(Riley is walking down the street, using a handheld device to scan for the presence of the demon. He sees Buffy.)

RILEY: Buffy.

BUFFY: Is this really the time for Donkey Kong?

RILEY: What?

(Buffy looks at the thing in his hand)

RILEY: Oh. It, ah, takes trace readings of creatures pheromones.

BUFFY: And?

RILEY: And it's either mating season for this thing or it's moving all over town. You know, Buffy...

BUFFY: Actually I need to go. Big bad, needs to be squished.

(Riley falls in beside her)

RILEY: Right. I'm on it, too. It's just - this thing, this you and me thing, it's Stupid!

BUFFY: I know. Which is why we can't do it, the you and me thing.

RILEY: No, I mean you're stupid. I mean... - I don't mean that. No, I think maybe I do.

BUFFY: Wow, with sweet talk like that, you'll definitely melt my reservations.

RILEY: I'm serious. You have this twisted way of looking at things, this doom and gloom mentality. You keep thinking like that and things will probably turn out just the way you expect.

BUFFY: You know there is nothing more dangerous than a psych-grad-student.

RILEY: Buffy, where is the bad here? It just turns out - we are even more well matched than we thought we were. I mean, you're a (sees some people walking by) - fry cook - and so am I!

BUFFY: Yeah, but you're an amateur - fry cook - and I come form a long line of fry cooks that don't live past 25.

RILEY: Which is exactly the attitude I'm talking about. Look, I know the risks of what we do. I also know it's more rewarding than any other job on the planet - and fun.

BUFFY: Fun? The last person I know that believed that is in a coma right now because she had so much fun on the job.

RILEY: I'm not saying that you shouldn't take your work seriously.

BUFFY: That I should just turn my frown upside down? Is that it? I wish I could. But this isn't the kind of gig where you can just hang it up at the end of the night and snuggle with your honey.

RILEY: But why? Why can't it be?

BUFFY: Because I've tried it, okay? And every time it just fell apart. And then I get sucked right back in to the Uber-evil.

RILEY: Welcome to the story of the world. Things fall apart Buffy. And evil - it comes and goes. But the way people manage is, they don't do it alone. They pull each other through. If you weren't so self involved you'd see that.

BUFFY: You have no idea what you're talking about. You barely know me.

RILEY: I know that it's not just a job thing. I'm sure that there is some good looking guy that done you wrong in there, too. But mostly I think you want to stay down in that dark place because maybe it's safer down there.

BUFFY: You are so out of line.

RILEY: No. See I don't think so. Look, we have an opportunity here, you and me, and the fact that you're to scared to even give it a try..

BUFFY: Is my business. So why don't you just leave me alone?

(beat)

RILEY: Fair enough.

(After another moment he walks past her. Buffy closes her eyes for a moment then walks on herself. )

• Angsty Traumatic Confrontations
• Buffy & Riley
• Slayerhood

written by: Marti Noxon, David Fury, and Jane Espenson; . Full transcript at:
http://www.studiesinwords.de/67doomed.html