The Dark Age
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.
walking past a school building at a brisk, determined pace. He
stops for
a moment and looks around. Behind him to his left a door opens,
and a
school custodian comes out with a trashcan.
Custodian: Can I help you?
Philip: Rupert Giles! I
need to see him!
Custodian: Mr. Giles, uh,
he's our librarian. Next building over, first
door on your left.
Philip rushes off without a word of thanks.
Custodian: (sarcastically)
You're welcome. (dumps the trash)
Philip continues at his brisk pace and finds the outside library
door.
He continues toward it, but stops in his tracks when he hears a
twig
being crushed behind him and turns to look. He hears a moan, but
sees
nothing and checks the other way again. Behind him he hears
breathing
and turns back again, and sees a woman in the shadows.
Philip: Oh, God!
Slowly she walks into the light. She is dead and rotting. Her eyes
flash
yellow briefly.
Philip: Diedre?
Diedre: Philip.
Philip quickly backs up and doesn't see the curb behind him. He
trips
over it and falls, dropping his briefcase. He scrambles to his
feet and
runs to the library door. He pounds on it and yanks at the
doorknob, but
it's locked.
Philip: Help! Help!
Somebody, please!
Diedre slowly advances on him.
Philip: (to himself) God,
no! (loud) Help!
Cut inside. Buffy is doing step aerobics to a techno beat. Giles
is
sitting at the table with his hands to his ears, not relishing the
music. He raises his head.
Giles: (loudly over the
music) Must we have this noise during your
calisthenics?
Buffy: It's not noise! It's
music!
Giles: I know music. Music
has notes. This is noise.
Buffy: I'm aerobicising! I
must have a beat!
Giles: (under the music)
Wonderful. You work on your muscle tone while
my brain dribbles out of my ears.
Cut outside. Philip is still pounding on the door.
Philip: Help! Help! Please!
Diedre continues to advance on him.
Philip: Help me, somebody,
please!
Diedre has closed the gap. Philip turns to face her with horror in
his
eyes. She puts her hands up to the door on either side of him to
prevent
his escape. He trembles with fear as she moves her hands onto his
neck
and begins to choke him.
Cut inside. Buffy has finished her aerobics. She strolls to the
table
and turns off her boom box.
Giles: Ahhh! Very good. And
the rest is silence.
Cut outside. Philip falls from Diedre's grip, dead. A moment later
Diedre collapses next to him. After she hits the pavement she
disintegrates into a puddle of slime. The puddle spreads out and
into
Philip.
Opening credits roll. Buffy's theme plays.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1 ~~~~~~~~~~
A nightmare. Giles is flashing back to his youth. He has visions
of
rituals and tattooing.
Young Giles: Time to go to
sleep! (screams)
A vision of a demon. Cut to Giles' bedroom. He wakes with a start.
He
looks around as he sits up in bed, concerned but relieved to find
it was
only a nightmare.
Cut to school. The camera pans down from above a tree to Buffy and
Buffy: I'm on a beach, but
not one of those American beaches, one of
those island beaches where the water's way too blue, and I'm
laying on
my towel, and it's just before sunset, and Gavin Rossdale's
massaging my
feet!
scooter that's parked outside, and I'm in a little restaurant
eating
ziti, and there are no more tables left, so they have to seat this
guy
with me, and it's John Cusack!
Buffy: Ooo! Very
impressive. You have such an eye for detail.
Xander: (shows up) What are
you two up to?
Buffy: Just having a quick
game of 'Anywhere But Here'.
Xander: Ooohhh. Amy Yip at
the waterslide park.
Xander: I'm just not fickle
like you two, okay? I'm constant in my
affections. Amy Yip at the waterslide park!
when he was in school?
They see him coming toward them.
Xander: Giles lived for
school. He's actually still bitter that there
are only twelve grades.
Buffy: He probably sat in
math class thinking, 'There should be more
math. This could be mathier.'
Buffy: Are you kidding? His
diapers were tweed.
Xander chuckles. Buffy sees Giles about to walk by and calls out
to him.
Buffy: Giles!
Giles: (turns and sees
them) Oh! There you are. (comes over)
Buffy: Hey, morning. Say,
is that tweed? (stares at his jacket)
Giles: (preoccupied) What?
Oh, uh, yes. Um, now, uh, look, tonight is
very important, um... (heads inside)
Buffy: (follows) Now,
that's a surprise.
Cut to the halls. They follow Giles to the library.
Buffy: So, what's on tap
tonight that's so important? Uprising,
prophesied ritual, preordained deathfest?
Xander: Ah, the old
standards!
Giles: Um, a medical
transport is delivering the monthly supply of
blood to the hospital.
Buffy: Mm. Vampire
Meals-On-Wheels. (stops at her locker)
Giles: Hopefully not. Uh,
we'll meet outside the hospital at 8:30
sharp. I'll bring the weaponry.
Buffy: I'll bring the party
mix!
Giles: Just don't be late.
Buffy: Have I ever let you
down?
Giles: Do you want me to
answer that, or shall I just glare?
Jenny: (finds them)
Morning, England.
Giles: Oh, hello, Ms., uh,
uh, tuh, Jenny.
Willow: (to Xander,
smiling) Feel the passion!
Xander: (smiles back)
Mm-hm!
Jenny: Willow...
Willow: (coughs) Coughing,
not speaking. (coughs more)
Jenny: (to Willow) We still
on for tomorrow?
Willow smiles and nods.
Xander: What's tomorrow?
Jenny: I'm reviewing some
computer basics for the couple of students
who've fallen behind. Willow's helping out for extra credit.
Xander: (chuckles) Those
poor schlubs have to attend school on
Saturday! (smiles)
Jenny: 9am okay with you,
Xander?
