Buffy and Angel continue to kiss in hello, but quickly turn to business and talk about the First. Caleb interrupts though as he rises from his seemingly dead spot on the ground and knocks Angel across the room. Buffy and Caleb go back into battle, but Buffy uses the ax to her advantage and slices Caleb in half, finally killing him. As Angel gets up, ready for more, Buffy shows him she's already taken care of the situation. Angel explains that the amulet he brought is meant to be worn by someone ensouled and more powerful than a human. Buffy realizes he intends to fight along side her in this battle, but she refuses, not about to let him risk his life when he could be the only hope in the case that she fails. As Buffy leaves, Angel confronts her on the Spike issue after he senses Spike's scent on her. With the knowledge that Spike has a soul, Angel starts to act jealous, but Buffy tells him Spike's not her boyfriend, he just important to her life. They start to talk about Buffy's future both with guys and in general. Buffy explains that she doesn't think she's reached her peak in life and she doesn't know who will be the one to join her in the future.
Angel leaves as Buffy tells him that she has given thought to her future and she hints that sometime, in the far off future, it could include him. Buffy returns home to a kick in the shin from Dawn, who scolds her for trying to get rid of her. Buffy concedes to Dawn being included in the final battle then she informs the others that she took care of Caleb. Spike punches a punching bag in the basement and Buffy comes down to see him. He tells her he saw her with Angel and she tries to explain what happened as something casual. Buffy sees that a hand-drawn picture of Angel is on the punching bag as Spike asks for the amulet, thinking that he's qualified to wear it in the battle. Buffy confirms her belief in that by handing over the amulet. Buffy suggests that she stay down in the basement with Spike and at first he pretends to object, then offers his true welcoming to her staying with him.
Late in the night, Buffy rises from Spike's arms and stares through the basement window as the First in Caleb's form approaches from the shadows. The First tells her she can't be saved then morphs into Buffy's form and proclaims the "Unto each generation..." speech. Spike wakes from a strange dream to find Buffy has realized something in light of the First's words: they're going to win. Buffy gathers the core gang in the bedroom and presents her plan. Willow expresses her fears of failure since it's her responsibility to pull this plan off, but everyone has confidence in Willow's ability. Dawn and Giles prepare to research everything as possible and Buffy hands Willow the scythe. Buffy talks with the entire group and talks to them about the final battle and how she's going to open the seal and fight the battle on the Hellmouth the next day. She presents them all with a very big choice they each have to make.
At the school, Faith and Robin block the various access routes in the school basement while they talk about the impending battle and their night together. When Robin begins to knock Faith's skills in the bedroom, Faith gets defensive and decides they should go again to prove it. Robin tells her she can have her chance if they survive the big battle. Willow prepares for the magic and tells Kennedy she may have to kill her in case Willow taps into an evil that's too dangerous. Kennedy reassures Willow that they're going to survive. Giles, Xander, Andrew and Amanda play a board game together, none of them able to sleep on the eve of their greatest battle. Meanwhile, Buffy goes downstairs and meets Spike again. The next day at the school, Robin, Xander and Buffy send the groups out to various positions around the school for their battle. Faith, Spike and the Potentials head to the basement, Kennedy goes to Robin's office to prepare Willow's spell and the others break up into groups of two where they'll battle any vampires that make it into the school.
Before breaking up, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles stand in a circle together and Buffy asks them what they're going to do the next day. Buffy, Willow and Xander talk of shopping and the mall and Giles can't believe the three are talking about something so unimportant at a time like this. They go their separate ways as Giles suspects the earth is doomed with such people protecting it. Later, Buffy, Faith and the Potentials surround the seal and ritualistically cut their hands and drip their blood onto the seal to open it. Kennedy sits opposite Willow as the witch prepares for the spell and checks to make sure Kennedy is ready to kill her in case things don't go smoothly. The seal opened, Buffy leads the way into the Hellmouth, while Spike informs her that the amulet doesn't appear to be doing much. As they stand on the edge of a large canyon, the girls begin to worry as they see thousands of ubervamps everywhere.
The ubervamps charge towards them as Buffy hopes desperately for the spell to take effect. The spell begins as we flashback to Buffy's speech to the gang. She tells them that Willow will tap into the scythe's power and give every potential Slayer and girls around the world the full power of the Slayer. As the ubervamps attack, Buffy, Faith and all the new full Slayers go into serious battle. Kennedy watches as Willow revels in the power she's tapped into, her hair turning pale white in the process, and then the spell ends and Willow returns to normal. Willow gives the new Slayer Kennedy the scythe, then passes out on the floor from exhaustion. Kennedy gets the scythe to Buffy and the real fun begins. A few ubervamps start to make it upstairs and the others begin their battle. Andrew tries to help Anya get over her fears by giving her happy thoughts, but instead he motivates her to be violent by mentioning bunnies.
The battle continues both in the school and inside the Hellmouth. The amulet begins to do something around Spike's neck, making him scream out in pain while Buffy is stabbed through the stomach with a sword, falling to the ground. Faith spots Buffy down and Buffy gives her Slayer sister the scythe to continue the fight. Meanwhile, upstairs, the non-Slayers struggle against Bringers and ubervamps. Anya is sliced in half with a sword by a Bringer and Robin is cut through the stomach, although his wound is not immediately deadly. In the Hellmouth, Buffy watches some of the Slayers fall to their death and she's is confronted by the First in her form, but this time Buffy tells the evil force off. The girls get a second punch of energy and ubervamps begin to die left and right. Suddenly, Spike is knocked back by the amulet and a bright light explodes around him. Sun is vented through the amulet, killing all of the ubervamps within reach. Faith orders all of the girls out and ushers everyone upstairs again.
The school begins to collapse and while Andrew is pulled to safety, Xander doesn't spot Anya's dead body lying on the ground as he retreats. As the Hellmouth begins to collapse around them, Spike tells Buffy to get out with the others, he has to stay to see this through. They grasp hands and a fire burns between their hands. Buffy tells him he loves her and although he knows she doesn't mean it, he appreciates the sentiment. As Faith gets on the bus, the last of the suspected survivors, the bus takes off and Dawn watches through the back window for her sister. The others tend to the wounded survivors and try to stay positive in light of the fact that they've survived thus far. Spike's body is burned away and crumbles into dust as the Hellmouth collapses, taking Sunnydale with it. Buffy runs, leaping from rooftop to rooftop as the collapse of Sunnydale chases after her. A final leap lands her on top of the bus, where she holds on for dear life.
The bus speeds away until it passes the city limit and they're safe to stop. Behind them, a crater remains where Sunnydale used to be. Buffy tells them that Spike saved them. Andrew lies to a worried Xander, explaining that Anya died heroically--saving Andrew's life. Faith checks on Robin and panics when he appears to die, but then comes awake again. At the edge of the crater, the gang revels in the fact that they've survived, that they've completely changed the world. Giles continues to talk shop, but the others just want to rest and enjoy their success. With the knowledge that their lives have all been changed and the new excess of Slayers makes it possible for them all to lead more normal lives, everyone asks Buffy what they're going to do now. Buffy just smiles.
