7.02
Beneath you
Giles: Previously on Buffy the vampire slayer
Buffy entering Spikes crypt in “As you were”
Spike: If I’d a-known you were coming I’d-a baked a cake.
Buffy: Tell me you love me.
Spike: You know I do.
Buffy: Tell me you want me.
Spike: I always want you.
Buffy and Spike kiss
Spike and Buffy under the rug in “Dead things”
Spike: Do you even like me?
Spike and Buffy in the ruins of Spikes Crypt in “As you were”
Buffy: It’s over.
Spike: I’ve memorized this tune love.
Buffy: I’m using you
Buffy (OC): and it’s killing me.
Xander and Anya in Halloween costumes in “All the way”
Xander: We’re getting married.
Tara (OS): Congratulations
Tara and Anya at the wedding in “Hell’s Bells”
Anya: Xanders missing? What do you mean Xanders Missing?
Xander walking down the street in his tux as it rains.
Anya in D’hoffryns realm in
“Hell’s Bells”
D’hoffryn: When you were a vengeance demon you crushed men like him.
Anya and Xander in Xanders
apartment in “Entropy”
Xander: I wish we could just go back to the way things were before.
Anya Morphs into demon face
Anya: and I wish you were never born.
Spike assaulting Buffy on the floor of the Bathroom in “Seeing Red”
Spike: I’m gonna make you feel it.
Buffy: Stop!
Buffy: Ask me again why I could never love you.
Warren on his shooting spree in the back yard in “Seeing Red”
Tara is shot spattering Willow with blood
Willow: Tara!
Willow: Oh god!
Willow and Warren in the woods in “Villains”
Warren: Somebody!
Willow flays Warren alive.
Willow casting the spell on the statue in “Grave”
Willow collapsing into Xanders arms
Xander: I love you.
Spike in the demons cave in “Grave”
Spike: Make me what I was.
Demon: We will return your soul.
Spike screams
Giles riding on horseback in
England in “Lessons”
Willow (OS): When you brought me here I thought it was to kill me.
Willow talking to Giles
Willow: Instead you go all Dumbledore on me.
Giles: Do you want to be
punished?
Willow: I killed people Giles
Giles: I’ve not forgotten.
Anya and Halfrek in the coffee house in “Lessons”
Halfrek: Something’s rising. Something older than the old ones and everybody’s tail is twitching. This is a bad time to be a good guy.
Rededication ceremony for the new Sunnydale high school in “Lessons”
Wood: It is my great pleasure and privilege to announce the opening, on the very ground that it first stood upon—
Pull back to reveal a crowd standing in front of a building with a sign reading “Sunnydale high school”
Wood: -- of the brand-new state-of-the-art Sunnydale high!
Crowd claps
Buffy talking to Wood
Buffy: are you asking me to be a counselor?
Buffy leaping into the hole in the bathroom floor
Buffy reaching out to touch Spikes chest
Buffy: Spike?
Buffy opening Spikes shirt to reveal deep scratches in his chest.
Buffy: What did you do?
Spike: This is my home, I belong here, always been here.
Spike: Cheers for stopping by
Buffy: I’ll… get back to you.
Fade in on a florescent sign reading “Tattoo nachtlokal” with techno music pounding loudly in the background
Pan down to a car pulling up to the nightclub a title card reads “Frankfort, Germany”
Pan back up to show a young woman with bright pink hair running past the windows of a nearby building.
Cut to: medium shot of the woman running
Cut to: shot of the robed legs of two men chasing her
Cut to: the girl runs to a door, exits, then leaps down to a roof and immediately begins running again. The girl runs to another door and enters a stairwell.
Cut to: pan down the outside of the building until we reach the ground. The young girl runs up to a railing and vaults over it, she climbs down to an alley, then opens a door looking out onto a rave. Suddenly two robed figures leap forward, pushing her back into the alley throwing her against the wall. She kicks one, and then rushes past the other, but the first one gets back up and punches her, knocking her to the ground. The second one starts to bring a curved knife blade down at her chest, but she blocks it, pinning his arm against the wall, the first man raises a similar blade and brings it down, the girl cries out in pain and winces. The man sheaths his knife. Zoom in to close up on the girls face.
Girl: From beneath you…
The girl stares straight at the camera
Girl: …it devours.
Buffy screams
Cut to: Buffys bedroom, Dawn is sitting on Buffys bed shaking her, trying to wake her up
Dawn: Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!
Buffy’s eyes open, she looks around the room confused and sits up
Buffy: I heard screaming
Dawn: That was you
Buffy: There was a girl
Dawn: That would be me
Buffy: Uh… no… it was…
Dawn: Just a dream… it was just a dream right?
Buffy: From beneath you, it devours. That’s what she said and then they… there’s more like her Dawn, out there, somewhere…
Buffy gets up from bed and crosses to the window looking out of it
Buffy: …and they’re gonna die.
Cut to: exterior, a Sunnydale street we pan down as a deep rumbling sound begins to grow louder
Cut to: a yard. The earth begins to crack and break, leaving a furrow that moves out into the street similarly cracking and breaking the pavement.
