Angel
Prelude
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand
against
the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the
Slayer.
The Master's lair. Collin is tossing stones into the pool. He
takes a
few more from the Master's hand. Darla comes into the lair.
Master: Zachary didn't
return from the hunt last night.
Darla: The Slayer.
Master: Zachary was
strong, and he was careful. And still the Slayer
takes him... as she has taken so many of my family. (takes a
breath) It
wears thin. Collin, what would you do about it?
Collin: I'd annihilate
her.
Master: (inhales) Out of
the mouths of babes...
Darla: (makes her way
down) Let me do it, Master. Let me kill her for
you.
Master: You have a
personal interest in this.
Darla: (disappointed) I
don't get to have any fun.
Master: I will send the
Three.
Darla: (intrigued) The
Three?
Cut to an alley. Three tough guys are lighting up cigarettes. The
Three
come around a corner at a steady, deliberate pace. The men see
them
coming and leave.
Cut to the Bronze. A cockroach is being chased along the floor.
Boy: Get it! Go get it,
right there!
Girl: I got it!
She holds the roach up to the bartender and drops it into his
jar.
Girl: Free drink, please.
The bartender nods his head and goes to get the drink.
Cut to Buffy and
Buffy: Hmm?
days to nuke the cockroaches?
Buffy: (not paying
attention) Oh.
Buffy: (looks up and
smiles) I'm... sorry, I was just... thinking about
things...
Buffy: Not exactly a guy.
For us to have a conversation about a guy,
there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Is
that a
sentence?
Buffy: I do. Which is fine
with me, most of the time, but...
Buffy: Angel? I can just
see him in a relationship. 'Hi, honey, you're
in grave danger. I'll see you next month.'
Buffy: (looks dreamily)
When he is around... it's like the lights dim
everywhere else. You know how it's like that with some guys?
Xander is on the dance floor, making a fool of himself. He dances
up to
a girl.
Xander: Hey, Annie! (sees
her boyfriend) Dino, just leaving!
He backs away and bumps into Cordelia.
Cordelia: Ouch! Please get
your extreme oafishness off my two-hundred-
dollar shoes!
Xander: I'm sorry, I was
just...
Cordelia: ...getting off
the dance floor before Annie Vega's boyfriend
squashes you like a bug?
Xander: Oh, so you
noticed.
Cordelia: Uh-huh.
Xander: Yeah, thanks for
being so understanding.
Cordelia: Sure.
Xander: Y'know, hey, I
don't know what everyone's talking about. That
outfit doesn't make you look like a hooker! (laughs)
He leaves the dance floor and goes over to Buffy and
Xander: Boy, that Cordelia
is a regular breath of vile air. What are
you vixens up to?
a roach) Oh, look, a cockroach. (stomps it)
Buffy lifts her eyes to see and then turns them back down.
Xander: Whoa, well, let's
stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!
Buffy: Alright, now I'm
infecting those nearest and dear to me. I'm
gonna call it a night. (gets up)
Xander: Uh, yeah! It's
early! We could, um, dance!
Buffy: Rain check? Good
night. (leaves)
Xander lets out a breath.
Buffy makes her way out of the Bronze looking bummed. She passes
the
stairs. Angel is watching her go. Buffy senses something and
turns to
look. Angel is gone. She continues out.
Cut to the street. Buffy is walking home. She senses something
and stops
to look behind her. Nothing. She continues and walks past an
alley. She
hears a breath and stops.
Buffy: It's late, I'm
tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show
yourself.
One of the Three roars and drops down to the sidewalk behind her.
She
reaches into her coat, pulls out a stake and quickly spins around
to
stake the vampire. Another of the Three grabs her arm as she
swings.
Buffy: (surprised) Wuh!
The third member comes up on her other side and grabs her other
arm.
Buffy: Ooo! Okay, okay,
nice...
They pull her into the alley and up against a fence. The first
one
approaches her.
Buffy: Okay, okay... Look,
I really don't wanna fight all three of
you... unless I have to.
She snap kicks him in the crotch, elbows the third, and tries to
punch
the second. He blocks her swing and thrusts his knee into her
gut,
slamming her into the fence. The other two recover and grab her
again.
The second one slowly approaches her with death in his eyes.
Buffy is
terrified and struggles to get away.
Opening credits roll. Buffy's theme plays.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1
~~~~~~~~~~
In the alley. The vampire comes up to Buffy, grabs her head and
moves in
to bite. Angel comes up behind him, grabs him by the hair and
pulls him
off of her.
Angel: Good dogs don't...
(punches the vampire) ...*bite*!
Buffy is surprised, but quickly regains her head. Using the
support of
the two vampires holding onto her arms, she kicks up with both
feet and
hits them both in the face with a straddle kick. One of them
grabs her
again and holds her against the fence. Angel continues to fight
the
other two, punching one and snap kicking the second. One of them
pulls a
piece of iron bar off of a window.
Buffy: Look out!
Angel turns around, only to be sliced in the chest with the bar.
Buffy
shoves an open palm into her assailant's chin, pushing him off of
her,
punches him once in the gut and then slams both fists into his
head.
Angel is bent over in pain and is about to be stabbed again.
