Buffy Episode #85: “Fool for Love” Transcript
Written by Douglas Petrie
Prologue
1 EXT. SUNNYDALE
CEMETERY- NIGHT 1
All is quiet in the
mist-shrouded graveyard. Suddenly, the peace is shattered as BUFFY pounds a
VAMPIRE dressed like a Van Halen reject to the ground.
BUFFY
You know, it's probably none
of my business but I just gotta ask...
The vampire lunges at her and
she backhands it.
BUFFY
You smell this bad when you
were alive?
She kicks the vampire into a
headstone.
BUFFY
'Cause if it's a post-mortem
thing, then boy, is my face red...
She flips him over the
headstone and whips out a stake.
BUFFY
But just so you know, the
fast-growing field of personal grooming has come a long way since you became a
vampire.
Buffy somersaults over the
headstone, stake raised and ready to strike. But the vampire seizes her arm as
she lands, spins her around and plunges the stake into Buffy's abdomen. Her
eyes go wide with shock and pain as she looks down at the stake protruding from
her body.
Opening credit sequence.
ACT I
2 EXT. SUNNYDALE
CEMETERY- NIGHT 2
Resume. Buffy looks down in
horror at the stake in her gut. She grips the shaft and, with a gasp of pain,
pulls it out. Her sweater is soaked with her blood.
For the first time in a long
time, Buffy feels fear. She turns and flees, trying to escape the vampire. The
hunter had become the hunted. Her wound slows her, however, and she casts
terrified glances over her shoulder.
Suddenly, the vampire leaps
in front of her and she stops with a gasp, looking around desperately for an
escape route.
ROCKER VAMPIRE
You're going? But you were
having so much fun a minute ago!
Buffy brings the stake up but
the creature easily knocks it from her grasp and tosses her against a nearby
crypt. She doubles over in pain as the vampire picks up her stake and
approaches with a predatory grin.
Buffy is helpless. She
realizes that this is the moment she's been dreading but always knew would
come. She's going to die.
As the vampire raises the
stake for the killing blow, he's suddenly tackled to the ground by RILEY. He
rains blows down on the demon and takes out a taser but the vampire knocks it
from his hand before he can use it and takes off across the graveyard. Riley is
about to give chase when he notices Buffy's obvious distress and rushes to her
aid.
RILEY
Buffy! What happened?
She holds up her bloody
hands, then collapses in arms, unconscious.
CUT TO:
3 INT. SUMMERS HOME-
BUFFY'S ROOM- DAY 3
Riley is applying first aid
and dressing Buffy's wound.
BUFFY
I can't believe I passed out.
Do you think I'm a total wuss now?
RILEY
Oh, yeah. I like a girl who
can play a few hard sets of tennis with a major stab wound.
BUFFY
You said it wasn't that bad.
RILEY
I said I've seen worse.
There's a difference.
BUFFY
Well, at least no major
organs got kebabed.
RILEY
I still think you need to see
a real doctor.
BUFFY
That would put me in a real
hospital which would get my real mom real freaked out. I can't do it. Don't
worry. Accelerated healing powers come with the Slayer package. And the
boyfriend who comes complete with combat medical training? That's just a Buffy
Summers bonus.
RILEY
So tell me about the bad guy-
or guys. What do you think they were?
BUFFY
Vampire.
RILEY
How many?
BUFFY
One.
Riley is surprised.
RILEY
So... what? He was like a
super-vampire or something?
BUFFY
No, he was the regular kind.
He just beat me.
RILEY
That ever happen before?
BUFFY
I'm in the best physical
shape of my life. I mean, if you're asking how it happened, I don't-
The door flies open and DAWN
runs in.
BUFFY
Dawn!
DAWN
Sorry to interrupt the
sex-capades. I just wanted to tell you that Mom's coming.
Riley hides the bandages and
tape just as JOYCE enters the room.
JOYCE
Hi, Riley.
RILEY
Hey, Mrs. Summers. How're you
feeling?
JOYCE
I'm fine, bordering on
chipper and tomorrow planning on being obnoxious.
RILEY
(smiles)
Glad to hear it.
JOYCE
Buffy, when you have a minute
I'd like to go over the grocery list for next week.
BUFFY
You got it.
JOYCE
(re: alcohol)
Are you disinfecting
something?
BUFFY
Huh? Oh, uh-
DAWN
Mine! Some nail polish
experiments are doomed before they even begin.
JOYCE
But you keep pushing the
envelope, honey.
Joyce smiles and leaves,
closing the bedroom door behind her.
DAWN
(smiles; to Buffy)
Did I just pull a
Slayer-related Mom cover-up thing? Come on, who's the man?
BUFFY
You are. A very short,
annoying man.
Stung, Dawn's smile fades.
BUFFY
If I show you something, you
promise you won't tell?
Dawn crosses her heart and
Buffy lifts her shirt to reveal the bandaged stab wound. Dawn is awed.
DAWN
Oh, cool! (off Buffy's look)
I mean, gross!
BUFFY
And Mom cannot know. Okay?
You'll help me with the household stuff?
