ACT TWO
FADE IN:
11 INT. FAITH'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 11
Faith looks around, seeing the devastation she had caused to
her apartment. She sighs loudly.
FAITH
Sorry. I don't know what the hell
just happened.
GABRIEL
A fairly thorough trashing of your
apartment, it would seem.
(then)
Your cat seems to have had a crisis
of its own, too.
Faith notices the mess on the floor. She squints and then
looks back to the bed, specifically underneath it.
FAITH
Damn it, Goliath!
(beat)
Actually, I think that might have
already been there.
Gabriel makes a face, his nose squishing up.
FAITH (cont'd)
(off the look)
Yeah. I think he's protesting
something, I just don't know what.
PRYOR
You should probably find out.
Faith flops down into the chair she very nearly destroyed.
FAITH
Agreed.
An awkward moment as they wait for the other to speak
until...
FAITH (cont'd)
What are you doing in my apartment?
Again? Is this the new cliche?
'Faith's in trouble, time for a
rooftop rendezvous?'
GABRIEL
Not this time.
(then; sly)
So, you're in trouble?
FAITH
Huh? No. Things are just...
complicated for me right now.
Gabriel looks to the bed, acknowledging the dead child.
GABRIEL
So it would seem.
FAITH
I can handle it.
GABRIEL
And the plan is to just wait until
she turn and then... "poof"?
Gabriel mimes a staking motion, and Faith spins her head back
to the child, who looks as is she were merely napping.
FAITH
Pretty much.
GABRIEL
You know it could be hours yet.
FAITH
Your point?
GABRIEL
Aren't you late for work?
FAITH
(not in the mood)
I think under the circumstances, a
little "hooky" is acceptable.
GABRIEL
They're probably worried about you,
though. Shouldn't you at least call
to check in?
FAITH
(shrugs)
They know I can take care of
myself.
GABRIEL
I'm sure they do. They still worry.
FAITH
Not my prob, they should just know
better.
GABRIEL
Still, I don't see why it's such a
problem to just pick up the ph-
Faith bolts out of her chair, knocking it backward.
FAITH
Drop it, Gabriel!
As Gabriel stares blankly back at her, Faith collects
herself, looking embarrassed by her outburst.
GABRIEL
Quite the emotional response.
Embarrassment turns to anger.
FAITH
You need to leave.
GABRIEL
You need to stay.
She flinches.
FAITH
What?
GABRIEL
Shouldn't be that surprising,
Faith. I work for some "all
knowing, all seeing" entity or
something, remember?
(off her look)
I know why you're really here.
FAITH
Oh, yeah? Then please, do tell.
GABRIEL
You're planning to bolt.
And we cut from Faith's surprised expression to:
12 INT. WEBB RESEARCHING - MOMENTS LATER 12
As he leaves his office, Pryor hastily puts his jacket on,
brushing past Noa.
NOA
Going out?
PRYOR
Yes, I have business to attend.
NOA
Great. So what am I supposed to do
here by myself? Get attacked by
more slimey things?
PRYOR
Well, for one...
Looking at her bare feet.
PRYOR (cont'd)
You might want to put something
over your feet.
NOA
Really? Well, I'm sorry, I didn't
bring a spare pair as I didn't know
they were going to get damaged
during any smooshing!
PRYOR
You can find some galoshes in the
closet.
A look of terror overcomes her.
NOA
You have got to be kidding...
PRYOR
And second, clean up the rest of
the "slimey stuff". Mop and bucket
should be with the galoshes.
NOA
(scowls)
I hate you.
Pryor steps into the elevator, pressing the button for the
bottom floor. He looks back out to Noa as the doors start to
close on him.
PRYOR
If you get all that done, we'll
discuss that compensation you
mentioned earlier.
Pryor exits into the elevator, it's doors engulfing him as
Noa watches on in disbelief, and from her look, we cut all
the way over to:
13 INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT 13
Some PUNK has the barrel of a GUN stuck down his throat. His
eyes are wide with terror, tears already having stained his
cheeks.
The gun belongs to Quinn, who is hunched over this punk, foot
on chest, keeping him pinned.
QUINN
Yeah, I'm so not buying this.
What's worse, I don't think you
know a damn thing that can help me,
do you?
The punk shakes his head in a rapid back and forth motion.
QUINN (cont'd)
I'm going to take this gun out of
your mouth on the condition that
you only speak when spoken to, got
it?
Punk jerks his head up and down.
Quinn withdraws the weapon.
QUINN (cont'd)
I'm going to go out on a limb and
take a wild guess that you have a
list of priors, correct?
PUNK
Y-yeah.
