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Revelations

Prologue

Willow, Xander and Cordy are listening to the Dingos perform in the Bronze. The band takes a break, and Oz joins them at their table. The Bronze is crowded tonight, so Oz has to scrunch in beside Willow, forcing her up against Xander. Xander pulls away from her and shoves Cordy over a bit. Both Willow and Xander reach for the same drink, and when their hands touch they both recoil away from each other, knocking the glass to the floor.

“Why are you guys so hyper?” asks Cordelia.

In an effort to direct attention away from their strange behaviour together, Willow and Xander direct the conversation towards Buffy’s strange behaviour lately. They’ve noticed that she seems to be disappearing and going off on her own a lot. Cordy suggests that maybe she has gotten a new boyfriend.

“A boyfriend? Why wouldn’t she tell us?” asks Willow.

“Excuse me?” says Cordy. “When your last steady killed half the class, and then your rebound guy sends you a dump-o-gram? It makes a girl shy.”

“But we’re the best of Buffy’s bestest buds,” says Xander. “She’d tell us.”

Buffy has just arrived. “Tell you what?”

“About your new boyfriend,” says Willow, “who we made up. Unless we didn’t?”

Buffy is a little surprised that they are talking about her love life. Cordy wants to know if she’s dating anyone or not.

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘dating,’” says Buffy, “but I am going out with somebody. Tonight, as a matter of fact.”

“Really?” asks Willow. “Who?”

Faith pushes her way in between Buffy and Xander. “Yo, what’s up? Hey, time to motorvate,” she tells Buffy.

Buffy puts her arm around Faith’s shoulder. “Really, we’re just good friends.”

Giles sits sipping his tea while Buffy and Faith fight with a couple of vampires in the cemetery. They don’t seem to be in any hurry. They are just playing with the vamps. They finish them off by throwing them up back to back, and staking them simultaneously. They give each other a high five.

“Synchronised slaying,” says Buffy.

“New Olympic category,” says Faith.

Buffy turns to Giles. “What do you think?”

“Sloppy,” says a woman who has just appeared. Buffy, Faith and Giles all look at her in surprise. “You telegraph punches. Leave blind sides open and, for a school-night slaying, take entirely too much time. Which one of you is Faith?”

“Depends,” says Faith. “Who the hell are you?”

“Gwendolyn Post,” says the woman. “Mrs. Your new Watcher.”

Buffy and Faith exchange a look, and then look at Giles.

Act I

Buffy, Faith, Giles and Mrs. Post return to the library. Faith tells Mrs. Post that she doesn’t need a new Watcher. “No offense lady, I just have this problem with authority figures. They end up kind of dead.”

Mrs. Post isn’t interested in what Faith wants. Right now she is too busy inspecting Giles’ collection of books. She is disappointed with it. She is also disappointed with the way Giles has been handling things. She tells them that as well as taking over as Faith’s Watcher she has been sent to Sunnydale to evaluate Giles. “The fact is, there is talk in the Council that you have become a bit too…American.”

“Me?” asks Giles.

“Him?” asks Buffy.

Mrs. Post goes on to tell them that a demon named Lagos is coming to Sunnydale in search of the Glove in Myhnegon. She wants both Slayers to begin the search for it immediately. She knows that it is hidden in a tomb somewhere in Sunnydale. She wants Buffy and Faith to hit the cemetery.

“There is more than one in Sunnydale,” points out Giles.

“I see,” says Mrs. Post. “How many?”

“Twelve, within the city limits,” says Giles.

That bit of news seems to take Mrs. Post by surprise. “Well, we’ll just have to take them one at a time. Anything in your books that might pinpoint the exact location of the tomb would be useful, but then, we cannot ask for miracles.” She starts to leave, and orders Faith to accompany her.

“That was bracing!” says Giles after they have gone.

“Interesting lady,” says Buffy. “Can we kill her?”

“I think the Council might frown upon that,” says Giles. He suggests that it’s time for a bit of training.

Buffy ducks out for some time with Angel. They practice a little tai chi together, and almost fall into kissing before Buffy cuts it off.

