Chapter 41: I Only Have Eyes For You
At P4 the place is packed. Couples slow dance as a band plays a mellow, sexy song. Buffy sits by herself, a little glum. Xander and Cordelia dance past. Willow is moving through the crowd with some drinks, she sees Buffy looking bummed - wishes she could do something for her broken-hearted friend. But her expression brightens when an especially handsome, sweet-looking guy, Ben, approaches Buffy.
"Hey. I'm Ben. We had Algebra II together last year." Ben says.
Buffy searches - can't remember. "Sorry. I pretty much repress anything math related."
"Miss Jackson. Second period. You were in the seat three over - one behind." Ben says.
Buffy smiles, "Oh - yeah... I remember now. Weren't there chalkboards and pencils and desks and stuff?"
Ben smiles, "That's the one!"
Buffy taps her head, "Like a steel trap."
"So... I was wondering... You know that dance tomorrow night? Are you going?" Ben asks.
Buffy sighs, "The Sadie Hawkins thing? Isn't that the deal where the girls ask the boys?"
Ben nods, "Yeah. And I thought, maybe, if you're free you might... ask me."
Buffy balks, "Oh... Gosh... I-"
Ben sees where this is going - tries to save face. "Hey. No. Don't worry about it."
Buffy sighs, "It's not you. You seem great. It's just well, I went through a really bad breakup recently. I'm not really looking at going out with anyone right now. Too tell the truth I'm not even sure I'm going to the dance."
Ben nods, "Oh. That's too bad. I'm sorry to hear that."
Buffy smiles, "That's nice of you to say."
"No problem," Ben says and he turns and walks off.
Willow watches as Ben walks away from Buffy. Buffy grabs her purse and starts for the door. Willow moves quickly - heads Buffy off at the pass before she can leave. "Hey. You bailing?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna stop by the library and see if Giles wants me to patrol. Then sack it." Buffy says.
Willow nods, "You've been doing a lot of that. Patrolling and sacking. In fact, you've kinda been all work, no play Buffy."
"I play. I have big fun. I came here tonight, didn't I?" Buffy says.
Willow nods, "You came. You saw. You rejected."
Buffy sighs, "You mean that guy? I'm... just not in date-mode right now."
Willow smiles, "But maybe you need to date to get in date mode."
"I don't think I'm ready." Buffy says.
"You're thinking too much. Maybe you should just be impulsive!" Willow says.
Buffy sighs, "Impulsive. Do you remember my ex-boyfriend, the vampire? I slept with him. He lost his soul. My boyfriend is gone forever and the demon that is wearing his face is killing my friends. The next impulsive decision I make will involve my choice of dentures."
Willow nods, "Okay, the Angel thing went badly, I'm on board with that. But that's not your fault. And anyways, love isn't always like that. Love can be... nice."
Buffy sighs and turns and walks over to the bar, "Piper!"
Piper looks to Buffy, "Hey what's up sis?"
Buffy smiles, "I'm going to see if Giles wants me to patrol tonight. You up for going with?"
Piper nods, "Sure let me get my stuff."
Buffy nods, "Okay." She heads for the backdoor and the alley.
Buffy waits outside for only a moment before Piper joins her.
"I saw you talking to a boy in there," Piper says.
Buffy sighs, "Not you too."
Piper smiles, "It's what sisters do Buffy. And since we have this whole new relationship between the two of us."
Ever since the deal with Phoebe and Buffy's past lives coming back to bite them in the rear. Piper and Buffy had grown closer. In part it was due to the fact that in their past lives they had been sisters. For many generations in fact. And Buffy had wanted to reconnect to her 'sister'.
Buffy nods in understanding, "Yeah I talked to him. He wanted to see if I was going to the Sadie Hawkins dance. You know I'm ready to love, have been since we helped Cupid. I just don't know if I'm ready to date. Besides I don't think I'm going to the dance anyways."
Piper nods, "Ok sis.
Buffy took Piper's hand and flamed over to the school. They arrived in a secluded spot outside the building. Habit always had Buffy arriving in that spot even when there was no one around to see her arrive or leave. They walk into the school and head for the library.
A girl struggles in the boy's grasp as he holds the GUN closer to her, shaking with emotion.
"I'm not afraid to use it. I swear. If I can't be with you-" boy says.
"Oh my God-" the girl says.
