TEASER
FADE IN:
EXT. DARK RESIDENTIAL STREETS/GRASSY AREA - NIGHT
BUFFY is walking down the dark street, carrying her Scythe
and just taking in the world around her. She hasn't taken a
moment to catch her breath in a long, long time, but something
about this night and this place is different.
She turns and starts to cut across a grassy area. After a
few moments of peaceful walking, she turns her head, listening
for something.
DAISY (O.S.)
(from the previous
episode)
You don't want her.
(beat)
You want me.
Buffy hears this and turns to walk in the direction from
which it came. She is in no particular hurry, but she is
walking with a mission now.
Buffy walks over a hill and stops to look down at the street
below, where she can see AUDRA on the street, holding her
head. MIKE is on the ground, unconscious. DAISY and the
STALKER are looking at each other. He takes his couple of
steps closer to her, and she backs away. As before, she turns
to run and he swats her down.
Buffy starts to walk again, still not in any particular hurry.
CLOSE ON: DAISY
Same as in the previous episode. She is looking up at the
stalker, who is standing over her.
The stalker leans down to get a better look at his prey, and
Daisy eventually passes out.
The stalker sniffs the air around her, taking in what to him
is a sweet smell. He brushes the hair away from her face.
Buffy walks onto the sidewalk, looking over at Audra, who
isn't looking back in Buffy's direction. Buffy can see that
Audra will be okay, so she doesn't concern herself with her.
Same with Mike.
Buffy finally reaches the stalker and stands behind him
without making a sound as he continues to study his victim.
Suddenly, his actions switch from creepy to violent as he
pulls off one of his gloves, revealing a clawed hand.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.
He quickly raises it with the intention of slashing Daisy to
shreds, but when he tries to slash, he finds that he can no
longer move his arm. Buffy is now holding onto it.
As the stalker looks back to see who or what is holding onto
him, Buffy throws him onto the grass.
He struggles to get up as Buffy walks toward him, raising
her Scythe.
When he sees the Scythe and realizes who Buffy is, fear fills
him. Though we still can't see his face through the weird
shadow that covers it, one can tell that he is having quite
the wiggins.
He trips over himself as he tries to get up, and eventually
ends up crawling backwards in an attempt to get away from
her.
For her part, Buffy coolly walks to him, and looks down at
him. Her eyes are filled with disgusted anger, knowing what
he is and what he does. She says nothing. She simply swings
her Scythe down at him. Though we don't see what happens to
him, we do hear the SQUISH.
HARD CUT TO:
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - FOYER/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
XANDER rushes into the house, closing the door behind him.
He quickly walks into the living room and grabs his wallet
off of a table. He sticks it into his pocket and walks back
to the door.
When he opens the door to leave, he stops short. His face
goes blank.
XANDER
Oh my God.
ANGLE ON : THE DOORWAY
Buffy stands just outside the doorway, looking at Xander.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Buffy.
For a moment, Xander stands in shock as Buffy stands before
him. Finally, he steps forward and puts his arms around her,
hugging her warmly.
After the reality catches up to her, Buffy puts her arms
around Xander, and rests her head on his shoulder.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF TEASER
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. SUNNYDALE MAIN STREET - NIGHT
WILLOW, DAWN, GILES and RYAN are standing outside of a
restaurant, waiting for Xander.
Dawn and Ryan are off to the side, talking and flirting a
little, while Giles reads a menu that is posted on the wall
and Willow looks at her watch and then down the street to
look for Xander.
GILES
"Wreckage Burger. Crater of Chili.
Spicy Angel Wings?"
(beat)
I really don't see the connection.
WILLOW
(absently)
Not a lot of victims during
Sunnydale's demise. People see it as
a blessing.
(then)
Shouldn't Xander be here by now? I
mean, it's been a while, right?
GILES
I'm sure he's okay. He probably
couldn't find his wallet.
WILLOW
It's on the table. It's always on
the table. I yell at him about it
all the time because it looks messy.
GILES
Oh. That's rather... domestic of
you, isn't it?
WILLOW
We should go look for him.
GILES
We could call the house.
WILLOW
Good idea.
Willow reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a cell phone.
she pushes one button and then puts the phone to her ear.
After a few moments, she hangs up.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
No answer.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.
GILES
I'm still sure that he's fine. We'll
walk back toward the house and I'm
sure that we'll meet him along the
way.
Willow nods and the two of them start walking. Dawn sees
this and pulls Ryan along after them.
DAWN
We're not eating?
GILES
We'll come back after we find Xander.
DAWN
Oh. Okay.
As they walk, Willow tries the house number again. Still no
answer. Giles puts a hand on her shoulder.
Dawn slows down to put some space between herself and Willow.
She then leans to Ryan and speaks softly. She's not playful
anymore.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Something suddenly feels weird. Do
you feel it?
Ryan shakes his head.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Well, trust me. Something is
different.
RYAN
Good different?
Dawn shrugs.
RYAN (CONT'D)
Okay. We'll just call it good
different.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy is in the living room by herself. She is looking around
at the furniture, the bookcases, and the mantle. Just getting
a general feel for the place. She feels very out of place
being here now.
Xander walks into the room with a cup of tea in one hand,
three bags of chips and a box of pop-tarts in the other, and
a Snickers in his pocket.
XANDER
I wasn't sure if you were hungry, so
I brought food.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.
He hands her the cup of tea, which she sets down on the table
next to her Scythe. Xander dumps the food into a chair.
BUFFY
Are there six of me?
XANDER
I just wasn't sure...
(beat)
God, Buffy. You're here.
Buffy doesn't respond.
XANDER (CONT'D)
You must be tired.
BUFFY
Kinda.
(beat)
Not really.
Buffy wanders over to the map with all of the tacks in it
and looks it over for a second before she begins moving the
tacks around.
XANDER
It's been years. No letters. No phone
calls.
BUFFY
I know. I'm sorry about that. You
guys are probably mad.
XANDER
No. We're not mad at you, Buffy. We
just... Where were you?
BUFFY
That's a long story that I'd really
rather only have to tell once. Can
we wait for everyone?
XANDER
Yeah. Sure.
They are silent for a moment. Xander awkwardly moves to a
chair and sits on the arm rest. Buffy keeps her eyes on the
map. She places a pin in it and keeps her hand on it for a
few seconds. This one is hard for her.
Finally, Buffy turns around and looks at Xander.
BUFFY
I killed him. Angel.
Xander is caught off guard by this comment. He pauses for a
moment before responding.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.
XANDER
Angel's dead?
(beat)
Like "see you at Thanksgiving" dead,
or--?
BUFFY
He's gone.
Xander is silent once again. Just as he thinks of something
else to say, the front door opens and Willow walks in.
WILLOW
Xan--?
