All commentary will be red text inside of a light gray box... kinda like this one.
I shouldn't have to say this, but... Beware of spoilers for all
of the Season 8 scripts!
|
Not a whole lot of commentary for this episode. It's pretty much just one of
the less important episodes that air really early in the season that are more
stand-alone and goofy. Have some fun before the big arcs start.
It has it's metaphors and stuff, which is something that's important to keep
track of. When you try writing for this show and you don't have a meaning for
the story, it just won't turn out well. My tip for anyone trying to write a
Buffy story.
|
TEASER
FADE IN:
INT. HOTEL GYM - NIGHT
It's pretty late. The gym is empty, save for one WOMAN (early
20's) who is on the treadmill. She watches herself in the
mirror on the wall in front of her and wears headphones as
she runs.
Unseen to her, a VAMPIRE (in vamp face) walks into the room
through the door behind her. Since she's looking in the
mirror, she does not see him.
The vampire smiles and slowly creeps closer.
The woman on the treadmill hits the button to stop the
machine. She senses something in the room with her.
She takes the headphones off and scans the room in the mirror.
Not seeing anything, she turns around. Suddenly she's face
to face with the vampire. She screams and tries to run out
of the room, but he blocks her path.
VAMPIRE
C'mon, sweetheart. I promise it won't
hurt for long.
WOMAN
What are you?
VAMPIRE
You really should know that, don't
you think?
She doesn't know what else to say. She tries to hit him, but
he blocks her. He grabs her arm and throws her across the
room, into the mirror. It SHATTERS and covers her in glass
as she falls to the ground.
The vampire walks to her and sits on top of her. He shows
his fangs.
VAMPIRE (CONT'D)
I always wanted me a Slayer.
WOMAN
(clueless)
What?
He pins her arms by her side. As he bends down to bite her,
she finally reacts to him. She uses all of her strength to
flip him over her head and she ends up on top of him. He
grins at her.
2.
VAMPIRE
Nice.
She punches him in the face, not knowing where this fighter's
instinct is coming from, but not questioning it. She reaches
for a nearby dumbbell and hits him over the head with it
several times. He goes limp. She checks for a pulse, but
finds none.
With the fight finally behind her, the woman gets up and
tries to catch her breath. She races to the phone on the
wall and hits a button.
WOMAN
This is Angie Newman in the fourth
floor gym. I need help. I've been
attacked.
(beat)
He's... He's dead.
Behind her, the vampire gets back to his feet. She has no
clue.
He walks up behind her and grabs her, putting a hand over
her mouth and using it to snap her neck. The phone drops.
ANGLE ON THE PHONE
It's dangling. All we can see of the woman or the vampire
are their feet. All we can hear is a SLURPING SOUND.
BUFFY
(prelap)
It's nice. Relaxing.
EXT. BEAR RIVER MAIN STREET - NIGHT
BUFFY and DAWN are walking down the street. There aren't
many people, but then again, there probably never is.
DAWN
What?
BUFFY
This. Being here. Even last week
when we fought those mini-demon
things, I got out of it without
actually killing anything.
DAWN
But we had to burn them.
BUFFY
Technically, you, Willow, and Xander
did the demon killing.
(MORE)
3.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I only did the being attacked and
struggling for my life. I don't even
think I killed any when I was swatting
at them.
DAWN
Okay. Fine. But you do realize that
at some point, you will have to slay
again, right?
BUFFY
I guess.
Buffy thinks about her answer as they keep walking.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Then again, I could always leave it
to another Slayer. Maybe I won't
have to kill anything ever again. It
could happen.
As Buffy and Dawn move out of the shot, we see something
behind them. It's hidden by shadows, but it looks almost
like a bear.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF TEASER
4.
ACT ONE
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
XANDER is up on a ladder, working on ceiling repairs. He's
still got red spots all over him from the mini-demon attacks.
WILLOW walks in from the kitchen with a plate of fruit and
sits on the couch.
WILLOW
How's it goin'?
XANDER
All things considered? Fine.
WILLOW
What's that mean?
XANDER
It means that this was a lot easier
when I had two good eyes.
WILLOW
We're working on it. Maybe you'll
have two good eyes again soon.
XANDER
Thanks, but I think it's time we
just admit it.
He comes down the ladder and sits next to her.
XANDER (CONT'D)
We've been working hard all summer
on this healing spell of yours and
it hasn't gotten us anywhere.
WILLOW
You're not giving up, are you?
XANDER
Is it still considered giving up
when what you're trying to do is
impossible?
WILLOW
Well when you think like that, it's
no wonder the spell isn't working.
You have to believe in it.
XANDER
I've been believing in it for months.
(beat)
Y'know, I'm happy we stopped the
First's plans and all, but part of
me feels like I lost. Sometimes I
can't help but wish...
5.
He stops himself before he finishes that thought. He doesn't
want to upset Willow.
WILLOW
You wish what?
XANDER
It's nothing. Mind if I take one of
your strawberries?
Without her responding, he grabs one from her plate and eats
it. Willow's worried about him, but before she can say
anything, Buffy and Dawn come down the stairs. They're in
the middle of a conversation of their own.
BUFFY
He said he'd send some, but with all
the red tape that he's been dealing
with, it's not easy.
DAWN
So what are we supposed to do?
XANDER
What's wrong?
BUFFY
I just spoke to Giles. Looks like it
might be a while before he can send
us any money.
WILLOW
But I thought he said it wouldn't
take long.
BUFFY
That's what he thought. With the
Watcher's Council pretty much gone,
he's the only one left to handle
their accounts. On the one hand, we
finally get paid for what we do. On
the other hand, it would seem that
Quentin Travers was into the lifestyle
of the rich and snobby.
WILLOW
So what do we do now?
BUFFY
Giles thinks he'll have things cleared
up soon. Until then, we'll have to
make due with what we have.
XANDER
A bag of Cheetos and spatula?
Buffy just shrugs.
6.
DAWN
I could get a job.
BUFFY
Or you could go to school. That works
too.
DAWN
I mean after school. Someone must
need some help.
BUFFY
Dawn, no. You need to focus on school.
XANDER
I've made a few calls, but nobody
seems to want a one-eyed construction
worker. Something about operating
heavy machinery and killing people
or something like that.
Willow looks at Xander and can see that he's still hurting.
WILLOW
You'll find something soon.
BUFFY
I guess I could see if they need a
counselor at Dawn's school. It'll be
just like old times.
DAWN
Fun.
Willow looks at her watch.
WILLOW
Speaking of school. Aren't you a
little late, Dawn?
Dawn looks at the clock and jumps up.
DAWN
Oh no.
She grabs her bag off the floor and runs out of the house.
Buffy, Willow and Xander remain sitting. There's a moment of
silence. Nobody has anywhere to go.
BUFFY
Remember when we were still in school?
Didn't things seem so much easier
back then?
WILLOW
Hellmouth. Annual apocalypse. Demon
attacks.
7.
XANDER
Snyder.
BUFFY
Okay, so maybe "easier" wasn't the
right word. It was just...
