ACT ONE
FADE UP
INT. SUMMERS HOUSE, DAWN'S ROOM - DAY
DAWN sits on the floor with an open textbook, writing in a notebook. She's depressed. A concerned Buffy appears.
BUFFY Whatcha doin'?
DAWN Homework.
BUFFY You have no school for another thirteen days. Remember your break? Christmas break? Celebrating the birth of Christ and getting all sorts of super presents?
DAWN That's why I'm doing this now. So I have more time to relentlessly enjoy my presents... and pray.
BUFFY Oh yeah--I can hear the joyous anticipation in your voice.
Buffy walks over to Dawn who doesn't look up. Buffy touches Dawn's hair causing Dawn to flinch.
BUFFY Are you okay?
DAWN I will be.
BUFFY When...
DAWN ...you leave.
BUFFY Dawn, I thought we were clear that you could--
DAWN (angrily) --do you want me to graduate? We can't all skip a thousand classes and still walk away with a diploma.
Buffy's deflated. She walks out. Dawn stops writing and lets her pencil fall. She just sits for a moment. Her face softens. She stands and goes to the door. She looks out into the hallway, then SLAMS the door shut.CUT TO:
INT. SUMMERS HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER
Buffy rubs her eyes as she enters the kitchen. Faith and WILLOW sit at the counter.
BUFFY Teenagers.
WILLOW (wistful) Oh yeah--the halcyon days of teenhood. Surviving school...
FAITH Goin' often to second base.
WILLOW Hanging out at the mall.
FAITH Goin' occasionally to third base.
WILLOW Fighting the forces of evil.
FAITH Scorin' with the undead. Oh wait-- that's just B.
Willow's amused. Buffy isn't.
FAITH You're not still frettin' over comin' up with zip last night, are ya?
BUFFY It's Dawn. She's--
WILLOW --a teenager, as you so astutely pointed out.
BUFFY You were with her the other night. What happened?
WILLOW I don't know.
BUFFY Liar.
WILLOW Hey--watch it vampire layer!
FAITH Both of you--shut the fuck up. If somethin's up with D, she'll take care of it.
BUFFY Christmas Eve is in three days and my sister is in the dumps. She may not have an easy time "taking care of it".
WILLOW And what does that have to do with me?
BUFFY I just want to know. I think you already do.
WILLOW If I do, it's not my place to tell.
BUFFY (sourly) Thank you for your help.
WILLOW Any time.
Willow pats Buffy on the shoulder and exits. Buffy takes her seat.
BUFFY This should be the merriest of Christmases.
FAITH Let it go. Relax. People can work out their own problems.
BUFFY Stop saying that. I worry. I help. And this is my sister so I'll freak out as much as I want. (beat) You can't understand.
Buffy hangs her head. Faith, discouraged, eyes Buffy for a moment before turning away. CUT TO:
INT. GILES' HOUSE - DAY
GILES scans his extensive book collection. His back is turned to SYLVIA who intently rakes her eyes over the collection. Giles pulls a book out, opens it and turns to Sylvia.
GILES Here it is. You'll find that certain benign demons are only benign in their demeanor. They still possess deadly and even apocalyptic capabilities. It's just a matter of keeping them out of the wrong hands.
Sylvia gets in very close with Giles and looks at the book. Giles is very aware of her presence.
SYLVIA Fascinating. It must be laborious dealing with such a task, on top of your other priorities. With each day, my awe for you and your charges grows.
Giles is flustered. Sylvia is cocky.
SYLVIA I greatly appreciate your hospitality Rupert. My time here would've been far harder without you.
GILES You--are very...welcome.
Sylvia smiles. Giles composes himself.
GILES Would you like some tea?
SYLVIA Love some. Thank you.
Giles hands Sylvia the book and rushes into the kitchen. Sylvia half-smiles at his retreating form before closely checking out the book collection.
SYLVIA Is this all the volumes you have, or do you own others elsewhere?
GILES (OS) I tend to keep the most important and many of the generalized ones at Buffy's home since that is our primary meeting place. However, I do have the same editions here as well... so basically yes.
SYLVIA (to herself) Good to know.
GILES (OS) Do you believe my wealth of literature is insufficient?
Sylvia keeps looking and her eyes stop at a red book with foreign words on it.
SYLVIA Absolutely not.
Sylvia takes the book. CUT TO:
INT. DEAN HOUSE, ELLE'S ROOM - DAY
Curtains on the windows darken the room. ELLE quietly lies on her side in bed, eyes open, ensconced in the covers. There's a KNOCK and the door creaks open. DINO steps in.
