The next morning in Buffy's room.
(It's a bit of a mess. The camera pans through it and stops on Buffy still sleeping. The alarm clock goes off. She slaps it with her hand hard enough to smash it with her strength.)
Buffy: Oh! Oops! Oh... (sits up) Mm...
the kitchen.
(Joyce is making fresh-squeezed orange juice. Buffy comes dancing in singing and wearing her cheerleader outfit.)
Buffy: Macho, macho, man! I want to be a macho man. Macho... Oh, hey, juice! (grabs the glass and drinks) Mm... Quality juice. Not from concentrate!
Joyce: (glances at Buffy) You're in a good mood.
Buffy: I am! I'm on the squad, which is great, 'cause I feel like cheering and leading others to cheer. Ooo, hey, juice! (Buffy takes the second glass and drinks again.)
Joyce: Listen, honey, about yesterday, I really...
Buffy: Mm! That is totally yester. Besides, it's not like you were wrong, y'know. I did get kicked outta school. I'm just wacky that way!
Joyce: Still, I just want you to know that, despite the problems you've had, I really...
Buffy: (cuts her off) Mom, you just don't get it. And, believe me, you don't want it. Y'know, there are just some things about being a Vampire Slayer that the older generation...
Joyce: A what? Buffy: It's a... long story.
Joyce: Buffy, are you feeling well?
Buffy: What? Oh, I'm, I'm fine, y'know? What, like, I can't be in a good mood? Is it, like, a new house rule? Fine, y'know? It's just fine, fine, fine, 'cause... (sings) I'm a macho, macho man! I want to be a macho man! (bobs her head) Macho, macho man! (leaves the kitchen) I want to be a macho man!
the gym for cheerleading practice.
(Buffy is positioned next to Joy in the lineup.)
Joy: (loudly) Five, six, seven, eight! (The cheerleaders begin practicing a routine.)
Buffy: Turn up the music! (The routine continues until Buffy accidentally stomps on Joy's foot.)
Joy: (yells) Ow! Get it together Buffy! We have a game in less than four hours!( Xander and Willow come in.)
Buffy: (jumping gleefully) Willow! Xander! My buds are here! I love my buds! Hi! (notices everyone staring) Hi... Oh... (She gets back in line, and the routine continues.)
Xander: (to Willow) Is it me, or is Buffy a bit looped? (Willow casts a worried gaze. The cheerleaders continue with a series of assisted cartwheels.)
Willow: We better get her outta there.
Xander: Yeah, before she...( Buffy overthrows Joy's aerial, sending her crashing into the gym wall.) ...hurts someone. Ay... (Joy gets up as Buffy comes running over.)
Buffy: Did I do that?
Joy: (pushes Buffy) You are SO out of here! (Willow and Xander come running up and each grab one of Buffy's arms.)
Willow: It's not her fault!
Xander: She's on medication.
Buffy: (to Xander) What?
Joy: Well, obviously not enough. Who's our next alternate? (sees Amy behind her) Oh. Amy, you just made cheerleader.
Buffy: No, no, no. You don't want her, she's a wi... (Xander quickly puts his hand over Buffy's mouth.)
Xander: A wise choice indeed! (He and Willow pull Buffy away, nodding and casting nervous smiles at Amy and Joy. Amy stares after them.)
the hall outside the gym.
(Willow and Xander are supporting Buffy between them as they come down the hall.)
Buffy: She's a witchy!
Willow: Buffy...
Buffy: I just got kicked off the team, didn't I?
Xander: I don't think it was your fault.
Buffy: Hmm, I know you don't, that's 'cause you're my friend. You're my Xander-shaped friend! (leans her head on his shoulder) Do you have any idea why I love you so, Xander?
Willow: We gotta to get her to a...
Xander: (stops Willow with a gesture) Let her speak!
Buffy: I'll tell you! You're not like other boys at all.
Xander: Well...
Buffy: You are totally, and completely one of the girls! (to Willow) I'm that comfy with him. (Willow smiles widely.)
