"Pike!" Buffy called as she burst through the door.
"Buffy! Are you okay?" Pike answered. He was somewhat muffled, since he was being smashed into the ground by Amilyn, who was trying to twist off his arm without untying it.
"What do you mean-you," she said, glaring at Amilyn. He snarled back at her.
"Get away from him, you little disease," Buffy said.
"What are you gonna do about it, princess?" Amilyn said.
"If you're still there in a few seconds you're gonna find out," Buffy said. She advanced toward Pike.
Amilyn sullenly slunk a few steps back. Buffy knelt warily and untied Pike. He sprang up and stood protectively between her and Amilyn.
"What are you doing here?" Pike said. "I had this. You didn't have to get all freaked out."
"Pike, of course I'm going to come save your butt. You're my boyfriend," Buffy said.
There was a noise in the next room. Buffy jerked around and shielded Pike with an arm.
"Hold on a sec. I gotta take care of that," she said.
Meanwhile, as soon as she wasn't looking, Amilyn started stalking forward. Pike glared at him and put up his fists.
"Don't worry, Buffy, I got your back," He said.
Buffy walked into the main room to see Lothos standing regally without a drop of blood on him.
Was he just standing here preening while he waited for me? She thought. Oh my god, he smoothed his hair…
"All right, let's get this over with," She said. She pulled another stake out of her belt. They circled each other.
"Such passion," Lothos said. "It should last forever."
"Look, would you just shut up?" Buffy said. She brought the stake down toward his heart.
Lothos stepped aside and grabbed her hand. He pivoted sharply and threw her across the room. She smashed into the stone coffin and flipped over it. She yelped and leapt to her feet just as Lothos slammed into her and forced her against the wall. He bared his teeth and bent forward as Buffy brought up one knee and slammed her foot down against his. He stepped back instinctively and she seized the chance to shove him back farther and dart to the middle of the room.
She grabbed the last stake on her belt and paused. Obviously things were going nowhere so far, and she really wanted to get this over with and make out with Pike. Meanwhile, furious banging and yelps were emanating from the next room, making it harder to concentrate.
Lothos seemed entirely unfazed by the racket. He swept grandly around the coffin cover and approached Buffy. She crouched into a fighting stance and prepared for a killing blow.
Just then a particularly loud and pained squawk came from the back room. Buffy turned.
"Pike?" She called worriedly. Instantly Lothos drew back one arm and backhanded her so hard it knocked her sideways off her feet. Her last stake flew the other way and rolled against the wall.
Buffy lay on the ground in a daze. What? Was the only coherent thought she could form. Before she could even sit up, Lothos grabbed her by the collar and hauled her upright. She fumbled at her pockets for more holy water, but he grabbed her arm and pinned her, bent backwards, against the stone slab.
"Enough waiting," he purred into her ear. "It's time." He bared his fangs, pulled down her collar, and bit into a very large genuine silver necklace. A lady does have to grab a few things, after all.
Lothos' eyes flew open as he reared back with a shriek. He staggered and his hands flew to his mouth, which was pouring smoke. Meanwhile, Buffy grabbed the closest thing handy: a wood and glass violin. Which was right where Lothos had left it, on the other end of the slab.
She slammed the violin against Lothos' head like a baseball bat. Its body shattered and Lothos stumbled a step. Buffy stuck the broken handle straight into Lothos' heart.
Lothos straightened up and stared at Buffy in dismay. He clutched at the handle sticking out of his chest.
"You never get tired of that, do you?" He said. Then he collapsed to the ground and curled up under his cape.
Buffy lifted it up, even though she knew what would be there. Sure enough, it was a pile of dust. She wasn't about to fall for that again, though. But first, she had to check on Pike.
She ran into the next room to see Pike sitting on Amilyn's chest, holding his remaining hand and punching him repeatedly in the face with it.
"Buffy!" Pike called when he saw her. "How's all the slaying and buttkicking stuff going?"
"Here, grab a stake," She called. She grabbed the nearest stake off the ground and tossed it to Pike. "Why don't you handle this one?"
"Go ahead and try," Amilyn snarled defiantly. "As long as Lothos is around you're out of luck."
"Lothos is a pile of dust," Buffy said.
Amilyn looked down and realized that his lower half was also dust.
"Oh, sh-" he managed before the rest of him followed.
Pike got up and swept Buffy up in a kiss.
"Thanks for coming," He said. "Now let's get out of here."
"Hold on," Buffy said. "I already had to stake that creep twice. I want to be sure this time."
"How'd he even come back?" Pike asked.
"I don't know. He's, like, dust. There's not much more I can do. Wait- I have an idea."
She scooped up a handful of Lothos dust and took it outside. There was a slight breeze. She tossed the dust into the wind and watched it drift away. Pike grabbed another handful and they continued until Lothos was quite literally scattered to the winds.
"Let's see him come back from that," Buffy said.