Épisode 314 S04E12 - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Saison 4

~~~~~~~~~~ Prologue ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fade in to room 214 in Stevenson Hall. It is night. Soft music is playing. Interior is dark except for Buffy's bedside lamp, and Riley and Buffy can be seen lying on her bed, above the covers (fully dressed), but to say they were only "making out" would be like saying the sun is only kinda bright. You hardly need to hop to reach the conclusion they're headed for.

Riley: (between kisses) We're not expecting anyone, are we?

Buffy: Willow said she was going to be at the science library all night.

Riley: Is that right?

They resume. On the brink of Steven Bochco territory, Riley slips his hand up the back of Buffy's shirt and begins to lift it but Willow pisses off most of the male viewers, as well as some of the female viewers, by barging into the room, breaking the mood.

Buffy: Uh, apparently not.

Buffy stands up and straightens her shirt.

Willow: (worried) We got trouble.

Buffy: (serious) What is it?

Willow: I was in the rec room. It came through the window.

Riley: Vampire?

Willow: Vampires don't breathe fire.

Cut to hallway, first floor. Buffy, Willow, and Riley round the corner. Buffy is carrying a rifle-size crossbow.

Riley: I should call for backup.

Buffy: No time.

She hands him the crossbow and motions him down the adjacent hall and he splits from them towards the other door into the rec room. Buffy arms herself with a stake from her bag. She does not look happy as she and Willow head for the door.

Buffy: We have to make this fast. I have better things to do tonight than kill.

Opens the door and steps inside the rec room which is in total darkness. A second later the lights come up and we and Buffy see that it is a surprise party for her 19th birthday (says the large banner hanging across the ceiling) and a crowd of people yelling:

Everybody: SURPRISE!!!

Which Buffy is and quickly hides her stake. Riley rushes in through the door on the other side of the room, but attention is on Buffy so he hides the crossbow without anybody noticing it. In the crowd we see Xander Harris, Anya, Rupert Giles, and several other faces (we might recognize as extras from previous seasons).

Willow: (smiling) Guess you won't be killing anything tonight, after all.

Buffy: (sly grin) Don't be so sure.

Wolf's howl. Opening credits and theme playing.

~~~~~~~~~~ Part One ~~~~~~~~~~

Fade in to the party, well on its way. The table is lined with cake, snacks, punch, etc. Pan to Giles, Xander, and Anya gathered around the soccer table. Giles has a paper plate with cake and a cup of punch. He's talking around a mouthful of cake as Xander and Anya listen to him.

Giles: Yeah, this is a lively space. It's like the activity room we had at public school.

Two male students move in on the soccer table and Giles picks up his cup and steps away.

Giles: Sorry (chuckles) I, uh, one time I, uh, I was up to a little bit of a prank with the dart board--

Anya: (to Xander) I'm bored. Let's eat.

Xander: (sternly) Anya, we've talked about this.

Anya: (to Giles) I'm sorry, that was rude. Please continue your story. (seems proud of herself as she looks to Xander)

(then quietly) Hopefully it involves treacle and a headmaster.

Giles: (not amused) Go and eat.

Anya hurries off and Xander gives Giles an apologetic look before following.

Dissolve to later. Giles is sitting in a chair against the wall, alone, looking a bit uncomfortable as the party continues around him. Willow walks up to him with another paper plate of cake.

Willow: (handing him the plate) Giles! Hi. Are you having a good time?

Giles: (standing) Yes. Yes. There's, uh, a lot of new faces here, aren't there?

Willow: Yeah. Mostly kids from the dorm. A couple of Riley's friends.

Buffy walks up with Riley.

Buffy: (happy) Hi, Giles.

Giles: Buffy. Happy Birthday.

He balances his plate and cup to let her hug him.

Buffy: Thank you.

Giles: (smiling) Nineteen. It's hard to believe, isn't it?

Buffy: There's somebody here I want you to meet. Uh, this is Riley Finn (he steps forward and Giles needs to put down his plate to shake his hand) . . .. my boyfriend.

Riley: (as Giles gives Buffy a surprised look) It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Giles. Did you help plan this? It was quite a surprise.

Giles: (to Riley) The first of many. Uh, been . . . dating long?

Buffy: Giles was the librarian at my high school.

Riley: Ah, I've seen the library. It's gone down hill since you left.

Giles: (chuckling) Yes. I-I-I'm embarrassed to say that I actually miss it at times.

Riley: So, you're retired?

Giles: (frowns) I'm sorry?

Riley: Or . . . you're working somewhere else now?

Giles: (slightly embarrassed) Well, not, uh . . . sort of between projects, uh, right now, uh, it's a personal--

Buffy: Oh! Oh, look. Giles has no cake.

Riley: Oh, here. Here, I'll get you a piece.

He hurries off to make the cake run. Willow must have already moved on because Buffy and Giles are alone. Giles still seems to be recovering.

