Act Three
In front of the Sunnydale Funeral Home. Giles is caught between two of the brethren of the Order of Aurelius. He pulls a cross from his bag and holds it up to them. They cower away in pain. Giles makes a dash for the building. Cut inside. Giles looks around and puts his cross back into his bag. He runs to the flower room door and finds it locked. The brethren come into the building after him. Cut to the Bronze. Velvet Chain is playing their next song, "Treason".
Lyrics: I have a window in my mind / I can turn to look right through you
Owen: Are you, uh, having fun?
Buffy: Yeah. I almost feel like a girl.
Lyrics: Won't cost you anything but time / To see me feel like you do
They smile at each other and continue to dance. Cut to the funeral home. Giles finds the door to the morgue unlocked and rushes in. He slams the door behind him and looks around. He grabs a filing cabinet, tilts it and drags it over to block the door. It works, the brethren can't readily open it. Giles looks around for a way out. The windows are barred. He sees Willow and Xander through the bars.
Giles: (startled) AH!
Willow: (Willow and Xander raise the window sash) Giles, it's us!
Giles: What are you doing here?
Xander: We saw two guys going in after you. Are they...
Giles: (looks at the door) They are! (looks back) Uh, listen, you should get to safety.
Willow: Can you get out this window?
Giles: (tests the bars) I'm afraid not.
Xander: Look, I hate to state the obvious, but this looks like a job for Buffy?
Giles: Uh, she has her, her... beeping thing! (looks around) Um, no phone, of course.
Xander: Look, we'll get her, just, uh, hang in there. (Willow and Xander leave)
Giles: (worried) Do hurry.
Cut to the Bronze. Owen and Buffy are standing by the stairs.
Owen: Do you want something to eat?
Buffy: Sure. Just make it something fattening.
Cordelia: (looking on from the shadows by a door) What a disgusting display. Is that really appropriate behavior in a public forum? I mean, I've never seen a girl throw herself at a guy like that. Uhhh!
The door opens and Angel comes in.
Cordelia: Ooo! Hello, salty goodness! (to her friend) Pick up the phone, call 911. That boy is gonna need some serious oxygen after I'm through with him.
She starts to follow Angel, but stops when she sees him go over to Buffy.
Angel: Buffy.
Buffy: Angel.
Cordelia: (to herself) Why is this happening to me?
Angel: (to Buffy) I was hoping I'd find you here.
Buffy: You were?
Angel: Some serious stuff happening tonight. You need to be out there.
Buffy: No, not you, too. (tries to leave)
Angel: (stops her) What do you know?
Buffy: Prophecy, Anointed One, yada, yada, yada...
Angel: So you know. Fine. I just thought I'd warn you.
Buffy: Warn me? You see that guy over there at the bar? (walks around him and faces Owen) He came here to be with me.
Angel: You're here on a date?
Buffy: (turns to Angel) Yes! Why is it such a shock to everyone?
Owen: (returns) Here you go.
Buffy: Oh. (looks between Angel and Owen) Um, Owen, this is Angel. Angel, this is Owen. (puts her arm around him) Who is my date.
Angel: Hey.
Owen: Hey! So. Where do you know Buffy from?
Angel: Work.
Owen: (to Buffy) You work?
Willow and Xander come running up to them, out of breath.
Willow: Buffy!
Owen: Look at this! You show up everywhere. Interesting.
Xander: (points at Owen) You don't know the half of it. (points at Angel) What's he doing here?
Angel: I guess it's the same thing you're doin' here.
Buffy: Uh, excuse me, what are *any* of you doing here?
Xander: Look, we gotta get to, uh... (Willow kicks him) Uhhhh. We thought it'd be fun if, uh, we made this a double date!
Willow and Xander put their arms around each other.
Buffy: I didn't know you guys were seeing each other.
Willow: Oh, yeah, well, we knew it would happen eventually, so we figured, hey! Why fight it?
Owen: And you guys are thinking double?
Xander: 'Cause of... (laughs nervously) ...the fun!
Owen: (to Angel) And you're here because of work?
Xander: Hey, maybe we should all go somewhere together.
Buffy: Gee, that's so nice of you to ask, but Owen and I were, well, sort of... Owen and I.
Xander: You know what'd be cool? The Sunnydale Funeral Home!
Willow: (emphasizing) I've always wanted to go there!
Buffy: The funeral home?
Owen: Actually, that sounds kinda cool! Do you think we could all sneak in?
Xander: We saw some guys in there before. They seemed to be (pointedly to Buffy) having fun!
Buffy: (to herself) Bite me!
She looks up at Angel. He gives her an 'I told you so' look.
Buffy: (exhales) (to Owen) Um, Owen, I gotta go.
Owen: I thought we were going to the funeral home.
Buffy: No, you can't. I'll tell you what. I'll be back in a little while.
