See Prologue for disclaimer and details. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the final chapter of the story! It's been a fun month or so, but now it's time to wrap this one up and move on to other projects. Funnily enough, we initially had plans to take this story further (hey, season 2 would have ended up a lot different, especially with regards to Spike and Drusilla) but that'll have to be handled in the sequel, if we ever get around to writing it. Anyway, we just wanted to thank our beta readers once again, kudos to Francis Eugene, Greywizard and Ironbear; you guys rock! And we also wanted to thanks everyone who's reviewed and sent feedback for this story:

Wonderbee31, sh8ad8ow, jayods, Yusuke Urameshi - Mazoku, Mr Silver Gold, Quathis, Chi Vayne, WinterRain36, Alkeni, red-jacobson, Guest, Maximus Prime, Reader, highlander348, Sblck, BrightStar Kenobi, So you want to be an Author, Mojtaba13, ronin504, DarkStrider, Megan Grace, DanielRZ19, Shae Vizla, lordamnesia, studyofchaos, trongod, mobulis, uo-chou, Mechconstrictor, spidermonkey92k, paranoidbychoice, Axil 2.0, David Archerfish and anyone else we've missed.

So, thanks again, and please enjoy the final chapter entitled...


Part Twelve: Don't Believe Everything You're Foretold

Chase Manor, Sunnydale

Late May, 1997

David Chase was feeling rather concerned about the distinguished guests coming to his house tonight.

It had all started after his political advisor had telephoned the millionaire whilst he and his family were having dinner. On the phone, the Republican had sounded like he was almost in a frenzy of excitement, informing Mr. Chase that three VIPs would be paying the mansion a visit this evening. So he'd told Cordelia's father to cancel any and all of his plans and prepare to receive them.

When the time came, Martin the butler showed Mr. Chase's guests to the library. David's pulse began to quicken as he recognized Michael Schroeder, Tom McClintock, and John Jordan. They were indeed three very important people, just as his advisor had said.

"Good evening, gentlemen, and welcome. Can I offer you anything to drink?" David asked politely.

"Maybe later," Schroeder, state party chairman, said. Then he added, "Let's get down to business first. You're probably wondering why we're here, right?"

Mr. Chase shrugged, playing it cool. "The question did cross my mind."

Jordan glanced at McClintock. "I like him already."

"You would," the other man replied.

"As I was saying," Schroeder glanced warningly to the other two. "Let's get down to business."

The 'getting to know you' meeting then began between Chase and the top brass in the state party organization. The conversation delved into many contemporary political issues, like the upcoming governorship contest between Davis and Lungren, until there was a knock at the door. "David?"

"Julia, we're a bit busy right now!" the man said to his wife in exasperation.

"I know, dear. But the girls wanted to say good night before they go to bed."

Startled, Mr. Chase glanced at his watch and saw it was indeed later than he'd thought it was. "Fine, come in..."

At once Julia, Dawn and Cassandra came inside. "G'night, Dad," the two brunette teens said in unison, receiving a kiss and a hug from the middle-aged man. Julia could tell something important was going on, so the three women quickly exited the room.

"We should probably get going as well," Jordan said, looking at his watch. "So those were your kids, hmm?"

"Dawn and Cassandra, my two youngest," Mr. Chase said proudly.

"Very photogenic, should be an asset during your election campaign," Schroeder commented pragmatically.

McClintock suddenly looked as if he'd remembered something. "One of them's adopted though, right? I remember something in the party rag last year, you and your wife took in two charity cases back in '95?"

"Dawn and her older brother, Alexander," David said somewhat stiffly, disliking that particular description. "Julia and I adopted Dawn, though, you're right about that. And my other daughter's name is Cordelia, she's the oldest of the four."

"Then we'll definitely want to meet her and the boy as well at some point. Are they here tonight by any chance?" Jordan asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," Mr. Chase said regretfully. "I gather Cordelia's working on her Prom dress, and Alexander's out socializing with his friends somewhere." His concerns about sex scandals and illegitimate grandchildren had eased over the last few weeks, and so he was able to say all that calmly enough.

The three members of the state Republican Party looked disappointed, but quickly got over it. "We'll be in touch soon. And please think carefully about everything we've discussed," Schroeder said.

"I will," David replied truthfully.