Willow stops when she walks into the living room and sees
Buffy. She doesn't move or say anything.
Giles, Dawn and Ryan follow Willow into the house and they
all stop when they see Buffy.
Buffy looks back at them, also saying nothing. Her eyes start
to tear up. Still, the room is silent.
Ryan looks from Buffy to Dawn, and then to the others.
RYAN
So, I'm just gonna order in.
Buffy and Dawn finally walk to each other and meet with a
hug.
BUFFY
You're so beautiful.
DAWN
You're kinda looking plain these
days.
Buffy smiles.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Are you okay?
BUFFY
I manage. Are you? I never meant to
leave you alone.
DAWN
I was never alone, Buffy. You did
what you had to. I didn't get it at
first, but I do. You don't have to
worry about me.
They let go of each other, but Buffy takes a moment to look
at Dawn.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.
BUFFY
I always worry about you.
Buffy then looks at Giles. She gives Dawn one last look and
then moves to where Giles is. She looks up at him, and he
looks down at her. There are too many things to say, so they
say nothing. Finally, they hug.
Giles closes his eyes, taking in the hug. At last, he can
breathe again. When they let go, he looks her in the eyes
and wipes a tear off of her cheek with a warm smile.
WILLOW
Umm, hello? Best friend over here.
Waiting on a hug.
Giles nods to Buffy, and she then turns to Willow. The two
of them meet with big smiles, looking each other squarely in
the eyes.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
I missed you.
BUFFY
Me too.
They take a step closer and Willow is about to hug Buffy
when instead of hugging, Buffy grabs Willow's hand and pulls
it up to look at the engagement ring.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Holy crap! Are you serious?
Willow smiles and nods.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
To Xander, right?
WILLOW
Who else would it be?
BUFFY
I don't know...
Buffy looks toward Ryan.
RYAN
(pointing to Dawn)
I'm with her.
BUFFY
We'll talk.
Buffy turns her attention back to Willow, leaving Ryan hanging
on that last comment which makes him slightly less than
comfortable. He starts to walk toward the kitchen.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.
RYAN
I'm gonna call the pizza place.
BUFFY
(to Willow)
How did he propose? When? Have you
set a date?
WILLOW
Well, it was really romantic. In the
bedroom with candles and flower
petals.
BUFFY
The bedroom? Really? Seems kinda...
WILLOW
What?
BUFFY
I don't know. You were clothed, right?
WILLOW
Yeah.
BUFFY
I guess it's okay then.
WILLOW
It was romantic.
BUFFY
No, I'm sure it was.
Giles can't help but get a silly grin, listening to this
banter.
WILLOW
It was.
BUFFY
Right.
WILLOW
We can change the topic now. We have
a lot of catching up to do.
Buffy's not sure that she wants to do the catching up part,
but she tries to look happy about it.
BUFFY
Okay.
Buffy walks to the couch and sits down. The others take their
seats shortly after.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
So... What are you guys up to lately?
A house like this doesn't pay for
itself.
(beat)
Unless there's a spell that does
that.
XANDER
I wish.
WILLOW
Yeah, uhm... When I said that we
should catch up, I was leaning more
toward the "you" side of the spectrum.
BUFFY
Me?
(beat)
It's just-- Y'know, slaying. Find
the demon. Kill the demon. Find the
other demon. You've all been there.
DAWN
Yeah, but this is kinda different.
You've been on a three year slaying
binge and this is the first time
you've come up for air.
Buffy looks down. Xander sees this, and knows that there are
things that she'd rather not discuss.
XANDER
Maybe we should wait a while. Let
her catch her breath before going
all Barbara Walters on her.
WILLOW
If that's what she wants.
Buffy looks to Xander to thank him.
DAWN
It's just that there's so much to
talk about. You've been gone for
three years. That's a long time.
BUFFY
I know. I didn't even realize...
Everything is so different now. Willow
and Xander engaged. You and Ryan.
That's pretty long term.
DAWN
Actually, I just bumped into him on
my way back here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.
BUFFY
Oh. So, what do you do now?
(looking around)
All of you. I want to know everything.
WILLOW
Okay. Well, I went back to school.
Finished up and now I'm teaching.
BUFFY
You're a teacher?
WILLOW
Yup. Computer lab at Sunnydale High.
BUFFY
You're kidding me. You seriously
went back to that place? Are you
suicidal?
WILLOW
Hey, someone has to keep an eye on
things while the Slayer's away.
BUFFY
Fair enough. And it's totally fitting
too. I saw the power in your eyes
that time you thought Miss Calendar
was going to let you take over the
class.
WILLOW
You know me. Always the power junkie.
BUFFY
(to Dawn)
What about you?
DAWN
School. Demonology. Pretty boring.
BUFFY
Don't tell me you go to UC Sunnydale.
DAWN
No. I'm still up north.
BUFFY
Nice. Just tell me that you're not
killing something or getting kidnapped
every other day.
DAWN
Got kidnapped on my last birthday,
but that was just some friends
whisking me off to a party.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.
BUFFY
Wait. You have friends whose last
names aren't "Scooby"? Is that
allowed?
Buffy looks to Willow who shrugs.
WILLOW
First I've heard of it.
Buffy looks back to Xander with a smile. Xander smiles back,
but it's not all good with him. Giles notices this as well,
just as Buffy turns to him.
BUFFY
Let me guess. You're a Watcher?
GILES
I'm afraid that once you reach a
certain age, three years stops making
very much difference.
BUFFY
C'mon. There has to be something to
report. Any hot British schoolmarms
on your buddy list?
GILES
If only.
Buffy turns to Xander next. There's a slight pause before
she asks him. A silent plea to just follow her lead for a
while.
BUFFY
How 'bout you?
XANDER
Working for the enemy. Both literally
and not.
BUFFY
Huh?
XANDER
I write reports for the Council.
Fill them in on all of the details
that Giles left out of his diaries
back in the day.
BUFFY
And the literal part of you working
for the enemy?
XANDER
Oh, that? Nothing to worry about,
really. I just kinda wrote a report
about the whole Glory case.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.
BUFFY
(nodding)
Leaving out all of the important
stuff. Go on.
XANDER
Well... Not so much.
BUFFY
You told them about Dawn?
XANDER
Oh, it gets even better. The guy I
wrote the report for kinda... Well,
he sorta got turned into a vampire.
BUFFY
So this vampire now has access to
all of the information we have on
the Key?
XANDER
In all fairness, I didn't know he
was a vampire at the time. Plus,
Willow pulled the file from the
server. There's a good chance that
you don't need to slay me.
BUFFY
Don't worry about it.
XANDER
(to Giles)
Okay, I like her response better
than yours.
(then, to Buffy)
Why are you so cool about this?
BUFFY
It's a vampire. It's not like they're
hard to kill.