Owen: Buffy... (leads her away) What's the deal? Do you wanna bail on me?
Buffy: No! No... no... uh... You remember when you said I was like two different people? Well, one of them has to go. But the other one is having a really, really good time, and will come back. I promise.
Owen just nods his head and watches her go. She comes back and lays a kiss on him. Then she really leaves with Willow and Xander close behind.
Owen: (to Angel) She's the strangest girl!
Cut to the funeral home. Everything seems quiet. Buffy, Willow and Xander come in through the front door.
Buffy: Which way?
Willow: The room's around back.
They go off to their left. Around a corner they hit a dead end.
Buffy: Damn it!
Owen: (appears behind them) This is so cool!
Buffy: Uh, Owen! You can't be here!
Owen: Oh, and I suppose you guys are allowed? What are we doin' here? Are we gonna see a dead body?
Buffy: Possibly several. (to Xander and Willow) Guys, watch him. (runs back the way they came)
Owen: Is she mad?
Willow: Oh, she just wants to make sure there're no guards so we don't get in trouble.
Owen: Good thinking.
Xander: (to Willow) Good thinking.
They start after Buffy. Cut to Buffy quietly walking down the hall, looking and listening. She finds the morgue door open and goes in. The place is a shambles.
Buffy: Giles?
His bag is on the autopsy gurney. The window bars are torn open. She finds his cross. Suddenly one of the doors to a body storage drawer opens in front of her, and the drawer rolls out. Buffy jumps back, startled.
Buffy: Giles!
Giles: It *is* you. Oh, good.
Buffy: What happened?
Giles: Uh, two more of the brethren came in here. They came after me. But I was more than a match for them.
Buffy: Meaning...?
Giles: I hid. Uh, this, uh, chap was good enough to bunk with me till they went away. (he jumps down off of the cadaver)
Buffy: Well, w-were they here after you, or w-was it that prophecy thing?
Giles: Ah, well, that's what we have to find out. I don't know what these brethren mean to do exactly. Find the Anointed, or, or, or, or give him something perhaps, uh, it's all, all very vague. And the Anointed may be long gone!
Buffy: But he may not be.
Giles: We must find out.
Buffy: Okay, I just need to get Owen and the others out of harm's way first.
Giles: Owen? You brought a date?
Buffy: (exhales) I didn't bring him, he came.
Giles: Buffy, when I said you could slay vampires and have a social life, I didn't mean at the same time.
Buffy: I know. I'll get rid of him. (starts to leave)
Giles: Y-you can't make him go out there alone, we don't know where the brethren are. I-I'll just...
Buffy: No! No, Giles, he sees you, he's gonna have more questions than he already does right now. I'll take care of it.
She runs out into the hall and looks around for the others. They come around a corner and see her.
Willow: Is everything okay?
Buffy: It is.
Xander: And we'll be leaving?
Owen: We're not done lookin' around yet!
Buffy: No, he's right. So let's find a nice, safe, fun room to look around in.
She takes Owen's hand and leads the group down the hall. They reach the office door.
Owen: We tried the office here, but it's locked.
Buffy: (breaks the lock) No it's not! (goes in)
Owen: Well, I don't think we'll find much in here.
Buffy: (looks around) That's the plan.
Owen: Okay. (confused) What?
Buffy: (finished looking) I have to go now. (laughs nervously) Um, to the bathroom, I have to go to the bathroom. If you hear anything, like a security guard or something, just be really quiet. (to Willow and Xander) And barricade the door.
She goes out into the hall again and looks around on her way back to the morgue. Xander closes the office door. Cut to the morgue. Buffy and Giles start looking through the body drawers hoping to find the Anointed One.
Buffy: (opens one) Ewww, parts!
Giles: Keep looking, he must be here somewhere.
Cut to the office. Willow and Xander start to pile furniture in front of the office door.
Owen: What are you guys doing?
Willow: Uh, just in case!
Owen sees a curtain and draws it open. Behind the window he sees a body covered with a sheet.
Owen: Oh, my!
Willow and Xander turn around to look. Cut to the morgue. Buffy and Giles are still looking. There's only one storage cell left. Giles opens it quickly and Buffy pulls out the drawer. It's empty.
Buffy: Nothing.
Giles: The Anointed must be gone.
Buffy: I guess. I mean, this is where they keep all the dead bodies, right?
Giles: Mm-hmm.
Cut to the office. Owen is looking at the body with fascination. Willow and Xander look worried.
Owen: I read a lot about death, but... but I've... never really seen a dead body before.
The body's hand moves.
Owen: Do they... usually move?
The hand moves again. Willow and Xander approach to have a closer look. The hand reaches up and pulls the sheet off. Andrew sits up and faces them. He is a vampire now. He stands up, looks down at himself and flexes his hands. He looks back up at them.
