Chapter 45: Becoming Pt. 1

Buffy is battling two vamps. She throws one as the other comes at her. She spars with the second vamp as the first circles silently around to her back. Buffy is well in control of the situation, very focussed. "Come on. Ooh, nice try." She easily parries another blow. "Now that was just sloppy. If you're not even gonna try, then. . ." She hammers him as she powers up a fireball. Just as the first vamp attacks from the rear she tosses the fireball beind her and the vamp dusts. The second vamp stops, worried. "I want you to give Angel a message for me. Tell him I'm done waiting. I'm taking the fight to him. You got that? Do you want me to write it down?"

Fury crosses the vampire's face - he lunges - and Buffy stakes his sorry ass. He dusts just like the first one.

"All right, I'll tell him myself." Buffy says as she goes over to a spot nearby and helps up a groggy Xander.

"I'm good, don't worry about me. . ." Xander says.

Buffy shakes her head, "You know, you don't have to patrol with me. I could have gotten Prue or Phoebe."

Xander nods, "Hey, I had that guy under control until he resorted to fisticuffs. What is that: five vampires in three nights?"

Buffy nods, "But no Angel."

"You really that anxious to come up against him?" Xander asks.

Buffy sighs, "I just want it over with."

"I hear that," Xander says.

Buffy nods, "We better get back. I haven't even started studying for finals."

Xander nods, "Oh, yeah, finals. Why didn't you let me die?"

Buffy smiles, "Look on the bright side. It'll all be over soon. Want me to flame you home?"

"Sure why not." Xander says as Buffy holds out her hand before they flame out.

The next day in the school cafeteria Xander is recapping last night's fight using fishsticks to demonstrate the story. "You can't sneak up on me! Tell Angel I'm gonna kill him - no - wait - I'm gonna kill you! Die! Die! ARRGGHH! Mother!"

"Is that it?" Cordelia asks.

Xander nods, "That's it. Scene."

Buffy nods, "Yeah, that's just exactly how it happened."

"I thought it was riveting. I was a little unclear about some of the themes." Oz said.

Buffy nods, "The theme is, Angel's too much of a coward to take me on face to face."

Xander nods, "The other theme was "Buy American," but it got kind of buried."

"Are you sure you're ready to fight Angel?" Willow asks.

Buffy sighs, "Can everybody stop asking me that? Yeah I'm ready. Also willing, also able. It's the one test I might actually pass."

"Don't say that. You're gonna pass everything. I'm gonna get you through this semester if I have to sweat blood." Willow says.

"Do you think you're likely to? 'Cause I'd like to be elsewhere." Xander says.

Willow rolls her eyes, "It was only metaphor blood."

"I think you'd sweat cute blood." Oz says.

"Sixth period, after my computer class, we'll rock on Chemistry." Willow says.

Buffy nods, "I'm ready to rock. You're the best, Will. Thanks. Though you'd think chemistry is one I would pass due to all the potions I've made."

"Boy, Willow, you've really gotten the teaching bug. Taking over that computer class, tutoring. . ." Cordelia says.

Willow smiles, "I love it. I really do."

"I think it's great to do that BEFORE you go out and fail in the real world. 'Cause then it's not like falling back on something, it's like falling. . . well, forward." Cordelia says.

"And almost sixty five percent of that was actual compliment." Xander says. "Is that a personal best?"

Cordelia shakes her head, "Gee, Xander, what are you gonna teach when you fail in life? Advanced loser-being?"

"I will teach the language of love." Xander says as he reaches for Cordelia, but she shrinks back.

"Don't touch me! You have fish hands!" Cordelia says.

Xander moves his hands toward her face. "Come, let me caress you. . ."

Cordelia laughs, batting away his hands. "Stop it!"

Principal Snyder appears, looking grim as usual. He clears his throat and everyone stops. "That's enough of that." He looks to Willow. "And you. Are we having a chair shortage?"

"I haven't read anything about - Oh! I get it." Willow says as she jumps off Oz's lap, sits in her own chair.

"These public displays of affection are not acceptable in my school. This isn't an orgy, people. It's a classroom." Snyder says.

"Yeah, where they teach lunch. . ." Buffy says sarcastically.

"Do you have something to say?" Snyder asks.

Buffy nods, "This is a cafeteria. I'm pretty sure."

"Always with the wisecracks. One day you're gonna go too far." Snyder says.

Buffy nods, "Or I could go with the classroom theory. . ."

"Just give me a reason to kick you out, Halliwell. Just give me a reason." Snyder says and he stalks off.