As soon as she says that, an awkwardness comes between her
and Xander once again.
WILLOW
That's the spirit.
(to Dawn)
See? You're not gonna die after all.
DAWN
That's cool. I hear it's a downer.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Ryan is in the kitchen, sitting on a stool at the island,
flipping through a phone book.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.
RYAN
Okay. Pizza. That's "P".
(beat)
And they say jocks are stupid.
He flips a couple of pages and then starts skimming.
RYAN (CONT'D)
So, which Pappa shall we go with
tonight? Take your time deciding.
Stay away from the scary woman with
the shiny red axe.
Ryan falls silent as he tries to decide on a pizza place.
After a moment, the silence is broken by the MUFFLED SOUND
OF CRYING.
Ryan looks up upon hearing this. As the sound continues, he
gets off of his stool and attempts to follow the sound.
First, he walks toward the living room to see if it's coming
from the others. When he decides that it's not coming from
in there, he walks in the other direction, toward the basement
and back door.
As he gets close to the back door, the CRYING STOPS.
Ryan opens the back door and walks out.
EXT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - BACK PORCH - CONTINUOUS
Ryan walks out onto the porch. He expects to find someone
sitting out there, but he finds nobody. The crying is no
longer heard. It's only the sound of a calm night.
After a couple of seconds, Dawn walks to the back door.
DAWN
Hey.
Ryan jumps slightly as he turns.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Something wrong?
Ryan pauses, trying to decide whether to tell her about the
sounds or not. Finally, he decides that it was nothing.
RYAN
I'm just jumpy.
DAWN
It must have been a long day for
you. It was for me, and I'm used to
all of this stuff.
RYAN
Yeah. Tired.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.
DAWN
And hungry. Did you order food?
RYAN
Doing it now.
Ryan walks toward the door, and Dawn lets him inside. As he
closes the door, he takes one last look at the backyard,
still uneasy.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT ONE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Xander and Willow are cleaning up in the post-dinner kitchen.
Willow puts leftover pizza in the refrigerator as Xander
takes care of the dishes.
WILLOW
So, Buffy bunks with Dawn in Dawn's
room. Giles in Buffy's old room.
Ryan on couch?
XANDER
We have the spare bunk downstairs he
could use.
WILLOW
Oh, I forgot about that. Isn't it
gonna be musky?
XANDER
New sheets should make it okay. I
mean, it's not the Ritz or whatever,
but it's an actual bed. Last time
Giles used our couch, he ended up
falling off three times.
Willow laughs.
WILLOW
"Bloody hell!", every other hour.
Xander turns off the water and dried his hands.
XANDER
I'll go pull it out. We can set it
up in the living room.
Xander goes down to the basement, leaving Willow alone. She
chuckles again.
WILLOW
"Bloody hell!"
Buffy walks into the room.
BUFFY
Bloody hell, what?
WILLOW
Oh, it's nothing. Just an inside
joke.
BUFFY
Ah. Where'd Xander go?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16.
WILLOW
Basement. He's trying to find the
spare bed.
BUFFY
Oh. You need any help in here?
WILLOW
I'm almost done.
BUFFY
'Kay.
(beat)
I guess I'll go see about Xander
then.
WILLOW
Okay.
Buffy heads for the basement.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Buff?
Buffy stops and turns around.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Are you okay? I mean, I know you
don't want to do the big exposition
thing tonight, but you're okay, right?
You'd tell me if you weren't?
BUFFY
Yeah. I'm fine.
(beat)
I'm just gonna go check on Xander.
Willow nods, still concerned. Buffy walks into the basement.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - CONTINUOUS
Buffy walks down the stairs and finds Xander digging through
some piles of old boxes, furniture and the like.
BUFFY
Need any help?
XANDER
I can handle it.
Buffy starts looking around the basement at nothing in
particular.
BUFFY
There's actual stuff down here. Last
time I was here, it was pretty empty.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.
XANDER
Willow's mom redecorated her house
last year and decided that we should
take everything she didn't want.
BUFFY
Fun.
Buffy looks under a sheet-covered piece of furniture and
winces.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I can see why she'd redecorate.
Buffy makes her way to an old desk and sits on it, nosing
around the drawers. She opens one and finds a stack of papers.
She picks up the top sheet.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
What's this?
Xander looks back and jumps when he sees where she's looking.
He rushes to her and takes the paper.
XANDER
It's nothing. Just some old work
papers.
Xander puts the paper back in the desk and closes the drawer.
BUFFY
Okay. That was weird.
XANDER
You don't just go snooping. There's
privacy and... privacy.
BUFFY
Both very important. Sorry.
XANDER
I didn't mean to freak out on you.
I'm just jumpy.
BUFFY
Didn't notice.
XANDER
Well, you have to admit, I have a
pretty good reason. You dropped this
huge bombshell on me and then you
were acting like nothing ever
happened. What's the deal?
BUFFY
I just didn't want everyone going
crazy all at once.
(MORE)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
It's weird enough as it is. I'm not
used to this anymore. I'm not used
to having people care about where I
am or what I do.
XANDER
People always cared about where you
were and what you were doing. You
just didn't bother to tell them.
Buffy stands up and takes a few steps, not knowing quite
what to say next. Her instinct is to just walk away, but she
pushes that back and turns to face Xander.
BUFFY
I'm sorry. Not because I went off
like that, or because I didn't tell
you where I was. I'm sorry that you
had to worry about me. I wish I could
make that go away.
XANDER
We don't want it to go away.
Xander sits on the desk. He's not angry at Buffy at all.
XANDER (CONT'D)
We love you. You're part of our
family, and that means that we worry
about you. Whether you're in Japan
somewhere, or down at the Espresso
Pump, getting a cup of coffee. I
just wish you could let us know that
you're okay every once in a while.
Buffy sits next to him.
BUFFY
I can't do it the way I was before.
I can't be the Slayer that I have to
be, and then come home for dinner. I
wish I could, but everything is
different now. I'm different.
(beat)
I probably shouldn't even be here
now.
XANDER
I'm glad you are.
Buffy rests her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.
BUFFY
Sooner or later, I have to go back.
Xander doesn't respond. He's not sure if he wants to accept
that she can't stay, or if he wants to beg her to.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19.
Instead of doing either one of these, he just sits with her
in silence.
After several moments of quiet, Buffy opens her eyes. She
points across the room.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
There's the extra bed.
Xander nods and stands up. He walks toward the bed and starts
to pull it out of the clutter.
XANDER
So, about this secret of yours that
you told me and not everyone...
BUFFY
It's not a secret. I'm not seventeen
anymore. I don't run away and hide
from my actions. I'm an adult. Now I
move away and remain discreet in my
convictions.
XANDER
Well, that clears that up.