Xander: That's great.
Buffy: Any other guy who'd give me a bracelet, they'd... wanna date me, and be like a... (She begins to feel woozy.) Oh! I, I don't feel so good.
Willow: Buffy? (Buffy collapses into their arms.)
the library.
(Buffy is lying back in a chair with a wet cloth on her forehead. Willow supports her head and keeps the cloth in place with her hand.)
Willow: We've gotta get her to a hospital!
Katrina: They can't help her. This is a bloodstone vengeance spell. (takes her pulse) Hits the body hard like quart of alcohol, and then it eradicates the immune system.
Xander: A vengeance spell, like she's trying to get even with Buffy?
Buffy: 'Cause she knows I know she's a witch.
Giles: The others she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um...
Buffy: Kill?
Willow: How much time do we have?
Giles: Oh, uh, I'm sure, uh... Buffy: Truth. Please.
Katrina : Couple of hours... Three at most.
Xander: Well, how do we reverse the spell?
Giles: (gets up) Well I, I've been researching that, and, uh, we can reverse all the spells if, um... (takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes) ...we can just lay our hands on, on Amy's spell book.
Willow: And if we can't get a hold of it?
Giles: Well, the other way is to cut the witch's head off. (puts his glasses back on. Katrina rubs her throat)
Xander: Show of hands! (raises his hand)
Buffy: It's not Amy's fault. She only became a witch to survive her mother.
Xander: (to Buffy) Look, I don't care why, I just care that you go on breathing.
Buffy: Giles, where would she be casting these spells?
Giles: Oh, she needs a, a sacred space. A-a-a pentagram, um, large pot. Katrina:Her home.
Buffy:Okay. Help me up. (Xander and Willow help her up.)We'll just go to her house and we'll get her book.
Willow: Okay, we'll go with you.
Buffy: Uh, no! You guys stay here and keep an eye on Amy.
Giles: (takes Buffy from them) And keep her away from the science 'll need it to cast our counter-spells. (He, Katrina and Buffy go. Willow and Xander exchange worried looks. Xander exhales.)
Amy's house
(Giles' old car pulling up to Amy's house. Cut inside. Catherine has a plate of brownies on her lap and takes a bite out of one. Giles knocks on the door. She looks up, startled. Giles knocks some more. Buffy looks very tired and out of it. Catherine slides the plate under the coffee table and gets up. Giles knocks again. Catherine opens the door.)
Catherine: Who are you? Wha, um, uh, is there something wrong?
Giles: Mrs. Madison, we need to talk to you about your daughter.
Catherine: I'm not allow... You'll have to come back later. (She tries to close the door, but Giles prevents her and pushes his way in.)
Giles: Excuse me!
Catherine: What?!
Giles: (turns to help Buffy) You alright? (looks for a place to sit her down) Um, in here. (Katrina leads Buffy into the living room) (to Catherine) Your daughter is meddling with something very dangerous, are you aware of that? (Katrina helpes sit Buffy on the couch)
Catherine: Uh, I don't know what you're talking about.
Giles: Oh, I think you know only too well.
Catherine: You've got to go. She's gonna be home soon, and you...
Katrina: (interrupts, indicating Buffy) This girl is very sick. (very angrily) Now you will shut up and you will listen to me! Your daughter has access to some very powerful magicks, and somehow your obsession with cheerleading has made...
Catherine: (interrupts, incredulous) I don't care about cheerleading! It's not my fault she's doing stuff. (Buffy sees the brownies and begins to realize who Catherine really is.)
Giles: As her mother you should assume some responsibility for her actions.
Catherine: (laughs) Well, you know, these kids today! I... (calms down a bit) She's out of her mind. Ever since dad, her dad... left I can't control her. (Buffy slowly gets up.)
Giles: You're afraid of her?
Buffy: Amy? (Catherine looks at Buffy and realizes she's been found out. Giles looks at Buffy, still puzzled.)
Buffy: Are you Amy?