Buffy
quickly side kicks his attacker in the face, and he falls back
away from
Angel. She helps Angel up.
Buffy: Run!
They come running out of the alley. The Three get up and give
chase.
Cut to Buffy's street. She and Angel jump over the bushes in
front of
her house and run onto the porch. The Three are hot on their
trail.
Buffy gets the front door open.
Buffy: Get in! C'mon!
She rushes inside. Angel is right behind her. Buffy slams the door
on
one of the vampire's hands. He struggles a moment, but pulls his
hand
back out. She slams the door shut and locks it. The vampire looks
in
through the glass. Another one looks in through the window.
Angel: It's alright. A
vampire can't come in unless it's invited.
Buffy: I've heard that
before, but I've never put it to the test.
(leans on the door, sees his wound) Oh... I'll go get some
bandages,
just... take your jacket and your shirt off.
She heads into the kitchen. Angel looks out the window one last
time and
follows her. He takes off his jacket and his T-shirt. Buffy looks
at him
from behind and sees his tattoo of a griffin straddling a large
"A"
below his right shoulder. She brings over the first aid kit.
Buffy: Nice tattoo.
(exhales) I was lucky you came along. (looks up at
him) How did you happen to come along? (begins to bandage him)
Angel: I live nearby. I
was just out walking.
Buffy: So, you weren't
following me? I just had this feeling you were.
Angel: (smiles) Why would
I do that?
Buffy: You tell me. You're
the Mystery Guy that appears out of nowhere.
I'm not saying I'm not happy about it tonight, but... if you are
hanging
around I'd like to know why. (finishes bandaging)
Angel: Maybe I like you.
Buffy: Maybe...
They smile at each other. Buffy hears the door open and quickly
goes to
intercept her mom. She's also worried about the Three outside.
She pulls
her mom into the house and closes the door.
Joyce: Hi! What are you
doing?
Buffy: There's a lot of
weird people outside at night...
Joyce starts toward the kitchen. Buffy comes after her.
Buffy: ...I just feel
better with you safe and sound inside. You must
be beat.
Joyce: I am. We're a
little gallery. You have no idea how much...
Buffy: (interrupts) Well,
then why don't you go upstairs and get into
bed, and I can bring you some hot tea?
Joyce: That's sweet!
(suspiciously) What'd you do?
Buffy: Can't a daughter
just be concerned about her mother?
Angel comes into the living room behind Buffy. Joyce sees him.
Joyce: Hi.
Angel: Hi.
Buffy: Oh! Okay... Um...
Angel, uh, this is my mom. Mom, this is Angel.
Uh, we ran into each other on the way home.
Angel: Nice to meet you.
Joyce: What do you do,
Angel?
Buffy: He's a student.
(her mother gives her a disbelieving look) Uh,
first year community college. Angel's been helping me with my
history,
you know I've been toiling there.
Joyce: It's a little late
for tutoring. I'm gonna go to bed, and, uh,
Buffy? (starts up the stairs)
Buffy: I'll say good night
and do the same!
Joyce looks back down at her daughter and nods.
Joyce: (to Angel) It was
nice to meet you.
Cut to Buffy at the front door holding it open.
Buffy: Good night! We'll
hook up soon and do that study thing!
She closes the door. Angel is still there behind it. They go up
the
stairs and into her room. She closes the door quietly.
Angel: Look, I don't wanna
get you in any more trouble...
Buffy: And I don't wanna
get you dead. They could still be out there.
(moves to the center of the room) So, uh, (realizes) oh... two of
us,
one bed. That doesn't work. (faces him) Um, why don't you take
the bed?
Y'know, you're wounded...
Angel: I'll take the
floor.
Buffy: Uh, no, that's
not...
Angel: (reassuringly) Oh,
believe me, I've had worse.
Buffy: Okay. Um, then why
don't you check and see if the Fang Gang is
still loitering and, um, keep your back turned while I change?
Angel goes over to the window to have a look. Buffy goes to her
closet
and changes.
Angel: I don't see them.
Buffy: Y'know, I'm the
Chosen One, it's my job to fight guys like that.
What's your excuse?
Angel: Uh, somebody has
to.
Buffy: Well, what does
your family think of your career choice?
Angel: They're dead.
She has finished changing and comes over to him.
Buffy: Was it vampires?
Angel: (faces her) I-it
was.
Buffy: I'm sorry.
Angel: It was a long while
ago.
Buffy: So, this is a
vengeance gig for you.
Angel: (pauses) Y-you even
look pretty when you go to sleep.
Buffy: Well, when I wake
up it's an entirely different story.
They go over to her bed. She hands him the comforter from it.
Buffy: Here. Sleep tight.
He lays the comforter down on the floor next to her bed. She gets
into
her bed and he lies on the comforter.
Buffy: Angel?
Angel: Hmm?
Buffy: Do you snore?
Angel: I don't know. It's
been a long time since anybody's been in a
position to let me know.
He turns his head to look at her. She smiles and settles in to
sleep.
Cut to the library the next day.
Xander: He spent the
night? In your room? In your bed?
Buffy: Not *in* my bed,
*by* my bed.
Buffy: (smiling) Perfect
gentleman.
