Dirty Girls
(Woods – Night)
(A teenage girl is running through the woods at night, running for her life. Bringers are chasing her. She sees an old pick-up truck driving down a dirt road through the woods, and she runs in front of it, waving it down emphatically with both arms. )
Girl: Stop! Stop! Stop, please!
(The driver slows and stops the truck; the girl goes to the passenger door and speaks to him through the open window.)
Man: (wearing a black shirt with priest's collar, speaking in a southern drawl) What's goin' on?
Girl: Please get me out of here! (opens the passenger door and climbs in)
Man: Was someone hurt? What is it?
Girl: (shuts door) Drive.
(Truck)
(The young girl is panting, catching her breath. She's sitting in the passenger's seat in an old truck beside a man dressed as a preacher or priest.)
Man: Well, that was, uh... Are you all right?
Girl: (panting) Thank you. Thank God you were there.
Man: Well, let's not give him credit for everything. (smiles) No, I'm funning you. I don't believe it was a coincidence. I also don't believe young girls should be out in the woods late at night—should be tucked in bed.
Girl: (softly) Wish I was.
Man: I expect you do at that. Look, I don't mean to pry, but those boys... they looked like— Well, you didn't happen to fall in with devil worshipers, did you? (the girl doesn't answer, just stares out the window) Na, I'm—I'm sorry. You, uh, you look like you've been traveling a while. I didn't think that— Is there some place you'd like me to drop you? You heading some place?
Girl: Sunnydale.
Man: I'm going there myself. I ain't never been, but I expect we could find a police station or a—
Girl: I just need to get to Revello Drive. (the man nods) Um, thanks, Father...
Man: Call me Caleb. Never was nobody's daddy.
Girl: I'm Shannon.
Caleb: Well, Shannon, you feel like telling me why those Freaky Joe's were after you?
Shannon: I'm not sure.
Caleb: Well, do you ever think that maybe they were chasing you because you're a whore?
Shannon: (looks at Caleb, scoffs) What?
Caleb: Now, I know what you're thinking. Crazy preacher man spoutin' off at the mouth about the whore of Babylon or some-such. That ain't me. I'm not here to lecture you. I mean, what's the point? (presses in his dashboard cigarette lighter) My words just curdle in your ears. Wouldn't take in a thing. (Shannon looks around nervously, looks out the window) Head's filled with so much filth that ain't no room for words of truth. Well, you know what you are, Shannon? Dirty.
Shannon: (offended) What? I'm not! What're—
Caleb: Now, now, now. There's no blame here. You were born dirty, born without a soul. Born with that gaping maw wants to open up, suck out a man's marrow. Makes me puke to think too hard on it. (Shannon touches the passenger side door, trying to open it, but there's no handle) Yeah, that there door's problematical. I don't know as I could recommend steppin' out at this speed anyway. You're like as not to tumble some. But, of course, there's my boys back there—Ooh, they hate to miss a mark.
Shannon: (shocked) Your boys?
Caleb: Well, they ain't exactly my "blue eyed boys" but they're hard workers. And they don't truck with Satan—that was just me having fun. (looks at Shannon) Satan is a little man. (Shannon reaches for the steering wheel, but he pushes her away, pinning her against the seat, then shakes his finger at her.) I don't like back-seat drivers.
(Caleb reaches to the dashboard and grabs the cigarette lighter. He places the heated coil of the lighter on a ring he's wearing on the middle finger of his right hand and presses it for a moment.)
Shannon: (sees what Caleb's doing, and cowers) Please...don't hurt me.
Caleb: Well, now, is this the part where you offer to do anything? Because I tried to make it clear—you got nothin' I want to explore. (He puts the lighter back in the dashboard and presses his heated ring into Shannon's neck, making a sizzling sound. Shannon screams.) Oh yeah. That's it! That's a cleansing fire. Hallelujah! Now, if I'm not mistaken, there's a car a little ways behind us, and I do believe there's some folk in it goin' the same place you are. Now, I want you to deliver a message for me, but it's not for them. It's for the other one—the one and only, the original, accept-no-substitutes slayer. Would you tell her something for me?
Shannon: (frightened) Yes.
Caleb: Thank you, Shannon. (takes a knife and stabs Shannon in the stomach, then whispers something in her ear) Now, let's see what we can't do about that door.
(Caleb kicks the door open and pushes Shannon out.)
(Highway)
(Shannon falls out of the pick-up truck and rolls across the pavement. A car driving toward her slams on its breaks. The driver, Willow, steps out and runs to the girl's side. The passenger steps out of the car and saunters toward Shannon.)
Willow: (to Shannon) Are you OK? Can you hear me? (rolls Shannon over) Can you talk? (to her passenger) This girl's bleeding badly. We have to get her to the hospital.
(As Willow's passenger walks forward into the light, show it's Faith standing there.)
Faith: (unfazed) Yep. Guess I'm back in Sunnydale.
(Summers Residence – Bedroom)
(Xander's floor is covered with sleeping bags and potentials. In his bedroom, he's under the blanket in his bed, and one of the potentials is sitting on his bed in skimpy pajamas, chatting.)
