When She Was Bad

Written by:  Joss Whedon
Directed by:  Joss Whedon
Transcribed by:  AleXander Thompson

Copyright © 1997 Alexander Thompson

                   ~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer ~~~~~~~~~~

I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to 
the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". They were created by 
Joss Whedon and belong to him, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Television, Kuzui 
Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television and the WB Television Network.

This is not a novelization or a script. It is a straightforward and dry 
transcript of the episode "When She Was Bad". It also includes 
descriptions of the settings, action scenes and camera movements where I 
felt they were needed.

I made every effort to accurately transcribe the dialogue from this 
episode. If you notice anything that is transcribed incorrectly, please 
let me know and I will post an update.                     rev 98.09.28

This episode was originally broadcast on September 15, 1997.

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

In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against 
the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.

The cemetery. The camera pans across it and over to the sidewalk along 
the border. Willow and Xander are on their way home. Xander has an ice 
cream cone and takes an occasional lick.

Willow:  Okay, um...

Xander:  It's your turn.

Willow:  I, alright, okay, uh... 'In the few hours that we had together, 
we loved a lifetime's worth.'

Xander:  Terminator.

Willow:  Good! Great.

Xander:  Um, oh, okay, I got one. (imitating Charlton Heston) 'It's a 
madhouse! A mad...'

Willow:  (interrupts) Planet of the Apes.

Xander:  Can I finish, please?

Willow:  Oh! Sorry, go ahead.

Xander:  '...house!' (indicates she may answer)

Willow:  Planet of the Apes. Okay, good. Me. Uh...

Xander:  Well?

Willow:  I'm thinking. 'Use the Force, Luke.'

Xander:  Do I even have to dignify that with a guess?

Willow:  I couldn't think of anything. It's a dumb game anyway.

Xander:  Well, what else do you wanna do? We already played rock, paper, 
scissors. My hands cramped up.

Willow:  Well, yes, if you're always scissors of course your tendons are 
gonna strain...

Xander:  (interrupts) Y'know, I just gotta say that this has been the 
most boring summer ever.

Willow:  Yeah, but on the plus side no monsters or stuff.

She steps over to the wall and hops up to sit on it.

Xander:  I'm just so restless! I'm actually looking forward to school 
startin' up again.

Willow:  Yeah, and that wouldn't have anything to do with a certain girl 
we both know who is a Vampire Slayer?

Xander:  Please, I'm so over her. Did she, uh, mention when she might be 
gettin' back? About which I do not care.

Willow:  I haven't heard from her. I got a couple postcards when she 
went to L.A., but then, like, nothing.

Xander:  Well, she's probably with her dad having a good time.

Willow:  And you don't care?

Xander:  Well, okay, there might be some interest. I'm a man. I have 
certain desires, certain needs...

Willow:  Uhhh! I don't wanna know.

Xander:  I got a movie for ya! (taps her nose with his ice cream)

Willow:  (surprised) Xander!

Xander:  You're Amish! You can't fight back... 'cause you're Amish! I 
mock you with my ice cream cone, Amish guy!

Willow:  Witness. (pouty) My nose is cold.

Xander:  Let me get that for ya. (leans in to lick off her nose)

Willow:  Xander! (stops him)

Xander:  I'm sorry, I can't help myself. Your nose looks so tasty.

He reaches up with his napkin and gently wipes off her nose. He takes 
much longer than he needs to and looks into her eyes. He brushes his 
hand against her cheek. After another moment he starts to move in for a 
kiss. She responds in kind and tilts her head. They stop just short of 
making contact and linger there a moment. Xander finally begins to pull 
back, and when he does he sees a vampire standing on the other side of 
the wall. Willow notices his glance and looks, too. She screams and 
jumps off of the wall as Xander pulls her away from the vampire.

Xander:  Willow, go!

He puts himself between her and the vampire. She doesn't go, but watches 
as he punches the vampire in the face. The vampire isn't fazed. He grabs 
Xander and tries to bite. Xander struggles with him to keep from being 
bitten. After a few moments of wrestling a hand grabs the vampire by the 
shoulder and pulls him off of Xander. It's a girl, and she punches the 
vampire in the face, knees him in the crotch and flips him over onto his 
back. She turns to Willow and Xander.

Buffy:  Hi, guys!

The vampire gets up. Buffy turns her attention back to him and kicks him 
in the chest, sending him flying into a tree, where he gets impaled on a 
dead branch and bursts into ashes. She turns back to Willow and Xander.

Buffy:  Miss me?

Opening credits roll. Buffy's theme plays.

                    ~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1 ~~~~~~~~~~

On the sidewalk.

Willow:  Buffy!

Xander:  Hey! (hugs her)

Buffy:  Hey. Hey, Will! (hugs her)

Xander:  (hugs Buffy again) Man, your timing really doesn't suck. 
(laughs)

Willow:  When'd you get back?

Buffy:  Uh, just now. Dad drove me down. And I figured you two losers 
would be getting into some kind of trouble.

Willow:  I think we had the upper hand. I-in a subtle way.

Buffy:  Does either of you even have a cross? Very sloppy.

Xander:  Well, it's been a slow summer. I mean, that's the first vampire 
we've seen since you killed the Master.

Buffy:  It's like they knew I was coming back.

They start to walk.

Xander:  So, what about you? How was your summer? Did you slay anything?

Buffy:  No. Uh, just hung out, partied some, shopping was also a major 
theme.