Buffy gathers up her things. “I got to go. Big night for us Slayer types. People to see, demons to kill. Better hurry before somebody figures out what we’re doing.”

“What are we doing?” asks Angel.

“Training,” says Buffy, “And almost kissing. Sorry. It’s just…old habit. Bad, bad habit to be broken. You think they make a patch for this?”

Buffy tells Angel she is going to go try and vent a little of her frustration on a demon named Lagos. Angel seems to recognise the name. “Some demon looking for some all-powerful thingamabob,” she tells him. “And I got to stop him before he unleashes unholy havoc, and it’s another Tuesday night in Sunnydale.”

Angel tells Buffy to be careful as she leaves.

Giles slams shut the latest book in which he hasn’t been able to find any useful information. “Oh, this is intolerable. There’s not a word here about Lagos or the glove. We don’t have time for this near-missing.” He turns around to face Willow and Xander. “Just find out all you can about the demon. Its strengths, its weaknesses, its places of origin, and most importantly, what it plans to do with this blasted glove.”

“Hey, you’re not the Watcher of me,” says Xander.

“Then go home,” says Giles. “But if you choose to stay, then work.” He stalks off into his office. Xander heads up into the library stacks with Willow.

“It’s late. I’m tired,” says Willow. “What does he want from us, anyway?”

“The number of a qualified surgeon to remove the British flag from his butt?” asks Xander.

They sit down on the floor amid a pile of books, and Willow starts reading. The books are all starting to blur, and she starts rubbing at her temples, trying to relieve a growing headache. Xander takes over the rubbing.

“Oh, stop,” says Willow.

“Right.” Xander continues to rub. “Stop means no…and no means no, so, um…stop.” He finally does so, and picks up a book.

Willow grabs Xander’s face, and pulls it to hers for a kiss. The kiss goes on for a long time, until Giles comes back into the stacks.

“Willow, Xander” says Giles, as they break off the kiss. “You can stop your, uh, studying.”

Willow and Xander get quickly to their feet, wiping their mouths. They don’t know if Giles noticed what they were doing or not. His attention is on a book from a shelf down the aisle from them.

“I’ve got what I need,” says Giles without turning around.

Xander asks what Giles found, and he tells them that the glove is in the von Hauptman family crypt. Xander knows where that is in the Restfield Cemetery and volunteers to go check it out, and tell Buffy about it if he runs into her.

“And I’ll just keep studying,” says Willow. “I think we’re on the verge of a big Lagos breakthrough.”

“No, I’d say we’re done,” says Giles.

Buffy and Faith have checked out six of the cemeteries in town with no luck. As they proceed to the next one Faith talks about her history with guys, none of whom were any good. “Eventually, I just had to face up to my destiny as a loser magnet. Now it’s strictly get some, get gone. You can’t trust guys.”

“You can trust some guys,” says Buffy. She gets a doubtful look from Faith. “Really, I’ve read about them.”

Faith wants to hear about Buffy’s history with guys, especially Angel. “I’ve had my share of losers, but you… you boinked the undead. What was that like?”

“Life with Angel’s… was complicated,” says Buffy. “It’s still a little hard for me to talk about.”

“Well, try,” says Faith.

Buffy stops walking. “Look, Faith, all the Angel issues are still kind of with me, so if you don’t mind, I’d rather not.”

Faith shrugs. “Yeah, whatever.” She suggests that Buffy call it a night. She can check out the Shady Hill Cemetery on her own, and then will call it quits herself.

Faith meets Lagos searching a tomb in the cemetery. She thinks it is her lucky night. She attacks it, but she doesn’t get very far. Lagos just grabs her and tosses her away.

Faith comes back and attacks Lagos again. This time Lagos hits her harder, and leaves a hurt Faith lying on the ground. It’s too busy searching for the glove to finish her off.

Xander arrives at the von Hauptman crypt. He’s having second thoughts about the wisdom of his being out there alone. “Hey, Giles,” he says to himself. “Here’s a nifty idea: why don’t I alleviate my guilt by going out and getting myself really, really killed?”