Xander's smile fades. Willow bobs her head in amusement.
Buffy: Got a bit of schlub
on your shoe there.
Xander: Heh, heh.
Jenny: Well, Cordelia's
gonna meet us.
Xander: (dripping with
sarcasm) Ooo, gang, did ya hear that? A bonus
day of class plus Cordelia! Mix in a little rectal surgery, and
it's my
best day ever!
Jenny: (to Giles) Walk me
to class?
Giles: (a smile on his
face) Pleasure.
Jenny and Giles head for her class. The others watch them go.
Buffy: Look at them.
Xander: A twosome of
cuteness.
Willow: Can't you just
imagine them getting together?
Their expressions all change to ones of being grossed out. Cut to
Giles
and Jenny walking.
Jenny: Oh! Thank you so
much for loaning me the Forrester book. It's
wonderful!
Giles: Well, I'm glad you
enjoyed it!
Jenny: Yeah, it was so
romantic, so evocative.
Giles: That edition was my
father's. I, I, I must've read it... twenty
times.
Jenny: Yeah, y'know how you
have to, to dog-ear your favorite pages so
you can go back to them?
Giles: Uh, uh, uh, what?
Jenny: Well, I mean, I-I
practically had to fold back every single
page. So finally I just, I just started underlining all the pages
I
really wanted to discuss.
Giles: U-u-underlined...?
Jenny: But then, of course,
I spilled coffee all over it, I can't even
read it...
Giles: (can't believe it)
It's a first edition!
Jenny: I'm lying, Rupert.
(smiles) The book's fine. (holds it up) I
just love to see you squirm. (hands him the book)
Giles: (smiles in relief)
Yes, well, I, uh... trust I gave good...
squirm.
Jenny: Did anyone ever tell
you you're kind of a fuddy-duddy?
Giles: Nobody ever seems to
tell me anything else.
Jenny: Did anyone ever tell
you you're kind of a sexy fuddy-duddy?
Giles: Well, no. Actually
that, that part usually gets left out.
(smiles) I c-can't imagine why.
Jenny: This weekend.
Giles: Would you like to go
out?
Jenny: Mm, no, I think I'd
like to stay in.
They draw together for a kiss as the bell rings. They touch lips,
but
break it off as students begin pouring into the halls.
Giles: Uh, this, (clears
his throat) Saturday, then.
Jenny: Saturday night.
(clears her throat) I'll see if I can make you
squirm.
They look at each other for a moment before Giles heads off to his
library.
Cut to the library. Giles walks in to discover a detective and two
police officers there.
Det. Winslow: Rupert Giles?
Giles: Yes?
Det. Winslow: Detective
Winslow. You're gonna have to come with me.
Giles: Why?
Det. Winslow: There was a
homicide on campus last night. The victim had
no identification, but he was carrying this slip of paper with
your name
and address on it. (holds up the slip in a baggie)
Giles: (sets down his
briefcase) My name?
Cordelia walks into the library.
Cordelia: Well, evil just
compounds evil, doesn't it? First I'm
sentenced to a computer tutorial on Saturday, now I have to read
some
computer book... There are books on computers? Isn't the point of
computers to replace books?
Giles: (cuts her off) Cordelia,
I'm a little busy right now. (points
out the detective)
Cordelia: Oh! Great! (steps
up to Det. Winslow) Can you help me with a
ticket? It's totally bogus. It was a one-way street. I was going
one
way.
Giles: (raised voice)
Cordelia!
Cordelia: What?! Why does
everyone always yell my name? I'm not deaf!
And I can take a hint. (unsure) What's the hint?
Giles: To come back later.
Cordelia: Yeah, when you've
visited decaf land. (leaves)
Giles: (to Det. Winslow)
Where do you want me to go?
Cut to the city morgue. The coroner opens one of the body storage
doors
and pulls out the drawer.
Attendant: Have you had
your breakfast?
Giles: No.
Attendant: That was
probably a good idea.
He pulls back the sheet to reveal Philip's body. It's bruised all
over,
with two especially dark bruises on the throat. Giles looks down
at him
in recognition.
Det. Winslow: Do you know
him?
Giles: (whispers) Yes. Yes.
I-I mean, I did. His name's Philip Henry.
He was a friend of mine in London. I... I haven't spoken to him in
twenty years.
Det. Winslow: Can you think
of any reason why he might've wanted to
contact you?
Giles: No.
He sees the tattoo on Philip's right arm near the inside elbow.
Det. Winslow: Do you know
what that is? The tattoo.
Giles: (lies) No. No, I
don't.
Cut to the hospital ER entrance that night. Buffy is waiting on
Giles.
Buffy: (exhales) 'Don't be
late.' Sheesh.
She walks over to a pay phone to try calling, but stops when she
sees
the blood van pull up. The driver gets out with his clipboard as
two ER
doctors come out to meet him.
Driver: Hey, fellas.
Doctor: Hey.
Buffy: All's well that ends
with cute ER doctors, I always say.
She watches them go to the back of the van and get out the
insulated
container. They start back with the driver, and he gets back into
the
van. Buffy realizes something's wrong.
Buffy: Since when do
doctors take deliveries?
The van backs out of the ambulance slot. The doctors wave to the
driver.
Doctor: See ya.
The van drives off, and behind it a car engine starts and a pair
of
headlights come on. The old convertible pulls up into the light as
the
doctors set the container down. One of them opens the lid, takes
out a
bag of blood and begins to suck on it. The driver of the car gets
out.
Driver: Hey! No sampling
the product!
The doctor vampire hisses, but puts the bag back down and drops
the lid
closed. Buffy runs to attack. She kicks the first doctor vampire
down,
then the second, and does a roundhouse kick to the driver's face.