The girls exchange smiles.
Xander: Buffy, c'mon, wake
up and smell the seduction. It's the oldest
trick in the book.
Buffy: What? Saving my
life? Getting slashed in the ribs?
Xander: Duh! I mean,
guys'll do anything to impress a girl. I-I once
drank an entire gallon of Gatorade without taking a breath.
(grins)
factor.
Giles: (coming to the
table) Can we steer this riveting conversation
back to the events that happened earlier in the evening? (Buffy
sits
down) You left the Bronze and were set upon by three unusually
virile
vampires. (puts a book in front of her) Did they look like this?
Buffy: Yeah. What's with
the uniforms?
Giles: It seems you
encountered the Three. Warrior vampires, very proud
and very strong.
know what's going on. I never know what's going on.
Giles: Well, you weren't
here from
Giles: Uh, o-obviously
you're hurting the Master very much. He, he
wouldn't send the, the Three for just anyone. We must step up our
training with weapons.
Xander: Buffy, you should
stay at my house until these Samurai guys are
history.
Buffy: (turns to him)
What?
Xander: Ah-ah-ah, don't
worry about Angel,
and tell him to get out of town fast.
Giles: Angel and Buffy
are, are not in any immediate jeopardy.
Eventually the Master will send someone else, but in the mean
time the
Three, having failed, will offer their own lives in penance.
Cut to the Master's lair.
Vampire: We failed in our
duty, and now our lives belong to you.
He hands the Master a spear. The Master passes it to Darla. She
starts
to walk around behind the Three as the Master goes over to
Collin.
Master: Pay attention,
child. You are the Anointed, and there is much
you must learn. (crouches beside him) With power comes
responsibility.
True, they did fail, but also true, we who walk at night share a
common
bond. The taking of a life -- I'm not talking about humans, of
course --
is a serious matter.
One of the Three raises his head in hope.
Collin: So you would spare
them?
Master: Hmm. (gets up) I
am weary, and their deaths will bring me
little joy.
The Master begins to walk away, and Collin follows. Darla watches
them
go and smiles. She lifts the spear and dispatches the first of
the
Three. The Master stops and turns to Collin.
Master: Of course,
sometimes a little is enough.
He looks over at Darla as she kills the next one, then continues
away.
Cut to the school. Cut to the library door. Giles sets out a sign
that
reads 'Library CLOSED for filing. Please come back tomorrow.' Cut
inside. Buffy is checking out the weapons cabinet.
Buffy: Cool! Crossbow!
(lifts it out, sees the bolts) Huh. Check out
these babies. (takes out a bolt) Hmm. Goodbye stakes, hello
flying
fatality. What can I shoot?
Giles: Um, nothing. The
crossbow comes later.
He takes the crossbow from her and goes to put it back. Buffy is
disappointed.
Giles: You must first
become proficient with the basic tools of combat.
(Buffy looks bored) And let's begin... (comes back with two
poles)
...with the quarterstaff. Which, incidentally, will, uh, require
countless hours of vigorous training. (hands her one) I speak
from
experience.
Buffy: Giles, 20th
Century? I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck.
Giles: You never know with
whom or what you'll be fighting. (puts on
his head pads) And these traditions have been handed down through
the
ages. (grabs his staff) Now, you show me good, steady progress
with the
quarterstaff, and in due course we'll discuss the crossbow. Put
on your
pads.
Buffy: (laughs) I'm not
gonna need pads to fight you.
Giles: Well, we'll see
about that. En garde!
He makes several thrusts and she parries them all. She takes the
offensive, pushes his staff to the floor and punches him in the
face.
She comes around with the staff into his back, and again to knock
his
legs out from under him. He falls onto his back. She stands over
him.
Giles: (stunned) Good.
Let's move on to the crossbow.
Cut to the Summers house at night. Cut to Buffy coming into her
room.
She closes the door and looks around.
Buffy: Angel?
Angel: Hey.
She turns on her desk lamp.
Buffy: Brought you some
dinner. It's a little plateless, sorry.
She hands him a plastic bag full of food that she pilfered from
dinner.
He accepts it and looks at it.
Buffy: So! What'd you do
all day?
Angel: Uh, I read a
little.
Buffy looks over to her diary. It's out of place.
Angel: And just thought
about a lot of things. Buffy, I...
Buffy: My diary? You read
my diary? (goes to put it in a drawer) That
is *not* okay! A diary is like a person's most private place!
(comes
back to him) I... You don't even know what I was writing about!
'Hunk'
can mean a lot of things, bad things. And, and when it says that
your
eyes are 'penetrating', I meant to write 'bulging'.
Angel: Buffy...
Buffy: And 'A' doesn't
even stand for 'Angel' for that matter, it
stands for... 'Achmed', a charming foreign exchange student, so
that
whole fantasy part has nothing to even do with you at all...
Angel: Your mother moved
your diary when she came in to straighten up.
I watched from the closet. I didn't read it, I swear.
She just looks at him.
Buffy: Oh! (looks down,
realizing what she just said) Oh.
Angel: I did a lot of
thinking today. I really can't be around you.
(Buffy looks up) Because when I am...