Buffy and Piper turns a corner and sees the couple as the girl manages to shove the boy away and head for an exit that leads to a balcony.
"No! Please!-" the girl says.
The boy scrambles after her - raises the gun as if he might fire.
"Don't walk away from me, bitch!-" the boy says.
Buffy powers up a fireball and takes very careful aim and throws it knocking the gun out of the boy's hand. "Hey! Leave her alone!"
Buffy jumps at the boy as a janitor rounds the corner. She wrestles the boy the ground. The Janitor moves the crying girl.
The boy blinks. Suddenly power-freaked. "It's... What happened?"
"What happened?" Piper says.
"You went OJ on your girlfriend!" Buffy says.
"This is nuts... I don't know why I - I got so mad..." the boy says.
Buffy frowns, "Because you're a jerk?"
The girl speaks up. She also looks totally freaked. "He's not. We weren't even fighting a few minutes ago."
"We weren't. I swear to God..." the boy says.
"If you weren't fighting - why did you have a gun?" Piper asks.
"I don't know. I - I don't even know where I got it." The boy says.
The Janitor scans the floor and shrugs. "I don't see any gun."
Buffy scans the floor and then looks to Piper as if to say what the heck.
The next day Buffy sits in the Principal's office while Snyder, worked up, grills her.
"I'm sure you know why I asked you both here." Snyder says.
"To thank me?" Buffy says.
Snyder frowns, "That's right. I want to thank you. What would Gateway High do without you around to incite mayhem, chaos and disorder?"
"What? I didn't incite! I stopped that boy from killing his girlfriend. I mean - ask them. Ask the janitor. Call in Piper she was with me."
"People can be coerced, Halliwell. And family can and will lie. I'm no stranger to conspiracy. I saw JFK." Snyder says. "I'm a truth seeker. I've got a missing gun and two confused kids on my hands. Pieces of a puzzle. I'm going to look at all those pieces carefully and rationally. And I'm going to keep looking until I figure out exactly how this is all your fault."
The intercom buzzes. "Mr. Snyder? Billy Crandle chained himself to the snack machine again."
Snyder shakes his head - fuming. Starts for the door. "Pathetic little no-life vegan." Buffy starts to get up but Snyder pushes her back into her chair. "Not so fast, Missy. I'm not done with you yet. You stink of lies." He leaves.
One of the yearbooks on a nearby shelf is drawn out by an invisible force. It falls to the ground with a thud.
Buffy is startled by the book falling. She rises and picks it up - looks at the cover. It's from 1955. Buffy is only mildly curious as she puts it back on the shelf.
Later Buffy's in history class.
The teacher, Mr. Miller, stands at the chalk board, writing away and talking in a colorless monotone, "... before 1935 the New Deal focused on revitalizing stricken business and agricultural communities..."
The whole class is bored beyond belief. Many of them can barely keep their eyes open.
Buffy fights sleep. But Miller's voice is like white noise. "The New Deal also tried to regulate the nation's financial hierarchy-"
Finally Buffy's eyelids droop and close.
Buffy's eyes snap open and she looks around, she notices the decor is wrong. Then she sees what everyone is wearing. Class has just ended. A couple of cute girls giggle as they look at a flyer for the 1955 SADIE HAWKINS DANCE.
"I told Mrs. Hall we'd go help decorate the gym. Who are you taking?" A girl says.
Another girl smiles, "David said yes."
"You're kidding! He's so dreamy." The first girl says.
They move off as Buffy nears the teacher's desk. She sees a beautiful young teacher, Grace Newman, who smiles kindly as she takes papers. The kids file out, except for James, who lingers. He hands Miss Newman his paper. Their hands touch as she takes the paper from him.
Ms. Newman flusters, "Thank you, James. How are you enjoying that book I loaned you? The Hemmingway?"
James smiles, "I like it. Very much." Impulsively, he touches her hand again. He moves closer. They both know they shouldn't be talking like this. "It's honest."
They lock eyes. Ms. Newman stammers, "I... Yes. It's based on a true story, actually. He fell in love with his-" She stops as his hand moves up her arm. They move closer, eyes on each other. They're interrupted as the door to the classroom starts to open. James and Ms. Newman pull quickly apart, startled.