Buffy: Oh, he's just nervous. But this is so nice. Having everyone together for my birthday. Of course, you could smash in all my toes with a hammer and it will still be the bestest Buffy Birthday Bash in a big long while.

Giles: Right. A-a-actually, Willow a-a-and Xander did all the planning. I'm not sure I would have gone with the surprise party. (smiles) You know, you have enough things jumping out at you in the dark.

Buffy: Professor Walsh says that adrenaline is like exercise but without the exorbitant gym fees.

Giles: (a beat) Very whitty.

Buffy: You should meet her. She's absolutely the smartest person I've ever met.

Giles: (feeling a bit slighted) Perhaps we should have invited Professor Walsh to the party? (takes of sip of punch)

Buffy: Oh, no. I mean, she's like forty. She's got better things to do than hang out with a bunch of kids.

Giles feels even more out of place, but Buffy doesn't pick up on his discomfort. Riley returns with another piece of cake and hands it to him.

Riley: Here you go, sir.

On Giles' expression cut to--

--exterior of Harris home, next day. A plain looking one-story house. Cut to interior of the basement: abode de Xander. Spike is seen walking back and forth as if looking for something to pack in his bag, cigarette in his mouth. Xander is standing on the other side of the room and Anya is lounging on the recliner, browsing a comic book.

Xander: (impatiently) You own nothing. This shouldn't be taking so long.

Spike: Hang on. Let a fella get organized.

Spike sees a radio and picks it up.

Xander: That's my radio!

Spike: And you're what? Shocked and disappointed? I'm evil!

Anya: (putting comic aside) So, what kind of place are you looking for?

Spike: I don't know. Maybe a crypt. Some place, you know, dark and dank. But not as dark and dank as this.

Anya: Heh. It's pretty depressing, isn't it?

Spike: I've known corpses with a fresher smell. In fact, I've been one. (flicks is cigarette away)

Xander: That's it! Let's go.

Xander marches to him about ready to drag his ass out.

Anya: Wait. (gets up and unplugs the tall three-head lamp and brings it over to him) I want to give you something for your new place.



Xander: That's my lamp.



Xander takes it back from her and returns it to its original spot.



Anya: A gift is traditional. I've read about it.



Xander: That's among friends. With bitter enemies we don't give them my lamp.



Spike: It's not gonna have electricity anyway. It's a crypt, remember?



Anya: What about running water? A fridge to keep your blood fresh?



Spike: (a beat) No.



Anya: Well, that's gotta suck. You should just get a hotel room or something.



Spike: (considers) Demon girl's got a point. I need fresh blood. If I had a few bob for a room with an honor bar--



Xander: Out! Before I get the Slayer over here to kick your ass out!



Spike: (sighs, picks up his long coat) Don't know why she didn't come. Say good-bye, shed a few tears.



Xander: Well, she has an appointment with somebody who's actually still *scary*!



Cut to Professor Walsh's office. Walsh is sitting behind her desk and has a serious expression on her face.



Walsh: So, the Slayer.



Buffy: Yeah. That's me.



Buffy is sitting in front of Walsh's desk, looking a tad nervous, with Riley standing slightly behind her left shoulder.



Walsh: We thought you were a myth.



Buffy: Well, you were myth-taken. (smiles but sees that neither are gonna laugh and stops)



Walsh: And to think all that time you were sitting in my class. Well, most of those times. I always knew you could do better than a B minus. Now I understand your energies were directed in the same places as ours, in fact. It's only our methods that differ. We use the latest in scientific technology and state-of-the-art weaponry and you, if I understand correctly, poke them with a sharp stick.



Buffy: Well, it's more effective than it sounds.



Walsh: Oh, , I'm, heh, quite sure of that. As I'm just as sure that we can learn much from each other. I'm working on getting you clearance to come into the Initiative. I think you'll find the results of our operation most impressive. Agent Finn here, alone, has killed or captured-- how many is it?



Riley: (note of pride) Seventeen. Eleven vampires, six demons.



Buffy: Oh . . . Wow. (trying to sound impressed) I mean, that's . . . seventeen.



Walsh: What about you?



Buffy: Me?



Walsh: How many hostiles would you say you've slain?



Glancing back and forth between them, Buffy is considering, and from her expression we--



Cut to Giles's apartment. He's dusting inside one of his book cases. He stops as he suddenly remembers something. He holds the feather duster between his teeth and takes an old tome from the shelf. He opens it and sits down on a cushion footrest. He reads then does a calculation with his fingers. He removes the featherduster.



Giles: "Third new moon after the . . . nine-hundredth feast of Delthrox." Oh, (stands up) crap.



Cut to moments later. Giles is at his work desk gathering supplies and putting them in his bag as he talks on the phone.



Giles: No, we can't wait for her, Willow. The demon Prince Barvain is going to rise tonight. Well-- Where is she, exactly?



Cut to UC Sunnydale campus. Still daylight. Buffy and Riley are walking outside approaching a large flowing fountain. Riley has a stunned expression on his face.



