Author's Note: This act (and part of the second) is mostly setting up what's to come... it's heavy on dialog and less on action.

ACT ONE

INT. XANDER'S APARTMENT – DAY

A heavy pounding on the door awakens XANDER, hitherto lying in bed with ANYA. The clock on the night table flashes 7:30 in bold RED characters, we get just a glimpse of it. Enough sun makes its way into the bedroom, however, to know that morning has just arrived. Xander is none too quick getting to the door as a result. We follow him as he pulls on a SHIRT from a pile next to the bed (a shirt that clashes horribly with his plaid pajama bottoms) and heads into the next room. He STUMBLES over a pant leg that's just a little too long. Grunts.

We then hang back behind for a moment, catching the early morning rays pouring in the window. Swing around the night table.

ANGLE ON the back of the table. The clock, still flashing 7:30 (if we could see it), is UNPLUGGED.

ARC around to catch the clock one last time.

CUT TO:

XANDER. Having regained his footing after the tussle with the pant leg.

TRACKING XANDER as he heads to the door. Our caller is still pounding away, and as we get closer we can hear SPIKE'S muffled voice coming from outside.

SPIKE
(from behind the closed door)
Open the bloody door already
bricklayer. I know you're in there.
(raising his voice)
I can smell you!

ON THE DOOR which Xander opens to reveal Spike.

XANDER
They say my deodorant is strong enough-

Spike cuts him off by walking into the apartment. Or tries to. He HITS the invisible barrier that keeps out the uninvited – vampires such as himself. BOUNCES BACK.

SPIKE
Rot!
'Vite me in.

XANDER
Why should I?
Shouldn't you be off sleeping
somewhere? Like, your crypt?
You know it's daytime, right?
Early early daytime, but sunny
nonetheless.

ANYA
(O.S.)
Xander? Who is it?
Come back to bed.

SPIKE
Look bricks for brains, I'm
not here making a social call.
I've got a problem.

XANDER
What makes you think I-
Wait. When you say "I've"
got a problem, you mean
we, right?

SPIKE
You're catching on.
Cement powder in your gray matter
hasn't dried just yet then.

XANDER
Insults will get you nowhere.

Spike glares.

XANDER
(concedes defeat)
Fine. Come in.
Just let me get dressed.

Spike strides in as Xander turns back towards his bedroom – only turns back to holler at his "guest".

XANDER
Wipe your feet!

Spike rolls his eyes, and tries to speak, but Xander closes the bedroom door.

SPIKE
(to himself)
This is going to be trying.

CUT TO:

INT. XANDER'S APARTMENT – BEDROOM – DAY

Slamming door. We're inside Xander's room. Close on Xander, bordered by the doorframe.

XANDER
This is going to be so trying.

INT. XANDER'S APARTMENT – DAY

Maybe five later.

SPIKE paces impatiently while ANYA goes about making coffee. Enter XANDER from the bedroom, now fully dressed – casual clothes. Anya pours two mugs, which she promptly delivers to the men – both of whom stutter gratitude while drinking until she reveals her much nicer cappuccino. Nothing is exactly spoken in these first few seconds – just gestures and grunts.

Spike reaches for his smokes, but Xander cuts him off.

XANDER
Uh-uh.

The vampire looks rather displeased, but the package of cigarettes disappears back into his coat pocket. Does he ever take that jacket off?

SPIKE
(sly)
Hope I didn't interrupt
your morning workout.

Finally, speech!

ANYA
No. We were far to tired
from all the sex to exercise.

Xander groans, Spike lets loose a mischievous smile.

SPIKE
I see. I keep forgetting
modesty tisn't one of your
virtues.

XANDER
You've drank my coffee
and embarrassed me before
eight a.m. – how about letting
us in on what our "problem"
is?

The mood changes as Spike struggles to find a way to explain.

SPIKE
It's Buffy.
You know…
She's a… well
she's a vamp-

Gets cut off.

XANDER
Slayer. Old news. Now what?
Some nasty demon out to get her?
Something you think she
can't handle, so we should
lend a hand? Or is this
some pathetic ploy to
win her attention?

SPIKE
No, you bloody git.
Buffy's a vampire.
Undead. Fangs. Sorta
like me, only more
BUFFY.

