Chapter 46: Becoming Pt. 2
May 20, 1998 – Wednesday
Gateway High School
"Back away from the girl! Put your hands up and back away slowly!" the cop ordered.
"But, I didn't –" Buffy started as she let her hands drop to her side, she couldn't heal in front of a mortal.
"Do it now!" said the cop's partner.
Buffy moved away, as the cop moved toward Kendra and checked the Jamaican Slayer's vitals. "This one's dead."
'Because you wouldn't let me heal her,' Buffy thought to herself.
"What about up there?" the partner asked.
Prue stood up from where she was kneeling next to Phoebe, Willow and Xander.
"Halt!" the cop ordered upon seeing Prue.
"This is my sister at my feet," Prue said motioning toward her sister. "And the young lady you have a gun pointed at is my cousin. I'm her legal guardian. My sister, Phoebe Halliwell, the young man, who's name is Xander Harris, and the redheaded young woman, who's name is Willow Rosenberg, are all alive."
"You won't mind if we check that out?" The partner said.
"No be my guest," Prue said as she moved away from Phoebe, Willow and Xander. "Call Inspector Darryl Morris he will vouch for us."
The cop nodded as he keyed his radio. "Dispatch, we need an identification check," he said into his radio. "Can you have Inspector Darryl Morris come to Gateway High School."
"Standby relaying request."
"For now get them out of here!" the cop told his partner.
The partner nodded as he motioned Buffy and Prue toward the door. "Come on," he ordered.
"Come on Buffy," Prue instructed her cousin. She led Buffy toward the doors.
"Inspector Morris eta is five minutes."
The partner took the eldest and youngest Halliwells out into the hallway were they were met with Snyder arriving two other police officers.
"Well what do we have here?" Snyder said his gaze following on Buffy. .
"In there," the partner informed the new officers. He then turned and looked at the principal. "You know these two?"
Snyder nodded as he motioned toward Buffy. "Payson Halliwell. If there's trouble, she's behind it." He then turned his gaze on Prue. "And this one is her eldest cousin Prue Halliwell."
"You stupid little troll, you have no idea –" Buffy bit out.
Snyder smirked as he turned back to Buffy. "This one has an attitude problem. Serious."
"Officer." Everyone turned to see Darryl approaching. "What's the situation?" he asked showing the partner his badge.
"Inspector Morris?" the partner asked while looking Darryl over. Darryl nodded in confirmation. "We were told you know these two."
"Yes I know the Halliwells," Darryl answered. "I can vouch that they are who they say they are."
"Can we go back and check on my sister and Buffy's friends?" Prue pleaded.
"Piper or Phoebe?" Darryl asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Phoebe," Buffy answered. "Piper is out of town with dad."
Darryl nodded in understanding.
"We need to ask you both a few questions first," the partner informed Prue.
San Francisco Memorial
Prue and Buffy walk down a corridor towards a nurses station just as a hand reached out and grabbed Buffy. Spinning they found the hand belonged to Xander.
"Xander!" Buffy cried as she pulled her friend into her arms, hugging him tightly. When she let go she looked him over. "I didn't know if you were okay. The cops –"
"Yeah, I heard they took you both downtown to question you," Xander said. "I was just coming out of it."
"How are you, Xander?" Prue asked as she looked over the boy.
Xander sighed as he held up his hand which they could see was in a cast. "Souvenir," he informed them.
Buffy held out her hand over his wrist and the golden glow of healing spread out from it.
"Well, what about Phoebe, Willow, Rupert and Cordelia?" Prue asked. "Are they okay?"
As Buffy finished healing her friend's hand she noticed he didn't answer Prue right away. "What is it?" she asked.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Xander led Buffy and Prue into a hospital room where they found Willow unconscious and hooked up to various monitors. "The doctor said it was…head trauma," he informed them. "She could wake up any time, but the longer it takes…" he shrugged, "…the less likely it is."