"How about, 'cause you're a tiny impotent Nazi with a bug up his butt the size of an emu?" Cordelia says.

Buffy nods, "Sums it up."

"Don'tcha think?" Cordelia says.

Xander nods, "Now 'lunch' I could actually teach."

"I can see that." Oz says. "Baloney. It's not a toy. Let's put it on the bread - The rye bread! Careful!"

"Do you want to come by tonight, do some cramming?" Willow asks.

Buffy shrugs, "Maybe. . . I do have to patrol."

"Again? Do you really expect Angel to turn up tonight?" Willow asks.

Buffy shakes her head, "No, I don't expect him to. And that's when he usually does."

Later that afternoon in the computer classroom.

"Waaahhh." Buffy cries out as as she taps it on her chem book. She is staring at the book, and at her own notebook. She is tiny and helpless. "This doesn't make sense!"

Willow nods, "Well, sure it does, see..." She looks at Buffy's work. "Oh, no, that doesn't make any sense. How can you make potions and not be able to do chemistry?"

Buffy shrugs, "Who knows. Maybe it boils down different types of things. One's magical the other isn't."

Willow looks over the notebook, "Oh, I see your problem."

"I'm a moron?" Buffy asks.

Willow frowns, "Will you stop that? You're not stupid. You've just had a lot on your mind. You can do all of this real easily but if you're just gonna give up then don't waste my time."

Buffy smiles, "Wow. You really are a good teacher."

Willow smiles back, "Good pep talk?"

Buffy nods, "I got the pep."

Willow nods, "Okay. Look at this. It's a covalent bond - which means these two atoms are linked by this one electron. You know, basic linkage. Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Chlorine. . ."

Buffy places her pencil on her book and it rolls off between the desk and the cabinet beside it. "Oh. Hold it." She reaches in and grabs the pencil - her fingers almost brushing the disk - but just missing it. She pulls the pencil out, straightens up. "Okay. I'm learn girl."

"Well, you see –" Willow says.

Buffy frowns, "Whoah. Deja vu."

"Really? Not like that time you kept repeating the same day I hope?" Willow says.

Buffy shakes her head, "I don't think so. But the thing with the pencil - I have a perfect memory of being exactly like –" She bends down again with the pencil - and this time she sees the disk. "—hey." She reaches in and grabs the disk. Holds it up. "I think you dropped this."

Willow shakes her head, "It's not mine. It might be something of Ms. Calendar's."

They look at each other. Willow pops it in the computer. They wait to see it come up on the screen.

"This feels kind of morbid." Buffy says.

Willow nods, "Well, I've gone through most of her files already."

"Does that make this less morbid or you really morbid?" Buffy asks.

Willow sighs, "I had to - to teach the class."

"Relax. I'm making with the funny. What does that say, "restoration"?" Buffy asks.

"It's one of her spells, I think. You know, she wasn't a practicing witch like you, but she did dabble in –" Willow says.

"Willow." Buffy says as she reads the screen, her eyes getting steadily wider.

Willow concentrates on the screen. "Oh boy. Oh boy." Buffy says nothing. "Oh boy."

Later in the library Prue, Phoebe, Xander, Cordelia and Giles are facing Buffy and Willow. Buffy holds a few sheets of printout in her hand. Everybody is quiet.

"What are you saying?" Giles asks.

"The curse. This is it." Buffy says as she holds up the sheaf of paper.

Giles steps forward, takes it, examines it.

Willow nods, "It looks like Ms. Calendar was trying to replicate the original curse. To restore Angel's soul again."

"She said it couldn't be done." Prue said.

Buffy nods, "Well, she tried anyway. And it looks like it might have worked."

"So he killed her. Before she could tell anyone about it. What a prince." Xander says.

"Well, this is good, right? I mean, we can curse him again." Cordelia says.

Phoebe takes the paper from Giles and looks it over.

Giles shakes his head, "It's not that simple. This points he way, but the ritual itself requires a rather more advanced knowledge of the dark arts than I can claim."

"Well, I. . . I've been going through her files and reading up and. . . I've been sort of checking out the black arts. Just for fun - or, educational fun." Willow says. "I might be able to work this."

Giles shakes his head, "Willow, performing this kind of ritual, channeling such potent majicks through yourself - it will open a door you may not be able to close."

Buffy shakes her head, "Will, I don't want you putting yourself in danger. Prue, Phoebe and I can do this."