QUINN
Let me guess, arson on that list?
PUNK
Mm-hmm.
QUINN
Right.
(beat)
Everything points to you being my
man.
PUNK
(blurts out)
I didn't ever kill no cop!
Quinn waves the gun reminding the Punk. His hands SLAP over
his mouth. Quinn breaks a smile.
QUINN
Now, as I was saying... You're
obviously not my guy.
The Punk's face lights up a little.
QUINN (cont'd)
Problem is someone wants me to
think you are. So now, I have to
figure out what the smart move to
play here is.
(beat)
Do I "a" take you in, "b" put a
bullet behind your ear...
Suddenly, anxiety makes a re-appearance on the Punk's face.
QUINN (cont'd)
Or "c," forget we ever had this
little meeting of ours?
(off his expression)
You want a say in this?
Again, the Punk jerks his head up and down.
QUINN (cont'd)
You may speak.
PUNK
(quickly)
Listen man, I don't know who told
you what, but I ain't never killed
nobody. Especially no freaking
cops!
(innocently)
I just deal.
QUINN
Yeah, model citizen. I get it.
Right, then.
Quinn stand up, over the Punk. Tilts his mammoth sized pistol
upward so the Punk can get a nice look at it. He freezes,
terrified to make the slightest gesture.
QUINN (cont'd)
You see this? It's a monster. One
shot will tear right through you
and leave nothing but bit of beef
jerky. I use this, you die.
Horribly.
The Punk starts backing away from Quinn, pulling himself with
his hands behind him. Quinn notices and makes a calming
gesture with his hands.
The Punk stops.
QUINN (cont'd)
I'm not going to use this monster
on you unless you make me.
Quinn holds his gun on the Punk, and slowly backs away,
making his way to a door.
As he trains his weapon on the sniveling Punk, he flips his
off hand outward where a tiny gun ejects from somewhere
inside the sleeve of his jacket, FIRING two piercing shots.
The Punk's knee erupts in blood and he collapses to the
floor, clutching his wound and YELLING in pain.
PUNK
What the hell, man?!? What the
hell! You shot my freaking knee,
you son of a bitch, my knee! What
the hell is wrong with you?
QUINN
I chose "D: None of the above."
Quinn puts his weapons away and continues.
QUINN (cont'd)
This meeting never happened. A deal
went bad, you were shot...
Notices the punk thrashing about in pain.
QUINN (cont'd)
Okay, that last part you could
probably figure out. Anyway, the
perp who did the shooting ran out
the door. You had never met him
before.
(sternly)
Listen!
(pause)
You never met the guy before. This
was just a deal that went bad. Now,
I'm going to leave here and phone
in an anonymous tip about shots
being fired. An ambulance will be
here soon enough. Got it?
The Punk rocks back and forth in agony.
QUINN (cont'd)
(loud)
Got it?
PUNK
Yeah, I got it, man!
QUINN
Do us both a favor and forget my
face.
Quinn grins suddenly, patting a hand lightly against the
punk's cheek.
QUINN (cont'd)
Thank you for your co-operation.
As Quinn turns and exits, we cut outside to:
14 EXT. WAREHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 14
Quinn ignores the screams coming from inside the building.
He gets into his car, where Lehto sits waiting in the
passenger seat.
LEHTO
That's a pretty damn sight far from
procedure.
QUINN
This whole thing is pretty damn far
from procedural.
LEHTO
Finally coming around, huh?
Quinn starts the car.
LEHTO (cont'd)
So, can you live with it?
QUINN
I don't know.
LEHTO
Yeah, you do. Tell me. Say it.
(beat)
Can you live with it?
QUINN
(beat)
No.
LEHTO
And what are you gonna do?
QUINN
I don't know.
As Quinn pulls out into the street, a smirk appears on
Lehto's face.
LEHTO
Yeah, you do.
Lehto breaks into a wide smirk, as we cut to:
15 INT. WEBB RESEARCHING - NIGHT 15
Noa walks down a hallway carrying a mop and bucket. She is
wearing BIG YELLOW GALOSHES, muttering to herself.
NOA
She's going to see my dark side
now.
Cleaning up this stupid mess,
having those things crawling all
over me!
(shudders)
Ugh. You don't see me sleeping in
when I get attacked by demons...
As she disappears down the corridor...
NOA (cont'd)
She is in so much trouble. No more
bagels, that's for damn sure!
Noa pauses, realising she shouldn't be thinking these
thoughts, and bites her lip.
NOA (cont'd)
(mousy)
I hope she's okay...
