TEASER
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
It's morning. WILLOW is standing at the stove, cooking
pancakes. DAWN is sitting on a nearby stool, watching.
DAWN
I didn't know you could cook.
WILLOW
Yeah, me and the flour canister go
way back. Tara tought me how to make
the perfect pancakes. The trick is
to sour the milk with a little--
DAWN
Lemon juice.
WILLOW
She told you too?
DAWN
It was her secret, but I saw her do
it once.
WILLOW
I haven't cooked for a while though.
I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it.
DAWN
Cause you get to make a mess?
WILLOW
It's just neat. Like with baking.
You mix all of these different things
together, and there's this chemical
reaction that just makes it all work.
It rises, or falls. It's sweet or
tart. It's all about what you put in
and how much.
(beat)
I guess it's kinda like magic.
GILES walks into the room.
GILES
What's like magic?
WILLOW
Cooking.
GILES
Oh. It's really not, you know.
2.
WILLOW
In a way.
DAWN
Cookbook. Spell book.
WILLOW
Exactly.
GILES
I've never seen a pancake reduce
someone to ashes.
Giles inspects Willow's pancakes.
GILES (CONT'D)
Lemon juice?
WILLOW
Tara really didn't know how to keep
a secret, did she?
GILES
Secret? It's in every cookbook.
WILLOW
Oh.
GILES
Did you add extra baking soda?
WILLOW
Should I have?
GILES
You really are an amateur, aren't
you?
WILLOW
(straight faced)
Ha ha. Funny.
Giles sits next to Dawn.
GILES
Is Buffy up yet?
DAWN
She went out for orange juice. She'll
be back soon.
GILES
Good. I need to talk to her.
DAWN
'Bout what?
3.
GILES
I'm not sure. That's why I need to
talk to her.
XANDER walks in, through the basement.
XANDER
Hey, Giles, wanna lend me a hand
down here?
GILES
What are you doing?
XANDER
The plan is two-fold. First, make
some space to fit in some of Buffy's
workout stuff. Second, see if I can
fit some attic stuff into the basement
so I can stop sleeping on a sleeping
bag in the middle of the floor. Third,
eat some really good smelling
pancakes.
Willow smiles at him.
WILLOW
I forgot the baking soda.
XANDER
Never liked that stuff anyway.
(leans in close to
Giles)
What's baking soda?
GILES
Let's go. I prefer to do my heavy
lifting before breakfast.
Xander and Giles walk back into the basement. Willow calls
after them.
WILLOW
I'll let you know when it's ready.
Willow plates some pancakes and brings them to Dawn. Dawn
studies them and pokes them a bit.
Willow goes to the pantry and gets the baking soda.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
I think I'll add a little before the
next batch.
Dawn gives Willow a "no fair" face. She has to eat the rubber
pancakes.
4.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY
Xander and Giles stand in the middle of the packed basement.
Giles scratches his head.
GILES
You want to make room down here for
the training equipment, and for more
boxes from upstairs?
XANDER
That's the plan.
(beat)
I think it might be flawed.
GILES
I'm inclined to agree.
XANDER
I'm hoping that some of it is old
papers or something from when the
city used the space as storage. That
way we can unload it onto the--
Xander cuts himself off as pain rushes to his eye. He puts a
hand over it and doubles over. Giles grabs him, making sure
he won't fall over, and leads him to the stairs to sit down.
GILES
Are you alright?
XANDER
I've been better.
GILES
Right. I suppose that was a rather
stupid question.
Xander comes out of the pain. He blinks his eyes a couple of
times.
XANDER
At least I didn't rip anything apart
this time.
GILES
I'm sorry?
XANDER
Oh, there was this thing last week.
I kinda tore a street apart.
GILES
With your eye? Like some sort of
laser vision?
5.
XANDER
Yeah. Only more like rumble vision.
No heat or anything like that.
GILES
My word.
XANDER
And "holy crap" while your at it.
Xander stands up.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Okay, lets get some of these boxes
upstairs so we can give them a good
going through.
GILES
Are you sure you're alright?
XANDER
Aside from my literal stance on giving
people the evil eye? Yeah. I'll be
fine until the next time this thing
attacks me.
ANGLE ON : THE CEILING
Wooden braces run all across the ceiling, supporting the
rest of the house.
On one of these braces, hidden in a dark corner of the
basement, is a small, red, glass bottle.
Xander moves under this bottle as he grabs a box and starts
up the stairs.
XANDER (CONT'D)
C'mon, English man. Chop-chop.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF TEASER
6.
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - ESTABLISHING - DAY
A bright, happy, sunny day.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
BUFFY is sitting on the couch, going through one of the boxes.
It's filled with papers and folders.
Giles walks into the room, sipping a cup of tea. He sits
down next to Buffy.
GILES
Hello.
BUFFY
Hey. Do you think the city would
want this stuff back? I'm not sure
what it is, but it sounds very
official. See this?
Buffy holds up a paper.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
It has the word "subsidiary" on it.
Not really sure why, but that word
always sounds official to me.
GILES
Perhaps Willow could ask when she
goes to work.
BUFFY
Oh, right. I forgot that she's
starting there today. Is she nervous?
I bet her stomach's all rumblie. I
could get her something for it.
GILES
Buffy?
BUFFY
Hmm?
GILES
We should talk.
BUFFY
Okay. About what?
GILES
For starters, why you called me here.
(MORE)
7.
GILES (CONT'D)
It's been a week and you haven't
told me. Now, I gather from the others
that your father is in town. Is that
what's upsetting you?
Buffy pauses, trying to figure out the answer to that
question.
BUFFY
Kinda.
(beat)
Are you sure that I shouldn't get
something for Willow?
GILES
I'm sure. Why don't you tell me what's
on your mind. You're upset with your
father?
BUFFY
Wouldn't you be? The guy ran out on
us. I haven't even heard from him
since before Mom died.
(beat)
Now he expects to just waltz back
into our lives like nothing ever
happened.
GILES
Have you spoken with him? Listened
to what he has to say?
BUFFY
I spoke to him.
(off Giles' look)
Okay, I yelled at him and stormed
off without listening to a word he
had to say, but why should I? Why
does he get a second chance?
GILES
Because like it or not, he is your
father.
BUFFY
And I don't get a say in that?
Giles shakes his head.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
That doesn't seem fair to me.
GILES
I understand that you're angry.
(MORE)
8.
GILES (CONT'D)
Nobody's saying that you shouldn't
be, but if there's a chance for you
to work this out with him, don't you
think you should try? Dawn's heard
his side of the story.
