INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Post dinner party. Angel and Gunn play at a Playstation (we need not see the game screen,) Fred watches. Beyond, at the dining room table, Wesley enters with a coffee service (English plunger style.) Cor reaches for it.


CORDELIA
Let me do that.


WESLEY
Nonsense. You're my guests.


CORDELIA
And you did all the cooking.

As she pours coffee, she winces. He notes this. He regards her, a bit of pride there.


WESLEY
It's inspiring to see you like this.


CORDELIA
What, all sore and stiff?


WESLEY
No. Taking responsibility. The
initiative you've shown in training
with Angel... I'm proud of you.


CORDELIA
Never hurts to be prepared.


WESLEY
Agreed. We should all be battle
ready. Every one of us.

WESLEY'S POV

of the others, wrapped up in the video game. Gunn cheers. Angel moans. Fred watches.


GUNN
Dead! So dead! So very, very dead!
Just how dead are you?


ANGEL
I'm tired of being the dead one.

WESLEY AND CORDELIA


WESLEY
I was thinking perhaps I'd enter into
a similar training arrangement with
our Fred.


CORDELIA
Hey -- if you think she can teach you
how to fight, why not?
(off his look)
I'm kidding. Wesley... if you want
to get to know Fred better, maybe the
next time you have her over for an
intimate dinner for two -- you won't
ask the rest of us to come along.


WESLEY
I don't know what you... I mean...
was I that obvious?


CORDELIA
I don't think anyone else noticed.


WESLEY
She is a rather extraordinary young
woman... Still! The last thing any
of us should be doing is coupling.
With each other, I mean. Office
romances, even under the most normal
circumstances --


CORDELIA
We don't live in "normal
circumstances." I mean... what are
the odds of any of us actually
finding someone out there who can
deal with the stuff that we have to
deal with? I dunno. Maybe we are
meant...


WESLEY
...for each other?


CORDELIA
Actually I was going to say "to be
alone." But what the heck. If you
like her, Wesley -- tell her.
(lifting service tray)
Just go right up to her and...
(a vision coming)
...hack her into little pieces...

CAMERA ROCKETS at Cordy. There goes the tray of hot coffees
 

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - UPSTAIRS ROOMS - NIGHT

Fred appears, nervous, trying to move quietly, looking behind herself, moving forward. She passes through connecting doors, moving from abandoned room to abandoned room. She ends up in a big close up, wondering which way to go... now...


WESLEY (O.S.)
I'm still here...

She turns and WE SEE Wesley in the distance behind her. Axe at his side.


WESLEY
I don't run away like a girl. I see
things through.

He moves toward her -- she's frozen with terror.


WESLEY (cont'd)
You stood up to me, you fought back.
(indicates his clawed
face)
I guess you think that makes you all
empowered now. I guess you think
that makes us equal, bitch.

A beat. She bolts through the nearest door to the corridor. In the b.g., Wesley bolts out another door to --

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Fred stumbles out into the corridor. Wesley appears at the far end. She runs. He follows. Wesley gives chase down the corridor, sees Fred running up a flight of stairs. Off Wesley, measuring his options...

INT. A DIFFERENT CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS

Fred runs toward CAMERA, glances back over her shoulder to see if Wesley's giving chase, tripes and tumbles to the floor.

CLOSE - FRED

The wind knocked out of her as she hits the ground hard. She scoots along backward on her butt, like a crab, and she watches for Wesley. Doesn't see him.

CAMERA'S TIGHT in an over behind her as she gets to her feet. Fred listens. It's quiet. She backs away, turns toward CAMERA AND IS GRABBED.

IT'S GUNN. He slaps his hand across her mouth as she screams.