WILLOW
Way less boring.
BUFFY
Exactly.
XANDER
Anyone up for Scrabble?
EXT. ALFRED P. VANCE HIGH SCHOOL - DAY
STUDENTS are walking all around the school. Dawn makes her
way to the front walkway and stops. She takes in the sight.
It's a smaller school than she's used to. Older. Other than
that, it looks like a typical high school. She takes a deep
breath.
DAWN
Another new school. Great.
She begins to walk toward the door. As she gets closer to
it, she hears LOUD LAUGHING. She slows down her pace, but
continues to walk as she looks over to one side of the lawn.
DAWN'S POV
THREE GIRLS (well dressed in a non-Californian way) are
laughing at a TOUGH LOOKING GIRL (darker clothes, less
stylish, but pretty). One of the girls throws a twinkie at
the tough girl. Tough girl stands up, looking as though she
is about to kick the twinkie girl's ass, but then just walks
away.
Dawn is curious, but shrugs it off. She continues into the
school.
INT. ALFRED P. VANCE HIGH SCHOOL - OFFICE - DAY
Dawn walks into the office. Behind the counter, PRINCIPAL
SHAW (female, mid-40's) is using the receptionist's computer.
The receptionist is nowhere to be seen.
DAWN
Excuse me?
Principal Shaw looks up.
PRINCIPAL SHAW
Yes?
8.
DAWN
I was told to come here. I'm new.
Principal Shaw stands up and smiles.
PRINCIPAL SHAW
Oh. Right. You're Dawn Summers.
DAWN
That's me.
PRINCIPAL SHAW
Welcome to Bear River. How are you
liking it so far?
DAWN
It's... Very different than what I'm
used to.
PRINCIPAL SHAW
I can imagine. It's a quiet town
though. I think you'll like it here.
(beat)
I'm Principal Shaw, by the way. In
case you were wondering.
Dawn straightens up when she realizes that this is the
principal.
DAWN
Oh.
PRINCIPAL SHAW
Don't worry. I'm not one of those
mean principals who takes pleasure
in yelling at people. I'm just the
only teacher who didn't have a good
excuse when the job came up.
DAWN
What happened to the last principal?
PRINCIPAL SHAW
Eaten.
DAWN
(blankly)
What?
PRINCIPAL SHAW
He was hunting in the woods. There
was a bear. He made a couple mistakes
and... Well, I won't go into details.
DAWN
Are you supposed to be telling me
this?
9.
PRINCIPAL SHAW
I wouldn't tell you if I didn't think
you'd hear about it from a less
tactful source eventually.
DAWN
Thank you for that?
PRINCIPAL SHAW
That's one thing you should learn if
you want to live around here. How to
handle the wild animals. We teach a
class on Tuesday afternoons after
school if you're interested.
DAWN
Yeah. Maybe.
PRINCIPAL SHAW
Anyway, let's get on with this tour.
Prinicpal Shaw leads the way out of the office with Dawn
following her. As they walk out, they pass RYAN CRANE (17
years old, jock type). He watches Dawn as she passes without
seeing him.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY
Willow is sitting at the dining room table. Her laptop is
open in front of her and she's staring at the screen.
Xander walks in.
XANDER
Doin' some big internet searching?
Willow looks at him with a frown.
WILLOW
Nope. Playing Pong. Internet
connection still isn't up.
XANDER
Say what you will about Sunnydale,
but between evil mayors and secret
government agencies, the place was
wired.
WILLOW
Sometimes when I'm asleep, I still
dream of walking down Main Street,
grabbing a mocha from the Espresso
Pump and heading into the magic shop.
XANDER
Homesick?
10.
WILLOW
A little. Who would have thought I'd
actually miss that place.
|
Willow mentions being homesick. This ties in with the spell at the end
of "Scratch", which eventually leads to something bigger that we see at
the end of the year.
|
XANDER
It's where we grew up. This is the
first time we've ever lived someplace
new. On the bright side, at least we
don't have to chart new territory by
ourselves. We have a whole support
group between the four of us.
WILLOW
Remember how the movie theater was
gonna have a horror movie marathon
in June? They advertised it since
Thanksgiving and I was like "Hey, I
should be done with the end of the
world by then" and so I thought I
might go. But then the theater got
sucked into the ground.
XANDER
So you have to imagine the seats
weren't very comfortable.
She smiles at his attempt to make her smile. Then she closes
her laptop.
WILLOW
How are you doing?
XANDER
I managed to pull the car out of the
driveway without bumping into anything
so I'm calling it a good day.
WILLOW
Wanna go work on the eye healing?
XANDER
Nah. I think it's time to give up
that dream.
WILLOW
C'mon. You said there was some change.
XANDER
Yeah. Now instead of no eye, I have
one of the California Raisins living
in my socket.
Willow scrunches her nose at the thought.
WILLOW
But see? It's working. It's just
taking some time.
11.
Xander doesn't respond.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Just try it a little while longer?
For me?
She makes a cute puppy-dog face. He crumbles.
XANDER
Fine.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Buffy is walking through the woods. Not on any mission, but
just out for a hike. She's taking in the scenery and the
fresh air.
She stops for a moment, and leans against a tree. She takes
off her shoe and searches for a pebble in it.
BUFFY
I can face all the demons they throw
at me, but one little pebble stops
me in my tracks.
She finally gets rid of the pebble and puts her shoe back
on. She starts walking again, but soon stops. Something isn't
right.
She looks back, but sees nothing behind her. She takes a few
more steps, while still looking back. When she turns around,
she sees it standing in front of her.
It looks like a LARGE BEAR, but it's face is very demonic.
Buffy's eyes widen as she gets ready for a fight.
The bear takes a swipe at her, but she avoids it. She kicks
it in the gut, but the bear demon isn't phased. Her eyes
widen.
INT. ALFRED P. VANCE HIGH SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DAY
Dawn is now sitting in class, doodling in a notebook. OTHER
STUDENTS go about their usual lives, chatting and playing
around before the teacher gets there.
Ryan is sitting a few desks behind her, watching her. He
takes a couple of deep breaths and finally gets up. He starts
to walk toward her.
Just as he's about to reach her, SHELLY FOWLER (pretty,
popular type) sits in the desk right in front of Dawn. She
turns around with a smile.
Ryan deflates and sits back down.
12.
SHELLY
Hi.
Dawn looks up. She's not impressed by the popular girl coming
to talk to her.
DAWN
Hi.
SHELLY
You're new.
DAWN
Thanks, I already knew that.
Shelly laughs.
SHELLY
Right. I guess that makes sense.
Anyway, I'm Shelly. What's your name?
DAWN
Dawn.
SHELLY
Welcome to our school, Dawn.
DAWN
Thanks.
SHELLY
It must be so weird for you. I mean,
we've all been going to school
together since we could talk, and
you're new. Don't worry though, most
people are pretty nice.
DAWN
Thank. I'll remember that.
SHELLY
So where are you from?
(then)
No. Wait. Let me guess.
