Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The first SIT’s Death in Istanbul, Anya explaining the First’s powers, Johnathan’s appearance to Andrew and the Firsts explanation of it’s goals to kill the SIT’s, the SIT’s arrive and Giles’ explanation as to why, Kennedy and Willow "meet," Buffy learns of Wood’s son-of-a-slayer heritage, Wood sees Spike’s Vampire side, Spike offers to leave and Buffy’s rejection, the First tells Wood who killed his Mom.

Nighttime and Buffy walks the house checking on the troops. She walks quietly through the dark living room and sees many sleeping SIT’s scattered about. She picks up a book from the ground (Greek to English dictionary) and places it on a table that holds other foreign language books (French, Chinese, etc...). Upstairs she peeks in a bedroom... more sleeping SIT’s crowd the room. Off in the distance she hears crying and, looking down the hall, sees Chloe huddled in a corner, weeping. Buffy asks "Chloe? It is Chloe, right?" as she starts to approach, but she’s suddenly broadsided by a figure! Buffy and the unknown assailant go tumbling down the stairs and Buffy is instantly overcome and pinned by someone she didn’t expect to see: "It’s Not Enough" says the First Slayer...

Buffy bolts upright, having been jolted out of sleep, looking around in the living room at all the Sleeping SIT’s, still in shock from her dream.

Opening Credits: nothing new. Same ol.

"I’m a bright girl... good education, quick on the uptake, so tell me, why in the name of all mighty grotthnar would I let myself be human again?" Anya walks down a night time Sunnydale street with Spike at her side, complaining up a storm about being human, how it’s icky on the inside and outside, being trapped with so many girls in one house, etc. Spike agrees with her the entire time, trying to simply walk on and towards is goal of getting out and getting drunk. Anya jokes about it being a "date", but Spike continues with the "just getting drunk" mentality. "Would you let it go?!?" Spike tells Anya after she mentions sex on a table "You’re like a dog with a bone!" "So what?" she says. "It’s my bone. Just drop it." he answers.

"Oh thank god..." says Spike. Anya is lost. "Demon" Spike says, glad at the change of subject, as we suddenly see a red-eyed icky demon behind Anya. Spike grabs her and pushes her out of the way as the demon exclaims "D’hoffryn says you DIE!" Spike has other plans though, quickly taking the demon out with a kick to the nads. Instead of fighting though, Spike grabs a complaining Anya up off the ground and both take off down the street.

Buffy and Principal Wood are in Buffy’s office as the both square off against two teen boys who have just been busted for fighting (one has ripped shirt, other has swollen eye). Wood is not happy and says he’s not impressed with them, but he cuts them some slack and tells them to beat it. The boys leave as Wood tells Buffy that it’s the third fight that week, vandalism is on the rise, 3 students are missing. Wood closes the shades to her office as he asks her if "it’s started?" Buffy agrees, saying that things are getting worse, usually boiling over around May. Wood says it seems like things are getting worse faster and that he wasn’t ready to sign on for all this. He knows it’s going to get bigger than him, which Buffy agrees with, so he says he has decided to give her something. He reaches around a desk and pulls out a large brown leather bag, an "Emergency kit" that his mother had and that was supposed to be passed down from Slayer to Slayer. He couldn’t part with it after his mother’s death until now. He says that he doesn’t know what’s inside, but he knows it had to do with his mother’s Slayer power. Buffy is pleased and embarrassed by the gift and doesn’t know what to say. Wood then says he’d like to see where Buffy works. Buffy looks around, confused, showing him her desk and she holds up a cup of pencils, but Wood meant the "other" job.

