ACT TWO:
EXT - ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE - DAWN
We see a HUNTER, dressed appropriately for the hunt, walking across a field towards a large woods. He is carrying a rifle and a DOG, a labrador retriever, lopes alongside him.
EXT - WOODS - MORNING
The HUNTER is moving slowly through the trees but sees something and stops. He squats down and softly whistles the DOG over to him and pushes its hind end down to the ground.
HUNTER
(softly)
Stay.
The HUNTER stands and takes a quiet step. The DOG begins to stand to follow but the HUNTER turns and gestures it down.
HUNTER (CON'T)
Stay!
The HUNTER moves slowly away from the DOG, stepping carefully and quietly and watching the woods around him.
EXT - WOODS - MORNING
Elsewhere in the woods. The HUNTER enters our line of sight and then stops, looking at something we don't see. He settles back against a tree for support, raises his rifle and begins to take aim.
EXT - WOODS - MORNING
A large BUCK is moving through the trees, periodically being blocked from our line of sight by the trees between it and the camera. It stops beside a once-large tree; the trunk split and now obviously dying.
CRACK! A shot rings out and we see something his the tree just above the BUCK's head. The BUCK jumps out of the way as ...
CRACK! Another shot rings out, just a moment too late. It too hits the tree but makes an odd, popping/cracking sound as it does, unlike what we'd expect from a bullet hitting a tree. We hear the BUCK scampering away behind more popping and cracking noises from the tree, as if large pieces of wood are being pulled apart slowly.
In the distance we hear the DOG start to bark.
The cracking sound gets louder and the truck of the tree, partially split by lightning sometime in the past, finishes splitting all the way to the ground and the smaller half falls away to the side, kicking up dust and leaves ... and a rust-colored cloud.
HUNTER (OFFSCREEN)
What the dickens ... ?
EXT - WOODS - MORNING
TRACKING SHOT - from the perspective of SOMETHING we don't see moving very fast in a straight line towards the HUNTER.
Somewhere in the distance, we can hear the DOG still barking.
HUNTER (CON'T)
(wide-eyed and scared)
What? No! NO!
The HUNTER tries to bring his gun up to fire but whatever it is in on him too quickly.
EXT - WOODS - MORNING
Elsewhere in the woods. We hear the DOG still barking and the HUNTER scream.
HUNTER (CON'T - OFFSCREEN)
(fading)
Aaaaarhhhhh!
INT - HOTEL LOBBY - MORNING
The elevator door opens and BUFFY, WILLOW, KENNEDY, DAWN, XANDER and ANDREW exit. They are all a little more dressed up than usual - not black tie but business casual or more. ANDREW sees something and takes off across the lobby.
ANDREW
Ooh! The Sun!
DAWN
(voicing it for all of the confused women present)
Huh?
XANDER
(hanging and shaking his head)
The Page Three Girls.
(beat)
Not that I would know ... or ever ...
WILLOW pats him on the shoulder.
WILLOW
(condescending but friendly)
We know you wouldn't, Xander. Boobies bad.
KENNEDY
(mock offended)
What?
WILLOW
(finding herself somewhere she hadn't planned on)
No! Not yours, sweetie! Yours are –
BUFFY
(interrupting)
- something we DON'T need to hear about!
BUFFY smiles and KENNEDY and DAWN laugh. WILLOW blushes.
XANDER
(under his breath)
Speak for yourself.
KENNEDY gives XANDER and not-completely friendly punch in the arm. DAWN looks around the lobby ...
DAWN
Where's ...
... and then sees who she's looking for.
DAWN (CON'T)
Hey! Good morning!
WOOD and three young women in their late teens/early-twenties walk into the lobby from the cafe off of it. The women are SARAH, a short, Middle-Eastern woman with short, black hair, KATE, a cute, chubby woman with red hair and a red face and SATSU, a tall, Asian woman with long hair.
WOOD
Good morning.
WOOD walks directly over to ANDREW and pulls the paper out of his hands.
ANDREW
Hey!
WOOD
Grow up.
They all start moving towards the hotel entrance.
BUFFY
Everyone ready?
DAWN
Hey - where's Giles?
BUFFY makes a 'who cares' face.
WOOD
He's meeting us there.
WOOD smiles and raises his eyebrows.
WOOD (CON'T)
He's having breakfast with Olivia.
INT - RESTAURANT - MORNING
Different restaurant. OLIVIA and GILES are sitting across from each other at a small table, eating. GILES reaches across the table and strokes her cheek.
GILES
I have missed you.
OLIVIA leans into it for a moment and then pulls away, looking uncomfortable.
OLIVIA
Rupert -
GILES
I know, it's not the best time. I'm just getting back and everything's in flux with the Council and the –
OLIVIA
Rupert -
GILES
But things are different now, Liv. I'm different. I'll have more say and be able to spend more time –
OLIVIA
Rupert!
He stops talking and looks at her.
OLIVIA (CON'T)
I'm with somebody now.
GILES
Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't ...
(beat)
Are you sure?
OLIVIA
(lauging)
Of course I'm sure!
GILES takes off his glasses, pinches his nose at the top, between the eyes, and shakes his head at himself.
GILES
I meant - is it serious?
OLIVIA
It is.
