'Dead Things' Story Code '6ABB13' by Steve S. DeKnight

In Spike’s crypt, he and Buffy are having sex, damaging some furniture along the way. Later, Buffy is about to leave when Spike suggests the use of handcuffs… Meanwhile, the three geeks are busy setting up their new lair and making plans to hypnotise a woman using Warren’s new invention - a Cerebral Dampener; Warren chants a spell over a small glove, and it erupts into a pillar of energy. Tara visits Buffy at work at the ‘Doublemeat Palace’; the two women go for a chat, and Buffy confesses to Tara that she is worried about Spike, and how he now seems to be able to hurt her; she also asks Tara to research the spell that Willow used to bring her back from the dead. Warren is all dressed up to look for a chick, while Andrew and Jonathan watch from their black van. Warren encounters Katrina, his ex-girlfriend, and uses the Dampener to hypnotise her. Buffy arrives home from work exhausted, only to find that Dawn is mad at her for not being around much any more. Xander suggests a trip to ‘The Bronze’ to have some fun. Back at their new lair, the three geeks are playing with their new toy: Katrina. But the Dampener suddenly wears off, and a furious Katrina throws the geeks into the next room; she then makes to leave, but Warren hits her over the head, and she falls to the floor, dead. The geeks’ first thought is how to get rid of the body, and their second is how to stop Buffy finding out what they have done; Warren has an idea for both. At ‘The Bronze’, Willow and Buffy watch as Xander and Anya dance, while an excited Dawn runs about; Willow joins in the dancing, and so Buffy steps up to the balcony; she is joined there by Spike, and they have sex once more. Willow and Xander go to the ‘Magic Box’ and run into Tara, but things are a little awkward between the two witches. Buffy goes out on patrol and finds a Rwasundi demon attacking Katrina. Things get very confusing for Buffy: she seems to shift from one location to another, seeing Katrina, another two demons, and then Spike; everything changes so rapidly that Buffy hears voices, then she is fighting demons, confronting Spike, and then, finally, she seems to punch Katrina. Everything returns to normal - and Buffy finds herself standing over Katrina’s dead body. She wants to go to the police, but Spike drags her away. They are watched by another Katrina, who is actually Warren under a glamour; he is proud of his magic, and has successfully made Buffy think that she is the murderer. That night, Buffy has an awful nightmare about Katrina; she tells Dawn that she has to turn herself in, but when she arrives at the police station she finds Spike waiting outside for her, and he stops her from going in. When he tells Buffy that he has gotten rid of the body for her, she becomes angry and lashes out at him, but Spike just lets her hit him. Buffy beats the vampire up until he is unable to stand, and then walks into the police station. However, the desk officer ignores her, as he is more worried about the dead body that has just been found. Buffy suddenly remembers that Katrina was Warren’s girlfriend; she leaves and returns home, where Willow, Anya and Xander have been researching the Rwasundi demons. Xander tells Buffy that the coroner has ruled it Katrina’s death as suicide. Anya tells Buffy that demons were responsible for her hallucinations, and Buffy remarks that she believes it was all Warren’s handiwork and that the three geeks are now getting away with murder. Later, Buffy and Tara sit alone in the living room; as Tara explains to Buffy that Willow did not bring her back wrong Buffy breaks down in tears and confesses everything about her and Spike. Tara promises Buffy that she will not tell anyone…

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), James Marsters (Spike), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn), Danny Strong (Jonathan), Adam Busch (Warren), Tom Lenk (Andrew), Amelinda Embry (Katrina), Amber Benson (Tara), Marion Calvert (Gina), Rock Reiser (Desk Sergent), Bernard K. Addison (Cop #1), Eric Prescott (Cop #2)s
Directed by James A. Contner

TX (US): 5th February 2002
TX (UK - Sky One): 28th March 2002

Notes:
*Featuring Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, Tara and Dawn