Xander hears a noise as he approaches the crypt. He hides in the bushes. He sees Angel leaving the crypt carrying something wrapped in cloth.

Xander follows Angel back to the mansion. He creeps quietly down the back stairs into the garden. He looks in through the garden doors, and sees Buffy and Angel kissing.

Act II

Buffy and Angel break off their kiss.

“Oh, God, What am I doing?” asks Buffy. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know,” says Angel.

“Shame on you!” Buffy starts to gather up her things. “Oh, god, I don’t even know why I came back here.”

Angel is glad that Buffy came. He shows her the Glove of Myhnegon. It is a heavy metal gauntlet, with talon like claws on the fingertips. She reaches out to touch the glove, but Angel stops her. Once you put it on the glove can never be removed.

“So, no touching,” says Buffy. “Kind of like us.” She tells Angel to hold on to it, until she can tell Giles about it next morning.

Giles has returned home to continue his research. He finds an illustration of the Glove of Myhnegon, which he shows to Mrs. Post.

Mrs. Post is unimpressed. “Yes, engraved by Father Theodore of Wolsham. Based, I believe, on very sketchy and unreliable folk legends. The pictures are fun to look at, Mr. Giles, but one really ought to read the nice words as well.”

Giles covers his discomfiture by going to the kitchen to take care of the tea kettle which has started to whistle.

“I know that you must find me tiresome, but it’s insidious really,” says Mrs. Post. “A person slips up on the little things, and soon everything has gone to hell in a handbasket.” Giles gets out a couple of cups with tea bags in them. Mrs. Post removes the bag from her cup, and pulls her own box of tea from her purse. “For example, Buffy, your Slayer.”

Giles pours the hot water into the cups. “Mrs. Post, I can assure you that Buffy is both dedicated and industrious, and I am in complete control of my Slayer.”

Xander bursts into Giles’ apartment. “Giles! We have a big problem. It’s Buffy.”

Buffy enters the library next morning, anxious to tell everyone her good news. She has the glove. She stops when she sees the expressions on all her friend’s faces. They are not happy.

Giles directs Buffy to take a seat. Xander gets out of the chair he’s sitting in, and shoves it around to the end of the table for Buffy. He stays standing.

Buffy sits down. “What’s going on?”

“We know Angel is alive,” says Giles. “Xander saw you with him. It would appear that you’ve been hiding him and that you lied to us.”

“Nobody’s here to blame you, Buffy,” says Willow. “But this is serious. You need help.”

“It’s not what you think,” says Buffy.

“Hope not,” says Xander, “Because I think you’re harbouring a vicious killer.”

“This isn’t about attacking Buffy,” says Willow. “Remember, ‘I’ statements only. ‘I feel angry.’ ‘I feel worried.’”

“Fine,” says Cordelia. “Here’s one: I feel worried. About me! Last time around, Angel barely laid a hand on Buffy. He was way more interested in killing her friends.”

“But he’s better now,” says Buffy.

“Better for how long, Buffy?” asks Xander. “I mean, did you even think about that?”

Buffy gets out of the chair. “What is this, Demons Anonymous? I don’t need an intervention, here.”

“Oh, don’t you?” asks Giles. “You must’ve known it was wrong seeing Angel or you wouldn’t have hidden it from all of us.”

“I was going to tell you, I was,” says Buffy. “It was just that I didn’t know why he came back. I just wanted to wait.”

“For what?” asks Xander. “For Angel to go psycho again the next time you give him a happy?”

“I’m not going t—” says Buffy. “We’re not together like that.”

“But you were kissing him,” says Oz.

Buffy considers the implications of what Oz has said for a few seconds, and turns on Xander. “You were spying on me? What gives you the right?”

“What gives you the right to suck face with your demon lover again?” asks Cordelia.

“It was an accident,” says Buffy.

“What? You just tripped and fell on his lips?” asks Xander.