BUFFY
It's not a secret. I just didn't
want to make a big speech about the
past two years.
XANDER
Three. Almost.
BUFFY
We're getting old.
Xander now has the bed in hand.
XANDER
Let's head upstairs. Being around
Giles will make us feel young again.
BUFFY
Good plan.
Buffy grabs part of the bed and helps Xander carry it up the
stairs.
XANDER
Hey, Buff?
BUFFY
Hmm?
XANDER
Thanks for making it seem like I'm
helping carry this thing too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.
They get upstairs, turning off the light and closing the
door behind them.
In the darkness, the sound of A CAT'S MEOW is heard.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Xander and Ryan are setting up the small bed for Ryan in the
living room. Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Giles are sitting,
watching them.
WILLOW
So, Buffy, we've told you all about
us. Now you tell us something about
you.
BUFFY
There's not a lot to tell, really.
It's like what I always did, but way
more global.
DAWN
There has to be something to tell.
You've been on this mission for years.
BUFFY
There's really not.
DAWN
You must have seen some weird demons
though, right?
BUFFY
Some, I guess.
(beat)
There was this one a few months ago
that was kinda funny. A shapeshifter
demon who must have eaten a bad toad
or something because he was all kinds
of goofed up.
WILLOW
What did he do?
BUFFY
Well, I mean, he wasn't walking into
walls or anything like that. He just
kept trying to turn into me for some
reason, but he must have been seeing
three of me. Every time he tried to
turn himself into me, it was like
this chubby fun-house mirror version
of me.
WILLOW
That would be amusing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.
BUFFY
Even worse, the thing kept repeating
everything I said. He would have
moved like me too, but he couldn't
stand up, so he was just doing this
kind of gyrating thing on the ground.
WILLOW
Now it's more sad than amusing.
BUFFY
It got old fast. After that, it was
just really annoying.
DAWN
So then you...?
BUFFY
Squish.
WILLOW
Yeesh.
Willow stands.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
And on that chipper note, I'm beat.
I think I'm going to hit the sack.
Buffy stands to say g'night to Willow. Willow hugs Buffy
again.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
It's really good to have you home.
BUFFY
I'll see you tomorrow. We'll go
looking at wedding dresses and do
girlie stuff all day.
WILLOW
Sounds like a plan. I just have to
check on this girl in my class first.
She's been having some trouble that
I think might be demonic.
BUFFY
Urgent?
WILLOW
I'd put it at level two for now.
Seems like the guy's into the stalker
thing. That usually takes a while.
BUFFY
If you need help, I'm around.
Willow nods.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22.
WILLOW
G'night.
BUFFY
G'night.
Willow waves to the rest of the group.
WILLOW
G'night, everyone.
XANDER
Wait up.
Xander smooths out Ryan's blanket and then rushes to join
Willow.
XANDER (CONT'D)
I'm coming too.
Willow and Xander head upstairs.
GILES
It has been a long day, hasn't it?
BUFFY
(to Dawn)
That's code.
DAWN
I do believe you're right.
Dawn gets up. She walks to Ryan and gives him a kiss on the
cheek.
DAWN (CONT'D)
G'night.
(then, to Giles)
G'night, Giles.
(then, to Buffy)
We'll talk, right?
Buffy nods. Dawn heads for the stairs.
Once Dawn is gone, Ryan sits on his bed. Giles looks to him.
GILES
Are you sure you don't want the bed
upstairs?
RYAN
Yeah.
Ryan turns and sees Buffy smiling at him very kindly. Too
kindly. He's a little freaked by her.
RYAN (CONT'D)
I'm gonna brush my teeth.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23.
Ryan rushes up the stairs, leaving Buffy alone with Giles.
She turns to him, still grinning. He grins back.
GILES
He seems like a nice boy.
BUFFY
Yeah, I guess so.
GILES
I think you should give him a chance.
Dawn seems fond of him.
BUFFY
Isn't she too young to be dating?
Shouldn't she be, like, braiding
Barbie's hair or something?
GILES
She's grown into quite a capable
young woman.
BUFFY
And I missed it.
Giles doesn't respond.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Some part of you always thinks there's
time. That you can get everything
done and still have a chance to make
up for what you weren't there for.
GILES
There is no making up for it. All we
can do is hope that when all is said
and done, we still have something to
go home to. That we haven't burned
all of our bridges.
Both take a moment to let the thought sink in before Buffy
speaks again.
BUFFY
I'm glad you were here. I didn't
expect you to be.
GILES
I'm glad I was too.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
Buffy walks up the stairs, and through the dark hallway. The
only hints of light come from underneath the doors, which
are closed.
As Buffy walks, a FIGURE can be seen in the shadows behind
her, following Buffy down the hall.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24.
This (female) figure appears to be dressed in a white
nightgown, but its face is not visible. We can only see a
vague outline of the gown and some blond hair, not unlike
that of Joyce.
Buffy can feel something behind her. She stops walking and
turns around.
When she turns, the figure is nowhere to be seen. The hall
remains dark.
Despite the fact that she knows that something was behind
her, Buffy enters Dawn's dark room and closes the door behind
her.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Willow turns off the light, climbs into bed next to Xander,
and rests her head on his chest.
WILLOW
It feels right again, doesn't it?
Everyone's under one roof. Whole
family is together.
XANDER
Except everyone that didn't make it
this far.
WILLOW
Well, yeah. There's that.
(beat)
We should be happy though. Everyone
else is here too, in spirit. And you
never know when that will turn into
wacky fun.
Willow smiles and looks up at Xander. He doesn't smile.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Are you okay?
XANDER
Yeah.
WILLOW
But something's up.
XANDER
Yeah.
Willow moves over and rests her head on her arm, so that she
is in a better position for a serious discussion.
WILLOW
What's wrong? Is it Buffy?
Xander doesn't respond.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
I know she's acting a little
different, but we probably are too.
A lot's changed, right? And she's
all super-Slayer now. That's gotta
be a ton of pressure.
XANDER
She killed Angel.
WILLOW
Again?
(then, leaning up)
Are you serious?
XANDER
If I weren't, you'd probably find me
doing a happy dance at the idea of
Angel's death.
WILLOW
But he's really dead?
XANDER
Poof.
WILLOW
Was he evil?
XANDER
(beat)
I don't think so.
WILLOW
Well, how did you find out about
this? What did Buffy say, exactly?
XANDER
There wasn't much time for questions.
She just kinda blurted it out right
before you came home.
Willow gets out of bed again.
WILLOW
So maybe there's more to it? There
has to be more to it, right?
Xander doesn't think so.
XANDER
Maybe.
WILLOW
But you don't think so.
(beat)
And you didn't say anything about
this?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26.
XANDER
She didn't want to talk about it.
