aired on: April 24, 2001

written by: Jane Espenson

directed by: Michael Gershman

Giles is helping wash the dishes. When they're alone, with a look, Buffy tells Giles that Dawn still needs some time to recover from their mother's death. Buffy admits to still having some rough times herself. Giles suggests that Buffy return to her training to help restore a routine, but she is hesitant. When Giles presses, she begins to admit her reservations.

She is wondering what kind of life it is to be constantly fighting for your life; what does that do to an individual? She worries that being The Slayer will make her into an obsessive warrior that can't cope with everyday life nor have normal relationships. She fears that she is beginning to harder her heart to her sister, friends and lovers, in order to be a better fighter. Giles wants to protest, but she continues, citing Riley and Dawn as examples of loved ones that she should have reached out to but didn't. Then she voices concern that she didn't do enough to show her mother how much she loved her.

Giles tries to reassure her on that point. Buffy wonders, though, if working towards being a better Slayer, a better warrior, doesn't drive one away from relationships, doesn't make one hard and insensitive to others. As an example, she tries to express how difficult it is for her to simply say that she loves Giles. She feels a lot of concern over this problem.

Giles tells her that sometimes when troubled, Slayers have gone on vision quests. Giles knows of an appropriate place in the desert to seek her answers. Buffy doesn't want to leave Dawn with the danger of Glory so close, but Dawn joins them and insists that they will all be better off if Buffy resolves her dilemma. Buffy takes the opportunity to tell Dawn that she loves her. She is so emphatic that Dawn quickly becomes uncomfortable. Buffy tells her that love that makes you feel weird is better than no love at all.

Spike is gazing lovingly on Warren's latest creation, a electro-mechanical Buffy. Warren is a genius robot-maker, especially women, whom Spike coerced into making for him a Buffy. Warren is anxious to get away, but Spike isn't yet convinced that Warren has delivered the goods, until Robo-Buffy opens her eyes and runs to Spike's lips.

Glory is depressed that things are not going her way. Ben is against her and Buffy still hides The Key. Her minions try to reassure her that they now have a valuable clue in their search, provided by Ben, that the key is an innocent person. She reminds them that time is running out for her plans, she is trapped on Earth far from her hell dimension and she shares a body with her adversary, Ben. She instructs her minion to watch Buffy's every move. She wants them to find out who is new in Buffy's life and observe how she treats others for clues as to which of them may be The Key. She seems to think that The Key must be a new person in Buffy's life without realizing that the monks that transformed The Key could have also created a false past for that person, like they did for Buffy's sister, Dawn, when they created her.

Giles drives Buffy into the desert, his bright red BMW convertible looking alien among the rocks and cacti. They stop and Giles retrieves some artifacts from the trunk. The landscape looks similar to that where Buffy fought the First Slayer in her mind. Giles explains that the sacred place is near, but even he doesn't know the exact spot. He will perform a ritual and metaphorically hand Buffy over to a spirit guide, who will take her the rest of the way. When Buffy asks about the ceremony that Giles must perform, he is forced to admit that it is embarrassingly similar to dancing the "Hokey-Pokey".

Spike is sparring with his Buffy-oid, as a form of foreplay. He seizes her and they playfully teases each other about how evil and dangerous he is. She throws him through the air, to land on his bed. She jumps on top of him with a stake but quickly surrenders to him and you can guess the rest.

Giles sits in the center of a circle of twigs reading aloud from a book of unknown language, as Buffy wanders the desert. She hears a growl and sees a mountain lion where a second ago there was nothing. She follows the prowling animal. The cat leads Buffy to the exact spot where she fought the aboriginal First Slayer.

Xander, Anya, Tara and Dawn are gathered at Willow and Tara's place. Tara finishes a warning spell for the apartment, but admits that Willow is much better than she is at magic and would do a better job. Anya suggests that she and Xander blow off their scheduled patrol and stay in. Tara tells of a TV show on the Salem witch trials that she and Willow wanted to see and Anya, speaking from experience, comments that, of course, the tribunal never did manage to catch any real witches, they used magic to escape. Outside the window, one of Glory's servants watches and listens.

Spike and Stepford-Buffy lie together as they repeat what sound like well-rehearsed words of love. The mechanical Buffy is really a bad actress, but Spike doesn't mind, as she alternates between fear and desire. When she asks if he wants a playback of the scene, it ruins the illusion and he instructs her to act more like Buffy, to be Buffy.

Willow leaves class followed by a robed figure loyal to Glory. Meanwhile, the Buffy-atron dresses and leaves a slumbering Spike to begin her Slayer patrol. In the desert, Giles drinks from a thermos, as the cold night air descends the desert. Buffy sits on a rock, on the verge of sleep.