Riley: Wow.



Buffy: Those are my best stories. And I didn't tell you the "Buffy breaks her butt" stories.



Riley: But you've killed a-- You did the thing with that-- Uh, you drowned. And the snake! Not to mention the . . daily . . slayage of (pause) Wow.



Buffy: It's no big, really. (cheerfully) Hey, who wants ice cream!



Riley: Buffy. When I saw you stop the world from, you know, ending . . . I just assumed that was a big week for you. Turns out I suddenly find myself . . . needing to know the plural of "apocalypse."



They've rounded the fountain and continue walking.



Buffy: Look. If you've been fighting since you were fifteen you'd have a hefty resume' too.



Riley: (shocked) Fifteen!?



Buffy: (winces) I know, "wow." The point is, that, that we have different amounts of experience. You know. And plus, I do have that whole preternatural Slayer strength deal.



Riley: (nodding) I've seen. Don't get me wrong. The girls I grew up with could hold their own. But . . . I'm not even sure I could take you.



Buffy stops and looks up at him.



Buffy: That all depends on your meaning.



Riley smiles down at her.



Cut to Professor Walsh's office. She is standing behind her desk busy looking over some papers. There is a knock on the door.



Walsh: Yeah?



The door opens and Giles steps inside.



Giles: Professor Walsh, I presume. You're hard to find. These--these halls are quite the labyrinth. I felt like Theseus and the Minotaur in the . . . labyrinth.



Walsh: (a beat) Can I help you with something, Mr. . . . ?



Giles: Giles. Rupert. (walks over and offers his hand, Walsh shakes it) I'm looking for Buffy Summers. I'm, uh, a friend of hers. And I was her high school librarian.



Walsh: I'm sorry, Buffy's not here. But if I see her . . .



Giles is looking at Walsh's framed credentials hanging on the wall.



Giles: Buffy's been very influenced by your cause. She quotes you quite often. (smiles) Sometimes she sounds like an introductory textbook herself.



Walsh walks past him to put something in the file cabinet next to him.



Walsh: (returning to her desk) I don't lecture from the text book. But I'm glad she's inspired by the material. She's bright. All she's really been lacking is encouragement in the academic sect.



Giles: Oh, uh, I think it's best if-if. . . if we let a young person find their own strengths. If you lead a child by the hand then they'll never find their own footing.



Walsh: And if it's true about hiking, ergo, it must be true about life.



Giles: (removing his glasses to polish them with a handkerchief) That's not, uh . . . I'm just saying Buffy is, uh, well she's not the typical student. Once you get to know her, she's a very unique girl. I hope you're not going to push her.



Walsh: I think I do know her. And I have found her to be a unique woman.



Walsh rounds to the front of her desk to sit in a chair facing him.



Giles: "Woman." Of course. How wrong of me to choose my own words.



Walsh: She's very self-reliant, very independent--



Giles: Exactly!



Walsh: --which is not always a good thing. (this causes Giles to pause) I think it can be unhealthy to take on adult roles too early. What I suspect I'm seeing is a reaction to the absence of a male role model.



Giles: (squinting) Absence?



Walsh: (standing) Buffy clearly lacks a strong father figure.



Giles is speechless. Walsh decides to end the conversation.



Walsh: I'm sorry, I have things to do. I'll tell Buffy her *friend* was looking for her.



Walsh moves back behind her desk to continue working and off Giles' slighted expression we--



Cut to a cemetery at night. Xander and Willow are at Giles' sides. They are walking in a quick pace to keep up with him.



Willow: This prince/demon guy was supposed to rise at sunset so aren't we, like, late?



Giles: Of course if I hadn't had to search the globe for our Miss Summers and do battle with that harridan. . . .



Xander: And if you hadn't gotten lost on campus afterwards . . .



Giles: Never mind. I'll just have to take care of it myself. I've vanquished a few demons in my day without her. Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if we're entirely too late. Demon on the loose, carnage everywhere.



They've reached a large mausoleum and step inside through the wrought iron gate. Cut to interior shot of them opening the inner door walking down the foyer steps. They see the place is in order, except for a lot of cobwebs decorating the walls.



Xander: Your better demons will clean up after themselves.



Giles: (confused) I don't understand. (moves to the center of the chamber, scanning with his flashlight) Umm, there should be ruptured earth and-and broken stone. Oh, well, apparently it hasn't happened yet. A bit of luck.



Giles sets his bag down on the floor and opens it to begin pulling out his supplies.



Willow: Or, you know what I bet? I-I bet the Initiative took care of it.



Giles: Who?



Xander: Oh, Riley and his guys. Probably all over it.



Willow: Yeah. It has that "too neat" look. They must have cleaned up the place.



Giles is looking at them, at a lost.



Giles: What?



Willow: Oh, they read hot spots. Areas of otherworldy energy. (looking around) They must've picked this place up days ago.



Giles stands up and faces them.



