All commentary will be red text inside of a light gray box... kinda like this one.
I shouldn't have to say this, but... Beware of spoilers for all
of the Season 8 scripts!
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TEASER
FADE IN:
EXT. PRESCHOOL - PLAYGROUND - DAY
CHILDREN (all around five years old) run around and play.
Near the swingset, one boy, TYLER is fighting with a girl,
CINDY. She has the swing and he wants it.
TYLER
I want the swing!
CINDY
I was here first.
TYLER
Too bad.
CINDY
Too bad!
Tyler pushes Cindy. She pushes back.
CINDY (CONT'D)
I'm telling.
Cindy rushes over to a teacher, MRS. FOSTER.
CINDY (CONT'D)
Tyler pushed me and took my swing.
Mrs. Foster takes Cindy's hand.
MRS. FOSTER
C'mon.
Mrs. Foster walks Cindy back to the swingset. Tyler is
swinging.
MRS. FOSTER (CONT'D)
Tyler, come here.
TYLER
I'm swinging.
MRS. FOSTER
I see that. I told you to come here.
Tyler jumps off the swing and goes to Mrs. Foster.
TYLER
I didn't push her. She's lying.
CINDY
I am not.
2.
MRS. FOSTER
If she's lying about it, then how
did you know that's what she told
me?
Tyler doesn't answer.
MRS. FOSTER (CONT'D)
(to Cindy)
Go play.
Cindy runs off, giving Tyler a mean look as she passes. Mrs.
Foster leads Tyler to a bench and sits down so she's closer
to his level.
MRS. FOSTER (CONT'D)
You've been getting into a lot of
fights lately, haven't you?
TYLER
She was hogging the swing. She doesn't
own it.
MRS. FOSTER
That doesn't mean that you can take
it from her. Tyler, you can't always
make people give you what you want.
You have to stop being a bully.
TYLER
She always gets the swing. She sits
right by the door. She gets outside
first. It's not fair.
MRS. FOSTER
That might be true, and maybe we
should look into that some more, but
that doesn't mean that you can push
her around. The world doesn't work
like that. You have to learn how to
resolve your problems peacefully.
Understand?
Tyler nods.
MRS. FOSTER (CONT'D)
Good. Now go play.
(beat)
But not on the swing. You're off the
swing for one week.
Tyler mopes as he walks away. Mrs. Foster stands up and looks
back, toward the school door.
MRS. FOSTER (CONT'D)
For some reason, kids always think
that fighting is the answer.
3.
REVEAL BUFFY, standing in the doorway, watching the kids.
She walks over to Mrs. Foster.
BUFFY
I wonder where they'd get an idea
like that.
MRS. FOSTER
TV. Video games. Movies.
(beat)
Or that's what their neglectful
parents would have you believe. That's
why we make it our job to push them
in the right direction.
BUFFY
A worthy cause, assuming that we can
make a difference.
MRS. FOSTER
You don't think we can?
BUFFY
I think we can. I'm just not sure
it's always enough of a difference.
MRS. FOSTER
I'm guessing that you're not a "glass
half full" type of person.
BUFFY
I'm sorry. I'm just in a slumpy mood
today. It's been a rough couple of
weeks.
MRS. FOSTER
Not a good time to start a new job.
Especially like this.
BUFFY
True.
Buffy watches a little girl, RANDI, run past her. Randi is
smiling and goofing off. Buffy smiles.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I think it might be hard to stay in
a slump around here though.
MRS. FOSTER
Say that after you've been here a
while.
BUFFY
Things are just so simple for them.
Run and play. They don't have any of
the worries that we have.
4.
MRS. FOSTER
If they're lucky.
Mrs. Foster's WATCH ALARM BEEPS. She looks at the time, and
then to the children playing.
MRS. FOSTER (CONT'D)
Okay, kids! Let's go inside and color!
BUFFY
Recess ends, and they have to go
color. Man, those were the days.
The children rush past Buffy as they walk into the building.
Mrs. Foster follows them.
MRS. FOSTER
(to Buffy)
You coming?
BUFFY
Yeah.
Buffy goes inside and closes the door behind her.
ANGLE ON : A MAN
Just off of school property, a man who we'll call HAL (40's,
clean cut) watching the children. He's wearing a suit and a
fedora, which makes him look like something out of the past.
After the children are gone, Hal takes off his hat and walks
away.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF TEASER
5.
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY
WILLOW is sitting on one of the two beds, holding onto her
necklace as she stares at the ceiling. Her mind is somewhere
else totally.
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Willow's holding onto the necklace. As we'll later come to know, the necklace is a link to Tara. She often holds onto it when she's freaking out over her guilt over her developing Xander emotions.
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Buffy walks into the room and plops onto her bed.
BUFFY
Hey.
WILLOW
Hey.
BUFFY
So, I've been at this place for a
couple of days now, and I still have
no clue which girl it is.
WILLOW
At least your fake creds worked.
BUFFY
There's that.
Willow sits up and grabs some papers off of her nightstand.
WILLOW
I've been going over the list of
students that I got off of their
system. There's not much there either.
BUFFY
So we're pretty much screwed.
WILLOW
For the moment, yes.
BUFFY
How fair is this? Giles drops me off
in some strange Florida town, tells
me to check up on some kid Slayer,
and then flies off to teach a class
in knife throwing back at Watcher
Central.
WILLOW
He didn't have much choice. They're
kinda low on man power these days.
6.
BUFFY
Which I get, but the least he could
do is have the coven narrow their
search a little before sending me in
there.
WILLOW
I don't think it works like that.
The coven can tell you the where,
but not really the who.
BUFFY
Maybe you could do that spell. Y'know,
the one where you found Amanda last
year?
Willow shakes her head.
WILLOW
No good. The spell's potential
specific. Also, there's gotta be
about a thousand Slayers around here.
Even if I could do the spell, there's
no way we could be that narrow in
our search.
Buffy thinks about what Willow said for a second.
BUFFY
Thousand? You think it's that many?
WILLOW
That's the impression I got when I
activated them all. There's a lot.
BUFFY
And here we are trying to find one
single Slayer.
WILLOW
That's how the Council is doing this,
I guess. One by one. I think they
probably have a system of some kind.
BUFFY
So in the meantime, there's thousands,
or millions of girls out there with
no clue what's happening to them,
waiting for someone to help them
figure it out.
WILLOW
We will. It'll just take time.
BUFFY
I just hope we can get to them before
more badness happens.
7.
WILLOW
That was a fluke. It has to be.
BUFFY
Does it matter? They were selling
their blood because they had no idea
of what they held inside of them. I
was too late.
WILLOW
You saved one.
BUFFY
One. That's not good enough.
(beat)
We have to find this girl, Will. We
have to help her figure this out
before something bad happens.
EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - NIGHT
It's late. Most of the people are asleep in this complex,
which is a pretty nice group of buildings.
Hal walks close to one of the buildings, passing several
doors along the way. He's on a mission.
He finally stops at one of the apartments. Apartment 7-B.
