6x10 Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
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12 INT. SPIKE'S OFFICE. NIGHT. 12
A plant pot hurtles across the room and SMASHES against the
wall.
SPIKE (O.S.)
Bullocks!!
Spike storms into frame, clearly at the edge of his nerves.
Illyria walks over to the plant pot, reverently scooping up
what's left of the plant and earth inside.
ILLYRIA
This was my only link to the song
of the green… I had just started to
hear it again...
SPIKE
Sod your bloody Earth mother
rubbish, help me translate this
thing before I pop a blood vessel!
We've been going in circles with it
all night, we won't get anywhere
till we-
SKYE (O.S.)
Get some help?
Skye walks in and dumps Wesley's old books across the desk,
wiping her brow.
SKYE (cont'd)
Angel let us have all these, and
said we can call him if we get
stuck.
SPIKE
Oh, he did, did he? Stop off for a
nice little chat? Cuppa tea?
Biscuits?
Spike scowls at Skye but she stands her ground, facing up to
him as best as her height disadvantage to him allows.
SKYE
Hey, he was perfectly fine about
it, actually! You're the one
barking orders like a reject
sergeant major round here!
SPIKE
What's your point?
SKYE
You could stand to learn something
about customer service, that's all
I'm saying.
SPIKE
Oh, perfect, thirty seconds in his
Lordship's company and he's gone
and bloody brainwashed you, hasn't
he?
SKYE
What? No! He just-
SPIKE
Just what? Looked at you with his
big old puppy dog eyes, frowned a
bit, your heart melted with
sympathy… I've seen it a million
times, people always fall for-
CRACK! Illyria's fist bounces off Spike's jaw, knocking him
to the ground.
ILLYRIA
Be quiet!! The reason this
translation is taking so long is
because you will not shut up and
let me think!
Spike rubs his sore jaw and scowls, but stays quiet as he
gets back up. Skye smirks at him and stands by Illyria.
SKYE
You heard the girl, Spike, keep it
down! Right, 'Ria?
ILLYRIA
Go and bother somebody else, child.
SKYE
(deflated)
Oh…
Spike opens the first of Wesley's books and starts leafing
through them. Illyria walks over and reaches out, but seems
almost afraid to touch them.
As he fingers touch the edge of one of the books, Illyria
GASPS sharply, and we SMASH CUT TO:
13 INT. W&H – WESLEY'S OFFICE. DAY. 13
Back in happier days, Wesley and FRED are stood by his desk,
joking about something.
FRED
No, I'm serious! You've got all
these big old dusty books, I've got
my nice, shiny lab, and that's the
way it's meant to be.
WESLEY
And never the 'twain shall meet?
FRED
(giggles)
Yup.
WELSEY
There's a lot to be said for good
old-fashioned research, you know.
You can find anything out if you
just know where to look.
As Fred smiles back at Wes, we SMASH CUT back to:
14 INT. SPIKE'S OFFICES. NIGHT. 14
Spike and Skye have both stopped still to stare at Illyria,
who is off screen.
ILLYRIA (O.S.)
(quiet)
If you know where to look…
SPIKE
Er, Illyria?
Illyria looks up – only this isn't Illyria! The outfit is the
same, but the brown hair and eyes of Fred turn round to look
back at Spike.
ILLYRIA/FRED
What?
SPIKE
I think your tube's broken, luv.
ILLYRIA/FRED
My what?
Illyria suddenly twigs and lifts a hand to her face – and
realises she's changed back into Fred again. With a shudder
and a sweep of her hair, the familiar blue returns, but
Illyria looks visibly shaken by the changeover.
SKYE
What the hell just happened? One
minute, it's Illyria, next minute…
why did 'Ria get brown hair all of
a sudden?
SPIKE
(smirks)
Blurring the boundaries a bit,
aren't you? Getting hard to tell
where the world-conquering demon
God ends and the mousey Texan girl
begins?
ILLYRIA
(turns back to books)
You haven't the slightest
comprehension what you-
SPIKE
Oh, I think I do. Been noticing it
a lot. She's trying to come back,
isn't she?
ILLYRIA
It is nothing. They are… they are
mere echoes of her personality.
Nothing more.
SPIKE
Looks like more than an echo to me,
more like-
ILLYRIA
(angry)
Spike! Winifred Burkle is dead!
This shell is mine and mine only
now, there is no other soul in here
with me!
Illyria grabs Spike's t-shirt and lifts him up into the air,
and his eyes bulge in surprise.
