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Part FifteenRegan quickly checked Emily’s pulse. “Strong … what the fuck’s going on here?”
Cale said, “Ms. Rosenberg, quickly!”
Buffy and the Original Slayerettes rushed over to Emily’s side. Buffy swore to herself and immediately assumed vampire mode. “Damn. All this energy in here — it must be giving her one monstroid headache. We’ve got to get out of here.” She picked up Angelus while Regan slung Emily into a fireman’s carry. They moved towards where they’d entered when the cavern roof shook. Buffy swore again. “Not gonna work. We’re going to have to leave the other way. Follow me.” She headed down the vampires’ entrance passage and stopped at the end. “Go. No vamps left, I think.” The earth shook again. She dropped Angelus to the ground, not being too careful where he landed.
Willow turned to Regan. “You weren’t just joking about that earthquake, were you?”
Regan said. “Chamber — not very stable. Damn thing should’ve collapsed years ago.”
Buffy said, “Everyone, go as far into the tunnels as you can. I’ve got to complete the ritual. That energy has to go somewhere, and if it doesn’t go into me, Sunnydale will be mystic meltdown city.”
“We’ll help,” Xander said.
“Whatever you need, Buffy,” Cordelia added quietly.
“Thanks, guys, but it’s gotta go into a vampire. And I trust him,” pointing at Angelus, “as far as I can throw him.” Quizzical looks all around. She grinned. “Bad metaphor. Sorry. Anyway, get back. This could get ugly. –er.” She looked down at the prone Angelus, who showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Buffy kicked him awake. “Wakey-wakey, lover,” she said sweetly. “I’m about to absorb the Hellmouth energy now and I wanted you to see what you’re going to miss.” She turned to the other five. “You — shoo! shoo!” She turned back to draw in the energy.
Xander took Emily from a tiring Regan and they all walked down the passageway, which ultimately led them back to the sewers. “This is as far as I’m going,” Xander said, gently setting Emily against the far wall.
Cale said, “But she said —”
“I don’t care what she said. She might need our help, and I’m not going to let her down again.”
Three vampires stepped out of the darkness on either side of them. “You’re right about one thing,” one commented. “This is as far as you’re going.”
Emily stirred groggily, “Vampires,” she said, trying to rise to her feet. They all huddled around her.
“Great,” Cordelia said. “On your feet,” she said, shaking Emily. “People need protection here!”
Regan hissed at Cordelia, “Touch her again and I break your neck first.” They all drew stakes. Emily staggered forward and threw a weak punch at the nearest vampire, who dodged easily and let her sprawl to the ground.
“So this is the Slayer. Why were we worried?” He turned to his companion. “Att–” He was thrown against the wall by the force of an earth tremor, and while Regan somehow kept her feet, everyone else hit the ground. The passageway behind them began to collapse.
Just before it did, Buffy ran out in full demon mode, carrying a struggling Angelus with one hand. She saw the vampires and stopped. Everyone else was rising to their feet.
“Master,” one of them nervously said, “we didn’t —”
“I’m not your Master!” Buffy said. “Leave now!”
“But —” the same one began.
“I said leave!” When the vampires hesitated, Buffy extended her free hand and blasted three into ash with some kind of mystic force bolt. Everyone gaped. She turned to the other three before they could react and did the same to them, one at a time, slowly. She was grinning a grin of sheer pleasure as she did it.
Xander slapped her on the back. “Way to go, Superwoman!”
Buffy spun and threw him against the wall. “You’re next, human,” she growled.
Willow grabbed her shoulder. “Buffy, no!”
With great effort Buffy reverted back to human. “Oh God, I’m sorry. Xander?”
“Okay, back area, no touching. I got that,” he said, rising. Emily shakily approached, but the nearer she came to Buffy, the more pain she seemed to be in.
“Keep her away from me,” Buffy said. “I’ve got all the Hellmouth energy in me right now.” As she reached down and picked up Angelus, her vampire face appeared again and she growled. It vanished quickly as Regan and Cale dragged Emily away.
“What’s wrong, Buffy?” Willow asked.
“The demon is more attuned to the Hellmouth’s energy than I am,” she said, her face alternately normal and growling. “It’s gaining in strength. Did you ever think what kind of demon would be necessary to control the body of a Slayer?”
“A powerful one?” asked Cordelia.