Wolf Howl
Opening credits
End teaser
Begin Act one
Open on rat infested corridor, filing cabinets and old furniture piled up, with rats scurrying here and there
Pan down to close up view of a rat
Spike: no, no, no, no, no. Now is not the time. You know it. I know it. But making them understand…
Spike begins to move down the corridor crouched down
Spike: …is a totally different matter. No manners is the problem. Proper breeding…lack of etiquette, all of it lacking. All of it lost on them.
The ground begins to rumble. Spike stands up
Spike: Not the time. Not hardly ready.
He winces and covers his ears
Spike: Stop! Please mum! Begging now. Make it stop! Oh god. Ooh! Aaaaaah!
Cut to: interior of Xanders car, Dawn in the back seat
Dawn: Could you die? ‘Cause, seriously, speaking for everybody who are me in the car right now, we’re very excited.
Buffy: Well I’m glad for all of you, then.
Dawn: I mean it’s just so cool; you’re coming to school with me. You understand you can not talk to me, look at me, or hang out with any of my friends, right?
Buffy: Look, I doubt we’ll even see each other. Assuming I even half understand my fuzzy job description.
Dawn: It’s not fuzzy, you’re what… dealing with troubled kids?
Xander: At a spankin’ new hellmouth high. Please, outside of drugs, and violence, and unwanted pregnancy, and uh, unleashing of hoards of Armageddon that comes pouring out of the schools foundation every now and then, what trouble could these kids have?
Buffy: Guess I’ll find out.
Xander: Those kids are damn lucky having a slayer and a friend on campus there for them, I hope they appreciate it. I know I did.
Xander and Buffy share a smile
Xander: Days gone by huh?
Dawn: I thought you hated Sunnydale.
Xander: Yes and no, emphasis on the yes, but at least then I was dating.
Buffy: You could be dating now.
Xander: Um, I don’t know what’s not clicking for me now.
Buffy: Well, you know there’s that thing with Anya.
Xander: The leaving her at the alter thing?
Buffy: Yeah, that one. That’s not something you just bounce right back from.
Xander: Sure it is, she bounced back to being a vengeance demon, and I bounced back to being a dateless nerd.
Dawn: Do you guys talk at all?
Xander: I’ve seen her at the bronze a couple of times. I guess there are a lot of scorned women there making vengeance wishes on their exes.
Buffy (Southern accent): That’s where I go to get my scorn on.
Dawn: You guys really need to ease up with the whole dating demons thing.
Buffy: Uh… hello… I’m sorry, wasn’t that you having a smoochathon with teen vampire last Halloween?
Dawn: See! This is why I don’t want you talking to my friends. (Sighs).
Cut to: The Sunnydale high school administration office, Principal Wood opens the door for Buffy and they enter.
Wood: We’ll sort of feel our way around. Some students will be sent to you, and others I’m hoping will start to come in on their own.
Buffy: What if they don’t? Should I panic?
Wood: You’ll be surprised Buffy. You’re the youngest and… least stuffy member of the faculty. I think the students are gonna want to come in and talk to you, and when the do, don’t evaluate them, just listen. They need to feel like there’s someone around here who actually understands them.
Buffy peeks out the blinds and turns around with a big smile
Buffy: Can I give detention?
Wood: Ok by me. A little authority can be a wonderful thing. Just remember that while you are here to help, you’re not here to be their friend. Trust me, you open that door and these students will eat you alive.
Buffy: You heard about Principal Flootie right?
Wood: hmm?
Buffy: Forget it
Buffy chuckles
Wood: Ok then, and Buffy, relax. There’s only three things these kids understand, the boot, the bat, and the bastinada (chuckles)
Buffy looks at him blankly
Wood: It’s the…it’s a… it’s a bad joke, it’s the bastinada, no one ever knows what that thing is.
Buffy: A wooden rod used to slap the soles of the feet in Turkish prisons, but if made with the correct wood makes an awesome billy club.
Wood: I think you’re gonna fit in just fine. Is there something else?
Buffy: Um, yeah, just uh one more thing. I was uh, just curious you know, I mean not that I’m not grateful or anything-- but I guess that I was just wondering why I…
Wood: Have this job?
Buffy: I still haven’t finished college.
Wood: I know
Buffy: Is it my sparkling personality? Or maybe you um, enjoyed my work at the doublemeat palace?
Wood: I’m a vegetarian. These students need someone around here who understands them, I need someone who understands these students. Why? is there something about you that I don’t know that maybe I should?
Buffy: Nothing I can think of.
Behind Wood a teacher enters with two students and waves at him to get his attention
Wood: If you’ll excuse me, first catch of the day. I’ll be in my office if you need me.
Buffy: Thanks! I’m just gonna have a look around, get to know the place. Make sure it’s all… school-like.
Cut to: Buffy in the basement looking around
Buffy: Spike?
We hear rats squeaking and see one as she walks past it. Suddenly a door slams.
Buffy: Spike?
Cut to England, Willow sits on a suitcase in the doorway looking out on the verdant English countryside as it rains. Giles walks up behind her.
