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Episode Summary
Sunnydale Cemetery. Evening. A body once known as Andrew Hoelich rises from its grave, ready for a new life as a creature of the night.
Standing in his way is not the Slayer, but rather her closest friends: Willow, Xander, and Oz. Unfortunately, without the powers that make Buffy special, the three friends are unable to kill the vampire before it can escape into the night.
Afterwards, the group prepares themselves for the new school season, which begins the very next day.
They also wonder if and when Buffy will return to Sunnydale after her unannounced absence since saving the world from the Acathla threat. What they don’t know is that Buffy is currently living alone in an apartment in downtown Los Angeles.
Buffy’s dreams are haunted by Angel, reminding of her of what she had to do in order to stop Acathla.
The next morning, Willow learns that Oz flunked his senior year and needs to repeat it, Xander and Cordelia’s anticipated reunion has no sparks whatsoever, and Giles gets the latest in a long line of leads concerning Buffy’s possible location.
Meanwhile, Buffy is working as a waitress in a diner, under the alias of Anne. During work, she serves a romantic couple of runaways. The girl’s name is Lily, while the guy’s is Rickie.
They both have each other’s name tattooed to their forearms. When Lily recognizes the waitress, Buffy denies any familiarity with the girl.
At one point, Rickie says to Lily the exact same words that Buffy heard from Angel in one of her dreams. The next day, on the way to work, Buffy passes by an old homeless woman who repeatedly says, “I’m no one.”
Back in Sunnydale, Giles pays Joyce Summers a visit to inform her that his latest search turned up empty-handed.
Joyce expresses her resentment toward Giles, blaming him for Buffy’s distance from her own mother. On her way home from work, Buffy runs into Lily again.
Lily gets Buffy’s attention by calling her by her real name, then reminds Buffy that she once went by the name of Chantarelle and was involved in a vampire-worshipping cult.
Buffy explains that Anne is really her middle name. During their conversation, an old man rudely bumps the both of them aside as he walks towards the street.
When asked if he’s okay, the old man turns to them and says, “I’m no one.” With that, he walks into the middle of the street, then stops in the path of an oncoming car.
Buffy dashes into the street and pushes him aside just in time, but not before the car collides and sends her slamming into the pavement.
A few locals offer to help her and call an ambulance, but Buffy quickly leaves the scene without even a limp. On the way, Buffy meets a relatively clean-cut man. His name is Ken, and he’s handing out flyers for a shelter called the Family Home.
Meanwhile, in the Bronze, Xander chats with Willow and Oz about their failure at vampire slaying. Seeing Cordelia enter the Bronze with a few of her friends, Xander hatches a plan to use her as bait.
The next day, Lily visits Buffy at work and tells her that Rickie’s been missing for a while.
Buffy reluctantly agrees to help, and they first visit the local blood bank where Lily and Rickie often donated in order to make some money.
According to the doctor, Rickie hasn’t been there in the last few days, so Buffy and Lily agree to split up and meet up later at Buffy’s apartment.
During a search in an abandoned building, Buffy finds a dead old man with a bottle of Drain Cleaner next to his head. Since the bottle is empty, the old man must have killed himself with it.
However, that’s not the most disturbing thing: Buffy notices a familiar tattoo on the man’s forearm. It says “Lily”, which means that this dead old man was Rickie.
Back at her apartment, Lily cannot believe the news. She blames Buffy for bringing along some evil from Sunnydale, causing her boyfriend’s untimely death.
Lily exits the apartment and meets Ken, who tells her that Rickie is alive and staying at the Family Home. Relieved, Lily follows Ken to the shelter.
Determined to get to the bottom of things, Buffy breaks into the blood bank after closing hours and finds Rickie’s personal file.
Alarmed by the word “Candidate” stamped in it, Buffy questions the doctor, who has just arrived on the scene. Buffy gets the info that leads her to the Family Home, where she finds Lily alone with Ken in a room.
Before Buffy can find out what’s going on, Lily is pulled into the floor through a strange black pool. Buffy struggles with Ken before they both fall into the pool.
On the other side of it, they crash down hard on the floor. While Buffy takes care of Lily, Ken removes his mask to reveal the face of a demon underneath. He calls the guards, and Buffy grabs Lily and tries to escape.
As the guards give chase, Buffy and Lily run into an enormous factory room. Hundreds of missing runaways work slave labor, while the demonic guards watch them, whips in hand.
Ken and the guards catch up to them. With a swift swing of his club, Ken knocks Buffy unconscious. Back in Sunnydale, Xander, Willow, and Oz try to dust the vampire again, this time with Cordelia as bait.
While everyone assumes their hiding positions, Xander and Cordelia argue over what they did or didn’t do during the summer.
Their fight is interrupted by a scream, for the vamp has snuck up behind Willow and attacked her first. Oz runs in to the rescue, but the vamp quickly knocks him to the ground.
Xander tries to drive his stake into the vampire’s chest, but they get their arms locked up, preventing Xander from thrusting the stake any further.
Cordelia charges the vampire from behind, and all three of them fall to the ground. The vampire lands into the stake, and immediately explodes into dust. This causes Cordelia to fall into Xander’s arms.
They finally give in to their desires and kiss right then and there. Buffy regains consciousness inside a prison cell. Lily, who’s sitting inside the same cell, believes they’re in Hell.
Buffy denies this, but that becomes irrelevant as Ken explains their situation. Apparently, they are in some alternate dimension outside of Earth, and time passes differently here.
According to Ken, one day on Earth equals one hundred years in this dimension. Buffy puts the pieces together and realizes that the disoriented old people she saw on the street must have been former slaves in this dimension, including Rickie.
Buffy, Lily, and several other runaways are then led into a room. A demon guard tells them that they no longer have any individual identities.
He then asks a boy to identify himself. When the boy responds with his own name, the guard beats him with a club. Lily’s next, and her answer is “no one”. A few more slaves respond in the same manner.
The guard then asks Buffy. Instead of giving the expected answer, Buffy finally comes to terms with who she is and responds with her true identity, that of the Slayer.
With that, Buffy proceeds to fight and subdue the guards in the room. After telling Lily to lead the others to the exit, Buffy runs out into the middle of the factory and battles an endless number of demon guards.
One after the other, Buffy defeats them, until Ken grabs Lily and threatens to slice her throat with a knife for Buffy’s disobedience.
Surprisingly, Lily pushes Ken off the balcony while his back is turned, enabling Buffy to fight off the guards holding her and climb to safety.
At the exit, they encounter a heavy gate which Buffy uses all of her strength to lift. Just as she’s about to escape herself, Ken tackles her. As he does so, Buffy is knocked towards the outside of the gate, which comes crashing down on Ken’s legs.
Buffy then takes Ken’s club and smashes it onto his skull. After Buffy, Lily, and the other runaways climb through the black pool, it seals itself.
Deciding it’s time to go back home, Buffy gives her apartment and her job to Lily. Buffy is confident that Lily can take care of herself from now on. Before Buffy leaves, Lily asks her if she can use Buffy’s middle name, Anne, as her own.
Buffy agrees and leaves. Back in Sunnydale, Buffy knocks on the door to her home. After Joyce opens it, they stand there, completely speechless.
Finally, they embrace. For Giles and the rest of the Sunnydale, the Slayer has returned. For Joyce Summers, someone more important is finally home: her only daughter.
Shooting Scripts
Teaser
EXT. GRAVEYARD – NIGHT
ANGLE: A GRAVESTONE
It reads: ANDREW HOELICH, 1981-1998.
And from the ground before it, a hand digs its way out of the grave.
The hand is, duh, Andrew’s, and he pulls himself slowly up from under, vampire face in a grimace of
effort.
A pair of legs steps into frame before him. Girl legs. From one of her hands dangles a wicked looking
stake. Nearly all the way out, Andrew looks up at the figure facing him, grins.
WILLOW
That’s right, big boy . . .
PUSH IN ON: WILLOW
Facing the vamp with a slayeresque ‘tude.
WILLOW
Come and get it.
Andrew rises — and Willow takes a step back, suddenly less Slayery. Andrew is about to move
forward when XANDER grabs him from behind, wrapping his arms tight around him and spinning him
to the right.
XANDER
I got him! Go!
OZ steps up from the shadows with a stake — and pulls back to thrust it at the vamp.
XANDER
Any time now . . .
But Andrew suddenly kicks both legs up, slamming Oz in the jaw and sending him flying back,
Andrew’s legs continuing up until he flips himself over Xander, gets behind him. Xander spins, ready
to fight, as Willow rushes forward to help. Andrew throws Xander into Willow and they both go
sprawling. Andrew vaults over the tombstone and starts running away.
WILLOW
He’s getting away. And, ow!
Suddenly Oz steps between the other two, an intense look of cool concentration on his face.
ANGLE: THE STAKE
As he flips it, grabbing the pointy end and holding it loosely at his finger tips.
ANGLE: ANDREW
Running away, his back presenting a dwindling target.
ANGLE: OZ
As he concentrates, lining up his shot.
In a blur, he suddenly HURLS the stake like a throwing knife. It bounces uselessly off a tomb about
eight feet away. Oz shrugs.
OZ
That really never works.
(turns to the others)
Are you guys all right?
WILLOW
I can’t believe he got away.
XANDER
First of all, what was with the acrobatics?
How did that happen?
OZ
Wasn’t Andy Hoelich on the gymnastics team?
XANDER
That’s right, he was!
(calls out after Andrew)
Cheater!
WILLOW
That wasn’t in the obituary. I should
have checked the school records.
XANDER
Okay, and the second problem I’m having . . .
(turns to Willow)
“Come and get it big boy”?
WILLOW
(defensively)
Well, well, the slayer always says
a pun or a witty play on words and
I think it throws vampires off and
makes them frightened that I’m
wisecracking and okay, I didn’t
really have time to work on that
one but you try it every time!
OZ
If I can suggest . . . “This time it’s
personal . . .”? I mean, there’s a
reason why it’s a classic.
XANDER
I was always amazed by the
way Buffy fought, but . . .
in a way I think we all took
her punning for granted.
WILLOW
Xander. Past Tense Rule.
XANDER
Sorry. I just meant we in the past
took it for granted and won’t when
she . . . when she comes back.
WILLOW
Do you think she knows
school’s starting tomorrow?
OZ
Tomorrow. Right. The big day.
WILLOW
(to comfort him)
I’m gonna be busy a lot, but only till
three and that’s when you usually get
up, so it’s not bad.
OZ
(hiding something)
Yeah . . .
XANDER
I can’t wait to see Cordelia. I can’t
believe I can’t wait to see Cordelia.
WILLOW
(excited)
I wonder what our first
homework assignment will be!
(off Xander’s look)
Hey, you’re excited about Cordelia,
okay? We’ve all got issues.
OZ
I guess we should pack it in.
XANDER
Yeah . . .
They head toward the van.
WILLOW
Wouldn’t it be great if Buffy just
showed up tomorrow? Like nothing happened?
XANDER
She can’t just show up. She was kicked out.
WILLOW
Well, yeah, but . . . I just wish . . .
(softly)
I wish we knew where she was.
EXT. BEACH – SUNSET
The waves crash gloriously onto the bright and silent beach. There is no one to be seen for miles
around.
Till BUFFY walks into frame. She is walking slowly, in a light sundress, bare feet digging into the
sand. It’s a warm and calming tableau and Buffy is soaking it up. She stops, looking off in the
distance.
CLOSE ON: BUFFY
As she shuts her eyes, letting the sun warm her face, the camera tilts down her body to her
midsection — as two male arms slide around her from behind. We tilt back up to see ANGEL holding
her, burying his face in her neck. She reaches up behind her to caress his face.
BUFFY
How did you find me here?
ANGEL
(intimately)
If I was blind, I would see you.
BUFFY
Stay with me.
ANGEL
Forever. That’s the whole point.
I’ll never leave.
(whispers)
Not even if you kill me.
INT. BUFFY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Where Buffy awakens suddenly, a screech and a siren heard outside. We are close on her, pulling
slowly back as she gets wearily out of bed, a big tee shirt her sleeping gear. As she walks slowly
forward we continue to lead her, seeing just a dark glimpse of a dingy, small apartment. We arm out
through the window as Buffy reaches it, leaning out and looking down at her environs.
It ain’t the beach, and it sure as hell isn’t Sunnydale.
It’s The City. Every city, the grimy black streets dotted with the poor and the pro’s. Sort of your
worst nightmare of where your kid might run away to.
Buffy leans on the windowsill and stares into the bleak urban night.
BLACK OUT.
END OF TEASER
Act One
INT. DINER – DAY
We see the bustle of midday lunch traffic. Track along booths as a WAITRESS we can’t see drops
plates off at one table and proceeds to another. A few ROUGHNECKS sit at it, finishing their meal.
THE WAITRESS
Anything else?
ROUGHNECK
That’ll do us, peaches.
ANGLE: THE WAITRESS’S NAME TAG
Says “ANNE”. We tilt up from it to reveal that Anne is in fact, Buffy. She rips off a bill and puts it on
the table, avoiding eye contact with the men (as she does with pretty much everyone).
BUFFY
Pay at the counter.
ROUGHNECK
(leering)
Sure you don’t want me to work it off?
Buffy turns away without comment and the man actually slaps her ass.
DOLLY IN ON BUFFY
Her back to the camera, she turns slightly — slayeresque intent in her eyes. After a moment, it
flickers and fades. She moves on.
ANGLE: A NEARBY TABLE
There is a couple at the table, young and without means. Neither of them past twenty, both a bit
strung out. But clearly into each other, and very friendly. The boy is RICKIE. The girl is LILY, though a
few people might remember her as Chantarelle in another life.
They are giggling, examining their forearms for some reason.
BUFFY
Are you guys ready?
RICKIE
Yeah, I think we’re good, um . . .
He cranes to see the name tag.
RICKIE
. . . Anne.
BUFFY
What’ll you have?
RICKIE
Well, okay . . .
He dumps a bunch of change onto the table, amounting to a couple of dollars at most.
