Chapter 12: Where Do We Go From Here?
As the show faded back in, everyone was still at the Bronze, standing around looking kind of shell-shocked.
Anya broke the silence. "So, who won?" she asked anxiously, crossing her fingers.
Randy looked at her, mouth open, astonished at this, as Paula stuttered, "Uh… I don't think we… prepared for this… um…"
Simon raised his hand. "Okay, obviously, we need to have some closure here… Let's just vote, okay? Paula?"
Paula looked at them and then said, resolutely, "Spike."
"Randy?"
"Uh… okay… I vote for… Buffy."
Simon looked back at them and said, "Me? I vote for…"
"Wait!"
They turned to see Ryan coming with the heavy book he had carried earlier with all the rules of the show.
"What?" said Simon, irritatedly.
"Uh… we have some disqualifications…" said Ryan. "You know… it's mandatory," he told the Scoobies, shrugging.
"Well, spit it out…" Simon prodded.
Looking at the book, he said, "Um, Spike's disqualified because he… gulp… killed people."
"Well, of course I did! I'm evil, remember?" Spike exclaimed.
"Sorry, it's in the rules…Fine print and all," said Ryan. "And past and present employees of the Watcher's Council and their affiliates, as well as their families are ineligible as they are FOX's unofficial sponsors…"
"That eliminates me, I suppose," said Giles.
"And Buffy and Dawn…" added Ryan.
"I'm out?!" cried Buffy.
"Un-huh. And Dawn… your sister," he explained. "And no persons currently enrolled in Sunnydale University…"
"That makes me and Tara out, too, huh?" said Willow.
When Ryan nodded, Simon sighed a sigh of relief and said, "Well, thank God for that!"
"Hey!" cried Willow.
"Oh, me! Me! I won!" said Anya, anxiously.
Spike looked at her and said, "Luv, you killed people too, you know."
"Oh," she pouted.
"So, that leaves…" trailed Ryan, as he looked at Xander.
"Wait, I won?" he asked.
"No, that's not fair," said Anya. "He was eliminated!"
Ryan looked at the judges. "Your call… you're in charge, apparently," he added, bitterly.
The three judges conferred silently for a moment and then came back to have Randy say, "Sorry, dog. You were technically eliminated, so…"
"So, you sound so horrible, that giving you a second chance to win would be physically painful for us," added Simon. When Paula and Randy hit him, he looked up innocently and said, "What? It's true… what, am I supposed to lie?"
"So, no one won?" asked Buffy.
"Nope," said Paula. "It happens sometimes."
"Let me get this straight. You invoked this demon for this show, endangered everyone in Sunnydale and put us through personal turmoil… only to declare no winner?" asked Willow, incredulously.
Randy shrugged. "Yeah."
"That's show business…" added Simon. "But great show, don't you all think?"
"Yeah," Paula and Randy agreed.
"So… what happens now?" asked Xander.
Simon looked at his watch, then at him and said, "You have about two minutes left… Just enough time for the big group finale, of course… Looks like Sweet left behind enough of the charm… This is your last chance to shine in front of America. Make it good."
They all looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Then, Dawn walked across the stage and, standing in front of them, sang as she came down,
Where do we go... from here?
Buffy and Spike looked at each other,
Where do we go... from here?
Giles turned to the judges and sang to them,
The battle's done
And we kind of won
Tara joining in,
So we sound our victory cheer
Where do we go from here?
Anya and Xander walked towards each other, singing,
Why is the path unclear
When we know home is near?
They all moved to stand in a line side-by-side in front of the judges.
Understand we'll go hand in hand (all joined hands)
But we'll walk alone in fear.
They all released their hands and walked off in different directions as Giles sang,
Tell me!
They all turned and sang,
Where do we go from here?
When does the end appear?
As they sang this, Spike saw Ryan, smiling and grooving idiotically to the music and he suddenly stopped, scoffed and put his arm down, saying, "Bugger this."
Spike turned and left and the song continued without him.
When do the trumpets cheer?
The curtains close on a kiss, God knows
The camera cut to outside. Spike came out and began walking down the street. Faintly, the others inside sang,
…we can tell the end is near.
Buffy came out of the Bronze after Spike. "Hey," she called.
Where do we go from here?
Spike turned to see her and said, "You should go back inside. Finish the big group sing. Get your kum-ba-yayas out."
"I don't want to," she replied, like a child.
Spike sighed. "The day you suss out what you do want, there'll probably be a parade. Seventy-six bloody trombones."
"Spike..."
"Look, you don't have to say anything…"
Buffy took a step forward and sang,
I touch the fire and it freezes me.
Spike looked surprised. They walked toward each other as he sang,
I died...
Buffy: I look into it and it's black
Spike: So many years ago.
Buffy: This isn't real
Spike: But you can make me…
Buffy: But I just want to…
Both: …feeeeeel…
As they held the last note on 'feel', they walked right up to each other and finished the song by kissing passionately as the voices of the others inside could be heard to sing,
Where do we go from here?
The words 'The End' flashed on the screen with the Sunnydale Idol logo spinning, and the screen faded out on Buffy and Spike as they continued kissing.
