DECEMBER 15TH, 2002

Sensing that the First might again choose the symbol of Christmas to launch a major attack, Willow and Xander moved up a major ritual in their lives by about a week. The young boy with the blanket finished onscreen.

*...a savior, who is Christ The Lord. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.*

The finale of the venerable special played through, and Willow got up.

"Time to settle this, once and for all."

Xander displayed his usual level of comprehension.

"Time to settle what? C'mon, Will. The DVD even has an extra Charlie Brown special on it."

Willow grabbed up an old Magic 8-Ball.

"Noper. Its time to find out who's right. I mean, we don't carry around Stars Of David to repel them, right?"

Xander waved his arms.

"But we COULD. Willow, its all about faith. Your family has always been a little on the secular side, right? And nowadays, you're a Wiccan. I heard enough anti-Semitic garbage growing up in Harris-ville to know we shouldn't go here. Plus, suppose someone tweaks the answer we get?"

She shook her head.

"Knowledge is power, to quote Schoolhouse Rock. Xander, I cry when I hear Linus make that speech, but I know I'm not supposed to. Well, I aim to make an honest man out of Mister Van Pelt."

Xander couldn't imagine why this was more difficult than getting her to not end the world.

"Faith of our fathers, and like that? Will, my family uses this time as a new excuse to get loaded. So did Tara's. I don't know where we get the answers. I don't know where we get the questions. I don't even know what line we stand on to sign up for the test. We're young and stupid. Let's enjoy our festival of videos and Santa-songs and gift certificates and listening to bitter commentators talk about how its lost all meaning. We'll fig the rest as we get older."

She threw the ball up, and it began to sparkle.

"And if we none of us don't live to get to get older?"

He made a last futile plea.

"Then we'll definitely find out?"

The ball came down. Willow shook it, and asked her question.

"Without riddle, or other vagueness, I bid thee yield a direct and a true answer. Who was the person known as Yeshua-Bar-Yossef and Jesus Of Nazareth?"

The ball shook, and then settled. Willow read the answer-window. She winced. Xander shrugged.

"What's it say? The Messiah? A Prophet? An ordinary man? Replies Hazy?"

Willow threw it to him, and sat down to sulk.

"See for yourself."

Xander did, and in reading it, stifled a laugh, knowing the kind of mood his oldest friend was in. It only said four words:

 *He Was A Jew*

Consoling her, Xander grabbed up his football, deciding to access a Peanuts tradition of a more secular sort, finding as he always did that part of his faith resided solely in Willow