Buffy sighed as she looked at Prue. "We shouldn't have let Willow and Phoebe try and do the curse. Angelus must have known," she said sadly.
Prue nodded, she had been wondering the same thing to tell the truth. She ran her hand along Willow's forehead. She then looked up at Xander. "Where are her parents?"
"With relatives, in Phoenix," Xander answered. "I called them. They're getting a plane back."
"Does Oz know?" Buffy wondered as she moved to Willow and held her hands over her redheaded friend.
"Man, I didn't even think." Xander slapped himself up side the head. "I'll call him."
"Where is Phoebe?" Prue wondered. She watched as Buffy dropped her hands, the healing attempt obviously failing. She understood why of course. Leo had once said that he couldn't heal anything related to the mind.
"Two doors, down," Xander answered. "They gave her something for the pain. They didn't say anything to me because I'm not related to her. But I overheard them talking. She had a couple broken ribs and a mild concussion."
Prue nodded as she looked toward her cousin. "I'll be down in her room."
"Tell her to I'm sorry," Buffy said. "And that I love her."
"I will," Prue said as she walked out of the room, passing Cordelia.
"Hey!" Xander said as he walked over Cordelia, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss.
"You're not hurt?" Buffy asked.
"I ran," Cordelia informed the Slayer. "I think I made it through three counties before I realized noone was chasing me. Not real brave." Cordelia says.
"It was the right thing to do," Buffy informed the cheerleader.
"Did Giles keep up with you?" Xander wondered.
Cordelia looked at them in surprise, she had thought Giles had been with Xander, Phoebe and Willow. "I haven't seen Giles."
"You mean he's not here?" Buffy questioned as she looked at Xander. .
"No," he answered.
Giles' Apartment
"Giles?" Buffy called out as she appeared in the midst of a swirl of fiery flames. "Giles!"
A man walked out of the bathroom heading toward her. "I don't think he's here," he informed her.
Buffy eyed him suspiciously. "Who are you?" she asked.
"Whistler," he answered.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy said her eyes narrowed.
"Waiting for you." Whistler answered.
"Why?" she wondered.
Whistler smiled. "Because I need a date for the prom," he joked. "My mother says I may attend, but no fondling."
Buffy pushed him against the wall, hard. "I have lost friends tonight, and I may lose more," she informed him. "If you have information worth hearing then I am grateful for it. If you want to make jokes then I will pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat."
"Hello to the imagery. Very nice." Whistler chuckled. He moved away from her as he straightened his outfit. "You know, it wasn't supposed to go down like this. Nobody saw you coming. I figured this for Angel's big day, but I thought he was here to stop Acathla, not bring him forth. But you two made with the smootchies and now he's a creep again. Anyways it took Angel off the roster. Which puts you on the spot in a big way. What are you gonna do? What are you prepared to do?"
"Whatever I have to." Buffy informed him matter-of-factly.
"Or maybe I should ask," he interjected. "What are you prepared to give up?"
Buffy stared at him for a moment. "You don't have anything useful to tell me, do you?" she questioned. "What are you, some immortal demon sent down to even the score between good and evil?"
"Wow," Whistler said as he smiled at her. "Good guess."
"So you work for the same my dad does?" Buffy questioned.
Whistler studied her for a long moment. "So the rumors are true. Your part Whitelighter. No I'm not with them. The ones I work for are about balance, their neutral. Just so you know the sword isn't enough. You gotta be ready."
Streets of San Francisco
Buffy walked out of the apartment and out down the street. She wanted time to think. She crossed the street and as she rounded the next corner Spike stepped into her path. "Hello, love," he said.
Buffy lunged at Spike and started hitting him. Her anger for what Drusilla did to Kendra and Drusilla's vampire's did to her cousin and her friends, overriding, her, judgement. She hit him and hit him hard in rapid succession.