Giles: The taxi’s here.
Willow: I know.
Giles: and in keeping with quaint old British tradition, you would now be expected to get into it.
Willow: I don’t know if I can. Giles, I’m not done here.
Giles: That’s your fear talking.
Willow: Yes, and my fears a big obnoxious blabbermouth, you’re the one who keeps telling me to trust my instincts.
Giles: True.
Willow: So? Shouldn’t we be listening? I don’t want to go back home just so I can screw up again. Why don’t I stay? Not forever, just long enough to… I don’t know; make my fear shut up a little maybe?
The taxi honks its horn.
Giles: It’s possible, but… try to be very specific, what exactly are you afraid of?
Willow: Huh…well. For starters, how about the hellmouth’s getting all rumbly again? And now I know it’s got teeth? And are those literal teeth? Cause I don’t know if I can handle it, and what if I can handle it? Does that mean I have to be a bigger badder bad-ass than the source of all badness? And what if I give up all this control stuff and I go all veiny and homicidal again and what if…
Giles: They won’t take you back?
Willow nods
Willow: Uh-huh
Giles: Willow, we could spend another two years here, training and practicing and learning to hone your powers and still there would be no way of knowing for sure that the friends you left behind are still your friends.
Willow: Well sure. I mean if you put it that way, Duh.
Giles: I’d love to offer you some guarantee that you’ll be welcomed back to Sunnydale with open arms but I can’t. You may not be wanted, but you will be needed.
Willow: That all you got?
Giles: For the moment yes.
Giles pats her knees
Willow: Ok. I guess I better…
Giles picks up an umbrella and hands willow her suitcase.
Giles: Trust yourself and the others might follow.
They step out towards the taxi
Cut to A Sunnydale street at night. Nancy is walking her dog Rocky. He stops and begins to growl examining a spot on the sidewalk and she walks a bit further until the leash brings her up short.
Nancy: Rocky. Come on, do your business so I can go home. (Sighs) Coulda’ gotten a cat, but no…
There is a sound of breaking concrete behind her, Nancy turns around to see that Rocky is gone, his leash now leading down into a hole in the pavement that wasn’t there a moment ago.
Nancy looks startled for a moment and then the leash begins to drag her, throwing her to the ground and pulling her to the hole.
Nancy: Whoa! (Screams)
Nancy looks on horrified as off camera something large rises up out of the hole, cracking open more of the concrete. Nancy begins to run down the street until she stumbles into someone as she is looking back.
Nancy: Whoa!
Xander: Uh… hello?
Cut to: Buffys living room. Nancy is sitting on the couch with Xander on one side of her and Dawn on the other. Buffy is sitting on the coffee table bandaging Nancys wrist and listening to her.
Nancy: and whatever it was, it was big, and strong—stronger than, I mean I don’t know how it’s possible. You hear things in this town, living here in Sunnydale, but nobody actually believes them. You know, you’d have to be crazy, and… and you guys think that I’m crazy don’t you?
Xander: (scoffs) I don’t.
Buffy: We’ve seen things too Nancy.
Xander: And we’re gonna take care of this. It’s your lucky night… considering, you know, your dog just got all ate up and stuff. Hey, can I freshen up your tea?
Nancy: No, t-that’s ok, thanks.
Dawn: So you say this thing just came up out of the ground I mean without any warnings or signs or anything?
Buffy finishes with Nancys wrist and puts the first aid kit aside.
Nancy: Just this kind of rumbling, you know. Like just before an earthquake?
Buffy looks pensive.
Buffy: From beneath you it devours.
Nancy: What?
Buffy: Nothing
Dawn: Nothing good.
Xander: It’s sounding monsterific all right.
Dawn: Should we round up the gang?
Xander: Good thinking except… this is the gang.
Buffy: Look, Nancy, we’re gonna get into this, and I promise you, if your dog is alive, we’re gonna find him, the only thing I need is a little…
Spike: What you need is help.
Buffy turns to see Spike standing in the doorway to the living room.
Spike: Fortunately… you’ve got me.
Buffy looks stunned.
End of act one
Begin act two
We begin just where we left, Buffy looking stunned. Then we cut to a view of Spike in the doorway. His hair is slicked back and blonde, he’s wearing black pants and a tight blue long sleeved shirt. He looks clean and neat.
Spike: Buffy.
Buffy: Spike.
Buffy looks distraught and gets up turning away from him.
Cut to Xander, Nancy and Dawn on the couch.
Nancy (softly to Dawn): Who’s that?
Dawn: He’s…it’s Buffys…
Xander: Ex
Nancy: And I’m thinking it’s a little more complicated than that.
Xander: Always is.
Buffy turns back to face him.
Buffy: You’ve changed.
Spike: I have.
Buffy: New clothing, better hair, not so much with the crazy. I like it. Now what do you want?
Spike: Easy. If you think I like putting myself here, surrounded by people who don’t particularly like me, you’d be wrong.
Xander (Standing up): If you’re uncomfortable, we can make you leave.