Buffy wakes, startled. She looks around, disoriented - sees that she's back in the present day. At the board, Mr. Miller is still writing and tediously narrating. "...to revive industrial activity, the NRA, the National Recovery Administration..." He turns away from the board to look at the class, but continues to write. As he's talking his hand starts to scrawl in large angry letters – 'Don't walk away from me, bitch.' Mr. Miller doesn't even notice what he's doing. "...assigned a number of task forces-"
The class looks at the board with shock and Mr. Miller looks back at the board. He's clearly confused and embarrassed by what he's just written. "Oh! Good God." He immediately erases the phrase.
Buffy is stunned.
After History class Buffy is walking with Xander. "I'm telling you, something weird is going on."
"Something weird is going on. Isn't that our school motto?" Xander says.
Buffy nods, "Pretty much. But this time... I don't know. It bugs me."
They arrive at Xander's locker, which he does the combo on. "I'm not trying to poo poo your wiggins, but a domestic dispute and a little case of chalkboard Tourette's? Sounds like "Hellmouth Lite" to me-"
Xander opens his locker and a blue, decaying arm bursts from inside and grabs him by the shirt. Xander, of course, screams for real this time. The arm starts to pull Xander into the locker. After a brief struggle, Buffy manages to rip Xander's shirt and free him of the death grip. She slams the locker shut.
They both stare at the locker. Then Buffy flings the locker door open again - ready to fight. But - to their surprise - there's nothing. They look inside except for Xander's stuff - it's empty.
In the library Willow is studying while Giles goes about some researchy stuff of some kind. Xander and Buffy enter, tripping. Xander looks a mess - what with his ripped shirt and all.
"Xander. What did you do – criticize Cordelia's outfit?" Willow asks.
Xander shakes his head, :You're just a big bucket o' funny, Will. I'll have you know I just got accosted by some kind of locker monster."
Giles perks up, "Loch Ness monster? Really?"
Buffy shakes her head, "Locker monster. Is what he said. But it wasn't really a "monster". It was more like a guy reached out and grabbed him. But when we opened the locker a second time - gone. Nothing."
"This is right after Buffy's history teacher started doing some freaky channeling thing in class." Xander says.
"Fascinating. It sounds like paranormal phenomena." Giles says.
Buffy sighs, "Great another ghost. Please tell me I don't have to die again to vanquish this one. I really don't want a repeat of Jackson Ward."
"A ghost? Cool!" Willow says.
Xander shakes his head, "Oh no, not cool. This was no wimpy chain-rattler. This was more – 'I'm dead as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore.'"
Giles nods, "Exactly. Despite the Xander-speak, that's an accurate definition of a poltergeist."
"I defined something? Accurately? Check me out." Xander says and he slams a book on the table shut. "Guess I'm done with the book learning!"
Buffy looks to Giles, "Jackson Ward was able to manipulate things but not manifest physically in our plane…"
Giles nods, "From what you said about Jackson Ward, he was an evil spirit. This is likely a poltergeist. They are two different types of entities. A poltergeist can manifest itself in our plane."
"Why is it here? Does it just want to scare people?" Willow asks.
Giles shrugs, "It doesn't know exactly what it wants. That's the problem. A poltergeist is usually plagued by all manner of worldly troubles. But, being dead, it has no way to make it's peace. So it lashes out. Growing ever more confused, ever more angry..."
"What can we do? Is there any way to stop it?" Willow asks.
Giles nods, "For a poltergeist the only tried and true way is to figure out what unresolved issues keep the spirit here - and resolve them. It is not an entity that can be vanquished like Jackson Ward was."
Buffy sighs, "Great. So now we're Dr. Laura for the deceased."
"Only if we can find out who this spirit is. Or... was." Giles says as something occurs to him. Perhaps he knows who it is?
The next day Buffy, Willow and Xander hang with Giles in the library.
"It was just like with this couple you encountered the other night, Buffy. The janitor remembered everything. He knew he's killed this poor woman - but he had no idea why. They had no intimate relationship." Giles says.
"And the gun? Did you ever find it?" Willow asks.
Giles shakes his head, "No. The police, everybody... We looked all over. I think it's very clear. What's happening."
Xander nods, "Fill me in, then. 'Cause I've read the book, seen the movie and I'm still fuzzy about what's going on."
"It's Jenny," Giles says.
Buffy frowns, "What?"
"You think she's the poltergeist?" Xander asks.