BUFFY
Which she refuses to tell me.
GILES
It's not for her to tell. You and
your father need to sit down and
talk. You need to decide, once and
for all, where he will fit into your
life, if at all. It'll be difficult
for you to keep avoiding him when he
comes to see Dawn.
BUFFY
And rip her away from me.
GILES
What?
BUFFY
Isn't that how this works? Daddy
comes home and suddenly, he's in
charge? I take care of her. I've
been more of a parent to her than he
is, even since before I was doing it
alone. Why does he think he can just
come in and take over?
GILES
He can't take over, Buffy. The job
is very near done. Dawn's become an
amazing young woman under your
guidance. Whatever her relationship
with her father, the fact will remain
that you did that. You helped to
mold her into ther person she is.
BUFFY
But what if he wants to make her
into something else? What if he thinks
that I'm not good enough anymore,
and he knows a better way to help
her realize her potential?
GILES
That won't happen.
Buffy pauses, and looks into Giles' eyes.
BUFFY
But what if it does?
9.
Giles can see how serious she is.
GILES
What are you talking about?
Buffy stands up and starts to pace.
BUFFY
I think I might have done something
that I shouldn't have.
GILES
What?
BUFFY
(beat)
This guy... This monk guy came up to
me on the street. He said that he
knew about Dawn being the Key, and
he could help her tap into that power.
Giles takes this in.
GILES
He knew about the Key?
BUFFY
He said that after he met with her,
he could help her channel the Key's
power. I guess it works like a lense
where she could focus it, if she
knew what to focus on.
GILES
When did this happen?
BUFFY
Halloween. The same night that my
dad came back to talk with Dawn. I
guess that's why I freaked out and...
Giles looks up at her.
GILES
And, what?
BUFFY
I told him to leave us alone.
(then)
I was in a weird place that night. I
couldn't stand that yet another person
was coming to take her away.
GILES
Part of being a good parent is knowing
when to let others in.
(MORE)
10.
GILES (CONT'D)
You shouldn't have sent him away
without first talking with Dawn.
BUFFY
I know that. I didn't think he'd
really just leave, but I haven't
seen him around since that night.
Buffy sits down again.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
What if I blew her only chance to
figure out her place in this world?
For all we know, this guy could have
been her Giles, and now she'll never
know how to shoot her crossbow.
(beat)
Metaphorically speaking.
(beat)
I think.
GILES
I'm not sure what you want me to
say.
BUFFY
Say something amazingly comforting.
Tell me that it'll be okay and that
he'll come back, and that my dad
situation will stop being such a
situation.
GILES
Would you settle for a heart-felt
"there there"?
EXT. CITY HALL - ESTABLISHING - DAY
An old building. Not huge or fancy, but nice.
INT. CITY HALL - RECORDS OFFICE - DAY
And when I say "records office", I mean "basement". Willow
walks into the office and looks around. The basement looks
like it hasn't been updated in decades. File cabinets line
every wall, and spill into the center of the room. Even with
those, boxes of files are still piled all around.
Willow looks around, almost wanting to run as she takes in
this sight.
WILLOW
(tentatively)
Hello?
11.
A man pops up from behind some file boxes. He is HARRY MINTZ
(late 30's, business type).
HARRY
Hello.
He looks her over. Realizing this, Willow unconsciously
smooths off her skirt and hair, feeling as though she's being
inspected.
HARRY (CONT'D)
Are you Willow Rosenbaum?
WILLOW
Berg.
HARRY
I'm sorry?
WILLOW
It's Rosenberg. My last name. Mrs.
Gimly just gets that wrong sometimes.
HARRY
Oh.
(beat)
But you're still her?
WILLOW
As far as I know, yup.
HARRY
Good. My name is Harry Mintz- yes,
as in the hard candy, or the meat
pie, I've heard the jokes- Anyway,
I've been sent down to get you
started.
WILLOW
You don't work down here?
HARRY
Nobody works down here. Not until
you, I mean. This is where we throw
all of the things that nobody ever
wants to see again.
Willow looks around.
WILLOW
It looks like all of the city records.
HARRY
Like I said. Whatever.
(MORE)
12.
HARRY (CONT'D)
The higher ups in town have decided
that they want to clear some of this
stuff out, but before we can do that,
we need to know what we have.
WILLOW
So you just want me to organize the
files and create a database that'll
help you figure out what's in which
boxes? Sounds easy enough.
HARRY
Yes it does, but that's not what
they want. They want a database that
includes all of these files.
WILLOW
Includes? You mean, you want all of
this put onto one computer?
HARRY
Ain't the new millennium a grand
thing? Anyway, that's what we want.
Can it be done?
WILLOW
You mean before the next new
millennium?
(beat)
I guess so. It'll take a while, but
it can be done.
Harry looks down.
HARRY
This is yours then.
WILLOW
Boxes upon boxes of endless boxes of
files?
HARRY
That and this computer.
WILLOW
Oh.
Willow walks around the boxes and sees a desk with a flat
panel computer monitor, a top of the line keyboard, and a
wireless mouse sitting on top of it.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Wow. What kind of machine do those
run with?
13.
Harry rolls his eyes, bored with the whole computer thing.
He motions for Willow to follow him. As she does, she notices
that they're following a group of cables from the desk to...
wherever they're going.
He leads her to the other side of the room where they come
to a door. It seems slightly out of place among the clutter,
as there is nothing in front of it. It's and old door, with
fancy carving around it.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
What's in there?
Harry opens the door. As Willow gazes upon that which lies
within this mysterious room, her eyes widen. Her jaw drops.
Breathless and unable to speak, she finally manages to let
out a moan.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY
Xander and Dawn are working in the basement. Xander is moving
boxes around. Dawn is looking through boxes.
She opens one box and fishes through it. It's a box full of
old knickknacks.
DAWN
Some of this stuff is pretty cool.
Check it out.
She pulls out a quill.
DAWN (CONT'D)
This bird probably died a hundred
years before I was born.
XANDER
Same for the people who ate that
bird.
Dawn looks through the box some more.
DAWN
I wonder how much we could get for
this stuff on Ebay.
XANDER
Twenty, at least.
DAWN
You don't think there's a market for
these things?
XANDER
Maybe a few years ago.
(MORE)
14.
XANDER (CONT'D)
If they're anything like my Star
Trek collectables, Ebay pretty much
blew their value. I guess things
aren't as valuable when you can find
whatever you want whenever you want
it. Same thing happened with the
comic book society in the early 90's.
Dawn is still fishing through the box. She's not paying
attention to Xander. He notices this.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Dawn?