Xander:  Well, you haven't lost your touch. That vampire...

Buffy:  I did kinda whale on him, didn't I?

Xander:  (notices) I like your hair.

Buffy:  (giggles) So, how did you guys fare? Did you have any fun 
without me?

Xander:  No.

Willow:  Yes!

Xander:  Uh, our summer was kinda yawnworthy. Our biggest excitement was 
burying the Master.

They stop walking.

Willow:  That's right, you missed it. (points) Right out by that tree. 
(Buffy looks) Giles buried the bones and we poured holy water and we got 
to wear robes.

Xander:  Very intense. You shoulda been.

Willow:  Have you seen Giles?

Buffy:  Why would I do that? I'll see him at school.

Xander:  Man, I'm really glad you're back.

Buffy:  (looks at the tree again) Me, too.

Cut to Buffy's room. Her dad is helping her mom unpack her things. Joyce 
opens a suitcase and looks through it.

Hank:  Okay, then. This is the last of it. (puts another suitcase on the 
bed)

Joyce:  More clothes?

Hank:  Oh, do shoes count as clothes?

Joyce:  How much shopping did you let her do?

Hank:  Oh, I just thought I was saving you from the big back-to-school 
clothing nightmare. (unzips the suitcase)

Joyce:  My nightmares of Buffy in school have nothing to do with 
clothes. Did she manage to stay out of trouble in L.A.?

Hank:  She did, yeah. She was, um... you know, great.

Joyce:  But?

Hank:  She was just, I don't know, um... distant. Not brooding or 
sulking, just... there was no connection. The more time we spent 
together, the more I felt like she was nowhere to be seen.

Joyce:  Hence the shoes?

Hank:  (hands her the shoes) I may have overcompensated a little bit.

Joyce:  Hmm.

Hank:  It's so strange. You know, at least when she was burning stuff 
down I knew what to say.

Joyce:  Well, welcome to my world. I haven't been able to get through to 
her for so long. I'll just be happy if she makes it through the school 
year.

Cut to Sunnydale High.

Cordelia:  It was a nightmare, a total nightmare.

Cut to her and two friends coming down some stairs and walking across 
the quad.

Cordelia:  I mean, they promised me they'd take me to St. Croix, and 
then they just decide to go to Tuscany. (exhales) Art and buildings? I 
was totally beachless for a month and a half. No one has suffered like I 
have. Of course I think that that kind of adversity builds character. 
Well, then I thought, I already have a lot of character. Is it possible 
to have too much character?

Snyder:  The first day back. It always gets me.

Giles:  Yes.

Cut to the two of them walking along the colonnade.

Snyder:  I mean, it's incredible. One day the campus is completely bare. 
Empty. The next, there are children everywhere. Like locusts. Crawling 
around, mindlessly bent on feeding and mating. Destroying everything in 
sight in their relentless, pointless desire to exist.

They stop. Snyder looks around, observing the students.

Giles:  I do enjoy these pep talks. Have you ever considered, given your 
abhorrence of children, school's principal was not, perhaps, your true 
vocation?

Snyder:  Somebody's got to keep an eye on them. They're just a bunch of 
hormonal time bombs. (takes two steps away from Giles) Every time a 
pretty girl walks by every boy turns into a gibbering fool.

Giles spots Jenny coming towards them.

Giles:  Ms. Calendar!

Jenny:  Mr. Giles!

Giles:  Well, I, uh, um... Hello!

Snyder:  You see the way these kids gaze at each other... all moony.

Jenny:  It's good to see you.

Giles:  Yes.

Snyder:  You think they're thinking about learning?

Giles:  Uh, were you headed to the, uh, faculty room?

Jenny:  Sounds like fun!

They head off to the faculty room leaving Snyder behind.

Snyder:  I try and tell 'em about the important things in life. 
Discipline, responsibility, punctuality. Might as well be talking to 
myself.

Cut inside to the halls. They walk through the student lounge.

Giles:  How was your summer?

Jenny:  Extreme. I did Burning Man in Black Rock, ohhh, such a great 
festival, you should've been there. They had drum rituals, mobile 
sculptures, raves, naked mud dances, you would've just... hated it with 
a fiery passion!

Giles:  I can't imagine finding any redeeming, uh... (stops at the base 
of the stairs) Naked?

Jenny:  Hmm. And you probably spent all summer with your nose in a book.

Giles:  Yes. I suppose you'd consider that frightfully dull.

Jenny:  Depends on the book. (smiles)

Willow and Xander come down the stairs. Buffy is not far behind them.

Willow:  Giles!

Xander:  Yo! G-man! What's up?

Giles:  Nice to see you. And don't ever call me that.

Jenny:  Hi, kids.

Willow:  Hi!

Buffy arrives now, too.

Giles:  (to Buffy) How are you?

Buffy:  Live and kicking.

Willow:  Buffy killed a vampire last night.

They all look around to see if anyone overheard.

Buffy:  Uh, I think you can get a little more volume if you speak from 
the diaphragm.

Willow:  Sorry.

Jenny:  (quietly) We've got vampires? I thought the Hellmouth was 
closed.

Giles:  Well, it's, it's closed, but not gone. The mystical energy that 
emanates from it is still concentrated in this area.

Xander:  Which means we're still the undead's favorite party town.

Giles:  I wonder if they're here for any purpose, particularly.