Lovers' Lane, Sunnydale

The same time

Mr. Chase was in fact badly mistaken in thinking that Cordy was with the Cordettes ironing out problems with her formal wear, while Xander was at the Bronze. Because both of those teenagers were currently in the back seat of her BMW, and making out like crazy.

The windows were all fogged up as Cordelia slid down onto her back and dragged Xander on top of her. She had brought them here instead of doing those other activities, because Miss Chase wanted to pick up where they'd left off during her birthday and the object of her affections hadn't fully anticipated the deviousness of the female mind. Thus Xander suddenly found himself in a rather compromising position and, for a moment, Harris wondered just how they'd managed to end up like this.

"I promised-" (kiss) "your father-" (kiss) "we wouldn't-" Xander managed to get out.

"Xander, shut up!" Cordelia ordered him in no uncertain terms. ( As if I care about any of that right now, ) she thought, pulling Xander in closer and moving her legs further apart.

The young woman could feel her boyfriend's indecision starting to evaporate as their kisses quickly intensified. With the foolish impatience of youth Queen C reached for the front of Xander's pants, almost exactly like she had back in January, but this time with more satisfactory results. ( That's it, almost there... ) Cordelia knew what she wanted, and tonight she was planning to get it. She had protection and she was on the pill, so now as far as Queen C was concerned, it was showtime.

But her plans were interrupted by the sound of a growl and a thump outside. "What was that?" Harris asked, unlocking his lips from hers.

"I didn't hear anything," Cordelia growled, wanting him to get back to business.

"Yeah, but I could have sworn I heard-"

Cordelia abandoned the search for Xander's tool and grabbed his head with both hands, forcing him to look at her. "Xander. I told you before. Stop talking!" And as quickly as that, things began to get pretty hot and heavy again.

At that moment, a number of occurrences began to happen in quick succession. Buffy staked the vampire she'd been fighting outside Cordelia's car. In the high school library, Giles managed to translate part of the Codex prophecy relating to Miss Summers and the Master. At the Bronze, Jonathan finally got Willow to snap out of her depressed funk because Xander wasn't present.

And then the earthquake struck.

As quakes went, it was far from the worst one this part of the country had ever experienced. Still, there was some broken and damaged property at the school, including Giles's teacup. Jonathan and Willow had to take cover under the stairs at the club in order to avoid falling debris. Buffy had to steady herself as a number of car alarms blared amidst the shaking trees.

( No, damn it! ) Cordelia thought to herself furiously, as she clung to Xander in order to ride out the earthquake. The seismic activity had distracted Harris yet again, and he lifted himself off of her despite Cordy's efforts to prevent it. ( Ugggh! I cannot win! )

Elsewhere underground, the Master and the Anointed One would have disagreed. Nest had his arms stretched out above him, "Yes! YES! Shake, Earth! This is a sign! We are in the final days! My time has come! Glory! GLORY!" He then glanced around at Collin, "Whadaya think? Five-point-one?"


Sunnydale High, Sunnydale

The next day

( Damn you, Xander Harris! ) Cordelia snarled to herself, as the second worst female driver in Sunnydale (Buffy had the dubious 'honor' of being number one) skidded her car to a screeching stop within the school's parking lot, tires smoking. ( Sometimes, I really, really HATE YOU! )

Last night after the quake, the two teens had had a rather nasty fight. In a somewhat unusual reversal of expected roles, Xander had been the one to argue with Cordelia about rushing things when it came to their physical relationship. Not only had his father gotten his mother pregnant that way back in 1980 but also, deep down, the young man thought sexual intercourse wasn't just skin-on-skin action; it was about expressing something and accepting consequences.

One of those consequences was the risk of being separated from Dawn over a statutory rape charge.

Needless to say, Cordelia – who had been waiting for this, for him, for over a year – hadn't taken that well. She had lost her temper with Xander completely and said some things that she now regretted. The young woman could only hope that once he'd cooled off, Harris would forgive her somehow.

At that moment, the Cordette named Aura fell into step with Queen C. "Hey, Cordy."

"Hi. What's up?" Miss Chase grated.

( Uh-oh. Someone's in a bad temper today, ) Aura thought to herself. "Well, uh, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"What, exactly?"