She looks up.
DAWN
Hmm?
(then)
Oh. Sorry. I tuned you out as soon
as you mentioned Star Trek.
XANDER
Andrew might have been a pain in the
ass, but at least he listened to me.
DAWN
Poor Xander. Maybe we could get him
to come back from Brazil and you
could have a Number One to play with.
(beat)
Okay, that just sounded weird, from
a non-Trekkie point of view.
Dawn sees something she likes in the box.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Oh, cool.
XANDER
What?
She picks it up. It's exactly like the red bottle we saw
before, only this one is blue.
DAWN
Check out this bottle.
She holds it up for him to see.
XANDER
Am I supposed to be impressed?
DAWN
You don't think it's neat?
15.
XANDER
I think it's a bottle.
DAWN
It's pretty. I think I'll keep it.
She sets the bottle aside.
XANDER
Finally, someplace to keep your
century old mouth wash.
DAWN
You're funny.
Xander tries to lift another box, but stops suddenly. He
doubles over in pain. Dawn sees him and rushes to his side.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Xander, are you okay?
XANDER
Just give me a sec.
He stays bent over, eyes shut. Waiting for the pain to go
away. Dawn doesn't know what to do.
ANGLE ON : THE BLUE BOTTLE
Sitting on the floor, it begins to shake.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT ONE
16.
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY
Buffy, Giles and Dawn are standing around Xander, who is
still feeling the pain. It's not as bad as some he's been
through, but it's still there.
BUFFY
What can we do?
(to Giles)
We have to do something.
GILES
I've been trying to figure this out.
I'm afraid I simply don't have enough
information.
DAWN
What information do you need?
GILES
If only I knew.
Xander kicks one of the boxes.
BUFFY
Xander?
XANDER
I'm tired of this. I'm tired of the
pain. I'm tired of not being able to
leave the house without worrying
that it'll attack again. I'm tired
of this whole damn thing. I want it
over.
Buffy puts a hand on his shoulder.
BUFFY
We'll work this out, I promise. As
soon as Willow gets home she and
Giles will sit down and go over the
spell she used on you. We'll fix
this.
XANDER
How do we know that it can be fixed?
For all we know, I'm destined to
live out the rest of my crappy life,
hunched over in pain, or inflicting
it upon others as I tear them apart
with my eye.
17.
DAWN
We've been through stuff like this
before. We've faced things that are
a lot worse than this, and we all
came out of it okay.
Xander looks up at her, but then looks away. He can't be
there anymore.
XANDER
I'll be in my attic.
He walks out of the basement. Once he's gone, Buffy turns to
Giles.
BUFFY
I can't take this. I can't stand
seeing him like this.
GILES
There's only so much that we can do.
BUFFY
We have to find a way to do more.
He's hurting and there's nothing I
can do about it.
GILES
His pain is more than just the
physical pain that he feels in his
eye. I think it runs deeper than
that.
BUFFY
He's been through a lot the last few
months.
DAWN
But if we can fix his eye, it'll
help, right?
GILES
Perhaps.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - ATTIC - DAY
Xander walks up the stairs, into the attic. It's filled with
boxes, as most attics are. In the one clear spot in the room,
a sleeping bag is rolled out.
Xander paces in the middle of the room. He wants to do
something, but there is nothing for him to do. He wants to
scream, but that would make his thoughts a little more public
than he'd like.
He sits in an old rocking chair and puts his head in his
hands. It still hurts. The pain hasn't gone away for hours.
18.
He begins to pound on his head, as though he could beat the
pain out of it, but he can't. For a few seconds, the pain
worsens. He stops moving and hunches himself over. The
sharpness of the pain eventually goes away, but it still
hurts.
He sits back in the chair, brings his knees close to his
chest, keeping his head down, and starts rocking.
XANDER
(mumbled)
Help me. Please help me. Please,
just take it away.
And there he remains, rocking himself. Waiting for the pain
to end.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy is pacing in the center of the room. Dawn and Giles
are sitting nearby. All are deep in thought.
DAWN
Maybe I could bring him something.
Tea?
GILES
I think he'd prefer to be alone at
the moment.
DAWN
But that's bad, right? Alone is bad.
Together is good. It's comforting.
GILES
Not always. With what he's going
through, he probably feels alone
either way. He probably doesn't want
people hovering around him.
BUFFY
This is stupid. There has to be
something we can do. I can't just
sit here doing nothing.
GILES
At the moment, there's not anything
else to do.
Buffy stops pacing and looks at Giles.
BUFFY
How can you be so cool about this?
Xander's up there, in pain, and we're
not doing anything.
19.
GILES
Do you think I'm somehow enjoying
this? If there were anything I could
do to end his suffering, I would do
it without a second thought. I simply
don't see the purpose of pacing
endlessly, or bringing him warm
beverages.
There's a moment of silence. Finally, Buffy starts pacing
again.
BUFFY
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I
just feel so useless. Usually, there's
something to stab or burn when people
I love are suffering.
Dawn stands up.
DAWN
I'm going to look on Willow's
database. I'm not sure what I'm going
to look for, but I'll figure it out
when I get there.
She walks into the dining room.
Buffy watches her go, and then sits down. She takes a deep
breath. Just before she can speak, the DOORBELL RINGS.
BUFFY
I'll get it.
She pulls herself together and walks to the front door. She
opens it.
HANK is standing on the other side. When she sees him, she
says nothing. She just closes the door in his face.
She turns back to the other room.
GILES
Who was that?
BUFFY
Just my dad.
GILES
Buffy.
Buffy stops, rolls her eyes, and turns back to the front
door.
BUFFY
Fine. I'll let him in. Happy?
20.
She opens the door again. Hank is still standing there.
HANK
I thought you might do that.
BUFFY
What do you want?
HANK
To talk.
BUFFY
I'm not sure I feel like talking.
HANK
Then let me talk. You can just listen.
Buffy looks back to Giles. Giles nods at her, giving her a
"do it" look. She turns back to Hank.
BUFFY
Come in.
Hank walks into the house. He looks into the dining room and
sees Dawn working at the table. She sees him, but doesn't
get up. She smiles politely and goes back to work.
HANK
Did I come at a bad time?
BUFFY
Would there be a good time?
HANK
I guess you have a point.
Buffy leads him into the living room. Giles stands and extends
his hand.
GILES
Hello.
HANK
Rupert Giles, right?
GILES
Yes.
Giles stays for an awkward moment.
GILES (CONT'D)
I think I'll see how Dawn's research
is coming along.