Electro-Buffy meets Xander and Anya on patrol, her database files quickly tell her who they are. She speech is incredibly awkward, but Xander barely has time to wonder about it, before Spike comes stumbling out of the trees. He's obviously winded from chasing the Buffy-ator and he has to keep avoiding her attempts to snuggle while he tries to get Xander and Anya to go away. Suddenly four vampires come out of the woods at them.

During the fight, Glory's toadies watch the Buffy-amation's concern for Spike. After the battle, Spike insists that they've done enough and Xander and Anya should go home. His Buffy agrees. After they leave, Buffy-ette notices that she's still hot and bothered from the fight. They are quickly in each other's arms. A short distance away, Xander wonders why someone didn't tell him that Buffy's vision quest was done and what came out of it. Anya is unconcerned, but Xander worries that she still seems a little strange, maybe an after-effect of the quest. Then he realizes that Buffy didn't ask about her sister. When they stop, they can hear gasping and moaning. They sneak back to find Buffy-doll riding on top of Spike, with her skirt covering their coupling.

The witch trials are only depressing Willow as she and Tara snuggle on the couch. Xander and Anya arrive and confirm that Dawn is asleep before sharing the horrifying news. Willow is the only one that seems willing to trust Buffy, somewhat. Xander decides to find Buffy and bring her back. Anya suggests a good hard slap like they do to hysterical people in the movies. Xander does tell them that he will knock himself unconscious if he sees such a horrible sight again.

Buffy tries to sleep on her rock. She hears a noise and instantly she is awake and alert. There is a large, tall fire in front of her and the First Slayer crouches on the other side of the flames.

Spike and Robo-Buffy are interrupted by a noise. Spike instructs the machine to hide until he comes for her. Xander arrives and tells him that the jig is up. He thinks that Spike is taking advantage of Buffy's grief over her mother's death. Spike thinks that even if it were true, he wouldn't be a gentleman if he turned her down. Xander grabs Spike and tells him that Buffy's friends will do whatever it takes to protect her, even if it means hunting Spike down and killing him.

Jinx, one of Glory's top grovelers, interrupts the two. Spike wonders if the many brown-robed gnomes are with Xander. When one of the minions punches Xander, Spike leaps to the attack, but they manage to knock out Xander and overwhelm Spike. They think that Spike is The Key and they carry him off to Glory.

Buffy recognizes the figure, but a voice in her head tells her that the form that appears to her is unimportant, the spirit guide is within. Buffy asks about love, true love, but the guide already knows the questions for which Buffy seeks answers. Does protecting humanity eventually prevent her from being fully human? ...From being able to fully experience love? The spirit says that Buffy is full of love, a bright overwhelming love that Buffy is afraid to embrace. Buffy seems confused by the answer. The spirit tells her that love can cause pain but that she should gain strength from the pain she endures and embrace it, instead of trying to shut it out. That she should love, give and forgive even if she risks emotional pain. If she follows her true nature, it will eventually lead her to her gift. This only causes more questions.

The Buffy-atron emerges from her hiding place and doesn't see an unconscious Xander as she goes in search of Spike. Willow is surprised to see Buffy at her door so late. They go onto the balcony to talk without waking anyone. Buffy-oid's database instantly brings her up-to-date on Willow, including the fact that she is gay from 1999 to the present. Buffy-ette is frantic to find Spike and Willow tries to be supportive while still getting Buffy-amation to consider whether she' making a mistake. Willow becomes distressed when Stepford-Buffy offers to draw diagrams of the many ways that she loves Spike. Willow reminds Robo-Buffy that vampires are a no-no and that at least Angel had a soul. When Buffy-matic speaks of Angel, her programming sounds like Spike's resentful barbs. Willow becomes confused by Buffy-verks disjointed answers, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Xander.

He gathers everyone and tells them that Glory's men have kidnapped Spike. They realize that Spike could reveal to Glory that Dawn is The Key. Robo-Buffy is no help in coming up with a plan. Tara is left with Dawn and the others go to Buffy's house to arm themselves right away.

Buffy is still trying to make sense of the spirit's revelation. She wonders about the promised gift. Will she give or receive it? The spirit tells her that death is her gift. Buffy rejects this idea, pained at the reminder of her mother's death. She thinks of killing evil as a necessity, not some kind of warped gift. The spirit has given its answer however and disappears along with the fire, leaving only ashes.

The groveling ones deliver Spike to Glory, but she quickly realizes their mistake. The Key is innocent and pure, which vampires are not. She can't even suck his brain for sustenance. Spike is glad to hear this and quickly confirms how non-innocent he is. Jinx insists that the Buffy they saw went to great lengths to protect Spike. He obviously means a great deal to her. Glory is intrigued and when Spike gets insolent, the pretty young blonde gives him an uppercut that throws him across the room and into the wall, hard. She picks him up, using his lower lip as a handle. She throws him onto a big round bed and straddles him. She mystically drives her hand into Spike's chest and rummages around as he screams in agony.