Shelly looks at Dawn.
SHELLY (CONT'D)
California?
Dawn looks down at her clothes and then back to Shelly,
wondering what gave it away.
DAWN
How did you...?
13.
SHELLY
(smiles)
My neighbor is the lady that rented
you your house.
DAWN
Oh.
SHELLY
I've always wanted to move to
California.
A nerdier girl, EMILY, walks into the classroom. She sits in
the seat next to Shelly. Shelly looks over at her, and then
back to Dawn.
SHELLY (CONT'D)
That's Emily. She's really smart.
She's actually two years younger
than us. She skipped.
(to Emily)
Emily, this is Dawn. She's new.
Emily looks back at Dawn. She's not impressed by Dawn's nice
clothes or fancy makeup.
EMILY
Hi.
Emily turns back toward the front of the class.
SHELLY
(to Dawn)
Don't mind her. She's always off in
her own world. I guess she has a lot
to think about.
DAWN
I know the type.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Buffy is still up against the bear demon. She has a large
branch in her hands that she's using as a weapon.
She swings the branch at the bear, but it jumps over it.
BUFFY
Oh.
She tries to swing again, but the bear grabs the branch and
swings Buffy right into a tree. She falls to the ground.
When she looks up, the bear is coming toward her.
14.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Willow and Xander have cleared a spot on the floor and are
now sitting across from each other. Their eyes are closed
(though all we can see is his one eye, since the other is
covered with the patch). They're focusing.
WILLOW (V.O.)
Focus on the sound of my thoughts.
Clear your mind of all your problems
and picture a river running through
your body.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Buffy flies through the air, landing in a river. She gets up
and looks back. The bear is coming after her.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
WILLOW (V.O.)
The river is your energy. It's
powerful. But there's something
blocking it's flow. A dam that is
preventing you from achieving your
goal. Try to break through the dam.
Let the energy flow into your eye
and fill the void with it's power
once again.
Xander is focusing.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Buffy and the bear are in the water, still fighting. She
kicks the bear, sending it stumbling backward. It stumbles
right into a small dam that's been made out of rocks and
branches. Probably something done by local kids.
The bear demon crashes through the dam, but gets back up
quickly. It starts toward Buffy again.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
WILLOW (V.O.)
Can you feel the energy flowing?
XANDER
Yes.
WILLOW (V.O.)
Now let the energy heal you. Let it
repair your eye.
Xander focuses as hard as he can. His breathing is heavy.
15.
And then his concentration is broken. He opens his eyes and
scratches one of his demon bites. It's itching pretty bad.
Willow opens her eyes.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
What happened?
XANDER
It's not working. Just forget about
it.
WILLOW
Xander, c'mon. You said you could
feel the energy.
XANDER
Yeah. Then again, it could have been
the doggy bag I was picking at this
morning.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
The bear demon swings at Buffy and catches her in the arm.
She is sent flying backwards, out of the water, and onto the
ground. Her arm is bleeding where the bear's claws got her.
She looks up at the bear as it starts to come closer. A sudden
grogginess comes over her. Finally, she shakes it off. She
manages to get up and run.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BATHROOM - DAY
Xander walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind
him. He goes to the sink and turns on the water.
CLOSE ON THE SINK
The water runs. We can see Xander put his patch down on the
side of the sink, and cup his hands under the faucet. He
splashes some water on his face and then puts his hands on
the side of the sink. We can tell he's looking at his
reflection in the mirror and from the tensing of his hands,
he doesn't seem to like it.
Then something changes. We can hear him GROAN IN PAIN. He
weakens and has to hold himself up with his hands. His in a
great deal of pain.
PAN UP SLOWLY. As he groans and moans. Finally he stops. The
pain has ended. He's still breathing heavily. His head is
down as we see his reflection in the mirror. Finally, he
looks up and sees himself. His jaw drops as he sees his
reflection.
16.
And his new eye.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT ONE
17.
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Willow is putting the furniture back in place. Buffy walks
though the front door, holding onto her wounded arm. Willow
sees her and goes to her.
WILLOW
Buffy, are you okay?
BUFFY
I got attacked.
WILLOW
By what?
BUFFY
It looked like an "if they mated"
featuring a bear and some kind of
pully-skinned demon.
(beat)
Or maybe that creepy cat-lady who's
had way too much plastic surgery.
Either way, it got me.
WILLOW
Is it serious?
BUFFY
I've had worse.
WILLOW
Considering you've been dead twice,
that's not comforting.
BUFFY
I'll be fine. I just need to clean
up. Where's Xander?
WILLOW
Bathroom. We had another healing
session.
BUFFY
Any luck?
Willow shakes her head.
WILLOW
I think he's starting to lose hope.
BUFFY
Can you blame him?
18.
WILLOW
I just wish there was something more
I could do.
BUFFY
You're not a doctor, Will. Don't put
it all on yourself.
Xander comes down the stairs. He sees Buffy's arm.
XANDER
Ouch. You okay?
BUFFY
I'll be...
Buffy and Willow both look at Xander at the same time. They
notice that he's not wearing a patch and he has an eye.
They're shocked.
WILLOW
Xander, your eye.
XANDER
Yeah, I noticed that too. Weird,
huh?
Both girls smile and hug him. He can hardly breath.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Whoa. If I'd know that growing a new
eye would get me some lovin', I'd
have done it sooner.
They keep hugging.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Okay. Can't breath. Buffy?
BUFFY
Hmm?
XANDER
I think you're bleeding on me.
The girls back off.
BUFFY
Sorry.
WILLOW
But I thought it didn't work.
XANDER
Me too.
(MORE)
19.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Then something happened and all the
sudden I can judge distance again.
Which actually led to some whacky
fun upstairs, but I'm getting used
to it.
(beat)
And a little sea sick, but I'll deal.
WILLOW
This is so great. Congratulations.
XANDER
I could say the same to you, magic
gal. You pulled it off.
WILLOW
We pulled it off.
There's a moment of silent smiles. Finally Buffy starts toward
the stairs.
BUFFY
I think I should probably get a
bandage. I'm starting to get a little
dizzy.
XANDER
'Kay. But hurry. After that, what do
you say we pick up Dawn from school
and go to the ice cream shop. On me.
BUFFY
If it's on you, I say okay.
(beat)
Or we could head to the mall and go
on a shopping spree, also on you.
That'd work too.
XANDER
Or not.
BUFFY
A girl's gotta try. I'll be back.
Buffy heads upstairs. When she's gone, Xander pulls his eye
patch out of his pocket.
XANDER
Meanwhile, I say we have us a
celebratory burning of the patch.
Willow smiles.
20.
EXT. BEAR RIVER MAIN STREET - DAY
Dawn and Shelly are walking down the street, still carrying
their backpacks.
DAWN
So what do you do for fun around
here?
SHELLY
We have lots of fun. There's always
a festival of some sort going on.
Last year, I was queen of the row
boat during the fourth of July
festival.
DAWN
Row boat? I don't think that's really
"me".