The
first one gets up, and she tries kicking him again, but he grabs
her leg
and throws her onto the hood of the car. She scissor kicks him in
the
neck, and he staggers away and falls. A fourth vampire runs up as
Buffy
gets up and takes out a stake. She turns to attack him.
Buffy: Angel!
Angel: Buffy! Look out!
He jumps up onto the car's hood and leaps off to tackle the driver
vampire coming at her from behind. Angel punches him in the face,
but he
stays up. The second vampire jumps up onto the hood and swings at
Buffy.
She ducks the punch and jabs him in the chest. The first vampire
jumps
up on the hood, too, and Buffy knocks him back off with a punch to
the
face. She punches the second one in the face, too, and he falls
down on
the hood on his back. She jumps off of the car and thrusts her
stake
into the first vampire as he tries to get back up. The second one
is off
the car again and grabs her by the shirt from behind. She swings
around
with the stake and gets him in the chest also. Angel, in the mean
time,
roundhouse kicks the driver and sends him spinning into the car.
The
vampire quickly sits up in the driver's seat and floors it as
Angel
tries to chase him. The car races off, leaving Angel and the blood
behind. Buffy opens the lid to check on it.
Buffy: How did you know
about this?
Angel: It's delivery day.
Everybody knows about this. They only ruined
one bag.
Buffy stands up and looks after the car, which is long gone. Angel
kicks
the lid back closed.
Buffy: Do you think you
could make sure the hospital gets the rest?
She realizes whom she's just asked to do that and raises her
eyebrows at
him. Angel just nods, not insulted by the query.
Buffy: Thanks. I'm worried
about Giles. He was supposed to meet me
here.
Angel: Maybe he's late.
Buffy: Giles? Who counts
tardiness as, like, the eighth deadly sin?
Angel: Right. Go.
She gives him a final look and hurries off.
Cut to Giles' apartment building. Buffy walks to his door and
knocks.
Giles opens the viewport and looks out at her, then opens the
door.
Giles: Buffy. I-it's late.
Uh, are you alright?
Buffy: I was gonna ask you
the same thing.
Giles: Yes, I'm fine, fine.
Look, I'm, uh, I'm rather busy a-at the
moment, so, uh, I'll see you on Monday at, at school.
He starts to close the door. Buffy holds it open with her hand.
Buffy: Giles, did you
forget? The hospital, vampires, handy carryout
packets of blood?
Giles: Oh! Yes, uh, are you
alright? W-were you hurt?
Buffy: No. I mean, my
feelings a little. What's wrong?
Giles: Nothing, nothing,
nothing's wrong. I-I'm just in the, uh, middle
of something extremely important, and, uh, I'm sorry, but I'm
gonna have
to say good night now.
He closes the door in her face, leaving her confused and taken
aback.
She can hear Giles on the phone, but leaves him alone to his work.
Cut
inside.
Giles: Yes, I'm, I'm sorry
to disturb you. It's, uh... I-I realize
it's, uh, five in the morning there, um... Uh, I-I'm trying to
reach
Diedre Page. My name is Rupert Giles, uh, uh, she knows me. It's,
it's
very important. (listens to the bad news) I'm terribly sorry. I...
I-I
didn't know. W-when did she, uh, pass away? (listens more) Ohhhh.
That
recently. (sits at his desk) Um, yes, yes, um, we were friends
when we
were young. My condolences.
He hangs up the phone and stares off into space with his fingers
to his
lips while he considers and remembers. He takes off his glasses
and
reaches for his drink. The bottle next to it is in almost half
empty
already. He gulps the rest from the glass and sets it back down.
He
thinks another moment before grabbing his pen and crossing
Diedre's name
off of a list of five names: Thomas Sutcliff, Philip Henry, Diedre
Page,
Ethan Rayne, Rupert Giles. He gets up and goes into his bathroom
to the
sink in front of the mirror. He rolls up his sleeves, and on his
left
arm just above the inside elbow is the same tattoo that Philip
had. He
reaches into the sink full of water, cups his hands and splashes
some on
his face. He looks up at himself in the mirror.
Giles: So. You're back.
Cut to the city morgue. The camera slowly closes on the body
storage
drawers. Cut inside Philip's drawer. He reaches up and pulls the
sheet
off of his face. His eyes glow yellow.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2 ~~~~~~~~~~
The city morgue. The morgue attendant is going through some
paperwork
and checking on bodies. He opens one storage bay, checks the toe
tag,
and closes it. He does the same for the next one. Then he opens
Philip's, and discovers him missing. Suddenly a body bag comes
down over
his head. He tries to struggle, but Philip is too strong for him.
Philip
forces him into the storage bay and slams the door shut. He slowly
starts to make his way out of the morgue.
Cut to the hall at Sunnydale High. Jenny, Xander, Willow and
Cordelia
head for the computer classroom.
Cordelia: This isn't right.
School on a Saturday. It throws off my
internal clock.
Xander: When are we gonna
need computers for real life anyway?
Jenny: Hmm, let's see.
There's home, school, work, games... (unlocks
the classroom door)
Xander: Y'know, computers
are on the way out. I think paper's gonna
make a big comeback.
Willow: And the abacus.
Xander: Yeah, you know, you
don't see enough abaci.
They all go into the room. Willow, Xander and Cordelia each take a
seat
in front of a PC. Cordelia takes the one next to Xander.
Jenny: Alright, guys. The
first thing we're gonna do is... Buffy!
Buffy follows Jenny into the room.
Xander: Huh? Did I fall
asleep already?
Willow: Aw, you miss your
friends?
Xander: Uh, sit here,
Buffs! (stands up) Demilitarize the zone between
me and Cordelia!
Cordelia: Yeah, and delouse
him while you're at it.
Buffy: (to Jenny) Actually
I wanted to talk to you for a second?