Buffy: (looks down) Hey,
no big. Water... over the bridge, under the
bridge...
Angel: When I am all I can
ever think about is how badly I want to kiss
you.
Buffy: ...over the dam...
(looks up at him) Kiss me?
Angel: I'm older than you,
and this can't ever... I better go.
Buffy: H-how much older?
Angel: I should...
Buffy: (approaches him)
...go... You said...
They kiss. They kiss again. They kiss passionately. She puts her
arm
around him. The kiss goes on for several moments. Angel suddenly
pulls
back and looks away.
Buffy: What? What is it? What's
wrong?
He turns to face her and growls. She sees he has his game face on
and
screams. He takes a last look at her and jumps out of the window.
He
slides down the roof and off onto the ground. Buffy goes to the
window
and watches him run away. Her mother comes running into the room.
Joyce: Buffy, what
happened?
She backs away from the window. Her mom takes her by the
shoulders. She
looks at her mom and shakes her head.
Buffy: Uh, nothing. I saw
a shadow.
They both look out the window.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2
~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning at Sunnydale High. The team is walking up the
steps
from the street toward the building.
Willow: Angel's a vampire?
Buffy: I can't believe
this is happening. One minute we were kissing,
and the next minute... (to Giles) Can a vampire ever be a good
person?
Couldn't it happen?
Giles: A vampire isn't a
person at all. (clears his throat) It may have
the movements, the, the memories, even the personality of the
person
that it took over, but i-it's still a demon at the core, there is
no
halfway.
Willow: So that'd be a no,
huh?
Buffy: Well, then what was
he doing? Why was he good to me? Was it all
some part of the Master's plan? It doesn't make sense!
They've reached a bench where Willow and Buffy sit.
Xander: Alright, uh...
(sits also) ...you have a problem, and it's not
a small one. Let's take a breath and look at this calmly and
objectively. Angel's a vampire. You're a Slayer. I think it's
obvious
what you have to do. (grins)
Buffy doesn't react, so Xander looks up to Giles for support.
Giles: (crouches down) Uh,
it is a Slayer's duty...
Xander: I-I know you have
feelings for this guy, but it's not like
you're in love with him, right?
Buffy looks away.
Xander: You're in love
with a vampire?! What, are you outta your mind?!
Cordelia: What?!
He looks at Cordelia. She's looking somewhere else, but turns to
him.
Xander: (to Cordelia) Not
vampire... (to Buffy) How could you love an
umpire? Everyone hates 'em!
Cordelia looks back at another girl wearing the same dress she
is.
Cordelia: Where did you
get that dress? (pursues her) This is a one-of-
a-kind Todd Oldham. Do you know how much this dress cost? Is this
a
knockoff? (checks the label) This is a knockoff, isn't it?! Some
cheesy
knockoff! This is exactly what happens when you sign these free
trade
agreements!
The two girls disappear into the building.
Buffy: You think *we* have
problems...
Cut to the hall outside Angel's apartment. He comes through the
door and
goes to his apartment door. He unlocks it and goes in. Cut
inside. There
are a bunch of old books stacked along the wall. He closes the
door and
goes over to turn on a lamp. When he straightens back up he
senses a
presence.
Angel: Who's here?
Darla: A friend.
He quickly faces the voice. Darla comes out of the shadows
wearing a
Catholic schoolgirl uniform.
Darla: Hi. It's been a
while.
Angel: A lifetime.
Darla: Or two, but who's
counting?
Angel: What's with the Catholic
schoolgirl look? Last time I saw you it
was kimonos.
Darla: And last time I saw
you it wasn't high school girls. (flares the
skirt) Don't cha like? (approaches Angel) Remember Budapest? Turn
of the
century? You were such a bad boy during that earthquake.
Angel: You did some damage
yourself.
Darla: Is there anything
better than a natural disaster? (walks away)
The panic. The people lost in the streets. It's like picking
fruit off
the vine. (reaches the bed) Nice! You're living above ground,
like one
of them. You and your new friend are attacking us, like one of
them.
(walks to the window) But guess what, precious? You're not one of
them.
She draws the window blinds open, letting in a stream of
sunlight. Angel
is blinded, and he stumbles backward to get out of the light.
Darla: Are you?
Angel: No. But I'm not
exactly one of you either.
Darla: (walks to the
fridge) Is that what you tell yourself these days?
She opens the refrigerator and sees the bags and bottles of human
blood.
Darla: You're not exactly
living off quiche. (closes the fridge) You
and I both know what you hunger for. (goes over to him) What you
need.
Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's who we are. It's what
makes
eternal life worth living. (smiles and touches him) Mm. You can
only
suppress your real nature for so long. You can feel it brewing
inside of
you. I hope I'm around when it explodes.
Angel: Maybe you don't
wanna be.
Darla: I'm not afraid of
you. I bet she is, though. (starts to leave)
Or maybe I'm underestimating her. Talk to her. Tell her about the
curse.
Maybe she'll come around. And if she still doesn't trust you, you
know
where I'll be.
She exits the apartment, leaving an angry Angel behind.
Cut to the library. Buffy is looking through a book. So are
Willow and
Xander. Giles comes up behind Xander and startles him.