Giles nods, "Don't you see? She died here under tragic conditions. Now she's trapped."
Willow shakes her head, "But - what about the whole deal with the gun?" She glances at Buffy, lowering her voice, "Angel didn't shoot Ms. Calendar."
Buffy still registers the comment, looks down.
"The gun is insignificant. It's the violence of the thing that matters." Giles says.
Buffy shakes her head, "I don't know. It seems like the fights these couples keep having is sort of... specific. You know?"
Willow nods, "She's right, Giles. The gun, the place... It's like a pattern that doesn't fit with the way Ms. Calendar died."
"Yes. Well. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter," Giles says. "In fact, I encourage you to always challenge me when you feel it's appropriate. You must never be cowed by authority. Except, of course, in this instance when I am clearly right and you are clearly wrong."
"Great. Glad to know we have this open line of communication." Buffy says.
Later in the computer classroom not surprisingly - Buffy, Xander and Willow are now hanging without Giles.
"This is freaky. I don't think I've ever seen Giles be so pig-headed." Willow says.
Xander nods, "I know. He's usually "Investigate Things From Every Boring Angle" guy. Now he's "I cling To My One Lame Idea" guy. What gives?"
Buffy sighs, "He misses her. He can't think. Just a little more fallout from my love life."
Willow moves to her computer. Starts with the clickity clack. "Okay, but this ghost stuff is something else. Let me do a cross check, look for other shootings at the school."
Buffy nods, "Yeah, we need some alternate ghost theories. What do we know?"
"Dog spit is cleaner than human's." Xander says.
Buffy smiles, "Besides that."
Willow taps some keys. A moment as some information comes up on the screen. Then her expression registers shock. "Oh boy. We know plenty... It says here that a student murdered a teacher on the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance. The rumor was that they were having an affair and she tried to break it off. After he killed her, he went into the music room and shot himself."
"Ladies and gentlemen - we have a poltergeist. It has to be one of those two, right?" Xander asks.
Willow nods, "It all fits. The gun. The Sadie Hawkins dance..."
Buffy nods, "Which is tonight. I'll call Prue."
"How come we never heard about this murder/suicide thing before?" Xander asks, "When did it happen?"
"Well, it says -" Willow says.
"1955." Buffy says as she pulls out her cell phone.
"How did you know?" Willow asks.
Later Willow opens an 1955 yearbook to the "In Memoriam" page for Grace Newman.
Prue walks into the classroom, "What's up Buffy?"
Buffy looks up at Prue all business, "We got a ghost." She points to the yearbook, "I dreamt about this woman the other day. Her and this young guy."
Willow turns some pages. Finds a photo of James Stanley. "James Stanley?" Buffy nods. "He's the one. He did it."
Prue nods, "So you had a premonition about these two?"
Buffy nods, "In history class." She looks at the photo, "He couldn't make her love him, so he killed her. What a sicko."
Prue has to agree, "There are better ways of putting that but yeah."
"He looks so normal in his picture," Willow says. "He was smart, too. He made the honor role."
"Smart?" Prue asks. "I wouldn't call killing someone very smart.
Xander nods, "He killed a person and he killed himself. Those are pretty much the two dumbest things you can do."
"He killed himself?" Prue asks.
Buffy nods and motions to the computer.
Prue reads the article that Willow found earlier," So we got an angry ghost. So do we want to try and vanquish it like Ward?"
Buffy shakes her head, "Giles said it was a poltergeist not an evil spirit like Jackson Ward was. He said about the only way to get rid of it was to resolve what was holding it here. Oh and it can actually manifest itself on our plane, Jackson Ward couldn't do that."
Willow sighs, "Whose ghost do you think we're dealing with? His or hers?"
"Considering how violent it is, I'd say it's his." Buffy says.
Prue nods, "Sounds likely. If he killed her then shot himself and the events are repeating themselves… It's more than likely him."
"That tracks." Xander says.
Willow looks to Prue, "Is there a way to communicate with him?"
Prue shakes her head, "Not that I know of. If he's not showing himself I don't know how. It would be like talking to an empty room and there be no one there."
Willow nods, "I've been browsing in some of Ms. Calendar's pagan sites. Maybe there is something there about a way to communicate with him."
Prue nods, "It's worth a try, Willow. I will be the first to admit that the Book of Shadows does not always have all the information it should. Right, Buffy?"