SHELLY
Okay. Well, we always have the movie
store, school dances, parties. Don't
worry. Once you get used to this
place, it's really not so bad.
DAWN
I guess it'll just take time.
(then)
Where's the Chinese restaurant? I've
seen the Bait-N-Breakfast and the
pizza place, but I haven't seen the
Chinese place.
SHELLY
Oh. We don't actually have one of
those.
Dawn almost drops her bag.
DAWN
No Chinese food. How?
SHELLY
I guess we just never got one.
DAWN
Well someone is seriously missing a
huge money making opportunity there.
SHELLY
Maybe. Then again, even the most
successful restaurant in town isn't
gonna make anyone rich.
21.
DAWN
True.
(beat)
So what's the deal with the last
principal?
SHELLY
Oh, the one that was...?
Shelly doesn't want to bring up any bad mental images.
DAWN
Yeah.
SHELLY
Rumor has it, it was Big Jack.
DAWN
Big Jack?
SHELLY
Yeah. Kinda like an urban legend
around here. This big bear that lives
in the woods and kills anyone who
invades it's territory.
DAWN
Has anyone ever tried to track it
down?
SHELLY
Nah. It's just a way for people to
explain all the deaths that happen
in the woods. But they're the woods,
so it's probably just natural for
people to die out there.
(beat)
Anyway, it's how the town got it's
name. Bear River. There's a river
too.
DAWN
Yeah, I knew that.
They are just passing by the video store when Dawn stops.
She's looking at the store's window. There's a "Help Wanted"
sign in it.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Hold on a sec.
Shelly stops.
SHELLY
What?
22.
DAWN
They're hiring.
Dawn goes inside the store. Shelly follows.
INT. VIDEO STORE - CONTINUOUS - DAY
Dawn walks through the video store, looking around.
DAWN
It's no Blockbuster, is it?
SHELLY
Mm-mm.
Dawn finally reaches the counter. There's a young woman,
KIRSTY (early 20's, dark hair, glasses) sitting in a chair,
reading a magazine behind the counter.
DAWN
Excuse me?
Kirsty looks up. She sees Dawn's unfamiliar face.
KIRSTY
You're new.
DAWN
Yeah. That seems to be the conclusion
everyone's come to. I saw the sign
in the window.
KIRSTY
Sign?
DAWN
"Help Wanted".
KIRSTY
Oh. Yeah. What about it?
DAWN
Well, I was actually hoping to apply.
Kirsty looks at Dawn for a second without responding. Dawn
starts to get a little confused.
KIRSTY
You're serious?
Dawn shakes her head.
KIRSTY (CONT'D)
Sorry, I didn't realize.
RYAN (O.S.)
You're hired.
23.
From the back room, Ryan walks into the store. He's carrying
a stack of movies.
DAWN
What?
RYAN
You're hired.
DAWN
Just like that?
KIRSTY
No.
Kirsty looks back at Ryan.
KIRSTY (CONT'D)
There's a process, y'know.
RYAN
C'mon. We've had that sign in the
window for months and we've had
exactly one applicant. Counting Dawn.
DAWN
You know my name?
Ryan doesn't know how to reply.
RYAN
I-- uh-- Yeah, I saw you in school.
I sat behind you in class.
SHELLY
What?
Ryan shoots Shelly a look.
KIRSTY
You were in their class? What, did
you suddenly get sent back a grade?
RYAN
(mumbled to Kirsty)
Shut up.
DAWN
I'm lost. So, about the job?
RYAN
You're hired.
Kirsty shoots Ryan a look. He shoots one back. Finally, she
gives in.
24.
KIRSTY
Fine.
(to Dawn)
You're hired.
Ryan smiles and puts down the movies. He extends a hand to
Dawn.
RYAN
I'm Ryan. This is my sister, Kirsty.
DAWN
I knew a Kirsty back home. She was...
Dawn doesn't want to finish that sentence for fear of
insulting Kirsty.
DAWN (CONT'D)
So, when do I start?
INT. ICE CREAM SHOP - DAY
Buffy, Xander and Willow are sitting at a table, eating ice
cream.
WILLOW
Where do you think she went?
BUFFY
Don't know.
WILLOW
I hope she wasn't attacked or anything
like that.
XANDER
I'm sure she's fine. We'll bring her
some ice cream for later.
BUFFY
This is good ice cream. Her ice cream
for later might become my ice cream
for later if she's not home in time.
WILLOW
We should bring home extra, just
incase.
BUFFY
Good plan.
WILLOW
(smiles)
Wouldn't wanna deprive a Slayer of
her post-kill munchies. It just
wouldn't be right.
25.
Buffy puts a scoop of ice cream in her mouth just before
talking.
BUFFY
Actually, it was a no-go on the
killing.
WILLOW
What?
BUFFY
Yeah. Big fight, I got scratched, we
both got thrown around, and I took
off.
WILLOW
So there's still a demon out there?
BUFFY
I guess. Don't worry about it. It's
no biggie.
XANDER
The thing draws blood from the Slayer,
I'd say that's a biggie biggie.
BUFFY
Actually, I'm not the Slayer. I'm
just a Slayer. There's a bunch more
now.
XANDER
Okay. But my wiggins still stands.
BUFFY
Calm down. It's not a big deal. What's
one little demon? Besides, it's
probably been out there forever and
the town still seems to be
functioning.
Willow and Xander share a concerned look.
WILLOW
Buffy, are you okay?
BUFFY
I'm fine. More than fine, actually.
What else does a girl need besides
some good food and the company of
her best friends in the world?
XANDER
Prescription medication?
26.
WILLOW
(to Xander)
Maybe we should get her home and
figure out what's going on.
Xander nods. He stands up. As he does, he gets a little dizzy.
XANDER'S POV
Everything get's a little blurred for a moment, but soon
clears up. For a split second, we can see a BLUE CLOUD around
Buffy's head. As his vision clears, the cloud goes away.
XANDER
Whoa.
He rubs his eyes.
WILLOW
Are you okay?
XANDER
Yeah. Head rush. Let's go.
They grab Buffy by the arms and walk her out of the shop. As
they walk out, Buffy tries to turn around.
BUFFY
Hey, we forgot the ice cream.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Buffy is sitting on the couch, watching Willow and Xander
pace back and forth in front of her.
BUFFY
You guys are really blowing this
whole thing out of proportion. I'm
fine.
XANDER
That's why you're suddenly pro-demon?
BUFFY
I'm not pro-demon. I just don't see
what the big deal is with one little
demon out in the woods.
WILLOW
A demon in the woods that attacks
people and kills them.
BUFFY
See, now you're just jumping to
conclusions. Do we really know that
it kills people?
27.
XANDER
I don't think he was trying to thumb
wrestle you, Buff.
BUFFY
It was probably my fault anyway. I
was the one who invaded his personal
space. If anything, I think I should
go apologize.
(beat)
You think bear demons like ice cream?
WILLOW
A spell.
BUFFY
You want me to bring the bear demon
a spell?
WILLOW
(to Xander)
It has to be a spell. It's the only
explanation.