Jenny: Something wrong?
Xander: Is there some
crisis that requires instant action? Very far
from here?
Buffy: It's Giles.
Jenny: Well, he's alright,
isn't he?
Buffy: I don't know. Uh, he
didn't show up when he was supposed to last
night, and then, when I went over to his place, he was acting...
well,
very anti-Giles. He wouldn't let me in, and he looked really bad.
I-I
think he might've been... (doesn't want to believe it) I think he
was
drinking.
Jenny: He was home alone
drinking?
Willow: But... tea, right?
Buffy: Wasn't tea, Will.
Xander: Yep, yep, I knew
this would happen. Nobody can be wound as
straight and narrow as Giles without a dark side erupting. My
Uncle
Roary was the stodgiest taxidermist you've ever met by day. By
night,
it was booze, whores, and fur flying. Were there whores?
Buffy: He was alone.
Xander: Give it time.
Buffy: So, none of you guys
have noticed anything different lately?
Willow: No!
Jenny: Not really.
Buffy: Uh, you haven't seen
anything weird?
Xander: Nope.
Cordelia: No, he seemed
perfectly normal yesterday when I saw him
talking to the police.
Everyone stares at her.
Buffy: And you waited till
now to tell us this because...?
Cordelia: I didn't think it
was important.
Xander: We understand. It
wasn't about you.
Jenny: Well, what were the
police talking to him about?
Cordelia: Oh, don't tell
me, I know this one. Um... (thinks) Something
about... a homicide.
Buffy: That's it. I-I'm
calling him right now.
She goes to find a phone. Jenny rubs her head with worry.
Cut to the library. Buffy heads for Giles' office when she hears
something in the stacks and stops in her tracks to look. She sees
a
shadow move across one of the bookcases in the anteroom. She goes
up the
stairs and through the French doors. Slowly she walks down the
main
aisle, looking around and down each side aisle. As she passes one
a man
watches her search. Buffy keeps looking. He sees her through a gap
in
the books and puts his hands against the bookcase to push it over
onto
her. She looks up and sees it's Ethan, and dashes away just in
time to
avoid being crushed under the bookcase. Ethan tries to make his
escape,
but he's limping heavily and can't run. She grabs him by the arm
and
turns him around.
Buffy: I know you! You were
in that costume shop.
Ethan: Oh, I'm pleased you
remember. (tries to go)
Buffy: (stops him) You sold
me that dress for Halloween, and nearly got
us all killed!
Ethan: But you looked
great.
She punches him squarely in the jaw.
Ethan: Owww! (straightens
back up holding his jaw) So now we're even?
Buffy: I'll let you know
when we're even. What're you doing here?
Ethan: Snooping around.
Buffy: Honesty. Nice touch.
Ethan: It's one of my
virtues. (smiles) Not really.
Buffy: I've got a great
idea: why don't I just call the police and have
you arrested for breaking and entering, and then I can get back to
my
fun Saturday?
Ethan: Yes, the police.
Well, they'll have all those questions, and
they'll really need Rupert to answer them all.
Buffy: You know Giles.
Ethan: We go back. Way
back. You don't happen to know where he is, do
you?
Cut to Giles' nightmare. The tattoo on his arm. Visions of a
demon, of
Diedre in her rotted state, of eyes glowing yellow. His phone
rings. Cut
to his apartment. He stirs at his desk and fumbles with the phone,
managing to pick up the receiver.
Giles: Hello.
Buffy: (cut to her) Giles,
it's me.
Giles: (cut to him)
(exhales) Buffy, u-unless this is an emergency,
I'll see you on Monday.
Buffy: (cut to her) What's
the Mark of Eyghon?
Cut to Giles. He is surprised to hear those words from her. Cut to
the
library.
Buffy: Giles?
Ethan: Cat got his tongue?
Buffy: I'm in your office
with someone who claims to be an old friend
of yours. (cut to Giles) Ethan Rayne?
Giles: He's there with you?
Listen, Buffy, you're... you're in grave
danger while Ethan's there. I want you to (cut to Buffy) put the
phone
down and get out of the library as soon as possible.
Buffy: I'm not going
anywhere until you give me some answers!
Philip comes crashing through a window in Giles' office. Ethan
steps
behind Buffy and holds her in front of him.
Giles: Buffy?
Cut to Giles' apartment. He grabs his glasses and runs from his
apartment. Cut to the library. Philip comes out of Giles' office
and
straight for Buffy. She kicks him in the chest and rolls over the
counter. He comes through the door and at her again. Ethan climbs
over
the counter, too.
Philip: Ethan!
Xander comes in, followed by the others.
Buffy: Don't let him get
away!
Xander pushes Ethan up against the counter, but gets pushed aside.
The
doors are held wide open by the women, and Ethan tries to make his
escape past them, but Cordelia knees him in the crotch and he
collapses.
Buffy looks around for what to do with Philip and spots the open
cage
door. She backs toward it, then turns and makes like she's running
in.
Philip hurries to follow, but she sidesteps the door and kicks him
into
the cage as he runs by. She slams the door shut and locks it.
Ethan is
still lying in pain on the floor.
Dissolve to later. Ethan is sitting in a chair at the table being
watched by Buffy. The others observe Philip. Willow has seen
enough
and goes over to Buffy.
Willow: I'm not gonna get
close enough to feel his pulse, but... he
looks dead.
Xander: Except for the
walking and attacking Buffy part.
Ethan: He's dead. Sorry,
Philip. Really I am.
Giles barges into the library.
Giles: Is everyone alright?
Cordelia: Super! (proud of
herself) I kicked a guy!
Jenny: We're okay.
Xander: Deadguy here
interrupted our tutorial. (to Philip) Been meaning
to thank you for that.