As Giles walks out of the room, Buffy shoots him a "don't
go" look, but he leaves anyway. This isn't something he feels
he should be involved in.
21.
Hank sits down, and waits for Buffy to sit. She doesn't.
HANK
Don't you want to sit?
BUFFY
I'll stand.
HANK
Okay.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY
The blue bottle is still sitting on the floor where Dawn
left it. It's still rattling.
After a few seconds, the bottle tips over. It starts to roll
across the floor, in the direction of the red bottle.
ANGLE ON : THE RED BOTTLE
Still resting on a beam near the ceiling, it's rattling too.
It tips over, falling off of the beam.
As the red bottle falls, it's pulled toward the blue bottle.
The BLUE BOTTLE FLIES into the air at the same time. The two
bottles CRASH into each other.
As the now-clear glass falls to the floor, two clouds hover
in the air. ONE RED CLOUD and ONE BLUE CLOUD.
They swirl around the room for a moment, and then each cloud
SHOOTS THROUGH THE CEILING (not damaging it, just going
through it)
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY
Giles is standing over Dawn's shoulder, watching her research.
The BLUE CLOUD SHOOTS THROUGH THE FLOOR. It ENTERS HIS BODY.
Giles doesn't react at all.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Buffy turns away from Hank.
BUFFY
So is this the part where you tell
me that you're so sorry and it'll
never happen again?
She faces him again, just in time to see the RED CLOUD ENTER
HIS BODY. He doesn't react at all.
Buffy looks at him for a moment, confused.
22.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
What was that?
HANK
What?
She doesn't know how she wants to respond.
BUFFY
I'll be right back.
Buffy goes into the dining room.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS - DAY
Buffy rushes in and goes to Dawn and Giles.
BUFFY
(whispered)
Something's up.
DAWN
What?
BUFFY
Shh. I don't want Dad to hear.
(then)
Something weird happened. We were
talking, and this weird red cloud
thing just went into him.
GILES
Went into him?
BUFFY
Yeah.
DAWN
What do you mean?
BUFFY
I don't know. I just saw this red
cloud fly through the floor, and
right into his body. He didn't even
notice.
GILES
Are you sure you're not just trying
to find a way out of talking with
him?
BUFFY
I'm sure. I think I know the
difference.
DAWN
So what do we do?
23.
BUFFY
I'm going to check out the basement.
That's where this thing came from.
Dawn, you try to find something on
there about red cloud things. Giles...
you go watch Dad.
Buffy quickly leaves the room before Giles can question that
obviously questionable list of jobs.
He looks at Dawn, then finally walks out of the dining room.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Giles walks into the living room where Hank is still waiting.
Hank stands when he sees Giles.
HANK
Is something wrong?
GILES
Wrong? No. Buffy just went to check
on something in the basement.
HANK
She doesn't want to talk to me.
GILES
No, she doesn't, but I think she
understands that she has to.
HANK
I just want to explain things to
her.
GILES
So I've heard.
HANK
It's hard.
(beat)
Do you have children, Mr. Giles?
Giles thinks about his response for a moment. He finally
decided to go with the "official" answer.
GILES
No. I don't.
HANK
It can be difficult. Overwhelming.
GILES
Just imagine how hard it would have
been if you'd actually been around
your children.
24.
HANK
What?
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY
Buffy walks down into the basement. She looks around. There
are still a lot of boxes, so it's not an easy task.
BUFFY
Okay, so which box do I check?
She walks around the room, continuing to look. When she
reaches the area where the bottles smashed into each other,
she hears a CRUNCH under her foot. She looks down and sees
the broken glass.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Hello.
She bends down and picks up a piece. She looks around the
room. Where did the glass come from?
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Giles and Hank are still talking.
HANK
What right do you have to talk to me
like that?
GILES
Was I too blunt? I just find it rather
amusing that you'd show up here afer
all this time, and complain about
how hard it is to raise children
when the truth is, you haven't
actually raised any.
HANK
I raised Buffy for sixteen years.
GILES
Oh, well, I guess you're an expert
on the matter then.
HANK
Who do you think you are?
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY
Dawn is working on the computer when she hears the voices in
the other room getting louder.
GILES (O.S.)
I think that I'm the man who has
been there for your daughters when
they needed a father.
25.
Dawn continues to listen in as the men yell.
HANK (O.S.)
You're overstepping your bounds here.
GILES (O.S.)
Am I?
DAWN
What the hell?
Dawn gets up and walks out of the dining room.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS - DAY
She walks into the living room, and sees Giles and Hank in
the middle of their conversation.
GILES
From where I'm standing, it looks as
though you're the one overstepping
your bounds.
DAWN
What's going on?
HANK
Your friend here thinks that he has
the right to critique my relationship
with you.
DAWN
Giles?
GILES
He's the one who marches in here,
expecting the whole world to bend
around his wishes.
HANK
I never said that. I'm their father,
I deserve a second chance.
GILES
Do they get a second chance to grow
up with a father who actually cares
about them?
HANK
I never stopped caring.
GILES
You could have fooled me.
DAWN
Stop it. Both of you. What's wrong
with you?
26.
Then she gets it.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Giles, could I see you for a sec?
GILES
Of course.
Giles walks to the side of the room with Dawn. She whispers
to him.
DAWN
Something's wrong.
GILES
Yes, I've noticed.
DAWN
I mean, something's wrong with you.
GILES
Like hell.
DAWN
Look at you. You're having a shouting
match with my father.
GILES
Who happens to be wrong.
DAWN
Since when do you act like this?
You're supposed to be all stuffy
book guy.
GILES
Hey.
DAWN
You know what I mean. Whatever
happened to my dad, I think it's
messing with you too.
GILES
I don't think so. For all we know,
I'm fine and you're the one who's
acting strange.
Buffy comes in through the dining room. She goes to Dawn and
Giles.
BUFFY
You guys okay?
DAWN
Something's up with Dad and Giles.
They're fighting.
27.
BUFFY
Who's winning?
(beat)
I mean... That's bad. Shame on you,
Giles.
HANK
Is everything okay over there?
DAWN
(to Hank)
We're fine. Just a sec.
(to Buffy)
Did you find anything?
BUFFY
Just this.
Buffy holds out some broken glass.
DAWN
Where'd it come from?
BUFFY
Not sure, I found it on the floor in
the basement.
DAWN
So this is all we have to go on?
Buffy shrugs.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Great.
GILES
We might want to consider lopping
off his head. That should take care
of the problem.
DAWN
We're not going to decapitate our
father.
From upstairs, a THUD is heard. Buffy and Dawn stop what
they're doing and look up.
