PART FOUR:
CUT TO
Next morning, JENNY and GILES are in Jenny’s car on the way to school, JENNY is driving. They are both in very good moods, for obvious reasons. They evidently stopped at Giles’ place first, because he is wearing a suite that is not all bloody. Also of note: he is wearing fewer layers than usual. He is not wearing his glasses, which were broken and lost in the fight. Where the cut on his forehead was is now just really bad bruising, and it is the only evidence of his injuries the night before. Jenny is wearing a creamy white top with long flowy sleeves, and a deep brown skirt which is just long enough to be respectable teaching attire. It is late morning.
JENNY
(sweetly)
Ru, can I ask you something?
GILES
(smiling)
Anything.
JENNY
When did you know you were in love with me?
GILES
When did I know? (thinks) uh, I-I suppose I didn’t know for sure until Eyghon…uh…
JENNY
(noting his discomfort with the memory of the demon)
Okay, I get it. Life threatening moment causes realization. (smiling a bit) Actually, I wasn’t sure I loved you until I shot you with that crossbow. (cringes at the memory).
GILES laughs a bit.
JENNY
(smiling again)
Okay, I have another question: when did I stop being “that dreadful Calendar woman”?
GILES
(embarrassed but laughing)
When you said you knew about the demon on the internet. Your eyes lit up. You were brilliant.
JENNY
Why thank you.
GILES
When did you stop thinking of me as “Snobby”?
JENNY
(laughs out loud)
That’s easy: after we did the spell together. Your voice just sounded so sexy, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. (laughs) If it wasn’t for the general weirdness of the situation, I think I might have jumped on you right then.
Giles smiles at her, a bit surprised.
JENNY
Oh, that’s another good one: when was the first time you wanted to go to bed with me?
GILES
(softer, still smiling)
When I saw you again for the first time this September. I remember wondering how I didn’t notice before how beautiful you are. I thought that you were the type of woman who should spend all her time in leisure, being made love to night and day, whenever possible.
JENNY smiles at him in the rear-view mirror. Then her look suddenly cools.
JENNY
(scornfully)
What, do you think that’s all I’m good for?
GILES
(eyes widen, scared, realizing how what he said must have sounded to her)
Wha?...uh-uh-uh-n-no! no… Jenny… I-I didn’t mean it that way…
JENNY
(turns to him, grinning)
Relax, Rupert. I think I know what you meant.
GILES is silent, but not relaxed.
JENNY
(teasingly)
You know I love to watch you squirm.
Giles relaxes and smiles, but is still embarrassed. They pull into the school parking lot.
JENNY
(checking her watch)
godess, I can’t believe how late we are. (undoing her seatbelt) I already missed my first two classes.
GILES
(looks at her, kind of disappointed)
Are you saying it wasn’t worth sleeping in this morning?
JENNY
Hey!
(grins)
It was totally worth it.
She wraps her hand around his neck and pulls him towards her. They kiss. He moves closer so he can comfortably wrap his arms around her waist. They look like they might miss period three as well when PRINCIPAL SNYDER saunters up to the car, a grim expression on his face.
SNYDER
Ms. Calendar-
The couple jumps and splits apart. GILES bashes his head on the roof of the car, and clutches his head,
GILES
Bloody hell…
At the same time, JENNY’s elbow hits the car horn, causing it to go off sharply in Snyder’s ear. She turns to Giles to make sure he is all right.
JENNY
Are you okay?
SNYDER
(more sternly)
Ms. Calander!
JENNY turns to the principal, GILES glares at him.
SNYDER
You’re needed in my office for police questioning. It seems some vandals broke into your classroom last night. (to Giles) Under the circumstances I think it would be best if you came along too.
The midget principal turns and leaves. JENNY gets out of the car, worried expression on her face. GILES follows, muttering curses and death-threats under his breath.
CUT TO
End of the school day, Giles and Jenny leaving the principal’s office, after being questioned by the police, and then lectured by Snyder on “appropriate professional behaviour”. GILES has a stony expression on his face. JENNY looks thoroughly upset. They start walking towards the library.