Miss White explained, "We're setting up at the Bronze for Spring Fling, and I've gotten my boyfriend Kevin to do most of it. The music, the decorations, even moving the coolers. But the Bronze won't let us use their sound system, and I need someone who knows how to hook one up. Could you, y'know, maybe ask Willow if she could do it?"

"Why me?" Cordelia demanded at once.

"Well, you and Xander live together, and he's her best friend. I figure, who else am I gonna ask? And you'd have a better chance than me of getting her to say yes. Oh, tell Willow we'll talk to her at the dance and everything!" Aura said hopefully.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll ask her. But I wouldn't hold my breath about it if I were you. And just in case, look for someone else to help you if she tells me she's busy or whatever."


Girls' Locker Room, Sunnydale High

Later that night

Buffy had had a rather unusual day. It had started with listening to Willow gripe about Cordelia and Xander, as well as moan about having to help out Cordy's friend Aura, of all people. Then she had to listen to Jonathan's painfully tentative and stuttering invitation to the Prom, followed by an effort to let him down gently when she'd said no. Listening to her boring Biology teacher (the true replacement for Dr. Gregory) drone on and on had really depressed her, though.

But now, as she went to the sink and turned on the faucet, Buffy saw blood come rushing out instead of water. "Holy cow!"

Straightaway, the Slayer headed for the school library. "Giles, you are not gonna believe this-" she said, blasting through the doors.

Buffy immediately shut up, though, when she heard Rupert talking in his private office. "It's clear. It's what's going to happen. Uh, it's happening now!"

Angel moved into her field of vision to read the Codex for himself, and Buffy saw her beloved's face from outside the office. "Angel?" she whispered.

The vampire was so distraught by the news the Watcher had just imparted to him that he didn't even notice her. "It can't be. You've gotta be wrong."

Giles shook his head. "I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real."

Buffy shamelessly eavesdropped at the door whilst Angel said, "Well, there's gotta be some way around it-"

"Listen to me," Giles interrupted passionately. "Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again. But this is the Codex! There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."

Angel was still grasping at straws as he said, "Then you're reading it wrong."

"I wish to God I were! But it's very plain. Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master. And she will die."

Buffy began to laugh when the shock factor impacted into her brain. The two males heard her this time, as she walked away from the office and quickly started off for the doors. "Buffy?" Angel called out.

"So that's it, huh? I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called. Wonder who she is..." Buffy then asked Giles, "Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"

"Buffy, I..." Rupert stammered.

"Does it say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?" The Chosen One became hysterical and quickly backed off when Angel went to hug her. "Don't touch me!" Then she returned her attention back to her Watcher. "Were you even going to tell me about this?"

"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was...some way around it. I..." Giles trailed off.

Buffy never even hesitated. "I've got a way around it. I quit!"

"It's not that simple," Angel said at once. He had a lot more experience with prophecy than these two, after all.

But Buffy didn't want to hear it. "I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!"

Giles said uncertainly, "I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the...the signs indicate..."

"The signs?" Buffy demanded, as she started throwing books at him. "READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!" she screamed.

"No, I don't suppose I am," Giles replied wearily.

Angel wasn't quite sure what to say in a situation like this. "I know this is hard-"

"What the hell would you know about it? You're never gonna die!" Buffy lashed out at him.

The ensouled vampire was hurt at the implication. "You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I could even stand it? We just gotta figure out a way-"

"I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!" the Slayer told him harshly.

Giles said slowly, "Buffy, if the Master rises..."

The young woman yanked the cross from her neck. "I don't care!" Then she calmed down a little, "I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die."

Buffy threw her cross down as she walked out of the library without looking back. Giles and Angel just stared at one another, not sure where to go from here.


Sunnydale High, Sunnydale

The next morning

"Thanks for doing this, Willow. Really," Aura said with a fake smile.

Miss Rosenberg honestly still wasn't sure how she'd gotten herself roped into this, as she and the black girl headed for the Audio-Visual room. The redhead suspected that Xander's pleas for herself and Cordelia to bury the hatchet probably had a lot to do with it, as well as Cordy's obvious antagonism towards Harris; which meant trouble in Paradise was afoot.

But mostly, it was because her parents had drilled the lessons of the Good Samaritan into her too well for Willow to ignore them at this point in her life. "You're welcome, Aura."