WILLOW
I don't think this is something that
she gets a choice on. We need to
talk to her. We need to ask her why
she killed him.
XANDER
Can't we just let her talk to us
when she feels like it?
WILLOW
No!
(beat)
You know, you always do this. You
always want to put off anything that
might not be fun. Whether it's not
getting a real job since we moved
here, or putting off the conversation
about our friend being a potential
murderer.
XANDER
I have a real job. I've had several
real jobs.
WILLOW
Right. Great. You built a few stupid
tables on commission. That really
would have paid the mortgage if Giles
didn't help you get in with the
Council.
XANDER
I'm not the one who needed to buy
this house. And where were your
waitressing tips? Oh, that's right...
You were always too good for real
jobs.
WILLOW
I was kinda busy going to school so
that at least one of us could have a
real job.
XANDER
You know what? I'm not doing this
tonight. I'm going to sleep before
you get to the part about my being
too stupid to go to college.
Xander turns over and closes his eyes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27.
WILLOW
I never said you were too stupid to
go to college. I said you were to
lazy. Which explains the garbage
that you constantly leave laying
around the kitchen.
Xander doesn't respond. Willow paces back and forth, now not
even a little tired.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
I should go talk to Buffy.
XANDER
You can talk to her in the morning.
WILLOW
Again, putting things off as always.
(beat)
You do think there's more to the
story though, right?
XANDER
G'night, Will.
Willow climbs back into bed.
WILLOW
Goodnight.
There is a long silence between them.
XANDER
I love you.
EXT. WOODS - NIGHT
DRUSILLA and HEWITT walk through the woods. Dru walks as
though she knows exactly where they are going and how to get
there. Hewitt is far more cautious where he steps. He is
still holding the Blackberry in his hand, trying to read it
while he walks. Dru is getting a little too far ahead of
him.
HEWITT
Would you slow down?
DRUSILLA
But the party's already started
without us.
HEWITT
Have you ever heard of being
fashionably late?
Dru doesn't respond to that.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28.
HEWITT (CONT'D)
I've been reading this report. It's
reminded me of something I'd only
heard mentioned once before, when I
worked with the Council's former
head.
Drusilla stops walking. She turns to Hewitt, forcing him to
stop before running into her. She looks him in the eyes.
DRUSILLA
You lack the proper grace. If you
don't learn to glide, the judges
will tap you on the shoulder.
HEWITT
Right. Only this isn't a dance.
This is about our very survival and
that of the Council.
DRUSILLA
Still talking business.
HEWITT
It's why I joined you in the first
place.
DRUSILLA
But not what matters. Once you join
the party, you'll realize what truly
matters.
HEWITT
Enough talk of parties and dances.
We have work to do.
DRUSILLA
Not the work that you'd planned for.
HEWITT
You don't understand the bigger
picture. This Slayer could really
do it. She could put an end to us
all. Demons, Watchers... Our entire
way of life could become obsolete.
DRUSILLA
It already has.
Drusilla turns and walks a little more.
DRUSILLA (CONT'D)
That's why we must join the party.
Hewitt walks toward Drusilla and stops so that he is only a
foot or two away from her. He's annoyed by her.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
29.
HEWITT
How can I make you see?
DRUSILLA
It's not I that must see what's right
below me.
Hewitt hesitates and Dru looks him squarely in the eyes with
an odd grin on her face. Finally, he looks down. Dru's eyes
widen as she fakes surprise.
DRUSILLA (CONT'D)
Ooh.
REVEAL that Hewitt is standing on top of a metal grate which
covers an air vent of some sort. The shaft below is large
enough for a person to fit through.
INT. DARK TUNNEL - NIGHT
Drusilla and Hewitt walk down the dark tunnel. As they walk,
Dru hums a soft waltz, which echoes through the tunnel. Hewitt
ignores this as his curiosity pulls him through the tunnel.
HEWITT
What is this?
Dru keeps humming as she puts a finger over her lips.
Hewitt says nothing else as they walk.
In the distance, a faint light can be seen. Its flicker
suggests that the light comes from a fire of some sort.
Hewitt attempts to pick up the pace, but Dru holds out an
arm which prevents him from getting too far ahead of her.
She continues to hum.
Finally, they reach the end of the tunnel and stand in the
flickering light. They look downward. A smile forms on
Drusilla's face. Hewitt is a little surprised by what he
sees.
PULL BACK to REVEAL a massive cavern. Parts of the walls
look like manufactured cement, with doorways and stairs which
lead to even more doorways. The rest of the cavern is bare
rock, as though the walls were broken through to expand the
space. The cavern is large enough to hold the hundreds of
DEMONS that are camping out there, with several fires lit
around the area to provide light.
DRUSILLA
Welcome to the party.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT TWO
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - DAWN'S ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy is laying in a sleeping bag on the floor next to Dawn's
bed. Dawn is on her bed. Both of them are staring at the
ceiling.
DAWN
Tell me about it.
BUFFY
There's not much to tell.
DAWN
There has to be. Do you ever get
scared?
BUFFY
I don't usually stop to think about
it.
DAWN
So you're always moving. Always
fighting. How do you know where to
go?
BUFFY
I just do.
DAWN
Like a sixth sense?
BUFFY
I see undead people.
DAWN
That was so obvious. And I'm just
assuming that this demon radar is
incapable of leading you toward a
telephone.
BUFFY
I never meant to vanish. I just
couldn't be the Slayer that I have
to be and still be the person that I
was.
DAWN
You were a good Slayer before.
BUFFY
It's different. Everything is so
different. I'm not the person that I
was.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
31.
DAWN
We are who we are. Who we allow
ourselves to become is a decision
that we make.
BUFFY
Whatever you say, Giles.
DAWN
I'm serious. I know you feel this
need to disconnect, but it's not
something that you're being forced
into.
BUFFY
Maybe it's just easier this way.
(beat)
Do you remember Toth?
DAWN
I remember everything. Mystical Key
gal, remember?
BUFFY
So you remember how he wanted to
split human Buffy and Slayer Buffy
apart?
DAWN
Yeah.
BUFFY
I think this is what Slayer Buffy
would have been. It's like human
Buffy's left the building.
DAWN
Human Buffy's right here.
Buffy falls silent for a moment. Finally, she speaks again.
BUFFY
I'm sorry.
DAWN
For what?
BUFFY
(beat)
For leaving you alone.
DAWN
I told you, I was never alone. I
have Giles and Willow and Xander...
BUFFY
I was your family. It's different.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
32.
DAWN
I still have Dad. I'm living with
him now.
BUFFY
So things worked out?
DAWN
Everything happens for a reason,
right? I guess that's why he came
back when he did.
BUFFY
Are you happy?
DAWN
As anyone, I guess.
(beat)
He misses you.