Xander: I know it's hard.
Potential: I haven't been able to sleep the last few nights.
Xander: Hey, listen. It's gonna be OK. Buffy knows what she's doing. She's not gonna send you into battle until she's sure you're ready for action. (nods)
Potential: That's just it, though. How will I know I'm ready...for action?
Xander: You have to trust us.
Potential: I'm so scared, Xander. I'm so young. (looks into Xander's eyes)
Xander: Well, believe it or not, I was younger than you when I started all this.
Potential: There's just so much I haven't done, so much I need to do. It's like... I never had a real boyfriend, you know?
Xander: Yeah?
Potential: (coyly) I've never been with a man. I could die tomorrow, and I've never been with a man.
Xander: Well, uh—
(Another girl appears sitting on the bed beside the first potential.)
Potential2: I've never been with a man before either.
Xander: (smiles) Colleen.
Colleen: I've never been with her in front of a man before.
Potential: I've never been with her in front of a man, either.
Xander: Um...
Potential: (both girls crawl toward Xander seductively) Xander...
Xander: We can't.
Colleen: We're so scared. (the first potential nods)
Xander: The others might hear us.
Colleen: (shakes head) No, they won't.
Potential: (shakes head) They're OK.
(The door to Xander's room opens to reveal a living room full of girls pillow-fighting in their skimpy pajamas. The air is filled with feathers.)
Rona: (os) Xander!
(Xander is startled awake in his bedroom by Rona's insistent calls. There's three other girls standing in the doorway wearing decent (not skimpy) pajamas, glaring at Xander with their arms crossed.)
Rona: Xander!
Xander: Wha—?
Rona: (sighs) God damn it!
Xander: What's going on? I was sleeping.
Rona: (irritated) Dominique has the stomach flu, and the toilet bowl is backed up.
Xander: (smiles nervously) I'll be right out. (takes one of his hands out from under the covers) Got, uh, a leg cramp.
(Rona nods and walks out, shutting the door behind her. Xander leans his head back on the pillow and rolls his eyes.)
(Sunnydale Hospital)
(Looking through a wall of windows, Willow and Faith are watching surgeons operate on someone.)
Faith: You sure she's one of us? She don't look like much now. Not a potential slayer, I mean.
Willow: Don't know. Seems to fit, though. We'll know more when she regains consciousness.
Faith: (scoffs) If she regains consciousness. Girl's been gutted like a catfish.
Willow: Yeah.
Faith: (looks at Willow) Something's killing girls all over the world, trying to end the slayer line. Thing like that, figure I might get a heads up.
Willow: (drops her hands to her side, shakes her head) Faith...
Faith: (throws up her hands) Guess it doesn't really matter as long as you got the true slayer intact.
Willow: You were in prison. Figured you were safe there.
Faith: (scoffs) Yeah, that's prison. Safe as a kitten.
Willow: Sorry, I... don't know much about the big house. Was it— (Faith looks away) I mean, did something happen in there?
Faith: (looks at Willow) Someone came at me with a nasty looking knife. Didn't really know why 'til now.
Willow: Oh, Faith, we didn't—
Faith: Forget it. It's cool. I get by. (gestures to the patient being operated on) What're we gonna do about her?
Willow: Uh, I guess we should find Buffy, tell her what's going on. I-I tried calling home. Dawn says she's out patrolling.
Faith: Let's go look for her. (walks away) Cemetery's more fun anyway.
Willow: Wait, somebody should wait here in case she wakes up.
Faith: (stops walking) Fine, sit tight. I'll be back. (walks away)
Willow: W-w-wait. Uh, maybe you meeting Buffy alone isn't the best idea.
Faith: (turns around) You told her the sitch, right? She knows I'm coming. Probably been up all night hanging streamers. (grins sarcastically)
Willow: Yeah, but it's not like you're study buddies, exactly. Maybe it'd be better if I...eased her into the whole thing.
Faith: I can't stay here, Willow. Spent way too much time in hospitals. We don't click. Don't worry. (grins) I'm sure we'll all get along just fine. (turns, walks away)
(Cemetery)
(A blonde young woman is running at top speed through the cemetery. Someone's pursuing her. She stops running and looks for a place to hide. Someone punches her, knocking her down to the ground. Her pursuer kneels down to grab the young woman, but someone picks him up and throws him into a nearby tombstone. It was Spike who was pursuing the young woman, and Faith who pulled him off of her.)
Faith: Whatcha wanna do to her, vamp? (circles Spike) Huh? Somthin' like this? (punches Spike)
Spike: (stands) Nice punch you got there. Lemme guess. Leather pants, nice right cross, doe eyes, holier-than-thou glower...you must be Faith.
Faith: (shrugs and grins) Oh, goodie. I'm famous.
Spike: Told you were coming. Bit of a misunderstanding here. I'm—
Faith: Spike. (nods) Yeah, we've met before.
Spike: We have? I don't think we— (Faith kicks Spike in the torso.) Bloody hell! What're you doing? I'm on your side.