The cheerleader suddenly sighed, "It's just that Kevin promised me he'd bring everything over to the Bronze last night. He promised! Oh, we'll never have everything ready in time!"

The red-haired girl shrugged. "Guess he probably just forgot. Guys do have a tendency to do that."

"Yeah, but still. I betcha my ex-boyfriend Percy wouldn't have flaked out on me this way." Then Aura looked disgusted. "Cheat on me, sure, but never forget about me."

Willow very wisely decided to leave that one alone as they arrived at the A-V room. "Hey look, there they are! They're watching cartoons?" she asked as the two girls looked through the window.

"Of all the nerve!" Aura snarled. She opened the door to barge inside, but Kevin fell out first, dead. It was from a vampire attack, if the twin holes in his blood-soaked neck were any indication. "Ahhhhh! Oh my God! Kevin! No!" Aura screamed as she kneeled down before her dead boyfriend.

Willow just stared in horror at the trashed room as she looked inside and saw the corpses of all of Kevin's friends. The bloody handprint on the TV screen just added to the surreal feel of the situation, as young Miss Rosenberg fainted.


6305 Westminster Place, Sunnydale

Not long after sunset

"I've seen so much since I learned the truth about what really goes bump in the night. I mean, I thought I could take anything. But, Buffy, this...this was different."

The Slayer stared at her best friend, who was sitting on her bed hugging her knees. It was obvious to her Willow had been crying a lot. "It'll be all right, somehow."

"I'm trying to think how to say it...to explain it so you understand," Willow forced the words out.

"It doesn't matter as long as you're okay-"

"I'm not okay. I knew those guys, Buffy. I mean, I go to that room every day. But what I saw when I looked in there today, it...it wasn't our world anymore. They made it theirs. And they had fun doing it." A tear rolled down her cheek as Willow asked miserably, "What are we gonna do?"

Buffy made a decision. "What we have to." She got up and exhaled, "Promise me you'll stay in tonight, okay?"

"Why? What are you going to do?" the redhead asked.

"What I have to."


Sunnydale High library, Sunnydale

Not long afterwards

Giles was speaking to the Computer Science teacher named Jenny Calendar, who months ago had helped him trap and defeat Moloch. The brunette woman in question had just found out that Buffy was the Vampire Slayer, and helped Giles figure out the Anointed One was still around and a child to boot. "So what's the plan? We tell Buffy the Anointed One is supposed to lead her to Hell?"

"I don't intend involving her at all," Giles informed her.

Ms. Calendar didn't get it. "What do you mean?"

"Buffy's not going to face the Master. I am," the Watcher said simply.

"No you're not."

Giles and Jenny looked around and saw the female teen approaching. "So, I'm looking for a kid, huh? And he'll lead me to the Master?" the Chosen One asked.

Giles was gripped by a sudden fervor to save his charge at all costs. "Buffy, I'm not going to send you out there to die. Now, you were right: I-I've waded around in these old books for so long, I've forgotten what the real world is like. I-it's time I found out."

Buffy shook her head. "You're still not going up against the Master."

"I've made up my mind," the British man said in no uncertain terms.

"So have I."

"Well, I made up my mind first! I'm older and wiser than you, and just...just do what you're told for once! Alright?" Giles ranted at Buffy.

Again, there was the pessimistic headshake. "That's not how it goes. I'm the Slayer."

Giles almost shouted, "I don't care what the books say. I defy prophecy, and I am going! There's nothing you can say that'll change my mind."

"I know." Buffy pretended to turn around to go, then threw a punch towards her mentor's face, knocking him out cold. Giles fell backwards onto the floor, with Ms. Calendar scrambling to his aid at once. Buffy saw her crucifix on the table, and with a feeling of resignation and predestination grabbed it and put it back on.

"Buffy, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

The Slayer turned around, and saw Harris standing at the doorway. "Hopefully, preventing the Master from bringing about the apocalypse. What are you doing here, Xander?"

"Willow called me," Harris said, remembering that conversation. The hacker had sounded hollow and depressed when he'd spoken to her earlier in the day, at the same time Cordelia had been comforting Aura. But the hacker had sounded completely wigged a few minutes ago, which had sent him over to Slayer Central in a hurry. "And I got here just in time to hear everything that you guys said. So you're not seriously thinking of going to face this Master dude, are you? He's supposed to kill you!"