He moves his hand over the door, as though feeling energy
coming off of it. Finally, he reaches the knob and grabs it.
He closes his eyes, once again feeling the energy coming off
of the door. The LOCK CLICKS. Hal turns the knob.
INT. ALFRED P. VANCE HIGH SCHOOL - HALLWAY - DAY
DAWN and SHELLY walk out of a classroom, carrying their books.
EMILY rushes past them, bumping into Dawn as she does. She
doesn't even slow down or look back.
DAWN
(after Emily)
It's okay. Really. You're excused.
(to Shelly)
Was that girl raised by really geeky
ferrets or something?
SHELLY
She's just always in a hurry. I guess
she has a lot on her mind and stuff.
DAWN
Still couldn't hurt to say "excuse
me" every now and then.
8.
SHELLY
I guess.
(then)
So do you work today? 'Cause if
not, I was thinking that maybe we
could go to the ice cream shop or
something.
DAWN
I have to stop in for my check, but
after that, I'm all clear for pigging
out. Y'know, unless something else
comes up. That happens a lot in my
house.
SHELLY
Cool. So, speaking of your house,
did you ever finish that wannabe
novel thing we found?
DAWN
Yeah. Got kinda boring after you
left. You probably wouldn't like it.
SHELLY
After I left? That was why I left.
The guy didn't even go into detail
about this whole Slayer thing he was
trying to make up. What was she, a
serial killer or something?
DAWN
Beats me.
Dawn stops. She sees something down the hall.
DAWN'S POV
RYAN is at his locker, putting some books away. A group of
FOOTBALL PLAYERS make their way down the hall, goofing off
and stop at his locker. They're smiling and clowning around.
Ryan smiles, but it's obvious that he isn't having a great
time.
DAWN (CONT'D)
What's up with Ryan?
SHELLY
He looks fine to me.
DAWN
He's all... Down.
Shelly shrugs.
9.
SHELLY
Maybe he got a bad grade or something.
Dawn looks at Shelly.
DAWN
He always gets bad grades. Why would
it bother him this time.
SHELLY
I don't know. Maybe his leg is
bothering him again, or something.
(beat)
Anyway, I have to go see Principal
Shaw. I'll meet you at the ice cream
shop in an hour?
DAWN
Make it two. I wanna drop some stuff
off at home first.
SHELLY
Cool. See ya.
Shelly walks off. Dawn continues to watch Ryan as the football
players walk off, and he finishes packing up his locker.
Finally, he walks off in the direction opposite of the
players.
INT. VIDEO STORE - DAY
Dawn walks into the store, and goes to the counter where
KIRSTY is checking out a CUSTOMER.
KIRSTY
You have a nice day.
The customer walks off just as Dawn reaches the counter.
They exchange smiles as they pass.
Finally, Dawn gets to Kirsty.
KIRSTY (CONT'D)
Hey. You don't work today.
DAWN
I know. I'm here for my check.
KIRSTY
Oh. Right.
Kirsty fishes around under the counter, and pulls out an
envelope. She hands it to Dawn.
KIRSTY (CONT'D)
There you go. You have a nice day.
10.
DAWN
Thanks.
Dawn starts to walk away, but stops. She turns back to Kirsty.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Hey, can I ask you something?
KIRSTY
Apparently.
DAWN
Is something up with Ryan?
KIRSTY
Like what?
DAWN
He was acting funny today.
KIRSTY
Funny, how?
DAWN
I don't know. Just kinda depressed
or something.
KIRSTY
I haven't seen him all day. Maybe
he's just in a pissy mood or
something.
DAWN
I guess.
(beat)
I'll see ya later.
KIRSTY
See ya.
Dawn walks out of the store.
INT. PRESCHOOL - OFFICE - DAY
Buffy walks into the office and finds MRS. FOSTER talking
with a group of OTHER TEACHERS. They're upset. Buffy goes to
them.
BUFFY
Is something wrong?
MRS. FOSTER
One of the children has been
kidnapped.
BUFFY
What?
11.
MRS. FOSTER
Cindy. The girl from the playground
yesterday.
(beat)
She was taken from her apartment
last night.
Buffy reacts silently to the news. After she takes it in,
she looks back to Mrs. Foster.
BUFFY
Do they know who did it?
MRS. FOSTER
They don't know anything. She's just
gone.
BUFFY
She can't just be gone. Someone has
to know something.
Mrs. Foster doesn't know how to respond to that. She's not
the "save the world" type of person that Buffy is. She just
shrugs.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get upset.
MRS. FOSTER
We're all upset.
Buffy looks at her watch.
BUFFY
Are the other kids here yet?
MRS. FOSTER
Not yet.
(beat)
Could you do me a favor and take out
the paint sets in my room? I haven't
had time to get set up for today.
BUFFY
Yeah.
Buffy walks out of the office.
INT. PRESCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DAY
Buffy walks into the classroom and closes the door behind
her. She looks back to make sure nobody followed, and then
pulls out her cell phone. She dials and puts the phone to
her ear.
INTERCUT WITH:
12.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY
Willow is sitting at the desk, working on her computer. Her
cell phone rings. She picks it up.
WILLOW
Hello?
BUFFY
We have a problem.
WILLOW
Buffy? What's wrong?
BUFFY
One of the kids at school was
kidnapped?
WILLOW
What? By who?
BUFFY
I don't know. Nobody has any
information.
WILLOW
You don't think...?
BUFFY
That it's an amazing coincidence
that there just happens to be a Slayer
in the school where this girl was
kidnapped?
WILLOW
It was a girl?
BUFFY
Yeah. I think we might have a clue
as to who the Slayer is. Her name is
Cindy Merrin.
Willow types on her computer, pulling up a file.
WILLOW
I have her file here.
BUFFY
Good. I'm gonna stop by her house
after school. See if her parents
know anything. You check on the
police. See if you can find out what
they know.
WILLOW
Will do.
(MORE)
13.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
(beat)
Buffy?
BUFFY
Yeah?
WILLOW
We'll find her.
BUFFY
Damn straight, we will. I'm not about
to lose another Slayer.
INT. HAL'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY
The basement is dark and damp. All of the windows have been
covered.
Cindy is sitting in the corner of the room, with her legs
pulled close to her chest. She's scared.
On the floor around her, old, dirty stuffed animals are
scattered. She's not going near them.
The basement door opens, letting in a burst of light. Cindy
covers her eyes.
Hal comes into the basement and closes the door behind him.
He slowly comes down the stairs, carrying a plate with a
sandwich on it.
HAL
Little girl?
(no reply)
Little girl?
He reaches the bottom of the stairs and looks over to Cindy.
HAL (CONT'D)
Didn't your parents ever teach you
to respect your elders?
CINDY
Where am I?
HAL
You're in my house.
CINDY
Who are you?
HAL
I'm just a nice man who brought you
a sandwich. Do you like turkey?
14.
CINDY
I wanna go home.
HAL
Now, that's no way to speak to your
host, is it?
Cindy doesn't respond.
