Xanders accusation.
“I’ll make this simple guys, look at him . . .”
The group followed Xander request. Studying the body in the coffin closely.
“ . . . Now look at me.”
The group looks at the ghost in front of them. They compared the two images in their head. They didn’t match up. Suddenly the group flinched as the illusion is broken.
“Oh my lord,” Giles exclaimed
“What was that about?” Buffy asked
“I don’t know,” Xander replied, “but somebody’s pulled a body swap on me.”
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