"" is episode 7 of season 5 of the television show ''
Buffy The Vampire Slayer ''. See also
List Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episodes .
Buffy is deeply wounded while fighting a vampire at the cemetery. Had Riley not shown up just as unexpectedly, she would have died. The failed patrol reminds her of her mortality and the dangers of her profession. She seeks Spike and bribes him into telling her how he killed two slayers in the past. It also gives a chance for Spike to tell more of his history. In the end, Buffy learns that slayers lose when their secret desire to be relieved of their burden cause them to seek peace, even if unconsciously, during a fight.
In a routine patrol at the cemetery, a vampire turns Buffy's stake around on her, and she is stabbed through the stomach. Thanks to Riley's appearance at the cemetery and his medical treatment skills, Buffy is saved. While Dawn helps cover for Buffy at home, Riley goes out the following night with the rest of the gang to sweep the cemetery. Giles and Buffy research to find out how previous slayers died. Unable to find any useful information, they realize that Spike killed two, and Buffy wants to know how.
At the Bronze, Buffy buys Spike food and beer so he will tell her the stories of how he killed Slayers. In London, 1880, William works on his poetry, but when it is read aloud, it is revealed that he was named "William the Bloody" because of his lack of poetic talent. He talks with a girl,
Cecily , whom he loves from afar. She does not care for him, telling him he's beneath her, which leads William to run away. Drusilla tracks him down, and after some persuasion, she makes him a vampire.
Back in the present, Riley locates the vampire that staked Buffy in a crypt with quite a few of his vampire friends. Spike plays pool while continuing his stories of the past. In Yorkshire, 1880, the newly named Spike battles with Angelus after causing trouble for his vampire family. Spike is hardly disturbed by Angelus's threats, as he entirely enjoys the chaos he's caused, not caring about the effect it had on Angelus and his clan.
During the Boxer Rebellion in China, 1900, Spike fought with the Chinese Slayer,
Xin Rong , and after a long battle, he kills her. While Spike and Drusilla revel in the kill of the Slayer and the taste of her blood, Angelus is less than excited. Spike talks proudly about his kill, explaining to Buffy that while a Slayer must reach for her weapon, a vampire is already armed. Riley goes to the crypt alone and after staking the vampire that hurt Buffy, before blowing up the rest with a grenade.
Spike continues his lessons with Buffy and tells the story of how he killed the second Slayer in New York, 1977. On a subway train, Spike and the Slayer battle until finally, he snaps her neck. Spike reveals to Buffy that every Slayer wants to experience death, after causing so much of it. Spike tries kiss her, but she pushes him away, telling him he's beneath her. She then tosses a pile of money at him as he sits on the ground. Spike actually starts crying, sobbing loudly (after Buffy goes back inside) for a few moments before regaining his composure. Furious that Buffy was able to get under his skin and turned him down so brutally, Spike returns to his crypt and arms himself with a riffle. He explains to Harmony that his temporary pain will be well worth the Slayer's death.
In South America, 1998, Spike's obsession and alliance with the Slayer keeps Drusilla at a distance. Buffy finds her mother packing and finds out that her mother is going into the hospital. Upset about her mother, Buffy sits on her back porch, where Spike finds her. The sight of her crying alters his plans to kill her. Instead, he just sits beside her and tries to comfort her, which she allows.
Buffy told Spike, "You're beneath me." She meant that Spike was not a worthy opponent to end her life, but it also reminds Spike of a previous love of his, the woman who said the same words to drive Spike into Drusilla's grasp in the first place. Given his infatuation with Buffy, both connotations hurt Spike immensely.
: Come on. I can feel it, Slayer. You know you want to dance.
: Say it's true. Say I do want to.
She shoves him to the ground and looks down at him with disgust.
: It wouldn't be you, Spike. It would never be you.
She tosses the wad of cash at him contemptuously.
: You're beneath me.
Buffy turns and walks off into the night, leaving Spike alone in the dark alley.
Spike throws open an old trunk and starts searching through the contents. Harmony looks at him with concern.
:: Spike, what are you doing?
:: (to himself)Beneath me... I'll show her.
He takes out a double-barreled shotgun, cracks the breech and loads two rounds.
::Put her six bloody feet beneath me. Hasn't got a death wish? Bitch won't need one.
: You can't keep this up forever. If I can't teach you, maybe someday an angry crowd will. That... or the Slayer.
Spike sits up, suddenly interested.
: What's a Slayer?
: Your
Poetry , it's... they're... not written about me, are they?
: They're about how I feel.
: Yes, but are they about me?
: Every syllable.
: Oh, God!
: Oh, I know... it's sudden and... please, if they're no good, they're only words but... the feeling behind them... I love you, Cecily.
: Please stop!
: I know I'm a bad poet but I'm a good man and all I ask is that... that you try to see me-
: I do see you. That's the problem. You're nothing to me, William. You're beneath me.
: (to Anya) You know what he's like? He's like a cat. You know, a big jungle cat. How come I'm not like that? It's just so cool.
: (munching) I think you're cool.
This episode consists largely of flashbacks. Some of the events recounted are seen from another viewpoint in ''
Darla '', first aired earlier the same night.
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