HAL (CONT'D)
What's your name, little girl?
Cindy still doesn't respond. She pulls her legs even closer
to her chest.
HAL (CONT'D)
How am I supposed to address you if
I don't even know your name?
Again, Cindy is silent. Hal walks to her, and squats near
her. He sets the plate down on the floor.
HAL (CONT'D)
Aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten
all day.
CINDY
I want my mommy.
HAL
You'll see your mommy soon enough,
child. Come on. Eat.
He picks up the sandwich and holds it out to her.
HAL (CONT'D)
I promise, I washed my hands.
Cindy shakes her head.
HAL (CONT'D)
Your call, but I promise, you'll be
needing energy real soon.
He sets the sandwich down and slides the plate away.
HAL (CONT'D)
You wanna see a neat trick?
Cindy shakes her head.
HAL (CONT'D)
Aw. Just watch anyway. You might
like it.
15.
Hal shows her the palm of his hand. It's normal at first,
but then the PALM SPLITS OPEN and a SUCTION CUP-TYPE GROWTH
emerges from the split.
Cindy gasps and pulls back.
HAL (CONT'D)
Don't be scared.
Hal moves the hand closer to Cindy, and finally touches her
cheek with the suction cup thingy.
Cindy SCREAMS as Hal closes his eyes and a BRIGHT LIGHT
surrounds Cindy's head.
After a moment, Hal pulls his hand away. Cindy falls into
the shadows, STILL GLOWING. Hal opens his eyes.
HAL (CONT'D)
There. Now, did that hurt?
Cindy STOPS GLOWING. We can't see her too clearly at first,
but finally she sits up. We can now see that she's no longer
a child. She is TEENAGED CINDY (17-ish).
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT ONE
16.
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - DAY
Buffy walks up to Cindy's apartment, carrying a bakery box.
She knocks on the door and waits, but there is no answer.
She knocks again, but again, no answer. Finally the next
door neighbor's door opens. An OLDER WOMAN pokes her head
out.
OLDER WOMAN
Nobody's there.
Buffy looks over to the woman.
BUFFY
Huh?
OLDER WOMAN
Nobody's been there since this
morning. I think they went to her
mother's house.
BUFFY
Oh.
Buffy walks over to the neighbor.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Do you know them very well?
OLDER WOMAN
Who wants to know?
BUFFY
My name is Buffy Summers. I work at
their daughter's preschool.
She holds up the box.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I wanted to bring them something and
see how they were.
OLDER WOMAN
They're not well. They're little
girl was taken.
BUFFY
I didn't mean--
OLDER WOMAN
What's in the box?
17.
Buffy is thrown by the question at first.
BUFFY
Cookies. Chocolate chip and peanut
butter.
The woman looks at the box.
OLDER WOMAN
Police say the man slipped right
through the front door. Didn't even
break it down. Girl's mom says she
locked the door. She always locked
the door.
BUFFY
So this guy picked the lock?
OLDER WOMAN
Guess so.
BUFFY
Thanks.
Buffy turns to walk away.
OLDER WOMAN
Hey.
Buffy turns back.
OLDER WOMAN (CONT'D)
They won't be needing those cookies.
Buffy looks to the cookie box, and then to the older woman.
She rolls her eyes and hands them over.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY
XANDER is at the table. The Richard Acker diary is open in
front of him, but he isn't reading it. His mind is somewhere
else totally.
Dawn walks into the room.
DAWN
Hello.
He snaps out of his daydream and looks at her, still a little
distant.
XANDER
Hey.
(beat)
Aren't you supposed to be in school?
18.
DAWN
I had a free. Not sure they mean
"free to leave school property", but
I did anyway.
(beat)
Find anything new in the diary?
XANDER
Hmm?
(looks at the diary)
Oh, no.
DAWN
Have you even read anything in there,
or were you just staring at it all
morning?
XANDER
Kinda the second one.
DAWN
You okay?
XANDER
Yeah, I'm good. Just have a lot to
think about.
DAWN
Is this about the whole inability to
work thing? You know that none of us
have really questioned your manhood
because of it. Even if we did, it
was only in passing, because we love
you and realize that you'll get a
job as soon as you're up to it.
XANDER
Oh, God. I haven't even thought about
that for weeks.
DAWN
Oh.
(beat)
So what's wrong then?
Xander is about to tell Dawn, but stops himself.
XANDER
It's nothing. I shouldn't get into
it now.
DAWN
Because I'm just a kid and wouldn't
understand? That bit is so old.
19.
XANDER
It's not that. It's...
(beat)
It's insane. I'm insane. My attic
should be padded.
DAWN
I'm not entirely inclined to disagree
at the moment.
(beat)
You know you can talk to me, right?
XANDER
Yeah.
DAWN
Good.
She looks at her watch.
DAWN (CONT'D)
I'm late. Really late. There might
be a search party.
(beat)
Are you sure you're okay?
XANDER
I'm fine. Go.
Dawn grabs her bag off of a chair and heads for the door.
Before she leaves, she turns back to him.
DAWN
Try not to mope all day. It's not
good for you.
XANDER
I'll try.
DAWN
Good. Bye.
He waves goodbye. She leaves.
Once Dawn's gone, Xander drops his head to the table and
bangs it a couple of times, trying to bang the insanity out
of himself.
INT. ALFRED P. VANCE HIGH SCHOOL - HALLWAY - DAY
Dawn walks into the school, and right away, she sees Ryan at
his locker. She goes to him.
DAWN
So what's the deal with guys moping
lately?
20.
RYAN
Huh?
DAWN
It just seems like every guy I know
has been moping around for the past
couple of days. What, did Jennifer
Garner get married again or something?
RYAN
I'm not moping.
DAWN
Oh.
(beat)
But you were yesterday. I saw you.
RYAN
I was just in a funk.
He closes his locker. They start to walk down the hall.
DAWN
So that's it?
RYAN
Yeah.
DAWN
Okay. Good.
They continue to walk as there's a pause. Finally, he turns
to her.
RYAN
So, you're watching what kind of
mood I'm in?
DAWN
No. I just happened to see you, and
you were in an obviously gloomy mood.
I was concerned.
RYAN
So, why didn't you just come and ask
me?
DAWN
I think you'll find that I'm rarely
that direct. Everything's a mystery
to be solved with this brain of mine.
Ryan smiles. He points to a banner on the wall. It reads -
"ANNUAL BEAR RIVER WINTER CELEBRATION, DECEMBER 12"
RYAN
You going to the big party?
21.
DAWN
Not sure. What's the deal with it?
RYAN
It's a big one, even for this town.
The high school usually puts on a
play of some sort, and then everyone
in town parties in the gym.
DAWN
Formal?
RYAN
Not really. People usually dress
nice though. It's one of the only
times during the year where we
actually have an excuse to not wear
lumberjack clothes.
DAWN
Sounds not lame. Maybe I'll check it
out.
RYAN
Cool.
(long beat)
'Cause I was thinking that... Y'know,
if you're going and everything...