JENNY
That has got to be THE most humiliating experience of my life! I can’t believe he kept us in there the whole day. Godess, that was embarrassing!
GILES
Mm.
JENNY
(studying Giles’ cloudy expression)
Ru?
GILES
(looking up to her)
Hm?
JENNY
(a smile curling her lips)
It was still totally worth it.
He smiles back at her as they enter the library. THE SCOOBY GANG is there, waiting for them.
BUFFY
(jumping down from the counter where she was seated)
Finally! We were so worried! First you don’t show up to pick up the book last night, then we come to school to find Ms. Calendar’s classroom a wreck, not to mention these,
(she pulls Giles’ broken glasses out of a pocket and hands them to him. He looks at them and smiles wistfully and puts them in his jacket pocket.)
and neither of you anywhere to be found.
XANDER
Needless to say we were relieved when we heard that Snyder had caught the two of you making out in the parking lot. (snickering) Well, not exactly relieved, more somewhere in the vicinity of rolling on the floor laughing-
(Giles glares at him)
Well, you get the idea.
JENNY
You heard about that?
OZ
(non-chalantly)
Oh yeah, the whole school knows.
JENNY
Great. (sighs) class is going to be a treat tomorrow.
BUFFY
I’m more interested in what actually happened last night.
(gesturing to Giles’ bruised forehead)
You got in a fight?
GILES
Well, um, y-yes, in a manner of speaking…
(looks towards Jenny)
But that can wait… uh, J-Jenny…?
EVERYONE’s attention is turned towards Jenny. Giles retreats into his office, leaving Jenny with the full responsibility of the spell.
JENNY
(smiling awkwardly)
I’m going to restore Angel’s soul. Tonight.
Shocked silence.
JENNY
I-I know I said it couldn’t be done, but I was able to create a program that translated the text. That was the only thing that stood in the way of Angel being cursed again. I just have to pick up some supplies. I’m going to go now before the sun starts to set. In the meantime, Willow, I was wondering if you could do the protection spell on the library, in case any vampires decide to crash. I’ll be back in about an hour, and I’ll explain the rest of the plan.
(she smiles and leaves)
A beat passes in silence.
CORDELIA
Okay… that was unexpected.
XANDER
To say the least.
WILLOW
Wow…
OZ
I agree with Wil.
WILLOW
… wow.
BUFFY
(still facing the door, voice shaking slightly)
Giles?
Giles is walking behind her, returning the books he was studying the previous evening to the stacks. He has forgotten why he was reading them in the first place. Since he woke up that morning, he has had no memory of the previous course of events. BUFFY turns and walks up to him, While the others start on the protection spell. Throughout the following conversation, Giles and Buffy are careful to keep their voices low. The others do not hear what they are saying.
BUFFY
Giles, did you know about this?
GILES
Only since last night. (smiles somewhat proudly) Jenny kept the whole thing a secret until she was finished.
BUFFY
Yeah, she’s good at that.
GILES is visibly upset by Buffy’s attitude, but he remains calm and understanding.
GILES
She didn’t want to give you any false hopes, Buffy.
BUFFY
Well, I think some false hope would have been better this past month than none at all.
GILES
She had to work on her own if she was going to make it up to you properly.
BUFFY
Right, right… I’m just sick of having my emotions messed around with, Giles. I mean, I’m happy, and in love, when everything is blown to pieces. And now… he’s making my life miserable, and I come to school this morning, and I think he’s killed you. I’m ready to go kill him, have it out. What makes her think that all of a sudden she can snap her fingers and make everything better? Well, I’m sorry, she can’t.
(stalks off behind the stacks)
GILES
(losing his patience, following her)
And yet I fail to see how you could possibly have a problem with her trying. She- she went beyond what any of us could expect from her. Whether or-or-or not the spell can erase the past is- is besides the point: she can give you back Angel. She-she-she found a way of-of achieving what was assumed to be impossible-
BUFFY
Assumed by her.
GILES
(keeping his voice low)
For God’s sake Buffy, why are you so intent on blaming her for this?
BUFFY
Maybe because she’s the one to blame?
GILES
(distinctly)
This isn’t her fault.