Buffy nods remembering the deal with her and Phoebe's past life and Anton. There had been no mention of Anton in either book till she and Phoebe added the information. "Right, Prue. So we gotta shut him down before some other innocent guy shoots some nice girl and blows his brains all over the music room wall."
"Okay, who's hungry?" Xander asks.
Buffy looks to Prue, "Just in case go back and check the Books?"
Prue nods, "I'll call you if we find anything."
The Cafeteria is crowded with students as Xander sits with Willow and Buffy at a table. None of them are really enthused about their food.
Cordelia comes over and sits next to Xander with a plate of spaghetti. She addresses them all, indignant. "I hope you guys weren't planning on going to this Sadie Hawkins dance tonight - because I'm totally organizing a boycott. Do you realize that the girls are suppose to ask the guys - and pay and everything? I mean, who's genius idea was that?"
"Obviously some hairy-legged feminist," Xander says.
"Really. We have to nip this in the bud or things could get way scary-" Cordelia says.
A guy at the table across from them yells as the sandwich he just bit into has turned into writhing black snakes.
Xander looks down at his nacho sticks in terror, and sees snakes on his plate.
The whole cafeteria erupts into total chaos. Everybody's food has transformed into wriggling serpents.
Buffy does what she can. She yanks a snake off a girl nearly frozen with fear.
Snyder takes in mayhem from the cafeteria doors. He is concerned but calm.
Cordelia screams at her snake filled plate. She tries to toss it away from her, but one of the snakes coils and strikes - biting her on the face.
The evening Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Xander, Willow, Cordelia (still bandaged from the snake trauma) and Buffy are gathered in the living room at the Manor.
"Remember the plan to contact the spirit and talk to it? Scrap that plan." Willow says as she lays out a map of the school that she's drawn. "The time for touchy-feely communication has passed. I've done some homework and learned that the only solution – is the final solution."
"Nuke the school? I like it!" Xander says.
Willow shakes her head, "Not quite. Exorcism."
"Are you crazy? I saw that movie. Even the priests died!" Cordelia shakes her head.
Prue looks to her sisters who nods.
"It's at least worth a try." Phoebe says. "Unlike with Ward we can't vanquish this ghost on the Astral plane like we did him. For the singular reason we have exactly no idea of where this ghost actually is. I'll look through the book to see if there is another way. Till then we should probably try Willow's idea."
Buffy nods, "Ok what's the deal, Will?"
Willow explains - using the map to make her point. "Okay. See here? The balcony? That's where the original teacher was shot back in 1955 and where Ms. Frank died. It's the hot spot where all the bad mojo is coming from. We need to create a Mangus Tripod-" she draws one on the map. "One person chants here, in the hot spot, and the other three people chant in other areas of the school - making a triangle. It's supposed to bind the bad spirit. Stop it from doing more harm."
Buffy nods, "I'll take the hot spot. If there's real trouble, it'll probably be there."
"I'm kinda feeling like this ghost is fixating on you, Buffy. The yearbook, the premonition - you sure you can handle it?" Willow asks
"Oh, I'm hoping he'll show. I truly am." Buffy says.
Prue nods, "Xander, Cordelia you two will patrol the outside of the school. This way no one enters while the spell is going on. Willow, Piper and I will take the three points."
Later Prue, Piper, Willow and Buffy enter the school, each holding a black candle and a flashlight.
"Okay, we all have our places. We light the candle and do the chant at midnight exactly." Buffy says.
"Oh! I almost forgot. I made us all protective scapulas." Willow says. "It's for protection." She digs into her pockets - pulls out four little bags on cords and hands them out. Everybody reacts. They smell.
Piper scrunches her nose, "What did you put in these?"
"Sorry. I didn't have much time so I had to use sulphur. Stinky – but effective." Willow says.
Buffy looks to Prue and Phoebe as if to say humor her. Prue, Piper and Buffy puth the scapulas around their necks. "Okay. Let's do it."
Buffy, Prue, Piper and Willow enter the dark hallway. Look around the quiet school.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The hallway echoes with the sound of doors slamming and locking.
Buffy looks to them, "Not to worry I will flame us out if we can't get out."
Moment later near the library Willow moves down the hall toward the lounge, clutching her scapula.
BOOM!
Willow's passing the library door when it bangs open, "Arghhhhh!"
"Good lord, Willow! What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be inside." Giles says.