XANDER
You think you can break it?
WILLOW
I'd have to know what it was first.
XANDER
Is there some kind of general spell
undo-er?
WILLOW
Yes. But those things can be tricky.
If it got out of hand, who knows
what we might undo? For all we know,
Buffy would be uncalled as a Slayer,
Dawn would cease to exist and your
eye would go poof.
XANDER
Okay, so we find a new plan.
BUFFY
Maybe I could bake him a cake. I
hear chocolate's bad for animals
though.
Dawn walks through the front door. Right away, she can sense
badness with Willow and Xander.
DAWN
What's going on?
28.
XANDER
Buffy got into a fight with some
bear demon and now she's acting all
passive toward it. We think it's a
spell.
DAWN
Big Jack.
WILLOW
What-now?
DAWN
The bear. A friend was telling me
about it today. It's like a legend
around here. This big bear that lives
in the woods and kills anyone who
invades it's space.
BUFFY
You made a friend? Good for you.
XANDER
But why would that make Buffy act
all weird?
BUFFY
I'm not acting weird.
(to Dawn)
I'm not acting weird.
DAWN
So what are we gonna...
Dawn stops. She's looking at Xander and sees something
different, but can't quite place what it is.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Is there something new about you?
XANDER
Kinda.
She finally realizes it. A smile forms on her face.
DAWN
Your eye!
She runs to him and gives him a big hug.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Oh my God, this is so great. How'd
it happen?
XANDER
Willow.
29.
DAWN
This is so great. We have to
celebrate.
WILLOW
Um, guys? Slayer issues, remember?
DAWN
Sorry. So, what happened?
XANDER
Fight in the woods. Ice cream.
Suddenly she's all warm and fuzzy
toward demons.
DAWN
So could it have been the ice cream,
maybe? I mean, if there's an evil
exterminator in town, maybe there's
an evil ice cream maker.
WILLOW
I don't feel any different, but I
guess it's worth checking out.
XANDER
I'll go.
DAWN
Me too.
WILLOW
I guess I'll stay here and try to
place the spell.
Xander and Dawn leave.
Willow looks down at Buffy who is looking back at her,
innocently.
BUFFY
Wanna play Jenga?
INT. ICE CREAM SHOP - NIGHT
Xander and Dawn walk into the shop and look around.
XANDER
I'll check out the shop. You go to
the counter and see if anything looks
weird.
DAWN
'Kay.
XANDER
Oh...
30.
He hands her some money.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Here. The butter pecan looks a little
shifty. Might want to get some.
Y'know, for the sake of the
investigation.
Dawn gets his meaning.
DAWN
Check. Suspicious butter pecan. I'm
on it.
Dawn heads off for the counter. We stay on Xander as he checks
out the rest of the shop. He goes to the table where he,
Buffy and Willow were sitting at earlier, and looks around.
Nearby, an ATTRACTIVE YOUNG LADY is sitting alone, eating
ice cream. She catches Xander's eye. He smiles at her in a
flirty way.
XANDER
Hi.
(beat)
Just looking for a quarter I dropped
before. It's my lucky quarter.
She smiles at him. He looks around a little more, then turns
back to her.
XANDER (CONT'D)
I don't suppose you've seen anything
weird? Y'know, like a quarter. Or
maybe a funny looking red man with
horns and a pitchfork?
She shakes her head, playing coy. He smiles.
Then something comes over him. He puts a hand on his temple.
XANDER'S POV
His vision blurs. When it clears up, he can see the woman
sitting, enjoying her ice cream. He can also see right through
her clothes! Luckily, she's wearing underwear because this
is a network tv show.
Xander jumps and slaps a hand over his new eye.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Nygh!
Of all the luck, Xander's x-ray vision prevents his hand
from actually doing any good. He can see right through it.
31.
He yelps again and tries putting his other hand over the
hand covering his eye. It still doesn't work.
Dawn looks back from the counter. She starts to walk over
with a bag of ice cream in her hand. Xander is very sure not
to look in her direction.
Finally, she gets close enough to whisper.
DAWN
(whispered)
Xander, what are you doing? Are you
okay?
Xander turns his head to keep his eyes away from Dawn. When
he does, he finds himself looking back at the attractive
young woman. He can still see through her clothes.
He lingers on that sight for the slightest of moments before
realizing that this just isn't right.
XANDER
I have to go.
He runs out of the shop.
Dawn looks around to see if people are staring.
EXT. BEAR RIVER MAIN STREET - NIGHT
Xander runs into the street. Moments later, Dawn follows.
DAWN
What's going on?
Xander looks up. He looks around (still not at Dawn) and
finds that his vision is normal again.
XANDER
It's gone.
DAWN
What?
XANDER
Back there, I could see through that
woman's clothes.
DAWN
You what?
XANDER
Not on purpose.
DAWN
X-ray vision? Are you serious?
32.
Xander's head hurts again. He rubs his temple. When he looks
up, he looks around the street. As he does, his jaw drops.
XANDER
Uh-oh.
DAWN
What?
Xander doesn't respond. He just looks around.
XANDER'S POV
PEOPLE walk up and down the street. Some of them look quite
normal. But a bunch of them (mostly men, but a few women)
have a BLUE CLOUD around their heads.
XANDER
I think we have a problem.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT TWO
33.
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
EXT. BEAR RIVER MAIN STREET - NIGHT
Only a few moments have passed. Xander is still looking around
the town.
DAWN
What's going on? Xander, talk to me.
XANDER
There's... Something isn't right
with this place. The people.
DAWN
And that means?
XANDER
I can see something around some of
them. A cloud.
He closes his eyes and shakes his head a little. When he
opens his eyes, his vision is normal again.
XANDER (CONT'D)
It's gone.
(beat)
But I saw the same thing around Buffy
earlier. I just thought it was a
head rush or something.
DAWN
So what is it?
XANDER
That's what we have to find out.
They're about to take off when they run into Shelly. Shelly
smiles.
SHELLY
Dawn. Hi.
Dawn really doesn't feel chatty, but she can't just run off.
DAWN
Hey, Shelly.
Shelly looks to Xander and then back to Dawn. Dawn doesn't
get the meaning for a moment, but then finally gets it.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Oh. Right. Shelly, this is Xander.
Xander, Shelly. I met her at school
today.
34.
Xander wants to rush off too, but doesn't.
XANDER
Hi. Nice to meet you.
(to Dawn)
We really should--
DAWN
Right.
(holds up bag)
Ice cream. Don't want it to melt.
SHELLY
So is this your brother?
DAWN
Him? No. Xander's a friend. Roommate,
actually.
SHELLY
Roommate? You don't live with your
family?
DAWN
My sister. It's a long story. I'll
tell you tomorrow.
Xander looks back up at the crowd to see if he can make out
the cloud, but it's still not there.
Shelly notices him looking around.
SHELLY
Is something wrong?
XANDER
Hmm? Oh, no. I'm just not used to
this much plaid.