Faith: Yeah? Maybe you haven't heard. I've reformed. (punches Spike)
Spike: So have I. (punches Faith) I reformed way before you did. (Faith punches Spike.) Stop... (punches Faith) hitting... (punches Faith again) me! We're on the same side.
Faith: Please. You think I'm stupid?
Spike: Well, yeah. (grins)
Faith: You were attacking that girl. (punches Spike)
(Someone punches Faith in the face, knocking her down. Pan over to show it's Buffy.)
Buffy: (innocently) Sorry, Faith. I didn't realize that was you.
Faith: It's all right, B. Luckily, you still punch like you used to.
Buffy: (glares at Faith a moment, then turns to Spike) You OK?
Spike: Yeah. Terrific.
Faith: (shocked) Are you protecting vampires? Are you the bad slayer now? Am I the good slayer now?
Buffy: He's with me. He has a soul.
Faith: Oh, he's like Angel?
Spike: No.
Buffy: Sort of.
Spike: I am nothing like Angel.
Buffy: He fights on my side. (shrugs, looks at Faith) Which is more than I can say for some of us.
Faith: Yeah, well if he's so good, what's he doing chasing down defenseless—
(The young woman that Spike was chasing stands up, growls, and attacks Faith, knocking her down.)
Buffy: (points to the young woman) That's one of the bad guys.
Faith: You should make 'em wear a sign. (the young woman is a vampire; Faith fights the vamp woman, and reaches around to Buffy's pocket full of stakes) May I? (takes a stake) Thanks.
(Faith continues fighting the vamp woman, then stakes her.)
Spike: Angel's dull as a table lamp. And we have very different coloring.
Faith: OK, catching up. Anything else I gotta know?
Buffy: Nice to have you back.
(Summers Residence)
(Buffy, Faith, and Spike walk into Buffy's house through the front door. Dawn and Giles are at the dining room table.)
Faith: Whoa. Memory Lane. Same old house.
Buffy: Yeah, well, every piece of furniture's been destroyed and replaced since you left, so, actually, new house.
(Dawn stands, walks toward them with her arms crossed.)
Dawn: Buffy? (looks disapprovingly at Faith)
Buffy: We have a new house guest.
Faith: Hey, got a spare bed for a wanted fugitive?
Giles: (stands, nods) Hello, Faith.
Faith: Well, I guess "wanted" wasn't really accurate.
Dawn: Does she have to stay here? Because there's some nice hotels that welcome tried-to-kill-your-sister types.
Faith: (smiles) Check it out. Brat's all woman-sized.
Buffy: Look, I need to get to the hospital. Some girl was attacked on her way into town. We think she might be a—
Dawn: We know. Willow's been calling.
Giles: She's still there. She's gonna call if the girl wakes up.
Buffy: (glares at Giles) Fine. (walks out of the room)
Giles: Well, Faith, we better, um, see if we can find some place to squeeze you in for the night.
(Giles and Dawn walk away.)
Spike: Not all that tension was about you. Giles was a part of a plan to kill me...for Buffy's own good.
Faith: Well, that makes me feel better about me, worse about Giles...kinda shaky about you.
(Cellar – Night)
(Caleb pours wine into a glass directly from a barrel.)
Caleb: "Drink of this, for it is my blood." (drinks) You know, I always loved the story of the Last Supper. (looks at his glass, turns, paces) The body and blood of Christ becoming rich, red wine. I recall, as a boy, though, I couldn't help but think: what would happen if you were at the Last Supper, and you ordered the white? A nice oaky Chardonnay or White Zin... I mean, would he make that out of his lymph or some-all? (shrugs) Never did bring it up. Suppose there was a reason why I never spent too long in one parish. Just looking for answers. Just looking for the Lord in the wrong damn places. (gestures to someone in the room with him) Then you showed me the light.
Buffy/First: (os) Do you think I'm God? (walks out from the shadows toward Caleb)
Caleb: I certainly do not. I am beyond concepts like that.
Buffy/First: But you still wear the outfit.
Caleb: Man can't turn his back on what he come from. Besides, black is slimming. (looks at his outfit) Everyone knows that.
Buffy/First: How do you like what I'm wearing?
Caleb: Just another dirty girl. And, since you only dress up in dead folk, I'm guessing, one who's already been paid her wage.
Buffy/First: Look hard. What do you see?
Caleb: (checks out the First's form) Strength. And the loneliness that comes with real strength.
Buffy/First: Nothing about my pert and bouncy hairdo?
Caleb: You're her.
Buffy/First: The slayer.
Caleb: (reaches toward her) At long last. (tries to touch her face, but his hand goes through her head) All this time. All the work I've done for you... Blowing up the Council, organizing the Ray Charles Brigade, and stickin' all them splits—you never showed me.
Buffy/First: Well, you've earned it. And you'll be meeting her soon. Am I right?
Caleb: Oh, yeah. Yeah, she'll get the message.
Buffy/First: And what makes you so sure she'll come?
Caleb: (points, nods) Curiosity. Woman's first sin. I offer her an apple. What can she do but take it? (grins, gestures "cheers" with his glass) I'll see you soon.