Giles: (looks back at Catherine) I don't understand.
Buffy: She switched!
Katrina:She switched your bodies, didn't she? (Catherine looks down, defeated.)
Giles: (the truth dawns on him) Good Lord!
Buffy: She wanted to relive her glory days.
Catherine: (looks back up) She said I was wasting my youth. So she took it. (distraught) I didn't know anything about her powers. I mean, when dad was here they would fight and yell and he would... call her a witch and... I mean, I would, just thought he meant... Oh, God, when he left I wanted to go with him. But she wouldn't even let me call. She went crazy, I mean, she'd lock herself upstairs for days, and she was always coming down on me, telling me I didn't deserve to have it so easy, and that I didn't know... how hard it was to be her, and... I guess she showed me, huh?
Buffy: (takes her hand) Amy, it's gonna be okay.
Catherine: A few months ago, I woke up in h... her bed! I didn't know where I was, and... then I looked in the mirror...
Giles: She locked herself upstairs?
Catherine: Yes.
Giles: Where?
the attic.
(Giles breaks in the door, comes in and starts to look around. Catherine comes in after him. )
Catherine: (tries to stop him) Don't! If she finds out I've been here she'll kill me!
(Giles walks around the cauldron to the rack with the hanging dolls. He sees the two dolls bound together for the body-switching spell and takes them in his hand.)
Giles: My God! (exhales) I believe we can reverse your mother's spell. Well, all of them, in fact. (lets go of the dolls)
Catherine: You could? Really, you could?
Giles: We need to find her books. There'd be specific volumes she'd need for this kind of casting. (He begins to look around some more. He finds a trunk and knocks off the things on top.)Collect those dolls, and, uh, any other personal effects... (As he starts to open the trunk, a black cat jumps at him and surprises him.)Ah! Nice kitty... (calms down) Let's see what you were guarding. (opens the trunk) Ah, yes! (takes out a book) This is it.(Cut to Giles and Catherine coming back down the stairs and going into the living room. Katrina is sitting next to Buffy trying to prevent the worst.)
Buffy: Did we find?
Giles: We found. Come on. (He helps Buffy up from the couch.)
Katrina: She's gotten weaker.
Catherine: But where are you going?
Giles: We're going to school. (He realizes Buffy is too weak to walk and picks her up in his arms.)And you're coming with us.
the gym.
(The Sunnydale High basketball team comes through the doors and runs onto the court. The camera pans across the court, then back and across the cheerleaders, stopping on Amy. Amy's clearly very happy to be there. Cut to Xander and Willow in the stands, watching Amy.)
the science classroom.
(Giles carries Buffy in and lays her down on a lab table, knocking everything off of it in the process. He takes off his coat.)
Giles: (to Buffy) I'm gonna stop this. I promise. (Buffy looks up at him. He folds his coat and puts it under her head as a pillow. Her vision is blurred.)You just hang on. (Buffy moans. Giles goes to the box of books and other things Catherine has set on Dr. Gregory's bench and reaches in to get Amy's spell book. )
Catherine: (concerned) How is she?
Katrina: We only have a few minutes left.
the gym
Cheerleaders: Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go! Six, seven, eight! Go Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go! Six, seven, eight! Go Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go! Six, seven, eight! Go Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go! (yells from the cheerleaders) (The camera focuses on Amy in slow motion. Cut to a slow pan across the crowd. Cut to Amy with a smile on her face.)
the science classroom.
(Catherine is cutting an eye from a frog, and is squeamish about it.)
Giles: Right! Here we go!
Katrina:She's getting weaker. (Giles recites as he mixes a potion.)
Giles: The center is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. Tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears. Hear me!
the gym.
(The cheerleaders are doing a counting chant. The camera focuses on Amy. She stops chanting and looks startled. Her vision flashes to what Catherine sees in the science lab, the book and the frog. She's back in the gym and takes up the count again, but has a worried look on her face.)
The science classroom
Catherine: Oh, it's... it's working! (Giles takes the book up from the table and reads.)
