'Amends' (aka 'A Buffy Christmas') Story Code '3ABB10' by Joss Whedon

Angel is suffering from nightmares about the terrible things he did as Angelus; when he later runs into Buffy in the street, he catches sight of one of his former victims, although Buffy cannot see them. At school the next day, Buffy tells Xander and Willow that she is trying to stay away from Angel so that she can get over him. Cordelia enjoys telling the gang that she is going on a skiing holiday to Aspen. Oz tells Willow that he misses her, and they get back together. That evening, as Buffy and her mother buy a Christmas tree, Joyce mentions that she wants to invite Faith for Christmas dinner; Buffy then finds a group of dead trees. Meanwhile, Angel abruptly wakes from another nightmare. Buffy visits Faith and asks her over for Christmas dinner, but Faith refuses, commenting that she has a party to go to instead. Angel seeks out Giles to help to explain the dreams he has been having; as the vampire explains that he does not know why he was brought back to this dimension, he suddenly sees Ms Calendar standing behind Giles, although Giles sees nothing. Later, Angel dreams once more, in which the girl he is about to bite turns into Buffy; in her room, Buffy shares the dream, and leaves to tell Giles. Still suffering from visions, Angel sees Ms Calendar in his mansion, and tries to apologise for killing her. Giles informs Buffy that Angel also came to him for help; Xander and Willow arrive, and help with the research. Willow excitedly tells Buffy that she and Oz are now back together. At the mansion, all of Angelus’ previous victims are now appearing before him, commenting that he was worthless as a human, and as a vampire he was more evil that any other because he killed for pleasure, not just for food. Ms Calendar appears once more and tells Angel she does not want to hurt him, but cruelty is the only thing he has a true talent for, and that evil is his destiny. Angel and Buffy share another dream, in which they are making love, but then Angel bites her. Angel wakes up to find Ms Calendar encouraging him to kill Buffy, telling him that ‘we’ brought him back just to do that. Giles tells Buffy that he believes ‘The First Evil’ has brought Angel back, and shows her a picture of the Harbingers, the High Priests of the First, who have the power to conjure up spirit manifestations. Buffy will be able to fight the Priests but not the First, as it has no physical being. Buffy and Xander go to Willy’s bar, where they find out that something has been scaring some of Sunnydale’s underground inhabitants, which leads them to conclude that that is where the Priests are located. Willow tries to prove to Oz that she is ready to sleep with him, but he wants to wait until they are both ready, not when she is trying to prove something. Faith turns up at Buffy’s for dinner, and when Buffy goes to get Faith’s gift from her room, she finds Angel waiting there for her - although she is unaware that he is being encouraged to bite her by the spectral form of Ms Calendar. Angel tells Buffy to stay away from him, and then jumps out of the window; Buffy tries to follow him, and goes to Giles to get more help. Giles warns Buffy that she may have to kill Angel if he becomes a threat. Ms Calendar continues to torment Angel, instructing him to drink from Buffy, but he tries to resist, saying that he would rather die than hurt her, and then walks outside to wait for sunrise. When Giles discovers that nothing can grow above or below the Bringers, Buffy immediately recalls the dead Christmas trees in the lot; she investigates and finds them underground. Ms Calendar appears before her and remarks that Angel will be dead by sunrise. Buffy finds Angel on a hilltop, waiting for the sun to rise; she tells him it does not matter what his victims told him, he can fight it. Angel admits that he wants to make love to her, and a part of him does not care that it would cost him his soul. Buffy insists he can make amends for what he's done in the past, and when she refuses to go he hits her, knocking her to the ground. Buffy starts to cry, telling Angel that she loves him and hates how hard it is. Suddenly, they notice that it has begun to snow, and that the sun is heavily covered by the clouds -Angel is saved. A weatherman reports that this is the first time it has ever snowed in Sunnydale, as Buffy and Angel walk down the street, hand in hand…

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar), Saverio Guerra (Willy), Eliza Dushku (Faith), Shane Barach (Daniel), Edward Edwards (Male Ghost), Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy (Margaret), Mark Kriski (Weatherman), Tom Michael Bailey (Tree Seller)
Directed by Joss Whedon

TX (US): 15th December 1998
TX (UK - Sky One): 14th October 1999
TX (UK - BBC): 14th June 2000

Notes:
*Featuring Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Oz, Cordelia, Faith and Angel