DAWN
Oh, sure. I save your butt
and you dump all your chores on me. (off Buffy's look) I got it. You're
covered. We're good. Just lucky it's not bikini season.
Buffy smiles and strokes
Dawn's hair.
RILEY
So Dawn takes household duty.
I'll take tonight's patrol.
BUFFY
By yourself?
RILEY
Just a sweep.
BUFFY
Do me a favor? Will you take
the gang along with?
RILEY
Okay. I will patrol with the
group tonight.
DAWN
When do I get to patrol?
BUFFY
Not until you're never.
CUT TO:
4 EXT. SUNNYDALE
CEMETERY- NIGHT 4
Riley moves stealthily among
the headstones, ducking from shadow to shadow. He pauses behind a large marble
slab and raises his arm, fist closed, and pumps it up and down twice before
moving further into the cemetery.
WILLOW, ANYA and XANDER
follow about twenty yards behind him, munching potato chips and making no
effort to conceal themselves.
XANDER
(to Willow)
What's with the hand move?
Does that like mean something?
WILLOW
It's code. I think it breaks
down to "choo-choo".
She mimics pulling a train
whistle.
ANYA
It means to follow him. That,
or wait here for him.
They watch Riley's covert
movements for a moment, then Willow turns to Xander.
WILLOW
Ask.
XANDER
(yells)
Hey, Riley! What's the (hand
gesture) all about?
RILEY
(exasperated)
It means yell real loud so
the vampires who don't know we're coming will have a sporting chance.
XANDER
(to Willow)
See, now he's all mean and
sarcastic.
WILLOW
That's because you were doing
all the yelling, Mr. Stealthy-Pants.
ANYA
(to Riley)
It's their fault.
RILEY
Guys, I'm thinking if we
split up, we could cover more ground. Tell you what? I'll take the cemeteries,
you guys get the Bronze.
ANYA
Are we not being covert
enough?
XANDER
We're sorry!
WILLOW
Sorry.
XANDER
We'll be sneakier. Promise.
He munches loudly on a
handful of chips.
RILEY
Okay. Just ditch the chips
and watch my back.
WILLOW
Done.
She reaches into the bag and
grabs a handful of chips herself before setting the bag down. Riley moves off
into the cemetery again.
XANDER
(to Anya)
You know what he's like? He's
like a cat. You know, a big jungle cat. How come I'm not like that? It's just
so cool.
WILLOW
(munching)
I think you're cool.
CUT TO:
5 INT. THE MAGIC BOX-
NIGHT 5
The reading table is piled
high with books. GILES and Buffy are into some deep research.
GILES
Here's another one. Early
18th Century Slayer.
Buffy closes her book with a
sigh and sets it on the stack.
BUFFY
Good. Let's hope she'll be
more helpful than this last one.
GILES
Why? What does it say?
BUFFY
Same as all the others.
Slayer called... blah, blah... great protector... blah, blah... scary
battles... blah, blah... oops! She's dead. Where are the details?
GILES
Details? Well, it says this
Slayer forged her own weapons.
He hands the book to Buffy.
BUFFY
Gotta love a gal with an
anvil. But where are the details of the Slayer's last battle? You know, what
made that fight special? Why did she lose?
GILES
You didn't lose last night,
Buffy. You just-
BUFFY
Got really close. I slipped
up, Giles. I've been training harder than ever and still I... (beat) And
there's nothing in any of these books to help me understand why. I mean... look,
I realize that every Slayer comes with an expiration mark on the package. But I
want mine to be a long time from now. Like a Cheeto. If there were just a few
good descriptions of what took out the other Slayers, maybe it would help me to
understand my mistake, to keep it from happening again.
GILES
Yes, well, the problem is
after a final battle, it's difficult to get any... well, the Slayer's not...
she's rather...
BUFFY
It's okay to use the D-word,
Giles.
GILES
Dead. And hence not very
forthcoming.
BUFFY
Why didn't the Watchers keep
fuller accounts of it? The journals just stop.
GILES
Well, I suppose if they're
anything like me, they just find the whole subject too-
BUFFY
Unseemly? Damn. Love ya but
you Watchers are such prigs sometimes.
GILES
Painful... I was going to
say.
Buffy and Giles share a
meaningful look.
GILES
But you're right. Accounts of
the final battles would be very helpful. But there's no one left to tell the
tales.
Buffy has a sudden revelation.
GILES
What?
CUT TO:
6 INT. SPIKE'S CRYPT-
NIGHT 6
Buffy shoves SPIKE against
the wall and holds him there.
SPIKE
Ow! (beat) Wait. Not ow. You
feeling all right, Slayer? This stuff usually hurts.
Buffy spins him around to
face her.
BUFFY
Don't even start, Spike.
SPIKE
What do you want?
BUFFY
Slayers. You killed two of
them.
SPIKE
(wary)
I did.
BUFFY
You're gonna show me how.
FADE OUT
ACT II
7 INT. THE BRONZE- NIGHT 7
Spike and Buffy sit at a
corner table. Spike greedily drains a mug of beer while Buffy stoically
watches.
SPIKE
You know, there quite a few
American beers that are highly underrated. This unfortunately is not one of
them.