Philip jumps at him, and Xander backs off. Giles walks over to
have a
look at Philip.
Giles: It can't be!
Ethan: Yes, it can. (Giles
turns to him) Hello, Ripper.
Giles: I thought I told you
to leave town.
Ethan: You did. I didn't.
(Giles approaches him) Shop's lease is paid
till the end of the month.
Cordelia: (to Xander) Uh,
why did he call him Ripper?
Giles grabs Ethan by the hair on the back of his neck and lifts
him out
of his chair.
Giles: You should've left
when I told you.
Cordelia: Ohhhh...
Buffy: Giles?!
Giles: You put these people
in danger. The people I care about.
Ethan: If you cared so much
about them, why didn't *you* leave town?
(pushes Giles' arm away) You've been having the dreams, I know. I
have.
We both know what's coming.
Buffy: What dreams?! What
is going on here?!
Ethan: Tell her, Ripper.
Buffy: Giles...
Philip breaks the cage door and throws it open into Jenny,
knocking her
out. Xander quickly moves away and pushes Cordelia with him.
Giles: JENNY!
He scrambles to her aid. Buffy gets between Ethan and Philip and
kicks
him in the chest three times, forcing him back against the cage.
He
slides down to the floor, but gets back up and comes for Buffy
again.
Before he can reach her, his eyes go wide, he begins to convulse
and he
collapses to the floor next to Jenny. He disintegrates into a
puddle of
slime. It begins to spread out. Everyone stares.
Willow: Now, there's
something you don't see everyday.
Cordelia: I'm gonna be in
therapy till I'm thirty.
Buffy: (looks around)
Where's Ethan? (runs off) Where'd he go?
The slime oozes its way to Jenny, and her hand stirs when it makes
contact. She regains consciousness, and Giles helps her sit up.
Giles: Are you alright,
Jenny?
Jenny: Ow! (cradles her
head in her hand)
Giles: Careful!
Jenny: Ohhh...
Giles: Can you stand?
(helps her up)
Jenny: I think so.
Cordelia: This is what
happens when you have school on Saturday.
Xander gives her a look.
Jenny: (unsteady) Mm.
Giles: Lean on me. (pulls
her close) It'll be alright.
Jenny: (pulls away to look
at him) Promise?
Giles: I promise.
Jenny: I believe you.
She closes her eyes and leans on his shoulder, hugging him close.
When
she opens her eyes again they glow yellow like cat's eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~~~~~~
The library. Giles is at the table stroking Jenny's hair as she
rests
her head against her hand. Buffy comes striding back into the
library.
Giles: How's your head?
Jenny: Throbbing.
Buffy: I lost Ethan. Giles,
what's going on?
Giles: It's complicated,
Buffy, and quite frankly, it's private.
Buffy: I don't care from
private! I care from dead guys attacking us. I
care from you lost weekending in your apartment.
Giles: I wasn't... I was
just trying to find a solution.
Buffy: Giles, share! What
is the Mark of Eyghon?
Giles: Hey! (stares her
down) This is not your battle! And as your
Watcher, (stands up) I'm telling you unequivocally to stay out of
it!
Buffy can't believe what she's hearing.
Giles: I have to get Jenny
home. (helps her up)
Jenny: Mm. Thank you.
She rests her head on his shoulder as the two of them walk from
the
library. Buffy goes over to the others sitting and leaning on the
counter.
Buffy: We have work to do.
Will, I want you to find out anything and
everything you can about the Mark of Eyghon.
Willow: I'll try the 'Net,
but 'Mark of Eyghon' sounds like Giles and
his books sorta deal.
Buffy: Then we hit the
books.
Willow heads up into the stacks.
Buffy: Xander, how do you
feel about digging through some of Giles'
personal files and seeing what you can find?
Xander: I feel pretty good
about it. Does that make me a sociopath?
Nah. (heads for the office)
Cordelia hops off of the counter and smiles at Buffy.
Buffy: (raises her brows)
What?
Cordelia: What about me? I
care about Giles.
Buffy: (thinks) Uh, work
with Xander.
Cordelia: Well, when I say
'care', I, I mean...
Buffy: Cordelia...
Cordelia: Okay, okay!
(walks to the office)
Buffy goes to do what she can to help, too.
Cut to Giles' apartment building.
Jenny: Thanks for bringing
me here. (cut inside the apartment) Not
quite ready to be home alone just yet.
She accepts a drink from Giles. He walks around the couch and sits
down
next to her. She takes a sip of the drink.
Jenny: Ooo!
Giles: Jenny, uh... I'm so
very sorry about all of this. (sets down his
drink and takes off his glasses) I, uh... I never meant for you to
be
involved in, in, uh, any of this.
Jenny: So I got involved.
(leans forward) That's what happens when two
people get involved.
Giles looks at her and smiles. He starts to make a move in to kiss
her,
but stops himself.
Giles: I really am,
however, gonna have to get you home. It's not,
uh... I'm not a very safe person to be around at the moment.
Jenny: Nothing's safe in
this world, Rupert. Don't you know that by
now?
She reaches up and strokes his head behind his ear.
Cut to the library. Willow has found something.
Willow: Ah! Aha! It's not
Egyptian, it's Etruscan (goes over to Buffy
with her book) mistaken for Egyptian by the design pattern, but
any fool
can see it predates their iconology. Look, the Mark of Eyghon,
worn by
his initiates. (reads) 'Eyghon, also called the Sleepwalker, can
only
exist in this reality by possessing an unconscious host. Temporary
possession imbues the host with a euphoric feeling of power.'
Buffy: Yeah, but what about
non-temporary?
Willow: (reads) 'Unless the
proper rituals are observed, the possession
is permanent, and Eyghon will be born from within the host.'
Cordelia: I'm guessing eww!