BUFFY
(thinking, “so, he’s choosing her over me”)
So you think it is my fault after all?
GILES
(completely exasperated, still trying to be understanding)
No, I’m-I’m… Look, it happened. No one knew, no one could have stopped it, it-it-it just happened.
BUFFY is silent, she studies the titles on the book shelf.
GILES (CONT.)
You were upset, you-you needed someone to blame, that’s understandable. But this is ridiculous. Especially since it seemed that the-the last time you two talked you were ready to-to-to-
BUFFY
I told her you missed her. I did not tell her she could stop feeling sorry. (Hearing how that last sentence sounded) I mean-
GILES
(shocked and upset with Buffy’s attitude)
You don’t care if she makes it up to you or not. (a beat) I-I’ve known you to be rash and-and-and silly, but I never thought you could be so-so-so childish and-and-and-and petty-
BUFFY
(hurt and insulted, she becomes more defensive and stubborn)
Petty!
GILES
Jenny does not deserve this kind of treatment, especially not after what she’s been through-
BUFFY
(laughs bitterly)
What she’s been through?
GILES
(he glares at Buffy, not because he’s disappointed in her, or because he’s worried about her, but because, for the first time, he’s genuinely angry at her)
(very softly, but very distinctly, and fighting back rage)
Angelus knows about the spell. He could have killed her last night. If Jenny were dead today, then would you have forgiven her?
BUFFY cannot meet her watcher’s eyes.
GILES (CONT.)
You didn’t know about that, but you know that she’s lost family, and that in her eyes, she’s let them down. You know that she’s felt just as much guilt and-and-and pain over this as you have. (beat) (Buffy is silent, knowing that this is true, but certainly not wanting to admit it).
Angelus did almost kill me last night. I’m alive because Jenny just happened to know enough magic to get us out of the school and to keep me from bleeding to death. I almost died for her last night. I would gladly die for her. I thought you should know that.
BUFFY makes a move like she’s about to walk away, but Giles isn’t finished.
GILES (CONT.)
So if you can’t let go of your-your-your self-righteous suffering long enough to forgive her, I want you at least to be civil. She thinks very highly of you, and she wants your approval. (coldly) Although, personally, right now I don’t think your good opinion is worth the effort.
GILES turns from her and walks away, going to check on Willow and the gang. Buffy stays behind the bookshelf, thinking about what Giles said, hurt clearly showing in her eyes.
CUT TO
The next scene is a montage. Clips of Jenny and Willow doing the spell are cut with clips of Buffy watching out for Angel. I’m not going to describe the spell scene, because everyone’s seen what the spell looks like. It’s basically the same thing, only the whole thing is in English, since there is no possession going on.
The sun has not yet gone down and Buffy is on her way to the factory, being careful not to be seen. She is highly focused. (SPELL)
Buffy stakes out the factory (pun intended), waiting for the sun to set and Angel to leave. He does, and sets off towards the school, in the company of about three minion vamps. He can’t afford to let anything to go wrong tonight. (SPELL)
Buffy stalks them, and picks off one of the vamps, staking him quickly and as silently as possible. Angel notices, and turns to where BUFFY had been a moment ago, but she has disappeared. He turns to see that another of his minion vamps is missing.
ANGEL
(with game face on)
Buuuuuuuuuf-feeeeeeeeeee… I know you’re out there. Why don’t you stop hiding?
There is the sound of the third and last minion vamp being dusted. ANGEL turns to see BUFFY standing behind him stake in hand.
BUFFY
Who’s hiding?
They fight.
Back to the spell in the library
Back to the fight.
Back and forth happens several times. Buffy and Angel are pretty well matched. Every time Buffy starts to get the upper hand, Angel knocks her for a loop and visa-versa. Buffy begins to be afraid that she’ll have to stake Angel to keep him from winning, when the spell is completed. Angel’s eyes glow and he collapses. Buffy isn’t sure what to do at first, not wanting to believe that he’s cured just to find out it’s a trick. Her face registers shock. Angel looks at her with confusion
ANGEL
(whispers)
Buffy? What happened?
Buffy’s eyes flow over with tears. She runs to his side and embraces
him. Her Angel is
Chapter
5