BUFFY
Update, Spike. We're not here
to discuss the fine choice of hops. It's about two Slayers: one in China during
the Boxer Rebellion, one in New York.
She holds up a wad of cash
and snatches it back as he tries to grab for it.
BUFFY
Both got killed by you. Tell
the tale, you get the cash.
SPIKE
Right. You want to learn all
about how I bested the Slayers and you want to learn fast. Right, then. We
fought. I won. The end. Pay up.
BUFFY
That's not what I-
SPIKE
What did you want, eh? A
quick demo? A blow-for-blow description you can map out and memorize? It's not
about the moves, love. And since I agreed to your little proposition, we can do
this my way. Wings.
BUFFY
What?
SPIKE
Spicy buffalo wings. Order me
up a plate. I'm feelin' peckish.
Buffy sighs and turns to
signal a waitress.
BUFFY
Excuse me-
The movement aggravates her
injury and she winces in pain.
SPIKE
As I thought. Some nasty
thing got a taste of you.
BUFFY
Don't get all excited. I'm
fine.
SPIKE
Oh, right. Stuck in a dark
corner with a creature you loathe, diggin' up past uglies, 'cause you're fine.
BUFFY
Just tell me what I want to
know.
SPIKE
I told you. No one's
narrating on an empty stomach here.
Buffy shakes her head in
exasperation.
BUFFY
Were you born this big a pain
in the ass?
SPIKE
What can I tell you, baby?
I've always been bad.
CUT TO:
8 INT. LONDON (1880)-
VICTORIAN PARLOR- NIGHT 8
A very different Spike is
sitting and composing poetry off in the corner of a dinner party. The spirited
laughter of the party-goers can be heard in the background. Spike's hair is
long and unruly and he's dressed as a proper gentleman, complete with tie and
reading spectacles. He's awkward and bookish- none of the confident swagger
we're used to.
SPIKE
(to himself)
Luminous... oh, no, no, no.
Irradiant's better.
A WAITER approaches and holds
out a tray.
WAITER
Care for an hors d'oeuvre,
sir?
SPIKE
Oh, quickly! I'm the very
spirit of vexation. What's another word for "gleaming"? It's a
perfectly perfect word as many words go but the bother is nothing rhymes, you
see.
The waiter smiles
patronizingly and moves off into the crowd. Spike's eyes are drawn to CECILY,
young woman just entering the party.
SPIKE
Cecily...
He turns back to his poem
with renewed purpose and jots down several more lines, then gets up and moves
through the crowd toward her.
TITLE CARD: London, 1880
CUT TO:
A group of young ARISTOCRATs-
a woman and her two male companions- are gathered, discussing current events.
ARISTOCRAT #1
I mean to point out that it's
something of a mystery and the police should keep an open mind.
One of the men turns to Spike
as he passes by.
ARISTOCRAT #2
(to Spike)
Ah, William! Favor us with
your opinion. What do you make of this rash of disappearances sweeping through
our town? Animals or thieves?
SPIKE
(haughty)
I prefer not to think of such
dark, ugly business at all. That's what the police are for. (looks at Cecily) I
prefer placing my energies into creating things of beauty.
The third aristocrat snatches
the poem from Spike's hands.
ARISTOCRAT #3
I see. Well, don't withhold,
William.
ARISTOCRAT #1
Rescue us from a dreary
topic.
SPIKE
(to Aristocrat #3)
Careful. The inks are still
wet. Please, it's not finished.
ARISTOCRAT #3
Don't be shy. (reads)
"My heart expands/'tis grown a bulge in it/inspired by your beauty,
effulgent." (laughs) Effulgent?
Everyone laughs, mocking
Spike. Uncomfortable, Cecily glances at Spike and walks off. Spike shoots
Aristocrat #3 a sour look, snatches back his poem, and follows her.
ARISTOCRAT #2
And that's actually one of
his better compositions.
ARISTOCRAT #1
Have you heard? They call him
William the Bloody because of his bloody awful poetry!
ARISTOCRAT #3
It suits him. I'd rather have
a railroad spike through my head than listen to that awful stuff!
CUT TO:
Spike approaches Cecily who
is sitting on a sofa, away from the main party, and looking out the window.
SPIKE
Cecily?
She turns and sighs when she
sees him.
CECILY
Oh. Leave me alone.
SPIKE
(re: other guests)
Oh, they're vulgarians.
They're not like you and I.
CECILY
You and I? I'm going to ask
you a very personal question and I demand an honest answer. Do you understand?
He nods.
CECILY
Your poetry, it's...
they're... not written about me, are they?
SPIKE
They're about how I feel.
CECILY
Yes, but are they about me?
SPIKE
Every syllable.
CECILY
Oh, God!
SPIKE
Oh, I know... it's sudden
and... please, if they're no good, they're only words but... the feeling behind
them... I love you, Cecily.
CECILY
Please stop!
SPIKE
I know I'm a bad poet but I'm
a good man and all I ask is that... that you try to see me-
CECILY
I do see you. That's the
problem. You're nothing to me, William. You're beneath me.
She stands and walks off,
leaving Spike devastated and alone.