Spike: I’ll be quick. We need to talk. You want to do that here or privately? (Gestures towards the hallway)
Xander: I’m thinking here. In the company of good friends with pointy weapons.
Nancy looks uncomfortable.
Buffy: You said something about quick?
Spike: I did. (stepping forward) For a start, and for the record. Last you saw me, I was a mess, out of my head, admitted. Last week living in the school basement… well, you saw me.
Dawn stands up taking a step towards Buffy.
Dawn: You did?
Buffy: Guys, just a second ok? Yes, I saw Spike, I just didn’t…
Dawn: What? You just… forgot to mention it?
Xander turns to face Buffy as well looking unhappy.
Buffy: Things were insane in the basement, I saved your life. We can discuss this later.
Dawn: Sure.
Xander: Whatever you want.
Dawn: Right. ‘Cause that seems to be the only time you let us in Buffy. Whenever you want.
Spike: Now, in fairness to Buffy—
Xander: Shut up Spike!
Nancy looks around uncomfortably
Buffy: (sighs) Ok. Guys. Give us a second.
Buffy and Spike walk into the hallway and stand facing each other.
Buffy: Do not start by saying you’re sorry.
Spike: I didn’t come here to atone.
Buffy: Then what the hell do you want?
Spike: Only to help you.
Buffy: Help me what?
Spike: I was hoping you’d tell me. You’re the slayer, connected to the visions? A long line of worthies? Right? I’m just a guy with his ear to the ground but even I can feel it. Something’s coming, I don’t know what exactly but something’s brewing, and it’s so big ugly and damned it makes you and me look like little bitty puzzle pieces. If I’m wrong, say so, lovely, no hard feelings. I’ll go out that door and you can lock it behind me with any spell you like. So, am I wrong?
Buffy: Everything about you is wrong Spike
Spike turns to go.
Buffy: But something is coming.
Spike turns back.
Spike: You’re gonna need some help.
Buffy: Since when did you become the champion of the people?
Spike: I didn’t, I’m just a guy who can lend a hand if you’ll let me.
Spike Pauses as Buffy looks intently at him.
Spike: Ball’s in your court slayer.
Cut to: the living room again they are all standing around the coffee table as Buffy walks up putting on her jacket.
Buffy: Ok, we’re gonna split. Two pairs. Whatever this creatures is it’s burrowing through solid ground, that means a strength and power that we don’t usually deal with, but we might have to get used to now that the hellmouth is getting perky.
Buffy opens up her weapons chest.
Nancy: Shouldn’t we call the police or something?
Xander turns to her
Xander: And tell them…?
Nancy: I’ll quit interrupting.
Buffy gets a long dagger out of her weapons chest.
Buffy (OS): Xander take Nancy home. Drive, don’t walk, and try not to stop until you get there.
Xander: Understood.
Nancy: Is your girlfriend always this…commanding?
Xander: Who?
Nancy looks pointedly at Buffy
Xander: Buffy? Oh no, no, no, no, no. See, uh…she’s a girl, and she’s a friend, but – but – but she’s not my girlfriend.
Dawn: Xander? (making a little wiping motion at the corner of her mouth) Little drool.
Xander turns back to face Nancy looking embarrassed but Nancy is smiling.
Buffy is picking up a flashlight and checking to make sure it works.
Buffy: Spike and I will check out the scene.
Xander: Ok. In the biggest way, I am not loving this plan. I’m not loving Spike.
Xander moves closer to Buffy, lowering his voice.
Xander: He – he tried to rape you.
Buffy: and he failed. I know I can take him. Xander take Nancy home, Spike and I will patrol.
Dawn: I’m command central? So, everybody check in with me. Ok, I’ll be here doing my homework, but the other one sounded cooler.
Buffy: Be safe. (Looking over at Spike) Let’s go.
Buffy walks out, Spike moves to follow her.
Spike: Righty-o then.
Spike starts to follow Buffy.
Dawn: Spike.
Spike turns back to face Dawn.
Dawn: You sleep right? You—vampires—you sleep?
Spike: Yeah, what’s your point niblet?
Dawn: Well I can’t take you in a fight or anything, even with the chip in your head, but you do sleep. If you hurt my sister at all, touch her… you’re gonna wake up on fire.
Spike looks a little taken aback.
Cut to: Outside, on the street again, at night. Spike is walking down the street holding the flashlight, Buffy is following him a few steps back.
Spike: You’re awfully quiet.
Buffy: Wouldn’t know what to say. (Sighs)
Spike: Fine with me, I was more than half expecting to get an earful anyway, and when exactly did your sister get unbelievably scary?
Buffy: What are you doing?
Spike: What? I told you once, straight up, I’m here to help, and that’s all. Think this here is our spot?
Spike plays the flashlight beam over the rubble where we saw Rocky disappear earlier.
Buffy: How’d you guess?
Spike: I don’t fancy sticking my head in there.
Buffy: But if something bites it off that’d be a clue.
Spike squats down and begins moving rubble aside to get a better look.
Buffy looks uncomfortable
Buffy: So, what happened to you?