Giles: Here's something at
last.
Xander: Can you please
warn us before you do that?
Giles: There's nothing
about Angel in the texts, but it suddenly
occurred to me that it's been ages since I've read the diaries of
any of
the watchers before me.
Willow: (to Buffy) That
musta been so embarrassing when you thought he
had read your diary, but then it turned out he hadn't, but then
he felt
the same way... (Xander gives her a look) I'm listening.
Giles: There's mention
some two hundred years ago in Ireland of, of
Angelus, the one with the angelic face.
Buffy: They got that
right.
Xander: (clears his
throat) I'm not saying anything, I have nothing to
say.
Giles: Does this, uh,
Angel have, um, a tattoo behind his right
shoulder?
Buffy: Yeah, it's a, it's
a bird or something.
Xander: Now I'm sayin'
something. You saw him naked?
Willow: So, Angel's been
around for a while.
Giles: Not long for a
vampire. Uh, two hundred and forty years or so.
Buffy: Huh! Two hundred
and forty. Well, he said he was older.
Giles: (sits and looks
through the diary) Angelus leaves Ireland, uh,
wreaks havoc in, in Europe for, uh, several decades, and then,
um, about
eighty years ago, the most curious thing happens. He, he comes
to, uh,
to America, um, shuns other vampires, and, and lives alone.
There's,
there's no, no record of him hunting here.
Willow: So he *is* a good
vampire! I mean, on a scale of one to ten,
ten being someone who's killing and maiming every night, and one
being
someone who's... not.
Giles: I say that there's
no record, but, uh, vampires hunt and kill.
It's, it's what they do.
Xander: Fish gotta swim,
birds gotta fly.
Buffy: He could've fed on
me. He didn't.
Xander: Question: a
hundred years or so before he came to our shores,
what was he like then?
Giles: Uh, like all of
them. Uh, a vicious, violent animal.
Cut to the Master's lair.
Darla: Don't think I'm not
grateful, you letting me kill the Three.
Master: How can my
children learn if I do everything for them?
Darla: But you've gotta
let me take care of the Slayer.
Master: Oh! You're giving
me orders now!
Darla: (walks away) Okay,
then, we'll just do nothing while she takes
us out one by one.
Master: Do I sense a plan,
Darla? (she turns around) Share...
Darla: (walks back) Angel
kills her and comes back to the fold.
Master: Angel! He was the
most vicious creature I ever met. I miss him.
Darla: So do I.
Master: (considers) Why
would he kill her if he feels for her?
Darla: To keep her from
killing him.
Master: Hmm. (to Collin)
You see how we all work together for the
common good? That's how a family is supposed to function!
Cut to the school at night.
Willow: Okay, so let's
review.
Cut to the library. Buffy and Willow are studying.
Willow: Reconstruction
began when? (looks up) Buffy?
Buffy: Huh? (comes back to
earth) Oh! Um, reconstruction... Uh,
reconstruction began after the... construction, which was...
shoddy, so
they had to reconstruct.
Willow: After the
destruction of the Civil War.
Buffy: Right. Civil War.
During which Angel was already, like, a
hundred and change...
Willow: Are we gonna talk
about boys, or are we gonna help you pass
history?
Buffy looks up at Willow. She closes the book.
Willow: Sometimes I have
this fantasy that Xander's just gonna grab me
and kiss me right on the lips. (huge smile)
Buffy: You want Xander,
you've gotta speak up, girl!
Willow: No, no, no, no. No
speaking up. That way leads to madness and
sweaty palms.
Darla peeks out from behind the stacks.
Willow: Okay, so here's
something I gotta know. When Angel kissed
you... I mean before he turned into... how was it?
Buffy: (smiles)
Unbelievable!
Darla continues to watch and listen.
Willow: Wow! And it is
kinda novel how he'll stay young and handsome
forever, although you'll still get wrinkly and die, and... Oh, and
what
about the children? (Buffy looks at her) I'll be quiet now.
Buffy: No, it's okay. I
need to hear this. I need to get over him so I
can...
Willow: So that you can...
(makes a stabbing gesture)
Buffy: Like Xander said,
I'm the Slayer, and he's a... vampire. God, I
can't! He's never done anything to hurt me... (collects herself)
Okay,
no, I need to stop thinking about this. Okay, let's give another
half an
hour and maybe something will sink in. And then I'm going home
for some
major moping.
Darla smiles and backs away.
Willow: Okay. The era of
the congressional reconstruction, usually
called radical...
Cut to the Summers house. Cut inside to the kitchen where Joyce
is doing
her taxes and having coffee. She hears creaking on the porch
outside and
gets up to investigate. She looks out the door window and sees
nothing.
She opens the door a bit and still there's nothing. She closes
the door
and heads to the front. Darla looks in, sporting her game face.
Joyce
walks slowly through the living room and hears a knocking on the
door.
She looks out, sees Darla in her human guise and opens the door.
Joyce: Hello?
Darla: Hi! I'm Darla? A
friend of Buffy's?
Joyce: Oh! (exhales) Nice to
meet you.
Darla: (exhales) She
didn't mention anything about me coming over for a
study date, did she?