Giles: Unlock the gate. Let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear. (Catherine staggers back and covers her face.)
Giles: Show me... (The lights go out in the classroom.)
the gym.
(Some of the cheerleaders are lifting Amy. Once up, she thrusts her fists into the air and gives the crowd a big smile. Her smile fades as she has another flash to the lab, where she gets a glimpse of Buffy. She comes back to the gym and begins to lose her balance. Xander and Willow watch. The cheerleaders supporting Amy struggle for control, but they collapse. The crowd reacts to the fall. Xander and Willow see everything, too. Cut back to Amy.)
Joy: Amy, what's your problem? (Amy shoots her a dirty look. Joy is taken aback. Amy gets up, looks around and runs from the gym.)
the science classroom
Catherine: She's coming! (Giles looks worried.)
the halls.
(Amy violently pushes open a door. Willow stops her.)
Willow: Amy!
Amy: Get out of my way!
Willow: W-wait! I-I-I need to talk to you, I-I can help you.
Amy: Help me? With what?
Willow: Uh, well, y'know, all your witchcraft! I, I know this really good cauldron. (Xander sneaks up behind Amy.) Do you actually ride a broom? (Amy twists around, growls and holds out her hand like she's grabbing Xander's neck. His hand goes to his throat. Amy makes a fist and twists it. Xander collapses to the floor, choking.) Willow: Xander! (Amy spins back around and punches Willow hard in the face, knocking her to the floor. She starts running to the lab.)
the science classroom
(Giles is holding up his arms and chanting.)
Giles: Corsheth and Gilail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy! Take of mine energy and be sated! (He plunges his hands into the mixture he's concocted.)
the halls.
(Amy slams through another door and continues walking to the lab with a determined look on her face. She tries the door, but it's locked. She yanks at it. Cut inside. Giles takes his hands out of the brew. Catherine looks at the door and sees it's being yanked on.)
Giles: Be sated! Release the unworthy! (Cut back to the hall. Amy stops yanking at the door and finds a fire axe in a glass case. She breaks the glass with her fist and takes out the axe. Cut inside to Buffy. She can't keep her eyes open and is just rolling her head slowly.) Giles: Release! (Amy begins to chop down the door.)Giles: Release! (Buffy lies prone. Amy has made a hole, reaches through and gets the door open. She marches in, axe in hand, straight over to Buffy.) Giles: RELEEEEASE! (Amy starts to wield the axe, but stops when there's a flash of light and the spells are all broken. She is herself again. She looks around, a bit confused, steps back and lowers the axe. Buffy has her strength back and gets up from the table. Giles sees that she is okay.)
Amy: Buffy?
Buffy: Amy? (Catherine lunges at Buffy from the side and tackles her to the floor, knocking her out. Giles advances, holding his arm out and pointing.)
Giles: You... you... (Catherine growls and looks at him and Katrina. She uses her powers to force them back and push a table against them, knocking them down and out. Amy just stands there watching, still holding the axe in both hands. Catherine gets up and confronts her.)
Catherine: You! You little brat!
Amy: (holds the axe threateningly) Mom! Please! (Catherine holds out her hand, and the axe flies from Amy's hands to hers.)
Catherine: How dare you raise your hand to your mother! I gave you birth. I gave up my life so you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living? (swings the axe into a lab table) You've never been anything but trouble. I'm going to put you where you can't make trouble again!
Buffy: (jumps up behind Catherine) Guess what? (Catherine turns to face her.)I feel better! (She punches Catherine, and she flies through the air, lands on a lab table and rolls off, hitting a shelf full of bottles along the way. She quickly gets up.)
Catherine: That body was mine! Mine!
Buffy: Oh, grow up! (Catherine growls, holds her arm out toward Buffy and uses her powers to send her flying against the wall. Buffy hits the wall and falls to the floor. She gets up, craning her neck. Catherine begins to cast a spell.)