Buffy:  You're the Watcher. I just work here.

Giles:  Yes, I-I must consult my books.

Xander:  Oh, eight minutes and thirty-three seconds, pay up. (Willow 
hands him a dollar) I called ten minutes before you'd consult your books 
about something. (to Willow) Thanks.

The bell rings.

Willow:  We better get to class.

They all start making their way to their classes.

Giles:  Oh, uh, Buffy! (she looks back) Uh, I realize you've only just 
returned, but when you're ready I-I think we should start your training 
again.

Buffy:  I'm ready. I'll see you after school. (starts to go again)

Giles:  Well, I-I-I understand if, if you want a few days to...

Buffy:  I'm ready. (leaves)

Cut to the library after school. Buffy does tumbling and kicking 
exercises that take her all around the library. Then they continue 
training with the quarterstaff. Buffy swings it at Giles' hand pads. He 
retreats as she hits. He ducks a swing but she continues around with the 
quarterstaff and knocks him back into the chairs by the table. Next she 
practices her punches on the wooden punching dummy. She has a flash of 
the Master and begins to go crazy on it, throwing continuous rapid 
punches.

Giles:  Buffy, that's enough.

She keeps whaling on the dummy.

Giles:  Buffy!

She kicks it, and it breaks.

Giles:  Uh, safe to say you've stayed in shape.

Buffy:  (breathing hard) I'm ready. Whatever they've got coming next, 
I'm ready. (bunches her hair above her head) Yeah.

Cut to an old brick warehouse. Cut inside.

Absalom:  We have been put down, kinsmen. We have lost our way. We have 
lost the night. But despair is for the living. Where they are weak, we 
will be strong. Where they weep, we rejoice. Where they bleed, (laughs) 
we drink! Within three days a New Hope will arise. We will put our faith 
in him. (looks over at Collin) He will show us the way.

                    ~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2 ~~~~~~~~~~

The student lounge. Buffy is upstairs on a couch, off in her own world. 
Willow and Xander come up the stairs to her.

Xander:  Buffy! (no response) Buffy!

Buffy:  (back on earth) Fine! I'm fine.

Xander:  Good! It's good that you're fine.

Willow sits on the couch opposite Buffy. Xander steps past Buffy and 
sits on the couch next to her.

Willow:  What were you thinking about? (gets out an apple)

Buffy:  Nothing.

Xander:  Oh, c'mon, you can tell us. We're your bosom friends! The 
friends of your bosom!

He gets a power bar out of his bag.

Willow:  Xander.

Xander winces at his power bar. Willow frowns at her apple. They toss 
them to each other over the table.

Buffy:  I wasn't thinking anything, really.

Willow:  What'd you do last night?

Buffy:  Mm. Slept. I had weird dreams.

Xander:  Dreams are meaningful.

Willow:  Tsh! Tell me about it. The other night I dreamt that Xander... 
Uh, I-it wasn't Xander. I-in fact it wasn't me. It was a friend's dream, 
and she doesn't remember it.

Buffy:  I bet she doesn't.

Giles:  (finds them) Buffy!

Buffy:  Giles! (gets up) What is it? You look worried.

Giles:  This vampire activity, I think I know what they're up to.

Buffy:  Well, we'll deal with it.

Giles:  I hope it's that simple.

Buffy:  It is not to worry. Trust me.

Giles:  Oh, I don't know. I mean, (chuckles) I've killed you once, it 
shouldn't be too difficult to do it again.

Buffy:  What?

Giles takes a hard backhand swing at her face, knocking her down onto 
the table between the two couches. He gets on top of her and begins to 
choke her. Xander and Willow just sit on the couches and chew away at 
their food. Willow smiles at Xander. Buffy reaches up to Giles' face and 
tries to push him off. She claws at him, and suddenly pulls off a mask, 
revealing the Master underneath. Buffy stares up at him in wide-eyed 
terror.

Cut to Buffy's bedroom. She wakes from her nightmare with a start. She 
looks around and over at her open window. She sits up and rubs her face. 
When she looks back at her window again Angel is there, leaning against 
the sill.

Buffy:  Hello.

Angel:  Mind if I come in?

Buffy:  Be my guest.

Angel:  How are you?

Buffy:  Peachy. So, is this a social call? It is kinda late. Or, well, 
it is for me, anyway. What is it for you, lunch hour?

Angel:  It's not a social call.

Buffy:  Ah. So, lemme guess. That means grave danger. Gosh, it's good to 
be home.

Angel:  I'm sorry. I wish I had better news.

Buffy:  So, some of your cousins are in town for a family barbecue, and 
we're all on the menu!

Angel:  The Anointed One. He's been gathering forces somewhere in town. 
I'm not sure why.

Buffy:  Guess I'll find out soon enough, huh?

Angel:  You don't sound too concerned.

Buffy:  I can handle myself. Besides, I could use a little action 
anyway.

Angel:  Don't underestimate the Anointed One just because he looks like 
a child. He has power over the rest of them. They'll do anything for 
him.

Buffy:  Is that it? Is that everything? Y'know, 'cause you woke me up 
from a really good dream.

She turns away from him and lies back down.

Angel:  Sorry. I'll go. (turns around to go, but pauses) I missed you.

Buffy:  (turns to the window) I missed you?

Angel is already gone. "It Doesn't Matter", by Alison Krauss, plays in 
the background.