Giles: Stop, both of you. Uh, what, uh . . . What are you talking about? W-what's the Initiative? What. . . what on earth does it have to do with Buffy's new boyfriend?



Giles raises the flashlight almost to their faces as Willow and Xander exchange a nervous glance.



Willow: You know. I'm sure you know. Riley's one of the commandos.



Giles: (exasperated) What?! Well that's marvelous, isn't it? (turns away in a fit) Here I am, spent weeks trying, uh, t-to get a single scrap of information about our mysterious demon collectors and no one bothers to tell me that Buffy's dating one of them?! (faces them) Who else knows?!



Xander: No one. No one else knows this. (pauses) Anya, and that's it!



Willow: (sheepishly) And Spike.



Giles: Ssspike?! Spike knew?



Xander: Only the basic stuff. You know, that Riley is a commando and Professor Walsh is in charge.



Giles: (furious) Professor Walsh!? That fishwife!?



Willow: You know, she's actually not that bad once you get to-- (sees Giles' look) So, th-the demon is probably a little late. W-we'll just, you know--



Giles: Oh, forget it. Go on. You two clear off. I'll just stay a little longer just in case.



Willow: You sure? 'Cause we can stay.



Giles: No. Go.



Eager to escape his wrath, Willow and Xander beat feet out. Giles sits down on a stone bench in silence for a few seconds.



Giles: Who am I kidding?



He stuffs his supplies back in his bag and hurries to the door.



Giles: (muttering) Nothing is gonna happen.



He leaves closing it behind him and all is quiet for a moment. Then we see the back of a man wearing a gray trench coat step into the frame looking at the closed door.



Ethan: I wouldn't say that. (cut to front closing shot of Ethan Rayne) I wouldn't say that at all. In fact, Ripper, old mate, I'd say something rather interesting was about to hap--



Shot of the door opening again and Giles shining the flashlight inside.



Giles: Did someone--?