DINO You awake?
Nothing.
DINO Lying in bed all day can't be healthy. Want me to check your back?
Nothing.
DINO Fine. Be like that. It's your call.
Dino leaves. Elle pulls the covers over her completely. CUT TO:
INT. RESTAURANT - DAY
Buffy picks at her pasta. Faith practically inhales her club sandwich.
FAITH Remind me we gotta stop by my place to get some gloves. I wanna do an outdoors workout later.
BUFFY Sure. Umm, I was thinking...
Buffy drifts off.
FAITH That's sorta a good thing, right? Thinkin' means your brain's still workin'.
BUFFY The whole going back to YOUR place thing brought to mind something that's been on--my--mind. Uh, yeah, so I figure it's pretty ridiculous for you to sleep over at my house every night while keeping an apartment.
FAITH All those other people who do it probably don't see it as ridiculous.
BUFFY What do "other people" know about us? We walk down the street and other people see us as regular old girlfriends. When we go home, we're lovers in love.
FAITH Sounds like a friggin' great deal to me.
BUFFY Me too. But I'd like it if, when we go home, it's not just MY home.
FAITH I like havin' my own place.
BUFFY I know, but there's no novelty factor. It's not like this is your first apartment.
FAITH Yeah and this ain't your first time bein' in love. Quite a NOVEL fuckin' theory ya got there.
BUFFY Don't get angry at me for wanting to LIVE WITH YOU.
FAITH I'm not. I don't just like havin' my own place. It's the place itself. It's cool. It's me. It speaks to me.
BUFFY Good. I'm glad.
Buffy stabs some pasta with her fork.
FAITH Now you're angry.
BUFFY I'm disappointed.
Faith ruefully shakes her head and goes back to her club. CUT TO:
INT. DEAN HOUSE - EVENING
Dino sits on the couch watching "Die Hard". He's bored. He looks up at the ceiling, thinks for a moment, then looks over at the phone. He picks it up and dials.
INTERCUT:
INT. XANDER'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
The phone RINGS several times until the answering machine takes over.
XANDER'S VOICE This is the home of Xander Harris. Not Xander Berkeley, who starred on the first two seasons of "24". For the five people that are still on the phone, leave a message.
There's a BEEP. Dino hangs up.
DINO This is why I hate the phone. CUT TO:
EXT. SUMMERS BACKYARD - EVENING
Faith spars with Dawn.
FAITH Stay mobile. Don't give 'em a stationary target. Get in and out fast. Combos and shit like that. Watch the first two "Rocky" movies, they got it.
Dawn stops just as Faith hits her with a right cross. Dawn stumbles back. A chagrined Faith hurries to help her.
FAITH Geez, you all right? Why'd you stop?
DAWN I--I lost my concentration. It's nothing.
FAITH Maybe you're studyin' too much.
DAWN Could be.
FAITH Bullshit.
DAWN (confirming) No shit.
Faith CHUCKLES and puts her arm around Dawn. They rest comfortably on the ground. Buffy comes out onto the porch and is thrown off by the sight in front of her.
BUFFY I'm going out for a while. Take care of... whatever business shows its head.
FAITH Doin' a patrol?
BUFFY Probably.
FAITH Alone?
Buffy stares for a long moment.
BUFFY You deserve a night off. Relax. Have fun. If you're still here, I'll see you later.
Buffy goes back in the house. Faith's ticked off. Dawn throws a quizzical look Faith's way. Faith just smiles. CUT TO:
INT. MALL - EVENING
Willow and ANYA carry around shopping bags.
WILLOW I'm not in the wrong here, am I?
ANYA Like I'd take Buffy's side over yours.
WILLOW I love talking to Buffy. Always have.
ANYA I'm a better listener than her.
WILLOW These aren't MY talking points though. Sharing my feelings and problems and stuff with Buffy is entirely different from what amounts to gossip. (with fake pep) Hey, did you hear about those weird girls Dawn Summers and Elle Dean? Dawn professed her love to Elle and she totally got shot down! Like totally, for sure! (seriously) Exaggerated, but you get the point.
ANYA Gossip girls don't say "professed".
The girls end up at a short wall with a railing allowing them to look down to the next level.
WILLOW Maybe I should tell Buffy? She's under a lot of pressure already with Spike and the other slayer and watcher lady and Faith...
ANYA Don't be silly. She's a slayer. She has a superhuman capacity for pressure and stress. Buffy's a bitch. Nobody really likes her. We're all merely enamored with her fabulous physical appearance.
WILLOW We?