Entering the front door of the Summer’s home later that day, Buffy shows Wood in, explaining to him how the Potential Slayers all started arriving, mentioning the Council of Watchers has since been destroyed, and both look around at the living room where it looks slightly un-living room like, with sleeping bags rolled up in all corners and research books strewn about. But then an oven-mitted, aproned Andrew comes marching in with a disgusted look on his face as he folds his arms "Where the hell have you been? This funnel cake has been kicking my ass!" Buffy smiles awkwardly as she introduces Andrew and Wood, who shake hands. Buffy introduces Andrew as their "hostage", but Andrew sees himself as a "guestage." Wood questions the hostage part. Buffy starts to explain that Andrew was evil, but now he’s not so evil, and then abandons the explanation. Andrew complains to Buffy that their secret headquarters isn’t so secret anymore, and if Buffy keeps bringing people in they’re gonna see the "big board." Buffy says they don’t have a big board, which makes Andrew run off and grab a big 3’x4’ whiteboard with "Sunnydale "Big Board"" written as a title at the top. A rough map of Sunnydale is displayed, with a castle as their headquarters and little"demon faces" scattered about representing the First’s appearances. Buffy and Wood look on in sarcastic shock and then turn and walk silently past Andrew as he asks "Where do we put our receipts?"

Out in the back yard now, Buffy now presents a sight which impresses Wood: Training SIT’s! Kennedy leads in drill-seargent fashion rows of girls in combat exercises, shouting out different positions of attack and defense (4 rows of 4 girls, 16 SIT’s in formation). We see Roma and Chloe and Vi and Amanda and Molly and a host of other since unseen girls practicing kicks and punches in workout sweats. All are professional and serious, but one girl, Chloe, is a bit off, missing the kicks timing and turning the wrong way. Kennedy spots a mistake of hers and says hold it, then gets in Chloe’s face, telling her to drop and give her 20 "20 what?" Chloe asks. "Pushups, maggot!" Kennedy barks, then turns very serious towards Buffy and Wood, acting very strong for a few moments, before she gets excited at her power, "loving" her job. Kennedy asks who "the hell" Wood is. Buffy says he’s an Ally. Kennedy then shows off her troops, saying they’re ready to kick some ass. Wood is just a tad skeptical though, saying he doesn’t think the First has an Ass that can be kicked. Amanda then notices Wood and says hi, thinking it weird seeing him outside of school, but Kennedy turns and snaps the troops back into order. Buffy looks on but says that Wood is right, they aren’t enough. Wood tells her that they’re an impressive bunch of recruits, which Buffy corrects him in, saying they were chosen, not recruited. Buffy lays it out, saying "they’re not all gonna make it. Some will die and nothing I can do will stop it.

Just then Willow appears from out of the house, carrying an armload of various weapons (crossbow, flail, axe, etc.) and, seeing Wood and then the training SIT’s, starts to make a cover story on how they’re in preparation for the school prep-cheer-dance-thing. ("Bring it on!" she quips. I think this is a funny shot at Eliza Dushku’s movie myself). Buffy lets her off, saying she filled Wood in on everything. Willow breathes a sigh of relief, not knowing how she was going to explain the weapons. She puts the weapons down as Wood says Buffy told him Willow’s been experimenting. Willow shoots Buffy a look, until Wood continues, saying he meant with magics. Willow smiles and says yeah, she’s getting better. Willow excuses herself and leaves with a "he’s so much cooler than Snyder" comment to Buffy as Wood then asks "She almost destroyed the world? Remind me not to make her crabby..." Buffy then shows a sign of frustration at their ’Army’ made up of a bunch of troops with nothing to hit, a Wicca that won’ta, and the brains wears oven mitts. Wood says she’s got more than that, and asks to see "the Vampire."

"But you just let him go." Anya argues with Spike in the basement as Buffy and Wood come down the stairs and observe. Anya wants to know why Spike didn’t fight him, but Spike logically says that if he fought and the demon got lucky, he’d get knocked out and then it would go and kill her. Rational Spike is showing his self, saying that Anya’s safest place was with him, out of danger. Anya knows he’s right but she barges off anyways, past Wood and Buffy and up the stairs. "no need to thank me, I’m just the one who beat him off!" Spike calls after her, and after an embarrassing glance from Buffy, he continues "Repelled him perhaps should have been the better phrase."