Spike took the hits then knocked her back with one of his own. As Buffy stood back up a frireball formed in her hand. "Will you hold on for a second?" he asked as she readied her hand to throw the fireball. He backed up a couple of paces, putting up his hands. "Hey! White flag here! I quit!"
"Let me clear this up for you," Buffy interjected. "We're mortal enemies. We don't get 'time-outs.'"
"You wanna go around, pet, I'll have a gay old time of it," Spike informed her. "You wanna stop Angel, well, then, we gotta play it a bit differently."
"What are you talking about?" Buffy wondered.
"I'm talking about your ex, love," Spike said. "I'm talking about putting him in the bloody ground."
"This has got to be the lamest trick you guys have ever thought up." Buffy scoffed.
"He's got your watcher," Spike said and just those four words got her attention. "Right now he's probably torturing him."
"What do you want?" Buffy wondered.
"I told you. I wanna stop Angel," Spike answered as he smiled at her. "I wanna save the world."
"Okay," Buffy said, not believing him one bit. "You do remember that you're a vampire, right?" Buffy asks.
Spike nodded. "We like to talk big, vampires do," he informed her. "'I'm gonna destroy the world.' It's just tough guy talk, strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood. Truth is, I like this world. You got dog racing, Manchester United, 'Love Boat,' and you got people. Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all right here. But then someone comes along with a vision. With a real passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye Piccadilly, farewell Leicester bloody Square, you see what I'm saying?"
"Uh, sort of?" Buffy said.
"Why don't you extenquish your little fireball?" Spike says.
"'Cause of the whole 'not believing you' issue," Buffy countered. "You might not be down with Angel but why would you ever come to me?"
Spike didn't really want to answer, but he also knew he didn't really have a choice either. Not if he wanted Drusilla back. "I want Dru back," he informed her. "I want it like it was, before he came back. The way she acts around him…"
"Oh, you're pathetic!" Buffy said as Spike punched her in the face. Instictively she reciprovated punching him just as hard as he hit her. "I've got family and friends in the hospital—people have died—"
"I wasn't in on that raiding party—" Spike cut in.
"—and I may lose more of them," Buffy continued. "The whole world could be sucked into Hell and you need my help 'cause your girlfriend's a big ho? Let me take this opportunity to not care."
Spike sighed. "I can't fight them both alone and neither can you!"
Buffy hit him again before letting out a sigh. "You're a killer," she said as she glared at him.
"And I'm all you got," Spike countered.
"All right," Buffy said as she extinguished her fireball. "Talk."
Halliwell Manor
"I'm okay, Buffy, really," Willow said from the other end of the phone. "I mean, I don't feel good, but I'm awake and I know my name and who's president and how many fingers so they don't think my brain got mushed at all."
"Thank God…" Buffy said with a sigh of relief as she looked toward Spike who sat in the living room. "I'm sorry I can't be there."
"I know," Willow said sincerely.
"How's Phoebe?" Buffy wondered.
"Prue got them to move her into my room," Willow answered. "She's doing fine, too."
"I'm glad, tell her I love her," Buffy said with a sigh of relief.
"I will," Willow told her. "And, Buffy, I'm sorry we didn't get to cure Angel."
"Don't be," Buffy said sincerely. "I just think it wasn't meant to happen. I know I'm never gonna get Angel back the way he was and, you know, it makes it easier."
"I guess…Yeah, Prue?" Willow said. "Buffy, Prue wants to talk to you so I'm turning you over to her."
"Okay," Buffy said. She heard some shuffling of the phone from the other end of the line.
"Did you have any luck finding Rupert?" Prue asked.
"Yes," Buffy answered. "I got a lucky break."
"What?" Prue questioned wondering what Buffy's lucky break was.
Buffy looked into the living room again at Spike. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Prue. Prue, Angelus and the others are holed up on the edge of town. You know that funky looking mansion you showed me one time?"
"On Crawford street," Prue answered. "Yeah. What do you need?"
"I'm gonna hit the place come daybreak," Buffy answered. "I just need to get something first."