“It was wrong, okay?” says Buffy. “I know that, and I know that it can’t happen again. But you guys have to believe me. I would never put you in any danger. If I thought for a second that Angel was going to hurt anyone—”

“You would stop him. Like you did last time with Miss Calendar,” says Xander.

Willow intervenes before Buffy can do anything to Xander. “Buffy, I feel that when it comes to Angel, you can’t see straight. And that’s why we’re, we’re all going to help you face this.”

“But he’s better now,” says Buffy. “I swear. Look, you guys, he’s the one that found the Glove of Myhnegon. He’s keeping it safe for us in the mansion.”

This is not good news to Xander. “Right! Great plan. Leave tons of firepower with the Scary Guy, and leave us to clean up the mess.”

“You would just love an excuse to hurt him, wouldn’t you?” asks Buffy.

“I don’t need an excuse,” says Xander. “I think lots of dead people actually constitutes a reason.”

“Right,” says Buffy. “This is all nobility. This has nothing to do with jealousy.”

“Hello?” says Cordelia. “Miss Not-Over-Yourself-Yet?”

“Don’t you start with me.” Buffy warns her.

“Giles!” says Willow. “No one’s doing the ‘I’ statements!”

This has gone on long enough for Giles. They are not accomplishing anything. “That’s enough! Everybody. Now Buffy knows our concerns, and her actions, however ill-advised, can be understood. Our priority right now is to retrieve the Glove of Myhnegon and try to destroy it. Now, all of you, back to classes.”

All of the others get up, and go, and Giles goes into his office.

Buffy hangs back, for a bit, and then follows him. “Thanks, for the bail in there. I know this is a lot to absorb, but Angel did find the glove, and that was a good—”

“Be quiet.” snaps Giles. “I won’t remind you that the fate of the world often lies with the Slayer. What would be the point? Nor shall I remind you that you’ve jeopardized the lives of all that you hold dear by harbouring a known murderer. But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me—for hours—for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn’t. You have no respect for me, or the job I perform.”

Giles turns his back on Buffy and sits down at his desk. Buffy stands silently for a moment before she turns and goes.

Mrs. Post knocks on Faith’s door. Faith answers it with a stake in her hand ready to strike.

“A word of advice?” Mrs. Post tells Faith as she comes in. “Vampires rarely knock. Especially in daylight.

Gwendolyn looks around Faith’s motel room. She thinks that it is very Spartan. She approves. A true warrior doesn’t need anything else. “I’m going to be very hard on you, Faith. I will not brook insolence or laziness. And I will not allow blunders like last night’s attack. You will probably hate me a great deal of the time.”

“Ya think?” asks Faith.

“But I will make you a better Slayer,” says Mrs. Post, “And that will keep you alive. You have to trust that I am right. God only knows what Mr. Giles has been filling your head with.”

“Giles is okay,” says Faith.

“His methods are unfathomable to me,” says Mrs. Post. “I find him entirely confounding. But that is not important. Let him have his games and secret meetings.”

“What meetings?” asks Faith.

“Oh, I don’t know,” says Gwendolyn. “Something with Buffy and her friends.”

“Oh, right,” says Faith. “I guess that doesn’t include me.”

Mrs. Post goes on to complain a bit more about Giles, and the way he is managing Buffy, before suggesting that she and Faith do a little training.

Buffy finds Willow at her locker. “So on a scale of one to a million, how much are you hating me right now?”

Willow seems a little nervous. “Zero! You were scared, you kept a secret, you know? That’s—it’s okay. I mean, secrets aren’t bad. You know, they’re normal. They’re better than normal. They’re good. Secrets are good. Must be a reason why we keep them, right?” She asks Buffy if she’s planning to go to the Bronze tonight, or if she’s sneaking off for another not-so-secret rendezvous with Angel.

Buffy has other plans. She intends to go looking for Lagos at the von Hauptman crypt. He doesn’t know that they have the Glove, and Lagos is bound to show up looking for it. She hopes that killing Lagos will help to get her back into Giles’ good graces.