"He's right, this is madness," Jenny said from her position on the floor, cradling Giles's head.

"Maybe," Buffy muttered, picking up a crossbow. "Or maybe I'm destined to take the Master with me before I go. Who knows?"

"I'm not letting you do this," Xander said firmly. "Letting someone go off to their death like a lamb to the slaughter wasn't on my list of things to do today."

Buffy distracted the male teenager by firing a wooden arrow almost into his head, before she used the crossbow to knock him out the way she'd done to Giles. With a small sigh, the Slayer left the library despite Jenny's pleas to stay. Not long afterwards Buffy met Collin; who began to lead her to her doom.


Angel's apartment, Sunnydale

Not long afterwards

Angel was just sitting in the gloom, brooding as usual, but with a great deal of fear mixed in as well.

A loud banging on his front door interrupted his brood session. ( Who could that be? ) Angel got up and opened the door, only to be astounded when both Xander and Jonathan burst in.

"Buffy's gone! We need your help," Harris said without mincing words.

"What?" the vampire asked.

"Buffy, she's gone to fight the Master," Jonathan supplied.

"He'll kill her." Cold dread instantly filled Angel's unbeating heart.

"No. The way I heard it, once the Master gets free apparently the Hellmouth opens, all the demons come to party, and everybody dies. Including Dawn, which therefore means that all of that is so not gonna happen," Xander said firmly.

"We know you can find this Master guy. So take us to him," Jonathan demanded.

"You don't get it. He'd kill you both before either of you could even breathe. And that's if you're lucky," Angel said pessimistically.

"What's the matter with you, Deadboy?" Xander wanted to know. "This is Buffy we're talkin' about! Y'know, the girl who's in love with you? Why the hell are we still here?"

Angel finally admitted it. "I'm afraid." Ignoring Xander's expression at finding out that even the gods can have feet of clay, he said, "Harris, the Master made Darla nearly two centuries before she made me. He's older, stronger and can also control minds from a distance. The sad fact is even I don't stand a chance against him."

Jonathan had heard enough. He brought up his cross and shoved it into Angel's face. The vampire growled as he jumped back and Levinson said angrily, "Maybe we haven't made ourselves clear. Either you take us to save Buffy and prevent the end of the world, or you don't leave this room alive! Well, undead, but you know what I mean."

The former Scourge of Europe had been walking the Earth for nearly two hundred and fifty years, and so was unimpressed with the threat. But as he looked at Jonathan's accomplice, Angel knew that Xander would go off to try to save Buffy with or without him. And the warning from that nameless man in the robes a year ago was still present in the vampire's mind, even after all this time: that if Xander died, all hope would eventually be lost.

He had no idea why that would be so, but he believed the mage nonetheless. Thus, Angel made his decision. "All right. Let's go."


Chase Manor, Sunnydale

The same time

"Cordelia, have you seen Xander lately?"

The female teen looked around at Dawn and Cassandra. "No, guess not," she replied to Dawn's question. "But hey, didn't he go to Willow's place?" Cordy wasn't exactly happy about Harris going to see that girl again – because deep down, and as unlikely as she believed it to be, the brunette was still not entirely secure in her relationship with Xander and considered the redhead a potential rival for his affections. But she figured there was nothing she could say about it which wouldn't make her sound petty, which was true enough.

"Yeah, well, that's the weird part. Willow said he left there ages ago," Cassandra said with a frown. "And hey, aren't you two supposed to be joined at the hip nowadays?"

Cordelia didn't have the heart to tell her little sister about their so-called lovers' tiff. "Uh, whatever. Look, I have an idea where he might be, so I'll go find him."

"Can we come too?" Dawn asked, not knowing Cordelia intended to head for the high school library.

"Yeah, Dad's been talking on the phone to some guy named Ging-rick or whoever for ages," Cassandra added. "And Mom's busy too. We're bored."


Sunnydale High parking lot, Sunnydale

A short while later

Willow and Ms. Calendar had decided to head for the Bronze, Giles mistakenly believing that the vampires would go there first to procure victims for the Master prior to his release. The plan was to warn the Prom party guests, but unfortunately the vamps apparently had other ideas. They had been ordered to gather together at the Hellmouth, and thus the two computer experts had suddenly found themselves surrounded when the vampires decided to make them into their evening meal.