Spike: Well you saw me. Those ghostly types in the school basement got in my head. Made me flat out bug-shagging crazy, and I’m not exactly bragging about it, but they were stronger than I was. Made me see things, do things. And how come you never told anyone you saw me?
Buffy: I don’t know. I guess… I was partly hoping you were some kind of mirage.
Spike: Sorry to disappoint.
Buffy: Not your fault.
Spike extends his hand to Buffy, holding the flashlight handle first at her.
Spike: Hold the torch will you?
Buffy reaches out to take it, and when her hand brushes his, suddenly we flash back to the bathroom scene from “Seeing red” Buffy struggles on the floor under Spike as he assaults her Buffy crying out scared and in pain. The flashback ends and Buffy pulls the flashlight back hastily with a tiny gasp. Spike looks at her, seeing her emotion.
Buffy: Look this… us working together, it’s not a way for us to get back together if that’s what you want.
Spike: It’s not. Look I can’t blame you for being all skittish.
Buffy: Skittish? That’s not a word I would use for it. You tried to rape me. I don’t have the words.
Spike: Neither do I. I can’t say “sorry”. I can’t use “forgive me”. All I can say is, Buffy, I’ve changed.
Buffy: I believe you.
Spike: well that’s something.
Buffy: I just don’t know what you’ve changed into. You come back to town, you make with the big surprises, twice. I don’t know what your game is Spike, but I know there’s something you’re not telling me.
Spike: You’re right, there is, but we’re not best friends anymore, so too bad for me, I’m not sharing. We’ve been through things, the end of the world and back. I can be useful, cause’ honestly, I’ve got nothing better to do. Make use of me if you want. And there’s nothing here, just a bit of slime, mounds of displaced dirt and such, whatever our beastie is, he’s gone.
Spike walks back down the street, Buffy stands there for a second, looking troubled, then sighs.
Cut to: Xander and Nancy walking up the steps to the door to her apartment building. Nancy opens the door and they go in.
Nancy: Boy, I still can’t believe that all this is happening. I mean, even with this town’s reputation for, you know, unexplained weirdness.
Xander: (chuckles) Right, Sunnydale… come for the food, stay for the dismemberment.
Nancy: There’s good food? Well… thanks. (clears throat) and that’s a couple of levels of lameness right there, me saying ‘thanks’ after everything you’ve done for me tonight
Xander: Well, you could slip me a twenty, but then I’d have to act all offended.
Nancy: (laughs) Got it. So, um, do you think I might, instead, give you a call sometime?
Xander: Just to check in?
Nancy: No, I’m hitting on you.
Xander: Even better, I’m very listed.
Nancy: and I’m very pushy…so that works out well then…
They look at each other uncomforatably for a moment.
Nancy: Good night
Xander: um…
There is a slight rumble.
Xander: Nancy…
The rumble intensifies, the lights begin to brown out.
Xander: I just got a swell idea.
Glass shatters as the door to the apartment building breaks open
Xander; Run!
They begin to run down the corridor, as a furrow breaks through the floor, shattering the tile and heading after them. They leap up a short flight of steps, as a gigantic wormlike creature with sharp fangs ringing its mouth bursts out of the ground roaring. They both look on, sitting on the floor watching in horror. The creature lowers itself back down into the hole and the rumbling stops.
Xander: You ok?
Nancy: I just…
Xander: Dumb question, are you injured? Are you hurt?
Nancy: (Panting) I don’t think so, I just…I, I don’t think that I can take any more of this.
Xander: Two attacks in the same night, I’m starting to think it’s not coincidence.
Nancy: Oh sure! Why not, a monster trying to kill me, it’s just the thing that was missing to make my life absolutely perfect. Uh, Ronnie would love this, boy.
Xander: Right… who’s Ronnie?
Nancy: Oh... um… Only my psycho ex-boyfriend that I’ve been trying to get rid of for the past few weeks. I almost prefer the monster, Ronnie was um… trouble.
Xander: Uh-huh… and I’m just curious, was this Ronnie guy a… borrowing money kind of trouble? Or was he a… raising demon trouble kind of guy?
Nancy: Uh… Ronnie? He couldn’t… he just… he was an abusive bastard, is the catchy headline, and he’d just show up, even after… you know the feeling that you get when your ex is constantly ruining every part of your life, and it just doesn’t stop?
Xander: Yes
Nancy: and you get so tired of feeling helpless that all you can do is just wish that it would stop?
Xander: Wish?
Cut to: the Bronze, Anya is sitting at a table listening to a young woman talk.
Woman: …and it’s not the fact that he cheated… it’s the way that he cheated, you know? I mean, we could have talked, I could have handled it.
Anya: Uh-huh… Uh-huh I get it… go on.
Woman: You know what he is? He’s spineless… he’s like this spineless little pig… and you know what I wish?
Anya: God do I want to!
End of Act Two
Begin Act Three
We begin where we left off, with Anya and the young woman talking in the Bronze
Anya: You were saying?
Woman: Um… I want more quesadillas?
Anya: Before that
Woman: A margarita?
Anya: After that
Woman: Oh! Yeah, god, my boyfriend’s spineless. He should just… you know he should just be spineless. For real.