CUT TO:
9 EXT. LONDON STREET-
NIGHT 9
Spike staggers down the
street in tears, ripping up his poems as he goes. He bumps into a passerby and
drops the pages.
SPIKE
Watch where you're going!
He gathers up the torn sheets
and makes his way toward a nearby alleyway.
CUT TO:
10 EXT. LONDON ALLEY- NIGHT 10
Spike is sitting on a bale of
hay and finishing the job of destroying his poetry. He looks up at the sound of
a woman's voice to find DRUSILLA standing serenely in the dark alley with him.
DRUSILLA
And I wonder... what possible
catastrophe came crashing down from heaven and brought this dashing stranger to
tears?
SPIKE
Nothing. I wish to be alone.
DRUSILLA
Oh, I see you. A man
surrounded by fools who cannot see his strength, his vision, his glory. (beat)
That and burning baby fish swimming all around your head.
Spike backs away from her,
nervous.
SPIKE
That's quite close enough.
I've heard tales of London pickpockets. You'll not be getting my purse, I tell
you.
DRUSILLA
(smiles)
Don't need a purse.
She points to his heart and
head in succession.
DRUSILLA
Your wealth lies here... and
here. In the spirit and... imagination. You walk in worlds the others can't
begin to imagine.
Spike is riveted by her
insight into his character.
SPIKE
Oh, yes! I mean, no. I
mean... mother's expecting me.
Drusilla opens the collar of
his shirt.
DRUSILLA
I see what you want.
Something glowing and glistening. Something... effulgent.
Spike is beside himself.
Finally someone who understands him.
SPIKE
(sotto)
Effulgent.
DRUSILLA
Do you want it?
Spike has never wanted
anything more.
SPIKE
Oh, yes! (touches her chest)
God, yes.
Drusilla looks down for a
moment as her face changes and her fangs descend. Spike reacts, more confused
than afraid. She pulls back his shirt collar and buries her fangs in his neck.
Spike cries out in pain but his cries quickly turn to moans of pleasure as
Drusilla ends his human existence.
CUT TO:
11 EXT. SUNNYDALE CEMETERY (PRESENT)- NIGHT 11
Riley, Willow, Anya and
Xander are crouched behind headstones as the Rocker Vampire who staked Buffy
makes his way through the graveyard. Riley sees him first.
RILEY
Guys...
XANDER
What you got?
RILEY
That's him. Let's go.
The vampire slips into a
crypt as the four of them cautiously approach. Boisterous laughter can be heard
coming from inside. Riley motions for the others to stay put as he steals up to
the crypt entrance and peers inside. He sees the Rocker Vampire with four
others and backs off, frustrated. He returns to the others.
XANDER
It sounds like a party in
there.
RILEY
Forget about crashing.
There's too many of them. We'll come back at daybreak when they're asleep and
we're better armed. It's okay. We can kill them just as dead in the morning.
CUT TO:
12 INT. THE BRONZE- NIGHT 12
Buffy and Spike are shooting
pool as Spike relates his story.
BUFFY
So you traded up on the food
chain. Then what?
SPIKE
No, please. Don't make it
sound like something you'd flip past on the Discovery Channel. Becoming a
vampire is a profound and powerful experience. I could feel this new strength
coursing through me. Getting killed made me feel alive for the very first time.
I was through living by society's rules. Decided to make a few of my own. Of
course, in order to do that... I had to get myself a gang.
CUT TO:
13 INT. YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND
(1880)- COAL MINE- DAY 13
ANGELUS has Spike by the
throat, choking him.
ANGELUS
Perhaps it's my advancing
years that makes me so forgetful, William. Remind me. Why don't we kill you?
SPIKE
(chokes)
...ike.
ANGELUS
What's that?
TITLE CARD: Yorkshire, 1880
Angelus releases Spike in
disgust.
SPIKE
It's Spike now.
Reveal Drusilla and DARLA
standing to either side of Angelus.
SPIKE
You'd do well to remember it,
mate.
ANGELUS
I'm not your mate. And when
did you start talking like that?
DARLA
(to Spike)
Look, we barely got out of
London alive because of you. Everywhere we go, it's the same story and now-
ANGELUS
You've got me and my women
hiding in the luxury of a mine shaft, all because William the Bloody likes the
attention. This is not a reputation we need.
Spike takes a deep swig from
a wine bottle.
SPIKE
Oh, I'm sorry. Did I sully
our good name? We're vampires.
ANGELUS
All the more reason to use a
certain amount of finesse.
SPIKE
Bollocks! That stuff's for
the frilly cuffs-and-collars crowd. I'll take a good brawl any day.
Angelus approaches Spike
menacingly.
ANGELUS
And every time you do, we
become the hunted.
DARLA
(sing-song; to Drusilla)
I think our boys are going to
fight.
Drusilla claps her hands
giddily.
DRUSILLA
The King of Cups expects a
picnic! But this is not his birthday.
Darla looks at Drusilla like
she's crazy.
DARLA
Good point...
SPIKE
(to Angelus)
Yeah, you know what I prefer
to being hunted? Getting caught.