RICKIE
(counting the change)
What can we get with this?
BUFFY
Well . . .
LILY
Can we get cake?
RICKIE
Don’t be stupid! We gotta
eat healthy. Can’t have cake.
(to Buffy)
Can we get pie?
LILY
(good idea)
That’s better. That’s got fruit.
BUFFY
We got peach pie. I can’t
guarantee there’s a peach in it . . .
LILY
We shouldn’t have blown all our money.
RICKIE
It was worth it.
(to Buffy)
Check this out.
He and Lily hold their forearms out and together. They’ve gotten two halves of a heart, his with “Lily”
in it and hers with “Rickie”. Put ’em together and they make a whole. The work is a little primitive,
which makes it all the more endearing.
BUFFY
It’s nice. It’s nice and . . . permanent.
RICKIE
Yeah, well, forever.
That’s the whole point.
Buffy looks up, startled at the echo of Angel’s words. Lily gets her first good look at Buffy.
LILY
Hey . . . do I know you?
BUFFY
(abrupt)
I don’t think so.
LILY
Really? Where’re you from?
BUFFY
I’ll get your pie.
She takes off, Lily watching her with a quizzical expression. After a moment she shrugs.
ANGLE: BUFFY
By the swinging doors to the kitchen. She stops by another waitress.
BUFFY
Can you cover my station for a while?
I’m not feeling great.
The waitress nods. Buffy looks briefly back at the couple, who are smooching. Buffy exits.
INT. LIBRARY – DAY
(WARNING: if humanly possible, the next five pages — scenes 5 through 7 — will be done in ONE
SHOT, moving from the library to the cafeteria and capturing the vibrant cacophony of the first day
of school. You have been warned.)
For once, the library is full of STUDENTS. They mill about, getting books, greeting each other,
grabbing text books from boxes on the tables.
Giles walks down the steps with Willow, in mid conversation.
GILES
So, no joy in the cemetery?
WILLOW
No, he got away. We still have
glitches in the system, like vampires
getting away. But I think we’re improving.
Giles goes around the counter as Willow stays on the civilian side. Giles checks out her books.
GILES
Well, for god’s sake be careful.
I appreciate your efforts to keep
the vampire population down
until Buffy returns but if any
of you should be hurt or killed,
I shall take it somewhat amiss.
WILLOW
You’d be cranky.
GILES
Entirely.
The phone rings in Giles’ office.
WILLOW
Well, we try not to get killed.
That’s part of our whole mission
statement. Don’t get killed.
GILES
Good.
(re: the last book)
You’re going to love this.
He goes to answer the phone as Willow picks up her books and turns to go, seeing:
WILLOW
Hi!
CORDELIA
Hey, Willow.
Cordelia comes up to Willow. They do an awkward almost-hug.
WILLOW
How was your summer?
CORDELIA
(putting her bag on the counter
while she takes off her jacket)
I can’t believe you brought that up.
Las Palmas was the nightmare resort.
They order you around, they make
you have organized
(making quotemarks)
“fun”, and I make sarcastic quotemarks,
plus the fact that there are cockroaches
in Mexico big enough to own property.
It was all about dread.
They start heading out of the library into the —
INT. HALLWAY – DAY
CORDELIA
So, how was your summer?
Willow gets out about half a consonant before:
CORDELIA
Is Xander here?
WILLOW
Well, uh, yeah. Somewhere.
CORDELIA
(obviously excited)
Good. Great. I haven’t seen him yet.
Do I look okay? How’s my hair?
WILLOW
It’s good.
CORDELIA
He didn’t meet anybody over the
summer, did he? No, this is
Sunnydale, who could he meet
except for monsters and stuff,
then again he’s always kind of
attracted to monsters . . .
How’s my hair?
WILLOW
Still good.
(looks off)
Hi!
CORDELIA
(fear)
Maybe he’s forgotten me.
(lust)
Well, I’ll make him remember. See ya.
Willow’s attention is on the approaching figure. She continues as Oz enters frame.
WILLOW
You came to visit me!
(puzzled)
You came with books.
(brightening)
Are they books for me?
OZ
Actually, they’re kind of for me.
WILLOW
I don’t get it.
OZ
Well, it’s sort of a funny story.
(as they start up the hall)
Remember when I didn’t graduate?
WILLOW
Well, I know you had a lot of incompletes,
but that’s why you had summer school.
OZ
Yeah. Remember when I didn’t go?
A bunch of kids run past them, laughing, passing a teacher:
TEACHER
Slow down, people!
Summer’s over. Be somber.
Oz and Willow take over the frame again, continuing down the hall.
WILLOW
But you never said anything.
How am I supposed to react
to this rather alarming news?
OZ
I was pretty much banking on you
finding it cute.
WILLOW
Well, traditionally, repeating a grade
is not a turn on. And you’re practically
a genius! You’re Mister Test Scores!
It’s all a little weird.
OZ
So the cute thing is out?
They enter the big lobby type area and Xander stops in front of them. He’s excited.
XANDER
Have you guys seen Cordelia?
WILLOW
She’s here somewhere —
XANDER
I don’t want to come on too geeky.
But, okay, I’m psyched. There’s
gonna be some heat, if you know
what I mean. You guys might want
to duck and cover. I’m starting to
be geeky. Okay, bye.
He takes off, then reappears.
XANDER
How —
WILLOW
Your hair’s fine.
XANDER
Cool.
He takes off — and then LARRY passes, talking to another JOCK.
LARRY
This is our year, I’m telling you.
Best football season ever.
I’m so in shape, I’m a rock –
it’s all about egg whites –
we got Garrity at running
back, Dale at QB, if we can
focus, keep discipline and not
have quite as many mysterious
deaths, Sunnydale is gonna RULE.
We pick up Oz and Willow again, still dealing with their little issue.
WILLOW
I’m trying to get to cute, really,
but I’m still sorta stuck on “strange”.
OZ
Okay, well, I’d be willing to bargain
down to “eccentric” with an option on “cool”.
WILLOW
Let me sleep on it, you know,
and we’ll get back to you.
The camera follows another student to the lounge, where we find Xander and Cordelia finally greeting
each other.
XANDER
Hey.
CORDELIA
Hey.
XANDER
Good summer?
CORDELIA
It was all right.
XANDER
Cool.
CORDELIA
Yeah.
XANDER
I’ll see you.
CORDELIA
Yeah, whatever.
They split in different directions, both wildly unsatisfied with that exchange. Xander is swept along
into a group of STUDENTS heading loudly into the cafeteria as we —
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. BUFFY’S APARTMENT – DAY
Dead silence. No movement. Buffy sits on the bed, a half opened can of spaghetti-o’s with a can
opener in her hand.
The light in here is mostly from the one bulb, and it’s pretty bleak.
Buffy never moves.
EXT. STREET BY DINER – DAY
Buffy walks along in her waitress uniform, a coat over it. Heading for work. She silently takes in the
urban tableaux around her. A clean cut young man, KEN, is handing a leaflet to a YOUNG RUNAWAY.
A crazy OLD WOMAN is huddled in the corner, swaying and mumbling.
As Buffy passes her, the old woman looks at her and says:
OLD WOMAN
I’m no one . . . I’m no one . . .
Buffy keeps walking, enters the diner.
INT. LIBRARY – AFTER SCHOOL (DAY)
Giles is on the phone in his office.
GILES
Yes, thank you.
He hangs up and comes out into the library where Xander and Willow are looking over their new
books.
GILES
I have a lead. A friend in Oakland
has a sketchy report of a girl fending
off a group of vampires a week ago.
There’s a flight out in an hour.
XANDER
And what makes this different
from the last nine leads?
GILES
Well, I believe there is a meal on this flight.
There is a bit of defeat in his voice.
XANDER
I don’t mean to poop the party,
it’s just, you get hopes all up
and then it’s a big fat raspberry
and I feel bad.
WILLOW
It’s still good that you’re looking, though.
You shouldn’t give up.
XANDER
Oh, yeah. Definitely.
GILES
Well, one must try. In the meantime,
you might want to take a slight
vacation from your slaying.
WILLOW
Hey, we’re doing okay.
(bitterly)
Except that last guy totally threw off our stats . . .
GILES
I just don’t want you getting into
trouble while I’m away. I should go.
He takes off. The kids watch him go.
WILLOW
You don’t think maybe he’ll find her?
XANDER
I think he’ll find her when she wants to be found.
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Buffy walks quietly by herself, a coat over her waitress outfit. Returning from work.
Lily appears behind her, catches up, calling to her.
LILY
Anne? Anne?
Buffy doesn’t notice.
LILY
Buffy?
Buffy stops, turns.
LILY
Don’t be mad. I won’t turn you in or nothing.
I guess you don’t recognize me.
BUFFY
Lily?
LILY
I mean from before. I was calling
myself Chantarelle then. I used to . . .
I was in that cult that worshipped vampires.
(rolls her eyes)
So lame, I know . . .
BUFFY
Oh, yeah . . .
LILY
You kind of saved us.
I never thanked you or anything.
BUFFY
Did you tell anyone who I was?
LILY
Oh, no! Not even Ricky. I was
so surprised to see you here,
Waiting tables . . . but I wouldn’t
tell. I know how it is when
you gotta get lost.
They fall into step together.
BUFFY
So, you live nearby?
LILY
There’s a couple of places, they’re
abandoned and a lot of people
stay there. Ricky knows all
those places, he can always
find somewhere to crash.
He’s pretty smart. So how
come you came up with Anne?
BUFFY
It’s my middle name.
LILY
Lily’s from a song. Ricky picked it.
I’m always changing anyway.
Chantarelle was part of my exotic phase.
BUFFY
It’s nice. It’s a mushroom.
LILY
It is? That’s really embarrassing.
BUFFY
It’s an exotic mushroom,
if that’s any comfort.
LILY
Well, before that I was following
this loser Preacher and calling myself
Sister Sunshine. There’s nothing worse
than that.
BUFFY
Nothing springs to mind, it’s true . . .
What about at home, what’d they call you?
Lily doesn’t answer — home not a welcome concept, and Buffy realizes it.
BUFFY
Well, I like Lily.
LILY
It’s cool for now.
Hey, do you have any money?
Buffy stops, not sure what to say.
LILY
I don’t mean that like . . .
Well, I just mean, I know a guy,
he’s having like a rave kind
of thing, in this basement, it’s
three dollars to get in and you
have to know someone. We
could go, I could show you
if you had . . . ’cause I’m broke.
BUFFY
I don’t think so.
I kind of want to be alone.
LILY
(hurt)
Well, I didn’t mean to bug you . . .
BUFFY
No, I just mean a lot of
people would be too much.
(digs into pocket)
Here, why don’t you go with Rickie,
and I’ll see you some time —
LILY
No, that’s okay, forget about it.
BUFFY
No, really, I —
An OLD MAN ploughs through them.
BUFFY
Whoah!
LILY
That’s not very polite.
The old man turns and looks at the two girls. Horror fills his eyes.
BUFFY
Are you okay?
He just stares, finally emitting a cracked whisper:
OLD MAN
I’m no one . . .
BUFFY
What?
The old man looks at them a moment more, then steps into the street — right in front of an
oncoming pick-up.
Without hesitation, Buffy bolts, running right into the street and pushing the old man out of the way.
The truck slams into her. She flies back and hits the ground just as hard.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
Act Two
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Lily rushes over to Buffy, who is just getting up. The DRIVER of the truck also gets out, comes up to
her.
LILY
Are you okay?
TRUCK GUY
Jeez, I didn’t see you!
LILY
Maybe you shouldn’t move . . .
But Buffy is standing, albeit a bit unsteadily.
TRUCK GUY
Yeah, you should lie down.
Somebody call an ambulance!
BUFFY
It’s okay . . .
But more PEOPLE are starting to crowd around. Buffy looks about her, unease rising.
BUFFY
I have to go . . .
And she takes off, running down the street and disappearing around the corner.
TRUCK GUY
You sure you don’t want to sue?
EXT. ANOTHER STREET – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
Buffy rounds the corner and runs right into Ken. His leaflets fly everywhere.
KEN
Whoah! Where are you running to?
Buffy starts picking up leaflets.
BUFFY
I’m sorry . . .
KEN
Maybe I should ask,
where are you running from.
Buffy hesitates, then continues picking up leaflets. Ken squats, helps.
KEN
You’re pretty new around here.
You’ve got the look, though.
BUFFY
The look.
KEN
Like you had to grow up
way too fast. What’s your name?
Buffy hands him the flyers.
BUFFY
Anne.
KEN
I’m Ken. Go ahead and keep one of these.
He hands her back a flyer.
ANGLE: THE FLYER
Says FAMILY HOME on it.
KEN
Don’t be shy about stopping by.
I guess you’re not starving, but
we’re not just interested in feeding
the body. You might find something
you’re missing.
BUFFY
I’m all right.
KEN
Then why are you here?
She doesn’t answer. He looks over at a couple of KIDS hanging out.
KEN
This isn’t a good place for a kid
to be. You get old fast here.
The thing that does it, that drains
the life out of them: despair. Kids
come here, they got nothing to go
home to and this is the last stop
for a lot of them. Shouldn’t have
to be that way.
As Buffy looks at the kids as well we hear a SONG start on the soundtrack, seeing various angles of
kids on the street:
— Kids begging
— a Kid buying drugs
— Kids hanging out
— Kids getting into a fight as Buffy walks by, heading for home and the song continues as we —
CUT TO:
INT. THE BRONZE – NIGHT
And we see the band singing the song we’ve been listening to. It’s a slow, somber ballad, and the
mood in the joint matches it.
Xander, Oz and Willow are sitting at a table, watching the stage. Kinda low.
XANDER
Boy, I’m glad we showed up
for “Depressing Night”.
WILLOW
I wonder what she’s doing right now.
XANDER
Oh, I know what she’s doing.
Gabbing to all her friends about
her passionate affair with Pedro
the cabana boy and laughing about
me thinking she might still care about me.