Maybe you might want to go with me?
Dawn stops walking. She's thrown.
|
See, in my mind, Dawn wasn't originally attracted to Ryan in a romantic way. She liked him the way Buffy liked Xander in season 1. It's later that she changes her mind. More on that when I get there.
|
DAWN
Like, a date?
RYAN
Yeah.
(beat)
I don't mean this to be a creepy
harassment thing. I realize that I'm
your boss and everything, so if it's
gross or something, just say so.
DAWN
No, it's not gross. I'm just a little
surprised.
She thinks about it for a second.
DAWN (CONT'D)
You know that you're a really great
guy, right?
RYAN
Uh-oh.
22.
DAWN
No, I mean it. I just need to think
about it.
RYAN
You can say no. I'm not gonna go
psycho or anything.
DAWN
I know. I just need to think about
it.
(beat)
Trust me, if you'd seen dating the
way I've seen dating, you'd have
issues too.
RYAN
So you'll think about it?
DAWN
Yeah.
RYAN
I guess that's better than a "no".
(beat)
Wanna see if there's any meatballs
left in the lunch room?
DAWN
Sure. Hey, maybe there's even some
meat in them this time.
RYAN
Doubt it.
INT. PRESCHOOL - OFFICE - DAY
Buffy is sitting at a desk, once again talking on her cell
phone.
BUFFY
Yeah, I went down to the apartment,
but nobody was there. How's the police
search going?
INTERCUT WITH:
Willow, again at her computer.
WILLOW
There's not much to go on. No
fingerprints. No signs of forced
entry. The parents are being
questioned, but I don't think they
did it.
23.
BUFFY
So we're clueless.
WILLOW
Pretty much. Sorry.
BUFFY
Keep on it. I'll be back late tonight.
They're planning a meeting with all
of the kids' parents at six.
Everyone's freaking.
WILLOW
I can see where they might.
BUFFY
Yeah.
(beat)
Hey.
WILLOW
Yeah?
BUFFY
Find me something to pummel, okay?
WILLOW
I'll try.
Another teacher, MR. GRANT, walks into the office.
BUFFY
I gotta go. See ya later.
WILLOW
Bye.
We stay with Buffy as she hangs up.
BUFFY
(to Mr. Grant)
Any news?
MR. GRANT
Nothing yet.
(beat)
Can I ask you a favor?
BUFFY
Sure.
MR. GRANT
When we're talking with the parents,
the children might get a little upset.
We're not sure it's a good idea to
have them in the room.
(MORE)
24.
MR. GRANT (CONT'D)
Would you mind keeping an eye on
them until the meeting's over?
BUFFY
Sure. Anything I can do to help.
MR. GRANT
Thanks.
Mr. Grant pours himself a cup of coffee. He turns to Buffy
and extends a hand.
MR. GRANT (CONT'D)
I'm Mr. Grant. Most people just call
me Grant though.
Buffy shakes his hand.
BUFFY
Buffy.
MR. GRANT
So, how're you liking the new job?
BUFFY
It's busier than I thought it'd be.
MR. GRANT
Yeah, I can imagine.
(beat)
Well, if you have any questions,
just let me know.
BUFFY
Will do.
Mr. Grant walks out of the room.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
(muttered to self)
Asks me to watch the kids, and then
finds out what my name is. Tell me
something's not wrong with that order.
INT. PRESCHOOL - CLASSROOM - NIGHT
The room is filled with kids now. They're sitting on the
floor, playing. Buffy is standing at the closed door, watching
the meeting through the window.
Tyler walks up to Buffy and taps her. She turns and bends
down to his level.
BUFFY
Hey, Tyler.
25.
TYLER
Is Cindy gonna be okay?
Buffy's not sure how to answer.
BUFFY
I'm sure she'll be okay.
TYLER
Mommy says that a bad man took her.
BUFFY
That's right.
TYLER
Is a bad man gonna take me too?
BUFFY
No. I won't let that happen.
TYLER
But how come he took Cindy then?
BUFFY
I don't know. Sometimes bad things
happen, and we can't always understand
them.
TYLER
I didn't mean to be mean to Cindy.
BUFFY
I know, sweetie.
TYLER
I wish Cindy was here, and then I
could tell her I'm sorry, and then I
could let her have the swing.
BUFFY
I know.
Buffy notices that other kids are watching her talk to Tyler,
and she realizes that they're all upset. She stands up
straight.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Who wants to play a game?
None of the kids reply.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
C'mon. Does everyone like Duck-Duck-
Goose?
Still no response. She wishes there were something more for
her to do, but there really isn't.
26.
Randi speaks up from the back of the room.
RANDI
When is Cindy coming back?
Another boy, NATHAN next to Randi speaks next.
NATHAN
Why doesn't the police find Cindy?
All of the kids start to mumble and talk at once. They ask
questions, and make comments. Buffy tries to listen, but
can't process all of them at the same time. She holds up her
hands.
BUFFY
Hey. C'mon, we need to stay quiet so
your parents can talk to the other
teachers.
The kids settle down.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I know this is scary for you. The
truth is, it's scary for all of us.
I wish that I could answer all of
your questions, but I can't. All I
can tell you right now is that I
will not allow this to happen to any
of you.
RANDI
How do you know the man won't come
for us?
BUFFY
Because I'll stop him.
RANDI
How?
NATHAN
Yeah, how?
Buffy looks back at the meeting that's going on, and then
looks back to the kids when she's sure the coast is clear.
BUFFY
Because I'm not like most people. I
can stop the bad guys.
Yet another boy, ALEX, raises his hand.
ALEX
Like an X-Man?
Buffy smiles.
27.
BUFFY
Yeah, kinda. I mean, I don't go
through walls, or fly or anything,
but I make sure that bad things go
away.
ALEX
You're a superhero!
Buffy's eyes widen when Alex yells that.
BUFFY
(whispered)
Hey.
Alex settles.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
What's the first rule of being a
superhero?
ALEX
I don't know.
BUFFY
Keep it a secret, right?
Alex nods.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
So we can't tell anyone.
RANDI
Not even our parents?
BUFFY
Especially your parents.
There's a knock on the door. Mrs. Foster pokes her head in.
MRS. FOSTER
We're finished in the other room,
Buffy. You can send the kids out.
BUFFY
Okay.
Mrs. Foster leaves. The kids stand up and walk toward the
door.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Remember, nobody can know, right?
The kids nod and agree in whatever ways they might agree.
Buffy follows them out of the room.
28.
INT. PRESCHOOL - OFFICE - NIGHT
The teachers are gathering in the office as the parents are
gathering their children and leaving. Buffy walks in.
BUFFY
So, how'd the meeting go?
MR. GRANT
As well as it could without us having
any answers for them.
BUFFY
The kids are pretty scared too.
MALE VOICE (O.S.)
Superhero?
Buffy closes her eyes, hearing those words and hoping that
nothing bad happens to her in this moment.
MRS. FOSTER
I can't stand not knowing what
happened to that poor girl.
BUFFY
I'm sure we'll find her.