(Various)
(While Andrew talks, show various glamour shots of Faith from shows past.)
Andrew: (vo) Faith. Her name alone invokes awe. (Faith holding a stake in a cave. Faith sitting on her bed in her motel room. Faith pointing a shotgun. Faith smiling in the Mayor's office.) Faith. A set of principles or beliefs on which you are willing to devote your life. (Faith dancing at the Bronze. Faith working out. Faith holding out her arms in the Mayor's office.) The dark slayer. (Faith fighting a vampire. Faith fighting Angel.) A lethal combination of beauty, power, and death. (Faith stabbing a demon with a sword. Faith punching a vampire.) For years and years—or to be more accurate—months, Faith fought on the side of good, terrorizing the evil community. (Faith leaning in through a school window, gesturing out, and smiling. Faith and Buffy fighting side-by-side. Faith punching a vampire Faith punching a demon.
Faith and Buffy fighting side-by-side.) But like so many tragic heroes, Faith was seduced by the lure of the dark side. (Faith deciding between Buffy and someone else. Faith sitting in the Mayor's chair, admiring the knife the Mayor gave her. Faith throwing a flower arrangement across the room.) She wrapped evil around her like a large, evil Mexican serape. (Faith stealing a gun. Faith putting on a black jacket and smiling.) She became a cold-blooded killer. (Faith staking the Mayor's assistant. Faith killing a demon.) Nobody was immune to her trail of destruction. (Faith watching Buffy and Angel talk. Faith intimidating Buffy with a stab/near miss.) Not friends, not family... (Faith holding a knife to Willow's neck. Faith holding a knife to Buffy's neck.) Not even the most pacifist and logical of races. (Faith fighting a Vulcan (from Star Trek fame) in a cave. The Vulcan reaches to Faith's neck to do a Vulcan death grip, but Faith turns on him and pins his arm behind him as she points her knife at his chest.)
(Summers Residence – Kitchen – Day)
(Andrew is holding a knife to Rona in the same position that Faith was holding the knife at the Vulcan. He appears to be doing a demonstration for a group of potentials.)
Amanda: What the hell are you talking about? I thought Faith killed a volcanologist.
Andrew: (laughs, lets Rona go, puts down the knife) Silly, silly...Amanda. Why would Faith kill a person who studies Vulcans?
Amanda: He studied volcanoes. He was a professor.
Andrew: Ah, yes. Well, regardless...
Molly: I thought you weren't supposed to be doing this anymore—making up stories.
Andrew: I'm not. This is true. Except for that...possible...word misunderstanding. (sighs) They're the things you need to know about. (looks out the window at Faith working out in the back yard) Faith...has a history not to be taken lightly. (turns to face the girls) She's a killer. Never forget that. You must stay on guard around Faith at all times. Your very lives may depend on it.
Chao-Ahn: (subtitle) There is a girl in the backyard doing gymnastics.
(Andrew nods knowingly.)
(Sunnydale High – Principal’s Office)
(The school bell rings. Principal Wood is sitting at his desk working. Buffy walks up to his office and leans on the doorjamb.)
Buffy: You look better.
Robin: (without looking up) No, I don't.
Buffy: (smiles) No, you don't.
Robin: But I'll be OK. Unless, of course, you start beating up on me now.
Buffy: I won't. (shrugs) Well, I thought about it. I made some doodles. As far as I'm concerned, we're on even ground. I meant what I said. I don't have time for your vendetta, but I need you in this fight. I want you on my side.
Robin: Thanks. That means a lot.
Buffy: So, we're good?
Robin: (looks at Buffy) Absolutely. (Buffy sighs.) You're fired.
Buffy: (shocked) What?
Robin: Effective immediately.
Buffy: You're firing me? (walks into his office, stands in front of his desk) I just refrained from kicking your ass.
Robin: Buffy, there's nothing here for you. I mean, people are leaving town, half the kids don't even bother showing up anymore. You've got things to deal with that are much worse than anything here. Look at the big picture.
Buffy: Right. (sits) The big picture. The one with the big war and the dead little girls.
Robin: Not dead. Not dead. Not if you get them ready.
Buffy: I don't want to lead them into war. It can't be the right thing.
Robin: Most wars aren't, you know.
Buffy: Some of these girl haven't even been tested in battle.
Robin: Then, I guess, maybe you should test them.
Buffy: (suddenly chipper) Couldn't I just come to work part-time? I could make flyers for encounter groups and post them up all over school.
Robin: And you're fired again. (looks down) Remember, Buffy, the mission's what matters. (looks at Buffy)
(Summers Residence – Basement)
(Faith walks into the basement and sits down on the stairs. The sounds of girls chattering can be heard through the basement door she left open. Faith sighs, takes out a cigarette, and lights up.)
Spike: (sitting on his cot with his shirt off) You craving a moment alone in the dank, or can I bum one?
Faith: (smiles, stands) Well, I guess you can smoke all you want—the big C not really an issue. (hands her cigarette to Spike)
Spike: Teeth get yellow after an eternity. Gotta watch that.
Faith: (takes out another cigarette for herself) Huh.