Lyrics:  It doesn't matter what I want / It doesn't matter what I need

Cut to Joyce's Jeep the next morning on the way to school.

Lyrics:  It doesn't matter if I cry

Joyce:  How are your new classes?

Buffy:  Good.

Lyrics:  Don't matter if I bleed

Joyce:  Good. Is there the slightest chance that if I asked you what was 
wrong you would tell me?

Lyrics:  You've been on a road

Buffy looks over at her mother.

Joyce:  Course not. It would take all the fun out of guessing.

Lyrics:  Don't know where it goes or where it leads

Cut to the halls at Buffy's locker.

Willow:  Angel stopped by? Wow. Was there... Well, I mean, was it having 
to do with kissing?

Buffy:  Willow, grow up. Not everything is about kissing.

Xander:  (to Willow) Yeah. Some stuff's about groping. (to Buffy) It 
wasn't about groping?

Buffy:  Okay, hormones on parade here? It was pure shoptalk. Remember 
vampires, pointy teeth, they walk by night, am I ringing a bell?

Willow:  What did he say?

Buffy:  Oh, something's up. (closes her locker) Nothing I can't handle.

They begin to walk down the hall to class.

Xander:  Oh, hey, did you guys hear that Cibo Matto's gonna be at the 
Bronze tonight?

Willow:  Cibo Matto? They're playing?

Xander:  No, Willow, they're gonna be clog dancing.

Willow:  Cibo Matto can clog dance? (gets a look from Xander) Oh, 
sarcasm, right.

Xander:  We should attend, no?

Cordelia comes out of class and engages them in the hall.

Cordelia:  Oh, look, it's the Three Musketeers.

They look at each other, not sure what to make of that.

Buffy:  (to Xander) Was that an insult?

Xander:  Kinda lacked punch.

Willow:  The Three Musketeers were cool.

Cordelia:  I see your point.

Xander:  I woulda gone with Stooges.

Cordelia:  Well, I just meant that you guys always hang out together. 
So, did you guys fight any demons this summer?

Willow:  Uh, yes! Our own personal demons.

Xander:  Uh, such as, as, as lust and, uh, thrift!

Buffy:  I would have to go with Stooges also.

Cordelia:  What are you guys talking about? I'm talking about big 
squiggly demons that came from the ground? Remember? Prom night? With 
all the vampires.

Buffy:  Cordelia, your mouth is open and sound is coming from it. This 
is never good.

Xander:  No. (takes Cordelia aside) It's, see, we can't mention that 
stuff in front of other people, Buffy being the Slayer and all.

Willow:  You haven't been talking about our little adventure all summer, 
have you?

Cordelia:  Are you nuts? Do you think I would tell people that I spent 
the whole evening with you? Besides, it was all so creepy. That Master 
guy? And all the screaming? I don't even like to think about it. (to 
Buffy) So your secret's safe with me.

Buffy:  Well, that works out great. You won't tell anyone that I'm the 
Slayer, and I won't tell anyone you're a moron. (leaves)

Xander:  Now, that was a good insult.

Willow:  A little too good.

Cordelia:  What's up with her?

Cut to the Bronze that night. People are gathering and going in. Cut 
inside. Cibo Matto is on stage playing "Spoon".

Lyrics:  Don't, don't want the boys

Cut to Willow and Xander sitting at a table. She has a cup of ice cream.

Willow:  I just think something's up is all.

Lyrics:  Don't, don't note the heat

Xander:  Willow, you're paranoid.

Willow:  Buffy's never acted like this before. Ever since she got back 
she's... different.

Lyrics:  Can't find a spoon...

Xander:  Buffy's always been different.

Willow:  She's never been mean.

Lyrics:  ...that we have had

Xander:  (exhales) Any sign of her? She said she was coming.

Lyrics:  The sugar cubes...

Willow:  No. The band's cool, though.

Xander:  Yeah, cool.

Lyrics:  ...can melt our mouth / We belong, yes, to-to-together

Willow dips her nose into her ice cream and smiles, trying to get 
Xander's attention.

Lyrics:  We belong, yes, to-to-together / We belong, yes, to-to-together

Xander:  (looks at her) You got somethin' on your nose.

Lyrics:  We belong, yes, to-to-together / We belong, yes, to-to-together

The smile disappears from Willow's face, and she wipes the ice cream off 
with her napkin.

Lyrics:  We belong, yes, to-to-together

Cut to the cemetery. Dissolve to the tree where the Master is buried. 
Four crosses mark his grave. A shovel stabs into the dirt and starts to 
dig. Another one joins in. The camera pans around to Absalom, Collin and 
two others watching the first two vampires dig.

Absalom:  (to the other two) Don't just stand there. Dig! We have to 
hurry.

The other two get on their knees and begin to dig. The ground burns 
their hands.

Vampire:  The ground is consecrated! It burns!

Collin:  Dig.

The two vampires continue digging by hand. The grave is shallow, and 
they soon unearth the Master's skull.

Cut to the Bronze. The band starts their next number, "Sugar Water".

Lyrics:  The velocity of time... turns her voice into... sugar water

Buffy walks into the Bronze. Angel sees her come in and goes over to 
her.

Buffy:  Hi.

Angel:  Hi.

Buffy:  So, is there danger at the Bronze? Should I beware?

Angel:  I can't help thinking I've done something to make you angry. And 
that bothers me more than I'd like.

Buffy:  I'm not angry. I don't know where that comes from.