(then)
I mean, they'll find her, and we'll
get her back. Safely. Here.
FEMALE TEACHER
I just keep seeing her face in my
mind, y'know? I can hear her laughing
on the playground, and...
The female teacher tears up. Mrs. Foster comforts her.
A man walks into the room. He is DANIEL MCARTHUR (30's, nice
looking, but tired). He sees the women comforting each other
and doesn't know quite how to react.
DANIEL
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt
anything.
MR. GRANT
It's okay. What can we help you with?
DANIEL
My daughter. She wasn't with the
rest of the kids when they came out,
and I don't know which room they
were in.
BUFFY
Which one is yours?
29.
DANIEL
Randi. Randi McArthur.
BUFFY
Right. She was in the room with me a
second ago. I'm sure she's still
back there. I'll get her.
DANIEL
Thank you.
Buffy walks out of the office. Daniel follows.
DANIEL (CONT'D)
It's weird. I know she's probably
fine, and I've been through this
same thing a million times with her,
but it's just not the same as before.
INT. PRESCHOOL - CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Buffy and Daniel walk into the classroom. They spot Randi
right away, looking around the room.
BUFFY
See? Right as rain.
Daniel smiles.
DANIEL
Randi, why are you in here all alone?
RANDI
I lost my ball, Daddy. I had it in
my pocket, but it fell out and it
rolled away.
DANIEL
Where'd it go?
Randi shrugs.
BUFFY
We'll find it.
Buffy and Daniel both start to look around the room.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Did you see which way it rolled?
RANDI
Uh-uh.
They continue to search. Each heading to a different area of
the room.
30.
Randi gets on her knees and looks under a wooden bookcase,
which is packed with books and toys. She smiles.
RANDI (CONT'D)
I found it.
She stands up and grabs the heavy bookcase with one hand,
and slides it out of her way.
Buffy turns just in time to see this. When she sees Randi
move the bookcase with one hand, her eyes widen with the
realization that this is the Slayer she's been sent to find.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT TWO
31.
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
INT. PRESCHOOL - CLASSROOM - NIGHT
Where we left off.
Daniel looks at Randi and sees what she's done. He rushes to
her.
DANIEL
Randi, no!
Randi looks back at her father, just as he picks her up.
DANIEL (CONT'D)
What have I told you?
BUFFY
She's done that before?
Daniel looks back to Buffy, clearly upset. Randi starts to
cry.
DANIEL
I can't... We have to go.
RANDI
Daddy, I didn't mean to.
Daniel rushes out of the room.
BUFFY
Wait!
But he's gone. Buffy watches him leave, and then walks over
to the bookcase. She pushes it back into place, testing it's
weight at the same time.
Once she's done, she looks back at the door.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Willow is staring at the ceiling, and playing with her
necklace again. Buffy rushes into the room.
BUFFY
I found our Slayer.
WILLOW
Cindy? They found her?
BUFFY
Not Cindy. Randi.
32.
WILLOW
Okay, I'm lost.
BUFFY
I assumed that Cindy was the Slayer
because she was the target. I was
wrong. It's another girl, Randi.
WILLOW
So, why was Cindy taken then?
BUFFY
That's the part where I get lost.
WILLOW
It could be that this girl just
happened to be in the same school.
BUFFY
Could. Either way, this means that
we have work to do on two fronts. We
have to find Cindy and whatever took
her, and then I have to tell Randi
and her dad about the whole Slayer
thing and hope that he doesn't freak
out.
WILLOW
Buffy, how do we know it's a "what"?
I mean, we assumed it would be demonic
since it went after a Slayer, but if
Cindy wasn't the Slayer, then it
might just be a "who".
BUFFY
It doesn't matter.
WILLOW
It doesn't?
BUFFY
Either way, we find this monster and
make sure that there's no way for
this to happen again.
INT. HAL'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - DAY
Hal is nowhere to be seen.
The now-teenaged Cindy weakly picks herself up, off of the
floor. She looks down at the plate of food, which is still
sitting where we last saw it.
The SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS above causes her to stop moving
totally. She looks up, scared that Hal is coming back.
Finally, there's another sound. That of a DOOR CLOSING. Hal
has left the house.
33.
Cindy makes her way to the stairs and climbs them. She reaches
the door and grabs it. Still weak, she turns the knob and
pushes the door open.
EXT. PRESCHOOL - LAWN/PLAYGROUND - NIGHT
Buffy and Willow patrol the area. It's dark and quiet. Not
many other people around.
WILLOW
Do you think he'd come back here?
BUFFY
We have to start someplace. Maybe we
can find a clue or something.
They look around the lawn a bit, slowly moving toward the
playground.
WILLOW
It's creepy. Thinking of some guy
watching a bunch of kids like that.
(beat)
You think it'd be okay if I fell off
the flaying wagon for one night?
BUFFY
My answer might surprise you.
Buffy is frustrated.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I can't believe this. There's a little
girl lost somewhere, and we can't do
anything about it except look around
a schoolyard for nonexistant evidence.
WILLOW
We'll find something.
Buffy's about to respond when something catches her eye.
ANGLE ON: TEEN CINDY
Walking nearby. She looks tired and out of it. Her clothes
are torn and (while they have grown some) don't seem to fit
right.
Cindy doesn't look at Buffy. She eventually finds herself on
the playground, looking up at the school.
Willow sees Buffy watching Cindy.
WILLOW (CONT'D)
Who's that?
34.
BUFFY
I'm not sure.
WILLOW
She looks... Odd. You think she knows
something?
BUFFY
I don't know. Maybe.
Buffy and Willow walk to her.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Hey.
Cindy looks up.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Who are you? Why are you hanging
around a preschool in the middle of
the night?
Cindy doesn't answer. She turns and starts to walk toward
the swingset.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Hey! I'm talking to you!
Cindy sits on a swing. She's drained and seems almost
emotionless.
Once Cindy sits down, Buffy takes another look at her.
Something isn't quite right. And then it clicks. Realization
fills Buffy's face.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Cindy?
Willow looks at Buffy, confused.
WILLOW
What?
Cindy looks up at Buffy. She tilts her head slightly,
recognizing the woman in front of her. She stands up and
goes to Buffy.
BUFFY
What happened to you?
Before Cindy even has a chance to reply, she falls into
Buffy's arms, unconscious.
35.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Xander and Dawn are sitting at the table, eating sandwiches.
Xander still seems a little out of it, but is more "there"
than before.
XANDER
Sorry about the dinner situation. I
should probably go shopping tomorrow.
DAWN
It's okay. I like sandwiches.
There's a long beat before Dawn speaks again.
DAWN (CONT'D)
I'm confused.
XANDER
Me too.
(beat)
I'm hoping it's turkey.
DAWN
Not about that. There's something
else.
XANDER
What's up?
DAWN
You know Ryan? The guy I work with.
(then)
For, actually.
XANDER
I've heard tell.
DAWN
He kinda asked me out.
XANDER
Is there beating to be done?