(She looks at the chains and shackles on the wall behind Spike's cot.)
Spike: (looks over at the chains) Right. Not what it looks like.
Faith: Hey, to each his own, man. This one guy I ran with, he liked me to dress up like a school girl and take this friggin' bull-whip, (gestures like she's using a whip) and I'd be like—
Spike: I got dangerous...for a while.
Faith: This before the soul, or after?
Spike: After, but I got over it—in case you're feeling all dust-happy again after your long incarceration.
Faith: (smiles) Not if you're all repenty. Takes the fun out of it. (the girls upstairs are making noise) No more Starbucks for the wannabe's man. They've been spazzing for, like, hours.
Spike: Yeah, does get a bit much up there.
Faith: They're good girls. Just green is all.
Spike: So, why aren't you up there...imparting?
Faith: That's Buffy's thing. Anyway, I just spent a good stretch of time locked away with a mess of female-types. Kinda had my fill.
Spike: Hm. But you waited until Angel needed your help to bust out of jail.
Faith: Three squares, nice weight room, movie every third Sunday. Could've been worse.
Spike: What movie?
Faith: Last one was Glitter. (Spike raises an eyebrow at her.) I guess it couldn't have been worse.
Spike: You had the power to walk away anytime. Nothing to stop you.
Faith: I stopped me. I got dangerous for a while. (takes off her jacket)
Spike: You over it?
Faith: (stretches her arms) More or less. I pull for the good guys now.
Spike: What's the less?
Faith: (grins coyly) The usual stuff...
Spike: Such as?
Faith: (grins) I was thinking about looking up the guy with the bull-whip. Long incarceration.
Spike: (chuckles) You could do better. School girl thing's old hat.
Faith: It's all old-hat, man. (shrugs) Every guy's got some whack fantasy. Scratch the surface of any granola-type dude—naughty nurses and horny cheerleaders. (shrugs) I figure, if you can't beat 'em—
Spike: Join 'em.
Faith: Just don't forget who's on top.
Spike: That, I suspect, would be you.
Faith: (grins) You got that right. (walks over to Spike's cot, sits beside him) I've met you before, you know.
Spike: Yeah, you made a great impression on my chin.
Faith: Not in the graveyard. Before that. I was kinda wearing a different body.
Spike: Pity.
Faith: You seemed OK with it.
Spike: The body swap. (nods) With Buffy.
Faith: She fill you in on that whole deal?
Spike: She told me it went down. Failed to mention who was driving her skin around.
Faith: I may have said a few things...
Spike: (looks into Faith's eyes) Like you could ride me at a gallop 'til my knees buckle, squeeze me 'til I pop like warm champagne. That's not the kind of thing a man forgets.
Faith: Should've known it wasn't blondie behind the wheel. She'd never throw down like that.
Spike: Oh, you have been away. (Spike chuckles)
Faith: Don't even tell me little Miss Tightly-Wound's been getting her naughty on?
Spike: Not of late.
Faith: Wow. Everybody's just full of surprises. (Buffy walks down the steps into the basement, stares at Spike and Faith.) Hey, B.
Buffy: (crosses her arms) Well, it's nice to see you two getting along so well.
Faith: Yeah. Uh, you just know all the cool vampires. (sits forward)
Buffy: Yeah.
Spike: Hey, aren't you usually at work 'bout now?
Buffy: I kind of decided to cut back on my hours.
Dawn: (os) Buffy? Is that you?
Buffy: (yells back to Dawn) Down here. (to Spike) Figured I'd be better off focusing on what's going on around here.
Dawn: (standing at the top of the stairs) Buffy, Willow just called from the hospital. The girl's awake.
(Sunnydale Hospital – Night)
(Shannon is bruised badly all over her body. She lies in bed, still, covered with bandages.)
Shannon: He was a minister, or something... At least, he dressed like one. I thought he was trying to save me...at first.
(Pan over to show Buffy and Willow standing beside her bed.)
Buffy: He—he picked you up on the side of the road?
Shannon: Bringers were chasing me. He said they were his boys...right before he burned me. (She removes the bandage over the burn on her neck. Willow takes a digital camera out of her purse and snaps a picture of the burn.) He wanted to tell you something. Before he...cut me...he told me to give the slayer a message.
Buffy: What is it?
Shannon: He said, "I have something of yours."
(Summers Residence – Living Room)
(Buffy addresses a room full of potentials and the rest of the Scooby gang.)
Buffy: We've got a new player in town. Dresses like a preacher. Calls himself Caleb. Looks like he's working for the First. He's taunting us, calling us out. Says he's got something of mine. Could be another girl, could be something else. Don't know, don't care. I'm tired of talking. I'm tired of training. He's got something of mine? Fine. I'm getting it back, and you guys are coming with me.
(Wine Cellar)
(A young blonde girl wearing a sleeveless white dress walks around in the cellar.)
Caleb: (from the shadows) You're searching for something, girl. What would that be now?
Girl: Oh. (smiles sweetly) You. I was looking for you.
Caleb: Is that right?
Girl: I heard you speakin' tonight. Preachin'. I felt your words go straight to me.