SHELLY
Yeah. It's a big hunting town, what
can I say? Hunters love their plaid.
Shelly points out one of the men.
SHELLY (CONT'D)
See him? That's Ray Neilson. He won
the deer hunting competition for
last year. He'd have had even more
if he wasn't put out of commission
in the attack.
DAWN
Attack?
35.
SHELLY
Yeah. Something came at him in the
woods when he was out one day. Nearly
took a leg by the time it was done
with him.
DAWN
How'd he get away?
SHELLY
Managed to fire a shot into the
thing's face. He said he wasn't even
sure it killed him, the thing was so
strong. Nobody ever found the carcass.
Anyway, the whole thing really changed
his life. He said he may never go
hunting again.
DAWN
(to Xander)
Big Jack.
SHELLY
(laughs)
That's what they say.
(to Xander)
Then again, that's what they say
about most of the attacks around
here. Every time someone's bitten,
mauled, mutilated, or has their corpse
stolen from the funeral home, people
blame Big Jack. As if there weren't
any other animals in the world.
Xander and Dawn share a look and then smile nervously at
Shelly.
XANDER
Animals. Right. What kind of person
would believe in demons anyway?
SHELLY
Demons?
XANDER
Not demons. I mean legends. Creatures
from legends. Elves. Fairies.
Christina Aguilera. All those things
that nobody really believes in.
DAWN
You'll have to excuse my friend here.
He gets a little loopy when he's low
on sugar. We should really get going.
36.
SHELLY
Okay. Well, I'll see you in school
tomorrow.
DAWN
Right. See ya.
SHELLY
(to Xander)
Nice meeting you.
Xander smiles and then he and Dawn turn and walk away.
DAWN
(mumbled to Xander)
Spill the beans much?
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy is sitting on the couch, playing Jenga. Willow is
pacing, with the phone up to her ear.
|
Another phone call to Giles. Where is Anthony Stewart Head when you need him?
|
WILLOW
(into phone)
It's me. We have a little issue here
that I could use some help figuring
out. Let me know as soon as you get
in. Safe trip. Bye.
Willow hangs up the phone. She looks at Buffy.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
This was a lot easier when we had a
library of books to look through.
Xander and Dawn walk into the house. Dawn heads into the
kitchen to put the ice cream away. Xander sits next to Buffy.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Find anything out?
XANDER
Do you mean about Buffy's situation,
or about my freakish new super eye
with the amazing powers of x-ray
vision and cloud-o-vision?
WILLOW
Huh?
XANDER
Yeah. Turns out my eye was fixed a
little too well or something. It's
going crazy on me.
37.
BUFFY
(still in Jenga world)
Wow. That's weird.
He scratches at one of his demon bites again.
XANDER
Yeah. As if I didn't have enough
suffering with these bug bites from
Hell.
WILLOW
Okay, so what's cloud-o-vision?
Dawn walks back into the room.
DAWN
He can see clouds around people who've
been in contact with Big Jack.
WILLOW
Can you see the clouds now?
XANDER
No. It comes and goes.
DAWN
But he saw one around Buffy before,
and then again with a few people in
town.
WILLOW
And they survived?
DAWN
Seems that way.
Willow thinks.
WILLOW
Okay, so these people are attacked
by the bear-demon--
DAWN
Big Jack.
WILLOW
Whatever. So these people are
attacked, and they have this cloud
around them?
DAWN
That and they're suddenly all passive
and stuff. I'm thinking it's some
kind of poison that gets into their
system. Like a drug.
38.
WILLOW
That would make sense.
XANDER
So will it wear off?
WILLOW
Maybe.
DAWN
But the people in town are still
doped up.
Buffy takes a piece from the bottom of the Jenga tower, and
the thing falls apart.
BUFFY
Darn.
(to the others)
Were you guys saying something?
WILLOW
We're gonna make you better soon,
Buffy.
BUFFY
I feel fine. Is it really so bad
that I don't wanna go around killing
things all the time?
DAWN
For you? Yeah.
XANDER
So where do we start?
WILLOW
Killing the demon is usually the way
to go.
XANDER
So we kill this demon that Buffy
couldn't even kill?
WILLOW
Maybe I can use a spell to put him
to sleep or something.
DAWN
And then what? Do we boil the body
and make Buffy drink it or something?
XANDER
Eew.
DAWN
Well.
39.
WILLOW
We'll figure out how to fix this
once we have the demon. Let's go.
Willow, Xander and Dawn start for the door. At the last
second, Xander stops and turns around.
XANDER
Wait. I think we're forgetting
something.
WILLOW
Buffy?
XANDER
Buffy.
Dawn goes and grabs Buffy's arm. She pulls Buffy along with
them as they walk out of the house.
BUFFY
You guys, I'm really okay to stay
here alone. I'm an adult, you know.
I have the photo ID to prove it.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
The gang walks through the woods, searching for Big Jack.
DAWN
So how are we supposed to find this
thing anyway?
WILLOW
If Buffy would just tell us where
she was, we'd know where to look.
Willow gives Buffy a "hint hint" look.
BUFFY
Don't look at me. I'm not in on this
whole hunting thing. The poor guy
just wants to live in peace.
DAWN
And make others live in pieces.
Dawn smiles at her own joke, but nobody else does. Her smile
turns into a defensive pout.
WILLOW
C'mon. If you tell us where the demon
is, I'll play Jenga later.
Buffy mimes a key-turning action over her mouth. Willow sighs.
40.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Okay, so I guess we'll just have to
wander around until we find it.
XANDER
Hey, I have an idea.
Dawn and Willow look at him.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Neither of you would happen to have
a picnic basket handy?
The girls roll their eyes. Buffy laughs. Dawn looks at Buffy.
DAWN
You think that was better than my
"pieces" joke?
Buffy shrugs. At the same time, Xander's vision blurs again.
He stops walking and rubs his eye. The others stop.
BUFFY
Are you okay?
XANDER
Yeah, my eye's just going wonky again.
DAWN
X-ray?
Xander looks around, being sure not to look at any of the
girls.
XANDER
Don't think so.
WILLOW
It's not heat vision, is it?
XANDER
I'm not Clark Kent, Will.
Xander looks at Buffy. He focuses on her. After a second,
she gets a little self conscious and rubs her face.
BUFFY
What? Do I have something on my face?
XANDER
The cloud.
DAWN
You see the cloud again?
XANDER
Yeah.
41.
Xander looks around the rest of the woods.
WILLOW
So do you see the cloud anywhere
else?
XANDER
Hold on a sec.
BUFFY
How do we know he's not just seeing
things?
XANDER
There.
Xander is pointing into the distance.
WILLOW
You see it?
XANDER
I'm not just pointing for the thrill
of it. Let's go.
They start to walk off. Buffy finds a rock and sits down.
BUFFY
I'll just wait here. You guys go
ahead without me.
Dawn walks back and grabs Buffy again.
The group walks to the same area of the woods that Buffy was
in earlier.
XANDER
The place is lit up like a cheap Las
Vegas night club.
WILLOW
I don't see any bear.