XANDER'S P.O.V. as he lets the reality of this sink in. Anya is RUNNING WATER in the kitchen, but the sound is DISTORTED - MUTED. As are the voices of Spike and Anya.

SPIKE
I didn't turn her.

CRASH – Anya has dropped a cup. The crash is muffled as well.

ANYA
I'm sorry, did you say-

Anya is interrupted by Xander, who THROWS himself at Spike. The sound comes back to normal in an instant, and we're angling on them. On the floor, Xander on top of Spike, one hand at his throat, the other hitting him – HARD.

XANDER
(screaming)
What the hell did you do?
How could you?
How could you be that selfish?
You're through. Done. Staked.
DUST!

SPIKE
Lay off before you hurt yourself.

Xander hits him again.

XANDER
I'll lay off when-

Anya comes to the rescue, pulling Xander off the vampire.

SPIKE
I said I didn't turn her.

ON XANDER, hair in his eyes, face a mask of pain. This is one of those conversations he never wanted to have.

XANDER
This. This is how you tell
me Buffy's dead. Again. My best friend,
(off Anya, who frowns but says nothing)
our friend. I-

SPIKE
I said she was a vampire.I didn't say she was dead.

ANYA
(surprisingly subdued)
It's the same thing.

SPIKE
Right. Maybe. Not exactly.

XANDER
Huh?

SPIKE
I'll 'splain later.

XANDER
Later? Explain now bleach boy!
(calms himself)
You're taking this well.

The words are said with a hint of disgust. Spike gets dark in his reply. D-A-R-K.

SPIKE
I spent the night trying not
to get killed by the woman I love.
Believe me boy, I'm not taking
it well.

ANYA
You saw her? She…
assaulted you?

SPIKE
Buffy as a vampire
is not a pretty picture. And whatever
you think, it's not something I ever
wanted.
(pauses, maybe he had, just a little,
but these results are not to his liking)
You change, when you die.
What you loved – means nothing,
necessarily. Depends on the person.
Ask Angelus 'bout that. He slaughtered
his 'ntire family.

There's a moment where no one knows what to say, so he continues.

SPIKE
Buffy… that's her, but it's not.
You know what the Watcher tells
you, what the Slayer tells you – that
when your friends are turned, to forget
them, because it's not them, it's the demon?
That's only half true. They're still in there.
The demon is like a disease. Most of
us – most of us accept it. Willingly.
We embrace it. The power, it's more
sensual than you can imagine.

Xander can barely look up. His head is in his hands. Anya is deathly quiet.

SPIKE
Buffy as a vampire…
She's powerful. And has all her tricks.
And all her memories. But she's infected.

XANDER
And? DAMNIT!

Xander HURLS a coffee cup across the room, where it shatters. It's not a good day for cups in the Harris household. At this Spike stands, crosses to Xander, and HAULS him up by his collar. Xander's FEET DANGLE inches from the floor. The vampire stares straight at him, finishing his speech.

SPIKE
And I killed two Slayers before
falling in love with a third.
Hell'll freeze over before I loose
her like this. She's come back twice,
that's gotta mean something.
Someone wants her ticking, cuz she's
got a task at hand. You want her alive.
I want her... at peace. And she isn't
At peace like this.
So we… do whatever it is you
hero types do.

Lets Xander down to the floor – to his credit, gently.

XANDER
You think we can bring her back?

SPIKE
If not, there's gonna be hell to pay.
But yeah. There's something...

He doesn't quite specify whether said "hell to pay" will be on his behalf – or Buffy's.

INT. SPIKE'S CRYPT – DAY

Not that anyone can tell. It's dark, as per usual.

ANGLE on the casket. There are several large STONES piled atop it.

We ZOOM IN towards the CASKET, then actually move THROUGH the stone slab and wind up INSIDE – where we see BUFFY, resting peacefully. TOO peacefully – she doesn't breathe.

ECU ON BUFFY – Her eyes open.

INT. DORM ROOM – DAY

Open on WILLOW and TARA. Willow is sobbing on the bed. Tara is comforting her, but is obviously not too stable herself. PAN to reveal ANYA and SPIKE – the latter keeps glancing at the window, but he can't check it – slight sunlight problem and all.

TARA
Someone should tell Giles.