Buffy doesn't respond.
DAWN (CONT'D)
You should call him. Let him know
that you're okay.
BUFFY
I can't.
DAWN
Why not?
BUFFY
I wouldn't know what to say. How do
I explain what I am? What I have to
do?
DAWN
Mom was okay with it.
BUFFY
I'm not sure she would be anymore.
DAWN
You underestimate the people that
love you.
BUFFY
(extended beat)
Tell me about school.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - FOYER/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Ryan walks from the kitchen, toward the living room carrying
a glass of water. Once he reaches the living room, he sets
the glass down and grabs his cell phone off of the table. He
taps a few buttons to set an alarm, and then reaches for the
light switch.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
33.
As he reaches, Ryan catches a reflection in the glass of a
picture frame. The reflection shows the blurred image of
JOYCE laying on the couch behind him. She is in her dead
position.
Upon seeing this, Ryan quickly turns to see who is on the
couch, but finds nobody there. He looks back to the
reflection, but the image is gone.
He considers his options for a moment, and finally decides
to turn off the light and ignore it.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING
Giles is sitting at the island, deep in thought as he drinks
a cup of coffee. Xander walks into the room.
XANDER
Coffee?
GILES
I just made a fresh pot.
XANDER
I do so love having an English butler
around.
Xander stops and turns around with a serious look on his
face.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Is that a derogatory remark? Did I
just offend your people?
Willow walks into the room.
WILLOW
G'mornin, Giles.
Willow goes for the coffee and notices Xander's worried
expression.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
You made the butler joke again, didn't
you?
Xander's expression lightens and he turns to pour himself a
cup of coffee, which Willow grabs as soon as it's poured.
She sits next to Giles.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
I keep telling him that it's not
funny, but does he listen?
XANDER
I listen. I just disagree.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
34.
Ryan walks through the back door. He's holding a newspaper
and a store-bought cup of coffee.
XANDER (CONT'D)
(to Ryan)
You're up early.
RYAN
Yeah, I didn't sleep much.
XANDER
Ah. Might try the couch tonight.
Might be a little less painful.
RYAN
It wasn't that.
XANDER
Oh.
(then)
So let me ask you something, and you
can tell me if you think it's funny...
A British guy makes a pot of coffee
while staying with his American
friends--
WILLOW
Are you really gonna do this?
XANDER
Shh. You're ruining my flow.
Buffy walks into the room, heads for the refrigerator and a
proceeds to look inside for something. When Willow sees her,
she immediately wants to ask a ton of questions, but wants
to wait for just the right moment.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Now, where was I?
GILES
(to Ryan)
You say you didn't sleep well? You're
welcome to take the bed upstairs
tonight.
RYAN
It wasn't so much the bed as it was
the ghost.
XANDER
You had an uncomfortable ghost?
WILLOW
What kind of ghost? What did you
see?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
35.
RYAN
A woman. She was laying on the couch,
kinda staring off into space. It was
just a reflection though. When I
turned around, it wasn't there. I
tried to ignore it, but as soon as I
fell asleep, I heard someone yell
something about hooking up to do a
study thing. After that I was pretty
much up.
(holding up the paper)
Anyone read the paper?
WILLOW
So we have ghosts?
XANDER
So we have ghosts who like to study?
WILLOW
Since when do we have ghosts?
Buffy grabs a bottle of orange juice and closes the
refrigerator door. She turns and looks at the others, not
having heard any of the conversation. They look to her as
though she is supposed to do something.
BUFFY
Did I miss something?
WILLOW
Ryan saw a ghost.
BUFFY
Oh. I don't really do ghosts.
XANDER
Too good for the wandering spirits,
are we?
BUFFY
I try to focus on the things that
are stabable.
XANDER
We should still try, shouldn't we?
Do you know what ghosts do to property
value?
RYAN
Is definately didn't seem like a
malevolent entity. Probably more
along the lines of a residual
haunting. Repeating some past event
over and over again.
XANDER
Since when do you know things?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
36.
RYAN
I watch "Ghost Hunters".
GILES
If it is a residual haunting, there
probably isn't much that we could
do...
BUFFY
See? Not a job for a Slayer.
GILES
Of course, if we could figure out
what triggered these hauntings, we
may be able to cleanse the house.
There must have been some sort of
trigger.
WILLOW
They weren't here before. It must
have been one of you guys.
Dawn walks into the room.
DAWN
What wasn't here before?
XANDER
Ghosts. Residual something or other
type ghosts.
DAWN
Ah. Well, unless they allow those in
carry-on baggage, I didn't bring
them.
WILLOW
Maybe there's an emotional trigger.
Y'know... Ghosts... Hmm? Ghosts are
usually connected to death, right?
(to Buffy)
Know anyone who's died lately?
GILES
Residual hauntings don't require a
death. The subjects in question may
still be very much alive.
DAWN
Is that what I heard last night? I
thought I was hearing things, but
this would be a much better way to
explain why Willow and Xander would
be arguing over Buffy killing Angel.
(to Ryan)
Buffy killed her boyfriend once and
then took off. It was a whole big
dramatic thing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
37.
Buffy and Willow look at each other. Buffy knows that Willow
now knows and she's not really sure how she wants to handle
this.
XANDER
(to Buffy)
You said it wasn't a secret, right?
BUFFY
(still looking at
Willow)
It's fine.
Dawn and Giles exchange puzzled looks.
GILES
Buffy?
BUFFY
I killed Angel.
Dawn has no idea how to respond to this.
WILLOW
Was he evil?
BUFFY
No. He was just Angel.
WILLOW
So, why?
GILES
Because she had no choice.
Willow looks at Giles, not getting what he is saying.
WILLOW
Were there thugs that made her do
it?
BUFFY
I just had to.
WILLOW
You had to kill one of the people
that you love? Someone who wasn't
even evil? How does that make sense?
GILES
Willow...
WILLOW
No. I want her to answer me.
GILES
We must sometimes make decisions
that we'd rather not have to.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
38.
WILLOW
I get that. How does that work here?
GILES
Because Angel posed a threat to this
world.
WILLOW
He wasn't evil.
(to Buffy)
I'm not yelling. I just want to know
why you did this. Tell me why you
did this.
GILES
Angel wasn't evil, but the chance
still existed that he would lose his
soul again. It's happened before.
WILLOW
And we fixed it.
XANDER
You did a spell, Will. You don't
really do that type of work anymore.
WILLOW
(to Xander)
So you're siding with them?
XANDER
I'm not siding with anyone. I'm just
saying...
WILLOW
Oh. Okay. Good. Fine. So if I did
still do spells, one might say that
the chance of me turning evil still
existed. Does that mean it would be
okay to kill me?
XANDER
Will--
WILLOW
No. I want to know.