Angel:  What are you afraid of? Me? Us?

Buffy:  Could you contemplate getting over yourself for a second? 
There's no 'us'. Look, Angel, I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend the 
summer mooning over you, but I didn't. I moved on. To the living.

She heads over to Willow and Xander's table. Cordelia watches her go by, 
and wonders about her attitude.

Lyrics:  I'm on a concrete way / The wind is blowing...

Buffy:  Hey!

Willow:  Hi.

Xander:  Hey.

Lyrics:  ...to the north-northwest

Willow:  What's wrong with Angel?

Buffy:  Beats me.

Lyrics:  It smells like sands of the southern island

Buffy:  (to Xander) Let's dance. (pulls at his shirt)

Xander:  Ooo-kay. (is pulled by his shirt to the dance floor)

Lyrics:  When a black cat crosses my path

Buffy and Xander begin to slow dance. Her movements are very sensual.

Lyrics:  A woman in the moon is singing to the earth / A woman in the 
moon is singing to the earth / La la la, la la la la la la / La la la, 
la la la la la la

Buffy turns around and spoons in against Xander, pulling his arms around 
her waist. She grinds her hips and shoulders against him.

Lyrics:  La la la, la la la la la la / La la la, la la la la la la

She reaches up with her hand and strokes his face. Angel looks on 
jealously. Willow watches in disbelief. Buffy continues her grinding.

Lyrics:  I'm riding on a camel that has big eyes / The buildings are 
changing into coconut trees / Little by little

Buffy turns to Xander and tilts her head up to his, close enough to 
kiss.

Buffy:  Xander? Did I ever thank you... for saving my life?

Lyrics:  When a black cat...

Xander:  No.

Lyrics:  ...crosses my path

Buffy slowly slithers around him, making sure not to lose contact with 
his body.

Lyrics:  A woman in the moon is singing to the earth

Buffy:  Don't you wish I would?

She breaks off, leaving him standing there. Xander isn't sure what to 
make of it all, but he knows he doesn't like it.

Lyrics:  A woman in the moon is singing to the earth

Buffy goes back to their table and retrieves her jacket.

Lyrics:  La la la, la la la la la la

She walks past Cordelia as she makes her way out of the Bronze. Angel 
follows her with his stare.

Lyrics:  La la la, la la la la la la

Xander is still standing on the dance floor, upset and unsure how to 
react.

Cut outside. Buffy exits the Bronze and walks down the alley at a quick 
pace. Cordelia follows her out.

Cordelia:  Buffy. (Buffy stops) You're really campaigning for bitch-of-
the-year, aren't you?

Buffy:  (turns to face her) As defending champion, you nervous?

Cordelia:  I can hold my own. You know, we've never really been close, 
which is nice, 'cause I don't really like you that much, but... you have 
on occasion saved the world and stuff, so I'm gonna... do you a favor.

Buffy:  And this great favor is...

Cordelia:  I'm gonna give you some advice. Get over it.

Buffy:  Excuse me?

Cordelia:  Whatever is causing the Joan Collins 'tude, deal with it. 
Embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet, whatever, but get over it. 
'Cause pretty soon you're not even gonna have the loser friends you've 
got now.

Buffy:  I think it's about time you start minding your own business.

Cordelia:  It's long past.

Buffy:  (turns and goes) Nighty-night. (flips up her hood)

Cordelia:  I'll just see if Angel feels like dancing.

She is suddenly grabbed by two vampires coming out of the shadows and 
dragged into an adjacent building.

                    ~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~~~~~~

A basement. The two vampires force Cordelia down the stairs. At the 
bottom they shove her into the room. She's frightened and looks around. 
She takes a step sideways and bumps into a hand. She looks down and sees 
that it's Jenny. She crouches down to see if she's okay, but Jenny is 
unconscious.

Cordelia:  Ms., Ms. Calendar? Oh, God, Ms. Calendar?

Cut to the cemetery. Buffy is going to check out the Master's grave. 
When she gets there she finds it dug open and his bones exhumed. She 
steps back slowly, and thinks she sees the Master out of the corner of 
her eye. She quickly turns to look, but no one's there.

Willow:  She's possessed!

Cut to the student lounge. Giles is getting a soda from the vending 
machine.

Giles:  Possessed?

Willow:  That's the only explanation that makes any sense. I mean, you 
should've seen her last night. That wasn't Buffy.

Xander:  Are we overlooking the idea that she may be very attracted to 
me? (gets looks from the others and concedes) She's possessed.

Giles:  Possessed by what?

Willow:  Aaaaa possessing thing!

Giles:  (sarcastically) Well, that narrows it down.

He takes a sip of his soda and winces at its sweetness.

Xander:  Well, you're the expert. Hey, maybe when the Master killed her 
some... mystical bad guy transference thing happened.

Willow:  That's what it was! I mean, why else would she be acting like 
such a b-i-t-c-h?

Giles:  Willow, I think we're all a little too old to be spelling things 
out.

Xander:  A bitca?

Giles:  (not surprised by Xander's misunderstanding) Yes. I suggest 
that, uh, the explanation for her behavior may be something more, more 
mundane.

The bell rings and the students around them begin to leave for class.

Giles:  (sits) She may simply have what you Americans refer to as 
issues. Uh, her experience with the Master must have been extremely 
traumatic. Well, she was, for at least a few minutes, technically dead. 
(Buffy appears in the door) I-I don't think she's dealt with that on a 
conscious level. (Xander notices Buffy) She's convinced herself that 
she's invulnerable... for the very reason that she feels...