ANGELUS
That's a brilliant strategy
really... pure cunning.
SPIKE
Sod off! (laughs) Come on.
When was the last time you unleashed it? All out fight in a mob, back against
the wall, nothing but fists and fangs? Don't you ever get tired of fights you
know you're going to win?
ANGELUS
No. A real kill. A good kill.
It takes pure artistry. Without that, we're just animals.
SPIKE
Poofter!
Angelus shoves Spike and the
fight is on. Angelus snaps a metal rod in half, lifts Spike up and slams him
down on his back, raising the makeshift stake. Spike stops it inches from his
heart and smiles up at Angelus.
SPIKE
Now you're gettin' it!
Angelus drops the rod and
backs off.
ANGELUS
You can't keep this up
forever. If I can't teach you, maybe someday an angry crowd will. That... or
the Slayer.
Spike sits up, suddenly
interested.
SPIKE
What's a Slayer?
CUT TO:
14 INT. THE BRONZE (PRESENT)- NIGHT 14
Back to the pool game. Buffy
listens while Spike tells his tale.
SPIKE
After that, I was obsessed. I
mean, to most vampires, the Slayer was the subject of cold sweat and frightened
whispers. But I never hid. Hell, I sought her out. I mean, if you're looking
for fun, there's death, there's glory and sod all else, right? (shrugs) I was
young.
BUFFY
So how'd you kill her?
Spike moves behind Buffy.
SPIKE
Funny you should ask.
His hand whips out and takes
her by the neck. She instinctually reacts, bringing the pool cue up as a weapon
but Spike holds her at bay.
SPIKE
Lesson the first: a Slayer
must always reach for her weapon.
His face shifts as the demon
in him comes forward.
SPIKE
I've already got mine.
He shakes his head and his
face returns to normal. After a moment, he releases Buffy's neck and takes the
pool cue from her. He walks over to the table and lines up a shot.
SPIKE
A good thing, too. Become a
vampire, you've got nothing to fear. Nothing but one girl. That's you, honey.
Back then... it was her.
CUT TO:
15 INT. CHINA (1900)-
BUDDHIST TEMPLE- NIGHT 15
Spike and the SLAYER are
fighting. She's a young, diminutive Chinese girl, adept at martial arts and
swordsmanship. She kicks Spike back and whips her sword at his head. He ducks
but not quite quick enough. The blade splits the skin over his left eyebrow and
blood runs down his face. Spike is enjoying himself immensely.
CUT TO:
16 EXT. CHINESE VILLAGE-
NIGHT 16
Fires burn as panicked villagers
flee in every direction, their belongings and farm animals in tow. Explosions
can be heard not too far distant.
TITLE CARD: China, 1900
Boxer Rebellion
CUT TO:
17 INT. CHINA- BUDDHIST
TEMPLE- NIGHT 17
Spike dodges another blow
from the Slayer's sword.
SPIKE
Just like I pictured it. This
good for you?
The Slayer charges him, sword
whickering through the air in a deadly blur. Spike dodges every swing and
viciously backhands the girl, breaking her grip on the sword.
The Slayer goes hand-to-hand
with Spike, landing several kicks and punches to his head, serving only to
further enrage the vampire. He beats her back but begins to lose ground again.
The Slayer backs him up against a support column and pins him there, her foot
to his throat. She raises a stake, poised to strike the killing blow, when an
explosion outside blasts part of the temple wall inward, the concussion
breaking her hold on Spike.
Spike goes on the offensive,
knocking the stake from her hand. As the Slayer bends to retrieve it, Spike
seizes her arm and wrenches it up behind her back. He pulls the hapless girl to
him and sinks his fangs deep into her neck.
The Slayer gasps in pain as
her life drains away. Spike turns the dying girl toward him. She speaks to him
in Chinese.
SLAYER
(subtitle)
Tell my mother I'm sorry...
SPIKE
I'm sorry, love, I don't
speak Chinese.
She dies and Spike throws her
to the ground like so much refuse. Panting heavily, he licks his lips with
pleasure.
SPIKE
(to himself)
A fella could get used to
this.
FADE OUT
ACT III
18 INT. CHINA- BUDDHIST
TEMPLE- NIGHT 18
Resume. Spike is staring down
at the Slayer's corpse as Drusilla glides into the temple.
DRUSILLA
Oh, Spike, look at the
wonderful mess you've made. That's a Slayer you've done in. Naughty...
wicked... Spike.
She holds out her hand and
Spike approaches, lust in his eyes. He grabs Drusilla up in his arms and looks
into her eyes.
SPIKE
You ever hear them saying the
blood of a Slayer is a powerful aphrodisiac?
She looks at him, wanton
hunger in her eyes.
SPIKE
Here, now... have a taste.
He holds his blood-covered
finger up and she seductively sucks on it, moaning with pleasure. Spike grins
and picks her up, pushing her against the wall and kissing her passionately.
She eagerly responds, pulling at his clothes as they sink to the floor in each
other's embrace.
CUT TO:
19 EXT. CHINESE VILLAGE-
STREET- NIGHT 19
Houses burn brightly as the
terrified villagers flee the looters. Spike and Drusilla walk arm-in-arm
through the violence, smiling and whispering to each other. They meet Darla and
Angel, the four of them forming an incongruous picture of calm amid the panic
and terrified screams around them.