Faith finds Xander playing pool at the Bronze. She tells him that she knows about the meeting, and figures that it was about the glove. There is something about it they aren’t telling her.

“The Glove of Myhnegon?” asks Xander. “Right.” He lines up his next shot. “How’d you like a hit of some real news: Angel’s still alive.” He takes his shot.

“The vampire?” asks Faith.

“Back in town. Saw him myself. Toting the popular and famous glove.” He starts to line up his next shot.

“Angel,” says Faith. “Guy like that, with that kind of glove, could kill a whole mess of people.”

“Said the same thing to Buffy myself,” says Xander. “Weird how she didn’t seem to care.”

“Buffy knew he was alive,” says Faith. “I can’t believe her.”

Xander walks around the pool table for his next shot. “She says he’s clean.”

“Yeah, well, I say we can’t afford to find out,” says Faith. “I say I deal with this problem right now. I say I slay.”

“Can I come?” asks Xander.

Mrs. Post arrives in Giles’ office. Giles tells her that they have the glove, and that a friend of Buffy’s is holding it in the mansion on Crawford Street.

Mrs. Post is anxious to get to the glove quickly so that it can be re-hidden in a safe place. Giles has a different idea. He has learned how to destroy it. He has found a spell to create Living Flame, which will destroy the glove. He turns his back on her to get his book.

“Well,” says Gwendolyn. “I must say, Mr. Giles. Good show.” She picks up a heavy wooden statue from Giles’ shelf and bashes him on the head with it.

Giles is stunned by her blow, but isn’t quite out. He turns to look at her, dazed.

“Good show indeed.” Mrs. Post hits Giles on the head again, and he falls to the floor, unconscious.

Act III

Buffy and Willow wait for Lagos in the Restfield Cemetery, and talk about secrets. Buffy sits on a bench, and watches Willow pace.

Willow wants to know how Buffy felt about keeping Angel’s return a secret, and how it is now that everyone knows. Buffy tells her that keeping the secret was hard work, and that now that everyone knows about it, things are much easier.

Willow sits down beside Buffy on the bench. “Can I ask you a question? When you were with Angel and nobody knew about it, did that make it feel, you know, sexier somehow?”

“Not really,” says Buffy. “It’s too much pressure. After a while, it even makes the fun parts not so fun. What makes you think all this secret stuff is sexy, anyway?”

“Nothing,” says Willow, “I’m just wondering. Got to keep asking the big old questions when you’re blessed with this girl’s thirst for knowledge and…okay. There’s something I have to tell you.”

“What?” asks Buffy.

“Okay.” Willow gets up and starts to pace again. “This will make me feel better, right? You know, I always consider myself a good person. Floss, do my homework, never cheat. But lately—and please don’t judge me on this—but I want you to be the first to know that, that…” She looks around and sees Lagos approaching from behind Buffy. “…there’s a demon behind you.”

Buffy spins around and sees the demon. She attacks it. At first she doesn’t fair much better than Faith, until she kicks it in the crotch, and Lagos doubles over in pain. This brings the handle of the battle axe Lagos is carrying slung on its back into Buffy’s reach. She grabs it and uses it to cut off Lagos’ head.

Buffy returns to Willow. “Sorry about that. So, what were you saying?”

“Oh, I…I opened my SAT test booklet five minutes early,” says Willow. “Just doesn’t seem important now, does it?”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” says Buffy. “Come on. Let’s go bring Giles some happiness.”

Xander and Faith stop off at the library for weapons. Xander calls dibs on the crossbow while Faith loads up on stakes and other weapons.

Xander hears a moan coming from Giles’ office as they’re leaving. They go in and find Giles unconscious on the floor.

Faith thinks Angel did it. Xander isn’t convinced. It’s not Angel’s style. He phones 911, and tries to talk Faith into staying with him while they wait for help, but Faith isn’t listening. She’s even more determined to go after Angel now.

Angel is performing the ceremony to create Living Flame to destroy the glove in his mansion.

Buffy and Willow arrive at the library as the paramedics are taking Giles away. Buffy stashes Lagos’ axe behind the library counter before they can see it and rushes to Giles’ side.