Caleb: Well, the truth is like a sword, isn't it, girl? Cuts deep.
Girl: (smiles) Yeah.
Caleb: The words I use got a power to them. (paces) A power, now. They're not just words—they're truth.
Girl: (leans back against a wine barrel) They brought me here.
Caleb: They called you. You know why? Because you're human. (walks around her) You got your urges. A woman's got hers. A man's got his. Our whole race can be do damnably weak... (walks back toward the shadow) That's why we seek the strength, the power.
Girl: It's not wrong to be drawn to the power, is it, preacher? (follows him into the shadow)
Caleb: Oh, no, child. It's not wrong... (the girl gasps and falls to the ground, revealing a bloody stomach wound) Just human.
(The girl's body transforms into Buffy's form.)
Buffy/First: (stands) Most people don't like visits from their dead, you know.
Caleb: Heathens. No appreciations for life's pleasures. Do it again.
Buffy/First: I take requests. (crosses arms) One of those potentials you killed, perhaps?
Caleb: No, save them for later. I'm in more of an old memory lane kind of mood. Back before I met you, there was this choir girl in Knoxville I used to give singing lessons to...why, she even screamed on key. Show me her.
Buffy/First: (shakes her head) All these girls...they followed you willingly. You tricked them.
Caleb: I only told them the truth. As for following, well, that seems to be what they do best.
(Summers Residence – Living Room)
(Buffy has gathered the core of her team in the living room.)
Buffy: We need to start arming the girls. I wanna be ready to move when we find him.
Willow: We don't even know where we're going.
Buffy: 'S why I figured we'd do a little recon first. (to Faith) You up for it?
Faith: Point me where you want me.
Giles: And you're certain this is the best course of action? You don't even know what this man has of yours—if he, in fact, has anything.
Buffy: It could be a girl, a potential trying to get to us.
Giles: Could be a stapler.
Buffy: Going in anyway.
Giles: With the girls? Most of whom have yet to be in the field, let alone in a life or death situation.
Buffy: Then it's time we test them. Look, I'll just take the ones that have been here the longest. The rest can stay behind.
Spike: Could be that's just what he wants you to do—the old bait-and-switch.
Willow: Yeah, he lures us away and then kills the girls we leave behind.
Buffy: I know. That's why I need you to stay here with them. You're my most powerful weapon, Will. I know you can keep them safe if anything happens.
Xander: An unknown man breezes into town, says he has something of yours. Buffy, this thing's got "trap" written all over it.
Buffy: He won't be expecting a full attack—not this soon, (emphatically) that's why we have to move.
Giles: We know nothing about this man. We cannot go into battle unprepared. We have to have more time.
Buffy: Giles, we don't have time. And you're not going into battle. (Giles sighs) I need you to stay behind with the others. Help the girls who still need a teacher.
(Forest)
(Buffy and Faith are following a Bringer, chatting as they go.)
Faith: No eyes, but look at him go. He got SONAR or something?
Buffy: Or something, I guess. Pretty good when they attack.
Faith: Do they just roam free around town?
Buffy: Well, normally, they show up out of nowhere, and then either stab or get stabbed, and then they run off. Looks like this guy wants to be found.
Faith: Lends weight to the whole "it's a trap" theory.
Buffy: (snappily) I'm through waiting around for people to attack us.
Faith: Hey, I'm with you. Drop me in the hornet's nest, what the hell? You got a rough sitch here, trying to turn a bunch of little girls into an army...
Buffy: They're potential slayers, just like we were.
Faith: Right. Maybe they'll do as good as us.
Buffy: They're getting better.
Faith: I'll work with 'em. Some of 'em seem real eager. Fashion disasters, yeah, but they're ready to fight.
Buffy: (stops walking) Why did you come back?
Faith: Willow said you needed me. Didn't give it a lot of thought. Do you—Am I getting you want me to be not here?
Buffy: (sighs) No, that's not what I meant. I'm...glad that you're here. It's good. Thank you. (walks)
Faith: No problem. You know me. All about the good deeds.
Buffy: Willow said you helped out Angel.
Faith: Yeah. He says "Hi."
Buffy: Really.
Faith: Sure.
Buffy: How is he?
Faith: Better. Had to do this whole magical mind-walk with him.
Buffy: You were in Angel's mind?
Faith: Buffy... (stops, looks at the barn-like building that the Bringer walked up to) What is this place?
Buffy: Look, there's more of them.
Faith: I think we just found our hornet's nest.
Buffy: Let's get the cavalry.
(Summers Residence – Living Room)
(Xander is holding a spiked baseball bat and talking to the potentials.)
Xander: Now remember, we're looking for killing blows only, people. (hands bat to Rona) So, chest and throat if it's a vampire. Stomach, chest and face if it's a Bringer.
Rona: What if it's something else?
Xander: Could happen. Something other-worldly. And here's a handy rule: don't go for the flashy tentacles just because they're waving 'em about trying to get attention. Go for the center— (points to each) brains, heart, eyes. Everything's got eyes.
Dawn: Except the Bringers.
Xander: Except the Bringers.