Willow: Wait. Hey, listen.
'Once called, Eyghon can also take
possession of the dead, but its demonic energy soon disintegrates
the
host, and it must jump to the nearest dead or unconscious person
to
continue living.'
Buffy: I still don't get
what this has to do with Giles.
Willow: I don't know about
Giles, but ancient sects used to induce
possession for bacchanals and, and orgies.
Xander: Okay! Giles and
orgies in the same sentence. I coulda lived
without that one.
Cordelia could've lived without Xander's comment.
Buffy: Uh, wait a minute.
The dead guy's all puddly now.
Cordelia: So the demon's
gone. There was no one dead to jump into. I
mean, we're all not dead, right?
Buffy: No, no one dead.
Xander: But someone
unconscious.
They realize what happened.
Cut to Giles' apartment. Jenny yanks the phone cord from the wall.
Giles: What was that?
Jenny: What was what?
Giles: I thought I heard
something. (comes out of the kitchen with tea)
Jenny: I didn't.
Giles: Here. (hands her a
cup) Drink that, and then I'll drive you
home.
Jenny: (takes a sip) You
could take me home. (sets the cup down) Or you
could take advantage of me in my weakened state.
Cut to the library. Buffy is on the phone.
Buffy: Thank you, operator.
(hangs up) There's no answer at Ms.
Calendar's, and Giles' phone is out of order. I'm gonna go over
there.
(strides out)
Cut to Giles' apartment.
Giles: Jenny, uh... (moves
away) I'm, I'm really very attracted t-to
you.
Jenny: Good. (follows)
Giles: But, um, now really
isn't the right time. (faces her)
Jenny: Oh, there's never
been a better time.
She pushed him back onto a chair, climbs onto his lap and kisses
him
hard. He pushes her away.
Giles: It's not right. I
would be taking advantage.
Jenny: (gets off) God, you
just don't change, do you? (paces)
Giles: What?
Jenny: It's not right, it
wouldn't be proper, people might get hurt.
You're like a woman, Ripper. You cry at every funeral. You never
had the
strength for me. You don't deserve me. (whispers) But guess what?
You've
got me. (takes his head) (in a deep male voice) Under your skin.
She grabs his hair and lifts him to his feet. She kisses him
roughly.
When she pulls back her face has started the transformation to
Eyghon.
Jenny/Eyghon: Was it good
for you?
She smashes his head into the phone on the desk.
Jenny/Eyghon: Aw, you never
had the stomach. But that's okay. 'Cause
I'm about to rip it out!
She pulls him back, and he cries out as he staggers backward into
the
bar and stumbles to the floor. Buffy kicks open the door and kicks
Jenny/Eyghon hard in the jaw, sending her back over the couch and
onto
the floor. She gets up again and walks around the couch, eyeing
Buffy.
Buffy: Back off!
Jenny/Eyghon: (stops and
laughs) Three down, two to go. Be seeing ya.
She runs and dives through the window. Buffy crouches down beside
Giles.
Buffy: Are you alright?
Giles: Oh, Jenny! Oh, God!
Buffy: Giles, how do we
stop this?
Giles: Oh, God, what have I
done?
Buffy: Talk to me! Giles,
you're scaring me.
Giles: I'm sorry.
Buffy: Don't be sorry, be
Giles. C'mon, we fight monsters. This is what
we do. They show up, they scare us, I beat 'em up and they go
away. This
isn't any different!
Giles: It *is* different.
Buffy: Because you don't
know how to stop it?
Giles: Because I created
it!
Cut to the library. Xander comes out of Giles' office.
Willow: Did you find
anything?
Xander: The most meticulous
banking and phone records you've ever seen.
And, um, this.
He hands her a picture of a young Giles in a leather jacket
playing an
electric bass.
Willow: (giggles) That's
Giles?
Cut to Giles' apartment.
Giles: I was twenty-one,
studying history at Oxford. And, of course,
the occult by night. I hated it. The tedious grind of study,
the...
overwhelming pressure of my destiny. I dropped out, I went to
London...
(exhales) I fell in with the worst crowd that would have me. We
practiced magicks. Small stuff for pleasure or gain. And Ethan and
I
discovered something... bigger.
Buffy: Eyghon.
Giles: Yes. One of us
would, um... (nervously pours a drink) go into a
deep sleep, and the others would, uh, summon him. It was an
extraordinary high! (smiles nervously) God, we were fools.
Buffy: You couldn't control
it.
Giles: One of us, Randall,
he lost control. Eyghon took him whole. We
tried to exorcise the demon from Randall, but it killed him. No.
We
killed him. We thought we were free of the demon after that. But
now
he's back. And one by one, he will kill us all.
Buffy: Three down, two to
go?
Giles nods.
Buffy: Then it's going
after Ethan. (gets up) I better beat it there.
Giles: (gets up) *We'd*
better.
Buffy: *I'd* better. Giles,
you're barely mobile, and speed is of a
serious essence here.
Giles: (sits back down) I
don't know how to stop it without killing
Jenny.
Buffy: I've got the guys
working on it. I'll, um, try to contain it
until we figure something. (starts to go)
Giles: Buffy? (she stops)
I'm sorry.
Buffy: I know. (leaves)
Cut to the street in front of Ethan's. Cut inside. Buffy opens the
door
and looks in.
Buffy: Ethan? (comes in and
closes the door) Ethan? (looks around)
Giles told me everything. Look, it's coming for you.
Ethan: (appears behind her)
And you came to protect me? I'm touched.
Buffy: Don't worry, it's
nothing personal. To protect Giles I have to
protect you. (walks past him)
Ethan: How does Ripper
inspire such goodness?
Buffy: 'Cause he's Giles.
Ethan: And I'm not. Still,
lucky me.