Spike notices Wood and asks Buffy about him. Buffy says Wood wanted to see the place and she’s showing him around. Spike thinks for a moment then nods, agreeing that the more good guys they have around the better. "Is that what you are? A good guy?" Wood asks Spike coldly, facing away from the vampire. Spike jokes he is, and for anyone who said he wasn’t he killed them. Buffy nervously says Spike was joking, but Wood says "no he’s not." Spike agrees that he wasn’t, but says he’s changed now. Wood nods in understanding, saying "ah... yeah, now that you have a soul..." Spike looks at him a little surprised, then turns to Buffy, asking if she’s telling everyone about his soul. Wood says not to blame Buffy, that he asked. Spike and Wood then start to square off and size each other up, standing toe to toe, with Wood questioning Spike’s "goodness" and Spike defending and explaining his newfound soul-enduced outlook. Wood then starts to ask him about how he’s spent his time, the past few years, where he’s been, but Buffy, seeing the pissing contest, interrupts and says Wood should see the rest of the house. "Right... give him the full tour.... you don’t wanna miss a look at her weapon’s chest" Spike says snarkily as Wood turns and heads upstairs with Buffy behind.

Later that evening Dawn tells Buffy what she found in the Emergency Kit that Wood gave her as Buffy rolls out sleeping bags, preparing the girl’s sleeping places for the night. Aside from "smelling weird," Dawn says she found trinkets, weapons, a very large textbook (continently written in Summerian), and a big, fat, unopenable box. Buffy tells Dawn to keep on with the kit research as the two head out of the bedroom. Buffy asks Dawn if she has homework. Dawn says her plan is to not do it (Joke!), then says she’s paying someone to do it for her (Joke!), but as the two open a door into another bedroom, Buffy’s face goes cold and Dawn screams at a startling sight.

Chloe’s body hangs from the ceiling. We see the entire view. Her body hangs limp from a twisted bedsheet around her neck, still clad in pajamas.

Commercial Break: You have a plan of attack but nothing to plan on? Demon forces popping up everywhere and you can’t keep track of em? What you need is the NEW "Big Board" whiteboard by Props-R-Us! Now comes with THREE colored pens!

Dawn and Buffy look at Chloe’s limp body as Kennedy runs up behind, saying she heard something. Other SIT’s run up behind and each in turn is horrified at the site as Buffy tells Dawn to get a knife. "Good thinking, but on the otherhand, why the rush? Up or down, I’ll still be dead." Says Chloe, standing next to her hanging body. "You’re not Chloe" Buffy says, addressing the First. The First/Chloe addresses the group at the doorway with mocking charm, telling them that Chloe and her talked all night and that Chloe was a good listener, realizing that they all would die eventually, so why wait. She says they’re all going soon. Buffy stands up to the First, saying they’re ready, they’ll be there. the First/Chloe questions and insults her, saying she thought Buffy said (Repeating in Buffy’s voice) "They’re not all gonna make it. Some will die, and there’s nothing I can do that will stop it." She tells the group she’ll be seeing them all, one by one, then disappears in a blink of light, leaving with "TTFN!" Buffy questions what TTFN means. Rona says it means Ta Ta For Now, something Tigger says from Winnie the Pooh. Amanda then sadly says that was Chloe’s favorite book. "Dawn, where’s that knife?" Buffy asks coldly.

Still nighttime and Buffy is outside, piling dirt on a fresh-layed grave by lantern-light in a lightly wooded area somewhere. She shovels the dirt onto the grave which lays next to another somewhat fresh dirt mound (Annabelle?). She looks tired and down.