Giles is starting to regain consciousness, but he’s still pretty delirious. He tells Buffy to use Living Flame to destroy the glove, but the paramedics wheel him away before he can tell her what happened to him. After they go Buffy asks Xander what happened.

“Your boyfriend’s not as cured as you thought,” says Xander.

“What makes you think that Angel had anything to do with this?” asks Buffy.

“We saw what you saw,” says Xander.

“So you just assume?” asks Buffy.

“I didn’t,” says Xander. “Faith did.”

“What did you tell her?” asks Buffy.

“Only what everyone knows,” says Xander. “She’s a big girl. Came to her own conclusions.”

“How much of a head start does she have?”

“Ten minutes.”

Buffy turns to Willow. “Go through Giles’ research. Figure out how to destroy the glove.” She glares at Xander for a second and then runs out of the library.

Xander turns to Willow and starts to say something, but Willow doesn’t want to hear it. “Shut up and help me.”

Gwen Post arrives at Angel’s mansion and tells him that Giles has sent her to help him destroy the glove. She looks over his preparations, and tells him that it must be done correctly, or the glove will only be made even more powerful. She asks where the glove is. Angel indicates the trunk he has it locked in, and turns to open it.

Mrs. Post grabs a shovel and bashes Angel over the head with it. “That’s what I love about this town. Everyone’s so helpful!”

Act IV

Gwendolyn uses the shovel to break the lock on the trunk. Angel gets to his feet behind her. He’s wearing his game face. “Okay, that hurt.”

Gwendolyn is surprised that Angel’s still alive. “It was supposed to kill you. If you’d been human, it would have.” She breaks the shovel over her knee, making herself a stake. “But, I believe this is your poison.”

Post attacks Angel again, but this time he’s ready, and has no problem dealing with her. He deflects her attack, and tosses her against the wall. She slumps to the floor, unconscious.

Faith finds Angel leaning over Mrs. Post’s unconscious body. She assumes the worst, and attacks Angel. Angel assumes that Faith is some sort of confederate of Mrs. Post’s, but he isn’t a match for a brassed off Slayer in his current condition. Just as Faith is about to finish him off, Buffy arrives and blocks her plunging stake. Buffy grabs Faith and pulls her away from Angel.

Xander and Willow have found the formula for Living Flame, and have assembled and mixed the ingredients needed to make it.

“Think we got it?” asks Xander.

“Well, it’s either the catalyst for Living Flame or just some really smelly sand,” says Willow. “We’ll have to test this.”

“I’ll double-check.” Xander flips through the pages of a book. He suddenly stops.

“What?” asks Willow.

“I know what the glove does.” Xander shows Willow the page he stopped on.

“There’s no time to test this,” says Willow. They pour their mixture into a plastic bag, and run from the library.

Buffy and Faith face off against one another. “I can’t let you do it, Faith.”

“You’re confused, Twinkie,” says Faith, “Let me clear you up. Vampire. Slayer. Dead vampire.”

“There’s a lot that you don’t understand,” says Buffy.

“Faith,” says Gwendolyn weakly, “She doesn’t know. She’s blinded by love.”

“Faith, no,” says Buffy.

“Trust me,” says Mrs. Post.

Buffy drops her guard. “Faith, we can figure this out—”

Faith is done talking. She delivers a spinning kick to Buffy’s head. Buffy recovers quickly, and the two of them fight, Slayer against Slayer. They are pretty evenly matched. The fight smashes through the glass doors out into Angel’s garden.

Xander and Willow arrive as Mrs. Post is getting back to her feet. She sends Xander to go help Faith.

Xander rushes out into the garden and tries to get between the two Slayers to get them to stop. Faith grabs him, and tosses him aside.

Mrs. Post goes to the trunk, and gets the glove. “Finally!”

Mrs. Post’s attitude is a little too eager for Willow’s liking, but before she can do anything Gwen whirls around and hits her with the glove, knocking Willow to the floor.