Buffy: Hmm. Lucky you.
Ethan: Well, we can't run.
Eyghon will find us. (shows his tattoo) This
mark's like a homing beacon.
Buffy: That's okay. I'm not
much into running.
Ethan: Aren't we manly?
Buffy: One of us is. You're
gonna hide till it's over.
Ethan: Excellent plan.
Buffy: Is there a way in
through the back?
Ethan: Uh, there's a back
door. It's locked. I think it's solid.
Buffy: We'll set up there.
Let's go.
Ethan: Oh, no, please.
He indicates she should go first. She heads toward the back as he
picks
up a mannequin arm and hits her across the back with it, knocking
her
down and out.
Ethan: Ladies first.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~~~~~~
Ethan's shop. He's humming while he works. Buffy is lying face
down on a
table with her arms tied together underneath. She wakes up.
Ethan: Wakey, wakey. You're
missing all the fun.
Buffy: What fun?
Ethan: Your initiation.
He sets down a tray of tattooing instruments.
Buffy: You know what? I'm
not real interested in joining your club.
Ethan: Too late. I already
voted you in. (she struggles) Y'know, I hope
you're not taking this personally, Buffy. I actually kinda like
you.
It's ju, it's just that I like myself a whole lot more. If you
think of
it karmically, this is, this is really big for your soul.
Buffy struggles with the rope.
Ethan: You know, taking my
place with the demon, giving so that others
may live.
Buffy: I'm gonna kill you.
Will that blow the whole karma thing?
Ethan: Sweet child. (takes
the tattoo ink and needle) Now, this may
sting a little just at first. But don't worry, that'll go away
once the
searing pain kicks in.
Buffy struggles harder. He bends over her to begin.
Ethan: You can go ahead and
scream if you like.
He starts tattooing her on the back of her neck.
Cut to the library. Willow, Xander and Cordelia are researching
books.
Willow: We have to figure
out how to kill this thing, and we need to do
it fast. (takes a sip of tea)
Xander: (reads) Uh, 'hot
lava.'
Willow: That's for a
heretic.
Xander: Oh, yeah. Yeah,
yeah, okay. Uh, ooo, ooo! 'Bury a potato!' No,
that's for warts. Who writes this stuff?
Cordelia: I've got the
solution right here. 'To kill a demon cut off
its head.'
Xander: Oh,
yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah! We'll, uh, find Ms. Calendar, then
we'll decapitate her. Hey! She'll be the first headless computer
teacher
in school. You think anybody'll notice?
Cordelia: Do you know what
you need, Xander, besides a year's supply of
acne cream? A brain.
Xander: (Gets up) That's
it! Twelve years of you and I'm snappin'! I
don't care if you're a girl or not, I'm throwin' down! Come on!
Cordelia: (gets up and
walks to him) I've seen you fight. And don't
think I can't take you!
Xander: Give it your best
shot.
Willow: (had enough, gets
up) HEY! We don't have time for this! Our
friends are in trouble! Now, we have to put our heads together
and, and
get them out of it! And if you two aren't with me a hundred and
ten
percent, then get the hell out of my library! (points to the door)
Cordelia: (meekly) We're
sorry.
Xander: We'll be good.
Willow: (nods and sits)
Okay. Now, we've done the research. We just
have to figure out how to use it.
Xander: Oh, hey! Why don't
we find another dead body for the demon to
jump into!
Cordelia: Yes! At the
cemetery.
Willow: Well, that won't
kill the demon. It'll only give it a change of
scenery. (something clicks) Oh. Oh! Oh, I've got it! (runs for the
phone) I've got it!
Xander: She's good!
(follows)
Cordelia smiles and follows also.
Cut to Ethan's shop. Ethan has finished Buffy's tattoo.
Ethan: Hmm. I think I
missed my calling as an artist.
Buffy: Ethan, listen to me.
This is a bad idea. You're dealing with
something very dangerous.
Ethan: (rolls up his left
sleeve) But it will get Eyghon off my scent.
He picks up a bottle of sulfuric acid. Buffy draws a breath in
fright,
thinking the acid is meant for her.
Ethan: Now relax. I'm
finished with you. This is for me.
Buffy has found an exposed screw on the underside of the table and
begins scraping her rope against it. Ethan steels himself for the
burn
of the acid. He slowly pours it onto his Mark of Eyghon tattoo.
Buffy
looks at him like he's insane. He does his best not to scream but
lets
out a few grunts of pain. Buffy keeps scraping the rope on the
screw.
Cut to Giles' apartment. He's about to leave his apartment when
he's
caught by a waking nightmare and collapses to the floor, unable to
remain standing. He has visions of the Mark of Eyghon and various
friends incarnate of Eyghon, and finally of Buffy with her new
tattoo.
He wakes.
Giles: Oh! Ethan... No. No!
He quickly gets up, grabs his coat and staggers out the door,
still weak
and not bothering to close it behind him.
Cut to Ethan's. He wraps his arm in a bandage.
Ethan: Well, I hate to
mutilate and run, but...
He and Buffy see a diffuse green light shine through the shop
windows
and the shadow of Jenny/Eyghon coming to the door. The door opens
and
Jenny/Eyghon steps in, well on her way to transforming into
Eyghon.
Jenny/Eyghon: (to Ethan in
a deep male voice) It's your time.
Buffy is almost through the rope under the table. Jenny/Eyghon
steps up
to Ethan. He stares at her in fear. She sniffs a few times and
realizes
he's not the one she's after anymore. She turns to Buffy, and her
eyes
glow. Jenny/Eyghon shoves Ethan aside just as Buffy gets through
the
rope. Buffy rolls off of the table and onto the floor as
Jenny/Eyghon
lunges for her. She kicks up and flips Jenny/Eyghon and the table
over
and onto the floor. They both get up. Jenny/Eyghon holds the table
in
her hands and rushes Buffy with it, pushing her into some crates.