DARLA
So where have you two been?
DRUSILLA
(to Spike)
May I tell?
SPIKE
No need to be humble.
DRUSILLA
(to Darla)
My little Spike just killed
himself a Slayer.
Angel looks him up and down,
his face expressionless.
ANGEL
Congratulations. I guess that
makes you one of us.
SPIKE
Don't be so glum, mate! The
way you tell it, one Slayer snuffs it, another one rises. I figure there's a
new Chosen One getting all chosen as we speak. I tell you what... when and if
this new bird does show up, I'll give you first crack at her.
Drusilla's attention is
suddenly drawn to something behind Angel.
DRUSILLA
I smell fear.
ANGEL
Yeah, this whole place reeks
of it.
Drusilla sinks into Spike's
arms, ecstatic.
DRUSILLA
It's intoxicating!
Angel takes Darla by the arm.
ANGEL
Let's get out of here. This
rebellion's starting to bore me.
Spike and Drusilla revel in
the misery around them, laughing in each other's arms, before following Angel
and Darla into the night.
CUT TO:
20 INT. THE BRONZE
(PRESENT)- NIGHT 20
SPIKE
That was the best night of my
life.
Spike and Buffy are still at
the pool table. Buffy's face is neutral, expressionless, at Spike's casual
description of the death of a Slayer.
SPIKE
And I've had some sweet ones.
(off her look) What are you looking at?
BUFFY
(disgusted)
You got off on it.
SPIKE
Well, yeah. I suppose you're
telling me you don't? (laughs) How many of my kind reckon you've done?
BUFFY
Not enough.
SPIKE
(nods)
And we just keep coming. But
you can kill a hundred, a thousand, a thousand thousand and the enemies of Hell
besides and all we need is for one of us- just one- sooner or later to have the
thing we're all hoping for.
BUFFY
And that would be what?
Spike leans in close and
whispers in her ear.
SPIKE
One... good... day.
Buffy pushes him away from
her.
SPIKE
(laughs)
Hey! You asked and I'm
tellin'. The problem with you, Summers, is you've gotten so good, you're
starting to think you're immortal.
BUFFY
Not really. I just know I can
handle myself.
SPIKE
Oh? Then how do you explain
this?
He reaches out and punches
Buffy in her wound. Both Buffy and Spike cry out in pain as Buffy doubles over
and Spike's chip lights his brain on fire.
BUFFY
(gasping)
So that's it? Lesson over?
SPIKE
Not even close. Come on.
He picks up a pool cue and
heads outside.
CUT TO:
21 EXT. SUNNYDALE CEMETERY-
NIGHT 21
Riley strides purposefully
through the mist-shrouded trees toward the crypt where the vampires are still
partying. The Rocker Vampire is regaling his companions with his tale of
fighting and besting a Slayer.
ROCKER VAMPIRE
(o.s.)
Killed with her own weapon!
CUT TO:
22 INT. SUNNYDALE CEMETERY-
CRYPT- NIGHT 22
The Rocker Vampire holds up
Buffy's stake for the others to see.
ROCKER VAMPIRE
They ought to put this in a
museum!
The door bangs open and Riley
walks confidently in.
RILEY
You know what they put in
museums? Mostly dead things.
The Rocker Vampire leaps up
and charges Riley. He easily blocks the demon's blows and seizes its arm,
giving it a violent twist. The vampire's arm breaks with a snap and the stake
drops from its hand into Riley's. Without hesitation, Riley slams it into the
vampire's chest. As the dust settles to the floor, Riley takes out an
incendiary grenade and pulls the pin. The handle flips up and Riley holds it
for a beat, letting the fuse burn down. Then he sets it on the ground in front
of the stunned vampires and runs out the crypt door.
CUT TO:
23 EXT. SUNNYDALE CEMETERY-
NIGHT 23
Riley dashes into the trees
as the crypt explodes from within.
CUT TO:
24 EXT. THE BRONZE- NIGHT 24
Buffy squares off with Spike.
BUFFY
Give it to me.
Spike lashes out at her and
she easily ducks his blows, then wraps her hand around his throat, pinning him
against a chain-link fence. Spike smiles and laughs.
BUFFY
What?
SPIKE
Lesson the second: ask the
right questions. You want to know how I beat 'em?
Buffy releases him and steps
back.
SPIKE
The question isn't "How'd
I win?". The question is "Why'd they lose?".
BUFFY
What's the difference?
Spike lunges at her, the pool
cue aimed at her throat. Spike stops it inches from her skin. Buffy never even
flinches.
SPIKE
There's a big difference,
love.
Buffy kicks the cue from his
hands.
BUFFY
How'd you kill the second
one?
SPIKE
Hmm? A bit like this.
He sends a series of punches
at her but Buffy easily ducks them all.
BUFFY
That didn't hurt?
SPIKE
I knew I couldn't touch you.
If there's no intent to hurt you, then that chip they shoved up my brain never
activates. If, on the other hand...