Catherine: I shall look upon my enemy! (She looks up at Buffy, and her eyes have become pitch black.)I shall look upon her and the dark place will have her soul! (Buffy looks around for a way to stop her. She sees the pole holding up the mirror above her.)Corsheth, take her! (Buffy does a standing hook kick, knocking the pole out from under the mirror and letting it flop down. Catherine's spell leaps from her hands and is reflected by the mirror back at her. The power of the spell envelops her as she screams. The energy twists around her and disappears with a roar, taking her with it. Buffy surveys the scene. Amy is badly shaken. Buffy sees Giles and Katrina unconscious on the floor. They wake up.)
Giles: Well, that was, um, interesting. (Buffy gives them her hand and helps them up.)
Katrina: she was more powerful then I thought.
Buffy: You guys okay?
Amy: I'm fine!
Katrina: I'm okay.
Giles: I assume the, uh, all the spells are reversed. It was my first casting, so... (inhales) I may have got it wrong.
Buffy: You saved my life! You were a god!
Amy: Well, I didn't think you'd pull it off. (Suddenly Xander comes rushing in and grabs Amy tightly.)
Xander: I got her! I got her! Cut her head off!
Buffy: Xander, what are you doing?
Xander: Saving you?
Buffy: Get your hands off of her.
Xander: But she's evil.
Giles: It wasn't exactly her.
Amy: I was my mom.
Xander: Oh! (releases her)(Now Willow comes running in, too, wielding a bat.)
Willow: Where is she?!
Xander: Uh, hey Willow! It's cool!
Willow: It is?
Xander: Yeah, I took care of it. (They all just look at each other.)
Buffy's room.
(She scoops her smashed alarm clock into a wastebasket. Her mother comes in.)
Joyce: I don't get it.
Buffy: What?
Joyce: I've been doing a lot of thinking about... where you're coming from, how to relate to you... and I've come to a very simple conclusion: I don't get it.
Buffy: I'm inscrutable, huh?
Joyce: You're sixteen. I think there's a, a biological imperative whereby I can't understand you because I'm not sixteen.
Buffy: Do you ever wish you could be sixteen again?
Joyce: Oh, that's a frightful notion. (exhales) Go through all that again? Not even if it helped me understand you. (She smiles at her daughter, and Buffy smiles back.)
Buffy: I love you, mom. (She jumps up and kisses her mom on the cheek, then runs from the room. )
Joyce: I don't get it!
the school halls.
(Buffy and Amy are walking together.)
Amy: My dad is SO impossible! He doesn't ever want me going anywhere! He wants to spend total quantity time together. And I'm, like, 'Dad, I can go out, it's perfectly safe!' But he's got all this guilt about leaving me with my mom. And he's being a total pain.
Buffy: You're loving it.
Amy: Every single minute.
another part of the hall.
Amy: This Saturday night he wants to stay in and make brownies. Well, the brownies were my idea.
Cordelia: (comes up behind them) Hey, I'm really sorry you guys got bumped back to alternate. (reconsiders) Hold it, wait... No I'm not!
Amy: Well, I know that I'll miss the intellectual thrill of spelling out words with my arms.
Cordelia: Ooo, these grapes are sour! (Buffy and Amy stop at the trophy case while Cordelia continues on.)
Amy: (to Buffy) Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you wanted to be on the squad.
Buffy: Oh, hey, that's okay. Cheerleading's just a little too hairy for me these days.
Amy: (takes a breath) That's for sure. (They go around to the front of the case and look at Catherine's picture.)Catherine the Great.
Buffy: And there's been no sign of her?
Amy: That last spell... She said I'd never make trouble again. Wherever she is I don't think we'll have to worry. (They both look at Catherine's cheerleading trophy.)
Buffy: Twisted. (They turn and go.)
Amy: I'm just happy to have my body back. I'm thinking of getting fat.
Buffy: Y'know, I hear that look's in for spring. (The camera closes in on the cheerleading trophy. Catherine's eyes are looking out and she's making muffled noises.)