Ethan: (caught) Oh, bugger! I thought you'd gone!



~~~~~~~~~~~ Part Two ~~~~~~~~~~~



Just as we left things. Giles is stepping down to Ethan's level. He doesn't look happy to see the other English man.



Giles: Ethan Rayne. You have no idea how much thrashing you is gonna improve my day.



Ethan tries to bolt past Giles, but Giles clubs him in the gut with the flashlight and Ethan falls forward. Giles jerks him back up and is ready pummel him, raising a fist. Ethan has his hands up to ward off attack.



Ethan: (scared) No, no, no! Wait! Hang on! You-you can beat the crap out of me. Go ahead, I can't stop you! (Giles cocks back his fist) Or-or you can listen to what I have to say. Find out what's going on.



Giles: What are you talking about?



Ethan: Something bad is happening. Bad for both of us.



Giles: Bad for you. (cocks fist again)



Ethan: No, no, no! Listen! You have to listen! You're going to need time to prepare!



>From Giles' "ready to kick Ethan's ass" expression we--



Cut to a bar. Dimly lit, slight honky tonk feel to it. Juke box playing music in the background. Ethan and Giles are sitting at a booth as a waitress is serving them their draft beers. Ethan is removing his coat.



Ethan: Brilliant! Now isn't this more fun than kicking my ass?



Giles: No.



Ethan: Oh. It's more fun for me.



Waitress moves away.



Giles: (raising his glass) Just tell me what you want to tell me.



Ethan: (mock hurt) Oh, so crass. We used to be friends, Ripper. When did all that fall apart?



Giles: The same time you started to worship chaos.



Ethan: Oh, religious intolerance. Sad, there. I mean, just look at the Irish troubles. (annoyed, Giles starts to rise to leave) Oh, hang on, I'll tell ya. (Giles settles down again) Something happening in the darkworlds. It's always been rumors out there but . . . only one thing's coming through clear.. That something's harming demons and it's not the Slayer. Know anything about it?



Giles: (takes a drink) What are they saying?



Ethan: Heh, you know demons. It's all exaggeration and blank verse. "Pain as bright as steel" things like that. They're scared. There's something called "314" that's got them scared most of all. The kind of scared that turns to angry. I know we're not particularly fond of each other, (Giles chuckles scoffingly) Rupert. But we are a couple of old mystics. This knew outfit, it's blundering into new places it doesn't belong. It's throwing the worlds out of balance. And that's way beyond chaos, mate. We're headed quite literally for one hell of a fight.



Cut to close up of Buffy throwing jabs at the camera. High shot: we see she is sparring with Riley on workout mats, circling each other. He's dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. Buffy's in a white long sleeve shirt and blue jeans, with a scarf wrapped over her long flowing hair. She throws a few more jabs and he blocks them and counters with a one-two combo Buffy easily ducks under. They continue to circle. Buffy launches three roundkicks in quick succession. He blocks the first two then sidesteps the third gets up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.



Riley: (smiling) Are you pulling back?



Buffy: (grinning) Are you?



Riley: (shrugs) Maybe a little.



Buffy suddenly spins out of the hold and Riley is thrown off his feet, spinning before hitting the mat on his back. He looks up. Buffy is smiling down at him.



Buffy: Maybe a little, too.



Riley smiles and kicks himself to his feet. They begin to circle again.



Riley: I'll go all out if you will.



Buffy: Are you sure?



Riley: (serious) Here we go.



Riley steps in with a combination of hard swinging hooks that Buffy is quick to block. She ducks under his last punch and captures his legs in a scissor hold and takes him down with her. Riley quickly rolls out of her legs and scrambles to his feet. Buffy is quicker and is waiting for him. She hits him in the chest with a side kick that launches him into the air. He flies across the room over a gymnastic pommel horse and lands on a thick fall cushion. The impact upsets another large cushion leaning against the wall and it falls on top of him.



Cut to Buffy. Shocked expression at what she did.



Buffy: Riley!



She runs over to him and tosses the cushion off of him.



Buffy: Are you hurt?



Riley sits up, hand on his chest. He looks winded. Definitely humbled.



Riley: I, uh, (groans) I don't think so.



Buffy: I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to, uh--



Riley: (sounds unsure) It's fine. I'm good.



Riley offers a slight grin and Buffy seems to feel better.



Cut back to Giles and Ethan. Everything is almost the same except that their table is cluttered with glasses and shot glasses, mostly empty, and they are both stinky drunk. They seem on the verge of passing out.



Giles: (faltering voice) You know what gets me? This is what gets me. Twenty years I've been fighting demons. Maggie Walsh and her Nancy-ninja boys come in and six months later, demons are pissing themselves with fear. They never even noticed me.



Ethan: (drunkenly) Who's Maggie Walsh?



Giles: Oh, she's awful. She said I was an absent male role model. Absent my ass. I'm twice the man she is.



Ethan: (OS) You know you're really very attractive.



Giles: Hm?



He sees that Ethan is talking to the waitress, who is serving them another round. He starts writing something on a piece of paper.



Ethan: Here's my name and number. (hands it to her) You give me a call, I'll show you a good time.



Waitress: (unimpressed) Yeah, thanks.



She departs.



Giles: We gotta face it, we've changed. We'll not you . . . you're still sadistic and self-centered.



Ethan: (toasting himself) Here's to me.



Giles: The world has past us by. Someone snuck in and left us a couple of has-beens in our place. This Initiative, I mean, their methods may be causing problems, but they're getting the job done. Where am I? I'm an unemployed librarian with a tendency to get knocked on the head.



Ethan: Well, we won't have to worry about that anymore now, mate. (serious tone) When you went to the loo I slipped a small pellet of poison in your drink. You'll be dead in an hour.



Dramatic pause as the words sink in for Giles and he seems to sober.



Ethan: Just kidding!



They both burst out laughing, blood alcohol returning to their high intoxicated levels.



Giles: (calming down) I'm gonna feel like hell in the morning.



Ethan: Relax. Enjoy the night. We're just a couple of sorcerers. The night is still our time. Time of magic.



They raise their glasses in a toast.



Giles: To magic.



Cut to Tara's dorm room: dorm unknown, room number unknown. It is very dim. The walls are black and strewn with a string of white Christmas lights that give the place a mystical look. Tara is kneeling on the floor pouring white powder, sand, or salt in the design of a four-point star in a circle. Willow is holding a red rose.



Willow: (sitting across from her) I'm glad you wanted to get together. I know it's late.



Tara: Thanks. (a beat) I was happy you called.



Willow places the rose on top of the circled star.



Willow: We'll start out slow.



Tara sits and Willow reaches her hands out to her and the blonde girl links hands with her.



Tara: Okay.



Willow closes her eyes and Tara follows suit. They sit there for a few seconds in silence.