As Noa sighs and starts walking onwards, we cut to:
16 INT. FAITH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 16
Faith sits in her chair, head hanging low.
GABRIEL
You're not even going to bother to
deny it, are you?
FAITH
What's the point? You've got your
all knowing thingy.
(beat)
Probably a better way to say
that...
GABRIEL
Want to tell me why?
FAITH
I'm sure you could tell me just as
quickly.
She stands up, walking past Gabe to gaze out her window.
FAITH (cont'd)
I don't like to stay in one place
for too long.
GABRIEL
Why is that?
FAITH
Jesus, what are you, some kind of
shrink now? Why am I even talking
to you?
GABRIEL
Because you want to. Now, answer my
question.
Faith continues to look out the window in silence.
GABRIEL (cont'd)
Okay, how about we explore
relevancy? Why leave now? You freak
out about having to stake a six
year old, so it's time to go? You
think you'll never see another pre
pubescent vamp?
FAITH
It's not the kid. I can handle the
kid.
GABRIEL
I think it is.
FAITH
I'm a slayer. When the time comes,
I'll slay. But not a second before.
GABRIEL
Oh, of that I have no doubt. But I
think this current crisis of yours
is about the child.
FAITH
You've lost me.
GABRIEL
Not the plan.
(then)
Let's back up a little. Why are you
here, specifically?
FAITH
I'm thinking you don't mean
metaphorically.
(off his look)
Where else was I going to go? I
knew she was bitten, I knew she had
tasted their blood. If I'd left her
there, there's no telling what
morgue she would have ended up at,
and people would have died.
GABRIEL
So you brought her to your home.
FAITH
You have a better suggestion?
GABRIEL
Why didn't you take her to Pryor?
FAITH
What?
GABRIEL
He's a scientist. A demonologist.
Surely, he'd love to have such a
specimen to study. Think about how
much of a benefit to his bio
mystical research. What a prime
example!
FAITH
That's sick. She's just a kid, and
anyway, Pryor's not like that.
GABRIEL
Not like what?
FAITH
He's not going to go and cut her up
for the sake of scribbling a few
new notes on the subject.
GABRIEL
Even though he knows what she is
about to become?
FAITH
Not to a kid, he wouldn't.
GABRIEL
Interesting.
FAITH
What is?
GABRIEL
You're so defensive that Pryor
wouldn't harm the child, even
knowing what she was about to
become, and yet... here you are,
waiting to cut her head off.
FAITH
What's your point?
GABRIEL
What would he say if he knew what
you were about to do.
FAITH
Not a thing. It's what needs to be
done.
GABRIEL
Then pick up the phone.
FAITH
He'd understand as would Noa. It's
not a pretty world, Gabe.
GABRIEL
No, it's not, is it? You're right
though; they would understand.
They're not the problem - you are.
FAITH
Just keep talking, I'll let you
know when you make sense.
GABRIEL
You don't want them to know.
FAITH
It's not something to brag about.
GABRIEL
No, I mean how easy it is for you.
Faith throws a dark look at Gabe, and from that we cut to:
17 INT. SUGARWATER APARTMENT COMPLEX - NIGHT 17
Pryor makes his way down a narrow hallway, stopping in front
of a fairly nondescript door. He knocks twice.
The door opens to the pudgy frame of MR.OWL.
MR.OWL
Why hello, Mr. Webb. We actually
didn't expect you this early.
PRYOR
Sorry, have I come at a bad time?
MR.OWL
No, no, of course not Mr. Webb.
Please, please do come in. And mind
your step.
18 INT. EPICENTER - CONTINUOUS 18
Pryor enters but is surprised to see that in place of the
quaint apartment he has grown accustomed to over the years,
there now rests a massive stadium sized chamber. Grand,
bright, it's decor a Gothic Victorian.
Pryor looks all around him, his face registering the surprise
we're feeling at suddenly finding ourselves in such a room!
He is overwhelmed, and it's from this amazed look that we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
19 INT. FAITH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 19
Gabriel circles around a motionless Faith. Her head hangs
low, her eyes blink as she tries to take everything and it's
accuracy thereof in.
GABRIEL
See, we find ourselves here in a
dilemma that just sums you up as a
person, Faith. This is exactly the
sort of mess that you seem destined
to attract, whether you want to or
not, and no matter how many things
you do to try and restore some kind
of balance to that huge karmic
scale hanging over you, it's always
going to be tipped one way.
Faith shoots Gabe a look, but he raises his hands - he's
telling it like it is for once.
After a beat, Faith looks back down at the child on the bed,
then to the floor. Gabe takes advantage of her silence to
continue his speech.