"Why are they coming here?" Jenny wanted to know.

"Not caring!" Willow seemed frozen with fear.

All of a sudden, a car screeched to a halt behind them. Both the teacher and the student saw the Chase-mobile with Cordelia behind the wheel, a scared-looking Dawn and Cassandra present as well. "Get in!" the cheerleader yelled.

"What's happening?!" Dawn seemed utterly terrified.

"What's going on?!" Cassandra demanded hysterically at the same time, wishing with all her heart that she'd never complained about being bored tonight and insisting on accompanying Big Sis on the Xander-hunt.

"What are they doing here?!" Willow demanded after she and Jenny scrambled in, pointing at the younger teens.

"Xander's missing! They forced me to let 'em come along. Where is he?" Miss Chase semi-screamed, as a vampire jumped on top of the car and all the femmes shrieked in terror.

Willow unfortunately didn't have a clue. "All I know is right now, we've gotta get to the library!"

"Library! Right!" Cordelia nodded as she burned rubber to make a fast U-turn, throwing the vampire off of the roof of her car. The vehicle quickly headed toward the main school building, the car's engine revving loudly as Cordelia gunned it toward the doors.

"Of course, we generally walk there," Willow inserted nervously, seeing the school property loom closer and closer outside the glass.

"Cordy!" Dawn and Cassandra shouted in unison.

The car crashed through the doors and into the main hall, barrelling along till it skidded to a stop outside the library doors. All the women then scrambled outside and started to barricade the doorway once inside the library, just as the first wave of vampires arrived.

"What's happening? No, never mind. Why are they coming here?" Giles wanted to know, as he helped in the efforts to secure their bastion of refuge.

Behind the good guys, a green tentacle came into view, working its way up through the cracks in the floor. The Hellmouth demon had at last arrived on the scene.

Not all that far away, Richard Wilkins mystically felt it. The Mayor knew the time to act had finally come, and so began to issue orders. Deputy Mayor Finch instantly scrambled to obey them, knowing that death would be too easy an escape if he somehow screwed up here.


Sunnydale High roof, Sunnydale

The same time

The Master was feeling exultant, with freedom being his again at last. The prophecy had been fulfilled. The Slayer had come to him, and he had killed her. And the best bit was seeing her face upon being informed that he couldn't have escaped without her willing venture into certain doom.

( Her blood was utterly delicious. Haven't tasted anything like it since the 1600's, ) Nest thought to himself in blissful satisfaction. ( Too bad I didn't spend more time draining her dry, but then I was in such a hurry to come here and see this beautiful sight... )

The Master looked down through the skylight into the library, watching the three-headed Hellmouth demon doing battle with the humans. "Yes. Come forth, my child. Come into my world!"

"I don't think it's yours just yet."

The Master turned around in surprised disbelief. ( THE SLAYER?! )

Indeed it was. A somewhat wet and bedraggled Buffy stood very much alive before him in her white Prom dress. She was alive after being drowned mere minutes ago, thanks to Xander and Jonathan giving her CPR while Angel had just stood around looking like an idiot. Still, he'd guided the two mortals to where one particular higher being had needed them to be, so he'd done the job that Robe Boy had known was both necessary and sufficient.

"You're dead!" Heinrich finally spat out, his mouth still stained with Buffy's blood.

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you," Buffy retorted.

"You were destined to die! It was written!" The Master still couldn't quite believe this was happening.

Buffy shrugged. "What can I say? I flunked the written."

The Master growled and reached his arm out to try his hypnosis on her again, like he'd successfully done in that underground church a few minutes before. "Come here!"

Out of nowhere a crossbow bolt hit him just below the heart, disrupting his concentration. The Master grunted in pain, pulled out the bolt and then growled at the boy responsible, "WHO DARES-?!"

( Oh crap, oh crap, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die! And I never even told Cordelia how I really... ) Xander didn't finish that thought as he yelled, "Buffy, get him!"

Immediately, the fight started between the Master and the Slayer. Elsewhere, Angel and Jonathan fought off the attacking vampires and the Scooby gang fought both the Hellmouth demon and the vamps who had managed to get inside the library. Even with the Mayor's covert assistance, this particular battle was definitely no picnic. Dawn and Cassandra were having quite the little baptism of fire from being introduced into the realm of the supernatural, but there was no time to coddle them now.