Back in the Summers living room, everyone is gathered. Various SIT’s, most of which we haven’t seen in past shows, all talk in mumbled voices, softly sobbing, comforting each other. Xander, Dawn, Anya, and Spike are present too. Buffy walks in, carrying the shovel, and asks if everyones there. Kennedy says everyone’s present. Buffy then asks if anyone wants to say anything about Chloe. The room is silent. Buffy then says she will and opens up with "Chloe was an idiot. Chloe was stupid. She was weak. And anyone in a rush to be the next dead body I bury, it’s easy. Just think of Chloe. I’m the Slayer, the one with the power, and the First has me using that power to dig our graves." Buffy throws down the shovel, quite pissed, as she starts to lay into the gathered group, saying they’re not doing anything to help and that they are all just listening, not doing anything, not helping. All are looking quite ashamed, except for Kennedy, who stands defiantly and says that Buffy is out of line. Willow then defends Buffy briefly, saying she’s not out of line. Kennedy fights, saying that Willow is the most powerful one of the group, even more powerful than Buffy. Buffy coldly tells Kennedy she’s wrong, that she is the most powerful because she’s using her power.

Xander pipes up, telling Buffy they’re only doing what she asks because she’s the leader, they’re followers. Buffy attacks him, saying they should do what she says, not just follow. Xander backs off, reminding Buffy that they are behind her and they’re her friends. "I’m not" says Anya, which makes Buffy turn and question aloud Anya’s place and what her job is. Anyas only answer is that she provides the sarcasm, which Xander says is his job. Buffy says Anya’s there because she’s scared, that’s all. Buffy says that they’re all scared, but she wants them to be useful at the same time, and starts another not-quite-so-motivational speech about how the First knows them and they’re not ready to fight it. Spike at this time has had enough and starts to head out silently, but Buffy asks him where he’s going? Spike says he’s going out, seeing how he’s not a girl nor just waiting around. "Fine. Take a cell phone. That way when I need someone to get weepy or wailed upon I can call you." Buffy addresses Spike, who is stopped in his tracks. Buffy starts to lay into him too, saying she is still looking for the "old" Spike who knew how to fight, the one that wanted to kill her. Otherwise he’s no good to her. Spike argues that he did everything for her, the Soul, the changes, everything, but Buffy now wants the Dangerous Spike. Buffy then tells Dawn to get the Potentials upstairs and break out that Emergency Kit. She’s declaring an Emergency!

Later that night the room has changed. The SIT’s are gone, save Kennedy. Principal Wood is now present as Xander, Anya, Dawn, Willow, Kennedy, and Buffy all open up the brown leather bag and go through it’s contents. Throwing stars, a boomerang, the large old book, various items are taken out and examined. Dawn takes the book and hints that she’s been researching it, trying to translate it. Anya sees the box and asks Wood what’s inside. He says it’s locked so he’s never known, but Buffy breaks the lock off and opens it without hesitation. "Heh hehh hehhhh huhhhh.... Puppets..." says Xander with a smile and laugh as he picks up a metallic cut-out outline of a man from the box. Xander then gets the idea that the First hates Puppets and they can attack it with Kermit, Fozzy and Ms. Piggy. Willow corrects him, saying "those are Muppets." Dawn tells them the metallic items are "shadow casters", meant to cast shadows upon a wall in a certain order to tell a story. She refers to the book, saying it says "You have to watch, not just see." Buffy asks what it means. Dawn says her translating breaks down there, but she thinks it will describe an origin myth, the story of the first Slayer. Buffy then tells them she saw the first Slayer in her dream the last night.

A match is lit and a center wick is lit. A clay rotating pedestal sits in the center of the room with the newly lit bright flame at it’s center. All of the Scoobies stand at various places in the room as only the one flame lights everything, casting eery shadows. Dawn stands next to Xander by the pedestal as she reads from the book. "First there is the Earth." Which prompts Xander to grab a metal plate and insert it’s lower pegs into the pedestal It casts a shadow upon the wall showing a rocky silhouette with a crescent moon above. Just then tribal drums start to sound off somewhere. All can hear it, and Xander thinks it’s creepy. "Then there came the demons" Dawn continues and Xander places another metal shadow plate in the pedestal It casts the shadow of a large, toothy demon as a howling/snarling is heard in the background. "After the demons then came men." A plate with three tribal men-figures is placed and it’s shadow casts on the wall. "the men found a girl" (shadow plate of a lone woman is cast) "and the men took the girl took the girl to fight the de mon... to fight all the demons. They chained her to the Earth.." (shadow plate of long shackle attached to the ground). "And then.. I ... I... I can’t read this. Something about Darkness?" Dawn is becoming a little scared and confused, trying to translate, as the shadows flicker on the wall. The pedestal now starts to rotate by itself as the drum beats in the background grow steadily louder. "You cannot be shown. You cannot just watch but you must see. See for yourself but only if you’re willing to make the exchange" Dawn says rapidly, which prompts Xander to ask when Dawn became so good in Summerian. Dawn says the book isn’t in Summerian anymore as we see the book’s writings glow and turn into English! The pedestal now spins faster and the light starts to grow, the shadows on the wall taking on a life of their own as we see the girl struggle against the chains, the demons approach, and the three tribal men beat staffs on the ground. Faster and faster it spins and all in the room are confused until...