(off Willow’s look)
It’s possible you were talking about Buffy.
WILLOW
It’s possible.
(looking around)
The Bronze just never seems
the same without her.
XANDER
The slaying isn’t getting any easier, either.
OZ
I think we’re getting a rhythm down.
XANDER
We’re losing half the vamps.
OZ
Yeah, but rhythmically.
WILLOW
Oh! That reminds me.
(pulls out a folded up piece of paper)
I asked around about Andrew Hoelich,
our gymnastic vampire, and apparently,
(looking at her notes)
he used to like to hang out in Hammersmith
Park and pick up grills!
(looks closer)
Or, okay, that could be “girls”.
XANDER
Let’s hope.
OZ
Are we thinking old habits die hard?
XANDER
Worth checking out.
WILLOW
Tomorrow night?
XANDER
Good. And this time we’ll be
ready for him. Take him out
before he does a Kerri Strug
on your face.
Xander notices as:
ANGLE: CORDELIA
Walks in with some friends.
WILLOW
We just need to work on our timing, I think.
XANDER
No, I know what we need.
OZ
A vampire slayer?
XANDER
Next best thing. Bait.
INT. DINER – DAY
Buffy is in the middle of her shift as Lily enters, a bit distraught.
LILY
Buf — uh, Anne? Can I talk to you?
Buffy leads her over to one side.
BUFFY
We got kind of a rush here, is there another time —
LILY
Rickie’s gone. I mean, I haven’t seen
him for more than a day, he’s never
left for that long, I think something’s
happened. Maybe something’s happened.
BUFFY
Well, did you talk to the police?
LILY
(shaking her head)
Rickie’s skipped on his parole, they’d just . . .
BUFFY
Well, you could . . . I don’t know,
ask around and —
LILY
Can you help me?
Buffy looks at her a moment.
BUFFY
I can’t.
LILY
But, but, that’s who you are
and stuff, right? I mean, you
help people . . . and, you know . . .
BUFFY
I can’t get into this now, I’m sorry . . .
LILY
You know how to do stuff . . .
BUFFY
I can’t; not anymore . . .
LILY
(near tears)
But . . . I don’t know what to do . . .
Buffy doesn’t answer for a moment. There is no relish in her voice as she offers:
BUFFY
I’m off at four.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – AFTERNOON (DAY)
Joyce sits in the living room, doing bills. The doorbell rings and her head snaps up. She moves
quickly to the door, opening it to reveal Giles.
She lets the tide of disappointment settle, greets him.
JOYCE
Mr. Giles. Hello.
GILES
Hello. May I —
JOYCE
Of course. Come on in.
They head back to the living room.
GILES
I’ve just come from Oakland.
A friend of mine called with a lead.
Stories about someone fighting vampires.
Joyce turns, a moment of painful hope.
GILES
It didn’t pan out, I’m afraid.
JOYCE
No Buffy.
GILES
No vampires. Bunch of school kids
in heavy mascara listening to
extremely silly music.
JOYCE
Well, thank you for going.
I can’t even . . . I can hardly
leave the house. I’m so afraid
that she’ll call, that she’ll . . .
need help . . .
GILES
Buffy is the most capable child
I have ever known. She may
Be confused, unhappy, but I
honestly believe she’s in no danger.
JOYCE
I just wish I could talk to her.
The last thing we did was fight . . .
GILES
Joyce, you mustn’t blame yourself
for Buffy’s leaving.
JOYCE
I don’t . . .
(looking him in the eye)
I blame you.
This makes her as uncomfortable as it does him, but she doesn’t back down.
JOYCE
You’ve been this huge influence
in her life, guiding her – you’ve
had this whole relationship behind
my back that I . . . I feel like you’ve
taken her away from me.
GILES
I . . . I didn’t make Buffy who she is.
JOYCE
And who exactly is she?
He does not answer.
INT. BLOODBANK – AFTERNOON (DAY)
A largish, dingy room. There are dentist chairs in a row at the back — a couple of people are giving
blood in them. A counter with phone, filing cabinet, etc. near the door. A worker, JOAN, late thirties,
attends to one of the DONORS.
Buffy and Lily enter, looking about.
LILY
We gave blood a lot of times
’cause you get a few bucks
and they have cookies.
BUFFY
You’re a fan of the sugar rush, aren’t you.
LILY
It’s nice.
JOAN
(crossing to them)
Hi. Are you here to donate blood?
BUFFY
Oh, no. I mean, I can’t. Needles.
They make me woozy. Which is
weird, ’cause I don’t have a problem
with battle axes, but needles . . .
(recovers herself)
We’re looking for a friend.
LILY
Rickie T? We come in sometimes . . .
JOAN
Rickie, sure. He’s not here . . .
BUFFY
Has he been in, do you know?
In the last day or so?
JOAN
Let me check the sheet.
She goes off a bit to do so.
BUFFY
This’ll probably go faster if we split up.
LILY
Can I come with you?
BUFFY
Okay, when did I lose you
on the whole splitting up thing?
LILY
Sorry.
BUFFY
We can both check out some
of your hangouts and meet later.
At my place.
LILY
Okay.
JOAN
(returning)
Sorry, guys. He hasn’t been here.
BUFFY
Thanks.
JOAN
I’ll tell him you were looking . . .
The girls go, Buffy handing Lily a key.
BUFFY
This is for the downstairs . . .
Joan watches them, the smile draining from her face.
INT. CONDEMNED BUILDING – NIGHT
Buffy enters the building slowly, looking around. It’s a grimy, torn up place. Alien to her. No lights —
just moonlight through the broken or boarded up windows.
She makes her way from one room to the next — stepping over a few SLEEPING PEOPLE, looking to
make sure none is Rickie. None is, and she continues through the darkness.
A figure suddenly moves at here — an OLD WINO, who glares at her. She moves on.
INT. ANOTHER ROOM – A BIT LATER (NIGHT)
She makes her way through a hole in the wall. Moves forward, then stops.
ANGLE: THE OLD MAN
Who walked in front of the pick up. He lies very dead in the corner. An open bottle of drain cleaner
beside him.
BUFFY
Oh, god . . .
She moves to his side, grabbing his wrist to take his pulse. None.
She stops, his wrist still in her hands. Stares down at his arm.
ANGLE: HIS ARM
Bears a tattoo. Half a heart, with the name LILY in the middle.
BUFFY
Rickie . . .
BLACKOUT
END OF ACT TWO
Act Three
INT. BUFFY’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Lily is sitting on the bed, rises as Buffy enters.
LILY
Did you find Rickie?
Buffy takes off her coat.
LILY
I thought of, he likes to go to this
movie house, you can get in the back —
BUFFY
Lily, I think . . . that he’s dead.
Lily takes this in, eyes brimming.
LILY
But . . . he takes care of me . . .
BUFFY
I’m sorry . . .
LILY
We’re gonna get a place, his cousin
could get him a job at the car wash . . .
BUFFY
Lily. Something’s happening.
The person I found was old,
he looked about eighty —
LILY
Well, that’s not Rickie —
BUFFY
I’m sure it was. Lily, something
drained the life out of him. Made
him old. I don’t know how, but . . .
there could be something out there.
LILY
Do you mean, like a vampire?
BUFFY
(thinking it through)
They wouldn’t accelerate the aging process,
but maybe . . . maybe something in his blood . . .
When was the last time you guys gave
blood together?
LILY
I don’t understand . . . maybe it’s not Rickie, okay?
BUFFY
Lily. You have to deal with this.
LILY
But he didn’t do anything wrong, why would —
BUFFY
That’s not the point. These things happen,
you can’t close your eyes and hope they’ll go away.
LILY
Is it ’cause of you?
BUFFY
What?
LILY
You know about . . . monsters and stuff,
you could have brought this with you . . .
BUFFY
(snapping)
I didn’t bring anything with me!
And I didn’t ask for you to come
to me with your problems. I just
wanted to be left alone. If you
can’t deal with what’s happening,
don’t lay it off on me —
Lily rises, she really CAN’T deal, she’s out the door.
BUFFY
Lily —
But she makes no move to stop her. Stands in the middle of the room, fuming. After a moment her
anger deflates. She looks to the door — what should she do?
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Lily is crying, moving down the street. A figure approaches from the darkness. It’s Ken.
KEN
Are you okay?
She just shakes her head.
KEN
Hey, it’s okay. Maybe I can help.
LILY
You can’t.
KEN
I know you all think I’m a big square,
handing out leaflets about hope. But
hope is a real thing, just like despair.
Hope can fill up the part of you that’s missing.
LILY
But . . . Rickie . . .
KEN
Rickie? Say, are you Lily?
Right, he was talking about you.
LILY
You’ve seen Rickie?
KEN
Well, sure. Rickie’s with us now.
LILY
She said he was dead . . .
KEN
Well, someone sure handed you a tall tale.
Rickie’s no more dead than I am. Why
don’t you come to Family Home. And
we’ll get you taken care of.
LILY
Okay.
He is all gentle smiles as he leads her away.
INT. BLOODBANK – NIGHT
The door is forced open by Buffy, who enters into darkness. JUMP CUT to her snooping about, looking
over the chairs. JUMP CUT to her behind the counter, looking through files by the light of a lighter.
She riffles through several, finds:
ANGLE: RICKIE’S FILE
A glance down it finds a great deal of information:
ADDRESS: NONE
FAMILY: NONE
AILMENTS OR PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS: NONE
And at the bottom, a box marked COMMENTS with one word hand written in it:
CANDIDATE
BUFFY
Candidate for what?
The lights go on and Joan steps out from the back of the office. She eyes Buffy warily. Buffy looks at
her.
JOAN
What are you doing?
BUFFY
(looking at the file)
Breaking into your office and looking
through your private files. Candidate for what?
JOAN
I’m calling the police.
Joan moves forward — Buffy doesn’t even look as she pulls the phone jack out of the wall. She looks
over several files.
BUFFY
You’ve got a whole bunch of candidates here.
I wonder if any of these kids are missing like
Rickie. Gosh I’ll bet they are.
JOAN
You’re gonna get yourself in a lot of trouble.
Buffy puts the files down, faces Joan.
BUFFY
I don’t want any trouble. I just want
to be alone and quiet, you know, with
a chair, and a fireplace, and a tea cozy.
I’m not even sure what a tea cozy is,
but I want one. Instead, I get trouble.
Which I am willing to share. What
are you doing to these kids?
JOAN
Nothing! I just . . . give him names.
He likes to know who . . . I give him
the names of the healthy ones.
BUFFY
(steely eyed)
Give them to who?
(beat)
Or, wait — give them to whom?
Or maybe it’s who . . .
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. FAMILY HOME MEETING ROOM – NIGHT
A small, bare living room with a couch and a few hard backed chairs in a circle. The front door leads
out into the city, but the windows are curtained off.
We are on Ken as he speaks to Lily.
KEN
Well, don’t you look nice.
She is wearing a plain shift of a dress, and is a little uncomfortable in it.
LILY
I guess . . .
KEN
Well you don’t want to wear your
own outfit for the cleansing.
It’ll get soaked.
He leads her toward a door in the back.
LILY
A cleansing is like a baptism, right?
KEN
Not quite the same.
LILY
And will I see Rickie after?
KEN
Of course. He’s waiting for you.
He’s very excited.
EXT. HAMMERSMITH PARK – NIGHT
The trio is leading Cordelia into the park. She is less than enthused.
CORDELIA
Why do I have to be bait?
I’m always bait! Let Willow be bait.
XANDER
He’s already seen Willow.
And could you complain louder,
so that all the vampires leave?
OZ
I think this is a good spot.
Is everybody packing?
Xander and Willow show their weapons.
OZ
Let’s do it.
The three all move to separate hiding spots behind trees or bushes. Cordelia spins, at a loss, then
follows Xander. She starts arguing again, at a whisper.
CORDELIA
I only offered to help for Buffy’s sake.
It had nothing to do with you.
XANDER
Yeah, like I needed that cleared up.
Go away. This is my hiding spot.
CORDELIA
Well, where do I hide?
XANDER
You don’t hide! You’re bait!
Go act baity.
CORDELIA
What’s the plan?
XANDER
The vampire attacks you.
CORDELIA
And then what?
XANDER
The vampire kills you.
We watch. We rejoice.
ANGLE: WILLOW
Is rolling her eyes at this clearly audible exchange.
CORDELIA (O.S.)
Everything’s a joke to you.
XANDER (O.S.)
No, just our relationship.
CORDELIA (O.S.)
What relationship?
XANDER (O.S.)
Oh, sorry, we want to bury that
piece of the past, don’t we . . .
As it continues, Andrew drifts out of the darkness behind Willow. Hungry.
INT. CLEANSING CHAMBER – NIGHT
It’s a small room with a couple of steps leading down to a stone floor. It is somewhat dark, religious
in feel but not overtly creepy. In the center of the floor is what looks like a really tiny lap pool — a
rectangle of maybe four by eight feet filled with black, murky liquid.
Ken leads Lily to the edge of the pool.
KEN
We come to this station to wash away
the past. Go ahead and kneel. We let
the water run over the sin, and the pain,
and the uncertainty.
LILY
It looks kind of dirty . . .
Ken just smiles. He kneels to her side, waiting.
Lily reaches for the water, to splash it on her face.
INT. FAMILY HOME MEETING ROOM – NIGHT
Buffy is talking her way in, to a FAMILY HOME MEMBER. He is as large and thuggish as the one next
to him, or she probably wouldn’t be talking at all.
BUFFY
You know, I just looked in the
mirror and thought, hey! What’s
with all the sin? I need to change.
I’m dirty, I’m bad . . . with the sex,
and the . . . envy, and that loud music
we kids listen to nowadays . . .
It’s possible they’re not buying this.
BUFFY
I just suck at undercover.
Where’s Ken?
One of them starts to close the door — and Buffy shoves it wide open, sending him tumbling.
INT. CLEANSING CHAMBER – NIGHT
Lily reaches into the water, her hands gliding in, disappearing up to the elbow.