DAWN
No. It's not like that. We were off
duty at the time.
XANDER
So you don't want to go out?
DAWN
I'm not sure. I mean, I like him,
but it's kinda confusing. You know
what I mean?
36.
XANDER
In ways you wouldn't believe.
(beat)
So what's the deal? You don't like
him?
DAWN
I do like him. I'm just not sure I
like him. He's just so... And I'm
more... Y'know?
XANDER
I'm gonna need a complete sentence
before that can happen.
DAWN
(beat)
He and I are different.
(beat)
His favorite movie is Attack Of The
Killer Tomatoes.
|
Another example of Dawn's not really being interested in Ryan. She's hinting at the fact that Ryan isn't as smart as her. On some level, she thinks she's better than him.
|
XANDER
And you're more of a... Okay, I can't
think of a brainy movie right now,
but I think I get what you're saying.
DAWN
I'm not saying he's stupid or
anything.
XANDER
But he has different interests than
you.
DAWN
Right. I'm not sure we'd mesh.
XANDER
Right. There's no chemistry. No spark.
DAWN
I don't think so. I'm not sure he's
ever even been to chemistry class.
XANDER
But what if there was chemistry?
What if, even though you're all brainy
and he's all... not brainy, what if
you were really comfortable together
and you made each other laugh and
there was a connection that you never
had with anyone else? A closeness?
Dawn doesn't respond.
37.
XANDER (CONT'D)
What I mean is, what if you did have
a spark, but it wasn't a spark that
you can make sense of because he's
all gay and you've got wrong parts?
|
Xander's first attempt at vocalizing his feelings for Willow.
|
Now Dawn's just confused.
DAWN
Xander, is there something you need
to talk about?
He looks at her, realizing how this must sound.
XANDER
No.
Dawn looks at him for a moment. Normally, she might push,
but she has her own issues.
DAWN
So I guess I'll just say no then.
XANDER
Mm-hmm.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy and Willow walk in, both helping to hold Cindy up.
She's still out.
They put her on one of the beds.
WILLOW
I don't get it. This is Cindy?
BUFFY
I'm not sure I get it either, but I
think it's pretty clear that we get
to kill whatever did this.
WILLOW
Why would he just let her go like
that?
Buffy's disgusted.
BUFFY
Because he was done with her.
(beat)
Whatever this thing did- whatever it
took from her- he's exhausted her
supply.
WILLOW
Which means...
38.
BUFFY
He's going to be out for another
victim.
WILLOW
We have to stop it.
BUFFY
We have to find it first. She's the
only one here who can lead us back
to wherever this thing lives.
WILLOW
We should wake her up.
BUFFY
I'll do that. You get online and see
if you can find out what kind of
demon would age her like this.
WILLOW
On it.
Willow goes to the computer. Buffy watches Cindy sleep for a
moment, and then sits on the bed next to her, getting ready
to wake her.
INT. MCARTHUR HOUSE - RANDI'S ROOM - NIGHT
The room is dark. Daniel is sitting by Randi's bed, watching
her sleep. He's starting to drift off. His eyes close and
his head starts to fall to his chest. He catches himself and
picks his head up. He looks at his watch.
ANGLE ON : HIS WATCH
It's 2:30 in the morning.
Daniel rubs his eyes, and stands up. He goes to Randi's bed
and pulls the covers over her shoulders. He rubs her hair,
and gives her a kiss on the head before walking out of the
room.
ANGLE ON : THE WINDOW
Outside, Hal watches.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy gently nudges Cindy.
BUFFY
Cindy.
Cindy stirs, but quickly falls to sleep again. Buffy gives
her another nudge.
39.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Cindy, I need you to get up.
Cindy's eyes open. She looks up at Buffy, and then looks
around the room. She's scared.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
It's okay. You're safe now.
Cindy calms a little. She's still confused.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I know you've been through a lot,
but I need your help. Unless you
help me, one of your friends might
be taken. Do you understand what
that means?
Cindy nods.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Can you speak?
Cindy tries, but her voice is too weak.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
It's okay. You don't have to.
(beat)
Do you remember where you were taken?
Cindy nods, but the thought troubles her.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Can you take me there?
Cindy is scared. She doesn't want to go back. She shakes her
head.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Cindy, I need your help. I know your
scared, but I need you to be brave
for me.
Cindy calms.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
You don't want one of your friends
to be taken, do you?
Cindy shakes her head.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Then I need you to help me. Will you
do that?
Cindy thinks about it, then nods.
40.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Good.
Buffy stands up. She turns to Willow.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Will, keep on the research. Find a
way to make her a kid again. If you
find anything, call me.
WILLOW
'Kay.
BUFFY
(to Cindy)
Let's go.
INT. VIDEO STORE - NIGHT
Ryan and Kirsty are working late. Kirsty is working on files,
while Ryan is taking inventory.
There's a KNOCK on the door. They look up and see Dawn
standing outside.
Ryan goes to the door and opens it.
RYAN
Dawn? What are you doing out this
late?
Dawn comes inside.
DAWN
I come from a long line of night
people. I was out for a walk. What
are you guys up to?
RYAN
The boring part of the job. Inventory
and record keeping.
DAWN
Sounds like a blast.
KIRSTY
It's what makes life great.
DAWN
Is there anything I can help with?
RYAN
We have it covered. Thanks though.
Dawn sees that there's a bag of garbage next to the counter.
41.
DAWN
Least I could do is take the garbage
out to the dumpster for you.
RYAN
You don't have to.
DAWN
It's no problem. Really. I'm going
outside anyway.
KIRSTY
Let her take it. One less thing we
have to do.
(beat)
You don't want overtime, do you?
DAWN
I don't think I'll clock in for those
two minutes that it'll take. Think
of it as charity work.
RYAN
You sure?
DAWN
Yeah.
Dawn picks up the trash bag.
DAWN (CONT'D)
I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
Dawn starts to walk out. Kirsty remembers something.
KIRSTY
Oh, hey.
Dawn stops. Kirsty grabs a newspaper off of the counter and
passes it to Ryan who hands it to Dawn.
KIRSTY (CONT'D)
I forgot this.
Dawn takes the paper.
DAWN
Got it. G'night.
Kirsty waves. Dawn walks out.
RYAN
Hey, wait up. I'll come with you.
KIRSTY
Doesn't that defeat the-
42.
RYAN
Shut up.
Ryan goes after Dawn.
EXT. MAIN STREET/ALLEY - CONTINIOUS - NIGHT
Ryan follows Dawn out of the store. They talk as they make
their way down the street, into the alley.
Dawn is glancing over the paper.
DAWN
"Male found dead off of Yeager
Street." Sucks to be him.
|
And we'll learn in the next episode that this dead guy is Luka. The monk who wanted to help Dawn unlock her Key powers.
|
RYAN
I wanted to talk to you.
DAWN
About what?
RYAN
The thing. Y'know, going out with
me.
DAWN
Ah.
RYAN
Did you think about it?
DAWN
Yeah. I did.