BUFFY
What was that?
DAWN
It sounded like something fell.
BUFFY
Xander.
Buffy and Dawn rush upstairs, leaving Giles and Hank alone.
28.
The two men look at each other.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY
Buffy and Dawn rush up the stairs and find Xander, pulling
himself up from the floor. Buffy helps him.
BUFFY
What happened? Are you okay?
XANDER
Yeah. Just really weak all the sudden.
DAWN
Does your head still hurt?
XANDER
I've decided to see the glass as
half full. In my mind, it's not about
my head hurting anymore, it's about
the rest of my body not hurting.
(beat)
Until I fell and bumped my knee on
the hard floor. Now it's about the
pain again.
DAWN
All of that when you coulda just
said "yup".
BUFFY
We're working on it. We're going to
figure this out and get you back to
normal soon.
XANDER
As fun as that sounds, I think I'll
just go find a bed somewhere and
crash for a while.
From downstairs, there's a LOUD CRASH.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Kinda like that, but much less
literal.
BUFFY
This isn't a good day.
Buffy and Dawn head back down the stairs. Xander stays in
the hallway.
XANDER
I think I'll just stay here.
(beat)
Seeing as how my legs don't seem to
be working at the moment.
29.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Giles and Hank are now in the middle of an all out fight.
Giles punches Hank in the face. Hank grabs Giles by the shirt
and throws him down, onto the coffee table.
Buffy and Dawn come down the stairs and see what's going on.
For a moment, they have to just stop and take in the sight.
BUFFY
What the...?
DAWN
We have to stop them.
Dawn goes to where Hank is now trying to strangle Giles.
BUFFY
Dawn, wait--
Dawn tries to pull the men apart. By accident, Hank's arm
swings back and hits Dawn. She falls back, hitting her head
on the wall as she falls.
Giles and Hank both look back at her for a second.
HANK
Dawn, I didn't mean to...
GILES
Are you alright?
Dawn doesn't respond. Buffy rushes to her and tries to help
her. Dawn's not seriously injured, she's just hurting a
little.
GILES (CONT'D)
(to Hank)
You see? You never should have come
back. All you've ever brought this
family is pain.
HANK
Shut up. You have no right to talk
about my family.
GILES
Your family? I'm sorry, who do they
call when they need help?
This angers Hank again. He punches Giles in the face. The
men begin fighting again, rolling around on the floor, beating
each other.
Buffy looks back at them.
30.
BUFFY
Stop it!
Giles gets to his feet and throws Hank into the bookcase.
Buffy watches all of this, not sure how to react.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT TWO
31.
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Giles and Hank continue to go at it. Buffy and Dawn watch.
DAWN
Buffy, do something!
BUFFY
Like what?
DAWN
Stop them.
BUFFY
I can't just beat them up... Can I?
DAWN
You have to do something. They'll
kill each other.
BUFFY
Good point.
Buffy gets up and walks to where Giles and Hank are fighting.
She gets between them, pushing them apart, but they're still
fuming. They fight to get back at each other, but Buffy keeps
them apart.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Would you two just stop and look at
yourselves?
HANK
I have a right to protect my family.
GILES
The only thing these girls need
protection from is you.
BUFFY
Both of you, shut up.
Hank pushes past Buffy and grabs onto Giles' shirt. Buffy
punches him in the face, and he stumbles back, onto the couch.
Giles laughs.
GILES
See? She agrees with me.
Buffy pushes Giles back, into a chair.
32.
BUFFY
Quiet.
(to Dawn)
We don't have time for this.
By now, Dawn has picked herself up.
DAWN
You think?
Buffy turns back to Giles.
BUFFY
You're both under some kind of spell.
We'll figure that out, but we need
to help Xander. Are you able?
GILES
Of course I'm able. We just have to
take care of our pest problem first.
Giles moves to get up, toward Hank. Buffy pushes him back
down.
BUFFY
Sit.
Buffy turns to Dawn.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
We have to split them up. Take Dad
upstairs and keep him in our room.
I'm gonna work with Giles down here.
HANK
Why should I be the one to leave?
BUFFY
(to Hank)
Becauase this is my house and as
long as your wigging under my roof,
you'll wig by my rules.
Dawn goes to Hank and takes his arm, to lead him out of the
room.
DAWN
C'mon.
Hank hesitates at first, but eventually goes.
HANK
Fine.
(to Giles)
But this isn't over, limey.
33.
Dawn takes Hank up the stairs. Once they're gone, Giles cools
down.
BUFFY
Can you focus?
GILES
I think so.
BUFFY
Good. As much as people in your
condition hate to admit these things,
you're under a spell of some kind.
GILES
I rather think I agree.
BUFFY
What?
GILES
I said, I agree. I'm under some kind
of spell. I don't know what's gotten
into me.
Buffy just looks at him, confused.
GILES (CONT'D)
What?
BUFFY
Nothing. It's just usually a little
harder to get someone to admit that
they're under a spell.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - DAY
Dawn brings Hank into the bedroom and closes the door. He
sits down on a bed, no longer fuming.
DAWN
Are you okay?
HANK
I think so. That friend of yours is
a pretty good hitter.
(beat)
I don't know what got into me down
there.
DAWN
You're probably just really tired.
HANK
I'm angry. I'm angry at him, but
I've never acted out like that before.
I never meant to hit you like that.
34.
DAWN
I know.
(beat)
Why don't you just rest for a while?
Take a nap and cool off.
HANK
Yeah.
Hank lays back.
DAWN
I'll just be in the hall.
Dawn leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Hank rests
in the bed, trying to figure out where that rage came from.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY/WILLOW'S ROOM - DAY
Dawn stands in the hallway, not really knowing what to do
next. She goes to pull up a nearby chair, and happens to see
into Willow's room.
She walks inside, finding Xander on Willow's bed. He's resting
there, but not asleep. The room is as dark as he could make
it.
DAWN
Xander?
XANDER
Hmm?
DAWN
Why are you in Willow's bed?
XANDER
It's much softer than my bed. Which
is the floor. Also, much easier to
collapse onto without breaking any
bones.
DAWN
Are you okay?
XANDER
Aside from the splitting headache,
the dizziness and having my limbs
feel very much like wet noodles, I'm
good. You?
DAWN
Buffy and Giles are looking into a
cure for you. They just have to figure
out what happened, and then you'll
be all better. Ship shape in no time.
35.
XANDER
Until then, I think I'll just stay
here and try not to see through
anything. Oh, and, your dad and
Giles... what's that all about?