Willow hides her candle behind her back. "Me? What about you?"
"Yes, well. I'm trying to - I think I'm close to contacting Jenny." He sniffs the air, "What's that smell?"
Willow smiles, "It's a scapula,"
"Ahh. Did you use sulphur?" Giles says.
Willow nods, "Yeah."
"Clever. Well, hurry along. There may be some paranormal phenomena if I make contact - you don't want to get in the line of fire." Giles says.
Willow nods, "Okay. Night."
Giles moves back into the library. Through the window - Willow sees him return to his office where a single light burns.
Piper enters the girls bathroom and she sets her flashlight near the mirror.
Buffy is moving down the hall near the music room when she hears music. She sees light coming from the music room and moves toward it.
On the wall, a flyer invites one and all to the Sadie Hawkins dance - but the flyer is clearly from 1955. Buffy looks through the window in the classroom door.
A record plays on a turntable and James and Ms. Newman dance, holding on tight. Lost in each other.
James looks up at Buffy - and she sees that his face is now that of a horrible dessicated corpse.
Prue enters the cafeteria. There are still a few snakes on the floor. She uses her power to clear a path for her.
On the landing near the student lounge Willow sets up her candle and looks at her watch. A decaying blue corpse hand emerges from the floor and grabs Willow. It starts to yank her into the floor as if it were quicksand. Willow cries out.
In the girls bathroom Piper glances at at the mirror and what she sees reflected in it is her… dead. She shakes her head, "You have to do better than that to scare a Charmed One."
Drawn by Willow's cries - Giles emerges from the library and rushes to her. Finds Willow entirely sucked up by the floor.
"Giles!" Willow says.
Giles grabs her by the arm, pulls with all his might. "Hold on!" After a struggle - he manages to extract her. They both tumble back and hit the ground hard. Willow is shaking, terrified. Giles puts an arm around her, tries to comfort.
"Giles..?" Willow says breathless.
"What?" Giles asks.
"Jenny could never be this mean." Willow says.
Giles nods, "I know. I… It's not her, is it?"
Willow shakes her head. "I'm sorry."
Giles takes it in - knows it's true.
Buffy, freaked, arrives in her spot on the balcony where the teachers died. She sets the candle on the ledge of the balcony - but as soon as she touches it - she is overwhelmed by a series of premonitions which hit her in rapid succession.
James and Ms. Newman fighting in the hallway.
The gun going off.
Ms. Newman falling off the balcony.
James walking into the music room and putting a record on a turntable.
James lifting the gun to his head.
Buffy is so startled and blinded by the premonitions that she drops to the ground.
Two wretched hands grab Buffy by her lapels and yank her into a sitting position, revealing the terrible dead face of James, who is leaning into her, furious. Through his blue, cracked lips he hisses, "Get out!" And as quickly as he appeared he is gone. Buffy is full-on terror struck.
On the landing in the student lounge the school clock starts to strike midnight. Willow, taken by surprise, scrambles to light her candle. "Oh, God..." Her hands are trembling so much she can't do it.
Giles takes the lighter - does it for her.
Willow, shaky voiced, starts to incant, "I shall confront and expel all evil"
In the girls bathroom Piper hears the clock chime as she grabs her candle and lights it. "I shall confront and expel all evil"
In the cafeteria Prue is perched on a table - well above snake level - her candle already lit, "out of marrow and bone."
On the balcony Buffy has also lit her candle. Despite her terror, she forces the words, "out of house and home - never to come here again."
The clock stops chiming.
In the student lounge Willow and Giles look around, hoping that it worked.
On the balcony Buffy reacts as a sudden, gale wind kicks up. Blows out her candle. An eerie buzzing sound rises. Buffy frowns and she flames to Willow and Giles and grabs their hands. She flames outside the school drops them off and flames back in grabbing Prue and flames out to drop her off before going back to get Piper. A moment later she flames out Piper as Xander and Cordelia come running up to them.
They look at the entrance to the school as millions of wasps surround the school.
"Check it. I'd say school's out for good." Xander says.
Back at the Manor Prue, Phoebe, Giles, Willow, Xander, and Cordelia are all gathered in the living room.
"Right then... We've definitely established, based on all the parallels and Buffy's premonitions, that it's James' spirit-"
Piper and Buffy enters from the kitchen with a few sodas and a couple glasses of tea.