“Majorly powerful. I won’t be able to control it forever.” Regan drew a stake and walked forward. “No, Regan. Won’t work. That much energy at once and you’d all be extra crispy.” She thought. “I know what I have to do. Come with me. now!” Vampire-face back with that last word. She forced it down and stalked off down the sewers. After a second or two, they all followed. She stopped at an access ladder. “Up here,” she said. “I try this underground, Sunnydale literally drops off the map.” The ladder led to the basement of a warehouse. They went up the stairs and stopped. Buffy threw Angelus to the floor and looked around. “This is where it started.” Willow looked at her questioningly. “This is the warehouse where Giles and I confronted him. Where I lost my soul.”
Willow nodded. “It will end where it started …” Regan said it in unison with her. The two teenagers were still supporting a very dazed Slayer.
Buffy nodded ruefully. “Yeah.” She sighed. “The only good news is that the end will spread this mystic energy a long way. For a while Sunnydale will become almost normal. Well, normal with vampires.”
“Whoa, whoa. whoa,” Xander said. “By end you mean, you get rid of the power, dust Deadboy, and we all get on with our lives. Right?” No answer. “Right?!”
“Xander,” Buffy said softly, “you know the answer. The only way to both dump this energy so it doesn’t level the town and stop the demon in me … is to explode.”
“No it isn’t,” he screamed. “Willow, tell her. Tell her there’s another way.” Willow said nothing. “Tell her!”
Cordelia said, tears glistening in her eyes, “Please, Willow?”
“If I had the time —” She noticed Buffy’s look. “But I don’t. Look at her. She can barely control it now.” The demon was appearing with increased frequency.
“I won’t let you do it. I let you down once. I won’t do it again!”
Buffy said, “Don’t make this hard, Xander. Cordy. Please?” Cordelia slowly, tearfully nodded her head.
Xander said bitterly, “It’s a Slayer thing. I wouldn’t understand.” He paused. “Buffy, I trusted you for so long. I have to trust you now.” He started crying. “I just don’t want to see you die a third time.”
“I’ve been dead for ten years,” Buffy said tenderly. “I’m just a blip. A blast from the past, as it were.” Xander hugged Buffy fiercely.
“We won’t forget.”
“You do and I’ll kick your ass.” Xander went over to stand by the three teenagers. Angelus looked furious but could say nothing with the gag in his mouth.
Buffy turned to Willow. “Willow? You make one hell of a Watcher.” They hugged.
“Goodbye, Buffy. I’m glad I finally got to say it.” Willow joined Xander.
Buffy called to the teens. “Emily — four stars. Cale — keep being supportive. And Regan —” she paused. “I can see what Willow sees in you.” Regan looked puzzled. Willow glared at Buffy, who said, “She wasn’t supposed to know? Sorry.”
Finally Buffy turned to Cordelia, who had stopped crying and was looking at Buffy with, if anything, an expression of mild annoyance on her face. The former Master told Cordelia, “Don’t worry, Cordy, I saved the best for last.” She leaned forward and whispered in her ear. An expression of delight crossed Cordelia’s face.
“Really?”
Buffy nodded. Then she put her hand under Cordelia’s stomach. “Consider this … an early present.” Cordelia felt the mystical energy enter. Then she hugged Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the last time.
“Okay, guys,” Buffy said. “Don’t make this any harder.” The demon welled up again. “Go!” it growled.
Willow on one hand, and Cordelia on the other, dragged Xander from the rebuilt warehouse. Regan and Cale did the same with the half-conscious Emily. They could feel the energies from the Hellmouth begin to swirl around the room as Buffy slowly released bits and pieces into the air.
The last thing Willow heard before they left was Buffy telling a furious Angelus, “Don’t be worried. I could never hurt my beloved Angel. Angelus, though —” Then they were outside. Willow made sure to lead Xander and Cordelia to a safe distance away she told Regan and Cale to take Emily back to the library.
As Regan passed, she glanced at the warehouse and mouthed the word, “Sacrifice?” Willow grimly nodded yes.
Xander was crying inconsolably. Cordelia stood up and walked back a few feet. Willow had always been better at this than she had.
“She’s gone again, Will. The greatest person we’ve ever known and we’ve lost her twice.”
“Shh. It’s okay, it’s okay. We got through it before, we’ll do it again.”
“She’s gone this time for good, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” This set off a new wave of crying.
Behind them, Cordelia patted her stomach and whispered, “No. Not entirely.”
The warehouse exploded.