Two police officers rush into the library. From the looks of things, they believe that
Buffy has just murdered Kendra. They take her outside, where Principal Snyder
arrives with several more cops. Before one of them can cuff her, Buffy knocks the
guy down and flees the scene. After disguising herself in a coat and black cap,
Buffy goes to the hospital and runs into Xander, who is now wearing a cast on his
right forearm. They go to Willow's room, where she lies motionless in a coma.
Cordelia arrives, and Buffy learns that Giles was neither with her or in the hospital.
Giles has been taken to the vampire's mansion hideout, where Angel hopes to
force the necessary info concerning the ritual out of the Watcher. Meanwhile,
Joyce learns from the police that her daughter is suspected of murder and that
she's a fugitive from the law. Buffy goes to Giles apartment to see if he's there, but
instead meets Whistler, who has been waiting inside. He tells Buffy that Angel
was destined to stop Acathla, not revive him. However, Buffy's relationship with
Angel changed all that. Buffy leaves before Whistler can tell her how to stop the
demon. Outside, a patrolling officer recognizes Buffy and orders her to freeze.
Suddenly, Spike arrives and beats the cop into unconsciousness. He wants Buffy's
help in stopping Angel so he can have Drusilla back the way she used to be, in
exchange for his leaving town with Dru and never returning. After some hesitation,
Buffy decides to take him back to her house so they can plan their attack. They
get there just as Joyce is pulling into their driveway. As Buffy tries to make up an
excuse for Spike's presence, a vampire that has been spying on them attacks.
Right in front of Joyce's eyes, Buffy stakes the vampire spy, turning him to dust.
Realizing what she has to do, Buffy confesses to her mother that she is a vampire
slayer.
At the hospital, Xander pleads to Willow for her to wake up. She finally snaps out
of her coma just as Xander says that he loves her. The first word out of her mouth
is Oz's name, who arrives to greet her back to consciousness. Meanwhile, Giles
refuses to divulge the information that Angel needs to properly perform the ritual,
so more torture ensues. Back at the Summers home, Buffy and Spike agree to
work together, but only on the conditions that Dru can leave with Spike, and that
Giles survives. After Spike leaves, Joyce begs her daughter to explain everything
that's going on. Buffy tells her mom that there's no time to explain it all, which
furiates Joyce. Joyce doesn't want her daughter to be in charge of saving the world,
to which Buffy responds that she never wanted the duty in the first place. Joyce
tries to restrain her daughter from leaving the house, but Buffy pushes her back
against the kitchen counter. Joyce tells Buffy to never come back should she walk
out the door, but Buffy leaves anyways.
At the hospital, Willow tells the others that she is going to try the curse again.
Buffy returns to the library to retrieve the sword that Kendra brought. Principal
Snyder finds her there and promptly expels her due to all the trouble she's been
involved in. After Buffy leaves, Snyder calls someone to tell the Mayor that he has
good news. Meanwhile, Drusilla tricks Giles by making herself look and sound like
Jenny Calendar in his eyes. Giles says that Angel's blood is the key to the
awakening ritual. Homeless and expelled, Buffy has only one path to follow now.
She returns to Giles apartment and asks Whistler how to use the sword. He tells
her that only Angel's blood can open and close the vortex to Hell. With one blow,
both Angelus and the demon Acathla would be sent back to Hell, and the vortex
would be closed.
Xander catches up with Buffy on her way to the mansion. She tells him to
concentrate on freeing Giles and escaping. Xander does not inform Buffy that
Willow is attempting the curse again. Inside the mansion, Angel slices his hand
and approaches the sword in Acathla's chest. Suddenly, the ritual is interrupted by
Buffy's arrival. Angel doesn't even notice Spike rising out of his wheelchair from
behind. While Spike brutally beats Angel to the floor, Buffy takes one of the other
vampires in the room. During this battle, Xander unties Giles and gets him safely
outside. Spike doesn't get too many hits off before an enraged Drusilla jumps into
the fray, tackling Spike. While they fight, Angel manages to get back up and run to
Acathla. Just as Buffy drives a stake through the vampire's heart, Angel grabs the
sword with his bloody hand and finally pulls it out. Swords in hand, Buffy and Angel
engage in a sword duel. Elsewhere, Willow, Cordy, and Oz perform the curse of
restoration. Suddenly, Willow loses control of her actions and seemingly becomes
possessed by some spirit. Cordy and Oz watch in fright as Willow performs the
curse herself in perfect Latin. Spike subdues Drusilla and takes her with him as he
escapes from the mansion in his car. After the long duel, Buffy finally backs Angel
up against Acathla. Just as she is about to deliver the final blow, Willow completes
the curse, restoring Angel's soul to his body. Buffy lowers her sword as she
realizes the change, and the two lovers are finally reunited. However, it is too late,
for Acathla is now awake. Buffy looks over Angel's shoulder and sees Acathla's
mouth creating a vortex to Hell. Angel has no idea what is going on, so all that
Buffy can do is give her lover one last kiss before driving the sword through his
stomach, thus releasing the blood needed to close the vortex and send the two
demons back to Hell. Shocked, Angel reaches out towards Buffy with his right
hand, but nothing can be done now. Buffy watches as the vortex closes around
Angel, leaving the demon Acathla as nothing more than a silent statue once again.
Buffy goes home and packs up her belongings without Joyce ever knowing she had
returned. When Joyce enters the room, she finds a farewell letter from her daughter
left on the bed. At Sunnydale High, nobody knows what happened to Buffy and
Angel. Some believe that Buffy had to kill Angel before the curse was completed,
while others believe that Angel has been restored and they were taking time off to
be alone together. Unbeknownst to them, Buffy is standing far away by one of the
trees, giving her school and her friends one last look before hopping on a bus. The
bus heads out of Sunnydale, and Buffy faces an unknown future.