Joyce: No, I thought she
was studying with Willow at the library.
Darla: She is. Willow's
the Civil War expert, but then I was supposed
to help her with the War of Independence. My family kinda goes
back to
those days.
Joyce: Well, I, I know
she's supposed to be home soon. Would you like
to come in and wait?
Darla: (comes in) It's
very nice of you to invite me into your home.
(smiles)
Joyce: You're welcome.
I've been wrestling with the IRS all night.
Would you like something to eat? (starts to the kitchen)
Darla: (follows) Yes, I
would!
She looks at Joyce's neck. Cut to the kitchen.
Joyce: Let's see what we
have. Do you feel like something little or
something big?
Darla: (vamped out)
Something big!
Cut outside. Angel comes walking up to the house. He almost
knocks, but
then decides to leave. As he goes he hears Joyce scream. He runs
around
to the back door and kicks it in. He sees Darla biting Joyce.
Angel: Let her go!
Darla: I just had a
little, there's plenty more. Aren't you hungry for
something warm after all this time? Come on, Angel. Just say
'Yes'!
She shoves Joyce into Angel's arms so he can see the bite and
smell the
blood. He struggles with himself and looks away from the bite.
Darla
watches with a big smile. Angel looks up at her again with his
game face
on.
Darla: Welcome home!
She walks around them and leaves the house. Angel continues to
struggle
with himself. Buffy comes in from the dining room, and Angel
looks up.
Buffy: Hey! I'm home.
She turns toward him and freezes with fear. Angel bares his fangs
and
growls.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3
~~~~~~~~~~
The Summers house. Cut to the living room window. Angel flies
through it
and tumbles over the porch, through the bushes and onto the lawn.
Buffy
comes over to the broken window and looks out at him as he gets
up.
Buffy: You're not welcome
here. You come near us and I'll kill you.
Angel just looks at her. She goes back inside. He turns to leave.
Cut inside. Buffy grabs the phone, dials 911 and goes over to
kneel by
her mother.
Buffy: Mom! Mom, can you
hear me?! (the operator answers) Yes, I need
an ambulance, 1630 Revello Drive! My mother cut herself, she lost
a lot
of blood! Please, please hurry! (drops the phone) Mom!
Xander: Hey, Buffy!
She looks up to see Xander and Willow come in through the kitchen
door.
Xander: Oh, my God!
Willow: What happened?!
Buffy: Angel!
Cut to the hospital. Giles rushes down the corridor trying to
find
Joyce's room.
Buffy: Do you remember
anything, Mom?
Cut inside the room.
Joyce: Just, um, your
friend came over... I was gonna make a snack...
Buffy: (misunderstands) My
friend?
Giles comes in.
Joyce: I guess I slipped
and cut my neck on... The doctor said it
looked like a barbecue fork. (looks at Buffy) We don't have a
barbecue
fork. (looks at Giles) Are you another doctor?
Buffy: (looks to see) Oh!
Um... No, Mom, this is Mr. Giles.
Joyce: Oh, the librarian
from your school! (confused) What's he doing
here?
Giles: Uh, I-I just came
to pay my respects, wish you a speedy
recovery.
Joyce: Boy, the teachers
really *do* care in this town.
Buffy: Get some rest now.
She gives her mom a kiss, and they all go outside the room. Cut
to the
hall.
Buffy: She's gonna be
okay. They, they gave her some iron... Her, uh,
blood count was a, a little...
Giles: ...a little low. It
presents itself like mild anemia. Uh, you,
you were, uh, lucky you got to her as soon as you did.
Buffy: Lucky? Stupid.
Xander: Buff, it's not
your fault.
Buffy: No? I invited him
into my home. Even after I knew who he was,
what he was, and I didn't do anything about it... 'cause I had
feelings
for him, because I cared about him.
Willow: If you care about
somebody you care about them. You can't
change that by...
Buffy: ...killing them?
Maybe not. But I think it's a start. (starts to
leave)
Xander: Uh, we'll keep an
eye on your mom.
Giles: (chases after her)
Buffy! (blocks her way)
Buffy: You can't stop me.
The Three found me near the Bronze and so did
he. He lives nearby.
Giles: This is no ordinary
vampire. (whispers) If there is such a
thing. Now, he knows you, he, he's faced the Three! I think this
is
gonna take more than a simple stake.
Buffy: So do I.
Cut to the armory in the library. Buffy loads the crossbow with bolts.
Darla: She's out hunting
you right now.
Cut to Angel's apartment.
Darla: She wants to kill
you.
Angel: Leave me alone.
Darla: What did you think?
Did you think she would understand? That she
would look at your face... your true face... and give you a kiss?
Cut to Buffy in the library. She takes a practice shot at an
anti-
smoking poster and nails the guy in the heart.
Darla: For a hundred years
you've not (Buffy lowers the bow) had a
moment's peace because you will not (cut to the apartment) accept
who
you are. That's all you have to do. Accept it. Don't let her hunt
you
down. Don't whimper and mewl like a mangy human. Kill! Feed!
Live!
She has pushed Angel to the limit. He jumps up and shoves her
against
the wall with her arms pinned up.
Angel: Alright!
Darla: What do you want?