ANYA My newly discovered fondness for the same sex has given me a purely superficial appreciation for the spoiled bimbo.
WILLOW You don't want her to know that, do you?
ANYA As if she needs another reason to feel superior?
Willow LAUGHS. Anya beams with pride. Willow settles when she notices something down below.
WILLOW Isn't that Xander in the foodcourt?
Willow points. Anya's eyes follow. At a table is Xander eating with the Female.
ANYA It is. And he's with a whore! A redheaded whore! Oh my God--he's cheating on me with someone who reminds him of you!
Anya SMACKS Willow on the shoulder. Willow SMACKS her back. When they look back down, the Female is gone.
WILLOW Hey, where--how did she--
Willow and Anya glance at each other suspiciously. They look at Xander who checks his watch nonchalantly and leaves.
WILLOW Investigate?
ANYA (snarling) What do you think? CUT TO:
EXT. EAST SIDE CEMETERY - NIGHT
The Female strolls through, stake in hand. She slows her stride, then with lightning quickness flicks the stake over her shoulder behind her and spins to find the stake in Spike's hand. The Female is perturbed.
SPIKE Too bad I'm not a freshman--that would've been impressive.
FEMALE Give me my stake back and I'll try again.
SPIKE Good one. What's the matter cutie--preying on the unsuspecting evil alone? That's no way to slay.
FEMALE It's no way to live either, nonetheless I do it. Obviously it's working. I'm still here.
SPIKE Where's your toy boy?
FEMALE I have no idea wha--
SPIKE (laughing) --of course you don't. You're all the same... unwilling to trust the vampiric enemy. It's bloody unreasonable I say.
FEMALE Are we gonna fight to the death or what?
SPIKE That won't cut it luv. (approaching; ominously) I know you... and I want something from you.
The Female's face darkens. CUT TO:
EXT. WATERFRONT HOTEL - NIGHT
Giles exits the hotel. He turns left.
BUFFY'S VOICE Does she like your tea?
Giles halts. He slowly turns around.
BUFFY We'd have to question her credentials as a Brit if she didn't.
GILES Are you following me?
BUFFY Technically, no.
GILES Coincidence?
BUFFY The other night, yes. This... this is about suspicion.
GILES Of Sylvia...or myself?
BUFFY I guess that depends on you. How cozy are you getting with Lady MacBeth?
GILES Why would you make such a query?
Buffy waves her arms and hands around where she and Giles are.
GILES Say again?
BUFFY Oh, so NOW you make a joke. What really disturbs me is how Faith and I told you how we'd handle Sylvia. You agreed with our assessment, even if you did it flippantly. And what do you do? You fuck her!
GILES Watch your language young lady.
BUFFY Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Are you gonna fucking ground me Giles? Send me to my room? Go ahead--I'll sneak out, go to Faith's place and fuck her senseless.
GILES That is uncalled for.
BUFFY Hours, Giles. We had a serious conversation and HOURS later you go to HER. When I called you...
GILES I do not require a lecture. My relations with Sylvia--the extent of which is not for the public record--does no harm. You may sleep better if you accept that.
BUFFY Because I'm consumed with concern, right? It runs through my veins next to those pesky red blood cells. (intensely) Someone has to be like that. Care so much about this stupid world that it hurts. Slayers can't be machines anymore. The council never understood that. You recognized the reality here on the ground--with me and Faith, compared to Kendra. To save the modern world, you need a modern slayer. That girl feels human loss at the very core of her being. Especially her own loss. Her life. She has to care about herself, make sure she's still here when the sun comes up. She cannot accept death as a fact of life anymore, because life as the slayer is still better than not having one at all. And she has to keep going, 'cause there's a girl unknowingly waiting to take her place. That girl doesn't deserve it. That girl shouldn't have to go through this if she doesn't have to. The modern slayer cares about the world, herself, and her replacement. If she stops caring, the world goes to hell 'cause it's keeper doesn't want it anymore. And if she doesn't want it, there's a super-powerful force out there that will take it in a heartbeat. As for life... what's the point?
Giles is stunned into silence.
BUFFY I wish it didn't have to be me. But it is, and I want to make the best of it. I want to because I can.
GILES I know. You explained your point of view extraordinarily well.
Satisfaction sneaks onto Buffy's face.
GILES Still doesn't mean you're right in this case.
Buffy's head snaps up, her eyes filled with shock. Giles is almost apologetic.
GILES Please have a good night Buffy. Pleasant dreams.
Giles turns and walks away. On a disconcerted Buffy:
END ACT ONE Next |