By now, they're in the alley. It's dark. There's a dumpster
nearby. When they reach it, Dawn puts the bag down so that
she can talk with Ryan.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Look, I don't want this to come out
wrong, but you're a really good
friend. I'm not sure I want to--
Before she can finish, a VAMPIRE jumps out of the shadows in
vamp face. He comes right after them, catching them both off
guard. The vampire jumps on Dawn. She falls to the ground,
and the vampire keeps on her.
VAMPIRE
You know where it is! Tell me where
it is!
RYAN
Get off of her!
Ryan grabs the vampire and pulls him off of Dawn.
43.
DAWN
Ryan, no!
Ryan pulls a football move and goes for the tackle. The
vampire is hardly phased. He pushes Ryan away, and then
punches him. Ryan is thrown into a wall, hard. He drops to
the ground, unconscious.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Ryan!
The vampire turns back to Dawn. He walks toward her again.
She looks around.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Why don't I ever have a stake with
me?
VAMPIRE
Tell me where it is.
DAWN
I don't know what you're talking
about.
VAMPIRE
You're her sister. I know you know.
|
The vampire is after the amulet of Morel Divineh.
|
The vampire is really close now. Dawn finally makes a move.
She kicks the vampire in the bad place, and gets to her feet.
As the vampire is hunched over, Dawn grabs the trash bag and
whacks him with it. He's only thrown off for a second. Before
Dawn can find another weapon, the vampire is back in action.
He grabs her and throws her down to the ground. She tries to
fight him off, but he has her arms and legs pinned.
VAMPIRE (CONT'D)
If you won't tell me now, maybe you'll
tell me once you're one of us.
He moves in to bite her. Just before he sinks his teeth in,
a pair of hands grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him
back. He's thrown into the air and hits a wall.
Dawn looks up to see who is saving her. She can only make
out a BLOND GIRL figure in the shadows. The girl is wearing
dark clothes.
DAWN
Buffy?
The girl turns around and goes after the vampire. She beats
on him a little, but from her fighting style, it's obvious
that she's not trained at all.
Dawn finally sees the girl's face.
44.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Jenna?
JENNA pulls out a stake and POOFS THE VAMPIRE. When he's
gone, she looks back to Dawn.
DAWN (CONT'D)
Thank you.
After she sees that Dawn's okay, Jenna walks off into the
night. Not a word spoken.
Dawn doesn't have time to process this. She goes to Ryan.
INT. HAL'S HOUSE - BASEMENT - NIGHT
The basement door opens. Hal walks down the stairs, carrying
Randi in his arms as she sleeps. He gently puts her down in
the same spot that Cindy once sat. After he puts her down,
he strokes her hair.
BUFFY (O.S.)
If I were you, I'd get away from
that girl very quickly.
Hal turns and sees Buffy standing with Cindy at the base of
the stairs.
HAL
You shouldn't be here.
BUFFY
And yet, here I am.
HAL
You don't know what you're dealing
with. Who I am.
BUFFY
Let me guess. You're a big freaky
spawn of hell who gets his jollies
from taking little kids and feeding
off of them.
Hal wonders how she knows his story.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Got news for you, pal. It's not
exactly an original M.O.
Hal moves toward Buffy. Cindy backs away, scared.
HAL
You're the Slayer.
BUFFY
Volume one of... many.
45.
Hal moves closer and closer.
HAL
You should make an interesting snack.
(beat)
Even if you are a bit old.
He reaches out to touch her with his creepy hand. She doesn't
even flinch. She grabs his hand and bends it backwards with
a CRUNCH.
BUFFY
You wanna know the thing about demons
like you who feed off of kids?
(twists his hand more)
When it comes to the grownups, you're
just about as powerful as a Ben
Affleck movie.
She grabs him, and throws him across the room.
Randi wakes up. She looks around.
RANDI
Where am I? Where's Daddy?
BUFFY
Hold on, sweetie. Let me deal with
the bad guy, okay?
RANDI
Is that the man that took Cindy?
BUFFY
Yeah.
Buffy moves to where Hal is. She picks Hal up and throws him
to the other side of the room. She's just doing this for the
fun of beating this guy.
RANDI
I don't like him.
Buffy turns to Cindy.
BUFFY
Why don't you two go upstairs and
wait for me?
Cindy nods. She goes to where Randi is and grabs her arm.
Randi pulls away and rushes to Hal.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Randi, don't!
RANDI
You're a bad man!
46.
Randi kicks Hal in the gut. It looks very painful. Hal is
too out of it from his Buffy encounters to respond.
BUFFY
Actually, that's kinda neat.
(beat)
But your father probably wouldn't
like it. Randi, go upstairs with
Cindy. I'll be up in a second.
RANDI
But--
BUFFY
Now, Randi.
The girls go upstairs.
When they're gone, Buffy walks over to Hal and looks down at
him. He's barely awake.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
That was volume three, by the way.
CLOSE ON: BUFFY
With those being the last words that Hal will ever hear,
Buffy raises her leg and stomps really hard. All we hear is
a SQUISH sound.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF ACT THREE
47.
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. MCARTHUR HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Buffy is waiting in the living room. Cindy is asleep on the
couch.
Daniel walks into the room.
DANIEL
She's asleep.
He sits down in a chair, exhausted. Buffy sits in another
chair near him.
DANIEL (CONT'D)
None of this makes sense. My daughter
is kidnapped, but we don't call the
police?
BUFFY
This isn't something that they could
handle.
DANIEL
What does that mean?
Buffy tries to think of a good way to say this.
BUFFY
There's a whole speech about this,
but that never really works, so I'm
just going to say it.
(beat)
Randi's strength comes from something
very powerful. A calling. She... and
me... We're called Slayers.
DANIEL
My daughter is a "Slayer"?
BUFFY
It sounds bad, but it's not. Slayers
are girls who have been chosen to
fight the evil in the world.
DANIEL
She's five years old.
BUFFY
Well, I don't think she's expected
to start killing things tomorrow,
but there is someplace that she can
go to train.
48.
DANIEL
Kill things? Train? Go? What are you
talking about? My daughter isn't
going anywhere. She's staying here
and she's going to live a normal
life.
BUFFY
She isn't normal. You have to tell
her what she is. You have to let her
become what she was meant to be.
DANIEL
A "Slayer"?
BUFFY
You're not listening.
DANIEL
I think I've listened more than
enough.
BUFFY
But--
Buffy's in the middle of starting a sentence when her CELL
PHONE RINGS. She gives Daniel a "just a sec" gesture, and
answers her phone.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Yeah?
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Willow's on the other side of the line, at her computer.
WILLOW
Buffy, it's me. I found out everything
I could on this demon. It's name is
Hal.
BUFFY
Past tense. What's his deal? How do
we fix Cindy?
There's a long silence.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Willow?
WILLOW
We don't.
BUFFY
What?
49.
WILLOW
We don't fix Cindy. This Hal demon
fed off of the youth in her. The
energy is gone.
BUFFY
But we have to help her. We can't
just leave her like this.