Andrew: I have been judged!
Act Four
The mortuary office.
Owen: What's goin' on?
They back away from the window slowly. Andrew approaches the window and smashes it with his forehead. Cut to the morgue. Buffy and Giles hear the window being smashed.
Buffy: Oh, no!
She starts running to the office. Cut to the office.
Andrew: (laughs) He is risen in me! He fills my head with song!
Owen, Willow and Xander frantically begin moving the furniture away from the door. Andrew steps through the opening.
Andrew: Pork and beans. Pork and beans!
Xander: (to Willow) Gimme that!
Andrew: I can smell you.
They get the furniture moved. Willow opens the door and they run out. Andrew follows at a quick pace.
Andrew: You're the chaff, unblessed. I'll suck the blood from your hearts, he says I may!
Cut to the hall. Buffy meets them running down the hall.
Xander: He's in there!
Buffy: Uh, go! Get out!
Xander: She'll be okay. C'mon!
They continue running. Buffy tries to find Andrew. She can hear him singing as he comes down the hall toward her.
Andrew: Shall we gather at the river? / The beautiful, the beautiful river?
She decides to try to head him off another way. Xander, Willow and Owen find the exit, but are blocked by the brethren. Willow screams. Xander pulls her around and behind himself. Instead of attacking, the brethren close the gates. The hall is empty, but they can hear Andrew singing.
Willow: I think he's coming this way!
They run and find themselves at the same dead end as when they first got there.
Owen: Oh, God, this is too much!
Cut to the morgue. Giles is still there. Buffy rushes in.
Buffy: What've you got?
Giles: What?
Buffy: What'd you bring? Do you have a stake?
Giles: Oh, uh... (hands her a stake.)
Buffy: Thank you! (starts back out the door)
Giles: W-what should I do?
Buffy: (faces Giles) Um, go outside and make sure the others are okay.
Andrew comes up behind Buffy, grabs her and throws her into a cabinet. She hits the floor unconscious. Giles rushes to her aid.
Giles: Buffy!
Cut to the hall.
Owen: Somebody's gotta help Buffy!
Willow: Owen!
Owen starts to run to the morgue. Willow and Xander follow. Cut to the morgue. Buffy is awake again, but still on the floor. Andrew approaches Giles.
Andrew: They told me about you while I was sleeping.
Giles holds up his cross. It is painful to Andrew.
Andrew: Uh! Why does he hurt me?
He slaps Giles' hand away, and the cross goes flying. He grabs Giles and throws him into the crematory controls. The fires in the chamber light. Giles falls unconscious. Andrew bends down to pick Buffy up. Owen comes running in.
Owen: Buffy!
Andrew raises her above his head.
Owen: No!
He grabs a tray and swings it into Andrew's back, stunning him. His knees buckle and he lets go of Buffy. She staggers into an open body drawer door and falls down unconscious. Andrew turns, grabs Owen by the neck and growls as he moves in to bite. Owen grabs an urn from a rack and smashes it over Andrew's head. He falls. Owen goes over to help Buffy. She wakes up again and tries to get up.
Owen: Did you see that? He tried to bite me! (helps Buffy up) What a sissy!
Andrew gets back up, grabs Owen and smashes a body drawer door into the back of his head, knocking him out.
Buffy: No!
Andrew: Dead! (lets Owen fall) He was found wanting!
Buffy gets him solidly in the gut with a front snap kick. He rolls over the autopsy gurney and onto the floor. She runs around to the far end of the gurney. Andrew quickly gets up. She pushes the gurney into his gut, and then pushes down on her end so it pivots up to hit him in the chin. He staggers back and falls. She jumps up onto the gurney and does a roundoff onto the floor as he gets up. He swings widely at Buffy's face, but she blocks it. He tries again with his other arm, hitting Buffy solidly in the face and knocking her to the ground. He taunts her as she quickly gets up.
Buffy: You killed my date!
Willow and Xander appear at the door. Willow sees Owen wake up as Buffy and Andrew fight.
Willow: Buffy! Owen's...
Xander: (pulls Willow back) J-just give her a sec!
Buffy blocks another punch, and then hits Andrew in the face with an open-hand punch. Blocking a second punch from him, she hits him in the gut with another open-hand punch. As he leans forward from the pain, she knees him in the gut, and then shoves him backward into a counter.
Buffy: You killed my date!
Giles regains consciousness. Andrew turns back to Buffy.
Andrew: Your turn!
He lunges at Buffy, but she sidesteps him and uses his forward momentum to launch him into the air. He lands on the gurney, and it rolls over to the crematory. The gurney stops when it hits, but Andrew continues to slide through the open door. Giles kicks the gurney away and slams the crematory door shut. Andrew screams. Buffy watches him burn through the small window. Then she notices Owen trying to sit up.