(to Buffy)
If I were still capable of doing
magick... If there was a chance that
I would turn evil again, would you
kill me?
Buffy looks at Willow but doesn't answer. After a moment,
Buffy walks out of the kitchen. Dawn soon follows.
Willow looks to Xander and then to Giles, trying to figure
out if she feels right in all of this or guilty for yelling
at Buffy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
39.
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - FOYER - MORNING
Buffy walks toward the front door, but stops before she
reaches it. She stands near the bottom of the stairs. This
is where Dawn joins her.
BUFFY
I shouldn't have come. I should't
even be here right now.
DAWN
That's not true.
BUFFY
How am I supposed to do the things
that I need to do and still look
people like you in the eye?
DAWN
We love you. That's all you need to
know.
Buffy fights tears as she speaks.
BUFFY
Don't say that. Please.
DAWN
We do.
Giles, Willow and Xander walk from the kitchen to join Buffy
and Dawn.
WILLOW
Buffy--
BUFFY
Stop.
WILLOW
I shouldn't have lost it. I shouldn't
have gone off like that.
BUFFY
That's not true. You should have
lost it. You never should have to
see the world the way I see it.
WILLOW
But we're all in this. We've been in
this together for ten years.
BUFFY
We're not in it together though. You
hear that someone you care about is
dead and you get upset over it. That's
the way it should be.
(MORE)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I have to think about whether or not
it's for the greater good. Do you
know what it feels like to think
that way about someone you love?
Nobody replies to Buffy.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
You asked me what would happen if I
thought you still posed a threat.
You wanted to know if I'd kill you
the way I killed Angel.
Buffy can't help but cry now.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
The truth is, I would. I would kill
you. I don't have a choice.
When Willow speaks, it's softly and without accusation in
her voice. She just doesn't understand.
WILLOW
Who's making you? I don't get it.
BUFFY
You shouldn't have to.
WILLOW
I want to.
BUFFY
I don't think you can. All those
years that we worked together, we
didn't have to worry about what
happens ten or twenty years from
now. We could give Angel some slack.
Or Spike. How many people did we
know that were capable of so much
damage? But we liked them. We believed
in the possibility of redemption. We
thought that with some support, they
could change.
(beat)
I can't afford to risk it anymore. I
don't have the luxury of time. If I
let Angel live, then what happens if
he loses his soul again?
WILLOW
Then we could stop him.
BUFFY
How? I won't be here forever.
(MORE)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
41.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Any day that I wake up could be my
last, and there isn't going to be
anyone to save the world once I'm
gone. If I don't kill as many of
them as I can now, I might as well
not kill any. I can't afford to be
soft anymore. I can't afford to be a
person. I'm the Slayer. The last.
Willow has no response. She's powerless and she knows it.
Nobody is really sure what to say. Dawn keeps her eyes on
Buffy, troubled by her words. Finally realizing exactly what
it must be like for Buffy.
Willow just looks down, feeling stupid for having blasted
Buffy.
Xander hesitates, and then leans closer to Giles, speaking
in a low voice to him.
XANDER
Aren't you supposed to say something
grown up and meaningful right now?
Giles doesn't respond.
DAWN
We can still help you. Maybe not in
the slaying part, but in other ways.
We can be there.
BUFFY
Having you around makes me weak.
(beat)
Death follows me. Wherever I am.
Whatever I'm doing. I can feel it.
Behind Dawn, a BLURRED IMAGE OF JOYCE APPEARS on the couch.
Buffy looks over at it, and then down to the ground as she
speaks.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Wherever I turn, it's one step behind.
I leave a trail of bodies in my wake,
and there will never be an end to
it.
WILLOW (V.O.)
(from "Passion")
What? No! No!
(now crying)
No!
Willow, Xander and Giles turn toward the dining room when
they hear that. Dawn continues to look at Buffy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
42.
DAWN
The one thing that has always made
you different from the other Slayers
is the decision to let people in. To
care. To let people help you when
you need it. Whatever your life is
like now, I don't think that's
changed. Otherwise you wouldn't have
come home.
BUFFY
I shouldn't have.
DAWN
I disagree. You went through something
huge- whether or not you want to
admit it- and you needed to be with
the people that love you. Look me in
the eye and tell me that I'm wrong.
Buffy looks Dawn in the eyes, but hesitates before she speaks.
BUFFY
I did come here because of you.
Because I need you.
(beat)
That doesn't make it right.
WILLOW
Right or wrong, like it or not, we're
in this together.
Buffy looks at Willow.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
As long as you fight, we fight.
XANDER
So say we all.
BUFFY
It won't stop here. More people could
die.
XANDER
I know we're slow sometimes, Buff,
but it didn't take us ten years to
figure that one out.
DAWN
We're in this to the end. All of us.
Buffy thinks this over. She wants to run or cry or something,
but after careful consideration, she turns to Giles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
43.
BUFFY
Tell me more about this Hewitt guy.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT THREE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
44.
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. WILLOW AND XANDER'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Everyone is gathered in the living room now, including Ryan
who is sitting with Dawn on the floor.
Buffy and Giles are sitting on the couch. Giles is showing
Buffy some of the information that they have.
GILES
Daniel Hewitt became the head of the
Council after the reformation. He's
a smart man who has dedicated his
life to the Council in every respect.
He's focused. Driven. His willingness
to do whatever it took to rebuild
the Council is what earned him the
job, which isn't to say that he's
always been wise in his actions.
(beat)
In recent months, Hewitt's actions
have become more and more
questionable. He's closed himself
off more. Begun making strange
requests and issuing strange orders.
It wasn't until now that his actions
have begun to make sense.
Giles takes out a picture of Drusilla in the Council
Headquarters lobby and shows it to Buffy.
GILES (CONT'D)
It's my belief that Hewitt is working
with Drusilla. While I'm not sure of
his exact motivation, I can only
assume that it is somehow connected
to the report that he had Xander
working on. I've made some calls and
discovered that he's taken out all
information on our dealings with
Glory. Her plans to open the gateway
between dimensions. I think that
whatever he's working on with Drusilla
is related to this. To the Key.
Buffy looks over the papers in front of her. She then turns
to Willow.
BUFFY
I need more information. We need to
be ready. I'm going to need a date.
A location. Dress colors for
bridesmaids.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
45.
WILLOW
Actually, I think I want Dawn to be
my maid of honor.
BUFFY
(let down)
Oh.
XANDER
But only because I wanted you for
best man.
BUFFY
(perky)
Oh. I can do that.
(beat)
But I'm not hiring any strippers.
WILLOW
He can live with those terms.
(then, to Xander)
At least, if he wants there to be a
wedding.
DAWN
(smiling)
I'm maid of honor. Yay!
GILES
Did any of you hear a word that I've
said?