The gang arrives at Buffy's house and goes to the weapon's chest in the living room. Willow asks Buffy-oid for some suggestions as to what to do next and she has no idea except that she wants to save Spike. Willow finds an excuse for Buffy-tron to go upstairs. After she leaves the others wonder how to tell Buffy that they don't want to save Spike, they want to kill him before he can reveal the secret. Buffy arrives and is surprised to see everyone in her living room. The others are surprised to see how fast she changed clothes. She tells them that death is her gift. Buffy is confused as the others try to voice their concerns about her having sex with Spike. Finally Robo-Buffy joins them to say that Spike belongs to her.

Buffy is upset that the others didn't spot the robot right away like they did with Warren's last model, April. She takes it personal that they couldn't tell. She's even more upset when they realize that Spike must have made her made for his plaything. Then Electro-Buffy reminds them that they have to save Spike from Glory. Buffy knows what to do next and she tells her team to stock up on weapons.

Spike's face is a bloody mess as he hangs by his wrists. Glory approaches with a knife and slices a long diagonal on his left breast, as he howls in pain. She wonders if she can peel his skin like an apple. Spike gives in and promises to reveal The Key.

Giles is impressed by the Buffy-amation, but upset with Spike for not teaching her how to say Giles' name without a hard "G" sound. Buffy, Robo-Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander and Anya are gathered at the spot where Buffy killed Glory's snake creature. The monster had tracked down Dawn, as The Key, and was rushing back to report to Glory when Buffy intercepted it. Buffy reminds her counterpart that they intend to kill Spike to protect Dawn. Electro-Buffy agrees, but strongly recommends that Buffy check out Spike when he's nude. The team splits up to search for clues.

Glory feeds Spike a glass of water and then breaks the glass on his face. She demands answers. Spike is stressing the chains wrapped around his wrists, trying to weaken them. He slowly confesses that The Key is actually game show host, Bob Barker. Glory becomes upset with Spike's resistance. He laughs at her and goads her, while trying to increase the slack in his chains. He calls her an idiot and when she declares herself a God, Spike makes fun of her hair. He continues to insult her until she performs a roundhouse kick that knocks him free of his chains and through the wall behind him. Before Glory's robed servants can catch him, Spike staggers to the apartment's elevator doors. He pries them open and tumbles into the shaft landing on the roof of a descending elevator car. He manages to reach the ground floor only to find Glory's gang waiting for him. He struggles to his feet and prepares to face them, when Buffy and Xander arrive on the scene.

Spike collapses as the battle begins. Giles and Robo-Buffy arrive to help. Buffy-oid rushes to see Spike, but when Giles calls for help, the mechanical Buffy is closer and she doesn't hesitate to attack the henchman choking Giles. The minion hits the robot hard with a crossbow to the head and Buffy has to knock out the foe. Buff-atron begins to spark and falls. Upstairs Glory's minions are making excuses for their failure to recapture Spike. A few seconds later, their screams echo in the halls.

Back at Buffy's house, Willow looks over the insides of the robot. Buffy thinks that the face looks fake and the others humor her. Giles and Xander arrive and tell them that they deposited Spike in his crypt, but he was too beat up to tell them if he revealed Dawn's secret. Anya doesn't think that they can trust him to tell them the truth anyway. Everyone agrees, but it's vital that they know if Glory is on to them. Willow finds the damaged sections of Buffy-matic and thinks she can fix it, but a look from Buffy heads off any more talk of that. Xander has to admit that he almost feels sorry for Spike losing his toy, considering how badly he was tortured by Glory.

Buffy arrives at Spike's crypt and tells him that his wounds look sexy. Spike asks where Robo-Buffy has been and she tells him that Willow had to fix her. She offers to resume their lovemaking marathon, but he needs to heal some. She asks him why he was injured and he explains it was to prevent Glory from getting The Key. She offers to tell Glory where to find The Key to protect Spike and he yells for her to stop. Coughing up some blood he instructs her never to reveal that secret because he doesn't want to be responsible for destroying Buffy by allowing anything to happen to Dawn. He would rather die first and almost did.

She gives him a kiss and Spike realizes that she is warm and living. They look at each other for a few moments before Buffy turns to leave. He asks about Buffy-atron and she tells him to forget that obscenity. He tries to make excuses but she cuts him off. He hangs his head as she berates him for indulging in a fantasy. But before she leaves she tells him that his willingness to be tortured to protect her and her sister is real and will be remembered.