"You'll need help," Prue reminded her.
"No," Buffy countered. "You stay there, please. I would feel much better if your making sure Phoebe and my friends are safe. I'm covered anyways."
"Okay," Prue reluctantly agreed. "Do you think Rupert is alive?"
Buffy nodded. "I think so. Stay safe, Prue," She hung up the phone and then walked into the living room. "Talk to me. What's the deal?"
"Simple," Spike answered. "I help you kill Angel, you let me and Dru skip town."
"Forget about Drusilla," Buffy informed him. "She doesn't walk."
"There's no deal without Dru!" Spike said as he glared at the Slayer.
"She killed Kendra," Buffy snapped.
Spike smiled. "Dru bagged a Slayer?" he said, genuinely proud. "She didn't tell me! Good for her!" He noticed Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Well, not from your perspective, I suppose…"
"I can't believe I invited you into the Manor," Buffy groaned.
"Look, this deal works one way only," Spike snapped. "Full stop. Me and Dru for Angel. I'll take her out of the country. You'll never hear from us again, I bloody well hope."
Buffy nodded as she thought about it. "All right," she said. "Get back to the mansion. Make sure Giles is all right. Be ready to back me up when I make my move."
"Right," he agreed.
"If Giles dies, she dies." Buffy informed him.
Spike glared at Buffy for a moment and then left out the door.
San Francisco Memorial
Prue watched as the nurse left before she, Phoebe, Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia returned to their conversation.
"So Buffy's going for the big showdown, huh?" Cordelia questioned. "I wish we could help. You know, without dying…"
"I don't see how," Xander interjected.
"I want to try again." Willow said glancing at Phoebe.
"Try what?" Oz wondered.
"Willow means, the curse," Phoebe answered the werewolf.
"Phoebe's right," Willow told her boyfriend. "We never got to finish it. Maybe we can restore Angel's soul."
"I don't like it," Xander countered. "You're talking about messing with powerful magic, and you're weak."
"He's right, Willow," Prue agreed. "You just woke from serious head trauma. You are lucky you didn't have…"
"I know, Prue," Willow interjected. "But I'm okay. Besides it will be easier with you helping Phoebe and I."
"But Buffy didn't want you two involved," Xander said looking at the sisters.
"We're very well aware what she wanted, Xander," Phoebe told him. "But she is going up against a vampire that she may not survive, because he knows her just about as well as she knows herself."
"Also," Willow added. "There's no use arguing with us. Do you see my resolve face?" she asked, her resolve literally showing on her face. "You've seen it before and you know what it means." She turned to Cordelia. "Just help us and you can give me a complete makeover."
"You're not just saying that?" Cordelia asked hopeful.
"Yes," Willow answered. "We can help Buffy—if we turn Angel back soon enough, we can stop him from ever awakening Acathla."
"I pretty much missed out on some stuff, didn't I?" Oz asked. "Because this is all making the kind of sense that's not."
"Go with Cordelia to the library and get my things," Willow informed her boyfriend. "She'll fill you in."
"Sure," Oz agreed. He looked toward Cordelia. "I'll drive."
"Xander, go to Buffy," Willow continued as she turned to looked at her friend. "Tell her what we're doing. Maybe she can stall."
"But –" Xander started.
"Resolve face." Willow informed him.
"Be careful," Xander answered as he left the room.
May 21, 1998 – Thursday
Gateway High School
Buffy appeared in a swirl of fiery flames in the middle of the libray. She hurried over to Kendra's bag that still sat on the floor next to the table. Picking up the bag, she set it on the table. She was just opening it when she heard footsteps behind her.
"You do know this is a crime scene, don't you?" Buffy glanced behind her to see Snyder standing in the doorway, smiling smugly. "But then, you're a criminal, so that pretty much works out," he told her.
"You know I didn't do it," Buffy countered. "The police even know I didn't do it since Darryl spoke to them on mine and Prue's behalf. And sorry to say their more likely to take word of one of their own over you."