ILLYRIA (cont'd)
If you dare to contradict me again
on this, I will make your death
last a thousand lifetimes! Do you
understand?
SPIKE
Er…
SKYE
Illyria! Put him down!
Illyria turns to Skye, surprised at her bold outburst, and
then gently puts Spike back on his feet.
Illyria turns to the books again and starts rapidly leafing
through them. Spike and Skye stand back, talking quietly so
Illyria can't hear them.
SKYE (cont'd)
You've got some explaining to do to
me. You told me that Illyria was
here because she'd possessed
somebody called Fred, so I went
with that. Now we're talking about
whoever she possessed in the first
place starting to make a comeback?
This is rapidly getting out of
hand, Spike, so I want you to be
straight with me.
SPIKE
You're right, pet, I'm sorry. It's…
complicated. See, give the choice,
I'd much rather have Fred back than
Illyria, useful as she is, but…
SKYE
But you think Illyria's trying to
stop Fred coming back?
SPIKE
Exactly.
ILLYRIA
(loudly)
Am I to examine all of these books
myself?
SPIKE
(to Skye)
Come on, we'd better go help.
They rejoin Illyria, who is flicking through the books at
high speed. Spike tries to keep up, but can't.
SPIKE (cont'd)
Slow down a bit, Blue! You're not
Johnny Five, you know.
ILLYRIA
Anything…
SPIKE
Sorry?
ILLYRIA
You can find anything, if you know
where to look. That's what he used
to say.
SKYE
Who?
ILLYRIA
Wesley. He always told me… he
always told this shell that, and-
(beat; stops)
Here.
Illyria points to a section in the book, and Spike peers at
it. He looks back at her and shrugs.
SPIKE
And this is going to help us
translate that scroll?
ILLYRIA
Yes. And no.
SPIKE
Marvellous.
Spike throws his arms up and walks away, as Illyria picks the
scroll up.
ILLYRIA
I sensed magic on this when you
brought it in, and I have been able
to recall where.
It is a masking spell, crude yet
effective. This scroll is bound to
a specific location, once taken
away from there it cannot be
deciphered or translated.
SKYE
So what, we've got to get back into
Wolfram & Hart before we can read
that thing? That blows!
ILLYRIA
It is the only way. Without a
sorceror to aid us, we will have to
follow the boundaries of the
enchantment.
Spike chuckles and lights a cigarette.
SPIKE
Isn't that just my luck. I break
into the place because of a sodding
dream, where Buffy shows up, turns
into Angel and tells me to go nick
some scroll from the murky depths
of the one place on Earth that
brought me more pain than
Sunnydale, and when I finally do
get it, I have to take it back
there before I can read it! Who
invents these things?
ILLYRIA
If the information on here is
important to you, then you know
what you must do!
SPIKE
Yeah, I know. I just wish we had-
ANGEL (O.S.)
Some help?
Spike looks up – Angel, Connor, Nina and Taylor have entered
the office, armed and ready.
ANGEL (cont'd)
Sounds like we need to go pay
Wolfram and Hart a little visit.
Off Spike's surprised look, we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
15 EXT. LA – STREET. NIGHT. 15
The newly assembled team march along – Angel, Spike and
Taylor up front, Skye, Connor and Nina behind and Illyria
lagging back, her eyes burning a hole in Angel's back.
SPIKE
Look, it's not that I don't
appreciate the thought- well,
actually, I don't, but that's not
my point. I'm perfectly capable of
getting into Wolfram & Hart and
back on my lonesome, Angel, what
makes you think I need your help?
ANGEL
I'm not asking what you think,
Spike. I'm doing what needs to be
done. That's the difference between
you and me, in case you hadn't
noticed.
SPIKE
Oh, I'd noticed that much, alright,
what I want to know is-
TAYLOR
Oh, for the love of Britney, will
you two shut up! You've done
nothing but bitch at each other
since we started out here, and I
don't want to have to explain to my
men that the reason I'm out here
and not on duty tonight is to help
you two liabilities!
ANGEL
Nobody asked you to come along,
Taylor.
TAYLOR
True, they didn't. But it sounded
like fun.
SPIKE
(to Taylor)
How did he talk you into this then?
TAYLOR
I went to see Angel because I've
been catching a lot of vamps past
few weeks running errands for
Wolfram & Hart, figured he might
know why. Then as I'm on my way, I
get a message telling me about that
break and enter stunt you pulled
last night…
Spike smirks, but Taylor carries on speaking.