Buffy throws the door open. Ken moves between her and Lily.
KEN
This is a private moment,
if you could just —
BUFFY
How do you make ’em old, Ken?
You feed on youth, what’s the deal?
Ken drops his facade as easily as Buffy dropped hers.
KEN
Do you really want to know?
LILY
What’s going on?
BUFFY
Lily?
Lily’s hand still trails in the water — and she is suddenly yanked in — screaming as she disappears
below the surface.
Buffy runs to her, but Ken blocks the way. Buffy tries to throw him, but he is strong, locking her arms
in his grip. After a moment of struggle, Buffy just throws all her weight into him and they both fall,
wrapped like lovers, into the liquid as well.
INT. DIMENSIONAL PORTAL CHAMBER – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
Buffy and Ken come out the other side. That is, they fall out of an identical pool that happens to be
on the ceiling of this small stone chamber. They hit the ground hard — but dry –, roll and separate.
Buffy looks around.
BUFFY
Lily?
Lily is on the ground nearby, groggy. She groans and stirs. Buffy looks up.
ANGLE: THE POOL
Sits placidly above her with Escheresque improbability.
KEN
My face . . . Ow, my face . . .
He has his back to us, clutches his head. Fury mounts in his voice as his rises —
KEN
Do you have any idea how hard
it is to glue that thing on?
— and spins, revealing his human face hanging limply in his hands. The demon face beneath is
glistening and scarred. Just yucky. Plus the guy is seething with anger, staring at Buffy hatefully.
KEN
Guards!
FIGURES start running toward them from the shadows — blocking access to the portal. A cursory
glance reveals their faces to be about as attractive as Ken’s.
Still not completely on top of what’s going on, Buffy nonetheless takes action. She scrambles toward
Lily, helping her up —
BUFFY
Lily! Come on!
— and heading her down a corridor.
Ken grabs a nasty looking cudgel off one of the guards, heads after the girls, but more slowly.
INT. CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
Buffy drags Lily along the corridor.
BUFFY
We got to find another exit,
there’s gotta be . . .
Yeah, she stops talking, as the corridor ends at a sheer ledge, looking down at:
INT. MAIN CHAMBER – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
It’s enormous. And it’s Hell. Part factory, part prison camp, with more than a little Spanish Inquisition
thrown in. HUMAN PRISONERS work at hauling enormous stones, doing metal work, any and all
demeaning and backbreaking labour. Along the tops of the huge concrete pillars, people have been
hung up to die for crimes of one kind or another. Molten metal runs along gutters into metal vats.
Everything is covered with a layer of grime. Carey and David K blow their entire budgets for the year,
and Gareth can be seen in the corner weeping.
The people all wear the same kind of nondescript outfit that Lily has been put into, only dirtier. They
are practically zombies, submissive and silent. Guards — demons all — patrol around, occasionally
stopping to beat a prisoner. Their garb has a flavor of the medieval mixed in with the SS. It’s all bad.
Searchlights at either end constantly sweep the place.
Buffy stops, taking it all in. Ken steps up behind her, in control, since she has nowhere to run.
KEN
Welcome to my world.
I hope you like it.
Buffy turns, confusion and horror on her face.
KEN
You’re never leaving.
He smashes the cudgel across her face and we —
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
Act Four
EXT. HAMMERSMITH PARK – NIGHT
Xander and Cordy are still going at it.
XANDER
Let me just ask you one thing.
How long did it take you to
forget me? Were you still
taxiing on the runway, or
was it actually in the cab?
CORDELIA
Oh, yeah, like you were Mr. Faithful.
Probably met some hot little inca mummy
girl — yeah, I heard about her —
Xander motions for her to be quiet. There is a rustling sound from nearby. Twigs snapping, a fall.
WILLOW (O.S.)
HELP!
They bolt for Willow’s hiding space — but Oz zips by them, already up to speed.
ANGLE: WILLOW
Is struggling with Andrew. Oz tackles him, but Andrew is back on his feet in a second, takes off.
He runs into Xander and takes him to the ground.
CORDELIA
Xander!
She leaps on Andrew’s back, pulling at him as Xander shoves his stake through Andrew’s heart.
Andrew explodes into dust, which drops Cordy right on top of Xander. Without hesitation, they
commence kissing.
INT. CELL – LATER (NIGHT)
Buffy more or less wakens. She sees Lily sitting with her back to the wall, terror on her face.
The Cell is dark, with a stone floor and a latticed iron grill at one wall. The girls share the cell with
two others — a SIXTYSOMETHING MAN who is entirely beyond speech or reason, and a DECAYING
CORPSE.
BUFFY
Lily . . . ?
Just the effort of speaking makes Buffy’s head hurt even more. She tries to sit up, takes it slow.
LILY
I always knew I would come here . . .
sooner or later . . . I knew I belonged here . . .
BUFFY
Where?
LILY
(looking at Buffy)
Hell.
BUFFY
This . . . isn’t Hell . . .
KEN
Isn’t it?
He paces just behind the bars, grinning at the girls as he speaks.
KEN
What is Hell, but the total absence of Hope?
The substance, the tactile proof of despair?
You’re right, Lily. This is where you’ve
been heading all your life. You come
from nothing, to become nothing.
BUFFY
Don’t listen to him . . .
But Lily is rapt, and Buffy is too weak and bewildered to present much of a counter argument.
KEN
Just like Rickie.
LILY
Rickie . . .
KEN
He forgot you. It took a long time –
he remembered your name years after
he’d forgotten his own. But in the end . . .
LILY
Years? But . . .
KEN
Time here moves more quickly
than in your dimension. A hundred
long years will pass here — on Earth, just a day.
BUFFY
So you work us till we’re too old,
then spit us back out.
KEN
Very good.
(to Lily)
You see, Lily, you’ll die of old age
before anyone wonders where you
went. Not that anyone will. That’s
why we chose you.
BUFFY
You didn’t choose me.
KEN
No, but I know you, “Anne”. So afraid,
so pathetically determined to run away
from whatever you used to be. To disappear.
Congratulations. You got your wish.
Buffy glares at him, hating him, hating the truth of his words.
INT. CHAMBER – LATER (NIGHT)
It’s a dark room with old, iron metalwork and machines lining the walls.
Buffy is thrown to the ground by a couple of DEMON GUARDS as a third addresses a cluster of SEVEN
PRISONERS, including Lily and Buffy.
Buffy stands, still shaky.
DEMON GUARD
You work, and you live. That is all.
You do not complain, or laugh, or do
anything besides work. Whatever you
thought, whatever you were, does not
matter. You are no one now, you mean nothing.
He approaches the first prisoner, a boy of eighteen.
DEMON GUARD
Who are you?
FIRST PRISONER
(terrified)
Aaron . . .
The guard swings his club with deadly speed and smashes the boy to the ground.
Buffy shakes off the last of her grogginess. Gets that look.
The guard moves to the second prisoner. Lily.
DEMON GUARD
Who are you?
LILY
No one.
The demon guard smiles, moves on.
DEMON GUARD
Who are you?
THIRD PRISONER
No one.
DEMON GUARD
Who are you?
FOURTH PRISONER
No one.
DEMON GUARD
Who are you?
BUFFY
I’m Buffy. The vampire slayer.
And you are . . . ?
The Demon guard swings his club. Buffy steps in, grabs his arm, breaks it at the elbow, grabs the
club and continues its arc to hit the demon right in the chin. He flies back, unconscious.
The other two guards rush her. The first she bludgeons without looking at him as the second gets a
heel to the face followed by knuckles to the throat.
It’s all over in a matter of seconds. Everyone looks at her, stunned.
She turns to the others.
BUFFY
Anyone who’s not having
fun here, follow me.
She heads out of the area, club in hand. A moment, and the others follow.
INT. MAIN CHAMBER – MOMENTS LATER (NIGHT)
Buffy and the others arrive at the lower corner, stick to the shadows. The look up to see:
ANGLE: THEIR POV
Across the chamber and all the way up is the ledge they’d been standing on before. TWO GUARDS
stand at it, looking down.
BUFFY
There’s no way we can get there
without meeting new people.
Okay, Lily, when those guards
leave, and they will, you take
these guys and get up there.
Fast and quiet. Anybody else
wants to come along, fine, but
you don’t stop for anything. Clear?
LILY
You’re leaving me? But . . .
BUFFY
Lily. You can handle this.
‘Cause I say so.
They hear voices, see the shadows of guards approaching at a run down the corridor.
BUFFY
Ooh, we’ve gone public.
Get them out. Go!
Lily starts out, then comes back.
LILY
I’m sorry I said this was your fault before.
BUFFY
This can wait!
LILY
Well — in case we die —
BUFFY
GO!
Lily takes off with the group. The guards appear and Buffy runs into the main chamber with them on
her heels.
BUFFY
Not yet, not yet . . .
She reaches the middle of the chamber —
BUFFY
Here’s good.
Never slowing, she grabs a standing pole and swings around it to plant her feet in the first guard’s
face. She drops and takes out the other one just as quickly, arming herself with a new cudgel and a
twisted blade.
ANGLE: GUARDS
Turn as siren sounds. They look about them to see what the trouble is.
CRANE DOWN ON: BUFFY
Looking sweaty and cool as searchlights sweep across her face. She’s waiting for the fun.
“The fun” comes in the form of, say, FOUR DEMON GUARDS rushing her. The first gets a hammer in
the face, as Buffy spins and hurls her blade in Braveheartian fashion into the chest of the second.
The rest of the fun will depend on the dictates of the location, the time at hand, and a certain
amount of input from one of the 100 most creative people in Hollywood. (Not Seth, the other one).
Anyway, it’s mean, it’s violent, it’s good family viewing.
ANGLE: LILY AND THE GROUP
As they use Buffy’s fight to make their move. They are progressing through the shadows when a
demon guard comes upon them, taking out one with his cudgel. Lily and the rest keep going.
ANGLE: KEN
A guard beside him, he looks out at the fight, rage filling him.
KEN
Humans don’t fight back.
Humans don’t fight back!
THAT’S HOW THIS WORKS!!
ANGLE: BUFFY
Proving him wrong.
KEN
(to the guard)
Get down there!
The guard dispatches himself Buffyward. Ken watches her a moment, then stops, thinking. Takes off
in another direction.
ANGLE: A COUPLE OF PRISONERS
Drift from their posts as their guards are occupied.
ANGLE: BUFFY
She moves to a new place, a couple of guards following, a couple peeling off as they see prisoners
leaving.
Buffy spars. She looks up as
ANGLE: A DEMON
dives at her from above, arms out, roaring with anger.
Buffy takes one step backward and the demon passes right through frame, landing with a resolute
THUD.
BUFFY
Demons: not that bright.
INT. SOME HALLWAY – NIGHT
As Lily leads the prisoners up toward the exit. She turns a corner and Ken grabs her, holds a wicked
looking knife to her throat.
Without a word, he drags her off.
INT. MAIN CHAMBER – NIGHT
Buffy is getting worn down a bit when she hears:
KEN
One of you fights . . . and you all die!
She and the guards look up to see:
ANGLE: ON THE LEDGE BUFFY FIRST CAME OUT ON
Ken holds the blade to Lily.
Buffy stops. A couple of guards grab her.
Ken shoves Lily roughly aside, focussed on Buffy. He points the knife at her, furious but calm.
KEN
That . . . was not permitted.
BUFFY
Yeah, but it was fun . . .
KEN
You’ve got guts. I think I’d like to
split you open and play with them.
(to the assembled)
Let everyone know, this is the price of rebell —
Lily meekly shoves him off the ledge.
KEN
–llioOOAAAHHHHGHSCHRRGH!!
He falls a long way and splats. Buffy laughs with surprise.
She knocks out the two guards holding her and heads on up. (This may involve a spectacular stunt
where she grabs a chain that’s going up and swings and dives and all kinds of excitement. Or it may
involve stairs.)
She disappears from the chamber.
INT. DIMENSIONAL PORTAL CHAMBER – CONTINUOUS – NIGHT
There is a portcullis of sorts cutting off access to the mystical upside-down lap pool of freedom.
About six people are gathered in front of it. Buffy and Lily join them.
LILY
They’ll be coming.
BUFFY
Hold on . . .
She squats down, back to the gate, and grabs hold of it. Starts straining to lift it. It’s hard, but she
starts succeeding.
BUFFY
Okay . . . this works the quads,
and also the glutials . . .
As soon as there is room, people start sliding under and heading for the gate.
ANGLE: THE PORTAL
As people hoist each other through. Lily is the last to go through, as Buffy lifts it high enough to let
herself under as well.
BUFFY
Man, I’m gonna feel this for —
Ken slams into her, his face a mask of blood-soaked rage. Buffy goes flying as the portcullis slams
down impaling Ken’s legs.
He ends up on his knees, looking at Buffy who picks up a cudgel and approaches him, a cold smile on
her lips.
KEN
You . . . ruined . . . you . . .
BUFFY
Hey Ken. Wanna see my
impression of Gandhi?
Ken looks blearily at her. She swings the club down on his head with horrible force. We hear a wet
sound that comes from inside his head.
Lily comes up to her, wide eyes on the corpse of Ken.
LILY
(weakly)
Gandhi?
BUFFY
Well, you know . . .
if he was really pissed off.
INT. CLEANSING CHAMBER – A FEW MOMENTS LATER (NIGHT)
Lily is out, helping Buffy out as well. Most of the others have left or are leaving. Lily looks back at the
pool.
LILY
What do we do about —
ANGLE: THE POOL
As it flashes, the liquid disappearing, replaced by solid stone.
Buffy kneels by it, touches it.
BUFFY
It’s closed. It’s gone.
A moment more, and she stands, still looking down at the stone.
INT. BUFFY’S APARTMENT – MORNING (DAY)
Buffy is showing Lily around the place.
BUFFY
Let me give you the tour.
They turn to the right.
BUFFY
This concludes our tour.
LILY
It’s really nice.