They looked like street thugs, or
these two ladies I saw fighting over
the last warm Krispy Kreme a couple
months ago.
DAWN
Yeah. Pretty scary. Just one more
freakish situation to deal with in
this surprisingly hellish non-
Hellmouth we live in.
XANDER
I guess we really weren't sent here
for rest and relaxation.
DAWN
Which bites. I could use a bit of
those.
XANDER
(weak laugh)
You said "bites" and then "bit".
DAWN
Ha-ha.
XANDER
If you guys need help with anything,
I'm there.
DAWN
That's okay. You're all busy with
the pain and suffering.
XANDER
Just let me know.
DAWN
Thanks. You need anything?
XANDER
Two nails, a hammer, some gauze and
a saxophone.
DAWN
I don't get it.
XANDER
Just chalk it up to the pain.
36.
DAWN
Gotcha. I guess I'll go now. If you
need anything, just yell really loud
or something.
XANDER
Thanks.
Dawn gets up and walks out of the room. As she closes the
door behind her, she looks back and watches Xander turn over
and try to sleep.
EXT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - ESTABLISHING - NIGHT
Hours have passed. Night has fallen.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Dawn is at Willow's computer. Giles sits with his back to
the front door side of the room and watches Buffy pace.
DAWN
I can't find anything. I swear, it's
like the computer is alive and has
something against me.
BUFFY
Yeah, cause that's all we need right
now.
Willow walks through the front door. She goes to the dining
room and smiles at everyone.
WILLOW
Hey. You guys wouldn't believe the
day I had. At first, it was all like
"gah", but then I saw this amazing
setup they... set up, and I was all
like, in shock. Then I got to work
and before you knew it, I was in
this unexplainable groove. It was
awesome.
(off their looks)
And there's something more major
going on here, so my rambling about
my really great day probably seems a
bit out of place.
She sits next to Dawn.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
What's up?
DAWN
Your computer wants me dead, Giles
and Dad are under some kind of spell,
and Xander's head is about to explode.
37.
WILLOW
Are you serious?
DAWN
Not about the computer thing, it's
just being a pain. The other stuff
is true though.
WILLOW
Let me see.
Willow turns the computer and looks at Dawn's work.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Cloud?
BUFFY
I saw this weird red cloud come
through the floor and go into my
dad.
WILLOW
Where is he now?
BUFFY
Upstairs.
WILLOW
Okay. So what are the symptoms?
DAWN
He's really mad at Giles. They almost
killed each other.
GILES
I'm infected as well.
WILLOW
Right. And this is all we know?
BUFFY
That, and it might have something to
do with broken glass. I found some
in the basement.
WILLOW
Okay.
Willow types in her computer.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
What about Xander?
BUFFY
He's upstairs too.
38.
DAWN
Crashed in your bed. The pain's not
going away this time, and he's all
weak and stuff.
Willow winces.
WILLOW
Is he good until we can figure this
out?
DAWN
I think so.
WILLOW
I'll have to check on him.
GILES
Yes, good idea. Perhaps I'll go up
there now.
Giles stands up. Buffy pushes him back down.
BUFFY
You're not going up there.
GILES
It seemed like a logical idea at the
time.
DAWN
It's like something's pulling them
together.
WILLOW
It sounds familiar, but I can't put
my finger on it.
DAWN
I know. I think there was something
in the Draumans' Papers, but I only
glanced at those for a second last
year.
WILLOW
And you remember?
DAWN
Good memory.
Willow types something on her computer.
WILLOW
Okay, I pulled up the scans of those
papers.
39.
DAWN
And the computer let you?
Willow doesn't respond. She and Dawn read over the scans.
WILLOW
Says something about Dirakon and
Mobratet. They're enemy spirits.
BUFFY
So they're possessed?
WILLOW
Not exactly. The spirits enter the
bodies of those who fit their needs.
They don't make the feelings, they
just kinda nudge them in the wrong
direction, then feed off of them.
DAWN
So Giles and Dad really hate each
other?
Willow shrugs. They look at Giles.
GILES
Well, maybe a little.
BUFFY
This coming from mister, "Give him a
chance"?
DAWN
Whatever. Does it say how to get the
spirits out?
WILLOW
(reading)
"The spirits are drawn together in a
never ending battle. When their hosts
kill each other, the spirits move on
to the next hosts, and can only be
stopped when contained in glass and
kept apart."
(beat)
Really apart. There should probably
be walls between them.
BUFFY
Explains the broken glass. Does it
say how to stop them without killing
either of the hosts?
GILES
Let's not rule it out completely.
(then)
Ignore that.
40.
Willow reads some more.
WILLOW
No, there's nothing in here about
how to stop them. There's some
research into the spirits that's
kinda interesting, on a scientific
level, I mean. Nothing that would
help us.
BUFFY
So we've got zip in the clue
department.
Buffy sits down next to Giles, exhausted.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I could really go for a Slurpee right
about now.
She puts her head down on the table. Giles pats her back.
From the darkness of the foyer entrance, Hank sneaks into
the room, holding a wooden chair over his head. He walks
toward Giles, ready to smash the chair over Giles' head.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT THREE
41.
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Willow and Dawn look up and see Hank just as he's bringing
the chair down. They both gasp.
Without raising her head, Buffy stops the chair with one
hand. She lets out a little pout, knowing what's coming.
Giles stands up, and dives on top of Hank. They begin rolling
on the floor, hitting each other. Trying to kill each other.
Buffy takes a deep breath and gets up. She walks to where
they're rolling around and looks at them with her hands on
her hips.
BUFFY
How many times do I have to tell you
boys to play nice?
They ignore her and keep fighting. She looks back to Willow
and Dawn.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I take the time to think of these
cute little comments and it's totally
lost on both of them.
DAWN
Buffy, stop them!
BUFFY
Calm down.
Buffy bends down and tosses Giles off of Hank. She pulls
Hank up and keeps him on the side of her that's away from
Giles. She makes sure that Giles stays away too, even though
both men want to battle more.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
(to Dawn)
A few cuts and bruises never hurt
anyone.
She stops and thinks for a beat.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Oh, wait. I guess they have.
GILES
Step aside, Buffy. It's time we
finished this.
42.
BUFFY
Or- here's an idea too- no. Giles,
sit down.
Giles doesn't. He still wants to get at Hank.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Now.
Buffy grabs Giles' arm and puts him back in his chair.
GILES
He doesn't deserve to live, Buffy.
After what he put you through.
HANK
You have no idea what's going on
here. You should keep your nose out
of our business.