Angel: I want it finished!
Darla: That's good. You're
hurting me. (smiles) That's good, too.
Cut to outside the Bronze. Buffy has the crossbow held ready. She
comes
through a hole in a fence and goes toward the entrance. She hears
glass
breaking above her and turns to the noise. She looks around as
she goes
to the wall where there's a ladder. She starts to climb.
Joyce: She talks about you
all the time.
Cut to the hospital room.
Joyce: It's important to
have teachers who make an impression.
Giles: She makes quite an
impression herself.
Joyce: I-I know she's
having trouble with history. I-is it too
difficult for her or is she not applying herself?
Giles: She lives very much
in the 'now', um, and, uh, history, of
course, is, is very much about the, uh... the 'then'. B-b-but
there's no
reason...
Joyce: She's studying with
Willow, she's studying with Darla, I-I mean,
she is trying.
Giles: Darla? I-I-I don't
believe I know, uh...
Joyce: Her friend, the one
who came over tonight.
Giles: Darla came to your
house tonight? Sh-she's the friend that you
mentioned earlier?
Joyce: Poor thing, I
must've frightened her half to death when I
fainted. Someone should really check and make sure she's alright.
Giles: (gets up) Yes,
someone should, right away. I'll do it. (grabs
his coat and leaves)
Joyce: That school is
amazing!
Cut to the hall. He walks with Willow and Xander.
Giles: We have a problem.
Cut to the Bronze. Buffy comes down the stairs. When she gets to
the
bottom she quickly turns to have a look around. Angel backs into
the
shadows. Buffy hears a noise and pivots toward it.
Buffy: I know you're
there. And I know what you are.
Angel: Do you?
She faces his voice.
Angel: I'm just an animal,
right?
Buffy: You're not an
animal. Animals I like.
She keeps looking around her. He growls and comes out of the
shadows to
face her. She trains the crossbow on him.
Angel: Let's get it done!
He growls and begins to run. He jumps onto a pool table. Buffy
follows
him with her aim and shoots, but misses. Angel jumps up onto the
catwalk
above. Buffy can't see him in the shadows. He swings down and
kicks her
in the back, knocking her onto a pool table. She does a standing
back
kick at him behind her and sends him into the wall. She runs
around the
table and dives for the crossbow. She rolls onto her back and
takes aim
at him. He slowly gets up and growls.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 4
~~~~~~~~~~
The Bronze. Angel is in his game face and Buffy has her crossbow
trained
on him. Angel morphs back into his human form.
Angel: C'mon! Don't go
soft on me now!
Buffy launches the bolt. It hits the wall next to him.
Angel: Little wide.
Buffy: Why? (gets up) Why
didn't you just attack me when you had the
chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then... I've
killed a
lot of vampires. I've never hated one before.
Angel: Feels good, doesn't
it? Feels simple.
Buffy: I invited you into
my home and then you attacked my family!
Angel: Why not? I killed
mine. I killed their friends... and their
friend's children... For a hundred years I offered ugly death to
everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart.
Buffy: What changed?
Angel: Fed on a girl about
your age... beautiful... dumb as a post...
but a favorite among her clan.
Buffy: Her clan?
Angel: Romany. Gypsies.
The elders conjured the perfect punishment for
me. They restored my soul.
Buffy: What, they were all
out of boils and blinding torment?
Angel: When you become a
vampire the demon takes your body, but it
doesn't get your soul. That's gone! No conscience, no remorse...
It's an
easy way to live. You have no idea what it's like to have done
the
things I've done... and to care. I haven't fed on a living human
being
since that day.
Buffy: So you started with
my mom?
Angel: I didn't bite her.
Buffy: Then why didn't you
say something?
Angel: But I wanted to. I
can walk like a man, but I'm not one. I
wanted to kill you tonight.
Buffy looks at her bow and back at Angel. She puts the bow down
on the
floor and approaches him. She offers her neck.
Buffy: Go ahead.
He just looks at her in silence.
Buffy: Not as easy as it
looks.
Darla: Sure it is!
They turn toward the voice and see Darla coming out of the
shadows.
Cut outside. Giles, Willow and Xander are walking down a street.
Willow: We're near the
Bronze. What now?
Giles: Keep looking for
her.
Xander: I have a question:
what if we find her and she's fighting Angel
and some of his friends? What the heck are we gonna do about it?
Cut to the Bronze.
Darla: Do you know what
the saddest thing in the world is?
Buffy: Bad hair on top of
that outfit?
Darla: To love someone who
used to love you.
Buffy: (looks at Angel)
You guys were involved?
Darla: For several
generations.
Buffy: Well, you been
around since Columbus, you are bound to pile up a
few ex's. You're older than him, right? Just between us girls,
you are
looking a little worn around the eyes.
Darla: (smiles) I made
him. There was a time when we shared everything,
wasn't there Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to rule with
me in
the Master's court for a thousand years, but you threw that away
because
of her. You love someone who hates us. You're sick. And you'll
always be
sick. And you'll always remember what it was like to watch her
die.
(smiles) You don't think I came alone, do you?
Buffy: I know I didn't.
She kicks the bow up into her hands and aims it at Darla.