Willow nods, "And I don't want danger. "No" to danger. But I might be the best person to do this. You can't do it Buffy because you need to keep Angel distracted. And Prue or Phoebe…"

"One of them will be with me on patrol," Buffy says getting where Willow is going. "The other one can help you though."

"HI! For those of you who have just tuned in, everyone here is a crazy person. This spell might restore Angel's humanity? Well, here's an interesting angle: Who cares?" Xander says.

Buffy frowns, "I care."

"Is that right?" Xander asks.

"Xander, let's not lose perspective here –"

"I'm perspective guy! Angel is a killer." Xander says.

"Xander –" Phoebe says.

"It's not that simple," Buffy says.

"What, come back home, all is forgiven? I can't believe you people!" Xander says.

"Xander has a point –" Cordelia says.

"You know just once I wish you would support me and I realize right now that you were and I'm embarrassed so I'm gonna get back to the point which is that Angel needs to die." Xander says.

Giles nods, "Curing Angel was apparently Jenny's last wish –"

Xander nods, "Yeah, well, Jenny's dead."

Giles moves forward like he might actually strike Xander. "Don't you speak of her in that insolent –"

"Can't you see what I'm saying –" Xander says.

Prue pushes Xander and Giles telekinetically away from each other. "All right, stop it!"

"What do you want to do? And who's going to be with me?" Willow asks.

Prue looks to Phoebe, "I'll patrol with Buffy. You can help Willow with the spell."

"Sounds good," Phoebe says.

"I don't know... What happened to Angel wasn't his fault..." Buffy says.

Xander nods, "What happened to Ms. Calendar is. You can paint this however you want. Way I see it you want to forget all about Ms Calendar's murder so you can have your boyfriend back."

Buffy shakes her head and looks at Prue, "Once he's had some sense knocked into him let me know. I'm going to go get ready." She flames out.

Willow glares at Xander, who returns her gaze firmly.

"Wow. Even I know that was insensitive." Cordelia says.

Xander stares Willow down, "Am I wrong?"

Willow doesn't answer.

Later back at the Manor Buffy is on the phone with Willow. As she talks, she loads her bag with weapons and crosses from her dresser. "Yeah, Prue and I'll do a couple of sweeps, then I'll stop by. Yeah, Xander was pretty much being a. . . Willow. Where'd you learn that word? My god. You kiss your mother with that mouth? I don't know. I don't know what I want." She sees something in the drawer, stops. "Okay. I'll see you in a while."

Buffy hangs up, picks up the claddagh ring Angel gave her. Buffy looks at it, silently.

Several minutes later Prue and Buffy walk down the street. Buffy comes to a row of tall hedges. Stops, turning. Did she hear something? Someone bursts out from between the hedges right behind them. She spins, takes an attack stance. "You know, polite people call before they jump out of the bushes and attack you."

Kendra smiles.

"Would you like to test my face-punching? 'Cause I think you'll find it's improved." Buffy says.

Kendra nods, "I was on my way to your house. Saw you walking. Couldn't help myself. Hello Ms. Halliwell."

Prue nods, "Kendra what did I tell you last time?"

"Hello, Prue." Kendra says.

Buffy nods, "Which begs the question and don't think I'm not glad to see you but why are you here? Wait. Let me guess. Your Watcher has informed you that a very dark power is about to rise in San Francisco."

"That's about it." Kendra says.

Buffy looks to Prue and shakes her head, "Great. Did he give you any idea of what this dark power is?"

Later back at the library Giles emerges from his office, joining Buffy, Prue, Phoebe, Kendra and Willow. Kendra is putting her bag on the table.

"I've just been on the phone with the museum. The artifact in question is missing. And the curator has been murdered. Vampires." Giles says.

Buffy nods, "And we're sure this thing was the Tomb of Alfalfa?"

Prue rolls her eyes.

Giles nods, "Acathla. And yes, the information Kendra's Watcher has provided seems conclusive."

Prue looks to Phoebe, "Do you…?"

Phoebe shakes her head, "No. I can check later to be sure but I don't remember seeing Acathla in the Book."

"Okay, can somebody explain the whole 'he will suck the world into Hell' thing? That's the part I'm not loving." Willow says.

Giles nods, "The demon universe exists in a dimension separate from our own. With one breath Acathla will create a vortex, a kind of whirlpool that will pull everything on Earth into that dimension, where any non-demon life will suffer horrible, eternal torment."

"So that would be the literal kind of sucking into Hell. Neat." Buffy says.

"Buffy." Prue says.