ANYA
Maybe Dawn should?
Once Xander gets her… maybe
Giles should hear it from her.
It definitely shouldn't be Spike.

SPIKE
Thanks.

ANYA
I just mean…

SPIKE
(curt)
I get it.

WILLOW
(looks up, tearful)
We can't… I mean, he won't
be back for two days. He went on
some… Watcher retreat deal.
Meditation, visions, all that.
No phones. He was going to
call as soon as it's done but…
(pause)
This is too much.
We just got her back. This is…
(re: Spike)
You're sure. Sure it was her
and not some doppelganger?

SPIKE
Why would a double
bother transforming itself
into a vampire? Point o'
a double is to be identical.
They don't do improv.

WILLOW
(muted)
You'd be surprised.

TARA
It's her…
What do we do?
You said we can get
her back?

SPIKE
I'll get to that.
It's complicated.
Whatever it is about Buffy,
death keeps casting her back…

WILLOW
That can't happen forever.

SPIKE
No, it can't.
Everyone's got a final time.
Even me. Immortality is a lie.
But someone a ways up the food
chain has a greater plan for her,
one that's not come to fruition
just yet. Between us and that…
It's not supposed to end like this.

TARA
What's she…
How is she?
From what you saw…

SPIKE
Whatever made
her the Slayer… her will,
her power… as a Vampire…
it makes me look like
a bumblin' amateur.

TARA
God…

SPIKE
I barely escaped her.
Wound up locking her in
my casket. Won't hold
her long, but she needs someplace
to sleep anyhow. New vamps are
two things – hungry, and sleepy.

WILLOW
Do you have any idea what it would
do to her – her her – if she fed
on someone? Even if we can
change her back somehow…

ANYA
How did this happen? Who?

TARA
Oh my god, Dawn!

ANYA
I really don't think she had anything
to do with it.

WILLOW
No. Dawn.

She's right.

CUT TO the entrance to the room, and there is DAWN, with XANDER behind her.

DAWN
Guys?
What's up?
Why the cry-fest?
Did something-

XANDER
(solemn)
I didn't know how to tell her.

INT. DORM ROOM – DAY

Moments later.

Dawn is being consoled by Willow, Anya is with Tara, Spike's still staring out the window.

ANYA
Will she be ok?

XANDER
An!

ANYA
I just…

DAWN
I'll be fine.

Surprisingly steadfast for someone whose sister was just vamped.

TARA
Dawnie…

DAWN
I get the drill.
I just didn't...
(now breaking down)
It's too soon.

She isn't as ok as she makes out, that much is clear.

SPIKE
No chance in hell we're
quitting on her.

DAWN
No!
We can't... do that to
her again.

SPIKE
This isn't the same Dawn.
There's a lot all of you
don't know...
We'll fix this, or I'll rip
Drusilla's disturbed head
from her shoulders.

WILLOW
Drusilla?

XANDER
I think it's time you
got to the answers part.
I heard something about
Buffy being dead, but not exactly.
And you said you'd explain later.
So splain, Lucy, splain.

Spike crosses the room, away from the window. Sits, draws up his knees. Starts talking, and when he stops, a few things become clear.

SPIKE
Drusilla… for all her
bitties, chattering away
in that head of hers… she
really does love me. You get
that? Don't matter that I don't
exactly love her anymore.
She loves me, would
do anything for me. So she did.
She gave me a gift… out of love.
Or what she thought was love.
I'm not even sure she knows
anymore. In her mind though…
this is what I wanted.

INT. SPIKE'S CRYPT – DAY

We open on SPIKE'S CASKET – lid intact. Held down as before by some hefty looking rocks. But not for long. It suddenly goes FLYING off to one side, stones and all, then up pops VAMPIRE BUFFY.

It's still day however, and she approaches the door to the crypt cautiously. She pushes it open a crack, and puts her hand into the light. Pulls it back lightening quick. Sticks it out again, pulls back. Again – and holds it there. Nothing.

EXT. SPIKE'S CRYPT – DAY – CONTINUING

ANGLE ON VAMPIRE BUFFY – from above.

We see Buffy from above, as she steps into the light – and morphs into her vampire face. Looks up at the sun – smiles – and heads off.

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT ONE