3rd Person's POV

It's night and the school is pretty much empty, except for Laney and Buffy who are in the locker room. Buffy shuts her gym locker as Laney plays with a stake as she heads to the sinks and puts it down on one. She looks at herself in the mirror and absentmindedly turns on the water.

She had felt so bad about the whole Xander dating fiasco but it had to happen. No matter how much he wanted to disagree Laney knew that his feelings for Buffy were much greater than his feelings for her.

Laney frowns and looks at Buffy in the mirror. Buffy stands going through her book bag harshly. A thought of Xander and Buffy kissing goes in Laney's mind and she instantly becomes upset.

Groaning she bends down and splashes the water on her face. She takes her hands and rubs the water off then shuts off the valve. Standing up straight she looks in the mirror and sees that blood is dripping off her face. She screams making Buffy look up and scream also.

"Giles, you are not gonna believe this."

Buffy and Laney storm inside the library quickly trying to find Giles and tell him about the incident. They stop when they hear Giles talking and peek into his office.

"It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now!"

Angel moves into the light to read the Codex, and Buffy sees him.

"Angel?"

She heads toward the office pulling a confused Laney with her.

"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong."

Giles shakes his head, "I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real."

Angel shrugs, "Well, there's gotta be some way around it."

"Listen. Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."

"Then you're reading it wrong." Angel says angrily.

Giles holds his head, "I wish to God I were! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master, and she will die."

Laney glances over to see that Buffy is stunned.

Angel frowns, "Well, have you verified the text?"

Buffy begins to laugh. Angel and Giles see her and exchange a look. She slowly starts to walk away from the office door. Angel comes out of the office after her. She stops by the table and faces them. Giles stands in his office doorway beside Laney.

"So that's it, huh? I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is... Is it Laney? Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"

Giles sighs, "Buffy, I..."

"They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?"

Tears are flowing freely from her eyes. Angel tries to hug her, but she puts up her hands and quickly steps away.

"Don't touch me!"

"Buffy..." Laney whispers as tears start to fall from her eyes.

Buffy's anger softens then she looks at Giles with fury, "Were you even gonna tell me?"

"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was... some way around it. I..."

Buffy scoffs, "I've got a way around it. I quit!"

Angel shakes his head, "It's not that simple."

"I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over! Laney can stop him. She's as good as me if not better."

"Buffy stop it." Laney frowns looking at her friend breakdown.

Giles looks down at the ground in sadness, "I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the... the signs indicate..."

"The signs?" Buffy throws a book at him, "READ ME THE SIGNS!"

She throws another one, "TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!"

"No, I don't suppose I am."

Angel takes a step towards her, "I know this is hard."

Buffy shakes her head looking at him with wide, "What do you know about this? You're never gonna die!"

"You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure out a way..."

"I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention"

"Buffy, if the Master rises..."

Buffy yanks the cross from her neck and throws it at Giles, "I don't care!"

Laney takes a step towards Buffy but she backs up holding her hands up as she calms down, "I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die."

Giles is at a loss. Angel doesn't know what to say either. She walks out of the library without looking back. Laney looks over at the guys with anger and sadness written all over her face.

"Nice... real nice guys. This is why we close and lock the doors."

"I've seen so much."

Willow sits on her bed hugging her knees. She's been crying all afternoon now. She had been so shocked when she opened the door to the AV club room, just to see all the boys dead. All their blood splattered around the room. It was like a murder room, it scared her to no end.

Laney stands at the doorway with a sad expression while Buffy sits on the edge of Willow's bed.

"I thought I could take anything. But, Buffy, this... this was different."

Buffy nods, "It'll be alright."

"I'm trying to think how to say it... to explain it so you understand."

Laney shakes her head, "It doesn't matter as long as you're okay."

Willow whimpers, "I'm not okay. I knew those guys. I go to that room every day. And when I walked in there, it... it wasn't our world anymore. They made it theirs. And they had fun," a tear rolls down her cheek, "What are we gonna do?"

"What we have to."

Buffy gets up and exhales, "Promise me you'll stay in tonight, okay?"

Willow nods. Buffy starts to go.

"Buffy?"

Buffy stops and turns back.

Willow smiles through her tears, "I like your dress."

Buffy looks down at it and smiles weakly, then looks back up, "Take care."

She hurries past Laney and leaves. Willow looks down sadly and stays on her bed. Laney glances at Willow once more before running out the door behind Buffy.

Looking around on her porch she can't find Buffy anywhere.

"Uh oh..."

Running off her porch, she quickly makes her way to someone who she knows will help.