"You think Angelus and the others are responsible for the theft of the tomb?" Kendra asks

Buffy nods, "I'd bet money on it."

Prue nods, "It seems reasonable."

"I can't believe you dated him." Kendra says. "I mean, he's got to be stopped."

"We don't know where they are." Willow says. "They moved after Giles torched their house."

"You did? Good for you." Kendra says.

Giles smiles, "It was nothing, really."

"Willow… Phoebe... I think you two should try to do the curse. Bring Angel back." Buffy says.

"I tend to side with your friend Xander on this one. Angel should be eliminated." Kendra says.

Buffy nods, "I'll fight him. If I have to, I'll kill him. But if I lose, or I don't find him in time... Willow and Phoebe might be our only hope."

"I don't want to be only hope. I crumble under pressure. Let's have another hope." Willow says.

Phoebe smiles, "I'll be there to help you, no worries."

"We have." Kendra says as she pulls a sword from her bag. "Blessed by the knight who first slew the Demon. If all else fails, this might stop it. I think."

Giles nods, Let's hope all else doesn't fail." He looks to Phoebe and Willow, "How close are you to figuring out the ritual for the curse?"

Phoebe nods, "I'd say a day max. And we need an Orb of Thesulah."

Giles nods, "I've got one. I've been using it as a paperweight."

Willow nods, "This means I can't help you study for tomorrow's finals."

"I'll wing it. Of course, if we go to Hell by then I won't have to take them. Or maybe I'll be taking them forever. . ." Buffy says.

Giles nods, "Well, Angel has a ritual of his own to perform before he can remove the sword and awaken Acathla. With any luck, that may take some time as well."

The next morning sunlight brightly rakes the classroom. Buffy is seated, along with Xander, Willow and Cordelia, amidst the other students. They are all taking their final exam, scribbling in their bluebooks. The room is silent.

The teacher sits at his desk, reading.

Buffy is frowning at her test when she hears… "Tonight. Sundown. In the graveyards."

Teacher rises, "Excuse me. . ."

Buffy looks up.

A woman is standing in the classroom, "You will come to him." She pulls off her shawl, revealing her vamp visage, and moves toward Buffy, deliberately stepping into the sunlight. She begins to smoke. Kids start trying to move away. Buffy can't take her eyes off the vampire. "You will come to him or more will die! Tonight!" Flames engulf her as kids scream and get out of there. "His hour is at hand!" She dusts.

That evening just before sunset in the library Willow is deep in a pile of books.

"She said more would die. I have to go." Buffy says.

Kendra nods, "And I should go with you."

Buffy shakes her head, "I need you here. Just in case. Prue will be with me, we'll be all right. As long as Angel's fighting me he's not doing this end of the world ritual and that's good. And with any luck. . . Willow? Phoebe? What do you think?"

"I'm not sure. I just want to cross check –" Willow says.

Buffy nods, "We don't have time. If this is gonna work I need it to work now."

Willow looks to Phoebe who nods. "We need maybe half an hour once we're set up."

Giles nods, "Which means you just have to hold Angel off. Don't let him close on you. If the curse succeeds, you'll know."

"Why don't you just wait here to find out if it worked? See if he phones you?" Cordelia asks.

Prue shakes her head, "We can't risk him killing more people."

"What if he shows up with an army?" Xander asks.

"We run away." Buffy says. "Right now were short one person for a power of three." She looks up at the ceiling. "Dang you Piper where are you when we need you."

"A Slayer never runs aw – Good plan." Kendra says.

Buffy nods, "Prue and I'd better go."

"Please be careful." Xander says.

Prue nods, "We will." She walks over to Buffy.

Kendra runs up to Buffy, hands her a stake. "Here. I know you don't really need it. But just in case the curse does not succeed... This is my lucky stake. I have killed many vampires with it. I call it Mister Pointy."

"You named your stake." Buffy asks.

"Yes." Kendra says embarrassed.

Buffy shakes her head, "Remind me to get you a stuffed animal." She puts the stake in her jacket. "Thanks."

Kendra looks to Prue, "Watch her back."

Prue looks to her cousin, "With my life."

Later Prue and Buffy makes their way along through the cemtary.

"Hello, lover." Angel says and Buffy and Prue turns to face him.

Angel stands some twenty feet away, grinning nonchalantly. He and Buffy begin circling each other, slowly. "I wasn't sure you'd come. Though I did expect you to bring the power of three."