BUFFY
The bathroom works a good part
of the time. Don’t bother to flip
the mattress ’cause it doesn’t get any better.
LILY
I never had a place, you know,
that I wasn’t sharing.
BUFFY
Well, it’s paid up through
the next three weeks.
She pulls her waitress outfit out of the closet, throws it on the bed.
BUFFY
I talked to Mitch at the diner and
he said you could start on Thursday.
He’s kind of, well, repulsive . . . but
he won’t give you a hard time. I’ll
be checking up on you, see how
you’re doing.
Lily sits on the bed, picks up the outfit. Pensive, a little worried.
LILY
I’m not great at taking care of myself.
BUFFY
It gets easier. Takes practice.
Lily’s eyes light up a bit.
LILY
Hey . . .
She hold’s up Buffy’s name tag . . .
LILY
Can I be Anne?
Buffy smiles at her. Lily looks at the dress.
LILY
I don’t think I’ll fit in this.
BUFFY
You could wear it as a hat . . .
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – AFTERNOON (DAY)
Joyce is in the kitchen, putting away some freshly washed pots in a low drawer. The doorbell rings.
She pops up, anxious, then catches herself. Shakes her head.
She walks toward the door, wiping her hands with a dishtowel. Something makes her pause, some
instinct. She tosses the towel on the table, moves more slowly to the foyer. To the door.
Hand on the knob. Door swinging open. A beat.
She folds her daughter into her arms, and neither of them moves.
BLACK OUT.
THE END
Transcripts
Prologue
The Sunnydale cemetery at night. The camera fades in on a gravestone–
Andrew Hoelich, 1981-1998–and slowly pans down to the ground in front of it. A bouquet
of fresh flowers is there. A hand comes out of the freshly filled grave
and claws for solid ground. Slowly Andrew pulls himself out of his
grave, now a newly made vampire. He growls when his head clears the
earth, and continues to climb out on his stomach. He crawls along the
ground, pulling out his legs as the camera pulls back, and stops when he
sees a pair of wide-spread legs standing before him. He looks up to see
who it is.
Willow: That’s right, Big Boy.
Cut to Willow.
Willow: (smiles mischievously) Come and get it.
Andrew suddenly hops to his feet and roars at her. Taken aback by this,
Willow takes a few quick steps backward. The vampire takes two steps
toward her. Xander grabs him by the collar of his suit and pulls him
back away from Willow. Andrew loses his balance in the process.
Xander: I got him! Go!
Oz jumps out from behind a bush and starts to run toward them, but then
hesitates a moment to get a stake from his jacket pocket.
Xander: Any time now . . .
Andrew has regained his balance, and using Xander’s grip to stabilize
himself, kicks up with both legs and does a double pike snapping kick to
Oz’s face. Oz stumbles backward and falls. Without pausing, Andrew leaps
up again and does a back tuck over Xander’s head. Xander tries to rush
him, but Andrew uses his momentum to deflect him into Willow. They both
go crashing to the ground. Willow moans, but quickly sits up to watch
Andrew run away.
Willow: He’s getting away! And . . . ow.
Oz scrambles to his feet and picks up his stake. He watches the demon
running and holds his stake by the tip, preparing to throw it like a
knife. Andrew leaps over a rock and continues running. Oz throws the
stake. It whistles through the air as it flies end over end, and hits
a gravestone, bouncing off of it with a loud thunk and flying wild.
Oz: (shaking his head) That really never works.
Willow and Xander get up, and Oz turns to them.
Oz: Are you guys all right?
Xander: First of all, what was with the acrobatics? How did that
happen?
Oz: (looking in the direction that Andrew went) Wasn’t Andy Hoelich on
the gymnastics team?
Xander: (gestures with his arm) That’s right, he was! (shouting after
Andrew) Cheater!
Oz gives Xander a brief look and then stares into the distance again
looking for Andrew.
Xander: (to Willow) Okay, and the, uh, second problem I’m having . . .
‘Come and get it, Big Boy’?
Willow: Well . . . (stammering) W-well, the Slayer always says a pun or-or
a witty play on words, and I think it throws the vampires off, and, and
it makes them frightened because I’m wisecracking. Okay, I didn’t
really have a chance to work on that one, but you try it every time.
Oz: Uh, if I may suggest: ‘This time it’s personal.’ I mean, there’s a
reason why it’s a classic.
Xander: (steps away) I’ve always been amazed with how Buffy fought,
but . . . (picks up his bag) in a way, I feel like we took her punning for
granted. (steps back)
Willow: (gives Xander a scolding look) Xander, past tense rule.
Xander: Oh, sorry. I just meant we in the past took it for granted and,
uh . . . we won’t when she gets back.
Willow: Do you think Buffy knows school’s starting tomorrow?
Oz: Tomorrow. (Willow looks at him) Right. Big day.
Willow: (goes to Oz) Oh, I’m gonna be busy a lot. But, but only till
3:00, and that’s when you usually get up.
Xander: I can’t wait to see Cordelia. (pauses) I can’t believe I can’t
wait to see Cordelia.
Willow: (smiling) I wonder what our first homework assignment’s gonna
be.
Xander puts his hands on his hips and gives her a look.
Willow: Hey, you’re excited over Cordelia, okay? We’ve all got issues.
Oz: I guess we should pack it in.
Xander: Yeah.
They all start to walk away from Andrew’s grave.
Willow: Wouldn’t it be great if Buffy just showed up tomorrow? Like
nothing happened?
Xander: She can’t just show up, she got kicked out.
Willow: Well, yeah, I-I know. I just wish . . . I wish we knew where she
was.
Cut to a Los Angeles beach. A wave crashes on the sand. In the far
distance a pier stretches out into the water. Buffy steps into view,
walking barefoot across the sand. She stops and looks out over the
ocean. She closes her eyes and raises her head to just feel the sun on
her face and listen to the waves come in. The camera pans down from her
face to her waist. A pair of hands reach around her and clasp in front,
and she covers them with hers. The camera pans back up to her face. She
looks back at Angel leaning his head over her shoulder. She reaches up
with her hand and brushes it against his cheek.
Buffy: How did you find me here?
Angel: If I was blind, I would see you.
She lowers her hand to take his again at her waist and closes her eyes.
She embraces his arms tightly to her.
Buffy: Stay with me.
Angel: Forever. That’s the whole point. I’ll never leave. (whispering
into her ear) Not even if you kill me.
Buffy’s expression turns from contented to dismayed.
Cut to Buffy’s tiny apartment in a run-down downtown Los Angeles
neighborhood. She wakes from her dream and looks around sadly. Slowly
she gets up and goes over to the window overlooking the street below.
The camera pans away from the window, past the sidewalk and into the
street. A police siren gets louder as it nears, and an instant later an
LAPD squad car races across the intersection at the end of the block
against the red light.
Opening credits roll. Buffy’s theme plays.~~ Part 1 ~~
Behind the counter at a small, sleazy diner named Helen’s Kitchen.
The cook puts two burgers with fries up on the pick-up counter. A
waitress walks past the counter to hang an order on the spinner. Buffy
walks behind her to pick up the two burgers. She has her hair in two
short braids to keep it out of the way. Her expression emotes a
combination of sadness and boredom. She takes the two plates, walks them
over to a nearby table and sets them down in front of two roughneck
types. They both eye her lecherously. Buffy takes out her order pad.
Buffy: Anything else?
Roughneck: That’ll do us, Peaches.
She tears off their bill and puts it on the table.
Buffy: Pay at the counter.
Roughneck: Sure you don’t want me to work it off for you?
The other roughneck laughs at that. Buffy walks away, and as she goes he
reaches out with his hand and slaps her on the behind. Buffy stops in
her tracks. The two men just chuckle. She turns her head slightly, but
thinks better of doing anything about it. She walks up to another table
where a young couple is sitting. They are too into each other to notice
Buffy.
Buffy: You guys ready?
Rickie: (still looking at his girl) Yeah. I think we’re good. Um . . .
(looks at Buffy’s name tag) ‘Anne’.
Buffy glances at them briefly, then looks down at her pad to take their
order.
Buffy: What’ll you have?
Rickie reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handful of change.
Rickie: Well, okay . . . What can we get with this?
He dumps the change onto the table. It’s mostly pennies, a few nickels
and dimes, no quarters.
Buffy: Um . . .
Lily: (to Rickie) Can we get cake?
Rickie: (to Lily) Don’t be stupid. We gotta eat healthy. We can’t have
cake. (to Buffy) Can we get pie?
Buffy: We’ve got a peach pie. (writes the order) I can’t guarantee
there’s a peach in it.
Lily: (to Rickie) We shouldn’t have blown all our money.
Rickie: (to Lily) Come on, it was worth it.
Lily smiles. Rickie looks up at Buffy as the two of them hold out their
forearms.
Rickie: Hey, check this out.
Buffy looks at their arms as they hold them out together and sees they
each have a tattoo of half of a heart with a ribbon across it. On their
respective halves of the ribbon they have the other’s name tattooed.
Buffy: It’s nice. It’s nice and, uh, permanent. (smiles weakly)
Rickie: (looking at Lily) Yeah, forever. (puts his arm around Lily) I
mean, that’s the whole point.
Lily looks at him and smiles. Buffy looks down sadly. A moment later she
looks up at Lily, and there’s a spark of recognition in her face. Lily
looks up at Buffy and thinks she also recognizes her.
Lily: Hey, do I know you?
Buffy: (looks away) I don’t think so.
Lily: (looks harder) Really? Where’re you from?
Buffy: (avoids the issue) I’ll get your pie.
Lily watches as Buffy goes to the cash register. Rickie distracts her,
and they are in their own little world again. At the register Buffy puts
down the order. The other waitress looks at her.
Buffy: I’m not feeling great. (unties her apron) Do you think you can
cover for me?
Waitress: Sure. (looks at the order) Okay.
Buffy gives Rickie and Lily one last look and goes out of the diner.
Cut to the Sunnydale High School library. Students are busy looking for
books they will need during the semester. Willow and Giles walk out of
the stacks on the mezzanine level. Willow has several books in her arms.
Giles: So, no joy at the cemetery?
They come down the stairs.
Willow: No, he got away. We still have some glitches in the system,
like . . . vampires getting away. But I think we’re improving. (smiles)
They split up as Giles heads through the door to go behind the check-out
counter.
Giles: For God’s sake be careful. (they meet at the counter) I mean,
uh, I appreciate your efforts to keep the vampire population down until
Buffy returns, but, uh . . . Well, if anything should happen to you and . . .
you should be killed, I should take it somewhat amiss.
Giles scans Willow’s books to check them out.
Willow: You’d be cranky?
Giles: Entirely.
Willow: Well, we try not to get killed. (the phone in Giles’ office
rings) That’s part of our whole mission statement. ‘Don’t get killed.’
She takes the books and stacks them together again.
Giles: Good, good. (taps on one of her books) I think you’re going to love
that one. (goes to get the phone)
Willow picks the books up and starts out of the library. Before she can
take more than a few steps, Cordelia comes up to her.
Willow: Hi!
Cordelia: Hey, Willow. (puts her bag on the counter)
Willow: How was your summer?
Cordelia: Oh, I can’t believe you brought that up. Las Palmas was the
nightmare resort. They order you around and make you have organized
(makes quotes with her fingers) ‘fun’, and I used sarcastic quote marks.
(takes her bag and starts out) Plus the fact there are cockroaches in
Mexico big enough to own property. It was all about dread. How was your
summer?
Willow: Oh, it was okay.
They walk through the library doors and into the hall.
Cordelia: Is Xander around?
Willow: Well, uh, yeah. Somewhere.
They stop in the hall.
Cordelia: Good. Great. I haven’t seen him yet. (pulls her hair behind
her ears) Do I look okay?
Willow: Oh, yeah! (nods and smiles)
Cordelia: (worried) How’s my hair?
Willow: Uh, it’s good! (smiles)
Cordelia: He didn’t meet anybody over the summer, did he? No, who’s he
gonna meet in Sunnydale, but monsters and stuff? But then again he’s
always been attracted to monsters. (worried) How’s my hair?
Willow: Still good.
She turns to leave and sees Oz.
Willow: (smiles hugely) Hi!
Cordelia grabs her arm and turns her around to look at her.
Cordelia: Maybe he’s forgotten me. (lets go) Well, I’ll just have to
make him remember. (smiles) See ya. (walks off)
Willow: (turns back to Oz) You came to visit me. (sees his books) You
came with books? Are they books for me?
Oz: Well, actually, they’re kind of for me.
Willow: I don’t get it.
Oz: Well, it’s sort of a funny story. (they walk) You remember when I
didn’t graduate?
Willow: Well, I know you had a lot of incompletes, but that’s what
summer school was for.
Oz: Yeah. Well, you remember when I didn’t go?
Two students run past them, and the camera follows them down the hall
past a teacher.
Teacher: Whoa. Slow down, people. (they stop running) Summer is over.
Be somber.
Willow and Oz walk by as the teacher goes back into his classroom.
Willow: But you never said anything. How am I supposed to react to this
rather alarming news?
Oz: Well, actually, I was pretty much banking on you finding it cute.
Willow: Well, traditionally, you know, repeating a grade isn’t exactly
a turn-on. (they stop by the lounge) A-and you’re practically a genius.
You’re Mr. Test Scores. I-it’s all a little weird.
Oz: So the cute thing is out?
Xander rushes up to them.
Xander: Have you guys seen Cordelia?
Willow: Yeah. She’s around here somewhere.
Xander: I don’t want to come on too geeky, but, uh, okay, I’m psyched!
(flashes a big grin) There’s gonna be some heat, if you know what I
mean, so you guys might want to duck and cover. (Willow sighs) And I’m
starting to be geeky. (grins again) Okay, bye. (he goes, but comes right
back) How’s my–
Willow: (interrupts) Your hair is fine.
Xander: (big grin) Cool. (darts away)
Larry and another jock walk behind Willow and Oz, and the camera follows
them into the lounge.
Larry: This is our year, I’m telling you. Best football season ever.