Owen: Does anyone have an aspirin? Or sixty?
Buffy: (goes to Owen) Owen! (crouches beside him)
Owen: What happened to that guy?
Buffy: Oh... We scared him away.
Owen: Oh, good. 'Cause, y'know, I would've...
Buffy: I know. Here... (helps him up) I'm sure this isn't exactly what you had in mind for our first date.
Owen: (rubs his head) Yeah! I was hoping maybe we'd finish at Ben & Jerry's.
Buffy: We still could...
Owen: No, I, I, I think I'll just walk home. (starts to go, but stops) Uh, which way's home?
Buffy: I'll get you there.
Owen: No, I'll, I'll go it alone.
Willow and Xander come over.
Xander: We'll make sure he gets home safely.
They lead Owen away. Buffy watches them go. Giles comes over behind her.
Giles: Buffy, if I might, uh...
Buffy: (cuts him off) Don't! (slowly walks out)
Cut to the school. Buffy, Xander and Willow are walking along the balcony.
Buffy: Well, did Owen say anything about me on the way home?
Willow: Oh, you mean specifically about you?
Buffy: Or generally... i-in the area, in the ballpark, any sort of indication?
They round the corner and start down the stairs.
Xander: Well, in that case, no.
Willow: But he was pretty incoherent, so we might've missed it.
Buffy: You think?
Xander: No.
Buffy: I knew it. I totally blew it last night!
Xander: No, see, what you need is a guy who already knows your deepest, darkest secrets and still says, 'Hey! I like that girl!' Someone like...
Buffy: (sees Owen) Owen!
Willow: Well, heh... This is our stop.
She walks around Buffy and drags Xander away with her.
Owen: Hi. Buffy: Hi. (long awkward pause) This is going well.
Owen: I don't really know how to say this, but... about last night...
Buffy: You don't even have to. I'm sure you were pretty freaked out.
Owen: Totally. (Buffy looks down) And... I was wondering when I could see you again.
Buffy: (looks back up) Um, that was my hopeful ear. Could you repeat that?
Owen: I think you're the coolest!
Buffy: (smiles) Really?
Owen: I mean, last night was incredible! I never thought nearly getting killed would make me feel so... alive!
Buffy: (looks down and starts to walk) So that's why you wanna be with me.
Owen: (follows her) Oh, absolutely! When can we do something like that again?
Buffy: Something like...
Owen: Like, walk downtown at three in the morning, a-and pick a fight in a bar. How about tonight?
Buffy: Tonight would... (they stop walking) be... not a workable thing. Did I just say that?
Owen: Tomorrow, then. I-I'm free any night this week.
Buffy: I'm not. Please don't take this personally. It's not you, it's me.
Owen: (begins to get it) Right. It's you.
Buffy: And I was kinda hoping that... maybe you and I could still be...
Owen: (very disappointed) I, I get it. You just wanna be friends.
Buffy: That'd be nice.
Owen: Friends. Yeah. Great. (leaves)
Lyrics: The world will keep on turning / It'll all be there come morning / So tonight...
Buffy: Yeah. Great.
Lyrics: Let the sun fall down all around you (song by Kim Richey)
Giles comes up behind her. They watch Owen leave. Buffy notices Giles and looks at him. He's at a loss. She goes over to sit on a bench. Giles follows her.
Giles: I was ten years old when my father told me I was destined to be a Watcher. (sits next to her) He was one, and his, uh, mother before him, and I was to be next.
Buffy: Were you thrilled beyond all measure?
Giles: No, I had very definite plans about my future. I was going to be a fighter pilot. Or possibly a grocer. Well, uh... My father gave me a very tiresome speech about, uh, responsibility and sacrifice.
Buffy: Sacrifice, huh?
Giles: (looks toward Owen) Seems like a nice lad.
Buffy: Yeah. But he wants to be Danger Man. You, Xander, Willow, you guys... you guys know the score, you're careful. Two days in my world and Owen really *would* get himself killed. Or I'd get him killed. (faces Giles) Or someone else.
Giles: I, I went to the funeral home of my own free will.
Buffy: And I should've been there.
Giles: Buffy...
Buffy: I blew it!
Giles: I have volumes of lore, of prophecies, of predictions. But I don't have an instruction manual. We feel our way as we go along. And, I must say, as a Slayer, you're, you're doing... pretty well.
Buffy: (smiles) Well. At least I did stop that prophecy thing from coming true.
Giles: You did! Handily. No more Anointed One. And I would imagine the Master, wherever he is, is having a fairly bad day himself.
He smiles. Buffy laughs back. Cut to the Master in his Lair.
Master: (quotes scripture) 'And in this time will come the Anointed. And the Slayer will not know him. She will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell.' (kneels down next to Collin) Welcome, my friend.