WILLOW
I don't know what to say. I'm sorry.
Buffy's close to being in shock. She doesn't know how to
process this.
BUFFY
Thanks.
She hangs up.
DANIEL
Is everything okay?
BUFFY
No.
Buffy looks over at Cindy. Then she looks to Daniel again.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
I'm sorry. We have to go.
Buffy stands up and goes to Cindy. She gets her up.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
C'mon, Cindy. We have to leave.
DANIEL
We were in the middle of a
conversation.
Buffy looks back to Daniel.
BUFFY
There's nothing else to talk about.
You're right.
Daniel's a little thrown by her sudden switch. He watches as
she and Cindy leave.
INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
Xander is cleaning mud off of his shoes. Dawn walks into the
room, from the dining room.
DAWN
'Morning.
50.
XANDER
Hey.
DAWN
Willow called while you were outside.
Xander perks up.
XANDER
What'd she say?
DAWN
Her and Buffy are coming home tonight.
I think they had a pretty rough time
in Florida.
XANDER
It'll be nice to have them home.
DAWN
Yeah.
Dawn sits next to Xander.
DAWN (CONT'D)
So I told Ryan what I decided. About
going out.
XANDER
How'd he take it?
DAWN
Really well. I decided to go.
XANDER
What changed your mind?
DAWN
Last night, when we were attacked...
He went after the vampire for me. I
know it's not really the girl-power
thing to say, but seeing him get all
protective was--
XANDER
An eye opener?
DAWN
I was gonna say that it was hot.
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See? Dawn's motivation is questionable at this point of the game.
|
XANDER
Oh.
Dawn stands up.
51.
DAWN
So anyway, I'm going to window shop
for something to wear.
XANDER
Your date isn't for another two weeks.
DAWN
I know. Short notice sucks.
She heads for the door.
DAWN (CONT'D)
See ya.
INT. PRESCHOOL - PLAYGROUND - DAY
Buffy is sitting on a swing, deep in thought. Her CELL PHONE
RINGS. She answers it.
BUFFY
Hello?
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. GILES' FLAT - DAY
GILES is back in England, on the phone.
GILES
Buffy?
BUFFY
Yeah.
GILES
You didn't call me back.
BUFFY
Sorry. I got distracted.
GILES
Did you get the girl home safely?
BUFFY
Yeah.
(beat)
What happens now?
GILES
I'm not sure. The Council will do
their best to help her.
BUFFY
And until then, what? Her parents
almost died when I explained it all
to them.
52.
GILES
We'll have to see what happens.
(beat)
Buffy, I've been ordered to tell you
to go back to the Slayer's father
and get him to agree to have her
trained in England.
BUFFY
I'm not gonna do that, Giles. I've
already seen one girl robbed of a
childhood, I'm not about to help do
it again.
GILES
She must be taught.
BUFFY
I gave her dad the number. When the
time comes, he'll call.
GILES
But--
BUFFY
Giles, I need to know something.
GILES
What?
BUFFY
Tell me about the other Slayers. The
ones you've seen since we did the
spell.
GILES
What about them?
BUFFY
In the past few months, I've seen
one girl who almost killed her
brother, two who were selling their
blood, and a little girl who is this
close to having her entire life ruined
because of this. What aren't you
telling me?
GILES
I don't know what you mean.
BUFFY
I know that the other countless girls
around the world aren't skipping
around, singing happy songs and I
just happened across the few bad
outcomes. Tell me what's going on.
53.
There's a long pause.
BUFFY (CONT'D)
Tell me.
GILES
Are you sure you want to know.
BUFFY
Tell me.
GILES
(long beat)
There are many girls who have been
brought to be trained. Girls with
great skill and potential.
(beat)
However, there are also a lot of
parents like the one you met. They're
understandably reluctant to hand
their daughters over to strange men
who want to train them to be Slayers.
The Council simply isn't big enough
to send Watcher all over the world
anymore. We can't train them all.
BUFFY
So they're forced to fend for
themselves. What happens then? Look
at Jenna.
GILES
I've seen a hundred cases just like
hers, or very similar. In Bangkok, a
pregnant woman died from severe
internal trauma. We suspect the unborn
child was a Slayer.
BUFFY
Was?
GILES
She didn't make it.
BUFFY
So is this how it is all over? Chaos?
Pain? Suffering?
GILES
As I said, there are many cases of
girls who are doing quite well.
BUFFY
But even then, they can't all be
doing fine. What happened to Rhona,
or Vi? I haven't even heard from
them since they went home.
54.
Another long beat.
GILES
Vi is dead, Buffy. A victim of what
seems to be a growing sport for
demons.
Buffy takes this news in. It's killing her.
BUFFY
I wanted to help. I wanted to make
things better.
GILES
You're not to blame for these cases.
BUFFY
Then who is?
(beat)
I have to go.
She quickly turns off her phone before he can respond.
She sits in silence, thoughts running through her head at a
million miles per hour.
And then a familiar voice comes from behind her.
KENDRA/FIRST (O.S.)
Are you finally starting to get it?
(beat)
You always treated it like a job.
Buffy turns around and sees THE FIRST in Kendra's form.
|
Kendra's "You always treated it like a job" is similar to a line she used with Buffy in season 2. I wanted to use Kendra
here for two very important reasons… I liked her and she was hardly even mentioned after she died.
|
BUFFY
I don't have time for this.
KENDRA/FIRST
It's who you are, but you never saw
it like that.
BUFFY
Go away.
KENDRA/FIRST
None of this would have happened if
I were in charge.
BUFFY
Shut up. I stopped you.
KENDRA/FIRST
Did you? The way I see it, you're
the one who's about to cry.
(MORE)
55.
KENDRA/FIRST (CONT'D)
You were always so afraid of being
alone, you were just dying for an
excuse to change it.
BUFFY
I only gave those girls what they
deserved to have.
KENDRA/FIRST
You know that's not true. Most of
those girls should never have been a
Slayer. Now, the world is full of
Slayers... and no more potentials.
Buffy looks up at her.
BUFFY
What's that supposed to mean?
KENDRA/FIRST
Your little spell. It threw off the
whole Slayer line.
|
The First hints at what is to come for Buffy and the rest of the Slayers.
|
BUFFY
Every girl who can be a Slayer is a
Slayer. There's an army of girls
just waiting to take you down.
KENDRA/FIRST
For now. But how do you expect the
next generation to be called? Did
you ever think of that, or were to
too busy feeling sorry for yourself?
Buffy tries to figure this all out. She can't wrap her mind
around it. She looks down at the ground. When she looks back
up, the First is gone. Buffy is once again alone in the
playground.
FADE TO BLACK:
END OF SHOW
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There aren't a lot of comments about the main plot of this story. Aside from once again showing the down sides to Buffy's decision to call the Slayers, the episode dealt with a serious matter. The show did this pretty well when it did it. The question was, could (and should) a fanfic writer even touch upon such a twisted story? I'm hoping that the outcome, and how I chose to represent these issues didn't seem exploitive.
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