I’m so in shape, I’m a rock. (they stop by the vending machines) It’s
all about egg whites. If we can focus, keep discipline, and not have
quite as many mysterious deaths, Sunnydale is gonna rule!
Willow and Oz walk into the lounge on the other side of the tables.
Willow: I’m trying to get to cute, really. But I’m still sorta stuck on
‘strange’.
Oz: Well, I’d be willing to bargain down to ‘eccentric’ with an option
on ‘cool’.
They walk past the raised area where the couches are. Behind them Xander
and Cordelia finally meet. The camera closes in on them.
Xander: Hey!
Cordelia: Hey.
Xander: Good summer?
Cordelia: It was all right.
Xander: Cool!
Cordelia: (sounding disappointed) Yeah.
They stand around looking uncertain for a moment.
Xander: Well, I’ll see ya.
Cordelia: Yeah, whatever.
He turns and goes down the steps. Cordelia walks the other way toward
the hall.
Cut to Buffy’s apartment. She’s sitting calmly on the edge of her bed in
her nightshirt, holding a can of Spaghetti-O’s in her lap. The camera
pans up from the can to her face. She just stares blankly into the room,
breathing calmly.
Cut to the street in front of Helen’s Kitchen. Buffy walks along the
street. A homeless man is sitting on the curb. Ken, the local shelter
operator, approaches the man and crouches down beside him, holding out
one of his leaflets.
Ken: Hey, how are you? Can I talk to you for a moment? I have something
you might be interested in.
Buffy continues walking and passes a store with a recessed entryway. A
homeless woman is cowering there.
Homeless woman: I’m no one.
Buffy looks at the woman.
Homeless woman: I’m no one.
Buffy looks away and hides her face from the woman by pulling her hair
behind her ear. Her expression becomes very sad.
Homeless woman: I’m no one.
Cut to the library. Giles is on the phone in his office.
Giles: Yes? Thank you, thank you.
He hangs up, puts the phone down, grabs his coat and quickly comes out
of the office.
Giles: I have a lead.
Willow and Xander look up from doing their homework at the table.
Giles: A friend in Oakland has a-a-a sketchy report of a . . . (grabs his
overcoat) young girl fending off a group of vampires . . . (grabs his bag)
about a week ago. (looks at his watch) There’s a plane out in about an
hour.
Willow and Xander exchange a look.
Xander: And what makes this different from the last nine leads?
Giles: Well, I believe there’s a meal on this flight.
Xander: Look, I don’t mean to poop the party here, it’s just, you get
your hopes all up, and then it’s just a big fat raspberry, and I feel
bad.
Willow: But it’s good that you’re looking, though. You shouldn’t give
up.
Xander: Oh, yeah. Definitely.
Giles: Yes, one must try. Well, I-I-I should go. (rushes out)
Willow: You don’t think maybe he’ll find her?
Xander: I think he’ll find her when she wants to be found.
They go back to doing their homework.
Cut to a street in L.A. at night. Buffy slowly walks along to her
apartment. Behind her, Lily follows her.
Lily: Anne?
Buffy doesn’t respond.
Lily: (louder) Anne?
Still no response from Buffy.
Lily: Buffy?
Buffy stops in her tracks. Lily catches up.
Lily: Don’t be mad. I won’t turn you in or nothing. I guess you don’t
recognize me.
Buffy: (thinks for a moment) Lily?
Lily: I mean from before. I was calling myself Chantarelle then. I used
to . . . (sighs) Well, I was in this cult that worshipped vampires. So
lame, I know.
Buffy: Yeah . . . I, uh, I remember.
Lily: But . . . you kinda saved us. I never thanked you or anything.
Buffy: Did you tell anyone who I was?
Lily: Oh, no! Not-not even Rickie. I mean, I was so surprised to see
you here, waiting tables . . . But I wouldn’t tell. I know how it is when
you gotta get lost.
They start to walk again.
Buffy: Do you, uh, do you live nearby?
Lily: Well, there’s a couple of places. Uh, they’re abandoned, and a
lot of people stay there. (pauses) So how come you came up with Anne?
Buffy: It’s my middle name.
Lily: Lily’s from a song. Rickie picked it. I’m always changing anyway.
Chantarelle was part of my exotic phase.
Buffy: It’s nice. It’s a . . .it’s a mushroom.
Lily: It is? That’s really embarrassing.
Buffy: Um, well, i-it’s an exotic mushroom, if that’s any comfort.
Lily: Well, before that, I was following this loser preacher and
calling myself “Sister Sunshine.”
Buffy: What do they call you at home?
Lily looks away and doesn’t respond.
Buffy: I like Lily.
Lily: It’s cool for now. Hey, do you have any money?
They stop, and Buffy gives her a surprised look.
Lily: I didn’t mean that like– Well, I just mean . . . I know this guy,
he’s gonna have this kinda rave thing in his basement. We could go. I
mean, I could show you if you had– ‘Cause I’m broke.
Buffy: I-I don’t think so. I just kind of . . . I want to be alone.
Lily: I didn’t mean to bug you.
Buffy: No! I-I didn’t, I didn’t mean that, it’s just . . . Well, a-a lot
of people like that, it’s, it’s too much.
Lily crosses her arms and looks very disappointed. Buffy looks down and
starts to dig through her purse.
Buffy: I-I do have the money, though, so, why don’t you and Rickie go,
and then maybe I could meet you some other time–
Lily raises her hands and waves off the offer.
Lily: No. It’s okay, it’s okay. Forget about it. Just–
A homeless man rudely pushes his way between them. The two girls both
stare after him.
Lily: That’s not very polite.
The man turns around and looks blankly back at them.
Buffy: Are you okay?
Homeless man: I’m no one.
He turns back around and walks into the traffic on the street. Buffy’s
eyes widen with concern. The man stops in the middle of a lane in front
of an oncoming pickup truck and faces it, arms stretched wide. Buffy
drops her bag and rushes into the street. The pickup driver honks his
horn and slams on the brakes. The truck starts to skid. Buffy pushes the
man out of the way in time to save him, but not in time to avoid getting
hit herself. She gets hit hard in the legs by the bumper. Her body snaps
down hard onto the hood of the truck and she slides into the windshield.
She bounces back and slides off of the hood as the truck screeches to a
halt. She hits the pavement, flips over backward and rolls to a stop in
the middle of the street.~~ Part 2 ~~
The street. The driver quickly gets out of the pickup cab and runs over
to Buffy lying in the street, but Lily reaches her first. Buffy is on
her hands and knees trying to get up. People from all around come
rushing into the street.
Lily: Are you okay?
Driver: Jeez, I didn’t see you.
He takes her by the arms and helps her up.
Lily: Oh . . . Maybe, maybe you shouldn’t move.
Driver: Maybe you should lie down.
Buffy looks around nervously at all of the people gathering.
Buffy: No, I’m fine.
Driver: Somebody call an ambulance!
Buffy holds up her hands to fend of everyone’s help.
Buffy: No! I’m okay, I just . . . I need to go.
She runs off, apparently not the least bit hurt.
Cut to further down the street. Buffy is walking at a brisk pace as she
goes around a corner. There she bumps into Ken and knocks all of his
leaflets onto the sidewalk.
Ken: Whoa! (sees his leaflets) Oh . . .
They both crouch down to pick up the papers.
Ken: Where are you running to?
Buffy: Sorry.
Ken: Maybe I should ask, where are you running from?
They’ve finished gathering up his leaflets and stand back up. Ken takes
a good look at Buffy.
Ken: You’re pretty new around here. Uh, you’ve got the ‘look’, though.
Buffy: The ‘look’?
Ken: Like you had to grow up way too fast. What’s your name?
Buffy: Anne. (pushes past him to go)
Ken: Hey, um, I’m Ken. Here, go ahead, take one of these.
He holds out a leaflet, and Buffy looks at it. It reads “Come home to
Family Home”, and has a drawing of a house and a silhouette of a man
reaching out to hug a child.
Ken: Don’t be shy about stopping by. I mean, I guess you’re not
starving, but . . . we’re not just interested in feeding the body. You
might find something you’re missing.
Buffy: (looks up at him) I’m alright.
Ken: (gives her a look of disbelief) Then why are you here? (Buffy
looks away) This is not a good place for a kid to be. You get old fast
here. (Buffy looks up at him knowingly) The thing that drains the life
out of them is despair. I mean, kids come here, and they got nothing to
go home to, and . . . this ends up being the last stop for a lot of them.
(Buffy looks down the street) Shouldn’t have to be that way.
“Back to Freedom” by Bellylove starts playing as several shots of
homeless people are shown.
Lyrics: Ooo-ooo-ooo / On my way to freedom
A woman alone in the street, a boy and girl huddling together on the
curb, a young boy begging from a businessman who rejects him as he walks
by, a woman with a dirty face looking into the camera.
Lyrics: I ask myself
Cut to the Bronze. Bellylove is on stage performing their ballad.
Lyrics: Why did I come again? / To find my own way to freedom
The camera pans from above down to the singer, then over to the guitar
player.
Lyrics: And the change is gonna come / I’m gonna find my way / Find my
way / Find my way back to freedom
The camera pans around behind the singer, showing the people in the
club. It’s not a busy night. Xander is lounging on a couch off to the
side. Willow is sitting in the loveseat set at a right angle to the
couch.
Lyrics: I’m gonna find my way / Find my way / Find my way / Find my way
back to freedom
The camera cuts closer to Xander and Willow.
Xander: Boy, I’m glad we showed up for “Depressing Night.”
Willow: I wonder what she’s doing right now.
Xander: Oh, I know what she’s doing. Gabbing to all of her friends
about her passionate affair with Pedro the Cabana Boy, laughing about
me, thinking how she still might have feelings about me.
He glances over at Willow and sees her sadly raise her eyebrows at him.
Xander: Oh, it’s possible you were talking about Buffy.
Willow: It’s possible. The Bronze just never seems the same without
her.
Oz arrives, hands Xander a drink and sits down next to Willow.
Xander: Yeah, and the slaying isn’t getting any easier, either.
Oz: I don’t know. I think we’re kinda getting a rhythm down.
Xander: We’re losing half the vamps.
Oz: Yeah, but . . . rhythmically.
Willow: We just need to work on our timing, I think.
Xander: (looks up) No, I know what we need.
Oz: A Vampire Slayer?
Xander: Next best thing.
Willow follows his gaze and sees Cordelia coming into the Bronze with a
few friends.
Lyrics: Ooo-ooo / My own way to freedom
Xander: Bait.
Cut to the Summers house. Cut inside. Joyce is writing out a few bills.
She hears a knocking at the door, and looks up. She goes over to the
door and answers it. She is surprised at who she sees standing there.
Joyce: Uh, hello.
Giles: Hello. Um, may I . . . (gestures inside)
Joyce: Oh, uh, of course. (waves him in) Come on in.
Giles: Thank you. (slowly walks into the living room) I’ve, uh, just
come back from Oakland. A friend of mine called with a lead. Stories
about someone fighting vampires. (takes off his glasses) It, uh, didn’t
pan out, I’m afraid. (starts to clean them)
Joyce: (sighs) No Buffy.
Giles: No vampires. Bunch of school kids in heavy mascara listening to
extremely silly music.
Joyce: Well, thank you for going. (steps into the living room and
crosses her arms) I can hardly, uh . . . (exhales and smiles weakly) I can
hardly leave the house. I’m just afraid she’ll call and she’ll need my
help.
Giles: (puts his glasses back on) Buffy is the most capable child I’ve
ever known. I mean, she may be confused, u-unhappy, but I, uh, honestly believe
she’s in no danger.
Joyce: (lowers her arms) I just wish I could talk to her. The last
thing we did was fight. (fidgets with her hands)
Giles: Joyce, you mustn’t blame yourself for her leaving.
Joyce: (nods) I don’t. (takes a breath) I blame you. (exhales)
Giles is taken aback.
Joyce: You’ve been this huge influence on her, guiding her. You had
this whole relationship with her behind my back. I feel like you’ve
taken her away from me.
Giles is speechless for a moment while he considers his answer.
Giles: I didn’t make Buffy who she is.
Joyce: And who exactly is she?
Giles just looks at her.
Cut to Helen’s Kitchen. Buffy is filling the sugar dispensers at the
counter. Lily comes in and walks up to her.
Lily: Buff–um, Anne? Can I talk to you?
Buffy glances up at her, but doesn’t stop her work.
Buffy: Look, this really isn’t a good time. Can it wait?
Lily: Rickie’s gone. I haven’t seen him for more than a day. I–he’s
never left for that long. I think something’s . . . happened. Maybe
something’s happened.
Buffy: Well, did you call the police?
Lily: (sighs) Rickie skipped out on his parole. Uh, they would just
cause more trouble.
Buffy: (exhales) I don’t know, did you, did you ask around?
Lily: Can you help me?
Buffy: Uh, I-I can’t. (walks away)
Lily: (follows) But . . . but that’s who you are and stuff, right? I mean,
you help people, and, you know–
Buffy: I can’t get into this. I’m sorry, Lily.
Lily: You, you know how to do stuff.
Buffy: I don’t. (exhales) Not anymore.
Lily: But . . . (whining) I don’t know what to do.
Cut to the blood bank. Lily and Buffy come in.
Lily: We gave blood lots of times ’cause you get a few bucks. And they
have cookies!
Buffy: You’re a fan of the sugar rush?
Lily: (smiles) It’s nice.
Nurse: Hi. You here to donate blood?
Buffy: Uh, we’re looking for a friend.
Lily: Rickie T.? We come in sometimes.
Nurse: Rickie, sure. Uh, he’s not here.
Buffy: Well, do you know if he’s been in the last day or so?
Nurse: Well, let me check the sheet.
Man: (off camera) Ow!
Buffy looks squeamish as she looks over and sees him being stuck with a
needle.
Buffy: This’ll probably go faster if we split up.
Lily: (nods in agreement) Can I come with you?
Buffy: Okay, where did I lose you on the whole “splitting up” thing?