Xander:  (interrupts) That's a very interesting point about trout, you 
just brought up now.

Buffy walks up to them.

Giles:  Trout? (notices Buffy) Trout! Yes, trout, i-is a fish. Good 
morning. Did you sleep well?

Buffy:  Like a rock. Master's gone.

Giles:  I'm sorry?

Buffy:  The Master. I went by his grave last night, and they have a 
vacancy.

Giles:  Good God!

Willow:  What would somebody want with Master bones?

Xander:  A trophy, a horrible conversation piece?

Buffy:  They're gonna bring him back. They're gonna bring the Master 
back to life, and I seem to recall you telling me he was history.

Giles:  Buffy, I-I-I've never heard of a-a revivification ritual being 
successful.

Buffy:  But you've heard of them? Thanks for the warning.

Willow:  Well, Buffy, Giles did bury him and...

Buffy:  Look, this is Slayer stuff, okay? Could we have just a little 
less from the civilians, please?

Xander:  Okay, that's just about enough!

Buffy shoots Xander a look.

Snyder:  (interrupts) I believe some of us have class? And some of us 
have jobs.

Giles:  Y-yes, well, I'll, uh, I'll see you all, uh, in the library 
later. We'll, we'll continue this discussion.

Willow:  About trout.

The kids leave. Snyder watches them go.

Snyder:  There're some things I can just smell. It's like a sixth sense.

Giles:  No, actually that would be one of the five.

Snyder:  That Summers girl. I smell trouble. I smell expulsion, and just 
the faintest aroma of jail.

Giles:  Well, before you throw away the key, you might consider giving 
her the benefit of the doubt. She may surprise you.

Snyder:  You really have faith in those kids, don't you?

Giles:  Yes, I do.

Snyder:  Weird.

Cut to the library after school.

Giles:  Alright, alright, I-I-I've got something. It's Latin, so bear 
with me. Uh, to revive the vampire they need his bones, uh... w-which 
they have, and, um, the blood... this is very unclear, of the closest 
person... uh, someone connected to the vampire.

Buffy:  That'd be me.

Giles:  Perhaps.

Buffy:  We were close. We killed each other. It really promotes 
togetherness.

Xander:  Well, is there anything on when the ceremony might take...

A rock comes crashing through a window.

Xander:  Whoa!

Buffy catches the rock in her hands. It has a note wrapped around it and 
kept in place with a bracelet.

Buffy:  This is Cordelia's. (takes off the note) 'Come to the Bronze 
before it opens, or we make her a meal.'

Xander:  They're gonna cook her dinner? (gets looks from everyone) I'll 
pretend I didn't say that.

Willow:  What do we do?

Buffy:  (exhales) I go to the Bronze and save the day. (starts to go)

Xander:  I don't like this.

Giles:  Nor I!

Buffy:  (turns back) Yeah? Well, you guys aren't going.

Willow:  What do you mean?

Buffy:  I can't do it anymore. I can't look after the three of you guys 
while I'm fighting.

Willow:  Well, what about the rest of the note?

Buffy:  What rest of the note?

Willow:  The part that says, 'P.S. This is a trap'?

Giles:  You'll be playing straight into their hands. (takes off his 
glasses)

Buffy:  I can handle this.

Willow:  Stop saying that! God, what's wrong with you?

Xander:  Cordelia may be dead.

Buffy:  This is my fight.

She leaves and grabs her coat and bag on the way out. Willow just 
watches her go. Xander shakes his head. Giles puts his glasses back on.

Cut to the alley outside the Bronze. Buffy senses Angel as she nears the 
entrance.

Buffy:  Y'know, being stalked isn't really a big turn-on for girls.

Angel:  (behind her) You need help. Someone to watch your back.

Buffy:  Sure you don't mean my neck?

Angel:  (comes around her) Why are you ridin' me?

Buffy:  Because I don't trust you. You're a vampire. (gets a look) Oh, 
I'm sorry, was that an offensive term? Should I say 'undead American'?

Angel:  You have to trust someone. You can't do this alone.

Buffy:  I trust me.

Angel:  You're not as strong as you think.

Buffy:  (gives him a challenging look) You think you can take me?

Angel:  What?

Buffy:  Oh, c'mon! I mean, you must've thought about it. What would 
happen if it ever came down to a fight, you vampire, me the Slayer, I 
mean, you must've wondered! Well, why don't we find out?

Angel:  I'm not gonna fight you.

Buffy:  Come on! Kick my ass!

Angel:  Don't you have somewhere to be?

Buffy:  I do.

Angel:  Well, you're wasting time.

Buffy:  Just stay out of my way. (walks around him to the entrance)

Angel:  Happy to oblige.

Cut inside. Buffy comes in and looks around as she slowly walks through 
an empty Bronze. She comes upon a girl crying in a corner. She stops. 
Angel appears behind her.

Buffy:  That's not Cordelia.

The vampire laughs and turns around.

Vampire:  Cordelia couldn't make it.

Buffy:  Where is she?

Vampire:  I'm not supposed to tell.

Angel:  I don't like this.

Buffy:  Don't like what?

Angel:  There's the bait. Where's the hook?

The vampire attacks, and Buffy flips her over onto her back on the floor 
and pins her down with her foot.