TAYLOR (cont'd)
Next thing I know, Angel's worked
out that any scroll from their
archives can't be read off the
premises, so we made sure we caught
you before you blundered in there
by yourself and got killed.
SPIKE
Fair enough. I could use a bit of
cannon fodder.
ANGEL
Spike…
SPIKE
Sorry, I mean 'valuable
assistance.'
ANGEL
That scroll means as much to me as
it does you. If it's about the
Shanshu, some way round what I had
to sign, then maybe-
SPIKE
Than maybe you can just carry on
dreaming, mate! You gave up your
shot at glory, now it's mine, all
mine. All we're going to find out
when we read this is exactly how
long it'll take me to get my just
desserts for putting up with you
for nearly two hundred bloody
years…
Back with Skye, Connor and Nina, Connor is trying to make a
better introduction to Skye second time round.
CONNOR
Yeah, so then, I've still got no
memory of who I am, but one day I
get hit by this car, and when I get
up and walk away afterwards, my mom
and dad figured out there was
something different about me, so
they brought me to Wolfram & Hart,
and then…
SKYE
I get the idea. Angel sees you,
works out what's happened, and
helps you get your memories back,
right?
CONNOR
Kinda.
NINA
So what's your story, Skye?
CONNOR
Yeah, a Slayer and a vampire's got
to involve a pretty long story,
like maybe-
SKYE
Drank blood. Accident.
NINA
(grins)
Not that long after all!
SKYE
I became a Slayer thanks to that
Willow chick's spell, then I got
attacked at school by the
caretaker, who was also a vampire,
and next thing I know I'm buying
subscriptions to 'Slayer's Weekly'
and 'How To Be A Bloodsucking
Fiend.'
CONNOR
That's pretty unusual…
Skye throws Connor a warning look, to make sure his next
sentence ends well.
CONNOR (cont'd)
… but kinda cool, too.
Skye beams at him. Meanwhile, Illyria is keeping out of any
conversations, but it's soon clear why – a whispering VOICE
is talking to her as she continues to keep her death stare
locked on Angel.
VOICE
Promise me… avenge me… the monster
must pay for what he did to me…
Illyria nods, and mutters quietly to herself.
ILLYRIA
I promise you.
Taylor turns to address the whole group as they come to a
halt at a junction in the street. It's the small hours, so LA
is quiet.
TAYLOR
Okay, here's the plan. Angel, Spike
and I are going into the lion's den
to see what this scroll means, and
see if I can find out why Wolfram &
Hart keep sending their goons onto
my turf.
ANGEL
The rest of you, I want you to go
find somebody, anybody, who knows
something about something called
'The Keeper.' That's one thing
Spike remembers from what he read
of the scroll first time, it could
be important. Connor, you're in
charge.
SPIKE
Er, just a minute-
ANGEL
Not now, Spike. You want to argue,
fine, but every second we do is a
second we waste.
Spike considers his options, then nods.
SPIKE
Alright, point taken. Skye, you're
in charge.
ANGEL
(annoyed)
Hey!
SKYE
Oh, man… How about me and Connor
are in charge? Okay? Right!
Everyone's happy. Come on, He-Man,
time to split.
Skye veers away and takes Connor, Nina and Illyria with her,
as Spike, Angel and Taylor start walking again.
ANGEL
I like her. No idea why she chose
you over me, though.
SPIKE
Charisma, mate. Sheer, unbridled
charm.
ANGEL
Spike, you're about as charming as
a-
TAYLOR
Ssh! Jeez, if I'd known I was going
to have to listen to you two ladies
bitch slap each other all night,
I'd have stayed at home and tried
to lick the backs of my own
eyeballs, it would have been more
entertaining…
Spike and Angel share a glance at Taylor's snide comment –
and then smirk at each other. A rare moment of camaraderie.
16 INT. RUNDOWN HOUSE. NIGHT. 16
SLAM! A terrified looking DEMON is shoved against a wall by
Skye, her fangs bared as she kicks her Intimidation Mode into
another gear. The demon is thin with pale grey skin and long,
straggly white hair.
SKYE
Pop quiz. Was the answer you just
gave me something I wanted to hear,
or something that made me a little
cross?
DEMON
It's the truth, I swear! I never
heard of anybody called 'The
Keeper'!
Connor steps into frame, and the demon's eyes flick between
him and Skye in panic.
CONNOR
We'd like to believe you, wouldn't
we, Skye?
SKYE
Oh, absolutely.
CONNOR
Thing is, we get the feeling you're
holding out on us.