Snyder shrugged. "It doesn't matter anyway. You've proved too much of a liability for this school." He stepped toward her, breathing in the fresh air of a great morning. "These are the moments you want to savor. You wish time would stop so you can live them over and over again. You're expelled."
Buffy lifted the sword out of Kendra's bag and looked at it. Snyder stopped suddenly afraid that Buffy intended to attack him with it. "You never ever got a single date when you were in high school, did you?" she asked as she started toward him.
"Your point being. . ." Snyder said his eyes on the sword.
Buffy walked past him without further comment. Once she was out of his line of sight she disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
Giles' Apartment
She appeared in the living room of her Watcher's apartment and spotted Whistler in the kitchen. "What did you mean, 'the sword isn't enough?'"
"You know, raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun," Whistler informed her as he looked through Giles' fridge. "You're never gonna get the good stuff."
"Tell me how to use it." Buffy ordered. .
Whistler pulled out a bottle of cider, as he opened it he walked into the living room. "Angel's the key. His blood will open the door to Hell," he explained. "Acathla opens his big mouth, creates the vortex, then only Angel's blood'll close it. One blow. Send 'em both back to hell. But I strongly suggest you get there before that happens. The faster you kill Angel, the easier it'll be for you."
"Don't worry about me." Buffy instructed. .
"It's all on the line here, kid," he stated.
"I can deal." Buffy said as she looked at the sword. "I got nothing left to lose." She then disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
Streets of San Francisco
Buffy made her way down a green and tangled hill. She had wanted time to think of her battle plan so she hadn't orbed straight to the mansion. She stopped in her tracks when she heard the rusling of leaves and then notice Xander approaching from another direction. "Xander!" she said clearly surprised to see him.
"Calvary's here," Xander informed her, holding a rock. "Cavalry's a frightened guy with a rock, but it's here." He smiled when Buffy handed him a stake. "This is better." He tossed the rock aside.
"You're not here to fight," Buffy informed him. "You get Giles out of there and run like Hell, understood? I can't protect you. I'm gonna be too busy killing." She unwrapped the sword and dropped the blanket.
"That's a new look for you." Xander said admiring the sword.
Buffy nodded. "It's a present for Angelus," she said. "This ends it, Xander. I'm ready."
Xander looked down, trying to decide what to do. "Willow…she said to tell you…"
"Tell me what?" Buffy wondered as she glanced at her friend.
Xander glanced back at Buffy, deciding he couldn't do it. Angelus had done too much since Angel had lost his soul for him to give the vampire a second chance on the possibility that Willow, Prue and Phoebe could return Angel's soul. "…kick his ass."
"I'm gonna do a lot more than that," Buffy informed him.
San Francisco Memorial
Prue and Phoebe stood on either side of Willow, Phoebe had the herbs and Prue held Giles' book.
"Are we ready?" Willow questioned looking at her fellow witches.
"We're ready," Prue agreed. "I hate spells not written in English." She took a breath and started the chant. "Quod perditum est, invenietur."
"Not dead, nor not of the living…" Willow and Phoebe said.
Crawford Street Mansion
Drusilla stepped up beside Angelus and handed him a knife. Nearby Spike sat in his wheelchair, watching with a cold eye.
Angelus smiled at Drusilla and then took the knife and cut his palm. Drusilla rippled with a little sensual thrill at Angelus's pain. "Now, Acathla, you will be free," he said. "And so will we all." He took a step forward just as Buffy burst through the doors from the garden.
The vampire nearest to Buffy moved toward her. She tossed a fireball his way and he instantly dusted. She turned toward Angelus, sword at the ready. "Hello, lover."
"I don't have time for you," Angelus snapped.
Buffy smiled. "You don't have a lot of time left."
"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think?" Angelus said as he turned toward her. "You're playing some deep odds here—do you really think you can take us all on?"