Molly: I don't want there to be tentacles. I'm not good with squishy.
Kennedy: I don't care if it's Godzilla. (raises a huge sword) I want to get in this thing.
Andrew: Godzilla's mostly Tokyo-based, so he's probably a no-show.
Amanda: Besides, if Matthew Broderick can kill Godzilla, how tough is he?
Andrew: (whines) Xander... (crosses his arms petulantly)
Xander: Matthew Broderick did not kill Godzilla. He killed a big, dumb lizard. That was not the real Godzilla.
Rona: You people are even crazier than her.
Xander: Than who?
Rona: Buffy, man. I mean, taking us right into the bad guy's lair.
Xander: Well, that's where, generally speaking, you'd go to find the bad guy. And I don't think you came here to fight plaque.
Rona: No, I came here for protection.
Xander: Well, you signed on to fight with—
Rona: Look, I know, but... (sighs) this plan is trouble. OK, Buffy doesn't care how many of us she puts in danger—
Xander: Let me tell you something about Buffy. In fact, you should all listen to this.
Kennedy: Uh, we kinda were.
Xander: I've been through more battles with Buffy than you all can ever imagine. She's stopped everything that's ever come up against her. (Buffy and Faith walk through the front door and overhear Xander's speech.) She's laid down her life—literally—to protect the people around her. This girl has died two times, and she's still standing. You're scared? That's smart. You got questions? You should. But you doubt her motives, you think Buffy's all about the kill, then you take the little bus to battle. (Buffy tears up.) I've seen her heart, and this time—not literally. And I'm telling you, right now, she cares more about your lives than you will ever know. You gotta trust her. She's earned it.
(Andrew and Dawn are crying.)
Faith: Damn. I never knew you were that cool.
(Everyone turns to look at Buffy and Faith.)
Buffy: Well, you always were a little slow.
Faith: I get that now.
Buffy: All right, let's saddle up.
(Shadow Valley Vineyards)
(Buffy's brought a small gang with her to the vineyard—Faith, Spike, Xander, Kennedy, Rona, Molly, Chao-Ahn, Amanda and another potential. They walk up to the front door, then Buffy pauses to address the team.)
Buffy: OK. Set up a perimeter. Guard the door. I don't want anything getting in behind us. My team goes in first, we check the place out. You guys are our safety-net. If this place is a trap, we give the signal, you guys come in, guns a-blazing.
Xander: So, what's the signal?
Buffy: I'm thinking lots and lots of yelling.
Xander: Got it.
Buffy: Shall we?
(Buffy leads a subset of the team inside.)
(Wine Cellar)
(Buffy walks down the steps into the wine cellar, followed by Molly, Kennedy, Rona and Chao-Ahn.)
Molly: (looking around) What is this place?
Buffy: Looks like an old vineyard.
Kennedy: An evil vineyard, huh?
Spike: Like Falcon Crest.
Buffy: (looking in the shadows) Stay alert, you guys. Bringers are here somewhere. Just need to find out where.
Spike: Shouldn't be too hard.
(Bringers come out of the shadows, from behind the barrels of wine, and attack Buffy and gang. The fight is fairly even. Suddenly, the Bringers stop fighting and walk back into the shadows. Caleb walks out into the light.)
Caleb: Well, now, you girls are just burning with righteousness, aren't you? Problem is, you think you're blazing like suns, when really you're burning like matchsticks in the face of the darkness. You having fun? Now, I hope my boys haven't worn you out too much—I need you fit for when I purify you.
Buffy: Save the sermon, padre. I heard you have something of mine.
Caleb: (chuckles) Well, I do now. You liked my little message, did you? You know, I ruined a perfectly good knife on that girl. Got her soiled blood all over the place. I may have to get a new truck. (Buffy looks taken aback) So, you're the slayer. The slayer. The strongest, the fastest, the most aflame with that most precious invention of all mankind—the notion of goodness. The slayer must indeed be powerful. (with one powerful punch, he sends Buffy flying across the room) So, what else you got? (looks around smugly)
(Spike vamps out and attacks Caleb. Caleb pushes him down with ease. Spike tries to get up, but Caleb head-butts him, then throws him across the room into a huge wine storage tank that busts when Spike hits it. Wine pours out of the tank and washes Spike across the floor. Kennedy and the other potentials get into gear and join the fight.)
Kennedy: Let's go!
(The Bringers come back out of the shadows to fight the potentials as well. Kennedy storms Caleb but has to engage a Bringer instead. Caleb punches Kennedy, knocking her into a stack of wine barrels.)
Rona: (worried) Kennedy!
(Rona runs toward Kennedy, but Caleb cuts her off. She swings the spiked baseball bat at Caleb, but he catches it and looks her in the eyes.)
Caleb: (to Rona) Miss, I do believe you have your own problems you should be worrying about.
(Caleb breaks Rona's arm with ease, sending her reeling back in agony. Caleb chuckles and bends to pick up a knife from the floor. He tosses the knife to a nearby Bringer, who swings it back ready to plunge it into Rona's body. An arrow pierces the Bringer's forearm as he rears back. They turn to look, and see Xander standing there with a bow. Faith's there beside him. The Bringer leaves Rona and fights with Xander.)