Lily: (smiles) Oh. Sorry.
Buffy: I was thinking we could check out some of your hangouts and, um,
I guess, meet later at my place.
Lily: Okay.
Nurse: Sorry, guys. He hasn’t been here.
Buffy: Thanks.
Nurse: I’ll tell him you were looking.
Buffy: Great.
They leave the blood bank. The nurse loses her friendly demeanor as she
watches them go. She swallows and begins to look around nervously.
Cut to a street at night. Cut to an abandoned building. A homeless man
stirs from his sleep as he hears Buffy come in, but goes back to sleep
when he sees it’s not the cops. Buffy makes her way through the
building, being careful not to step on anyone. Some of them watch her as
she goes by. She walks slowly along a dark hall and turns a corner. She
is startled by a man with his arms full walking the other way behind
her. She continues along and soon notices an old man lying on the floor,
dead. The same old man that Buffy earlier saved from the truck. Next
to his head is an empty bottle of drain cleaner, an apparent
suicide. Buffy kneels next to him and feels for a pulse. Nothing. She
puts his arm down and sees that there’s a tattoo of half a heart on his
forearm with a banner across the heart and the name Lily tattooed on it.
Buffy looks at the old man, confused.
Buffy: Rickie?~~ Part 3 ~~
Buffy’s apartment. Lily is there waiting for her to return. She finds
Buffy’s stuffed duck and picks it up to stroke it. Buffy opens the door,
comes in and closes it behind her. Lily puts the duck down and steps
closer to Buffy.
Lily: Did you find Rickie? I thought of–well, he likes to go to this
movie house, you can get in around the back–
Buffy: (interrupting) Lily . . . I think he’s dead.
Lily: (very sad and lost) But . . . he takes care of me.
Buffy: I’m sorry.
Lily: We’re gonna get a place. His cousin can get him a job at the car
wash.
Buffy: Lily, there’s (exhales) there’s something else. (sits on the
bed) The, the person that I found . . . was old. He-he looked about eighty.
Lily: Well, that’s not Rickie!
Buffy: I’m sure it was. I, I don’t know how, but . . . it was like
something drained the life out of him.
Lily: Do you mean like a vampire?
Buffy: No. A vampire couldn’t accelerate the aging process. Maybe it
was something in his blood. (has a thought) When was the last time you
guys gave blood together?
Lily: I don’t understand. Maybe it’s not Rickie, okay?
Buffy: (stands up) Lily, this is something you’re just gonna have to
deal with.
Lily: (flustered) But he didn’t do anything wrong! Why would this
happen to him?
Buffy: That’s not the point. (Lily calms a bit) These things happen
all the time. You can’t just . . . close your eyes and hope that they’re
gonna go away.
Lily: Is it ’cause of you?
Buffy: (confused) What?
Lily: You know about . . . monsters and stuff. You could have brought this
with you.
Buffy: (very annoyed) I didn’t bring anything with me. And I didn’t ask
for you to come to me with your problems. I just wanted to be left
alone. If you can’t deal, then don’t lay it off on me!
Lily can’t take it. She holds up her hands to deny what she’s hearing
and walks out of the apartment. Buffy sighs, regretting raising her
voice to Lily.
Cut to the street. Lily stops walking and leans against the iron gates
pulled across a storefront. Ken comes up behind her.
Ken: Are you okay?
Lily shakes her head, barely able to keep from crying.
Ken: Hey, it’s okay. Maybe I can help.
Lily: (sniffles) You can’t. (breathes deeply)
Ken: Look, I know you all think I’m a big square handing out leaflets
about hope. But hope is a real thing, just like despair. And hope can
fill up a part of you that’s missing.
Lily: But Rickie . . .
Ken: Rickie? Say, are you Lily? (smiles) Right! Right, he was talking about
you.
Lily: (faces him) You’ve seen Rickie?
Ken: Oh, sure! Rickie’s with us now.
Lily: She said he was dead.
Ken: Well, someone’s sure handed you a tall tale. Rickie’s no more dead
than I am. Why don’t you come to Family Home? We’ll get you taken care
of.
Lily considers for a moment. Ken smiles at her, and she nods in
agreement. He takes her by the arm and leads her away.
Cut to the blood bank. A shadow appears on the other side of the frosted
glass of the door. The camera pans down to the doorknob being jiggled.
Suddenly it gets ripped out of the door. Cut to a filing cabinet. Buffy
is looking through it to find Rickie’s records. She grabs it and a few
others, closes the cabinet and takes the folders over to a desk. She
turns on a lamp and begins to go through them. First she pulls out
Rickie’s and opens it. She scans his latest donation form. It looks
normal, except for the word “candidate” in the comments box.
Buffy: Candidate for what?
Behind her the nurse quietly walks in. Buffy opens another record and
sees “candidate” again.
Nurse: What are you doing?
Buffy: Breaking into your office and going through your private files.
(looks at another file) Candidate for what?
Nurse: I’m calling the police.
She steps toward Buffy to get to the phone. Buffy reaches over to the
phone and yanks it off of the wall. It falls to the desk with its wires
torn.
Buffy: Now, you’ve got a whole bunch of candidates here. I wonder if
any of them are missing like Rickie. (faces the nurse) Gosh, I bet they
are.
Nurse: You’re getting yourself in a lot of trouble.
Buffy: I don’t want any trouble. I just want to be alone and quiet in a
room with a chair and a fireplace and a tea cozy. I don’t even know what
a tea cozy is, but I want one. Instead, I keep getting trouble, which I
am more than willing to share. (the nurse looks at her nervously) What
are you doing with these kids?
Nurse: Nothing. I just . . . I give him the names of the healthy ones.
Buffy: Give them to who?
Cut to Family Home. Ken looks at Lily, who is wearing only a simple long
tunic.
Ken: Well, don’t you look nice?
Lily: I guess.
Ken: Well, you don’t want to wear your own outfit to the cleansing.
It’ll get soaked.
Lily: A cleansing is like a baptism? Right?
Ken: Not quite the same.
Indicates the way. She follows him.
Lily: Will I see Rickie after?
Ken: Oh, of course. He’s waiting for you. He’s very excited.
Cut to the Sunnydale cemetery. Xander, Cordelia, Willow and Oz walk
along a pathway. Oz is twirling a stake.
Cordelia: Why do I have to be bait? I’m always bait. Why can’t Willow
be bait?
Xander: He’s already seen Willow. And could you complain louder so that
all the vampires leave?
Oz: I think this is a good spot.
They all stop and look around.
Oz: Is everybody packin’?
Willow and Xander each pull out a stake. Willow also has a cross.
Oz: Let’s do it.
Willow, Oz and Xander split up and look for places to hide, leaving
Cordelia alone out in the open. Cordelia is not liking this, and she
quickly makes tracks after Xander.
Cordelia: I’m doing this for Buffy’s sake. This has nothing to do with
you.
Xander: Yeah, like I needed that cleared up. (finds a hiding place) Go
away. This is my hiding spot.
Cordelia: Where do I hide?
Xander: You don’t hide. You’re bait. Go act baity.
Cordelia: What’s the plan?
Xander: The vampire attacks you.
Cordelia: And then what?
Xander: The vampire kills you. We watch, we rejoice.
Willow overhears from her hiding place and sighs.
Cordelia: Everything’s a joke with you.
Xander: No, just our relationship.
Cordelia: What relationship?
Willow looks down at her stake, contemplating using it on them. Andrew
appears behind her and smiles evilly.
Xander: Oh, that’s right, I forgot. We actually want to bury that piece
of the past, don’t we?
Andrew begins to sneak up on Willow.
Cut to Family Home. The camera shows a small rectangular pool of what
looks like black tar, and pans up from it to Ken and Lily walking into
the room.
Ken: We come to this station to wash away the past. Go ahead, kneel.
He indicates the edge of the pool, and Lily kneels down. Ken squats next
to her.
Ken: We let the water run over the sin and the pain and the
uncertainty.
Lily: It looks kinda . . . dirty.
Ken: (smiles) Yeah.
Cut to the front door of Family Home. A man comes up to the door where
another man is already listening to Buffy talk.
Buffy: You know, I just . . . I woke up, and I looked in the mirror, and I
thought, “hey, what’s with all the sin? I need to change. I’m . . . I’m
dirty. I’m, I’m bad with the . . . sex and the envy and that, that loud
music us kids listen to nowadays. W–” (sees that the guy isn’t buying
it) Oh, I just suck at undercover. Where’s Ken?
The man tries to slam the door closed, but she kicks it open and it
slams into his face instead. She marches in.
Cut to Ken and Lily. She reaches down to the black water in the pool.
For a moment she hesitates, but then puts her hand in. The liquid is
thick and pitch-black, and her hand disappears in it. Buffy swings open
the door, banging it loudly into the wall. Ken looks at her and stands
up.
Ken: This is a private moment. If you could just–
Buffy: How do you make ’em old, Ken? Do you feed on youth? What’s the
deal?
Ken: Do you really wanna know?
Lily: (looks back) What’s going on?
Buffy is surprised to see Lily there. Suddenly something grabs Lily. She
screams as she is pulled into the pool and disappears into the black
slime. Buffy runs to help, but Ken grabs her and chokes her with his arm
around her neck. Buffy grabs his arm and tries to snap her body back to
make him release her, but instead they just both fall into the pool as
well.
Cut to a dimly lit passageway. Buffy and Ken fall out of a black pool in
the ceiling. Buffy briefly looks up at the pool, then looks around to
see where she is. She sees Lily leaning against the wall holding her
head.
Buffy: Lily.
She rolls over onto her hands and knees and quickly crawls over to Lily.
Ken is faring worse, apparently hurt in the fall.
Lily: (in pain) Oh . . .
Buffy looks up at the pool in the ceiling. The waves from her fall
through it are beginning to dissipate.
Ken: Oh, my face!
Buffy looks over at Ken.
Ken: Ow! My face!
He turns toward them and begins to pull his face and his hair off.
Ken: Do you have any idea how hard it is to glue that thing on?!
Beneath his mask Ken’s face is red and his head is bald. There appear to
be pieces of skin missing from his forehead, revealing the even redder
flesh beneath. Lily begins to panic. Buffy starts to get to her feet and
tries to pull Lily up with her. Ken stands up.
Ken: (yells) Guards!
Buffy takes Lily’s hand and begins to run, pulling her along. Two guards
show up. Their faces are even more mangled and raw-looking than Ken’s.
One of the guards hands Ken a club. They begin to pursue the girls.
Buffy and Lily run through a maze of halls and come out on a ledge that
overlooks what looks like a large iron works. There are huge vats of
molten metal, sparks are flying through the air from one side, and it is
hot and smoky. Buffy looks closer, and in the shadows sees people being
used as slave labor, kept in line by more guards with whips. The camera
pans through the place showing zombie-like humans pounding the metal on
anvils, pushing wheelbarrows from place to place and swinging
sledgehammers. Some of them cough hard as they work. The guards watch
and crack their whips every so often. Ken comes up behind Lily as she
takes in the scene.
Ken: Welcome to my world. I hope you like it.
Buffy and Lily look back at him. He hits Buffy hard in the face with his
club, knocking her out.
Ken: (to Lily) You’re never leaving.
He smiles and licks his lips.~~ Part 4 ~~
The Sunnydale cemetery. Cordelia and Xander are still arguing.
Xander: Let me just ask you one thing: how long did it take you to forget me? Were you
still taxiing down the runway, or was it actually in the cab?
Cordelia: Oh, yeah, Mr. Faithful? You probably met up with some hot
little Inca Mummy Girl. Yeah! I heard about her.
Xander raises his finger at her and is about to respond when they hear
Willow get tackled to the ground and scream.
Willow: Help!
Their attention is immediately diverted to Willow, and they begin to run
to her aid. Oz is quicker and beats them there. He jumps over Andrew and
grabs him on the way, using his momentum to pull Andrew off of Willow
and then throw him aside. Andrew and Willow both quickly get to their
feet. Oz holds up his stake, ready to attack Andrew. Willow runs away.
Oz lunges at Andrew, but he just diverts Oz to the side and sends him
rolling to the ground. Next Xander comes at Andrew, stake held ready,
but Andrew grabs his staking arm by the wrist with one hand and his
shoulder with the other, and they begin to struggle. Cordelia watches
them struggle, worried.
Cordelia: Xander!
She decides to join the fight, and attacks Andrew from behind, pushing
him and Xander down to the ground. They end up with Andrew sandwiched
between Xander on the bottom and Cordelia on the top. With Cordelia’s
weight on top of him and Xander’s leverage against the ground, Andrew
can’t hold back the stake any longer, and it plunges into his chest. He
explodes into ashes between them, and Cordelia falls down on top of
Xander. The two of them look at each other for an instant, then grab
each other and start kissing passionately.
Cut to Ken’s world. Buffy is lying on the floor in a cell. Lily is
sitting on the floor behind her leaning against a pillar. Buffy regains
consciousness, rolls onto her side and feels her head where Ken hit her.
No blood, but she is still a bit dazed.
Buffy: Oh. Unh . . . (slowly sits up) Lily?
Lily: I always knew I would come here . . . sooner or later. I knew I
belonged here.
Buffy: (looks around) Where?
Lily: Hell.
Buffy: (turns her head toward Lily) This isn’t Hell.
Ken: (appears at the bars) Isn’t it?
Buffy spins her head around to look at Ken, but quickly regrets moving
it so fast.
Buffy: (in pain) Unh . . . (rubs her forehead)
Ken: What is Hell but the total absence of hope? The substance, the
tactile proof of despair. You’re right, Lily. This is where you’ve been
heading all your life. Just like Rickie.
Lily: Rickie?
Ken: He forgot you. Well, it took him a long time. He remembered your
name years after he’d forgotten his own. But, in the end–
Lily: Years? But–
Ken: Oh. Uh, interesting thing: time moves more quickly here than in
your reality. A hundred long years will pass here. On Earth, it’s just a
day.