"So what do we do? About James?" Willow asks.
Phoebe shakes her head, "I've looked in the books and done some research. There is three ways to vanquish a spirit. One of us have to die like Buffy did with Jackson Ward and say a spell on the Astral Plane. But to do that we have to know where James spirit is actually in the school. It could be on the balcony or in the music room."
Buffy nods, "And the others?"
"We destroy the object of its obsession." Phoebe says. "Problem is the object of his obsession is his guilt. We can't destroy his guilt. The last method involves a potion and his bones. Problem there is he was cremated. We have no way of vanquishing him from anything in the books."
Giles nods, "Well - he's obviously reliving the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance, when he killed Miss Newman."
"But why? What does he want?" Xander asks.
Giles nods, "He's trying to resolve the issues that keep him in limbo. What those are, I'm not entirely-"
"He wants forgiveness." Buffy says. "Like Phoebe said his obsession is his guilt. He wants to be forgiven for what he did."
Giles nods, "Yes. I imagine he does. But when James possesses people they act out exactly what happened that night, so instead he's experiencing a form of purgatory. He's doomed to kill his Miss Newman over and over again – and forgiveness is impossible."
Buffy nods, "Anyone want a refill?"
Giles nods, "If you don't mind?"
Buffy smiles, "Be happy too." She takes his glass and walks into the kitchen. She is about to pour some tea when she notice a flyer for the 1955 Sadie Hawkins Dance.
Buffy hears a woman's voice, "... I need you..."
Buffy suddenly flames out.
In the living room… "So what next? Do we go in again?" Willow asks.
Giles shakes his head, "Not now. The spirit is too angry. Too powerful... We need to figure out exactly how, and if, this thing can be defeated..."
Piper looks to Prue, "It's taking a long time for Buffy to come back with Giles' tea."
Prue nods and gets up, "I'll check on her." She goes into the kitchen looking for Buffy. "Buffy are you-" she stops when she sees that Buffy is gone. Only the flyer remains behind. Prue picks it up and looks at it. She walks back into the living room. "She went back."
Moments later Giles, Willow, Prue, Piper, Xander and Cordelia arrive at the school. The place, as before, is entirely surrounded by wasps.
"So - now what? Not even a mega vat of Raid is gonna do the trick here." Xander says.
Cordelia shakes her head, "I don't get it. Is she trying to be like a big loner hero or something?"
"No. I believe she's under the spirit's thrall. He's calling her-" Giles says.
"But why?" Piper asks.
Giles nods, "James needs her to reenact everything that happened the night he killed Ms. Newman. He wants to change things. Make a happy ending."
"But it can't ever happen. It always ends the same. Which means Buffy's going in there to get shot, Giles." Willow says.
Giles nods, "Yes. But remember - the school is deserted. There's no male inside for James to possess. No way for him to play his part."
Prue shakes her head, "I think we have this backwards."
"How so?" Giles asks.
"I don't thinks James wants her to play Ms. Newman. I think he wants her to play him. Think about it. He's been showing her everything that's been happening to him. All of her premonitions have been about him. He wants Buffy to play him."
"Dear Lord," Giles says as he takes off his glasses and cleans them, "I think your right. Which means James needs someone to play Ms. Newman."
Inside the school Buffy walks into the hall and stops where the fight always begins. She's slumped, defeated. It's almost as if she's waiting for this thing to over take her.
Behind her, a dark figure appears. A voice speaks from the shadows. "Fun fact about wasps? They have no taste for the un-dead." He stepsout of the shadows revealing it's Angel. But Buffy doesn't even turn around. "Not that a sting would do me lasting damage. It's just - tonight's special. I wanted to look my best for you."
Finally - still turned away from him - Buffy speaks. But her voice is strange - darker. "You're the only one. The only person I can talk to."
"Gosh, Buff. That's... really pathetic." Angel says.
"You can't make me disappear just because you say it's over." Buffy says as she faces Angel. Her features are contorted with desperation and rage.
"Actually..." Angel says as he moves in, menacing. "I can. In fact-" He stops. His face transforms as he is filled with fear, love and sadness. "I just want you to be able to have some kind of normal life. We can never have that - don't you see?"
"I don't give a damn about a normal life." Buffy says. "I'm going crazy not seeing you. I think about you every minute."