Anya: No spine! Got it! I can do that!
Woman: What do you mean?
Anya: See honey what I’m driving this towards here is sometimes don’t you just wish—(looking over) Oh, penis.
Xander, Nancy, Buffy and Spike are walking up to the table.
Xander: (to Nancy, indicating Anya) Is this the one you talked to?
Nancy nods
Anya: (To the woman) Tell you what. Why don’t we put a pin in it? Why don’t you go get yourself a drink and we’ll pick it up in a few.
The young woman leaves
Anya: You guys, I am working here.
Buffy sits the long dagger she got from her weapons chest down on the table.
Buffy: We noticed.
Spike: That’s why we’re here.
Xander: Right…Did you turn this nice lady’s ex (indicating Nancy) into a giant worm monster?
Anya: Ha-ha!... yes.
Nancy: No way! Are you saying that thing was Ronnie?
Anya: You wish it, I dish it, I thought we were all clear on this. I didn’t think you were gonna go all narc on me.
Buffy: You wished your ex was a
worm?
Nancy: Well…we were just talking…
Xander: Anya has a way of… making things happen.
Anya: I had a quota, the guy had it coming, what’s the big?
Nancy: I think I’m going to be sick.
Buffy: Anya that thing you created, burst through solid pavement and ate her dog.
Anya: Oh! Puppy!
Xander: Wait! That gets your sad noise? People’s lives are in danger and you give it up for the yorkie?
Anya: You never understood me Xander.
Nancy: Xander? Who is this woman?
Xander: Anya? She’s um…Anya. (Sighs) My ex.
Nancy: Oh
Anya: Hey! Nobody’s bragging here.
Anya starts to get up, Spike walks over to her.
Spike: Uh-uh, uh, uh, uh
He grabs Anya by the arms
Anya: Hey! Get your hands off the merchandise! Spike. You don’t get to go there again.
Spike: Please. I’ve already forgotten about our little time together.
Nancy: I thought you were Xanders ex-girlfriend?
Anya: I am.
Nancy: But you and spike…?
Anya: Had a thing.
Spike: Didn’t last.
Nancy: But weren’t you Buffy’s…?
Spike: Briefly
Buffy: Never serious.
Nancy: (sighs) Is there anyone here that Hasn’t slept together?
Xander and Spike share an uncomfortable look.
Anya: Look, at least we’re all bipeds which is more than I can say for Ronnie the worm-boy.
Buffy: Ok guys can we focus here for just a second? Anya, this Ronnie, he wasn’t a worm. Worms are like this big (indicates a couple of inches with her fingers) This thing was…
Spike: A Sluggoth demon, am I right?
Anya: (Sighs) Maybe.
Nancy: Wait, I didn’t wish for that. I don’t even know what this whatchamacallit demon is!
Spike: Sluggoth demon, it’s a very large, very nasty natural predator, who died around the crusades.
Anya: Same phylum, it’s not cheating, I just embellished.
Xander: Well you can un-embellish now.
Anya: Bite me Harris. I have rules to work with, vengeance demon codes of conduct. But you’ll never understand ‘cause your all soo… (Looking puzzled) human…
Spike: I’m not. I’m a demon, just like yourself Anya, your gonna turn the spell around like a good little vengeance demon or I—what?
Anya is staring at spike.
Anya: Oh, my god.
Spike: What are you staring at?
Anya: Oh, my god.
A smile begins to creep onto Anyas face.
Spike looks nervous.
Spike: Right, lets go.
Anya: How did you do it?
Buffy: Spike, what is she talking about?
Anya: I can see you!
Spike: Nothing, let’s go. Got some worm hunting to do.
Anya: How did you do it?
Spike: Shut up!
Anya: This shouldn’t be possible!
Spike: Shut your mouth!
Anya: How did you get it?
Spike: I just said you shut up!
Spike decks Anya, who knocks over the table as she falls. Nancy looks around at everyone worried and heads for the door. Spike moves to stand over Anya straddling her and punching her. Anya punches Spike, flinging him across the room where he lands on the pool table, damaging it. Anya stands up in full demon face.
Anya: I am gonna kick your ass!
Spike hops off the pool table.
Spike: Right bitch! Round and round we—
Buffy steps up and spins Spike around to face her, when he turns he has his vamp face on.
Buffy: You haven’t changed Spike.
Buffy punches him, he punches her back, she punches him back twice more.
Spike: Workin’ out some personal issues are we?
Buffy looks hurt and disgusted and punches and kicks him again.
Spike: Hey, I guess this will be first contact since you know when. Up for another round in the balcony then?
Buffy looks furious and yells a little as she punches him hard, knocking him to the ground. Spike chuckles, blood on his mouth and gets back up.
Spike: Right you are love! I haven’t changed, not a lick. And watching your face while you tried to figure me out was absolutely delicious!
Xander (OS): Buffy!
Buffy: Not now Xander!
Xander: Nancy. She’s gone, and out there all alone she’s worm bait!
Buffy looks torn for a moment, and then shakes it off.
Buffy: (exhales) I’ll go find her. You stay with Anya, get her to reverse that spell.