"No, I don't." Buffy informed him with a smirk.
Spike rose from his wheelchair, holding a nasty looking iron poker. He slammed it into the back of Angelus's head sending Angelus flying face first to the ground. He moved forward and hit Angelus again while Drusilla watched aghast.
Buffy made for Angelus and was hit from behind by another vampire, sending her sword flying. She spun on the vampire as a fireball formed in her hand.
"Painful, isn't it?" Spike said as he wailed on Angelus seconds before Drusilla tackled him.
Unseen by the combatants Xander snuck into the room from the garden, moving quietly around the perimeter of the hall toward the room he believed Giles was in.
Spike and Drusilla came up facing each other and Spike could tell she was righteously pissed. "I don't want to hurt you, baby…" he said as Drusilla grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall. Instinctively, he knocked her arm away and hit her as hard as he could. "Doesn't mean I won't…"
Xander came out of the other room and helped Giles toward the doors and outside just as Drusilla threw Spike to the ground.
Angelus pulled himself painfully up and stumbled toward Acathla just as Buffy tossed her fireball at her opponent dusting him. She turned just as Angelus reached the statue. "Sword!" she called out and her sword flamed into her hand just as Angelus grabbed the sword stuck in Acathla and pull it from the statue.
Drusilla stopped as she looked toward Acathla. "Oooh, here it comes…" she said gleefully just as Spike rose up behind her and grabbed her in a chokehold.
"You almost made it, Buff." Angelus said as she and Buffy squared off. .
"It's not over yet." Buffy informed him.
"My boy Acathla's about to wake up," Angelus countered. "You're going to Hell."
"Save me a seat," Buffy said as she came at him, fast and hard. Their blades were a blur of metal as they worked at each other, driving back, forward and circling one another. He drew first blood as he sliced her arm.
San Francisco Memorial
"Gods, bind him, cast his heart from the demon realm return his..." Willow and Phoebe chanted, breathing heavily, the words coming slowly and with difficulty. Perspiration was beading their faces. "I call on…I…"
"Willow?" Oz said with concern for his girlfriend.
"Phoebe?" Prue added as she looked at her sister in concern.
"Are you both okay?" Cordelia concluded looking between Phoebe and Willow.
Phoebe and Willow's heads snapped back, leaving them staring almost straight up. They both tensed up as their heads snapped back down and they started to shake. They begin chanting the rest of the ritual rapidly, powerfully, and in Romanian. "Te implor Doamne, nu ignora accasta rugaminte! Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-I va transporta sufletul la el!"
Prue looked to her sister and Willow before looking at the book in her hands. "Phoebe?" she asked as she glanced back up at her sister.
"Is this a good thing?" Oz questioned looking at Prue.
"I have no idea," Prue answered reluctantly. "In the year and a quarter I've been a witch, I've never seen anything like this."
"Este scris, aceasta putere este dreptul poporuil meu de a conduce…" Willow and Phoebe chanted as the orb between them began to glow.
Crawford Street Mansion
Buffy came tumbling out into the garden with Angelus right behind her. He knocked her sword from her grasp and kicked it into a corner. He then slowly approached Buffy, cornering her.
"That's everything, huh?" Angelus said as he placed the sword near her face. "No weapons, no friends, no family. No hope. Take all that away and what's left?"
Buffy looked past him at the sword and smiled. "There is me." She disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames. She reappeared inside the mansion as she called out. "Sword!" the sword once again flamed into her hands as Angel came at her. She drove Angelus back until they were right in front of Acathla. She knocked his sword out of his hand, cutting him on the hand. He stood before her, spent, beaten.
San Francisco Memorial
Willow and Phoebe were still rapt as they chanted, "Asa sa fie! Acum!"
And it was at that moment that the orbed disappeared.
Crawford Street Mansion
Angelus dropped to his knees as Buffy swung her sword back, ready to cut off his head.