GILES
Your business? Please. If you ran a
business like you've run your family,
you'd have been eating your own
headlice for dinner years ago.
BUFFY
Shut up. Enough. And also, eew.
WILLOW
(to Dawn)
I think he worked around Anya way
too much.
BUFFY
Giles, stay put.
(to Willow)
If he moves an inch, burn him alive.
Buffy tugs on Hank's arm.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
(to Hank)
You, come with me.
Buffy leads Hank out of the room.
Giles is left alone with Willow and Dawn.
GILES
Bloody ponce deserves a slow death,
if you ask me.
DAWN
That's my father you're talking about.
43.
GILES
Just be thankful that you've inherited
most of your personality traits from
your mother.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
Buffy leads Hank down the hallway.
HANK
I don't appreciate being sent to my
room every time you're angry.
BUFFY
First of all, it's my room, not yours.
You're being sent to my room. Second,
it's not my fault that you're trying
to kill a close friend of mine.
She pushes him into her bedroom and is about to follow when
she sees Xander come out of Willow's room. He's tired and
groggy, with his hand on his head. Still in pain.
Buffy sticks her head into her bedroom.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
(to Hank)
I'll be right back.
She comes back to the hallway, closing the door behind her.
She goes to Xander.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
You okay?
XANDER
I've been better. Like the time I
had a guy's thumb in my eye socket.
That sounds kinda nice right about
now.
BUFFY
We'll find a cure.
XANDER
I know. Just deal with the bigger
problem first and then we'll get to
me.
BUFFY
You're a priority. You're a big
problem.
(off his look)
I meant that in the best possible
way.
44.
XANDER
I know. Just deal with your dad and
Giles, and then we'll worry about
me. Until then, I'm just gonna go
get some water and then throw up
some water.
BUFFY
If you wanna lay down, we could bring
it.
XANDER
No. I feel like being around people.
I might as well play the sympathy
card while I can, right?
Buffy gives a halfhearted smile.
BUFFY
(in a friendly, not
romantic way)
I love you. You know that right?
XANDER
Yeah.
He hugs her.
XANDER (CONT'D)
Okay, you go deal with your dad. I'm
going to hydrate.
He walks off. She watches for a second, wishing there was
something she could do. Finally, she goes into her room.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT
Hank is sitting on the bed, calmly. Buffy pulls up a chair
and sits near him.
HANK
I don't know what's getting into me.
I feel all of these things toward a
man that I have no business hating.
BUFFY
You're right, you don't. You don't
have a right to hate the man that
picked up the slack when you skipped
off with your secretary.
HANK
That was a fling. It didn't mean
anything.
45.
BUFFY
I'm sorry. I didn't know that. Silly
me. I guess I should have paid more
attention to the lack of postcards
you sent us from Spain.
Hank takes in the comment. It hurts, but it's true.
HANK
I don't have an excuse for that.
BUFFY
There's a shock.
HANK
But I can explain. Or at least try
to. Will you listen to me?
Buffy thinks about it.
BUFFY
Fine.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Willow, Dawn and Giles are sitting where they were before.
Willow's working on the computer. Dawn's keeping a close eye
on Giles.
GILES
You don't have to watch every move I
make. Really, I'm in full control of
myself at the moment.
DAWN
I'd rather not risk you killing my
father, if it's all the same.
Xander walks through the room, still groggy and in his pain.
Everyone looks up at him.
XANDER
And here I always thought it took
nice clothes and a good looking date
to get this kind of attention when I
walked into a room.
WILLOW
How are you--
XANDER
Feeling? Like death warmed over. I
know, you're all going to find a
cure, and I can wait until you've
taken care of the other situation.
Until then, I'm thirsty.
46.
DAWN
Do you want me to--?
XANDER
I'm good.
(then)
Sorry if I'm being kinda short. I'm
just a little tired right now.
WILLOW
We understand.
Xander walks into the kitchen. Once he's out of the room,
the others look at each other, wishing there was more to be
done.
DAWN
This bites.
WILLOW
It really does.
Dawn suddenly gets a thought.
DAWN
Bites. Bit.
Willow looks up at her, getting it.
WILLOW
Wait a second.
Before they can expand on that thought, the sound of GLASS
SHATTERING comes from the kitchen.
All three of them jump to their feet.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Xander.
They rush into the kitchen.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Willow, Dawn and Giles rush into the kitchen (in that order)
and find Xander hunched over the counter, in very serious
pain. His left eye is bleeding now.
Willow rushes to him and puts an arm around him.
WILLOW
Xander!
Xander can barely speak through his pain.
XANDER
Please help me. God, please help me.
47.
Willow gives a pained look to Dawn. Neither of them knows
what to do.
WILLOW
We're close. I think I know what
caused this. That means that we can
probably fix it.
DAWN
It was the demon bugs. Remember,
when they bit you and you got all
red and swollen?
WILLOW
It's some kind of chemical reaction
to their bites. Like an allergy. It
reacted to the spell I did to restore
your eye.
XANDER
Just fix it. Please, just fix it. I
can't take this anymore.
WILLOW
We will, sweetie. We're fixing it.
Just come into the dining room and
sit down while we research this.
As Dawn and Willow help Xander into the other room, they
don't even realize that Giles is now gone.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy and Hank are still sitting and talking.
BUFFY
So tell me. What's this big thing
that's supposed to make me tear up
and fall into your arms?
HANK
There is no big thing. But I want
you to know that as much as it seemed
otherwise, I never stopped caring
about you, your sister, or your
mother.
BUFFY
That's why we didn't even hear from
you when she got sick?
HANK
That was her choice. I offered to go
to Sunnydale and keep an eye on
things, but she didn't want me there.
(MORE)
48.
HANK (CONT'D)
(beat)
When your mom went to LA, for second
opinions, we'd see each other. She'd
always try to pretend that things
were okay, and she was so happy, but
I knew her. I knew that she was
scared. It killed me that there wasn't
more I could do.
BUFFY
So you decided to just back away and
ignore it?
HANK
I didn't know how to deal with it. I
don't know if you've ever felt like
this, but sometimes there's a person
that you love so much, it hurts.
Even if you break up, they're still
a part of you. Even if you're not
with them, you feel them.
Buffy looks away, thinking of her own experience. She looks
back to him, not wanting to give in to his ramblings.
BUFFY
What does this have to do with
anything? You left us long before
she got sick.
HANK
I know.
BUFFY
Why?
HANK
What?
BUFFY
I want to know. You and Mom never
told me why, but I want to know. I
need to know.
(beat)
There was someone else, wasn't there?