Spike's face changes and he
lunges at her but he's brought up short by a crippling brain seizure.
SPIKE
See, now that hurt.
BUFFY
Yeah? This hurt too?
Buffy gut-punches him, then
pounds him to the ground.
BUFFY
How'd you kill 'em, Spike?
He jumps up and attacks but
Buffy flips him over onto the ground again, whips out a stake and lands on top
of him. Spike seizes her wrist before she can plunge it into his chest.
SPIKE
You're not ready to know.
BUFFY
I'm ready.
SPIKE
Okay, then. Went like this.
Spike flips Buffy up and off
him as we
SMASH CUT TO:
25 INT. NEW YORK CITY
(1977)- SUBWAY CAR- NIGHT 25
A young black woman in dark
leather lands hard on the floor of the train and rolls to her feet. Spike,
looking very much like Billy Idol, squares off with the Slayer and throws a
punch. The car is empty, save for the two combatants.
TITLE CARD: New York City,
1977
BEGIN INTERCUT
The fight on the subway car
and Buffy and Spike outside the Bronze.
As Spike fights the Slayer in
the past, he also fights Buffy in the present, the battles mirroring each other
across time. Spike feels no pain from the chip, indicating the fight with Buffy
is more demonstration than anything else.
SPIKE
(to Buffy)
The first was all business
but the second, she had a touch of your style.
Spike and the Slayer trade
blows. This Slayer does indeed fight much like Buffy. She runs Spike headfirst
into the train car's window, smashing it. Spike looses a cry of delight and
attacks again.
SPIKE
(to Buffy)
She was cunning,
resourceful... oh, did I mention? Hot. I could have danced all night with that
one.
BUFFY
You think we're dancing?
SPIKE
That's all we've ever done.
Spike breaks one of the
subway car's hand rails and wields it as a weapon.
SPIKE
(v.o.)
And the thing about the dance
is, you never get to stop.
Spike flips the pool cue up
and spins it like the hand rail.
SPIKE
(to Buffy)
Every day you wake up, it's
the same bloody question that haunts you: is today the day I die?
He brings the pool cue down
in a vicious arc and Buffy counter-attacks, enraged.
Spike cracks the Slayer
across the face with the metal rail, sending her reeling to the floor and
pounds her repeatedly with it.
SPIKE
(v.o.)
Death is on your heels, baby,
and sooner or later it's gonna catch you.
Spike brings the rail down
for another blow but the Slayer catches it and slams it back into his face.
SPIKE
(to Buffy)
And part of you wants it...
not only to stop the fear and uncertainty, but because you're just a little bit
in love with it.
Buffy has heard enough. She
backhands Spike across the face.
On the subway, Spike falls to
the floor and the Slayer jumps on his chest, straddling him. She pounds him
repeatedly in the face as the train car's lights go out. When they come back
on, the Slayer is on her back with Spike straddling her, his hands around her
throat.
SPIKE
Death is your art. You make
it with your hands, day after day.
Buffy stares at him, her face
a blank mask.
The Slayer struggles beneath
Spike.
SPIKE
That final gasp. That look of
peace. Part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead
you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the
kicks you didn't land. Every Slayer... has a death wish.
Spike grips the Slayer's head
between his hands and twists violently, snapping her neck and killing her.
SPIKE
(to Buffy)
Even you.
Spike stands up and faces
Buffy.
In the subway, he walks to
the end of the car and pulls the emergency cord. As the train grinds to a halt,
he returns to the dead Slayer and pulls off her black leather coat.
SPIKE
The only reason you've lasted
as long as you have is you've got ties to the world... your mum, your brat kid
sister, the Scoobies. They all tie you here but you're just putting off the
inevitable.
Spike shrugs into the
Slayer's coat.
SPIKE
Sooner or later, you're gonna
want it. And the second- the second- that happens...
Spike claps his hands
together inches from Buffy's face.
END INTERCUT
SPIKE
You know I'll be there. I'll
slip in... have myself a real good day.
He stares intently into
Buffy's eyes, then steps back.
SPIKE
Here endeth the lesson. I
just wonder if you'll like it as much as she did.
BUFFY
(cold)
Get out of my sight. Now.
SPIKE
Oh... did I scare ya? You're
the Slayer. Do something about it. Hit me. Come on. One good swing. You know
you want to.
BUFFY
I mean it.
SPIKE
So do I. Give it me good,
Buffy. Do it!
The tension is rising between
them.
BUFFY
Spike...
His passion aroused, Spike
leans in to kiss her. She backs away in horror.
BUFFY
What the hell are you doing?
He grabs Buffy by the arms,
his words coming in a breathless pant.
SPIKE
Come on. I can feel it,
Slayer. You know you want to dance.
BUFFY
Say it's true. Say I do want
to.
She shoves him to the ground
and looks down at him with disgust.
BUFFY
It wouldn't be you, Spike. It
would never be you.
She tosses the wad of cash at
him contemptuously.
BUFFY
You're beneath me.
Buffy turns and walks off
into the night, leaving Spike alone in the dark alley.
