Season 2 Episode 22 - Becoming(2)

A police officer yells, "Freeze!" and points a gun at Buffy. Despite her loud protests, the police clearly believe that she was somehow responsible for Kendra's death and the rest of the mayhem at the library. Principal Snyder's less-than-glowing opinion of her doesn't help to convince them otherwise, and she is placed under arrest. But as the cop starts to handcuff her and read her her rights, she lashes out, disabling the cop and evading a bullet as she runs from the school. Buffy is a fugitive.

Disguised in a black coat and hat, she arrives at the hospital to check on Willow. Xander tells her that Willow suffered head trauma, and the longer she's unconscious the less likely it is that she'll wake up. Then Cordelia arrives, and from her account of events they realize that Giles is missing, and must have been taken by the vampires. This is indeed what happened, as Giles wakes up in the mansion, where Angel threatens to torture him if he doesn't tell Angel how to revive Acathla... and even if he does. Meanwhile, the police tell Buffy's mother about what happened, and ask her to call them if Buffy turns up. Buffy, in fact, heads to Giles' house. There she meets the mysterious Whistler, who says he's a demon sent to balance out good and evil. That means stopping Angel from reviving Acathla. His cryptic ramblings about "knowing how to use the other sword" make no sense to Buffy, though, and she leaves. On her way home, a cop stops her and holds a gun on her. Suddenly he's knocked unconscious... by Spike!

Despite Buffy's instinctive violent reaction (she tries to kill him), Spike tells her that he's there as her ally. He says he really has no interest in destroying the world, like Angel does, and only really wants Drusilla back, so he's willing to work with her towards that end. When he tells her that Angel has Giles at the mansion, Buffy warily accepts his offer. At the hospital, Xander talks to Willow, tenderly telling her that she can't die, that he needs her... and that he loves her. At last her eyelids flutter and she awakens, mumbling, "Oz?" Oz indeed does show up at that moment, tenderly kissing Willow's forehead. It seems she'll be okay. Walking home, Buffy and Spike run into Buffy's mother, who is frantic with worry, and wondering who the heck Spike is. Buffy and Spike's improvised excuses seem to be working until a vampire leaps from the bushes and attacks. Before her mother's eyes, Buffy dusts the vamp. The truth is out. "Mom," says Buffy, "I'm a Vampire Slayer."

Buffy fills Willow and Xander in on what's happened over the phone. Then it's time for her and Spike to talk. Spike says that all he wants is Dru. If Buffy lets him and Drusilla leave, they'll never cross paths again, and Spike will help her finish Angel. Buffy accepts the deal, but as she prepares to leave her mother intervenes. Joyce thinks it's insanity and can't understand. She tells Buffy that if she leaves the house she shouldn't bother coming back. Shooting her mother a dark look, Buffy reluctantly walks out into the night. At the hospital, Willow decides to try casting the Gypsy curse one more time, while at the mansion Giles continues to resist Angel's brutal tortures and Buffy heads to the library to retrieve an ornate sword. While there, she runs into Principal Snyder, who gleefully expels her from school. At the mansion, Dru casts a spell on Giles, manifesting herself as Jenny Calendar. Taken in by the illusion, the weakened and delirious Giles reveals to her that Angel's blood is the key to awakening Acathla. Stopping by Giles' house, Buffy gets the same information from Whistler, who tells her that Angel's blood must also be used to close Acathla's vortex.

As day breaks, Willow begins the curse ritual, while Angel begins his own ritual to revive Acathla. Buffy bursts into the mansion with Xander in tow, and chaos ensues. Xander rescues Giles, and Buffy faces Angel. Just then, Spike rises from his wheelchair and strikes Angel across the back repeatedly. Drusilla goes mad, attacking Spike to stop him from hurting Angel, and while Buffy is distracted by another vampire, Angel manages to get up and complete the ritual, pulling the sword from Acathla's petrified body. At the hospital, the ritual is having some effect, as Willow suddenly appears to be possessed and starts speaking fluent Romany. Spike renders Dru gently unconscious, taking her away as Angel fights Buffy. Back and forth they fight until, suddenly, Angel staggers, just as the Thessulan Orb at the hospital disappears. The curse has worked, Angel has his soul back! He asks Buffy what's going on as she realizes what's happened and kisses him passionately. But when she pulls away, she sees that Acathla has reawakened, and the whirlpool that will suck the whole world into Hell has formed. Tearfully she tells Angel to close his eyes. Kissing him one last time, she plunges the sword through him, and both the whirlpool and a wide-eyed Angel disappear as Buffy bursts into tears. Later that day, Joyce finds a note on Buffy's bed. As Willow returns to school in a wheelchair, Buffy gets on a bus and leaves Sunnydale.