Buffy:  You're right. Why would they send just one?

Cut to the library. Giles is continuing his research.

Willow:  I still think we should've gone with her.

Xander:  Buffy's about to lose it. I think we should be trying to reach 
minimum safe distance.

Willow:  Xander, you know it's a trap!

Giles:  Ah! Ah, ah, ah! Uh, uh, the Latin is, is translated from the 
Sumerian, a-a-and rather badly. Closest to the Master actually 
translates as 'nearest'. Physically. The, the, the person or persons who 
were with him... when he... (looks up) It is a trap.

Several vampires appear on the mezzanine level above.

Giles:  It just isn't for her.

                    ~~~~~~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~~~~~~

The Bronze. Buffy binds the vampire's wrists

Buffy:  Watch her. Don't kill her unless you have to. (shoves her over 
to Angel)

Angel:  Buffy! What's goin' on?

Buffy:  I'll be back.

Cut to the library. Buffy comes rushing in, and stops short when she 
sees that the place is a shambles. The camera pans through the room to 
the center table, which has been tipped over onto its side. Behind it 
Xander regains consciousness and gets up, using the table for support.

Buffy:  Xander!

She rushes over to him to help, but he shakes her off.

Buffy:  What happened?

Xander:  (out of breath) Vampires. The ones you could handle yourself.

Buffy:  Where are the others?

Xander:  I don't know. (angry) I don't know what your problem is, what 
your issues are. But as of now, I officially don't care. If you'd worked 
with us for five seconds, you coulda stopped this.

Buffy:  (turns away) We, we just have to think. Where would they have 
taken them?

Xander:  (vehemently) If they hurt Willow, I'll kill you.

She turns back to him and looks at him seriously.

Buffy:  Why did they take them and not you?

Xander:  Giles said the ritual was, um... They needed people who were 
close to the Master. Physically close. When he, uh...

Buffy:  The ones who were with the Master when he died.

Xander:  Giles, Willow, Cordelia...

Buffy:  Ms. Calendar.

Xander:  Odds are they've got a complete set by now.

Buffy:  We need to find out where.

Xander:  How?

Cut to the Bronze. Buffy is interrogating the female vampire. She throws 
her down onto the floor.

Buffy:  One more time: where are they?

Vampire:  You're too late. Your friends are dead.

Buffy:  (lifts her back up) Tell me where they are!

Vampire:  (laughs) What are you gonna do? Kill me?

Buffy:  As a matter of fact...

She throws the vampire onto a pool table.

Buffy:  ...yes. (yanks off her necklace) But since I'm not gonna kill 
you any time soon, the question becomes...

She drops the cross into the vampire's mouth and covers it with her 
hands.

Buffy:  ...how are we gonna pass the time till then?

The cross burns in the vampire's mouth, and she shakes her head. After 
several seconds Buffy pulls the cross back out.

Buffy:  So. One more time.

Cut to the warehouse. Cut inside. Collin carries a black case past the 
Master's skeleton, which has been laid out on a table. Absalom takes it 
from him.

Absalom:  Begin.

Another vampire starts pulling on a chain, and Willow, Giles, Cordelia 
and Jenny are moved along an overhead conveyor to hang upside down and 
unconscious above the Master's bones.

Absalom:  Behold, these four mortals.

Buffy comes into the warehouse through a side door. Angel and Xander 
follow her in.

Absalom:  Witnesses to our Master's wretched demise. They will breathe 
their last this night. The blood that pours from their throats will 
bring NEW LIFE to the old one. We gather for his resurrection. For the 
dawn of this new hell.

Buffy looks up at the four of them hanging upside down.

Xander:  (in a low voice) Buffy! Buffy! (she faces him) We gotta do 
something now!

Buffy:  You two get the others out of here.

Angel:  We need you to distract the vampires.

Buffy:  Right.

Xander:  What are you gonna do?

Buffy:  I'm gonna kill them all. (turns to her task) That oughta 
distract them.

Cut to Absalom, holding a Kuhkri, a long, curved knife.

Absalom:  For the old one. For his pain. For the dark.

Vampires:  For the dark!

Absalom kisses the blade. Cut to one of the vampires. A stake is 
suddenly thrust through him from behind, and he instantly turns into 
ashes. Buffy stands there now in a fighting stance. Absalom looks at her 
in disbelief and then roars. Three vampires begin fighting her. She 
easily keeps them at bay. Angel and Xander seize the opportunity to 
climb the ladder to the platform above to get the others off of the 
conveyor. Buffy continues to fight the vampires below. Absalom takes 
Collin and ushers him out of the warehouse. He comes back in and sees 
Angel and Xander pulling on the chain, bringing the others back over to 
the platform.

Absalom:  The sacrifices! Stop them!

A vampire responds to Absalom's command and runs to the ladder to the 
platform. Buffy continues to fight below as Angel and Xander keep 
pulling on the chain. Absalom looks around and then rushes out of the 
warehouse. Buffy keeps fighting. She does a flip over some wooden boxes, 
grabs one on the way and smashes it onto a vampire's head. She kicks the 
vampire in the face, knocking him down and breaking a few pieces of wood 
off of the box. She gets tackled by another vampire. On the platform 
above Giles, Jenny and Cordelia are already off of the conveyor. Angel 
and Xander lift Willow off as well. Giles rolls on the floor in semi-
consciousness. They lay Willow down and tend to them all. A vampire 
finally makes it up to the platform and growls. Angel looks at him with 
his game face on and growls back. The vampire attacks, and Angel rushes 
to meet him. They fight. Below one of them is on top of Buffy. She 
reaches up with a broken piece of wood and jams it into the vampire's 
back, and gets ash all over herself. The vampire she knocked down before 
with the box gets up and rushes to attack her. Above, Angel and his 
opponent fall through a poorly covered hole in the platform. Jenny is 
awake now and crawls over to Giles, who is also awake now and trying to 
sit up.

