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INT. TARA'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT
We pan down from the lights stringing across Tara's room
walls to find Tara studying next semester's course catalog while Willow
plays with a KITTEN.
WILLOW
I keep thinking, okay, that's the
cutest thing ever, and then she
does something cuter and
completely resets the whole scale.
TARA
Did you see her yawn earlier?
WILLOW
Yes! I thought I was going to die.
(to kitten)
I love you, Miss Kitty Fantastico.
TARA
We've got to get her a real name.
WILLOW
It's so cool she's all ours--
yours. That she's yours is cool.
TARA
She can be ours if you want.
Willow looks at Tara, moved. A little embarrassed by all
the
emotion, Tara turns her attention back to the course catalog.
TARA
You still need an elective. How
about sophomore level psych?
WILLOW
Oh. Kind of psyched-out after
Professor Walsh. Maybe something
fun like drama. I could be dramatic.
(to kitten)
You cannot have more catnip! You
have a catnip problem.
Tara beams.
TARA
Definitely drama.
WILLOW
I haven't even dealt with the
housing forms yet. Have you done
anything? I hear there's some off-
campus places that are way cool
for, you know, a group to go in on.
TARA
Oh. I figured you'd be dorming it
up with Buffy again.
WILLOW
We haven't really talked about it.
I used to just assume we'd be
roomies through grad school and
into little old ladyhood -- you
know, cheating at Bingo together
and forgetting to take our pills.
TARA
But…
WILLOW
(shrugs)
But, I don't know. It hardly
feels like we're roommates now.
She's all busy with Riley, and I'm
gone a lot too. And when we are
there together, it's just Slayer
business talk and feeding Amy the
rat. I guess I should ask her…
Willow pets Miss Kitty Fantastico and looks a little worried.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT - NIGHT
Spike enters, out of fake breath. Shuts the door behind
him, looks out the window.
SPIKE
Think I lost the buggers.
Willow is there with Tara. She approaches Spike as Giles
looks on, pouring himself another drink. The discerning eye might notice
that Giles is a little tipsy.
WILLOW
Any luck with the disk?
Spike pulls about four of them out of his jacket, fumbles
them to Will.
SPIKE
Took what they had. Should be
something useful on one of 'em.
WILLOW
Hope so…
She moves to the computer, Tara at her side.
TARA
What are we looking for?
WILLOW
Anything about Adam.
GILES
(to Spike)
No problems getting in and out?
SPIKE
No. I mean, a couple of 'em made
me on the way out, but I took care of them.
GILES
Gave them a good running-away-
from, did you?
SPIKE
Well, yeah. When do I get paid?
GILES
When Willow tells me you've
brought us something useful.
Spike glances over at Willow and Tara, sees Tara absently
run her hand up the back of Willow's hair as they study the screen.
Spike gets an idea. Says to Giles, aside:
SPIKE
I coulda gone straight to the
slayer, you know. I cut you in,
let you pretend you're actually in
charge. Now you gotta wait for
Red's permission to finish the deal?
Giles tries not to show how the dig affects him. Replies,
icily:
GILES
As soon as we see what's on the discs --
TARA
It looks like gibberish.
SPIKE
(moving to them)
Gibberish?
TARA
Or possibly gobbledygook.
It's not words, anyway…
WILLOW
They're encrypted.
GILES
Wonderful.
He retires to the room down the hall as Spike peers
at the computer screen. Sure enough, a seemingly random pattern of numbers
and letters shows on the screen. Spike wasn't actually expecting this
himself.
SPIKE
Well, why did… can you fix them?
WILLOW
Crack a government encryption code
on my laptop? Easy as really
difficult pie.
SPIKE
You're not exactly the whiz these
days either. God, I'm never
getting paid.
WILLOW
I am a whiz!
TARA
She is a whiz.
WILLOW
(grumbly)
If ever a whiz there was… I
just need some time.
SPIKE
No, I just heard you weren't…
your mates said you weren't
playing with computers so much.
Into the new thing.
WILLOW
What new thing?
SPIKE
You know: you two, the whole…
wicca thing.
WILLOW
They were talking about that?