Mrs. Post slides her hand into the glove, and makes a fist. Curved metal spikes sink into her flesh, permanently attaching the glove to her arm. She raises the glove toward Angel’s skylight. “Taou huogan maqachte milegaing!” ¹ Lightning flashes overhead.

This gets Faith’s attention. She and Buffy stop fighting, and both of them look towards Mrs. Post in surprise.

“What’s going on?” asks Faith.

Gwendolyn lowers her arm and looks over at Faith. “Faith! A word of advice: you’re an idiot.”

Mrs. Post raises her arm to the sky. “Tauo freim!” ² Lightning crashes through the skylight and into the glove. Post lowers the glove and points it toward Buffy and Faith. “Tauo freim!” Another bolt of lightning flashes toward them from the glove. Buffy and Faith jump out of its path.

Willow is climbing back to her feet. Post turns and takes aim at her. Angel pushes Willow out of the way as Post fires.

Buffy asks Faith provide a distraction while she looks for a weapon to use against Post. Buffy finds a large piece of glass from the broken garden doors while Faith draws more fire from the glove.

“There’s nothing you can do to me now,” says Mrs. Post. “I have the glove. With the glove comes the power.”

“I’m getting that.” Buffy throws the piece of glass.

The glass slices through Post’s arm, cutting it, and the glove off above her elbow. She screams, and vanishes in a bolt of lightning.

Everyone gathers around the smoking pile of ashes, and the stump of Mrs. Post’s arm. The Glove of Myhnegon releases its hold on it.

Epilogue

Xander and Willow are in the student lounge with Cordy and Oz. They have been filling them in on the events of the previous night. “Sounds like we missed a lot of fun,” says Oz.

“Then we’re telling it wrong,” says Xander.

“What do you think Buffy and Angel are going to do?” asks Willow. “He saved me from a horrible flamey death. That sort of makes me like him again.”

“Well, as long as she and Angel don’t get pelvic,” says Xander, “we’ll be okay, I guess.”

Buffy arrives. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Oddly enough, your boyfriend,” says Oz. “Again.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Buffy takes the seat beside Xander. “Really, truly, he’s…I don’t know.” She looks over at Xander and Cordelia. “Are we cool?”

“Yeah!” says Xander. “Just seeing the two of you kissing after everything that happened, I leaned toward the postal. But I trust you.”

“I don’t,” says Cordy. “Just for the record.”

Buffy hears a voice clear behind her and looks around. It’s Giles. His head is bandaged, and he has a cup of tea in his hand. “Let me guess: Gwendolyn Post: not a Watcher.”

“Yes, she was,” says Giles. “She was, uh, kicked out by the Council a couple of years ago for misuses of dark power. They swear there was a memo.”

“Well, I better go.” Buffy gets up from the sofa. “Little more damage control.”

Willow watches Buffy go. “The whole Angel thing is so weird.”

Giles sits down in the spot vacated by Buffy. “Yes, well, we’ll have to see how that unfolds, won’t we?”

Buffy arrives at Faith’s motel room, and finds her watching an old Dragnet episode on TV. Faith does not seem pleased to see her.

“Look,” says Buffy. “Gwendolyn Post, or whoever she may be, had us all fooled. Even Giles.”

“Yeah, well, you can’t trust people,” says Faith. “I should’ve learned that by now.”

“I realize this is going to sound funny coming from someone that just spent a lot of time kicking your face,” says Buffy, “but you can trust me.”

“Is that right?” asks Faith.

“I know I kept secrets, but I didn’t have a choice. I’m on your side.”

“I’m on my side,” says Faith, “and that’s enough.”

“Not always.”

“Is that it?” asks Faith.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Alright. Well, then, I’ll see you,” says Faith. Buffy starts to go. “Uh, Buffy?”

Buffy turns back toward her. “Yeah?”

Faith doesn’t say anything for a while. “Nothing.”

Buffy opens the door and leaves Faith alone in her room.

Death Toll

Notes

1. Translation: Be mine, the power of Myhnegon!
2. Translation: Be free!