Giles
barges in through the door.
Giles: Eyghon! Take me.
Jenny/Eyghon tosses the table aside and turns to face Giles.
Giles: Buffy, get out of
here!
Jenny/Eyghon slowly advances on Giles.
Buffy: NO! (gets between
them) No!
Jenny/Eyghon stretches her arm out at Buffy, and she goes flying
into a
pile of boxes. Jenny/Eyghon grabs Giles by the collar, pulls him
around
and down to the floor and stands over him.
Jenny/Eyghon: I've been
waiting a long time to do this.
As she bends down to grab Giles Angel runs in through the door,
grabs
her and pulls her to the crate, banging her head into it. He takes
her
by the neck and starts to choke her. Willow, Xander and Cordelia
run in
next. Willow holds Giles back as he gets up.
Giles: He's killing her!
Willow: No! Trust me! This
is gonna work!
Angel continues choking Jenny/Eyghon. Xander helps Buffy up. Finally
Eyghon has to jump and does so, right into Angel. He drops Jenny
as he's
thrown back into the wall and begins convulsing. When Jenny hits
the
floor she is herself again. Willow lets go of Giles, and he
immediately
gets on his hands and knees next to her.
Giles: Jenny!
Angel's face twists and contorts as the demons inside of him fight
it
out. He is thrown to the crate and hits his head. His face goes
through
a few more contortions when Eyghon suddenly appears, apparently
gaining
the upper hand. After a moment Angel's face shifts back to normal,
then
back to Eyghon, then back to normal again. He is thrown back
against the
wall. Another moment's struggle and the demon inside Angel throws
Eyghon
out. Without a host body to occupy Eyghon quickly crumbles into
ashes.
Angel gasps and collapses to the floor. They all run over to his
aid.
Giles reaches out to Jenny. She shifts to look at him.
Giles: Jenny!
Jenny: Rupert...
Ethan gets up and runs from the shop.
Buffy: You knew that if the
demon was in trouble it was gonna jump into
the nearest dead person.
Angel: I put it in danger.
Willow: And it jumped.
(stands up)
Angel: (gets up) I've had a
demon inside me for a couple hundred
years... (exhales) just waitin' for a good fight.
Buffy: Winner and still
champion.
Xander: Uh, I think that
Ethan guy disappeared again.
Buffy: Darn. I really
wanted to hit him till he bled.
Cordelia: Well, at least
it's over.
Buffy and Angel look over at Jenny and Giles. Jenny clings to
Giles as
they walk out of the shop.
Cut to school the next day. Willow, Xander and Buffy walk across
the
quad.
Buffy: You know what the
worst thing is? I was saving up for some very
important shoes, and now I have to blow my entire allowance to get
this
stupid tattoo removed. Let's just hope my mom doesn't see it
first.
Xander: Puttin' that demon
into Angel was pretty brill, Will.
Willow: I wasn't sure it
was gonna work.
Buffy: But it did.
Xander: Like a charm.
Buffy: Hey! Maybe you
should consider a career as a Watcher.
Willow: Oh, no, I don't
think I could handle the stress.
Xander: And the dental plan
is crap.
Willow: I don't see how
Giles does it.
They see him walking.
Buffy: I don't think he has
a choice.
Cut to the hall. Jenny walks to the stairs and is about to start
up when
Giles catches up with her.
Giles: Uh, uh, Jenny!
Jenny...
She stops and turns to face him.
Jenny: Rupert, hi.
Giles: Uh... I-I-I tried to
call you last night, s-see how you were.
Jenny: Yeah, I-I-I, uh... I
left my phone off the hook. I seem to need
a lot of sleep lately.
Giles: But, but you're
al-alright? Is, is, is there anything you need?
Jenny: Mm, no, I'm fine. I
mean, I'm not... running around, wind in my
hair, 'the hills are alive with the sound of music' fine, but...
I'm
coping.
Giles: I, I would like to
help.
Jenny: I know.
Giles: Perhaps we could,
um, talk sometime, um... dinner, or, or a
drink? When you're feeling stronger.
Buffy sees them talking.
Jenny: Sure, sometime.
Giles reaches out to her, but she takes a backward step up and
away from
him and draws a deep breath.
Jenny: Yeah. Sometime.
(pauses) I better get to class.
Giles: Yes, of course.
He watches her go up the stairs. When she's gone from sight he
looks
down sadly, and after a moment starts to go to his library. Buffy
catches up to him.
Buffy: Hey.
They round the corner and stop.
Buffy: Is she okay?
Giles: Um... The hills are
not alive.
Buffy: (doesn't understand)
I'm sorry to hear that. I think.
Giles: I don't think she'll
ever really forgive me. Maybe she
shouldn't.
Buffy: Maybe you should.
Giles: I never wanted you
to see that side of me.
Buffy: I'm not gonna lie to
you. It was scary. I'm so used to you being
a grownup, and (inhales) then I find out that you're a person.
Giles: Most grownups are.
Buffy: Who would've
thought?
Giles: Some are even, uh...
shortsighted, foolish people.
Buffy: So, after all this
time, we finally find out that we *do* have
something in common. Which, apart from being a little weird, is
kind of
okay. (pauses) I think we're supposed to be training right now.
Giles: Yes. Yes. Um, need
to concentrate on your flexibility.
Buffy: And you know what? I
have just the perfect music. (holds up a
black CD) Go on, say it. You know you want to.
Giles: It's not music, it's
just, uh, meaningless sounds.
Buffy: There. Feel better?
Giles: Yes. Thanks.
They head into the next hall toward the library.
Giles:
Buffy: I didn't hear that.