FLASH! Where the pedestal was now floats a glowing mass of blue and white. Roughly the size of a door, it looks a little like the dimensional void which Glory created years ago. All stare in wonder as Buffy circles it, looking on, knowing what it means. Buffy says she has to go inside, but Willow and Wood argue, saying she doesn’t know what the exchange is and if she’s even ready for whatever’s inside. Willow says she can’t go, they don’t know where she’s going or how to get her back. Buffy is now forced to make a choice because the dimensional door is starting to shrink! "How will we get you back?!?" Willow asks. "Find a way" Buffy says and dives into the doorway just as it blinks closed!

All stand in the empty room, looking around, as Anya asks what the book meant by an exchange? Just then a bright flash off in front of them and a large, horned demon appears (yes, another one, but this one’s bigger). "Ah, this must be the exchange student" Xander quips as he is soon grabbed and thrown into a table by the demon.

Commercial Break: Now if you were REALLY smart, you’d go to Angel’s Acolyte very, very soon, because AA’s Angel Wildfeed is really good and there’s some slight crossovery stuff that will soon be a happenin, so... just go there. And tell em’ Leoff sent ya!

"Willow, use your magic... send it back!" Kennedy shouts, and Willow says she’s trying. She uneasily, shakily, starts a spell but the demon back-hands her into the wall quickly. Wood instantly grabs throwing stars and whips them at the demon, but it basically only pissed the demon off and it attacks Wood, who is batted away easily. "Weapons!" Kennedy shouts as Dawn throws her a sword, with Dawn grabbing one herself. Both attack the demon but of course, they’re swatted aside easily too. Spike then jumps the beast from behind as he tells the others to get out. Kennedy asks what he’s gonna do? "What I do best..." Spike starts and the fight ensues. Spike seems to be winning... for about 7 seconds, before the demon grabs him by the throat and throws him up and THROUGH the ceiling, up into an upstairs bedroom. Instantly the demon turns and jumps through a window, running off into the night.

"Is getting thrown through the ceiling what he does best?" Kennedy asks as the group starts to recover, checking each other over for injuries. Wood puts the problems at hand point blank: "Demon loose, no Slayer." Willow says they’ve gotta get Buffy back soon, but Anya and Kennedy say they don’t even know where she went or what spell to use.

Bright daylight shines on a desert as Buffy appears out of nowhere in a flash, dive-rolling out of the appearing/disappearing portal. She looks around and sighs "Well, guess that worked" as she heads off in a random direction.

Xander asks Dawn what the book says. Dawn says that now it’s a little tougher to read as she shows them the book with completely blank pages. All slowly file into the kitchen as Kennedy says that Willow can just use her magic, but Willow doesn’t know where to begin or what magic to use. Willow pulls out a first aid kit to bandage Kennedy’s wounded wrist as Anya goes over the choices of possibly risking Willow going "Dark" and leaving Buffy there. Wood says that they’ve got to try and get Buffy back, but Anya remembers the very hurtful "i’m superior" speech of Buffy’s and thinks she should find her own way back. Xander says they have to get Buffy back because every moment she’s not there, the First has an opportunity to attack. Dawn tries to get organized, asking Willow how another which might begin to investigate. Willow explains that it’s basically physics and a transference of energy, which gets a scoff from Anya. Willow tells her that magic works of physics, but Anya says she needs a conduit, some sort of a catalyst. The group starts to perk up a little at the plan forming as Kennedy says they need an exchange also, a demon for the Slayer. Wood says they need to find the demon that appeared and send it back through, dead or alive. "I vote dead." from the doorway, Spike appears saying he’ll handle the demon and tells Willow to get working on the spell. Kennedy tells Spike that he doesn’t look so good and that last time she saw, the demon kicked his ass. Spike says he can handle it and starts to head out without a word. Wood asks where he’s going, and with a crack of the neck, Spike says "to get something I need..."

