No worries; I'd love to read that story again, actually, but I couldn't remember the title -- what was it?

I've leaned toward that same theory myself, about the First winning, because there was a lot about that final plan that didn't make sense. I even started writing a story about that with my hubby, yonks ago, but alas, it remains unfinished. (Writing Possessed!Buffy was fun, though. And Xander was a major character in that one too, now that I think about it.)

I loved Barbverse's take on the First. I'm not going that direction myself, but it was a cracking good treatment of both characters. (Plus her Buffy just has the best quotes.)