He begins to gather up the
money, stifling a sob. As Buffy's words ring down through the years, he becomes
the same spurned and awkward young man he once was. Her words have hurt him
more than her blows ever have. He closes his eyes in anguish, takes a deep
breath, and when he looks up again, only murderous hate remains.
CUT TO:
26 INT. SPIKE'S CRYPT-
NIGHT 26
Spike throws open an old
trunk and starts searching through the contents. HARMONY looks at him with
concern.
HARMONY
Spike, what are you doing?
SPIKE
(to himself)
Beneath me... I'll show her.
He takes out a
double-barreled shotgun, cracks the breech and loads two rounds.
SPIKE
Put her six bloody feet
beneath me. Hasn't got a death wish? Bitch won't need one.
FADE OUT
ACT IV
27 INT. SPIKE'S CRYPT-
NIGHT 27
Spike is gathering up his
things, preparing to go after Buffy. Harmony is worried for him.
HARMONY
Okay, I'm trying to be
supportive here so don't drive a stake through my heart like last time, but you
can't kill Buffy. She's the Slayer. She is so gonna kick your ass.
SPIKE
I've got two barrels here
that'll prove you wrong.
HARMONY
I knew you'd take this
personally. You are so sensitive! How are you going to kill her? Think! The
second you even point that thing at her, you're gonna be all ahhh!
She holds her hand to her
head in mock pain.
HARMONY
And then you'll get
bitch-slapped up and down Main Street unless she's had enough and just stakes
you!
SPIKE
Sure, it'll hurt like hell
for about two hours...
He grabs Harmony by the neck
and twists. She gasps in pain.
SPIKE
But she'll be dead just a little
longer than that.
He tosses Harmony aside and
runs out.
HARMONY
Fine! But don't come crying
to me when you fail. You couldn't kill her before you got the chip. You had
plenty of chances!
CUT TO:
28 EXT. SPANISH-STYLE
TAVERN (1998)- NIGHT 28
Drusilla and Spike are
arguing.
DRUSILLA
Why can't you kill her?
SPIKE
You're the one who keeps
bringing her up!
TITLE CARD: South America,
1998
SPIKE
I haven't said a word about
the bloody Slayer since we left California. She's on the other side of the
planet, Dru!
DRUSILLA
But you're lying! I can still
see her floating all around you, laughing. Why? Why won't you push her away?
SPIKE
But I did, pet. I did it for
you. You keep punishing me. Carrying on with creatures like this.
Pull back to reveal a CHAOS
DEMON standing nearby, holding a beer. He's tall with antlers that drip and
ooze.
CHAOS DEMON
Okay, you guys obviously have
a thing going on here.
DRUSILLA
I have to find my pleasures, Spike.
You taste like ashes.
SPIKE
(re: demon)
So this is my fault now?
CHAOS DEMON
(to Spike)
I didn't know she was seeing
somebody. (off Spike's look) I should take off.
SPIKE
Yeah, why don't you do that?
The demon blows a kiss to
Drusilla, then walks off.
DRUSILLA
You can't blame the ghoul,
Spike. You're all covered with her. I look at you... all I see is the Slayer.
CUT TO:
29 INT. SUMMERS HOME-
JOYCE'S ROOM- NIGHT 29
Buffy enters to find her
mother packing a suitcase.
BUFFY
Hey, I put together that
grocery list for you.
JOYCE
Oh, great. Thanks, hon.
BUFFY
Are you okay?
JOYCE
I'm fine. Have you seen my
conditioner?
BUFFY
Did you look under the sink?
Joyce realizes that's where
it is and goes to retrieve it.
BUFFY
Where are you going?
JOYCE
Oh, I was hoping to put this
off but... you know the nothing that I've been dealing with the last couple of
weeks? It might not be nothing.
BUFFY
What is it?
JOYCE
I'm staying overnight at the
hospital for observation. I'm getting a CAT scan.
Buffy doesn't know what to
say. Joyce is quick to reassure her.
JOYCE
It's only one night and they
say even if there is something, it's still very early if they didn't see it
before. I'm going to be fine.
Buffy puts on a brave smile
for her mother's sake.
BUFFY
I know you will.
CUT TO:
30 EXT. SUMMERS HOME- BACK
PORCH- NIGHT 30
The back door opens and Buffy
walks out and sits down on the back steps. She is terrified for her mother, her
eyes brimming with tears. She puts her head in her lap and sobs uncontrollably.
Spike watches her from the
bushes, then moves forward, striding purposefully toward her, gun at his side.
He raises the gun and cocks it.
Buffy looks up at the sound,
her face wet with tears.
BUFFY
What do you want now?
Spike is about to pull the
trigger when he sees her tears and through them, her pain. His rage vanishes in
an instant.
SPIKE
What's wrong?
BUFFY
I don't want to talk about
it.
Spike lowers the gun.
SPIKE
Is there something I can do?
Buffy says nothing, the
reality of her mother's situation hitting her like a steel weight, overcoming
her.
Spike sits down next to her
and tentatively pats her back, trying to comfort her. She lets him.
Pull back on the two of them,
sitting together, side by side.
FADE TO BLACK
END
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Fool for Love
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Fool for Love
38
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