"Hello? I’m Buffy, I’m the Slayer?" Buffy has come upon three men, "Shadow men", who sit cross legged on the ground. They are dressed in tribal clothing, each holding a staff, and despite them speaking Swahili, Buffy seems to be able to understand them. In subtitles, the men say they know who Buffy is and why she is there. All three rise and start walking around Buffy in a circle, saying that she was expected and that the end is approaching. They then say the startling revelation "You are the hellmouth’s last guardian." Buffy tries to correct them by saying "latest" guardian, but they say no. Buffy then says she came there to learn, so tell her what she needs to know. The men on the other hand have no knowledge to offer, only power. Buffy then begins to rant, saying she’s probably not even there and it’s a dream, but from behind one of the men strikes her hard on the head with his staff and she falls unconscious..

Willow pours sand in a large circle on the ground as Dawn explains to a curious Kennedy that the sand will help contain the dimensional portal they want to create. Xander suggests waiting until Spike returns with the demon, but Willow says she wants to get started now, thinking opening a portal that size might take days. Walking into the center of the sand-circle and sitting cross-legged, Willow starts to chant in Latin mystical words. She ends with "operi!" and all sit, anticipation in the room. Nothing happens. Willow turns to Dawn and says that she might wanna put some coffee on, this could take a while, but suddenly both Dawn and Kennedy are blown back by a powerful blast as Willow looks towards the sky, eyes as black as night, and she screams out in fury!

Buffy slowly comes to in an eerily lit cave and finds she is chained to the floor by shackles on her wrists. The three Shadow men stand with their staves and tell her that she at the beginning and they have brought her here. Buffy struggles against the chains as two of the Shadow men start to rhythmically bang their staves on the ground as the third grabs a box and places it in the center of an swirled design on the cave floor. He opens the box as the three men say "Herein lies your strength. The energy of the demon. It’s spirit. It’s heart." Straining against the chains, a little worried, Buffy sees a floating black mass of liquidy-smoke arise from the box, swirling in the air before her. The two Shadow men continue their staff beat as the third tells her that she will become one with the power, and it will make her ready for the fight. They say this is how it was done and how it must be. Buffy struggles as the black demon-cloud approaches her and starts to enter inside her nose, mouth, and eyes...

Commercial Break: Windex makes it SHINE!

Buffy screams and the black mass comes streaming out from her mouth, rejected. She struggles against the chains as the mass continues to swirl around her, creeping over her body, around her legs, up her skirt, as she orders the Shadow men to make it stop. They tell her that’s what she came there for and not to fight it, but Buffy continues to fight.

Down in the high school basement, Spike rifles through a box for something. And he finds it! Donning it almost as if it were a superhero cape, the leather duster is back! He strides out with a purpose, the duster flowing behind him, as he goes down the hall, past Principal Wood’s office, with Wood in the doorway. "Where ya goin?" Wood asks. "Got a Job" Spike answers. Nice coat. Where’d ja get it?" Wood asks. "New York" Spike answers and strides off, with Wood looking after him coldly...

Kennedy and Dawn slowly get up as Willow is now in full Wiccan way, chanting up a storm in Latin, meaning business. Then the words change... "Screw it! Mighty forces, I suck at Latin, OK? But that’s not the issue. I’m the one in charge and i want that portal open NOW!" Xander, Dawn, Kennedy, and Anya look on as Willow’s power grows, then suddenly Willows hands go back and a blue aura lights them up as they search for the nearest two beings... Anya and Kennedy! Both the women glow blue for a few seconds and then collapse on the floor, stunned, as a portal suddenly opens up in front of Willow. Xander pulls Dawn back further as Kennedy tries to recover, wondering what just happened.