Hank looks away.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Wasn't there?
HANK
I can't...
49.
BUFFY
Answer me. Who was she? Did I know
her?
Hank hesitates.
HANK
You're old enough now.
(beat)
His name was Greg.
Buffy's face drops. What's he talking about?
HANK (CONT'D)
You knew him as Dr. Marcus.
BUFFY
The one from the institute?
Hank nods.
HANK
Your mother and he started meeting,
to discuss your case. Eventually,
she opened up about the rest of her
life, and... I was never around, I
couldn't blame her.
(beat)
Nothing happened. She didn't do
anything, but things changed.
BUFFY
You're blaming Mom for this?
HANK
No. I'd never... It was my fault. I
was wrong on so many levels. It
ruined my life, and my relationship
with your mother. She should have
been the priority to me, but she
never was. I was distant around her.
(beat)
We tried to put the relationship
with Dr. Marcus behind us, but the
things that came out were too big to
ignore. Your mom needed to be away
from me.
BUFFY
So you got a divorce.
HANK
It was the hardest thing I've ever
done in my life, but it's what she
needed. I thought that if I let her
go, she'd come back to me.
(MORE)
50.
HANK (CONT'D)
When she'd come to LA, we'd meet and
try to talk things over and I thought
that things might be getting better
between us, but after a while, I saw
her becoming someone new. Someone
happier than I'd ever made her.
(beat)
So I decided to step away and give
her space. That's where my mistake
was. Somehow, in my mind, giving
your mom space translated into staying
away. So I did. I guess it was more
for me than for her. Lord knows, I
wasn't thinking of you or Dawn.
BUFFY
Do you know what that did to us? How
that made us feel?
HANK
If I could take it back, I would. I
wanted so much to talk with you. For
things to be the way they were, but
the more I saw you grow, the more I
saw your mother in you. By the time
I figured out what I was doing, and
what I'd let happen between you and
I, you didn't want to speak to me
anymore.
BUFFY
I didn't?
HANK
When your mom died, I tried to think
of a way to make things better. I
wanted to talk to you again, but
every time I called that summer,
Dawn made up an excuse for why you
didn't want to talk to me. I took
the hint.
Buffy lets this all sink in. Especially that last part.
HANK (CONT'D)
I'm not saying that I was right. I'm
not trying to make excuses for how I
messed up. I'm just hoping that you'll
be able to forgive me someday.
(beat)
I have a new job in Seattle. It's
only a few hours from here. I was
hoping that we might see more of
each other.
51.
BUFFY
I can't.
(beat)
It's too hard. It's too soon.
HANK
I know. I don't blame you. I don't
blame you for moving on.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
Giles creeps up the hallway, carrying a knife. He slowly
walks to Buffy's bedroom door.
HANK (O.S.)
I guess I'll go.
There's a pause. Giles stops, waiting for the door to open.
BUFFY (O.S.)
Wait.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - NIGHT
Hank is now standing, closer to the door. Buffy stands and
turns to him.
BUFFY
Just wait. I need to think.
She thinks for a moment.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I don't want things to be like this
for the rest of my life. I've lost
too much. I can't...
(beat)
You're my father. I might not like
the fact. I may be mad at you for
too many reasons to count, but the
fact is, you're my father. You're
the only one I get.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
Giles reacts to that comment. It's like a knife in the gut
for him to hear.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - BUFFY'S ROOM - NIGHT
She turns away and thinks some more as she talks.
BUFFY
Things can't just be better. I can't
just forgive you for what you did to
us.
(MORE)
52.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I can't just let you walk back into
my life and pretend that it's all
okay. It's not.
HANK
I know.
BUFFY
Just let me finish. I wanna know
where I'm going with this.
(beat)
Dawn is my sister. I've taken care
of her ever since Mom died. I'm not
gonna hand her over to you like she's
some kind of property of yours. We
have a life here.
(beat)
But she wants you to be a part of
that life now. She wants to try to
make things better somehow.
HANK
And what about you? What do you want?
BUFFY
I don't know. I honestly don't know.
But I'm willing to let you be part
of our life until I figure it out.
For her sake.
Hank doesn't know what to say. He wants to hug her. He moves
to hug, but she steps back.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
We're not there yet. Let's just take
this slow, okay Dad?
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
Giles is still listening at the door. He looks down for a
beat, thinking of what comes next.
Finally, he drops the knife and walks back toward the stairs.
As he walks, the BLUE CLOUD EXITS HIS BODY. In a mad frenzy,
the cloud shoots around the hallway, and eventually out of
the house.
EXT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Both the BLUE CLOUD and the RED CLOUD leave through the roof.
They swirl around each other, battling. Eventually, they fly
off into the distance.
53.
WILLOW (V.O.)
(prelap)
It was a hard night.
INT. WILLOW'S ROOM - DAY
Willow and Buffy are standing over Willow's bed, watching
Xander sleep.
WILLOW
It took some research and a three
hour drive to find the right herbs,
but we did it.
BUFFY
So what was it?
WILLOW
An allergic reaction of some kind.
The way his body chemistry reacted
with the demon bites and my spell...
I guess it just overloaded his system.
Magic O.D.
BUFFY
But he's better now?
WILLOW
He passed out before I got home. I
think the pain is less now though.
He's not as restless as he was before.
BUFFY
That's good.
WILLOW
So how's things with Dad?
BUFFY
They're complicated. No magic herbs
there.
WILLOW
I'm sorry. I'm sure it'll work out.
At least there's no more demon in
them... Which I've yet to figure
out.
BUFFY
I just don't think I can trust him
again. Not like before.
WILLOW
I think it's safe to say that the
relationship of the past is gone.
(MORE)
54.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
You have to try to relate as two
adults now. That's tricky, even when
you get along with your parents.
BUFFY
I don't suppose you'd like to do a
body-switching spell and deal with
this one for me?
WILLOW
Sorry. No can do. I have work
tomorrow.
Buffy looks at Xander again, taking in his peaceful look.
BUFFY
At least one of us is resting soundly.
We should probably leave him alone.
(beat)
You want some tea?
WILLOW
I'll be down in a bit. I just wanna
stay here for a few minutes.
BUFFY
'Kay.
Buffy leaves Willow alone with Xander. Willow watches him
sleep for a moment, just watching him. She sits next to him
on the bed.
WILLOW
You scared me, y'know. Please don't
do that again.
She takes his hand.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
It's getting old. I don't like seeing
you like this.
She holds his hand for a minute. Finally, she lays back on
the bed next to him. Watching him sleep, and finally drifting
off herself.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF SHOW
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