SPIKE
Can we get back to business here?
I got a deal at stake.
WILLOW
What'd they say?
SPIKE
Talking about, you know, it's a
phase, you'll get over it.
WILLOW
What? Who said that?
TARA
Maybe we should focus on the
gobbledygook…
WILLOW
Was it Buffy?
(to Tara)
'Cause you know what she
means by that…
SPIKE
She was defending you. 'Cause
Xander said you were just being trendy.
WILLOW
Trendy?
SPIKE
I didn't see why they were going
on. Person wants to be a witch,
that's their business.
WILLOW
I knew Buffy was freaked.
TARA
You should talk to her,
'cause I'm sure…
SPIKE
Pressing business, ladies. Let's
not get sidetracked. Still got
your monsters to fight.
He smiles to himself, satisfied at his work, as Willow
gloweringly turns her attention to the computer.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT - NIGHT
The familiar sight of a war room session held in Giles'
apartment. Spread out around the couch by the fireplace, everyone looks
tense - sitting clustered in mini-factions: Xander and Anya on a chair,
Willow and Tara at the computer, Giles in the kitchen area where he
cracks the seal on a new bottle of scotch and pours himself yet another
drink. Buffy looks over Willow's shoulder, scanning the computer screen,
which is again filled with unintelligible characters.
BUFFY
It's all weird and jumbley.
WILLOW
It's still encrypted.
TARA
Willow's been working really hard
on it, though.
BUFFY
Okay. So how long before you…
uncrypt it?
WILLOW
Hours. Days, maybe. Anyone
suggesting months would not be
accused of crazy talk.
Giles is drunkenly in a mood of false cheer that he
retains throughout much of the scene:
GILES
(too loud)
Whatever happened to Latin? At
least when that made no sense, the
church approved.
BUFFY
(to Will re: disk)
I can't just wait around, Will.
That disk is no good to me unless
you crack it soon-
Willow obviously fumes at this. Is about to say something
but Anya cuts her off with-
ANYA
Hey! We worked hard getting that!
Xander delivered clothing.
GILES
"The church approved."
He chuckles to himself, retroactively appreciating his
joke.
BUFFY
Sorry everyone, but we're on a
clock here. Adam was at that
cave. Maybe he was there for a
reason. I can go back, scope it
out, track him if I have to…
WILLOW
(false enthusiasm)
Right! And maybe you'll get lucky
and he'll still be there and he
can rip your arms off for you!
Buffy, you can't go back alone.
GILES
(cheerful smile)
You never train with me anymore.
Adam's gonna kick your ass.
BUFFY
Giles?!
GILES
Sorry! Didn't mean to be so
honest. Terribly sorry.
XANDER
So she doesn't go alone. Giles,
weapons all around--
BUFFY
You're not coming, Xander. You'd
get hurt. It'll be easier for me
if I'm not worrying about
protecting you.
XANDER
Oh. Okay. You and Willow go do
the superpower thing. I'll stay
behind and putter around the batcave
(indicates Giles)
with crusty old Alfred here.
Giles, still working at being chipper, pours another
drink.
GILES
Ahh. I am no Alfred, sir. You
forget - Alfred had a job.
BUFFY
Willow stays behind too.
I'll do it alone.
WILLOW
Great. And then, when you've got
your new no arms, we'll all say,
gee, it's a good thing we weren't
there getting in the way of that!
Tara and Anya make eye contact, uncomfortable. Tara
slowly gets up and leaves her spot next to Willow, moving quietly toward
the kitchen area.
XANDER
Right, and maybe we can help in
other ways. Need some fightin'
pants, Buff? I could go get you
some fightin' pants.
BUFFY
Guys, you're just making this harder.
WILLOW
Wow. We're already getting in the
way. We're good at this, huh, Xander?
XANDER
Right. I'm so good at it you
might have to ship me off to the
army to get me out of the way.
Now, unnoticed, Anya leaves Xander's side and also heads
toward the kitchen…
BUFFY
The army?
XANDER
You didn't know I knew about that,
did you? You two talking about me
behind my back.