GILES
(embarrassed and disappointed)
Oh.
OLIVIA
Rupert, you're great. You're sweet and funny. You're a librarian and still the most interesting man I've ever dated. By far.
(beat)
But you had your duties. And your Slayer. And ... and I might've waited for a little while but, Rupert, I lost you long before I heard you'd died.
GILES
I'm sorry, Olivia. I never meant ...
She takes his hand and kisses it.
OLIVIA
I know. I'm sorry too.
INT - CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNING
We are in a large, corporate conference room. One wall is a floor-to-ceiling window, curtains open, and through it we can see the downtown London skyline. There is a conference table large enough to seat 20 people ... which is a good thing since it looks like there are that many people milling about the room, chatting in small groups. BUFFY, WILLOW, XANDER, DAWN, ANDREW, KENNEDY, WOOD, SARAH, KATE and SATSU are there. As are ten members of the Watchers' Council; three women - LOUISE, CATHERINE and ELIZABETH – and seven men - MARTIN, CARRUTHERS, WILLOUGHBY, THOMAS, STEPHENSON, CHARLES and ROGER WINDHAM-PRICE.
CHARLES
(loudly)
We have a lot to discuss so, if everyone could be seated.
Everyone starts moving to chairs and sits down. BUFFY takes the seat at one end of the table and WINDHAM-PRICE the seat at the other. The members of their 'sides' sit at the appropriate ends of the table. There are exactly enough seats at the table for everyone present.
WINDHAM-PRICE
Before we begin, there are a few items to –
The conference room door opens and GILES enters. He stops when he realizes he's late.
GILES
So sorry. I got stuck in ...
WINDHAM-PRICE
Ah, Rupert. I was wondering where you were.
GILES
Hello, Roger.
GILES looks around the table and realizes there aren't any empty chairs. He points down the hall.
GILES (CON'T)
I'll just get one from -
WINDHAM-PRICE
No need. You won't be staying.
Everyone else at the table is watching, curious if a little confused.
GILES
I beg your pardon.
WINDHAM-PRICE
You won't be staying. This is Watcher/Slayer business and I'm asking you to resign yourself from it.
(beat)
From both sides of it.
(beat)
Now.
The room is stunned silent.
GILES
(calmly, though obviously pissed off)
Even now? After everything that's happened?
WINDHAM-PRICE shrugs.
WINDHAM-PRICE
Nothing's changed in that regard.
GILES
Bollocks! It's ALL changed.
WINDHAM-PRICE sighs.
WINDHAM-PRICE
(smugly)
If you insist, Rupert. Shall we change the terms of the original agreement?
GILES glares at him.
BUFFY
Giles, what the hell?
XANDER
Double that for me!
GILES
Buffy, Xander, this is ... not your concern.
BUFFY
Of course it's my concern! You're MY Watcher!
(glares at WINDHAM-PRICE)
AND the only Watcher we've ever been able to trust!
GILES's brows perk up at that and she gives him a 'yes, I can trust you ... at least with Watcher business' shrug.
WINDHAM-PRICE does not seem intimidated at all be her.
WINDHAM-PRICE
Miss Summers, this is not -
BUFFY
No! We've had this conversation before. You need us more than we need you. And that was when there was only one of me!
WOOD
(quietly)
Faith.
BUFFY
Two of me!
BUFFY isn't letting her misspeak slow her down. She stands up as she keeps rolling.
BUFFY (CON'T)
You DON'T have the upper hand here and I don't know what kind of Council politicrap stunt you're trying to pull but I won't stand for it!
There is a moment of tension following her ultimatum ... then ruined by a snort and muted giggle from ANDREW. The entire Slayer team turns to glare at him.
ANDREW
(whispering and trying not to giggle)
But she IS standing for it.
XANDER, sitting beside ANDREW, punches him in the arm. Hard. SARAH, on his other side, sees this and does the same.
ANDREW (CON'T)
Ow!
SARAH
(whispering to ANDREW, she has a middle-eastern accent)
Say another word ... today ... and we're going a few rounds.
GILES
Buffy, much as I appreciate your support ... and loathe as I am to agree with Roger ... this really is none of your concern. It is not a Watcher/Slayer business. You have my word on that.
BUFFY
Then what is it?
WILLOW
Yeah, Giles, help us understand. Please.
GILES holds up his hand to silence them.
WINDHAM-PRICE
Rupert?
There is a LONG, tense moment. GILES looks like he's going back-and-forth in his mind.
GILES
I ... I ...
(beat)
I ... resign myself and officially step down from the Watcher's Council.
Again, the room is filled with WTF? faces and stunned silence.
GILES turns to look at WILLOUGHBY.
GILES (CON'T)
I'll contact you later about transitioning my Council duties.
BUFFY
(hurt and confused)
Giles? Why?
GILES
Buffy. Xander. Willow. You. Can. Do. This. I have complete faith in you.
(beat)
And while Roger's a loathsome prick who hates not getting his own way, he is smart enough to realize exactly the position he's in here.
WILLOW
(also hurt and confused)
But, Giles ... ?
GILES shakes his head then holds his hand to his mouth, almost as if he's afraid to open it and hear what might come out. Then he leaves.
END ACT TWO