Caleb: Oh, good. There's more of you.
(Faith charges at Caleb. Xander sees Buffy lying unconscious against the wall where she fell when Caleb threw her. )
Xander: Buffy!
(Xander runs to Buffy, fighting off Bringers on his way to her side. Holding a knife in each hand, Faith engages Caleb in a fight, but she's not seeming to faze him.)
Caleb: (looks Faith up and down) Well, you're the other one, aren't you. Your Cain to her Abel. (Faith throws a knife at Caleb) No offense meant to Cain, of course.
(Faith attacks Caleb with her other knife, but he grabs her arm, twists it, and crosses it with her other arm in a fashion such that she can't move, but is looking right at him. He squeezes her hands until she's forced to drop the knife. Faith grunts at him and knees him in the crotch, causing Caleb to let go of her just enough that she can escape his grasp. She backhands him across the face.)
Faith: (through gritted teeth) Never was much for the good book.
(Caleb grabs Faith's arm and twists it painfully behind her back, causing her to double over. She falls to her knees as he twists and pulls her arm and walks around to the front of her.)
Caleb: Oh, it has its moments. Paul had some good stuff, for instance. But overall I find it a tad complicated (slaps Faith). I like to keep things simple. (kicks Faith across the room into a stack of wine barrels) Good folk, bad folk, (a potential with long black hair swings at Caleb, but he grabs her sword, then her face) clean folk, dirty folk...
(Caleb snaps the potential's neck and drops her to the ground.)
Molly: (seeing Caleb kill the potential) No!
Caleb: Yes. (walks toward Molly)
(Xander is at Buffy's side as she recovers and gets back into the game.)
Buffy: (weakly trying to sit up) Xander, get them out of here. We have to retreat. Do it.
(Xander leaves. Caleb walks menacingly toward Molly, who backs up slowly, frozen with fear. She raises her arm back to stab him, but he grabs her wrist, then her neck. Another potential fights a Bringer. A Bringer throws Amanda against a wall and attacks her. Buffy stands just as Caleb squeezes Molly's neck, lifting her off the floor. Buffy tries to go to her, but Bringers keep attacking her, slowing her down.)
Caleb: (to Molly) What can I say? I work in mysterious ways. (stabs Molly, lets go of her neck, dropping her to the ground) Also some fairly straightforward ones.
(Enraged at seeing what he did to Molly, Buffy rushes Caleb. She fights him more evenly this time, avoiding his punches, and landing a few of her own. She punches him so hard, Caleb is sent flying across the room.)
Spike: (grabs Buffy's arm) We're all leaving.
(Spike pulls Buffy away from the fight. Xander goes to Kennedy's side.)
Xander: (to Kennedy) Are you OK? (Kennedy nods) Let's go. Come on. (He helps Kennedy to her feet. Spike escorts Rona out of the building.) Let's go! Come on!
(Caleb grabs Xander and turns him around so he's facing Caleb.)
Caleb: You're the one who sees everything, aren't you? (rears his hand back in front of Xander's face) Well, let's see what we can't do about that.
(Caleb plunges his thumb into Xander's left eye, gouging it out. Xander screams in agony. Spike charges Caleb, knocking Xander away from Caleb. Xander, bleeding from his eye, stumbles back, falling to the ground in front of wine barrels.)
Buffy: (goes to Xander's side) Xander! Come on.
(Buffy and Spike lift Xander to his feet, and carry him out, one supporting each of his arms. Caleb sits up but doesn't pursue them as they walk out. He stands and smiles while watching them leave.)
(Sunnydale Hospital)
(Buffy walks through the hospital, past the beds of her friends who were hurt tonight. Past Rona and the other potentials, to Xander's bed where Willow sits at his side, holding his hand.)
Caleb: (vo) Now, it's a simple story. Stop me if you've heard it. I have found and truly believe that there is nothing so bad it cannot be made better with a story. (Buffy just stares at Xander, his head and his eye bandaged.) And this one's got a happy ending.
(Summers Residence – Living Room)
(Buffy walks through the living room at her house where a room full of potentials attends to their wounded, including Kennedy. Buffy looks away. Dawn watches Buffy walk out of the room.)
Caleb: (vo) There once was a woman, and she was foul, like all women, for Adam's rib was dirty—just like Adam himself—for what was he, but human.
(Street)
(Walking alone, her arms crossed, Buffy walks down a desolate street at night looking forlorn and troubled.)
Caleb: (vo) But this woman, she was filled with darkness, despair, and why? Because she did not know. She could not see.
(Shadow Valley Vineyards – Wine Cellar)
(Caleb is talking to Buffy/First in the cellar.)
Caleb: She didn't know the good news, the glory that was coming. That'd be you. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. You show up, they'll get in line.
(Street)
(Buffy continues to walk down a desolate street at night looking forlorn and troubled.)
Caleb: (vo) 'Cause they followed her. And all they have to do is take one more step, and I'll kill them all. See? I told you it had a happy ending.
Season Seven Guide