DEMON
I… I can't, they'll kill me, for
sure!
Nina leans casually against the wall, forming a neat trio
around the by-now petrified demon.
NINA
Now, here's the thing. You've got a
vampire, a werewolf and a kid who
killed Sahjahn with his bare hands
asking you politely where we can
find what we need to know. You say
'they' are gonna kill you if you
talk. What makes you think what we
could do to you would be any
better?
The demon looks around at them, weighs up his options, then
sighs and nods his head.
DEMON
Alright… alright.
Skye steps back and the demon takes a deep breath.
DEMON (cont'd)
There's a place, this old bar out
on 14th and Benton, run by this guy
called Sicurezza. Lots of snitches
and informants go and hang out
there, it's a good place to go when
you need to know something, and
that Sicurezza guy likes to know
what his clients know, so try him
too.
Skye pats the demon on the head and smiles.
SKYE
There now! That wasn't so bad, was
it?
The trio leave the room. After a beat, the demon straightens
up, suddenly looking a lot less flustered – calm and
collected, even. He flips out a cell phone and dials a
number.
DEMON
Yeah, it's me. They took the bait.
(beat; listens)
No, they weren't here, they must be
headed straight for you.
(beat; listens)
Okay, will do.
The demon hangs up, then smirks before turning and leaving
the room.
17 EXT. OUTSIDE W&H. NIGHT. 17
Angel's team step into frame, the tall building of Wolfram &
Hart facing them.
SPIKE
Well… here we go again.
ANGEL
We wouldn't be having to do this at
all if you'd come to me first,
Spike.
SPIKE
Look, mate, I don't take orders
from you anymore!
ANGEL
(beat)
You mean you did before? Coulda
fooled me.
SPIKE
Now don't start with-
TAYLOR
Quiet. We need to get in quick,
chances are they'll be expecting
us.
ANGEL
I know a few ways in. Follow me.
Spike turns round as Angel leads the way.
SPIKE
Where did Illyria go?
Angel hisses at Spike to catch up, and with a frown Spike
jogs after them.
18 INT. SICUREZZA'S BAR. NIGHT. 18
Looks like we just missed the action – Skye, Connor and Nina
stand in what was once a well-stocked and neatly furnished
bar, but what now resembles a Wild Western saloon after a
long chain of bar brawls.
Unconscious demons and vampires are slumped across the tables
and chairs, and all three of our heroes look like they've got
plenty of exercise this evening.
Standing behind the bar with his head in his hands is
SICUREZZA, the owner of this once-proud establishment.
Skye hops up onto a bar stool and raps her knuckles on the
counter.
SKYE
Hey! Little service here?
SICUREZZA
(without looking up)
What do you want?
SKYE
Well, duh, thought that was kinda
obvious.
SICUREZZA
You want to put me out of business?
Well, nice job, you managed that
just fine. You wanna drive that axe
of his through my gut to finish the
job or leave me to suffer?
CONNOR
We need some information on
something called 'The Keeper.'
Sicurezza freezes at the mention of the name – but quickly
tries to cover it up, starting to nervously tidy the bar.
SICUREZZA
I don't know anything about him.
Connor and Skye exchange a glance.
SKYE
'He'? Sounds like you know more
than we do…
Sicurezza pales as he realises his error, and rubs his weary
eyes.
SICUREZZA
Alright, look, I know things didn't
get off to a good start, with you
guys barging in here and starting a
fight with my entire clientele,
but… trust me, you do not wanna
start messing with the Keeper.
NINA
Why not? Who is he? What does he
want?
SICUREZZA
Honestly? No idea. He's some kind
of mythical figure, a knight of
darkness, a black-hearted soul who
was the handyman for you-know-who
back in the day.
SKYE
'You-know-who'? Are we getting
mixed up with 'Harry Potter' here
or what?
SICUREZZA
Wolfram & Hart! Back when it was
less a law firm, more of a lawless
firm. You know, wastes of chaos,
darkness over the land, stuff like
that. The Keeper was like their
main weapon, they used him to take
care of their enemies.
CONNOR
Could Wolfram & Hart be looking to
bring him back?
SICUREZZA
If they are, I got two words for
ya. Leave town.
The trio exchange worried looks as Sicurezza examines the
damage to his bar.
SICUREZZA (cont'd)
Now, you guys gonna help me clean
up, or do you have other informants
to go lean on tonight?
Nina leads the other two back out of the shattered bar as
Sicurezza grabs a broom and starts to sweep up.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.