Tara: Willow?



Willow: Yeah?



Tara: (eyes opening) Start out slow doing what?



Willow opens her eyes.



Willow: (in a soft voice) Oh. We're gonna float the rose. Then use the majiks to pluck the petals off, one at a time. It's a test of synchronicity. Our minds have to be perfectly attuned to work as a single delicate implement.



Tara: (a moment, then smiles) Cool.



Willow: And it should be very pretty.



They hold hands again and close their eyes. They are in deep concentration and a bright light comes to life on the circled star. At the same time a soft breeze sweeps through the room and the rose starts to shudder. Slowing it begins to rise. When it is shoulder level with the girls they open their eyes and look at it. They release each other's hands.



Tara: (softly) It worked.



Willow: (softly) Now for the hard part. The petals.



They begin to concentrate again looking at the rose when the rose suddenly shoots off across the room. Surprised, they stand and watch as the rose ricochets off the walls a few times and have to duck to avoid it. It finally comes straight down on the four point star and we see that it is petalless but smoking.



Willow: (shocked) What the heck was that?



Tara: I don't know, but, uh, the petals are off. (chuckling)



Cut to exterior shot of Giles' apartment building, morning. Giles' Citroen is parked by the curb. Cut to interior shot, Giles' loft. An alarm buzzer goes off and we see a body moving under a sheet on the bed and the alarm is shut off. Dissolve to shot of panted legs walking down the stairs.



Giles: (yawning) I feel like hell in the morning.



We see Giles reach the landing and stop in front of a small mirror hanging on the wall while he releases a big yawn, stretching his arms. We see that Giles is a demon! Light brownish tan skin, with long horns sprouting from the sides of his forehead, curving back and around his really long, hairy, ears, ending in sharp points next to his cheeks. As he yawns he shows us a set a fangs much like a vampire's. He smacks his lips when the yawn is done and finally opens his sleepy eyes and sees his new form for the first time.



Giles: (eyes popping wide open) Uh! Wha-- Wha--(touching his horns) No!



Leaning closer to the mirror he puts a hand on the wall and his now clawed hand goes through it. Giles is in a state of disbelief as he pulls his hand back out and absently rests it on the stairs' banister. It's instantly rip from the railing. He looks at what he did.



Giles: Damn!



He takes the final steps down to the first floor and throws the banister down, where it hits a chair and shatters it. He's looking around, confused, then is struck by a thought.



Giles: Ethan.



Giles' voice has taken on a low gravelly sound. He goes to pick up the phone and it shatters in his hand before he can lift it to his ear. He drops it and moves to pick up his shirt from the floor. He struggles to get into the sleeves and when he tries to shrug into it his now jutting, ridged, spine rips it down the middle.



Giles: (grimacing) Oh, and I liked that shirt!



He trades the shredded shirt for a thick flannel blanket and wraps it around his shoulders as he heads for the door. He grabs the handle and the door comes off its hinges, but Giles is beyond caring at this point and steps outside.



Cut to Buffy. She and Willow are having breakfast in the Rocket Cafe on campus. We haven't seen Buffy in this good a mood in such a long time it's almost scary. She is happily stacking her pancakes on her plate.



Buffy: I like pancakes 'cause they're stackable. (looks at Willow's plate) Ooo, and waffles 'cause you can put things in the little holes if you wanted to.



Willow: (laughing) You should always have a new boyfriend. You're so much fun right now.



Buffy: Hey. I didn't hear you come in last night. Where were you?



Willow: (quickly) The chem lab, by myself. (a beat) I-I was trying this new spell; floating a rose, when all of a sudden (motions with fork) zing, zing, zing! Like all over the room. It was like a rose-based missile.



Buffy: Yikes.



Willow: I know. I think there's something out there. I-I felt this presence.. This dark majiks energy blocking the spell. It's new.



Buffy: Someone else doing majiks?



Willow: Maybe. If so, it's someone pretty powerful.



Buffy: Hmm. I'll tell Giles about it. Or maybe I'll tell Maggie. She seemed kind of interested in learning the mystical side of the whole demon hunting biz.



Willow: Tell Giles. He's feeling a little hurt right now. (Buffy frowns in question) How come you never told him about Riley being a commando?



Buffy: I did. (Willow shakes her head) I didn't?



Willow: He says no. He's feeling neglected and out-of-the-loopy.



Buffy: Well, I didn't at first because Riley said not to. And . . and then "meow" cat out of the bag and I-I guess I just forgot that he didn't know. (cheerfully) I'll make it up to him when I see him. Tomorrow. I'm spending today with Riley.



Willow: Oh, yeah. I forgot that's what you always do on the days when the earth rotates.



Buffy: (smiling) It's just going so well, right now. I think. (stops smiling) I hope. (grins sheepishly) I sort of kicked him across the room last night.



Willow: Uh, that's not good.



Buffy: Well, we were sparring and he said not to hold back. And he's a little dented. But he said he was okay with it and I think he's okay with it --do-do you think he's okay with it?



Willow: I'm sure he is. I mean, if he's not . . . you know, you had to do it. He's right. You can't walk around pretending you're less than you are. It wouldn't be right for you to hold back.



Buffy: Right. (frowns)



Willow: What?



Buffy: (a beat) I held back a little.



Cut to Xander's basement. Giles quietly opens the door and steps inside. He walks under the clothesline of drying underwear and sees Xander sleeping in bed.



Giles: (surprised) Still asleep? (sees the clock) It's ten thirty in the morning.



He moves forward and leans down to gently shake the bed.



Giles: (whispering) Xander. Xander, wake up.



Groggily, Xander turns on his side and looks over his shoulder at him, eyes still closed.



Xander: (sleepily) Mom?



Giles: No, it's not mum. Now, when you look at me . . . you may be a little alarmed but there's no need, it-it's me. Giles. Now, Ethan has turned me into a demon and I need your help.



Xander slowly opens his eyes.



Giles: Hello. Yes, it's me.



Giles: (Xander's POV: speaking a demon language)



Xander: AHHH!



Xander jumps out of bed and backs away.



Giles: Xander, listen! Don't you understand me?



Giles: (Xander's POV: speaking demon language)



Xander: (shouting) Demon! Demon!



Giles: (Xander's POV: speaking demon language)



Giles: Please, don't you understand? (Xander starts grabbing pots and pans from his shelves and throws them at him) No, no! Don't! Xander! Xander, calm down! Ow! You're just a little overwrought. Oww!



Giles: (Xander's POV: growls in frustration and runs out the door)



Xander: That's right! Run for your life!



Cut to Giles outside in broad daylight, running across a lawn. Children are playing and Giles is stepping on their toys scattered on the grass. Kids are frightened and a mother is reaching for her child.



Giles: (panicked) Oh, God. I'm sorry!



Mother: (grabbing her child) Call 911!



Giles: (running away) Bloody humans!