The end of the world was pretty seriously nigh, after all.

"Did you really think you could best me here, when you couldn't below?" the Master taunted his opponent.

"Yeah, 'cause I get by with a little help from my friends. Xander, now!" Buffy yelled.

Old fruit punch mouth couldn't help it; just for a moment, he was distracted in anticipating another crossbow bolt from that damned child. That moment was all Buffy needed to hit the Master with a jaw-breaking punch. Then she grabbed him by the neck and flipped him over her head straight down through the skylight.

The ancient vampire roared with fury as he fell, hitting the jagged remains of a table down below and getting impaled through the heart. His leathery undead flesh slowly turned to ashes, until there was nothing but a skeleton left. It was a unique event, to be sure, because every other vampire on record left nothing but dust behind after getting staked that way.

But as Xander and Buffy watched from up above, that was enough for the Hellmouth demon to vacate the premises. The battleground suddenly became quiet as the three-headed nightmare withdrew back into the bowels of the Earth. The other vampires quickly split the scene as well.

Elsewhere, the Mayor finally relaxed as the minions loyal to him took out the stragglers and he felt the Hellmouth close up again. Before he died screaming, thanks to Robe Boy showing up to deal with him personally; as per the orders of the mage's boss.

The Trickster god named Anansi.

A short while later, Buffy, Xander, Angel and Jonathan arrived at the library entrance, just as Cordelia dragged the last of the barricade away.

"You're alive!" she squealed in delight at the sight of Harris, and started kissing the hell out of him.

Buffy just grinned at the spectacle, as did Dawn and Cassandra. Jonathan and Giles looked embarrassed, while Jenny merely raised an eyebrow at the unexpected entertainment. Angel looked disinterested, but Willow's composure was shattered completely when she heard the muttered "I love you's" exchanged between Xander and Cordelia.

Well, never mind; she would be meeting Daniel Osbourne and Tara Maclay soon enough...

The two teens finally came up for air, only to notice everyone staring at them. "Uh, I can explain," Cordy hesitantly, as she realized her secret was now out and there was no way to put this genie back in the bottle.

"While you're at it, could you explain what just happened here?" Cassandra asked, looking around at the trashed library.

"Yeah! What were those things?" Dawn added in her two cents.

"Uh, Dawnie? Any chance you'll think this was all just a bad dream in the morning?" Willow asked weakly.

But Xander knew the two young girls he lived with better than that. "Ah, what the hell. Dawn, Cassandra, demons and vampires are real, and they live here in Sunnydale. The G-man here can fill you in on the rest," Xander said with a gesture.

Giles glared at Harris at the mention of that deplorable nickname. Then he looked at his Slayer, "Buffy?"

The Chosen One smiled. "Yeah. You know, it's been a very weird day."

"Buffy died and everything!" Jonathan agreed with her wholeheartedly.

"Wow! Harsh," Willow said sympathetically.

"I should have known that wouldn't stop you," Giles said to Buffy with a hint of paternal affection, causing her to smile again.

"Well, what do we do now?" Jenny asked, making sure to keep well away from Angel. She was an undercover Romany gypsy, after all.

Giles looked around, "Uh, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to get out of this place. I don't like the library very much anymore."

Xander looked to his younger siblings and said to Cordelia, "We better take these two home, don't ya think? 'Cause your parents will probably skin me alive, if they find out Dawn and Cassie aren't at home where they belong."

"Hey!" the brats whined.

"Again with the Mr. Negativity thing. When are you ever gonna loosen up?" Cordelia wanted to know.

"Uh, speaking of which, there's a dance at the Bronze tonight. Could be fun for us to attend," Jonathan said hesitantly.

Everyone looked around at one another, and eventually decided that sounded like an excellent idea. But after Xander, Cordelia, Cassandra and Dawn had left, Jenny asked, "So, what about him?" She pointed at the Master's bones.

Buffy just sniffed disdainfully. "He's not going anywhere. Loser." Then the Slayer led her people outside to party, because after all, it was Prom night – and her dress had certainly seemed to be a big hit with everyone.

If only she knew, like Robe Boy did, exactly what the next year or so would bring...

The End...

For Now.