RYAN
I did.
(beat)
Not sure that actually means anything
though.
BUFFY
(to Giles)
I'm listening. So, do we think they're
planning to open the portal again?
GILES
It's possible.
BUFFY
Why? You said this guy was all juiced
up on Watcherness. Why would he switch
sides?
GILES
He probably doesn't see it as
switching sides. In order to ensure
the future of the Council, there
must be a need for their work.
(MORE)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
46.
GILES (CONT'D)
If you manage to succeed in ridding
the world of demons, there is a chance
that there won't be a need for us.
DAWN
Which you'd think was the goal all
along.
XANDER
I'm sure it still is for all of those
Watchers who aren't crazy. Which is
pretty much Giles at this point,
right?
Willow leans in closer to Xander.
WILLOW
You work for the Council, hun.
XANDER
Damnit!
DAWN
Good news is, the plan Glory was
working on isn't something that can
just be done any old time. Bad news
is, that doesn't mean that the Key
is officially dead as far as energy
goes.
XANDER
So you can still be used for evil?
DAWN
Not in a "quick Buffy, kill me" kind
of way... But, yeah. I've been doing
a little bit of research here and
there. The energy that I was made
from isn't the type of thing to just
go away. Given the right
circumstance... yeah.
(then, to Buffy)
But you don't need to kill me. Really.
BUFFY
Okay, so we find them and we kill
them.
XANDER
How? They could be anywhere in the
world.
DAWN
Odds are, if they want to use the
Key, they'll need to be near the
Key.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
47.
BUFFY
Which also means that they will
eventually pop up. When they do, I
will kill them.
WILLOW
Sounds like a plan.
BUFFY
Until then, life goes on.
(to Xander and Willow)
You plan your wedding.
(to Dawn and Giles)
You keep researching. See if you can
find anything that might tell us how
they can use the Key.
RYAN
Maybe I can help.
BUFFY
We'll talk.
GILES
I have some collegues that may be
able to help us.
XANDER
More Watchers? Yay!
WILLOW
Again, you work for them too, dear.
XANDER
Damnit!
BUFFY
Let's get to work.
Buffy gets up and starts to walk toward the dining room.
WILLOW
Buffy?
Buffy turns.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Before I can set a date for the
wedding, I need to know... I mean, I
wasn't sure if you're...
BUFFY
I'll be here for your wedding.
Willow smiles.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
48.
XANDER
But we should do it soon. Sooner is
better than later.
WILLOW
Are we in a particular hurry?
XANDER
No. Not really. I was just thinking
about the last time I did this. We
waited almost a year to get married
and it just gave us that much more
time to freak out. Then we called it
off and it ended up costing us a
fortune.
WILLOW
But we're not planning to call it
off, right?
XANDER
I'm not saying that. I'm just saying
that I want to do this. I want to do
it fast.
(beat)
I want you to be my wife, fast.
DAWN
(to Ryan)
Did you see how he pulled out of
that dive? That's talent.
WILLOW
(to Xander, ignoring
Dawn)
I want to be your wife soon too.
XANDER
So then we do this fast, right?
WILLOW
(smiles)
We do this fast. But not tomorrow
fast. I want this fast, not insanely
fast. We still have planning to do.
That takes time.
(beat)
A month. Let's get married in a month.
DAWN
A month? That's giving yourself time?
XANDER
A month sounds good to me.
DAWN
I guess it's romantic. In a way.
(MORE)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
49.
DAWN (CONT'D)
(beat)
Maybe.
WILLOW
It is kinda romantic.
BUFFY
But a month is, like, really soon.
WILLOW
It's not that soon. I mean, how hard
can it be to plan a wedding? We can
do a small thing. Keep it simple.
Xander laughs.
XANDER
(to Giles)
That's what they always say.
WILLOW
Or we could always not get married
at all, what with the mocking me and
all.
XANDER
Simple is good.
WILLOW
I just want to do it. I want to get
married and not have to freak out
over table linins and china patterns.
The sooner we do it, the less I'll
worry.
XANDER
(beat)
Then we'll get married in a month.
One month. In one month, we will be
married.
WILLOW
Neat. I also want Giles to officiate.
XANDER
What?
GILES
What?
WILLOW
That part was a joke. There's a
site online that lets you do that
though. But in this case, I was
joking.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
50.
XANDER
Really? That's not just in lame TV
shows?
WILLOW
It's real.
XANDER
Neat.
(then, to Giles)
Wanna officiate our wedding?
GILES
Not really, no.
XANDER
Fine. Be that way.
Xander starts to walk out of the room. As he goes, he puts
his arm around Buffy and brings her along with him.
XANDER (CONT'D)
So, Buff... Wanna officiate our
wedding?
BUFFY
That might be kinda hard, since I'm
already the best man.
XANDER
So being a man's not hard, but
officiating the wedding is?
BUFFY
Your brain isn't quite right, is it?
Xander turns away from Buffy, back toward the living room.
XANDER
So, Dawn...!
INT. THE CAVERN - NIGHT
Drusilla and Hewitt walk through the crowd of demons, taking
in the sight as they go along.
The area is a refugee camp for demons, so there are fires
burning, a few tents raised and many, many hungry demons.
Hewitt looks at them all with quite a bit of distain.
HEWITT
Filthy creatures, aren't they?
DRUSILLA
You speak as though you're not one
of them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
51.
HEWITT
I'm not.
DRUSILLA
You're a creature, same as the rest.
A demon in the human's flesh.
HEWITT
I'm not like them. This is but a
means to an end. Once we're done
here, I'll get my soul back.
Drusilla laughs.
DRUSILLA
That seems to be going around quite
a bit lately. Nasty little bug, isn't
it?
Dru stops walking and turns to Hewitt, forcing him to stop.
She puts a hand over his eyes.
DRUSILLA (CONT'D)
Close your eyes and listen close.
HEWITT
Listen to what?
DRUSILLA
To the sound of your heart beating
in your chest.
HEWITT
I don't...
Drusilla pulls her hand away, smiles and starts to walk again.
DRUSILLA
Precisely. You're all in your head,
but once you stop to listen, you
realize that what once was now isn't.
(beat)
Good little girl, prim and proper.
Go to school. Go to church. Mind
your manners. All that turns to dust
long before the body.
Hewitt doesn't respond. He follows Dru as she walks.
DRUSILLA (CONT'D)
Don't you worry though.
Dru walks toward a smaller demon who has his back turned to
her as he warms himself by a fire. His clothes are the remains
of what was once a nice suit.
Dru stops behind him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
52.
DRUSILLA (CONT'D)
It all works out for the best.
Hearing Drusilla behind him, the demon turns. It's now that
we see his face. He is DOC.
Dru smiles at him.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF EPISODE