GABRIEL (cont'd)
That's not to belittle what you've
done with your life - far from it.
You've helped save the world - or,
at least, a quiet little
Californian town that would
probably have gone on to become the
first battle in a war that would
have devastated the planet.
FAITH
How do you know that?
GABRIEL
I'm sorry?
FAITH
(looks up)
How do you know Sunnydale would
have ended up with those uber-vamps
taking over the world if we hadn't
stopped them?
Gabe grins at her.
GABRIEL
It's not a hard one to work out,
Faith.
Even with the small matter of the
West Coast sunshine keeping them
contained, did you ever stop to
think that there were more things
down in that Hellmouth than
vampires?
FAITH
Like what?
GABRIEL
Warlocks, witches, demons - things
with the power to blot out the sun.
Permanently.
FAITH
Okay, so we did good. What does
this have to do with her?
Faith motions to the girl, and Gabe nods.
GABRIEL
I'm getting to that.
(beat)
So, you helped save the world, then
you went off and did your own
thing, you even managed to find
what looked like love out of it,
with Robin.
Faith throws Gabe a cold glare.
FAITH
You don't get to say his name.
GABRIEL
(raises hands)
I'm just illustrating my point.
Robin was a good guy, I'm truly
sorry for what happened to him.
But, in a way, it does tie in with
what I'm saying.
FAITH
Huh?
GABRIEL
Robin got close to you. Very close.
He found his way into that heart of
yours, and for the first time in
your life, you opened up. Let
someone inside.
FAITH
Yeah, and?
GABRIEL
And then when it came down to it,
what did you do? You ran.
FAITH
That wasn't my fault. Things were-
GABRIEL
Hey, you can justify it to yourself
any way you want, point of the
matter is, you ran away.
Faith falls quiet again as she watches Gabriel pace round
her, still throwing glances over to the girl on the bed.
GABRIEL (cont'd)
So what we have to ask ourselves
here isn't 'where should I run to
this time,' but 'why should I run?'
You're going to start running out
of good reasons really quick if
this is all it takes for you to
leave behind what you've started to
build for yourself here.
FAITH
So what have I 'built' here,
exactly?
GABRIEL
Some kind of life, maybe? I know
it's not something you've ever
thought you could have, not since-
FAITH
(stern)
Don't say his name again.
(beat; quietly)
Please.
Gabriel pauses, then nods, respecting her wishes.
GABRIEL
But you know who I mean. Since all
that got taken away from you in
France, you've gotten back into
your old cycle. Go to a city, hang
around until you start to make a
few people you can sort of call
'friends,' then as soon as they
start getting even vaguely close,
as soon as they begin to get the
tiniest insight into who Faith
Lehane really is, at the deepest,
darkest depths of her soul... you
bolt.
Faith looks up at him, falling silent again as he speaks.
GABRIEL (cont'd)
The problem is, you're afraid
they'll get to know the "real" you
and hate you for it. You reason
that it's better to leave now,
before they find out exactly what
kind of a monster you really are.
Faith is a mix between hurt and angry, yet she hangs on every
word.
GABRIEL (cont'd)
That child is a catalyst to a
repetitive pattern you live your
life by: Don't get close to anyone
and never give them the chance.
Things have been going so well for
you here, you let your guard down.
Opened up a little. Then this child
falls into your lap, and you know
how awful and heart-wrenching it is
- but you don't feel it. You've
seen true horror in your life, and
truth to tell you were responsible
for a lot of it.
Gabe walks over to her, looks her direct in the eye.
GABRIEL (cont'd)
But that doesn't make you a bad
person. At least, not here and now,
anyway. The truth of the matter is
that you are who you are, not who
you were. Ever. Time doesn't work
that way.
FAITH
(beat)
So, what, you're saying I shouldn't
feel bad for the things I've done?
GABRIEL
No, no. Feel bad. Feel very bad.
FAITH
I do.
GABRIEL
Good.
(off her look)
I'm going to have to spell this out
for you aren't I?
FAITH
So, we're not finished then.
GABRIEL
My point is: you are more than a
vampire slayer. Act like it.
FAITH
Act like what exactly?
GABRIEL
Human.
Faith turns to look at the bed. She steps over to it. The
little girl has gone pale and blue, yet her face so sweet, so
adorable.
She brushes some stray hairs from the child's face. A moment
passes and she turns to speak to Gabriel, but he is gone.
The little girl's head suddenly shifts a little - from side
to side. She's starting to wake up.
Faith caresses the child's cheek. Her eyes are cold and hard.
Faith reaches down to the side of the bed, where the hatchet
lies, and as she grabs it, we quickly cut to:
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