BUFFY
Us talking about you? How about
you telling Riley every last
detail of my life with Angel--
WILLOW
(to Buffy)
Besides - when is there any "us two?"
(to Xander/Buffy)
You two are the two who are the
two. I'm the other one.
XANDER
Uh-huh. But maybe that all changes
when I'm doing sit-ups at Fort Dix.
GILES
(thinks it's a dirty joke)
Fort Dix. Heh heh…
BUFFY
(to Giles)
Are you drunk?
GILES
(happily)
Quite a bit, actually!
BUFFY
Well, stop it.
(to Willow and Xander)
This is stupid.
XANDER
Stupid. So you finally have the
guts to say it to my face…
BUFFY
I don't think you're stupid,
Xander, so stop being an idiot and
help me fix things. I need both of
you. I need you all the time,
just not now. Adam is dangerous--
WILLOW
Wait. How do you need me? Really.
BUFFY
I need you a lot. You're great,
with, with the computer. Usually.
GILES
Right you are. And I'm great with
the pacing and the saying of
"hmmmmm" and "ahhhhh," and "Good Lord!"
BUFFY
(ignoring him)
And you got the witch-stuff… that's…
WILLOW
(exploding)
Witch stuff?! What do you mean by witch stuff?!
BUFFY
What is happening? This is crazy.
GILES
No it's not! It's all finally
making perfect sense and I'm not
going to miss a moment of it.
Giles moves to sit down and misses the chair. He FALLS
OUT OF FRAME.
INT. GILES' BATHROOM - NIGHT
Tara and Anya hide out together, waiting for the storm
to blow over.
TARA
You think this'll go on awhile?
ANYA
Hard to say.
A beat. Tara looks around, searching for something to
say.
TARA
Nice bathroom.
ANYA
Like the tile.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT - NIGHT
Giles is back on his feet and the argument is really
rolling now:
XANDER
And if I did join the army I'd be
great. You know why? Because
maybe they'd give me a job that
couldn't be done by any well-
trained Border Collie.
GILES
That's it. I'm going to bed!
Giles heads for the stairs, unbuttoning his shirt as
he goes.
WILLOW
Sure, you'd be wonderful in the
army -- you think the umbilical
cord between you and Anya would
stretch that far?
XANDER
I knew it. I knew you hated her.
Giles' shirt sails over the banister and lands on Xander's
head.
WILLOW
Hey, I'm not the one being
judgmental, here. I'll leave
that territory to you and Buffy.
BUFFY
Judgmental? If I was any more
open minded about the choices you
two make my whole brain would fall out.
XANDER
Oh. And superior. Don't forget
that. Just because you're better
than us doesn't mean you can be
all superior.
BUFFY
Guys, stop this. What happened to
you today?
WILLOW
It's not today. Buffy,
everything's been wrong for a
while. Don't you see that?
BUFFY
Willow, what do you mean things
have been wrong? Things don't
have to be wrong, do they?
WILLOW
Buffy, things haven't been right
since Tara. We have to face it.
You can't handle Tara being my girlfriend.
XANDER
No, it was bad before that. Since
you two went off to college and
forgot about me, just left me in
the basement to --
(suddenly, quietly)
Tara's your girlfriend?
GILES (O.S.)
Bloody hell!
Buffy has had it. Here she comes:
BUFFY
Enough. All I know is that you want to
help, right? Be part of the team?
WILLOW
I don't know anymore--
XANDER
Clearly not wanted--
BUFFY
No. You said you wanted to go.
So let's go. All of us. We'll
walk into that cave with you two
attacking me and the funny drunk
drooling on my shoes. Maybe
that's the secret way to kill Adam.
XANDER
Buffy--
BUFFY
Is that it? Is that how you can
help? You're not answering. Go
on. How can you possibly help?
They all freeze, stunned by what Buffy just said. After
a horrible beat:
BUFFY
So…
(steeling herself)
So I guess I'm on my own. And you
know what? I'm starting to get
why there's no ancient prophesy
about a Chosen One and Friends.
She heads out, calling back.
BUFFY
If I need help, I'll go to someone
I can count on.
She leaves, closing the door behind her.
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