Darla: Hmm, scary.
She produces two pistols from behind her back, one in each hand.
Darla: Scarier!
She shoots Angel. He staggers back onto a post.
Darla: Oh, don't worry.
Bullets can't kill vampires. Can hurt them like
hell, but... (giggles)
Buffy retreats. Darla starts shooting at her. Buffy does a diving
shoulder roll over a pool table and takes cover behind it. Cut
outside.
Giles,
Xander: Did you just
hear...
They run to find a way in. Cut inside. Buffy reloads the
crossbow.
Darla: So many body parts,
so few bullets. Let's begin with the
kneecaps. No fun dancing without them.
She caps off a few more rounds, and the pool table takes a few
hits.
Buffy pops up with the crossbow and takes a shot at Darla. She
doubles
over when it hits her in the abdomen. Buffy watches as she
straightens
back up again.
Darla: Close, but no
heart.
She grabs the bolt, pulls it out and tosses it aside. Cut to
Giles,
Xander: We need to
distract her, fast!
was Darla!
Darla turns toward the voice and lets loose a hail of bullets as
they
hug the floor for cover. Angel pulls the bolt from the wall.
Darla turns
her attention back on Buffy and hops up onto the pool table.
Buffy jumps
up, grabs the edge of the table and pulls, knocking Darla onto
her back.
She pushes the table away and starts to run for cover. Darla
fires off a
few rounds as she rides the table across the floor. Buffy leaps
for
cover over a glass case in a dive roll as bullets break it all
around
her. The pool table has stopped sliding, and Darla gets up to
look for
Buffy. She hops off of it and advances on the counter while
shooting.
Giles gets up and messes with the lighting system controls. The
strobes
come on. Darla looks up at him and stops shooting. Buffy takes
the
opportunity to change position. Darla sees her move and lets
loose
another volley.
Darla: C'mon, Buffy. Take
it like a man!
Angel comes up behind her, roars and plunges the bolt into her
back. She
is surprised and cries out in pain. She turns to look at her
attacker.
Darla: Angel?
She falls to the floor and bursts into ashes. Buffy rises up to
see.
Angel looks up from Darla's ashes at Buffy. She comes out from
behind
the counter. He looks at her a moment longer and then turns and
leaves.
Buffy is speechless and just watches him go.
Cut to the Master's lair. He screams as he wields a tall
candleholder
and smashes it in anger. He flails out with his arms and knocks
other
things over. Finally he sinks to the ground in grief. Collin
comes over
to him.
Collin: Forget her.
Master: (looks up angrily)
How dare you? She was my favorite. For four
hundred years...
Collin: She was weak. You
don't need her. I'll bring you the Slayer.
Master: (despondently) But
to lose her to Angel! He was to have sat at
my right hand, come the day. And now...
Collin: They're all
against you. But soon you shall rise. And when you
do... (puts a hand on the Master's shoulder) ...we kill them all.
The Master smiles at him and gets up. Collin takes his hand and
leads
him away.
Cut to later at the Bronze.
Xander: Ah, the
post-fumigation party.
Buffy: Okay, so what's the
difference between this and the pre-
fumigation party?
Xander: Much hardier
cockroaches.
Buffy: Nah. It's weird,
though. In his way I feel like he's still
watching me.
Willow: Well, in a way he
sort of is. In the way of that he's right
over there.
Buffy looks over where Willow is looking and sees Angel. She
briefly
looks back at Willow and then heads over to him.
Xander: I don't need to
watch because I'm not threatened. Just gonna
look this way.
He and Willow sit at a table with him facing away from Buffy and
Angel.
Willow watches as Buffy makes her way over to Angel. The crowd is
slow
dancing to "I'll remember you", by Sophie Zelmani.
Lyrics: Did they know what
they wanted / The times they kissed me? /
And your hands / I held in mine
Buffy and Angel reach each other.
Angel: I just wanted to
see if you were okay. And your mother.
Buffy: We're both good.
You?
Angel: If I can go a
little while without getting shot or stabbed I'll
be alright. Look, this can't...
Buffy: ...ever be
anything. I know. For one thing, you're, like, two
hundred and twenty-four years older than I am.
Angel: I just gotta... I
gotta walk away from this.
Buffy: (nods) I know. Me,
too. (whispers) One of us has to go here.
Angel: (whispers) I know.
They look at each other a moment longer and then close in to
kiss. Their
kiss becomes passionate. Buffy reaches her hands up to Angel's
neck.
Lyrics: Your eyes / That
always make me shiver / Now they are closed /
They just sometimes twitch a little
Cut to Willow and Xander.
Xander: What's going on?
Willow: Nothin'...
Xander: Well, as long as
they're not kissing.
Willow just watches and says nothing. Cut to Angel and Buffy.
Lyrics: And your body / I
could hold for an hour / It sent me to Heaven
/ With its heat and power
They separate.
Buffy: You okay?
Angel: It's just...
Buffy: ...painful. I know.
See you around?
Lyrics: I'll remember you
/ You will be there in my heart / I'll
remember you / And that is all that I can do / But I'll remember
Buffy walks away. Angel watches her go. The camera pans down to
his
chest where her cross has left a deep burn.