Giles:  Are you alright?

Jenny:  Yeah, I'm okay.

Giles:  Where's Buffy?

Xander is at the edge of the platform holding a still unconscious Willow 
with his arm and watching the fight below.

Xander:  Uh, she's working out her issues.

Buffy is still fighting a vampire below. Underneath the platform Angel's 
attacker tries to jam a piece of wood into his chest, but Angel stops 
him and jams it into his instead. Buffy kicks the vampire she's fighting 
into a storage rack, and he goes down with it. Absalom shows up again in 
the doorway with a large sledgehammer.

Absalom:  ENOUGH!

Buffy turns to look at him. The other vampire gets back up.

Absalom:  Your day is done, girl. I'll grind you into a *sticky* paste, 
and hear you beg before I smash in your face.

Buffy:  So, are you gonna kill me or are we just making small talk?

Absalom raises the sledgehammer in indignation and yells as he begins 
his attack. The other vampire rushes at her from the other side. Buffy 
calmly looks at the tall wooden torch post in front of her, breaks it 
off and turns it a few times in her hands. The vampire impales himself 
on the broken end and crumbles into ash. Absalom runs into the burning 
end and is set ablaze. He backs up and screams as the flames spread over 
him. He makes a last desperate attempt to get Buffy and raises the 
sledgehammer over his head, but is too late as the flames engulf him and 
instantly burn him up. The sledgehammer falls to the floor with a loud 
clang. Buffy drops the post and looks over at the Master's skeleton. Cut 
to the platform above. Willow is awake now.

Willow:  It's over.

Xander:  No, it's not.

Cut below. Buffy bends down and picks up the sledgehammer. She slowly 
walks over to the Master's skeleton and looks at it a moment. Then she 
swings the hammer back behind her and arcs it directly into the Master's 
skull, shattering it to pieces. She keeps whaling on the Master's 
skeleton as Willow, Xander and Giles look down from above. Angel comes 
up behind her and watches her continue until there's nothing left on the 
table. She stops and bursts into tears, dropping the sledgehammer to the 
floor.

Angel:  It's okay. It's okay.

Buffy turns around and leans into him, crying into his shoulder. Angel 
gently holds on to her as she cries. Xander, Willow and Giles continue 
to watch from above. Willow briefly looks up at Xander.

Cut to the school the next day. Jenny and Cordelia walk across the quad.

Cordelia:  What an ordeal. And you know what the worst part is?

Jenny:  What?

Cordelia:  It stays with you forever. No matter what they tell you, none 
of that rust and blood and grime comes out. I mean, you can dry clean 
till judgment day, you are living with those stains.

Jenny:  Yeah that's the worst part of being hung upside down by a 
vampire who wants to slit your throat: the stains.

Cordelia:  I hear ya!

Giles and Buffy come walking the other way on the other side of the 
quad.

Buffy:  I don't think I can face them.

Giles:  Hmm? Of course, you can.

Buffy:  I can't! What am I supposed say? 'Sorry I almost got your throat 
slit. What's the homework?'

Giles:  Punishing yourself like this is pointless.

Buffy:  It's entirely pointy. I was a moron. I put my best friends in 
mortal danger on the second day of school.

Giles:  What are you gonna do? Crawl inside a cave for the rest of your 
life?

Buffy:  Would it have cable?

Giles:  Buffy, you acted wrongly, I admit that. But believe me, that was 
hardly the, the worst mistake you'll ever make. Uh, that wasn't quite as 
comforting as it was meant to be.

Buffy:  Well, points for effort. (the bell rings) See ya.

Cut to class. Buffy comes in, sees Willow and Xander and stops. Willow 
sees her come in. Xander, facing Willow, notices her look up and looks 
over, too, but goes back to what he's doing on Willow's desk. Buffy 
walks over to an empty desk next to Willow.

Willow:  Hey, Buffy.

Buffy:  Hey.

Willow:  We saved you a seat.

Buffy looks at them both and sits down.

Xander:  There's a rumor going around that, uh, Mr. Cox is the most 
boring teacher in the entire world. Like, I think he won a belt or 
something.

Buffy:  Like, yes.

Willow:  Well, I hear he nods off a lot. So that's a plus.

Xander:  So, we Bronzin' it tonight?

Willow:  Wednesday, it's kinda beat.

Xander:  Well, we could grind our enemies into talcum powder with a 
sledgehammer, but, gosh, we did that last night.

The two of them give Buffy big smiles.  She smiles back.

Xander:  Hey, I got a plan: how 'bout miniature golf.

Willow:  There's no course here.

Xander:  Okay, uh, miniature tennis! A very tiny form of tennis that we 
could invent...

They make small talk until class begins. The camera slowly pans around 
them.

Cut to the warehouse. Collin surveys the damage Buffy has wrought. He 
looks all around him at the pieces of bone strewn all over the place.

Collin:  I hate that girl.