DAWN
Could he have moved on?
Xander blinks a few times.
XANDER
Eye's back to normal.
Dawn takes a few steps and looks around the area. She turns
back to the others.
DAWN
So what do we do now?
42.
Before anyone can answer, there's a RUSTLING in the trees
behind Dawn. She closes her eyes, realizing what's happening.
Big Jack creeps up behind her. He stands on his hind legs
and shows his teeth.
DAWN (CONT'D)
He's right behind me, isn't he?
Big Jack raises a claw and moves to swipe at Dawn.
Willow quickly raises a hand.
WILLOW
(latin)
Contego.
(translation)
Shield.
The claw is stopped just short of Dawn's head.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Dawn, run!
Dawn runs out of the way. She stops next to Buffy.
BUFFY
Dawn, are you okay?
DAWN
Yeah.
BUFFY
We should go.
Big Jack ROARS. He starts toward Willow. Willow looks down
to the ground and holds her palm up. She focuses as hard as
she can.
When Big Jack finally gets to her, he swipes at her. Again,
the claw is stopped short of hurting her. Slowly, Willow
looks up. Her face is filled with strength and determination.
Big Jack FLIES BACK, and crashes to the ground. Angered, the
demon bear grabs a branch off of the ground and throws it at
Willow. It bounces off of her shield and lands on the ground
near her.
XANDER
Just let us know when we can jump
in.
WILLOW
Stay back.
43.
BUFFY
You guys, we should get out of here.
Now.
DAWN
We don't run.
XANDER
Sometimes we run.
DAWN
We're not running this time.
Willow and Big Jack are staring each other down. Big Jack
charges at her. She moves out of the way. He slowly walks
closer to her again. She backs away with each step he takes.
XANDER
Willow, watch it!
Willow doesn't have time to react before she trips over the
branch on the ground. Her focus is lost. As she falls, Big
Jack swipes at her. He catches her in the arm and sends her
flying through the air, into a tree. She lands on the ground
with a thud. She's unconscious.
BUFFY
Willow!
Buffy goes to Willow's side to see if she'll be okay.
Big Jack starts to make his way toward Xander and Dawn. When
he gets close to them, he ROARS again.
Buffy looks back. Her eyes widen.
Xander and Dawn look up at Big Jack. Xander swallows hard.
XANDER
Oh, bother.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT THREE
44.
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
Big Jack is standing over Xander and Dawn. The demon ROARS
again. He raises a claw to swipe at them.
Xander pushes Dawn out of the way just in time. She lands on
the ground and looks up just in time to see Xander get knocked
to the ground. Once on the ground, Big Jack stands over him,
ready to rip him apart.
BUFFY
Xander, get out of there!
Dawn gets to her feet. She tries to think of a plan, but
when one doesn't come to her, she just charges at the demon.
XANDER
(to Dawn)
No!
Dawn lands a few punches, but Big Jack quickly gets annoyed.
He turns and swats her away. She lands on the ground, a little
dazed. Big Jack turns back to Xander and holds him down with
one paw.
Buffy goes to Dawn and helps her up.
BUFFY
Are you okay?
DAWN
I think so.
BUFFY
We have to get out of here.
DAWN
We have to help Xander and Willow.
Buffy looks back.
BUFFY
I think they made him mad.
DAWN
What was your first clue?
Xander is struggling to get away, but he can't. The weight
of Big Jack on his chest is also making it hard for him to
breath.
Big Jack puts his nose to Xander's face and starts sniffing.
45.
BUFFY
What can we do?
DAWN
I was thinking we might kill the
demon.
BUFFY
But...
DAWN
Look, I don't have time to chat.
Help or don't. Either way, I'm going
to help Xander.
Dawn pushes past Buffy and grabs a rock off the ground. She
holds it with both hands and hits Big Jack as hard as she
can over the head.
Big Jack HUFFS, and turns toward Dawn. She slowly begins to
back away.
DAWN (CONT'D)
That's right, big guy. Come this
way.
Big Jack moves away from Xander, toward Dawn. Buffy watches
with concern.
BUFFY
Dawn, don't make him mad. He'll hurt
you.
Xander takes a few deep breaths as he tries to get up. He
only makes it as far as his knees before he has to stop and
deal with the pain he feels on his chest. He looks up and
sees Big Jack moving closer to Dawn.
Dawn doesn't have any clue what she's doing. She looks around
for something to use to stop Big Jack, but she sees nothing.
XANDER
Buffy, help her!
Buffy is torn. She doesn't know what to do. Help her little
sister, or go with her gut and stay out of Big Jack's way.
BUFFY
What am I supposed to do?
XANDER
Kill him!
BUFFY
I can't.
46.
DAWN
But don't you think it's worth a
try?
XANDER
You're a Slayer. Slay!
Buffy thinks about it.
BUFFY
Am I? When was the last time I killed
anything? Maybe I'm not a Slayer
anymore.
XANDER
It's not a choice you have. It's who
you are.
Buffy struggles to make sense of this.
DAWN
You're under a spell.
Big Jack GRUNTS as he gets closer to Dawn.
DAWN (CONT'D)
(to Big Jack)
Not you. Her.
Dawn's run out of space to back up.
BUFFY
Dawn.
XANDER
Save her, Buffy.
Big Jack swipes at Dawn. She's thrown into a rock and hits
her head. She's awake, but groggy at this point. Big Jack
steps closer to her and raises a claw to swing again.
BUFFY
Dawn!
Buffy runs and dives on top of Big Jack. Both of them fall
to the ground.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Xander, get Dawn and Willow out of
here!
XANDER
But--
BUFFY
Do it!
47.
Buffy leaps to her feet just as Big Jack gets to his. They
stare each other down.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I really can't allow you to hurt my
sister like that.
Xander goes to Dawn and helps her up. He puts one of her
arms around his neck and helps her over to where Willow is.
He looks at Willow and then to Dawn.
XANDER
Oh, this should be fun.
BUFFY
(to Big Jack)
I'm sure we can work something out.
Maybe you could try not killing people
for a while. Y'know, just to see how
you like it?
Big Jack swings at Buffy. She avoids him and kicks him in
the gut. He stumbles back.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
If you're not willing to talk this
through, I'm not sure what I might
have to do.
(beat)
C'mon. What do you say? Friends?
He charges at Buffy again. This time, he manages to knock
her to the ground. He puts a paw on top of her and ROARS.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
(struggling to breath)
I'm trying. I really am. But if you're
not willing to give a little, I guess
I have no other choice.
She grabs his paw and twists it. He falls to the ground next
to her. She rolls on top of him and begins punching him in
the face.
Xander and Dawn are kneeling next to Willow now. Xander's
trying to wake Dawn up. He's slapping her lightly on the
face.
XANDER
Wake up. C'mon, stay with me.
DAWN
Wha...?
XANDER
That's right. Just open those eyes
and help me out a little.
48.
He thinks for a few seconds, trying to think of something to
help his situation. She's starting to wake up a little more.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Come on. Umm... How many fingers?