~~~~~~~~~~ Part Three ~~~~~~~~~~



Fade in to panning evening shot of Sunnydale. Cut to courtyard of Giles' apartment building. Buffy is leading the way down the steps with Xander, Willow, and Anya.



Buffy: So it had pointy things. What kind of pointy things?



Xander: The pointy kind. And tufty ears. Oh, and it might have a sauce pan shape bruise. (trails off as they stop)



Willow: Giles will know what it . . . was.



They see Giles' door is off its hinges leaning against the inside wall. They hurry in.



Buffy: Giles?



Xander goes halfway up the stairs to check the loft.



Buffy: Looks like Xander wasn't the only one to get a visitor today.



Xander: (coming back down) He's not upstairs.



Willow: Oh, God, Giles.



Buffy: Okay. There's a demon and Giles is gone. But it doesn't mean that he's hurt. I mean, there's no blood anywhere so maybe the demon just took him somewhere?



Anya is picking up Giles' ripped shirt and holds it up for inspection.



Anya: (mildly) I think it ate him up.



Buffy, Willow, and Xander become more worried.



Cut to a cemetery. Giles is lumbering through, still wrapped in his blanket, in a miserable mood. He walks past a stone mausoleum and does not notice Spike holding up a measuring tape to one of its walls. The vampire sees him and moves out behind him in a casual BMF strut.



Spike: Well. What do I spy with my little eye? (Giles stops) A demon. That would be . . . oh, right . . . the things I can kill.



Giles: ("why me?" tone) Spike. Wonderful. A perfect end to a perfect day.



Spike: (frowning) Giles?



Giles: (turning around, fists up) Go on, then. Let's get on with the fighting-- You understand me?



Spike: Of course I understand you.



Giles: I'm speaking English?



Spike: No, you're speaking Fyarl. I happen to speak Fyarl. And . . . by the way, why the hell are you suddenly a Fyarl demon? You just come over all demony this morning?



Spike steps back to the mausoleum, pulling out his smokes. Giles follows him..



Giles: As a matter of fact, I did. Thanks to Ethan Rayne. You have to help me find him. He must undo this and then he needs a . . . good being killed.



Spike: And I'm just supposed to help you out of the evilness of my heart?



Giles: Y-you help me and I-I don't kill you.



Spike: Oh, tremendously convincing. Try it again without the stutter. (takes a drag)



Giles: Money. I could pay you money.



Spike: (steps closer and flicks cig away) Oh, I like money. How much?



Giles: A h-hundred dollars.



Spike: A hundred dollars? You'll have to do a lot better than that. Two-hundred.



Giles: Fine.



Spike: (surprised for a second) Right, then.



Giles: Right, then.



Spike: So what's first? (grinning) I run and tell the Slayer what you've gotten yourself into?



Giles: No. When I find Ethan I can clear all this up without Buffy ever having to find out that anything happened to me at all.



Giles starts out of the cemetery and Spike follows.



Cut to Giles' apartment. Xander is sitting at Giles' desk looking through several open books. Everyone is looking through books. Willow is holding a book for him.



Xander: Okay, that's a giant vulture. I'd have mentioned it if it was a giant vulture.



Willow steps away to keep searching.



Willow: Buffy, even if we figure out what kind of demon got Giles --I mean, how are we gonna find it?



Buffy: We'll figure it out. (shows a book to Xander) Oh, this one has tufty ears.



He looks at the page and dismisses it with a wave. They all look towards the door when they hear a noise outside.



Willow: (whispering) What was that?



Buffy moves quietly to the door pulling out a stake. The door moves and Buffy cocks back the stake and --



It's just Riley.



Riley: Buffy?



Buffy: Riley. What are you doing here?



Riley: There were 911 calls from a couple of different places. Including here.



Xander: You get 911 calls?



Riley: We have a tap into the system. It flags things with possible nonhuman causes. (Xander shakes his head in dismay and continues researching) We check them out. (to Buffy) What are you doing here?



Buffy: This is Giles' apartment. He's missing. The calls, did anyone see what did it?