WHAM! Spike is hit back in a back alley somewhere as he smirks, his game face on. He taunts the demon (the same one that appeared with Buffy’s disappearance) and starts to pick a fight. The scene has Spike getting his ass kicked, but he is a beyond-care attitude, smiling at every punch he receives, ready to really let loose on the demon. He’s looking for a goof fight and now that his ire is up, he smiles wide, chuckles, then laughs, shouts YEEAAAAHHH, and is off todo some serious damage!

Buffy complains to the shadow men about them wanting her to get knocked up by some "demon dust" and she knows she can’t fight it. But she knows that she can fight them, and she jerks on one of her chains and it snaps from it’s ground support. Buffy goes off on the Shadow men, saying they violated the girl who became the first Slayer so that it could do their dirty work. The shadow men says she doesn’t understand, but she says they don’t understand themselves and she goes to attack, swinging the loose chain with her free hand as the Shadow men ready their staffs. Without the beating of the Shadow men’s staffs, the demon-mist floats nearby as the Shadow men go to attack.

Spike is thrown against a wall hard, almost knocked out, as the summoned demon grabs him by the throat and lifts him up against the wall. Last ditch effort, Spike grabs the demon’s head, twists it, we hear a crunch, and the demon falls limp. Collecting himself coolly, Spike pulls out a cigarette and, lighting a match on the demon’s carcass, says "I dunno your feelings big guy, but to me, a tussle like that... is good for the soul.

Buffy marches up to the one standing shadow man and, taking a staff in her hand, cracks it over her knee. The demon mist dissipates instantly with the staff’s breaking. "It’s always the staff" she mutters as the shadow man tells her they offered her power. "Tell me something I don’t know" she quips, as the shadow man agrees to give her what she wants. He raises his hand and places it by her temple as the area goes white.

Spike comes into the Summers home’s living room, dragging the demon in with him, as he glances at the well lit portal before him. He grabs the demon carcass and tosses it towards the portal...

The shadow man’s hand is lowered as Buffy looks at him with a horrified look on her face. She stands silent... as a bright flash envelopes her...

... and VOOOP, she’s standing in her living room, with Dawn, Anya, Xander, Willow, and Kennedy all looking on, Spike nearby crouching and catching his breath from having to haul the demon in, the portal is vanished. Buffy looks around confused.

In the upper hallway Kennedy walks quietly as Willow approaches from behind and asks if she’s ok, commenting that she’s been quiet since "since you sucked the life out of me?" Kennedy finishes her statement. Willow looks at Kennedy and tries to explain that she gets like that when things get all magic. Kennedy is acting quiet, odd, not quite sure about Willow. She says she thought it would be cool, but instead it just hurt. Willow apologizes, saying that she was one of the more powerful people nearby, that that’s how "it" works. Kennedy says she understands, but is still wary, and she says she’ll see Willow in the morning, turning quietly into her room and going to bed.

"How you doin?" Willow asks Buffy as she walks into her room. Buffy is on the bed, resting, as she thanks Willow for bringing her back again and apologizes for being so rough earlier in the day. Willow says it was ok, she needed to be. Buffy still looks concerned and Willow asks her again if she’s ok. Buffy says she thinks she made a mistake, telling that the shadow men offered her power and she didn’t take it. Willow says it’s ok, that they’ll get by, they always do. Buffy shakes her head and mumbles that she doesn’t know, then says that they showed her something, proving that the First Slayer’s words rung true, it’s not enough. Willow asks what Buffy saw...

The snarling head of an Ubervamp stands as the camera pulls back to show more behind it... and in front of it! Tens... hundreds of ubervamps stand and snarl, holding weapons in a very post-apocalyptic scene.

Grrr... Arrrg...