Buffy: So you just work us till we’re too old and spit us back out.
Ken: That’s the plan. See, Lily, you’ll die of old age before anyone
wonders where you went. Not that anyone will, that’s why we chose you.
Buffy: You didn’t choose me.
Ken: No. But . . . I know you . . . Anne. So afraid. So pathetically
determined to run away from whatever it is you used to be. (Buffy looks
away) To disappear. Congratulations. (Buffy looks at him again) You got
your wish.
Cut to a personnel elevator. The huge steel door splits open, the upper
half rising, the lower half sinking. A group of young slaves including
Buffy and Lily is herded out. Buffy trips and falls to the floor. The
other slaves stop walking. A guard starts to explain things to the new
recruits as Buffy slowly gets back to her feet.
Guard: You work, and you live. That is all.
The guard has even less skin on his head than Ken. He’s wearing a hood
that looks like it’s made of human skin sewn together. His chin
and cheeks are exposed flesh and muscle, and he has no lips covering his
teeth. Buffy is standing again, holding her head in pain.
Guard: You do not complain or laugh or do anything besides work.
Whatever you thought, whatever you were, does not matter. You are no one
now. You mean nothing.
The guard walks to one end of the group and faces the boy standing
there. Behind them the elevator doors close with a slam.
Guard: Who are you?
Aaron: (afraid) Aaron.
The guard whales hard on him with his club, and the boy grunts in pain
and falls to the floor unconscious. Buffy immediately sobers, and stares
intensely ahead. The guard advances to Lily.
Guard: Who are you?
Lily: (whimpers) No one.
The guard continues to the next person.
Guard: Who are you?
Boy#2: (fearfully) No one.
The guard reaches Buffy.
Guard: Who are you?
She looks up at him for a moment, and then smiles.
Buffy: (friendly) I’m Buffy. The Vampire Slayer. And you are?
The guard is incensed at her insubordination, and roars as he wields
back his club to strike her. He swings at Buffy, but she sidesteps him
and grabs his arm as he bends over from his follow-through. Buffy slams
her other forearm down on the guard’s, breaking it. He falls to the
floor in pain. She picks up his club and swings it at another guard,
striking him in the head. She swings again the opposite way at a third
guard, hitting him in the gut. They both fall unconscious. Buffy looks
over at the group of would-be slaves.
Buffy: Anyone who’s not having fun here, follow me.
She starts to run, and the group follows her.
Cut to a shot of the main iron works from above. The vats of molten
metal glow brightly. There are sparks flying everywhere. Cut to the
slaves working below. The camera pans up to a ledge where two guards are
watching them work. Cut to a guard walking down a metal staircase. Buffy
and the small group are hiding beneath it.
Buffy: (looking up at the guards) There’s no way we can get back up
there without meeting new people. (looks at Lily) Okay. Lily, when those
guards leave–and they will leave–I want you to take these people and
get them up there, okay? Fast and quiet.
Lily: You’re leaving me? But–
Buffy: Lily . . . You can handle this. ‘Cause I say so.
Suddenly a siren begins to wail loudly.
Buffy: We’ve gone public. Okay, quick, get them up. Go! Quiet!
Lily begins to lead them away, but comes back.
Lily: I’m sorry I said this was your fault before.
Buffy: Lily, this can wait.
Lily: Well, in case we die–
Buffy: Go! Go!
Lily runs off to lead the group out. Buffy sees two guards coming for
them and leads them away at a run. She winds around through the slaves
still blindly working away.
Guard: Get out of the way!
The guards are big and bulky compared to her small figure darting
through the maze, but they manage to keep up.
Guard: Come on, get out of the way!
She sees a pole jutting out of the floor and grabs onto it, swings around
once and knocks one of the guards out with an aerial side kick. She lets
go of the pole and begins to run again. She reaches a platform, shoulder
rolls onto it and rises to a standing position. Her pursuer jumps up
onto the stage and tries a backhand swing at her with his sledgehammer,
but she ducks and blocks his second swing. The guard kicks up with his
knee and gets Buffy in the stomach, stunning her. He punches her, making
her fall to the floor. He takes a swing at Buffy’s head, but she clamps
her hands around the hammer’s handle and yanks him up and over her. He
slams down hard onto his shoulder and rolls off of the platform. Buffy
still has his hammer and quickly gets to her feet. The two other guards
on the ledge leave their post and begin to approach her.
Cut to Lily leading the group to a set of stairs. She ushers them up.
Lily: C’mon, c’mon, everybody go! Go!
One after the other they quickly climb the stairs. Lily brings up the
rear.
On the platform Buffy continues to fight another guard. She quickly hits
him in the head with a full spinning out-to-in crescent kick. He takes
the blow hard and falls off of the platform. Still another guard takes a
swing at Buffy’s legs with his sledgehammer, but she jumps high to avoid
the swing. Buffy swings her hammer into the guard’s face, knocking him
down. As he tries to get up, Buffy knocks him down again with a snapping
roundhouse kick to his arm, kicking his hammer away in the process. The
guard gets to his feet. Buffy swings her hammer in an uppercut, striking
him in the jaw and sending him flying off of the platform in a backflip.
Yet another guard jumps up onto the platform and tackles Buffy,
struggling to get the hammer out of her hands.
Cut to a ledge. Ken and two more guards come out to see what’s going on.
Ken can’t believe what he is seeing.
Cut below. Buffy does a roundhouse kick to the guard’s face, and he
stumbles backwards. Another guard comes up to the edge of the platform
holding a battle-ax with a curved blade. He looks at the fighting for a
moment, then moves to jump up onto the platform.
Cut to Ken on the ledge.
Ken: Humans don’t fight back.
Cut below. The guard on the platform tries to pound Buffy’s head with
his club, but she holds her hammer high, blocking his attack and making
him drop his weapon.
Ken: (enraged) Humans don’t fight back!
Buffy swings down with her hands, carrying the guard’s hands as well.
She grabs him by the neck, spins around once and throws him through the
air. He hits a steel beam and slumps to the ground. The guard with the
battle-ax is up on the platform now and takes a wide swing with it at
Buffy, but she leans aside and he misses.
Ken: That’s how this works!
Buffy manages to duck the guard’s next swing, avoiding decapitation. He
swings again from above, but she blocks his attack with her hammer, and
the head of the ax embeds itself in the handle. Buffy performs a front
snap kick that dislodges the ax and knocks the weapon out of the guard’s
hands and spinning up into the air. She kneels down and knocks his legs
out from under him with her hammer. While she’s crouched, she looks up
at the battle-ax as it falls and catches the airborne weapon. She gets
to her feet, as does her assailant. Buffy does another roundhouse kick
to his face, and he goes flying off of the platform.
Ken: (to the guards with him) Get down there!
The two guards run to obey. On the platform the camera pans in close to
Buffy as she looks around, temporarily without an opponent. Suddenly a
guard jumps up. Buffy swings a backhand punch at his head, but he blocks
it and shoves her arm out of the way. He punches her with a backhand
fist. She stumbles a little but recovers in time to duck his second
swing at her head. She does a side kick to his rear that sends him off
of the platform. Two more guards try to climb onto the platform. Buffy
crouches and quickly throws her battle-ax spinning end over end at one
of them. It slices deeply into his chest, and the power behind her throw
sends him falling off of the platform. The other guard tries a wide
swing, but Buffy blocks it, grabs onto his arm and sends him
somersaulting through the air and off of the platform. Another guard
attacks. Buffy smashes her elbow into his nose and follows it up with a
full spin and a backhand punch to the head. He falls down awkwardly.
Another one leaps up and catches Buffy unaware with a high punch to her
face. She stumbles backwards but doesn’t fall. Two more guards join him
and try to surround her. Buffy snap kicks one in the face and side kicks
another. Buffy does a full spinning hook kick to the third, smacking him
soundly in the skull.
Cut to the ledge. Ken is disgusted with what he sees and goes back
through the door.
Cut below. One of the guards punches Buffy hard in the face, and she
staggers. He grabs her by the neck while she’s trying to regain her
balance and yanks her head up fast and hard. He holds her while two
other guards punch her in the stomach.
Cut to a dimly lit corridor. The group of slaves runs down it, trailed
by Lily. They round a corner. As Lily is about to follow them, Ken grabs
her from behind, pulls out a large knife and holds it to her neck. She
doesn’t struggle as he leads her off back to the ledge.
Cut to the platform. The guards keep on punching Buffy. Finally she is
able to retaliate and swings an arm out, backhand punching two of them
and high punching the third, knocking him down. She swings her arm out
in a wide arc and hits the first two with the one blow, knocking them
down as well. A fourth guard roundhouse kicks her in the stomach, and
she steps back to regain her balance. He latches onto her arm and tries
to throw her, but Buffy reverses the move and manages to throw him off
of the platform instead. A guard dives headfirst for Buffy’s legs. She
leaps up and pulls her legs up into a tuck jump over him. He dives right
underneath her. Buffy runs and jumps off of the platform, grabbing a
pole. It bends under her weight, and she rides it down to the floor
below. She begins to run, and the chase is on again. She doesn’t get
very far when she looks up and sees Ken coming back out onto the ledge
holding his knife to Lily’s neck. Buffy stops in her tracks. The guards
chasing her quickly catch up and grab her by the arms.
Ken: One of you fights . . . and you all die!
He lets go of Lily and pushes her aside. He stares intently down at
Buffy.
Ken: That . . . was not . . . permitted.
Buffy: Yeah, but it was fun.
Ken: (smiles) You’ve got guts. I think I’d like to slice you open and
play with them.
He holds up his knife and addresses everyone in the area.
Ken: Let everyone know!
Lily cowers behind him. Ken seems to have forgotten that she’s there.
Ken: This is the price of rebellio–
Lily pushes him from behind, and he falls screaming from the high ledge
to the floor below. The guards holding Buffy just watch as he hits
bottom with a loud thud. Buffy gives Lily a surprised look, and then
quickly takes advantage of the distraction and backhand punches her
captors, one in the face and the other in the groin. While the second
one is dazed, she shoves her weight against him, and he falls backward
onto a barrel. The first one punches high, but she blocks, grabs his arm
and flips him over onto a pile of burlap sacks. Buffy jumps up onto the
pile and steps across her fallen attacker. He tries to grab her, but
misses. She jumps high into the air and grabs hold of a heavy chain
hanging from above. She climbs it hand-over-hand as quickly as she can
to the ledge where Lily is still standing. The two of them run through
the door and quickly find their way to the others, struggling with a
heavy iron gate.
Lily: They’ll be coming.
Buffy crouches down and takes hold of the gate, bracing herself for a
very heavy lift. She begins to raise the gate, straining as she goes.
Buffy: (grunts) Okay . . . this . . . works . . . the abs . . . and . . . the glutes.
(grunts)
As soon as she gets it high enough, Lily waves to the others to crawl
underneath. They all scramble to the other side.
Buffy: I’m gonna feel this for a week!
She holds the gate up over her head and squeezes her head and shoulders
between two of the bars to get to the other side. Suddenly Ken appears
behind her, bloodied from his fall, and tackles her to the floor. His
club goes flying. The gate falls down behind him. He suddenly arches up
and screams in pain. Buffy rolls to a stop out of his reach. She gets to
her hands and knees and looks over at him as he continues to scream in
pain. The camera pans from his bloody face over his back and to his
legs, where two of the gate’s bars have impaled themselves through his
calves. The slaves help each other up through the black slime of the
pool in the ceiling. Buffy gets to her feet and picks up Ken’s club. She
approaches him, and he arches his back to look up at her.
Ken: You’ve ruined . . . You . . .
Buffy: Hey, Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?
She wields back the club and brings it down hard onto his head, crushing
his skull. Lily comes up behind her and looks at him squeamishly.
Lily: Gandhi?
Buffy: Well, you know, if he was really pissed off.
Cut to the pool room at Family Home. The homeless people walk out of the
room. Lily is kneeling by the pool helping Buffy out. She yanks her legs
from the slime and rolls onto the floor. They both get up and look at
the pool.
Lily: (points) What do we do about–
With a flash of light, the pool mysteriously tiles itself over to match
the tiles along the edges. It now appears to be a six-inch (15 cm) deep,
empty ceremonial pool. The two girls just stare at it in wonder.
Cut to Buffy’s apartment. Buffy has finished cleaning herself up in the
kitchen. Lily is looking at the folding doors that separate the kitchen
from the rest of the apartment.
Buffy: Let me give you the tour.
She walks into the main room and slowly turns to face Lily.
Buffy: This concludes our tour.
Lily leans against the wall.
Lily: It’s really nice.
Buffy leans against the dresser.
Buffy: All the rent’s paid up for the next three weeks.
She turns around and opens one of the dresser drawers.
Buffy: I spoke to Mitch at the diner. (pulls out her uniform) He said
you can start on Thursday. (steps over to the bed) He’s, uh . . . (lays
down the uniform) he’s kind of . . . repulsive, but, uh, he won’t give you
a hard time.
Lily sits down on the bed and puts her hand on the uniform.
Buffy: Um . . . I’ll call and check up on you.
Lily: I’m not . . . great (looks at Buffy) at taking care of myself.
Buffy: Gets easier. Takes practice.
She looks down sadly. Lily knows the feeling. She looks back down at the
uniform and the nametag pinned to it.
Lily: Hey . . .
Buffy looks up at her.
Lily: Can I be ‘Anne’?
She smiles at Buffy. Buffy smiles back.
Cut to the kitchen at the Summers house. Joyce is trying to get a stuck
utensil out of the dishwasher. There’s a knock at the door, and Joyce
looks up startled. She frowns at the fork she pulled out and puts it
down. She gets up, grabs a towel and heads for the front door, wiping
her hands. In the dining room she pauses and looks toward the door,
suddenly wondering who might be there. She drapes the towel over a chair
and slowly goes to the door. When she opens it, there stands Buffy,
looking sad, tired and disheveled. For a long moment they just look at
each other without saying a word. Then they step toward each other and
hold each other close for a long, tight embrace.
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