Suddenly he cried out in pain, she was about to strike when she noticed his eyes glowing. He collapsed to the floor and she hesitated. "Oh…" he said as he looked up at her. "Buffy?" He pulled himself to his feet, causing her to take a step back. "Buffy, what's going on? I don't remember…where are we?"
"Angel?" Buffy whispered, her voice almost childlike in her hope.
Angel noticed the cuts on the person he loved. "You're hurt!" he said as he walked over to her and took Buffy's arm in his hand. Buffy's swordarm hung at her side, limp as he folded her into his arms. "God, I feel like I haven't seen you in months…Buffy, everything's so muddled…" He held her,
At first she was afraid and confused, but at the warmth of his touch, the overwhelming rush of his return, her eyes closed and with her free arm she gripped him to her.
"Oh, Buffy…"
Buffy opened her eyes, longing and hope in them. Then she saw Acathla open his mouth, wide. She watched as a vortex began to emanate from the mouth of the statue. She gripped Angel tighter, despair gutting her.
"What's happening, Buffy?" Angel wondered.
Buffy shook her head. "Shh…it doesn't matter." She pulled away to look at him and kissed him passionately. "I love you."
"I love you…" Angel said returning the kiss.
"Close your eyes." Buffy informed him. Serenely compliant, he oblidged her. She kissed him softly and then stepped back and thrust the sword through his chest, directly into the chest of the demon.
At that same moment there was an unearthly roar.
Angel opened his eyes, wide, as he looked down and saw himself impaled. He looked up at Buffy uncomprehendingly. Buffy couldn't speak as she tried not to cry. She took another step back as Angel reached out to her. As the vortex closed over him he is sucked into Acathla's hell dimension.
Halliwell Manor
Later that morning Prue walked into Buffy's room looking for her cousin. "Buffy?" She looked around the room and saw the closet door and dresser drawers open and that clothing was missing. She then spotted a note on the still made bed. She hurried over to the bed and picked it up.
Dear Prue, Piper and Phoebe
I can't say how sorry I am. This is something I have to do for me all knew that each of us would want to quit at one time or another. We always thought it would be one of you more than it would be me. But it turns out that we were wrong. Prue you wanted to quit when Andy died. Piper you wanted to quit when your Aunt Gail died. Well it's my turn now, if it hadn't been for me Phoebe, Willow and Xander wouldn't have been hurt, Giles wouldn't have been kidnapped and tortured and Kendra and Angel wouldn't be dead. Please don't look for me, I love you all.
Goodbye.
Buffy
Gateway High School
Giles and Xander walked up to Oz, who was pushing Willow in her wheelchair, and Cordelia.
"Are you sure you should be out of bed?" Giles questioned looking at Willow.
"Look who's talking. . ." Willow said noticing the bruises on Giles' face.
"Any word?" Cordelia wondered.
"You guys didn't see her either." Xander questioned.
"No," Willow confirmed as everyone shook their heads.
"But we know the world didn't end," Oz said as he waved his hand around. "Because, check it out."
"Prue and I went back to the mansion," Giles informed them. "It's empty, and Acathla is dormant."
"I think the spell worked," Willow said. "Phoebe and I bolt felt something go through us, it was powerful. Kind of scary."
"Plus the orb did that cool glow thing," Cordelia added.
"Maybe it wasn't in time," Xander said. "If he did pull the sword out, and she had to kill him, maybe he was already dead when it happened."
"Then she'd want to be alone, I guess." Oz suggested.
"Or maybe Angel was saved and they just want to be alone together," Willow interjected.
"Perhaps," Giles agreed hopefully.
"Well, she's bound to show up sooner or later," Cordelia said. "We still have school."
Willow smiled, "Yeah. She'll be here in a while."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Across the street from her friends, Buffy watched. She was dressed very plainly, for hard traveling. She had a bag of clothes slung over her shoulder. She watched her friends and Watcher head inside the school and then she disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.