Buffy looks back at Spike one more time, and then heads for the door.
Spike: Hey is that it? A little touchy-feely and your off to the batpoles?
Buffy leaves
Cut to: Nancy rounding the corner on one of Sunnydales downtown streets.
Nancy: Freaks! Why do I always surround myself with freaks?
We hear a rumbling sound, Nancy turns around to see a furrow round the corner, tearing up pavement and heading towards her.
Nancy: Oh god. Oh god.
Nancy takes off at a run in the other direction. She runs up to a door, tries to open it, knocks on it, then keeps running farther down the street into an alley with the furrow tearing along behind her. She tries another door to no avail.
Nancy: Help! Somebody help me!
She sprints further down the alley; the creature tearing up the street right behind her heels and climbs up a fire escape ladder hastily. She looks down as everything goes quiet for a moment, panting, then the building begins to shake repeatedly as if something is hitting it. She climbs further up the ladder, but suddenly the top of the ladder breaks free from the building, leaning it out into the street, her feet now dangling in mid-air.
Nancy: Ah! Help me!
Cut to: a shot of Buffy leaping along rooftops, Spike following a fair bit behind her.
Nancy (OS): Help me!
Buffy pauses to look down for a moment, and then continues running.
Cut to: the Bronze, Anya is sitting at her table again; Xander is standing there talking to her.
Anya: What do you want me to do?
Xander: Reverse the spell.
Anya: It’s not that easy Xander!
Xander: You can do it.
Anya: Yeah sure, the spell part? What about me? I’m in enough trouble as it is! Halfrek’s all over my case, D’hoffryn is not pleased with my work. You don’t want to see him angry. Trust me.
Xander: Nice friends you got.
Anya: Nice friends I had. Chums, coworkers, bridesmaids. Oh, I had the whole package till something fell apart. What could that be Xander?
Xander: You saying this was my fault?
Anya: All I’m saying is, none of this happened till you dumped me at the altar.
Xander: and sooner or later Anya, that excuse just stops working.
Anya looks upset.
Cut to: The alley, Nancy is still clinging on the broken ladder, below her, the ground breaks apart and the Sluggoth demon starts to rise up mouth wide to swallow her. She loses her grip screaming, and just as she starts to fall, Buffy comes swinging in on a rope, catching her in mid-air. They both swing further down the alley and drop down onto some conveniently placed soft trash. Buffy comes out from behind some boxes, Nancy hanging back against the wall. Buffy starts to advance to where the Sluggoth demon last was, when suddenly the pavement behind her erupts and it rises up out of the ground menacing her. Nancy screams and Buffy drops into a fighting stance. Behind Buffy, Spike drops to the ground and walks over to a barred window, pulling off one of the bars as a weapon.
Spike: You’ve had your turn Love. Leave the real violence to the demons, yeah?
Spike steps forward, clubbing the demon with the bar.
Spike: That’s right, Big bad’s back, and looking for a little death!
Spike rears back, plunging the bar forward as a spear, just as he does this, the demon suddenly morphs into a man, unable to stop his swing, the bar continues, impaling Ronnie through the shoulder, exiting behind him. Ronnie screams in pain, and simultaneously so does Spike clutching at his head. Spike looks up, horrified.
End of act three
Begin act four.
We begin where we left off, on Spikes face. He looks shocked, as Ronnie moans in pain.
Spike: I’m sorry.
Spike pulls out the bar, and Ronnie falls to the ground, Buffy rushes up, grabbing a convenient blanket from a pile of trash to wrap around Ronnie. Spike looks down at the bar in his hands.
Spike. Right. Wrong. Wrong maneuver. Not hardly helpful. God please help me.
Spike turns to Buffy
Spike: (Yelling) Help me!
Buffy: You’re not the one who needs help! (Looking down at Ronnie) He’s going into shock.
Buffy takes out her cell phone and dials 911, Spike continues to mutter to himself while she talks to the 911 operator.
Buffy: Yeah, I need an ambulance, someone’s been stabbed, oh god, on the corner of third and Fairfield. Ok, help is coming try not to move.
Spike: No, no. Too much, too much, too much, too much, too much, in, down, up close, inside me all the way. Deep, deep, deep inside me.
Buffy: Look Spike, whatever you’re doing—
Spike: Get away! Get—uhh
Buffy: Do it somewhere else! I am through with this!
Nancy looks on, horrified.
Spike: Oh, oh, lucky girl. Call it quits, now there’s an option. If only it was so easy, if only… if only…
Spike turns to the side suddenly as if speaking to someone.
Spike: What the hell are you screaming about? I can hear you. No need to SHOUT!!
The last word starts out as a scream of rage and by the end sounds like pain. Spike doubles over. Spike stands back up laughing incongruously as Buffy and Nancy continue to stare at him.
Spike: I get it, the jokes on me. Lots of laughs. Yeah. Hey, bring the wife and kiddies, come see the show.
Spike twirls the bar casually while he talks.
Spike: ‘Cause it’s gonna be a circus. This…
Spike moves forward, laying down the bar, kneeling facing Buffy as she huddles over Ronnie.