Angel obviously feels the same way. Pushes it down. "I know. But... It's over. It has to be." He turns from Buffy - starts to walk toward the door. This inflames Buffy's ire further.
"Come back here. We're not finished!" Buffy says. She grabs Angel's arm and stops him. "You don't care anymore? Is that it?"
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what I feel-" Angel says.
Buffy burns. Shakes Angel's arm. Hard. "Then tell me you don't love me. Say it!"
Angel starts to cry, "Will that help? Is that what you have to hear? I don't. I don't. Now let me go!"
Buffy is devastated - disbelieving. "No... A person doesn't just wake up one day and stop loving somebody." She raises raises her hand and the gun is in it. Angel's eyes widen with terror. "Love is forever."
Buffy's grip on Angel tightens. "I'm not afraid to use it. I swear. If I can't be with you-"
"Oh my God-" Angel says and manages to shove Buffy back. He bolts for the doors that lead to the balcony.
Buffy takes off after Angel - who is almost out the door. "Don't walk away from me, bitch!"
Angel bursts out of the hall and onto the balcony, with Buffy on his heels.
Buffy points the gun at him with shaking hands. "Stop! I mean it. Don't make me."
Angel turns carefully - terrified. "All right. Just... You know you don't want to do this. Let's both-" Buffy reacts with rage as Ange continues to plead with her. "-just calm down. Give me the gun."
"Don't! Don't do that, damn it!" Buffy says swinging the gun wildly, "Don't talk to me like I'm some dumb-"
An involuntary twitch of the finger and - BOOM! – the gun goes off in Buffy's hand. It's clearly an accident. She jumps with surprise at the blast. She looks at the gun in her hand with horror.
Outside the campus Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Giles, Xander, Willow and Cordelia hear the gunshot.
"Buffy?" Prue, Piper and Phoebe says.
On the balcony Angel has a gunshot wound right through the heart. He looks at Buffy - disbelieving. Then he topples over the balcony, lands in the quad below.
Buffy turns and reenters the school. She walks down the hall, barely containing her grief.
Horrified and distraught over what she's done - Buffy moves to a stack of records from the 50's. She takes a record - "I Only Have Eyes For You" - from the stack.
With the record in had, Buffy walks to the record player. She places the record on the turntable. Drops the needle on. She turns - sees James reflection in the glassed cabinet.
She listens to the music - haunted. Then she starts to lift the gun to her head. Her finger on the trigger...
Then Angel's hand covers hers. Angel, filled with compassion, gently takes the gun away from her. "Don't do this."
"Grace? But I - I killed you." Buffy says.
Angel shakes his head, "It's not your fault. It was an accident."
Buffy can't hear it - protests. "It is my fault! How could I let this -"
Angel nods, "I'm the one who should be sorry, James. You thought I stopped loving you. But I never did. I loved you with my last breath." Buffy takes this in. Starts to cry. Angel tries to comfort her. "Shhh. No more tears." And he kisses her. It's both a final chance for lovers to touch - and a moment of redemption.
Suddenly lights moves from deep within them. Spirits rise and vanish.
Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Giles, Xander, Willow and Cordelia watch with amazement as the swarm suddenly disappears.
"Look... They're leaving." Willow says.
In the music room Buffy blinks, returning to herself. She's still in Angel's arms. The look of tenderness lingers on his face. "Angel...?"
Angel's eyes go cold. He can't believe what just happened. He throws her from his embrace, disgusted. He bolts, leaving Buffy totally spun.
Buffy watches for a moment for a moment she thinks about flaming back to the Manor and decides to walk out instead.
Later in the library Giles is behind the counter, Xander, Willow and Cordelia sit at the table as Prue, Piper and Phoebe enter.
"Everything normal. Not a snake, not a wasp." Phoebe says.
Giles crosses back into the office. Prue starts to follow as Piper holds her back.
Piper shakes her head and Prue nods in understanding as Piper follows Giles.
"Are you feeling better?" Giles asks Buffy.
Buffy sighs, "He picked me. I guess I was the one he... could relate to. He was so sad..."
Piper walks up next to Giles, "Well, now they can both rest."
"Part of me doesn't understand why she would forgive him." Buffy says.
Piper smiles at Buffy, "Love. It all boils down to love."
Buffy looks at Piper and then nods, "Thanks, my sister."
Piper smiles, "Anytime, my sister."