Riley: Negative. No. Neighbors just heard, you know, growling, things breaking. Sounded like a struggle.



Willow: Poor Giles.



Buffy: We'll get him back.



Riley: What are you working on?



Buffy: Uh, we have stuff. Pictures . . .



Anya: (helpfully) We have nothing.



Riley sees Buffy's crestfallen expression as she leans against the wall and puts his hands on her shoulders.



Riley: I'll help. The whole Initiative. We'll do whatever you need.



Buffy: Thanks. I just wish I knew what I needed. I keep thinking, "let's ask Giles" and then I remember.



Xander: He'd be great right now. He'd find himself in a second. Nobody is cooler in a crisis.



Cut to Giles' Citroen. Giles is in the passenger seat and Spike is behind the wheel, wrestling with the gearshift. The car sounds like it's being murdered.



Giles: If you can't find third gear, don't try for third gear!



Spike: I'm doing my best. I don't know if I'm driving this thing or wearing it.



Giles: It's perfectly serviceable.



Spike: (laughs) Funny hearing a Fyarl demon say "serviceable." Had a couple of them working for me once. They're more like "Like to crush. Crush now?" Strong though. You won't meet a jar you can't open for the rest of your life.



Giles's growls.



Spike: (looks at him) What was that? Did you growl?



Giles: No. Listen, about this Fyarl demon. Do-do I have special powers? Like setting things on fire with my sizzling eye beams?



Spike: Well, you got the mucous thing.



Giles: What? Mucous?



Spike: Paralyzing mucous. Shoots out through the nose. Sets on fast. Hard as a rock. Pretty good in a fight.



Giles: Are you making this up?



Spike: (sly grin) Maybe. But hey, you feel a sneeze coming on, you warn me.



Giles: (growls) Turn here.



He slams his arm against the door for emphasis and Spike makes a left turn. The Citroen makes it's disapproval of this known with the grinding of gears..



Giles: Down shift! Down shift!



Spike: Calm down, will you?



Giles: I'm not sure I can. I feel like I'm changing.



Spike: (sighs) Fine with me. So long as you pay me.



Giles: (growling quality) I really like this feeling. Sort of mindless need to destroy. This anger and rage.



Spike: Good times. Go with it.



Giles: (almost normal voice again) No.



Spike: Oh, it's fun. I can't do it, do it for me. Now let yourself go.



Giles: I refuse to become a monster because I look like a monster. I have a soul. I have a conscience. I am a human being. Oh, stop the car!



The Citroen pulls to a stop at the corner of Main Street and we see that Professor Walsh has just crossed the street. Giles hops out of the car, without his blanket, and creeps up behind her. When he's close enough he roars and waves his claws in the air. Walsh looks over her shoulder and (surprising for the evil Bitch Monster of Death) screams like a woman and runs for her life as Giles chases her down the street, pass the Espresso Pump. He stops halfway down the street but Walsh continues to flee. Giles hurries back to the car ignoring the gaping stares of a few pedestrians.



Giles: (closing the door) Right. Let's go, then.



While we're still laughing our asses off, we go back to Giles's apartment. Our gang is gathered around the sofa. Xander, Willow, and Anya are sitting on the cushions and Buffy is sitting on the arm of the sofa (really long couch). And Riley is standing behind it. Xander points into the book he's holding and passes it to Willow.



Xander: That's the thing that attacked me.



Willow: A Fyarl demon. Sort of a foot soldier type, works for other demons lots of the times. Very strong . . . ugh! And hey, mucous.



Buffy: Mucous?



Riley: (cell phone beeps and he pulls it out) Agent Finn, go ahead.



Buffy: How do I kill it?



Willow: Silver. A weapon made of silver.



Riley: Yes. I understand. (hangs up) The demon attacked Professor Walsh. Got out of a small, gray car. A Citroen.



Willow: It stole Giles' car.



Xander: Why would a demon steal a car?



Anya: Why would a demon steal *that* car?



Buffy: A demon that steals a car has a reason. A purpose. But it doesn't sound like these Fyarl demons are really big independent thinkers. So, Will, the spells that are going wrong . . . could they be caused by someone using majiks to control a demon? Making this Fyarl demon attack Giles?



Willow: Yes. Yeah, that would draw in a lot of dark energy.



Buffy: Okay. (standing) Willow, Xander: stay here. Who's ever controlling this demon may call and ask for a ransom. Give them anything they want.



Xander: You got it.



Rounding the couch and stepping towards Giles' desk.



Buffy: Riley, you and I are going to the magic shop. Maybe they needed supplies. Uh, something silver . . .



She looks on the desk and picks up a letter opener.



Riley: A letter opener? It's not very sharp.



Buffy: Then I'll have to put some muscle behind it.



As they leave the apartment--



Cut to the seedy place Giles and Ethan got smashed. Spike is on a stool, his back to the bar, the same waitress standing in front of him. He throws back a shot and places the glass on the bar.



Spike: (suave) Two of them. English lik