"After your immolation-o-gram? Come on, I had to show. But shouldn't you be destroying the world right about now? Pulling the sword out of Al Franken, or whatever he's called?" Buffy says.

Prue shakes her head, "We don't need the power of three for you."

"There's time enough. I wanted to say goodbye first. You are the one thing in this dimension I will miss." Angel says.

"This is a beautiful moment we're having here. Can we just fight, please?" Buffy says.

"I didn't come here to fight!" Angel says.

Prue frowns, "No?"

Angel shakes his head, "Gosh, I was hoping Buffy and I could get back together! What do you think, do we have a shot?" Buffy and Prue glares at him. "All right, we'll fight." He lunges at Buffy.

At the library Phoebe and Willow sits at the desk, the orb in front of them. Cordelia is waving a burning sage bush, not loving her task. Giles stands on Willow's other side, holding a volume. There are elaborate markings on the table and Willow and Phoebe have painted marks on their foreheads.

Xander stands up on the balcony, watching. Kendra guards the door.

"Quod perditum est, invenietur." Giles says.

"Not dead, nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum, I call." Phoebe and Willow says.

In the cemetery Buffy and Angel spar, Buffy still holding back.

Buffy is thrown to the ground. "Come on, Willow… Phoebe." She looks briefly at Prue.

In the library…

"Let him know the pain of humanity, gods - reach your wizened hands to me, give me the soul of –" Phoebe and Willow says.

Two vamps burst in behind Xander and he turns to fight them, "Look out!"

Kendra turns as two more burst in behind her.

Xander whips out a stake, makes for Vamp 1 as Vamp 2 comes down toward the ritual.

Kendra punches Vamp 3, sends him into the wall. Vamp 4 passes her.

As Vamps 2 and 4 converge in the middle, Cordelia and Willow make for the stacks. Phoebe and Giles faces the vamps and they handily knock Giles down and out.

Phoebe looks to Giles and back at the vamps not liking her odds.

Kendra spars with Vamp 3, knocking him out and going for Vamp 4, who stands over Giles.

Vamp 2 leaps onto the table, over the railing and slams into a bookcase, knocking it over on Willow. She falls very hard, instantly unconscious.

Xander falls to his knees, the stake dropping, Cordelia tries to get out behind Vamp 1. He turns to get her and Xander rises, throws him into Vamp 2. "Go!"

Cordelia races out as Xander picks up the stake in his good hand.

Drusilla wafts in, eyes alight.

Phoebe throws Vamp 4 through the window to Giles' office as Vamp 3 hits her from behind.

In the cemetery…

"Is it me, or is your heart not in this?" Angel says as he throws Buffy back. "Maybe I'll just go home. Destroy the world. . . sulk. . ."

Buffy pulls out the stake throwing it to Prue as she powers up a fireball.

Angel hesitates.

"Come on. Let's finish it. You and me." Buffy says.

Angel starts to laugh. "You never learn, do you? Little miss ego. 'You and me.' This wasn't about you. This was never about you. Either of you in fact."

Buffy's expression drains. She turns and grabs Prue.

"And you fall for it every single time!" Angel says.

Buffy flames out with Prue.

In the library Vamp 1 knocks Xander unconscious, looks down at Kendra who is fighting off the other vamps. She's getting tired.

"Enough." Drusilla says.

The vamps back off. Kendra turns to face Dru. Dru drops her shawl, looking dreamily into the heavens.

Kendra lunges and Dru evades, slashes at Kendra with her fingernails. Draws blood.

Kendra and Dru spar, Kendra getting in some good hits, Dru mostly weaving and giggling.

Finally Dru sees an opening and grabs Kendra's throat, pushes her against the wall. Kendra struggles, pulling at the arm. Dru looks at Kendra, hypnotizing her. "Look at me, Dearie. Be in my eyes. Be in me."

Dru steps back, letting go. Kendra stands still, swaying slightly.

Dru pauses - then slashes her fingers across Kendra's throat. Kendra's eyes widen - she grabs her throat and blood wells out between her fingers. Kendra drops to the floor. "Night. Night. Let's get what we came for, dears."

Two of the vamps bend down and lift up Giles - start dragging him out.

A couple minutes later Buffy and Prue flame in.

They see the carnage

Buffy spots Kendra lying on the ground, goes to her, cradles her on her lap - tries to stop the bleeding as Kendra dies right in front of her.

Prue moves to Phoebe and checks on her.

Buffy is still holding Kendra's head in her lap, when a policeman comes up behind her.

"Freeze!" The policeman says.

Buffy whips her head around to see them.