He holds up three fingers, but she doesn't respond. She's
not looking at his hand.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Okay. Who's the president?
DAWN
(groggy)
Xander?
XANDER
Close enough.
Dawn is finally starting to come around. She looks up at
him, still a little out of it, but much more aware.
DAWN
The demon.
XANDER
Buffy's handling it.
DAWN
Buffy?
Xander looks back. He sees Buffy still pounding on Big Jack's
face.
XANDER
Looks like he wasn't willing to give
peace a chance.
Big Jack finally manages to block one of Buffy's punches,
and grabs her fist. He shifts his weight and rolls on top of
her. His weight makes it hard for her to breath.
BUFFY
Okay, someone needs a diet.
He leans up, still using his lower half to hold her down. He
swipes at her. She moves her head in time to avoid being
killed, but she gets a nasty looking cut in the process.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Ow! That's just rude.
She punches Big Jack in the face, then pushes him off of
her. She leaps to her feet. Big Jack stands and faces her.
Xander and Dawn each grab one of Willow's arms.
49.
XANDER
(to Dawn)
You sure you can do this?
DAWN
Think so.
They try picking Willow up. Dawn quickly lets her side drop.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Or not.
Dawn drops next to Willow.
XANDER
I'll take care of Willow. You just
try to take care of yourself.
Dawn nods. Xander picks Willow up, ignoring his bruised chest.
They slowly begin to make their way out of the area. Dawn
stops and turns around.
DAWN
We can't leave her.
XANDER
She'll be fine. We have to get out
of here.
Dawn hesitates.
By this time, Buffy and Big Jack are back to fighting.
Swinging at each other, and trying to avoid each other.
BUFFY
Dawn, go!
Finally, Dawn gives in and goes with Xander. When they're
gone, Buffy stands up straight and puts her hands on her
hips.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Okay, they're gone. We can stop the
fighting now.
Buffy turns to walk away, but Big Jack isn't stopping. He
swings at her from behind. Even though she can't see it, she
ducks and avoids it.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Y'know, I've tried being nice. I've
tried walking away. I've tried being
your friend. What else can I do? You
keep trying to kill my friends, and
my sister. You keep trying to rip
out my insides. And why?
(MORE)
50.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
So you can eat them? Or make a hat?
'Cause some demons make a hat out of
the... That's not important. What is
important is that you just aren't
cooperating. You really need to be
more of a giver.
Big Jack swings at her again. She stops his arm and holds
onto it.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I don't think we can work this out
by talking, at this point.
Buffy kicks Big Jack in the gut, still holding onto his arm.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Seems like the only thing you respond
to is good old fashioned violence.
She kicks him again.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Luckily for you, I happen to be fluent
in the language of the ancient ass
kickers.
She twists his arm and flips him to the ground.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
They were a quiet race. Known for
their pottery and basket making.
They made really nice baskets.
She kicks him again. He tries to get up, but she pushes him
back down.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Did I mention their ass kicking
skills?
She kicks Big Jack again.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
That's how you say "hi" in ancient
ass kicker.
She bends down and begins to beat the crap out of Big Jack.
Soon the POUNDING SOUNDS turn into SQUISHING SOUNDS.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Sorry for the run on sentence. I
tend to ramble when I'm under demonic
spells.
51.
She finally stops pounding him and sits back. She catches
her breath.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy, Willow and Xander are all laying around the room.
They're recovering from their battle the night before.
WILLOW
My head feels like it's been put
through a juicer.
XANDER
My ribs feel like they've been beaten
by a meat tenderizer.
WILLOW
Hey, maybe we could open a really
disgusting restaurant.
BUFFY
So there goes my non-killing spree.
WILLOW
Sorry.
BUFFY
It was bound to happen eventually.
Still a personal record though.
XANDER
On the bright side, no more blue
cloud around you.
BUFFY
Yay for that.
(beat)
For some reason, I was rambling on
about an ancient race of ass kickers.
I think the cloud was making me a
little insane.
XANDER
Everything seems normal again though.
From what Dawn says, the urge to
hunt and kill has gone back up in
town.
BUFFY
That's nice.
WILLOW
Normal for most people. Still working
on your eye issue.
52.
XANDER
I'm starting to get used to it,
actually.
WILLOW
It doesn't make sense. I can't figure
out why your eye would do that.
BUFFY
You'll work it out. It's what you
do. Until then, Xander, if I catch
you staring at me, I'll kill you in
your sleep.
Xander smiles at Buffy's joke. Then he starts to realize
that she wasn't joking and his smile fades.
XANDER
So, shouldn't Dawn be home by now?
(beat)
Not that I wanted to stare at Dawn.
Because I wouldn't do that.
(beat)
Really.
INT. VIDEO STORE - CONTINUOUS - DAY
Kirsty is showing Dawn around the shop. They're behind the
counter at the moment. Dawn's being shown how to check movies
back into the computer.
KIRSTY
Then you scan it, hit F3 on the
computer, scan it again, and then
put it back on the shelf.
DAWN
Okay. Sounds easy enough.
KIRSTY
Could be easier, but our system is
about two decades past it's prime.
DAWN
You should have seen the register at
this shop some friends of mine owned
back in California. I think it was
from the 1800's or something.
Kirsty doesn't respond. She's not really interested.
DAWN (CONT'D)
So, how 'bout them late fees?
53.
KIRSTY
I'll show you one of those when we
get one. Usually, we just let it
slide.
DAWN
Wow. That's nice of you.
KIRSTY
Just never saw the point in charging
them.
Kirsty reaches behind the counter and pulls out a name tag
and a pin. She hands them both to Dawn. Dawn smiles at the
name tag.
DAWN
Cool. My own name tag.
Again, Kirsty doesn't respond. Dawn looks at the pin and is
a little confused by it.
DAWN (CONT'D)
"Hunting is murder"?
KIRSTY
It's the official opinion of the
store.
RYAN (O.S.)
No it's not.
Dawn turns and sees Ryan walking into the store. He walks
right to them.
RYAN (CONT'D)
She just wants to push her own
opinions.
KIRSTY
Mom and Dad put me in charge.
RYAN
They didn't say you could make every
employee become a registered PETA
member.
KIRSTY
Whatever. You show her around. I
have paperwork to fill out.
Kirsty walks into the back room, leaving Dawn alone with
Ryan. He smiles at her.
RYAN
Sorry about that.
54.
DAWN
It's cool, I don't mind.
RYAN
She can be a bit political sometimes.
You can just ignore her. I do.
Dawn smiles.
RYAN (CONT'D)
Hey, did she tell you that you get
free rentals?
DAWN
Really? That's cool.
RYAN
Yeah.
(beat)
C'mon, I'll show you the snack rack.
Ryan walks away. Dawn stands for a moment, just looking around
the shop. Taking it all in before finally following Ryan.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF SHOW
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Like I said, not a lot to say here. You probably notice a lot of spelling
and grammar errors as you read these scripts. I know they're in there, I
just can't seem to catch all of them for some reason. Sorry.
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