Spike: …just the beginning love, a warm up act. The real headliner’s coming, and when that band hits the stage, all of this…
Spike stands up, spreading his arms
Spike: All of this will come tumbling in death, and screaming, horror, and bloodshed.
Spike points at the ground.
Spike: From beneath you, it devours. From beneath… poor Rocky…
Spike looks as if he is beginning to cry, then sprints off down the alley.
Xander (OS): Buffy!
Xander and Anya hurry up, as Buffy takes off her coat to use as a pillow for Ronnie. Nancy steps forward looking at Anya
Nancy: You. You did this. What are you?
Anya stands there looking unhappy. Xander watches as Nancy leaves.
Xander: She’s not calling me.
Buffy: Ok, help is on the way, look after him.
Buffy hands Xander her Cell phone and starts off down the alley in the direction that Spike fled.
Xander: Where are you going?
Buffy runs off.
Xander: (to Anya) You do know you did the right thing here.
Anya: Tell him that.
Xander: You reversed the spell, it took guts. I know this is bad, but it could be worse.
Anya: Oh… it will be.
Cut to Buffy walking through a graveyard, her eyes searching left and right. She spots a church up ahead, candlelight flickering in the windows. After a moment, she gets a determined look on her face, and advances on the church.
Cut to interior of the church, a picture on the wall above the door. Pan down to reveal Buffy opening the door and entering. She walks forward, then stops, looking around, seeing no-one. Suddenly, Spike steps out of the shadows behind her, bare-chested, holding his blue shirt.
Spike: Didn’t work…
Buffy spins, frightened.
Buffy: What the hell are you…
Spike: Didn’t work. Costume. Didn’t help. Couldn’t hide.
Spike tosses the blue shirt onto a pew.
Buffy: No more mind games Spike.
Spike: No more mind games, No more mind.
Buffy looks down at the deep scratches in Spikes chest, and reaches out to touch them.
Buffy: Tell me what happened to you.
Spike recoils, clutching himself.
Spike: Hey! Hey! Hey! No touching! Am I flesh? Am I flesh to you? Feed on flesh. My flesh. Nothing else, not a spark. Fine, flesh then. Solid through. Get it hard, service the girl.
Spike looks upset and reaches down and starts to unbutton his pants.
Buffy: Stop it! You…
Buffy reaches down to stop him from unbuttoning his pants, and suddenly Spikes hand is around her throat. Buffy grabs his arm and hurls him halfway across the church to crash into several pews, smashing them apart. Spike struggles up to a half sitting position.
Spike: Right. Girl doesn’t want to be serviced, because there’s no spark. (Yells upwards) Ain’t we in a sodding engine?
Buffy walks closer
Buffy: Spike have you
completely lost your mind?
Spike: (Calmly) Well yes. Where have you been all night?
Buffy: You thought you would just come back here and… be with me?
Spike: First time for everything. (Laughs without humor)
Buffy: This is all you get. I’m listening. Tell me what happened.
Spike: I tried to find it of course.
Buffy: Find what?
Spike: The spark… the missing… the piece…that fit… that would make me fit. Because you didn’t want…(sobs) I can’t… not with you looking.
Spike rises, and moves off into the shadows.
Spike: I dreamed of killing you.
Buffy bends down, and picks up a piece of the pews holding up the improvised stake.
Spike: I think they were dreams. So weak. Did you make me weak? Thinking of you? Holding myself and spilling useless buckets of salt over your…ending. Angel… he should have warned me. He makes a good show of forgetting but, it’s here…
Buffys eyes widen.
Spike: …in me, all the time. The spark.
Buffy swallows. Spike walks forward out of the shadows behind her.
Spike: I wanted to give you… what you deserve. And I got it. They put the spark in me.. and now all it does is burn.
Buffy: (Whispered) Your soul.
Spike: (laughs) A bit worse for lack of use.
Buffy turns slowly to face him.
Buffy: You got your soul back… how?
Spike: It’s what you wanted, right? (looking up and speaking hurriedly) It’s what you wanted… right?
Buffy swallows and looks down. Spike walks past her as he talks, towards the front of the church where a huge cross stands.
Spike: and-and now everybody’s in here… talking. Everything I did… everyone I… and him… and it… the other, the thing… beneath… beneath you… it’s here too. Everybody. They all just tell me go. Go… to hell.
Buffy’s eyes are glassy with tears, she shakes her head slightly.
Buffy: Why? Why would you do that?
Spike: Buffy shame on you. Why does a man do what he mustn’t? for her, to be hers… to be the kind of man who would nev… to be a kind of man…
Spike advances towards the cross
Spike: And she shall look at him with forgiveness… and everybody will forgive and love… he will be loved.
Spike stands within inches of the cross now, staring at it
Spike: So everything’s ok right?
He leans forward and embraces the cross hanging himself on it as smoke starts to rise from his flesh. A single tear falls down buffys cheek.
Spike: Can we rest now… Buffy… can we rest?
Smoke continues to rise off him as he hangs there on the cross.
Screen goes Black