Even with the Slayer gone there's still innocent dead people being turned into vampires. Oz, Willow and Xander try to take her place but it's not the same. They lose as many vampires as they stake and the witty one-liners are lacking any wit. All three of them are still worrying over Buffy. They chat about school and Xander says that he is excited about seing Cordelia and Willow is excited about her first homework assignment. They all have issues.

Buffy has settled into her new life away from being the Chosen One. She is wrking as a waitress in a diner called Helen's Kitchen under the name Anne. She lives in a tiny bedsit and it's obvious that she still hasn't got over Angel as she dreams about him. They are walking down a beach, at sunset. Angel tells her that he'd never leave, not even if she killed him. Then she wakes up.

School has started again and Willow still hopes that Buffy will show up even though she's been kicked out of school. Giles warns her to be careful and she bumps into Cordy who tells her about her horrible summer and inquires after Xander, asking if he met anyone over the summer and whether her hair is alright. She is shocked to find Oz joining their class as he didn't graduate and didn't go to summer school, he tells her to think of it as sweet. She finds it a little difficult. Giles is still searching for Buffy, following up any leads her can find, no matter how tenuous, only to be met time and again by disapointment. Xander can't wait to see Cordelia and flits around school as bundle of nervous energy waiting to see her. Cordelia is exactly the same and when they finally do meet up they've forgotton how to talk to each other. Bless.

Buffy isn't having fun working as a waitress as she puts up with harrassment from sweaty truck driver. She is called over by a teenage couple (Lily and Ricky) wanting to know what they can get for a couple of dollars. Buffy recognises the girl as Chanterelle, the vampire-wannabe (from the last season). Afraid that Lily will recognise her she pretends not to feel well and goes home where she just sits staring at a can of food.

That night Buffy roams the streets (still can't get out of the patrolling habit it seems) and Giles returns to Sunnydale, his lead being another dead end. He goes to Buffy's house to tell Joyce about his trip and she tells him that she's afraid to leave the house in case Buffy phones. Giles tries to comfort her and tells her not to blame herself. Joyce says that she doesn't; she blames Giles for taking her daughter away and giving her a whole new secret life. It's not Giles' fault that Buffy is the Chosen One...

Xander, Willow and Oz spend a miserable evening at the Bronze, complaining about their lack of technique and how many vampires they are losing. Xander suggests that they use bait to lure some vampires into a trap. The bait? Cordelia.

That night Lily spots Buffy walking the streets. She calls out 'Anne' which Buffy ignores but stops in her tracks when Lily calls out ehr real name. They discuss their previous lives and Lily invites Buffy to a rave, but only if Buffy's got some money to get them in. Buffy declines, she wants to be alone, but offers to give Lily the money so she can go with Ricky. As they talk an old man pushes between them and walks out into the middle of the road, in the path of an oncoming car. Buffy runs out into the road and pushes the man out of the way, getting hit by the car herself. A crowd gathers to see the accident and stare in amaxement as Buffy picks herself up and runs off, saying she is okay. She runs around a blind corner and straight into Ken, a local resident who runs a shelter for the homeless kids. He's giving out flyers and Buffy knocks them all to the ground as she runs into him. He tries to make friends with her and tells her that the shelter is an open house. She insists that she is fine and carrys on her way.

The Slayerette's are staking (excuse the pun) out the cemetery. Cordelia is complaining about being bait. After a last weapons check they make their way to their hiding places. Cordelia goes with Xander who tries to explain to her the concept of bait. She retorts by telling him that she didn't miss him at all over the summer and just for good measure accuses him of having a summer fling.

While they are arguing a vampire creeps up behind Willow and attacks her. Oz comes to her rescue and pulls the vamp off her just in time. He tries to stake it, but the vampire throws him off. Xander, closely follwed by Cordelia tries his hand at staking said vampire and Cordelia tackles it from behind tumbling all three of them to the ground. The vampire is impaled on Xander's stake and it explodes into dust leaving Cordelia to fall into Xander's arms. They kiss passionately.

The next day, Lily goes to the diner to find Buffy. She tells her that Ricky has gone missing and that she is very worried. After a little persuasion on Lily's part Buffy agrees to go looking with her. They go to the blood bank to see if Ricky has been there. Lily explains that they go there to get money for giving blood and cookies. The nurse says that she hasn't seen him. They leave and spilt up to try and find him. Buffy explores an abandoned building and finds Ricky, dead. He drank floor cleaner. There's one problem though. Ricky looks ninety years old.

Buffy returns to her bedsit and finds Lily waiting for her. Buffy tells her what she found and Lily doesn't take it well. She leaves and goes to walk the streets. Ken finds her and invites her to the Family Home shelter, telling her that Ricky is there.

Buffy, her suspicions raised goes to the blood bank. After pulling the door handle out of the door completely to get in, she starts going through the files. The nurse shows up and after Buffy gets her to cooperate (by pulling the phone off the wall etc) she finds out that the nurse gives the Family Home the names of the healthy homeless kids, like Ricky.

At the Family Home Ken has got Lily dressed in some white robes, as part of a 'cleansing' ritual. he leads her into another room. Buffy shows up, pretending to be undercover and does terribly (but at least she admits that she sucked) She knocks out the two guards and goes to find Ken. She bursts in to find Ken leaning Lily over a pool of black ick. Lily touches it and it pulls her down. Buffy tries to save her but ends up falling into it and taking Ken with her. They fall through the black pool and into one of the demon diamensions. Ken reveals himself to be a demon handy with prosthetics and send his guards after the two girls. They are caught and thrown into a prison cell, Buffy is knocked unconscious. when she comes round, Ken tells her that this is where they are going to serve out the rest of their lives and tahat they wil be good little slaves.

Buffy and Lily are dragged out to join a group of slaves. Their guard is a bully. He asks one of the group what he name was and when the boy replies he hits him hard. He moves onto the next slave who wisely says that she's no one. He finally gets to Buffy. He asks her name to which she replies "I'm Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. And you are?" before beating him up. She starts fighting the other demons and holds her own utilaising poles and other guards. The continues until Ken catches Lily and puts a knife to her throat. Buffy backs down. Ken starts to lecture Buffy and ignores Lily who takes her chance and pushes him off the gantry he's standing on. He falls to the ground. Buffy makes her escape with all the other slaves. They run through the corridors until a portcullis blocks their escape. Using her Slayer-strength she manges to lift the portcullis up high enough for everyone to crawl underneath. Ken persues them. Buffy rolls underneath the portcullis to escape Ken. He crawls after her but gets inpaled as it crashes down. Buffy smashes in his head after making an unusual reference to Ghandi.

Buffy decides that it is time for her to face her life and return to Sunnydale. She gives Lily her bedsit, telling her the rent is paid up for another three weeks and her job at the diner. Lily asks if she can be 'Anne'.

Joyce is sitting in her house when the doorbell rings. She goes to answer the door and finds Buffy standing on the doorstep. After getting over the shock of seeing her daughter there they hug.